RTHK: CBC calls Canadian poll for Trudeau's Liberals

Canada's ruling Liberals will form the country's next government, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation projected on Monday, but said it was too early to say whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had won a majority.

The centre-left Liberals, who entered the race with a big lead in opinion polls, were ahead in 139 of the 338 seats in Canada's House of Commons, the country's elected chamber of parliament. Many votes remained still to be counted.

Trudeau heads a minority government that relies on the support of other parties to pass legislation. He called an election two years early in hopes of securing a parliamentary majority.

But as the public's unhappiness about the early call grew, the 49-year-old prime minister saw his lead evaporate.

In the first set of regional results, Liberals were leading in 23 of 32 parliamentary districts, called ridings, in the four Atlantic provinces. The Liberals held 27 seats before the election.

Erin O'Toole's opposition Conservatives had focused on adding to their four Atlantic seats, and were leading in nine. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Trudeau's Liberals set to win third term in Canada

Canadians have returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power in a hotly contested election against a rookie conservative leader, but he failed to gain an absolute majority, according to projections by television networks.

Trudeau called the snap election last month, hoping to parlay a smooth Covid-19 vaccine rollout  among the best in the world  into a new mandate to steer the nation's pandemic exit and pass his agenda without opposition support.

But after a bumpy five weeks of campaigning, his voice was raspy and he appeared set for a repeat of the close 2019 general election that resulted in the one-time golden boy of Canadian politics clinging to power yet weakened after losing his majority in parliament.

At 49, Trudeau had faced tougher political bouts and still came out unscathed.

After six years in power, however, his administration is showing signs of fatigue, and it was an uphill battle for him to convince Canadians to stick with his Liberals after falling short of high expectations set in his 2015 landslide win.

Throughout the day, long queues outside polling stations were observed by journalists in several major cities.

Douglas O'Hara, 73, casting a ballot in Trudeau's Montreal electoral district of Papineau, said earlier that he was "very disappointed" with the prime minister.

Although he believes Trudeau "did a half-decent job" managing the pandemic, he recalled that the leader had pledged not to go to the polls until the outbreak had subsided.

"Then as soon as he gets a chance (when) he thinks he's going to get a majority, he calls an election," O'Hara said. "I really believe he lied to us."

In Ottawa, Kai Anderson, 25, said Canada's pandemic response was her "number one" issue. "I think the prime minister did a good job managing the pandemic," she said.

Liz Maier, 72, of Vancouver said she too hoped for a Trudeau win for "consistency in leadership" during the public health crisis.

Entering the final stretch of the contest, Liberals and Conservatives  the two main political parties that have ruled Canada since its 1867 confederation  were virtually tied, with about 31 percent support each in public opinion polls, and four smaller factions nipping at their heels.

Pollster Tim Powers predicted a Liberal minority win.

"But is that a win for him?" he said, noting that Trudeau had hoped for more than just a plurality of seats.

"In the end, this election was ultimately for nothing," said University of Winnipeg politics professor Felix Mathieu, pointing to the projected seat count for each party as being similar to the split in the last parliament, with most incumbents re-elected. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: 1.7 million people visited voter registration stations at the weekend

The Electoral Commissions Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, has announced that over 1.7 million people showed up at voter registration stations at the weekend to register to vote.

A total of 23 151 voters registration stations were in operation on Saturday and Sunday.

Addressing the media in Pretoria on Monday, Mamabolo said the number of people registering as first-time voters totalled 433 198. This accounts for 25 percent of the total registration activity.

Voters who were re-registering in same or changed voting districts accounted for 1 277 811 applications.

The province with the highest registration activity was KwaZulu-Natal with 358 384, followed by Gauteng with 315 282 and the Eastern Cape with 240 514.

Young persons in the age category 16-29 account for 402 401 of the new registrations - which is 91 percent.

Mamabolo said the registration effort had therefore elicited a good response from young persons.

He said innovations such as the voter management device increased the speed at which voter registration applications are processed.

Previously, it would have taken weeks to capture address details of new applicants following a registration event, he said.

Since its inception in July, the online registration portal has processed 499 488 applications.

On Sunday, 121 414 applicants used the digital channel for registration.

This digital channel provides voters the convenience of use in terms of time of application as well as place of application. It will become an anchor mechanism of registration in the future. A solid basis was laid for its future use, Mamabolo said.

Election Day

The Commission also welcomed the proclamation of the election date of 1 November 2021 by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

This legal act formally institutes the election phase in the re-constitution of municipal councils within the local sphere of government.

The Ministerial proclamation has made it possible for the Commission to publish an amended election timetable. The amendments to the election timetable are a consequence of the re-opening of the registration process, Mamabolo said.

The amended timetable was published in the Government Gazette on Monday. Some of the key electoral milestones are as follows:

- The candidate nomination process will close at 17h00 on 21 September 2021.

- Final lists of candidates will be published on 29 September 2021 and candidates will be issued with certificates on 1 October 2021.

- Copies of the provisionally compiled voters roll will be made available to electoral contestants between 21 and 23 September 2021.

- The Commission will make decisions in relation to objections raised on 24 September 2021.

- The voters roll will be certified on 26 September 2021.

- Applications for special votes opened on Monday and will close on 4 October 2021.

- Special votes will be cast on both the 30 and 31 October 2021.

Applicants who are unable to visit voting stations due to infirmity will be visited at their homes or places of confinement while all other successful candidates will cast special votes at the voting stations.

Touching on the Constitutional Court judgment handed down on Monday, Mamabolo the Commission had already announced measures to comply with the orders of the court.

The handing down of this judgement has provided all roleplayers with clarity in relation to the inter-play between the regularity of elections on the one hand and the constitutional imperative for free and fair elections.

The Commission accepts that it must strive for free and fair elections in the prevailing COVID-19 circumstances, Mamabolo said.

He said the clarity provided by the Constitutional Court on this matter has laid a foundation for all parties to focus on preparing for the election.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: CE to visit Mainland cities

Chief Executive Carrie Lam will lead a government delegation to Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an from tomorrow to September 28.

Mrs Lam will depart for Chengdu from Shenzhen tomorrow to attend the High-Level Meeting & Second Plenary of the Hong Kong-Sichuan Co-operation Conference the following day and the 2021 Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation Chief Executive Joint Conference on September 24.

During her stay in Chengdu, she will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of various provinces and a region. Chief Secretary John Lee and Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang will join the visit.

The Chief Executive will head to Chongqing on September 24, where she will meet the city's leaders and conduct visits.

She will travel to Xi'an on September 26 to attend the 14th National Games closing ceremony the next day and join its flag handover ceremony with leaders of Guangdong and Macau. Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui will participate in the visit.

Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong via Shenzhen on September 28.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan will be Acting Chief Executive during Mrs Lam and Mr Lee's absence. Mr Lee will then act as Chief Executive upon his arrival in Hong Kong until Mrs Lam's return.

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Social Development commemorates World Alzheimers Day in E Cape

Today marks World Alzheimers Day, which is commemorated annually on 21 September.

Organisations the world over focus their efforts on raising awareness about Alzheimers and dementia.

In continued efforts to raise awareness on Alzheimers, the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will today commemorate World Alzheimers Day in Cacadu, Eastern Cape province.

The commemoration seeks to raise awareness about the disease and its impact on the lives and wellbeing of families, especially older persons, who are often killed by their fellow community members due to a lack of understanding about the disease.

Viewed as the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimers is a physical disease which directly affects the brain, leading to the eventual death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines dementia as a chronic illness that arises from an interplay of genetic, environmental and behavioural factors, with severe adverse influences on social and physical activities and quality of life. Dementia is deemed to be one of the major causes of disability among older persons.

The Department of Social Development says the Eastern Cape has seen an increase in the number of older persons who were brutally killed after being accused of witchcraft.

Recent community dialogues, held in the areas of Cacadu and Cofimvaba, revealed that older persons with Alzheimers from around Chris Hani District have resorted to abandoning the villages, some sleep in groups so they may feel safe and protected, the department said. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Cabinet approves extension of Hydrogen Society Roadmap

Following its Special Cabinet Meeting last week, Cabinet has approved the extension of the Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) for the next 10 years.

The HSRM gives effect to the Hydrogen South Africa Strategy that was approved by Cabinet in 2007 to prepare the country for a hydrogen economy.

The HSRM builds on what has been achieved in the past 10 years to prepare South Africa to move from research and development to manufacturing and commercialisation.

In a statement, Cabinet says the HSRM effectively integrates all hydrogen-related technologies in various sectors of the economy and also fosters an inclusive economic growth.

It further positions South Africa as a destination with sustainable hydrogen economic capability and to also expand export markets on hydrogen technologies.

Local manufacturing of hydrogen products and components will contribute towards job creation and skills development, and also enhance economic transformation that will benefit the previously marginalised sector of society, particularly women and youth.

The HSRM also provides interventions that will contribute towards the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It will, amongst others, enhance the provision of renewable energy to the main electricity grid and it proposes interventions in the Heavy-Duty Transport sector, which is one of the contributors in GHG emissions, Cabinet said in a statement.

Cabinet added that the roadmap went through extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including government departments, academia, private sector and science councils.

It provides a coordination framework to ensure an integration of all hydrogen-related technologies and skills development for the country. The document will be made accessible through the Department of Science and Innovation website: www.dst.gov.za.

Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM)

Meanwhile, Cabinet has also approved the submission of the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) to Parliament for approval, in terms of Section 231(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996.

The amendments made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) strengthen the global minimum physical protection of facilities and nuclear material used for peaceful purposes. As a member of the IAEA, South Africa had signed this convention and subsequently ratified it in 2007, Cabinet said.

Cabinet notes that the amendments to the convention strengthens the national security of the member states, including the physical protection requirements for nuclear facilities and material.

It provides a list of offences such as the import and export of nuclear material without prior authorisation. It enhances cooperation amongst member states in the sharing of information in respect of illegal activities on nuclear material, Cabinet said.

Replacement of SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor

Cabinet further approved the setting up of the multi-purpose nuclear reactor project to replace the current SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor owned by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA).

The reactor has been in operation from 1965 and its lifespan is due to end in 2030.

SAFARI-1 is one of the four leading producers of medical radioisotopes in the world used to treat millions of patients annually. It also provides the country with support in science research, development and innovation in medicine, agriculture, paleontology and bioscience, Cabinet said.

The replacement is said to ensure South Africa remains one of the leading countries in these fields and benefit from the new technologies in this environment.

The project will be led by a number of related departments and NECSA as the main client.

SAs 4th Biennial Update Report

Cabinet has also approved the submission of the countrys 4th Biennial Update Report which provides an update on the countrys efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The report outlines the policies implemented as well as the measures and actions undertaken by the country to reduce GHG emissions.

It also provides an update on the transitioning interventions towards a lower carbon economy guided by the National Climate Change Response Policy White Paper.

South Africa has made a commitment to contribute fairly to the global efforts to stabilise GHG emissions within the countrys developmental priorities. As a signatory to the UNFCCC, South Africa is expected to submit these updated reports regularly, Cabinet said.

Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

Cabinet approved South Africas revised NDC climate change mitigation target range for 2030 for submission to the UNFCCC. South Africa has revised its target range for 2025 to 398 to 510 and for 2030 to 350  420 Metric tons of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (Mt Co2-eq), the Cabinet statement said.

Under the Paris Agreement, all parties are required to deposit NDCs every five years. South Africa deposited its first NDC with the UNFCCC in October 2015, committing to keep national GHG emissions within a range from 398 to 614 Mt CO2-eq for 2025 and 2030.

The Paris Agreement also seeks to lower the global temperatures to well below two degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

All parties were expected to update their 2015 targets in 2020 to ensure they are aligned to the latest science. The revised target range takes into account the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and is aligned with all the stakeholders that contribute towards the countrys efforts.

Bills

Cabinet has approved the Marine Pollution (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment Bill of 2021 for public comment. The Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Marine Pollution (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act, 1986 (Act 2 of 1986) and align it to the revised International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

The Amendment Bill will contribute towards the preservation of the marine environment by eliminating pollution of the sea by ships dispensing oil and harmful substances.

Cabinet has also approved the publication of the Companies Amendment Bill of 2021 for public comment. The Bill amends the Companies Act, 2008 (Act 71 of 2008).

Cabinet approved the current Bill for public consultation in August 2018 and the outcome thereof led to the redrafting of the amendments. The revised amendments provide more clarity in a number of clauses of the Bill, which seeks to reduce regulatory regime on businesses; tighten anti-money laundering gaps; strengthen the disclosure requirements and enhance the shareholder powers in a company.

Furthermore, Cabinet approved the submission of the National Climate Change Bill to Parliament. The Bill seeks to provide a legal instrument towards the implementation of the National Climate Change Response Policy.

It allows for the alignment of policies that will influence the countrys climate change response. It also provides for the transitional arrangement for the country to move towards a lower carbon and climate-resilient economy, the Cabinet statement said.

The Bill is said to have already gone through an extensive public consultation process involving relevant stakeholders.

Appointments

Cabinet also announced two appointments which are subject to the verification of qualifications and the relevant clearance. The appointments are those of Smunda Mokoena who has been appointed as Chairperson of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa and Dr Margaret Mkhosi-Motsaathebe, who has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Minister Dlamini-Zuma welcomes ConCourt ruling

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has welcomed the judgement handed down by the Constitutional Court in which she was cited as one of the respondents.

The Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed the Democratic Alliances (DA) application to declare the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) decision to reopen candidate nominations for the Local Government Elections as invalid and unlawful and set aside.

The Constitutional Court had previously dismissed an application by the IEC which sought an order to postpone the forthcoming municipal elections to February 2022, the CoGTA department explained.

In terms of paragraph 5(a) of that order, the IEC was ordered to determine within three days thereof, whether it was practically possible to hold a voter registration weekend to register new voters and change registered voters particulars on the national voters roll in time for the local government elections.

The IEC subsequently determined it would be possible to hold a voter registration this past weekend.

However, in addition to this, the Commission also advised that it would be amending the election timetable to include the re-opening of the candidate nomination process as this was necessary as a consequence of holding a voter registration weekend.

According to the department, the Minister, as one of the respondents in this application, filed an affidavit.

"[The Minister] addressed the DA's incorrect interpretation of the Constitutional Court order dated 3 September 2021, the correct source of the IECs powers, the DAs application countenance a breach of the separation of powers and lastly the ambit of the order."

In a unanimous judgement decided without an oral hearing by the Court, CoGTA said the highest court in the land stated that the proper approach to interpretation involves a unitary exercise in which a court seeks to ascertain the meaning of a provision in light of the document as a whole and context of admissible background evidence.

The Court held that the proper interpretation to paragraph 5(a) of the order envisaged an amendment to the timetable in respect of registering voters, the department added.

The department has since called on all eligible South Africans to exercise their democratic right and responsibility to vote during the 2021 Local Government Elections and to strengthen the countrys democracy.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Minister Sisulu welcomes Germanys decision to remove SA from the 'red list' countries

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has thanked the German government for removing South Africa from the COVID-19 red list.

This means that the country is no longer deemed as a high risk nation and that all vaccinated travellers from South Africa no longer need to have an explanation for purpose of entry and that locals can now visit Germany, subject to passport validity and a Schengen visa.

The department has since welcomed the move, saying it will help boost tourism sector recovery targets.

This is great news for South Africans who travel for leisure and business. We are looking forward to welcoming back the German tourists to South Africa, said Sisulu.

According to the department, Germany has been in South Africas top five overseas markets and said this decision will go a long way in recovering the market losses suffered due to the pandemic and rebuilding the market.

We thank the German government for this progressive and scientific decision that contributes directly to the efforts to recover the tourism sector.

September is Tourism Month and the department believes the announcement could not have come at a better time when the Minister is hosting the continent tourism sector at the hybrid Africa Travel and Tourism Summit in Johannesburg, Durban and Lagos, virtually.

This announcement comes shortly after Emirates announced that they have increased their schedule to 28 weekly flights by October. This is a big boost to our tourism industry and this will see more people travelling for both leisure and business, Sisulu added.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Shek Lei Estate jab service set

The Government's outreach team will provide a COVID-19 vaccination service at Shek Lei Community Hall from Thursday to Saturday for residents, in particular the elderly, to receive the Sinovac jab.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip distributed leaflets at Shek Lei Shopping Centre and visited a singleton senior living in Shek Lei Estate (II) today to call on citizens to get vaccinated.

He said: Reaching out to the community and focusing on the elderly are the priorities of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme at this stage. We would also like to learn more about people's thoughts and, most importantly, provide services that can meet the users' needs.

In addition to a one-stop service covering talks, a health consultation and on-site vaccination at the district level, the Government will organise activities at shopping malls and housing estates to further assist the public, in particular seniors who have activities in places close to their homes to get vaccinated, Mr Nip added.

Given the threat posed by mutant strains, those who are suitable should get vaccinated as early as possible to protect themselves and reduce the risk of falling seriously ill and dying should they get infected. People, in particular the elderly, are urged to get the jab before the winter influenza season arrives.

The outreach vaccination service at Shek Lei Community Hall will be available from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm.

Call 4647 6097 for enquiries.

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: HK, Russia sign prisoner transfer deal

Hong Kong and Russia today signed bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and the transfer of sentenced persons.

The agreements were signed by Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko via video conference.

At the signing ceremony, Mr Tang said both Hong Kong and Russia are committed players in the international efforts to fight crimes and the signing of such agreements represents an important step forward in legal co-operation between the two places.

Under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government can, with the authorisation of the Central Peoples Government, make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal juridical assistance.

The mutual legal assistance agreement contains the essential features and safeguards of international agreements of this type.

The assistance covered included identifying and locating people, serving documents, taking evidence, executing requests for search and seizure, providing information and confiscating proceeds of crime.

The agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons embodies the shared conviction of both places that allowing such people to return to their places of origin, where there are no language or cultural barriers and where friends and relatives can pay more visits, is conducive to their rehabilitation.

Hong Kongs policy is therefore to facilitate such transfers between the city and other jurisdictions as far as possible.

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Nuclear energy key for zero emissions targets

Deputy Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, says nuclear energy remains a key component in South Africas aim for cleaner energy consumption.

She was speaking during the 65th general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference held virtually and in-person in Austria.

In line with the nuclear energy policy, as we embark on the Just Energy Transition in South Africa, we recognise that nuclear plays a pivotal role as one of the clean energy sources that are needed to achieve Net-Zero Emissions by 2050.

In June 2020, South Africa issued a Request for Information to test the market appetite for the 2500MW of nuclear energy and received positive responses from 25 companies that showed an interest in this programme, she said.

The Deputy Minister said following the request for information for the nuclear power generation programme, the department is now on track to complete the procurement process within the next two years.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has recently concurred with a Ministerial section 34 determination for the procurement of 2500MW new generation capacity from nuclear energy.

We plan to issue the Request for Proposal for 2500MW nuclear programme at end of March 2022 and complete the procurement in 2024 to support the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and ensure security of energy supply, she said.

Turning to the country's current nuclear power station, Nkabane said the Koeberg Power Plant is undergoing some technical work to improve its lifespan.

The Koeberg Power Plant design life span is current being extended by another 20 years by undertaking the necessary technical and regulatory work. We thank the IAEA continued support through the peer review missions on the Safety Aspects of Long- Term Operation at our Koeberg power station, the Deputy Minister said.

The Koeberg project is expected to take two years to complete at a cost of at least R20 billion.

The Deputy Minister told the conference that the country remains committed to the use of nuclear energy for the betterment of society.

South Africa is committed to global nuclear security and is currently finalizing the domestic processes for the ratification of the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. I wish to emphasize South Africas unwavering support for the Agencys fundamental role in ensuring that nuclear technology is used for peaceful purpose, Nkabane said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: CE mourns Cheung Yan-lung

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Cheung Yan-lung, a long-time participant of public services including the chairmanship of the Heung Yee Kuk and the Regional Council.

Mr Cheung was also a member of the Legislative Council, the District Council and the Selection Committee for the first Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Mrs Lam said: Sparing no effort in promoting the development of the New Territories, he was held in high regard and revered by the rural residents.

"I am saddened by the passing of Mr Cheung. On behalf of the Hong Kong SAR Government, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family."

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui also expressed sorrow over the passing of Mr Cheung, saying that he had played an important role in bridging the communication between the Government and New Territories residents.

He spared no efforts in promoting rural affairs and district administration in the New Territories and worked for the welfare of its residents, Mr Tsui added.

This story has been published on: 2021-09-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
by Melani Manel Perera

For months, a Sinhala cancer patient cancer was accompanied in prayer by a Tamil friend via an online application. Now the disease has disappeared.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Prayer and friendship between two Sri Lankan women have made them protagonists and witnesses of a recovery that Sri Lankan doctors consider extraordinary. Shanthini and Rupika have no doubts to attribute it to the intercession of Our Lady.

The rosary is the only weapon in my life. I have experienced its power on many occasions, said Shanthini Caldera, a 57-year-old Tamil Catholic woman from the Archdiocese of Colombo, speaking to AsiaNews.

Married, a former teacher and mother of two grown children, she now devotes part of her time to praying for others.

I met Rupika in a private hospital in Colombo in the month of May, Shanthini explained. The young woman, my daughter's age, is well educated and with excellent skills.

She was there for a checkup related to her breast cancer, but she was very depressed and had given up hope for her life.

Speaking with her, Shanthini discovered that although raised a Christian, Rupika, a Sinhala woman, had strayed from the faith.

During the trials of disease, she had accepted the invitation of some Buddhist friends who had convinced her to perform the Buddhist ritual of Bodi Pooja in a famous Sri Lankan temple.

Since Rupika lived in a rural area, I could not go and visit her in person due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Shanthini said.

But I told her that I would help her anyway by staying in touch via WhatsApp. This is how I began to pray the rosary every day with her and for her.

Rupika continued to take her medication at home, but the treatment was accompanied by prayers.

As she went along this journey, she gradually began to draw closer to Jesus and Our Lady, as well as feel better in her inner self.

During a check-up a few days ago, to her doctors surprise, the disease had completely gone.

Who took your cancer away? This is a miracle, a doctor told her. Rupika replied immediately: Our Lady made it possible.

Echoing her words, Shanthini said: Her love for all of her children in world made it possible.
Cuba never feels alone thanks to

Cuba never feels alone thanks to solidarity with Vietnam: Top leader

Cuba has never felt alone thanks to the countrys time-tested solidarity with Vietnam, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez has said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency.

First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez (L) welcomes Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Havana on September 19 (local time) (Photo: VNA)

Regarding the significance of the historical relations between Cuba and Vietnam as well as of the official friendship visit to Cuba by President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, he affirmed that the heroic Vietnamese people are always among the most sincere friends of Cuba in complicated times, expressing his gratitude to Vietnams consistent support for Cubas struggle to end the unjust economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the US.

The countries celebrated 60 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties last year, he said. Since the revolutionary government of Cuba set up relations with Vietnam on October 2, 1961, the special and steadfast relationship had been nurtured by leaders Fidel Castro and Raul Castro of Cuba and Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, during difficult times of the struggle for national liberation and reunification as well as the national construction of the Vietnamese people.



Many schools, public squares and facilities in Cuba have borne Vietnamese names as symbols of an era and mutual feelings of a sound and long-standing solidarity between the nations.



Cuba takes pride in being the first country to recognise the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam and accept a permanent mission of the Front in Havana. 1967 was named the Year of Heroic Vietnam in Cuba, and two years later the Caribbean nation was the first one to recognise the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and opened an embassy in deep forest, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez recalled.

Many Vietnamese students have been studying in Cuban universities, he added.



Under the leadership of the Communist Parties, both countries have stayed consistent on the path of building socialism based on their respective realities. They have regularly shared experience, demonstrating a rare mutual political trust supplemented by the bilateral cooperation across all fields.



In the context of the ongoing pandemic, Cuba welcomes the visit by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the leaders have reached consensus on the unchanged target of the comprehensive development of the bilateral relations.

It is noteworthy that the ongoing pandemic cannot hinder political dialogues at the highest level between Cuba and Vietnam, the Cuban leader underlined.

He said that high-ranking leaders will continue to pay attention to and give top priority to the exemplary relationship of the two nations.

The top leader of Cuba said the two countries will step up cooperation in potential fields of food security, information work and the fight against hostile communication campaigns.

They will also join hands in the conservation of historical memories and strengthen close collaboration in spheres of mutual concern among outstanding international issues.

The special relations and long-lasting cohesion between the two nations, Parties and Governments serve as a solid foundation to elevate economic, commercial and financial ties on par with the sound political relations.

The nations are expected to lift trade exchange and economic cooperation to a higher level with the signing of the plan of action to implement the middle-term economic agenda for the 2021-2025 period.

With the supply and technology transfer of Cubas Abdala COVID-19 vaccine for Vietnam, the countries friendship has been strengthened as Cuba and Vietnam tighten partnership in health care and biotechnology, he stated.

The Cuban leader believed that Vietnam holds potential in enhancing its position as one of the largest Asia-Oceania investors in Cuba.

For its part, Cuba will continue creating a favourable business climate for the same goal based on the potential of Vietnamese firms operating in the country.

Vietnam and Cuba may also expand collaboration in other fields such as energy, tourism, medical services, industry-agriculture and food industry, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez said.

He cited Cuban leader Fidel Castros saying For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood, adding that now Cuba stands ready to supply and transfer production technology of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam.

In the face of global challenges, Cuba and Vietnam will definitely win when we are united, he reiterated.

Source: NDO
NY Court Recognizes Irreparable Harm to Health Care Workers

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Liberty Counsel

Sept. 21, 2021



UTICA, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Northern District Court of New York has extended the temporary restraining order (TRO) for all health care workers against the state's unconstitutional attempt to ignore federal law and remove religious exemptions and accommodations from unlawful COVID shot mandates.

Judge David Hurd spontaneously ruled yesterday that "because of the likelihood of irreparable harm to plaintiffs and in light of the fact that the practical effect of the TRO will not begin to restrain the enforcement of the disputed regulation," he has extended the TRO from September 27, 2021 until October 12, 2021. The court also canceled the in-person oral argument and will rule on or before October 12 regarding the plaintiffs' request to convert the TRO to a preliminary injunction.

Liberty Counsel also filed a lawsuit against Governor Hochul, Dr. Zucker, Trinity Health, Inc., New York Presbyterian Healthcare System, Inc., and Westchester Medical Center Advanced Physician Services, P.C. in the Eastern District of New York regarding the attempt to remove religious exemptions from the shot mandate. Liberty Counsel is now pursuing a preliminary injunction in the case.

On August 16, 2021, Governor Hochul announced that the state will now require health care workers in all "hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, adult care facilities, certified home health agencies, hospices, long-term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, licensed home care service agencies and limited licensed home care service agencies" to accept or receive one of the three currently available COVID-19 injections to remain employed in the profession. Though Governor Hochul's announcement initially indicated that there would be "limited exceptions for workers with religious or medical reasons," the State's Public Health and Health Planning Council eliminated an exemption and accommodation for religious reasons on August 26. In fact, under the state's rule change, the only exemptions permitted in New York will be for medical reasons documented by a physician or certified nurse practitioner.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "This is a great decision by the Northern District Court to recognize the irreparable harm of not allowing religious exemptions for New York health care workers who have sincerely held objections to the COVID shots. Many of these heroes do not want to inject an experimental substance associated with aborted fetal cells into their bodies. They are also now treating patients who have been injured because of the COVID injections. If these health care workers do not comply with the mandate, they will be terminated, removed from the jobs they love and deprived of their ability to earn a living. However, they have the legal right to request a reasonable accommodation for their sincerely held religious beliefs and forcing COVID shots without exemptions is unlawful. Since this is a government mandate, these health care workers also have rights under the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause."

Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.



SOURCE Liberty Counsel



CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org



Related Links



lc.org/


President Phuc witnesses signing of numerous Vietnam-Cuba cooperation programs

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 20 visited the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana as part of his official friendship visit to Cuba.













President Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnesses the signing of cooperation agreements between Vietnam and Cuba.



As a leading biotechnology centre of Cuba, the CIGB has successfully researched and produced five types of vaccines against COVID-19, including Abdala, making Cuba the first and only Latin American-Caribbean nation to research and produce its own COVID-19 vaccines.



The Center produces many pharmaceutical products such as vaccines, cancer drugs, and diagnostic technologies.



At the CIGB, President Phuc witnessed the signing of an agreement between the CIGB and the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (POLYVAC) under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on purchasing 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Cuba. Businesses of both sides also signed deals on the transfer of Soberana 2 COVID-19 vaccine.



Upon addressing after the signing ceremony, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he is elated to witness this important event which is a very important success of his trip.



CIGB leaders showed their elation to see many Vietnamese partners desire to cooperate with the Center in both distribution and technology transfer for the production of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, including the Abdala vaccine.



According to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, during the President's visit, both nations health ministries have reached a series of agreements on eight cooperation contents in research, training, technology transfer and production of medicines.



He expressed his hope that health care partnership between the two countries will continue to grow and flourish on a par with the sound relations between the two nations.



Following his visit to the Centre, PM Phuc visited General Raul Castro Ruz before departing Havana for Santiago, the second largest city of the Caribbean nation.



After concluding the Cuban visit, he is set to jet off to New York for a general debate of the UN General Assemblys 76th session and an array of bilateral activities in the US.


President Phuc arrives in New York for UNGAs 76th session

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived in New York on the morning of September 21 (Hanoi time), to attend a general debate of the UN General Assemblys 76th session and hold a number of bilateral activities in the US.













Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc and Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN welcomes President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at J.F. Kennedy Airport. Photo by VNA







Vietnam officially joined the UN on September 20, 1977, with co-operation between the country and the UN contributing to protecting and promoting national interests, especially maintaining and consolidating a peaceful, secure, and favourable environment for national development.



This collaboration has also helped boost the nations intensive and extensive integration into the world, whilst improving its position and image within the international arena.



The country has dispatched a total of 243 officers to UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York, whilst deploying three level-2 field hospitals in South Sudan.



Furthermore, the UN also holds the nation in high regard in terms of its percentage of female personnel participating in peacekeeping operations, which stands at 12%.



The nation officially won election to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2020 to 2021 tenure after getting 192 votes out of the 193 UN members.



Since then, it has actively and proactively contributed to common activities of the UNSC, striving to promote bilateral ties alongside UNSC members, whilst simultaneously pushing forward its role as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and ASEAN Chair 2020.



During his stay in the US until September 24, President Phuc is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the UN General Assemblys 76th session, along with the Global COVID-19 Summit themed Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better.



Moving forward, he will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of countries on the sidelines of the General Assembly, receive and hold dialogues with leaders of several major groups and businesses of the US, whilst also visiting the headquarters of Pfizer Inc.



Moreover, the Vietnamese State leader will also meet with Vietnamese community representatives based in the US.
4.4 mln doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Nepal

Xinhua) 10:07, September 20, 2021

KATHMANDU, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- With the latest consignment of COVID-19 vaccines landing in Kathmandu on Friday, Nepal has now received all 6 million doses the government purchased from China in August, local media reported.

According to the Kathmandu Post, a consignment of 4.4 million doses of vaccines arrived in the capital city Friday afternoon. Sagar Dahal, chief of the National Immunisation Programme under the Ministry of Health and Population, confirmed the arrival of the Chinese vaccines.

Figures from the ministry show that the country has received 17.85 million shots of vaccines so far from several countries.

"In line with the availability, we have inoculated the largest number of people with Chinese made Vero Cell vaccine," Dahal told Xinhua on Sunday.

"There is hardly any complaint about the side effects of the Chinese vaccine," he said. "There is also widespread acceptability of this vaccine among the Nepali population."

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Bianji)
Xi extends condolences over passing of former Algerian President Bouteflika

Xinhua) 08:44, September 21, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolence to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune over the passing of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

In his message, Xi pointed out that Bouteflika was an outstanding statesman and leader of national liberation movements in Algeria, the Arab world and Africa, and made significant contributions to restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

During his presidency, Bouteflika made active efforts to develop China-Algeria relations, deepen bilateral friendly cooperation and enhance the friendship between the two nations, Xi said, adding that with his passing, the Chinese people has lost an old friend.

China, Xi added, cherishes its traditional friendship with Algeria, and stands ready to work with the Algerian government and people to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, and continuously advance the development of the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
UN chief urges rich states to deliver promised 100 bln USD for climate action in developing countries

Xinhua) 08:49, September 21, 2021

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remotely addresses the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate at UN Headquarters in New York, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

"Developed nations need to implement their promise to mobilize 100 billion dollars a year for climate action in the developing world from 2021 to 2025," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged rich countries to deliver the promised 100 billion U.S. dollars a year for climate action in developing countries.

The top UN official told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York following the closing of the Informal Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action that the international community needs to deliver on three fronts including the rich states delivering "the promised 100 billion dollars a year for climate action in developing countries" on the way to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow of Britain.

"Today, I asked leaders to do what is needed to make sure COP26 is a success and that it marks a true turning point," said the secretary-general.

"Developed nations need to implement their promise to mobilize 100 billion dollars a year for climate action in the developing world from 2021 to 2025," Guterres further elaborated.

"We failed in 2019 and 2020. OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) calculations say we are about 20 billion dollars short," he added.

"Failure to fulfil this pledge would be a major source of the erosion of trust between developed and developing countries. Developed nations need to bridge this gap," the secretary-general noted.

On the current climate change situation, the UN chief said that "to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, we need a 45 percent cut in emissions by 2030 so we can reach carbon neutrality by mid-century."

"Instead, the commitments made until now by countries imply an increase of 16 percent in greenhouse gas emissions -- not a decrease of 45 percent -- an increase of 16 percent in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared to 2010 levels," he warned.

People take part in a climate change protest in Times Square in New York, the United States, on Sept. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Guterres said that "the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the 1.5-degree goal is still in reach. But we need a dramatic improvement in Nationally Determined Contributions from most countries."

On energy, the secretary-general said that "governments must shift subsidies away from fossil fuels and progressively phase out coal use."

"If all planned coal power plants become operational, we will not only be clearly above 1.5 degrees -- we will be well above 2 degrees. The Paris targets would go up in smoke," said the UN chief.

Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday held the closed-door Informal Climate Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action with a small but representative group of heads of state and government, on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

The roundtable follows the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, signaling a "code red for humanity," and comes less than six weeks before the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

The roundtable addresses the gaps that remain on the actions urgently needed from national governments -- especially the G20 -- on mitigation, finance and adaptation.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
China's cargo craft docks with space station core module

Xinhua) 08:51, September 21, 2021

Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Sept. 20, 2021 shows China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 docking with the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3, carrying supplies for the upcoming Shenzhou-13 crewed mission, successfully docked with the space station core module Tianhe on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

At 10:08 p.m. (Beijing Time), Tianzhou-3 completed a computer-orchestrated rendezvous and docking at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module. The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours, the CMSA said.

The Long March-7 Y4 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-3, blasted off at 3:10 p.m. from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan. After 597 seconds, Tianzhou-3 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. At 3:22 p.m., the solar panels of Tianzhou-3 unfolded and began working properly.

The CMSA declared the launch a complete success.

On Sept. 18, the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft separated from the rear docking port of Tianhe and docked with its front docking port.

Following Tianzhou-3's docking, the two cargo crafts are docked at the two ends of the Tianhe core module to form a linear shape, waiting for the arrival of Shenzhou-13 crew members.

Monday's launch is the 20th mission of China's manned space programs and the 389th mission of the Long March rocket series.

Zhong Wen'an, chief engineer at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, said that the Tianzhou-3 mission is the second flight of China's space station cargo transportation system, composed of the Tianzhou spacecraft and the Long March-7 rockets. The mission is key to connecting the preceding verification of key technologies and the following in-orbit construction.

As the ancient Chinese said, to carry out an important task, supplies like rations and forage should go ahead of troops and horses. During the construction of the space station, cargo spaceships will always be launched ahead of crewed missions.

"We will transport support materials, necessary spare parts and equipment first, and then our crew," said CMSA Director Hao Chun.

Tianzhou-3 carries nearly 6 tonnes of goods and materials, including living supplies for the astronauts, one extravehicular space suit for back-up, supplies for extravehicular activities, space station platform materials, payloads and propellants.

The cargo can ensure sufficient food and drinking water for three astronauts to remain in orbit for six months. While Tianzhou-2 had two tonnes of propellant on board, Tianzhou-3 cancelled four propellant storage tanks and carried only 750 kg of propellant to deliver more supplies for the Shenzhou-13 crew.

The color of the packages has been updated to help astronauts identify the contents. The packages on Tianzhou-2 featured markings and QR codes to identify the contents, but as the packaging was all beige, they were a little hard for astronauts to sort and organize. On Tianzhou-3, the supplies are packaged in different colors and with a QR code.

Feng Yong is the chief director of the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). He said that Tianzhou-3 carries gas cylinders, the internal pressure can reach 300 times atmospheric pressure. Tanks of this sort containing oxygen can supply astronauts for long periods.

Meanwhile, the cargo freighter also carries water bags made of light and soft materials. The design ensures the safety of drinking water, but also allows for the organized storage of empty water bags.

Wang Ran, a CAST designer for Tianzhou-3, said that most goods carried by Tianzhou-3 were loaded in standard packages. The packages have good mechanical bearing properties and are also antibacterial, mold proof, flame proof and have no harmful gas volatilization.

Wang said the Tianzhou cargo packaging materials make use of a unique ingredient extracted from crab shells.

Following the Tianzhou-3 mission, the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship will be launched to dock with the core module Tianhe, and three astronauts will then begin their six-month stay in orbit.

China plans to complete the verification of key technologies and the in-orbit construction of the space station through multiple launches within two years.

Five launch missions are planned for this year, namely the launch of the Tianhe core module, Tianzhou-2 cargo ship, Shenzhou-12 crewed mission, Tianzhou-3 cargo ship and the upcoming Shenzhou-13 crewed mission.

Six more missions will come in 2022, including the launch of the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules, two cargo spacecraft and two crewed spaceships, to complete the construction of the space station.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Chinese self-driving bus clears open road test in Paris

Xinhua) 09:05, September 21, 2021

A self-driving bus made by China's CRRC Electric Vehicle is seen during its trial run in Paris, France, Sept. 17, 2021. A 12-meter-long self-driving bus made by China's CRRC Electric Vehicle went on trial run on open road in Paris over the weekend. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 12-meter-long self-driving bus made by China's CRRC Electric Vehicle went on trial run on open road in Paris over the weekend.

The vehicle cleared a six-kilometer section along a bus route in southeast Paris on Friday. In about 40 minutes, it passed 26 traffic lights and ten bus stops.

The bus is scheduled to start regular passenger services in autumn next year.

Benjamin Joliviere, head of the autonomous bus project of RATP, the French capital's mass transit operator, said the results of the trial were "more than positive." It was the first time in France that a self-driving bus ran on a regular bus route, he said.

Francois Yann, RATP bus driver, sat in the driver's seat during the trial.

"Once we have done the training and have seen the vehicle in operation, we see the performance is actually quite reassuring," he said. "It feels like a technology we were dreaming about when we were kids. And now it happens ..."

This bus features real-time interaction of information about people, vehicle and road conditions, ensuring safety and improving driving efficiency, according to Peng Zhichuan, director of the automation technology at CRRC Electric Vehicle.

"The Chinese technology has been adapted to the French market in collaboration with our company and RATP," said Christelle Tang, president of Clement Bayard, the French company that imports the bus into France.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Aerial view of Daqing, northeast China's Heilongjiang

Xinhua) 09:08, September 21, 2021

Aerial photo taken on May 25, 2021 shows the statue of "Iron Man" Wang Jinxi, an oil worker who devoted his life to the development of the petroleum industry, in Daqing, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. China's Daqing Oilfield announced on Aug. 25 the discovery of a major shale oil field with predicted geological reserves of about 1.27 billion tonnes. Discovered in 1959, Daqing Oilfield has made a significant contribution to China's modern petroleum industry system. It also steps up efforts to improve its ecological environment in recent years. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
China's COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Denmark for UN Peacekeeping personnel

Xinhua) 09:33, September 21, 2021

COPENHAGEN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- A consignment of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived on Monday in Copenhagen as the Chinese government's donation for United Nations Peacekeeping personnels.

The delivery ceremony of the donation was held virtually last Friday and those vaccines are expected to be distributed to front-line personnel and close partners through the UN system as soon as possible.

The Chinese donation will be used in the African mission area on a priority basis, said Zhang Maoyu, deputy head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, at the delivery ceremony.

China's donation will enhance the UN capacity to respond to the epidemic and help peacekeepers better fulfill their duties and missions, according to Christian Francis Saunders, UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
EU analyzing AUKUS deal's impact on trade talks with Australia: Commission spokesperson

Xinhua) 09:39, September 21, 2021

BRUSSELS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission is currently analyzing the impact the new security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.), dubbed AUKUS, on the next round of its trade negotiations with Australia, a Commission spokesperson said here on Monday.

"We are analyzing the impact that the AUKUS announcement would have" on the schedule of the trade talks between the EU and Australia, said Eric Mamer, the European Commission's chief spokesperson.

The new trilateral partnership has angered France after Australia pulled out of a 56-billion-euro (65.6 billion U.S. dollars) contract. Back in 2016, Australia signed a contract with France for the purchase of 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.

The AUKUS deal was announced last Wednesday during a joint online press conference by U.S. President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Australia announced on Thursday, one day after the AUKUS deal was made public, that it planned to acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. and the UK. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France considers the deal a "stab in the back".

"This agreement between the UK, Australia and the U.S. relates in particular to military cooperation, which didn't involve the European Union directly, but it did involve a member state. We don't necessarily have all the information at hand, and that's why the president is consulting closely," said Mamer.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with French President Emmanuel Macron this past weekend in Athens to discuss the issue. Von der Leyen is also in close contact with France's European partners and the College of European Commissioners, said Mamer.

The European Commission declined to comment on the impact the AUKUS may have on the EU's relationship with the UK.

The foreign ministers of the EU member states are set to discuss the issue late on Sept. 20 during their traditional meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Launched in June 2018, the negotiations for a trade agreement between the EU and Australia saw their 11th round concluded in June this year, with the talks scheduled to continue in October.

"The Commission negotiates on the basis of a mandate from the member states," explained Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the Commission's trade spokesperson.

"The mandate is set at the beginning of the negotiations, and of course at the end of the negotiations the Commission proposes the text of the final agreement for endorsement by the Council and the European Parliament," said Ferrer, adding that "Throughout the negotiations, the Commission is constantly in contact with the member states and the European Parliament."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Chinese vice premier stresses building market-oriented, law-based, internationalized business environment

Xinhua) 09:39, September 21, 2021

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 19, 2021. Han inspected Shenzhen on Sept. 18 and 19. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

SHENZHEN, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese vice premier Han Zheng has called efforts to build a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment and accelerate the development of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province from Saturday to Sunday.

The vice premier stressed promoting cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and urged efforts to carefully plan industrial layout making use of Hong Kong's advantages in modern services in order to build a new highland for China's high-level opening-up.

An ecosystem for the creation, protection and utilization of intellectual property rights (IPR) should be set up, Han said, stressing work to enhance IPR protection, especially for private technological innovation enterprises, and facilitate IPR services.

Han also emphasized that efforts should be made to accelerate forging alignment of laws and rules and mechanisms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, cultivate professional talents, especially young talents, and further improve legal services to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

While visiting telecommunication firm Huawei and medical solution provider Mindray, Han said since the reform and opening-up, China's private enterprises have been flourishing and full of vitality, becoming important entities of scientific and technological innovation.

As the country has entered a new stage of development, the strategy of innovation-driven development should be fully implemented, he added.

Private firms are encouraged to enhance their international competitiveness through scientific and technological innovation and leverage the role of market mechanisms to promote independent innovation, so as to further contribute to China's development in science and technology.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
China mulls photo contest in Somalia to strengthen ties

Xinhua) 09:41, September 21, 2021

MOGADISHU, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Somalia said on Monday it will organize a China-Somalia Friendship Photo Contest to help enhance bilateral relations ahead of the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The embassy said the content will celebrate the deep friendship between people of China and Somalia, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and interactions.

"People from all walks of life in Somalia and Chinese businesses in Somalia are welcome to participate and submit photos," said the embassy in its invitation.

It said those interested are expected to submit their photos from Sept. 20 to 26 focussing on China-Somalia cooperation in various fields, China-Somalia people-to-people exchanges and friendship, stories of Somalis in China or Chinese in Somalia.

The embassy said participants should submit no more than two photos and that the photo should not violate the laws and regulations of China and Somalia and also does not infringe the legitimate right and interest of any third party.

"Top two winners will win a cash prize of 200 U.S. dollars each, and cash prizes will total more than 1,400 dollars for all the prize winners," the embassy said.

It said the result of the contest will be announced at an online reception on Sept. 28 and prizes will be awarded before Oct. 31.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Over 7 bln USD pooled to support grassland restoration in China's Inner Mongolia

Xinhua) 09:45, September 21, 2021

HOHHOT, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 68 million hectares of grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been subsidized by the country to help with overgrazing in the past decade, said the regional agriculture and husbandry authorities.

The central government has been funding the restoration of such grasslands nationwide since 2011. Inner Mongolia has handed out subsidies of more than 45.5 billion yuan (7.03 billion U.S. dollars) for local herders to support the captive breeding of animals and restrictions on herding since then.

The practice has helped effectively avoid grassland productivity damage and pasture degradation.

A total of 27 million hectares of desertified grassland has been benefited and 41 million hectares of grassland has been properly utilized based on a balanced ecosystem and local grazing.

Thanks to the improving ecological environment of the grassland, the region recorded about 45 percent of its grassland vegetation coverage.

Inner Mongolia spans the vast northern territory of China and is an important ecological barrier in the country. The region's grassland occupies about one-fifth of the country's total.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
UN chief calls for more effort to bring SDGs back on track

Xinhua) 09:49, September 21, 2021

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (front) speaks at the second SDG Moment, a high-level event to galvanize global action toward the 2030 Agenda in the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 20, 2021. Guterres on Monday called for more effort to bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for more effort to bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

"Our world is challenged like never before. From climate change, to conflicts, to COVID-19, which is putting the Sustainable Development Goals further out of reach," he told the second SDG Moment, a high-level event to galvanize global action toward the 2030 Agenda.

He called for urgent action in five areas, including recovery from the pandemic, climate action and gender equality.

The top priority for the global community is to end the pandemic, Guterres said, urging the world to join forces to double vaccine production to reach 70 percent of the world's population by the middle of next year.

He also called for efforts to enable a sustainable and equitable global economic recovery to ensure the goal of ending poverty by 2030 is achieved on schedule.

This means making bold investments in education and health care, and reforming the global financial system to tackle debt distress, he noted.

To better address climate change, Guterres said countries across the world have to adopt ambitious climate and biodiversity plans, and give more support to developing countries in their transition to a green economy.

"The pathway is there. The choice is ours. Let's move forward with hope and conviction," he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Xi's speech at CELAC summit inspiring for mutually-beneficial cooperation -- Latin American experts

Xinhua) 10:02, September 21, 2021

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's virtual address at the 6th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), will help boost confidence for mutually-beneficial bilateral cooperation, regional experts have said.

Xi said in his speech delivered on Saturday that over the past decade, CELAC has played an important role in maintaining peace and stability and promoting common development in the region, and that China attaches great importance to developing relations with CELAC, and supports CELAC in coordinating regional countries to carry out cooperation and cope with challenges.

Eduardo Regalado, senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, said that the ties between Latin America and China are necessary and essential for the region, as the two sides both uphold "equality, mutual benefit and the promotion of the well-being of both peoples."

Regalado said Xi's words showed the recognition of CELAC's efforts in advancing Latin American integration.

Miguel Rodriguez Mackay, president of the Peruvian Institute of Law and International Relations, said that Xi's message demonstrated that China has always sought to forge closer ties with Latin America and the Carribean in the spirit of "reciprocal, mutual benefits" and "on the basis of equality."

Mauricio Santoro, head of the Department of International Relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said CELAC has become the main forum for cooperation between China and Latin America and its importance lies in the fact that it is the only organization that brings together all the regional countries to facilitate international dialogue.

Raquel Isamara Leon de la Rosa, professor and researcher of international business at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla in Mexico, said that Xi's participation in the meeting showed the importance that China has within the evolutionary process of CELAC, especially since the China-CELAC Forum itself has helped, over the years, to create a continuous and evolving dialogue.

Fernando Reyes Matta, Chile's former ambassador to China, said that Xi's virtual address at the CELAC summit helped reaffirm the commitment to dialogue in the construction of a world of cooperation in the 21st century.

Echoing Xi's remark that "China-Latin America friendship is time-honored and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people," the experts commended the vital role China had played in the development of the region, voicing high expectations for further quality cooperation with China.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Turkish sand-brewed coffee causing a stir in China

Xinhua) 10:03, September 21, 2021

A visitor tries making Turkish sand-brewed coffee at the 18th China-ASEAN Expo held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhu Lili)

NANNING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- These days, when young Chinese people think of Turkey, besides the ice cream and hot air balloons, many will be reminded of sand-brewed coffee.

Photos and videos about Turkish sand coffee are a common sight on social-media platforms such as TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Bilibili, complete with exotic carpets, tapestries, copper stoves filled with fine sand, and little long-handled coffee pots.

In recent years, Turkish sand coffee has become increasingly popular in China, with shops specializing in the brew cropping up in several cities, including Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.

Unlike instant coffee, the brewing process -- involving little coffee pots nestling in a bed of hot sand -- has attracted attention. Many young people have begun to purchase the equipment and experiment with the process at home, thereby boosting sales for those in the business.

At the recent 18th China-ASEAN Expo, Osan, an exhibitor from Yemen, demonstrated how to make Turkish sand coffee on a stove, causing some excitement among visitors.

Osan stood with his set of copper stoves, complete with pans of fine sand heated from beneath, and an array of cups and nuts. Osan poured water into the long-handled pot, stirred in some coffee powder, and then nestled the pot in the hot sand.

"The sand heats the sides and bottom of the copper pot, so that the purest taste of the coffee powder itself can be retained inside to the greatest extent," Osan said, as he pushed the pot back and forth. The coffee boiled quickly, and the brew was poured into a waiting cup.

Among the recent Chinese converts to this rich beverage is Nini, from the city of Laibin, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. She heard about Turkish sand coffee quite a while back, and eventually experienced the true taste of coffee.

As a visitor to the expo, Nini watched in amazement as Osan worked his magic, then sampled the resulting drink.

"It has a burnt fragrance," said Nini with a thumbs up. "It feels like a full soup sliding over the tongue when I drink it, and then it tastes a bit bitter and sour. After drinking, my mouth felt sweet, and my whole throat is very comfortable. The aroma stays in my mouth, and it is a charming feeling. It is very different from other coffees."

During the four-day expo, many buyers and locals came to visit. Osan said that coffee-making utensils and cups sold well. Customers placed orders at the exhibition site, then the warehouse delivered the goods to their homes.

As he had hoped, he not only received a large number of orders, but experienced the enthusiasm of Chinese people for this Turkish speciality.

"People don't know much about this coffee culture, but since the beginning of the year, more and more people have started to learn about it," Osan said.

His company often brings utensils to exhibitions and shopping malls to display and brew coffee on the spot, and many people are enthralled by this unique method.

"We have customers in Beijing, Shanghai, Yiwu, Ningbo and other places, and they like this Turkish style very much," he said.

"Besides coffee, this set of utensils can also brew milk tea and hot milk. I think this is one of the reasons why it has become increasingly popular," Osan said.

Due to the pandemic, international shipping rates and material costs have been rising. However, Osan is not particularly worried. In his view, China's economy is recovering well and high-quality products are still popular in the market.

He said he will continue to import Turkish coffee and promote the sand-brewed coffee culture in more places across China.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Interview: South-South cooperation bolsters mutual development, says scholar

Xinhua) 10:04, September 21, 2021

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- South-South cooperation presents a better model for the developing world because of its approach to engagement based on mutual benefits, a development planning expert has said.

The platform is a great initiative for developing countries seeking socioeconomic strength and development through unity and cooperation, Getachew Adem Tahir, former deputy commissioner of the National Planning Commission of Ethiopia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"It is really interesting because it gives you the menu for development," said the scholar, describing South-South cooperation as a win-win platform for all involved countries.

Tahir had worked in development planning and research at the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The veteran economist, who is undertaking a doctoral program at Peking University's Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, also praised China's engagement under the South-South framework.

"China, as the world's largest developing country, has always been a staunch supporter of active participation, and an important contributor to South-South cooperation," he said.

Establishing the institute at Peking University reflects China's commitment to empowering countries under South-South cooperation, said the expert.

"I have indeed had a very enriching and resourceful experience through my study in China," Tahir said.

The scholar argued that apart from academic excellence, Chinese scholarship opportunities provide scholars from the developing world with firsthand experience of China's own development.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Commentary: "Dollar democracy" in America

Xinhua) 10:14, September 21, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- "A government of the people, by the people, for the people," a notion then U.S. President Abraham Lincoln mentioned in his 1863 Gettysburg Address, has often been quoted to describe the American-style democracy.

In fact, America's democracy reeks of the stink of money. The only touchstone to determine whether a government befits that people-centric notion is not through its words, but by examining whose interests it truly serves.

It is now increasingly clear that the so-called American democracy only protects the rich. From the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 to the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic, the rich in the United States have always been the most protected group of people in trying times.

And when a crisis ends, America's rich usually get richer, while the poor poorer. Such exacerbated wealth inequality is often described by some Western economists as a "K-shaped recovery." The upward and downward strokes of the letter K are compared to how the wealthy and the poor would bounce back after in the post-recession period.

Facts have also proved that the so-called American democracy only speaks for the rich.

In a 2014 study by Princeton University and Northwestern University, after reviewing answers to 1,779 survey questions asked between 1981 and 2002 on U.S. public policy issues, experts found that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.

While the median American household paid 14 percent of their income in federal taxes, the 25 richest Americans, according to an investigation by ProPublica, a nonprofit organization based in New York, paid a "true tax rate" of just 3.4 percent between 2014 and 2018 with their collective net worth rising by more than 400 billion U.S. dollars in the same period.

Another cold hard truth is that the American democracy is dictated by the rich.

"American democracy is an illusion. The people do not govern. Politicians respond almost exclusively to the desires of special interests and the wealthiest citizens," said Charles Wheelan, a senior lecturer at the Rockefeller Center at U.S. Dartmouth College.

For example, in the case of Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the American company was granted immunity from class-action lawsuits, although it was blamed for giving rise to the current drug crisis in the United States as its painkillers are easy to make patients addicted. As a result, the victims received far less compensation than expected because of the court decision.

Furthermore, the U.S. government has actively transferred social wealth upward through finance, intellectual property rights, occupational licensing and land use in institutional design, said Brink Lindsey and Steven M. Teles in their book "The Captured Economy."

No wonder that 70 percent of Americans believe that the economic system in their country unfairly favors powerful interests, according to a 2020 survey by Pew Research Center.

From its start, America's democracy was about the rich. The country's founding fathers were among the wealthiest people in the colonies when they drafted and signed the U.S. Constitution. It is thus not difficult to understand why the Unites States is a country ruled by the "dollar." As affluence equals influence in the United States, a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people is no more than a hoax.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
South China city strives for new engine of commercial aerospace industry

Xinhua) 10:18, September 21, 2021

HAIKOU, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The city of Wenchang in south China's island province of Hainan, known for its spacecraft launch center, is endeavoring to turn itself into a new engine of China's commercial aerospace.

The small city boasts the only coastal launch center in China, namely the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, which is also the fourth launch center of the country, following three others in Jiuquan, Xichang and Taiyuan.

Since its maiden rocket launch in 2016, the Wenchang launch center has handled a number of launch missions, including the launches of the Long March-7 and Long March-5 rockets. It also witnessed the launch of China's first Mars mission "Tianwen-1" and Chang'e-5 probe.

On the basis of the launch site, Wenchang International Aerospace City was officially unveiled in June 2020 and listed as one of the 11 key industrial parks under the Hainan free trade port.

So far, more than 30 key organizations and institutes have settled down in the park, including the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Han Yong, director of the industrial park's administration.

Over the past year or so, the industrial park has seen accelerated progress, with improved infrastructure and commercial aerospace industry development.

Considering it the new engine of commercial aerospace development, Han also noted that over 350 companies involving aerospace supercomputing and satellite application have entered the industrial park.

The accelerating development of commercial aerospace is one of the major trends of the world's aerospace development, said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, at the Wenchang International Aviation and Aerospace Forum, a three-day event that kicked off Sunday in Hainan's capital city of Haikou.

Wu said that worldwide space powers are speeding up aerospace commercialization, supporting the development of the commercial aerospace industry, and encouraging commercial aerospace enterprises to be deeply involved in national space programs.

In April, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce jointly announced measures to support the construction of Hainan free trade port and widen market access to several industries, including commercial aerospace.

Hainan will be supported in building an open international aerospace city and developing commercial aerospace industrial chains such as satellite remote sensing, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and satellite communication among others.

Wenchang International Aerospace City is attracting more and more commercial aerospace enterprises, said Zhang Dong, president of ChinaRocket Co., Ltd., a commercial aerospace company of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The company will participate in the development of the industrial park by commercial and market-oriented operations, Zhang added.

China National Space Administration will guide more commercial aerospace enterprises to invest in Hainan, continue to support the aerospace industry and space economy, and cooperate with the province to build Wenchang into a highland for the aerospace industry, said Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the administration, at the forum.

In the future, Wenchang International Aerospace City will build a commercial launch base and a world-class market-oriented launch site system, according to Han.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Foreign observers hail China's role in promoting world peaceful development

Xinhua) 14:08, September 21, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- China plays a major and constructive role in promoting peaceful development of the world as well as in addressing regional and global problems, experts and politicians have said on the occasion of the International Day of Peace.

Peace is a fundamental determinant of China's domestic and diplomatic policy, said Mahmoud Raya, editor-in-chief of the news website China in Arab Eyes.

Stressing that China has not invaded any other country or region in the world, Raya noted that the Chinese policy is widely accepted by countries around the world.

In terms of the Arab region, China plays a major role in presenting initiatives to solve crises that the region suffered from, Raya added.

Adnan Bourji, director of the Lebanese National Center for Studies, noted that it is necessary to determine the type of peace that the world desires on such an occasion.

It is a peace based on social justice within every society and among human societies, and not a peace imposed by the forces of monopoly and brutal capitalism, where we can see extreme poverty and extreme wealth within one society, he said.

China has worked in development for all mankind with the spirit that the fate of the mankind is common, said Bourji. "So we see them working with countries, whether small or large, from the point of view of the common interest."

Adhere Cavince, a Kenyan international relations researcher, said that China is upholding the idea of peaceful development to promote world peace, common development and shared prosperity.

He took the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an example, noting that China, via the BRI, has shared the proceeds of its own development with about 140 countries through provision of wide-ranging public goods.

Cavince also spoke highly of China for using diplomacy to solve global problems as well as championing multilateralism, especially in the fields of climate change, terrorism and combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

"China has played an active role in enhancing world order, promoting multilateralism, and tackling key global challenges," Khuon Sodary, second vice-president of the Cambodian National Assembly and a member of the standing committee of the Cambodian People's Party, told Xinhua.

Sodary noted that China has actively participated in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations and sent its peacekeepers to join operations in war-torn countries, which clearly "underline the nobel and historic role of China and its people in assisting countries around the world to achieve a long-term peace, stability and development."

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the UN General Assembly. It was later declared as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is "Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Experts illustrate China's whole-process democracy in pursuit of modernization

Xinhua) 14:09, September 21, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The theory and practice of whole-process democracy play a significant role in China's overarching agenda of pursuing socialist modernization in all aspects, according to political science experts.

As a hallmark of what distinguishes socialist democracy from Western political systems, China's whole-process democracy runs through all processes including elections, decision-making, administration and supervision.

"Advancing political development is a common task faced by many countries, though they pursue different development paths," said Sang Yucheng, a professor at Fudan University.

For China, political development has been realized through the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is of great importance to fully build a modern socialist country, Sang added.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the political development of socialism with Chinese characteristics has made notable progress, Sang noted.

In March 2021, "whole-process democracy" was written into the revised Organic Law of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, which consolidated the institutional foundation for its practice.

On a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, Sang believed advancing whole-process democracy is essential to better meet people's increasing demand for a better life and remedy imbalances and inadequacies in development.

"Developing whole-process democracy speaks volume about the underlying feature of socialist democracy that ensures the people run the country," said Shang Hongri, a professor at the Shanghai Normal University.

Under the socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics, people can enjoy and exercise their statutory right to vote and can participate in decision-making, administration and supervision.

There are ample examples of democracy in China, from top-level design to grassroots wisdom.

In the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035, the National Development and Reform Commission, tasked with drafting the outline, received over 37,000 comments through online solicitation along with more than 4,000 physical questionnaires handed out to specific groups.

"We should continue developing whole-process democracy to rally public support to the maximum extent and live up to people's expectations for a better life," said Shang.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Central SOEs to invest big in Tibet in 2021-2025 period

Xinhua) 15:54, September 21, 2021

LHASA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) will invest more than 260 billion yuan (about 40 billion U.S. dollars) in the southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region during the 2021-2025 period.

They also plan to provide a combined aid of 2.2 billion yuan to Tibet, according to a conference on central SOEs supporting Tibet's development on Friday, during which many companies unveiled their investment plans in the region.

The State Grid Corporation of China invested 52.6 billion yuan in Tibet between 2016 and 2020, and is planning to invest 46.6 billion yuan from this year to 2025 and introduce new ultra-high-voltage projects into the region, the company said.

From 2016 to 2020, central SOEs stepped up support for Tibet with a total investment of 134.2 billion yuan and 9,900 industrial projects, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Foreign investment into Vietnamese startups is predicted to increase although the COVID-19 pandemic has left negative impacts on the economy, according to experts.

HSBC Bank Vietnam announced that it has supported General Atlantic and Dragoneer Investment Group in co-leading a US$250 million in Series B funding round in VNLIFE Corporation Joint Stock Company (VNLIFE), a leading technology company pioneering the development of Viet Nams digital ecosystem.

This is considered the largest capital raising deal revealed in the venture capital market in Viet Nam recently. The injection of capital is expected to accelerate the growth of VNLIFEs existing businesses and support its development of new platforms and technologies to better serve its merchant partners and Vietnamese consumers.

Similarly, VinaCapital Ventures (V2), the technology investment platform of VinaCapital Group, said it has invested in GlobalCare, an insurtech company that provides solutions for the sale and administrative processes of insurance agencies and business partners selling non-life insurance policies.

Founded in 2017 by inh Thi Ngoc Niem and her co-founder, Hang Minh Loi, GlobalCares distributors and agencies, including 3,000 distributors to online transaction points and other leading service sharing platforms, provides a variety of insurance products for customers to choose. It also offers a complete technology solution for more than 10 major distribution channels and 200,000 insurance agents.

The terms of the investment were not disclosed but based on GlobalCares contributions to the insurance industry and V2s investment history, the transaction value is expected to reach millions of dollars.

Earlier in August, Loship, a delivery startup in Viet Nam, announced that it successfully raised $12 million in Pre-Series C round, bringing the companys valuation to over $100 million.

This round of financing was jointly led by venture capital firm BAce Capital backed by Ant Group and investment unit of Sun Hung Kai Co. Lt., an investment company listed in Hong Kong. The money will help Loship increase its presence in five key markets including HCM City, Ha Noi, a Nang, Can Tho and Bien Hoa.

Don Lam, general director of VinaCapital Group, said that seeing the development trend of the Vietnamese startup community, the Group established VinaCapital Ventures to take advantage of its experience, financial background and partner network to support startups.

According to Hoang uc Trung, CEO of VinaCapital Ventures, every year VinaCapital Ventures evaluates hundreds of potential investment opportunities either through partners such as Zone Startups, which have invested in Fundiin or cooperated with other entities. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were always busy finding and evaluating potential startups and finalising investment deals, he said.

Tim Evans, General Director of HSBC Vietnam agreed, saying that startups are expected to thrive after the COVID-19 period in Viet Nam.

HSBC would continue to connect foreign investors with potential Vietnamese technology companies, regardless of the funding round they are in, to create more and more new unicorns for Viet Nam. This is part of HSBC's strategy to support foreign investment, both directly and indirectly.

According to HSBC, in recent years, Viet Nam has emerged as a startup hub, catching up with regional countries like Indonesia and Singapore.

With a young intellectual population, high internet coverage and smartphone usage, and the support of the Government, Viet Nam would continue to maintain its position as an attractive destination for both investors and technology companies, it said.

According to the Vietnam Innovation and Tech Investment Report 2020 released by the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC), though Viet Nam's tech investment landscape experienced an inevitable hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese entrepreneurs have done their best with available resources during an unprecedented time. Challenges could always be interpreted as opportunities that welcome the birth of new disruptive business models.

With efforts from the government to promote digital economic growth and create a favourable business environment to attract foreign investment, Vietnamese startups will have many opportunities to make a breakthrough as investment activities progressively resume at the normal pace, it said.

Commenting about the startup market prospects in Southeast Asia, Singapore's Golden Gate Ventures said more startups will emerge in the region by the end of the decade, with the number of companies announcing initial public offering (IPOs) expected to surpass 300 by 2030.

Among them, Viet Nam is considered a rising star in the region and will emerge as the third largest startup ecosystem in Southeast Asia by 2022 with more venture capital funds in the region pledging to pour early-stage capital into local startups, according to Golden Gate Ventures.  VNS
The United States said Monday that starting in early November it will ease its coronavirus restrictions for foreign travelers arriving in the country.

Foreign travel to the U.S. had been largely curbed during the 18-month pandemic, even as European nations in recent months eased restrictions on American travelers ahead of the summertime vacation season.

Under the new U.S. policy, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said foreign travelers will again be allowed into the country if they can demonstrate proof of being fully vaccinated before they board a flight and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test administered within three days of their flight.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauded the U.S. action, saying foreign travelers will be able to get to the U.S. before its annual Thanksgiving holiday, celebrated this year on Nov. 25.

"That's a great thing," Johnson said. "I thank the president (Joe Biden) for progress we have been able to make." The U.S. Travel Association trade group also welcomed the move, saying it will "help revive the American economy."

"This is a major turning point in the management of the virus and will accelerate the recovery of the millions of travel-related jobs that have been lost due to international travel restrictions," U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement Monday.


Pfizer said it studied a lower dose -- a third of the adult strength -- in tests involving more than 2,200 kindergartners and elementary school students, two-thirds of whom were given the vaccine and a third saltwater shots. The company said the children developed antibody levels that were just as strong as exhibited by teenagers and young adults.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 181 million people have been fully vaccinated in the country, but 70 million others 12 and older have so far, for one reason or another, not been inoculated.

Pfizer said it plans to soon seek U.S., British and European Union authorization for use of the vaccine for the younger age group, which could greatly expand the scope of the U.S. vaccination effort. About 28 million U.S. children fall into the affected age range, although millions of adults have themselves declined to get the jab.

The U.S. company and its German partner BioNTech said trials showed the vaccine was well-tolerated and robust, neutralizing antibody responses at the lower dose levels necessary in younger children.

The Pfizer and BioNTech drug companies said Monday that lower dose shots of their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine are safe and effective for five-to-11-year-old children.

With children now back in school, and the delta variant spreading throughout the U.S., parents in many communities have been anxious for government health officials to approve the vaccine for their children. Children are at lower risk than older people of severe illness or death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. William Gruber, a pediatrician and Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press that by the end of the month, the company would apply for emergency use of the vaccine for five-to-11-year-olds in the U.S. and shortly thereafter in Britain and Europe.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would then evaluate Pfizer's data, a process that could take a few weeks. U.S. vaccine maker Moderna also is studying its shots for young children. Both Pfizer and Moderna are studying use of the vaccine for children as young as six months old, with results expected later this year.

In Britain, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for children between the ages of 12 and 15 began Monday at schools around the country. Meanwhile, some private hospitals in Kolkata, India, bracing for a possible surge in pediatric COVID-19 cases, have enhanced their facilities and provided additional training for health care professionals.

A new study published by the CDC revealed that roughly one in three people who has tested positive for COVID-19 still reported symptoms several weeks after the fact. The CDC reported that rates were even higher in women, Black people, those older than 40, and those with preexisting conditions. The CDC describes people with "long COVID" as experiencing symptoms more than one month after a positive test result.

The U.S. has more COVID-19 cases than any other country, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, with more than 42 million infections. Around the world, there have been more than 228 million cases and 4.7 million deaths, according to the data.

Singapore reported more than 1,000 new cases Sunday, the highest rate for the country since April 2020. Even with 80 percent of its population fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Singapore has paused further reopening.
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has celebrated progress in diplomacy in the Middle East and promised that France will continue to take an active role in ensuring the region remains stable.

In a wide-ranging press conference held on Monday, Le Drian also lamented the recent breach of trust by the UK and US over the sale of submarines to Australia, Arab News reports, recalling that France had originally been slated to supply submarines to Australia as part of that deal, but Canberra did a U-turn in favor of an agreement with the US and UK, in what some have called an embarrassment for the French.

In the Middle East, stability and security shall be the heart of our priorities. These require a regional dialogue, including in the unprecedented format of the Baghdad Conference on Aug. 28, Le Drian was quoted by Arab News as saying.

The Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership brought together many of the key powers in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and Iran for dialogue aimed at easing security tensions in the region. France also attended the summit and has taken an active role in mediating conflict and disputes in the Middle East, in some form, for centuries.

It was an exceptional meeting because those who attended were not used to sitting at the same table, said Le Drian, who is currently in New York for the UN General Assemblys week of high-level meetings.

We managed to launch some sort of new spirit and to gather some support for a willingness to reduce regional tensions in an unprecedented format.

Irans presence at the conference, he continued, may be seen as a positive signal, but he said that he would convene a meeting of the joint commission of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) because, regarding Iran, we note that the negotiations were interrupted at the request of Iran and we need to make sure that, this week, we try to launch some positive momentum or negotiations to resume.

The JCPOA, widely referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, saw heavy restrictions and monitoring placed on Tehrans nascent nuclear program in return for much-needed sanctions relief. Iran and the US, which also left the deal, have been in negotiations for years over a bilateral return to the deal, but those have stalled in recent months.

In the meantime, Iran keeps breaching some commitments that they made within the JCPOA, said Le Drian, who also warned that time is playing against the potential (nuclear) agreement because, as time goes by, the Iranian authorities are speeding up their nuclear activities.
Your browser does not support the video tag.
[September 21, 2021] Global Telehealth Survey: Technically, the Experience is Incomplete Escalent and the Video Collaboration team at Logitech (News - Alert) , Inc., today released the results of its Global Virtual Care Experience study. It found that telehealth adoption has risen dramatically among healthcare providers (HCPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with about a quarter of medical consultations conducted via telehealth over the past year. Yet while satisfaction with telehealth is on the rise, HCPs have lingering concerns with technical aspects that prevent them from creating optimal outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005413/en/ The survey results show a gap in access versus efficiency. While 86% of providers believe that telehealth allows patients to receive care they otherwise might not have been able to, only 46% believe that video-based telehealth is more efficient than in-person visits. This suggests that while telehealth has opened the door to access to care, it remains insufficient in terms of clinical efficiency. This is in large part due to technical limitations. Despite having extensive IT support, HCPs are three times more likely than patients to report technical difficulties, with their largest challenge being issues with the video they are able to deliver to patients. Indeed 82% of all global HCPs have experienced technical issues with their video quality over the past year that they deem serious enough to disrupt the quality of care that they are able to deliver. As a result, HCPs fear the ramifications of poor video quality with their ever-more-experienced telehealth patients: 93% believe that the video quality they deliver via telehealth is critical to the patient experience

92% state that poor video quality reduces the likelihood of the patient attending future telehealth visits

77% believe that their video quality is critical to them appearing professional to patients

68% went so far to say that poor video quality could lead to their patients choosing another HCP altogether "The data show gaps in the telehealth experience that prevent it from producing the outcomes that the industry needs and to sustain its momentum into the future," said Logitech Global Healthcare Marketing Lead, Heather Peacock. "Virtual care has never been more important, clearly in its relationship to managing through the pandemic, but also as we all try to positively impact access to care and improve chronic care management in the long term." She added, "There is a strong sense of urgency to take telehealth adoption and satisfaction to the next level and t do that, we must enable simple, flexible, convenient solutions for patients and their providers to get the best video experience -- wherever they are." Telehealth: The Answer to Chronic Care Management in Crucial Times Chronic disease remains the primary strain on the global healthcare system, with estimates showing that complications from these diseases make up seven out of 10 deaths globally. In the U.S. alone, four in 10 adults have more than one chronic disease, and managing chronic illness makes up 75% of the $3.3 trillion that is spent on healthcare in the U.S. annually. Patients worldwide are becoming chronically ill at younger ages, and older patients with chronic illness are living longer. According to the study, 71% of global patients with chronic illness have used telehealth to visit more than one provider. Chronic condition management (29%) was the top reason for patients using telehealth to visit a provider. Providers agreed that this care delivery mechanism makes sense for chronic care, with it rising to the top of types of care delivered via telehealth: 64% of HCPs use telehealth for this purpose. "As telehealth continues to gain ground globally, it is promising to see this early, large-scale willingness of use by a patient population that is so well-suited to this care modality," said Ryan Doornbos, managing director of the Healthcare & Life Sciences practice at Escalent. "Chronic condition management needs to be convenient and accessible, and video-based telehealth is a great way to deliver on this promise." Learn more about insights from the study during American Telemedicine Association's Telehealth Awareness Week and The Source Podcast: A Global Review of Sentiments on Video-Enabled Virtual Care. About the Global Virtual Care Experience Study Escalent interviewed a sample of 754 patients and 146 HCPs from 22 countries globally, with the survey conducted during July 2021. Respondents were recruited from an opt-in, online panel of research respondents and were interviewed online. As such, any reported margins of error or significance tests are estimated and rely on the same statistical assumptions as data collected from a random probability sample. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request. About Logitech Logitech designs products that have an everyday place in people's lives, connecting them to the digital experiences they care about. Almost 40 years ago, Logitech started connecting people through computers, and now it's a multi-brand company designing products that bring people together through music, gaming, video, and computing. Logitech's Video Collaboration goal is to make video meetings accessible to every business and every individual, without sacrificing quality. We want to video-enable every meeting room, every workspace, and every home. Find Logitech and more on its video collaboration products at www.logitech.com/vc, the company blog or @LogitechVC. Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company's website at www.logitech.com. About Escalent Escalent is a top human behavior and analytics advisory firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, we transform data and insights into a profound understanding of what drives human beings and markets. And we help businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences and inspire product innovation. Visit escalent.co to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005413/en/

[ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ]
Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size

Article body

A graduate student and professor in the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences have received a $415,000 grant for their research on the impact of wild pigs on water quality.

Doctoral student Elizabeth Bradley, co-principal investigator, is working on the project with principal investigator Graeme Lockaby, professor of wetland biogeochemistry and environmental health.

For their study, Impacts of Wild Pigs on Water Quality and Pathogen Transmission in Water, they received the grant from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, which has the mission to protect the health of agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases, regulate genetically engineered crops and administer the Animal Welfare Act.

Bradley said the research is likely to lead to significant improvements in the way wild pigs are managed; for example, a need to prevent wild pigs from accessing water sources used by livestock.

Our research will target some of the most common waterborne, disease-causing pathogens of human, livestock and wildlife concern in the United States, she said.

With Lockabys backing, Bradley has taken the rare position of co-principal investigator while she is still pursuing her graduate studies.

While beginning work on my Ph.D. at Auburn, I became really interested in the interdisciplinary influences of wild pigs on water quality, Bradley said. There is so much that hasnt been studied yet on the topic, and I was particularly interested in the pathogen transmission potential of this extremely prevalent invasive species.

As I began developing more ideas than could reasonably be accomplished within my original projects boundaries, Dr. Lockaby encouraged me to practice writing these ideas for grant proposals. When the opportunity arose to write a proposal for an agency that was interested in the potential spread of disease, we jumped on the opportunity to expand on our existing work.

Bradley cites her upbringing in Alabamas Wiregrass region as the basis of her interest in and understanding of the states natural resources, biodiversity and agricultural industryand the critical threats they face.

As an invasive species that causes $1.5 billion in damages and control costs annually, wild pigs are a significant threat to agriculture and natural resources in the U.S., and this is particularly true in Alabama, where the sale of agricultural commoditiesparticularly cattle and calvesgenerated around $5.8 billion in 2018, she said.

As Bradley worked on her dissertation, she was shocked to learn that 87 percent of pathogens carried by wild pigs have been shown to cause disease in livestock, poultry, wildlife and humans.

Despite this, there has been very little research into evaluating this threat in Alabama, she said.

Dean Janaki Alavalapati emphasized the importance of this research, as well as its origin: the dissertation of a graduate student whose involvement led her to become the co-principal investigator with the professor and principal investigator, who encouraged her to pursue it.

Elizabeth Bradleys compelling interest on this pressing issue, along with the encouragement of Dr. Graeme Lockaby, has led her to a prestigious point in her burgeoning career, Alavalapati said. Along with Dr. Lockaby as her principal investigator, she will help to uncover answers to longstanding questions about the management of wild pigs in Alabama.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Former owners of VIM Airlines lose appeal against bankruptcy ruling

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

10:47 21/09/2021

MOSCOW, September 21 (RAPSI)  The Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals has dismissed an appeal filed by ex-president of VIM Airlines Rashid Mursekayev and his wife Svetlana against a ruling declaring them bankrupt, according to court records.

The Moscow Commercial Court declared the spouses bankrupt in late May. The asset sale procedure was introduced in their case for six months.

In November 2020, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow issued an arrest warrant for co-owner of VIM Airlines Svetlana Mursekayeva in absentia on scale credit fraud charges. The court ruled that Mursekayeva should be placed in pretrial detention. As the defendant has been put on the international wanted list, the detention term is to make two months since the date she is apprehended within the territory of the Russian Federation, or since the date she is extradited to the national territory from abroad.

Late in 2017, the Moscow Basmanny District Court arrested in absentia yet another co-owner of VIM Airlines, Rashid Mursekayev (husband of Svetlana Mursekayeva) on abuse of office charges.

In May 2020, Mursekayev and his wife filed a cassation appeal against recovery of wages totaling to 28.9 million rubles (over $450,000) which had been paid in excess to them.

In late December 2019, Mursekayev and his wife were ordered to return the overpaid funds. The court therefore declared salary orders as well as accounting and paying scale up wages registered in March 2017 invalid upon an application lodged by bankruptcy trustee Alexander Maksimov. Later, an appeals instance upheld the ruling.

In July 2019, the court extended bankruptcy proceedings against VIM Airlines for six months upon a motion by Maksimov.

In April 2019, he filed claims to recover over 7.5 million rubles (about $120,000) of overpaid salary and compensation for employment agreement termination from 17 ex-managers of the air carrier. He also demanded invalidation of salary orders as well as accounting and paying scale up wages from January 2018 to late March 2019 invalid and collection of compensation from the former managers.

On September 26, 2018, the court declared VIM Airlines bankrupt on the request of the company RNGO. Earlier in August, the court granted an application filed by the company, including a 3 billion-ruble ($44 million) debt into the creditors demands list.

On October 17, 2017, a criminal case was launched over premeditated bankruptcy of VIM Airlines. In September of the same year the court returned a bankruptcy claim against the airline back to the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA). According to the court, due to the social tensions surrounding the activities of the airline, the applicant decided to recall the motion.

Investigators believe that certain top managers and owners of the air carrier intentionally made losing bargains in 2016 and 2017 including those aimed at siphoning of assets abroad. The deals led to enormous financial outlay and undoubtedly resulted in the companys failure to pay debts to creditors in full.

According to investigators, employees of VIM Airlines continued to sell tickets to clients despite being aware that the airline was not able to transfer passengers because there were not enough funds to buy fuel. Investigators believe that the employees embezzled more than one million rubles ($17,000).

VIM Airlines CEO and chief accountant Alexander Kochnev and Yekaterina Panteleyeva have been arrested as part of the case. Co-owners of VIM Airlines Rashid Mursekayev and Svetlana Mursekayeva fled Russia and are currently residing abroad, according to investigators. Allegedly Mursekayev and Kalashnikova fled Russia to hide from investigative authorities. In December, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow issued an arrest warrant for Mursekayev in absentia.




Navalny brothers appeal against sentence in sanitary breach case set for October

 Moskva city news agency

11:29 21/09/2021

MOSCOW, September 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court will hear an appeal filed by Oleg Navalny, the brother of blogger Alexey Navalny, against his sentence in a case over sanitary violations at an unauthorized winter rally on October 5, the courts press service has told RAPSI.

In early August, the Preobrazhensky District Court passed 1-year suspended sentence for abetting breaching of sanitary and epidemiological norms during an unauthorized rally held in Moscow on January 23.

Several other allies of Alexey Navalny were also convicted in the case, they were mostly sentenced to restriction of liberty.

According to police, coronavirus-positive persons ordered to isolation were identified among participants of the Moscow rally. A criminal case over violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules was opened over this fact.
When it comes time for NASA's Psyche spacecraft to power itself through deep space, it'll be more brain than brawn that does the work.

Once the stuff of science fiction, the efficient and quiet power of electric propulsion will provide the force that propels the Psyche spacecraft all the way to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The orbiter's target: a metal-rich asteroid also called Psyche.

The spacecraft will launch in August 2022 and travel about 1.5 billion miles (2.4 billion kilometers) over three and a half years to get to the asteroid, which scientists believe may be part of the core of a planetesimal, the building block of an early rocky planet. Once in orbit, the mission team will use the payload of science instruments to investigate what this unique target can reveal about the formation of rocky planets like Earth.

The spacecraft will rely on the large chemical rocket engines of the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle to blast off the launchpad and to escape Earth's gravity. But the rest of the journey, once Psyche separates from the launch vehicle, will rely on solar electric propulsion. This form of propulsion starts with large solar arrays that convert sunlight into electricity, providing the power source for the spacecraft's thrusters. They're known as Hall thrusters, and the Psyche spacecraft will be the first to use them beyond the orbit of our Moon.

For propellant, Psyche will carry tanks full of xenon, the same neutral gas used in car headlights and plasma TVs. The spacecraft's four thrusters will use electromagnetic fields to accelerate and expel charged atoms, or ions, of that xenon. As those ions are expelled, they create thrust that gently propels Psyche through space, emitting blue beams of ionized xenon.

In fact, the thrust is so gentle, it exerts about the same amount of pressure you'd feel holding three quarters in your hand. But it's enough to accelerate Psyche through deep space. With no atmospheric drag to hold it back, the spacecraft eventually will accelerate to speeds of up to 200,000 miles per hour (320,000 kilometers per hour).

Because they're so efficient, Psyche's Hall thrusters could operate nearly nonstop for years without running out of fuel. Psyche will carry 2,030 pounds (922 kilograms) of xenon in its tanks; engineers estimate that the mission would burn through about five times that amount of propellant if it had to use traditional chemical thrusters.

"Even in the beginning, when we were first designing the mission in 2012, we were talking about solar electric propulsion as part of the plan. Without it, we wouldn't have the Psyche mission," said Arizona State University's Lindy Elkins-Tanton, who as principal investigator leads the mission. "And it's become part of the character of the mission. It takes a specialized team to calculate trajectories and orbits using solar electric propulsion."

A Gentle Maneuver

Psyche will launch from the historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon Heavy will place the spacecraft on a trajectory to fly by Mars for a gravity assist seven months later, in May 2023. In early 2026, the thrusters will do the delicate work of getting the spacecraft into orbit around asteroid Psyche, using a bit of ballet to back into orbit around its target.

That task will be especially tricky because of how little scientists know about the asteroid, which appears as only a tiny dot of light in telescopes. Ground-based radar suggests it's about 140 miles (226 kilometers) wide and potato-shaped, which means that scientists won't know until they get there how exactly its gravity field works. As the mission conducts its science investigation over 21 months, navigation engineers will use the electric propulsion thrusters to fly the spacecraft through a progression of orbits that gradually bring the spacecraft closer and closer to Psyche.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission, used a similar propulsion system with the agency's Deep Space 1, which launched in 1998 and flew by an asteroid and a comet before the mission ended in 2001. Next came Dawn, which used solar electric propulsion to travel to and orbit the asteroid Vesta and then the protoplanet Ceres. The first spacecraft ever to orbit two extraterrestrial targets, the Dawn mission lasted 11 years, ending in 2018 when it used up the last of the hydrazine propellant used to maintain its orientation.

Partners in Propulsion

Maxar Technologies has been using solar electric propulsion to power commercial communications satellites for decades. But for Psyche, they needed to adapt the superefficient Hall thrusters to fly in deep space, and that's where JPL engineers came in. Both teams hope that Psyche, by using Hall thrusters for the first time beyond lunar orbit, will help push the limits of solar electric propulsion.

"Solar electric propulsion technology delivers the right mix of cost savings, efficiency, and power and could play an important role in supporting future science missions to Mars and beyond," said Steven Scott, Maxar's Psyche program manager.

Along with supplying the thrusters, Maxar's team in Palo Alto, California, was responsible for building the spacecraft's van-size chassis, which houses the electrical system, the propulsion systems, the thermal system, and the guidance and navigation system. When fully assembled, Psyche will move into JPL's huge thermal vacuum chamber for testing that simulates the environment of deep space. By next spring, the spacecraft will ship from JPL to Cape Canaveral for launch.

More About the Mission

ASU leads the mission. JPL is responsible for the mission's overall management, system engineering, integration and testing, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA's Discovery Program.

For more information about NASA's Psyche mission go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/psyche

https://psyche.asu.edu/

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
The Expedition 65 crew opened up BEAM today and transferred cargo for return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship.

The orbital residents also worked on robotics, continued eye checks, and configured new life support gear.

Commander Akihiko Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) opened up the station's first commercial module BEAM, Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, today for cargo work. He was assisted by ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet as they transferred some of the stowed hardware from BEAM into the Cargo Dragon for return to Earth at the end of the month.

Robotics has also kept the crew busy this week aboard the International Space Station. Today, NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough practiced capturing a cargo craft using a virtual Canadarm2 robotic arm on a computer. McArthur also checked audio sensors on the Astrobee robotic free-flyers that monitor the orbiting lab's acoustic environment.

Kimbrough spent the afternoon finalizing connections of a new carbon dioxide (CO2) removal device in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module. Called the Four Bed CO2 Scrubber, the new life support gear seeks to demonstrate advanced technology that will support future human missions longer and farther into space.

Vision is a key factor during long term space missions and doctors on the ground continuously monitor how microgravity affects an astronaut's eyes. Once again, NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei took on the crew medical officer role and scanned Roscosmos Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy's eyes with an ultrasound device. Vande Hei, who is staying in space until March 2022, then set up optical coherence tomography gear and imaged the veteran cosmonaut's retinas.

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov continued configuring Russia's Nauka multipurpose laboratory module today. He connected ethernet cables and installed a laptop computer inside the new science module. Pesquet also trained on a pair of unique interfaces to operate the new European Robotic Arm that is attached to Nauka.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

Behavioral Core Measures (BCM): The crew set up the appropriate robotics hardware and performed the BCM testing. These sessions are nominally planned to be completed once per month, starting two weeks after a crewmember's arrival on ISS. The Standardized Behavioral Measures for Detecting Behavioral Health Risks during Exploration Missions (Behavioral Core Measures, or simply BCM) experiment initially examined a suite of measurements to reliably assess the risk of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders during long-duration spaceflight, and evaluated the feasibility of those tests within the operational and time constraints of spaceflight for two crewmembers.

ESA Education Payload Operations (EPO) Blob: The crew concluded the Blob experiment run, which began earlier this week, and transferred the data. The goal of the Blob investigation is to observe the influence of microgravity on the Blob's (a unicellular organism whose scientific name is Physarum polycephalum) behavior when it explores its environment or when it eats. A ground experiment takes place in schools and the results are compared against the results of the ISS conclusions. The final goal is to motivate students from France and other ESA Member States to study the Biological sciences.

Four Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2): The crew continued with the installation of the 4BCO2 hardware by connecting power and data lines. 4BCO2 demonstrates a technology for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere on a spacecraft. The technology is based on the current system in use on the ISS with mechanical upgrades in absorption beds, heater elements, and valves and use of an improved zeolite absorbent to reduce erosion and dust formation. A goal for next-generation systems is continuous operation for 20,000 hours without a failure, and this technology is a step toward that goal.

The ISS Experience: The crew relocated the EVA Z-Camera system and began the data transfer. The ISS Experience Z-Camera was most recently used to capture five events related to the United States On-orbit Segment (USOS) Extravehicluar Activity (EVA) on September 12th. The ISS Experience is a cinematic Virtual Reality (VR) series documenting life and research aboard the space station. Filmed over multiple months, the immersive VR series documents different crew activities from science conducted aboard the station to preparation for a spacewalk.

JEM Microbe: The crew gathered samples from five locations (plus a control sample) in support of the JEM Microbe investigation. Space habitation is a simple ecosystem that mainly consists of humans and microbes, and soon, plants. Microbes play important roles for the material cycles and human health, but sometimes cause hazardous infectious diseases. The Evaluation of Indoor Microbial Environment in JEM (JEM Microbe) investigation's continuous microbiological monitoring provides greater insight on changes in microbial community structure during prolonged space habitation to reduce potential hazards for the crew and the infrastructure.

SoundSee Troubleshooting Operations and Stow: The crew installed the SoundSee hardware onto the Astrobee free-flier to enable troubleshooting. Investigation of Deep Audio Analytics on the ISS (SoundSee Mission) tests monitoring of the acoustic environment using an audio sensor on Astrobee, a mobile robotic platform aboard the space station. Microphones collect acoustic information, and the Astrobee determines the sensor's position. The system can detect anomalies in the sound of components inside a machine, providing autonomous monitoring of the health of infrastructure such as life support and exercise equipment.

Systems

Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) 3009/3015 Loop Scrub and Iodination: The crew performed EMU water loop scrubs and then acquired and tested water samples for conductivity on units 3009 and 3015. The crew then reconfigured the loop scrub hardware for iodination of EMU Ion Filter. EMU Loop Scrubs and Iodination are required preventive maintenance needed to remove any chemical and biological contaminants from the EMU transport loop and Ion Filters.

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Ingress: Today, the crew ingressed the BEAM module and removed and backfilled items planned for disposal and return on Cargo Dragon SpaceX-23 (SpX-23). Additionally, the crew completed troubleshooting of the BEAM Wireless Temparature System WTS in attempt to recover failed temperature sensors; however, the troubleshooting was unsuccessful. In order to ingress into BEAM, ARED was folded up, and the BEAM Hatch was uninstalled to allow crew access. After the ingress, restow, and activities inside BEAM were completed, the BEAM Hatch was reinstalled and ARED was unfolded back into its nominal position.

Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) Remove and Replace (R&R): The crew completed routine maintenance to R&R the UR/IF. Following the R&R, the crew cleaned the WHC power supply, reactivated WHC, and performed a leak check to close out the activity.

Completed Task List Activities:

Record ESA PAO message

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Structural Dynamics Measurement System (SDMS) Activation

Primary Power System (PPS) Plasma Contactor Unit (PCU) Activation

Mobile Servicing System (MSS) powerup

Mobile Transporter (MT) Translation

Look Ahead Plan

Saturday, September 18 (GMT 261)

Payloads:

ISS Experience SSD changeout

Rodent Research Experiment 1B

Veggie Monitoring

Systems:

Crew off-duty

Sunday, September 19 (GMT 262)

Payloads:

Astrobee prep

Rodent Research-Demo 1 crew review

Systems:

Crew off-duty

Monday, September 20 (GMT 263)

Payloads:

Astrobee hardware checkout

Biomole

CIR manifold bottle replace

DREAMS

EarthKAM setup in Node 2

Microbial Tracking 3

Plant Habitat-04 debris removal

Renewable foam

RR-D1

Systems:

IFM Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Desiccant Wheel R&R

Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform water processing

Dragon cargo ops

IFM Leak Kit Audit

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations

Behavioral Core Measures ROBoT-r Testing

Columbus Portable power Supply MkII Relocation

EPO Blob Hardware Deinstallation

ISS Experience EVA Z-cam Relocate to Node 2

Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Termination

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub Initiation

Astrobee Perching Arm Removal

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste and Hygeine Compartment (WHC) Urine Receptacle (UR) and Insert Filter (IF) Remove and Replace

Dust Filer Transfer

JEM Microbe Sample MELFI Insertion

ARED Platform Partial Fold

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) - JEM

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination

SoundSee Troubleshooting

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Ingress

BEAM sensor power swap

BEAM Hardware Stow

Environmental Health System (EHS) - Microbial Air Sampler (MAS) Kit Sample Collection

Ultrasound 2 HRF Rack 2 Power On

BEAM MAS/SSK Sample Stow

Four Bed CO2 Scrubber Integration Hardware Installation

SOUNDSEE Stow

EVA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration

BEAM sensor power reconfiguration

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Node 3 Aft Stow

ARED Platform Unfold Back to Nominal Position

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Ultrasound 2 Scan

Health Maintenance System (HMS) - OCT2 Exam

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur configures an EXPRESS rack inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module before installing a new device that scrubs the International Space Station's atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Credit: NASA.

Expedition 65 is kicking off the week with a host of space biology and robotics activities aboard the International Space Station today.

Five astronauts out of the seven crewmates who comprise the space station crew joined each other today for a review of upcoming research operations with rodents. The quintet reviewed roles and procedures for the study to learn how microgravity affects normal skin and healing functions. The astronauts will take turns transferring the mice from the Mouse Habitat Unit to the Life Science Glovebox for observation.

Full-fledged operations for the Rodent Research-1 Demonstration will begin Tuesday and continue before the SpaceX Cargo Dragon returns to Earth with the rodents on Sept. 30. NASA Flight Engineers Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough will trade shifts on Tuesday with Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency). NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei will also contribute to the experiment later in the week.

Kimbrough started Monday checking out and activating the toaster-sized Astrobee robotic fee-flyers in cooperation with engineers on the ground. Hoshide began his day extracting DNA from microbe samples for sequencing to understand the microbial environment of the station. McArthur replaced fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack. Pesquet set up student-controlled Earth observation hardware then cleaned up debris to support the Plant Habitat-04 space crop experiment.

Cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov are continuing to set up hardware, including cables and laptop computers, inside the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. The new gear will enable the crew to control the European Robotic Arm from both inside and outside the station. The duo then split up Monday afternoon for Russian communications work and life support maintenance.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads

Astrobee: The crew unpacked and visually inspected the Queen Bee Astrobee Free Flyer components. The Free Flyer was activated, and the crew assisted the ground team with component and communications checkout and calibration. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots which are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores, and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station. The autonomous robots, powered by fans and vision-based navigation, perform crew monitoring, sampling, logistics management, and accommodate up to three investigations.

BioMole: A crewmember performed a surface swab sampling of ISS surfaces to identify bacteria by extracting DNA using mini-PCR 16. The Environmental Health System (EHS) Biomole Facility non-culture-based samples can provide microbial identification on-orbit within days of sampling. The goal of this Tech Demo is to conduct comparative analysis for possible replacement of current microbial monitoring systems.

Dreams: A crewmember retrieved the Dreams Dry-EEG Headband and performed a battery charging and setup. The Headband will be donned prior to sleeping. Sleep plays a major role in human health and well-being. Insufficient sleep, or sleep disorders, can increase the risk of developing medical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and can impair task performance. The Sleep Monitoring in Space with Dry-EEG Headband (Dreams) is a technology demonstration investigation that utilizes the Dry-EEG Headband: an effective, affordable, and comfortable solution to monitor astronaut sleep quality during long-duration spaceflight aboard the ISS.

Sally Ride Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle Schools (EarthKAM): A crewmember performed the EarthKAM hardware setup in the Node 2 Nadir Hatch, mounted the D2Xs Camera on a Multi-use Bracket facing out the Nadir Hatch Window, and initiated the EarthKAM software. A test image was taken. EarthKAM allows thousands of students to photograph and examine Earth from a space crew's perspective. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera mounted on-board the ISS. This enables them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges, and other geographic items of interest from the unique vantage point of space. The EarthKAM team then posts these photographs on the Internet for viewing by the public and participating classrooms around the world.

Microbial Tracking-3: A crewmember collected ISS surface samples while photographing each location and placed the samples into cold stowage. The Quantifying Selection for Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria and Fungi on the ISS - a Microbial Tracking Study (Microbial Tracking-3 or MT-3) investigation continues a series focused on ongoing monitoring of pathogenicity (ability to cause disease) and antibiotic resistance in potentially disease-causing bacteria and fungi present on the ISS. The investigation aims to identify, analyze, and characterize pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance, and genomics to augment the NASA GeneLab with the statistical confidence to characterize microbes associated with closed habitation and predict those that may pose a threat to crew health.

Plant Habitat-04: A crewmember removed plant litter (detritus), photographed developing peppers, and hand-pollinated all open flowers. Inspection of the plant support rods and twist ties was performed, and the IR Sensor Arm was repositioned. Microgravity Growth of New Mexico Hatch Green Chile as a Technical Display of Advanced Plant Habitat's Capabilities (Plant Habitat-04) demonstrates using the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) by growing peppers in space for the first time. An excellent source of Vitamin C, peppers are more difficult to cultivate than many possible space crops because they take longer to germinate, grow, and develop fruit. The investigation includes microbial analysis to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions in space and assessment of flavor and texture, which vary based on the growth environment and care such as amount of watering.

Systems

Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Desiccant Wheel Remove and Replace (R&R): The crew removed and replaced the failed Desiccant Wheel in TAS. The Thermal Amine System tests a method of removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from air aboard the ISS using actively heated and cooled amine beds. Controlling CO2 levels on the station reduces the likelihood of crew members experiencing symptoms of CO2 buildup, which include fatigue, headache, breathing difficulties, strained eyes, and itchy skin. The system includes elements that reduce loss of water vapor and recovers CO2 for use in electrolysis to produce oxygen.

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: Today, the crew set up the recycle tank to drain to a -. Following the setup, the ground performed the tank drain using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, and repositioned the fill/drain valve to fill. The crew also swapped the  in the offload  spot of the UTS.

Environmental Health System (EHS) Operations: Today, the ISS crew performed periodic EHS water sampling by collecting water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) for in-flight and post-flight analysis. In-flight samples were used to perform a Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) analysis that measures the amount of organic constituents in the potable water. The crew also tested the water samples for the presence of Coliform bacteria utilizing a Coliform test bag. These tests are used to determine if the drinking water is still safe for crew consumption.

Four Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2) Adlink Deployment: The crew deployed and powered the Adlink Mini-PC for 4BCO2. 4BCO2 demonstrates a technology for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere on a spacecraft. The technology is based off of the current system in use on the ISS, but with mechanical upgrades in absorption beds, heater elements, valves, and an improved zeolite absorbent to reduce erosion and dust formation. A goal for next-generation systems is continuous operation for 20,000 hours without a failure. This technology is a step toward that goal.

Completed Task List Activities:

Node 2 AVN443 HD Encoder #2 Ethernet cable check

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Dedicated RS thruster firing test

Payload Rack Officer (PRO) Fluids Integration Rack (FIR) Activation commanding

PRO Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) activation commanding

PRO Life Science Glovebox (LSG) Facility activation commanding

Look Ahead Plan

Tuesday, September 21 (GMT 264)

Payloads:

Astrobee Off (NASA)

Dreams Headband Charge (ESA)

Microbial Tracking 3 collect (NASA)

RR-D1 Biopsy (NASA)

Systems:

IFM TAS Desiccant Wheel R&R

IFM Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Pre-Treat Tank R&R

EVA battery charge operations

Wednesday, September 22 (GMT 265)

Payloads:

CBEF-L Mouse Hab Reconfig and install (JAXA)

CIR Manifold-4 Bottle Replace (NASA)

Dreams Headband DOFF, data xfer and stow (ESA)

Food Acceptability (NASA)

Industrial Crystallization Facility (ALT) stow (NASA)

ISS Experience Z-CAM final stow (NASA)

Microbial Tracking 3 Sample Collect (NASA)

MSL Low Grade Furnaces Sample Cartridge Removal (ESA)

RR-D1 Experiment setup and Hab Restock and Access Unit Clean (NASA)

SOLISS Removal (JAXA)

Systems:

IFM TAS Desiccant Wheel R&R

Environmental Health System (EHS) - Microbial Capture Device (MCD) and Coliform Water Sample Analysis 44 +/- 4 hours post processing

Thursday, September 23 (GMT 266)

Payloads:

BIOMOLE ops part 3 (NASA)

EarthKAM 85mm Lens Change (NASA)

Eklosion Message and Photo (ESA)

ESA EPO- Touch Surface (ESA)

Lumina Data Transfer (ESA)

Microbial Tracking 3 Sample Collect (NASA)

RR-D1 3A Biopsy (NASA)

STaARS BS12 Sample Removal and MELI insert (NASA)

Standard Measures Presleep Questionnaire (NASA)

Systems:

64S relocation training

Dragon cargo operations

EVA battery charge operations

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

Astrobee Free Flyer Hardware Checkout

Node 2 Deck 2 Stowage Clearing

BioMole Part 1: Surface Sampling and DNA Extraction

USOS Window Shutter Close

Combustion Integrated Rack Bottle Gather

Combustion Integrated Rack Manifold Bottle Replacement

EarthKAM Node 2 Setup and Activation

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection

BioMole Part 2: DNA Cleanup and Amplification

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain

Environmental Health System (EHS) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect

Four Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2) Adlink Deploy

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2

Warming Controller Unstow

LSG Work Volume Deploy

LSG Primary Crew Restraint Unfold

LSG Secondary Crew Restraint Unfold

Cargo Transfer to Dragon

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Shell Removal (RMV)

Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap

URISYS Hardware setup

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Desiccant Wheel (DESWHL) Remove and Replace (R&R)

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3

In-Flight Maintenance Leak Kit Audit

Plant Habitat-04 DEBRIS Hardware Gather

Plant Habitat-04 Debris Removal

Environmental Health System (EHS) Biomole Stop and Sample

Inspection of Renewable Foam of protective Kit

Microbial Tracking-3 Environmental Sample Collection

BioMole MELFI Insert

Dreams Dry-EEG Headband charge

Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing

Microbial Tracking-3 Iceberg Sample Insertion

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS) Temporary Closeout

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Preflight imagery of the two culture chambers of a single experimental unit in the Biorock experiment. The purpose of the Biorock investigation was to examine the effects of altered gravity on the rock/microbe/liquid system as a whole. CREDIT Image Courtesy of ESA

For centuries, humans have mined materials to build the tools we use every day, from batteries and cell phones to airplanes and refrigerators.

While the process of obtaining these important minerals used to rely entirely on heavy machinery, fire, and human labor, scientists have learned how to harness the natural power of microbes to do some of the work.

This process, called biomining, has become common as a cost efficient and environmentally friendly way to obtain the metals around us in nature. As humans plan expeditions deeper into space, biomining offers a way to obtain needed materials for use on other planetary bodies rather than transporting them from Earth.

In 2019, the ESA (European Space Agency) Biorock investigation conducted aboard the International Space Station demonstrated how microbes can extract rare Earth elements from basalt in space; basalt is a common rock on the Moon and Mars. The team has now shown that microbes can not only mine elements in space, but some microbes may also perform even better under such altered gravitational conditions. In a paper published in Frontiers in Microbiology, Biorock researchers observed an increase of vanadium biomining by as much as 283% under reduced gravity conditions. These results show that biomining may be possible on a large scale in space, extracting elements that humans need to sustain themselves independent of Earth.

Vanadium is an element commercially added to steel to fabricate high strength, corrosion-resistant materials that could be used in buildings, tools, and construction processes on other planets. "Mining is a necessary part of civilization, and it has been going on since people first started settling in villages and cities," says Charles Cockell, Biorock principal investigator and professor at the UK Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh.

Using microbes to do that mining provides advantages over common chemical methods of extracting elements from soil. "Chemical methods of remediation can be very damaging, whereas bioremediation and bioleaching is environmentally friendly, and produces fewer toxins," Cockell says. "It is low energy demand. You give the microbes some food, and they go about their business of mining."

Biomining with microbes also has the advantage of being compact, which is convenient for deep space exploration in which space for materials is limited when launching from Earth. But whether this process would work in microgravity was uncertain.

"Microgravity has an effect on bulk fluids, and there is no convection or sedimentation in microgravity," says Cockell. Because of this effect, the team suspected that altered gravitational conditions might negatively influence biomining by limiting the interactions of microbes of the same species, preventing the mixing of microbes in fluid.

To test whether microbes could biomine vanadium in altered gravitational conditions, the team filled a KUBIK incubator on the space station with liquid growth media, a mixture of nutrients designed to support the growth of microorganisms. The team then grew selected microbes known to break down rocks under microgravity and simulated lunar and Martian gravity conditions. The researchers also supplied the microbes with basalt, a constituent of the lunar and Martian surfaces.

The results were promising. "We were surprised gravity did not have an effect," says Cockell, "But we think the reason is that for the period of the experiment, 21 days, the microbes were able to grow to their maximum concentration, even in the absence of sedimentation or convection on the space station. Therefore, they were able to mine in the same way, even in different gravity conditions."

As we learn more about the microbes on Earth, we may discover many that are good candidates for biomining. Scientists currently are doing experiments in the lab to understand the mechanisms behind mining interactions and how these microbes do what they do.

While Biorock's results provide evidence for the feasibility of biomining in space on the microscopic scale, it could help scientists learn how to make biomining feasible on a macroscale as well. "Right now, the bioreactors are very small. When we are using these bioreactors on a larger industrial scale, what would the effectiveness be on the surface of an asteroid?" Cockell says. "These results will help us answer the mechanisms behind biomining and develop useful technology for Earth."

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Joe Pennacchio Racing and Oldford Racing's None Bettor A captured the 14th edition of the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway Monday with a 1:49.4 win.

The race honoured the memory of the late long-time Delaware legislator Bobby Quillen who loved harness racing and advocated for horsemen during his career.

None Bettor A, an eight-year-old Bettors Delight gelding, received a pocket seat in the mile for driver Mark MacDonald behind favourite Tattoo Artist through fractions of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:22.2. None Bettor A edged to the outside at the top of the stretch and was a neck ahead of Tattoo Artist at the wire. Local entry Jacks Legend N charged home down the passing lane to finish third.

Trained by Andrew Harris, None Bettor scored his 34th career win. The veteran pacer has been a regular on the Yonkers Raceway circuit but stepped up to the Invitational ranks in style with his fifth win of the year.

It was the second Quillen win for Macdonald, who won the 2018 edition with Sunfire Blue Chip. It was just the fourth sub-1:50 mile in Harringtons 75-year history.

"The trip couldn't have worked out better," said MacDonald, who was driving None Bettor for the first time.

None Bettor A paid $28.80 to win.

Four $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) first leg events for two-year-old male pacers were contested on the 14-race program. The top eight point earners from two legs of eliminations will return to compete in a $100,000 final on October 4.

Reggie Hazzard's Clear Mist ($2.80, Allan Davis) was a front end winner in the first split in 1:58.2 over Ash In The Wind and Step On Over. The Powerful Mist gelding recorded his first lifetime win for trainer Wayne Givens.

George Teague and K&R Racing's Its Above Me Now ($26.40, Ross Wolfenden) prevailed in the second split over Bad And Boujee and Callaland. The Southwind Lynx colt notched his first career win for trainer Clyde Francis.

KDK Standardbreds' Heinikin By The Bay ($2.80, Jason Thompson) won his third straight race for trainer Kevin Switzer over Johnny Badlands and Schrute in the third DSBF division. The Southwind Lynx colt is the only colt in the current DSBF crop with a trio of wins already under his belt.

Ds Heartland ($5.40, Art Stafford Jr.) was the fastest elimination winner with a 1:55.3 win over Its Pronounced Jif and Imwoncaptainwiser in the final split. The Les Givens-trainee recorded his first career win. A son of Badlands Hanover, Ds Heartland had been racing at Harrah's Philadelphia in his previous three attempts.

DSBF pacing fillies headline the Tuesday Harrington card in three $20,000 divisions, while four divisions of trotters will be featured on the Wednesday card.

Live racing will continue Monday through Wednesday through October 20. Post time nightly is 4:30 p.m.

(Harrington)
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 4:30PM

by Nathaniel R

Will The Netherlands submit "De Oost", currently streaming on Amazon?

For those of you who like to follow the admittedly super niche drama of the submission battles for Oscar's best International Feature Film race, we have another finalist list to report. The Netherlands will be announcing their submission in early October but we have their 14 wide finalist list. The first thing to note is that Paul Verhoeven's excellent lesbian nun drama Benedetta is not on it. Perhaps it's because the Dutch director who The Netherlands have submitted four times (Turkish Delight, Soldier of Orange, The Fourth Man, Black Book) is now working in France mostly. Elle, his most recent previous picture, was a submission for France and perhaps Benedetta wasn't deemed Dutch enough? Only three of the fourteen possibilities from The Netherlands have anything like an international profile and all three are about young soldiers so we suspect the Dutch will be sending a war drama.

After the jump a brief decription of each finalist, one of which is already in release in the US...

Anne+ The Film by Valerie Bisscheroux

A lesbian drama about a twentysomething girl who runs into an ex girlfriend when she moves into a new Amsterdam apartment. It's from a TV series which ran from 2018-2020 though so we doubt they'll select it with Oscar voters having no reference point.





UPDATE 10/06 -- THIS IS THE FILM THE NETHERLANDS HAVE SUBMITTED

Do Not Hesitate by Shariff Korver

A thriller about three soldiers guarding a military vehicle in the scorching desert. It played at Tribeca earlier this summer and has more festivals ahead. In Dutch and English.

The East by Jim Taihuttu

A post WW II drama about a soldier deployed to the Dutch colony of Indonesia who is suffering pangs of conscience at his duties. This one is currently streaming on Amazon. The film stars three Dutch lookers: Martijn Lakemeier (Winter in Wartime), Marwan Kenzari (The Old Guard, Instinct), and Jonas Smulders. It's in Dutch, Indonesian, English, and Japanese.

Family Fox on Expedition by Bob Wilbers

A family film about a boy doing a scavenger hunt in a theme park following clues his deceased grandfather left him.





The Forgotten Battle by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

A World War II drama about a British pilot, and a Dutch boy and girl who end up entangled during the "Battle of the Scheldt". The famous Dutch director Paula van der Oest (Zus & Zo, Accused) wrote the screenplay but didn't direct this time. Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Gijs Blom (Boys, Letter for the King), and Jamie Flatters (all three upcoming Avatar films) co-star. It comes to Netflix in the US on October 15th so it could well be The East's main competition. It's in Dutch, German, and English.

I Don't Wanna Dance by Flynn Von Kleist

A true story about a teenage dancer and his mother starring the teen who the movie is about.

The Judgement by Sander Burger

Just released in the Netherlands, it's a true story of a journalist who challenged the media and courts around the Deventer murder case in 1999.

A Man and a Camera by Guido Hendrikx

A documentary about ordinary people watched by a silent camera operator

Meskina by Daria Bukvic

A comedy about a single thirtysomething Dutch-Moroccan woman. Meskina translates to something like "pity-case"

My Best Friend Anne Frank by Ben Sombogaart

Based on the memoirs of Anne Frank's friend Hannah Goslar. It just opened in The Netherlands. Sombogaart is the only director among the finalists who has previously been submitted. His 2003 film Twin Sisters was his country's most recent nominated film at the Oscars.

Mitra by Kaweh Modiri

A drama about a Dutch woman and the new Iranian refugee she meets who she believes was responsible for her daughter's execution in Iran decades earlier.

Shadow Game by Eefje Blankevoort

A documentary about teenage refugees in Europe.

Silence of the Tides by Pieter-Rim de Kroon

A documentary about the cinematic history of The Walden Sea, the largest wetlands and coastal system in the world.

10 Songs for Charity by Karin Junger

A drama about two Nigerian prositutes working illegally in Europe. IMDb says this is in English. The Oscars recently adjusted their rules around language (to be more lenient specifically to African films with Pidgin English and such variations) but who knows if this one will qualify if submitted.



The Netherlands have received 7 nominations, winning 3 times. They've had a stroke of bad luck since 2003, though. In the past 17 years they've made the finals three times (Black Book, Winter in Wartime, Accused) but each time they were denied the nomination in the end.

Which of these do you think it will be and do any of them sound interesting to you?
Abu Dhabi-based Multiply Group, a subsidiary of International Holdings Company (IHC), has invested an additional AED55 million ($15 million) in Firefly to bring dynamic advertising in taxis and rideshare vehicles to the Mena region.



Firefly, a San Francisco Bay Area-based company, is also backed by other major investors including Google Ventures, NFX, and Stanford Universitys StartX Fund.



The investment includes the establishment of an Abu Dhabi-based joint venture with Firefly, follows an initial investment by Multiply announced in May 2021.



Samia Bouazza, Chief Executive Officer of Multiply Group, commented: This exciting transaction is in line with Multiply Groups strategy to capture market share in digital out-of-home advertising and will be highly complementary to our recent investment in Emirates Driving Company as we look to expand in-vehicle advertising in the UAE.



Fireflys recent performance has been impressive as cities re-emerge from Covid-19 and brands revive their out-of-home advertising to connect with consumers. Through this investment, we are reinforcing our commitment to bringing innovative, tech-enabled marketing strategies to the Mena region once again.



Kaan Gunay, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Firefly, commented: Since Multiply Groups initial investment in May 2021, we have become strong partners and appreciate their collaboration and support as we continue to disrupt the advertising industry with our sophisticated tech-driven platform.



As Firefly continues to grow at a rapid pace, we are delighted to be expanding our partnership through Multiply Groups second investment round which includes a planned partnership that enables us to access the Mena market, where we see enormous opportunity to scale our business.



Firefly operates across major US cities, working with taxi companies and rideshare drivers to install proprietary advertising displays on their vehicles. These screens deliver dynamic content based on location-based, GPS-enabled triggers ensuring millions of impressions per month.



In June 2021, Firefly became the largest taxi-top platform in North America after acquiring Curb Taxi Media, giving it access to over ten thousand car tops to significantly scale its technology and network.  TradeArabia News Service
Engine developer WinGD has developed an ecosystem of solutions around the main engine that is expected to enhance energy efficiency and enable a seamless transition to new fuels. These are the two keys to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with International Maritime Organisations ambitions.

During its participation at Gastech, from September 21 to 23 in Dubai, WinGD will be presenting its range of solutions aimed at addressing the targets set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

WinGDs solutions deploy digital vessel optimisation and battery-hybrid energy systems to improve the energy efficiency and future fuel flexibility of its two-stroke engines.

For instance, using LNG as a fuel in a low-pressure X-DF engine can reduce GHG emissions by around 20% compared to a conventional two-stroke engine burning heavy fuel oil. Combined with the new solutions, CO2 equivalent emissions can be reduced even further, taking vessels beyond IMOs intermediate target of reducing carbon intensity by 40% by 2030.

Our ecosystem approach to energy efficiency acknowledges that vessels today are complex power systems with the main engine at the heart of the integrated solution, said Klaus Heim, CEO, WinGD.

These systems, including our engines, are fully ready for the future fuels that will take ships much further than IMOs target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050, he added.

The solutions include fuel flexibility and smart engine monitoring, combined with advanced electronic control and hybrid energy management systems. WinGDs engine expertise means that it can integrate all elements of these complex systems optimally, including advising ship owners on the sizing and operation of hybrid energy sources such as batteries.

In a recent landmark project, WinGD integrated sustainability and efficiency enhancements through a hybrid energy system onboard four pure car and truck carriers ordered by Japanese owned NYK Line.

The vessels will run on LNG, using WinGDs 7X62DF-2.1 two-stroke engines coupled with shaft generators, DC links, and battery systems. WinGD has optimised spinning reserves, peak shaving, and energy flow to run the main engine at its sweet spot as much as possible while reducing the use of less efficient auxiliary engines.

The system will be managed by WinGDs new Hybrid Control System. Such integrated energy management plays a key role in our vision to power the energy transition in shipping, said Heim.

Through WinGDs progressive investments in future fuels, engine control, optimisation, and hybridisation, combined with the continued evolution of our core engine technology, these advances give ship owners certainty that they can meet long-range environmental targets with systems they can order today, he added.

Underlying the new offering is WinGDs Integrated Digital Expert (WiDE), a cutting-edge engine monitoring and optimisation solution that is standard on all medium and large bore WinGD engines.

The monitoring and support capabilities work with a robust, modern control system, WinGD Integrated Control Electronics (WiCE), that meets the connectivity and security demands of future ship energy systems.

Combined with WinGD expert training for operators and a global service network, customers are now fully equipped to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

Speaking on digital solutions to enhance fuel efficiency and cut down on carbon emission, Eng Ibrahim Behairy, Managing Director of WINGD in the Middle East and Africa, said: When we speak of decarbonisation and the 2030 and 2050 targets set by the IMO for the shipping industry, we know for a fact that it is necessary that the sector itself begins to use low emission fuels, but what we also know for a fact is that low emission fuels alone will not be able to meet the set targets.

In this regard, technology will surely play a vital role in ensuring the industrys transission to a sustainable and an environment friendly one. Through our dual-fuelled two-stroke engines with enhanced intelligent cooling and exhaust recirculation capabilities have ensured a reduction in methane emissions, thus showcasing the advantafges of digital solutions in terms of reducing shipping emissions.

While developing a wider ecosystem of solutions, WinGD has continued to focus on the performance and sustainability of vessels powered by its engines. The advantages of dual-fuelled X-DF two-stroke series have been enhanced through the introduction of intelligent Cooling and Exhaust Recirculation (iCER), which cuts methane slip by around 50% as well as improving fuel consumption in both gas and diesel modes.

The X-DF engine is capable of running on carbon-neutral fuels including biogas or synthetic LNG without engine modifications, preparing ship owners for the next stage in their transition to lower carbon operations. As the most widely deployed low-pressure dual-fuel technology in the marine two-stroke market, it is the ideal platform to build a future-ready energy system fit for the next generation of low-emission vessels.

The benefits of future fuel flexibility and potential hybridisation are not limited to gas-fuelled engines. WinGDs X engines are powered by liquid fuels, of which there are several emerging carbon-neutral or zero-carbon candidates, including bio-diesel and alcohol fuels.

The company has invested extensively in preparations to use these fuels, including leading European research into injection concepts. The core engine offering is constantly being developed to improve efficiency and flexibility, most recently with the addition of the first integrated, on-engine NOx abatement solution in the marine two-stroke engine market.-- TradeArabia News Service
The Egypt - International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF) has released a 9-section Cairo Communique that offers a blueprint for an inclusive, green post-Covid recovery for the global economy. It provides a raft of 38 recommendations for international policymakers under nine key themes.

Communique themes include multilateralism, South-South and triangular cooperation, advancing the UNs SDGs, private sector engagement, combatting climate change, digital trade, digital transformation towards an inclusive ecosystem, developing a roadmap to food security and investing in human capital.

The detailed blueprint guides the international community to rebuild societies in a green, inclusive, and more equitable way in the post-Covid-19 era, and to ensure global decision-makers deliver on the promises laid out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As the world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, a climate crisis and an economic depression, the Cairo Communique, released at the conclusion of the inaugural EgyptICF, provides a set of recommendations for international policymakers to embed into their sustainable development efforts to ensure that societies build back better  and no one is left behind.

The communique outlines how the Covid-19 pandemic has created the urge to foster more effective and agile multilateral cooperation capable of addressing pressing and emerging global challenges and issued a call-to-action for global governments to commit to concerted efforts towards inclusive, effective, and harmonised cooperation towards sustainable development.

It also pointed out that the devastating effects of the pandemic can have a silver lining, and that the need to economically rebound from Covid-19 will also spark the international community into realising how post-pandemic recovery can be intertwined with sustainability, allowing two of the biggest crises of the modern era to be tackled in one.

Commenting on the communique, Egypts Minister of International Cooperation, Dr Rania A Al-Mashat, said: The growing inequalities caused by dual challenge of Covid-19 and climate change have moved us further away from our global promise of delivering the sustainable development goals. The situation can, and must, be turned around.

We know that challenges bring opportunities. These opportunities exist now, and we have the knowledge, the science and the technology to capitalise on them for the good of everyone in the world. We need the collective will of the international community and a unity of purpose that catalyses the urgent and ambitious action we must take to forge an inclusive, green economic recovery.

She added: The recommendations laid out in the Cairo Communique can play a pivotal role in making this action happen. Building on the momentum created by the Egypt-ICF, we will be working over the next 12 months, alongside our international partners, to ensure the recommendations outlined in this communique are implemented.

Among the recommendations, the communique called for strengthening existing South-South and triangular cooperation platforms and reinforcing the mechanisms for sharing knowledge and experience, to scale up successful practices through cooperative cross-border frameworks.

Collen Vixen Kelapile, newly elected President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), attended the Egypt- ICFs Closing Ceremony, releasing the first development focused Cairo Communique. Kelapile commended the communiques recommendations, highlighting that the 9 key themes covered in the communique are the pressing issues the world is faced with in the wake of pandemic. He pinpointed, as the communique rightly highlights, investment in infrastructure is crucial calling for the implementation of the Cairo Communiques recommendations in order to achieve a green and inclusive recovery, making sure to Leave No One Behind as per the UNs global pledge.

The 38-point blueprint also encouraged each country to take innovative approaches in mapping their progress to align the results of international development cooperation projects with the UN SDGs' objectives. It further outlined how multilateralism, international cooperation and public-private sector collaborations can help generate the additional $3.7 trillion a year needed to bridge the SDGs financing gap and put the world on a path to a green recovery from the pandemic.

International collaboration to help Africa rebuild post-Covid and strengthen its resilience against future health and economic shocks was also a key theme in the communique, which outlined the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in boosting growth and integration of the African economies and the importance of creating an enabling environment for cross-border e-commerce.

It emphasised the need for collective action to scale up scientific research and innovation in efforts to strengthen Africa's resilience to climate change and other shocks that threaten the food security of its people.

Digital transformation was another key theme, with the communique outlining the importance of harnessing the potential of digital technologies to both empower women and young entrepreneurs post-pandemic, and the need for policy reforms to improve regulations and create the enabling environment to facilitate the youth-led digital transformation in Africa.

The blueprint also urged global governments to push human development to the forefront of the post-pandemic agenda and commit to a collective responsibility to ensure no person is left vulnerable or marginalised as communities and economies recover and rebuild after Covid-19.

This includes investing in human capital as a key to long-term growth and sustainable development, ensuring equal access to vaccinations, and addressing investment gaps by mobilising private and public finance to support energy, transport, and social infrastructure.

The two-day Forum led to several key announcements, the exchange of ideas, and discussions on topics such as Egypts approach to tackling sustainability post-Covid-19.

This included the countrys pioneering ODA-SDG model, which is being used to measure the real-world impact of the countrys 377 ongoing SDG-related projects, worth more than $25 billion. The pioneering initiative is now ready to be replicated in other countries, the UNs Resident Coordinator for Egypt, Elena Panova, told the Forum. Egypt also announced plans to provide more than 60 million people in rural areas with high-speed internet as part of a nationwide effort to develop the digital economy and drive job creation.

The Egypt-ICF heard how Africas transition to digital trade and its reliance on technology to push towards food security are key for a green and inclusive recovery.

Furthermore, the forum focused on climate change, with international policymakers, development partners, and representatives of the private sector, civil society, and think tanks discussing the potential that a worldwide reset triggered by the coronavirus crisis could offer for 'greening' global economies, and how sustainable development cannot happen without proper international teamwork.

Policymakers also discussed how unlocking the private sectors potential for growth and job creation will require a more enabling environment for trade and investment by removing non-tariff barriers and creating a level playing field for investors.

Egypt - ICF, which took place between September 8 and 9, 2021, aimed to trigger a global conversation about how the Covid-19 pandemic can be a catalyst for renewed action to meet the UNs Sustainable Development Goals; a 17-point action plan that targets ending poverty, protecting the planet, and improving the lives and prospects of people around the world.-- TradeArabia News Service
Etisalats SmartHub community of customers is witnessing a massive growth, mainly due to its diverse and complete ecosystem offering an ideal environment for interconnecting and its proximity to regional end users, said a top official.



As one of the biggest neutral carrier hotels, Etisalats SmartHub data centres will be an ICT bridge between continents always supporting critical business activities of global customers. We at Etisalat are committed to making SmartHub a preferred location for carriers, cloud service providers, Internet exchanges and companies looking for a carrier grade data centres, said Ali Amiri, Group Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer, Etisalat.



SmartHub is a trusted digital enabler for global customers from various industry verticals including, telcos, OTTs, cloud players, content delivery networks, financial services, and gaming platforms. It also has direct access to multiple independent subsea cable system, interconnecting Europe, US, Asia, Middle East and Africa, which makes it capable of serving more than two billion people within 30 milliseconds latency to guarantee a superior customer experience.



SmartHub is the largest hub of submarine cable landing station in the region, allowing access to a list of wholesale services including data, voice, mobile, and satellite teleport services as well as Internet and IPX Exchange and offers flexible services and pricing models.



Recently, Etisalat was recognised as Best Regional Data Centre Operator at the fifth annual Carrier Community (CC) Global Awards ceremony in Berlin.



The Best Regional Data Centre Operator award recognises an entity with a unique service or an initiative that demonstrates the most effective and new service or solution and can illustrate the business benefits derived from it.



Commenting on the award, Amiri said: Through our commitment to excellence and innovation, Etisalats SmartHub became one of the fastest-growing wholesale data hubs in the regions it serves including the Middle East, Africa and Europe. SmartHub is a key element of the digital infrastructure in the region, and will continue to offer its customers a world-class service that meets their evolving requirements.



Etisalat SmartHub is a multiservice carrier-grade wholesale data centre in Fujairah, The SmartHub ecosystem currently has three facilities, namely SmartHub Fujairah 1, SmartHub Fujairah 2, and SmartHub Dubai.



Etisalat is currently building a fourth SmartHub facility in the UAE, which is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2022.The new facility is set to increase Etisalats capabilities and global capacity to meet its international clients growing needs for infrastructure across Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE's leading telecom services operator Etisalat said its SmartHub community of customers is witnessing a massive growth, mainly due to its diverse and complete ecosystem offering an ideal environment for interconnecting and its proximity to regional end users.

SmartHub is the largest hub of submarine cable landing station in the region, allowing access to a list of wholesale services including data, voice, mobile, and satellite teleport services as well as Internet and IPX Exchange and offers flexible services and pricing models.

It is a trusted digital enabler for global customers from various industry verticals including, telcos, OTTs, cloud players, content delivery networks, financial services, and gaming platforms.

It also has direct access to multiple independent subsea cable system, interconnecting Europe, US, Asia, Middle East and Africa, which makes it capable of serving more than two billion people within 30 milliseconds latency to guarantee a superior customer experience.

"As one of the biggest neutral carrier hotels, Etisalats SmartHub data centres will be an ICT bridge between continents always supporting critical business activities of global customers," stated Ali Amiri, Group Chief Carrier and Wholesale Officer, Etisalat.

"We at Etisalat are committed to making SmartHub a preferred location for carriers, cloud service providers, Internet exchanges and companies looking for a carrier grade data centres," noted Amiri.

Etisalat is currently building a fourth SmartHub facility in the UAE, which is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2022.

The new facility is set to increase Etisalats capabilities and global capacity to meet its international clients growing needs for infrastructure across Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.

With the expansion, Etisalats Carrier and Wholesale Services has set a benchmark in the region, and is a testimony to the companys strategy to Drive the digital future to empower societies.

It is also in line with UAE leaderships vision to continue leading as an ICT and data hub for the region addressing the diverse requirements of global telecom infrastructure.
Some 42 companies have pledged a promising $345 million to contribute to ending global hunger as part of a new initiative led by key international organisations.

The Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge is a game-changing solution emerging from the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Action Tracks. It recognises that governments cannot eradicate hunger alone and need more private sector involvement, with investments aligned with the highest-impact areas. To date, pledges have been made in 34 priority countries.

Global hunger is rising unabated, with up to 811 million hungry people in the world in 2020thats 1 in 10 people suffering because they did not have access to the most basic need and fundamental right of food. Covid-19 measures have made the issue even worse.

But there is a roadmap to end world hunger. Additional investment in 10 high-impact areas can put hunger in the history books.

Today, one in ten people go to bed hungry and millions are right on the brink of starvation. This is happening in a world that has enough food to feed everyone, everywhere. Its time to end this suffering. But to succeed, WFP and the entire community need the creative drive, energy, and commitment of the private sector. Through the Zero Hunger Pledge initiative, businesses around the world can join us and truly make a differencegiving food, hope, and a better future to those who need them most, said David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).

Although this financial investment must mostly come from governments, public spending will not be sufficient. That is why the UNFSS came up with a game-changing solution to mobilise more private sector investment as a catalytic contributor to achieving zero hunger.

The Pledge is launched in advance of the UN Food Systems Summit. Increasing private sector investment towards small food producers in geographies with high burdens of hunger is essential to changing the lives of millions of people and making nations food secure. The Pledge enables food companies to provide a strong, united front with governments to make hunger a thing of the past by 2030, said Peter Bakker, President and CEO, WBCSD.

The Pledge requires companies to make a financial commitment in at least one of the 10 high-impact intervention areas identified in the Ceres2030 findings and in at least one of the priority countries or regions.

Pledgers include a range of companies, from large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), each having committed to upholding internationally accepted principles including, but not limited to: the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS-RAI), the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, the Principles of the UN Global Compact, and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.

The private sector in Africa is absolutely key to Africas agricultural development agenda. We are committed to mobilising businessesbig and smalldeliver concrete outcomes on the ground, said Ibrahim Gourouza, Chief Operations Officer, Grow Africa.

Pledging companies will then coordinate with implementing organisations or partners. They agree to being assessed by the WBA and to the assessment being published publicly.

Commitments can come in the form of core business investments, subsidised contributions, cash contributions, and in-kind contributions. They focus on three key areas:

*Empowering the excludedgiving marginalised populations and small producers the resources to learn and benefit from successful agricultural interventions.

*Investing in food producersencouraging more sustainable on-farm practices and interventions to improve environmental conditions.

*Reducing losses and supporting SMEsassisting small-scale producers and SMEs to increase their productivity and income.

What we are seeing with the Pledge is the private sector stepping up to be a bigger part of the solution. This is a game-changing approach to solving one of the most pressing yet oldest challenges humanity faces, said Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN.

With a level of commitment so far amounting to $345 million, the implementing organisations are confident more companies will join in the fight against zero hunger.-- TradeArabia News Service
Quara Finance, a leading Saudi company providing Sharia-compliant financial services, has renewed its financing service agreement with Jarir bookstore for the third consecutive year.

The partnership will continue to offer easy and convenient monthly installment plans for customer purchases in any branches of Jarir Bookstore across the kingdom.

Ehab Hassoubah, CEO, Quara Finance, said: "We are very proud to have Jarir Bookstore as a partner. Our relationship has grown from strength to strength and through our renewed agreement we will continue to provide seamless financing services with quick approvals to their valued customers. We look forward to growing our partnership with Jarir and provide additional innovative financial solutions."

"This partnership is an integral part of Quara Finances strategy to expand its financial and retail services locally to support the sustainable economic growth and development of Saudi Arabia," added Hassoubah.

Nasser Al Aqeel, CEO, Jarir Bookstore, said: "Jarir Bookstore always strives to achieve the highest customer service standards through our financing services, and we look forward to further enhancing our services in partnership with Quara Finance."

Quara Finance provides flexible Sharia-compliant installment payment plans with a facilitated approvals process to Jarir Bookstore customers for up to 36 months and for up to SR30,000 ($7,999.60) worth of purchases with a competitive low-profit margin without any down payments. -- TradeArabia News Service
Russia will gradually decommission Soviet nuclear power units built in the 1970s and replace them by about 15 units by 2035, said Alexey Likhachev, head of the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom.



Our task is to build them on the existing sites, to expand the existing plants with new units. All of them will be generations 3+, with a capacity of 1,200 MW," Likhachev said was quoted as saying in a Tass report.



The task is being discussed at the government level, he added.



Likhachev is heading the Russian delegation at the 65th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria.
The Peruvian hotspot Coya Abu Dhabi, in the UAE capital, has promised to pull out all the stops to present a scary, glamorous and exciting party for Halloween.

Themed around the concept of The Uncontacted Tribe, the waterfront venue will be transformed into a hidden forest, encouraging guests to don eerie and creative outfits and indulge in a night of elegant house beats, spooky drinks and tribal-themed dishes.

Kicking off from 7pm onwards on October 28, the evening is inspired by the story of the Mashco-Piro tribe, the indigenous, nomadic hunter-gatherers who inhabit the remote regions of the Amazon rainforest, a statement from Coya Abu Dhabi said.

According to locals living in Perus Manu National Park, the previously hidden and secretive tribe has started to make itself known to the world.

Coyas Musical Director Stephane Petit and resident DJs are curating a special mix of beats to help lure party goers into the forest.-TradeArabia News Service
Help India!



Ganga Jamuna area of Nagpur in Maharashtra is the oldest Red Light area of the city and has always been bustling with people. In August last month, the area was sealed off by Nagpur Police and sex work was banned, citing an increase in child trafficking. Sex workers have protested the ban and sealing of the area arguing that the pandemic already had them in a very vulnerable spot with depleted income impacting their childrens future.

Suchitra | TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



NAGPUR  Nearly three hundred years ago, the Ganga Jamuna area of Nagpur city in Maharashtra was set up for the army of Raja Khandoji Bhonsle, and sex workers have been living here since 1775. Its the city oldest Red Light area. Raja Khandoji Bhonsle helped people of our community back then to bring an idol of Lord Jagannath from Puri, and set up a temple here for us, recalls Kiran Deshmukh, president of National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW).

The Ganga Jamuna area, which has always been bustling with people, was sealed off by Nagpur Police on August 15, citing an increase in child trafficking, invoking the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA). The Police banned sex work in the area. Fifteen of the sixteen entry points leading to Ganga Jamuna were blocked. At each of these access points, at least three police officers and a police vehicle outfitted with a CCTV camera can be seen standing guard day and night. Section 144 was imposed in August, which isnt in effect anymore, and barricades have been lifted as well; but this has badly affected sales for these women.

Following the ban on sex work, thousands of sex workers in the area protested against the sealing of the area. Sex workers that TwoCircles.net talked with demanded reversal of the ban arguing that ban not only impacts their work but has an adverse impact on their children and their future amid the pandemic.

Kiran, a sex worker living with HIV, told TwoCircles.net that times have been very difficult for sex workers ever since Covid-19 struck their lives. Social distancing is something that would never work in a profession like ours, Kiran maintains.

Before the pandemic, Deepa (name changed), a sex worker, would earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 per month. She hasnt made a rupee since March 2020, when Covid-19 imposed limitations and also scared away consumers. She is scared for her children and wonders what the future holds. Both my children are in primary school and have online classes, and they have to share one phone because I cannot afford another one. Many times I havent been able to pay the phone bill in time for them to access mobile data for classes, Deepa said.

Customers have dropped by 80%. Before the lockdown, each worker had about ten customers, but that number has now been reduced to two. We are afraid that due to the curfew, this may all come to nought, Rama (name changed), another sex worker living in the area said.

With no running revenue, many sex workers would be saddled with debts during this period, Deshmukh said. Because we are not part of the banking industry, nor are our families, we are facing a future in which our only choice will be to turn to money lenders for loans, she said.

Kavita (name changed), believes that the unplanned decision made by Nagpurs police commissioner has had a negative impact on her life. She wants to keep running her business because it has provided her with a living. Why werent we informed before the red light district was closed off? We are not going to be respected in the outside world, and we dont want any other place or work. Why should we move away or stop the work we have done for years?

Kavitas daughter will graduate this year from a top college in Maharashtra. She is very proud of her daughter and claims that she would have gotten her admitted to another college but she couldnt afford it because all of her savings got washed away during the pandemic and she didnt even have enough to feed herself the whole year. What can I say, my whole life has been disrupted by the virus, she rues.

Supiya, a sex worker who has lived in Ganga Jamuna for more than a decade, claimed business had dried up and she had been unable to financially support her parents since March.

Sex workers throughout the world have lost their jobs, incomes, and houses as a result of repeated Covid-19 lockdowns. Many have faced violence and have been blamed for the spread of the virus.

Sex workers have little resources and are stigmatized when they search for other jobs, Kiran said. They were asking for employment throughout the lockdown, but no one hired them.

In September 2020, Indias Supreme Court ordered states to provide food to sex workers after a survey by a collective in five areas revealed that fewer than half of 120,000 sex workers had benefitted from a government food aid plan for the needy. NHRC took a U-turn on their announcement that sex workers should be given informal worker status and adopted a regressive outlook that would harm sex workers.

Many NGOs involved in the upliftment of sex workers have organized fundraisers for sex workers, even though many sex workers insist they need employment, not help.

Mamta stated that she was surviving on charity food handouts because she doesnt have an Aadhaar card, and couldnt access rations. I need employment, not assistance, she stated. All of us (sex workers) are desperate here, she continued. The virus has reduced us to begging.

NNSW organized a Sex Workers Pride on September 14 and talked about how important the recognition of sex workers right to work is. Denying sex workers the dignity of being workers is to expose them to violence, deny them their rights and access to justice, and eventually rendering them vulnerable to exploitative practices. Organising as informal sector workers gives them the much-needed recognition, dignity and space to claim rights, access government support and access justice when faced with violence, Kiran said. We wont leave Ganga Jamuna. Its our home. We will fight for our right to work, especially after the pandemic has already taken so much from us.
Help India!



On September 18, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits held a protest demonstration at Jagti township in the outskirts of Jammu city against the delay in the payment of monthly relief. Stating that the delay in repayment of relief to the migrant community has happened for the first time in the last three decades, the aggrieved community questioned the government of Indias plans to rehabilitate them  especially after tall promises made by BJP post abrogation of Article 370.

Auqib Javeed | TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



JAMMU  We will die if the government wont release our monthly relief package, said forty-eight-year old Shanta Lal, a migrant Kashmiri Pandit while holding a protest demonstration in Jammu  the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandits, a tiny minority of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, migrated to Jammu from different parts of Kashmir following the eruption of armed insurgency in Kashmir valley in the late eighties.

While many Kashmiri Pandit families settled in different parts of India, a significant number of them, however, are residing in a separate colony known as Jagti camp on the outskirts of Jammu city.

On September 18, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits held a protest demonstration at Jagti township against the delay in the payment of monthly relief.

Kashmiri Pandits get a monthly relief of Rs 13,000 under the Government of Indias relief package. However, over 22,000 families have been without ration for the last two months due to a dispute between a contractor and the Jammu and Kashmir Relief Department.

The aggrieved Kashmiri Pandit migrants said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government made several promises to the members of the Kashmiri Pandit community till August 5, 2019  when the Centre announced its decision to scrap J&Ks special status and bifurcated it into two union territories  but not many promises were fulfilled.

The protesters threatened to intensify their agitation if their monthly relief was not immediately released.

The relief for the month of August was not released by the Relief Organisation till date, causing hardships to the displaced community, a spokesman of the Kashmiri Pandit Relief Holders Association told reporters.

He said the delay in the release of monthly relief was seen for the first time in the past three decades.

We appeal to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to look into the issue and ensure early release of the payment, the spokesman said.

Earlier, the protesters including men and women with banners and black flags in their hands tried to march towards the National Highway to register their protest against what they called the callousness of the Government in releasing the relief for the month of August.

Shouting slogans in support of their demand, they alleged that the Relief Organisation and the Government had unnecessarily created the problem of holding thousands of relief holders to ransom.

Benefits for migrant Kashmiri Pandit post abrogation of Article 370

Pertinently, post August 5, 2019, the government of India claimed that they took many steps to facilitate the homecoming of Kashmiri Pandits. In March this year, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy informed Parliament about the detailed plan of the government to resettle Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

Reddy while quoting the report of the Relief Office setup in 1990 by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir stated that 44,167 Kashmiri Pandit migrant families are registered who had to move from the Valley since 1990 due to security concerns. Out of these, the count of registered Hindu migrant families is 39,782.

The minister informed that special jobs for Kashmiri migrant youth under the Prime Ministers package have been an important component for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.

A total of nearly 3,800 migrant candidates have returned to Kashmir in the last few years to take up the PM package jobs.

Post abrogation of Article 370, as many as 520 migrant candidates returned to Kashmir to take up the jobs that were provided to them under the rehabilitation package.

The administration has already approved the construction of transit accommodation for Kashmiri migrant employees at six locations in the Valley under the Prime Ministers development package for the community. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 201.60 crore, the government said.

The locations include Marhama-Bijbehara in Anantnag district, Wandhama-Lar in Ganderbal district, Fatehpora in Baramulla district, Allowpora-Keegam in Shopian district, Odina-Sumbal in Bandipora district and Khullangam Bagh in Kupwara district.

On Friday (September 17), Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits was the core concern of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the centre.

Sonowal, who visited Baramulla as part of the Union Governments special public outreach programme, also laid the foundation stone of a transit camp that will be constructed for the accommodation of 336 migrant Kashmiri Pandit families at a cost of Rs 40 crore as part of efforts to rehabilitate them in the Kashmir Valley.

In north Kashmirs Handwara, the administration is all set to axe over 50 fruit-bearing walnut trees in Handwara to pave the way for the construction of a transit camp for the rehabilitation of Kashmir Pandits.

The various developmental projects have failed to impress the migrant Kashmir Pandit and they are unlikely to return to Kashmir.

The conditions of the migrants is quite miserable. Even after 30 years of exile, they are begging for meals. Who will they go back to Kashmir and how will they earn? another migrant Kashmiri pandit Rattan Lal told TwoCircles.net.

He added that the migrants are not in a position even to arrange the life-saving drugs for their ailing family members and termed the non-payment of relief as a human rights violation against them.
A member of the Paris Foreign Mission Society, which he led as superior general, the French missionary spent years during the Vietnam War helping refugees fleeing the Vietcong. Forced to leave the country in 1975, he continued helping Vietnamese Catholics from France. In 2010, at the request of Vietnamese bishops, he was able to return to live in Hue.

Hue (AsiaNews)  The Vietnamese Church is mourning the death of Fr Jean-Baptiste Etcharren, a member of the Paris Foreign Mission Society (MEP[*]), who died in Hue, central Vietnam, at the age of 89.

With the death of Fr Etcharren, who served as superior general of the French missionary institute for two terms, Vietnams Catholic community lost a figure who accompanied them through thick and thin, before, during and after terrible years of war.

Born on 15 April 1932 into a Basque family in Irouleguy, Diocese of Bayonne, he was ordained priest in 1958. After studying the Vietnamese language for a few months in Cambodia, he immediately reached his mission, in Hue, the following year.

After several years of teaching at the College de la Providence and the minor seminary, he was sent in 1966 to serve as parish priest in Dong Ha, not far from the intra-Vietnamese border along the 17th parallel, the demilitarised zone established in 1954 between the North and South after the Indochina War.

Here he faced the great flight of civilians in the summer of 1972 following a Vietcong offensive. At that time, he tirelessly helped refugees resettle further south, in Binh Tuy province, until 1975, a few months after the Communists seized Saigon, when he was forced to leave the country and return to France.

In Paris, he never stopped taking care of the people he had served as a missionary. From 1976 to 1986, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of France, he followed the Vietnamese and Laotians who had fled to Europe because of the war, becoming responsible for the Catholic chaplaincy.

In 1986 he was called to play a leadership role in the MEP, serving as superior general from 1992 to 2010. Even in this role he did not fail to pay close attention to the Vietnamese Church, seizing the opportunities provided by the country's evolving political situation.

In January 1996, he was able to organise the first official visit by a delegation of French bishops in Vietnam since the end of the war.

Archbishop Joseph Duval, then president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of France, led the delegation on this historic trip, which provided an opportunity to the Vietnamese Church and French Catholicism to renew cooperation.

The latter including clergy training, with scores of Vietnamese priests attending theological studies in Paris. Many of them later became bishops in Vietnam.

Last but not least, in 2010, at the end of his mandate as MEPs superior general, Fr Etcharren accepted an invitation from the Vietnamese Church and, with the consent of Vietnamese authorities, travelled to the country he had been forced to leave in 1975.

In recent years he returned to Vietnam on several occasions to carry out his apostolate in the Diocese of Hue.

[*] Societe des Missions etrangeres de Paris.
Government spokesperson announces re-opening without specifying when the two-month pilot project will begin. Schools in the Philippines have been closed for a year and a half. Covid-19 cases have been steadily increasing since July.

Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Philippines will reopen 120 schools for the first time since the pandemic began. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced this yesterday, specifying that this is a pilot project that does not yet include full reopening because the number of students and in-person classes will be limited.

"We have to pilot face-to-face (classes) because this is not just an issue for education, it's an issue for the children's mental health," he told reporters. "It's also an issue for the economy because we might lose a generation if we don't have face-to-face (classes)."

The trial will last two months and involve a hundred public schools considered to be at "minimal risk" for virus transmission. These will be joined by 20 private schools, but reopening will require approval from local governments and written permission from the parents of children who wish to attend classes.

The Department of Education has not reported when the project is expected to begin. Schools in the Philippines have been closed since March 2020, and in recent months there have been calls from Unicef and Filipino teachers to return to face-to-face teaching.

According to the latest OECD data, 15-year-olds in the Philippines are at the bottom of international rankings in text comprehension, math and science.

"If the pilot class is safe, if it is effective, then we will gradually increase it," said Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

There has been a steady increase in Covid-19 cases in the Philippines since mid-July. On September 9, the country reached a peak of 27,887 new infections in one day, while yesterday there were nearly 19,000 registered cases. Just over 17% of the population has completed the vaccination cycle. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Philippines has predominantly administered the Chinese vaccine Sinovac.
by Sumon Corraya

The police brought down an online house of cards. Thousands of people did not receive the products they bought. One retailer lost his business and more.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Over a year and a half marked by the pandemic, online commerce and internet transactions have increased considerably.

A rapidly expanding sector worth billions of dollars a year has provided millions of jobs to even in Bangladesh.

In the South Asian country, the opportunity to get rich via e-commerce has enticed many investors who came to trust online platforms like Evaly, Dhamaka Shopping, e-orange and Alesha Mart.

However, Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies have recently brought down one such operator, described by the local press as an online house of cards.

On 10 September, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested CEOs and owners of e-commerce companies, including the president and founder of Evaly, Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin.

The two have been accused of fraud by a number of buyers, online merchants and debtors.

Local media report that more than 5,000 complaints were filed against Evaly with the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.

Most of these complaints came from customers who say they did not receive the products they ordered and paid for.

Mohammad Salauddin is a Dhaka-based retailer who invested two million taka (US$ 23,500) in five e-commerce companies.

He bought from online wholesalers for half the price and resold the same product for double. But he never received the ordered products and already two owners of the companies in which he invested have been arrested by the law enforcement.

Now I am fully destitute. For two months I have not been able to sleep at night. I dont know what I will do, he said. Now he and his family are broke.

According to a report by local media, 26 e-commerce companies absconded with 2.1 billion taka (US$ 24,7 million) over a few months at the expense of customers and retailers.

Competitive prices and huge discounts offered on products by Evaly and other platforms turned out to be scams.

At the beginning my e-commerce business was good, but now I lost everything. I dont have any faith in e-commerce now, said Salauddin. Now I dont know what I will do for my family.

Like Mohammad Salauddin, others who used these platforms are waiting for developments.

With the freezing of the owners' assets, the risk is that they might lose all their investments and purchases made in the past months.

Meanwhile, stern action will be taken against e-commerce firms like Evaly and e-orange and other e-commerce companies, said AKM Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
India seized the cargo at the port of Mundra in Gujarat. The drug was being imported as talcum powder. In 2020 Afghanistans poppy growing area increased by 37 per cent. As India boosted land border controls, smugglers shifted to sea routes.

New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Indian authorities seized three tonnes of Afghan heroin yesterday in Mundra, a port city in the State of Gujarat.

Shipped from Kandahar, the cargo was ordered by a company in Andhra Pradesh and went through the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran, declared as talcum powder.

The Afghan government had briefly banned the latters export in 2015 because it was an important source of funding for the Taliban and Islamic State terrorists.

After the seizure, probably the largest in Indian history, the authorities detained for questioning some Afghans living in the capital.

According to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), at least 85 per cent of the world's heroin comes from Afghanistan.

Opium production is concentrated in three countries  Afghanistan, Myanmar and Mexico  but the last two represent only 7 and 6 per cent of global production respectively.

Last year, despite the US military presence, Afghanistans opium poppy growing region expanded by 37 per cent, from 1,630 sq km in 2019 to 2,240 sq km.

Under Taliban control, ephedra production also increased. This plant is used to make methamphetamines, which according to UN could become a new profitable market for the Islamic Emirate.

They will send you in 100 kilograms of heroin and add 5 kilos of meth for freethere you go, give it a go. Just to get that user base started, and then they will start swamping you, an international counternarcotics officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity to Foreign Policy.

A month before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Indian authorities had expressed concern about the potential increase in the illegal drug trade in the region.

Along with Iran, India is one of the first countries where smuggled drugs arrive after passing through Pakistan. For this reason, Indian anti-trafficking agencies have boosted their intelligence networks.

Until recently, Indias porous north-western borders with Pakistan was the main drug smuggling route.

Since surveillance was increased to prevent the sneaking in of drugs, smugglers are trying sea and air routes, said an official with Indias Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

In fact, drug trafficking from Afghanistan has picked along the coast of Kerala in recent months.

According to Indian security experts, shipping, especially from Pakistan and Iran, should be monitored more closely.

Nevertheless, It is impossible for agencies to check each and every fishing vessel that ventures into the sea daily. Our country has a vast coastline, said G Shreekumar Menon, former DG, National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN).

Yet, since drones are being used for terrorist activities, attempts to use them for drug trafficking cannot be ruled out, he added.
Meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the General Assembly that opens today in New York. But face-to-face meeting between ministers from Iran and the United States "not on the agenda". The goal is to get the negotiations "back on track" by "taking advantage" of this week. Every day that passes "takes away space for diplomacy."

New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) - After months of stalemate, talks between Tehran and world powers - with the exception of the United States - on the Iranian nuclear issue resume this week at the UN.

A meeting will be held between the foreign ministers of Great Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the head of Iranian diplomacy Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in his debut in the international assembly on the sidelines of the General Assembly, which begins today in New York . The objective is to "give a new impetus" to the talks on the JCCP, in a climate that remains highly tense.

Over the past two years, Tehran has gradually violated the terms of the pact; the first steps date back to 2019, in response to then-President Donald Trump's May 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reintroduction of the toughest sanctions in history, which led to a collapse of the Iranian economy.

The temporary agreement expired on June 24 and international diplomacies are working on a new deal although Joe Biden has maintained the sanctions of his predecessor. Since April, US, European and Iranian emissaries have started talks in Vienna; the last meeting was held on June 20, after the presidential elections in Iran that have decreed the victory of the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi.

Speaking on the eve of the meetings, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed that "negotiations must restart" and, in this sense, "time plays against a potential agreement." He called on the parties to "take advantage of this week" to "restart" the talks, while Iran must "return as soon as possible" by appointing its representatives.

British colleague Liz Truss is scheduled to have a face-to-face meeting with her Iranian counterpart in New York, while other high-level officials will be seen on General Assembly days. "The U.K., the U.S. and our international partners," Truss said in a statement, "are fully committed to a nuclear deal, but every day that Iran continues to delay talks whilst escalating its own nuclear programme means there is less space for diplomacy."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirms "separate meetings" with each of the powers, excluding the United States. Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also points out that no official decision has been taken on a summit that would bring together all the parties involved in the agreement.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Health care organizations face steep hurdles complying with sweeping California Consumer Privacy Act

Given the laws broad definition of business and consumer, companies across the U.S. that collect user data and deploy cookies must comply with the CCPA. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  The landmark California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) aims to give people greater control over their personal information online. But health care organizations face several legal and technological challenges that affect their compliance with the regulation, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The CCPAwhich passed in 2018 and went into effect Jan. 1, 2020is the nations first comprehensive data privacy law, applying to most for-profit companies that do business in California. It gives state residents the right to access the personal information companies collect on them, request to delete their data, and seek legal recourse for a data breach or misuse.

Given the laws broad definition of business and consumer, companies across the U.S. that collect user data and deploy cookies must comply with the CCPA, says lead author Pavankumar Mulgund, PhD, clinical assistant professor of management science and systems in the UB School of Management. But health care organizations have an additional burden of complying with HIPAAand we found the interplay of the two laws creates some unintended hurdles.

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, protects patients health information. The UB School of Management study, published in Health Policy and Technology, is the first to investigate the implications of the CCPA on HIPAA-compliant organizations.

The researchers conducted extensive interviews with nearly 20 experts at the intersection of digital privacy and information systems in the health care space. When they analyzed the data, the researchers found that the more visible aspects of the law were easy to implement (for example, building a website or setting up a helpline for customers to request data access).

However, the study found ensuring an accurate inventory of all consumer data the organization collects and stores is considerably more difficult.

Its critical for organizations to proactively comply with CCPA regulations, rather than face expensive legal battles, says co-author Raj Sharman, PhD, professor of management science and systems. But especially for smaller health care organizations, it can be challenging to understand the laws jurisdiction and develop technology infrastructure thats sophisticated enough to protect against data breaches.

On the tech side, experts identified four major issues for compliance: challenges in data discovery and inventory; a lack of robust digital infrastructure; coordination between technical and legal professionals; and the high cost of compliance.

Meanwhile, on the legal side, experts cited a lack of clarity as a key concernfor example, whether data-sharing agreements constitute a sale and whether data collected by wearables and health apps are subject to compliance.

The COVID-19 pandemic really exacerbated the confusion, as organizations make enhanced use of technology to capture personal and health-related informationlike temperature scans, contact tracing and test resultswithout establishing adequate privacy safeguards, says Mulgund. Its unclear whether these data points fall under the CCPA, and as other states debate similar legislation, this issue will only become more complex.

UB School of Management alumni Banashri Mulgund, MS 20, and Raghvendra Singh, MS 20, also co-authored the study.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold around 15 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday including those with Iran, Australia, Egypt and Indonesia.

Jaishankar is in the US as the high-level segment of the UNGA is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (local time) in New York.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday morning where he will address the UNGA session and participate in the Quad leaders' summit.

The theme of this year's general debate is "Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID19, rebuild sustainably, respond to planet's needs, respect people's rights and revitalise UN".

Top leaders from across the world have already started converging in New York for UNGA high-level debate week. The UNGA meeting this year is in a hybrid format but a large number of leaders are expected to arrive in New York.

(ANI)
Two Russian strategic bombers Tu-160 flew over the Baltic Sea, at some point they were escorted by NATO fighters, the Russian Defence Ministry told reporters on Tuesday.

"Two strategic missile carriers Tu-160 of the Long-Range Aviation performed a planned flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The flight duration was about eight hours," the ministry said.

It noted that at certain stages of the route, Russian aircraft were accompanied by F-16 fighters of Italy and Denmark, F-18 of Finland, Saab JAS-39 Gripen of Sweden and other aircraft of foreign countries.

The fighter escort of the Tu-160 was provided by the Su-35S of the Air Force and Air Defence Association of the Western Military District and the Su-27 of the Baltic Fleet Naval Aviation.

(ANI/Sputnik)
That, however, was before the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 became dominant across the country. Since then, cases of the illness have again spiked in Illinois and elsewhere, and its become clear that even vaccinated people can spread the virus and should be tested when sick or exposed to COVID-19.
Walgreens has been doing well financially in recent months, as it also works to cut costs. In July, Walgreens reported a strong third quarter, partly due to better foot traffic in stores after seeing many customers vanish during the early months of COVID-19. It also saw more people in its stores seeking COVID-19 vaccines.
Nearly 2.7 million people were ultimately approved for permanent residence. But despite new restrictions placed on employers who hired workers living in the U.S. illegally, that part of the law was watered down under pressure from employers  and the population of immigrants here illegally grew faster than expected  from an estimated 5 million in 1986 to 11.1 million in 2013.
This is not a loophole. You know there are people who are genuinely still afraid to get vaccinated for whatever reason. They need to be educated about the vaccine, he said. And so, were giving them a moment. Were requiring that, but were also saying that, you know, if youre not able to get vaccinated right now, you can get tested.
Jennifer Hill, a fellow volunteer, said the two often got there around 7 a.m. to set up chairs and wait for the food trucks that brought the supplies. The two are kind and easy to work with, Hill said. Jordan is quiet and focused on the job, taking his role seriously, she said.
After that, the FDA will review the material and make a decision about authorization. Based on the timelines for authorization for other age groups, experts say, it could take about a month for the FDA to make a decision, meaning kids could be authorized by the end of October or early November.
I was taught that sweet treats shouldnt have salted egg yolk centers, not to mention a thick lotus seed paste interior. And my palate, accustomed to cafeteria sugar cookies and ice cream social sundaes, thought that mooncakes were never sweet enough. I couldnt appreciate the intricate designs nor the extravagant packaging, and they were an annual reminder that the foods I ate at home were intensely foreign from the ones Id seen my peers eat, a thought that terrified me.
This isnt trying to be a local neighborhood pub, Sethi said. We recognize that were big, international beer. What were trying to do is create a special environment that has a little bit of a feel of Guinness and what you might expect from an Irish establishment, but at the same time also has some great local food and beer.
White House officials told me that they expect rapid tests to become more widely available and less expensive soon. The administration awarded contracts on Monday that will lead to the delivery of 120 million at-home tests, starting next month. But the tests are not likely to become anywhere near as available as they are in much of Western Europe. The Biden administration wants to continue to defer to the FDA about what kind of test is rigorous enough to offer the public.
During Tuesdays commission meeting, which drew so many people that some had to watch from the lobby downstairs, the commissioners earlier comment enraged many of the families. But Salzhauer insisted that the ire against town officials was misplaced: Most commissioners want an on-site memorial, she said, but the town cannot afford the land, and the propertys fate is ultimately in the hands of condo owners and the court, not Surfside.
Police referred to the break-in as a home invasion but did not immediately say whether it was a home invasion robbery or provide information about whether anything was stolen. It was also unclear how investigators pieced together the sequence of events. A police spokeswoman would not say if detectives were able to get a statement from the victim or a witness, surveillance images or a combination of those sources.
At some point before Tuesdays hearing, Cole also admitted to another murder that happened July 18, two days after Alexander Davis, 29, was fatally shot, officials said. During that taped conversation, Cole said he had been one of the gunmen in the July 16 homicide. Cole was identified in both cases because a Lexus used in both shootings was registered under his name, according to prosecutors.
He told authorities the man then stabbed him multiple times in the arm, hip and chest. The man who attacked the 32-year-old with a knife was said to be heavyset and wearing a blue, black and white jacket. He was last seen running north from the scene, police said.
Are you ready to give your money? asked the boys mother, and the boy handed his toy drive donation to a store employee, who thanked him, wrote his name on the envelope, and told him his gift would help children recently evacuated from Afghanistan to forget their troubles for a while.
The second room has a trough-like water tank where officers fire semi-automatic handguns  or guns that fire one bullet per trigger pull  through an opening, with the water slowing and then stopping the bullets. Those slugs are then retrieved from the bottom of the tank and the ejected shell casings are gathered from a so-called brass catcher, a piece of netting located behind the tank near where the guns are fired.
The arts introduce the power of imagination and possibility. The arts stimulate creativity and open young minds to new worlds. The arts inspire our youth with new ways of communicating  through song, poetry, dance and performance. Culture defines us. It allows us to celebrate who we are. The performing arts allow us to touch our hearts and minds, to enrich our souls at a time when we need it, maybe more than at any other time in our lives.
Some programs announced by Lightfoot are sorely needed. Only a fool sees the police, or arresting criminals, as the entire solution to gun violence. There has to be a plan to intervene before crimes are committed and, especially, to pay attention to what is transpiring when people are released from prison back into this citys neighborhoods, often after not long at all. The numbers of convicted criminals being monitored electronically in their own communities ballooned during the pandemic as jails were emptied, Lightfoot told the board. The effects have not been good. Resources are needed there.
But Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton, California, told aldermen in the spring that the $500 monthly payments that a small subset of families in low-income areas of that city have received since 2019 have been helpful to them and the community at large.
The assessors office is in charge of determining residential and commercial values as part of the countys property tax process, which has drawn intense scrutiny in earlier years, leading to embattled Democratic insider Joe Berrios ouster as assessor in 2018. Kaegi was the unexpected winner in the Democratic primary that year and rode a wave of discontent over Berrios assessments that the Tribune found had shifted an outsize portion of the property tax burden from the wealthy to the poor.
In an email response to questions from The Beacon-News Tuesday afternoon, she said 33 bus drivers were absent on Tuesday, with 24 having called in sick. In addition, 15 bus monitors also called in to say they wouldnt be able to work Tuesday.
An investigation conducted by the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Hinsdale Police Department led to Rashan. The following day, a search warrant was executed at Rashans home during which authorities found baggies that matched those found at the victims home, a scale with drug residue on it as well as a list of names and phone numbers that included the victims name and number, the release said. The investigation also revealed that on the day of her death, the victim died from a drug overdose after ingesting a heroin/fentanyl mixture supplied to her by Rashan.
Five people, including Hicks, were originally charged in connection with the shootings that killed Gadau, 17, and injuried his female friend Jeanette Spitz. Prosecutors said the shooting was part of a drug robbery gone wrong. The group planned to steal $500 worth of cannabis from Gadaus friend Jeanette Spitz, who was shot in the face and seriously wounded during the robbery in Skokie in September 2014, prosecutors said.
Higher Education Press (HEP), one of China's largest and most renowned educational publishers, signed a strategic partnership agreement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Wiley), a multinational publishing company and leader in research and education, during the 28th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) held Sept. 14 to 18 in Beijing.

The agreement was signed by Su Yuheng, president of HEP, and Philip Kisray, senior vice president and general manager of Wiley.

The agreement paves the way for the two parties to cooperate in three major areas including academic journal publishing and scientific research services, book copyright trade and digitization.

Together, they will build a high-quality repository of English-language academic journals with global influence, solidifying the international reputation of digital teaching platforms that provide first-class content, and developing a system for sharing scientific research.



Su said that when it comes to education publishing, academic publishing, and online education and related services, HEP is eager to explore a new frontier in information technology.

He said that for more than three decades, HEP and Wiley have fostered a collaborative partnership in the copyright sector based on mutual respect and that this next step signals an opportunity to build a community with a shared future of mankind.



"Promoting scientific and technological innovation is the core strategy of China's 14th Five-Year Plan," said Kisray. "Academic titles remain a vital form of dissemination carriers of scholarly publication, playing a crucial role promoting exchanges and progress in science and technology."

According to Kisray, in the past year, a total of 176 Chinese academic journals have been included in SCI, however, compared with the number of published Chinese papers, China's English STM journals still "have enormous potential in growth."

"We see today as the beginning of what we believe will be a long-term and transformative strategic partnership between China's prestigious premier comprehensive publishing house, HEP, and Wiley, a leading research and education publisher in the world. We believe that this combination of a strong journal publishing global network and continuous technology advancement of a world-leading platform will strengthen HEP's social and academic influence in China and across the world," he added.
A Chinese central government spokesperson Monday hailed the successful holding of the 2021 Election Committee's subsector ordinary elections in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as opening new prospects and bringing new hope.



The first key election after the enforcement of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR in 2020, and improvements to the HKSAR's electoral system earlier this year, Sunday's elections are of great importance and have far-reaching impacts, a spokesperson with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said in a statement.

Calling the election a vivid example of fully implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesperson said it opens new prospects and brings new hope for Hong Kong to resume stability and advance prosperity.

It is conducive to Hong Kong's long-term stability, the improvement of local people's well-being, and the steady practice of "one country, two systems" in the long run, the spokesperson said.

With membership growing from 1,200 to 1,500 and the composition and the method for its formation improving, the Election Committee now has broader coverage and representativeness. It features more balanced participation of different sectors of society, representing an advancement in the quality of democracy in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

The Election Committee members selected through the election are from different walks of life in Hong Kong, including many of those who are from primary-level communities and young people. They represent the overall interests of Hong Kong society and national interests.

All these will lay a sound foundation for the coming successful holding of the Legislative Council election and the election of the Chief Executive, the spokesperson said.

The people of Hong Kong have shown widespread recognition and appreciation for the new electoral system, which they believe is instrumental to fostering a healthy, rational, and constructive election culture and boosting social harmony, the spokesperson noted.

The new electoral system is proved to be a sound system that suits Hong Kong's reality, boosts the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong, and safeguards national sovereignty, security, and development interests. It also helps Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and ensures the steady implementation of "one country, two systems," said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson called on members of the Election Committee to exercise their democratic rights with a sense of responsibility to the country and the HKSAR and live up to Hong Kong people's high expectations.

With the full implementation of the new electoral system, democracy in the HKSAR will move forward on a sound and orderly track, and governance efficacy will be raised consistently, while Hong Kong people's aspirations for a better life will be realized step by step, the spokesperson added.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolence to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune over the passing of former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

In his message, Xi pointed out that Bouteflika was an outstanding statesman and leader of national liberation movements in Algeria, the Arab world and Africa, and made significant contributions to restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.

During his presidency, Bouteflika made active efforts to develop China-Algeria relations, deepen bilateral friendly cooperation and enhance the friendship between the two nations, Xi said, adding that with his passing, the Chinese people has lost an old friend.

China, Xi added, cherishes its traditional friendship with Algeria, and stands ready to work with the Algerian government and people to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, and continuously advance the development of the China-Algeria comprehensive strategic partnership.
 Flash

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged rich countries to deliver the promised 100 billion U.S. dollars a year for climate action in developing countries.

The top UN official told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York following the closing of the Informal Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action that the international community needs to deliver on three fronts including the rich states delivering "the promised 100 billion dollars a year for climate action in developing countries" on the way to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow of Britain.

"Today, I asked leaders to do what is needed to make sure COP26 is a success and that it marks a true turning point," said the secretary-general.

"Developed nations need to implement their promise to mobilize 100 billion dollars a year for climate action in the developing world from 2021 to 2025," Guterres further elaborated.

"We failed in 2019 and 2020. OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) calculations say we are about 20 billion dollars short," he added.

"Failure to fulfil this pledge would be a major source of the erosion of trust between developed and developing countries. Developed nations need to bridge this gap," the secretary-general noted.

On the current climate change situation, the UN chief said that "to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, we need a 45 percent cut in emissions by 2030 so we can reach carbon neutrality by mid-century."

"Instead, the commitments made until now by countries imply an increase of 16 percent in greenhouse gas emissions -- not a decrease of 45 percent -- an increase of 16 percent in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared to 2010 levels," he warned.

Guterres said that "the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the 1.5-degree goal is still in reach. But we need a dramatic improvement in Nationally Determined Contributions from most countries."

On energy, the secretary-general said that "governments must shift subsidies away from fossil fuels and progressively phase out coal use."

"If all planned coal power plants become operational, we will not only be clearly above 1.5 degrees -- we will be well above 2 degrees. The Paris targets would go up in smoke," said the UN chief.

Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday held the closed-door Informal Climate Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action with a small but representative group of heads of state and government, on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

The roundtable follows the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, signaling a "code red for humanity," and comes less than six weeks before the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

The roundtable addresses the gaps that remain on the actions urgently needed from national governments -- especially the G20 -- on mitigation, finance and adaptation.
 Flash

The Chinese Embassy in Somalia said on Monday it will organize a China-Somalia Friendship Photo Contest to help enhance bilateral relations ahead of the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The embassy said the content will celebrate the deep friendship between people of China and Somalia, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and interactions.

"People from all walks of life in Somalia and Chinese businesses in Somalia are welcome to participate and submit photos," said the embassy in its invitation.

It said those interested are expected to submit their photos from Sept. 20 to 26 focussing on China-Somalia cooperation in various fields, China-Somalia people-to-people exchanges and friendship, stories of Somalis in China or Chinese in Somalia.

The embassy said participants should submit no more than two photos and that the photo should not violate the laws and regulations of China and Somalia and also does not infringe the legitimate right and interest of any third party.

"Top two winners will win a cash prize of 200 U.S. dollars each, and cash prizes will total more than 1,400 dollars for all the prize winners," the embassy said.

It said the result of the contest will be announced at an online reception on Sept. 28 and prizes will be awarded before Oct. 31.
NEWS PROVIDED BY

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Sept. 21, 2021



NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on why some Americans love masks:

Have you ever noticed that in the big cities, there are many more people walking around with masks than in the suburbs? When I leave Long Island to go to work in New York City, few are wearing masks outdoors. But as soon as I get to the Big Apple, it changes: people are wearing masks walking down the street, on bicycles and in cars.

What explains the difference? For one, liberals dominate in urban America, and it is theythe masketeerswho are enamored of masks.

California is one of the most liberal states in the country. Not surprisingly, its big cities are heavily populated with masketeers. Dennis Prager said earlier this year that "where I live (the Los Angeles area), I am usually the only person on the street not wearing a mask." He adds that "You do not need medical or scientific expertise to understand the foolishness of outdoor mask-wearing."

Pundits recently noticed that one of the reasons why California Governor Gavin Newsom easily fended off a recall challenge was because of his stringent Covid policies. The masketeers love him.

He authorized a veritable lock-down of the state, and did not end his stay-at-home order until June 15. His health officials ordered all unvaccinated persons age 2 and over to wear a mask in indoor public spaces and businesses. Los Angeles County went further, mandating that those age 2 and over wear masks in indoor settings regardless of their vaccination status.

Starting September 20, Newsom is forcing everyone who attends an indoor event over 1,000 persons to provide vaccination verification or a negative Covid test. San Francisco recently announced something similar for bars, restaurants and gyms.

Californians strongly approve of these restrictions. In a recent survey, 66% said they support a universal mask mandate for indoor public places; only 25% were opposed. A majority, 51%, said they like masks so much that they would personally choose to wear one indoors in public even if not required to do so! Similarly, a majority are in favor of the state forcing everyone in California to get vaccinated.

Is there not something strange going on here? Are not liberals the ones who hate authoritythe police being Enemy #1and are not liberals the ones who espouse "bodily autonomy?" So why the love affair with masks?

Truth be told, the masketeers are phonies. As evidenced at the Emmy Awards, masks are dispensable whenever liberal celebrities decide that seeing their lovely faces on TV means more than public health considerations. Only their lowly staff assistants were required to mask up.

To be sure, rights are not absolute, and a mature society will attempt to balance civil liberties with such competing interests as civility, community, national security and public health considerations. It's just that we wouldn't expect this from those who are ordinarily dismissive of any competing claims on individual rights.

Then again, liberals wouldn't be liberals if they didn't embrace statist prescriptions: they adore mandates as much as they do cancelling those who disagree with them. And they can always make exceptions for themselves.

The masketeers, most of whom are well educated, have been nurtured to believe in science, and are therefore obliging when the "experts" speak. The problem is that unanimity does not exist among the scientists. In fact, perspectives which challenge the conventional wisdom are often censored.

A free society requires individual rights and respect for authority. But it also needs a healthy skepticism about new restrictions mandated by the state, especially those that defy common sense. The masketeers are not doing us any favor.
I recently watched the Netflix documentary series, Our Planet, narrated by David Attenborough. An incredible series that has moved me towards praise for the amazing planet we get to enjoy.

Yet, it has also reminded me of an intrinsic truth: the existence and necessity of seasons. We do not only see seasons in nature, but in our lives too.

I have always wondered why we couldnt consistently remain in those good and comfortable seasons. But with time Im realising that, just like in nature, seasons are necessary for our ongoing growth too.

Refining

Often, the difficult conditions of some seasons are necessary to bring about the change that leads us toward full life.

During one of the Our Planet episode about forests, they discuss a certain group of plants called pyrophytes.

Pyrophytes, such as Eucalyptus, actually need fire in order to germinate. Eucalyptus have cones or fruits that are completely sealed in resin. For these cones or fruits to release seeds, they require the intense heat from fires to melt the resin. So, forest fires are surprisingly essential for the ongoing prosperity of the forest.

When hearing this, I couldnt help but think pyrophytes were unmistakably symbolic of Christian life. Havent we all, at times, allowed the ways of the world to encapsulate our hearts? Comfort, self-sufficiency, idolatry  you name it  they all, just like resin, slowly barricade our hearts and stifle the growth of spiritual fruit in our lives.

Sometimes those intense, often painful, experiences are required to destroy those things that imprison our hearts. Im not saying God brings about these things  certainly not  but Im definitely saying He uses them for good (Romans chapter 8, verse 28).

For just like in a raging forest fire, there is purpose in our pain. It is the nature of His upside-down Kingdom  in the midst of destruction, there is life.

In the death of our Saviour, there is victory.

Cultivating hunger

There is not only purpose in pain, but in absence too. It is during seasons where certain things are lacking that we realise the longing and cries of our heart. Seasons of loneliness and spiritual distance from God come to mind for me.

Chip Dodd argues that: each feeling has its own specific purpose in helping us live fully. Furthermore, that each feeling we experience reveals specific longings in our hearts that drive us towards fulfilment. Similarly, Proverbs chapter 16, verse 26 says: The appetite of labourers works for them; their hunger drives them on.

Our loneliness reveals our hunger for connection and relationship, and it drives us towards intimacy. I know that when I experience loneliness, I reach out to others and my relationships are fortified.

Equally, I forget my deep need for His presence in my life until it seemingly isnt there. Just as Frederick Buechner says: I suspect that maybe God speaks to us most clearly through His silence, His absence, so that we know Him best through our missing Him.

It is when I miss Him that I generally pursue Him most earnestly.

The glory in the getting up

In other seasons, when weve experienced failure, it is easy to feel as if God has abandoned us. When things hurt or fall apart, I know Im quick to question why He would let such a thing happen.

But comparing our heavenly Father to a parent helps me understand. C.S. Lewis captures this beautifully: He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take His hand away; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles.

Sometimes stepping away is necessary for our growth. I havent had a child, but I can imagine it must be hard seeing them injure themselves as they learn to walk.

As a parent, you can hold their hand indefinitely but there comes a time when you have to let go and let them figure it out for themselves. They will bump their heads, land on their butts, and let out the odd scream. Yet, the end-product is all worth it.

In the same way, as hard as it sounds, I think sometimes our Father doesnt prevent us from falling because He knows the growth in the getting up far outweighs the pain of the fall. Isnt that the crucifixion in a nutshell?

Thankfully, however, stepping away does not mean abandonment. Through His grace, our hurts can be healed as we pursue greater growth.

Romans chapter 8, verse 18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

There is purpose

I guess what Im trying to say is that no matter what season youre in, there is purpose in it. Although many of us would wish for perpetual seasons of comfort, the truth is that seasons are necessary if we are to become all that He created us to be.

So, whether you are in a season of refining, developing a spiritual appetite, or you are getting up from a fall, we can all be encouraged. I think that if we truly believe that He loves us, we can approach every season with hope.

For we can trust that, even though we may not see it now, we will look back one day and realise: it was love all along.
Broken world: upheaval

The last few weeks have certainly been an upheaval, with a community outbreak of Covid-19 sending New Zealand into lockdown, but since that upheaval looks like most of us just spending a lot more time at homesomething we have done beforeIm optimistic that we have all found ways, even small ways, to manage this change.

Given the current outbreak, I assume most of us keep a closer eye on the news, phones held a little more closely, checking for the next case update. With that, we might be taking in more information and stuff from the news, social media, the internet in general.

Hearing more opinions, more takes and more food for thought. This can become a lot for our minds to process and manage and can take its toll on us mentally.

We also have limited modes of expression in this time, whether that is creative or physical or otherwise. I think this can be something that we struggle with while not necessarily realising that it is affecting us.

We arent perfect and we arent one dimensional. We have layers and different sides of our personality. We each hold different views across many matters and sometimes our own views on closely-related things can even be contrasting.

We all make mistakes, we get it wrong. Sometimes we have good intentions and we still get it wrong. Sometimes we dont have good intentions and we react out of places of hurt and insecurity. Sometimes we have strength and courage and we can do it all. Sometimes we have quiet strength and small courage and we do the very least we have to and that is enough.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we have expectations on others, whether we realise it or not.

Broken world: overwhelm

Sometimes it takes a lockdown for these things to be revealed. Stuck at home all day, with perhaps just our thoughts. No easy distractions, no ability to just pop out to the shops or go out and about to keep busy. Lockdowns can also kind of act like a microscope - heightening and highlighting various things.

Lockdowns, in some ways, force us into the small life. Yet, we are hyper-connected to the world. And perhaps in the pursuit of some semblance of community we use our phones more, we scroll social mediaperhaps even doom scrolland we find ourselves overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with bad news because we live in a broken world. That is a reality we must accept and anticipate, but with an underlying sense of hope, and we aim to look at this through an eternal lens).

Overwhelmed with misinformation, disinformation and fear. It is scary what people post when ultimately they themselves are scared. The sense that everyone from Big Pharma to the government is out to get them. Practices and processes that are ordinarily quite typical in our pre-Covid lives become huge topics of debate and questioning and uncertainty.

Were in lockdown in our homes, but with our phones and the negativity, it can feel like a trap. This is perhaps even more heightened when we dont know how long we might need to be in lockdown for.

Ways through it

So how do we get through all of this? I would suggest the following:

 Discernment - through the noise and information and misinformation. Discerning what is truly wisdom from what is insecurity or fear expressed as wise (but informed) concern.

 Learning from last time - For me this is has been huge. I struggled with level 4 last March/April because I didnt pick myself up and move forward. Learning that I need daily exercise and to leave the house, a shower in the morning to fully wake up, making a small plan for the day and week.

These really helped me through the early stages of lockdown and while I havent quite managed a walk every day (sometimes the weather hasnt been that great), knowing I have the tools in my toolkit to get me through is immensely helpful.

 Anticipation - my mentor taught me this. And I think it has helped me to mature. What this means is that while we are optimistic and hopeful about the future and life ahead of us, being aware that things can go wrong and anticipating that life doesnt always go as planned has been super helpful for me.I

I think it means we can be a little less disappointed and a little better at bouncing back to then move forwards.

 Acceptance - accepting the reality and dealing with it. Sometimes we are tired, and sad things and bad things happen and we can feel weighed down by our to do lists and all the work we need to do, reading or watching news can be tough.

In those moments, cry if you need to, find someone to embrace you, take a break. Accepting how you actually feel in that moment, acknowledging why and doing what you need for comfort can be so helpful.

But ultimately, what is helpful is that knowing above all that God is still good. This is the message of Daniel chapter 3, verse 18 where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declare that even if God does not rescue them from a burning furnace, that God is still God and they will not serve any other idols.

If not, God is still good

Ive written before about how I have learnt a lot about Gods hope over the last year. And lately, it is been revealed to me how this links in with Daniel chapter 3, verse 18: if not, God is still good.

Aimee Walker, a New Zealand-based Bible study writer, describes hope as a confident expectation of Gods goodness. I see this linking to the message of Daniel chapter 3, verse 18 - if not, God is still good.

If everything falls apart, if events are cancelled or postponed, if tragic events happen, if the rain pours and the floods come, if people we love are hurtingphysically or mentallyand if social media is an overwhelming place - God is still good and we can place our hope in Him.

An additional verse that gives me hope is Ephesians chapter 3, verses 20-21. Another person, who is not officially my mentor but teaches me an abundance, shared with me that this is one of their favourite verses -

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

To me it speaks of hope, and of praising God. It instills a sense of confidence that God can do more, and greater, than I can and that He is within us, which gives us that confidence.

Hope in God

I find that focusing on hope and Gods goodness gives me the small encouragement I need to look forward with optimism and to see this time as one that will pass.

I also think that lockdowns draw us into a small life, where it is just us and God - whether that is because we have more time and we want to meet with God more; or if it is by necessity, that our God-times get us through the turmoil of lockdown; or whether that is because when everything is stripped back, God still remains in, above, and through all things.

A small life with God - where we look at Him knowing He is not to blame for the broken world but that He loves us still and His love and Hope can sustain us. I think this is what can get us through these intense times. The reality of the world can sometimes be confronting, tiring and discouraging, but the bigger reality is that we are in a relationship with the God of hope.

When we focus on our small lives with God, at least for me, the overwhelmingness seems a little less overwhelming.

Praise God that He is always good, always patient, always there for us.
Our western culture is celebrating extreme busyness more with each coming year. Productivity and success are assumed to be the outcomes of constantly being on the move, so we fill our schedules to overflowing and write impossible to-do lists.

Our conversations start with listing off the things we have done or are scrambling to do, and we esteem one another based on what we have achieved or what our next step is. Weve lost the beauty of the sabbath.

Sabbath. Its the label we toss on Sunday afternoon naps and breaks from social media  when rest is convenient and neatly packaged. Its the action that we take when we are burnt out and continuing simply is not an option. We seem to have confused sabbath with sabbatical because, the instructions for the sabbath were to make it rhythmic and regular.

The original command

The original sabbath was a command given by the Lord as a routine practice for the Israelite people. It was meant to provide rest for the people and their land and was a command for the whole community  people and animals. It is a command to not do any work and to keep the day holy by resting and allowing our whole community to rest.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus chapter 20, verses 8 to 11)

The beauty of the command is that God practised the sabbath first in the account of creation. While many of the commands to live without sin are seen in the character of God and the life of Jesus, like the command to love since we were loved first, the sabbath command is an instruction to directly follow the footsteps of our Creator.

God of the sabbath

There is sometimes a rhetoric amongst Christians that the God of the Old Testament seems different to the God of the New Testament, though we know that they are one and the same.

The sabbath is one of the instances in scripture where we can clearly see that the righteous, law-giving God of the Old Testament is the same as the compassionate God of the New Testament, as the law has our well-being in mind.

I have written about the beauty of life rhythms, home, and jubilee before  how this is a healing and important practice to maintain our God-given identity. The sabbath command similarly is meant to bring us closer to the Lord and rejuvenate our spirits.

The sabbath is meant to be a day or season of stillness with no work, limited movement, and maximum connection. The purpose was not only to rest but to keep the day holy. I would argue that it was designed to be a day or season to reconnect with our community and to focus on our God. To draw near to the God who promises that as we do, He will draw near to us.

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. (Jeremiah chapter 29, verses 12 to 14)

People of the sabbath

If the purpose of the sabbath is to rest and reconnect with Christ and one another, and if it is commanded by God, why do we run from rest?

As a society we talk of the importance of rest, emphasize mental health, celebrate sleeping in and holiday feasts, and in the nineteenth century we established the idea of weekends to give regular, rhythmic rest to our workers. Yet, we simultaneously avoid stopping at all costs.

Why? Because life is so loud that silence sounds scary.

Busyness and constant bombardment with news, media, and communication with others has become so normal. We crave rest but are so unsettled when it comes because it feels uncomfortable. Yet, the voice of God is often likened to a whisper in the wind and even Jesus demonstrated escaping from the craziness of life in order to seek out the whispers of God.

Life has thrown us into a series of forced breaks in the form of lockdowns, travel restrictions, limitations on gatherings, and for some in the loss of jobs and opportunities.

While many of these situations can be incredibly stressful and hurtful, we can find beauty in the stillness and silence. We can find the voice of God in a new way and draw near to our Father like never before, if we embrace the sabbath rhythm.

Learning the importance of stillness, the sound of silence, and the reconciliation of the sabbath can be an uncomfortable process because it looks so different to how we run through our lives. Yet, keeping the sabbath is commanded of us and demonstrated by God himself. It is to be a holy day or season, not a fearful one  because we have not been given a spirit of fear.

So, whatever life looks like for you at the moment, whether your breaks or forced or chosen, let us all endeavour to schedule sabbaths into our lives.

Sabbaths to have enough time to sit comfortably in silence and listen for the whispers of God, to seek His truth above the truths being thrown at us, to be renewed by His holiness and love, and be reminded of why we were created  to bring Him glory and worship.
Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Market Research Report, By Type (Hybrid SPECT Systems, Standalone SPECT Systems), Application (Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology), End-User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Imaging Centres)  Global Forecast Till 2027

Market Highlights

The growing acceptance of Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) accustomed by its technical advances is one of the major trends witnessed in the global SPECT market over the forecast period. Imaging devices are becoming more advanced, efficient, and evolved in terms of technology. The SPECT scanner has two integral parts namely computed tomography (CT) and a radioactive material (tracer). Basically, these tracers are used to diagnose and predict outcomes in various disease states by monitoring the therapeutic effects.

Get customized Sample with complete Toc, Inclusive of COVID-19 Industry Analysis @ Https://Www.Marketresearchfuture.Com/Sample_request/7231

The growing demand for 3D medical imaging has been a defining feature of the global healthcare sector in recent years. 3D medical imaging provides physicians with accurate images of the diseased part, allowing them to take well-informed decisions. 3D medical imaging has been of major help in identifying bone diseases, cardiac diseases, cancer, and other diseases. 3D medical imaging is also crucial in making surgical decisions, as a clear, accurate picture of the diseased organ or tissue is available to the physicians.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Market: Major drivers and restraints

The growing prevalence of cancer is likely to be a major driver for the global single photon emission computed tomography market over the forecast period. Tumors can be very accurately imaged by single photon emission computed tomography, allowing surgeons to make well-informed choices and decisions about where to incise and how to remove the tumors. Cancer has become a major challenge for the healthcare sector, with the unavailability of tools to diagnose tumors early on proving to be a vital hindrance.

The growing demand for functional brain imaging is also likely to be a major driver for the global single photon emission computed tomography market over the forecast period. Functional brain imaging can be carried out easily by single photon emission computed tomography with the help of a technetium-based nuclear isomer, which emits gamma rays. The technetium tracer is taken up in the brain proportional to the blood flow, allowing easy measurements of the local blood flow dynamics inside the brain. As the blood flow dynamics inside a brain are closely related to brain function and health, accurate predictions and calculations can be made regarding brain health, using single photon emission computed tomography. The growing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases has been a major driver for functional brain imaging and is likely to remain a major driver for the single photon emission computed tomography market over the forecast period.

The growing geriatric population is also thus likely to be a major driver for the global single photon emission computed tomography market. Geriatric individuals are more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative diseases and thus require single photon emission computed tomography. This is a major driver for the global single photon emission computed tomography market.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Market: Regional Analysis

The Americas region dominates the global single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) market owing to the presence of major market participants and a sophisticated healthcare infrastructure. The comparatively higher adoption of advanced nuclear medicine tomographic imaging techniques in the U.S. and Canada is also a major driver for the global single photon emission computed tomography market.

Obtain Premium Research Report Details, Considering the impact of COVID-19 @ Https://Www.Marketresearchfuture.Com/Reports/Single-Photon-Emission-Computed-Tomography-Market-7231

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Market Key players

Some of the key players in the global Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) market are GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Bruker Corporation, Mediso Ltd., Digirad Corporation, Spectrum Dynamics Medical, DDD-Diagnostic A/S, MiE America, Inc., CardiArc, Beijing Hamamatsu Photon Techniques INC., SHENZHEN BASDA MEDICAL APPARATUS CO., LTD., PNPMedM, NuCare Inc., and others.

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
Positions business for accelerated growth over the long-term TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/A --A Array Canada, Inc. ("Array"), the market leader in end-to-end in-store merchandising solutions, today announced the successful completion of a refinancing transaction that has significantly strengthened the Company's balance sheet and positioned the business for accelerated growth. The transaction was facilitated by a substantial new investment by top-tier global investment firms including funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. ("Oaktree") and Array's existing investor, Carlyle. As a result of the transaction, Array has meaningful cash on hand to capitalize on exciting growth opportunities, outstanding net debt has been reduced by more than 50%, and term loan maturities have been extended to 2026.A "We are thrilled to partner with new investors and Carlyle to bolster Array's balance sheet and ensure our company is best positioned to identify and execute on the global growth opportunities we see on the horizon near-term," said Jeffrey K. Casselman, Array's President & CEO. "Our business is stronger than ever, and we look forward to continuing to enable our global customer base to shape the future of retail." ABOUT ARRAY Array is the global leader in in-store merchandising services, solutions and experiences for many of the world's most iconic retailers and brands. For over 40 years, clients of Array have enjoyed an unparalleled experience with Array's creative solutions, global reach, sustainability leadership and exceptional client services. In short, Array creates amazing retail experiences. Array is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and employs more than 1800 employees with operations in Canada, USA, Mexico, China, Singapore, Poland, UK, France and Germany. Web: www.arraymarketing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/array-marketing/ ABOUT OAKTREE Oaktree is a leader among global investment managers specializing in alternative investments, with $156 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. The firm emphasizes an opportunistic, value-oriented and risk-controlled approach to investments in credit, private equity, real assets and listed equities. The firm has over 1,000 employees and offices in 19 cities worldwide. For additional information, please visit Oaktree's website at http://www.oaktreecapital.com. Jeffrey K. Casselman, President & CEO, +1 416 299 4865, Email: inquiry@arraymarketing.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630143/Array_Canada_Inc__Array_Completes_Strategic_Refinancing_Transact.jpg
The party leadership launched an organisational restructuring exercise on September 2 which will conclude on September 30.

HYDERABAD: It seems that the TRS leadership has taken a serious view of the raging infighting in the party during the ongoing exercise to restructure the party.

It is learnt that the TRS leadership directed ministers and MLAs in the respective districts to suspend those who create ruckus in party meetings being convened to elect new committees for six years, according to sources. The party leadership launched an organisational restructuring exercise on September 2 which will conclude on September 30.

The constitution of new committees at mandal and district levels has been creating troubles for the party although it was a smooth affair at the village and ward levels. Violence has been witnessed in a few districts including Nalgonda, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Khammam during the election of committees.

The political rivalry between leaders who are in the TRS since its inception in 2001 and those who defected to it after it came to power in 2014 is leading to clashes between the groups, each group is trying to accommodate their followers in the-newly constituted party committees.

In Medchal-Malkajgiri district, a tussle broke out between labour minister Ch Malla Reddy and former TRS Medchal MLA M. Sudheer Reddy over the constitution of new committees. Sudheer Reddy was Medchal MLA from 2014 to 2018. But in the 2018 Assembly polls, he was denied a party ticket. The party chose Malla Reddy over him, who won and became a minister. The political rivalry between the groups continues since then.

The party later made Sudheer Reddy's son Sharat Chandra Reddy as zilla parishad chairman of Medchal-Malkajgiri.

Sharat on Monday threatened to resign from the TRS alleging that Malla Reddy was giving posts only to his followers in all the committees unilaterally. The party leadership pacified him later assuring that justice would be done to him.

In Nalgonda district, infighting between rival groups led to an attack on Alair MLA, government whip Gongidi Sunitha Reddy. Violence broke out during the election of TRS president for Turkapalli mandal. The police arrested four party activists who indulged in violence.

The party's former mandal president Padala Srinivas was in the race for the post but the MLA chose her follower Narender Reddy. This led to clashes between both the groups. Padala's follower's attacked the MLA's car and damaged furniture in the party office in protest.

In Khammam, group rivalry came to the fore in the election of party's mandal presidents in Yellandu, Kothagudem, Aswaraopeta and Pinapaka Assembly constituencies. Party leaders are forced to conduct elections in the presence of police forces fearing attacks from rival groups.

The party leadership fears that the election of new district presidents next week would create more trouble as all MLAs and ministers in respective districts are keen on ensuring these posts for their followers.

Against this backdrop, the party leadership warned of suspension for five years for those who indulge in violence in party meetings.
When questioned about President Joe Biden's reaction to a drone strike in Afghanistan that killed ten people, the White House evoked personal tragedies and declined to say if someone in the line of command should be held accountable.

"As a human being, as a president, somebody who has overseen loss in a variety of scenarios, both as a leader and personally, his reaction is, it is a tragedy," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday.

Joe Biden wants "thorough" investigation of Us drone strike

The Pentagon revealed on Friday that the drone strike killed ten innocent people, including seven children and an aid worker, rather than a terrorist posing a threat to Americans. Prior to the Pentagon's statement, Biden was briefed on Friday morning.

Psaki declined to say if a military commander should be held responsible instead of pointing to the operation's inquiry and circumstances. Biden and others close to him have frequently referenced his personal struggles as evidence of the president's empathy, Washington Examiner reported.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said earlier this year that Biden had his "own personal reasons for feeling very deeply" about a case involving a teenage motorcyclist killed by a suspected CIA agent driving on the wrong side of the road in England, alluding to the president's first wife, Neilia, and daughter Naomi, who died in a car crash in 1972.

Per Daily Mail, the White House said Monday that President Joe Biden wants a "thorough" government investigation of the US drone strike that killed an Afghan charity worker and his family, including seven children.

After the Pentagon revealed at a Friday afternoon briefing that it had not knocked out an ISIS target as the administration first said, Psaki faced several questions about the strike, which the Pentagon now considers a "terrible mistake."

Read Also: Joe Biden COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Plan Faces Blowback as FDA Rejects Proposal To Give Every Vaccinated Americans Extra Shot

US drone strike in Afghanistan killed civilians

According to a bombshell report released on Saturday, the CIA provided a warning that children could be present at the location of the botched US drone strike in Kabul only seconds before the missile hit the car, killing ten innocent people.

According to three sources, an urgent warning that civilians were likely in the area and that children may be inside the target vehicle arrived only moments too late, moments after the military launched the Hellfire missile at the target and seconds before it impacted.

It is not clear how much time passed between the missile's launch and the intel warning to residents in the area. It's also unknown whether the warning reached the people who approved the missile launch.

However, the report suggests that there was still another critical intelligence breach that resulted in the deaths of the seven children and three adults killed in the strike on August 29.

Psaki declined to specify whether anybody would be fired or held responsible for the drone attack, which the Pentagon first said killed ISIS-K "planners and facilitators" of the August 26 suicide bombing that killed 13 US military personnel. The secretary also encouraged Americans to keep in mind that the operation was carried out in response to ISIS-K threats to US forces, as per Fox News.

Related Article: Kabul Drone Strike: Biden Administration's Devastating Attack Kills Innocent Children, US Admits Affecting Civilians in Afghanistan

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An investigation claims a remote Israeli robot assassin caused the death of a top Iranian nuclear scientist. The use of machines for remotely controlled assassination is the same way a drone strike by the US killed the Iranian General of the Revolutionary guard Qasem Soleimani.

Iran is one of the malign actors in the middle east, which has similar remote attacks on several occasions but mostly targets civilians.

Israel has long been Iran's direct foe in the region and was alleged to be have carried out major strikes on its nuclear program. Some of their operations have been allegedly revealed by John Kerry to his contacts in Tehran, noted Times of Israel.

Iranian nuke chief assassinated

One of the pillars of the nuclear program of Tehran was killed via ambush with AI-controlled machine gun mount by a remote operator is the claim by the investigation, reported Daily Star,

After his reported assassination a year ago, the circumstances of killing as looked into by authorities came to the present conclusion.

The New York Times carried the story that it was allegedly done by the Israeli secret service that planned the successful operation on Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The loss of the top scientist would be a terrible setback to getting Tehran's attempts to complete a nuclear bomb.

An ambush was set up to kill the scientist when the convoy escorting was surprised by the AI assault. Immediately after the death of the top Iranian nuclear scientist attributed to a remote Israeli robot assassin set up by facilitators, later officials said it might be one of those remote-controlled machines for assassination. It was considered far out by Iran and electronic warfare experts.

Read Also: Iran's Nuclear Bomb Could Be Completed in 10 Week As 'Butcher of Tehran' Swears Into Office

Interviews with military intelligence practitioners for Iran, Israel, and the US have confirmed that AI-controlled drones achieved the kill.

Further intel from officers and the Mossad spy agency had decided on an AI mount with an FN MAG machine gun, operated via satellite. Israel fielding this capability successfully killed the target only. It missed his wife, who was in the car when it happened.

The mount was almost a ton and had to be brought in pieces and assembled, but not before smuggled without getting caught via several routes. The robot was assembled on the rear bed of a pickup truck, with many cameras for the controller to see the target.

AI machine precisely kills targeted scientist

On route to the town, the convoy used a spotter in a decoy car to identify the target and finally force the convoy to make a U-turn. This setup allowed the gun bot to spot Fakhrizadeh and trigger the shot. It was a precision shot with all the calculations to hit the target so accurately and kill him.

First shots hit the nuclear chief in the shoulders, and next hits shattered his spine even when he huddled behind the car door. Then, the truck was detonated to leave no clues, but the apparatus survived the explosion.

Israel has sabotaged and killed five of the most trusted brains in its nuclear program, including the top Iranian nuclear scientist, with various methods like poison, motorcycle attacks, remote Israeli robot assassin, and remote bombs. Obama stopped assassinations with the nuclear deal, but Trump left it, and it was an open opportunity for the Iranians.

Related Article: Israel and Iran Rift Escalates Following a Drone Attack in Oman That Killed a British and Romanian

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
North Korea slammed a decision by the United Kingdom and the United States to help Australia in the development of nuclear-powered submarines, calling it a "dangerous move" that may spark a nuclear arms race.

The Aukus trilateral deal, which was announced last Wednesday, is a critical element of broader security cooperation focused on cyber information and submarine technologies, and would provide Canberra with "conventionally armed" nuclear submarines.

North Korea on Monday slammed a new military pact among the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as a proposal to exchange nuclear submarine technology with Australia, warning that the agreement may spark a nuclear arms race and disturb the Asia-Pacific region's balance of power.

North Korea refuses Biden's outreach initiative

The three-nation deal, known as AUKUS, was unveiled by the Biden administration on Wednesday. The unexpected decision to transfer secret nuclear submarine technology with Australia has already sparked a diplomatic conflict with China - the pact's apparent aim - and scuttled a previous arrangement in which Australia would have acquired 12 French diesel-powered submarines.

Pyongyang test-fired two ballistic missiles and a new long-range cruise missile just days ago, raising tensions in the first public testing activity in months despite a lengthy impasse in nuclear talks with Washington. North Korea has so far refused to respond to the Biden administration's outreach initiatives, as per The Washington Post.

North Korean state media said that the cruise missiles were built over two years, achieving important defense goals set by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - a remark that alluded to the missiles' probable nuclear capacity. The missiles are a "strategic weapon of great significance," according to KCNA.

Per SCMP, North Korea blasted two missiles into the sea on Wednesday, and Seoul successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile hours later, becoming just the seventh country in the world to do so. The recent missile tests and large-scale defense deals in the Pacific have highlighted a regional arms race that is escalating as the competition between China and the United States increases.

Read Also: Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry Addresses Evidence in Assassination of President Jovenel Moise

Other nations express concerns over Aukus alliance, submarine deal

France reacted angrily to Biden's statement, accusing Australia of hiding its plans to cancel a A$90 billion (US$66 billion) deal for the construction of 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines by the French majority state-owned Naval Group.

The decision was attributed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to a deteriorating strategic environment in the area, a clear response to China's huge military build-up in recent years.

Malaysia and Indonesia have voiced worry about the new defense pact's consequences for regional security. Pyongyang's denunciation comes only days after it conducted a series of weapons tests, including a long-range cruise missile with nuclear capability and short-range ballistic missiles fired from a train, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

On Friday, satellite photos revealed North Korea was renovating a uranium enrichment complex, perhaps indicating plans to scale up nuclear weapons manufacturing.

According to the Yonhap newswire, Pyongyang also attacked South Korea's recently disclosed submarine-launched ballistic missile, calling it a "clumsy product" that could not be used as an efficient method of attack. The missile could "not be considered as a weapon of strategic and tactical significance," said the head of the regime's Academy of National Defense, The Daily Telegraph via MSN reported.

Related Article: France, China Furious Over US-Australia Nuclear-Powered Submarines Deal; French Foreign Minister Calls Move a "Stab in The Back"



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was questioned regarding the Biden administration's decision to allow illegal immigrants to cross the southern border despite not having received the coronavirus vaccine or shown proof of a negative coronavirus test.

During a Monday interview, Psaki said that refugees were "not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time." Thousands of migrants have poured into the country from Haiti and other nations in search of safe asylum in recent days. Last week, many of the refugees experienced a processing bottleneck in Del Rio, Texas, which left more than 12,000 migrants needing to camp under a bridge.

Jen Psaki Questioned About Travel Restrictions

The situation fueled concerns about the potential risks that the large crowd, which is gathered in a small area, due to the spread of the coronavirus infection. Reporters questioned Psaki during a daily press briefing on Monday, asking why there were so many processes in place related to COVID-19 when flying into the country that was seemingly non-existent for illegal immigrants.

The official argued that when individuals came across the border, they were assessed whether they have symptoms of the coronavirus and would be quarantined if determined to be at risk. Psaki said the federal government had a process in place to observe the migrants who were not intending to have a long stay in the country, the New York Post reported.

Read Also: Joe Biden Urges To Thoroughly Investigate Afghanistan Drone Strike; White House Dodges Question If Anyone Should Be Fired

Psaki noted that the Biden administration was expelling individuals based on Title 42 due to the coronavirus pandemic. She said that the government was trying to avoid a situation where many people were gathering that could pose a threat to the community.

The situation at the border was made worse after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shut down the port entry in Del Rio. The decision diverted legal trade and travel 57 miles to Eagle Pass. Border checkpoints that were used to screen illegal immigrants and illicit cargo were also shut down. The closures followed the surge of primarily Haitian refugees trying to enter the country.

The situation at the Southern Border

Del Rio officials said the situation was "out of control" as they struggled to control the flood of migrants. On Wednesday, the number of refugees was recorded at about 4,000 to nearly 15,000 as of Saturday afternoon. Media photographs showed a stream of migrants slowly flowing through the border, which were numbered in the hundreds, every single day, Fox News reported.

The American government requires foreign travelers to provide proof of vaccine against the coronavirus and a negative test result for the infection within three days prior to departure to the U.S.

When Rep. August Pfluger visited the area where the migrants were huddled together, he described it as "worse than you could imagine." Border Patrol agents were also worried that the situation could inevitably become worse, Yahoo News reported.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that they were deploying more agents and staff to the border. Officials also said that deportation flights were to be increased in the following days. They emphasized that the borders were closed and they would be expelling migrants under Title 42.



Related Article: Biden Aims To Fix Relationship With France Over Call With French President Emmanuel Macron

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The United States will reopen to air travelers from China, India, the United Kingdom, and other European nations who have received COVID-19 vaccines in early November, the White House said Monday, lifting severe pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed earlier this year.

Travel Restriction of the United States

In a recently published article in France24, the U.S. restrictions were initially placed on Chinese visitors in January 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and then expanded to other nations in the months that followed, with no clear criteria for how and when they would be lifted.

In April of this year, President Joe Biden imposed additional travel restrictions on India, prohibiting most non-US nationals from visiting the country. In January, Trump announced intentions to ease limitations on European nations, which Biden vetoed.

Meanwhile, as it transitions to the new criteria, the White House intends to allow non-US citizens to travel from nations that have been banned from entering the U.S. since early 2020, according to White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, as per NDTV.

Read Also: White House to Implement US Travel Restrictions from India, but Ban Unlikely to Stop COVID-19

Some Exceptions in the New Requirement For Airline Passengers

Officials indicated there would be certain exceptions to the vaccination ban, such as for youngsters who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. Travelers crossing land crossings with Mexico and Canada are now exempted from the new restrictions.

Passengers will need to provide evidence of being completely vaccinated before boarding flights to the United States, as well as documentation of a negative COVID-19 test conducted within three days, according to Zients. Americans who have not been completely vaccinated will be allowed to enter only if they test negative within a day of departure.

Furthermore, on US-bound flights, masks will be required; and carriers will submit contact tracing information to US health officials. Zients said, "This new international travel system follows the science to keep Americans' international air travel safe," according to a published article in Independent.

Europe and Airlines Accept the New Announcement

Airlines petitioned the White House for months to get the limitations removed in time for the summer travel season, but they were unsuccessful. In July, the White House expressed worry about the highly contagious coronavirus Delta variant and an increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States.

Several European nations, as well as the trade organization Airlines For Europe, were quick to applaud the move to eliminate vaccination requirements, stating that "this decision would provide a much-needed boost to trans-Atlantic travel and tourism, and will reconnect families and friends," according to a published report in Reuters.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, tweeted that he was "delighted," adding that it was "a wonderful boost for business and commerce, and excellent that family and friends on both sides of the pond (Atlantic) may be reunited." Johnson is presently in the United States for a visit. Furthermore, German Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the news as a step forward for the industry and European-American relations.

It was a significant milestone in the reopening of travel at scale, said Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss, enabling consumers and companies to plan trips to the United States with confidence.

Related Article: US Will Not Lift International Travel Restrictions Due to Delta Variant



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former US president Donald Trump said that intel for his 'eyes only' reported numerous body bags in the Wuhan laboratory that the virus is supposed to escape from. Beijing has denied the viral outbreak in Wuhan as its epicenter since day one, even after the recent WHO visit.

Despite the recent probe by the World Health Organization, everything turned out to be a washout, as nothing conclusive happened. Beijing still sticks to its story that the Wuhan laboratory was not the source despite the former president's claims.

Trump claims proof that SARS-CoV-2 leaked from Wuhan Lab

Trump sticks to his claim about body bags outside the lab and says that COVID-19's epicenter is there, reported the Sun UK. The former president further says incompetence allowed the SARS-CoV-2 to get out of the lab and started the current pandemic.

Sky News had an interview with Joe Biden's greatest critic, who mentioned that secret intel he had access to indicated the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was where a leak could have happened that cost the lives of at least 4.7 million across the world. He added that some of the accounts are not cleared to be shared as they remain classified information of the US government. However, Trump said that it is 95% it most likely that the virus came from China.

Furthermore, Donald Trump remarked that if it was intentional and or just totally incompetence, it worsened after Wuhan was the source and the lab made the virus. Its release caused the deaths in the body bags seen later on.

Read Also: COVID-19 Patient Zero Infected by a Bat in Wuhan Lab; WHO Probe Team Reveals

Trump further relates stories of several body bags seen outside of the WIV a long time ago. If there were body bags, then it would be an indication that the claims could be actual.

SARS-CoV-2 was manufactured as Chinese biowarfare

It seems the lab was busy improving the SARS-CoV-2 to make it more virulent than any manufactured virus. Some news says that it was supposed to be boosted to 1000 times the virulence for deadly results. The problem is that they wanted it to be secured, but it got out by human error from the WIV lab.

Trump suggests the scenario of how the accident happened; it could be one of the scientists who did not know he had it, and he had lunch with a girlfriend and infected her, thus spreading the virus. But there may have been no intentional release intended, and incompetence sealed the fate of many.

One of the former Covid-19 Investigators, David Asher, remarked the virus was meant biowarfare but backfire in Chinese faces. Unlike Asher, who believes in the weaponization of the contagion, but Trump thinks China is not keen on that. One claim alleged that a database base with all the confidential data about the virus exists, and it will prove that Wuhan is the center, noted Science org.

Before the outbreak, the WIV database was accessible online, and now it is offline as a mandate by Chinese authorities. One of the files has vital info about recent COVID-19 variants but is now taken offline, never to be retrieved. Despite all the scuttlebutt over the WIV file, it is credited to Donald Trump as the first leader to hold China accountable as he mentioned that the body bags are a sign something happened.

Related Article: Wuhan Lab Leak Controversy Continues As Chinese Media Quotes Fake Swiss Biologist to Allegedly Cover-Up Claims

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for a series of explosions in eastern Afghanistan that targeted Taliban forces, indicating escalating tensions between the country's warring factions.

ISIS Claims the Three Separate Bombs

In a recently published article in Hindustan Times, ISIS claimed responsibility for three different bomb strikes in Jalalabad on Saturday that targeted three Taliban vehicles, as well as another bomb attack on a Taliban vehicle on Sunday. In a sequence of blasts, more than 35 Taliban militiamen were killed or injured.

On Sunday, a pickup vehicle carrying Taliban militants was targeted by a bomb in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, the stronghold of the Islamic State group's Afghanistan branch, according to local media. Witnesses also informed local media that many Taliban militants were injured and transported to the hospital following the explosion, which, according to one journalist, occurred at a transportation junction between Kabul and the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, after three more explosions were reported Monday in the provincial city, where ISIS is present, there were unverified claims of more Taliban fatalities. The Taliban is under pressure from the international community to prevent ISIS militants from using Afghanistan as a staging ground for terror operations, according to a published article in Newsweek.

Read Also: US Drone Strike Against ISIS, Biden Says There Will Be Another Terrorist Attack in 24-36 Hours

The Taliban Is Now Under Pressure To Stabilize Peace

The Taliban is under pressure to restrict Isis terrorists, partly to keep a commitment made to the international community that they would not stage terror operations from Afghan territory. Despite concerns and reservations about the Taliban, there is still a widespread hope among conflict-weary Afghans that the new authorities would at least restore a degree of public safety.

Some Afghans believed that, under the group's leadership, others' degree of public safety would be restored; but the frequency of assaults has caused some to question this. Feda Mohammad, whose brother and cousin were killed in one of the blasts on Sunday, claimed the Taliban's takeover will bring peace, per South China Morning Post.

The newest ISIS attacks occur as the Taliban attempt to rule a nation ravaged by four decades of conflict. The economy is in free decline, the health system is on the brink of collapse, and thousands of educated elites have left the nation. Drought, hunger, and poverty are expected to increase, according to international relief organizations.

The Weekend Blasts Are Reminders That ISIS Remains Dangerous

The weekend bombings provided a stark reminder of the terrorists' danger. ISIS suicide bombers attacked U.S. evacuation operations outside Kabul's international airport only weeks ago as American and foreign soldiers concluded their departure and hurried airlift from the country. It was one of the bloodiest assaults in Afghanistan in years. 169 Afghans and 13 US military personnel were killed in the explosion.

As ISIS terrorists exploit the weakness of an overburdened Taliban administration facing enormous security difficulties and an economic collapse, the events have fueled concerns of further bloodshed. ISIS is making a spectacular return, according to Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis Group expert and independent research analyst.

Related Article: US Drone Strikes an ISIS Vehicle Packed With Explosives, Kabul International Airport Appears To Be the Target



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A man admitted to killing his roommates, a man and a woman, whose son was awakened by the gunfire, according to Memphis Police.

On Saturday, September 18, 2021, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 3800 block of Macon Road. They discovered Keisha Marshall and Leander Maxwell, who had been shot. Both were taken to the hospital, where they were in critical condition.

Boy identifies the suspect in the killing of his parents

According to the complaint, before both Maxwell and Marshall died from their injuries, Maxwell was able to identify his roommate, Michael Barkley, as the gunman.

Investigators said Maxwell and Marshall's son was in the house at the time and was startled awake by the sound of "pops." The child opened his door and said officers he saw "Mike" - identified as Michael Barkley - standing over his mother with a gun pointing at her head, according to the affidavit. The child said "Mike" strolled by him and then drove away in a gold vehicle.

Barkley had a gun on him when he was detained, according to investigators. When questioned, Barkley admitted to shooting the couple. The Mississippi man faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of using a firearm to commit a serious crime. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 27, 2021, as per Local Memphis.

Per Action News 5, police claimed Barkley is a convicted criminal for an aggravated burglary in 2018. He was caught about a mile away and admitted to the shooting. Several people were shot over the weekend, including two guys on the highway and a burglar in Parkway Village.

Read Also: New York Man Pleads Not Guilty in Killing 2-Year-Old Boy by Burning Genitals with Blowtorch, Suffocating, and Beating Him

Another Memphis suspect charged in a different crime

According to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, a Memphis man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday after being convicted of first-degree murder. He is still facing charges for two instances of attempted first-degree murder.

Cadarius Head, 26, shot two men in Parkway Village in 2018, killing one of them when they came up at his mother's house with his child's mother, according to the Shelby County DA.

It's a little after 9 p.m. Head's ex-girlfriend and his son's mother arrived at Head's mother's house on October 4, 2018, escorted by two men, to pick up diapers for their baby, according to the district attorney's office. When the lady left Head's mother's house, Head was outside fighting with the guys who were with her.

That's when Head reportedly took out a gun and shot Terry Kelley, 23, multiple times, killing him right there in the apartment building at Winchester Rd. and Clearbrook St.

According to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, Head then shot the second guy in both legs and his wrist as he escaped. Fearing for her life, Head's previous girlfriend took off fleeing as well, according to the district attorney's office. The next month, Head was apprehended in Houston, Texas, Fox13 reported.

Related Article: Mystery Remains in Death of 4 Friends Found in Abandoned SUV in Wisconsin Cornfield; One Suspect Arrested, Another Still at Large



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Gabby Petito's mom just shared the odd text message that she received from her daughter days before her fiance, Brian Laundrie, returned home without her.

In the documents she submitted to the police, Nicole Schmidt revealed that she received a text from her daughter's number asking her to help her grandfather, Stan.

Immediately after she received the text on Aug. 27, Schmidt said that it raised alarm bells because her daughter never called her grandfather as such.

"Can you help, Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls," the text message read.

Detective Daniel Alix said in his affidavit that Schmidt seemed worried about her daughter when she issued the complaint.

"This was the last communication anyone had with [Petito]. Her cellphone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for (Petito), and they became more worried about her," the affidavit read.

Related Article: FBI Searches Missing Woman Gabby Petito's Boyfriend Brian Laundrie; Could His Parents Be Charged?

Gabby Petito's mom received another odd text days later

However, the documents didn't mention the other text message that Schmidt allegedly received from her daughter on Aug. 30. The text message was short and simple, and Petito told her mom that there was no signal in Yosemite.

In a statement, Schmidt that she knew the text message couldn't have possibly been from her daughter. After all, her fiance returned to their Florida home on Sept. 1, and Petito wasn't with her.

"The van was in Florida on the 1st. I think I can do the math," she said.

Gabby Petito's body believed to have been found in Wyoming

Earlier this week, a body was found in Wyoming and it is believed to be Petito's. An autopsy is currently under way, and the identity of the deceased will reportedly be identified this week.

Charles Jones of the FBI previously said that the description of the body that they found was consistent with Petito. However, he also stressed that the cause of death hasn't been determined.

Is Brian Laundrie in hiding?

Prior to this, Laundrie has reportedly gone missing. Last week, he went on a hike and never returned home. While he was away, federal agents searched his house for any possible clues that could lead them to the missing woman.

According to CBS News, the federal agents spent 8 hours at Laundrie's home, and they seized his computers, flash drives, and other electronic devices.

There is also a growing concern regarding the timeliness of Laundrie's disappearance. He was named person of interest in his fiancee's case. Police officials are also convinced that he could've hurt himself while he was on a hike. However, Petito's lawyer believes that Laundrie is alive and in hiding.

The case against him has seemingly gotten stronger after a 911 call made by a concerned citizen was released this week.

In the call, a man reported a domestic dispute case between a man and a woman. The unnamed caller said that the man slapped the woman multiple times on the face. After the incident, the man and woman rushed to their car and drove off.

When police arrived at the scene to interview the couple, Laundrie and Petito, both said that it was the latter that hit and scratched the former. No arrests were made and the couple was asked to spend the night apart.

Read Also: Gabby Petito's Fiance Brian Laundrie Missing After Going On A Hike; Police Share Theory About What Could've Happened

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
President Joe Biden will host the worldwide COVID-19 meeting later this week, but Vladimir Putin does not have any plans to attend.

Biden To Convene a Virtual Summit

In a recently published article in Newsweek, the White House announced on Friday that Biden would host a virtual summit of world leaders and global health experts on September 22 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to the statement, the purpose of the conference is to bring together civil society, NGOs, philanthropists, businesses, and global leaders to unite on a single vision for fighting COVID-19 and end the global pandemic that heavily impacted countries across the globe.

Participants will be urged to commit to "a greater degree of ambition" in four areas, including vaccinating the globe by improving equitable access to vaccinations, saving lives by addressing the oxygen crisis, and making diagnostics, treatments, and personal protective equipment (PPE) more accessible, according to a published article in MSN News.

Meanwhile, according to a source familiar with the administration's draft goals who spoke with a news outlet, Biden is also likely to call on global leaders to commit to vaccinating 70 percent of the world's population against COVID-19 within a year.

Read Also: Russia's Vladimir Putin Reportedly Rebuffs US President Joe Biden's Plan to Keep US Troops in Central Asia

Putin Receives the Invitation but Has No Plans To Attend

According to state-owned news agency RIA, Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation to the virtual conference last week but does not intend to attend. This week, Putin will work in seclusion after "a few dozen" coronavirus infections were discovered in his closest circle, per U.S. News reports.

In a published article in a Russian news outlet Tass, Peskov told reporters on Monday that Putin is in good health and continues to work. This week, however, most activities will be held by videoconference. Peskov subsequently stated that Putin had tested negative for the virus and that he is in perfect health, although he did not say who had been affected or if it was his family, guards, or protocol officials.

Putin is scheduled to appear via video conference in his next session of the Collective Security Council (CSTO) and make a remote appearance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Council of Heads of State meeting despite his apparent refusal to attend Wednesday's COVID-19 summit.

Status of Russia's Parliamentary Elections

According to Russian news agency Interfax, Andrei Turchak, United Russia's general council secretary, the party gained 315 seats in the 450-seat State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, as of early Monday. Putin's United Russia party claims a resounding win in Russia's legislative elections, which began on Friday, September 17.

In a published article in Daily Advent, according to the lists as of 8 a.m., United Russia has received more than 48 percent of the votes, allowing them to get 120 mandates. In 195 single-mandate seats, their candidates win. According to early figures, the party will win about 315 seats in the State Duma, or parliament, giving it a constitutional majority.

According to the electoral commission, United Russia's closest competitor, the Communist Party, received approximately 19 percent of the vote, with more than 99 percent of ballots tallied. According to authorities, United Russia's win means it will have more than two-thirds of the 450 seats in the country's parliament.

Related Article: US-Russia Relationship: What Is the Cause of the Escalating Tension Between the Two Giant Countries?



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mark Zuckerberg has denied making any deals with Donald Trump and his family not to fact-check the former POTUS's political posts online.

In the book The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, author Max Chafkin claimed that Thiel overheard a conservation between Zuckerberg and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

During their conversation, Thiel alleged that Zuckerberg and Kushner made a deal for the then-Trump administration to lay off regulations in exchange for Facebook not fact-checking his political posts.

Thiel reportedly described the agreement between the two as Zuckerberg's way of promising to push state-sanctioned conservatism.

Zuckerberg has reportedly denied ever making such deal with Kushner, and he also called the reports ridiculous.

Mark Zuckerberg criticized for not deleting Donald Trump's Facebook post

However, New York magazine said that Zuckerberg's actions during the Black Lives Matter protests last year suggested that he's not telling the truth. After all, he reportedly hid one of Trump's controversial posts on Twitter, but he left it up on Facebook.

"Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts," Trump wrote.

When the public saw the post on Trump's Facebook account, they criticized Zuckerberg for not taking it down. However, the CEO defended the company's decision to leave Trump's post on the social media platform.

During a meeting, Zuckerberg said that the decision to keep Trump's post on Facebook was tough, but it was done thoroughly. He also said that his decision was in line with Facebook's approach to free speech.

A spokesperson for Facebook also said that they announced a fact-checking policy on political speech in September 2019. But the practice had already been in place since September 2018.

Related Article: Donald Trump Says Facebook Ban Until January 2023 Insults His Supporters; Teases Presidential Run In 2024

Donald Trump's most controversial social media posts

Throughout his time at the White House, Trump has posted thousands of controversial tweets and Facebook posts that didn't sit well with his critics.

For instance, Trump repeatedly called COVID-19 as China virus. At one point, he also called himself patriotic while talking about face masks.

In 2018, the ex-POTUS shocked millions of his followers when he called Joe Biden "crazy, weak both mentally and physically."

In 2016, Trump also claimed to have won the popular vote during the elections, and not Hillary Clinton.

Mark Zuckerberg pledges $1.3 million to help Jewish causes

In other news, Zuckerberg also made headlines this week after he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, pledged to donate $1.3 million to 11 Jewish causes.

"Mark and Priscilla have made some personal commitments in the past, but these new grants reinforce their interest in learning and deepening their connections with the community," a source said.

Zuckerberg and his wife have been meeting with rabbis and scholars privately to discuss Judaism and the Jewish community.

Two of their beneficiaries are national organizations: OneTable and PJ Library. The rest are organizations primarily serving the locals in the San Francisco Bay Area such as Contra Costa Jewish Day School, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, and the Jewish Community High School of the Bay.

Read Also: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Admits Plans To Censor Anti-Migrant Posts

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Last night, Cedric the Entertainer mocked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The 57-year-old host of the 2021 Emmy Awards ridiculed the couple for their heated interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The comedian remarked to the gathering of Hollywood stars assembled in Los Angeles for the ceremony, "As great as The Crown is, it pales in comparison to the real monarchy."

The couple's allegation that a member of the Royal Family had questioned how dark their baby Archie's skin tone would be before he was born startled Cedric.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle mocked at Emmys

He went on to make jokes about baby Archie teaching the Royal Family how to dance, as well as ridiculing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's concerns about their time as important members of the Royal Family. As Cedric laughed on stage, Josh O'Connor and several members of The Crown cast were seen on camera looking uncomfortable, as per The Sun.

The comedian hosted the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place in Los Angeles on Sunday. Cedric was spotted making jabs at the Royals while referencing the famous Netflix program The Crown, taking to the stage in front of a smaller crowd owing to the coronavirus outbreak.

Cedric was also heard laughing about the coronavirus pandemic and the controversy over vaccines for the virus during the Emmys. The awards ceremony this year was hosted at LA Live with a smaller crowd capacity, and visitors were needed to be vaccinated in order to attend.

Read Also: Nicki Minaj's Week of Feud With World Leaders, Reporters, and Fans Over COVID-19 Vaccine Tweet

2021 Emmy Awards' host also pokes fun of Nicki Minaj

Cedric the Entertainer also mocked Nicki Minaj's recent claims, which prompted another of his jokes. Nicki Minaj's recent allegations that the vaccination had rendered her cousin's friend "impotent" were targeted by the host, Daily Mail reported.

After revealing she couldn't attend the Met Gala in New York because she hadn't been vaccinated, the rapper was spotted encouraging followers to think twice about getting vaccinated. "My cousin in Trinidad won't get the vaccine cuz his friend had it and turned impotent," Nicki tweeted, expressing her reservations over the vaccine.

Nicki's post was slammed by health officials in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, who claimed her statements were false. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to US President Joe Biden, encouraged Nicki to "think carefully" before making vaccination claims.

Cedric the Entertainer hosted at Emmys 2021

Cedric the Entertainer kicked off the 2021 Emmys with a bang - with the help of several A-listers who joined him in a joyful hip-hop performance. The event began at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with an opening riff on Biz Markie's "Just a Friend," which included a variety of performances that included LL Cool J, Lil Dicky, Rita Wilson, and others.

As the crowd rose and danced, some celebs who were sitting helped with the performance, including Tracee Ellis Ross, Mandy Moore, Mj Rodriguez, and Billy Porter. Following the presentation of a few prizes, Cedric reclaimed the mike and began cracking jokes about Nicki Minaj, who had been ridiculed online for her anti-vax remarks, the "Jeopardy!" host fiasco, and the royal family.

Cedric the Entertainer held a special place in his heart for hosting the Emmys, citing how television helped many people get through difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic, as per The NY Post.

Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Accused of "Breathtaking Entitlement" Amid Request to Baptize Daughter, Lilibet in the UK



@YouTube

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
India will continue to export vaccines to neighboring countries starting October.

According to CNN, India is one of the world's biggest vaccine makers. And the country was able to donate or sell 66 million doses to nearly 100 countries before the export halt in April.

Earlier this year, India decided to focus on producing vaccines for its population following a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases.

Since then, the country's monthly vaccine output has doubled, and their vaccines are expected to quadruple to over 300 million doses next month.

There are also predictions that the total production of vaccines in India could reach 1 billion in the last quarter of the year.

India has also made it its goal to fully vaccinate all 944 million adults in the country by December. As of late, 64 percent of Indian adults have already received their first dose, and 22 percent have already received two doses.

India vows to help to produce more vaccines to help the world

This week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington for a summit on the Quad leaders, and one of the issues they will discuss would have to do with vaccine exportations.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also vowed to help the world by producing more vaccines. "We will help the world, and through Covax we will also fulfill our responsibility," Mandaviya said in an article on the BBC.

Read Also: India, World's Largest Vaccine Producer, Hits 25 Million COVID-19 Cases

COVID-19 cases in India on the rise

According to The Indian Express, there are still a lot of active COVID-19 cases in the country. In fact, 26,115 fresh new cases were recorded on Tuesday, Sept. 21 alone.

There have been 33.5 million COVID-19 cases in India since the pandemic started last year, and 445,000 deaths have been reported.

Earlier this week, 31,473 new cases were reported together with 320 deaths.

Travelers with Indian-manufactured Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine required to undergo PCR test

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government is urged to review their COVID-19 vaccine protocol after their updated rules failed to recognize Indian vaccines.

Starting Oct. 4, the United Kingdom will also scrape its current traffic light system that lists red, amber, and green countries based on the number of COVID-19 cases. However, this will be scrapped next month, and only one red list will be maintained.

India was initially part of the country's amber list, but with the new listing in place, they should no longer be required to take a PCR test. However, England has not recognized the Indian-produced vaccines, which means visitors who received this type of jab will still be required to take PCR tests.

According to Business Standard, Indian students feel this is a discriminatory move because they get different treatments than their counterparts. Some Indians have also decided to cancel their flight to the UK in retaliation for the offensive rules.

However, the UK government's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) maintains that the India-made version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is the only one eligible for entry into the country.

Related Article: Persons Inoculated With AstraZeneca Manufactured In India Banned To Travel In Other European Countries

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The call for a fourth stimulus check escalates. Americans resort to online petitions to express their frustration with growing debts and expenses. One petition proposed $2,000 monthly checks for the duration of the pandemic. Another appealed to California governor Gavin Newsom to include SSDI and SSI as eligible recipients for the Golden State payments. Both has received massive support from the public.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many lives in these last couple of years. Unfortunately, its harmful nature also disturbed the national market and economy. The cost of living has reached new heights and unfortunately shows no signs of stopping.

A practical solution previously implemented by the government was its federal stimulus check program. Direct payments gave immediate relief to many American families. According to earlier reports, stimulus money was used to pay for accumulating debts. Any leftover change was budgeted for groceries and other necessities.

Congress and senators found the stimulus check program so effective that they proposed a fourth stimulus check program earlier this year. Carrying the same sentiment, two ongoing online petitions call for stimulus check payments.

4th Stimulus Check: $2000 Recurring Payments for American Families

The fourth stimulus check petition by Stephanie Bonin is asking for $2,000 monthly stimulus payments for the duration of the pandemic.

She said the pandemic was catastrophic for working families, especially with children. "We need immediate checks and recurring payments so that we can keep our heads above water. Congress needs to make sure that we won't be left financially ruined for doing our part to keep the country healthy."

Bonin's petition called out to the US House of Representatives and US Senate. Approximately a year after it got posted, her petition is set for a massive milestone.

At the time of writing, Bonin's petition has reached 2,891,461 signatures, close to completion with its 3 million goal. The petition has gained recognition as "one of the top signed on Change.org!"

Lawmakers have yet to respond to the petition.

Read Also: Fourth Stimulus Check: $1100 Golden State Payment Delivery Schedules, How to Check Eligibility

Golden State Stimulus Check: Petition to Include SSDI and SSA

Another petition called for local change. Governor Gavin Newsom recently released a new wave of Golden State Stimulus payments, predicted to support 66 percent of California's population. Califorian EITC and ITIN filers who earn less than $75,000 qualify for these payments.

Unfortunately, the stimulus package has left out a population of Californian residents. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Social Security Administration (SSA) recipients do not qualify for these payments.

Keep in mind that pandemic-related financial difficulties affect everybody. An earlier report mentioned over 50 seniors who cut their food to one meal per day and lacked budget for prescription drugs due to inflated costs.

The online petition by Sherriel Weithers calls for to Governor Newsom for a change. At the time of writing, the petition has reached 1,679 signatures out of its 2500 goal. The petition has gained recognition to "get picked up by local news!"

Hopefully, lawmakers might respond to these petitions sometime soon.



Related Article: iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Samsung S21 Ultra: Specs, Design Differences, and Which Should You Buy?
In recent months, fans have wondered where Elon Musk would build his next Tesla Gigafactory. Fan curiosity got reignited when a rumor claimed that "Russian official reports" reveal a Tesla plant in the city of Korolev is in the works. Musk commented directly about the news.

Tesla's popularity continues to skyrocket in the last few months. Earlier this year, Tesla's Q2 earnings reached a net income of $1.1 billion generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and delivered 201,304 cars in the process. With its massive success, fans and investors are watching closely on its ongoing developments.

Up to date, Tesla currently owns three Gigafactories. Electrek listed them as:

Gigafactory 1 - Giga Nevada

Gigafactory 2 - Giga New York

Gigafactory 3 - Giga Shanghai

Tesla announced upcoming factories in Berlin and Texas. Both sites have broken ground and started construction. Unfortunately, no official date of opening has been announced.

Tesla Gigafactory in Russia? Elon Musk Tweets Response

The first post about Giga Russia came from user @factorymode. The user said, "Russian officials report that @elonmusk has decided to build Tesla's plant in Russia, in the city of Korolev." The source article linked to the post redirects users to a Russian site. The user later warned readers that the post has no reliable sources.

Treat it like a rumor. There are no reliable sources, maybe someone's fantasy  Factory (@factorymodes) September 20, 2021

The idea about the Russian Tesla Gigafactory appealed to many people on the internet. Fans opened discussions and theories:

Almost no EV imports.

e-tron, Taycan, I-Pace, soon BMW iX. That's it. No cheaper models.

No reason for EU OEMs to import in high volumes as they need each EV they make to be sold in EU to avoid huge CO2 fines.

With supply I think we can easily reach 5% (~Norway).  Dmitrii TSLA investor (@dimamonov77) September 20, 2021

Twitter user @ray4tesla retweeted the post, asking if "Giga Russia (is) coming?" Surprisingly, Elon Musk himself replied that "Tesla has not yet decided on a fourth Gigafactory location."

Tesla has not yet decided on a fourth Gigafactory location  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 20, 2021

The reply confused many of the fans because it undermined Tesla's proposed plans of ongoing Gigafactories. Unfortunately, Musk never clarified his answer and left it to fan interpretation.

Read Also: Inspiration4 Mission Updates: Splashdown Video, Elon Musk's Donation and Trolling of President Biden

Tesla Gigafactory Update and Developments

It is worth noting that Tesla is an American electric vehicle manufacturer and clean energy company. Their services feature self-sustainable products like electric cars, solar panels and solar roof tiles. The company also develops its own battery energy storage for all the previously listed merchandise.

Tesla Gigafactories are the primary manufacturers of these Lithium-ion batteries, making thousands and millions by a single day with combined productions.

YouTuber Vision highlighted some exciting features for Tesla's Gigafactories:

Gigafactory works 24/7, with over 7,000 employees

One factory creates approximately two battery packs per minute, growing up to 5,000 per week.

Gigafactory has some of the best and most advanced technologies

Gigafactory is designed to become entirely self-sustainable with electricity through solar panels and windmills

With its successful business expansion through Tesla vehicles, Tesla Gigafactories should continue to grow.



Related Article: Warning for Elon Musk, Tesla? NASA Experiment Reveals Humans Feel More Sleepy With Self-Driving Cars
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Yonhap





North Korea said Monday that a controversial new defense deal in which the United States, Australia and Britain will share nuclear submarine technology could spark an arms race in the Asian-Pacific corridor.







Last week, the White House announced the multinational deal, called AUKUS, which was immediately criticized by China and angered France, which had a submarine deal with Australia canceled because of the pact.







"These are extremely undesirable and dangerous acts, which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of a nuclear arms race," the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency said, according to the Washington Post, quoting a foreign ministry official.







"It is quite natural that neighboring countries including China condemned these actions as irresponsible ones of destroying the peace and stability of the region and the international nuclear nonproliferation system and of catalyzing the arms race."







Biden stressed last week that the deal does not include nuclear weapons.







"I want to be exceedingly clear about this: We're not talking about nuclear-armed submarines," Biden said. "These are conventionally armed submarines that are powered by nuclear reactors."







International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned Monday that North Korea's nuclear ambitions continued almost undeterred.







"In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, [the] nuclear program goes full steam ahead with work on plutonium separation, uranium enrichment and other activities," Grossi said at an IAEA meeting, according to The Independent. (UPI)


President Moon Jae-in speaks at the United Nations meeting on Sustainable Development Goals during the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 20. AP-Yonhap





President Moon Jae-in expressed South Korea's commitment Monday to "inclusive international cooperation" to address pending global challenges.







Moon spoke while attending the opening session of the second Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment) event, along with the members of BTS, a globally renowned South Korean boy band and Moon's special envoys for "future generations and culture."







The SDG Moment is designed to galvanize the campaign to achieve the U.N.-led goals adopted in 2015.







Moon stressed that cooperation beyond borders was the first step to resolve global problems such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.







"Guided by the conviction that no one is safe until everyone is safe, the (South) Korean people will join the journey of inclusive international cooperation as your most reliable and steadfast companion, leaving no one behind," he said in a speech.







The President called the international community's fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines a starting point.







South Korea has pledged to donate US$200 million to support lower-income economies through the COVAX program.







As a pillar of global vaccine production, he added, the country will continue efforts to expand the supply of vaccines.







He also emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation in response to the climate crisis and reaffirmed that Seoul will finalize a specific plan in late October for going carbon neutral by 2050.







On the occasion of the U.N. climate action in November, known as COP 26, South Korea will submit its plan to again raise its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), he added.







Moon discusses North Korea issue during summit with British PM In summit, Moon hails Slovenia's plan to open embassy in Seoul UN chief hopes for progress in inter-Korean ties during meeting with President Moon Among other key tasks are resolving the digital gap and inequality and pooling "wisdom for intergenerational co-existence."



"All generations, as we strive to transcend the boundaries of nationality, race, and gender to communicate and connect to one another, must recognize that after all, we are part of one planet," he said. "We must not forget, in particular, that the future belongs to our future generations."



Moon noted that the members of BTS have joined the SDG Moment event in their capacity as his special envoys for future generations and culture.



He voiced hope that "today's gathering will serve as an opportunity to mobilize the future generations' goodwill and action towards sustainable development."



By participating in the SDG Moment session, the president has enhanced South Korea's stature as a leading nation in coping with major pending global issues, including poverty, climate change and inequality, according to Cheong Wa Dae.



In particular, he has contributed to drawing the "sympathy of future generations" for efforts to achieve the SDGs by doing so along with BTS, it stated.



President Moon Jae-in arrives at United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Sept. 20. AP-Yonhap

Following the session, Moon and BTS spoke with Melissa Fleming, the U.N.'s Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, in an interview.



Asked why he picked BTS as special envoys, the President pointed out the significance of sustainable development for future generations.



He said if the world fails to achieve the SDGs, the agony of its consequences will be entirely on future generations.



"Therefore, future generations should participate in achieving sustainable development goals and proactively speak out," Moon said.



He said BTS is deemed to be able to help attract their participation by delivering messages of sympathy and hope to the younger generation in trouble from COVID-19, and returning the love it receives "with good influence."



Later in the day, first lady Kim Jung-sook visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art together with BTS. They looked around the Arts of Korea Gallery, accompanied by South Korean Culture Minister Hwang Hee, Daniel Weiss, president and CEO of the museum, and its director Max Hollein.




President Moon Jae-in, left, poses with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres before their meeting at the U.N., Sept. 20. Yonhap





President Moon Jae-in and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had discussions on Korean peace and pending global issues during their meeting at U.N headquarters Monday, according to Cheong Wa Dae.







Guterres noted that the two Koreas mark the 30th anniversary this year of simultaneously becoming members of the U.N. and expressed hope that it will serve as an opportunity for the two sides to improve their relations.






Korean War veteran Army Cpl. Walter Smead, a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division who was killed during the 1950 Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, is laid to rest with full military honors at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, N.Y., Sept. 20. AP-Yonhap





Cpl. Walter Smead was finally laid to rest Monday near his rural upstate New York hometown, seven decades after he was killed in the Korean War and months after his remains were officially accounted for with help from DNA analysis.







He was honored by a younger brother and sister with only hazy memories of him, by nieces and nephews born well after he died in 1950, by Patriot Guard Riders who escorted his hearse to the cemetery on rumbling motorcycles and by gray-haired veterans who came to give a man they never met a final salute.







Smead's niece Bonnie Wolff was thrilled so many people joined the family for the long-awaited day.







''It's really important for Walter to be home. It gives the family closure,'' Wolff said before the burial. ''But more importantly, we can be proud of what he accomplished over there. He didn't come home alive, but he did his job the way he was supposed to. And we need to honor that.''







Smead was buried with full military honors at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, not far from the remote Adirondack town of Hadley, where he grew up. Local Congress member Elise Stefanik attended, as did representatives of the Korean War Veterans Association and other veterans groups.







''We do not want to leave anyone behind,'' said Michael Hoag, state commander of the New York Veterans of Foreign Wars.







Smead would be 95 if alive today. His parents and most of his siblings are dead. Only a younger brother and sister are still living.







Eighty-five-year-old Douglas Smead has difficulty conjuring specific memories of his older brother, who enlisted in 1944. Douglas Smead was seven years old and his sister Harriet was six when their brother left home.







Wolff, who is Douglas Smead's daughter, knows her uncle through stories, military records and old photos.







Her uncle Walter is the man in the black-and-white picture standing in his Army uniform with his hands behind his back on a snowy street in Hadley. He is the owner of the Purple Heart she found as a girl in her basement. She thought it was her dad's medal until she noticed the name engraved on the back







Korean Veteran Paul O'Keeffe speaks as Korean War veteran Army Cpl. Walter Smead is laid to rest with full military honors, Sept. 20. AP-Yonhap





Walter Smead served in Italy during World War II with the 10th Mountain Division and returned to the area after the war. Back in the Army in 1950, he went to Korea and was a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was among more than 1,000 U.S. troops killed during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which unfolded over two frigid, bloody weeks in late 1950.







Smead was declared missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950 and dead at the end of 1953. He was 24 years old.







Though his memories of him were limited, Douglas Smead never forgot his missing brother and attempted to find out information over the decades. He gave a DNA sample to the military in 2004.







The break came after President Donald Trump held a summit in 2018 with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. North Korea later sent the U.S. 55 boxes they said contained the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.







The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified the remains of 76 service members from those 55 boxes, all but nine were from the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Partial remains of Walter Smead were identified in box No. 33 using anthropological analysis, circumstantial evidence and DNA testing.







The family got the call in March.







Douglas Smead said recently that the news was a relief. On Monday, he and his sister each were presented with a folded flag at the crowded service.







''This is better than I was hoping, all the people who have come out,'' Wolff said. (AP)


Travelers gather their luggage as they arrive at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, Sept. 20. Getty Images/AFP-Yonhap



The United States announced Monday it will lift COVID travel bans on all airline passengers in November if they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing.



The unprecedented restrictions had kept relatives, friends and business travelers around the world separated for many months as the pandemic grinds on.



Jeffrey Zients, coronavirus response coordinator for President Joe Biden, told reporters the new "consistent approach" would take effect "early November."



The easing of travel restrictions, imposed by former President Donald Trump 18 months ago as the COVID-19 pandemic first erupted, marks a significant shift by Biden and answers a major demand from European allies at a time of strained diplomatic relations.



Numerous safeguards will remain in place to suppress the spread of the virus, which has already killed more than 675,000 Americans, amid its resurgence after what many had hoped was a lasting dip earlier this year.



"Most importantly, foreign nationals flying to the U.S. will be required to be fully vaccinated," Zients said.



It was not immediately clear if the new rule only applied to U.S.-approved vaccines or if other brands, such as those produced in China or Russia, would also qualify. Zients said that would be determined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.



Restrictions on vehicle movement from Canada and Mexico will remain in place.



Zients said passengers will need to show they were fully vaccinated before boarding planes bound for the United States, as well as providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days.



Americans not fully vaccinated will still be able to enter, but only on testing negative within a day of travel.



Masks will be obligatory on U.S.-bound flights, and airlines will provide the U.S. health authorities with contact tracing information.



"This new international travel system follows the science to keep Americans' international air travel safe," Zients said.





A traveler looks at the flight information board at Miami International Airport in Florida, Sept. 20. Getty Images/AFP-Yonhap
Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau, next to his wife Sophie Gregoire, waves to supporters as he celebrates his election victory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Sept. 20. EPA-Yonhap





Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau narrowly won re-election Monday, but failed to secure a majority in parliament after alienating some voters by calling a snap vote two years early during a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.







The prospect of another minority government, in which Trudeau's Liberals will again need support from opposition parties to govern, raises questions about the future of a leader who came to power in 2015 promising "sunny ways" but has struggled to deliver on many of his ambitious policy promises.







Trudeau, 49, took a gamble with his early election call two years ahead of schedule, betting that his handling of the pandemic and Canada's high vaccination rates would deliver him a stronger mandate to rule after the 2019 vote left him with a minority government.







That plan did not go exactly as hoped. The Liberals are projected to win 156 seats in the House of Commons, one more than they had governed with before the vote, according to television projections.







"What we've seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan, and some have talked about the division, but that's not what I see," Trudeau said after his rival conceded. "I see Canadians standing together."







Trudeau will now have to negotiate his campaign promises  including C$10-a-day childcare, billions to seniors homes and new climate-linked investments  with the left-leaning New Democrats whose votes will be needed to pass all legislation.







"It seems to suggest exactly what people want, which is some degree of ambivalence....They're not ready to have one party or another really have all the reins," said Gerald Baier, an associate political science professor at the University of British Columbia.







Trudeau, a father of three, comes from Canadian political royalty. Born on Christmas Day 1971 to a sitting Canadian prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, he worked as a teacher and snowboard instructor before winning a seat in parliament in 2008.







He took over a Liberal Party in shambles in 2013 and swept to power two years later on a wave of optimism, promising bold action on issues including electoral reform, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring clean drinking water for all of Canada's indigenous reserves.







He has not delivered on those big promises in his six years as prime minister but he did introduce a national carbon pricing scheme, welcomed 25,000 Syrian refugees and made Canada the first Western nation to legalize recreational cannabis.







He also won plaudits for introducing a gender-balanced cabinet when he took office in 2015, and spent billions to support Canadians during the pandemic.







During this year's campaign, he faced angry anti-vaccine protesters and a new, disciplined Conservative candidate in Erin O'Toole.







Scandals have also marred his reputation. During the 2019 campaign, photos emerged of a younger Trudeau wearing "blackface" and he was twice censured for ethics violations during his first term in office.







"He over-promises and under-delivers, and the shine has come off," said Melanee Thomas, a political science professor at the University of Calgary.







People wait in line to cast their ballots at Ecole Laurier on voting day in the 2021 Canadian election in Montreal, Quebec, Sept. 20. AFP-Yonhap





Apathy toward Trudeau at home contrasts with his popularity on the international stage, where he is still cast as a glamorous leader who inherited former U.S. President Barack Obama's mantle as one of the world's foremost progressive politicians.







Obama endorsed Trudeau last week, as he did in the 2019 election. Their friendship contrasts with a sometimes rocky relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who once called Trudeau "two-faced" after a video emerged that appeared to show Trudeau and other world leaders mocking Trump.







Relations between Trudeau and current President Joe Biden are more harmonious, despite Biden ignoring Canada's objections and revoking a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. (Reuters)


In this 2020 September file photo, "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina, in a pink inmate's uniform, arrives from the Nyarugenge Prison with Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) officers at the Nyarugenge Court of Justice in Kigali, Rwanda. AFP-Yonhap





A Rwandan court has found Paul Rusesabagina, a former Rwandan hotel manager who sheltered hundreds of people during the nation's 1994 genocide which later became the subject of a Hollywood film, guilty of terrorist acts.







The 67-year-old was sentenced to 25 years in prison.







Rusesabagina had provided financial and logistical support to the armed wing of an opposition movement he co-founded, the court said during the sentencing in Kigali.







This armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was responsible for deadly attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019, it added.?







"Based on the analysis of evidence presented and the outcome of the different interrogations, we find that there was a channel through which FLN was being funded. Rusesabagina was one of its funders," Judge Beatrice Mukamurenzi told the court.







Rusesabagina became famous through the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda," in which the story is told of how the hotel manager saved the lives of about 1,200 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.







At that time, more than 800,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic minority as well as moderate members of the Hutu majority were killed.







Later, Rusesabagina became a fierce critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame and went into exile in Belgium.







According to his lawyer, he was kidnapped last year by the Rwandan authorities in Dubai to be tried.?







The European Parliament, US congressmen and human rights activists have strongly criticized the way he was arrested and the conditions of his detention.







"This was a show trial, rather than a fair judicial inquiry," said Geoffrey Robertson, the Clooney Foundation for Justice's expert monitoring the case. "The prosecution evidence against him was unveiled but not challenged.







"Given Mr Rusesabagina's age and poor health, this severe sentence is likely to be a death sentence." (dpa)


On 20 September, Brazils Presidentmet the UKs Prime Ministerahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 377 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
On 20 September Colombias defence minister,, confirmed that the leader and second-in-command of the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) guerrilla groups Western Front had been killed by the military in Choco department.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 360 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
On 20 September the governor of the central Mexican state of Guanajuato,, condemned a bomb explosion in a restaurant that claimed two lives as an unprecedented terrorist attack.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 350 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
The African Energy Chamber both fully supports and endorses Frontier Energy Network at its upcoming, highly anticipated Africa E&P Summit. As a member-oriented company responsible for organizing leading summits, energy events, and networking platforms, and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to African oil and gas, Frontier Energy has made notable progress in enhancing Africa-directed investment channels, providing a suitable platform for engagement, collaboration, and progress.

Africas sizeable resource base requires significant levels of investment, as well as multilateral participation and collaboration, in order for the continent to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial energy transformation. Led by CEO Gayle Meikle, Frontier Energy has been able to accelerate investment in Africas energy sector, with members united in both an extensive, and goal-oriented community.

Meikle has been instrumental in driving successful energy events, with the companys upcoming Africa E&P Summit anticipated to generate tangible value by providing an exclusive platform where doors are opened, relationships built, information exchanged and where deal are forged. The AEC proudly supports companies such as Frontier, who are committed to African people and African energy, providing platforms by which African voices are not only heard in, but lead global dialogue.

The oil and gas industry is incredibly important for Africas socio-economic future. With significant resources awaiting investment and exploitation across the continent, companies such as Frontier Energy, led by industry leaders such as Gayle Meikle, will be the key drivers of Africa-directed capital and associated, accelerated energy growth. The AEC fully supports and endorses the upcoming Africa E&P Summit and Exhibition. By providing a platform where African voices can be heard, particularly in the oil and gas industry, Gayle Meikle and Frontier Energy are driving Africas oil and gas future, stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

Frontier Energy Network represents the future of African energy and dialogue, and is a valuable partner for Africas energy growth. By hosting collaborative events, with a primary focus on Africas energy sector, Frontier both promotes and redirects critical investment to African oil and gas developments. Recognizing the value of oil and gas for Africas energy and economic future, as well as global-African partnerships and cooperation, the company aims to provide a platform for dialogue, with the aim of accelerating investments and developments across the African continent.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn
Business

Meeting with Ford Motor official was a failure: Union

Chennai, Sep 21 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/21/2021 1:59:27 PM IST

The meeting with Ford Motor Companys senior official for a relook at the corporate decision to shut down vehicle production in India ended in a failure, said a Union official at Ford India Private Ltd.

The workers union had asked for a meeting with the top officials of Ford Motor Company involved in the decision of closing down three of the four plants in India.

We had a meeting with an official who is part of Ford Motor Companys IMG (International Markets Group) on Monday. We were told the decision to close down the Indian plants is final and there will be no change in that, a Union leader told IANS.

According to him, the workers are for protection of their jobs and not for any lump sum compensation.

On September 9, Ford India announced that it will wind down vehicle assembly in Sanand in Gujarat by the fourth quarter of 2021, and vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai by the second quarter of 2022.

Ford India has four plants in the country -- vehicle and engine plants in Chennai and Sanand.

Fords quit India decision will result in an uncertain future for about 5,300 employees - workers and staff, the officials said.

Ford Indias Chennai plant has about 2,700 associates (permanent workers) and about 600 staff.

In Sanand, the number of workers will be about 2,000, Sanand workers union General Secretary Nayan Kateshiya had told IANS

Ford India had said more than 500 employees at the Sanand engine plant, which produces engines for export, and about 100 employees supporting parts distribution and customer service, also will continue to support Fords business in India.

According to Ford India, about 4,000 employees are expected to be affected by its decision.

The workers at Ford India want the prospective buyer of the car plants to hire them.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 01:26:59|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa launches the National Mobile Broadband project in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sept. 20, 2021. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday launched the National Mobile Broadband project which seeks to expand and improve the country's Information Communication Technology (ICT) services and infrastructure. The project, which is now in the third phase, is a partnership between Chinese ICT giant Huawei, and Zimbabwe's second-largest telecommunications provider NetOne. (Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)



HARARE, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday launched the National Mobile Broadband project which seeks to expand and improve the country's Information Communication Technology (ICT) services and infrastructure.

The project, which is now in the third phase, is a partnership between Chinese ICT giant Huawei, and Zimbabwe's second-largest telecommunications provider NetOne.

The expansion project, which is funded by the Export-Import Bank of China to the tune of 71 million U.S. dollars, is a strategic cooperation project between the governments of China and Zimbabwe and is aimed at expanding NetOne's mobile broadband coverage to remote regions.

The first phase of the network expansion project, which began in 2011 and was completed in 2013, saw the installation of 100 new 3G and 350 new 2G base stations across the country.

The second phase commenced in 2014, and under the project, a total of 2,231 base stations were added.

Upon completion, the third phase will see 345 new base stations installed, thereby increasing NetOne's national coverage from about 75 percent to 85 percent.

The expansion project will also improve the network provider's 4G LTE coverage and introduce 5G technology.

Speaking at the official launch of the project in Harare, Mnangagwa said building a vibrant digital economy is a vital component towards his government's goal of realizing an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

"My government's mandate is to ensure the access and utilization of information communication technologies to improve the livelihoods of all Zimbabweans, irrespective of location. I acknowledge the sterling efforts of NetOne and Huawei, as the country continues to expand its network, digital footprint, and increase access to ICTs in previously marginalized communities," he said.

Furthermore, Mnangagwa said the project will steer the country towards the digital future that will transform Zimbabwe into a regional technology hub.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun assured China's support towards the development of Zimbabwe's ICT sector.

"With long term effort of my colleagues, China successfully completed many projects to support Zimbabwe to develop high-tech industry such as High-Performance computer center, First ICT factory and so on. Especially, the NetOne Phase one and two projects extended the network coverage from major cities to the countryside. Now the NetOne phase three will enable every Zimbabwean to get access to the internet," he said.

In addition, Guo said as important partners of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Zimbabwe will continue to explore further cooperation in various fields especially in infrastructure connectivity and realizing diversified independent and sustainable development.

Huawei Regional President Phil Li said the project will not only increase digital connectivity but will also enhance social and economic opportunities that come along with building a strong digital economy.

"Huawei remains committed to its vision and mission of bringing digital to every person, organization for a fully connected and intelligent society. Increasing connectivity, improving education and health care services, connecting the unconnected remains Huawei's lynchpin goal," he said.

The network expansion project comes as the Zimbabwean government seeks to ensure the improvement of ICT services which increasingly play a key role in national economic and social development.

China and Zimbabwe have a long-standing relationship in the ICT sector, and Chinese entities have over the past decades provided equipment to Zimbabwe's network expansion. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 13:53:56|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The theory and practice of whole-process democracy play a significant role in China's overarching agenda of pursuing socialist modernization in all aspects, according to political science experts.

As a hallmark of what distinguishes socialist democracy from Western political systems, China's whole-process democracy runs through all processes including elections, decision-making, administration and supervision.

"Advancing political development is a common task faced by many countries, though they pursue different development paths," said Sang Yucheng, a professor at Fudan University.

For China, political development has been realized through the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is of great importance to fully build a modern socialist country, Sang added.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the political development of socialism with Chinese characteristics has made notable progress, Sang noted.

In March 2021, "whole-process democracy" was written into the revised Organic Law of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, which consolidated the institutional foundation for its practice.

On a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, Sang believed advancing whole-process democracy is essential to better meet people's increasing demand for a better life and remedy imbalances and inadequacies in development.

"Developing whole-process democracy speaks volume about the underlying feature of socialist democracy that ensures the people run the country," said Shang Hongri, a professor at the Shanghai Normal University.

Under the socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics, people can enjoy and exercise their statutory right to vote and can participate in decision-making, administration and supervision.

There are ample examples of democracy in China, from top-level design to grassroots wisdom.

In the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and the long-range objectives through the year 2035, the National Development and Reform Commission, tasked with drafting the outline, received over 37,000 comments through online solicitation along with more than 4,000 physical questionnaires handed out to specific groups.

"We should continue developing whole-process democracy to rally public support to the maximum extent and live up to people's expectations for a better life," said Shang. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 14:01:57|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Photo taken in early September 2021 shows a Siamese crocodile hatchling in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province, Cambodia. Cambodian Ministry of Environment (MoE)'s and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s research team has discovered eight hatchlings of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile in northeastern Mondulkiri province for the first time in over a decade, a joint statement said on Tuesday. (Ien Khve/MoE/WWF-Cambodia/Handout via Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Ministry of Environment (MoE)'s and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)'s research team has discovered eight hatchlings of the critically endangered Siamese crocodile in northeastern Mondulkiri province for the first time in over a decade, a joint statement said on Tuesday.

The discovery early this month was made at one of the search sites where Siamese crocodile dung and footprints had been collected during the dry season this year, the statement said, adding that the reptile hatchlings remain safe in their wild habitat under strict protection by the rangers of the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary.

Minister of Environment Say Samal said the discovery highlights the importance of the Srepok wilderness area as a global hotspot of high potential for reversing biodiversity loss and for the restoration of globally significant wildlife.

"This exciting news also demonstrates the importance of the kingdom of Cambodia for the conservation of this extremely rare crocodile and other important species," he said. "Cambodia is home to unique natural resources, representing a true source of national pride for all Cambodians."

He said the Ministry of Environment stands ready to work with all international non-governmental organizations, community groups and other partners to protect and preserve Cambodia's natural forests and wildlife heritage for the long-term social and economic benefits of current and future generations.

The discovery constitutes the first photographic evidence of a Siamese crocodile breeding population after more than a decade of research efforts in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area situated within the Eastern Plains Landscape.

"During this hatching season, the research team carries out regular field monitoring, and for this particular trip, we spent four nights scouting the crocodile habitat locations, from 7:00 p.m. until past midnight around 2:00 a.m. to observe the animal," said Sothea Bun, one of the research team members.

"Then, the exciting moment came when one of our team first spotted the eye-shine of crocodile hatchlings," he said.

Milou Groenenberg, WWF's biodiversity research & monitoring manager, said this discovery is considered a breakthrough in the study of the species in Srepok as former reports of breeding consisted of unconfirmed reports from many years ago and never before was photographic evidence of hatchlings collected.

"We were previously not certain if the resident population still contained breeding pairs to date, nor if any nests existed and if clutches successfully hatched," she said. "The Srepok discovery indeed raises hope for Siamese crocodile conservation and survival in the wild, and is a significant finding for the species in Cambodia and globally."

Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered, the freshwater Siamese crocodile was once widespread across Southeast Asia, but disappeared from much of its range by the early 1990s.

Cambodia is a global stronghold for the species, with an estimate of 200-400 individuals remaining in the wild, it said, adding that the total global population does not exceed 1,000 mature individuals.

The key threats the Siamese crocodile faces are habitat loss and degradation, poaching fueled by the illegal wildlife trade and formerly to supply crocodile farms, hybridization with other crocodile species, and destructive illegal fishing methods, among others, the statement said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 19:27:35|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Visitors sit beside white flags placed on the National Mall to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, Sept. 18, 2021. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

Biden's new vaccine mandates, which could apply to as many as 100 million Americans, or almost two-thirds of the American workforce, have spawned a strong pushback from quite a few Republican states and unions.



WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. COVID-19-related deaths on Monday surpassed 675,000, the estimated U.S. fatalities from the 1918 influenza pandemic, while battles over vaccines and masks continue as the country staggers into the 19th month of the pandemic.

As of 4:21 p.m. ET (2021 GMT) on Monday, 675,446 Americans were killed due to COVID-19, with the total caseload exceeding 42 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The fatalities are expected to continue to rise as the country is currently experiencing another wave of new infections, fueled by the fast-spreading Delta variant.

"We cannot become hardened to the continuing, and largely preventable, tragedy," Tom Frieden, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tweeted earlier this month, noting deaths from COVID-19 in the United States would surpass the toll of the 1918 flu pandemic.

The dismal milestone of surpassing the 1918 death toll came as Americans are still divided over mask and vaccine mandates.

Early this month, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a six-pronged national strategy as a path to ending the pandemic.

As of Monday, over 181.7 million Americans, or 54.7 percent of the U.S. population, have been fully inoculated, according to the CDC.

A woman takes the COVID-19 booster shot at the Tournament House in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, the United States, Aug. 19, 2021. (Xinhua)

Expressing his frustration with the roughly 80 million Americans who are eligible for shots but have not gotten them, Biden is requiring all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested weekly.

Biden's new vaccine mandates, which could apply to as many as 100 million Americans, or almost two-thirds of the American workforce, have spawned a strong pushback from quite a few Republican states and unions.

Also, many Americans believe whether to get vaccinated should be a personal decision, instead of a government mandate.

Polls show that those who reject vaccines are more worried about possible side effects of the vaccines than they are about COVID-19. Social media are also rife with conspiracy theories about vaccines.

Nationwide, American parents are torn apart by the conflicts among school boards, Republican states and the Biden administration over how to make schools open and safe.

As of Sept. 16, over 5.5 million children and adolescents had tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest report by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The U.S. Education Department has recently announced it is investigating the state of Florida over its ban on mask mandates in the state's public schools, after an appeals court in the state reversed a lower court's ruling and allowed the ban to stay.

A family arrives for the first day of full attendance at Philip Rogers Elementary School in Chicago, on Aug. 30, 2021. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on July 30, banning mask mandates at public schools to ensure parents' freedom to choose. The order includes a policy of withholding funds from school districts that defy the governor's order.

However, 13 of Florida's 67 school districts have strict mask requirements, in defiance of the state, local newspaper Miami Herald reported. Biden's administration has offered financial aid for schools in Florida affected by DeSantis' policy.

In addition to Florida, Texas, Nebraska and quite a few other Republican states have issued a mask mandates ban, contradicting the CDC guidance of universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools.

Emma Cheng, a mother of two young boys at Marengo Elementary School in east Los Angeles, California, gave her full and unwavering support to the school's mask mandate. "We must follow the science, and it is that simple," Cheng told Xinhua.

"We support the school mask mandate especially since our little ones cannot be vaccinated yet," said Hector Lopez, who has a seven-year-old boy at the school.

Cheng joined over 150 others to sign a petition called "Vaccinate SPUSD (South Pasadena Unified School District)" to demand that their school district vaccinate teachers of children under 12 years old.

Many private schools have implemented a mask policy long before the states' order was announced. With mask requirements in place, Notre Dame Academy, a private Catholic school for girls in New York, has managed to stay open throughout the entire pandemic.

"Masking is not a thing that bothers parents or a challenge to their parenting rights," said Y.C. Hoerle, who has a high school freshman at the school. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:51:47|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Flags of the EU fly in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, June 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

European Council President Charles Michel also expressed concerns about the AUKUS agreement, demanding an explanation from Biden on why he misled France and other European partners in forging the new strategic agreement in the Indo-Pacific.

BRUSSELS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described as "unacceptable" the way France was treated by Australia, Britain and the United States in their newly established security partnership AUKUS.

The European Commission chief expressed her dismay during an interview with CNN, in which she demanded explanations from U.S. President Joe Biden.

"There are a lot of open questions that have to be answered," von der Leyen said. "One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable, so we want to know what happened and why. And therefore you first clarify that before you keep going with business as usual."

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Elysee Palace in Paris June 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

The deal was signed recently by the United States and Britain which will share nuclear submarine technology with Australia.

European Council President Charles Michel also expressed concerns about the AUKUS agreement, demanding an explanation from Biden on why he misled France and other European partners in forging the new strategic agreement in the Indo-Pacific.

He took to social media to say: "The AUKUS security partnership further demonstrates the need for a common EU approach in a region of strategic interest. A strong EU Indo-Pacific strategy is needed more than ever."

He then told reporters at the UN General Assembly: "With the new Joe Biden administration, America is back." This was interpreted as questioning whether the U.S. had returned to the international table.

European Council President Charles Michel (R) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) welcome U.S. President Joe Biden (C) at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 15, 2021. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

"What does it mean America is back? Is America back in America or elsewhere? We do not know," he added.

Michel told journalists at the UN on Monday that the U.S. had demonstrated "lack of loyalty" after Australia cancelled the multi-billion-dollar deal with France on nuclear-powered submarines which it will now obtain from the U.S. and Britain.

"The elementary principles for allies are transparency and trust, and it goes together. And what do we observe? We are observing a clear lack of transparency and loyalty," Michel told reporters.

He added that the Europeans need clarifications on this deal and would step up efforts to build their own defensive capabilities.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) talks with U.S. President Joe Biden after their meeting in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Britain, on June 10, 2021. (Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in New York on Monday that all EU countries should be worried about the contempt the United States has shown to its allies.

"Europeans must not be the rejections of the strategy chosen by the United States," said Le Drian. "We are in this new state of mind, which means that the Europeans must identify their own strategic issues and discuss with the United States on this subject."

Even EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell weighed in on the alliance during a press conference in New York following an informal EU Foreign Ministers' meeting when they considered it "very disappointing." He said the ministers expressed clear solidarity with France.

Borrell said he also met with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in a planned meeting during which he inquired about the reasons behind the lack of prior consultation on AUKUS. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 20:37:51|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

CAIRO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Former Egyptian Minister of Defense Mohamed Hussein Tantawi died on Tuesday at the age of 85 after suffering health problems for the past three months, Egypt's presidential office said in a statement.

"Egypt lost one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who had served his country for more than 50 years," said the statement.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi mourned the death of Tantawi on behalf of the Egyptian people and government, according to the statement.

Tantawi served as the former head of the military council that ruled Egypt temporarily after President Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign on Feb. 11, 2011. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 20:43:10|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ABUJA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- A senior health official has said about 2,000 people are killed by snakebites every year in Nigeria, calling for increased awareness of one of the world's biggest hidden health crises.

In a statement issued Tuesday to commemorate the just-ended International Snakebite Awareness Day, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Nigeria's minister of State for Health, said between 1,700 and 2,000 people also have one leg or arm amputated to save their lives following a snakebite in the country every year.

Mamora said Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, records an average of 15,000 to 20,000 cases of snakebite every year.

Envenomation, also known as the injection of venom usually from snake bites, has long been a public health problem in Nigeria, especially in rural areas, the minister said, noting the country has three main types of snake species responsible for that.

"The cobra or Naja nigricollis, the puff adder or Bitis arietans, and the carpet viper or Echis ocellatus are the notable species in Nigeria," he said, adding the carpet viper is the one responsible for about 90 percent of bites and 60 percent of snakebite deaths.

The official further noted snakebite affects the lives of many people in the country and most of the victims are rural women, children, peasant farmers, herdsmen, and hunters.

In Nigeria, snakebites occur mainly during planting and harvest seasons, when people go about their work on the farm or in bushes, Mamora said.

"The cases increased recently because of excessive rainfall, leading to more morbidity and deaths connected with inadequate quantities of anti-snake-venom," he added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 20:53:05|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

KAMPALA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen-year old Raphael Ssajjabi, a leukemia survivor, can not wait for schools to reopen after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The Ugandan teenage boy went through harrowing tales as his single mother had to take care of him as well as fend for his two other siblings.

Ssajjabi had to drop out of school to concentrate on chemotherapy amid talks in his neighborhood that there are no leukemia survivors.

"I could hardly walk when I was brought here. My mother cuddled me as a baby on her back. Doctors gave us hope, but people were saying that leukemia cancer doesn't get cured," Ssajjabi told Xinhua in a recent interview as the country joined the world to commemorate September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The commemoration aims at increasing awareness on the achievements and challenges in caring for children and youth with cancer, their families, and survivors of childhood cancer.

Ssajjabi is one of the increasing childhood cancer cases in Uganda, according to experts. The child is among the 652 children diagnosed with cancer in two years at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Peter Wasswa, a specialist at Global Hematology Oncology Pediatric Excellence (Global HOPE), said the challenges affecting the fight against childhood cancer include lack of awareness, late diagnosis, lack of access to treatment and supportive care, among others.

Global HOPE is a program between Texas Children's Hospital in the United States and UCI aiming at building capacity to treat children with cancer.

Wasswa said globally about 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and over 50 percent of these cases are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Esther Wanyenze, a community awareness and advocacy program officer, said Uganda is making efforts to raise awareness about childhood cancers. Wanyenze said some of the measures include developing campaigns like virtual childhood cancer run which raises funds that go to supporting families affected by the scourge.

She said there have been also community outreach programs as well as training of medical staff on management of childhood cancer.

These measures, according to Wanyenze, have yielded results including increasing the survival rate of childhood cancer to 75 percent from 30 percent in 2019.

She said parent-led counseling and support groups have been established to help families understand their child's diagnosis and clinical treatment plans.

"Some of the parents' support groups have been trained and equipped with information so that they help children and parents who begin their cancer journey and spread awareness of childhood cancer in their home communities," she said.

Experts say the fight against childhood cancers has been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has made access to treatment and diagnosis difficult due to the lockdown measures.

Parents have to walk long distances to access treatment for their children as public and private transport is occasionally halted by government to contain the spread of COVID-19.

"Most of the childhood patients are from upcountry, during the lockdown, transport fares are hiked, which forces some of them to miss their treatment session," Wasswa said.

UCI recently said it is working to improve cancer health care in the country as the cancer burden increases.

The institute said it is continuing to decentralize cancer health care so that the population can access it within their localities.

"It is estimated that for every 100 new cases diagnosed, 80 of them die majorly because they come to our health facilities late," UCI said in a recent statement.

Several cancer services have been decentralized at least up to the regional level according to the ministry of health.

Previously patients were traveling all the way to UCI in the capital Kampala to access care services.

According to the health ministry, currently 198 cancer experts are being trained in different fields to diagnose and manage cancer, undertake cutting edge cancer research and offer training in cancer across the country.

The country is also working on establishing a National Reference Laboratory for Cancer, which will improve cancer diagnosis and other non-communicable diseases, according to the ministry. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:07:48|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Sept. 21, 2021 shows a view of Khartoum, capital of Sudan. Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the coup attempt foiled on Tuesday was orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army. Earlier, the Sudanese government has confirmed control over the security situation in Khartoum after foiling the coup attempt. According to unofficial sources, around 40 officers, most of whom belong to the armored corps of the Sudanese army, were involved in the attempted coup. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)



KHARTOUM, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the coup attempt foiled on Tuesday was orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army.

"What happened today is a coup orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army and was preceded by a systematic incitement and high-level arrangement and coordination," said Hamdok in a speech broadcast by Sudan's official TV.

He stressed the importance of reforming the security and military bodies and continuing the procedures of dismantling the regime of the ousted former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The prime minister further announced the arrest of all the leaders of the coup attempt which took place in the capital Khartoum on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Sudanese government has confirmed control over the security situation in Khartoum after foiling the coup attempt.

"On Tuesday morning, a failed coup attempt was carried out by a group of armed forces officers from the remnants of the former regime," Hamza Baloul Al-Amir, Sudan's information minister and government spokesman, said in a statement.

According to unofficial sources, around 40 officers, most of whom belong to the armored corps of the Sudanese army, were involved in the attempted coup. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:51:15|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

TRIPOLI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday said it had signed a work plan to build a new program for children in Libya to benefit from a child-friendly justice system.

"UNICEF and the Ministry of Interior have signed a Rolling Workplan building on a new Joint Programme ... under the financial and technical support of the EU in Libya," UNICEF tweeted.

The joint program, titled "Leaving No Children Behind in Libya," combines the strengths of the participating UN organizations to ensure children in contact with the law in Libya benefit from a child-friendly justice system, UNICEF said.

UNICEF added it will strive to engage with the Department for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the development of child-specific protocols for the protection of non-Libyan children in DCIM-managed detention centers and facilitate alternative care options for children in detention centers.

More than 24,420 illegal migrants, including women and children, have so far been rescued this year, while hundreds of others died and went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African nation a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 22:52:32|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's flagship Chinese-built Hawassa Industrial Park on Tuesday announced 114 million U.S. dollars revenue from the export of face masks to the international market.

The reported revenue was generated from the export of face masks mainly to the U.S. and European markets during the recently concluded Ethiopian fiscal year, state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted Fitsum Ketema, General Manager of Hawassa Industrial Park, as saying.

Despite the hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic, companies operating inside the premises of the industrial park were able to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic through the production and export of high-quality face-masks and related products, according to the general manager.

Hawassa Industrial Park, which the Ethiopian government considers as a model for the construction of other industrial zones across the country, has proved successful immediately after its inauguration in July 2016 by attracting various world-class textile and apparel companies to the East African country.

The industrial park was built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

The Ethiopian government has previously disclosed its plan to generate close to 1 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue from the park once it starts operations at its full potential.

As part of its efforts to make the country a light manufacturing hub and lower-middle income economy by 2025, the East African country hopes its plan to build and commission a total of 30 industrial parks within the same period. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 22:53:55|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Horn of Africa region could experience widespread hunger and malnutrition in the last quarter of this year amid a prolonged dry spell, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said on Tuesday.

According to IGAD's latest analysis on the escalating food insecurity in the region, about 36.7 to 37.2 million people will likely grapple with acute hunger in the near future due to shocks linked to conflicts, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workneh Geneyehu, executive secretary of IGAD said the Horn of Africa region comprises 20 percent of the highly food insecure global population, hence the need for urgent interventions to avert a humanitarian crisis.

"There is a need for us to initiate a paradigm shift to a longer-term view that inspires us to come up with coherent, coordinated, and cost-effective development investments that target the root causes of food crises in our region," Geneyehu said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

He noted that the latest weather forecast in the region points to a drier than usual October to December season, leading to crop failure, water stress and competition for pasture among herders.

Three countries in the Horn of Africa region including Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan are currently among the ten worst global food insecurity hotspots, according to IGAD analysis.

In addition, nearly 79 percent of IGAD region's population facing severe hunger crisis is from the three countries, with Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan accounting for 9.6 million, 8.6 million and 6.5 million respectively.

David Phiri, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) sub regional coordinator for Eastern Africa said that governments should invest in climate-resilient farming systems, extension services, peacebuilding and early warning to limit the impact of recurrent droughts on livelihoods.

"Market access, anticipatory and emergency humanitarian response to crises must remain at the core of our collective response to build and protect farmer's resilience to shocks," said Phiri.

Michael Dunford, World Food Program Regional Director for Eastern Africa said there was an urgency to extend support to vulnerable communities affected by food and water scarcity. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-22 05:54:16|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

KHARTOUM, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Security and Defense Council on Tuesday announced the arrest of Major General Abdul-Baqi Hassan Osman, the leader of the foiled coup attempt.

The council added that 22 other military officers of different ranks and a number of non-commissioned officers and soldiers were also arrested.

The council held an emergency meeting, chaired by Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, to discuss the security situation in Sudan following the thwarted coup attempt.

"The initial investigations indicated that the coup attempt aimed to seize power and undermine the current transitional period," Sudan's Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim Yassin said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Sudanese authorities announced foiling of a coup attempt carried out by a group of armed forces officers from the remnants of the former regime.

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the foiled coup attempt was orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 15:36:06|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday that the nuclear submarine deal between the United States, Britain and Australia, known as AUKUS, represents a "crisis of trust" between allies that requires explanations.

"It's not so much about breaking a contract ... It is of course having a negative impact on France. But of course, first and foremost, this is a matter of breaking the trust between allies. And it brings about some heavy reflections on behalf of we, the Europeans, as to the way we see our alliances and partnerships," Le Drian told reporters in New York.

"What matters now is, first of all, the breach of trust between partners. Because trust, partners and alliance mean transparency, predictability. It requires explanations. It's about talking to one another, not hiding from one another, in particular on matters of importance. And all of that did not happen. We need to talk about it: why was all that missing, why was all that hidden, and made public without telling us ahead of time?"

Le Drian, who is in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, said he did not intend to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Of course I may see him here or there in the corridor," said Le Drian.

A diplomatic rift emerged between Washington and Paris over the announcement that the United States and Britain will support Australia to develop nuclear-powered submarines, depriving France of a contract to provide conventional submarines to Australia.

Outraged by the abrupt move without notice, France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia on Friday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 19:51:11|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ANKARA, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Tuesday detained four foreign nationals in Kayseri province of central Turkey over alleged links to Islamic State (IS) group, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

The suspects were involved in the group's activities in Iraq and Syria, the report said.

Several digital materials were seized during the raid in their houses.

The IS group has been blamed for a spate of deadly attacks in Turkey since 2015. Turkey's counter-terrorism units in response have been conducting operations against the group's members in the country. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:48:41|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

An employee of Greece's national postal services provider Hellenic Post (ELTA in Greek) works with a Chinese-made robotic system for sorting mail items at the facilities of ELTA at Kryoneri, a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, Sept. 14, 2021. The ELTA in Greek has started using a Chinese-made robotic system for sorting mail items, aiming to accelerate the process and improve service for customers. The fully digitalized automated system is developed by China's Zhejiang LiBiao Robot Co., Ltd. Since mid-August, a fleet of 55 tiny yellow robots has joined employees at the Group's facilities in Kryoneri (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Greece's national postal services provider Hellenic Post (ELTA in Greek) has started using a Chinese-made robotic system for sorting mail items, aiming to accelerate the process and improve service for customers.

The fully digitalized automated system is developed by China's Zhejiang LiBiao Robot Co., Ltd.

Errikos Tzavaras, Chief Executive Officer at ELTA Courier SA, a member company of ELTA Group, told Xinhua in a recent interview here that the installation is "the first in Europe."

"It is in operation in China, at China Post, in Japan in various companies and also Walmart in the U.S.," Tzavaras added.

Since mid-August, a fleet of 55 tiny yellow robots has joined employees at the Group's facilities in Kryoneri, a northern suburb of Athens. They are starring in a process which until a few weeks ago was mainly manual and semi-mechanized, helping dramatically increase efficiency and speed in sorting and consequently in deliveries.

The robots receive parcels at eight infeed stations, identify their destination through a code-scan, and distribute them at 144 sorting destinations, handling currently nearly 76 percent of total deliveries at the sorting center.

By adding the robots to the sorting process, Tzavaras explained: "We are better utilizing our human resources. We avoid human errors and we are making the work easier for employees. Moreover, we have increased the speed of the sorting process by 250 percent."

The deployment of the robots has also helped create a COVID-free environment at the center, he added, noting that the new system is a significant step in ELTA's strategy for the future.

"This investment was part of our digital transformation and the pandemic showed the need to accelerate the process," Tzavaras told Xinhua. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 22:09:03|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

MOSCOW, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Embassy in Washington said Tuesday that 50 percent of the cyberattacks against the Russian Central Election Commission were conducted from the territory of the United States.

"The purpose of these hacks is to discredit our electoral system," the embassy said in a Facebook post, adding that Russia is still waiting for an explanation from the United States.

The embassy in the post also commented on a recent press statement issued by the U.S. Department of State with regard to the parliamentary elections in Russia.

The voting took place in full compliance with domestic legislation and the norms of international law, the embassy said, calling any U.S. accusation that claims otherwise groundless. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 23:40:18|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ATHENS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Friendship and cooperation should be fostered between Greece and Turkey in order to tackle common challenges, the respective mayors of Athens and Istanbul, Kostas Bakoyannis and Ekrem Imamoglu, said after talks here on Tuesday.

Imamoglu is currently on a two-day official visit to the Greek capital. In May, Bakoyannis visited Istanbul and the two mayors signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation on culture and tourism, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

The two mayors were received by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, and they discussed cooperation in fields of common interest such as culture and the challenges of climate change, according to the Greek PM's office.

"The longest trips start with a single step. We have built a bridge between our cities, a bridge ready for people of Athens and Istanbul to cross," Bakoyannis said during a press conference.

Greece and Turkey have had long-standing differences (over borders), but should join forces for the common interest, he said.

"There are global problems and questions raised in our times and we are called to give local solutions and answers. Their quality and effectiveness can set a global example, contributing to common knowledge for the common good," he added, highlighting the significance of city diplomacy.

Meanwhile, Imamoglu added: "We share problems that transcend national borders and we need to find common solutions."

"We believe that Athens and Istanbul can build a bridge of peace," he said, adding that there is no other option than promoting Turkey-Greece friendship. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 10:22:22|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

A voter poses for photos outside a polling station after voting in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 20, 2021. Canadians are heading to the polls across the country on Monday to choose a prime minister who will form the next federal government after a 36-day election campaign amid the fourth wave of COVID-19. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Canadians are heading to the polls across the country on Monday to choose a prime minister who will form the next federal government after a 36-day election campaign amid the fourth wave of COVID-19.

Due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, Canadians are voting in some ways different from the past elections. About 6.8 million Canadians have already voted, most of whom cast their ballots in the advanced polling on Sept. 10-13.

Millions of others who are eligible to vote on Monday have to abide by certain COVID-19 protocols like physical distancing, sanitization, and wearing masks, which resulted in longer lines than usual at some polling places.

Throughout the election campaign, six political party leaders have made promises on Canada's pandemic response, economy, child care, climate change, spending, indigenous reconciliation, taxes and housing.

On Sunday, party leaders made last-minute appeals in whirlwind tours in an effort to convince voters to choose them.

Most election winners will be decided by the end of Monday, but Elections Canada has warned it might take up to four days to finish counting the special ballots, meaning some close races won't have official winners for several days.

With millions of Canadians heading out to vote on Monday for Canada's 44th national election, there have been some reports about long lines and disturbances at polling stations. In Toronto, several lines were spotted at voting locations.

In Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta province, police were reportedly called in over a disturbance at a polling station where two people refused to wear masks.

Polling stations in the country are open for 12 hours, with the last polls set to close in British Columbia province at 7 p.m. PST (0300 GMT Tuesday). Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 20:06:13|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday traveled to Del Rio, a city in the U.S. state of Texas that borders Mexico, warning migrants that have amassed there against illegal border crossing.

"If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's lives. This administration is committed to developing safe, orderly and humane pathways for migration. This is not the way to do it," Mayorkas said in remarks to thousands of migrants, most of them Haitians, who have camped for days underneath the Del Rio International Bridge in the border city, waiting to be allowed into the United States.

About 3,500 migrants from the camp have already been relocated, and 3,000 more were expected to be relocated to another processing facility on Monday, the secretary said, adding that an additional 600 Homeland Security personnel have been deployed to the city to cope with the situation.

More than 14,500 migrants are currently in the camp under the Del Rio International Bridge, facing high temperatures and harsh conditions, USA Today cited Del Rio officials as saying.

At least three deportation flights with 145 passengers each arrived Sunday in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, U.S. media reported, citing Haitian authorities as saying six flights were expected Tuesday.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who declared the existence of a disaster in the state in May and who last week closed six points of entry along the border with Mexico to stop the migrant influx, sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, requesting a federal "Emergency Disaster Declaration" for the state "to lessen the threat of disaster, save lives, and protect property, public health and safety."

Meanwhile, a video showing U.S. border patrol agents chasing Haitian migrants on horseback triggered outrage, forcing White House press secretary Jen Psaki to acknowledge Monday that what was shown in the "horrific" footage was neither acceptable nor appropriate.

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in a tweet called the border patrol agents' actions "human rights abuses, plain and simple."

"No matter how challenging the situation in Del Rio is right now, nothing justifies violence against migrants attempting to seek asylum in our country," Representative Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, tweeted.

The DHS in a statement promised to investigate the matter.

The sudden increase of migrants from Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and most recently ravaged by a devastating earthquake and the assassination of its president, prompted the Biden administration to initiate a mass deportation process.

The repatriation of Haitians trying to flee their home country has put the Haitian migration system on the edge, as The New York Times quoted Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, the head of Haiti's national migration office, as saying his country "is not really able to receive these deportees," whom he said " are very agitated" and "don't accept the forced return."

The amassing of illegal migrants along the U.S. southern border has been a constant headache for the Biden administration. DHS data showed there were 208,887 migrant encounters in August alone, slightly down from over 212,000 encounters in July, but up 317 percent from August 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-22 04:09:22|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

U.S. President Joe Biden (at the podium and on the screens) speaks during the General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 21, 2021. Biden said in a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday that the United States is opening a new chapter of diplomacy after ending the two-decade Afghan war. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)



UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said in a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday that the United States is opening a new chapter of diplomacy after ending the two-decade Afghan war.

"We've ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan, and as we close this era of relentless war, we're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy," Biden said in his first address to the UN General Assembly.

The U.S. military completed its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in late August under Biden's order, ending the longest war in American history.

The president pointed out the U.S. military power "must be our tool of last resort, not our first," and should not be used as an answer for every global problem.

"Many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms. Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants," he added. "To fight this pandemic, we need a collective act of science and political will."

Biden said the United States will "compete vigorously" with other major powers while emphasizing it is not "seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs."

"The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas," he continued. "Because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19 and climate change or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation."

Biden said that Washington will remain to engage with Tehran diplomatically and seek a mutual return to the Iran nuclear deal. The United States seeks "serious and sustained diplomacy" to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

He also reaffirmed both U.S. security commitment to Israel and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Biden's debut at the UN General Assembly came after controversial foreign policy decisions without sufficient consultations with allies, including the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and a diplomatic rift with France over a submarine deal with Australia.

Under a new security partnership unveiled last Wednesday between Australia, Britain and the United States, known as AUKUS, Australia will build nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology. Australia then announced it would scrap the deal with France signed in 2016 to purchase 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.

Outraged by the abrupt move without notice, France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia for consultations on Friday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday in New York that the trilateral move between the United States, Britain and Australia represents a "crisis of trust" between allies that requires explanations. Enditem
A Great Zimbabwe University student was found dead on Sunday after going missing for days.

Vilify Agnes Mbakada who was studying Development Studies, left her Gweru home on Thursday to town to collect some money from a cash point.

She was on attachment and her death has shocked fellow students.

Following her disappearance, a search began in which someone posted that the she has been found floating in a dam.

Speaking to some of her close friends they said: We are told she left home on Thursday achinotora mari paMukuru and she never came back. From Thursday she was never seen and never returned home.

Messages of her missing were circulated and only to hear that she was found floating in Nyamafufu Dam in Mvuma.

Another student said the deceaseds phone is missing. We are also hearing that following her identification, her mobile phone and other particulars are missing.

We wonder how she ended up being in Mvuma yet she left for Gweru town. This is shocking and we are yet to establish what transpired.

She was a good colleague. Another student said Vilify had since stopped going for her industrial attachment due to ill-health.

She was working in Mvuma for her attachment but later on asked to be excused since she was not feeling well.

Some say she was going through depression that she went back home but on the fateful day, no one knows what actually happened.

Theories are emerging that she could have been murdered or committed suicide.

The fact that her personal belongings are missing is raising eyebrows. If she was not killed where are they then.

It is also said, since she was going through depression, she could have decided to take her own life. But how did she end up in Mvuma from Gweru, that leaves a lot to be desired.

Burial arrangements are said to be on Wednesday.

We are going as students to mourn our fellow student. More details will be coming when we get to her place of resident today, said another student. Police did not comment on the matter. H Metro
A 19-year-old Bulilima District man in Matabeleland South Province drowned in Tshankwa dam while swimming with his friends on Sunday.

Luckson Ngwenya from Tshankwa village drowned while swimming with six other boys at the huge dam which supplies water to a nearby Tshankwa irrigation scheme.

Local councilor, Melusi Nkomo, confirmed the incident which he said was a concern in the area.

He was removed from the dam by the Sub Aqua Unity from Bulawayo around 2pm on Monday. We urge our communities to be careful when playing around with water sources. The temperatures are going up and the temptation to cool off in the water is huge, but people must be very careful. said councilor Nkomo

He said this is was the fourth drowning incident this year.

The grandfather of the late Ngwenya, Mr Sikelela Moyo, who is based in South Africa, said the family has been left devastated.

Mr Moyo said it was very sad that his grandson will have to be buried in the absence of his parents who are in South Africa.

The majority of the family members are in South Africa. We got the message on Sunday that my grandson has drowned. We gather he was swimming with six other boys and during the process, his friends saw him lifting his hands calling for help, but his friends said they were too afraid to swim to where he was.

We were told that the body has to be buried tomorrow which is more painful as we cannot travel to lay him to rest. We are devastated by this development as we would have loved to come home and bid him farewell. It will be hard for his mother to heal from this experience, said Mr Moyo.

Efforts to get a comment from Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Mangena were fruitless. Chronicle
Washington, US (PANA) - The US has urged Somalia's leaders to cooperate for the country to complete its electoral process saying the dispute between the President and Prime Minister "risks complicating this process and needs to be resolved immediately and peacefully"
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
Lawmaker loses defamation dispute with Russian TV star

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:13 21/09/2021

MOSCOW, September 21 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Tuesday upheld dismissal of the Moscow City Duma Communist lawmaker Pavel Tarasovs defamation lawsuit against famous Russian TV and radio host Vladimir Solovyev, the courts press service told RAPSI.

In February, Moscows Savelovsky District Court dismissed Tarasovs lawsuit. The lawmaker demanded to recognize information about him distributed by Solovyev during one of his radio airs as false. The journalist accused the plaintiff of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the claim.

Moreover, Tarasov sought for compensation of moral harm in the amount of 1 million rubles (about $14,000).
Russian investigators open case over yet another Nazi photo on Immortal Regiment website

 Moskva city news agency

17:35 21/09/2021

MOSCOW, September 21 (RAPSI)  The Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case over rehabilitation of Nazism against a resident of the Republic of Bashkortostan, who posted a photograph of Nazi Field Marshal Paul von Kleist on the Immortal Regiment website, the press service of the body informs RAPSI.

Investigators remind that von Kleist was convicted by the Supreme Court of the USSR as a Nazi criminal.

It is alleged that the actions of the 18-year-old suspect were aimed at forming a disdainful attitude towards the day of military glory of Russia and a negative attitude towards the participants in the Great Patriotic War among the members of society.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Actress Payal Ghosh, who has claimed that she was attacked with acid by some masked men when she was returning home after purchasing medicines in Mumbai, said she will take strict action and feels that this was a planned attack.

Talking to IANS on whether she suspects anyone, Payal said: "Obviously, he is not a well wisher but it's all planned."

The actress added: "I'm planning to take strict action on this."

In a video, Payal had claimed that when she was getting into her car, some men attacked her with a rod and that they had a bottle in their hand which she suspected was acid.

The actress recalled the moment and said: "I was travelling out for medicines after 10 pm. I was in my driving seat and some people with masks came and attacked me.

She shared that she was hit on the "head" as well.

"They hit on my head with an iron rod, I panicked and I shouted and the rod fell on my hand, they apparently had acid in the bottle," she added.

Payal says she is in trauma.

"I can't get out of it, It's like a mental trauma. Thank God it was a public place and I shouted and these masked guys got scared," she added.

Payal had also given an update about her injury on her Instagram stories.

"I couldn't sleep the whole night, out of pain," she captioned the image.
Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday in a major poll promise, announced 80 per cent reservation in private jobs for Goan youth, while assuring allowances to the tune of Rs 3,000 for an unemployed youth in a family and Rs 5,000 for households, whose members have lost jobs in the mining and the tourism sector.

Addressing a press conference in Mapusa town in North Goa, Kejriwal also announced the setting up of a Skill University, which the Delhi Chief Minister said would help youth get trained in job-oriented skills, while also announcing a mechanism for ensuring transparency in government recruitment.

"We will arrange employment for one unemployed youth in every home in Goa. Until the youth does not get employment, Rs 3,000 per month will be paid as unemployment allowance," Kejriwal said.

"Due to corona, the tourism sector has faced losses. Tourism dependent families are unemployed. Until employment is not restored to them, such families will get Rs 5,000 per month. Mining dependent families, people are also facing hardships. Until mines start, every mining family will be given Rs 5,000 per month," Kejriwal also said.

Goa is headed for state assembly polls in early 2022.
Controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som has termed Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav as a 'seasonal Hindu'

Sangeet Som has also claimed that his party will 'build temples at all those places in India where temples were razed to build mosques'.

Som, who is the MLA from the Sardhana seat, is known for making controversial statements.

In an informal chat with the media persons on Monday evening, Som described Akhilesh Yadav as a 'seasonal Hindu' and dared the latter to say that 'a mosque was built in Mathura after demolishing a temple'.

The mosque at Mathura and Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque were identified by the Sangh Parivar to have been built over temples.

Akhilesh Yadav is a seasonal Hindu. This will not work, in India where everyone is a Hindu, a Muslim is a Hindu, a Hindu is a Hindu and Hindustan belongs to Hindus," he said.

He further said, "People like Akhilesh Yadav are saying they will build a Vishwakarma temple. These are the same people who got bullets sprayed on Ram Bhakts, who ordered lathi charge on Sadhus in Banaras? These people are now asking for forgiveness with folded hands. The people will not forgive them."

Som was responding to Akhilesh Yadav's recent statement on the Uttar Pradesh government abolishing the holiday on Vishwakarma Puja.

The Samajwadi Party chief has also announced that he will get a temple built for the deity if elected to power in the upcoming Assembly polls.


Embarrassing the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP leader Rajib Banerjee said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will win with a huge margin and it would have been better if the party had not fielded any candidate against her. "The people gave her a mandate and she has come back to power with 213 seats. She is contesting from Bhabanipur and the Congress has decided not to put up any candidate against her. We cannot or should not ignore the people's verdict and the people want her to be the chief minister of the state. She is going to win by a huge margin in Bhabanipur. It would have been the right gesture if the BJP had also stayed away from the election. They should not have fielded any candidate against her," the former Trinamool Congress minister who switched over to the BJP just before the assembly polls said. Mamata Banerjee who lost in this election to the Trinamool Congress was also critical about Suvendu Adhikari's approach towards the chief minister. Speaking to the media, Banerjee said, "People brought her back to power with 213 seats and so it is not decent to speak foul about that person. To make comments like 'Fufu', 'Kahlu', 'Begum' has created a wrong impression about us. One should be careful when speaking about a leader of her stature." Mamata Banerjee was speaking about the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who accused Mamata Banerjee of divisive and partisan politics. Speaking on an issue like religious division, the BJP leader said, "I have occasionally warned the party not to follow religious lines because religious divisive politics will not work in West Bengal but the party has not paid any heed. The party has suffered for that." Rajib Banerjee was a member of the earlier West Bengal cabinet. But just before the assembly elections he joined the BJP and contested from Domjur assembly constituency, where he was the MLA earlier, but was defeated. Soon after his defeat, he became a rebel and started making anti-party statements and avoiding party meetings. Banerjee was accused of meeting Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several Trinamool leaders and he was show-caused for that. According to a senior BJP leader Rajib Banerjee was show-caused twice for his anti-party activities but he did not reply.




Italy has started administering the third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, after the booster shots received the official green light from the country's Medicines Agency (AIFA).

As the Health Ministry announced earlier this month, third doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines will be offered to people with fragile immune systems, reports Xinhua news agency.

This includes not only immuno-compromised people, but also elderly people and residents in care homes.

Based on guidelines issued by AIFA, healthcare workers will also receive the booster shot.

The third dose will be offered as an option, since vaccination against coronavirus is strongly recommended but not mandatory in Italy.

AIFA has recommended that the third shot should be available at least 28 days after the previous dose for immuno-compromised people.

For those over 80, people living in care homes, and healthcare professionals, the third dose would be considered as a "booster to maintain an effective immune response", and should be administered at least 6 months after their last dose.

Overall, AIFA and the Health Ministry have stressed that the national priority should remain to ensure that a majority of the population is vaccinated.

Till date, some 76 per cent of the target population (those aged over 12) has been fully immunised, while 82 per cent have received at least one dose, according to data from the Health Ministry.

Since the pandemic broke out in Italy in February 2020, the country has registered 4,638,516 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 130,354 fatalities and 4.4 million recoveries.
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/21/2021 -- The global gas engines market size is projected to reach USD 5.3 billion by 2024, from an estimated USD 4.0 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period. The increasing demand for clean and renewable power generation and implementation of stricter emission regulations across the globe are major drivers for the gas engines market.



The utilities end-user segment of the gas engines market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Utilities are the major end-users of gas engines, and they mostly use 220 MW gas engines for power generation. The energy produced by utilities can be used to power local facilities or exported to the local electricity grid. There is an increasing shift toward gas-fired power plants from coal-fired power plants to cut down the carbon emission. Increasing power demand during peak hours is expected to create new opportunities for the Gas Engines Market in the utilities segment.



Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=54641802



The cogeneration application segment of the gas engines market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increased demand for combined heat and power applications is driving the gas engines industry growth. There is an increase in the requirement for gas engines for cogeneration applications. Cogeneration involves multiple power generation processes, which can satisfy the power requirement of two simultaneous ongoing operations. The high efficiency of cogeneration power plants is expected to drive the gas engines market during the forecast period.



Europe is projected to account for the majority of the gas engine market share, growing at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The region is home to two major players, namely, Wartsila Corporation (Finland) and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (UK). The natural gas-based power production in the European region is majorly influenced by Russia, which is heavily investing in the construction of gas distribution networks. However, European countries are importing natural gas from Africa to reduce the dependency on Russian natural gas.



Most of the countries in the European continent are cold climate countries, which require heat for household and commercial spaces due to which there is an increase in the demand for cogeneration applications. Europe is the leader in biogas production, which is further creating the need for special gas-based engines. Factors such as the implementation of strict environmental regulations and incentives for gas-fired power plants are expected to drive the European gas engines market growth.



Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=54641802



The gas engines market is dominated by a few major players that have an extensive regional presence and are established brand names. The leading players in the gas engines industry include Caterpillar (US), Wartsila Corporation (Finland), Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (UK), Cummins (US), and Man SE (Germany).



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.



Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: 1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/gas-engine.asp
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/20/2021 -- The report "Polymethyl Methacrylate Market by Form (extruded sheet, cast acrylic sheet, beads and pellets), Application (Sign & Display, Automobile, Construction, Electronics, Lighting & Fixture), Grade, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" The Polymethyl methacrylate market size is estimated to be USD 4.2 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 5.6 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.7%. Factors such as changing work style and adoption of work from home increases the electronics demand across the globe that support the market growth. Moreover, the significant growth of the construction and automobile industry in developing countries are driving the PMMA market.



Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=715



PMMA Extruded Sheets accounted for the largest share in 2020

Extruded sheets are estimated to be the largest form of PMMA. This is due to its advantages, which include clarity, good surface quality, range of colors, easy maintenance, surface hardness, lightweight, and easy fabrication.



Sign & display application accounted for the largest share in 2020

Sign & display is estimated to be the largest market for PMMA due to its increasing demand for marketing communications. The range of colors available in PMMA makes it suitable to before used in signs. Similarly, the optical properties of PMMA make it the preferred material for point-of-sale displays. The rising demand for weather-resistant, energy-efficient, and lightweight materials is estimated to fuel the demand for PMMA in sign & display. PMMA is largely used in the manufacture of automotive panels, bumpers, and other molded parts. Furthermore, as PMMA provides clarity and light transmission, it is used in rear and indicator light covers.



Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=715



APAC is projected to account for the largest share of the PMMA market during the forecast period

APAC is estimated to be the largest market for PMMA and is projected to reach USD 2,903 Million by 2026. The market in the region is primarily driven by the rising demand for durable plastic products from the construction, automotive, and electronics segment segments. The demand for PMMA in the Middle East is expected to increase. It is propelled by the increasing demand for lightweight, durable, and weather-resistant substitute to glass. The rising demand for durable and advanced products in the signs & displays sign & display, construction, and electronics applications are driving the market for PMMA in the region.



The PMMA market comprises major manufacturers such as Asahi Kasei (Japan), Chi Mei Corp. (Taiwan), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. (Japan), Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (Saudi Arabia), and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan) are the key players operating in the PMMA s market. Expansions, acquisitions, joint ventures, and new product developments are some of the major strategies adopted by these key players to enhance their positions in the PMMA s market.



Get 10% Customization on this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=715



Recent Developments :

- In 2021. Kuraray is planning to expand its production capacity that includes setting up Isoprene plant in Thailand, Water soluble PVA Film plant in US & Poland, Calgon Carbon new plants in US & Belgium.

- In Feb 2020, Evonik successfully completed the acquisition of PeroxyChem for USD 640 million. This purchase allows the access of the organization, to new growth prospects because of the purchase, particularly in the market for environmentally friendly disinfectants.

In Jan 2020, Aramco purchase a 70% interest in SAUDI Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) from the Public Investment Fund (PIFF), Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, for a total purchase price of USD 69.1 billion.



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.



Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA : 1-888-600-6441

sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Charles Darwin bred domestic pigeons (Columba livia), and in his Origin of Species described the numerous variations that had been selected by pigeon fanciers. He thought these birds held the secrets of selection in their beaks. Free from the bonds of natural selection, over 350 breeds have beaks of all shapes and sizes within a single species. The most striking are beaks so short that they sometimes prevent parents from feeding their own young. In a new study, biologists discovered that a mutation in the ROR2 gene is linked to beak size reduction domestic pigeons; surprisingly, mutations in this gene also underlie a human disorder called Robinow syndrome.

Some of the most striking characteristics of Robinow syndrome are the facial features, which include a broad, prominent forehead and a short, wide nose and mouth, and are reminiscent of the short-beak phenotype in pigeons, said Dr. Elena Boer, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah.

It makes sense from a developmental standpoint, because we know that the ROR2 signaling pathway plays an important role in vertebrate craniofacial development.

For the study, Dr. Boer and colleagues bred two pigeons with short and medium beaks: (i) the medium-beaked male was a Racing Homer, a bird bred for speed with a beak length similar to the ancestral rock pigeon; (ii) the small-beaked female was an Old German Owl, a fancy pigeon breed that has a little, squat beak.

Breeders selected this beak purely for aesthetics to the point that its detrimental  it would never appear in nature, said University of Utahs Professor Michael Shapiro.

So, domestic pigeons are a huge advantage for finding genes responsible for size differences.

One of Darwins big arguments was that natural selection and artificial selection are variations of the same process. Pigeon beak sizes were instrumental in figuring out how that works.

The short- and medium-beaked parents produced an initial F1 brood of children with intermediate-length beaks.

When the researchers mated the F1 birds to one another, the resulting F2 grandchildren had beaks ranging from big to little, and all sizes in between

To quantify the variation, they measured beak size and shape in the 145 F2 individuals using micro-CT scans.

The cool thing about this method is that it allows us to look at size and shape of the entire skull, and it turns out that its not just beak length that differs  the braincase changes shape at the same time, Dr. Boer said.

These analyses demonstrated that beak variation within the F2 population was due to actual differences in beak length and not variation in overall skull or body size.

Using a technique called quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, the scientists identified DNA sequence variants scattered throughout the pigeons genomes.

They then looked to see if those mutations appeared in the F2 grandkids chromosomes.

The grandkids with small beaks had the same piece of chromosome as their grandparent with the small beak, which told us that piece of chromosome has something to do with small beaks, Professor Shapiro said.

And it was on the sex chromosome, which classical genetic experiments had suggested, so we got excited.

The authors then compared the entire genome sequences of many different pigeon breeds: 56 pigeons from 31 short-beaked breeds and 121 pigeons from 58 medium- or long-beaked breeds.

They found that all individuals with small beaks had the same DNA sequence in an area of the genome that contains the ROR2 gene.

The fact that we got the same strong signal from two independent approaches was really exciting and provided an additional level of evidence that the ROR2 locus is involved, Dr. Boer said.

A paper on the findings was published today in the journal Current Biology.

_____

Elena Boer et al. Current Biology, published online September 21, 2021;
The Japanese archipelago, which has been occupied by humans for at least 38,000 years, underwent rapid transformations in the past 3,000 years, first from foraging to wet rice farming and then to state formation. A long-standing hypothesis suggested that mainland Japanese populations derive dual ancestry from indigenous Jomon hunter-gatherer-fishers, who inhabited the Japanese archipelago from around 16,000 to 3,000 years ago, and succeeding Yayoi farmers, who migrated from the Asian continent and lived in Japan from around 900 BCE to 300 CE. In new research, scientists from Japan and Ireland identified a later influx of East Asian ancestry during the imperial Kofun period, which lasted from around 300 to 700 CE and which saw the emergence of political centralization in Japan.

Researchers have been learning more and more about the cultures of the Jomon, Yayoi, and Kofun periods as more and more ancient artifacts show up, but before our research we knew relatively little about the genetic origins and impact of the agricultural transition and later state-formation phase, said Professor Shigeki Nakagome, a researcher in the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin.

We now know that the ancestors derived from each of the foraging, agrarian, and state-formation phases made a significant contribution to the formation of Japanese populations today.

In short, we have an entirely new tripartite model of Japanese genomic origins  instead of the dual-ancestry model that has been held for a significant time.

In their new research, the authors sequenced 12 ancient Japanese genomes spanning 8,000 years of the Japanese archipelagos pre- and protohistory.

To our knowledge, this is the largest set of time-stamped genomes from the archipelago, including the oldest Jomon individual and the first genomic data from the imperial Kofun period, they said.

We also included five published prehistoric Japanese genomes in our analysis: three Jomon individuals as well as two 2,000-year-old individuals associated with the Yayoi culture from the northwestern part of Kyushu Island.

In addition to the overarching discovery, the researchers found that the Jomon maintained a small effective population size of around 1,000 over several millennia, with a deep divergence from continental populations dated to 20,000-15,000 years ago  a period which saw Japan become more geographically insular through rising sea-levels.

The Japanese archipelago had become accessible through the Korean Peninsula at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum, some 28,000 years ago, enabling movement between.

And the widening of the Korea Strait 16,000 to 17,000 years ago due to rising sea-levels may have led to the subsequent isolation of the Jomon lineage from the rest of the continent.

These time frames also coincide with the oldest evidence of Jomon pottery production.

The indigenous Jomon people had their own unique lifestyle and culture within Japan for thousands of years prior to the adoption of rice farming during the subsequent Yayoi period, said first author Dr. Niall Cooke, also from the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin.

Our analysis clearly finds them to be a genetically distinct population with an unusually high affinity between all sampled individuals  even those differing by thousands of years in age and excavated from sites on different islands.

These results strongly suggest a prolonged period of isolation from the rest of the continent.

The spread of agriculture is often marked by population replacement, as documented in the Neolithic transition throughout most of Europe, with only minimal contributions from hunter-gatherer populations observed in many regions.

However, the scientists found genetic evidence that the agricultural transition in prehistoric Japan involved the process of assimilation, rather than replacement, with almost equal genetic contributions from the indigenous Jomon and new immigrants associated with wet-rice farming.

Several lines of archaeological evidence support the introduction of new large settlements to Japan, most likely from the southern Korean Peninsula, during the Yayoi-Kofun transition.

And the analyses provide strong support for the genetic exchange involved in the appearance of new social, cultural, and political traits in this state-formation phase.

The Japanese archipelago is an especially interesting part of the world to investigate using a time series of ancient samples given its exceptional prehistory of long-standing continuity followed by rapid cultural transformations, said co-author Professor Dan Bradley, a researcher in the School of Genetics and Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin.

Our insights into the complex origins of modern-day Japanese once again shows the power of ancient genomics to uncover new information about human prehistory that could not be seen otherwise.

The teams results were published in the journal Science Advances.

_____

Niall P. Cooke et al. 2021. Ancient genomics reveals tripartite origins of Japanese populations. Science Advances 7 (38); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2419
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f50070095b0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f5007229b30)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f50070095b0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f5007229b30)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f50072899c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f5007229b30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f5007229b30)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f5006398028)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f50071dfd80)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f50071dfd80)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
New York (UN), 20 September 2021 (SPS) - The representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations in charge of coordination with MINURSO, Sidi Mohamed Omar, sent Sunday a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, in which he refuted the fallacies contained in the letter of the Moroccan representative to the United Nations to the Secretary-General in connection with the mock elections recently conducted by the Moroccan occupying state in the occupied Sahrawi territories.



In his letter, the representative of the Polisario Front at the United Nations stressed that the Moroccan presence in Western Sahara is an act of occupation, as confirmed by United Nations resolutions. As a result, all the actions of the Moroccan occupying state in the territory, including the mock elections to which the Moroccan representative referred in his letter, are essentially colonial practices imposed by force and therefore have no legitimacy and cannot have any impact on the legal status of Western Sahara as a non-decolonized territory.



The representative of the Polisario Front reiterated that the the Polisario Front, which remained committed to the peaceful resolution of the decolonization issue in Western Sahara, will never accept the fait accompli that the Moroccan occupying state seeks to impose by force in the occupied territories of Western Sahara and will continue to use all legitimate means to defend the sacred rights of the Sahrawi people and its national aspirations for freedom and independence.



062/T
By Nina Baker

bakernin@grinnell.edu

COVID-19 PCR tests will be available for any Grinnell College student, employee or family member to request, the College announced in an all-campus email on Tuesday, Sept. 21. The tests will be self-administered, but will not return results until sent to the State Hygienic Lab in Coralville, IA. Students will now be able to access a test without presenting symptoms or having been exposed.

Tests will be free for Iowa residents. The email did not specify whether tests would be free for non-Iowa residents.

This announcement comes after the College was approved as a Test Iowa Pick-Up site. Test Iowa is a joint-partnership between the Iowa Department of Public Health and the State Hygienic Lab.

Facilities Management will transport kits to the State Hygienic Lab in Coralville, IA, Monday through Saturday.

This service will greatly reduce the turnaround time for test results and make PCR tests a more convenient and timely option for our campus community, wrote Heather Cox, director of emergency management and risk mitigation, in the email.

Prior to this announcement, students were directed to go to Student Health and Wellness (SHAW) to report symptoms, and would be tested by a nurse if approved for a test. Students were instructed to get tested only if symptomatic or exposed to another individual who tested positive for COVID-19, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

PCR testing detects genetic material specific to the virus and is considered by the Center for Disease Control to be more reliable than rapid testing for asymptomatic individuals.

To request a kit from the College, students should visit Student Affairs on the 3rd floor of the Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC) from Monday through Friday. Students can also contact the Test Iowa website for direct shipment to their mailbox.

The drop-box for PCR tests will be at the Information Desk in the JRC. The first pick-up will begin on Sept. 23.

If the results are positive, students should contact SHAW immediately at 641-269-3230, or Campus Safety at 641-269-4600.
       13-18      ...
MALKERNS  While social media has played a huge role in vaccine hesitancy among emaSwati, the Ministry of Health has rolled up its sleeves to ensure that accurate information is disseminated at all times.

This was the general observation by Business Eswatini CEO Nathi Dlamini. He made this submission during the WhatsApp Health-line launch, which was held at Malandelas in Malkerns yesterday. The WhatsApp line is an information resource supported by USAID through the Eswatini Pact. It addresses myths and misconceptions on COVID-19 vaccines. By simply sending a hi to 7943 6585, the line is automatically activated. The line was launched by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi.

Misinformation

Dlamini said most people were exposed to misinformation on social media. He mentioned that there were untruths which were sold and people were ready to buy them. However, with the Ministry of Health line, the CEO expressed that locals now had access to credible information. He said he had met people who knew half a story so well but were clueless on the other 50 per cent, but thought they knew everything. Social media is predicated on that I will give you half a credible story to reel you in and once you are inside then I will start lying. Thats where its at. They are prying on our ignorance, said the CEO. Dlamini elaborated that there were a lot of lies disseminated on social media and they cost the lives of workers in organisations. Businesses are shutting down and the fourth wave is looming. People should get onto the ship because the flood is coming, he warned.

Dlamini congratulated the ministry on this milestone and said there were amazing discoveries that the country was making, which included the recent health-line app. He appreciated the launch of the app, which he said would now address many myths and misconceptions on the COVID-19 vaccines. Minister Nkosi said the app allowed for more efficient communication as the country had a target to vaccinate all eligible citizens to reach herd immunity. It will play a pivotal role in demand creation. We are now also able to analyse data through the app so that we are aware of what to change and fix to meet the knowledge gap of our people, Nkosi said. She appreciated the US Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), their implementing partners PACT & all partners who had financially and technically supported this innovative gesture.
MANZINI  A group of about 20 people failed to deliver a petition to HMCS in Matsapha where they demanded the release of the two incarcerated MPs and Amos Mbedzi.

According to His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Senior Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini, the officers at the Matsapha Maximum Prison where the two Members of Parliament (MPs) are locked up, ordered the people to disperse and as such they did not deliver the petition.

Political

In the petition, the people demanded that HMCS Commissioner General Phindile Dlamini should release the two parliamentarians; Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Ngwempisi MP Mthandeni Dube, together with political prisoner, Amos Mbedzi.

They also asked why the MPs were moved from Sidwashini Correctional Facility to the Matsapha Maximum Prison. They asked the commissioner general where the department got the power to transfer the legislators. In the petition, they gave the commissioner general 10 days to respond or adhere to their demands. They said within the 10 days, she should issue a press statement announcing when she would release the trio and explain why the incarcerated MPs were transferred from Sidwashini Correctional Facility to the Matsapha Maximum Prison.

A source close to the matter said when the people arrived at the facilitys gate, they sang political songs and were carrying placards with different messages, which included the demand for the release of the trio. He said when the officers, who were deployed at the Correctional facilitys gate and saw the people, they approached them and ordered them to disperse. He claimed that after engaging them, the group left.

Ground

They left the petition on the ground before leaving, but the officers did not take it, the source claimed. Meanwhile, the departments mouthpiece said there was a group of people who came to the Matsapha Maximum Prison yesterday. However, she said they did not know why they visited the facility. She said when they arrived, the officers told them that the facility was an area of security and noise was not allowed. They ordered them to leave and they eventually left, the PRO said. Worth noting is that in the petition, the people referred to themselves as emaSwati and they did not align themselves with any political organisation. The MPs have been charged for allegedly contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act, while MP Mabuza has an extra charge of allegedly breaching the COVID-19 rules and regulations. Mbedzi is the South African national who was convicted of five charges, including sedition and murder. He was sentenced to 85 years and six months in prison by the High Court of Eswatini.
NHLANGANO  Some people of Hosea are sick and tired of the constant protests and violence in the area and have called upon pupils to focus on their studies and abandon the protests.

This was during a meeting at the constituency on Saturday. The meeting was held some residents of Hosea and it was meant to map a way forward in as far as protesting for the release of their incarcerated Member of Parliament (MP) Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and other issues that included the recent protests by pupils. Mabuza was arrested together with Ngwemphisi MP Mthandeni Dube. The pupils are those attending school at Hosea High and Ngozi Secondary, who are residents of Hosea. This follows protests that saw the schools and other neighbouring schools being closed last week because of the protests. The pupils were protesting for the release of the arrested MPs. In the meeting, attended by some pupils and the youth from of the seven communities making up Hosea, it was said that they were not wrong to voice out their grievances but education was equally important. They were told that if they wanted to join protests, they could do so only on weekends.

Hosea has always had a number of university students each year and that cannot stop with you, said one of the speakers. The residents stated that it was their battle, adding that they were only going to join it once they finished school. The Indvuna of Hosea Richard Vilane, who was also part of the meeting, stated that they did not want the pupils left out from their schoolwork because this would mean they were grooming thieves who would rob them in future. In an interview, he stated that as the current political leader of the constituency, amid the arrest of MP Mabuza, he saw it proper to call the pupils to order. As a person who knows Mabuza well, I am certain he would have said the same, Vilane said. The residents, however, stated that having talked to the pupils, they were not expecting the police to arrest anyone.

When reached for comment, Deputy Regional Education Officer Sibongile Zwane said they were happy to learn that residents were also of the view that the education of pupils was important. She shared that a report sent by Hosea head teacher, stated that a parent volunteered to personally stay at the school to guard who exactly was behind the protests. We appreciate the parents and we wish more could do the same, she added.
MANZINI  Pupils in three schools yesterday boycotted classes and tabled various demands to their administrations.

At Ncabaneni High School, pupils started a fire outside the schools gate when they boycotted classes and tabled 10 demands to the administration. This took place yesterday morning in the school located at Ncabaneni near Khalangilile in the Manzini Region. A source close to the matter said the pupils started singing political songs while inside their classrooms and later started picketing around the school. Thereafter, they prepared a handwritten petition, which was directed to the office of the acting head teacher. Through the petition, the pupils said they wanted to learn and the office should consider how to deal with the shortage of teachers. The source claimed that there were a number of vacant positions for teachers in the school.

Hire

They also demanded that the school should hire an Information and Technology (IT) teacher as their parents paid for the subject. The source claimed that the school did not have an IT teacher. We have a right to choose our class prefects, the pupils said in the petition. The insider alleged that currently, class prefects were appointed by teachers. Furthermore, the pupils also demanded to wear surgical masks. They said they did not see a difference between them and teachers when it came to COVID-19. The source claimed that the school encouraged the pupils to wear cloth masks because they allegedly failed to maintain surgical masks. For example, the source said some pupils were wearing the surgical masks for two consecutive days, yet it should be worn at least for four hours.

On top of that, the pupils demanded that teachers should be removed from the library. They said the school should hire a full-time librarian. The source said there were about three teachers who usually worked at the library. The pupils claim that they do not study well in the presence of the teachers, the source said. Through the petition, the pupils also demanded refunds for monies they paid for cellphones and data. The source claimed that the school had a partnership with a mobile company to supply it with cellphones and data packages, thus it asked the pupils to pay E700. However, while the head teacher was working on the matter, he passed on. The source said the programme was left hanging, thus the pupils wanted their refunds. They also demanded proper and clean toilets and that when they owed school fees, they should not be sent home because failing to pay on time was not their fault. Again, they demanded that corporal punishment should be banned and that the schools cook should wear a uniform.

demands from Ncabaneni pupils:

We want to learn and the office should consider how to deal with the shortage of teachers.

The school should hire an Information and Technology (IT) teacher as our parents pay for the subject.

We have a right to choose our class prefects.

We demand to wear surgical masks because we do not see a difference between us and teachers when it comes to COVID-19.

Teachers should be removed from the library.

We demand refunds for monies paid for cellphones and data.

We demand proper and clean toilets.

When we owe school fees, we should not be sent back home because failing to pay on time is not our fault.

Corporal punishment should be banned.

The schools cook should wear a uniform.




LOBAMBA  The sight of soldiers and police officers in schools could be a reality should government heed calls by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The PAC is of the view that security personnel should be deployed to maintain peace and order in schools. This was said by the new Chairperson of the PAC, who is also Gege Member of Parliament, Musa Kunene. He said there was a lot of unrest in schools around the country, adding that opportunists were taking every opportunity to use the pupils to spread the unrest (budlwangudlwangu). We would encourage that you continue to monitor the situation and if it calls for you to use the police, then attend to these toyi-toyis with them, said Kunene. He said the country could not allow pupils to remain at home any longer while the unrest continued.

Threat

Kunene said if there was any threat or chance of violence, then the Ministry of Education and Training should approach either the army or the police to maintain peace. In vernacular he said; Ningaya masemasotjeni, ningaya nasemaphoyiseni, as he said the ministry could utilise the services of the security forces. He said some pupils were serious about learning and missed school because they had been at home for a long time. MP Kunene said teachers were merely civil servants and could not be expected to maintain the order under these trying times. He said the ministry and as a collective government should ensure that schools continued operating as there were some pupils who were so behind they wanted to disrupt lessons for those who were keen to learn.

MP Kunene made the utterances yesterday during the sitting of the PAC, which was deliberating the Auditor Generals (AG) Public Schools Audit Report for the Financial Year ended December 31, 2018. The chairperson made these remarks after Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Bertram Stewart had asked that he be excused from some of the future sittings of the committee as there was a lot under the ministry which demanded his attention. He said there would be two Motsa officers who would sit in for him as he would be away. MP Kunene further said head teachers should try and ensure that security guards were deployed in the schools every day of the week and provide 24-hour security. He said the people who burnt the schools took the chance to do so once the security guards had knocked off.

As soon as they (security guards) leave, these people target the schools and burn them so the controlling officer must continue to make sure that there is safety because even the teachers will end up not going to school, said Kunene. In response, the PS said the unrest in schools was not even caused by the late payment of free primary education (FPE) and orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) funds. He made an example of a woman who wanted out of a marriage that no matter what talking to could be done, that person had already made up her mind that she wanted to leave. He said the pupils found any excuse to boycott classes. In another school, they boycotted because there were some people who were arrested, including another pupil who tried to burn the school, said the PS.

Exams

He said the pupils said they would not attend school or even write exams until the release of their colleague. He, however, expressed hope that order would be restored because they were working with the police who were fully committed to ensuring that schools returned back on track. The PS said the pupils grievances were neither here nor there, but they just wanted to cause distraction. He said government paid for FPE and OVCs and that parents paid nothing, especially in primary school, which was why he wondered why parents failed to reprimand their children. Parents are failing to guard their children and ask them where they are going at night and why they smell of petrol, the PS said. He said this was basic discipline of children and that he grew up during an era where a child could not just go to the shops without being sent by an adult.

Stewart said nowadays, children would hang around shops and when any person tried to call them to order, the very parents would turn against the person disciplining them and state that they were violating the childs human rights. The challenge is with the parents as they have a responsibility to discipline their children instead of sitting back while government pays for everything, he said. He said some of the parents were seemingly just content with giving birth. Parents also have a responsibility in what is happening, he said. MP Kunene said the ministry should make means of addressing both parents and pupils about the importance of school and why they should not burn them.

Protests

He said pupils were gullible and sometimes participated in these protests and sung of songs without knowing what they were doing. Meanwhile, other members of the PAC, in particular Dvokodvweni MP Mduduzi Magagula, wanted to know if government had already paid the OVC and FPE fees this year as some of the schools were complaining that no payment had been made and they were struggling to operate. He further asked if the shortage of teachers had been dealt with, including how many had since been engaged by the ministry as some pupils went to school to do nothing, which was why some of them resorted to the burning of schools. The PS said the payments were ongoing, but there were some challenges as some of the personal identity numbers (PIN) of the pupils did not tally.

He said they were dealing with such issues on a case-by-case basis as they were filling the gaps. He said they were conducting a study which they hoped to complete by the end of this month as some schools were over staffed while others had deputy head teachers yet that was not supposed to be the case depending on the school enrolment. He said in other schools, some head teachers no longer conducted lessons yet this was not supposed to be the case. Stewart added that the ministry, with the Teaching Service Commission, had a meeting with the prime minister to remove the condition that they had to seek permission from Public Service to replace a head teacher. The PS further noted that some teachers were seemingly involved in inciting the pupils.

Mangcongco MP Oneboy Zikalala suggested that the pupils and teachers needed to be re-orientated on teaching and learning as the break had been too long.
Dorf Ketal Chemicals India Pvt Ltd a company headquartered in Mumbai, India and TriBonds Chemical Co, of Dammam, Saudi Arabia have announced a joint venture to manufacture and market process and water specialty chemicals.

The JV will focus on meeting the energy and water management and processing needs of refineries, petrochemicals, fuel additives, plastics, lubricants, oil field chemicals, catalysts and adsorbents.

Overcoming the constraints imposed on global trade and joint ventures, by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the announcement by the two companies marks an important development towards empowering innovation in this highly specialised space, within the Middle East market.

The JV leverages the complementary strengths of the two entities, to satisfy growing industry demands to enhance critical applications, such as Drag Reducing Agents for pipeline applications, Clean Fuels, Coke Retarders for the petrochemical industry, and Green Retarders for Styrene production.

The coming together of the two companies will have a particularly far-reaching impact, given the critical need for energy and water conservation in the region; as well as being an opportunity for both entities to expand operations, and implement breakthrough innovations.

This new JV is critical for the development and growth of Dorf Ketal in the region, and allows us to collaborate with a valued partner, and contribute to the exciting vision for a future-ready, dynamic, KSA economy, said Sudhir Menon, Chairman and Managing Director for Dorf Ketal.

The regional experience, capabilities, and strengths of Tribonds Chemical, will enhance Dorf Ketals ability to contribute to the growth and development of the Saudi Arabia Hydrocarbon Industry; while bringing innovative approaches to solving the critical industry issues of Flow Assurance, Plant Integrity, Energy and Water Conservation. This JV will deliver high-quality services and products for our valued customers, not only within Saudi Arabia, but other markets in the region as well.

The JV will actively contribute to the KSAs Vision 2030 initiative, by increasing the use of local raw materials, and creating employment opportunities within the kingdom. The technology localisation, resulting from the JV, will also enhance workforce development, in alignment with Saudi Aramcos In-Kingdom Total Value Add programme (IKTVA).

Abdulaziz Abdulhadi Al-Qahtani, Chairman TriBonds Chemical Co, reiterated the JVs positive impact on the regions refining and petrochemical industry, and sustainability goals. The new JV brings in proven, patented innovation and technologies, in water and process applications, to the region; in addition to decades of a global experience and expertise, he elaborated.

A secure supply of specialty chemicals is extremely vital for the major refineries and petrochemicals operations in the region. The new entity will enhance sustainability in operations, by localising the manufacturing footprint at Dammam 2nd Industrial City; in line with the industrys social responsibility commitments. It will also contribute to the kingdoms Vision 2030 initiative, and help meet the petrochemical industrys environmental commitments, across the Mena region.-- TradeArabia News Service
Petrofac has been awarded a new multi-million-dollar contract by Tatweer Petroleum to support its gas distribution network project in Bahrain.

The Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning (EPCC) scope of work includes high pressure gas pipelines and fibre optic cabling.

The underground pipelines will run through sections onshore and offshore below the seabed in support of gas supply to the kingdom and will be designed for full interchangeability.

Commenting on the award, Nick Shorten, Petrofac Chief Operating Officer, said: Through our engineering and project execution capability, Petrofac has been supporting Tatweer Petroleum to deliver a number of key upstream gas projects in Bahrain. We again look forward to applying our skills and expertise to safely deliver this critical infrastructure, which underpins the supply of energy to Bahrain.

Petrofac has been present in Bahrain since 2015, following the award of an EPCC contract to supply a new gas dehydration facility by Tatweer Petroleum. The project was successfully completed in 2018, and additional scope of work was then secured by Petrofac for the engineering, procurement, and construction of several gas wells, to be connected to the facility.

In June 2020, Petrofac was awarded a new multi-million dollar EPCC contract by Tatweer Petroleum for an upstream gas project that includes well hook-ups, associated pipelines, and tie-ins for several new gas wells that the company is planning to drill as part of its gas delivery strategy in the Bahrain Field.-- TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain has climbed 22 places, rising from 61st place to 39th since last year, surpassing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates according to the third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index.



The latest Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks the US fifth among 110 countries. Covering 90% of the global population, the DQL study is conducted by the cybersecurity company Surfshark and evaluates countries based on a set of five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars.



Bahrain shows competitive results in internet quality (12th) and e-infrastructure (28th), but displays comparatively lower scores in internet affordability (52nd), e-security (86th) and e-government (41st).



Overall, Bahrain has demonstrated one of the most significant improvements compared to DQL 2020,. Coming 4th in Western Asia, Bahrains internet quality and e-infrastructure are among the top 30 in the world. The study shows notable growth in internet affordability and e-security, which improved by 176% and 117%, respectively.



People in Bahrain have to work 10 minutes 15 seconds to afford the cheapest 1GB mobile data package. It is 5 minutes 42 seconds less than in 2020. Whereas to purchase the cheapest broadband package Bahrainis have to work 2 hours 47 minutes, 2 hours less than previous year.



The country still has room for improvement in specific areas  Saudi Arabias and Qatars mobile and broadband internet is 2 times faster. Additionally, people in Qatar have to work 2 times less to afford mobile internet, while Saudi Arabians have to work a striking 4 times less. Bahrains e-security could be better, as it is the countrys lowest score and comes only 86th.



Digital opportunities have proved to be more important than ever during the Covid-19 crisis, stressing the importance for every country to ensure fully remote operational capacities for their economies,  explained Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO of Surfshark.



That is why, for the third year in a row, we continue the Digital Quality of Life research, which provides a robust global outlook into how countries excel digitally. The index sets the basis for meaningful discussions about how digital advancement impacts a countrys prosperity and where improvements can be made.



In an all-around picture, 6 out of 10 countries holding the highest scores are located in Europe, following last years trend. Denmark ranks 1st in DQL for the second year in a row and is closely followed by South Korea. Finland ranks 3rd, while Israel and the US round out the top five of 110 nations that were evaluated. The bottom 5 countries are Ethiopia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Guatemala, and Angola.



Regionally, the US stands out as a country with the highest digital quality of life in the Americas, while South Korea takes the leading position in Asia. Among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives whereas Australia leads in Oceania, outperforming New Zealand in various digital areas.



Other significant findings of the report include:



 Broadband is globally less affordable this year. Comparing countries included in both DQL20 and DQL21, people have to work 11% more (25 min more) to afford broadband internet in 2021. However, people have to work 29% less (28 min less) to afford mobile internet this year.



 The worlds worst internet is the least affordable. People in some countries, such as Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire and Mali require approximately a weeks worth of work to afford the internet.



 Investing in electronic infrastructure and electronic government contributes to peoples digital wellbeing the most.



The 2021 DQL research examined a total population of more than 6.9 billion people in terms of five core pillars and 14 underpinning indicators that provide a comprehensive measure. The study is based on open-source information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, Freedom House, the International Communications Union, and other sources.  TradeArabia News Service
Microsofts global partner Predica, a provider of consulting services in cloud applications and development operations among others, has entered the Qatari market in anticipation of an increase in demand for world-class IT consultancy.



Significant economic advances are expected for Qatar overall through foreign direct investments made by international businesses looking to expand their operations.



Cloud technologies will enable new global collaborations and increase business continuity as scalability delivers a new competitive edge across local markets and industries. The economic impact can already be observed with firms like Predica joining the Qatari market. Local feelings remain positive as hyper-scale cloud services begin to play a key role in unlocking economic value for the nation under Qatars Vision 2030.



Predicas key services center around Azure specializations, for one of which it ranks within the top 10 consulting firms worldwide. The company also provides consulting services machine learning, data mining, cloud-based security, and cyber-resilience.



Szymon Swiatek, Country Manager at Predica in Qatar, said: We are grateful and humbled by the opportunity to join the Qatari market. Microsofts new Data Center in Doha is a great opportunity for local organizations to take advantage of the possibilities that the cloud offers. We are excited to work with Microsoft and several businesses in the area to advance technological capabilities in the region, particularly in advanced data analytics.



Lana Khalaf, Country Manager at Microsoft Qatar, said: We are pleased to see how the Microsoft data center is already transforming the ICT ecosystem in Qatar and attracting our global partner ecosystem and tech companies to the country, such as Predica establishing local presence in Qatar.



Predica has deep expertise in data, artificial intelligence and cloud security, and their proficiency will further help customers in Qatar to drive innovative solutions. We are committed to strengthen the capabilities of our partner ecosystem in Qatar to showcase leadership in the marketplace on the latest technology and to better serve customers. The Data center will further empower our partners by providing them access to an ever expanding set of cloud services to accelerate the pace of innovation in Qatar, Khalaf added.



Predica is already working with local organizations on cloud-based projects. As a result, the reputed consultancy will soon hire several specialized Azure Consultants, demonstrating the extended economic impact of foreign direct investments on the local job market.  TradeArabia News Service
Mall of Dilmunia, a unique family-centric mall concept in Bahrain, has signed a lease agreement with Prepline Holdings that will pave the way for the debut of its major food and beverages (F&B) brands - CHKN, Abby BRGR, Abby Shawaya and Robyan - in the retail and leisure destination.

Mall of Dilmunia is fast being recognised as the ideal destination that offers a variety of brands and services.

CHKN will offer a variety of crunchy fried chicken at the newly expanded mall, while Kuwait's iconic brand, Abby BRGR, will cater to all meat lovers, and its other brand Robyan will serve golden crispy shrimps.

A traditional blend with Abby Shawaya will tempt taste buds with a modern twist on rotisserie chicken, said the statement from Mall of Dilmunia.

Prepline Holdings, which owns these four concepts among the other excellent F&B brands, will be opening its doors to visitors as part of mall expansion efforts.

"We are all about matching our top performing brands with sound real estate opportunities and Mall of Dilmunia achieves that. We are looking forward to this fruitful partnership," stated Prepline Holdings Managing Partner Khalil Alameen. To create a place that brings flavoursome food, ambiance and people together, Prepline Holdings strategically selected a prime location on the lower ground floor with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Dilmunia canal and dancing fountains to build a dining destination that goes beyond just good food, he added. Deputy CEO and General Manager, Rebecca Charlotte Arnold said: "We are happy to welcome Prepline Holdings to the unique list of brands at Mall of Dilmunia. They have a deep understanding of F&B and as result have brought to life new successful concepts such as the ones opening here."

"Mall of Dilmunia makes every effort to deliver the best to its community, and the steps it takes to accomplish that goal is gradually completing the picture as a whole," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
Oman Air, the national carrier of Oman, will resume flights between Muscat and London (Heathrow) starting tomorrow (September 22).

The flights will operate three times weekly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, departing Muscat at 14:25 local time and arriving in London at 19:10 local time. Flights from London will depart at 20:50 local time and arrive in Muscat at 07:15 local time on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. All flights are scheduled to operate with Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety programme throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman's airports, the airline said.

Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate, it said.

Guests travelling to the UK should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
United Nations, Sep 21 (UNI/Sputnik) UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed the belief on Tuesday that the world is on the edge of an abyss and has never been more threatened.

"We are on the edge of an abyss  and moving in the wrong direction Our world has never been more threatened. Or more divided. We face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetimes. The COVID-19 pandemic has supersized glaring inequalities. The climate crisis is pummeling the planet. Upheaval from Afghanistan to Ethiopia to Yemen and beyond has thwarted peace," Guterres said in his address at the UN General Assembly.

The UN leader also pointed to a surge of mistrust and attacks on human rights.

"Solidarity is missing in action  just when we need it most," Guterres went on to say.

UNI/SPUTNIK PRT GK 1908
Islamic State-Khorasan claims responsibility for attacks on Taliban in Jalalabad

Kabul, Sep 19 (UNI) The Islamic State-Khorasan terror group on Sunday claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Taliban in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, according to its propaganda outlet Amaq.



Amaq News Agency, which publishes news related to the ISIS group, also released a video showing an IED going off as a Taliban vehicle goes past.
New Delhi, Sep 21 (UNI) After the Delhi High Court allowed a high powered committee set-up by the Delhi government to probe deaths due to lack of Oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Kejriwal government on Tuesday welcomed the courts decision.

We respect the court's direction and express our gratitude at the same time. The Delhi Government has been serious about the deaths in the capital due to lack of oxygen during the Corona pandemic. The Delhi Government wants the truth to come out in front of everyone. Surprisingly, the Delhi Government sent the file in this regard twice to the LG but he refused to give his nod. Finally, today the court has upheld the stance of the Delhi Government, a statement shared by the city government said.

The Delhi High Court today gave a nod to the functioning of the High Power Committee (HPC) to look into the matter of providing compensation to people who died due to lack of oxygen during the second wave.

Delhi governments decision to set up the panel had earlier been stayed by the L-G on more than one occasion. The HC passed the order while hearing a womans petition arguing there was no reasonable justification for stalling the functioning of the High Powered Committee as the issues like health or grant of ex gratia monetary reliefs or other benefits to the affected sections of society are matters which fall within the exclusive domain of the Government of Delhi.

The woman, whose husband died of Covid-19 in May at a private hospital, had argued that non-operationalisation of the committee was arbitrary and smacks of mala fide.

The Committee has been asked by the government to probe the deaths in such cases where complaints are that the people died on account of oxygen shortage. The Committee is expected to draw up criteria for compensation limited to a maximum of Rs 5 Lakh each.

UNI ASH SHK2303
New Delhi, Sep 21 (UNI) In the backdrop of Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the US this week, where he will hold talks with President Joe Biden, address the UN General Assembly and attend a meeting of the QUAD.

The visit, which assumes significance as India and the US look at strengthening cooperation, especially in the strategic sector, will also see India calling for a rearrangement in the multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council of which India is a non-permanent member.

Modi will visit the US from September 22 to 25, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Biden, attend a meeting of the QUAD and also address at the UNGA.

During the visit that comes after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the situation in that country and its impact on the region are on the agenda, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said.

Shringla said the PM will leave India on Wednesday and return on September 26. This will be the PM's first visit abroad beyond the neighborhood since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. Modi visited Bangladesh in March this year.

He will hold a meeting with the US President at the White House on September 24, and the two sides will discuss the current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan, the Foreign Secretary said.

"The two leaders are expected to discuss how to bolster bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthen defence and security collaboration, and boost the strategic clean energy partnership," Shringla said.

"Bilateral meeting will also feature current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan and our stakes as a neighbour and preferred development partner of people of Afghanistan. In this context, we would discuss the need to stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks," he said.

Discussions will also be held on reform of the multilateral systems including the UNSC.

The meeting of QUAD will be held at the White House on September 24, and will be attended by Australian PM Scott Morrison, Japan PM Yoshihide Suga along with Modi and Biden. QUAD is Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among India, the US, Japan and Australia.

"We see QUAD as a partnership among four like-minded countries in pursuit of common interests in striving for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," he said.

"QUAD has acquired momentum in the recent past," Shringla said, adding that all member countries are dedicated to democracy, pluralism and free market-based economies.

He also highlighted how India chaired the UNSC in August during a difficult phase as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and stressed on "restructuring" of multilateral institutions. India has been seeking permanent membership of an expanded UNSC, which presently has five permanent members - US, UK, France, China and Russia.

He also said QUAD has nothing to do with AUKUS - a grouping of Australia, the US and the UK.

"QUAD and AUKUS are not groupings of a similar nature. QUAD is designed to cater to the requirements of the Indo-Pacific, while AUKUS is a security alliance among three countries," he said.

Covid-19 pandemic will also be an important focus during the visit. Modi will also participate in the Covid-19 global summit hosted by President Biden.

The Prime Minister's delegation will include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Shringla among others.

Modi will also meet US Vice President Kamala Harris.

UNI AO SC
Prayagraj, Sep 21 (UNI) Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted on the instruction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to investigate into the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad and Secretary of Niranjani Akhara here on Monday.

Prayagraj DIG Sarvasresth Tripathi has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and handed over the leadership of the team to Deputy SP Ajit Singh Chauhan.

On Tuesday, CM Yogi Adityanath paid tribute to the Mahant after paying his last respect to the body of the Mahant at Shri Math Baghambri Gaddi in Prayagraj. After this, he said that no stone will be left unturned in the investigation into the death of the great saint and anyone in doubt will be dealt with strictly.



At present, along with Swami Anand Giri, six other people have been detained and interrogation is going on.



The police have already taken into custody deceased's disciple yoga guru Anand Giri, Aadya Tiwari, the chief priest of the Hanuman temple at Sangam, and his son Sandeep Tiwari.



In the SIT formed in the case of suspicious death of Mahant Narendra Giri, along with Deputy SP Ajit Singh Chauhan, Inspector Mahesh, the investigator of this case, has also been kept. In this matter, DIG Mr Tripathi said that if needed, police will also conduct lie detector test of some people.



Sources here said police is also investigating two videos related to the death of Mahant Narendra Giri.



There is talk of blackmailing Narendra Giri on the basis of a video. This video has also been mentioned in the alleged suicide note of Mahant Narendra Giri. The second video was made by Mahant Narendra Giri himself, in which he has narrated about the conspiracy against him.



On the basis of these videos, a big disclosure can be made after investigation, sources said.



An FIR has been registered in the George Town police station in connection with the suspicious death of Mahant Narendra Giri. In the report filed by Amar Giri Pawan Maharaj, a disciple of Mahant Narendra Giri, Mahant's disciple Anand Giri has been made a named accused.



According to this FIR, Mahant Narendra Giri went to the Baghambri Gaddi's room on Monday at around 12:30 pm for rest as usual after a meal. He had tea time at three o'clock in the afternoon, but he skipped it and had said that he would inform himself when he would have it. After this, there was no response from Mahant till 5 pm and which the doors were broken and police was informed.

UNI MB SHK1856
UW Haub School Receives $600,000 for Scholarship Opportunities

Inaugural recipients of the Tome Scholars to Fellows Program scholarship at UW are, from left: Iris Kurz, Benjamin Pina, Addison Potts and Jennifer Bautz. (UW Photo)

The University of Wyomings Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources has received a gift of $600,000 from the Tome Foundation to create the Tome Scholars to Fellows Program.

Wyoming and the University of Wyoming are close and dear to us. The University of Wyoming is our alma mater, and Carol is a native Wyomingite, Ramon Tome says. We are proud to provide an opportunity to continue the support of a diverse student body, one that is inclusive of all people, as the university has done in the past and continues to foster now.

We know that these scholars will make a difference in their field of study and that the university will empower them to do their best. Through our support and the university commitment, it is our intent to enable underrepresented students to achieve an education that will make a difference in the lives of others and their own.

The Tome Scholars to Fellows Program will be among UWs premier scholarship opportunities -- providing transformational experiences for future leaders in the environment and natural resources sector.

Tome Scholars are women and/or minority students whose major area of educational focus is in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM), including medicine and nursing.

Tome Scholars receive a full-ride scholarship and funding for one or more unique experiences such as international field courses and community service. Following graduation, these exceptional students become Tome Fellows, a community of Tome Scholars.

Recipients will be selected through the leadership of the Haub School dean, and the dean and faculty members will be actively engaged with the Tome Scholars over their four years of education.

The Haub School is so grateful to join in partnership with the Tome Foundation to provide an experience that empowers these talented scholars to have impact on our wild and working lands, says John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. We embolden our students through their experiences and broad training to take on the grand challenges in the environment that require passion and determination to bring people together to solve complex problems. Through this generous gift, our Tome Scholars are on a path toward a lifetime of impact.

Tome Scholars will bring ambition, intelligence, drive and tenacity into a UW educational experience designed to elevate their career opportunities to impact the world through expertise and leadership, Koprowski says. They also will have access to a network of other Tome Scholars across the country and build a relationship with Carol and Ramon Tome themselves.

Carol and Ramon Tome have given generously to UW since 1995. Their previous contributions include a $1 million gift for the Carol and Ramon Tome Student Admissions Center, located within the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. Additionally, they have contributed to the Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center and the UW Alumni Association. Carol retired as chief financial officer of Home Depot and then came out of retirement in 2020 to serve as the CEO of UPS during the global pandemic.

Four students have received the Tome full-ride scholarship. They are Jennifer Bautz, Iris Kurz, Benjamin Pina and Addison Potts.

Bautz, from Lander, hopes to use her education to help ensure that future generations have opportunities to enjoy public lands. Bautz is pursuing her B.S. in environmental systems science with a concurrent major in environment and natural resources and the Honors College.

I was originally planning to pay for college myself through savings, scholarships and part-time jobs, Bautz says. Piecing together funding for college has been a great challenge, and I welcome the opportunity presented by this scholarship. Being a Tome Scholar will help me to focus primarily on learning and spend less time seeking funding.

Kurz is an aspiring conservation scientist, pursuing a B.S. in environmental systems science. She graduated from Wylie East High School in Wylie, Texas, as a 2021 Birmingham Scholar.

As nature has been such an important part of my childhood, I feel a responsibility to preserve it, Kurz says. I know I cannot possibly save the entire planet all by myself, which is why I am so excited and grateful for the opportunities and connections that will be provided to me by the Tome Scholars to Fellows Program. With their help, I will undoubtedly be able to at least conserve my own personal neck of the woods.

Pina was born in South Florida and has lived in North Carolina and Texas. He is pursuing his B.S. in environment and natural resources. Pinas mother is third-generation Swedish, and his father is Venezuelan. At UW, he hopes to deeply explore human connections to the natural world and pursue his passion for environmental conservation.

Four years of support will hugely relieve financial pressures on my family, Pina says. I will soon join two other siblings working through college, as we support extended family in Venezuela and across South America in diaspora from the current crisis. But, even beyond the financial support, I will value the community and mentorship aspect of close connections with Dean Koprowski, fellow scholars and donors who believe in me.

Potts is a native Wyomingite and graduated with honors from Cheyenne Central High School this year. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, International Club, and the swimming and diving team. Potts is double majoring in environment and natural resources with a focus on sustainability, and geography with a focus on planning.

The Tome Scholars to Fellows Program will provide guidance and direction, allowing me a clear path to my future, Potts says. The opportunities to participate in international studies excite me. I believe this experience will allow me to gain a global perspective that would have otherwise been out of my reach. I look forward to the challenge and am honored and humbled by the opportunities that this program will present to me.
Wyoming Blockchain Stampede Taps Top Leaders for Annual Gathering of Innovators

The fourth annual Wyoming Blockchain Stampede and WyoHackathon, which begins today (Tuesday) at the University of Wyoming, aims to solve the insatiable appetite for curated, industry-led content regarding the disruptive blockchain space.

To register for the virtual and in-person conference, visit Wyoming Blockchain Stampede 2021 (www.wyohackathon.io).

Wyoming is the place where companies that innovate on the blockchain will find support, talent and favorable legislation. Chairing the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede is Caitlin Long, CEO of Avanti Bank, who is credited with cultivating favorable legislation establishing the state as the progressive leader in blockchain policy. Long is the keynote speaker at opening ceremonies today to officially kick off the six days of events.

Industry leading keynote speakers include Gov. Mark Gordon (R-Wyo.); U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.); Charles Hoskinson, founder and CEO of Cardano; Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum; Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation; Joel Neidig, CEO of SIMBA Chain; Jay Patel, founder of Edge196; Kui Wang, CEO of Bitdeer; Lane Kasselman, chief business officer of Blockchain.com; and Chris Snook, CEO of SDK Co.

The opening ceremony also hosts academic and governmental dignitaries such as Tyler Lindholm, state policy director for Lummis and a former state legislator who helped guide blockchain legislation; Rep. Jared Olsen (R-Cheyenne) and Sen. Chris Rothfuss (D-Laramie), current co-chairmen of the legislative Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology; and Steven Lupien, director of the UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation (CBDI).

The executive producer of the conference -- Rich Kopcho, co-founder of SDKco.io, a blockchain hardware and software company -- says the conference has experienced exponential growth since its first year, reaching 190 countries and registering more than 5,000 attendees for the 2020 event.

Ten Tracks, Six Days and Over 40 Speakers to Cover All Aspects of Blockchain

Day 1

Sept. 21, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Startup Stampede, presented by EDGE196, will highlight the blockchain companies of the future. Startups will pitch their ideas at the event, where global investors will evaluate in real-time investment viability.

Sept. 21-22, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Room 506, Coe Library -- The Wyoming Legislatures Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology will hear testimony from the public on opportunities to improve the blockchain laws.

Day 2

Sept. 22, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., UW Conference Center -- Future Forward with UW President Ed Seidel, who will discuss key opportunities ahead with the National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.

Key panelists on Future Forward also include blockchain leaders such as Hoskinson; Patel; Neidig; Ben Goertzel, CEO of Singularity.net; Russell Cann, of Core Scientific; and Anoop Nanra, blockchain leader at AWS. Others include Ian Taylor, of the University of Notre Dame; Jeffery Downard, of Northern Arizona University; Daniel Conway, of the University of Arkansas; Jarek Nabrzyski, of Notre Dame; Mike Borowczak, of UWs Department of Computer Science; Emma-Jane Alexander, of UWs School of Energy Resources; Laurel Ballard, of the Wyoming Department of Education; Angie Schrader, of FlowState; and Gabrielle Allen, of UWs Office of Research and Economic Development.

Gregaard will provide a 30-minute presentation on the foundations of work toward positive global change.

The daylong Future Forward session will be led and moderated by Cheryl Goodman, chief innovation officer of SDK Co.

Sept. 22, 5-8 p.m., Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center -- The Sandcastle Invitational seeks the best and most promising blockchain startups the world over to compete for the top cash prize.

Day 3

Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The Stampede Law Conference will examine the new laws in Wyoming that impact blockchain and crypto businesses and help form the ecosystem.

Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Stampede Finance Conference offers a deep dive into the evolving world of finance; how blockchain technology is pushing decentralized finance; and what impact that will have.

Day 4

Sept. 23-24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Stampede Business Conference is two full days of conversations helping attendees understand business opportunities of blockchain and use cases.

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) Day features technical workshops and speakers explaining what DAOs are and the role they will play in our future -- also, how Wyoming is leading the way in terms of DAO legislation.

DAO Day is a celebration and sharing of all of the community DAO experiments with ecosystems, philosophies and governance models. Were celebrating the spirit of interoperability and acceptance for multi-chains and multi-protocols. We are learning from one another and those foundational DAOs who set patterns for success, Kopcho says. Moreover, were excited to share during the NFT-DAO session plans for granting more than a dozen cross-discipline scholarships to UW students.

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The Stampede Developers Conference features technical speakers and workshops to help attendees prepare for the WyoHackathon challenges and to introduce new technologies, concepts and emerging standards.

Days 5 and 6

Sept. 24, 5 p.m., and Sept. 26, 10 a.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The WyoHackathon presents challenges and bounties for developers, entrepreneurs and business professionals. Participants will use the weekend to come up with the best solution to the problems presented.

Title Sponsors

Title sponsor for the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede is Blockchain.com.

Title sponsor for the WyoHackathon is IOHK.

Presenting Sponsors

SIMBA Chain, Blue Ocean Digital Management, Brock Pierce, Harmony.One, Outlaw.io and Edge196.

Innovator Sponsors

Avanti Financial Group, Testamint, SDKco.io, Finxflo, Rensa Games and Murphy & McGonigle.

About the University of Wyoming

Established in 1886, the University of Wyoming is Wyomings flagship and land-grant institution, offering 80 undergraduate and more than 90 graduate academic programs through seven colleges and multiple interdisciplinary institutes and schools. With a small student/faculty ratio of 15:1, UW is a community of scholars and learners committed to excellence.

About the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede

The 2021 Wyoming Blockchain Stampede, now in its fourth year, comprises multiple free virtual events covering major blockchain themes such as sources, impact and implementation that look to unite worldwide participants with thought leaders, legislators and change makers at the forefront of major impacts to the worlds future in blockchain technology.

For more information about the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede, in addition to the website at www.wyohackathon.io, follow on Twitter; join on Telegram at https://t.me/WyoHackathon; connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/wyohackathon; or visit Facebook.

About SDKco.io

SDK Co. builds technologies powering personal choice. SDK Co. is a decentralized organization thats building a more equitable web 3.0 ecosystem, re-imagining humanitys relationship with technology and presenting a viable, more humane hardware architecture and operating system that provide choice to the marketplace.


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.
Deaf Awareness Week Celebrated by Government

The Minister for Equality and Health has taken the opportunity during Deaf Awareness Week to highlight our collective, social responsibility of including people that are deaf or hard of hearing in our daily lives.

Hearing loss and deafness is defined as a hidden disability. Hearing Loss will commonly occur over time and individuals will often not realise that they are having difficulty hearing. Family members or friends can be the first to notice the hearing loss and address it.

The most common cause for hearing loss is age. Over 40% of people over 50 years old and 70% of those over 70 years will have some degree of hearing deficit. Noise induced hearing loss is the second most common cause of acquired hearing loss and can be prevented. The consequences of noise exposure on hearing are dependent on its volume and duration.

Government has said it is ensuring that more services are available to those who find it difficult to communicate verbally than ever before. Traditionally, departments could be contacted via letter or e-mail whilst e-government services are now also offered for many departments.

'We have invested in the provision of Hearing Induction Loop Systems and these are actively used in a number of public departments and sites. Other measures have been taken to ensure that services are provided when an individual needs to attend in person.'

'By way of example, the Primary Care Centre has for a long time offered appointment services via Smart Messaging Service (SMS) to those people that are deaf or hard of hearing and cannot telephone in to ask for an appointment. At the clinics, pagers that vibrate are now also being used to communicate that the GP or medical practitioner is available to see the patient. This system is being extended throughout other departments.

HM Government of Gibraltar will always aim to ensure that a qualified BSL interpreter is at hand when it is necessary for an individual who requires this in order to interact with public services in person. BSL interpreters usually need to be flown in from the UK so it is important that these meetings are arranged well in advance. In more urgent cases, like, for example, at a medical clinic, a video link BSL service can also be made available.'

'Most significantly, the GHA is in the process of transforming the delivery of its clinical services for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. A new major GHA transformation project that is currently in process will provide a significant upgrade; major refurbishment works at St Bernards Hospital will house a brand new Audiology Department. The new site will increase the scope of the GHAs audiology service. The aim is to localise all but the more specialised hearing testing in Gibraltar. The new service will be able to provide hearing testing in Gibraltar for the vast majority of children under the age of five, many of whom have had to go to the UK in the past. Objective hearing aid testing, which should improve hearing aid fitting outcomes, will also be provided.'

Anyone experiencing problems with their hearing is encouraged to see their GP so that they can be referred to a specialist. Early recognition and screening are of paramount importance. Many cases of hearing loss can be prevented or managed successfully if diagnosed early.

The Minister for Justice, Equality, Health and Care, the Hon. Samantha Sacramento, MP, said: It is important to highlight that there may be more people affected by a hearing impairment than we initially realise. It is equally vital to think about how deaf people may feel isolated on occasions when we do not take the necessary steps to ensure they are involved in the conversation. Hearing impairments not only affect the person in question, but also those trying to communicate with them and this includes their friends, family and co-workers.

The majority of cases of hearing loss develop with age, or when hearing is directly affected after being exposed to loud noises over a period of time and this is something that can definitely be prevented. It is therefore very important to raise awareness to prevent hearing loss.

We must also not forget that service providers can look at how they offer their services and see if these can be made available in an alternative way that allows users, who may be deaf or hard of hearing, to be able to access their services like everyone else.
Spanish Woman Sentenced to Four Years

In the Supreme Court today, a Spanish woman was sentenced to a total of 4 years imprisonment after pleading Guilty to stealing around 130,000 of jewellery.

V.O.G. (31), of La Linea, was charged with one count of Burglary for which she was sentenced to 1 year and 7 months and one count of Theft for which she was sentenced to 2 years and 5 months, the two sentences to run consecutively.

The jewellery went missing from a property in Irish Town between 31 Dec 2019 and 1 July 2020 at a time when O.G. was employed as the carer for an elderly person at that address.

The long list of items taken included foreign currency and expensive watches as well as earrings, gold chains, bracelets and rings - several of which were encrusted with sapphires and diamonds.

As O.G. sold many of these items to a Spanish company that has since ceased trading, it is unlikely that they will ever be reunited with their owner.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-08 23:22:26|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

JAKARTA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will continue its plan to build a new capital city in East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo despite the economic pressure due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, President Joko Widodo said Wednesday.

Widodo made the remarks at a meeting with a senior minister and several business associations.

"The president said the development plan of a new capital city will continue to be carried out," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said after the meeting.

Widodo announced in August 2019 that a new capital city would be built between the districts of North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara in East Kalimantan province.

With an area of about 127,000 square km, East Kalimantan is home to more than 3.7 million people.

The relocation of the capital city is highlighted in the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan.

The groundbreaking was initially expected to be conducted in August last year, but it was delayed due to the pandemic.

According to Hartarto, the project was estimated to take up to 20 years. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 17:12:34|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Tuesday praised the kingdom's hard-won peace, saying that it is the foremost prerequisite for national development.

In a massage to mark the International Day of Peace, he said as a country that used to get through wars, peace is "priceless" and Cambodia is committed to protecting it "at any cost".

"Thanks to the value of hard-earned peace, Cambodia has seen remarkable development in all fields and has actively contributed to the cause of global peace," Hun Sen said.

He underlined that the end of decades-old civil war on Dec. 29, 1998 had provided opportunities for the government and people of Cambodia to rebuild the nation's economy and society.

The Cambodian leader said for more than two decades, Cambodia had achieved an averagely economic growth of about 7 percent per annum, reaching the lower middle-income status in 2015.

He said despite suffering from the impact of COVID-19, Cambodia's economic growth is projected to grow modestly by 2.5 percent this year after experiencing a contraction of minus 1.9 percent last year.

He is still optimistic that the Southeast Asian nation will be able to achieve its ambitious goals of becoming an upper middle-income country in 2030 and a high-income country in 2050.

Speaking of Cambodia's contributions to global peace, Hun Sen said from 2006 to date, the country has dispatched a total of 7,527 peacekeepers to partake in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in a number of war-torn countries.

"Cambodia will continue contributing to protecting global peace, stability and security through participating in cooperation to combat global challenges such as terrorism, transnational crimes, climate change, drug trafficking and pandemics," he said.

"Cambodia is committed to upholding the spirit of international solidarity and brotherhood and supporting international efforts for the cause of peace, security and humanity," he added.

Meanwhile, the prime minister slammed unnamed superpowers and their allies for practicing a "double standard" and interfering in Cambodia's internal affairs under the pretext of democracy and human rights.

He called on the Cambodian people to stay united as one to protect the country's hard-won peace for a sustainable national development. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 19:26:43|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two pilots belonging to the Indian army were killed Tuesday after a helicopter they were flying in crashed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The crash took place inside a forest area on the hills near Patnitop at Shiv Garh Dhar in Udhampur district, about 200 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to officials, the crash left two pilots seriously injured.

"Both the pilots were major-rank officers. They were immediately shifted to hospital with the help of locals but unfortunately, the doctors at the hospital declared them dead," a police official said.

Video footage shared on social media showed the wrecked helicopter on a hillside, and locals were trying to pull out the pilots.

The helicopter, Cheetah, is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Meanwhile, an army spokesman expressed grief over the incident and offered sympathy to the families of the two pilots.

Officials said excessive fog in the area has reduced visibility in the area, which may have led to the accident.

Last month, a helicopter belonging to the Indian army crashed in Ranjit Sagar Dam in the outskirts of the region. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 20:54:48|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BANGKOK, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's capital city Bangkok on Tuesday started to give Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 12 to 18 with underlying illnesses.

The vaccination program targets the 12 to 18-year-olds with diseases such as cancer, chronic renal failure and chronic respiratory disease, according to a statement issued by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

More than 5,000 eligible children have registered between Sept. 6 and 8 for the vaccination, the BMA said.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the city would work with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education to inoculate about 1 million of Bangkok's 12 and 18-year-olds.

Aswin did not provide a timetable, but said the city would try to finish vaccinating at least 70 percent of the group to prepare for a possible school resumption at the new semester that begins in November.

Bangkok has remained the epicenter of Thailand's latest wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has seen the country's total number of infections surge to top 1.5 million on Tuesday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:11:34|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

TASHKENT, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the OPEC Fund for International Development agreed to provide loans worth 275 million U.S. dollars on rural development in Uzbekistan, a presidential decree said Tuesday.

A loan of 200 million dollars will come from the IsDB, the OPEC Fund for International Development will allocate 75 million dollars, and Uzbekistan will also contribute 60 million dollars to the project, according to the decree.

The Uzbek Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction has been designated as the executive body responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project, as well as effective use of the loans.

The project will cover 20 districts in some regions of the populous Central Asian nation with an aim to upgrade the country's rural settlements as well as improve its road and transportation infrastructure, engineering and communication networks and social facilities. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-21 21:26:37|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government on Tuesday described the British government's decision not to recognize Covishield as a legitimate anti-COVID-19 vaccine as "discriminatory" and warned of reciprocal measures if the matter was not resolved.

India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said during a media briefing that the country supplied 5 million Covishield doses to Britain at the request of the British government, describing the non-recognition of the vaccine as a "discriminating policy."

"The external affairs minister has raised the issue strongly with the new U.K. foreign secretary. If he doesn't get satisfaction, we would be within our rights to impose reciprocal measures," he said.

India is not included in the expanded list of countries whose vaccines are recognized by Britain.

Shringla said Britain's move impacts Indian citizens traveling to that country.

Indian travelers who have received the required two doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days on arrival in Britain with compulsory polymerase chain reaction tests.

Covishield developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and pharma giant AstraZeneca is one of the two vaccines deployed by India. Enditem
Introduction

Ive heard the term, investment-grade property a fair bit from a number of commentators/professionals/experts. Apparently, not every property in a suburb is considered investment-grade. And not all suburbs are investment-grade suburbs either.

Theres a claim that investment grade properties and suburbs outperform over the long-term. I thought Id see what the data has to say about that.

Definition

A few of the terms Ive heard/seen over the years used to define investment grade:

Special

Lifestyle location

Safe & friendly

Appeals to a wide range

Affluent owners

Short walk to amenities

Cafes, parks

Street appeal

Views

Natural light

Privacy

Attractive style

Sound structure

Above avg. historical growth

Personally, I think all of those features are pointless.

A true investment grade property

I believe that a true investment grade property is one that will deliver on the following 3 objectives:

Low risk High growth High income

If you think that long list of investment grade features will result in these 3 objectives, then prepare to be enlightened.

Mt Druitt vs Cottesloe

Cottesloe is a suburb of Perth.

River one side, ocean the other. Its a beautiful suburb of Perth. Here are some photos of Cottesloe.

There are loads of properties throughout Cottesloe that fit the description of an investment grade property  as defined by the experts.

Looks like it has a few trendy cafes.

Nice shops.

Imagine looking down your street and seeing that.

Here are some nice homes that would fit the bill for investment grade:

Theres nothing spectacular here by the way. These are just run of the mill.

Trust me Im not picking out anything flash here by Cottesloe standards.

Now, lets contrast those happy snaps with a market that has none of the attributes the experts believe make for an investment grade property  Mt Druitt in Sydneys western suburbs.

Mt Druitt is a good hours drive west of the Sydney CBD.

I grew up in this area so I know it pretty well. There used to be a sign that read, Mt Druitt does not support domestic violence.

Thats a photo just down from Centre Link.

This is one of the best-looking houses I could find online at the time.

Outdoor toilets are back in vogue, but now theyre in the front yard with an open plan to encapsulate street views while doing your twos (see right).

Simple, but serves a purpose.

Performance comparison

Lets imagine the year is 2013 and you have a lot of money to invest in property. Which would you choose: Cottesloe, full of investment grade properties; or Mt Druitt, with perhaps none?

Heres a chart plotting the 5-year growth in medians for houses in both Mt Druitt and Cottesloe.

Mount Druitt houses doubled in value in these 5 years. Cottesloe houses grew by about 20%. The opportunity cost in just 5 years was 80%. For a $2m portfolio, thats $1.6m.

Given the extraordinary difference in price growth between these two markets, it would have been very hard to find a single property in Cottesloe that outperformed any in Mt Druitt. How is this possible given they are at complete polar opposite ends of the investment grade spectrum?

Its because the investment grade attributes, completely miss the point. More on that in a minute. Theres also risk to assess.

Risk

One measure of risk used in the share market is price volatility. Its a measure of how radically price changes for a particular stock.

This chart comes from Core Logic. Its part of their decile report. The grey line is the growth rate of the top 10% of expensive suburbs across the combined state capitals. The blue line is the growth rate for the cheapest 10%.

Core Logic has shown numerous times, that higher priced suburbs are generally more volatile than lower priced suburbs. They have larger gains and larger falls in percentage terms than cheaper suburbs.

So, from this measure of risk, Mount Druitt might be considered less risky than Cottesloe. And given the price difference between these two markets, its possible investors could diversify more easily having properties spread across multiple cheaper suburbs rather than having all their eggs in one expensive suburb.

Yield

The yield in Mount Druitt has been significantly higher than that in Cottesloe for a very long time too. So, on all 3 objectives of risk, growth and yield, Mount Druitt has been the investment grade property market, not Cottesloe despite Cottesloe having all the suggested features of an investment grade suburb, while Mount Druitt has pretty much none.

Long term

Some might argue that over the long-term, Cottesloe will outperform Mount Druitt. But that changes nothing. An investor who bought a mil worth of Mount Druitt at the start of 2013 would have well over $1.5m after selling at the end of 2017. They could transplant that equity and buy more Cottesloe in 2017 than an investor would, if they had bought in Cottesloe back in 2013. It doesnt matter how well Cottesloe grows from then on, an investor would have been better off starting in Mount Druitt.

Clarifying that point: if investor A bought in Mount Druitt in 2013 and then sold in 2017 and bought in Cottesloe with their sale proceeds, they would be wealthier than investor B who bought in Cottesloe to begin with. And thats regardless of how long into the future we now look.

But theres something peculiar people dont realise about long-term growth  theres a tendency for all markets to grow at the same rate. High prices subdue demand and restore balance. So, what we often see is markets racing ahead of others, only to be caught up later on.

Heres an example.

Corio is a lower socio-economic suburb of Geelong while Toorak is one of the priciest suburbs in Victoria. The two markets have been trading blows for the last 30 years in terms of their growth rates. At the time of putting together data for this presentation, Corio was on top. But in 10 years, it could be a different story.

Heres a comparison of Campbelltown in Sydneys far south west and Mosman in the pricey lower north shore.

Again, this is over a 30-year period. And again, they each have had their time winning the race.

Heres another example.

There are plenty of examples of affluent areas beating the cheaper areas and vice-versa. Every suburb will have its time to shine.

Averages

But these are just a few examples. You can cherry pick isolated cases to support almost any argument you like. Its not until you calculate averages that you realise what the norm really is. Thats when the general trend starts to emerge. And the trend is that:

Long-term, all property markets have a tendency to grow at the same rate

Price variability

Theres another test we can perform against the data to see if the theory of investment grade properties the experts recommend holds true. Theyll often say that certain streets and certain properties will outperform the average streets and average properties in the same suburb.

If certain properties do outperform others in the same suburb, over the long-term the price difference between good and bad properties in a suburb would expand in percentage terms.

This chart shows the change in price variability per suburb across Australian suburbs from 1991 to 2018. Nearly a million property sales were considered. Its not uncommon to see prices vary by as much as 50%. However, over the years, that variation has narrowed marginally.

The orange dotted line shows the general trend. If the experts are right, the trend line should be heading upwards to the right, but instead, its heading downwards. In other words, the variation away from the norm over the last 30 years has been narrowing, not widening.

This means that long-term there is tendency for properties to perform the same.

Investment grade properties do not outperform over the long-term

Nothing does. Its the same for suburbs and cities too. The data shows there is a tendency to have similar rates of performance over the long-term. The longer the term of examination, the more closely the performance of properties, suburbs and cities becomes.

Millionaires & Bogans

Imagine there were 1000 mansions for sale in an exclusive suburb that everyone wished they could live in, but there were only 10 millionaires looking to buy one. According to the age-old law of supply and demand, prices for those mansions would tumble.

Now imagine a completely different market in which 1000 bogans are fighting over 10 dog-boxes  the only properties they can afford. Demand exceeds supply by 100-fold, prices will skyrocket.

It has nothing to do with lifestyle, street appeal, views, proximity to amenities, architecture, etc.

Conclusion

Theres no relationship between nice features and higher capital growth.

You shouldnt look for specific property attributes without first knowing what demand there is for them and also what supply there is of them. And not the wishful thinking kind of demand, the bid higher kind.

....................................................................................

Jeremy Sheppard is head of research at DSRdata.com.au.

DSR data can be found on the YIP Top suburbs page.

Click Here to read more Expert Advice articles by Jeremy Sheppard



Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
Australias property market has boomed over the past 12 months and the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have done little to curb the skyrocketing trajectory of property prices.

Since the Reserve Bank slashed rates to a record low 0.10% in March last year, house prices have risen by 1% to 2% each month meaning property prices rose by to $10,000 per month in many parts of the country.

Australias national median house price has climbed exceptionally close to the million-dollar mark at $955,927  which is a huge 18.8% increase over the year, or 5.8% over the June quarter, according to Domains latest quarterly House Price Report.

In fact, 6 Aussie states have hit record highs for their third consecutive quarter, while the other two are again at their highest point in several years.

But the median house prices only tell half the story  when you look more granularly, some areas have seen substantially stronger growth.

According to recent realestate.com.au data, more than 250 suburbs across Australia have seen house prices increase by $200,000 or more over the past 12 months.

A lucky 24 suburbs saw their prices soar to $50,000 and beyond each month  most of those in NSW.

The highest of all rose by $1.2 million in a year  which is more than $100,000 a month.

Australias most expensive state, New South Wales, accounted for 88% of these $50,000-plus monthly growth suburbs.

Of these, suburbs in Sydneys Northern Beaches and eastern suburbs accounted for the majority.

But the top spot was taken by the increasingly popular and trendy beachside town of Byron Bay in far northern NSW.

The area, which is famous for its celebrity clientele - had the highest growth seen across the country with the median property price now sitting at $2.7 million.

Thats a whopping increase of $1.286 million in the space of just a year, or $107,166 per month.

The normal house price in Byron Bay basically doubled, going from $1.41 million in 2020 to $2.7 million a year later.

Northbridge in Sydneys North also saw a huge jump in median prices, taking second place on the list.

The suburbs median property price has risen $1.04 million over the past year, or $86,666 per month to a new median of $4.07 million.

Palm Beach, Bronte and Killara made up the remainder of the top 5 with median property price increases in the realm of $965,000, $890,000 and $887,500 respectively.

Top 10 Australian suburbs with the biggest hike in median house price rises

Source: Realestate.com.au

Buyers flock to beachside suburbs

It wasnt just Byron Bay which saw property demand heighten as people re-evaluated how they live in the new Covid-19 world.

Demand for beachside suburbs has also been a driving force behind many of Victorias highest growth suburbs.

In Somers, on the Mornington Peninsula, the median house price has risen in excess of $500,000 in just 12 month, the data shows.

The beachside suburbs of Black Rock and Blairgowrie in Melbourne have also seen significant gains in the median cost of a house, each with rises of more than $400,000 over the past year.

In Queensland, Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast has seen the largest dollar value increase in house prices, rising just shy of $700,000.

In Tasmania it was Sandy Bay which saw the greatest increase, with its median house price rising $209,000 over the past 12 months.

Access to the water was also a key driver of price growth in Western Australia, where the riverside suburb of Dalkeith and oceanfront Cottesloe came out top, recording median house price rises of $495,000 and $460,000, respectively.

This is perhaps unsurprising given ABS data shows that people are pouring out of capital cities in search of more space and an escape from the threat of lockdowns, with 10,000 people every quarter leaving metropolitan areas  the highest number ever recorded.

At the same time, the pandemic has changed not only where people want to live, but also the type of property they want to live in.

The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have significantly changed home ownership goals and what Australians want most in their next home.

With more Australians working from home and juggling school and family commitments under one roof, spacious living is now the top priority, further accelerating the trend towards larger homes.

There has also been a renewed interest in the concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood where buyers want to live in a property where there is everything available at their fingertips.

..........................................................



Michael Yardney is a director of Metropole Property Strategists, which creates wealth for its clients through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He is a best-selling author, one of Australias leading experts in wealth creation through property and writes the Property Update blog and hosts the popular Michael Yardney Podcast.





To read more articles by Michael Yardney, click here
Property investors have maintained their optimism about the property market this year as three in five believe now is a good time to invest, according to the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA).

PIPA's latest poll showed that property investors have been actively participating in the market over the past year, with a third of investors purchasing a property.

Around the same share of investors intend to purchase a property in the next six to 12 months.

Property investors also had positive expectations about property prices this year.

In fact, 76% of them believe their respective states and territories will witness solid gains in property values over the next year.

PIPA chairperson Peter Koulizos said this year's poll results indicate that more property investors are confident in the property market despite the hiccups brought about by the recent lockdowns and restrictions.

"When we think back to last year, which was a time of much fear and uncertainty, its clear that property investors and the market in general has weathered that turbulent period better than anyone dared to hope," Mr Koulizos said.

"That said, last years survey did forecast the strong property price growth that we have since experienced, its just that not many people believed us at the time."

With high market optimism, 76% of investors are expecting prices to increase further in the next 12 months.

Investment veterans lead the way

The majority of investors who are planning to buy over the next year are veterans, or those who have purchased several properties in the past.

Close to half of these veterans currently hold two to four properties in their portfolio, while around 20% have five to 10.

A fifth of these investment veterans currently have only one investment property.

While investment veterans lead the pack in terms of activity and outlook, first-time investors still had considerable contribution.

Of all investment property transactions over the past year, 16% were from first timers.

Queensland rising as the top investment spot

While the COVID lockdowns did not dampen investor sentiment, they did change how investors would like to invest.

The study showed that around a quarter of investors would like to set their sights beyond crowded cities.

For 58% of all investors, Queensland has the best investment prospects among all states and territories.

Brisbane also beat its counterparts, with 54% of investors believing it has the rosiest outlook among all capital cities.

A similar study by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) reinforces this  it found that Queensland regions were among the best performers during the first six months of the year.

Investors eyeing long-term capital gains

Long-term capital gains continue to be the biggest goal for investors, with 60% saying this is the most important aspect of their investments.

Meanwhile, 28% of investors said long-term rental income was their top motivation for investing.

In terms of challenges, a third of investors said access to lending was the top issue.

According to the study, about 22% of investors have found themselves in a position where they were unable to refinance an amount they were able to borrow previously.

Other concerns include a big correction in property prices, economic conditions, and further lockdowns.

To dispel any concerns about the market, 51% of investors sought help from an investment professional.

Mr Koulizos said in the current market, it is advisable for investors to work with qualified investment experts.

"Whether investors are looking for a qualified adviser, mortgage broker or accountant, they should look for a qualified property investment adviser as the best assurance that they are dealing with a trusted and educated professional," he said.
Four capital cities reported monthly gains in new residential property listings over the past month, indicating strong seller sentiments that bucks the overall dip on a national level.

According to the latest report from the REA Group, new listings have increased in Adelaide (37.3%), Hobart (22.4%), Sydney (11.9%), and Perth (7.2%) in August, defying the overall monthly fall of 2.3%.

REA Group director for economic research Cameron Kusher said these robust results from these four cities indicate a bright outlook for the spring-selling season, particularly for the lockdown-stricken Sydney.

"While the national property market slowed in August with a number of states in lockdown, announcements from the NSW Government about a pathway out of lockdown, coupled with the ongoing ability to conduct one-on-one inspections, instilled confidence in Sydney sellers," he said.

Sydney's eastern suburbs and the North Sydney and Hornsby regions reported a substantial increase in new properties in the market.

"With ongoing high levels of buyer demand and sellers delaying listing through lockdown, we anticipate new listings will rise quickly as restrictions ease," Mr Kusher said.

Busy spring for Adelaide

Mr Kusher's anticipation has already happened in Adelaide, which witnessed a whopping increase in new listings in August after the snap lockdown in July.

Buyers in Adelaide's Western and Southern regions had more choice as suburbs reported almost 50% increase in new listings over the month.

With these encouraging market conditions, the total listings in Adelaide have increased by 2.2% in August, with North Adelaide having the most properties available for sale that accounted a third of the city's overall supply.

These gains in demand, however, might not be enough for the growing demand for properties in South Australia.

Data from Raine & Horne showed a 30% annual surge in interstate buyer enquiries for properties in South Australia in March 2021.

Raine & Horne general manager James Trimble said interstate buyers are attracted by the great value and returns from property in South Australia.

"In Adelaide, we dont have enough properties for sale to meet the demand of local first home buyers, upgraders or downsizers, let alone interstate buyers seeking to call South Australia home," he said.

"The combination of more local and interstate buyers and fewer listings coming to market means we expect a bumper spring 2021 selling market for those vendors who choose to list between now and Christmas."
I t had been almost a month since Id first arrived into Italy. Id crisscrossed the country - down, then up, then down again - and now back...
In an effort to promote the rights of young men and women through empowerment, campaign and solidarity, Activista,

The Gambia in partnership with ActionAid International, The Gambia with support from the European Union (EU) last Friday implemented a project called: Building a democratic culture through awareness raising and civic education.

The purpose of the project is to raise citizen awareness on their civic rights and duties, and improve their participation in governance at all levels.

The forum which brought together participants from different sectors was held at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre.

Dr Saikou Gassama, Executive Secretary at National Human Right Commission of The Gambia who doubles as a Board Member for Activista said the manual was developed through a consultative process.

He added that we do not quite find manualsin the country's civic education, adding that the contents in the document are very relevant to our current society, socio-economic and political environment.

He said the document targets youth and women, noting that it would help youth to understand their rights and responsibilities as well asbuild their capacity to be able to defend their rights in making sure their rights are not violated and also to participate in decision making processes at communities, regional and international levels.

Muhammeh S.M. Bah, also a board member at Activista outlined the importance of the document, noting that it will serve as an inspiration for young people of the country.

"We are looking to promote good governance in society where transparency and accountability will be the order of the day," he stated.

FodayKanyi, in his remarks on behalf of ActionAid Director General said preparing the public before elections is very crucial.

Kanyi added that they would work on programmes and interventions that would help institutions realise their strategy priorities for the greater good of the country.

He noted thatit is ourcollective responsibility to ensure increased meaningful participation of women and youth in the socio-economic and political development of The Gambia.
The West African Examination (WAEC) has announced new dates for the Physics and Business Management papers in the on-going West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) which it postponed last week.

The Physics 1&2 would now be written on Friday, October 1, 2021 in the morning while Business Management papers would be conducted on Thursday October 7, 2021 in the afternoon.

This was contained in a letter, signed by the Head of the Test Administration Division of WAEC, George Ohene-Mantey, and addressed to the Ghana Education Service and Schools presenting candidates for the two subjects.

"All heads of school are kindly requested to note the new dates and inform their candidates accordingly", the statement said.

The WAEC last Wednesday at a press conference addressed by Mr Ohene-Mantey indefinitely postponed the two papers which were scheduled to be written that morning.

Although the WAEC did not assign reasons for the postponement , it also declined to confirm it the papers were leaked as alleged by the Executive Director of education think tank, African Education Watch, Kofi Asare.

Mr Ohene-Mantey, however, admitted that some extracts of the questions for elective mathematics 2 and Section 'A' of the English Language 2 written on September 9 and 13 respectively found their way on social media but circulation was not extensive.

He said measures had been put in place to safeguard the integrity of the examination while it was collaborating with the security agencies to rein in on those behind the leakages.

Meanwhile, the Citinewsroom reports that operatives of the National Security have arrested one Gideon Darko, who is reported to be behind the rogue website, Jerusalema, which is purported to be leaking question papers.

The suspect was arrested on Friday at his hideout in Kasoa in the Central Region.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday, left the country to attend the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States of America.

He will address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday; participate in the Global COVID-19 Summit hosted by President Joe Biden, and would hold several rounds of engagements and UN events on climate change, health and food security.

The President who is also leading a high power government delegation and the private sector will hold bilateral engagements with some colleague Heads of State; NATO Secretary-General J. Stoltenberg; top Economist Jeffery Sachs; World Trade Organisation (WTO), Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as well as other world figures.

There will be an engagement with sections of the Ghanaian and business community while there.

Additionally, President Akufo-Addo will participate in the Second Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment of the Decade of Action, and witness the signing ceremony between Minister of Tourism, Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, and developers of the Dubois Project.

The President will on Thursday, attend a fundraising event for the National Cathedral.

Meanwhile, Vice President, Alhaji DrMahamudu Bawumia is to act as President in accordance with Article 60 (8) of the Constitution until the President Akufo-Addo's return on September 27, 2021.
Shareholders of oil marketing giant, GOIL, has approved the nomination of four new members at a virtual Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in Accra.

The new Board members, Reginald Daniel Laryea, Mr John Boadu, Angela Forson, all government representatives and Mr Edwin Provencal, BOST representative were ratified to replace four retiring directors.

The new Board chairman, Reginald Daniel Laryea replaces Mr Kwamena Bartels.

Speaking after the meeting, new Board chairman, Reginald Laryea, who is an advertising and marketing expert noted that the new board would focus on improving value on shareholder investment and pursue higher profitability for the company while cutting down waste.

He paid tribute to the outgoing members of the Board headed by Mr Bartels, promising that the new team will build on the hard work and success of the old Board.

GOIL, he said, would leverage its strong brand and resilience to bring in more premium products that would attract new consumers.

The Group CEO and Managing Director of GOIL, Kwame Osei-Prempeh noted that the new members were bringing rich and diverse expertise and was hopeful the company will forge ahead further to achieve more growth and profitability.
Some classrooms in Arcadia Senior Secondary have no electricity, the roof leaks, and science and computer studies have been suspended because of vandalism

Several classrooms in Arcadia Senior Secondary School in Gqeberha have no electricity; in some, pigeons are nesting.

Roofs and walls leak, several toilets are broken and the kitchen has been vandalised.

Science and computer studies have been suspended.

Education Department says the school is on a priority list. But the School Governing Body says work will not start before 2023.

Pigeons are nesting in the classrooms of Arcadia Senior Secondary School in Gqeberha. The roof and walls of the prefabricated building leak and vandals have looted kitchen equipment, doors and window panes. Science and computer studies have been suspended because of fears the equipment will be stolen.

The school should be demolished, says South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) monitor, Christian Martin. He said he would write to the Commission and ask that Arcadia be demolished and rebuilt.

"This school is not even worth being used as a kraal for animals. If animals stayed in the school, the SPCA and other animal organisations would have taken the government to court," said Martin.

He said Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane promised in May 2019 to fast track the process of building the school. "When the Premier left its gates two years ago, the right thing he should have done was to lock it and order it to be rebuilt from the ground."

He said Mabuyane had broken his promise. But Mabuyane's spokesperson Mxolisi Spondo said this was not true. "All schools are fixed in line with the infrastructure programme led by the Department of Education. The school remains part of the priority schools that will be renovated. Government is operating on constrained resources due to Covid-19 which forced reprioritisation."

Provincial Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said Arcadia was in the top five schools on the provincial priority list.

But Daniel Oliphant, chair of the School Governing Body said, "On 9 September the education district director, chief director and chief specialist for infrastructure were here to inspect our school building. They said they will only start in 2023 with surveying to see whether the school needs to be built or renovated."

The SGB said the school was built in 1975 as a temporary structure, intended to be used for only five years.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

"We told them that learning and teaching has been severely affected by these deplorable conditions. Our school is overwhelmed by a series of burglaries because thieves are looking for metal that joins together these wooden walls," he said.

"This year alone we had six burglaries. In June all our nutrition was stolen in the kitchen, also the microwave, seven doors, ten door frames, three CCTV cameras and an overhead projector."

"We use 25 classrooms and ten of them have no electricity due to vandalism. We also had to replace 86 window panes and seals in ten classrooms. In 2020 we spent about R200,000 in repairs. So far this year we have spent about R90,000 of our budget," he said.

Oliphant said the building might even collapse.

"Learners can't concentrate in classrooms because on wet days the roof and walls leak. On windy days the top classrooms shake and we are forced to let the learners go home. Our school is full of lice and ticks because most of the classrooms have become pigeons' nests."

He said the school has 890 learners. The girls have 12 toilets and two are faulty. The boys share nine toilets and only five are working. He added that during water outages in the area, they have no choice but to let learners go home because they have no Jojo tanks.

Science teacher Tracy Wagenaar said, "If we set up a science lab, the vandals loot everything. Our learners are far behind in this subject compared to other learners from other schools."

Grade 9 learner Ntandokazi Nkosana said, "I want to change schools next year because physical science and computer studies are not offered here. On top of my desk there is a leak and we freeze in these classrooms."

"The classrooms are too dark and we cannot see properly on the board."
opinion

High-income countries are beginning to offer third Covid vaccine doses, before the most vulnerable groups in the poorest countries have even received their primary vaccination. Without adequate intervention, the issue of inequity will not solve itself.

The world stands at a critical juncture of the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries that lack the first round of vaccine coverage are extraordinarily vulnerable to the highly infectious Delta variant, and are also seedbeds for new variants that could quickly spread worldwide. The Lancet Covid-19 Commission, which I chair, is working urgently with the United Nations system to strengthen the multilateral response. Governments of countries where vaccines are being produced -- the US, European Union members, the UK, India, Russia, and China -- need to cooperate under UN leadership to ensure that a sufficient supply of vaccine doses reaches the poorest countries.

The high-income countries now have more than 50% of their population fully vaccinated. Yet the fully vaccinated population in Africa remains under 4%. This lack of vaccine coverage in Africa, and in low-income countries elsewhere, poses an imminent danger to these populations.

US President Joe Biden has called for a vaccine summit on September 22. This is potentially a highly significant step forward....
press release

Yesterday, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, donated indigenous trees to various organizations during the Western Department of Agriculture's (WCDoA's) annual Nursery Day held at the Veld Reserve in Worcester.

Beneficiaries included the West Coast region of the Women's Agricultural Society, Bonnies People Project, Seed2Harvest and Fairtrade Africa.

Speaking at the event, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer said that the indigenous tree nursery was one of the WCDoA's interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Minister Meyer: "The nursery cultivates and grows indigenous trees that can then be put back into their original environment."

"We are effectively implementing the Western Cape's smart agri plan through this ecological infrastructure project. Managing the risk of climate change means putting in place mitigating measures such as smart agriculture and the restoration of our ecological infrastructure."

WC DoA's District Manager for the Cape Winelands, Rudolph Roscher, highlights farmers' vital role in the project.

"We have 76 farmers throughout 80 kilometres of river actively participating, doing alien clearing, restoring our rivers. At this Nursery, we produce 12 000 trees annually, and with the assistance of farmers and various other organizations, we plant them back into our river systems."

Fairtrade Africa's Emma Patentia, whose project Dignity for All focuses on 27 wine farms in the Western Cape, thanked the WCDoA and Breeekloof Wines and Tourism for donating trees.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Infrastructure Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

Patentia: "Protecting the environment is one of Fairtrade Africa's focus areas."

"This is an exciting project that we are starting with the Department to address the challenge of climate change. We do not only focus on the people but also the environment. All our members are committed to looking after the environment."

West Coast Vroue-Landbouvereniging's (VLV) Maggie Enever received 100 trees, which she will distribute to VLV members across the West Coast.

Enever: We have taken up the challenge to plant 1000 indigenous trees. Today we kick off the challenge with the donation of 100 trees, which we will be distributing over 14 West Coast towns."

"The restoration of ecological infrastructure is a cost-effective means of adapting to climate change and at a landscape level also offer substantial employment opportunities that are realized.

"In 2020, the WCDoA's Landcare Programme rehabilitated 34 352 ha of agricultural land and created 1101 green jobs," concludes Meyer.
press release

Minister Mchunu commends the special investigating unit and the directorate for priority crime investigation on their committed stance against corruption

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Senzo Mchunu, commends the continuous efforts of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) for their continued efforts in the fight against corrupt activities and corruption.

This follows the online media reports regarding the continuation of the trial against Jack Maake and Matome Mathole, two businessmen from Limpopo who were arrested in November 2019, following the joint operation by the SIU and Hawks after they attempted to bribe an SIU investigator. The bribe was offered as an attempt to influence the outcome of an investigation which was being conducted by the SIU regarding the awarding of a tender by the Mopani District Municipality to Twin Corner Construction and Projects 35 CC for the construction, installation, repair, refurbishment and maintenance of 38 boreholes under the jurisdiction of the district municipality.

Having recently visited the Limpopo province in order to have a sense of the challenges relating to the provision of water and sanitation services in the province, the Minister made an undertaking to ensure the progression and finalisation of the Giyani project, pledging that the people of Giyani will eventually be provided with access to clean water.

In commenting on the trial referenced above, the Minister stated the following: "We commend the collaborative efforts of the SIU and the Hawks in their continued fight against corruption and we thank them for their diligent service! The citizens of Limpopo as a whole, inclusive of those in the Mopani Local District Municipality, have suffered long enough and it is corrupt activities such as these which have delayed the provision of water to our people and denied them access to basic human rights! We trust that this will serve as a prime example to all those out there who think they can get away with corruption!"
press release

Opening and key note address by Honourable, Lindiwe Sisulu - Minister Of Tourism at the African Travel And Tourism Summit, Johannesburg, South Africa

Honourable Deputy Minister - Mr Amos Fish Mahlalela

Director General, Department of Tourism, Mr Victor Tharage

South African Tourism Board Chair - Mr Siyabonga Dube and the rest of the Board members

South African Tourism Acting CEO - Ms Sthembiso Dlamini and the South African Tourism Executive Committee members

African Tourism Ministers

Industry Associations

Country Tourism Authorities and Industry Experts

The Entire Supply Value Chain for Tourism

Representatives of the International Community and even Countries that have a blurred Vision about us

Delegates, media representatives

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad that we are have this African Travel and Tourism Summit hosted by South Africa to rethink, recalibrate and find our way out of this situation that we are in where the pandemic has strangulated the tourism industry. I am glad that there have been discussions all morning to find our way out of this quagmire.

This is premised on the fact that, from our analysis, we have been stuck on the World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis and requirements. We have now come to the conclusion that we should start discussions on our own road to recovery. We are hopeful that there will be a new tomorrow.

Having said all these it is an honour and privilege to be here today. This event could not have come at a better time.

It is befitting that we are launching Africa Travel and Tourism Summit during the Tourism Month when South Africa celebrates tourism and heritage.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic the dream and narrative around Africa's tourism sector was inspiringly vivid. It was a dream of a continent rising - rising and freeing itself from the shackles of stigmatisation of us as unsafe, uncouth and unwelcoming.

From the expansive arid plainlands in the North to the Southern tip of Africa where two oceans meet, with its diverse fusion of peoples and cultures, we celebrate the world in one continent.

Today, we celebrate the rising giant that is Africa - We celebrate her natural vast wonders, ranging from the plains and woodlands of the Serengeti to the arid Kgalagardi Transfrontier Park, to the beach elephants of the greater St Lucia and the Pyramids of Giza.

This summit enjoys the participation of the African community delegates who aim to understand how tourism has shifted in the African continent and identifying new opportunities.

It is therefore a catalyst for engagement on the current state of tourism on the African continent, the sharing of ideas on collective recovery initiatives and solutions and exploring global tourism survival trends and challenges facing the global tourism industry.

This summit unpacks the four main themes of Best Practice for Brand Africa, Sectoral Transformation, Leisure and Business Opportunities and Strengthening and Enabling Economic Capabilities.

It also affords Africa's tourism leaders a platform to create solutions for Africa and contribute to global solutions for the industry in efforts to awaken a new beginning for Africa.

My fellow Africans, I bid you a warm African welcome to the inaugural African Travel & Tourism Summit on the eve of World Tourism Day, which we will celebrate globally on 27th of September.

How Far We Have Come

Quoting pre-Covid-19 statistics, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) indicates that Africa's tourism industry was robust. It reports that tourism generated in excess of US$200-billion (approximately R3-trillion) - accounting for 6.9% of Africa's GDP - and had supported 24.7-million jobs.

Following the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, WTTC statistics show a decrease of US$83-billion (or R1.2-trillion) and a loss of 7.2-million jobs. This downturn trend was experienced by all tourism sectors across the globe.

Gatherings such as this Summit, are crucial to the industry's survival. The fact that we can now have up to 500 people attending outdoor events and 250 people attending indoor events, is a significant step for the Business Events industry.

Through these events, we are able to connect, share ideas and create a new positive narrative of Africa, one that shifts from a continent in turmoil to one that is recovering steadily and ready to do business.

Africa's Path to Recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic

The nightmare of COVID 19 seems eternal as we move from wave to wave and variant to variant.

The African Development Bank in its African Economic Outlook 2021, indicates that most African economies were battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Real GDP in Africa contracted by 2.1% and is projected to grow by 3.4% this year. This projected recovery will be underpinned by a resumption of tourism, a rebound in commodity prices and the rollback of pandemic-induced restrictions. Although all economies in Africa have been affected by the pandemic, tourism-dependent economies, oil-exporting economies and other-resource intensive economies were the most significantly hit by the pandemic. Tourism-dependent economies are projected to recover from an 11.5% GDP decline in 2020 to grow by 6.2% in 2021; oil-exporting countries, from a 1.5% decline to grow by 3.1%; and other-resource-intensive economies, from a 4.7% decline to grow by 3.1%. Non-resource-intensive countries, where output shrank by 0.9% in 2020, are projected to grow by 4.1% in 2021.

Top tourism-dependant economies experienced the following decline: Mauritius - 15%; Seychelles - 12% and Carbo Verde - 8.9%. These countries are expected to recover this year with a projected growth rate of 6.8%, assuming the pandemic is brought under control and international travel and tourism is allowed.

It is important to note that not all African countries were impacted the same way by the Covid-19 pandemic. Experiences in Africa's regions and the prospects for growth are therefore varied. While Southern Africa was hard hit by the pandemic with economic contraction of 7.0% in 2020 and a projected growth of 3.2% in 2021 and 2.4% in 2022, East Africa was the most resilient region. Its growth prospect is estimated to be 3% in 2021 and 5.6% in 2022. Djibouti (9.9%), Kenya (5%), Tanzania (4.1%) and Rwanda (3.9%) are expected to be the top performers.

West Africa experienced relatively limited spread of the virus. Many West African countries maintained positive growth in 2020 thanks to less restrictive lockdowns. These countries include Benin (2.3%), Cote d'Ivoire (1.8%) and Niger (1.2%). Countries that experienced recession include Cabo Verde (8.9%), Liberia (3.1) and Nigeria (3%). Growth prospect in West Africa is estimated at 2.8% in 2021 and 3.9% in 2022.

GDP growth in Central Africa contracted by 2.7%. Countries that were most affected include Cameroon (2.4%), Republic of Congo (-7.9%), Democratic Republic of Congo (-1.7%) and Equatorial Guinea (-6.1%). The Region is expected to recover at 3.2% in 2021 and 4% in 2022. The economies of North Africa contracted by 1.1% in 2020, propped up by Egypt, which maintained 3.6% growth despite the relatively severe health impact of the virus in the country. Other countries contracted significantly in 2020, including Tunisia (-8.8%), Morocco (-5.9%) and Algeria (-4.7%). The effects of COVID-19, internal conflict, and a drop in oil prices caused an estimated 60.3% contraction of real GDP in Libya. North Africa is projected to experience robust recovery of 4% in 2021 and 6% in 2022.

The Financial Implications of Africa's Recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic

Africa' recovery from the pandemic is not going to be easy. The Bank reports that there will be a surge in African government financing needs to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, governments have announced fiscal stimulus packages ranging in cost from about 0.02% of GDP in South Sudan to about 10.4% of GDP in South Africa. The Bank estimated that African governments would need gross financing of about $154 billion in 2020/21 to respond to the crisis. This amount constitutes 97% of the World Bank's $157 billion it has deployed to fight the health, economic and social impacts of the pandemic in the whole world. This means that other sources of funding will have to be found to help us drive Africa's recovery from the pandemic.

Policy Priorities to Support Africa's Transformation to a More Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Post-Pandemic Recovery

Despite the economic growth prospects outlined above, the continued uncertainty about when the virus would finally be contained will continue to pose a major threat to Africa's recovery. It is therefore important that we continue to pay attention to policy priorities that seek to mitigate the impact of the pandemic but also bolster Africa's transformation to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable post-pandemic recovery.

It would be critically important that we continue to focus on the following priorities, amongst other initiatives that individual countries are taking:

 Continuing support for the health sector to consolidate gains in the fight against the pandemic.

 Effectively using monetary and fiscal support to underpin the economic recovery where policy space remains available.

 Expanding social safety nets and making growth more equitable to address increasing poverty.

 Scaling up active labor market policies to retool the workforce for the future of work.

 Intensifying structural transformation through digitalization and economic diversification to build resilience, and

 Fostering regional and multinational cooperation to ensure sustained and widespread recovery.

Reopening African Markets

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a more negative impact on our tourism activities in the first half of 2020 than anticipated, and although recovery has begun in the third quarter, with the pandemic continuing to spread, many countries have slowed re-opening, and some are reinstating partial or complete lockdowns to protect susceptible populations.

While our borders are open to accept visitors from across the globe, international travel has also been restricted by border closures in a number of our key international source markets.

The Kigali Extraordinary Summit of 2018 in Rwanda put in motion the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. The Free Trade Agreement promised to create one African market with a combined GDP of more than $2 trillion.

The Kigali Declaration and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons signed at the summit put into effect the free trade agreement and would have eased border controls to allow free movement of people.

The declaration was ratified by 47-member states and was meant to boost trade between African countries, remove non-tariff and tariff barriers on goods and services that would have doubled intra-African trade, and ensure local beneficiation and manufacturing.

Innovative campaigns such as Ghana's tourism ministry's "Year of Return" - which urged African American travellers to "come home" - ran between 2018 and 2019.

The various initiatives by our friends in the Diaspora through the narratives of the " home coming revolution" since the beginning of the 2000 have abruptly ended at the beginning of 2020 - shattering our dream.

According to Statistics South Africa, all ten leading SADC countries have since showed a decrease in the number of tourists from 2019 to 2020. Botswana had the largest percentage decrease of 80.6%. Zimbabwe remained the leading SADC country in terms of tourist visits.

Outside of SADC, Cote d'Ivoire had the largest percentage decrease of 77.4%. However, a comparison between 2019 and 2020 volumes indicates that the number of tourists decreased in all ten leading countries.

Domestic tourists in Kenya cut their holiday expenditures by 37.5 percent in 2020, amidst massive job losses and pay cuts due to the pandemic.

It is estimated that tourism jobs in the East African region dropped by 46%, from 4.1 million to 2.2 million, according to a new report published by the East African Business Council. It is estimated that a total of $57.8 million, is needed to implement the East African tourism sector's recovery plan.

As we embark on new ways of doing business and hosting the peoples of the world, let's draw lessons from the experiences of the pandemic and ensure that our businesses are more robust and agile for future sustainability.

Soon, certainly we will gather again like we did before.

It is therefore important that we are aligned as a continent when we adopt measures to reignite the tourism industry. This is crucial for building inclusive recovery.

Vaccination Drive

Reports have shown that tourism in countries with a high share of vaccinated people will rebound faster than in countries with a low share.

The nature of the COVID-19 pandemic is that new variants are bound to develop as a natural evolution of the virus. This is why, while vaccination remains absolutely important, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as maintaining social distancing, keeping masks on, sanitizing remains CRITICAL

International tourism recovery will strongly depend on pandemic trajectories, travel restrictions and vaccine development.

The latest statistics show that there have been just over 8-million infections on the entire continent, 33-million fewer than the US, 25-million fewer than India and 13-million fewer than Brazil.

Also, nearly 76-million vaccinations have been administered throughout Africa. South Africa alone has administered over 15-million vaccines and the country seems to show a downward trend in terms of infection rates.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Travel Governance South Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

In East Africa, reports show that low access to vaccines, slow vaccine rollouts and a potentially high cost of vaccinations risk are holding back the recovery of the region's economies.

Yet, despite these concerns, the African Union has made great strides to ensure the vaccines are administered securely. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Consortium for COVID-19 is a knowledge hub that brings together vaccine developers, funders, and African organisations that conduct clinical trials to collate information on the virus and act on their findings.

The AU also launched the Pan-African bio-surveillance technology called PanaBIOS that can track the spread of the Coronavirus and connect testing centres across the continent.

Yet Africa as a whole is still considered a no-go zone. Many of our nations are on the UK red list of countries to avoid travelling to. The UK itself has a little over 7-million cases. Removing African countries from the red list of European countries is a challenge we should embrace and work steadfastly to bring to an end.

South Africa's Tourism Recovery Plan

We have worked on our recovery plan and we will share it with you so that we can learn from each other what is workable and what is not.

We have always recognised tourism's crucial role in developing and growing an inclusive economy. And the fact that it is listed as one of eight interventions in its recovery plan illustrates this point.

My Department has already drawn up and is implementing its Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, which is in line with the Government's broader Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, with the following strategic interventions:

Implement norms and standards for safe operations across the value chain to enable safe travel and rebuild traveller confidence;

Stimulate domestic demand through targeted initiatives and campaigns;

Strengthen the supply-side through resource mobilisation and investment facilitation;

Support for the protection of core tourism infrastructure and assets;

Execute a global marketing programme to reignite international demand;

Tourism regional integration; and

Review the tourism policy to provide enhanced support for sector growth and development

South Africa needs to reset the tourism sector in the continent. We hope to make immediate gains through inter-regional and domestic travel to sustain the sector. We are ready to take our fair share of the world tourism organization estimate that tourism in Africa could more than double to 134 million tourists in 2030 as opposed to 50 million we had in 2010. We are gearing ourselves for that. In our case in South Africa we regard ourselves as a desirable tourism destination, which accounts for a substantial amount of the country's revenue.

Conclusion

This path we are about to undertake in reviving tourism in Africa will not be an easy one, especially if we do not harness the energy of our oneness, our unity of purpose and our common dream of a destination connected and united.

It is a long road ahead, but the interventions outlined here will go a long way to rebuilding the sector.

I would like to welcome all of you to Africa's Travel and Tourism Summit, which I now declare officially open.

THANK YOU.
The Supreme Court of Appeal on Monday dismissed with costs an application for leave to appeal by New Dawn Technologies and Valor IT.

The matter involved a portion of a contract for an Electronic Document Management System for the Department of Home Affairs.

The Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed the application because it found that "there is no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and there is no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard".

The summons of the two companies amount to R630 million, with New Dawn Technologies claiming R602 million and Valor IT, R28 million.

The sum of these monies amounts to about a third of the department's audited contingent liability of R2.1 billion in the 2019/2020 financial year.

Contingent liabilities, being the amount of claims, are recorded when summonses are issued and are removed only once a judgment is made.

The R2.1 billion contingent liability is the value of claims against the department and not an amount owed.

The judgment comes after the Auditor-General warned in January 2021 that possible claims against the department were too high and could compromise operations and service delivery if they became payable during a financial year.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on Monday welcomed the decision of the court.

"The judgment frees executive time and resources to allow senior managers to continue focusing on the urgent task of providing services to people and to fight corruption.

"It also helps us to implement the recommendations of the Auditor-General," said Motsoaledi.

He said the judgment was also giving impetus to actively managing the risk of possible future claims against the department by taking outstanding claims to court or defending them, including looking at alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

The Minister added that a lot of future possible claims against the department remained in the books of the department because they were not finalised in court.

Motsoaledi instructed the department's management to be more pro-active and bring matters on the contingent liability list to court even where the plaintiff has failed to take any further action after issuing summons.

Last year, the Gauteng North High Court found that there was no legally binding contract between the department and the two companies for the provision of an Electronic Document Management System.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

In his judgment, Judge J Davis ruled that: "Both New Dawn and Valour IT had been unsuccessful in their claims that agreements had come into being between them and the DHA regarding certain portions of an Electronic Document Management System in respect of which bids (RFB 458) had been made in 2005 with the closing date 31 January 2006.

"The tender in respect of EDMS was for a 3-year project, which period has long ago expired without the EDMS ever being implemented.

"On 26 November 2020, this Court found that no award which complies with the statutory prescripts and the terms contained in the bid documents had been made to either of the applicants. Accordingly, no binding agreement came into being between the two parties... "

New Dawn Technologies has since petitioned the Constitutional Court on the matter and the department is opposing the application.

Valor IT has since withdrawn its claim against the department.

Consequently, the Minister has instructed the department to pursue its legal costs against Valor IT, which date back to 2010 when the initial claim was filed.

The recovery of costs against New Dawn will be determined by the outcome of the Constitutional Court ruling.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the general debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.

The in-person and virtual gathering will open on Tuesday with an address from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and is expected to continue over the next week.

"During the general debate, heads of delegation are expected to state the positions of their governments on topical issues that the United Nations is seized with, pertaining to the three pillars of the work of the UN system, namely, peace and security, human rights, and development.

"The general debate will also provide member states with an opportunity to raise matters relating to priorities and concerns that are of a national, regional, and global nature," the Presidency said.

The theme for this year's General Assembly is "Building resilience through hope - to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations".

Issues that are expected to be debated at the General Assembly include:

recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic

discussions on the UN Secretary-General's report entitled "Our Common Agenda," following the 75th anniversary of the United Nations

the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

climate change and the upcoming Conference on Climate Change (COP26) to be held in Glasgow in November 2021

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Governance External Relations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

reform of the United Nations and

peace and security.

According to the Presidency, President Ramaphosa is also expected to address the Opening Plenary Meeting of the High-Level Meeting on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on Wednesday.

The President's pre-recorded video address will reflect on the 20 years since Durban hosted the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

"The 2001 declaration embodies the commitments of the international community to address the legacy of the past, as well as contemporary forms and manifestations of racism and racial discrimination, including the acknowledgement that slavery and the slave trade are a crime against humanity.

"The Programme of Action recommends how member states and other stakeholders should implement these commitments," the Presidency said.

As an outcome of this week's High-Level Meeting, member states will adopt a political declaration aimed at mobilising political will at the national, regional, and international levels for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up processes.
analysis

South Africa's tourism remains on its back after the strict Covid-19 lockdowns during the Northern Hemisphere summer and violent riots in July, worsening the hit the labour-intensive sector has taken from the country remaining on the UK red list.

Tourist accommodation income statistics released by Statistics South Africa on Monday showed seasonally adjusted income from accommodation plunged by 36.8% month-on-month in July, with guesthouses and hotels recording double-digit contractions, wiping out the increase from the first three months of the year.

Year-on-year, income from tourist accommodation was up 121.8%, the huge jump largely down to base effects, as July 2020 coincided with the strictest period of the lockdown when international borders were closed and interprovincial travel largely restricted.

July income was at R618-million compared with R183.4-million the year before. Compared with the 2019 figure for the same month, R2.3-billion, the lag is revealing.

Occupancy rates for hotels were 12.7.%, while guesthouses were at a lowly 7.9%. Total occupancy rate slumped to just 16% in July, from 21.8% in June.

With the UK government keeping South Africa on its Covid-19 red list, travellers who have been in SA in the previous 10 days will only be allowed back into the UK...
Today marks World Alzheimer's Day, which is commemorated annually on 21 September.

Organisations the world over focus their efforts on raising awareness about Alzheimer's and dementia.

In continued efforts to raise awareness on Alzheimer's, the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will today commemorate World Alzheimer's Day in Cacadu, Eastern Cape province.

The commemoration seeks to raise awareness about the disease and its impact on the lives and wellbeing of families, especially older persons, who are often killed by their fellow community members due to a lack of understanding about the disease.

Viewed as the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer's is a physical disease which directly affects the brain, leading to the eventual death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines dementia as a chronic illness that arises from an interplay of genetic, environmental and behavioural factors, with severe adverse influences on social and physical activities and quality of life. Dementia is deemed to be one of the major causes of disability among older persons.

The Department of Social Development says the Eastern Cape has seen an increase in the number of older persons who were brutally killed after being accused of witchcraft.

"Recent community dialogues, held in the areas of Cacadu and Cofimvaba, revealed that older persons with Alzheimer's from around Chris Hani District have resorted to abandoning the villages, some sleep in groups so they may feel safe and protected," the department said.
21:46 | Washington D.C. (U.S.), Sep. 20.









In statements to the press, the government official revealed that the meeting addressed "Peru's support to PAHO's position on the importance of maintaining the vaccine as a global public good that is not subject to market laws."





In addition, he addressed Etienne to ask PAHO 's support to facilitate the arrival of the vaccines in Peru through the COVAX Facility mechanism.





Cevallos indicated that, even though they have already been paid, a batch of said doses has not yet arrived in the country.





In this context, the minister affirmed that Peru expects progress in the talks aimed at reaching through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs an agreement with PAHO to promote the digitalization of the health system.





In addition, based on what was said in the meeting, the head of Minsa noted that a meeting of 34 health ministers from PAHO member countries to address different issues is almost a fact.





For his part, Foreign Affairs Minister Oscar Maurtua disclosed that the meeting was very useful and addressed various aspects, including the support to facilitate the arrival of vaccines through the COVAX Facility mechanism.





(END) FGM/JCR/RMB

Loading...

Peru has voiced its support to the efforts of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine remains a global public good, Health Minister Hernando Cevallos said on Monday after a meeting with PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne in Washington D.C. (U.S.) Publicado: 20/9/2021
#VacunateYa ???? |

?? Hoy llegaron 650 520 dosis de vacunas contra la #COVID19.

Estas permitiran continuar cerrando brechas y avanzar con el proceso de inmunizacion de mas peruanos a nivel nacional. El viceministro Bernardo Ostos inspecciono el arribo de las vacunas Pfizer. pic.twitter.com/ubRrYnfIAq
According to Espinosa-Saldana, the death would have occurred due to cardiac arrest. Ramos' daughter went to wake his father up this morning, but despite how hard they hard they tried his relatives could not revive him.





"We are all very saddened; we have just heard the news. He had the day off because he just had a birthday," he told RPP radio and TV station.





The magistrate said Ramos has been the most important legal historian in Peru over recent years, as well as a great colleague at the Constitutional Court (TC)





"We will always remember him with affection, for his contributions to the rulings and his people skills," Espinosa-Saldana remarked, adding that Ramos was an extraordinary person.





He also said that despite the grief TC members will continue working in homage to Ramos.





"We are seven (members) and a quorum of five is needed; the team will have to be reshaped. In homage to him, we will continue working so that the TC fulfills its logic of protecting rights and fighting abuse of power," he remarked.





Espinosa-Saldana also expressed condolences to Ramos' relatives and entourage.





"He was a very popular person, very popular for his work in the history of law and contributions to Peru," he added.





When asked if the situation forces Congress to speed up the process of electing TC magistrates, he affirmed that this issue depends exclusively on Parliament.





The Constitutional Court is the supreme body for the interpretation and control of constitutionality in Peru. It is autonomous and independent because it does not depend on any constitutional body for the exercise of its powers.




Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: Reafirmo la vocacion y la filiacion democratica de mi Gobierno y de su compromiso con la justicia social. La tarea no es solo consolidar el estado de derecho, sino hacerla efectiva en la vida politica y en el ejercicio de los derechos de la poblacion. pic.twitter.com/PeFGgp09tJ
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian issued a statement on Independence Day.

Dear compatriots,

Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia,

Today is the 30th anniversary of declaring the independence of the Republic of Armenia.It occurs in a critically difficult situation, with many problems and challenges.

It occurs on the eve of the completion of the first year of the disastrous war, in the conditions of pain for the loss of thousands of young people, uncertain destinies of our compatriots in captivity or the unknown, incurable wounds of our souls and bodies, and interrupted dreams. It occurs at a time when together with the world, we have to fight the coronavirus. It occurs at a time when the country is in great need of our united shoulders, our minds, and our joint efforts, when there is a need to understand and defend our identity more deeply, when we strongly need unity and listening to each other, understanding, mutual respect and tolerance, sharing pain, and supporting each other.

As it is today, it was also a difficult period for our people thirty years ago, and again there was the same question: shall we be able to overcome it and how?

And we did overcome. On September 21, 1991, we turned our dream of many years into reality with the independent Republic of Armenia.

Moreover, nobody gave us independence. We tried, we fought, and we achieved. We achieved it not only at the cost of our will and devotion but also at the expense of the lives of many of our compatriots.

I once again bow to the memory of all those who sacrificed themselves for the independence, sovereignty, freedom, and security of Artsakh.

I extend my most profound respect to all those who have contributed to the achievement of independence.

Dear compatriots,

For thirty years, due to various objective and subjective reasons, we have not been able to fully realize the opportunity provided by independence, develop our victory and success.

Everything seemed to be there for it, from the dream to the idea, from the excitement to the will, from the experience of the past to the pursuit of the future.

Meanwhile, today it turns out that we did not appreciate what we had. Moreover, we underestimated both the gains and the losses.

We have used our spirit not so much for creating real success as for rejoicing in the desired success.



The blow received about thirty years later, unfortunately, was in the form of a new war...



Today, the history of our country, the people, the present, and the future are intertwined. We must learn from the past. At the same time, we must not let the past hinder us from moving forward.

National security is and will remain the most significant issue for our Homeland for a long time. We must do everything we can to strengthen our security system. Without a strong security system, there can be no development or progress.

We must make more efforts for the future development of our Motherland, Armenia, and Artsakh. But first, we must assess and realize the vital value of an independent state realistically, not emotionally.

Statehood becomes a reality when it lives in us, in our work, in our way of life, in our family, and in our way of thinking.

We must have a clear national and state agenda, vision and program, which must also guide our actions in the contacts with our partners and international relations, in general.

We need a deep awareness of our national identity and statehood.



We need unity to make our Homeland a safe, defensive, strong, and healthy state in all respects.

We need patience and awareness to realize that difficulties are temporary, and we can overcome them.

We need farsightedness to see new opportunities even in the current situation.

We need realism and a revaluation of reality. It is not only the state that needs restarting but also our feeling of statehood and the awareness of the consequences of the possible danger of losing it.

We must get out of the situation with our heads held high, our backs straight, and move forward:

in an atmosphere of solidarity, tolerance, and national accord,

with the courage to look into each other's eyes with dignity, straight, and honestly,

with the persistence in renouncing pretence and populism, and taking actual steps,

with the aim of making our Homeland, Armenia and Artsakh, secure and prosperous.

History remembers both defeats and victories. We must be able to live as a state, as a people, and as a society in such a way that to make history testify about us only through achievements and victories.

Independence Day unites all of us, from Armenia to Artsakh and the Diaspora. May this sense of unity help us achieve our national, pan-Armenian and state goals.

May God protect our Homeland, our people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.
WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated the Armenian people on Independence Day.

On behalf of the United States of America, I send best wishes to the people of Armenia as you celebrate the 30th anniversary of your independence, Secretary Blinken said in a statement released by the State Department. In the three decades since Armenia rejected oppressive communist rule and declared independence from the Soviet Union, the United States and Armenia have developed a strong partnership based on respect for human rights, the rule of law, and democratic institutions. We appreciate Armenias dedication to both these shared values and to its international commitments that play such a vital role toward strengthening peace and stability in the region.

We value the important contributions that Armenian-Americans have made that enrich communities across the United States and add to our nations vibrancy. These cultural connections and our people-to-people ties continue to strengthen the bond between our nations.

As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States remains committed to helping the sides negotiate a long-term political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and address the humanitarian impact of the fighting, including the release of all detainees, accounting for those missing, and the full and expeditious exchange of remains.

On this important day, we congratulate Armenia and look forward to building upon our strong bilateral relationship.
WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President of the United States Joe Biden sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of the Armenian Independence Day.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister: On behalf of the American people, I wish you and the Armenian people a safe and happy Independence Day. Our two nations are bonded by history, family, and friendship, including 1.5 million Armenian-Americans whose contributions enrich and strengthen our bilateral ties. This year, we will mark 30 years of bilateral relations between our countries. We look forward to continuing to support the Armenian people on your democratic journey in the years ahead, including by supporting your efforts to strengthen your democratic institutions, advance human rights, combat corruption, and uphold the rule of law. The Armenian people have faced challenges over the last year, including the tragic loss of life in the fighting in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. As we mourn with the people of Armenia, we will work hand in hand with your government, including through the OSCE Minsk Group and other regional formats, to promote regional stability and conflict resolution. The United States will continue to advocate for the release of all Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan. Finally, we are committed to our continued cooperation in the fight against COVID-19. The United States has contributed over $14.2 million to Armenia in the fight against COVID-19, and we will continue working together to advance an inclusive global economic recovery in the wake of this pandemic. Please accept my best wishes for the people of Armenia on this 30th Independence Day," the US President said in the letter.
MINSK, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS/BELTA. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has extended greetings to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of the Armenian Independence Day, BelTA reported.

President Lukashenko noted that over the years of sovereignty Belarus and Armenia have both maintained and strengthened their multi-pronged and mutually beneficial bilateral ties.

I am convinced that the historical relations of friendship, close interpersonal contacts and efficient cooperation within integration formats will continue to serve as a reliable foundation for a trust-based and constructive political dialogue, implementation of promising economic and humanitarian projects for the benefit of the two countries, the message of greetings to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian says.

In the message of greetings to Nikol Pashinyan, Aleksandr Lukashenko said that the long-standing fruitful partnership between Minsk and Yerevan has always been characterized by respect and mutual aspiration to deepen the traditionally friendly and trust-based relations. I am convinced that with your active support Belarus and Armenia will be able to make full use of the considerable potential of bilateral cooperation, enriching it with new examples of successful interaction that meets the interests of our peoples, the president stressed.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has addressed a congratulatory message on the 30th anniversary of the independence of Armenia, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin said.

The message reads:

Beloved people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora,

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the re-establishment of our independent statehood.

Three decades ago, our people, with a united will, chose the path of rebuilding its independence, to fulfill their centuries-old desire and dream with enthusiasm and inspiration.

Our people have traversed a difficult path of state-building, facing many challenges and making great sacrifices.

With glorious victories, successes and achievements, we also had omissions, wrong processes, both in the homeland and in the international arena.

Last year our nation went through a new trial. Azerbaijan again unleashed a war against the Republic of Artsakh.

The worst consequences of the catastrophic war, the wounds that bleed every day, have created a completely new situation in the life of our people.

In our hearts is the deep pain of our losses, our fallen martyrs, captives and the missing, the anxiety of the uncertainty towards the future, but also the determination to stand up again, to shake off the disasters and troubles that have befallen us, to ensure conditions for our people to live safely and prosperously in Artsakh and Armenia.

The independence of the native country is the greatest value.

Over the centuries, the Armenian Church has always kept the idea of independence awake in the souls of our children, blessed the struggles for our freedom, put everything possible in the establishment and progress of our modern independent homeland, and will continue its activity in this sacred mission.

The main meaning of the 30th anniversary of independence is to rebuild a progressive, prosperous country in love and unity.

Today, unfortunately, we often see intolerance instead of solidarity and dialogue.

The problems facing our country and people demand unity, joint efforts and implementation of like-minded goals.

We must defend and preserve the independence, which was acquired at a high price, with national unity, overcoming internal and external challenges along the way of this sacred mission, because our independent state is the strongest anchor and guarantee of our existence and being.

On the occasion of the Independence Day, we extend our pontifical blessings to all our people, urging them to stand firm in the faith, to walk in Gods commandments, united around the homeland, to fulfil our vivid national desires with patriotic and fraternal love.

It is our prayer that Almighty God keep our Homeland and the world at peace, as well as grant creative and safe life for the children of my nation, today and always. Amen.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) Lazar Comanescu sent a congratulatory letter to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on the 30th anniversary of Independence, the Armenian MFA reports.

Your Excellency, dear Mr. minister, its a special pleasure for me to address you warm congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the partners of the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat and myself personally on the national holiday of Armenia  the Independence Day, for your countrys further progress and the welfare of all its citizens.

We highly appreciate Armenias commitment to democracy and sustainable economic development, as well as its valuable contribution to the implementation of BSEC goals and matters.

I want to assure you that the BSEC PERMIS seeks to further deepen its close cooperation with you and your team of the Foreign Ministry.

Please, Your Excellency, accept the assurances of my respect, the BSEC Secretary General said in the letter.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis sent a congratulatory letter to President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian on the 30th anniversary of Independence, the Presidential Office reports.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of your countrys independence on September 21, I address you my happy and warm congratulations, as well as my wishes of welfare and peace to the Armenian people.

I pray to Almighty God to bless the efforts of all those people who responsibly and fully work for peoples security and prosperity. May the divine blessing be with the people of Armenia and with you, the letter reads.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Artsakh Artur Tovmasyan has addressed a message on the 30th anniversary of Armenias Independence, the Parliament of Artsakh said.

Dear compatriots, September 21 marks the 30th anniversary of the independence of the cradle of dreams of all Armenians  the third Republic of Armenia.

On September 21, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR, expressing the united will of the people, understanding its responsibility before the fate of the Armenian people, declared the beginning of the establishment of an independent statehood. The path to independence was accompanied by numerous challenges in pursuit of geopolitical interests, as well as by achievements and unfortunately, by irreversible losses.

We bow before the memory of thousands of Armenians who sacrificed their life on the path to independence. Their names will be engraved not only on the stone inscriptions, but also in the souls and hearts of all Armenians. History will give the answer to several questions, but today I want to state that we need to have enough will and potential to resist jointly all the challenges: we have commitment to strengthen the values gained by the independent statehood with creative work, the Artsakh Speaker of Parliament said in his letter, wishing lasting peace, progress and determination to the Armenian people.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Italy Sergio Mattarella sent a congratulatory letter to President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian on the 30th anniversary of Independence, the Armenian Presidents Office said.

The letter reads:

Yerevan and Rome are united by a sincere friendship, rooted in the tradition of millennial and productive mutual relations. The ancient civilizational heritage and the existing natural sympathy between our nations continue developing the bilateral relations, which are at an excellent level and which will further strengthen during your expected state visit.

On these firm grounds Italy looks with confidence at the future of the relations with Armenia, hoping that the dialogue between Yerevan and the European Union will open new and greater opportunities for your country and the whole region.

Mr. President, I address you my warmest wishes of personal welfare and congratulate the friendly Armenian people on todays holiday.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Cellist virtuoso Mischa Maisky and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra lit up the stage at the Coca-Cola Arena under the baton of Sergey Smbatyan at the InClassica Dubai International Music Festival 2021 on September 16, performing Alex Vella Gregory, Tchaikovsky and Joseph Vella.

Inspired by the warm reception and ovations from the audience, who seemingly drifted away to the abode of spiritual pleasures from their love to classical music, Smbatyan said that the evening was special for him.

What matters is that we had the chance to present the work of Maltese composers. It is always nice to perform Maltas music, Smbatyan said, adding that working with the renowned cellist Mischa Maisky was impressive.

The experience of performing with Maisky on the same stage was simply amazing, Smbatyan said.

Maisky himself admitted that he loved the concert because the Dubai audience is very emotional.

I was actually surprised with such reception, given the fact that this is a non-orthodox arena for classical music. I was happy to perform together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and Sergey Smbatyan, they have passion for music. Weve had some discussions and made plans with Smbatyan. It is possible that we perform in Armenia. Ive already been to Armenia and I have very good memories, Maisky said.

Reporting by Angela Hambardzumyan

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Photos by Alexey Molchanovsky
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Russia Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the 30th anniversary of Armenian independence.

The Russian-Armenian relations are friendly and allied in nature. Close cooperation is established between our states in various sectors, and constructive partnership exists within the framework of the EEU, CSTO and CIS. I am sure that through joint efforts we will further continue to strengthen bilateral partnership in all fields.

Today Armenia has to face serious challenges. We believe that the consistent implementation on the highest level of the November and January trilateral agreements will ensure the peaceful and prosperous development of your country and the Transcaucasian region. I wish robust health and good luck to you Dear Nikol Vovayevich and happiness and prosperity to all citizens of Armenia, President Putin said in the telegram, as quoted by the Armenian Prime Ministers Office.

The Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin also sent a congratulatory telegram to Pashinyan.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory telegram to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of the Armenian Independence Day.

I cordially congratulate you and convey my best wishes to you and the Armenian government on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia. By overcoming the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic from last year, the mutual political trust between China and Armenia is constantly strengthening, cooperation within the framework of the joint construction of One Belt One Road is steadily developing. I am ready to make joint efforts with you in the direction of elevating the mutually-beneficial cooperation in various sectors to a new level to shape a new content of development for the Armenian-Chinese relations.

I wish robust health and all the best to you.

I wish prosperity to the Republic of Armenia, and peace and happiness to the Armenian people, the Chinese premier said in the telegram.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov sent a congratulatory message to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Armenia's Independence, reaffirming the high level of Armenian-Russian allied relations and the close, deep-rooted friendship between the Armenian and Russian peoples, ARMENPRESS was informed from the MFA Armenia.

Dear Ararat Samvelovich, I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Armenia, the Independence Day.

Russia invariably values the allied relations with Armenia, and the close friendship of our peoples with deep historical roots.

We are happy with the success of the Armenian partners in the issues of complex development of Armenia and strengthening of its international position.

We hope that the multidimensional partnership between Moscow and Yerevan will further enhance the prosperity of the two countries.

We attach great importance to the rich dialogue between our foreign ministries; we are pleased to note that we have common position on current issues of bilateral and regional agendas, effective cooperation on international platforms, and fruitful cooperation within the framework of common integration projects.

Dear Ararat Samvelovich, I wish good health and all the best to you and the entire staff of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia.
French President Emmanuel Macron sent a congratulatory message to President Armen Sarkissian on the occasion of the 30th Independence Day anniversary of Armenia, news.am informs.

September 21, 2021, 13:08 Macron to Armenias Sarkissian: We will spare no effort to find lasting solution to conflict

STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 21, ARTSAKHPRESS: The message reads as follows, in particular:

France and Armenia are linked by a privileged relationship deeply rooted in history.

France wants to play a role in bringing peace to the region, and it is in that spirit that it stands with Armenia to help it meet the challenges it faces a year after the bloody war in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)]. In this sense, France will be particularly committed to preserving the cultural and spiritual heritagewhich reflects the uniqueness and richness of the South Caucasusof the region.

And finally, we will spare no effort to findwithin the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairsa lasting solution to the conflict, and to achieve the stabilization of the situation in the South Caucasusin favor of regional development and prosperity. This also implies the resumption of dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. France, as a co-chairing country, is ready to render its assistance in this matter.
One person was found dead inside an Auburn home where police officers encountered gunshots and returned fire during an incident Tuesday morning.

The Auburn Police Department said officers responded to 12 Wheeler St. at 11:20 a.m. after neighbors called in a complaint about shots being fired.

"Upon arriving on Wheeler (Street), officers were met with gunfire that appeared to be coming from the residence," the APD said in a press release. "Officers were forced to return fire as they were establishing a perimeter around the location."

A massive law enforcement response then followed, with police attempting to establish contact with anyone inside the residence, which is part of a two-unit duplex. Several hours later, police entered the home.

"A single occupant was found in the residence and confirmed to be deceased," according to the press release.

Police said they would not be providing any additional information about the deceased person at this point, including their identity. APD Deputy Chief Roger Anthony told The Citizen that the deceased person did appear to have been wounded by gunfire.
The Citizens Budget Commissions Andrew Rein said the Hochul administration was to be commended for directing a large amount of the higher-than-anticipated receipts into two different reserve accounts that are meant to help cushion future, unexpected fiscal blows that might otherwise create the need for sudden and large tax hikes or spending cuts.

DiNapoli, the budget watchdog group noted, has predicted that the current years budget receipts may end up another $3 billion above updated projections. Even with the deposits outlined in the (first quarter) update, the reserves will total $7.2 billion, still billions of dollars less than what the state should have on hand to help weather its next downturn," Rein warned in a statement last week.

Hochuls budget division last week sought to highlight just some of the uncertainties in the numbers. It noted that the migration of taxpayers to other states and the expansion of remote work both present real but hard to quantify risks to the states tax base, as well as to New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority." That authority, ostensibly controlled by Hochul, runs the nations largest mass transit system in the New York City area.
Smead would be 95 if alive today. His parents and most of his siblings are dead. Only a younger brother and sister are still living.

Eighty-five-year-old Douglas Smead has difficulty conjuring specific memories of his older brother, who enlisted in 1944. Douglas Smead was 7 years old and his sister Harriet was 6 years old when their brother left home.

Wolff, who is Douglas Smeads daughter, knows her uncle through stories, military records and old photos.

Her uncle Walter is the man in the black-and-white picture standing in his Army uniform with his hands behind his back on a snowy street in Hadley. He is the owner of the Purple Heart she found as a girl in her basement. She thought it was her dads medal until she noticed the name engraved on the back

Walter Smead served in Italy during World War II with the 10th Mountain Division and returned to the area after the war. Back in the Army in 1950, he went to Korea and was a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was among more than 1,000 U.S. troops killed during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which unfolded over two frigid, bloody weeks in late 1950.

Smead was declared missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950 and dead at the end of 1953. He was 24 years old.
Months after Tesla CEO went to Russia and announce that his company is planning to set up an EV hub there, Elon Musk has denied that the electric vehicle manufacturer has any plans to set up a facility there any time soon.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to clear any doubts about it when he replied to one of the users seeking his reply on Tesla's Gigafactory plan for Russia.

Musk replied, Tesla has not yet decided on a fourth Gigafactory location," putting an end to any further speculations.

Tesla is currently working to set up its first Gigafactory in Europe, which is located in Germany. The facility, located near Berlin, is expected to be up and running in the next few weeks. Musk had also hinted that the company aims to set up its second facility in Asia after China. Tesla already has two functional Gigafactories in United States, located in California and Texas. Its third one, the only outside its home turf, is near Shanghai, China.

Elon Musk's denial comes amid reports by a section of the Russian media that Tesla has agreed to build a Gigafactory in the country. According to reports published in one of the Russian web outlets Argumenti, the decision to set up a Gigafactory in Korolev, an industrial city near capital Moscow, was made at the Kremlin.

Earlier in May, Elon Musk had urged the United States and the Russian government to hold talks to overcome strained ties post-Cold War lows. At a forum on Russian education in Moscow, Musk was heard saying, "There is a lot of talent and energy in Russia and I think there should be more dialogue and communication between Russia and the United States." He had also said, ""I think we will soon be present in Russia. I think it will be amazing. We also need to look more broadly at Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. This is important to us."
Royal Enfield on Tuesday announced that its global marquee ride One Ride will be held on September 26th. The 10th edition of Royal Enfield One Ride will be held across 35 countries on September 26. The Chennai-based bikemaker has said that the ride will be organised with strict adherence to all Covid protocols.

Royal Enfield One Ride 2021 is being organised across over 400 cities in India, and 35 countries globally including Argentina, Columbia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Chile, United Kingdom, Ecuador, France, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Dubai, France, Italy, and Germany among others. The company says that enthusiasts can either join a ride or host a ride by visiting the official website.

(Also Read: Royal Enfield introduces customization programme for its range of riding jackets)

The company has launched a behavior change campaign to sensitise and encourage riders to adopt Responsible Travel practices. Royal Enfield has also announced #LeaveEveryPlaceBetter tagline to kick start its journey towards going zero-waste on its rides and events. In order to achieve the same, the Classic 350 maker has also joined hands with civil society organisations like Saahas, Waste Warriors, Humanmatrix and Wildlife Conservation & Birds Club, in India.

(Also Read: Electric Royal Enfield, made from scrap, built by 15-year-old for just 45,000)

The company says that its past efforts have positively impacted the livelihood of local communities in the region of Ladakh where it has made efforts to educate the rider community to travel responsibly. As part of its Social Mission of Responsible Travel, the brand has introduced several initiatives to empower the locals such as supporting over 60 homestays in remote locations in Ladakh, rural electrification with solar power impacting 682 households in rural Ladakh, tourist centres providing access to toilets & local food, and many more. Royal Enfield also works closely with local administrations to monitor waste management in these regions. This is part of Royal Enfield's larger program on promoting Responsible Travel and working with local communities at destinations that are frequented by its riders." the company noted in a press release sent earlier on Tuesday.

]
CHATSWORTH, Calif.Adult industry health nonprofit Pineapple Support welcomes Falcon|NakedSword as a new Bronze-level sponsor. The gay porn producer is one of over 60 adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization.



"The well-being of our models is incredibly important to all the team here at Falcon|NakedSword," says president/CEO Tim Valenti, a member of the Pineapple Support Board of Directors. "We are proud to sponsor this vital organization that does so much to ensure the health of our industry. Sponsoring Pineapple Support was an easy decision to make, as by doing so, we're able to positively influence the lives of adult models all over the world."



Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organisation, which is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States has so far connected over 5,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support.



"I would like to thank Falcon|NakedSword and the team for their sponsorship and support," says Tanit. "Sponsoring Pineapple Support has numerous benefits, but the most important is obvious; you are giving back to our community."



To find out more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, visit pineapplesupport.org/ sponsorship.
PARIS  Pokmi, a new decentralized adult content platform based on blockchain technology and NFTs (with more than 60000 beta active members), on Tuesday announced an exclusive partnership with reigning AVN Best Leading Actress Maitland Ward to celebrate the launch of the V1 version of its platform ( app.pokmi.com ).  Pokmi, a new decentralized adult content platform based on blockchain technology and NFTs (with more than 60000 beta active members), on Tuesday announced an exclusive partnership with reigning AVN Best Leading Actress Maitland Ward to celebrate the launch of the V1 version of its platform ().

This partnership is an incredible opportunity for us to join forces with Maitland to prove that technologies like blockchain and NFTs are an innovative and powerful way to protect youth from content that is not intended for them, to protect the works and income of adult content creators and to guarantee all of this by a currency (the Poken or $PKN) dedicated to those missions," says Marco Garniga and Nils Lataillade, the co-founders and co-CEOs of Pokmi.

Maitland remarks, Im super excited for my new exclusive partnership with Pokmi! Over the last year I have been offered several deals from various NFT companies to join the amazing opportunities in the crypto market space.

"Pokmi is without question leading the way with its platform and company vision. It has a flawless business plan, and was a no-brainer for me to join forces with them. Today is such an exciting day for the launch of its NFT platform. The creative and financial possibilities are endless. Today we celebrate its first official trading listing on the blockchain exchanges and together we intend to deliver exclusive adult content to the global market with a platinum approach to quality and exclusivity."

Pokmi's reasons for being is "to provide a fairer, more transparent and ethical model for content creators by putting them back at the center of the economic equation, to transform the world of adult content through the latest technologies and innovations."

Pokmi also guarantees "a unique, secure and authentic quality content experience through blockchain technology" for all those 18 and over; and "to promote ethical, inclusive and educational values, supported by its partners and ambassadors and leverage AI and machine learning tools to solve systemic problems in its market."

Maitland will upload each month beginning today, the $PKN listing day, posting unique NFTs and unlockable content from her own imagination.

According to Wikipedia, a non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files.

Access to any copy of the original file, however, is not restricted to the buyer of the NFT. While copies of these digital items are available for anyone to obtain, NFTs are tracked on blockchains to provide the owner with a proof of ownership that is separate from copyright. The NFT market value tripled in 2020, reaching more than $250 million. During the first quarter of 2021, NFT sales exceeded $2 billion.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
In 2020-21, there will, over a seven-month period, be three sets of elections in Hong Kong, each highly significant. Whereas the elections for the 1,500-member Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) Election Committee are taking place on September 19, 2021, these will be followed by the Legislative Council elections on December 19, and the Chief Executive election on March 27, 2022.

Elections as a means of choosing the city's officials are enshrined in the Basic Law. It describes universal suffrage as the "ultimate aim" in the choosing of both the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council, although disruptive elements have frustrated the process. But, despite recent difficulties, this objective remains unchanged.

The coming elections are the first since the National People's Congress overhauled the electoral system in March, and put the city back on track. After anti-China forces declared war on society in 2019-20, reform became unavoidable. If the "one country, two systems" governing policy for Hong Kong had not been improved, it could have failed altogether. This, of course, was exactly what some people wanted, as they knew this would advance the policy agendas of China's geopolitical rivals, to whom they were beholden.

This was why, for example, the district council seats had to be removed from the Election Committee. Under the Basic Law (Art.97), district organizations are "not organs of political power", yet their seats fell into the hands of people obsessed with political posturing and anti-China activity. Systematic abuse was poisoning the body politic, and could no longer be tolerated. Changes, therefore, were essential to ensure that the electoral system produced responsible governance, not political mayhem.

On March 11, the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang explained that the electoral reforms would help Hong Kong to remain stable and prosperous, which was exactly what most people wanted to hear. He said that "to insist on 'patriots administering Hong Kong' is to ensure the long-term implementation of one country, two systems", and this was quite true.

Although the Central authorities could have despaired over the chaos, they retained their faith in Hong Kong and its capacity to turn things round. They recognized how external forces were encouraging their local proxies to wreck the city, believing this would undermine China.

The Election Committee that is now being formed will comprise 982 elected members, 156 nominated members, and 362 ex officio members. In early August, the HKSAR government announced that it had received 1,056 nominations for the contested seats, compared to 1,539 at the last vote in 2016. The lower figure this time is not surprising, as many of those who stood previously have now realized that their brand of fanaticism has had its day.

The Election Committee has been expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, with a 300-seat fifth sub-sector added to the existing four sub-sectors, each also comprising 300 seats. This has made it more representative, and it allows more voices to be heard.

There is, for example, now room for people with national perspectives and cross-border experience, including local members of the NPC, the CPPCC and the representatives of associations of Hong Kong residents in the Chinese mainland. Although this has obviously made the body less parochial, full regard has nonetheless been had to local conditions. Indeed, Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, has noted that its design is "aimed to form a new democratic electoral system suited to Hong Kong's realities, and with Hong Kong characteristics".

The Election Committee's functions include choosing the Chief Executive, electing 40 of the 90 members to the Legislative Council, and nominating its other members. Although its immediate concerns are with local governance, there are also national ramifications. Quite clearly, therefore, these responsibilities can only be discharged by trustworthy individuals who have the country's best interests at heart, and not by people allied to foreign powers. In other words, they must be patriotic and comm

There is, of course, nothing new about the qualities expected of the city's office-holders. In 1984, the former leader Deng Xiaoping said that, although Hong Kong would retain its own way of life and separate system after 1997, it had to be ruled by "patriots". And, he explained, "a patriot is one who respects the Chinese nation, sincerely supports the motherland's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong and wishes not to impair Hong Kong's prosperity and stability".

After 1997, however, these elementary requirements were routinely flouted, with disastrous consequences. Although, in the early years, there were hopes that the "one country, two systems" policy would be upheld by everybody, and that Hong Kong's unique status under the Basic Law would be cherished, these were dashed by elected officials and others who wished China ill. They preached hatred of the Central authorities, paralyzed the Legislative Council, espoused violent protests, promoted separatism and even urged foreign powers to impose punitive measures on Hong Kong and its officials. Self-obsessed and devoid of vision, they voted down the proposal which would have enabled the Chief Executive to be elected by universal suffrage in 2017, thereby also torpedoing any hopes of greater democratization of the Legislative Council.

Over time, it became clear that many of those assuming public office were utterly unfit to serve. They had no interest in public welfare or economic development, let alone promoting national objectives. They entered public life not to help Hong Kong, but to sabotage the system from within. They even violated the Basic Law, most obviously by preventing the enactment of the laws the city was constitutionally obliged to enact, including that on national security (Art.23). They were a very real threat to the "one country, two systems" policy, and they nearly destroyed it. However, they did not succeed, despite their foreign support, and Hong Kong is now back in business.

In consequence, those taking up public office in future will have to be responsible, committed to the city, and loyal to the country. Although Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, it is an integral part of China, and comes directly under the Central People's Government, and this cannot be impugned. People who want to harm Hong Kong, or threaten national sovereignty or security, can no longer enter public life, and this protects the "one country, two systems" policy from its antagonists.

To ensure, therefore, that anti-China elements can never again pervert the city's politics, the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee now assesses the bona fides of anybody wishing to stand in the three elections, and bars unsuitable individuals. It ensures that candidates meet general eligibility requirements, such as age, nationality and good character. It also enforces compliance with the statutory requirement of candidates to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the HKSAR, in order to achieve "patriots administering Hong Kong".

Although people of different political persuasions can certainly participate in elections, those bent on disruption cannot. However, most fanatics have seen the writing on the wall, and have not sought to stand. Indeed, only one prospective candidate, Cheng Chung-tai, from the localist Civic Passion party, who has a previous conviction for flag desecration, had to be disqualified from standing. The fruits of the vetting process will shortly become apparent.

Once in place, the Election Committee will help to ensure good governance, and it will only endorse people of real ability, who can see the bigger picture. Aware of national imperatives, it will promote orderly progress in Hong Kong, with an avoidance of reckless politicization. As Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, secretary for justice of the HKSAR, has explained, the committee is "like the ballast of the new democratic electoral system, ensuring more balanced and orderly participation and representation of the overall interests of society".

Quite clearly, the Election Committee is a gatekeeper, upholding the city's core values and ensuring its future success. It sets high standards, provides focus, and ensures that prospective office-holders, however patriotic, are of the right quality. It also has to emphasize that the city's politics are all about serving the people, advancing public welfare and seizing opportunities, as well as supporting national initiatives.

Once the three sets of elections are complete, the full potential of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy can be realized, and this will provide the hope, prosperity and stability that everybody wants.

(From CGTN)

itted to defending national security.




At a time when the United States has approved COVID-19 booster shots, just 3.5 percent of Africans are vaccinated, The Hindu reported on Sunday.

Quoting World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Indian newspaper underlined COVID-19 vaccine inequity across the world.

On September 14, Ghebreyesus revealed that "less than 3.5 percent of people in Africa have been fully vaccinated so far compared with 54 percent of the total population in the United States," said the article.

"The longer vaccine inequity persists, the more the virus will keep circulating and changing, the longer the social and economic disruption will continue, and the higher the chances that more variants will emerge that render vaccines less effective," Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying, underlining a threat not only to Africa but the whole world.

According to the newspaper, vaccine inequity between high- and low-income countries was striking.

"More than 75 percent of all vaccines have been administered in just 10 countries ... 60.1 percent of the people in the high-income countries have been vaccinated with at least one dose as on September 15, while in the low-income countries, it is just 3 percent," the newspaper said.

Quoting Africa's WHO regional office, the newspaper said that 42 of Africa's 54 nations  nearly 80 percent  are set to miss their targets if the current pace of vaccine deliveries and vaccinations hold.

In June, the G7 nations promised to share 870 million doses to COVAX but released just 100 million, it said, adding that though high-income countries had promised to donate more than 1 billion doses, less than 15 percent of the amount has materialised.




Computer Weekly - 21 September 2021: The cities planning for ethical use of AI

In this weeks Computer Weekly, we talk to tech leaders in Barcelona and London about a collaboration to ensure ethical use of AI in the era of smart cities. The UK government wants to reform data protection law  we assess the implications and concerns. And we examine the latest best practice in hybrid cloud. Read the issue now.
Schools across the nation struggle with a bus driver shortage, and Massachusetts has been hit especially hard. This month, the state called in the National Guard to transport kids to school.

One Boston high school resorted to using a party bus complete with stripper poles and LED lighting, as tweeted by teacher Jim Mayers.

"According to Mayers, the original bus charter for the field trip had fallen through halfway through the week, leaving them to find a last minute alternative. "When you promise hundreds of kids a fun day with their advisories, you make it happen," he wrote. For Mayers, the best part was the kids' reactions to the stripper poles, saying: "I've never seen one before," after being informed they were genuine ones. "Me neither," he responded." Newsweek

After the story was shared widely, Mayers deleted the tweet, and he made a follow-up statement on Twitter to point to large structural issues in education that he considers more worthy of attention than his party bus field trip. The three-paragraph message concluded with an invitation for people to get involved with the education system.
If you're a fan of Kharkovchanka, the giant snow cruisers made by the Soviet Union, then you'll enjoy this mini-documentary about an American counterpart, the Antarctic Snow Cruiser. It was seventeen meters long, six meters wide, weighed more than 34,000 kg, and had smooth tiresa decision that that doomed it to failure.

The Antarctic Snow Cruiser would have a special role to play. Its main objective would be to reach the South Pole (only two prior expeditions had ever set foot on the South Pole prior to 1939). During its months-long trek, the Snow Cruiser and it's aircraft would make surveys along its course, and in just a few months the Americans were expecting to explore more of Antarctica than all previous expeditions combined. The ambitious effort would help the Americans establish their own territorial claim on the continent. But in the race to leave for Antarctica by the fall of 1939, the Snow Cruiser would have to be constructed in just 11 weeks, an incredibly short amount of time for such an ambitious, first of its kind machine. Soon, it would become abundantly clear that the Cruiser had been over-designed and under-tested, with extreme optimism seemingly guiding it's design.

It was abandoned, recovered in the 1960s, then once again lost to the snow and ice and finally to the cold wet void below.
How am I just finding out that it was *The Pointer Sisters* that sang the vocals for the pinball counting song on Sesame Street?! I'm shook! [Someone please revoke my Gen-X card, thank you.] I also just learned that the "Pinball Number Count" (its proper name) has 11 different animated segments. And that number one was skipped, it goes right into two through 12.

A link from the song's Wikipedia page led me to even more info. The following is a letter written in 2003 by Walter Kraemer, the song's composer and producer:

"As composer and producer of Sesame Street's Pinball Music I was flattered to find interest in something I created over a quarter of a century ago. Our company, Imagination, Inc in San Francisco produced a great number of animation pieces for Children's Television Workshop at that time so forgive me if I'm a bit hazy as to some of the particulars.

Those were indeed the Pointer Sisters. All four of them. At the time only three were performing regularly and I recall budgeting for just the three when June showed up at the session with the rest. It was a bonus. The basic track was performed by San Francisco Bay Area musicians and since there were to be eleven pieces of animation I had the track structured to accomodate three different lead instrument overdubs to give the pieces some variety. On some numbers Andy Narell plays a steel drums solo, on others Mel Martin plays a soprano sax solo, on the rest I forget. Much credit should go to Ed Bogas for interpreting my melody ideas and for the musical arrangements.

The concept and design was devised by our animation director, Jeff Hale. It was his idea that I create basic tracks then record as 'wild-lines' the Pointers shouting the various 2-11 numbers in different intensities and different compliments of voices. Then, each time the pin ball hit a selected number he would drop in these (off-keycouldn't be helped) wild lines. While I have retained first or second generation masters (quarter inch tape now converted to DAT and CD) of 99% my audio productions over the years it is for above reason there was never a 'master' track. This news came as a dissapointment to the folks back at Sesame Street who were planning the current CD release. Unfortunately, I have retained nothing from this session. Matter of fact, I haven't heard the piece in years.

On the techinal side, we recorded at Richard Beggs' (Francis Ford Coppola's) studio in the Columbus Towers Building, 24 track, analogof course. Mag transfers were made at Imagination, Inc. which is long out of business. And, again unfortunately, there is nothing left of either the animation cells nor audio elements for any of that beautiful work.

Personally, I am honored to be thought of in the same company as Herbie Hancock and Frank Zappa. My approach was to write the piece in 12-4 or 12-8 time but that didn't quite work out. And it wasn't until we had completed the project that I realized I may have stolen the first five notes of the Woody Woodpecker Song. Something I'm sure neither Hancock nor Zappa would be guilty of.
THE DEAD SPEAK! The world has heard a mysterious broadcast, a threat of revenge in the sinister voice of the late BARONESS MARGARET THATCHER. Faced with the return of one of humanity's greatest threats, you have no choice but to head to THE TENTH CIRCLE OF HELL:  THE UNITED KINGDOM OF 

GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND And investigate the underworld fortress known only as THATCHER'S TECHBASE

Thatcher's Techbase is a free DOOM mod created by Jim Purvis and available via GitHub; in lieu of payment, they recommend you donate to organizations such as Hillsborough Justice Campaign, Stonewall, or the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation. As Purvis told NME in a recent interview:

I'm from a town called Coatbridge  just outside Glasgow  that was badly affected by Thatcher's infamous policies on heavy industry and social housing in the 1980s," explains Purvis. "I was born the year Thatcher left office, but her presence was felt throughout my childhood and even into my twenties and thirties. Almost everyone I know was affected by the decisions of the Thatcher government in some way or another, and we're still seeing her ghost all over the place in our current socio-political situation. She was a satanic figure in Scottish culture well before I turned her into a cybernetic demon.

The mod started as a joke during lockdown, when Purvis saw a tweet from someone saying that if they died and went to Hell, they'd spent eternity scouring the depths for Thatcher.
In true Fox fashion, Peter Doocy "quoted" Joe Biden when asking about booster shots, omitting half of what the president had said to make him look irresponsible.

"Why did the president say in August, 'Just remember as a simple rule, eight months after your second shot, get a booster shot,' if there is not enough data to support that for the general population?"

And in true Jen Psaki style, the White House Press Secretary didn't miss a beat as she seamlessly picked up where Doocy left off, clearing up the gentleman's goof.

"Well, what the president also said is that, 'I want to be very clear. The plan is pending the FDA conducting an independent evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and the CDC's advisory committee,'" she responded.

And then, to bring it home, she added, "We are right now, in the week of September 20. The advisory committee is meeting on Thursday.  Our objective and our role is to ensure that we have the capacity and the number of shots to provide them to the American people."

"With foxes we must play the fox," as the saying goes.
On Sunday, police arrested two men attempting to drive into Auckland, New Zealand which is on extreme lockdown due to COVID-19everything is closed and people must stay home except for essential movement. Apparently these fellows felt that a KFC run is essential travel as their trunk was loaded with several buckets of chicken, a ton of coleslaw, french fries, and other items. According to police, they were also carrying more than NZ$100,000 (US$70,000) in cashthe change from their order, I'd guessand "empty ounce bags" which I can only assume were to be used to portion out the drumsticks to their friends back home.

From CNN:

Police were patrolling back roads near the outskirts of Auckland when they noticed a suspicious looking vehicle, a New Zealand Police spokesperson said in a statement Monday .Upon seeing the officers, the vehicle did a U-turn and sped off before eventually pulling over, the statement said[]

The two men, ages 23 and 30, were traveling to Auckland from Hamilton, about 75 miles south of the city, police said.

The pair will appear in court for charges of breaching New Zealand's Health Order, police said, adding "further charges are likely."
The Speech Academy Asia, a public speaking program in Singapore, came up with the brilliant idea of sending clowns to hang around outside elementary schools and promote their offerings. Apparently they hoped the clowns would excite the kids so they'd encourage their parents to sign them up for the speech classes. Not surprisingly, the kids, along with their parents and school staff, were freaked the hell out. School administrators advised the children not to leave the school grounds while waiting for pick-up and to keep their wits about them.

Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin posted the above image to his Facebook with the comment: "Whoever is doing what I assume to be some viral marketing nonsense, stop it!"

From The Straits Times:
This chopper footage shows the end of a police chase on a Texas highway and a brief but startling shootout between a pursuing officer and the suspect. The officer was shot in the arm, leading to some unusual footage: the pursuit chopper landing nearby to medevac the officer, then speeding from highway to hospital while the camera stays automatically locked to the GPS location of the shootout.

The suspect, named as Ernest Manuel Montelongo, was shot in the chest and taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center, where he reportedly died.

According to DPS spokesman Deon Cockrell, the shootout happened after the suspect gave the trooper a false name during a traffic stop, resisted arrest and fled. Cockrell said the trooper pulled the suspect over in Guadalupe County for a traffic violation and attempted to take him into custody for giving a false name and then the suspect fled, leading the trooper on a chase.

If you're wondering why the officer decided to take on an armed suspect alone after being warned about him over the radio, I imagine he's asking himself the same question.
Cassie Laundrie, the sister of Brian Laundrie, speaking with ABC News' "Good Morning America." Good Morning America

Brian Laundrie's sister shared postcards she said Gabby Petito sent her from the couple's road trip.

Cassie Laundrie sent condolences to Petito's family after a body matching Petito's description was found.

The full results of the autopsy are expected on Tuesday.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The sister of Gabby Petito's boyfriend shared on Monday postcards and texts she said the 22-year-old sent her from the couple's road trip.

Laundrie's sister Cassie also offered her condolences to Petito's family in a statement on Monday that said, "Gabby was a fun and loving influence to 'the boys' as she always referred to them," ABC News reported.

A body matching Petito's description was found on Sunday near Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, after a massive missing-person search. The results of an autopsy are expected on Tuesday.

Throughout the search, Brian Laundrie refused to assist authorities and went missing himself last week.

"The boys" in question are Cassie Laundrie's children, to whom she said Petito addressed cheerful postcards from her road trip with Laundrie.

Signing the cards "Aunt Gabby," Petito appears to have written about the things she had seen in her "van-life" trip.

"Oh my gosh! Me and Uncle Brian were sitting on a rock eating a snack after a long walk, and the fattest squirrel I've ever seen!!! Came right on my lap!!" one card said.

"The sky here is so open, there's more stars than I've ever seen!!" said another card, apparently from Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park.

Other cards shared with ABC4 showed colorful drawings of rock formations. "The rocks here are so cool!!" one said.

"Uncle Brian and I have seen many different rock-types, I knew there were different kinds of rocks, but I didn't know that some are different formations, did you?" the card continued.

Story continues

Gabby Petito documented her travels on Instagram. Instagram/@gabspetito

The text message, dated August 10, was similarly upbeat. It mentioned the children's return to school and requested pictures of them.

"We're in arches right now so we don't have be best WiFi, but we did send you some mail," the text said. It also included a hugging emoji. Arches is likely a reference to Utah's Arches National Park, which the couple's social media suggested they visited.

Cassie Laundrie is the only member of Laundrie's family to have spoken directly with media since Petito went missing. She gave ABC News an interview on September 17, in which she described Petito as being "like a sister."

Two people believed to be law enforcement were seen visiting Cassie Laundrie's Lakewood Ranch home on Monday, Fox 13 News reported.

Read the original article on Insider
LONDON (AP)  British police said Tuesday they are charging a third Russian suspect in the 2018 nerve agent attack on a former Russian agent in England.

Scotland Yard said prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Denis Sergeev, who went by the alias Sergey Fedotov, with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon, and causing grievous bodily harm.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were targeted in a nerve agent attack in March 2018 in the English city of Salisbury that British authorities said had almost certainly approved been at a senior level of the Russian state. Moscow has vehemently denied the allegations.

The Skripals survived, but the attack later claimed the life of a British woman and left a man and a police officer seriously ill.

Police previously charged two other Russian military intelligence agents, known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, saying they traveled to the U.K. for the poisoning operation then flew back to Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the suspects were civilians, and the two suspects later appeared on Russian television claiming they had visited Salisbury as tourists.

Police said Tuesday they have evidence that the third suspect, Sergeev, was also a member of the Russian military intelligence service known as the GRU.

Arrest warrants have been issued for all three men. Police said they will apply for Interpol notices for Fedotov on Tuesday, but British prosecutors said they will not apply to Russia for Sergeev's extradition because the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals.

Russia's Defense Ministry, which the GRU is part of, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, a senior counter-terrorism officer who has been leading the investigation, said the case has been one of the most complex ever undertaken by the counter-terror team. He appealed for anyone who had seen the three men in the U.K. in March 2018 to come forward.

Story continues

Investigators have pieced together evidence suggesting that all three suspects "previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia," Haydon said.

All three of them are dangerous individuals, he added. They have tried to murder people here in the U.K, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the U.K. by means unknown."

Online investigative website Bellingcat previously reported that Sergeev was suspected of involvement in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015.

Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer turned double agent for Britain, and his daughter Yulia, who was visiting him, spent weeks in critical condition after the attack.

Three months later, two local residents who apparently picked up a discarded perfume vial that contained the nerve agent fell ill. One recovered, but the other died. A police officer who was investigating the case also fell ill; he recovered but later quit the force.

The case ignited a diplomatic confrontation in which hundreds of envoys were expelled by both Russia and Western nations.

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press
man shivering inside with scarf on

A surge in gas prices has seen UK energy suppliers stop trading and rising household bills.

It's prompted headlines warning of shortages and a "winter of discontent".

Does the UK face a gas shortage this winter?

Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said it was alarmist and misguided to start talking about gas shortages.

"There is no question of the lights going out, of people being unable to heat their homes. There will be no three-day working week, or a throwback to the 1970s," he said.

The government said the UK has a "diverse and secure" range of suppliers.

However, demand for gas is rising across Europe, and some fear the UK could be physically - and perhaps politically - at the back of the queue.

What's more, the UK has scant storage facilities - it's been increasingly operating a "just-in-time model", which means it's more affected by short-term price fluctuations in the wholesale gas market.

Bar chart: The UK has much less gas storage than other nations in Europe

The government stresses it's "not complacent".

And, if needed, it does have the power to impose emergency measures, such as ordering big industrial customers to temporarily stop using gas.

But the biggest factor - the weather - is beyond its control. Our best hope for avoiding problems is a mild, if breezy - and wind power-friendly - winter.

Where does UK gas come from?

The UK has been a big producer of gas since the mid-1960s - but output has fallen since 2000 and usage continues to rise.

We now import more than half our gas - much of it from Norway, and a considerable amount from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Liquid natural gas (LNG) - transported by ship from countries like Qatar - has increasingly been in demand in the UK, but there's competition for supplies from the likes of China.

Russia supplies less than 5% of the UK's gas, but provides much of the gas used by the rest of Europe.

It has been accused of restricting its gas exports for political reasons - it wants to build a controversial pipeline across the Baltic sea. Any drop in Russian supply has a big effect on the overall wholesale price.

Story continues

Because of the UK's lack of gas storage facilities, it has to buy large quantities on the wholesale market. UK wholesale gas prices hit a record high this week before Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would boost supplies to Europe.

If Russia makes good on that promise, this should in theory reduce prices for everyone because there will be more of the stuff to go round.

Where does the UK get its gas imports?

Why is there a gas shortage?

A perfect energy storm has been brewing during 2021.

A cold winter around the world last year sent gas demand rising, depleting stores.

Those reserves would normally be replenished over the summer. But output dropped because many major producers were catching up with maintenance postponed during lockdowns.

Meanwhile, calm weather reduced the amount of electricity generated by wind power.

As a result, wholesale gas prices have more than quadrupled over the last year.

The UK has been badly hit because it's one of Europe's biggest users of natural gas - 85% of homes use gas central heating, and it also generates a third of our electricity.

Wholesale gas prices

What about my bills?

Even without a big freeze, bills are heading up. October's increase in the fuel cap - the maximum customers can be charged - means many annual household fuel bills will rise by 135 or more.

Most big domestic suppliers buy their gas months in advance - so they have yet to pass on the price rises of the past few months.

As they are scarcely making a profit on gas, it's likely the energy "cap" will rise again in April.

There could be relief if the the squeeze on gas supplies eases. But economists say wholesale prices are unlikely to drop before storage facilities fill up again - and that's not likely until spring.

Are gas prices rising in Europe?

The rise in global wholesale gas prices has been felt across Europe.

Some suggest Brexit has meant the UK is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting the best deal.

When it was in the EU, the UK was part of the Internal Energy Market which can enable countries to access electricity more smoothly and at lower cost.

However, the way gas is traded has been largely unaffected, which means leaving the EU has not had a significant impact.

Countries that rely heavily on imported gas, such as Italy and Spain, have been particularly hard hit. Their governments have directly cut prices and raised taxes on energy company profits respectively.

The price cap has meant the UK's gas bills have until now been typically lower than the EU average.

But the rise in prices comes on top of other economic problems such as labour shortages and increasing food prices, adding up to an unwelcome rise in the cost of living.

For this winter, stocking up on jumpers may be the cheapest option.
Career / Professional Development

USI All Majors Internship and Career Fair

Employers will be on campus to recruit students for jobs and internships!

Each semester, USI Career Services hosts an All Majors Internship and Career Fair. Our priority is to connect employers with USI students and graduates for full-time and part-time jobs and internships. All students are encouraged to attend to meet potential employers! Dress professionally and bring several copies of your resume. RSVP on Career Launch by September 20 to get a pre-printed name tag for the event! GET READY TO LAUNCH YOUR CAREER!
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  A molecular biologist has assured that all COVID-19 vaccines in the country are safe and effective, following the appeal of Davao Mayor Sara Duterte for the national government to focus more on closing deals for Western-made doses.

"Any vaccine is better than no vaccine. All the vaccines will protect you and protect us from severe disease and from death," OCTA Research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, who is also developing an oral COVID-19 vaccine, told a media briefing on Tuesday.

Mayor Duterte earlier said the city government of Davao passed a resolution asking the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to purchase more Western-made COVID-19 vaccines after the local government reported low acceptability of Chinese vaccines Sinovac and Sinopharm.

RELATED: Ex-NTF adviser backs Sara Duterte's appeal to buy more Western-made COVID-19 vaccines

IATF spokesperson Harry Roque said it's understandable to prefer vaccines made in the United States over those produced in China, but he argued supply of the coveted vaccines remains an issue.

"On behalf of IATF, sino ba ang ayaw ng Western brand? Lahat tayo may preference pero gustuhin man natin ang Western brands, hindi po talaga dumarating," he said. "The Philippines is not alone."

[Translation: On behalf of IATF, who wouldn't want a Western brand? We all have preferences but even if we want Western brands, supplies aren't coming in.]

Austriaco said the supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may become more uncertain in the coming months since the United States will soon administer limited booster shots. Once this starts, he said it will put an "immense pressure on the supply."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is ready to face a probe into alleged false positive results of COVID-19 tests conducted by its laboratories, its chairman Senator Richard Gordon said Tuesday.

In his recent address, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Health to conduct the investigation.

"We are open, sir, because we report all the testing to the Department of Health and to the RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine)," Gordon said Tuesday during a Senate hearing on pandemic funds.

Duterte claimed 44 out of 49 hospital personnel tested positive in their first RT-PCR test taken at the PRC's Subic laboratory, but yielded negative results when they took the same test in other laboratories. He added that the same thing happened with a number of Presidential Security Group members and Department of Finance staff.

Gordon said the hospital personnel who initially got positive COVID-19 test results were retested, and the results were the same.

Nag-order kami ng re-run noon without you telling us. Automatic 'yan. Andami nila eh," Gordon said. "Lumabas sila ay positive. At ni-re-check namin iyan at na-found out na positive."

[Translation: We ordered a re-run without you telling us. That is automatic because so many people got positive test resultsIt turned out they were positive for COVID-19. We rechecked their results and found out they were indeed positive.]

In a statement, the PRC said it requires its laboratories to conduct an "automatic re-run" of tests to ensure the accuracy of results when situations similar to what happened to the samples tested in Subic occur.

"While we strongly stand by the integrity of the positive results issued by our Subic laboratory on the samples, we acknowledge the possibility of false-positive results since no test is 100% accurate," the organization also said.

The PRC added, in such cases, "it treats all positive results as true positive," per the advice of the Department of Health.

Duterte has vented his ire on Gordon and the PRC after the lawmaker's committee started a probe into his administration's pandemic spending.

Gordon called Duterte a "bully" for attacking him and the organization he leads.

"You are a bully. And I am sorry, Mr. President, the Filipino people can fight back against bullies. The Filipino can have a revolution against bullies," he said.

Duterte is "no longer respectable" as far as the senator is concerned, he added.

Early this month, Duterte said the PRC should open up their records, or else the government will disassociate with the organization. The Commission on Audit previously said it cannot look into the financial accounts of the PRC, as it is not a government agency. However, Duterte said it would constitute a "dereliction of duty" if the commission refuses to do so.

The President has accused Gordon of using PRC funds for his election campaigns. Gordon dismissed the allegation, calling it an "attempt by the President to try and distract the people once again."
(CNN)  With COVID-19 and the environment at the top of the agenda at this year's United Nations' General Assembly, observers braced for the first world leader to speak in the UN headquarters' storied hall: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, notorious for both his off-the-cuff comments and controversial handling of the pandemic and the environment.

The Brazilian President's speech was calmly given, even monotone at times, opening with a numbing sales pitch of his country to investors that touted developments in sanitation and transportation services. He was presenting "a new Brazil whose credibility has been recovered in the world" -- one very different from the country devastated by the coronavirus on his watch and lashed by fires in the Amazon, where Bolsonaro has pushed for development.

The conservative populist leader stuck to established provocations on social and pandemic issues, repeatedly alluding to the importance of "the traditional nuclear family" and criticizing pandemic lockdown measures. Doctors should be free to prescribe the use of "off-label" medications against COVID-19, added the president, who has long championed the unproven malaria medicine hydroxychloroquine as a treatment.

Brazil traditionally goes first in the General Assembly's weeklong roster of speeches by member states, and Bolsonaro, who is up for reelection next year, had already set a pugnacious tone for his appearance, publicly flouting the UN's "honor system" that calls for foreign delegations to be vaccinated before entering the building. Bolsonaro declared last week that he would not get vaccinated, because he already had COVID-19.

"Why do you take a vaccine? To have antibodies, right? My antibodies rate is really high. I can show you the document," he said in a live social media broadcast. He added that he will only make a decision about getting vaccinated "after everyone in Brazil gets the vaccine" -- a dissonant voice as the General Assembly pushes this year to increase vaccination throughout the globe, and cajoling wealthier nations to share more doses with poorer ones.

But while the Brazilian President has tended to use appearances at the UN to reject foreign authority -- showing a similar allergy to being told what to do when it comes to another globe-spanning crisis: global warming -- he seemed to sidestep any direct confrontation on that front.

In 2020 at the UNGA podium, as flames raged in the Amazon, he told the hand-wringing world to back off, claiming foreign agents were overhyping the wildfires in "the most brutal misinformation campaign." He has long painted the environmental concerns expressed by foreign governments, local indigenous groups, and organizations as prelude to an imagined foreign invasion of the Amazon.

This year, a quieter Bolsonaro acknowledged "environmental challenges" but boasted that the Amazon region had seen a drop of 32% deforestation in August compared to the prior year, citing numbers from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research indicating 918 square kilometers of deforestation. The number is still nearly double what was registered in August 2018, before the Bolsonaro administration, however.

In contrast, data from the Amazon Institute of Man and Environment (Imazon) -- which monitors the deforested areas by satellite -- suggest 1,606 square kilometers of deforestation in August, a 7% rise in comparison to the same month last year. It is also the highest rate for August in a decade, according to Imazons satellites imagery.

The president also called on other countries to do their part by fulfilling commitments to climate funding "at substantial amounts." His own government has previously received significant foreign aid from other countries to help halt deforestation -- a tactic that some environmental advocates in Brazil criticize, pointing out that not all the money allocated for environmental work in Brazil is spent in the first place.

Bolsonaro, never a fan of pandemic restrictions, acknowledged as much in Tuesday's speech before world leaders, saying that while he regrets "all of the deaths that took place in Brazil and worldwide," the toll of unemployment must be balanced against that of the coronavirus. Over the past year, he had frequently raged against municipal and state-level lockdown orders in Brazil, even during the grimmest moments of the pandemic, when hospitals filled to capacity and whole cities ran out of oxygen. Over half a million Brazilians have died in the pandemic -- the highest death toll in the world after the United States.

A more moderate tone had been expected from Bolsonaro this year, said Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly and vice president for policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas. For one thing, the assembly's mood was simply different, with fewer fellow right-wing populist leaders to join Bolsonaro in giving international busybodies the middle finger.

"Bolsonaro is more isolated than ever," Winter told CNN. "Trump left, Netanyahu is gone. The main country that really aligns with his brand of right-wing conservatism is Victor Orban's Hungary," he says. (Bolsonaro did have a sit-down scheduled with Poland's conservative, anti-LGBTQ president Andrzej Duda before he took the stage Tuesday, though.)

This year, too, the stakes of climate change have never been clearer, with catastrophic fires and floods seen around the world. Brazil's vast forest works as an "air conditioner" for the globe, influencing global temperature and rainfall patterns, and absorbing carbon dioxide, and Winters says Bolsonaro had already previewed a new "constructive" tone on coordinating climate protection during a summit convened by US President Joe Biden this spring, when Bolsonaro presented a plan to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030 and neutralize greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In a meeting Monday with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Bolsonaro showed the same mild-mannered stubbornness that he later displayed at the podium. The two leaders discussed climate and Covid-19, and Bolsonaro "affirmed Brazil's commitment to sustainable development," a Brazilian Foreign Ministry statement read after the meeting.

But when it came to getting vaccinated per the United Nations' request, he was as unmoving as ever.

During footage of the meeting at the UN headquarters, Johnson could be heard telling Bolsonaro, "AstraZeneca, it's a great vaccine. Get the AstraZeneca vaccine. I had it twice." Bolsonaro laughed the tip off. "No, not yet," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "'Isolated' but defiant, Brazil's Bolsonaro defends handling of Covid and climate at UN."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 20)  The Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives wants an additional tax on the countrys billionaires, with the revenues generated used to augment funds for medical services and other programs for the poor.

The group of lawmakers filed on Tuesday House Bill No. 10253, or the Super-Rich Tax Act of 2021, which seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.

The bill proposes to impose a 1% tax on persons whose taxable assets exceed 1 billion, 2% for over 2 billion, and 3% for over 3 billion.

This will raise 236.7 billion annually just from the 50 richest Filipinos, the lawmakers noted.

Philippine taxation for the longest time has been largely collected from what people pay for, what they consume, or from what they earn, and have never implemented a tax on large fortunes, the Makabayan bloc said.

"This tax would further help shift the burden away from regressive consumption taxes towards the handful of the wealthiest who are capable of contributing more to our public coffers," it added.

Under the proposed legislation, 60% of the billions in tax revenues shall be used exclusively for medical assistance and the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, a project providing training to health professionals.

The other 40% shall be allocated for programs and investments in education, social protection, employment, and housing that prioritize and directly benefit both the poor and near-poor households.

Despite the pandemic triggering a global economic downturn, most Filipino billionaires still saw their net worth go up in 2021. This year, 17 Filipinos made it to the annual Forbes List of the worlds richest individuals.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has a Large Taxpayers Service which monitors the tax payments of wealthy entities identified as large taxpayers.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The Commission on Elections will tackle the Senate resolution calling for an extension of the voter registration period on Wednesday, an official said.

In a text message, Commissioner Aimee Ferolino said the proposal will be an agenda during the Comelec en banc meeting this week.

Comelec repeatedly rejected earlier calls for a longer registration period, saying it will disrupt all other preparations for the May 2022 polls.

The Senate last week adopted a resolution urging the poll body to move the registration deadline by a month to Oct. 31. On Monday, Senator Franklin Drilon also threatened to slash Comelecs 2022 budget to the barest minimum if it will ignore the chambers plea.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body will have to make do with whatever amount congress ultimately decides to grant for next year's national elections. "Congress unquestionably holds the power of the purse. For its part, Comelec  as the sole government entity tasked with the conduct of elections  can only do its utmost to ensure that it fulfills its mandate to hold secure, accurate, and free and fair elections," he told reporters.

Parts of the country that went on lockdown like Metro Manila and Iloilo lost several weeks for voter registration. Long lines outside Comelec offices started on September 6, when the poll body allowed voter registration to resume in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine.

Thousands of aspiring voters have reported spending hours in line with just nine days left before the Sept. 30 deadline. This covers new registrants, transfer of voting districts, or reactivation  although reactivation may be done fully online by sending an email to the district office where the voter is registered with.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has said in a radio interview that she is supportive of voter registration requests but was previously outvoted by six other commissioners.

She noted that persons with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women, doctors, medical frontliners and police need not line up for registration, as they can transact through an express lane in each local office.

Registration is ongoing at Comelec district offices and mall registration desks from Mondays to Saturdays. Guanzon said registered voters have reached 62.47 million, higher than the poll body's 61-million target.

READ: Young Filipinos comprise 52% of total registered voters for 2022 polls so far  Comelec
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  President Rodrigo Duterte threw another set of blows at Senator Richard Gordon and the Philippine Red Cross, claiming the veteran lawmaker is misusing government funds.

In his weekly national address on Monday, Duterte, without elaborating on the basis of his accusation, said Gordon may have used 88 million worth of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and co-mingled it with PRC money.

Gordon is the chairman of the PRC.

"Nais ko malaman, tumanggap ka ba ng 88 million? Sa PDAF mo, kung totoo lang," Duterte said, addressing Gordon. "Pinarking mo ang PDAF mo, so you co-mingled it with the money of Red Cross."

[Translation: I want to know, did you really receive 88 million? Those are from your PDAF, if it is true. You parked your PDAF, so you co-mingled it with the money of Red Cross.]

Duterte claimed the money allegedly pocketed by Gordon has been "lost forever and cannot be accounted for."

The PDAF, popularly known as pork barrel, is a discretionary fund distributed to senators and congressmen to fund local projects.

PDAF was abolished in 2013 after the Supreme Court declared its unconstitutionality after several legislators were found to have misused the funds. Gordon was not included among the lawmakers implicated in the so-called pork barrel scam.

The President also alleged Philippine Red Cross failed to submit its annual report required by law.

Where is this report? In all my years as president, I have not seen even the shadow of that law-mandated report," Duterte said during his public address aired Monday night.

"That is actually an omission, that is something which you failed to do, he also said.

If it is required by law and you failed to do it and there is malice because you wanted to hide your crimes then it becomes a case of anti-graft, he added.

Duterte was referring to the report required by Republic Act No. 10072 or the Philippine Red Cross Act of 2009.

The Philippine Red Cross shall, at the end of every calendar year, submit to the President of the Philippines an annual report containing its activities and showing its financial condition," the law says.

Duterte is also pushing for the Commission on Audit to scrutinize the PRC, a non-government and non-profit organization headed by Senator Richard Gordon.

Gordon is also the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the Duterte administrations purchase of alleged overpriced medical supplies for pandemic response.

COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo has confirmed that the agency does not have jurisdiction to audit the PRC.

He explained the COA can only audit the payments delivered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to the PRC.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso will be running for president in next year's elections, Manila Public Information Office chief Julius Leonen told CNN Philippines.

He will be running alongside health advocate and former senatorial aspirant Dr. Willie Ong. The two are set to make a formal announcement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Moreno said in a post that in the meantime, the local government will continue to fulfill its duties.

"Tuloy ang gobyerno [Governance will continue]. We're still here. I'm going to have to do what I have to do as the Mayor," he said in a Facebook post with a photo of a virtual meeting with his staff.

Moreno, who unseated Manila mayor and former president Joseph Erap Estrada in the 2019 elections, has since gained favor from some groups for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his efforts to clean up the capital city.

He was earlier identified as one of the possible presidential candidates eyed by opposition coalition 1Sambayan. He was also included in President Rodrigo Duterte's list of preferred successors back in June.

In an April survey, the mayor also placed fourth among Filipinos' top bets among probable candidates. Moreno earlier floated that should he run for the top post, it would not be based on an endorsement by any group but on his personal belief in his capacity to govern the country.

Based on surveys, political analyst Edmund Tayao said Moreno has a "good chance" in the upcoming polls.

"I am inclined to think that the race would be neck and neck [between] leading presidential [contenders] at least as far as the surveys are concerned," he told CNN Philippines' The Final Word.

As for Ong, Tayao said although the former senatorial bet managed to "finish respectably" in the midterm elections despite his failed run, the public will still need convincing.

"I am inclined to think that the name of the game in the coming elections would be for anyone or someone who will be able to convince the public that he is offering something new to the country," added Tayao.

Out of 62 senatorial candidates, Ong ranked 18th in 2019 polls
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The government plans to offer fill-and-finish service, the last step in the manufacturing process, to COVID-19 vaccine producers by next year.

Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo bared the plan during President Rodrigo Dutertes public address aired Monday night as the President was asking for updates on the possible local production of COVID-19 vaccine.

Ang plano po natin by next year, magkaroon po tayo at least nung tinatawag po nating fill and finish, meaning dadalhin po sa Pilipinas yung bulk product, tapos dito na po natin ire-repackage doon po sa maliliit na vials, ampoules or mga syringes, Domingo told the President.

[Translation: Our plan for next year is to have at least what we call fill and finish, which means the bulk product will be delivered to the Philippines, where it will be repackaged in small vials, ampoules, or syringes.]

The year after that, yun na po yung manufacturing ng mas maraming ibang klaseng bakuna po dito, he added.

[Translation: The year after that, we aim to manufacture different kinds of vaccine here.]

The Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Health are spearheading efforts to ensure the countrys self-sustainability when it comes to vaccines, Domingo said.

He added the agencies are also in talks with manufacturers abroad for the transfer of COVID-19 vaccine technology to the Philippines.

To date, the government has administered 41.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Around 18.5 million out of 110 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated.
Private gyms and health clubs are making their case on why they should also be allowed to resume operations. They argue, their members need to keep fit and their businesses need to survive.
(CNN)  Dozens of endangered African penguins were apparently killed by a swarm of bees in South Africa on Friday.

The 63 penguins were found dead on Friday at a colony in Simonstown, near Cape Town, according to a statement from South African National Parks (SANParks).

"The deaths occurred suddenly some time between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning," and experts started investigating the cause of death, the statement said.

"The post-mortems revealed that all the penguins had multiple bee stings, and many dead bees were found at the site where the birds had died," it added.

The preliminary investigation suggested the penguins died after being stung by Cape honey bees, SANParks said, but samples were still being tested to rule out other possible causes.

Alison Kock, a SANParks marine biologist, thanked the organization's partners, including the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) and the City of Cape Town, for their assistance in investigating the "unusual event."

"No more dead African penguins were found on site today, and we will continue to monitor the situation," Kock said in the statement.

On Sunday, veterinarian David Roberts from SANCCOB told the AFP news agency that bee stings had been found around the penguins' eyes.

"This is a very rare occurrence. We do not expect it to happen often, it's a fluke," Roberts told AFP.

African penguins are native to the coasts of South Africa and Namibia.

They are among the smaller penguin species, known for their irregular markings and loud voices.

The species is also in sharp decline, from a population of more than a million at the beginning of the 20th century to just 55,000 in 2010  when they were declared endangered.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Bee swarm kills 63 endangered penguins in South Africa"
(CNN) -- Russia was responsible for killing Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent turned Kremlin critic who died in London by polonium poisoning in 2006, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Tuesday.

The ruling found that "Russia was responsible for assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko in the UK."

"The Court found in particular that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr Litvinenko, Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State," it said, referring to the names of two Russian agents accused of killing Litvinenko.

The court also ruled that Russian authorities "had not carried out an effective domestic investigation capable of leading to the establishment of the facts and, where appropriate, the identification and punishment of those responsible for the murder."

This is a developing story and will be updated. It was first published on CNN.com, "Russia responsible for Alexander Litvinenko's assassination, European court rules"
(CNN)  In a rare address to the UN General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday made a major new climate commitment on behalf of the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

China will not build any new coal-fired power projects abroad, Xi said in a pre-recorded speech. The vow marks a shift in policy around its sprawling Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which had already begun to draw down its coal initiatives.

China will also increase financial support for green and low-carbon energy projects in other developing countries, he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had appealed to world leaders earlier in the day to show solidarity and act on the climate crisis, warning that humanity was on track for a "hellscape" of temperature rise that would bring "catastrophe." At the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres asked nations to end subsidies on fossil fuels, end the use of coal, invest in renewable energy, and tax carbon and pollution "instead of people's income."

"The climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch," he said. "The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a code red for humanity. We see the warning signs in every continent and region -- scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces."

China still has work to do on climate at home, Xi Jinping acknowledged, reiterating a prior pledge to "strive" to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

"This requires tremendous hard work and we will make every effort," the Chinese leader said.

China's 2060 decarbonization target is still a decade behind those of the US and European Union.

Coal is also still China's primary energy source by a long shot. China consumed more coal than all other countries in the world put together in 2020, a study by the research group Ember showed. It accounted for 58% of the country's energy demand in 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In his own speech to the assembly, US President Joe Biden announced he will work with Congress to double again the United States' financial commitment to support developing nations. Biden pledged in April the US would increase its contribution to global climate financing to $5.7 billion per year, putting his new commitment around $11 billion per year.

"In April, I announced the US will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis, and today, I'm proud to announce that we will work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts," Biden said.

More than a decade ago, world leaders from developed countries agreed to contribute $100 billion a year to support countries in the Global South that are facing the most direct impacts of climate, a goal that was missed. In 2019, developed countries contributed $79.6 billion for developing countries, around $20 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal, according to a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report.

The US was also criticized for failing to transfer any money under the Trump administration; Trump pulled the US out of its global climate financing commitments when he pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. Under the Obama administration, the US paid $1 billion of a $3 billion commitment it originally made in 2014.

Even with Biden's new commitment, US allies contribute more to the effort. For instance, the European Union transfers around 25 billion a year (the equivalent of $29.3 billion).

The assembly is the last major international event before world leaders meet again at the G20 in Rome in October, followed immediately by the UN climate conference in Scotland.

"We are weeks away from the UN climate conference in Glasgow, but seemingly light-years away from reaching our targets," Guterres said. "We must get serious and we must act fast".

Guterres' speech revealed his increasing impatience and frustration with leaders. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro -- whose government has allowed rampant deforestation in the Amazon -- is also speaking Tuesday.

The UN chief's speech and newly strident tone comes as Guterres prepares to launch his next five-year term as UN Secretary General. It also comes amid a global political landscape that has itself grown more moderate in tenor since the exit of former US President Donald Trump.

The Secretary General and President Biden met briefly on Monday evening at Biden's Manhattan hotel, with a discussion that "reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United Nations and the United States, anchored in shared principles and values," Guterres' office said.
(CNN)  Autopsy results have confirmed that the remains found Sunday in the Bridger-Teton National Forest are those of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman who disappeared while on a trip exploring national parks with her fiance, Brian Laundrie, according to the FBI in Denver.

The FBI tweeted that Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled the manner of death a homicide in his preliminary findings.

"The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results," the FBI said.

"Anyone with information concerning Mr. Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI," Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said.

The FBI in Denver said the agency would like information from anyone who may have had contact with Petito or Laundrie or who visited the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area between August 27-30 or may have seen their vehicle.

Petito's remains were found Sunday in an undeveloped camping area in Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of Grand Teton National Park, officials have said.

Authorities in Florida are searching for Laundrie, who has not been seen in a week.

Peitito's family said through an attorney earlier Tuesday that they need time to grieve.

"We will be making a statement when Gabby is home," attorney Richard Benson Stafford said in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KSL.

The police search for Laundrie resumed Tuesday at a Florida nature reserve where his parents reportedly said he indicated he was going last week. Laundrie's parents told investigators he left their home in North Port with a backpack September 14 to go to the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve near Venice.

Authorities have searched the family home, including on Monday.

"A weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25-thousand-acre preserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on," North Port Police said on Facebook. Police indicated the search picked up Tuesday in a different part of the reserve.

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, had been road-tripping in a white van from New York through the US West over the summer, regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages with the hashtag #vanlife.

Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, and Laundrie returned to his North Port, Florida, home on September 1 in their van without Petito, whose family reported her missing September 11.

The case has become an obsession for many, spurring digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail. The story has also further highlighted the tens of thousands of unsolved missing persons stories.

Before Petito disappeared, her conversations with her mother appeared to reveal she had "more and more tension" with Laundrie, a police affidavit for a search warrant indicates.

Before she vanished, Petito sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother via cell phone during her trip, Florida police wrote in an application filed last week for a search warrant for an external hard drive found in the couple's van.

In those conversations, there "appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie," the affidavit reads. On August 27, Petito's mother received one last communication from her daughter, which she called an "odd text," the affidavit says.

The message read: "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Because the text message referred to Petito's grandfather as Stan, her mother was concerned that something was wrong, the warrant states.

Following that text message, Petito's phone was no longer operational and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip, the warrant says.

One more text came on August 30 that read, "No service in Yosemite," but her family doubts she wrote it, Richard Stafford, an attorney representing Joseph Petito and her mother, Nichole Schmidt, said.

Other evidence of tension between Petito and Laundrie also has emerged. A 911 audio recording in Utah sheds new light on a now-well-publicized incident in which police confronted the pair on August 12.

In the 911 recording from the Grand County Sheriff's Office in Moab, Utah, a caller reports what he called a "domestic dispute" between a couple.

"We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl," the caller says. "Then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off."

Police later stopped the couple, and previously released police documents and body-camera video reveal what followed that day.

Although the Petito and Laundrie are described in a police report as getting into a physical fight following an argument, "both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime," Officer Eric Pratt wrote in the report.

At the suggestion by police, the couple separated for the night, the report said, which described Petito as "confused and emotional."

A National Park Service ranger who also responded to the call interacted with Petito for about 90 minutes, and warned her that her relationship with Laundrie had markings of a "toxic" one, the ranger told the Deseret News of Utah.

"I was imploring with her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life," ranger Melissa Hulls told the Deseret News.

CNN has sought comment from Hulls.

Woman says she picked up Laundrie hitchhiking last month in Wyoming

A woman has said she and her boyfriend gave Laundrie a ride on August 29 in Wyoming -- and that Laundrie claimed he'd been camping by himself for multiple days while Petitio was back at their van working on social media posts.

In a series of videos posted on TikTok, Miranda Baker said she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie that evening while he was hitchhiking in Colter Bay, Wyoming. That's not far from where human remains consistent with Petito's description were found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday.

Laundrie offered to pay $200 for the ride before he even got into the vehicle, Baker said.

Laundrie, who was wearing a backpack, pants and hiking boots, "looked clean and didn't smell bad," and was very polite, Baker said. Laundrie told them he had been camping "basically in the middle of nowhere" at a site outside the Grand Teton National Park, near the Snake River, she said.

Laundrie claimed to have hiked for days along that river, and that all he had was a tarp to sleep on, she said.

Once Laundrie found out Baker and her boyfriend were going to Jackson Hole instead of Jackson, he got agitated, asked that the vehicle stop, and got out near the Jackson Dam, according to Baker. She said they dropped him off less than 30 minutes after picking him up.

Baker said she has spoken to law enforcement about their reported interaction with Laundrie.

North Port police confirmed to CNN that Baker spoke with the department before posting the videos on TikTok.

"Her account is plausible, it appears," North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor said.

CNN has not been able to independently verify Baker's claims. The FBI has not returned CNN requests for comment.

FBI searches Laundrie's home

The FBI on Monday searched the North Port home of Laundrie and his parents, removing many items over several hours.

Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta, were escorted from their home Monday morning so agents could execute a search warrant, North Port police spokesman Joshua Taylor told CNN. They were later taken back inside for questioning.

His parents had previously told police that they had not seen Laundrie since September 14, when he told them he was going to the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature reserve near Venice, Florida, according to authorities.

Investigators resumed their search there at 8 a.m. ET Tuesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

North Port police on Tuesday announced they were resuming their search on the Venice side of the reserve after saying Monday they'd shifted their search away from the reserve, having "exhausted all avenues" there. Agents from the fish and wildlife commission were requested Monday afternoon, commission spokesperson Adam Brown said.

An attorney for Laundrie's family, Steven P. Bertolino, said he would hold a news conference Tuesday, but later canceled the event. He said the FBI requested he not hold the conference.

Agents removed a number of items from the home Monday, and a Ford Mustang convertible was also towed away.

Before his parents told police Laundrie left the home September 14, he had refused to talk to investigators, and the family had directed them to their attorney, police said. Laundrie has not been charged in the case.

'She touched the world,' father says

Pathologists will conduct a full forensic examination of the remains found Sunday to confirm the identity, said Charles Jones, FBI Denver's supervisory senior resident agent in Wyoming. Authorities also must identify the cause of death, he said.

Petito's family has been notified of the discovery.

Her father, Joseph Petito, tweeted a picture of his daughter Sunday evening, saying, "She touched the world." Richard Stafford, an attorney representing Joseph Petito and her mother, Schmidt, asked that the family be given space, per a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WABC.

Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino called the news "heartbreaking," adding, "The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family."

Laundrie's sister praised Petito for her relationship with Laundrie's nephews, according to a statement to ABC News.

"Gabby was a fun and loving influence to 'the boys' as she always referred to them. We will cherish the time we spent with her," Cassie Laundrie said.
Cyber

AFGE looks to block Cyber Command reserve program in NDAA

The American Federation of Government Employees came out against a proposed cyber reserve pilot program in a Wednesday letter to House Rules Committee leaders.

The pilot program, based in U.S. Cyber Command, will be put forth in a floor amendment proposed by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) when the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act comes up for debate.

Under the reserve program, cybersecurity experts could be noncompetitively appointed into competitive service positions or appointed to excepted service positions for up to 180 days to respond to significant cyber incidents.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley wrote on Sept. 15 that the plan would weaken merit systems principles, erode civilian control over DOD and demoralize the existing civilian cybersecurity workforce.

The union has been on guard of late about DOD seeking personnel flexibilities.

"The perspective of Department of Defense leadership has consistently been one of seeking and obtaining exemptions from the government-wide processes administered by the Office of Personnel Management that are intended to ensure an apolitical civil service," wrote Kelley in a May letter to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

The new pilot under consideration would cap the number of appointees in the system at 50. While they're working, they'd be considered feds. Current executive branch employees and members of the selected reserve wouldn't be eligible to participate.

The union argued that the 150-day deployment timeframe might not give reserve members long enough at the agency to be helpful and would be "highly disruptive to the permanent workforce."

"When they have to effectively train temporary civilian reservists on what the problem is, while the reservist waltzes in and out of the agency while the permanent staff are stuck with dealing with the longer-term problem," Kelley wrote.

Kelley also raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, calling for additional public disclosure requirements in the bill.

"A major motive inducing a profit-based company to agree to losing an employee for something like this is to keep these projects temporary and to get some inside information from the government to enhance competitive advantage," he wrote.

The proposed pilot isn't the only system using exceptions to the standard competitive hiring process with the goal of bringing in cyber talent in a tight market.

Panetta and other lawmakers have proposed a bill to let the Department of Homeland Security and DOD create temporary civilian cyber reserves made of former feds and military personnel for details up to six months. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee reported it out of the committee unanimously in July.

DHS is also working on standing up an entire new personnel system for cyber talent, its Cybersecurity Talent Management System. Feds hired into it will be in the excepted service.

The union's concerns with the potential DOD pilot, and its criticisms of "misused exceptions to Title 5 and lax OPM oversight" also apply to DHS, said John Anderson, an AFGE lobbyist.

It isn't yet clear if DHS employees hired under CTMS will be able to organize and bargain. Jeff Neal, a former top human resources officer at multiple federal agencies, told FCW that "unless they decide that certain positions are exempted for national security reasons, the language indicates Chapter 71 [the Labor Relations statute] applies and the employees can organize."

This article first appeared on FCW, a Defense Systems partner site.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Indonesia-based mobile telecommunications services operator XL Axiata said that it has started operating a 4G network spread across 14 districts in Maluku and 10 districts in Papua and West Papua.

Deployed under the government-mandated universal services obligation (USO) initiative, XL has installed 4G base stations in remote areas that are difficult to reach from the centre of government, either in the regency or province.

"The operation of the USO BTS, which started in December 2019 and continues to expand throughout 2020, is part of the implementation of XL Axiata's commitment to enter the age of 25 to Build a Digital Indonesia," said a press note from the second-largest mobile telecommunications company in Indonesia.

Director & Chief Technology Officer of XL Axiata, I Gede Darmayusa said, "Utilising the USO program, we are trying to help provide 4G networks to remote areas in 14 regencies in the very vast Maluku Islands, starting from Halmahera in North, Central Maluku, to the Aru Islands in the South. In addition, we have also started to serve 10 regencies in Papua and West Papua which on average have difficult terrain. Hopefully, the existence of hundreds of 4G network infrastructure will be able to encourage economic productivity and facilitate the social needs of residents, as well as open their isolation from the outside world.

Gede said that currently 83 USO 4G BTS points have been operated in North Maluku. In Papua Province, there are a total of 36 USO BTS.

"XL Axiata's 4G service in the Maluku Islands, as well as Papua has started operating since December 2019 and will continue to grow throughout 2020. Through this 4G service, data access is available for residents in this region, after previously, their village has never been reached by a data network," it said.
As broadband demands grow, could satellites be part of the answer? Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) a satcoms company under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, seems to think so. It recently announced that Nigeria plans to acquire two new satellites by 2025.

According to the Ecofin news agency, the companys Managing Director Abimbola Alale recently announced that demand for broadband connectivity in Nigeria has been growing and that satellites, along with mobile and fibre, will have a part to play in meeting that demand.

Her comments were made on 16 September at a forum held in Lagos. She said the two new satellites  NigComSat-2 and NigComSat-3  will replace NigComSat 1-R, which will reach the end of its 15-year life in 2026.

NigComSats plan comes at a time when demand for broadband connectivity is growing across the country, especially in rural areas. The Nigerian Communications Commission reported that the number of internet subscribers increased from 135,743,324 in Q1 2020 to 154,437,623 in Q4 2020.

With NigComSat-2 and NigComSat-3, NigComSat will contribute to the federal government's ambitions to increase broadband penetration to 90 percent of the population by 2025. The hope is that the two satellites will also support the country's digital transformation in various sectors, including health, education and public administration.
The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and telecoms giant Vodafone have got together to urge action to connect 3.4 billion people with smartphones by 2030.

For this initiative, the Vodafone Group and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are co-chairs via a dedicated working group under the auspices of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. The Commission was launched by the ITU and UNESCO in 2010 to bridge the digital divide and bring the goal of universal broadband connectivity to the forefront of policy discussions.

The participants in the initiative point out that of the world's 3.7 billion people not connected to the internet, 3.4 billion live within range of mobile networks but are currently not accessing the internet, partly due to a lack of smartphone ownership.

As they also argue, the effect of the pandemic on accelerated use of digital public services, and the need for digital skills for work have made mobile internet access through a smartphone more important than ever.

Mobile accounts for 86 percent of connections to the internet in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), underlining the importance of mobile in addressing this issue. The aim of the initiative is therefore that an additional 3.4 billion people will eventually have the ability to access and use the internet through a smartphone by 2030.

In line with the Broadband Commission Global Targets 2025 on affordability and connectivity, the new working group will identify policy, commercial and circular-economy interventions to increase smartphone access.

The group is co-chaired by Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read, and ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. Launch partners also include the Alliance for Affordable Internet, the GSMA, the government of Ghana, Safaricom, Smart Africa, Vodacom Group, and the World Wide Web Foundation.

The Broadband Commission Working Group will produce a report and set of concrete recommendations including original analysis and data on the smartphone access gap, and quantification of the social and economic impact of providing everyone with smartphone access by 2030  including an assessment of moving users from 2G feature phones to 4G smartphones.

There will also be an analysis of initiatives or pilots designed to increase smartphone access. Vodafone Group has committed to launch two pilot projects on device affordability as part of this process.
Doses of Cuba's Abdala coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine are seen at a vaccination center in Caracas, Venezuela, July 1, 2021. Photo by Reuters/Manaure Quintero

The Cuban defense ministry has promised to donate 150,000 doses of the country's indigenous Abdala Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam along with drugs to treat the disease.

The decision was announced at a meeting Monday between Alvaro Lopez Mieram, Cuban Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and Deputy Minister of Defense Hoang Xuan Chien.

Chien is part of a delegation led by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visiting Cuba.

Alvaro said the vaccines and drugs would be sent to Vietnam along with the delegation, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Chien thanked Cuba for the drugs and experts it has already dispatched to Vietnam to help with the Covid fight, and said that Vietnam would send Cuba 100 tons of corn and VND10 billion ($439,948) in cash and medical equipment as Covid-19 fight support.

The two sides also agreed to draw up a five-year plan for medical cooperation between their militaries.

Vietnam has also said it would buy 10 million doses of Abdala after its Ministry of Health approved it for emergency use last Friday.

Cuba approved emergency use of the Abdala vaccine in July after manufacturers said it was more than 92 percent effective with three doses. It is seeking approval for the vaccine from the World Health Organization, which has begun the verification process.

Abdala is the eighth Covid-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in Vietnam. The others are the U.K.'s AstraZeneca, the U.S.'s Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, Russia's SputnikV, China's Sinopharm, and the UAE's Hayat-Vax.

Vietnam has vaccinated around 30 million people, with 6.6 million getting two shots.
Man sentenced to death for smuggling ecstasy from Europe to Vietnam

Nguyen Quang Thin, Ngo Van Truyen and Nguyen Van Loc stand trial in Da Nang for trading ecstasy, September 20, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Nam Em

A Da Nang City court has sentenced to death the kingpin of a gang that smuggled thousands of ecstasy pills into Vietnam last year.

Nguyen Quang Thin, 32, of neighboring Quang Nam Province was found guilty of "illegally trading and trafficking narcotics."

His accomplices Ngo Van Truyen and Nguyen Van Loc, both 39 and from Quang Nam, received life sentences on the same charge.

Thin got in touch with a Vietnamese man in Germany identified as Tuan via a social network, and last October the latter suggested that Thin should form a gang to smuggle ecstasy from Europe to Vietnam.

A month later Thin received a consignment of 4,000 pills Tuan sent from Germany to Binh Duong Province near Ho Chi Minh City.

Thin ordered Loc to find buyers, and the latter contacted Truyen and the three worked together to distribute the ecstasy.

For every pill sold, Thin earned VND70,000 ($3.08) and gave half the money to Truyen.

Loc would meet customers directly and sell the pills at around VND150,000 each.

On November 9 the Da Nang drug prevention police caught Thin red-handed while he was on his way to deliver the drug to Lien Chieu District in the city, and seized 2,000 ecstasy pills from him.

The same day they also arrested Truyen and Loc in the city and found hidden in their car another 1,767 pills.

The two said they were on their way to deliver them to customers.

Vietnam has some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 g of heroin or over 2.5 kg of methamphetamine face death.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recently cohosted a ministerial on Afghanistan with countries from across the globe.

Secretary Blinken focused on three areas where the alignment and cooperation of the international community are especially important.

The first is holding the Taliban to its pledge to allow foreign nationals, visa holders, and Afghans to travel outside the country if they wish. Countering the Talibans objection that people with expertise leaving the country will cause a brain drain, Secretary Blinken said, The best way to get people to stay in Afghanistan is to allow them to leave Afghanistan, as well as to uphold their basic rights. The United States will continue to work to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans.

Secondly, Secretary Blinken emphasized the international community must hold the Taliban to its commitment to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for operations that threaten any country.

Of course we cant just rely on the Taliban to meet these commitments, Secretary Blinken declared. All of us have to remain vigilant and monitor threats, especially any reemergence of externally directed plotting, and address them swiftly when they arise. As President Biden has made clear, the United States will maintain robust counterterrorism capabilities in the region to neutralize any threats, and we wont hesitate to use those capabilities if we have to do so.

Thirdly, Secretary of State Blinken underscored the need for the international community to continue to ensure that lifesaving humanitarian assistance remains available for the Afghan people, consistent with U.S. and UN sanctions against terrorists.

All three of these core objectives will require engagement with the Taliban, but there is a crucial distinction between engagement which we carried on throughout the evacuation, which we continue to pursueand treating the Taliban as we do most other countries, said Secretary Blinken. The legitimacy the Taliban professes to want, he noted, must be earned over time with a sustained commitment to the core expectations of the international community. This includes respecting the gains fought for over the last 20 years that expanded the rights of women, children, journalists, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and members of minority groups.

To advance our shared interests, Secretary Blinken declared, our engagement with the Taliban has to be coherent, cleared-eyed, circumspect, and, again, as much as possible, aligned.
The US managed to evacuate over 79,000 civilians from Hamid Karzai International Airport over an 18-day period General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr, commander of U.S. Central Command, said at a press briefing 30 August. A few dozen female judges were able to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August, but hundreds more were left behind when the last US military personnel withdrew from the country 31 August.

The return of the Taliban meant that the 250 women judges in Afghanistan were removed from their posts, along with their male counterparts, and replaced with Taliban appointees. The hundreds who havent been able to get out are now hiding, fearing reprisals from the Taliban and criminals they put in jail who are now on the streets free again.

Female judges receiving threats

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, besides ordering women not to return to work including 250 female judges, the fundamentalist regime opened prison gates. Many of the convicted criminals, including rapists and murderers, were put there by female judges who presided over cases of violence against women. This has led them to not only fear reprisals from the Taliban but also revenge against them and their families from those they put away.

"Now we do not feel safe; the same criminals are going after my own life, the lives of my family. God forbid if they seek revenge," one of the former judges going by the name Nabila to protect herself and her family told CNN.

Many judges fled their offices in such a hurry as the Taliban entered Kabul that they didnt have time to clean them out, leaving personal information and photographs behind, material which is now being used to track them down. Shortly after the Taliban arrived in Kabul Nabila said my personal number was called and I was threatened with revenge, threatened with murder." Since then, she has cancelled her phone numbers and has been changing houses every few days with her family.

Efforts being made to evacuate the female judges

A number of organizations are trying to find safe passage out of Afghanistan for the female judges who are at special risk due to their gender. Judge Vanessa Ruiz from the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) based in the US told CNN the convicted criminals now roaming free would be especially angry with a woman judge a woman [that] had official authority, and sat in judgement of a man, is rage of a completely different order, Ruiz said.

The IAWJ, whose resources are limited, are doing all they can to get female judges out, but want to see Western countries do more, in particular the US. Several of the female judges were trained through a judicial education program funded by the US government.

"It's their association with us, in many ways, that puts them at risk," said Ruiz. She wants Western governments to be more agile and generous admitting those in danger in Afghanistan saying "You've got to cut the red tape when you're dealing with an emergency, and we're dealing with an emergency."

The US continues to evacuate Afghans and Americans

Even though all US forces left Afghanistan, there are ongoing efforts to evacuate more people. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing last week that two flights left Kabul in the prior two weeks and efforts to get people out would continue as long as necessary. "There's no deadline to this mission," Blinken said. "We will continue to help Americans -- and Afghans to whom we have a special commitment -- depart Afghanistan if they choose.

Judge Ruiz said that the IAWJ as well would continue their efforts to get out every woman judge who is threatened, and wishes to leave Afghanistan, until every last one is able to do so. She added "We're not going to abandon them. We're not going to forget them. And we're not going to let the world ignore them."
The FDA will decide this week if it will follow the independent panel of experts that advises the agency on vaccines and related products after they recommended a more limited rollout of covid-19 vaccine booster shots. Pfizer had requested approval of a booster shot for everyone 16 and older but the advisory committee endorsed only giving a third shot of the companys two-dose vaccine to those who are high risk and 65 and older.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generally follows the advice from panel of experts but could choose not to heed their recommendation, instead widening availability of the booster. In the coming weeks, when the data become available, the FDA will also consider booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

Boosters only for people who are high risk and 65 and older

The Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC to the FDA, concluded that boosters were not necessary for most younger Americans, who are generally healthier, unless they are at special risk of infection due to their work. The Times reports this would include front line workers such as emergency responders, those employed in health care and teachers according to Dr Peter Marks, who directs the FDA's vaccine division.

The recommendation comes as a setback for the Biden administration which wanted to offer most adults a covid-19 booster shot and for Pfizer which had pushed hard to get approval for a third shot of its vaccine for those 16 and older. Officials had been planning to provide a third Pfizer shot eight months after an individual had received their second dose of covid-19 vaccine.

Panel not convinced by the data

The panel of experts based their recommendation on studies out of Israel which began handing out booster shots earlier this summer. The data from Israel is promising showing an almost 95 percent effectiveness, however many members of the panel were skeptical of the results. They suggested that it wasnt appropriate to compare the small homogenous country with a nation like the US which is far more populous and diverse.

New data on the effectiveness of the covid-19 vaccines is being presented constantly as researchers learn more about the virus. Currently the exact length of time the vaccines provide protection is still not know, but studies out of Israel have shown that their effectiveness does wane, especially when confronted with some more transmissible variants.

Covid-19 boosters could still be coming for the general population in the future

Dr Anthony Fauci speaking Sunday on ABCs This Week said the advisory committee saw in that presentation on Friday, based on that, they made a decision to do what we just said about individuals in certain categories, which is fine. As more data becomes available recommendations will adapt according to Dr Fauci the story is not over because more and more data is coming in and will be coming in, he said.

In real-time more and more data are accumulating, Dr Fauci said. I can predict with some confidence, that three, four weeks from now as we get more data from the Israelis and more data from our own United States cohorts, that there will be a continual re-examination of that data, and potential modification of recommendations.
Thousands of Haitian immigrants at Del Rio, Texas are awaiting deportation from US authorities or will stay put and seek asylum.

How have Haitian migrants made their way to Texas instead of entering from Florida, a state that's closer to the Caribbean nation?

Haiti's devastating earthquake

Haitians have been migrating to the US from South America for several years. Many left their Caribbean country after a devastating 2010 earthquake displaced more than 1.5 million people from the island.

The exodus of Haitian people fleeing the country can also be attributed to a staggering increase in human rights violations in Haiti within the past decade, according to Gabrielle Apollon, the co-director of the Haiti Mining Justice and International Accountability Project.

Alternative route for Haitians

Haitians pointed to the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a recent destructive earthquake, both this year, in their homeland as reasons why they are fearful of returning to Haiti.

Karla M. McKanders, an immigration law expert at Vanderbilt University, said Haitian migration through Texas is not a new phenomenon. "It's important for people to recognize that Haitian nationals have been using this alternative route to get to the southern border for a few years, maybe even a little bit more than that," McKanders said.

Migrants sent home

Over 320 migrants Haitians were flown back to Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti says it is expecting six flights Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. In all, US authorities moved to expel many of the more 12,000 migrants camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after crossing from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.

The US plans to begin seven expulsion flights daily on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a US official. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio but authorities may add El Paso, the official said.

When the border was closed Sunday, the migrants initially found other ways to cross nearby until they were confronted by federal and state law enforcement. Many were stopped by Border Patrol agents on horseback.

Former US President Donald Trump enacted Title 42, which allowed for quick expulsion of asylum seekers to prevent the spread of covid-19 in holding facilities last year. President Joe Biden continued the policy, however, children and some families are exempt.

Texas border

For three weeks, migrants have crossed the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas. Mexican authorities have also blocked entry to Ciudad Acuna and will start deporting Haitians. Mexico only accepts migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas visited Del Rio on Monday and said an additional 600 Homeland Security personnel have been sent there.
President Joe Biden is facing increased pressure to respond to a growing number of migrants who have converged under a border bridge which connects Del Rio, Texas to Mexico's Ciudad Acuna. More than 10,000 people were thought to be gathered in cramped conditions with scant provisions in sweltering heat, but the US is sending them back, as is Mexico.

Those gathered are thought to primarily hail from Haiti, although Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans are also amongst those present, according to Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano.

Developments in the last day have included mounted charges from police units into migrants near a river. Lawmakers have condemned the police overstep. Asked on Tuesday about footage of the incident, Vice-President Kamala Harris said:What I saw depicted, those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible.

Human beings should never be treated that way, she said. And Im deeply troubled about it.

What is DACA?

DACA is an executive order from the Obama administration to assist millions of undocumented children in the US. It provides protection from deportation and allows opportunities for work permits, but there is currently no path with DACA to become a natural US citizen. There have been efforts in the last nine years to expand it and allow for naturalization, as well as efforts to scrap the plan.

The closest Congress has got to allow permanent residency is the current 2021 DREAM and Promise Act. This act provides a path to citizenship with future opportunity to give undocumented family members permanent residency too. Currently, the bill has been approved by the House of Representatives, but has not advanced in the Senate.

The goal of the DREAM Act is to give Dreamers permanent legal status and a pathway to citizenship. On the other hand, DACA only offers "deferred action" that recipients have to renew every two years.

What threats to DACA have there been?

In 2017 President Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to end the DACA program. Though it was decided that the Trump administration used improper procedure, the door remains open for further challenges to DACA in the future.

Indeed, a federal court in Texas is hearing a case about the validity of DACA. The parliamentarian has also ruled that the reconciliation bill in Congress right now cannot expand DACA.
China is still the only middle-income economy in the list of the world's top 30 most innovative economies, establishing itself as a global innovation leader and approaching the top 10, according to a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Monday.

WIPO's "Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021" shows that China has made continuous progress from ranking 14th last year to 12th this year and is now "knocking at the door of the GII top 10," which "underlines the continued importance of governmental policies and incentives to stimulate innovation."

Since 2013, China has moved up the GII ranks consistently and steadily, establishing itself as a global innovation leader.

According to the GII, the number of China's patents by origin, scaled by gross domestic product (GDP), is higher than those of Japan, Germany and the United States, and is even more impressive when considered in absolute terms. The same is true for the number of trademarks and industrial designs by origin as a percentage of GDP.

In terms of innovation clusters geographically, the top 10 list remains the same as last year with only minor shifts. Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou and Beijing now rank second and third, respectively, after the Tokyo-Yokohama cluster in Japan. Shanghai ranks eighth. Of the top 100 clusters, China has 19.

Published annually, the Global Innovation Index provides performance measures and ranks 132 economies on their innovation ecosystems. As in past years, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom continue to lead the innovation ranking. Other countries in the GII top 10 include South Korea, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, Denmark and Germany.

According to WIPO Director General Daren Tang, "in spite of the massive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ... many sectors have shown remarkable resilience, especially those that have embraced digitalization, technology and innovation."

"As the world looks to rebuild from the pandemic, we know that innovation is integral to overcoming the common challenges that we face and to constructing a better future," he said.
People visit the 31st Mid-Autumn Festival fair in Chinatown in San Francisco, the United States, Sept 11, 2021. The two-day event is held to hail the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, which will fall on Sept 21 this year. The fair was closed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[Photo/Xinhua]

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.
A lantern fair combining elements such as traditional Jiangnan culture, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day kicked off in Feng Menglong Town, Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Wednesday. This lantern fair will last until October 7.

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.
The virtual mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the first review of the Stand-By Arrangement starts work on Tuesday, September 21, the fund's representative in Ukraine, Vahram Stepanyan, has stated.

The IMF mission headed by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar begins its work today and will continue discussions with the Ukrainian authorities on the first review of the IMF-supported program, he said.

Stepanyan specified that the mission's meetings will be held online.

As reported, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said last week that Ukraine expects $ 750 million of the second tranche of the IMF under the Stand-By Arrangement in late November-early December, since the Ukrainian side has fulfilled all the conditions.

Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko also pointed out at the end of August that the possibility of extending the current 18-month Stand-By Arrangement for six months is being discussed.
The statement that the cost of natural gas production by the National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz Ukrainy is allegedly UAH 1 per cubic meter, which a member of the board, Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) Otto Waterlander said in an interview with the Economic Pravda publication, is not true, Naftogaz has said.

"The figures given by Mr. Waterlander are not contained in any company document that we would be aware of," the company said in a statement on Tuesday in response to an interview of Waterlander with Economic Pravda.

Naftogaz said that the actual cost will be shown in the financial statements for the first half of the year, the preparation of which the company is finalizing and which shall be checked by auditors.

"And the planned cost will be indicated in the financial plan, which must be approved by the government of Ukraine," Naftogaz said.

Naftogaz also denied Waterlander's information about the role of the head of the board Yuriy Vitrenko and one of the foreign consulting companies, as well as the personal role of the board member himself in preparing the failed 20/20 program  increasing production to 20 billion cubic meters by 2020.

According to Naftogaz, Waterlander's interview as a whole contains incorrect information, in connection with which the company asks journalists to use the information disseminated through the official communication channels of Naftogaz.
Turkey does not recognize the results of the Russian parliamentary elections, which took place on September 17-19 in the occupied Crimea, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on its website.

"Turkey still supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea. Accordingly, the results of the elections to the State Duma of Russia, held on September 17-19, 2021, also in Crimea, in relation to Crimea, have no legal force for Turkey," Spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Tanju Bilgic said.

Earlier, the U.S. Department of State announced the non-recognition of the holding of the Russian parliamentary elections on September 17-19 in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia.
The Council of Judges deliberately delays the formation of the Ethics Council and threatens judicial reform in Ukraine, according to the Democracy Justice Reforms (DEJURE) foundation.

"Despite the provisions of the law on the cleansing of the HCJ [High Council of Justice], where the Council of Judges was given time until September 13 to delegate its candidates to the Ethics Council, which clears the HCJ, on the morning of September 21 the Council of Judges adopted the Regulation on the selection of candidates for delegation to the Ethics Council on the quota of judges and set aside a month for the submission of documents by candidates," DEJURE said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

The foundation said in the press release that according to the vote of the Council of Judges, candidates are entitles to submit documents from September 22 to October 21, 2021 inclusive. All those present, namely 27 members of the Council of Judges, voted for the Regulations and deadlines for submitting documents.

"The law does not require the Council of Judges to adopt any provisions. The Council of Judges was supposed to decide in August how the judges were delegated to the Ethics Council. Instead, it pretended that the formation of the Ethics Council did not concern it. Now, when all the deadlines have been missed, the Council of Judges will wait for the candidacy for the whole October, and then it will again be able to fail the vote. Such actions are nothing more than a simple wasting of time, aimed solely at preventing the cleaning of the HCJ of dishonest members and ensuring that it is the uncleaned HCJ that will form the new HQCJ [High Qualification Commission of Judges]. Head of the Council of Judges Bohdan Monych is personally responsible for the delay and possible failure of the judicial reform," DEJURE advocacy manager Stepan Berko said.

It is also noted that at the meeting on September 13, the Council of Judges did not support any of the four candidates who expressed their willingness to become members of the Ethics Council, designed to cleanse the High Council of Justice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland announced the illegality of the Russian parliamentary elections in occupied Crimea, and also condemned the massive provision of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens and the organization of electronic voting in Donbas.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers it illegal to hold 'elections' on the Crimean peninsula, illegally occupied by Russia. The ministry also condemns the massive provision of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens and the organization of electronic voting in Donbas. The Republic of Poland reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the website of the Polish Embassy in Ukraine.

The Polish Foreign Ministry also reiterated its regret over the fact that the Russian authorities prevented the organization of the OSCE Mission.

"Such actions cast doubt on the intentions of Russia to uphold democratic values and are an unjustified attempt to undermine generally accepted standards," the embassy said in the statement.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said "the consistent, systematic campaign of the Russian government, directed against the civil society of Russia, the opposition and free media, made it difficult to access independent information, made it impossible for opposition representatives to nominate candidates, and also seriously complicate the choice of Russians in accordance with their preferences."

"This situation may raise doubts about the legitimacy of the new deputies," the embassy said in the statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that it is currently too early to talk about the possibility of US supplies to Ukraine of the Iron Dome anti-missile and air defense systems.

"I think that we have heard in the media, and one might say, some signals regarding missile support for Ukraine - the missile program. I mean, it's too early to talk about the Iron Dome, but, nevertheless, you heard these signals and messages from the United States," Zelensky said in a comment to the Dom TV channel while in New York.

As reported, press secretary of the US President Joe Biden, Jen Psaki, on September 15 did not confirm the delivery of the Iron Dome air and missile defense system to Ukraine due to the need to clarify information on the transfer of these weapons to Ukraine with her team.

Earlier, Politico reported that some members of Congress had included an amendment to the draft defense budget for 2022 that would put pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to sell or hand over new air and missile defense systems to Ukraine, including a potential Iron Dome battery shipment, which is currently used by the U.S. Army.

It is reported that the version of the defense bill for the 2022 fiscal year of the committee of the U.S. House of Representatives does not specify any specific weapons system that they plan to transfer to Ukraine.
On Thursday, September 23, at 14.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a presentation of the audio version of essay novel "Do spivu ptakhiv" (To the Singing of Birds) (written in metalanguage). Participants include author of the book, Ukrainian biophysicist and neurophysiologist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, award winner of the State Prize of the USSR and Ukraine in science and technology, PhD in Biological Sciences, professor, associate member of the Academy of Sciences, member of the European Academy Oleh Kryshtal; narrator of the audiobook Kyrylo Bulkin; executive director of the Lviv regional organization of the Ukrainian Union of Disabled Persons Oksana Potimko; project coordinator Veronika Chekaliuk (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Due to quarantine restrictions, the number of seats in the press center is limited. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Details at: (068) 588 8307.
On Friday, September 24, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a roundtable talk entitled "Ideal storm for Ukraine or, first of all, for the team of presidential yacht?" Participants include Director of the Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko; political analyst Oleksandr Kochetkov (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Due to quarantine restrictions, the number of seats in the press center is limited. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Details by phone: (068) 099 1709.
British investor Tamaz Somkhishvili calls for fair consideration of the case on compensation of losses by the Supreme Court of Ukraine

Kyiv, September 21, 2021: Tomorrow, September 22, 2021, the Commercial Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court will begin consideration of the case  910/17647/18 on appeal against the decision of the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal on non-compensation of losses of Kyiv-Terminal LLC for terminating the investment agreement for the reconstruction of the Kharkiv Square.

Tamaz Somkhishvili, the beneficial owner of Kyiv-Terminal and a long-term British investor in Ukraine, calls on the Supreme Court of Ukraine to fairly and impartially consider the case on the legal right of a foreign investor and his Ukrainian company to fair compensation for losses incurred as a result of the termination of the investment agreement by the Kyiv City Council.

In 2007, a Ukrainian enterprise Kyiv-Terminal won the competition of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) for the reconstruction of the Kharkiv Square, as a result of which an investment agreement was signed, within the framework of which the investor fully fulfilled its obligations and transferred the equivalent of 13.5 million dollars to the KCSAs account. Over the next six years, Kyiv-Terminal had to invest additional funds and resources in the fight against the failure of the KCSA to fulfil its obligations. For example, the land lease agreement which was necessary for the project implementation was concluded only in 2010 as a result of lawsuits initiated by the investor.

In 2013, the Kyiv City Council decided to terminate the investment agreement and undertook to compensate for our losses. However, then the Kyiv City State Administration, as the executive body of the Kyiv City Council, evaded its obligations and refused to compensate for losses.

Over the past few years, Kyiv-Terminal and I personally, as an investor, have tried to compensate for the losses incurred by all possible means, in particular, through negotiations with the city authorities, as well as with the Government of Ukraine. However, despite the fact that these state bodies agreed that the damages should be compensated, they insisted that their amount should be determined by the court,  Tamaz Somkhishvili commented on the history of the case.

In 2018, "Kyiv-Terminal" applied to the Commercial Court of Kyiv city, which in 2019, awarded the investor approximately 25 percent of the claimed amount. However, on May 27, 2021, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal completely rejected the claim of Kyiv-Terminal and ruled that the investor not only has no right to compensate for his losses, but also to return the amount of his direct costs for the project. This decision once again grossly violated the legal right of a foreign investor to fair compensation for losses and protection of his investments.

"Now my last chance to protect my rights under Ukrainian law is the hope for a fair and objective examination of the case by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, to which I urged the President of Ukraine in my open letter of September 16, 2021. I am convinced that if the President of the country, as the guarantor of the Constitution and the rule of law, cannot guarantee foreign investors the opportunity to defend their rights in fair courts, Ukraine will never realize its investment potential,"  stressed the British investor.

Commenting on the case, Taras Dumych, a partner at Wolf Theiss law firm, a legal adviser to Tamaz Somkhishvili, said: Unfortunately, the situation faced by Mr Somkhishvili is not new and is an example of how the state treats the fulfillment of its obligations. After all, if investors cannot count on the state to fulfill its obligations, then what else can they count on? We are confident in the legal position of the investor and hope that the decision of the Supreme Court will be based on the norms of Ukrainian legislation and international treaties of Ukraine on the rights of foreign investors. If, despite all efforts, the investor fails to defend his rights in the Ukrainian court, then the investor will file a lawsuit against the state of Ukraine on the basis of the Agreement on the mutual protection of investments between Ukraine and the UK.

For more information, please contact Maria Bukhtoiarova, a representative of CFC Big Ideas, which is a communications advisor to Tamaz Somkhishvili, by email at: mb@cfcbigideas.com or by phone: +380 99 317 93 46.
British investor Tamaz Somkhishvili calls for fair consideration of the case on compensation of losses by the Supreme Court of Ukraine

Kyiv, September 21, 2021: Tomorrow, September 22, 2021, the Commercial Court of Cassation within the Supreme Court will begin consideration of the case  910/17647/18 on appeal against the decision of the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal on non-compensation of losses of "Kyiv-Terminal" LLC for terminating the investment agreement for the reconstruction of the Kharkiv Square.

Tamaz Somkhishvili, the beneficial owner of "Kyiv-Terminal" and a long-term British investor in Ukraine, calls on the Supreme Court of Ukraine to fairly and impartially consider the case on the legal right of a foreign investor and his Ukrainian company to fair compensation for losses incurred as a result of the termination of the investment agreement by the Kyiv City Council.

In 2007, a Ukrainian enterprise Kyiv-Terminal won the competition of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA) for the reconstruction of the Kharkiv Square, as a result of which an investment agreement was signed, within the framework of which the investor fully fulfilled its obligations and transferred the equivalent of 13.5 million dollars to the KCSAs account. Over the next six years, Kyiv-Terminal had to invest additional funds and resources in the fight against the failure of the KCSA to fulfil its obligations. For example, the land lease agreement which was necessary for the project implementation was concluded only in 2010 as a result of lawsuits initiated by the investor.

In 2013, the Kyiv City Council decided to terminate the investment agreement and undertook to compensate for our losses. However, then the Kyiv City State Administration, as the executive body of the Kyiv City Council, evaded its obligations and refused to compensate for losses.

"Over the past few years, Kyiv-Terminal and I personally, as an investor, have tried to compensate for the losses incurred by all possible means, in particular, through negotiations with the city authorities, as well as with the Government of Ukraine. However, despite the fact that these state bodies agreed that the damages should be compensated, they insisted that their amount should be determined by the court," Tamaz Somkhishvili commented on the history of the case.

In 2018, "Kyiv-Terminal" applied to the Commercial Court of Kyiv city, which in 2019, awarded the investor approximately 25 percent of the claimed amount. However, on May 27, 2021, the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal completely rejected the claim of Kyiv-Terminal and ruled that the investor not only has no right to compensate for his losses, but also to return the amount of his direct costs for the project. This decision once again grossly violated the legal right of a foreign investor to fair compensation for losses and protection of his investments.

"Now my last chance to protect my rights under Ukrainian law is the hope for a fair and objective examination of the case by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, to which I urged the President of Ukraine in my open letter of September 16, 2021. I am convinced that if the President of the country, as the guarantor of the Constitution and the rule of law, cannot guarantee foreign investors the opportunity to defend their rights in fair courts, Ukraine will never realize its investment potential," stressed the British investor.

Commenting on the case, Taras Dumych, a partner at Wolf Theiss law firm, a legal adviser to Tamaz Somkhishvili, said: "Unfortunately, the situation faced by Mr Somkhishvili is not new and is an example of how the state treats the fulfillment of its obligations. After all, if investors cannot count on the state to fulfill its obligations, then what else can they count on? We are confident in the legal position of the investor and hope that the decision of the Supreme Court will be based on the norms of Ukrainian legislation and international treaties of Ukraine on the rights of foreign investors. If, despite all efforts, the investor fails to defend his rights in the Ukrainian court, then the investor will file a lawsuit against the state of Ukraine on the basis of the Agreement on the mutual protection of investments between Ukraine and the UK."

For more information, please contact Maria Bukhtoiarova, a representative of CFC Big Ideas, which is a communications advisor to Tamaz Somkhishvili, by email at: mb@cfcbigideas.com or by phone: +38 (099) 317 9346.
A U.S. law enforcement officer on horseback chases migrants returning to the United States after buying food in Mexico, as seen from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico (Photo : REUTERS/Daniel Becerril)

The White House on Monday criticized the use of horse reins to threaten Haitian migrants after images circulated of a U.S. border guard on horseback charging at migrants near a riverside camp in Texas.



The mostly Haitian migrants in recent days have been crossing back and forth between Ciudad Acuna in Mexico and the sprawling camp across the border in Del Rio to buy food and water, which was in short supply on the U.S. side.



Advertisement

Reuters witnesses saw https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trapped-migrants-collecting-food-try-evade-law-enforcement-us-mexico-border-2021-09-20 mounted officers wearing cowboy hats blocking the paths of migrants, and one officer unfurling a cord resembling a lariat, which he swung near a migrant's face.



A video showing a border guard apparently threatening migrants with the cords was shared on social media.



"I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.



"I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate," she added.



Some on social media commented that the image of fleeing Black men chased by white officers on horseback had echoes of the historical injustices suffered by Black people in the United States.



U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said the incident was being investigated to make sure there was not an "unacceptable" response by law enforcement. He said officers were operating in a difficult environment, trying to ensure the safety of the migrants while searching for potential smugglers.



Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the long reins are used by mounted officials to "ensure control of the horse."



"But we are going to investigate the facts," he said during a news conference in Del Rio.



The camp under a bridge spanning the Rio Grande has become the latest flashpoint for U.S. authorities seeking to stem a flow of migrants fleeing gang violence, extreme poverty and natural disasters in their home countries.



The camp was a temporary home to more than 12,000 migrants, though Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the number reached as high as 16,000 on Saturday. Many had traveled from as far south as Chile, hoping to apply for asylum in the United States.



On Monday, as temperatures soared to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius), migrants complained about continued shortages of food and water in the camp. Some of those crossing back into the U.S. could be seen balancing large bags of ice on their heads as they waded through the water.



During the day hundreds of migrants had returned to the Mexico side, including families with young children, hoisting backpacks, suitcases and belongings in plastic bags above their heads.



"This treatment they are giving is racism, because of the color of our skin," said Maxon Prudhomme, a Haitian migrant on the banks of the Rio Grande in Mexico.



As the sun was setting, about 200 migrants on the Mexican side bivouacked in a field by the river, flattening cardboard boxes and unfurling blankets to sleep under a cluster of trees.



Some migrants said they returned to Mexico in search of food and water, while others crossed due to fears they would be deported back to Haiti on flights organized by U.S. authorities.



The first flights carrying migrants landed in Port-au-Prince on Sunday from the Del Rio camp arrived in Haiti on Sunday, with at least three more due to make the journey on Monday, according to flight tracking website Flightaware.



On Monday, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call spoke to Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry about repatriating Haitian migrants on the U.S. southern border, the State Department said in a statement.



The two men "discussed the dangers of irregular migration, which puts individuals at great risk and often requires migrants and their families to incur crippling debt," said State Department spokesman Ned Price.



"THEY CAN'T SEND US BACK"



U.S. officials closed the Del Rio border crossing last Friday due to the crush of migrants, and said Monday it remained shuttered, with most traffic re-routed to the Eagle Pass, Texas, border crossing, some 55 miles (90 km) south.



The prospect of deportations weighed heavily on the camp's residents, some of whom traversed continents over months to reach the border.



"They can't send us back to Haiti because everyone knows what Haiti is like right now," said Haitian migrant Wildly Jeanmary late on Sunday, wearing only boxer shorts and standing on the Mexican side of the river after crossing it.



Drenched, he cited July's presidential assassination as a reason not to return with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter to the poorest country in the Americas. Haiti was also hit by a major earthquake last month.



"The government of the United States has no conscience," said Nerlin Clerge, another Haitian migrant who stood near the riverbank and had traveled to the camp with his wife and their two young sons. He said he is now considering applying for the right to stay in Mexico.



Mayorkas said he expects between one to three daily repatriation flights back to Haiti, adding that a surge of 600 border agents and other personnel have been deployed to the area.



"If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed," he said at a news conference.



While President Joe Biden rolled back many of his predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies earlier this year, he left in place a sweeping pandemic-era expulsion policy under which most migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border are quickly turned back.


Demonstrators hold placards reading "Off with the remote electronic voting system!" during a rally organized by the Russian Communist Party to protest against the preliminary results of the parliamentary election in Moscow (Photo : REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

Opponents accused Russian authorities of mass fraud on Monday after the ruling United Russia party, which supports President Vladimir Putin, won a bigger than expected parliamentary majority despite unease over living standards.



With 99.9% of ballots counted, the Central Election Commission said United Russia had won nearly 50% of the vote, with its nearest rival, the Communist Party, taking just under 19%.



Advertisement

The scale of the victory means United Russia will have more than two-thirds of deputies in the 450-seat State Duma lower house of parliament. This will enable it to continue to push through laws without having to rely on other parties.



United Russia, a party that Putin helped found, had always been expected to win. Its most vociferous critics, allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, were prevented from taking part in the election after a court branded them extremists in June.



Pre-vote surveys had suggested that discontent over years of faltering living standards and corruption allegations would dent United Russia's support. In the event, near final official results showed it securing around only 4% less than the last time a similar election was held in 2016.



The U.S. State Department said the election conditions had not been conducive to free and fair proceedings, Britain's foreign ministry called the vote a setback for democratic freedom, and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc noted reports of serious violations.



Up to 200 Communist protesters who felt cheated gathered for a demonstration in Moscow on Monday evening as police looked on.



Candidates opposed to United Russia in the capital had been ahead in more than half of 15 electoral districts, but all lost after electronic voters were added in.



"It's a disgrace and a real crime!" Communist candidate Valery Rashkin told the crowd, saying his party would keep protesting until what he called the falsified electronic Moscow results were overturned. Rashkin said the protesters would be back on Saturday.



Separately, Navalny's allies condemned the results.



"With such a colossal number of violations, the results of the State Duma elections cannot be recognised as clean, honest or legitimate," said Lyubov Sobol, a Navalny aide.



Sobol had hoped to run for parliament herself but Navalny's allies were barred from taking part after the extremism designation. Critical media and non-governmental organisations were also targeted by the authorities in the election run-up.



Navalny's allies had tried to drain support from United Russia with an online tactical voting campaign which the authorities had tried to block.



Electoral authorities said they had voided any results at voting stations where there had been obvious irregularities and that the overall contest had been fair.



According to Ella Pamfilova, the head of the election commission, the vote was exceptionally clean and transparent. She told Putin she would look into any complaints before declaring final results on Friday.



Putin gave a short statement, thanking voters after the Kremlin had hailed the result, saying United Russia had confirmed its role as the leading party. The Kremlin said the election had been competitive, open and honest.



'PUTIN! PUTIN! PUTIN!'



The outcome is unlikely to change the political landscape, with Putin, who has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999, still dominating before the next presidential election in 2024.



Putin has yet to say whether he will run.



Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said the Kremlin would see the election win as a victory for the political system it presides over.



"Moreover, it (the Kremlin) has won the post-election situation: no street protests across the country...Major test on road to 2024 passed," Trenin wrote on Twitter.



Putin, who turns 69 next month, remains a popular figure with many Russians who credit him with standing up to the West.



The near complete results showed the Communist Party finishing in second, followed by the nationalist LDPR party and the Fair Russia party with around 7.5% each. All three parties usually back the Kremlin on most key issues.



A new party called "New People", appeared to have squeezed into parliament with just over 5%.



At a celebratory rally at United Russia's headquarters broadcast on state television, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, an ally of the Russian leader, shouted "Putin! Putin! Putin!" to a flag-waving crowd that echoed his chant.



Golos, an election watchdog accused by authorities of being a foreign agent, recorded thousands of violations, including threats against observers and ballot stuffing, blatant examples of which circulated on social media. Some individuals were shown on camera appearing to deposit bundles of votes in urns.



One Moscow pensioner who gave his name only as Anatoly said he voted United Russia because he was proud of Putin's efforts to restore what he sees as Russia's rightful great-power status.



"Countries like the United States and Britain more or less respect us now like they respected the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 70s. ... The Anglo-Saxons only understand the language of force," he said.



With official turnout reported to be around 52%, there were signs of apathy.



"I don't see the point in voting," said one Moscow hairdresser who gave her name as Irina. "It's all been decided for us anyway."


President of Didi Chuxing Jean Liu speaks during a news conference about their Japanese taxi-hailing joint venture in Tokyo, Japan (Photo : REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Didi Global Inc co-founder and President Jean Liu has told some close associates that she intends to step down, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the Chinese ride-hailing giant faces intense regulatory scrutiny following its New York listing earlier this year.



Liu, 43, has in recent weeks told some associates that she expected the government to eventually take control of Didi and appoint new management, said the two sources.



Advertisement

Liu, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker, told a couple of executives close to her in recent weeks - including those who had followed her to join Didi from the Wall Street bank - that she planned to leave and encouraged them to start looking for new opportunities as well, said one of the sources who was briefed on the matter.



Some of those executives have since approached industry contacts for job leads, the source said.



Reuters was unable to learn further details, including whether Liu had submitted a formal resignation letter or set a date to leave.



Didi said it is "actively and fully cooperating with the cybersecurity review. Reuters' rumors about management changes are untrue and unsubstantiated."



Liu did not respond to Reuters request for comment sent via the company spokespersons.



Didi's shares were recently down nearly 5% in U.S. trading on Monday. The benchmark S&P 500 index was recently off around 1.7% in a broader selloff fueled by worries over heavily indebted Chinese property company Evergrande.



Didi, sometimes dubbed the Uber of China, has come under intense scrutiny since early July by Chinese authorities over its collection and use of personal data of users of its service, pricing mechanisms and competitive practices.



Officials have launched a broad crackdown on private companies, including those in the tech sector, to control big data and break down monopolistic practices.



Billionaires minted by high-profile listings, such as Didi's $4.4 billion debut, have fallen out of favor as President Xi Jinping warns against the country's vast income inequality.



Didi ran afoul of the powerful Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) when it pressed ahead with its debut on June 30, despite the regulator urging the company to put it on hold while it conducted a cybersecurity review of its data practices, according to people with knowledge of the matter.



Soon after the listing, the CAC announced an investigation into Didi and subsequently ordered the removal of its apps for download in China. Officials from at least six other departments also got involved.



Reuters could not learn whether regulators had asked for Liu's departure and what would happen to other executives, such as Didi Chairman and CEO Will Cheng.



One of the sources familiar with Liu's plans said the Harvard alumni and daughter of Lenovo Group founder Liu Chuanzhi had also talked about leaving Didi in the years before the current regulatory crisis to try her hand at something new.



CAC did not respond to Reuters request for comment, while Didi did not respond to specific questions.



Liu joined Didi in 2014. She holds a 1.6% stake, worth around $640 million currently, in the company and controls 23% of the vote, thanks to a dual-class share structure, according to the company's prospectus.



She has been deeply involved in the company's key corporate financial decisions, including its merger with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd-backed Kuaidi in 2015, takeover of Uber Technologies Inc's China business and fundraising from investors including Apple Inc.



Liu also oversees Didi's other corporate matters including human resources and represents the company in external communications especially during crises.


Lorries leave a ferry at the Port of Larne, Northern Ireland Britain (Photo : REUTERS/Phil Noble)

The European Union hopes to resolve the trading difficulties of Northern Ireland by the end of the year, the EU's post-Brexit coordinator said on Tuesday, while warning London against unilaterally suspending the terms of the divorce deal.



European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, who oversees EU relations with Britain, once again rejected a British demand to renegotiate the protocol governing Northern Ireland's trading position.



Advertisement

However, he said wanted to find solutions within the protocol to free up the movement of goods to the British province.



"We should do our utmost to resolve all outstanding issues before the end of the year, so that's the timeframe within which we work," Sefcovic told reporters after a meeting with national EU ministers in Brussels.



He said the bloc wanted to focus on the practical problems faced by people and businesses in Northern Ireland.



Under the protocol, Britain agreed to leave some EU rules in place in Northern Ireland and accept checks on goods arriving from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, in order to preserve an open land border with EU member state Ireland.



However, the arrangement has effectively placed a border in the Irish Sea, angering pro-British unionists who believe it divides them from the rest of the United Kingdom.



Sefcovic's British counterpart David Frost has raised the prospect of triggering "Article 16" of the protocol, which allows either side to dispense with its terms if they are proving unexpectedly harmful.



Sefcovic said it would be "extremely unhelpful" if Britain did so, adding that the European Union would then look into all options in response.



"But, as I said, we definitely hope that we would avoid that scenario because I think that, first and foremost, the best outcome for the people in Northern Ireland would be a solution and not further tensions or confrontations," he said.


Robin Steenman, chair of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, holds her 10-month-old daughter Judith, alongside fellow concerned parent Brett Craig, in front of a power point presentation highlighting the types of books Moms (Photo : REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Robin Steenman, an Air Force veteran and white mother of three, is fed up with the way public schools in her community of Franklin, Tennessee are teaching kids about race.



She believes that the reading materials and teachers' manuals are biased, specifically the lessons taught to second graders about civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. Kids leave class believing that white people are oppressors and minorities are victims, Steenman claims.



Advertisement

While her only school-age child attends private school, Steenman nevertheless wants the public system, Williamson County Schools, to change its approach. She and a group of local women calling themselves "Moms for Liberty" recently asked the Tennessee Department of Education in a complaint letter to force the district to scrap that material and overhaul its curriculum.



Their protests have made Williamson County the first test of a new Tennessee law that bans the teaching of ideas linked to "critical race theory," an academic framework that examines how racism has shaped American society.



The clash in Franklin, a Nashville suburb of 83,000 people, is part of a larger culture war over race and education that's roiling other U.S. communities, and which has gained traction as a political force nationwide.



It has split parents and spooked some educators. Tennessee is pursuing plans to strip teaching licenses from instructors and cut state funding to schools that persistently teach taboo material.



A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Education, the agency responsible for overseeing districts' compliance with the law, would not comment on the status of Steenman's complaint letter.



Williamson County Schools has denied that the civil rights material violates state law. The district's superintendent Jason Golden and 11 of the 12 district board members declined to be interviewed by Reuters.



School board member Eliot Mitchell told Reuters that Moms for Liberty's complaint was "misguided," and that teaching about racism in America's past does not equate to teaching "that one particular race is intrinsically racist."



Still, the district said it is reviewing the curriculum at the request of a community member whose identity it did not disclose. That review is scheduled to be completed by November.



Another local group of parents believes some of their neighbors want schools to avoid hard truths about the history of American race relations, including in Williamson County. The area is home to former slave plantations now open to tourists. Franklin's public square, where a Confederate monument stands, was the site of an antebellum slave market and the 1888 lynching of a Black man by the Ku Klux Klan.



Some have pushed the district to address what they say is a long-standing pattern of racial insensitivity toward minority students in this 82% white county, including field trips to historical sites they claim have glorified the Confederacy and soft-peddled the evils of human bondage.



"Overall, it's a beautiful community," said Tizgel High, a Black mother of three. "But these battles, they get tiresome. You're sort of constantly fighting for your humanity."



Schools spokesperson Carol Birdsong said the district "continues to work to create a safe, welcoming environment for all students."



In the past year, at least eight Republican-controlled states, including Tennessee, have passed laws restricting how the concept of race can be taught. The issue has become prominent in some off-year elections, including this year's Virginia governor's race https://www.reuters.com/world/us/culture-war-education-rages-virginia-governors-race-2021-07-22, and it's poised to be a major theme in the 2022 U.S. midterm contests.



Critical race theory is an advanced concept rarely encountered outside law schools. It holds that racial bias is ingrained in U.S. laws and institutions, negatively impacting people of color. Educators say the lessons about race in most U.S. primary and secondary schools involve basic American history about slavery, post-slavery segregation and the long struggle for racial equality.



Critics of the new teaching laws say Republicans are exaggerating the prevalence of critical race theory to use it as a wedge issue to court suburban women, in particular - a group that cares deeply about education and which has shifted Democratic.



Republican Governor Bill Lee, who signed the measure into law in late May, told reporters recently that critical race theory is "un-American."



The law prohibits public schools from teaching that anyone is "privileged" due to their race - a reference to "white privilege," a term derided in conservative circles. Lessons also cannot make students feel "discomfort, guilt [or] anguish" because of their race or sex.



CONTESTED CURRICULUM



At the center of the controversy in Franklin is a reading curriculum that introduces second graders to the U.S. civil rights movement. Steenman says the material is too focused on the country's segregationist past, making kids feel uncomfortable about race.



In April, she launched a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a national organization whose website says it advocates for "parental rights" in education.



Members of Steenman's group pored over the second-grade books, marking up those they found objectionable with highlighters and sticky notes. On June 30, soon after the new law was signed, Steenman sent an 11-page letter outlining potential violations to the Tennessee Department of Education.



Among the books Moms for Liberty deemed inappropriate are "Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington" and "The Story of Ruby Bridges," about the Black 6-year-old who integrated a Louisiana public school in 1960.



Written in simple language and framed largely as stories of perseverance, the books show some of the bigotry experienced by their Black protagonists. Images include a period photo in the King book of firemen blasting Black civil rights protesters with the spray of a fire hose, and an illustration in the Bridges story of the child being escorted to school by U.S. Marshals through a crowd of jeering white people. The teachers' manuals includes discussion questions, such as asking students how young Bridges might have felt about her experience.



The books are part of an English curriculum adopted in Williamson County in 2020 and approved for use in more than 30 districts across Tennessee.



In Steenman's letter, viewed by Reuters, she said the books and pedagogy are divisive, giving children the impression that all white people are "bad" and that people of color are mistreated by whites.



Speaking to Reuters at her home last month, Steenman said she believes this history is not age-appropriate for second graders, and that it doesn't do enough to explain the country's progress.



"There's so much positive that has happened in the 60 years since, but it's all as if it never happened," she said.



The Tennessee Department of Education has proposed that only students enrolled in the state's public schools, their parents and school staff be allowed to file complaints under the new law. That would disqualify Steenman, who said her child attends private school in part to avoid stricter COVID-19 mask requirements at public schools, another issue that has divided Williamson County. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-governors-ban-mask-mandates-dealt-second-legal-blow-2021-08-11



The state education department is still finalizing its rules. Steenman said she'll wait to see how the agency proceeds, and for the outcome of the local school district's curriculum review, before deciding her next move.



Some teachers, meanwhile, are anxious. Of particular concern is the law's clause stating that lessons cannot make students feel bad about their race.



"The bottom line is, we're teaching facts, and how anyone internalizes those facts...we don't have any control of that," said Angela Mosley, a reading and math specialist at a Williamson County elementary school.



Beth Brown, president of the state teachers' union, has invited Tennessee teachers to submit lesson plans to her, which she is sending without their names attached to the state education department to get pre-approval for anything potentially contentious. Brown's spokesperson told Reuters she has received about 20 submissions so far, including questions on how to handle the teaching of European colonization.



'COUNTY DIVIDED'



Some Williamson County parents are furious that the curriculum backlash seems intended to protect the feelings of white children in a district that has repeatedly shown insensitivity towards students of color, who account for about 20% of enrollment.



In 2019, two local 8th-grade teachers assigned a project requiring students to imagine they were slave owners and to write down expectations for their human property. The district's then-superintendent publicly apologized, and the teachers resigned.



That same year, a statewide analysis of school disciplinary actions against students with disabilities found that the district was disproportionately punishing students of color compared to white students.



Brian Blackley, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Education, said the district was required to allocate about $1 million in federal funding to remedy the issue. Williamson County Schools said in a statement that it spent the money on "early interventions" to reduce the need for punishment; it did not elaborate on what those measures were.



Last year, Revida Rahman and Jennifer Cortez, both public school mothers in Williamson County, formed the nonprofit organization "One WillCo" with a few dozen parents to make a collective push for changes that some had sought for years. They've urged the district to recruit more staffers of color, to train teachers to be more culturally and racially sensitive, and to put field trips to Confederate monuments and former slave plantations in proper context by explaining their links to white supremacy.



Williamson County Schools spokesperson Cory Mason said the district reevaluated its field trips a few years ago and stopped visiting some sites, but did not specify which ones.



This year, the district hired a consultant to review its efforts on diversity and inclusion, another priority of the One WillCo group. Superintendent Golden defended that decision in a public address in May, saying the schools' struggles were "deep enough and common enough" to warrant it.



In a report released last month, and viewed by Reuters, the consultant deemed Williamson to be "a county divided," and said its schools could use a "culture reset," with new policies like annual diversity education for teachers.



Moms for Liberty members saw the document as the latest liberal push to divide the community by race. At the group's August chapter meeting in a Franklin church, attended by Reuters, Steenman spoke to a few dozen women, one of whom sipped from an insulated tumbler labeled "leftist tears."



"They recommend a 'culture reset.' Does that sound scary?" Steenman said of the report, eliciting laughter from the crowd. "It smacks of, like, cultural revolution."



The group is now reading the middle and high school curricula for material they deem inappropriate and in need of district review. Members also are forming a political action committee, "Williamson Families," to back conservative candidates for local school board elections in 2022, when half the district's 12 seats will be up for grabs.


A special ballot officer counts ballots from national, international, Canadian Forces and incarcerated electors that were received by mail during the federal election in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, (Photo : REUTERS/Patrick Doyle)

Canadians woke up to a virtually unchanged political landscape on Tuesday after an expensive pandemic election they did not want, with many venting their fury at the C$612 million ($477.60 million) cost.



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals won the election https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-trudeau-vows-cooperation-with-opponents-after-bid-majority-fails-2021-09-21, but it was unpopular from the start for its timing, two years ahead of schedule and during a rising fourth wave of COVID-19.



Advertisement

Voters gave Trudeau a third term but denied him the parliamentary majority he called the election to win. The Liberals are leading or elected in 158 of 338 districts, just three more than they entered the election with. A majority requires 170 seats.



Other parties did not fare much better, ending up largely with the same number of seats they had before the election.



"C$600 million and all I got was this lousy pencil," one Calgary man tweeted, referring to the stubby pencil used to mark ballots.



"Waste of money" trended on social media as voters questioned the time and expense involved. Elections Canada, which runs the vote, projected that it cost C$110 million more than the 2019 election, which cost C$502 million.



Holding the election during a pandemic generated extra expenses, such as counting a flood of mail-in ballots and supplying single-use pencils, masks and hand sanitizer, the elections agency said.



The Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats were each allowed to spend about C$30 million of their own money on the campaign.



The vote also happened as the Liberals have run up a record national debt of C$1 trillion ($785 billion) to manage the pandemic and pushed budget deficits to highs not seen since World War Two.



Sheila Colla, an associate professor of environmental studies at Toronto's York University, worried about the cost to the planet of campaign travel across one of the world's biggest countries by area.



"Fossil fuels burned while reporters and leaders flew across the country. Election 44 was an incredibly wasteful (Liberal) vanity project," she said.



Trudeau, in power since 2015, said in his victory speech that Canadians had granted him a "clear mandate" to guide Canada through the pandemic.



But last week Trudeau acknowledged the unpopularity of holding an election as infections multiply.



"I understand the frustration that some people are feeling," he told supporters. "They just want things to get back to normal and an election isn't getting back to normal."



Angus Reid, chairman of the namesake polling institute, said the election left the political landscape intact.



"Nothing happened! Trudeau got less than one-third of popular vote. He treats the election as a victory?"



Another election may be on the horizon, as minority governments usually do not last long. Trudeau said this month another election could happen in 18 months if no one wins a parliamentary majority.



"(It's) almost as if Canadians spelled out, 'we don't want an election now' with their votes," Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, said of Monday's result.



($1 = 1.2814 Canadian dollars)


During the first eight months of 2021, the Egyptian sales and marketing team established a remarkable success in sales of the Swedish brand, surpassing sales achieved for the entire year of 2020

The Volvo Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team, along with the Volvo Egypt team at Ezz Elarab Automotive Group, celebrated a considerable leap in sales this year.

Ezzz Elarab is the sole importer, and exclusive distributor of the Swedish Volvo cars in Egypt.

During the first eight months of 2021, the Egyptian sales and marketing team established a remarkable success in sales of the Swedish brand, surpassing sales achieved for the entire year of 2020, a press release read.

This was achieved despite the continued challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic on most industries around the world.

The celebration was held with the participation of all the entire Volvo sales and marketing teams in Egypt as well as Hesham Ezz Elarab, owner and chairman of Ezz Elarab Automotive Group.

The leap in the Volvo sales record in Egypt comes in conjunction with the appointment of a new management team for Volvo Egypt that took over the leadership responsibility at the end of last year.

We are proud of the big accomplishment that the team here in Egypt has managed to pull off, Ezz Elarab said, affirming that the group still has a lot to offer our customers as we constantly strive to provide an improved service and maintain our leading position in the automotive market in Egypt.

The celebration was held in the new Volvo Gallery  Egypt, Ezz Elarab Groups latest showroom carrying the name of the premium Swedish brand and concept with an implicit coffee shop. This showroom is the very first Volvo Galley in Egypt and North Africa.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Tantawy was one of the heroes of the October War and a statesman who could run the country in the most difficult times, read a presidential statement

The Egyptian Presidency mourned the death of former Defence Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 85.

"Egypt lost Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, the former general commander of the Armed Forces and minister of defence and military production, who was one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who had served his country for more than 50 years," read a presidential statement.

"Tantawy was one of the heroes of the glorious October War, who contributed to the making of the greatest heroics ... and a statesman who ran the country in a most difficult time, confronting with wisdom the dangers that surrounded Egypt," the statement added.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, on behalf of the Egyptian people and government, condoles with the family of late field marshal Tantawy, the statement said.

Later in the day, President El-Sisi announced a state of official mourning for the death of Tantawy.

The President tweets

Today, I lost a father, a teacher, and a person who was protective of his homeland. I learned a lot from him and his dedication to serving the country, El-Sisi said in a tweet on his official account.

It is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy who confronted the most serious difficulties that Egypt faced in its contemporary history, the president wrote.

An illustrious career

Tantawy graduated from the Military Academy in 1956 and later on from the Command and Staff College.

He participated in several wars, including the 1967 War, the War of Attrition, and the 6 October 1973 War, serving as the commander of a combat unit in the infantry.

In 1988, he was appointed as the head of the Presidential Guard.

In 1991, he was appointed as the defence minister and the general commander of the Armed Forces.

He was awarded the rank of field marshal in 1993.

He was acting president of Egypt in his capacity as the chair of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after the stepping down of former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Al-Azhar mourns

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayyeb mourned the death of former defence minister, saying that he departed [from this world] after a long journey marked by generosity and patriotism in which he contributed to Egypts heroics and glory.

In a statement, Al-Tayyeb said Tantawy was a military leader of a unique calibre who stood tall while confronting the enemies of the homeland at a critical time, guiding the ship to a safe harbour.

The Coptic church remembers

Head of Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II mourned the passing of former defence minister, saying Tantawy served his country faithfully in all the positions he held and was part of the ranks of the Armed Forces during the Tripartite Aggression, the War of Attrition, the glorious victory in the 6 October War, and the Gulf War.

"He served as defence minister for 20 years, during which he contributed to the development of the capacities of the Armed Forces, and he was part of the country's leadership in critical times."

The church extended its condolences to the leadership and personnel of the Armed Forces, the members of Tantawys family, and his students.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


It is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy who confronted the most serious difficulties that Egypt faced in its contemporary history, the president wrote on Twitter

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Tuesday that Egypt has declared a state of official mourning for the death of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who passed away at the age of 85 earlier today.

El-Sisis announcement came during the inauguration of a number of national projects for the development of the Sinai Peninsula in an event held in Suez governorate on Tuesday.

Today, I lost a father, a teacher, and a person who was protective of his homeland. I learned a lot from him and his dedication to serving the country, El-Sisi said in a tweet on his official account.

It is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy who confronted the most serious difficulties that Egypt faced in its contemporary history, the president wrote.

Tantawy was the acting president of Egypt in his capacity as the chair of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces after the stepping down of former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

The late Field Marshal graduated from the Military Academy in 1956 and later on from the Command and Staff College.

He participated in several wars, including the 1967 War, the War of Attrition, and the 6 October 1973 War, serving as the commander of a combat unit in the infantry.

In 1988, he was appointed as the head of the Presidential Guard.

In 1991, he was appointed as the defence minister and the general commander of the Armed Forces.

He was awarded the rank of field marshal in 1993.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Muslim Brotherhood-backed forces in Yemen are facilitating the advance of the Houthi rebels and frustrating efforts to bring peace to the war-torn country

Media reports this week highlighted how the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah Party in Yemen has been handing over positions to Iran-backed Houthi rebels in a new obstacle to ending the war in the country that has now lasted for seven years since its outbreak in 2014.

With a stalemate in the fighting around the town of Marib, the Houthi rebels have claimed advances in the Shabwa governorate where government forces, mainly Islah Party fighters, fled to the capital leaving their arms and positions to the Houthi rebels.

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) and other parties in South Yemen are wary of Islah activities, especially in the South. They blame the rise in the presence of Al-Qaeda and Daesh (Islamic State group IS) terrorists there on the Muslim Brotherhood. Rivalry between Islah and the STC has intensified amid demonstrations blaming the Brotherhood for the deteriorating security situation and territorial gains by the Houthi rebels.

The STC has opposed the movement of Brotherhood-backed Islah forces into Sabwa and Abyan in the South, which southerners say contradicts the Riyadh Agreement of late 2019 between the STC and the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The chaos in the South has derailed efforts by the UN special envoy to Yemen to stop the war and start negotiations. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen is also keen to see a halt to the fighting and the start of a political process. But the Houthi rebels have been stubborn in refusing such efforts.

The Brotherhood component in the Yemeni government seems to be the main beneficiary of this stalemate, exploiting it to gain influence through the disguise of charity outlets that provide money received from backers outside Yemen. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood has been using its position in the government to help the Houthi rebels.

Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar of the Islah Party, a main Brotherhood member of the government, has been exposed on social media as a traitor to Yemen.

US researcher and human-rights lawyer Irena Tsukerman told the online TV channel Aden Today in an interview this week that the rise in terrorist threats in Yemen were linked to Muslim Brotherhood elements strengthening their position within the Yemeni government.

Ali Mohsen is supported by some factions in Saudi Arabia who think he gives the legitimate government more popular support within Yemen. That is how Islah became an important lobbying force within the government, especially after the US stopped its support for the Arab Coalition, Tsukerman said.

She added that in Yemen and everywhere else you cannot separate the Muslim Brotherhood from Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations. Many Al-Qaeda terrorists came from Brotherhood ranks.

This view was shared by Saudi commentator Abdel-Aziz Alkhames in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly. Saudi Arabia has designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. Yet it deals with the Islah Party as a component of the Yemeni political scene even though the partys interests are opposed to Saudi interests, Alkhames said.

Because of their ideology, Muslim Brotherhood parties are never patriotic, he added. They do not believe in a state or a country. They are in government, but they do not care about Yemen. Their loyalty is to the international organisation of the Brotherhood.

They divide themselves into wings: one tries to impose conditions on the ground, while another is in government trying to influence it. But their goals are different from those of the legitimate government of Yemen and from the goals of the Southern Yemenis. Their goal is ultimately to achieve opportunistic benefits and to strengthen their hold, Alkhames said.

Such developments have made it more and more difficult to achieve a breakthrough in the peace negotiations in Yemen. There are many wars within the war in Yemen, all of them interconnected. The power struggle within the Yemeni factions is also hindering the peace efforts, Tsukerman said.

She added that two main dangerous influences are the Iranian support of the Houthi rebels and financial support for the Islah Party from the international organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Earlier in the war, Islah collaborated with the Houthi rebels when they first swept the country in 2014. The partys goal at the time was the hope that if the Houthis prevailed, they would repay the Brotherhood by sharing the country between them.

I think the Brotherhood in Yemen will continue in this direction. It is part of their nature and ideology. They are always traitors to their homelands, Alkhames told the Weekly.

They are also liars. One of their leaders, Zandani, said he had 40,000 fighters ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with the legitimate government and coalition forces. Later, it turned out that he had no one. All the positions entrusted to the Brotherhood fall easily into the hands of the Houthi rebels, he said.

Alkhames was referring to Islah collaboration with the Houthis in the Yemeni city of Taiz, under rebel siege since the start of the war in 2014. The Brotherhood is active in Taiz, and Islah has had to quell demonstrations in the city against it, as it did with demonstrations against the Brotherhood in Shabwa last week.

One of the main goals of the Islah Party is to sabotage the Riyadh Agreement that reconciles the legitimate government of Yemen and the STC. If successful, this will make the Brotherhood Party more powerful in the government and facilitate efforts to harness the terrorist groups in South Yemen.

This will indirectly help the Houthi cause, complicating further efforts by the UN, the US and Saudi Arabia to end the war in Yemen and start a political process to bring peace to this devastated country.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Faced with uncertainty at the polls, Iraq has invited foreign observers to watch upcoming elections, but many doubt if they are qualified to assess whether vote is free and fair

Next months parliamentary election is probably the most dramatic in Iraqs recent history. Given the highly partisan atmosphere at a time of conflict fatigue, a meaningful and effective election is crucial for the nations stability and its dysfunctional democracy.

But disputed ballot and contested outcome will certainly lay the groundwork in the following weeks or months for further political upheaval and an outbreak of new popular protests similar to the uprising that toppled the government in 2019.

Every Iraqi election since the overthrow of the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein has been marred by allegations of fraud and irregularities. Together with regional and international stakeholders, Iraqis fear that the October election could be a tipping point for the future.

To help ensure a successful poll while battling voters mistrust and fighting one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the Middle East, the government of Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is inviting international observers to oversee the ballots.

But while the government can see real value in foreign observers giving the poll a legal cover, many Iraqis remain sceptical about whether international observers can provide an objective means of validating the election to rescue Iraqs tortured democracy.

Still, much of the outcome depends on the United Nations Political Mission in Iraq, UNAMI, which is empowered by numerous UN Security Council resolutions to assist in the electoral process and help towards free and fair Iraqi-led elections that are inclusive.

Last month the 15-member council unanimously approved an Iraqi request for a UN team to monitor the elections. A resolution it adopted authorised UNAMI to provide a strengthened, robust and visible UN team to monitor Iraqs election day with as broad a geographic coverage as possible.

The UN is expected to deploy some 130 international experts to monitor the polls, along with 600 support staff whom UNAMI Chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said will provide Iraqi electoral authorities with technical assistance from the UN.

Meanwhile, the European Union has upped the international ante to improve the quality of Iraqs election, deploying a watchdog mission to assist with the process. High Representative Josep Borrell said the observation mission was dispatched to support the strengthening of Iraqi democracy.

A core EU team of 32 election experts and observers have been deployed in different parts of the country. On election day the mission will be reinforced with short-term local observers coming from the EU member states diplomatic missions in Iraq.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in Iraq said some 15 international organisations, including the Arab League, as well as foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq are also expected to send representatives to watch the ballots.

In all, foreign teams are expected to monitor some 8273 centres that include 55041 polling stations covering 83 electoral districts in 18 provinces across Iraq, a task many believe will be difficult to fulfill by such small groups.

As election time approaches, many Iraqis who had seen voting improprieties in past ballots remain in doubt, however. There is limited trust in the election system and widespread concern that the vote will not be characterised by fairness, political pluralism, confidence, transparency or impartiality.

Independent electoral observers as well as voters attribute that scepticisim to several factors.

First, in the aftermath of the 2019 uprising and the crackdown on the protest movement, mistrust has deepened in the countrys political elite and their willingness to patch the failures and loopholes in the institutions and processes that had led to problems.

Instead of an electoral law that would allow the participation of independent, secular parties, a new electoral law has maintained the influence of entrenched sectarian-affiliated political groups and helped to ensure their victory in any upcoming elections.

Pro-reform activists who declared their intention to participate in the election have faced a brutal crackdown, including targeted killings, disappearances and intimidation which forced many of them to abandon the vote or consider fleeing the country.

Secondly, reports of investigated irregularities and manipulation have further fuelled a politically fraught debate over voter fraud ahead of the election. In late August, the Supreme Judicial Council said it had formed a committee to probe attempts to rig the election and manipulate the will of the voters by buying their cards.

Earlier, the council said it had cracked down on a network linked to unidentified political groups using social media to spread false information about the upcoming election and working to change the results.

A former election officer, Miqdad Al-Sherifi was briefly detained earlier this month on suspicion of helping with fraud in 2014 and 2018 elections before he was released without charge.

Another major concern was that millions of old, unclaimed electronic voter cards which were never picked up by registered Iraqi voters in the 2014 and 2018 elections have mysteriously been kept by IHEC.

Though UNAMI has announced that some 4,670,000 electronic voter cards were shredded and disposed of, many Iraqis still fear that some of these cards could still be used for rigging the October election.

In addition, allegations of voter bribes and voting card purchases are rampant despite assurances of strict measures to block fraud and manipulation. On Saturday, the private Al-Sharqiyya TV reported that a candidate in a north Baghdad district had paid voters who promised to vote for him 100-300 dollars.

Thirdly, there are increasing signs of low expectations among Iraqis in the international observers ability to ensure Iraqis confidence in a credible election largely due to their limited mandate and their past experience in Iraq.

Both the United Nations and the European Union have insisted that they are sending their observers in response to an invitation by the Iraqi government to assist the electoral authorities in holding the upcoming elections.

Both organisations have also made it clear that the elections are Iraqi-led and Iraqi-owned and they are not organising or supervising the poll, thus cautiously distancing themselves from potential election problems.

Despite reports of fraud and vote recounts in the 2018 election, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had congratulated the people of Iraq on the holding of parliamentary elections and stated that the elections represented further progress in building a stronger Iraqi democracy.

However, his representative Hennis-Plasschaert has admitted to loopholes from the past elections that have undermined public trust in Iraqs electoral process and promised that the upcoming vote had the potential to be different.

More ironically, the European Union which sent an electoral team to oversee Iraqs elections in 2018 had not made public a report of its findings which was reportedly critical to the process.

Iraqi media said the report which was sent to the Iraqi authorities ten months after voting day expressed doubts about the integrity of the election which was held in May 2018.

Among the criticisms voiced by EU experts were lack of transparency, absence of independent checking of the electronic system and counting irregularities.

The EU report also noted that changes in election regulations were made after voting ended.

Foreign observer missions have long been criticised for being ineffective in ensuring electoral integrity and failing to induce the authorities to respect the basic criteria of a free and fair election that deserves to be observed.

In many countries, foreign electoral missions were dubbed electoral tourism for sending unqualified and poorly trained observers who lack professional experience, arriving in a country few days before polling day and spending only a few hours at voting centres.

In Iraqs case, where the electoral process has fallen short of basic requirements may also need overall international supervision, and not only through day-long monitoring, to help block illegal and dishonest practices and ensure a credible election.

The danger with UNAMI is that it is trying to wear two hats at once. While it provides technical electoral assistance in Iraq, which makes it a partner in the process, it wants to act as an observation mission to confer legitimacy on an election which many Iraqis see as fraught with uncertainty and doubt.

The EU, meanwhile, has failed to commit to making public its final report to the Iraqi people, reiterating that the findings of its mission will only be presented and shared with stakeholders after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.

The international community has failed Iraqis with each election held since Saddams ouster and poor conclusions by foreign election observer missions this time will further frustrate the desire for free, fair and transparent elections.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


He was part of the country s leadership in critical times

Head of Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II mourned the passing of former defence minister Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawy on Tuesday.

The pope said that Tantawy served his country faithfully in all the positions he held and was part of the ranks of the Armed Forces during the Tripartite Aggression, the War of Attrition, the glorious victory in the 6 October War, and the Gulf War.

"He served as defence minister for 20 years, during which he contributed to the development of the capacities of the Armed Forces, and he was part of the country's leadership in critical times."

The church extended its condolences to the leadership and personnel of the Armed Forces, the members of Tantawys family, and his students.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Tuesday that Egypt has declared a state of official mourning for the death of Field Marshal Tantawy.

Earlier today, the Egyptian Presidency mourned in a statement the death of the former defence minister.

"Egypt lost Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, the former general commander of the Armed Forces and minister of defence and military production, who was one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who had served his country for more than 50 years," read a presidential statement.

"Tantawy was one of the heroes of the glorious October War, who contributed to the making of the greatest acts of heroism ... and a statesman who ran the country in a most difficult time, confronting with wisdom the dangers that surrounded Egypt," the statement added.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


During the event, El-Sisi paid tribute to the former defence minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy who passed away earlier today at the age of 85

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi witnessed the inauguration of a number of national projects for the development of the Sinai Peninsula, including the key Ahmed Hamdi II Tunnel which connects Africa to Asia, in an event in Suez on Tuesday.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and several state ministers, including Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki along with the head of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie.

During the event, El-Sisi paid tribute to the former defence minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy  who passed away earlier today at the age of 85.

Tantawy "led the country wisely in the most difficult circumstances and played a key role in protecting Egypt," the president stressed.

The president also announced at the event that Egypt has declared a state of official mourning for the death of Tantawy.

We had a choice to postpone the openings today, but [Tantawy] was a serious man who loved to work, and that is why these openings were not postponed, El-Sisi said.

The inaugurated projects in the peninsula include the St. Catherine Hospital, Rowaysat Medical Centre, and other healthcare facilities.

The Ahmed Hamdi II Tunnel is the fifth tunnel built by Egypt in the last two years to connect Sinai to the mainland and Africa to Asia.

In 2019, El-Sisi inaugurated four tunnels linking Sinai to the mainland  two in Ismailiya and two in Port Said.

The Ahmed Hamdi II Tunnel links the Nile Delta and the Sinai Peninsula with the aim of facilitating the movement of citizens and goods to and from the west of the canal.

The new tunnel is expected to double investments and job opportunities in Sinai, the president said.

The first Ahmed Hamdi tunnel was built in 1981.

El-Sisi stated during the event that the Bahr Al-Baqar wastewater triple treatment plant will also be inaugurated within the coming few days to supply the Sinai Peninsula with around 5.6 million cubic metres of water on a daily basis.

This station, El-Sisi said, will aid in cultivating 500,000 feddans of land.

New road projects

Tuesdays inauguration ceremony also witnessed the opening of 35 new roads in Sinai, with head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Major General Ihab El-Far saying another 16 roads are under construction within the Sinai Development Project.

The road network will have a significant impact on Sinai and the rest of Egypt, the president said.

By the end of this year, the country will inaugurate three roads  spanning more than 1,000 kilometres  that will cut through agricultural land in Farafra, Toshka, and Sharq Al-Owainat, El-Sisi added.

The volume of work that has already been achieved in constructing roads is unprecedented, El-Sisi said, noting that there is still more work to be done.

The president revealed that the state will soon have over 12,000 kilometres of newly-constructed roads, including the 7,000 kilometres that the state has already constructed and developed since 2014.

In 2014, El-Sisi launched the National Road Project with the goal of developing and extending Egypts 23,500-kilometre-road network.

When the project was launched, Egypt ranked 118 in terms of the quality of its road infrastructure in the World Economic Forums Global Competition Report. By 2019, it had climbed to 28th place.

Some may think that we exaggerate in constructing new roads and bridges [nationwide]. No, we are not. Freedom of movement, whether for people or goods, must be easy in the urban areas of Egypt, El-Sisi said.

Our interest in [constructing new roads stems from our aim to] lay real foundations for development across Egypts soil, he explained.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


It also extended its sincere condolences to his family and the officers of the Armed Forces, praying for his peaceful rest

The General Command of the Egyptian Armed Forces mourned in a statement on Tuesday the death of former Defence Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who passed away earlier today at the age of 85.

Related Egypt mourns death of former Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawy

"The General Command of the Egyptian Armed Forces mourns the death of Field Marshal Tantawy, one of its sons and one of the commanders of the glorious October War, who passed away today," a statement said.

It also extended its sincere condolences to his family and the officers of the Armed Forces, praying for his peaceful rest.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Egypt lost Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who was one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who had served his country for more than 50 years, the presidency said

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi led on Tuesday a military funeral procession for former defence minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy who died at the age of 85 and extended condolences to his family.

The funeral was held at El-Mousheer Tantawy Mosque in New Cairo.

Tantawy was head of the military council that ruled Egypt after president Hosni Mubarak's resignation in 2011 and served as defence minister for more than 20 years.

"Egypt lost Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, the former general commander of the Armed Forces and minister of defence and military production, who was one of its most loyal sons and a military symbol who served his country for more than 50 years," read a presidential statement.

"Tantawy was one of the heroes of the glorious October War, who contributed to the making of the greatest acts of heroism ... and a statesman who ran the country in a most difficult time, confronting with wisdom the dangers that surrounded Egypt," the statement added.

Inaugurating a number of national projects for the development of the Sinai Peninsula in an event held in Suez governorate on Tuesday, El-Sisi said Tantawy "led the country wisely in the most difficult circumstances and played a key role in protecting Egypt."

This great man was the real reason Egypt [did not] fall at that stage, El-Sisi said in reference to the turbulent days of 2011-2013.

"When the elections took place and all the indicators were pointing to a certain faction in Egypt winning, he [Tantawy] said I will go down in history as the one who handed this country over to this [faction], a matter that hurt him a lot, because he was aware of the damage that Egypt would see as a result of these circumstances, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi cleared Tantawi from some bloody incidents that took place after the ouster of Mubarak.

"Field Marshal Tantawy ... was not responsible in the bloodshed that took place in the events of Mohamed Mahmoud, Maspero, or the Port Said Stadium and any other conspiracy to tear down the state," El-Sisi stated, adding that his testimony on these issues was "a testimony for history."

I hope that God will reward him well for everything he accomplished while assuming all the positions he held, El-Sisi noted.

Tantawy graduated from the Military Academy in 1956 and later from the Command and Staff College.

He fought in several wars 1967 War, the War of Attrition, and the 6 October 1973 War, serving as the commander of a combat unit in the infantry.

Tantawi served as the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and was minister of defense and military production between 1991 and 2012.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Ahram Online compiles a list of the main milestones in Tantawy s life as the country bids farewell to him

Egypt bid farewell on Tuesday to former defence minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, who died at the age of 85.

Below are the major facts of Tantawys outstanding career life and posts he had assumed

- Tantawy, who hailed from Nubian origins, was born in October 1935.

- He joined the Egyptian Military Academy in 1952, and graduated in 1956 to become an army officer in the infantry.

- He attended and graduated from the Command and Staff College in 1971.

- Tantawy was one of the heroes of the glorious October 1973 War, serving as the commander of a combat unit in the infantry.

- He participated in the 1956 Suez Canal War, the 1967 War, and the War of Attrition.

- He served as Egypts military attache to Pakistan in 1975 and then in Afghanistan.

- In 1987, he assumed the position of Commander of the Second Field Army.

- In 1988, he was promoted to commander of the Presidential Guard.

- In 1991, he was appointed as the defence minister and the general commander of the Armed Forces.

- He was awarded the rank of field marshal in 1993.

- He headed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that ruled Egypt after the stepping down of president Hosni Mubarak on the heels of the 2011 revolution.

- In August 2012, his 21-year-old tenure as the countrys defence minister was brought to an end by then Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, and was appointed as a presidential adviser.

- Among the various civil and military honorary medals and badges he had received was the 'Order of the Nile' medal, which is Egypt's highest state honour that is granted for exceptional services to the nation.

- He died on 21 September 2021 and a military funeral service was held for him on the same day.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The New Cairo misdemeanor court sentenced five of the defendants to one year in prison, while the remaining four were sentenced to three years

An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced nine defendants to prison over the collapse of a building that left 25 people dead in Cairo earlier this year.

The New Cairo misdemeanour court sentenced five of the defendants to one year in prison and fined them EGP 50,000 each, while the remaining four were sentenced to three years.

Three of the defendants are at large. The ruling is not final and can be appealed.

The nine defendants were referred to the criminal court following the collapse in March of a 10-storey building in Cairos working-class district of Gesr El-Suez.

They are five building owners, three contractors and the owner of a factory that was located in the building.

According to investigations, the five owners agreed with the contractors to construct more storeys at the building without a license.

The factory owner was charged of changing the status of three of the building's storeys from housing to commercial without a license.

Incidents of building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt and are usually attributed to violations of building regulations, illegal building extensions, and lax government oversight.

However, Egypt has pledged the adoption of resolute measures to stop building violations, especially in agricultural lands nationwide.

The state had accepted reconciliation requests from citizens over building violations since last year until the end of March. During this period, the state has received 2.8 million reconciliation requests, the Cabinet said.

The country has seen a significant rise in illegal construction since the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising, with many people constructing multi-storey buildings without acquiring the necessary permits or complying with engineering safety standards.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


On the fringe of his participation in the UNGA, Shoukry held separate meetings on Tuesday with his counterparts, including those of Estonia, Tunisia, Rwanda, Pakistan and India

Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated on Tuesday in the opening of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) high-level segment in New York, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said on his Twitter account.

On the fringe of his participation in the UNGA, Shoukry held separate meetings on Tuesday with his counterparts of Estonia, Tunisia, Rwanda, Pakistan and India.

The top Egyptian diplomat discussed bilateral relations, issues of mutual concern and cooperation in the face of common challenges with the foreign ministers, according to Hafez.

Shoukry also held a meeting with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, in which they discussed bilateral relations within the framework of the partnership between Egypt and the EU.

During his visit to the US, Shoukry is set to take part in several events to express Egypt's vision and stances towards the current issues in the region as well as means of supporting the pillars of peace and security at the international and regional levels.

The foreign minister will also discuss mechanisms of reinforcing the multilateral action as regards the issues raised on the agenda of the UNGA high-level segment.

Shoukry is also expected to meet with senior UN officials and other leaderships of the international and regional organizations.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The African continent has become the most affected by the coronavirus at a time when its peoples are facing other challenges, President El-Sisi told the 76th session of the UNGA

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for debt relief for the developing countries, especially the African and middle-income ones, in light of the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a recorded speech to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

The African continent has become the most affected by the coronavirus at a time when its peoples are facing other challenges that are not less serious than the coronavirus pandemic, El-Sisi said.

Vaccine Inequality

El-Sisi affirmed the need to remove obstacles to the provision of coronavirus vaccines to all countries and to ensure fair distribution of vaccine doses, stressing the need for a quick and effective response to the needs of the African continent regarding coronavirus vaccines.

The Egyptian president warned against the disparity in the paths of economic recovery among countries in accordance with their ability to secure the necessary number of vaccines.

He said the advanced countries monopolise the largest share of the worlds [vaccine] production.

Localising Vaccine Manufacturing

In this regard, he stated that Egypt has been keen to localise coronavirus vaccine manufacturing not only to meet the needs of its citizens, but also for exportation to the African continent.

The current circumstances have only exacerbated a reality that has been perpetuated for decades, which is insufficient regional and international cooperation, El-Sisi stated, calling for expanding the scope of international support to the developing world "so that it covers the group of middle-income countries.

The president said the fact that this group of countries embrace the majority of the worlds population gives them central importance, affirming that they represent a main centre for the consumption of goods and services at the international level and a major driver of global economic growth.

El-Sisi cited the International Monetary Funds (IMF) approval of a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights equivalent to around $650 billion, urging the exploration of appropriate ways to employ these resources to serve the needs of the developing world", including the low- and middle-income countries.

Egypt calls for  facilitating the terms of borrowing from the international and regional institutions through providing instruments for concessional financing, encouraging investments and ensuring their continued flow to these countries, El-Sisi said.

The president stressed that these measures represent a vital factor in supporting the national efforts of development in accordance with the relevant regional and international agendas.

GERD amid intransigence, unjustified rejection

El-Sisi, during the speech, highlighted the intransigence and unjustified rejection that has stained the decade-long negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.

The president said the River Nile constitutes Egypts only lifeline throughout history, affirming that this explains the overwhelming concern of the Egyptian citizens about the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Perhaps you all know the outcome of the ongoing negotiations for a decade between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan as a result of known intransigence and unjustified rejection to deal positively with the process in its consecutive stages, El-Sisi added.

The president also slammed the adoption of unilateral approach and the policy of imposing the fait accompli during the GERD negotiations, affirming that this portends wide threat to the security and stability of the entire region.

El-Sisi said that Egypt, which recongises the developmental rights of its [African] brothers, is considered one of the most water-deficient countries and its people remains under the water poverty line.

Egypt is closely linked to its African reality that [the country] is very proud of and that is not only related to its geographic location; it is also related to its existence, El-Sisi said.

He affirmed that cooperation among the African countries will not be achieved by one party defining the requirements of another, but this process must rather be reciprocal.The 76th general debate of the UNGA  in which world leaders discuss global issues  is held from 21 to 25 September, and on 27 September 2021, pursuant to resolution 57/301.

The UNGAs 76th session comes under the theme Building resilience through hope  to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations.

This year, the general debate session is being conducted in a hybrid fashion, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Heads of state or government may elect to either deliver their statement live from the podium in the General Assembly Hall, or have a delegate introduce their pre-recorded statement.

A number of world leaders have already delivered speeches including US President Joe Biden, while others like President of Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping had a pre-recorded speech.

Promoting human rights

El-Sisi said that human rights in Egypt have recently witnessed clear progress.

The president said that the National Strategy for Human Rights he launched earlier this month is the best evidence of the comprehensive and constructive approach that my country is taking regarding human rights issues and topics.

Eliminating terrorism comprehensively

El-Sisi affirmed the need to face terrorism and extremism through a comprehensive approach, saying that this requires national efforts and international cooperation.

Terrorism cannot be eliminated except through facing the takfiri and extremist thought  within the framework of a comprehensive approach that is not limited to the security approach, El-Sisi said.

Sisi emphasized the need to for a new comprehensive approach that includes social, developmental and ideological dimensions.

El-Sisi also called for holding state sponsors of terrorism accountable and that countries that harbor terrorists and foreign fighters.

El-Sisi said that securing sanctuary and support for terrorists and facilitating their transference across these countries lands threaten international security and peace.

Fair solution to Palestinian cause

El-Sisi underlined the need to reach a fair solution to the Palestinian cause through negotiations in accordance with relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

Egypt has repeatedly affirmed that there is no way to stabilise the Middle East without reaching a fair, permanent and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, which was and still the central issue for the Arab nation, El-Sisi said.

This should be achieved through negotiations based on the international legitimacy resolutions to establish the Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, El-Sisi clarified.

The president affirmed the need to consolidate the Egypt-sponsored ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis in the Gaza Strip reached on 20 May 2021.

The 11 days of the Israeli aggression on the strip in May left more than 250 Palestinians dead, including 66 children, and more than 1,900 injured, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of commercial and residential buildings in the enclave.

Egypt also calls the international community to take all the required measures to improve the living situations of the Palestinian people and deliver the humanitarian aid to them, El-Sisi said, referring to the $500 million that was pledged by the Egyptian state for the reconstruction of the strip.

Egypt started sending building equipment, engineers, and workers to the enclave in June as part of its initiative to help reconstruct the enclave, and has almost concluded the first stage of the process that included the removal of debris.

He also highlighted the need for the international community to urge donor parties to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in preparation for the launch of the reconstruction process in Gaza.

Upholding national state concept

El-Sisi also called for upholding the comprehensive concept of the national state, saying this concept is being threatened by multiple disturbance factors in the Middle East countries.

The Middle East, while is characterized by a unique strategic location, also occupies an advanced position on the list of the world's most disturbed regions, the president said.

He affirmed that this imposes additional challenges to the Middle East countries besides the other joint challenges they share with the world.

The essence of the disturbance factors threatening the concept of the national state in the Middle East countries lie in the division and fragmentation with all of its different kinds, whether it is sectarian, political or ethnic, El-Sisi said.

This makes countries rich in natural resources, history and ancient civilisation like the sisterly Iraq, or in cultural and religious and sectarian diversity like Lebanon and Syria, or in resources, wealth and special location like Libya or [those enjoying] strategic position like Yemen suffer from this number of huge challenges, El-Sisi said.

He said this affirms that upholding the comprehensive concept of the national state that does not differentiate between the people of the same country and prevents interference in Arab affairs is indispensable.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


El-Sisi said that Egypt, which recongises the developmental rights of its African brothers, is considered one of the most water-deficient countries and its people remains under the water poverty line

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi slammed on Tuesday Ethiopia's "intransigence", which has strained the decade-long negotiations between Egypt, Sudan, and Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The president said the River Nile has been Egypts only lifeline throughout history, affirming that this explains the overwhelming concern of Egyptian citizens over the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

El-Sisis remarks came in a recorded speech delivered to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

Perhaps you all know the outcome of the ongoing decade long negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan as a result of Addis Ababas known intransigence and unjustified rejection to deal positively with the process in its consecutive stages, El-Sisi said.

Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for a decade now to reach a comprehensive and legally binding agreement over GERD to no avail.

Both Cairo and Khartoum do not oppose Addis Ababa's development goals, however, they are seeking a legally binding agreement that regulates the rules of filling and operating the dam, as Egypt fears the unilateral filling and operation of the dam would have an impact on its water supply and Sudan is concerned about regulating flows to its own dams and their safety.

The president also slammed the adoption of unilateral approach and the policy of imposing the fait accompli during the GERD negotiations, affirming that this portends wide threat to the security and stability of the entire region.

El-Sisi said that Egypt, which recongises the developmental rights of its [African] brothers, is considered one of the most water-deficient countries and its people remains under the water poverty line.

Some 85 percent of the river waters in Egypt flows from the Ethiopian highlands through the Blue Nile  one of the Niles two main tributaries along with the While Nile.

Egypt, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, receives around 60 bcm annually, mainly from the Nile. However, its needs stand at around 114 bcm, placing the 102-million-plus country well below the international threshold for water scarcity at 560 cubic meters per person annually.

The large gap in water resources in Egypt is overcome by importing 54 percent of its consumption and reusing 42 percent of its renewable sources, according to Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation.

Egypt is closely linked to its African reality that [the country] is very proud of and that is not only related to its geographic location; it is also related to its existence, El-Sisi said.

He affirmed that cooperation among the African countries will not be achieved by one party defining the requirements of another, but this process must rather be reciprocal.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The clashes took place Sunday in the villages of Kidji-Mina and Tiyo, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Chad's second largest city Abeche, itself some 700 kilometres northeast of the capital N'Djamena

At least 27 people were killed in weekend fighting between sedentary farmers and nomadic herders in eastern Chad, a poor Sahel country where such clashes are frequent, the justice minister said.

The clashes took place Sunday in the villages of Kidji-Mina and Tiyo, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Chad's second largest city Abeche, itself some 700 kilometres northeast of the capital N'Djamena.

"Traditional leaders sold land (to herders) in 2017... but the indigenous farmers, the Ouaddaiens, contest this sale," the minister, Mahamat Ahmat Alhabo, told AFP by telephone.

"They're fighting over an area of 25 square kilometres (some 6,000 acres)," added the minister, who is in Abeche at the head of a government delegation seeking to "calm the situation".

He added that the fighting on Sunday claimed 27 lives.

"These conflicts over land continue to kill," the minister said on his Facebook page. "Chadians are killing each other over plots of land."

Alhabo could not say which side started the clashes. "We listened to the different sides but we haven't found a solution."

Intercommunal violence is common in Chad, where many inhabitants have weapons.

Most of the violence is sparked when herders, sometimes crossing the border from Sudan, drive their stock onto farmers' fields, damaging crops.

Nomads are increasingly seeking to settle on land that is conducive to raising camels and sheep.

In early August, 22 people died in similar circumstances some 200 kilometres east of N'Djamena, and fighting left 35 dead in the more fertile south in February.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Wagdi Saleh, a member of the committee for the removal of the former regime, told Ahram Online from the capital Khartoum that the plotters were detained in the 'early hours of the coup'

Sudanese authorities have contained a coup attempt and the situation has been brought under control, a member of the country's ruling council said on Tuesday.

"There has been a failed coup attempt, the people should confront it," state media reported on Tuesday.

Interrogation of the suspects involved in the attempted coup is set to take place on Monday and the military will issue a statement shortly, spokesman of the country's ruling council Mohamed Al-Faki Suleiman said.

Wagdi Saleh, a member of the committee for the removal of the former regime, told Ahram Online from the capital Khartoum that the plotters were detained in the "early hours of the coup" after they "failed to take control of the TV and radio building in Omdurman."

"There are talks with officers in the armored corps to surrender," Saleh said.

Speaking to Ahram Online on condition of anonymity, sources said there were clashes with officers in the armored corps and more than 40 officers have been detained.

Saleh accused officers belong to the former regime of ousted president Omar Al-Bashir of masterminding the coup.

Traffic appeared to be flowing smoothly in central Khartoum, according to AFP, including around army headquarters, where in 2019 protesters staged a mass sit-in that eventually led to Al-Bashir's ouster in a palace coup.

Security forces did, however, close the main bridge across the Nile connecting Khartoum to its twin city Omdurman.

According to Salah, the attempted coup started in the military bases of Wadi Saidna north of Omdurman, which is across the capital Khartum on the other side of the White Nile.

Sudan is being ruled under a power-sharing deal between the military and civilians following the overthrow of president Al-Bashir in April 2019.

Transitional authorities have said that they had previously foiled or detected coup attempts linked to factions loyal to Al-Bashir.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


He promised a new electoral code to hold lawmakers more accountable to constituents, and transitional arrangements to run the country before he names a new prime minister

Tunisia's president has announced plans to draft a new electoral code and appoint a transitional leadership - and to hang on to the exceptional powers that he seized in July.

In a speech Monday night, President Kais Saied promised that the new initiatives would respect Tunisians' hard-fought rights and freedoms and democratic constitution.

Saied spoke to supporters in the impoverished town of Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the Arab Spring.

In July 25 decision, Saied suspended parliament, fired the prime minister and seized executive powers, which he said was needed to save the country amid unrest over financial troubles and the government's handling of Tunisia's coronavirus crisis.

He invoked a special constitutional article allowing such measures in the event of imminent danger to the nation, and said they would be in place for 30 days. But they have been extended until further notice.

``Danger still hangs over the country and I cannot leave it like a puppet in the hands of those who act in the shadows, and of corrupt people,'' Saied said Monday. He accused unidentified players of ``conspiring to cause chaos and confusion'' in Tunisia, and said, ``There is no question of going back.''

He promised a new electoral code to hold lawmakers more accountable to constituents, and transitional arrangements to run the country before he names a new prime minister.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The move came after the speaker of the legislature ratified an elections law earlier this month

Libya's eastern-based parliament on Tuesday passed a no-confidence vote in the country's unity government.

Eighty-nine of the 113 MPs present in the eastern city of Tobruk voted to withdraw confidence from the Tripoli-based administration of interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, three months ahead of planned elections, a spokesman said.

The move came after the speaker of the legislature ratified an elections law earlier this month

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


There were no plans for a multilateral meeting between Iran and world powers on the sidelines of the General Assembly, foreign ministry spokesman said

Nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers should resume in the coming weeks, the country's foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday on a visit to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Talks began in Vienna in April aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers -- an accord left hanging by a thread after former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and ramped up sanctions.

The discussions, which involve the remaining parties seeking to persuade Washington to rejoin the deal and Iran to return to its nuclear commitments, have been stalled since June, when ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was elected as Iran's president.

"The Vienna talks will resume soon, in the coming weeks," foreign ministry spokesman Said Khatibzadeh said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

Khatibzadeh said there were no plans for a multilateral meeting between Iran and the remaining parties -- China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK -- on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

But the "nuclear agreement and Vienna talks will be one of the main topics for bilateral meetings with the EU's head of diplomacy" Josep Borrell and foreign ministers of parties to the agreement, he added.

He did not specify which nations' top diplomats the Iranian delegation would meet with, noting that "not all" relevant foreign ministers were currently in New York.

The 2015 nuclear agreement offered Iran a reduction of UN sanctions in return for strict limits on its nuclear programme, but Tehran has progressively stepped away from its commitments in the wake of Trump's withdrawal and imposition of sanctions.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has signalled a willingness to return to the deal, which was negotiated when he was Barack Obama's vice-president and under Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani.

Hopes of a revitalised deal were kept alive earlier this month by Iran agreeing with the UN nuclear agency on a new compromise regarding surveillance of its nuclear sites.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said at the time that move would provide "time" for "diplomacy".

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Erdogan told the UN General Assembly that Turkey intends to complete the ratification process in time for the November UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

The Turkish government next month will submit the Paris Agreement on climate change for ratification to parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

Turkey in April 2016 signed the landmark agreement, which aims to limit dangerous emissions scientists blame on global warming and increasingly violent and more frequent weather events such as floods, drought and storms.

But it has yet to formally ratify the accord by a vote in parliament, where Erdogan's ruling coalition commands a majority of seats.

Erdogan told the UN General Assembly that Turkey intends to complete the ratification process in time for the November UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

"I would like to announce to the whole world here from the United Nations General Assembly the decision we have taken following the progress made within the framework of the agreement. We plan to submit the Paris Climate Agreement for approval to our parliament next month," Erdogan said.

"Before the United Nations climate change conference, which will be held in Glasgow, we envisage the ratification phase of the carbon-neutral targeted agreement," he said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Morocco's state prosecutor announced an investigation after a regional councillor died in hospital Tuesday, adding suicide was the most likely cause of death.

Abdelouahab Belfqih died at Guelmim hospital "after sustaining a gunshot wound at his home", the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

A gun was found next to him, the statement added.

Belfqih was elected as a local candidate for the liberal Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in regional elections on September 8, and put himself forward to head the regional council of Guelmim-Oued Noun.

But his party withdrew his candidacy for that post due to a pact with two other parties.

The preliminary investigation is "focusing on the theory of suicide of the deceased by the aforementioned gun, which has been impounded for examination," the statement said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Trudeau called the snap polls last month, hoping to parlay a smooth Covid-19 vaccine rollout -- among the best in the world -- into a new mandate to steer the nation's pandemic exit

Canadians returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power in hotly contested elections against a rookie conservative leader, but he failed to gain an absolute majority, according to preliminary results early Tuesday.

Trudeau called the snap polls last month, hoping to parlay a smooth Covid-19 vaccine rollout -- among the best in the world -- into a new mandate to steer the nation's pandemic exit and pass his agenda without opposition support.

But after a bumpy five weeks of campaigning, he appeared set for a repeat of the close 2019 general election, which resulted in the one-time golden boy of Canadian politics clinging to power yet weakened after losing his majority in parliament.

"You (Canadians) are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic into the brighter days ahead," Trudeau said, flanked by his wife Sophie Gregoire and their children on stage at a victory gala.

"That's exactly what we are ready to do," he said.

The Liberals had won or were leading in 158 seats, far short of the 170 needed for a majority, while the opposition Conservatives were heading for 119, according to preliminary results from Elections Canada, with the new parliament set to look little different to the outgoing one.

While thanking his supporters, Trudeau vowed to work for all Canadians.

"Because no matter how you voted ... I hear you, I hear you when you say we can only move forward if no one is left behind," he said.

At 49, Trudeau had faced tougher political bouts and still came out unscathed.

After six years in power, however, his administration is showing signs of fatigue, and it was an uphill battle for him to convince Canadians to stick with his Liberals after falling short of high expectations set in his 2015 landslide win.

'Deeper divisions'

Entering the final stretch of the contest, Liberals and Conservatives -- the two main political parties that have ruled Canada since its 1867 confederation -- were virtually tied, with about 31 percent support each in public opinion polls, and four smaller factions nipping at their heels.

Pollster Tim Powers predicted a Liberal minority win.

"But is that a win for him?" he said, noting that Trudeau had hoped for more than just a plurality of seats.

"In the end, this election was ultimately for nothing," University of Winnipeg politics professor Felix Mathieu told AFP, pointing to the projected seat count for each party as being similar to the split in the last parliament, with most incumbents re-elected.

In a concession speech, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, 48, recalled Trudeau having pulled the plug on the last minority parliament he said was "unworkable."

"But tonight Canadians did not give Mr Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted," he said.

"In fact, Canadians sent him back with another minority at the cost of 600 million dollars (US$470 million) and deeper divisions in our great country."

Meanwhile, in Vancouver New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh congratulated Trudeau and vowed to keep fighting on climate change and a range of social issues.

"I want you to know our fight for you will continue," said Singh, whose party is looking at 25 seats.

'Anti-vaxxer mobs,' China 'counterstrikes'

The campaign saw the contenders spar over climate actions, indigenous reconciliation, affordable housing, mandatory Covid-19 inoculations and vaccine passports.

At rallies, Trudeau was dogged by what he described as "anti-vaxxer mobs," including one that threw stones at him.

O'Toole, meanwhile, was knocked for his backing of Alberta and two other Tory-led provinces' loosening of public health restrictions too soon, with Covid outbreaks now forcing their overwhelmed hospitals to fly patients across Canada for care.

He also fumbled over gun control and was warned by Beijing, according to Chinese state media, that his proposed hard line on China -- Canada's second-largest trading partner, with whom relations have soured over its detention of two Canadians -- would "invite counterstrikes."

Overall, commented Max Cameron, a politics professor at the University of British Columbia, "this hasn't been a polarizing election. There's actually a lot of clustering around the middle."

O'Toole, a relative unknown who became Tory leader only last year, had tracked his party to the political center, forcing the Liberals to compete for votes on the left with the New Democrats and Greens, as well as the separatist Bloc Quebecois.

The Conservatives, however, also saw their support clawed by former foreign minister Maxime Bernier's far-right People's Party.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Biden declared himself to be the first US president in 20 years not to be running a war after his controversial pullout of troops from Afghanistan, where the Taliban swiftly took over

President Joe Biden told the world Tuesday the United States is not seeking a new Cold War with China as he vowed to pivot from post-9/11 conflicts and take a global leadership role on crises from climate to Covid.

Addressing the UN General Assembly for the first time as president, Biden promised to work to advance democracy and alliances, despite friction with Europe over France's loss of a mega-contract.

The Biden administration has identified a rising and authoritarian China as the paramount challenge of the 21st century, but in his United Nations debut he made clear he was not trying to sow divisions.

"We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs," Biden said.

"The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to share challenges even if we have intense disagreement in other areas."

Biden did not mention China by name, other than voicing alarm about human rights in Xinjiang, where experts say more than one million people from the Uyghur and other mostly Muslim populations are incarcerated.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to address the General Assembly later Tuesday but by video in light of Covid-19 precautions.

Biden declared himself to be the first US president in 20 years not to be running a war after his controversial pullout of troops from Afghanistan, where the Taliban swiftly took over.

Instead, America is "opening a new era of relentless diplomacy" in which military power must be the "tool of last resort."

"The mission must be clear and achievable, undertaken with informed consent of the American people and whenever possible in partnership with our allies," Biden said from the UN rostrum where previous US presidents, notably including George W. Bush, have pushed for military action.

- 'Recipe for trouble' -

Opening the General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of growing divisions between the United States and China and urged dialogue.

"I fear our world is creeping towards two different sets of economic, trade, financial and technology rules, two divergent approaches in the development of artificial intelligence -- and ultimately two different military and geopolitical strategies," Guterres said.

"This is a recipe for trouble. It would be far less predictable than the Cold War."

The UN General Assembly is meeting in person for the first time in two years but at limited capacity and with pandemic precautions.

The measures include replacing the microphone after each speaker -- likely welcome news for the 78-year-old Biden who spoke after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who defied guidance only to attend if vaccinated.

Biden has called a virtual summit on Wednesday on defeating the pandemic and teased that he will announce "additional commitments."

"We seek to advance the fight against Covid-19 and hold ourselves accountable around specific targets on three key challenges: saving lives now, vaccinating the world, and building back better," Biden said.

He also said Washington would double financing on climate change -- a key element in reaching an ambitious new accord in November at a UN conference in Glasgow as temperatures and severe weather rise dangerously.

The United Nations says there is a $20 billion shortfall in the $100 billion fund that developed countries promised to mobilize annually from 2020-2025 for helping poorer nations adapt to climate change.

- Friction with Europe -

Biden will end a busy diplomatic week with an unprecedented four-way summit at the White House with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan -- the so-called "Quad" widely seen as a united front against China.

But Biden's efforts to shore up alliances have faced one sudden and strong hurdle: France.

Paris recalled its ambassador to Washington in fury after Australia canceled a multibillion-dollar contract for French conventional submarines in favor of US nuclear versions as part of a new alliance announced with Washington and London.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said he will not meet one-on-one in New York with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and has described Biden's diplomatic style as "brutality."

The White House appears confident it can calm the spat, with Biden set to speak by telephone to French President Emmanuel Macron, who is not attending UNGA due to Covid precautions.

But German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who openly rejoiced in Biden's defeat of Donald Trump, voiced solidarity with France and called the submarine decision "disappointing."

"I was never under any illusion that we wouldn't have problems with the new American president," he told reporters.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


On Sunday, the authorities announced the reopening of museums in Tehran and the country's main cities, after being largely closed for more than a year due to the pandemic

Iran is considering the purchase of two million doses of the US-German Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, an official said Tuesday, as the country continues to battle the Middle East's deadliest outbreak.

"A contract is being drawn up with the Iranian foreign exchange office for the import within one to two months of two million doses of the Pfizer vaccine produced in Belgium," said senior health official Mohammad-Reza Shanehsaz.

"At present, six vaccines -- Sputnik, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Bharat, Pfizer produced in Belgium and Johnson & Johnson produced in Germany -- have been given the green light," he said, quoted by Fars news agency.

The authorities have also approved for emergency use two domestically produced vaccines, including COViran Barekat, which is in short supply.

The Islamic republic has so far received more than 60 million coronavirus vaccine doses, including from China, according to media reports.

It has officially recorded more than 5.4 million Covid-19 cases and nearly 118,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

But in recent days the country's caseload has begun to decline after peaking in August during a "fifth wave" driven by the Delta variant.

Health authorities acknowledge the official figures underestimate the country's real toll.

More than 30 million people have received a first vaccine dose and 14.1 million people have been fully inoculated in Iran, a country of about 83 million.

On Sunday, the authorities announced the reopening of museums in Tehran and the country's main cities, after being largely closed for more than a year due to the pandemic.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from the group "requesting to participate" in the high-level debate, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said

The Taliban have asked to address world leaders at this week's United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from the group "requesting to participate" in the high-level debate, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told AFP.

The letter was dated Monday September 20, the day before the session got underway.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The conference discussed several topics including the coverage of science in times of crisis, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the press and media with regard to fake news and news verification

The second international conference of the Media and Science Project, entitled Science Meets Journalism  Media and Science in Turbulent Times, was held on 18 and 19 September at the premises of the Goethe Institute in Dokki, Giza.

This year's conference discussed a range of important topics, such as the coverage of science in times of crisis, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the press and media with regard to fake news and news verification, water scarcity in the region, and how TV dramas and films deal with scientific topics.

The regional director of the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and North Africa Susanne Hohn expressed her happiness with the successful organising of the international conference despite the many difficulties related to travel restrictions.

Hohn also stressed that Science Journalism builds bridges of communication between the media and scientific community to discuss important topics from which the public can benefit. Furthermore, she said, there is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic represented a major shift in the interest in scientific journalism.

"We are pleased to organise this year's conference, with the participation of media experts and academics as well as the pioneers of initiatives. For four years, we have been supporting scientific journalism by offering workshops and training programmes, until we could create a network of more than 100 journalists in the whole region. Now, they are qualified to write about, and research, scientific topics. However, there is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has given this topic a new dimension, so that science journalism has finally received the attention it has long deserved," Hohn said.

At the conclusion of the inaugural session, Director of the Cultural Programmes Department at the Cairo Goethe Institute and Regional Officer Anne Eberhard handed out the prizes to the winners of the science journalism competition organised by the Institute. One hundred journalists had applied in the competition from different countries in the region. The winners are Engy El-Toukhi and Samar Ashraf from Egypt, Bassam El-Qadi from Yemen, and Osman Abdel-Halim from Sudan.

The opening speech was given by Hashem El-Ghaili, science communicator and film director. His Facebook page, which aims to simplify and explain the sciences, is followed by more than 33 million people around the world, and has garnered more than 17 billion views. He won many awards in the field of science video production. El-Ghaili, a Yemeni national, obtained a master's degree in molecular biotechnology from Jacobs University in Germany, where he currently resides.

Since 2017, the project Media and Science, previously named Scientific Storytelling, aims at exploring the relationship between scientific research and journalism, in order to help ensure that scientific achievements are understood by broader audiences as well as to encourage civic engagement. Therefore, the Goethe Institute is organising regional trainings and workshops for both print and media journalists and science communicators alike.

Additionally, the institute published on its website an online training manual on science journalism for those who want to write about scientific topics.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 (COS 2018), launched on 9 February that year, marked a turning point in the war against terrorism. Two weeks later, on 25 February, the government launched another comprehensive project  Edict 107/2018  establishing a national committee for the development of Sinai. According to the decree, LE600 billion was earmarked for the implementation of 994 development projects, most of which have already been completed or are nearing completion. As many them are infrastructural and economic projects with a national dimension, they have not only altered the face of Sinai but also linked the peninsula closer to the Nile Valley. Other projects targeted education, healthcare, social services, as well as job creation and fostering small to mid-size income generating enterprises. These projects struck a balance between the character of Sinai society and culture and the general composition of Egyptian society.



In many ways, the linkage between these two comprehensive operations defines the governments approach to addressing the threats that plagued Sinai for decades. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has summed up this outlook: Sinai development equals national security. With its two-pronged approach to the domestic situation, Egypt vastly developed its security capacities and resources and, simultaneously, it has generated a new socioeconomic environment in Sinai, one that has become a powerful bulwark in the states successful siege against terrorism. This was due to the unprecedented level of support the government has given Sinai and its people, which had long been marginalised in national development efforts in the years since Egypt regained full control over the peninsula.



While in other regional conflict zones afflicted by terrorism, reconstruction projects are discussed after the fighting stopped, in Egypt, Sinai development drive has proceeded in tandem with counterterrorist operations. No sooner was an area cleared of terrorist elements than it became the focus of a development project, starting with laying the roads, electricity grids, water and sanitation, and other such infrastructural groundwork, then proceeding to the establishment of essential public services, and to income-generating and other economic projects.



The government has had to contend with a huge challenge in Sinai, with Rafah a case in point.



For nearly a quarter of a century, from the beginning of the 1980s to the turn of the millennium, a narrow strip (about 14km wide) along the border between Egypt and Gaza was constantly vulnerable to diverse threats. Like many of the long-standing problems that the country has grappled with since the 30 June 2013 Revolution, the government broached this one head-on because of the direct threat it presented to national security.



Several chief factors informed this approach. First, the government began to implement a strategic vision for the post-30 June 2013 phase focused on rehabilitating the state which was just recovering from a violent shock to its foundations. Second, the threat had grown too large and entrenched, in large measure because previous governments had tolerated its existence for reasons having to do with relations with Palestine and an unwillingness to augment the pressures on the Palestinians in Gaza despite Hamas attitudes toward Egypt and its approach to the border situation. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the threat from that direction had become too acute against the backdrop of the unprecedented escalation in the terrorist phenomenon in the region as epitomised by the Islamic States (IS) invasion and occupation of tracts of land spanning the Syrian-Iraqi border. Fourth, the chronic problem along Egypts eastern border had begun to evolve into a larger terrorist ecosystem following the collapse of the Libyan state, the security breakdown there, the unprecedented spread of arms and terrorist smuggling operations and the proliferation of organised crime. All of this reached a peak with the arrival of ISIS in Libya where it established a foothold in Derna and the arrival of the Al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Murabitoun. These soon set their sights on Egypt and began to provide weapons, personnel and other support to their organisational and ideological extensions in Sinai.



In the period following the return of the rest of Sinai to Egypt, as part of the EgyptIsrael peace treaty, the Camp David security protocols with Israel called for the creation and deployment of a border patrol force. But that was a monitoring force of limited size, so it did not have the ability or the equipment and knowhow to handle certain type of threats, such as the border tunnels between Gaza and Sinai. Eventually, Israel, which still occupied Gaza directly at the time, targeted the military infrastructure of the Palestinian factions, razing entire areas from Tel Al-Sultan and Hayy Al-Brazil to Hayy Al-Salam in Rafah.



After Hamas seized control of Gaza in the summer of 2007, it became obvious that Israel was trying to push the border crisis onto Egypts shoulders. Cairo, for its part, faced a double dilemma. On the one hand, it wanted to help Palestinians resolve the Fatah-Hamas rift which jeopardised the Palestinian case. On the other, it wanted to handle the tunnel situation in a manner that did not hamper relations with the Palestinians. Perhaps, at the time it did not fully appreciate the magnitude or the ramifications of the threat the tunnels posed to national security. However, it did have a wakeup call in mid-2008 when tens of thousands of Palestinians stormed the border and crossed into Egypt. Egypt did not attempt to intercept these people, but it focused on how to tighten border security, a task that acquired even greater importance in light of the sudden flare-up in Gaza, in August 2009, between Hamas and more the radical organisations opposed to it. At that point, Cairo began to suspect that Hamas planned to drive the jihadist groups from Gaza into Sinai, pushing that threat onto Egypt as well.



Egypts first major operation for stepping up border security involved the construction of a 10km long and 30cm wide steel border wall extending 20 to 30 metres underground. The facility was fitted out with surveillance equipment and other security devices. However, it turned out that Hamas had both the expertise and the machinery to construct tunnels that were both deeper and longer than their predecessors.



Before long, the problem would worsen against the backdrop of the security breakdown that spread to Sinai following the 25 January 2011 revolution. That was when the Salafi jihadist organisations began to surface and proliferate in Sinai and to make contact with their Palestinian counterparts in Gaza. At that point, what the Palestinians had called Gazas lung in Sinai  the potential repercussions of which Egypt had long overlooked because of the Israeli blockade of Gaza  had suddenly become a lung for terrorist networks on both sides of the border. It would also become a conduit of support for Hamas, especially once the Muslim Brotherhood came to power in 2012. There is considerable evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood regime gave Hamas the cover to use the tunnels after the Armed Forces accelerated operations to secure the borders above ground. This helps account for the sniper assaults, abductions and other attacks against Egyptian military personnel in the vicinity. Still fresh in Egyptians memory is the odd remark by then President Mohamed Morsi about the safety of the abductees and abductors in response to the kidnapping of a group of soldiers in June 2013.



The Egyptian-Gaza border strip was literally a gold mine with tunnel entrances housed in the basements of more than 3,000 homes. Despite the operations to shut them down, it is still possible to discover some tunnels. It has been estimated that $17 billion had been spent on securing the tunnels which reaped an average of $4 billion and profits from the tunnel commerce; by up to $2 billion according to some calculations. That is the income of the Suez Canal, one of Egypts most important sources of foreign currency revenues. As to where all that money went, one can only speculate, though it was clear that the Egyptian economy sustained inestimable damage as a result. Suffice it to say that it was suspected at the time that most of the gas, diesel, butane and other fuels and other goods subsided by the Egyptian government were being smuggled through the tunnels.



After the Libyan revolution, the arms smuggling through the tunnels from 2011 to mid-2013 skyrocketed. The security breakdown in Libya cracked open the largest weapons arsenal in the world, and at a time of the biggest ever boom in regional and local markets for smuggled weapons. Once the weapons made their way through their smuggling routes into Sinai, advertisements for them could be found on social networking platforms. The thirst for them was almost insatiable at that time of security flux and unrest.



Another very visible sign of the lawless situation was the array of informal money exchange brokers ready to greet Palestinians at the border. It was probably one of the most public black markets for hard currency history has ever seen.



A quick glance at the terrorist map of the region at the time shows that, for the most part, terrorist organisations moved to seize control of oil fields and installations in Syria, Iraq and Libya and plunder antiquities where they could find them, which they used to generate income through black market activities. Unlike in those countries, ISIS and its sister organisations never managed to hold territory in Sinai to serve as a base for their expansion. Most of the operatives in the terrorist organisations in Sinai came from abroad. While they did not find such ready-to-hand resources as oilfields and antiquities, they quickly realised they could make a profit by collaborating and splitting the proceeds with the tunnel merchants and arms smugglers.



Security authorities in Egypt tried to pressure Hamas into taking definitive action to stop the cross-border smuggling operations. At the same time, they launched major counterterrorist drives, such as Martyrs Right, which also sought to stem the flow of terrorist operatives from Gaza into Sinai from the Egyptian end. The authorities adopted an early form of the two-pronged approach, albeit on a smaller scale, to the threat emanating from Gaza. It entailed reopening the border crossings with Gaza to allow the passage of civilians and goods. Apart from the humanitarian purpose, the step was meant to convey the message that Egypt would not tolerate the continuation of the underground transit. Egypt also began to deliver large supplies of consumer goods and construction materials that used to be smuggled into Sinai through the tunnels. The effort appeared to pay off, because at one stage Hamas begun to organise security patrols along the Palestinian side of the border in Rafah. Hamas may not have been committed to fully halting the tunnel activity, but its actions earned it the enmity of the jihadist groups in the Gaza. A gruesome video posted by terrorist groups in Sinai shows an Islamic State mufti in Gaza beheading a Palestinian fighter who had been charged with communicating with Hamas. It is likely that Hamas relaxed its vigilance at the border afterwards.



Egyptian authorities understood that there were limits to how much they could depend on security coordination with Hamas. Above ground level, it was possible to monitor Hamass commitment. Below the ground was another matter. The Islamist movements militia structures were too bound up in militia networks and the tunnel work. There was a whole army of workers and traders with vested interests in the tunnel activities. In Gaza, an estimated 70,000 strong workforce was in the employ of Hamas official agency responsible for tunnel operations. Some estimate that an equal number of people were involved in the activities on the Egyptian side. Egyptian-Hamas cooperation would have jeopardised all that.



Indeed, there is reason to presume that Cairo was keen not to entirely close the lung that Palestinians needed in order to breathe. Rather, it wanted to control the movement to make breathing normal. Cairo had to contend with the challenge presented by a jungle of random urban growth along the borders, together with all the social and economic problems that come with informal urban developments. All this made for too volatile a tinderbox against the backdrop of domestic economic straits and the precarious regional situation at the time.



To aggravate the situation, some social networking sites and other platforms, mostly affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, were circulating rumours indicating that Egypt, Israel and the US had conspired to strike a secret agreement to shift the Egyptian borders in Sinai inward, thereby ceding territory to Gaza as part of a solution to the Palestinian-Israel conflict. Cairo naturally protested the slur campaign which coincided with the start of another drive to close the tunnels spearheaded by the Armed Forces engineering corps and requiring the evacuation of that slum-filled border strip in which some buildings were practically within arms reach of the Palestinian side of Rafah. Initially, it was thought that only a very narrow strip next to the border would be affected. However, authorities then unearthed a tunnel extending three kilometres into Egyptian territories. This was no rudimentary earthwork. It had three outlets into three different homes, one for smuggling people, a second for black market goods, and the third for arms trafficking. Other tunnels also came to light, some entirely sheathed in concrete.



All this motivated a project to redesign Rafah. The old, random quarters were evacuated in the framework of a carefully conceived plan based around humanitarian considerations. Well before beginning the evacuation process, the government initiated an awareness campaign, explaining the reasons why this step was necessary. After conducting a survey of the households that would be affected, the government used several media to explain the steps involved in the evacuation process, and the support roles that local authorities would play in this regard. Despite such efforts, certain groups initiated a smear campaign, accusing the government of carrying out a scheme of forced migration and population transfer. Such allegations were entirely without foundation, even in theory. The operation was in line with Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which states that an operation to move a population should serve to benefit that population, above all by removing them from the dangers of armed conflict. Although there was no armed conflict, in the strictest sense, there was a fight in progress: against terrorism, organised crime and systematic border breaches. Effectively, the people were at risk.



Even before the planning phase for New Rafah, the government announced the compensation scheme which entailed an LE1 billion allocation to the construction of new residential housing. In practice, the process covered much more, including compensation for farmland in the borders strip that had to be evacuated. More than LE3.5 billion has already been disbursed as compensation according to a report by the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR). Other payouts have yet to be made. Some of these cover damages that some households endured during the evacuation process. Others are dedicated to the families of victims of terrorist attacks who lost a loved one or where a family member was injured. Terrorists had often commandeered peoples homes and expelled them, then mined the area surrounding the buildings to prevent security forces from approaching.



Destroying the tunnel infrastructure necessitated destroying around 4,000 homes. Because of the unplanned nature in which the buildings and neighbourhoods had emerged and then sprawled, the government could not simply rebuild them and recreate the same anarchy. What was needed was to start from scratch with an entirely new concept for a community inspired by the need to offer its inhabitants a dignified life and all the means to meet the multidimensional facets of comprehensive human development. The result was New Rafah, located within the administrative boundaries of the city of Rafah, but some kilometres away from the old quarter.



The resettlement process had to be as carefully planned and systematically implemented as the compensations. Representatives of Sinai civil society and local community leaders were brought in to help with the process. As is the case elsewhere in Egypt, many of the inhabitants did not originally own their properties, but rented them on various terms. They, too, would be given new accommodation with rents set at affordable levels in accordance with a plan devised by the municipality. Each case was handled individually, using the surveys and information gathering processes that were carried out before the inhabitants were evacuated from the border strip. According to the local authorities, the compensation system for the evacuees uses the same framework. The work is still in progress, but soon many will be able to return to New Rafah.



According to the governor of North Sinai, 628 apartment blocks are being constructed in New Rafah, offering a total of around 10,000 flats. The project also includes 409 Bedouin style houses. Like other model development projects in Egypt, plots of land will be available to young adults within the framework of the urban expansion plan for the city. In old Rafah some 50,000 m3 of drinking water had to be brought into the city using rudimentary transport that may have rendered the water unsafe for human consumption. New Rafah has been equipped with two water purification plants each with a capacity of 11,000 m3.



Construction is proceeding rapidly. The first phase of the city has been completed and construction began on the second phase. There is no comparison between the new Rafah and the old. The modern architecture, the green spaces, the large sporting clubs, the new schools  in short, everything is light years away from the cramped and unsustainable anarchy of old Rafah. According to official figures, the project extends over 535 acres and costs LE1,380 billion. As one observes the sparkling new city, one is struck by its resemblance to the latest urban development project in the capital. This is significant, as it manifests a national development approach that pays as much attention to the peripheries as to the centre.



The new city also stands for something else. Rafah was once an area that had presented a compound threat to Egyptian national security for decades. The government has observed all legal and humanitarian standards at all stages, from the necessary evacuation and temporary relocation processes through the administration of compensation and the resettlement processes. This is not to suggest that these efforts have been trouble free. But when problems arose they were dealt with in inclusive and innovative ways that brought on board local authorities, members of parliament and representatives of civil society.



New Rafah stands as a monument to the post- 30 June 2013 governments success in turning around a situation that had once favoured groups and networks whose interests were vested in an ecosystem operating outside of the law and set on moving a chunk of territory beyond the control of the state. The situation there today now favours conditions for growth, modern development, and a dignified life.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 25 March, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


In an effort to urge citizens to get vaccinated and help them register for the vaccine, a 10-day campaign was recently launched by the Ministry of Health. The mobile campaign, which tours the various governorates on buses, is an effort to expand the number of vaccinated people. So far more than 17,300 citizens have registered during the campaign to get the vaccine, said Khaled Megahed, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health.

According to the latest statistics issued by the Ministry of Health, 8.2 per cent of the population have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 4.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Egypt continues to receive more vaccine doses. On 19 September, 546,400 doses of AstraZeneca were donated by the French government via COVAX. The shipment will be distributed to 781 vaccination centres across the country. In addition, 1,600,000 doses of Pfizer will arrive in the coming few days.

Moreover, according to Minister of Health Hala Zayed, Egypt has already manufactured five million doses of Sinovac, 2.5 million of which will be released this week. Starting November, the new VACSERA plant will be producing 300,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine daily, confirmed Zayed.

Zayed noted that Egypts total doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had reached 17 million, using AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sputnik, and Pfizer. In addition, five million doses of Sinopharm will be arriving by the end of this month.

According to Megahed, UNICEF via COVAX has sent to Egypt 20 refrigerators, part of a total of 63 refrigerators, to store Pfizer which needs to be stored at -15 to -25C.

The government is also ensuring that various sectors are vaccinated. University faculty and students are among those targeted. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said there were 290 vaccination centres in 60 universities. He said around 300,000 dozes were provided to students, faculty members, their assistants and workers.

Similarly, vaccination is at full throttle in the tourism sector. Adel Al-Masri, head of the Chamber of Tourist Establishments, said that 60 per cent of restaurants and tourist shops workers in several governorates have been vaccinated. One hundred per cent of all workers in Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh have already been vaccinated, Al-Masri said.

He stressed the importance of vaccinating all tourism workers against Covid-19, while touristic facilities and restaurants continue with their commitment to apply all precautionary measures, as this will contribute to increasing the turnout of customers.

A statement issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) encouraged the countries who have the vaccines to increase their support to other countries in an act of solidarity since no one is safe until everyone is safe. Our global target as WHO is to support every country to vaccinate at least 40 per cent of its population by the end of this year, and 70 per cent of the worlds population by the middle of next year, the statement said.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The new strategic partnership of the US, Australia, and Britain in the Indo-Pacific region will be seen as a consolidation of Anglo-Saxon cooperation rather than a multilateral effort by the Western alliance, writes Hussein Haridy

On 12 March, newly elected US President Joe Biden hosted his first international summit meeting, held virtually, that brought together the prime ministers of Japan, India and Australia in the so-called Quad grouping. Statements by the four leaders said the main objective was to keep the Indo-Pacific region open and free and to defend the rules-based international order.

The virtual Quad Summit was a diplomatic success for the Biden administration in its global strategy of competing with China. US officials have since often talked about Chinese coercion and threats in the South China Sea as well as against Taiwan.

The global strategy of the US administration is centred around the containment of a rising China. Of course, the White House speaks of a competition and the need to engage China, but there is no doubt that the ultimate objective of this strategy is to contain China and build a network of alliances that will turn the Indo-Pacific region into an anti-China space regardless of pronouncements otherwise.

That became clearer last Wednesday when Biden hosted, again in a virtual summit meeting from the White House, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The three leaders announced the creation of a new strategic partnership called AUKUS made up of Australia, the UK and the US.

According to a statement released on 15 September, the three countries are resolved to deepen diplomatic, security and defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including by working with partners, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It went on to say that in order to achieve this goal, the three countries had agreed to establish AUKUS.

In his opening remarks at the summit meeting, Biden stressed that AUKUS aimed at deepening and formalising security and defence cooperation among the three countries that believe it is imperative to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long-term.

He added that there is a need to address the current strategic environment in the region and how it may evolve. In the meantime, he emphasised that Washington in launching AUKUS was linking its allies and partners around the world in new ways and amplifying their joint capabilities to collaborate, recognising that there is no regional divide separating the interests of the Atlantic and Pacific partners. This remains to be seen.

One of the concrete programmes announced by the three leaders was the construction of nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines for Australia. This programme led to the cancellation by the Australian government of a lucrative deal with France to build 12 ultra-modern conventional submarines for the Australian Navy worth 30 billion Euros. The French had earlier called this the deal of the century as far as they were concerned.

Its cancellation caused anger and consternation in Paris. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian called the decision to cancel the deal a stab in the back. In order to show how deep this anger was in France, the French government recalled its ambassadors in Washington and Canberra for consultation.

The prevailing impression in Paris is that the US has preferred to work with its Anglo-Saxon allies rather than with Europeans. What is more serious from an American standpoint is the belief in France, reaffirmed by the creation of AUKUS, that joining the West and the US in efforts to secure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific should not be directed against China and that any US-Chinese confrontation should not become a Chinese-European one.

This position by France is shared by other members of the NATO alliance and to varying degrees by London. Europe has a strategic interest in not transforming the Indo-Pacific into a new strategic divide with military dimensions and into a possible future battlefield between the West and China. The US should take this into account, particularly after its recent debacle in withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan.

It is interesting to note that despite the growing doubts among NATO members about the credibility of the US when it comes to close coordination and consultations with its allies and partners, in announcing the formation of AUKUS Biden still reiterated that Washington will continue to work with ASEAN and the Quad, our five treaty allies and other close partners in the Indo-Pacific, as well as allies and partners in Europe and the world, to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Underestimating the depth of the disappointment in France, he spoke of the role of France by saying that France, in particular, already has a substantial Indo-Pacific presence and is a key partner and ally in strengthening the security and prosperity of the region.

Unlike the containment of the former Soviet Union, a successful US strategy in the Cold War in maintaining the cohesion and coherence of the Western alliance against it, the new US attempts at recreating a containment-inspired network of alliances to contain the emergence of China as a rival superpower needs further strengthening, taking into account the interests of all the US allies and partners and not only US interests.

AUKUS will be seen as a consolidation of Anglo-Saxon strategic cooperation rather than a multilateral effort by the Western alliance to meet the challenges to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. As a result, the French concept of the strategic autonomy of Europe will gain wider support and a certain credibility.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


In its Human Development Report (HDR) for Egypt in 2021, issued last week, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reviews what can objectively be described as a success story of which the Egyptian people can reasonably be proud.

In barely seven years, the state has managed to tackle many extremely difficult challenges simultaneously, both domestic and regional, combined with keeping at bay the threat of extremism and terrorist groups, all the while focusing on improving living conditions for the majority of Egyptians.

While attending the launch of the report, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi reiterated his deep belief that any successes the government achieved would not have been possible without the understanding and endurance of the Egyptian people, who withstood the harsh effects of an ambitious economic reform plan, knowing that it would bear fruit in the near future, and provide a better life.

The UNDP report is the 12th to be issued on Egypt since 1994 and the first in 10 years. The UNDP introduced the report in 1990 to define and measure development and to rank countries based on their Human Development Index (HDI), which ranks education, health and income.

Issuing the report this year is another indication of the keenness of the Egyptian government to be transparent in listing both successes and challenges. This will certainly help to provide a clear picture for all outside investors whom Egypt is looking forward to attracting.

Egypts 2021 report highlights human development between 2011 and 2020, stressing the key philosophy behind the measures that President Al-Sisi took to achieve development in many sectors: Egyptians must be at the centre of the development process, providing them with a better life that respects their human dignity.

The report renews and confirms Egypts commitment to a development approach that puts people at the centre of the development processes as the principal driver of and the primary stakeholder in its outcomes, said Randa Abul-Hosn, UNDP resident representative in Egypt during the launch last week.

For her part, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Said, stressed that the national sustainable development strategy, Egypts Vision 2030, aims primarily at improving the quality of life for the Egyptian citizen, out of a steadfast belief that human beings are the main actors in achieving development, and ultimately the desired goal.

Accordingly, Egypt increased investments in its human capital, undertaking serious reforms, and implemented major development projects and initiatives in the sectors of education, health, housing and utilities to provide adequate housing and a decent life for all Egyptians, while paying the utmost attention to politically, economically and socially empowering women and the young, within a more general and comprehensive framework for guaranteeing human rights, foremost among which is the right to development.

Across the world, poverty has spiked, inequalities have widened due to Covid-19, and global human development is going backwards for the first time since 1990. Yet Egypt has managed to maintain positive economic growth, mostly due to the implementation of bold economic reforms, noted the UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, while congratulating Egypt on its achievements in key development areas.

Even though the government has taken social protection measures to ease the consequences of the economic reform programme, eventually the challenges the Egyptian state has been facing will continue to burden Egyptian society. President Al-Sisis motto for facing those challenges, especially while confronting terrorist groups active in Sinai as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, is to defeat terrorism with construction and development.

The state has worked on developing all key economic sectors in a comprehensive manner. The latest initiative on this front has involved developing the countryside with an estimated budget of LE 250 billion over three years. Through the Decent Life initiative, hayah karima in Arabic, infrastructure projects will be carried out in as many as 4,658 villages over three phases, improving the lives of at least 58 million Egyptians. Sisi launched the first phase of the initiative in mid-2021, and it is due to be completed by the end of the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Moreover, ambitious government projects have managed to raise the availability of sanitation services provided to the countryside from 12 to 38 per cent, affirming that during the next three years the country aims to provide sanitation services to the entire countryside.

In order to improve sanitation, and to save water, the government has also exerted tremendous efforts to line canals so that they can eliminate pollution and establish dual and triple sewage treatment plants. Between 2014 and 2024, the governments spending will exceed LE 600-700 billion to this end.

While praising the successes achieved on several fronts, highlighted by the UNDP report, President Al-Sisi asked those involved to include in their future reports challenges that Egypt and the region continue to face such as terrorism, illegal emigration and refugees in Egypt. Egypt hosts five-six million refugees who live among Egyptians as guests, mingling with the people and enjoying the same services the state provides to its citizens. Al-Sisi rightly noted that this number of refugees can be equal to the [population] of two or three countries, and therefore, the report should take this into consideration.

There are many challenges lying ahead, and the population growth rate at 2.6 per cent increases makes them more difficult. However, with the achievements of the past seven years, Egyptians can certainly be hopeful nonetheless.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Last Thursday, the Ministry of Environment launched its pioneering Eco Egypt campaign from Ras Mohamed in Sinai, a new campaign to promote nature reserves in Egypt, raise awareness of environmental issues and the importance of natural resources preservation, and promote responsible ecotourism.



The campaign was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Information and with the participation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the project to integrate biodiversity into Egyptian tourism funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).



The launch ceremony took place in the Ras Mohamed Reserve in the South Sinai governorate in the presence of Yasmine Fouad, minister of environment, Khaled El-Enany, minister of tourism and antiquities, Osama Heikal, minister of information, and Mohamed Manar Enaba, minister of civil aviation, in addition to 30 ambassadors and representatives of foreign embassies in Egypt and figures from the international media.

The campaign aims to promote protected areas and strengthen the ecotourism industry in Egypt, as well as to encourage citizens to visit nature reserves and learn about the different cultures that exist among the population in Egypt, including the heritage that distinguishes them and allows them to play a primary role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.Fouad said in her address at the ceremony that the campaign opened new horizons for sustainable ecotourism in Egypt, as one of the aims of the Ministry of Environments strategy in its first phase is to develop protected areas through developing the infrastructure and services provided to visitors at 13 nature reserves across Egypt, including the establishment of a visitor centre at the Ras Mohamed and Fayoum reserves.Members of the local community in both areas would be fully involved, she said, with these benefiting from sustainable job opportunities and raising the average income of the residents of the Fayoum and Wadi Al-Gemal reserves by some 126 per cent.Ras Mohamed is the oldest nature reserve in Egypt and is home to 220 species of coral and 1,000 species of fish, Fouad said. She added that the ministry had enjoyed the full support of the political leadership in its work to protect Egypts nature reserves, helping to develop and manage them according to the highest international standards. The idea was to preserve them while also maximising their economic, social and cultural development, she said, preserving Egypts biodiversity in a way that supports the environment and the economy by attracting more investment to the ecotourism sector. This already features many activities, including camping, diving, astronomy, and bird-watching.

Heikal said at the event that the project was a great opportunity to prove that tourism does not contradict environmental projects that can attract more tourists and benefit the economy and local communities. He added that the project was part of the governments determination to promote collective work and large-scale collaboration and that the state ministry of information was keen to cooperate with other ministries and organisations.We are working on simplifying the language of environmental topics in the media to reach all the people in order to create the needed awareness about environmental issues and sustainable development, he said.El-Enany said his ministry was cooperating with the ministry of environment in many areas to revitalise tourism, one of the pillars of the national economy, including in the decision of the environment ministry to reduce fees on individuals for trips to nature reserves in the South Sinai and Red Sea governorates by 50 per cent until March 2021, in addition to a 50 per cent reduction on daily cruise boats.He added that his ministry encouraged responsible and sustainable tourism aimed at preserving the environment.Fouad said that the Eco Egypt campaign was taking place within the framework of the Go Green presidential initiative to raise awareness about environmental issues. It provided an authentic model of sustainable development, she said, as it took into account the environmental, economic, social and health dimensions of ecotourism.

She added that ecotourism could help to revive the wider economy, especially in the light of the repercussions of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, by maximising the sustainable use of nature reserves and raising awareness of the importance of large-scale participation in their protection by integrating the local community in cooperation with youth, the private sector, and civil society.The campaign would last for three years, she said, targeting the promotion of ecotourism in Egypt through the establishment of a website and a number of social-media platforms. There would also be publications to showcase Egypts rich natural resources, including stunning landscapes and many species of animals, birds, and rare plants.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 1 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 191Spanish flu pandemic did  approximately 675,000.

The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given the incredible advances in scientific knowledge since then and the failure to take maximum advantage of the vaccines available this time.

Jack Kingsley R.N. attends to a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho on Aug. 31, 2021. [File photo: AP/Kyle Green]

Big pockets of American society  and, worse, their leaders  have thrown this away, medical historian Dr. Howard Markel of the University of Michigan said of the opportunity to vaccinate everyone eligible by now.

Like the Spanish flu, the coronavirus may never entirely disappear from our midst. Instead, scientists hope it becomes a mild seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccination and repeated infection. That could take time.

We hope it will be like getting a cold, but theres no guarantee, said Emory University biologist Rustom Antia, who suggests an optimistic scenario in which this could happen over a few years.

For now, the pandemic still has the United States and other parts of the world firmly in its jaws.

While the delta-fueled surge in infections may have peaked, U.S. deaths are running at over 1,900 a day on average, the highest level since early March, and the country's overall toll topped 675,000 Monday, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number is believed to be higher.

Winter may bring a new surge, with the University of Washington's influential model projecting an additional 100,000 or so Americans will die of COVID-19 by Jan. 1, which would bring the overall U.S. toll to 776,000.

The 191influenza pandemic killed 50 million victims globally at a time when the world had one-quarter the population it does now. Global deaths from COVID-19 now stand at more than 4.6 million.

The Spanish flu's U.S. death toll is a rough guess, given the incomplete records of the era and the poor scientific understanding of what caused the illness. The 675,000 figure comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ebbing of COVID-19 could happen if the virus progressively weakens as it mutates and more and more humans' immune systems learn to attack it. Vaccination and surviving infection are the main ways the immune system improves. Breast-fed infants also gain some immunity from their mothers.

Under that optimistic scenario, schoolchildren would get mild illness that trains their immune systems. As they grow up, the children would carry the immune response memory, so that when they are old and vulnerable, the coronavirus would be no more dangerous than cold viruses.

The same goes for today's vaccinated teens: Their immune systems would get stronger through the shots and mild infections.

We will all get infected, Antia predicted. Whats important is whether the infections are severe.

Something similar happened with the H1N1 flu virus, the culprit in the 191pandemic. It encountered too many people who were immune, and it also eventually weakened through mutation. H1N1 still circulates today, but immunity acquired through infection and vaccination has triumphed.

Getting an annual flu shot now protects against H1N1 and several other strains of flu. To be sure, flu kills between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans each year, but on average, it is a seasonal problem and a manageable one.

Before COVID-19, the 191flu was universally considered the worst pandemic disease in human history. Whether the current scourge ultimately proves deadlier is unclear.
In a major easing of pandemic travel restrictions, the U.S. said Monday it will allow foreigners to fly into the country this fall if they have vaccination proof and a negative COVID-19 test  changes replacing a hodgepodge of rules that had kept out many non-citizens and irritated allies in Europe and beyond where virus cases are lower.

U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then on to New York ahead of a United Nations General Assembly meeting. [Photo: AP/Andrew Harnik]

The changes, to take effect in November, will allow families and others who have been separated by the travel restrictions for 18 months to plan for long-awaited reunifications and allow foreigners with work permits to get back to their jobs in the U.S.

Airlines, business groups and travelers cheered  though they also called the step long overdue.

Its a happy day. Big Apple, here I come! said French entrepreneur Stephane Le Breton, 45, finally able to book a trip to New York City that had been put on hold over the virus restrictions.

The new policy will replace a patchwork of travel bans first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by President Joe Biden that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the new policies, which still will require all foreign travelers flying to the U.S. to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight. Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

The tougher rules for unvaccinated Americans come as the White House has moved to impose sweeping vaccination-or-testing requirements affecting as many as 100 million people in an effort to encourage holdouts to get shots.

Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zients said.

There will be no immediate change to U.S. land border policies, which restrict much cross-border travel with Mexico and Canada.

The travel bans had become the source of growing geopolitical frustration, particularly among allies in the UK and EU. The easing comes ahead of Biden meeting with some European leaders on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so its a stronger system," Zients said.

The EU and UK had previously moved to allow vaccinated U.S. travelers in without quarantines, in an effort to boost business and tourism. But the EU recommended last month that some travel restrictions be reimposed on U.S. travelers to the bloc because of the rampant spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate tracing, Zients said.

It was not immediately clear which vaccines would be acceptable under the U.S. system and whether those unapproved in the U.S. could be used. Zients said that decision would be up to the CDC.

Monday's announcement was met with applause by the air travel industry, which has lost significant revenue from declines in international travel.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said, "Science tells us that vaccinations coupled with testing is the safest way to re-open travel, and we are optimistic this important decision will allow for the continued economic recovery both in the U.S. and abroad and the reunification of families who have been separated for more than 18 months.
Voice of Asian Americans finds new home in Shanghai after donation

By:Zhao Chunyuan | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-18 19:04

Asian Week, known as the "Voice of Asian Americans", is the first nationwide mainstream weekly published in English in the United States introducing the life of Asian Americans. In recent American history, it has contributed greatly to the promotion of the image and social recognition of Asians. Today, more than 1,500 issues of Asian Week have found their new home in the Shanghai Library. On September 17, an online donation ceremony for Asian Week (by the Fang family, American expatriates from San Francisco) was held in the Shanghai Library.

The donation was witnessed by more than ten leaders and guests via video link in Shanghai and San Francisco, including Ms. Fang Li Bangqin, a famous American expatriate leader and owner of Asian Week; Chen Chao, director of the Shanghai Library; Wang Donghua, Chinese consul general in San Francisco; Bei Zhaojian, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government; Ms. Yu Huiwen, one of the founders of the Charity Foundation and Mark Chandler, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the San Francisco Municipal Government.





At the online donation ceremony, Bei Zhaojian, said in his speech that this year marks the 41st anniversary of the establishment of the sister-city relationship between Shanghai and San Francisco. As one of the long-standing cooperation projects between Shanghai and San Francisco, this donation further promotes the historical and cultural exchanges between the two cities.

Chen Chao, director of the Shanghai Library, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Fang family for their donation of the Asian Week collection. Chen Chao said that more than 1,500 paper issues of Asian Week would be available to the public. The digital version of the issues will also be available for free browsing.

During the video link exchange, Ms. Fang Li Bangqin told the little-known story behind the donation. She said, "My husband, Fang Dachuan, was a Shanghainese, and he once studied at Fudan University. Now the Fang family have decided to donate Asian Week to the Shanghai Library and bring it back to its hometown. Thanks to the Shanghai Library for giving it a new home."

Asian Week was founded in 1979 by Fang Dachuan, an early San Francisco Chinese-American newspaper owner, with the support of his wife, Ms. Fang Li Bangqin. For more than 40 years, it has been run by the second generation of the Fang family, Mr. Fang Yiwei and Mr. Fang Yidai, and has earned the title of "The Voice of Asian Americans". Asian Week has published more than 1,500 issues and was converted to an online edition in 2009.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 21, 2021 - 21:30 | All, Japan

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. said Tuesday it will sell most of its American banking unit MUFG Union Bank to U.S. Bancorp in a deal worth around $17.6 billion.

MUFG Union Bank's operations for corporate customers will be transferred to the major Japanese financial group and all of the bank's shares will be sold to U.S. Bancorp by June next year, according to the group's press release.

MUFG said it will acquire an approximately 2.9 percent stake in U.S. Bancorp in the deal, forming a capital tie-up as the Japanese company reassesses its underperforming U.S. sectors.

Union Bank, which became a subsidiary of MUFG in 2008, operates around 300 branches around the West Coast of the United States. The bank has been struggling financially in recent years due to low interest rates and rising costs to maintain the outlets.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Bancorp operates more than 2,000 branches in the United States.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 21, 2021 - 14:41 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan will start administering third doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the elderly early next year, vaccination minister Taro Kono said Tuesday, as the country aims to better respond to the spread of more contagious variants.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare decided last week to give booster shots to people who have gone at least eight months since receiving their second dose, citing studies that show antibodies that protect against the disease decrease over time.

Medical personnel are expected to get their booster shots within the year, Kono told a press conference, as they were the first to be vaccinated in Japan starting in February.

The vaccine rollout expanded to people aged 65 and older in the spring followed by those with underlying conditions such as diabetes and finally the general population.

Kono called on local governments to begin preparations to ensure the smooth delivery of third doses to the elderly.

While many countries including the United States are getting ready to make booster shots available as they look to restore social and economic activity to pre-pandemic levels, the World Health Organization has called for holding off on doing so until people in poorer countries have been vaccinated.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 22, 2021 - 10:27 | All, Japan, 3/11 Fukushima

The United States has lifted all of its restrictions on imports of food products from Japan established in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan's farm ministry said Wednesday.

Under the restrictions, U.S. imports of a total of 100 agricultural products produced in 14 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima had been suspended.

The other 13 prefectures were Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Niigata, Yamanashi, Nagano and Shizuoka.

Welcoming the U.S. decision, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday on Twitter, "It is a move that people in the disaster-hit areas have been waiting for, and something that will greatly contribute to the recovery of those places. Japan welcomes this step very much."

Suga further tweeted that he had asked for an early removal of the restrictions when he met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington in April and said the government "needs to continue its efforts in order to have similar import restrictions lifted in other countries and regions as well."

Japanese farm products now cleared for shipping to the United States include rice harvested in Fukushima, bamboo shoots from Iwate and shiitake mushrooms.

"The abolition of U.S. import restrictions will have a great impact on other countries and regions," a ministry official said.

The European Union also plans to ease import restrictions on Japanese farm and food products on Oct. 10, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries said Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the United States is the third-largest importer of Japanese farm and food products after Hong Kong and China.

Japanese exports of farm products and food to the United States totaled 118.8 billion yen ($1.09 billion) in 2020.

With the United States' lifting of import restrictions, effective on Tuesday local time, the number of countries and regions imposing such measures on Japanese farm and food products decreased to 14.

In the wake of the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a massive tsunami caused by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake on March 11, 2011, 55 countries and regions placed restrictions on imports of Japanese farm and food products amid fear of potential contamination with radioactive materials.

Japanese farmers, particularly those in the region close to the Fukushima nuclear plant, have gone to great lengths to regain consumer trust in their products at home and abroad, including compliance with strict safety inspections. Nonetheless, concerns over the quality of such products still linger.

The farm ministry plans to urge the 14 countries and regions including Hong Kong and China to abolish the remaining import restrictions on Japanese products.

Meanwhile, despite the latest U.S. measure, some food products subject to Japan's own export restrictions cannot be shipped overseas.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 21, 2021 - 23:43 | All, Japan

Japan's financial regulators plan to issue a business improvement order to Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and its banking arm Mizuho Bank over a string of system failures this year, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The Financial Services Agency will request that Mizuho submit a work plan for system maintenance and updating, in a rare move to effectively oversee the system of a megabank, the sources said.

The move is aimed at preventing further system failures and instability at other financial systems, as well as allaying the concerns of clients.

It is extremely rare for the FSA to take such supervisory action against a major bank.

The administrative measure comes after seven system failures have occurred at Mizuho Bank this year, with the latest disrupting about 100 automated teller machines on Sept. 8.

Mizuho has yet to get to the bottom of the series of failures.

The bank started running its current system in July 2019 following large-scale system failures in April 2002 and March 2011.
By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Sep 22, 2021 - 03:41 | All, World, Coronavirus

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday pledged the start of a "new era of relentless diplomacy" involving working with allies and partners to tackle challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and defending human rights, while signaling the country's shifting of focus to the Indo-Pacific amid increasing competition with China.

Biden's first speech to the U.N. General Assembly since taking office largely highlighted multilateralism in contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump's "America First" unilateralist policies, even though Biden himself has recently faced criticism for upsetting allies over some key foreign policy moves.

Noting that the United States finally ended the war in Afghanistan triggered by the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, Biden said at the beginning of his 30-minute speech in New York, "As we close this period of relentless war, we're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy."

"As we look ahead...we will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time, from COVID to climate, peace and security, human dignity and human rights, but we will not go it alone," he said.

Calling the Indo-Pacific among "most consequential" regions of today and tomorrow, Biden also said the world's challenges will be dealt with jointly with allies and partners through "cooperation at multilateral institutions like the United Nations."

As specific measures demonstrating U.S. leadership, Biden announced that the United States will double its public international financing to help developing nations fight climate change and make a $10 billion commitment to fight hunger at home and abroad.

Biden did not explicitly name China in his speech, but alluded to the Asian country's concerning activities in the region by vowing to "oppose attempts by stronger countries to dominate weaker ones whether through changes to territory by force, economic coercion, technical exploitation or disinformation."

Concerns have been growing over China's military buildup, unfair trade practices, and territorial claims in the East and South China seas, as well as its pressure on Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island which Beijing views as a renegade province to be reunified with mainland China by force if necessary.

Biden also called on countries to condemn the oppression of ethnic and religious minorities, touching on China's far-western Xinjiang region, where the United States and many other countries are concerned about the abuses taking place against the Muslim Uyghurs, while vowing to pursue new rules of global trade so that every country can compete fairly.

But he added, "We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs."

Biden indicated that the United States will seek cooperation with the world's second-largest economy where possible, saying, "The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas -- because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together."

Turning to North Korea's nuclear and missile issues, Biden said the United States will seek "serious and sustained" diplomacy to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"We seek concrete progress toward an available plan with tangible commitments that would increase stability on the peninsula and in the region, as well as improve the lives of the people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," he said, referring to North Korea by its official name.

The Biden administration has been reiterating its willingness to engage with North Korea, but no progress has been seen so far.

While the speech signaled Biden's high aspirations to restore U.S. leadership on the world stage and revitalize alliances after a bumpy four years under Trump, the annual U.N. General Debate began on Tuesday amid an escalation of a diplomatic row between the United States and France, an old U.S. ally.

France has been infuriated at being blindsided by a recently announced security partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia focusing on the Indo-Pacific, which led Australia to ditch a multibillion-dollar French submarine contract for the United States.

Some U.S. allies have also been rankled by the recent U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation mission of civilians there, which turned out chaotic as the Taliban Islamist group took control of the country more rapidly than expected.
Davos:

An average of 20 per cent young people in emerging markets neither have access to education, nor a job or training, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Wednesday. Speaking at a session on 'Finding future jobs' at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, she also cited the example of India to drive home a point that a huge rush for job openings at railways showed that a big pool of talent is available at some places. "In emerging countries we find 20 per cent of young people neither have access to education nor employment nor training. Besides, 18 per cent are unemployed," she said citing data.

"Indian Railways announced 60,000 jobs and 20 million applied. That gives an idea of the magnitude of the pool of talent that is available. "It doesn't mean all of them would have been unemployed as there might be people looking for a change or better job opportunities. And we are not talking about a country that is growing very slow, as India is a country that is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent, so we are talking about a champion in the developing world," Lagarde said. Also, she said the whole issue of finding future jobs affects women more than men.

At the same session, International Labour Organisation Director General Guy Ryder said human beings need to be put back at the centre of policymaking. Besides, there is a need to invest in institutions and it needs to be ensured that nobody is at a disadvantage, he said.

We also need to invest in areas that have strong job creation potential for future, including in green economy, Ryder added.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Nalanda Open University has started the registration process for Bihar B.Ed Combined Entrance Test (CET) 2019. The candidates can visit the official website of the university to complete the registration process i.e. biharcetbed.com. The Nalanda Open University is scheduled to organize the Bihar B.Ed CET 2019 on 10th March 2019 this year.

For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned all the important dates here:

Online application process ends  20th February 2019

Last date to pay application fee  22nd February 2019

Bihar B.Ed CET 2019 Exam Date  10th March 2019

Bihar B.Ed CET 2019  20th March 2019 (Tentative)

Counselling to begin from  24th March 2019

Eligibility Criteria

The Nalanda University has set eligibility criteria for the students who want to appear for the examination. The applicant must have secured minimum 50 per cent marks in the Bachelors Degree (10 + 2 + 3) and /or Masters Degree in Science/Social Science/Humanity, Bachelors in Engineering/ Technology with specialization in Science and Mathematics with 55% marks or equivalent.

Candidates must read through the official Information Brochure to ascertain their eligibility.

Examination Fee:

General category candidates need to pay an entrance examination fee of Rs.1000/-, while BC/EBC/WBC/PwD candidates need to pay Rs.750/- and SC/ST candidates need to pay Rs.500/- only.

How to apply for Bihar B.Ed CET 2019?

Step 1  Visit the official website - biharcetbed.com

Step 2  Click on New User tab to register yourself

Step 3  Login to your profile from existing User tab

Step 4  Fill the application form, pay examination fee and complete the application process

Step 5  Download the confirmation page and take a printout for further reference

For all the Latest Education News, Jobs News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

A team of Delhi Polices special cell on Wednesday busted an international drugs syndicate and recovered party drugs worth over Rs 90 crore. The Police have arrested five members of the syndicate, including an NRI, on charges of alleged drug smuggling. The police said that they all were involved in smuggling of contraband drugs Alprazolam, Tramadol tablets, Tramadol powder, Ketamine etc, which are known as Party Drugs and Meow Meow.

Those arrested have been identified as 33-year-old Sunil Kumar, 25-year-old Lokesh Mehta, 45-year-old Satish Sahu, 43-year-old Neeraj Arora and 45-year-old Rajesh Dutta, a British citizen (45), the police added.

Drug tablets and contraband drugs were collected from Mumbai and Delhi by the members of this syndicate and exported to London, UK, Nepal and Malaysia, the police said in a press release.

Kingpins of the syndicate have been identified as Mazhar, a Pak national and Amarjeet Bains both based in London and Jaspreet Singh Dhillon, based in Nepal.

The police have received a tip-off that the international gang was active in the national capital Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country. Following the tip-off, the police had put the gang on surveillance and found out that a large consignment would be exported, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

"After we received input that a drug consignment would be handed over to one of the gang members on the intervening night of January 15 and 16 near Bharati College in Janakpuri, a trap was laid at the spot," he said.

He further said that the recovered consignment was supposed to be smuggled to Europe via Sri Lanka and other routes. During the interrogation, the police said, the accused revealed that Kumar and Mehta used to supply narcotics and psychotropic tablets and powder to one Mazhar, a Pakistan national based in UK, through cargo and courier, as per demand.

For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

Happy with Congress president Rahul Gandhias decision to appoint his younger sister Priyanka Gandhi as the party General Secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, party supporters today projected her aGoddess Durgaa. Several party supporters were seen waving such posters at the Congress office in Lucknow. The poster reads a Priyanka Gandhi Ji is an incarnation of Maa Durga (Maa Durga ka avataar Priyanka Gandhi Ji).A

The supporters have also compared Priyanka with former prime minister Indira Gandhi in the poster. aIndira is Back,a reads the poster. The jubilant Congress workers also shouted slogans hailing Priyanka's entry into politics.

Posters seen at Congress office in Lucknow after #PriyankaGandhiVadra was appointed party's General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/goT7AOX2rE a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 23, 2019

This is not the first time when party workers have projected Priyanka as agoddess Durga'. Earlier, Congress supporters had released a poster stating "Woh Indira hai, woh Durga hai, who hai shakti ka avatar (she is Indira, she is Durga, she is the embodiment of power),".

Priyanka, who is known to have had a say in formalising election strategies and candidates' list of the party in previous elections, has been appointed as AICC general secretary and has made in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh. She will be taking charge of the new responsibility from the first week of February. With this, speculations are rife that she may contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from her mother Sonia Gandhias constituency Rae Bareli.

Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra has extended support to her and said that he will be by her side in every phase of the life. "Congratulations P. Always by your side in every phase of your life. Give it your best," he posted on Facebook with a photo of her wife.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Incidents of rape of minor girls continue unabated across India with yet another case being reported from Maharashtra on Tuesday. According to reports, a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered at Pimpri-Chinchwad's Dapodi in Maharashtra. The accused, however, has committed suicide hanging himself from a tree when police tried to track him in connection with the incident.

Speaking to news agency ANI, senior police officer, Smartana Patil said, "We received a call that a body has been brought to the hospital on Tuesday. The girl was declared dead and rape was suspected".

The rape and murder of the minor seem to be the result of a clash between her mother and the accused. The accused, identified as Vijay Yadav (25), reportedly proposed the victim's mother to marry and was refused, according to the police.

Post that, Yadav, on Tuesday committed the crime when the girl was alone in the house. While the victim's mother had gone to work, her sister was in school. At night the girl was found unconscious after her mother returned from work. Though the minor was immediately rushed to the hospital, doctors declared her dead.

As per the preliminary investigation, the victim's mother used to work at the same place with the accused and was threatened on Monday, a day before the incident.

"During the investigation, it was found that a man had threatened the mother of the victim a day before the incident. When we tried to track the accused, we found him hanging in a forest, he allegedly committed suicide," Patil was quoted as saying.

The police have registered a case and an investigation is still underway in the matter.

The ranges of crimes, including sexual harassment cases, against women and children have seen an unusual rise in the last few years. Perhaps something has really changed since December 2012, when shock and terror engulfed the national capital region following the brutal assault of a young woman in New Delhi.

While abductions and kidnappings have increased the most since 2006, the number of rapes has witnessed a sudden jump since 2012. However, reports suggest that only one out of 10 rapes is actually reported in India.

For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Paying tributes to Bal Thackeray on his 93rd birth anniversary on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Shiv Sena founder as a bold person with an unwavering commitment towards protecting rights of the people. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the prime minister wrote, "Remembering the courageous Balasaheb Thackeray on his Jayanti".

"Respected Balasaheb was unwavering in his commitment towards protecting the rights and wellbeing of people. He was bold and was blessed with a sharp intellect and wit. His oratory skills mesmerised lakhs of people," Modi added.

Remembering the courageous Balasaheb Thackeray on his Jayanti. Respected Balasaheb was unwavering in his commitment towards protecting the rights and wellbeing of people. He was bold and was blessed with a sharp intellect and wit. His oratory skills mesmerised lakhs of people. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 23, 2019

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Maharashtra, has been at loggerheads with its senior NDA partner and critical of various policies of the governments.

However, owing to Thackerayas birth anniversary, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra Cabinet has decided to construct a memorial worth Rs 100 crore at Mumbaias Dadar, where the last rites of the Shiv Sena founder were performed. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on January 22.

In a show of camaraderie by bickering allies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday took part in rituals marking the start of construction of a memorial for Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

At the memorial site, located at Shivaji Park at Dadar in central Mumbai, Fadnavis and Thackeray jointly conducted the 'Ganesh pujan' (offering prayers to Lord Ganesh) and 'vastu pujan'. The two were seen shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries at the event.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Patna:

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday said that Narendra Modi government has taken a decision to conduct caste-wise census in 2021, after the last one under British rule in 1931. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during his weekly Lok Samvad programme on January 21, had also favoured caste-wise census in 2021.

"After the first caste-census in 1931, the Narendra Modi government has taken a decision to conduct caste-wise census in 2021. After the 2021 caste-census, the central government, if needed, will bring constitutional amendment bill to increase the reservation cap in order to provide reservation in proportion to the various castes," Sushil Modi said.

Sushil Modi, who also holds finance department, said this while addressing a function organised by BJP's Extremely Backward Class Morcha to celebrate 'Jannayak Karpoori Thakur birth anniversary'.

Kumar, during his Lok Samvad programme on Monday last, had said that it will be better if all the castes are provided quota in proportion to their population. The caste-wise counting of people should be done during the decadal census of 2021, he had said.

Sushil Modi asked the Congress party, which ruled over 45 years at the Centre, as why it did not carry out caste wise census after 1931.

Why it did not provide reservation to economically weaker sections among upper castes, the Dy CM said adding that why Congress did not implement the recommendations of Mandal and Mungeri Lal Commissions.

It also did not provide constitutional status to Commission for Backward Class, he said.

Coming down heavily on RJD, which ruled for 15 years in the state, Modi asked why it did not give reservation to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and Extremely Backward Class (EBC) in panchayat polls held after 27 years in 2003.

Stating that 20 per cent and 17 per cent reservation is given to EBC and SC/ST respectively in panchayat polls in Bihar at present, Modi said that "there is scope to increase 13 per cent reservation in panchayat polls which will be done by next panchayat polls."

"Why the RJD government in 1992 did away with the provision of three per cent reservation on economic basis which was extended by Karpoori Thakur government?", Modi asked.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Union Minister Arun Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday, sources said. He has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, they added. Jaitley, who had unexpectedly left for the US on January 13, has undergone tests for soft tissue cancer, sources said. Even during this time, he has been active on social media writing Facebook posts and tweeting about current issues.

66-year-old Jaitley had undergone a kidney transplant surgery on May 14, 2018, at AIIMS here and had not travelled abroad since then.

He was earlier this month named the publicity head of the BJP for the upcoming general elections. With barely a week left for the 2019-20 Budget, the government Wednesday gave additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs portfolios to Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal.

The Interim Budget for 2019-20 would be presented in Parliament on February 1. Jaitley is now a minister without portfolio in the Narendra Modi government.

Also Read | Modi government to conduct caste-wise census in 2021: Sushil Kumar Modi

Earlier on May 14, 2018, when Jaitley underwent a renal surgery and was out of the finance ministry for nearly 100 days, Goyal was given additional charge of the finance ministry.

Jaitley had stopped attending office since the beginning of April 2018. On August 23, 2018, Jaitley returned as Finance Minister and in the next few months, he had limited public interaction in order to ward off any infection.

He has been the Finance Minister in the Modi government right from the time it came to power in May 2014. He, however, was a minister without a portfolio between May 14, 2018, and August 23, 2018.

A Rajya Sabha MP since 2000, he was re-elected to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh last year. He is also the leader of the House.

Jaitley had undergone a bariatric surgery soon after the BJP government came to power at the Centre in 2014. The surgery, to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition, was first performed at Max Hospital, but he then had to be shifted to AIIMS because of complications.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel to meet at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg --- the PM residence --- for the appointment of a new Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director today. The Supreme Court is likely to hear a plea against M Nageswara Raos appointment as the interim CBI director. The plea also sought transparency in the process of appointment. The top court will also hear a batch of petitions filed by homebuyers who are seeking possession of around 42,000 flats booked by them in projects of the Amrapali Group. After Amit Shah, now BJP leader Smriti Irani to address a rally in West Bengal's Nadia district. Isro will launch India's first student-made satellite today in its first space programme for 2019. Some good news for the intellectual minds, the Jaipur Literature Festival begins today.

21:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar announces financial aid of Rs 3 lakh each for the kin of those who died in a building collapse in Ullawas, Gurugram. 6 bodies have been recovered till now from the site of the collapse. Operations are still underway.



Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar announces financial aid of Rs 3 lakh each for the kin of those who died in a building collapse in Ullawas, Gurugram. 6 bodies have been recovered till now from the site of the collapse. Operations are still underway. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/C8QfMaEDiQ

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



19:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Swine flu death count in Rajasthan rises to 59, two more deaths reported in Bikaner.

18:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In DRDO successfully test fires long range surface to air missile from naval warship INS Chennai off the coast of Odisha.

18:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rahul Gandhi has accepted he cant do politics all alone and for that he is taking Priyankas help, says Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.



Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan: She (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) is a good woman, & Rahul Ji has accepted he cant do politics all alone, and for that he is taking Priyankas help. It is a good thing. pic.twitter.com/0ztrXx2OjL

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



16:20 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Body of one miner recovered from Meghalaya mine, search operations underway



Meghalaya: One body recovered from the mine at Ksan near Lytein River in East Jaintia Hills where 13 miners were trapped since December 13. Body sent for postmortem pic.twitter.com/mVncA2lZUi

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



14:25 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Breaking: At least six people were injured after a big tree fell on the visitors at Jaipur Literature Festival that kick-started in the capital city of Rajasthan.

10:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Himachal Pradesh: Visuals from snow-clad Manali as different parts of the state record sub-zero temperature.



Himachal Pradesh: Visuals from snow-clad Manali as different parts of the state record sub-zero temperature. pic.twitter.com/FexsktxZqk

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



10:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora says," I would like to make it very clear that we are not going back to the era of ballot papers".

09:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sensex falls over 100 points, Nifty struggles above 10,800

09:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: 2018 Bawana fire victim's brother Harcharan Singh says, "it has been a year since I lost my sister Reema. We haven't yet received compensation of Rs 5 lakh promised by the govt. We went to many in the govt but no one heard us. We are very poor, we demand justice."



#Delhi: 2018 Bawana fire victim's brother Harcharan Singh says, "it has been a year since I lost my sister Reema (pic 2). We haven't yet received compensation of Rs 5 lakh promised by the govt. We went to many in the govt but no one heard us. We are very poor, we demand justice." pic.twitter.com/WsaSxVtYVe

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



09:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sources: Lance Naik Nazir Wani, who was a terrorist once, to get Ashok Chakra posthumously. He lost his life during operations in Shopian, J&K last year. He had joined 162 Territorial Army battalion in Kashmir & had received Sena Medal twice.

09:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In IAS officer B Chandrakala has been summoned by Enforcement Directorate to their Lucknow office today at 11 am in connection with the illegal sand mining case of Uttar Pradesh.

08:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 11 trains to Delhi running late due to fog and low visibility

07:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: Major pollutants PM 2.5 at 127 and PM 10 at 112, both in 'Moderate' category in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data.



Delhi: Major pollutants PM 2.5 at 127 and PM 10 at 112, both in 'Moderate' category in Lodhi Road area, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) data. pic.twitter.com/u4nHMu1fEN

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



07:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: The United States doesn't recognize Maduro regime as the govt of Venezuela. US does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the US or to declare our diplomats persona non grata.



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: The United States doesn't recognize Maduro regime as the govt of Venezuela. US does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the US or to declare our diplomats persona non grata. pic.twitter.com/2Lisdz2lLC

 ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2019



07:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In AFP: Thirteen dead in two days of Venezuela unrest, says rights group.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to four convicts in the Naroda Patiya massacre case in Gujarat in which 97 people were killed by a mob during the 2002 riots in the state. The Gujarat High Court had on April 20 last year upheld the conviction of 12 out of the 29 accused who were pronounced guilty on various charges by the trial court and had acquitted 17 others, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani.

A bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi Tuesday granted regular bail to four convicts -- Umeshbhai Surabhai Bharwad, Rajkumar, Padmendrasinh Jaswantsinh Rajput and Harshad alias Mungda Jila Govind Chhara Parmar. The top court also granted interim bail for a period of 19 days to convict Prakashbhai Sureshbhai Rathod (Chhara) to take part in his daughter's marriage on February 10. He will remain on bail from January 28 to February 15, when he will have to surrender back to jail.

Meanwhile, it accepted the appeal of these persons challenging the high court's verdict convicting them for their alleged roles in the riots case. Dealing with the bail plea of convict Umeshbhai Surabhai Bharwad, the apex court termed the high court's order convicting him as "debatable" and "doubtful".Granting bail to Bharwad, a HIV infected person, the bench said, "It is not in dispute that after a full-fledged trial, the applicant was acquitted by the trial court on the finding that he has been named by only two police officials. His name was not mentioned in the FIR.

"The police officials named him after a gap of four days from the date of incident claiming to have seen the applicant in a group of around 15,000 persons gathered at the scene of offence. No identification parade was conducted in respect of this applicant".

It noted that the high court reversed the acquittal "only on the basis of evidence of two police witnesses. Prima facie, we find that the approach of the High court is debatable". While granting bail to Rajkumar and Padmendrasinh, it said that the high court's approach in holding them guilty was "doubtful".

It said the high court had reversed their acquittals on account of their established presence at the scene of offence, saying that the charge of "being a member of the unlawful assembly must hold good".

The top court noted, "prima facie, we find this approach to be doubtful, especially when the witnesses relied upon by the prosecution are police officials and no Identification Parade of this applicant was conducted during the investigation by the Police. Identifying the applicant in court by police officials (witnesses) cannot take the matter any further, unless they had known him personally in the past".

"Moreover, the presence of applicant is stated to be in the group of around 15,000 persons gathered at the scene of offence," the bench noted.

The rioting had taken place on February 28, 2002, in the Naroda Patiaya area of Ahmedabad where a mob had killed 97 people, most of them from a minority community. The massacre had taken place a day after the torching of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra in which 59 people were burnt alive, triggering state-wide riots.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is replacing astronaut Eric Boe, initially set to take part in the first crewed test launch of the Starliner spacecraft later in 2019, with astronaut Mike Fincke, since Boe is unable to fly due to medical reasons, NASA said in a statement.

"NASA astronaut E. [Edward] Michael 'Mike' Fincke has been added to the crew of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner's Crew Flight Test, scheduled to launch later this year. Fincke takes the place of astronaut Eric Boe, originally assigned to the mission in August 2018. Boe is unable to fly due to medical reasons; he will replace Fincke as the assistant to the chief for commercial crew in the astronaut office at NASA's Johnson Space Center," the statement, released late on Tuesday, read.

This will be Fincke's fourth space trip since he joined the astronaut corps back in 1996. "Fincke will begin training immediately alongside NASA's Nicole Mann and Boeing's Chris Ferguson, who were both assigned to the mission in August 2018," the statement added.

The Starliner is being constructed by Boeing as part of NASA Commercial Crew Program. According to the soutces, its unmanned launch to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled for March 28, while the manned flight, which Fincke will take part in, is slated for August 27.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In what can be called as an open hint, US President Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted that he would go ahead with the scheduled State of the Union address next week when the shutdown is over. A day after BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL! tweet, Trump took to the social micro-blogging site and said that he is looking forward to the great State of the Union Address in the near future! As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I look forward to giving a great State of the Union Address in the near future! (sic), Trump said on Twitter. Before this, Trump had tweeted no cave and vowed not to surrender in the fight against the Democrats.

Today i.e January 24 marks the 33rd day of the US shutdown. This is the longest federal shutdown in the history of America. The State of the Union Address, which is scheduled for January 29 will see lots of fireworks. With House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi not relenting, the Democrats and the republicans are appeared to be headed for a collision on SOTU. Throughout the shutdown, the Democrats have repeatedly voted to reopen government so that federal workers can pay their bills.

Functioning of several key wings of the US government, including Security and State departments, has been paralysed for nearly four weeks now because of the ongoing partial government shutdown.

President Trump insists that building a wall is the only solution to protect the nation from a large flow of illegal immigrants and drug smuggling.

The Democrats are opposed to any such funding. After Trump walked out of a meeting at the White House last week, Democrats have refused to come to the negotiation table.

Pelosi and the Democratic party argue that such a funding is a wastage of tax payers payer and does not reflect the ethos of American culture.

The divide between the parties has led to some 800,000 federal government employees being rendered without work.

The ongoing shutdown on January 12 broke the previous record of 21 days of US government shutdown under the Bill Clinton administration in December 16, 1995 to January 5, 1996.

Besides the border issue, the divide between Trump and Pelosi deepened after he denied her a military plane for an "excursion" to Brussels and war-torn Afghanistan, a tit-for-tat retaliation after the House Speaker asked the president to reschedule his annual State of the Union address slated for January 29.

Pelosi, who is third in line to the presidency, had made the suggestion citing security reasons triggered by the shutdown that has entered its 28th day.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Shillong:

The Indian Navy has resumed its operation to retrieve the decomposed body of one of the trapped miners detected inside a 370-feet deep illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district but failed to achieve success. Navy divers, who had suspended their operation on Sunday on the advice of the district administration, along with NDRF personnel, used remotely operated vehicles. After day-long efforts, they only managed to move the body a few metres from where it was left on Sunday and brought it near the bottom of the main shaft, officials said.

"The body has been pulled near the bottom of the main shaft... The process to bring the body to the top will take some more time due to the presence of some obstructions inside the mine," spokesperson of the operation R Susngi said.

Efforts to retrieve the body would continue Wednesday, he added. The Navy personnel had earlier managed to pull the body, seen 200 ft along the horizontally dug small hole, about half way to the bottom of the shaft. But, it could not be brought out due to apprehension that further moving it could result in its disintegration, Susngi said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was briefed on the development at the site and he is constantly monitoring the situation, a senior home official said.

The district authorities are waiting for the family members of at least seven miners trapped inside to identify the retrieved body, he said.

At least 15 miners are trapped in the rat hole mine at Khlooryngksan area of the district since December 13 which has led to a multi-agency operation involving the Navy, the NDRF and leading firms in the country to join the efforts to rescue them in the longest such mission in the country.

Close on heels of Navy's Sunday decision, Conrad had on Monday suspended operations to retrieve the body to avoid disintegration of the decomposed corpse.

The Navy had also spotted several skeletons in the flooded mines.

Coal India Ltd, Odhisa Fire Service and the KSP continued dewatering the nearby abandoned mines and the total discharge of water since yesterday was 80.15 lakh litres, Susngi said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
highlights In the Congress circles, her appointment is being seen as a masterstroke

Priyanka will be taking charge of the new responsibility from February

Priyanka has been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh east

New Delhi :

Congress general secretory Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections from her mother Sonia Gandhis constituency Raebareli. The reports hold significance as the UPA chairperson has indicated in the past that she will soon retire from politics.

Priyanka, who is known to have had a say in formalising election strategies and candidates' list of the party in previous elections, has been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh east. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath enjoys considerable influence in the region. The Prime Minister was elected last time from Varanasi and Gorakhpur is considered Adityanath's stronghold. However, the BJP had lost the bypoll which was necessitated after Adityanath vacated the Lok Sabha seat after being appointed the Chief Minister of the state.

She will be taking charge of the new responsibility from the first week of February.

In the Congress circles, the appointment is being seen as a masterstroke that will infuse energy in party workers in a state where its influence has been waning over the years.

However, the Bhartiya Janata Party took a dig at the Congress for appointing Priyanka as the general secretary saying that appointment is an admission that in the Gandhi family the dependence on Rahul is over.

The development comes after Samajwadi Party announced an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in the state and kept the Congress out of the pre-election pact. However, both the parties have announced that they will not put up candidates in Amethi  Lok Sabha constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Rae Bareli  Sonia Gandhis Lok Sabha constituency.

"This is an opportunity for the Congress to strike back in the most crucial state of the country where the organisation had all through been wanting her to plunge into active politics," Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Rajiv Bakshi said.

Winning Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, is vital for any party that plans to capture power at the Centre.

But the Congress has failed to perform in Uttar Pradesh ever since 1989 and with the latest SP-BSP alliance, the party has come under pressure. In its best performance since 1989, the Congress won 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 but dropped to just two seats of Sonia and Rahul Gandhis in 2014.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Kolkata:

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has stressed that collective leadership is the need of the hour for the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) of opposition parties and said the name of the leader for the prime ministers post would be declared after elections. Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president, said that be it West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or NCP chief Sharad Pawar, nobody is working single-handedly but functioning together.

He came down heavily on his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao for skipping the Trinamool Congress (TMC) mega opposition rally in Kolkata on January 19 and described his absence from the event as drama.

The absence of the BJD and Left parties at the Brigade Parade Ground national unity rally, which was participated by nearly two dozen opposition leaders, had also set tongues wagging. Naidu also made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dubbed him as a publicity-seeking prime minister, who only raises slogans and never performs.

There is a need of a collective leadership. Politics is for serving people. It is through politics we will form the next government. Only post elections, we will announce the name of the leader, Naidu told PTI in an exclusive interview Kolkata on January 19.

The remarks came in response to a question about the possible face from the proposed coalition of the opposition parties for the prime ministers post.

Nobody is working single-handedly. Not Mamata Banerjee, not Sharad Pawar, we are all together. Their (leaders in the Mahagathbandhan) commitment-level to save India is very high. It was clear during the rally in Kolkata. We all are working together, forgetting our differences.

Didi (Mamata) had invited him (KCR), but he chose to skip the rally. It indicates that you are up to some drama. There are differences among political parties. (Arvind) Kejriwal has differences with the Congress, even Akhilesh (Yadav) and Mayawati joined hands in UP. It is time to come together for the sake of saving the nation, he said.

On the issue of electronic voting machines (EVMs), he said they were susceptible to manipulation and called for restoring the ballot paper system. Naidu said the coalition of opposition parties would soon visit the Election Commission (EC) to press for their demand to do away with EVMs and return to paper ballot.

The Mahagatbandhan allies are planning to begin a nationwide debate on reintroducing ballot paper system for Lok Sabha elections. EVMs are not used in any other democracy, the TDP president said.

He also joined the league criticising the EVMs and said that machines pose a big risk as the fate of the democracy lies in the hands of a computer programmer. "Using EVMs means you are risking democracy in the hands of one individual, who is a computer operator or a programmer. No developed or technology-driven country, including the US, Japan or Germany, has allowed EVMs. Anybody can manipulate these machines," he said.

Naidu, who had pulled out of the NDA last year over denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, said the common people are annoyed over the performance of the present dispensation.

Modis slogans have to match his performance. That is missing. Common people have realised that he makes tall promises without delivering them. That is why they are annoyed. Because of him, the country is suffering. Today, democracy is under threat. This never happened in the past.

All these sop announcements will be more damaging. He (Modi) might announce more (sops) on January 26. These are all panic reactions which will not help now. You (Modi) should have done all that in the past four-and-half years, he said.

On BJPs rule at the Centre during the present term, Naidu said, We have lost five to six years and that agonises people. You cannot bring back time.

Referring to the success of previous coalition governments, the TDP leader said, Earlier, P V Narasimha Rao had a minority government and fared well post the economic reforms. Then things started rolling. After that, we had two coalition governments under prime ministers (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

Now, he (Modi) has an absolute majority. If you compare these four governments, all of them performed better than the present dispensation. It indicates that a collective leadership performs well with timely reforms.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi :

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led high-powered panel on CBI chief will meet today and discuss probable names for the coveted post. The panel meeting will be attended by Chief Justice of India Rajan Gogoi or his nominee and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, officials said.

Among the officers whose name would be discussed at the meeting are J K Sharma and Parminder Rai from the 1982 batch -- the senior most but lacking experience in the CBI. Rai, a Haryana-cadre officer who is set to retire on January 31, 2019, is Director General, State Vigilance Bureau, which makes him eligible for the post, the officials said.

Special Secretary (Internal Security), Home Ministry, Rina Mitra of the 1983-batch is another contender. She served in the CBI for five years and had a long tenure in Madhya Pradesh state vigilance where she handled serious corruption cases.

Mitra headed the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, an organisation tasked to combat organized wildlife crime, in its early years, they said, adding that if chosen, she would become the first woman chief of the CBI.

Current chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences Javeed Ahmed, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has served the CBI for 13 years -- starting as an SP to DIG from 1994 to 2002 and as joint director from 2009-14, they said.

He could not be promoted to post of Additional Director, CBI, as the then Home Secretary Anil Goswami had not cleared the empanelment file of the entire 1984-batch IPS officers till his term came to an end, they said.

Goswami was forced to resign for trying to stall the arrest of a former Union minister in a case, they said. Ahmed was posted as Uttar Pradesh DGP and he led many initiatives like Twitter outreach campaign, UP100 and special help line for women.

Closely following him in terms of experience is O P Galhotra, former Rajasthan DGP, who has served in the agency for 11 years -- as an SP from 1996-2000 and as a Joint Director from 2008-15, the officials said.

H C Awasthy, Galhotra's batchmate from the UP cadre, also served in the agency for over eight years, they said.

Director General, National Investigation Agency, Y C Modi, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is a favourite in the race to the top post in the CBI.

Y C Modi was part of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team which probed the 2002 riots in Gujarat from 2010 to 2012. The SIT had cleared Narendra Modi who was then the chief minister of the state.

He was also part of the CBI team that probed the murder of former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya and arrested 12 accused. But the evidence was rejected by the Gujarat High Court which acquitted all the accused, they said.

Director General of CISF Rajesh Ranjan, a 1984-batch Bihar cadre officer, has served in the agency for nearly five years and also in Interpol. He was never inducted into the CBI after 2011 as there were "vigilance issues", the officials said.

BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra, a 1984-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre is also being considered a frontrunner for the post of the CBI Director, they said.

He is retiring in August, 2019 and had served for nearly five years in the agency.

Another contender DG Indo-Tibetan Border Police S S Deshwal has five years' experience of working in the CBI, they said.

Arun Kumar, a 1985-batch officer of the UP cadre, who led the first CBI team that probed the Aarushi case, is also in the race.

The report prepared by him indicting three servants of the Talwars in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case was rejected by the then CBI chief Ashwani Kumar as he was not convinced by the evidence.

Other contenders from the 1985-batch include Rishi Raj Singh and Loknath Behera from Kerala cadre who have around 6 and 10 years' of experience in the CBI respectively.

Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has also been shortlisted but he lacks experience in the agency, the officials said adding that experience in the vigilance unit of the state compensates it.

The selection panel would meet Thursday to find a replacement for Alok Verma was removed as the CBI director on Januray 10, three weeks before he was to demit his office.

A 1979-batch IPS officer, Verma was locked in a bitter tussle with agency's Special Director Rakesh Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
highlights Delhi Polices EOW has asked Niranjan Patnaik to submit related documents.

Patnaik was director of Vavasi Telecom when the alleged fraud took place.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Odisha today.

New Delhi:

Ahead of Congress president Rahul Gandhis visit, Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik and his son Navjyoti Patnaik have been summoned by Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for their alleged involvement in a fraud case. The case pertains to one KS Ahluwaliya, who alleged that a company named Vavasi Telecom Pvt. LTD took Rs 32 crore from him by fraud in 2007-08. Both the Odisha Congress chief and his son were the directors of the company during the time.

The firm  Vavasi Telecom  has also given in writing that Niranjan even misappropriated funds worth Rs 6 crore of the Rs 32 crore Ahluwaliya had allegedly paid. The EOW has been investigating the case and asked the father-son duo submit related documents.

Meanwhile, the Odisha PCC chief said that he has not received any such notice but will cooperate if police seek any information from him. I have not received any notice but will cooperate if police seek any information. I was the director of the company, but I have resigned long back, said Patnaik.

In April last year, Niranjan was appointed as the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC). He had replaced Prasad Harichandan.

The development came a day ahead of Rahul Gandhis rally in Bhubaneswar to kick start his partys campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The visit of Congress chief is crucial as it comes at a time when the party is facing issues among top leaders of the state.

On January 20, the Congress had expelled former Union Minister Srikant Jena and former MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria for alleged anti-party activities. The announcement was made late at night by Odisha Congress disciplinary committee convener Ananta Prasad Sethi.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
highlights JDS support is crucial for Rahul Gandhi to become Opposition's PM face.

Earlier, DMK president MK Stalin proposed Gandhi's name for the post.

Opposition parties are not so united when it comes to their PM candidate.

New Delhi:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has found more support as Oppositions prime minister candidate, even as some of the parties remained reluctant. Despite fissures in their alliance with the Congress, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has said that his party, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), is committed to supporting Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. "My part's decision is we want to support Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate. This is our commitment and it remains so," NDTV quoted Kumaraswamy, who heads a coalition government with the Congress in Karnataka, as saying.

The JD-S leader said that his father and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda was also of the same views. He also clarified his earlier statement that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was an able candidate for the top post, saying his comments were taken out of the context.

I said among regional parties, there are several able leaders there, other than the BJP. Why not Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee... But our party is committed to installing Rahul Gandhi as prime minister," he said.

Kumaraswamy said that the Congress president had matured as a politician and expressed confidence that he is able to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I have confidence he can take on PM Modi. Modi-ji speaks well, his presentation is good, he uses social media but what is his achievement in the last four years, the Karnataka CM told NDTV while terming the prime minister only a paper tiger.

Earlier, DMK president MK Stalin had proposed Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate for the coming Lok Sabha elections. However, after Stalins remarks, Opposition parties ducked the question and said that this issue should be decided only after the election results.

Kumaraswamys backing for the Congress is chief is crucial and comes at a time when their alliance in Karnataka is facing troubles. Congress, which is the bigger ally, had given the chief ministers post to JD-S leader Kumaraswamy. However, there have been allegations against the Congress that it was pressurising the JD-S on various occasions to make their case.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi: The surgical strike to give Pakistan a befitting reply to its nefarious act after the Uri attack is about to complete five years. On the other hand, Pakistan, which got defeated every time on the battlefield, is still not shying away from its actions. Suspicious activities have now been reported near the Line of Control (LOC). After which the army has launched a search operation. Mobile telephony and internet services have been suspended in the Uri sector of Baramulla to help.

Officials said the Army has intensified its search operation. The army had received information about "suspicious activity" near the Line of Control in the Uri sector on the night of September 18 and 19. This was followed by a campaign in the area. Officials said the operation continued for the second day on Monday and has been intensified to nab the infiltrators. He said mobile telephony and internet services in the region have been suspended.

Five years ago, in 2016, taking advantage of the darkness, terrorists from Pakistan-backed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed launched a cowardly attack on Indian soldiers in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. In which 19 jawans had attained valour. On September 28, just ten days after the incident, the Indian Army avenged the martyrdom of the jawans and entered the PoK and killed the terrorists (Surgical Strike in POK). A special team of the Indian Army had also destroyed the hideouts of the terrorists.

JP Nadda appoints Dilip Ghosh and Baby Rani Maurya as national vice presidents

Over 81 crore corona vaccines administered in the country

Mahant Narendra Giri's disciple told the whole incident of Monday, made many revelations
Istanbul: Turkish security forces have arrested 19 illegal Afghan immigrants in the country's biggest city Istanbul, local media reported. Istanbul municipal police units on Monday stopped a van on suspicion in the Sultangazi district on the European side of the city, according to a report by the Demiroren news agency. The teams detected the immigrants jammed inside the vehicle and informed police forces, according to the media reports.

These immigrants have tried to go to the northwestern border province of Edirne, some 240 km away from Istanbul, to cross into Greece. Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been increasingly witnessing an influx of Afghan refugees fleeing the country following last month's takeover by the Taliban. The country hosts more than 4 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrians, within its borders, mostly in Istanbul.

It added that the apprehended migrants were sent to a local repatriation centre for deportation procedures. Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya on Monday said 38,251 irregular migrants have been arrested across the city since the beginning of this year.

Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been lately seeing an increased influx of Afghan refugees fleeing turmoil in their homeland.

Taliban appoints deputy ministers in all-male Afghanistan government

Sameera Reddy is enjoying with her husband in Goa, seen in a monokini

Pakistan tribal court firing: 9 killed, 20 injured
Today is Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor's birthday. Kareena is not in Mumbai to celebrate her special day but has arrived in the Maldives with her family. From here she shared a picture in her Instagram stories that you can see. With this picture, she captioned it as 'Oops Kya Raat Aayi Hai.' On the other hand, Kareena's friends and fans are also wishing her a happy birthday today. Recently Kareena's close friend Karan Johar wished his favourite girl a special birthday.

You can see Karan Johar shared a throwback selfie with Kareena in his Instagram story where the two are seen posing during an event. With this post, Karan captioned it as "We Are Puoters And Posers in Crime, a lot of love for my favourite girl on her special day. My poo. Happy birthday for the rest of your life. I love you so much."

Apart from Karan, Kareena has also been wished a happy birthday by many celebrities. The list also includes Actress Neena Gupta's daughter Masaba Gupta. She shared a photo of Kareena's last birthday and wrote "Happy Birthday Bebo @kareenakapoorkhan" while Kareena has received birthday wishes from many more. Kareena will soon be seen in Karan Johar's multi starrer period drama 'Takht.' Kareena will also soon be seen in Aamir Khan's 'Lal Singh Chaddha.'

How Remo D'Souza's wife Lizelle lost 40 kilos, revealed herself

Sameera Reddy is enjoying with her husband in Goa, seen in a monokini

'You are an atheist...,' fundamentalists anger on Javed Akhtar again, reason is just a 'tweet'
Islamabad: For the first time in the history of Pak, a Hindu girl has managed to clear the toughest test here. Dr. Sana Ramchand Gulwani, 27, cracked the Central Superior Services (CSS) competitive exam in May, but after a full five months, her appointment has been sealed last Monday, September 20, 2021.

This exam in Pak is said to be the hardest. By which appointments are made in administrative services. You can also speak it like the Civil Services Exam in India, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. After clearing the exam, Dr. Sana expressed happiness and said, 'Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh.', I cracked the CSS 2020 exam.

According to media reports, CSS exam is considered extremely difficult. A total of 2% of candidates has achieved success this year. Dr. Sana Ramchand Gulwani, 27, cracked it earlier in the attempt. Let us tell you that Sana is originally a resident of Shikarpur. According to the report, Sana had appeared for the exam from a rural seat in Sindh province. The seat falls under Pakistan administrative services.

PM Modi to stay in US from Sept 22 to 25, scheduled to be extremely busy

New airport terminal at Ladakh to become functional by Dec 2022: Aviation minister

'KBC 13' contestant seen flirting with Amitabh, Big B said- stop the show...
New York: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has embarked in New York to hold bilateral discucsoin with his Norway, Iraq and UK counterparts. Accordign to reports Jaishankar is meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Sharing notes in Twittter handle, External Affairs Minister said: "Began my #UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach.

In multiple tweet, Jaishankar noted that he had a "cordial meeting with FM Fuad Hussein of Iraq. Discussed our historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages. Exchanged views on regional and global issues."

He also said about meeting his UK counterpart. Stating that they discussed progress of Roadmap 2030, He tweeted: "Appreciated her contribution on trade side. Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan & Indo-Pacific. Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest."

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, Jaishanker will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, as per reports.

Swami Agnivesh was a social activist and Arya Samaj leader as well as a teacher and lawyer

Charanjit Singh Channi meet Rahul Gandhi in Delhi today

Noted actress Rimi Sen said goodbye to Bollywood for this reason
Home  Just In  Alzheimers in Nepal: Too little attention to a too serious public health problem

Pramila Bajracharya was studying in the eighth grade when she saw her grandmother losing her memory and suffering from behavioural abnormalities. Because she could not remember anything including her own family members, her behaviour turned problematic for the rest of the family.

Then, we resorted to locking our grandmother in one room, Bajracharya says, But, she again began verbally abusing us. She used to keep screaming, shouting, wandering, hallucinating, involving in improper behaviour, and later also lost her bowel control.

The family thought the old lady went crazy and felt embarrassed due to those behaviours. A few years later, she passed away, giving solace to the family.

But, years later, Bajracharaya was hit hard by the realisation, My grandmother did not die of madness, but due to Alzheimers. If only we had known about this disease, we would have taken care of her differently.

The number of elderly people with Alzheimers in Nepal is rising. However, due to a lack of a dedicated policy from the government of Nepal and a lack of understanding, they are having to live along with this disease, undiagnosed and untreated, although the awareness is increasing very recently, complain experts and stakeholders.

The gravity of the problem

Photo by Clement Falize on Unsplash

As per Alzheimers Disease International (Dementia in the Asia Pacific Region), the estimated number of people with dementia in Nepal is 78,000 in 2015, and this number is expected to reach 134,000 by 2030 and 285,000 by 2050.

But, only around 300 cases of Alzheimers in Nepal are reported in the annual report of the Ministry of Health, meaning many patients are undiagnosed.

With the urban lifestyle expanding among the population, there is a growing need for specialised elderly medical care, yet there are only eight geriatric doctors (specialised in the elderly care) in Nepal, informs Prakash Gautam, the director of Ageing Nepal, an NGO working for the elderly. Among them too, only three are practising in Nepal and none working as a government doctor.

Gautam says this is one strong example to prove why Alzheimers in Nepal remains a neglected issue.

There is a lack of awareness about Alzheimers in public, therefore people wont go to clinics even if a geriatric doctor starts the one. The level of awareness regarding Alzheimers in Nepal is so poor that even many health personnel do not have any idea about it, he laments.

Corroborating Gautams statement, Dr Ramesh Kandel, a geriatrician and dementia specialist of the Kist Hospital, adds, Individuals living in urban areas, who are aware of this disease usually make their elders seek medical support in the primary stage, while people from rural areas usually bring the patients when the disease has become severe.

Alzheimers in Nepal is generally taken as a normal process of ageing, which is not true, informs Kandel. Some other people label the elderly people suffering from Alzheimers in Nepal as crazy and often disregard the problem as old-age madness, according to Bajracharya, who has started Hope Hermitage Nepal, an NGO that advocates for the rights of the elderly people. The organisation has also been running a care home for Alzheimers patients.

Government efforts

Photo: Pixabay

The government efforts about addressing the problem are nominal. It has neither created permanent positions for specialist doctors and nurses nor given training to the existing workforce, complains Kandel. Hence, all the diagnosis and treatment facilities for Alzheimers in Nepal are limited, city-centric and expensive.

Yet, the government of Nepal made a provision to provide a subsidy worth Rs 100,000 for the medical treatment of Alzheimers patients. Dr Nidesh Sapkota, the head of psychiatry at Patan Academy of Health Sciences and the president of Alzheimers and Related Dementia Society Nepal (ARDSN), praises this effort.

However, the process is so complex that many people have not taken advantage of this support, believe other stakeholders. Further, only a few hospitals have been assigned to provide this facility and many of them are based in Kathmandu and other cities. In addition, the amount is also minimal compared to the cost required for treatment and care of Alzheimers patients, according to them.

So, Kandel suggests, Health insurance policies that cover the cost of long-life treatment and medication should be launched by the government.

Miles to go before

On top of that, currently, the main concern is that there are not any favourable circumstances so that a patient suffering from Alzheimers in Nepal can get a formal diagnosis. It is because the one suffering cannot go to the hospitals on their own and his/her family members either dismiss its symptoms due to the reason mentioned above, shares Gautam.

He continues, Also, if someone is taken to a hospital, there is limited human resources and infrastructures. It is high time the government worked on producing sufficient trained human resources for treating this disease. Further, there should be permanent positions of geriatric doctors at government hospitals.

Furthermore, Bajracharya, Kandel and Gautam recommend hospitals operate finely-equipped geriatric wards with appropriate treatment systems as the geriatric health system is very poor in Nepal. There are wards dedicated to the elderly at some hospitals, but they do not have specialised medical professionals and are not well equipped, complain all three of them.

Along with this, the government should also work on sensitising people regarding Alzheimers in Nepal.

It can be treated, but cannot be completely cured. Therefore, it is vital to provide the patients with early diagnosis and early treatment and proper care, Kandel informs,  If done accordingly, an Alzheimers patient can survive for about 10-15 years. As the social and economic burden of this disease is huge, timely intervention is a must.

In addition, Sapkota views the government should prioritise this disease as a major health concern and provide similar facilities and support that has been provided to kidney failure and cancer patients.

Moreover, the focus should be given to preventing it and the government should bring policies and programmes accordingly, according to Sapkota.

Adding to this, Bajracharya, who has been taking care of 21 elderly people who have Alzheimers in Nepal, says there is a need to operate geriatric hospitals and daycare centres at the local level. Moreover, advocacy and awareness is still a must.
Dhangadhi, September 21

Three Armed Police Force personnel have sustained injuries in an attack launched by alleged Indian smugglers near the Nepal-India border, in the Kanchanpur district of far-western Nepal on Monday evening.

The APF 35 Number Battalion at Shaileshwari in the district says the personnel stationed at the APF Border Outpost, Kanjabhoj, Dodhara Chandani municipality-8 were attacked when they were patrolling around the border. The injured are undergoing treatment at a local health post.

SP Birendra Air, the chief of the battalion, says the smugglers pelted stones when the APF team caught them smuggling various goods into Nepal.

We tried to detain them, but they ran away to India, and we have informed the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indian police, Air informs Onlinekhabar, They say they are committed to taking action after identifying the group.
Workforce

NDAA cyber reserve proposal revised with labor in mind

Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) tweaked his proposal for a pilot reserve program at U.S. Cyber Command in the wake of opposition from the American Federation of Government Employees.

The plans for the cyber reserve, to be put forth in an amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, were revised to allow for reservists entering from private-sector tech companies to make financial disclosures to the Office of Government Ethics. The Panetta amendment also calls for CyberCom reservists to be available for up to two-year deployments and to have the status of part-time federal employees when on the job. The pilot program would sunset in four years.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley alerted the chair and ranking member on the House Rules Committee on Saturday to their support for the revised plan, which they had opposed in an earlier iteration.

The union is asking lawmakers to oppose a similar proposal from Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) which would establish a National Digital Reserve Corps at the General Services Administration.

Reservists would come in for 30-day stints for short-term digital and cybersecurity projects, and GSA would detail participants out to agencies. Rather than field a pilot program, the GSA reserve would be launched as a fully-fledged program.

"To presuppose as a matter of statutory mandate that there will be a steady and growing workload for digital workforces absent detailed analysis from agencies themselves is a recipe for fraud, waste and abuse," Kelley wrote in his letter to lawmakers.

AFGE also takes issue with the hiring process in the GSA proposal, which doesn't have a "meaningful competitive process," Kelley wrote, and "constitutes another chipping away of the merit-based, apolitical civil service."
(Adds quotes, details on plans for non-stop flights to the United States)

HANOI, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Vietnam's Bamboo Airways will sign a deal valued at nearly $2 billion with General Electric to purchase GEnx engines to power Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, the airline said on Tuesday.

The deal will be signed in the United States later on Tuesday in the presence of Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Bamboo said in a statement.

The GEnx engines, due to be delivered in 2022, will be used on the airline's wide-body Dreamliner fleet to operate planned non-stop routes between Vietnam and the United States, the company said.

"This new signing agreement will be an important milestone for the airline to expand its transcontinental flight network, connecting Vietnam with medium- and long-range markets," the statement said.

The airline said it will open a representative office in the United States and sign agreements with San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport this week, paving the way for its first test of a non-stop flight between the countries on Thursday.

Bamboo said it aims to finalise procedures for non-stop commercial flights to the United Sates early next year, pending government approvals.

Bamboo said it is also seeking to expand its international flight network and open more routes to Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. (Editing by Tom Hogue and Ed Davies)
DUBLIN, September 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Component (Software and Services), By Type (Prescriptive, Descriptive, Predictive), By Deployment (On-Premise and On-Demand), By Organization Size, By Application, By End-user Industry, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Brazil data analytics market is expected to grow at a substantial rate during the forecast period.

The growth in the data analytics market can be accredited to various factors such as need to enhance the business efficiency, coupled with growing utility of IoT analytics, big data analytics and SaaS based analytics in numerous end-user industries like BFSI, sports, retail, and healthcare. In addition to this, rise in touchpoint along with the requirement for data collection to understand consumer behavior is forecast to supplement the market growth through 2026.

The Brazil data analytics market is segmented based on component, type, deployment, organization size, end-user industry, region and company. Based on end-user industry, the market can be segmented into BFSI, government & defense, energy & utilities, retail & e-commerce and others.

Out of which, the BFSI segment is anticipated to register high growth during the forecast years, which can be attributed to the rising adoption of advanced financial analytics solutions by major organizations that are operating under BFSI vertical due to enhanced regulatory compliance processes. Also, the retail and e-commerce segment are estimated to grow at a high pace over the coming years.

This high growth can be attributed to the high inclination of customers towards tailored and personalized shopping experience. Moreover, rapid technological advancements such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are further expected to drive the segmental growth in the country.

Story continues

Major players operating in the Brazil data analytics market include

Oracle do Brasil Sistemas Ltda

Atos Origin Brasil Ltda

IBM Brasil-Industria Maquinas e Servicos Ltda

Hewlett-Packard Brasil Ltda

Amazon Web Services Brasil

Tableau Software

SiSense Inc

SAS Institute

SAP SE

Alteryx Inc

Mu Sigma Inc

Microsoft Corp

Google (Alphabet Inc)

Report Scope:

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2016-2019

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Period: 2022-2026

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Component:

Software

Services

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Deployment:

On-Premise

On-Demand

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Organization Size:

Small and Medium Enterprises

Large Enterprises

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Type:

Small and Medium Enterprises

Large Enterprises

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Type:

Prescriptive

Descriptive

Predictive

Brazil Data Analytics Market, By Application:

Enterprise Resource Planning

Supply Chain Management

Human Resource Management

Database Management

Others

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x8o8ly

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005833/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
Global IT company establishes diversity scholarship at University of Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new office in downtown Hartford. The ceremony, attended by local leaders including David Steuber, Chief of Staff for the City of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; Glendowlyn Thames, Deputy Commissioner and CFO/COO at CT Department of Economic and Community Development; and Mark Boxer, University of Hartford EVP and COO; marked the establishment of the global IT company's presence in downtown where nearly 200 highly-skilled IT professionals will be based.

Pictured from left to right: David Steuber, Chief of Staff for the City of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; Mark Boxer, University of Hartford EVP and COO; Tim Hurlebaus, CGI President of U.S. Commercial and State Government Operations; Scott Burghoff, CGI Senior-Vice President of Hartford Operations; Glendowlyn Thames, Deputy Commissioner and CFO/COO at CT Department of Economic and Community Development.

"Hartford is home to a growing number of world class information technology companies, and we're thrilled to welcome CGI to downtown Hartford," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "We're looking forward to having nearly two hundred employees based out of their new office over time, and businesses throughout the region will benefit from having another top IT company available to work with them."

"We are excited about our new location in downtown Hartford," said Scott Burghoff, Senior Vice-President of Consulting Services at CGI. "The location's proximity to our clients and innovative technology companies will provide more opportunities for direct collaboration."

CGI also announced it has established the CGI Diversity Scholarship at the University of Hartford available for students in the computer engineering, computer science, data analytics and data science programs of study. The scholarship reflects the company's vision to create opportunities for Hartford's next generation of technology professionals and is part of the company's commitment to enhance and increase diversity, equity and inclusion in academia and the technology workforce.

"The University of Hartford is proud to be a partner of the Hartford community and is committed to contributing to its success," said University EVP and COO Mark Boxer. "We are grateful for CGI's partnership as we prepare our diverse student body to meet the needs of the city's growing technology industry and innovation presence."

Story continues

"This scholarship is another example of CGI's commitment to student success in the important and growing computing fields, to recruiting talented young technology professionals to learn, live, work and impact the Hartford community and to closing the equity gaps that keep talented students of color from entering these fields," said University of Hartford Provost Fred Sweitzer.

CGI's strong local presence deepens the connection with clients beyond the business relationship to the overall well-being of the shared communities. Through donations of time, resources and talent, CGI professionals often engage in volunteer, training and charitable activities involving education, youth, families, military veterans and people that are underrepresented in STEM fields, including women, minorities and the economically disadvantaged.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 78,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgi-celebrates-new-location-in-hartford-connecticut-301382007.html

SOURCE CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc.
In a world where fast food chains are embracing meat alternatives on the menu, Chipotle (CMG) has opted for the real thing.

In a long-awaited update, smoked brisket will join chicken, shredded beef, pork and the vegan sofritas on Chipotle's menu. The new protein is set to hit restaurant locations in both the U.S. and Canada beginning Thursday, September 23rd, and will be available on third-party delivery apps on September 27th.

But for Chipotle reward members, the new option is available exclusively on its app and Chipotle.com beginning on Tuesday, September 21st, in keeping with the restaurant industry's shift to digital to boost loyalty. Customers might want to check it out soon though: The new protein will only be available for a limited time.

The Mexican-inspired brisket is smoked, charred on the grill, then seasoned with spices including fire-roasted jalapenos and chipotle chili peppers.

The California-based company unveiled the brisket option after beginning to test it during the fall of 2020 in a test run in Cincinnati and Sacramento. That allowed time to "to test and learn from customer feedback and iterate before deciding on a national launch strategy," Chipotle said in a release.

This isnt your standard brisket experience...weve created a differentiated Smoked Brisket recipe that is authentic to our menu and pairs flawlessly with our real ingredients," Chris Brandt, Chipotle chief marketing officer, said in the release.

Smoked brisket joins Chipotle's menu. (Courtesy: Chipotle Mexican Grill)

This is the third menu innovation Chipotle introduced on a nationwide scale so far in 2021.

Back in January, the company unveiled Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice for a limited run, as part of its commitment to "more plant-powered, better-for-you options."

Meanwhile, the company's Hand-Crafted Quesadilla is now a permanent staple on the online-only menu, after its introduction in March. The quesadilla was the first, new customizable entree in 17 years for Chipotle.

Story continues

More innovation could be on the way. In late August, Chipotle announced it is testing Plant-Based Chorizo in both Denver and Indianapolis  and if launched nationwide, it would be the second plant-based protein option since the debut of Sofritas in 2014.

In fact, it's alternative meat that's becoming the bigger industry bet, with the plant-based market seen as a $14 billion opportunity over the next decade. Mega chains are jumping on the bandwagon, including McDonald's (MCD), Burger King (QSR), Taco Bell (YUM), Wendy's (WEN) and Shake Shack (SHAK) among others.

Brooke DiPalma is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit
Round is led by Tiger Global with participation from GGV Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Rocketship, SAP, and Jack Altman

San Francisco, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crosschq, pioneers of the Talent Intelligence Cloud powering a revolution in data-driven hiring and people analytics, announced today an extension to its Series A financing bringing the total round to $30 million. Led by Tiger Global, this $16.5 million expansion included returning investors GGV Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, SAP.iO, rocketship.vc, and new investors including Jack Altman, current CEO of Lattice.

Our talent landscape is changing with unprecedented velocity and the need for advancements to drive better hiring decisions has never been greater, said Mike Fitzsimmons, Co-Founder and CEO of Crosschq. Our Talent Acquisition and DEI leaders are hungry for reliable data and analytics to source and retain the best talent. We are proud to be emerging as the Talent Intelligence vendor of choice for this increasingly complex environment.

Over the past year, Crosschqs Talent Intelligence Cloud has rapidly been adopted by talent leaders across all core sectors. In the last month alone, users of Crosschqs platform have nearly doubled, up by 86%. In addition to attracting major players in the Enterprise Tech, Fin-Tech, and Media industries including Snowflake, Blend, Hubspot, and Dish Networks, the company has recently expanded solutions in the Life Sciences and Health Care sectors. Adoption by new customers including Carbon Health, CityBlock Health, and Hengrui, Chinas largest pharmaceutical company, reflects this growing market segment for the company.

Jack Altman, current CEO of Lattice and new Crosschq investor stated that As a CEO of a fast-growing company in the HR Tech space, I have a first-hand appreciation of the need for data-driven solutions to help attract and assess the best talent. Crosschqs approach to optimizing Quality of Hire is paramount, especially in this market.

Story continues

Crosschq will use the new capital to turbocharge product development with a focus on ML/AI, expanding its engineering team from 18 to 50 over the next six months. The company will also double down on its Go-To-Market investments and strategic partnerships by continuing to grow sales, marketing, and customer success teams.

For more information on Crosschq or to request to demo, visit http://www.crosschq.com

About Tiger Global Management

Tiger Global Management is an investment firm focused on private and public companies in the software, internet, and financial technology sectors. Since 2001, Tiger Global has invested in hundreds of companies across more than 35 countries, including investments ranging from Series A to pre-IPO. The firm aims to partner with dynamic entrepreneurs operating market-leading companies in its core focus areas. Tiger Global's investments have included JD.com, UiPath, Stripe, Databricks, Bytedance, Snowflake, Facebook, SentinelOne, Alibaba, Procore, Chime, Peloton, Attentive, LinkedIn, Flipkart, and Toast.

About Crosschq

Crosschq is powering a revolution in data-driven hiring and people analytics to help companies better recruit and retain talent. Crosschqs Talent Intelligence Cloud provides solutions across the new hire lifecycle to help enhance sourcing, screening, and onboarding new hires while providing a single source of truth for customers to accurately measure Quality of Hire. The companys AI-driven cloud-based SaaS solutions were built with a talent-first approach prioritizing trust and transparency, minimizing bias, and protecting privacy. Leading innovative companies like Snowflake, Hubspot, Allegis, and Dish Networks trust Crosschq to help build diverse, winning teams. Founded in 2018, Crosschq is backed by Tiger Global Management, GGV Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, SAP.iO, Intersect Capital, Slack Fund, and rocketship.vc. To learn more, visit crosschq.com.

CONTACT: Elena Arney Crosschq 4153610001 elena@crosschq.com




NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Logo

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Concho Resources Inc. (NYSE: CXO) between February 21, 2018 and July 31, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period") of the important September 28, 2021 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Concho securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Concho class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2133.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 28, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Story continues

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the well spacing at the Dominator Project, consisting of 23 wells in the Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin, was aggressive and highly risky, and premised on no reasonable basis to believe it would work as intended; (2) Concho's practice of implementing tighter well spacing was not relegated to a handful of "tests" and therefore more widespread than the market was led to believe; (3) it was known or recklessly disregarded that any measures to mitigate well spacing risks were non-existent and/or impossible; (4) these risks had manifested during the Class Period, causing underground well interference and permanently decreasing production, forcing Concho to scale back production targets and adopt more conservative spacing measures in its other projects; (5) it would take multiple quarters to unwind the impacts of the widespread well spacing failure; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Concho class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2133.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

pkim@rosenlegal.com

cases@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cxo-investor-news-rosen-leading-investor-counsel-encourages-concho-resources-inc-investors-with-losses-exceeding-100k-to-secure-counsel-before-important-september-28-deadline-in-securities-class-action--cxo-301380925.html

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
Turnkey research facility expands national network

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Explora BioLabs, a national provider of industry-leading preclinical vivarium research space and management services based in San Diego, opened a new facility here on Sept. 20, 2021.

The new vivarium, located in South San Francisco, East Side, is Explora BioLabs' sixth San Francisco facility (a seventh is expected to open in Dec. 2021).

The new Haskins location provides biotechnology companies with fully managed off-site vivarium and research space, as well as access to local preclinical research services and Ph.D.-level staff. The facility allows researchers to focus on their science while Explora BioLabs' staff handles the preclinical in vivo management, husbandry, logistics, and compliance requirements. Explora BioLabs facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment and operations, all of which are validated through AAALAC accreditation, NIH/OLAW assurance, and best-in-class health monitoring.

The Haskins facility gives biotechnology companies a convenient and easily accessible location from which to focus on their science. Haskins is ~5.5 miles from San Francisco International Airport and ~2 miles from the Park 'N Fly airport shuttle station. The nearest train station is ~1.6 miles away. It is also less than 2 miles from two of South San Francisco's top biotech incubator spaces.

The facility joins six others in Explora BioLabs' national Vivarium-as-a-Service network that have opened recently or will open later this year. The network is designed for biotechnology companies that are not yet ready or able to invest in their own vivaria, and for those who have outgrown their current research space and need supplemental solutions. Other facilities in Explora BioLabs' national network are distributed throughout California (San Francisco and San Diego) and Boston, Mass. This network supports the growth of the entire biotech ecosystem in each city allowing researchers to rapidly engage in their research and have the flexibility to relocate or co-locate knowing they will have reliable, highest-quality facilities nearby.

Story continues

"As a small biotech company discovering and developing translational inhibitors in oncology, we needed a vivarium management solution that was more than just a landlord," said Jocelyn S., former associate director of R&D at eFFECTOR Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company located in San Diego. "Explora BioLabs provided the professional infrastructure we were seeking, as well as animal husbandry, a compliance backbone, and scientific experienceeverything we need to support our work and set us up for pharmacological success."

"In a highly competitive and costly real estate market, we offer biotech companies significant efficiency and savings. Were they to secure real estate to build their own vivarium, it would require that they commit to a multi-year lease for a space large enough to accommodate supplies and storage, gowning, secured entry, restroom, shipping/receiving, and moreplus added spend for capital equipment," said Sandy Paige, Explora BioLabs' CEO. "In our OnDemand facilities, a client can instead contract on a short-term service agreement for just the few hundred square feet of research-ready, equipped rooms. The rest of the facility, operational equipment, and overhead is managed by us at a fraction of the shared cost to the client. With Explora, research space becomes a variable expense for cash-conservative clients versus a long-term, fixed cost associated with maintaining a private facility."

For nearly two decades, Explora has provided services to companies ranging from early stage biotechs to large pharma. Explora's service portfolio is backed by Ph.D.-level scientists with experience in preclinical in vivo workflow. As part of Explora's contract research package, staff can assist in or run comprehensive preclinical studies for clients in the event of capacity or expertise limitations.

About Explora BioLabs

Explora BioLabs' national vivarium network provides biotechnology clients with on- and off-site vivarium services including vivarium management, facility design, rodent housing and equipment, supply chain management, regulatory oversight, and veterinary/husbandry staffing. For clients whose research programs or internal expertise is at capacity, Explora also runs preclinical contract research studies including full-solution and/or a-la-carte in vivo services. Explora's CRO services include the design and execution of preclinical studies for oncology and IVIS imaging, metabolism, pain, and a variety of other common therapeutic areas; and pharmacokinetics and non-GLP toxicology studies.

For more information, visit explorabiolabs.com.

Media Contact:

Krystina Feucht, Marketing Manager

Explora BioLabs

319441@email4pr.com

858-768-2100

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/explora-biolabs-opens-new-preclinical-vivarium-in-s-san-francisco-calif-301381652.html

SOURCE Explora BioLabs
Representing the first ever First Nations equity project in an offshore energy project in Newfoundland and Labrador

Photo

Left to right Premier Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Shayne McDonald, Miawpukek First Nation Chief Misel, Miawpukek First Nation Chief Sharleen Gale, FNMPC Leo Power, LNG NL Minister Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Left to right Premier Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Shayne McDonald, Miawpukek First Nation Chief Misel, Miawpukek First Nation Chief Sharleen Gale, FNMPC Leo Power, LNG NL Minister Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) and Miawpukek First Nation (MFN) are proud to announce plans to work together towards increased equity participation in the LNG Newfoundland & Labrador Limited project (LNG NL), representing the first ever First Nations equity participation in an offshore energy project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Additionally, the equity participation agreement provides valuable contracts and exciting long term jobs for the Miawpukek community.



Since July 2021, FNMPC has been engaged by Miawpukek First Nation and Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services Ltd., a business partnership in which Miawpukek First Nation is the majority shareholder, to provide technical advice, coordination, and support to the LNG Newfoundland & Labrador project. FNMPCs services played a key role in bringing the project forward to todays signing of the Project Framework Agreement which affirms the principals of cooperation and good faith to advance the project on behalf of all parties.

Miawpukek First Nation, through our Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. partnership, is proud and very excited to be an equity partner in LNG NL, said Chief Misel Joe, Miawpukek First Nation. Producing some of the worlds cleanest LNG aligns well with the values of our First Nation. Furthermore, the benefits by way of own source revenue generation and the jobs this project will create for our community members is significant and a big part of our plan for self-sufficiency. Our inclusion in

this project is historical, transformational, and an example of how the offshore energy industry, Canada, and Newfoundland and Labrador are truly embracing and giving effect to reconciliation.

Story continues

FNMPC is pleased to be providing capacity support and assistance to Miawpukek First Nation for progressing the LNG NL project, said Chief Sharleen Gale, Chair of FNMPC. Todays announcement highlights what can happen when First Nations have access to the capacity and resources they need to implement their vision and become equity partners of major projects.

The LNG Newfoundland & Labrador project presents a substantial and game changing opportunity for Miawpukek Horizon, added Shayne McDonald, Director of Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services. Between opportunities as a preferred vendor and the long term escort vessel contract, this means meaningful well-paying employment opportunities for Indigenous seafarers operating the most environmentally and technologically advanced vessels in the world.

Now is the time to develop Newfoundland and Labradors vast reserves of offshore natural gas, said Leo Power, CEO of LNG NL. Liquefying the gas allows for transportation to export markets in Europe and beyond and will help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions as the gas can replace more carbon intensive energy sources such as coal. LNG NL will produce some of the worlds cleanest LNG, he added, because our facility will be powered by renewable hydroelectricity from our province.

Media contact:

Allie Meeres

E: allie@sedgwickstrategies.ca

P: 778-918-1250

About Miawpukek First Nation:



The Miawpukek First Nation (MFN) is a Mikmaq community located at Conne River on the Southwest coast of Newfoundland. It is 560 kilometers from St. Johns or 125 kilometers from Gander, Newfoundland. The Miawpukek Reserve at Conne River covers some 13 square miles. Most of the residents of Conne River live along a sloping hill overlooking the Bay dEspoir Water shed area. The Miawpukek First Nation was officially recognized as a Band for the purposes of the Indian Act in 1984. Lands occupied by the Mikmaq at Conne River were officially set aside as a Federal Indian Reserve in 1987. Since the Miawpukek First Nation organized itself formally in 1973, it has pursued economic development initiatives with the goal of becoming self-sufficient.

Since 2000, the Miawpukek First Nation has pursued the commercial fisheries as an economic opportunity in its adjacent waters in fishing area 3PS. Currently, the Band owns 22 4411 fishing enterprises. The aforementioned business units serve to create revenues for the Miawpukek First Nation and to employ its members. The Miawpukek First Nation has a high level of accountability and on annual basis reports to its members in assembly regarding its yearly activity and expenditures.

Amongst the regional office of Indigenous services Canada, Miawpukek First Nation is considered one of the most successful administrative Bands in the Atlantic Region and at the fore front of pursuit of self governance. Economic development and a sustainable economy is considered by the Miawpukek First Nation a key component of its strategic goals.

About FNMPC:

The First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) is a non-profit organization comprised of 70+ Indigenous communities that span across Canada. FNMPC members recognize that we are stronger together and was established to promote the shared interests of our members.

Advancing major projects is the core of FNMPCs service delivery. FNMPCs technical team is active in supporting our member communities with tools, capacity supports, and advice related to corporate structures and benefit sharing models, as well as tools to promote environmental protection and impact assessment.

About LNG Newfoundland & Labrador Limited:

LNG Newfoundland & Labrador Limited is a Newfoundland and Labrador-owned and operated corporation focused on permitting and developing LNG infrastructure needed to monetize significant stranded natural gas in the Jeanne dArc Basin, offshore Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Project requires a centralized offshore gas hub, a pipeline, and natural gas liquefaction facilities and export terminal at Grassy Point, Placentia Bay, NL.

About Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services:

Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services is a company that has evolved from a relationship that started with the recruitment and development of First Nations seafarers from the Miawpukek First Nation, as Horizon Maritime sought to expand its seafarer network and further diversify its workforce.

Miawpukek seafarers have become valued members of the Horizon Maritime team and strong relationships between Miawpukek Tribal Council and Horizon Maritime principals have developed as a result.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/752f19c8-7e3b-4593-8ab5-eaf48e255ace




ST. LOUIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Radialogica LLC and ScientificRT GmbH announced they are collaborating with IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center in Negrar, Verona, Italy, to define requirements and validate support for Elekta's Unity treatment machine in Radialogica's SciMoCa plan QA software. The collaboration centers around the pre-clinical testing and clinical implementation of SciMoCa for Monte Carlo-based secondary dose calculation and patient-specific quality assurance for radiotherapy treatments delivered by the Unity MR-Linac.

Radialogica Logo

SciMoCa combines the accuracy of Monte Carlo and the precision of custom machine-specific beam models to enhance the robustness and reliability of independent dose calculation and plan QA across all major linear accelerators as well as Cyberknife and Tomotherapy machines. The clinical demands associated with real-time plan adaptation for Unity treatment  namely, fast calculation and reporting speeds; streamlined workflow to enable quality assurance while the patient is in treatment position; and the accurate simulation of the effect of the strong magnetic field on dose deposition  impose unique demands that are particularly well suited to SciMoCa.

"Real-time plan adaptation on the MR-Linac is a radically new and sophisticated method which challenges the tenets of conventional quality assurance," said Prof. Filippo Alongi, Head of the Advanced Radiation Oncology department at IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Brescia. "We need a tool that matches or even exceeds the accuracy of measurements, is capable of handling the magnetic field, fits into the time constraints of a real-time workflow, and looks deeper than a simple point dose comparison. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Radialogica and ScientificRT to evaluate SciMoCa against these requirements in a pre-clinical environment."

Story continues

"Since our beginning with Unity in October 2019, we've been looking for an independent dose calculation engine for fast online dose recalculation that matches the accuracy of Monaco," said Ruggero Ruggieri, MSc, Head of Medical Physics department at IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center. "We hope this collaboration will soon make SciMoCa available for us and other Unity users".

While the application of Monte Carlo simulation techniques for volumetric dose calculation and comparison has transformed patient-specific QA for conventional linacs, the intense performance demands associated with real-time adaptive therapy have limited the use of such tools within the Unity workflow.

According to Dr. Markus Alber, Chief Executive Officer of ScientificRT, "Never before has the superiority of Monte Carlo as a dose computation method been more evident than for the Unity MR-Linac. The magnetic field distorts the paths of secondary electrons to an extent that cannot reasonably be modeled by any other dose calculation method. We therefore see the established SciMoCa algorithm as an ideal platform for a real-time QA solution for Unity."

"Support for Elekta Unity and other MR-Linacs represents a natural extension and evolution of SciMoCa's clinical capabilities," said Andrew Cowen, Chief Executive Officer of Radialogica. "We are delighted to partner with Prof. Alongi and his colleagues to validate this important new technology, and we look forward to supporting the broader Unity community in their goal to transform quality of care and outcomes for cancer patients."

IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center will perform pre-clinical testing of SciMoCa with a specific focus on validating dose calculation accuracy and workflow efficiency. The validation effort is expected to commence in early 2022 and the first commercial release of SciMoCa Unity support is targeted for summer 2022.

Radialogica, a privately held company based in St. Louis, is a healthcare analytics company focused on radiation oncology for cancer patients. They provide software tools and analytics services to healthcare providers, payers and clinical trials sponsors with the goal of enhancing quality of care, improving patient outcomes, and reducing the burden of cancer survivorship.

ScientificRT, a privately held company based in Munich, is a scientific consulting and software development company specialized in medical physics. It has worked with the majority of global players in radiotherapy to provide tailored leading-edge software solutions and consulting for dose computation and dose optimization and maintains strong international links to academia.

CONTACT:

Andrew Cowen

info@radialogica.com

800-515-9132

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radialogica-and-scientificrt-collaborate-with-irccs-sacro-cuore-don-calabria-cancer-care-center-to-validate-scimoca-support-for-elekta-unity-mr-linac-301381971.html

SOURCE Radialogica LLC
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Labaton Sucharow, a nationally ranked and award-winning shareholder rights firm, is investigating potential securities violations and breach of fiduciary duty claims against The Boston Beer Company, Inc. ("Boston Beer" or the "Company") (NYSE:SAM).

On September 8, 2021, after the market closed, Boston Beer announced that it was withdrawing its 2021 financial guidance issued on July 22, 2021 as a result of a decrease in demand for its hard seltzer products. The Company further disclosed that it expects to incur hard seltzer-related inventory write-offs, shortfall fees payable to 3rd party brewers, and other costs associated with the drop in demand during the remainder of fiscal year 2021.

On this news, Boston Beer's share price fell approximately 10% during after-hours trading on September 8, 2021, thereby injuring investors.

Investors who purchased the Company's securities between April 22, 2021 and September 8, 2021, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before November 15, 2021.

If you currently own stock or options in The Boston Beer Company, Inc. and suffered a loss, click here to participate.

If you want to receive additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact David J. Schwartz using the toll-free number (800) 321-0476 or via email at david@labaton.com.

About the Firm

Labaton Sucharow LLP is one of the world's leading complex litigation firms representing clients in securities, antitrust, corporate governance and shareholder rights, and consumer cybersecurity and data privacy litigation. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY, Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at labaton.com .

Story continues

CONTACT:

David J. Schwartz

(800) 321-0476

david@labaton.com

SOURCE: Labaton Sucharow LLP





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/664967/SAM-ALERT--Nationally-Ranked-Shareholder-Rights-Firm-Labaton-Sucharow-is-Investigating-The-Boston-Beer-Company-Inc-NYSESAM-for-Potential-Securities-Violations-and-Breach-of-Fiduciary-Duty




NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that class actions have commenced on behalf of certain shareholders in the following companies. If you suffered a loss you have until the lead plaintiff deadline to request that the court appoint you as lead plaintiff. There will be no obligation or cost to you.

Yalla Group Limited (NYSE:YALA)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/yalla-group-limited-loss-submission-form?prid=19755&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 12, 2021

Class Period: September 30, 2020 - August 9, 2021

Allegations against YALA include that: the Company overstated its user metrics and revenue and, as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE:ANVS)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/annovis-bio-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=19755&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 18, 2021

Class Period: May 21, 2021 - July 28, 2021

Allegations against ANVS include that: (1) Annovis's ANVS401 (Posiphen), an orally administrated drug which purportedly inhibited the synthesis of neurotoxic proteins that are the main cause of neurodegeneration, did not show statistically significant results across two patient populations as to factors such as orientation, judgement, and problem solving; and (2) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

HyreCar Inc. (NASDAQ:HYRE)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/hyrecar-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=19755&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 26, 2021

Class Period: May 14, 2021 - August 10, 2021

Allegations against HYRE include that: (a) HyreCar had materially understated its insurance reserves; (b) HyreCar had systematically failed to pay valid insurance claims incurred prior to the Class Period; (c) HyreCar had incurred significant expenses transitioning to its new third-party insurance claims administrator and processing claims incurred from prior periods; (d) HyreCar had failed to appropriately price risk in its insurance products and was experiencing elevated claims incidence as a result; (e) HyreCar had been forced to dramatically reform its claims underwriting, policies and procedures in response to unacceptably high claims severity and customer complaints; and (f) as a result, HyreCar's operations and prospects were misrepresented because the Company was not on track to meet the financial estimates provided to investors during the Class Period, and such estimates lacked a reasonable basis in fact, including HyreCar's purported gross margin, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), and net loss trajectories.

Story continues

To learn more contact Vincent Wong, Esq. either via email vw@wongesq.com or by telephone at 212.425.1140.

Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Vincent Wong, Esq.

39 East Broadway

Suite 304

New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212.425.1140

Fax. 866.699.3880

E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com

SOURCE: The Law Offices of Vincent Wong





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/665056/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-YALA-ANVS-HYRE-The-Law-Offices-of-Vincent-Wong-Reminds-Investors-of-Important-Class-Action-Deadlines




ReadSpeakers industry-leading neural text-to-speech technology to power custom in-vehicle voice assistant

UPPSALA, Sweden, September 21, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReadSpeaker, the most trusted, independent digital voice partner for global businesses, today announced that Spotify uses ReadSpeakers text-to-speech (TTS) technology to deliver custom voices for Spotifys newest exploration in the US - a limited release of Car Thing, a smart player for your car. ReadSpeakers technology currently powers the custom voice available in Car Thing.

Similar to the way the business world evolved from relying on websites to mobile apps as smartphones became popular, as the world moves beyond touchscreens and into a touchless future, consumers will become increasingly reliant on voice commands. ReadSpeaker believes that all brands have their own independent voice assistant, and custom voices will be critical in enabling brands to stand apart from competitors.

Spotify uses ReadSpeakers technology and the ReadSpeaker VoiceLab because of the companys deep expertise in custom branded voices powered by deep neural networks. Further, ReadSpeakers embedded and cloud-based solutions as well as a broad range of natural-sounding voices were a key differentiator as Spotify searched for a voice partner.

"As voice assistants gain popularity and companies look to develop their own custom voices to audibly personify their brands in the era of voice-enabled technology, Spotify is leading the charge in creating a seamless, multimodal experience for users," said Roy Lindemann, CMO at ReadSpeaker. "As leaders in our respective industry areas, this partnership is particularly excitingwe challenge each other around the voice field, and each come up with ideas and strive to drive the boundaries of innovation even further."

Interested in learning more about custom branded voices? Imagine what your branded voice persona will sound like by visiting readspeaker.ai. For more information on Car Thing visit carthing.spotify.com

Story continues

About ReadSpeaker:

ReadSpeaker is the most trusted, independent digital voice partner for global brands. With more than 20 years of industry experience, ReadSpeaker offers brands sophisticated text-to-speech solutions and expert hands-on assistance to create the most engaging bespoke voice interfaces. ReadSpeaker offers both SaaS and licensed solutions to support varying channels and devices, and consistently maintains brand trust through its commitment to data privacy. To date, the company  which provides more than 35 languages and 110 voices  has created more than 10,000 digital voice interfaces for brands around the world. For more information, visit https://www.readspeaker.com/ and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210920005675/en/

Contacts

Victoria Newell

V2 Communications for ReadSpeaker

readspeaker@v2comms.com
Contract to support infrastructure programs that drive sustainable economic growth, expand education, enhance food security, protect the environment, and address health challenges in USAID partner countries

EDMONTON, Alberta and NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TSX, NYSE:STN



Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide global architect-engineer (A/E) services through a five-year, US$800 million multiple-award task order contract. Services under this agreement include planning, design, rehabilitation, and construction supervision for the development of schools, health facilities, and energy, water, sanitation, agriculture, and transportation-related infrastructure. The federal agency leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people progress beyond assistance.

Stantec has supported USAID for over 20 years in its mission to drive global development and prosperity, an objective that resonates with Stantecs own commitment to addressing sustainable development around the globe, said Loren Labovitch, vice president of Stantecs US International Development team. This contract will give us an opportunity to further expand our support to USAID by helping the agency and their partner countries build and enhance critical infrastructure that communities rely on for sustainable economic growth.

This work will support several USAID cross-cutting initiatives designed to help developing countries pursue less carbon intensive development, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and advance gender and social inclusion. Stantec will work closely with USAID and its partners to design and implement infrastructure interventions that incorporate appropriate climate risk mitigation measures, optimize the use of clean energy and energy efficient technologies, promote nature-based solutions where feasible, enable equitable access to project benefits, and improve womens economic and workforce development opportunities.

Story continues

Stantecs International Development team, based in Washington D.C., will provide oversight of the contract and management of the subsequent task orders. The contract is USAIDs primary mechanism to procure infrastructure planning, design, and construction supervision services across a range of development sectors worldwide. Stantec has a long history of successful project delivery for USAID, including full life-cycle A/E projects. Recent experience includes supporting USAID-funded energy projects in Jordan, Nepal, and Vietnam and water and sanitation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, including the design of the first city-wide sustainable sanitation facility in Kenya.

Stantec is ranked as one of the top international design firms by Engineering News-Record. Stantec has planned, designed, and managed construction of thousands of A/E programs, from small-scale studies to large-scale programs, using state-of-the-art and innovative technologies, tools, and methods, with a particular focus on socially inclusive and climate-sensitive solutions.

Find out more about Stantecs International Development team here.

Note: The revenue and backlog from this contract are expected to be recognized over the five-year term.

About Stantec

Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we servebecause they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the services described above. Forward-looking statements also include any other statements that do not refer to historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is a risk that the services described above may be delayed, cancelled, suspended or terminated. This could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made in this news release. Except as may be required by law, Stantec undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are provided herein for the purpose of giving information about the services referred to above and their expected impact. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Media Contact Investor Relations Contact Danny Craig Tom McMillan Stantec Media Relations Stantec Investor Relations Ph (949) 632-6319 Ph (780) 917-8159 danny.craig@stantec.com tom.mcmillan@stantec.com

To subscribe to Stantecs email news alerts, please fill out the subscription form, which is available on the Contact Information page of the Investors section at Stantec.com.




Luxembourg  21 September 2021 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable(1) contract by OneSubsea, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division of Schlumberger, for a project at the Ormen Lange field operated by Shell in the Norwegian Sea.



Subsea 7s scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the subsea flowline system as well as the installation of OneSubseas multiphase compression system. The contract award follows completion of the front-end engineering design study(2) and will be executed as a Subsea Integration Alliance project(3).

Monica Th. Bjrkmann, Subsea 7s Vice President Norway, said, This award demonstrates the value Subsea Integration Alliance brings by combining the technologies and capabilities of OneSubsea and Subsea 7 into a seamless integrated offering, resulting in the delivery of optimised solutions with reduced execution and interface risk. Subsea 7 looks forward to progressing the execution phase of the project with a focus on safe, efficient and reliable operations.

(1) Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million.

(2) Announced on 31 October 2019.

(3) Subsea Integration Alliance is a strategic global alliance between Subsea 7 and OneSubsea, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division of Schlumberger, bringing together field development planning, project delivery and total lifecycle solutions under an extensive technology and services portfolio. As one team, Subsea Integration Alliance amplifies subsea performance by helping customers to define, select, install and operate the smartest subsea projects, that eliminate costly revisions, delays and reduces risk across the life of field.





*******************************************************************************

Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

Story continues

Subsea 7 is listed on the Oslo Brs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

*******************************************************************************

Contact for investment community enquiries:

Katherine Tonks

Investor Relations Director

Tel +44 (0)20 8210 5568

katherine.tonks@subsea7.com

Contact for media enquiries:

Jan Roger Moksnes

Communications Manager, Norway

Tel +47 415 15 777

janroger.moksnes@subsea7.com

Forward-Looking Statements: This announcement may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, goal, intend, likely may, plan, project, seek, should, strategy will, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the Risk Management section of the Groups Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; and (xvii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise..

Attachment




(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. will soon allow entry to most foreign air travelers as long as theyre fully vaccinated against Covid-19 -- while adding a testing requirement for unvaccinated Americans and barring entry for foreigners who havent gotten shots.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The measures announced Monday by the White House mark the most sweeping change to U.S. travel policies in months, and widen the gap in rules between vaccinated people -- who will see restrictions relaxed -- and the unvaccinated. The new rules will replace existing bans on foreigners travel to the U.S. from certain regions, including Europe.

While the move will open the U.S. to millions of vaccinated people and was celebrated by the airline industry, the White House cast the measure as a crackdown, pointing to stricter testing rules and a new contact tracing regime. The new policy will take effect in early November, according to the White House, though the precise date isnt yet clear.

We know vaccines are effective, including against the delta variant, and vaccines are the best line of defense against Covid, so this vaccination requirement deploys the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep people safe and prevent the spread of the virus, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters on Monday.

The new rules will replace the current system, which includes outright bans on entry for most foreigners whove been in certain regions -- including the U.K., European Schengen area, China, India, South Africa and Brazil -- within the previous two weeks, regardless of vaccination status.

We will protect Americans here at home and enhance the safety of international travel, Zients said.

Story continues

Attention now shifts to what vaccines will be recognized under the policy change, which saw U.S. airline shares pare pre-market losses Monday.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working on the new regulations, officials told Bloomberg News the agency currently considers people fully vaccinated when they have received the full course of a shot listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. A number of vaccines have been approved by the WHO, including those from AstraZeneca Plc and Chinese developers Sinopharm Group and Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

In Europe, shares of IAG SA, parent of trans-Atlantic specialist British Airways, jumped about 11%, the most in 10 months. There were gains of 5.3% at Air France-KLM and 5.5% at Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Before the coronavirus crisis hit, the North Atlantic corridor connecting the U.S. and Europe was the single most profitable part of the global aviation market, filled with premium travelers paying top dollar for first- and business-class seats.

The European Unions top industry official welcomed the policy change. A logical decision given the success of our EU vaccination campaign, said Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton in a tweet. He said hed be meeting with Zients Monday to continue fighting the pandemic.

British Airways Chief Executive Officer Sean Doyle called the U.S. move an historic moment and said customers could now book with confidence, while his Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. counterpart Shai Weiss said the industry had cleared a major milestone to the reopening of travel at scale.

We welcome the Biden administrations science-based approach to begin lifting the restrictions on travel to the U.S. that were put into place at the start of the pandemic, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a statement. Were looking forward to welcoming more customers back to easy, seamless international trips for business, for leisure, and to reconnect with family and friends.

We are very happy about it and we are looking forward to the additional bookings that will come because of it, JetBlue Airways Corp. Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes said in an interview. Its great that families can reconnect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

President Joe Bidens announcement comes ahead of a planned virtual vaccine summit hell host this Wednesday, where he will push for more global donations in a bid to head off criticism of U.S. hoarding, and a decision to proceed with booster shots despite the WHO urging rich countries to hold off for now.

Under the new system, vaccinated travelers will show proof as they board a plane and will still need a pre-flight Covid-19 test, within three days of departure. Theyll also need to provide a phone number and email to go into a contact-tracing system that does not yet exist.

A White House official said its not yet clear if the U.S. will maintain the current testing rules, which allow virtually any authorized test, or require a more-accurate type of test, which tend to take longer and cost more. The vaccine requirement applies to adults, a person familiar with the plan said.

Unvaccinated American travelers will need to test within one day of departure, and Zients said they will be required to test again on arrival, though an official said they would have to prove that they have bought a test to be taken after they arrive. It wasnt immediately clear how, or if, the U.S. would seek to verify the results of the second test.

Besides which vaccines it will ultimately recognize, other key details of the new system remain unclear, including whether the U.S. will insist on two doses in all cases, including for people whove previously been infected with the virus. Its also not clear what exemptions will be allowed. The White House did not immediately publish details of the new policy.

The CDC will direct airlines to collect contact tracing information from all partners. Theres no change to domestic travel rules, Zients said.

Olive Branch

The announcement came at a time of diplomatic tensions with France, a key European ally, which was enraged by a surprise deal between Australia, the U.K. and U.S. that led to the scrapping of Australias purchase of French submarines. The airline change is an olive branch to Europe, where leaders for months had urged Washington to ease its restrictions.

Theres no change to the policy as of yet along land borders, Zients said, and the ongoing land border closure will be getting another monthly extension to Oct. 21, he said. That suggests that, as of November, vaccinated Canadians and Mexicans will be free to fly to the U.S., but that a ban on crossing the border by land for leisure trips will remain in place.

Throughout the pandemic, carriers on both sides of the Atlantic have lobbied forcefully for a relaxation of travel curbs that have been in place since March 2020. While Britain and the EU lifted restrictions on visiting Americans this summer, the U.S. held off from any reciprocal loosening amid a rise in Covid-19 cases. U.S. infections have been leveling off, though cases, hospitalizations and deaths remain high.

The policy change in Washington comes after Britain indicated it would ease testing requirements for vaccinated arrivals, and simplify its system for regulating travel from different countries. European countries in particular have complained that the U.S. maintained travel restrictions on their vaccinated citizens even after they began allowing entry to vaccinated Americans.

(Updates with CDC comment on what constitutes fully vaccinated from eighth paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
U.S., several states file antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines, JetBlue FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines plane takes off from Sydney Airport in Sydney

(Reuters) - The United States and several U.S. states on Tuesday filed an antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines Group Inc and JetBlue Airways Corp, according to records in Boston federal court.

The lawsuit came after American's chief executive, Doug Parker, said he expected the U.S. government to challenge the carriers' partnership on antitrust grounds.

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the court records show.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)
KABUL -- Afghanistan's former prosecutors once worked to rid their country of its most dangerous criminals by building court cases to put them behind bars.

Now, former prosecutors are hiding themselves from those same criminals -- the murderers and drug dealers who were freed by the Taliban when the militant group took over the country and released almost all convicted criminals from Afghanistan's prisons.

For years before last month's collapse of the Afghan central government, Humayun was tasked with investigating serious crimes in the southern province of Helmand. Working in a region where most of the worlds opium is grown and processed into heroin, his job often focused on those in Afghanistan's illegal narcotics trade.

But now, Humayun says he is receiving threats from the criminals he helped to convict. He says they are demanding that he reimburse them for fines they'd paid and property that was confiscated from them as part of their sentencing.

Humayun, who like many Afghans goes by one name, cites the example of a former convict who called him recently from Helmands Nad-e Ali district.

He told me Im responsible for the confiscation of his car and that I should return it now, Humayun told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

Humayun says he is not alone in facing such demands.

Many former inmates are now threatening me and my colleagues to demand that we return their money, he said. A responsible court [working under a legitimate government and constitution] imposed penalties or ordered their properties confiscated. Yet they are insisting that we are personally responsible for what happened to them.

Jails Emptied Out

Former prosecutors from across Afghanistan tell similar stories about the threats they are receiving.

Many of those freed by the Taliban last month from Afghanistan's prisons were Taliban fighters or members of other militant groups like the Islamic state or Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan.

But the jails emptied out by the Taliban also included prisoners convicted for crimes that would have received severe punishments, even the death penalty, under the Taliban's own interpretation of Islamic law.

Afghan lawyers tell RFE/RL that those former inmates already have targeted at least three former prosecutors in revenge killings.

Hayatullah Khan, a pseudonym for a former government attorney who requested anonymity because of security fears, says he knew those targeted.

They included Ahmadi Shah, who was assassinated in Nangarhar Province on August 26," he said. "The next day, another prosecutor was killed in [the western province of] Farah. On September 12, another former prosecutor Nusrat Ullah was killed. Every [former] prosecutor here now faces grave dangers.

Although the Taliban has declared that its forces will not torment those who worked for the ousted Afghan government, reports of retribution and reprisal killings are common across Afghanistan.

The Taliban has said nothing about former government workers who are being targeted in revenge killings. The militant group also has said little about the structure of the future court system under their rule, or whether they will allow former Afghan justice officials to return to work.

'No Need For Prosecution'

Haroun Rahimi, a self-exiled assistant law professor from the Kabul-based American University of Afghanistan, says he does not expect the Taliban to continue to employ any former prosecutors.

The prosecution is basically an element of due process, Rahimi told RFE/RL. You need a government person to actually make a case that a person who is being accused of a crime is guilty.

But when I talked to prosecutors in Herat who have met with the Taliban's top judge in the province, they said the Taliban feel they have no need for prosecution, he said.

They said the Taliban has not appointed anybody as a caretaker for the prosecution in Herat," Rahimi noted. "They said the Taliban basically implied that they have no need for prosecutors -- that the forces who will actually be arresting people and punishing people would just do the job of the prosecution themselves.

The element of the rule of law in legal terms -- not the police investigators, but the due process of law -- felt very strange to the Taliban, Rahimi said.

"This suggests that the Taliban is going to continue to run the judiciary the way it has done so far as an insurgency with its shadow courts," Rahimi said. "Often there is just one judge for a whole province, and that judge is the sole decision maker.

Videos of the Taliban publicly punishing alleged criminals suggest the hard-line movement may formalize its shadow courts that had dispensed quick rulings under Taliban commanders or clerics.

Theres no indication that the Taliban are thinking about incorporating the institutional setup of the previous governments judicial and legal system, Rahimi said. They view that system with distain. Theyd like to continue what they perceive as a more Islamic -- authentically Islamic -- simple version of the adjudication that they were doing with their shadow courts.

Female prosecutors see no prospect for returning to their work. Some say they receive threats every day and worry about their safety.

Jamila, a pseudonym for a woman who'd worked as a prosecutor in Kabul, says she and her colleagues are desperate to leave the country.

She says their work for the ousted government means they are in danger along with their families.

We want the media to convey our message to the world, she told Radio Azadi. The international community should help relocate us to a safe place, so we dont suffer a complete nervous breakdown.

Britain has already evacuated some prosecutors and judges of a Kabul-based special crimes tribunal to Manchester and other cities. That court dealt with serious criminal cases in Afghanistan.

With reporting by Radio Azadi correspondents on the ground in Afghanistan whose names are being withheld for their protection.
The Taliban-led government has expanded its interim cabinet, releasing a list of deputy ministers solely comprising men despite increasing international criticism that the hard-line Islamist group's actions were failing to live up to its early pledges of inclusion for women.

Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid presented the list of deputy ministers and agency heads on September 21, as three international human rights groups issued a report documenting a litany of abuses since the Taliban seized power in mid-August, including targeted killings of civilians, the repression of the rights of women and girls, and the intimidation of human rights defenders.



"In just over five weeks since assuming control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have clearly demonstrated that they are not serious about protecting or respecting human rights. We have already seen a wave of violations, from reprisal attacks and restrictions on women, to crackdowns on protests, the media and civil society," Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for South Asia, said in a statement.



Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, Mujahid said that two veteran battlefield commanders were appointed as deputy defense and interior ministers, adding to the roster of hard-liners in the main group of ministers.

The newly nominated Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir and Sadr Ibrahim were identified in UN reports as being among battlefield commanders who were pressing the Taliban leadership to step up the war against the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Mujahid defended the latest nominations, saying they increase ethnic representation in the cabinet. Tajik businessman Haji Nooruddin Azizi was appointed acting trade minister, while his deputy Haji Mohammad Azim Sultanzada is an ethnic Uzbek businessman. Mohammad Hassan Ghiasi, deputy minister for public health, is a member of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara ethnic minority.

The spokesman said that women might be added at some time in the future, but that did little to allay growing fears that the government installed by the Taliban after it gained control of most of the war-torn country and ousted the Western-backed government on August 15 will return to the repressive rule it employed during when in power from 1996 to 2001.

The Taliban has sought to counter that image with promises of moderate policies and respect for rights, but the formation of an all-male government led by hard-line veterans composed of men who are mostly from the Pashtun ethnic group failed to back up the pledge.

The international community has warned it would judge the group by its actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to issues including the treatment of women and minorities.

According to Mujahid, there is no reason for withholding recognition.

It is the responsibility of the United Nations to recognize our government [and] for other countries, including European, Asian, and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us, he said.

The cabinet list comes after the government excluded girls from returning to secondary school last week.

Mujahid suggested this was a temporary decision, saying: "We are finalizing things.

Soon it will be announced when they can go to school, the spokesman said.

Last month, the Taliban-led government announced that female university students could continue their studies but only in gender-segregated classes and if they wore a niqab -- an Islamic veil that covers the face -- and abaya -- a loose-fitting and all-covering robe.

In the Talibans previous rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, girls were not allowed to attend school and women were banned from work and education.

In their report published on September 21, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) document how womens rights are being repressed under the Taliban, including targeted killings of civilians, the repression of the rights of women and girls, and the intimidation of human rights defenders.



"Women who were in government prior to the Talibans takeover have by and large fled the country; however, there have already been several instances of reprisals against their employees, colleagues, and family members who have stayed in Afghanistan," the report says.



It added that female judges and prosecutors have also come "under threat" from the Taliban, as well as from men who had been imprisoned on charges of murder or domestic violence and subsequently freed by the militants.



As a result of the climate of fear, many women are now dressed in burqas covering their whole bodies and leave their homes only a male guardian. Most have stopped other activities to avoid violence and reprisals.



"Why are boys allowed to study, when there is no such right for girls?" Rawanda Abraar, an Afghan student from Kabul, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi during a program on female leadership on September 20.



"I have studied hard for the past 11 years. I dreamed of studying journalism at university and being a voice for my people. All my dreams were destroyed. We can't even leave our homes freely. I want to finish my education. We dont deserve to be buried alive in our own homes," she added.

The Taliban has also engaged in large-scale door-to-door searches, forcing human rights defenders into hiding, while others were beaten up by militants, the human rights groups said.



Other abuses included a crackdown on freedom of expression, with many protests being violently repressed by the Taliban, and reprisals on former government workers.



The report calls on the UN Human Rights Council to "take decisive action to establish a robust independent investigative mechanism to monitor and report on human rights abuses committed in violation of international human rights law, and to contribute to accountability for crimes under international law."



"Human rights defenders, journalists, and others who are targeted for their work must be evacuated and given safe passage if they wish to leave Afghanistan; and women and girls, and ethnic and religious minorities who are targeted because of their gender, ethnic, and religious identity, must be guaranteed protection," it says.

Afghanistans unsettled future under its new rulers is among the issues featuring prominently at the United Nations General Assembly which started on September 21 in New York.



The ruling emir of Qatar, whose nation has played a pivotal role in Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal, urged world leaders against turning their backs on the Taliban.



Speaking from the UN General Assembly podium, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stressed "the necessity of continuing dialogue with [the] Taliban because [a] boycott only leads to polarization and reactions, whereas dialogue could bring in positive results.



The Qatari ruler said the international community must continue to back Afghanistan and to separate humanitarian aid from political differences.



Afghanistan, one of the worlds poorest countries, relies on billions of dollars in foreign aid each year, though that could change with the U.S.-backed government out of power and the Taliban now in charge.



The leader of another neighbor, Uzbekistan, said the Central Asian country has resumed the supply of oil and electricity to Afghanistan.



It is impossible to isolate Afghanistan and leave it within the range of its problems, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev told the UN General Assembly, calling for a permanent UN Committee on Afghanistan.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
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.
Minutes before Barry Morphew walked out of the Chaffee County jail, an ankle monitor on his leg and a daughter pushing him into a waiting vehicle, the 129-page court document explaining in great detail why he was arrested in his wife, Suzannes, murder was released to the public.

The document contained some new insight into the decline of 32-year marriage, but much of the case has already been revealed by prosecutors during last months four-day preliminary hearing.

Not revealed before in the voluminous document was the revelation one of the Morphews' daughters admitted to police the day after Mothers Day 2020, when her mom disappeared, her parents were not doing well and that they were both in an unsafe place emotionally. It was the first time those words had come from the daughter herself, instead of being relayed through testimony thirdhand. Investigators read from Suzanne's texts while they were on the stand, as during such hearings, hearsay is admitted.

According to court documents, on May 10 at 3:50 p.m., one of the daughters texted the neighbor who reported Suzanne missing, "I'm just so sad. ... I texted mom for Mother's Day and she still hasn't answered and I'm scared her and dad probably got in a big fight. ... I might have to be home a lot more and it will probably be the worst summer of my life."

The couples two grown daughters were present at all four days of hearings, many times sobbing as, bit by bit, information about the possibility that their dad killed their mother trickled out through testimony. Barry's mother and sister have also been in the courtroom to support him, and a contingent of friends and family flew out from Indiana to support him during Fridays hearing.

Hanna, a first cousin who would only give a first name for fear of retribution, told The Gazette, Ive known Barry my entire life. He and Suzanne hung out at my parents house a lot. Hes absolutely not capable of doing this.

Hanna said she hopes Suzannes body is found because she thinks once that happens, her cousin will be cleared of murdering his wife.

The affidavit revealed some observations from Chaffee County sheriff's deputies who were first on the scene, including one note that Barry's Bobcat had barefoot marks inside the bucket and that the cutting blade had been recently replaced.

On May 23, while searches were being conducted on the Morphew family home, three bloodhounds trained to detect human decomposition alerted to the bed of a flatbed trailer parked in the west driveway. Then all three dogs alerted to Barry's Bobcat, according to court documents, which added that one of the animals "jumped into the Bobcat and even tried to lay down on the driver's seat."

Later prosecutors discounted the Bobcat as being involved in Suzanne's disappearance.

The affidavit, released Monday, revealed a 50-item list of grievances about Barry and her marriage that Suzanne had written and saved in her cellphone on Friday, May 8, a day before her last known communication. Reasons for wanting to leave their 32-year marriage included, in her words, that her husband chased me around resort and threatened, mental abuse while drinking NYE  name calling/said I only need for $, shame and guilt daily for not meeting expectations and wiring money from inv account without asking or discussing.

Suzanne's cellphone was never found, but investigators were able to recover the notes from her iCloud account.

Law enforcement relied on text messages between Suzanne and her husband, friends and family to build their case. But it was a May 6 text that Barry had allegedly deleted from his phone that forensic cellphone experts recovered that prosecutors say is key to the murder case.

That day, the 49-year-old mother of two texted her husband that the marriage was over. Im done, she wrote. I could care less what youve been up to for years, adding that they needed to "figure this out civilly.

And it was the messages that Suzanne didnt respond to that provide clues as to when she disappeared without a trace, they say. On the morning of May 10, the Morphew daughters, who were on a camping trip, wrote Mothers Day messages to their mom that never received a response. Further, Barry said he texted his wife all day, including a morning Mothers Day message that went ignored.

Suzanne's best friend from college, Sheila Oliver, told investigators she also tried to reach her that day, sending three Snapchat messages between 6:40 and 6:48 p.m. with no luck.

Just days before Suzanne had texted Oliver that Barry prob doesnt think Im strong enough to do it. Given finances. In the same conversation, she called her husband a Jekyll and Hyde and wrote that he was begging for another chance. Im so torn, Morphew, 49, told her friend on text. But in my heart, I know who he is.

Suzannes last known communication, according to court documents, was a LinkedIn message on Saturday, May 9, to a high school friend with whom she had allegedly been having a two-year affair. At 2:11 p.m., she wrote to Jeff Libler, who was in Michigan at the time, Hey, Im on Wa," referring to a WhatsAp application they often used to speak to each other.

Telematix information from Barry's truck showed that he arrived at the home 30 minutes later. Around this time, tracking data from his phone showed Barry was moving around the house quite a bit. He explained the movement to investigators by telling them he was chasing a chipmunk with a .22 caliber rifle, saying, When Im home I just walk around and shoot em. Just keep going around the house," court papers alleged.

Investigators did not know about Suzannes lover until six months after she disappeared, according to court documents. In November 2020, when Libler first interviewed with them, he gave them DNA, passwords to his social media accounts and credit card charges for May 9 and May 11, made at stores in Michigan. He is not considered a suspect in her death, according to prosecutors.

Its unclear whether Barry knew about Libler, but court documents mention that on May 6, he accused her of having a boyfriend. And, according to Suzannes text messages, Barry was suspicious, even taking her phone away from her on a trip to Mexico.

Barry's insistence to investigators that he didnt know about the physical affair was a central theme of his conversations with them. Still, even though Barry denied knowing about Libler, he said he suspected she may be having an emotional affair.

I had some intuition, but I would never think it was a physical thing, he told investigators in March 2020. If you would've said shes texting somebody and having an emotional conversational affair, maybe I could've  but physical? She loves the Lord. She knows Gods word. We, I mean, we gotta answer to the Lord when we do things like that.

Barry was arrested last May 5, almost a year to the day that his wife went missing.

Barry's attorneys have maintained his innocence, bringing up several pieces of evidence, including touch DNA found on the glovebox of Suzannes Range Rover that matches at least one unknown sex offender, a couple of unexplained pings to her phone just after midnight on May 9 and the fact that Barry visited a hot tub dealer on that afternoon. They also say his truck never left their home that night and that he didnt have enough time to dispose of a body in the dark while the ground was frozen.

Attorney Dru Nielsen argued against unsealing the arrest affidavit Friday, saying shed never seen anything like it.

The DAs office did this with a target audience that is not the judge. They wrote this to sway court of public opinion and taint a jury pool, Nielsen said. It is imperative to preserve his right to a fair trial. Release of this will damage his ability to get a fair trial.

The judge set the trial date for May 3 through June 4.

Suzanne Morphews older sister, Melinda Moorman, has been watching court proceedings over a live court feed created especially for her family. She tells The Gazette her most pressing concern is for the Morphews daughters and her nieces Mallory and Macy Morphew.

Sometimes the pain of living in denial becomes greater than facing the truth, Moorman said. My heart is for Mallory and Macy and their future healing from this tragedy.

Gazette reporter Evan Ochsner contributed to this report.
A little more than a year into Denver's program designed to redirect emergency calls more suited for social services than police, none of those redirected calls have resulted in arrests .
Gary White was adopted as a child. White spent 10 years living up and down the front range and eventually earned a Bahcelor's Degree in English Education from Colorado State University. After graduating, he moved to New Mexico where he taught for 11 years on the Navaho and Zuni Native American reservations. Around the turn of the century, he moved to Colorado Springs, and has worked for Widefield School District 3 ever since.
LETTERS: COVID more deadly than terrorists; support for federal agencies is in DC
One of the nation's largest apartment developers has moved ahead with two projects that will add nearly 600 units in downtown Colorado Springs  completing the purchase of a site for one, continuing construction on the other and assigning names to each.

A limited liability company formed by South Carolina-based Greystar Real Estate Partners and equity partner Origin Investments of Chicago, whose LinkedIn page says it builds, buys and lends to multifamily projects in fast-growing markets, paid $6.5 million on Sept. 3 for property southeast of Weber and Cimarron streets, El Paso County land records show.

The roughly 2.3-acre Weber-and-Cimarron site includes two former Salvation Army buildings in the 500 block of South Weber and the old Elks Lodge building in the 300 block of East Cimarron, according to land records. The property was acquired from Weber Street Investments, a local investment group.

A proposal that Greystar submitted last fall to city government planners shows the Salvation Army and Elks Lodge buildings will be demolished to make way for a five-story, 277-unit apartment complex.

No demolition work appears to have begun at the site yet, but construction crews last week were relocating a sewer line and had closed off Cimarron on the property's north side while the work was underway.

Greystar and Origin Investments recently announced that the project will be named "Ensley" after Elizabeth Piper Ensley.

A 2020 History Colorado online post described Ensley as an African American educator, activist and early 20th century suffragist who moved to Denver in the 1890s. She was inducted posthumously into the Colorado Womens Hall of Fame.

Ensley will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom units of 480 to 1,298 square feet. Amenities will include a co-working area, fitness center and movement studio, pool, bike storage and wash area. A six-story, 325-stall parking garage will connect to the apartments via three pedestrian bridges.

"The community, which offers an amenity rich lifestyle in Colorado Springs' busy urban center as well as easy access to the area's abundant outdoor recreational options, is slated for completion in 2023," according to a Greystar and Origin news release.

The companies' first downtown Colorado Springs apartment project is underway northeast of Pikes Peak and Wahsatch avenues.

At Pikes Peak and Wahsatch, a U.S Bank building and drive-thru and a building that housed the Pikes Peak Post 4051 Veterans of Foreign Wars have been razed.

In their place, Greystar and Origin have launched construction of a six-story, 321-unit complex and a 380-space parking garage.

Originally called Elan at Pikes Peak, the project now will be known as "Fiona." The name will "capture the regions seasonal beauty and vibrant community spirit," according to Greystar and Origin.

"Fiona," the companies say in a news release, "is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word for 'vine,' and reflects the communitys warm, welcoming elegance and the growth occurring within Colorado Springs as new industry and residents move into the area."

Similar to Ensley, Fiona will have a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two- bedroom apartments, ranging from 480 to 1,368 square feet. It's slated to open in mid-2023.

Amenities will include 25,000 square feet of exterior space in three courtyards, a lap pool, spa, fitness courtyard, grilling area, clubhouse, game room, sky deck, fitness center, dog wash and bike shop. The complex also will have a 7,500-square-foot dog park on an adjacent parcel to the north.

Apartments at Ensley and Fiona will rent for market rates and start at $1,280, according to Greystar and Origin. In the second quarter, Colorado Springs rents averaged nearly $1,430 a month, according to a recent University of Denver report.

The projects add to an explosion of new apartments, condos and lofts that are open, under construction or planned in downtown Colorado Springs, which had gone for decades without new housing until about five years ago.

Since then, downtown has seen the opening of more than 400 apartments at 333 ECO, The Mae on Cascade, Blue Dot Place and Casa Mundi.

Two additional projects  Pikes Peak Plaza and the 322 Vermijo Apartments  are under construction and will add about 380 units, while a suburban Seattle apartment developer plans upward of 1,200 units near a downtown multi-use stadium that opened this year.
Just when it seemed the cost of housing along the Front Range already was approaching Californias, along comes an attempt in Castle Rock to slam the door on even more would-be Colorado home buyers. In other words, this couldnt come along at a worse time.
Most Coloradans agree with government leaders who impose vaccine and mask mandates to curb the spread of COVID-19 and its Delta variant, according to a survey commissioned by Colorado Politics, the Denver Gazette and 9News.

The SurveyUSA assessment indicated 55% support the public health orders such as those imposed by Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and other local governments across the state.

Forty percent disagreed, including 78% of those who said they were unvaccinated.

The most commonly cited reason (24%) for being unvaccinated was concern over the safety of the vaccine, while 16% thought the virus was a hoax.

Fifteen percent saw it as a government intrusion into their life, and 11% doubted the scientists.

Those who identified as Democrats overwhelmingly supported mask requirements at 81%, compared to 48% of unaffiliated voters and 26% of Republicans.

The poll suggested 72% of vaccinated Coloradans are concerned their health will be affected by those who are unvaccinated, including 35% who said they were "very concerned."

Those polled this month also shared broad approval of vaccine requirements for health care workers and teachers.

Seventy percent of survey participants said doctors, nurses and other hospital employees should be vaccinated, the same margin who said mandates should apply to those working in nursing homes, while just 22% said vaccinations should not be required in health care settings.

As for private businesses, 50% of those surveyed said employees should be required to be vaccinated, compared to 39% who disagreed.

As for masks in schools, 57% said K-12 teachers should be required to wear masks, while 33% disagreed. Similarly, Coloradans supported a requirement for K-12 students to wear masks, 55% to 37%.

Respondents were split on whether businesses should have the legal right to deny service to those who are unvaccinated  45% said they should and 44% said they should not.

On Aug. 2, Hancock set a Sept. 30 deadline for all city employees and private-sector workers in high-risk settings to be fully vaccinated.

The mandate applies to more than 10,000 municipal employees, including police officers, firefighters, and sheriffs deputies. The order also extends to public and private schools, higher education campuses, nursing homes, homeless shelters, hospitals and correctional facilities.

The same week, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced state employees who cannot show proof of vaccination will have to get tested twice a week and wear masks at work.

This month, Polis went farther, backing President Joe Bidens vaccine-or-testing mandate for large businesses, similar to what he imposed on state workers.

Some hospitals are reaching very close to their capacity limits and that wouldn't be happening if people were vaccinated, Polis said. You have 25% of the population that is 80% of the hospitalizations, and they have worse outcomes, higher death rates, longer hospitals stays.

I'm strongly encouraging you, if you haven't yet, get vaccinated.

Boulder County reinstated its indoor mask mandate on Sept. 3, and this month the town of Erie joined an increasing list of municipalities.

Only second to vaccination, adoption of a universal mask order is an extremely effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and minimize disruptive cycles of reactionary orders, and is particularly important for seeing a rapid shift, Camille Rodriguez, executive director of Boulder County Pubic Health, said in a statement.

Businesses and public venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Colorado Convention Center require proof of vaccination to enter, following guidance from the state and city health departments.

Republicans see vaccine mandates as an energizing issue for the GOP base heading into next year's mid-terms, when Polis is on the ballot for reelection.

The Colorado survey is in step with the national mood.

A poll last month for the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago.indicated 55% of adults support requiring face masks around other people outside their homes, while just 26% opposed it.

Survey USA contacted a representative sample of 500 Coloradans between Sept. 9 and Sept 13. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.4%.

Read the full survey by clicking here.
There have been a dozen efforts to recall Colorado elected officials this year. But unlike the 2020 recall of the governor and members of the General Assembly, citizens have attempted to drive out county commissioners and local officials.
Monument Army Ranger among group of volunteers to come to aid of Gold Star mother
INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Protecting critical infrastructure: All hands on deck

Water. Electricity. Gas. Internet and cellular signals. These are just part of the basic infrastructure that helps communities function.

While most of these critical infrastructure services have been available for decades, they certainly were not the targets of malicious cyberattacks they have become today. The could happen in the future mentality about attacks on our infrastructure has turned into a which one is next and a not if, but when crisis across the country.

As the economy has shifted to running mostly online, it has become dependent on the internet, which has directly led to a significant increase in vulnerabilities. Attacks are no longer just impacting businesses and governments but are disrupting citizens day-to-day lives and how society functions. Plus, the motives of hackers have evolved, as they look for opportunities to create chaos that creates an environment they can take advantage of.

The attacks have become so frequent and widespread that its clear were entering a new era of warfare. A digital Pearl Harbor is becoming a constant threat as the nations adversaries look to disrupt critical infrastructure. Any major attack on utilities, supply chains or transportation systems will accomplish that.

A recent Senate report found several large federal agencies have failed to implement sufficient data security protocols to date. Although these findings are alarming, theyre also a wake-up call for lawmakers to pursue legislation that would formalize and unify cybersecurity measures across federal infrastructure. Without collective agreement about proper cyber defense protocols at the highest levels of government, it becomes exponentially more challenging to implement informed cyber policy across the entities those agencies oversee (e.g., schools, banks, hospitals, etc.). Without proper policy, the U.S. continues to leave itself open to foreign adversaries, resulting in continued attacks on critical infrastructure and health care systems and supply chain exploits like the SolarWinds attack.

Words into action

Cyber defense moved significantly forward on July 28, when President Joe Biden signed a national security memorandum, Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems. The NSM essentially implements long overdue efforts to meet the threats our country faces.

In short, the NSM directs the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other agencies to develop cybersecurity performance goals for critical infrastructure that will help companies that provide essential services like power, water, and transportation strengthen their cybersecurity.

The NSM calls for federal agencies to present a united front led by DHS with CISA spearheading proactive cyber strategy.

That strategy should be backed by legislation and actively enforced rather than positioned as guidance. Reported security oversights and vulnerabilities must also be immediately addressed through better interagency information sharing. Back-end IT systems should be updated (in accordance with NIST guidelines) to phase out legacy components and enable regular patching.

Finally, deeper implementation of zero-trust protocols outlined by Bidens recent executive order on Improving the Nations Cybersecurity will help federal agencies stay better insulated from unauthorized access of sensitive data and insider threats.

Government has the resources it needs to improve its cybersecurity posture, but it must work cohesively  and together  to overcome communication and policy barriers to take advantage of those resources. The federal government must also push for more cyber-trained resources, like CISOs, for government and private industries.

While the NSM and the presidents EO have kick-started a focused and aggressive effort to address significant cybersecurity threats, securing critical infrastructure requires a whole-of-nation effort. The country is still far from implementing what is required to protect its commercial and private sectors, but together I believe we can get there.
Main_Content



September 7, 2021

Media Contact:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Charles Gischlar, Deputy Director, Media Relations, 410-767-6491



Maryland Department of Health launches grassroots community canvassing program to engage unvaccinated Marylanders

$3 million community-based grant program funds door-to-door outreach to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, testing and to provide health education in at-risk neighborhoods

BALTIMORE, MDThe Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced the launch of the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project, a community-based, door-to-door canvassing effort to directly engage Marylanders living in areas with low vaccination rates. Canvassing will begin in mid-September and will continue through June 2022.

We have made tremendous progress in vaccinating Marylanders against COVID-19, yet we understand that some unvaccinated residents still need more information," said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. By going door-to-door and sharing information, we can help more Marylanders make an informed decision about getting vaccinated as we continue our efforts to ensure there is no arm left behind."

Funded through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cooperative agreement, the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project supports broad-based vaccine distribution to ensure greater vaccine equity and access to those disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

MDH's Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (MHHD) has awarded $2 million to 20 community-based organizations to provide hard-to-reach Marylanders with enhanced access to vaccines, testing and health education resources.

Canvassers will conduct door-to-door visits in areas identified through ZIP code analysis as having low vaccination uptake and will provide information on local vaccination locations and testing. MDH conducted training with participating community organizations, including lessons on COVID-related medical terminology and translation, cultural competency and personal safety.

We're urging everyone in these most vulnerable communities to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated," said MHHD Deputy Director Dr. Mark Martin. These door-to-door efforts are important in generating awareness, addressing vaccine hesitancy through education and saving lives."

A list of grantees who have accepted awards to date is available from MHHD.

For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.

For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.





-###-







The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/MDHealthDept and https://www.facebook.com/MDHealthDept.














Morans Leah Owen, MD, PhD, Selected to Present Research to Utahs Congressional Delegation at Emerging Vision Scientist Day

Sep 20, 2021 11:30 AM

Leah A. Owen, MD, PhD

Eye research breakthroughs not only change lives but also reduce the cost of eye disease and vision impairment, projected to reach $717 billion annually by 2050.

John A. Moran Eye Center surgeon-scientist Leah A. Owen, MD, PhD, is among 28 elite, early-career vision scientists selected to present their research to Congress this September. Her work to prevent a blinding eye disease affecting premature babies will help raise awareness about the life-long impact of pediatric vision impairment, costs of eye disease, and the need for continued federal funding support to minimize vision loss across the lifespan.

The group of scientists will be presenting their contributions at the Seventh Annual Emerging Vision Scientists Day, which will be held virtually on September 21, 2021. The event is sponsored by the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR/AEVR).

NAEVER aims to show Congress the critical work investigators are doing early in their careers and why it is vital to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Eye Institute (NEI), so the work can continue. The group asked the scientists to make a video presentation detailing their research and its potential impact.

This NAEVR event offers a great opportunity to advocate for continued, strong NIH-NEI funding for our work and for all vision research, which is vital to the continued advancement of vision-saving treatments and improved patient outcomes. Leah A. Owen, MD, PhD

As part of the virtual event, NAEVR will share the Emerging Vision Scientists videos with all Congressional offices and arrange virtual meetings for the researchers with their respective Congressional representatives.

Held in conjunction with International Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Week 2021, Emerging Visiting Scientists Day is supported by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness and Novartis, with streaming support by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Focus on Retinopathy of Prematurity

In her clinical practice, Owen specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of pediatric eye disease, including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). She also focuses on ROP in her lab.

ROP affects premature infants and accounts for up to 40 percent of all childhood blindness worldwide. ROP disease interrupts natural blood vessel maturation in the back of the eye, which does not complete growth until full term. This causes disordered blood vessel growth that in severe disease is associated with complete blindness, though even mild ROP can cause lifelong visual impairment. The devastating effects of ROP are increasing worldwide as advancing technology improves preterm infant survival.

We cannot cure or prevent ROP, said Owen, and while our current gold standard treatment can often prevent complete blindness, it causes permanent scarring and cannot restore healthy blood vessels, eye or vision development. Ultimately, we hope our research to understand maternal, placental, and infant molecular factors that predispose infants to develop ROP will shift the paradigm toward ROP prevention and help us facilitate healthy eye development for all preterm infants."
For All U of U Health Patients & Visitors
A year and a half removed from the brunt of the stay-at-home lockdowns that ruled most of the world because of COVID-19, the global demand for cheese is reaching record highs. That is great news for American dairy farmers as competitively priced U.S. cheese capitalizes on demand and appears ready to have one of its best years of sales.

United States Dairy Export Council (USDEC) economic analyst Stephen Cain further explained those numbers on the September 15 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream, noting that 2.6 billion pounds of cheese had been exported globally through June. Thats nearly 10% higher than the same time frame in 2020.

That puts us on pace to have the largest volume of cheese exports in a single year ever, he said.

Simply put, demand is strong as countries continue to return to more normal economic activities, such as going to restaurants. Together, Eurasia, China, and South America cheese imports have risen 22% in the last year, Cain said. But its not only those players that are looking for more cheese to meet domestic needs.

Twelve of the 15 largest cheese-importing countries in the world are all importing more cheese, he added. That goes to show this demand increase is not just isolated to a handful of countries around the world; this is really a global uptick in demand for cheese.

U.S. meets the need

The U.S. is the largest global supplier of cheese, and so far this year, we have already exported 516 million pounds of cheese, Cain said. In other words, thats more than 5 billion pounds of milk.

Reflecting that global demand, U.S. cheese sales are on track for a banner year. Driving a large share of that number is Latin America, where Cain said sales are up 34% over the last year.

In explaining why, Cain shared that U.S. cheese offers a favorable price right now, especially considering our proximity to the region and advantages in transportation costs. And while shipping constraints are making plenty of headlines these days, much of those issues are on the West Coast of the U.S. Most product shipped to Latin America goes across the southern border or out from the East Coast, he said. Finally, vaccination rates against COVID-19 are climbing in those countries, bringing back demand in food service and tourism sectors.

Latin America already makes up about 40% of our cheese exports, Cain said, which includes about 25% to Mexico. Another 30% goes to Japan and Korea, with the remaining 30% found in smaller trading partners throughout the world.

Basically what that means is three-quarters of our cheese exports are going to Japan, Korea, and Latin America, Cain stated.

As demand appears to be poised to hold steady in those countries and many others, U.S. cheese will be available to fill those orders.

To watch the recording of the September 15 DairyLivestream, go to the link above. The program recording is also available as an audio-only podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and downloadable from the Hoards Dairyman website.

An ongoing series of events

The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, October 20 at 11 a.m. CDT. Each episode is designed for panelists to answer over 30 minutes of audience questions. If you havent joined a DairyLivestream broadcast yet, register here for free. Registering once registers you for all future events.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

September 16, 2021
To make a busy week simpler, some people like to plan meals ahead so they dont have to worry each day what to make for dinner. Similarly, an established feeding plan is an important part of successfully raising calves on autofeeders.

It is non-negotiable, whether calves are housed in pairs or groups, you have to feed 8 quarts (liters) of milk at a minimum as soon as you can, said Bob James, a professor emeritus with Virginia Tech, during the September Hoards Dairyman webinar. If you feed less, you have hungry calves, and they can start cross sucking.

He added, When I see intake on most calves, if raised right and have really good vigor, they are going to be eating 8 quarts (liters) by at least 7 to 10 days of age.

For James, who now serves as a dairy consultant with Down Home Heifer Solutions, ad libitum access to milk the first 28 days on the feeder is ideal. He has found that some calves will drink up to 16 liters per day. If farms dont want to provide that much milk, he said a maximum daily allotment could be set at 12 liters.

From Day 28 to Day 32, daily milk should be reduced to 8 liters and then remain at that level until Day 42. This milk reduction is intended to stimulate starter intake and prepare the calf for weaning.

Then, from Day 42 to Day 56, reduce the milk allotment from 8 liters to 2 liters to gradually wean the calves. James, who works with dairy producers around the world, said that this system works quite successfully for many farms.

Milk provided per meal could vary from 1.5 liters for the youngest calves up to 3 liters for older calves. Calves could be permitted to access another meal after two hours.

Milk or milk replacer?

When deciding between feeding milk or milk replacer in the autofeeder, James reminded, Consistency is important regardless of what is being fed.

If feeding milk, That milk really should be pasteurized, he emphasized strongly. Even if feeding good milk from the dairy, James said there is the potential for some disease agents to pass through that milk.

My goal is to maintain quality from cow to calf, he said, noting that milk already starts out with higher bacteria counts than milk replacer.

If feeding unsalable milk from fresh or sick cows, James said a farm must monitor how much milk is available to feed calves and know what will be used to supplement when there isnt enough unsalable milk available. Also, if a farm has enough unsalable milk to feed all its calves, he said there may be other situations that need to be addressed. James noted that the better farms he works with only have enough waste milk to meet a third to no more than half of their calf-feeding needs.

In addition, James reminded the audience that unsalable milk is not free. It costs you money to produce that, he stated, so it must go into the equation.

While milk can be used very successfully in autofeeders, James said milk replacers can simplify management. A farm must be willing to pay for quality milk replacer, though, with a minimum of 24% crude protein and fat up to 25%.

Many autofeeders are designed for both milk and milk replacer, and James said, I think you can be successful with both if properly managed.

To learn more, watch the September Hoards Dairyman webinar, Raising calves on autofeeders  will it work for you? This webinar was sponsored by TechMix.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

September 20, 2021
Australian executives believe their businesses are well set up to handle cyber incidents. Photo: Shutterstock

Overconfident Australian technology leaders believe they are much better at protecting their companies networks from cybercriminals than statistics suggest, according to new figures suggesting that many companies simply dont have all the security skills they need.

Asked to rate their companys IT security capabilities on a scale of 1 to 10, 65 per cent of the CxOs surveyed by specialised recruitment firm Robert Half gave their companies a score of 8 or higher.

Only one in 10 executives rated their companys cyber security defences a 5 or lower.

The figures raise questions for Robert Half director Andrew Brushfield, who warned that the rapid uptake of remote technologies has exposed growing gaps in cyber security, data exposure and user error.

While Australian leaders are confident in their companies existing capabilities, he said, to stay protected, businesses must evolve their cyber security talent pipeline and expertise in line with evolving cyber security threats.

Despite their strong confidence in overall security protections, executives were less optimistic that they have enough skilled cyber security staff  with just 63 per cent of respondents confident that they have all of the necessary skillsets to mitigate known and unknown security threats.

More than a third of CIOs (36 per cent) believe they have some of the skills they need, with around a quarter of respondents identifying their key areas of deficiency as network security, security architecture, cloud security, and data privacy.

These shortfalls could foster serious problems down the track, with recent high-level government reports suggesting companies arent as good at keeping up with attackers as their executives believe.

The newly updated Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Annual Cyber Threat Report, for one, noted that volumes of cyber attacks had increased by 13 per cent in the last year alone  with more incidents with substantial impact due to the increased complexity and sophistication of [cybercriminal] operations.

Similarly, the latest half-year report from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) noted that the percentage of data breaches caused by malicious attacks increased from 57 per cent in the second half 2020, to 65 per cent in the first half of this year.

Australian companies are expected to have appropriate internal practices, procedures and systems, Australian information commissioner and privacy commissioner Angelene Falk said, to prevent data breaches and business interruption from ransomware attacks that surged by 24 per cent during the half-year.

Finding staff

Implementing and policing those procedures, however, requires suitably skilled staff  and its in sourcing and developing them, Brushfield said, that many companies are failing to keep up.

Demand for the niche skillsets required for an effective security strategy is significantly outpacing supply, he explained, so companies need to prioritise internal training and upskilling to sustain their talent pipeline into 2022.

Sourcing appropriate talent from external agencies will be a crucial part of that pipeline, with 65 per cent of Asia-Pacific respondents to a recent Sophos global survey admitting that the attacks targeting their organisation were too advanced for them to deal with on their own.

Pressure to keep up with growing cyber security attacks had pushed many teams to improve their internal cyber security skills and knowledge, Sophos noted, with 72 per cent of IT teams reporting that they had done so  but 55 per cent saying they were also likely to source additional IT staff from outside the organisation by 2023.

Competition for critical cyber security skills has intensified as managed and cloud service providers hoover up available cyber security professionals to bulk out their ranks.

Macquarie Telecom Group, for one, recently announced that it now has more than 200 government-cleared security staff on its books  double the number it had just a year ago.

The certifications allow employees to deal with SECRET level government resources, enabling them to protect government data and departments from attacks that are, managing director Aidan Tudehope said, far more frequent than what we see in enterprise settings.

As a trusted supplier to government, he said, we see it as our responsibility to invest in the sovereign skills and security clearances needed to provide the Commonwealth with the level of capability that is required to support this vital national asset.
Christian Porter will now sit on the back bench. Image: YouTube

Christian Porter resigned from the Industry, Science, and Technology portfolio on Sunday afternoon following six months of scandals.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor will take over the portfolio in an acting role, making him the eighth Industry Minister since the Coalition formed government in 2014.

ACS CEO Rupert Grayston said the organisation looks forward to working with the new minister.

As Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Mr Taylor has been a keen advocate for technology, Grayston said.

With the ICT sector being fundamental to Australias growth as we recover from the COVID pandemic, ACS hopes the Minister will bring his technology focus to the expanded portfolio and we look forward to working with him and his office on initiatives to boost the digital capacities of the nations industries.

Porter, Karen Andrews, Michaelia Cash, Arthur Sinodinos, Greg Hunt, Christopher Pyne, and Ian Macfarlane have all held the ministry in the last eight years  a fact which has drawn criticism from the opposition.

Their record speaks for itself  this portfolio is where they send problems, not fix them, Shadow Industry Minister Ed Husic said.

Good riddance to another failed industry minister from the failing Morrison Government.

Husic took further aim at Porter, saying the former minister had been shunned by a technology industry that balked at his appointment.

"The only record Christian Porter broke as Industry Minister was his short tenure," Husic said.

"He won't be remember much because he didn't do much."

Ministerial standards

The latest exist from the technology portfolio comes after Porter updated the parliamentary register of interests to include payment from a blind trust to help pay for his defamation lawsuit against the ABC.

Porter said he had no access to information about the conduct and funding of the trust and thus could not disclose exact where the money had come from.

In a statement, the former minister said he felt there was a choice to be made between trying to unmask the mysterious benefactor and staying on as technology minister.

Ultimately, I decided that if I have to make a choice between seeking to pressure the Trust to break individuals confidentiality in order to remain in Cabinet, or alternatively forego my Cabinet position, there is only one choice I could, in all conscience, make.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison avoided saying Porter breached Ministerial Standards when he accepted money from an unknown source, rather saying the opposite  that Porter was upholding the standards by stepping down.

The inability for [Porter] to be able to practically provide further information because of the nature of those arrangements, if he were able to do that, that would allow Minister Porter to conclusively rule out a perceived conflict, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.

As a result of him acknowledging that, he has this afternoon taken the appropriate course of action to uphold those standards by tendering his resignation as a minister.

Latest chapter

Over the last six months, Porter has been embroiled in a lengthy saga of scandal that began with a letter sent to Morrison and other prominent parliamentarians which outlined historical rape allegations from 1988 against a cabinet minister.

Porter ousted himself as the alleged rapist of a 16-year-old girl  an allegation he has strenously denied  and began a lawsuit against the ABC and Four Corners reporter Louise Milligan, claiming they had made Porter identifiable when reporting the incident.

He resigned from his position as Attorney-General and was handed the Industry, Science, and Technology portfolio in a late March cabinet reshuffle.

For now, Energy Minister Angus Taylor will take over as Industry Minister as the government prepares for an upcoming election.

Taylors own record has some question marks of its own, including the illegal clearing of grassland owned by Taylors family, and a strange incident in which Taylors office appears to have used doctored data to launch a media attack on Sydney Mayor Clover Moore.

Then there was the unforgettable moment when Taylor responded to his own Facebook post saying "Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus" in what appeared to be a failed attempt at generating positive responses to his post.

Interestingly, Taylors Facebook post was about a promise to create 1,000 railway car parks in his electorate. The government was widely criticised for rushing to spend $389 million on promised car parks to strategic areas on the eve of the 2019 election.
The Best Little Floorhouse in Texas Your choice for flooring in Central Texas! Your flooring is more than just the surface you walk on  it's an integral part of your home. With over 35 years of flooring experience, The Best Little Floorhouse in Texas has the resources and knowled
1. Yes. There should be absolute certainty that the election was free and fair.

2. Yes. The audit could and should lead to stronger laws governing elections in the state.

3. No. Former President Trump wants the audit to further cast doubt on the 2020 vote.

4. No. Its a waste of money, an attempt by Abbott to gain favor among Trump backers.

5. Unsure. It seems unnecessary but it may provide some worthwhile findings.

Vote

View Results
City Council Approves Curren Price Motion for $5 Million to Help South LA Recover from Bomb Squad Blast

City Council Seeks $5 Million to Help South LA Recover from Bomb Squad Blast

The Los Angeles City Council today passed a motion introduced by Councilman Curren Price to identify $5 million in funding  some of which would come from the Los Angeles Police Department budget  to help a South Los Angeles neighborhood recover from a massive explosion set off by an LAPD bomb squad error that injured 17 people and forced many residents from their homes.

The June 30 detonation of a large cache of fireworks on East 27th Street, near San Pedro Street, sent 17 residents and first responders to hospitals, destroyed a bomb squad truck and damaged 22 residences, 13 businesses and 37 vehicles.

Emergency Management Department General Manager Carol Parks told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday that 88 people are still displaced from their homes awaiting repairs.Our neighbors face an uphill battle and a tough road ahead for yearsto come, Price said when he introduced the motion on Sept. 1.

Long before this disaster, they faced systemic inequality, structural barriers and racial disparities that have been exacerbated in the wake of this disgraceful LAPD action. We need our own version of a Marshall Plan that is going to bring stability to the lives of those affected, revitalize and uplift our neighborhood once and for all.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related: LAPD to Stop Detonating Explosives In Residential Areas After South LA Blast

The motion, which was seconded by Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Mark Ridley-Thomas, instructed the chief legislative analyst and the city administrative officer to identify $5 million to the recovery effort and establish a Neighborhood Recovery Center with additional services to support residents needs, including infrastructure improvements, mental health services, job and workforce development, access to childrens services and business grants.

Related: Councilmember Curren Price Addresses Needs of Neighbors Affected by Botched Fireworks Detonation

Prices motion requests that some of the funding for the relief effort come from the LAPDs $1.76 billion budget. According to Michael Hoffman, special agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles office, the LAPDs containment vessel was designed to handle repeated detonations of 19 pounds of TNT equivalent at a time or a single detonation of 33 pounds of explosives before being returned to its manufacturer for analysis.

But the LAPD bomb squad miscalculated the amount of fireworks placed into a containment vessel, resulting in a massive explosion that damaged several residences in South Los Angeles. Officers had loaded the truck with 39.85 pounds of explosives, Hoffman said. LAPD personnel visually estimated the weight of the explosives to be about 16 pounds.

Related:Councilman Curren Price Establishes $1 Million Emergency Relief Fund for Victims of the South LA Fireworks Blast

Following the blast, Price provided relief to displaced and impacted residents through a $1 million emergency relief fund using dollars from his council office. The city has received about 200 claims for damages from community members, Parks told the Police Commission on Tuesday.

Twenty-six claims have been paid, and about 25 are pending payment. The City Attorneys Office is waiting for more information before processing 128 of the claims. Residents last Thursday protested in front of their boarded-up homes, which remained unrepaired by the city, to demand the city accelerate the timeline for the repairs.
Harvey Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty To Sex Charges In New Indictment

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded\ not guilty today in downtown Los Angeles to sex-related criminal counts involving five women, including a restored charge that had been dismissed by a judge.

Weinsteins attorneys have filed a motion under seal in which they ask Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench to dismiss the entire indictment, and are considering whether to file new court papers contesting the challenged count of sexual battery by restraint against a woman in May 2010.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have filed a motion  also under seal  to admit evidence of uncharged alleged similar conduct by Weinstein. Weinstein is due back in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom Oct. 25, with a hearing set Dec. 8 on the motions.

ADVERTISEMENT

We intend to challenge the contents of this indictment, as well as an effort by the prosecution to introduce evidence of other uncharged alleged victims in this case, one of Weinsteins attorneys, Mark Werksman, told reporters outside court. Were going to try like hell to make sure he gets a fair trial, but its tough. Its tough, especially when you have the people, as I mentioned, basically training a water cannon of uncharged allegations at him.

Theyre trying to throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at him, and were trying to limit the evidence thats presented so that its fair, so that its admissible and so that Mr. Weinstein can get a fair trial, but thats a challenge.

Los Angeles County prosecutors initially charged Weinstein in January 2020 with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by use of force involving one woman on Feb. 18, 2013, and sexual battery by restraint involving another woman a day later.

Weinstein, now 69, was subsequently charged in April 2020 with sexual battery by restraint  the count that has been the subject of a legal battle. In November 2020, prosecutors added six more counts  three counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation  involving two alleged victims in Beverly Hills between 2004 and 2010.

The grand jury subsequently indicted Weinstein on the same charges. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench initially sustained the defenses challenge to the count of sexual battery by restraint at a July 29 hearing, but agreed to allow the prosecution the opportunity to seek a grand jury indictment to amend the indictment.

The latest indictment alleges that Weinstein was continually charged with that crime since April 2020 and through Aug. 12, when the judge again sustained the defenses challenge to that count, which was dismissed that day.

ADVERTISEMENT

Weinsteins attorneys had unsuccessfully challenged two other counts  forcible oral copulation and forcible rape involving another alleged victim between September 2004 and September 2005. Weinstein was extradited July 20 from New York, where he has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for raping an aspiring actress and a criminal sex act against a former production assistant.

Werksman noted that his client has given up his right to a trial within 120 days of him being moved to Los Angeles because theres no way we could get all the important matters in this case adjudicated within that time period, and that the trial is not likely to occur until next spring at the earliest.

Weinsteins legal team had tried to block his transfer from New York to Los Angeles until he was medically fit to be moved. A court document filed in Los Angeles by the defense contended that Weinstein was in urgent need of medical treatment to save his eyesight, and that this treatment could take anywhere from 24 to 36 months.

Those medical conditions are being addressed to the best of the countys ability, Weinsteins attorney said outside court of his client, who was brought into court in a wheelchair. Were working with the county. Were relying on their expertise to ensure that he gets the care he needs. Weinstein produced such films as `Shakespeare in Love, which in 1999 received the best picture Oscar, and Pulp Fiction.
Man Who Filmed Rodney King Beating by LAPD Officers Dies at 61

George Holliday, a plumber who gained local and national fame 30 years ago when he used his videocamera to tape the infamous Los Angeles police beating of motorist Rodney King in Lake View Terrace, has died from COVID-19, it was reported today.

Citing a friend and business partner, TMZ reported that Holliday, 61, died Sunday at a Simi Valley hospital, where he had been since mid-August. He was not vaccinated, and was on a ventilator in recent days, the website reported.

On March 3, 1991, Holliday stood on the balcony of his apartment and used his Sony Video8 Handycam to record four white Los Angeles police officers using batons, Tasers and feet to subdue a Black man later identified as King, whose name quickly became globally synonymous with police brutality.

ADVERTISEMENT

King, an unemployed construction worker who had been drinking and was on probation for a robbery conviction, was instructed to pull over for speeding on a Los Angeles freeway. He eventually stopped his car in front of Hollidays apartment building, where Los Angeles police took charge of the traffic stop that devolved into a violent confrontation as officers trying to subdue King pounded on him repeatedly, as others looked on. King was left with skull fractures, broken bones and teeth and permanent brain damage.

The commotion outside his window awoke Holliday, who recorded the beating just after midnight and contacted KTLA5 later that day. The station became the first to air the footage that would be seen across the globe, becoming what would today be considered a viral video.

The video led to upheaval within the Los Angeles Police Department, sparking calls for the ouster of then-Chief Daryl Gates and prompting the appointment of the Christopher Commission to examine the inner workings of the LAPD and allegations of excessive force and institutional racism.

When the four officers involved in the King beating were acquitted a year later of excessive use of force by a jury in Ventura County, five days of rioting ensued in Los Angeles, resulting in 54 deaths, some 2,400 injuries, scores of destroyed buildings and other property damage, and more than 12,000 arrests. The acquitted police officers were later convicted of violating Rodney Kings civil rights in a federal court trial. King, a Sacramento native, died in Rialto on June 17, 2012, of what was described as an accidental drowning. He was 47. Before his death, he authored The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption.

Kings daughter, Lora Dene King, issued a statement Monday reacting to Hollidays death, saying, The King family will be forever grateful to George Holliday, who had the courage and conviction to hold the LAPD accountable in their brutal beating of my father Rodney. Our condolences are extended to his family and friends.

The grainy footage Holliday shot that night made the then-31-year-old plumber a pioneer of citizen journalism. The Sony video camera used to record the episode went up for auction last July, with bidding starting at $225,000, but it was unclear if it was ever sold. Holliday told The New York Times last year that he was still working as a plumber, never profiting from the video, which was still in the possession of federal authorities.

He told the paper he had purchased the video camera about a month before the King beating, and he grabbed it instinctively when he and his wife were awakened by the police ruckus outside his window. You know how it is when you have a new piece of technology, he told the paper. You film anything and everything.
Monday, September 20, 2021

BREAKING

The United States in November will re-open air travel to noncitizens who are fully vaccinated from China, India, Britain and many other European countries. The White House announced the change from prior policies on Monday, rolling back tough pandemic-related travel restrictions imposed beginning early last year that had expected to remain in place as recently as last week. (From Reuters)

MHC

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2021/09/us-lifiting-travel-restrictions-for-noncitizens-into-us.html
American drug maker Pfizer says new data shows its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and protective for children aged 5 to 11.

The company said Monday it will seek U.S. approval for the shot to be used in children in this age group as soon as possible. Pfizer developed the vaccine jointly with its German partner BioNTech.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be used in all individuals over the age of 16. The vaccine has also been available under emergency use for people 12 to 15 years old.

In trials involving 5- to 11-year-olds, Pfizer tested a smaller dose, about one third the amount given in current shots. Pfizer officials said with the smaller dose, children ages 5 to 11 still developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting full-strength injections.

The childrens dosage was also shown to be safe, causing similar or fewer temporary side effects than experienced by teens, Pfizer senior vice president Dr. Bill Gruber told The Associated Press. Such effects can include pain in the arm, fever and body aches.

Gruber, who specializes in child medical care, said researchers really hit the sweet spot with the latest vaccine. He added that Pfizer and BioNTech aim to seek emergency approval from the FDA by the end of the month for use in this age group. They also plan to seek government approval in the European Union and Britain.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks said once Pfizer provided its results, his agency would examine the data in a matter of weeks to consider approval of the vaccine.

Pfizer said it studied the lower dose of the two-shot vaccine in more than 2,200 children aged 5-11. The FDA only required what is called a bridging study to be carried out. The study aimed to find out whether the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults.

Pfizer and BioNTech announced the findings Monday in a news release, while noting that the study is still going on. Researchers said there have not yet been enough COVID-19 cases to compare rates of effectiveness between the vaccinated and those given a placebo. That data is expected to provide additional results.

Both the Pfizer vaccine and another one developed by Moderna have been linked to rare cases of heart inflammation in teens and young adults, mostly in young men. But Pfizer said the researchers did not see such cases in the new trial.

Moderna is also studying its shots in younger school-aged children. And both Pfizer and Moderna are studying vaccine use for babies as young as 6 months old. Those results are expected later in the year.

Children generally face a lower risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 than older people. However, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports. Cases in children have risen as the Delta version has spread across the country in recent months.

Health experts say quick emergency approval of the vaccine could help prevent the possibility of a large rise in infections in the autumn, especially with schools already open nationwide.

An outside expert said scientists are awaiting more details but see the results as encouraging. "These topline results are very good news, said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief. He added that the level of immune response Pfizer reported appears likely to be protective.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for Children 5-11 Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dose  n. the amount of a medicine, drug or vitamin this is taken at one time

teenager  n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

ache  n. a feeling or pain over an area of the body that continues for a long time

placebo  n. a substance that is given to a patient in a medical study that has no physical effect

inflammation  n. a red, swollen area in or on part of the body

positive  adj. in a medical test, positive means the person being tested has a disease or condition

encourage  v. to talk or behave in a way that gives someone confidence to do something

immunity  n. to be protected against catching a disease
Health care workers in France now face suspension from their jobs if they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, say new rules that went into effect Wednesday, September 15. With as many as 300,000 workers still not vaccinated, some hospitals fear employee shortages will add to their difficulties.

Vaccines are now required for those who work in medical care and home care as well as for all emergency workers in France. They face having pay suspended or being banned from the workplace, but they cannot be fired, a court ruled.

The court order was approved by Frances parliament over the summer to protect patients and the public from new variants of COVID-19. More than 113,000 people have died from the virus in France. Health officials say most of those hospitalized most recently have not been vaccinated.

Its aimed at one thing: protecting hospitals, protecting health care workers, protecting our fragile populations, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Wednesday. We are not stigmatizing anyone. We are making everyone take responsibility.

Attal said more than 90 percent of French health care workers are vaccinated. He added that the numbers suggest most people support the vaccine order for medical staff. The government health division said last Tuesday that about 300,000 health workers remained unvaccinated.

About 83 percent of French adults are fully vaccinated. However, a small, vocal minority of people are opposed to the coronavirus vaccines. This includes some health care workers.

Many of those who are not vaccinated seem to have based their decision on untrue information they read online. They worry about the long-term effects of the vaccine or want more time to decide. Many have refused the vaccine because they are angry at President Emmanuel Macrons government and the order. They say they are not afraid of the vaccine.

Some hospitals are already facing difficulties after a year and half of fighting the pandemic and catching up on other treatments. So, some fear employee shortages could mean disaster, if the unvaccinated are removed from their health care jobs.

Christophe Prudhomme is an emergency room doctor and a CGT union member, one of the largest labor unions in France. He said at a protest outside the Health Ministry last Tuesday, We are raising the alarm He said if the measure is enforced, some hospitals will be forced to shut down a lot of rooms due to a shortage of trained workers. This would reduce the chances of survival for many patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses.

If health care workers have had only one shot so far, they have to take a virus test every three days until they have completed the second one. October 15 is the legal deadline for both shots to be completed.

Companies and employers that fail to ensure their workers are vaccinated will be hit with a $160 fine that can rise to $4,430 for repeated failure.

I am not a revolutionary, I am just afraid, and we are thousands in this situation. I want them to listen to us and sit and talk around a table, said Rachid Ouchem. He works at a hospital near Paris, and he does not want to be vaccinated. He is facing suspension.

We cant decide ourselves, we have doubts, he told The Associated Press. We had politicians saying one thing and its opposite.

Scientists note that the vaccines used in France were tested widely and the information shared publicly. Around the world, 5.7 billion coronavirus vaccine shots have been administered so far. This provides a large picture of the vaccines effect on peoples health.

The vaccine order and Frances health pass system required for restaurants and other public events have started two months of weekly protests by far-right activists and some other groups. They also created an increase in vaccinations through the summer, though the rate has slowed this month.

French Polynesia, a group of islands in the Pacific, is suffering the countrys worst outbreak so far. Frances South Pacific territory of New Caledonia has ordered required vaccinations for the whole population to try to avoid a similar outbreak.

Im Gregory Stachel.

And I'm Jill Robbins.

Oleg Cetinic and Thomas Adamson reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

fragile  adj. not strong

stigmatize  v. to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval

union  v. an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members

raise the alarm  phr. v. people are warning about a possible problem or danger

revolutionary  adj. causing or relating to a great or complete change

doubts  n. a feeling of being uncertain or unsure about something


The United States is flying Haitians who entered the country without permission back to their homeland. The Haitians have set up a camp in a Texas town near the U.S. border. The operation appears to be the beginning of what could be the countrys largest expulsion of migrants or refugees in many years.

U.S. officials are seeking to expel many of the more than 12,000 migrants who have camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. They entered the United States after crossing the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.

More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital, on three flights on Sunday. Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. The U.S. plans to begin seven expulsion flights each day on Wednesday, said a U.S. official who was not permitted to discuss the situation publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio. Officials may add El Paso, the official said.

Large numbers of Mexicans have also been sent home during years of high migration, but they were sent over land and not so quickly.

When the border was closed Sunday, the migrants found other ways to cross nearby until they were met by federal and state law enforcement. An Associated Press reporter saw Haitian migrants still crossing the river into the U.S. about 2.4 kilometers east of the earlier place. After a time, they were stopped by Border Patrol agents riding horses and Texas law enforcement officials.

Agents shouted at the migrants who were crossing the river to get out of the water. The several hundred who had successfully crossed sat on the U.S. side of the river. They were ordered to the camp in Del Rio. Mexican officials in a boat told others trying to cross to go back into Mexico.

Migrant Charlie Jean had crossed back into Mexico from the camps to get food for his wife and children.

We need food for every day. I can go without, but my kids cant, said Jean. He had been living in Chile for five years before beginning the trip north to the U.S. It was unknown if he made it back across and to the camp.



Mexico said Sunday it would also begin returning Haitians to their homeland. A government official said the flights would be from towns near the U.S. border and the border with Guatemala, where the largest group remains.

Some of the migrants at the Del Rio camp said the killing of President Jovenel Moise make them afraid to return to the country.

In Haiti, there is no security, said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters.

Since Friday, 3,300 migrants have already been removed from the Del Rio camp. They have been taken to airplanes or detention centers, Border Patrol Chief Raul L. Ortiz said Sunday. He expected to have 3,000 of the nearly 12,600 remaining migrants removed within a day, and aimed for the rest to be gone within the week.

Ortiz said the Border Patrol was working around the clock. He added that the service would remove individuals from the United States consistent with our laws and our policies. He spoke at a press conference at the Del Rio bridge.

The fast expulsion of the Haitians is being carried out under rules related to the coronavirus health crisis. They were put in place during the administration of former President Donald Trump in March 2020. The rules permit immigrants entering the country without permission to be quickly removed from the U.S. without a chance to ask for asylum. President Joe Biden let the order stand, except for children found alone.

In Haiti, those arriving on the first flight lined up to receive food as they wondered where they would sleep that night.

All were given $100 and tested for COVID-19, although officials were not planning to put them into quarantine, said an official with the Office of National Migration.

Some migrants said they were planning to leave Haiti again as soon as possible. Twenty-nine-year-old Valeria Ternission said she and her husband want to travel with their four-year-old son back to Chile, where she had a job.

I am truly worried, especially for the child, she said. I cant do anything here.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

Juan Lozano, Eric Gay and Elliot Spagat reported this story for The Associated Press. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_________________________________

Words in This Story

migrant n. a person who goes from one place to another especially to find work

quarantine  n. the period of time during which a person or animal that has a disease or that might have a disease is kept away from others to prevent the disease from spreading

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.
Bethany Berger (University of Connecticut School of Law) has posted Eliding Original Understanding in Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid (Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities, Forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

Cedar Point Nursey v. Hassid is a triumph of the conservative majority of the Supreme Court. In holding that temporary entries to land are takings without regard to duration, impact, or the public interest, the Court fulfilled decades-long ambitions of anti-regulatory advocates of private property. Progressive and conservative scholars agree that the decision runs roughshod over precedent. This essay focuses on a less obvious aspect of Cedar Point: its flagrant departure from original understanding.

American law at the time of the founding recognized a robust right to enter private property. Trespass law did not even reach entries that did not cause economic damage, and statutes often placed additional limits on suits for unauthorized entry. Starting with Massachusetts Bays 1641 Liberties Common and continuing well into the nineteenth century, colonies and states also created numerous formal entitlements to enter. Such rights were enshrined in the constitution of Vermontthe first American constitution to include a takings provisionand the Anti-Federalist report that led to the Bill of Rights. With or without constitutional guarantees, courts dismissed challenges to these entries as frivolous, contrary to American culture, even rejections of what made the new nation a land of liberty.

Although originalism is a watchword of the Courts conservative majority, the Court rejected this legal tradition in Cedar Point. The new per se rule does include exceptions that, if read broadly, may limit this departure from original understanding. Time will tell whether the Justices take this second opportunity to make good on their originalist commitments.

Recommended.
Figure 1. The fully adjusted mortality risk model for the BMI analysis in geriatric patients hospitalized for COVID-19 (n = 1409, 112 died) and other causes (n = 8622, 67 died). Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index, CCI = Charlson comorbidity index, HFRS = Hospital Frailty Risk Score. Credit: DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.07.025

A recent study published in Clinical Nutrition shows that low BMI and malnutrition are risk factors for in-hospital mortality in geriatric COVID-19 patients. The study was performed at Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with Theme Inflammation & Aging at Karolinska University Hospital and geriatric clinics in the Stockholm Region.

These results are important as information on the groups with the highest mortality, i.e. the very old and frail patients, is underrepresented. For example, obesity is a risk factor in COVID-19 infection in younger adults but we instead found that low BMI and malnutrition increased the risk of in-hospital mortality in geriatric COVID-19 patients who were mostly older than 75 years, says Ph.D. Laura Kananen, a researcher at the Department of medical epidemiology and biostatistics, KI.

COVID-19 in hospitalized geriatric patients

During the first COVID-19 wave in the spring 2020 in Sweden, researchers at Karolinska Institutet reported that in-hospital mortality was 24% among older hospitalized geriatric patients. The risk of death was almost doubled for patients classified as frail according to the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) as compared to non-frail older patients. In these patients, acute kidney injury and multimorbidity were also strong risk factors for death.

BMI and nutritional status as risk factors?

The role of body composition and nutritional status in COVID-19 pathology has not been characterized well in hospitalized older adults (>65 years). Therefore, in our study, we analyzed the associations of body mass index, and nutritional status assessed using Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) with in-geriatric hospital mortality in older patients treated for COVID-19. As a reference, the analyses were performed also in older patients who were hospitalized for other causes than COVID-19 in the same geriatric hospitals during the same time period. Data in the analysis comprised medical records of ~10 000 patients in Stockholm during the first two pandemic waves. Age range of the patients was from 65 to 105 years, and their median age was 83 years. Follow-up of survival was short, i.e., only the hospitalization period.

The major finding of this study was that indicators of undernutrition; i.e., underweight (BMI<18.5) and low MNA-SF scores (07), were related to short-term mortality in the COVID-19 patients. MNA-SF predicted death also in patients who were hospitalized for other causes. No evidence was found that obesity is a risk factor in COVID-19 infection in the older patients. While the capacity of MNA-SF as a prognostic factor has been shown earlier beyond COVID-19, i.e., it predicts short-and long-term mortality, our finding is a reminder that nutritional status is vital to examine and to treat in geriatric patients. Our study offers evidence-based guidance for the clinical work with geriatric patients.

Explore further COVID-19: Patients with malnutrition may be more likely to have severe outcomes

More information: L. Kananen et al, Body mass index and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form as predictors of in-geriatric hospital mortality in older adults with COVID-19, Clinical Nutrition (2021). Journal information: Clinical Nutrition L. Kananen et al, Body mass index and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form as predictors of in-geriatric hospital mortality in older adults with COVID-19,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.07.025
In this May 2, 2021, file photo, a woman adjusts her face mask as she walks by a statue featuring the Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating on display at the Shougang Park in Beijing. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong, File

The Beizhong International Travel Agency in the eastern city of Tianjin has had only one customer since coronavirus outbreaks that began in July prompted Chinese leaders to renew city lockdowns and travel controls.

Most of China is virus-free, but the abrupt, severe response to outbreaks has left would-be tourists jittery about traveling to places they might be barred from leaving. That has hit consumer spending, hindering efforts to keep the economic recovery on track.

China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission has helped keep the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of disease. But the public and businesses are paying a steep price.

Foreign athletes are due to compete in the Winter Olympics that start Feb. 4 in Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou, but the government has yet to say whether restrictions that prevent most foreigners from entering China will be relaxed to allow spectators in.

"Two years ago, this was our busiest season," said the Beizhong agency manager, Wang Hui.

"Now, customers tend to postpone their plans because of the outbreaks," Wang said. "This year is worse than last year."

China is closed to most foreign visitors and discourages its own public from traveling.

People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk past a display showing a countdown clock to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The government has yet to give final details on anti-coronavirus measures for the Winter Games. Some 2,900 athletes are due to compete, plus 800 more in the Paralympic Winter Games on March 4-13.

China has reported 4,636 deathsand none since Februaryout of 95,577 cases since early 2020. Its total is smaller than one-day new infection figures in the United States, India and some other countries.

Since July, outbreaks blamed on travelers bringing the more contagious delta variant into the country have occurred in Nanjing west of Shanghai, Putian and Xiamen in the southeast and Yunnan province in the southwest. But cases number in the dozens, not the tens of thousands of new daily infections seen in other countries.

"The zero-tolerance policy has been highly effective in putting COVID under control, but the short-term cost is also extremely high," economists Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie said in a report.

China was the only major economy to grow last year after the ruling party declared the virus under control in March and allowed factories, shops and offices to reopen. Output in the United States, Europe and Japan contracted.

Economic output rose 1.3% over the previous quarter in the three months ending in June, better than 0.6% in January-March but among the past decade's weakest quarters.

In this Sept. 18, 2021, file photo, workers move a giant flower blossom as part of preparations for China's National Day holiday on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File

The International Monetary Fund and private sector forecasters have lowered economic growth forecasts but still expect output to rise by as much as 8.5% this year, up sharply from last year's multi-decade low of 2.3% and well above the ruling party target of "more than 6%."

Exports in August rose 25.6% over a year earlier, but retail spending growth slowed to 2.5% from July's 8.5%.

"People are clearly worried that they could get trapped in tourist destinations if Covid cases emerge," economist Iris Pang of ING said in a report.

Authorities on Sept. 12 suspended most access to Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province, after an outbreak that an official newspaper, Global Times, said might have begun with a resident who returned from Singapore. Cinemas, bars and other public facilities were closed. Supermarkets and restaurants were ordered to limit customer numbers.

Xiamen, a coastal business center in Fujian with 3.5 million people, closed off access to some neighborhoods after cases were detected there. Schools shut down.

An entrepreneur who sells shoes made in Putian online said the outbreak and anti-disease controls have shut down that local industry.

Visitors wearing face masks pose for photos near a large portrait of Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

"Customers are urging us to deliver goods, but factories have stopped working," said the merchant, Su Ye. She said September and October usually are busy, but disruptions in production and delivery "will cause orders to drop a lot."

"Many orders were canceled because of our slow delivery," Su said.

The Global Times said a man who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4 was suspected of spreading the virus to Putian.

The traveler, identified by the surname Lin, underwent a 14-day quarantine and nine nucleic acid and serologic tests, all of which were negative, the Global Times said. But he tested positive on Sept. 10.

Despite that, the screening and quarantine process is working properly, according to Yu Changping, a physician at the Department of Respiratory Medicine of People's Hospital of Wuhan University.

"There is no special change in the situation," said Yu. "There is no need to adopt measures different from the past."

A man gets swapped during a nuclei test for COVID-19 in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

Some experts suggest China might need to adopt more flexible tactics because "zero tolerance" is too disruptive and new variants might be impossible to eradicate.

"The bottom line is, I don't think they can keep the virus out, and they need to live with the reality," said Nicholas Thomas, a professor of health security at the City University of Hong Kong.

Chinese leaders have tried to squelch public discussion of such a possible change.

A prominent disease expert, Zhang Wenzhong, faced official criticism after he said on his widely read social media account the world needs to "learn to coexist with the virus."

A former health minister rejected Zhang's suggestion in a commentary published by the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily. The university that awarded Zhang's PhD in 2000 announced an investigation of accusations of plagiarism but concluded his work "met all the criteria" for the degree.

For now, tourist arrivals from abroad are shut down. That has devastated high-end hotels and resorts.

A man masks himself after getting a nuclei test for COVID-19 in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

Some engineers and other employees who were abroad when the government shut down travel in early 2020 have been allowed to return, but lawyers and others say they were turned away.

Authorities also are trying to keep Chinese from leaving the country. The government refuses to issue or renew passports without an important need to travel. Businesspeople have been told that doesn't include visiting customers or business partners.

The government announced last week it had vaccinated just over 1 billion people, or 71% of its population.

But while regulators have given emergency approval to nine coronavirus vaccines, most are made by local companies Sinopharm or Sinovac. China has yet to approve BioNTech, Moderna or other vaccines used abroad.

"As far as the vaccine strategy is, it's been very successful, the trouble is the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are not very efficacious against delta," Thomas said.

As is true elsewhere, online grocers and other e-commerce have reaped a windfall from shutdowns and lockdowns.

A vendor serves a customer wearing a mask in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

Residents wearing masks wait at a bus stop in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

But a wave of bankruptcies has hit small shops, restaurants and other businesses.

China's populous domestic market means travel restrictions "do not impact it as much as countries such as Thailand that depend heavily on tourism," said Trinh Nguyen of Natixis, a French financial firm, in an email.

In another blow to tourism, the government told students and teachers to avoid travel during September's Mid-Autumn Festival and the Oct. 1-7 National Day break.

"There used to be a silver September and a golden October for travel, but now we have nothing," said Wang, the travel agency manager in Tianjin.

People suffering from cancer, heart disease and other chronic, potentially life-threatening conditions, meanwhile have struggled to get treatment as hospitals shut down other departments to focus on treating coronavirus patients or refused to accept cases deemed non-emergency.

Explore further Chinese city with coronavirus outbreak stops buses, trains

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A common antibiotic has been found to reduce low birth weight and premature births, if taken during pregnancy, in countries where malaria is endemic, according to a research review. Credit: Atharva Whaval

A common antibiotic has been found to reduce low birth weight and premature births, if taken during pregnancy, in countries where malaria is endemic, according to a research review.

The systematic review, led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and published in The Lancet EClinicalMedicine, found that the antibiotic, azithromycin, reduced low birth weight and prematurity in Africa and Asia but didn't lower infant deaths, infections and hospital admissions.

The researchers reviewed 14 studies undertaken in African and Asian countries, involving 17,594 participants.

Azithromycin is an inexpensive antibiotic widely used to treat chest and ear infections. In pregnancy it has been specifically used in the past to treat STIs and, alongside other antimalarial drugs, to prevent adverse consequences of malaria on maternal and fetal outcomes and cesarean wound infections.

MCRI researcher Dr. Maeve Hume-Nixon said it was unclear whether azithromycin would improve perinatal and neonatal outcomes in non-malaria endemic settings, and the potential harm on stillbirth rates needed further investigation.

Dr. Hume-Nixon said these findings emphasized the importance of similar MCRI-led research currently being done in Fiji.

"This review found that there was uncertainty about the potential benefits of this intervention on neonatal deaths, admissions and infections, and potential harmful effects on stillbirth despite biological reasons why this intervention may have benefits for these outcomes," she said.

"Therefore, results from studies like ours underway in Fiji will help to better understand the effect of this intervention on these outcomes."

The Bulabula MaPei study is a randomized controlled clinical trial testing if azithromycin given to women in labor, prevents maternal and infant infections.

Globally, infections cause about 21 per cent of 2.4 million neonatal deaths each year and 52 per cent of all under five deaths, with a disproportionate amount occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

Infections are also common in mothers with about five million cases of pregnancy-related infections occurring each year, resulting in 75,000 maternal deaths.

MCRI Professor Fiona Russell said the large clinical trials in Africa and Asia, along with the MCRI-led trial in Fiji, were likely to inform global policy related to maternal child health and hopefully benefit infants and mothers around the world.

"Administration of azithromycin during labor may be a cheap and simple intervention that could be used to improve neonatal death rates in low and-middle-income countries, alongside strengthening of maternal child health services," she said. "This study, together with other large clinical trials, will add to evidence for the consideration of new international maternal and child health guidelines. "Researchers from the University of Melbourne and The Royal Children's Hospital also contributed to the review.

Explore further Azithromycin given in labor cuts maternal, neonatal infections

More information: Maeve Hume-Nixon et al, A Systematic Review and meta-analysis of the effect of administration of azithromycin during pregnancy on perinatal and neonatal outcomes, EClinicalMedicine (2021). Journal information: The Lancet , EClinicalMedicine Maeve Hume-Nixon et al, A Systematic Review and meta-analysis of the effect of administration of azithromycin during pregnancy on perinatal and neonatal outcomes,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101123
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

It's a bad time to get sick in Oregon. That's the message from some doctors, as hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients and other medical conditions go untreated.

Charlie Callagan looked perfectly healthy sitting outside recently on his deck in the smoky summer air in the small Rogue Valley town of Merlin, in southern Oregon. But Callagan, 72, has a condition called multiple myeloma, a blood cancer of the bone marrow.

"It affects the immune system; it affects the bones," he said. "I had a PET scan that described my bones as looking 'kind of Swiss cheese-like.'"

Callagan is a retired National Park Service ranger. Fifty years ago, he served in Vietnam. This spring, doctors identified his cancer as one of those linked to exposure to Agent Orange, the defoliant used during the war.

In recent years, Callagan has consulted maps showing hot spots where Agent Orange was sprayed in Vietnam.

"It turns out the airbase I was in was surrounded," he said. "They sprayed all over."

A few weeks ago, Callagan was driving the nearly four-hour trek to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland for a bone marrow transplant, a major procedure that would have required him to stay in the hospital for a week and remain in the Portland area for tests for an additional two weeks. On the way, he got a call from his doctor.

"They're like, 'We were told this morning that we have to cancel the surgeries we had planned,'" he said.

Callagan's surgery was canceled because the hospital was full. That's the story at many hospitals in Oregon and in other states where they've been flooded with COVID patients.

OHSU spokesperson Erik Robinson said the hospital, which is the state's only public academic medical center and serves patients from across the region, has had to postpone numerous surgeries and procedures in the wake of the delta surge of the pandemic. "Surgical postponements initially impacted patients who needed an overnight hospital stay, but more recently has impacted all outpatient surgeries and procedures," Robinson wrote.

Callagan said his bone marrow transplant has not yet been rescheduled.

Such delays can have consequences, according to Dr. Mujahid Rizvi, who leads the oncology clinic handling Callagan's care.

"With cancer treatment, sometimes there's a window of opportunity where you can go in and potentially cure the patient," Rizvi said. "If you wait too long, the cancer can spread. And that can affect prognosis and can make a potentially curable disease incurable."

Such high stakes for delaying treatment at hospitals right now extends beyond cancer care.

"I've seen patients get ready to have their open-heart surgery that day. I've seen patients have brain tumor with visual changes, or someone with lung cancer, and their procedures are canceled that day and they have to come back another day," said Dr. Kent Dauterman, a cardiologist and co-director of the regional cardiac center in Medford, Oregon. "You always hope they come back."

In early September, Dauterman said, the local hospital had 28 patients who were waiting for open-heart surgery, 24 who needed pacemakers, and 22 who were awaiting lung surgeries. During normal times, he said, there is no wait.

"I don't want to be dramaticit's just there's plenty of other things killing Oregonians before this," Dauterman said.

Right now, the vast majority of patients in Oregon hospitals with COVID are unvaccinated, about five times as many as those who got the vaccine, according to the Oregon Health Authority. COVID infections are starting to decline from the peak of the delta wave. But even in non-pandemic times, there's not a lot of extra room in Oregon's health care system.

"If you look at the number of hospital beds per capita, Oregon has 1.7 hospital beds per thousand population. That's the lowest in the country," said Becky Hultberg, CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

A new study focused on curtailing nonemergency procedures looked back at how Veterans Health Administration hospitals did during the first pandemic wave. It found that the VA health system was able to reduce elective treatments by 91%.

It showed that stopping elective procedures was an effective tool to free up beds in intensive care units to care for COVID patients. But the study didn't look at the consequences for those patients who had to wait.

"We clearly, even in hindsight, made the right decision of curtailing elective surgery," said Dr. Brajesh Lal, a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the study's lead author. "But we as a society have not really emphatically asked the question 'At what price in the long term?'"

He said they won't know that without more long-term research.

At his home in southern Oregon, Charlie Callagan said he doesn't consider his bone-marrow transplant as urgent as what some people are facing right now.

"There's so many other people who are being affected," he said. "People are dying waiting for a hospital bed. That just angers me. It's hard to stay quiet now."

He said it's hard to be sympathetic for the COVID patients filling up hospitals, when a simple vaccine could have prevented most of those hospitalizations.

Explore further Oregon hospitals near breaking point as COVID-19 surges

2021 Kaiser Health News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are revealing the many devastating consequences that patients can face both during and after hospitalization.

A new study of nearly 150 patients hospitalized for COVID at the beginning of the pandemic found that 73% had delirium, a serious disturbance in mental state wherein a patient is confused, agitated and unable to think clearly.

Patients with delirium tended to be sicker, with more comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes, and appeared to have more severe COVID-related illness as well, said study author Phillip Vlisides, M.D., of the Department of Anesthesiology at Michigan Medicine.

"COVID is also associated with a number of other adverse outcomes that tend to prolong hospitalization and make recovery difficult," he added.

Using patient medical records and telephone surveys following hospital discharge for a group of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit between March and May 2020, the study team attempted to identify common threads amongst patients who developed delirium. Several factors are at play, said Vlisides.

The disease itself can lead to reduced oxygen to the brain as well as the development of blood clots and stroke, resulting in cognitive impairment. In addition, inflammatory markers were greatly increased in patients with delirium. Confusion and agitation could be a result of inflammation of the brain.

Adding insult to injury, care teams often were unable to perform standard delirium reduction techniques, such as exercises designed to get a patient moving or allowing visitors or objects from home to orient patients while in the hospital.

Said Vlisides, "Early on in the pandemic, we weren't performing standard delirium prevention protocols like we usually do. A big reason for that is early on in the pandemic in the pre-vaccine era, we had limited personal protective equipment and were trying to limit COVID exposure and disease transmission."

Furthermore, there was a correlation between the use of sedatives and deliriumpatients with delirium were sedated more often and frequently at higher doses. "It is common to use IV sedatives in the ICU, particular for patients on a ventilator. However, from talking to nurses, we found that patients with severe COVID were inherently more delirious and agitated at baseline, perhaps prompting more sedative use."

The study also found that cognitive impairment can persist even after discharge. Almost a third of patients did not have their delirium marked as resolved in their chart upon leaving the hospital and 40% of these patients required skilled nursing care. Almost a quarter of patients screened positive for delirium based on assessment by their caretaker. For some patients, these symptoms lasted for months. This can make managing the recovery process after hospitalization that much more difficult.

"A family member who is confused has limited ability to care for themselves and will require additional caretaking support, which is certainly a big challenge."

Vlisides acknowledges that care teams are doing the best they can with the resources they have, especially as hospitals continue to fill with patients with COVID.

"Whatever creative ways we can implement delirium prevention protocols is likely to be very helpful," he said. "That includes consistent communication with family members, bringing in pictures and objects from home, and video visits if family cannot safely visit."

And for family and other caregivers struggling to care for loved ones, he urges they get help from their primary care physician as soon as possible.

The take-home message is that for patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, cognitive impairmentincluding depression and deliriumis highly likely, he added.

"Overall, this study highlights another reason why getting vaccinated and preventing severe illness is so important. There can be long term neurological complications that perhaps we don't talk about as much as we should."

The paper was published in BMJ Open.

Explore further Dementia and COVID: What families and physicians should know

More information: Jacqueline Ragheb et al, Delirium and neuropsychological outcomes in critically Ill patients with COVID-19: a cohort study, BMJ Open (2021). Journal information: BMJ Open Jacqueline Ragheb et al, Delirium and neuropsychological outcomes in critically Ill patients with COVID-19: a cohort study,(2021). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050045
Dr George Stothart from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology analyses Fastball EEG data. Credit: University of Bath

A simple but revolutionary approach to early Alzheimer's diagnosis is being pioneered by researchers through an initiative that could pave the way for improved outcomes for individuals who develop the disease in the future.

The innovative research, led by psychologists at the University of Bath and funded by the dementia charity BRACE, uses a new method to passively measure brain activity. It involves participants looking at a series of flashing images on a computer over two minutes, whilst their brain waves are measured using an EEG cap.

New research on this, published today in the journal Brain, shows that the technique is highly effective at picking up small, subtle changes in brain waves which occur when a person remembers an image. Crucially, the technique is completely passive, meaning the person doing the test doesn't need to understand the task or respond, and may not even be aware of their memory response.

The team behind the 'Fastball EEG' technology says the approach is cheap, portable and relies on pre-existing technology already available in hospitals, making it easily scalable. They are now beginning to use Fastball EEG in a study of the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease in collaboration with the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) and the Bristol Brain Centre at Southmead Hospital.

A volunteer takes part in Fastball EEG research at the University of Bath's Department of Psychology. Credit: University of Bath

Alzheimer's is the underlying cause of approximately 60% of dementia, with an estimated prevalence rate in Europe and North America of 5-7% of the population. Estimates suggest the disease costs the UK economy around 26 billion a year, with costs expected to rise as an ageing population will see numbers increasing.

Alzheimer's disease is currently diagnosed using a combination of subjective and objective reports of cognitive decline, often involving memory tests administered in a clinic. These tests are prone to various biases, including assessment anxiety, but also require verbal and written communication abilities which make them ineffective for certain people.

By knowing more about people's disease at an earlier stage drugs can be prescribed earlier when they may be more effective, such as the recently approved Aducanumab, the first disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Lifestyle interventions can also be implemented to help slow disease progression. Current diagnosis for Alzheimer's typically occurs late in the progression of the disease.

Second angle of participant taking part in Fastball EEG - the pioneering research led by Dr George Stothart at the University of Bath. Credit: University of Bath

In the near future, the researchers hope that Fastball EEG could help lower the age of diagnosis by up to five years. Longer-term, they say it may offer opportunities to expand this further. They liken their future aspirations for its application to current screening tools used to test for high blood pressure in middle age.

Lead researcher and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. George Stothart of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath explains: "Fastball offers a genuinely novel way of measuring how our brain is functioning. The person being assessed doesn't need to understand the test, or even respond, they simply watch a screen of flashing images and by the way we manipulate the images that appear we can learn an enormous amount about what their brain is, or is not, able to do.

"The tests we currently use to diagnose Alzheimer's miss the first 20 years of the disease, which means we are missing huge opportunities to help people. For decades now we have had tools in scientific research that have been able to probe how the brain is working, but we have never made the leap to a viable clinical tool for the objective assessment of cognition. We hope that Fastball may be that leap.

A volunteer, fitted with the Fastball EEG cap, takes part in the passive test developed by Dr George Stothart at the University of Bath which could increase early diagnosis for Alzheimer's. Credit: University of Bath.

"We are at a really exciting stage in its development. We are testing the tool in earlier and earlier stages of Alzheimer's and expanding the type of brain function it can measure, to include language and visual processing. This will help us to not only understand Alzheimer's but also the many other less common forms of dementia.

"Ultimately the Holy Grail of a tool like this would be a dementia screening tool used in middle age for everyone, regardless of symptoms, in the same way we test for high blood pressure. We are a long way from that, but this is a step towards that goal."

Mark Poarch, chief executive of BRACE, added: "We were delighted to be able to fund Dr. Stothart's research, which clearly has exciting potential. It could result in an early diagnostic tool with benefit for innumerable people and help turn the tide against dementia. More generally, we have seen in the last year what happens when the world ploughs resources into medical research to find a vaccine for a dangerous virus, and we now need to give dementia researchers the resources they need to achieve comparable breakthroughs."

Dr George Stothart from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology with the Fastball EEG equipment. Credit: University of Bath.

Dr George Stothart from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology talks to a volunteer about Fastball EEG - pioneering research which could increase early Alzheimer's diagnosis. Credit: University of Bath

Dr. Stothart and colleagues will soon start work on a significant 100,000 longitudinal study of early dementia funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences. The study will involve testing patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment using the new Fastball tool. Mild Cognitive Impairment is for some patients the first signs of Alzheimer's, but crucially for many it is not, and determining who is going to progress to Alzheimer's could move diagnosis earlier by up to five years.

The latest work builds on a proof-of-principle paper published in May 2020 in the journal NeuroImage.

Explore further Amyloid levels in blood predict memory and thinking changes later in life
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Graduate students suffer high rates of depression, anxiety and mental stress, studies showa situation made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as campuses reopen and students return to their labs, now is the time to implement changes that can turn this around, say researchers at the University of Michigan.

In a study published online Sept. 21 in the journal Neuron, the researchers say four kinds of changes can be made to reduce mental health stress and potentially boost productivity in academic scientists.

The changes include creating structure in the lab with deadlines, well-defined work hours and short-term goals. Students should be encouraged to set personal boundaries, such as creating time to exercise or care for their needs. Mentoring and developing strong relationships is also important and must be nurtured. And it is important to cultivate a safe and collaborative lab culture, the researchers say.

"Every person in a lab environment can be doing something to support graduate student mental health. You do not have to be a mental health professional to improve things," said study lead author Meghan Duffy, a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Duffy is a disease ecologist who runs a 16-person lab that includes a lab manager, a technician, four postdoctoral scientists, four graduate students and six undergraduates.

She led U-M's Task Force on Graduate Student Mental Health, which was charged with finding ways to improve students' mental health in the summer of 2019. The task force's work became all the more timely when COVID-19 struck.

About 24% of doctoral students have significant depression symptoms, and 17% have significant symptoms of anxietylevels similar to that of medical students and resident physicians and higher than the general population, recent studies have shown. Then when the pandemic struck, like so many parts of society, graduate students saw these rates of mental health stress grow even higher.

This is one reason why it is important that good systems of communication and structure are put in place now as labs reopen, says co-author Natalie Tronson, associate professor in U-M's Department of Psychology.

Tronson, who has a long-held interest in the effect of stress-induced depression on the brain, says sometimes when students move from a very structured undergraduate life to the independence and self-structure of graduate research, the adjustment is hard.

"People need structure, and they need to know: What should I be doing? What needs to be done? What are my deadlines?" she said. "But on the other hand, lab-based work does not fit in a tight structure. Science is not a 9-to-5 job, so mentors and students need to find that balance."

Matching students with mentors, sometimes more than one mentor, and communicating are important, Duffy and Tronson say: Students need to know it is OK if an experiment fails. They need to know when they have gathered enough information. And they need to get feedback and set small deadlines to help them meet the larger ones.

Explore further No cause for alarm about graduate students' mental health

More information: Meghan A. Duffy et al, Supporting mental health and productivity within labs, Neuron (2021). Journal information: Neuron Meghan A. Duffy et al, Supporting mental health and productivity within labs,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.08.021
Dr. Chelsea Ennis, who led the study, is a clinical psychologist at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System. Credit: Joshua Avist

A new Veterans Affairs study finds a strong link between PTSD symptom severity and anxiety sensitivity among female Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. The researchers say treating the anxiety problem may be a way to ease core PTSD symptoms.

Anxiety sensitivity reflects a fear of physical sensations that accompany anxiety. A person with high levels of anxiety sensitivity may misinterpret normal bodily sensations, such as a racing heart in some situations, as an indicator of heart problems. Someone with low anxiety sensitivity would likely regard this sensation as uncomfortable but non-threatening.

The results appeared in the journal Military Psychology in September 2021.

Dr. Chelsea Ennis, a clinical psychologist at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, led the study. She and her colleagues examined the connection between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD symptom severity in a group of female Veterans with a history of military sexual trauma. The Veterans volunteered for the study. Although the link between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD has been well-established, the researchers determined that anxiety sensitivity had not been studied among women who've experienced military sexual trauma.

PTSD is characterized by various symptoms grouped together due to their similarity, with four known clusters:

Intrusion (nightmares, distressing memories)

Avoidance (of people, places, or things that remind one of a traumatic event)

Negative thoughts and emotions (beliefs that the world is dangerous, a lack of positive emotions)

Arousal (hypervigilance, exaggerated startle).

The researchers found that anxiety sensitivity was strongly related to two of the clustersarousal and reactivity, and negative changes in cognition and moodbut not to intrusion and avoidance. "Given the [treatable] nature of [anxiety sensitivity], future research should examine the extent to which targeting this cognitive-behavioral construct reduces PTSD symptoms among such samples," Ennis and her team write.

A growing body of research is showing that brief psychological treatments designed to combat myths regarding the danger of physical symptoms of anxiety, coupled with repeated exposure to these sensations, can lead to reductions in anxiety sensitivity, according to Ennis. Interoceptive exposure, which is based on getting someone used to the physical sensations of anxiety, is one such treatment.

"For example, for someone who really fears their heart is racing because they're worried that they're going to have a heart attack, we may have them run in place over and over again to get them used to that physical sensation," Ennis says. "Or for someone who feels like they get really nervous when their breathing changes  when they're anxious, we may have them hyperventilate over and over again to show them that there's no danger in hyperventilating and that nothing bad happens."

Interoceptive exposure, Ennis notes, is mainly used as a treatment for panic disorder because anxiety sensitivity is strongly linked to panic disorder. It could be used as a complementary treatment to medication or one of the trauma-focused psychotherapies VA uses to treat patients with PTSDcognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure.

"Importantly, research has shown that reducing a person's anxiety sensitivity can, in turn, reduce his or her PTSD symptoms," she adds.

Dr. Ariel Lang is a clinical psychologist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System who specializes in anxiety- and trauma-related disorders. She's not surprised about the strong link in Ennis' research between anxiety sensitivity and the PTSD symptom clusters of arousal and negative thoughts.

"Anxiety sensitivity is when you're afraid of your own anxiety-related physical sensations," Lang explains. "It drives people who have panic disorder and is super-common in PTSD, because people with PTSD have these panicky feelings. When something terrible happens to you, your body's fight-or-flight response kicks in, and you get this rush of fear.

"People can be very uncomfortable with that feeling," she adds. "It's not pleasant to have that fearful feeling, which can happen at times when people don't want it to happen. It takes on its own life because you're essentially creating a vicious circle. The more afraid you are of your fear, the more fearful you've become, and the more you have to be afraid of. That's why it would relate to the hyperarousal symptoms and some of the other symptoms that are involved in the way you look at the world."

In Ennis' study, the researchers note that the exact rate of military sexual trauma is unknown due to methodological diversity and underreporting rates. But the study refers to a 2018 analysis that found that 15.7% of military personnel and Veterans experience a sexual assault, and that 31.2% of people experience sexual harassment while in the service. The same analysis, which combined the results of many studies, found that reported rates of military sexual trauma are much higher among women than men.

Moreover, the relation between PTSD and military sexual trauma is nearly three times stronger among women than men.

Thus, the need to identify [flexible] reasons that may account for these associations has become increasingly important, according to Ennis and her colleagues.

The study sample included 50 female Veterans receiving mental health services in a military sexual trauma clinic at the Southeast Louisiana VA. The participants completed a diagnostic interview and a brief series of self-report questionnaires to provide data for the researchers.

PTSD was the most common mental health disorder, followed by a depressive, anxiety, and-or personality disorder. Eighty-two percent of participants said military sexual trauma was their worst traumatic event for the purposes of assessing PTSD. Seventy percent were Black, and nearly 25% were White. More than a third of the Veterans were in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about a third were divorced.

Regarding the key finding that anxiety sensitivity was strongly tied to arousal and negative thoughts and emotions, but not to the intrusion and avoidance clusters, the researchers gave several explanations, including the decision to control for depression.

"Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions found among Veterans and often co-occurs with PTSD," Ennis said. "As such, we wanted to ensure that the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD was not better explained by depression. That is, controlling for depression allowed us to demonstrate a relationship between anxiety sensitivity and PTSD above and beyond the contribution of depression."

The study had limitations, including the relatively small sample size, that may have limited the researchers' ability to detect major links between anxiety sensitivity and all of the PTSD symptom clusters. The investigators also relied only on self-report measures and produced findings that may not apply to broader military sexual trauma populations, given the underreporting rates of military sexual trauma in VA.

The researchers did not use the Clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), the gold standard for assessing PTSD symptom frequency and severity.

"As you can imagine, when you're filling out a self-report questionnaire, people have a tendency to highlight some things and say yes to some of those questions," she says. "CAPS-5 is going to be more accurate for a diagnosis. In other words, we can't diagnose everyone in this sample with PTSD based on them filling out a self-report questionnaire because they weren't interviewed and clinically diagnosed by a psychologist. In the future, we'd like to replicate some of these findings more specifically in folks who have been diagnosed with PTSD."

Future studies, the researchers write, "should seek to address these limitations by using larger, more diverse samples, multi-method assessments [that include CAPS-5], and [long-term] designs. Additionally, future research should examine the extent to which certain factors, such as sex and race, moderate these findings."

Plus, Veteran levels of anxiety sensitivity and PTSD would be assessed before and after treatment, as well as at a later time point. "We would expect that reductions in anxiety sensitivity from pre- to post-treatment would be associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms from pre-treatment to follow-up," Ennis says. "Larger-scale research like this is very much needed."

Explore further Understanding post traumatic stress disorderwhen to get help

More information: Chelsea R. Ennis et al, Anxiety sensitivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Associations among female Veterans with a history of military sexual trauma, Military Psychology (2021). Chelsea R. Ennis et al, Anxiety sensitivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Associations among female Veterans with a history of military sexual trauma,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2021.1962188

Provided by Veterans Affairs Research Communications
Recursive partitioning and regression tree (rtree) model for hospitalization among symptomatic COVID-19 cases in the Republic of Ireland, February to November 2020. Credit: DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98008-6

Rural dwellers in Ireland and those living in public housing, were among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with residents in those areas across Ireland experiencing higher rates of hospitalisations, a University College Cork (UCC) and Technological University Dublin (TUDublin) study finds.

The study published in Nature Scientific Reports examined the age, gender, regional socio-economic status and urban/rural classification of symptomatic COVID-19 patients in Ireland through to hospitalization, intensive care and death. Close to 50,000 cases of COVID-19 in Ireland's first two waves of the pandemic were analyzed, with the study creating the first socio-economic picture of who, and where in Ireland were the most impacted during the pandemic.

The urban rural impact of the pandemic

The pioneering analysis shows that from a socio-geographic/economic perspective, patients living in categorically rural areas and in regions characterized by higher rates of local authority (i.e., publicly-supported) housing were also at increased risk of hospitalization. While residents in categorically rural areas was associated with a higher likelihood of hospitalization, the opposite was true for admission to ICU, whereby urban dwellers were approximately 1.5 times more likely to require critical care.

Urban living may be indicative of multiple individual or interacting factors including higher levels of deprivation, higher viral exposures (i.e., close contacts) due to increased household and/or local population density or compounded respiratory illnesses due to lower air quality in urban areas, the study noted.

Males most likely to be hospitalized, admitted to ICU, or die

The research showed how both men and women in Ireland were impacted by COVID-19, with men approximately 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized, admitted to ICU, or die, than women.

The analysis highlighted that a review of the sex- and gender-related differences associated with COVID-19 outcomes in Europe pro- poses numerous potential reasons for this relationship, including gender-specific lifestyle, health behaviors, psychological stress, and socioeconomic conditions, in addition to several sex-specific biological mechanisms modulating the course of disease, including hormone-regulated gene expression, innate and adaptive immune responses, and immune-aging.

The study outlined how there is a strong evidence base to suggest that upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, females may be better equipped to initially respond, and reduce viral invasion and pathogenicity compared to males.

Robust evidence base for development of increasingly targeted public-health recommendations

The study was funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and the researchers highlight how the findings will help provide robust evidence for development of increasingly targeted public-health recommendations.

"Monitoring the clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 is vital to understand the epidemiological and healthcare burden of SARSCoV-2, to help prioritize high-risk cases in the short term, and perhaps more importantly, provide a robust evidence-base for future public health emergency planning" states Dr. Jean Dwyer, environmental scientist in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork who is Co-Principal Investigator of the study along with Dr. Paul Hynds (TUDublin).

Explore further Study finds that COVID-19 hit Indiana Black and rural communities harder than other populations

More information: M. Boudou et al, Modelling COVID-19 severity in the Republic of Ireland using patient co-morbidities, socioeconomic profile and geographic location, February to November 2020, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports M. Boudou et al, Modelling COVID-19 severity in the Republic of Ireland using patient co-morbidities, socioeconomic profile and geographic location, February to November 2020,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98008-6
In this Aug. 31, 2021, file photo, Ann Enderle R.N. attends to a COVID-19 patient in the Medical Intensive care unit (MICU) at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a select group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green, File

COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a distinct group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans.

The increasingly lethal turn has filled hospitals, complicated the start of the school year, delayed the return to offices and demoralized health care workers.

"It is devastating," said Dr. Dena Hubbard, a pediatrician in the Kansas City, Missouri, area who has cared for babies delivered prematurely by cesarean section in a last-ditch effort to save their mothers, some of whom died. For health workers, the deaths, combined with misinformation and disbelief about the virus, have been "heart-wrenching, soul-crushing."

Twenty-two people died in one week alone at CoxHealth hospitals in the Springfield-Branson area, a level almost as high as that of all of Chicago. West Virginia has had more deaths in the first three weeks of September340than in the previous three months combined. Georgia is averaging 125 dead per day, more than California or other more populous states.

"I've got to tell you, a guy has got to wonder if we are ever going to see the end of it or not," said Collin Follis, who is the coroner in Missouri's Madison County and works at a funeral home.

In this Aug. 18, 2021, file photo, an employee of a local funeral home covers the body of a COVID-19 patient patient who died as he prepares to take it away from a loading dock, at the Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, La. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a select group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. Credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

The nation was stunned back in December when it was witnessing 3,000 deaths a day. But that was when almost no one was vaccinated.

Now, nearly 64% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. And yet, average deaths per day have climbed 40% over the past two weeks, from 1,387 to 1,947, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Health experts say the vast majority of the hospitalized and dead have been unvaccinated. While some vaccinated people have suffered breakthrough infections, those tend to be mild.

The number of vaccine-eligible Americans who have yet to get a shot has been put at more than 70 million.

"There is a very real risk you'll end up in the hospital or even in the obituary pages," Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the Ohio Department of Health, said to the unvaccinated. "Don't become a statistic when there is a simple, safe and effective alternative to go out today and get vaccinated."

In this Sept. 18, 2021, file photo, protesters opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates hold a rally in front of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a select group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File

Many low-vaccination communities also have high rates of conditions like obesity and diabetes, said Dr. William Moss of Johns Hopkins. And that combinationalong with the more contagious delta varianthas proved lethal.

"I think this is a real failure of society and our most egregious sin to be at this stage where we have hospitals overwhelmed, ICUs overwhelmed and hitting this mark in terms of deaths per day," Moss lamented.

New cases of the coronavirus per day in the U.S. have dropped since the start of September and are now running at about 139,000. But deaths typically take longer to fall because victims often linger for weeks before succumbing.

In Kansas, 65-year-old cattleman Mike Limon thought he had beaten COVID-19 and went back to work for a few days. But the virus had "fried" his lungs and he died last week, said his grandson, Cadin Limon, 22, of Wichita.

In this Aug. 28, 2021, file photo, Laura Sanchez, right, holds her 2-month-old son, Lizandro, while receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse, Noleen Nobleza at a vaccine clinic set up in the parking lot of CalOptima in Orange, Calif. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a select group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

He said his grandfather didn't get vaccinated for fear of a bad reaction, and he hasn't gotten the shot either for the same reason, though serious side effects have proved extremely rare.

He described his grandfather as a "man of faith."

"Sixty-five is still pretty young," the young man said. "I know that. It seems sudden and unexpected, but COVID didn't surprise God. His death wasn't a surprise to God. The God I serve is bigger than that."

In this Aug. 17, 2021, file photo, nursing coordinator Beth Springer looks into a patient's room in a COVID-19 ward at the Willis-Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, La. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a select group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans. Credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

Cases are falling in West Virginia from pandemic highs, but deaths and hospitalizations are expected to continue increasing for as many as six more weeks, said retired National Guard Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, who leads the state's coronavirus task force.

Dr. Greg Martin, who is president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and practices mostly at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, said the staff is buckling under the strain.

In this Sept. 17, 2021, file photo, Zoe Nassimoff, of Argentina, looks at white flags that are part of artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg's temporary art installation, "In America: Remember," in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19, on the National Mall in Washington. Nassimoff's grandparent who lived in Florida died from COVID-19. Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File

"I think everyone in 2020 thought we would get through this. No one really thought that we would still be seeing this the same way in 2021," he said.

In Oklahoma, Hillcrest South Hospital in Tulsa is among several medical centers around the country to add temporary morgues. Deaths are at an all-time high there, at three to four times the number it would see in a non-COVID-19 world, said Bennett Geister, hospital CEO.

He said the staff there, too, is worn out.

"They didn't sign up to be ICU nurses only to have people pass away on them," he said. "They signed up to be ICU nurses to take people to recovery and heal people from the brink of death."

Explore further Record high COVID cases and deaths reported in Florida

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A mother tries to comfort her child before receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration started inoculated 12-18 year old students Tuesday as part of its attempt to reopen on-site schools. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Health officials in the Thai capital made headway Tuesday in their effort to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, giving shots of the Pfizer vaccine to students aged 12 to 18 with underlying diseases.

Vaccinations for that age bracket were first offered last month through hospitals, but now are arranged by schools. A separate campaign by a medical research institute on Monday began inoculating children aged 10 to 18 with China's Sinopharm vaccine.

On Tuesday, 1,500 students received shots of the Pfizer vaccine, 800 for the first time and 700 as a follow-up to their first shot in August.

Bangkok officials have asked the Health Ministry to provide more Pfizer vaccine to inoculate all children aged 12 to 18 in the capital city, said city Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang.

Many schools have been closed for onsite learning since last December, and Aswin said he does not want to allow them to reopen until 70% of a total of more than 1 million students are vaccinated. He hopes to reach that goal in November if adequate vaccine supplies are available.

The Health Ministry plans to give Pfizer shots to students aged 12 to 18 nationwide from Oct. 4, starting with the 29 provinces most badly affected by the coronavirus, including Bangkok.

Health workers administer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration inoculated 12-18 year old students Tuesday as part of its attempt to reopen on-site schools. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

A mother comforts her child receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration inoculated 12-18 year old students Tuesday as part of its attempt to reopen on-site schools. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

A mother tries to comfort her son refusing to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration inoculated 12-18 year old students on Tuesday as part of its attempt to reopen on-site schools. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Students wait to be sure of no side effects after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration inoculated 12-18 year old students on Tuesday as part of its attempt to reopen on-site schools. Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit

Bangkok has been the worst hit province since another wave of the pandemic began in April this year. Nearly one-quarter of Thailand's more than 1.4 million COVID-19 cases confirmed since the pandemic began last year were found in Bangkok.

According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, 97.5% of Bangkok's 7.69 million people have received at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 41.6% are fully vaccinated.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 10,919 new COVID-19 cases and 143 deaths, bringing the totals since last year to 1.5 million cases and 15,612 deaths.

Explore further Jordan to open COVID vaccinations for 12-year-olds

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Guryanov meets the Ambassador of Azerbaijan

On September 20, 2021, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Guryanov met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ulvi Bakhshaliyev.

During the meeting, the sides discussed topical issues of the development of Belarusian-Azerbaijan relations in the economic, political and humanitarian spheres, interaction between Minsk and Baku within international platforms.

The parties paid special attention to the preparations for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Belarusian-Azerbaijan Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

print version
Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin and Binance are seen in this illustration taken on Aug. 6, 2021.
A woman, right, is seen entering Guam Memorial Hospital in Tamuning on Aug. 2, 2021.
After South African authorities failed to file the necessary paperwork for his extradition hearing, South African cryptocurrency mogul Riccardo fluffypony Spagni was released from the Daviess County Jail in Owensboro, Kentucky.

In a message posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Spagni said that he is actively working with his attorneys to return to South Africa and face the fraud charges against him.

Thats what Ive always wanted to do, Spagni stated.

Spagni was the lead maintainer of the privacy-focussed Monero cryptocurrency for five years. He stepped down in December 2019.

He launched a blockchain startup called Tari Labs in South Africa in 2018 that offered a free online university to aid open-source blockchain projects and train developers.

US law enforcement arrested Spagni in Nashville while the private jet he was travelling on stopped to refuel while flying from New York City to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.

Spagni was arrested at the request of the South African government on the allegation that he failed to appear for his hearing in a fraud case involving his former employer, Cape Cookies.

The US court emphasised that Spagnis detention was subject to strict time limits.

The extradition treaty gave the South African government sixty days to submit the necessary documents to the United States for the extradition hearing.

According to court documents filed yesterday, South African authorities failed to meet the 19 September deadline.

After serving sixty-one days in solitary confinement, Spagni is now out of custody because South Africa failed to make a timely submission in support of its extradition request, Spagnis legal counsel in the US stated.

Spagni now seeks information already in the possession of the [US] Government, namely South Africas submission for provisional arrest.

The lawyer said this is to make an informed decision about waiving extradition while out of custody and determine if South Africas provisional arrest request cites an arrest warrant within the treaty.

I am very pleased that the U.S. court has released me. I am actively working with my attorneys on a way to return to South Africa as soon as possible so I can address this matter and get it behind me once and for all. Thats what Ive always wanted to do.  Riccardo Spagni (@fluffypony) September 21, 2021

According to court documents filed in August, Spagni is accused of defrauding Cape Cookies to the tune of R1,453,561.47.

Spagni was employed by Cape Cookies from 1 October 2009 to 8 June 2011 and allegedly intercepted invoices between the company and IT supplier Ensync.

He is accused of fabricating invoices from Ensync to Cape Cookies, placing the bank account details and VAT number of his own company on the documents.

The court documents state that Spagni inflated the invoice amounts, and it was found that Ensyncs actual invoices were then paid at a later date.

Spagni also stands accused of generating false invoices for three different fictitious IT suppliers.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, then travelled to the United States after receiving an O1 nonimmigrant visa to the United States.

This visa is awarded to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary ability or achievement.

According to the court documents, Spagni chose not to return to South Africa for his court date because he was afraid of potential exposure to Covid19, which would hamper his plans to emigrate to the United States with his wife.

Spagni cited fears of contracting Covid19 as reasons for delaying his trial in South Africa, saying that he has chronic asthma and is overweight  comorbidities that put him at risk of experiencing severe symptoms.

After several delays since June 2020, Spagnis court appearance was finally scheduled for 24 Match and 19 April 2021.

On 21 March, Spagni and his wife travelled from South Africa to Bermuda, where they quarantined before entering the United States on 19 April.

Spagni and his wife settled in New York, where they established two residences in his name.

When the court convened on 24 March, Spagni was not present, and his lawyer stated that he had given Spagni notice of the trial date and that he had no knowledge of Spagnis whereabouts and was unable to contact him.

The South African Police Service tried to locate Spagni but were unsuccessful, as he had already left the country.

Spagni maintains that he thought the court date was merely a status conference.

However, the US judge said he found Spagnis explanation lacking.

Thanks very much for the exposure to Covid South Africa and USA    @fluffypony pic.twitter.com/OszJoWJrDp  Saskia Spagni (@Spatzipantz) September 18, 2021

He noted that Spagni himself said he chose not to fly from Bermuda back to South Africa for his next court date on 19 April because he didnt want to risk catching Covid19 and jeopardising his emigration plans to the US.

When the court convened without Spagni present on 19 April, his counsel again stated that he did not know where his client was, and he moved to withdraw as Spagnis attorney.

The Magistrate Court of the District of Cape Town issued a warrant for Spagnis arrest.

Court documents show that the District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee issued a warrant for Spagnis arrest on 20 July 2021.

Law enforcement arrested Spagni that same day while he was on his way to a digital currency conference.

In their application to have Spagni held without bail, US law enforcement argued that he was a flight risk because he is believed to have significant cryptocurrency assets and has a watch valued at $800,000 (R12 million).

Spagnis wife, Saskia Spagni, posted a clipping from a US newspaper to Twitter on Saturday, which reported that the Daviess County Detention Center had experienced a Covid19 outbreak.

According to the report, fourteen inmates and six staff were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Thanks very much for the exposure to Covid, South Africa and USA, she stated.

MyBroadband contacted Spagnis legal representative in South Africa for comment, but he could not immediately answer questions regarding the status of the case.

Now read: How to declare your Bitcoin to SARS
Mozilla is experimenting with replacing Google Search as the default search engine on its Firefox browser with Microsofts Bing service.

This is according to a report from German web developer Soren Hentzschel, who closely tracks developments around the performance-focused browser.

Google is currently the default search engine on Firefox in most countries and has been for several years.

Mozillas only major break from the company was between 2014 and 2017 when it entered into an agreement to set the Yahoo search engine as its default.

Despite users being able to change their search engine, the default engine plays a significant role in Mozillas business model.

Google pays it handsomely to have Google Search as the default option, contributing 88% to the companys total revenue in 2019.

However, a change is unlikely to be implemented soon, as Mozilla reportedly extended its current agreement with Google for another three years in August 2020.

Firefoxs market share has dropped in recent years. Mozilla may fear that Google will no longer see value in an agreement with the company.

Around 65% of browser users are using Googles own Chrome browser, which means it is already exposing billions of people to its search engine.

By comparison, Firefox only has about 3.5% market share, similar to Microsofts new Chromium-based Edge browser.

Aside from the fact that Firefox is now facing stiff competition from Edge, an agreement with Microsoft would also be strange given that Mozilla has seemingly been tussling with Microsofts attempts to force Edge onto Windows users.

The company recently launched a feature in Firefox version 91 that allows Windows 10 users to switch from Edge as their default browser to Firefox with a single click.

Typically, Windows 10 users would be forced to change their default browser in the Settings app.
 How to Clip

Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
"This is a test year for fish. There's no doubt about it," Marcus said.

The Land Trust of Napa County has a network of preserves. From the redwood forests of Archer Taylor Preserve in the Mayacamas Mountains to the oak woodlands of Wragg Ridge Preserve near Lake Berryessa, the drought is being felt.

Its pretty striking, said Mike Palladini of the Land Trust.

More trees are dying. Wildflowers and grasses are drying out sooner. Fire-adapted native plants arent coming back from the 2020 fires as quickly as from the 2017 fires, he said.

Seasonal wetlands are getting so dry we are actually seeing a change in vegetation, Palladini said.

Fewer seeds and less fruit from drought-stressed plants results in less food for wildlife that relies on these food sources. That can lead to this wildlife not surviving or reproducing as well, having implications for the top predators, he said.

Some streams that usually have some water during the summer are dry. That means less water for wildlife ranging from fish to amphibians to bobcats to bears, he said.
A $3.1 million renovation of the Imola park-and-ride lot could be the start of some big changes for Imola Avenue as a whole.

The lot along Golden Gate Drive near Imola Avenue in the city of Napa was built during the early 1980s and doesnt look like its had a facelift since. Weeds grow out of cracked asphalt pavement.

Nor is the lot exceedingly popular. A couple of dozen vehicles might be seen in its 76 spaces on a typical day. Theres a sense of a heyday long past.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months!

The Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation. Plans call for new pavement, electric vehicle charging stations, better bike lockers, better lighting and the return of express bus service to BART.

Work should be finished in about six months, depending on the weather, transportation officials said. Then commuters will have a better place to park to catch carpools or buses.

Public transportation is about convenience and efficiency, Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

What could be more convenient than this location along the Imola corridor? he said.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Novant Health said Tuesday that 1.4% of its overall workforce, or 375 employees, are not being allowed to work.

Novant announced its mandatory vaccination policy July 22, saying then that it would require full compliance by Sept. 15.

In a news release, Novant Health says the affected workers will have five days to comply with the vaccine mandate. If they dont get the shot before the deadline, they will be fired.



NEW YORK  A new study of Texas prison inmates provides more evidence that coronavirus can spread even in groups where most people are vaccinated.

A COVID-19 outbreak at a federal prison in July and August infected 172 male inmates in two prison housing units, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Tuesday.

About 80% of the inmates in the units had been vaccinated. More than 90% of the unvaccinated inmates wound up being infected, as did 70% of the fully vaccinated prisoners.

Severe illness, however, was more common among the unvaccinated. The hospitalization rate was almost 10 times higher for them compared with those who got the shots.
Similarly, many Vietnamese Americans recall how they couldn't get out before the impending fall of Saigon to communism. They stayed behind and faced long spells in reeducation camps in retaliation for their allegiance to the Americans who had fought in their country. Once they were allowed to return to their families, many Vietnamese left and took small boats onto the seas, hoping to escape and survive.

For some families, the journey took years and many failed attempts, which is why many Vietnamese Americans view the departure of the U.S. military from Afghanistan not as the end of the crisis, but the beginning.

We have to remember now is the time to lay a foundation for a humanitarian crisis that may last long past the moment the last U.S. help leaves the Afghan space, said Thanh Tan, a Seattle filmmaker who started a group for Vietnamese Americans seeking to assist Afghans called Viets4Afghans. Her own family, she said, made the trip four years after the U.S. left Vietnam. We have to be prepared because people will do whatever it takes to survive.
As with every law, there are those who abuse it. Whatever Bergers vexatious litigant could have done had little or nothing to do with the ADA or a victims rights under it. Congress and the California Legislature recognized, as Berger does not, that disabled people suffer serious and pernicious discrimination in commercial establishments.

Lets say youre in a wheelchair and the only access to your chosen winery is up a short flight of stairs, in violation of the ADA. Do you just bide your time? Go elsewhere? Ask for a lift? Acknowledge that the poor winery owner (an oxymoron) probably cant afford to comply with the law?

Or, lets escalate this. The ADA and the building codes require toilet paper holders to be of a certain height. Suppose the TP holders in the winery you, a wheelchair-bound person, are patronizing are a couple of inches too high. If youve ever found yourself on the toilet when you realize your teenager didnt replace the roll, youve had the experience that a person with a disability has when the TP holder is out of reach.
Decisions to arrest Armenia ex-defense minister, arms supplier are appealed

Dollar continues going down in Armenia

Artsakh President to Putin: Your role in process of peaceful, final settlement of Karabakh conflict is invaluable

Amir-Abdollahian: We consider inadmissible Zionist regime provocative movement in our region from Azerbaijan territory

Iran FM announces readiness to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan

US ambassador to Armenia attends unveiling of new x-ray machine donated to Ashtarak city hospital (PHOTOS)

Putin: Russia attaches great importance to close cooperation with strategic ally Armenia

Police disrupt ARF youths protest outside Armenia government building

Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople meets with the Pope, in the Vatican

UK envoy to Armenia does not comment on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Karabakh situation

Iran Supreme Leaders representative leaves Azerbaijan

Armenias Pashinyan to Russias Putin: We are grateful for your efforts to establish peace in South Caucasus

Putin, Aliyev confer on situation in South Caucasus

Putin, Erdogan discuss regional issues

4 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

PACE new resolution urges to ensure that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory

Zelensky sacks Ukraine ambassador to Armenia

PM: Armenia, Armenian people are grateful to Japan

Armenia PM: We have made decision regarding local elections

Armenia, Italy presidents farewell ceremony held in Rome (PHOTOS)

Sarkissian to Putin: Armenia highly values your contribution to maintenance of peace, stability in region

Having legal system is important for business development in fair environment, says UK ambassador to Armenia

Armenia President, Italy PM meeting in Rome (PHOTOS)

Baku not ruling out another meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs

Armenia President meets with Rome mayor

1,309 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Biden approval rating hits new low in latest poll

Armenia ombudsman in Italy parliament, presents evidence of Azerbaijan torture of Armenian captives

World oil prices dropping

Serial killer in US lured by social media is sentenced to 160 years in prison

Newspaper: Armenia authorities face new problems in setting up parliament committee of inquiry into 44-day war

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc plans to hold forums, rally

Armenia PM admits that in 2018 he could have disclosed Karabakh negotiation process content

Armenia health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied

China-Taiwan military escalation reaches peak in past four decades

Armenia President: We welcome pro-Artsakh documents adopted by nearly 50 regional and city councils of Italy

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italian Senate

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia to build new nuclear power plant, negotiations have been launched

Italy's Quirinal Palace hosts exhibition featuring works of Aivazovsky, Saryan and other Armenian painters

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico

Catholicos of All Armenians meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

Armenia ex-Ambassador to The Netherlands Vigen Chitechyan dies

Armenia PM again says he is guilty for all the failures of the Armenian side during last year's war

FM: Discussion on occupied territories of former NKAO will create new threats to Armenia

Karabakh emergency situations service: Rescue squad finds remains of another Armenian soldier in Jrakan

Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia agreed to stop the hostilities on October 7, 2020

Iran, EEU begin talks to reach agreement over permanent treaty on free trade zone

An abundant TechnoFall with Inecobank - NFC payments and more

Armenia FM says his Indian counterpart will visit Yerevan in the next few days

Deputy PM: A comprehensive study of documents agreed by Armenian and Azerbaijani is necessary

Digest: Azerbaijan using Armenia's airspace, Baku says it's ready to mend relations with Yerevan

Health minister: All coronavirus vaccines in Armenia meet quality standards

Armenia health minister: Those who recovered from COVID-19 also need to get vaccinated

Armenia Deputy PM announces name of another POW returned from Azerbaijan

Armenia and Italy Presidents hold personal talks at Quirinal Palace

Armenian FM: MFA welcomes Iran's stance on inviolability of Armenia's borders

EU ready to share experience with Azerbaijan and Armenia in borders demarcation and delimitation

Dollar dropping in Armenia

Lavrov: Russia, Iran discussed 3 + 3 format concept with Turkey, Caucasus countries participation

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: Iran won't accept geopolitical changes in the Caucasus

Armenia Ambassador meets with Iranian Deputy FM

Armenia Parliament Speaker visits Armenian church of Russia and New Nakhijevan Diocese

Armenia to host event with companies having made investments worth over $2,000,000,000

Aliyev announces start of process of opening communications with Armenia

Civil Aviation Committee confirms Baku-Nakhchivan flight through Armenia airspace Wednesday

Armenia government programs under EU assistance package are discussed

Azerbaijan lodges complaint with ECHR for review of case of assassination attempt against Lapshin

Armenian MP also on list of Erdogan's petition to strip several Turkey lawmakers of parliamentary immunity

Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan has new advisor

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief has new deputy

Italy President to Armen Sarkissian: OSCE Minsk Group is the format for sustainable and peaceful solution

Armenia ombudsman emphasizes to Vatican Secretary of State urgency of returning Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

Aliyev: Azerbaijan is ready to launch negotiations with Armenia for normalization of relations

Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with Russian State Duma chairman

Ruling faction MP: Armenia airspace has never been closed to Azerbaijan civilian air transportation

New France ambassador visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Opposition MP: Not only is there no security system in Armenia but there is no one who wants to maintain that system

Not first time that reports are made on opening of Armenia airspace to Azerbaijan

Armenia flag raised on Italy presidential palace

Armenia Competition Protection Commission chief heads for Greece, memorandum of cooperation to be signed

It is snowing with large flakes in Armenias Vanadzor

Civil Aviation Committee silent on issue of allowing Baku-Nakhchivan flights through Armenia airspace

Armenia State Revenue Committee hosting meeting of council of CIS tax authorities heads

Fall forward: Gurgen Khachatryan, Co-Founder of Galaxy Group of Companies, addresses message to Armenia youth

Gas price in Europe exceeds $ 1,600 per thousand cubic meters

Those displaced from Artsakhs Hadrut again protesting outside Armenia government building

World oil prices stabilizing

1,155 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Baku starts using Armenia airspace for flights to Nakhchivan

Armenia National Assembly passes important law initiative

Russia peacekeepers monitoring ceasefire in Karabakh

Snow falls at Armenias Dilijan road bends

Greece-Turkey arms race: France frigates vs. Germany submarines?

Armenia legislature continues regular sessions

Newspaper: Armenia employees to pay considerably for tests if not vaccinated against coronavirus

Newspaper: Court denies Armenia parliament speakers petition for opposition MP

Hundreds of kilograms of cocaine found in Scotland historic castle ruins

Iran FM to discuss developments in Caucasus with his Russian counterpart

Armenia FM receives Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in South Caucasus
Exactly thirty years ago, the Armenian people overwhelmingly voted to secede from the Soviet Union, taking the first step to regain their status as an independent, sovereign nation. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy noted this in her message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Armenia's independence.

The message continues as follows: Today, as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of its independence, I see the strength and resiliency of the Armenian people and the commitment to building a better future despite the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic and war Armenia has faced in the last year. I see an old nation that has used its independence to chart a new history. An Armenia that is taking a path of democratic reform and developing economic opportunities for its citizens while seeking to address critical security concerns. For thirty years, these have been the bases of U.S.-Armenia partnership rooted in shared values.

Building a Broad and Deep Partnership We opened the first U.S. Embassy in Yerevan in 1992, shortly after Armenias independence; but the U.S.-Armenia partnership predates the official establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. As far back as 1919 under President Woodrow Wilsons administration, the American government provided relief support to Armenians throughout the region impacted by the Genocide. The United States later played an active role in helping Armenia recover from the devastating 1988 earthquake, with the U.S. government and private citizens providing technical and financial assistance to aid in recovery efforts and help those displaced by the disaster. The overwhelming U.S. response underscored both the scale of the tragedy but also the depth of the people-to-people ties between our countries. And it would be impossible to talk about our people-to-people ties without acknowledging Americas vibrant Armenian diaspora community that has been an enduring source of strength for both our countries and our relations.

With the establishment of official diplomatic relations between the United States and Armenia, the door opened wider on the possibilities for our partnership. Indeed, three decades later and having provided nearly $3 billion dollars in U.S. assistance, our ties are stronger than ever. Building and maintaining strong democratic institutions, advancing the rule of law and combating corruption, providing humanitarian support to the vulnerable, improving the capacity of the security structures, unlocking and promoting economic opportunities, strengthening health care systems, preserving cultural heritage, expanding access to education, investing in people through exchange programs, and supporting regional peace initiatives underscore the broad bilateral relationship that Americans and Armenians have worked together to establish and strengthen. Resiliency Amid Challenges A key thread that ties together our diverse partnership is the aim to improve peoples lives, to keep us all healthy and safe, and to leave a better world for our children. As President Biden stated earlier this year in his commemoration of the Armenian Genocide: Let us also turn our eyes to the future  toward the world that we wish to build for our children. A world unstained by the daily evils of bigotry and intolerance, where human rights are respected, and where all people are able to pursue their lives in dignity and security. The last twenty months have been trying, yet they again showed the resiliency of the Armenian people and the strength of Armenias democracy.

This summer we saw a parliamentary election which was not only praised by international observers for upholding fundamental freedoms but was also a source of pride for many Armenians who saw the countrys democratic institutions stand strong in the face of adversity. And while we will not forget the challenges, tragedies and hardships which persist to this day, we should not lose sight of all that Armenia has achieved and potential to achieve. Building on the strong foundation of ties developed over the last thirty years, we continue to see a positive future for the U.S.-Armenia relationshipand continue to look with confidence at the future for Armeniaa sovereign, prosperous state accountable to its people and secure with its neighbors. We look forward to our continuing partnership as Armenia follows the path it began on September 21, 1991.
President Armen Sarkissian has issued an address on Armenia's Independence Day 30th anniversary. The address runs as follows:

Dear compatriots,

Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia,

Today is the 30th anniversary of declaring the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

It occurs in a critically difficult situation, with many problems and challenges.

It occurs on the eve of the completion of the first year of the disastrous war, in the conditions of pain for the loss of thousands of young people, uncertain destinies of our compatriots in captivity or the unknown, incurable wounds of our souls and bodies, and interrupted dreams.

It occurs at a time when together with the world, we have to fight the coronavirus.

It occurs at a time

when the country is in great need of our united shoulders, our minds, and our joint efforts,

when there is a need to understand and defend our identity more deeply,

when we strongly need unity and listening to each other, understanding, mutual respect and tolerance, sharing pain, and supporting each other.

As it is today, it was also a difficult period for our people thirty years ago, and again there was the same question: shall we be able to overcome it and how?

And we did overcome. On September 21, 1991, we turned our dream of many years into reality with the independent Republic of Armenia.

Moreover, nobody gave us independence. We tried, we fought, and we achieved. We achieved it not only at the cost of our will and devotion but also at the expense of the lives of many of our compatriots.

I once again bow to the memory of all those who sacrificed themselves for the independence, sovereignty, freedom, and security of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)].

I extend my most profound respect to all those who have contributed to the achievement of independence.

Dear compatriots,

For thirty years, due to various objective and subjective reasons, we have not been able to fully realize the opportunity provided by independence, develop our victory and success.

Everything seemed to be there for it, from the dream to the idea, from the excitement to the will, from the experience of the past to the pursuit of the future.

Meanwhile, today it turns out that we did not appreciate what we had. Moreover, we underestimated both the gains and the losses.

We have used our spirit not so much for creating real success as for rejoicing in the desired success.

The blow received about thirty years later, unfortunately, was in the form of a new war...

Today, the history of our country, the people, the present, and the future are intertwined. We must learn from the past. At the same time, we must not let the past hinder us from moving forward.

National security is and will remain the most significant issue for our Homeland for a long time. We must do everything we can to strengthen our security system. Without a strong security system, there can be no development or progress.

We must make more efforts for the future development of our Motherland, Armenia, and Artsakh. But first, we must assess and realize the vital value of an independent state realistically, not emotionally.

Statehood becomes a reality when it lives in us, in our work, in our way of life, in our family, and in our way of thinking.

We must have a clear national and state agenda, vision and program, which must also guide our actions in the contacts with our partners and international relations, in general.

We need a deep awareness of our national identity and statehood.

We need unity to make our Homeland a safe, defensive, strong, and healthy state in all respects.

We need patience and awareness to realize that difficulties are temporary, and we can overcome them.

We need farsightedness to see new opportunities even in the current situation.

We need realism and a revaluation of reality. It is not only the state that needs restarting but also our feeling of statehood and the awareness of the consequences of the possible danger of losing it.

We must get out of the situation with our heads held high, our backs straight, and move forward:

in an atmosphere of solidarity, tolerance, and national accord,

with the courage to look into each other's eyes with dignity, straight, and honestly,

with the persistence in renouncing pretence and populism, and taking actual steps,

with the aim of making our Homeland, Armenia and Artsakh, secure and prosperous.

History remembers both defeats and victories. We must be able to live as a state, as a people, and as a society in such a way that to make history testify about us only through achievements and victories.

Independence Day unites all of us, from Armenia to Artsakh and the Diaspora. May this sense of unity help us achieve our national, pan-Armenian and state goals.

May God protect our Homeland, our people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.
Cowboy Innovations is the new home for OSU tech ideas

Media Contact: Harrison Hill | Research Communications Specialist | 405-744-5827 | harrison.c.hill@Okstate.edu

The seatbelt, the internet, rocket fuel, chemotherapy drugs and even Gatorade all came from universities. In fact, countless technologies had some type of university involvement in their creation or development.

For Oklahoma State University, the new bridge for that development will be Cowboy Innovations, which will allow technologies and ideas developed at OSU to make an impact on the world.

OSU, like other universities, is constantly generating novel ideas, said Zach Miles, senior associate vice president for technology and economic development. Those ideas will now go through Cowboy Innovations, where they can grow into something that will impact the state and the nation.

Dr. Kenneth Sewell, OSU vice president for research, said OSU is committed to maximizing the positive societal impact that research creates.

Cowboy Innovations will facilitate economic development by seamlessly supporting how we turn OSU discoveries and inventions into products in the marketplace, start-up companies and corporate partnerships, he said.

Announced Sept. 17, the move unifies existing tech development offices and programs into a single point of contact for industry engagement, Miles said.

Through this unification, Cowboy Innovations can provide the highest level of service to both internal and external stakeholders and accelerate mutually beneficial engagements with industry, Miles said. New life-changing products and services, as well as economic growth and diversification, will occur.

Miles said the reorganization will also help to attract industry engagement and will provide Oklahoma with high-tech job opportunities, tax revenue and a wider range of economies. The hope, he said, is to see this bolster the success of economic development and diversification in Oklahoma as well as help weather economic downturns.

Companies have unresolved needs and opportunities and are looking for long term relationship partners to help them, said Daniel Will, executive director of Brightest Orange Ventures, now part of Cowboy Innovations. Oklahoma State University has a tremendous degree of innovative engineers and scientists, along with excellent facilities and equipment, that can generate solutions to todays problems and opportunities.

This new organization will streamline the connection of OSUs research and development capabilities with industry, bringing new solutions quickly to market.

Cowboy Innovations will also allow room for growth. Over the next several years, the team at Cowboy Innovations plans to add physical and monetary resources to accelerate translation of ideas into commercial opportunities and attract and support high-tech companies in the region.

Cowboy Innovations will build off this initial launch and look to become more proactively engaged in the economic development, diversification and entrepreneurial ecosystem within the state, nation and worldwide, Miles said.

We will look to increase mutually beneficial engagements with industry, but also with state and federal agencies. We plan to be a source of start-up companies and a resource to companies who can benefit from utilizing the personnel and physical resources at OSU and the OSU Research Park.
Storied electric motor donated to OAIRE

Media Contact: Jeff Hopper | Marketing Media Specialist | 405-744-2745 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu

On Sept. 14, in a ceremony held at the OSU DISCOVERY building in Oklahoma City, an electric motor which was once onboard an unmanned aircraft that circumnavigated the globe was donated to the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) at Oklahoma State University.

Skydweller Aero Inc.  whose global headquarters is now located in Oklahoma City  donated the motor as part of a partnership created to promote research and education opportunities in the area of long-endurance, unmanned aircraft development.

University research and development partnerships are one of Skydwellers top priorities, CEO Dr. Robert Miller said. We are thrilled to be donating our electric motor to Oklahoma State Universitys Unmanned Systems Research Institute and look forward to continued opportunities for collaboration.

From left: CEAT Dean Dr. Paul Tikalsky; Skydweller Aero Inc. CEO Dr. Robert Miller; and OAIRE Director Dr. Jamey Jacob stand behind the historic electric motor.

The motor was originally flown on the Solar Impulse 2, a piloted solar-powered aircraft which circumnavigated the globe in 2016. Skydweller Aero acquired the aircraft in 2019 and is now in the process of converting and enhancing this aircraft to use as a testbed for developing an ultra-persistent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for defense and commercial industries.

The OAIRE team first plans to house and test the motor in its lab space at OSU DISCOVERY to gather valuable data and specifications for the engine to determine which projects will yield the most beneficial results.

We are excited to be working with Skydweller Aero on their advanced technology. This is a unique opportunity for OSU students and researchers at OAIRE to work on cutting edge systems and push the leading edge of aeronautics, said Dr. Jamey Jacob, OSU professor of aerospace engineering and director of OAIRE. OSU has been working on solar-powered aircraft for over 20 years, but this remains one of the hardest problems in aerospace engineering  to be able to assist in the pinnacle of solar flight is truly exciting.

Jacob said the partnership and donation will provide exciting opportunities for researchers to focus on new horizons that will benefit the aeronautics industry for years to come.

Students and researchers plan to evaluate the current motors performance and advanced designs for Skydwellers future vehicles. OAIRE will be testing the systems in their propulsion test lab, which will provide performance curves for them to optimize flight profiles and improve flight efficiency. Developing new motor designs and low speed propellers are some of the teams specialties that they will rely on to give the motor a new life.
Hong Kong stocks end up after Evergrande-fuelled rout

The Hang Seng Index added 0.5 percent, or 122 points, to 24,221. Image: Shutterstock

Shares in Hong Kong rose on Tuesday, clawing back some of the previous day's steep losses, though nervous investors are awaiting the latest developments in the brewing crisis at teetering real estate giant Evergrande.



The Hang Seng Index added 0.5 percent, or 122 points, to 24,221



Mainland markets were closed for a public holiday. (AFP)
UN chief calls for dialogue between China and US

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres makes a speech during the 76th session of United Nations General Assembly, in New York. Photo: AFP

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged China and the United States to engage in dialogue, warning of an increasingly divided world.



"I fear our world is creeping towards two different sets of economic, trade, financial and technology rules, two divergent approaches in the development of artificial intelligence  and ultimately two different military and geopolitical strategies," Guterres said as he opened the annual UN General Assembly.



"This is a recipe for trouble. It would be far less predictable than the Cold War. To restore trust and inspire hope, we need cooperation," he said. "We need dialogue. We need understanding."



The summit will feature the first speech to the world body by US President Joe Biden, who has described a rising and authoritarian China as the paramount challenge of the 21st century.



President Xi Jinping is also set to address the United Nations but by video in light of Covid restrictions.



Guterres said that divisions between the two powers set back efforts on other key priorities including reversing coups.



Since February, militaries have seized control both in Myanmar and Guinea and Afghanistan's Western-backed government collapsed to the Taliban.



"We are also seeing an explosion in seizures of power by force. Military coups are back. The lack of unity among the international community does not help," Guterres said.



"Geopolitical divisions are undermining international cooperation and limiting the capacity of the Security Council to take the necessary decisions." (AFP)
Chloe Leonard, a senior in physiology, works in a laboratory at Southern Illinois University Carbondale with Mary Kinsel, associate scientist in the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration. Leonard is working on a project aimed at ensuring people get what they pay for when purchasing CBD products, a newer, over-the-counter pharmaceutical with analgesic and other properties. (Photo by Russell Bailey)

Students explore truth in CBD labeling at SIU Carbondale

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  A student from a university in Puerto Rico spent the summer at Southern Illinois University Carbondale working on a project aimed at ensuring people get what they pay for when purchasing CBD products, a newer, over-the-counter pharmaceutical with analgesic and other properties. An SIU student, Chloe Leonard, a senior in physiology, will continue the work this semester.

Roberto Santos-Torres came to SIU as part of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program pays for students to visit other universities to conduct research.

SIU also recently hosted students from Tennessee, New Jersey, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, as well as Illinois, as part of the program, and sent some its students to study at other universities, as well.

Santos-Torres worked with two SIU researchers  Mary Kinsel and Gary Kinsel  using some of the universitys high-tech analytical instrumentation to examine various CBD products to verify their active ingredients. His project examined the accuracy of product labelling on hemp-derived consumer products such as CBD tinctures intended for humans or pet consumption, CBD gummies, CBD honey and topical CBD creams.

Growing in popularity

One of the latest wonder substances gaining popularity in the marketplace, cannabidiol is known as CBD for short. The substance, usually in the form of an oil sold by itself or as an ingredient in other products, is derived from cannabis, which is enjoying a reprieve from its outlaw status as many states legalize marijuana.

CBD, though found in marijuana plants, doesn't create a high effect or any form of intoxication; thats caused by another cannabinoid, known as THC. Manufacturers, however, tout CBD as everything from a stress reducer, to a sleep aid to a reliever of aches and pains.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, has reported a proliferation of hemp-derived products that dont contain the active ingredients in the amounts listed on the product labels. So bringing some kind of standardization to this exploding field may have an important future.

So how do you know?

It is problematic when the public cannot trust that the product labelling is accurate, said Mary Kinsel, associate scientist in the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration at SIU. Along with Gary Kinsel, vice chancellor for research, Kinsel guided Santos-Torres as he learned practical laboratory skills, such as instrument calibration, standard preparation and extraction of samples combined with liquid chromatography separation and mass spectrometric detection of cannabinoids.

Santos-Torres said use of medical cannabis is a growing in his home of Puerto Rico, the same as in many U.S. states. So Mary Kinsel suggested he tackle the emerging problem of labeling issues.

I was delighted, since it was a project that could start on my island before I got to SIU, he said. I hope this study can clarify the problem that currently exists with the label content of CBD products, and for the FDA be more rigorous with this market.

For Santos-Torres the first step was preparing standard solutions of five different known CBD concentrations, which provided a sort of yardstick by which to measure the CBD content of the consumer products. To do this, he prepared a stock solution with a known concentration of CBD, and then diluted it to make standards of the desired smaller CBD concentrations.

By plotting the instrument response of each CBD standard signal against the known concentrations, the researchers could then fit an equation to the data that could be used to determine the CBD concentrations in the consumer products.

Working with the Kinsels, Santos-Torres learned to operate one of SIUs liquid chromatograph mass spectrometers, using it to separate the CBD from other components extracted from the consumer products. Two detectors  a UV-vis photodiode array detector that recorded light absorption and a mass spectrometer that recorded positive ions  detected the CBDs.

Roberto took the two types of data, measured the area of the CBD signals, and calculated the amount of CBD using the standard calibration equations, Mary Kinsel said. We repeated the extractions up to three times to calculate an average amount of CBD for the CBD consumer products.

The painstaking work effectively set the stage for further work to begin this fall, when Leonard continues the project. Leonard said she chose to study under Mary Kinsel after taking her Introduction to Forensic Science course in the fall of 2020.

I was very intrigued by her research and asked if she had any openings for undergraduate research, Leonard said. She was kind enough to allow me to join her this semester in the lab and presented the idea of furthering Robertos research.

As a physiology major, Leonard said she is very interested in the medicinal benefits of CBD. So it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

It would allow me to gain a better understanding for potency testing and proper laboratory procedures that I could use in the future, she said.

Leonard will repeat Santos-Torres work with the goal of determining the extraction efficiency by adding known quantities of CBD to consumer products and then extracting it to measure how much can be recovered. This will help optimize the extraction method.

During this semester, we expect her to validate the extraction processes we came up with and carried out this summer, Santos-Torres said. After that, shell continue to examine more CBD products.

A native of Corozal who is earning his degree in chemical engineering and certification in biochemistry at his home university, Santos-Torres hopes to get a job in the Puerto Rico chemical industry. After working for a few years, he hopes to return to a university and earn an advanced degree in chemistry or chemical engineering. SIU has been key to his future success, he said.

This had been my first research experience, and the Kinsels taught me how the research environment works, he said. They gave me a little preview of how pursuing a doctoral degree would work, too. I am even considering applying to Mary and Garys department for my Ph.D. in a few years.

Leonard said after earning her undergraduate degree she plans to pursue a Master of Science in physician assistant studies and hopes to work at a hospital on a military base.

Both my mother and father were enlisted in the United States Army for over 25 years, so it has always been my dream to serve our military.
20 for 20: Major Canadian cities set or eyeing new September records

Montreal has been on quite a lucky roll temperature-wise for the entire month of September to date -- a perfect streak, so to speak.

As of Monday, the city has seen 20 consecutive days with a maximum temperature surpassing 20C this month, setting a new all-time record for September. It is likely to be shattered again in the coming days this week. It topped the previous record of 19 successive days that was set in 2017.

Visit our Complete Guide to Fall 2021 for an in-depth look at the Fall Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!

So summer feels like it is not over for Central Canada, though, technically, it already is meteorologically and will be astronomically on Wednesday.

You can attribute the extended warmth in September to a high-pressure blocking over the Atlantic will, which is bringing milder temperatures from southern Ontario to Quebec. There will even be some humidex values up to 30 during this first half of the week. On Monday, Waskaganish and Moosonee, in northern Quebec and Ontario, respectively, saw feels-like values of 36.

"While a slow-moving system over southern Ontario will bring cooler than seasonal temperatures in behind it, the mild temperatures will last a bit longer for Quebec," said Anne-Sophie Colombani, a meteorologist at MeteoMedia.

Montreal/20 days/20degrees

With that being said, it may not be the end of Montreal's streak. It may end up getting 25 consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding 20 for the first time in history during the month of September.

Despite this warm weather since the beginning of the month, September 2021 will not be the warmest but it will be enough to make it into the top 10 of the warmest Septembers.

"The month of September in Montreal has warmed up since the beginning of the data. September used to have an average of nine days with 20C+, but the new average from 1991-2020 now has 12 days," said Colombani.

TORONTO INCHING CLOSER TO NEW SEPTEMBER RECORD

It isn't just Montreal that may break a new record for September. Monday was also Toronto Pearson International Airport's 20th successive day with maximum temperatures above 20C, putting it in its second-highest slot. If it reaches this again Friday, it will take top spot in place of the current 24 days that occurred from Sept. 1-24, 2002.

Story continues

"Our forecast for Toronto so far stops the 20C on Thursday because of the new low-pressure system that will bring a lot of rain. But if we have some clearing during the day, maybe the temperature can rise to 20C," says Colombani.

20 days/20 degrees/Toronto

In fact, the maximum daily temperatures in Toronto are expected to drop below 20C in the middle of the week. In Montreal, the colder air will be slower to arrive, however, expected to usher in on the weekend.
SheKnows

Can we say that the relationship between Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump is frosty at best? Well, it depends on who you talk to, according to Stephanie Grishams new book, Ill Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House. The former press secretary and chief of staff for the couple reveals that []
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has said preventing women from accessing education in neighbouring Afghanistan would be un-Islamic.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Khan laid out the conditions that would need to be met for Pakistan to formally recognise the new Taliban government.

He called for the leadership to be inclusive and to respect human rights.

Mr Khan also said Afghanistan should not be used to house terrorists who could threaten Pakistan's security.

Last week, the Taliban excluded girls from secondary schools with only boys and male teachers allowed back. But Pakistan's leader said he believed girls would soon be able to attend.

"The statements they have made since they came to power have been very encouraging," he told the BBC's John Simpson.

"I think they will allow women to go to schools," he said. "The idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. It has nothing to do with religion."

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August, fears have grown over a return to the regime of the 1990s when the hardline Islamists severely restricted women's rights.

Its leadership maintains that the rights of women will be respected "within the framework of Islamic law".

The decision to exclude girls from returning to school last week prompted an international outcry, with a Taliban spokesman later saying they would return to the classroom "as soon as possible".

But it is not yet clear when girls will be able to return or what form of education will be provided if they do.

When pressed on whether the Taliban would realistically meet his criteria for formal recognition, Mr Khan repeatedly called on the international community to give the group more time.

"It's just too early to say anything," he said, adding that he expected Afghan women to eventually "assert their rights".

Story continues

Pakistan has not been seen by all as a firm ally in the battle against jihadist terrorism. It has long been accused by many in the United States and elsewhere of providing support for the Taliban, something it denies.

After the 9/11 attacks that were planned in Afghanistan, Pakistan positioned itself as an ally of the US in the so-called "war on terror". But at the same time, parts of the country's military and intelligence establishment maintained links with Islamist groups like the Taliban.

Mr Khan said that Pakistan would make a decision on whether to formally recognise the Taliban government alongside other neighbouring states.

"All neighbours will get together and see how they progress," he said. "Whether to recognise them or not will be a collective decision."

Worries over civil war

Mr Khan also called on the hardline group to form an inclusive government, warning that a failure to do so could see the country descend into civil war.

"If they do not include all the factions, sooner or later they will have a civil war," he said. "That would mean an unstable, chaotic, Afghanistan and an ideal place for terrorists. That is a worry".

On Tuesday, a Taliban spokesman announced the remaining members of Afghanistan's all-male government.

The additions included a doctor as health minister, but analysts say the government is predominantly made up of loyalists with little minority representation.
South Africa's Jacob Zuma, recently granted medical parole, on Tuesday failed to appear in court for the resumption of a graft trial, as prosecutors argued ill health did not justify his absence.

Two weeks ago, Zuma, 79, was released on medical parole two months into a 15-month prison sentence for refusing to answer questions in a separate corruption probe into his 2009-18 presidency.

He was due in court on Tuesday for the resumption of the trial involving an arms purchase in 1999, when he was deputy president.

But the ex-leader was nowhere to be seen when proceedings kicked off at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province, stoking ire among fed-up prosecutors.

"Attendance in court is not optional," said state advocate Wim Trengove, contesting an instruction from Zuma to "carry on with his case without him".

Details of Zuma's medical condition have been kept confidential. He was hospitalised from jail in early August and underwent surgery later that month.

Tuesday's hearings resumed after a 10-day delay to allow state-appointed doctors to assess evidence of Zuma's condition alongside his own medical team.

Trengove noted a "difference of opinion" between doctors, with state medics finding Zuma "fit to stand trial".

He asked Judge Piet Koen to request the confidential documents and assess their findings in order to rule on the next course of action.

"They are going to be handed in and I'm going to lock them away," Koen replied.

Zuma's lawyer Dali Mpofu argued for confidentiality and privacy, accusing the prosecution of being "vultures... hovering" over the ailing Zuma by seeking to have their doctors physically examine him.

Zuma faces 16 counts of fraud, graft and racketeering related to the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment from five European arms firms.

He is accused of taking bribes from one of the firms, French defence giant Thales, which has also been charged with corruption and money laundering.

Story continues

Both have denied wrongdoing.

The trial started in May after numerous postponements as Zuma's legal team battled to have the charges dropped.

They have also unsuccessfully asked the Constitutional Court to rescind his prison sentence.

On Monday evening, Zuma slammed South Africa's "constitutional dictatorship" and vowed to fight "injustice".

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

sch-sn/pbr
The New York Times

WASHINGTON  Top American counterintelligence officials warned every CIA station and base around the world last week about troubling numbers of informants recruited from other countries to spy for the United States being captured or killed, people familiar with the matter said. The message, in an unusual top-secret cable, said that the CIAs counterintelligence mission center had looked at dozens of cases in the last several years involving foreign informants who had been killed, arrested or mos
Sep. 21The most sweeping bill in the Ohio General Assembly to ban COVID-19 vaccination requirements, sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester, seems to have stalled. So another area legislator, state Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, is introducing an alternative that would give a pass to private businesses.

Early this year Gross introduced the Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act, or House Bill 248, which would ban governments, schools, childcare facilities, healthcare facilities from requiring vaccination or urging people to be vaccinated. It doesn't specify COVID-19 vaccination, but the ban does exempt requirements for the dozen mandatory childhood vaccinations.

Nor could any of those entities ask a person's vaccination status, require a vaccine passport or registry, or disclose someone's vaccination status, except as part of health care or medical billing.

House Bill 248 would also prohibit businesses from requiring vaccinations or vaccination status disclosure, and from denying service to someone who is not vaccinated or refusing to prove it.

The House Health Committee held hours of hearings on the bill over the summer, but took no action.

Business groups lobbied against HB 248, arguing that businesses should be free to set their own policies and that the bill violates employers' rights under Ohio's at-will employment laws, which allow employers to dismiss workers for any reason.

"I spent the summer listening to testimony on 248," Koehler said. "After listening to those (testimonies), the one thing I heard more than anything is that government should not be mandating vaccines."

He said it appears HB 248 doesn't have enough support to get out of committee. Gross has filed a discharge petition to bring HB 248 to the House floor without committee approval, but that requires 50 signatures  and at last count, had only six, Koehler said.

Neither Gross nor Health Committee chair Rep. Scott Lipps, R-Franklin, responded to messages seeking comment Monday.

Story continues

Koehler said his bill should be assigned a number this week. It would prevent Ohio governments and government-run entities, such as schools and universities, from requiring COVID-19 vaccination or requiring proof of vaccination. Those entities couldn't punish employees for lack of vaccination or proof.

Unlike HB 248, Koehler's bill would not extend the same prohibition to private businesses.

"There are folks on the far right that want all vaccine requirements eliminated," he said. "There are folks on the left that say I shouldn't be stopping the state government from requiring vaccines."

Most of Ohio's 14 public universities are requiring vaccination for students and employees, and the Inter-University Council of Ohio opposes the restriction either HB 248 or Koehler's bill would place upon them, said the group's President and CEO Bruce Johnson.

"The general proposition ought to be that public universities and their trustees, that are appointed by the governor, should be given the opportunity to make those decisions on how to best protect their students," he said. "We just think that the alternative is probably going to be 'send them home,' and that's just not healthy for anybody."

All vaccine requirements in Ohio already have three exemptions, Johnson said: for medical conditions, religious beliefs or "strongly held philosophical beliefs." The universities' policies on COVID-19 vaccination means students would either need to get vaccinated or register one of those exemptions, he said.

Koehler's bill, like HB 248, would not affect the longstanding requirement for childhood vaccinations.

"It is specifically COVID-only, because that is what people are most concerned about today," he said. Constituents tell him they're still concerned about COVID-19 vaccines, and are asking for a "pause;" but his bill's prohibitions on vaccine requirements end after two years, giving time for those concerns to be addressed, Koehler said.

And it reinstates a civil immunity provision for frontline workers passed last year in HB 606.

"That was temporary, and it expires on Sept 30," Koehler said.

HB 606, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed in September 2020, gave civil immunity to people, schools, healthcare providers and businesses from lawsuits over COVID-19 transmission so long as they were not showing "reckless, intentional, or willful misconduct."

Several other bills related to COVID-19 vaccination and mask requirements are in legislative committees. They also target governments, schools and in some cases private businesses, but none goes as far as HB 248.

So far, Ohio has recorded nearly 1.4 million cases of COVID-19, about one Ohioan in every eight, and more than 21,000 deaths. About half of Ohio's population has been fully vaccinated, and most of the current spread  and hospitalization  is among the unvaccinated.
American Samoa is a US territory home to just over 55,000 people. The island recorded its first ever case of COVID-19 last week. Screengrab/Google Maps

American Samoa, a US territory in the Pacific, has recorded its first COVID-19 case.

The case was a traveler who flew into the island from Hawaii on September 13.

American Samoa had managed to maintain zero cases throughout the pandemic by keeping its borders shut.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

American Samoa, a US territory in the Pacific home to just over 55,000 people, has recorded its first COVID-19 case.

The case was detected on the island on September 16 during a quarantine period for travelers who flew in from Honolulu to the capital city of Pago Pago on September 13, per a statement from the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security.

As of September 17, there were 260 travelers serving a mandatory 10-day quarantine in two hotels on the island, according to the homeland security department.

Before September 16, American Samoa was one of the only places in the world that were completely COVID-19-free. The territory managed to maintain its COVID-zero record by essentially cutting itself off from the rest of the world, halting flights and imposing social distancing measures in the early stages of the pandemic, per The New York Times.

"The discovery of this positive case during quarantine highlights the importance of why our process is critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It further highlights the importance of maintaining our current quarantine protocols," wrote American Samoa Gov. Lemanu Mauga in the statement.

Mauga is in quarantine because he was on the Monday flight from Hawaii, per the AP. The flight was one of the first planes to operate on the route after it was suspended in March 2020, according to the AP.

Gabor Kelen, the director of Johns Hopkins University's Department of Emergency Medicine, told The Washington Post it was surprising that American Samoa managed to be COVID-free for so many months, but said it was not possible to maintain this "COVID-zero" approach in the long-term.

Story continues

"Can any nation, entity, territory, forever and ever evade coronavirus? I think that answer is almost for sure no," Kelen told The Post. "Think of it almost like a pressure cooker. As soon as you release the valve just a little, it's over."

As of September 20, American Samoa has fully vaccinated just under half - 48.5% - of its population.

Read the original article on Insider
In Nicaragua, governed with an iron fist by Daniel Ortega, official coronavirus figures do not reflect the reality of a population scrambling to find oxygen tanks for stricken loved ones.

The government insists there is no shortage of hospital beds and says the pandemic has killed 201 Nicaraguans out of a population of 6.5 million.

But observers and residents paint a different picture.

A network of independent doctors, Observatorio Ciudadano, says more than 4,500 people have died with Covid-19-like symptoms, and lists at least 25,150 suspected cases -- almost double the government's official figure of 13,206.

Ortega, who since June has arrested dozens of opposition candidates ahead of November 7 elections in which he will seek a fourth consecutive term, dismisses these numbers as "pandemic terrorism."

Last Wednesday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said that despite a lack of "official figures to allow a proper analysis" there were "other sources indicating high demand for health services, particularly hospitals" in Nicaragua.

"The situation is critical... it is very bad," said Erika, who declined to give her surname, one of hundreds queuing for oxygen in the capital, Managua.

She said she had lost two family members to the pandemic.

"I no longer want to go onto social media and be faced with all the condolences" expressed for people who had passed away, added Yonarqui Martinez, a human rights advocate.

The Catholic Church said that among its ranks alone, 16 priests have died of the virus in Nicaragua to date, most of them this year.

- Hoping for a 'miracle' -

The PAHO said it had received reports of "high transmission, that is an increase in the number of cases -- also in children and teenagers -- both in terms of hospitalizations, suspected and confirmed cases, and deaths."

Oxygen tanks have been in short supply for weeks, and from all corners of Nicaragua, people flock to the capital to try and acquire some of the precious gas for loved ones they say they have no choice but to treat at home.

Story continues

Taxi driver Julio Larios traveled 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Leon in the country's west to Managua only to be told after a long wait that there was no more oxygen.

"I will queue and hope by some miracle that another tanker comes today," he told AFP.

Francisco Montenegro, who has taken in both his parents stricken with Covid-19, is also in an oxygen queue.

He laments the lack of containment measures to brake the spread of the pandemic.

"In the streets, in the bus, everywhere there are people not wearing masks," he told AFP, and blamed Nicaragua's Covid-19 resurgence on the amassing of "crowds" despite low rates of vaccination.

Unlike other countries in Latin America that have also experienced infection surges, Nicaragua has never had a coronavirus lockdown.

Sporting events, large religious gatherings, fairs and dance parties have continued throughout the epidemic, often gathering thousands together in enclosed spaces, and without strict mask protocols.

Ortega has insisted that if the country "stops working... it will die of hunger."

A million Nicaraguans, according to the central bank, make ends meet through informal employment.

- Masks, hand-washing -

To date, Nicaragua has administered at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine to only 523,000 of its residents -- all over the age of 45 or falling into vulnerable groups of people battling cancer or other diseases.

The government intends to complete vaccination of this group by next month, as well as 30 percent of those over the age of 30 -- for whom the campaign started Monday.

Nicaragua's health authorities have in recent weeks been urging people to respect voluntary counter-infection measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and regular hand-washing.

Health personnel are travelling around the country, making home calls to detect suspected cases.

For its part, Observatorio Ciudadana urges Nicaraguans with Covid-19 symptoms to voluntarily self-isolate to avoid a "collapse of the hospital system."

str-bm/mav/lab/mlr/jh
Daniel Robinson has been missing for nearly three months. Now his family is hoping that the Gabby Petito case will bring renewed interest in their son's unsolved disappearance.

The 24-year-old geologist was last seen leaving a job site in the area of Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road in Buckeye, Arizona, at around 9:15 a.m. on June 23. He was reported missing that same day, and authorities launched a massive search.

Local police, along with outside agencies, covered more than 70 square miles using "UTVs, cadaver dogs and air support including a drone and a helicopter," police said in a press release last week.

Update on search for Daniel Robinson. pic.twitter.com/Di49c6YY3S

 Buckeye Police Dept (@BuckeyeAZPD) September 17, 2021

On July 19, a rancher found Robinson's Jeep on his property  approximately four miles southwest of the job site where Robinson was last seen, police said.

According to investigators, the Jeep seemed to have rolled over and landed on its side. The airbags were deployed and "initial evidence indicates Daniel was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident," police said in a press release at the time. Robinson's cell phone, wallet and keys were all found in the Jeep.

Then, just over a week later, "a human skull was located in an area south of where the Jeep had been recovered," police said.

But authorities determined it was not Robinson's skull.

"No additional human remains have been found, despite online reports claiming otherwise," police said last week. "Other remains recovered during searches were determined to be animal bones."

Daniel Robinson / Credit: Buckeye Police Department

Robinson's father, David Robinson, told CBS affiliate KPHO-TV on Tuesday that although his son's case is different from that of Petito  a 22-year-old woman who went missing while on a cross-country trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie, before her body was found Sunday in Wyoming  he is hopeful that the national attention given to Petito will renew interest in finding Robinson.

Story continues

"I've been up all night, emailing, texting, reaching out to whoever," David Robinson said. "Just seeing all of a sudden movement, it's a good feeling."

David Robinson, who is from South Carolina, put his son's belongings in storage on Monday.

"Going through his things, he's not there to tell us what he wants or what he doesn't want," he told KPHO. "So that kind of stuff is kind of hard so far."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Buckeye Police Department non-emergency number 623-349-6400.

Racist housing policies had lasting impacts

Aviation industry leaders to testify before Congress on unruly passengers

FDA authorizes COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot for high-risk adults
Supporters of abortion rights protest at the Texas State Capitol. Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

A self-described "disbarred and disgraced former Arkansas lawyer" filed a lawsuit on Monday against Alan Braid, a Texas physician who wrote in The Washington Post over the weekend that he violated the state's restrictive abortion ban by performing the procedure on a patient.

The Texas abortion ban, which went into effect on Sept. 1, allows citizens to sue providers and anyone believed to have had a role in "aiding or abetting" an abortion that took place once cardiac activity was detected; this is often as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Braid wrote in the Post on Saturday that he performed a first trimester abortion on Sept. 6 at his San Antonio clinic because "I believe abortion is an essential part of health care" and "I can't just sit back and watch us return to 1972." He added that he sees this as "a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients."

The man who filed the civil suit against Braid is former lawyer Oscar Stilley, who told the Post he is not connected to the abortion Braid performed and isn't even adamantly anti-abortion, but is interested in the $10,000 he could receive if he wins in court. "If the law is no good, why should we have to go through a long, drawn-out process to find out if it's garbage?" he told the Post. Stilley was convicted of tax fraud in 2010 and sentenced to 15 years in prison, and is now serving out the rest of his time at home.

The Supreme Court rejected an attempt to block the Texas law shortly after it went into effect, and the Justice Department later filed an emergency request to keep the law from being enforced; a hearing is set for Oct. 1 in Austin.

Several anti-abortion groups have accused Braid of writing about performing an abortion as a way to bait people into filing lawsuits against him. New York University law professor Melissa Murray told the Post that lawsuits like the one filed by Stilley were "never the principal goal" of the Texas law; instead, the law makes it so there can't be a preemptive legal challenge. The goal was to "absolutely bring reproductive care in Texas to a standstill," she added. "That was always the endgame."

Story continues

You may also like

Did Theranos Lose Afghanistan?

There's 'no way' to predict Joe Manchin's reconciliation vote, says former adviser

How Gavin Newsom ran away with the recall
The New York Times

Mike Pence told her, I love your heart. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio confided in her that Donald Trump would soon announce he was running again for president in 2024. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee for governor of Virginia, revealed to her that he could not publicly press his anti-abortion agenda for fear of losing independent voters. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times All of them made these comments to Lauren Windsor, a liberal activist who has turned a hidden camer
Sep. 21Police have traced a bomb threat that was emailed to several staff members at a Lakeville school in May to a local juvenile.

Lakeville Police said Monday that, with the help of the Europe Division of the FBI, investigators determined a juvenile in the Lakeville area sent the threatening email to staff at Lakeville South High School on May 20. The district closed all buildings and shifted students to online learning the next day, as law enforcement swept several buildings for explosives, police said.

Authorities determined all buildings were clear, and the threat was a hoax.

"The LPD wants parents, students and the community to know everything you do with an electronic device leaves a digital footprint," police said.

The case has been forwarded to the Dakota County Attorney.

The prosecutor's office said there was no information on the case available.
A Belle Isle Police Department officer resigned Monday after he was arrested for driving under the influence in Volusia County, according to Chief Laura Houston.

Ivar Ruiz, 33, was arrested around 3:00 a.m. near DeLand, taken to Volusia County jail and released on a $1,500 bond, online records show. The arrest report was not immediately available.

I am very disappointed to learn of this arrest, Houston said in a statement. As law enforcement officers, we are held to the highest standards of conduct whether on duty or off duty.

Ruiz was previously arrested for DUI by a Volusia County deputy in 2019, court records show.

He entered a plea agreement, was placed on 12 months probation and ordered to take an alcohol education safety course, according to court records.

Ruiz was hired by the Belle Isle Police Department in 2017 and worked as a patrol officer, Houston said.

He was initially placed on leave without pay after his latest DUI arrest, but submitted his resignation on Monday, which Houston said she accepted.

The police department will conduct criminal and internal investigations, Houston said, and the final reports will be made public.

lgarza@orlandosentinel.com
Ajmal Ahmadi, weeps alone in a room after members of his family were killed on Sunday, in an American drone strike that targeted and hit a vehicle in their home in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Marcus Yam/Getty Images

Biden's "over-the-horizon" strategy could lead to more civilian deaths in Afghanistan, experts warn.

Without a robust intelligence network on the ground, it's difficult for the US to know who it's targeting.

An August 29 drone strike in Kabul killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A US drone strike in Kabul on August 29 killed 10 civilians, including an aid worker and seven children. It was not an isolated incident. Drone strikes conducted by the US, in Afghanistan and beyond, have often resulted in civilian casualties.

The Biden administration last week apologized for the strike, pledging to take steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

President Joe Biden has vowed to continue going after ISIS-K in Afghanistan via an "over-the-horizon" approach, which essentially involves conducting operations or strikes without boots on the ground. The White House on Monday signaled that he remains undeterred in this regard despite the controversy over the August 29 strike. "The President's desire to continue to go after ISIS-K has not changed," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

But Biden's strategy could result in even more civilian deaths moving forward and is likely illegal, experts warn.

"I'm definitely concerned that the Biden administration's 'over-the-horizon' approach will result in more civilian casualties, because the accuracy of drone strikes depends heavily on the quality of intelligence, and if the US does not have an actual presence in Afghanistan, it's hard to see how it can determine whether the information it's getting from any supposed partners on the ground is reliable," Daphne Eviatar, Amnesty International USA's director of Security With Human Rights, told Insider.

'Strikes are only as accurate as the targeting intelligence'

Relatives and neighbors of the Ahmadi family gathered around the incinerated husk of a vehicle targeted and hit earlier Sunday afternoon by an American drone strike, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. Marcus Yam/Getty Images

The drone strike on August 29 came after an ISIS-K attack near the Kabul airport, which killed 13 US service members and 169 Afghans. The US military initially offered a full-throated defense of the drone attack, calling it a "righteous strike." The US thought it was targeting a car packed with explosives for another ISIS-K attack. But a report from the New York Times revealed that the military actually launched the strike at a vehicle that an aid worker, Zemari Ahmadi, was filling with water containers for his home.

Story continues

"Drone strikes create the illusion that there's some sort of high tech, antiseptic, risk-free way to use force, but no matter how fancy the technology is, such strikes are only as accurate as the targeting intelligence," Rosa Brooks, a professor of law and policy at Georgetown University, told Insider. "The tragic results of the strike that followed the Kabul airport attack is a case in point: precision targeting technologies count for nothing if you have bad intel."

Brooks, who also served as counselor to undersecretary of defense for policy Michele Flournoy from 2009 to 2011, added that having assets on the ground is also not necessarily "sufficient to prevent mistakes." Local informants can be wrong and even lie at times, Brooks said, and we've seen "plenty of drone-strikes-gone-wrong in places and time periods in which we did have assets on the ground."

To this point, it's estimated US drone strikes have killed between 4,126 to 10,076 people in Afghanistan since January 2004, including between 300 to 909 civilians, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a UK-based organization that has tracked US drone strikes for years.

Not having troops in the country does not necessarily mean the US has no intel or resources in Afghanistan, Brooks went on to say, but the withdrawal has made it "even more difficult to get good ground level intelligence."

Complicating the matter is the fact that ISIS-K is a decentralized group that's made up of semi-autonomous cells, making it harder to track.

The US pullout from Afghanistan has "decimated" its intelligence network in the country, Charles Lister, a senior fellow and the director of the Syria and counterterrorism programs at the Middle East Institute, told Insider last month.

"The dispersed and cellular challenge like ISIS-K requires constant air surveillance and an extensive and ground force effort - and that really is beyond the realm of reality now," Lister added.

'It will be virtually impossible to use drone strikes legally'

Mechanics trail an MQ-9 Reaper as it taxis for takeoff August 8, 2007 at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The Reaper is the Air Force's first "hunter-killer" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed to engage time-sensitive targets on the battlefield as well as provide intelligence and surveillance. The jet-fighter sized Reapers are 36 feet long with 66-foot wingspans and can fly for up to 14 hours fully loaded with laser-guided bombs and air-to-ground missiles. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The use of drones by the US in counterterrorism operations dates back to the earliest days of the war on terror, and the practice has consistently raised myriad ethical and legal questions. Similarly, experts are expressing serious concerns about the legality over-the-horizon approach .

"Not only do remote pilots have only a vague idea in most cases who they are killing, now that the war is over in Afghanistan, it will be virtually impossible to use drone strikes legally," Mary Ellen O'Connell, Notre Dame Law School professor and expert on international law in relation to the use of force, told Insider.

"During on-going armed conflict hostilities, target selection could be made based on who was fighting against US and allied forces," O'Connell added. "Going forward, everyone has the presumption of civilian status and cannot be summarily killed with a drone strikes."

Along these lines, Eviatar questioned what authorization the US has to use lethal force unless the strike is in response to an actual imminent threat to human life, which "will be difficult to determine from 'over the horizon.'"

Such concerns underscore the need for greater transparency from the government when it comes to drone strikes, Brooks said.

"There will always be disagreement about what level of inadvertent civilians casualties - if any - is 'too much,' but without transparency we can't even begin to have that discussion, and without accountability our conclusions won't change anything," Brooks said.

If reporting from the Times and other outlets like the Washington Post hadn't undermined the US military's narrative on the strike in such glaring ways, it's an open question as to whether the Pentagon would've admitted that the drone attack killed civilians. Drone strikes, which the US has conducted everywhere from Somalia to Yemen, tend to occur in remote areas and far from reporters or watchdogs. This has opened the door for the Pentagon to be opaque about the bombings and their consequences.

"In the past, the US has often refused to admit that the victims were civilians, even when confronted with detailed evidence from groups like Amnesty International and others demonstrating the victims' civilian status," Eviatar said. "And the US has almost never provided reparations or any sort of compensation or assistance to the civilian victims it's harmed."

'A positive step'

Men look at wall graffiti depicting a U.S. drone along a street in Sanaa, Yemen, November 9, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

Biden is hardly the first US president to look to drones as a means of combatting terrorism without putting American forces in harms way.

The use of drone strikes in counterterrorism operations began under the Bush administration. President Barack Obama accelerated the use of drone strikes when he was in office, facing rampant criticism over civilian casualties in the process.

The Obama administration eventually took steps that aimed to reduce civilian deaths from drone strikes, which were ultimately reversed by the Trump administration. There was a massive spike in civilian deaths in Afghanistan from airstrikes under President Donald Trump, who in 2017 relaxed the rules of engagement for strikes.

Biden initiated a review of US drone policy after coming into office that's ongoing.

Eviatar said it's "a positive step" that the Biden administration has acknowledged the harm caused by the August 29 strike and that the Pentagon expressed a willingness to pay reparations to the families of the victims. But "we'd like to see a much stronger break with past policies than what we've seen so far," Eviatar added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Bilt Rewards, a loyalty program for property renters to earn points on rent with no fees and build a path toward homeownership, announced Tuesday a round of $60 million in growth funding that values the company at $350 million.

The investment comes from Wells Fargo and Mastercard and a group of the nations largest real estate owners, including The Blackstone Group, AvalonBay Communities, Douglas Elliman, Equity Residential, GID-Windsor Communities, LENx, The Moinian Group, Morgan Properties, Starwood Capital Group and Related.

Bilt launched back in June out of Kairos, the startup studio led by Ankur Jain, focused on enabling over 109 million renters in the U.S. to earn points from paying their rent every month  typically someones largest monthly expense. Since then, the program was rolled out across over 2 million rental units, Jain told TechCrunch.

We are the first and only alliance of the major property owners to create this kind of program and already have 15 of the top 20 owners involved, he added. We are also the only co-branded card to offer points on rent.

Greg Bates, GID president and CEO, said his company has 130 assets spread across the top 20 markets and manages 40,000 apartment units. He learned about Bilt from a colleague who attended a proptech conference where Jain demoed the Bilt card.

For as long as Bates has been in the real estate industry, about 20 years or so, renters have wanted to pay rent with a credit card for convenience and to earn loyalty points. However, that was cost-prohibitive in terms of the surcharges needed to be added to the rental rate -- until Bilt, he said. The card is incredibly easy to use and integrates into property owners online payment systems.

Bilt has transformed the value proposition for residents that want to use a credit card and for landlords that want to accept them, Bates added. There will always be barriers to entry for products like this, but Bilt spent time with Mastercard and Wells Fargo to develop this unique product which will be a competition differentiator for a few years to come.

Story continues

In addition to the new funding, Bilt is also announcing new benefits for its loyalty members and upgraded offerings for the Bilt Mastercard, including the ability to earn up to 50,000 points on rent per year and unlimited points using the credit card.

For members, Bilt will pay interest in the form of points for a members account each month based on their average daily points balance over the 30-day period, and offer a concierge service for members choosing to redeem their Bilt points toward a home down payment. In addition, members can earn bonus points on top of points used by landlords on new leases and renewals.

Bilt worked with regulators, as well as Fannie Mae and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to gain approval for using rewards points toward a mortgage. Members can also report their rent payments to the credit bureaus at no cost, which can help build credit history for millions of young renters.

Meanwhile, the companys new 0-1-2-3 point earning structure for Bilt Mastercard holders provides no annual fee, 1x points on rent payments, 2x points on travel, 3x points on dining and 1x points on all other purchases.

This is the companys first major external financing round and will be used to expand its real estate and loyalty partner network, grow its distribution channels and make its platform credit card more widely available to the public. Jain estimates Bilt is seeing 20% enrollment across residents.

As more renters move to homeownership over time, Bilt has plans to leverage this potential larger business to eventually become a mortgage provider for them.

Renting is something people do for a while, and the core business has a massive scale opportunity, especially in the demographic under 35 years old, who tend to be up-and-coming professionals, Jain added. This is a unique target market, and Bilt will grow with them as they build their path to homeownership.
A body found in Teton County, Wyoming, on Sunday was confirmed to be the remains of missing 22-year-old blogger Gabby Petito, the FBI announced Tuesday.

Driving the news: The death was ruled a homicide by the Teton County coroner's office, the FBI said. The cause of death has not been determined.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

"The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms. Petito's death is held accountable for their actions," FBI Denver special agent Michael Schneider said in a press release.

Petito's missing fiance, Brian Laundrie, remains a person of interest in the case. Anyone with information about his role or whereabouts should contact the authorities, per the FBI.

Catch up quick: Petito was documenting her road trip through Western national parks using the #vanlife hashtag on social media. Her family filed a missing persons report on Sept. 11 with police in Suffolk County, New York.

The last known communications with Petito happened on Aug. 30.

Laundrie is the last known person to have seen Petito, and he hasn't been seen since last week. Authorities spent the weekend searching Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida, after Laundrie's parents said that was his last known location.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks to a television interview in New York whilst attending the United Nations General Assembly. - Stefan Rousseau /PA

Boris Johnson has warned that the post-Brexit issues with Northern Ireland "can't go on forever" as he claimed the Dutch Prime Minister has offered to mediate on the issue.

Brexit minister Lord Frost has argued that the threshold of triggering Article 16 of the protocol, which would effectively tear up parts of the deal he negotiated, has been met.

So far the Government has resisted taking what amounts to a nuclear option, but Mr Johnson was asked if he could make the move in the days after meeting the US president, Joe Biden.

"I hope everybody knows this isn't something that the UK Government is trying to stoke up for our own political purposes," he told reporters travelling with him to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

"On the contrary, we want to fix this, we want common sense. We want no barriers in the UK for trading in our country and it's crazy at the moment that we've got the protocol being enforced or being used in the way that it is.

Speaking to reporters during his trip to Washington, Mr Johnson said the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had come to the UK last week to "see if he could mediate on the issue".

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives in Downing Street to meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson - Leon Neal /Getty Images Europe

However, Dutch diplomatic sources told the Guardian Mr Rutte made no such intervention but instead urged Mr Johnson to be constructive, pragmatic and engage with the commission during a phone call.

The Prime Minister insisted on Monday that the UK is not "trying to stoke" the problems ahead of a meeting with Mr Biden at the White House on Tuesday.

Proud of his Irish heritage, Mr Biden has repeatedly warned the Government not to damage the peace process amid continuing issues over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The protocol was designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

But the UK wants to rewrite it because of trade barriers it has created for goods crossing the Irish Sea from Britain.

Brussels has rejected the calls, leading to a stand-off where post-Brexit grace periods on goods have repeatedly been extended in order to prevent further shortages.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty

Fox News pundits are still pushing vaccine disinformation, but not all right-wing media organizations are created equal when it comes to messaging.

According to Will Sommer and Swin SuebsaengDaily Beast reporters and hosts of the Fever Dreams podcast, which covers all things right wingat least one conservative digital outlet seems to have switched from being totally anti-vaccine and anti-mask to using inventive strategies to get followers vaccinated.

Specifically, Will and Swin tell Molly Jong-Fast on the latest episode of The New Abnormal that conservative outlet Breitbart pulled a reverse psychology jujitsu when one of its columnists recently told readers to get the vaccine to own the libs.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast. To listen to our weekly members-only bonus episodes, join Beast Inside here. Already a member? You can listen here and sign up for new episode email alerts here.

You do get the sense that whenever the more self-aware conservative politicians or columnists or pundits start saying, OK, this is something where we kind of have to talk down to our readers and down to our audience to try to get them on board with something that they very clearly dont want to get. They very clearly portray themselves as having less intellectual respect for their audience, Swin offers.

Molly wonders, though, are these people actually pulling trickery or do they really believe liberals dont want them to get vaccinated?

Then, progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California joins to discuss the states recall results and gets cornered by Molly about Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Could There Be a Non-Vaccine COVID Cure?

She has just one question: Is DiFi going to resign?

Of course, it wouldnt be a New Abnormal show without things that are, well, abnormal, and this episodes last guest, Jeet Heer, tells Molly about the candidates from Mondays Canadian election, including one Trumpy guy whose big issue was dairy control management.

Story continues

Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Two Bridgeport firefighters, who were battling a warehouse blaze, were taken to a local hospital Tuesday afternoon.

The firefighters were transported by ambulance for dehydration and exhaustion, a news release said.

The fire broke out around 12 p.m., and firefighters responded to the scene after a 911 caller said there was a heavy smoke presence from a building on Union Avenue. The address was later confirmed to be a warehouse at 38 Union Avenue.

By 2 p.m., the fire was under control, the fire department said.

The investigation into what caused the fire remains ongoing.

Jessika Harkay can be reached at jharkay@courant.com.
Sep. 21Chenango County officials said they seized guns and drugs Tuesday as they arrested a town of German man.

Sheriff Ernest Cutting issued a news release saying his department executed a "no knock" search warrant at a residence in German. The warrant resulted from a "lengthy" narcotics investigation involving Jonas M. Whaley, 36, the release said. It is alleged that Whaley trafficked narcotics from his residence dating back to February.

According to the release, members of the Broome-Chenango-Endicott SWAT team entered the residence at 3157 County Road 2 in German at about 5:30 a.m.

They reportedly found Whaley in a bedroom. It is alleged that Whaley attempted to flush methamphetamine down his toilet. Methamphetamine was recovered from the bathroom as well as scattered throughout the room, the release said. About four ounces of methamphetamine was recovered overall.

Police also conducted a search of the residence and found 13 long guns, including two AR15s with 30-round magazines, and four pistols. Several of the firearms were recovered loaded, with rounds in the chamber. Two of the guns recovered were "ghost guns," meaning they had no serial numbers and are untraceable. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition were recovered along with more than $3,600 in cash, according to the release.

Whaley was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class A-II felony; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class D felony; tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony; and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. He was awaiting arraignment at the time of the media release.

Cutting said members of the Broome County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, Madison County Sheriff's Office and Endicott Police Department assisted in the raid.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A CIA officer who was traveling with agency director William Burns to India this month reported symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome, CNN and the New York Times reported on Monday.

The victim, who was not identified, had to receive medical attention, CNN reported https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/20/politics/cia-director-havana-syndrome-india-trip/index.html, citing unnamed sources.

Some 200 U.S. officials and family members have been sickened by Havana syndrome, a mysterious set of ailments that include migraines, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness. It was first reported by officials based in the U.S. embassy in Cuba in 2016.

A CIA spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters the agency does not comment on specific incidents or officers. "We have protocols in place for when individuals report possible anomalous health incidents that include receiving appropriate medical treatment," the spokesperson said.

Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris delayed her arrival to Hanoi for three hours after the U.S. embassy there said someone had reported a health incident consistent with Havana syndrome.

Burns said in July he had tapped a senior officer who once led the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head a task force investigating the syndrome.

A U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel found that the most plausible theory is that "directed, pulsed radio frequency energy" causes the syndrome.

Burns has said there is a "very strong possibility" that the syndrome is intentionally caused and that Russia could be responsible.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Although, when we looked at Compass Group (LON:CPG), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. To calculate this metric for Compass Group, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.0012 = UK11m  (UK14b - UK4.6b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2021).

Thus, Compass Group has an ROCE of 0.1%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Hospitality industry average of 15%.

Check out our latest analysis for Compass Group

roce

In the above chart we have measured Compass Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

The trend of ROCE doesn't look fantastic because it's fallen from 24% five years ago, while the business's capital employed increased by 75%. Usually this isn't ideal, but given Compass Group conducted a capital raising before their most recent earnings announcement, that would've likely contributed, at least partially, to the increased capital employed figure. Compass Group probably hasn't received a full year of earnings yet from the new funds it raised, so these figures should be taken with a grain of salt.

On a related note, Compass Group has decreased its current liabilities to 33% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.

Story continues

The Bottom Line On Compass Group's ROCE

We're a bit apprehensive about Compass Group because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 9.2% in the last five years. Either way, we aren't huge fans of the current trends and so with that we think you might find better investments elsewhere.

Compass Group does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Compass Group that you might be interested in.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
By Sabrina Valle and Arunima Kumar

HOUSTON (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Ryan Lance on Monday doubled down on U.S. shale and the world's continued demand for oil with his second blockbuster acquisition in less than a year.

His $9.5 billion purchase of Royal Dutch Shell's West Texas properties, nine months after closing a $13.3 billion deal for Concho Resources, puts the company's future squarely in shale after exiting Canada's oil sands, U.S. offshore and British North Sea fields.

The strategy depends on a world thirsty for cheap oil and Conoco's ability to extract it with less carbon emissions. While Shell, BP and Equinor quit shale for renewable fuels, Lance argues oil and gas will not be soon supplanted.

"We don't believe the existential threat to this business is right around the corner," he told analysts in June.

With Shell's assets, Conoco gets more than 10 years of output and rewards shareholders willing to stick with fossil fuels, said Lance.

"We're going to create a lot more value over the next 10 years and beyond with this acquisition," Lance told analysts on Tuesday, promising to deliver higher returns for shareholders than paying a one-time dividend.

Lance, who became CEO in 2012, joins Chevron and Exxon Mobil in rejecting the shift to solar, wind and batteries embraced by European oil majors. Shareholders want the company to focus on its strengths, he said.

"This is what we're good at. This is what we do really really well," Lance said, referring to generating strong cash flow from modest investments in new oil and gas. The deal increases capital spending by $1 billion per year, but will add $10 billion to free cash flow and shareholder payouts over a decade.

Shell's more efficient assets will help Conoco reduce its carbon emissions per unit of production by as much as half its 2016 levels by 2030, he said.

But the acquisition does not sit well with environmentalists, who this year pushed Conoco to address customers' emissions from using its fuels. In May, 58% of shareholders voted in favor of a non-binding petition to set reduction targets including from products.

"Buying fossil fuel assets is exactly the opposite of what investors actually want," Mark van Baal, founder of Dutch advocacy group Follow This, said in a phone interview. "Eventually he will have to listen," he said.

(Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
The inspector general for New York state resigned Friday as Gov. Kathy Hochul vows to weed out those closely aligned with former Gov. New York Cuomo, new reports say.

Letizia Tagliafierro, who was appointed to the inspector general post by Cuomo in 2019, stepped down on Friday, the latest in a string of Cuomo-allied resignations since Hochul became governor last month. When asked for her reaction to Tagliafierro stepping down, Hochul called for a "rethinking" of the appointment process, echoing previous calls for an overhaul to state government following ethical scandals surrounding the Cuomo administration.

"The whole process of who appoints the members, who appoints an inspector general, all of those are questions on the table as I'm really rethinking how we conduct ethics investigations and internal investigations in our state government, and I believe there needs to be more independence than there has been historically," Hochul said in the city of New York on Monday.

KATHY HOCHUL SAYS APPOINTEE WHO ALLOWED CUOMO TO KEEP $5.1 MILLION BOOK DEAL IS 'UNKNOWN TO ME'

Hochul, who has vowed to purge the state's executive mansion of "unethical" Cuomo staff members, reiterated her explanation of appointing a commissioner to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics who voted on Sept. 14 to allow Cuomo to keep his $5.1 million book deal, saying she needs to appoint people quickly to vacancies in state government.

"We'll be changing personnel in all these offices, and I know everyone understands because in order to get the right people in, I have to sometimes bring up subordinates to fill vacant roles while we do proper vetting, and I want to get the vetting right to make sure that no one has any issues that will come back later and make us regret a decision," she said. "So I have asked for that time, [and] people have understood we need more time to build this."

Last week, Hochul said Commissioner Randall Hinrichs, a former Suffolk County district administrative judge, "literally is unknown" to her after Hinrichs voted in favor of allowing Cuomo to keep his lucrative book deal despite ethics concerns.

Story continues

"What happened yesterday was as a result of two resignations. In order for there to be any business going forward, I had to appoint somebody, and that is the circumstance we were in yesterday," she said Wednesday in reference to Cuomo's resignation and the JCOPE opening. "I had to find an individual, an individual who is highly recommended, has credentials, but literally is unknown to me."

When asked on Wednesday whether the JCOPE "should be replaced by something completely different" and whether "it's possible for an agency to police itself or Albany to police itself," Hochul responded, "I said that day one."

"I said what I'm going to do is turn it upside down and to challenge the premise that an entity that is created by elected officials with their own appointees should be charged with investigating those individuals, should circumstances arise. The whole premise behind it is flawed. ... I want to make sure that we are not stacking these bodies with our friends and with our allies as had been the past," she continued in an apparent swipe at Cuomo.

Hochul declined to offer an opinion on the outcome of the JCOPE's vote on Cuomo's book deal, saying she didn't "think it's [her] place to do so."

Representatives for JCOPE and the inspector general's office did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's requests for comment.

The JCOPE has been at the center of questions surrounding Cuomo's lucrative book deal, with Attorney General Letitia James issuing at least one subpoena to the agency earlier this month for its records on the book after James received a referral from Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in April to investigate whether "public resources [were] used in the development and promotion of the governor's book."

Cuomo, who is expected to rake in $5.1 million from the memoir, insisted staff members volunteered to help with the book, though his office acknowledged there could be some "incidental" use of state resources.

In July, the JCOPE opened an investigation into separate allegations against the former governor after Larry Schwartz, a Cuomo ally and volunteer adviser who oversaw statewide COVID-19 vaccine distribution, allegedly called a handful of Democratic county executives to ask whether they would call for Cuomo to step down as he battled multiple scandals. Schwartz denied linking vaccine access to political support for the then-governor, and Beth Garvey, Cuomo's counsel, said that "distorting Larrys role or intentions for headlines maligns a decadeslong public servant."

Throughout the final months of his governorship, Cuomo faced several allegations of impropriety, including claims that he directed health officials to give special access to COVID-19 testing to his inner circle and that he hid the state's coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, among other claims, though the former governor repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

Cuomo resigned on Aug. 24 after James released a bombshell report on Aug. 3 saying he sexually harassed 11 women and engaged in "retaliatory" behavior by "intend[ing] to discredit and disparage" at least one accuser. Hochul, who had been serving as lieutenant governor, was then elevated to the role of governor, vowing to end the "toxic workplace environment."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Since the release of James's report, a number of Cuomo allies in government, such as former Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, as well as the private sector, including the CEO and chairwoman of Time's Up Now and the Time's Up Foundation, have vacated their positions amid allegations they shielded Cuomo from scrutiny.

The former governor signaled he will continue to defend his reputation in his post-governorship, railing against James's "unjust" report in his farewell address to the state.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Kathy Hochul, Andrew Cuomo, Inspectors General, New York, Ethics

Original Author: Carly Roman

Original Location: Cuomo ally steps down as inspector general
Amazon lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to one man in North Carolina who sought refunds for a litany of high-end goods  from expensive coffee machines to new computers  that he never returned, according to the Justice Department.

Now he faces federal charges.

Hudson Hamrick, who lives in Charlotte, was charged Monday with wire fraud in the Western District of North Carolina, court filings show. Hes accused of orchestrating more than 300 fraudulent transactions that cost Amazon over $290,000.

Hamrick could not be reached by McClatchy News for comment, and information regarding his defense attorney was not immediately available.

In a statement, Amazon said it worked with prosecutors in the Western District as well as the FBI to pursue the case.

Amazon has systems in place to detect suspicious behavior, and teams in place to investigate and stop prohibited activity, the company said. There is no place for fraud at Amazon and we will continue to pursue all measures to hold bad actors accountable.

The alleged fraud lasted from October 2016 to some time in 2020, according to charging documents.

During that time, prosecutors said, Hamrick would order an expensive product from Amazon, file a return and receive a full refund. But instead of sending the product back, Hamrick is accused of returning a cheaper version that was often broken and worth significantly less than the item he received.

Hamrick succeeded in receiving bogus refunds on the return of more than 270 products, about 250 of which were worth significantly less than what he initially ordered, court documents state.

If he didnt initiate a return, Hamrick would seek a concession by claiming to have never received the product or that it arrived broken, necessitating a replacement, the government said.

Prosecutors said he would either keep the new, expensive item or resell the item on an online platform.

The government pointed to a number of specific incidents that occurred in 2019 and 2020  starting with fancy coffee maker.

Story continues

Hamrick reportedly bought a Jura professional coffee machine from Amazon in July 2019 for $3,536, court documents state. He asked to return it about a week later and was given a refund. But instead of returning the coffee machine he received, prosecutors said, Hamrick sent another Jura coffee machine worth $2,000 less.

He is accused of reselling the professional coffee maker on his own Amazon account about seven months later.

Hamrick repeated the scheme with a $4,200 iMac Pro in August 2019, this time sending back a much older, less valuable non-Pro model with a completely different serial number, prosecutors said. He reportedly sold the iMac Pro on eBay later that same month.

In September 2019, prosecutors said, Hamrick bought a gaming laptop for $2,776 from Amazon that he returned the next day. But the laptop he sent back was worth $2,300 less.

Hamrick also bought a $1,200 Fuji spray paint system from Amazon in February 2020 that he tried to return with another Fuji model worth just $349. Fuji makes spray equipment thats used in the after-market car industry and by spray tan companies, according to its website.

Prosecutors said Amazon blocked the refund on Hamricks return, but he was still able to resell the equipment using his own Amazon account.

Prime Day deal sound too good to be true? It probably is, watchdog warns

WA mans Amazon stock trades netted over $1M. Then feds found out where his wife worked

Alerts about suspicious activity surge, as crooks impersonate Amazon
Dean Heller and Adam Laxalt are aiming for a Nevada do-over but with a 2022 twist.

Heller, the losing Republican nominee for the Senate in 2018 when he ran as the incumbent, announced this week he is mounting a campaign for governor  attempting a political comeback by seeking an office the 61-year-old has long coveted. Laxalt, 43, the losing Republican nominee for governor in 2018 when he sought to advance from the state attorney generals office, is trying to engineer a comeback of his own by running for the Senate.

After serving Nevada in the Senate, I thought I was done with politics, Heller says in a video announcing his 2022 gubernatorial campaign. But look whats happened to Nevada.

The question is whether this Republican ticket in reverse will perform better in the midterm elections with President Joe Biden in the White House compared to three years ago when former President Donald Trump was commander in chief. Historically, the party without the presidency gains seats in midterm elections, which could bode well for Laxalt and Heller in a state where Biden beat Trump by just 2.4 percentage points.

DCCC LAUNCHES SPANISH-LANGUAGE PLATFORM TO BATTLE GOP 'MISINFORMATION'

Rather than running for Senate reelection against Trump headwinds (in Hellers case) or seeking an open governors mansion under the same miserable conditions (in Laxalts case), both have an opportunity to ride a Biden rebuke to victory  Heller against first-term Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak and Laxalt against freshman Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.

Although Laxalt is heavily favored to win the Republican Senate nod, Heller has a bona fide primary.

Heller has superior name identification and a history of statewide success, first winning election as secretary of state and later as a senator. He is likable, telegenic, and a capable retail campaigner. But Heller is a late entrant into the race and must contend with as many as a half-dozen competitors in the primary, some of whom are claiming the pragmatic conservative space where he has long succeeded.

Story continues

On that front, Clark county sheriff and Army veteran Joe Lombardo is his main competition.

Heller is the Hillary Clinton of this primary. Everyone knows him and has an opinion of him, so he has little room to grow, a Lombardo supporter argued. Even though he starts out with nearly universal primary name ID, the math is far more difficult for Heller than for any other candidate in the race.

From the Right, Hellers primary competition will accuse him of being disloyal to Trump, a message that could drive votes away from the former senator in a state where the GOP base is particularly supportive of the 45th president. Heller began the 2016 GOP presidential primary opposed to Trump but eventually embraced him and complimented his leadership. Trump returned the favor, endorsing Heller for reelection in 2018.

I dont think he has a Trump problem, a Heller supporter said, conceding that Heller and Trump had their differences on occasion but that overall they saw eye to eye  especially on the issues that matter. Heller was on board with America First agenda and still is. He voted for Trump.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

However, it's unclear if Trump agrees with that assessment or how Republican voters in Nevada would react if the former president issues a scathing statement denouncing Hellers gubernatorial bid.

Meanwhile, Trump has already endorsed Laxalt, who is expected to cruise to victory in his primary.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Campaigns, 2022 Elections, Nevada, Dean Heller, Donald Trump, Joe Biden

Original Author: David M. Drucker

Original Location: Dean Heller and Adam Laxalt swap roles amid twin bids at a political comeback
(Bloomberg) -- Democratic leaders stripped funding for Israels Iron Dome missile defense system from a bill to keep the government funded and raise the debt ceiling because because of objections from some of the partys progressives.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The $1 billion for the Israeli military will instead be included in a later bill funding the U.S. Defense Department thats expected to get bipartisan support in the House and Senate

Republicans are lining up in opposition because of the debt ceiling provision, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose no more than three Democrats if all GOP House members vote against the bill.

Rule Committee Chairman James McGovern said the progressive Democrats objected, arguing that there wasnt an immediate need for the missiles. The Defense Department asked in a classified supplemental request for $1 billion to replace Iron Dome missiles used by Israel after rocket attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in May.

Although some progressives have been critical of U.S. policy toward Israel and Israels handling of the Palestinians, New York Representative Jamaal Bowman said the issue was that the provision was added at the last minute without a chance for discussion.

Its not about Israel, its about, once again, leadership, throwing something on our table last minute and expecting us to decide in five minutes what to do with it, thats the bigger problem, Bowman said.

The move to strip funding for the Raytheon Technologies system drew criticisms from both sides of the aisle.

While Dems capitulate to the antisemitic influence of their radical members, Republicans will always stand with Israel, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted in reaction.

Story continues

Representative Bradley Schneider of Illinois, a moderate Democrat, called the decision short-sighted, stressing that Iron Dome is a defensive system that saves lives on both sides of the border.

U.S. stands with Israel, and were going to re-fund Iron Dome, Schneider.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
A former top House Intelligence Committee investigator instrumental in revealing secrets behind the "Russiagate" controversy said the latest grand jury indictment in special counsel John Durham's inquiry offers a good view into a broader charge that may follow.

Kash Patel, who also held high-ranking positions in the Trump administration, told Fox News on Monday he believes a "very well-laid out" conspiracy charge is in the making that will envelop people in and around Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment, returned by a grand jury last week, accuses Michael Sussmann, a former attorney from law firm Perkins Coie, of falsely telling the FBI's top lawyer he was not representing any clients when acting on behalf of a technology executive and the Clinton campaign during a Sept. 2016 meeting in which he shared a tip about a secret electronic channel between former President Donald Trump's company and Russia's Alfa bank.

Sussmann pleaded not guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI on Friday, with lawyers insisting he never said he didn't have clients and represented only the technology executive at the meeting five years ago. However, Patel said the 27 pages of the indictment tell a much larger story slowly coming into play.

"Sussman is the centerpiece for these allegations because he ties the Hillary Clinton campaign to Fusion GPS to Christopher Steele to the Department of Justice and the false information they fed to the FBI and DOJ to spy on the presidential campaign," Patel said.

ERIC TRUMP SAYS DURHAM INDICTMENT REVEALED CLINTON BANKROLL OF ALFA BANK DIRT

The indictment says paperwork shows Sussmann billed the Clinton campaign for time spent working on the Alfa Bank matter and the meeting with the FBI. The indictment also alleges Marc Elias, another now-former Perkins Coie attorney who served as general counsel for the Clinton campaign, exchanged emails with the campaign manager, communications director, and foreign policy advisor" about the Russian bank allegations, and Sussmann helped coordinate the dissemination of the claims to the media.

Story continues

Before joining the Trump administration for roles in the national security sphere, Patel was an aide to Republicans when they controlled the House Intelligence Committee under then-Chairman Devin Nunes. He assisted in their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and took one of the key depositions cited in the indictment.

Law firm Perkins Coie has already been tied to the Russia matter. Robby Mook, Clintons 2016 presidential campaign manager, said in 2017 he authorized Elias to hire an outside firm to dig up dirt on Trumps connections with Russia in 2016. This led to British ex-spy Christopher Steele's discredited anti-Trump dossier, comprised of allegations put together at the behest of opposition research firm Fusion GPS.

Patel helped author the 2018 memo on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act alleged abuses during the Russia investigation that focus on the FBI's use of Steele's dossier to obtain the authority to wiretap one-time Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Though hotly criticized by Democrats at the time, the memo was largely borne as quite accurate by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitzs report in 2019 and declassifications. Durham even obtained a guilty plea from former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted to altering an email about the Trump campaign aide under government surveillance.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Nunes, a Republican from California who made more than a dozen criminal referrals to the Justice Department related to the Russia investigation and 2016 campaign, told Newsmax last week the new indictment provides a great deal of evidence showing a broad conspiracy orchestrated by the Clinton team. Still, he wondered if Sussmann might become the "fall guy" in the end.

Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare, shrugged at the prospect of Durham zeroing in on the Clinton campaign.

"Digging dirt on political opponents and trying to interest law enforcement in that dirt is not presumptively a crime. Its presumptively the ugly normal of political campaigns," he wrote in a post on Monday.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, John Durham, House Intelligence Committee, Hillary Clinton, Russia, 2016 Elections, Donald Trump

Original Author: Daniel Chaitin

Original Location: Durham preparing 'very well-laid out' conspiracy charge, 'Russiagate' inquirer says
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  The Dutch king outlined a pared-back government plan for the coming year on Tuesday in his traditional speech opening the new parliamentary term that came amid drawn-out negotiations to form a new ruling coalition.

With the government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in caretaker mode since a March general election and no simple path to a new administration, no major plans were unveiled in the king's speech that is written by the government.

Major new long-term choices are for the next Cabinet, King Willem-Alexander told a joint sitting of both houses of parliament.

Even so, he said the government would invest an extra 7 billion euros ($8.2 billion) for measures to help achieve its planned reduction in emissions including making homes and industry more sustainable and promoting use of electric cars.

He also pledged more funds to tackle housing shortages, for education and to bolster rule of law, warning that organized crime gangs are becoming increasingly violent. He called the murder in July of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries a new nadir."

For the second straight year, the king's speech from the throne was held in a Hague church instead of the historic Knight's Hall due to coronavirus restrictions and there was no horse-drawn carriage ride for members of the royal family through packed streets. As the king and Queen Maxima left the church, a small group of people booed.

Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra was presenting details of the budget to parliament later Tuesday.

On foreign policy, the king said that membership of the European Union, NATO and the United Nations remain cornerstones of Dutch foreign policy, but he added that the country has choices to make about its relations with China, Russia and the United States.

Trans-Atlantic cooperation remains the foundation of Dutch security policy, but at the same time we will have to invest more in European security policy, he said.
Canadian business groups urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's newly elected minority Liberal government to immediately work with other parties and focus on growing the economy.

The Liberal Party under Mr. Trudeau won its third election on Monday evening, but fell short of securing a majority mandate that he sought. With the election now over, Canadian business and industry groups say the government needs to focus on guiding the country through the fourth wave of the pandemic and spurring economic growth.

Perrin Beatty, president and chief executive of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement released Tuesday that the clear message from the 2021 election is "that our politicians need to get back to work on the issues that matter."

"With an election that lacked a meaningful debate on the economy, it is critical for Parliament and the government to resume the business of governing the country," Beatty said, adding that Canadians want "less politics and more leadership" from their political representatives.

"Businesses and the millions of Canadians they employ need action on two critical issues: safely managing the fourth wave of the pandemic without further lockdowns, and implementing a strategy to restore economic growth to address our urgent and growing fiscal challenges."

Goldy Hyder, the chief executive officer of the Business Council of Canada, echoes Beatty's statement and says the immediate priority must be restarting the economy in a safe and responsible way.

"The fundamental challenges that faced Canada before the pandemic have not changed," Hyder said in a statement released Tuesday.

"They include an aging population, inequality, Indigenous reconciliation, climate change, an uncertain geopolitical environment, and the increasing burden of public debt."

Hyder also says partisan interests must be set aside, as "no party can claim to have won a convincing mandate."

Story continues

"It is time to bring people together to get us through the pandemic and chart a path forward that strengthens the economy, creates jobs and promotes confidence in our shared future," he said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) also urged the new government to extend some of the COVID-19 programs that were implemented through the pandemic to help small businesses.

"With the election behind us, it is critical that we return to the important work of getting Canadians and Canada's job creators through the difficult months ahead," CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a statement.

"Most importantly, with vaccine passports and new provincial restrictions causing additional revenue losses and higher costs, CFIB is calling on the government and all opposition parties to extend the wage and rent subsidies and return them to the maximum 75 per cent level."

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce also says the government should extend the wage and rent subsidy program to ensure support for sectors hit hardest by the pandemic.

Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group is confident the company will "walk out of its darkest moment", the debt-laden property developer's chairman said in a letter to staff on Tuesday, as nervous global investors fretted about default risks.

In the letter that coincided with China's mid-autumn festival, Hui Ka Yuan, expressed appreciation for the hard work of employees and said Evergrande will deliver property projects as pledged, fulfil responsibilities to property buyers, investors, partners and financial institutions.

The nation's second-largest developer, saddled with more than $300 billion in liabilities equivalent to 2% of China's gross domestic product, is scrambling to raise funds to pay its many lenders and suppliers as it tries to stem a liquidity crisis from tipping it into a collapse.

"I firmly believe that with your concerted effort and hard work, Energrande will walk out of its darkest moment, resume full-scale constructions as soon as possible and achieve the pivotal target of delivering the property projects as pledged," said Hui.

Hui did not elaborate how the company could achieve these objectives.

Its Hong Kong listed shares last traded down 3% at HK$2.21 around 0318 GMT, having tumbled 84% so far this year. Evergrande's debt woes have spread turmoil in global financial markets as investors fear contagion could wreak havoc on the world economy.

(Reporting by Eve Wu in Beijing and Chen Aizhu in Singapore; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman & Shri Navaratnam)
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc's independent Oversight Board said on Tuesday it has asked the social networking giant to provide clarity on the system it uses to review content decisions relating to some high-profile users.

The board's inquiry follows a Wall Street Journal report last week that Facebook exempts high-profile users from some or all of its rules, raising questions about its enforcement decisions against harmful content.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the company will brief the board about the system known internally as "cross-check" over the coming days.

The cross-check system includes millions of accounts, some of which are "whitelisted," meaning they are immune from Facebook's enforcement decisions, the Journal reported.

The Oversight Board said Tuesday it previously asked Facebook to explain how the cross-check system works and share its criteria for adding pages and accounts to the program. The board said Facebook did not provide its criteria.

Facebook created the Oversight Board last year as part of an effort to address criticism over how it handles problematic content. The social media company committed $130 million in a trust to fund the board, which is able to make final decisions on whether individual pieces of content can remain on the site.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru and Sheila Dang in Dallas; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Nick Zieminski)
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that remains found over the weekend at an undeveloped camping area in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest belonged to missing hiker Gabby Petito, and that the manner of death was likely homicide.

The 22-year-old social media influencer had been missing for nearly a month.

"On Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, human remains were located & recovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito. The remains were transported to the Teton County Coroners Office for forensic examination to confirm identity & determine the manner & cause of death," the FBI said in a statement.

"Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blues initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results," the FBI added.

FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider vowed to make anyone involved in Petito's death "held accountable for their actions."

Petito's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, has been named a person of interest in the case.

"Anyone with information concerning Mr. Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI," Schneider added.

Laundrie was the last known person to have seen Petito alive.

Authorities have tried to talk to the 23-year-old but he has not been cooperative, they said.

Petito's family have also pleaded with him and his family publicly to speak to investigators.

An attorney for Laundrie's family said the family would be "remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment" on the advice of counsel.

Laundrie has also been missing.

His parents said he went out for a hike Friday but never returned to their North Port, Florida, home. Authorities have cast a wide net in trying to track Laundrie down. At first, they looked for him in the sprawling Carlton Reserve near his home. They have also searched for him 500 miles away in Baker, Florida, acting on a tip that someone bearing his likeness was caught on a deer camera hiking through the wilderness.

Story continues

AUTHORITIES SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE 500 MILES FROM HOME FOLLOWING FACEBOOK TIP

Police have been trying to piece together what happened with the young couple on a cross-country road trip to national parks.

Laundrie returned from the couple's trip to his family's home on Sept. 1 in Petito's white van, though she was not with him.

Petito and Laundrie left for their months-long trip on July 22 from New York and made stops in Colorado and Utah . Petito was last seen on Aug. 24 when she and Laundrie checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City.

Her mother, Nicole Schmidt, said she last heard from her daughter on Aug. 25, when Petito told her they were headed to Wyoming.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Schmidt said her daughter seemed "excited" about their next adventure but that she began to worry when Petito stopped communicating.

"A few days is one thing when you're out camping, but when it starts to become seven, eight, nine, 10 days, that's a problem," Schmidt said.

Petito's parents, who live on Long Island, New York, reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Missing Person, Utah, Wyoming, Florida

Original Author: Barnini Chakraborty

Original Location: FBI confirms missing remains belong to hiker Gabby Petito
FBI Director Christopher Wray says the bureau has more than doubled the number of personnel investigating domestic terrorism threats. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

The FBI has more than doubled its domestic terrorism caseload in little more than a year and a half and doubled the amount of bureau personnel working on domestic terrorism investigations, FBI Director Chris Wray testified Tuesday.

The domestic terrorism caseload has exploded, Wray said during an appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Since the spring of 2020 ... weve more than doubled our domestic terrorism caseload, from about 1,000 to around 2,700 investigations, Wray said. Weve surged personnel to match, more than doubling the amount of people working that threat from the year before.

The stark jump is in part due to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which has resulted in more than 600 arrests (with hundreds more arrests in the works).

Wray, responding to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), said the domestic terrorism caseload had been on the rise in the years before the Jan. 6 attack.

[It] has been going up quite significantly over the past few years, Wray said. Its been a really significant jump there.

Under federal law, there are many more tools available to target terrorism inspired by a foreign ideology rather than a domestic ideology. In practical terms, terrorism inspired by Islamic extremism falls into the foreign terrorism category, while pretty much everything else is considered domestic extremism. The foreign or domestic label doesnt have to do with the location of an attack, but rather the underlying ideological inspiration. (Given this legal reality, federal officials have been much more hesitant to call domestic terrorist attacks what they are.)

In his written testimony, Wray said FBI special agents, intelligence analysts and professional staff had been hard at work gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges against the individuals involved in the Capitol attack.

Overall, the FBI assesses that the January 6th siege of the Capitol Complex demonstrates a willingness by some to use violence against the government in furtherance of their political and social goals, Wray said. This ideologically motivated violence  domestic terrorism  underscores the symbolic nature of the National Capital Region and the willingness of some Domestic Violent Extremists to travel to events in this area and violently engage law enforcement and their perceived adversaries.

Story continues

The FBI, he said, will continue to work to hold accountable those individuals who participated in the violent breach of the Capitol on January 6th and any others who attempt to use violence to intimidate, coerce, or influence the American people or affect the conduct of our government.

The Biden administration is seeking more than $100 million in new Justice Department spending to address emerging domestic terrorism threats, including $45 million for the FBI to add more than 80 new special agents and nearly 100 new FBI positions to help detect and disrupt domestic terrorism (DT) threats nationwide.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy and other nations scrambled fighter jets to escort two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers as they flew over the Baltic Sea, the Interfax news agency reported.

The Russian bombers were escorted by Russian fighter jets and flew over neutral waters, the defence ministry was quoted as saying.

(Reporting by Polina Devitt; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Declines in new positive coronavirus cases in the schools have led to changes in the way many deal with the pandemic. At least one district is on the brink of lifting its strict mask mandate as its rate dips below 8 percent. Still the battle over school masks continues, both in the court and in the court of public opinion. Read on for that story and more Florida education news.

Lawyers for the Florida Department of Education hoped to short circuit an administrative hearing on the appropriateness of the states emergency rule on school masks. They asked a judge to dismiss the case, suggesting the plaintiffs had no standing to bring the case, WTVT reports. The judge rejected the motion for the school boards making the challenge, but said a group of associations and individuals fell short of the injury in fact test.

The battle over masks in school board meeting rooms has spilled over into personal attacks. Thats become cause for pause among some board members as they try to look past the discomfort and stay focused on why they ran for office in the first place.

Differences over the issue are stark. The Brevard County School Board, which voted 3-2 to impose its initial strict mandate, today will consider whether to extend its rule for another 30 days, Florida Today reports.  The Escambia County School Board declined to call a special meeting on masks, and some residents dont want to take no for an answer, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

More coronavirus concerns

The state stopped funding live-remote instruction this year, as it encouraged students to return to in-person classes. Some teachers have continued to use Zoom for quarantined students who choose to attend while out, anyway, WPTV reports.

Positive case counts are declining. Lake County schools saw a week over week dip, reflecting an area trend, the Daily Commercial reports.  Marion County schools recorded a 30 percent decrease in its seven-day count, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.  Manatee County district officials said they would maintain current protocols while watching whether the lower numbers hold over time, the Bradenton Herald reports.  Some Duval County doctors said their school districts strict mask rule is contributing to a slowdown of virus spread, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Story continues

A new University of Miami study has suggestions for further reducing the virus spread in schools. They include teacher vaccination and smaller classes, WLRN reports.

The pandemic is taking its toll on school nurses. Theyre exhausted, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Other school news

The Hillsborough County School Board rejected applications from Mater Academy to open two charter schools in the district. The group has reapplied.

The Florida Department of Education quietly issued school and district grades on Monday. The grades were optional because of the pandemic, and most districts did not request one, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Today in Tallahassee ... The Senate Education Committee meets at 4 p.m. to discuss testing and accountability. Gov. Ron DeSantis has called on lawmakers to revise the states spring testing model, and held a roundtable on the issue in Niceville on Monday, WKMG reports.

Is there $4,700 waiting for you? Floridas Prepaid Tuition Program has millions of dollars in unclaimed refunds for more than 30,000 families, the News Service of Florida reports.

St. Johns County high school students who harassed members of the Gay-Straight Alliance face discipline. Caught on video, the teens could be suspended or reassigned to an alternative school, among other options, the St. Augustine Record reports.

The Sarasota County School Board is considering new rules for public comment at meetings. Its proposal includes cutting back speaking time if larger numbers of residents want to participate, and holding non-agenda commentary to the end of the session, the Herald-Tribune reports.

We just want to be represented. Southern Walton County residents called for two complete School Board member districts for their area during redistricting hearings, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

The Florida Education Association has a new poll. Its results show broad support for better public education funding and higher teacher pay, Florida Politics reports.

The Citrus County school district has a new police chief. He said he likes making a difference in childrens lives, the Citrus County Chronicle reports.

From the police blotter ... A Broward County teen faces felony charges over allegations he threatened a school shooting, WSVN reports.  A Lee County sixth grader faces felony charges after allegedly threatening to shoot other students at his school, WINK reports.

Dont miss a story. Heres a link to yesterdays roundup.

Before you go ... We offered up some Afrofuturism in for your Monday groove. Today, consider Colombian band Bomba Estereos latest effort, a surreal homage to nature with some lovely video to boot.

  

Sign up for the Gradebook newsletter!

Every Thursday, get the latest updates on whats happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Click here to sign up.
File: In this 6 January 2021 file photo, rioters climb the west wall of the the US Capitol in Washington (AP)

A former Houston police officer is facing up to six months of imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in the US Capitol riots.

Tam Dinh Pham, 49, was charged with the offences of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building on 6 January, when he stormed the building along with supporters of former president Donald Trump in a bid to prevent the Congressional certification of Joe Bidens victory.

The Department of Justice dropped some other charges against him as a part of plea bargain following his admission of guilt but the court documents did not specify them.

Mr Pham, though not on duty, was a serving police officer at the Houston Police Department when he breached the Capitol building. According to the Statement of Offence by the Justice Department, Mr Pham attended a speech given by former President Trump near the White House, before following people walking toward the US Capitol. He remained inside the building for about 15 minutes, posing for pictures and taking photos and videos.

Once inside, he walked into the Rotunda and took photos and videos of himself and of the building, said the court documents. The defendant posed for a picture in front of a bronze statue of President Gerald Ford in whose arms a flag had been placed that read, Trump  2020  No More Bulls**t.

According to the court documents, these pictures were taken from Tam Phams phone. The metadata associated with each photos suggested that they were created on 6 January 2021 with interiors readily identified as from inside the Capitol building (Screengrab/ Department of Justice)

According to the court documents, Mr Pham initially told the agents during the investigation that he was in DC between 5 January and 7 January for business reasons. While he admitted to briefly attending Mr Trumps rally on 6 January, he initially denied going inside the Capitol.

When the agents saw the photos on his phone, they noticed there were no pictures in the album for the dates that Pham had travelled to Washington DC. It was only in his deleted photo album, they were able to find pictures and videos that were readily identifiable as being of the interior of the Capitol building.

Story continues

Mr Pham told officials that he had gone to the rally with his wife and her friend, early in the morning and he started following people walking towards the Capitol. Pham stated that neither his wife nor her friend went [to] the Capitol with him, said the court documents.

Pham stated that he climbed over some fences, which had been previously knocked over, and walked around some barricades. He stated he saw police officers, but he did not engage with them, said the authorities in the court documents.

The court will announce the sentencing in the matter on 9 December.

He was sent on leave and resigned from the position soon after being publicly identified as having been inside the US Capitol during the 6 January riots.

The then chief Art Acevedo, after receiving a tip about Mr Phams possible involvement, reviewed his social media account and found photos suggesting his involvement in the Capitol riots, reported the Houston Chronicle. Subsequently, the chief contacted the FBIs Houston Division that opened an investigation against Mr Pham.

Meanwhile, the Houston Police Department is now auditing the arrests made by Pham while he was serving officer to ensure there are no irregularities, to include the review of his body worn camera footage related to his arrests, reported WUSA9, a CBS affiliated TV channel.
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron discussed on Tuesday co-operating over the IndoPacific region with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as France deals with the fallout from Australia's cancellation of a $40 billion French submarine order.

The two leaders held a phone conversation on Tuesday, said a statement from Macron's office, during which they also discussed issues such as the crisis in Afghanistan.

Last week, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia after Australia cancelled its previous nuclear submarine deal with France.

Australia said last week that it would scrap an earlier 2016 deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines, and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership. France called it a stab in the back.

China in turn denounced a new Indo-Pacific security alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia, warning of an intensified arms race in the region.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
Union opened up about filming The Public with the late actor

In a recent interview promoting her new memoir, Gabrielle Union shared a story about an interaction with the late Michael K. Williams that left her bawling.

Williams, of The Wire and Lovecraft Country, tragically passed away earlier this month, theGrio previously reported. Since his passing, there has been an outpouring of loving tributes dedicated to the late actor. One of his close friends was actress and producer Union, who has been busy promoting her new book, You Got Anything Stronger?. Her second memoir after Were Going to Need More Wine, this book promises to dive even deeper into her life.

While doing an interview on Power 105.1s The Angie Martinez Show, Union opened up about an experience she had with Williams.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Union appeared in the 2018 film, The Public, with Williams. In the interview, she shared a story from when they filmed the feature.

I think because the root of so many of our relationships with Michael was that he saw us in a way that, I mean to this day I dont know how he knew the things about me that he did, she told Martinez. I hadnt shared them with anybody. Things I still wouldnt share.

She proceeded to tell a story from filming when the two went out to dinner, and while heading out of the restaurant.

He stops on a dime and turns and looks at me and proceeds to tell me about myself. Im trying to scan my brain like, Who do we have in common and who would just share this willy nilly with him? Then I was like, Wait, I havent shared this with anybody. I was like, How do you know this? And he was like, I see it. I see you. And I was bawling on the streets of Cincinnati, she explained.

(Photo by Rachel Luna/Getty Images)

She added, That was our relationship. He saw me, and he was so present and so amazing. But he also was brutally honest about his own demons and challenges. So nothing is ever a surprise in that way, because he just led with his truth in a way that was so radical and brutal and uncomfortable. You could never claim you didnt know  not with Mike.

Story continues

Union also opened up about when she received the tragic news while on a trip to France. She revealed that after hearing the news, she went to a special spot to pray and talk to Williams. A tree was shown to Union by a winemaker, who shared that his ancestors planted it and call it, The Wisdom Tree.

She shared, I swear to God it was like he was standing next to me, and immediately, I was like, Oh, his spirit never dies. His shell is no longer here but his spirit and everything he has been to all of us is never gonna die. And then I felt relief that I hadnt lost him.

She concluded, I truly believe he was one of those angels on earth. He had a purpose that was beyond anything we could imagine.

Watch her complete interview here:

Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post Gabrielle Union says talk with Michael K. Williams left her bawling appeared first on TheGrio.
Republican activists and allies of Republican Sen. Rand Paul are charged with conspiring to use a straw donation to funnel a $25,000 donation illegally from a Russian national to then-candidate Donald Trumps presidential victory fund during the 2016 election.

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment on Monday that accuses Jesse Benton, 43, and Roy Douglas Doug Wead, 75, of a conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effect a conduit contribution, and cause false records to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. The duo conspired together to solicit a political contribution from a Russian foreign national known in the court records only as "Foreign National 1," according to federal prosecutors.

The 19-page indictment said the men conspired to illegally funnel thousands of dollars of foreign money from a Russian foreign national into an election for the Office of President of the United States of America and concealed the scheme from the candidate, federal regulators, and the public by secretly funneling foreign money from the Russian foreign national through Benton, who acted as a straw donor.

Wead conveyed to Foreign National 1 that he could meet Political Candidate 1, a candidate for president during the 2016 election cycle, in exchange for a payment," the Justice Department said. The unnamed candidate is identifiable as then-candidate Trump.

Prosecutors said after the Russian agreed to make the payment, Benton reached out to the Republican National Committee and arranged for Foreign National 1 to attend a political fundraising event and get a photograph with Trump in exchange for a political contribution to  a joint fundraising committee comprised of the campaign committee for Trump, the Republican Party, and related GOP state committees. DOJ said, Foreign National 1 ultimately wired $100,000 to a political consulting firm owned by Benton and to disguise the true purpose of the transfer of funds, Wead and Benton created a fake invoice for consulting services and invented a cover story.

Story continues

FEC records show a $25,000 donation to the Trump Victory fund from a Jesse Bentor [sic] on Oct. 27, 2016  the same day mentioned in the indictment.

Benton was Pauls campaign manager for his successful Senate bid in 2010, and he worked on the unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign for Rand Pauls father, former GOP Rep. Rand Paul.

Benton was convicted, along with others, in 2016 on charges of allegedly funneling $73,000 to Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson to change his endorsement to Ron Paul before the Iowa caucuses. Benton denied wrongdoing, though the Supreme Court declined to hear Bentons conviction appeal in 2019. Trump pardoned Benton in December after urging from Rand Paul and former Federal Election Commission Chair Lee Goodman.

Benton was hired as the campaign manager for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells 2014 reelection campaign but resigned in August 2014 when the 2012 scandal began to make news. He was hired by the pro-Trump Great America Super PAC in 2016.

Wead failed as a candidate for Congress in 1992, helped former President George W. Bush in the 2000 GOP primaries, and advised former GOP Ron Pauls 2012 presidential campaign and Rand Pauls 2016 presidential campaign. He penned Inside Trumps White House in 2019 and appears on right-wing media outlets such as One America News Network and Newsmax.

The Justice Department said Wead and Foreign National 1 attended the political fundraising event for Trump on Sept. 22, 2016, in Philadelphia, and were accompanied by Foreign National 2, who was working as a Russian-to-English translator for Wead. DOJ said, All three individuals had photographs taken at the event with Trump. The future president had a fundraiser at the Ritz Carlton that day.

After the event, prosecutors say Benton repeatedly represented to a consultant working for the Republican Party that he had already sent the promised contribution for the event, but in actuality he delayed sending the contribution.

DOJ said Benton ultimately filled out a contributor form, indicated that he was the contributor, and used a personal credit card to make a $25,000 contribution and then retained the remaining $75,000 of Foreign National 1s money. Because of Bentons straw donation, DOJ said that three different political committees unwittingly filed reports with the FEC that inaccurately reported Benton, rather than Foreign National 1, as the source of the funds.

Benton and Wead were also hit with one count of contribution by a foreign national, one count of contribution in the name of another, and three counts of making false entries in an official record.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

If convicted, Benton and Wead face a range of maximum penalties from five to 20 years in prison, per count, the DOJ said.

Prosecutors did not accuse Trump nor the Republican Party of knowingly committing any wrongdoing or having any knowledge the donation came from a Russian rather than from Benton.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Rand Paul, President Trump, Campaign Finance, Russia investigation

Original Author: Jerry Dunleavy

Original Location: GOP activists accused of 'straw donor' conspiracy to funnel Russian donation in 2016 election
A former senior aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul was indicted this month for allegedly funneling $25,000 from a wealthy, unnamed Russian to former President Trump's reelection efforts.

The big picture: The Justice Department alleges that Jesse Benton, 43, the husband of Paul's niece and a veteran Republican staffer, orchestrated a scheme to conceal the illegal foreign donation with another GOP operative, Doug Wead.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

The details: The indictment, unsealed on Monday, outlines allegations of a convoluted money trail from the unnamed Russian national through a consulting firm run by Benton and to a Trump joint fundraising committee.

The Russian national was determined to underwrite a Trump fundraising event in order to get a photo with the former president, according to communications between Benton and Weed cited in the indictment.

The indictment alleges that Benton received $100,000 from the Russian national and passed on $25,000 to the joint fundraising committee, allegedly pocketing the remaining $75,000.

Wead and Benton each face six criminal charges, including conspiracy and abetting illegal foreign political contributions.

For the record: Efforts to reach Wead were not immediately successful. Benton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Benton was previously convicted of filing false statements in connection with a scheme to funnel money from Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign to an influential Iowa politician who backed Paul in the state's presidential caucus.

Trump pardoned Benton in December, shortly before leaving office.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Harry Dunns parents have reached an agreement with Anne Sacoolas in a civil claim, their spokesperson has said (PA)

Harry Dunns parents and Anne Sacoolas, their sons alleged killer, are said to have reached a resolution in a civil claim for damages.

The Dunn family spokesperson, Radd Seiger, said both parties had successfully reached an agreement and Harrys parents would now focus on a pending criminal case.

Nineteen-year-old Harry died in a road crash accident outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019.

Ms Sacoolas was able to leave the UK following the crash after the US government asserted diplomatic immunity on her behalf.

She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the incident in December 2019. The US government rejected the UKs extradition request the following month.

Earlier this year, Harrys family were given the green light to pursue a civil claim for damages against Ms Sacoolas and her husband in the US.

It is one of a number of legal processes the teenagers parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, have entered following the death of their son.

Details of the agreement - announced on Tuesday - have not been disclosed.

Mr Seiger, the Dunn familys spokesperson, said: It has come as some considerable relief to them that a resolution to the civil claim has been now been reached successfully between the parties and they can put this part of the campaign behind them.

It is never easy mounting a legal battle for justice abroad, let alone in the USA, but the familys courage and determination to see this through has been incredible.

He thanked Dominic Raab, who was foreign secretary until a recent reshuffle, and government officials for their support.

We have been made aware that the US government made no secret of their displeasure at the British governments backing of Harrys family in bringing the claim, Mr Seiger added.

The damages claim unearthed a great deal of previously unheard material, such as the State Department roles held by the couple at the time of the crash.

Alexandria District Court in the US state of Virginia heard the pairs work in intelligence was a factor in their departure from the UK, as they left for security reasons.

Story continues

Mr Seiger said Harrys family feel they can now turn their attention to the criminal case and the long-awaited inquest into their sons death which will follow.

This is a pivotal point in the campaign, a real milestone. But there is much work left to be done before justice for Harry can be said to be done, he added.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Ms Sacoolas have been approached for comment.

Additional reporting by Press Association

Read More

Government strikes deal to restart CO2 production after gas prices surge

Increase in homeowners seeking back-up generators as gas supply crisis deepens

Government strikes deal to restart CO2 production  live

Police officer racially profiled Black school worker during stop and search

Calling women birds is plainly sexist, judge rules as Barclays banker wins claim

Energy provider Bulb seeks new funding amid gas price spike
Sep. 21The search for missing 6-year-old Isabella Kalua was suspended Monday by the Honolulu Police Department.

A spokeswoman for the department said the investigation into the disappearance of the Waimanalo girl remains active and that detectives will continue to follow up on leads.

Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu said anyone with information on this case should contact HPD or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300. The public also can send anonymous web tips to honolulucrime stoppers.org or via the P3 Tips app.

The girl was last seen asleep in her room at her Puha Street address in Waimanalo on Sunday, Sept. 12, at about 9 p.m., according to police.

Isabella's adoptive parents, Isaac K. "Sonny " Kalua III and his wife, Lehua, said they think Isabella may have been abducted or simply wandered off, according to a family spokesman, William Harrison, who has said police were immediately called at 6 a.m. Monday when the couple awoke to find her gone. They also allowed police to search the house.

Harrison, a criminal defense attorney, has said the child has a history of going outside at night to sleep in the yard and that electronic locks on the house confirm when she left the home. He said he is acting as a counselor and advised them not to search for Isabella, speak to the media or engage social media because they were getting death threats and didn't want their words to get twisted.

Child Welfare Services investigated two serious injuries that Isabella suffered in the past two years, Hawaii News Now reported Monday evening. The first injury was a broken finger in October 2019, which her adopted family said was slammed in a door, HNN reported. In January 2020 she suffered a broken leg and was taken to the emergency room, the TV station reported. The family said the girl was injured on a trampoline, according to HNN.

In both cases a panel of experts determined there was no maltreatment, the TV station reported.

Meanwhile, her biological family has been organizing search efforts since the girl, named Ariel Sellers at birth, disappeared. Hundreds of volunteers have looked for the girl in coordination with the Honolulu Police and Fire departments and multiple state and federal partners.

Story continues

At a candlelight vigil held Sunday at Waimanalo District Park, the family announced it would no longer help coordinate the volunteer searches for the girl.

A spokesman for the family said the search would continue but not at the park, which also served as a command post for police and other authorities.

Another family member at the vigil encouraged the community, "Leave a light on for Isabella."
By Amit Dave

SANAND, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of workers at a Ford Motor Co factory in India's western Gujarat state protested outside the automaker's plant on Tuesday, demanding that the factory's closure plan be scrapped or workers be provided other jobs.

The blue-uniformed workers gathered outside what is Ford's car manufacturing and engine-making facility in Gujarat's Sanand city and said the plant's closure planned for the year-end would lead to the loss of their livelihoods.

"After working here for seven years, I am suddenly being told I do not have a job. What is my future?" asked Anil Singh Jhala, one of the workers.

"Our demand before the company and the government is that the plant should not be shut," he added. "If the plant is going to be shut, our request to the government is that when any other plant comes up here, we should get priority for jobs there at the same wage."

Once upbeat on emerging markets including India, major automakers have recently been shutting up shop https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-wakes-up-badly-burnt-its-india-dream-2021-09-17 in the country due to stagnating sales. Ford, which built its first factory in India in the 1990s, said earlier this month https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-motor-cease-local-production-india-shut-down-both-plants-sources-2021-09-09 it planned to stop making cars in the country and take a $2 billion hit as it does not see itself making profit in the country.

The plant employs around 1,200 people, a Ford India spokesperson said in a statement.

"We will be working with the unions and other stakeholders on measures to help balance the impact and to care for those directly affected by the restructuring," he added. "We have started discussions with the union and have nothing additional to share."

The string of exits and plant closures by automakers in India in recent years have worsened the country's unemployment crisis, posing a major challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who came to power in 2014 on the promise of creating jobs.

Story continues

"We are in shock since the announcement," said Jaisukh Kandolia, an employee who had been working at the Ford plant since 2016.

"We have been told the plant will close by December 31," he said. "We do not know what we are going to do in the future."

(Additional reporting by Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad; Writing by Zeba Siddiqui in New Delhi; Editing by David Evans)
Iran's new ultraconservative president voiced support Tuesday in his international debut for reviving a nuclear accord even as he berated the United States, hailing what he described as its failures.

President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric who succeeded a government that sought better relations with the West, called on the United States to fulfill its promises to end sanctions under the 2015 nuclear accord.

"The Islamic Republic considers useful talks whose ultimate outcome is the lifting of all oppressive sanctions," Raisi said in a recorded speech to the UN General Assembly.

Indirect talks brokered by the European Union have been on hiatus since June after months of negotiations with the previous government failed to secure a path forward.

Raisi repeated the clerical state's stance that nuclear weapons are religiously prohibited, a position that has been met with skepticism notably by Israel, which has carried out a sabotage campaign to delay Iran's nuclear work.

Nuclear weapons "have no place in our defense doctrine and deterrence policy," Raisi said.

- Push for quick resumption -

Raisi is notorious among human rights advocates for his role as a judge during mass executions in 1988 when the Islamic republic was solidifying control, with some activists encouraging the West to shun him.

But Western powers, as well as China and Russia, say they see the value in restricting Iran's nuclear program peacefully under the 2015 agreement, from which US President Joe Biden's predecessor Donald Trump withdrew the United States.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he will meet Tuesday at the United Nations with Iran's new foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and push him to restart the talks in Vienna "soon."

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, which remains in the nuclear accord, said it was urgent to resume negotiations, amid Western concerns that Iran could advance nuclear work.

Story continues

"We're not going to wait two or three months for the Iranian delegation to return to Vienna. It has to be quicker," Maas told reporters.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, traveling with Raisi, said he expected a resumption of the indirect talks "in the coming weeks," without giving an exact date.

President Biden, appearing in person in his own maiden UN speech, renewed his willingness to return the United States to the nuclear accord and lift sanctions.

"We're prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same," Biden said.

Iran has taken steps away from the accord to protest the sanctions and has insisted on a full lifting of economic pressure -- while the Biden administration says only measures imposed by Trump over the nuclear program are on the table.

- 'Failed miserably' -

Raisi devoted most of his speech to fiery denunciations of the United States, pointing to the collapse of the Western-backed government in Afghanistan, as well as the mob attack of the US Capitol on January 6 by Trump supporters seeking to overturn his defeat.

The two events show that "the US hegemonic system has no credibility, whether inside or outside the country."

"What is seen in our region today proves that not only the hegemonist and the idea of hegemony, but also the project of imposing Westernized identity, have failed miserably."

Aiming squarely at US domestic politics, Raisi cited the slogans of Trump and Biden: "Today, the world doesn't care about 'America First' or 'America is Back.'"

The language was a marked difference from his moderate predecessor Hassan Rouhani, a fellow cleric, who called for allowing greater freedoms and interaction with the outside world.

But Raisi stopped short of the inflammatory language of previous president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, who isolated Iran on the international stage by calling for Israel's destruction and denying the Holocaust.

Raisi nonetheless denounced Israel in terms sure to anger the Jewish state, calling it the largest sponsor of "state terrorism, whose agenda is to slaughter women and children in Gaza and the West Bank."

sct/pdh/sw
WASHINGTON  Iran said Tuesday it expects international talks to resume in "the next few weeks" on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, but U.S. officials are bracing for what appears to be a tougher negotiating stance from Tehran's new hard-line president.

Nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers in Vienna have been halted since June, when Iran held a presidential election, and the new administration in Tehran has yet to commit to a date to reopen the stalled discussions.

"Every meeting requires prior coordination and the preparation of an agenda. As previously emphasized, the Vienna talks will resume soon and over the next few weeks," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

Khatibzadeh spoke as Iran's new foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly, where he was expected to discuss reviving the nuclear deal with other governments.

While France, the U.K., Germany and the European Union are all expected to meet with Iranian officials this week, the U.S. and Iran have no plans to hold direct talks in New York. Iran has refused to meet with U.S. negotiators in the nuclear talks; Washington and Tehran must pass messages through European intermediaries, instead.

Since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric and former head of the country's judiciary, was elected in June, U.S. and European governments have grown increasingly concerned about the prospects to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.

Before Raisi's election, U.S. and Iranian negotiators appeared close to clinching a deal after six rounds of indirect talks. The two sides had outlined an accord in which both governments returned to the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action, which the Trump administration abandoned.

Iranian officials at the time said they had briefed the incoming government about the talks and reassured foreign diplomats that the negotiations would restart in a matter of weeks, said a senior Biden administration official with knowledge of the discussions. But the new team in Tehran declined to commit to a time to resume the discussions.

Story continues

It remains unclear what Raisi's new negotiating team will demand if the talks resume, to what degree it will reject what was previously agreed upon and even whether it views the accord as in its country's interest, the senior official said.

"We'll see, but if you read what they say publicly, what the press says, there's every reason to expect that this team is not going to accept the framework, the outlines of the deal that we were negotiating before June 20," said the U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak on the record.

"That's why we're quite concerned that they intend to come back with something quite different," the official said.

IMAGE: Centrifuge machines in Iran (IRIB via AP file)

Iranian leaders have been locked in an internal debate about the value of the 2015 deal, with some elements arguing that the country can endure sanctions without having to compromise with Western governments, the administration official said.

Some voices in the regime "seem to believe they withstood the worst, they can do more," the official said. "And, of course, they did withstand Covid plus 'maximum pressure.' So how much worse could it get?"

The 2015 deal, also signed by the U.K., China, France, Germany and Russia, limited Iran's nuclear program in return for easing U.S. economic sanctions. In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement, reimposed sanctions on Iran and introduced more sanctions as part of what he said was a "maximum pressure" campaign.

In response, Iran has breached the provisions of the deal, blowing past restrictions on uranium enrichment, using more advanced centrifuges and restricting access to the U.N. atomic watchdog agency.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, President Joe Biden restated his position that the U.S. was ready to return to the 2015 deal if Iran once again complied with its terms.

"We're prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same," Biden said. He added that the U.S. remains committed "to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon."

Raisi, Iran's new president, told the General Assembly that the U.S. had failed to live up its commitments under the 2015 accord and that Tehran was merely seeking what had been promised in the agreement.

"We want nothing more than what is rightfully ours. We demand the implementation of international rules. All parties must stay true to the nuclear deal," Raisi said in a recorded speech by video.

Iran lived up to its end of the agreement, but the U.S. "has not yet discharged its obligation, which is lifting sanctions," Raisi said. "It has encroached upon the agreement, withdrawn from it and levied even more sanctions on Iranian people."

Raisi cited the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob and the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the U.S.'s "hegenomic system has no credibility, either inside or outside the country."

Prospects for future nuclear talks were nearly derailed until Iran reached a compromise with the U.N. atomic watchdog last week over the maintenance of cameras and other monitoring equipment used to track Iran's nuclear activity. Iran agreed to permit the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, to change the memory cards and batteries in cameras at various nuclear facilities in Iran. The monitoring regime was introduced as part of the 2015 nuclear deal.

The senior administration official said the U.S. remains concerned about the level of Iran's cooperation with the IAEA.The administration official also said the U.S. believes the benefits of reviving the deal could fade if too much time passes. As negotiations drag on, Iran will continue to gain technical expertise and shrink the "breakout" time needed to produce enough enriched uranium to build a single nuclear bomb, the official said.

The breakout time was estimated at one year when the nuclear agreement was in effect, but it is now likely to be only a few months, the official said. "It's short. It's too short for comfort," the official said.

The Biden administration was not ready to wait indefinitely for negotiations to restore the deal, the official said, echoing previous statements by government officials.

"If we conclude that Iran is using the talks as a cover to continue to build a nuclear program without the genuine intent of returning to the deal," then the U.S. would abandon the talks, the official said.

Even if the negotiations in Vienna resume, the talks between Iran and the U.S. would remain indirect, conducted via intermediaries, resulting in a painstakingly slow process, the senior official said.

The U.S. will discuss how to proceed with Iran in talks with European allies and other world powers in New York on Wednesday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to meet with his counterparts from the U.K., France and Germany. The meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly will be the first public interaction between the U.S. and France since a diplomatic row erupted last week over a security pact among the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

Later Wednesday, Iran will be on the agenda in a meeting of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council  the U.S., France, the U.K. , Russia and China.
Iran's new ultraconservative president on Tuesday voiced support for renewed nuclear negotiations in his international debut even as he hailed what he termed the decline of US hegemony.

President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric who succeeded a government that sought better relations with the West, called on the United States to fulfill its promises to end sanctions under the 2015 nuclear accord.

"The Islamic Republic considers useful talks whose ultimate outcome is the lifting of all oppressive sanctions," Raisi said in a recorded speech to the UN General Assembly.

He repeated the clerical state's stance that nuclear weapons are religiously prohibited, a position that has been met with skepticism notably by Israel, which has carried out a sabotage campaign to delay Iran's nuclear work.

Nuclear weapons "have no place in our defense doctrine and deterrence policy," Raisi said.

President Joe Biden, appearing in person in his own maiden UN speech, earlier said that the United States was ready to return to the nuclear accord from which his predecessor Donald Trump bolted.

"We're prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same," Biden said, referring to US promises under the accord to lift sanctions.

But months of indirect negotiations brokered by the European Union since Biden's election have failed to revive the accord fully.

Iran has taken steps away from the accord to protest the sanctions and insists on a full lifting of economic pressure -- while the Biden administration says it is only looking at sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, not those that were based on other concerns including human rights.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Said Khatibzadeh, traveling with Raisi, said that he expected a resumption of the indirect talks in Vienna which include the nations still in the agreement -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

"The Vienna talks will resume soon, in the coming weeks," he said, as quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

Story continues

Raisi devoted most of his speech to denunciations of the United States, pointing to the collapse of the Western-backed government in Afghanistan as well as the mob attack of the US Capitol on January 6 by Trump supporters seeking to overturn his defeat.

The two events show that "the US hegemonic system has no credibility, whether inside or outside the country."

"What is seen in our region today proves that not only the hegemonist and the idea of hegemony, but also the project of imposing Westernized identity, have failed miserably."

sct/ec
Residents of Jalalabad and Taliban fighters look at the scene of a bombing. AFP via Getty Images

The Islamic State is stepping up its attacks in eastern Afghanistan, claiming responsibility for multiple recent roadside bombings that targeted Taliban fighters but left civilians dead as well.

The bombings took place in Jalalabad, an ISIS stronghold, and purposely went after Taliban vehicles. On Sunday, eight people were killed in the blasts, including some Taliban militants, and dozens more injured. Additional explosions were heard in Jalalabad on Monday, and The Associated Press says there are unconfirmed reports that additional Taliban fighters were killed.

After assuming control of Afghanistan in August, the Taliban told world leaders it would not let terrorist groups use the country as a base to plan overseas attacks. Before the U.S. finished its withdrawal last month, an ISIS attack at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and 169 Afghan civilians.

The Taliban and ISIS are rivals with different goals: While the Taliban wants to control Afghanistan with its strict interpretation of Islamic law, ISIS wants to have an Islamic empire across several countries. There are many more Taliban fighters in Afghanistan than ISIS militants, but research analyst Ibraheem Bahiss told AP these new attacks show ISIS is "making a very dramatic comeback. There could be a long-term struggle between the groups."

Feda Mohammad's 18-year-old brother and 10-year-old cousin were killed in one of the Sunday blasts, and he told AP that after years of war, Afghans believed "that since the Taliban have come, peace will come. But there's no peace, no security. You can't hear anything except the news of bomb blasts killing this one or that."

You may also like

7 painfully funny cartoons about America's endless vaccine fights

Did Theranos Lose Afghanistan?

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers star Jane Powell dies at 92
The KCKPD has failed to provide accountability for officer misconduct, according to the lawsuit.

Jay-Z is taking legal action against the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department for covering up alleged misconduct allegations.

The rappers philanthropic group Team Roc filed a lawsuit in the district court of Wyandotte County, Kansas on Monday, seeking the release of investigative files and personnel records that would shed light on complaints filed against members of KCKPDs investigative division, as reported by ABC News.

For decades, the KCKPD has failed to provide accountability for officer misconduct, according to the lawsuit. And, thanks to the blue veil of silence and apparent failure to investigate serious allegations, little of it has come to light.

(Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)

Team Roc is seeking documents outside of the scope of personnel records to determine if complaints are being seriously addressed and whether there is sufficient oversight and supervision over the KCKPD. The lawsuit alleges that department officials refuse to provide such documents.

KCKPD noted they are not required to release personnel records and criminal investigation files, without specific circumstances. Nancy Chartrand, public information officer of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, told ABC News that, the Unified Government has previously produced hundreds of the requested records per the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) with some exceptions.

Because of the [Kansas] Public Records Act that allows interested parties to look at various states and government documents, were allowed to see certain files and how the government handled certain issues, Attorney Alex Spiro, who represents Team Roc, told ABC News. The government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so were suing to see what they dont want us to see.

KORA does not require the disclosure of personnel records and criminal investigation records, for example, without specific circumstances. In response, Roc Nation has filed a 28-page petition stating there is a special interest in disclosing all records so the public can seek justice, Chartrand added. Once the petition has been thoroughly reviewed, the Unified Government will follow-up by filing a response.

Story continues

Jay-Z attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean Diddy Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Team Rocs lawsuit is asking the court to override the state law and make the KCKPD documents public.

The lawsuit alleges that the department agreed to provide documents pertaining to the complaints made against members of the Investigative Division, but has refused to produce documents pertaining to any steps that the city has taken in response to those complaints, including any investigations or disciplinary proceedings initiated as a result of the complaints.

The KCKPD has, however, refused to produce documents relating to any internal investigations into wrongdoing by specific members of the KCKPD, preventing the public from evaluating whether the KCKPD has adequately supervised its officers, investigated any complaints, and addressed the allegations of misconduct against members of its force, the lawsuit said.

This lawsuit comes amid accusations that members of the KCKPD are corrupt. Local activists have called for the U.S Department of Justice to investigate a slew of incidents related to misconduct and discrimination, according to the report.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department continues to be willing, and available, to assist any agency working any investigation involving our department, a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department said in a statement in July. Our relationship with the community is of utmost importance, which is why we are focused on strengthening current relationships and restoring those that have been broken.

Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!

The post Jay-Zs Team Roc sues Kansas City police for alleged misconduct appeared first on TheGrio.
Jo Lasorda, the widow of longtime Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, died Monday at her home in Fullerton, California, the team announced. She was 91.

Jo's death comes nine months after her husband died of cardiac arrest at the age of 93 following years of heart issues. The couple had been married for 70 years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers family were saddened to learn of the passing of Jo Lasorda, widow of Dodgers Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda. Jo, 91, passed away Monday evening at 8:59 p.m. at her Fullerton home. We send our deepest condolences to the Lasorda family at this time.  Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2021

Tommy and Jo met in 1949 when he was a minor league player for the Single-A Greenville Spinners in South Carolina. He would marry Jo, a Greenville native, a year later.

From the Greenville News:

"I stole a young lady out of that city 64 years ago," Lasorda said. "I played there in 1949, and I married a young lady in 1950."

As Jo would later recount to the Los Angeles Times in 2011, Tommy had to borrow $500 for the wedding.

Over the course of the next several decades, Jo would build her own life out west with her husband, who was well-known for his bombastic personality on the field and in the clubhouse, but apparently not so much at home. Jo told the Times that Tommy had somehow never cursed in front of her.

She also wasn't interested in hearing his tirades on tape, including his infamously irate analysis of Dave Kingman's three-homer night against the Dodgers:

You couldnt pay me to listen to it, she says. Its ridiculous someone doesnt have enough adjectives that they have to use the same stupid word.

Reminded its her husband who went off, she says, I told him you have to have more words in your vocabulary than that.

The Lasordas were married for seven decades. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Tommy Lasorda)

While Tommy was leading the Dodgers, Jo, a Southerner in southern California, was an active member of the community and led the fundraising for the Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House in Yorba Linda, named in honor of the couple's son who died of AIDS in 1991. She was a breast cancer survivor, and also lived through back surgery and two knee replacements, per the Times.

Story continues

After all those decades together, the Times asked her if she ever considered divorce:

Divorce, no, she repeats. Murder, yes.

Lasorda is reportedly survived by her daughter Laura, granddaughter Emily and sister Gladys Reeves.
(Bloomberg) -- John and Jenny Paulson are divorcing after more than 20 years of marriage, the latest split involving a billionaire family thats set to reshape one of the worlds largest self-made fortunes.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The case has been filed in Suffolk County, New York, with John Paulson represented by William D. Zabel. The New York Post, which reported on the split earlier, said theres no pre-nuptial agreement, citing an unidentified person it didnt identify.

John has deep respect for Jenny and will continue to support all that is best for the health and happiness of the family, Zabel said Tuesday in a statement.

John Paulson, 65, has a net worth of $4.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, thanks largely to his successful bet against the U.S. housing market ahead of the 2008 financial crisis. The money manager also had about $1.9 billion in the Paulson Family Foundation as of 2019.

Read more: John Paulson, Winner in 2008 Crisis, Latest to Quit Hedge Funds

Jenny Paulson, 50, met her future husband years before he became famous for his subprime trade.

He initially hired her as an assistant after she delivered lunch to him and his staff from the Bear Stearns cafeteria. She was a recent immigrant from Romania and had been granted political asylum in the U.S. As he approached his mid-40s, Paulson decided he needed to get married and that Jenny had the cheerful personality he was looking for, according to The Greatest Trade Ever, a book by Gregory Zuckerman.

Jenny didnt drink, smoke or go out late at night; for me she was a breath of fresh air, Paulson was quoted as saying in the book. He asked her out for a year, but she refused to date him unless he fired her and found her another job. She eventually agreed to go to lunch with him, and after more than 200 meals together he proposed.

Story continues

Paulson made $20 billion for himself and investors when U.S. subprime mortgage bonds collapsed and ignited the financial crisis. After pulling off one of the greatest trades in history, he had a series of less successful years. He turned his hedge fund firm into a family office last year after assets dropped to about $9 billion in 2019 from a peak of $38 billion in 2011, and he found himself managing mostly his own money.

The family has an extensive collection of real estate investments, including an Aspen ranch that previously belonged to a Saudi prince and an estate in the Hamptons purchased for $41 million in 2008. John Paulson also made investments in Puerto Rico, buying majority stakes in the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, La Concha Renaissance Resort and St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort.

While their divorce could be one of the largest in history in terms of assets at stake, it will be dwarfed by two recent breakups. Melinda French Gates ended up with billions of dollars of stock in a variety of companies after her divorce from Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates, while Mackenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon.com Inc. Chairman Jeff Bezos, is the worlds fourth-richest woman, with a net worth of $56.4 billion. Scott has rapidly deployed part of that fortune into often overlooked philanthropic causes.

I dont think the divorce rates are increasing, said Dror Bikel, a New York-based divorce lawyer at Bikel & Schanfield LLP. But the scale of the wealth is just overwhelming.

(Updates with lawyers comment in third paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Carlos Osorio/Reuters

MONTREALCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will likely stay on the job after a narrow victory Monday night, but theres no telling for how long the one-time progressive darling will remain there.

While the full results wont be known until a raft of mail-in ballots are counted Tuesday, Trudeaus Liberal Party is projected to improve its standing and remain the largest party in the House of Commonsthough it will likely fall short of the outright majority Trudeau sought to recapture, in which case the party will continue to need to rely on smaller parties to govern.

It was a campaign that, as his competitors reminded the public often, nobody wanted. Trudeau called the electiona fast-paced one, even by Canadian standards, spanning just 36 daysinsisting that he would need a new mandate to pass a raft of ambitious plans to bring Canada out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet on the campaign trail itself, Trudeau seemed to struggle with what the election was actually about. Despite promising to put the threat of climate change and the issues facing Indigenous peoples front and center, Trudeau largely turned the campaign into a fight over vaccine mandates and assault weapons.

Trudeau scolded Conservative Party leader Erin OToolea former lawyer, lobbyist, and military helicopter pilotfor refusing to require mandatory vaccines for public sector workers and travellers by rail and air.

OToole ran as a more moderate conservative in the race, but couldnt shake a skepticism from across the country over his partys position on abortion access, firearms, private healthcare, and COVID-19 vaccines. While he initially ran promising to legalize a slate of currently-banned assault weapons, he reversed his position mid-way through the campaignessentially scrapping a whole plank of his platform.

His party also refused to say how many of his candidates were fully vaccinated in a country where 80 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, and where everyone who wants a dose can receive one.

Story continues

For his strident support of a federal vaccine passport, Trudeau was stalked from campaign event to campaign event by a mob of unruly protesters. Some even threw rocks. The agitators were part of a broader protest movement opposing lockdown measures, mask mandates, and vaccine passports.

Those angry rallies were roundly condemned by all party leaders, except for Maxime Bernier, who channeled that frustration into his Peoples Party of Canadaa far-right nationalist party that has taken cues from the likes of Donald Trump and Frances Marine Le Pen. Bernier led a number of fiery rallies around the country trying to tap into that anger, and was even

arrested on the campaign trail for violating public health measures.

However intense that fury may have been, it wasnt so widespread as Bernier seems likely to be shut out of Parliament after capturing only about five percent of the vote.

While Trudeau held on, there are signs that his progressive coalition is slowly coming apart. The centre-left New Democratic Party picked up a handful of new seats across the country after spending the campaign calling for an end to government support for Canadas sizable oil and gas sector and new taxes on the rich. Leader Jagmeet Singhthe first non-white leader of a national party in Canadaremained far and away the most popular of the candidates, but couldnt translate that into broader electoral success.

The spoiler in the race, unsurprisingly, was the separatist Bloc Quebecois. The party always positions itself as a champion of Quebec, fighting for more powers for the partly-autonomous province. Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet tried to put a wedge between his party and the Liberals on the topic of the Bill 21 Legislation adopted by Quebecs National Assembly that forbids public sector employees including police officers, teachers and judges from wearing religious symbols on the job. Blanchet is a vocal supporter of the bill, which remains popular in Quebec, while Trudeau is generally against it. The tactic didnt appear to work, as the oc Quebecois. performed roughly as it did in the previous election.

All told, Mondays results appeared to basically enshrine the status quo in Canada. The country remains deeply divided along geographic lines, and Trudeau has not figured out a way to expand his political base. Speculation about his political future has already begun, and is likely to pick up in the days and weeks to come.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Rwanda said it has cancelled a planned meeting with the Belgian foreign minister at the UN after she criticised the trial of "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen.

Rusesabagina, who is credited with saving over 1,200 lives during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, was convicted on terror charges by a high court in Kigali on Monday and sentenced to 25 years in prison in a widely criticised verdict.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes said that despite repeated appeals from Brussels, "Rusesabagina did not benefit from a fair and equitable trial; particularly with regard to the rights of the defence".

"The presumption of innocence was not respected either. These elements de facto call into question the trial and the judgement."

The Kigali government slammed the comments in a statement dated Monday.

It said they "reflected the contempt shown by the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium towards the Rwandan judicial system since the start of this trial despite the significant contribution of relevant Belgian institutions to the investigation of this case.

"For this reason, a scheduled bilateral meeting at ministerial level, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, will no longer take place."

Belgium's foreign ministry voiced "regret" over the cancellation.

"Belgium has always pleaded for dialogue ... and will continue to work for solutions," a spokesman said.

"In view of contacts that took place in recent months, Belgium's position cannot be a surprise and its analysis is shared by the United States," he added.

Rusesabagina, who used his fame from the Hollywood film he inspired to denounce Rwandan President Paul Kagame as a "dictator", has been behind bars since his arrest in August 2020 when a plane he believed was bound for Burundi landed instead in Kigali.

The 67-year-old, who holds a US Green Card, was convicted of involvement with a rebel group blamed for deadly gun, grenade and arson attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.

Story continues

The United States and global rights groups have also raised questions about the fairness of the verdict.

His family, who have campaigned globally for his release, have voiced fears that Rusesabagina could die in jail.

str-amu/txw/bp/ach
WASHINGTON  Images showing U.S. border agents on horseback chasing Haitian migrants near the Rio Grande close to Del Rio, Texas sparked outrage on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with lawmakers from both parties demanding an investigation.

"There are going to be investigations," said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, who called the footage "unacceptable."

In one photo, a border patrol agent leans over his saddle to grab the shirt of a man trying to get away. In several photos, the migrants are carrying plastic bags and bundles of their possessions in their hands.

More: White House calls video of border agents chasing Haitian migrants 'horrific,' DHS promises to investigate

U.S. Border Patrol agents deter Haitians from returning to the U.S. on the bank of the Rio Grande after migrants crossed back to Mexico for food and water on Sept. 19, 2021.

In other footage, Border agents on horseback waved reins in the air as they charged at Haitian migrants and chased them toward the water. Some videos show the agents taunting the migrants.

Democrats decried the footage and the treatment shown from the border patrol agents.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told USA TODAY the videos and photos "just show you the heartbreaking reality of these situations. These are desperate people."

Thousands of Haitian migrants are encamped in Texas after crossing from Mexico over a dam.

Many left Haiti in the wake of a devastating 2010 earthquake and lived in South America for years. But jobs from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro vanished, and economic opportunities continue to dry up in Latin America as the pandemic continues.

In the years following, Haiti has faced political unrest, another devastating earthquake, and violations to human rights.

Haitis escalating violence and political instability prompted the United Nations Security Council earlier this year to publicly express its deep concern for the protracted political, security, constitutional and humanitarian crises tormenting Haiti. The Haitian president was assassinated in July.

Story continues

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday, said he was horrified by the images.

"[W]e look forward to learning the facts that are adduced from the investigation, and we will take actions that those facts compel, he said. We do not tolerate any mistreatment or abuse of a migrant. Period.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the reports of mistreatment and use of what appear to be whips to be deeply troubling. She also called for an investigation.

All migrants seeking asylum must be treated in accordance with the law and with basic decency, the speaker said.

600 more Homeland Security agents sent to Del Rio, Texas, amid Haitian migrant crisis: What we know

Republican Senators had a consistent message Tuesday: The Biden Administration is to blame.

Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn laid the fault at the administration's doorstep.

Cruz said Biden's policies "create humanitarian disasters" and the border situation is getting "worse and worse and worse, because in the Biden White House, it's all politics all the time."

"By not fixing gaps in our immigration laws," Cornyn said, this "humanitarian crisis is really unprecedented."

Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said "The images we're seeing are entirely consistent with a disastrous immigration policy and border protection efforts policy from the administration."

He continued that Joe Biden's administration has "showered itself with incompetence with when it comes to our border, and if we were to return to the policies that existed in the past, we would be in a very different situation."

The Biden administration has found itself in a sticky situation, facing criticism from all sides on their handling of the southern border, an issue that has plagued his administration since the beginning.

More: Criticized from all sides, Biden scrambles to address surge of Haitian migrants at southern border

The Department of Homeland Security ramped up deportation flights of Haitians back to Haiti and transported migrants to different processing centers along the border.

But the president has also been pressured by refugee and asylum advocates, as well as fellow Democrats, to do more to help the asylum seekers.

When asked for solutions, most Republicans pointed back to policies enacted by the Trump Administration, including Title 42, which allowed for quick expulsion of asylum seekers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in holding facilities last year.

Biden has continued that policy; however, children and some families are exempt.

When asked about the images of the horses and apparent use of whips, and possible excessive use of force, Cornyn said "it'd be better if people didn't come in the first place by the administration just waving them through it."

Cruz said often agents encounter "violent criminals" so "law enforcement, at times, entails the use of force that force is constrained by law."

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19.

A use of force policy document from Customs and Border Protection dated January 2021 says that, "The use of excessive force by CBP law enforcement personnel is strictly prohibited." But the document also says that agents "may use 'objectively reasonable' force only when it is necessary to carry out their law enforcement duties," adding that the "reasonableness" of any particular situation varies with the conditions.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said "the federal government has failed border states on this issue for decades, and spent hundreds of billions of dollars on border security and we still have a crisis."

"It's a national security issue," he continued, but "we also have to treat folks that come to our southern border in accordance with our values and our ethics."

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Martha Pskowski, Ryan W. Miller, Christal Hayes, Chelsey Cox, Mabinty Quarshie USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lawmakers decry images of mounted CBP agents chasing Haitian migrants
Leslie Jordan is reminiscing about his six-pack abs.

The 66-year-old actor posted a throwback photo of himself posing shirtless next to a convertible and called attention to his toned stomach.

"I just called 1980 and told it I wanted my 6-pack back  except in those days I was drinking and I'm afraid theyll think I want beer," the comedian wrote in the caption.

Octavia Spencer commented that she understands where Jordan is coming from with the throwback post.

"If they call u back text me," Spencer wrote. "There are things I want, too."

The "Will and Grace" star has become an Instagram must-follow for his hilarious videos and willingness to tackle popular memes. It turns out, his 5.6 million followers also appreciated the thirst trap and couldn't help but swoon over Jordan's 1980s buff physique.

Carson Kressley called him a "stud," while Paula Deen commented, "What a hunk!"

Comedian Fortune Feimster chimed in with a "Hubba hubba" and the fire emoji.

As Jordan alluded to in his caption, he will celebrate 24 years of sobriety next month.

"I felt it was a lot easier to be gay when I was loaded," Jordan told People. "My problem was I was a bar drinker. I started getting DUIs. My gosh. And that one year (1997) I got three in a row. They sentenced me to 120 days."
Two veteran Republican campaign operatives  including one who got a pardon from then-President Donald Trump one month before he left office  are charged in a new federal indictment with funneling $25,000 from a Russian national into the Trump campaign in 2016.

Jesse Benton, 43, and Doug Wead, 75, made brief appearances Monday at a video hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, pleading not guilty to six felony charges including facilitating a campaign contribution by a foreign national, acting as a straw donor and causing the filing of false campaign finance reports.

The grand jury indictment alleges that Benton and Wead worked together to accept $100,000 from an unidentified Russian national in order to get the foreigner a meeting with then-candidate Trump at a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Sept. 22, 2016.

Neither Trump nor his campaign are mentioned by name in the indictment, but details in the 19-page document make clear that the scheme involved seeking the donation in connection with the Trump event and an opportunity to get face to face with him.

For example, the indictments reference to a $25,000 donation on Oct. 27, 2016, to a political committee by Benton  allegedly to cover up the foreign source of the money  lines up with a donation of the same size and date to Trumps political committee attributed to a Jesse Bentor, which prosecutors said is a garbling of Bentons name.

There is no indication in the indictment that Trump or his campaign aides were aware that the money originated with the Russian donor. The charges say that Benton and Wead concealed the arrangement from Trump, and that part of the scheme involved getting the political committees to unwittingly file reports indicating that Benton was actually the source of the funds.

The indictment suggests that Benton and Wead hoped to make money from the scheme and did  taking $100,000 from the Russian, but paying only $25,000 to Trump Victory, a joint venture between the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Story continues

Benton, a veteran of Kentucky and presidential politics, had previously faced federal campaign finance charges for payments to a key Iowa state lawmaker who switched endorsements from Michelle Bachman to Ron Paul in the 2012 presidential GOP primary. Trump, just before leaving office, pardoned Benton for the crimes he was convicted of. Benton is also an in-law and former adviser to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who is Ron Pauls son. Benton previously led Sen. Mitch McConnells 2014 reelection campaign before stepping down amid legal scrutiny.

In pardoning Benton and another associate, Trump indicated that the move had the support of Rand Paul and former FEC Chair Lee Goodman.

The new indictment alleges that Benton was carrying out the foreign-donation scheme in the days just before and after he was sentenced to two years probation on the Iowa-related campaign finance case.

Wead is a conservative commentator and activist who co-authored a book with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, published just before Bush became president in 1989. Wead also enjoyed close access to the Trump White House during his presidency.

Wead is represented in the case by two former attorneys for Trump when he was president, Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin.

Asked about the charges, Sekulow said in a statement: Doug Wead is a respected author and supporter of charitable causes. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will continue to respond appropriately in court.

The case against Benton and Wead has been assigned to Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee.
More than 30 major companies have promised to hire and train Afghan refugees coming to the U.S., per a press release from the Tent Partnership for Refugees, the group spearheading the effort.

The big picture: The 33 companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Pfizer and UPS, are joining the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees, a coalition founded by Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of food company Chobani.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

An initial group of 37,000 Afghans arrived in the U.S. this month and are heading to states across the country.

Driving the news: Amazon said it will offer refugees jobs in the company's warehouses or transportation hubs and in tech and corporate roles. The company will also pay for training and education programs.

Pfizer's efforts to include Afghans in the workforce range from "hiring them into our workforce, to mentoring Afghan refugees and preparing them for their new workplaces," per CEO Albert Bourla.

What they're saying: "Ive said this before and Ill say it again  the moment a refugee gets a job, its the moment they stop being a refugee," Ulukaya said in a statement.

"Its the moment they can stand on their own two feet; its the moment they can make new friends; its the moment they can start a new life."

Go deeper: Mapped: Afghan refugees headed to 46 states

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Sep. 21A man featured in The Blade's Under Fire series, examining gun violence in Toledo, was injured in a shooting on Sunday, hours before the series launched.

Quentin Carrington, 37, was shot "multiple times" just before 2 a.m. on Sunday at BoxLyfe Bar in the 700 block of Western Ave., the Toledo Police Department said in a news release.

"Carrington was taken to St. Vincent's and is expected to recover," police said.

Reached in the hospital Monday, Carrington said he was shot three times, twice in the stomach and once in the foot.

"After they got to shooting, I ran," he told The Blade. "I ran until I collapsed."

He said he'd gone to the bar with his fiancee and his friend, Willie White, 38, who was not injured, and noticed three men he didn't recognize were watching them.

"I got an eerie feeling," he said, so he got up to leave but the men followed them outside the bar.

One of them grabbed his friend, he said, though he couldn't recall any words being exchanged before the gunfire started.

"They ain't from there. I ain't ever seen them in there," he said.

He did not believe the shooting was related to The Blade's gun violence series.

Police have not identified a suspect.

First Published September 20, 2021, 10:53am
More rainfall is expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday after scattered showers and thunderstorms swept through the Baltimore region.

With the wet weather, the National Weather Service placed much of the area under a flash flood watch throughout Thursday afternoon. The flood watch encompasses Baltimore and parts of Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. Meteorologists are urging Maryland residents to monitor the forecast in the event the flood watch is upgraded to a warning.

Additionally, a coastal flood warning has taken effect for Anne Arundel County. A coastal flood advisory went into effect for Baltimore and southern Baltimore County at 5 p.m. and continues until noon Thursday.

Parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll and Howard counties were placed under a severe thunderstorm warning briefly on Wednesday. No major storm damage or power outages were reported.

Meteorologists wrote that as a cold front swings through the region and shifts farther east overnight, Thursday early to mid morning could be quite interesting in terms of hazards.

The conditions could yield damaging winds Thursday, meteorologists wrote, and even the possibility of tornadoes, though no tornado watch or warning has been issued. About 1-2 inches of rain is expected.

The wet weather should clear out by Thursday evening and will bring cooler temperatures.

The temperature will drop to the mid-50s on Thursday night, forecasters predicted, before it rises to the low 70s during a sunny day Friday. Overnight, it should fall to the mid-50s.

Similar temperatures are expected throughout the weekend.
Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino, a candidate for mayor, will be leaving his leadership post. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Six members of the Los Angeles City Council called Tuesday for Councilman Joe Buscaino to be removed from his leadership post, days after he and his spokesman were quoted in a magazine article making disparaging remarks about other council members.

Council President Nury Martinez and five of her colleagues drafted a motion calling for Buscaino to be stripped of his position as president pro tempore  the No. 2 leadership position on the council  and replaced by Councilman Mitch O'Farrell.

It's the most visible sign so far that the race for Los Angeles mayor is intruding on the workings of the council. Martinez did not answer questions about the article, instead issuing a one-sentence statement acknowledging the effort to remove Buscaino.

"The time has come for Joe to run his race for mayor," she said, "and I will continue to focus on leading this city and this council without distraction."

The motion is scheduled for a vote next week. However, before Tuesday's council meeting had ended, Buscaino issued a statement announcing that he will give up his leadership post.

Michael Trujillo, a campaign spokesman for Buscaino, said he did not see any connection between the magazine article and the council members actions. Buscaino had been expecting to step down for months, he said.

We knew this was going to happen. Its a long-held tradition, and other council members have been reaching out to Joe about being pro tem, Trujillo said.

Buscaino appeared last week in a Los Angeles Magazine profile that featured multiple digs at his colleagues. Two came from his spokesman, Branimir Kvartuc, who was quoted calling Martinez a "disappointment" and saying his boss had a "no fear" attitude.

"Every other council member is so afraid. Even Nury, Kvartuc told journalist Hillel Aron.

In the piece, which examines Buscaino's run for mayor, Kvartuc also criticized Councilman Kevin de Leon  who announced his own run for mayor Tuesday. Kvartuc did not immediately provide comment when reached by The Times.

Story continues

Buscaino, for his part, took a shot at Councilwoman Nithya Raman during an interview at his home in San Pedro, saying: I dont think she knows what she signed up for.

A Raman spokeswoman declined comment.

The position of president pro tem does not come with a great deal of power. However, it has been part of the line of succession for the council presidency.

At City Hall, there is a history of council members who step down from their leadership posts once they have decided to run for higher office.

In 2011, then-Council President Eric Garcetti stepped aside to focus on his run for mayor. In 2019, then-Council President Herb Wesson took a similar step as he campaigned for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Still, neither of those transitions were accompanied by proposals for having a council member removed from their leadership post.

Buscaino has engaged in other campaign activities that disrupted the council's usual decorum. In June, he held a news conference criticizing the city's handling of homelessness in Venice, an area represented by Councilman Mike Bonin  a transgressive move on the normally collegial council.

Two months later, he held another press conference on the issue in O'Farrell's Hollywood-area district. An O'Farrell spokesman said at the time that Buscaino did not tell his boss about the event before sending out a media advisory.

The motion to remove Buscaino from his leadership post was signed by Martinez and Councilmen Bob Blumenfield, Gil Cedillo, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Paul Krekorian and Curren Price.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Alexandra Ulmer

DEL RIO, Texas (Reuters) -Many residents of the Texan border town of Del Rio have been saying for months that they feel abandoned by the federal government as border arrests hit 20-year highs.

Now, with several thousand migrants sheltering in precarious conditions under the International Bridge connecting Del Rio and Mexico's Ciudad Acuna, the resentment is getting worse.

On Friday night, a local lawyer published a Facebook post saying that local school district buses were transferring migrants, mostly Haitians, to processing facilities.

"THE SAME BUSES OUR CHILDREN WILL RIDE ON MONDAY!!!!" Jacques De La Mota wrote alongside pictures of a yellow school bus seemingly picking up migrants in the dark.

De La Mota's post was shared at least 1,400 times and received more than 300 comments, many from local residents who said they were worried about diseases. But some called out what they said was barely-veiled racism. "This post is giving me segregation vibes," read one comment.

The local school district superintendent issued a statement explaining that only two buses, neither currently in use to transport students, had been deployed.

De La Mota told Reuters he was simply concerned about health and angry that the district was enlisted to help solve a federal problem.

The uproar over school buses is just one example of discontent over immigration in this town of 35,000, where some 85% of the community is Hispanic and the nearby Laughlin Air Force Base is a big employer.

Many residents are also furious over the closure of the International Bridge, ordered on Friday due to the crowds of migrants, that is inflicting economic pain on both sides of the border.

A small group protested on Saturday, with one woman waving a sign that said "BIDEN BORDER CRISIS." A Reuters journalist saw a black pick-up truck cruising around town with a "FUCK BIDEN" flag. Another driver, going over the bridge when it was still open last week, looked down at the huddled migrants and grumbled that Del Rio residents might as well move over to Mexico.

Story continues

BIDEN ON BACK FOOT

Val Verde County, whose county seat is Del Rio, went for Donald Trump over Joe Biden by a ten-point margin in the 2020 election, with some approving of his hard-line immigration policies. Del Rio's mayor Bruno Lozano has made no qualms about calling out his fellow Democrat president.

"Where is your plan to protect American communities at the southern border?" Lozano tweeted on Saturday. "I spoke to Governor Abbott today. We have developed a temporary plan, we'd like to see yours."

Arguing that Biden's promise of a more "humane" approach to migration has galvanized crossings, Greg Abbott, a Republican, has cracked down.

Among his measures: Apprehending migrants for allegedly trespassing on private property and preparing to build some of the border wall Trump promised, whose construction Biden paused.

Abbott, who faces a gubernatorial primary in March, has been criticized for his response to a devastating February storm and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The border issue could be a boon for him and Republicans more broadly, said James Henson, director of The Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin.

"It's a good issue for Republicans as it taps into a growing nativist sentiment in the Texas GOP," said Henson.

De La Mota, himself the descendant of Mexicans who immigrated several generations ago, is a registered Democrat who said the border crisis means Biden can no longer automatically count on his vote. "It causes me to reconsider what I would do in the next cycle," he said.

School Board member Joshua D. Overfelt, who wrote in a statement that he opposed the request for buses because there was no guarantee migrants were not carrying "multiple diseases," said that while he felt sorry for the asylum-seekers, he had to balance that with residents' feelings of being overrun.

He recalled his father's fright in May when he walked into his barn towards his tractor and discovered 13 Mexican migrants hiding there.

"The community is just caught in between," he told Reuters.

To be sure, there are also residents in Del Rio mobilizing to help migrants.

Some 35 locals volunteer at Del Rio's sole facility to care for migrants, said Tiffany Burrow, the director of operations. Burrow said there are "misconceptions" in the community about their work, including false assumptions that the organization pays for migrants' travels onwards in the United States.

"We don't focus so much on the political aspect but rather the idea of helping our neighbor," said Burrow. "When you're doing it from that motive, it's not as controversial."

(Writing by Alexandra UlmerEditing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Motley Fool

The U.S. International Trade Commission recently ruled Philip Morris International's (NYSE: PM) IQOS heated tobacco device violates two patents held by rival British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) and that the electronic cigarettes can't be imported or sold in the U.S. While the ruling is obviously a major blow to the tobacco giant because the U.S. is potentially the world's biggest, most lucrative market for e-cigs and IQOS is so far the only e-cig that has earned a modified-risk label from the Food and Drug Administration, the decision is a devastating blow to Philip Morris partner Altria (NYSE: MO) because it has no vapor products to fall back on and no other markets it can sell into.
Facebook

Out of jail and back in rehab after botching his own murder in a depraved insurance-fraud scheme, Alex Murdaugh is under new fire for his role in the aftermath of another crime: the fatal 2019 boat crash involving his late son Paul.

The disgraced attorney late Monday was named in a new lawsuit, this time for allegedly attempting to shift the blame of the 2019 fiasco from Paul, who was charged in the incident prior to his own murder this spring, to another teenager onboard at the time.

According to the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Connor Cookone of the six individuals on the Murdaugh family boat during the Feb. 2019 incidentthe 53-year-old South Carolina lawyer took deliberate steps to try Paul from the legal repercussions of that night.

That included Murdaughwhose family has almost continuously held prosecutorial power in the South Carolina Lowcountry for a centuryattempting to pin the incident on Cook, the suit says.

Murdaugh.., negligently or intentionally attempted to shift the blame for the boat accident, causing the intentional and/or reckless infliction of severe emotional distress, the lawsuit states.

The actions of the [Murdaugh] in attempting to steer the criminal investigation away from Paul Murdaugh and towards Plaintiff Cook and the methods used, proximately caused Plaintiff Cook severe emotional distress, especially given the Murdaugh familys significant connections with prosecutors, law enforcement, and judges, it adds.

Of course, about a year after the boat crash took place, Paul and his mom and Alex Murdaughs wife, 53-year-old Margaret, were found fatally shot execution-style outside their 1,700-acre Islandton home. The brazen double-murder shined a national spotlight on Alex Murdaugh, who has been almost constantly embroiled in his own controversies since, ranging from alleged embezzlement at his old law firm to the wild assisted-suicide insurance scheme.

I Was Set Up: Alex Murdaughs Alleged Shooter Says Hes Just the Fall Guy in Suicide Plot

Story continues

But even as Alex Murdaugh has been charged in the latter episodeallegedly trying to fake his own murder to provide insurance money for his surviving son BusterJoe McCulloch, the attorney representing Conner, said he was determined the boat crash be probed fully.

This case, and what Ive been hearing in the news about the Murdaughs, is the wildest thing Ive dealt with in my career, McCulloch told The Daily Beast. This lawsuit is to ensure my client gets justice.

The lawsuit, which is seeking actual and punitive damages, also accuses Richard Alexander Buster Murdaugh Jr. for negligent entrustment and negligence, after he allegedly provided his younger brother his drivers license the night of the crash. Also named in the suit is Parkers, a Georgia-based chain, and one of its employees, who allegedly sold Paul alcohol the night.

A Murdaugh family attorney, Jim Griffin, told The Daily Beast that his team could not comment until we have an opportunity to review the lawsuit with Alex Murdaugh, who is currently in rehab for drug addiction.

Right now our focus is supporting his recovery, Griffin added. Parkers did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment.

Before Paul Murdaughs death, prosecutors alleged that on Feb. 24, 2019, he drunkenly crashed his dads 17-foot boat holding five other passengers into a bridge after an oyster roast, launching at least three people into the water. Among those who went overboard was 19-year-old Mallory Beach, whose dead body was found a week later by two fishermen about five miles from where the boat crashed.

The suit states that, after the crash, Murdaugh told Cook, who was 19 at the time, to keep his mouth shut and tell authorities he did not know who was driving the boat at the time of the crasheven though he knew it was Paul. In accordance with Murdaughs request, Cook gave vague explanations of the accident to law enforcement before going into surgery for the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Afterward, the lawsuit states, Murdaugh encouraged and instructed Cook and his family to retain Cory Fleming, whom he claimed was the best attorney for the teenager. As The Daily Beast previously reported, Fleming is said to be Murdaughs college roommate and best friendand has been accused of helping the attorney quietly handle the estate of his late housekeeper, whose own death is under new investigation.

The suit states Cook met with Fleming and revealed it was Paul who was piloting the boat, but that he was never informed there was a potential conflict of interest. Further, the suit alleges, Cook was told to decline to be interviewed by police and direct all law enforcement inquires to Fleming.

Fleming did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment.

Such advice was to the advantage of Paul and Defendant Murdaugh and against the interests of Flemings new client, Plaintiff Cook, increasing the potential that Plaintiff Cook would continue to be a suspect and potentially face criminal charges as operator of the boat, the lawsuit alleges. Flemings instructions served to convert the unwitting Plaintiff Cook into an agent of protection for Paul Murdaugh, exposing Plaintiff Cook to the potential of being charged as boat operator and therefore responsible for the accident.

The lawsuit states that Cook and his family began to realize that Murdaugh and others were orchestrating a campaign to have Connor Cook held criminally and civilly responsible for the boat accident. In addition to encouraging Cook to not speak to authorities, Murdaugh and others also allegedly launched a whisper campaign in the Hampton County community.

The influence of the Murdaugh family was so strong, according to the lawsuit, that Connor even mentioned it in his Jan. 2020 deposition in connection with the boat crash. In his deposition, the suit states, Cook said that he was afraid of the Murdaughs because of them being who they are.

Just anything they get in they get out of. Ive always been told that, he said.

The lawsuit comes after a July petition filed on behalf of Cook, who sustained a broken jaw in the crash, that alleges officers from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office tried to move the focus of the Beach investigation away from Paul Murdaugh and toward Cook. Neither agency immediately responded to The Daily Beasts request for comment.

In an effort to shift blame, the petition read, at least five officers tried to deliberately cloud the investigatory issues and disseminate false information in the community with the intention of misleading law enforcement and prosecution charging parties, and the public, into wrongly and falsely believing Connor Cook should be arrested and charged as the boat operator.

As previously reported by The Daily Beast, audio and videos from the aftermath of the crash showed it did not take long after that disaster for at least some of those with knowledge of it to begin pointing fingersand worrying that justice might not be served.

That motherfucker needs to rot in fucking prison, one of the boat passengers is heard telling an officer inside a squad car, apparently about Murdaugh, as police swarm the scene outside, according to dashcam footage first obtained by FitsNews. He aint gonna get in no fucking trouble.

But several law-enforcement officers have been accused of trying to diminish the young mans role in the crashincluding one with the SCDNR who filed a report suggesting the nautical operator was unknown.

In one of the videos, a SCDNR officer is heard asking Anthony Cook, Beachs boyfriend and Connors cousin, who he saw driving the boat while he was aboard that night. When I grabbed my girlfriend and got down to the bottom of the boat, Paul was driving, Anthony responds, prompting the officer to ask again if Paul was driving.

Yes, sir, Anthony responded, later noting that his cousin was sitting next to Murdaugh in the center consolebut that Paul had his hands on the wheel.

But as FitsNews noted, the SCDNR officer wrote that Anthony Cook did not know who was driving the boat and that officers on the scene thought it was Connor Cook or Paul Murdaugh.

The new lawsuit states that despite Anthony Cook pointing the finger directly at Paul Murdaugh, authorities did not ask him for a blood sample on the night of the incidentnor did they ask him to perform a field sobriety test. Further, the suit notes, Alex Murdaugh was the owner of the boat used that night, but did not face any legal repercussions for the deadly incident.

The investigation, stymied by possible obstruction and silence, would drag on for approximately two months. During that period, Connor Cook and his family lived in fear and anticipation that Connor would be wrongly charged as the boat operator, the lawsuit states.

During that time, a medical examiner would determine Beach died from drowning and blunt force trauma. Her family, which could not be reached for comment, eventually filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs.

The Defendants intentional or negligent conduct in misdirecting law enforcement and orchestrating a scheme to silence Plaintiff Cook, all the while knowing that Paul Murdaugh was the driver of the boat, and knowing that if successful, Plaintiff Cook would be arrested for the death of Mallory Beach, was conduct so extreme and outrageous as to exceed all possible bounds of decency and must be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community, the lawsuit states.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Through its publications, television channels and branded tours, National Geographic has long helped connect adventure-seekers with the hidden treasures of all seven continents. Now, its giving us one more reason to start packing, with the introduction of cruises on a new Lindblad Expeditions polar ship that combines state-of-the-art technology with luxe creature comforts.

Following the July 2021 launch of Endurancethe first new polar build in Lindblads historythe legendary travel brands have just unveiled sister ship, the Resolution. As with all National Geographic-branded ships, Resolution is owned, operated and staffed by Lindblad Exxpeditions, which also offers thrilling itineraries in over 40 global destinations. Like the Endurance, the Resolutionso named in honor of the second voyage of Captain James Cookwas purpose-built for comfortable polar exploration, and features cutting-edge tech that will allow passengers to venture to where few have gone before when the ship sets off on its first itinerary this November.

More from Robb Report

The lounge space with a bar. - Credit: Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions

Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions

The ship features a Polar Class 5 classification (the highest of the ice classes) and a patented X-Bow design that allows for smoother, quieter sailings will less bow impact (and less ocean spray, resulting in better views.) Up to 126 guests can be accommodated in the 69 cabins, each of which comes with large exterior windows or balconies, private bathrooms, WiFi and a command center with tablets and device docks.

Spread out over the Resolutions five decks are everything youll need to luxuriously journey to the edges of the planet. For leisure time, travelers will have access to a lounge with a bar, a gym, yoga studio, an outdoor infinity-edge pool and a hot tub, as well as a sauna with outside views. Lindblad Expeditions has also incorporated a library, state-of-the-art screening facilities and a photo workshop to help keep guests occupied. The two restaurants will each focus on regionally-sourced menus, while a special chefs table will offer a more intimate group dining option.

Story continues

Additional services will include a full-time doctor, a wellness specialist, laundry service and an internet cafe. However, what will truly help these journeys standout are the services of a National Geographic photographer and a Lindblad-National Geographic photo instructor and video chronicler, who will be onboard to capture every moment. For off-board activities at each destination, the Resolution will be carrying motorized landing craft, snowshoes, kayaks, skis and undersea equipment.

Inside one of the ships suites with glacial views. - Credit: Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions

Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions

The vessel is set to embark on November 17 for its first 24-day course through Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands. Single and double occupancy suites are available, with rates starting at $28,750 per person. For travelers interested in a shorter trip, a separate 14-day Journey to Antarctica itinerary will be available in December and January, with tickets starting at $16,450 per person.

Early bookings for 2022 expeditions aboard the Resolution are also now available. Additional routes will include travels to Alaska, Japan and Scotland, to name a few stops, and itineraries will stretch up to 29 days. Visit National Geographics website for the latest details on itineraries, activities and rates.

Check out more images from the ship below.

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

National Geographic Resolution Cruise Ship

Best of Robb Report

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Nigeria's military campaign against criminal gangs in the northwest is pushing them into neighbouring regions as a result of a telecom shutdown and a squeeze on fuel and food supplies, local residents and officials said.

Hundreds of troops backed by fighter jets began the offensive in early September in Zamfara State against gunmen responsible for a surge in mass abductions and attacks in the northwest.

The offensive and official telecoms blackout in Zamfara is the largest recent operation against the gangs, known locally as bandits, who for years have looted villages and kidnapped for ransom.

Zamfara and other states also imposed a raft of restrictions including a ban on sales of petrol in jerry cans and limits on cattle movement and on the opening hours of local markets as a way to curtail supplies to bandits.

But as pressure builds in Zamfara, residents of villages in neighbouring Katsina and Kaduna states reported an influx of gunmen fleeing Zamfara into their communities, raising fears of attacks.

Fleeing bandits have set up illegal checkpoints along highways in Katsina State near the border with Zamfara, robbing haulage trucks of food and siphoning fuel from vehicles, according to locals.

"In the last few days we have witnessed increased presence of armed bandits on motorcycles in our area," said Ashiru Bawa, a resident in Kankara district.

"The food and fuel cut is seriously affecting them."

Local newspapers reported Zamfara bandits have been running out of food supplies and even asking for food as ransom from families of hostages instead of the cash they usually demand.

Authorities in Katsina have also cut telecom signals in about half of its 34 districts on the border with Zamfara. Sokoto State followed on Sunday, cutting mobile service in some areas.

The telecoms blackout is aimed at disrupting communications between bandits and their informants to help keep army movements secret.

But the shutdown also makes it difficult for residents to alert security personnel, said Bawa, who travelled to the state capital Katsina, 120 kilometres (75 miles) away, to make calls.

Story continues

The bandits have not harmed motorists but fear is mounting that they could start attacks once they "regain their strength", Bawa said.

Nigeria has launched military campaigns against bandits in the northwest before and even sought amnesty deals to coax them to abandon hideouts deep in the region's vast forests.

But most of those operations and peace deals have failed or only temporarily halted criminal gangs.

- Arms cache, attacks -

Residents of Giwa district in neighbouring Kaduna State also said bandits from Zamfara have been moving into the area and occupying two villages.

Scores of gunmen on motorcycles invaded the Saulawa and Damari farming villages, prompting residents to evacuate their families to other areas.

"They (bandits) have been coming in mostly on foot, looking hungry and distraught, and heading deep inside the forest," said Husseini Ibrahim, a resident of Udawa in Birnin Gwari district.

Ibrahim said some of the gunmen in Saulawa and Damari were preaching to locals, which he said suggested links to the Ansaru jihadists known to operate in the forests.

Nigeria's bandit gangs have no ideological leaning and are motivated by financial gains. But there have been signs of their infiltration by jihadists waging a 12-year insurgency in the northeast.

Last year police said they killed more than 250 members of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group which split from Boko Haram in 2012, in Birnin Gwari area.

"The bandits are being chased out of Zamfara and trooping to Birnin Gwari and the security forces don't pursue them," said Birnin Gwari resident Ahmed Isah.

"They should coordinate the operation with neighbouring states to block all escape routes if they are to crush the bandits, otherwise the Zamfara operation will only make them change locations."

Authorities in Kaduna have reported an increase in bandit attacks in remote areas of the state.

"Several residents were reported to have lost their lives", Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state security commissioner said.

Authorities in Adamawa state in the northeast have also raised concern about bandits escaping Zamfara to a mountainous region in Maiha district on the border with Cameroon.

"Some bandits who escaped from Zamfara are fleeing to Sagal mountains which has been a bandit enclave due to its difficult terrain," Idi Amin, political head of Adamawa's Maiha district told AFP.

Troops aided by local vigilantes raided the hideout of a bandit from Zamfara and recovered a cache of weapons including hand and rocket-propelled grenades, Amin said.

But the fleeing bandit, named Haruna "managed to escape" with his men, he said.

abu/pma/gd
WASHINGTON (AP)  A U.S. intelligence officer suffered symptoms linked to a series of suspected directed-energy attacks known as Havana syndrome while traveling with CIA Director William Burns in India this month.

Experts are in the process of verifying the officer's symptoms, which are consistent with the scores of other cases in recent years linked to Havana syndrome, according to James Giordano, a scientist briefed on the case and others. CNN first reported the incident.

Defense and intelligence agencies have ramped up investigations of what appears to be a rising number of incidents in which personnel have suffered symptoms consistent with being exposed to directed energy. The symptoms are often referred to as Havana syndrome because of a well-known series of cases affecting personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba beginning in 2016. The U.S. has not publicly linked the incidents to an adversary.

There are at least 200 cases under investigation, half of them involving intelligence personnel.

It's unclear whether the officer was targeted because he was traveling with Burns, who has ordered an agency-wide review of possible attacks using microwave or other directed energy.

The CIA declined to comment on the officer's case, but said in a statement that Burns has made it a top priority to ensure officers get the care they need and that we get to the bottom of this. Since becoming director, Burns has tripled the number of medical staff studying incidents linked to Havana syndrome and met with agency personnel who reported cases.

The incident in early September occurred just a few weeks after two possible cases of Havana syndrome delayed Vice President Kamala Harris' trip from Singapore to Vietnam. U.S. officials said then that it was not someone who worked for the vice president or the White House.

Giordano, professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University and executive director of the Institute for Biodefense Research in Washington, said Tuesday that the intelligence officer had reported symptoms consistent with the syndrome, which generally include loss of balance, dizziness, and headaches. The officer's case represents a clear and present threat, Giordano said.

Were beginning to see a pattern of increased selective targeted use, he said.

New reports of possible Havana syndrome cases continue to emerge both in the U.S. and abroad, including two unconfirmed incidents in the U.S. this month and a series of incidents affecting U.S. personnel in Germany several weeks prior, Giordano said.
President Biden and Krysten Sinema. Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock

Barring some unforeseen catastrophe, the perceived success of the Biden administration's first term will likely depend on two things: if Democrats can pass the reconciliation bill before the Senate, which contains basically all of President Biden's policy agenda, and whether they can raise the debt ceiling to stave off global economic collapse.

Members of Biden's own party are getting in his way. A gang of moderate Democrats are threatening to destroy the reconciliation bill, while their reluctance to amend the Senate rulebook precludes the simplest path to removing the debt ceiling threat. A successful Biden term will require bringing them to heel.

Counterintuitively, the looming debt ceiling is the more immediate problem. The ceiling has nothing to do with taxing or spending per se  it's a legal anachronism dating from the first World War which artificially restricts government borrowing. No other country in the world has one (except Denmark, which raised its ceiling so high it won't be reached for decades). That's because it makes no sense to require the legislature to vote twice to authorize the same debt-financed spending: one vote to spend the money, and one vote to move the ceiling so it can be spent.

If the Oct. 1 deadline is passed and the debt ceiling breached, the Treasury Department would probably miss an interest payment  that is, it would default on the national debt. And since U.S. debt is the bedrock asset of the global economy, default would cause unimaginable financial chaos, possibly worse than what happened in 2008.

Democrats refused to include a debt ceiling increase in their reconciliation bill, apparently hoping that they could bully Republicans into voting for it. This is likely because moderates fear being tarred as tax-and-spend liberals, and want to get Republican cover. But as anyone possessing object permanence could have predicted, the GOP is doing no such thing. "Republicans have argued that Democrats have the votes to increase the debt limit on their own and should do so given that Democrats are pushing trillions of dollars in new spending priorities," reports Jeff Stein at The Washington Post.

Story continues

It's irresponsible for Republicans, who contributed to the national debt, to vote against raising the ceiling. But the Republican point that Democrats could do this on their own is correct.

Biden could just declare the ceiling unconstitutional because of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states: "The validity of the public debt of the United States ... shall not be questioned." Or he could "mint the coin," exploiting an obscure legal loophole that allows the Treasury to create platinum coins of any denomination, expanding the government's borrowing capacity through printed money (essentially a legal accounting hack to get around a silly law).

Or they could do things the old-fashioned way by voting. Democrats have the votes in Congress to raise the ceiling  or better yet, abolish it altogether. But either outcome would require overcoming united Republican opposition by getting rid of the Senate filibuster, which moderates refuse to do, in another act of self-sabotage.

This should be a political no-brainer. The debt ceiling is such an arcane procedure that most voters have no idea how it actually works, and there's little evidence politicians suffer politically when they vote to increase it. The unemployment rate and state of the pandemic will be orders of magnitude more important than some bizarre procedural vote when it comes time for an election in 2022. Democrats should do what's necessary to increase the debt ceiling and then move on. Instead they're being stymied by the moderates.

Which brings us back to the reconciliation mess.

Democrats pursued a reconciliation bill in the first place because it allows a bypass of the filibuster so budget legislation can pass with just 51 votes. But even that simpler process is imperiled by the moderate cabal's drastic procedural maneuvering.

First, moderates demanded that their pet items be carved out of the Democrats' reconciliation bill and placed in the bipartisan infrastructure deal. But now that moderates have isolated what they want most in a separate package, they're trying to force a vote on reconciliation so they can torpedo it. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has reportedly delivered an ultimatum to Biden that if the House delays its scheduled Sept. 27 vote on the infrastructure deal, she won't vote for reconciliation.

The tell for what is really going on here is the actual policy in the reconciliation bill that moderates are complaining about. Sinema recently came out against drug price reforms that would allow Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, as did Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.). The reforms are everything moderates profess to want. They're the most popular item in the reconciliation bill at an astounding 88 percent support, would cut government spending through lower drug prices, and have been the centerpiece of Democratic campaigns for the last two elections, including those of all four of these lawmakers. (The House members also voted for it when it wasn't going to pass.)

Now, when it counts, all four are siding with Pharma, which doesn't want this policy because it would mean fewer profits from soaking the government with ludicrously inflated prices. Why? It might have something to do with  what else  money. "Sinema ranks as one of Congress' leading recipients of pharmaceutical industry donations, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News," notes Politico.

The whole affair is just wild. In sum, a handful of Pharma shills are using extreme hardball tactics to blow up their own president's policy package, then pretending that nothing can be done about ridiculous Senate rules that were never supposed to be a tool of constant minority obstruction.

I see just one realistic path forward. The infrastructure bill, while it has some worthwhile elements, is small potatoes and won't have much effect for several years. The only way to see if Democratic moderates are bluffing with their ultimatums is to be genuinely prepared to kill the infrastructure bill.

Biden and the progressive House caucus should fight fire with fire: Demand an end to the filibuster, an end to the debt ceiling threat to the global economy, and a significant reconciliation bill included alongside infrastructure. Moderates can fall in line  or get nothing.

You may also like

Did Theranos Lose Afghanistan?

There's 'no way' to predict Joe Manchin's reconciliation vote, says former adviser

How Gavin Newsom ran away with the recall
Haitian migrants cross the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas from Ciudad Acuna on Sept. 18, 2021. Thousands of migrants have arrived in the border city and have camped underneath the Del Rio International Bridge on the U.S. side of the border.

Hello, OnPolitics readers!

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party secured victory in parliamentary elections on Monday.

Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and Trudeaus government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.

Trudeau's main message for the people: You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic, Trudeau said. I hear you when you say you just want to get back to the things you love and not worry about this pandemic or an election.

Back here in the U.S., navigating the pandemic continues as Biden announced a new COVID vaccine mandate for federal workers last week.

Despite some claims online, this mandate does not cover vaccinations for Congress.

It's Amy and Mabinty, here with today's top news.

Both parties hit Biden on Haitian migrant surge at the border

Roughly 14,000 Haitian migrants are among those camped out under the bridge in Del Rio, Texas, awaiting a decision on whether they will be granted entry into the USA or turned away.

In his first months in office, President Joe Biden has faced a string of high-profile immigration issues, including record numbers of migrants at the border, as well as an increase in unaccompanied minor children this year.

The Biden administration's response to the most recent influx  including press secretary Jen Psaki calling images of Border Patrol agents on horses chasing Haitian migrants "horrific"  has drawn condemnation from both Republican hard-liners and Democratic allies.

Republican governors from 26 states sent a letter to the president Monday, complaining that Biden has left states to deal with a challenge that is the federal governments job. They asked to meet with Biden within 15 days. The president has also been pressured by refugee and asylum advocates, as well as fellow Democrats, to do more.

No easy fix: The complexity of the issues at the border can make it difficult to build consensus on solutions, experts and activists said.

Story continues

How did Haitian migrants end up in Texas? Many of those migrants, experts say, were likely already in Central America, as powerful natural disasters and an often-dysfunctional government prompted a steady flow of out-migration for more than a decade.

A devastating earthquake in 2010 earthquake displaced more than 1.5 million people from the island nation. Afterwards, many Haitians left their homeland for South and Central America.

But now, with economic opportunities drying up in Latin America as the pandemic continues, Haitian migrants are seeking asylum in the U.S.

Real quick: Stories you'll want to read

Not so good news for the president: Fewer than one third of Iowans approve of the job Joe Biden is doing as president, a steep drop from earlier this year.

The battle over voting rights: Text messages show a top Florida Republican's efforts to gain an electoral advantage through legislation creating new restrictions on voting.

More fallout from 2020 election: An attorney for former President Donald Trump outlined a six-point plan for overturning the 2020 presidential election results in a memo to then-Vice President Mike Pence.

The Afghanistan war aftermath: National security officials expressed deep concern for the potential reconstitution of al Qaida and a more potent ISIS-K terror group to launch attacks from Afghanistan following the chaotic exit of American military forces.

Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for OnPolitics newsletter here.

Biden brings urgency around COVID-19, climate change to the UN

In his first speech before the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden declared that the U.S. is shifting from "relentless war" to "relentless diplomacy" as he urged foreign leaders to meet the greatest challenges facing the world: the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

"We stand, in my view, at an inflection point in history," Biden said. "Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes and devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future."

The annual world summit comes as the Biden administration struggles to contain the fallout from a series of recent diplomatic blunders, including a chaotic and deadly evacuation effort in Afghanistan after the Taliban swept to power amid the U.S. military withdrawal last month.

Building back American credibility: Biden, a longstanding internationalist, will have to convince allies the U.S. is committed to returning to its leading role on crises like COVID-19 and climate change, even as he remains focused on more domestic priorities.

It's the last day of summer. Hello fall!  Amy and Mabinty

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden criticized for handling of Haitians at Texas border
Brian Chesky, chief executive of AirBnB

The way people travel has been changed forever by the pandemic, the boss of lodging platform AirBnb has said.

Brian Chesky told the BBC the lines between business and leisure travel are increasingly blurring thanks to remote working patterns.

And he said people are opting for longer breaks with family and friends as they seek more "human connection".

"I think that what we're seeing today is an entire revolution in how we're travelling," Mr Chesky said.

"We used to live in one place - our house - go to another place - the office - and travel to a third place. And now all three of those places are converged," he added.

"All we have to believe is that employers aren't going to force all people to come back to the office five days a week to know that everything has changed forever."

AirBnB was hit hard when the pandemic struck, losing about 80% of its business in a matter of months.

Yet Mr Chesky said demand had come back strongly since last summer, while consumer habits had changed.

Zoom and other technologies that enable remote work had "fundamentally altered" the need to travel for work, he said - a pattern likely to stick.

Instead people were choosing to live and work away from home, not just for a few days or a week, but "for a month or the entire summer".

"Some people are deciding to hop around and not even have permanent residences," Mr Chesky said.

In a second big shift, he said people are seeking greater "human connection" from travel as they spend more time alone working from home.

In the US, extended weekend bookings by families on AirBnB were up 70% in the second quarter of 2021 versus 2019.

And the company has seen "measurable increases" in nights booked for larger listings and family trips this year.

New and cheaper destinations

Story continues

As a consequence, Mr Chesky said people were trying out new and cheaper destinations, and focusing less on tourism hotspots.

"The world is never going back to the way it was, travel is never going back to the way it was. It doesn't mean nothing from the old world will return, it's just that we don't go back in time, we only go forward," Mr Chesky said.

Airbnb, which was launched in 2007, also announced it had passed one billion guest arrivals at its listings around the world.

It added that it now had more listings than the world's top six hotel chains combined have rooms.

Despite its popularity, the lodging platform has been criticised for driving up rents in some markets by taking long term accommodation off the market.

It has sparked protests in cities such as San Francisco and Barcelona, as well as tougher regulations on short-term housing rental companies.
Gabby Petito speaks to the camera in her only YouTube upload. YouTube/Nomadic Statik

The body found in a Wyoming forest has been confirmed as Petito's, the family's lawyer told Insider.

The Teton County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the body Tuesday.

The FBI later released the initial results, saying Petito's death was determined to be a homicide.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The body found in a Wyoming national forest has been confirmed to be Gabby Petito's, the family's lawyer told Insider on Tuesday.

The Teton County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy on the body Tuesday.

The attorney for Petito's family, Richard Stafford, told Insider in a text message that the remains - found near the border of Grand Teton National Park - belonged to Petito.

The FBI's Denver office later confirmed on Twitter that the body found in Wyoming belonged to the missing 22-year-old woman and said that the coroner's "initial determination for the manner of death is homicide."

"The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results," the FBI said.

Petito's remains were discovered in a remote campsite in Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Stafford thanked reporters "for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to grieve."

"We will be making a statement when Gabby is home," Stafford said.

The news comes as authorities, including the FBI, continue searching a vast nature preserve in Florida for Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the case whose family reported him missing to police on Friday.

Authorities have for days searched the sprawling Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County where Laundrie's parents said the 23-year-old North Port, Florida, man went for a hike a week ago and never returned, police said.

Earlier Tuesday, Florida police said for the first time that the Petito case was now officially a "criminal investigation."

"This is an FBI-led criminal investigation and North Port Police are assisting our federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close," Josh Taylor, a spokesperson for Florida's North Port Police Department, said in a statement.

Story continues

On Monday, the FBI raided the North Port home where Laundrie and Petito lived with Laundrie's parents.

Petito was reported missing by her family in New York on September 11, 10 days after Laundrie returned home from a cross-country road trip out West in the van the couple had been driving in - but without Petito.

After Laundrie returned, he quickly retained a lawyer and refused to speak with authorities about the case, which has gripped the nation.

Read the original article on Insider
POPSUGAR

When I have sleep problems, it's usually not about struggling to fall asleep; I conk out pretty quickly once I get in bed. For me, the problem comes on the other side, when I'll wake up two hours before my alarm, perfectly alert and awake and ready to start my day despite repeatedly telling my brain that, hello, excuse me, it's really not time yet.
Sep. 21Reading has seen a recent increase in gun violence that left several people injured and one dead. The uptick in shootings can be attributed to gang disputes and disputes on social media, Police Chief Richard Tornielli told City Council at its committee of the whole meeting Monday night.

"Social media is an absolute problem when it comes to these events," the chief said as he briefed council on the recent shootings.

The run of violence started when two teens were shot in the 1000 block of Spring Street on Sept. 13. A 16-year-old boy later died from his wounds.

An incident that followed the shooting was put on social media, and it further inflamed the situation, Tornielli said.

That was just one of several shootings that have occurred over the past two weeks.

Tornielli said investigators have not been able to directly connect the shootings to one another, but there are some commonalities.

"The majority of the violence has revolved around local gang disputes," he said. "They are mostly personal in nature and propagate over social media, and during the last week several of these disputes took hold."

In the past, gang disputes would be over drug territory, Tornielli said, but the current situation is different.

"This is simply individuals who feel like they are being disrespected on social media and taking it to guns," he said.

That surprised some council members

"It's an extremely frustrating situation that these people are fighting over the internet and then taking it out on each other," said Council President Jeffrey S. Waltman Sr. "You can't let every little comment force you to a gun and killing someone, it's just crazy."

The return to in-person school has also caused a spike in violence, Tornielli said.

Reading School District students were in virtual learning for almost all of the 2020-21 school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The students have returned to full in-person instruction.

Story continues

"In the long term, we believe this will reduce violence, but it does appear to have caused a short-term spike," Tornielli said. "Many of these children have been out of school for an extended period of time, and we've seen conflicts arising as they were brought back together."

Police have investigated numerous threats or perceived threats at Central Middle School and Reading High School, Tornielli said.

"As issues arise and are talked about in the school, they've spiraled into rumor mills which have led to increased tension, threats at schools and spilled into violence outside of school," he said. "Again, the main venue for these rumors has been social media."

Investigators have a lot of leads in the cases, Tornielli said.

"But the social media posts that are out there are continuing to fuel this hate between these groups," Tornielli said. "We're not going to see an end to this until something breaks that cycle."

A few things have hampered the police department's ability to get ahead of the problems, Tornielli said.

"No. 1 is the lack of school resource officers within the school," he said, noting that makes it difficult for police to get ahead with information.

The police department had four neighborhood officers who patrolled around the district's buildings. In 2020, the department pulled those officers back into regular patrol beats because of staffing shortages, Tornielli said.

The city and school district was awarded a Department of Justice grant for four school resource officers. But the district and city have yet to put those officers back into those neighborhood beats.

Tornielli said a meeting is planned with the school district to discuss bringing the officers back.

Another event that triggered more violence was the arrest of Jairo Guerrero-Bautista, who is accused of being involved in the killing of three men on Moss Street in 2018, Tornielli said.

"This arrest warrant has appeared to reopen old disputes and cause another spike in violence related to that," he said.

Police believe a shooting in the first block of North 11th Street is connected with two armed street robberies that took place at the same location, Tornielli said.

Related Articles



3 people hurt in 2 shootings in Reading neighborhood



1 teen dead, 1 critical after shooting at hayride attraction



Shooting reported in southeast Reading [Map]



Reading man arrested in fatal shooting on Pearl Street

More work, less talk

Mayor Eddie Moran put out a statement last week calling on City Council and the community to step up and help the police department.

"City government cannot solve the problem of crime by itself," the statement said. "We need a "Community Call to Action" that includes everyone's support and participation from nonprofit organizations, faith-based communities, and neighborhood associations. If your neighborhood association has been inactive, this is the time to bring it back to life. We cannot do this alone."

Moran said the recent violence would be the first thing discussed at a priorities summit Wednesday night between council and the administration.

Council members agreed the topic needed to be addressed but suggested that another date be set aside.

"With all the other priorities we have on Wednesday, we don't have enough time to really delve into this the way it needs to be," said Councilwoman Marica Goodman-Hinnershitz. "Lets not try to turn what was to be a council, administration summit into a crime summit. I don't think that's going to work."

A separate meeting can be set up for an in-depth discussion of what needs to be done, Managing Director Abraham Amoros said.

"This is a community call to action," he said. "We need assistance from council."

Councilwoman Donna Reed suggested that a crime summit be held with other law enforcement agencies.

Tornielli vehemently disagreed.

"We don't need to sit down with state police, the sheriff and the feds, I meet with them on a regular basis," he said. "We know how to fight crime. We know how to take care of the law enforcement side. What we need is action from the folks who like to talk a lot and actually roll up their sleeves and get out on the streets and help us."

Waltman suggested the city's youth commission get involved and help come up with a solution as well.

"They need to get in the middle of this and figure it out," he said. "We need them to build some networks and some ideas."

The police department's community engagement coordinator Lt. Lance Lillis will take charge in meeting with community groups to address the violence, Tornielli said.

"He's a leader and will take charge of this, I can guarantee you that," Tornielli said. "Any organizations that want to give involved to reduce violence in our city, we will take the lead on it. The time to talk is over and get some work done."
Compounding an already tragic week for the citys police department, a 14-year-old boy gunned down in a Houston suburb Monday night has been identified as a Houston police officers son.

The shooting came just hours after two Houston officers were shot, one fatally, while serving a warrant at an apartment complex.

It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the death of Senior Police Officer William "Bill" Jeffrey. He was fatally shot this morning while serving a felony warrant in Harris County. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/63s1VjlXCT  Houston Police (@houstonpolice) September 20, 2021

According to the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office  which is investigating the Monday night killing of the teen  a witness heard gunshots as she was walking in a Kingwood subdivision around 8 p.m. She saw two males run from the area and soon came across the teenage victim collapsed on the sidewalk, with several bullet wounds.

Deputies arrived within minutes but the victim died from his injuries. On Tuesday, the Houston Police Department announced that the boys father is one of their own.

HPD is sad to confirm the victim, 14, is the son of an HPD officer. The family asks for prayers & that their privacy be respected in their time of grief.



Anyone with tips is asked to call the @MCTXSheriff office at 936-760-5800 or Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP. https://t.co/DRGgPO14Wi  Houston Police (@houstonpolice) September 21, 2021

No names have been released.

In 2018, the Kingwood community was dubbed the safest place to live in Houston, the Houston Chronicle reported that year.

Story continues

Authorities are encouraging anyone with information to contact the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office at 936-760-5800, or Crime Stoppers at 800-293-STOP.

Two men fatally shot at Fort Worth apartment complex, police say

Would-be cop killers flee into home, Texas sheriff says. Then homeowner fights back

Boy shows killings of 3 relatives and 2 dogs on social media, and Texas cops close in

Woman shoots through wall and kills peeping Tom outside her Texas home, cops say
Organizers of La Fete du Champagne 2021 popped corks Monday night, after the Biden administration's decision to let fully vaccinated travelers from around the world back into the U.S. starting in November.

Driving the news: Hundreds of top U.S. enthusiasts and collectors were set to attend the event in New York, which had been set for Oct. 916. But because of the travel ban, the guests of honor  more than 30 top small and large producers  seemed destined to be stuck across the Atlantic.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

Festival co-founder Daniel Johnnes told Axios now he's scrambling to rebook for November so everyone can come.

What they're saying: "It's a very exciting moment for us," said Johnnes, who's also the wine director for chef Daniel Boulud and the creator of La Paulee, the major annual gathering celebrating Burgundy. "Ive heard from a number of French who are celebrating in their wineries that theyre finally going to get to come."

La Paulee's 2020 gathering took place in March just days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, he said. "We were the last major festival before the world shut down. And it looks like were going to be the first festival after we open our borders again."

Why it matters: Bien sur, this falls into the category of first-world problems. But Johnnes makes a case for "Champagne diplomacy" and the parallels between the worlds of wine and politics.

Today's tensions between the U.S. and France extend beyond travel  into nuclear submarine technology  but the allies moved past political tensions around the start of the Iraq war, including the movement to call French fries "freedom fries."

"People have grown up and said, 'Let the politicians do their thing, we love French wine.' ... We have to move on."

How it works: The festival includes a series of small dinners with rare Champagnes, building up to a Saturday grand tasting and massive dinner where participants bring bottles from their personal cellars.

Story continues

COVID-19 has forced some precautions: All participants must be vaccinated, and there will be larger than normal spacing between tables.

The conversation around Champagne today "is really focused around the small grower and the terroir," though that's left big Champagne houses feeling somewhat threatened. "We insisted to the growers and the big Champagne growers, 'Hey, y0ure going to be in the same room together.' Its kind of like a peace conference. They have to co-exist."

The bottom line: "Im going to drink a bottle of Champagne tonight," Johnnes said Monday.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Andrew has been served with a sexual assault lawsuit in the United States by lawyers for a woman who says she was forced to have sex with him at the London home of a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, court papers show.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, lawyers for Virginia Giuffre said they sent the civil lawsuit to the prince's Los Angeles-based lawyer Andrew Brettler by email and FedEx, and both copies had been received by Monday morning.

Under federal rules, the Duke of York has 21 days to respond or could face a default judgment. Giuffre's lawyers previously said they also served Andrew, who is Queen Elizabeth's second son, in Britain.

Andrew and his lawyers have denied Giuffre's claims. The 61-year-old prince has not been charged with crimes. Giuffre's Aug. 9 lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Brettler did not respond to a request for comment. There was no comment from the prince's London legal team.

Giuffre, 38, accused Andrew of forcing her to have sex when she was underage at the London home of Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

She also said Andrew abused her at around the same time in Epstein's mansion in Manhattan and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Epstein, a financier and registered sex offender, killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Giuffre sued under New York's Child Victims Act, a 2019 law giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse a window to sue their alleged abusers over conduct that occurred many years or decades earlier. The deadline to sue has since passed.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversees Giuffre's lawsuit, has urged both sides not to dwell on "technicalities" and instead to focus on the case's substance.

Story continues

"I can see a lot of legal fees being spent and time being expended and delay, which ultimately may not be terribly productive for anyone," Kaplan said at a Sept. 13 hearing.

Last week London's High Court said it would arrange for Andrew to be served if the parties failed to work out their own arrangement and gave the prince's lawyers a week to appeal that decision.

A source close to the Duke's lawyers said it was highly unlikely any challenge would be pursued now.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges she helped recruit and groom underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Her trial is Nov. 29.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Angus MacSwan)
Prince Andrew was served in the United States with a lawsuit brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleges she was forced to have sex with him and was assaulted by him when she was 17, new reports say.

Attorneys for Giuffre said they sent the civil lawsuit to Andrew Brettler, the prince's Los Angeles-based lawyer, by email and FedEx, with both copies having been received by Monday morning this week, the Irish Times reported. Brettler previously represented Bill Cosby and Armie Hammer, who was accused of rape but denied those claims. Prince Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre.

Federal law states the prince has 21 days to respond, or he could face a default judgment in the case. During a pretrial hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York last month, Brettler alleged Prince Andrew may be protected from the lawsuit by a "secret settlement agreement" which has previously been sealed by a court, according to the Guardian.

PRINCE ANDREW SERVED IN CASE ALLEGING HE SEXUALLY ABUSED A MINOR

Still, the prince and his attorneys have denied the claims by Giuffre, and the British royal has not been charged with any crimes.

Prince Andrew was previously served in late August at his home in Berkshire, England. However, his attorneys argued in New York court on Sept. 13 that the British royal had not been properly served with documents related to a lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

Giuffre, 38, alleges the 61-year-old prince forced her to have sex when she was underage at the London home of the late Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. She also accused the prince of abusing her around the same time at Epstein's homes, including his New York City mansion and his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy for allegedly abusing girls as young as 14. He pleaded not guilty to the charges before he was found dead in his Manhattan prison cell in August of that year. His death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner's office.

Story continues

Maxwell was arrested in 2020 on charges of conspiracy to entice minors, enticement of a minor, conspiracy to transport minors, transportation of a minor, and perjury. Federal prosecutors later filed two additional sex trafficking charges against her in March. Maxwell, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces trial in November.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Washington Examiner contacted representatives for the district court and Brettler but did not immediately receive responses.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Sexual Assault, British royal family, Los Angeles, New York, lawsuit

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: Prince Andrew served with sexual assault lawsuit in US: Report
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday dismissed CBS anchor Gayle Kings accusation that the U.S. had displayed very bad behavior internationally recently, saying that the administration doesnt see it that way.

The exchange came during Psakis appearance on CBS Mornings in which she described President Bidens Tuesday address before the United Nations General Assembly as forward-looking, at which point King noted that the president cant ignore what has happened before.

Were still getting hammered for how the withdrawal from Afghanistan happened, King said. Everybody knows, many people believe it was time. Its just the way that it was done  Thats not a good look. You look at whats happening with immigration. You look at France now saying that theyve been betrayed by the United States. So I get that we have to look forward. But what are we doing to justify or explain what appears to be very bad behavior on our part?

We dont see it that way, Psaki said.

The interview came amid a series of failures for the Biden administration: the announcement that a recent drone strike in Kabul killed civilians instead of ISIS-K members, a rapidly worsening crisis in Del Rio, Texas where thousands of predominantly Haitian migrants have camped out under the international bridge, as well as Frances announcement that it had recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia in protest of the U.S.s agreement to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia without consulting French officials.

Psaki defended the secret negotiations with Australia during the interview on Tuesday.

Theyre displeased about that, but we have a long-abiding friendship with them thats going to endure, she said of France.

Psaki also rejected that the U.S. has a dysfunctional relationship with China, as United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres claimed.

We do see the relationship through the prism of competition. China is a competitor, but its not a country we want to have conflict with, Psaki said.

More from National Review
The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that Russia "was responsible for the assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko" in London.

Why it matters: Former KGB officer Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in 2006 after being poisoned in London with Polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope. Russia has always denied any involvement in his death.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

What they found: The court noted in its ruling that a public inquiry in the United Kingdom found in 2016 that Litvinenko's killing had been carried out by former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, a businessman and former KGB agent. The U.K. inquiry said Putin "probably approved" the killing.

"The Court found in particular that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr Litvinenko, Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State," the European court said.

Lugovoi and Kovtun have always denied being involved in the killing, but the European court said it was "beyond reasonable doubt" that the pair were behind it.

"The planned and complex operation involving the procurement of a rare deadly poison, the travel arrangements for the pair, and repeated and sustained attempts to administer the poison indicated that Mr Litvinenko had been the target of the operation."

Excerpt from European court ruling

The bottom line: "Had the pair been involved in a 'rogue operation,' the information to prove that theory would lie entirely in the Russian authorities' hands," the European court concludes.

"However, the Government had made no serious attempt to provide such information or to counter the findings of the UK authorities."

Driving the news: Litvinenko's widow, Marina Litvinenko, brought the case against Russia to the Strasbourg-based rights court.

Story continues

Of note: Lugovoi was elected in 2007 as a member of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the country's parliament. He was awarded a state medal "for services to the fatherland" in 2015.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday that Russia "was responsible for the assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko" in London.

Why it matters: Former KGB officer Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in 2006 after being poisoned in London with Polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope. Russia has always denied any involvement in his death.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

What they found: The court noted in its ruling that a public inquiry in the United Kingdom found in 2016 that Litvinenko's killing had been carried out by former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, a businessman and former KGB agent. The U.K. inquiry said Putin "probably approved" the killing.

"The Court found in particular that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr Litvinenko, Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State," the European court said.

Lugovoi and Kovtun have always denied being involved in the killing, but the European court said it was "beyond reasonable doubt" that the pair were behind it.

"The planned and complex operation involving the procurement of a rare deadly poison, the travel arrangements for the pair, and repeated and sustained attempts to administer the poison indicated that Mr Litvinenko had been the target of the operation."

Excerpt from European court ruling

The bottom line: "Had the pair been involved in a 'rogue operation,' the information to prove that theory would lie entirely in the Russian authorities' hands," the European court concludes.

"However, the Government had made no serious attempt to provide such information or to counter the findings of the UK authorities."

Driving the news: Litvinenko's widow, Marina Litvinenko, brought the case against Russia to the Strasbourg-based rights court.

Story continues

Of note: Lugovoi was elected in 2007 as a member of the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the country's parliament. He was awarded a state medal "for services to the fatherland" in 2015.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
A second dose of Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine significantly strengthens the shield against symptomatic infections, the company announced Tuesday morning.

During a clinical trial, researchers discovered that another Johnson & Johnson jab provides 94% protection against mild to severe cases of coronavirus, up from the 74% delivered by just a single shot. The double dose regimen yields results comparable to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which require patients receive a pair of shots given several weeks apart.

Researchers also found that a second Johnson & Johnson shot administered six months after the first dose had a 12-fold increase in antibodies  compared to a four-fold increase for people who got a second shot after two months.

The new data, outlined in a press release from the company on Tuesday, will be presented to the Food and Drug Administration as a reason to authorize a booster shot for some 14.8 million Americans who have received the companys single-dose vaccine.

Our large real-world-evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations, Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of Janssen Research & Development, said in a statement to CNN.

Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.

Johnson & Johnsons announcement comes just days after an FDA advisory committee recommended authorizing Pfizer booster shots for people who are at least 65 or at high risk of COVID. A final decision from the agency is expected to be delivered in the coming days.

U.S. health officials, meanwhile, have said they needed more data on the J&J vaccine before they can recommend boosters of those shots.
Back when Stairwell emerged from stealth in 2020, the startup was shrouded in secrecy. Now with $20 million in Series A funding, its founder and CEO Mike Wiacek  who previously served as chief security officer at Chronicle, Googles moonshot cybersecurity company  is ready to talk.

As well as raising $20 million, an investment round co-led by Sequoia Capital and Accel, Stairwell is launching Inception, a threat-hunting platform that aims to help organizations determine if they were compromised now or in the past. Unlike other threat-detection platforms, Inception takes an "inside out" approach to cybersecurity, which starts by looking inwards at a companys data.

This helps you study what's in your environment first before you start thinking about what's happening in the outside world, Wiacek tells TechCrunch. The beautiful thing about that approach is that's not information that outside parties, a.k.a. the bad guys, are privy to.

This data, all of which is treated as suspicious, is continuously evaluated in light of new indicators and new threat intelligence. Stairwell claims this enables organizations to detect anomalies within just days, rather than the industry average of 280 days, as well as to bootstrap future detections.

If you go and buy a threat intelligence feed from Vendor X, do you really think that someone who's spending hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars to conduct an offensive campaign isn't going to make sure that whatever they're using isn't in that field?, said Wiacek. They know what McAfee knows and they know other antivirus engines know, but they don't know what you know and that's a very powerful advantage that you have there.

Stairwells $20 million in Series A funding, which comes less than 12 months after it secured $4.5 million in seed funding, will be used to further advance the Inception platform and to increase the startups headcount; the Palo Alto-based firm currently has a modest headcount of 21.

Story continues

The Inception platform, which the startup claims finally enables enterprises to outsmart the bad guys, is launching in early release for a limited number of customers, with full general availability scheduled for 2022.

I just wish we had a product to market when SolarWinds happened, Wiacek added.
Louisiana residents recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Ida are dealing with another problem, and it stinks - New Orleans garbage hasn't been collected for weeks.

Several residents told a City Council committee Friday that they haven't had their garbage collected since days before the storm hit on Aug. 29.

The smell, you know the maggots, the juices that falls off the bags, its a lot of work, Marlon Buck Horton told ABC station WGNO.

The stench  which has drawn countless bugs and rats  got so bad in parts of the city last week that lifelong New Orleans resident, Aaron Louisiana Grant, joked on Facebook that he and others should stage a garbage parade and dress in trash-themed costumes while depositing their debris at the doors of City Hall.

On Wednesday, he created a New Orleans Trash Parade group on Facebook. By Friday night, more than 1,900 people had expressed interest in joining.

Grant, 41, estimates the number of protesters Saturday afternoon was closer to 150, which dwindled to 100 as inclement weather dampened enthusiasm. Those who showed up did so in all sorts of creative costumes, including a fly, Oscar the Grouch (trash can included) and Grants favorite, Marie Antoinette, who held a sign that said: Let them eat trash.

Being witty and satirical in the aftermath of a disaster, said Grant, is a coping mechanism.

About 100 #NewOrleans residents held a trash parade to call out the city for not being able to handle the trash pickups following #HurricaneIda. Many people havent had their trash picked up in 3 weeks. You can imagine the smell. Story tonight across Fox platforms. @FoxNewsMMR pic.twitter.com/QK64gnS3iX  Rebekah Castor (@RebekahCastorTV) September 20, 2021

When I called City Hall to apply for a permit, I was asked, Is it a protest or a parade? Those are two different categories, Grant recalled. I think its both. Everyone there was upset to a certain degree, and were using the opportunity to both vent and make a point.

Story continues

Only two bags of trash were placed in front of City Halls doors Saturday. But as Grant sat on his stoop Monday afternoon, garbage still hadnt been hauled away.

When I turn and look 360 degrees, all I see is trash everywhere, he said. Its absolutely revolting. The temperatures have been in the high 80s and low 90s, so you can imagine how bad it smells.

I love how people in New Orleans can laugh it off, haul their trash to the station, and somehow manage to turn it into a parade. #neworleans pic.twitter.com/R5hDcBAlJQ  you can call me T  (@lilsproutbb) September 16, 2021

Last week, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell acknowledged as much, saying on Twitter: No getting around it. The situation stinks.

Cantrell said its a workforce problem: Before Ida hit, the sanitation department was already strapped for employees due to a nationwide shortage. Ida made conditions considerably worse. According to other media outlets and an announcement from Cantrell, the city is now looking for help from outside contractors.

Grant, who manages a live music venue in the French Quarter, isnt impressed. He said the garbage situation is the most visible example of the failures of local government. Elected officials should have planned for this, he said, and had contracts already signed.

Twenty thousand electrical linemen showed up within days of the storm to help restore power  whats the difference between them and sanitation workers? Grant said. Police are getting help, health care workers  why didnt we get sanitation workers to show up?

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Orleans throws Trash Parade after Hurricane Ida to protest garbage
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban expanded their interim Cabinet by naming more ministers and deputies on Tuesday, but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hard-line course despite the international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male government lineup earlier this month.

The international community has said that it will judge the Taliban by their actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment of women and minorities.

In their previous rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, the Taliban, who adhere to a harsh interpretation of Islam, had barred girls and women from schools, work and public life.

At a news conference Tuesday, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid held out the possibility of adding women to the Cabinet at a later time, but gave no specifics. He also said the Taliban are preparing rules for allowing teen-age girls and women to return to schools and jobs in line with Islamic law, but did not say when that might happen.

Mujahid defended the latest additions to the Cabinet, saying they included members of ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras. He said the deputies were chosen for their technical skills.

He bristled at international conditions for recognition, saying there was no reason for withholding it. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to recognize our government (and) for other countries, including European, Asian and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us, he said.

The Taliban seek international support as they grapple with the daunting challenges of governing a nation shredded by four decades of conflict. The U.S.-backed government deposed by the Taliban in a rapid military campaign last month had depended heavily on foreign aid. Even before the Taliban takeover, the economy was in deep trouble. Now Afghanistan's new rulers face an economic meltdown and growing poverty.

Mujahid played down the financial problems, saying that much of the foreign aid to the previous government  widely seen as corrupt  was spent on funding America's 20-year war against the Taliban.

Story continues

He suggested Afghanistan could manage without that aid, saying the country had sufficient resources. According to our inspection, Afghanistan is not a failed country, financially, he said. We have revenue, and if it is controlled and collected properly, it can solve our current problems.

It wasn't clear, however, how the Taliban government expected to raise sufficient tax revenue from a population the United Nations said would see 97% living below the poverty level by the end of the year.

The Taliban have framed their current Cabinet as an interim government, suggesting that change is still possible, but they have not said if there would ever be elections.

Mujahid was also asked about the recent restrictions imposed on girls and women, including a decision not to allow girls in grades seven to 12 to return to classrooms for the time being. Boys in those grades were allowed to return to school over the weekend.

Mujahid said this was a temporary decision, and that soon it will be announced when they can go to school. He said plans were being made to allow for the return of girls and women to schools and work, in line with Islamic law, or Sharia.

At the moment, girls in grades one to six are allowed to go to school, and women in universities can pursue their studies, but only in gender-segregated settings and while complying with an Islamic dress code.

With the Taliban takeover, there has been widespread fear among girls and women that they would lose the gains of the past 20 years, and many of their concerns have materialized. The Taliban have repeatedly suggested their decisions are temporary, in an apparent attempt to blunt international criticism even as they issue hard-line decrees.
Bags of KFC chicken, french fries, and coleslaw were found in the car's trunk, police said. New Zealand Police

New Zealand police said they arrested two men smuggling KFC and $70,000 in cash into Auckland.

It's the second time fast-food hauls have led to charges amid the city's strict COVID-19 lockdown.

As businesses reopened at midnight, the line at one Auckland McDonald's went around the corner.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Two New Zealand men were arrested on Sunday after attempting to cross the Auckland border with a car "full" of Kentucky Fried Chicken, french fries, and 10 tubs of coleslaw, local police said.

The police identified the pair as "gang associates" and found over 100,000 New Zealand dollars ($70,000) in cash and empty ounce bags alongside large amount of fast food, authorities said.

"The vehicle did a U-turn and sped off trying to evade police" after they noticed the car driving down a gravel road near the border, police said.

Auckland officials are enforcing strict travel restrictions amid a citywide lockdown after a surge in COVID-19 cases. With restaurants closed, residents who break travel rules to purchase fast food outside the city risk fines up to $8,400 or six months of jail time.

This is the second set of charges this month involving takeout food. Last week, a 20-year-old man was charged with breaking health orders as he left Auckland in search of McDonald's, which he documented on TikTok.

As businesses reopened Tuesday at midnight, 40 cars were waiting in line outside a West Auckland McDonald's at 12:30 a.m., according to Stuff, one of New Zealand's largest news site. By 1 a.m., customers clogged the road and wrapped around the corner.

Hell Pizza CEO Ben Cumming told the Stuff reporter Glenn McConnell that Auckland fast-food outlets were anticipating about double their normal demand as the city downgraded from Level 4 to Level 3 restrictions.

In a statement, New Zealand Police said they were "pleased with the actions of the majority of people adhering to the Alert Level restrictions, but are disappointed by the small number of people who deliberately flout the rules."

Story continues

Since the Level 4 lockdown was put in place, police said 86 people had been charged with a total of 90 offenses, the majority of which were failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.

On Friday, fines for COVID-19 rule breakers were raised by over $5,000 as authorities expressed concern about the Delta variant spreading beyond Auckland and into other regions, Reuters reported.

"Our success has been really based on the fact that people by and large have been compliant," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference. "However, there has been the odd person that has broken the rules and put others at risk."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Ross Kerber

(Reuters) - Changes to the main U.S. flood insurance program will raise rates for 77% of policyholders, according to a new study issued on Tuesday, although property owners in some poorer neighborhoods will see premiums decrease.

The study by the QuoteWizard unit of financial services provider LendingTree Inc reviewed price changes due for the roughly 5 million participants in the National Flood Insurance Program, set up in 1968.

Under the new "Risk Rating 2.0" system from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) taking effect Oct. 1, new premiums will be based on a property's value, risk of flooding and other factors, rather than simply on a home's elevation.

Meant to account for climate-change-driven shifts like increasing flood frequency, the new plans also will make the program more equitable, said Nick VinZant, QuoteWizard senior research analyst.

"Now the smaller, lower-value homes and neighborhoods aren't going to be funding the mansions anymore," VinZant said in an interview.

With the weather impact of climate change worsening, flooding losses are expected to rise. Recent storms including Hurricane Ida have caused massive flooding from Louisiana and Tennessee to New York City.

FEMA had said it aimed to "equitably distribute premiums across all policyholders" with the changes. Of the roughly 5 million policyholders in the program, 3.3 million will see monthly payments rise up to $10, and 3,199 will see an increase of $100 or more per month, VinZant said. Meanwhile 196,000 people will see their monthly premiums fall $100 or more, he added.

FEMA representatives did not immediately comment on the study. As of April, its flood insurance program provided $1.3 trillion in coverage but has been losing money.

The proposed changes have drawn concerns in the U.S. Congress including from representatives from Louisiana and Texas, who have asked FEMA to delay the new rates to avoid higher bills for some policyholders.

(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

The U.K. government said it will provide limited financial support to help CF Industries Holdings Inc. restart fertilizer production hit by a gas crunch, in a bid to ease a shortage of carbon dioxide thats crucial for the food industry.

The deal will allow CF Industries to restart operations at its plant in Billingham, northeast England, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said late Tuesday in a statement. The government said it will provide financial support to help cover the plants operating costs for three weeks, giving the CO2 market time to adapt to higher global gas prices, it said.

CF confirmed in a separate statement Tuesday that it will immediately restart the ammonia plant at its Billingham complex.

This agreement will ensure the many critical industries that rely on a stable supply of CO2 have the resources they require to avoid disruption, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said in the statement. In our ongoing response to manage the impact of global gas price rises, we will continue to protect businesses and consumers.

The deal will relieve the threat of further disruptions to the U.K. food industry, which was already battling to keep shelves and menus stocked due to a lack of workers. High gas prices last week forced the fertilizer maker to close two U.K. plants that make carbon dioxide as a byproduct, posing an imminent threat to the food industry, which uses the gas widely.

CO2 is used to stun pigs and chickens for slaughter, as well as in packaging to extend shelf life and the dry ice that keeps items frozen during delivery. Online grocer Ocado Group Plc had to stop supplying frozen products and the meat sector warned that businesses could grind to a halt within weeks.

Story continues

Fertilizer output at CF Industries Billingham and Ince sites provide as much as 60% of Britains CO2 production.

The British Poultry Council earlier welcomed news of the governments intervention, and said its waiting for officials to detail how it will work in practice. It also said it is just the start of a long road ahead, adding that food must be treated as a national security issue.

Its vital that production is restarted as soon as possible, and distributed quickly to food manufacturers, said Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium.

About 80% of pigs and poultry in the U.K. are slaughtered using CO2, and theres little scope to change the process for hogs as its considered the most humane method, according to the British Meat Processors Association. Staffing shortages across U.K. slaughterhouses have already left pig farms crammed with some 100,000 extra animals, forcing farmers to resort to cattle barns to potato storage sheds to house them.

The Food and Drink Federation said if production can restart at appropriate scale before the end of the week, that should ensure pig and poultry output can continue at close to normal. There will still be some shortages, but not as bad as previously feared.

The British Soft Drinks Association has said manufacturers have just days of carbon dioxide left in reserve to produce beverages and cant import supplies from the European Union due to Brexit. The group said on Tuesday that itll likely still take a few days for fertilizer plant production to resume, and combined with ongoing trucker shortages, some beverages still may not be as abundant as usual over the next week or so.

CO2 supplies have also been hit as Norways Yara International ASA curtails European capacity. CF Industries shares rose as much as 2.9% in New York, before paring some of the gain.

(Updates with CF statement in third paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, pictured here in March, testified Tuesday before Congress that he was concerned about how the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan might inspire extremists to act in the U.S. and other Western countries. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Top U.S. national security officials on Tuesday said they were concerned about the threat posed by foreign terrorist groups following American military forces' chaotic exit last month from Afghanistan.

National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid testified before Congress that the Taliban's reemergence and takeover of Afghanistan could set the stage for terrorist groups to rebuild there. The Taliban sheltered Al Qaeda as the group planned the Sept. 11 attacks.

Afghanistan is a very dynamic environment right now," Abizaid said during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Abizaid testified that the likelihood of major attacks on American soil had diminished in the two decades since the Sept. 11 attacks. While the danger is "less acute" than in 2001, she said, preventing attacks remains a challenge because the threat is "more ideologically diffuse and geographically diverse."

Abizaid was joined during the hearing by FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas who agreed that terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan posed mostly a regional threat.

However, Wray testified that the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan and the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country could inspire extremists living in the U.S. and other Western countries to engage in violence.

"We are concerned that, with developments in Afghanistan  among other things  that there will be more inspiration" to act, Wray said.

Wray added that his agency has also been doggedly tracking the threat posed by domestic terrorist groups, particularly since a pro-Trump mob swarmed the Capitol on Jan. 6. He testified that the FBI has about 2,700 active domestic terrorism investigations, up from about 1,000 in spring 2020. He said he has doubled the number of personnel devoted to investigating such cases.

Much of the hearing focused on the threat posed to the U.S. by terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan. Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. and its allies drove the Taliban from power. Two decades later, President Biden announced in April that the U.S. would leave Afghanistan.

Story continues

The final days of the pullout last month were deadly and chaotic as the Taliban took over the country. Thirteen U.S. service members, posted on the periphery of the airport during the evacuation, died in a suicide bombing on Aug. 26. U.S. officials blamed the attack on ISIS in Khorasan, or ISIS-K, an Afghan-based offshoot of Islamic State.

With no presence in Afghanistan following the withdrawal, the U.S. will face serious challenges in trying to ensure the country does not again become a breeding ground for terrorism, security experts have said.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he was particularly concerned that the Taliban has extensive ties with terrorist groups. "The new Taliban looks very much like the old Taliban," Portman said.

Portman noted that Sirajuddin Haqqani  the country's new interior minister  is the leader of the Haqqani network, which the U.S. designated as a terrorist group in 2012.

Haqqani is wanted for questioning by the FBI for his potential connection to a 2008 attack on a Kabul hotel where six people, including one American, were killed. The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that directly leads to Haqqani's arrest.

"Obviously we are concerned," Wray said, that Haqqani has a leadership position in Afghanistan's government.

Portman and other lawmakers also raised concerns about how well Afghan refugees and evacuees are being vetted by U.S. officials. The U.S. evacuated 124,000 people from Kabul's airport in the days after the Taliban took over the city.

Mayorkas said the Department of Homeland Security is carefully screening Afghans. He said more than 60,000 people have been brought to the U.S. from Afghanistan. About 7% are U.S. citizens, 6% are lawful permanent residents and 3% are Afghans who have received special immigrant visas for their work on behalf of the U.S. government.

The rest are vulnerable individuals whose applications are being carefully reviewed and processed, he testified.

We have a screening and vetting architecture," Mayorkas said. "We have greater cooperation amongst the federal agencies in the counter-terrorism, intelligence and law enforcement communities. We remain ever vigilant in that regard."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will on Wednesday call for China and Russia to agree a coordinated international approach to prevent Afghanistan becoming a haven for militants, according to a statement by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the United Nations.

Foreign ministers from Britain, China, Russia, the United States and France will meet with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres during the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Britain, which is currently co-ordinating the so-called P5 group of permanent United Nations Security Council members, will use the meeting to call for greater cooperation to improve international security, with a particular focus on Afghanistan.

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of United States, British and NATO troops last month, has raised fears the country could once again be used as a training ground for Islamist militants.

"If we want to avoid Afghanistan becoming a haven for global terror then the international community - including Russia and China - needs to act as one in its engagement with the Taliban," Truss said in a statement ahead of the meeting.

The Taliban have promised they will not let Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when they were last in power, again become a safe place for groups planning to strike the West.

Last week at a meeting of a China- and Russia-led security bloc Chinese President Xi Jinping said "relevant parties" in Afghanistan should eradicate terrorism and that China would provide more help to the country within its capacity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin used an address at the same summit to say Russia needs to work with the Taliban government, and that world powers should consider unfreezing Afghanistan's assets.

(Reporting by William James; editing by Grant McCool)
The hints of a Treasury Department crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges were apparently accurate. The Treasury has imposed sanctions on the SUEX crypto exchange for allegedly "facilitating" ransomware attacks. SUEX reportedly helped launder the ill-gotten gains from at least eight ransomware variants, and is so in demand that over 40 percent of its known transactions come from "illicit actors," according to the Department.

The move blocks SUEX's access to property (and interests in property) covered by US jurisdiction. The block also extends to any entity where the exchange owns a controlling stake, and prevents banks and people from making "certain transactions."

The Treasury stressed that it believed "most" cryptocurrency activity was legal, and that some exchanges merely fall victim to ransomware attackers. SUEX, however, supposedly aided these attacks for its "own illicit gains." The organization was fully aware of what was happening, in other words.

The move in line with a Wall Street Journal leak hinting at a sanctions strategy following Biden's cybersecurity order in response to a string of high-profile ransomware attacks. Rather than trying to disrupt the overall cryptocurrency landscape, the US appears focused on individual exchanges and traders. This theoretically discourages others from handling ransomware payments while reassuring those who stick to above-board deals. Of course, there's only so much the government can do  less-than-reputable exchanges may simply look for partners the US can't touch.
Members of the Biden administration are condemning footage that shows U.S. Border Patrol agents whipping at and charging horses at migrants in Del Rio, CNN reports.

Why it matters: Over the weekend, the Biden administration began cracking down on the thousands of Haitian migrants who have sought refuge in Del Rio in the hope of seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched an investigation into the Border Patrol incident after it drew backlash online.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

What they're saying: "What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback, treating human beings the way they were, is horrible. And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there," Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday.

"But human beings should never be treated that way and I am deeply troubled by it," she added.

"I was horrified by what I saw," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in an interview with CNN's Brianna Keilar earlier Tuesday. "I'm going to let the investigation run its course. But the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly. That defies all of the values that we seek to instill in our people."

"I, by no means, diminish the humane issue that it presents, but I want to be clear that we do have a plan to address it, respecting the needs of the individuals and we are executing on that plan."

The big picture: U.S. authorities began deporting hundreds of migrants back to Haiti on Sunday. Roughly 4,000 have been moved "from under that bridge already," according to Mayorkas.

The administration plans to move more migrants to other processing centers "so that we can ensure their security and safety and the security and safety of the community."

"We expect to see dramatic change in the next 48 to 96 hours," Mayorkas added.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Walgreens Boots Alliance plans to invest $970 million in a company that helps hospitals and health systems with specialty pharmacy services, Walgreens announced Tuesday.

The investment in Massachusetts-based Shields Health Solutions will give Walgreens a 71% ownership stake in Shields, with an option to acquire the remaining equity interests in the future. Walgreens made a minority investment in Shields in 2019.

Specialty pharmacies are those that often focus on costly medications for patients with complex conditions. Hospitals often have their own specialty pharmacies.

The deal is expected to close by February 2022, pending the conclusion of a waiting period required under antitrust law.

The deal will give Walgreens an opportunity to further develop health system partnerships and coordinate care for those with complex, chronic conditions, according to a Walgreens news release.

After the investment, Shields will continue to be managed under its current executive leadership, as its own brand.

The investment in Shields is in line with a number of new partnerships and initiatives made by Walgreens in recent years to try to get ahead of rapid changes in health care, as it competes against the likes of CVS Health and Amazon.

Walgreens has been doing well financially in recent months, as it also works to cut costs. In July, Walgreens reported a strong third quarter, partly due to better foot traffic in stores after seeing many customers vanish during the early months of COVID-19. It also saw more people in its stores seeking COVID-19 vaccines.

Before COVID-19, Walgreens implemented a number of cost-saving measures, as it worked to adapt to changing consumer habits and deal with pressures related to reimbursements for medications.

Walgreens has said it aims to slash costs by $2 billion a year by 2022. Walgreens also laid off more than 100 employees in its Deerfield office in October 2019, and has closed more than 200 U.S. stores.
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

Applications were down 20% for Northwestern Kelloggs full-time MBA program. But elsewhere, they are up  and in some cases, up big. File photo

The headline blared: MBA Applications At Some Of The Countrys Best Colleges Fell This Year.

The story began: Some of the best-known MBA programs in the U.S. registered precipitous drops or sluggish interest from prospective candidates this year, following a 2020 admissions cycle in which applications soared.

But The Wall Street Journals story that ran on Monday, September 20 is misleading at best. Thats clear from the data. But its also essential to consider the context.

CONTEXT IS KEY

Along with our annual reports on Class of 2023 profiles at several leading MBA programs (see the most recent here and here), Poets&Quants has reviewed the 2020-2021 application data by comparing peer schools with each and comparing historical data. At the 14 top-25 schools for which we have data, only Northwestern Kellogg School of Management (-20.3%) and Columbia Business School (-6.3%) saw declines. For the other 12 schools, apps were up  and in some cases, up big. Michigan Ross School of Business received a record 4,003 apps, a 56% increase from the year before. Duke Fuqua School of Business saw a 12.1%, increase, one of five top-25 schools with double-digit growth. Yale School of Management was up 12.3%. Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management was up 12.4%. Dartmouth Tuck School of Business was up 11%. The total average increase for 12 top-25 schools: more than 350 more applications, just shy of 12%.

In other words, the headline on that Wall Street Journal story could have more accurately been "MBA Applications At Most Top Business Schools Are Up Again."

WSJ's story provides some context, its author, Patrick Thomas, asserts on LinkedIn, saying that they "do our best to address the many factors that contribute to the mix of results from schools. We also note that the strong economy and labor market could suppress applications this next cycle as well." WSJ does mention the increases at NYU Stern School of Business (8.4%) and Duke Fuqua. But they downplay those increases, ignore Michigan's stratospheric increase, and neglect to mention that top schools like Stanford Graduate School of Business and Chicago Booth School of Business haven't even published their class profiles yet.

Story continues

The biggest problem is that the story is behind a paywall. Most people don't subscribe to the WSJ, so they read the headline, the deck and the first two sentences and that is the message they get.

'UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF APPS IN 2020'

In any case, it's a mistake to extrapolate industry-wide portent from Kellogg's 20% drop in apps  because 2020 was an incomparable, anomalous cycle. March and April 2020 were a chaotic and deeply uncertain time. Many B-schools temporarily lifted their testing requirements to help calm the waters. Kellogg was the first M7 school to do so, even waiving requirements for such language tests as TOEFL or IELTS. Then it went further, making waves by allowing candidates rejected in earlier rounds to come back and apply for reconsideration in the same admissions cycle. The school also extended its app deadlines, expanding its round 3 by nearly two months.

The combination of strategies under first-year Dean Francesca Cornelli resulted in a Class of 2022 that was 85 people, or 18%, larger than the Class of 2021, and erased losses that included a 15.5% drop in apps between the prior two admissions cycles. Overall, the school received the most-ever applications for one cycle, 5,813, a 54% jump from the prior year.

This year, as the school returned to more conventional admissions policies, applications naturally dropped. The decline was about 20% from that record high  but still higher than any Kellogg admissions cycle since 2014. It was 22.6% higher than the last "normal" cycle in 2019. Is that  combined with the slight 6% decline at Columbia Business School, the only other top-25 school that has yet reported an app decline  a sign of the death of the MBA, as the WSJ suggests? Hardly.

Emily Haydon, interim assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Kellogg, writes to P&Q: "Kelloggs 2021 application volume was 4,632, at the highest level its been since 2014, the first year of data in our current admissions system and database, barring 2020 when, during the first few months of COVID-19 when:

The GMAT/GRE was made optional;

The school extended its application deadline by two months.

"These decisions, driven by empathy for potential applicants during a global pandemic, resulted in an unusually high number of applications in the 2020 cycle."

CONSULTANTS 'DROWNING IN WORK'

Admissions consultants are taking a nuanced view. Barbara Coward, founder of MBA 360 Admissions, writes on LinkedIn that schools reporting higher and higher GMAT averages may actually depress application volume by intimidating prospective applicants. "By far, the most popular question I get from prospective MBA students is whether I think they have a chance of getting in," Coward writes. "The higher and higher GMAT scores are impressive, but are they intimidating prospective students who prefer to stick with the safety of the status quo. Are we leaving populations behind because they feel they don't belong?

"Let's enable more people to see more of themselves at these prestigious institutions. I have a feeling that would do a lot for application volume."

But others are dubious about the WSJ's assertion of a decline. Candy Lee Laballe, founder of Madrid-based LaBalle Admissions, says she's seen no evidence of a downturn  just the opposite. "Hard to believe numbers are down as myself, and everyone I know in this gig, have been drowning in work since the Class of 2023," LaBalle tells P&Q. In fact, one leading business school with an early decision deadline saw its apps soar this month by more than 40%.

Paul Bodine, founder and president of Admitify, is looking at the big picture. He says he had lower expectations to begin with for the last cycle after the boom in apps from the 2019-2020 season.

"As John Byrne and multiple admissions directors have noted, the expectation was for a so-so year this cycle in terms of applicant volume, because Covid is still rampaging in many parts of the world," Bodine tells P&Q. "The expectation was that pent-up demand would explode next year (2022-23 cycle). That sounded plausible to me a few months ago but now Im not so sure: the Delta variant and the unexpectedly high number of non-vaxxers, combined with the hot labor market and the still slow pace of vaccinations in many parts of the world, suggest to me that we may not return to normal applicant volumes until 2023-24.

"But I disagree with doomsayers who say that applicant volume at the elite/top 10 schools will never recover. I still think the ROI and network effects of a top 10 MBA remains compelling. Geopolitical factors such as declining applications from China may suppress international applicant volume in the short-term, but long-term I see applicant volume at top MBA programs reverting to the historical trend lines."

'WE NEED TO SEE NUMBERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2024'

Betsy Massar, founder of Master Admissions, says WSJ jumped the gun on declaring an MBA application downturn.

"I call out cherry-picking!" she says. "I think it is too early to tell about long-term trends from the class of 2023. I know it doesnt make headlines to say that things are normalizing, but they are. We see fits and starts based on whether a test is required. But one cycle to the next  even one round to the next  doesnt give us real evidence. Isnt that what business schools are trying to teach? Evidence-based analysis?

"We need to at least see numbers from the application numbers from the Class of 2024 to make broad statements.

As for comments flying around the Internet about the value of an MBA  some make sense: the monetary price tag is high and getting higher, and the opportunity cost can be significant. Specialized master's programs are adding to the population of graduate students and cannibalizing traditional two-year programs. But 2024 was never going to be a blowout year. That just never added up.

DON'T MISS: IN KELLOGG'S MBA CLASS OF 2023, A RETURN TO NORMAL  AND BIG STRIDES FORWARD or MICHIGAN ROSS IS LATEST SCHOOL TO REPORT HISTORIC GAINS FOR WOMEN IN ITS MBA

The post The Wall Street Journal Is Missing The Big Picture On MBA Applications appeared first on Poets&Quants.
(Bloomberg) -- Wall Street analysts are putting their faith in the Chinese Communist Party.

Most Read from Bloomberg

After a harrowing Monday that saw risky assets tumble globally on fears of a collapse in China Evergrande Group, some of the worlds biggest banks and money managers raced to assure investors that this is no Lehman moment.

The message from firms including Citigroup Inc., Fidelity International Ltd. and AllianceBernstein Holding LP: Evergrande may indeed default, but Chinese authorities will take steps to prevent the property giants crisis from destabilizing the financial system and the economy.

Gains in S&P 500 Index futures on Tuesday suggest investor angst has subsided, at least for now.

Heres a sampling of what strategists and money managers are saying about the prospect of contagion:

Ajay Rajadhyaksha, Barclays

So, is this Chinas Lehman moment? Not even close, in our opinion.

Yes, Evergrande is a large property firm. And yes, there could (probably will) be spill-over effects on Chinas property sector, with economic implications. And yes, it comes at a time when Chinas growth has already started to disappoint. But a true Lehman moment is a crisis of a very different magnitude. One would need to see a lenders strike across large parts of the financial system, a sharp increase in credit distress away from the real-estate sector, and banks being unwilling to face each other in the interbank funding market. And with all that, we would also need to see massive policy mistakes on the part of Chinese authorities. In our view, the conditions are simply not in place for even a large default to be Chinas Lehman moment.

Story continues

Judy Zhang, Citigroup

We do not see the Evergrande crisis as Chinas Lehman moment given policy makers will likely uphold the bottom line of preventing systematic risk to buy time for resolving the debt risk, and push forward marginal easing for the overall credit environment.

We believe regulators may buy time to digest Evergrandes NPL problem (e.g., guiding banks not to withdraw credit and extend interest payment deadline).

Kenneth Akintewe, Aberdeen Standard Invest Asia

Our base case is that there will be a relatively orderly restructuring, its not in the interest of policy makers, economy or the market to go into a destabilized uncontrollable spillover, and have this impacting other parts of the economy.

Near term there will be uncertainty and volatility, but outside of Evergrande, policy makers will be able to engineer some sort of recovery from this.

Bhanu Baweja, UBS

I dont think this is a Lehman moment. I think when you try to reduce moral hazard after four major credit cycles, it is going to be messy. The biggest risk out here is not what happens to suppliers or what happens to the financial system in the near term, I dont think thats an issue. I think China has managed that reasonably well. Default levels are pretty low in the overall economy and the capital adequacy for banks, particularly the large banks, is quite high.

I think the most important issue is what this does to the collateral of the entire credit boom -- which is property prices -- and therefore confidence in property itself.

Catherine Yeung, Fidelity International

If we look at the past three years, we have seen restructuring that the government or regulators have been involved in, whether its Huarong, China Fortune Land, and other single credit events. So they have the confidence in terms of this potential restructuring.

The likely scenario is that they will avoid bankruptcy when it comes to Evergrande [and] seek restructuring with strategic investors or bridge investors. The priority from a domestic perspective and a sentiment perspective is projection completion and supply chain cash settlements.

Vishwanath Tirupattur, Morgan Stanley

The expectations of a broad contagion may be overdone. Clearly the impact on growth is there. But I think the key point here is I continue to believe this is not a moment like what we had in 2008. There has certainly been a subtle change of signal from the policy makers in China. A lot of that we think is already reflected in price.

Marko Kolanovic, JPMorgan Chase

[The market sell-off] is primarily driven by technical selling flows (CTAs and option hedgers) in an environment of poor liquidity, and overreaction of discretionary traders to perceived risks. Our fundamental thesis remains unchanged, and we see the sell-off as an opportunity to buy the dip.

Risks are well-flagged and priced in, with stock multiples back at post-pandemic lows for many reopening/recovery exposures. We look for cyclicals to resume leadership as delta inflects.

Shujin Chen, Jefferies

Against the market view, we see regulators keeping a close eye on Evergrande and think it could soon put forward a plan or meaningful progress to reduce the impact.

We expect a plan to resolve the issues, or help make meaningful progress to be out by the end of the year (also possible within 1-2 months) as China will focus on boosting 1Q22 economic growth starting from 4Q21.

Larry Hu, Macquarie

A major concern is the contagion risk for other high-leveraged developers, as banks, suppliers and homebuyers would all turn more cautious in view of the Evergrande saga. As the result, a self-fulfilled liquidity crunch could happen to other high-leveraged developers. That said, the government has the will and capability to intervene, if the market goes panic.

It could break the negative feedback loop by easing liquidity, as what it did during the interbank credit crunch in 2013. Moreover, given property policy is unprecedentedly tight at this moment, policy makers have plenty of room to loosen if they want. It seems that they are willing to wait a bit longer to reduce the moral hazard in the future, but they could step in anytime for the sake of financial and social stability.

John Lin, AllianceBernstein

There is very little likelihood of default spilling over into a systematic crisis. First, Chinese regulators are the ones triggering the most recent fall of Evergrande. The regulators have prepared for it, and they will be able to manage through it.

Because there is low likelihood of a systematic crisis, many of the Chinese developers  particularly the higher quality companies with strong balance sheet, capable management and good product reputation  will survive this round of correction. In the market panic over the last two weeks, their valuations have already overshot on the down side. In our opinion, these select quality developers present compelling return opportunities for long-term minded investors.

Tommy Wu, Oxford Economics

Concerns over the rising default risk of Evergrande, the property developer, have roiled financial markets over the last week. While we think the government doesnt want to be seen as engineering a bail out, we expect it to step in to conduct a managed restructuring of the firms debt to prevent disorderly debt recovery efforts, reduce systemic risk, and contain economic disruption.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Talga Group (ASX:TLG) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

View our latest analysis for Talga Group

Does Talga Group Have A Long Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. When Talga Group last reported its balance sheet in June 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$53m. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$18m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.0 years as of June 2021. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Talga Group's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

In our view, Talga Group doesn't yet produce significant amounts of operating revenue, since it reported just AU$109k in the last twelve months. Therefore, for the purposes of this analysis we'll focus on how the cash burn is tracking. With the cash burn rate up 40% in the last year, it seems that the company is ratcheting up investment in the business over time. However, the company's true cash runway will therefore be shorter than suggested above, if spending continues to increase. Talga Group makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

Story continues

Can Talga Group Raise More Cash Easily?

While Talga Group does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Talga Group has a market capitalisation of AU$431m and burnt through AU$18m last year, which is 4.1% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

Is Talga Group's Cash Burn A Worry?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Talga Group's cash burn. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. After taking into account the various metrics mentioned in this report, we're pretty comfortable with how the company is spending its cash, as it seems on track to meet its needs over the medium term. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Talga Group you should be aware of, and 2 of them are concerning.

Of course Talga Group may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
Outdoor dining options kept many Denver restaurants in business amid COVID-19 restrictions last fall and winter  and now the industry is taking steps to bring the cozy patio tents back.

Why it matters: The impending cold weather, combined with concerns over the Delta variant's spread, have restaurant owners searching for ways to keep diners coming.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

6 in 10 Americans are changing their dining patterns going into the cooler season because of Delta variant concerns, according to a recent survey from the National Restaurant Association.

Nearly 20% said they don't plan to dine out at all.

State of play: The summer months boosted Colorado restaurants' bottom lines. Reservations were down an average of only 6% through Aug. 9 compared with the same point in 2019, according to OpenTable data.

Yes, but: Razor-thin margins, a lack of federal COVID relief, worker shortages and debt accumulated during the pandemic.

Industry experts tell Axios that restaurants are limiting hours or even days of operation just to get by.

What they're saying: "For an industry that requires a 'full house' every evening to make a profit, this is a dangerous and depressing trend," Colorado Restaurant Association spokesperson Denise Mickelsen told Axios.

What's next: The Denver City Council is poised to pass a $1 million grant for the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, using federal COVID relief funds. Assuming it's pushed through, local restaurant owners and operators will be eligible for $10,000 to distribute among employees in $1,500 allotments.

The city estimates the proposed grants could help support about 950 restaurant workers and benefit nearly 150 employers.

The council approved the resolution in an initial vote on Monday. A final decision is slated for Sept. 27.

Meanwhile, restaurants with greenhouses, yurts and other outdoor dining structures are gearing up to use them through the coming colder months, Mickelsen says. Those that didn't last year are now considering weather-proof options.

Story continues

Heated patios will make a comeback, too. Operators of My Neighbor Felix tell Fox31 they're getting heaters ready at their Denver and Boulder locations.

Temporary outdoor dining "has been such a pivotal part of our business. Were talking 72 extra covers, every single night," says Kasie Waxman, who helps run the restaurant in Boulder.

Context: Denver extended its outdoor dining program in May to allow patrons to dine al fresco on streets and sidewalks through October 2022. Boulder recently elongated its outdoor dining rules to run through next April.

The bottom line: Restaurants and city leaders can continue to get creative to keep the industry afloat, but only time will tell if there's a return on investment.

More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Peter Sibner almost broke down in tears Monday when he heard that the U.S. will lift its ban on vaccinated international travelers in early November.

"This is a massive day of happiness for a lot of us," Sibner, 42, told USA TODAY.

Sibner, who is from Sweden but lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, with his family, said he had been hoping for a bit of good news every day for the last 18 months.

The global community has faced a long year and a half in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, made insufferable for some separated from loved ones due to travel restrictions. Unable to cross international borders to the U.S., the past year was measured by distance, canceled trips and FaceTime calls.

News that the U.S. is lifting its ban on vaccinated international travelers in early November brought a wave of relief, even though a specific lift date has not yet been announced.

Peter Sibner and his family.

 US to drop travel ban: For vaccinated international travelers starting in early November

What travelers need to know: The new COVID rules for international flights to US don't just impact foreign tourists

On Twitter, under the hashtag #LoveIsNotTourism, members of the community shared their reactions.

"It's official. They finally announced it. Our suffering is finally over," @MacyKavanaugh tweeted noting that Monday was a day of celebration.

Some shared photos of themselves and loved ones to the social media platform.

"After 2 years apart we finally have a chance to reunite!! it's been tough but finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel #LoveIsNotTourism," @purahss wrote.

after 2 years apart we finally have a chance to reunite!! it's been tough but finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel  #LoveIsNotTourism pic.twitter.com/fkGGsCLrdc  abbey (@purahss) September 20, 2021

New policy replaces confusing restrictions

Story continues

All foreign travelers flying to the U.S. will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, who announced the new policy on Monday. Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zients said.

The new policy replaces a patchwork of travel restrictions first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by Biden earlier this year that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa.

The ban resulted in heartache for some

During the pandemic, the Sibner family endured a funeral over FaceTime, with another coming up next week on top of separation from family and loved ones abroad. Sibner said his children have essentially had to grow up without their grandparents due to the travel ban.

"That was our biggest fear when we decided to move to the States 'what if something happens back home and we're not able to go?'" he said.

Roxanne Randel, 45, who was born in the States and has dual citizenship in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, has been living in the U.K. during the pandemic and had four trips canceled during the pandemic.

On one of those trips she intended to see her foster mother who had brain cancer.

Her foster mom "was all the family I had" Randel told USA TODAY.

Before she could make the trip, Randel's foster mother died. Randel wasn't able to attend the funeral.

"I was happy to hear finally so many people torn apart can reunite," Randel said. "May it never be allowed to happen again under any circumstances. Without our loved ones, we are lost."

 US extends land border restrictions: With Canada, Mexico through Oct. 21

Some think the ban took too long to lift

Randel said it took the U.S. "far too long" to lift the ban on international travelers.

"It was political," she said.

Abbie Gould wrote on Twitter that the removal of the ban will come too late for her family to visit.

"Not going to lie - as grateful as I am - I am still gutted this is just too late," Gould wrote using #LoveIsNotTourism. "My parents possibly can't fly in November so they are considering still holding back until Spring now. We were so desperate for October, so it's a bit of a blow."

Sibner said that he, too, felt it took too long for the ban to lift. But he's not holding a grudge. The fact that vaccinated international travelers will be able to enter the country soon "means the world" to him.

Sandro Manzato, from the Veneto region, hugs his daughter Yearline, 3, as she arrives with her mum Rubiela Perea, right, from Bogota, Colombia on June 3, 2020.

"We wanted the American Dream and we have it so we didn't want to pack up and leave and go home," he said. "Now, finally, things can go back to normal."

Sibner expects to have family on the first flight over.

No specific reopening date was given by the White House while announcing the new international "air travel system" resulting in some questions from travelers.

"Ok yea ...ima need a date LOL gunna need to know if the flight we booked for Nov 1st isnt gunna be canceled bro #LoveIsNotTourism," @murdamer tweeted.

Some loved ones to remain separated by US land borders are frustrated

While there is somewhat of an end in sight for the ban on international travelers arriving in the U.S. by air, the restrictions on land borders between the U.S. and Canada and the U.S. and Mexico are set to remain for another month.

Yvonne Pilon, 37, lives in Windsor, a city in Ontario, Canada, located across from Detroit, Michigan. The cities are separated by the Detroit River. Her friends and family live in the U.S. with her friends and sister in Michigan and her mom in Florida.

"Currently, the only way to visit family or friends is by air. I just completed my first trip which cost me approximately $1,300 + 10 hours travel which would normally be about $12 in tolls and 30 minutes in travel," she told USA TODAY.

Pilon also just booked another flight for Canadian Thanksgiving. While she's booked a second trip, she typically would be in Detroit much more frequently, usually venturing across the river a few times each month for shopping, sporting events and dining.

Flight  $790

Bags  $65

Covid Testing $267

Airport Parking $179

Gasto YYZ $60

Vacation days to travel 2



VS.



Toll $12.75 (land border)



The reality for those visiting family, partners & friends in   border towns.



Reunification should not be limited to those w/.  Yvonne Pilon (@YvonnePilon) September 19, 2021

But not everyone can afford to spend hundreds or thousands on travel to fly and circumvent land border restrictions.

"This puts a huge income gap between who can see their family and who can't," she said.

"Canada provided a detailed plan for re-opening and we are still waiting for the plan from the U.S. side. Not to mention the questions that arise that its safer to be in a plane and airport than (in) a car crossing a land border."

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, NH-D, tweeted USA TODAY's article on the reopening of borders to international travelers on Monday, calling the move "discouraging" for businesses and border communities in New Hampshire.

"Canada reopened travel for vaccinated people & the U.S. should do the same," Shaheen wrote. "I understand the need for caution but we can responsibly reopen the border by following public health protocols. I urge the (administration) to reconsider."

Briana Martinez, 27, married her husband, who is from Mexico, in May in a civil ceremony when he was able to fly into the U.S.

The couple decided to have a more formal ceremony in November for friends and family in the states and in Mexico. But their guests are not having the easiest time with planning to attend.

"Our family and friends from Mexico have had to wait month to month to see if the land borders will be opened and with no hopes they've had to pay almost triple the amount for an international flight to make it out here for the wedding," Martinez said.

The land border restrictions aren't the only challenge. Martinez's guests are vaccinated but she isn't sure whether their vaccines will meet requirements for entry.

"With the new information provided today we are learning that the AstraZeneca vaccine has not officially been cleared to be accepted for those traveling to the U.S., which is the vaccine most of our family and friends that will be coming have," she said.

The list of approved vaccines is still being developed, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

Other borders remain closed and restrictions are growing

Travel is complicated in a pandemic world regardless of origin or destination.

As the U.S. plans to open international borders to some visitors, restrictions on U.S. citizens are rising in Europe and countries in other parts of the world including in Central and South America have entry requirements as well.

Across the globe, travel restrictions put in place country by country create an incoherent image attempting to mirror what travel used to look like as the world continues to deal with COVID-19 and its variants with access to vaccines varying in different parts of the world.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US to open borders to vaccinated tourists: What it means for travelers
WeWork Japan is expected to specialize in managing coworking offices, Nikkei has learned, moving away from directly leasing space to reduce its financial exposure while continuing to expand.

The company, which has 38 locations in Japan, intends to expand under the new business model as early as 2022, WeWork Japan CEO Johnny Yoo told Nikkei. The pivot would pave the way for growing to 100 to 200 locations, he said. With many of the current coworking spaces in Tokyo and Osaka, the expansion would include such regional cities as Sapporo and Hiroshima.

Management contracts are common in the luxury hotel industry, with foreign operators running facilities in Japan under the arrangement. Referring to the luxury hotel model, Yoo said WeWork Japan is considering a framework of collecting management fees from the property owners. Companies with strong brands and managerial expertise tend to have an easier time reaching such agreements.

The current business model of leasing space from building owners puts WeWork Japan on the hook for big rent payments. The company also foots the bill for outfitting properties as coworking spaces.

The switch to collecting management fees -- instead of receiving payments from users of coworking spaces -- may reduce WeWork Japan's income, depending on the arrangement and contract terms. But it would help reduce the rent burden and capital outlays. The less cash-intensive approach would curb business risks as well.

Coworking spaces tend to be located in accessible areas, such as close to train stations. Although WeWork Japan has not disclosed specifics, estimates based on average rents in central Tokyo would put monthly payments at hundreds of thousands of dollars per site.

WeWork Japan, a 50-50 joint venture between U.S. parent WeWork and SoftBank Group, has played a key role in developing the domestic market for coworking spaces since opening its first location in 2018. Rival Mitsui Fudosan plans to expand to more than 150 locations by March 2022, tripling from two years earlier. Nomura Real Estate Development targets 150 sites in fiscal 2027.
Will vaccines against COVID-19 cause infertility in women? Or will a dose make someone sick because the live coronavirus is inside the shot? After all, arent the vaccines unsafe because they were developed too quickly?

Such rumors and false claims have been spreading online, especially on social media, spurring anti-vaccination attitudes among Japanese young people, who have been left until last when it comes to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine shots.

To dispel such myths, virology experts and the health ministry have taken up the mission of persuading the public to protect themselves from the coronavirus through inoculation, and in doing so make up for what turned out to be lost time in setting out the benefits and safety of the shots. In Japan, vaccinations are not mandatory.

The move shows the messages sent by the government and its top officials, which were aimed at encouraging the public to get vaccinated, did not resonate with younger generations.

To dispel the myths surrounding potential side effects, the health ministry has launched a site with detailed factual information about them, with the initiative especially targeting young women concerned about the effects of the vaccines on fertility.
A family court in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, has ruled that a 17-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of inflicting bodily injuries resulting in the death of his six-year-old sister, will not be prosecuted.

The court ruled that due to extenuating circumstances, such as parental neglect on the part of the siblings mother  who was absent from home for seven days prior to the girls death  the boy was placed under enormous strain in looking after his sister, Sankei Shimbun reported. Instead, the court said the boy will be sent to a juvenile rehabilitation center.

The teenager was accused of kicking his sister several times in the stomach and back at their home between late July and Aug 1. The boy asked a neighbor to contact the police at around 9:40 a.m. on Aug 1. He claimed that his sister had fallen from a jungle gym at the park. The girl was found collapsed there and died in hospital due to traumatic shock later that day. Police launched an investigation into the girls death after being contacted by the hospital.
Two Japanese sisters have been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living identical twins, aged 107 years and 330 days, the organization said Monday.

The announcement coincided with Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday in Japan.

Sisters Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama were born on Shodoshima island in western Japan on Nov 5, 1913, as the third and fourth of 11 siblings.

The sisters as of Sept 1 broke the previous record of 107 years and 175 days set by famous Japanese twin sisters Kin Narita and Gin Kanie, Guinness World Records Ltd. said in a statement.

About 29% of the population of 125 million in Japan, the world's fastest aging nation, are 65 years or older, according to the health and welfare ministry. About 86,510 of them are centenarians -- half of whom turned 100 this year.

Sumiyama and Kodama were separated after finishing elementary school, when Kodama was sent to work as a maid in Oita on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu. She later married there, while Sumiyama remained on the island they grew up on and had her own family.

The sisters later recalled their difficult younger days. Growing up, they said they were targets of bullying because of prejudice against children of multiple births in Japan.
KYOTO  The ancient capital of Kyoto has long been a tourist mecca, attracting domestic and international travelers to its World Heritage-designated temples, shrines and rock gardens.

From the citys traditional geiko (geisha) quarter of Gion to Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, Kyotos has few rival few cities anywhere in the world when it comes to cultural treasures.

For centuries, Kyoto, home of the emperor, was a forbidden city, inaccessible to the outside world. Foreign travelers passing through Japan in the 17th through the 19th centuries were not allowed to step foot in it. As late as the early 1870s, Westerners in Japans treaty ports such as Yokohama and Kobe were prohibited from visiting the city unless they had special permission  which was rarely granted. One report, published in a 1918 history of the opening of Kobe Port, suggested that, until an 1872 international exhibition in Kyoto, no more than a dozen Westerners had ever seen it.

In the 19th century, the idea that Kyoto would someday become one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations with a highly developed infrastructure catering to international visitors would most likely have been dismissed as a fantasy. But by 2014, international media such as Travel +Leisure magazine were calling Kyoto the worlds best city to visit (an honor the city won again a year later).

The accolades led to tourists from around the world pouring into Kyoto, putting a strain on the citys infrastructure. New hotel chains sprang up like mushrooms, and new businesses catering to the suddenly booming tourist trade appeared almost overnight. Kimono-clad Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa played the role of cultural ambassador, popping up at international conferences to extoll Kyotos heritage and traditions and encouraging people to visit.

However, the good times hid a dark secret. Despite the fact Kyotos tourism industry was recording record profits, the city itself was going bankrupt.

In June, the municipal tourism office announced only about 450,000 foreign tourists visited in 2020  an 88% drop compared to the 3.8 million who came in 2019. Hotel reservations for 2020 were down nearly 60% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Then, in August, a grim-faced Kadokawa warned that Kyoto faced possible bankruptcy and drastic cuts in the city budget were needed over the next four years in order to prevent that. The restructuring plan for 2021-25 calls for trimming the bureaucracy by at least 550 people, raising the minimum age of those eligible for discount transportation services from 70 to 75, and cutting subsidies to day care workers. Kyoto has total debts of Y860 billion and faces a Y280 billion deficit by 2025.
Japan is no stranger to unfortunate crimes of perversion, but typically when the perpetrator is caught, theyre honest about what they did and why.

For example, the man who peed in a coworkers drink bottle because he liked her confessed that well, he peed in her bottle because he liked her.

But sometimes they dont want to admit what theyve done, such as what happened with a recent case at an elementary school in Gunma Prefecture.

Hirotoshi Ono, a 28-year-old male teacher who worked at the school, was arrested for leaving his smartphone in the girls changing room and recording with it. It was apparently hidden inside the cover of a dictionary, and police investigated after being contacted by the school principal.

While Ono has admitted to leaving the smartphone inside the girls changing room, he also said this regarding why he did it: I put it there in case there were any problems in the changing room.
New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in collaboration with a Pvt firm Cordelia Cruises, launched Indias first indigenous cruise liner on September 18.

IRCTC has joined hands and signed the agreement with Cordelia Cruises being operated by Waterways Leisure Tourism Private Ltd for promotion and marketing of the first indigenous luxury cruise in India. This is another incredible luxury travel offering under IRCTCs umbrella of tourism services to the public, the railway PSU said in a statement.

The cruise will travel to the most popular Indian and international tourist destinations such as Goa, Diu, Kochi, the Lakshadweep Islands, and Sri Lanka. The bookings can be made through the IRCTC website.

#IRCTCTourism brings to you the ultimate cruisecation on #Indias first premium cruise liner, #Cordelia Cruise. With breathtaking views & world-class services, this city on the sea is everything youve dreamt of & more. #Booking & #details on https://t.co/FWe8nzhxMJ  IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) September 14, 2021



The tourists onboard the cruise will travel to tourist destinations such as Goa, Diu, Kochi, and the Lakshadweep Islands in the first phase. Currently, it has its base in Mumbai.

In the second phase, the cruise will be relocated to Chennai, beginning from May 2022. Later it will travel to Sri Lankan destinations such as Colombo, Galle, Trincomalee, and Jaffna.

If you love to holiday in style, then this bespoke tour with Lakshadweep Leisure tour on #Cordelia Cruise is made for you. Get a taste of the sea on this exclusive holiday experience & feel alive! #Book now on https://t.co/7Z4gmi3qM5  IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) September 13, 2021

IRCTC indigenous cruise liner details:

Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai (2 Nights 3 Days)

Mumbai  Diu  Mumbai (2 Nights 3 Days)

Mumbai  at sea  Mumbai (2 Nights 3 Days)

Kochi  Lakshadweep  at sea  Mumbai (3 Nights 4Days)

Mumbai  at sea  Lakshadweep  at sea  Mumbai (4 Nights 5 Days)

Goa  Mumbai  at sea  Lakshadweep  at sea  Goa (5 Nights 6 Days)

Chennai  at sea  Colombo (2 Nights 3 Days)

Chennai  Jaffna  Chennai (2 Nights 3 Days)

Chennai  at sea  Colombo  Galle  Trincomalee  Chennai (5 Nights 6 Days).

The cost of the travel for individual varies from Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 depending upon the trips.

Besides, children up to the age of 12 years can sail free on any of the trips on any of the cruises till February 2022, only if the bookings are made till October 31, 2021. Port charges, gratuity, and GST will apply to children aging from 2-12 years.

Covid-19 protocols will be followed strictly inside the cruise. All the crew members are fully vaccinated. According to the official mandate of the government, the number of guests on each cruise will be limited.

Besides, the cruise features a package of recreational and leisure activities such as restaurant, swimming pool, bar, theatre, open cinema, kids area, gymnastic, and others.
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.
Who is the author of this writing? This is an important question for you the reader to know about, for the more you know of me the more confidence you will likely have about the quality of the opinions being offered. It is for that reason that I have endeavored to provide biographical inform
Wiil Biden help or hurt T-Mac in the state he handily carried in 2020? Photo: Shutterstock

With the attempted recall of California Governor Gavin Newsom lying in ruins, political types desperate for off-year bellwethers are shifting their their gaze to the Commonwealth of Virginias elections in November. They will certainly be easier to interpret. Unlike California and its strange two-question recall ballot, Virginia is having a regular general election, albeit one with no federal offices (or state-senate seats) on the ballot. Nor will Virginians all get an unsolicited mail ballot as Californians did: While Virginia has moved rapidly toward liberalized voting rules under recent Democratic governance (even enacting its own voting-rights law), voters still have to take the initiative to vote early in person or by mail.

But the biggest difference is that while Virginia has turned blue in recent elections (Republicans have not won a statewide contest since 2009), it is vastly more competitive than California, which wasnt about to elect a Republican governor other than through the bizarre two-step process of a vote to remove Newsom combined with a plurality of the vote in a replacement contest that Democratic candidates (and many Democratic voters) were boycotting. In Virginia, Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin has a punchers chance of defeating Democratic former governor Terry McAuliffe straight up.

But different as the two states and their contests undoubtedly are, McAuliffe seems to be going with much of the Newsom playbook, according to the intrepid Ron Brownstein:

McAuliffe is betting mostly on the same three messages that lifted Newsom in California. Hes relentlessly linked the Republican to Trump, who endorsed him. McAuliffe has also called for codifying the right to abortion in the Virginia Constitution, an issue that has gained relevance since five GOP-appointed Supreme Court justices recently refused to block a Texas law banning abortion after about six weeks.

Above all, McAuliffe has hammered Youngkin for opposing mask and vaccine mandates to fight the Covid-19 outbreak.

This McAuliffe ad isnt quite as hard-edged as Newsom ads accusing top Republican rival Larry Elder of being an anti-vaxxer, but its close:

Youngkin, on the other hand, doesnt have Elders rich record of controversial right-wing utterances and questionable personal conduct; indeed, part of his appeal to Republicans is that he is one of those outsider-businessman candidates with no record and huge sacks of money he has been willing to use to self-fund his campaign. After winning the nomination (and a Trump endorsement) with the minimum MAGA posturing necessary, Youngkin has fallen silent on controversial issues as much as he can, instead deploying an anodyne moderate-conservative message about more jobs and fewer taxes. This distinctly unalarming ad is typical:

Youngkin cannot actually move to the center, as Virginia-based political scientist Larry Sabato explained to Brownstein:

To maintain the super-heated energy that Trump generated among the GOPs mostly rural Virginia base, he cant change his opposition to vaccine mandates or legal abortion, even though those views limit his suburban potential. Youngkins affable and hes a good guy. But he cant do anything about the positions that are hurting him [in the suburbs], says Sabato.

To win, Youngkin has to count on the natural midterm swing against the party that controls the White House, a tendency that until recently was an iron law of Virginia politics. In 2013, McAuliffe broke a streak of nine consecutive gubernatorial races in which the party controlling the White House lost. Even though Biden won Virginia by ten points in 2020, his job approval ratio has been underwater in recent Virginia polls: 46 percent approve and 51 percent disapprove, for example, in the latest Washington PostGeorge Mason University poll. Its possible Virginia voters are exhibiting some fatigue with Democrats generally: That same Post-GMU poll showed outgoing Governor Ralph Northams approval ratings sagging as he prepares to leave office.

As always, the late-campaign focus on building partisan enthusiasm should sharpen the Virginia race as Election Day grows nigh, though Virginia candidates dont have the partisan voter-registration lists that made intense targeted messaging so easy in California. Expect to see a lot of Trump images in McAuliffe ads and a lot of allusions in Youngkin ads to whatever conservative talking point polls well among independents. The Democrat may have an advantage in that his more issue-oriented attacks on his opponent on COVID-19 policies and abortion rights should help keep progressives  among whom McAuliffe has never been terribly popular  in his camp. Youngkin, of course, will rely on the natural enthusiasm of those who despise the party in power in Richmond and in nearby Washington.

Without question, there will be a lot of ads and other paid messaging. McAuliffe is a legendary national political fundraiser, while Youngkin is rich as Croesus. So far, McAuliffe has led every public poll of the race, but it seems to be tightening: In the FiveThirtyEight polling averages, which adjust the results to account for reliability and partisan bias, McAuliffe is currently up by just 3.1 percent. Neither candidate can afford a serious mistake, and whatever happens will likely be spun to death as either an unmistakable sign of things to come or an irrelevant outlier as the midterms approach.
In the Republican Partys long, gradual slide into authoritarianism, a few key moments stand out for revealing the stark transformation under way. One of them is the memo written by conservative lawyer John Eastman advocating, on President Trumps behalf, a legal path for him to seize an unelected second term in office.

The memo, uncovered by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in their new book, Peril, is significant both because of its author, a prestigious conservative legal scholar, and the horrifying ramifications of his argument, which would have likely spelled an end to the republican form of government that has existed in the United States since 1789.

Eastmans argument at least broadly tracks the plan embraced by Trump and the mob of right-wing supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6. It posits that the Electoral Count Act grants the vice-president discretion over which electoral ballots to accept as part of the official count.

This is the six-point plan advanced by Trump lawyer John Eastman for VP Pence to overturn the election on January 6th.https://t.co/IkgmEuCW8b pic.twitter.com/CXWTVY1LL7  Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) September 20, 2021

The legal merits of the argument dont matter very much  Eastmans interpretation is widely derided as crazy, but the key point is that even if hes right, he would have identified a wormhole in the Constitution permitting the vice-president to override the election results. Since the vice-presidents interests are typically aligned with the presidents, this power would allow the presidents party to stay in office through an indefinite series of elections.

To be sure, while Eastmans argument persuaded the president of the United States and several officials close to him, it failed to sway many other leading Republicans, including its most important target: the vice-president himself. Most Republicans tend to dismiss episodes like Eastmans memo as idiosyncratic ravings ignored by the powers that be. And it is possible the waning days of Trump will eventually be seen as the high-water mark of authoritarian sentiment within the party. But the bulk of the evidence suggests instead that it is a way station to a much darker destination.

After briefly recoiling at Trumps attempted autogolpe, his party has largely fallen behind him. Trump  confounding the complacent belief that he is too lazy and incompetent to wield authoritarian power  has diligently targeted officials with power over election results and replaced them with loyal functionaries. Trumpist candidates now stand poised to grasp ahold of the election machinery in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan. Trumps endorsements have usually proven decisive in Republican primaries. In Arizona, he praised his preferred secretary-of-State candidates incredibly powerful stance on the massive Voter Fraud that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election Scam; in Michigan, he praised his endorsee as strong on Crime, including the massive Crime of Election Fraud.

Trump has intimidated his internal opposition into silence, opportunistically picking off his critics. Last week, Representative Anthony Gonzalez, until recently considered a rising star in the party, announced his retirement in a concession that his vote to impeach Trump for attempting to subvert the election left him certain to lose his upcoming primary. The partys future belongs to the loyalists who have either tacitly or explicitly endorsed his ravings.

A typical case is Representative Elise Stefanik, now the third-ranking Republican in the House, who asserts that Democrats are planning a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION by offering undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Here is a perfect sample of the logic and rhetoric of Trumps authoritarian allies. First, it presents the Democratic Party as the instigator of threats to democratic government (by allowing too many immigrants, who will become voters, presumably for the Democrats). Then it turns Trumps own behavior into a label for the opposition  immigration reform becomes an insurrection, which of course justifies counter-insurrections by the GOP.

Trumps absurd charging that the election was stolen from him has become the firm majority position among Republicans, claiming roughly 70 percent support. The opposition has retreated to the point where it now frames its objections in minimalist pragmatic terms: Voter-fraud accusations are counterproductive messaging that discourages voter turnout, conservatives sometimes protest.

It may well be true that hyping up vote fraud discourages some Republican would-be voters from casting a ballot. But it encourages Republican legislators to enact the voter-suppression laws taking shape across the country. And it further encourages the party to challenge and undermine elections it loses. This rhetoric hurts our partys efforts to gain power is an argument that works to an extent against failed bids to overturn an election but has little purchase against successful ones.

Naked authoritarian belief has crept from the margins of the Republican Party before Trump to its very center now. The crisis might not come in 2024, but unless some heretofore undiscovered force comes along to stop its takeover of the party, the crisis will come eventually.
This image may be what Gavin Newsom dreams of at night, but its not real. Photo: Mike Blake/REUTERS

Count me among the many political observers who think Governor Gavin Newsom deserves a lot of credit for the margin of his decisive victory over a recall effort in California last week. He took the risk of this disaster quite seriously and was very disciplined in how he fought it both on the campaign trail and in how he governed in Sacramento. Some of the strategic decisions he made that I second-guessed were probably smart.

But lets not get carried away, as Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Barabak clearly did:

Newsom should be a very hot commodity right now, especially after beating the recall by such a huge margin. He might conceivably top the list of prospective Democratic presidential candidates touted by political gossips and others who set the early betting line.

But one thing stands in his way: Vice President Kamala Harris.

While fellow Californian Harris does indeed stand in the way of President Newsom, its not like thats the only thing. To begin with, Newsoms recall victory wasnt that impressive a personal triumph. His successful strategy involved making partisan polarization the issue in the recall. Almost by definition, that meant the identity of the specific Democrat occupying the office Republicans were trying to swipe and bend to their nefarious anti-vaxx MAGA ends was nearly irrelevant. Not surprisingly, the percentage of those voting no was almost identical to the percentage won in California by Joe Biden in 2020. Its not like Democrats (who simply had to check one box on a ballot conveniently mailed to them, seal it, and pop it in a postage-paid reply envelope) were lining up at the polls to vindicate the reputation of Gavin Newsom.

And its impossible to forget that the whole $300 million boondoggle of a recall election would almost certainly never have occurred if Newsom hadnt lit a huge fire under his detractors with a spectacular gaffe my colleague Gabriel Debenedetti aptly described:

With his constituents in the grips of COVID cabin fever, he was caught maskless with political allies at the French Laundry in Napa  a gift to his opponents that a Hollywood writers room might reject as too on-the-nose.

Barabak goes on to recite the history of California as a state whose vast size and influence has made it a launchpad for the presidential destinies of so many of its governors, from Ronald Reagan to  well, thats it. Yes, others  from Hiram Johnson to Earl Warren to Jerry Brown to Pete Wilson  have run for president, yet all but Reagan failed dismally. The idea made more sense when the Golden State was a presidential battleground offering a rich harvest of electoral votes to both major parties. Now its hard to imagine a Democratic presidential candidate who could even flirt with losing California. Democrats dont need Newsom (or Harris or anyone else) to win there. Harris, of course, now has a national political base as Bidens veep that far, far exceeds anything Newsom has, even in the glare of positive publicity about the recall.

But a sunny assessment of Newsoms presidential prospects is not the most risible thing in the Times column. Its this totally authentic quote from Newsom himself:

Did the smashing result, Major Garrett of CBS News wished to know, accelerate or diminish Newsoms ambitions to be president?

Literally 100% never been on my radar, said the conquering Democrat, delivering the inevitable response.

In a profession where its assumed everyone wants to be president, Newsom has stood out for years as a Man on the Move with an eye on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and not just because of his cover-model looks and his impeccable connections. Heres what Tad Friend reported in a profile of Newsom published in 2018:

As a young man, Newsom made VHS tapes of three subjects and studied them obsessively: the smooth lefty swing of the Giants first baseman Will Clark; episodes of Remington Steele; and every speech by Bill Clinton. When Newsom was mayor, his staff always knew when hed been studying Clinton, because hed speak with an Arkansas twang. He still employs Clinton mannerisms on the stump: the bit lip of empathy, the genial head toggle as he adjudicates, the drill-sergeant jaw pop before he wades in. Yet one official who knows both men suggested that their affects differ: Bill Clinton peers deeply into your soul. Gavin peers deeply into the mirror at himself.

Look, I dont want to pick on Newsom. Hundreds of thousands of Americans decide during childhood that they will someday be president; I went to law school with about 300 of them. The California governor is unquestionably smart and hardworking, and he is doing an extremely difficult job well enough to pass any resume test for higher office. Compared to the likes of, say, Ron DeSantis, Newsom would qualify for a spot on Mount Rushmore. But in a country where people still really, really distrust politicians and resent elites, Gavin Newsom will always be the dude who saw nothing wrong with breaking his own pandemic rules in order to party at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the world with a lobbyist. Perhaps Newsom will henceforth accomplish enough as governor of California to make a national political audience forget about the breathtaking arrogance he seemed to display then, and if he does, Ill be the drum major of his presidential parade. But he would be very wise right now to forget about higher office.
An internationally renowned group of scientists, researchers and clinicians will work with Avicedas in-house team to spearhead development of the next generation of glyco-immune therapeutics.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., September 20, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aviceda Therapeutics, an IND-stage, pre-clinical biotech company focused on developing the next generation of immuno-modulators by harnessing the power of glycobiology to manipulate the innate immune system and chronic, non-resolving inflammation, is announcing additional members of its Scientific Advisory Board who will help shape ongoing research and development efforts.

The new additional Aviceda Scientific Advisory Board members includes:

Yvette van Kooyk, PhD

Richard Kennedy, MD, PhD

Jim Johnston, PhD

"Aviceda is honored and privileged to add new world-class scientists and renowned researchers to join our efforts in developing the next generation of glyco-immune therapeutics for the treatment of immune-dysfunction conditions," said Mohamed A. Genead, MD, Co-Founder & President of Aviceda Therapeutics.

Prof. Van Kooyk is Head of the Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology Department at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In 2000, Prof. Van Kooyk discovered the innate receptor DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin on Dendritic cells, playing a crucial role in HIV recognition and cellular interactions through the recognition of glycan structures. This discovery set the stage for a new field that led to novel concepts on pathogen glycosylations that interact with the host via recognition by glycan binding receptors, such as C-type lectins and Siglecs, present on innate immune cells such as Dendritic cells and modulate immune responses.

Prof. Van Kooyk was awarded various NWO grants (PIONIER-ASPASIA-TOP) and EU grants (ERC Advanced-Eurostars-H2020) and the van Loghem award for life-time achievement in field of Immunology (2014). She received the SPINOZA award in 2019, a highest scientific award in the Netherlands, and is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW, 2018). She published more than 280 scientific papers in well recognized journals (Cell, Nature, Nature Immunology, PNAS, and JEM) and supervised 29 PhD students. She is inventor of 6 patents.

Story continues

"The novelty of Avicedas platform technology is its potential to affect immune responses associated with a wide range of disease states, many of which are currently unmet or underserved needs. I look forward to the continued development of Avicedas core technology and moving forward to clinical trials that will pave the way for truly disruptive therapeutic strategies to enter the clinic that will significantly impact and improve patients lives in the not-too-distant future," said Prof. Van Kooyk.

Prof. Dr. Richard Kennedy is the McClay Professor in Medical Oncology at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queens University of Belfast. He graduated in Medicine from Queens University Belfast in 1995. As a post-graduate, he trained as a Medical Oncologist and received a PhD in Molecular Biology in 2004 from Queens University Belfast. In 2004, he moved to the US to work as an instructor in Oncology at Harvard Medical School, USA, where he identified novel biomarkers and drug targets for cancer treatment. This work was published in several high impact journals and the associated patent was in-licensed by a Boston-based start-up company (DNAR) in 2007.

In 2011, Prof. Kennedy established a research group focused on various aspects of stratified medicine at Queens University Belfast. As part of this role, he treated oncology patients in Phase I and II clinical trials at the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre until 2018. He currently sits on the Cancer Research UK new agents committee and acts as a Scientific Advisor to Northern Ireland Government as a member of the MATRIX Committee. His current research focus is on how the immune system responds to DNA damage through activation of the STING pathway. He is a CLIA, CLEP, and College of American Pathologists recognized diagnostic laboratory director.

"Working with Aviceda represents a unique opportunity to contribute to science at the cutting edge. Its pipeline contains a broad range of candidates that represents numerous first-in-class opportunities," said Prof. Kennedy.

Prof. Johnston is CSO and COO of ImmPACT Bio Ltd, a CAR-T cell therapy company based in LA. Prof. Johnston was a co-founder and CSO of Kalthera LLC, a T cell therapy company based on IP derived from UCLA. Kalthera merged with ImmPACT in July 2021.

Prof. Johnston was previously, Vice President of Research at A2 Biotherapeutics, focused on T cell and Treg bioengineering therapy and prior to that was Executive Director of Research, Global Head of Inflammation at Amgen with responsibility for Inflammation and part of Immuno-Oncology (2011-2018), where his team was responsible for ten drug candidates that progressed to FIH, seven of which are advancing through clinical trials. He made several key discoveries  including the identification and characterization of JAK3 and work that outlined its importance in IL-2 family signaling and in autosomal SCID patients, as well as many mechanisms controlling T cell biology and cytokine signaling. Jim has been awarded the Most Valuable Scientist award at the BRMP, NIH (1996), the Hajime Award at DNAX Research Institute, (1999) and the Irish Society of Immunology RDS Public Lecture Award (2010). He founded and was Chief Scientist at Fusion Antibodies Ltd, a company that develops humanized antibody therapeutics. He has 15 patents and has authored >130 peer reviewed manuscripts.

"The Aviceda team is already building on the foundational work in the emerging field of glycobiology to develop potential therapeutics and interventional strategies. Their work could be critically important for growing the understanding of how glycobiology and glycochemistry are applicable to immunology, and more broadly, to the field of drug and therapeutic development," said Prof. Johnston.

About Aviceda Therapeutics

Founded in 2018 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aviceda Therapeutics is a late-stage, pre-clinical biotechnology company with a mission to develop the next generation of glyco-immune therapeutics (GITs) utilizing a proprietary technology platform to modulate the innate immune system and chronic, non-resolving inflammation. Aviceda has assembled a world-class, cross-disciplinary team of recognized scientists, clinicians, and drug developers to tackle devastating ocular and systemic degenerative, immunologic, inflammatory diseases. At Aviceda, we exploit a unique family of receptors found expressed on all innate immune cells and their associated glycobiological interactions to develop transformative medicines. Combining the power of our biology with our innovative cell-based high-throughput screening platform and proprietary nanoparticle technology, we can modulate the innate immune response specifically and profoundly. Aviceda is developing a pipeline of GITs that are delivered via biodegradable nanoparticles and which safely and effectively target numerous immune-inflammatory conditions. Avicedas lead ophthalmic optimized nanoparticle, as an intravitreal formulation, AVD-104, is being developed to target various immune system responses that contribute to pathology associated with dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD) and Geographic Atrophy (GA).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210920005129/en/

Contacts

Michael Tolentino, MD

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer

info@avicedarx.com
RuPaul breaks Emmys record for most wins by a black performer https://t.co/o53DMcXP7T pic.twitter.com/lOGBV3k78H  New York Post (@nypost) September 20, 2021



RuPaul Charles just sashayed his way into Emmys history.

The longtime host of RuPauls Drag Race claimed three awards at Sunday nights 73rd annual Emmys, bringing his statuette total to 11 since 2016  the most for any black performer in history and all of which he earned with the competition show.

The event saw the 60-year-old icons 16th total nomination for the RuPauls Drag Race franchise. The show overall has received 59 nominations and nabbed 25 Emmys.

Wow, thank you so much to the Academy and all of you gorgeous people here tonight, RuPaul said in his acceptance speech. All of the people at World of Wonder and Viacom-CBS who have been so wonderful, but really thanks to all of our lovely children on our show from around the world. You know, they are so gracious to tell their stories of courage and how to navigate this difficult life, even more difficult today. This is for you. And for the kids out there watching: You have a tribe that is waiting for you. We are waiting for you, baby: come on to Mama Ru. Thank you so much.

The previous record-holder was cinematographer Donald A. Morgan.
first mulan now this, disney really sucks when it comes to the asian actors they hire to represent their brand.

Reply

Thread

Link

Oh fuck you, Disney. I saw Shang-Chi and I really want to see it again, but I'm not dealing with an army of maskless morons just so that Disney can get a few more weeks of box office profits.

Reply

Thread

Link

disney+ day

Reply

Thread

Link

Well, at least they have faith in it, or at least faith in anyone who isn't Simu or Nora I guess, but....well, after their antics, I can just wait a little longer to [redacted] this.

Reply

Thread

Link

still excited despite the mrasians of it all

Reply

Thread

Link

I really enjoyed this movie it felt like a actual movie theatre experience ( I waiting till it had been out for weeks so theatre was pretty empty) also I did not realize free guy was Disney?

Reply

Thread

Link

It was made by Fox, but Disney bought Fox so they're still putting those remaining titles out. 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I only want to see this movie for Tony Leung. Can they release a Shang-Chi (Tonys Version)?

Reply

Thread

Link

Disney+ day? Netflix drops that amount of releases on a Tuesday but ok.

Reply

Thread

Link

lmao they're also doing announcements and trailers that day like netflix's whole tudum thing.



i just want to see a clip of the new proud family and some percy jackson news.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

wasnt that interested with nora lum in it and now after the simu messiness...lol

Reply

Thread

Link



Ciao Alberto is a Luca short  coming to Disney+ on November 12th!! I can wait for you to find out more about it!!

  Enrico Casarosa (@sketchcrawl) September 21, 2021 Also coming on 11/12:

Reply

Thread

Link

I will probably watch this & Jungle Cruise.



It would kind of be nice to see something at the theater again though.

Reply

Thread

Link

Good, now I don't have to go to the theater at all. They've been counting streaming numbers as well so it will still count. I'll also watch Jungle Cruise.

Reply

Thread

Link

i enjoyed this movie so, so much. one of the better marvel movies imo, i'm a sucker for family narratives.

Reply

Thread

Link

So while cases are going up this is what Disney decide to do.. interesting choice.

Reply

Thread

Link

Well at least I will have something interesting to watch while I lock myself down for the winter because the US continues to be on fire lol :(

Reply

Thread

Link

FUCKING YESSSSS, ima watch it on my step dads big screen tv in the dark for the faux theatre experience im READYYYYY

Reply

Thread

Link

i saw this before all the crazy drama about simu liu cam out and i gotta tell you i really loved it?? it felt very different from a lot of other marvel origin films



that being said



what a fucking mess of a human he is and what a disappointment

Reply

Thread

Link

Trying to be THE thanksgiving weekend family movie, eh?

Reply

Thread

Link
Russia must start getting used to lower oil, gas, and coal use in the future, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told Russian media, adding that the government will approve a plan for adjusting Russia's economy to the global energy transition by the end of the year, TASS has reported.

"The world economy is aimed at a gradual transition to low-carbon energy, and this is already a new reality. It is necessary to prepare for a step-by-step reduction in the use of traditional fuels: oil, gas, coal. [It is necessary] to improve energy efficiency, develop alternative energy, build appropriate infrastructure," the Russian prime minister said.

"What will be done this year? First of all, this is a long-term forecast until 2050. This is the basis for development and decision-making. It includes such parameters as energy balance, carbon balance, macroeconomic parameters, GDP growth rates, trade parameters, investments, growth of real incomes of the population, etc. This [will be] an assessment of our opportunities and risks. The main parameters of the forecast should be developed by October 1," the official explained.

Oil and gas are major export revenue contributors to Moscow's budget. Russia is a major gas supplier to China and Europe, and exports oil all over the world, last month becoming the second-largest oil supplier to none other than the United States.

However, even in Russia, decision-makers are beginning to sense the change in political priorities elsewhere, the reason being this change in priorities has the potential to seriously affect Russia.

Last month, Rosneft president Igor Sechin warned that the carbon border tax the EU has introduced to level the playing field for its heavy industries could do Russia more harm than sanctions. At the same time, Russia has the world's largest carbon sink in Siberia forests and wants to capitalize on that by having it recognized. Over the longer term, however, if energy shift forecasts are correct, the country would need to adjust to much lower oiland maybe gasdemand on a global level.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Anglo-Dutch oil supermajor Shell is set to leave the Permian with a divestment worth close to $10 billion.

The company said it will sell its assets in the shale play to ConocoPhillips for a total price of $9.5 billion.

"After reviewing multiple strategies and portfolio options for our Permian assets, this transaction with ConocoPhillips emerged as a very compelling value proposition," said Wael Sawan, Upstream Director at Shell.

"This decision once again reflects our focus on value over volumes as well as disciplined stewardship of capital. This transaction, made possible by the Permian team's outstanding operational performance, provides excellent value to our shareholders through accelerating cash delivery and additional distributions."

In fact, there is a big chance the decision to exit the Permian has a lot to do with a Dutch court ruling from earlier this year that ordered Shell to reduce its carbon footprint considerably.

"The court orders Royal Dutch Shell... to reduce its CO2 output and those of its suppliers and buyers by the end of 2030 by a net of 45 percent based on 2019 levels," said the court in May.

Divestments immediately emerged as the most realistic way for Shell to comply with the court order, although, as chief executive Ben van Beurden said at the time, just because Shell sells oil assets, it would not mean that global emissions would fall because someone else will be developing these assets. In the case of the Permian, this will be Conoco, a company with a solid presence in U.S. shale already.

According to Bloomberg, the deal will make ConocoPhillips one of the largest Permian players as its new Permian assets will give it an additional daily production in 2022 of about 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent.

The Anglo-Dutch major said it will use the proceeds from the deal to distribute some $7 billion among shareholders in additional cash return, "with the remainder used for further strengthening of the balance sheet." The all-cash deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

Shell saw its share price rise as a result of the news. At 9:49 AM ET, the price of one share Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) was up by 4.68% at $41.34.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
In line with the UAEs role as a principal member of the U.S.s new Middle East strategy to counter Chinas increasing influence in the region, Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Co., announced last week that it has begun operations at its 600,000 cubic metres (cu m) second phase storage facility at the Port of Fujairah.



This will bring its total capacity to around 1 million cu m, equivalent to 6.3 million barrels of crude oil. The additional capacity is part of the UAEs plan  and the USs  for Fujairah to dramatically expand its crude oil storage capacity to at least 12 million cu m by 2024, and  according to comments from the Fujairah port development authorities earlier this year - to at least 17 million cu m within a year or so after that. In so doing, the UAE and US hope to counter the threat that Iran will disrupt crude supplies through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint  through which around 30 percent of the worlds oil transits  whilst being able to freely export its own oil supplies from the recently completed Jask hub at much higher prices (given the price spike that would result from a blockade of the Strait). As it stands, the once-fanciful notion of Fujairah  one of the UAEs smallest and lesser known emirates  becoming one of the worlds great oil storage and trading hubs, alongside the Far Easts Singapore hub, Europes ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp), and the U.S.s Cushing - gained real commercial momentum only after the major 2011/12 Strait of Hormuz Dispute.



This began in December 2011 when Iran threatened to cut off oil supply through the Strait should economic sanctions limit, or cut off, Iranian oil exports, and included a 10-day military exercise in international waters near the chokepoint. Fujairah at that point was rightly regarded as having an extremely strategically advantageous position to deal with such potential supply disruptions, being located both outside the Persian Gulf and 160 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz.



It was also seen as not aligned to any possibly pro-Iranian country, such as Oman, which at that time (and still) has major plans with Iran to co-operate in Tehrans build-out of a world-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. An additional advantage that Fujairah offered in that 2012 analysis was that it affords international oil companies the facility to do business in the same generally transparent and non-corrupt legal framework found across the UAE.

Although various stages of Fujairahs overall expansion plans were subject to delays prior to the onset of the last great downturn in global oil prices in 2020, due to lower forward oil prices making hydrocarbons storage a less attractive option, each element of the overall project to make Fujairahs the pre-eminent Middle Eastern storage hub  termed Black Pearl  has gradually come into line. The pace of this picked up after the 380 kilometer Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline from the Habshan onshore field in Abu Dhabi to Fujairah city became operational in June 2012, capable of transporting 1.8 million bpd and allowing for the smooth movement of UAE crude to the global market.

At that time, Fujairah also rolled out a wide range of the corollary services required in a global storage hub, including facilities for the loading and discharge of partially laden very large crude carriers (VLCCs) for crude oil and refined products, the blending of crude oil, fuel oil and clean products, the storage and supply of bunker fuel, and inter- and intra-tank cargo transfer. Within a relatively short time, the Fujairah ports jetties had the capacity to accommodate both small barge vessels (3,000 deadweight tonnage, DWT) and the larger VLCCs (up to 300,000 DWT). In 2015, Vopak Horizon Fujairah also announced that it was building five crude oil storage tanks with a total capacity of 478,000 cubic meters at the port and intended to expand that number.

Part of the positive backdrop for the continued expansion of the Fujairah hub was always expected to be the trade flows coming out of the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre, with more storage capacity allowing traders greater flexibility in their deals, and a very supportive financial infrastructure created by the Fujairah authorities. This has certainly proven to be the case and Fujairah further stands to benefit from the ongoing rise in volumes traded over the recently established Abu Dhabi-based ICE Futures Abu Dhabi (IFAD). This has seen the number of contracts traded jump from 6,344 (equivalent to 6,344,000 barrels) on 29 March to a high of 20,124 (20,124.000 barrels equivalent) on 6 July.

Related: Crude Stocks At Cushing Have Dropped By 42% So Far This Year



Launched in March this year, the IFAD was specifically created for the trading of Murban futures contracts. The light, sweet Murban crude oil grade is one of the four crudes produced by the UAEs key geopolitical corporate hydrocarbons proxy, ADNOC, although it is the main one in volume terms, accounting for around half of the UAEs total near-4 million bpd crude oil production before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ICE and ADNOC, Murban futures is the second most physically delivered futures contract traded on a regional exchange after Dubai Mercantile Exchanges Oman crude futures, and Murban is also a deliverable grade in the Platts benchmark Dubai and Oman crude assessments. ICE and ADNOC partnered with BP, GS Caltex, Inpex, ENEOS, PetroChina, PTT, Shell, Total, and Vitol to launch the IFAD, and ICE has also announced agreements with Chevron, Trafigura, and Occidental to explore using the contract to price crude exports from the U.S. to Asia.

Given this solid business rationale and its highly favorable geographical position, Fujairah looks set to continue to benefit from its highly advantageous strategic position outside the perennially troublesome Strait of Hormuz and outside the rest of the Persian Gulf as well. Instead, Fujairah offers an unencumbered direct port on the Gulf of Oman  but on the eastern side of Oman itself  which means that any oil kept there will be able to avoid any blockade that Iran might again be imposed on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This option has become increasingly attractive to Iran given its finalization of the Guriyeh-Jask oil pipeline and as the U.S. dithers over concluding a new iteration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (nuclear deal). Fujairahs geographical position also allows any oil kept there to avoid any future problems that may arise with Oman if the Sultanate succumbs to Chinas current wooing of it to become part of its OBOR-related sphere of influence.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The potential implosion of China's property market and broader economy sent oil prices tumbling at the start of the week.

Energy Market Chart of the Week





According to Rystad Energy, this year will see the highest-ever number of geothermal wells drilled as the geothermal sector sees waves of renewed interest.

Rystad sees the global well capital expenditure on geothermal exceeding $1 billion this year, with the overall number of geothermal wells drilled surpassing 200 in 2021.

The pace of geothermal drilling is poised to speed up in the upcoming years, with Rystad seeing the 2025 drilling tally at 500 already, i.e. more than doubling the current levels of drilling.

The upcoming decade should see a massive ramp-up in geothermal capacity as it makes inroads into urban heating and lithium extraction, with global capacity reaching 36GW by 2030.

Energy Market Movers

Leading wind turbine producer Vestas (COP:VWS) will cease production at three factories in Germany, Spain, and Denmark in a bid to integrate onshore and offshore business, possibly hinting at the European wind sector experiencing difficulties amidst high commodity prices.

will cease production at three factories in Germany, Spain, and Denmark in a bid to integrate onshore and offshore business, possibly hinting at the European wind sector experiencing difficulties amidst high commodity prices. US oil firm ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) agreed to buy Shells (NYSE:RDS.A) Permian Basin for $9.5 billion in cash, boosting its shale production portfolio by some 195kbpd and marking the second-largest transaction of this year following the January purchase of Concho Resources.

agreed to buy Permian Basin for $9.5 billion in cash, boosting its shale production portfolio by some 195kbpd and marking the second-largest transaction of this year following the January purchase of Concho Resources. Brazils leading mining company Vale (NYSE:VALE) will pay $7.6 billion in H1 dividends, setting a $1.54 per share price and surprising analysts with its highest payout since the 2019 Brumadinho dam catastrophe.

Oil Prices Today, Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Despite 18% of oil production and 27% of gas production in the Gulf of Mexico being offline, oil prices are under pressure due to worrying economic developments in China. The seemingly imminent collapse of Chinas Evergrande conglomerate sent markets into a tailspin on Monday, although oil prices recovered slightly Tuesday despite demand fears.

Japan Oil Index Futures Launch Fails to Impress.

The latest addition to the world of oil futures, the CME Petroleum Index Futures - combining WTI, gasoline, and heating oil contracts - started trading at the Osaka Exchange on Tuesday, with only 439 contracts traded in its first trading session.

Related: Shell Exits Permian In $9.5 Billion Deal

Norway Pledges More Gas to Europe.

Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) and its partners vowed to ramp up gas production at the Oseberg and Troll fields, by 1bcm per year each, to produce more natural gas for the undersupplied European market.

Shells Singapore Refinery Catches Fire.

The 500kbpd Pulau Bukom Refinery in southwestern Singapore, operated by Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A), saw a firebreak out on Friday, which was brought under control the same day with no significant impact on downstream supply.

Pioneer Puts Delaware Acreage on Sale.

US shale oil producer Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD) has reportedly put its oil and gas assets in the Delaware Basin on sale, seeking to cash in at least $2 billion from the sale as it increases its focus on its base acreage in the Permians Midland.

Lebanon Demands Answers over Halliburton Drilling.

Following a controversial decision by Israels government to grant US firm Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) an offshore drilling contract in the Mediterranean, Lebanon promised to reach out to the UN and the US to seek clarification as the acreage might be in disputed areas.

Petrobras Commits to Net-Zero Ambition by 2050.

Brazils national oil company Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) has signed up to a 2050 net-zero deadline, pledging to reach a 25% reduction in total emissions by 2030 already, becoming the second Latin American oil firm to do so after Ecopetrol.

Now It is Magnesiums Turn to Soar.

The price of magnesium, a metal used in the aerospace and automotive industry and produced predominantly in China, has surged to its highest level since 2008, at $4,700 per metric ton, on the back of widespread closures in Chinese smelters.

Gazprom Ups Spending Plans on Windfall Profits.

Boosted by larger-than-anticipated profits on the back of runaway gas prices in Europe, Russias gas giant Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) revised its 2021 upstream capex by more than $5 billion as it moves to speed up the construction of its pipeline network feeding into Power of Siberia.

German Carmakers Sued for Not Doing Enough on Climate.

Germanys leading car makers BMW (ETR:BMW) and Daimler (ETR:DAI) were sued by a local NGO that claims they refuse to tighten their carbon emissions target and should stop producing cars running on fossil fuels by 2030.

Russia Hikes 2022 Oil Output Target.

Russias draft budget for 2022 foresees an 8% year-on-year increase in national oil production, rising to 560 million tons (equivalent to 11.2 million b/d) next year. Similarly, oil exports are set to rise to 230 million tons.

Baker Hughes Lands Iraq Gas Capture Deal.

US oilfield services company Baker Hughes (NYSE:BKR) signed on to a new project that seeks to capture 200 MCf per day of flared gas from the Nassiriya and Gharaf oil fields for power generation as the Iraqi government seeks to diversify away from Iranian electricity imports.

Poland Defies EU Coal Mine Court Ruling.

The European Court of Justice ruled that Poland should halt operations at its PGE-operated (WSE:PGE) Turow lignite mine for risk of all sorts of environmental damage or risk paying a 500,000 daily penalty to the European Commission, a decision Warsaw openly vowed to disobey.

Libyan Infighting Ends in Stalemate.

The prime minister of Libyas government of National Unity revoked his own decision to sack the CEO of Libyas national oil company Mustafa Sanalla in a bid to defuse tensions that remain to run high following several ports being taken over by protests over the past two weeks.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
There is a buzz in the gas market, the likes of which has not been seen for a number of years. In the space of a year, we have moved from an expectation of plentiful cheap supplies to a concern that shortages could emerge if we have a cold winter. The journey to this new reality was somewhat predictable as several key factors including lack of drilling, under-investment in new sources of supply, capital restraint on the part of producers, and a shift toward renewable energy capital allocation have been in play for over a year now. I discussed some of these factors in an earlier OilPrice article back in June and forecast that prices would likely continue to rise for both oil and gas. Prices for both are higher now, but as we have seen, gas has continued to outperform oil in a year-over-year tripling of prices.

Recently some additional factors have entered the equation or sharpened their focus, and have contributed to the new scarcity mindset I mentioned above. In this article, we will review how these new factors have exacerbated the overall market, what we see happening over the near term, and what could influence the final trend that gas takes in the next nine months to a year.

Europe and the UK pay a price for energy Greening

One factor is the "greening" of the energy supply around the world, particularly in Europe. Much of the current global environmental impetus culminating in the thinking of Co2 as a harmful gas has its origins on the Continent and has easily spilled over the Channel to the U.K. Over the last decade, European countries have shifted to wind and solar for electricity generation, in pursuit of Paris goals and NetZero carbon in 2050. They have paid a price for this greenness ass you can see in the chart below. By comparison, in much of the U.S. utility rates average around $0.13 per KWH.

Statista

As a recent Wall Street Journal-WSJ article noted, this strategy is appearing a little fraught as over the summer months the wind stopped blowing, creating extra demand on what little gas supplies they had.

The episode underscored the precarious state the regions energy markets face heading into the long European winter. The electricity price shock was most acute in the U.K., which has leaned on wind farms to eradicate net carbon emissions by 2050. Prices for carbon credits, which electricity producers need to burn fossil fuels, are at records, too.

Related: China Oil Consumption Seen Peaking In 5 Years Additionally, the Europeans disincentivized the production of gas through the introduction of carbon taxes for years. There is an old saying in economics, that if you want less of something, you tax it. So far, the veracity of that old maxim has been borne out, judging from supplies.

Source

As so often is the case, some wounds are self-inflicted. In the case of gas, lower quantities of a key source of natural gas supply in Europe with the early closure of the Dutch gas giant, Groningen, helped bring the EU to the point they are at now. You can see imports from all sources track higher beginning in 2014 as supplies from Groningen began to be curtailed, and then were lowered still further in 2019.

Source

The Rystad article notes the following prognosis as regards the European gas market, in relation to the Groningen curtailments.

The drastic drop in output from Groningen will redefine the European energy landscape. The field, which had a rebound in production at the start of this century, reaching 57 billion m3 in 2013, was for decades the central cog in northwest Europes gas system.

The phase-out of this giant field will force Europe to expand its gas imports at an even quicker pace. We can already see this drastic shift taking place in the Netherlands, which is in the midst of the transition from being a net gas exporter to a net importer, says Carlos Torres-Diaz, head of gas markets research at Rystad Energy.

Source

If you don't keep up on happenings in Holland, decades of heavy withdrawals from Groningen had led to subsidence in the surrounding areas (always a concern for the Dutch.), and localized earthquakes of some severity. Plus, in the Dutch mindset, windmills are just a part of life.

When you combine the disincentives for drilling new supplies with the shift in capital allocations by producers as a result, you arrive where Europe is now. Having to pay out the nose to keep the lights and the heat on.

And, whom are they paying? The U.S.A. figures prominently in their energy mix. Shipments of LNG from U.S. shores to Europe had been running at all-time highs recently, and as this JPT article notes, we are still their biggest supplier, but the tide has shifted. Starting in 2020 Asia began to outbid European buyers for American supplies of LNG.

The Russians are coming to the rescue. At least right now. The EU depends on Russian gas to keep the lights on to an extent greater than suits their comfort, as the linked Bloomberg article notes. A recent Fortune article noted the eastward pull of Asia for gas supplies-

Making things worse, Asia is still a center of LNG demand - and a growing one: a push by the Chinese government away from coal, paired with the general economic resurgence, is drawing gas from both the U.S. and Russia, while inventories are low globally ahead of winter.

Fortune

So with Russian inventories low, some are concerned that they want to make a political statement to Germany about Nordstream II, and with the pull of Asia for U.S. supplies, what's the U.K and EU to do?

Without perhaps, as the recent fertilizer factory idling in the U.K presages.

Lost in the climate debate is the subject of fertilizer. Gas is used to make ammonia which in turn is used to make nitrate fertilizers. If you want to grow crops with maximum yields, or just grow them at all, you need fertilizer. And, no-there is no workaround to this century-old process known as the Haber-Bosch process, which removes hydrogen from methane - the principal component of natural gas. You can't plug a wind farm into a cornfield and grow corn. You must apply fertilizer. And, to get that...you need gas.

Last week two fertilizer factories in the UK shut down because of high gas prices. When they will restart is anybody's guess. As is the knock-on effect on fertilizer prices. As could become food prices which have been soaring for a variety of reasons.

When we combine all of these factors and add in one final variable - the chilly forecast for the winter in Europe, we have a troubling situation in the EU and UK for the next six to nine months.

Is the situation any better in the USA?

It will probably come as no surprise that the challenges we face in the U.S. are related to or similar to the problems across the pond. The EIA weekly gas storage report shows some modest improvement - up 83 BCF, from the week before, but reveals we are still about 8% below the 5-year average as we head into the winter withdrawal season.

At the same time, our supplies are curtailed from either a fall-off in shale drilling or a shut-in due to weather events, such as we experienced in the February Snowmaggedon event or the hurricanes that shut in GoM wells in August. We lost about 2-BCF/D from the GoM during this period, and some of it still had not been restored as of the second week in September. Related: Europes Energy Crisis Is Driving Up Natural Gas Prices Worldwide

Exports are consuming a larger share of our production than ever before in the form of LNG, and pipeline gas to Mexico. As we discussed above, the EU is increasingly dependent on supplies from the U.S. and Russia. In the case of the U.S., these supplies come in the form of LNG as it is easily transported by ship.

EIA

By increasing its pipeline infrastructure, Mexico has made a strategic decision to use more gas from its northern neighbor. A direct connection to the WAHA and Agua Dulce hubs has enabled the flow of billions of cubic feet per day southward. The linked Energy Information Agency article notes the volume of this flow of shale gas toward Mexico.

U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 6.8 Bcf/d in June 2021, up 25% from June 2020 and 44% more than the previous five-year (20162020) monthly average. We expect these record-high flows, which were driven by increased power demand, high temperatures, and greater industrial demand in June, to continue through the summer.

EIA

All of this gas is held by long-term contracts executed when supplies of gas were more plentiful, just a year ago.

EIA

Your takeaway

Shortages or tight supplies of gas could likely persist well into next year. The problems in Europe are structural. They are compelled to import gas from either the U.S. or Russia. Or both. Asia has set itself on a course that includes gas from these sources as well.

I think the same case can be made for the U.S. We have some of the same disincentives to drill for new supplies, governmental disfavor at the state and federal levels combined with challenges in obtaining financing. Many of the financial challenges have been abated by the increased cash flow being generated by drillers, but as we have seen they have little interest in growing supplies. This trend in shale drillers was noted in detail in an OilPrice article this month.

Outlier concerns could exacerbate this situation. We face a very antagonistic administration that is looking for ways to advantage renewables by punishing oil and gas. One feature is contained in the "Methane Reduction Act" which will levy what amounts to a carbon tax of $1,800 per ton on high carbon content fuels like natural gas which is mostly methane. Not satisfied with that, progressives are trying to disincentive the use of natural gas as a bridge fuel in their "Clean Electricity Program." This punishes natural gas still further while providing payments for "clean sources." Neither of these policies is certain to become law as states that would be harmed economically are fighting them. But the fact that they are being seriously discussed represents a change in the conversation.

Something that has to be rattling around in Progressive minds is a Wind Fall Profits Tax (WPT) on producers of oil and gas. This would be a resurgence of a Carter-era tax policy that sought to redistribute wealth through an excise tax on "unearned gains due to market conditions." Sort of like the situation that now exists, where tight supplies of products against strong demand are driving up prices resulting in big increases in cash flows to oil and gas companies. The WPT was a horrible policy that failed to meet its objectives and created all sorts of adverse knock-on effects. It was repealed in 1988 to everyones great relief at the time. Wait for it to come around again, enough time has gone by that memories may have faded. That said, there are enough rational members of Congress who remember the lessons of the past, and whose constituencies would be harmed, that I don't believe this notion will grow legs and walk.

In summary, the energy picture surrounding gas has changed over the last year. Supplies are tight, and producers are reluctant to allocate new capital to drilling. The result will be higher prices for the foreseeable future in the U.S. and in Europe. The real challenge will be meeting demand regardless of price.

By David Messler for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Following the re-election of the Liberals in Canada, the oil industry has asked the federal government to support domestic oil and gas production to ensure energy to the country with lower imports of fossil fuels from countries with lower environmental standards.

Our ask of the federal government is to support Canadian prosperity by getting behind our own countrys resources and to trust Canadians to protect the environment rather than relying on other nations to supply the worlds need for natural gas and oil, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) said in a statement today, after the Liberals led by

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a close election but failed to secure a majority in Parliament.

Trudeaus Liberals pledged in their platform to cut emissions from the oil and gas sector, requiring oil and gas companies to set five-year targets starting in 2025 and reduce methane emissions by at least 75 percent below 2012 levels by 2030.

In April this year, Trudeaus government raised the 2030 emission reduction target to 40-45 percent, reiterating a 2050 net-zero goal. The previous national target of emission reduction was a 30-percent cut below 2005 levels by 2030.

Commenting on the outcome of Mondays election, CAPP said, This election result reaffirms the uncertainty in Canada as we continue to struggle with public health and economic issues related to the COVID pandemic. The natural gas and oil industry is ready to continue our work with the federal government to rebuild our economy in a way that advances Indigenous reconciliation, achieves environmental goals and creates sustainable jobs and opportunities for all Canadians.

Canadian natural gas and oil are better sources of energy for the world and better for Canadians, said the association, noting that Every molecule of natural gas and barrel of oil not produced in Canada, will be produced by other nations that do not share Canadian environmental or human rights standards.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Indias oil imports surged by 23 percent month-on-month to reach a four-month high of 4.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, amid refiners preparing to ramp up crude throughputs for the festival season that starts next month, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing tanker data from trade sources.

Indias oil imports also rose by 6.2 percent in August 2021 compared to the same month of 2020.

Last months oil imports in India reached a four-month high after several months of lower shipments due to the resurgence of COVID cases in the spring, weakened fuel demand that came with the coronavirus spread in April and May, and refinery maintenance in July.

Indian refiners imported in June 2021 the lowest volume of crude oil in nine months, as purchases slowed down in April and May when India imposed regional mobility restrictions to curb a resurgence in COVID cases. India was estimated to have imported around 3.9 million bpd of crude oil in June, which was down by 7 percent compared to the imports in May.

In July 2021, Indian refiners imported the lowest volumes of oil in a year due to refinery maintenance. Crude oil imports in July were down by 12.5 percent from the already low import volume in June, and stood at just 3.4 million bpd, industry sources with tanker data told Reuters.

Indian oil imports rebounded in August as refiners bought more crude in anticipation of raising their fuel production just in time for the festival season in October and November.

Last month, India imported more oil from the United States and Latin America, with cargoes booked in May-June thanks to arbitrage, according to trade sources data obtained by Reuters.

Indian imports of U.S. oil jumped to a five-month high while shipments from Latin America increased to the highest since December 2020. The incremental purchases of crude from the Americas left the Middle East with a lower share of Indias oil imports last monthat 61.8 percent, it was down from 64.7 percent in July.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The OPEC+ group of producers raised their compliance with the ongoing collective production cuts to 116 percent in August, up from 109 percent compliance in July, sources from the alliance told Reuters on Tuesday.

The OPEC cartel saw its crude oil production rise by 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August, data from secondary sources in the monthly report showed. Even at higher quotas, the 10 OPEC members part of the OPEC+ pact pumped less than estimated by tanker tracking surveys and less than the OPEC overall quota in the agreement.

Total crude oil production from all 13 OPEC members averaged 26.76 million bpd in August, according to secondary sources OPEC cited in its closely watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) last week. The August production was 150,000 bpd higher than the July crude output, as the OPEC+ alliance returns more barrels to the market as per the latest deal reached in July.

Despite the higher production, OPEC was actually pumping at some 10 percent below its overall quota for the 10 members bound by the OPEC+ pact in August, due to outages and technical difficulties in countries such as Nigeria and Angola, Bloomberg noted earlier this month.

According to estimates by TASS based on OPECs secondary sources data in the MOMR, the cartel complied with the pact at 121 percent in August, compared to a compliance rate of 115 percent in July.

Russia, the largest producer of the non-OPEC group in the OPEC+ alliance, saw its crude oil and condensate production slightly drop to 10.43 million bpd in August from 10.46 million bpd in July, according to Reuters estimates based on Russian energy ministry data. There was no immediate explanation as to what caused Russian oil and condensate output to slip. Russias condensate productionestimated at around 800,000 bpd-900,000 bpdis not subject to the OPEC+ deal, but Moscow doesnt report separate figures for condensate and crude output.

In the first two weeks of September, however, Russia is estimated to have ramped up oil production, as per government data seen by Bloomberg.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The OPEC+ group lifted its production in August, but underinvestment and maintenance work has hampered the group's ability to raise productionand supply could be insufficient to meet the world's growing oil demand, Reuters suggested on Tuesday.

Global oil demand has recently risen to near-record levels as global activity picks up steam despite the pandemic.

In response, OPEC+ agreed to increase oil production starting in August by another 400,000 bpd each month. But not all producers have responded to the call for more barrels.

Angola, Nigeria, and Kazahkstan have been unable to lift their oil production to meet the call for more oil. In Kazakhstan's case, this was due to maintenance in its Tengiz fieldmaintenance which ended mid-September. For Angola and Nigeria, years of underinvestment in their oil industry has rendered them unable to respond quickly to increased demand.

The current plan is for OPEC+ to continue increasing production by another 400,000 bpd in October and another 400,000 bpd in November.

Two Reuters sources said on Tuesday that OPEC+'s compliance with the cuts rose to 116% in August, excluding Mexico.

Meanwhile, U.S. production has also been hamperedin this case, due to Hurricane Ida. Production has dipped by 1.5 million bpd in recent weeks, adding to the tight supply situation created by OPEC+'s underperformers.

Add to what some see as inadequate production the tight supply situation for natural gas in Europe. This could also increase the demand for crude oil and gas supplies run thin.

Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar said over the weekend that if all goes to plan, the market will remain in balance through Q1 2022, with Brent at $70 per barrel, if OPEC+ sticks to its plan.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Ive got a friend

The city of Humble organized a hurricane relief fund for the city of Golden Meadow, Louisiana. Mayor Norman Funderburk, left, and City Manager Jason Stuebe drove to Louisiana Sunday, Sept. 19 to bring a truck load of donations to the beleaguered city. Golden Meadow Mayor Joey Bouziga, left, was deeply appreciative of the efforts by the citizens of Humble and the Lake Houston area.
Republic Bank (Ghana) PLC has introduced on the market two new mortgage repayment plans that are targeted at giving homeowners more flexible forms of repayment and saving on interest paid at the end of the loan term.



This is the first of its kind in Ghana and provides customers with the ability to save up to 40% of their total interest on the mortgage loan and repay earlier without increasing the loan instalment.



Commenting on the announcement, Mr Farid Antar, Managing Director of Republic Bank (Ghana) PLC said, the Bank has over the years been deliberating on methods of making homeownership experience less stressful and value-adding for both existing and potential mortgage customers.



As a pioneer of the mortgage business in Ghana, our focus has been on coming up with attractive value propositions to aid our diverse customer segments whilst making the entire mortgage journey easy and affordable for them, he said.



The new repayment plans are meant to eliminate the view of mortgage acquisition in Ghana being frustrating and lengthy.



He added that the two new repayment plans reduce the number of repayment years customers would have to satisfy their mortgage.



Mr. Farid Antar explained that the core of the Bank is Customer Satisfaction, we are obsessed with providing Ghanaians an incredible mortgage process through our powerful expertise, knowledge and quick processes. Customers now have many ways of repaying their mortgages no matter their salary structure. Our customers deserve the opportunity to easily choose the method that makes them most comfortable and these additional repayment options truly put the power of choice into their hands.



The introduction of the two new repayment plans is to cement Republic Bank as the bank of choice for all mortgage or homeownership needs whilst giving its existing and potential customers options that best suit their pockets.



As the pioneer of mortgage banking with over 30 years of experience, Republic Bank has been very instrumental in the Ghanaian mortgage banking space providing thousands of home loans to Ghanaians home and abroad. The Bank continues to be the most diversified financial institution in the country and the number one home loan provider.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Alan Kyerematen, the Minister for Trade and Industry has reiterated the critical role of the private sector in the economic recovery, growth and transformation agenda of the country.



He noted that the sector had proven to be the engine of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for support for players in the sector.



The Minister made this observation at the inaugural Presidential Business Summit, an initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with the Office of the President, selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies.



The summit is part of Governments Public-Private Dialogue framework to help improve the business environment in the country.



In Ghana, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and there were serious disruptions in global supply chains, it was the private sector that quickly marshalled its forces to cushion the impact of the pandemic by producing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Sanitizers, Personal Care, and pharmaceutical products," he noted.



The Minister said, "I make these remarks to establish the fact that the role of the private sector in national development can and should not be underestimated".



He said with or without the incidence of natural disasters, it was a well-established fact in development history that the most powerful economies in the world were those that maintained a strong focus on private sector development.



Mr Kyerematen said considering the bold efforts of the private sector to support Government's agenda, building a resilient and productive private sector to position Ghana as the leading Manufacturing Hub in Africa was the topmost priority of Government.



He, therefore, called on all state institutions and Government machinery to provide support to the private sector.



The Minister said such supports must not be taken as doing the private sector a favour but rather, incentivizing the players to risk their capital to create jobs and increase income levels of the population.



"However, in the same vein, since there is a cost associated with incentivizing the private sector, Government expects that the private sector will also fulfil its obligations by paying taxes and contributing their quota to national development," he added.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said to be able to strengthen the countrys position as an economic powerhouse in West Africa, create substantial job opportunities for the teeming youth, and sustain economic growth, there was a need to fully recognise the critical role of the private sector.



"Government will, therefore, create a continues constructive dialogue with the private sector towards realizing this vision," he said.



The President said, I have directed Ministers and relevant Heads of State institutions to participate actively in ensuring that there is a constructive dialogue between Government and the private sector towards realizing our vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid".



He assured that Government would continue to strengthen and deepen its engagement with the private sector towards realising that goal.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The government says it has acquired mini vehicles to be used for the promised 'Okada for Car' initiative.

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised to offer commercial motorbike operators, popularly called 'Okada' riders a better and safer alternative should it win a second term.



The initiative was announced by Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the build up to the 2020 elections.



In the ensuing 'Okada' debate, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised to train and legalise the operations of Okada if elected back to power.



The NPP however, announced its plans to provide the Okada riders with what it called "a better and safer alternative," by providing them opportunities to own vehicles in a special, flexible payment plans.



Government says it has now taken the big step towards fulfilling the promise by acquiring hundreds of mini vehicles to start with the first phase of the 'Okada for Car' initiative.



Okada riders interested in owning one of the vehicles will be registered and then hand over their motorbikes in exchange for the vehicles.



Government will then register the vehicle in the drivers name, while the driver pays in flexible instalment terms, the difference in value between the motorbike and the vehicle.



Government sources have revealed that only okada motorbikes which are registered with the DVLA will be eligible to swap their motorbikes for the vehicles.



Also, the National Identification Card will play a key role in the entire process, as it will be a key requirement.









Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
As the world marks International Peace Day, the Ashanti Regional Peace Council (ARPC) is urging Ghanaians to share love, kindness, compassion and live peacefully with all humans.



The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has declared September 21, each year as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire across the globe.



The theme for the 2021 celebration is, Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.



According to the UN, this years theme is focusing on how to help everyone recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic, build resilience, and how to transform the world into one that is more equal, just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.



A statement issued by the ARPC to mark the day in Kumasi said the day offered the opportunity for us as Ghanaians to reflect on the roles we play in ensuring and sustaining peace in our homes, workplaces, communities, and the nation as a whole.



The statement signed by Rt. Rev. Christopher Nyarko Andam, the Regional Chairman, said peace was indivisible and it behooved on all of us to be mindful of our actions and utterances that were likely to stoke the fires of conflict.



It said no one would be immune from persecution, in times of conflict and that was why we needed to work collectively as individuals to ensure that peace prevailed at all times in our societies.



Let us remember that a peaceful society is one where there is justice, fairness, transparency, honesty, equality, low-level of corruption, equitable distribution of resources, good relationship with neighbours, well-functioning of institutions, and acceptance of rights of others in a dignified manner, part of the statement read.







Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) will release the provisional results of the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) on Wednesday 22 September, a statement said.



The release of the report is an important milestone in the 2021 PHC dissemination strategy that aims to promote wide usage of census data for research, policy and planning and share lessons learned from the implementation process with national and international partners.



Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information minister in a statement said the results release is a major matter of national interest.



A census is a priority development activity that generates updated demographic, economic and housing data o guide policy and planning and monitor progress towards development goals including the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies.



The 2021 PHC is Ghanas first duly digital census and the first census in an African country to be conducted successfully during the COVID-19 pandemic.



The provisional results highlight findings from the 2021 PHC Preliminary Report which focuses on population size and sex composition, population density, and structures by region.



The preliminary report is the first of several census data products to be released over the next two years.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
NPPs Samuel Pyne could not hide his joy as he emphatically said on NEAT FMs morning show that he was the right person for the KMA boss job.



He explained that he knew the position will be handed to him after meeting with the local government board for an interview.



He said on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie that his knowledge and expertise on local government issues surpasses his competitors, something which placed him ahead of them.



Sam Pyne for Kumasi Mayor



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Pyne as the new Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive.



He will take over from Osei Assibey Antwi, who served as Chief Executive for only one term.









Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Emilie Kohler holds a flask of extractives from hemp. Credit: Krista Timney

The cannabidiol industry is booming. Produced by extracting non-psychoactive oils from hemp, the product is increasingly gaining acceptance as an alternative treatment to numerous health challenges.

Virginia Tech researchers may have found another use: a way to make plywood stronger.

This past summer, undergraduate Emilie Kohler of the College of Natural Resources and Environment researched the possibility of utilizing one byproduct of the cannabidiol extraction processthe jelly-like pectin that exists in the cell walls of most plantsas a modifying agent in the production of wood-based materials such as plywood and structural composite lumber.

"Pectin is typically used in jellies and jams, because it has a natural tendency to form a gel which doesn't flow," said Kohler, a senior majoring in sustainable biomaterials science. "I'm isolating pectin from hemp to analyze the flow properties to see if they can be used as a modifier in wood adhesives."

Chip Frazier, the Thomas M. Brooks Professor of Sustainable Biomaterials in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials and director of the Wood-Based Composites Center at Virginia Tech, indicated that the hemp industry is offering new avenues for researchers looking for alternative biological materials.

"Currently, the industry generates large quantities of solvent-extracted hemp flower, and all of that biomass is treated as waste, so it couldn't be cheaper for us as a raw material," explained Frazier, who supervises Kohler's research. "They produce polygalacturonic acids, which have an unusual chemical structure, and I had the idea to check their behavior in the production of wood products."

While the results of the research are still being determined, Kohler noted that the hemp pectin showed promise.

"Pectin can be categorized as high methoxyl or low methoxyl pectin," said Kohler, a recipient of the college's Victor Clay Barringer Endowed Scholarship. "Higher methoxyl pectin is used in jellies or jams because the sugar content allows it to gel. Lower methoxyl pectin, like those found in hemp, tend to gel with calcium ions, which are more common in adhesives."

Kohler, who is from Yorktown, Virginia, said that she found her way to the field of sustainable biomaterials by chance.

"In high school, I liked chemistry and environmental science, and when I was researching colleges and universities, I saw this listed and didn't know what it was about. But when I got into classes I fell in love with the subject."

Frazier, who is Kohler's assigned mentor, credits her commitment to a challenging major.

"Emilie is one of the few students who has taken the science track in sustainable biomaterials," he noted. "It is heavy in chemistry, so she was particularly well-qualified to take on this research. She is very enthusiastic and very capable, and she's done a great job."

For Kohler, a summer of isolating pectin was an opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for the field of sustainable biomaterials, while having the chance to contribute research in an emerging area.

"Working with Dr. Frazier has opened my eyes and really taught me how to think about things on a deeper level," she said. "And it's exciting to work in such a new subject: not a lot of research has been done on hemp, and this could be the start of something important."
Credit: Antiquity (2021). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2021.21

Akira Ichikawa, an archaeologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, has found evidence of Mayans returning to a part of Central America that was destroyed after a catastrophic volcanic eruption, much sooner than previously thought. In his paper published on the Cambridge University Press site Cambridge Core, he describes his study of the area around what was once the site of San Andres in the Zapotitan Valley, in what is now El Salvador.

Prior research has shown that in AD 539, the Ilopango volcano erupted in an event now known as the Tierra Blanca Joven eruption, and it was a really big onethe largest in Central America over the past 10,000 years, and the largest on Earth over the past 7,000 years. The blast was so powerful that it covered the area around the volcano in waist-high ash for 35 kilometers. It also blew itself apart, leaving behind a deep gash that is now a crater lake.

The eruption also greatly impacted the Mayan civilization, sending it into a period of decline due to the loss of nearby settlements and cooler temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere. Due to lack of evidence, historians have debated for years about how soon the Maya returned to the area, with most suggesting it likely took hundreds of years. In this new effort, Ichikawa describes evidence of the Mayan people returning to a site 40 miles west of the volcano between 30 and 80 years after the eruption. And not only did they return; they built a large pyramid using ash and dirt.

Credit: Antiquity (2021). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2021.21

To learn more about what went on in the area around the site, over the years 2015 to 2019, Ichikawa collected and analyzed samples from the ground and from the Campana structure, a pyramid resting atop a large platform. He found that work on the structure appears to have begun approximately 30 years after the eruption, though it could have been as long as 80 years.

Credit: Antiquity (2021). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2021.21

Either way, the data suggests that the Mayan people returned to the area quicklysoon enough that some could have been survivors of the blast. Ichikawa suggests it is likely the people built the pyramid as a way to appease the gods who had shown their anger by setting off the eruption.

Credit: Antiquity (2021). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2021.21

Explore further Degassing data suggests Mt. Etna began showing signs of pressure buildup months before 2018 eruption

More information: Akira Ichikawa, Human responses to the Ilopango Tierra Blanca Joven eruption: excavations at San Andres, El Salvador, Antiquity (2021). Journal information: Antiquity Akira Ichikawa, Human responses to the Ilopango Tierra Blanca Joven eruption: excavations at San Andres, El Salvador,(2021). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2021.21

 2021 Science X Network
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A surfboard-mounted shark deterrent device has been found to reduce the likelihood of bite by 66 percent during testing off Western Australia.

Scientists found the Australian-made Rpela V2 also cut shark interactions such as a nudge by 38 percent, potentially giving surfers extra time to exit the water after encountering a predator.

The rechargeable device costs $500 and clips into the surfboard's bottom deck.

It produces an electric field around the surfer that overwhelms the shark's electro-reception organs which they use to navigate and assess their surroundings.

The good news for sharks is the electric pulses do not harm the creatures and researchers likened it to humans moving away from unpleasantly loud music.

The testing was carried out at Salisbury Island southeast of Esperance, a remote hotspot for white sharks.

The work was a collaborative effort led by global engineering company Cardno and involving Bond University shark expert Dr. Daryl McPhee and Ocean Ramsey, famous for free diving with large white sharks, and her extensive shark-related conservation work including movies.

Dr. McPhee said surfers rather than other water users were increasingly being bitten by sharks, raising the importance of personal mitigation measures designed specifically for boardriders.

While the risk of a bite remains low, a recent fatal shark attack on a surfer near Coffs Harbour in NSW is a sad reminder of what can happen.

Dr. McPhee said it was critical that all shark deterrents were tested so consumers could gauge their effectiveness.

"There are many different individual shark deterrents available but most, including some that are very popular, are not effective or have not been independently tested," he said.

"This means surfers may put themselves at risk thinking they have an additional layer of protection when they do not."

Dr. McPhee said that overall, electric deterrents were the most effective. There are also magnetic, acoustic and spray devices.

"As well as the Rpela V2 we assessed in this study, electric deterrents developed by Ocean Guardian have been tested several times and have been shown to be effective," he said.

"No shark deterrent is 100 percent effective but when independent testing demonstrates a statistically significant reduction in interactions with sharks, consumers can be confident that safety is enhanced."

The scientists conducting the tests have no financial relationship with the manufacturer of Rpela V2.

The research was published in the Journal of Marine Science and Technology.

Explore further Hunting a 'great' shark deterrent

More information: Craig Blount et al, Effectiveness Against White Sharks of the Rpela Personal Shark Deterrent Device Designed for Surfers, Journal of Marine Science and Technology (2021). Craig Blount et al, Effectiveness Against White Sharks of the Rpela Personal Shark Deterrent Device Designed for Surfers,(2021). DOI: 10.51400/2709-6998.1594

Provided by Bond University
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

More U.S. companies could benefit from encouraging and developing self-leadership in employees, a concept that allows workers to manage themselves instead of relying on supervisors, according to a new study from researchers at Florida Atlantic University.

Self-leadership involves employees influencing their own behaviors, thoughts and moods, making them less dependent on traditional leaders to complete goals and achieve peak performance in the workplace.

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, found that self-leaders are more creative and perform better than other employees. Self-leaders are more confident in themselves, satisfied in their roles and committed to their employers.

The role self-leadership plays in the work environment could take on new significance considering the COVID-19 pandemic, which is forcing millions of U.S. office workers to telecommute and perform duties without frequent supervision from bosses. It has organically pushed much of the workforce into self-leadership situations where many excelled, creating new expectations among those employees. This is leading to a sharp rise in resignations as workers re-evaluate their jobs and find new positions offering more money, flexibility and satisfaction.

"Self-leaders tend to have higher levels of self-efficacy, which allows them to perform at higher levels," said Ethlyn A. Williams, Ph.D., an associate professor in FAU's College of Business. "They are confident in their abilities and might be willing to face risks as they exhibit flexibility and look for creative solutions."

Williams worked on the study with fellow FAU professors Michael B. Harari, Ph.D., Stephanie L. Castro, Ph.D., and Katarina K. Brant, Ph.D.

People who are highly conscientious, extraverted and open to new experiences are more likely to be self-leaders. The research suggests that organizations might be more successful by recognizing the potential within employees and providing training to enhance self-leadership tendencies that might already exist.

"People who self-lead believe in themselves and set their own goals," Harari said. "Organizations might be able to achieve greater success by allowing employees to lead themselves rather than relying on leadership from the top down."

In conducting their study, the FAU researchers reviewed and synthesized more than 20 years of research to determine the importance of self-leadership in organizations.

"The results of any one study are not necessarily reliable," Harari said. "By combining findings across a large number of studies, we were able to arrive at more definitive conclusions."

The professors said examples of self-leadership are apparent in athletes and celebrities, many of whom intentionally create positive expectations and push themselves.

"Elon Musk of SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Reed Hastings of Netflix are great examples of creative leaders who rose to the top, initiating and directing their own actions in the pursuit of excellence," Williams said.

Explore further The burdens of informal leadership

More information: Michael B. Harari et al, Selfleadership: A metaanalysis of over two decades of research, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2021). Michael B. Harari et al, Selfleadership: A metaanalysis of over two decades of research,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/joop.12365
The Celukan Bawang 2 power plant funded by China on Indonesia's resort island of Bali is seen in 2020.

China will stop funding coal projects overseas, President Xi Jinping announced Tuesday, all but ending the flow of public aid for the dirty energy contributing to the climate crisis.

Xi made his announcement at the UN General Assembly where US President Joe Biden, seeking to show leadership in a growing competition with China, promised to double Washington's contribution to countries hardest hit by climate change.

China is still investing in coal, reducing the impact of Xi's commitment, but it is by far the largest funder of coal projects in developing countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh as it goes on a global infrastructure-building blitz with its Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi vowed to accelerate efforts for China, the world's largest emitter, to go carbon neutral by 2060.

"This requires tremendous hard work and we will make every effort to meet these goals," Xi said in a recorded address.

"China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad," he said.

China's announcement follows similar moves by South Korea and Japan, the only other nations that offered significant funds for coal projects.

Chinese President Xi Jinping virtually addresses the UN General Assembly.

The climate advocacy movement 350.org called Xi's announcement "huge," saying it could be a "real game-changer" depending on when it takes effect.

Helen Mountford, vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute, said it was "a historic turning point away from the world's dirtiest fossil fuel."

"China's pledge shows that the firehose of international public financing for coal is being turned off," she said.

But she said that private investors needed to make similar commitments. And she noted that China itself is still stepping up coal, an industry with political clout in the Asian power as well as the United States.

On a visit to China earlier this month, US climate envoy John Kerry said the addition of more coal plants "represents a significant challenge to the efforts of the world to deal with the climate crisis."

China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation last yearmore than three times what was brought on line globally.

Non-governmental groups in a letter earlier this year said the state-run Bank of China was the largest single financier of coal projects, pumping $35 billion since the Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015.

Smoke belches from a coal-fueled power station near Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province, in 2015.

Biden promises more aid

China's promise comes as momentum builds ahead of a UN conference in November in Glasgow which aims to raise the ambitions of the Paris accord.

Support for action has been growing with the planet breaking record after record on high temperatures and witnessing devastating severe weather linked to climate change including fires, severe storms and flooding.

One key section of the Paris accord that has lagged behind is mobilizing the $100 billion a year promised for nations hardest hit by global warming.

Biden, who has put the environment high on his agenda after defeating his predecessor, climate change skeptic Donald Trump, said the United States will double its contribution.

"This will make the United States a leader in public climate finance," Biden said.

Experts said that the announcement would take the American contribution to approximately $11.4 billion annually.

US President Joe Biden addresses the UN General Assembly.

British lawmaker Alok Sharma, who will preside over the so-called COP26 conference in Glasgow, hailed Biden's announcement and said: "We must build on this momentum."

Currently, two-thirds of the funding is for mitigationreducing climate changerather than adjusting to current and expected future changes, such as sea-level encroachment, more intense extreme weather events or food insecurity.

In another climate announcement at the General Assembly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would formally ratify the Paris agreement, which it earlier had only signed.

The developments amount to rare pieces of good news on the climate front following a slew of high-level scientific reports painting a bleak future picture, as the world's top polluters continue to spew greenhouse gases at alarming rates.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "encouraged" by the "important" US and Chinese announcements but warned that far more needed to be done to address climate change.

Last week Guterres warned the world was on a "catastrophic" path to 2.7 degrees Celsius heating according to a new study by UN scientists.

The figure would shatter the temperature targets of the Paris climate agreement, which aimed for warming well below 2C and preferably capped at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Explore further China doubles down on coal plants abroad despite carbon pledge at home

 2021 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Product failures can be catastrophic for companies, on occasion leading to reputational damage or financial ruin. Considerable effort has been devoted to understanding and measuring who consumers blame when a product fails. Yet, research has largely focused on whether people blame themselves or the product manufacturer, without examining others that may be involved.

New research from the University of Notre Dame shows consumers often point the finger at more than one external party for product failures, at times bringing retailers under scrutiny rather than just the manufacturers. It warns retailers to be cautious about which brands they carry.

"Do Retailers Get Blamed When Manufacturer Brands Fail? Measurement of Multiloci Attributions and Spillover Effects" is forthcoming in the Review of Marketing Research from Frank Germann, an associate professor of marketing at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business who teaches core marketing courses in the Notre Dame MBA program.

Germann, along with co-authors Ronald Hess from the College of William and Mary and Margaret Meloy from Penn State University, measure the attribution of blame between the manufacturer and retailer involved in a product failure.

In two studies, the team shows consumers not only blame multiple parties when product failures occur, but also that manufacturer brand equity and retailer store image are contextually important in the blame assignment process.

In study 1, blame was relatively evenly distributed across external parties listed by individuals22 to 42 percent for the manufacturer and 24 to 41 percent for the retailer, depending on the scenario. In study 2, the participants assigned the majority of blame to the manufacturer (51 percent) and retailer (37 percent).

"Our research suggests consumers spontaneously assign blame to multiple external partiesespecially the manufacturer and the retailerwhen the cause of a product failure is uncertain," Germann said. "Moreover, we show that the equity of the manufacturer brand and the retail store image, whether value-oriented or upscale, jointly affects how much blame is assigned to the retailer and manufacturer."

Value-oriented retailers received a particularly high degree of blame when the failure involves a high-end manufacturer brand, while upscale retailers received more blame for failures with low-equity manufacturer brands.

Much product failure literature assumes that the culprit of a product failure is known. However, Germann's team argues the origin typically is unknown, as only failures that the consumer can actually personally witness can be determined with certainty.

"Indeed, the unequivocal identification of who is to blame is not typical with product failures due to the decoupled manner of manufacturing," Germann said. "This uncertainty makes all entities within the supply chain eligible for blame by consumers."

The spillover effects identified in the study suggest retailers need to be cautious about carrying brands that might appear at odds with consumers' expectations of what the store is likely to carry.

"Value-oriented retailers are in a particularly precarious position as they seem to receive more than their fair share of the blame when the specific source of the failure is uncertain," Germann said. "For example, Dollar General will likely receive a large share of the blame if frozen chicken breasts from a reputable manufacturer purchased at the store turn out to be tainted with salmonella."

The team's findings suggest measuring blame between the manufacturer and retailer involved in a product failureinstead of only the manufacturer.

"Consumers' demands for restitution were highly correlated with blame assignment, so retailers and manufacturers do carry financial exposure," Germann said. "Blame assignment also affects consumers' future shopping and purchasing decisions."

Explore further Apologizing to customers after product failures can encourage repurchase, stave off lawsuits

More information: Frank Germann et al, Do Retailers Get Blamed When Manufacturer Brands Fail? Measurement of Multiloci Attributions and Spillover Effects, Marketing Accountability for Marketing and Non-marketing Outcomes (2021). Frank Germann et al, Do Retailers Get Blamed When Manufacturer Brands Fail? Measurement of Multiloci Attributions and Spillover Effects,(2021). DOI: 10.1108/S1548-643520210000018005
Old German Owl (left) and Racing Homer (right) domestic pigeon breeds that the researchers bred for the study. Credit: Sydney Stringham

Charles Darwin was obsessed with domestic pigeons. He thought they held the secrets of selection in their beaks. Free from the bonds of natural selection, the 350-plus breeds of domestic pigeons have beaks of all shapes and sizes within a single species (Columba livia). The most striking are beaks so short that they sometimes prevent parents from feeding their own young. Centuries of interbreeding taught early pigeon fanciers that beak length was likely regulated by just a few heritable factors. Yet modern geneticists have failed to solve Darwin's mystery by pinpointing the molecular machinery controlling short beaksuntil now.

In a new study, biologists from the University of Utah discovered that a mutation in the ROR2 gene is linked to beak size reduction in numerous breeds of domestic pigeons. Surprisingly, mutations in ROR2 also underlie a human disorder called Robinow syndrome.

"Some of the most striking characteristics of Robinow syndrome are the facial features, which include a broad, prominent forehead and a short, wide nose and mouth, and are reminiscent of the short-beak phenotype in pigeons," said Elena Boer, lead author of the paper who completed the research as a postdoctoral fellow at the U and is now a clinical variant scientist at ARUP Laboratories. "It makes sense from a developmental standpoint, because we know that the ROR2 signaling pathway plays an important role in vertebrate craniofacial development."

The paper published in the journal Current Biology on Sept. 21, 2021.

Mapping genes and skulls

The researchers bred two pigeons with short and medium beaksthe medium-beaked male was a Racing Homer, a bird bred for speed with a beak length similar to the ancestral rock pigeon. The small-beaked female was an Old German Owl, a fancy pigeon breed that has a little, squat beak.

High resolution scans of the grandchildren of the Racing Homer and German Owl cross. The animation shows the variety of beak lengths from shortest to longest. Credit: Elena Boer

"Breeders selected this beak purely for aesthetics to the point that it's detrimentalit would never appear in nature. So, domestic pigeons are a huge advantage for finding genes responsible for size differences," said Michael Shapiro, the James E. Talmage Presidential Endowed Chair in Biology at the U and senior author of the paper. "One of Darwin's big arguments was that natural selection and artificial selection are variations of the same process. Pigeon beak sizes were instrumental in figuring out how that works."

The short- and medium-beaked parents produced an initial F 1 brood of children with intermediate-length beaks. When the biologists mated the F 1 birds to one another, the resulting F 2 grandchildren had beaks ranging from big to little, and all sizes in between. To quantify the variation, Boer measured beak size and shape in the 145 F 2 individuals using micro-CT scans generated at the University of Utah Preclinical Imaging Core Facility.

"The cool thing about this method is that it allows us to look at size and shape of the entire skull, and it turns out that it's not just beak length that differsthe braincase changes shape at the same time," Boer said. "These analyses demonstrated that beak variation within the F 2 population was due to actual differences in beak length and not variation in overall skull or body size."

Next, the researchers compared the pigeons' genomes. First, using a technique called quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, they identified DNA sequence variants scattered throughout the genome, and then looked to see if those mutations appeared in the F 2 grandkids' chromosomes.

"The grandkids with small beaks had the same piece of chromosome as their grandparent with the small beak, which told us that piece of chromosome has something to do with small beaks," said Shapiro. "And it was on the sex chromosome, which classical genetic experiments had suggested, so we got excited."

The team then compared the entire genome sequences of many different pigeon breeds; 56 pigeons from 31 short-beaked breeds and 121 pigeons from 58 medium- or long-beaked breeds. The analysis showed that all individuals with small beaks had the same DNA sequence in an area of the genome that contains the ROR2 gene.

Representative images of individuals representing short beak (left four birds) and medium or long beak (right four birds) pigeon breeds (image credit: Thomas Hellmann). Short beak pigeons, from left to right: English Short Face Tumbler, African Owl, Oriental Frill, Budapest Tumbler. (B) Medium/long beak pigeons, from left to right: West of England, Cauchois, Scandaroon, Show King. The short-beak birds all had the same ROR2 mutation. Credit: Adapted from Boer and Shapiro (2021) Current Biology

"The fact that we got the same strong signal from two independent approaches was really exciting and provided an additional level of evidence that the ROR2 locus is involved," said Boer.

The authors speculate that the short-beak mutation causes the ROR2 protein to fold in a new way, but the team plans to do functional experiments to figure out how the mutation impacts craniofacial development.

Pigeon enthusiasts

The lure of the domestic pigeon that mesmerized Darwin is still captivating the curious to this day. Many of the blood samples that the research team used for genome sequencing were donated from members of the Utah Pigeon Club and National Pigeon Association, groups of pigeon enthusiasts who continue to breed pigeons and participate in competitions to show off the striking variation among breeds.

"Every paper our lab has published in the last 10 years has relied on their samples in some way," said Shapiro. "We couldn't have done this without the pigeon breeding community."

Explore further Variations of a single gene drive diverse pigeon feather patterns

More information: A ROR2 coding variant is associated with craniofacial variation in domestic pigeons, Current Biology (2021). www.cell.com/current-biology/f  0960-9822(21)01208-2 Journal information: Current Biology A ROR2 coding variant is associated with craniofacial variation in domestic pigeons,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.068
The versatility of the nanoparticles lies in the fact that they can work equally well for different nucleic acids. This can significantly accelerate drug development. Credit: Tomas Bellon / IOCB Prague

Researchers from IOCB Prague have discovered a new type of substances capable of safely transporting various types of nucleic acids used for therapeutic purposes into cells, from basic building blocks to long chains of RNA or DNA. The universal nature of their system sets it apart from existing solutions and opens the door to a wide variety of applications in the treatment of genetic diseases as well as in mRNA vaccines, which have become popular in recent times. The results of their research were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The nucleic acids DNA and RNA are primarily known as carriers of genetic information. Currently, the mRNA molecule, which forms the basis of genetic vaccines against COVID-19, has generated a lot of attention. The mRNA molecule serves as a kind of prescription for the synthesis of a specific protein, for example the spike protein of the coronavirus, against which the organism then begins to naturally produce antibodies. This synthesis takes place within the cell, so the appropriate molecule must first get there safely.

"RNA is a highly unstable substance that is subject to rapid degradation. In order to transport it into the cell at all, it has to be packaged to protect it from the surrounding environment and ensure its safe transport into the cell body. But that's no trivial problem," explains Klara Grantz Saskova of the Proteases of Human Pathogens group at IOCB Prague.

In therapy, lipids are used in combination with other molecules capable of clustering with RNA and creating nanoparticles, in which the nucleic acid is protected from its surroundings. This principle is used by the latest mRNA vaccines against the coronavirus, for example.

"Because various RNA molecules of different sizes are used for each targeted therapy, until now there has been a need to find a unique composition of lipids for each specific type of RNA capable of packaging the molecule, transporting it into the cell, and then releasing it. Moreover, a package like that has to be safe for the human body, and that significantly complicates and slows development," says Petr Cigler, who heads the Synthetic Nanochemistry group at IOCB Prague.

XMAN lipid nanoparticle for easy transport of various types of therapeutic nucleic acids into cells. Credit: Tomas Bellon / IOCB Prague

A team of researchers at IOCB Prague led by Petr Cigler and Klara Grantz Saskova in collaboration with researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University, and the BIOCEV center have discovered a new type of nanoparticles that, without additional complicated modifications, are capable of transporting nucleic acids of varying lengths into cells, from basic building blocks of nucleic acids and short siRNA used in genetic therapy to mRNA and long chains of DNA. These nanoparticles, named as XMAN, are not toxic to the body and can easily penetrate the cell body and release their cargo with comparable efficiency for the majority of nucleic acid types.

"What makes our compounds special is that they work universally. This means they can transport any type of nucleic acid into cells, and they do so with very similar efficiency. They're also capable of getting safely inside cells that are very difficult to penetrate, such as primary human hepatocytes or cell lines from various hematologic cancers, which currently represent a difficult therapy target," says Grantz Saskova.

"Another big advantage is their long-term stability at relatively normal temperatures. Unlike the mRNA vaccines currently in use, which have to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, our nanoparticles can be stored for several months in an ordinary refrigerator," adds Cigler.

XMAN lipid nanoparticle for easy transport of various types of therapeutic nucleic acids into cells. Credit: Tomas Bellon / IOCB Prague

The ability to transport molecules of varying sizes into cells makes it easier to use the system even in genetic therapies that are very different from one another. In addition to mRNA vaccines, these include diseases such as hemophilia A or cystic fibrosis caused by insufficient production of a certain protein. In such cases, the mRNA molecule enables the cell to produce the missing protein.

The new molecules are also suitable for use in the treatment of diseases caused by the production of pathological proteins, such as certain forms of life-threatening amyloidosis, where problems are caused by the malfunctioning protein transthyretin. In such cases it is possible to transport a short segment of RNA called siRNA (small interfering RNA), which upon entry into the cell is able to turn off production of the harmful or malfunctioning protein.

Dr. Klara Grantz Saskova of the Proteases of Human Pathogens group at IOCB Prague. Credit: Tomas Bellon / IOCB Prague

Dr. Petr Cigler, head of the Synthetic Nanochemistry group at IOCB Prague. Credit: Tomas Bellon / IOCB Prague

Further research into new lipid nanoparticles may lead to targeted transport into specific types of cells, which, among other things, is useful for the development of personalized anticancer vaccines or RNA drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The new universal system for transporting therapeutic nucleic acids into cells has great potential for the development of new vaccines and drugs. Therefore, IOCB TECH, the subsidiary tech transfer office of IOCB Prague, is working intensively on its commercialization and is negotiating with possible partners from the pharmaceutical industry.

Explore further Why RNA vaccines for COVID-19 raced to the front of the pack

More information: Zuzana Hejdankova et al, Lipid Nanoparticles for BroadSpectrum Nucleic Acid Delivery, Advanced Functional Materials (2021). Journal information: Advanced Functional Materials Zuzana Hejdankova et al, Lipid Nanoparticles for BroadSpectrum Nucleic Acid Delivery,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202101391
Illustrations showing the spontaneous appearance of large-scale Onsager vortices in a 2D disk Bose-Einstein Condensate (shaded regions) in contrast with the non-existence of the Onsager vortices in the 2D spherical shell Bose-Einstein Condensate. Credit: Wei Guo

Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have new insight about the formation of vortices in a type of quantum fluid, work that could help our comprehension of the physics mystery of how vortex clusters form and provide valuable understanding into the atmospheric swirling motion on planets such as Earth and Jupiter.

The researchers revealed an alternative explanation for the formation of so-called Onsager vortices in a two-dimensional superfluid, a type of quantum fluid that can flow without friction. Their findings were published in Physical Review Letters.

"This finding gives us a new explanation for how these vortices might form and is an important step toward continuing to improve our understanding of quantum physics," said Wei Guo, associate professor in mechanical engineering and lead investigator of the study.

In 1949, Nobel Laureate Lars Onsager proposed a simple theory relating to our understanding of the swirling motion in turbulent 2D fluids, which are fluids constrained to move in a two-dimensional space.

Onsager's theory says when energy is added constantly into a 2D turbulent fluid with chaotic small swirls (formally called vortices), those swirls rotating in the same direction would cluster to form large-scale persistent swirls when the energy is sufficiently high. These clusters or large-scale swirls are known as "Onsager vortices." Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a good example.

"Onsager's theory requires energy to be added to the 2D fluid," Guo said. "However, recent publications revealed that in 2D Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs), Onsager vortices can appear spontaneously without energy input. We set out to do more investigations into these surprising results."

BEC is a state of matter where identical atoms or molecules are confined by a laser or magnetic trap and cooled to near absolute zero. The particles in the BEC state occupy the same quantum mechanical energy level and can exhibit superfluid behaviors, such as flowing without the apparent loss of kinetic energy and rotating around tiny hollow tubes called vortex tubes. With an appropriate trap, a BEC can be confined to have a quasi-2D disk shape, that is, a shape with a small thickness but a large radius. The vortex tubes in a 2D BEC appear like tiny point swirls, which can serve as an ideal testbed for Onsager's theory.

A video simulation showing Onsager vortices forming on a 2D disk-shaped Bose Einstein Condensate. Credit: Wei Guo/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

"A well-accepted explanation of the spontaneous appearance of Onsager vortices in 2D disk BECs is the evaporative heating mechanism," Guo said. "This mechanism refers to what physicists call vortex annihilation, which is when a pair of vortices with opposite rotations merge and disappear, just like a positive charge neutralizes with a negative charge."

"As the vortices annihilate, the energy per vortex increases, which leads to the formation of Onsager vortices," said Toshiaki Kanai, a graduate research student working with Guo at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

However, in a numerical simulation performed by Kanai and Guo while studying the turbulent swirling motion in 2D, with BECs confined on the surface of a sphere, they found that Onsager vortices never formed despite the annihilations of the vortex pairs. The researchers then conducted a comparative study of the vortex dynamics in both disk BECs and spherical shell BECs.

"We finally figured out that the spontaneous formation of Onsager vortices is not due to the well-accepted evaporative heating mechanism," Guo said. "The true mechanism is the exiting of the vortices from the 2D BEC boundary."

The disk BEC has a circumference where the vortices can exit, while the spherical shell BEC does not have any boundaries. Therefore, Onsager vortices are observed only in the disk BECs but not in the spherical BEC shells, according to the researchers.

"Identifying the true mechanism for the spontaneous formation of Onsager vortices in 2D BECs represents a major progress in our understanding of 2D superfluid turbulence," Guo said. "Our findings about the point vortices on a sphere may represent a conceptually interesting model of a planetary atmosphere, and these findings can be tested experimentally at NASA's space laboratory."

NASA has recently installed a cold atom laboratory at the International Space Station, which has made it feasible to produce BECs in spherical shell geometry. Future experimental studies in zero gravity could help advance the science in this field.

More information: Toshiaki Kanai et al, True Mechanism of Spontaneous Order from Turbulence in Two-Dimensional Superfluid Manifolds, Physical Review Letters (2021). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Toshiaki Kanai et al, True Mechanism of Spontaneous Order from Turbulence in Two-Dimensional Superfluid Manifolds,(2021). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.095301
The Hubble image of a portion of the GOODS-South field (left) required multiple individual exposures that were stitched into a mosaic. The Roman Space Telescope will have a field of view (right) at least 100 times greater than Hubble, allowing it to capture data on thousands of galaxies in a single exposure. Credits: NASA, ESA, and J. DePasquale (STScI) Acknowledgement: DSS

When NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches in the mid-2020s, it will revolutionize astronomy by providing a panoramic field of view at least 100 times greater than Hubble's at similar image sharpness, or resolution. The Roman Space Telescope will survey the sky up to thousands of times faster than can be done with Hubble. This combination of wide field, high resolution, and an efficient survey approach promises new understandings in many areas, particularly in how galaxies form and evolve over cosmic time. How did the largest structures in the universe assemble? How did our Milky Way galaxy come to be in its current form? These are among the questions that Roman will help answer.

Galaxies are conglomerations of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. The largest can span hundreds of thousands of light-years. Many gather together in clusters containing hundreds of galaxies, while others are relatively isolated.

How galaxies change over time depends on many factors: for example, their history of star formation, how rapidly they formed stars over time, and how each generation of stars influenced the next through supernova explosions and stellar winds. To tease out these details, astronomers need to study large numbers of galaxies.

"Roman will give us the ability to see faint objects and to view galaxies over long intervals of cosmic time. That will allow us to study how galaxies assembled and transformed," said Swara Ravindranath, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland.

While wide-field imaging will be important for galaxy studies, just as important are Roman's spectroscopic capabilities. A spectrograph takes light from an object and spreads it into a rainbow of colors known as a spectrum. From this range of colors, astronomers can glean many details otherwise unavailable, like an object's distance or composition. Roman's ability to provide a spectrum of every object within the field of view, combined with Roman imaging, will enable astronomers to learn more about the universe than from either imaging or spectroscopy alone.

This animation portrays the complementary nature of imaging and spectroscopy to understand galaxies. It begins with a portion of the Hubble GOODS-South field, a region of the sky containing hundreds of visible galaxies. Then rainbow-colored lines called spectra are added next to selected galaxies; in reality, every star and galaxy has its light spread out. The underlying image later fades away to highlight the galaxies spectra, which contain a wealth of information including distances (redshifts). The image and spectra were obtained by Hubble and illustrate what will be done with Roman, but over a vastly larger number of galaxies. Credits: NASA, ESA, and J. DePasquale (STScI)

Revealing When and Where Stars Were Born

Galaxies don't form stars at a constant rate. They speed up and slow downforming more or fewer starsunder the influence of a variety of factors, from collisions and mergers to supernova shock waves and galaxy-scale winds powered by supermassive black holes.

By studying a galaxy's spectrum in detail, astronomers can explore the history of star formation. "Using Roman we can estimate how fast galaxies are making stars and find the most prolific galaxies that are producing stars at an enormous rate. More importantly, we can find out not only what's happening in a galaxy at the moment we observe it, but what its history has been," stated Lee Armus, an astronomer at IPAC/Caltech in Pasadena, California.

Some precocious galaxies birthed stars very rapidly for a short time, only to cease forming stars surprisingly early in the universe's history, undergoing a rapid transition from lively to "dead."

"We know galaxies shut off star formation, but we don't know why. With Roman's wide field of view, we stand a better chance of catching these galaxies in the act," said Kate Whitaker, an astronomer at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

The Roman Space Telescope is designed for large surveys of the sky. This animation gives a sense of the scale of just one of Romans potential survey areas, which would span an area of 2,000 square degrees  about 10,000 times the size of the full Moon. Credits: NASA/Caltech-IPAC/R. Hurt Acknowledgement: This animation has made use of the Stellarium planetarium.

Growing the Cosmic Web

Even as galaxies themselves have grown over time, they also have gathered together in groups to form intricate structures billions of light-years across. Galaxies tend to collect into bubbles, sheets, and filaments, creating a vast cosmic web. By combining high-resolution imaging, which yields a galaxy's position on the sky, with spectroscopy, which provides a distance, astronomers can map this web in three dimensions and learn about the universe's large-scale structure.

The expansion of the universe stretches light from distant galaxies to longer, redder wavelengthsa phenomenon called redshift. The more distant a galaxy is, the greater its redshift. Roman's infrared detectors are ideal for capturing light from those galaxies. More distant galaxies are also fainter and harder to spot. Combining this with the fact that that some galaxy types are rare, you have to search a larger area of the sky with a more sensitive observatory to find the objects that often have the most interesting stories to tell.

"Right now, with telescopes like Hubble we can sample tens of high-redshift galaxies. With Roman, we'll be able to sample thousands," explained Russell Ryan, an astronomer at STScI.

Seeking the Unknown

While astronomers can anticipate many of the discoveries of the Roman Space Telescope, perhaps most exciting is the possibility of finding things that no one could have predicted. Typical high-resolution observations from space-based observatories like Hubble, target specific objects for detailed investigation. Roman's survey approach will cast a wide net, thereby opening up a new "discovery space."

"Roman will excel in unknown unknowns. It will certainly find rare, exotic things that we don't expect," said Ryan.

"Roman's combined imaging and spectroscopy surveys will gather the 'gold nuggets' that we never would have mined otherwise," added Ravindranath.

Explore further Roman Space Telescope could image 100 Hubble ultra deep fields at once
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have calculated moment tensors for 130 underground nuclear and 10 chemical test explosions that have taken place at the Nevada National Security test site.

Often represented graphically to resemble a striped "beach ball," moment tensors "are essentially a mathematical concept that's used to describe forces that drive earthquakes," said Andrea Chiang, co-author of the new study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Instead of the forces along an earthquake fault, the moment tensor solutions calculated by Chiang and Michael Pasyanos represent the forces of implosion, explosion and collapse that occurred during the underground tests. These calculations, the researchers show, can be used to distinguish explosions from earthquakes, and estimate yield for the explosions.

Pasyanos and Chiang said compiling an extensive database of moment tensor solutions for this unique set of carefully documented explosions will be useful for researchers tasked with explosion monitoring. Their data set reflects nuclear explosions at the site from 1970 to 1992, and chemical explosions from 1993 to 2019.

"Because of the moratorium on nuclear testing, it's kind of more important than ever to do analysis on legacy data," said Pasyanos. "We're hoping that this data set can be used by others in the community to test and validate and improve on methods."

In the past, moment tensor solutions were less useful for explosion monitoring than earthquake analysis due to assumptions made in the equationssuch as ignoring any volume changes during the eventthat sidestepped the important physics of explosions. More recently, work by Chiang and others has refined these equations to include this type of variable.

In some preliminary tests, the researchers were able to use aspects of the Nevada moment tensor solutions to categorize seismic events as either earthquakes or explosions. They also tested whether momenta combination of force, slip and area of fault rupture that seismologists use to determine earthquake sizecould be used to determine yield for an explosion.

"We feel as a community that moment and moment magnitude is kind of a better quantifying parameter for an earthquake, for instance, so the natural question is, is it also better for yield estimation?" Pasyanos said.

The study suggests that moment doesn't always translate directly to yield, but is complicated by the type of rock surrounding the explosion, as earlier studies have also indicated.

"If the explosion happens in strong rock, that will couple well and produce a high seismic moment," Pasyanos explained. "If it's in weak rock, the same size explosion would couple poorly, and you'd get a smaller seismic moment for the same yield."

The Nevada explosion recordings are a mix of analog and digital data, and the study highlights the importance of preserving seismic data sets for future analyses, the researchers note. In many cases, it can be a race against the clock to preserve data on media that is physically deteriorating or can no longer be read with current technologies, or a time-consuming effort to read and digitize paper records.

Chiang also stressed the importance of the people who worked at seismic networks, and the details they can contribute about the stations and instruments, in parsing past seismic records. "It's important to preserve their knowledge as well," she said.

Explore further Seismic coda used to locate and define damage from explosions

More information: Michael E. Pasyanos et al, Full Moment Tensor Solutions of U.S. Underground Nuclear Tests for Event Screening and Yield Estimation, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2021). Journal information: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America Michael E. Pasyanos et al, Full Moment Tensor Solutions of U.S. Underground Nuclear Tests for Event Screening and Yield Estimation,(2021). DOI: 10.1785/0120210167
Deocampo and colleagues collecting samples from the Lake Magadi drill core at the National Lacustrine Core Facility. Photo credit Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project. Credit: Photo credit Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project.

Rift Valley lakes within eastern Africa range from freshwater to highly alkaline systems and are homes to diverse ecosystems. These Rift Valley lakes are also sedimentary repositories, yielding a high-resolution environmental record that can be targeted to better understand the environmental and climatic context of human evolution over the past few million years in eastern Africa.

A new study published yesterday in Geology examines the geochemical record of drill core sediments collected from Lake Magadia saline, alkaline lake in the southern Kenya Riftthat provides a nearly one-million-year paleoenvironmental record from an unusual Rift Valley lake system.

Lead author Dan Deocampo of Georgia State University and a group of international co-authors drilled Lake Magadi as part of the Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP), which collected deep sediment cores from lake basins in the East African Rift.

"We're trying to understand how the Earth's surface environment has changed over the last several million years and how that has impacted early hominin habitats," said Deocampo. "We are using many different proxies of the ancient environments to understand how the environment has changed, how habitats have changed, and therefore how the hazards and resources for early hominins changed through time."

The geochemical analysis of the Lake Magadi samples showed some of the highest concentrations of elements like molybdenum, arsenic, and vanadium ever reported in lake sediments. Hyperaccumulation of these elements has not previously been observed in other East African lakes and generally requires euxinic conditions. Euxinic conditions occur when the lake water is both anoxic and sulfidic, typically triggered during negative water balance episodes like droughts.

Overview of Lake Magadi from the western shore. Photo credit Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project. Credit: Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project

"The amount of molybdenum accumulated in a sulfide-rich sediment in the lake is not going to tell us habitat structure, where the hominins were living, but fluctuations between those euxinic conditions and fresher water conditions, that can tell us something about the pace of environmental change," said Deocampo.

Deocampo and co-authors found that euxinia became common after about 700,000 years ago and subsequently tended to occur during intervals when Earth's orbit was more elliptical, which occurs over a 100,000-year cycle. As Earth's orbit becomes more elliptical, Earth can become farther away from the sun, which causes greater variations in seasonal climate. The episodes of euxinia provide an important indicator of intense droughts in the region during periods of extensive glaciations.

These high-amplitude environmental fluctuations driving shifts between euxinic and well-mixed lake conditions would have profoundly affected moisture availability and vegetation over evolutionary timescales.

Drill core collection at the Lake Magadi site. Photo credit Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project. Credit: Photo credit Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project.

The environmental variability suggested by the geochemical record of Lake Magadi is associated in time with mammal species turnover and the first appearance of Middle Stone Age technology in the southern Kenya Rift between 500,000 and 320,000 years ago.

"Now that is kind of a touching point with the paleoanthropologists who are thinking about changes in the amplitude of environmental change and how that relates to gene pool modifications and changes in habitat structure, first appearances, and last appearances," said Deocampo.

Explore further Reading the rocks: Geologist finds clues to ancient climate patterns in chert

More information: D.M. Deocampo et al, Orbital control of Pleistocene euxinia in Lake Magadi, Kenya, Geology (2021). Journal information: Geology D.M. Deocampo et al, Orbital control of Pleistocene euxinia in Lake Magadi, Kenya,(2021). DOI: 10.1130/G49140.1
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists have developed a method using machine learning to better analyze data from a powerful scientific tool: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). One way NMR data can be used is to understand proteins and chemical reactions in the human body. NMR is closely related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for medical diagnosis.

NMR spectrometers allow scientists to characterize the structure of molecules, such as proteins, but it can take highly skilled human experts a significant amount of time to analyze that data. This new machine learning method can analyze the data much more quickly and just as accurately.

In a study recently published in Nature Communications, the scientists described their process, which essentially teaches computers to untangle complex data about atomic-scale properties of proteins, parsing them into individual, readable images.

"To be able to use these data, we need to separate them into features from different parts of the molecule and quantify their specific properties," said Rafael Bruschweiler, senior author of the study, Ohio Research Scholar and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The Ohio State University. "And before this, it was very difficult to use computers to identify these individual features when they overlapped."

The process, developed by Dawei Li, lead author of the study and a research scientist at Ohio State's Campus Chemical Instrument Center, teaches computers to scan images from NMR spectrometers. Those images, known as spectra, appear as hundreds and thousands of peaks and valleys, which, for example, can show changes to proteins or complex metabolite mixtures in a biological sample, such as blood or urine, at the atomic level. The NMR data give important information about a protein's function and important clues about what is happening in a person's body.

But deconstructing the spectra into readable peaks can be difficult because often, the peaks overlap. The effect is almost like a mountain range, where closer, larger peaks obscure smaller ones that may also carry important information.

Think of the QR code readers on your phone: NMR spectra are like a QR code of a moleculeevery protein has its own specific 'QR code,'" Bruschweiler said. "However, the individual pixels of these 'QR codes' can overlap with each other to a significant degree. Your phone would not be able to decipher them. And that is the problem we have had with NMR spectroscopy and that we were able to solve by teaching a computer to accurately read these spectra."

The process involves creating an artificial deep neural network, a multi-layered network of nodes that the computer uses to separate and analyze data.

The researchers created that network, then taught it to analyze NMR spectra by feeding spectra that had already been analyzed by a person into the computer and telling the computer the previously known correct result. The process of teaching a computer to analyze spectra is almost like teaching a child to readthe researchers started with very simple spectra. Once the computer understood that, the researchers moved on to more complex sets. Eventually, they fed highly complex spectra of different proteins and from a mouse urine sample into the computer.

The computer, using the deep neural network that had been taught to analyze spectra, was able to parse out the peaks in the highly complex sample with the same accuracy as a human expert, the researchers found. And more, the computer did it faster and highly reproducibly.

Using machine learning as a tool to analyze NMR spectra is just one key step in the lengthy scientific process of NMR data interpretation, Bruschweiler said. But this research enhances the capabilities of NMR spectroscopists, including the users of Ohio State's new National Gateway Ultrahigh Field NMR Center, a $17.5 million center funded by the National Science Foundation. The center is expected be commissioned in 2022 and will have the first 1.2 gigahertz NMR spectrometer in North America.

Other research scientists involved in this study include Alexandar Hansen, Chunhua Yuan and Lei Bruschweiler-Li, all of Ohio State's Campus Chemical Instrument Center.

Explore further Improving data-independent acquisition proteomics

More information: Da-Wei Li et al, DEEP picker is a deep neural network for accurate deconvolution of complex two-dimensional NMR spectra, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Da-Wei Li et al, DEEP picker is a deep neural network for accurate deconvolution of complex two-dimensional NMR spectra,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25496-5
Maya ruins in Tikal, Guatemala 2009. Credit: chensiyuan, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Early Maya cities featured monumental complexes, which centered on a shared form of religion but these complexes transformed radically once kingship emerged in 400 B.C. To solidify their power, rulers throughout the Maya lowlands would change these complexes, installing their mark on the landscape and reshaping how people remember it, according to a Dartmouth study published in Ancient Mesoamerica.

"Just as political leaders today often seek to brand themselves, so too did early Maya rulers," says Ryan H. Collins, a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology at the Neukom Institute for Computational Science at Dartmouth. "Maya rulers seemed to have real angst about the past world and think that it could interfere with their authority, so they would try to tweak it, or even erase it altogether. These rulers saw themselves as the embodiment of the Maya sun god and wanted to put their personal stamp on the city, so monuments and the ways people experienced the city were modified to reflect a ruler's desires over his or her lifetime."

Collins examined data from the Maya site Yaxuna, located in central Yucatan, Mexico, and other pyramid plaza complexes or temples known as E groups in the Maya lowlands, including San Bartolo, Tikal, Ceibal in Guatemala, and Cahal Pech in Belize, which reflected observed astronomical alignments with the equinoxes and solstices.

In the E group, each monumental complex was built along an east-west axis and was characterized by a pyramid to the west and a long-raised platform to the east. Prior research has found that the astronomical alignments of Maya complexes were likely a reference to the sun god and maize (corn) god and the annual changes of the agricultural season.

Map of Maya lowlands in eastern Mesoamerica. Credit: Ryan H. Collins

According to archeological data from Yaxuna and the other sites, Collins found that by 400 B.C., many Maya complexes in the E Group were either built on top of existing temples, dismantled, or abandoned altogether. In many cases, new architecture would be constructed right on top of everything that was there before, where there could be five, six or even seven pyramids preserved under the latest phase of construction.

"Over time, these temples became more about the rulers and less about the ritual and religion that once brought the communities together in the first place," says Collins. At Yaxuna, in the original city center alone, there were 11 phases of construction between 900 B.C. and 100 B.C.

While new monuments within the E Group were created over old ones, some aspects were maintained through time. For example, the original eastern structure (Str. 5E-6) at Yaxuna contained a circular stone foundation on level eight, which was preserved and emphasized by later generations through a circular incised line on the floor of level six. Precious items were also found cached on levels seven and four, including a polished magnetite fragment and a ceramic vessel with greenware beads that were likely obtained through long-distance trade. "The Maya would go back and mark spaces of social significance generations later, not centuries later, illustrating how people were really emphasizing memory and continuity with things that they thought were important," says Collins.

(a) Circular building present on floor eight, just west of Str. 5E-6; (b) fragment of polished magnetite found alongside other artifacts cached in a pair of intentional cuts on floor seven; (c) circular incised line present on floor six; (d) complete ceramic redware vessel cached in floor four associated with two greenstone beads. Credit: Ryan H. Collins

Other areas of the Yaxuna site and other E Group sites, however, contained evidence of termination rituals. These rituals were used to destroy the energy or soul associated with a building, especially if it was sacred, such as by spreading the ash of burned incense over an area. In the eastern structure at Yaxuna, ash was found near a grinding stone, providing evidence that a former space for rituals was used to prepare food in later years.

"In archeology, there has been the assumption that Maya kingship represented a continuity with the past but as Maya rulers altered peoples' experience of where they lived, these rulers were actually breaking away from Mesoamerican building traditions and redefining the Maya city," says Collins. "The first millennium of Maya culture for the E Group marks a period for not only new monuments but for the development of massive civic architecture, as large-scale roadways were built and districts began to emerge. These changes also may have driven Maya civilization's shift from an egalitarian society to a more hierarchical structure."

Explore further Modern technology reveals old secrets about the great, white Maya road

More information: Ryan H. Collins, SELECTIVE MEMORY: MONUMENTAL POLITICS OF THE YAXUNA E GROUP IN THE FIRST MILLENNIUM B.C., Ancient Mesoamerica (2021). Ryan H. Collins, SELECTIVE MEMORY: MONUMENTAL POLITICS OF THE YAXUNA E GROUP IN THE FIRST MILLENNIUM B.C.,(2021). DOI: 10.1017/S0956536121000304
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Researchers flying a radar instrument over coastal wetlands in Louisiana helped with monitoring oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico.

Charged with studying the Mississippi River Delta, NASA's Delta-X project was gearing up to collect data on Louisiana's coastal wetlands when Hurricane Ida barreled ashore in late August. The storma high-end Category 4 when it made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on Aug. 29damaged buildings and infrastructure alike, resulting in power outages, flooding, and oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regularly monitors U.S. coastal waters for potential spills and noticed some slicks that appeared just off the coast after the hurricane. They were able to use Delta-X radar data to corroborate the presence and location of these oil slicks.

Oil tends to smooth out the bumps on the ocean's surface, which results in a distinct radar signal that the Delta-X mission was able to pick out of their data. In the false-color inset graphic above, the oil appears as a green trail, while the surrounding seawater appears orange. NOAA used this information to corroborate other data they had about oil slicks in the area (satellite image in the second inset picture). In the larger image, the blue-green swath crossing from the Gulf of Mexico over the Louisiana coast denotes the flight path of the radar instrument on Sept. 1, just before 11:30 a.m. CDT. Delta-X added flight paths to their planned schedulewith the support of NASA's Applied Science Disaster Programin order to collect information over the Gulf in areas of interest to NOAA.

The Delta-X mission is studying two wetlandsthe Atchafalaya and Terrebonne Basinsby land, boat, and air to quantify water and sediment flow as well as vegetation growth. While the Atchafalaya Basin has been gaining land through sediment accumulation, Terrebonne Basin, which is next to the Atchafalaya, has been rapidly losing land. The data collected by the project will be applied to models used to forecast which areas of the delta are likely to gain or lose land under various sea level rise, river flow, and watershed management scenarios.

The mission uses several instruments to collect its data. Affixed to the bottom of a Gulfstream-III airplane, one of those instruments, the all-weather Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), bounces radar signals off of Earth's surface, creating an image of a particular area. Repeated images of the same regions, captured at different times, enable researchers to detect changes in those areas, such as fluctuating water levels beneath the vegetation as the tides move in and out of these wetlands. In addition to radar measurements, teams from Caltech, Louisiana State University, Florida International University, and other collaborating institutions gather water and vegetation samplesamong other databy boat, other airborne sensors, and from instruments on the ground.

Funded by NASA's Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS-3) program, Delta-X is managed by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. Fall 2021 was Delta-X's last scheduled field campaign, although the five-year mission will run through the end of 2023.

More information: To learn more about the Delta-X mission, see To learn more about the Delta-X mission, see deltax.jpl.nasa.gov/
This 3D view of an area the Mars Perseverance rover team calls "Faillefeu" was created from data collected by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 13th flight at Mars on Sept. 4, 2021. The images used to create the 3D, or anaglyph, picture of the geologic feature were taken at the request of the Mars Perseverance rover science team, which was considering visiting the geologic feature during the first science campaign. The anaglyph is best viewed with red-blue glasses. It was created by combining data from two images taken 16 feet (5 meters) apart by the color camera aboard Ingenuity. At the time the two images were taken, Ingenuity was at an altitude of 26 feet (8 meters). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter provided a 3D view of a rock-covered mound during its 13th flight on Sept. 4. The plan for this reconnaissance mission into the "South Seitah" region of Mars' Jezero Crater was to capture images of this geologic targetnicknamed "Faillefeu" (after a medieval abbey in the French Alps) by the agency's Perseverance rover teamand to obtain the color pictures from a lower altitude than ever before: 26 feet (8 meters).

About 33 feet (10 meters) wide, the mound is visible just north of the center of the image, with some large rocks casting shadows. Stretching across the top of the image is a portion of "Artuby," a ridgeline more than half a mile (900 meters) wide. At the bottom of the image, and running vertically up into the middle, are a few of the many sand ripples that populate South Seitah.

Best viewed with red-blue glasses, this stereo, or 3D, view (also called an anaglyph) was created by combining data from two images taken 16 feet (5 meters) apart by the color camera aboard Ingenuity.

This image of an area the Mars Perseverance rover team calls Faillefeu was captured by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 13th flight at Mars on September 4, 2021. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Explore further Ingenuity Mars Helicopter spots Perseverance from above
Fanny Peabody Professor of Music Alex Rehding speaks about a new book he co-authored on the Golden Record and a new approach to music theory. He is pictured outside the acoustically-designed archway of Sever Hall in Harvard Yard at Harvard University. Credit: Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

In 1977, NASA created two LP records with tracks of global music, greetings in different languages, sounds of the planet, and sonified images, and then attached them to the two robotic probes launched that year as part of the Voyager space mission bound for the outer solar system and beyond. This Golden Record, said Alexander Rehding, Fanny Peabody Professor of Music, is "effectively a mixtape for extraterrestrial civilizations, a sign that we exist and a glimpse of what human culture is about."

In his new book, "Alien Listening: Voyager's Golden Record and Music from Earth," Rehding and his co-author, Daniel K.L. Chua, a professor of music at the University of Hong Kong, examine the Golden Record's place in music history and the lessons it teaches us about new ways of listening to and understanding music. Rehding spoke to the Gazette about his longstanding love for this artifact. Interview was edited for clarity and length.

Q&A: Alexander Redhing

GAZETTE: Where did your interest in the Golden Record come from?

REDHING: About 10 years ago, I taught a class called the Art of Listening. I had one lecture on the Golden Record, as an extreme and interesting form of listening. I kept thinking there was actually far more to it than just this one hourlong lecture. The Golden Record was created in 1977during the Cold War, during the oil crisis, after the war in Vietnam, so it wasn't a happy time. It was a pretty important gesture when NASA sent a message to outer space, especially a message that projected happiness and tried to be welcoming to the other.

Even though the creators of the Golden Record were trying very hard to keep assumptions about human bodies and human ways of doing things to a minimum, the Golden Record was created with some very specific ideas about the kinds of extraterrestrials that would be able to pick it up and listen to it. First, it would help if our aliens had ears or some kind of hearing. Second, they would need something like hands to pick up and handle the records. And third, they would have to have a reasonably developed sense of technology. Carl Sagan, the main spokesperson behind the Golden Record, explained that anyone who would be interested in communicating with humans would likely have an interest in science and would probably have an understanding of numbers. I tend to think of Sagan's assumed extraterrestrial as a "human-plus." They can do everything that a human can do, and then several things that we aren't yet capable of. Of course, the record is as much for humans as it is for extraterrestrials, but it's rare to find other examples where music and listening were given such a momentous task.

What I find fascinating about the Golden Record is that when it was created, we had no evidence of exoplanets, and this whole idea of extraterrestrial life was a pipe dream, the stuff of science fiction. Since then, astrophysicists have discovered exoplanets and believe there are many billions of them. With these numbers, it now seems statistically quite unlikely that Earth would be the only planet in our galaxy that has life. To be sure, extraterrestrial life could come in microbial life forms and not the technologically advanced civilizations we know from science fiction. But there's a non-zero chance that someone might listen to the record at the other end. And that's pretty exciting.

GAZETTE: You and Professor Chua used cartoons, activities, and graphics to help illustrate your arguments. What was behind the decision to make the book more interactive than a typical academic volume?

REDHING: I come from the field of music theory, which is a little bit like the engineering of the musical world. We want to see how pieces of music hang together, and there has been this predisposition toward visuals to explain examples in the field. But music theory can be really forbidding, and there's a lot of technical language that puts people off reading it.

In writing this book, we wanted to work against that impression. On the one hand, we retained some of the imagery in traditional music theory, but on the other we also wanted to make it fun and inviting. We had this idea of including cartoons fairly early on. We added a cutout to make your own Grecian urn in a section about Penelope in Homer's "Odyssey"she weaves and unweaves a funeral shroud for her father-in-law to stave off suitors while Odysseus is awayand the Penelopean alternative to Pythagorean music theory that's not so masculine dominated. Pythagoras is often considered the father of music theory, and he made a connection between music and numbers. Our music theory is much more interested in repetition and difference in music, a bit like Penelope's shuttle moving back and forth along the warp on her loom. In this image, music is like woven time.

There is also a page in the book where you can hand in your membership card, as an intergalactic musicologist, because we think that everybody is a music theorist. You might not be trained in it, but by listening in any active way, you are performing music theory. Hopefully, these are effective features that will invite people to read this text who would otherwise not read music theory. The publisher deserves a big shout out, because it's been a huge amount of work for the designers. It really is a labor of love and a lot of people worked really hard to make this happen.

GAZETTE: This semester, you're teaching a Gen Ed course called "Music from Earth" about the Golden Record. What do you hope your students will take away from the course?

REDHING: It is a music class, but we literally talk about everything else under the sun as well. We talk about the making of the Golden Record, and we talk about what was put on the Golden Record. The creators decided wisely to try and include as many different musical traditions from all over the world, including a raga from India, a wedding song from Peru, and a percussion recording from Senegal. It's not a perfect compilation, but it's pretty good, especially given how difficult recordings of non-Western music were to come by in the 1970s.

We talk about representation and music, identity and national identity, because there are historical, geographic, and stylistic differences that are observed on the record. But of course, as soon as you leave Earth's orbit, all these differences fall away, because there's no guidance given on where the different kinds of music come from, what function they fulfill, or what historical period they come from. It just becomes blended into music from EarthEarth musicas opposed to any other music that might exist out there. It's the fact that we, as a planet, make music that makes the Golden Record special.

The important message is that the people who created the Golden Record really believed in the power of music to communicate, and I love that ambition, the loftiness, and a little bit of craziness that goes into it. I think it's a question that we should also ask ourselves: How can we use music for communication, especially for communication with someone we don't know at all? Music has a lot to offer. We have long known that, but we're still grappling with what exactly that means. I think the Golden Record has a lot to show us in that respect.

Explore further Imagined music and silence trigger similar brain activity

This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu.
The glowing/pinkish sample on the right side is an actual sample containing radioactive curium and the protein lanmodulin, during a fluorescence spectroscopy experiment at LLNL. The protein makes curium glow when exposed to UV light. In the presence of the protein, curium luminescence becomes strong enough to be observed by the naked-eyes. The schematic represents the structure of the curium-protein complex, with three curium atoms bound per molecule of protein. Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators proposed a new mechanism by which nuclear waste could spread in the environment.

The new findings, that involve researchers at Penn State and Harvard Medical School, have implications for nuclear waste management and environmental chemistry. The research is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

"This study relates to the fate of nuclear materials in nature, and we stumbled upon a previously unknown mechanism by which certain radioactive elements could spread in the environment," said LLNL scientist and lead author Gauthier Deblonde. "We show that there are molecules in nature that were not considered before, notably proteins like 'lanmodulin' that could have a strong impact on radioelements that are problematic for nuclear waste management, such as americium, curium, etc."

Past and present nuclear activities (energy, research, weapon tests) have increased the urgency to understand the behavior of radioactive materials in the environment. Nuclear wastes containing actinides (e.g. plutonium, americium, curium, neptunium...) are particularly problematic as they remain radioactive and toxic for thousands of years.

However, very little is known about the chemical form of these elements in the environment, forcing scientists and engineers to use models to predict their long-term behavior and migration patterns. Thus far, these models have only considered interactions with small natural compounds, mineral phases and colloids, and the impact of more complex compounds like proteins has been largely ignored. The new study demonstrates that a type of protein that is abundant in nature vastly outcompetes molecules that scientists previously considered as the most problematic in terms of actinide migration in the environment.

"The recent discovery that some bacteria specifically use rare earth elements has opened new areas of biochemistry with important technological applications and potential implications for actinide geochemistry, because of chemical similarities between the rare earths and actinides" said Joseph Cotruvo Jr., Penn State assistant professor and co-corresponding author on the paper.

The protein called lanmodulin is a small and abundant protein in many rare earth-utilizing bacteria. It was discovered by the Penn State members of the team in 2018. While the Penn State and LLNL team has studied in detail how this remarkable protein works and how it can be applied to extract rare earths, the protein's relevance to radioactive contaminants in the environment was previously unexplored.

"Our results suggest that lanmodulin, and similar compounds, play a more important role in the chemistry of actinides in the environment than we could have imagined," said LLNL scientist Annie Kersting. "Our study also points to the important role that selective biological molecules can play in the differential migration patterns of synthetic radioisotopes in the environment."

"The study also shows for the first time that lanmodulin prefers the actinide elements over any other metals, including the rare earth elements, an interesting property than could be used for novel separation processes," said LLNL scientist Mavrik Zavarin.

Rare earth element biochemistry is a very recent field that Penn State and LLNL have helped to pioneer, and the new work is the first to explore how the environmental chemistry of actinides may be linked to nature's use of rare earth elements. Lanmodulin's higher affinity for actinides might even mean that rare earth-utilizing organisms that are ubiquitous in nature may preferentially incorporate certain actinides into their biochemistry, according to Deblonde.

Explore further New sensor detects valuable rare earth element terbium from non-traditional sources

More information: Gauthier J.-P. Deblonde et al, Characterization of Americium and Curium Complexes with the Protein Lanmodulin: A Potential Macromolecular Mechanism for Actinide Mobility in the Environment, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2021). Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society Gauthier J.-P. Deblonde et al, Characterization of Americium and Curium Complexes with the Protein Lanmodulin: A Potential Macromolecular Mechanism for Actinide Mobility in the Environment,(2021). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07103
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Every year about 6 million Australian volunteers chip in more than 500 million hours of unpaid labor but raising the retirement age will reduce people's ability to contribute their free time and efforts, a Flinders University study warns.

The popular social activity of helping community and not-for-profit organizations not only makes a major contribution to the active functioning and productivity of these vital groups but also contributes to a healthy and potentially more active retirement for older people and their families, the new study in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization says.

Using data from the Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, Flinders University business economics lecturer Dr. Rong Zhu says ongoing reform to the Australian Age Pension to increase pension eligibility ages is prolonging working lives and causing an unintended and undesirable shrinkage in the valuable volunteer workforce.

Volunteers contributed around 521 million hours of unpaid work to the Australian society in the 201213 financial year, with the value of their voluntary services estimated to be more than A$17 billion (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015).

"While examining the casual impact of retirement on the supply of volunteer labor, we see that retirement, as a discrete change in lifestyle, leads to increased voluntary work among both older Australian men and women," says Dr. Zhu, from the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University.

"However, the duration of retirement, as a cumulative process of exposure to non-market activities, increases volunteer labor supply of females only.

"Another benefit is that older people's retirement also impacts positively on the volunteer behavior of their family members.

"So all of these are important avenues for greater personal and community wellbeing and advantages that prolonging working lives can impact," he says.

Over 70% of elderly people in Australia are eligible recipients of the age pension, and about two-thirds of pension beneficiaries receive full benefits.

When the Age Pension was introduced in 1908, the qualifying age threshold was 65 for both men and women. It was soon reduced to 60 for women in 1910.

Since then, the eligibility ages for males (65) and females (60) remained constant until July 1995, when the age threshold for women started increasing progressively at a rate of six months every two years. The age pension eligibility age for women reached 65 in 2014 and became identical to that for men.

From July 2017, the qualifying age for both genders has started rising again by six months every two years until reaching 67 years of age in July 2023. In 2021, the maximum rate per fortnight is A$860.60 for singles and A$1,297.40 for couples.

The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

Explore further Physically demanding jobs linked to poor health in delayed retirement

More information: Rong Zhu, Retirement and voluntary work provision: Evidence from the Australian Age Pension reform, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization (2021). Journal information: Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organisation Rong Zhu, Retirement and voluntary work provision: Evidence from the Australian Age Pension reform,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2021.08.011
Disruptive and confrontational climate communication can push us out of our comfort zone. Maybe it can stimulate us to find new and creative solutions to the climate problem. Credit: STANZA

Most of us have become accustomed to hearing that global warming is one of the biggest challenges facing the world. At the same time, the topic can make us feel powerless, and it is easy to think that we can't do much about it.

Research has shown that climate communication that evokes our emotions can also motivate us to address our own habits.

In a new project, researchers will experiment with disruptive and confrontational climate communication. The goal is to find out how the audience's emotional commitment can be used to create concrete, local solutions to climate and environmental challenges.

"We hope to create engagement that inspires people todemand change. We need to reconnect humans to the ecosystem," says Erica Lofstrom, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at NTNU.

Idea is to make people open their eyes

Lofstrom and colleague Christian Klockner are heading the research project Nature in Your Face, which started in the autumn of 2020.

Central to the project is a methodology that confronts and provokes citizens to generate their engagement and mobilize them, and which stimulates innovation, debate and structural change.

Imagine "disturbing" art installations that appear in public spaces, and nature that "pops up" in unexpected places. This type of activity is designed to give people a new and perhaps different view and understanding of the consequences of climate change.

The first project out is an eco-visualization in the form of a "lung tree"a tree that breathes, just like a respirator that keeps us alive. The installation will visually present information about air quality in 250 cities around the world, and will include the use of sound and light.

The tree will appear in Adressaparken in Trondheim later this year. But first the installation will be tested at an event on biological diversity and green areas in an urban environment in London. The British artist STANZA has created the installation.

Innovation and new solutions

In Nature in Your Face, researchers will collaborate with artists and local actors to create awareness around four selected topics: mobility, plastic waste, housing and food.

The experiments will be carried out in different places in NorwayTrondheim, Kristiansund, Hamar and in Viken county municipality.

First, the public is confronted with a challenge that needs to be solvedfor example, plastic debris in the ocean. The problem is then delimited before it is opened up for people to jointly find various measures that can solve the problem.

One such measure could be to institute a local ban on plastic bags.

Finally, the measures are tested in the local community.

The methodology has already been tried out in Kristiansund, where students at a primary school together found different solutions to the increasing amount of plastic trash.

The approach will help local communities to mobilize people and resources and to facilitate cooperation between municipalities, residents and local businesses. The hope is that a new way of thinking will generate new ideas and completely new solutions to specific challenges.

"We have to acknowledge the engagement that is aroused and ensure that the ideas are acted on. We'll invite residents to experiment, explore and discusstogether with municipalities, professionals and businesses," says Lofstrom.

Explore further ReNature launches new nature-based solutions support toolkit
Large brown algae forests on the Albanian coast are steadily shrinking, scientists warn.

In the bay of Vlora on central Albania's coast, crystal clear waters sparkle in the sun but under the surface, it is a desert.

The large brown algae forestsa hot spot of biodiversityare steadily shrinking, scientists warn.

Warming sea temperatures, pollution and dynamite fishing are causing Adriatic marine forests to disappear.

The trend has prompted Albanian experts to join a Mediterranean programme to try to reverse the loss using laboratory-grown versions.

A lack of historical data makes it difficult to quantify the decline of Cystoseira, a genus of brown algae which provides a key habitat for many species, serving as food as well as spawning and nursery areas.

But experts warn its disappearance in both the Adriatic and Ionian seas is worrying.

"In recent years we have seen a sharp decline in the marine forests of Cystoseira, the most affected by the increase in temperature caused by climate change," Ina Nasto, a biology professor at Vlora University, told AFP.

Accelerated coastal urbanisation, discharge of agricultural or industrial waste water, trawling, sediment pollution and overfishing also contribute to the problem, she said.

Scientists at Vlora University are participating in an experiment aimed at restoring the brown algae.

Protected species

Practices like harvesting date mussels with dynamite or jackhammers to break the rocks where they live devastate the seabed too, Denada Sota, also a professor at Vlora University, said.

Although they are a protected species, many restaurants on Albania's coast still serve date mussels as a delicacy.

Images shot by scientists in Vlora bay show bare rocks, where fish are few and far between, populated only by sea urchins that proliferate because their natural predators have disappeared as the victims of overfishing.

Since January 2019, professors from the university's biology laboratory have been part of an experiment aimed at restoring the brown algae.

Some 10 other institutes in the Mediterranean region are also participating, applying the same protocol.

It involves the scientists at the Vlora lab growing fertilised Cystoseira algae cells in aquariums.

Scientists grow fertilised Cystoseira algae cells in aquariums which then fix themselves onto stones that are later immersed in the sea.

The tiny algae fix themselves onto stones that are later immersed in the sea at a depth of some four metres (13 feet).

"We have to do all the monitoring even at the bottom of the sea," said Nasto, who regularly dives down to inspect the seabed and check on progress.

After a few weeks, the scientists look again to see the results of their experiment and find out if the algae have made a new home.

It is hoped that the experiment will enable them to develop protocols for marine forest restoration.

Invasive species

Invasive species pose another threat to the seabed ecosystemfor several years, Albania's more than 400-kilometre (250-mile) coastline has hosted many non native species.

Chief among them is Caulerpa cylindracea, which has decimated meadows of Posidonia, another seaweed crucial to biodiversity.

Warming sea temperatures, pollution and dynamite fishing are causing Adriatic marine forests to disappear.

Introduced from Australia in the 1990s, Caulerpadubbed the tumour of the Mediterraneanhas already colonised all the Albanian coast, Sajmir Beqiraj, a professor at Tirana University, said.

"Like other invasive species, this algae has great advantages to compete with native species and degrade the marine fauna and flora, significantly reducing biodiversity."

In Kallmet, on the northern coast, you only have to dive down two metres to find dense colonies of Caulerpa, he said, showing AFP areas conquered by the invasive seaweed.

In just a few minutes, his bag is half-filled with the dark green algae in the shape of tiny bunches of grapes.

'Like Covid'

Experts have identified a total of 40 invasive plant and animal species in Albanian waters, such as the dusky spinefoot fish from the Red Sea that is devouring algal forests it feeds on.

Invasive speciessuch as Caulerpa cylindracea, known as the tumor of the Mediterraneanpose another threat to the algae forests.

Experts have identified 40 invasive plant and animal species in Albanian waters.

Fisherman Baci Dyrmishaj says the invasive blue crab destroys his nets and attacks his catch.

Since the phenomenon is common to Mediterranean and Adriatic countries, scientists urge a joint approach.

"We must join forces and act quickly to find a solution," said Nexhip Hysolokaj, a biodiversity expert from Vlora.

Baci Dyrmishaj, a fisherman for more than 25 years in Vlora, agrees that the problems defy bordersand so should the response.

He laments the proliferation of the invasive blue crab that destroys his nets and attacks his catch.

"It's like Covid," he said smiling. "The big countries got together to find a vaccine, we have to do the same for the planet because no border can save you."

Explore further California nixing algae that crowds out food for sea animals

 2021 AFP
An olive millstone in Volubilis. Research assistant Drew Messing holds a tool for scale. Credit: Jared Benton.

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers, having the right tools was a matter of geology.

A team of geoscientists and archaeologists made the discovery by analyzing samples of the tools at a University of Texas at Austin geology lab, finding that dough mixing vats and millstones from Roman-era ruins of Volubilis, a city in Morocco, were made from specific rock types that probably improved each tool's function.

Furthermore, the researchers determined that the stones were sourced locally, a discovery that challenges a theory that some millstones had been imported from afar. It also means that the craftspeople who made the tools may have received input directly from the workers who used them.

"It is interesting because it is a very local source and seemingly from one source," said Jared Benton, a study co-author and an assistant professor at Old Dominion University who studies trade between Roman-era workshops. "One wonders if there's not a group of bakers that are coming together and saying let's buy our stuff from this one quarry, or maybe there's just one guy who [sells the stones], and that's it."

The results were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Derek Weller, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute, led the study. Additional co-authors include Omero "Phil" Orlandini, research associate and manager of the Electron Microbeam Laboratory at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences; Lauren LoBue and Scott Culotta, both undergraduates at the Jackson School; and Christy Schirmer, a graduate student in UT's Department of Classics.

The study got its start in early 2020, when Schirmer showed up at Orlandini's lab with a box of rocks. They were pieces of the stone tools that she and Benton had collected from the tools in Volubilis  and they were curious about where learning more about their geological makeup could lead them.

"They sort of look the same when they're in tool form, but as soon as we started looking, it was clear that they were completely different," Orlandini said.

Olandini got LoBue and Culotta on the case. The undergraduates put all 16 samples through a detailed scientific workup to determine their composition at the geochemical level.

Their research revealed a rock type for each tool type. Grain millstones were made from vesicular basalts (a volcanic stone full of sharp-edged pores); olive mills were made from clastic, fossiliferous limestone (a limestone containing fragments of other rocks and small fossil shells); and dough mixers were made from limestone with no clastic material or fossils.

The study notes how the rocks' attributes relate to each tool's function. For example, the pores in the basalt may have helped provide fresh edges that could help grind wheat into flour as the stone was worn down.

Weller also used the geochemical data to determine that all the stones came from sources near Volubilis. Limestone is plentiful in the region, and two limestone quarries were already known to be active during the Roman era near Volubilis. But archaeologists previously thought the basalt  which Weller found came from the nearby Middle Atlas Mountains  was imported from Italy.

In addition, the research found that each rock type came from a single location rather than sourced from different places around Volubilis. Benton said this suggests that a single supplier for each stone type might have been meeting all demand in the city and getting input from local people.

Elizabeth Fentress, an archaeologist specializing in Roman settlements in North Africa, said that the study is a great example of collaborative research.

"It is hardly the only collaboration between geologists and archaeologists, but an excellent one," she said. "The key is, as here, that the archaeologists ask the right questions and use their knowledge to interpret the answers."

Explore further Late Neanderthals used complex tool-making techniques

More information: Derek Weller et al, Provenancing the stone tools of Volubilis, Morocco: A Socio-economic interpretation of stonework lithologies, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports (2021). Derek Weller et al, Provenancing the stone tools of Volubilis, Morocco: A Socio-economic interpretation of stonework lithologies,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103105
A firefighter hoses down hot spots around a sequoia tree in the Trail of 100 Giants of Sequoia National Forest, Calif., as the Windy Fire burns on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. According to firefighters, the tree sustained fire damage when the fire spotted into its crown. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

The ancient massive trees of Sequoia National Park's famed Giant Forest were unscathed Tuesday even though a wildfire has been burning near them on the western side of California's Sierra Nevada for nearly two weeks.

"As of right now we don't have any damage to any of our trees," said fire information officer Mark Garrett.

The KNP Complex, two lightning-sparked fires that merged, has spread over more than 39 square miles (101 square kilometers), feeding on other types of trees that also live on the high-elevation slopes of the mountain range.

Giant Forest is home to about 2,000 sequoias, including the General Sherman Tree, which is considered the world's largest by volume and is a must-see for visitors to the national park.

The fire recently entered the perimeter of Giant Forest near a cluster of huge trees called the Four Guardsmen but their bases had been wrapped in fire-resistant material and crews had raked and cleared vegetation that could help spread the fire, Garrett said.

Firefighting crews monitored as what was described as a "low-intensity fire" passed through and made sure it did not affect the sequoias, he said.

For decades, Giant Forest has been subjected to prescribed fires that are carefully set and controlled to burn away vegetation that could otherwise become fuel for a fire like the KNP Complex and allow it to become established.

Firefighters mop up hot spots in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of the Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

The next-closest sequoia grove is Redwood Canyon, but it is at least 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) away and the fire would have to travel up and down terrain to get there, Garrett said.

"But like Giant Forest, that one has also seen prescribed burn treatments for several decades since the late '60s so that grove is also well-equipped to transform a high-intensity fire into low-intensity fire," he said.

To the south, another forest fire in sequoia country was showing minimal movement.

The Windy Fire in the Giant Sequoia National Monument area of Sequoia National Forest and on the Tule River Indian Reservation covered more than 42 square miles (108 square kilometers) and was 5% contained.

"The fire behavior is not as extreme as it was a couple of days ago," said Thanh Nguyen, a fire information officer.

The windy fire burns along a ridge in Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

On the Trail of 100 Giants, one tree known as the "natural bench" sequoia because of the shape of its base was confirmed to have sustained some burning.

Several sequoia groves have been impacted by the Windy Fire but it's not clear whether any other sequoia trees have been burned.

Nguyen said fire can move through a grove by burning other types of trees and vegetation rather than sequoias and assessments will come later.

The largest trees on the Trail of 100 Giants are on average 220 feet (67 meters) tall, 20 feet (6.1 meters) in diameter and 1,500 years old, Nguyen said.

"Those trees are beloved," he said.

Firefighters have been hand-digging control lines and spraying water to protect the trees and have worked to protect several evacuated communities. The only structure lost so far was the Mule Peak fire lookout structure, which burned in the early stages of the fire even though it was wrapped in fire-resistant material.

A firefighter mops up hot spots in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Firefighter Sal Valencia hoses down a hot spot in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Line safety director Joe Labak marks a falling branch hazard in the Trail of 100 Giants of Sequoia National Forest, Calif., as the Windy Fire burns on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Labak said the sequoia at center sustained fire damage when the fire spotted into its crown. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Firefighters mop up hot spots in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of the Sequoia National Forest, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

More than 7,500 wildfires have scorched about 3,600 square miles (9,324 square kilometers) in California so far this year.

Nearly half of that land1,505 square miles (3,898 square kilometers)was burned by the Dixie Fire across five counties in the northern Sierra and southern Cascades region. It is the second-largest fire on record in California and was 90% contained after destroying 1,329 homes, businesses and other structures since July 13.

South of Lake Tahoe, the 342-square-mile (886-square-kilometer) Caldor Fire is three-quarters contained after destroying 800 homes and commercial properties. Highway 50, the main route between the San Francisco Bay Area and the south end of the alpine resort lake, reopened to the public on Tuesday for the first time in weeks.

Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

Explore further 4 famous giant trees unharmed by Sequoia National Park fire

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The US Space Force unveiled its new dress uniform design Tuesday, aiming to make a future-forward mark for the Pentagon's newest uniformed service.

The prototype for the new uniform for the Space Force's Guardians, as they have been officially designated, is a short navy blue jacket with a large flap over the right breast, secured by a diagonal line of six silver buttons.

It has a standing collar, and the service badge, with a delta-shaped rocket pushing into a star, is worn below the left breast.

The jacket is matched with grey trousers or skirts.

"Modern, distinctive, professional" the Space Force called it in a tweet.

"Every winning team needs a uniform! We started with the female design and then created the male prototype," wrote Chief of Space Operations General Jay Raymond.

Tested by Guardians, made for #Guardians. #SpaceForce physical training uniforms are currently undergoing wear testing. pic.twitter.com/6agT93uGDH  United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) September 20, 2021

Launched officially in December 2019, the Space Force was organized to address challenges of fighting war in the exosphere, seen as a distinct theater from the air force.

Similar designs with diagonal buttons holding down breast flaps have been seen for centuries in European and American uniforms, and are donned with large amounts of braid by marching band drum majors today.

But the designers for the Space Force seemed aware of the sleeker uniforms seen in "Star Trek", "Battlestar Galactica"where uniforms also had the diagonal buttonsand "Star Wars".

Indeed, the force's service badge and logo are difficult to distinguish from that of the Starfleet Command from Star Trek.

 2021 AFP
Doras phlyzakion with vampire fish (Paracanthopoma sp.) fixed into its epidermis close to the bony plates of the lateral line. Arrows: areas with reddish wounds. Credit: Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria (2021). DOI: 10.3897/aiep.51.64324

A team of researchers with Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande and Washington and Lee University has found evidence of candiru (aka vampire fish) attaching themselves to hosts but not feeding off of them. The team has published findings in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.

Vampire fish living in the waters of the Amazon River Basin swim into the gills of larger fish and attach themselves, where they then feed off their host's blood. They have also become known internationally due to sensational reports of them swimming up the urine streams of humans relieving themselves into a river and taking up internal residence.

In this new effort, the researchers have found evidence of one species of vampire fish hitching a ride on a much larger host fish for as yet unknown reasons.

As part of a general research effort, the researchers were tossing nets into a lake that is part of the Amazon River Basin. They discovered one or more candirus had attached themselves to a thorny catfish (Doras phlyzakion). But they had not attached in the gills, which the reserchers found unusual.

As they continued tallying the fish they had caught in the net, they found 20 candirus attached to nine of the same species of catfish. Intrigued, they brought all the specimens back to their lab for a closer look. After dissecting the candiru, they found that all of them had empty belliesthey had not been feeding off their hosts.

Location of the study: Demeni River, left bank tributary of Negro River, Amazonas State, Brazil. Credit: Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria (2021). DOI: 10.3897/aiep.51.64324

This find led the researchers to suggest other reasons for the tiny fish to attach themselves to the much larger fish. They found plausible the idea of the little fish attaching to much larger fish to travel to remote destinations. The candirus were all approximately 1 inch long, which meant that they would have had to exert a lot of energy to swim great distances. They noted also that due to their nearly transparent bodies, the little fish would have been difficult for other predators to see as they were carried to distant locales.

Explore further Feeding both fish and pond yields more protein with lower quality feed

More information: Chiara C. F. Lubich et al, A candiru, Paracanthopoma sp. (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), associated with a thorny catfish, Doras phlyzakion (Siluriformes: Doradidae), in a tributary of the middle Rio Negro, Brazilian Amazon, Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria (2021). Chiara C. F. Lubich et al, A candiru, Paracanthopoma sp. (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), associated with a thorny catfish, Doras phlyzakion (Siluriformes: Doradidae), in a tributary of the middle Rio Negro, Brazilian Amazon,(2021). DOI: 10.3897/aiep.51.64324

 2021 Science X Network
Credit: IMDEA Networks Institute

IMDEA Networks Institute has just been granted a new patent (in this case in Spain, in addition to the one already granted in the United States ), a new recognition by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office of its technology transfer process to the market.has been developed by the team formed by researchers and former IMDEA Networks researchers as Guillermo Bielsa, Joan Palacios, Paolo Casari, Joerg Widmer , and Adrian Loch.

Paolo Casari (currently Assistant Professor at the University of Trento) explains, as the spokesperson of the team, the relevance of this development, aligned with the goals of IMDEA Networks to encourage innovation, the guarantee to the continuous improvement in the quality of research and, ultimately, of human life: "Future 5G networks will incorporate communications at very high frequencies, using the so-called millimeter wave spectrum. A very new technology that will bring unprecedented connection speeds in support of everyday activities (e.g., watching videos, browsing the Web) as well as of real-time applications (virtual reality, autonomous driving, etc.). We invented a method to extract valuable information from millimeter-wave signals and to make sense of this information to estimate the location of a client".

One of the distinctive features of this invention is that there is no need to incorporate additional sensors on the device. "We only use, instead, signals that would be exchanged anyway for communication purposes. Moreover, our system works inside buildings, where common localization equipment (for example GPS receivers) would not work". Another functionality: the invention makes it easier to locate devices attached to a millimeter-wave network, which makes it possible to offer better services.

As Casari points out: "From the perspective of telecommunications this is a very important achievement. For example, our invention enables a group of devices called access points (very similar to the devices we connect to with our smartphones and laptops when we are home, at work, or in a bar) to coordinate and deliver faster links to every connected client. It also helps avoid and prevent those obstacles placed in the middle between a network device and an access point completely prevent communications.

"The implementation (Casari concludes) will be able to help whenever we need a fast and accurate location system that works out-of-the-box using future millimeter-wave network signals. In turn, a fast and accurate location system makes it possible to deliver personalized location-based services to every user At work, it can help you find services around you (for example, the closest printers and electronic boards for meetings)". Countless applications that only depend on the context in which they develop: an outdoor area with many restaurants, a complex indoor structure, etc.

Provided by IMDEA Networks Institute
 "Supplementing the Pardon Power: Second Looks and Second Chances" | Main | Rounding up some recent reform reads 

September 21, 2021

Oklahoma top court sets executions dates for seven condemned men over the next six months

In this post last month I asked, "Might Oklahoma really try to move forward with seven executions over the next six months?" That post was prompted by the Oklahoma Attorney General's request to the state's Court of Criminal Appeals to set execution dates for seven death row inmates, including in the high-profile case of Julius Jones. Now, as reported in this local article, all these execution date have been set:

High-profile death row inmate Julius Jones has been scheduled for execution Nov. 18. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday set execution dates for Jones and six other inmates convicted of murder. The court set the date for Jones even though the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended Gov. Kevin Stitt commute his death sentence. The board voted 3-1 Sept. 13 to recommend his sentence be commuted to life in prison. If the governor agrees, Jones immediately would be eligible for parole. Stitt could choose to commute the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also could deny commutation. Oklahoma's new attorney general, John O'Connor, asked the court to schedule the execution dates. O'Connor made the request in August after a federal judge ruled six of the inmates could no longer participate in a legal challenge to the state's execution procedures.... Still in the legal challenge are 26 other death row imates. Their lawsuit in Oklahoma City federal court focuses mainly on the use of a sedative, midazolam, in lethal injections. Trial is set for Feb. 28. Jones, 41, is facing execution for the 1999 fatal shooting of an Edmond insurance executive during a carjacking. Jurors chose the death penalty as punishment at a 2002 trial. The victim, Paul Howell, was gunned down in his parents' driveway in Edmond after a back-to-school shopping trip with his daughters. Stolen was his 1997 Suburban. Jones claims that he is innocent, that the real killer framed him and that his trial was unfair.... Oklahoma has not carried out an execution since January 2015. Scheduled for execution first is John Marion Grant, 60, an armed robber who was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing a prison kitchen worker in 1998. His execution was set for Oct. 28. Next is Jones. Third is Bigler Jobe Stouffer, 78, who was sentenced to death for the 1985 fatal shooting of a Putnam City elementary school teacher. His execution was set for Dec. 9.... Fourth is Wade Greely Lay, 60, who was sentenced to death for killing a security guard during a botched bank robbery in 2004. His execution was set for Jan. 6. Fifth is Donald A. Grant, 45, who was sentenced to death for killing two workers at the LaQuinta Inn in Del City during a 2001 robbery. His execution was set for Jan. 27. Sixth is Gilbert Ray Postelle, 35, who was convicted of murdering four people on Memorial Day 2005 outside a trailer in Del City. He was sentenced to death for two of the murders and to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the other two. His execution was set for Feb. 17. Seventh is James Allen Coddington, 49, who was sentenced to death for killing a Choctaw man in 1997 during a cocaine binge. His execution was set for March 10. O'Connor initally had asked for earlier dates. He revised his request when the appeals court did not act. He told the court he was doing so so that inmates will get a required notice and to allow the parole board time to conduct clemency hearings. In the order, the four judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals found that the setting of execution dates is now appropriate and required by law. They acknowledged in a footnote that they are aware of Jones' commutation request. They wrote "this Court's duty to set a date certain is dictated" by law because there is currently no stay in effect.

Given that there have only been four state executions nationwide since the start of the pandemic more than 18 months ago, I would be quite surprised if Oklahoma actually completes so many executions in the next few months. But, as we recently saw with the federal system in 2020, sometimes an attorney general very motivated to restart the machinery of death can get death chambers humming pretty quickly.

Prior related post:

September 21, 2021 at 09:38 AM | Permalink

Comments

" But, as we recently saw with the federal system in 2020, sometimes an attorney general very motivated to restart the machinery of death can get death chambers humming pretty quickly."

With the assist of a packed Court.

"Very motivated" includes "violating basic due process."

Tomato/oe.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 21, 2021 9:49:41 AM

SCOTUS seemed pretty okay with modern execution protocols in 2008 when they decided Baze v. Rees in 2008 and Glossip v. Gross in 2015. Was the Court "packed" in 2008 and 2015, Joe? Notably, the US AGs at those times and since up until until William Barr did not seem eager to move forward with any federal executions. But AG Barr seemed to really make the difference at the federal level.

Posted by: Doug B. | Sep 21, 2021 11:54:57 AM

The multiple problems with the specific federal executions have been discussed by various people, including in a piece published at SCOTUSBlog a few weeks back. It was not just about the issues covered in previous lawsuits. Troll troll troll.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 21, 2021 12:02:19 PM

Can you link to the piece you reference, Joe? Seems hard to believe that there was not a way for the feds to do an execution for nearly two decades if there had been the will. Dozens of states found their way to completing hundreds of executions during this period.

My point is not that courts do not matter, but rather that the executive branch's desire to invest energy and political capital on these matters often determines whether and when a jurisdiction moves forward with executions after traditional appeals run their course.

Posted by: Doug B. | Sep 21, 2021 1:20:55 PM

https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/09/abortion-the-death-penalty-and-the-shadow-docket/ is, I believe, the referenced SCOTUSBlog article, which references this more academic piece: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3891784

Agreed that the whims of the executive drive the process (which reminds me of another article: https://www.stanfordlawreview.org/print/article/the-american-execution-queue/). But I have to agree w/Joe re SCOTUS's willingness to go out of its way to make sure Trump and Barr got their way.

But, again, point taken re the importance of executive branch priorities. Because of executive prerogative, unless Biden commutes the fed death row, he runs the risk of enabling another run of executions by his successor(/predecessor?).

Posted by: John | Sep 21, 2021 1:58:05 PM

Your point is bland and doesn't specifically address my comment. The first comment did less.

The single article link is appreciated, but many people wrote about the issue. I don't rest on a single article there.

For whatever reason, the executions were addressed by Barr, and normal due process would at the very least prevented the last few. Those were done at the very end.

If handled differently, there was time for executions to have occurred relatively properly. As far as that can be.

But, they went another way. And, the packed Court via the shadow docket (the two cases cited not that and Glossip itself given full treatment thanks to Kennedy).

And, that was done and aided by a packed Court.

All of this can be debated, but the brief comment, by someone I expected knows the basics here, did not. It was so weak, that seemed generous to suggest there was some troll. If it was just ignoring stuff to make an independent point, fine.



Posted by: Joe | Sep 21, 2021 4:16:22 PM

A bit more.

>SCOTUS seemed pretty okay with modern execution protocols in 2008 when they decided Baze v. Rees in 2008 and Glossip v. Gross in 2015.

I noted the two cases here did not cover the gambit of the issues in the federal execution cases. So, citing these two doesn't really address my due process concerns. Baze was 7-2. The liberals all strongly dissented in these cases.

In Glossip, SCOTUS didn't really seem "pretty okay." They strongly split. The problems with executions there led the state itself to have an extended moratorium to examine the question. Glossip himself is still alive last I checked.

>Was the Court "packed" in 2008 and 2015, Joe?

No. As noted, when Kennedy was there, Glossip received full treatment, four of them wanting to skip over that. Membership mattered here. Either way, it was in my view packed. That hurts the legitimacy of it. It to me is notable. Something might happen even if there is not a legitimacy problem. But, having one makes it worse.

So, again, I'm not really sure what the reply tells me. Some fairly simplistic sentiment that if things were handled differently that the executions still could have happened.

Okay. If anything, that makes things worse in my view. More blatant.

>Notably, the US AGs at those times and since up until until William Barr did not seem eager to move forward with any federal executions. But AG Barr seemed to really make the difference at the federal level."

Yes. I don't dispute Barr "really made the difference" here, since ultimately he was the one who set things in motion. Sessions didn't.

He set things in motion in ways, helped by a packed Court, that violated due process. The packed Court especially factored in when they rushed along executions that otherwise wouldn't have happened before the Biden Administration came in.

And, yes, a moratorium without more does leave open more executions by the next Administration, including ones that violate due process with the help of a packed Court.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 21, 2021 6:38:29 PM

Joe, I am happy you are continuing to engage this issue; I am struggling to understand what you mean by phrases like "packed court" and "violated due process" because you are using them more like political slogans than as explanations of legal issues. If your point is just that the membership of SCOTUS impacts how capital cases get addressed, sure. But the composition of the court changes all the time, and I need to understand what you mean by "packed" given that the usual use of that phrase is to describe proposals to increase SCOTUS membership. Perhaps you view all of Trump's appointments to be illegitimate. Okay, then complain about that, but calling the court "packed" is confusing. Kennedy left the Court in 2018. Is that when you think it got packed? Or was it 2017 with Gorsuch being confirmed? Or 2020 with Barrett? (Notably, Baze and Glossip, upholding lethal injection protocols with Justice Kennedy joining the Glossip majority opinion by Justice Alito, pre-date all these Trump appointments.)

In light of the ruling in Baze, a number of federal AGs could have readily sought to move forward with lethal injections for the dozen or so federal death row murderers who have exhausted all their appeals. But AG Mukasey, AG Holder, AG Lynch, AG Sessions and acting AG Whitaker all decided not to. Then along came AG Barr, and a few months after taking office he set execution dates for late 2019. His efforts were challenged in federal court, and executions delayed, until the Supreme Court upheld his execution plans to allow delayed executions to start going forward in July 2020. Can you explain to me how you think "due process" was violated in this process?

I agree that there was an effort to move forward with long-stalled executions before a new Administration took power and took a different approach to this issue. Is it your view that SCOTUS, on some notion of "due process," should block all executive actions of a lame-duck administration if it thinks a new administration will adopt a different executive policy?

At the end of the day, my point is the seemingly obvious one that the executive branch ultimately controls whether, when and how capital sentences get carried out. Courts can and do have a role to play checking how the executive branch seeks to carry out sentences, and they certainly should prevent violations of due process along the way. But I am still struggling to understand what due process violations you think were committed here. Some Justices dissented from various SCOTUS orders clearing the way for executions, but I do not recall any statement of a clear "due process" violation in even the dissents.

Posted by: Doug B. | Sep 22, 2021 11:11:30 AM

I wouldn't describe what the Supreme Court did as a due process violation.

There were some legal arguments about how to interpret the federal death penalty statute. Most pro-death penalty talking heads thought that the legal arguments lacked substantial merit. Most anti-death penalty talking heads thought that the legal arguments had merit. The Supreme Court decided that none of them was substantial enough to merit a stay. One can disagree with that conclusion, but it is hard to say that the disagreement rises to the level of a due process violation.

This disagreement, of course, is a problem with the shadow docket which asks the court to decide which status quo to preserve while issues are explored in the lower court. But the alternative is either automatic stays whenever a defendant finds a new argument (and there is always a new argument) or requiring defendants to file challenges to the current execution method (or possible execution methods) long before an execution date is set with no stays.

Posted by: tmm | Sep 22, 2021 12:00:28 PM

Disagreement is fine but once we go into "hard to say" territory, it is a lot more difficult. It to me is often better to not say things like that. It is much more debatable that even saying something -- which to me implies there is even a reasonable debate -- is hard.

I don't think the critics -- and concern about process here isn't just "anti-death penalty talking heads" -- were really making some technical Fifth Amendment claim that SCOTUS was violating due process.

At least, I'm not. They did say SCOTUS very well abused the procedure and that to me very well in some sense has due process implications. Also, that the SCOTUS majority was wrong. Being wrong doesn't mean SCOTUS itself "violated due process." But, the defendants' due process in the end was violated all the same.

Finally, I think the last paragraph of tmm's reply is too either/or. It need not, e.g., be "whenever" or something. For instance, if something does not result in a strong divide on the Court (most things), it is different from when there is. The death penalty raises its own special concerns. And, there are arguments that the Supreme Court is not consistent in its shadow docket.

Again, this has been discussed in detail, so don't rely on my passing summary. It was, e.g., discussed by multiple witnesses (each submitting written testimony) to the Presidential Supreme Court Commission.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 22, 2021 12:39:10 PM

I am struggling to understand what you mean by phrases like "packed court" and "violated due process" because you are using them more like political slogans than as explanations of legal issues

The term "violate due process" can be used in different ways.

But, the first comment can quite simply be read using it as an explanation of legal issues.

You can quite easily disagree, but multiple people -- including federal judges up to the Supreme Court -- have explained in detail how the executions were handled in ways that violate due process.

I'm not using it as some "political slogan," full stop. It's fine to do that TOO. But, I very well didn't lead with that. It's unfair to toss that at me. I'll say that at this point. It's also wrong on the merits.

You tossed out Baze and Glossip. I can very well disagree with them and/or that even granting that, that due process still is being violated. Perhaps, Justice Sotomayor also is "more political sloganeering" than stating the law. If so, I dissent.

I said that in my first reply. Barr can very well disagree. But, those two cases do not by their lonesome refute the argument that due process -- in a purely legal sense -- was violated.

More issues that the ones arising in those cases were involved. Since I figured you know such nuances a lot more than me, I found your first reply so weak that is seemed trolling. Since that word has baggage, it's probably better not to say that. But, still, the reply was weak.

====

. But the composition of the court changes all the time, and I need to understand what you mean by "packed" given that the usual use of that phrase is to describe proposals to increase SCOTUS membership. Perhaps you view all of Trump's appointments to be illegitimate. Okay, then complain about that, but calling the court "packed" is confusing

I'm sorry, again, I thought this would not confuse you so much since I'm not using obscure terminology, and someone who pays attention to legal commentary and so forth would reasonably be aware of the current usage of legal related popular terminology.

The "change all the time" bit really is lame to me. Since it confuses you, the basic idea is that one or more [an expanded Supreme Court is sometimes said to be "packed" even if only part of the Court is increased] of the Trump nominees were forced on by the Republicans in a way that changed the basic tenor of the Supreme Court. That is was done in an improper way using proper norms.

I'm using the term here since it is a common usage. It also is to me a form of "packing" which answers in part those who find court expansion a bad idea while at best (often not even) finding what the Republicans (what did not happen "all the time" -- if you are going to accuse me of loose political talk) somewhat unpleasant.

[I conclude we basically disagree as we did when I used the term "stolen seat" or regarding various things about Trump. So be it.]

And, the changes -- as I pointed out more than once -- affected the results here. Along with what to me is a legitimacy issue, this is why I tossed that in. Citing Baze and Glossip (again, itself, contra to your framing, controversial), doesn't answer that.

Is it your view that SCOTUS, on some notion of "due process," should block all executive actions of a lame-duck administration if it thinks a new administration will adopt a different executive policy?

This does not follow from my argument that the specific executions in various respects [even if not all of them] had due process problem.

I basically argued that if the final cases were handled correctly, at least there, the executions wouldn't have happened. The summer executions are a closer call since there was more time.

Again, citing Baze and Glossip didn't refute that. The cases had their own nuances. If the Trump Administration started earlier & SCOTUS handled things differently, the executions might have gone on in a more fair way. But, that didn't happen.

I note the reasonably inferred scare quotes there around due process. I think January executions, days before a new Administration comes along, is generally a bad idea on policy grounds. But, no, I don't think there is some "due process" problem in timing it that way. That is, merely the timing w/o any other issue, is something the Supreme Court should stop. HERE there were other issues.

I cited -- and someone else provided links -- but one discussion of the specific concerns. Or, you can just read the dissents SCOTUS' website or certain lower court opinions.

But, since I'm clearly talking past you, I fear your confusion might continue. Happily, there are various basic issues (such as the importance of executive discretion) for which there is disagreement.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 22, 2021 1:26:18 PM

(the last word should be "agreement")

And, I will now move on.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 22, 2021 1:30:28 PM

The first comment provided a simple statement, but the replies covered a lot of more ground. The results were long comments that tried to cover a lot of ground. At some point, most just stop reading.

Anyway, I want to correct something. I noted Kennedy's vote was key in the very decision to have full argument in Glossip.

The case I was thinking of is Bucklew v. Precythe.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/01/politics/supreme-court-death-penalty-bucklew/index.html

Posted by: Joe | Sep 22, 2021 3:30:50 PM

I appreciate the engagement, Joe, though I am not sure I can sort through all the ideas and words in these four comments. And I still am not sure if I understand what you mean when saying that "if the final cases were handled correctly, at least there, the executions wouldn't have happened." Are you saying these cases were not handled LEGALLY correctly or are you just making the POLITICAL point that these case look bad because some may think they were rushed at the end of a term. In all the federal executions, the defendant had committed murders at least 15 to 30 years earlier and all "regular" appeals were long before exhausted. The particulars of lethal injection --- which were addressed generally by SCOTUS in Baze (2008) and Glossip (2015) --- were further litigated for the federal system between June 2019 and through all of 2020. Court access was not denied, and it is unclear what other issues were still to be litigated.

If you think the death penalty is bad policy, that's fine. But some people get elected and in power who think it is really bad policy to have a bunch of death sentences that never get carried out. AG Barr seemed to have that view, and once in power he did what he could, seemingly using legal means, to advance his view of policy. SCOTUS did not stand in his way, and I am not sure they would have even if not "packed" by Prez Trump. After all, SCOTUS let hundreds of executions go forward in the years right after Bill Clinton packed the Court with Justices Breyer and Ginsburg.

Posted by: Doug B. | Sep 22, 2021 4:55:32 PM

McConnell stole Merrick Garland's seat and then refused to abide by his own rule when J. Ginsburg died. For my money, those two moves were when the "packing" occurred.

The controversy around the federal stay litigation was that many Circuit Courts did find that a stay was warranted. Having done so, a court lacking Trump's appointees (or even lacking either Gorsuch or Barrett, assuming a fair political process) probably would have let at least some of the stays remain.

Posted by: John | Sep 22, 2021 5:51:25 PM

I would note that of the thirteen federal executions at the end of the Trump Administration, five were before the death of Justice Ginsburg, two were while the seat was vacant, and six were after Justice Barrett took the bench. Of those thirteen executions, in only three cases did the "liberal" justices all vote for a stay. So if you eliminate Gorsuch, it might have made a difference -- assuming that a Justice Garland would have voted for the stay. Eliminating Justice Barrett would not have made a difference.

Posted by: tmm | Sep 23, 2021 10:29:21 AM

I repeatedly cited legal procedural problems. There is also a political aspect. My comments here is not based on my opposition to the death penalty as policy. My comments were more specific.

As to "it would happen either way," my first comment merely stated I thought due process was violated & that a packed Court helped.

Like someone who thought state sponsored racial segregation is unconstitutional in 1900, those with the power to decide things disagree. The segregation also was worse when certain people were voted in than others. The person still can think it was unconstitutional, especially when additional legal issues are present. "But Plessy" won't refute them.

And, if somehow the Congress in the 1890s "packed" the Court with strong segregationists, that alone wouldn't have mattered by its lonesome.

[I note in partial answer to tmm's latest that the Supreme Court more strongly used its shadow docket with a 6-3 conservative majority. But, it had less restraint even there on questions of the death penalty. Kavanaugh for Kennedy probably shifted things there some.]

Either way, the Court would have upheld it given the votes by other justices chosen fairly. But, AGAIN, that wouldn't mean the Court wasn't packed. That it would matter so little that it would be silly to reference it.

At least, that is my view. If that can't be sorted out, so be it.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 23, 2021 11:39:52 AM

I know no one is really paying attention, but Prof. Vladeck's upcoming testimony regarding the shadow docket has this argument:

"Thus, the courts novel January 15 ruling in Higgs  a summary reversal on a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment  seems possible only because there are no longer four Justices who would dissent from such a procedural move."

https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Vladeck-SJC-Testimony-09-29-2021.pdf

Just a fyi ... as with everything else, might be wrong, but it seems both a reasonable and notable statement.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 28, 2021 12:48:18 PM

I always pay attention to you, Joe, and I agree that SCOTUS often does notable and different things in capital cases --- such as actually pay a lot of attention to almost every claim. Many thousands of federal defendants likely do not even get their cert petitions read by a single Justice, whereas every capital murderer gets special treatment (relative to the treatment other defendants get) from the Justices because they were sentenced to death for committing a capital murder.

Posted by: Douglas Berman | Sep 28, 2021 4:48:07 PM

>I always pay attention to you, Joe

That's nice.

Generally, after a week people don't pay attention to old threads. Clearly, you are special.

>I agree that SCOTUS often does notable and different things in capital cases

This might be in response to the professor using the word "novel."

But, just to be clear, the reason I posted the comment is that multiple people here discussed the possible importance of specific personnel on the Court in these cases.

The professor argues Barrett's vote was key in Higgs. If so, realistically, time might have run out. Again, this doesn't mean there is some "due process" right to stop all executions in lame duck periods. It is a statement of what happened here.

>such as actually pay a lot of attention to almost every claim.

I find this statement a tad exaggerated.

>Many thousands of federal defendants likely do not even get their cert petitions read by a single Justice, whereas every capital murderer gets special treatment (relative to the treatment other defendants get) from the Justices because they were sentenced to death for committing a capital murder.

Yes, they get special treatment; from ancient times it was felt that before the government takes a life, special care should be given.

There is a lot of literature on how there still are regularly violations of due process in capital cases. So, what's the point of stating the bland statement, especially after a much more specific quote? Please treat that as rhetorical.

Posted by: Joe | Sep 28, 2021 7:01:47 PM

Post a comment
Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi.

Tehran [Iran], September 22 (ANI): Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday (local time) slammed the US and called America to refrain from trying to influence the world, saying the world no longer cares about "America First" or "America's Back".

Iran's new hardline president in the pre-recorded address at the General Assembly on Tuesday described American power in the world as both evil and irrelevant.

"Today, the world doesn't care about 'America First' or 'America is Back,' said Raisi referring to the slogans of isolationism promoted by President Donald Trump and the international engagement espoused by President Joe Biden.

Asserting that nuclear weapons have "no place" in Iran's defense doctrine, he said, "Nukes have no place in our defense doctrine and deterrence policy, Our country's strategic policy is to consider the production and stockpiling of atomic weapons as forbidden."

"Sanctions are the US's new way of war with the nations of the world," he said.

"The US attempt to counter the Iranian people by violating the JCPOA and taking the maximum pressure approach is organised crimes against humanity and have totally failed. However, the policy of maximum tyranny is still on, multiple reports released by the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, have attested to adherence of Iran to its commitments," he said.

"We want only what is rightfully ours. All powers must stay true to the nuclear deal in practice," he said.

He further reiterated Iran's call for an "inclusive" government in neighbouring Afghanistan.

He also slammed the US for using economic sanctions to pressure its foes.

"While decisively defending all its rights and the interests of its people, Iran is keen to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world," he said. "I seek effective interaction with all the countries of the world, especially with our neighbours, and shake their hands warmly."

He also denounced American and Israeli influence across the region, saying they must pull out their forces and allow nations like Yemen, Iraq and Palestine to make decisions for themselves through fair elections.(ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide. (Twitter)

New York [US], September 21 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (local time) arrived in New York to hold bilateral talks with his Norway, Iraq and UK counterparts.

He will be meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

"Began my #UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach," tweeted Jaishankar.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, he will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Officials sources told ANI that EAM will be taking part in the G4 foreign ministers meet on September 22 and is likely to participate at the SAARC meeting on September 26. However, the meeting is yet to be confirmed.

G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.

Several meetings on Afghanistan are also expected. Qatar is also organizing meetings in which India is likely to participate.

High-level debate week at the UN General Assembly will begin tomorrow. Top leaders from across the world have already started converging in New York

The UNGA meeting this year is in a hybrid format but a large number of leaders are expected to arrive in New York.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing UNGA on September 25. (ANI)
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in addresses the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly on September 21, 2021 in New York (AFP/EDUARDO MUNOZ)

South Korean President Moon Jae-In called for a "speedy resumption" of talks between the United States and North Korea Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly.

The call comes a week after Washington said Pyongyang had violated UN Security Council resolutions by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea.

"I call for a speedy resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas and between the United States and North Korea," Moon told world leaders in New York.

"I hope to see that the Korean peninsula will prove the power of dialogue and cooperation in fostering peace," he added.

Talks between North Korea and Washington have been stalled since the collapse of a 2019 summit between the authoritarian state's young leader Kim Jong Un and then US president Donald Trump over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

Trump said he should have won the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing war, but North Korea never signed a permanent agreement to end its nuclear program.

President Joe Biden's administration said in an April policy review on North Korea that the United States was willing to engage Pyongyang.

But it also signaled it was looking more for a practical approach following the unusual personal diplomacy of Trump, who met three times with Kim.

In July, the Koreas announced the restoration of official military and political communication links that were severed more than a year ago.

Last week, North Korea fired "two short-range ballistic missiles" from South Pyongan province into the sea off its east coast, Seoul said.

They came hours before South Korea successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile, becoming only the seventh country in the world with the advanced technology and raising the prospect of a regional arms race.

North and South Korea have remained technically at war since the end of their 1950-53 conflict.

pdh/sct/st
With travel still stuck in the Delta doldrums, many hotels have fallen on hard times. Some policymakers see a chance to take advantage of the sectors struggles by converting hotels into permanent housing for the homeless. California has led the way with Project Home Key, an extension of an early-pandemic experiment that has now led to more than 6,000 permanent apartments for the homeless in converted hotels, with another $2.9 billion coming into the program from the federal stimulus bill from earlier this year. Eric Adams, the presumptive next mayor of New York City, has said he plans to convert hotels to supportive housing, and other cities have experimented with using hotels to house the homeless as well.

Advertisement

Last week, I spoke with Noah Kazis, a legal fellow at New York Universitys Furman Center and one of the authors, along with Elisabeth Appel and Matthew Murphy, of a recent white paper that lays out some of the challenges and opportunities for hotel-to-housing conversion in New York City. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Henry Grabar: Lets start with something really basic. What has gotten people excited about the possibility of hotels becoming affordable housing?

Noah Kazis: Hotels are built for living in; they are designed to be shelter. So if you have a moment where there is intense housing need, and where these rooms are just sitting availableit becomes very intuitive and urgent to try and use those.

Advertisement

And we should say, too, that this is not a pandemic discovery. New York City has been housing the homeless in hotels going back at least a few years, right?

Decades. New York City housing policy has a constant return to hotels as a place to use as housing. That reflects something that is important. If you go back to the 19th, early 20th century, the line between housing and hotels wasnt a clear line the way that it has become. People lived in short-term rentals. There were long-term hotel rooms. There wasnt a strong regulatory requirement that houses have certain features, size, or quality. This idea that hotels are housing would have been really intuitive to people living in cities at the turn of the centuryrooming houses, boarding houses, all of that was just part of the ecosystem. The pandemic, I think, has forced people to reconsider that line.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Lets talk about some of the obstacles here in the context of New York, and Im sure this is true of a lot of other cities: A lot of the hotel rooms are concentrated in the central business district, which means they are kind of expensive to acquire relative to your typical sites where you might decide to construct affordable housing.

Right.

Is it worth it? Are we getting more housing for people with these hotels than we would be by spending that money on, say, newly built permanent affordable housing in a neighborhood where land is a little cheaper?

Advertisement

Thats exactly the right question. Maybe this is a better place to put housing because it is more transit-accessible, closer to jobs, closer to services. Maybe its a worse place to put housingin New York City, at least, weve had policymakers trying to protect the central business district from the encroachment of housing to preserve its vibrancy as a business district and its agglomerations.

Advertisement

Then theres land-use restrictions. Is housing legal everywhere that hotels are legal?

No, not at all. We only looked into it for New York but I think there are parallel issues everywhere. One of the trends in hotel development over the last 20 years here has been the growth of hotels in light manufacturing districts [such as Long Island City, Williamsburg, and Gowanus]. Generally you cant build housing in industrial districts in New York City. So those conversions are out of bounds. And then theres a whole other set of properties where the layout of the building would make it difficult to convert to housing under current zoning, because commercial buildings like hotels and residential buildings are just treated under a different regulatory framework.

Advertisement

Advertisement

So theres all these other rules about housingminimum sizes for apartments, how big rooms should be, laws requiring kitchens, etc. And some of those may even date from the period where we were trying to get rid of hotels as this low-income housing solution.

They absolutely do. Striking that balance is really tough because we do want to protect tenants and make sure that people are living in quality housing. But we also know that something that happened in New York City and basically everywhere across the country, is that in trying to boost those minimum standards, we lost a tier of housing, just sort of regulated it out of existence and some people instead of moving up, moved down, into homelessness.

Advertisement

Advertisement

So if there are these various obstacleswhether its zoning, rules about the size of apartments, kitchens, disability accessbut weve decided that we want to make this transition possible, why not just have nonprofit affordable housing developers apply one by one to the city with hotels in mind and say, Heres what we want to do? And if the city wants to waive some of these rules to make this possible then they can go ahead and do that on a on a case-by-case basis. Whats wrong with that?

Advertisement

They can and they do. They did it pre-pandemic. The housing market has always had hotel-to-housing conversions. The issue is that doing a rezoning is expensive and its slow. So if the goal is to take advantage of a unique moment in the citys history, in terms of higher vacancy rates and distressed properties, going through the citys land-use approval process may push you pretty far out of that window of opportunity.

Advertisement

I know that theres also now a state bill that provides $100 million for the state to take this on. Is that going to get the job done? What are the pros and cons here? I see theres a number of restrictions on whats permitted even with these conversions that the state is supposedly trying to facilitate.

$100 million is real money. And I think that we will see deals that use this pot of money on eligible projects. Not all hotels will be eligible, but I have to assume that with a big pot of money sitting out there waiting to be used in a city that badly needs housing, someone will find the right match. Its a very different approach than with California.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Well, lets talk about Californiathey have this much-lauded Project Home Key. Theyve created 6,000 units for $1 billion. Thats a lot of money, but its a bargain compared to the per-unit cost they spend on newly built affordable housing. What are the lessons from Californias approach? What are they doing right?

What they are doing is prioritizing speed. They moved much earlier than New York. And they put in a bunch of features of the program that really were meant to make it move quickly, zoning overrides being one of them. The way they structured the funds, the deadlines they put in, it really was meant to be about moving fast, which is not the way a lot of affordable housing works.

Advertisement

I mean, New Yorks approach is not that. Its not clearing away regulatory barriers. I dont think thats going to make projects move faster.

Is there a point at which youre doing so much work on a site that you lose the advantage of the hotel being readymade housing and it becomes a case where that money would have been better spent on something built from the ground up?

Advertisement

One of the things that we point out in the paper is that there are probably more opportunities for that kind of conversion with very minimal renovations if youre building supportive housing, which is under New York law treated under a pretty different regulatory framework. Those could go faster. I suspect deals that happen first will be in that category.

Advertisement

California was able to find a lot of sites, particularly motels, where they really didnt have to do significant renovations at all. We definitely did talk to developers who were able to go very fast.

Advertisement

What makes supportive housing, with staff on site to work with residents, different from permanently affordable housing in the New York context?

It does mean services built-in, but what is important from a regulatory perspective is that its not considered housing, its considered a community facility. We talked about commercial, industrial, and residential, and this is sort of just a fourth category that in some cases will line up much nicer with hotels.

Are there any other disadvantages to making it easier to convert hotels into housing? One that comes to mind is that we might lose the hotel stock. And then when tourism comes bounding back, itll wind up in Airbnbs, which ended up taking the apartments of people who live here full-time.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Well, in New York Airbnbs are pretty heavily regulated and there are also new restrictions being considered on the construction of hotels. So I think there is the concern that youd lose hotels now and you just would not gain them in any form in the future.

Jobs is a big concern and clearly one that was in the legislatures mind. They have certain provisions to protect those union hotel jobs. Hospitality is a big industry in New York. It supports an even larger tourism industry. And if youre taking hotels and turning them into housing, youre going to be a smaller hospitality and tourism industryor certainly its a risk. Theres no free lunch here. Using hotels as housing doesnt get you out of the hard choices that land use requires, especially in a moment where were not building very much.

Lets talk about that. New York has made it harder to build new hotels. How does that affect the prospects for conversions?

If theres a worry that hotels would be a scarcer asset in the future, thats just going to make them more valuable as hotels, and therefore less attractive as conversion opportunities.
President Joe Biden delivered his first address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday morning, a speech of fine words but discordant resonances. He hailed the noble mission of this institution and reaffirmed the central role of partners and allies, declaring that our own success is bound up with others succeeding as well.

The speech must have struck many in the chamber as a refreshing contrast to Donald Trumps final address to the Assembly, a seven-minute drone of hectoring and whining that dissed the very concept of mutual security. Still, Biden couldnt drown out the hubbub over Americas actionsBidens actionsof the past several weeks, notably the bungled pullout from Afghanistan and the backroom deal to displace France as the supplier of submarines for Australia.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It wasnt the actions themselves that caused rancorthere was a good case for leaving Afghanistan, and the Australians were looking to back out of the deal with France, whose submarines were technically inferior, behind schedule, and way over cost. Rather, it was that Biden announced the moves without first consulting the allies, whose central importance he was now lauding before most of the worlds heads of state.

Doing this right wasnt a complicated matter. Biden and his team could have consulted with the NATO nations, who had spent billions and sacrificed hundreds of their own troops in the Afghanistan war, which they entered as an expression of their own commitment to allied solidarity. He could have given the French a heads-up on the Australian deal and provided some form of compensation for shoving them aside.

Advertisement

There were other dissonances in Bidens U.N. speech. He said, Were not seeking a new cold war or a world divided into rigid blocs, though his new alliancesthe Quad (with India, Japan, and Australia) and AUKUS (with Australia and Britain), as well as the submarine deal thats upsetting Franceare clearly instruments of something that looks a lot like a cold war against China.

He presented himself as the leader of a coalition to champion democratic values, but even his forthright caveatthat no democracy is perfect, including the United Statesfailed to capture, much less assuage, the widespread concerns that America, with all dysfunctional turmoil, might not be up to the task. And it was a sour moment when he pledged to advocate for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, holding the Taliban accountable for violations, even as the Taliban are suppressing more and more rights every day and theres little that anyone can do about it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Many in the audience must also have sighed when Biden said he is prepared to return to full compliance with the Iran nuclear deal if Iran does the samesidestepping the fact that the United States pulled out of the deal, and while it was Trump who committed that strategic misstep, Biden did nothing in his first few months, when he had an opportunity, to step back in line.

But look: Speeches to the General Assembly are bromidic by nature. Few have spurred breakthroughs in peace or diplomacy. They are devices for world leaders to take a stanceto outline their goals and prioritiesin broad terms. And Bidens speech did a good job at doing that. He itemized how much money the United States is spending around the world to wipe out the COVID pandemic, the blight of hunger, the dangers of climate change, and other catastrophespresent or pendingthat form this inflection point in history. He has returned the United States to international forums, he does value alliances, he was standing before his fellow delegates for the first time in 20 years that the United States is not at war, prepared to move from a period of relentless war to a period of relentless diplomacy. However, the speech underscored what Biden has said explicitly in other forums: that, to restore its standing as the irreplaceable leader, especially in the fractured world of the 21st century, America will first have to repair itself.
In the days leading up to Sept. 18, federal officials warned that violence was a possibility in the area around the United States Capitol. Organizers of a Justice for J6 rallyreferring to the attempted Jan. 6 insurrection that led to the prosecution of more than 600 peoplesecured a permit for 700 attendees. Some of the Jan. 6 suspects were charged with violent crimes against law enforcement officers, who were plainly underprepared and underresourced that day. You can understand why all these months later, the U.S. Capitol Police wouldnt want to underestimate the potential for violence, and why 100 unarmed National Guard troops were preemptively deployed to the National Mall to avoid the same mistakes of Jan. 6.

Advertisement

As it turned out, the Justice for J6 rally was a flop, one where there may not have been more than 100 protestersabout as many as the number of reporters of the scene, and possibly fewer.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jason Stanley is still troubled by the danger ahead. He is the author of How Fascism Works, his 2018 book that interrogates the strategies deployed by fascist regimes throughout history. A professor of philosophy at Yale, hes worried that the heavily hyped J6 rally illustrates that journalists are focused on the wrong protests. We discussed why he thinks former President Donald Trump didnt throw his weight behind this latest rally, how a sympathetic narrative toward Jan. 6 took hold in the Republican Party, and what he thinks we should be talking about instead. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Advertisement

Aymann Ismail: Your book came out in 2018. Do you wish you could have added a chapter about Jan. 6, and what happened on Saturday?

Jason Stanley: Well, I wouldnt add a chapter. Its a long-term book. Its not geared toward any particular event because my view is that fascism is a social and political force that weve long contended with in the United States. The Nazis were affected by Jim Crow. The Nuremberg Laws were based on our racist Jim Crow regime. The Ku Klux Klan was the first functionally fascist organization. And were always going to have fascist social and political movements, but the problem is, its taking over the Republican Party.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Nearly half of Republicans think that the Jan. 6 riot was a legitimate protest. Thirty-five percent, when offered a menu of words to describe the participants who took part in Jan. 6, chose patriots. But then the Sept. 18 rally in support for the detained rioters was a flop. One journalist noted that there were more journalists than protesters. Do you think we are overreacting over the polled support for Jan. 6?

No. No, were not. The worrisome thing is that its the major Republican politicians, people like Josh Hawley, look at Josh Mandel and J.D. Vance running for Senate in Ohio. The entire Republican establishment was taken over by this. Its not the followers we should focus on, its the authoritarian movement growing inside the Republican Party that threatens not just the country, but with climate change, the world. The question is: Why is it not helpful to have mass violent rallies right now? Its not helpful because the movement, the fascist social and politic movement, is winning. Theyre changing the election laws in state after state. You want rallies, look at the anticritical race theory and anti-mask rallies at school boards all over the country. Thats what we should be looking at.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

It still feels inconceivable for someone like me, who spent the last four years watching the Back the Blue movement take hold, that the messaging coming from the Republican leadership now is that the Capitol rioters are the real victims, not the Capitol Police or the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Do you have a theory as to how thats possible?

I think it makes complete sense. My chapter on law and order is about this in How Fascism Works. Fascist law and order has nothing to do with laws and justice, it has to do with follow the leader. So the leader is, by definition, law and order, and so anything that goes against the leader is a violation of law and order. Thats fascist law and order. So if the police go against the leader, theyre not law and order. The fascist leader needs the police on his side because he needs them to crack heads when he seizes the election and does a coup, but if theyre not going to be for him, then the patriotic law-and-order people are the people who are attacking the police. It was completely clear that they were going to make a big fuss over Ashli Babbitt [one of the Jan. 6 rioters] when it emerged that a Black police officer shot her. Being a Black police officer, thats not legitimate unless hes a Trump supporter. Law and order just means the people who follow Trump here.

Advertisement

Advertisement

How significant is it that many Republicans sympathize with Ashli Babbitt?

This is another chapter of my book called Victimhood. This whole politic works by making your group feel like theyre the victim and that theyre justified. Its very significant. Its a clear fascist tactic. Horst Wessel, who was allegedly killed by a communist [in 1930 in Berlin], his song became an SS fable. Ashli Babbitt is explicitly fulfilling the role of Horst Wessel, and my suspicion is that its all racial because it only happened, I think, after they knew that the officer who shot her was Black.

Advertisement

Is there a calculated reason why Trump chose not to throw his weight behind the rally?

Advertisement

Well, I think he doesnt need to do it. State after state is changing their election laws so that they can overthrow elections. Theyre mobilizing grassroots people to attack school boards. Theyre taking over the precinct-level positions. So theyre winning. Jan. 6 was an attempt to rapidly stay in office; Trumps playing the long game. That rally wouldnt have helped him in any way.

What is the long game here?

The long game is the 2022 elections and the 2024 election. Thats what all these election laws are about. When you win the mainstream, you dont need the rebel. Theyre conquering the Republican Party and theyre slowly taking over the election system.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Not every Republican is completely in line with Trump. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney come to mind. Dont they still have some sway in the party?

These authoritarian movements, theyre always purging people inside the party. The goal of fascism is the cult of the leader, to create this constant sense that the leader is in battles, the leader has been wronged, and so theres enemies everywhere. So theyre turning on those who are not sufficiently loyal within the Republican Party and purging them. Thats just how it works, because the goal is to create a cult of the leader. And this is about loyalty to Trump or loyalty to whatever authoritarian leader might take his place. The Republicans have openly decided to be an anti-democratic, far-right extremist party, with no loyalty to democracy. They see the writing on the wall that theyre going to be a minority party, and so theyre going to end democracy to seize power, and what you need to do that is this endless paranoia, which we see. Endless paranoia that the woke left are communist authoritarians, endless paranoia that you have enemies within.

Advertisement

Advertisement

What do you say to folks who might think this is alarmist? What are you basing this on?

Advertisement

Im basing it on history. Lets remember, democracy is something that is very rare in human history and its not stable. Plato says about democracy in book eight of the Republic, A leader will come, he will spread fear, he will gather supporters by telling them hes the only one who can protect them from the internal enemy. This is the way democracy falls. So in political philosophy dating back to Plato, democracy is susceptible to being taken over by a demagogic tyrant who creates blind, total loyalty in his supporters, using fear and a kind of sadism that Trumpists will call owning the libs. So Trump sells himself to his supporters by saying, Look how much they hate me. Dont you want to make them squirm by electing me? Its all about making them squirm. Its not about having a better country. And here, the history of fascism is helpful. It was about total war against enemy and it doesnt matter what the consequences to the country are.

Advertisement

Im thinking back to Egypt, where my parents are from, where there is now a full-blown dictatorship. The way the military justified seizing power after Egypts first democratic election was by warning citizens of the terrorists among them. And they promised only they can save the country.

Advertisement

Exactly. Well, I do not need to tell an Egyptian American, familiar with the political situation in Egypt, how this works. Everyone from the Middle East understands this. A Lebanese friend of mine was like, Yeah, in Lebanon, you can switch the channels and on one channel theyre terrorists and the other channel, the very same group are other freedom fighters. Thats what you do. If youre el-Sisi, you say theres internal enemies of the nation. What Im saying is, why in Gods name would you think that America is immune from what happened in Egypt?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Checks and balances? Egypt does not have separate judicial and legislative branches in the same style as the U.S.

America has the largest prison system in the world. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world. We have massive police forces. We have a massive military that, by far, dwarfs everyone elses. Weve got Homeland Security. We have dedicated harassment forces. Weve been laying the groundwork for this.

Is this in your view a larger problem than just Trump?

The Republicans now all see you can do an autocratic takeover and they all see they probably will have to do an autocratic takeover because theyre going to be threatened at the polls. They have to seize control of elections, which theyre doing, and theyre passing all the laws to do it. Someones going to have to be the leader, so theres going to be jockeying for that position. But Trump has a unique bond with his audience. Tom Cotton doesnt have Trumps wit, his charisma.

Will any particular grain of truth disillusion some of Trumps supporters?

Sometimes reality intrudes. The problem is, people will, in Jonathan Metzls words, die for whiteness. Theyll literally die as long as they think that the libs and the minorities are suffering worse. Thats why we have to focus on the Republican Party politicians, because this is mainstream now. This is policy. They dont need people on the street. Were talking about the Republican Party, the elite of the elite. Elise Stefanik is a Harvard grad. Ted Cruz was a Princeton/Harvard Law School grad. Josh Hawley is a Stanford/Yale Law School grad. DeSantis is a Yale grad. These are the elite of the elite of the elite. Im a man of the people compared to these folks. And theyre explicitly rejecting democracy and embracing authoritarianism. Theyre passing the laws. Theyre having their foot soldiers on the ground focus on more important things than violent rallies. Theyre focusing on taking over election boards, being precinct election workers, intimidating voters. State legislatures have the power to overturn elections and send their own slate of electors to D.C. So theyre winning. These super elites that formed the backbone of the Republican Party, the graduates of Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, theyre full on in into this anti-democratic movement. So it doesnt really matter at a certain point. Theyre making it so that they dont need more than 40 percent of the population. And theyll always have that.
What is going on here?

 Kansas paper published by Republican posts cartoon likening masks order to Holocaust (The Guardian, July 4, 2020)

 Anti-mask politician compares herself to civil rights icon Rosa Parks (Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2021)

 Rep. Greene apologizes for comparing face masks to Holocaust, but stands by comparison of Democrats to Nazi party (Washington Post, June 14, 2021)

 Oklahoma GOP leader compares vaccine mandates to the Holocaust (Washington Post, Aug. 2, 2021)

 Maine lawmaker compares vaccine mandate to Nazi death camp doctor (AP, Aug. 30, 2021)

Advertisement

 Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie compared vaccine mandates to Holocaust in now-deleted tweet (Courier Journal, Aug. 26)

 Franklin commissioner compares himself to Rosa Parks in protesting WA mask mandate (Tri-City Herald, Sept. 1)

 A GOP senator likened COVID vaccines to the Holocaust, tweeted a swastika and told a Jewish group who complained to learn your history (AZ Mirror, Sept. 13)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Then there is this weeks trending COVID news out of Newberg, Oregon: Newberg school staffer shows up in blackface, placed on leave. What does that have to do with the novel coronavirus, you might ask? Newberg Graphic reporter Ryan Clarkes article explains: A staff member at Mabel Rush elementary school in Newberg showed up to work in Blackface on Friday, allegedly saying she was dressed as Rosa Parks and protesting a vaccine mandate for teachers. Ah.

Advertisement

So it seems we have a new twist on Godwins law on our hands: The longer any discussion of mask and vaccine mandates wears on, the more likely it is that some knucklehead will compare themselves to a Holocaust victim or Rosa Parks, possibly while physically pinning a yellow star to their chest or wearing blackface. None of this is totally surprising, since crackpots with persecution complexes are always prone to histrionic and ridiculous historical analogies. Thats why Godwins law is a thing in the first place.

Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

That said, this emerging pattern is especially noteworthy, and a bit ironic, in light of the right wings concurrent campaign against critical race theory, a specific area of academic study whose definition has been intentionally broadened by conservative activists and pundits to encompass any history lesson in which the United States is depicted as having, or even once had, structural biases that favored white people over others. The argument against such teaching is typically associated with claims that American students should primarily learn about, and take pride in, the positive accomplishments of Founding Fatherstype national figures (who just happen to be white).

Advertisement

Advertisement

Here, though, we see that when the situation calls for a reference that signifies unfair treatment, conservatives reach reflexively for the Jews of 1930s Europe and the Black Americans of the 1950s South, who were targeted for discrimination and violence by literal white supremacists. In addition to making an inadvertent point about the benefits of collective mobilization and compulsory regulation, this is an implicit admission that both mainstream liberals and actual CRT-espousing academics are correct when they say that oppression is an unavoidable fact of modern history, and that its victims and antagonists should have a central place in academic curriculums. For all the conservative talk about how important white people were in the creation of American-style freedom, no one is getting suspended for arriving at their workplace dressed as Jeffersonian agrarianism or James K. Polk.

Anyway: Half of modern conservatism now consists of showing up at a school board meeting about critical race theory to say that the United States never oppressed anyone. The other half is comparing yourself to Rosa Parks later in the same meeting because you had to wear a mask.
In the final chapter of her 1995 memoir of manic-depression, An Unquiet Mind, Kay Redfield Jamison posed a question that has stayed on my mind ever since: I have often asked myself whether, given the choice, I would choose to have manic-depressive illness. The question haunts me because I cant answer it, either.

When Jamison first posed her question (if there were a cure for my mental illness, would I take it?), it seemed like pure speculation. But the question is no longer so hypothetical.

Advertisement

In June, the journal Nature Reviews Neurology published the results of a wide-ranging study of the genetic roots of manic depression. The study included 40,000 cases and identified a startling 64 genes associated with the disease. (In a clinical setting, the disease is usually referred to as bipolar disorder, though Ive always preferred the more descriptive manic-depression.) Studies like this one are part of a burgeoning discipline known as molecular psychiatry, a field that studies the biological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. Molecular biologists are also making progress in studies of major (unipolar) depression and schizophrenia. These discoveries and the explosion of gene-editing research, made possible by the gene-editing technique CRISPR, are on a path to intersect.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

My first onset of mania, which occurred after I left home for college, was an awakening and an addiction, akin to taking a mind-altering drug. Proponents of psychedelics note that psilocybin fosters an intense connection with the natural world and a heightened awareness of underlying patterns that connect all living things. Michael Pollan describes this as a kind of antediluvian experience, a return to paradise before science and technology pushed us toward the objectification of nature and of all species other than our own. I, too, see grass sighing, hear messages in the rustle of branches, and feel myself at the center of a vast and shimmering web that I can destroy or repair with the lightest touch. I feel all-powerful, deeply connected to the world, crammed with insight. In the moment, it feels like a free pass to nirvana.

Advertisement

Recently, however, some of the genes that play a part in manic-depression have been discovered.

But the shadow side of mania is morbid depression. In my depressive episodes I worry obsessively about the death of my loved ones, and am unable to free myself of intrusive images of disaster. Pinned to the bed by depression, I cancel plans, struggle to recall what feeling feels like, and avoid leaving the house. Before starting medication, my relationships often crumbled in the face of sudden and inexplicable coldness. The worst experience, however, is the active destruction of mixed states. Mixed states of rapidly succeeding mania and depression, or sometimes both at onceagitated, rage-filled, wanting to climb out of my own skinare extremely dangerous, partly responsible for manic-depressives high rates of suicide. Up to 60 percent of people with manic-depression will attempt suicide in their lifetime; suicide rates are 10 to 30 times higher than those of the general population. Without effective treatment, it can be a struggle to maintain loving relationships and steady employment. Without treatment, the fear of relapse is ever-present.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

I started taking lithium for bipolar disorder when I turned 30, and the transformation was profound. The world receded a bit; I could breathe and escape from the clamor of my own mind for the first time in a decade. Lithium is considered the gold standard of treatment for manic-depression. It does not work for everyone, but for those of us who benefit, the effects can be lifesaving. Yet treatment resistance is also widespread. Lithiums side effects include weight gain, thyroid and kidney problems, difficulty reading, a feeling of fuzzy-headedness that I would describe as having a wad of cotton stuffed in the front of my skull. Even the intended effects have their downsides: Lithium deflates the highs of mania, also reducing the boomerang effect of depression that typically follows a manic extravaganza. I owe my life to lithium, but sometimes it feels like being ejected from paradise.

Advertisement

Since the 1980s, scientists have been searching for the genetic root of manic-depression, to better understand it and treat it, and gene-editing technologies like zinc finger nucleases, or ZFNs, have been around nearly as long. The disorder has long been known to be biologically based, but that doesnt mean the process as simple as finding the responsible gene. In monogenetic diseases, like sickle cell anemia, one gene is responsible for the illness. Manic-depression has no single cause. Environmental factors, such as poverty, race, class, gender, abuse, and other precarities, play a large role. Genes play a far smaller role, and there are at least 100 of them at play, interacting with one another and with environmental factors to manifest this complex disease. Recently, however, some of the genes that play a part in manic-depression have been discovered, and just as quickly as scientists are coming to understand the genetic roots of this disease, theyre trying to use that knowledge to treat it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

At the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Fyodor Urnov is driven by questions once thought to be purely speculative. Urnov co-developed one of the earliest gene-editing technologies, ZFNs, and now is one of the directors of Berkeleys Innovative Genomics Institute, founded by Jennifer Doudna, who recently won a Nobel Prize for her role in inventing CRISPR. Urnovs research focuses on clinical applications for CRISPR, including ways it might be used to treat mental illness. Its a cliche to say mental illness is the final frontier, he tells me over the phone, but there you are.

Currently, scientists are exploring CRISPR technology as a solution to chronic pain and as a treatment for monogenetic diseases.* Gene therapy for the latter is relatively simpleidentify this gene and either snip it out or replace it. But the human mind arises from genetic instructions almost infinitely more complex. More than 99 percent of the human genome doesnt vary at all, James Potash tells me when I ask him about the discovery of genes responsible for manic-depression. Potash is a researcher at Johns Hopkins and co-leads the Bipolar Sequencing Consortium. You have to look for the tiny fraction of genes where there is variation, a process Potash describes as a million microscopic experiments on a platform as small as your hand. Each of the manic-depressive genes discovered only increases the risk of illness by a tiny amount. Potash, therefore, remains skeptical about any promises that we will ultimately find a genetic cure for manic-depression.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But challenges facing those seeking a genetic cure for manic depression are not only technical but philosophical. This quest touches on the mind-body duality that has bedeviled scientists at least since Descartes. The human mind is symphonic, Urnov says. Personality is extremely nuanced. Any therapy for mental health must take into account the multidimensionality of lived experience. It is still unclear what this might look like, though what is clear is that it will be (at least initially) prohibitively expensive. If gene therapy for mental illness is a long way off, how long will it take to make such treatments accessible to all who need or want them?

Advertisement

But even if a cure is a long way off, CRISPR is already a powerful tool that can advance therapeutic treatments for mental illnesses. As Urnov puts it, we can finally move away from the one hammer for every nail approach. Right now, the Innovative Genomics Institute is working on using CRISPR as a discovery tool to illuminate how medications work in the brain, and to explain why they do not work the same for everyone. Before we start using CRISPR as a cure for mental illnesses, we can use it to vastly refine the way existing drugs work.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The process is like isolating each instrument in a symphony, then listening to every note it plays. The problem is you have to get your hands on some brain cells to gene-edit, and you cant go around scraping cells off someones brain. Instead, researchers can take skin cells and transform them into brain cells. The process is called reprogramming, and Potash compares it to taking a cell and immortalizing it.

The complexity of diseases like manic-depression slows down the process, but that might be a good thing. To go slowly is to pay attention to the road, and how we get there matters. Gene editing must take into account a history of discrimination against people with mental illnesses, both cultural and institutional. The phrases experimental cure and mentally ill still conjure up images of forced sterilization and involuntary electroshock treatments. A recent article in the North Carolina Law Review reminds us that, in the 1920s, the Supreme Court ruled that a feeble-minded woman could be legally subjected to forced sterilization. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, writing for the majority, remarked three generations of imbeciles are enough. Today, people with mental illnesses tend to be a highly vulnerable population, and the combination of illness and economic pressure complicates questions of informed consent.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

There are other moral implications as well. Currently, the United States and other countries ban genetic manipulation of germline cells (in humans, those are the sex cells that turn into either eggs or sperm). But it is possible that even editing non-germline cells can have long-term effects on the human genome. Doudna has spoken out against using CRISPR for germline editing, suggesting that only people past childbearing years should be allowed to edit their genome. But what about research being done in China and elsewhere on germline cells in human embryos? As with any powerful new technology, regulation often lags behind, and it becomes increasingly difficult to put the genie back in the bottle. The conversation becomes infinitely more complex when we are talking about making choices for our children, or for the human race as a whole. This conversation parallels concerns within the deaf community, where some have argued that eliminating deafness (though existing technologies like cochlear implants) is tantamount to cultural genocide. Conversations about treatment tend to take for granted that a disability must require a cure. We have the capacity, right now, to work toward greater acceptance and more compassionate systems of care.

Advertisement

When I look at my 6-year-old son, he seems like a cell paused on the brink of becoming. I am aware that I sometimes watch him too closely. I interpretor try not to interprethis actions as a fortuneteller might, wondering if I have passed along the genes for manic-depression. I worry, too, that by even writing these words I am stigmatizing him. Coming out as bipolar for myself is one thing, but doing so, I now realize, also casts a shadow on anyone who shares my genetic code.

Advertisement

If a genetic cure for manic-depression were possible in my lifetime, would I get it? Probably. Would I make that choice for my son? Probably not. Or possibly not. Manic-depression usually first expresses itself in your early 20s, a time when freedom to experiment and explore is considered not just a right but a duty. The intensity of my experiences during those years still burns brightly for me, and they are a central part of my identity as a creative person. Yet despair always rode along with me. I would spare him that, would give anything really to spare him that. But parents cant spare their children nearly as much as we would like. In the short term, speaking more openly about mental illness and creating networks of financial, institutional and cultural support for people with cognitive and physical disabilities can still make a difference. So by the time a cure comes, who knows if well still need it?

Correction, Sept. 24, 2021: This article originally reported that CRISPR technology is being used in clinical trials to treat chronic pain and monogenetic diseases. It is not in human trials for treating chronic pain.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
HermanCainAward, one of the fastest-growing subreddits on Reddit.com, is exactly what it sounds like: an archive of those who have been hospitalized and/or killed by COVID and didnt believe the disease could harm them. It is named after Republican Herman Cain, the onetime candidate for president who succumbed to COVID some weeks after attending a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at which he was photographed maskless in the summer of 2020. Cains Twitter account would continue to downplay the virus even after his death.

Advertisement

The Herman Cain Award concept is simple and ugly. A single entry to the subreddit consists of anywhere between two and 16 screenshots of a social media profile (usually Facebook, with last names scrubbed out) belonging to someone who died after aggressively rejecting precautions that could have protected them and others. The idea is to track the individuals journey from COVID theory, so to speak, to COVID practice: what a person posted or commented about masks or shots, or those who advocated for either before getting sick, and how they and their community narrated their disease once they were ill. As the forum has grown, entries have started following a fairly standard format: The first few screenshots typically feature the individual in question deploying a remarkably consistent set (there are 30 or so) of memes. Some vilify Dr. Anthony Fauci or champion the right to be unvaccinated. Others warn people theyre experimental rats or offer scripts that will properly punish wait staff for daring to inquire about vaccination status. Some deride masked liberals as sheep and the unvaccinated as proud free lions or refer to immigrants as vectors of disease or compare vaccination requirements to the Holocaust. Most of them treat the pandemic as a joke and frame ignoring it as brave or clever or both. The final few screenshots typically announce the disease, its progress, and the eventual death announcement, frequently followed by a GoFundMe for the family. If someone is merely hospitalized, the flair on that entry reads Nominated. When they die, it changes to Awarded.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It is cruel, a site for heartless and unrepentant schadenfreude. This is a place where deaths are celebrated, and it is not the only one. While endless ink has been spilled on the anger of Trump voters and Fox News viewers and QAnon adherents, there are other angers that havent been nearly as well explored. The exhaustion and fury doctors and nurses feel, for example, as they deal yet again with overwhelmed ICUs. Instead of being hailed as heroes, this time around theyre risking their lives to serve while walking through anti-vax protesters and being called murderers or worse by misled family members demanding or indeed suing for sick unvaccinated relatives on ventilators to be dosed with ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine or vitamin C. There is the anger of family members of those without COVID who are dying or sicker than they should be because treatment was delayed or denied to them at dozens of hospitals that had no beds available. Theres the frustration of parents trying to keep their children safe, the constant, destabilizing calculations and adaptations people are forced into when (for instance) the governor of Texas prohibits schools from taking safety measures and then two teachers at a single school die, forcing closures once again. Theres the run-of-the-mill anger of those weary of living under pandemic conditions and demoralizedin the most literal senseby the selfishness of their compatriots.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscriptions to the HermanCainAward subreddit are increasing exponentially, from 2,000 subscribers on July 4 to 5,000 at the beginning of August to more than 100,000 on Sept. 1 to 243,000 Friday to 276,000 today. If that rate is any indication, rage is growing toward anti-vaxxers deliberately prolonging the pandemic out of an anti-social and deadly understanding of their rights. Now, its true that not everyone on the subreddit assents to its spiteful premise: One exhausted nurse wrote a long post about how much one of her anti-vax patients suffered, as an attempt at counterbalance. She acknowledged her own compassion fatigue but also urged readers to think harder about how we got to this sorry pass. Plenty of the discussions do orbit around that basic question. But most of the comments are angry. A collection of screenshots generally elicits a common sentiment: The person got their just deserts.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Does anything besides schadenfreude happen when Americans see one after another after another after another of these stories?

I began reading because I wanted to understand how pro-social impulses could get coarsened to the point where advocates for lifesaving measures like vaccinespeople who think of themselves as the good guysare literally celebrating deaths. Im no closer to understanding that, but something very strange did happen because I read these records: Despite reading loads of statistics and case histories and news articles about the pandemic, r/HermanCainAward became my most thorough source on what its like for a person to die from COVID. I understand the disease more deeply because I have read so many viciously curated stories in which ordinary people blathering about politics end up narrating their decline from itwith help from their familiesas optimistically as they can. They are younger than COVID patients used to be. Trying to put a positive spin on things. Soliciting prayers. Generally avoiding conversions. They do not expect to die. Its relentless reading. And it keeps ending up the same way. Only health care workers have seen this many people decline and die.

Advertisement

Advertisement

It has always been and remains a problem that COVID is functionally invisible to so many Americans. We already medicalize death more than most cultures, but the sensible restrictions on visitors to COVID wards have meant that the disease crippling hospitals across the country goes mostly unwitnessed. We all know getting on a ventilator is bad and having to go on an ECMO machine is worse, but most of us have not heard what lungs sound like when they have that by-now-classic ground glass appearance in scans. We have not watched people panicking and yanking tubes out because they cant breathe. We have not seen patients swollen and full of air, unrecognizable. Or proned. Or having their last conversation before they go on the ventilator.

Advertisement

Advertisement

You dont see most of this stuff in these r/HermanCainAward screenshots, either, but you do see a lot you just wouldnt otherwise. Specifically, you see the suffering. Its filtered, of course, usually through collapsing defiance and positive thinking that fails. People post that theyre not feeling well when theyve already become patients. They usually put it simply, with a request for prayers. The contrast to their grandstanding in prior posts acts as an intensifier; that they arent commenting on the very thing theyve preached about so much comes to servecumulatively, as you read theseas evidence of just how awful they feel. The selfies can be brutal. The photographs family members post are worse because the patient is frequently unconscious, bloated, clearly in a bad way. Relatives updates tend to feature obsessive medical details like ventilator settings and oxygen saturations, and you learn to recognize the time course of the disease: When mentions of dialysis start up, you know, as a reader, that the prognosis is poor. The death announcementonce the requests for prayers and hopes for miracles are overfrequently reveals how much worse it really was than anyone let on: You find out the patient also had MRSA, or had developed an autoimmune disease, or had struggled with strokes and clots.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jaded though they are, many r/HermanCainAward readers have experienced this much as I did: as a truly frightening look at what COVID can really be like. What hundreds of stories about deaths told through mean-spirited screenshots reveal is that the diseasewhen it gets badis worse than even the most pro-vax person really understood.

And thats what sets r/HermanCainAward apart from the didactic pleasures of other schadenfreude-based forums like r/LeopardsAteMyFace: Its more horrible than satisfying because the horror isnt going to stop. These individual stories do not produce conversions. These arent situations where anti-vaxxers learn their lesson, get vaccinated, and save themselves. Sure, theres the occasional Redemption tag, awarded when a patient or relative regrets opposing vaccination and urges their friends to do what they can to avoid a similar fate. But those are rare. What this massive record of human suffering really illustrates (in all its startling, repetitive sameness) is how seamlessly anti-vax communities reconcile themselves to the deaths their convictions will perpetuate. The posts about individual liberty and self-sufficiency devolve into abjectly dependent appeals: A call to prayer warriors is almost a required feature at this point in a r/HermanCainAward entry. When someone dies, the grief is gentle and generic: He was a good guy, he got his angel wings today, it was his time, God called him home. Their families frequently express gratitude to the medical staff who cared for their loved ones. It is resignation, and deeply sad. And yet: Chilled though Ive been by how this subreddit can rejoice at a death, Im somehow no less chilled by how easily the bereaved normalize their losses. A 35-year-old man with three young children and a free vaccine available should not be dead! There is astonishingly little recognition of this.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

If these individual stories seem to change nothing, what about a cumulative record? Does anything besides schadenfreude happen when Americans see one after another after another after another of these stories? Im not sure, but a new category has recently been gathering steam in the subreddit: the IPA (Immunized to Prevent Award). People post photos of their new vaccination cards, saying that reading the r/HermanCainAward finally convinced them they didnt want to win. They get enthusiastically cheered on by commenters. Im not anti-Vax, one such comment reads, I was just afraid and confused by all the misinformation out there. Genuinely frightened and confused. Taking a quick 5 minute look at this Sub-reddit brought me back down to earth. Ill be getting my first round of the Pfizer Vaccine early next week. Thank you for existing. There are more of these than you might expect; who knows if these stories are true, but if even some of them are, maybe these stories can, in the aggregate, persuade people who wouldnt be especially moved by specific cases.

Advertisement

Nothing about the r/HermanCainAward, a dark record of a dark, dark time, is decent or kind or particularly fair. Even using Cain as the model is uncharitable; he was actually among the conservatives who didnt deny that COVID was real. He advocated following CDC guidelines including social distancing and even masks on his radio show, despite not always adhering to those recommendations himself. Im not sure that matters; no one could argue that a place where people gather to mock the dead is moral, or accuse it of hypocrisy, or of virtue signaling, or of coastal elitism. It is an anti-persuasive venue, a place that dispenses with rational appeals for people to behave better in favor of something much more primal and horrifying. And who knows? Maybe its persuading people specifically because its not trying to.
ARCHIVED - Spain Covid update September 20: Lowest number of infections since August 2020



The 7-day cumulative incidence rate in Spain is already below the low risk level

Spain has ended the weekend with some of the most encouraging coronavirus figures since August last year, with nearly every data point released by the Ministry of Health on Monday September 20 indicating that the country is steadily sailing towards a level of new normal.

Cumulative incidence rate

The 14-day figure has continued its downward trend, as was experienced all last week, and has fallen nearly 13 points over the weekend to reach 83.43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is a figure very close to that observed in August last year, and if the trend continues, Spain could be out of the danger zone very shortly.

In addition, the 7-day rate has already hit the low risk level with 16.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Ceuta and Melilla remain the only communities at a high risk level (more than 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) while, at the other end of the scale, Asturias is the first region to enter into a new normal with just 21 cases. Closely following this decline are the Valencian Community (58), Galicia (61) and Castilla y Leon (62).

It is worth noting that while all of the other communities have by now fully vaccinated 100% of the older age group, the north African enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta have fallen behind (83.1% and 90.9% respectively). In fact, both of these autonomous communities have fully vaccinated fewer people in almost all age groups, which would certainly contribute to a higher infection rate.

Crucially, all of the age brackets from 12 years and above now have an incidence rate below 100 cases per 100,000, with the under 11s now representing the highest figure at 123 cases. This is to be expected, however, as this younger population is not currently being vaccinated against Covid.

Coronavirus infections

The number of new infections follows the same trend as the cumulative incidence rate, with the lowest amount of cases registered after a weekend since August 2020. The autonomous communities have reported 5,998 new infections, bringing the total number since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,935,534.

Fatalities and hospitalisations

Unfortunately, the death toll has slightly increased over the weekend with a further 118 fatalities reported on Monday. This brings the total number to 85,901 people.

As has been the case for several days, hospital pressure is down with 3.06% of ward beds and 10.71% of ICU beds being occupied by Covid patients. There are currently 3,668 patients admitted with coronavirus, 141 fewer than on Friday, while ICU numbers have dropped by 49 over the weekend to 979 patients. The last time that fewer than 1,000 people were being treated in intensive care was September 4 2020.

Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque Country, however, continue to register high hospitalisation rates, especially in ICUs: 20%, 17% and 14%, respectively.

Vaccination data

Image: Ayto Torre Pacheco
ARCHIVED - Spain slaughters 910 million animals for meat exports



According to animal welfare groups, Spain has fewer free-range animals than any country in the European Union

The number of animals killed last year in Spanish slaughterhouses soared to 910 million, 6.3% more than in 2019. Overall, there are 2.5 million kills a day, 104,000 every hour, 1,700 every minute and almost 30 every single second. Ironically, the amount of household meat eaten in Spain has dropped in recent years, so exports to Europe and the wider world are to blame. As a consequence, animal protection associations have lashed out at the sinister industry and criticised powerful meat production plants for usurping the smaller, more humane farms.

Last year 800 million birds, 56.1 million pigs, 40.7 million rabbits, about 9.5 million sheep, 2.4 million cows, 37,000 horses and 1.2 million goats were slaughtered in Spain for the international meat market, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA).

The result of all this was the production of 7.6 million tonnes of meat, most of which was exported. In the first six months of 2021, 60,000 more tonnes of meat has been produced in Spain than during the same period last year.

While more and more meat is produced in Spain, Spanish households now buy 6.5% less than four years ago, according to the NGO Animal Equality, mainly because this country only retains a paltry third of what is produced. Exports of meat have grown 47% since 2016, with the main purchasers being China and France.

Interestingly, since 2010 almost half of the smaller livestock farms in Spain have closed altogether, while the number of macro-farms has increased exponentially.

At a time when the entire world is united against climate change, it is important to note that these large-scale production plants, which can house up to 50,000 pigs or a million chickens, generate 14.5% of the globes greenhouse gases and water pollutants. The meat industry alone creates 15 times more excrement than natural farms, an amount that could fill 24,000 Olympic swimming pools a year, according to Animal Equality.

Shockingly, Spain has the highest number of livestock animals caged out of all the EU countries: 99% of rabbits, 98% of pigs and 82% of chickens live permanently behind bars, according to an organisation for the protection of farm animals.

Image: Archive
Consumption of medicine decreased in Slovakia during the pandemic

For the first time in years, medicinal consumption decreased in 2020, health insurers report.

Font size: A - | A +

After a period of year-on-year increases in consumption, the Slovak National Centre for Health Information (NCZI) registered a decrease in financial reimbursements for medicinal consumption last year.

In 2020, people in Slovakia spent 1.8 billion on medicine, NCZI spokesperson Alzbeta Siva said, as reported by the SITA newswire.

Of this sum, subsidies from health insurance companies took a lions share of 1.4 billion, representing a 5-percent decrease from 2019. The largest financial item from these expenses, coming in at a sum of  1.2 billion, are subsidies for prescription medicine and medicine paid for by public health insurance.

Insurance companies registered a year-on-year decrease in subsidies for medicine distributed by hospital pharmacies for partner and non-partner hospitals at a rate of about 16 percent. Subsidies for distribution from public pharmacies to non-governmental clinics increased twofold. Subsidies paid out to patients dropped by 1.6 percent; Slovaks paid over 438 million for medicine in 2020.

Medicinal consumption recorded in units sold dropped by about 5 percent. From a total amount of 149 units of distributed medicine, the majority share was medicine completely or partially subsidised by public insurance, surpassing 61 percent.

Over-the-counter purchases represented about 25 percent of sold units and more than 7 percent of medicine was medicine sold to hospitals and non-governmental clinics. The number of units sold without any public subsidies represented the smallest share of medicine at 6.5 percent of all units sold.

The aggregate consumption of medicine was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. With the first quarter, short-term consumption of medicine increased in comparison to 2019, likely spurred by individuals stockpiling medicine for long-term use and for preventing Covid infections.

Consumption subsided in the second quarter. In Q3, when the government eased lockdowns, medicinal consumption reached similar consumption levels to 2019. In Q4, with worsening infection rates and more lockdowns, medicinal consumption decreased once more.

A similar trend was seen in the pharmaceutical industries of other countries.

21. Sep 2021 at 10:49 | Compiled by Spectator staff
https://sputniknews.com/20210920/mali-looks-for-plan-b-to-bolster-our-national-defense-as-french-mission-exits-leaving-chaos-1089254906.html

Mali Looks for Plan B to Bolster Our National Defense As French Mission Exits, Leaving Chaos

Mali Looks for Plan B to Bolster Our National Defense As French Mission Exits, Leaving Chaos

As France ends its military cooperation with Mali, the Sahelian nation is looking for help fighting Daesh* and other militant groups. While Interim Prime... 20.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-20T23:47+0000

2021-09-20T23:47+0000

2021-09-20T23:47+0000

france

mali

russia

africa

rumors

deal

military aid

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/1b/1083011635_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_00976ea6b9216950f749ae1f67649460.jpg

Speaking to the press on Saturday, Maiga said Mali must "broaden our potential for cooperation to bolster our national defence" after its international partners altered their policy or "have decided to leave Mali to withdraw to other countries.""There are zones that are abandoned that need to be occupied today so they're not left empty. There are not enough troops," he added.His comments were an indirect response to a report by Reuters last week claiming a deal is close between the interim Malian government, which is dominated by the military but also contains civilian groups, and the Wagner Group, which the news agency falsely claims is tied to the Russian government.The Reuters report cited several unnamed sources, and even admitted it could not confirm independently any of the reports it nonetheless published as factual and billed as exclusive. Their requests for comment by the Malian government were similarly rebuffed as rumors unworthy of a reply.Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said it was critical that any partnership be carried out in full respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters last week that "Wagner is a militia that has shown itself in the past in Syria and Central African Republic to have carried out abuses and all sorts of violations that do not correspond with any solution, and so it is incompatible with our presence."French Colonial and Neo-Colonial WarsParis decided to cancel its longtime training program with the CAR military earlier this year, claiming the government had failed on its commitments by increasing its cooperation with Russia. Several hundred military advisors have been training CAR forces, but Western media have claimed without evidence that Wagner Group mercenaries are rampaging across the country, and are blaming Moscow for it. While nearly a decade of training by French and European Union troops has yielded little appreciable benefits to the CARs fighting ability, they have boasted of a spike in success since Russian instructors took over.However, Paris has also decided to cancel its military cooperation with the interim government in Mali for reasons unrelated to conversations between Bamako and Moscow. In May, now-Interim President Col. Assimi Goita mounted his second coup detat in less than a year, arresting the interim president, prime minister, and defense minister and forcing their resignation after a cabinet reshuffle reduced the balance of power of the interim government in favor of civilian parties. Other international partners also backed away from cooperation with the government, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade bloc.Maiga, who was appointed after the coup, is from the June 5 Movement - Gathering of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), an umbrella political alliance of civilian parties that led the mass protests in the summer of 2020 against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who the military forced from office that August. The interim government has promised to return to democracy by holding elections in February 2022.The French presence in Mali has long been reviled by the public. Invaded by French forces in the late 19th century, Mali became part of the French Sudan colony, although anti-colonial resistance continued. The irrigable land was used for cotton and nut plantationing, while forced labor by Malians was used across the Empire. The country became independent in 1958.More recently, a military coup in 2012 allowed Touareg tribes in the countrys north to take over much of the country, after which the government appealed to Paris for aid. The anti-rebel mission became Barkhane, a War on Terror-style conflict run from N'Djamena, Chad, and waged across five countries. Much like the US War on Terror, France has become known for bombing weddings instead of terrorist camps, as well as generally failing to subdue the insurgency. Mass protests in both France and Mali have demanded French forces leave.*Daesh (IS/ISIS/ISIL) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and other countries.

Thomas Turk How exciting, SputnikNooz. Then, what about the elections in Paraguay and Burundi.. more fun eh?

Crookim I've heard the US is giving away nuclear subs to former French "allies" 

2

france

mali

russia

africa

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

france, mali, russia, africa, rumors, deal, military aid
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/accusations-of-immorality-as-over-600000-unused-covid-vaccines-collect-dust-in-danish-storage-1089260300.html

Accusations of 'Immorality' as Over 600,000 Unused COVID Vaccines Collect Dust in Danish Storage

Accusations of 'Immorality' as Over 600,000 Unused COVID Vaccines Collect Dust in Danish Storage

According to Danish medical experts, the reasons to keep a large batch of unused vaccines are few, especially at a time when low-income countries are still... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T07:50+0000

2021-09-21T07:50+0000

2021-09-21T07:50+0000

johnson&johnson

denmark

news

europe

vaccination

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/18/1082173109_0:86:3339:1964_1920x0_80_0_0_da5dbea24b704c05e1a6dc6e1fb78d79.jpg

While Denmark currently has over 660,000 COVID shots from Johnson & Johnson in stock, the vaccine's future in the Scandinavian country is virtually non-existent, according to experts, who are calling for something to be done with them.Unlike other vaccines, Johnson & Johnson has never been part of Denmark's inoculation programme, which is why experts are surprised the doses are still being kept. So far, merely 46,000 Danes have received the single-dose shot through a voluntary scheme, which is no longer available. To date, almost 76 percent of the Danish population has received at least one vaccine injection, which means that the pace of the rollout has slowed down, and the need for new doses - the first and second shots - has shrunk.Jan Pravsgaard Christensen, a professor of immunology at the same university, concurred.There are not many reasons to keep those doses in Denmark, he said.According to Flemming Konradsen, the only national argument for keeping these vaccines is that they can be a buffer for booster shots, which are already being administered to Danish nursing home residents and people with weakened immune systems. However, even if the third shot will be made available for all Danes, it is most likely to be the one they received previously, that is, Pfizer or Moderna.The Health Ministry informed that 100,000 of the Johnson & Johnson doses have been reserved for Danish use in a deductible scheme where, among other things, companies can buy the vaccines for their employees. The ministry reckons that it will primarily be seafarers, Danes abroad and tourists. The rest of the stock of Johnson & Johnson has no designated use so far.According to Konradsen, they must quickly find a future for the shots, before their shelf life expires.According to Konradsen, once you get vaccines inside Denmark, it becomes complicated to pass them on.It's not just driving them to the airport, and then they move on. It requires an enormous amount of official and paperwork, he said. A major problem is that the international alliance Covax, which distributes vaccines to third world countries, will not accept them. Covax will only deliver directly from the individual manufacturer to the recipient country to ensure logistics and security.Jan Pravsgaard Christensen ventured that while it is nice to have spare doses lying around, it is unfair that Denmark and fellow EU countries are already discuss third doses, but many low-income countries are still struggling to get the first dose distributed.The vaccine from Johnson & Johnson has several advantages. Among others, it can be stored at normal refrigerator temperature and requires only a single shot for full effect, which theoretically makes it more attractive for countries with poor logistics. However, the vaccine was reported to have a rare yet potentially deadly side effect of blood clotting.

Thomas Turk Considering what Canadian Dr Charles Hoffe stated. many lucky alcohol-soaked Skand-Hooligans won't be getting blood clots.. ''The spike protein in the 'injection' sticks to and embeds in the capillary endothelium, walls. Part of the spike protrudes into the vessel slowing blood flow, and indicating injury, both of which lead to IRREVERSIBLE and incurable blood clots. These clots are too small to show up on a scan. Their signs are headache, nausea, breathlessness and dizziness. The 62% who will get this from the 'injection', will have blood pressure rise from lung blockages. SADLY.. from this, the heart will fail in 3 years! Search.. ''Dr. Charles Hoffe. COVID-19. Get the latest information from the DDC about COVID-19''. 1

TruePatriot It's an act of immorality to force those death in a bottle jabs on anyone and that the makers finagled no liability contracts and vast pre-purchases of this garbage. Those 600K doses should be burned immediately before they infest someone. 1

2

denmark

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Igor Kuznetsov

Igor Kuznetsov

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Igor Kuznetsov

johnson&johnson, denmark, news, europe, vaccination, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/aukus-will-not-have-any-impact-on-quad-says-indian-foreign-secretary-ahead-of-leaders-summit-1089269522.html

AUKUS Will Not Have Any Impact on Quad, Says Indian Foreign Secretary Ahead of Leaders' Summit

AUKUS Will Not Have Any Impact on Quad, Says Indian Foreign Secretary Ahead of Leaders' Summit

The new arrangement between Australia, the UK and the US, dubbed AUKUS, has triggered a debate over the status of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) as... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T16:06+0000

2021-09-21T16:06+0000

2021-09-21T16:06+0000

aukus

joe biden

asia-pacific region

narendra modi

emmanuel macron

us

us

japan

washington

australia

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089275107_0:152:1527:1011_1920x0_80_0_0_742a26eeec34e08344ecaff03d2e8e68.jpg

Amid concerns over the newly-established alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, India has said that the Quad and AUKUS are not groupings of a similar nature and are not connected in any manner.QUAD is designed to cater to the requirements of the Indo-Pacific whereas AUKUS is a security alliance between three countries, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indias Foreign Secretary, said while briefing media in New Delhi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US.Narendra Modi will attend the first ever in person summit of the Quad-- a grouping of India, the US, Japan and Australia-- in Washington on September 24th that is expected to broadly focus on contemporary global and regional issues.Shringla said the leaders will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, and maritime security.Quad is a plurilateral grouping-- group of countries that have shared vision of their attributes and values. They also have a shared vision of the Indo-Pacific Region as a free and open, transparent and inclusive region. The Quad has adopted a positive, proactive agenda which includes a varied range of agenda at the global level to address some of the issues of the day, Shringla underscored.Shringla said that the newly-formed security alliance is not the party to the Quad. However, Shringla steered clear of admitting that the Quad is a completely non-military, non-security alliance of four Indo-Pacific countries.Essentially the Quad will deal with all the issues that would further its objectives that is seen of a common vision, of an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, and inclusive; from that perspective, the quad will function or do what it takes, he said while replying to a direct question as to whether the Quad includes military component of any manner.On 15 September, US President Joe Biden announced the creation of a new trilateral partnership with Australia and the UK. Under the new arrangement, the US and the UK will help to build nuclear-propelled submarines for Australia, which resulted in that country cancelling its multi-billion dollar submarine deal with France.

https://sputniknews.com/20210920/not-a-defence-pact-australia-reassures-asean-as-malaysia-indonesia-see-red-over-aukus-1089227821.html

BillOwens India needs H1-B visas, so it will sell itself out. 3

Patriot Till now Russia cannot Complain of any Indian Perfidy in stealing Russian Intelectual Property,same cannot be said about Criminal China to whom Russia seems to be more beholden...Eh?? 1

6

us

japan

washington

australia

india

indo-pacific

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg

Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Rishikesh Kumar https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/04/1080055820_0:0:388:389_100x100_80_0_0_40018ee210946d65d49ffba4f4c008e1.jpg

joe biden, asia-pacific region, narendra modi, emmanuel macron, us, us, japan, washington, australia, scott morrison, india, security, military, nuclear submarine, quadrilateral security dialogue (quad), indo-pacific
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/australias-pm-admits-he-knew-ditching-french-sub-deal-under-aukus-would-cause-disappointment-1089262448.html

Australias PM Admits He Knew Ditching French Sub Deal Under AUKUS Would 'Cause Disappointment

Australias PM Admits He Knew Ditching French Sub Deal Under AUKUS Would 'Cause Disappointment

The new security alliance of Australia, the UK and the US, dubbed AUKUS, triggered a diplomatic row with France, as the other two parties to the pact would... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T09:00+0000

2021-09-21T09:00+0000

2021-09-21T11:11+0000

jean-yves le drian

emmanuel macron

news

world

scott morrison

florence parly

aukus

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/02/1081341494_0:17:999:579_1920x0_80_0_0_c6eae8088208abe488e89b0adbf667f6.jpg

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted he anticipated Frances furious reaction after Canberra scuttled its earlier diesel-electric submarine deal, worth tens of billions of dollars, in favour of a plan to build nuclear-powered subs relying on American and British technology.The Australian PMs agenda for his visit includes a meeting with US President Joe Biden and with leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad group. Morrison responded to French indignation at having been informed of the new trilateral security alliance between Australia, the US, and UK, known as AUKUS only the night before the official announcement.The PM emphasized he had been motivated by concerns that the highly secure information could be leaked to the media or other nations. Furthermore, the French side, according to Morrison, had been informed many months ago that conventional submarines no longer met Australia's demands. In a historically unprecedented step, France withdrew its ambassadors from Australia and the United States in response to what it branded a stab in the back. The Australian Prime Minister also revealed that he was yet to speak with President Emmanuel Macron since the diplomatic row, saying:Earlier, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said Canberra had been "upfront, open and honest" with France about its concerns regarding the submarine deal. However, he declined to reveal costs of the new pact, conceding that "it's not going to be a cheap project". Unacceptable Behavior Paris had responded to the decision by Australia to abandon the multi-billion dollar 2016 deal struck with France's Naval Group to build 12 conventional submarines as "unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners". French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described it as a "stab in the back" and French President Emmanuel Macron historically ordered the recall of the French ambassadors to Washington and Canberra. Jean-Yves Le Drian and Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly deplored an absence of coherence that France can only observe and regret.Ex-ambassador to the US Gerard Araud tweeted on Thursday to say that France was reminded that The world is a jungle. Regional Security Concerns When the AUKUS announcement was made by US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a joint video-link press conference on 15 September, reference was repeatedly made to regional security concerns which they said had "grown significantly". However, Beijing slammed the three-way security pact, widely viewed as an effort to counter China's assertiveness in the contested South China Sea as "extremely irresponsible" and "narrow-minded.Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the alliance risked "severely damaging regional peace... and intensifying the arms race". The pact was branded a manifestation of "the obsolete Cold War... mentality" by China, as it warned the three countries were "hurting their own interests".

Capt'nSkippy !!! What a total retarded moron he and the political system is in this country!!! This is typical why Australia is now flushed, down the sh*tter for good!!! 5

Crookim Morrison: "We don't know how much is gonna cost"........... US: We don't know either! 3

10

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Svetlana Ekimenko

jean-yves le drian, emmanuel macron, news, world, scott morrison, florence parly
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/boris-johnson-confronted-amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-on-concerns-over-e-commerce-giants-uk-tax-bill--1089264447.html

Boris Johnson Confronted Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos On Concerns Over E-Commerce Giants UK Tax Bill

Boris Johnson Confronted Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos On Concerns Over E-Commerce Giants UK Tax Bill

Earlier, an official spokesman had confirmed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson intended to discuss the important issue of Amazons low tax payments in the UK... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T10:33+0000

2021-09-21T10:33+0000

2021-09-21T10:33+0000

boris johnson

g7

jeff bezos

news

world

amazon

taxes

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107123/02/1071230241_0:208:2900:1839_1920x0_80_0_0_30a372b35dd484d6ab6a3d3a0a0740b0.jpg

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised concerns over Amazons minimal tax bill in the UK with the companys founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Downing Street has confirmed.Johnson had earlier acknowledged he would certainly tackle concerns over Amazons taxes in the UK with the billionaire, ahead of his flight to the US.Amazons Tax Shenanigans Amazons relatively low tax bill in the UK has been a contentious matter for years, but amid the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing restrictions that have driven online sale, the issue has gained prominence. Microsoft, Apple and Google all posted similarly soaring sales as people have become increasingly reliant on technology. Ecommerce giant Amazon had reported up to 8.2bn of its UK sales in Luxembourg, according to accounts and public statements analysed by union Unite and cited by The Independent in August. 19 of Amazons UK-registered companies, including warehouses, logistics operation and smaller businesses such as the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) had their accounts analysed in the course of the inquiry. Using information publicly disclosed by Amazon, experts estimated just how much UK tax the company was possibly dodging. In its US accounts, the company had declared 13.7bn of UK sales in 2019. However, in filings for its UK-based companies, Amazon, which is not required to publicly disclose where sales were actually made, had only reported 5.5bn in sales, says the report.UK Labour MP and Treasury committee member Emma Hardy had called for a probe into the missing billions. The report by Unite emphasised that Amazon reaps huge advantages by legally shifting revenues from where it does business to where it chooses to pay tax.Nicholas Shaxson, co-founder of the Balanced Economy Project, was cited as saying: Global Tax Reform Amid concerns that big tech giants are able to skirt higher taxes by re-routing profits through low tax jurisdictions, or tax havens, the British Government has been planning a 2 percent tax on digital sales outside of America targeting Amazon and other tech giants. Earlier, a historic deal was reached by G7 finance ministers in June in what was hailed as a huge overhaul of international tax rules.Championed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the measure would force the world's largest companies to pay a minimum global corporate tax rate on their profits of at least 15 percent, hoping to seal off tax loopholes for global businesses such as Google, Apple and Amazon. The latter would be required to pay more tax in the markets they sell goods and services. G20 finance ministers backed the deal in July, releasing a communique stating they had reached agreement on a more stable and fairer international tax architecture. So far, 134 countries have signed up to the OECDs Inclusive Framework, with a number of countries still showing reservations over the terms of the deal.Resistance is most likely from British overseas territories like Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, accounting for 18.1 per cent of the worlds corporate tax abuse risks, according to the Tax Justice Network. Low tax European jurisdictions like the Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Ireland would also stand to lose out if the legislation is adopted, claim experts.

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Svetlana Ekimenko

boris johnson, g7, jeff bezos, news, world, amazon, taxes
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/boris-johnson-contradicts-joe-biden-with-claim-of-intelligence-that-the-taliban-could-take-kabul--1089281585.html

Boris Johnson Contradicts Joe Biden With Claim of Intelligence That Taliban Could Take Kabul

Boris Johnson Contradicts Joe Biden With Claim of Intelligence That Taliban Could Take Kabul

In August, President Joe Biden was stunned by the rapid advance of the Taliban* through Afghanistan as US troops began to depart. In the weeks since, new... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T21:07+0000

2021-09-21T21:07+0000

2021-09-21T23:03+0000

afghanistan

kabul

joe biden

boris johnson

lloyd austin

antony blinken

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/12/1089186294_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a5849ffa82e82fc10b5b5dc5221479d5.jpg

In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBCs Today morning news program, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted that intelligence officials had warned him that the Taliban was in a position to advance on Kabul swiftly.There was a spectrum of predictions from the intelligence people, amongst which was the possibility that Kabul would fall very fast and the Taliban would take over very fast.Johnson spent much of the interview defending the Biden administrations handling of the withdrawal.The public stance that the Biden administration was surprised by the Talibans swift advance has not held up to scrutiny. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted that he had received a cable from Kabul in July warning of rapid advance by the Taliban.Details from Bob Woodward and Robert Costas book Peril present a similar story. As early as March, Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that if the withdrawal did not slow down, the risk of a swift Taliban advance remained an ever-present danger.*The Taliban is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries

kabul

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Nevin Brown

Nevin Brown

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Nevin Brown

kabul, joe biden, boris johnson, lloyd austin, antony blinken
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/clinton-lawyer-indicted-for-russia-gate-lies-france-recalls-ambassador-over-aukus-1089258255.html

Clinton Lawyer Indicted for Russia-gate Lies; France Recalls Ambassador Over AUKUS

Clinton Lawyer Indicted for Russia-gate Lies; France Recalls Ambassador Over AUKUS

A Clinton campaign lawyer has been indicted in connection with spreading falsehoods and lying to push the Russia-gate narrative. 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T08:19+0000

2021-09-21T08:19+0000

2021-09-21T10:19+0000

pentagon

spending

neoliberalism

radio sputnik

the critical hour

amlo

covid-19

delta variant of covid-19

radio

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089258230_14:0:626:344_1920x0_80_0_0_648cd84310bc6cc61619f311e259188d.png

Clinton Lawyer Indicted for Russia-gate Lies; France Recalls Ambassador Over AUKUS A Clinton campaign lawyer has been indicted in connection with spreading falsehoods and lying to push the Russia-gate narrative.

Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief at theduran.com and host of "The Duran" on YouTube, joins us to discuss Russia-gate. A Clinton campaign lawyer has been indicted in connection with spreading falsehoods and lying to push the Russia-gate narrative. Special counsel John Durham has levied charges against attorney Michaels Sussman for lying to the FBI about his connections to the Clinton campaign. Sussman allegedly told the FBI that he was not representing any political entity as he passed on false information, but documents reveal that he was billing the Clinton campaign for the interview in which he made that claim.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss AUKUS. US and French diplomats are scrambling to clean up a geostrategic mess as the US has stolen massive military contracts from France. Also, France has recalled its ambassador to the US, and the EU power is flexing its muscles against the US empire. Will France back down, or will the US strike out at its long-time ally?Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, professor, epidemiologist, veterinarian, and the daughter of former Nigerian president Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, joins us to discuss ovid. Advisers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have refused to authorize a third booster shot for vaccinated Americans, but did ok it for the population of 65 and over. Also, a number of big cats have tested positive for covid at the National Zoo, and hospitals in some rural states are facing tough decisions.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The US is levying sanctions on Hong Kong companies for allegedly doing business with Iranians in violation of US rules. Also, Iran has announced that they are going to sell oil directly to Lebanon, and the EU is considering more sanctions on Beirut.Marjorie Cohn, professor of law at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, joins us to discuss her book about drones and targeted killings. Cohn has written an extensive book about drones, and our guests talk to her about the many violations of US and international law created by the US program.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss Pentagon spending. Anti-war activists are pushing back against a questionable Biden administration plan to provide helicopter maintenance to Saudi Arabia for 500 million dollars. Also, William Astore has penned an article in which he proposes that the weapons manufacturers are the perpetual winners in Afghanistan-style wars of occupation.Nino Pagliccia, activist and writer, joins us to discuss the Global South. China has come out firmly against the US-sponsored illegal detention of Alex Saab. Saab was working on a diplomatic mission for Venezuela when he was captured by US empire lackeys. Also, the president of Mexico has come out to openly condemn the US blockade of Cuba.Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri- Kansas City, joins us to discuss neoliberalism. In his article "(Neoliberalism) and its discontents," Francis Lee compares classical liberalism to the current neoliberal political movement. He then goes on to discuss how and why neoliberal politics conflicts with traditional collectivist political movements and philosophies.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg

pentagon, spending, neoliberalism, radio sputnik, the critical hour, amlo, covid-19, delta variant of covid-19, , radio
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/danish-it-giant-under-investigation-for-alleged-illegal-supplies-to-uae-despite-export-ban-1089259652.html

Danish IT Giant Under Investigation for Alleged Illegal Supplies to UAE Despite Export Ban

Danish IT Giant Under Investigation for Alleged Illegal Supplies to UAE Despite Export Ban

The software in question is used by militaries across the globe to create an on-screen overview of military operations, coordinate attacks and designate bomb... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T06:00+0000

2021-09-21T06:00+0000

2021-09-21T06:00+0000

denmark

news

yemen

uae

military software

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/103624/75/1036247588_3:0:1916:1076_1920x0_80_0_0_6f979e496c8218a6edcb983242f308dd.jpg

Danish National Police have initiated an investigation of Systematic, Denmark's largest IT company, after allegations were made of illegal cooperation with the United Arab Emirates' military.The investigation was started after TV2, Danwatch and Lighthouse Reports revealed that Systematic allegedly delivered advanced military software to the UAE military, despite the ban on military equipment exports to the Middle Eastern country, which has been in place since November 2018.The three-year-old export ban was introduced because Copenhagen feared that Danish equipment risked being misused by the UAE in the Yemen conflict, where the country had been accused of war crimes by human rights organisations. For the same reason, the Foreign Ministry spoke against a renewal of Systematic's export permit for the UAE military.Systematic withdrew its application for UAE exports a day before it would have been denied. However, the company reportedly continued to supply the UAE with military software via its British subsidiary.The system in question bears the name SitaWare and is used by several countries' militaries, including Denmark's, to create an on-screen overview of military operations, coordinate attacks and designate bomb targets.Danish Justice Minister Nick Hkkerup emphasised that a ban must be complied with, calling for a thorough investigation of the possible wrongdoing.Several experts have called this amoral and a deliberate circumvention of the Danish export ban.That assessment was backed by William Hartung, an expert in international arms trade at the Center for International Policy, a US think tank.According to him, there is no doubt that Systematic had withheld information from the National Police.I believe that the fact that Systematic did not even mention the end user in the papers is an attempt to circumvent the law. For, of course, they knew where the equipment was heading after Britain. They knew it was going to the Emirates and that it was banned, he said.Military experts argued that there is a great risk that the UAE may have used the Danish combat control system for their controversial warfare in Yemen.Ryan Buhl, a military analyst at the intelligence agency Stratfor, also argued that SitaWare is likely to be used in Yemen.A coalition of Arab and African countries led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE went to war in Yemen in March 2015 in response to the Houthi rebels overthrowing the country's government in January 2015. Between 100,000 and 230,000 are estimated to have died in hostilities or as a result of the war and naval blockade of the country, preventing deliveries of food, medicine and relief supplies. Wholly 80 percent of Yemen's 28 million inhabitants need emergency aid. With millions starving and lacking medicine, the UN has described Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Thomas Turk ..sorry,Paul, don't read Kwa-Zulu. Try again in Chinglish.. maybe I also have trouble with the soft 4 incher.

1

denmark

yemen

uae

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Igor Kuznetsov

Igor Kuznetsov

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Igor Kuznetsov

denmark, news, yemen, uae, military software
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/echr-claims-of-russias-responsibility-for-litvinenkos-death-contribute-to-boosting-russophobia-1089270721.html

Russia's Foreign Ministry Slams EHRC Ruling on Litvinenko's Death for Promoting Russophobia

Russia's Foreign Ministry Slams EHRC Ruling on Litvinenko's Death for Promoting Russophobia

In a judgment published on Tuesday, the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled that Russia was responsible for the death of former FSB officer Alexander... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T12:54+0000

2021-09-21T12:54+0000

2021-09-21T15:15+0000

european court of human rights (echr)

world

russia

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/101746/49/1017464904_0:1207:2593:2665_1920x0_80_0_0_dc71b6064d820c11aa08220d375d2683.jpg

The European court of human rights (ECHR) ruling that Russia was responsible for the 2006 murder by radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London fuels Russophobia, stated Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The courts ruling on 21 September raises questions, not only pertaining to the actual merits of the conclusions drawn by the international body, but also from the point of view of procedure... the ECHR is positioning itself as an international judicial body, seeking to play a political role while contribute to the fostering of Russophobia, which has become so popular in some Western countries, underscored Zakharova said at the briefing.In a judgement published on Tuesday, the ECHR, part of the Council of Europe, responding to a complaint brought by Litvinenko's widow Marina, found "beyond reasonable doubt" that Russia was responsible for the killing of the former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Litvinenko. The court claimed that Russian authorities had failed to carry out a serious domestic investigation into the ex-security officer's death, ordering Russia to pay the applicant, Litvinenkos wife, 100,000 (86,000) in damages.Commenting the ECHR ruling at the briefing, Zakharova pointed out that the court chose to echo clearly politicized and more than questionable from a legal aspect conclusions of the national judicial authority of one of the Council of Europe member states.Disregarding the actual content of the document itself and the "erroneous conclusions" drawn by the Strasbourg-based court, a legal assessment will be given by the Prosecutor General's Office in the light of the powers delegated to it to represent our country in the ECHR, said Zakharova.Previously, the ECHR pledged not to consider such cases until decisions had been taken on key issues in the framework of a so-called adjacent inter-state claim, she reminded. Zakharova noted that on 23 February, Ukraine filed the ninth complaint against the Russian Federation, accusing the Kremlin of targeted operations to eliminate persons ostensibly perceived as opponents of Russia in other states.Accordingly, as the complaint "Litvinenko v. Russia " falls directly under the subject of this inter-state lawsuit, the spokeswoman pointed to the inconsistency of the court, which should have suspended its consideration, as was done with thousands of other complaints related to inter-state cases.Russia has categorically rejected claims the countrys intelligence agents were behind the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. The former FSB officer, who worked for the UKs MI-6 after defecting to Great Britain in 2000, died in November 2006 in London. His health began to deteriorate after his encounter with Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun and drinking tea together. After his death, a significant amount of radioactive polonium-210 was discovered in Litvinenko's body. The main suspect in the British case in connection with the ex-FSB officer's death is Russian businessman and deputy Lugovoi, who has denied all charges against him, slamming the trial a "theatrical farce."Moscow has repeatedly stated that the criminal case was politicized, and the investigation process not transparent.

Tim6311 This is indeed a murder most foul perpetrated by MI6 and blaming it on Russia. 3

Ulrich Schliz There we are. Even legal science is ruined, with the purpose to create o virtual reality, where Russia is the scoundrel and the collective West can say whatever it wants and is always right. It is a never questioned fundament of legal science that the accusation has to put the proof  not the defendant. Not knowing this, a student never passes an exam. If not so  everything can be invented and every innocent person can be declared guilty, just because one says. Prove your innocence or you are guilty. And this is what is happening here. Quote: The [Russian] Government failed to provide any other satisfactory and convincing explanation of the events." And by the way - who decides what is satisfactory? This is going back to barbarism and it is an impertinent and lawless procedure. A shame to the judges, who gave in to such a legal botchery. Western society is definitely in decadence. 2

4

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

european court of human rights (echr), world, russia, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/family-lawyer-reportedly-confirms-human-remains-found-in-wyoming-belong-to-gabby-petito-1089281682.html

Family Lawyer Confirms Human Remains Found in Wyoming Belong to Gabby Petito

Family Lawyer Confirms Human Remains Found in Wyoming Belong to Gabby Petito

A body "consistent with the description" of Petito was discovered on Sunday after the woman had been reported missing on September 11th. 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T20:53+0000

2021-09-21T20:53+0000

2021-09-21T22:40+0000

us

search

investigation

fbi

missing

lawyer

homicide

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/13/1089219916_0:0:1600:901_1920x0_80_0_0_897f2ae24328340241921d23991a26b7.jpg

The attorney for the Petito family confirmed to Insider on Tuesday that the human remains found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming belong to Gabby Petito.The death has been ruled a homicide by Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue. The cause of death remains pending until the completion of the autopsy.The 22-year-old vlogger had been on a cross-country trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie in their 2012 Ford Transit Van. Laundrie returned to his family's home in Florida on September 1st without Gabby and remains the primary suspect. It wasn't until ten days after he returned that she was reported missing.The couple was last seen together on August 12th when a police officer responded to a domestic incident outside of Moab, Utah. In the police footage, Gabby is visibly distressed and the officer instructed the couple to separate for the night. Social media posts of their journey would continue to go up, until abruptly stopping in late August.Gabby Petito's mother received her last text from her daughter on August 30th. Her mother thought the text was odd as it referred to her grandfather as 'Stan,' which was not something she knew Gabby to do. Her mother fears that that final text was not actually sent by her daughter.The FBI searched the Laundrie's house on Monday, but Brian Laundrie remains missing and hasn't been seen since September 14th. Brian's parents believe he may have gone to Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida. The 24,565-acre reserve is difficult terrain to traverse as a large portion of it is seasonal wetlands. Authorities got a break in their search for Gabby Petito's body when two bloggers, also from Florida, posted a video of what they believed was Petito's Ford Transit van alongside the road. The footage, from August 27th, was taken in the Bridger-Teton National Forest area and gave search parties a firm location to her potential whereabouts.

https://sputniknews.com/20210921/search-for-fianc-of-gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-resumes-in-florida-wilderness-1089279490.html

us

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Nevin Brown

Nevin Brown

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Nevin Brown

us, search, investigation, fbi, missing, lawyer, homicide
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/lust-for-money-not-sex-game-killed-british-heiress-swiss-court-has-heard-1089275180.html

Lust For Money, Not Sex Game, Killed British Heiress, Swiss Court Has Heard

Lust For Money, Not Sex Game, Killed British Heiress, Swiss Court Has Heard

Former bouncer, Marc Schatzle, 32, from Germany is currently on trial in Locarno, Switzerland over the death of his rich girlfriend Anna Reed, whose body was... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T15:54+0000

2021-09-21T15:54+0000

2021-09-21T15:54+0000

news

world

switzerland

uk

german

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089274757_0:63:976:612_1920x0_80_0_0_af24ccd28313dae73d3ddc15aeda0fc6.jpg

Heiress to a multimillion-dollar fortune, Anna Reed may have been killed by her boyfriends greed and not because of an erotic game gone wrong, a Locarno court heard this weekend, according to The Sun.Reed, 22, was found dead in the bathroom of a hotel room in Muralto in April 2019, after her lover Schatzle called paramedics.Reeds body was reportedly covered in cuts and bruises when she was discovered, with the post-mortem ruling that she died from suffocation.Schatzle, who is now on trial for intentional homicide, theft, and other offences, denies killing his girlfriend intentionally.He reiterated to the court that Reeds death was a result of erotic game gone wrong.I put a towel around her neck and started kissing her, he said about the alleged sex game. But she wanted more so I put my hand on the towel and pushed.However, the court has also learned from witnesses and the prosecution that Schatzle had been aware that Reed held more than 25,000 in her account. The ex-bouncer, meanwhile, was 40,000 in debt at the time of his lovers death.One guest from the hotel where Reed was found dead also reportedly told a judge that they heard screams and shouts coming from the couples room on the tragic night.I wanted to go and say something but thought it was too dangerous, the person added.Five months after Reeds death, her credit card was discovered hidden in one of the panels of the hotel elevator, with Schatzle claiming he had put it there as a joke. Police suspect that the German stole the card.A prosecution insider previously told The Times that they believed the heiress was murdered for financial gain.Schatzle's trail is ongoing in Switzerland.Reed, daughter of a millionaire stable owner in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was reportedly on a round-the-world trip when she met Schatzle in Thailand in February 2019.

https://sputniknews.com/20191114/50-shades-of-death-british-backpackers-killer-claims-she-asked-to-be-choked-during-sex--1077307152.html

switzerland

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

news, world, switzerland, uk, german
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/member-of-cia-chiefs-team-affected-by-havana-syndrome-during-work-trip-to-india-report-says-1089256213.html

Member of CIA Chiefs Team Affected by Havana Syndrome During Work Trip to India, Report Says

Member of CIA Chiefs Team Affected by Havana Syndrome During Work Trip to India, Report Says

Member of CIA Chiefs Team Were Affected by Havana Syndrome During Work Trip to India, Report Says

2021-09-21T02:12+0000

2021-09-21T02:12+0000

2021-09-21T02:12+0000

bill burns

us

central intelligence agency (cia)

india

havana syndrome

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0d/1080155574_0:122:2048:1274_1920x0_80_0_0_8953cc9fb7ae7c4c22f98027ef8ffac3.jpg

A member of CIA Director Bill Burns team that recently went on a working visit to India has shown symptoms of the notorious Havana Syndrome, CNN reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.According to the broadcaster, the official has been provided with medical assistance. It was reported that some US officials have suggested that whoever was behind the incident was sending a direct message to Burns that even high-ranking CIA officials are vulnerable.US intelligence is expected to complete its investigation of the "attacks" involving the syndrome this year, but, according to sources, the final date may be changed, as it hasnt been officially announced yet.The first cases of the mysterious syndrome were detected in 2016 by members of the US diplomatic mission in Cuba. Similar incidents were later reported among American diplomatic personnel in China, Austria and Vietnam.Those who have suffered from the unknown disease reported experiencing various symptoms similar to a concussion, without being physically affected. The malaise includes hearing loss, nausea, headaches and imbalance.US agencies have not determined yet what causes the illness, considering a number of theories that vary from an unknown virus to directed microwave energies and foreign attacks.

vot tak A complete fraud or also possible the americans are doing something in their embassies that cause these symptoms in embassy personnel. Some sort of surveillance tech they are using that causes these symptoms among those working nearby within the embassy? 1

INSPECTRE good for a free comprehensive health screen, and 2 weeks off work 0

2

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Alexandra Kashirina

Alexandra Kashirina

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Alexandra Kashirina

bill burns, us, central intelligence agency (cia), india, havana syndrome
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/milley-told-admiral-to-halt-operations-in-pacific-that-china-could-deem-provocative-authors-claim-1089254406.html

Milley Told Admiral to Halt Operations in Pacific That China Could Deem 'Provocative', Authors Claim

Milley Told Admiral to Halt Operations in Pacific That China Could Deem 'Provocative', Authors Claim

The revelations come from the upcoming book "Peril," to hit the stores on Tuesday, which is dedicated to the peculiar transition from Donald Trump's presidency... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T00:38+0000

2021-09-21T00:38+0000

2021-09-21T00:38+0000

us

asia & pacific

china

us-china relations

mark milley

pacific fleet

indo-pacific

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089255465_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ee745e6c3dae4f1f28dcb8550f9524ab.jpg

US General Mark Milley ordered an admiral in charge of the Pacific region to cancel any possible military actions that could be seen as "provocative" by Beijing, according to the authors of "Peril."In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" Bob Woodward and Robert Costa suggested that the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff "was not going rogue" by making the call to his Chinese counterparts.Milley reportedly informed four entities about his conversations with China that took place in the last months of the Trump administration. These included then-CIA Director Gina Haspel, NSA Director Paul Nakasone, chiefs of the various military branches, and a Pacific operations admiral, according to Woodward.What is interesting, Milley reportedly told Haspel to "watch everything 360."When asked whether he was documenting "treasonous behavior" by Milley, Woodward replied that he did not think so since there was "nothing hidden about this."In the book, the authors reportedly claim that Milley was concerned about Trump launching an attack to stay in power, and told China that he would warn them of any coming attack.According to the new book "Peril," Milley called Chinese General Li Zuocheng in October 2020 and January 2021 to allay Chinese fears that Trump was planning a secret attack and reassure him that the US was not on the verge of collapsing following the Capitol riot.The former president, his administration's officials and several Republicans accused Milley of treason and demanded that President Joe Biden remove him in the wake of news of his phone calls.Last week, Milley claimed the calls were "routine" and done "to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability" in an interview with The Associated Press.He also reportedly stated that he was prepared to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee next week to justify his actions.The new book also reportedly describes how former Vice President Mike Pence struggled with his responsibilities to certify the results of the presidential election on January 6, despite Trump's relentless push to overturn Biden's victory. Pence even sought advice from Senate parliamentarian and former Vice President Dan Quayle on how to handle his ceremonial presiding over the electoral vote count, to which Quayle reportedly replied that Pence was obligated to follow the law since he had "no power."And according to Woodward, Pence was "trying to ride both horses." He was attempting to "do his constitutional duty but also keep the avenues to Trump open."

Thomas Turk Taiwan is a province of China, and is no business of any alcohol-soaked Skanda-Hooligan. Worry about you Mullims, eh? 5

Barros US is a corrupt and coward country. 4

7

china

indo-pacific

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Kirill Kurevlev

Kirill Kurevlev

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Kirill Kurevlev

us, asia & pacific, china, us-china relations, mark milley, pacific fleet, indo-pacific
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/new-storytelling-in-skripal-litvinenko-meant-to-sabotage-any-attempt-to-end-russia-uk-cold-war-1089278901.html

New Storytelling in Skripal, Litvinenko Cases Meant to 'Sabotage' Effort to End Russia-UK Cold War

New Storytelling in Skripal, Litvinenko Cases Meant to 'Sabotage' Effort to End Russia-UK Cold War

On Tuesday, UK police announced that a third suspect had been charged in the 2018 poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Separately, the... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T18:48+0000

2021-09-21T18:48+0000

2021-09-21T19:18+0000

alexander litvinenko

russia

sergei skripal

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106803/16/1068031693_0:375:2975:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_34e67363b3f7775b1fcb767be719e789.jpg

The claims by the UK authorities and the ECHR reiterating Western suspicions of Russias role in the Skripal and Litvinenko poisonings are not surprising, and seem to be part of a deliberate ploy by forces opposed to any sort of rapprochement in relations between Russia and the UK and Moscow and the West more broadly, lawmakers, politicians and authors have told Sputnik.On Tuesday, the ECHR ruled that Russia was responsible for Litvinenkos death, and awarded 100,000 euros (about $117,000 US) in compensation for moral damages suffered by his widow.Having reviewed all evidence before him, the Chairman considered that there existed a strong probability that when poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. [Andrei] Lugovoy and Mr. [Dmitri] Kovtun [the prime suspects in the crime, according to the UK authorities] were acting under the direction of the Russian security serviceThe [Russian] government failed to provide any other satisfactory and convincing explanation of the events, the ruling read.Moscow slammed the decision, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggesting that the ECHR does not have the authority or ability to uncover accurate information on the case, and calling the allegations unfounded. The Russian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, suggested that instead of an objective investigation, the court chose to echo clearly politicized and more than questionable conclusions made earlier by the UKs authorities.In a separate development, also on Tuesday, British police announced that they had authorized charges against a third suspect in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning attack on former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Police said the suspect could be charged with attempted murder and possession of an illegal chemical weapon. London confirmed that the individual had been placed on Interpols Wanted List, and Home Secretary Priti Patel vowed that London and its allies would take every possible step to detain him if he traveled abroad.Moscow blasted London over the new Skripal allegations, accusing Britain of deliberately using the Salisbury case as an instrument of pressure and reiterating that the British authorities have yet to agree to a joint investigation into the case, something that Moscow proposed over three years ago. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hazarded a guess as to why the allegations were presented now, pointing to the upcoming planned meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.Timing Not Very SurprisingThe timing of the new developments is not very surprising, says Guy Mettan, a Swiss politician, former director of the Geneva Press Club and author of Creating Russophobia: From the Great Religious Schism to Anti-Putin Hysteria.'The journalist believes the latest claims are part of the same anti-Russian storytelling seen in the Western media after the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition vlogger Alexei Navalny, with those claims continuing to be flogged to the public in the West despite being treated with incredulity in Russia itself.Thats why I see the timing of the resurge of the Skripal and Litvinenko cases as a means for sabotaging any attempt to put an end to the actual cold war between the UK and Europe and Russia, as well as a means to discredit the results of the last Russian elections [as far as] European public opinion [is concerned], Mettan says.Alex Krainer, a writer and businessman, and author of the book The Grand Deception: The Truth about Bill Browder, the Magnitsky Act, and Anti-Russian Sanctions,' echoes Mettans sentiments, suggesting the rulings appear to have been very deliberately timed to prevent any possible rapprochement between Moscow and London.The writer says hes followed the Litvinenko case in particular very closely and believes that its next to certain that Russian leadership wouldnt be responsible, or at the very leastvery difficult to prove that beyond any reasonable doubt.Both the Litvinenko and Skripal cases are used to undermine the relationships between the East and West, Krainer believes. The structures of power  they want to change the regime in Russia. They want to potentially dismember Russia and eliminate it as a Eurasian power. They want to use these cases as a public relations ploy to simply demonize the current Russian leadership.24 Hour Trial? RidiculousMatthew Gordon-Banks, a former Tory lawmaker and Liberal Democrat politician and retired senior research fellow at the Defence Academy of the UK, believes that from a legal standpoint, the ECHRs Litvinenko ruling seems politicized and rushed.I think the idea that the ECHR can hold a trial of such significance in just 24 hours is ridiculous. The Court can be highly political at times and they state that there is a strong prima facie case concerning the death of Alexander Litvinenko. This has not been a proper trial, it has based its judgement primarily on British-produced evidence, and a prima facie case is not proof beyond doubt, the former politician stresses.Whilst I am very sad for Mr. Litvinenkos wife and family, there are one or two cases recently in the UK where many of the facts do not stand up to scrutiny. No one can be certain who caused the death of this renegade spy, Gordon-Banks says.

https://sputniknews.com/20210921/kremlin-says-echr-claims-of-russias-responsibility-for-litvinenkos-death-are-unfounded-1089266038.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210921/uk-warns-it-will-take-steps-to-counter-russian-threat-try-to-detain-gru-agents-behind-2018-attack-1089270331.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210714/paranoid-much-mi5-boss-to-urge-britons-to-be-on-alert-over-hostile-spying-from-china-russia-1083381863.html

https://sputniknews.com/20191102/number-10-accused-of-sitting-on-info-co-submitted-by-former-head-of-mi6s-russia-desk---report-1077205527.html

TruePatriot And, occurred "mysteriously" co-incident with the Russian elections that were held to the highest standards while the clowns in the West tried to sling mud on them but failed. 2

vot tak Thats why I see the timing of the resurge of the Skripal and Litvinenko cases as a means for sabotaging any attempt to put an end to the actual cold war between the UK and Europe and Russia, as well as a means to discredit the results of the last Russian elections [as far as] European public opinion [is concerned], Mettan says." ... Exactly. 1

5

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

alexander litvinenko, russia, sergei skripal, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/pelosi-accuses-gop-of-trying-to-force-first-ever-us-default-by-opposing-limit-suspension-bill-1089281413.html

Pelosi Accuses GOP of Trying to Force First-Ever US Default by Opposing Limit Suspension Bill

Pelosi Accuses GOP of Trying to Force First-Ever US Default by Opposing Limit Suspension Bill

Republicans are promising to block a Democratic attempt to force through a new borrowing limit suspension as part of a larger spending bill just days before... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T21:05+0000

2021-09-21T21:05+0000

2021-09-21T21:05+0000

nancy pelosi

default

budget

iron dome

us debt

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/14/1082951327_0:0:3217:1810_1920x0_80_0_0_89193fb9d508b902fada6547b5335178.jpg

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) accused Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) of hypocrisy on Tuesday, noting that while he stands against an increase in the debt limit at present, he supported it two years ago.Noting that McConnell said in July 2019 that America cant default, that would be a disaster, Pelosi tweeted that the Kentucky senator and his Republican colleagues are trying to force the first-ever default of the US. All Members must come together in a spirit of bipartisanship to protect the full faith and credit of the US.The US government is expected to run out of money to pay its bills sometime next month if the debt limit is neither raised or suspended, allowing the Treasury to borrow more money.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who once headed the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Sunday that this would produce widespread economic catastrophe as the associated severe spending cuts would reduce many government programs to a trickle, including several large COVID-19 relief laws passed going back to December 2020, for which the funds have already been appropriated.Democrats have gambled that by adding the debt extension to a bill otherwise strongly supported by Republicans, it will make the pill easier to swallow. The bill includes $6.3 billion to resettle Afghan refugees in the United States and $28.6 billion in emergency relief for victims of recent natural disasters in the US, including wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. It also provides $1 billion for replenishing Israels Iron Dome air defense system, which used up thousands of missiles shooting down rockets fired from Gaza during the 11-day war in May.However, on Tuesday afternoon, several progressive Democrats managed to secure removal of the Iron Dome funds by threatening to vote against the bill.US President Joe Biden has emphasized that allowing the US to pay its bills is a bipartisan responsibility, calling GOP intransigence inexcusable. Without the support of 10 Republican lawmakers, the bill cannot pass the Senate, which is split evenly between the two major parties, but contains a filibuster rule allowing senators to hold up progress of a bill almost indefinitely if the opposition cannot muster 60 votes to override them.While increasing the national debt has long been an issue of public debate, it became the creator of regular political crises beginning in August 2011, when Republicans protested spending increases associated with the Affordable Care Act and the 2008-9 bailouts of US banks and automobile manufacturers by refusing to approve an extension until just days before the US defaulted.The incident had several repercussions, including the first-ever downgrading of US credit by credit rating agencies. It also led to thepassage of the Budget Control Act of 2011, which lifted the debt ceiling for several years but mandated spending cuts in the longer term.

TruePatriot Nasty Nancy, you nitwit, it's not anyone forcing a default. It is simple. STOP SPENDING WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. Pretty elementary knowledge that even little kids understand. What's your excuse? 1

1

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

nancy pelosi, default, budget, iron dome, us debt
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/pope-jokes-some-people-wanted-him-dead-while-he-was-undergoing-surgery-reports-say-1089282121.html

Pope Jokes Some People Wanted Him Dead While He Was Undergoing Surgery, Reports Say

Pope Jokes Some People Wanted Him Dead While He Was Undergoing Surgery, Reports Say

Pope Francis Jokes Some People Wanted Him Dead While He Was Undergoing Surgery, Reports Say

2021-09-21T22:02+0000

2021-09-21T22:02+0000

2021-09-21T22:02+0000

europe

surgery

jokes

pope francis

vatican

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089282050_0:17:2883:1638_1920x0_80_0_0_f37200bdb35809b9c52ffe19a0166fbb.jpg

Pope Francis spoke with fellow Jesuits in Bratislava on Tuesday, saying he is in good health, although some in the Vatican, as he knows, would have preferred the opposite, according to Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica.When asked about his well-being, he answered that he is still alive and joked that some people wanted him dead.The Pope noted that it was a nurse who convinced him to do the procedure, as they sometimes understand the situation more than doctors because they are in direct contact with the patients.The pontiff underwent a three-hour surgery on 4 July at the Agostino Gemelli hospital in Rome. According to a press release from the Holy See, he was diagnosed with diverticular stenosis of the sigmoid" portion of the colon.The Vatican reported that the Pope was doing well after the operation. He spent 10 days in the hospital, returning to the Vatican on 14 July. Pope Francis claimed earlier in the interview that the thought of stepping down didnt even cross my mind.

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Alexandra Kashirina

Alexandra Kashirina

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Alexandra Kashirina

europe, surgery, jokes, pope francis, vatican
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/russian-security-council-chief-believes-aukus-directed-against-russia-china-1089262752.html

Russian Security Council Chief Believes AUKUS Directed Against Russia, China

Russian Security Council Chief Believes AUKUS Directed Against Russia, China

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev described the AUKUS alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States as... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T08:28+0000

2021-09-21T08:28+0000

2021-09-21T11:11+0000

nikolai patrushev

security council

russia

aukus

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102730/94/1027309444_0:105:3005:1795_1920x0_80_0_0_7ea9e5661ec73c2bd1b4440c8b3a17b1.jpg

In his interview with Russia's Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, Patrushev described the QUAD alliance, comprised of the US, India, Australia and Japan, as a "prototype of an Asian NATO." "A short while ago, a new military bloc was formed in the region, the US-UK-Australian AUKUS, which pursues the same goals. Remarkably, the Americans squeezed their French partners out, grabbing a profitable deal for construction of nuclear submarines for Canberra. Apparently, Atlantic solidarity has a price," Patrushev added.Speaking about Afghanistan, Nikolai Patrushev warned that the failure of US policies in Afghanistan was creating conditions for a new migration crisis that could be even deeper than the one in 2015.The United States and its allies should bear responsibility for undermining stability in foreign countries, including through making compensations, Nikolai Patrushev stressed."I believe that the US and its allies should bear responsibility for destruction of sovereign states' economies, for aggravation of inter-ethnic and political problems, and for intensification of terrorist, extremist and other threats, including through making compensations significantly exceeding the trillions they spent to undermine stability around the world," Patrushev said.The G7 proposal to involve Russia and China in resolving security issues in Central Asia confirms that this association has lost its relevance, Patrushev said.The Russian security council chief expressed the belief that the G7 format "lost its relevance.""Russia participates only in international structures and clubs that solve real problems, that prioritize the principle of equality, those where alien standards and rules of conduct are not imposed on anyone," Patrushev added.

Gargarin The USUKA deal with the fella from down-under is to be clear not just about nuclear submarines, it is about the occupation of Australian territory by usa military enthusiasts, with low-wage contract positions to low-income usa citizens servingas pawns. Given that the usa war machine has retreated from another occupation, and that did not work out very well, the residents of Australia would not feel any more secure knowing they have become a target. In the event of a major confrontation Perth would have a red laser on its heart. Wherever the usa military goes it creates havoc, and up until recently Australia has been relatively free of the kind of backward Roman-style military aggression the usa military practises. Bombing children in retaliation for an attack on usa soldiers, england publishing lists of collaborators, and now the reactionary and temporary australian government workers selling out the Australian people for thirty pieces of silver, do not enhance security. Instead, ... 6

Gargarin these actions destabilise the local environment. New Zealand, with its logical-thinking ban on nuclear weapons, is not going to make a fuss diplomatically because small nations can only do so much, but New Zealanders would not welcome the prospect of another usa invasion. The hollywood elites can bring their dollars and fly around mountains in helicopters, but Auckland is not Kabul and nobody wants it to be, nor another Sarajevo, Tripoli or other pot for for usa corporates to spit in. The Australian people should disenfranchise their somewhat treasonous pm and demand his resignation. The usa does not need Australian land, they have their own land, real-estate prices in Detroit are at a historical low. Let them invade Detroit and Skid Row to conduct some nation-bulidng at home. China is not an enemy of the Australian state but a trusted strategic partner with a superior military record of non-aggression to the usa. Russia likewise would be a valuable trading partner for... 6

12

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

nikolai patrushev, security council, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/search-for-fianc-of-gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-resumes-in-florida-wilderness-1089279490.html

Search for Fiance of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie, Resumes in Florida Wilderness

Search for Fiance of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie, Resumes in Florida Wilderness

Just one day after calling it off, the FBI and police resumed their search for 23-year-old Brian Laundrie in a 25,000-acre wildlife Florida reserve on Tuesday. 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T19:11+0000

2021-09-21T19:11+0000

2021-09-21T19:11+0000

us

crime

florida

missing person

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089256948_0:56:740:472_1920x0_80_0_0_0a1cf26d4fad130eae9ec77cb615665a.jpg

North Port police are working with the FBI agents and members of other law enforcement agencies in their search at the wildlife Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Florida, where Laundrie is believed to have vanished on a hike a week ago after being named a person of interest in his girlfriend Gabby Petitos disappearance.According to police, his parents reported seeing him last Tuesday, September 14, in hiking gear.North Port officers and FBI agents spent much of the weekend searching the reserve for Laundrie. North Port police believed they exhausted all avenues in searching the grounds there.Authorities returned to resume the search on Tuesday morning, according to the North Port Police Department.The wildlife reserve is known to have miles long of campgrounds and trails, and law enforcement is facing very difficult terrain in search of Brian Laundrie.Authorities assessed drone and K9 search and rescue teams to help facilitate the search. Investigators took some of Laundries clothing from his parents home to provide a scent for the search dogs.This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake-infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails.North Port Police posted several pictures of their By land. By air, search to Twitter.As the search continues for Laundrie in Florida, an autopsy is scheduled to be conducted on remains found in Wyoming. Medical examiners are seeking to determine if it is Gabby Petito.

https://sputniknews.com/20210920/mystery-deepens-around-gabby-petitos-disappearance-as-fbi-finds-body-matching-her-description-1089243369.html

us

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg

Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Adriana Montes https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089141767_0:89:1270:1359_100x100_80_0_0_83cb4d432e11a31f4608d8cb59ecf006.jpg

us, crime, florida, missing person
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/soldiers-killed-in-galwan-valley-clash-with-india-now-part-of-patriotism-lessons-for-kids-in-china-1089269161.html

Soldiers Killed in Galwan Valley Clash With India Now Part of Patriotism Lessons for Kids in China

Soldiers Killed in Galwan Valley Clash With India Now Part of Patriotism Lessons for Kids in China

Relations between India and China have dipped since the border stand-off in May last year when soldiers from both countries clashed in eastern Ladakh. A series... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T19:15+0000

2021-09-21T19:15+0000

2021-09-21T19:15+0000

chinese people's liberation army (pla)

ladakh region

china

indian army

india

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107964/12/1079641242_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_11046e8cf665560984611dd616c5a282.jpg

The Chinese soldiers who were killed during clashes with Indian servicemen in the Ladakh region's Galwan Valley last year are now being mentioned in textbooks used by the People's Liberation Army to inspire patriotism among primary school children in China.The first instance of the soldiers' mention for educational purposes was reported in China's Anhui Province over the weekend, when students from a local school met officials from a border battalion based in the Xinjiang military region. An official portal of the Chinese military published a write up about the interaction on Tuesday, reported Indian daily The Hindustan Times. The aim of educating the students about the "heroic deeds" of China's military personnel on the border is to encourage them to "draw spiritual strength and patriotism from the soldiers and plant the seeds of patriotism from the soldiers in the hearts of the students," the publication quoted the school principal as saying.The article also highlighted what impression the tales of patriotism in the Galwan Valley left on the students. "Chen Xiarong was born after 2000. When he sacrificed his life, he was only seven years older than me. It really touched me...," a student was quoted in the article as saying. "Woven into the officially sanctioned exchange between the soldiers and students was the China narrative that the PLA soldiers were defending their borders and that India had allegedly trespassed the LAC," the publication added.Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly refuted charges by Beijing that Indian soldiers have trespassed into Chinese territory since the standoff began in May last year. India blames the Chinese Army for breaching the LAC.The border standoff between India and China erupted on 5 May, 2020 after a violent clash in the Pangong Lake areas between soldiers from the two nations. Both sides beefed up their presence on each side as a result. While China took almost a year to reveal that five Chinese officers were killed during the Galwan Valley clash, India admitted that 20 soldiers died in the clash much earlier.

ladakh region

china

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

chinese people's liberation army (pla), ladakh region, china, indian army, india
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/trump-warns-border-crisis-turning-us-into-third-world-nation-1089266510.html

Trump Warns Border Crisis Turning US Into Third World Nation

Trump Warns Border Crisis Turning US Into Third World Nation

The Biden administrations rollback of its predecessors hardline immigration policies has culminated in the tripling, quadrupling or even quintupling of... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T10:37+0000

2021-09-21T10:37+0000

2021-09-21T10:58+0000

donald trump

united states

migration

migrants

border

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/05/1081368779_0:47:900:553_1920x0_80_0_0_616ad59d65fc32d85b3a48747ef30a24.jpg

Former president Donald Trump offered fresh commentary on the situation on the US's southern border with Mexico. The United States will soon be considered a Third World Nation. There has never been anything like what is happening at our border. Millions of people have already poured in, but many more than that are coming, Trump said in a statement released late Monday.The comment echoes comments he made a day earlier, when he suggested that the US was rapidly becoming a cesspool of humanity and that the illegal aliens making their way in were totally unchecked and unvetted, and can do whatever they want, and go wherever they want.The former presidents remarks come amid a new development in the border crisis story  the discovery of an encampment of thousands of migrants from Haiti under a bridge near the Del Rio, Texas border crossing. Haitian nationals have been flocking to Mexico in the tens of thousands and making their way across the border into the US, hoping to get asylum, following last months devastating earthquake, and the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise by US and Colombian mercenaries. Amid the crisis, the Biden administration recently reversed course on its ban on the expulsion of Haitian migrants, with deportation flights starting Sunday.On Monday, a group of 26 Republican governors demanded an urgent meeting with President Biden over the situation at the border, suggesting that the dramatic surge in border crossings has created an international humanitarian crisis. The governors are seeking an open and constructive dialogue regarding border enforcement on behalf of US citizens in their states and all those hoping to become US citizens.Last week, Customs and Border Patrol reported that over 209,000 migrants were apprehended on the US southern border in August, down from 213,500+ in July. CBP figures indicated that over 1.5 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended since the start of their fiscal year in October 2020, with the figures on track to matching the record 1.7 million apprehensions recorded in the year 2000.The crisis at the US-Mexico border began to take shape almost immediately after President Joe Biden stepped into office and signed off on a series of policies to walk back Donald Trumps hardline immigration policy. Biden scrapped Trumps much-touted border wall, promised to end harsh and extreme immigration enforcement and to restore and expand the US asylum system, hinted at offering a path to citizenship to the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already living in the US, and scuttled the Remain in Mexico programme, which required immigrants applying for residence status in the US to wait in Mexico while their application was processed.Mexican President Andrese Manuel Lopez Obrador and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei have accused the Biden administration of fueling the border crisis via its lukewarm rhetoric on illegal immigration, and suggested that Washingtons policies has fueled human smuggling and other crime. Others, including some Congressional lawmakers, have pointed out that the crises facing Latin America today are the result of decades of US meddling in the region  including invasions, the staging of coups and the toppling of countries democratically elected presidents.

https://sputniknews.com/20210920/go-back-to-mexico-shocking-video-of-us-border-patrol-on-horseback-seen-whipping-haitian-refugees--1089253118.html

https://sputniknews.com/20200515/nothing-changed-why-us-coups-in-latin-america-in-20th-century-resemble-recent-events-in-venezuela-1079317243.html

Lodi44 Judging by their infrastructure they have been a third world country for quite a while already, not to mention the corrupt oligarchy and the level of fascism 3

1

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Ilya Tsukanov

donald trump, united states, migration, migrants, border
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/tucker-carlson-lambasts-us-army-for-doing-pr-for-satanism-with-covid-19-vaccine-promotion-1089266725.html

Tucker Carlson Lambasts US Army For 'Doing P.R. for Satanism' With COVID-19 Vaccine Promotion

Tucker Carlson Lambasts US Army For 'Doing P.R. for Satanism' With COVID-19 Vaccine Promotion

The US Secretary of Defence has ordered a full vaccination for American service members, saying that failure to comply may result in a relief of duties if... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T10:43+0000

2021-09-21T10:43+0000

2021-09-21T10:43+0000

fox news

news

world

united states

lloyd austin

tucker carlson

viral

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089264881_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_74aa95e919c3856f9a44c90853c18289.jpg

Fox News' Tucker Carlsons battle against compulsory COVID-19 vaccines took a new turn on Monday when he accused the US Army of being sympathetic to Satanism and trying to root out free thinkers over its new vaccination mandate.The host said the Pentagon was on a mission to separate the obedient from the free.The point of mandatory vaccination is to identify the sincere Christians in the ranks, the free thinkers, the men with high testosterone levels, and anyone else who doesn't love Joe Biden and make them leave immediately, Carlson raged during the Monday episode of his programme, proclaiming It's a takeover of the US military!The journalist then showed what he called a US Army PowerPoint presentation promoting vaccines among soldiers that cited 7 tenets of Satanism in apparent move to mock the concerns of some service members.One slide from the purported presentation sarcastically read How many children were sacrificed to Satan because of the vaccine?The Fox News pundit then went on to accuse the US military leadership of providing false information about deaths from COVID-19 jabs, as he maintained that there is zero scientific basis behind obligatory vaccine requirements.In September, the US Army began implementing the 24 August order of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin that introduced COVID-19 vaccine mandates among the military. As per the new policy, those who violate the requirement would face suspension, a relief of duties or be completely discharged.The Army announced last week that active-duty solders would have three months to get both doses of COVID-19 jabs to avoid penalties. According to the plan, 485,900 service members have to be fully inoculated by 15 December.

Preterist-ADSeventy Satan is powerless he was thrown into the lake of fire in AD70. The evil in the ranks is due to todays zio-antichristians who own and control the USA and her military. 3

vot tak Yup, carlson is definitely fox network material. Worse than geraldo reviera. Recruits get several mandatory vaccines at the beginning of boot camp. Don't see carlson hamming up his yellow journalism shtick about that. The guy is pathetic. 3

3

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Aleksandra Serebriakova https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080393304_78:0:1748:1670_100x100_80_0_0_ef4647318d6a9287cf47e376d3794bc4.jpg

fox news, news, world, united states, lloyd austin, tucker carlson, viral
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/uk-police-authorise-charges-against-third-suspect-in-salisbury-poisoning-1089265777.html

UK Police Authorise Charges Against Third Suspect in Salisbury Poisoning

UK Police Authorise Charges Against Third Suspect in Salisbury Poisoning

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK Counter Terrorism Policing network confirmed on Tuesday authorising charges against Sergey Fedotov, a third suspect in the Salisbury... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T10:18+0000

2021-09-21T10:18+0000

2021-09-21T13:07+0000

news

suspect

poisoning

salisbury

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107287/35/1072873514_0:266:1851:1307_1920x0_80_0_0_642eb8afd4b834d384a271b556355923.jpg

"Charges have been authorised against a third person in relation to the ongoing investigation into the Salisbury Novichok attack ... As a result of ... continued enquiries, a third man known as Sergey Fedotov was identified and evidence relating to this individual was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service," the police said in a statement.Prosecutors came to the conclusion that Fedotov can be charged with attempted murder and possession and use of a chemical weapon contrary to the 1996 Chemical Weapons Act."Police enquiries uncovered evidence to show that Sergey Fedotov is an alias for Denis Sergeev and that he is a member of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU," the statement read on.According to inquiries, the third suspect arrived in the UK from Moscow at about 10:00 GMT on 2 March 2018, which is around four hours prior to two other suspects, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, arriving from the Russian capital into Gatwick airport, the statement said.Further investigation has suggested that Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov previously worked together for the Russian military intelligence GRU, conducting operations outside of Russia, the police said."All three men  Sergey Fedotov, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov  are now wanted by UK police and arrest warrants are in place for all three. The process of applying for Interpol notices will commence for Sergey Fedotov today, with Interpol Notices already in place for both Petrov and Boshirov," that statement said.Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Kier Pritchard later in the day welcomed the announcement by the Counter Terrorism Policing network, calling it "the significant news.""The Counter Terrorism Policing Network investigation team continues to work tirelessly to seek to bring those responsible to justice and Wiltshire Police will continue to offer our full and ongoing support in this investigation," he said in a statement.He urged anyone having knowledge on the matter to share information with the ounter Terrorism Policing network. British police also said they will send a request to Interpol with regards to the third suspect in the Skripal case. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in London said that Minister-Counsellor Ivan Volodin has arrived at the UK Foreign Office to discuss new developments in the Salisbury poisoning probe.In March 2018, former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia fell seriously ill in Salisbury, UK. According to a subsequent investigation, they were reportedly poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, and London claimed the attack had been carried out by two Russian intelligence officers at the behest of the Kremlin. Moscow categorically denied the accusations and called the evidence presented by the UK authorities "lies". The Kremlin accused Britain of anti-Russian hysteria and said London, had refused to provide Moscow with samples of the nerve agent that was allegedly used as well as access to Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the UK of fabricating evidence and emphasised that neither Soviet nor Russian scientists had ever worked on the nerve agent Novichok.

https://sputniknews.com/20190304/skripal-poisoning-salisbury-police-1072946927.html

vigilante The UK game is so obvious. From time to time they revive the russophobic flame ...until the next plot. Pathetic attempts to take a place in the media as the justice crusaders when their work is dark and dirty. 5

vigilante The UK wants to show off how destructive Russia is just after signing the AUKUS agreement that was criticized by the whole world. I expect soon a similar plot unveiled but this time Chinese. 4

3

salisbury

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

news, suspect, poisoning, salisbury
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/uk-probing-unacceptable-data-breach-as-mod-shared-over-250-afghan-interpreters-details-in-email--1089260641.html

UK Probing Unacceptable Data Breach as MoD Shared Over 250 Afghan Interpreters' Details in Email

UK Probing Unacceptable Data Breach as MoD Shared Over 250 Afghan Interpreters' Details in Email

The email had been sent out to Afghan interpreters who worked with British forces when they were stationed in the South Asian country now ruled by Taliban*... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T07:24+0000

2021-09-21T07:24+0000

2021-09-23T09:45+0000

uk ministry of defence

news

world

britain

afghanistan

taliban

tobias ellwood

ben wallace

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/18/1083698429_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d340f0fa454403fd037d43212eaf2afb.jpg

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ordered an immediate inquiry into what has been slammed as an unacceptable data breach that "needlessly put lives at risk," reported the BBC.The email addresses, names and some profile pictures of around 250 Afghans seeking relocation to the UK after the exit of NATO forces from the country were mistakenly copied into an email from the Ministry of Defence.The email was sent by a team overseeing the work of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to former interpreters who worked with British forces and have either fled to other countries, or have been left behind after evacuations from Kabul airport ended.The UK had launched ARAP in 2021, under which any current or former Locally Employed Staff (LES) directly employed by Her Majesty's Government (HMG) in Afghanistan assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life will be eligible to apply regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.Interpreters were told by the team that efforts were underway to help relocate them to safety, and warned against putting themselves or their families at risk.However, one of the interpreters reportedly became aware that more than 250 Afghans formerly employed by British forces had been copied into the email, allowing their email addresses to be seen by all recipients.Once alerted to the error, the MoD followed up its first email with another one, under the title "Urgent - Arap case contact", requesting that all recipients delete the previous email.It issued a warning that the recipients email addresses may have been compromised" and recommended they be changed.The MoD has apologised in a statement, with a spokeswoman saying that an investigation had been launched into what Defence Secretary Ben Wallace called an "unacceptable breach".The data breach that was likely a human error, has fed into concerns for the lives of those who were either employed by western forces in Afghanistan or served alongside them.Failure to evacuate and relocate all these vulnerable Afghans after the airlift ended has left hundreds stranded and forced to go into hiding, fearing retribution from the Taliban Islamist group.Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee in the House of Commons, welcomed the investigation into the data breach. However, he was cited as underscoring the urgency of helping the interpreters out of the country.Conservative MP and former defence minister Johnny Mercer said the treatment of the interpreters had been "deeply shameful" and that many would be "moving house again tonight" in light of the data breach.Labour shadow defence secretary John Healey deplored the incident that had "needlessly put lives at risk".A Ministry of Defence official was cited by the BBC as saying:Operation Pitting was launched to evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept to power in the wake of the abrupt US and NATO withdrawal from the country. Involving over 1,000 military personnel it airlifted to the UK some 15,000 people on more than 100 flights. Around 5,000 of them were British nationals and 8,000 were vulnerable Afghans deemed at risk from Taliban retaliation. The operation effectively wrapped up the UK's 20-year military campaign in Afghanistan.*Terrorist organizations banned in Russia

britain

afghanistan

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Svetlana Ekimenko

uk ministry of defence, news, world, britain, afghanistan, taliban, tobias ellwood, ben wallace
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/us-democrats-strike-down-1bln-in-israel-defense-aid-to-keep-us-govt-running-reports-say-1089282636.html

US Democrats Strike Down $1Bln in Israel Defense Aid to Keep US Govt Running, Reports Say

US Democrats Strike Down $1Bln in Israel Defense Aid to Keep US Govt Running, Reports Say

US Democrats Strike Down $1Bln in Israel Defense Aid to Keep US Govt Running, Reports Say

2021-09-21T22:12+0000

2021-09-21T22:12+0000

2021-09-21T22:12+0000

us

financial aid

israel

air defense system

house democrats

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/0f/1083393986_0:122:3071:1849_1920x0_80_0_0_e28e00a5527629e15f4087d77f193363.jpg

The provision to assist Israel's Iron Dome air defense system was originally included in a bill to keep the federal government funded through December 3, but was removed on objection from some progressives in the Democratic Party, The Hill said, citing sources familiar with the last-minute snag.The issue over Iron Dome funding comes as Democratic centrists and progressives appeared at odds over the timing and scope of Biden's infrastructure agenda.Moderates demanded a pledge from Democratic leaders last month to hold a vote by next Monday on the $1.2 trillion Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill to invest in roads, bridges and broadband initiatives.But progressives have threatened to tank that bill if the larger, $3.5 trillion "human" infrastructure package to invest in social safety net programs like childcare and expanded Medicare benefits isn't completed by then.Not all were happy with the decision to drop the funding for the Israeli air defense system.Josh Gottheimer, a leading Democrat centrist, expressed frustration that the Iron Dome funding was being removed, but stopped short of threatening to vote against the bill.Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul claimed that the US House Democratic leadership needs to reconsider plans to pull $1 billion in funding for Israels. Otherwise, the action would harm the Jewish states ability to defend itself, he said.He also asserted that the Iron Dome saved lives and helped limit civilian casualties in a May conflict in which Hamas militants in Gaza fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel.Democrats are planning to bring the legislation to the Congress floor later Tuesday. Congress must act within a matter of days to avoid a government shutdown when current funding expires at the end of this month.

2007harleydavidsonsg I'm sick and tired of my tax $$$ going to Israel when the American People and families are in need! Besides there are many Jewish billionaires to help them. 13

Dicksonrp Just watch the children of lucifer howl in the wind now..  Josh the jew dogshit started and Mcfaul is eating the jew dog excretement 9

13

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

us, financial aid, israel, air defense system, house democrats
https://sputniknews.com/20210921/us-space-force-commander-claims-russia-has-armed-satellite-in-orbit-to-destroy-us-assets-1089276054.html

US Space Force Commander Claims Russia Has Armed Satellite in Orbit to Destroy US Assets

US Space Force Commander Claims Russia Has Armed Satellite in Orbit to Destroy US Assets

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Russia already has deployed in low-earth orbit a "nesting doll" satellite armed with a weapon that can destroy US satellites vital for... 21.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-21T16:02+0000

2021-09-21T16:02+0000

2021-09-21T16:02+0000

news

russia

space

united states

tech

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107163/04/1071630487_0:0:2997:1685_1920x0_80_0_0_fa3666ed89fd657bd4997e6e0481b35d.jpg

"Russia has a nesting doll satellite [in orbit] to destroy US satellites, armed with a weapon to destroy US satellites," Raymond told the Air Force Association (AFA) Air Space Cyber Conference at National Harbor in the US state of Maryland. "It denies our ability to leverage space as a force multiplier."Raymond claimed the satellite is designed like a Russian "nesting doll," with an outer casing that opens up to reveal an inner satellite shell and that shell also opens to reveal a weapon that can fire at and destroy US orbiting satellites from a safe distance.He went on to posit that the satellite is targeted at destroying US space assets that are essential for accurate long-range precision targeting and fires for "smart" munitions launched from bombers and other weapons.The Russian satellite Kosmos 2542 was launched in November 2019 and in December 2019, it released a sub-satellite, Kosmos-2543 which then carried out a series of manoeuvres that US military officials interpreted as a show of force, published reports said.Russia has given no credence to the claims that the satellite system was offensive in nature.

Tyke They always make claims but never back it up with evidence. Sadly the American public just do not see they are being used. A wild accusation like this requires more money from the tax payers to find a solution to this alleged Russian threat 11

BUY HUAWEI usa describes what they themselves have and what they have sent up into space, be on your guard, soon Russia, China, North Korea and Iran will be accused of destroying usa satellites 9

13

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

2021

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60

news, russia, space, united states, tech
Given time to mature at age two, Mikala is stepping up for her connections this season at three. In her most recent race 10 days ago, she won the New Jersey Sire Stakes Standardbred Development Fund final at Freehold Raceway in 1:52.1, becoming the fastest female pacer in the half-mile tracks history in the process.

On Wednesday, she competes at another half-mile venue, the Delaware County Fairgrounds in central Ohio, in the $253,800 Jugette for three-year-old filly pacers. The Jugette attracted a field of 10, so two $50,760 eliminations will be contested to determine the eight horses that will return later in the day for the $152,280 final.

Mikala is the 4-1 third choice on the morning line in the first elimination, behind favourite Nashville Elgenna at 2-1 and Scarlett Hanover at 7-2. Test Of Faith is the 8-5 favourite in the second elimination. The top four finishers from each division advance to the final.

Trained by Nik Drennan, Mikala has won six of 12 races this year and hit the board a total of nine times, earning $149,698 for owners Joe Davino, Brad Shackman, Anthony Perretti Farm and Drennan Stable.

She had two wins and a second in three preliminary rounds of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes before finishing sixth from post eight in the final at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. She finished third in the Shady Daisy on Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands, behind Grace Hill and Fire Start Hanover.

Last season, Mikala was limited to two starts before being turned out and given time to mature physically. The daughter of Always B Miki-Shes Some Treasure was purchased under the name Heymikiyousopretty for $180,000 at the 2019 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Her mom is a full sister to Hall of Famer Captaintreacherous.

She showed signs that she had ability last year, she was just really immature, Drennan said. It was nothing serious, she just wasnt ready to drive on with. I thought if she grew up and got a little sounder, her pedigree would step up. She did. Shes having a good go, and hopefully we keep it rolling.

George Brennan, who has been behind Mikala in her past 11 races, will be in the sulky Wednesday for the Jugette. Brennan won the 2004 Jugette with Glowing Report.

I like what I see; she looks good in there, Drennan said about Mikala in the Jugette. Hopefully she has a good couple days leading up to it and well see what happens. Shes quiet, shes laidback and easy to get along with. She can race from the front or the back and tries hard. Shes a good racehorse, thats what I like about her.

Mikala was lightly staked this year, with only next months Simpson Memorial at Harrahs Philadelphia remaining on her schedule. But Drennan said the door is opened slightly to supplementing to some other races.

There is a possibility, but weve just been taking a race at a time all year, so well just get through this week and go from there, Drennan said. She is in good form, the Jugette came up, and here we are.

Wednesdays Jugette features three trainers who have won the event previously: Ron Burke, Brian Brown and Brett Pelling.

Pelling, who captured the 1998 Jugette with Armbro Romance, sends out Test Of Faith tomorrow. Test Of Faith is a neck from undefeated in nine races this year and has won 16 of 18 career starts. She enters the Jugette off a win in the New York Sire Stakes final.

Burke, a three-time Jugette winner, entered three fillies for Wednesdays race: Scarlett Hanover and Paulas Bet Hanover in the first elimination and Continualou in the second. Burkes Jugette victories came in 2019 with Warrawee Ubeaut, 2015 with Sassa Hanover, and 2012 with Darena Hanover.

Brown, who won the 2014 Jugette with Colors A Virgin, has one of this years two supplemental entries in the race, Irish import Oakwoodanabella. The filly, who is two-for-two in conditioned races since arriving in the U.S., is 6-1 in the second elimination. She was the British Harness Racing Clubs 2020 Horse of the Year after going unbeaten in six races as a two-year-old.

The second elimination also includes the other supplement, Ohio Sire Stakes champion Smothastenesewisky. The supplement fee was $15,000.

Racing begins at noon Wednesday at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. The Jugette eliminations are races 16 and 17 and the final is race 20. For complete entries, click here.

(USTA)
In eastern Congo (North Kivu and Ituri provinces) the state of emergency (martial law) continues as it has since May 6. Diplomats, UN observers and aid workers contend the state of emergency has not succeeded and are calling for more soldiers and police. According to aid workers in the area, between May 6 and September 10 armed groups operating in the provinces killed an estimated 675 civilians. However, the security forces have their problems. During that same period the army and police killed 67 civilians. In August a North Kivu civic reform group demanded an end to martial law and gave two reasons: (1) the military was failing to stop the rebel attacks; and (2) the military was making life worse for the people it was supposed to be protecting. The government says ADF, the Ugandan Islamic terror group responsible for most of the rebel and bandit attacks on civilians. In Ituri province CODECO (Cooperative for the Development of Congo) rebels commit a substantial number of the attacks and atrocities. CODECO is predominantly a Lendu tribal organization. It is sometimes described as a political-military sect because its leaders claim to have a religious mission. Like most violence in Congo, there is usually a tribal element because, for most Congolese, tribal leaders can do more for them than dictators or elected officials. This is true in many parts of the world where larger scale governments fail to match the services the ancient tribal organizations ptovide.

September 16, 2021: In eastern Congo (South Kivu province) six Chinese owned companies were ordered to leave Congo by the Chinese government after multiple instances of illegal mining and environmental destruction. The Chinese order came after South Kivu province ordered the Chinese companies to suspend operations. China said it would punish Chinese personnel responsible. The accused firms include BM Global Business, Congo Blueant Minerals, Groupe Cristal, Orientale Resource Congo, Yellow Water Resources and New Continent Mineral. The Chinese government is saying the right things but many Congolese believe the Chinese government is doing this so they can find out who to bribe and how much to make the problem officially settled. told Congo it will punish the companies. As has happened in the past, the legal and illegal mining operations will continue under the same management but there will be new names and the most identifiable Chinese held responsible will be moved to other Chinese operations in Africa or back to China to share their experience with Chinese planning to join the overseas minerals boom that the government encourages and supports, especially operators who can get production going and deal with any local obstacles. There are no rules because many of the mining areas are lawless and available to anyone able to do whatever it takes to extract the valuable minerals and get them back to Chinese businesses that depend on a steady supply of raw materials.

September 15, 2021: In the CAR (Central African Republic) The UN has ordered 450 Gabonese peacekeepers to leave. Many of the Gabon soldiers are accused with rape of local women and forcing some to work in brothels. This is the second time Gabonese peacekeepers serving with UN CAR peacekeeping force have been charged with sex-related offenses. A smaller group of Gabonese was withdrawn in 2016. This problem is not unique and has been a persistent problem with UN peacekeeping forces for decades. Since the 1990s the UN has spent $7-10 billion a year on 100,000 to 150,000 peacekeepers handling one or two dozen peacekeeping operations each year. This pays for the peacekeepers and a smaller support staff. It's actually a pretty cheap way of keeping some conflicts under control. The causes of the unrest may not be resolved by peacekeepers but at least the problem is contained and doesn't bother the rest of the world too much. This is an increasingly unpopular approach to peacekeeping, except in the UN bureaucracy. Many UN members would rather send peacekeepers to where they are not wanted by the local government, usually a bad one that is often the cause of the trouble in the first place.

The UN peacekeeping army usually suffers less than a hundred combat deaths a year. More than ten times that number were wounded, injured in accidents, or disabled by disease. The peacekeeper combat fatalities come out to 90-110 per 100,000 troops per year. In Afghanistan foreign troops lost about 350-450 in the worst years. At the peak of the fighting (2005-7) in Iraq, the losses were 500-600 per 100,000. The rate for U.S. troops in Vietnam and World War II was about 1,500 per 100,000 troops. The UN peacekeepers are often seeing some considerable violence but at less than a third of the rate of troops in actual wars. Most of the peacekeepers have come from South Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal). Pakistan has been one of the most frequent contributors, sending over 160,000 troops to over forty UN peacekeeping operations in more than two dozen countries since the mid-20th century. They suffered a death rate of about 90-952 per 100,000. Thats lower than usual for peacekeepers, in large part because the South Asian troops tend to be among the best trained and most professional in the UN force.

For more than a decade the UN has been having trouble getting more troops for peacekeeping duty. While the casualties have something to do with this, corruption and lack of success are more often discouraging countries from contributing. The corruption angle is interesting, as it pertains both to the corruption within the UN bureaucracy and the corrupt atmosphere the peacekeepers operate in and often succumb to. Casualties are expected but the contributing countries feel a lot of their troop losses are the result of restrictive UN rules that limit what peacekeepers can do. This, in turn, is believed most responsible for a lack of success for the peacekeeping missions.

India and Pakistan are not happy with the lack of volunteers from other major nations. The chief reasons for that are the same ones annoying the current peacekeepers (corruption and restrictive rules of engagement). In addition, the major military powers, except China and Russia, feel they already contribute quite a lot in the form of money to pay the peacekeepers. The nations that provide the cash are also upset at the lack of results.

September 11, 2021: Foreign NGOs report armed rebel groups and militias operating in and near Congos Virunga National Park are plundering the park and threatening wildlife. The groups engage in poaching, illegal fishing, illegal logging and charcoal production. Virunga is huge, covering over 7,800 square kilometers. The poaching problem is well known, particularly killing elephants for ivory, but charcoal production is also lucrative. One NGO estimated that the armed groups supply the city of Goma (North Kivu province) with 150 sacks of lump charcoal a day. At a minimum the rebels make $500,000 a month from charcoal sales in Goma. The money pays for weapons, ammunition and supplies used in criminal activities. The Virunga Park has a ranger force with an authorized strength of 689 rangers but has a hard time recruiting rangers because of the growing violence in Virunga, which was reopened in early 2019 after being closed since May 2018 because of the kidnapping of two tourists and their Congolese driver. The bandits murdered a park ranger who tried to intervene. The bad guys outnumber the good guys and the violence also scares away foreign tourists who bring in a lot of money each year and that pays for the park security force and jobs for many local civilians.

September 10, 2021: President Tshisekedi announced Congo is reviewing all mining contracts signed with China in 2008 by former president Kabila and his notoriously corrupt government. Tshisekedi indicated the deals are unfair. Kabila and his cronies are suspected of taking bribes in exchange for giving China very favorable terms.

September 9, 2021: In eastern Congo (Ituri and North Kivu Provinces) the Ugandan ADF Islamic terror group is more frequently describing itself as ISILs (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) Central African Province, or ISCAP. The name changes nothing because ADF continues its terrorist operations. Typically the ADF operates in and around the city of Beni (North Kivu province). The offensive there began around June 1. Since that date aid groups estimate ADF has killed 207 people in 66 reported attacks. Nearly all the attacks are against unprotected civilians.

September 8, 2021: Burundian and Congolese security forces fired on one another at the Lake Tanganyika border. Allegedly a Burundian patrol boat mistook a Congolese patrol boat for bandits or smugglers. Two Congolese soldiers were killed when the Burundians opened fire. Burundi offered a different story. Its forces fired four armed bandits, killed two and the other two drowned in the lake. Burundi claimed the bandits had stolen fuel from Burundian fishermen.

September 6, 2021: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) soldiers attacked a group of CODECO rebels claiming they killed 17 CODECO gunmen and wounded four. The soldiers suffered six killed and two wounded.

September 4, 2021: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) ADF terrorists killed four people during a looting raid on a rural village. While stealing food and other supplies they set fire to six houses. The day before a similar raid on another village in the area left 30 villagers dead.

September 1, 2021: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) an unusually large group of ADF gunmen ambushed a convoy of 100 vehicles near a village on the main road connecting the cities of Beni and Butembo. The attackers killed ten civilians, destroyed 16 vehicles and seized many hostages. Soldiers and peacekeepers traveling with the convoy counter-attacked the ADF force and freed over 50 hostages. Soldiers and peacekeepers continued tracking the attackers in order to free other civilians captured in the attack.

Rwandan president Kagame removed justice minister Johnston Busingye from office. Kagame is upset with Busingyes handling of the trial of Paul Rusesabagina, of Hotel Rwanda fame. Rusesabagina faces charges of terrorism and conspiracy to form and fund a rebel group. Kagame was not too upset because he quickly made Busingye ambassador to Britain.

August 31, 2021: In the southern Congo (Katanga province) the government is increasing security at the Shinkolobwe uranium mine. Officials report that illegal miners have entered the mining area searching for cobalt and copper. The mine provided the uranium for the U.S. atom bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. Small quantities of uranium are still found in the mine, where it is a component of the copper ore.

August 30, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) ADF terrorists are believed responsible for attacking and looting a town near Virunga National Park and murdering 19 people while looting the place.

August 28, 2021: In 2022 an official from the other, smaller Congo Republic Brazzaville across the Congo River, becomes president of the OPEC oil cartel. OPEC has a rotating presidency. Congo (Brazzaville) will replace Angola. The Congo Republic produces about 335,000 barrels of oil a day. It has an oil reserve of about three billion barrels and an estimated natural gas reserve of ten trillion cubic feet. The country is sub-Saharan Africas third-largest oil producer, following Nigeria and Angola.

August 27, 2021: In Congo the government confirmed that it is examining its six billion dollar infrastructure-for-minerals agreement with Chinese mining companies and financiers. This effort involved forming a commission to reassess China Molybdenums Tenke Fungurume copper and cobalt mine operation. A deal cut in 2007 between the former Kabila government and two Chinese state-owned firms, Sinohydro Corp and China Railway Group Limited, is also being examined. Many Congolese regard that deal as particularly suspect. Sinohydro and China Railway were supposed to build roads, hospitals and other infrastructure in exchange for a 68% stake in the Sicomines copper and cobalt joint venture. This investigation process begam several months ago when president Tshisekedi ordered a review of mining contracts that he believed were not fair to Congo.

August 26, 2021: Further south in Malawi, which is wedged among Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, the Malawi's Constitutional Court will consider a challenge by the losing Democratic Progressive Party in the 2020 re-run presidential election. The Court originally nullified the 2019 election for several reasons, including well documented evidence former president and DPP leader Peter Mutharika rigged it. President Lazarus Chakwera defeated Mutharika in the 2020 do over. Now the DPP is arguing the Court made a mistake by nullifying the appointment of four DPP commissioners to Malawis Electoral Commission. Sound like a technicality? Maybe. Stay tuned. Malawi is one of the best run nations in the region and its troops are much in demand for UN peacekeeping operations.

August 25, 2021: The Ugandan government reported that 51 Afghan refugees evacuated by the U.S. have arrived in Uganda. Uganda has agreed to accept up to 2,000 Afghan evacuees.

August 23, 2021: In eastern Congo (South Kivu province) local officials announced they had ordered six Chinese mining companies to suspend operations. The companies were not respecting the mining code and regulations" and had created environmental problems. One official said that mining company violations had resulted in the degradation of agricultural land so that "even peanuts" could not be grown in the fields.
Google Play Store and Apple App Store have reportedly banned lakhs of apps. The H1 2021 Delisted Mobile Apps Report from Pixalate shows that more than 8,13,000 apps were delisted in the first half of 2021 across the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Out of these, it is said that 86 percent of the apps targeted children age 12 and under. For reference, Pixalate is the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and Mobile Advertising. The data shared in this report is grounded in Pixalates proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating, says the company.

Why did Google Play Store and Apple App Store ban these apps?

Apps can be banned or delisted from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for a variety of reasons. The apps delisting could be caused by various factors, including an app store policy breach or the developers withdrawal says the report. The H1 2021 Delisted Mobile Apps Report from Pixalate shares some key data points. It says that the company analysed more than 5 million mobile apps across Apples App Store and Google Play Store. Moreover, these apps had over 21 million consumer reviews on the App Store prior to delisting. Hence, the apps are expected to be present on millions of users smartphones despite being delisted from the app stores. 

What you must do

Google Play Store and Apple App Store may have banned them from their stores, but these apps are probably on your phone. What you must do now is to find them and delete them immediately.

If an app were removed due to an app store policy violation, there is an increased risk to consumer privacy and security, as well as brand safety for advertisers.

Google Play Store and Apple AppStore downloads

It is reported that Google had had 9.3 billion downloads and Apple apps had 21.8 million user ratings prior to delisting. Moreover, 86% (Google) and 89% (Apple) of the delisted apps targeted children aged 12 and under. Further, 25% of Google and 59% of Apple delisted apps had no privacy policy detected.

The report goes on to say that 26% of delisted apps from Russia had no privacy policy detected on the Google Play Store. On the other hand, 60% of delisted apps from China had no privacy policy detected on the Apple App Store. Additionally, 66% of delisted Google apps had at least one dangerous permission. Out of these, 27% had access to GPS coordinates and 19% could access the camera. You can read the full report here.
Last week, realme officially revealed some of the upcoming realme GT Neo2s tech specs with the official teaser posters. We got the display tech specs and the camera. Today, an online retailer has solved another puzzle for us by revealing the pricing of the device.

According to the source, the realme GT Neo2 will be coming in with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM coupled with 128GB or 256GB of storage. The price will start from CNY 2,499 (~RM1,620) for the 6GB/128GB, CNY 2,699 (~RM1749) for the 8GB/128GB and the top range of 8GB+256GB for CNY 2,999 (~RM1,944).

As a recap, the realme GT Neo2 will come with a Samsung E4 flat AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, 64MP main shooter as well as a 5,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. Since it has a triple rear camera setup, we assumed it will come with an 8MP ultrawide angle lens and a 2MP macro lens like its predecessor.

As of now, there is still no official information on the tech specs and Malaysia launching date for it yet, so do take this with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more tech news updates on TechNave.com
Employees of the video game company Activision Blizzard hold a walkout on July 28, 2021 to protest against sexism and harassment in their workplace.

Activision Blizzard on Monday said US securities regulators are digging into whether the video game giant properly disclosed concerns about a toxic, sexist workplace.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking information from the company, executives and former employees.

The SEC "is conducting an investigation concerning the company's disclosures regarding employment matters and related issues," and has issued subpoenas to some current and former employees, an Activision spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.

Regulators are seeking information to determine whether executives informed them and investors about complaints of workplace harassment and gender-pay inequity, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the inquiry.

Activision is cooperating with the inquiry, according to the spokesperson. The SEC declined to comment.

California-based Activision unveiled a management shakeup in early August, following employee protests and a California state lawsuit alleging the company enabled toxic workplace conditions and discriminated against women.

The shakeup came a week after workers walked out to protest sexism and harassment, as a call went out online to boycott hit titles such as "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush."

The company has launched what it promised would be a far-reaching review of its workplace practices after the state lawsuit alleged wide-ranging discrimination and harassment of women employees.

The employee protests came amid growing complaints about treatment of women in the industry in recent years.

In addition to workplace conditions, Activision has pledged to review its depiction of women in its popular games.

Explore further Activision Blizzard accused of worker intimidation, union busting

 2021 AFP
Mike Manley will step away from Stellantis and move to AutoNation.

Mike Manley, the Fiat Chrysler chief who guided the Italian-American automaker's merger with PSA to form Stellantis, is stepping away, the company announced on Tuesday.

Manley, who had replaced Sergio Marchionne at the helm of Fiat Chrysler following his abrupt departure, will take over as head of major US car dealership network AutoNation in November, according to the statement.

Manley most recently served as Stellantis' Americas director following its formation in January.

"I was fortunate to know Mike first as a competitor, then as a partner and colleague in the creation of Stellantis, but most importantly, always as a friend," Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said.

Manley said that "After 20 incredible, challenging and enjoyable years, and with Stellantis off to such a strong start under Carlos' leadership, it is time for me to open a new chapter."

Manley arrived at the head of Jeep in 2009 as the US auto sector weathered the storm brought on by the global financial crisis.

The discreet Briton managed to revive the legendary American brand before taking over the management of Ram, which produces large pickups, in 2015.

The companies were part of the Chrysler Group, which officially merged with Fiat in 2014.

Following the tie-up, Manley established himself as one of the executives closest to Marchionne, and succeeded him when he had to leave his post for health reasons in July 2018 and passed away just days later.

At AutoNation, he will replace Mike Jackson, who is retiring after leading the company for 22 years.

Explore further Stellantis CEO says 4th largest carmaker to be disruptive

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A ransomware attack by the BlackMatter gang forced New Cooperative, an association of Iowa corn and soy farmers, to take their systems offline but it said it created workarounds to receive grain and distribute feed, a person close to the business said.

Member-owned New Cooperative said in a statement that the attack was "successfully contained" and that it had quickly notified law enforcement. It said it took its systems offline out of "an abundance of caution" and was working with data security professionals to quickly remedy the situation. It did not specify when the ransomware was activated.

The attack hit just as Iowa's corn and soy harvesting is getting under way.

Security researcher Allan Liska of Recorded Future said the criminals demanded a $5.9 million ransom for a decryptor key to unlock files they scrambled. He said a sample of their malware was uploaded to a research site either late Friday or early Saturday.

Security researchers believe BlackMatter may be a reconstituted version of the ransomware syndicate DarkSide that disrupted the Colonial Pipeline last spring then announced it was disbanding. BlackMatter claims on its darkweb site not to target critical infrastructure, though many would argue that New Cooperative is exactly that because it provides feed to livestock.

In a post on its darkweb site, BlackMatter threatened to publish 1 terabyte of data it claimed to have stolen from New Cooperative if its ransom demand was not paid by Saturday.

The person close to New Cooperative with knowledge of the case, speaking on condition they not be further identified, would not say whether a ransom was paid.

Based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, New Cooperative stores and markets the grain it collects and offers feed, fertilizer, crop protection and seed, according to its LinkedIn site.

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The concept of our tilt-based reflection sensing system. Credit: Yoshioka et al.

To navigate their surroundings safely and most effectively, robots should be supported by a highly performing computer vision system. One of the greatest challenges when developing computer vision systems for robots is to limit occlusions so that the robot can sense most of its surroundings.

Researchers at Toshiba Corporation have recently developed a robot vision system that could reduce occlusions in robot vision systems. This system, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, uses tilting mirrors to increase the space covered by a robot's sensors.

"Occlusion stand as a large challenge in robot vision systems," Kentaro Yoshioka, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Tech Xplore. "Occlusions may cause errors in the robot's perception, causing overlooks or worse, even damage the robot or objects."

So far, researchers have devised two main approaches for reducing occlusions in robot vision systems. The first is based on the installation of more sensors or cameras in the environments a robot is exploring and the second on the integration of sensors directly onto mobile robots. While these approaches can diminish occlusions, they both have significant limitations.

"One way to reduce occlusions in robot vision systems is to install multiple sensors in the workplace," Yoshioka said. "While a straightforward approach, it can efficiently reduce occlusions without affecting the robot. However, this approach significantly increases the sensor cost. Alternatively, we can also install sensors onto the robot itself and reduce occlusions by manipulating the robot to sense from multiple viewpoints. Although the sensor cost can be reduced, this harms the robot's work-efficiency."

Video showing the robot in action. Credit: Yoshioka et al.

To eliminate occlusions to robot vision systems, Yoshioka and his colleagues proposed a new mechanism that tilts sensors to face a mirror and then retrieves images of the environment reflected on the mirror. Although other studies experimented with 3D sensing via mirror reflections, this team of researchers was among the first to exploit this technique to reduce or eliminate occlusions in robot vision systems.

"Our system works by sensing from the usual zenith sensor (calling it direct sensing) and detecting the occlusion from the direct sensing results," Yoshioka explained. "We set tilt the sensor with an optimal tilt angle so that we can eliminate the occlusions efficiently with reflection sensing."

The new robot vision approach proposed by Yoshioka and his colleagues has several advantages over existing systems. Firstly, it can be realized using cheap mirrors and tilt-units, hence it saves the cost of purchasing multiple expensive 3D sensors. In addition, the tilt motion performed by the sensors is a simple single-axis motion that can be performed much faster than a robot with integrated sensors would move its limbs to sense other parts of its surroundings.

"Our system detects the occlusion in the scene from the direct sensing results on-the-fly, and using the occlusion area coordinates, the optimal tilt angle is calculated," Yoshioka said. "Thus, even if the robot in the scene moves around, our system does not need reprogramming and it can adaptively reduce occlusions."

Sensing and detection results are shown with several sensing setups. The researchers system (Direct+Reflection) can significantly reduce occlusions and misdetections. The sensing results are similar to those achieved when using two sensors in the scene. Credit: Yoshioka et al.

Yoshioka and his colleagues evaluated their system in a series of experiments using COBOTTA, a robotic arm developed by DENSO, a Japanese company owned by Toyota. They found that their system led to a significant improvement in accuracy compared to direct sensing systems. Remarkably, the team was able to achieve the same detection accuracy as that achieved by robot sensing systems that employ two 3D sensors.

In the future, the new approach presented in this recent paper could be used to improve the performance, mobility and navigation capabilities of both existing and emerging robotic systems. Meanwhile, Yoshioka and his colleagues plan to explore ways to improve their system's performance further.

"So far, our system only used a single mirror," Yoshioka said. "Extending this to multi-mirror setups will be our direction for future research. By adding more mirrors, we can adapt the system to more challenging case scenarios and environments (e.g., multi-robot setups)."

Yoshioka has recently left Toshiba. All opinions expressed here are his own and do not express the views or opinions of the company.

Explore further A framework for robot path finding in unstructured environments

More information: Kentaro Yoshioka et al, Through the looking glass: diminishing occlusions in robot vision systems with mirror reflections (2021). arXiv:2108.13599v1 [cs.RO], Kentaro Yoshioka et al, Through the looking glass: diminishing occlusions in robot vision systems with mirror reflections (2021). arXiv:2108.13599v1 [cs.RO], arxiv.org/abs/2108.13599

 2021 Science X Network
American Airlines said it will fight the US Department of Justice's lawsuit against its alliance with JetBlue.

The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block the alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue that it says will harm travelers by reducing competition.

"In an industry where just four airlines control more than 80 percent of domestic air travel, American Airlines' 'alliance' with JetBlue is, in fact, an unprecedented maneuver to further consolidate the industry," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

Attorneys general in six states and the District of Columbia joined the lawsuit over the Northeast Alliance.

The companies announced the deal in July 2020 at a time when airlines were struggling to survive amid the collapse of travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. It would consolidate routes through Boston and the three New York airports.

But Garland said the deal "would result in higher fares, fewer choices and lower quality service if allowed to continue."

The complaint notes that American is the largest airline in the world, and together with competitors Delta, United and Southwest controls nearly all US passenger air travel.

Unable to complete former mergers, American "has relentlessly pursued a strategy of industry consolidation in the United States and around the world," the statement said.

American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker said the alliance has delivered "clear consumer benefits."

"Ironically, the Department of Justice's lawsuit seeks to take away consumer choice and inhibit competition, not encourage it," Parker said in a statement, adding that company will be "vigorously rebutting the DOJ's claims."

American Airlines said in a separate statement that "before the alliance, Delta and United dominated the New York City market. The NEA has created a third, full-scale competitor in New York and is empowering more growth in Boston."

"This is not a merger: American and JetBlue are  and will remain  independent airlines."

But acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers said the partnership "will closely tie JetBlue fate to that of American, significantly reducing JetBlue incentives to compete with its much larger partner in the northeast and beyond."

"Consumers will be better off if American and JetBlue continue to be fierce competitors, not allies," said Powers, of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

Attorneys general for Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia have joined the lawsuit, which calls for the partnership to be blocked.

Explore further Australian watchdog blocks Qantas-Japan Airlines deal

 2021 AFP
A 2022 Toyota Tundra is shown at Motor Bella in Pontiac, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines.

The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 or an optional gas-electric hybrid system with 437 horsepower.

The change is needed because of stronger U.S. fuel economy requirements that soon will be imposed under President Joe Biden, who is scrapping Donald Trump's rollback of the regulations.

The old V8 got only 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway. Toyota has not disclosed the estimated mileage for the new engines, but said they'll be more efficient and powerful than the outgoing V8.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which dominate the U.S. big pickup market, still offer V8 engines, which are often preferred for towing and hauling. Ford's F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.

Toyota says the new Tundra can tow up to 12,000 pounds and haul 1,940 in its bed. The outgoing six-speed automatic transmission will be replaced with a more efficient 10-speed version.

The hybrid system will help get the truck started in city driving and will add power during towing. It has a 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery under the rear passenger seats.

A 2022 Toyota Tundra is shown at Motor Bella in Pontiac, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

A 2022 Toyota Tundra is shown at Motor Bella in Pontiac, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

A 2022 Toyota Tundra is shown at Motor Bella in Pontiac, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Joe Moses, general manager, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America talks about the 2022 Toyota Tundra in Pontiac, Mich., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya

This photo provided by Toyota shows the 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. Credit: Toyota via AP

This photo provided by Toyota shows the 2022 Toyota Tundra Limited. Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines. The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. Credit: Toyota via AP

The truck also gets new styling, a revamped interior, a new suspension and frame, and a weight-saving aluminum-reinforced composite bed.

The new pickup made its debut Tuesday at Motor Bella, an outdoor auto show in Pontiac, Michigan, that is replacing Detroit's big North American International Auto Show.

Prices weren't released. The redesigned truck, a 2022 model built in San Antonio, Texas, goes on sale later this year.

Explore further Edmunds rounds up latest full-size pickups

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
STEM & STEAM Education

Samsung Launches $2 Million Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Samsung has launched its 12th-annual Solve for Tomorrow contest, which will award $2 million in technology and supplies to classrooms across the United States.

The program calls on students to use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to "tackle local issues of national importance in a sustainable way."

This year's contest has been updated. According to Samsung: "Samsung is furthering its commitment to sustainability through several company initiatives this year, and the Solve for Tomorrow Contest is no different. This years applicants are encouraged to use responsibly sourced materials in their prototypes and align their project ideas with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). The judging rubric for this years contest will also include a component that will evaluate factors such as the sustainability of the project idea over time."

A total of 112 prizes will be awarded, including:

100 state-level winners, who will be awarded $6,500 in Samsung technologies and supplies, as well as a kit to help them complete the next phase of the contest;

10 national finalists, of which seven will receive $50,000 in technology and supplies;

3 national winners (of the 10 finalists), who will receive $100,000 in technology and classroom supplies;

1 Community Choice winner, which will receive an additional $10,000 in prizes; and

1 Employee Choice winner, chosen by Samsung employees, which will also receive an additional $10,000 in prizes.

"The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest was founded more than a decade ago as an environmental program. While it has since evolved to make room for the other issues that the next generation is most passionate about such as mental health and student safety, we want to keep the environment in mind through this contest that aims to promote meaningful change," said Ann Woo, senior director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, in a prepared statement. "We have seen the incredible projects that have emerged from the minds of students through this contest, and we cannot wait to see the ideas that come to life this year that will undoubtedly ignite lasting impact on communities while reducing our collective impact on the planet."

Teachers from public schools are eligible to enter. Entries are due by November 8. Complete details can be found on the 2021 Solve for Tomorrow site.
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.
Job Title: Mailroom Clerk (Fresher Job Opportunities)

Organisation: United States US Embassy in Kampala

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary: USD $34,021

Announcement Number: Kampala-2021-029

About US:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Mailroom Clerk will be supporting the day to day operations of the Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) and Diplomatic Pouch and Mail. Ensuring the proper transportation of pouch and mail between the Embassy and Airport.











Dispatching, receiving and distributing all diplomatic pouches and DPO Mail. Receiving and sending international registered and local mail.

Preparing and submitting billing reports to the FMO and other Embassy agencies as required.

Screening local and international mail for hazardous substances.

Provide on the job training of postal clerks in the procedures for processing incoming and outgoing DPO mail and unclassified pouch in accordance with DPO/DPM rules and regulations.

Manage Classified Pouch operations at post, including preparing the shipment in ILMS, providing escort for the pouch, and processing the incoming shipment.

Position will report to the Information Management Specialist on a daily basis.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The applicant for the United States Embassy Mailroom Clerk job should hold a High School diploma. Required.

One year of clerical office experience or customer service is required.

Proficiency of Microsoft Office suite is required.

Ability to perform duties that involve walking, standing, carrying and lifting mailbags up to 70lbs is required. Good interpersonal skills are required.

Possess keyboard/typing skills where accuracy is required.

Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Word and Excel).

Ability to be a team player and adapt to changing priorities is required.

Is required to maintain a TOP SECRET security clearance.

Language: Level IV (Fluent) speaking/reading/writing of English is required.









How to Apply:

All those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their applications online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 4th October 2021

For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
A national budget is, in one sense, no more than a snapshot in time of the fiscal condition of a country and a near term forecast of the future. It can also be viewed as an opportunity for national reflection on longer-term trends and a focal point for discourse about what it would entail to shape a better future.
Do you have a news tip?

Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you.

More here
A state of emergency is the exceptional power of a government to suspend certain rights or freedoms where some eventusually war, disease or natural disasterthreatens to undermine the very fabric of the state in question.

What is the legal basis for it?
Vietnam's Bamboo Airways will sign a deal valued at nearly $2 billion with General Electric to purchase GEnx engines to power Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, the airline said on Tuesday.

The deal will be signed in the United States later on Tuesday in the presence of Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Bamboo said in a statement.

The GEnx engines, due to be delivered in 2022, will be used on the airline's wide-body Dreamliner fleet to operate planned non-stop routes between Vietnam and the United States, the company said.

"This new signing agreement will be an important milestone for the airline to expand its transcontinental flight network, connecting Vietnam with medium- and long-range markets," the statement said.

The airline said it will open a representative office in the United States and sign agreements with San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport this week, paving the way for its first test of a non-stop flight between the countries on Thursday.

Bamboo said it aims to finalise procedures for non-stop commercial flights to the United Sates early next year, pending government approvals.

Bamboo said it is also seeking to expand its international flight network and open more routes to Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany, using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
A surge of lava destroyed around 100 homes on Spain's Canary Islands a day after a volcano erupted, forcing 5,500 people to leave the area, local authorities said on Monday.

The Cumbre Vieja erupted on Sunday afternoon, sending vast plumes of thick black smoke into the sky and belching molten lava that oozed down the mountainside on the island of La Palma.

"We haven't had any loss of human life which is the best news," said Angel Victor Torres, regional head of the Atlantic archipelago, which lies off the coast of Morocco.

According to Involcan, the Canary Islands' volcanology institute, the lava flows were moving at about 700 metres per hour, and had a temperature of nearly 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,830 degrees Fahrenheit).

Experts expect the lava to reach the coast at around 8:00 pm.

The eruption on this island of some 85,000 people, the first in 50 years, has caused significant damage with "around 100 homes destroyed", said Lorena Hernandez Labrador, a councillor in Los Llanos de Ariadne which lies northwest of the volcano.

Experts believe the lava is likely to move southwest towards inhabited and wooded areas, before reaching the coast. Photo: AFP

Dramatic images on social media showed huge rivers of slow-moving lava creeping down the mountainside, pockets of flame erupting as it consumed trees and surged over trees and buildings caught in its path.

Describing the scene as "desolate", La Palma's top official Mariano Hernandez Zapata said the lava was "on average about six metres (20 feet) high".

"This tongue of lava is engulfing everything in its path. It's tragic to see how many homes have just gone up in smoke," he told Spain's public television.

There was huge anguish among the thousands of people evacuated from their homes, with many wondering if they would have anything to go back to.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano sent huges plumes of thick black smoke into the sky after it erupted Sunday afternoon. Photo: AFP

'You have three minutes'

"Right now, we're watching the news and the lava is 700 metres from our home. I'm really worried because I don't know what's going to happen to it," Angie Chaux, 27, who left with her husband and three-year-old son, told AFP.

"The police gave us three minutes to get our things. It was all very fast."

La Cumbre Vieja straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma, which is one of the most western of the seven islands in the archipelago.

Experts had been keeping a close watch on the volcano after observing a recent upsurge in seismic activity and magma displacements.

An "earthquake swarm" -- a sequence of seismic events occurring over a short period -- began on September 11.

Since then, there have been tens of thousands of tremors, the strongest with a magnitude of nearly four, Involcan said.

The last eruption on La Palma was in 1971 when another part of the same volcanic range -- a vent known as Tenegia -- erupted on the southern side of the island.

Spain: volcanic eruption in Canary Islands. Photo: AFP

Fleeing to safety

Yahaira Garcia, 34, decided to leave her home in the northwestern foothills of the volcano, just before the eruption occurred after a "really terrible night" of continuous quakes.

"My house shook so much it felt like it was going to collapse," she told AFP, saying she had rushed over to her parents' house to help them get out.

"With us we took four goats, two pigs, 20 chickens, 10 rabbits, four dogs and a turtle," she said.

Although she was safe, the worry was making sleep impossible.

"Now they're saying the volcano could continue erupting for three months... we don't know when it will settle down again."

Cumbre Vieja volcano erupts in Spain. Photo: AFP

Volcanology expert Stavros Meletlidis from Spain's National Geographic Institute said it was too early to say.

"There are volcanoes in the Canary Islands that have erupted for days and others that have continued for several years," he told Spain's public television.

"We are following the volcano's activity very closely."

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who flew into La Palma on Sunday after cancelling a trip to New York for the UN General Assembly, said the priority was "to ensure people were safe".

"The volcano is still active," he warned, predicting there would be "some very long days ahead," he told a news conference.
Vietnam inked deals to purchase 10 million doses of Cuban-developed vaccines against the novel coronavirus during the visit of State Present Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Cuba that ended on Monday.

I am pleased to announce that Vietnam has signed a contract to buy 10 million doses of Cuban-made vaccines, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said during a meeting with the general director of the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZED Mariel) in La Habana, Cuba, on Monday morning.

With the signing of the vaccine procurement deal, the Cuba visit of the Vietnamese delegation was a success, demonstrating the special traditional relationship between the two countries, Phuc said.

Cuba will transfer five million shots of the Abdala vaccine to Vietnam while both sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on the purchase of five million doses of the Soberana 02 jab.

The Vietnamese government had issued a resolution on the purchase of the Abdala vaccine and assigned the Ministry of Health to proceed with the procurement and effective use of the jab in the fight against COVID-19.

The three-shot vaccine is developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and manufactured at AICA Laboratories in Cuba, using the same recombinant protein-based technology as Vietnams Nano Covax vaccine candidate, which is undergoing the procedures to be authorized for emergency use.

The ministry already granted conditional approval to the Abdala, the eighth after seven COVID-19 vaccines that have been given emergency use authorization in Vietnam, namely the UKs AstraZeneca, Chinas Sinopharm, Russias Sputnik V, the UAEs Hayat-Vax, and three U.S. jabs including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Besides mentioning the vaccine deal as a success, State President Phuc told the ZED Mariel leader that Vietnam will promote investment in the special development zone in various fields, especially production of essential goods, high-tech industry, and infrastructure development.

Phuc also suggested the ZED Mariel general director provide Vietnamese investors with favorable conditions, including infrastructure, incentives, and simple investment procedures.

The ZED Mariel leader said the zone now has three projects of Vietnam, including a US$37 million industrial park developed by building material group Viglacera, and is currently attracting the fourth project from the Southeast Asian nation.

On Tuesday morning, State President Phuc and his entourage wrapped up his three-day visit, during which he had talks with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and Chairman of the Cuban National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez.

State President Phuc has left Cuba for the U.S., where he will attend the high-level General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) and join a number of bilateral activities from Tuesday to Friday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel in Havana on Sunday (local time), as part of his official visit from September 18 to 20.

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the COVAX Facility to quickly allocate COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam during a teleconference with its Office Managing Director Aurelia Nguyen on Monday.

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Vietnamese government on Monday issued a resolution on the purchase of 10 million doses of Abdala COVID-19 vaccine developed by Cubas Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

-- The Hanoi Peoples Committee has allowed the resumption of multiple services including barbershops as more relaxed social distancing measures were implemented in the capital from 6:00 am on Tuesday.

-- Health authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are considering shutting down some quarantine facilities and makeshift COVID-19 treatment hospitals since many coronavirus patients have been treated at home and their recovery rate has also been increasing.

-- The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has allowed the administration in each locality to freely decide whether to shorten the interval between two shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

-- Ho Chi Minh City will conduct rapid COVID-19 testing on all residents in high-risk areas once every two days in one week, according to the municipal steering committee for pandemic prevention and control.

-- The southern province of Long An has downgraded its social distancing level and allowed fully vaccinated residents and recovered coronavirus patients to travel freely in the province from Tuesday.

Society

-- Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Ha Giang confirmed on Monday they had broken up an online football betting ring with transactions worth more than VND200 billion (US$8.7 million).

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Border guards in Vietnam on Monday nabbed eight locals who attempted to sneak into Cambodia for work opportunities.

Soldiers at Hoa Lu International Border Gate in Binh Phuoc Province caught the suspects while they were trying to enter Cambodia through Thanh Bien Village, located in Loc Ninh District.

The suspects, the oldest being 32, hail from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak Province, and many other localities of Vietnam.

According to their testimonies, the group was involved in a trafficking ploy after searching for jobs on social media.

They were told to assemble in Binh Phuoc to get transported to Cambodia for work, but the plan was foiled before they could reach the destination.

Coronavirus tests of all eight returned negative.

Hoa Lu border guards are working to clear the case.

Also on Monday, Binh Phuoc police and other monitoring forces prevented a truck from smuggling seven individuals through a COVID-19 checkpoint in Thuan Thanh 2 Village of Dong Phu District.

The truck passed through the checkpoint with a green lane' QR code on it, which prompted the police to pull it over for inspection.

A green lane' QR code enables a vehicle to pass through COVID-19 checkpoints as they carry essential commodities, transport workers, or those performing other allowed duties.

After police found seven smuggled people on the truck, the driver Tran Van Bac, 36, admitted that he and the co-driver were transporting them from Binh Phuocs Dong Xoai City to Bu Gia Map District for work, which violated the current COVID-19 movement restriction.

All the drivers and passengers on the truck tested negative for the virus later.

Police have booked the suspects for illegal passenger transport and flouting COVID-19 prevention rules.

Functional forces are working to further investigate the case.

Binh Phuoc Province has recorded 1,121 COVID-19 infections and six deaths since the epidemic erupted in Vietnam in early 2020.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Nearly 2,700 seafarers on fishing boats off a province in southern Vietnam are in dire need of food and fishing equipment as their supply vessels are not allowed to operate under a strict movement curb mandate introduced by local authorities last month.

In a mandate issued on August 25, the Peoples Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province ordered all fishing boats, including service boats for offshore fishing vessels, to cease operation in order to quell the spread of the coronavirus.

At the time, 284 fishing boats from the province were still offshore, carrying a total of 2,700 crew members.

After over a month at sea without additional supplies, the fishermen are seeing their food and fuel reserves running low, forcing them to share resources to survive.

Acknowledging the urgent issue, Ba Ria - Vung Tau authorities are considering a proposal on permitting 72 fishing service boats to operate so as to provide the offshore boats with essential supplies.

According to officials, the inability to contain COVID-19 spread of local fishing harbors has prompted the authorities to pause their operations, commencing safety protocols, contact tracing, as well as putting a ban on all fishing activities.

The sea ban was faced with criticism from local fishermen.

The coronavirus spreads from the harbor to the sea, not vice versa," said a local seafarer.

"Why does the province prevent us from going on with our livelihoods?

He suggested that the province ensure COVID-19 safety by letting vessels moor at local ports, but fishers are not allowed to disembark.

Harbors should mobilize a dedicated team of porters who live, work, and rest at the same place while requiring outsiders to present coronavirus-negative test results before they can enter the facilities, he added.

The harbors should come up with a solution rather than banning fishermen from going fishing, he insisted.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
One of two siblings has been confirmed dead of drowning as they were swept away by fast-flowing water while passing through a spillway in the northern Vietnamese province of Yen Bai on Monday.

The drowning happened in Yen Thai Commune of the provinces Van Yen District, Tran Cong Lap, the local Party chief, said on Monday afternoon.

Rainwater overflowed culverts and spillways in the commune on Monday morning following heavy downpours, according to Lap.

As Nguyen Ha M., 10, was carrying her eight-year-old sister, Nguyen Thi Van A., on an electric bicycle to school at around 6:20 am on the same day, they fell off the vehicle while passing through a spillway.

Fast-flowing water swept away both the siblings and the bicycle, Lap said.

Passers-by jumped into the spillway to rescue the children.

However, they only managed to save M. as the strong flow carried A. away.

Local functional forces were mobilized to the scene, and they were able to find A.s body about 700 meters away from her last location at 7:00 am on the same day.

Local authorities visited the childrens house, extended condolences to their family members, and gave them more than VND20 million (US$880) in support for the victims funeral services.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the COVAX Facility to expedite the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam during a teleconference with COVAX Office Managing Director Aurelia Nguyen on Monday.

PM Chinh praised the role of COVAX in seeking supplies, coordinating, and distributing COVID-19 vaccines around the world, which significantly contributes to pandemic control efforts.

COVID-19 is a worldwide issue that requires a global approach and effective international cooperation, the premier continued, adding that it is necessary to support equal access to coronavirus vaccines and medicine via multilateral and bilateral mechanisms.

Vietnam always puts peoples health and safety first and is striving to achieve vaccine coverage of the entire population as soon as possible.

The PM asked COVAX to prioritize and expedite the allocation of vaccines to Vietnam, especially in September, October, and November, as well as to fulfill the vaccine provision agreement with the Southeast Asian country in 2021.

He also asked COVAX to coordinate and supply the Moderna vaccine to Vietnam so it can inoculate people with the second doses, as the nation has run out of this type of jab.

Managing Director of the Office of the COVAX Facility Aurelia Nguyen. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal

Vietnam wishes to borrow or purchase vaccines from countries with spare or unused jabs, PM Chinh continued, hoping that COVAX could assist in this effort.

He called on the COVAX Facility to help Vietnam enhance cooperation with international partners in COVID-19 vaccine and medicine production, as well as access to vaccines for people under 18.

The country has contributed US$500,000 to COVAX, and it is considering more donations, the leader added.

Director Aurelia Nguyen hailed Vietnams achievements in the COVID-19 fight, noting that the country has carried out vaccination in a smart, scientific, transparent, timely, and effective manner.

The facility will exert every effort to realize its commitments to Vietnam, and will continue allocating 85 million vaccine doses to countries around the world, including Vietnam, this October.

She also applauded the countrys long-term vision in researching, developing, and working toward vaccine self-sufficiency.

COVAX is an international partnership created to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVAX Facility is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF as a key delivery partner.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Ministry of Health recorded 11,687 coronavirus patients in Vietnam on Tuesday, alongside 11,017 discharged patients and 240 fatalities.

Thirty-four provinces and cities documented 11,687 domestic cases while the country reported five separate imported infections, the health ministry said.

The ministry had logged 8,668 locally-infected patients on Monday.

Over 6,800 of the latest domestic cases were found in the community, with the remaining detected in sectioned-off areas or centralized quarantine facilities.

Ho Chi Minh City reported 6,521 local infections, up by 1,350 patients from yesterday; Binh Duong Province 3,609, up by 2,199; Dong Nai Province 590; Long An Province 254; Kien Giang Province 134; An Giang Province 121; Tien Giang Province 105; Can Tho City 43; Da Nang 15; and Hanoi 12.

Vietnam has confirmed 702,972 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth  and worst  virus wave emerged in the country on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City tops the list with 348,220 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 183,314, Dong Nai Province with 41,432, Long An Province with 30,850, Tien Giang Province with 13,375, Dong Thap Province with 8,118, Khanh Hoa Province with 7,560, Da Nang with 4,874, Hanoi with 4,178, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,088.

By comparison, Vietnam detected a combined 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in the previous three waves.

The health ministry announced 11,017 recoveries on Tuesday, bringing the total to 475,343.

The toll has spiked to 17,545 deaths after the ministry documented 240 fatalities on the same day, including 184 in Ho Chi Minh City and 41 in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has recorded 707,436 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have administered around 35 million vaccine doses, including 502,493 shots on Monday, since inoculation was rolled out on March 8.

Nearly 6.8 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Health authorities aim to immunize at least two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of next year.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Authorities in Phu Quoc City discovered its first-ever cluster of community coronavirus infections on Tuesday morning, just a few hours after social distancing regulations had been relaxed in the island city off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam.

The cluster of ten cases was traced to H., a 45-year-old woman in An Thoi Ward of Phu Quoc City.

H. has visited a nearby market every afternoon for the past month to shop for ingredients for her noodle eatery, which offers takeout and delivery services.

As the woman came to An Thoi Wards medical station over a prolonged cough and fever, she underwent a rapid COVID-19 test, whose result came back positive.

Another real-time RT-PCR test result on Tuesday morning confirmed H.s infection.

H.s husband, N., was also diganosed with COVID-19 following a test later.

Nine people working closely with N. at the Vinh Dam Port in Duong To Commune on September 14 had their rapid COVID-19 tests returning positive as well.

However, the follow-up real-time RT-PCR tests confirmed that only eight of them contracted the disease.

These eight infections have been associated with a number of businesses and social activities in An Thoi Ward since September 14, including processing fish at a fish sauce facility and participating in a funeral.

Functional forces took 505 samples from people living in the same area as the infected cases and 1,200 others from residents of An Thoi Ward for COVID-19 testing.

All of the samples returned negative.

Authorities went on to conduct contact tracing on the patients direct and indirect contacts and COVID-19 tests on all residents of the ward.

This is the first community outbreak detected in Phu Quoc City since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vietnam early last year.

The detection is likely to affect the plan mapped out by the central government, ministries, and Kien Giang Province authorities to reopen tourism activities and welcome international tourists back next month.

Health workers in Phu Quoc City have administered the first COVID-19 vaccine doses to about 35 percent of its 140,466 eligible people and second shots to about five percent of them.

Kien Giang Province has recorded 4,440 local infections since a new virus wave hit Vietnam on April 27.

The administration of Kien Giang has just downgraded social distancing regulations in Phu Quoc City and nine districts from the prime ministers Directive No. 15 to the relaxed Directive No. 19 from 0:00 am on Tuesday after discovering new cases mostly in zoned-off areas in the previous seven days.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Over 850 children at orphanages and community centers in Can Tho City have received packs of mooncakes -- a gift commonly given during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam -- during a charity campaign initiated by the local Youth Federation.

The gift packages, including mooncakes and milk portions, were presented to the underprivileged children at ceremonies in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and falls on Tuesday this year, said Tran Viet Tuan, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Youth Federations chapter in Can Tho.

The charity initiative pooled a total of VND1 billion (US$44,000) from the local Youth Federation chapter, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, as well as the Pacific High School.

Thanks to the support of bakeries in the Mekong Delta city, the organizers had prepared over 850 mooncakes before distributing them to the orphans.

As the coronavirus outbreak is still present in the area, the events were held with strict adherence to safety requirements, including face mask wearing and hand washing.

We hope that the gifts will provide the underprivileged children with sparks of joy, letting them know that there are still people that care for them, Tuan said.

The gifts were greeted with delight from the child recipients.

Bui Duc Trung, director of the Can Tho City Social Work Center, said his facility is taking care of 96 children who are orphaned or disabled.

Trung extended his thanks to the organizers, who provided gestures of care for the kids during the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Childrens Festival in Vietnam.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Italian broadcaster Rai is yet to announce the host city for Eurovision 2022.

Speaking at a press conference this week, Rai1s director Stefano Coletta said: Rai is working very seriously and very rigorously on Eurovision. A committee of Rai professionals has been set up and is working hard on the city. We are a bit late in choosing the city for Eurovision 2022 because we have to do things with great transparency and precision.

Bologna, Milan, Pesaro, Rimini and Turin are believed to be in contention.

Meanwhile song entries to represent Australia are closing on Sunday.

Creative Director of Eurovision: Australia Decides, Paul Clarke said: We are delighted that weve already received a few hundred songs, and were expecting just as many for the final week. Weve started to work with some of the songwriters to place songs with some very exciting artists. Please keep the songs coming in!

There are no restrictions on the number of songs composers and songwriters, both published and unpublished, can submit.

Songs will be shortlisted and announced later this year, along with the ten Australian artists set to compete for their shot to represent Australia on the worlds biggest stage.

You can submit songs here until Sunday 26 September at 23:59pm AEST.
This week Foreign Correspondent profiles three young people in China finding their own ways to rebel in search of identity.

Three stories of living differently in China. This generation is richer than their parents but the pressures to achieve and fit in are heavy.

Working with a local crew, reporter Lydia Feng takes us into the lives of a student, a farmer and a shopkeeper  each forging their own path in a nation which increasingly values conformity over individualism.

Tutu  student

Tutu loves Voguing  the dance subculture born out of the queer scene in 80s New York City. A student in Shanghai, Tutu has embraced his Voguing House as his new family.

We all feel like we dont belong in this society. Growing up, I felt the oppression of traditional values trying to take hold of meso a Voguing House is something very important to me. Its a family I choose.

But outside this new family, Tutu feels like a misfit.

All institutionsThey say you have to do something to fit their standard of good. Society is the same. It judges you with its rules. But what if I dont think this is good? Why cant I be my own good as long as I dont disturb others?

Zhao Jia  farmer

31-year-old Zhao Jia had a Cadillac, an apartment in the city, and a career with Chinas largest private education company. She gave it all up  to be a farmer.

Jia is part of a group in China called fanxiang qingian or returning youth  young Chinese turning their backs on the big city to re-embrace their hometowns.

She live-streams her farming life and advertises her produce to more than half a million followers on Tik Tok and other platforms.

When young people come back to do agriculture, we must distinguish ourselves from the older generation of farmers. Otherwise, there will be no point.

Jias parents are farmers but she wants to manage the land differently, using fewer pesticides and herbicides and free-ranging her livestock.

Her mother isnt thrilled with her daughters tree-change.

My goal was to raise my children to be college studentsI felt sad when she told me she wanted to do agricultureI still think an office job is better.

Li Chuang  shopkeeper

At the age of 32, Li Chuang was feeling lost and suffering from anxiety. He left his job as an editor with a renowned publishing house and volunteered with Taoist monks on Wudang Mountain.

Returning to Beijing, he took over a small corner shop in the hutongs  the narrow alleyways of the old city where Chuang grew up. Hes resisting the relentless pressure to achieve.

There are people online telling me, You should feel sorry for letting your parents down and wasting the resources of our country. You got a masters degree with their support, but you end up running a corner store?! Its like I should say sorry to the whole country.

Practising tai chi at his local park and playing music, Li Chuang is striving to find his own equilibrium. Life was tougher for his parents, he thinks, but also simpler.

Their generations way of thinking, formed in the context of collectivismOur generation is more pluralistic because we face more choices and we live in a more fragmented time. Both the opportunities and the challenges we face are probably greater than before.

Thursday 23 September at 8pm on ABC.
Season 4 of Restoration Australia begins this Sunday on ABC with new host Prof. Anthony Burke succeeding Stuart Harrison.

Episode 1 is filmed in Pambula, NSW.

Across the country, thousands of heritage buildings lie in ruin  forgotten, neglected and slowly decaying into the landscape. But these are more than just crumbling old homes  they are touchstones to our past.

Over each episode of the latest series, Anthony Burke, professor and history buff, follows homeowners across the country as they passionately restore tired and ageing heritage homes and bring them back to life. From signalmans quarters, to a Mid-Century relic, from an 1850s workers cottage, to a Queen Anne Federation home, we start at the beginning of each homeowners journey and watch as they transform their run-down properties into beautifully restored homes.

Production credits: A Fremantle Production for the ABC.

7:40pm Sunday on ABC.
South African crime thriller Reyka, Finnish psychological thriller Bad Apples and Dutch-Flemish revenge thriller Dear Mama debut at SBS on Demand tomorrow.

Reyka

All eight episodes available to stream. In South African with English subtitles.

For South African expert criminal profiler Reyka Gama (Kim Engelbrecht), the trauma of being abducted as a child in 1994 is what gives her profound insights into deviant minds for Londons Scotland Yard. Now, a mother herself and returning to her hometown in the province of KwaZulu Natal to investigate serial murders, it might also be her undoing. Set against a backdrop of towering sugar cane fields, this multi layered crime thriller follows Reyka as she expertly hunts a ruthless serial killer.

Reyka also stars Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones, Downton Abbey).

Bad Apples

All six episodes available to stream. In Finnish with English subtitles.

Young, driven student activist Onerva (Satu Tuuli Karhu) is sent to the institute against her will. The authorities  and even her husband  paint Onerva as an aggressive troublemaker. Whos in the right? While trying to maintain her sanity, Onerva investigates the reality behind the controversial treatment practices. Will she find out the truth before the institutes mind-bending treatment breaks her? Bad Apples creates an uneasy alternative history not far from the truth. The story is inspired by the Finnish island of Seili, which was used as a mental asylum for women until 1962. The series is driven by a core question: Were these women sent to the island to be silenced, or are they actually mentally ill? Are they rotten apples who need to be prevented from infecting healthy fruit?

Dear Mama

All six episodes available to stream. In Dutch and Flemish with English subtitles.

When teenager Ralf (Shahine El-Hamus) grudgingly agrees to be the getaway driver for the burglary of an upscale villa, he has no idea what hes really getting into. The house belongs to Helen Mohring (Rifka Lodeizen) and her husband Werner (Guy Clemens), a couple living the dream of a wonderful marriage, successful careers and three happy, healthy teenage children. As Ralf waits outside, Helen is confronted by his masked accomplice, who is holding her husband hostage. In a moment of panic, Helen surprises herself at lengths she will go to in order to protect her family. As Helen is pushed into a nightmare that will test her limits, Ralf is pulled into a criminal underworld, desperately trying to uncover the mystery of what really happened inside the Mohring house. He discovers that below the couples perfect exterior, murky secrets and deceit have deadly consequences, and that his own destiny will be forever intertwined with Helens.

Thursday, 23 September on SBS On Demand.
Seven News reporter Paul Dowsley has been attacked on camera whilst covering Melbourne protests in the CBD.

This morning hundreds of protesters arrived at the CFMEU building, to be met by police Riot squad.

As protestors marched through the city a man was seen on camera gripping Dowsley in a headlock as others appeared to join in.

After he recovered Dowsley said some other protesters did stop and check he and his cameraman were OK.

There was a group there who certainly targeted us a few minutes ago, we were standing on a seat trying to get an elevated view as the protest group walked past, a few in the crowd had it in for mainstream media, he told Ann Sanders.

Im not sure what you saw on screen but a man came from the side grabbed me around the neck and others then joined in and started a scuffle.

Dowsley said he and his cameraman had a bottle of what they believed to be urine poured on them.

A can of energy drink was also thrown at his head, leaving a cut.

The moment @paul_dowsley is hit (again) this time with a can of drink. pic.twitter.com/jywumGU81O  Blake Johnson (@BlakeJohnson) September 21, 2021

The clash follows the Victorian governments decision last week to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all workers in the construction industry.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, which is pro-vaccination, maintains that most of the protestors are not union members.

The government today confirmed 403 coronavirus cases were directly linked to the construction sector, last night announcing the construction industry would be shut for two weeks.

Updated:

MEAA Media Release:

Journalists should be able to go about their work informing the public without facing assault from police or protesters, says the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.

MEAA has written to Victoria Police to complain about at least four incidents when journalists were manhandled, capsicum sprayed and detained while covering an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday.

After a television reporter was assaulted several times while covering another protest in Melbourne yesterday, the union has also called on media employers to ensure that journalists are as safe as possible while doing their jobs at public gatherings.

MEAA Media sections federal vice-president Karen Percy said it appeared as though media workers were being targeted by protesters and police alike.

Journalists are neutral observers, simply doing a job, Ms Percy said. An attack on one journalist, is an attack on us all.

Police and protesters must accept that the media provides an essential service, particularly during the pandemic, in keeping our community informed.

MEAA is urging media organisations to review their safety protocols and to ensure proper protections are in place.

Greater safety measures need to be put in place to allow professional journalists to their jobs, Ms Percy said.

MEAA members were among those harmed on Saturday. Vision shows journalists being crash-tackled, capsicum-sprayed, hand-cuffed, cautioned and arrested, searched, and questioned before being released.

Despite being clearly identifiable as members of the media, some were deliberately targeted by police officers.

Yesterday, a reporter and crew were assaulted by protesters, including having urine thrown over them, being struck with a drink can and being held in a headlock. Threats and abuse were directed at other journalists as they reported on the protest.

MEAA has written to Police Minister Lisa Neville, seeking assurances that Victoria Police members must make the effort to identify and differentiate working media from protesters and allow the media to do its job without fear of assault or intimidation by police, Ms Percy said.

The media must be allowed to do its job without fear of assault or intimidation by police.

MEAA will also be contacting news editors to remind them of their obligations under workplace health and safety laws, and urging them to make their employees safe and secure when at work.

Journalists and media workers have a duty and a responsibility to report the news and must be able to do so in safety, without the threat of intimidation or harassment.

Its also crucial that the community at large respects the work of the media and does not fall into the trap of believing baseless accusations of fake news that have led to violent physical assaults on working journalists in other countries.

Source: Seven News
Several readers have been asking if there will be a second season of acclaimed ABC drama The Newsreader.

ABC is yet to make any formal announcement, but earlier this year TV Tonight asked creator Michael Lucas if viewed it as an ongoing series.

Id love it to be! he replied. I mean, we still bring it to a satisfying crescendo. But yes, I know how I can do it. For sure.

I hope the emotional relationship arc is satisfying in and of itself. But theres heaps of opportunity.

Lucas teases that he already has more story ideas in mind for his cast of Sam Reid, Anna Torv, William McInnes, Robert Taylor, Stephen Peacocke, Marg Downey, Michelle Lim Davidson, Chai Hansen & Chum Ehelepola.

Theres a lot of things that weve saved. Dale (Sam Reid) grappled with his sexuality and travels a lot in the series, but his so much more to go. So theres certainly no problem.

And also, just on a practical level, I originally was developing it for eight episodes. And then we were commissioned for six. So I already had thought of additional stories.

But I would have no problem. If we were if we were lucky enough to do it, then I would go again, for sure.

With 1986 news events already dramatised, what could possibly be in store should the show shift to

1987?

These are some of the news events of 1987:

Queen Street Massacre / Hoddle Street Massacre

Joh for PM campaign

No Australian child would live in poverty by 1990  Bob Hawke

Kylie releases Locomotion

Countdown ends

Evil Angels, The Man from Snowy River II

Alan Bond buys Nine from Kerry Packer

Black Monday World Stock Market Crash

Northwest Airlines crash in Detroit

Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster

Terry Waite Kidnapping

But there are also tempting news events from 1988, including one which lends itself well to Anna Torvs character:

Bicentennial celebrations

Indigenous protest

World Expo 88 in Brisbane

First World AIDS Day was held.

Walsh Street police shootings.

NASA climate scientist James Hansen used the term global warming

Australia Live airs

Jana Wendt hosts A Current Affair

Terrorists kill nine tourists on Aegean cruise

Pan-Am 747 explodes from terrorist bomb and crashes in Lockerbie

US Navy ship shoots down Iranian airliner in Persian Gulf

Avalanche at the Swiss ski resort almost kills Prince Charles

Australias new parliament house is opened by Queen Elizabeth II

A concert is held at Wembley to honour Nelson Mandela

ABCs 2022 Upfronts are expected in November.
By Clare Jim, Anshuman Daga and Kane Wu

HONG KONG/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Persistent default fears eclipsed efforts by China Evergrande Group's chairman to lift confidence in the embattled firm on Tuesday, as Beijing showed no signs it would intervene to stem any domino effects across the global economy.

Analysts played down the threat of Evergrande's troubles becoming the country's "Lehman moment," though concerns about the spillover risks of a messy collapse of what was once China's top-selling property developer have roiled markets.

In an effort to revive battered confidence in the firm, Evergrande Chairman Hui Ka Yuan said in a letter to staff the company is confident it will "walk out of its darkest moment" and deliver property projects as pledged.

In the letter, coinciding with China's mid-autumn festival, the chairman of the debt-laden property developer, also said Evergrande will fulfil responsibilities to property buyers, investors, partners and financial institutions.

"I firmly believe that with your concerted effort and hard work, Evergrande will walk out of its darkest moment, resume full-scale constructions as soon as possible," said Hui, without elaborating how the company could achieve these objectives.

Investors in Evergrande, however, remained on edge.

Its shares fell as much as 7%, having tumbled 10% in the previous day, on fears its $305 billion in debt could trigger widespread losses in China's financial system in the event of a collapse. The stock ended down 0.4%.

Other property stocks such as Sunac, China's No. 4 developer, and state-backed Greentown China on Tuesday recouped some of their hefty losses in the previous session. The Hong Kong property sector index rose nearly 3%.

"We are uncertain of how far and how strong the ripple effect would be on the housing market and the developer industry, analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a recent note. We think investors should remain on the sideline until there is more clarity.

Story continues

Fund giant BlackRock and investment banks HSBC and UBS have been among the largest buyers of Evergrandes debt, Morningstar data showed.

BlackRock added 31.3 million notes of Evergrande's debt between January and August 2021, while HSBC increased its position by 40% through July, according to Morningstar. UBS increased its position by 25% through May, the latest date available in the fund tracker's database showed.

The Chinese government has been largely quiet on the crisis at Evergrande in recent weeks.

"There must be negotiations behind the scenes about a systemic recapitalization (of Evergrande) by state proxies," said Andrew Collier, managing director of Hong Kong-based Orient Capital Research.

"If one piece of Evergrande's debt is allowed to default, it would trigger questions about all of their remaining debt from investors and the government doesn't want a wider crisis like that," he said.

World stocks stabilised somewhat on Tuesday and oil prices recovered from the previous day's heavy selling, as investors grew more confident that contagion from the distress of Evergrande would be limited.

Hedge fund managers contacted by Reuters said they were not yet concerned about any contagion risk into other equities markets.

From our perspective, we  do not see any potential fundamental long-term effects on our portfolio companies, said one London-based hedge fund professional. However, there could likely be a lot of volatility around this one in the short term.

A default by Evergrande has been widely anticipated by some corners of the market.

"I would characterize Evergrande as a telegraphed and controlled detonation," said Samy Muaddi, the portfolio manager of the $5.1 billion T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Bond fund, who does not have a position in the company. "If an investor was still investing in Evergrande they were investing against Chinese policy makers, which is a good way to lose."

However, the spillover concerns at least in the property sector remained. S&P Global Ratings downgraded Sinic Holdings to 'CCC+' on Tuesday, citing the Chinese developer's failure "to communicate a clear repayment plan".

Hong Kong-listed shares of small-sized Chinese developer Sinic plunged 87% on Monday, wiping $1.5 billion off its market value before trading was suspended.

A major test for Evergrande comes this week, with the firm due to pay $83.5 million in interest relating to its March 2022 bond on Thursday. It has another $47.5 million payment due on Sept. 29 for March 2024 notes.

Both bonds would default if Evergrande fails to settle the interest within 30 days of the scheduled payment dates.

"I think (Evergrande's) equity will be wiped out, the debt looks like it is in trouble and the Chinese government is going to break up this company," said Andrew Left, founder of Citron Research and one of the worlds best known short-sellers.

"But I don't think that this is going to be the straw that breaks the global economy's back," said Left, who in June 2012 published a report that said Evergrande was insolvent and had defrauded investors.

Evergrande missed interest payments due Monday to at least two of its largest bank creditors, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

SPILLOVER RISKS

The Chinese government will help Evergrande at least get some capital, but it may have to sell some stakes to a third party, such as a state-owned enterprise, Dutch bank ING said in a research note.

"The spin-off of non-core businesses, for example, those that are not residential real estate type businesses, will probably be done first," wrote Iris Pang, ING's Chief Economist, Greater China.

"After that could come sales of stakes that are at the core of Evergrande's business," Pang said.

Citi analysts in a research note said that regulators may "buy time to digest" Evergrande's non-performing loan problem by guiding banks not to withdraw credit and extend the interest payment deadline.

Still, Citi said that while Evergrande's default crunch was a potential systemic risk to China's financial system, it was not shaping up as "China's Lehman moment."

At the same time, the U.S. market is in a better position to absorb a potential global shock from a major company default compared with the years prior to the 2007-2009 financial crisis, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Gary Gensler said on Tuesday.

In any default scenario, Evergrande, teetering between a messy meltdown, a managed collapse or the less likely prospect of a bailout by Beijing, will need to restructure the bonds, but analysts expect a low recovery ratio for investors.

S&P Global Ratings said in a report on Monday it does not expect Beijing to provide any direct support to Evergrande.

"We believe Beijing would only be compelled to step in if there is a far-reaching contagion causing multiple major developers to fail and posing systemic risks to the economy," the rating agency said.

"Evergrande failing alone would unlikely result in such a scenario," S&P said.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Clare Jim, Tom Westbrook, Alun John, Anshuman Daga, and David Randall; Writing by Megan Davies and Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Stephen Coates, Shri Navaratnam and Nick Zieminski)
U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback confront Haitian migrants trying to enter an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande, in Del Rio, Texas, Sept. 19. (Photo: PAUL RATJE via Getty Images)

The Biden administration is rapidly deporting thousands of Haitian migrants who have been camped at a Texas border town seeking entry to the U.S.

More than 14,000 refugees, most of them Haitian, have been camping out for days in squalid conditions under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Some 3,300 people from the camp have already been sent to detention centers or removed on deportation flights by U.S. immigration agents, USA Today reports.

More deportation flights to Haiti are planned in the coming days.

In a release Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said it was expelling most of the migrants using Title 42  a Trump-era policy that allows the U.S., during the coronavirus pandemic, to quickly deport people crossing the border, typically without processing them for asylum.

Video and photos showed Border Patrol agents on horseback whipping ropes at Haitian refugees on Sunday. The refugees had reportedly gone into Mexico to buy food, and were seeking to return to the camp on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande.

Immigrant rights groups expressed outrage, urging U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop this discrimination and slamming the Biden administration for choosing to shut the door on Haitians seeking safety.

This is why your countrys shit, because you use your women for this!  mounted Border Patrol officer to Haitian migrant he was riding down, as he sheltered with his family.



One of the scenes we saw on the Rio Grande. Watch our video:



Full report:https://t.co/V4KeMobCfspic.twitter.com/UdUcC7B5IS  John Holman (@johnholman100) September 20, 2021

Border patrol is mounted on horseback rounding up Haitian refugees with whips.



This is unfathomable cruelty towards people fleeing disaster and political ruin. The administration must stop this. pic.twitter.com/BSjT91NSj0  Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) September 20, 2021

When asked Monday about the violent images of CBP agents on horseback threatening migrants, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while she didnt have the full context of what was happening in these incidents, I dont think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.

Story continues

A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that the footage is extremely troubling and an investigation will be conducted swiftly, adding that the agency does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody. In a subsequent statement to reporters Monday, Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz said he believed the agents were trying to control their animals but that officials would investigate the incident.

Advocates have condemned the Biden administration for resuming deportations to Haiti, a country mired in turmoil from the assassination of its president in July and an earthquake in August that killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who herself came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia, denounced the videos of CBP agents wielding whip-like ropes as human rights abuses, plain and simple. She urged the Biden administration to humanely process asylum seekers at our border.

Instead of stepping up deportation, we should be halting it, Omar said.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) joined dozens of Democratic lawmakers last week in calling on the Biden administration to cease deportation flights to Haiti.

On Monday, in apparent response to the administrations treatment of Haitian refugees at the border, Pressley tweeted: Seeking asylum is a human right.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Thanks for visiting !

The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy.

We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.

Thank you for your support!
The level of French fury towards the US and Australia over a canceled submarine contract has surprised officials in Washington. France recalled its ambassadors to both countries and accused the two powers of "lying" to its officials, a dramatic and public rebuke to nations is generally treats as close allies. "There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt. This will not do," French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France 2 on Saturday, Business Insider reports.

It came after he called the ambassadors to France and Australia back to Paris at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron  one of the most severe diplomatic snubs possible. France had never recalled its Australian or US ambassadors before, Le Drian said. The move "shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries," he concluded.

The UK, which he called a "third wheel" in the situation, did not see an ambassador recalled. Australia announced last week that it was terminating a $50 billion contract with French-owned firm Naval Group to build its new fleet of submarines. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new fleet of nuclear-powered vessels would now be built domestically with help from the US and UK.

While the Biden administration had been bracing for a negative reaction from France to the move, aides were surprised by the ferocity with which France reacted, The New York Times reported. Aides told the Times that they were particularly surprised by Le Drian's claim that the move was a "knife [or stab] in the back"  a remarkably forthright comment in the usually measured world of diplomacy.

In the short term, France's anger looks unlikely to abate. The loss of such a lucrative deal represents a significant financial blow to the French state, which is Naval Group's majority shareholder. More importantly, President Macron saw its submarine deal with Australia as a way to bolster France's influence in the Indo-Pacific region, where he sees China as a growing threat. Now he finds himself excluded from an Indo-Pacific security pact between three of its allies  the US, the UK, and Australia  which was designed to counter the growing threat of China.

Paris appeared particularly stung by the extensive efforts that Australia, the US, and the UK made to conceal their negotiations until the last moment. Australia made no mention of the plans when Morrison met Macron in June, and Australian ministers assured their French counterparts as recently as last month that the contract was still on the table, Vox reported.

Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, only gave Australia a few hours' notice of the decision, The New York Times reported. In the long-term, however, relations between the US and France appear likely to gradually return to normal. Biden's aides told the New York Times they believed France was being overdramatic.

France appears highly unlikely to keep its ambassadors out of Washington and Canberra for long, and President Macron has agreed to a request from President Biden for a phone call this week which may soothe tempers in Paris. French officials also knew that the submarine contract had been beset by significant problems for years, including budget overruns, cultural differences, and disputes over domestic manufacturing.

More significantly, the US and France continue to have shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. "The French (and other Europeans) should take Biden at his word when he expresses, as he did repeatedly on his visit to Europe in June, that he wants to deepen the transatlantic relationship," said Daniel Baer, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Foreign Policy. "The United States needs France, and both Biden and the Europeans know it."
On September 20, the US Ambassador to Armenia Lynn Tracy made several statements during the broadcast of the Armenian public television that caused surprise among the Azerbaijani public and diplomatic circles, which then turned into persistent critics - both on the actions of the Ambassador and the post-conflict policy of the United States in the region as a whole, Caliber.az reports.

Tracy said that the conflict in Karabakh is not over, and only a truce was reached in November of 2020. Calling the 9-point Trilateral Statement a simple "truce" in itself is an indicator of the Ambassador's shocking diplomatic illiteracy. And it gets worse. Tracy stressed the importance of the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination and their special status. At the same time, the Ambassador did not consider it's necessary to outline the need to observe territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, highlighting the issue of "self-determination" in her speech. It seems that Tracy slept through 44 days of the 2020 war, and today she simply uses familiar terms of bygone days.

Baku viewed this American message from Yerevan unequivocally: statements like that show that the US Ambassador openly supports separatism, revanchism and fuels corresponding sentiments in Armenia, giving false hopes to the country's population, upset by last year's defeat.

At the same time, the United States itself hardly has moral highground to speak about its role in resolving the Karabakh conflict (and after the unbelievable military-diplomatic failure in Afghanistan - any conflicts at all). To see this, it's enough to look over the Americans' activity in the Karabakh track during 30 years of occupation. Washington's attitude to the conflict is characterized by the fact that middle-level diplomats were appointed as mediators, who didn't even have the right to speak in the OSCE Minsk Group. Let's remember the sensational revelation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Richard Hoagland. According to him, when he retired after 30 years at the US State Department, he was asked to return to work as the interim US co-chair of the Minsk Group from January to September of 2017 due to the fact that the previous American co-chair unexpectedly retired... Hoagland himself admits that he had only general knowledge of the post-Soviet conflict in Karabakh, and Russia had a deciding voice in the Minsk Group. What were the Americans doing at this time? We stayed in five-star hotels, where we lived in executive suites, which gave us access to private dining room and full bar at no additional cost; ate at the best restaurants. But, frankly, very, very little has been achieved, former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group recalls. Perhaps the most important revelation of the retired diplomat: all the co-chairs understood that the only option for resolving the conflict was... war!

And now the conflict has been resolved - exactly as the co-chairs expected - by war. And today, when it's clear to everyone in the region that this piece of land under temporary control of the Russian Ministry of Defense is politically and economically unviable entity with a five-year shelf life, the overseas partners have decided to suddenly revive the conflict.

We can, of course, assume that Lynn Tracy acts under the influence of the Armenian lobby or from the standpoint of Christian solidarity. These factors are likely to have certain effect. But that would be an oversimplification of her position. Lynn Tracy is authorized to represent the United States, and this is not the first time she has voiced statements about "status". In response, our Foreign Ministry has already called these statements "unacceptable."

What's next? Our diplomacy must take clear and specific actions. There can be no other way when it comes to defending the national interests of the country. Today Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is in the United States, where he participates in the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly. According to our information, Bayramov is also scheduled to meet with the Minsk Group co-chairs. We hope that after the repeated provocative statements made by Lynn Tracy, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will refuse to participate in this imposed meeting with the co-chairs of the retired diplomats' club, represented by the OSCE Minsk Group. It's time to show our strength. We know that our diplomacy can achieve this.
47 people died of COVID-19 and 11 died of coronavirus-pneumonia in Kazakhstan per day, the Health Ministry reports on Sept 21, AKI Press reports.

68 803 people continue to receive treatment from the coronavirus, 12 381 patients are in hospitals, and 56 422 people are at home.

987 patients are in serious condition, 261 are in extreme condition and 143 patients are on ventilators.
A solemn ceremony dedicated to the completion of the "Three Brothers-2021" international exercises involving representatives of the special forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Pakistan was held in Baku on September 20, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, the Commander of the Special Forces of Azerbaijan, Lieutenant General Hikmat Mirzayev congratulated the servicemen on the end of the joint exercises.

After the performance of the national anthems of the countries whose servicemen were involved in the exercises, Mirzayev addressed the personnel and guests.

The participants in the exercises successfully completed the assigned tasks. Im convinced that along with improving your skills, you got the opportunity to exchange experiences during the exercises. The joint exercises are an example of friendship, close cooperation between our countries and peoples, he said. Each of us felt a sense of pride that the servicemen of the three fraternal countries were together and shoulder to shoulder accomplished the tasks of the exercises."

Greeting the participants of the exercises, the commander of the Special Forces of the Turkish Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Omer Ertugrul Erbakan emphasized the successful completion of the "Three Brothers-2021" exercises.

"The brotherhood ties between our countries are extremely strong, and they will continue to be strengthened. Cooperation and exercises between the special forces of the three countries will continue," he said.

Major General Mumtaz Huseyn, head of the Pakistani Armed Forces Security and Counter-Terrorism Department, stated that its a great honor and pride for him to observe the joint exercises of the brothers - special forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan.

"The participants of the exercises demonstrated high professionalism. The tasks set within the "Three Brothers-2021" exercises have been completed. This will contribute to improving the professional level of all participants of the exercises," the Pakistani official added.

Then the participants of the exercises were presented with memorable gifts.

At the end of the official part of the event, a cultural program was presented to the participants.
Most of those injured in a shooting incident at Perm State University are getting better, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said at a meeting of the Perm region's Council of University Rectors on Tuesday, TASS reports.

"Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit those hospitalized. Most of them are getting better," he noted.

The meeting observed a minute of silence in memory of those killed in the attack. Falkov pointed out that the injured and the families of the victims would get the necessary assistance, including psychological support, first and foremost, through the efforts of the regional government and university authorities.

The Perm region declared a day of mourning on Tuesday over the shooting incident. According to the Russian Health Ministry, the attack killed six and left 24 injured, 20 of whom remain hospitalized. Falkov said earlier that seven injured people would be flown to Moscow for treatment.
The United Russia political party won the majority of seats after the nationwide election to the State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament), the Central Election Commission reported on early Tuesday, TASS reports.

After 100% of casted ballots were processed, the United Russia won 49.82% of the votes to take some 112 seats in the parliaments lower house. The partys representatives are also winning the election in 198 single-mandate constituencies of the country.

Therefore, the United Russia political party receives the constitutional majority of over 300 mandates on the overall.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is second with 18.93%, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, third with 7.55%, A Just Russia, fourth with 7.46%, and New People, fifth with 5.32%.

These five parties have cleared the five-percent hurdle required for their representation in the State Duma.

Elections to the 8th Russian State Duma (lower house) were held during three days - on September 17, 18 and 19. In addition to the State Duma elections, voters went to the polls to cast ballots for the heads of nine Russian regions and in elections for 39 regional parliaments.

Remote electronic voting in Russias parliamentary elections on the federal platform was held in six regions: the city of Sevastopol, as well as the Kursk, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov and Yaroslavl regions. Remote voting in Moscow took place on its own platform.
Hanoi needs to find solutions to prevent the coronavirus from spreading and causing overloading of the healthcare system.

Hanoi has reported 3,922 Covid-19 patients in the fourth wave, including 1,597 cases found in the community and 2,325 in isolated areas.

After a long social distancing period, about two third of districts in Hanoi are considered green zones which are allowed to return to the new normal. The municipal authorities allowed a number of business and service establishments to resume operation on September 16.

Nguyen Viet Hung, vice president of the Hanoi Association for Infection Control, said Hanoi has been doing well in fighting the pandemic. Previously, the city reported 100 cases a day, but there are now below 20 cases a day, mostly found in isolated areas.

One of the most impressive achievements is that Hanoi is running the largest vaccination campaign in history. Most people aged 18 and over have had at least one shot.

The results of the fight against the pandemic and vaccinations are important factors for municipal authorities to decide to remove social distancing in most districts, Hung said.

After a long social distancing period, about two third of districts in Hanoi are considered green zones which are allowed to return to the new normal. The municipal authorities allowed a number of business and service establishments to resume operation on September 16.

However, Hung said that the removal doesnt mean the coronavirus has been eliminated, and that the virus wont be able to penetrate into areas.

A new hotbed with no clear infection sources was recently found on Alley 22 Kim Quan, Viet Hung Ward in Long Bien district, the area where social distancing was lifted some days ago. Local authorities have temporarily blocked the alley, with 58 households and 183 people.

However, with its experience in controlling hotbeds, Hanoi is believed to be able to control the new hotbed.

When lifting social distancing to live in the new normal, our top target is living safely together with the pandemic, not completely eliminating the virus, Hung said.

Asked by VietNamNet what Hanoi needs to do to live safely together with the pandemic when social distancing is lifted, Hung said at first its necessary to clarify what "safe from Covid" means.

Safety doesnt mean that people stay at the same place forever and wait for the number of cases to reduce to zero. Safety means not letting the virus break out strongly and cause serious consequences to peoples health and the economy amid no social distancing, Hung explained.

5 solutions

Hung said Hanoi should focus on five major solutions for pandemic prevention and control.

First, keeping up the vaccination pace to increase coverage. Those who have received the first shot need to get the second shot on schedule. People highly vulnerable to severe illness or death from the virus need to be fully vaccinated with two doses. This is the top solution for the long-term fight against the pandemic.

Second, speeding up Covid-19 testing, with a focus on high-risk areas and high-risk groups of people.

Testing aims to discover infections, allowing isolation of hotbeds. Testing needs to be speeded up and PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) test results available within 12 hours.

If localities cannot carry out the testing campaign, they should ask for help from central hospitals or neighboring cities and provinces. Rapid antigen testing should be prioritized to use when screening the community. People should be encouraged to test themselves periodically.

Hanoi needs to use the media well so that people report themselves soon after they have symptoms (high temperature, cough.. ), and test these people immediately.

I think this is a very important solution. A lot of people have symptoms but do not make medical declarations, but try to treat themselves at home. There was a case of a woman selling goods online for weeks before she was discovered as positive to SARS-CoV-2, he said.

Third, isolate hotbeds strictly. However, isolation needs to be implemented reasonably, depending on the risk level. The city could isolate one building or one alley, for example. There is no need to isolate a large area after discovering cases.

Fourth, isolate close contacts of patients, manage and treat mild asymptomatic patients at home.

As we decide to live safely with Covid, we should not maintain the mode of concentrated quarantine and treatment. Patients who meet requirements and strictly comply with regulations can quarantine themselves at home," Hung said.

Home quarantine will help ease pressure on the healthcare system, promote the role of grassroots authorities and grassroot medical units and more importantly, help lift peoples anxieties.

People dont want concentrated quarantine because they fear that conditions in quarantine areas are not good enough. They dont want to share rooms or toilets with others and have uncomfortable living conditions.

Fifth, strictly apply the 5K (in Vietnamese: Khau trang  facemask, Khu khuan  disinfection, Khoang cach  distance, Khong tu tap - no gathering, Khai bao y te - health declaration) principle, including in green zones.

5K will be an important prevention strategy for a long time, Hung said.

Nguyen Lien

Export begins suffering from Covid-19 Since August, Vietnams export sector has started to feel the devastating effects of the pandemic and strict social distancing measures in many localities nationwide plus the disruption of supply chains and production.
Localities should not always count plants and livestock in their reports. We need to change the way of thinking to improve the situation, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.

A report from National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) presented at a recent conference discussing solutions to recover agricultural production in the south showed that farm produce processing for exports has been seriously hurt after two months of social distancing.

Many enterprises have had to close the doors because positive cases were discovered in their companies and because they could not satisfy the requirements to organize the three on-the-spot, or one route, two destinations production. Some others have had to suspend production or cut capacity because of the lack of workers and input materials.

As of early September, 176 out of 449 seafood processing workshops had stopped production. Factories are running at just 30-40 percent of capacity, resulting in the sharp fall of 36 percent in exports in the second half of July and August compared with the same periods last year.

Also according to NAFIQAD, the enterprises following the three on-the-spot production model are bearing financial pressure as production costs have soared, while capacity is low because of the lack of materials and workers. Moreover, export markets have installed more technical barriers to farm imports.

Le Minh Quang, general director of Minh Phu Seafood, said the shrimp value chain has nearly broken down because of the pandemic. Enterprises cannot deliver products to clients as promised and dare not sign new contracts.

According to Quang, even if farmers began farming shrimp now, they wont be able to harvest shrimp by the end of the year. This means that seafood processing companies will lack materials to implement orders.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), cited a report of the association as saying that only 30-40 percent of enterprises are capable of restoring production soon after the social distancing ends, while other enterprises will need a long time to do so.

It will take 3-6 months on average to restore 50 percent of capacity, 9-12 months to restore 70 percent of capacity, and 1.5-2 years to regain 100 percent of capacity.

Nam said that production has slowed down because of material supply disruption, while businesses have lost customers because of the social distancing time, which has made it impossible to ensure delivery schedules.

Reform

Affirming that living together with the pandemic is the only choice, Nam said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) needs to help enterprises organize production when social distancing is loosened. Vaccinating workers and allowing workers who have one vaccination shot to participate in production activities, and adjusting the three on-the-site mechanism, should be done immediately.

Nam has also asked MARD to work with local authorities to create an open mechanism to ensure connections among provinces where there are processing factories and growing areas, facilitating travel.

As for the shrimp and catfish industry, it would be better to allow workers to go to Covid-19 testing sites and gather at certain points (by car or boat) to participate in catfish and shrimp harvesting. Groups of important workers should be tested instead of asking them to stay under quarantine for 14 days.

The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association has asked to create an open mechanism to facilitate transport of farm produce and materials for production in order to avoid congestion. Also, its necessary to apply measures to attract workers to material production areas and EPZs (export processing zones) to restore production.

Nam proposed that local agriculture departments set up market management units to direct production and connect producers and consumers.

Hoan noted that pandemic developments are unpredictable and enterprises have complained a lot about difficulties. But if they change their way of thinking and working, the situation wil improve. Enterprises need to cooperate with local authorities to discuss and find solutions.

Agricultural enterprises and agricultural production chains are different from other sectors, because they are intertwined with many units involved. One catfish breeder production unit, for example, involves seven provinces. Merchants from go from one province to another to collect rice. That is why one truck getting stuck at a checkpoint can affect the entire chain.

The 13 provinces in Mekong Delta should be seen as economic entities closely connected in a production chain, not 13 separate administrative areas.

Tam An

Farm produce pile up in south as farmers struggle to sell them amid COVID restrictions Farmers across the south and Central Highlands are struggling to sell their harvests due to COVID-19 restrictions on travelling and business...
The required benchmarks for admission to universities this year have been described as "abnormally high" by some.

Even excellent students who got 9 out of a 10 score for every exam subject may not be accepted at some universities.

On September 16, when universities announced the benchmarks for admission, N.H.N. from Thanh Hoa realized she could not enroll in any of the 11 majors she wanted.

With 25.6 score from the high school finals, N knew that she would not have opportunities at top-tier schools, so in addition to the application for six majors at the Hanoi Foreign Trade University and National Economics University (NEU), she also applied for majors at Thuongmai University and the Academy of Policy and Development.

The majors in 2020 had required a benchmark score 4-5 points lower than the score N received this year, so she felt secure about her choice.

However, the benchmark for the Economics Law major at the Academy of Policy and Development increased by five, from 21 last year to 26 this year, which meant she could not attend the school.

Many other students who had relatively high scores from the high school finals did not meet requirements for their preferred schools because the required benchmarks for admission to schools are higher this year.

Candidates need to have 2-4 exam scores higher than the previous year on average to be enrolled in universities.

Thuy Tram, a parent in Hanoi, said that 20 years ago, examinees with a 27 score would be the best students at schools. She said the current exams were not designed well. In principle, there should be both easy and difficult exam questions, which find excellent students who can answer difficult questions.

Bui Duc Trieu from National Economics University said that one of the reasons behind the high benchmark this year was the easy exam questions, and that in the future, schools will have to consider other methods of enrollment to ease reliance on the results of high school finals.

In 2020, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) stated that the high school finals are organized simply to recognize students as finishing the general education program, instead of being used as the university entrance exam. Universities are allowed to enroll students using their own criteria instead of relying solely on exam results as before.

Thuy Nga - Thanh Hung

Reform of high school finals to begin in 2022 Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said 2022 will be a transitional year when the educational sector prepares for more comprehensive reform of the organization of high school finals.
Stuck in Da Lat city on his trans-Vietnam journey due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Thanh Duy has had unforgettable experiences. He fell in love with the city and has decided to stick with it for a long time.

In May, after quitting his job at an agricultural and seafood export company in the southern province of Tien Giang, Truong Thanh Duy, 25, and two friends made a trans-Vietnam trip, which they had planned a long time ago.

I had planned to go from the South to the North, then return to Ho Chi Minh City in September to get a new job, Duy said.

However, the journey was "interrupted" due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Duy has been "stuck" in Da Lat since June 14.

During nearly 3 months in this foggy land, Duy has had the opportunity to live more slowly and has decided to stay here for a long time.

Thanh Duy has received great attention from the online community when regularly posting pictures and clips recording daily life and poetic natural moments of Da Lat. Many clips have attracted hundreds of thousands of even millions of views.

During the time in Da Lat, Duy and his friends rented a small villa-style house near the center. Duy learned to live better: doing exercise, eating healthy food, taking some online courses and working online.

After being stuck there for more than two months, Duy realized that he liked this land. He plans to seek a suitable job in the mountain town.

Duy said he would resume his trans-Vietnam trip as soon as he has a chance.

Thanh Duy.

A simple meal of Duy and his friends during the days in Da Lat.

Photos provided by the character.

Minh Khoi

A quiet, peaceful Da Lat amid the pandemic Every morning, Trinh drives around Da Lat streets to take pictures of the resort city in the mist. He has shared those moments on social networks, as a way to help visitors ease their nostalgia for Da Lat.
COMMENTARY

What the slogans of the Top 100 say about the companies and the market

An analysis shows stability but an underlying current of change

Words matter. Many companies  and most top government contractors  use the few words of a slogan or tagline to convey who they are, what they do or what their customers can expect from them. Unlike the headline of a marketing campaign, which is designed to work for a season, slogans and taglines are meant to last for years  until the company changes its strategy, services or market position.

For 15 years, Boscobel has tracked the slogans and taglines of the Washington Technology Top 100 government contractors. Every year, we look for changes and trends in how the top-tier contractors are using slogans to present themselves to the federal market.

This year, just as Nick Wakeman found in his analysis, we found stability and change in the 2021 Top 100 government contractor slogans.

Most government contractors are using slogans

Eighty-one percent of the Top 100 are using a slogan or tagline this year, down from 86% in 2020. Nine of the top 10 companies have one, which is unchanged from last year.

Surprisingly, of the 92 incumbents returning to the list from 2020, only 71% have slogans while 100% of the (eight) newcomers are using one.

Slogans are being used to describe who the company is:

A Family of Professionals | COLSA

People Who Get IT | CDW Corporation

What the company does:

Improving Lives Through Research  | Westat

| Westat Serving Those Who Serve Us | Oasis Systems

How the company helps:

Making the world safer, healthier, and more efficient. | Leidos

Lighting the Pathway of Freedom | Torch Technologies Inc.

Their aspirations for what happens next:

Do The Can't Be Done | Peraton Inc.

Let there be change | Accenture

GovCons are taking on the world

When you only have a short phrase to present an idea, inspiration or emotion, each word becomes significant. So, a look at the five power words (excluding a, the, an, etc.) appearing most frequently in this years slogans reveals a focus on delivering innovative technology solutions to change the world:

Top power words cloud for the 2021 Top 100 slogans, courtesy of Boscobel Marketing Communications.

World | 13

Innovate (or Innovation, Innovative) | 9

Solutions | 8

Technology | 7

Deliver | 7

For slogans with more than one power word, solutions was most apt to appear with another power word:

A Technology Solutions Provider | Blue Tech

Complex World, Clear Solutions | Tetra Tech

Innovative Solutions to Complex Problems | Applied Research Associates, Inc.

Powerful solutions for a complex world | ECS Federal LLC

The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider | Carahsoft Technology Corp.

We deliver Insight Intelligent Technology Solutions expertise | Insight Enterprises Inc.

It takes about four words to convey a message

On average, this years Top 100 used four words in their taglines or slogans. Four words were used by 27% of companies with slogans  the most common word count. Last years Top 100 also favored a four-word slogan.

The one shift we saw since last year  and its way too early to know if this will become a trend  is that more companies are using longer slogans. Only 22% of the 2021 top companies with slogans have a slogan of three or fewer words, down from 32% in 2020.

Word counts for slogans ranged from only two to up to eight words this year.

Incumbents are largely stable in their use of slogans, but there are changes

Since most companies only change their slogans every few years, there is generally little change from any one year to the next. Although most of the 92 incumbents did not make a slogan change in the last year, a surprising 28% of returning companies added, changed or dropped slogans since 2020.

Of the 73 incumbents with slogans this year:

77% made no change since 2020

19% revised their slogan  including CGI Group, which made a change to recognize the companys 45 th anniversary, and Lumen Technologies, which changed its name from Century Link

anniversary, and Lumen Technologies, which changed its name from Century Link 4% added a slogan

For the 19 incumbents without slogans:

53% didnt have one last year, either

A whopping nine companies (47%) dropped their slogans since last year

Stability and change in long-term slogans

Last year, we took a five-year look at the Top 100 slogans and found six companies whose slogans did not change over that timeframe. We dubbed the six as those with staying power.

Surprisingly, two of those companies changed their slogans this year and one company was not on the 2021 list. Of those slogans with staying power, these are the three Top 100 slogans that remain unchanged since (at least) 2015:

Complex World, Clear Solutions | Tetra Tech



Bold thinking to improve peoples lives |Abt Associates



Ever Vigilant | CACI International

Remarkably, CACIs Ever Vigilant tagline was created in 2003! Although the federal market is moving ever more toward a world view filled with established and emerging technologies, this tagline still works. Its memorable. Its compelling. It still captures the companys brand and the markets emotion.

Memorable, effective government contractor slogans are those that convey how the company makes a positive difference for their federal customers. To see this years full list, download Boscobels 2021 Top 100 Government Contractor Slogans.


FY2021 Annual Results and Business Update Presentation

Brisbane, Sep 21, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP ) ( FRA:C9J ) ( OTCMKTS:CNPTF ) provide the FY2021 Annual Results and Business Update Presentation. The Annual Report for 2021 follow at the link at the end of this release.Key operating highlights for the 2021 financial year include:Strong Financial Performance- $59.8M revenues; $26.1M EBITDAX- Funding from 3.5 PJ pre sale agreement- Net debt reduced by 32% to $31.3M- Debt facility extended until September 2022Range CSG Project pilot drilled and testing commenced- Three pilot wells drilled and commissioned- Early gas flow demonstrates good gas saturation- Targeting 135 PJ of 2C contingent resource (net to Central)Asset sale executed funding for growth activities- 50% operating assets sold for $85 million- Sale expected to result in a circa $35 million accounting profit- Releases $40m for near term exploration and development (~$100 million gross JV)- 2 well exploration program commencing 2021 (targeting 96 PJ of gas net to Central)Exploration- Two well drilling program to commence this year- Dukas planning (re entry / re drill / new well) continues- Zevon evaluation progressing with initial seismic testing this year- Other exploration targets being advancedTo view the Full Annual Report, please visit:To Business Update presentation, please visit:About Central Petroleum Limited

Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP) is a well-established, and emerging ASX-listed Australian oil and gas producer. In our short history, Central has grown to become the largest onshore gas producer in the Northern Territory (NT), supplying industrial customers and senior gas distributors in NT and the wider Australian east coast market.

Central is positioned to become a significant domestic energy supplier, with exploration and development plans across 180,000 km2 of tenements in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including some of Australia's largest known onshore conventional gas prospects. Central has also completed an MoU with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to progress the proposed Amadeus to Moomba Gas Pipeline to a Final Investment Decision.

We are also seeking to develop the Range gas project, a new gas field located among proven CSG fields in the Surat Basin, Queensland with 135 PJ (net to Central) of development-pending 2C contingent resource.


Executive Chair Interview Update

Perth, Sep 21, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Wiluna Mining Corporation Limited ( ASX:WMC ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:WMXCF ) is pleased to provide Shareholders with the opportunity to watch a video interview update by the Company's Executive Chair Mr Milan Jerkovic.0:00 - Company Overview01:36 - Market Recognition, High Gold Prices, & Profitable Investments05:37 - Keeping the Expiration Going, Aussie Shield, & Predicting Issues10:01 - Colorado Updates, Company Scale, & Technical Obstacles18:39 - OutroTo access the link please visit the Company's website at:About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential.
As one of the 2,285 Returned Peace Corps volunteers who have called New Mexico home, I welcome this opportunity to express my support for the Peace Corps. Sept. 22 is the 60th anniversary of the Peace Corps, the day President John F. Kennedy created an agency that promotes the values of service, peace, sacrifice, commitment and learning. As dramatically evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, our increasingly interconnected world demands global solidarity, not just charity. It is together, through common understanding from the ground up, that we can tackle worldwide problems transcending national borders, such as climate change, poverty, public health and international migration

As an idealistic 23-year-old, I joined the Peace Corps in the winter of 1972 and was assigned to Mali, West Africa. I arrived in Mali eager to share my skills with other communities. I returned from my two years as a Peace Corps volunteer with an experience and a set of people skills that continue to enrich my life. I helped build schools and wells in isolated villages that had neither and, through that work, I discovered the shared connections with my Malian counterparts. Like most Peace Corps volunteers, I experienced firsthand how important the people-to-people level of connection is in promoting global solidarity and understanding. And the spirit of volunteerism and service is as strong today as it was when JFK created the Peace Corps. According to a January 2020 poll by Change Research, 44% of Americans aged between 18 and 28 consider themselves likely to serve in a national service program, and that spirit of service is not limited to young people: 7% of Peace Corps volunteers have been over the age of 50.

This anniversary of the Peace Corps is unlike any other. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the evacuation of Peace Corps volunteers from all 61 countries in which Americans were serving and, as a result, we will observe the 60th anniversary without Peace Corps volunteers in the field. This unprecedented moment created an opportunity for the National Peace Corps Association to work with returned Peace Corps volunteers nationwide to envision what the Peace Corps should be into the future: An agency that 1) advances global peace and understanding, 2) seeks innovative solutions to shared global problems, and 3) responds to shifting expectations in the developing world.

Over the past 60 years, more than 240,000 Peace Corps volunteers have made a tremendous contribution to the communities and countries in which they served, and to our planet. I want to take this occasion to thank the New Mexico congressional delegation for its steadfast support of the Peace Corps and for its support of the 2021 Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1456). Our investment in the Peace Corps is an excellent way to enable Americans to work with the peoples of the world to address the challenges of our times, and to foster peace and understanding.

The Peace Corps is needed now more than ever

Greg Polk served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali from 1973 to 1975 and returned to Mali as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in 2014.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexicos 19 pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation have filed redistricting plans they say would protect the voting strength of Native American communities and begin to address a history of voter disenfranchisement and suppression.

The tribes submitted plans to redraw New Mexicos congressional district boundaries and, in the northwest part of the state, the legislative districts.

The maps were filed with the state Citizens Redistricting Committee by the All Pueblo Council of Governors and the Native Redistricting Coalition.

This effort reflects not only an understanding of the importance of tribal involvement in the redistricting process, but more importantly, the need to protect our cherished right to vote, said Wilfred Herrera Jr., governor of Laguna Pueblo and chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors.

The proposed congressional map would dramatically reshape the 1st Congressional District, currently in Albuquerque and the East Mountains.

Southwestern Albuquerque and the South Valley would become part of the southern New Mexico-based 2nd Congressional District.

The 1st Congressional District, meanwhile, would cover parts of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque, and swing down to pick up Soccoro.

The northern-based 3rd Congressional District would cover much of eastern New Mexico and dip south to include Roswell.

Native Americans would make up 17% of the voting-age population in the district  roughly twice as high as the state overall.

Zia, Jemez, Taos and other northern pueblos, in addition to parts of the Navajo Nation, would lie in the 3rd Congressional District. Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez of Santa Fe represents that area.

Under the plan, the 2nd Congressional District  largely covering southern New Mexico  would include Acoma, Isleta and Laguna pueblos. Native Americans would comprise 5% of the voting-age population.

The second district is represented by Republican Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Sandia Pueblo would remain in the 1st Congressional District, along with much of Albuquerque, and Native Americans would make up about 4% of the districts voting-age population.

Democrat Melanie Stansbury of Albuquerque represents the district.

For legislative boundaries, the tribes filed a House proposal that would establish six districts in which the majority of the voting-age population would be Native American. A seventh district would be about 30% Native American among those old enough to vote.

The state House has 70 members overall.

The adjusted boundaries aim to connect some western pueblos  such as Acoma and Laguna  with the ancestral site of Chaco Canyon in one House district.

For the 42-member Senate, the tribal proposal would create three Native American-majority districts and two others with at least 33%.

Among the changes would be adding the Pueblo of Isleta and parts of Zuni to the Senate district that already covers Laguna and Acoma pueblos, increasing the influence of Native American voters.

The suggested maps are among dozens filed with the newly created Citizens Redistricting Committee. The panel is holding hearings around the state and will formally adopt its recommendations Oct. 15.

But state legislators have the final say and New Mexico lawmakers are expected to meet in a December special session to take up redistricting. They are free to pick a map recommended by the citizens committee or craft their own.

The 19 pueblos and Jicarilla Apache Nation say their proposals uphold each tribes independent right to self-determination.

In written comments filed with their maps, the tribal nations said they worked hard to maintain tribal voting power, develop new voting districts with Native American influence, and to bring New Mexico closer to parity after a century of voter disenfranchisement and suppression.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

State courts announced plans Monday for a 24/7 alert system to notify law enforcement if someone wearing an electronic monitoring device violates conditions of release.

The plan calls for round-the-clock staffing to watch for violations by defendants wearing electronic monitors and an on-call judge available to issue arrest warrants, the Administrative Office of the Courts announced.

Under the existing system in Bernalillo County, monitoring was performed by staff at 2nd Judicial District Court and Bernalillo County Metro Court from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court also had an agreement with Bernalillo County to perform monitoring overnight, said AOC spokesman Barry Massey.

The plan also sets out a mechanism to more quickly notify law enforcement, prosecutors and victims when criminal defendants violate conditions of their release.

This improvement supports public safety by helping courts and law enforcement respond promptly to alerts 24/7 when an electronic monitor indicates defendants violated court-imposed restrictions on their movement in the community, New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Vigil said in a written statement.

The announcement follows calls by police and prosecutors for improved monitoring after a murder suspect escaped custody last month by cutting off his ankle bracelet.

Albuquerque police said they were not officially notified by the court and took 24 hours before issuing an arrest warrant. A prosecutor on the case maintained she told the homicide unit within hours of the bracelet being cut.

The defendant was later arrested and remained in custody Monday in the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Harold Medina, chief of the Albuquerque Police Department, criticized judges for putting too much faith in ankle monitors, rather than keeping offenders in jail.

The issue also is part of a larger debate about when, and if, judges should release defendants charged with violent crimes pending trial.

Judges can order defendants released from jail while awaiting trial to wear electronic ankle bracelets that track their whereabouts using Global Positioning System, or GPS, technology.

Medina and District Attorney Raul Torrez sent a letter last month to Chief Judge Stan Whitaker of the 2nd Judicial District, asking pretrial services to monitor GPS tracking 24/7 and promptly notify law enforcement of a violation.

We are glad to see the Administrative Office of the Courts take this action to implement 24/7 monitoring for defendants released with GPS devices, Torrezs office said Monday in a written statement.

Medina also expressed approval of the courts plan.

I appreciate the willingness of the Courts to add more staff and effectively monitor dangerous suspects who are waiting for trial, Medina said in a written statement. If these suspects are not held in jail, the public deserves to know they are being closely monitored every minute they are in the community.

The new plan calls for designated AOC staff to oversee the alert system at night and on weekends and holidays, according to the announcement. The 2nd Judicial District Court and Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court will continue monitoring during regular business hours.

Approximately 160 people are on electronic monitoring at any given time in Bernalillo County, court officials said.

The judiciary is hiring six new staff members to serve as after-hours monitors, Massey said. The judiciary also plans to seek funding during the 2022 legislative session to continue the program.

The court estimates the alert monitoring program will cost $1.6 million through June 2023. The program will begin in Bernalillo County in October and expand next year to other judicial districts that have implemented pretrial services.

The court on Monday issued a statement describing how the new system will work.

The monitors will issue a high alert when defendants leave areas to which they are restricted.

Other circumstances that can trigger a high alert include curfew violations and any attempt to remove or tamper with the device.

Once a high alert is issued monitors would:

 Investigate promptly, including calling the defendant.

 Request a bench warrant for the defendants arrest. On-call judges will be available to issue warrants outside usual business hours.

 Email bench warrants to law enforcement, the District Attorneys office and the defendants lawyer.

 Call the crime victim and seek a welfare check by law enforcement.

 Provide law enforcement with the defendants last-known location based on GPS coordinates.

AOC Director Artie Pepin said the plan will help ensure a balance between public safety and the rights of criminal defendants who are presumed innocent under the law.

Courts are committed to working with justice system partners to promote the safety of our communities by improving pretrial practices while honoring the constitutional principles that protect all Americans, Pepin said in the statement.

Editors note: A comment from Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina expressing approval of the courts plan was omitted from the original published article.
What we have witnessed recently in Afghanistan is horrifying, humiliating and heartbreaking. Its been a foreign policy fiasco that will lead to more death.

The Biden administrations failed withdrawal was not only an international embarrassment for America, but this administration has essentially double-crossed Americans hoping to be evacuated. Americans and Afghans who have been loyal to us  desperate for freedom and promised an exodus from Taliban killers  must now find ways to elude death.

The Biden administration has turned its back on stranded Afghans and Americans, some of whom most certainly will be murdered. The Kabul suicide attack that killed 13 American servicemen was terrible, but for the president to knowingly leave people behind in a nation controlled by terrorists is just despicable. It appears hundreds of Americans trapped inside a locked country are doomed to die.

How horrifying to know that theres no way out and that terrorists are hunting people door to door. For those Americans and Afghans stuck in the country, this terror is unimaginable.

Theres no way out for those left behind. There will be religious and ethnic cleansing, and the Taliban do not recognize international human rights laws.

The Biden administrations abandonment of its own citizens and the Afghan people is a death sentence, but Biden refuses to accept responsibility. How chilling to hear Bidens press secretary (Jen Psaki) insist I think its irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not. Bidens Pentagon spokesman (John Kirby) should be called out for saying We have Americans that get stranded in countries all the time.

Wheres the value on American life, on human life?

To say this happens all the time is simply shameful.

Biden chose to abandon Americans in Afghanistan. Period. Biden lied. He left Americans behind. Because of him, vulnerable Americans and Afghans are now at the mercy of the Taliban.

But this abandonment is just a part of the tragedy. We have armed our enemy for generations. Thanks to the Biden administration, terrorists have acquired $85 billion in military hardware: aircraft, machine guns, ammunition  all of which will be used to conduct attacks against us. Who hands terrorists a gift like this?

This will eventually lead to a great deal of geopolitical instability, and Bidens actions will now make Americans and the U.S. military throughout the world less secure. Terrorist attacks will ripple across the globe, now that the Taliban have a massive arsenal, a nation and renewed confidence.

And America has lost face on the global stage. Our allies will no longer trust us in our ability to get a job done and to stabilize regions that become powder kegs.

The most important duty of a president is to protect citizens. This commander in chief has done the opposite. Americans sit trapped, helpless, with the ruling Taliban to decide their fate.

President Bidens actions have not only demonstrated poor leadership and ineptitude in foreign relations, but have also led to the deaths of 13 brave American servicemen. This has been a failed mission, pure and simple.

The leftist media sees a different story, calling the Afghanistan operation a successful evacuation. Its truly sad when its come to this. The mainstream media bury the real story, while our nation buries our honored patriots.

Amy Barela, of Tularosa, is the Republican Party of New Mexicos vice chair of Congressional District 2.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Former state House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton faces significant potential prison time if convicted of the more than two dozen felony charges  including racketeering and money laundering  filed against her last week and made public Monday.

Stapleton has been indicted on 26 state felony and two misdemeanor counts for her alleged role in routing money meant for vocational education at Albuquerque Public Schools to businesses and charities in which she had an interest.

Charges in the indictment handed up by a grand jury last week and filed in Bernalillo County District Court on Monday include one count of racketeering, five counts of money laundering and separate counts of soliciting or receiving kickbacks and having an unlawful interest in a public contract.

Stapleton, an Albuquerque Democrat who had represented District 19, east of the University of New Mexico, since she was elected in 1994, has said through her attorney that she is innocent of any criminal charges and intends to clear her name. She resigned from the House two days after search warrants were served on her home on July 28.

An indictment does not equal a conviction, Stapletons attorney, Ahmad Assed, said Monday. Sheryl did not intend to commit any crime or crimes, and we are interested in understanding the attorney generals theory of this case.

The indictment doesnt provide much in the way of specifics, so well be interested to see what evidence the attorney general has.

Stapleton, 65, was fired Aug. 31 from her $79,000-a-year job at APS as coordinator and director of Career and Technical Education.

The racketeering, fraud and two of the money laundering charges are second-degree felonies, with a potential nine-year sentence for each count. One of the money laundering charges is a third-degree felony, with a potential three year-prison sentence. Most of the other charges are fourth-degree felonies, with potential 18-month sentences.

The charges stem from an APS contract with Robotics Management Learning Systems LLC, a Washington, D.C.,-based company that has provided software and training for vocational students for more than 15 years at a cost of more than $5 million. Stapleton oversaw the contract, and investigators believe she diverted more than $950,000 from the contract into personal and business accounts that included her personal consulting firm and the family restaurant.

Count 12 of the indictment charges her with using her legislative position to request or obtain a higher-ranking position at APS in return for getting the school district additional funding from the state. It says this occurred on or about March 31, 2021.

APS Superintendent Scott Elder asked the Attorney Generals Office to investigate Stapletons involvement with Robotics in April. The investigation became public a few months later when state investigators served search warrants on Stapletons Albuquerque home, offices at APS and the Legislature, and a family business, the Taste of the Caribbean restaurant.

APS stopped doing business with Robotics shortly after the investigation began.

The search warrant affidavits said APS employees began raising questions about the districts contract with Robotics in 2018 when an invoice was mislabeled as a purchase order. The affidavits recounted banking transactions involving Robotics and Stapleton dating back to 2012, but the indictment only alleges criminal conduct dating back to 2016.

Stapleton is accused in the indictment of having an unlawful interest in the contract and soliciting or receiving a kickback from the company for approving and submitting vouchers on the companys behalf. She also is charged with failing to disclose her income from Robotics on financial disclosure forms public officials and legislators are required to file with the secretary of state.

The indictment alleges that from September 2016 to June 2021, she committed money laundering five times in transactions. Two of those transactions were over $100,000, and the other three were lesser amounts.

Some of the charges against Stapleton involve alleged action  or inaction  during her lengthy legislative tenure.

That includes several alleged violations of the state Governmental Conduct Act, which prohibits elected officials from using their positions to obtain personal benefits.

In one of those public corruption charges, Stapleton is accused of failing to accurately disclose her annual income on required yearly reports.

Meanwhile, investigators have also scrutinized legislative capital outlay appropriations sponsored by Stapleton, which over the years provided funding for technical education, robot systems and new vans for the African American Performing Arts Center and Exhibit Hall at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque. The facility is named for Stapleton.

New Mexicos capital outlay system did not previously require disclosure of which projects were funded by which lawmaker, but the Legislature this year approved a law requiring that each legislators funded projects be publicly posted.

Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, who sponsored the bill, said the public deserves to know how public dollars are spent and described the allegations against Stapleton as troubling.

If she was using capital outlay to fund programs that she was illegally involved with, obviously thats something we need to look into, McQueen told the Journal.

He also cited the possibility of strengthening an existing state law to ensure that New Mexico elected officials convicted of public corruption charges would have to forfeit their pensions.

According to the search warrant affidavits, Stapleton moved money from Robotics bank accounts in Albuquerque to her business accounts and in some cases to her personal bank accounts.

Other charges include nine counts of engaging in an official act for personal financial gain  approving invoices from Robotics to enhance her personal financial interest while working at APS  along with two counts of willful failure to collect or pay taxes and one count of evading taxes that carry a potential six-month to three-year prison sentence.

The indictment does not specify how much money was involved in the tax counts.

The investigation focused on protecting students and the funding intended for their educational services, as public officials must act in the best interests of students, Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement. Our office looks forward to presenting this case before a jury.

The FBI also has subpoenaed records from APS having to do with the Robotics contract and Stapletons involvement with it. Also, Internal Revenue Service and FBI agents were present when the search warrants were served at Stapletons home.

Journal Capitol Bureau chief Dan Boyd contributed to this report.

Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the number of felony counts Stapleton is facing.

Sheryl Williams Stapleton Indictment Documents by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The family of a Deming man fatally shot by police in February is suing four law enforcement agencies alleging the killing was reckless and preventable.

The lawsuit stems from the Feb. 3 shooting death of Gilbert Valencia, 29, in a desert area outside Deming.

The suit alleges that Valencia was on his knees and following commands when officers opened fire with assault-style weapons.

A lapel camera video of the incident provided by the familys attorneys shows Valencia on his knees with his hands in the air surrounded by armed officers shouting commands. Several of the officers called Valencia by his first name.

After officers ordered him to lie on his stomach, Valencia appeared to pick up a long, dark-colored object from the ground followed by the sound of numerous gunshots. He then fell on his back and appeared seriously injured.

Valencia is described in the suit as a non-threatening, mentally ill young man who in the past had been known to carry toy guns and rifles.

The familys attorney, Larissa Lozano, said she didnt know if Valencia was carrying a toy gun at the time, but there is no evidence he was armed.

What he had was not an actual weapon, Lozano said. He wasnt pointing anything at the officers. He was not acting in an aggressive manner. In fact, he was on his knees.

Five Deming police officers named as defendants fired more than 20 rounds at Valencia during the encounter, the suit alleges.

It also identifies three other Deming officers and John Does 1-9  officers employed by several agencies  who participated in the events surrounding Valencias death.

The Deming Police Department, Luna County Sheriffs Office, New Mexico State Police and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety also are named as defendants.

Deming police did not respond this week to phone messages requesting comment. Spokesmen for the other three agencies said they would not comment on pending litigation.

The incident began when a motorist on Interstate 10 reported that she saw a man with a gun beside the roadway, the suit said.

Officers with four agencies armed with assault rifles and tactical gear responded to the report, it said.

The suit alleges senior officers failed to initiate a tactical plan and simply allowed a barrage of officers to rush toward the area where Valencia was observed. The suit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages and costs.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Former congressional candidate Michelle Garcia Holmes over the weekend announced that she will again be a candidate for the Albuquerque-based seat in the House of Representatives.

The Republican is the first person to announce a bid to unseat Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who won the seat over the summer in a special election against the GOP candidate, state Sen. Mark Moores. The House seat will be up for election next year.

Garcia Holmes has never held public office, but she has been a candidate for several city, state and national positions, making bids for City Council, mayor, lieutenant governor and Congress.

Garcia Holmes, a retired Albuquerque police officer and former chief of staff to the attorney general, most recently ran for New Mexicos 1st Congressional District seat in 2020 against Rep. Deb Haaland, who won the seat before being tapped as interior secretary.

I have spent my life working in public service, I am pro-life, pro-second amendment, and I love our country. I am not interested in being the typical Congresswoman who is only interested in helping themselves while leaving their state behind, Garcia Holmes said in a statement. I want to make New Mexico a better place to live, not only for me, but for you, your family, and our future generations.

In a news release announcing her candidacy, Garcia Holmes said that during her career she worked to strengthen anti-human trafficking and child pornography laws in the state. She also highlighted her familys ties New Mexico  her great-grandfather was a northern New Mexico rancher.

The 1st Congressional District represents most of Bernalillo County, all of Torrance County and slivers of Sandoval, Santa Fe and Valencia counties. The district leans Democratic. Stansbury won the special election over Moores 60% to 36% in June. In 2020, Haaland beat Garcia Holmes 58% to 42%.

Garcia Holmes said shell offer voters an alternative to President Joe Biden. She said the president has mismanaged the Mexican border and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

I think we need a strong voice in Congress like mine, she said. And also, you know, the crime issue still remains in this district.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation in Albuquerque has received a $50,000 grant to help grow film programming at the center.

The award was given by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support the NHCCs Community Film Program at the Bank of America Theatre.

Roberta Ricci, NHCC Foundation executive director, said the organization is incredibly grateful for Bank of Americas support. She noted that, in 2014, Bank of America named the 300-person theatre at the NHCC and supported the Paseo de Acequia project.

Bank of America has been a tremendous partner, and we are thrilled to have them support the film and programming that occurs in the Bank of America Theatre at the Center, he said. This funding will significantly enhance the reach and quality of both the film programs and performances in that theater.

The current season of the NHCCs Community Film Series runs through June 23, 2022.

According to a recent report by the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Hispanic and Latinx actors made up only 4.9% of speaking characters in 1,300 popular films released 2007-19. Further, of the 112 directors involved with the top 100 movies of 2019, only four were Hispanic/Latinx.

Ricci said the Bank of America grant will fund the operating, capital and programming costs associated with presenting films during the Community Film Series highlighting Hispanic and Latinx directors and actors.

Screenings will encompass themed series and series coordinating with other events and exhibitions at the NHCC, such as films exploring historical events, films by women directors, films related to seasonal celebrations, and selected special previews, and will include a wide variety of classic and contemporary Spanish, Mexican and Latin American films, she said.

In Jan. 2014, the NHCC established the Bank of America Free Thursday Film Series in conjunction with the purchase of a new state-of-the-art projector for the Bank of America Theatre.

Films are shown free of charge on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, except on holidays. Additional films, some with admission fees, are shown on other dates as screening opportunities present themselves.

Ricci said film industry personnel have come to recognize the Bank of America Theatre as a highly desirable venue for special screenings and premieres.

This grant will make it possible for the NHCC to secure screening rights for additional films and offer a greater diversity of programming, Ricci said.

Some of the upcoming projects will include:

 Expanding programming for senior audiences by offering more daytime and weekend screenings, as well as featuring films popular with this audience, such as Mexican films from the Epocade Oro (Golden Age) from the mid-1930s to early 1960s.

 Screening films that explore themes of immigration, and the history and culture of Afro-Latinos and Indigenous populations in Latin America.

 Bringing in filmmakers and directors for special screenings or the openings of selected series of films.

 Offering additional activities associated with each film, such as museum tours and musical performances, to add value to selected screenings.

 Expanding outreach to diverse communities across the Albuquerque metro area.

 Acquiring industry-standard equipment that will facilitate successful, immersive film screenings in the Bank of America Theatre.
DALLAS  A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law all but dared supporters of the states near-total ban on the procedure to try making an early example of him by filing a lawsuit  and by Monday, two people obliged.

Former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed separate state lawsuits Monday against Dr. Alan Braid, who in a weekend Washington Post opinion column became the first Texas abortion provider to publicly reveal he violated the law that took effect on Sept. 1.

They both came in ahead of the states largest anti-abortion group, which had said it had attorneys ready to bring lawsuits. Neither ex-lawyer who filed suit said they were anti-abortion. But both said courts should weigh in.

The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks and before some women even know they are pregnant. Prosecutors cannot take criminal action against Braid, because the law explicitly forbids that. The only way the ban can be enforced is through lawsuits brought by private citizens, who dont have to be from Texas and who are entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages if successful.

Oscar Stilley, who described himself in court paperwork as a disgraced former lawyer who lost his law license after being convicted of tax fraud in 2010, said he is not opposed to abortion but sued to force a court review of Texas anti-abortion law, which he called an end-run.

I dont want doctors out there nervous and sitting there and quaking in their boots and saying, I cant do this because if this thing works out, then Im going to be bankrupt,' Stilley, of Cedarville, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, told The Associated Press.

Felipe N. Gomez, of Chicago, asked a court in San Antonio in his lawsuit to declare the new law unconstitutional. In his view, the law is a form of government overreach. He said his lawsuit is a way to hold the Republicans who run Texas accountable, adding that their lax response to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic conflicts with their crack down on abortion rights.

If Republicans are going to say nobody can tell you to get a shot they shouldnt tell women what to do with their bodies either, Gomez said. I think they should be consistent.

Gomez said he wasnt aware he could claim up to $10,000 in damages if he won his lawsuit. If he received money, Gomez said, he would likely donate it to an abortion rights group or to the patients of the doctor he sued.

Legal experts say Braids admission is likely to set up another test of whether the law can stand after the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect.

Being sued puts him in a position  that he will be able to defend the action against him by saying the law is unconstitutional, said Carol Sanger, a law professor at Columbia University in New York City.

Braid wrote that on Sept. 6, he provided an abortion to a woman who was still in her first trimester but beyond the states new limit.

I fully understood that there could be legal consequences  but I wanted to make sure that Texas didnt get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested, Braid wrote.

Two federal lawsuits were already making their way through the courts over the law, known as Senate Bill 8. In one, filed by abortion providers and others, the Supreme Court declined to block the law from taking effect while the case makes its way through the legal system. Its still proceeding in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the second case, the Justice Department is asking a federal judge to declare the law invalid, arguing it was enacted in open defiance of the Constitution.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the plaintiffs in the first federal lawsuit, is representing Braid.

The centers senior counsel, Marc Hearron, noted in a statement that the Texas law says that any person can sue over a violation, and we are starting to see that happen, including by out-of-state claimants.

Braid could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. His clinic referred interview inquiries to the center.

Texas Right to Life, the states largest anti-abortion group, criticized both lawsuits and Braids opinion column.

Neither of these lawsuits are valid attempts to save innocent human lives, the group said. We believe Braid published his op-ed intending to attract imprudent lawsuits, but none came from the Pro-Life movement.

Texas Right to Life launched a website to receive tips about suspected violations, though it is currently redirecting to the groups homepage. A spokeswoman for the group has noted that the website is mostly symbolic because anyone can report a violation and because abortion providers appeared to be complying with the law.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if a lawsuit against Braid reaches the Texas Supreme Court, that court could decide whether the Legislature exceeded its power by allowing anyone to sue.

The Texas Supreme Court will have the opportunity/obligation to say whether this approach  which would not be limited to abortion  is an acceptable way for the Legislature to pursue its goals, Grossman said.

Seth Chandler, a law professor at the University of Houston, said anyone suing would have to persuade a Texas court that they have standing despite not having personally suffered monetary or property damages.

Braid said in the Post column that he started his obstetrics and gynecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, when abortion was effectively illegal in Texas. That year, he saw three teens die from illegal abortions, he wrote.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade ruling, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, generally around 24 weeks.

I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces, Braid wrote. I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I cant just sit back and watch us return to 1972.

___

Associated Press writers Jake Bleiberg and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
NEW YORK  In person and on screen, world leaders returned to the United Nations foremost gathering for the first time in the pandemic era on Tuesday with a formidable, diplomacy-packed agenda and a sharply worded warning from the international organizations leader: We face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his annual state-of-the-world speech at the opening of the U.N. General Assemblys high-level meeting for leaders of its 193 member nations. More than 100 heads of state and government kept away by COVID-19 are returning to the U.N. in person for the first time in two years. But with the pandemic still raging, about 60 will deliver pre-recorded statements over coming days.

We are on the edge of an abyss  and moving in the wrong direction, Guterres said. Im here to sound the alarm. The world must wake up.

Guterres said the world has never been more threatened and divided. People may lose faith not only in their governments and institutions, he said, but in basic values when they see their human rights curtailed, corruption, the reality of their harsh lives, no future for their children  and when they see billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on Earth.

Nevertheless, the U.N. chief said he has hope.

Guterres urged world leaders to bridge six great divides: promote peace and end conflicts, restore trust between the richer north and developing south on tackling global warming, reduce the gap between rich and poor, promote gender equality, ensure that the half of humanity that has no access to the Internet is connected by 2030, and tackle the generational divide by giving young people a seat at the table.

Other pressing issues on the agenda of world leaders include rising U.S.-China tensions, Afghanistans unsettled future under its new Taliban rulers and ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ethiopias embattled Tigray region.

The three most closely watched speakers on Tuesday morning are U.S. President Joe Biden, appearing at the U.N. for the first time since his defeat of Donald Trump in the U.S. election last November; Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in a surprise move will deliver a video address; and Irans recently elected hardline President Ebrahim Raisi.

The General Assemblys president, Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives, opened debate by challenging delegates to rise to the occasion. There are moments in time that are turning points, he said. This is one such moment.

In his speech, Biden, too, called this moment an inflection point in history and said that for the United States to prosper, it must also engage deeply with the rest of the world.

He urged relentless diplomacy and global cooperation on COVID-19, climate change and human rights abuses, pledged to work with allies, and said the United States is not seeking a new Cold War.

Biden was almost certainly responding to Secretary-General Guterres warning in an AP interview over the weekend that the world could be plunged into a new and probably more dangerous Cold War unless the United States and China repair their totally dysfunctional relationship.

The U.S. presidents pledge to work with allies follows sharp criticism from France, Americas oldest ally, for the Biden administrations secret deal announced last week to provide nuclear-powered submarine to Australia with UK support, upending a French-Australia contract worth at least $66 billion to build a dozen French conventional diesel-electric submarines.

Ahead of the opening, Guterres warned the world could be plunged into a new and probably more dangerous Cold War unless the United States and China repair their totally dysfunctional relationship.

The U.N. chief said in an interview this weekend with The Associated Press that Washington and Beijing should be cooperating on the climate crisis and negotiating on trade and technology, but unfortunately, today we only have confrontation including over human rights and geostrategic problems mainly in the South China Sea.

Biden, in his speech, insisted he was not seeing a new Cold War or a world divided and said Washington is ready to work with any nation, even if we have intense disagreement in other areas.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a news conference Monday that there is a crisis of trust between the United States and France, as well as Europe, which has been excluded from the new US-UK-Australia alliance focused on the Indo-Pacific and aimed at confrontation with China. He said Europeans should not be left behind, and need to define their own strategic interests.

On the latest speakers list released earlier this month, Chinas speech was supposed to be delivered on Friday by a deputy prime minister. But the U.N. confirmed Monday that Xi will give the countrys video address instead. His speech and any comments about the U.S. rivalry are certain to be closely watched and analyzed: Chinas presence in the world, and its relationship with the United States, affect most every corner of the planet.

By tradition, the first country to speak was Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro rebuffed criticism of his administrations handling of the pandemic and touted recent data indicating less Amazon deforestation. He said he was seeking to counter the image of Brazil portrayed in the media, touting it as a great place for investment and praising his pandemic welfare program, which helped avoid a worse recession last year.

He said that his government has successfully distributed first doses to the majority of adults, but doesnt support vaccine passports or forcing anyone to have a shot. Bolsonaro has said several times in the past week that he remains unvaccinated.

By November, everyone who chooses to be vaccinated in Brazil will be attended to, Bolsonaro told the General Assembly.

He also doubled-down on early treatment methods such as hydroxychloroquine, without naming the drug. Brazils government continued promoting the antimalarial long after scientists roundly dismissed it as ineffective against COVID-19.

Alarm over global warming was a common theme in speeches. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, president of the tiny Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives, said further rising temperatures are a death sentence for his country.

One overarching fact remains. The state of environmental ruin small island states endure now, will without a doubt catch up with bigger nations sooner than later. There is no guarantee of survival for any one nation in a world where the Maldives cease to exist, Solih warned.

Nonetheless, he said, : This organization still represents the pinnacle of what concerted diplomacy can achieve.

Guterres, in his opening speech, pointed to supersized glaring inequalities sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate alarm bells ringing at fever pitch, upheavals from Afghanistan to Ethiopia and Yemen thwarting global peace, a surge of mistrust and misinformation polarizing people and paralyzing societies and human rights under fire.

The solidarity of nations to tackle these and other crises is missing in action just when we need it most, he said. Instead of humility in the face of these epic challenges, we see hubris.

___

David Biller in Rio de Janeiro and Malika Sen in New York contributed to this report.

___

Edith M. Lederer, chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated Press, has been reporting internationally for nearly 50 years. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EdithLedererAP.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo.  Rescue crews in Yellowstone National Park recovered the body of a 67-year-old Washington state man and searched around a lake Tuesday for his half-brother after the pair failed to return from a backcountry canoe trip.

A 10-person ground crew was walking the shoreline of Shoshone Lake looking for Kim Crumbo, a 74-year-old former Navy SEAL from Ogden, Utah, Yellowstone officials said. A helicopter from nearby Grand Teton National Park was helping in the effort.

Rescuers found the body of Mark ONeill of Chimacum, Washington, on Monday along the eastern shore, where a canoe, paddle, flotation device and other items were found Sunday. A vacant campsite was found on the south side of the lake.

A family member reported the two experienced boaters and former National Park Service employees overdue from their four-night trip on Sunday.

ONeill likely drowned, but an official cause of death has not been determined, Yellowstone spokesperson Morgan Warthin said.

Shoshone Lake covers 13 square miles (33 square kilometer) and has an average temperature of around 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 Celsius), with survival time estimated to be only 20 to 30 minutes in such cold water, officials said. The lake also can be subject to high winds and sudden storms.

Crumbo was a Navy SEAL who served two tours in Vietnam and worked for decades at Grand Canyon National Park as a river ranger and wilderness coordinator. ONeill also worked at the park as a river and patrol ranger, park officials said.

Well before Crumbo retired from the Grand Canyon, in 1996 he co-founded the conservation group Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, which later merged with another group to form Wild Arizona. Crumbo worked to protect and restore native species, wild places and ecosystems, said his colleague Kelly Burke, who considers him family.

She said people who know Crumbo have been reconnecting over his disappearance to hold each other up and put that energy in leaving the door open for him to walk back in.

Its Kim Crumbo, after all, she said. Hes a monumental hero and legend of a man. We cant bring ourselves to believe he wouldnt emerge from this.

Drowning is one of the top causes of death in Yellowstone, behind car and snowmobile accidents and illness, park historian Lee Whittlesey wrote in his book Death in Yellowstone.

Included among those deaths were two elderly canoeists from Idaho who capsized while fishing on Lake Shoshone in 2007 and drowned. An Idaho man and his 12-year-old son drowned during a camping trip on the lake in 2002 after their canoe apparently overturned.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Crumbo founded the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council in 1996, not 1966.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.  A 15-year-old Virginia boy has been charged in a shooting that wounded two fellow students at their high school, police announced Tuesday.

Newport News police said in a news release that the teen was charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and other weapons-related offenses. The teen was charged Monday as a juvenile, police spokeswoman Kelly King said by email.

Students at Heritage High School were in their second full week of the school year on Monday when the shots rang out before noon, sending students and staff seeking places to hide. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the side of his face and a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg, Chief Steve Drew said at a news conference. Both students were taken to the hospital and neither injury was thought to be life-threatening, he said. The suspect fled the scene, police said.

In a Facebook Live chat with the community on Tuesday, Drew called the shooting an isolated act. Based on interviews, he said, police believe the suspect didnt go to school to harm multiple people but he had an issue with two individuals. The firearm was found at the shooting scene, he added.

Video from the scene showed tactical units arriving at the school, frantic parents on sidewalks talking on cellphones as crime scene tape stretched across parts of the school parking lot.

Police responded to the school and searched the building, clearing it room by room, Drew said. They conducted an extensive search of the area after receiving identifying information about the suspect and tips from the community and school personnel, police said.

About three hours after the shooting, a family member took the teen to juvenile services and he was then taken to Newport News police headquarters for an interview, police said in a news release Tuesday.

Drew said two others were taken to the hospital after the shooting: one whose arm was injured as people ran from school and another because of asthma.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  The U.S. Forest Service has put the brakes on a effort to thin hundreds of square miles of land in Arizona to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, drawing sharp rebukes from elected officials.

The Four Forest Restoration Initiative is the largest of its kind within the agency that oversees more than 300,000 square miles (780,000 square kilometers) of forests and grasslands in the U.S. The venture launched more than a decade ago was a rare showing of consensus among longtime adversaries like loggers and environmentalists to reshape forests on a large scale.

But the restoration project has struggled to keep pace with the need to return Arizonas mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forest now prone to massive wildfires to a more natural state. It hit another snag this week when the Forest Service decided not to award a contract for work on 812 square miles (2,104 square kilometers).

Instead, the agency said it will regroup and seek input from others on ways to lessen the financial risk to potential bidders and itself. Further changes could come in the total amount of land to be treated, and requirements for contractors to haul away debris and maintain roads, officials said.

Every year what we see in western forests is a stark reminder of whats at stake in Arizonas forests, said Jeremy Kruger, the chief executive of the project.

The Forest Service first put out the contract to bid two years ago with a goal of selecting a winner by May 2020. It underwent multiple amendments, including a reduction in size, before final proposals were due this past May. The agency notified bidders this week that it would pull back the project.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, the states two U.S. senators and U.S. Rep. Tom OHalleran slammed the decision.

Theyve squandered a tremendous opportunity to address the needs of our national forests here in northern Arizona, OHalleran told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The entire restoration project eventually will cover 3,750 square miles (15 square kilometers) along a prominent line of cliffs that divides Arizonas forested high country from the desert. On average, about 20 square miles (51 square kilometers) of dense forest has been thinned per year, representing about a quarter of the annual goal.

Historically, wildfires regularly swept through the landscape clearing the forest floor and promoting the growth of grass and wildflowers. Fire suppression has changed that, resulting in thick stands of trees that fuel wildfires and kick up the intensity.

The second phase that was canceled included work on the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab and Tonto national forests over 20 years.

Godfrey Forest Products LLC was among the bidders, proposing to turn small-diameter trees into oriented strand board thats commonly used for flooring and roofing in homes, said the companys chief executive, John Godfrey. He said Thursday that the multiple amendments hinted that the management group wasnt deeply familiar with large-scale projects.

While the delays were frustrating, he said hes invested in continuing with the process and it would be worse had the Forest Service walked away entirely.

If it takes another year to get it right, then so be it, he said.

Brad Worsley of Novo Power also was among the bidding groups. He runs a facility in Snowflake that burns tree limbs, needles and other woody debris for energy. He said the industry looks at long-term contracts like the forest restoration project as a mechanism to make further investments in businesses with the understanding of normal risks.

One of the concerns was that the Forest Service didnt provide certainty on what would happen if a wildfire scorched part of the treatment area or a court shut down timber activity in the forests, he said. Worsley cited a 2019 decision in a lawsuit that alleged the Forest Service wasnt doing enough to protect and track Mexican spotted owls and halted tree-cutting activity for months.

Worsley specifically is looking for assurance that he can continue to supply power from biomass to stay involved in the project. But he questions whether more discussion will be effective.

Im not saying were not going to participate and help, he said. This is a purpose for which we get up everyday.
CASA GRANDE, Ariz.  Longtime Arizona Rep. Frank Pratt has died following a long illness. He was 79.

Speaker Rusty Bowers announced Pratts death on Tuesday, calling the Casa Grande Republican an irreplaceable figure in the Arizona state Legislature.

Pratt was a farmer and rancher before forming a swimming pool construction business in 1986, according to his biography in a legislative guide published by the parent company of the Arizona Capitol Times.

On Christmas Day in 2010, Pratt was tied up and beaten at his business, found hours later by his worried wife, Janice Pratt. The assailant stole his Rolex watch and vehicle, and Pratt was hospitalized.

Pratt had served in the Legislature since 2009, first in the House, then in the Senate before returning to the House at the beginning of the year. He was a quiet legislator who rarely spoke on the House and Senate floor.

Although he was not vocal, when he spoke, his words carried weight, said Rep. Reginald Bolding, the top Democrat in the House.

Pratt was among a handful of Republican legislators who joined all Democrats and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in 2013 in a coalition to expand Medicaid, a key part of then-President Barack Obamas health care law. The expansion was vehemently opposed by the GOP House and Senate leaders, who blocked votes in the Legislature for weeks until Pratt and other expansion supporters forced them to cave.

More recently, he missed many legislative days this year as he battled an illness.

He was a trailblazer not just in Pinal County politics but also in life, said Sen. T.J. Shope, a Republican who represents the same district as Pratt. While most knew him to be a quiet type who played his cards close to the vest, I knew him as somebody of deep conviction and a firm belief in right & wrong.

Pratts 8th Legislative District includes parts of Pinal and Gila counties. Republican precinct committeemen will choose three candidates to replace him, and county supervisors will select a winner, who must be a Republican. The Legislature is not scheduled to be in session until January.

Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday in honor of Pratt.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021  The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) welcomes Jacob Hooker, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School as the editor-in-chief of ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

Ive been a proud part of the ACS Chemical Neuroscience community since the journals first issue, and as editor-in-chief, I plan to use the journal to inspire and unite, says Hooker. I will work to grow the journals community, expand opportunities for young scientists and connect with institutions focused on neuroscience globally. I look forward to continuing the journals tradition of excellence and will work to position ACS Chemical Neuroscience as the leading communicator in its field.

Hooker is the Lurie Family professor of radiology in the field of autism research at Harvard Medical School and directs a thriving neuroimaging and chemical neuroscience program at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at MGH. He serves as scientific director of the Lurie Center for Autism, director of radiochemistry at the Martinos Center and director of translational biomarkers at the MGH Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics. He holds affiliate or associate appointments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Broad Institute and the Dana Farber Cancer Center. Hooker is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and a Talented 12 Award from ACS Chemical & Engineering News. Hooker is a National Academy of Sciences Kavli Frontiers of Science fellow and has been named a distinguished investigator by the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research. Hooker completed his undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University and received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

I am delighted to welcome Professor Hooker to this position at ACS Chemical Neuroscience, says James Milne, Ph.D., president, ACS Publications Division. As the second editor-in-chief in the journals history, he has a unique opportunity to shape the future of the publication. Im excited to work with Professor Hooker and see how his vision helps the journal reach even greater heights of excellence.

ACS Chemical Neuroscience, established in 2010, publishes high-quality research articles and reviews that showcase chemical, quantitative biological, biophysical and bioengineering approaches to the understanding of the nervous system and to the development of new treatments for neurological disorders. Hooker has been closely involved in the journals activities since its inception, having been one of the first authors published in the journal, publishing in it more than 30 times, and having served as an associate editor since 2013 and in the capacity of interim editor-in-chief since the beginning of 2021.
CHICO, Calif. - Police arrested a person who was armed with controlled substances in Chicos Khols parking early Tuesday morning, the Chico Police Department said.

At around 12:30 a.m. in Chico, a police officer was on patrol in the area of Kohls at 1505 Springfield Dr.

The officer spotted a vehicle in the parking lot with a person inside as there were no businesses open in the area.

The officer contacted 46-year-old Jacoby Gilbert, who admitted to having a firearm in the vehicle.

The officer searched the vehicle and located a Glock handgun, three loaded magazines, heroin, meth and Xanax pills.

Gilbert was arrested and is facing multiple charges.
Are you ready to witness an exciting travel and food show? Is food what you live for? Well. Weve got the perfect show for you! Anthony Bourdain, an American celebrity chef and author who impressed the world with his charming personality will make you fall in love with him. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown seasons 5-7 are here to give you the perfect food for thought that you need in your life. Starting 21st September, Weekdays at 9PM on Zee Cafe, this show promises to be a roller-coaster ride for all food and travel lovers to add to their list of top favourites. Excited much? We are. Witness the story of places that havent been explored and food that hasnt been touched yet.

In the show, Anthony Bourdain travels the world uncovering lesser-known places and exploring their cultures and cuisine. Bourdain explores the world around and as he famously quotes, "Eat and drink with people without fear and prejudice." Enticed by the opportunity to experience cultures rarely visited by American TV, such as in the Congo, Libya and Myanmar, the chef and best-selling author also takes viewers to Colombia, Peru, Morocco and, closer to home, Koreatown in Los Angeles. Come watch this amazing adventure from around the world and get a taste of everything with world wide popular chef Anthony Bourdain.

Tap into the unexplored with the new show of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown airing 21st September on Zee cafe
AppSealing, a leading mobile application security solution provider and a service of INKA ENTWORKS, announced the launch of its data encryption solution for Android applications. With this solution, companies can protect a slew of sensitive data like authentication tokens, unique identifiers, and passwords from unauthorized access and modification. The premium addition of this solution to its mobile application protection suite further reiterates AppSealings commitment to enabling companies to fend off cyber attackers and prevent illegal application access, theft, deletion, or modification. Companies can now take better control of their data in a much more proactive manner.

The solution offers top-notch encryption architectures and supports AES 256 encryption, the strongest encryption standard in the world. It provides industry security standards like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Companies can be compliance-ready instantly without any coding or SDK integration.

James Ahn, CEO with INKA ENTWORKS, explains the relevance of data encryption for fintech companies: Fintech industry is booming. The global fintech market, which was worth $128Bn in 2018, is expected to touch a figure of $310Bn in 2022. We have been collaborating with our clients to secure their mobile applications. Our latest offering of end-to-end data encryption further strengthens our mobile application security portfolio and leadership position in the market. We are pleased to make fintech, payments, banking, and gaming apps a lot more secure. We are excited to partner with our customers and help them be compliant, protect sensitive data, take relevant actions against hackers, and build their business and reputation confidently.

Digital banking enables companies to provide fintech and banking services at the touch of a button. It is a great way for companies to serve their customers, but it also means opening Pandoras box since attackers are lurking around. Data localization restrictions also put an additional responsibility. With data encryption, we aim to help Fintech companies focus on customer experience, compliance with localization policies, and revenue generation within the safe walls of security, says Govindraj Basatwar, Global Business Head with INKA ENTWORKS.

The key features include:

 Whitebox AES 256 & FIPS 140-2 encryption for Android mobile devices, software, and operating systems

 Runtime protection covering encryption keys, API keys, authentication tokens, etc.

 End-to-end support system encompassing legacy native file input/output interface

Companies can thus leverage AppSealings data encryption solution to protect sensitive data pertaining to their Android applications. The robust encryption standards ensure 100% coverage of emerging attack vectors, to provide a complete safety net to mobile applications.
Carat, the media agency from the house of dentsu India, has won the media mandate for SUGAR Cosmetics, one of India's fastest growing beauty brands. The account was won following a comprehensive competitive pitch process.

As per the mandate, the agency will oversee media strategy, planning and buying for the total portfolio of SUGAR Cosmetics.

Speaking on the account win, Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India said, We are pleased to win the media business for SUGAR Cosmetics. Carat is committed to creating meaningful end-to-end media solutions through data-driven marketing, and to further accelerate the brands growth journey. As a team, we are excited to get this opportunity to work with a brand that is loved by the women of today!

Commenting on the win, Vineeta Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, SUGAR Cosmetics said, Carat came highly recommended to us. Their strategic thinking, experience, and efficiencies stood out. Partnering with them on our media strategy is reassuring, given their data-driven approach in meeting our brand goals. The beauty industry is ever-changing and we at SUGAR Cosmetics always like to stay ahead of the curve. As a brand leader, it is my topmost priority to ensure that we keep evolving our strategies to meet consumer requirements. I hope our new association with Carat will help us in this journey of keeping up with consumer trends and stay relevant in the industry.
Havas Creative Group India has announced the appointment of Amish Sabharwal as Senior Executive Creative Director and Creative Head of Digital Experience, effective immediately. He will be based in Gurgaon and will report to Ravinder Siwach, National Creative Director, Havas Creative Group India. This further strengthens Havas Creative Group Indias senior management as it continues its stellar run after being recently ranked no.2 in the R3 New Business League.

In his new role, Amish will lead the Havas integrated creative digital team with a renewed focus on the digital-first agenda of Reckitt. In addition, he will manage the mandates of many other key brands and clients. He will work closely with the teams to further build integrated strategies and marketing campaigns, which reflects the global vision of creating Meaningful Brands.

With over 13 years of work experience, Amish has several national and international awards to his name. He has worked with some of the leading agencies such as JWT, McCann, Dentsu Impact and Grey, during his career. He brings a rare combination of traditional brand-building skills with native digital thinking as he has led both digital and traditional offerings in his previous stint at Grey Delhi. Over the years, Amish has worked on some of the most prominent brands, namely, IKEA, Gatorade, Subway, Nescafe, Aircel, Nokia, Kurkure, Chevy Cruze, Lays, Airtel DTH and Pizza Hut, to name a few.

Commenting on Amishs appointment, Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said, Amish brings with him a vast experience of some of the most well-known brands and categories. I believe his unique approach will bring in a breath of fresh air to the creative landscape and fuel our promise of Meaningful storytelling further. I welcome Amish to the Havas family and look forward to him scaling up Havas rich legacy to a new level.

Added, Ravinder Siwach, National Creative Director, Havas Creative Group India, said, It's been our constant endeavour to offer differentiated and engaging storytelling for our clients. Marrying creativity and digital is at the core of what we do, and integrating it with the global offerings like CX, design, analytics, AI and so on is at the heart of our strategy for growth at Havas Creative. Amish will add more muscle to this vision with his varied background.

Commenting on his new role at Havas Creative Group India, Amish Sabharwal said, I am excited to start this new innings with Havas Creative Group India. With Bobby Pawar and Rana Barua at the helm, hunger is evident in the agencys culture. My role is to build on the sterling legacy these guys have established and make Brand Havas an even bigger name to reckon with. I look forward to creating truly disruptive and effective work for the top brands of this country and cement this legacy."

For Amish, creativity is not just an integral part of his professional but also what fuels his life outside the workspace. A lover of multi-faceted interests, Amishs hobbies include beat poetry, karaoke, chess, reading fiction novels, food, fashion, and storytelling.
In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital, especially in the pandemic period. However, at the same time the industry has been facing stiff challenges, moreover client expectations has also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears.

In this interaction with Adgully, Ajey Maharaj, Head - Corporate Communications & PR, Fortis Healthcare Limited, speaks about the challenges that the hospital sector faced during the pandemic period, learnings in the past year from a communications point of view, why it has become important for organisations to work with PR partners in these though times and more.

The pandemic has disrupted most of the sectors. You are in the healthcare sector. How did Fortis Healthcare navigate during these times managing the communication crisis?

The unprecedented pandemic brought along with it many challenges as well as a unique opportunity for every organisation to re-strategise, re-think and prioritise what is important in our lives, especially our health and well-being. It has also taught us that, if required, we can act rapidly and re-structure our operational systems and internal mechanisms.

For the hospital sector, this was a period of additional pressure and there were a lot of expectations. We were working on maximum patient recoveries as well as strengthening our communication outreach with existing patients, customers and stakeholders. Therefore, firstly, we focused on the right messaging for citizens on how to face and handle the uncertainty and fear, promote COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, providing right medical advice and busting any misconceptions around testing, treatment and vaccinations. Secondly, it was important to communicate to existing patients to visit our hospitals for consultations, if necessary, as our premises were safe and infection free, or alternately, contact their regular clinicians at Fortis through e-consults. Thirdly, we started a number of initiatives across our hospitals in public and employee interest and also worked closely with public authorities on the vaccination drive. Our clinicians were also able to participate on varied media platforms and panel discussions on emerging developments, right COVID-19 care, post recovery care and also around the larger issues of healthcare infrastructure and public-private partnerships.

We also ensured internal communication and coordination with all our 28 hospitals across India through to maintain strict adherence to Government and institutional guidelines, training and education of our staff and allied workforce. We launched an e-newsletter to showcase the efforts being undertaken across Fortis, accelerate cross-unit learning and recognise the frontline workers.

Healthcare is a very essential and sensitive sector. What are some of the learnings you had from the communication point of view in managing the situation for the last one year?

There have been several valuable learnings in the past year from the communications point of view:

Firstly, we all learnt that it is important to communicate. This was a time for collective efforts and keeping the channels of communications open with internal and external stakeholders was essential to ensure correct messages were shared and misconceptions or communication gaps were prevented. Technology was a gamechanger during the time, both in terms of healthcare delivery and sustaining communication. We also learnt that we should make use of technology more often to maintain patient as well as staff connect.

Communication helped build synergy across the healthcare landscape  every hospital and institution learned from one another as this was a new and unprepared crisis for many within the healthcare sector itself.

As the pandemic was a national crisis, Fortis recognised the importance of our clinicians to go beyond their core specialities and participate in public discourses and multi-stakeholder platforms to share perspectives on the larger healthcare issues in India and emerging developments across the globe.

Most importantly, communication helped many people stay informed and calm as fear and uncertainty prevailed.

What was the role of digital for the healthcare sector? How did you leverage digital especially to manage your online reputation?

The pandemic opened the gates for all businesses to adapt to the constantly changing circumstances by going completely paperless and making greater use of technology for working, connecting, networking, communication, education. Virtual connect and e-consults have helped hospitals to stay connected with patients, something which was not done widely before. A good number of webinars, social media live sessions and podcasts were organised, where the doctors created awareness around COVID-19, importance of vaccinations, post-COVID-19 complications, rehabilitation, preventive health check-ups and delayed treatment leading to rise in non-communicable diseases.

What are some of the best PR practices that you follow when you work with your PR partner? How do you measure the impact of your PR campaigns?

Needless to say, it is important for organisations to work with PR partners to ensure sustained communication and maximise outreach with our key stakeholders.

If we talk of best PR practices, then the recommended approach is:

Considering the PR agency as not a service provider, but a partner in every sense

Adopting a consultative approach at all times for best possible outcomes

Working on mutually agreed plans at the beginning of the year and working together towards the deliverables

Planning campaigns together and supporting each other

Managing crisis through a framework-based, methodical approach

Understand that traditional media and PR do not exist anymore and we have to adapt as per the evolving scenarios

Many brands and clients want to achieve thought leadership position overnight. We all know that attaining thought leadership position as a spokesperson and brand takes time. Whats your view on thought leadership?

Thought leaders need not be cutting edge in terms of their ideas, but they should inspire and influence others. Thought leadership is certainly not created overnight. It takes a lot more than one blog, social post or networking event to cement oneself as a trusted figure in any field. Expertise, insight and a valuable perspective are elements that lead to thought leadership status. Experience and Knowledge are gained with time, patience, hard work, and a willingness to listen and learn from others. It is credibility combined with expertise with a measure of humility, honesty and an appreciation for the humane aspect of leading people.

The Indian medical council keeps a hawks eye on the healthcare sector, especially the hospitals. What are some of the challenges you face when working on your messaging and communication strategy for Fortis Healthcare?

Yes, it is true that the hospital business is not entirely understood in the public domain. People expect healthcare to be free or subsidised and there is a section of the society which believes that private hospitals only exist to profit. The fact is that the private healthcare sector has been at the epicentre of pandemic management. The pandemic placed pressure on the sector like never before. In addition to the enormous demands of treating a new disease and enabling maximum recovery of patients, we also faced a huge drop in footfalls and business impact. It is true we had to revamp our entire operational style, management and turned some of our units overnight into COVID-19 facilities. We also did not have enough clinicians to manage COVID-19 as our hospitals are multi-speciality centres. However, these aspects are not talked about and focus is only on shortage of beds or equipment.

As a healthcare service provider, we have to constantly work on our messaging, be quick in our media responses, ensure transparency and convey facts. We need to have our crisis management systems in place always. We also make efforts to focus on positive stories and patient testimonials as they are invaluable for us. It is always work in progress for us.
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit the United States for the first time after the change in political leadership in the USA and return of Talibans regime in Afghanistan. News18 India is all set to bring special programming America Mein Vishwaguru on PM Modis first in-person visit to the US for Quad Leaders summit. The programming will also cover PM Modis session at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) 2021.

Under the umbrella programming, America Mein Vishwaguru, News18 India has lined-up two special shows and extensive coverage through the day. The shows will feature most comprehensive reportage from the ground zero along with insights and views from renowned political analysts on Quad Summit and its impact on Indias economy and international policies. In line with News18 Indias commitment to keep its viewers informed about all the major happenings and developments around the world, the programming will bring engaging and informative telecast for its viewers.

Watch America Mein Vishwaguru from 22nd September 2021, only on News18 India
After the stupendous success of Leaders of Global Bharat series that aimed at empowering Indian SMEs hit hard by pandemic induced lockdowns last year, TV9 Network and SAP India have again joined hands to forge two pioneering initiatives to help homegrown businesses rise and shine in enabling an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

With the objective to engage our business heroes from SMEs in more meaningful pursuits to inspire a whole new generation to take on the mantle of entrepreneurship and also acknowledge their contribution to Indias growth, SAP India and TV9 Network announced the launch of Mentors of Global Bharat series and Dare2Dream Awards 2021.

These two ambitious programmes were announced at Enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat forum, which saw participation from technology thought leaders, eminent policymakers and business stalwarts.

Stating that TV9 Network is happy to be associated with SAP in this exciting journey, Mr Raktim Das, Chief Growth Officer (Television & Digital), TV9 Network, said: SME Sector is indeed the growth locomotive of Indian business & economy. They provide the critical depth to the manufacturing and service sectors, foster entrepreneurship and generate substantial employment. Enabling and empowering them to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat is an imperative

While Mentors of Global Bharat will be a platform where aspiring entrepreneurs will meet business icons and get to learn from their success stories and business best practices; Dare2Dream Awards will look at recognizing business leaders who had the resilience to not only tide over the pandemic induced crisis but also come out stronger by resetting their business models, added Mr. Raktim Das.

Commenting on the programme, Mr. Paul Marriott, President, SAP, Asia Pacific Japan, said: We have seen unprecedented adverse impact of the pandemic on business and economy - with supply chains being disrupted and demand drying up. There is no playbook or prescription that can guide businesses to emerge from such impact and resurrect themselves rapidly.

In the many interactions that we have had with our SME customers we realised that many entrepreneurs felt the need to interact with mentors who have successfully traversed the same path before. Peer to peer learning and recognition of digital led innovation are both very important in these times and any platform that facilitates these, is a step in the right direction.

On SAPs constant endeavour to empower homegrown businesses, Mr. Kulmeet Bawa, President and MD, SAP Indian subcontinent, said: Our Global Bharat program was introduced to support MSMEs last year. Taking this program forward, we are today launching these two pioneering initiatives.

While the Mentors of Global Bharat programme is designed to help SME entrepreneurs to learn and get inspired by industry leaders and peers who have successfully navigated the new normal, the Dare2Dream Awards series was established to recognize visionaries in the SME sector who have demonstrated innovation and digital mindset and create business impact in adverse times, Bawa added.

Terming it one of the most required programmes aimed at helping entrepreneurs, Subramanian Ananthapadmanabhan, Vice President, Midmarket, SAP India, said: Whether one is just starting out or looking to improve their SMEs quality and turnover, it can be hard to know what direction to go next and its completely normal. No business owner knows everything at the start. Thats part of the reason why being mentored as a business owner is such a brilliant idea.

The series was launched in Enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat forum which saw participation from eminent policymakers NK Singh, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission; Dr Arvind Virmani, noted economist and former chief economic advisor; and SIDBI Chairman Sivasubramanian Ramann.

Speaking on the role of MSMEs in enabling an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Singh said: Its a force multiplier. Indias quest for becoming a $5 tn economy and more rests majorly on the SME sector. The quest for generating gainful employment is also primarily dependent on how we provide fillip to the small and medium businesses. I regard our homegrown businesses central to Indias quest for increasing productivity and efficiency and also emerge as a leading global player.

Former chief economic advisor Dr Arvind Virmani said: We must ensure that there is a level playing for our SMEs. The taxation reforms for new manufacturing enterprises is a welcome step. SMEs are critical to Indias inclusive growth and to ensure that as a country we sustain a growth momentum for the next 30 years. Corporations like SAP will drive productivity to make SMEs successful.

Mentors of Global Bharat got a shot in the arm with Sanjay Aggarwal, Chairman and CEO, Paramount Cables and Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director Insecticides (India) Ltd who joined as mentors for the initiative. They also lauded the objective behind the mentorship programme. More industry leaders will be joining as Mentors of Global Bharat in the coming weeks.
On 18th September 2021, ZEE Hindustan held an event UDAAN  Dare to Dream. In the last one and a half years, the epidemic completely shook the whole world, but some people gathered the strength in those bleak times and kept pushing to attain perfection in their respective field. ZEE Hindustan honoured the people who accelerated the country's economic progress while battling the difficulties during the Corona period through its unique program 'Udaan. Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu had graced the event.

The event had extraordinary panel of industrialists and entrepreneurs who spoke about the complications faced during covid, how they kept up their businesses and helped the employees in that difficult phase. Shashank Srivastava, Executive director of Maruti Suzuki India, Dr R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director of Gujrat Co-operative milk marketing federation Ltd, Amul and Y.S. Guleria, Director of Honda Motorcycle & scooter India, were part of the first-panel discussion. They spoke about growth strategies, how large companies support small businesses, and how the government has taken several steps to support MSMEs.

Many other panelists, namely Gaurav Beriwal, Sanjay Jhunjhunwala, Nitiz Murdia, Pradeep Aggarwal, Dr Suborno Bose, Subrata Ray, Satvinder Singh Saluja, Ajay Chaudhary, Ashish Desai and Ashish Shah were a part of the event as well. They spoke about innovation in business, new opportunities in these times, inspirational entrepreneurs' stories, and issues about how their respective industries were impacted due to covid.

ZEE Hindustan CEO, Purushottam Vaishnava along with Managing Editor Shamsher Singh, launched the new theme song of ZEE Hindustan on this occasion. Mr. Vaishnava inaugurated the event saying, "ZEE Hindustan is proud to celebrate the people who gave wings to the economy and inspired everyone with their sportsmanship in such difficult times. I salute all the people present today and thank them for the wonderful contribution and keeping the spirits of our country high!"

The programme ended with felicitating those, who overcame their challenges and waved the country's tricolour high in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics  Sunder Singh Gurjur, Yogesh Kathunia, Singharaj Adhana, Manoj Sarkar, Harvinder Singh. Along with Dutee Chand who made India proud in 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Manoj Jagyasi, CRO ZEE Hindustan, said, We would like to extend our gratitude towards industry stalwarts like RS Sodhi from Amul, Y.S. Guleria from Honda Motors, and Shashank Shrivastava from Maruti, for being part of the power-packed panels and motivating other entrepreneurs with their inspiring stories. Big thanks to the sponsors for supporting such an initiative which encouraged businesses to do more towards their organisation and society at large. This was indeed one of the largest events put up by any national channel in the recent past! ZEE Hindustan always has and always will take up such initiatives which represents the true value of Rastravaad
udChalo, a leading Consumer Technology company focusing on Indian Defence Personnel and their Dependents, launched a digital campaign on its 9th Foundation Day to showcase gratitude for the Indian Defence Forces for always prioritising their duties towards the country.

The digital film showcases the journey of a young army recruit who is preparing to leave for a new chapter of his life. The father, an Army Veteran is prepping his son for the journey that lies ahead, which will not be an easy one as he will have to prioritise responsibilities over emotions, Nation ahead of personal life, and call of duty over occasions. The Indian Soldiers are true heroes, real brave-hearts who dedicate their lives, face numerous challenges and sacrifices for citizens safety and well-being.

udChalo, through this campaign - #ForeverForHeroes, pledges to continue to proudly serve the faujis with its specially curated services and offerings to help them make their lives simple.

Commenting on the campaign launch, Ravi Kumar, CEO, udChalo said, It has been our honour to be able to cater to the Indian soldiers over past nine years. We have nothing but utmost appreciation for their rigorous and selfless contribution towards our Nation. We will continue to strive harder, just like our Defence Personnel do, to provide accessible, affordable and holistic solutions to all their requirements.

The Campaign film was put together by Basta Films, led by Producer Mahima Sharma, Director Rohit Pathak and conceptualised and supported by the udChalo Marketing team and Knight Motion Media LLP.

Rohit Pathak Director Basta Films says, We are delighted to work with udChalo to put together this digital film for the celebration of their 9th Anniversary. The emotional story idea will strike a chord with every Indian as we look up to and salute our Soldiers for all the sacrifices they make for our Nation.
Are you ready to survive a deadly survival thriller? Do you have what it takes to defend yourself against a raging threat? This Saturday, &PriveHD is going to test your fear instinct with the Prive Premiere of Mayhem. A virus outbreak in a law firm leads people to unleash their darkest desires inhibiting any sense of moral integrity and causing chaos in the wake. Come Saturday, September 25th at 1PM and 9PM, &PriveHD is all set to give you chills of a frightening kind; one not to miss out on.

Just as Derek Chos (Steven Yen) day couldnt get any worse, all hell breaks loose! After being fired from work, he discovers that the building of the law firm he works at is quarantined due to a virus outbreak. Victims of the disease began to show their craziest impulses and the entire office turns into chaos. Derek himself holds a personal grudge and ends up on a going on a road rage against his colleagues and senior management. Join in the action of this hilarious film by Director Joe Lynch that only gets bloodier by the minute. Also starring Samara Weaving as Melanie Cross, the two of them team us for a thrilling comic riot and battle their way to the uppermost floors to face the ultimate boss level. Can they do the unthinkable and take the beatdown to their bosses? Come find out this Saturday only on &PriveHD.

Watch Director Joe Lynchs highly acclaimed Prive Premiere of Mayhem this Saturday, September 25th, at 1PM and 9PM on &PriveHD
Injured by the device that you intended to use to injure others.

The WSJ is paid subscription only. You're able to see the intro and if you click the link, you can listen to the opening of the series. The point is well made below. Take a bow, everyone.



###



By Jonathan Rose

Last week the Wall Street Journal published a five-part expose of Facebook, based upon the company's internal reports and documents. Among other things, the WSJ revealed that corporate executives knew well that Instagram could be addictive and psychologically damaging for young people, particularly teenage girls.
Liz Truss has only been British foreign minister for a week, but she is already a player on the international world stage, with appearances scheduled at the UN in New York, at the Global Investment Summit, at the UN climate change conference in Glasgow, at the G7 meeting in Liverpool. She is positioning the UK at the heart of a network of economic, diplomatic, and security partnerships, and confirming the status of Britain as a vital part of international affairs. Her main policy views personify the slogan of Global Britain and projecting a positive outward-looking global Britain.

Truss is a champion of freedom and free trade, but she asserts that freedoms need to be defended by security ties around the world. That assertion will be tested in what may be a bitter meeting with the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and French representatives at the UN meeting on September 21, 2021, as a result of their antagonism with British participation in the creation of AUKUS. Truss has defended this creation, and the submarine deal connected with it, explaining British readiness to be hard-headed in defending British interests and challenging unfair practices and malign acts.

AUKUS is the security pact between the UK, U.S., and Australia to cooperate on military technologies and share information on cyber, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and undersea technology. It has commercial ramifications but is primarily based on strategic issues. It is a device to associate the U.S. with Britain and Australia in ensuring a desirable stability and security in the Indo-Pacific countering Chinas aggressive moves in the area. It suggests a change in U.S. and Western strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. It also confirms British Brexit and the fact that the UK can be influential outside the European bloc.

For the Biden administration, the pact is not only significant in itself but also important because it comes a few weeks after the controversial U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan which led some countries to be concerned about American commitments in general and specifically Bidens command of issues concerning the power of the Taliban and the challenge of Iran now led by the hard-line Ebrahim Raisi.

The starting plan is a decision of the U.S. and the UK to provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines so it will have a fleet more powerful than the diesel-electric boats it presently has. A nuclear submarine has enormous defense capabilities, and only six countries have them. The U.S. has 68, the UK has 10, and China has 15. Regarding non-nuclear subs, China has 58, the U.S. and UK none, and Australia six.

The deal means combining UK manufacturing, U.S. technology, and Australian geographical location. The deal also means that nuclear technology is being exported to a non-nuclear-powered nation.

As presently stated, the deal is to build in Australia at least eight subs that will be powered by nuclear reactors at a cost of $90 billion. This overturns the French submarine deal, estimated at $66 billion.

What is amazing is the petulant fury and aggressive reaction of France, whose senior officials said was blindsided by the decision. Obviously, France suffered economically by the cancellation of the lucrative contract, but more surprising were four consequences: the withdrawal of French ambassadors from Canberra and Washington; accusations that Australia was guilty of duplicity, breach of trust, bad faith, and misinformation, and had given no warning in the process of making a new deal; and statements by the French foreign minister that there was a link between the exit from Afghanistan and the Australian agreement; the argument that the U.S. did not respect the sovereignty of France. French ire was mainly directed at the U.S.

Who is telling the truth? Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison argued that in June 2021 he informed Macron that he was concerned that the French submarines were not sufficiently effective and it would be easy for the increasingly assertive Chinese to detect them and that Australia might scrap the deal. It rejected accusations it had lied. Morrison, concerned about Chinas increasing influence, had revised his thinking about the capabilities of conventional submarines to deal with the new strategic environment, and would not be useful for Australias national security interest. He informed Macron that Australia had deep and grave reservations about the arrangement with France.

In contrast, France argued otherwise. It, therefore, recalled its ambassadors from the U.S. and Australia, a serious rebuke, the first time a French envoy has been recalled from Washington, D.C. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared Australias decision was unacceptable behavior between allies and partners. It was a stab in the back. France, he held, had learned of the agreement only just before the official announcement, and it had not been involved in any previous consultation on the issue with either the U.S. or Australia.

It is pertinent to note that Frances unusual dramatic action and this diplomatic rupture with the U.S. was not the first time Macron has acted in a similar histrionic fashion. He withdrew the French ambassador from Rome in February 2019 after the Italian deputy prime minister met with the protesting French gilets jaunes, and withdrew the ambassador from Ankara in October 2020 after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested Macron needed a mental health checkup.

It is also not the first time that Macron has acted sharply towards a supposed ally. France and the UK have been allies since the Entente Cordiale of April 1904 that resolved colonial disputes and established a diplomatic understanding between the two countries. Yet, competition has sometimes been more conspicuous than cooperation. Macron has taken a particularly hard line in negotiations over Brexit, and acted strongly, threatening to cut off electricity on the island of Jersey as part of a dispute over French fishing rights in the English Channel, unfairly criticizing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine largely because it was invented in the UK. and even trying to keep British sausages out of Northern Ireland.

In a sense, Macron has acted in independent fashion, in Realpolitik, as other French leaders have done. In 1966 President Charles de Gaulle pulled France out of the NATO military command. In July 1985 President Francois Mitterrand approved the bombing of the Green Peace Rainbow Warrior, which was protesting the planned French nuclear test in Mururoa, Polynesia. France opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, leading congressional cafeterias to rename French fries as freedom fries.

The cause for the intensity of Macrons reaction to the cancellation can be understood in terms of economic loss or in ideological and strategic differences with the U.S. and UK, but it can also be seen in terms of political considerations. The French presidential election will occur in 2022 and electioneering has already begun. Macron is displaying his nationalist credentials as he is challenged by competing right-wing and other candidates include Marine Le Pen., Xavier Bertrand, and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. At the moment Macron has 24% approval compared with 23% for Le Pen and has a disapproval rating of 58%.

Yet, internationally Macron has some support. It is interesting that he did not withdraw the French ambassador from London, probably because he considers the UK as a spare wheel of the U.S., the main target. He may be consoled by the amicable statement of Boris Johnson on September 20, 2021, that he is very proud of the UK relationship with France, and our love for France is ineradicable. He may sing , LAmour toujours, je crois toujours a tes yeux.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Upon reading special counsel John Durhams 27-page indictment of attorney Michael Sussman, I found myself asking, Is there anything Perkins Coie lawyers would not do to keep their Democrat clients in power? Thanks to Durham, we know they launched a cyberwar against candidate Donald Trump that makes their work on the Steele dossier seem half-hearted. What we need to know is whether their work in producing Barack Obamas birth certificate was any more legit than these other misadventures.

As to Sussman, he stands accused of lying to the FBI, to wit, on or about September 19, 2016, the defendant stated to the General Counsel of the FBI that he was not acting on behalf of any client in conveying particular allegations concerning a Presidential candidate, when in truth, and in fact, and as the defendant well knew, he was acting on behalf of specific clients, namely, Tech Executive-I and the Clinton Campaign.

Durham could have summed up the charge in a page. Instead, he spent 27 pages outlining the skullduggery behind the deep state war on Donald Trump. According to Durham, Sussman worked with at least three high-tech firms, two university researchers, and several media outlets on a cyber smear campaign against candidate Trump that dwarfed the Steele dossier both in scope and in sophistication.

The Steele dossier was commissioned by Perkins Coie attorney Marc Elias, managed by Fusion GPS, and executed by international man of mystery, Christopher Steele. Elias makes a cameo appearance in the Durham report as campaign lawyer 1 as does Fusion GPS, here labeled U.S. Investigative Firm.

The real star of the indictment, however, is not Sussman but the still-unidentified Tech Executive-1. Sussman was billing time, ample time, both to the tech exec and to the Clinton campaign. According to the indictment, the exec used his access at multiple internet companies to conduct opposition research and create a narrative regarding Trump.

The narrative in question is that Trumps people were using the Russian Alfa Bank as a backchannel to the Kremlin. What becomes shockingly clear in the Durham document is that none of the key players cared a whit whether the narrative was true. In an email to Sussman, the tech exec called the idea of a secret communications channel between Trump and the Alfa Bank a red herring,"

Red herring or not, the conspirators persisted. Their goal was to create a story plausible enough to seduce a much too credulous FBI and a lapdog media. As a former Justice Department attorney, Sussman knew what strings to pull. He sought out then FBI general counsel James Baker and shared his bogus intel, all the time denying he was working as a political operative. Choosing to believe Sussman, the FBI launched an investigation into the Trump-Alfa allegation, the news of which was promptly leaked to the media.

Durham has Sussman dead to rights. Only a D.C. jury can save him at this point. The tech exec may be just as culpable. If the exec is who I think he is, his involvement would bring the murdered DNC staffer, Seth Rich, back into the mix, but that is a story for another day. The story for today, the one alluded to in the headline, involves a third Perkins Coie attorney, Bob Bauer, and a fourth, Judith Corley.

In 2008, Bauer worked with the Barack Obama campaign and the DNC not so much to create a narrative regarding Obama as to sustain the narrative Obama had already created. Beginning with his keynote speech at the 2004 Democrat Convention, Obama repeatedly told the story of his parents improbable love. Obama biographer David Remnick called the use of this multicultural love story Obamas signature appeal. To help preserve the integrity of that appeal, Bauer fended off requests to see Obamas long-form birth certificate. The tenacity of his and Obamas resistance to sharing that document created the impression they had something to hide. Democrat Philip Berg certainly thought so. A former Pennsylvania deputy attorney general and a lifetime member of the NAACP, Berg initiated the first serious suit to see the certificate in August 2008.

In November 2009, the United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, ruled that Berg lacked standing to bring the suit. I was deprived of my due process rights to be heard, Berg would later write. Judge Surrick made some outlandish comments claiming Obama had been properly vetted, and that was completely untrue. Bergs claim here is accurate. The medias failure to investigate Obamas background is a scandal in its own right.

In a March 2019 article in the Atlantic, Bauer tried to explain why he and Obama resisted Berg and other litigants. By acquiring and releasing [the long-form birth certificate], wrote Bauer, the White House might have been taken to be conceding that what it had previously put out was not adequate or reliable. Bauer was referring here to a digitally scanned image of a short-form birth certificate the Obama campaign released in June 2008. Berg obviously thought it less than adequate. Two months after the image was posted, he put his money and reputation on the line to see the real thing.

One thing Bauer did prove in the Atlantic article was his willingness to lie to protect his candidates. In attempting to make the case that President Trump was a committed racist Bauer presented evidence that would have gotten him laughed out of any court, if not charged with perjury.

Exhibit 1 in his case against Trump involved Obamas origins. Said Bauer, Trump repeatedly hawked the lies that Obama was born in Kenya. This was false. Trump did question the mystery surrounding Obamas origins, but despite their digging, the media could find no instance in which Trump claimed Obama was born in Kenya. As Breitbart.com reported in 2012, it was the young Obama who -- falsely, I believe -- claimed Kenyan birth when first positioning himself in the literary marketplace.

As Exhibit 2 in his presentation, Bauer claimed Trump had gone out of his way to defend the white supremacists rampaging in Charlottesville. Trump did no such thing. As reported by CNN, what Trump actually said about white supremacists was this: Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans. In fact, CNN headlined the article, Trump calls KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists repugnant. It was hard to miss.

A month after Bauers article, Joe Biden launched his campaign around the very same lie. Said Biden, When [Trump] said after Charlottesville that there were, quote, very fine people on both sides, he gave license and safe harbor for hate to white supremacists, Neo-Nazis and the KKK. This parallel spin was not a coincidence. Bauers wife Anita Dunn was running Bidens campaign, and Bauer was actively advising.

Having established that Bauer is capable of lying and that his law firm is capable of much worse, I think it fair to question everything Bauer and Obama said or did in regard to the birth certificate. None of it rings true. In April 2011, under pressure from Trump and a reluctant media, Obama and Bauer elected to produce a document. Finally I decided Id had enough, Obama wrote in his 2020 memoir, A Promised Land. He told Bauer, then-White House counsel, to go ahead and obtain the long-form birth certificate from its home in a bound volume, somewhere deep in the bowels of the Hawaii Vital Records office.

In the Atlantic, Bauer wrote, I asked the presidents personal attorney, Judith Corley, to travel to Hawaii to obtain a copy of the long-form and return with it by Monday. In that Bauer makes no mention of when Corley left for Hawaii, the Monday reference just hangs in space like some vestigial talking point.

According to official White House documents, Corley wrote a letter to Hawaiis Director of Health, Loretta Fuddy, dated Friday, April 22, 2011. Using Perkins Coie stationery, Corley requested two copies of Obamas original certificate of live birth and concluded the letter saying, I will be coming to your offices to pick up the copies of the certificates. Obama sent an accompanying letter to verify the request. It too was dated April 22. In a letter dated Monday, April 25, Fuddy granted Obamas and Corleys request, saying, Enclosed please find two certified copies of your original Certificate of Live Birth. Bauer claimed Corley returned to D.C. with these copies on that same Monday. Even before reading the Sussman indictment, I was suspicious of this timeline. How could anyone not be? Now, I would bet the Perkins Coie birth certificate is as fraudulent as its Steele dossier or its Trump-Alfa Bank connection. For Bauer, as he showed in his attack on Trump. Kenya was always a red herring. To preserve Obamas signature appeal, I believe he and Obama needed to conceal not the where of Obamas birth, but the when.

The details of this theory I explore in my new book, Barack Obamas Promised Land: Deplorables Need Not Apply, Knowing what I know now about Perkins Coies culture of corruption, I would raise my level of confidence in the theory from very possible to highly probable. Too bad Loretta Fuddy is no longer around for John Durham to depose.

Jack Cashills latest book, Barack Obamas Promised Land: Deplorables Need Not Apply, is now widely available. See www.cashill.com for more information.

Image: Post Hill Press

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
If there is one basic element in our Constitution, it is civilian control of the military  Harry S. Truman

Americans traditionally have been wary of a large permanent military establishment, believing it to be a threat to democratic institutions. This attitude goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers who deliberately kept the army small, preferring to rely on local militia in case of an emergency. This was done to prevent the army from being used to repress the rights of any individual state during the long and ongoing battle over the issue of states rights; the echoes of which still reverberate to this very day. The past nine months events show how wise this attitude was.

During major conflicts, such as the Civil War and the two World Wars, the military would expand exponentially, only to revert to the size of a constabulary force when hostilities ended. This lasted until the onset of the Cold War when our newly established rivalry with the Soviet Bloc compelled us to maintain a large standing military force.

All American soldiers swear the same oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Their oath is not to any political party regardless of which one currently holds the reins of power.

Career military officers occupy a unique place in American society. Ideally, they are supposed to be apolitical. They vote in elections of course, but they are not free to criticize politics openly nor to deride their Commander-in-Chief, whoever that might be. Senior officers are supposed to be promoted based on competency, efficiency, and ability, not because of loyalty to any political party.

Officers who violate these rules can be dismissed from the military. The most famous example was President Trumans firing of General Douglas MacArthur in 1951. An open critic of the Truman administrations handling of the Korean War, MacArthur delved into the area of foreign policy, urging the Nationalist Chinese on the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) to attack the Chinese mainland. Since this would have entailed an expansion of the war, possibly involving the Soviet Union, this was the last thing Truman wanted. MacArthur had to go.

Seventy years after MacArthurs ignominious dismissal, another American general is in the spotlight: General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the highest-ranking military officer in the armed forces. MacArthurs actions took place at a time when America was beginning its ascendancy to the position of global superpower; Milleys deeds have occurred during a time when Americas dominant position is clearly in a state of decline. Both men believed in the righteousness of their cause and both served under presidents whose actions they deemed harmful to American interests. Both men acted in ways that clearly overstepped the boundaries of their authority and both fervently defended their actions, causing a great deal of controversy.

According to Bob Woodwards and Robert Costas newly published Peril (and subsequently reported in the Washington Post), in October 2020 and January 2021, Milley placed phone calls to his Chinese counterpart in Beijing (which he later admitted doing). These calls were meant to reassure the Chinese we were not going to launch a nuclear strike against them. Milley stated, If were going to attack, Im going to call you ahead of time. Its not going to be a surprise.

Milley also allegedly asked his senior commanders to take on oath to him promising to obtain his approval if Trump launched a nuclear attack. A spokesman for the general stated he acted within his authority as the senior military advisor to the President and the Secretary of Defense, yet Milley failed to consult any civilian authority, a fact confirmed by his superiors in the Trump administration and by the former President himself.

General Milley also undertook at least two other controversial programs. The first was adopting Critical Race Theory as part of the reading curriculum for the military; a program which he personally defended during recent congressional hearings.

American soldiers have historically sacrificed themselves on battlefields from Europe to Asia and the Middle East to save their brothers in arms. All that mattered was the other guy wore the same uniform. Under Critical Race Theory, a soldier would be compelled not to look at the color of a fellow soldiers uniform, but at the color of his skin, before acting. Just how this adds to the cohesiveness, comradery, and fighting efficiency of the military is not explained.

Second, Milley worked closely with Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin, who ordered a stand down of the entire military to hunt down extremism in the military. This was done in response to Joe Bidens announcement of white supremacists as the greatest threat to our democracy. Accordingly, an internal review was conducted to identify any offenders within the ranks. Given these facts, it seems that the entire military is being both indoctrinated and politicized.

A large military establishment is now a permanent part of the American landscape. Just exactly how and against whom this force is to be used is now the question. Chinas recent history provides one possible outcome. In June 1989, more than one and a quarter million protesters gathered in Beijings Tiananmen Square to advocate for democratic reforms. Those protests had been going on for several weeks and had spread to dozens of Chinese cities. The Chinese Communist Party, perceiving an existential threat to their power, ordered the Chinese army, the Peoples Liberation Army, to crush the demonstrators, most of whom were unarmed students. No one knows how many were killed, but estimates run from hundreds to several thousand.

Given Bidens identification of the real enemy as white supremacists, its possible that the military is directing its attention to this new perceived domestic threat. According to the radical left, which appears to control the Democrat party, this enemy consists of the 75 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2020.

For now, we dont know how this will play out. Would the US Army or any segment of it, thoroughly imbued in Wokeism and Critical Race Theory, open fire on a mass of peaceful unarmed protesters if ordered to do so? Only time will tell.

Seven decades separate the actions of Douglas MacArthur and Mark Milley. During those years, the United States of America has fundamentally changed. In 1951, most Americans were fervently anti-Communist. In 2021, only 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism, countless millions of Americans seem willing and even eager to embrace it. This shift to the far left is only going to accelerate as more of our younger generation, thoroughly indoctrinated in Wokeism and Neo-Marxist ideology, comes of age.

Just where the U.S. military will fit in this Brave New World is yet to be realized. One thing, however, can be stated with a degree of certainty: the Army can never be used as an instrument of repression against our own people. The current politicization and indoctrination of the armed forces must cease. The public trust in our social institutions, not just the military, but also law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the Justice Department, and organizations such as the CDC, NIH, FDA, and indeed the government itself, is at stake.

Caren Besner who has written articles published by American Thinker, Conservative News and Views, The Front Page, Dr Swier, News With Views, Published Reporter, Renew America, Sun-Sentinel, Jerusalem Post, Jewish Journal, The Times of Israel, The Algemeiner, Jewish Press, Arutz Sheva, The Moderate Voice, The Florida Veteran, Israel National News, San Diego Jewish World, Independent Sentinel, The Jewish Voice, and others.

Image: Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin. YouTube screen grab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
The Biden administration has made a big deal about organizing swift deportations of illegal border crossers in Del Rio, Texas, where large numbers of mostly Haitians have set up a huge, squalid, fourth-world shantytown on the Texas side, the biggest such migrant camp in U.S. history. At its peak, it held approximately 16,000 people.

According to Fox News, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, visiting the border, said:

"We have sent a very clear message early on in light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic, that the border is not open and people should not take the perilous journey here," he said. "We are returning people to other countries."

CBS and large numbers of other media outlets screamed "mass deportations" and quoted open-borders activists who insisted that the migrants be allowed to claim asylum, same as all the other 209,000 migrants who got through in August. Two million illegal migrants are forecast to arrive this year without authorization.

The Biden administration and the press released video of the migrants getting off an airplane from their taxpayer-paid flight to Haiti. One report said they were each handed $100 from Uncle Sam, and based on the identical baby blankets seen, apparently took home a lot of swag, too.

Turns out it was all for show.

According to New York Post columnist Miranda Devine:

Of 3,300 migrants processed Sunday from the 15,000 group under the Del Rio bridge, 327 were deported to Haiti. That would suggest 90 percent remain indefinitely in the US with a notice to appear which we know isnt worth the paper its written on https://t.co/nP7YwxFpEq  Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) September 20, 2021

Here's more from an independent journalist:

#BREAKING A law enforcement source tells me 8,000 people part of family units will be processed by @CBP then will continue the journey into the US many go to live w/family.



They will be given a notice to appear before a judge within 12-36 months  at their final destination. pic.twitter.com/lpbUyZKfs4  Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 20, 2021

And that might have something to do with Biden's bigger plans.

Biden aims to welcome 125,000 refugees next year https://t.co/gHmfGJgsqO I thought it would've been more, but since the Biden crowd says they can "parole" in an unlimited number of foreigners, there's no sense in giving opponents a target by announcing a number ahead of time.  Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) September 20, 2021

He's got slots to fill. As a result, pretty much everyone in that squalid migrant camp is going to get to stay. But Biden wants Americans to think that mass deportations are going on left and right and he's Mr. Man of Action.

Now there are a few people who are being deported and that's presenting some interesting phenomena.

One, how did they pick the 300 to deport? Was it a weird lottery? Was it based on who has relatives here illegally in the states? The Biden administration is saying all kinds of things at this point, none credible. I can see in the news video that those deported to Haiti on the flight seem to include single moms with babies on their hips, which runs counter to the Biden narrative that "some" migrants in "families" will be handed 'notice to appear' papers and be allowed to stay for a good two or three years' employment until their cases are adjudicated. After that, they'll continue to stay, given that Biden won't deport those ordered deported.

Meanwhile, this report from CBS News features a young, military-aged single man, coming up from a previous refugee status in Chile where he had been settled earlier, getting his free papers to stay, no problem. He openly discusses his quest for a better job and lifestyle, meaning, he's very much an economic migrant. The Biden administration claims these border jumpers are being sent back, but well...

It seems pretty arbitrary, a lot of Potemkin stuff for media consumption.

Illegal aliens are prodigious consumers of news and social media, and for sure it's affecting them, too. Many are moving back across to Mexico as word gets out about the deportations to Haiti. It's potent stuff because most of these migrants are people who have already been settled in countries such as Chile and Haiti and have some benefits from it. Many haven't lived in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. Having to go back to Haiti, as opposed to going back to Mexico to try again to enter the U.S., or go back to the Tapachula holding pen in Mexico in hopes of getting working papers, seems to be a better option for them, so many are swiftly heading back.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz certainly thinks it's having an effect:

10,503 illegal aliens are under this bridge tonight because Joe Biden made a political decision to cancel deportation flights to Haiti.



The Border Patrol is overcapacity. Its indefensible, its inhuman, and it was entirely caused by Biden & Harris. #BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/LmWV52nmJc  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 17, 2021

He tweeted this earlier:

Days ago, Joe Biden made a political decision to no longer allow deportation flights back to Haiti.



This is the direct result of that decision. pic.twitter.com/BZmTKAYkoF  Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 17, 2021

That said, migrants also make their perfectly rational decisions about what their best options are from word of mouth. As the press seeks to convince Haitians and above all Americans that something is being done about the Del Rio border crisis, the thousands of migrants who got in, scot-free, rewarded with a three-year work permit to the states plus lots of free stuff, are going to send word back, too. They know that Biden's "mass deportations" are a sham and almost everyone who breaks in gets to stay. Expect that to get around too and would-be illegal migrants to respond accordingly.

Image: Twitter screen shot

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
As the big picture begins to sharpen on the COVID pandemic, a few things become clear to me.

The "vaccine" isn't even a vaccine. It is a radical gene therapy currently being tested on the human race.

The vaccine doesn't work for its stated purpose. It doesn't prevent infection.

The vaccine is very risky  far more so than getting the disease. The VAERS system for recording vaccine injuries shows breathtaking statistics despite being undermined by erasures, denial of reports, and failure to count eligible reports.

Natural immunity from those who have recovered from the disease is far superior to the vaccine for prevention.

The vast majority of the information outlets in America have been enlisted to join the government in a fiercely aggressive effort to force every living person to get the vaccine. This does not square with the above facts. Perhaps that is why, as of last May, 40% of the people in Fauci's NIAID had declined to be vaccinated. A Forbes article noted that "[t]he unvaccinated include nearly 1 in 3 workers at the nation's 50 largest hospitals."

One of the administration's blunt force tools is total hysteria about the delta variant. There have been many "variants" identified so far  plenty of supply to keep things going if this maneuver works politically. Another weapon deployed against American citizenry is the withholding of information about efficacious treatment (HCQ and ivermectin) as well as any statistic that counters the favored narrative. I am still trying to get to the "why."

Sadly, the upper echelons of the medical profession have also sold out to the effort  including doctors. Whatever happened to the "first do no harm" part of their professional oath? They have become cowed employees of big marketing conglomerates and hospitals. Medical professionals at every level can blast out support for the policy and they will be heard; the press especially loves to quote doctors. A few brave souls speak out against the jab, but being egocentric doctors, they always identify themselves when they speak. Not so with nurses.

Nurses share a fact of life with paralegals. They may be respected and beloved by their co-workers, but they will never rise to the top of their profession in terms of prestige or actual power within the organization. This makes them free to speak anonymously. Nurses witness suffering and treatment up close. They get it. So I tend to read nurse testimonials with interest  I am inclined to believe them.

Not all nurses are against the jab. Some are true believers in it, but many are not. I noted an article called "COVID ICU Nurse Admits She No Longer Trusts Doctors' Care." In it, a nurse notes the total buy-in by doctors of refusing to talk about problems with the vaccine. Not only that, but they actively pursue everyone, even the ones with a bad first shot, to get the full vaccine.

Here's some of what she had to say:

[I]n her experience there is no testing available for the Delta variant, she has not seen the word Delta on any patient charts, and the only time she's dealt with the word "Delta" is from her administration directing staff to get the jab due to this mystery variant. ... "This is horrific. This vaccine rollout is a nightmare and the media is completely not telling the public any truth of what is going on with the vaccines."

This brave nurse also said something that struck me like a bolt of lightning. It was so true, and it answered a lot of questions. She said, "The delta variant is the vaccine-injured."

I am beginning to wonder if the self-declared "elites" have even gotten the actual vaccine. That may account for their cavalier way of not following restrictive rules when they think no one is watching. Maybe all of these jabs are not equal  Japan got a very big bad batch. I pray that Israel has not been conned into committing mass suicide. There is way too much we are not being told, all of which makes the idea that the delta variant is the locus of vaccine injuries credible.

Keep reading, and make up your own mind. If you don't want to get the jab, don't. You are not alone. I will die one day, as we all will; nonetheless, I am not letting them kill me to serve their ghoulish experiment, or worse, some grand eugenics plan.

Image via Pixnio.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
My wife and I recently canceled a "bucket list" trip that had been planned for several years due to the ongoing pandemic and heightened terrorism alert in France. Paris was the destination of choice for her, the beaches at Normandy for me.

Ever since watching the movie The Longest Day as a child in 1962, I have had a yearning to someday visit the beaches at Normandy, which were the site of the D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944. Codenamed Operation Neptune, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of France and laid the foundations of the ultimate Allied victory over the evil of Nazi Germany.

Allied casualties on the first day alone have been documented to have been at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Many of those are interred at the cemeteries surrounding the beachhead. In addition to physical casualties, many of the participants suffered from debilitating mental anguish called "battle fatigue," known now as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

As a child, I marveled at the airborne assaults by parachutes and gliders and the heroics displayed by many young men not much older than me, who willingly sacrificed their own lives so that others may live in freedom. As I have become older and as a result of service in uniform, I have seen firsthand the horror of armed conflict. I have a much deeper appreciation for the sacrifices that were made on the day when the very future of democracy was at stake.

Since the founding of this nation in 1776, we have had a total of 2,852,901-plus men and women as casualties, including deaths, those wounded in action, and those missing  a major toll to pay for the price of freedom we enjoy today. Along with those who have died in conflicts of the past there are those today who suffer from PTSD and other disorders. All as a result of our recent "War on Terrorism."

We recently paid tribute to Army staff sergeant Ryan Knauss as his body proceeded in Virginia up Interstate 81 to his final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. Unfortunately, he and twelve other sailors and Marines were senselessly murdered in Kabul, Afghanistan. Their loss could have been easily prevented had it not been for the ineptitude and incompetence of the Biden administration.

Along with our freedom, we have a debt to those who perished and suffered, and that debt is to ensure that we as citizens in a representative democracy vote on the issues and candidates of our own choosing. Many in America may believe their vote does not really count or matter. Recent false allegations by members of the Democratic Party of "voter suppression" and "Jim Crow" are merely a veiled attempt to dissuade some from going to the polls to exercise their constitutional rights

As Thomas Jefferson stated, "[w]e do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate." Through their sacrifice, please vote, and remember the fallen, who paid the ultimate price for the freedom we enjoy today. Honor them and ensure that their sacrifice was not made in vain.

Image: National Archives.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
I have been reviewing my oldest posts about COVID, which started with an anti-lockdown diatribe last December. I called the lockdowns government-imposed victimhood and naively called for the small business equivalent of the Boston Tea Party. Oh, well. That didn't happen!

In January, I wrote asking why people with COVID weren't being treated and noted how it seemed that reveling in the body count served the powers that be, despite early treatment being available that would save many lives. I wrote again in January about the government's investment in keeping us afraid of COVID for their own sick reasons  namely, to peddle the lucrative vaccines.

In February, I again challenged people to stop being "sheeple" and stand up to the government. Later the same month, I wrote about my suspicions that the vaccine was dangerous. In that article, I again looked at the bottom-line question  who profits from the jab?

In March, I wrote about actually following the science with regard to vaccinations and masks. Next, I wrote about a think-tank exercise of disaster scenarios that closely mimic what was going on in the U.S. and the world with COVID. It had unexpected, revelatory results that you might yet find interesting.

In April, I brought up problems with graphene in masks, especially the ubiquitous blue hospital type. I also address some of the science behind the general danger of masking everyone and the deep harm to children from wearing masks all the time.

I won't continue with examples; my archive is open to all, all 100 posts (if I counted right), quite a few of them on COVID and our response to it. The point I am making is, I've been right in every darn post I've written, and that is worrisome.

I don't write from the POV of being an "expert." I'm not. I'm just a retiree with common sense and an active brain and the freedom to say what I want without the danger of losing a job or a medical license. What I don't get is why everyone else can't see the same stuff I've noticed over time and why most people just put up with it all.

Clearly, everyone isn't as invested in finding the truth as I am. Why else would our complacent public put its collective head down and toe the line, no matter the absurdity of government dictates? Why don't they rise up and make a big brouhaha about how the government doesn't count immunity acquired from having been infected when we know from several careful studies that it's far better than vaccine immunity? Why all the coercion?

We know, now, that the vaccine is causing people to get the virus because (simplistic explanation) it works only on alpha, so the virus has simply been wily and mutated. Yes, I wrote about that a while back, and there's been a lot of other (often suppressed) information on it since  it's called antibody-dependent enhancement, and is a risk with all vaccines, not just COVID. If you want to understand all of it better, listen to Dr. Robert Malone, who pioneered research in mRNA vaccines back in 1989.

We do know that vaccinating healthy teen boys, zero of whom have died of COVID (all the <18 COVID deaths have been in kids with obesity, other co-morbidities), puts them at risk from myocarditis from the vaccine. We also know that the spike protein is passed on in breastmilk.

We also know that masks are 100% useless and worse  they could be causing all sorts of medical and psychological problems. Nothing makes me madder than watching, as I did today, a mom and son walk down the street  Mom (who no doubt is vaccinated) breathing free, but the little boy absurdly masked. I watch the kids on their way to school, all masked up. How ignorant do you have to be not to know this is a bogus "feel good" non-remedy and is harmful? Masks are the equivalent of the stuff the snake oil salesmen peddled in the old West, which was basically some cheap alcohol disguised as a remedy.

I'll never get the jab because I've looked at the actual reports of the damage it does. I honestly think we've seen only the tip of the iceberg because we don't know what long-term effects are coming, and predictions are scary.

When are we going to wake up? I just had to cancel a trip to see family. My unvaccinated status would have mandated a quarantine that lasted half my trip. Why, when there's ample proof it's the vaccinated who are passing COVID around?

We know a lot that is bad about the vaccine, and we know a lot about the dishonesty of our government in tracking COVID, but for some reason, too many people are convinced, when they look at the evidence, to scream "conspiracy theory."

Image: COVID virus. Public domain.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
The Australian state of Victoria, the capital of which is Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, has seen some of the world's most draconian COVID rules. The latest order, mandating vaccines for the construction industry along with a two-week industry-wide shutdown, sparked huge, violent protests from trade unions. Most strikingly, union members turned against their own union boss.

The Daily Mail described the frenzy of two days of protests (with "tradies" referring to the trade unionists):

Furious 'freedom' protests have erupted across Melbourne with anti-vaxxer tradies massing outside Victoria's Parliament House and a TV reporter assaulted and doused in urine in vile scenes. Hundreds of construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets for the second consecutive day on Tuesday  many of them distraught after a tradesman took his own life at a construction site earlier in the day. Demonstrators sung Advance Australia Fair and chanted 'f--- the jab' in protest against mandatory vaccination orders for the industry, and Premier Daniel Andrews' decision to shut the industry down for two weeks, amid soaring case numbers. The protest began outside the boarded up head office of the construction union, the CFMEU, which was badly damaged by violent demonstrations just 24 hours before. More than 100 police officers walked up Swanston Street in pursuit of the crowd, with officers warning demonstrators on a loudspeaker to turn back. [snip] It comes as Victoria recorded 603 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally in the current outbreak and since August 2020, bringing the number of active cases to 6,000. [snip] The Melbourne protesters are also using encrypted platform Telegram to call for an end to lockdowns, mandatory mask orders and the immediate reopening of the construction industry. Three of the demands called for Victoria's leading figureheads in its pandemic response to stand down  Premier Daniel Andrews, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. [snip] Their final demand was for the 'mass distribution of invermectin [sic], Vitamins C, D and Zinc' as alternative treatments for Covid-19.

Writing at The Conservative Treehouse, Sundance explains just how serious these protests are, insofar as they've seen union members turning against their own union boss:

As he was attempting to hunker down in his office headquarters, union boss John Setka physically came under attack from his own union membership over his political relationship with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. This is the U.S. equivalent of AFL-CIO members launching a violent uprising against former union President Richard Trumka; and then Trumka running to Joe Biden for help and protection from his own membership. The CFMEU members are the heavy-hitting blue-collar construction and dirty fingernail workers, and the leadership of the CFMEU are the thug-like mobsters who run the union. Just like the AFL-CIO or UAW in America, the union leadership in Australia is politically corrupt and disconnected from the members they serve. Earlier today (AU-time), the union members organized to confront the union leadership. [snip] This is a very interesting development. If the heavy-hitting labor unions start striking back against government leadership they previously supported and installed, the entire dynamic of power shifts. We must keep watching this closely because this is also the dynamic we could see play out in the United States, only on a much larger scale.

Fear is a powerful motivator. For 18 months, ordinary people across the West have handed their freedoms over to their governments in exchange for the promise that those same governments will do everything necessary to keep us safe. However, we're not safe.

As events in Australia cast into high relief, what we're seeing isn't safety but, instead, a massive realignment, not along political lines, but along the lines of insiders versus outsiders. On the one side are the elites, who benefit from their increasingly draconian rules (gaining money or power or both), and on the other side are the rest of us, who are seeing our livelihoods destroyed, our children and their mental health destroyed, our freedom gutted, and our bodily integrity now the subject of mandates that we inject marginally tested substances in our arms, knowing that they may badly harm us, as opposed to being allowed to treat an illness with medicines that have safely been used for decades.

The Australians, like Americans, have long been used to being a free people. However, because the restrictions imposed in certain Australian states are even more extreme than those imposed in Democrat-run cities and states, the Aussies are ahead of us when it comes to explosive anger. It remains to be seen whether, now that Biden is pushing forward with an admittedly unconstitutional mandate to force vaccines on 100 million workers, Americans continue to be passive or also begin to agitate for the constitutional liberties.

UPDATE: A knowledgeable Australian reader has explained that, even though the Daily Mail may have been referring to trade unionists, the word "tradie" in Australia has a much broader meaning: "It's an Australian slang word for someone who generally works with their hands ie carpenter, plumber, electrician, bricklayer etc most of whom in Australia are self employed and certainly not members of a trade union. These work in industries such as new home construction, renovations and general jobs about the home eg fuse box repairs." So now you know!

Image: Protests in Melbourne. YouTube screen grab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
More and more, we are seeing that huge swaths of our government that were meant to be apolitical, especially the military, have become deeply partisan. This strikes a blow at the heart of the American experiment and must be addressed before it is too late.

One of the most distressing things in September 2021 is that many people are still held in solitary confinement for their role in the attempted redress of grievances that took place on January 6, 2021. It has now become abundantly clear that the United States government will detain its citizens indefinitely as political prisoners.

Saturday, there was a demonstration near the Capitol to support those individuals. The event was sparsely attended, with most people having been warned off by those in a position to know the dangers. It was made clear that this was likely another set-up by the FBI and that everyone should steer clear. Estimates on crowd size ran around 500 people. Of course, that's still about ten times more than would show up to the average Biden rally.

The media, though they showed up in large numbers, ignored the event except to belittle it and point out that the protesters were outnumbered by law enforcement. As Americans, we should all be offended at this show of force against citizens exercising their constitutional rights. A short time ago, we would have been. But now the media, great champions of the Constitution that they are, were applauding the police presence, just as they cheered walling off the capital.

If the same precautions were taken for all the BLM and Antifa riots in 2020 (where it was legitimately needed), that probably could have saved two dozen lives and prevented billions of dollars in damage. Compare that to January 6. There were no deaths directly resulting from the protest except for the unjustified shooting of Ashli Babbitt at the hands of a Capitol Police officer  a crime for which he will never be punished.

Most of the Antifa and BLM detainees were released on bail (some with the assistance of the now vice president of the United States) and then quickly had all their charges dropped. Are we now to believe that there is no political agenda involved in these actions?

This is just the most recent in the long train of abuses and usurpations that is the Biden presidency.

At this point in our history, it's worth making the case that the Department of Justice, the FBI, the CIA, the NIH, the FDA, the FAA, and literally hundreds of other government agencies have all become incurably politicized and should be defunded and disbanded at the earliest possible opportunity. Their inevitable politicization as they accrued power is the very reason all these entities were not supposed to exist, constitutionally, to begin with. The larger the government gets, the more difficult it becomes to police itself and the greater the likelihood of political corruption. If we're ever to return to a constitutional government, they would all be gone.

As just one example of how to trim the bloated federal government, the states can provide for their own justice departments. They don't need and should not have the federal government telling them how to do it. The federal government did just fine without a Department of Justice for almost one hundred years, and it would do fine without one again.

What is most worrisome, and the most dangerous symptom of an out-of-control government, is that the military, for the first time in its history, has fallen to the sway of political corruption. General Milley is the poster boy for a new woke armed forces. To fix this problem, the ideological litmus tests that have crept into the military would have to be purged along with all those who advocated for them. This is next to impossible in the current environment. General Milley, even with a large shadow of treasonous behavior cast over him and some in his orbit, still has the full confidence of the president of the United States.

How can anything be repaired when the president himself supports this kind of corruption? It can't. It must wait until he's gone. If our constitutional republic can survive that long.

Image: Mark Milley. YouTube screen grab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
We are seeing a major realignment in America, one different from geography and politics. Instead, it's built around who gets to flout the new rules and who does not. Or as Anatole France said, "the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." Today, though, it's not about bridges and bread; instead, it's about parties and masking. The latest example is San Francisco mayor London Breed, who vigorously defended why she's special and the rest of San Francisco residents are not.

San Francisco has been extraordinarily aggressive about masks and lockdowns. Beginning in August, San Francisco started a vaccine passport program for all people 12 and older (even though the vaccine is not approved for young people) if they want to go to "Bars, Restaurants, Clubs, Gyms, Large indoor events, [or] Any business or event serving food or drinks indoors." (Emphasis mine.)

In a sane world, vaccine passports would end masking. After all, if you're vaccinated, your likelihood of getting the disease is minimal, right? Unfortunately with COVID, being vaccinated means you can still get and transmit COVID (although there is evidence that the vaccine lessens serious symptoms). Therefore, vaccine mandates and passports notwithstanding, masks are still mandatory:

Because of the Delta variant, we have more cases of COVID-19 right now. You are required to wear a mask to stop the spread of the Delta variant. You must wear a mask even if you are vaccinated.

This mandate even applies to all children 2 and over. You know my feelings about that particular brand of Democrat sadism.

However, as always, the people who make the rules aren't bound by the rules. With relentless predictability, politicians and "connected" people have flouted the rules. Gavin Newsom went to the French Laundry; Nancy Pelosi went to a swanky fundraiser (and got her hair done). AOC and other rich, tasteless people went to the Met Gala, and Hollywood's "beautiful people" gathered maskless to congratulate themselves at the Emmys.

And then there was Mayor London Breed, who's presided over San Francisco's exceptionally aggressive policies about masks and lockdowns and is now in the vaccine passport vanguard. Despite turning her San Francisco citizens into prisoners, Breed partied hard  and maskless  over the weekend:

I talked to @LondonBreed afterwards too. What a fun night!https://t.co/87nxpphbJF  Mariecar Mendoza (@SFMarMendoza) September 16, 2021

When called out on it, Breed defended herself, saying:

"Don't feel as though you have to be micromanaged about mask wearing. Like, we don't need the fun police to come in and try and micromanage and tell us what we should or shouldn't be doing. We know what we need to do to protect ourselves," Breed told reporters on Friday when asked about the episode at a news conference. [snip] "I was eating and I was drinking and I was sitting with my friends and everyone who came in there was vaccinated," she said. "No, I'm not going to sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, eat and put my mask on," she told reporters. "While I'm eating and I'm drinking, I'm going to keep my mask off."

Foot, meet mouth. After all, none of that explained the dancing and hugging. So, on Monday, Breed again found herself having to explain what happened. This time, her foot crept even further into her mouth as she tried to justify why she's special and you're not:

San Francisco Mayor @LondonBreed defends violating her indoor mask mandate while partying at a club:



I was feeling the spirit and I wasnt thinking about a mask."pic.twitter.com/lFTFCgzihZ  Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 20, 2021

Here are Breed's reasons for getting a pass from the rules she's imposed on San Franciscans:

A band called Toni Toni Toni was having a reunion.

There was an incredible trumpeter performing.

"I was there and I was eating and I was drinking, and I was sitting with my friends, and everyone who came in there was vaccinated." Except that her own rules are clear  get vaccinated and wear a mask.

She's not going to keep masks between sips of drinks and bites of food. (But what about that dancing and hugging?)

"We were all having a good time and, again, all vaccinated."

A live performance is so important that pointing out her hypocrisy is a "distraction."

"Don't feel as though you have to be micromanaged about mask-wearing. Like, we don't need the fun police to come in and try and micromanage and tell us what we should or shouldn't be doing." But of course, that's exactly what Breed's San Francisco has been doing for 18 months: micromanaging.

After fan-girling again about the band, "I was feeling the spirit and I wasn't thinking about a mask. I was thinking about having a good time, and, in the process, I was following a health order." (No, she wasn't.)

The Chronicle reporter who broke the story wasn't wearing a mask, either. (Nyah-nyah-nyah.)

Bottom line: Because Breed's important, when she has fun, the rules just don't apply. Tough luck to all you other losers, because you can bet that you'll get in trouble for flouting London's rules.

Image: London Breed. Twitter screen grab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Last year opened my eyes to the power of the teachers' union to conspire with the CDC to craft policy to derail opening schools.

My state, California, has been dead last among 50 states in reopening schools because Gov. Gavin Newsom has implemented every CDC school recommendation. Schools have offered fewer than 40% of students in-person instruction. Reopenings have been thwarted with onerous preconditions and mitigation measures, serving to either decrease teacher workload or increase teacher remuneration.

How do we know that the unions are working with the CDC? After local school boards laid plans to qualify for $2 million in grant money for reopening, the unions' push for six-foot social distancing put the brakes on real in-person schooling. Emails released through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) showed significant teachers' union influence over CDC guidelines.

Although the CDC originally recommended that schools reopen without preconditions, conversations between the CDC and union bosses led to adding union qualifiers verbatim in the final CDC document.

While they claim to want students back at school, CDC director Rochelle Walensky reinforces keeping schools closed in "red zones" (where 99% of students reside) and secondary schools: "If you're in middle school or high school, we would advocate for virtual learning for that group."

At each step, unions requested delays to add mitigation  prioritize teachers vaccination for school safety, delay six more weeks to get teachers fully vaccinated, and process exemptions for fully vaccinated teachers "with documented high-risk conditions for COVID-19." By including household members' health status in approving medical exemptions, 1020% of teachers received exemptions to continue remote work. Despite Biden's promise for a full reopening of schools in his first 100 days, the reality (with teachers' unions' control) turned into "teaching at least one day a week in the majority of schools by day 100."

Need more evidence of collusion? In May 2021, the CDC reversed guidance on masks after intervention from the National Education Association (NEA). On May 13, the CDC recommended that vaccinated individuals no longer needed to wear masks indoors or outdoors. After the NEA criticized the CDC for failing to "do the right thing by maintaining mitigation measures" on masking, the CDC released updated guidelines on May 15 to mandate "indoor masking for all individuals aged 2+ ... regardless of vaccination status." Essentially, the CDC requested that outside the medical setting, the only people forced to wear masks all day are children at school  preschool and K12.

After 12 months of remote school, about 10% of students failed to show up for online learning, and across the U.S., the Ds and Fs roughly doubled over previous years. To cover up for learning losses from 2020 to 2021, California Gov. Newsom signed AB104 to allow seniors and juniors in jeopardy of not graduating to graduate using the state minimum standards rather than their district standards. In another move to escape measuring learning loss, the state Board of Education waived requirements for local school districts to administer standardized tests to students and also eliminated two teacher credentialing exams. He also signed AB130 to mandate a remote independent study option for all TK12 public schools. Although 30% opted for full remote last year, the opt-in rate was closer to 1% this year.

Teachers' unions have been pushing a policy of routine testing of asymptomatic students, which was introduced as a key mitigation measure against outbreaks, a program that is costly, labor-intensive, and low-yield. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) started this school year with weekly routine asymptomatic testing, and in the first month of school, 7,995 students tested positive (0.5% positivity rate among students), and 1,193 staffers tested positive (0.7% positivity rate). The cost for 500,000 weekly tests is estimated at $350 million compared to $106 million spent on testing last year, which didn't result in opening campuses any earlier than school districts without testing and had few positives.

Testing asymptomatic children to determine if they can stay at school makes no sense. With a yield of 0.5% at a cost of $350 million, better to ask any child with a fever, cough, runny nose, loss of taste, or other respiratory symptoms to stay home.

The testing policy causes a multiplicative tsunami when an asymptomatic positive case triggers quarantine of asymptomatic close contacts in every class. Per CDC guidelines, students must self-isolate for ten days after a positive test, and an unvaccinated exposure (anyone unmasked within six feet of a positive case for 15+ minutes per day) must quarantine for 14 days.

In addition to the 7,995 who tested positive at LAUSD, 30,000 additional people were told to quarantine, of which 63 later tested positive, yielding a secondary positivity rate of 0.2%. The Chicago Teachers' Union (CTU) has already called for a switch to remote schooling after two positive cases "caused" 400 students to be quarantined in one school.

The onerous rules, which have sent thousands of asymptomatic close contacts home, is disruptive, and for the students sent home, it felt like a return to last year's remote schooling. Thus, teachers' unions send home 1 to 3% of students by testing and quarantine  and some schools (districts) have either moved to remote schooling or temporarily closed.

Although many are fooled into thinking masking and testing asymptomatic children is the best way to "keep children safe," my eyes are opened to see our children sacrifice their education to failed "safety measures."

Meanwhile, our neighbors in the U.K., including Scotland, haven't quarantined close contacts under age 18 since August, and Europe's CDC dropped student (but not teacher) mask requirements in May  a data-driven decision based on low student transmission rates and the prioritization of learning. In the U.S., teachers are perfectly happy to reduce teaching hours, "work" from home, receive COVID bonuses, and request mitigation measures without scientific merit. I view every request by the unions with suspicion, and we needn't look any farther than the LAUSD being first to mandate vaccines for all students 12+, ostensibly for their safety.

WIth Pfizer vaccine efficacy waning below 50% and healthy teenage boys facing myocarditis risks up to 600% higher than hospitalization risk for a disease with 99.997% mortality risk, the risk-benefit calculation makes a vaccine mandate unjustified. With just over half of 12- to 17-year olds in California fully vaccinated, teachers' unions may be looking to further cut their workload half.

California's Gov. Newsom has aligned state policies with CDC school guidance, and he further protected the teachers' salaries with SB98, a stable funding formula tied to 2019 student enrollment rather than student average daily attendance. Without concerns about keeping parents happy and rewarded with huge COVID bonuses ($4.7 billion for the LAUSD and $26.7 billion for all California), teachers' unions become immune to parental demands to reopen schools and blind to student learning loss, suicidality, or excessive screen time.

The teachers' unions' demands haven't changed. After shutdowns in Spring 2020, California public schools had lost 160,000 or 3% of students, and slow reopenings prompted even more declines in enrollment this year, with one district reporting double the expected Census drop in 2021. In fact, you can hear directly from union boss Randi Weingarten, describing her plan to return California and New York to remote schooling this fall/winter if teacher safety can't be guaranteed.

It's time to wake up. This is a politicized public health "crisis" with unions pulling the strings. All we can see of this are California's results, and they aren't pretty.

Image: CDC logo via Facebook, public domain.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
My wife and I passed some people relaxing on their porch here in California. I wondered how long their "NO RECALL" sign would grace their railing. They are happy, I assume, that Gavin Newsom is still in office.

But why are they happy? What is so truly scary to those Newsom-supporters that they can't imagine him not being in office? Is it that without Newsom, the homeless population might go down? Is it that the tax burden might get reduced? Is it that too many hardcore felons will remain in prison? Is it that California forests haven't yet been completely consumed? Maybe health care needs to be dismantled and defunded, just like the L.A. police, and then rebuilt from the ground up. Do they like Newsom because he sees illegal immigration as the best way to accomplish that by overwhelming the state's health care resources? (My wife and I spent nine hours in the emergency room the other night, and we were disappointed that it didn't take longer.) Or maybe it's just that water shortages need to be more severe? Whatever the reason, Gavin Newsom needed a second chance to make California worse.

Let's leave ballot cheating accusations out of it. There are too many people who actually voted not to recall Gavin Newsom. I know California is its own call of the wild, but nationally, too many people also lined up to cast votes for Biden, Pal Joey, that guy from down under, that basement down in Pennsylvania. What is it about Democrats that they love what their politicians utter but couldn't care less what they do? It's as Jeremiah said: "Every [m]an's words shall be [h]is own burden," 23:36. What burden? Democrats seem not to notice any connection whatsoever between the increasing discomforts of living in America and the policies of their chosen leaders. I know that Biden's approval rating is way down, but even after that "righteous hit" of General Milley's blew up the truck loaded with terrorist water containers and seven children, Biden still has supporters.

Beto O'Rourke recently announced that he is running for governor of Texas, which is my home state. Whatever Democrats think needs changing in the Lone Star State, there are people who will watch Beto's Bernie Castro Warren Sanders finger-wagging and mail in their ballot for "change you can count twice on." (Sorry, I was going to leave the ballot cheating thing aside.) But seriously, Beto O'Rourke?

Again, what's so scary is that any of the previous should get any support whatsoever? When national affairs become as incoherent as they are, how can one support personified incoherency? Heartfelt incoherency is the difference, though. We have had so many decades of pop psychology and Oprahfied TV cry-fests that we don't have a coherent clue what our neighbor might need, but at least we are heartfelt.

My sense is that Democrats, by and large, have a tenuous connection to things transcendent. Transcendence gives coherence to existence. Democrats may rightly care and worry about their neighbor, in general, but they have little faith in them in the particular and have similar doubts about themselves. Sadly, in this day and age, things transcendent are shunned and probably already blacklisted by the Southern Poverty Law Center. As transcendence becomes less and less of a touchstone, incoherence will occupy its place. What with COVID Derangement Syndrome, science has shown itself not up to the task. "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). My fear is that America may soon want an actual king to fill civilization's incoherent void.

Spruce Fontaine is an artist and retired college art instructor.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Google is constantly looking for new ways to make its search engine more intuitive. Recently, as reported by 9To5Google, the company unveiled personal results for the Google search app. These promise to tailor the search experience to the user.

There are three new personal results setting in Google search

If you havent noticed these new changes, Google will let you know by indicating them with a blue dot in the settings. To some peoples dismay, theyll find that theyre automatically opted into having personal results.

The first feature is to have your searches autocompleted based on your search activity. Google will automatically fill in any searches that seem related to your previous searches. Google says that this is to help you pick up where you left off. Essentially, this is just to help you save time when youre researching a specific topic.

Advertisement

The second feature will give you personal answers based on your Google account information. This seems a bit scary because of the misuse of personal data that all of the tech giants are guilty of. With this feature, all you have to do is put in a brief inquiry like directions home or my flights and Google will give you those answers in the search results.

The last of the Google Search personal results will give you recommendations based on your Google account. This includes results like where to eat, what to watch, and stories to discover. These will all pop up when you type in similar search inquiries.

If you dont want to have these personal results in Google Search, then disabling them is easy. Go to your settings, and go to the Personal Results section. From there, you can tap the toggle switch at the top to disable the feature.

Advertisement

Worth noting is that these features are not new entirely, as theyve been available on the web for a while. They are however new to the Google app.

According to a Google spokesperson, These settings have long been available on the web and are now more accessible in the Google app. People can use the settings to control what were previously referred to as private results  making it easy to see things like your booked flights  or personalized recommendations in features that help you find things like TV shows, movies and local results.

Other Google news includes a new widget in Android 12

Android 12 made headlines months, but that doesnt mean its old news. Google is still adorning its new software version with new goodies. The company recently added a new Google Assistant widget to the platform. This shouldnt come as a surprise, as Google found a way to squeeze Assistant into just about every service.

Advertisement

Its not widely available yet, but 9To5Google was able to get it working on the latest version of the Google app. The widget itself conforms to the rounded and bubbly aesthetic of Android 12, and it will be pretty simple.

Based on screenshots, the widget will display information about the weather and will open the Assistant when tapped. Whats neat is that it also supports a dark mode. Were not sure when this will become official, but the release of Android 12 is drawing nearer, so there might not be much time to wait.
MADRID - About 125 migrants who arrived during the night between Sunday and Monday in Penon di Velez de la Gomera, a small Spanish military enclave in North Africa, were sent back to Morocco less than 24 hours later, despite the fact that the majority of them expressed interest in seeking asylum, according to various NGOs, including the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR).



The migrants, from various African countries, reportedly arrived through the small neck of sand that joins Penon di Velez de la Gomera (which up until 90 years ago was a small island) with the mainland.



The NGOs that reported this episode said the Spanish Ombudsman, once he was informed about what was happening, reminded the Spanish Interior Ministry of the obligation  established by national and international laws  to study the asylum seekers' cases one by one prior to moving forward with any procedure regarding them.



In response to an information request by ANSA, the interior ministry said it "currently doesn't have information regarding" this episode.



Meanwhile, on Monday night, about ten people entered the Spanish enclave of Melilla by climbing over the barrier wall at the border with Morocco, according to Spanish news agency EFE.


BELGRADE - Serbia is asking the European Union to state clearly within a month whether the 2013 Brussels Agreement between Belgrade and Pristina still exists, and a silence on the part of the EU will mean that it no longer exists, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.



Speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting of the National Security Council, which examined the situation of new tensions following the events that took place Monday in Kosovo with the imposition of temporary license plates for cars coming in from Serbia, Vucic said the EU's response will be one of the conditions for continuing the dialogue with Pristina.



"We will ask EU representatives for an urgent response on the existence of the Brussels Agreement, on when the Community of Serb Municipalities will be formed in Kosovo, and we will ask that the response come within a month," Vucic said.



"Their silence will mean that the Brussels Agreement doesn't exist any longer and that they don't want the creation of a Community of Serb Municipalities," he said.



He emphasised that the creation of the Community is the very heart of the 2013 Agreement, of which the EU is guarantor.



He said another condition for the continuation of the dialogue is the withdrawal of all armed forces from northern Kosovo.



"We are asking for a return to the previous situation, and only after that will we go to Brussels" for talks, Vucic said.



He was referring to the sending on Monday to northern Kosovo, which is majority Serbian, hundreds of armed Kosovar special police (Rosu) officers supported by armoured vehicles to verify the implementation of new measures on the mandatory change of license plates for vehicles coming in from Serbia.



Vucic said Belgrade is asking the EU, the US and Great Britain to put pressure on Pristina to annul the conviction of Serbian politician Ivan Todosjevic, who was sentenced in recent weeks to two years in prison for his denial of a Serbian-orchestrated massacre believed in 1999 to be the origin for NATO air campaign against Serbia.



He said the sentence was given in open violation of the Brussels Agreement, based upon which the Court must be formed by two judges of Serbian ethnicity and one Albanian.



Vucic and the rest of the Serbian governing class believe Todosjevic was convicted because he told the truth about the Raska massacre.



Vucic then went back to harshly criticising the EU for its continuous appeals to "both sides", Pristina and Belgrade, to show moderation and responsibility, when it believes the only ones responsible for the situation are Pristina officials and their defiant actions.


Interpreters in Afghanistan will be moving house again tonight after a breach of data relating to those looking to come to the UK, a Conservative former defence minister has claimed.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it has launched an investigation into the breach and has contacted those impacted, with officials offering advice on how to manage the potential risk posed by the data reveal.

According to reports, some of those whose information has been released are in hiding from the Taliban after the militants took control of the battle-torn country last month.

The truth on how we have treated our Afghan interpreters will out. All the back slapping over PITTING masks a criminally negligent performance by the MoD/HO on doing our duty to these people. I reiterate  vast majority have been left behind, probably moving house again tonight. https://t.co/DNTyBIXN5t  Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) September 20, 2021

Johnny Mercer tweeted: The truth on how we have treated our Afghan interpreters will come out.

All the back slapping over Operation Pitting masks a criminally negligent performance by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office on doing our duty to these people.

I reiterate, the vast majority have been left behind, probably moving house again tonight.

Speaking to the PA news agency, he added the treatment of Afghan interpreters had been deeply shameful.

He added his concerns about the Arap programme  the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy  were considered to be a reaction to significant misreporting after he and others in defence wrote to the Defence Secretary and the Home Secretary.

Their hubris will cost lives; this latest episode will only accelerate that. Deeply shameful, he said.

Officials said it would inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case but, according to the BBC, the breach refers to an email.

The broadcaster reported that more than 250 people seeking relocation to the UK  many of whom are in hiding  were mistakenly copied into an email from the MoD asking for an update on their situation.

Some of the email addresses had photos attached, the report suggested.

Labour shadow defence secretary John Healey said: We told these Afghans interpreters we would keep them safe, instead this breach has needlessly put lives at risk.

The priority now is to urgently step up efforts to get these Afghans safely to the UK.

This is the second major data breach from the MoD this year, after sensitive documents were discovered at a bus stop in Kent in June.

Clearly, the Defence Secretary needs to get his house in order.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: An investigation has been launched into a data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations Assistance Policy team.

We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again.

The Ministry of Defence takes its information and data handling responsibilities very seriously.

A source confirmed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had personally ordered the probe.

The MoD said it would take all necessary steps under UK GDPR rules.

Operation Pitting  where more than 1,000 troops, diplomats, and officials were dispatched to Afghanistan to rescue UK nationals and Afghan allies after the seizure of the countrys capital by the Taliban  airlifted more than 15,000 people to safety across just over a fortnight.

In New York, Prime Minister Boris Johnson met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and said thanks for all your help with everything on Afghanistan, referring to the flights leaving Kabul airport and landing in Qatar.
Boris Johnson has blamed his lack of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US on President Joe Biden having a lot of fish to fry as he heads to the White House with the hope of restarting the stalled negotiations.

The Prime Minister suggested the free trade agreement (FTA) touted by Leave supporters as a major prize of leaving the European Union was not high on the presidents list of priorities.

Mr Johnson was expected to push to get talks going on Tuesday when he makes his first visit to the White House since Mr Biden succeeded Donald Trump.

Buoyed by the announcement the US will drop the blanket ban on travellers arriving from the UK, Mr Johnson will board a train to Washington from New York, where he has been attending the UN General Assembly.

However, No 10 appeared blindsided by Mondays announcement, which followed Mr Bidens refusal to extend the deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan despite pleas from the Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson insisted that he would rather get a good agreement with Americas ruthless negotiators than a quick deal.

On the FTA, the reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry, Mr Johnson told reporters travelling with him to the States on RAF Voyager.

Hes got a huge infrastructure package, hes got a build back better package. We want to do it, but what we want is a good FTA, a great FTA.

In the run-up to the EU referendum in 2016, then-president Barack Obama warned Britons they would be at the back of the queue for any trade deal if they voted for Brexit.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson boards RAF Voyager at Stansted Airport ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Mr Johnson this week insisted that relationships between Washington and London now are about as good as they have been at any time in decades.

But Brexit itself presents a quandary to the Prime Ministers relationship with Mr Biden, who has warned there will be no trade deal if peace in Northern Ireland is jeopardised by the EU departure.

Trans-Atlantic relations have been strained by Mr Bidens withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan before allies including Britain managed to evacuate all former staff and other vulnerable Afghans.

Communications also appeared troubled in relation to the White Houses announcement on Monday to allow fully vaccinated UK travellers into the US from November, watering down a blanket ban maintained by the Biden administration because of soaring rates of the Delta variant of coronavirus.

A day earlier, Mr Johnson downplayed any expectations that he could crack the issue during his visit to the White House.

I dont think were necessarily going to crack it this week. Ive got to warn you I dont think this is going to be necessarily fixed this week, he said on the RAF Voyager.

Mr Johnsons last attendance at the UN summit in New York was cut short when in 2019 the Supreme Court ruled his decision to suspend Parliament during the Brexit wranglings was unlawful.

With Mr Trump also in the White House at the time, the Prime Minister acknowledged we had all sorts of pebbles in the shoe during that trip.

A major diplomatic row has also broken out over a new military pact between the UK, US and Australia because it scuppered a multibillion-dollar contract for France to provide submarines to Australia.

France took the extraordinary step of recalling its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra, but declined to do the same from London, accusing the UK of being Americas lapdog.

After meeting Mr Biden and vice president Kamala Harris in the White House, Mr Johnson will have dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Washington.
A murder investigation has been launched after a man died following an assault outside a Cotswolds pub, police said.

Colin Leslie, 51, sustained serious injuries in the incident at the Kingsbridge pub in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire on August 28 and died a week later.

Gloucestershire Police said a 52-year-old man from London has been re-arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

An investigation was launched after it was reported that a man had been punched and fallen unconscious following an altercation.

Mr Leslie, from Cheltenham, was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with head injuries but died eight days after the incident.

In a statement released by police, his family paid tribute to him.

Colin was a dearly loved son, father, brother, partner and uncle, they said.

Colin was always a happy guy who was well known to everyone and who touched so many lives.

We as a family are absolutely heartbroken that he has been tragically taken from us like this. Our lives without Colin will never be the same again.

Detectives are continuing to ask for anyone who has not already spoken to officers to get in contact.

Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was there and may have filmed the incident on their mobile phone, a force spokesman added.
Four space tourists ended their trailblazing trip to orbit on Saturday with a splashdown in the Atlantic off the Florida coast.

Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the ocean just before sunset, not far from where their chartered flight began three days earlier.

The all-amateur crew was the first to circle the world without a professional astronaut.

The billionaire who paid undisclosed millions for the trip and his three guests wanted to show that ordinary people could blast into orbit by themselves, and SpaceX founder Elon Musk took them on as the companys first rocket-riding tourists.

Your mission has shown the world that space is for all of us, SpaceX Mission Control radioed.

It was a heck of a ride for us  just getting started, replied trip sponsor Jared Isaacman, referring to more private flights on the horizon.

SpaceXs fully automated Dragon capsule reached an unusually high altitude of 363 miles after Wednesday nights lift-off. Surpassing the International Space Station by 100 miles, the passengers savoured views of Earth through a large bubble-shaped window added to the top of the capsule.

From left to right, Hayley Arceneaux, Jared Isaacman, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski after their space voyage (John Kraus/Inspiration4/AP)

The four streaked back through the atmosphere early on Saturday evening, the first space travellers to end their flight in the Atlantic since Apollo 9 in 1969. SpaceXs two previous crew splashdowns  carrying astronauts for NASA  were in the Gulf of Mexico.

This time, NASA was little more than an encouraging bystander, its only tie being the Kennedy Space Centre launch pad once used for the Apollo moonshots and shuttle crews, but now leased by SpaceX.

Mr Isaacman, 38, an entrepreneur and accomplished pilot, aimed to raise 200 million dollars (145 million) for St Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Donating 100 million himself (72.5 million), he held a lottery for one of the four seats. He also held a competition for clients of his Allentown, Pennsylvania payment-processing business, Shift4 Payments.

Joining him on the flight were Hayley Arceneaux, 29, a St Jude physician assistant who was treated at the Memphis, Tennessee hospital nearly two decades ago for bone cancer, and contest winners Chris Sembroski, 42, a data engineer in Everett, Washington, and Sian Proctor, 51, a community college educator, scientist and artist from Tempe, Arizona.

The four passengers react as the capsule parachutes into the Atlantic Ocean (SpaceX via AP)

Strangers until March, they spent six months training and preparing for potential emergencies during the flight, dubbed Inspiration4. Their trip appeared to go well, leaving them time to chat with St Jude patients, conduct medical tests on themselves, ring the closing bell for the New York Stock Exchange, and complete some drawing and ukulele playing.

Ms Arceneaux, the youngest American in space and the first with a prosthesis, told her patients: I was a little girl going through cancer treatment just like a lot of you, and if I can do this, you can do this.

The four also took calls from Tom Cruise, interested in his own SpaceX flight to the space station for filming, and the rock band U2s Bono.

Even their space menu was not typical: Cold pizza and sandwiches, but also pasta Bolognese and Mediterranean lamb.

Jared Isaacman, the sponsor of the mission, emerges from the capsule (Inspiration4/AP)

Before beginning descent, Mr Sembroski was so calm that he was seen in the capsule watching the 1987 Mel Brooks film Spaceballs on his tablet.

Congratulations streamed in, including from the Association of Space Explorers to its four newest members.

Aside from trouble with a toilet fan and a bad temperature sensor in an engine, the flight went exceedingly well, officials said. Some of the four passengers experienced motion sickness when they reached orbit  just as some astronauts do.

It was a very clean mission from start to finish, said Benji Reed, a SpaceX senior director.

Nearly 600 people have reached space  a scorecard that began 60 years ago and is expected to soon skyrocket as space tourism heats up.
The Only Way Is Essex star Lewis Bloor used a fake name to con people in a 3 million diamond scam, a court has heard.

Bloor, 31, who joined the cast of the ITV2 reality show for three years from 2013, allegedly posed as Thomas Harkin to dupe investors into buying the coloured stones at a 600% mark-up.

Around 200 people, many of whom were elderly, were allegedly fleeced of more than 3 million by fraudsters working for two firms, Imperial Assets Solutions (IAS) and Henderson & Forbes.

Southwark Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Bloor was paid 150,000, with some of the money paid on to others, by IAS, before leaving to pursue his television career.

The court heard that another employee, Max Potter, 25, told a friend in messages: They have all got great big Rolexes and Porsche jeeps, and said his cousin, who ran the company, is 28 and hes a millionaire.

One alleged victim, Michael Williams, described Bloor as having a very persistent style which subtly put pressure on me, the court heard.

Prosecutor David Durose QC said: Mr Williams said he was made to feel that he was buying a valuable item at a fair market price which would quickly go up in value with little risk.

He said Mr Williams bought a stone for 5,978.70, while Bloor was paid 896.81, or exactly 15% of the investment sum.

These diamonds were marked up by five or six times so thats probably about the sort of figure that IAS would have actually paid for the diamond, he said.

Fifteen per cent of the investment disappeared straight away, was not going anywhere near the price of the payment, and Mr Bloor knew that, of course, because he received that money.

Bloor, of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, denies conspiracy to defraud between May 7 2013 and July 1 2014.

He is on trial alongside Joseph Jordan, 29, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, George Walters, 29, from Beckenham, in Kent, Potter, of Enfield, Middlesex, Nathan Wilson, 28, of Brentwood, Essex, and Simon Akbari, 27, from Loughton, Essex, who also deny the charge.

Both of the firms involved purported to be specialist brokers for people wanting to buy or sell investment grade stones, the court heard.

People were cold-called and sent glossy brochures with quotations from De Beers and office addresses in a prestigious Canary Wharf skyscraper and Antwerp, the worldwide home of the diamond trade, the court heard.

They were sold the coloured diamonds as a genuine investment which would increase in value, it was heard. But the stones, which were bought from a wholesaler and sold on with a mark-up of around 600%, could never have been a legitimate investment, it is alleged.

Bloor was said to be one of those with a more central role in the fraud, who sent scripts to those making the calls, the court heard.

Two such documents found in his home offered investors the exciting opportunity to buy rare coloured diamonds bought from the Argyle mine in Australia, which were about to shoot up in value, the court was told.

And claims were made of 21% returns in the previous year with a level of exclusivity suggested by reference to two or three projects a year, the court heard.

In reality, IAS did not have two or three projects a year, but rather sold over 100 diamonds very quickly in six months, said the prosecutor.

Every IAS client who has given a witness statement lost their money and there is no evidence of any client making money.

Mr Durose said the alleged fraudsters tried to persuade their victims to invest as much as they could, with one, Peter Cooke, encouraged to re-mortgage his house and borrow money from family and friends.

It was only when it was clear to the fraudsters that they had rinsed their victims dry that they would stop contacting them, he added.

The court heard a total of 321 diamonds were sold by the two firms, of which 275 were seized by police from a bonded warehouse where they were stored in Geneva, Switzerland, and valued at remarkably low prices.

The trial continues on Wednesday.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. auto safety investigators said on Tuesday they have opened a probe into 30 million vehicles built by nearly two dozen automakers that have potentially defective Takata air bag inflators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an engineering analysis into an estimated 30 million U.S. vehicles from the 2001 through 2019 model years, Reuters first reported on Sunday, citing a document that had not been made public. The agency confirmed the new probe on Tuesday and said it applied to 1,384 different vehicle models.

No immediate safety risk has been identified and drivers do not need to take action, the agency said.

Over the last decade, more than 67 million Takata air bag inflators have been recalled in the United States and more than 100 million worldwide, in the biggest auto safety callback in history prompted by concerns the inflators could explode and, in rare instances, send deadly metal fragments flying.

There have been at least 28 deaths worldwide, including 19 in the United States tied to faulty Takata inflators, and more than 400 injuries.

The new investigation includes vehicles assembled by Honda Motor Co, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp, General Motors Co, Nissan Motor, Subaru, Tesla, Ferrari NV , Nissan Motor, Mazda, Daimler AG, BMW Chrysler (now part of Stellantis NV), Porsche Cars, Jaguar Land Rover (owned by Tata Motors), among others.

NHTSA said in an emailed statement that "while no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled" inflators.

The agency added it "is not aware at this time of any ruptures, injuries or fatalities due to propellant degradation in these inflators, and the driving public does not need to take any action."

The 30 million vehicles that are part of the new investigation have inflators with a "desiccant" or drying agent.

NHTSA has said the prior Takata recalls were spurred by propellant that could break down after long-term exposure to high-temperature fluctuations and humidity. The agency has required all similar Takata airbags without a drying agent to be recalled.

Automakers affected by the probe either said they were cooperating with the agency or did not immediately comment.

Honda said automakers "have been working collaboratively with NHTSA to assure the safety of these inflators for several years... Honda is committed to quickly informing NHTSA and other stakeholders if this ongoing analysis shows any risk of rupture."

The Japanese automaker vowed to take quick action "if Honda believes that there is a threat to the safety of our customers.

In the United States, 16 deaths in Honda vehicles have been reported, two in Ford vehicles and one in a BMW, while 9 other Honda deaths occurred in Malaysia, Brazil and Mexico.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Bernadette Baum)
Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk.

Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen.

If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned.

I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country.

It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously.

Vote

View Results
Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor.

Submit
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 31, ARMENPRESS. 30 years ago on this day, Armenians held a nationwide referendum with 99,5% of voters casting their ballots in favor of a democratic and independent Armenia outside the USSR. Two days later, the Supreme Council officially proclaimed Armenia an independent and sovereign republic.

This year on September 21, government officials will visit the Yerablur military cemetery in the morning to pay homage to the fallen troops. Then on midday, an awarding ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Presidential Residence. Members of uniformed services will ceremonially march in the streets.

The main event will take place in the evening at the Republic Square in Yerevan, where a classical concert is expected.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on the victory of the United Russia Party in the State Duma elections.

ARMENPRESS reports Harutyunyan stressed that the results of the voting clearly showed the high level of support and trust of the Russian society towards the strategic direction of the Russian leadership.

"Russia's strategy is aimed at the further development of the country, strengthening its international reputation, increasing the welfare of its citizens. I am confident that the State Duma of the new convocation will continue to contribute to the expansion and deepening of traditional friendly ties between the Russian and Armenian peoples, as well as the strengthening of the security environment in our region and the establishment of lasting peace," Harutyunyan said.
Rheinmetall has been awarded a Bundeswehr (German army) contract to modernize the tried-and-tested Fuchs/Fox armored NBC reconnaissance vehicle. A total of five A6A1 versions of the vehicle will be upgraded to the new highly protected A8A7 configuration. The Bundeswehr will thus have at its disposal an NBC reconnaissance and analysis capability that is a match for modern operational threats. Work begins in September 2021 and is expected to be complete by July 2024. The first vehicles are due to be transferred to the German military starting in 2023.

Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link



Fuchs/Fox armored NBC reconnaissance vehicle upgraded to the new highly protected A8A7 configuration (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The order has special significance for Rheinmetalls Kassel plant for two reasons. It strengthens the Groups centre of excellence for NBC systems technology, and thus safeguards valuable jobs in the north Hessian metropolis, which also happens to be the birthplace of the battle-tested 6x6 fighting vehicle. Potentially, the order could also lead to the Bundeswehrs remaining 22 Fuchs/Fox armoured NBC reconnaissance vehicles being upgraded to the new A8A7 configuration, as well as proposals to modernize systems operated by international customers.

The Bundeswehr has fielded numerous versions of the Fuchs/Fox armoured transport vehicle ever since 1979, deploying over a hundred of them in Afghanistan. Owing to its versatile operational possibilities and high reliability, the Fuchs/Fox has always been popular with the troops. After over forty years in service, it is still undergoing continuous improvement.

The latest version of the Fuchs/Fox, the 1A8, offers substantially greater protection against mines and improvised explosive devices than earlier models, together with enhanced resistance to ballistic threats. Among the principal modifications featured in the Fuchs/Fox 1A8 are structural alterations of the hull; new seats and seat suspensions in the fighting compartment decoupled from the floor of the hull; reinforcement of the wheel wells, doors and window mounts; as well as additional storage bins and reinforcement of the vehicle exterior. The Bundeswehr now has over 940 Fuchs/Fox vehicles in its inventory, 267 of which are the latest 1A8 design.

A derivative of the Fuchs/Fox 1, the vehicles export variant, the Fuchs/Fox 2, has undergone a separate process of continued development, and now boasts a more spacious fighting compartment, a more powerful engine, modernized running gear, enhanced state-of-the-art protection and a digitized electrical system.

To date, around 1,600 Fuchs/Fox vehicles have been built. The armed forces of numerous nations operate a wide array of different variants, including armoured personnel carriers, mobile command posts, field ambulances and NBC reconnaissance vehicles.
Longstanding operator of Systematics SitaWare command-and-control (C2) suite, Defence Forces Ireland, has installed the software on its fleet of four Pilatus PC-12NG aircraft.



C2 software has been installed on all of the Irish Air Corps PC-12NG aircraft (Picture source: Defence Forces Ireland)

Operated by the Irish Air Corps, one aircraft is configured for the utility role and three SPECTRE platforms provide an advanced Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability to the Defence Forces.

SitaWare Headquarters and SitaWare Frontline both feature on the aircraft, with Headquarters used for overall mission management and Frontline to interface with ground and naval components, explains Captain Paul Shorte, CIS Officer at the Defence Forces Training Centre.

The software can draw on data from the multi-mission sensors that are fitted to the SPECTRE platforms as well as information from external sources.

SitaWare enables data to be shared with all mission participants, ensuring seamless C2 and near real-time situational awareness across all domains and command levels.

Onboard the PC-12s SitaWare is intended for a range of military and non-military roles, says Capt Shorte, For example, the software was recently used to help tackle wild fires, where it was linked to crews operating on the ground.

The software also enables us to seamlessly handover the management of an operation to a new aircraft when it comes on-station. When they arrive they already have all of the mission data and are fully appraised of the situation, adds Capt Shorte.

SitaWare is also set to be integrated on the two Airbus C295 aircraft that are due to enter service with the Irish Air Corps in 2023, these platforms will primarily focus on maritime patrol duties.

Defence Forces Ireland are an experienced operator of the entire SitaWare suite across all branches, and are quick to introduce innovative ways of working with the software, notes Matthew Millward, Systematics Vice President of Business Development for UK, North Africa and Western Europe, Their use of the software on board the PC-12 aircraft further demonstrates SitaWares multi-domain utility.

SitaWare has been used in a number of operational roles with Defence Forces Ireland, as varied as fisheries protection, peacekeeping in the Middle East, and counter narcotics. Recently SitaWare was used by the Defence Forces as they assisted in the Irish governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SitaWare suite is operationally proven and has been delivered to more than 30 countries. The software provides comprehensive C2 across all levels of the battlespace, from the dismounted commander with SitaWare Edge through to mounted elements with SitaWare Frontline, and higher levels of command with SitaWare Headquarters.
The move follows the party's whitewash in the recent Assembly election in the state

Kolkata/New Delhi: In a major organisational reshuffle, the BJP on Monday abruptly removed its Midnapore MP Dilip Ghosh from the West Bengal unit president's post. The move follows the party's whitewash in the recent Assembly election in the state and defections of four party MLAs and two-time Asansol MP Babul Supriyo to the ruling Trinamul Congress.

First-time BJP MP of Balurghat, Sukanta Majumdar, who was among the front-runners for the state chief's post but has maintained a low profile so far, has replaced Mr Ghosh. Both of them are from the RSS.

Mr Ghosh, infamous for his making controversial statements and known for having a strained relationship with Mr Supriyo and party MLA of Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari after he became the leader of the Opposition in the state, headed the state BJP since 2015 in two consecutive terms which included his re-election in January of 2020.

His removal, however, came a month after he claimed that he would continue in his role till December next year even as party's national president J.P. Nadda sought from him the names of probables to pick his successor.

Mr Ghosh has been promoted to BJP national vice president, a post held by Krishnanagar MLA Mukul Roy before his switch to the TMC. The BJP MP's new task is expected to come as a relief to Mr Adhikari since their style of functioning is very different.

On the organisational rejig, Mr Adhikari tweeted, "Heartiest congratulations to both Shri @DilipGhoshBJP for being appointed as National Vice President of @BJP4India & Shri @DrSukantaMajum1 for being appointed as president of @BJP4Bengal. I wish them very best & believe that both would give their best to strengthen the party."

The BJP has also appointed former Uttarakhand governor, Baby Rani Maurya, who recently resigned from the constitutional post, as its national vice president. Ms Maurya, a Dalit leader, is expected to play a role in the coming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, her native state.
Surroundings of the picturesque Hussainsagar overflowed with debris from immersion of over 10,000 idols brought from all parts of Hyderabad

Over 214 Ganesha Action Teams, each consisting of a sanitary supervisor, three sanitary field assistants and 21 workers are loading garbage from Hussainsagar into 50 vehicles.  Representational image/PTI

HYDERABAD: Twin cities generated around 10,000 metric tonnes of garbage over roughly 36 hours when idols of Lord Ganesha were immersed in various natural and artificial ponds within the state capital over the weekend

Immersion went on till late Monday evening. Surroundings of the picturesque Hussainsagar overflowed with debris from immersion of over 10,000 idols brought from all parts of Hyderabad and surrounding districts from Sunday morning onwards. The capital normally generates about 6,700 metric tonnes of garbage.

Officials say it will be a herculean task clearing the garbage. It will take at least a week to clean up the lake. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has deployed 8,116 personnel, who are working round the clock to clean not only Hussainsagar but also 303.30 km of procession routes.

A senior GHMC official told Deccan Chronicle that 214 Ganesha Action Teams, each consisting of a sanitary supervisor, three sanitary field assistants and 21 workers are loading garbage from Hussainsagar into 50 vehicles. "They will need to work round the clock for at least the next couple of days. It will be a pathetic sight if any environmentalists visit the lake. They can only see Ganesha idols floating on the lake with clutter of leaves, flowers and other debris. In keeping with our assurance to the Telangana High Court, we are striving hard to clean Hussainsagar and 33 lakes in and around Hyderabad, apart from 24 artificial ponds, the official stated.

He said the civic body has pressed into service 20 excavators, 21 earth movers, 29 mini-tippers and 44 vehicles of 10-tonne capacity to remove waste generated after immersion. The debris will first be shifted to transfer stations at Imliban, Yousufguda and Kavadiguda. After the garbage dries, the same would be shifted to Jawaharnagar dumping yard.

Going by the vehicle count, the corporation has lifted over 10,000 metric tonnes of trash in 36 hours.
It is no wonder then that Narendra Modis rise is seen as merited and Rahul Gandhis ascension as unmerited

One thing can be said in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has made political dynasts the object of social media sneers and symbols of unmerited inheritances. It may be another matter that Rahul Gandhi may be far better educated and genuinely qualified, but it is Narendra Modi who is seen as the one with merit, because he came up the hard way. In a country where over a million sit for the JEE to qualify for a few hundred places in the IITs, and where the winnowing process of selection for just about every admission or opening is very severe, be it a government medical college or the civil services or even to become a jawan in the military or the police, the importance of being perceived as merited cannot be ignored. The chaiwalla story is more compelling than the Doon School dynast. It is no wonder then that Narendra Modis rise is seen as merited and Rahul Gandhis ascension as unmerited.

But make no mistake. Some inheritances are deemed legitimate. A corporate scion is not perceived as unmerited. For instance, movie actors who inherit looks and talent, and doctors and lawyers who inherit practices are seen as legitimate inheritors till their lack of merit shows up. But when the doting parent or the fawning courtiers thrust a son or daughter, in the democratic age it is no longer seen as merited. Political parties are not royal courts where a hapless Mohammed Shah Rangila or an indolent Bahadur Shah Zafar can be forced down upon a nation. People have a way of showing how they feel about this. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections KCRs daughter Kavita was rejected in Nizamabad while the TRS went on to win most of the seats. In Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav won while his daughter-in-law was defeated.

Rahul Gandhi rightly abdicated the Congress presidency after the party was soundly beaten in the last elections. But the Congress Working Committee response was to resolve that it would create a new Congress Seva Dal to replicate the RSS booth level election fighting machine. Clearly, the analysis was that it was the RSS booth level organisation that won the BJP the elections.

Nothing can be further from the truth. What won the elections was the demagogic charisma of Narendra Modi, who cast a spell with a mishmash of religious rhetoric, outright lies and distortion of, let alone the past, but even recent history. The challenge for the Congress is to create a competitive imagery that will rekindle the magic it had once cast to combat the RSS pernicious ideology. If it can do that the election fighting booth level machine will automatically happen. In the modern age, the currency that will keep the troops motivated and fighting are ideas and dreams. The problem is that the Congress still thinks currency is the only king.

Never a confident leader and at best a diffident speaker, with little of what makes a person charismatic, Rahul Gandhi can hardly be a foil to Narendra Modi, a communicator par excellence and a rabble rouser without a peer. In June 2014 the Congress Party reached down to pluck Mallikarjun Kharge from obscurity mostly because he was the only one other leader with some standing in the party who could reply to the new masters. He was up to the job.

He said that the NDA was repackaging work done by the UPA and asked the Narendra Modi government to implement the promises made without trumpeting and "arrogance". Mallikarjun Kharge invoked Mahabharata and said that though the Pandavas were few in number as compared to the Kauravas; still they could not be defeated. At another time he dismissed then home minister Rajnath Singhs attempt to paint the Congress as anti-dalit by claiming that Dr B.R. Ambedkar, unhappy about how the Constitution had turned out, wanted to leave the country with a scathing riposte: Dr Ambedkar never wanted to leave the country. He was part of the country. You Aryans came from outside. We have been putting up with your ways for five thousand years. Rajnath Singh, a RSS man to the core, did not have an answer, as his shakha training didnt provide him with the true historical backdrop of India.

What the Congress needs now is an ideological and social contrast to the BJP, someone who can dismiss the RSS mythology, with the contempt that it deserves. The Congress stable of princelings simply cant do it. The Congress needs to dig deep into its small bagful of peasant leaders with a track record in government and being from the people. One can be sure that there are several others in the Congress who could lead the party. Among the chief ministers it has Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan. Both have a record as exemplary CMs and excellent organisational men. But Mr Gehlot is a bit hamstrung because of his poor communication skills. Mr Baghel is a clear possibility.

He is a great communicator and belongs to the Kurmi caste. The Kurmi agriculturist communities have a reputation as being hard working but were considered to be a tribe rather than a caste by the authorities of the British Raj. Desiring recognition as a caste, the first Kurmi community association was formed in 1894 in Lucknow to protest against the recruitment policy that debarred them from entry to the police service. In 1894 the first Kurmi organisation came into being in Awadh and sought to draw other communities -- such as the Bhils, Mahtos, Koeri and Koli -- under a common umbrella as Kurmi. The Kurmis have a long tradition of being opposed to the brahmins who dominate our polity and call the shots in the RSS.

Clearly the RSS still sees Mr Kharge or someone like him as the danger man. Till Sonia Gandhi announced herself as the Congress president again, the RSS bot factories were churning out garbage about how Mr Kharge was worth Rs 1,000 crores, then Rs 10,000 crores. Coming from a party that spent over Rs 50,000 crores in each of the last two Lok Sabha elections, and whose leader appears dressed in an insignia suit and Gucci eyeglasses, this is rich. When somebody like Mr Kharge or Mr Baghel points this out, it will cut deep. Unfortunately, the Congress still behaves like the latter-day Mughals, with a durbar in place of an empire.
The production crew of Flying Boat, which aired at the EEAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021, in Wisconsin, and will show during the 42nd Aspen Filmfest this week.
While other military departments are focusing on advanced weapons and next-generation digital capabilities , a research team at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center-Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL) is analyzing spiders, bats and viruses. Right now, theyre documenting the natural threats that are present in subterranean locations, like caves and tunnels.The objective is to develop sensors capable of detecting all of these biological threats, which will then be fitted on robots. These unmanned vehicles will have the task of inspecting subterranean locations before the armed forces enter, to make sure its safe to do so. This is an increasingly important factor, since military operations overseas are starting to move underground.Ironically, the advancement of optical sensing technologies, such as those based on satellites, has pushed the adversaries to go back to one of the oldest strategies in history  hiding in natural caves or tunnels.In environments like these, American soldiers cant know what to expect, and are faced with the real danger of being attacked by disease-carrying creatures. This is why the Army wants to develop a robot that can detect these threats ahead of time.The project was initiated this year, and the team is getting ready to explore various microclimates in the U.S, in order to catalog as many potential threats as possible, from macroscopic ones, like bats and reptiles, to microscopic ones, such as bacteria and fungi.The Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky and the old mining caves near 29 Palms, in California, are some of the locations on the list.The research team members will be using thermal cameras for detection, and the data will be used to design the sensors which will then be integrated onto a robot vehicle.
Global head of development for electric vehicles Darren Palmer threw shade at the Palo Alto-based automakers woeful quality record, commenting that  the roof doesnt come off when you wash it . Well, the peeps at Transport Canada beg to differ with a recall that reads the glass panel of the panoramic sunroof may not be attached properly. How the turntablesA total of 1,812 units of the Mustang Mach-E for the Canadian market are called back, and the fix is rather straightforward. More specifically, dealerships have been instructed to remove the factory-mounted panoramic sunroof and install a little more adhesive before placing the glass back in.The bad news doesnt end here. As fate would have it, 3,178 units of the Mach-E are equipped with a windshield that may not be properly attached. Im pretty curious what Mr. Palmer would say about this...Because the glass may become loose and separate from the electric crossover in the event of a crash, therefore increasing the risk of injury, Ford has notified authorized retailers to remove and reinstall the windshield. Both of these problems originate from the facility where the Mustang Mach-E is manufactured, and the reason the Ford Motor Company decided on Mexico instead of the United States is very obvious: cheaper labor prices.Its also worth noting that Tier II and Tier III suppliers offer cheaper parts and services in Mexico, which explains the below-par quality that one would expect from an electric vehicle that costs more than the Volkswagen ID.4 crossover. Other vehicles that Ford manufactures in Mexico for the United States include the Escape-based Bronco Sport and Maverick pickup.
MPV

FWD

The Bold Runabout Vehicle takes many influences from the N7X concept revealed four months ago in the Republic of Indonesia. The front-end styling, greenhouse, and rear-end cues are pretty much identical, along with the L-shaped lighting signature of the daytime running lights. A huge departure from the-like predecessor, the second generation blends the latest design language of the Japanese automaker with plenty of conveniences.The first- and second-row seats feature armrests, all three rows flaunt power outlets, infotainment comes in the guise of a 7.0-inch touchscreen display, and the driver is treated to a 4.2-inch TFT display flanked by two gauges for the speedometer and tachometer. The latter integrates a small display for the gear indicator that looks outdated. But still, cost-cutting measures are the norm for any brand that operates in a cost-driven market like Indonesia.Eight water bottle cubbies, an illuminated vanity mirror for the front passengers sun visor, Remote Engine Start, Walk-Away Auto Lock, and various Honda Sensing driver-assisting features also have to be highlighted. As opposed to the 1.2-liter engine in the Amaze, the BR-V levels up to a 1.5-liter engine with i-VTEC variable timing and lift. The four-pot powerplant develops 89 kilowatts and 145 Nm of torque, which translates to 119 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. Onlyis available at launch as per the Japanese automaker, along with a continuously variable transmission.Its rather curious that Honda, the company thats leaving Formula 1 this year to cut back on carbon emissions by means of electrification, doesnt offer a hybrid option. But nevertheless, remember that many Asian markets dont have the strict emission regulations of the U.S. and European Union.Honda failed to mention the starting price of the BR-V, which is expected to cost more than the first generation . The 2021 model starts at 239,500,000 rupiah, a sum that converts to $18,825 at current exchange rates.
CVT

This is the first time the hatchback variant of the Honda Civic is being put together in the U.S. Greensburg became the companys first local facility to build the Acura ILX in 2012, Honda Insight in 2019 , and CR-V Hybrid in 2020.We are proud the Indiana Auto Plant has been chosen to lead production in North America for an all-new model like the 2022 Civic Hatchback that is playing an increasingly important role in the U.S. market, commented the plants lead, Larry Geise.Besides the Civic Hatchback, the factory, which has an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles and has given birth to over 2 million cars over the past 12 years at the 2.4 million square-foot (~223,000 square-meter) Greensburg facility, also assembles the CR-V and Insight Hybrid.Ever since it was reintroduced in the United States in 2016, the Civic Hatchback has accounted for more than 20% of all Civic sales. In total, the 10th generation sold in over 1.7 million units, being the first choice for a new vehicle in America when it comes to first-time buyers, Millennials, Gen Z, and multicultural customers over the last 5 years, Honda claims.Offered in four trim levels, the 2022 Civic Hatchback range kicks off with the LX, from $23,915, including the $1,015 destination charge and before dealer fees. The Sport starts at $25,115, and the EX-L and Sport Touring follow it from $27,615 and $30,415 respectively. The first two are offered exclusively with the 2.0-liter engine that produces 158 hp, while the EX-L and Sport Touring get the turbocharged 1.5-liter mill, with 180 hp. Depending on the trim level, the model comes with either aor a six-speed manual transmission.
SUV

EV

ICE

That was already more than a year ago and the Ioniq 5 has now made it across most of its intended markets. So, its only logical for the carmaker to start focusing on what comes next. Aside from the desire to become a fully sustainable entity by 2040, we are going to see the Ioniq moniker propped with even more models. One would be the Ioniq 6 sedan, the other could be the Ioniq 7Before that, of course, we might be getting a sporty take on the Ioniq 5 as anexpansion of the N performance brand. Speaking of (visual) dynamics, we noticed Kleber Silva, the virtual artist behind the kdesignag account on social media, has already taken upon himself to imagine the upcoming Ioniq sedan. But rather than using the companys old teaser images as the base, he jumped at the chance of playing with a model from the Mercedes-Benz portfolio.The exact reason behind this decision is anyones guess, but we all know these automotive CGI experts can do just about anything and get away with it  perhaps even get a commendation for audacity. Anyway, the unofficial Ioniq 6S (S from sedan, get it?) has a solid design base in the form of the compact Mercedes-Benz CLA. Themodel is probably used for its sleek lines, and it also gets most Ioniq design features to make sure we believe its a Hyundai through and through.So, the special headlight treatment makes a sleeker, modified appearance, while the Ioniq 5 signature wheels and the blocky LED taillights are also easy to spot. While beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, we feel the pixel master hasnt done a wonderful job covering the base model this time around... so perhaps its for the better this interpretation will forever remain just wishful thinking.
PHEV

EV

In letters sent to the carmakers in early September, both were given until September 20 to agree to the NGOs demands, which also include limiting production of fossil fuel vehicles before the clock strikes 2030.As of right now, neither carmaker has set a deadline for canceling internal combustion engine car production. Furthermore, both companies have told Reuters that they havent accepted the NGOs demands, and we would be pretty surprised if they ended up caving in to said demands.If we were to break it down, it appears that all this commotion revolves around a 5-year period, as the EU has already proposed an ICE ban for 2035. However, the NGOs argue that such deadlines need to be tightened in order to meet the goals of the Paris climate accords and German climate law  Daimler and BMW have already stated that they are committed to the goals of the Paris climate accords and are clearly on a path to climate neutrality.Could BMW and Daimler completely ditch internal combustion engines by the end of this decade? With a little over 8 years to go, it does seem a bit of a major squeeze, especially when you consider the actual life cycle of most of their products (around 6 years).Take something like the BMW 3 Series for example. The most recent generation, the G20, went into production in mid-October of 2018. You most definitely wont see its replacement in showrooms before sometime in 2024 or 2025, a car that will still utilize fossil fuels, to go withanddrivetrains. Now, we certainly cant imagine BMW throwing everything out the window and starting over with the development of the G20s successor, can you?While this lawsuit is likely going nowhere, well just have to wait and see what happens.
In an interview with GQ magazine , Jason Momoa called Harley-Davidson bikes one of his essentials. He shared: I love them. Theyre my favorite. Greatest bikes in the world. He also showed off one of the t-shirts from his collection Harley-Davidson Museum X Jason Momoa , and added: Ive always wanted a motorcycle my whole life.Its not a surprise to anyone because, as he paraded in his latest Instagram Story , he takes good care of his motorcycles. In it, he collaborated with artist Love Cycles, and he apparently used a Linkert carburetor for one of his Harley-Davidson motorcycles, making it roar like a lion, in a separate story . We later see the Love Cycles riding his bike, telling the actor to come home as the English roads are ready to get ripped up.Jason's bike collection includes a few vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles like the 1916 Model J, 1936 Knucklehead, 1956 Panhead, 2020 Livewire, 2021 Pan American, a Chopper and a Softail Slim Bike, plus a custom Vallkree Drifter Electric Motorbike.When it comes to cars, he seems to go for the same vintage, big ones like the Land Rover Defender Series III, a Ford F-150 RV and a white Range Rover. However, the actor is also the proud owner of an Aston Martin DB5U, and, ironically enough, a pink Cadillac from 1955, that he adoringly calls "Bernadette".Jason Momoa was also in attendance at the 2021 Goodwood Revival, dressed up in vintage clothes as he met up with with the Hornets, the Goodwood Revival vintage motorcycle gang.It was like a dream come true for Momoa, who posed next to vintage cars, and looked casually cool sitting on a Flying Millyard. Check the pictures below.
SUV

Made famous by Reddits ugly car mods thread, it went from a serious and respectable off-roader to squatter with only a few mods, in what we reckon to be before and after pics of theIn the former, we can see that it has a few suspension mods and proper all-terrain tires wrapped around the simple wheels. It also has some mud on certain panels, something that it will never experience again, unless the road to the local car meet gets muddy all of a sudden.In the second image, the Jeep Wrangler became all squatty with a new suspension, and now rides on a set of multi-spoke alloys, shod in thinner rubber. The wheels are backlit, apparently, illuminating the road under its belly at night.From what we can see, the vehicle was either repainted or wrapped in a foil, because black was apparently too bland, and its new owner wanted a green ride. New stickers adorn the front and side windows, and a metal bar was added to the rear, presumably keeping the back end safe from scratches while it trains for the potty on the go.If you think that its Photoshopped and no one in their right mind would do this to a Wrangler , nor any other vehicle for that matter, then the jokes on you, because one Redditer shared a social media link that shows it being driven. We cannot share it here for obvious copyright reasons, but that doesnt mean that you cannot check it out for yourselves.
ICE

From the USA to Germany, we are welcoming an iconic driver to the Audi family. Get ready for a new type of high performance.



Discover more at >> https://t.co/QkraMcPMSS



Full video >> https://t.co/Zw0CszkLsI#FutureIsAnAttitude #Audi #AudiSport #etron pic.twitter.com/oqiZ4vIPD6  Audi Sport (@audisport) September 21, 2021

Owned by the Volkswagen Group, the Ingolstadt-based automaker has confirmed that the development of new internal combustion engines will grind to a halt in 2026.-powered Audis will continue to be sold into the 2030s, but regardless, battery-electric vehicles represent the future.Electrification is a game changer, just like quattro all-wheel drive once was, said Audi Sport managing director Julius Seebach. With Ken Block , weve got exciting things in store that go perfectly with our strategy. The 53-year-old rally driver appears to embrace the all-electric revolution as well although internal combustion was - and still is - central to his career.I love anything that makes me go faster. Electric cars can do that. And as far as sound goes, I have kids who dont care about that, declared Block. Its a pity the youngsters dont find internal combustion exciting from the standpoint of aural pleasure, but I understand the generational gap because I, for example, dont find TikTok appealing. Who said, OK, boomer?Jokes aside, Ken is right. Battery-electric vehicles are inherently quicker off the line because an electric motor generates torque much quicker than a twin-turbo LS or an ear-splitting V12. With the financial might of the Volkswagen Group and the engineering excellence of Porsche, the four-ringed automaker is certain to develop better electric vehicles in due time.The RS e-tron GT is the range-topping Audi electric vehicle right now. Twinned with the Porsche Panamera on the J1 platform, the dual-motor sedan is capable of covering the quarter-mile in just under 11 seconds, fully stock. In other words, even the R8 supercar would lose a drag race against it.
Stellantis is a Dutch multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50-50 merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Stellantis is the sixth-largest automaker worldwide.said Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares.According to Manley, his 20 years with Stellantis and Tavares were mutually beneficial, and he added that he is honored that he will now serve on the board of the Stellantis Foundation.Manley said.John Elkann, the Executive Director of Stellantis, said Manleys tenure was transformational as the head of the Jeep brand.Elkann said.
The powersports vehicle manufacturer and the famous design brand have collaborated on a number of occasions, including the Polaris sponsorship of the Troy Lee Designs Factory Race Team, and the 2021 Dakar livery for the RZR Factory Racing Team, designed by Troy Lee.Now, the two have joined forces to roll out a limited-edition General, with an exclusive Troy Lee style, and all-new capabilities.Non-metallic colors, race strips, retro numbering, speed flairs, and a painted bumper are some of the elements that make the Troy Lee Design General unmistakable. Those solar colors are bound to get everyones attention, and youll get an interior badge displaying the vehicles unique number, because only 700 of these babies are hitting the road.The 100 hp General also comes with extra room for your riding gear or trail-building tools , thanks to the new Rhino-Rack rear bed rack thats added from the factory. A 4,500 lb (2,041 kg) winch, with synthetic rope and front sport bumper, adds more pulling power, while the LED lights and exclusive Pro Armor 11" Light Bar increase visibility, so that you can enjoy those trails even after dark.As comfortable as it is powerful, this striking General is fitted with padded bucket seats and a race-inspired steering wheel. Its also more high-tech than ever, rocking a premium audio system with four integrated speakers, plus the unique Ride Command system, for top-of-the-line navigation and connectivity.This great feature allows riders to save certain destinations, follow guided routes when they need to, and keep in touch with the rest of their group, without needing cell service.The limited-edition Polaris General XP Troy Lee Designs is available as two- and four-seat models, with pricing starting at $27,299 and $29,499, respectively.
EV

Chaos situation deserves a more detailed description. On June 5, right after he picked up the car, he had to take it to the Tianjin Tesla Service Center for repairs. He did that five more times until his car stopped working at 120 kph (75 mph) on a road. Chao said he heard a loud noise, five fault codes appeared on the dashboard, and the accelerator pedal died. Luckily, he managed to take the car to the roadside without causing a crash.At this point, Chao thought the car was dangerous and tried to get his money back in a friendly way. He first asked Tesla for a refund. After he was denied, Chao contacted the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau to mediate the negotiation. Thanks to the consumer agencys suggestion, he took his car to Wanfeng Motor Vehicle Appraisal on November 15, 2019. The company determined that his car had had its original left C-pillar and left rear fender cut and replaced. Contrary to what Tesla told him, that meant that the vehicle had crashed before.The Chinese customer had to fix the car three other times after the road incident, bringing the total number of repairs to ten. With Teslas refusal to give him his money back, he tried to sue themaker in Tianjin. However, Teslas headquarters are in Beijing, and the company filed a jurisdiction dispute. To speed up the process, Chao filed a lawsuit in Beijing on March 10, 2020. Beijing is 114 kilometers (71 miles) away from Tianjin.The lawsuit had some weird episodes. Tesla first disputed the appraisal and asked for a new one. When the result stated that the repairs affected the vehicles safety and depreciation, Tesla called the service unprofessional.The company presented documents from the previous owner confirming the car had been in an accident. However, Tesla tried to prove the damage was not structural. If it were, the only possible repair would be to replace the entire frame. On top of that, Tesla said that it did not know anything about the fix. The company thought that this would dismiss the fraud accusation, but it didnt. According to Tesla, cutting and welding new parts to the car made it safer than the original vehicle.The strategy did not pay off for Tesla. On December 4, 2020, the company was convicted in the first instance. Beijing courts said Tesla had the objective responsibility to know the true conditions of the car. Presenting it as spotless constituted fraud, regardless of intention or not. With the decision, Tesla would have to give Chao the RMB379,700 ($58,812 at the current exchange rate) plus RMB1,139,100 ($176,436)  the penalty for fraud is paying three times what you earned as a compensation  but it still had the option to appeal.The company did that on December 6, 2020. According to Chao, Tesla brought two experts to the court, and neither of them inspected the vehicle: they only checked the pictures Tesla provided. Both missed the same letter on the vehicles license plate in their reports, which Chao found suspicious. The final ruling came out on September 16, 20201, and still gave Chao reason. He celebrated his victory on Weibo This is not the first time Tesla has been blamed for trying to deceive customers when selling used cars. In the U.S. and Norway, it has been accused of lemon laundering. The company used to name multiple warranty repairs as goodwill. That strategy would help it cheat on financial results and avoid the application of lemon laws in many states.In financial terms, framing warranty repairs as goodwill would allow Tesla to include them as Operating Expenses. If they were considered warranty repairs, they would have to be listed as Cost of Revenue, which affects net income and gross profit calculations.Regarding lemon laws, they require automakers to repurchase cars after a certain number of warranty repairs that do not work. If they are considered goodwill, Tesla can argue that it only performed them to please the customer, not because they were necessary. Apart from that, saying warranty repairs were goodwill exempts Tesla from reporting them to NHTSA if there are too many fixes for the same issue.The last benefit of not classifying a car as a lemon is that you can resell it without informing the next customer about its issues because it has no lemon title. At least three Norwegian customers were affected by that Tesla strategy: Ola Spakmo, Jens Petter Lund Sommerlade, and Marius Andre Lang. Add Han Chao to that list as a foreign customer that managed to enforce his consumer rights in a way Tesla will never forget.
EV

ICE

The smaller, lighter, and nimbler electric sedan has proven its mettle at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb recently. Whether we're talking about Unplugged Performance's heroics last year or this year's appearance of the very car you're about to see (albeit in completely different circumstances), everybody knows the Model 3 can hold its own on a racetrack. But there's a catch.It needs serious modifications for that. Don't take this as proof of Tesla 's inability to make good cars since you could say the same about any other manufacturer. After all, these are vehicles designed for regular use on public roads, not running at full capacity for minutes on end.To go through the full list of modifications the Model 3 went through would simply take too long, so we'll just focus on the most important ones instead. The interior has been completely stripped out, receiving a roll cage instead. The only piece standing is the central display, but other than that - the rest of the dashboard included - it's all gone, replaced either by carbon fiber pieces or nothing at all.The roof and rear window have both been replaced by carbon fiber, as have the now non-functional rear doors. The result is a weight drop of roughly 400 lbs (181 kg), enough to bring the Model 3 to a much more reasonable 3,800 lbs (1,723 kg). Still heavy by race car standards, but for anThe front splitter needs no introductions since it pretty much defines the car's appearance from that angle, but the really cool bit (both figuratively and literally) is the big radiator mounted where the frunk used to be. It's used to cool down the battery, giving the Tesla about ten extra minutes or so of full performance before the inevitable happens and the battery overheats. However, since it lets air under the EV's hood, a side effect of its existence is to give the Model 3 a more-like appearance.The car was taken up Pikes Peak by legendary driver Daijiro Yoshihara (Dai), and the Japanese maestro is also present for the EV's trip to the Tire Slayer studios. Once a car gets there, everyone knows what to expect next: drifting. Well, since it's such a tight space, it's more like concentrated drifting, also known as donuts.Dai, a former Formula DRIFT champion, is probably the perfect man to try and spin the EV, but the Model 3 proves to be extremely stubborn. The 305 Toyo R888R tires definitely don't help. Dai isn't the kind to give up easily but, in the end, despite his best efforts, we're forced to settle for very little. Well, even if there wasn't much drifting to be seen, the fact there was no engine sound sure made it creepy yet interesting to watch.
This makes perfect sense given drivers should easily understand the directions provided by Waze, therefore reducing the distraction typically caused by a quick look at the display, yet as some users discovered recently, this isnt necessarily the behavior theyre getting in their cars.Sporadic reports posted online indicate that in some cases, Waze is acting up all of a sudden, and instead of lowering the music volume on Android Auto, it actually mutes the sound completely.In other words, it completely interrupts the music playback whenever it speaks any navigation directions, so users manually need to restore the volume of the sound and resume the playback, regardless of the app playing the tunes. In some cases, the whole thing affects the radio as well.No workaround is known to exist, but the good news is that not a lot of people seem to be affected by this weird Waze behavior at the moment.In theory, the solution for all these users would be a simple migration to Google Maps, but as others discovered the hard way recently, not even this app is working properly on Android Auto.A problem that has become rather widespread in the Android Auto world causes the right-hand-drive mode of Google Maps to switch some components to the left-hand-drive mode, therefore making the interface more confusing and, of course, harder to use.Up to this point, however, its not clear whats causing this Google Maps blunder, so everybody is waiting for Google to come up with a fix in one of the many updates it releases for the app.
Robotic solutions help increase efficiency while at the same time decreasing labor and fuel costs. The Japanese corporation has recently announced its intentions to invest in U.S.-based startup Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT), which manufactures robots for strawberry harvesting.AFTs automated solution TX combines UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) with artificial intelligence and image sensors. By using image recognition technologies, the robot can identify almost instantly which strawberries are ripe and picks them gently using its robotic arms with soft grippers at the end of them.With this collaboration, both companies plan to use their technologies and expertise to accelerate the implementation of automated farming solutions for both ground and tree crops.The TX robotic harvester has a lightweight chassis and is equipped with a hybrid electric drive system, gliding precisely on the soil. By driving autonomously inside rows, human intervention is reduced to a minimum, with the robot being able to harvest on its own for 24 hours a day.So far, the TX has had the chance to prove its capabilities by being deployed to work in the strawberry centers of California.AFT recently announced that its raised $25 million to support the companys growth in the strawberry harvesting sector. Yamaha Corporation is one of the investors that contributed to raising this amount.There are plenty of other examples of robots being used for agricultural purposes. The Weeder is one of them, a four-wheeled robot that is fully autonomous and uses its 150 W lasers to destroy more than 100,000 weeds per hour. It can cover up to 20 acres a day.Then theres also Milrem Robotics Multiscope UGV , which is a highly versatile machine capable of military and rescue missions, but it is also very effective at harvesting peat.
Although the automotive industry is running to cut carbon emissions, it is still considered one of the main villains for climate change. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), transportation is responsible for 14% of man-made GHG (greenhouse gases). Passenger vehicles respond to just part of those emissions. Despite that, BMW and Daimler are being sued in Germany for climate change.

ICE or not.



Although that may see the applause of environmentalists and climate change activists, things are a lot more nuanced than they may seem. The series of articles







The controversial decision has been praised by some and also widely criticized. Detractors say it has established climate protection as a super fundamental right  above fundamental rights such as privacy, liberty, and freedom. The court ruling even came to the extreme of saying that at some point in the future, even serious losses of freedom may be deemed proportionate and justified under constitutional law in order to prevent climate change.



Another criticism the decision received is that Germany responds to only 2% of the worlds GHG emissions. Even if Germany went carbon neutral now, the impact would be very limited.



It is in such an environment that DUH expects to win its case against BMW and Daimler. If that happens, a legal precedent will allow similar lawsuits to succeed, such as the one Greenpeace plans to file against



As we mentioned at the beginning of this text, automakers and their products are responsible for a small fraction of carbon emissions.







If developed countries become a hostile environment for businesses, developing ones may embrace the villain industries facing a hard time where they were created. Politicians will pressure them to keep jobs with their voters, but that may not be enough. Money does not need a passport to travel, and it likes to stay where it is better treated.



The truth is that carbon emissions are a global problem and must be treated as such. Carmakers already knew they had to retire the combustion engine because oil reserves are nearing their end. Most manufacturers are already offering electric cars due to the competition with companies that are doing well with them. The need to comply with strict carbon emission rules also counts a lot.



Penalizing these companies in the shifting process may hurt not only the evil capitalists running or investing in them but also workers directly or indirectly connected to these enterprises. Considering the number of industries that emit the most carbon, duh... we wonder who isnt. According to Reuters , DUH (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, or German Environmental Aid) decided to sue these companies allegedly for worsening climate change. The lawsuit urges them to legally commit to stop producing combustion engines by 2030. Greenpeace would be preparing a similar one to sue Volkswagen. It would have given the German automaker until October 29 to answer if it accepts anticipating the death of theor not.Although that may see the applause of environmentalists and climate change activists, things are a lot more nuanced than they may seem. The series of articles written with the help of CLEW show that carmakers may start selling only EVs really soon. However, that might have a massive impact on suppliers and other small businesses that depend on the automotive industry to survive. Many of them already know they will not make it through the electric mobility shift.The lawsuit may be trying to seize an April-2020 decision from the Federal Constitutional Court to build a trend. Germanys top court ruled that the country was failing to protect future generations against climate change. The decision reduced even more the carbon dioxide Germany can emit compared to 1990 levels (65% instead of 55%) and established that the country will have to be carbon-neutral by 2045.The controversial decision has been praised by some and also widely criticized. Detractors say it has established climate protection as a super fundamental right  above fundamental rights such as privacy, liberty, and freedom. The court ruling even came to the extreme of saying thatAnother criticism the decision received is that Germany responds to only 2% of the worlds GHG emissions. Even if Germany went carbon neutral now, the impact would be very limited.It is in such an environment that DUH expects to win its case against BMW and Daimler. If that happens, a legal precedent will allow similar lawsuits to succeed, such as the one Greenpeace plans to file against Volkswagen . Companies may also have to prove their commitment to carbon emission reduction in a legally binding way. But the impact may be way more significant.As we mentioned at the beginning of this text, automakers and their products are responsible for a small fraction of carbon emissions. The IPCC said that most of it come from electricity and heat production (25%), followed by AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use, with 24%), and industrial activity (21%). As far as we know, meat production may contribute more to global warming than passenger cars. Construction is also a major player in carbon emissions. If DUHs plan works with BMW and Daimler , the NGO will certainly expand it to these industries and businesses.Feel free to imagine what comes next. We may see new business models emerging to replace the current ones. Still, they should establish themselves thanks to the advantages theyll be able to offer, not due to lawsuits harming existing companies.If developed countries become a hostile environment for businesses, developing ones may embrace the villain industries facing a hard time where they were created. Politicians will pressure them to keep jobs with their voters, but that may not be enough. Money does not need a passport to travel, and it likes to stay where it is better treated.The truth is that carbon emissions are a global problem and must be treated as such. Carmakers already knew they had to retire the combustion engine because oil reserves are nearing their end. Most manufacturers are already offering electric cars due to the competition with companies that are doing well with them. The need to comply with strict carbon emission rules also counts a lot.Penalizing these companies in the shifting process may hurt not only the evil capitalists running or investing in them but also workers directly or indirectly connected to these enterprises. Considering the number of industries that emit the most carbon, duh... we wonder who isnt.
The Washington Post on Tuesday launched an ad network as part of its Zeus advertising technology business, executives told Axios. The network has been in the works for two years.

Why it matters: Marketers have long said they want to buy ads with the ease and efficiency of platforms like Google and Facebook, but on trusted websites like premium news publishers. This ad network solves that.

"It's a new revenue stream for the Post," said The Post's chief revenue officer Joy Robins.

Catch up quick: The Post launched Zeus Prime, a product that allows companies to buy ads in real-time, two years ago. At the time, it was only available to a small group of D.C.-based advertisers and they could only buy ads on the Post.

Beginning Tuesday, The Post will be on-boarding other publishers onto Zeus Prime to create a broader ad network, giving any advertiser the opportunity to buy and target ads across an array of premium publisher websites.

The team will bring on some of Zeus Technology's existing publishing partners, like the Ad Council, Dallas Morning News, and soon Graham Media Group  which operates seven local media hubs.

Zeus Technology serves over 125 publishing clients with products like Zeus Performance, a tool that makes publishers' ads load faster, Zeus Insights, a first-party data tool used for ad-targeting and Zeus Video, a video ad sales tool.

It hopes to bring most of its existing Zeus Technology clients, many of which are local news companies, into the new ad network. The hope is to have nearly a dozen publishing partners in the network by year's end and over one hundred within the next year.

The pricing for ads in the ad network will be $9 per thousand impressions. Ads that wish to add a layer of targeting (i.e. reach a person that works in finance) will be $10.

These rates are higher than what you would typically find on a platform like Facebook or Google, but lower than what it would cost if an advertiser bought digital ads from a premium publisher directly.

Other media companies, like Vox Media, have also launched ad networks that pool inventory from other publishers.

Jeffrey Turner, head of commercial products at The Post, said the Zeus Prime ad network was seeking to differentiate itself by focusing on speed and accessibility  making the ad network easy and efficient to use.

"We've automated all of the tasks on back end," he said. The team built tools that allow advertisers to easily copy and paste the URLs from their ads on social media an input them into Zeus Prime.

Between the lines: The self-service ad network will be a critical opportunity for The Post to bring in ad dollars from clients that want to respond to the news cycle and real-time events.

Turner said a person will vet each individual piece of creative before it goes live, while still making sure all campaigns are approved and launched in less than 24 hours.

The big picture: Robins is hoping that the ad network will help Zeus Technology hit nine-figures in revenue "easily" next year.

Zeus Technology, which launched in 2019, is The Post's second standalone tech company. In 2015, the Post launched Arc Publishing, a publishing software business that powers over 2,400 sites.

"Our ambition for Zeus Technology is  just as Arc has stood on its own and is its own business  no smaller than that."

The bottom line: "There are lot of ad tech companies that come from a private development technology perspective," says Julia Belanger, GM of Zeus Technology. "We're doing this from the perspective of a publisher who is running an ads business."

Go deeper:
In a message sent on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the South Caucasus states declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, Biden also promised continued U.S. support for the Armenian governments efforts to strengthen your democratic institutions, advance human rights, combat corruption, and uphold the rule of law.

The Armenian people have faced challenges over the last year, including the tragic loss of life in the fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, added the letter publicized by the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.

As we mourn with the people of Armenia, we will work hand in hand with your government, including through the OSCE Minsk Group and other regional formats, to promote regional stability and conflict resolution. The United States will continue to advocate for the release of all Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan.

Biden similarly assured Pashinian in early August that Washington remains committed to facilitating a comprehensive Karabakh settlement together with Russia and France, the two other co-chairs of the Minsk Group.

The U.S. ambassador to Armenia, Lynne Tracy, has repeatedly said since then that the Karabakh conflict remains unresolved after last years Armenian-Azerbaijani war.

We do not see the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as having been resolved, Tracy insisted on September 13.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned the envoys remarks. It echoed President Ilham Aliyevs repeated claims that Azerbaijans victory in the six-week war put an end to the conflict.

Aliyev ruled out on July 22 any negotiations on Karabakhs status, saying Yerevan must instead recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the Armenian-populated territory.

Later in July the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the Minsk Group issued a joint statement calling for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict and urging the conflicting parties to resume talks as soon as possible.
France and Armenia have forged a special relationship deeply rooted in history. This relationship of friendship, dense and trustful, continues today in all areas, Macron said in a congratulatory message sent to President Armen Sarkissian on Armenias Independence Day.

I would like this link, which forms the richness of our bilateral relationship, to deepen even further when it comes to our cooperation in various sectors such as culture, education, health or even economic cooperation, he wrote.

France, Macron went on, stands with Armenia to help it overcome the challenges facing it one year after the deadly conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. He said Paris will also remain actively involved in international efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict spearheaded by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed those efforts in a September 17 phone call with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the two men also agreed on the need to expand multidimensional cooperation between their countries.

The sides agreed to discuss in greater detail soon prospects for stepping up their cooperation in the economic sphere, including through the implementation of new development programs in Armenia, the ministry said in a statement.

Mirzoyan praised Frances position and actions taken during and after last years Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Karabakh.

Macron criticized Azerbaijan and accused Turkey of recruiting jihadist fighters from Syria for the Azerbaijani army shortly after the war broke out in September 2020. Le Drian demanded the departure of the Syrian mercenaries from the conflict zone following a Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the hostilities in November.

Turkey denied sending members of Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups to fight in Karabakh. Azerbaijan also denied their presence in the Azerbaijani army ranks. Both Ankara and Baku accused Paris of pro-Armenian bias.

Macron was also quick to voice strong support for Yerevan after Azerbaijani forces reportedly crossed some sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and advanced several kilometers into Armenian territory in May.

The Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenias sovereign territory, he said during a June 1 meeting in Paris with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Baku maintains that its troops took up new positions on the Azerbaijani side of the frontier and did not cross into Armenia.

France is home to an influential Armenian community. The latter was instrumental in the December 2020 passage by both houses of the French parliament of resolutions calling on Macrons government to recognize Karabakh as an independent republic. The government ruled out such recognition, saying that it would be counterproductive for France and the Karabakh negotiating process.
The ceremonies began in the morning at the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan where President Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other senior officials laid wreaths at a Karabakh war memorial.

Journalists were barred from not only approaching the officials but also watching the wreath-laying ceremony. Security officers deployed at Yerablur also interrupted their interviews with the parents of several fallen soldiers who wanted to prevent Pashinian from approaching their graves.

He must not come to my boys home, said one woman. I didnt invite him.

Moments later the angry father of another soldier was forcibly removed from the military cemetery where hundreds of Armenian victims of the first Karabakh war of 1991-1994 were also laid to rest.

Nikol, you will answer for ruining our independence, shouted another man holding Pashinian responsible for Armenias defeat in the 2020 war that left about 3,800 Armenian soldiers dead and more than 200 others unaccounted for.

He and other protesters, most of them relatives of soldiers killed in action, argued with riot police after the prime minister left Yerablur.

More than 200 other relatives led by a well-known political activist staged a candlelight march to Yerablur from the city center in the afternoon. They not only paid their respects to their loved ones but also protested against the Independence Day concert organized by the Armenian government in the citys central Republic Square.

Pashinian announced the concert on September 8, saying that it will be the culmination of large-scale and colorful celebrations of Armenias main public holiday. He said it will be first and foremost dedicated to our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Armenias independence.

The announcement prompted strong condemnations from many families of war victims as well as opposition politicians and other critics of his government. They said that any festivities would be highly inappropriate in a country which is still mourning the war dead and has not yet found, identified and buried all of its fallen soldiers.

Pashinian last week apologized for using the word colorful but said the concert will not be an affront to the soldiers memory and will go ahead as planned.

The concert featured classical, folk and modern music played in front of the countrys political leadership and other dignitaries. It also attracted hundreds of ordinary people to the sprawling square guarded by an unusually large number of police officers and other security personnel.

Addressing the crowd before the live performances, Pashinian paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. He said they must be regarded as symbols of life, not death. He also urged Armenians to transform our defeat into victory and defeat desperation, destiny and death.

Lawmakers representing Armenias two main opposition alliances led by former Presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian were also invited to the event broadcast live by state television. Predictably, they chose to boycott it.

Also invited was Levon Ter-Petrosian, another former president who led Armenia to independence in the final months of Soviet rule. Ter-Petrosian, whose spokesman branded Pashinian a nation-destroying scourge right after last years war, shunned the event too.

The governments press office declined to clarify whether personal invitations were also sent to Kocharian and Sarkisian, who are even more critical of the current Armenian authorities.

Both ex-presidents again blamed Pashinian for the outcome of the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire last November in separate statements issued earlier on Tuesday on the occasion of the independence jubilee.

As recently as one year ago, we were proud of our Armed Forces and were an essential factor in the geopolitical configuration of the South Caucasus, read Kocharians statement. But now we have not only ceased to be the security guarantor of Artsakh (Karabakh) but are also unable to protect our own sovereignty and citizens.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High around 80F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 58F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Click here to read the full article.

Sarah Dash, the legendary R&B singer who gained prominence as part of the group Labelle in the 1970s, has died. She was 76.

Labelles publicist confirmed Dashs death to Variety. Trenton, N.J. Mayor Reed Guscoria also shared the news on his Facebook page, writing: Our resident legend and Trentons very first music ambassador, Sarah Dash, has passed away Our motto, Trenton Makes, the World Takes was alive and well with Sarah. What Sarah made was beautiful music refined by a lifetime of experience and numerous contributions to the arts and the community. What the world takes is a timeless inspiration of a woman who touched the highest peaks of stardom and never forgot where she came from.

Beyond Labelle, Dash lent her smooth vocals to the recordings and live shows of some of the biggest artists in music, including the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder, Laura Nyro, Alice Cooper, the OJays, Wilson Pickett, Bo Diddley and more. She also had a lucrative solo career, seeing success with songs like 1978s Sinner Man and 1983s Low Down Dirty Rhythm.

Born in Trenton, Dash got her start singing gospel music as the daughter of a pastor. After moving to Philadelphia in the 60s, Dash met Patti LaBelle, Cindy Birdsong and Nona Hendryx, and the quartet soon formed the Bluebelles, which would later become Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. In 1967, Birdsong departed the group to join the Supremes and the trio changed their name to Labelle. After signing to Warner Bros. Records, Labelle released its self-titled debut album in 1971, followed by Moon Shadow in 1972. Labelles mainstream success came with a trio of albums released in the mid-70s: Nightbirds, Phoenix and Chameleon. Lady Marmalade, a single from Nightbirds, proved to be the groups most successful song, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and earning international acclaim.

After Labelle disbanded in 1977, Dash embarked on a solo career. Her eponymous debut album released in 1978, led by the disco hit Sinner Man. Dash would go on to release three more solo albums: Ooh La La, Sarah Dash in 1980, Close Enough in 1983 and Youre All I Need in 1988. In the late 80s, Dash toured with Keith Richards and sang on the Rolling Stones 1989 album Steel Wheels.

Dash then moved to producing one-woman shows like Dash of Diva and Sarah: One Woman in the 90s, and eventually reunited with Labelle in in 1995 for dance hit Turn It Out. In 2008, Labelle reunited once again to release one more album, Back to Now, which was produced by Lenny Kravitz and Wyclef Jean, among others. Dash was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and served as Trentons Music Ambassador, where she advocated for the expansion of performing arts in the city.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, LaBelle paid tribute to Dash: We were just on-stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment! #SarahDash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! Thats who Sarah wasa loyal friend and a voice for those who didnt have one. She was a true giveralways serving, always sharing her talent and her time.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP)  Rescue crews in Yellowstone National Park recovered the body of a 67-year-old Washington state man and searched around a lake Tuesday for his half-brother after the pair failed to return from a backcountry canoe trip.

A 10-person ground crew was walking the shoreline of Shoshone Lake looking for Kim Crumbo, a 74-year-old former Navy SEAL from Ogden, Utah, Yellowstone officials said. A helicopter from nearby Grand Teton National Park was helping in the effort.

Rescuers found the body of Mark O'Neill of Chimacum, Washington, on Monday along the eastern shore, where a canoe, paddle, flotation device and other items were found Sunday. A vacant campsite was found on the south side of the lake.

A family member reported the two experienced boaters and former National Park Service employees overdue from their four-night trip on Sunday.

O'Neill likely drowned, but an official cause of death has not been determined, Yellowstone spokesperson Morgan Warthin said.

Shoshone Lake covers 13 square miles (33 square kilometer) and has an average temperature of around 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 Celsius), with survival time estimated to be only 20 to 30 minutes in such cold water, officials said. The lake also can be subject to high winds and sudden storms.

Crumbo was a Navy SEAL who served two tours in Vietnam and worked for decades at Grand Canyon National Park as a river ranger and wilderness coordinator. ONeill also worked at the park as a river and patrol ranger, park officials said.

Well before Crumbo retired from the Grand Canyon, in 1996 he co-founded the conservation group Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, which later merged with another group to form Wild Arizona. Crumbo worked to protect and restore native species, wild places and ecosystems, said his colleague Kelly Burke, who considers him family.

She said people who know Crumbo have been reconnecting over his disappearance to hold each other up and put that energy in leaving the door open for him to walk back in."

Its Kim Crumbo, after all, she said. Hes a monumental hero and legend of a man. We cant bring ourselves to believe he wouldnt emerge from this.

Drowning is one of the top causes of death in Yellowstone, behind car and snowmobile accidents and illness, park historian Lee Whittlesey wrote in his book Death in Yellowstone.

Included among those deaths were two elderly canoeists from Idaho who capsized while fishing on Lake Shoshone in 2007 and drowned. An Idaho man and his 12-year-old son drowned during a camping trip on the lake in 2002 after their canoe apparently overturned.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Crumbo founded the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council in 1996, not 1966.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  A judge on Tuesday gave an 18-year-old Cedar Rapids man probation for a botched drug robbery that ended in the shooting death of his cousin last year.

Tyrell Gaston was sentenced to three years probation for his conviction of second-degree robbery, The Gazette reported. His sentencing on the robbery was delayed a year so he could complete his probation for other charges in juvenile court, including conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance-marijuana, carrying weapons and obstructing prosecution.
Greg Benson, 63, started his career as a volunteer firefighter after high school.

He was deciding what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, when he spoke to a volunteer firefighter who convinced him to look into the option he had not considered before.

The ability to help people on their worst day sparked his interest.

There were some interesting things that happened not long after I started that kind of created a foundation for going forward, Benson said.

Benson still remembers what felt like a brand-new experience in a Chicago suburb and when he realized the work was providing a service to residents.

As he spent more time in the volunteer role, he saw the door open to his career path.

I just got on it and kept going, he said.

Four decades later, hes the chief of the Port Arthur Fire Department.

While he first recognized the ability to help people during a potentially traumatic experience, Benson says firefighting also is about the health and safety of the community and the coworkers.

Fire fighting is a very team-oriented occupation, he said.

There were some challenges while pursuing his chosen career path, including learning how to operate as a team.

The technical parts of the job, how to pull a hose line  thats one thing, Benson said. But how do you work as a team with a three- or four-person company to accomplish a task such as working to extinguish that fire, extricate that person from a car, conduct CPR on somebody or deliver a baby?

Since starting outside of Chicago, Benson has served as a firefighter and in leadership in Illinois, California and now Texas.

His longest tenure was in Illinois with the Elgin Fire Department  30 miles west of Chicago. He was the initial chief for the Fox River and Countryside Fire Rescue, a department outside of Chicago.

In California, he worked for the fire department in Victorville.

The Port Arthur Fire Department is the first he has served in Texas. However, he said he already had a sense of the area as he and his family traveled to it several years ago.

On July 19, he officially replaced longtime Port Arthur Fire Department Chief Larry Richard, who retired in January after nearly 40 years.

Related: Port Arthur Fire Chief retires after 39-year career with department

Benson said the city has a lot of industry, critical infrastructure and a resident base that he believes will be benefited by the service, safety and excellence model.

In public safety, whether it is firefighter, EMS, police officer, emergency management  we are here to serve the public, serve the constituents, Benson said. We need to make things safer; we need to make things safer for both our constituent group and our coworkers. The excellence component is that we always need to strive to be better, there is always something better that we could do. So, it is a continual process.

A major part of that is reaching out into the community.

The fire department needs to be a part of the community not apart from the community, Benson said.

To do that, he plans to be involved in a number of community organizations, including the Rotary Club.

Benson already has attended community meetings and is still looking for opportunities to to get to know the people, nuances of the community, whats important and where the fire service can support the communitys safety and service.

Since arriving earlier this summer, he said hes already learned the department and communitys honored histories. In fact, he and other local officials already are discussing how to celebrate the departments 125th anniversary next year.

He said hed also like to work with the fire department on a community risk assessment to identify community hazards, how they contributes to risks and what can be done to mitigate and reduce the level of risk.

Its a proactive approach on increasing the safety, Benson said. Its a systematic process that takes some time.

Benson also plans to look at formalizing the Texas Fire Chiefs Best Practices program.

The model lays out recognized best practices that the department can review and follow, which he plans to start. The department will receive a designation for completing the program, which he said is more effective than an internal comparison and review because a third party looks at what the department is doing.

If we are able to proactively reduce or eliminate an event from happening, that is for the benefit of the community, Benson said. Oftentimes, the community will think a fire affects just one family. But it really affects an entire neighborhood. If you have it in commercial industries, then it can affect the entire community, because suddenly peoples employment are put at risk.

Benson believes his previous career experience has prepared him for the myriad of issues  from hurricanes to shootings  he could encounter in Port Arthur.

To respond to those issues, he noted its important to work with the citys entire team to find citywide initiatives to address the root of the problem.

We used to ride on the backstep of a firetruck, thats where youre doing the task level stuff  youre actually going and doing  lets put this fire out, lets address this medical issue, he said. Tactically, as you move up in the fire service, when youre a company officer or battalion chief you have to think about to get something done and address a situation.

The chiefs role is more strategy, he continued. What type of strategy do we utilize to address issues in the community, to provide services, to conduct analysis.

When not working, Benson said he enjoys fishing, camping, spending time outdoors and socializing.

When he first found out that he was the new fire chief for Port Arthur, he said he was humbled and honored.

I do recognize there is a lot of responsibility that goes with that and that does provide a lot of opportunity to serve the community and help assist the membership of the department, Benson said.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com
Two registered sex offenders were arrested as they tried to illegally enter the country, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The first case unfolded at about 4:45 a.m. Sept. 16, when Laredo South Station agents arrested three migrants near Zacate Creek. One man was identified as Javier Luna-Navarro, 46. A records check revealed he had a prior deportation and a felony conviction for rape with force/violence by Kings County Sheriffs Office. Luna-Navarro, a registered sex offender, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Looks like some people in Texas were expecting fake vaccine cards in the mail.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped five shipments containing a total of 1,683 counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and 2,034 fake Pfizer vaccine stickers at the Port of Cincinnati since August 16, according to a news release.

Some of the shipments of fake vaccine cards and stickers imported out of China were headed to private residences in Texas. Steven Bansbach, a spokesperson with CBP Chicago Field Office, says he didn't know exactly how many shipments were headed to Texas. He says the packages were handed over to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further investigation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

"Creating or buying a fake COVID-19 vaccination card is illegal, not to mention dangerous, said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie.

The shipments were also addressed to private residences in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri and New York. Bansbach says CBP has been stopping thousands more fake vaccine cards across the U.S. CBP stopped 3,000 fake cards in Anchorage, Alaska in August.

In Texas, only 49.8 percent of Texas have been fully vaccinated as of September 19, according to data from Texas Department of Health and Human Services. There are an estimated 301,243 active cases in Texas, and 9,240 active cases in Bexar County alone as of September 17, according to the San Antonio Metro Health District.

Only 59.5 percent of eligible people in Bexar County have been fully vaccinated as of September 17.
Gary Miller/Getty Images

Gov. Greg Abbott seems to be losing his overall support in the Lone Star State based on new data from a Texas poll.

On Sunday, September 19, The Dallas Morning News and the University at Tyler released information from their ongoing poll that shows how registered voters feel about Texas politics.
William Luther /San Antonio Express-News

Boeing has launched an investigation into how two empty mini tequila bottles were left on a future Air Force One Jet, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The journal cites people familiar with incident, and says the bottles were found sometime this month on an Air Force One jet being built in San Antonio. It's not clear where the bottles were found.
Heres the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 09/20/21

Joel Soissons new Adventure. Perhaps the most prolific producer-director-screenwriter youve never heard of, Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure and has been working pretty consistently ever since. His own Hollywood adventures have had him producing, directing and writing numerous horror movies (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Phantoms, Piranha 3DD), including several genre franchises for Dimension Films/The Weinstein Company (Children of the Corn, Hellraiser, The Prophecy). That working relationship came to an end when the company fell on much-publicized hard times and folded. Perhaps the most prolific producer-director-screenwriter youve never heard of, Joel Soisson scored a major success by producing the 1989 cult comedy classicand has been working pretty consistently ever since. His own Hollywood adventures have had him producing, directing and writing numerous horror movies (), including several genre franchises for). That working relationship came to an end when the company fell on much-publicized hard times and folded.

Reflecting on his career, Soissen has lamented Im locked into making low budget movies that are not meant to be permanent. They are not meant to be revisited at in ten years. They are not meant to be paragons of art or social commentary. They are just meant to entertain somebody for 90-minutes and then they go on about their dayTheres a chapter in William Goldmans last book entitled, Sequels equals whores movies. Because theres nothing original about them. Its about money over passion. Youre working a concept until nobody will pay you anymore. I dont think any producer in history has done as many sequels as I have.

Soissen has interrupted that cycle by writing and directing My Best Worst Adventure. Streaming now (on Vimeo, Charter Spectrum, Cox Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Overdrive and Vudu), the independently produced film (by Ray Huber and Kaew Tavoranon) presents an unusual coming-of-age story set in Thailand that clearly has more on its mind than turning a quick buck. Soissen spoke with me about his personal journey, including how he broke into the movie business, his big Bill & Ted success, his time spent working for Bob and Harvey Weinstein, his decision to take a career detour and his advice for young people breaking into the film industry today. Our conversation follows the trailer below.

JWK: You sorta broke out producing Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure and went on to produce, write and/or direct a slew of movies, including several in the horror category. Now, youre the writer and director of a much different film called My Best Worst Adventure. Tell me about that film and how you decided to take a leap into a much different genre.

Joel Soissen: I think one version of it might be just simple exhaustion with just doing so many genre films and finding that, if youre not careful, you start repeating yourself in your motifs and the same gags and the same riffs. I just needed to find a different way to get excited about making movies.

This happened to come along when I was filming a little horror thriller in Bangkok called Cam2Cam . I talked to the producer one day on set and she told me about her life growing up in the north of Thailand in this little tiny townThey had this crazy sport where they raced water buffaloes  like getting on top of them and these little kids just holding onto the scruffs of their necks and hanging on for dear life as these things stampeded at the speed of a racehorse. It was just absolutely like suicidal craziness and yet I guess most of them lived to tell the story.



I wanted to try to actually tell the horror story from a completely different vantage point, sort of cloaked in the clothing of a coming-of-age story and I took this traumatized 13-year-old girl from LA and she gets sent off to live with a quirky grandmother inThailand and sort of struggles emotionally and physically for survival in this very alien environment. (Its) like you were dropped on an alien planet and forced to cope.



JWK: The movie seems to have a sort of horror element that I missed in the trailer. Can you summarize the story for me?





JS: Theres this young girl named Jenny who has actually suffered a horrible loss in her life with her mother being taken away from her by disease and she had never spoken a word ever since. Shes a complete frustration to her stepfather (as she) never responds to any attempt to help her. Shes just closed off and alone and, finally, out of exasperation, he just sends her away to maybe just some shock therapy (of) living in a completely different environment with her grandmother  and things only get worse from there.

She meets this other boy. Hes actually really mute and they kind of go off on this adventure together. They run away from school. They get lost in the jungle. They ultimately prevail against that kind of adversity only to find theyre back in a school and dealing with an even bigger threat which is the bullies in their own school. It all culminates in this sort of defining buffalo race at the end of the film that is, at heart, kind of like Seabiscuit, Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, National Velvet kind of film that I grew up on. Its sort of a race to win back their own personal dignity.



The movie itself is largely told without dialogue. Its almost a throwback to a silent movie because the two lead characters never speak a word.



JWK: So, its definitely not a horror movie in the sense of other films you have been associated with. How is making a movie like this different than making one of those films?





JS: I always liken it, as a creative process, to taking two different paths to making a film. Genre films are very much determined by the plot because you have to have this action will lead to that action will lead to that action and, ultimately, somebody blows up or loses their head or the bad guy gets knifed at the end or gets burned up or whatever. Its all just like our characters have to follow that path to the eventual conclusion or it just wont work, whereas, there are so many what I consider, actually for me, more satisfying films that are character driven  where you create a character that is so rich and its so in its world that you kinda almost, as a writer, sit back and let them dictate where youre gonna go with it. Some of my favorite movies are constructed that way. Lily Patra), we found a naturalWe let her sort of draw (the audience) into the movie and it was magical. I mean Ive never gotten this great a response in festivals or in the critical sphere. Were still

I got the chance to do it on this one by, basically, stepping away from the normal gristmill processes of making genre films and exploring a different way of making movies. We made it in Thailand with an all-Thai crew. We shot almost all of the daylight scenes without a single light plugged in. We used the sun as our way of navigating through every days work. Where it was in the sky determined how we blocked the action. (We let) the character who, especially with this young girl (), we found a naturalWe let her sort of draw (the audience) into the movie and it was magical. I mean Ive never gotten this great a response in festivals or in the critical sphere. Were still 100% on Rotten Tomatoes . Its just been immensely gratifying and (as) someone of my advancing age in the business, you gotta learn some new tricks and some pretty solid ones at that.



JWK: Is there a message that you hope people will take from the film?



JS: Yeah, there really is. It wasnt meant to be topical I guess would be the word. I think it is because, you know, this is an incredibly divided world we live in right now, even in our own countryThe hatred of anybody thats different is just growing and is palpable. Its sort of what this story is about. You meet a whole lot of people who are scary and dangerous and alien and some of them actually do very, very brutal things in the movie. Its a family film but were kind of unsparing in (showing) how cultures deal with their own. At the end of it, Im proud to say, every one of those characters is, in one way or another, redeemed. You see that they have value, that they hope and that their motivations  even if theyre wrong  they are people who themselves are suffering and need help. You end up taking away (from) the movie how close we all are in the way that we think and feel and react. That was really gratifying as well to see people sort of cop onto that.

JWK: So, are you saying your writing took you to that message without you, in the beginning, realizing thats where your story was going?



JS: I was originally intrigued by the fish-out-of-water nature of it. My own experience is slightly parallel to my (characters) in the sense that I was in an alien environment. I didnt know the language. I was somewhat put off at times from the food to the attitudes to the nature of how people conducted themselves and yet it didnt take long until I realized how I was the one who needed to learn.

JWK: When you say that, are you talking about while you were in Thailand?



JS: While I was in Thailand making the movie. You know, I came in like the Hollywood jock that was gonna teach the locals how to make movies and they ended up teaching me which is really the arc of the story as well. If you look at what people do with nothing, its a hell of a lot more work, intelligence and inspiration than us who just make 73% of a movie with all of the bells and whistles and technology that money can buy and then the rest of it we just fix with CGI in the post production process. Theres not a frame of CGI in this film. This is real. The nature is real. The set is real. Everything. I just love the fact that they kind of took me back to what I first loved about making movies.





JS: Interesting you ask that because, as I was mentioning, this film is in many ways a silent movie because the two (lead) actors never speak and theyre forced to tell the story through their own emotions. The first movie I ever did as a writer was a films called Interesting you ask that because, as I was mentioning, this film is in many ways a silent movie because the two (lead) actors never speak and theyre forced to tell the story through their own emotions. The first movie I ever did as a writer was a films called Hambone and Hilly that starred Lillian Gish. I dont know if that name rings a bell.

JWK: It does. I believe she was a silent movie star.



JS: Yeah, one of the three top ones of her day. She would have been Meryl Streep and three other superstar ladies wrapped into one. Ive gone back lately and watched some of her films and just became blown away (by) how much artistry it takes to express yourself without the artifice of words. It almost made me feel as if talkies came along and sort of spoiled it in a way  like everybody could talk their issues out and you dont have to explore whats going on behind the eyes as much anymore.





JS: I totally decided this was the direction I wanted to go and then a fellow called me and said I have this movie that I want you to write and produce  which is totally a genre movie. Its sort of acomedy remake of The Magnificent Seven which Im out here shooting as we speak in Oklahoma. So, Ive made a mockery of my career life plan  as we so often do, I guess. Im gonna do this  and one more actually that is agenre film in South Africa  but THEN absolutely! Im going to be marching on into my dotage making movies that really matter emotionally and spiritually.

JWK: Your first big success was as the producer of Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure. What was that experience like  and did you expect Keanu Reeves to go on to become such a big star?



JS: I knew Keanu Reeves had something pretty magical. Sometimes charisma just jumps off of a person in an audition. (As for) the movie, I thought the script was brilliant. Thats what drew me to it. The highs and lows that followed the making of the movie were fun at times but catastrophic toward the end when we showed the final cut. The studio just completely didnt get itThe humor was not something that was accessible, I guess, to the older set. Its basically a movie that celebrates stupidity. Everybody at the time was trying to wage war against stupidity. They were all executives that are my age now. You know, you sit next to someone in a theater whos hating on a movie and youre not gonna like it either  especially a comedy. When nobody laughs, its pin-drop silence and all you can hear is sighing. Its awful. So, they actually crushed the film and a little upstart company came along and scooped it up and they had the vision to actually test it  (to) put it in front of a real audience of people of the age group that youre looking for  and it tested through the roof! So, we went through this complete high-and-low trajectory that was amazing. It was a full bipolar experience that Ive never experienced in quite the same way since.





JS: I did probably 20 or 30 films with Bob and one with Harvey.The first film I actually did for the Weinsteins was a film with Harvey and he promptly fired me off it for reasons Im not quite sure of  probably something to do with not wanting to tow his ethical line or lack thereof. Yeah, I was probably a charter member of the I dont like Harvey club. I have to admit that, as much as I found him to be kind of a poor excuse for a human being, even (then) I did not ever suspect he was capable of the predations that hesbeen accused and convicted of  which just makes me nauseous. The only other thing that gives me pause and little bit of sadness is Bob Weinstein, his brother. They were partners for a number of years and then, probably for the last five  maybe even ten  years that I worked with them, they werent speaking. They were estranged for reasons I will never know. To hold one brother accountable for the misdeeds of another is, you know, a dangerous premise and I fell victim to it a little bit. I quit working with the Weinstein Company and it was well over a year that I didnt call or contact Bob at all for fear that somehow the other foot was gonna drop and it was gonna seem like he was complicit in some way. But that never happened and yet, with the fall of the company and the fall of the Weinstein nameit just took him down in a way that I think was inherently unfair. Yes, he had some issues. He was a little bit imperious at times and had some anger-management issues and could certainly offend people. Im not here to defend every aspect of his personality but hes a human being  and hes not a predator. So, I finally came around to realizing that I wasnt holding true by my own ethics by staying clear of him, by spurning him. Im working with him on a number of projects now and I count him as a friend. Hes been chastened. He, obviously, doesnt have quite the  Id have to call it  arrogance, maybe, that he had when he was at the top of his game. Im not sure there are many people that dont have a bit of that arrogance when they get that high up in the field. That said, experience has clearly, clearly humanized him. Thats my little rant and Im glad you allowed me to make it. Just be careful who you take down by association. JWK: You were also involved in the Bravo edition of the reality show Project Greenlight that documented the making of the horror comedy Feast from screenplay to its 2005 theatrical release. What was it like being part of that show?



JS: At its best, it was amusing. Im not one who loves being in front of the camera. Thats the one job in a film  that and makeup  that Ive never done. I got involved in that film because I was asked to produce the movie that came out of the pressure cooker of finding these people and making a movie about it then winding up on the jury with Wes Craven and my partner Michael Leahy and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and all those guys. It was kinda fun because what you do  for those who dont know what it was all about  (would-be) directors submit reels  little, little shorts  and you attempt to find the best director and the best screenplay and you pitch a movie and you go out andyou try to make a film. You try to make it good. Youre dealing with neophytes and they document thatand then we, the producers, are supposed to be these sort of dour people that are, you know, trying to maintain order and civility in all of this. So, were the straight men in this comedy of errors. It was an interesting experience and interesting mostly to me in what it taught me about reality television and why I dont watch it anymore. JWK: Briefly, that did it teach you about reality television?



JS: That you should take the word reality away. In many respects, its (hardly) more real than scripted televisionNow, whenever I see a Survivor/Bachelor relational type of reality series I just know how much of it is just putting words in peoples mouths and telling them to act this way. JWK: Overall, looking back on your career, what would you say the moral of your particular story is?



JS: I have threaded two moral compasses when it comes to making movies. On the one hand, I will do anything that does not involve murder and bloodshed to get a film done. You have to feel like its a crusade in order be willing to knuckle down and do all the hard work that goes into making a film. So, my personal credo is just to say Yes to anything  but the other half of me goes You have to maintain your moral compass. You cant demean yourself in your personal life or in your work life in a way that exposes you to degrading yourself or other people who have to degrade themselvesAnd I see that around me so often that its kind of nauseating. I think its one of the things that gave rise to the Me Too Movement. A lot of it originated in the film industry and it makes me a bit embarrassed to be a part of it. I mean not to be a part of the degradation but to be functioning in that universe because it needed some sunlight. It needed some cleaning up and I think largely that has happened and that its continuing to happen. JWK: Do you have advice for a writer, director or producer aspiring to break into the industry today?



JS: I do. Whether its good advice or not, I leave to others to decide.I got into this industry by simply being around a film set and, particularly (with) the producers, I (made sure) I could help do whatever they needed. Im sorry for this little rant (but) the thing that I find even more prevalent in todays youth is it seems like so many people come out of school determined to get what they need. You cant start off with I want, I need (and) This is where I see myself going. You gotta start off by going What do you need? How do I help you? How can I get your agenda done? Thats everything.Ive humbled across town delivering lunches and urine samples and whatever it took to make the people above me lives more convenient and also help expedite the getting of the film madeIts part and parcel of this thing. Youre there to serve at first. I said Yes to anything that wasnt personally degrading. If (they) needed this, I (was) there to do it. So, I ended up helping out on every department on a film. I was serving snacks and running (errands) and (doing) camera stuffA person that knows everybodys job can help facilitate (the production) when something goes wrong. Sooner or later, theyre gonna call on you to do more and more things because (youre the) guy that knows where all the bones are buried. If you want to know how to get crosstown in 14 minutes, you hire that guy. If you want to know how to get a tent set up and operational in less time than that, this is the guy. Its just like you become that go-to guy. Thats where a little of your career steering starts to happen.I got my first job writing because I was sitting around a producer named I do. Whether its good advice or not, I leave to others to decide.I got into this industry by simply being around a film set and, particularly (with) the producers, I (made sure) I could help do whatever they needed. Im sorry for this little rant (but) the thing that I find even more prevalent in todays youth is it seems like so many people come out of school determined to get what they need. You cant start off with I want, I need (and) This is where I see myself going. You gotta start off by going What do you need? How do I help you? How can I get your agenda done? Thats everything.Ive humbled across town delivering lunches and urine samples and whatever it took to make the people above me lives more convenient and also help expedite the getting of the film madeIts part and parcel of this thing. Youre there to serve at first. I said Yes to anything that wasnt personally degrading. If (they) needed this, I (was) there to do it. So, I ended up helping out on every department on a film. I was serving snacks and running (errands) and (doing) camera stuffA person that knows everybodys job can help facilitate (the production) when something goes wrong. Sooner or later, theyre gonna call on you to do more and more things because (youre the) guy that knows where all the bones are buried. If you want to know how to get crosstown in 14 minutes, you hire that guy. If you want to know how to get a tent set up and operational in less time than that, this is the guy. Its just like you become that go-to guy. Thats where a little of your career steering starts to happen.I got my first job writing because I was sitting around a producer named Sandy Howard who one day said Id love to do a little movie about a dog that gets lost in a New York airport (and) takes this incredible journey across the continent to reunite with his elderly owner. And I go home and I write two pages (and say) Oh, I think I can tell you a little yarn that youd be amused with and handed it to him and he said Okay, youre writing. Go ahead. Get started. JWK: So, that was the start of your writing career?



JS: Yeah, its being at the right place at the right time  and making that right time for yourself. The one other little thing thats changed over the years that I would say is dont go immediately to LA thinking that Hollywood is the place you need to base out of. Im in Oklahoma shooting a film right now because they have tax and rebate incentives that make it so much more financially feasible to make a more there than in California. So, this place is full of productions that are looking for locals that they dont have to fly in , pay to stay here and put up in hotels (and who) know what theyre doing. Thats where you should be. You should be looking at what we call the incentive states. You can find them on the internet. I have threaded two moral compasses when it comes to making movies. On the one hand, I will do anything that does not involve murder and bloodshed to get a film done. You have to feel like its a crusade in order be willing to knuckle down and do all the hard work that goes into making a film. So, my personal credo is just to say Yes to anything  but the other half of me goes You have to maintain your moral compass. You cant demean yourself in your personal life or in your work life in a way that exposes you to degrading yourself or other people who have to degrade themselvesAnd I see that around me so often that its kind of nauseating. I think its one of the things that gave rise to the. A lot of it originated in the film industry and it makes me a bit embarrassed to be a part of it. I mean not to be a part of the degradation but to be functioning in that universe because it needed some sunlight. It needed some cleaning up and I think largely that has happened and that its continuing to happen. That you should take the word reality away. In many respects, its (hardly) more real than scripted televisionNow, whenever I see arelational type of reality series I just know how much of it is just putting words in peoples mouths and telling them to act this way. At its best, it was amusing. Im not one who loves being in front of the camera. Thats the one job in a film  that and makeup  that Ive never done. I got involved in that film because I was asked to produce the movie that came out of the pressure cooker of finding these people and making a movie about it then winding up on the jury withand my partnerandandand all those guys. It was kinda fun because what you do  for those who dont know what it was all about  (would-be) directors submit reels  little, little shorts  and you attempt to find the best director and the best screenplay and you pitch a movie and you go out andyou try to make a film. You try to make it good. Youre dealing with neophytes and they document thatand then we, the producers, are supposed to be these sort of dour people that are, you know, trying to maintain order and civility in all of this. So, were the straight men in this comedy of errors. It was an interesting experience and interesting mostly to me in what it taught me about reality television and why I dont watch it anymore.
Demonstrators pour water to extinguish tear gas fired by the Thai police during a protest in Bangkok, Aug. 7, 2021.

Internet freedom deteriorated to an all-time low in Bangladesh, while being severely restricted in Thailand and having declined in Indonesia, an independent watchdog group said in its latest annual report released Tuesday.

Elsewhere in Asia, digital freedom remained restricted in Malaysia and under threat in the neighboring Philippines, according to Freedom on the Net 2021, a country-by-country assessment by U.S.-based Freedom House.

The rights of internet users around the world, especially the rights to free expression and privacy, are being massively violated as a result of recent state actions, said Michael J. Abramowitz, the groups president.

Instead of using regulation to curb the immense power of tech companies, many governments are wielding it for their own repressive purposes.

The report on 70 countries, which account for 88 percent of internet users worldwide, covers developments between June 2020 and May 2021.

The year 2021 marked the 11th consecutive year of global decline in digital freedom, according to Freedom House.

In 56 countries, officials arrested or convicted people for their online speech, the report said, while governments suspended internet access in at least 20 countries and blocked access to social media platforms in 21 states  mostly during political turmoil.

Authorities in at least 45 countries are suspected of obtaining sophisticated spyware or data-extraction technology from private vendors, Freedom House also reported.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh reached an an all-time low during the past year, with its internet freedom score falling from 42 in 2020 to 40  out of 100  the report said, noting that authorities continued to arrest online users under the Digital Security Act (DSA).

Human rights organizations have criticized the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for allegedly using the draconian law to go after dozens of journalists and writers since the online communications law was enacted in 2018.

Her Awami League party has doubled down on harassment of opposition party members, perceived troublemakers, as well as the media and members of civil society for criticizing the government, the report said.

In addition, the online portals of many news outlets remained blocked during the past year, Freedom House reported.

Self-censorship persists amid reports of torture, brief abductions, and a death in detention, the report said, adding that the online sphere is impacted by government-hired civilian contractors who hack accounts and use false copyright infringement complaints to get content removed.

Bangladeshi government officials pushed back against the report.

I do not accept this sort of report, Mustafa Jabbar, Bangladeshs telecommunications minister, told BenarNews. He declined to elaborate.

Law Minister Anisul Huq brushed off the thrust of the Freedom House report on Bangladesh as a concocted statement.

The government in no way stands in the way of internet freedom for the citizens of Bangladesh.

Digital Security Act is for digital security of every single citizen of the country, he told BenarNews.

Two Bangladeshis gaze at their mobile phones near Dhaka University, Aug. 30, 2021. [BenarNews]

Thailand

In Thailand, which is a led by a government with deep ties to the military and a former junta, the internet is severely restricted, the report said.

The kingdoms score this year moved from 35 to 36 and was rated by Freedom House as not free for an eighth straight year.

Since July 2020, the country has seen massive street protests calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, the ex-junta chief, to step down, as well as for the constitution to be rewritten and the monarchy to be reformed.

Dozens of the activists have been arrested and charged with Lese-Majeste, a strict law that guards against royal defamation.

Internet users were arrested, criminally charged, or subjected to targeted harassment for sharing a range of content, including unverified information about the pandemic and criticism of the governments response, the report noted.

In March 2020, during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Prayuth signed an emergency decree that allows authorities to impose curfews, bar public gatherings, and censor news deemed to be fake or seen as inducing general fear and panic.

Freedom House described the decree repressive and said it imposed further constraints on freedom of expression.

In January, a former revenue officer received 43 years in prison for uploading to YouTube radio clips critical of the monarchy. Freedom House called it one of the most draconian sentences imposed in Thailand in recent memory.

The 63-year-old woman is still in jail after her bail was rejected. Her lawyers have appealed her case.

However, in a positive development, Thai courts rejected government requests to restrict content and shut down platforms on several occasions, as well as ruled in favor of people who face criminal charges on their online content.

Indonesia

Internet freedom in Indonesia declined, with the countrys score falling to 48 from 49 last year, the report said.

This was primarily due to a new government regulation that imposes the takedown of online content and registration requirements on a broad range of technology companies.

The government regulation, released last November, also requires the companies to provide law enforcement officials direct access to their systems and users data.

Internet access in the far-eastern Papua region, where a separatist insurgency has simmered for decades, continues to be disrupted repeatedly, Freedom House said, noting that some of the disruptions coincided with events related to Papuan independence.

It also noted that critics of the government, journalists, and ordinary users continued to face criminal charges and offline violence in retaliation for their online activity and harassment, including death threats.

The worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation has made impressive democratic gains since the fall of an authoritarian regime in 1998, establishing significant pluralism in politics and the media and undergoing multiple, peaceful transfers of power between parties, Freedom House said.

But Indonesian continues to struggle with challenges including systemic corruption, discrimination, and violence against marginalized groups, and the politicized use of laws against defamation and blasphemy, the report said.



Malaysia

Malaysias score in this years Freedom House report stayed the same as in 2020  58 out of 100, with internet freedom restricted, the report said.

Criminal prosecutions and investigations for social media posts and other forms of online expression also continued to pose threats to internet freedom, it said.

The watchdog also said users  particularly from the more vulnerable LGBTQ community  increasingly face online and offline harassment in retaliation for their online posts.

The Malaysian government initiated legal proceedings against popular news portal Malaysiakini after readers posted comments that were allegedly critical of the judiciary.

The Federal Court found the news website guilty of contempt in February and imposed fines of 500,000 ringgits ($115,000).

Philippines

Digital freedom in the Philippines remained under threat, though the countrys score improved by one point, to 65.

According to Freedom House, the governments passage last year of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 bolstered the ability of authorities to criminalize online speech.

The new law expanded the definition of terrorism and enabled the government to detain individuals without a warrant, while extending the time limits on government surveillance.

The report said red-tagging  a practice among Philippine military and police personnel of accusing individual people or groups of being communist rebels or sympathizers has continued, as well as physical side assaults on government critics.

The countrys decline in internet freedom has occurred amid an erosion of political and civil rights under President Rodrigo Duterte, the report said. His administrations unrelenting crackdown against illegal drugs, a bloody legacy of his six-year term ending next year, has led to thousands of extrajudicial killings since he took power in mid-2016.
Updated at 8:49 a.m. EST on 2021-09-22

Three weeks ago, a Chinese survey ship sailed uninvited into Indonesias exclusive economic zone. It began criss-crossing a small stretch of the

North Natuna Sea in a lawn-mowing pattern typical for maritime survey vessels. It remained there Tuesday, amid unanswered questions about what exactly it is doing there.

Indonesian authorities have deployed several naval vessels to the area but have nevertheless played down the presence of the 3,400-ton Chinese ship, the Haiyang Dizhi 10. They face a dilemma that has become familiar for the governments of maritime Southeast Asia  how to respond to Chinas assertion of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

This is the exact same playbook we saw Beijing use against Vietnam in late 2019 and Malaysia in early 2020, said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, referring to past incidents where Chinese survey vessels have loitered in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of neighboring countries, where oil and gas exploration was underway.

A Vietnamese researcher has been monitoring the Haiyang Dizhi 10 since day one.

Duan Dang told BenarNews that he spotted the Chinese ship approaching the Vietnamese EEZ on Aug. 29 near an installation in the Dai Nguyet oil field.

But in the morning [of Aug. 31, its AIS [automatic identification system] signals showed the Haiyang Dizhi 10 was moving slowly southwards into Indonesian waters and entered the Tuna Block, near where the Noble Clyde Boudreaux rig was, he said.

The rig was commissioned to drill two wells there until mid-November, according to energy industry sources.

At one point, it was just 10 nautical miles from the rig, said Duan.

He started updating almost daily on the Chinese ships operation in the area, which lies within Indonesias EEZ but overlaps with the so-called nine-dash line that China draws to claim most of the South China Sea. Those Chinese claims are disputed by several neighboring countries and not recognized by international law.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) requires governments to seek permission in advance for marine scientific research in another states EEZ, a requirement China often ignores.

Media and public attention on the presence of the Haiyang Dizhi and Chinese Coast Guard vessels reported to be in the North Natuna Sea has led to Indonesia sending some naval ships to the area. A maritime air patrol has also been conducted.

Chinese geological survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 10 is seen during a 2019 visit to Pakistan for hydrocarbon research and geological mapping. [Photo courtesy Pakistan Navy]

Lawn-mowing pattern

However, when asked, a spokesman for the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, also known as Bakamla, brushed aside the concerns about the Haiyang Dizhi, saying that there had been no violation of shipping rules.

It was probably a normal passage, said Wisnu Pramandita.

Analysts say the Chinese vessels movement in a grid pattern shows that it is clearly engaged in research activities.

H. I. Sutton, a well-known defense analyst, said that the Haiyang Dizhi 10 appears to be conducting a detailed survey of the sea floor.

From the data we have seen, this may be a seismic survey which uses a special sonar to see beneath the sea floor. The most likely use for this would be in relation to hydrocarbon exploitation, he told BenarNews.

Tuna Block, where Haiyang Dizhi has been operating, is an important oil and gas field. U.K.-based Harbour Energy and its partner, Russias Zarubezhneft, are drilling two appraisal wells there using the semi-submersible rig Noble Clyde Boudreaux, according to the publication Energy Voice and Russias Interfax news agency.

The area lies about 90 nautical miles north of Indonesias Natuna Islands. The Indonesian government awarded Premier Oil, which merged into Harbour Energy Plc earlier this year, the right to explore the block in 2007. The Russian operator joined the exploration earlier this year.

Tuna has estimated reserves of 100 million barrels of oil, Zarubezhneft officials told the Russian news agency Interfax in June.

According to AMTIs Poling, China follows a playbook to challenge resource exploration in disputed waters that it considers to be under its jurisdiction.

First the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) harasses foreign oil and gas operations in the hopes of coercing the neighboring state to halt the work. Then, if that fails, China deploys a state-owned survey vessel protected by CCG and militia boats to conduct an illegal survey of its own in the offending states waters, he said.

In this case, it is especially damning because the Haiyang Dizhi 10 surveyed right up to the edge of the nine-dash line but not beyond. This offers clear evidence that Beijing continues to view the line as some kind of national boundary, Poling said.

Sutton, the defense analyst, agreed.

Countries will naturally be concerned at the level and locations of the Chinese survey efforts as those surveys tend to respect the notional nine-dash line which roughly outlines China's own territorial claim over virtually the entire South China Sea, he said.

Chinas historic rights

But not all researchers see it that way.

Mark Hoskin, an independent researcher and lecturer on Chinas maritime history and law, said official protests against Chinas claim to historic rights were rare before this century.

While surveys of this nature may be seen as an annoyance by the coastal state, if they are performed in areas that are not militarily sensitive, the benefits to the coastal state outweigh any perceived costs, he argued.

He said that in the case of the Philippines, such surveys have led to joint development projects, in which China has the most practical experience of all states in the region.

Vietnam, another claimant in the South China Sea and perhaps the country under the heaviest pressure from China to cease oil exploration off its southern coast, doesnt seem keen on the joint development suggestions from Beijing.

In 2019, when the Haiyang Dizhi 8 operated inside Vietnams EEZ for three months, Hanoi repeatedly denounced what it called a violation of Vietnams sovereignty and jurisdiction and demanded that China withdraw its survey ship, which it finally did, saying its survey mission was completed.

But Indonesias reaction now, and Malaysias response a year earlier when the Chinese Haiyang Dizhi 8 operated in Malaysian waters for a whole month until a Malaysian-contracted drillship had vacated the area, has been much more restrained.

Despite public pressure to defend national interests, the Indonesian government has yet to issue an official response and regional experts say Jakarta seems to be prioritizing a diplomatic approach to the issue.

It boils down to political decisions by coastal states, argued Hoskin.

In the past, Britain, the Netherlands, and the U.S. would perform surveys without interference in these same waters [in the South China Sea]. Protests against PRC (China) vessels performing such activities are solely political in nature, and do not form a reasoned approach to scientific exploration of the seas, he said.

Largest survey fleet

According to Sutton, however, the Chinese survey ships would always be viewed with suspicion, such as doing surveys for reasons which are not in other countries interests.

An AMTI report in 2020 suggests that maritime research can serve both civilian and military purposes.

Oceanographic data is crucial for undersea operations Research vessels purportedly involved in scientific research can also use their instruments for naval reconnaissance, gathering intelligence on foreign military facilities and vessels, it said.

China operates by far the largest fleet of government research vessels in the region.

According to the database of the International Maritime Organization, there are 64 registered Chinese survey vessels built in or after 1990, surpassing the U.S.s 44 and Japan's 23.

During 2019-2020, China deployed 25 government vessels in waters beyond its recognized national jurisdiction in the Indo-Pacific, compared to 10 from the U.S., according to the AMTI.

On Tuesday morning, another large Chinese survey ship  the 4,600-ton Dai Yang Hao  was spotted near Fiery Cross Reef, a feature in the Spratly Islands, which is under Chinas control but also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Vietnamese ship watcher Duan Dang told Radio Free Asia, a sister entity of BenarNews, that hes following it with interest.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report contained wrong information about a Chinese survey ship's name and tonnage.
A nurse gives a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to a secondary school student in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Sept. 20, 2021.

Malaysia has fully vaccinated 80 percent of its adult population against COVID-19, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced Tuesday, as other countries in Asia are struggling mightily to get jabs into peoples arms.

When the Southeast Asian nation began its immunization campaign on Feb. 24, officials declared that their goal was to inoculate at least eight in 10 adults within a year to slow the spread of the virus that has ravaged countries worldwide. Since then, millions of Malaysians received Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines in less than seven months.

Congratulations! Malaysia has achieved the target of having 80 percent of our adult population fully vaccinated, Ismail Sabri in a tweet on Tuesday. Lets continue our efforts to fight COVID-19.

As of Wednesday morning (local time), the governments COVID-19 tracker website reported that more than 18.6 million people, or 79.6 percent of the nations adults, had been fully vaccinated. About 24 million people of the countrys population of 32.66 million are 18 or older.

The vaccination figure for the entire population including children who have not been eligible totaled 57.1 percent, the tracker website reported.

By comparison, Thailand has seen 22 percent of its entire population vaccinated; Indonesia 16 percent; the Philippines 11 percent; and Bangladesh 9 percent, according to information collected by Our World in Data.

Target shift

Despite reaching the milestone, the very contagious Delta variant has forced Malaysia to increase the number of vaccinations needed to achieve herd immunity, Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah told BenarNews.

Our target of coverage now is more than 90 percent in view of Delta variant with its high transmissibility  at least 90 percent of the adult population, Noor Hisham said.

In addition, teens will soon be getting shots as well. The government approved offering the Pfizer vaccine for 3.2 million children between the ages of 12 and 17. At least 60 percent are expected to receive their first jabs by November, according to the Ministry of Health.

When asked if that would establish herd immunity, Noor Hisham said it depended on the COVID- virus.

If the virus keeps mutating, then we cannot achieve any herd immunity, he said, noting that because the flu virus mutates, annual vaccinations are needed. So, coverage is important.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard, which recently changed the way it rates COVID-19 cases in countries by measuring 28-day tallies instead of total infections, currently rates Malaysia as the seventh nation hardest hit by the pandemic, one spot above the Philippines.

The dashboard notes that Malaysia recorded nearly 540,000 infections during the last four weeks. Health officials reported 15,759 infections on Tuesday  nearly 9,000 fewer than the 24,599 recorded on Aug. 26  before the nation started seeing a downward trend.

Since the pandemic began, Malaysia has recorded more than 2.1 million COVID-19 infections and more than 24,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard.

Noor Hisham said the health ministry was forecasting that the number of new infections would keep falling as more people get inoculated.

We should have below 1,000 (daily) cases by the end of November.

Booster shots

On Sunday, Ismail Sabri announced that government officials had approved third-dose COVID-19 vaccine shots.

The priority for this third dose would be focused on high risk groups first, including the health care front liners, immunocompromised patients, senior citizens with comorbidities, and individuals who work or live in long-term care facilities, after the immunization coverage reaches more than 80 percent of the adult population, he said in a statement.

This third dose can increase the body immune level among the vulnerable against COVID-19, which can start waning after a certain period of time, he said in the statement.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said officials expected to begin offering booster doses in early October.
Philippine troops travel to the southern city of Marawi to battle Islamic State-linked militants, June 13, 2017.

A Filipino man suspected of facilitating the recruitment of new fighters for the regional branch of the Islamic State militant group has been arrested in the southern Philippines, police said Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Samer Ali, 29, was caught on Monday when government forces raided his hideout in Polomolok, a town in the foothills of an imposing mountain range in South Cotabato province, police said.

Arresting officers seized a grenade from the suspect, who is also being sought for murder, according to provincial police commander Col. Jemuel Siason, who did not provide details about the alleged crime.

The man was suspected of facilitating the recruitment for new members of the Islamic State in Polomolok and the nearby municipality of Tboli, Siason told BenarNews.

We surveilled his movements prior to the arrest, Siason said. He is now detained.

Officials said Islamic militants frequently fled to the jungles and mountains of South Cotabato to serve as hideouts from military operations.

In January, five members of the Ansar al-Khilafah Philippines (AKP), a Filipino militant group linked with Islamic State (IS), were killed during raids in South Cotabato. In the same month, four family members allegedly working with AKP were killed in another operation in Tboli town, according to police.

IS-linked militants were blamed for a siege in 2017 that led to a five-month battle with government forces, leaving the southern city of Marawi in ruins. AKP militants allegedly joined the fighting.

While about 1,200 militants, security forces and civilians were killed in the battle that ended in October 2017, authorities said those who escaped spread across Mindanao in the south and have set out to recruit Muslim fighters across the mainly Catholic country.

Rommel Banlaoi, a counter-terrorism analyst at the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said the recent fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban insurgent movement could lead militants there to reach parts of Southeast Asia, including the southern Philippines.

They can apply as refugees to penetrate the Philippines, Banlaoi said.

Meanwhile, Banlaoi identified the new leader of the Maute militant group as Commander Ker Mimbantas, also known as Commander Zacaria. The Mautes were a core group of militants who helped carry out the Marawi siege.

Mimbantas, a senior Maute militant, has more than 40 followers, some of whom used to work with planners of the Marawi siege, according to Banlaoi.

Recently, the group of Mimbantas clashed with the military in Munai town in Lanao del Norte province. Also, they released a video of their ongoing training, Banlaoi told BenarNews.

The military intelligence unit in the south has said it has seen a copy of the training video and are seeking to verify the information.
The HMAS Parramatta (left), a Royal Australian Navy guided-missile frigate, sails with the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America and other American warships in the South China Sea, April 18, 2020.

The Philippines backs a new U.S.-U.K.-Australia defense pact that addresses a military imbalance in Southeast Asia, Manilas top diplomat said Tuesday, in remarks that contrasted sharply with Indonesian and Malaysian concerns about a regional arms race.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. did not name any countries responsible for this so-called imbalance, but he was likely referring to China. Manila and Beijing have had several verbal spats over Chinas increased militarization in the South China Sea.

Australias neighbors in Southeast Asia do not possess the military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in the region, he said in a statement issued to reporters on Tuesday.

There is an imbalance in the forces available to the ASEAN member states, with the main balancer more than half a world away, Locsin said of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Locsin again did not name which country he was referring to when he spoke about the main balancer, but he likely was alluding to the United States, Manilas longtime military ally.

The enhancement of a near abroad allys ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilize it.

The trilateral AUKUS pact  which provides Australia with the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines  would also quicken allies response time to counter threats in the disputed South China Sea, Locsin said.

Proximity breeds brevity in response time, thereby enhancing an ASEAN near friend and allys military capacity to respond in timely and commensurate fashion to a threat to the region or a challenge to the status quo. This requires enhancing Australias ability, added to that of its main military ally, to achieve that calibration, he said.

The AUKUS pact unveiled last week is thought to be designed to counter Chinas growing influence in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea where Beijing has sweeping claims that are disputed by its neighbors.

Last week, Beijing denounced the new trilateral partnership. Its embassy was not immediately available to comment on Tuesday.

Weaponry competition between superpowers

While the Philippines is openly embracing the new defense partnership, some Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have expressed alarm over nuclear submarines operating in regional waters.

Last Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob received a courtesy call from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who explained the trilateral pact.

Ismail Sabri expressed concern that such cooperation will trigger competition between countries in the Indo-Pacific region in weaponizing their armory with nuclear weapons, the prime ministers office said in a statement the next day.

Concern [was also raised] on the possibility that it will provoke other powers to act aggressively in the region especially in the South China Sea.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said he told his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, firmly that we did not want to be trapped in the middle of this weaponry competition between superpowers.

He said the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta had contacted all foreign ministers after the trilateral pacts announcement, and we are in the midst of preparing a joint statement on the issue.

Similarly, on Monday, the Indonesian navy and coast guard echoed an earlier statement from the countrys foreign ministry.

AUKUS has the potential to increase tensions in the South China Sea that could have an impact on Indonesia, said Adm. Aan Kurnia, head of the coast guard (Bakamla).

This could signal a potential escalation and we need to clearly understand what the direct and indirect impacts on Indonesia are, Aan said in a meeting with a parliamentary commission.

One direct impact of the escalation can be predicted  there will be many large military forces in the SCS.

The day after the pact was announced, Indonesias foreign ministry said it was very concerned about the continued arms race and projection of military power in the region.

Indonesia emphasizes the importance of Australias commitment to continue to fulfill its obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation, a ministry statement said.

The Philippines Locsin, however, said that without the actual presence of nuclear weapons, the AUKUS pact would not violate a 1995 treaty banning arms in the region.

Like the Philippines, ASEAN member Singapore responded positively to AUKUS.

Thailand has not yet issued an official statement on the new pact, but a former Thai foreign minister, Kasit Piromya, told BenarNews last week that the Chinese showed assertive and aggressive ambition.

No one country in the region wants to be under the domination of China and the U.S. presence is thus a necessity.

Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
Transgender woman Nur Sajat, who is wanted in Malaysia for allegedly insulting Islam, is seen in a photograph on her social media page.

Thai authorities are set to deport a Malaysian transgender woman, an immigration official said Tuesday, referring to an entrepreneur who is wanted by the sharia courts in her country for insulting Islam by dressing in womens clothes.

Malaysia is working with Thai authorities to extradite Nur Sajat at a time when human rights activists say that harassment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community has increased alongside a rise in conservative Islam.

Nur was arrested on Sept. 8 by an anti-transnational crime and illegal migrant team of the immigration bureau at a condominium for illegal entry and illegal staying, Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, told reporters.

Nur was freed on bail, said Maj. Gen. Archayon Kraithong, Deputy Commissioner of the Thai Immigration Bureau.

He is freed on bail for 30 days and after that we will deport him to Malaysia, Archayon said, referring to Nur throughout using the male pronoun.

Nur is a cosmetics entrepreneur and social media influencer. She received death threats in March after a video emerged that showed an unidentified person saying she was renouncing Islam.

On Tuesday, unconnected to Nurs case, a Malaysian lawmaker from a conservative Islamic party told parliament that the country needed to strengthen its Islamic bodies to counter the emergence of transgender people on social media.

Now emerge groups of crossdressers, rampantly, on social media, without a shred of guilt dressing up like women. Are our laws too lax to curb such activities? asked Nik Abduh Nik Aziz from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).

In such an environment, Nur must not be sent back to Malaysia under any circumstances, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, adding that the entrepreneur was a United Nations-recognized refugee.

She needs to be sent to a country that will offer rights protections, not persecute [her] for being LGBT, which is what will happen if she is sent to Malaysia, Robertson tweeted, after Malaysian police late Monday confirmed Nurs arrest in Thailand.

Some Malaysian news media reported  without naming sources  that Nur had secured a U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) card in Bangkok and was awaiting permission to seek asylum in Australia.

Thai immigration official Archayon said even if Nur did have such a card, it was not valid in Thailand.

In regards with the refugee status, we treated him according to Thai laws. The UNHCR card has no standing in Thailands judicial system, he said.

Nur became a wanted fugitive in Malaysia on Feb. 23 after the countrys Islamic law  or sharia  court issued an arrest warrant for her after she failed to show up for a hearing related to the charges of Islam being insulted.

She had been charged in January this year  and pleaded not guilty  although the incident she was arraigned for took place in February 2018.

Nur should return voluntarily, Malaysian Crime Investigation Department chief Abdul Jalil Hassan told BenarNews.

Charges that are discriminatory

Many Malaysians on social media were outraged that the authorities were spending time and energy to bring back a person who had not committed any crime.

Nur Sajat faces a host of charges that are discriminatory, tweeted a rights activist, Michelle Yesudas.

The authorities were sent after her in masses  disproportionate and excessive. The people in SEA who may qualify as actual war criminals are pursued with less vigor than Nur Sajat, she said, referring to Southeast Asia.

Nur Athira, a transgender Malaysian filmmaker and activist, said the transgender community would not support Nur if she had committed a crime.

but her being attacked verbally and charged for Islamic contempt due to dressing appropriately during religious functions affects me and other Malay transwomen, she tweeted.

Back in February, Justice for Sisters, a transgender rights group, said that while some may criticize Nur for not having made it to her court date, denying the LGBTQ community dignity was the real issue that needed to be addressed.

It appears as if the state only allows LGBTQ persons to exist if they fall into the states definition of a Muslim person, and requires non-gender conforming individuals to change, suppress or rehabilitate themselves, the group said in a statement, as reported by local media.

This sort of rehabilitation has been rejected by international medical and human rights bodies due to its harmful effects on the well-being of LGBTQ people.

Malaysia, this year through June, had sent 1,733 members of the LGBT community to a rehabilitation camp run by the Religious Development Body called JAKIM, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told parliament last week.

The government is serious about the issue of LGBT people in the country as Malaysia is a country that adheres to the religion of Islam, he said in a written reply to a question.

Any individual who violates the law must face action. ... they need to be guided and be made aware so that they can return to the right path.

Wilawan Watcharasakwet and Nontarat Phaicharoen, in Bangkok, and Hadi Azmi and Nisha David, in Kuala Lumpur, contributed to this report.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
The United Nations chief is warning global leaders at the opening of the U_N_'s foremost gathering that the world has never been more threatened and divided and we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.
President Joe Biden has used his first address before the U.N. General Assembly to summon allies to quickly address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Doug Emhoff, the spouse of Vice President Kamala Harris, visited a Massachusetts preschool to promote the Biden administrations plan to invest billions of dollars in early childhood education and ease financial pressures on working parents
Teen girl killed at party when gun accidentally goes off

Prosecutors say a 17-year-old girl attending a private party at an upscale Boston hotel last February was shot in the head and killed when she swatted the hand of a man holding a gun
THEATER REVIEW

Theater Review: Kander and Ebb revue 'The World Goes 'Round' rings them bells at Mac-Haydn Theatre
Investigations editor

Larry Parnass joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, CommonWealth Magazine and with the Reuters news service.
Kelly Vincent-Brunacini recently purchased this rare photo of Susan B. Anthony at an online auction. The photo was taken around 1900.
The percentage of students in third through eighth grade receiving a score of "meeting expectations" or higher in math and English each dropped from 2019, prior to the pandemic.
All House members and employees would be required to be vaccinated under a proposal under consideration for reopening the Statehouse.
KAMIAH - According to the Idaho Fish & Game, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) continues to cause an increase in the number of deer deaths reported across the Clearwater Region. Every year, IDFG receives reports of deer potentially infected with EHD in small, isolated outbreaks. Although EHD is a naturally occurring disease in Idaho, this summer's prolonged hot, dry summer with little rain has caused animals to congregate, intensifying the occurrence and duration of this year's EHD outbreak. IDFG has received hundreds of reports of dead deer in the Clearwater Region this summer.

As usual water sources become scarce on the landscape, more deer use any water that is available. As deer gather around these water sources, more deer in the population may become exposed to infected biting midges, which spread the disease via bites from the insects. Higher deer concentrations can further exacerbate an outbreak as more deer frequent these watering holes.

History

In 2003, the Clearwater Region experienced a major outbreak of hemorrhagic disease starting in the Kamiah area. A less severe outbreak of bluetongue occurred during 2015 within the Clearwater Region.

Immunity

The disease is characterized by the rapid onset of clinical symptoms. Some deer can survive the late stages of the disease, and not all deer that become infected will become sick enough to show clinical signs. Deer that survive the original infection may become immune to EHD, and will carry antibodies in their blood. Due to the potential for immunity, Fish and Game encourages public to keep their distance and to not shoot or harass/stress visibly sick deer.

External Signs of EHD

Loss of appetite and wariness, swelling around the head and neck, dehydration and weakness, increased respiration rate, excessive salivation, rosy or bluish color of mouth and tongue, blood flecks may occur in the urine and feces. In severe cases, a bloody diarrhea can develop. Deer that are infected may show lameness and a tendency to avoid direct sunlight. An increase in body temperature can cause deer to seek cool places, such as in and around water.

Treatment and Control

There is no treatment for EHD once the animal shows clinical signs. There are no preventive methods that are currently being applied to wild populations of deer. According to Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals (2001), there is no established public health risk associated with handling or eating animals infected with EHD or with exposure to EHD-infected midges.

What You Can Do

Idaho Fish and Game needs your help monitoring EHD in Idaho. Because EHD affects deer every year on a small, localized scale, it can be difficult to determine if reports are due to a major outbreak. Idaho Fish and Game asks that you report deer that appear to have died of EHD (e.g., found dead near water or exhibit signs listed above) via the online reporting system. This will allow Idaho Fish and Game to develop a baseline level of EHD in the state and help determine when a major outbreak is occurring.

At the expense of Idaho Fish and Game, dead deer can be taken to the following locations;

Simmons Sanitation, 3226 Highway 12 Kamiah, ID (208) 935-2617

Latah Sanitation, 3299 Hwy 8, Moscow, ID (208) 882-5724

Clearwater County Transfer Station, 585 Transfer Station Rd. Orofino, ID 83544 (208) 476-7903

Timberline Container Site, 3913 Hjalmar Johnson Rd., Weippe, ID 83553 (208) 435-4965

Fish and Game encourages neighbors to help neighbors. If you or you know of someone that has a dead deer on their property, please assist them with removal.
LEWISTON - Lewis-Clark State College has received a grant totaling nearly $1.3 million to renovate and repurpose the Wittman Complex and Mechanical Technical Building (MTB) on its campus, college officials have announced. It is the largest grant issued to the college to date by the Idaho Workforce Development Council.

The Workforce Development Industry Sector Grant, which totals $1,289,050.55 from the Idaho Workforce Development Training Fund, will allow for the purchase of industry-related equipment, instructional space renovations and the creation of a Workforce Training allied health hub on campus. The changes will increase capacity for students in the collision repair technology, diesel technology, and welding technology programs to help meet industry needs.

We are incredibly appreciative of this support and know the state-of-the art upgrades to facilities and equipment these funds will make possible, will allow us to serve not only more students, but serve them and our industry partners better, LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said.

When LC State completed construction of its Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center in 2020, the college moved seven of its 10 Technical & Industrial Division programs to the new site, leaving collision repair, diesel and welding on campus in the Wittman Complex and Mechanical Technical Building.

Current capacity in the Wittman Complex is 26 students for the diesel program and 10 for collision repair, and both programs have waiting lists. The renovation will allow the college to expand the programs, meet safety requirements, and also create an enhanced learning environment with more work bays, training stations and ADA compliant lab space.

According to Department of Labor statistics, the current number of collision repair jobs needed in the region are 84 positions annually, while the demand for diesel service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow about 12 percent through 2024. LC State has 100 percent employment placement rates for its diesel technology and collision repair technology graduates.

Renovation of MTB will allow for more room for the welding program labs and industry-standard training. The Department of Labor statistics show there are 508 regional welding job openings annually and the welding technology program also has a 100 percent job placement rate.

LC State offers bachelors degrees, two-year associate degrees and two- and one-year certificates in diesel technology, welding technology, and collision repair technology. All programs have technical and advisory committees comprised of industry partners who provide critical feedback on curriculum development, workforce training needs, and the latest technology used. These committees play an integral role in ensuring LC State programs align with the workforce needs in both the state and region.

The MTB renovation will also provide space for Workforce Training allied health programs to operate on campus in proximity of the colleges Nursing & Health Sciences degree programs and create an allied health occupations hub in the building. Currently, Workforce Training allied health classes are held in a variety of locations, including the Workforce Training office in north Lewiston away from campus. LC State and its Workforce Training program provide associate degrees and licensure/exam preparation for medical assistants, paramedics, physical therapy assistants and dental hygiene. Workforce Training also offers certification in pharmacy technician, dental assistant, family home provider, phlebotomy, and CPR.

LC State is located in a medically underserved region, according to the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, and health care professional shortages exist in medical care, dental, and mental health facilities. As a result, LC State health science programs have strategically collaborated with regional health care providers such as hospitals and clinics, to create a pipeline for graduates, especially in high need counties. Adding Workforce Training classes in this mix will help the region and the state fill health care worker shortages and students in these workforce training programs will be under the instruction of professionals in their fields.

As a college, we are working with employers in the region in all areas of health care to help determine and define their needs, said LC State CTE Dean Jeff Ober, so that we can create the training that will help them obtain quality, trained employees ready to help them meet the needs of the community.

Avista Utilities, Western States Equipment, Jetco Machine & Fabrication, Kenworth Sales Co., and AHC of Lewiston were among the community partners who supported LC States grant request to the Idaho Workforce Development Council.

The Idaho Workforce Development Council, an independent office under the Governor, was established in October 2017. The goal of the council is to champion the development and implementation of a statewide, strategic workforce development plan that meets industry needs now and in the future. Information on Idaho Workforce Development Training Fund grants can be found here: https://wdc.idaho.gov/workforce-development-training-fund.

The estimated costs of the entire renovation project for the two buildings is $1.95 million. LC State also received $370,000 from the Department of Public Works to support the project.
LEWISTON - On Monday, September 20, 2021, PotlatchDeltic Corporation lifted the temporary motorized vehicle ban on Idaho Public lands that had been in place since July 22, effective immediately. Due to recent rainfall and lower temperatures in the region, fire risk has declined.

Motorized recreational vehicle use on Idaho property is permitted, except for a temporary restriction in cooperation with Idaho Department of Lands on the Bingo Creek Road. Earlier this month, PotlatchDeltic and the Idaho Department of Lands jointly announced the temporary closure of Bingo Creek Road and all its tributaries. Until December 31, 2021, this narrow one-lane road will remain closed to all recreational activities and public entry. Learn more by clicking HERE.

Campfires are permitted at leased campsites, however, campfires in other locations remain banned until the open burning season starts on October 20 per regular policy.

PotlatchDeltic urges all visitors to Idahos forests to exercise extreme caution in regards to fire while recreating.
COEUR D'ALENE - 2021 is expected to be a record-breaking year for equipment issued and returned to the Idaho Department of Lands Coeur d'Alene Interagency Fire Cache. Notable fires that were issued equipment in the region include the Character Complex, Walker Creek Fire, Stateline Complex, Trestle Creek Complex, Leland Complex, Snake River Complex, and the Cougar Rock Complex.

Many of the items that come back to the Fire Cache can be used for future fires after they are refurbished. Unused items can go back into the stockpile. The returning of equipment means fire costs associated with the supplies can be refunded, which reduces fire expenses and benefits taxpayers.

Items include saws, pumps, yurts, tables, chairs, and lots and lots of hose.

Items that cant be reused are offered up as state surplus and are often sold through auction back to taxpayers on the Surplus website.

The additional people we hired on this year are busy assisting with washing hose, boxing up supplies, loading and offloading trucks, pressure-testing water handling equipment, refurbishing firefighting equipment and much more, said Bjorn Jordan, IDL Program Manager in the Fire Cache. It will take some time, but we will get everything processed.

Crews battling wildfires across the region depend upon the Fire Cache and Idaho Department of Lands staff for wildland firefighting equipment and supplies. Twice this season the call for help was made for additional employees to assist during this historic fire season.
A Rexburg man is struggling to survive after he was shot during an early morning home invasion Monday. His wife was also wounded.

Ralph Brian and Karen Brian were taken to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Monday morning.

Madison County Sheriffs Deputies arrived at the Brians home at the Boathouse Trailer Court, 340 North 12th West, around 5 a.m. The suspect fled the scene shortly before officers arrived, said Madison County Sheriff's office Information Officer Isaac Payne.

It was an attempted break-in, he said. The suspect was already gone when we got there. I dont know if he took anything. Were collecting evidence and trying to figure out what happened."

Idaho Falls resident Heidi Munns has organized a Gofundme account for the couple.

Ralph is in the ICU fighting to stay with us, said Munns.

Munns confirmed on the couple's Gofundme account that Ralph Brian had been shot.

Karen Brian made it through surgery but will need physical therapy to regain strength and function in her arm, Munns said.

The Brians were living at the trailer court while waiting for a home to be built. They are the parents of four children and 10 grandchildren, she said.

Ralph is a hard working, self-employed individual who would give anyone the shirt off his back. Karen is the type of person who is always there to make you smile, and always willing to help when you needed anything. They are very caring people who are dedicated to their faith, Munns said.

Munns expected the Brians to undergo a long and difficult recovery.

If you are unable to donate financially, sharing and praying would mean the world to their family. Anything you can help will be greatly appreciated. There is no donation too small to help provide toward this long journey they have ahead, Munns said.

So far $2,270 of the $10,000 goal has been raised on the Gofundme account. It was raised within five hours of being created.

To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-ralph-and-karen-brian?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer.

As more information is made available, the Standard Journal will update this story.
OLYMPIA - The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is proposing a small increase in the average price employers and workers pay for workers compensation insurance next year. If the proposal is adopted, it would be the first time in five years that workers compensation rates would go up, but on average, premiums in 2022 would still be less than in 2017.

The proposed 3.1 percent overall average rate increase is driven by cost-of-living adjustments for pensions, which were triggered by an increase in the states average wage. This is an average, meaning some employers will see their rates go down while others will see larger increases.

L&I is working hard to help injured and ill workers as they heal and return to work, while managing the additional costs of about 5,600 COVID-19 claims for state fund workers exposed to the virus, L&I Director Joel Sacks said. The agency, he said, will tap its contingency reserves to keep the proposed rate increase at a minimum.

With the communitys help, weve made sure that we have a healthy contingency reserve so were ready to help employers and workers when they need it most, during tough times like we have now, Sacks said.

We built our contingency reserve through the premiums we charge and by carefully managing the workers compensation program to reduce work disability, keeping costs steady year after year while helping workers heal and return to work.

Employers and workers pay into the workers compensation system to help cover the cost of providing wage and disability benefits for injured workers, as well as medical treatment of injuries and illnesses.

Washington state charges for workers compensation coverage based on hours worked. When looking at rates as a percentage of payroll, rates in Washington have gone down from 2012 to 2021.

Tapping into reserves during challenging economic times

In 2021, L&I took steps to help employers and workers reeling from the pandemic by tapping its contingency reserves to avoid an increase in premiums. This approach is also true for 2022. Under the current proposal, L&I will use contingency reserves to cover any gap between premiums and ultimate costs rather than proposing to raise rates even more.

When the pandemic hit, L&I also helped employers by allowing those struggling financially to defer premium payments, a practice that continues today. The agency also ensured the costs of COVID claims do not impact employers future rates.

If the proposed rate increase is adopted, the average net rate per $100 of payroll in 2022 will be $1.53, a 1.4 percent increase over 2021. Workers will continue to pay on average about a quarter of the premium, a similar percentage to that paid in 2021.

Public hearing planned

A public hearing is scheduled for 10:00am on October 26 to take input on the rate proposal before a final decision is made. To support social distancing, the public hearing will be held virtually this year. Final rates will be adopted by November 30 and go into effect January 1, 2022.
Local tourism officials say outdoor recreation is bringing Michigan tourism back, after two summers plagued by pandemic fears.

And they hope that changes in how people travel will mean even better days are ahead.

This is welcome news to the tourism industry, which employed over 230,000 people before the pandemic, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

In 2019, almost every region in the state had its best year for tourism spending, according to the council. In the summer of 2020, however, spending was halved in some peak vacation months.

Some indications show that the decline is over and Michigan tourism is bouncing back, especially for beach communities.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority reports traffic between the Upper and Lower peninsulas returned to normal by August of last year. Even better: April through July of this year has had the highest traffic numbers on record.

Linda Hart, the executive director of the Holland Area Visitors Bureau, said she thinks the pandemic has exposed beach communities like hers to a new audience.

We saw a lot of first-time visitors to Holland, Hart said. While Holland has normally been an annual family destination, this year and last, we saw many more people who were looking for bike trails, beaches and smaller communities.

These amenities spared Holland the worst of the effects of the pandemic last summer, with hotel occupancy falling only 15% from its normal rate, according to the visitors bureau. While rates have returned to comparable pre-pandemic levels this summer, recent hotel expansions mean that the actual numbers of visitors this year could be even higher than peaks in the past, according to the visitors bureau.

Michigan saw reductions in vacation spending fall by 35% by the end of the summer of 2020, but thats better than the 48% drop nationwide, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

In 2020 we started to see a recovery all around the state, but its very unbalanced, said David Lorenz, the vice president of Travel Michigan, the organization that developed and manages the Pure Michigan brand. You look at cities compared to rural areas and its a tale of two cities, excuse the pun. And this is because our rural areas, especially along the coast, saw a huge increase in 2020.

Lorenz said that people who wanted to travel in 2020 didnt want to go long distances and instead chose to travel close to home. That way they could be outdoors and comply with social distancing requirements that caution against large gatherings indoors and encourage physical separation between groups when outside.

Those people who were traveling were heading literally up north, Lorenz said. Now, thats normally a term we use as a sentiment of wanting to travel and get outside, but in this case, Up North meant Up North. They were heading to northern Michigan and to waterfront communities.

Mike Kent, the public relations manager for Traverse City Tourism, sees a lot of people traveling to Northwest Michigan for outdoor recreation, and local businesses are seeing the same effects. Hotel occupancy in Traverse City was four times higher this April than last year and is steadily returning to pre-pandemic levels.

You can see it in the numbers that we are getting back to where we were in 2019 which was a very robust year, Kent said. People are taking advantage of what we have to offer, which is wide open spaces.

Similar results are being seen in Petoskey, where people see it as a safe place to be, according to Diane Dakins, the assistant director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau.

We have a lot of outdoor recreation and places to spread out to have a great time without people being right next to each other, Dakins said.

Dakins said she thinks that the elevated numbers are temporary because of the number of family gatherings like weddings and reunions that were canceled last year, attributing the spike this year to pent-up demand. However, other officials say this represents a larger trend that could bring people back to these towns year after year.

We saw a lot more local traffic last year from the state of Michigan and places like Chicago, Hart said, referring to Holland. Normally we see more traffic from the Midwest, but this year we saw a return of both (local and out-of-state travelers).

Kent also thinks events like the Ironman race held in Frankfort earlier this month are the types of things that will continually bring people back to Michigan.

People are literally coming from all over the country, and most of them have never heard of Frankfort, Kent said. Our goal is to make them fall in love with the area, and whats not to fall in love with?
Looking for something to do? Heres a list of local community and nonprofit events. Please check with your club or organization to be certain of meetings, outings and classes, as they may be canceled because of bad weather or other reason. If any listing is inaccurate or to submit an event, contact Julie Norwood at 231-592-8358 or julie.norwood@pioneergroup.com.

 Cub Scout Pack 174 Registration Night: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, 223 E. 5th Ave., Reed City. Reed City Cub Scout Pack 174 will kick off its 2021-22 season with a Pack Meeting. All new and returning Scouts are invited to attend, and new Scouts can register to join the Pack during the meeting. Open to boys in grades 1-5.

 Wolfy Memorial Tournament: Friday, Sept. 24, and Saturday, Sept. 25. Contact: Cody Wyman at cwyman@cityofbr.org, 231-349-2060. For more information or to register a team, visit wolfymemorialtournament.com.

 Mosaic Mirror: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Artworks 106 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. Cost: $80 for Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 sessions; $60 for Sept. 25 session only. Contact: 231-796-2420

 Family Tailgate Party: 12:30-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Big Rapids First United Methodist Church, 304 Elm St., Big Rapids. Play some games, enjoy game day grub. Rain date is Oct. 2. RSVP at https://fb.me/e/4ALlYaYEx. Contact: Jeremy Wicks at (231) 796-7771.

 Tuba Bach Festival: 4 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 11-Oct. 17, outside at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 726 Fuller Ave., Big Rapids. A separate concert will be livestreamed online only, as well as on Sunny 97.3 FM at 4 p.m. Sundays. Visit www.tubabach.org. for links.

 Little Women: 7 p.m. Sept. 24, Sept. 25, Oct. 8, Oct. 9; and 2 p.m. Sept. 26, Oct. 2, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10; at CrossRoads Theatre, 249 W. Upton Ave., Reed City. Tickets are $10 each and can be reserved by calling 231-465-4044.

 Swiss Steak Dinner: 4-6:30 p.m. the last Friday of every month, April-October, at the Barryton Senior Center, 71 Northern Ave., Barryton. Includes dinner and dessert. Everyones welcome.

 Tai Chi: Noon on Wednesdays at Hemlock Park. Improve muscle tone, flexibility, balance and coordination. Newcomers welcome. brpr.org.

 Mecosta Co. Genealogical Society: Open 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every second Saturday, at 424 N. Fourth Ave., Big Rapids, next to Recycle. Thousands of obits and hundreds of books with history and genealogy for the Mecosta Co. area. Stop by or call Maureen Nelson at 231-250-5555 to set up an appointment.

 Mecosta County Sheriff Posse: 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Mecosta County Jail basement training room, 225 S. Stewart Ave., Big Rapids. This volunteer group is always looking for more members. For more info call 231-250-9241

 Lords Table Food Pantry: 3-5 p.m. Wednesdays at Faith Community Church, 610 Green St., Big Rapids. Everyone is welcome.

 Reed City Food Pantry: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 7, at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 831 S. Chestnut St., Reed City.

 Morley Community Center: The center, at 151 7th St., Morley, hosts weekly pickleball, open gym, indoor garage sales and outdoor market, in addition to monthly ancestry class, craft night and blood drive. For a list of activities, visit morleycenter.org/events or call 231-856-4496.

ARTWORKS ONGOING CLASSES, EXHIBITS

106 N. Michigan Ave. in Big Rapids / 231-796-2420 / artworksinbigrapids.org

 After School Arts: 3:45-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 1-29. Drop-ins welcome on a first come, first serve basis, but registration recommended. Register at Artworks gift shop or by calling 231-796-2420 the Monday before each session.

 Open Pottery: 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost: $10 per session, $60 for an eight-session punch card. (Additional firing fees apply. Clay may be purchased in bulk for $20 per 25 lbs.) Call 231-796-2420 to schedule your session.

 Hand Built Pottery Fall Session: 6-8 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 13, 20, 27, and Oct. 4, 18, 25. Cost: $150. Register by calling 231-796-2420 or online at www.artworksinbigrapids.org/pottery.

 Beginning Wheel Fall Session: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 15, 22, 29, and Oct. 5, 12, 26. Cost: $150. Register by calling 231-796-2420 or online at www.artworksinbigrapids.org/pottery.

 Fundamentals of Photography Beginner Course: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 15-Oct. 19. Cost: $75. Register by calling 231-796-2420 or online at www.artworksinbigrapids.org/photography.

 Forged in Fire for Beginners: 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 5-Nov. 9, at The Forge, 5710 18 Mile Road, Barryton. Learn the basics of bladesmithing by doing. Everything will be provided. Closed toe shoes are required. Cost: $150. Register at artworksinbigrapids.org/specialty-workshops.

 Exhibit  Joyful Journey: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Aug. 30-Oct. 3. Exhibit features artwork Hope Network and MOISD students.
MECOSTA COUNTY  The Mecosta County Sheriffs Office responded to the following calls.

All calls may not be reported.

Monday, Sept. 20

 A two-vehicle property damage crash was reported in Mecosta Township. A man pulled out in front of another driver on 8 Mile Road.

 A car vs. deer crash was reported on U.S. 131 near 15 Mile Road.

 A civil matter was reported in the 200 block of Water Street in Paris. The caller wanted to know how to get someone evicted from the residence. Authorities advised him he would need to go to civil court and file the paperwork.

 A two-vehicle property damage crash was reported on 20 Mile Road near Chippewa Lake Drive.

 A driver broke down near 4 Mile Road in Aetna Township and authorities gave him a ride to Beach Road.

 A felony arrest was made on 130th Avenue near 3 Mile Road in Deerfield Township. A Morley man and Morley woman were arrested for delivery of a controlled substance.

 A property damage crash was reported on Perry Avenue. A woman pulled out of Walmart and her car started to hydroplane across Perry Avenue. She hit a curb and her tire broke off.

 A property damage crash was reported on Taft Road near 20th Avenue. A driver went into a ditch to avoid an oncoming vehicle in his lane.

 Mecosta County sheriffs deputies assisted Michigan State Police with a juvenile runaway from Newaygo County. The juvenile was turned over to MSP on 19 Mile Road near Beech Street.

 A felony arrest was made in the 4000 block of Arthur Road. A 61-year-old man was arrested for an obstruction warrant for providing false information on a shooting at his residence on Aug. 29.

 A property damage crash was reported on Perry Avenue. A driver lost control and went into the ditch after he lost steering. On scene, it appeared that his passenger side control arm bar had broke causing him to lose steering.
BEIJING  Officials in the northeast China city of Harbin say national level health officials have been sent to the city to deal with what may be a coronavirus outbreak.

The city of 9.5 million people reported three infection cases Wednesday, a day after discovering a first case of community transmission.

After the initial finding, authorities started mass testing and closed schools. The city also ordered businesses like mahjong parlors, cinemas and gyms to shut. City authorities say residents must display a negative virus test to be able to leave for only essential travel. Otherwise, people are being told to stay home.

China has been able to keep the virus from transmitting widely within its borders through a costly and strict strategy that relies on lockdowns and mass testing.

___

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Johnson & Johnson: Booster dose provides strong response

 China keeps virus at bay, at high cost, ahead of Olympics

 U.S. ramping up rapid COVID-19 tests for home, school

 Q&A: Americas new COVID-19 rules for international travel

___

 See AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

___

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

HONOLULU  A man who helped organize a Hawaii group that opposes coronavirus vaccines and pandemic restrictions says he now has regrets after contracting COVID-19.

Chris Wikoff told Hawaii News Now this week that he helped start the Aloha Freedom Coalition last October. He says he believed government shutdowns and other restrictions were threatening liberties and harming businesses.

But then he and his wife contracted COVID-19, the disease that is sometimes caused by the virus. Wikoff says he thought he was going to die and he still has trouble breathing.

He is now considering getting vaccinated because his family and doctors recommend it.

Wikoff says he no longer wants to be associated with the Aloha Freedom Coalition. He is warning others in the group not to gather.

___

LOS ANGELES  California is seeing lower coronavirus transmission than other U.S. states as virus cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 decline following a summer surge.

The state is currently the only one experiencing substantial coronavirus transmission, the second-highest level on the CDCs color-coded map. So is Puerto Rico. In all other U.S. states, virus transmission is rated as high.

State health experts say relatively high vaccination rates in California ahead of the arrival of the delta variant of the coronavirus made a difference. They say additional measures, such as masking, also helped stem the surge.

State data say nearly 70% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated.

___

HONOLULU  Hawaii health care providers are receiving half the number of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 that they requested amid a shortage of the drugs.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the federal government has capped Hawaiis weekly allocation at 680 treatments. The state will have to see whether it can get more supply in the coming weeks.

There has been a spike in demand for the drugs in states where surging hospitalizations among the unvaccinated have overwhelmed hospitals.

The treatments have been shown to reduce death and hospitalization if given early. The drugs are laboratory-made versions of virus-blocking antibodies that help fight infections.

___

CHEYENNE, Wyo.  Wyomings governor has activated the Wyoming National Guard to provide temporary assistance to hospitals that are dealing with a surge of patients with COVID-19.

Gov. Mark Gordon activated 95 soldiers and airmen Tuesday to serve at 24 sites in 17 Wyoming cities.

The Guard members will help with cleanup, food service, coronavirus screening, management of personal protective equipment and other support tasks.

Guard members will serve 14- to 30-day rotations, with the potential to extend through the end of the year.

On Tuesday, 190 people were hospitalized in Wyoming with COVID-19, the sometimes deadly disease that can be caused by the coronavirus. That is down from a recent high of 223 on Sept. 8.

___

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.  A North Carolina-based health care provider says nearly 400 of its workers face firings for failing to comply with a mandatory coronavirus vaccination program.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Novant Health said Tuesday that 1.4% of its overall workforce, or 375 employees, are not being allowed to work.

Novant announced its mandatory vaccination policy July 22, saying then that it would require full compliance by Sept. 15.

In a news release, Novant Health says the affected workers will have five days to comply with the vaccine mandate. If they dont get the shot before the deadline, they will be fired.

___

NEW YORK  A new study of Texas prison inmates provides more evidence that coronavirus can spread even in groups where most people are vaccinated.

A COVID-19 outbreak at a federal prison in July and August infected 172 male inmates in two prison housing units, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Tuesday.

About 80% of the inmates in the units had been vaccinated. More than 90% of the unvaccinated inmates wound up being infected, as did 70% of the fully vaccinated prisoners.

Severe illness, however, was more common among the unvaccinated. The hospitalization rate was almost 10 times higher for them compared with those who got the shots.

It echoes research into a July outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where several hundred people were infected -- about three-quarters of whom were fully vaccinated.

Such reports have prompted a renewed push by health officials for even vaccinated people to wear masks and take other precautions. They believe the delta variant, a version of coronavirus that spreads more easily, and possibly waning immunity may be playing a role.

The authors did not identify the prison, but media reports in July detailed a similar-sized outbreak at the federal prison in Texarkana.

___

OKLAHOMA CITY  Fans of the NBAs Oklahoma City Thunder will be required to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative coronavirus test to attend games in person, the team announced Tuesday.

As we continue to face serious health challenges from COVID-19, we must remain committed to protecting the health and safety of our community, Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett said.

The policy will be in effect for the first 12 games of the preseason and continuing into the start of the regular season.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 484 new virus cases and a seven-day average of 1,834 new cases daily, down from a seven-day average of 2,114 new daily cases one week ago.

The number of hospitalizations has declined from a three-day average of nearly 1,600 on Sept. 1 to 1,327 on Tuesday, according to the health department, which announced a virtual career day on Sept. 29 in an effort to hire 70 nurses statewide.

___

SEATTLE  Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Tuesday the citys eviction moratoriums will remain in place through Jan. 15, 2022, rather than expiring at the end of September.

The Seattle Times reports Durkan extended the moratoriums with an executive order. She cited the spread of COVID-19s delta variant and an ongoing effort to distribute rent assistance to tenants who are behind on their payments.

As many as 60,000 Seattle-area residents are in households with rental debt, according to a survey last month.

Seattles moratoriums on most residential evictions and some commercial evictions have been extended six times since they were established in March 2020.

The citys moratoriums apply to residential, nonprofit and small-business tenants, with small businesses defined as those with 50 or fewer employees.

Most evictions are prohibited for those tenants, including evictions for nonpayment of rent, though tenants remain legally obligated to pay rent and can accumulate

___

COLUMBUS, Ohio  Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday painted a picture of a very different pandemic than the one Ohio saw in the fall of last year at the peak.

The data now shows younger patients being hospitalized and put on ventilators in nearly every corner of the state. From September 5 through September 11. data shows 230 Ohioans 39 years of age and younger were admitted to the hospital.

This is the highest number of admissions for COVID in this age group during the entire pandemic, even higher than during the winter surge levels when no one was vaccinated, DeWine told reporters during a press briefing.

The overwhelming majority, around 97%, of hospitalization are among patients who have not been vaccinated. Preliminary data also shows the death rate among the unvaccinated, younger patients is also hitting record highs.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Ohio has also risen over the past two weeks from 6,022 new cases per day on Sept. 5 to 6,844 new cases per day on Sept. 19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

As of Tuesday, more than 62% of Ohioans 12 years and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But that rate, according to DeWine and medical professionals, is not high enough to defeat the delta surge as misinformation about the vaccine and vaccine hesitancy continues to rise.

___

SAN FRANCISCO  San Francisco is requiring all workers at San Francisco International Airport to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees who are exempt must undergo weekly testing.

The mandate announced Tuesday applies to roughly 46,000 on-site personnel, including employees of contractors and retail tenants.

Mayor London Breeds office said the mandate is the first for a U.S. airport and goes into effect immediately.

Some airlines have already announced vaccination mandates for employees.

San Francisco also requires its municipal workers to be inoculated.

___

LONDON  Bishops of the Church of England have joined calls for world leaders to fulfill promises made to reduce global vaccine inequality.

The bishops voted unanimously Tuesday to endorse a statement made by two Church of England bodies demanding an emergency meeting of the G7, the club of wealthy democracies including Canada, the US and the UK, to commit to fulfilling vaccine equity promises.

G7 leaders promised in June to donate over one billion vaccine doses to lower-income countries. Only 15% of this promised figure has so far been administered.

World leaders currently attending the UN General Assembly in New York are expected to decide Wednesday on whether to call an emergency G7 meeting to address the issue.

Vaccination coverage in Africa remains at 5%, while 80% of the worlds 5.5 billion vaccine doses were administered in high and upper-middle-income countries.

Rich nations are still on track to amass an excess of one billion vaccines by the end of the year, the statement said. Rich nations must not hoard the surpluses amassed.

___

BEAVER DAM, Wis.  A Beaver Dam Unified School Board member has resigned, citing safety concerns over his support for mandating masks for students in the districts schools.

Tony Klatt has twice voted in favor of the mask mandate for Beaver Dam school and says he still feels strongly that it was the right decision based on facts at hand.

Klatt, who has been on the board since April 2019, posted on his Facebook page last week that decisions made because COVID-19 have definitely been challenging, but the decisions were not made lightly and were based on feedback and information.

About his resignation, Klatt wrote that when there is talk of protesting my house and someone later pulls in front and takes a picture of my address while my daughter is home alone, she does not feel safe.

He said his family doesnt feel safe when a car sits idling in front of his house late at night, the State Journal reported.

Recently, several dozens parents demonstrated against the mandate outside of the Beaver Dam Unified School District Educational Service Center.

___

BOISE, Idaho  Gov. Brad Little says $10 million in relief funds will be directed to Idaho hospitals, primary care providers, urgent care clinics and skilled nursing facilities because of the surge in COVID-19 patients.

Little announced the additional money on Tuesday, saying the funds will help ease the burden on hospitals and other health care providers. The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus has been steadily increasing, with a record of at least 717 patients reported statewide last week.

With a record number of COVID-19 patients in Idahos intensive care units, the state recently entered a crisis standards of care designation that allows hospitals to begin health care rationing as needed.

Nearly all new cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been among unvaccinated residents, the governors office says. Idahos vaccination rate remains one of lowest in the nation, with only about half of the eligible residents fully vaccinated.
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, is Joe Biden lying to us?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will increase capacity by 30 % and create 225 new jobs

SCHOTT is investing a total of 70 million euros in the expansion of its Indian tubing site in Jambusar, Gujarat, following several million investments in the last years.

"Against the backdrop of the growth trend in the Indian pharmaceutical business and the pandemic, we want to commit to secure the supply of pharma glass," explains Dr Patrick Markschlager, Executive Vice President of SCHOTT's Business Unit Tubing.



"The increase of over 30 per cent in the facility's overall Indian production capacity is at the same time a commitment to supporting the government's vision of India becoming a global pharmaceutical hub," adds Pawan Shukla, MD, SCHOTT Glass India, during the groundbreaking event at the site.



The additional tank is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2023, with the second one following a year later.

The expansion in Jambusar will create new jobs for around 225 employees and is part of a more than $1 billion strategic investment programme of SCHOTT through 2025, leveraging the global pharma tubing and packaging business.



With additional melting tanks and production lines, SCHOTT intends to ensure that this Asian manufacturing hub can adequately supply high-quality pharma glass for the Indian pharma industry and neighbouring countries.






The World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra) will hold the World News Media Congress as a virtual event from 29 November to 2 December 2021. The 2022 World News Media Congress will be held in Zaragoza, Spain. Taipei - the initially planned venue for this year's Congress - will now host the event in June 2023.

This years virtual Congress will include the World Media Leaders Summit, the World Editors Summit, the Golden Pen of Freedom and the Women in News Summit. It is free for Wan-Ifra members. For details and regular updates, please visit the event website. Registration is open here.The decision to move the Congress online follows consultation with exhibitors, speakers, officials, and our strategic partner UDN (United Daily News Group of Taiwan) in light of the health restrictions applied in the country.The 2021 Congress is part of a growing offering of virtual business events by Wan-Ifra. Since the beginning of 2021, more than 7,000 professionals have attended Wan-Ifra's conference programme, marking a record audience since the launch of its virtual offering in 2020.Confirming the plan for future events, Wan-Ifra has announced that the 2022 World News Media Congress will be held in Zaragoza, Spain. The Congress is scheduled from 28 to 30 September 2022 in partnership with Spanish publishing house Henneo. The 2023 Congress will take place in Taipei, Taiwan, in June 2023 with the support of local partner UDN.For more, go to https://wan-ifra.org/events/virtual-world-news-media-congress-2021/
Woolworths South Africa's W-brand has scooped seven wins in the international Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) Salute to Excellence Awards, and for the first time has been awarded in both the foods and non-foods categories.

Source: Supplied

More than 600 products were introduced in the past year and submitted by 62 retailers from 23 countries for consideration. Overall, 36 retailers from 17 countries were selected for PLMAs 2021 Salute to Excellence Awards for innovation in private label.The local retailer was recognised in the following categories: Woolworths Honey, Mustard & Onion Pretzel Thins Albacore White Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil with Jalapeno Protein Rich Hair Mask, Eucalyptus Lavender & Bergamot Relax Bath No-Flush Toilet Drops Lavender, Eucalyptus & Bergamot Relax Pillow & Linen Spray Paw & Nose BalmIt is always a tremendous honour to be recognised on the global stage and to go up against other top retailers in the world and competing against their innovation in private label brands, said Rahim Hoosen, Woolworths trading head - groceries, household, pet and personal care.Woolworths has embedded quality, innovation and sustainability deep into the fabric of our business and it influences every aspect of what we do. Our goal is to offer our customers unique, high-quality products at a great value, and were pleased to be able to do this, while meeting the latest consumer trends that contribute to an exciting and elevated shopping experience.This isnt the first time Woolworths private brand products have been recognised. In the past 2 years, Woolworths brand products have won 11 international awards for product innovation, quality and package design in the PLMA awards.Peggy Davies, PLMA president, commented on the calibre of this year's entries. Clearly evident this year in the quality of all the submissions and especially the winners, is a heightened focus on innovation and new product development. These private label products demonstrate that all those involved in their development, testing and marketing have their finger on the pulse of important consumer trends."
In July this year, the University of Cape Town (UCT) launched an online high school, and in doing so became the first university on the African continent to extend its expertise and impact to the secondary schooling market through an innovative online modality.

Yandiswa Xhakaza

Bolstering the launch announcement, the University of Cape Town has confirmed the placement of its UCT Online High School director and principal, Yandiswa Xhakaza, an avid educationalist.Xhakaza brings a wealth of knowledge, having started and operated a school in Centurion in 2017. She is a prolific leader and comes from leading a national literacy organisation, the Nalibali Trust, where she served as CEO.She holds a bachelor of education degree (Wits University), a postgraduate diploma in management (Wits University) and a master of business administration (University of Pretoria). Her operational skills and large-scale implementation capabilities are both going to be resourceful in her new role as UCT Online High School Director and Principal.Xhakaza believes that UCT Online High School is exactly what this country needs, offering high-quality education at scale. She explains: "Online education in our context will always come with its own fair share of challenges as a developing country."The digital divide is significant and we have to work around the digital barriers such as poor network coverage, data costs, access to devices and computer literacy to mention a few. This is exactly the type of challenge I am excited about, because when we get this right, it will be a massive win for all of us."Xhakaza begins her tenure as the director and principal of the UCT Online High School from November 2021 ahead of its first official cohort, cementing her role as its leader from an early onset."I am delighted to be joining the UCT Online High School team pioneering such amazing work and I look forward to breaking barriers and working towards the accomplishment of something so deeply personal to me, a course I have been preparing my whole life to chart forth."UCT vice chancellor professor Mamokgethi Phakeng welcomed the appointment saying: "Yandiswa embodies what we as an institution stand for: building an inclusive society using the knowledge and resources that we possess. With her leading us on this journey we will be building a more equitable and sustainable social order and influencing our young people from an early age to prepare them for the demands of higher education and society."Adding support in her career move, acting chairperson of the Nalibali Trust, Kay Lala-Sides, says: "We know that Yandiswa has a real passion for making high-quality education accessible to all South Africans. It is that passion that led her to Nalibali and it is the same passion that draws her to UCTs Online High School. We wish her well as she takes these experiences with her into her new role and look forward to opportunities to collaborate in the future."
Sales Person

Remuneration: negotiable commission only Location: Johannesburg Job level: Junior/Mid Own transport required: Yes Travel requirement: Often Type: Temporary Company: Resto

Job description

Develop new business opportunities

Target existing, thriving restaurants

Solid cold calling experience is an absolute must

Provide technical support to existing and new customers

Visit existing clients to build strong client / supplier relationships

Manage and grow existing customer base

Requirements

Strong new business development skills and track record required

Minimum 2 years of experience in a technical sales position or a similar role

You are used to travel and therefore capable of working independently

Strong desire to succeed, outgoing and service minded personality

Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to plan ahead

A proven track record of sales excellence

Proficient in written and spoken English

A team player with a go-getter attitude

Valid drivers license

Computer literate

If youve worked in the FMCG Sales

Experience in the restaurant market will also be a definite advantage

Able to work remotely without being supervised

Company Description

Our restaurant online order company is looking for an experiencedto work in and around Johannesburg.Resto is a new player in the restaurant order business. We turn any restaurant menu into an online order cart. Clients can then place their order online and it will print out automatically at the restaurant premises (on the printer we install). Every restaurant order page is fully customisable to the restaurant's requirements. We can handle takeaway, delivery and dine-in orders for any restaurant!Find new restaurants and convince them to signup for our serviceThis is an easy product to sell because it does not cost the Restaurant anything!The post is strictly a commission only position, no chancers please!To be considered, you MUST Have at least 2 years of external sales experience selling a service and food products (do not apply if your experience is only in the sales of services such as insurance, cell phone contracts, financial products etc or if you only have in-store sales experience)The potential sales personnel must have a work ethic that will be exemplary in that they are energetic, self-directed and finish what they start.They will be a professional with a mature approach to business and have exceptional negotiation skills.Resto is a new player in the restaurant order business. We turn any restaurant menu into an online order cart. Clients can then place their order online and it will print out automatically at the restaurant premises (on the printer we install). We also give our restaurants full access to their "shop", to view orders, communicate with clients and much more. Restaurants can even export their client data to use for marketing purposes. Every restaurant order page is fully customisable to the restaurant's requirements. We can handle takeaway, delivery and dine-in orders! Posted on 08 Sep 13:02, Closing date 7 Nov
As hindsight comes into clearer focus, we're learning a lot about mistaken advice and policies amid the Covid-19 pandemic. One still murky and disputed area involves the death toll, now upwards of 640,000 in the U.S., according to CDC. Some insist the true count is much higher; others claim it's lower. Today, we begin with the startling results of our investigation that found in some documented cases, news that Covid was the cause of death was greatly exaggerated.

Grand County, Colorado, rural country a hundred miles outside of Denver.

Thanksgiving 2020, Lucais Reilly shoots his wife Kristin in the head, then turns the gun on himself, committing suicide. They have alcohol and drugs in their system and a history of domestic troubles.

Grand County coroner Brenda Bock explains how the small town tragedy is exposing serious questions about the way Covid deaths are counted.

Brenda Bock: I had a homicide-suicide the end of November, and the very next day it showed up on the state website as Covid deaths. And they were gunshot wounds. And I questioned that immediately because I had not even signed off the death certificates yet, and the state was already reporting them as Covid deaths.

Bock says somebody, somewhere had apparently run the couples names through a database showing theyd tested positive for Covid within 28 days of their death. Then recorded them as Covid deaths even though they died of gunshots.

Sharyl: If we look at the death certificates for the murder-suicide case, what will it say about Covid?

Bock: Nothing, absolutely nothing. I paid a forensic pathologist to do the autopsies on those two cases. And nowhere is COVID mentioned on those death certificates. Nowhere.

Bock: This is a copy of the death certificate, and nowhere does it say COVID. So we have a homicide, suicide, nothing to do with COVID.

Because there had been no Covid deaths within the geographic boundaries of Grand County in 2020, Bock was in a unique position to challenge the states accounting. In many cities and counties, the numbers are too big and the coroners would never know about discrepancies.

Within a week of the murder-suicide, two more Grand County deaths popped up on the states Covid count. Bock investigated and found out why she had no record of them.

Bock: Two of them were actually still alive, and yet they were counting them. Had I not called them on it and asked them who those were, where were they from, all the information about it and it's like, "Oh, well that was a typo. They just got put in there by accident."

Merrit Linke: The coroner did officially talk to us at one of our regular Tuesday County Commission meetings about this discrepancy in how the state was reporting our COVID numbers.

Merrit Linke is chair of the Grand County Board of Commissioners.

Linke: We drafted and signed a letter, all three Commissioners, and the coroner also signed, and sent it to the governor, saying Hey, these numbers are not correct. It's not right. We should report these correctly, and please fix this."

It wasnt just happening in Grand County. Dr. James Caruso is chief medical examiner and coroner for Denver.

Dr. James Caruso: I was told by some of my fellow coroners in the more rural counties in Colorado that it was happening to them, that they knew of issues where they had signed out a death certificate with perhaps trauma involved. And they were being advised that it was being counted as a Covid-related death.

Sharyl: When it comes to counting Coronavirus deaths, tell me what the story was, of what you discovered early on. What was happening?

Dr. Caruso: I think early on, the people signing the death certificates probably were doing it accurately. But at some level--maybe the state level, maybe the federal level--there's a possibility that they were cross-referencing Covid tests. And that people who tested positive for Covid were listed as a Covid-related death, regardless of their true cause of death. And I believe that's very erroneous, and not the way the statistics needed to be accumulated.

Caruso says he voiced his objections in April 2020 with the Colorado Department of Public Health.

Sharyl: How did you raise your concerns?

Caruso: I told them very clearly that someone can die of COVID or they can die with COVID. And the two are very different.

Others were also questioning the states count.

Bock: We had the coroner in Montezuma county. He had a death, an alcohol death, and it was counted as Covid. And he's the one that I guess got the ball rolling and started complaining.

As a result of the complaints, the state added subcategories showing number of deaths Of Covid and deaths With Covid. But months later, with the murder-suicide, there were still questions.

Sharyl: "Of Covid" presumably means the death is thought to have been caused directly by Covid.

Brenda Bock: Directly.

Sharyl: And "with COVID" means?

Bock: You had other underlying conditions.

Sharyl: Okay. So the murder-suicide should not have been counted under either of those categories?

Bock: Right. And that's what I complained about. And then when I did talk to the Governor, he told me he didn't believe it was right, but he wasn't going to have them remove it from the count because all the other states were doing it that way so we were going to also.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis declined our interview request. A spokesman said the governor agrees with Grand County coroner Bock and was outraged that a murder-suicide is recorded as Covid-related. In an effort to be abundantly clear, the governor adds, the state website explains that some numbers combine deaths that were a direct result of COVID and deaths that occurred when the individual had COVID-19.

During our visit to Colorado, the states total Covid-related death tally was 13,845. Separating out the deaths not directly caused by Covid cuts that number by about half with the rest dying among or with Covid  not because of it.

Sharyl (on-camera): The obvious implications are huge. If such a significant number of Colorado's "Covid deaths" werent directly caused by Covid, or even related at all in some cases, and if that bears out in other states, it means the national totals we've heard since the start of the pandemic could be largely misleading.

Dr. Deborah Birx (April 7, 2020): So I think in this country we've taken a very liberal approach to mortality.

The same time Colorados coroners were challenging the death count, Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force was being asked about the same thing.

Birx (April 7, 2020): The intent is right now, that if someone dies with COVID-19, we are counting that as a COVID-19 death.

Some of the eyebrow-raising examples of deaths attributed to covid include Fatalities after traffic accidents, three Colorado nursing home deaths, even though the attending physicians said they werent related to coronavirus.

And a case in Nashville, Tennessee. In August 2020, Hal Shorts wife was stunned to see Covid-19 named as the cause on her husbands death certificate after he died of an aggressive cancer. Hed tested negative for coronavirus three times. Only after the family complained, was Covid-19 removed a clerical error blamed.

Mrs. Short: Thats really not good enough, just saying I want, just saying we made a mistake and we just forget about it. How many other people are you making this mistake with?

Government experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci claim, without evidence, there are likely far more Covid deaths than documented; not fewer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci (May 12, 2020): That the number is likely higher, I dont know exactly what percent higher, but almost certainly it is higher.

Adding to the confusion widely-cited sources, from the New York Times to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard compile and report different numbers. Johns Hopkins notes that States are not consistent [and] may even retroactively change the numbers they report.

Short of a national audit, some of the best hard evidence can only be found in small places like Grand County, Colorado where they know precisely who did or didnt die of what within the county limits. And where Bock says there were no Covid deaths in 2020.

Bock: Not as far as I'm concerned.

But when we checked in July, the New York Times tally over-reported Grand County's 2020 Covid death toll by least 500%. It was missing one resident who reportedly died of Covid outside of the county. But the Times counted the unrelated heart attack; the two people who were alive - which were removed from the state total; and the murder-suicide of Lucais and Kristin Reilly.

Sharyl: What are the implications nationwide when we're looking at numbers then?

Bock: I believe they're very inflated. And don't get me wrong. I believe Covid is real. And I believe people do get very sick from it. And I do believe a small number do die from that. I do not believe a homicide-suicide belongs in that number. I don't, because my job is to tell the truth about why a person died, the cause and the manner. And I don't believe that what's going on is the truth.

Sharyl (On-camera): Alameda County, California changed their methodology in June to remove deaths that werent a direct result of Covid. That removed more than 400 people, or 25%, from their death toll.
In our previous data study on the initial effects of the pandenmic on our business, we outlined increased sales due to the publics growing leeriness of COVID-19, starting from February 23, 2020 when the news coverage became ominous.

That's only part of the story, however, because over the last 18 months, we've experienced a particularly charged election year, BLM protests amid calls to "defund the police," a contentious transfer of power, and most recently a surprise ban on popular Russian ammo.

These events in particular, set against the backdrop of the ongoing response to the pandemic, resulted in demand spikes. Looking at the data below, you'll get a sense of a high level trend during the pandemic and then see how that trend changed during certain specific time periods, like the BLM protests, when already-elevated demand went up even more.

To give a pre-pandemic baseline of sorts, over the past 18 months our overall sales have increased as follows:

590% increase in revenue

604% increase in transactions

271% increase in site traffic

77% increase in conversion rate

This data is from February 23, 2020 - August 23, 2021, when compared to the previous 18 months (August 24, 2018 - February 22, 2020).

Below are tables which list the top 10 states, ordered by our total sales volume, and how they fared during these recent demand spikes when compared to the previous time period, respectively. We also listed which calibers were most popular in those top states. Here is how to interpret our data:

State Ranking by Sales Volume displays the total sales volume (how much was ordered in United States dollars) on a state-by-state basis in column one. Column two shows how much sales have increased percentage-wise in that particular state during the designated time period. Only states to which we sell are shown.

displays the total sales volume (how much was ordered in United States dollars) on a state-by-state basis in column one. Column two shows how much sales have increased percentage-wise in that particular state during the designated time period. Only states to which we sell are shown. Most Popular Caliber by Sales Volume displays the most popular caliber based on sales volume in that state in column three, as well as the increase for that caliber by state during the designated time period. Columns five and seven display the second and third most popular calibers based on sales volume in that state; columns six and eight display how much the sale of those particular calibers has increased on a percentage basis.

And now without further adieu, here's our data on the prolonged increase in demand for ammunition - and how recent events have further spiked that demand.

18 Months of Ammunition Sales During the Pandemic: State Ranking by Sales Volume

Note: These figures compare February 23, 2020 - August 23, 2021 to the previous 18 months, August 24, 2018 - February 22, 2020. Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales Following the Surprise Ban on Russian Ammo in August 2021

Following the Biden Administration's announcement banning the importation of Russian ammunition, we saw an immediate spike in sales of calibers produced in Russia. The most popular calibers of imported Russian ammunition are 7.62x39, known as The Hammer of Lenin," and 5.56x45, largely due to the Soviet Unions huge legacy capacity to mass produce select rifle rounds, predominantly in steel casings.

Sales Figures for 7.62x39 Ammo

Below are the figures from August 17, 2021 - August 23, 2021, compared to the previous period, August 10, 2021 - August 16, 2021.

Nationwide:

124% increase in revenue

52% increase in transactions

91% increase in site traffic

Sales Figures for 5.56x45 Ammo

Below are the figures from August 17, 2021 - August 23, 2021, compared to the previous period, August 10, 2021 - August 16, 2021.

Nationwide:

48% increase in revenue

41% increase in transactions

38% increase in site traffic

State Ranking by Sales Volume of 5.56x45 Ammo State % Increase 1. Arizona + 359% 2. Texas - 43% 3. Pennsylvania + 62% 4. Florida - 44% 5. Illinois + 465% 6. Michigan + 410% 7. Washington + 125% 8. Oregon - 1% 9. Colorado + 1,016% 10. Maryland + 87%

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales During the Contested Transfer of Power in January 2021

Below are the figures from January 4, 2021 - January 22, 2021, compared to the previous period, December 16, 2020 - January 3, 2021, at a nationwide level and at a state level:

Nationwide:

78% increase in revenue

33% increase in transactions

73% increase in site traffic

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales During the BLM Protests Amid Calls to "Defund the Police"

Below are the figures from May 28, 2020 - June 5, 2020, compared to the previous period, May 19, 2020 - May 27, 2020, at a nationwide level and at a state level:

Nationwide:

200% increase in revenue

192% increase in transactions

99% increase in site traffic

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Conclusion

The pandemic lead to a sharp increase in demand for ammunition. This increase has continued for the past 18 months. It's been further exacerbated by a particularly charged election year, BLM protests amid calls to "defund the police", a contentious transfer of power, and most recently a surprise ban on popular Russian ammo. If you'd like to read our analysis as to what drove the initial increase in demand for ammunition, you can find that here.
The Future of RHIC Physics

A Nuclear Science Advisory Committee subpanel chaired by Bob Tribble of Texas A&M University is charged with recommending priorities for U.S. nuclear physics funding under very constrained budgets. The 2007 Long Range Plan for Nuclear Physics proposed ambitious construction and operations plans under the assumption U.S. funding for physical sciences research would double from 2007 to 2017. Actual budgets are falling far shorter, and the Office of Nuclear Physics (ONP) within the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science has been told to plan for flat budgets for the next several years.

In this climate, it is unlikely ONP can support healthy operations at both the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven Lab, together with construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU).

This creates a very challenging dilemma for the U.S. nuclear science community at a time when RHIC has essentially completedand CEBAF is close to completingsubstantial upgrades that promise to extend research programs of high visibility and productivity, while the FRIB project has begun with substantial funding from the state of Michigan and MSU.

The Tribble Subpanel held open hearings in Rockville, MD, September 7 to 9, 2012 to gather information on recent accomplishments and plans for these three nuclear physics facilities and research subfields.

A Scenario for Continued RHIC Operations

In preparation for the Tribble hearings, RHIC management developed -- with strong user community input -- a white paper to make the case for continuing RHIC operations as clearly and compellingly as possible. In parallel, interested users have been developing a white paper detailing the science case for a future Electron Ion Collider such as eRHIC, proposed for the mid-2020s. Other relevant activities include securing support letters for RHIC operations from its user community (signed by more than 700 scientists) and industrial partners.

The essence of the case is summarized in the opening paragraph of the RHIC white paper:

RHIC is in its prime: it is poised to address a host of compelling science questions that remain or have been raised by the important discoveries to date; the facility performance continues to improve dramatically; the user base remains energized and committed; the Nuclear Physics communitys visions for the long-term future of QCD-related research are best realized using RHIC as a primary base.

The case presented to the Tribble Subpanel placed primary emphasis on the compelling open science questions that can only be addressed at RHIC (or by the combination of RHIC and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN) and RHICs clear plans to answer these questions over the coming decade by exploiting recent, ongoing, and proposed facility upgrades.

These science arguments are necessary, but, likewise, the other major nuclear science facilities also worked hard to present strong cases. Thus the case for RHIC also tried to drive home several essential additional points:

RHICs productivity is extraordinary within the field -- over 350 published papers, cumulatively attracting about 35,000 citations, five cover stories in major science magazines and journals, about 350 Ph.D.s produced, and well over 150 tenured faculty and research staff positions filled by RHIC scientists over the past dozen years, with no rate falloff in sight on any of these metrics.

RHICs intellectual connections to other physics forefronts are unusually broad and deep among nuclear physics research areas.

Foreign investment in RHIC, especially from the RIKEN Institute of Japan, has been extraordinary.

A cost-realizable path to an electron-ion collider requires taking advantage of -- rather than trying to replace -- the RHIC complex, which would cost ~$2B to build today.

It is naive to ignore historys lessons and assume that funding freed by terminating operations at a major facility will be available to redirect as the nuclear science community desires.

As summarized at the end of the RHIC white paper, The most sensible approach to a several-year budget crisis is to find creative ways to exploit the resources that have been built up by past investments, as long as they are still operating at full efficiency.
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon is about to get a $23,800 grant as Manitoba 150 wraps up.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

KIMBERLEY KIELLEY/THE BRANDON SUN Stephen Hayter, executive director of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon is about to get a $23,800 grant as Manitoba 150 wraps up.

In partnership with the Manitoba government, the Manitoba 150 Host committee provided funding to events and projects across the province, a release stated on Monday.

As Manitoba 150 concludes, Manitobas Signature Museums will receive $166,000 to support their work to capture and preserve the provinces history, interim Premier Kelvin Goertzen and Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox announced.

"There is no better time than in the celebration of our sesquicentennial to provide additional support to Manitobas Signature Museums so they can continue to share the stories of our past, which provide important learning opportunities for Manitobans and visitors of all ages," Goertzen said.

The funding is timely, said Stephen Hayter, executive director of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.

"We just discovered, from the preservation issue, we will be having some roof repairs. I dont know what theyre going to cost. Its something well have to look at as a complete board," he said.

And in order to present curriculum-based education programs at the museum, preservation of the museum is key.

However, with the pandemic, there have not been school groups touring the museum for the last two years.

Hayter said the museum is always looking at funding for education programs.

School groups for the museum are key, he said. However, the pandemic has put a damper on that activity.

"We have an education committee thats working on getting school groups back into the museum. Maybe there needs to be funding to make that happen," he said.

"With the funding we just received, great. Now thats an opportunity," he said.

"Displays are always something we want to improve at the museum. Certainly talked for quite some time [about] how we could improve. Therell just be too many wonderful projects in the end. What a wonderful gift that Manitoba 150 has provided to us, so we can ensure that A, the preservation of this building continues; and B, that we can improve some of the areas that were passionate about, like education programming and displays," he said.

Hayter said the board will have to decide ultimately what are the museums priorities.

"This money will certainly help in furthering a lot of them," he said.

"Well certainly want to be accessing other things as well as we go forward with some of these projects. These are long-term projects. Our education program has always been an evolution. And certainly, our displays have always been that way."

A display could be an aircraft, which can cost up to $100,000. Smaller displays can either be professionally developed or worked on by the committed volunteers at the museum, he said.

"Weve always been told people always enjoy the ambiance of the museum. We dont want to cover that up. We want to enhance that. How we go about doing that is the question."

From the basic standpoint, he said, preservation of the building has to be a priority.

"We cant have roofs leaking."

Each of the provinces seven designated signature museums will receive $23,800 as a grant that could be used for school and youth programming, exhibits, improving visitor experience or other improvements to the facilities that would support the mandate of conserving and promoting Manitobas history.

"Manitobas Signature Museums are well known for their excellent programming, high-quality exhibits and visitor experiences, and we look forward to how they will continue to capture and preserve Manitobas history for generations to come," Cox said.

"Manitoba 150 is thrilled to invest in these amazing organizations that tell our collective stories and preserve Manitobas history for future generations," Manitoba 150 Host Committee co-chairs Monique LaCoste and Stuart Murray stated in a release.

The signature museums program was established in 1998 through the designation of selected museums with the potential to be significantly enhanced as heritage tourism attractions.

The seven museums are designated as Travel Manitoba Star Attractions. They are the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon, the New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg, the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin, Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum in Winnipeg and the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden.

"Were thrilled to get the funding," Hayter said. "We will use the funding to the best of our ability."

 kkielley@brandonsun.com
MINNEDOSA  Since it was first contested in 2015, the riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa has always been represented by a Conservative member of Parliament. After Monday, that hasnt changed.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa Conservative candidate Dan Mazier declares his victory in the federal election at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 138 in Minnedosa Monday.

MINNEDOSA  Since it was first contested in 2015, the riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa has always been represented by a Conservative member of Parliament. After Monday, that hasnt changed.

Coming off his first term in office, incumbent Dan Mazier kept the riding in Conservative blue on election day.

"I cant thank the voters enough for sending me back to Ottawa," he told the Sun after the results started to become clear. "That rural voice is very important; its a clear signal thats been sent today, and Ill continue on in Ottawa to keep that rural voice in Ottawa and speak on their behalf."

To do so, he fended off strong opposition from the right side of the political spectrum, facing off against Manitobas only Maverick Party candidate, Lori Falloon-Austin, and Donnan McKenna, a retired RCMP superintendent running for the Peoples Party of Canada.

On the left-of-centre side, Mazier beat out three parachute candidates: Shirley Lambrecht, of Vancouver Island, running for the Green Party of Canada; Kevin Carlson, of The Pas, running for the Liberal Party of Canada; and Arthur Holroyd, of Winnipeg, running for the New Democratic Party.

The six candidates in the riding were repeats of the 2019 election, where Mazier received 26,103 votes, representing 64.2 per cent of all ballots cast.

While Mazier beat his next closest opponent by more than 20,000 votes last time, it was a much closer affair this time.

Despite news sources predicting a Liberal victory, Mazier declined to speak about the overall results with several jurisdictions results still uncertain.

No matter what parliamentary situation he was returning to, he highlighted rural cellphone and internet connectivity as his major priority upon his return to the House of Commons. In the last session before the election, Mazier had put forward a private members bill that would require telecommunications companies to follow more stringent rules about how they can report the speed and strength of their services.

"It was challenging, especially at first," Mazier said about running a campaign during a pandemic. "Early on in the campaign, people werent engaged, they were still on holidays.

"I was very well received at the doors. A lot of people were impressed, especially in this riding, being the size of Nova Scotia with 200-plus communities."

As of 10 p.m. Monday, Elections Canada listed the results as following:

 Dan Mazier, Conservative: 9,248 votes (60.2 per cent);

 Arthur Holroyd, NDP: 2,159 votes (14 per cent);

 Kevin Carlson, Liberal: 1,770 votes (11.5 per cent);

 Donnan McKenna, PPC: 1,611 votes (10.5 per cent);

 Shirley Lambrecht, Green: 369 votes (2.4 per cent); and

 Lori Falloon-Austin, Maverick: 226 votes (1.4 per cent).

After holding his election night party in Neepawa at Farmery Brewery in 2019, Mazier moved his festivities to the Royal Canadian Legion in Minnedosa this year, with everyone in attendance required to be double-vaccinated as specified by provincial public health orders.

Dignitaries present included Agassiz Progressive Conservative MLA Eileen Clarke and Robert Sopuck, the man Mazier replaced as MP after Sopuck retired in 2019.

The approximately 30 guests snacked off plates of meats, cheeses and vegetables as classic rock blasted out of the venues speakers over the CTV election coverage playing on three TVs in different corners of the room.

When CTV anchor Lisa Laflamme announced that the Liberals would again form government around 9:15 p.m., there were a few exclamations of surprise around the room.

Another strong reaction was when the results for Beauce  PPC Leader Maxime Berniers riding  came on screen. His loss drew a smattering of applause from those assembled.

The greatest reaction of the night came when Mazier made his victory speech.

"I have probably lived and worked in this riding my entire life," he told the assembled crowd. "I know what it means to be a rural Canadian ... tonight we reap the benefits of a successful harvest that was sown during the 36 days of campaigning. Tonight, all of our hard work paid off."

Because of those COVID-19 restrictions, it was a relatively quiet campaign.

A debate held last week by the Dauphin & District Chamber of Commerce, the Dauphin Herald, Westman Communications Group and the Brandon Sun featured four of six candidates in a respectful affair with relatively few arguments between candidates.

The only party leader to visit either of Westmans two political ridings was Bernier, who held rallies with McKenna in Neepawa and Dauphin earlier this month.

Bernier, who was arrested in Manitoba earlier this year for breaking public health orders, entered the province without being vaccinated against COVID-19 and without self-isolating but was not challenged by the police this time around.

Whether it was about recovering economically from the pandemic, managing the pandemic, vaccine or mask mandates or public health orders, COVID-19 was the biggest topic of the election both nationally and locally.

"Definitely I have a little bit of work to do in the area," Lambrecht said about her campaign. "It takes time to build that trust so its going to take some time but thats OK, Im willing to. This was dipping my toe in the water. When I look across Canada and some of ridings are such ore established and when I came here there was no electoral district executive, there was no campaign manager, so basically there were two of us that were doing all the work.

"This is my first candidacy so its been a huge learning experience and its a very, very steep learning curve, but Ive learned a ton already in terms of what Ive done so far and strategy for next time around."

The nascent Maverick Partys candidate felt good about her partys first kick at the politician can.

"I had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain," Falloon-Austin said.

"[The Maverick Party] just turned a year old last week, so for me even to get right now two per cent of the vote, Im pretty proud of that. Its a huge area and I did what I could and Im pretty proud."

Falloon-Austin said the biggest task for the party going forward is to get more name recognition for the Maverick Party and more publicity.

"People, theyre ready for a change and even though they didnt get it this election, that doesnt mean that in the next couple elections that they will not be getting the change they told me they wanted."

Holroyd said while the results were not what the party hoped for in the riding, "they gave it their all."

The NDP pushed as hard as they could during the election, he said, and it has been heartening to see the partys overall results in the nation as a whole. He is excited to see others leading in ridings across Canada and anticipates positive results for the party as a whole as the final numbers roll in.

"People want to be heard and listened to and thats something that a lot of politicians kind of forget," Holroyd said, explaining how he appreciated the opportunities he had to sit down and listen with constituents during his campaign. "Its good for democracy to have peoples voices heard."

Holroyd is thankful for the support he saw in the election and hopes the party can build off the momentum gained during the 2021 federal election.

"While it was not the results that we had all hoped for, I really do appreciate every single vote. I will work hard for the next candidate, maybe its me, maybe its someone else, to fight hard in the next election to try and flip that Swan River-Neepawa for the NDP," Holroyd said.

"Im a little disappointed in the number," Carlson told the Sun. "You always go in hoping that the vision that you shared at the doorstep would be embraced by the electorate but it wasnt the case. I certainly want to congratulate Dan, Ive met him on a few occasions and I know hes going to do a tremendous time continuing to be the member of Parliament for our riding."

While Carlson did not win his seat, the Liberal party appeared poised to form government on Monday night.

"I think its a great thing," he said of the overall results.

"Weve had that steady hand, that compassionate leadership helping to lead the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring that families had an income they could count on even through times might have been tough with their jobs and now going forward we get to build on that vision coming out of the pandemic," he said.

 cslark@brandonsun.com, with files from Chelsea Kemp and Drew May

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
OTTAWA - The final results of the federal election may not be known until Wednesday, election officials have warned, because of almost one million mail-in ballots that will not be opened until Tuesday.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

OTTAWA - The final results of the federal election may not be known until Wednesday, election officials have warned, because of almost one million mail-in ballots that will not be opened until Tuesday.

A clutch of close-run ridings, where mail-in ballots could prove crucial to the result, may have to wait days for a winner to be declared.

Elections Canada expects "the vast majority" of mail-in ballots to be counted by Wednesday. But in some remote ridings, and those with thousands of mail ballots, the result may not be known until Friday.

A record number of people have voted by mail in this election, some because of fears of voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local elections agents will begin opening postal ballots on Tuesday morning.

Before they are counted, ballots will be verified by local voting officials. They check to ensure voters have not sent in multiple ballots or have already voted in person in a polling station. Officials also verify voters' signatures.

A mail-in voting package that voters will receive if requested is seen in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

British Columbia has the greatest number of mail-in ballots, many of them on Vancouver Island. In the Victoria riding, more than 12,600 people applied to vote by mail  the most in Canada  followed by SaanichGulf Islands, where more than 10,700 people applied for postal votes.

The CourtenayAlberni riding, which includes parts of Nanaimo, B.C., had 9,870 voting kits issued. More than 9,500 voters in the nearby B.C. riding of North IslandPowell River applied for postal ballots. In NanaimoLadysmith, more than 8,800 voters registered to vote by mail, while in EsquimaltSaanichSooke, more than 8,700 voters applied for mail-in ballots.

Postal votes could dictate which party wins in a series of ridings facing a photo finish.

The closest race is in the B.C. riding of CoquitlamPort Coquitlam, where the Liberals fought off a Conservative challenge by only 153 votes in the 2019 federal election. More than 4,000 voters have voted by mail in the knife-edge riding.

Political scientists said voters will need to be "patient" in some close-run ridings and to prepare for delayed final results.

Melanee Thomas, associate professor in the department of political science at University of Calgary, said that although mail ballots could influence results in close seats, they would unlikely determine the overall election result.

"Folks need to be patient. We are not going to have a clear result in some places until these mail ballots are counted," she said. "I don't think this is going to influence the overall result or make a difference to whether there is a Liberal minority government.

A person holds an Elections Canada voter information card after receiving it in the mail on Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

In Quebec  an electoral district in Quebec City  Jean-Yves Duclos, a cabinet minister in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeaus government, is facing a close challenge from the Bloc Quebecois and more than 1,400 voters have sent in ballots by mail.

One of the closest electoral battles is in the Yukon, which returns a single MP. At the last election, the Liberals fought off the Tories by only 153 votes. More than 1,800 voters have cast their vote by mail in the riding.

Postal voters could also decide the outcome in the Montreal riding of Hochelaga, where the Liberals won by only 328 votes in 2019.

At Elections Canadas distribution centre in Ottawa on Monday evening, workers were busy counting around 200,000 special ballots that had been sent to Ottawa. The votes from expatriates, people voting outside their ridings, Canadian Forces, as well as inmates in prisons throughout the country were already being tallied by election workers before polls closed.

Election officials began counting the ballots sent to Ottawa  which unlike most mail-in ballots are not counted in local ridings  10 days ago. By 8.40 p.m. Monday, they had counted 120,000 ballots at the vast warehouse where, once the election is over, every ballot cast in the country will be stored for 10 years.

Natasha Gauthier, spokeswoman for Elections Canada, said that although "90-95 per cent of results will be in" on Monday night, local ridings will not open almost one million mail-in ballots until Tuesday morning. Voters in seats where results have yet to be declared will be able to track how many mail-in ballots have been counted starting Tuesday, she added.

"You could have a riding where the race is tight," Gauthier said Monday. "Starting tomorrow, you can look up your riding and see what percentage of ballots have been counted. At the end of each counting shift they will be updated."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2021.
OTTAWA - The watching parties are done and the victory speeches are over, but several communities across Canada may have to wait days for special ballots to be counted before they know who will represent them in the House of Commons.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

A mail-in voting package that voters will receive if requested is seen in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

OTTAWA - The watching parties are done and the victory speeches are over, but several communities across Canada may have to wait days for special ballots to be counted before they know who will represent them in the House of Commons.

There are still 24 close races where local postal ballots could decide the winners.

Thanks at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elections Canada received a record number of mail-in ballots this year. More than a million have already been received, and several more that were dropped off at local Elections Canada offices and polling stations are still to be included in the final tally.

While staff in large, centralized counting facilities have already tallied votes that arrived from Canadian Forces members, incarcerated voters and Canadians abroad, votes from locals still needed to be verified.

That work began Tuesday morning in local riding offices across the country. Elections Canada staff must go through each ballot to make sure there are no duplicates and that it doesnt belong to someone who also voted in person. Officials must also verify voters' signatures, and only then can the ballot be counted.

In ridings where people opted to vote by special ballot en masse, staff may not be able to start actually counting them until Wednesday and may have to continue for several days.

That could leave several ridings with tight races without an elected member of Parliament until Thursday or even Friday.

In Sault Ste. Marie as few as 41 votes stand between Liberal Incumbent Terry Sheehan in the lead and Conservative challenger Sonny Spina. But with 1,660 votes still to be counted in that riding its still anyones race.

Ontario has the highest share of races that will be decided by special ballot, with nine riding results still outstanding.

British Columbia had the greatest number of mail-in ballots, which has left four ridings waiting for their results.

In Edmonton Centre, the Liberals are still hoping to win back their foothold in Albertas capital after Randy Boissonneault was voted out in 2019.

Latest results show Boissonnault 136 votes ahead of Conservative incumbent James Cumming, with 2,241 votes still to be verified and counted.

Boissonnaults team said they are waiting patiently.

We are very excited and very confident about what we have seen in the results so far, said campaign communications director Brendon Legault in an email.

Elections Canada plans to post updates of their progress counting special ballots from local voters on their website so people can get a sense of how close they are to the finish line of some of these long races.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2021.
OTTAWA - The latest on developments and results in the federal election. All times are eastern.

People start to line up early for the Canadian general election before polls open in west-end Toronto for the Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

OTTAWA - The latest on developments and results in the federal election. All times are eastern.

2:40 a.m.

Conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who won the South Surrey-White Rock riding in B.C., says she felt people in her riding wanted a change in Ottawa but it "looks like that didn't play out nationally."

Findlay says Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole hasn't had it easy because he didn't have much of a chance to meet with people during the pandemic.

Re-elected North Vancouver Liberal Jonathan Wilkinson, who had served as environment minister, says the vote was worth holding despite the outcome of another minority government.

Wilkinson says the election win gives the country stability for at least the next year-and-a-half.

He added that his short-term focus will be on getting countries to commit more money to fighting climate change.

--

2:32 a.m.

Former Ontario provincial cabinet ministers will be heading to Ottawa in droves.

Michael Coteau, who ran for the provincial Liberal leadership last year, and Yasir Naqvi, who was the province's attorney general, were both elected federally under the Liberal banner.

On Parliament Hill, they'll join former top Ontario Liberals Helena Jaczek and Marie-France Lalonde.

As well, they'll see their former provincial colleagues Han Dong and Yvan Baker, who were also re-elected federally.

---

1:30 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there is more unity than division in the country to tackle some major policy issues.

He argues that he has a clear mandate to get through the pandemic and rebuild from COVID-19.

However, he concedes that people don't want to worry about being plunged into another election, but instead for MPs to work together.

The Liberals won the most seats in the election, but not enough for a majority mandate.

The prime minister will have to rely on enough opposition support to get his agenda through the legislative process.

Speaking to supporters in Montreal, Trudeau highlighted some big promises from his government, including child care and housing affordability.

Trudeau also thanked all those who voted for the Liberals, and is promising to work just as hard for those who voted otherwise.

---

1:15 a.m.

The Liberals have won a seat in Alberta after being shut out of the province in 2019.

Liberal candidate George Chahal is projected to win in Calgary-Skyview, swinging the riding away from the Conservatives and incumbent, Jag Sahota.

His supporters were feeling confident as results rolled in.

Natasia Barieur, a volunteer for the Chahal campaign, says her confidence was mixed with some nerves because the riding is highly contested.

She quipped that if Chahal, who represented the area at city council for years, couldn't win, nobody can.

--

1:05 a.m.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is making a pitch to voters to say that his party will continue to fight for them with a minority government.

Speaking to supporters, he is talking about his party's pledges to help with dental care costs and pharmacare.

He also is congratulating all party leaders and their teams on their work during the election.

The NDP are leading or elected in 27 ridings, a gain of three seats from the 24 the party held at dissolution.

There are still a number of close races across the country, including the Manitoba riding of Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley.

Liberal candidate Doug Eyolfson says the race is so close between him and Conservative incumbent Marty Morantz that the final result may not be known until Wednesday.

He says he had plans to keep himself occupied while the counting continues.

--

12:55 a.m.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says it is his party's responsibility to do more and work harder than they did in 2019.

Blanchet is promising that his party will push for extra health-care funding for provinces, improvements in long-term care and increased benefits for seniors.

Blanchet has previously said he would look for promises on those items from a minority government to earn his party's support.

The Bloc is leading or elected in 32 ridings in Quebec.

He says he will be contacting other party leaders in the next few days to make sure Parliament functions in the midst of a pandemic.

Blanchet says parties must put behind the partisan rancour of the past, because that's what voters have asked for with their votes.

--

12:45 a.m.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is laying out his argument that the party under his leadership has changed to meet the modern concerns of Canadians.

His party for the second consecutive election appears to have won the largest share of votes, but again only enough seats to be the Official Opposition.

He is calling on Conservatives to not waiver from the party's commitment to grow and earn the trust of more voters.

He also promises to take stock of what worked for his party and what didn't to prepare for another election.

In a speech to supporters, O'Toole says he spoke with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to congratulate him on the victory, but warned him that the Tories would be ready to fight another election should one be called soon after this vote.

He also says he would be ready to lead the Conservatives into the next election.

--

12:25 a.m.

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul says she is disappointed she fell short in her bid to win a seat in the House of Commons.

Paul lost her bid to unseat Liberal Marci Ien in the riding of Toronto Centre.

Paul notes that voters have decided to elect almost the same number of MPs from every party, but more divided and polarized.

Speaking to supporters in Toronto, Paul is calling for MPs to work together to heal whatever political wounds were created during the election, because voters clearly want their federal parties to work together.

Former party leader Elizabeth May is projected to hold her B.C. riding Saanich-Gulf Islands, while Mike Morrice looks to have won the party's first federal seat in Ontario in Kitchener Centre.

Paul Manly is trailing in his B.C. riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith.

May says it's up to Paul to decide her own future.

Still, May says the Greens will play a vital role in a minority government scenario.

--

12:15 a.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has been re-elected in the B.C. riding of Burnaby South.

Singh has represented the Greater Vancouver riding since he was first elected in a February 2019 byelection.

---

12 a.m.

It was a status quo night in Manitoba, with the Conservatives retaining their rural strongholds and the NDP and Liberals keeping their urban seats.

The only seat that appeared at risk of a change was CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley, where Liberal Doug Eyolfson was running neck and neck with incumbent Conservative Marty Morantz.

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, says local Conservative campaign teams may have been hurt by the current provincial Tory leadership race to replace former premier Brian Pallister.

"If you're preoccupied with choosing the next premier, finding time to help out your local candidate in a federal election race may not be your first priority," Thomas said.



11:55 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Liberal Anthony Rota will win his northern Ontario riding of Nipissing-Timiskaming.

Rota has contested the seat since the 2004 federal election, losing only once in 2011.

Since 2019, Rota has also served as Speaker of the House of Commons, taking over the job just ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He had to oversee the Commons move to more virtual sittings with MPs connecting remotely rather than in-person, as well as electronic voting.

If he wants to keep the job, he'll have to earn the votes of his fellow MPs.

The first act of newly elected and re-elected MPs upon their return to the House of Commons is to elect a Speaker by secret ballot.

Former environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson has held on to his seat in the B.C. riding of North Vancouver.

Wilkinson, who was first elected in 2015, says the major priority for a Liberal government is increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates.

He says the fight against climate change would have been in peril if the Conservatives had won.



11:40 p.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's No. 2 is heading back to the House of Commons.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Chrystia Freeland has won re-election in her downtown Toronto riding of University-Rosedale.

The deputy prime minister and finance minister will now have a chance to keep building a national child-care system announced in her April budget.

She is among a slew of cabinet ministers who have won re-election.

Also projected to win tonight is Jean-Yves Duclos in the riding of Quebec, Melanie Joly in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, David Lametti in LaSalle-Emard-Verdun, and Harjit Sajjan in Vancouver South.



11:35 p.m.

Nunavut NDP candidate Lori Idlout says she is excited and nervous as she and about a dozen supporters gather for an election night viewing party at the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit.

The Iqaluit lawyer is hoping to keep Nunavut orange after NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq said she wouldnt run again.

Liberal candidate Pat Angnakak is watching the results roll in with family and friends at the Aqsarniit hotel in Iqaluit, while Conservative candidate Laura MacKenzie is watching from her hometown in Rankin Inlet.

With just under half of polls reporting, Idlout is holding a slim lead.

Overall, the New Democrats are leading or elected in 29 ridings nationally.



11:25 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Green Party Leader Annamie Paul has lost in the Ontario riding of Toronto Centre.

This was her third time seeking the downtown Toronto seat, considered a Liberal stronghold.

She lost to former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau in the 2019 federal election.

She also ran unsuccessfully in an October 2020 byelection, losing to Liberal Marci Ien, who was re-elected tonight.

That contest took place about three weeks after Paul won the Green Party leadership race.

---

11:15 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting the Liberals have won enough seats to stay in power with a minority government.

That will mean Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won't get the majority mandate he hoped for when he called the election on Aug. 15.

Trudeau will need the support of at least one other party to maintain a minority government.



11:20 p.m.

Another of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's key cabinet ministers has won re-election.

The Canadian Press projects that Anita Anand will be re-elected in her riding of Oakville in the Greater Toronto Area.

Anand was a rookie MP after winning in 2019 when she was appointed to be minister of procurement.

She quickly became in charge of the country's efforts to secure COVID-19 vaccines, and was often on the campaign trail with Trudeau.

The Liberals are also expected to hold on to Ottawa Centre.

Yasir Naqvi, a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister, will keep the riding red and is taking over from Catherine McKenna, who retired from politics ahead of the election.



11 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Conservative Leader Erin OToole has been re-elected in the Ontario riding of Durham.

OToole has represented the Greater Toronto Area riding since he was first elected in a November 2012 byelection.

It also looks like another Liberal cabinet minister will lose their seat tonight.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Conservative Michelle Ferreri will win the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha.

She defeats Liberal cabinet minister Maryam Monsef, who had represented the riding since 2015.

Monsef has recently served as Status of Women minister and as minister of rural economic development.

What makes the result special is that Peterborough-Kawartha is a noted bellwether riding that is rarely won by an opposition party.



10:55 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has been re-elected in the Montreal riding of Papineau.

Trudeau has represented Papineau in the House of Commons since 2008.

---

10:55 p.m.

A former Conservative leader, and candidate for the leadership, have both been elected.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Andrew Scheer will be re-elected in the Saskatchewan riding of Regina-Qu'Appelle.

Scheer led the party into the 2019 election, only to win the popular vote but fall short of knocking the Trudeau Liberals into the opposition benches.

He stepped down, and Erin O'Toole won a subsequent race to replace Scheer.

One of the challengers for the leaders, Leslyn Lewis, is projected to win in the Ontario riding Haldimand-Norfolk left vacant by the retirement of Diane Finley.



10:45 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Peoples Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier has lost his bid to get elected in the Quebec riding of Beauce.

Bernier previously represented the riding south of Quebec City from 2006 to 2019.

He was a cabinet minister in the Conservative government of former prime minister Stephen Harper, where his portfolios included industry and foreign affairs.

He ran for the Conservative leadership in 2017, placing second to former leader Andrew Scheer.

He left the Conservative party in August 2018 to serve as an Independent MP and then launched the Peoples Party of Canada the next month.

---

10:45 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has been re-elected in the Quebec riding of BeloeilChambly.

Blanchet has represented the riding south of Montreal since he was elected in the 2019 federal election.

The Bloc are leading or elected in 29 ridings in Quebec.

Blanchet is hoping his party can ride a late wave of support after he bristled at a question about Quebec's controversial secularism law, known as Bill 21, during the English-language leaders debate.

He has said he's willing to work with a minority government because he doesn't want to plunge the country into another election any time soon.

---

10:40 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that the Liberal party will win the most seats in the 2021 federal election, giving them the best chance to form the next government.

It is not yet clear whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will win a majority, or need the support of at least one other party to remain in power with a minority government.

Trudeau called the election on Aug. 15, pulling the plug on his minority government almost two years removed from an election.

It was seen as a gamble to garner a majority that Trudeau pushed for along the campaign trail.

The Liberals would need to win 170 seats in the 338-seat House of Commons to have a majority.

Meanwhile, The Canadian Press is projecting that Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet will hold his seat of Beloeil-Chambly.



10:25 p.m.

The dean of the House of Commons looks like he'll hold on to that title.

The Canadian Press projects that Bloc MP Louis Plamondon will win the Quebec riding of Becancour-Nicolet-Saurel.

Plamondon is the longest serving MP, having first been elected to the House of Commons in 1984.

A win in this election makes it 12 consecutive elections that Plamondon has been elected.

The dean of the House of Commons traditionally presides over the election of the Speaker, a role currently held by Liberal Anthony Rota.

Meanwhile, PPC Leader Maxime Bernier has arrived at his campaign wrap party at the Saskatoon Inn.

He was greeted by a standing ovation, and one supporter even handed him a homemade Saskatoon berry pie as others shook his hand.

Officials have been adding seats throughout the night, with the conference room packed by people who are mostly unmasked.

Organizers are pleading with the crowd to mask up in line with hotel policy, but many are not obliging.



10:10 p.m.

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul is greeting supporters and volunteers after arriving at the downtown Toronto venue where her campaign is watching tonight's election results.

A chant of "Annamie, Annamie" erupted as she walked among the crowd and waved.

Paul is running in Toronto Centre  considered a Liberal stronghold  for the third time in as many years.

She came in second behind Liberal Marci Ien last fall in a byelection triggered by the resignation of former finance minister Bill Morneau.

Paul took the reins of the Green Party just before the byelection, but grappled with internal party turmoil and a bid to oust her from the leadership weeks before the election was called.

Early results show the party capturing roughly three per cent of the popular vote.



10 p.m.

Polls are now closed in British Columbia and Yukon.

Yukon's chief medical health officer Dr. Brendan Hanley is on leave to run for the Liberals to replace Larry Bagnell, who spent two decades as the territory's Liberal MP.

While many ridings in B.C. have remained consistently New Democrat or Conservative in the North, the Interior and on Vancouver Island results in about a dozen ridings are in question.

One riding that will change is Vancouver Granville, where former Liberal cabinet minister turned Independent Jody Wilson-Raybould didn't run again.

Back east, The Canadian Press projects that Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier will hold her Quebec seat in Gaspesie-Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine.

Conservative James Bezan is also projected to return to the House of Commons to represent the Manitoba riding of Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman.

9:50 p.m.

NDP candidate Mary Shortall says she wont be getting much sleep tonight as she waits for the remaining votes to be counted in Newfoundlands St. Johns East riding.

There was a quick flurry of activity at campaign wrap party as it became clear the Liberals would take the seat from the New Democrats.

Provincial NDP Leader Lorraine Michael remained in her seat, keeping her eyes on the numbers.

Shortall gave a short, heartfelt speech as the numbers looked favourable for Liberal Joanne Thompson.

We wont know, and we probably wont know until tomorrow, Shortall told a small crowd of media and supporters. This has been one heck of a journey.

Although polls have closed in much of the country, Elections Canada says anyone in line before the poll close will be able to vote.

Polls in British Columbia and Yukon are set to close at 10 p.m.



9:30 p.m.

Polls are now closed in Ontario  a key battleground that could determine the outcome of the federal election.

In 2019, the Liberals swept Toronto and many of the so-called 905 ridings around the city.

There are some reports of long lineups at polling stations in the province tonight.

Fewer polling stations were open today since many schools were not used as voting locations due to the pandemic.

Polls are also closing in Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Meanwhile, Montreal police say seven people, including a four-year-old, were transported to hospital after they were hit by a car in the parking lot of a polling station in the western part of the city.

Police say none of the victims' lives are in danger.

Montreal police spokeswoman Const. Caroline Chevrefils says the driver of the car, a 51-year-old woman, has been detained for investigative purposes.

She says police believe the collision, which took place at about 5 p.m., was accidental.

---

9:10 p.m.

The New Democrats look to have lost their only seat in Atlantic Canada.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Liberal Joanne Thompson has won the riding vacated by the retirement of Jack Harris.

The NDP has tempered expectations as party officials say any seat gains will be considered a success.

In New Brunswick, it appears the Liberals and Conservatives are on track to win the same seats they held before the election.

One change could be in the riding of Fredericton which was won last time by the Green party with Jenica Atwin, who is running this time as a Liberal after a split with her former party.

In the 90 minutes since the polls closed, the lead has flip-flopped between Atwin and Conservative candidate Andrea Johnson.

---

9 p.m.

The Liberals are holding on to all four seats in Prince Edward Island.

The Canadian Press projects Bobby Morrissey in Egmont, Lawrence MacAulay in Cardigan, Sean Casey in Charlottetown and Heather MacDonald in Malpeque.

But the results are not good for another longtime Liberal MP.

The Canadian Press projects that Scott Simms has lost his riding of Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame to Conservative challenger Clifford Small.

Simms was first elected in 2004, defeating the Conservative incumbent at the time, Rex Barnes.

Voting continues in the rest of the country where the next set of polls are scheduled to close at 9:30 p.m.

---

8:45 p.m.

The Liberals are now leading or elected in 24 ridings in Atlantic Canada, followed by the Conservatives with nine.

The NDP lead in St. John's East has disappeared as candidate Mary Shortall has fallen behind Liberal candidate Joanne Thompson.

Provincial and federal NDP party luminaries are gathered in a newly opened Memorial University building overlooking the St. Johns harbour on Signal Hill to watch the results roll in.

The mood decidedly changes as figures show Thompson pulling ahead of Shortall, who hopes to replace Jack Harris.

People have fallen quiet and all eyes focus on a large screen projecting numbers from the back of the room.

Harris says holding the riding is enormously important to the party, noting it is the only Atlantic Canadian seat held by the NDP.

---

8:37 p.m.

The Conservatives appear to have picked up a seat in Nova Scotia at the expense of a high-profile Liberal cabinet minister.

The Canadian Press projects that Conservative Rick Perkins will upset Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan.

The Canadian Press also projects that Liberals Serge Cormier will be re-elected in Acadie-Bathurst, Churence Rogers in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, and Mike Kelloway in Cape Breton-Canso.

Early results from Atlantic Canada show the People's Party of Canada with just under four per cent of the vote.

The party is holding its election night rally at the Saskatoon Inn where Leader Maxime Bernier is expected to make a speech later this evening.

The event is being held in Saskatchewan because organizers wanted a traditional rally that wasn't possible in Quebec due to limits on crowd sizes.

The party set up two rallies  one inside and one outside the hotel  to give people the option to participate, but those who choose the indoor rally must wear a mask.

---

8:20 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Ken McDonald is going to keep his Newfoundland seat of Avalon and Dominic LeBlanc will hold on to Beausejour in New Brunswick.

McDonald was first elected in 2015, while LeBlanc has represented his riding for over 20 years.

Also projected to win is Liberal Yvonne Jones, who first won the riding of Labrador during a 2013 byelection.

That gives the Liberals four seats as early results roll in from Atlantic Canada.

The Canadian Press also projects that Conservatives will hold Tobique-Mactaquac and West Nova.

Two seats to keep an eye on include two high-profile Liberal candidates: Bernadette Jordan in South Shore-St. Margarets, and Jenica Atwin in Fredericton.

Jordan is the fisheries minister who was first elected in the riding in 2015, but early results have her trailing Conservative candidate Rick Perkins.

Atwin crossed the floor from the Greens and got a boost in the waning days of the campaign from a visit from Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

---

8 p.m.

The Canadian Press is projecting that Liberal Seamus O'Regan, the natural resources minister, is going to hold is riding of St. John's South  Mt. Pearl.

The Liberals are now leading in 15 ridings in Atlantic Canada, including Beausejour in New Brunswick, where incumbent and longtime Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc has an early lead.

Conservative candidates are leading in five ridings, and the New Democrats in one  in St. John's East that the NDP is hoping to hold.

The NDP expect a long wait for results in St. John's East district.

Campaign manager Amanda Will says her numbers from Elections Canada show 6,349 people in the riding applied for a special ballot.

She says so far, 4,273 of those ballots have been returned, leaving more than 2,000 more to come in.

Will says special ballot counting will begin Tuesday.

In the 2019 federal election, Jack Harris won the St. John's East seat for the NDP by just over 6,100 votes.

In Prince Edward Island, where the Liberals hope to keep their stronghold on the four seats, Liberal Lawrence MacAulay is also off to an early lead.

---

7:30 p.m.

Liberal candidates are leading in four of the seven seats up for grabs in Newfoundland and Labrador as early results roll in, but the parties are keeping a close eye on St. John's East and Bonavista-Burin-Trinity.

The NDP hold their only Atlantic Canadian seat in the downtown riding St. John's East, but Jack Harris, who won the riding back from the Liberals in 2019, isn't running again.

The party is hoping labour leader Mary Shortall will be elected as his replacement.

Meanwhile, Liberal incumbent Churence Rogers in Bonavista-Burin-Trinity holds an early lead over Conservative Sharon Vokey.

Rogers had Chrystia Freeland, the country's deputy prime minister and finance minister, campaigning for him last weekend.

Polls across the rest of Atlantic Canada are now set to close.

---

7 p.m.

The first polls are closing across the country in Canada's 44th general election.

Results should soon start rolling in from Newfoundland.

Across Atlantic Canada, the Liberals at the dissolution of Parliament held 27 of the 32 seats available across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Polls suggest the Liberals and Conservatives were running neck-and-neck going into election day, ahead of the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois, which is only running candidates in Quebec.

Parties were working hard during the day to get their supporters out to the polls.

Elections Canada reported a handful of disruptions at polling stations across the country, as millions of Canadians cast their ballots in the country's first pandemic election.

Some stations had to be relocated or opened late, alongside reports of long lineups at polling stations where voters waited longer than usual to cast a ballot because of health measures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2021.
Nearly 1 million people tuned into what felt like the hottest event on the internet: a speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting - that is, a speech by the K-pop superstar boy band BTS.

Legions of BTS fans, a hyper-organised online community that can mobilise in an instant, flooded the United Nations official YouTube channel Monday with their signature purple heart emoji, along with tons of crying emoji, thumbs-up emoji and every other heart emoji available - as the band promoted their generation and encouraged the use of vaccines.

Members of the South Korean band BTS arrive at the United Nations headquarters. Credit:AP

They took over the chat so fiercely during the K-pop icons speech and video performance that other users chimed in to remind them to be respectful of the meeting of global leaders, who had gathered to discuss sustainability.

But the BTS army plowed forward, amplifying the bands message of hope and the power of those in their teens and 20s to shape the future, from climate change to digital interconnectedness.
Hamilton, the smash-hit musical credited by many critics with reviving the genre worldwide, is set to re-open in Sydney next month.

Producers have announced tickets for the show at the Lyric Theatre will go on sale for performances beginning October 19. Seats will be available through to February 27, after which Hamilton will transfer as planned to Melbournes Her Majestys Theatre. Existing ticket holders will be contacted by the theatre.

Hamilton will return next month as the citys theatres begin to awaken.

Hamilton was forced to close on July 10. Before the pandemic struck, it had been comfortably selling out the 2000-seat Pyrmont theatre with eight weekly performances. Producers have lost in the order of $2 million each week the stage has remained dark.

Australian producer Michael Cassel said he was excited to set a date.
NSW will introduce social bubbles that will allow children aged 18 and under in lockdown areas across the state to visit their friends houses.

Crisis cabinet signed off on the measure on Monday, allowing children living in areas subject to stay-at-home orders to nominate two friends who are allowed to come to their house to play and study.

When can my kids have their friends over?

The new rules come into effect from midday on Tuesday.
Queensland will again tighten travel restrictions into the state from the busy Tweed and Byron council areas of the NSW border zone from 1am on Wednesday, just nine days after reinstating most of the bubble.

Health authorities have also identified five new close contact exposure sites at Brisbanes domestic airport after an infected traveller spent four hours in the terminal in transit between Newcastle and the Northern Territory.

Police direct motorists at a Coolangatta border checkpoint last week. Credit:Matt Roberts/ Getty Images

Early on Tuesday Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged residents to keep watch after advice from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young about concerns over a case in the heavily intertwined cross-border council areas, which only had travel restrictions eased last Monday.

Within hours, Queensland Health announced the council areas would become part of the growing restricted border zone after NSW authorities announced fresh seven-day lockdowns from 5pm.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has labelled as misinformation reports her state was considering pushing back some elements of the national reopening plan to when 90 per cent of the eligible population was vaccinated.

Also on Tuesday, Ms Palaszczuk said she had received advice from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young about concerns for a case of the virus in Byron Bay, but would wait to see what NSW authorities announced at their 11am update.

But we just need to be ready if NSW does anything in relation to that Byron Bay area, Ms Palaszczuk said. So please listen to updates from Queensland Health.

Minutes after the Premiers update, but before the official NSW update, Nine reported the busy Byron and Tweed local government areas would be returned to lockdown for one week from 5pm.
Australians are facing an organised campaign by anti-vax and far-right activists to undermine confidence in life-saving medicines and a public health response which continues to save lives every day.

Thats not hindsight. On August 25, I tweeted that unions were feeling the impact of organised, extremist, anti-vax and far-right campaigns. We were witnessing fringe interests attempting to infiltrate unions  not to help workers in any way  but for their own selfish political gains.

Protesters set off flares in the city on Tuesday in the second day of demonstrations. Credit:Eddie Jim

What happened on Monday in Melbourne was the continued organised assault by these groups on our unions who are working to protect members, save jobs, keep workplaces safe, and protect our health system.

The union currently under attack, the CFMEU, has worked tirelessly to keep its industry open for the benefit of workers and the Victorian economy. It has developed COVID-safe plans, run advertising to encourage members to vaccinate and put resources into testing on sites.
Police have charged four men under heavy vehicle laws as part of the investigation into the 2020 Eastern Freeway truck crash in which four police officers died.

The charges follow an 18-month investigation led by Victoria Police and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, under Operation Paragon.

Senior Constable Kevin King (left), Constable Josh Prestney, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Glen Humphris were killed on the Eastern Freeway. Credit:Victoria Police

The Operation has been investigating the April 22, 2020, disaster in which drugged and sleep deprived driver Mohinder Singh ploughed his prime mover into four police officers on the freeway at Kew.

In April this year, Singh, who pleaded guilty to eight charges including culpable driving causing death, was jailed for at least 18 years and six months.
One Victorian woman in her 70s has died and the state recorded 603 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as health authorities revealed vaccination rates have grown in some Melbourne areas hardest hit by the latest Delta outbreak.

The figures come as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton urged Victorians to make getting vaccinated a priority, with 6000 active cases across the state and 241 people in hospital with coronavirus.

Brett Sutton urged Victorians to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine a priority. Credit:Eddie Jim

Three out of 241 people in hospital are fully vaccinated, all of the rest, not completely vaccinated, Professor Sutton said. If you are completely vaccinated you are protecting yourself from that risk of being in hospital and very much from the risk of dying, and the risk of being in intensive care, so please treat it as a matter of urgency.

Prioritise it like your life depends upon it because your life does very much depend on it.
A man who stole donations for cancer research from a box at a funeral service has been ordered to pay back the money and undertake counselling for a gambling addiction.

Paul Pecora, from Werribee, who was previously jailed for six months over thefts from three funerals in 2017 and 2018, was on Tuesday sentenced over the theft from a service in 2015.

Paul Pecora, pictured in 2019, was struggling with a gambling addiction when he stole cancer research donations in 2015, a court heard. Credit:Nine News

Pecora mingled with mourners before emptying a donation box of envelopes at St Kevins Catholic Church in Hampton Park on July 11, 2015. He had found details of the service in the personal notices of a newspaper and did not know the deceased man.

The court heard last week that the $535 of mourners money Pecora stole was to be donated to cancer research.
Western Australias Water Corporation, with the slogan think climate change, has for almost a decade failed to offset emissions from a desalination plant supplying 30 per cent of Perths water that should have run entirely on renewable energy

However, the utility has committed to making up the shortfall and ensured its next desalination plant has net-zero emissions.

Water Corporations Southern Seawater Desalination Plant in Binningup. Credit:Water Corporation/Supplied

In 2009, the state government-owned utility received environmental approval to build a desalination plant in Binningup 130 kilometres south of Perth on the condition it was powered entirely by renewable energy, and it purchased carbon offsets for any shortfall.

However, since the first freshwater flowed to Perth in 2011, wind turbines and solar panels have supplied just 57 per cent of the power for the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant and the utility has bought offsets for only a tiny fraction of the shortfall.
The former Anglican Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft elected not to appear in front of a church standards board which could defrock the priest over findings from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse.

Archbishop Herft, who retired from his Perth position in 2017, will find out his fate in about a month following a public hearing by the Anglican Churchs Episcopal Standards Board on Tuesday into how he responded to allegations of abuse of minors by priests during his 12 years as the Bishop of Newcastle. The Archbishop has not been accused of any abuse.

Bishop Roger Herft leaving Newcastle Court House after a session of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in the Newcastle Anglican Diocese in 2016. Credit:Max Mason Hubers

The Anglican Episcopal Standards Commission, an investigative body within the church, has referred several questions for determination by the board regarding Archbishop Herfts alleged responses to abuse reported to him between 1995 and 2003.

The board then has the power to decide whether the archbishop is fit to hold office or should be removed from the Holy Order, meaning he could not officiate as a priest.
Dexus, the publicly listed property giant, has told Carillon Citys small tenants they have until the end of October to vacate their premises. Loading It is a bastard hammer blow that robs traders of their most profitable months, the Christmas and post-holiday sale trade, and with insufficient time to either clear their stock or make arrangements to relocate and fit out new premises. Two years ago the company, which bought Carillon City for $160 million in 2016, released plans for a $200 million redevelopment of the arcade. It has failed to progress because it has been unable to win an anchor tenant that would underpin a multi-storey office component in a hugely oversupplied Perth office market.

Sources familiar with the situation claim Dexus is hunting a state government agency whose existing accommodation arrangements are set to expire, though government sources note there are dozens of developers seeking the same. One retailer, who has operated a family business at Carillon for more than three decades, said that all along Dexus management had given assurances that they would at least get six months notice to vacate. You would think after 36 years you would get more than 28 days, the retailer said. The centre will still be open as a thoroughfare, possibly for years, so whats the rush to kick all the tenants out by the end of October? Koro Jewellery has operated at Carillon City for 22 years and co-proprietor Michael Dieckmann earns 25-30 per cent of his annual turnover in November and December.

The reason they gave us is that we (Dexus) cannot afford to keep the centre open, he told WAtoday on Tuesday. Well, Dexus is a multibillion-dollar company  theyve got the means to keep something going like this for another two to three months and see you at Christmas. They certainly do. The company is giant and has $25 billion of assets under management. It has just lodged a bid to purchase Jandakot Airport and the surrounding industrial estate for more than $1 billion. The idea that it must kick out small retailers so soon  and before Christmas  because it just cant find the pennies to keep Carillon running a month longer is offensive.

Instead it seems like a power play to leave a gaping, derelict hole in the citys retail core for Christmas, and for goodness knows how much longer, with the poor little family retailers just pawns in the grand game. Loading A Sydney-based Dexus spokesman said retailers fronting onto the Murray and Hay street malls would continue to trade. We understand there will be an impact on retailers, shoppers and the community and we remain committed to achieving an outcome for the city that is sustainable for all our stakeholders, the spokesman said. When I broke the news to the Lord Mayor on Tuesday morning, he admitted to being caught by surprise.

Our hope was always that Carillon would continue to operate as it is at the moment until such time that the more expansive, and Ive got to say quite exciting, development would take place, Zempilas told 6PR Breakfast listeners. These people deserve the opportunity to trade out of their leases  we need our shops to be full. An increasing number of his ratepayers, as well as citizens of metro Perth more broadly, comment to me that the Lord Mayor wears many hats. When the grand final excitement subsides and the (metaphorical) confetti is swept away, serious problems remain to be addressed. Zempilas is hardly responsible for this Dexus decision, but since his election 11 months ago, it has become abundantly clear that the issues he homed in on to campaign to win the Lord Mayoral chain are proving stubbornly difficult to arrest.

Violent youth crime is again in the news cycle in Northbridge in a way it hasnt been since Karl OCallaghan wanted powers to randomly stop and search people for weapons, while shopfront vacancies pile up and work-from-homers stay, well, home. Loading Homelessness and street crime are primarily state government responsibilities  but aside from the City Deal that will bring ECU to Yagan Square, the state of the city has not been a priority of Premier Mark McGowan. A realpolitik question: how invested is the Labor government in the success of a Lord Mayor who they did not plan on winning after the democratic reconstitution of the council post-commissioners, and who is widely perceived as being not just from the blue team, but potentially a future state Liberal parliamentarian? Where is Small Business Minister Reece Whitby, demanding fair treatment for small retailers from a sharemarket leviathan?
Western Australias highly prized scholarship school has allegedly become a toxic work environment with complaints of workplace bullying being independently investigated by WorkSafe and almost half the staff looking for work elsewhere.

WorkSafe launched an investigation into Perth Modern Schools management of psychosocial hazards after claims of inappropriate workplace behaviours and staff losing patience with the Department of Educations handling of the matter.

Under scrutiny: Perth Modern is considered the flagship public school for excellence. Credit:Perth Modern website

WAtoday understands talented teachers have left the public school over recent months, and complaints to the department over the issue date as far back as last August.

The complaints sparked enough concern within the Department of Education for it to commission an external agency with experience in workplace culture matters to audit the schools work environment.
Australia could take up to three years to formally break away from the $90 billion submarine agreement with France as it looks to build a nuclear-propelled fleet with the United States and Britain.

France on Tuesday continued to unleash its fury over Canberras decision while Japan and the Philippines became the latest countries to back Australias move to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

The future submarine deal with France could take three years to formally terminate.

It also emerged that Britains nuclear-powered submarines are likely to use Australia as a base so that they can have a more persistent presence in the region under the three-way defence pact announced last week known as AUKUS.

Paris took the extraordinary step over the weekend of recalling its ambassadors from both Australia and the United States, citing unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners amid warnings that a future trade deal with the European Union could be in jeopardy.
National MPs, including former leader Michael McCormack, have taken aim at controversial colleague George Christensen, accusing him of stirring up violent mobs at anti-lockdown protests and using his profile as a government MP to validate their behaviour.

Mr McCormack said the controversial backbench MP needed to think long and hard about his actions and should publicly apologise for several incendiary statements on social media, which included calling for the arrest of two Victoria Police officers for using excessive force at protests at the weekend.

Nationals MP George Christensen has been accused by Nationals colleagues of stirring up violent mobs. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Christensens comments supporting freedom fighters at the ugly rallies in Melbourne have reignited fierce divisions within the party, with furious MPs swapping angry texts with each other on Monday on a group message service.

The conversation became so heated Mr Christensen removed himself from the group on the encrypted messaging app Signal, as did Victorian MP Darren Chester, who has been a lead critic of his Queensland colleague.
Madrid: A Spanish minister called on tourists to visit La Palma, a Canary Island where a volcanic eruption has forced more than 5,000 people from their homes, to enjoy a wonderful show as lava swallowed buildings on its way to the ocean.

The volcano began erupting on Sunday, with lava shooting 50 feet in the air before destroying around 100 houses.

A couple take selfies in front of the volcano eruption on the island of La Palma Credit:AP

Some 500 tourists at a resort on the west of La Palma were given the option of staying put or evacuating by boat to Tenerife. The majority chose to leave.

However, Reyes Maroto, the Spanish tourism minister, insisted the island was open to visitors.
But this is the construction Scott Morrison and his government have placed on China and its relationship with Australia. It is a threat, implying by use of the word, that it is a military one. This false representation of Chinas foreign policy has also been condoned by the Labor Party, if not explicitly. In her five years as Labors opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, by her muted complicity with the governments foreign policy and posture, has neutered Labors traditional stance as to Australias right to strategic autonomy  an autonomy unconstrained by any power, including, that of the United States. Instead, Wong went along with the stance of Julie Bishop and Marise Payne  calculatedly, with not a cigarette paper of difference between her and them. And did it with licence provided by Bill Shorten as leader and, now, Anthony Albanese. Now that long policy void is being exploited by Scott Morrison. At Morrisons instigation, Australia turns its back on the 21st century, the century of Asia, for the jaded and faded Anglosphere  the domain of the Atlantic  a world away.

Loading And Labor is complicit in the historic backslide. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have been up to their necks in it also. Peter Hartchers bi-weekly froth-mouthed articles about China and its supposed threat, along with Chris Uhlmann and his wicked representation of China as marauding Nazis, has constituted an important part of the climate that has allowed Morrison to now shop the country to the Americans. China does not attack other states, unlike the United States, which does attack other states, yet the Herald and The Age have portrayed China as an aggressor power with malevolent intentions. In a measure of luck, Australians have been vested with a continent of our own. A continent having a border with no one  with no other state. And certainly, not remotely within any territorial contest or claim by China, which is 10 flying hours from Australias east coast cities. The notion that Australia is in a state of military apprehension about China, or needs to be, is a distortion and lie of the worst and most grievous proportions. By its propagation, Australia is determinedly casting China as an enemy  and in the doing of it, actually creating an enemy where none exists.

So poisonous are the Liberals towards China they are prepared for Australia to lose its way in the neighbourhood of Asia, in search of Australias security from Asia, by submission to yet another strategic guarantor  240 years into our history. This strategy amounts to a massive bet on the United States and its staying power in Asia. Rather than Australia finding its own way around the region, including with China, as we have done so well in the past, Morrison and Labor have tied us to the unknown endurance of the United States and the pain it is prepared to wear in defence of what it believes are its core Asian interests. I have said before, but it is worth repeating: the United States is a naval power, whereas China is a continental power. A continental power with the largest land mass in Asia occupied by 20 per cent of humanity. And competently served by a modern military. The United States, by its aircraft carrier fleets, enjoys naval force projection but that projection is fuelled from its bases on the American west coast. Its capacity in a military exchange with China will be limited by the attenuation of its supply lines and the vulnerability of its surface vessels to Chinese submarines and ballistic missiles.
New York: The Taliban have nominated Mohammad Suhail Shaheen to be Afghanistans ambassador to the United Nations and requested that their foreign minister be allowed to address the UN General Assembly taking place this week in New York.

But the request may run up against some diplomatic hurdles.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Taliban said former President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was ousted as of August 15 and that countries across the world no longer recognise him as the war-torn nations leader. Farhan Haq, a UN spokesman, confirmed the letter.

Suhail Shaheen, centre, has been nominated by the Taliban as their Un ambassador. Credit:AP

With Ghanis UN ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, currently in place at the global organisation, the Taliban said they want acting Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi to be allowed to address the General Assembly.
Seattle: COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did  approximately 675,000.

The US population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swathe through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given the incredible advances in scientific knowledge since then and the failure to take maximum advantage of the vaccines available this time.

Big pockets of American society  and, worse, their leaders  have thrown this away, medical historian Dr Howard Markel of the University of Michigan said of the opportunity to vaccinate everyone eligible by now.

The coronavirus may never entirely disappear from our midst. Instead, scientists hope it becomes a mild seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccination and repeated infection. That could take time.
Toronto: Canadians gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party a victory in parliamentary elections, but the gamble to win a majority of seats failed and the result was remarkably similar to the election two years ago.

The Liberals won the most seats of any party.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau votes in Montreal, Quebec on Monday. Credit:The Canadian Press/AP

The 49-year-old left-leaning Prime Minister channelled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015 and now appears to have led his party to the top finish in two elections since. (Unlike in Australia, the Canadian Liberals are a left-wing party.)

Trudeaus Liberals were leading or elected in 156 seats  one fewer than in 2019 - and 14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons. He will likely continue to rely on help from other parties to pass legislation.
New York: US President Joe Biden has declared Australia is Americas closest and most reliable ally during his first one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Biden and Morrison sat down in New York for their much-anticipated meeting as European leaders intensified their criticisms of Australia and the US for breaking the $90 billion contract with France to build a fleet of submarines.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden held their first one-on-one meeting in New York. Credit:Ilya Savenok

The United States will instead help Australia develop a fleet of nuclear-powered subs as part of the new AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom.

Biden referred to the Prime Minister as Scott during a brief exchange before the meeting. At a virtual press conference last week he appeared to forget Morrisons name and described him as that fella Down Under.
DOYLESTOWN >> The Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS) will launch a new program series this month exploring the history of the notorious Doan Gang of Bucks County, offered throughout October and November. The series will feature three virtual programs and one in-person program that highlight artifacts and archives related to the gang and their history. At the time of the...
By Amit Dave

SANAND, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of workers at a Ford Motor Co factory in India's western Gujarat state protested outside the automaker's plant on Tuesday, demanding that the factory's closure plan be scrapped or workers be provided other jobs.

The blue-uniformed workers gathered outside what is Ford's car manufacturing and engine-making facility in Gujarat's Sanand city and said the plant's closure planned for the year-end would lead to the loss of their livelihoods.

"After working here for seven years, I am suddenly being told I do not have a job. What is my future?" asked Anil Singh Jhala, one of the workers.

"Our demand before the company and the government is that the plant should not be shut," he added. "If the plant is going to be shut, our request to the government is that when any other plant comes up here, we should get priority for jobs there at the same wage."

Once upbeat on emerging markets including India, major automakers have recently been shutting up shop https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-wakes-up-badly-burnt-its-india-dream-2021-09-17 in the country due to stagnating sales. Ford, which built its first factory in India in the 1990s, said earlier this month https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/ford-motor-cease-local-production-india-shut-down-both-plants-sources-2021-09-09 it planned to stop making cars in the country and take a $2 billion hit as it does not see itself making profit in the country.

The plant employs around 1,200 people, a spokesperson said in a statement.

"We will be working with the unions and other stakeholders on measures to help balance the impact and to care for those directly affected by the restructuring," he added. "We have started discussions with the union and have nothing additional to share."

The string of exits and plant closures by automakers in India in recent years have worsened the country's unemployment crisis, posing a major challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who came to power in 2014 on the promise of creating jobs.

"We are in shock since the announcement," said Jaisukh Kandolia, an employee who had been working at the Ford plant since 2016.

"We have been told the plant will close by December 31," he said. "We do not know what we are going to do in the future."

(Additional reporting by Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad; Writing by Zeba Siddiqui in New Delhi; Editing by David Evans)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Weeks after announcing the restructuring of its business, FMCG major has announced its entry into the mens grooming segment through the launch of personal care brand Bikers.

The company expects the sector to grow at a rate of 15-20 per cent per annum and touch around $1.2 billion by 2024 and through the foray is targeting a significant market presence in a growing category, said Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, chief executive officer and director-FMCG, The Chennai-based company will be competing with the likes of Procter & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, LOreal and Nivea in the segment, with a current size of around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore. He saw the foray as a significant step in the CavinKare 2.0 growth strategy announced during the time of restructuring.

The pandemic has opened many opportunities for all industries, but it has been a game changer for the beauty and hygiene category. We have seen an increased interest among the urban male consumers for personal grooming products. Hence, we have used our strength  research and development - to develop an entire product line specifically curated to match the needs of urban male consumers, Vijayaraghavan said. He added that being a nascent category, men's grooming has enough space for each of the players to grow, provided the products are innovative.

The newly launched Bikers brand has products like 2-in-1 shampoo-conditioners, beard oil, beard cream and shower gel to meet the needs of the urban male. Looking at overall, the market is around Rs 12,000-15,000 crore, that includes the traditional shaving space as well. If you look at the grooming space in particular, it will be around Rs 5,000-6,000 crore growing at around 15-20 per cent a year. We would be largely focussed on the grooming market and may not be present in the traditional spaces like shaving, he said. The company is targeting the new spaces that are emerging in hair care, face care and body care.

Bikers is more focussed on the mass grooming market and will also be available in the e-commerce space. To a large extent, mens grooming will be under Bikers brand. We are in a phase where we want to ensure our presence in 10 lakh outlets across the country. We will play in a non-sachet segment and leverage our companys strength across the mass market, he added.
Eupheus Learning, a Delhi-based leading B2B company has acquired education ClassKlap. With this, Eupheus will become the largest school-focused firm in India and the only company in the K12 space to operate in both the premium and the affordable schools space. ClassKlap has been valued at $19 million in the all-stock deal.

Eupheus Learning was already focused on premium schools with a distribution reach of 13,000 schools. ClassKlap has been dominant in affordable private schools with a unique technology application to personalize learning for school children. The combined entity shall now have a reach of 18,000 schools with a sales team of over 200 members. Eupheus said the consolidation of the ClassKlap business into Eupheus Learning is structured through a court process.

Our vision is to democratise access to 21 st Century learning solutions and now we will move into the affordable schools' space to create a larger impact across schools and students, said Amit Kapoor, co-founder, Eupheus Learning said, It will enhance the traditional channel of servicing schools by introducing Hybrid solutions and their delivery in the curriculum and supplemental space. We are sure that the synergistic offerings of the combined entity will be compelling for schools to partner with us.

With more than 125,000 schools as the potential target market, Eupheus Learning and Classklap together will impact over 15 million students in the next 5 years. With the help of rich experience of personalised assessments for school children and the large catalogue of curricular and supplemental solutions, Eupheus said it will become the preferred partner for schools looking to introduce 21 st century solutions.

In the K12 school space in India, Eupheus Learning and ClasKlap have been dominant in their respective segments of premium and affordable private schools, said ClassKlap co-founders Varun Kumar and Naveen Mandava. With this integration, ClassKlap can unlock greater potential in the premium school segment. Moreover, with our personalization technology and learning analytics focus, our combined ability to transform classroom learning using student data can be massively scaled up.

ClassKlap, combine software for parents, students and teachers. It provides tech to teachers to improve their skills, for schools to operate their business and students to learn at home.

Founded by Sarvesh Shrivastava, Ved Prakash Khatri, and Amit Kapoor in June 2017, Eupheus, earlier this month raised $10 million in a Series C funding led by Lightrock India, a global private equity platform. Through the fundraising, Eupheus had said it will scale faster and pursue inorganic growth through acquisitions.
Ahmedabad-based drug maker Ltd has acquired a facility in Mehsana that makes antibiotics used in the treatment of and bronchitis, among other ailments.

The along with capacity expansion and modernisation entails an investment of Rs 30 crore which Lincoln Pharma will fund through internal accruals.

The plant will manufacture Cephalosporin products which is a bactericidal, broad-spectrum, and -lactam antibiotic originally derived from fungus Acremonium. To be manufactured in tablet, capsule, dry syrup and injectable forms, Cephalosporin is used to treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, skin infections, ear infection, strep throat, staph infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis and others.

According to Ltd.'s managing director Mahendra Patel, the company expects commercial production of the Cephalosporin products by March 2022.

"In the next three years, the facility is expected to contribute sales of around Rs 150 crore from domestic markets as well as exports," said Patel.

The acquired facility in Mehsana, Gujarat has been designed as per the PIC's and European Region. However, Lincoln Pharma is in the process of applying for WHO GMP Certifications for the facility and expects to receive the same by December 2021. Apart from planning to manufacture 20 plus Cephalosporin products, the company is also planning to start product registration soon for the domestic and exports market.

Plans are afoot to manufacture 20 plus Cephalosporin products including Cefalexin Oral Suspension BP, Clavulanate Tablets, Cefixime Capsules, Cefuroxime Axetil Tablets among others. For exports, markets like African, Latin America and Southeast Asia are being explored before expanding to other markets subject to necessary approvals.

Meanwhile, recently, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Ahmedabad Bench approved the scheme of amalgamation of Lincoln Parenteral Ltd and Ltd. The amalgamation is expected to bring synergies in terms of operations efficiency, enhance competitive strength, cost-effectiveness and productivity for the combined entity, Patel added.
Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
The developments in Afghanistan, ways to stem radicalism, extremism and cross-border terrorism and further expansion of India-US global partnership will figure prominently in bilateral talks between Prime Minister and US President in Washington on September 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday.

In their first in-person talks after Biden became the US President, the two leaders are expected to focus on bolstering bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthening defence and security collaboration and boosting the strategic clean energy partnership, Shringla said sharing details of Modi's "official working visit" to the US from September 22-25.

At a media briefing, the foreign secretary said Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday morning and return to India on September 26.

Besides holding bilateral talks with President Biden, Modi will attend a summit of the Quad leaders on September 24 in Washington and address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York the next day.

The prime minister will also hold talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris as well as with his Australian and Japanese counterparts, Shringla said.

"The bilateral meeting (between Modi and Biden) will also feature the current regional security situation following recent developments in Afghanistan, our stakes as a neighbour and a longstanding and a preferred development partner of Afghanistan," Shringla said.

"In this context, we would undoubtedly discuss the need to stem radicalism, extremism, cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks.

"They will also discuss the reform of the multilateral system, including the UN Security Council," he said.

Shringla said Modi and Biden will also discuss how the comprehensive strategic global partnership between India and the US can be enriched further.

He said the prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation consisting of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Security Adviser and senior officials, including the foreign secretary.

During his visit, Modi will have interactions with a number of business leaders also with an aim to strengthen two-way trade and investment.

Referring to the Quad summit, Shringla described the coalition as a partnership among four like-minded countries in pursuit of common interests in striving for a free, open and inclusive Indo-pacific region.

The summit will be attended by Modi, Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and Australia.

"The four leaders will share perspective on the regional situation, emerging challenges including in South Asia and Indo-pacific region and how to work together to contain COVID-19," he said.

The foreign secretary said the leaders will take stock of progress made since the virtual summit of Quad in March, especially in the COVID-19 vaccine partnership.

"They will identify new areas of cooperation that will reinforce the positive and constructive agenda of the Quad including contemporary areas that will benefit the Indo-Pacific region," Shringla said.

In March, President Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values and unconstrained by coercion, sending an apparent message to China.

At the UN General Assembly, the foreign secretary said the prime minister will speak on several important issues including the regional situation, cross-border terrorism, global efforts to combat COVID-19 and climate change.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At a high-level meeting on hosted by the UN secretary general with select world leaders, climate financing and aid, especially to developing economies, emerged as the key negotiation point. India, which was part of the discussion, emphasised on the need for the developed world to fund the climate actions of developing economies.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres waved a warning signal and said the upcoming COP26 faces a high risk of failure unless world leaders take stronger measures to stem greenhouse-gas emissions.

"This (meeting) is a wake-up call to instill a sense of urgency on the dire state of the climate process," said Guterres.

Bhupendra Yadav, union minister for environment forest and (MoEFCC), who represented India in this closed-door discussion, called upon developed countries to fulfil their promise of the $100 billion per year goal made in 2009.

"The developed countries have collectively emitted more than their estimated emission allowances in 2008-2020 period, they should take greater action on mitigation and provide financial support to developing countries," Yadav said.

He also said there needs to be a discussion on whether the scale of resources is commensurate with the scale of the needs of developing countries.

"COP26 should focus on climate finance in scope, scale and speed and transfer of green technologies at low cost," Yadav said.

The meeting included the COP host, United Kingdom, US, China, India, EU nations and several other developing nations.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said post the meeting that too many major economies - are lagging too far behind.

"Ill stress that again - for this (climate negotiations) to be a success we need developed countries to find that $100 billion. The United States can deliver on a promise to step up its share of money toward the $100 billion annual goal but we've been here before and we're not counting our chickens," Johnson said after the meeting.

COP26 will be held in November this year at Glasgow, UK. The last COP was held in Paris in 2015 when the US pulled out from the negotiations under Donald Trump. Under the new President Joe Biden, US will rejoin the negotiations. US special climate envoy John Kerry was reported saying ahead of the UN meeting, that the US would deliver more climate aid ahead of the COP conference.

The UN also emphasised that countries need to have more ambitious targets for cutting down carbon emissions.

The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on (IPCC), released recently, says that in 20 years, global average air temperature may rise by more than 1.5 degree Celsius, a dangerous threshold. Carbon emissions are the main driver of climate change, besides other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, it said.
India on Tuesday reported a net decrease of 8,606 in active cases to take its count to 309,575. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 1.66 per cent (one in 60). The country is eighth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Monday, it added 26,115 cases to take its total caseload to 33,504,534 from 33,478,419  an increase of 0.1%. And, with 252 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 445,385, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 9,646,778 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Monday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 818,513,827. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 32,749,574  or 97.75 per cent of total caseload  with 34,469 new cured cases being reported on Tuesday.

Now the eighth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases, and first by recoveries, India has added 214,955 cases in the past 7 days.

India now accounts for 1.66% of all active cases globally (one in every 60 active cases), and 9.46% of all deaths (one in every 10 deaths).

India has so far administered 818,513,827 vaccine doses. That is 2442.99 per cent of its total caseload, and 58.66 per cent of its population.

Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are (100560628), Maharashtra (78994019), Madhya Pradesh (60816762), Gujarat (60656585), and Rajasthan (58385685).

Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1024474), Gujarat (949653), Uttarakhand (941348), Delhi (921924), and Karnataka (814114).

Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 27 days.

The count of active cases across India on Tuesday saw a net reduction of 8,606, compared with 13,977 on Monday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Mizoram (1008), Himachal Pradesh (54), Goa (36), Tamil Nadu (15), and Tripura (10).

With 34,469 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 97.75%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.33%.

The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.74%), Uttarakhand (2.15%), and Maharashtra (2.12%). The rate in as many as 16 is higher than the national average.

Indias new daily closed cases stand at 34,721  252 deaths and 34,469 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 0.72%.

Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.1%.

Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 888.9 days, and for deaths at 1224.7 days.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (15692), Maharashtra (2583), Mizoram (1731), Tamil Nadu (1661), and Andhra Pradesh (839).

Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Kerala (95.77%).

India on Monday conducted 1,413,951 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 555,035,717. The test positivity rate recorded was 1.8%.

Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR)  percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases  are Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.74%), Goa (13.47%), Kerala (13.23%), Sikkim (12.51%), and Maharashtra (11.41%).

Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added  are Mizoram (60.13%), Kerala (17.49%), Manipur (8.75%), Meghalaya (8.74%), and Sikkim (4.98%).

Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1442728), J&K (1055562), Kerala (958011), Karnataka (686547), and Telangana (657880).

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6524498), Kerala (4524158), Karnataka (2967866), Tamil Nadu (2647041), and Andhra Pradesh (2039529).

Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 2583 new cases to take its tally to 6524498.

Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 15692 cases to take its tally to 4524158.

Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 677 cases to take its tally to 2968543.

Tamil Nadu has added 1661 cases to take its tally to 2647041.

Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 839 to 2039529.

has added 11 cases to take its tally to 1709680.

Delhi has added 20 cases to take its tally to 1438517.
Discussions with the four-country group, the first in-person meeting with US President Joe Biden, and interactions with top American executives will be on the itinerary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will leave for the United States on Wednesday and return on Sunday.

The full list of the American chief executive officers is being fine-tuned and will be announced on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at a media briefing. He did not confirm whether talks on trade, including further negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), would take place during this visit.

Strengthening defence and security collaborations and boosting the clean energy partnership will be the other issues India will discuss with the US.

The centerpiece of the PMs visit will, of course, be his first in-person meeting with Biden (whom he has met before when the latter was vice president), in which bilateral issues and the geopolitical situation in south Asia, arising from US withdrawal from Afghanistan, could be discussed.

Equally important, judging by the time the PM will spend in engagements, will be Indias role in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue  or Quad, the grouping of the US, India, Japan, and Australia  the promotion of democracy, international law and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region, boiling down to putting speed breakers on Chinas assertions.

Modi will also meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in separate bilateral meetings on Thursday. Shringla said along with the Quad, India will step up engagement with the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that it sees as an integral part of managing the Indo-Pacific.

On Wednesday, the PM will hold bilateral meetings with the US, including a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, and discuss several issues of trade with CEOs, some of whom will meet him one on one.

Issues related to Indias Personal Data Protection law, which is being drafted, localisation and cooperation on clean energy are likely to be flagged. Modi is expected to meet Biden and attend a meeting of the on Friday.





ALSO READ: PM Modi to visit US from Sept 22-26; Quad, UNGA, talks with Biden on agenda

On Saturday, Modi will visit New York and address the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Replying to questions on the UK, the US, and Australias military relationship (AUKUS) that led to the announcement that Australia would be given a nuclear submarine, Shringla dismissed as hypothetical a question on whether India would join the grouping if asked.

He said Australia had clarified that the submarine it was being given was nuclear propelled and as such would not violate proliferation rules because it did not involve nuclear weapons. Shringla said the is not a military partnership, whereas AUKUS is. India has never joined a military alliance.

Shringla was asked why Indias own civil nuclear programme, which was also not military, was involved in long negotiations and had not really taken off. He said the issues were being discussed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and private companies that wanted to set up reactors for civil nuclear energy, but that issues of liability were involved. He was also asked about American technology for nuclear-propelled aircraft that India had been seeking for many years.

Shringla said PM Modi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 2,988.21 kg worth Rs 15,000 crore from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district and subsequently arrested a couple that runs an import firm from Chennai, officials said on Tuesday.

The price of one kg of is around Rs 5 crore in the international market.

After getting credible information that the consignment is containing drugs from Afghanistan, DRI officers seized two containers and sent samples for examination a few days back. A forensic analysis of the seized substance confirmed the presence of heroin, said official sources.

The consignment was imported by a trading company registered in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. It was declared as semi-processed talc stones originating from Afghanistan and shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Mundra Port in Gujarat, they said.

"A total of 2988.21 kg of heroin, including 1999.57 kg from one container and 988.64 kg heroin from the second container, was seized under the provisions of the NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act," the sources said.

They said searches were conducted in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham and Mandvi in Gujarat, following which two persons were arrested.

The investigation conducted so far has revealed the involvement of some Afghan nationals who are under investigation, the sources said.

Upon learning that the importer firm M/S Aashi Trading Company is run by M. Sudhakar and his wife Durga Vaishali, the DRI arrested the couple from Chennai a few days back and brought them to Bhuj in Kutch.

On Monday, the duo was produced before a special court for NDPS cases in Bhuj town.

While seeking the remand of the arrested couple, special public prosecutor Kalpesh Goswami told the court that the DRI seized 2,988 kg of heroin which was declared as talc stones by the firm.

Special judge CM Pawar granted 10-day custody of the couple to the DRI.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has called the UK governments move to treat fully vaccinated Indians as unvaccinated a discriminatory policy and indicated that it has the right to take reciprocal action.

Covishield is a licensed product of a UK company manufactured in India. We have supplied 5 million doses of Covishield to the UK on its request. Therefore, non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminatory policy and impacts those citizens travelling to the UK, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, too, took up the matter with his UK counterpart, Liz Truss, in a meeting in New York and urged for an early resolution in mutual interest.

Last Friday, the UK introduced a new system for international travel, removing the home isolation requirement for vaccinated individuals from certain countries.



The benefit has been extended to an extra 17 countries, including those in Asia and the Caribbean. India, however, has not been included in the list, and passengers from here (even those with two doses of Covishield) would have to self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in the UK. This sparked an outcry, forcing the government to raise the issue with the UK government.

India has recognised four Covid vaccines but has used only the Oxford-AstraZeneca-licensed Covishield and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin in its immunisation drive. While Covishield has been recognised by the World Health Organization, Covaxins approval is pending. Over 85 per cent of Indians have been vaccinated by Covishield.

The Indian government has been discussing the issue of recognition with the UK and the European Union for the past few months. Several European countries began recognising Covishield after India threatened retaliatory action.

We have offered some of our partner countries the option of mutual recognition of certificates. These are reciprocal measures. We will see how it goes but if we dont get satisfaction, we will be within our right to impose reciprocal measures, Shringla stated.



ALSO READ: Time is right: Why India still has 12-16 weeks between Covishield doses

The British High Commission said in a statement: The UK is committed to opening up international travel again as soon as is practicable and this announcement is a further step to enable people to travel more freely again, in a safe and sustainable way, while protecting public health. We are engaging with the Government of India to explore how we could expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India.

According to the current norms, the UK accepts visa applications for all categories in India and does not require for entry. Passengers, however, are required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test, and tests on second and eighth day upon arrival, apart from self-isolation. Passengers can also shorten their home quarantine to around five days under its test to release scheme.

India on its part does not insist on and has done away with institutional quarantine for foreigners entering the country. A pre-arrival RT-PCR is required for all, and a post-arrival test is required for passengers from certain countries.

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonwalla had said on Monday that countries across the world needed to harmonise vaccine certification on priority. Earlier in July, the global Covid-19 vaccine initiative for equitable distribution and access had urged nations to recognise all WHO-approved shots.

SII had applied to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) through British drug major AstraZeneca to include its manufacturing sites as authorised sites for making Vaxzevria Covid-19 vaccine. This was done a few months back. SII has also submitted data to show that Covishield and Vaxzevria are identical  both with the UK MHRA and the EU authorities.

Sources indicated that so far, the EMA nod had not come for SIIs sites. SIIs Indian sites are yet to be included as authorised manufacturing sites of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, said the source.
India's government will not buy COVID-19 shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, three government sources told Reuters, mainly because domestic output of more affordable and easier-to-store vaccines has jumped.

That essentially means the globally popular vaccines, which their makers have pledged not to sell to private parties during the pandemic, will not be available for now in the world's two most populous countries - China and India.

The Indian government has also declined to meet the U.S. companies' requests for legal protection over any side-effects from the use of their shots, which are currently made only in the United States or Europe, two of the sources said.

No company has received such protection in India.

"Earlier, there was a shortage, there was a need," said one of the sources, referring to India's appeal to the companies in April for vaccines when infections exploded and shots were in short supply.

"Their price will be high. Why should we take on their conditions?"

A second source said: "The government will not buy Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. They are free to have private tie-ups after necessary regulatory clearances. But sovereign indemnity is clearly something we can't give".

A Pfizer spokesperson in India said discussions were ongoing and it remained committed to bring the vaccine to the country.

The company reiterated that "during the pandemic phase, it would supply the COVID-19 vaccine only to central governments and supra-national organisations".

Moderna and India's health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Moderna, through its Indian partner Cipla, already has emergency-use authorisation in India for its vaccine, which, like the Pfizer one, needs ultra-cold storage - facilities that much of India lacks.

Both vaccines cost several times more than India's main shot, Covishield, a licensed version of the AstraZeneca drug.

India's monthly domestic output has trebled since April and will reach 300 million doses in October, according to Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who on Monday announced a restart of India's vaccine exports from the October quarter.

The government, however, is expected to buy locally filled and finished doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, Reuters reported on Monday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
reported 352 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday and one fresh fatality, the lowest death count in three weeks, while 363 patients recovered from the infection, a civic official said.

The metropolis also crossed the milestone of one crore COVID-19 tests. reported less than 400 daily COVID-19 cases after a gap of six days and witnessed only one fatality for the first time since August 31. With these additions, the COVID-19 tally in the city rose to 7,38,876, while the death toll increased to 16,059, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said. The city reported a marginal dip in COVID-19 cases and fatalities as compared to Monday, when it had logged 419 infections and five deaths. Significantly, for the first time this month, the number of daily COVID-19 tests fell below 25,000, while the tally of tests crossed the 1 crore mark. According to the official, with 24,907 COVID-19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, their cumulative rose to 1,00,18,770. As many as 363 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the number of recovered cases to 7,15,757, he said. is now left with 4,583 active coronavirus cases. The official said presently, Mumbai has 45 sealed buildings, though the metropolis has been free of containment zones in slums and 'chawls' (old row tenements) since mid-August. The civic body seals buildings or declares containment zones if at least five residents there test positive for coronavirus. According to the BMC, Mumbai's coronavirus recovery rate is 97 per cent, while the case doubling rate has dipped to 1,177 days. The average growth rate of coronavirus cases stood at 0.06 per cent between September 14 and September 20, the official said. This year, Mumbai had reported the highest coronavirus cases at 11,163 on April 4 and most deaths at 90 on May 1.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The new airport terminal in is likely to become operational by December next year, Civil Aviation Minister said on Tuesday.

This was conveyed by Scindia to Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur during a virtual meeting with him to discuss the progress of ongoing and new civil aviation projects for better air connectivity in the region.

"The new airport terminal at may become operational by December 2022, the aviation minister said.

He also agreed to the construction of a civil enclosure at Thoise airport, considered the air lifeline to the world's highest and coldest battlefield, by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) once land is made available.

Scindia noted that a team will shortly visit Ladakh to technically evaluate locations for additional airstrips in He agreed to look at the possibility of operationalising commercial flights with smaller jet planes to Kargil as an interim solution.

The minister requested the Lieutenant Governor to consider lowering VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) to encourage more flights to operate to Ladakh, stressing that it will become a booster for Ladakh's tourism.

The L-G requested the minister for intervention in regulating winter airfares, support in operationalisation of air ambulances and exploring the possibility of night flights to Leh.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The to doctor ratio in India is estimated to be 1.7:1 on the basis of data, while the ratio of allied health workers to doctors is estimated to be 1:1, according to a report by the WHO and the Public Health Foundation of India.

Although there was no standard skill-mix ratio of different health workers, most OECD countries reported approximately 3-4 nurses per physician, the report stated.

The Indian High Level Expert Group (HLEG) recommendation for the nurse-doctor ratio in India stood at 3:1, it said.

Moreover, there was also a need to strike a balance (right skill-mix) between doctors and allied health workers, it added.

The to doctor ratio is estimated to be 1.7:1 in India on the basis of data, with Punjab (6.4:1) and Delhi (4.5:1) on the higher side even as the states of Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh have less than one per doctor, the report stated.

It recommended that India needs to invest in human resource for health (HRH) for increasing the number of active health workers and also to improve the skill-mix ratio which requires investment in professional colleges and technical education.

India needs to encourage qualified health professionals to join labour markets and ensure additional trainings and skill building for those who are already working but are inadequately qualified health workers, the report stated.

In addition to increased availability of and accessibility to quality health workers by the population in general, enhanced investment in HRH will lead to strengthening of the health system for dealing with pandemic situations like COVID-19 and any other epidemic, it added.

It will lead to economic growth, increased women participation in the labour market, formalisation of the labour market and overall economic wellbeing, the study said.

The study presents an updated estimate on the size and composition of stock of health professionals and active health workforce in the country.

Using the information available from the Health Workforce Account (NHWA) on the stock of health professionals and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Sample Survey Office ( 201718) on active health workforce, the study estimated a total stock of 5.7 million health workers which included allopathic doctors (1.1 million), dentists (0.27 million), nurses (2.3 million), pharmacists (1.2 million) and traditional medical practitioners (AYUSH 0.79 million).

However, the active health workforce size is estimated (from NSSO 2017-18) to be much lower (3.04 million), with allopathic doctors and nurses estimated as 0.78 million and 1.36 million respectively.

"The right balance in the skill-mix ratio for health workers provides optimum healthcare conditions. Contrasting the skill-mix ratio with the density of doctors at state levels, an inefficient skill-mix is found to exist between doctor and nurse and doctor and allied health professional in most states in India," the report stated.

The public sector is challenged by a high rate of vacancy of sanctioned positions. The Rural Health Statistics highlights this issue, the study said.

While the shortage is most pronounced for specialists posted at Community Health Centres (CHC), India faces shortages across states for various positions. A review of the serially published reports of the Rural Health Statistics shows a slow but definite growth in the number of health providers at the overall country level.

The vacancies are attributed to diverse reasons that range from barriers in recruitment, litigations against recruitment processes and premature exits from the system, especially in contractual positions, the report stated.

Increase in the number of health workforce and the right balance in the skill mix requires a supply of health professionals at an increased rate. The supply side of health professionals is an important parameter in reaching the goals for minimal optimum density of the health workforce, it added.

An analysis of the health workforce projections provides the estimated density of skilled health professionals (doctors, nurses and midwives) per 10 000 population.

"Considering the current rates of growth are sustained, the required density of health workforce will still not be met as the rise in the number of health professionals will be balanced by a rise in the country's population. At the present level of growth on the supply side, the skill-mix ratio of doctor:nurse is unlikely to alter by 2030.

"A near 200 per cent growth on the supply side for nurses will improve the doctor:nurse ratio to 1:1.5 by 2030. This will require a further rapid scale-up of nursing programmes," the report said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister and US President are expected to deliberate on ways to bolster bilateral ties in trade, investment and defence and security in their in-person talks in Washington on September 24, Foreign Secretary said on Tuesday.

He said Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday and will return on Sunday.

The prime minister's delegation will include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Shringla among others.

At a media briefing, Shringla said the bilateral talks between Modi and Biden are expected to figure ways to deal with radicalisation and terrorism besides major regional issues.

The developments in Afghanistan are also likely to come up during the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi will also meet US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Besides holding bilateral talks with the US leaders, the prime minister will participate in the first in-person summit of the Quad in Washington on September 24 that is expected to broadly focus on contemporary global and regional issues.

In Washington, Modi will meet a number of top executives of major American companies, Shringla said.

Replying to a question on the recent security partnership among the US, Australia and the UK and its possible impact on Quad, Shringla said the two groups are not similar in nature.

The last time Modi visited the US was in September 2019 when he and the then US President Donald Trump addressed the Howdy-Modi event in Houston.

The US is hosting the in-person summit of the leaders of Quad to boost practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as well as to send a strong signal about Washington's commitment to the grouping.

In March, President Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion, sending an apparent message to China.

Shringla said the leaders will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change and education.

The summit is expected to provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

After concluding his engagements in Washington, Modi will travel to New York to attend the UN General Assembly on September 25.

The prime minister is scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25 in New York.

India and the US held a series of meetings as part of preparations for Modi's visit.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a two-day visit to India in July. Before that, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin had paid a three-day visit to New Delhi in March.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister and French President on Tuesday discussed the recent developments in and shared their concerns about possible spread of terrorism, narcotics, illicit weapons, and human trafficking.

During their telephonic conversation, the two leaders reviewed the increasing bilateral collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region, and the important role that the India-France partnership plays in promoting stability and security in the region, a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said.

President Macron and Prime Minister Modi agreed to act jointly and with Europe in the Indo-Pacific, to keep the region stable, rules-based and free of any hegemony, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said on Twitter. After his conversation with Macron, Modi tweeted, Spoke with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron on the situation in We also discussed closer collaboration between India and France in the Indo-Pacific. We place great value on our strategic partnership with France, including in the UNSC, Modi said.

The PMO said the two leaders discussed regional issues, including recent developments in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In 2020, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat declared that a two-child policy would be one of the organisations primary goals. Many criticised the proposal as an attempt to limit the growth of Indias Muslim

However, a report on the countrys religious composition, following a survey by the Pew Research Centre using data from the Census and the Family Health Survey (NFHS), says that growth rates have declined for all of Indias major religious groups, but the slowdown has been more pronounced among religious minorities, which outpaced Hindus in earlier decades.

The survey also says Indias religious composition has remained unchanged, by and large, barring the Northeast. Between 2001 and 2011, in the Northeast, Christians grew as a percentage of the states Their share rose in Arunachal Pradesh by 12 percentage points (to 30 per cent), in Manipur by 7 points (to 41 per cent), in Meghalaya by 4 points (75 per cent) and in Sikkim by 3 points (10 per cent). The share of Christians in Nagaland fell slightly, though they remained in the overwhelming majority. Hindus also had their biggest percentage point changes in the sparsely populated Northeast, declining by 3 points or more in Arunachal Pradesh (down 6 percentage points to 29 per cent), Manipur (-5 points to 41 per cent), Assam (-3 points to 61 per cent) and Sikkim (-3 points to 58 per cent). Muslims, too, experienced their biggest change in the Northeast, in Assam (+3 points to 34 per cent).

The report says religious composition of the population can change because of three reasons: fertility rates, migration and conversion. While conversion has been a negligible reason, fertility and migration have been mainly responsible for the change in trends.

The report says Indias Muslim population has grown somewhat faster because of fertility differences. But due, in part, to declining and converging fertility patterns, there have been only modest changes in the overall religious makeup of the population since 1951, when independent India conducted its first Census. Even here, the gap has narrowed. Between 1951 and 1961, the Muslim population expanded by 32.7 per cent, 11 percentage points more than Indias overall rate of 21.6 per cent. But from 2001 to 2011, the difference in growth between Muslims (24.7 per cent) and Indians overall (17.7 per cent) was 7 percentage points.

Indias Christian population grew at the slowest pace of the three largest groups in the most recent Census decade  gaining 15.7 per cent between 2001 and 2011, a far lower growth rate than the one recorded in the decade following Partition (29.0 per cent).





The report says migration can cause religious groups to shrink or expand. But, it finds that since the 1950s, migration has had only a modest impact on Indias religious composition. More than 99 per cent of people who live in India were also born here. Migrants leaving India outnumber immigrants three-to-one, and religious are more likely than Hindus to leave.

The report finds that religious switching, or conversion  when an individual leaves one religion for another or stops affiliating with any religion  also appears to have had a relatively small impact on Indias overall composition, with 98 per cent of Indian adults still identifying with the religion in which they were raised. Here it adds a caveat: Dalits (Hindus, Muslims and Christians), who might have changed religions or become Buddhists, are undercounted because their recorded response in surveys is to register as Hindus, for this gives them access to many affirmative action benefits such as reservation.

The report cites the recently passed Citizenship (Amendment) Act and points out that people who come to India either as refugees or as undocumented immigrants often are from nearby countries, and in recent years, speculation has circulated that up to tens of millions of Muslims have moved from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries to live illegally in India. The sources and methodologies behind such high estimates are unclear, and reliable estimates of undocumented people are difficult to come by. But if tens of millions of Muslims from nearby countries had indeed migrated to India, demographers would expect to see evidence of such mass emigration in data from their countries of origin, and this magnitude of outmigration is not apparent, says the report.

In terms of projecting future trends on the basis of Census data, fertility and migration trends, the report says as of 2020 about 15 per cent of Indians are Muslim (versus 14.2 per cent in the 2011 Census), 79 per cent are Hindu (versus 79.8 per cent in 2011), and 2 per cent are Christian (in line with 2011).

In 2050, Hindus are projected to represent about 77 per cent of Indians, Muslims 18 per cent and Christians still 2 per cent. Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains all have fertility rates well below the average and are, therefore, projected to shrink as a share of the population.
President Joe Biden is betting on millions more rapid, at-home tests to help curb the latest deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is overloading hospitals and threatening to shutter classrooms around the country.

But the tests have already disappeared from pharmacy shelves in many parts of the US, and manufacturers warn it will take them weeks to ramp up production, after scaling it back amid plummeting demand over the summer.

The latest shortage is another painful reminder that the US has yet to successfully manage its COVID-19 testing arsenal, let alone deploy it in the type of systematic way needed to quickly crush outbreaks in schools, workplaces and communities.

Experts say encouraging signs last spring led to false confidence about the shrinking role for tests: falling case numbers, rising vaccination rates and guidance from health officials that vaccinated people could largely skip testing. Officials recently reversed that advice as cases and deaths driven by the delta variant surged anew.

For all of us, there was a combination of optimism and hubris in the June timeframe that led us believe this was over, said Mara Aspinall, a health industry researcher at Arizona State University who has become a leading authority on COVID-19 testing supplies.

Colorado's Mesa County is among the local governments that have stopped offering rapid tests as part of their free testing programs for the general public.

We were seeing shortages in the tests across the county, so we are really prioritizing supplies for our school districts to have quick turnaround for testing, to help them if needed, said Stefany Busch, a county spokeswoman. She noted that tests that are processed in laboratories which take longer to give results remain plentiful.

Indeed, parts of the US testing system are faring better than during prior surges. The large commercial labs that process the majority of tests performed at hospitals and testing sites still report plenty of capacity.

LabCorp, one of the biggest laboratory chains, said last week it was delivering results for 150,000 tests daily, with the ability to double that number.

Still, rapid tests have a clear advantage in that they can be done anywhere and have a 20-minute turnaround time, but most school testing programs still rely on tests processed in labs, which return results in a day or two.

In general, the US has been far more cautious about embracing rapid, at-home testing technology compared to countries like Britain that have rolled it out widely.

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized only about a half-dozen such tests, compared with more than 400 laboratory tests. Many experts, including FDA regulators, still consider laboratory technology the gold standard for accuracy because it can detect even minute levels of virus in the nose.

But in his speech this month announcing sweeping new vaccine mandates, Biden highlighted rapid tests, saying the government would purchase 280 million of them, as he also called on all schools to set up regular testing programs.

Biden said the federal government will use the Defense Production Act to ensure manufacturers have the raw materials they need to make tests.

If those plans sound familiar, it's because they were part of Biden's original strategy for dealing with COVID-19 released in January.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said the latest actions build on earlier initiatives as the delta variant-driven surge boosts testing demand.

HHS has announced few details of the USD 2 billion-plan to purchase rapid tests. For now, retail chains like CVS and Walgreens have placed limits on how many at-home tests customers can buy.

Abbott Laboratories the country's largest rapid test maker said it is currently producing tens of millions of its BinaxNOW tests per month and working to increase capacity in coming weeks.

The New York Times recently reported that over the summer Abbott shut down one of its factories, laid off employees and destroyed some testing components.

Abbott said those decisions came after vaccinations climbed and demand for testing plunged.

The destroyed supplies had limited shelf life and were not viable for sale in the US or for donation overseas, according to Abbott.

It is now very clear that testing is a necessary companion to vaccines and Abbott is ramping up again," said a company spokesperson.

The Biden administration's purchase plans should help stabilize supplies. But testing experts said the government could have stepped in months ago.

We can't let the market determine our testing supplies, which is what happened here, said Scott Becker of America's Public Health Laboratories.

These tests are essential for public health purposes, so we have to have supply at all times.

Becker's group and others have seen testing demand increasing for weeks. And while labs are still operating well below levels seen last winter, there are unknowns, including how Biden's push for increased testing at schools and workplaces will impact them.

Testing policies vary widely by schools and states. Some districts regularly screen all students including in Los Angeles, Baltimore and San Antonio. But many more districts do no testing at all.

A recent survey of 100 large districts found fewer than 15 per cent required any testing for students. That's despite USD 10 billion in federal funds made available last spring to set up testing programs.

Many districts said the benefits of frequent testing didn't outweigh the logistical headaches of setting up programs and quarantining students. Some states even attempted to return testing funds to the federal government.

The Biden plan has no penalties for schools that don't test, a factor that may limit uptake.

To make rapid tests more affordable big retailers like Wal-Mart and Kroger have agreed to sell them at a 35 per cent discount for the next three months. But the cheapest test Abbott's BinaxNOW would still sell for about USD 15 for a two-pack, out of reach for some families looking to frequently test themselves.

Other tests will cost USD 35 or more even after the discount.

That's far different from countries like the Britain and Germany that either distribute rapid tests for free or for prices in the low single digits.

But with the federal government investing billions in rapid tests, testing advocates are hopeful that more options and cheaper ones could eventually hit the market.

When you're not winning a war you need to change your strategy, and I think this is a terrific first step to do that, said Aspinall.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the single largest heroin haul in India, authorities seized around 3,000 kg of the drug, believed to be from and likely worth Rs 21,000 crore in the global market, from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat's Kutch district, an official said on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a money-laundering probe into the haul, among the biggest across the globe, while the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which seized the 2,988.21 kg heroin, arrested a couple that runs an import firm from Chennai, officials said.

Reacting to the massive drug seizure, the Congress wondered as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who hail from Gujarat, were unable to break the drug syndicate.

The value of the seized heroin per kilogram was about Rs 5-7 crore in the international market, an official said.

The ED is studying the details of the case and proceeding forward under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), he said. The agency has also sought details from DRI on the seizure which took place around September 15.

ED sources said the agency will investigate the people or syndicate behind this heroin smuggling, identify proceeds of crime, and may also attach assets of the accused if required.

Official sources said the consignment was imported by a trading company registered in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, as semi-processed talc stones. The narcotic is stated to be of origin and was shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to the Mundra Port.

"A total of 2988.21 kg of heroin -- 1999.57 kg heroin from one container and 988.64 kg heroin from the second container -- was seized under the provisions of the NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act," another source said.

DRI conducted searches in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham, and Mandvi in Gujarat, following which two persons were arrested.

The involvement of some Afghan nationals is also under the scanner of the DRI, the sources said.

The importer firm, identified by official sources as Aashi Trading Company, is alleged to be run by M Sudhakar and his wife G Durga Purna Vaishali.

The DRI arrested them from Chennai recently. They were brought to Bhuj town and produced before a special court for NDPS cases. The court granted their 10 days' custody to the DRI.

The Vijayawada police said in a statement that "so far, no activity, except using the Vijayawada house address for obtaining licences (by the wife for import and export), has come to notice. However, further enquiries are being conducted".

Police Commissioner B Srinivasulu told PTI that their teams "conducted a thorough investigation and except the use of Vijayawada house address (for obtaining licence), so far, no activity has been detected".

After getting credible information that the consignment is containing drugs from Afghanistan, DRI officers seized two containers and sent samples for examination a few days back. A forensic analysis of the seized substance confirmed the presence of heroin, official sources said.

The Congress attacked the Centre over the drug haul and asked how such a drug syndicate was operating in India "under the nose" of the government as well as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also questioned the government over why the position of a full-time NCB chief has been lying vacant for 18 months now and alleged that the NCB had been reduced to play "retail politics" with BJP's rivals.

Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who are from Gujarat, unable to break this drug syndicate, Khera said.

He alleged that the smuggling of drugs into India has increased substantially over the past few months, and this has been going on for a few years now.

Khera claimed that over the last few years, the coast has become the "favourite route" for smuggling narcotic drugs into India from Pakistan, Iran, or

He cited various instances of drug seizures off the coast to claim that it had become the "favourite route" for smuggling.

"Are these revelations just the tip of the iceberg? Is this an instance of 10 consignments being let go and one being caught just to show that the agencies are working and to ensure 'perception management," he asked.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thirteen high courts in the country will get new Chief Justices (CJs) as the collegium headed by CJI N V Ramana has recommended to the Centre eight names, including acting Calcutta High Court CJ, Justice Rajesh Bindal, for elevation and transfer of five sitting CJs to other high courts.

The collegium's decisions, reported earlier by PTI, were uploaded on the apex court's website on Tuesday.

Besides Justice Bindal, who would now become the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court if the Centre assents to the recommendation, there are other seven judges whose elevation as CJs have been recommended by the collegium which also comprises Justices U U Lalit and A M Khanwilkar.

The Collegium in its meeting held on 16th September, 2021 has recommended elevation of Judges as Chief Justices of the High Courts, as mentioned..., the apex court's statement said.

Besides Justice Bindal, the Collegium has recommended names of Justices Ranjit V More, Satish Chandra Sharma, Prakash Srivastava, R V Malimath, Ritu Raj Awasthi, Aravind Kumar and Prashant Kumar Mishra for elevation as CJ of the high courts of Meghalaya, Telangana, Calcutta, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh respectively.

In another statement, uploaded on the web site, the apex court provided the list of five Chief Justices who have been transferred to other high courts.

A A Kureshi, CJ of Tripura High Court, has been recommended to become CJ of the Rajsathan High Court, while Justice Indrajit Mahanty, the CJ of Rajasthan High Court would go to Tripura HC as the CJ, it said.

Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq of Madhya Pradesh High Court has been recommended to head the Himachal Pradesh HC as the CJ, it said, adding that Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder of Meghalaya High Court would be transferred in the same capacity to the Sikkim High Court.

Chief Justice A K Goswami of the Andhra Pradesh High Court has been recommended to become the CJ of the Chhattisgarh High Court, the statement said.

Justice Bindal of Calcutta High Court has been in news recently due to his administrative and judicial decisions in matters related to political stand-off between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

Justice Kureshi, one of the senior-most high court judges in the country, was originally elevated as a judge in the Gujarat High Court and has been in news due to his non-elevation as a judge of the apex court.

As per the third statement uploaded on the apex court's web site, the collegium in its meeting held on September 16, has recommended transfer/re-transfer 17 high court judges.

They are Justices Jaswant Singh, Sabina, T S Sivagnanam, Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, M M Shrivastava, Soumen Sen, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Ujjal Bhuyan, Paresh R Upadhyay, M S S Ramachandra Rao, Arindam Sinha, A M Badar, Yashwant Varma, Vivek Agarwal, Chandra Dhari Singh, Anoop Chitkara and Ravi Nath Tilhari.

The collegium headed by CJI Ramana has been taking steps by recommending names to fill up a large number of vacancies in higher judiciary in the country.

After assuming charge as the CJI in April this year, Justice Ramana has recommended nearly 100 names for appointment to different high courts, besides filling up nine vacancies of judges in the in one go.

The 25 high courts in the country have a combined sanctioned strength of 1,080 judges and on May 1, 2021, they were functioning with 420 judges only.

The series of recommendations has been made close on the heels of a historic decision to recommend 68 names in one go for judgeship in 12 high courts across the country.

Prior to that, in a historic decision on August 17, the Collegium headed by the CJI had recommended nine names, including three women, for elevation as judges of the Supreme Court.

The names were cleared with significant pace by the Centre leading to the swearing-in ceremony on August 31 when the new judges were administered oath of office as apex court judges.

The fresh recommendations assume significance in view of the statement made by the CJI in a recent function of the Bar Council of India that it has been his endeavour to address the issue of vacancies in the higher judiciary on an "urgent basis".

The CJI had said during the function that in another month, he expected that 90 per cent of vacancies will be filled.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Robot. Anyone seeing him at work may easily mistake him for a machine in action, picking up small, shining white packs of chemical compounds and wrapping them up in jute thread in a jiffy, all along moving his head up and down in rhythmic motion. Kanirasa, the 40-year old man, never went to a gym, it is his work that has sculpted his biceps.

Once dyed green and after insertion of a wick, 'Atom bomb,' a favourite of teenagers during Deepavali will be ready and Kanirasa, who could churn out over 3,000 pieces, in about six to eight hours is part of the 'Atom Bomb' team.

Welcome to Sivakasi in southern Tamil Nadu, the hub of the nation where workers sweat it out in factories to produce firecrackers for Deepavali. People dependent on this industry hope that the capital territory government would reconsider its decision, keeping fingers crossed that no state should follow Delhi's move against firecrackers.

Days ago, the Delhi government banned sale, use, storage of firecrackers for the festival of lights over pollution concerns.

"What is the basis of Delhi government's ban?, we were allowed to manufacture and now suddenly they have come up with this decision," says President of Tamil Nadu and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA), P Ganesan questioning Delhi's rationale.

The production is in strict compliance with government norms and by following Supreme Court's directives including those related to green crackers, he says.

Last year, following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, states including Rajasthan and the Delhi government banned fircrackers. At least seven states including Rajasthan and Delhi have unsold stocks worth crores and "we request the Delhi government and all others to allow use of firecrackers as per norms on Deepavali for two hours," the TANFAMA chief told PTI. It is very important that such markets exhaust stocks so that they "could come to us for the next season and we are not expecting business from such regions now." This year Deepavali will be celebrated on November 4.

The firecracker industry is estimated to be around Rs 6,000 crore out of which Delhi Capital Region's share is around 15 per cent, that works out to Rs 900 crore, says Ganesan.

Factoring in aspects like the unsold inventory in places like Delhi, the production this year is approximately 25 crore kilos, which is about 30 per cent less than usual, he says. "The pandemic was also a factor that led to productions cuts." As many as 1,070 manufacturing facilities of various sizes and over a 1,000 traders of firecrackers function in and around the Virudhunagar region of Tamil Nadu including Sivakasi, the nerve centre.

Raju of Vimal Fireworks Factory says "by this time of the year, the dispatches should be going on in full swing, but that is not the case now." Raju says the cycle of payment for supplies made is badly stuck and there is a dip of at least 40 per cent in fresh orders for them. "The stock movement is very sluggish in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka markets as well."



When asked on business this year, G Selva Ganesan, who runs a wholesale cum retail outlet at Paraipatti in Sivakasi, he came up with a rather simple, but impressive answer.

"Sivakasi's market place and the thoroughfares are the best indicators of brisk business. In case we had good business, you will not be able to even walk or cross any of these stretches as workers will be busy loading innumerable trucks. Did you see any significant cargo traffic here? Truck operators and loaders here don't get much work from us," he says.

"Usually, we get orders from a slew of people collecting Deepavali Fund to distribute crackers. Now, there is no orders from them too." Some firms and individuals in Tamil Nadu collect voluntary contributions through the year to give away firecrackers ahead of Deepavali (and other items to participants of the fund drive) at a cheaper price as they would be purchasing in bulk. The seemingly lull scenario in the firecrackers industry has led to cyclical developments as well. P Rangabashyam of Sapthagiri Packs, a Sivakasi based manufacturer of corrugated boxes said that for months together there were no fresh orders from makers of fireworks. "Since 50 per cent of our business is from the food industry, we managed to an extent, but several units that solely depend on them are the worst hit." On the whole, Rangabashyam says his business saw a 60 per cent cut in orders from firecracker makers and only from last month his company is getting orders from makers of firecrackers. "I understand that these fresh orders are to cater to the Tamil Nadu market," he says.

S Siva Subramanian, who owns an offset printing factory catering to the fireworks industry has a similar version. "Over-time" work is an important part of earnings for workers, but "we could not give them extra work at all. It is true that there is a lull in business." While fireworks makers and others rue the losses, workers continue their job despite it being really hard. After Kanirasa completes his task, his colleague, a woman, deftly uses a needle to pierce the jute thread bundle and get to the small, white chemical-pack to fix a wick and the atom bomb is ready !



Asked how she does the tough job so quickly, she replies, "it is muscle memory that helps, I could plant over 2,000 wicks in a matter of few hours."S Velsamy, a veteran worker in fireworks industry says that people like him already lost income due to the pandemic since factories were shut for sometime and the current ban is of "concern as it may have a ripple effect for us all.""We are dependent on this industry. We are skilled only in the manufacturing process of firecrackers," he says and naively asks whether, "some state governments contemplate banning fireworks like last year." Industry insiders claim that a total of about 8 lakh people in and around Virudhunagar district, directly and indirectly depend on the industry for their livelihood. This includes three lakh workers in firecracker manufacturing units alone, a majority of whom are women.

People in the industry and those in allied sectors want the Delhi government to reconsider its move and say that if "others (state governments) are to follow suit, we will be doomed and that is why it is crucial that Delhi does a rethink." The industry is already facing sluggish business, in part due to the pandemic and if governments were to bar firecrackers, it would cause serious trouble, they said. Government sources in the district said only around 80,000 to a maximum of one lakh people are in the organised fireworks manufacturing industry -in about 1,000 units- with a Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance Corporation cover. Firecracker traders and manufacturers pointed out that many business people in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere, who usually put up firecracker stalls ahead of Deepavali are undecided on doing business this year as they feared losses in the event of a third wave of the pandemic.

"The real business is yet to start," they say adding a fear over a third wave of pandemic is among the key factors, according to them.

No wonder, a chunk of wholesale outlets on a stretch of about 30 kilometers, right from the Virudhunagar Highway on the one end and the road towards Sattur on the other end of Sivakasi, are as quiet as a mouse.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahant Narendra Giri, the president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, was found dead on Monday at Baghambari Muth here, police said.

The Parishad is the largest organisation of sadhus in India.

According to Inspector General of Police K P Singh, Mahant Giri's body was found hanging from the ceiling by his disciples.

A purported suicide note of seven-eight pages was also found at the site in which the seer had written that he was mentally disturbed and was ending his life. The seer had written he was upset with one of his disciples, the police said.

He had also delegated various responsibilities to his disciples in the note, they said.

The IGP said that police had received a call at 5.30 pm from the Muth that the seer had hanged himself and added that his body was found at the guest house where he lived during the day.

Prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide but things will be clearer after the post-mortem and forensic tests, the police said.

Singh said a decision will be taken on the last rites of the seer after the arrival of office bearers of the Akhara Parishad.

The sadhu had also talked about the construction of a 'samadhi' in the suicide note, he said, adding the decision on it will also be taken by the Akhara Parishad's office bearers.

The IGP said information about the seer's death was shared with the chief minister's office.

The influential Hindu seer was hospitalised in April after he tested positive from COVID-19.

Several political and religious leaders condoled his demise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death, saying the mahant played an important role in bringing together different streams of seer bodies while remaining dedicated to spiritual traditions.

His demise is extremely painful, Modi tweeted.

"The death of Mahant Narendra Giri ji, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, is an irreparable loss to the spiritual world. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed soul a place at his feet and strength to the bereaved followers to bear this sorrow. Om Shanti," Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

Heavy police force was deployed at the Muth from 6 pm onwards and barricades were set up in the surrounding areas. All top officials, including the divisional commissioner, the district magistrate, IG, SSP, were present at the Muth.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Tuesday expressed concern over the latest Covid-related travel restrictions announced by the UK and urged the government to ensure that there is no inconvenience faced by any Indian travelling to that country.

According to new rules announced by the United Kingdom, Indian travellers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days.

Reacting to the development, spokesperson Pawan Khera said, "We are very concerned about the kind of inconvenience our people will have to face while travelling to the UK."



Taking a dig at the Modi government, he said this raises pertinent questions on the way the government has handled international relations.

"So much for the diplomatic heft that Mr. (Narendra) Modi claims he has. It does not come to the rescue of ordinary Indians unfortunately. It does not come to the rescue of the interests of India. When push comes to shove, we pay a heavy price," Khera said at a media briefing at the party's headquarters here.

"We would request the government to immediately intervene and ensure that there is no inconvenience faced by any Indian travelling to the UK," he said.

His remarks come a day after former Union ministers and Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Anand Sharma and Shashi Tharoor slammed the UK's COVID-19-related travel rules, with Ramesh saying it "smacks of racism".

While Tharoor had said that because of the restrictions he had even pulled out of a debate at The Cambridge Union debating society and from the launch events for the UK edition of his latest book, Sharma urged the Prime Minister's Office to take a stand against the UK's double standards and cancel the proposed India-UK trade talks.

From October 4, the "traffic light system" of red, amber, green countries based on levels of COVID-19 risk will be replaced in the UK by one red list of countries.

The scrapping of the amber list, which is what India is currently on, means a reduced PCR test cost burden only for some travellers.

However, the expanded list of countries whose vaccines are recognised in the UK does not include India. It means Indians vaccinated with Covishield, the SII-produced Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, would be required to undergo compulsory PCR tests as well as self-isolation.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has urged for an "early resolution" of the COVID-19 quarantine issue during his meeting with the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss in the US.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Vice-President will meet Prime Minister here on September 23, a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meet between him and President Joe Biden and the Quad Summit at the White House, officials have said.

Biden will host Modi for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on September 24. Later on that day, Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders' Summit at the White House with Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"The Vice President will meet with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India," a White House official told PTI.

This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Harris had earlier spoken with Modi over the phone during the COVID-19 crisis.

Harris is the first-ever person of Indian origin to be elected as the vice-president of the United States.

During this week, when world leaders will gather in New York to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Harris, according to the White House, is scheduled to hold meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday and President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday.

On Wednesday, she will also lead a session at the President's virtual COVID Summit on building back better and preparing and preventing future pandemics, according to a senior White House official.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several countries have reduced the gap between doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (branded Covishield in India) to eight weeks in response to the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. Recent studies both in India and internationally have also shown greater effectiveness of two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine compared to a single dose, especially against the Delta variant. India, however, has not reduced the existing 12- to 16-week dosage interval for Covishield.

This is because India is in a different stage of the pandemic compared to the other countries using the same vaccine, experts have told IndiaSpend. The difference between the effectiveness of a single dose versus two doses is not that large for protection from hospitalisation and severe disease, and India has still not given even a single dose to half the population.

By September 20, 22% of India's eligible adult population and 15.4% of the entire population were fully vaccinated. Covishield accounts for 88% of all vaccine doses administered by that date.

"When vaccine supply is limited, it is more important to cover as many people with one dose as possible. I believe that from a public health perspective, it is the right strategy," said Shahid Jameel, a virologist and visiting professor at Sonepat-based Ashoka University.

We examine the rationale behind India's comparatively longer interval between two doses of Covishield.

What other countries using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine are doing

In India, Covishield is manufactured by the on behalf of British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca, and is a version of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. Several countries use the same vaccine, manufactured under different names, one of which is Vaxzevria, used in the United Kingdom and in the European Union.

On December 31, 2020, the UK's Joint Committee on and Immunisation (JCVI) had said that a longer interval between the first and second doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine promoted a stronger immune response. They recommended a 12-week gap between the two doses.

Two weeks later, on January 16, 2021, when India's programme was rolled out, the two-dose Covishield vaccine was to be administered with a gap of four-six weeks between doses. On March 22, this was increased to six-eight weeks, citing scientific evidence that the increased interval provided enhanced protection. On May 13, during the peak of the second Covid-19 wave, the Covid-19 Working Group's National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended the dosage interval for Covishield be extended further to 12-16 weeks.

But the next day, on May 14, the JCVI of the UK advised that the administering of the second vaccine dose in the UK be brought forward from 12 to eight weeks, particularly in areas where the Delta variant was a major threat. The Delta variant is more transmissible than any other variant yet of the Covid-19 virus, and was one of the causes of India's second Covid-19 wave, per a study led by the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi published in June 2021.

On June 10, Northern Ireland mandated that the interval between first and second doses for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine be a maximum of eight weeks; on June 13, Scotland asked all those over 40 years with second dose appointments scheduled more than eight weeks after the first dose, to seek earlier appointments; and on July 6, England's National Health Service advised acceleration of second doses for all eligible groups "to ensure everyone has the strongest possible protection from the Delta variant of the virus at the earliest opportunity possible".

Some recent studies in India, including at Max hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) and at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, found more breakthrough infections in healthcare workers who had had only one dose of the Covishield vaccine versus two doses.

Nearly half (48.4%) of 597 healthcare workers at four Max hospitals in the NCR who had taken a single dose of the Covishield vaccine, and 25.3% of those fully vaccinated, had breakthrough infections during the Delta variant surge in the capital, the pre-print from August 2021 says. One dose of the vaccine should not be expected to offer much protection against the Delta variant, but "there were no severe infections leading to hospitalisations," the study found. The Max study recommended the dosage interval for Covishield be reduced to six weeks.

In the study at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a pre-print published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine in August, a single dose of Covishield offered little protection (18%) against symptomatic infections with the Delta variant, which is lower than that shown by other studies, including those done at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, in June (61%) and by Public Health England (30%).

Against moderate to severe disease, full immunisation with Covishield afforded 67% protection, but those with one dose had only 37% protection. Full immunisation provided 76% protection against the need for oxygen therapy, but a single dose only 53%. The fully immunised had 97% protection against death and the partly vaccinated, 69%, the study at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital found.

"Two doses are definitely better than one," said Jameel.

Why a longer gap is suitable for India

The rationale of a longer gap between doses is based on the scientific fact that "to maximise the immune response of a vaccine, you should have as long a gap as possible", Gagandeep Kang, a virologist and professor at CMC, Vellore, told IndiaSpend.

When the gap between doses was longer, the efficacy of the vaccine was about 90%, while in trials with a shorter gap, the efficacy was about 60%, said Jameel. "Several studies show that even one dose of the vaccines afford decent protection from severe disease and mortality," he added.

For instance, the study by CMC Vellore showed 70% protection from hospitalisation with a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, going up to 77% with two doses. "This study would have been critical in driving India's policy of maximising one-dose coverage," said Jameel. The study of 8,991 staff, vaccinated between January 21 and April 30, 2021, and published in June 2021, did not look at variants responsible for the second wave or distinguish between Covishield and Covaxin; however, 93.4% (8,394) of the staff received Covishield. The Delta variant was found in 96% of samples sequenced from Tamil Nadu in May, per data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium.

It is important to also understand the context of the change in the dosage interval in other countries, said Kang.

When the UK announced the reduction to eight weeks from 12, they said that this advice was "specific to circumstances in the UK at this time", and was "only possible because everyone in the Phase 1 priority groups [including the elderly and those with comorbidities] has already been offered a first dose". The elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, are more prone to serious Covid-19 and are at higher risk of death.

Similarly, when Scotland reduced the gap in doses to eight weeks, they had vaccinated over three quarters of the adult population with a single dose and over half of the population was fully vaccinated. "We remain on track to offer the vaccine to all adults by the end of July," the Scottish government had said on June 13.

In contrast, 22% of India's eligible adult population and 15% of the entire population were fully vaccinated and another 43% adults had received one dose by September 20. "In India, we are still in a stage where about 65% of over 60s have received only one dose of immunisation. That is not good enough," Kang said.

Require better quality data from India

The Indian studies referenced above were in healthcare settings, and thus include a much lower proportion of the population than countries that have good quality data for larger populations. For instance, the study in Max hospitals included 597 people, while the Public Health England study, published in August 2021, included 19,000 people. "The smaller the study sample, the larger the variation in the findings," said Kang.

"Ultimately, what we should have is data on people in our country--we have given more doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or Covaxin than anybody else in the world and yet we are generating data from hospitals because healthcare workers are a captive population," Kang added, emphasising the need for better quality data from India.

A single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in India was 96.6% effective in preventing mortality, and two doses were 97.5% effective, Balram Bhargava, the director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India's apex science body, said at a press conference on September 9. This claim was based on the data from ICMR on Covid-19 cases from April 18 to August 15, but no further details or data were provided, including on numbers of breakthrough infections, or which vaccine the data are related to.

Reducing the gap for certain vulnerable populations

India had reduced the Covishield dosage interval to as little as four weeks for persons needing to travel internationally, including students and athletes participating in the Olympic Games.

If India was thinking of reducing the dosage interval for Covishield, they should first do so for the population that is more prone to severe disease or death from Covid-19 or locations where there are currently more cases of Covid-19, experts said.

"If you were to think of a short gap, I am not particularly fussed about an 18-year-old who wants to travel overseas. I am worried about the 70-year-old who has gotten one dose and is having trouble getting the next one," said Kang. For reducing the interval, "I would start with people most vulnerable to serious illness. That would be those 60 years and above and those with existing comorbidities, Jameel agreed.

Further, "with better supplies and reduced daily infections, this would be the right time to evaluate the evidence and possibly bring down the gap to 8-12 weeks", said Jameel. India has administered about 9.2 million doses per day over the week to September 20, compared to 8 million the previous week. It must ramp this up to 10.5 million doses a day to meet its goal of vaccinating all adult Indians by the end of this year, our calculations show.

"The decision would be based on a risk and benefit analysis of how much disease would you alleviate, for which age-group and in which location," as there is a trade-off between two doses for some people compared to single doses for more people, said Kang.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal (DPIIT) on Tuesday said that India has eased ammonium nitrate and calcium carbide rules in order to improve their safety measures in storage and transportation.

This was done in the backdrop of the lessons learnt from the deadly Beirut explosion that killed about 140 people in August 2020. Nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored at Beiruts port for six years that detonated last year.

There was a need to look at the rules to enhance safety, so that such incidents do not happen in India, Sumita Dawra, additional secretary, said.

Currently, the government is examining rules pertaining to five major areas, such as static and mobile pressure vehicles, calcium carbide, ammonium nitrate, gas cylinders, and petroleum and explosives, to ensure such incidents similar to Beirut dont happen in India.

Steps are also being taken to reduce compliance burden for industry to ensure industrial safety in critical premises such as petroleum installations, explosive manufacturing facilities, cylinder filling and storage premises. Towards this, worked with state-owned Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), implement policies and standard operating procedures for the manufacturing, storage, transport and use of explosives, petroleum as well as hazardous chemicals, Dawra said.

The capacity for storage of the hazardous chemical in small store houses has been increased by rationalizing the space and quantity requirement. Changes have been made in the rules to allow auction of the seized lots of ammonium nitrate, in a bid to ensure safe and speedy disposal.

To reduce compliance burden, PESO has increased the validity of license for storage of the chemical from three to ten years. Provision for online fees payment facility has been provided in the rules.

Provisions have now been incorporated in the rules to allow transportation of cryogenic compressed gases such as oxygen, argon, nitrogen, LNG through ISO containers in domestic areas, Dawra said, adding that the move will help to transport liquid oxygen from surplus areas to deficit areas and reduce the transportation cost as well as time.
The CBDT on Tuesday claimed that the Department has detected black money worth crores stashed abroad after it raided a leading business group involved in manufacture of textile and filament yarn.

The searches that were launched on September 18 are continuing at the premises of the group including at its corporate offices in Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata.

"The group has maintained unaccounted funds of about Rs 350 crore in its foreign bank accounts and has also routed these funds back into its business through shell entities in tax havens," the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) claimed in a statement.

"The modus operandi detected was related to investment by foreign entities, under control of the group, in foreign currency convertible bonds, issued by its main concern, and subsequently under the garb of defaulting on payments, converting it into shares of the company," the CBDT said.

It said many "incriminating" documents, loose sheets, diaries, digital evidences etc. were recovered which indicate involvement of the group in routing of "unaccounted" funds back into its Indian entities and possession of foreign bank accounts that were "not reported" to the tax department.

"Substantial evidence of transactions outside the books of accounts, cash transactions in land deals, bogus expenses debited in books of accounts, unaccounted cash expenditure and accommodation entries taken from entry operators have been gathered," it claimed.

The CBDT said the department found that "foreign companies and trusts were being paid management fees for managing the unaccounted funds."



"Though there is a specific requirement of disclosing foreign assets owned/managed in the form of companies and bank accounts in schedule FA in Returns, the same has not been disclosed by the group to the department," it alleged.

It said "details of accounts related to unexplained personal expenditure in cash were found to be meticulously maintained in one of the main offices of the company."



The statement said the department has gathered "evidence" that cash of about Rs 100 crore was generated by debiting "bogus expenditure" in company accounts and cash transactions in land deals.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The industry on Tuesday welcomed the (GST) Councils circular, clarifying the role of intermediaries in the tax regime. This will provide a breather to business process management (BPM) and (IT) services companies. However, some categories of intermediaries would still not be exempt.

Therefore, experts say the government needs to re-look the definition for people engaged in, for example, marketing and promotion services for foreign companies.

Nasscom welcomes the clarifications issued by the Council on the scope of intermediary services and exports of services. We expect these clarifications to lay to rest long-pending disputes of litigation at various levels and ease processing of pending refund claims held up because of exports being viewed as intermediary services, said industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

It welcomed the clarification that a company incorporated in India and a corporate incorporated by or under the laws of a country outside India, which is also referred to as foreign company under the Companies Act, are separate persons under Central Act, and thus are separate legal entities.

Accordingly, these two separate persons would not be considered as merely establishments of a distinct person under Explanation 1 in section 8. This will ensure the availability of export status to services provided by Indian IT companies to their foreign group entities. This will also help in resolving refund issues and clearing litigations pending before the appellate and judicial authorities, it added.

This is a long-standing issue between the IT-BPM industry and the government. In 2019, Central Board for Indirect Taxes and Customs said the services offered by the IT and ITeS sectors at the back end, especially with respect to business process outsourcing (BPO), may attract an 18 per cent This is because they will not qualify as export.

Welcoming the clarification by the GST Council, Keshav R Murugesh, Group CEO of BPM firm WNS said, It augurs well for the growth of the BPM industry and the entire ecosystem in the chain. The industry has been advocating this for the past two-three years. This announcement would encourage more players across the country to enter the domain. We thank the government and concerned authorities for lending their unstinted support and recognising that the IT-BPM services sector is part of the countrys growth engine, he said.

However, intermediaries are a big category, and can include firms that engage in the sale of anything from airline services to software for foreign-based firms.

There is pending litigation that is looking at the constitutional validity of the imposition of integrated (IGST) on firms that engage in marketing and promotion services to foreign companies.

The high court of Gujarat, in March, admitted a petition to review its own decision on such firms. The matter pertains to the place of supply rules under the GST regime. For such firms, or indenting agents in technical terms, the place of supply is deemed to be within India.
In what will address the concerns of services exporters, especially information technology and information technology-enabled services (IT/ITeS) entities, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) clarified on Monday that supplies to parent or subsidiary companies abroad would be eligible for refunds and not qualify as

The move comes as a major relief to several entities that were denied refunds when they were exporting services to their parent or subsidiary companies abroad. It was based on the recommendations of the 45th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meet that took place in Lucknow on Friday.

The government has now clarified that these companies will be treated as separate legal entities since they are incorporated separately in their respective countries. Experts suggest that the clarification will largely address concerns of the exporter community and help them get their refund claims cleared.

In another clarification, the CBIC has said where e-invoice has been generated, a physical copy of the invoice is not required to be carried for movement of goods. The move is aimed at facilitating ease of doing business.

Various representations have been received, citing ambiguity caused in interpretation in relation to export of services. The matter has been examined. In view of the difficulties faced by trade and industry and to ensure uniformity in the implementation of provisions of the law across field formations, the board has clarified the issue, it said.

"It is clarified that a company incorporated in India and a body corporate incorporated by or under the laws of a country outside India, which is also referred to as foreign company under the Companies Act, are separate persons under the CGST Act, and thus are separate legal entities. Accordingly, these two separate persons will not be considered merely establishments of a distinct person, it added.



RELIEF Some companies were denied refunds when they were exporting services to their parent or subsidiaries abroad

It was after the recommendations of the 45th Council meet last week

Now, these companies will be treated as separate legal entities since they are incorporated separately in their respective countries

Where e-invoice has been generated, a physical copy of the invoice is not required to be carried for movement of goods

Pratik Jain, partner, Price Waterhouse & Co. LLP, said the clarification on services provided by Indian companies to their group or affiliates abroad as an important one as in some cases, refunds were being denied on the grounds that they are merely establishments of distinct persons (like branch offices of the same legal entity).

This will help in resolving the unnecessary dispute which got started in the last year or so. While the major beneficiary would be the IT/ITES sector, a similar issue might have been faced by other sectors as well, said Jain.

Aditya Singhania, partner, Singhania's Consultancy, said, Clarification by the CBIC largely addresses the concerns of the exporter community and will serve as an impetus in getting their refund claims sanctioned, which are currently pending before the adjudicating/appellate authorities."

While the clarification on the distinct entity is a welcome move, there was no ambiguity on this issue and certain refunds were rejected unnecessarily when the intention of Parliament is clearly to give export benefits to these transactions, said Abhishek Rastogi, partner, Khaitan & Co., who is arguing writ on such issue in the Gujarat High Court.

"This clarification should ideally make some pending writs redundant and will give relief to Indian exporters by claiming the refunds faster, he added.

The CBIC also clarified that where e-invoice has been generated, a physical copy of the invoice is not required to be carried for movement of goods.

Abhishek Jain, partner, EY, said the effective implementation of this relief will support in easing invoicing procedures of businesses.
The government has extended the term of as the non-executive chairman of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) by another six months.

Kotak, who is also the managing director and chief executive officer of would continue being the non-executive director on the board of until April 2, 2022, according to a notification by Department of Financial Services (DFS). His tenurethat has seen several extensions since he was appointed by the government to head the shadow lenderwas supposed to expire on October 2.

The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 prohibits a banking company to be managed by an individual who is a director of any other company. However, the provision does not apply for a temporary period not exceeding three months or such further period not exceeding nine months if allowed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Kotak, who was appointed by the government to head the shadow lender's board in 2018, was allowed by the to be on the board of for three months, and for another nine months subsequently. He was further given two extensions of one year each to continue at the helm of the group.

The extension of further six months to Kotak has been granted by the government on recommendation of the RBI, the notification said.

Earlier today, Kotak tweeted that the government-appointed board of the shadow lender estimates 61 per cent recovery at IL&FS.





Disclosure: Entities controlled by the Kotak family have a significant shareholding in Business Standard
UN humanitarians said on Monday that 635,000 people in were routed from their homes this year because of violence, with more than 12,000 recently displaced to Kabul, mainly from Panjshir Province.

The world organization and its partners have reached 8 million people in the first half of 2021, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a release.

Some 1,300 displaced people in Kabul are about to receive aid.

The office said the UN Refugee Agency and the Organization for Migration handed out relief to more than 9,300 people displaced by the violence in Kunar Province.

The World Food Programme will distribute food rations for the lean months of October to January of next year, OCHA said, reaching hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people. Some 63,000 people in Maidan Wardak province are to receive food aid.

Healthcare is also a priority in the humanitarian response.

A measles outbreak in the Yawan and Raghistan districts of Badakhshan province impacted at least 29 children, the office said.

The World Health Organization aided Nimroz provincial hospital to install a new Polymerase chain reaction machine with a capacity of 70 to 90 tests per day, OCHA said. It allows for significantly increased coronavirus testing.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Hyunjoo Jin, Mike Spector and David Shepardson

(Reuters) - Robin Geoulla had doubts about the automated driving technology equipped on his Model S when he bought the electric car in 2017.

"It was a little scary to, you know, rely on it and to just, you know, sit back and let it drive," he told a U.S. investigator about Tesla's Autopilot system, describing his initial feelings about the technology.

Geoulla made the comments to the investigator in January 2018, days after his Tesla, with Autopilot engaged, slammed into the back of an unoccupied fire truck parked on a California interstate highway. Reuters could not reach him for additional comment.

Over time, Geoulla's initial doubts about Autopilot softened, and he found it reliable when tracking a vehicle in front of him. But he noticed the system sometimes seemed confused when faced with direct sunlight or a vehicle in front of him changing lanes, according to a transcript of his interview with a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator.

He was driving into the sun before he rear-ended the fire truck, he told the investigator.

Autopilot's design allowed Geoulla to disengage from driving during his trip, and his hands were off the wheel for almost the entire period of roughly 30 minutes when the technology was activated, the NTSB found.

The U.S. agency, which makes recommendations but lacks enforcement powers, has previously urged regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate Autopilot's limitations, potential for driver misuse and possible safety risks following a series of crashes involving the technology, some of them fatal.

"The past has shown the focus has been on innovation over safety and I'm hoping we're at a point where that tide is turning," the NTSB's new chair, Jennifer Homendy, told Reuters in an interview. She said there is no comparison between Tesla's Autopilot and the more rigorous autopilot systems used in aviation that involve trained pilots, rules addressing fatigue and testing for drugs and alcohol.

did not respond to written questions for this story.

Autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance feature whose current version does not render vehicles autonomous, the company says on its website. says that drivers must agree to keep hands on the wheel and maintain control of their vehicles before enabling the system.

LIMITED VISIBILITY

Geoulla's 2018 crash is one of 12 accidents involving Autopilot that NHTSA officials are scrutinizing as part of the agency's farthest-reaching investigation since Tesla Inc introduced the semi-autonomous driving system in 2015.

Most of the crashes under investigation occurred after dark or in conditions creating limited visibility such as glaring sunlight, according to a NHTSA statement, NTSB documents and police reports reviewed by Reuters. That raises questions about Autopilot's capabilities during challenging driving conditions, according to autonomous driving experts.

"NHTSA's enforcement and defect authority is broad, and we will act when we detect an unreasonable risk to public safety," a NHTSA spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

Since 2016, U.S. auto safety regulators have separately sent 33 special crash investigation teams to review Tesla crashes involving 11 deaths in which advanced driver assistance systems were suspected of being in use. NHTSA has ruled out Autopilot use in three of those nonfatal crashes.

The current NHTSA investigation https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-opens-formal-safety-probe-into-tesla-autopilot-crashes-2021-08-16 of Autopilot in effect reopens the question of whether the technology is safe. It represents the latest significant challenge for Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive whose advocacy of driverless cars has helped his company become the world's most valuable automaker https://www.reuters.com/article/tesla-stocks-int/tesla-market-value-crosses-800-billion-for-the-first-time-idUSKBN29D20B.

Tesla charges customers up to $10,000 for advanced driver assistance features such as lane changing, with a promise to eventually deliver autonomous driving capability to their cars using only cameras and advanced software. Other carmakers and self-driving firms use not only cameras but more expensive hardware including radar and lidar in their current and upcoming vehicles.

Musk has said a Tesla with eight cameras will be far safer than human drivers. But the camera technology is affected by darkness and sun glare as well as inclement weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow and fog, experts and industry executives say.

"Today's computer vision is far from perfect and will be for the foreseeable future," said Raj Rajkumar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

In the first known fatal U.S. crash involving Tesla's semi-autonomous driving technology, which occurred in 2016 west of Williston, Florida, the company said both the driver and Autopilot failed to see the white side of a tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky. Instead of braking, the Tesla collided with the 18-wheel truck.

DRIVER MISUSE, FAILED BRAKING

NHTSA in January 2017 closed an investigation of Autopilot stemming from that fatal crash, finding no defect in the Autopilot performance after some contentious exchanges with Tesla officials, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

In December 2016, as part of that probe, the agency asked Tesla to provide details on the company's response to any internal safety concerns raised about Autopilot, including the potential for driver misuse or abuse, according to a special order sent by regulators to the automaker.

After a NHTSA lawyer found Tesla's initial response lacking, Tesla's then-general counsel, Todd Maron, tried again. He told regulators the request was "grossly overbroad" and that it would be impossible to catalog all concerns raised during Autopilot's development, according to correspondence reviewed by Reuters.

Nevertheless, Tesla wanted to co-operate, Maron told regulators. During Autopilot's development, company employees or contractors had raised concerns that Tesla addressed regarding the potential for unintended or failed braking and acceleration; undesired or failed steering; and certain kinds of misuse and abuse by drivers, Maron said, without providing further details.

Maron did not respond to messages seeking comment.

It is not clear how regulators responded. One former U.S. official said Tesla generally co-operated with the probe and produced requested materials promptly. Regulators closed the investigation just before former U.S. president Donald Trump's inauguration, finding Autopilot performed as designed and that Tesla took steps to prevent it from being misused.

LEADERSHIP VACUUM IN NHTSA

NHTSA has been without a Senate-confirmed chief for nearly five years. President Joe Biden has yet to nominate anyone to run the agency.

NHTSA documents show that regulators want to know how Tesla vehicles attempt to see flashing lights on emergency vehicles, or detect the presence of fire trucks, ambulances and police cars in their path. The agency has sought similar information from 12 rival automakers as well.

"Tesla has been asked to produce and validate data as well as their interpretation of that data. NHTSA will conduct our own independent validation and analysis of all information," NHTSA told Reuters.

Musk, the electric-car pioneer, has fought hard to defend Autopilot from critics and regulators. Tesla has used Autopilot's ability to update vehicle software over the air to outpace and sidestep the traditional vehicle-recall process.

Musk has repeatedly promoted Autopilot's capabilities https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-autonomous-factbox/elon-musk-on-teslas-self-driving-capabilities-idUSKCN1RY0QY, sometimes in ways that critics say mislead customers into believing Teslas can drive themselves - despite warnings to the contrary in owner's manuals that tell drivers to remain engaged and outline the technology's limitations.

Musk has also continued to launch what Tesla calls beta - or unfinished - versions of a "Full Self-Driving" system via over-the-air software upgrades.

"Some manufacturers are going to do what they want to do to sell a car and it's up the government to rein that in," the NTSB's Homendy said.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco, Mike Spector in New York and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Joseph White and Matthew Lewis)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Afghanistan's central bank, Da Bank (DAB), has allowed merchants and owners of private companies to withdraw $25,000 from their bank accounts once in a month, a local TV channel reported.

Following the latest decision and announcement of DAB, the Afghan entrepreneurs could receive $25,000 or its afghani equivalent once in a month from their accounts from all banks across Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency quoted TOLO News as saying on Monday.

Reports of freezing Afghanistan's bank assets by the US as well as a halt of funds by the World Bank and the Monetary Fund (IMF) have recently fuelled concerns among Afghans.

On August 28, the DBA issued an order to all banks in the country, setting a temporary limit of withdrawals of $200 or 20,000 afghani for one customer every week.

Thousands of customers had waited in long lines to withdraw their savings since the Taliban's takeover of the country in August.

Meantime, local businessmen and members of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce told TOLO News that the cash allowed to be withdrawn was insufficient and they could do less with the amount.

They said in order to run their business they need enough money to withdraw from government-run and private banks.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Tuesday announced that girls would be allowed to return to schools as soon as possible.

"We are finalising things... it will happen as soon as possible," reported Pajhwok Afghan News quoting Deputy Minister of Education Zabihullah Mujahid.

Earlier in the week, the Ministry of Education had instructed male teachers and students to return to secondary school.

"All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions with effect from Saturday," the statement said.

However, the Ministry at the time said nothing about female teachers and students, sparking concerns about girls' education.

The move led to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), issuing statement that closing Afghan girls' schools violates the fundamental right to education.

The statement came after boys' secondary schools reopened on Saturday, but the fate of girls' schools remains unclear.

According to UNESCO, has made important gains in the education sector in the past two decades. "Since 2001, the female literacy rate has almost doubled from 17 per cent to 30 per cent, and the number of girls in primary school has increased from almost zero in 2001 to 2.5 million in 2018," it said.

The number of girls in higher education institutions has increased from 5,000 in 2001 to around 90,000 in 2018.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The announced a list of deputy ministers on Tuesday, failing to name any women, despite an outcry when they presented their all-male Cabinet ministers earlier this month.

The list was presented by government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid at a new conference in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The list of deputy ministers signals that the have not been swayed by the criticism and that they're doubling down on their current hard-line path despite initial promises of inclusivity and upholding women's rights.

The newly-formed government is an interim one and will include women, minorities and professionals over a period of time, Mujahed told reporters in Kabul Tuesday.

The group is working to add women in government positions and to improve its cabinet with the addition of experts, Mujahed said, even though he gave no timeframe for when this would happen.
is increasingly finding itself being cornered by African countries on investment-related matters with several of them cancelling their contracts with Chinese companies, according to a media report.

The Singapore Post in an article on Monday said some of the countries had cancelled contracts as the "shoddy" work of the Chinese had become a source of tension for the ruling dispensations in several nations across the African continent.

After Ghana cancelled the contract of the Everyway Traffic and Lighting Tech company, which was to develop an intelligent traffic management system for the country, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi called for a review of mining contracts previously signed with in 2008, the publication said.

The DRC President said he wants to get fairer deals for his country. Unhappy with China's exploitative tendency, he said, "Those with whom his country signed contracts are getting richer while DRC people remain poor."

In 2008, then Congo President Joseph Kabila, who was in power from 2001 to 2019, signed deals with Chinese state-backed firms Sinohydro Corp and Railway Group. Under the agreement, these Chinese were to build roads, hospitals and bridges in the Democratic Republic of Congo in exchange for a 68 per cent stake in the country's Sicomines venture, The Singapore Post reported.

According to the publication, lack of transparency was the issue that shrouded the China-led projects in Congo.

Ghana government cancelled the project because they found Everyway Traffic and Lightening Tech's work not up to any satisfaction and cancelled the project outright.

Last year in July, a Kenyan High Court ordered the cancellation of a USD 3.2 billion contract between Kenya and China for the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway. The court termed the whole project "illegal", stating the state-run Kenya railways failed to comply with the country's law in the procurement of the Standard Gauge Railway.

According to the John Hopkins University School of Advanced Studies' China- Research Initiative, between 2000 to 2019, China signed 1,141 loan commitments worth USD 153 billion with the African government and their state-owned enterprises, The Singapore Post reported.

The publication said that such whopping loan amounts have become unbearable for poor African countries. Moreover, on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy, several African countries have found it tough to service loans they have taken from China. Hence, with limited choice to manage debt burdens, African countries have preferred to suspend projects which are controversial or cut sorry figures on the accountability front.

Meanwhile, most of the Chinese projects getting scrapped in are part of Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative and this is what worries Chinese authorities, The Singapore Post reported.

Initiated in 2013, the BRI is Xi Jinping's grand plan to connect Asia with and Europe via land and maritime trade networks to create new routes for China.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
EU chief Charles Michel accused the United States of a lack of loyalty after Australia cancelled a mega-contract with France to buy US nuclear submarines.

The elementary principles for allies are transparency and trust, and it goes together. And what do we observe? We are observing a clear lack of transparency and loyalty, the European Council chief told reporters at the United Nations.

Michel said that he found it difficult to understand the move by Australia, the UK and the US. Why? Because with the new Joe Biden administration, America is back. This was the historic message sent by this new administration and now we have questions. What does it mean  America is back? Is America back in America or somewhere else? We dont know, he told reporters in New York.

Speaking after the closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the assembly, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said more cooperation, more coordination, less fragmentation was needed to achieve a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region where China is the major rising power.

The blocs foreign ministers expressed clear solidarity with France, Borrell said.

This announcement ran counter to calls for greater cooperation with the in the Indo-Pacific, he said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian earlier on Monday accused the US of betrayal and Australia of back-stabbing.





France projects delay, cost concerns in Australian docs



France shouldn't have been surprised that Australia cancelled a contract, as major concerns about delays, cost overruns and suitability had been aired officially and publicly for years, Australian politicians said.

As early as September 2018, an independent oversight board led by a former US Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter had advised Australia to look at alternatives to the French submarine, and questioned whether the project was in the national interest, a 2020 public report from the country's Auditor-General shows.

Australian parliamentary hearings and reports on the project, first priced at $40 billion and more recently at $60 billion, even before construction had begun, also showed problems emerging.
The said on Tuesday it would make sense for the United States to allow travel by people vaccinated with the COVID-19 shots, although existing U.S. guidance already authorises those travellers.

On Monday, the White House said it would lift restrictions from November that bar EU citizens, including those fully vaccinated, from traveling to the United States.

"We believe the vaccine is safe," Eric Mamer, a spokesperson for the EU Commission, told a news conference.

"From our point of view, obviously it would make sense for people who have been vaccinated with to be able to travel," the spokesperson added, noting that this, however, was a decision for the U.S. authorities.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it currently considers people to be fully vaccinated, and therefore able to travel by air to the U.S., if they have received any of the FDA-authorized vaccines or shots approved by the World Health Organization, which include AstraZeneca's.

The regulatory U.S. Food and Drug Administration has so far authorised for use the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech , Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, but is still reviewing the AstraZeneca shot.

The WHO has authorised the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the version made in Europe. The shot is also approved for use in the 27 EU countries where about 70 million doses have been administered cumulatively, according to public data.

The EU has its own safe-travel list, from which the United States was recently removed after a spike in infections there.

Most EU countries do not accept foreign nationals vaccinated with shots which are not authorised at EU level.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Group is confident the company will walk out of its darkest moment, the debt-laden property developers chairman said in a letter to staff on Tuesday, as nervous global investors fretted about default risks.

In the letter that coincided with Chinas mid-autumn festival, Hui Ka Yuan, expressed appreciation for the hard work of employees and said will deliver property projects as pledged, fulfil responsibilities to property buyers, investors, partners and financial institutions.





ALSO READ: World shares jolted by Evergrande crisis as debt payment test looms

The nations second-largest developer, saddled with more than $300 billion in liabilities equivalent to 2% of Chinas gross domestic product, is scrambling to raise funds to pay its many lenders and suppliers as it tries to stem a liquidity crisis from tipping it into a collapse.



founder and Chairman Hui Ka Yan

I firmly believe that with your concerted effort and hard work, Energrande will walk out of its darkest moment, resume full-scale constructions as soon as possible and achieve the pivotal target of delivering the property projects as pledged, said Hui.





ALSO READ: World's richest 500 lose $135 bn as Evergrande concerns spark market rout

Hui did not elaborate how the company could achieve these objectives.

Its Hong Kong listed shares last traded down 3% at HK$2.21 around 0318 GMT, having tumbled 84% so far this year. Evergrandes debt woes have spread turmoil in global financial markets as investors fear contagion could wreak havoc on the world economy.



(Reporting by Eve Wu in Beijing and Chen Aizhu in Singapore; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman & Shri Navaratnam)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China Groups debt crisis is unlikely to become Chinas Lehman moment, according to strategists at Citigroup Inc., Plc and UBS Group AG.

argues the market environment isnt similar to what happened during the collapse of Lehman Brothers, UBS says the default levels are pretty low versus the size of Chinas economy and Citi expects the policy makers to step in.

The conditions are simply not in place for even a large default to be Chinas Lehman moment, macro strategists including New York-based Ajay Rajadhyaksha wrote in a note on Monday. One would need to see a sharp increase in credit distress away from the real-estate sector, banks unwilling to face each other and massive policy mistakes for that to happen, they wrote.

Growing investor angst about and a crackdown on Chinas real-estate sector have caused a chain reaction across global risk assets this week, even ensnaring stocks with less tangible links to China. S&P Global Ratings warned on Monday that the distressed developer is likely to default if doesnt get support from Chinese government.

Policy makers will likely uphold the bottom line of preventing systematic risk to buy time for resolving the debt risk, and push forward marginal easing for the overall credit environment, Citi analysts including Judy Zhang wrote in a note.

Still, some banks may become victims, they noted.

Citis analysis of banks loan exposure to high-risk developers suggest credit risk is the highest for China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ping An Bank Co. and China Everbright Bank Co.

Meanwhile, Bank of Nanjing Co., Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Postal Savings Bank of China Co. are less vulnerable and we would see any dip as an enhanced opportunity to buy quality names, the analysts wrote.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. also sees little chance of systemic risk from and advises investors to buy bank stocks on dips. It added Postal Savings Banks mainland shares to its top picks, citing the lenders profit outlook and lower exposure to property sector. Jefferies other buy-rated stocks include China Construction Bank Corp. and Bank of Ningbo Co., analyst Shujin Chen wrote in a note.
on Tuesday urged its partners to consider whether to delay negotiations on the bloc's future trade agreement with over what Paris says is a lack of trust sparked by a major defense deal between the U.S., and Britain.

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said he would raise the trade pact and the security implications of the deal, known as AUKUS, at a meeting with his counterparts in Brussels, and that would ensure that it is discussed at EU summits and ministerial meetings next month.

The Indo-Pacific security pact will see cancel a multi-billion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. The French government is suggesting it was betrayed by the deal, which comes in the run-up to elections in in April.

It's a matter of trust, Beaune told reporters. When you have your word, it has some value between allies, between democracies, between partners and in this case this word was not respected... so of course it creates a breach of trust.

We have to be firm, not as French but as Europeans, because it's a matter of the way we work together as allies, he said.

Asked whether France would call a halt to the trade talks with Australia, which have been underway since 2018, Beaune said that is among the points that we must discuss together.

The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, conducts trade talks based on a mandate it receives from the 27 member countries. The commission routinely informs the countries about progress, but they are not directly involved even though they can delay progress.

However, any trade pact must be endorsed unanimously, so individual countries have a veto.

The Europeans see the previously unannounced security deal as the second time in weeks that President Joe Biden has focused on an America First policy, similar in substance if not in tone to his predecessor Donald Trump, following the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan late last month.

It's raised questions about Europe's ability to provide for its own security outside of the U.S.-led NATO and resulted in appeals for the EU to develop a strategic autonomy from the military alliance that breaks with the dependence on American military and logistical muscle.

Germany's European Affairs Minister, Michael Roth, said he has great understanding for the disappointment felt by our French partners.

It's once more a wake-up call for all of us in the to ask how we can strengthen our sovereignty, how can we stand as one even in question related to foreign and security policy, and how can we use our economic and political clout in such a way that we can contribute to security and multilateralism so that our values are firmly anchored at the global level, Roth said.

For France and its partners, the crisis straining U.K.-EU relations since Britain left the bloc is also a question of trust, and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic was to update the ministers on trade developments for Northern Ireland, which has a land border with the EU.

We see it with Brexit, we see it with the AUKUS project that we need trust, we need to rebuild confidence, Beaune said. We see when we look at the Brexit agreements that they are not well implemented, that they are not fully respected.

But the ruckus also comes amid a busy election campaign period in Europe. Germans go to the polls on Sunday and France is holding elections in April.

Several officials have suggested that it's probably a question of waiting for the dust to settle from the AUKUS deal before calm is restored.

Member countries bordering Russia, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, count on the security guarantee provided by the U.S. through NATO and they are likely to put the brakes on any moves that might complicate relations.

What is important is to keep trans-Atlantic unity, because we believe this is our biggest strength and biggest value, especially vis-a-vis such countries as Russia and China, Lithuanian deputy European Affairs Minister Arnoldas Prankevicius told reporters.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Disgraced Hollywood mogul has once again denied the 11 counts of rape and sexual assault charges levelled against him.

On Monday, Harvey, the wheelchair-bound, had appeared in LA Superior Court for a brief hearing, where he pleaded not guilty to sex-related criminal counts.

According to CNN, during the latest court hearing, prosecutors revealed they are seeking to admit other evidence of alleged sexual misconduct currently under seal.

Weinstein's defence counsel, Mark Werksman argued that none of the prosecutors' allegations have been proven so far and hence they should not be allowed in trial. Werksman also said that his client cannot walk or see and needs eye surgery.

Harvey's next court date is scheduled for October 25.

For the unversed, Harvey was found guilty last year in New York of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. He is serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, but has been transferred to California for the court hearings lately.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Monday said that it can restrain (Daesh) in and they are not capable of posing a threat to the country.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid speaking to Tolo News said, "Daesh is not a threat, because the thought of Daesh is a hated thought among the people. No one supports them. Second, our combat against Daesh was effective in the past and we know how to neutralize their techniques."

Considering the last attacks in Nangarhar and Kabul, some political analysts said that the group seems to be present in

Meanwhile, Mujahid said two groups have been arrested in relation to the last incidents in Nangarhar province, reported Tolo News.

Daesh claimed responsibility for several attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar province over the last month. Videos in which Daesh claimed responsibility for the attacks were posted by Amaq News Agency, an outlet with links to Daesh, reported Tolo News.

The US, NATO and others in the community continually cite concerns over Al Qaeda and Daesh activity in Afghanistan, but the have pledged to not allow for any insurgent group to operate from and threaten other countries.

Nangarhar province witnessed an explosion on Sunday evening in which a child was killed and two people, including a forces member, were injured in the province.

In Kabul, on Saturday there was a blast that wounded two people, and two other explosions on Saturday targeted a Taliban vehicle in Nangarhar, in which around 20 people were wounded.

Daesh claimed responsibility for these attacks, reported Tolo News.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tech billionaire took to Twitter to mock US President for failing to congratulate his company SpaceX's historic space flight.

One of Musk's followers on Twitter asked him, "The President of the United States has refused to even acknowledge the 4 newest American astronauts who helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for St. Jude. What's your theory on why that is?"

Musk replied, "He's still sleeping."

The tweet drew sharp reactions from social media users.

"Dude is busy running a nation during a pandemic. Post-war intelligence briefings. Cybersecurity threats. SCOTUS shenanigans and human rights. Budget and tax legislation," wrote one user.

"You're awake, you may be better than the sleeper. Why don't you nominate yourself to be the next president of America instead of the sleeper" wrote another user.

After spending three days on-orbit, the world's first civilian mission of SpaceX's Inspiration4 returned to Earth on Sunday.

The crew, onboard the Dragon spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida at 7.06 p.m. EDT (4.36 a.m. Sunday India time).

The mission lifted off to orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft on last Wednesday (India time Thursday).

It was commanded by tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and joined by Medical Officer Haley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St Jude Children's Research Hospital and pediatric cancer survivor; Mission Specialist Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran and aerospace data engineer; and Mission Pilot Dr Sian Proctor, a geoscientist, entrepreneur, and trained pilot.

The fully automated Dragon capsule reached an unusually high altitude of 585 kilometres, surpassing the Space Station by 160 kilometres. The Dragon's dome window, inspired by the Cupola on the ISSl provided the crew with incredible views of Earth.

--IANS

wh/in

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The expanded their interim Cabinet by naming more ministers and deputies on Tuesday, but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hard-line course despite the outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male government lineup earlier this month.

The community has said that it will judge the by their actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment of women and minorities. In their previous rule of in the late 1990s, the Taliban, who adhere to a harsh interpretation of Islam, had barred girls and women from schools, work and public life.

At a news conference Tuesday, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid held out the possibility of adding women to the Cabinet at a later time, but gave no specifics. He also said the Taliban are preparing rules for allowing teen-age girls and women to return to schools and jobs in line with Islamic law, but did not say when that might happen.

Mujahid defended the latest additions to the Cabinet, saying they included members of ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras. He said the deputies were chosen for their technical skills.

He bristled at conditions for recognition, saying there was no reason for withholding it. It is the responsibility of the UN to recognise our government (and) for other countries, including European, Asian and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us, he said. The Taliban seek international support as they grapple with the daunting challenges of governing a nation shredded by four decades of conflict. The US-backed government deposed by the Taliban in a rapid military campaign last month had depended heavily on foreign aid.

Even before the Taliban takeover, the economy was in deep trouble. Now Afghanistan's new rulers face an economic meltdown and growing poverty. Mujahid played down the financial problems, saying that much of the foreign aid to the previous government  widely seen as corrupt  was spent on funding America's 20-year war against the Taliban.
will be back at the for the first time in two years on Tuesday with a formidable agenda of escalating crises to tackle, including the still raging COVID-19 pandemic and a relentlessly warming planet.

Other pressing issues are rising U.S.-China tensions, Afghanistan's unsettled future under its new Taliban rulers and ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region.

Last year, no leaders came to the U.N. because the coronavirus was sweeping the globe, so all their addresses were pre-recorded. This year, the General Assembly offered leaders a choice of coming to New York or remaining online, and more than 100 heads of state and government decided to appear in person in the General Assembly hall.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres, who opens the week-long event, will pull no punches in expressing his concern about the state of the world, and he will lay out a vision to bridge the numerous divides that stand in the way of progress, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

By tradition, the first country to speak is Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, isn't vaccinated. He reiterated last Thursday that he doesn't plan to get the shot any time soon, justifying his refusal by saying he had COVID-19 and therefore has a high level of antibodies.

A key issue ahead of the meetings has been COVID-19 entry requirements for leaders to the United States and to the U.N. headquarters itself. The U.S. requires a vaccination or a recent COVID-19 test, and the U.N. will operate on an honour system whereby anyone entering the complex attests that they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and have not tested positive in the last 10 days.

The three most closely watched speakers on Tuesday morning are expected to be U.S. President Joe Biden, appearing at the U.N. for the first time since his defeat of Donald Trump in the November election, China's President Xi Jinping, who in a surprise move will deliver a video address, and Iran's recently elected hardline President Ebrahim Raisi.

Ahead of the opening of the General Assembly's annual General Debate, Guterres issued a dire warning that the world could be plunged into a new and probably more dangerous Cold War unless the United States and China repair their totally dysfunctional relationship.

The U.N. chief said in an interview this weekend with The Associated Press that Washington and Beijing should be cooperating on the climate crisis and negotiating on trade and technology, but unfortunately, today we only have confrontation including over human rights and geostrategic problems mainly in the South China Sea.

Speaking last week about Biden's speech, Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the Crisis Group, said the really significant question is exactly how he frames relations with China.

He predicted that Biden won't be as forthright in criticism of China as Trump was, especially in 2019 and 2020, but rather will try and cast China as a country that is challenging the rules-based world order and a country that should not be trusted with leadership of the system.

On the latest speakers list released earlier this month, China's speech was supposed to be delivered on Friday by a deputy prime minister. But the U.N. confirmed Monday that Xi will give the country's video address instead.

His speech and any comments about the U.S. rivalry are certain to be closely watched and analyzed.

Other leaders scheduled to speak in person during the meeting, which ends Sept. 27, include King Abdullah II of Jordan, the president of Venezuela, and the prime ministers of Japan, India and the United Kingdom along with Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Leaders delivering prerecorded statements this year include the presidents of Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. French President Emmanuel Macron was supposed to deliver a pre-recorded statement on Tuesday, but the government said Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will now deliver the country's address virtually on the final day.

France and China have reacted angrily to the surprise announcement by Biden, alongside the leaders of Australia and Britain, of a deal to provide Australia with at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. Australia had signed a contract worth at least $66 billion for a dozen French conventional diesel-electric submarines and their construction was already under way.

Le Drian told a news conference Monday that there is a crisis of trust between the United States and its oldest ally, France, as well as Europe, which has been excluded from the new US-UK-Australia alliance focused on the Indo-Pacific and aimed at confrontation with China. He said Europeans should not be left behind, and need to define their own strategic interests.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The benchmark equity indices bounced back after falling in the previous two sessions as looked to shrug off the fears of contagion from a potential collapse of Chinas Evergrande. Shares of metal and real estate companies saw a sharp rebound improving investor mood. Most global also rallied even as remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve policy meeting.

Experts said the concerns surrounding real estate firm Evergrande's debt crisis moderated which led to an improvement in risk appetite.

The benchmark on Tuesday ended the session at 59,005, a gain of 514 points or 0.8 per cent. The Nifty, on the other hand, ended the session at 17,562, a gain of 165 points or 0.95 per cent. In the previous session, the indices had fallen by an equal measure rattled by debt woes in China.

"Domestic benchmark indices witnessed sharp recovery mainly led by a brisk rebound in defensive sectors like IT, pharma and FMCG. Further, Nifty metal also witnessed strong rebound as utilized steep corrections in metals stocks as an opportunity to buy in dips," said Binod Modi, head strategy, Reliance Securities.

The BSE Realty index rose 3.5 per cent amidst value buying after two days of decline following signs of a rebound in sales for home builders and the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

"Global stocks recovered from the fears sparked by troubles in the Chinese economy ahead of the US Fed meeting that will start later in the day. All major sectors traded in the green zone while the auto sector remained under pressure due to rising input costs and the semiconductor shortage faced by the global auto industry," said Vinod Nair, head of research, Geojit Financial Services.



Going forward, experts said investors would be keenly watching the US Federal Reserve's meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, where the central bank is expected to come up with a roadmap on tapering its bond-buying programme. Investors are also keeping tabs on central bank meetings in dozens of other countries as they are assessing risks associated with the prospects of reduced central bank support.

This week investors had to grapple with many concerns ranging from stretched equity valuations, slower than expected resumption of economic activity due to concerns surrounding delta virus strain, and the fall in commodity prices. are also digesting an outlook of reduced central bank policy support.

"Today's recovery in equities shows that have discounted possible fallout from the likely default of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande, while Thursday would be crucial as $83 million interest payment is due for Evergrande. However, considering increasing possibility of earnings downgrade in the USA markets following sharp rise in Coronavirus daily caseload and continued reform measures undertaken by the government in India have revived FIIs' interest in the domestic market," Modi said.

The market breadth was slightly negative, with 1,700 stocks declining and 1,528 advancing. One hundred and sixty-nine stocks hit their 52 week high, and 286 hit the upper circuit.

Bajaj Finance was the best performing index stock and rose 5 per cent, IndusInd rose 4.3 per cent, and ITC rose 3.36 per cent. Barring four, all the sectoral indices gained. Realty and Metal stocks gained the most, and their gauges gained 3.5 and 2.6 per cent, respectively.





(with agencies inputs)
Shares of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) were locked in the 10 per cent upper circuit band for the second straight day, at Rs 87.60 on the BSE on Tuesday, amid rumours of buyout by

The stock is trading at its 52-week high level, surpassing its previous high of Rs 85.85 touched on May 25, 2021. In the past two trading days, it has rallied 21 per cent, as compared to a 0.61 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. Till 10:02 am, around 444,000 equity shares had changed hands and there were pending buy orders for 210,000 shares on the NSE and BSE, data shows.

On its part, has denied any such development and has said the Founder-Promoters, Radhika and Prannoy Roy, are not in discussions now, nor have been, with any entity for a change in ownership or a divestment of their stake in

They individually and through their company, RRPR Holding Private Limited, continue to hold 61.45 per cent of the total paid-up share capital of NDTV, the company said in its exchange filing. READ HERE



The company further said that has no information on why there is a sudden surge in the stock price. "As far as your query about the article is concerned, NDTV cannot control unsubstantiated rumours, nor does it participate in baseless speculation," it added.

recently appointed veteran journalist Sanjay Pugalia as the CEO and editor in chief to lead the media initiatives of the group. Pugalia was more recently the president at Quint Digital Media.

NDTV is in the business of television media and operates operates channels NDTV 24x7 (English), NDTV India (Hindi) and NDTV Profit-NDTV Prime (business and infotainment). The company's segments include television media and related operations, and retail/e-commerce.
The of Paras Defence and Space Technologies was subscribed 16.6 times on Tuesday, the first day of the issue. Most of the bids so far have come from Experts said are enthused by the high premium commanded by Paras Defence in the grey market. On Monday, the company allotted shares worth Rs 51 crore to anchor investors.

The price band for the is Rs 165-175 per share. At the top-end, Paras Defence will have a market capitalisation of Rs 683 crore on a post-diluted basis. The companys comprises Rs 140.6 crore fresh fund raise and Rs 30.2 crore secondary share sale. The company is engaged in manufacturing and testing of defence and space engineering products and solutions.

For the year ended March 2021, Paras Defence had clocked net profit of Rs 16 crore on revenues of Rs 143 crore. The IPO is valued at 43 times FY21 earnings, which does not look to be appealing. While the company states there are no comparable peers for it, other defence companies like Hindustan Aeronautics and Bharat Dynamics are trading at discounts despite generating healthy cash flows and enjoying healthy free cash flow yield, said a note by Reliance Securities titled healthy outlook, weak financials. The order book as on June stood at Rs 305 crore, which is 2.13 times FY21 revenue and offers decent revenue visibility, the note added.
Nifty futures on SGX were up 68 points at 17,442 around 8.33 am, indicating a positive start for the benchmark indices on Tuesday.

Here are the top stocks to track in today's session on Dalal Street:

SBI Card: Private equity firm Carlyle Group will divest 3.4 per cent stake in SBI Cards and Payment Services on Tuesday through a block trade. According to a term sheet reviewed by Business Standard , CA Rover Holdings, a subsidiary of Carlyle, has put on the block 32 million shares in the price band of Rs 1,021Rs 1,072.3 per share. READ MORE

State Bank of India (SBI): Indias largest PSU bank said that it will support Tata groups bid for soon-to-be-privatised Air India by subscribing to Tata Sons debentures or some other alternative. READ MORE

AGC Networks: IT company AGC Networks on Monday said its board has approved the appointment of Essar Group's Anshuman Ruia as executive director of the company. At present, Ruia is leading Essar's investment in asset-light, new age businesses in the technology and fintech domains.

Yes Bank: Private sector lender Yes Bank on Monday announced a partnership with Visa for credit card issuances, in line with peers who are signing up with the payments major after a regulatory ban on Mastercard.

AU Small Finance Bank: The lender on Monday said it has issued over 40,000 credit cards since its launch a few months back, and more than half of them are first time users. The Jaipur based lender said it is the first SFB to enter semi-urban and rural areas with its own credit cards.

Texmaco Rail: Texmaco Rail & Engineering, the flagship company of the Adventz Group, said it plans to diversify into the services segment, primarily in areas like track maintenance, and expand in rail signalling. As part of its diversification and expansion, Texmaco is looking forward to making its presence in the services segment.

Cadila Healthcare: The pharma major said its subsidiary has inked a pact with Integrace Pvt Ltd to sell two brands -- Mifegest and Cytolog. Zydus Healthcare Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has inked the agreement with Integrace, a part of the portfolio companies of private equity firm True North.

PNB: State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) collected nearly Rs 170 crore by levying charges on customers for not maintaining the required minimum balance in their accounts during 2020-21, according to RTI information. The lender's revenue earned from such charges stood at Rs 286.24 crore in 2019-20.

Adani Ports and SEZ: The Competition Commission of India has approved proposed acquisition of 10.40 per cent equity shareholding of Gangavaram Port by the company.

HCL Technologies: The company announced a five-year, digital transformation deal with MKS Instruments Inc., a global provider of instruments, systems, subsystems, and solutions for advanced manufacturing processes, to improve performance, productivity, and speed to market.

Action Construction Equipment: The company launched its QIP on Monday. The floor price of Rs 254.55 per equity share is at a premium of 2.62 per cent to Monday closing price. The board will meet on September 23 to approve issue price.

Glenmark Pharma: The company received US FDA nod for Clindamycin Phosphate Foam, used on skin to Treat acne.

Kitex Garments: The company has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telangana State Government for investing Rs 2,406 crore in Telangana.

The Mandhana Retail Ventures: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala sold additional 98,094 equity shares in the company on September 17 and September 20, reducing shareholding to 10.32 percent from 10.77 percent earlier.
The key equity indices were trading near the flat line in morning trade. The Nifty managed to hold above the 17,400 mark. Metal stocks continued to witness sell off for the fourth day in a row.

At 10:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 12.35 points or 0.02% to 58,503.28. The Nifty 50 index added 5.80 points or 0.03% to 17,402.70.

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rose 1.65% to 17.78.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index slipped 0.65% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 1.47%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 822 shares rose and 2042 shares fell. A total of 125 shares were unchanged.

Global shares slumped amid concern about China's crackdown on the real-estate sector and the debt crisis at developer China Evergrande Group.

COVID-19 Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 229,049,749 with 4,699,564 deaths. India reported 309,575 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 445,385 deaths according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

A total of 81,78,68,213 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, with over 96.18 lakh doses being given yesterday, according to the Co-WIN dashboard.

Economy:

The Reserve Bank of India will conduct open market purchase of Government Securities under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on 23 September 2021. Simultaneously, the bank will also sale government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on the same day.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index slipped 0.21% to 5,298. The index has declined by 9.58% in four sessions.

APL Apollo Tubes (down 2.56%), Hindustan Zinc (down 2.26%), Ratnamani Metals Tubes (down 1.52%), Adani Enterprises (down 1.04%) and NMDC (down 0.99%) edged lower.

Meanwhile, Welspun Corp (up 1.27%), JSW Steel (up 1.24%), National Aluminum Co. (up 0.93%), Coal India (up 0.55%) and SAIL (up 0.28%) bucked the trend.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) fell 1.20% to Rs 739.95. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved proposed acquisition of 10.40% equity shareholding of Gangavaram Port by the company.

Kolte-Patil Developers jumped 5.81% to Rs 326.5 after PGIM India Mutual Fund acquired 5 lakh equity shares of the company via bulk deal on Monday, 20 September 2021.

PGIM India Mutual Fund bought 5,00,000 equity shares (or 0.65% stake) of Kolte-Patil at an average price of Rs 314.36 per equity share via bulk deals on the NSE yesterday, 20 September 2021. The total amount invested is Rs 15.71 crore.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To offer last mile banking services in urban, semi-urban and rural areas

BLS International Services has been selected as National Business Correspondent for India's largest bank, State Bank of India to deliver banking services in urban, semi-urban and rural areas across the country. BLS International shall deliver last mile banking services to support the financial inclusion mission of Government of India.

BLS will soon provide banking services on behalf of State Bank of India like savings bank deposits, fixed deposit, recurring deposit, remittances, micro pension, micro insurance, account open with e-KYC, AEPS mini statement, passbook printing for SBI account holders spread across India.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chalet Hotels rose 2.53% to Rs 188.25 after the company said it has joined Climate Group's RE100, EP100 and EV100 initiatives.

Chalet Hotels said it has become the first hospitality company, globally, to join Climate Group's RE100, EP100 and EV100 initiatives linked to renewable electricity, energy efficiency and electric mobility respectively.

Under the three initiatives by Climate Group, Chalet Hotels has committed that all properties under its portfolio will move to 100% renewable electricity by year 2031.

Chalet Hotels has committed to double its revenue per unit of electricity consumed by the year 2029, considering a baseline year of 2016.

Further, 100% of the vehicle fleet deployed across the properties in the company's portfolio, that is used for guest transport, will transition to electric vehicles by 2025. All Chalet properties will be equipped with EV charging points accessible to both employees and visitors.

Amongst its other sustainability initiatives, Chalet Hotels is in the process of putting into place measurable benchmarks to monitor its carbon footprint, and electricity and water consumption through the deployment of solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation. Hotels of the Chalet portfolio ensure 0% waste-water discharge and have been committed to reducing use of single use plastic and paper. The company has reduced overall energy consumption, by investing in energy efficient devices, automation, and latest technology, across its portfolio.

On a consolidated basis, Chalet Hotels reported net loss of to Rs 41.66 crore in Q1 June 2021 as against net loss of Rs 39.36 crore in Q1 June 2020. Net sales rose 32.12% to Rs 69.52 crore in Q1 June 2021 over Q1 June 2020.

Chalet Hotels is an owner, developer and asset manager of high-end hotels in key metro cities in India. Its hotel platform comprises seven operating hotels, including a hotel with a co-located serviced residence, located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune.

The stock has risen 13.47% in one month compared with the Sensex's 6.39% rise in the same period. It has risen 26.26% in one year as against 54.77% rise in the Sensex.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Clean Science & Technology announced that the company has entered into an agreement for assignment of lease to acquire Plot No. D-2, MIDC Kurkumbh, Taluka Daund, Dist.

Pune, admeasuring 1,32,681.50 Sq. Mtr. along with 14,065.90 Sq. Mtr. building constructed thereon from Shree Samrat Pulp and Paper Private Limited for a consideration of Rs. 32.01 crore, subject to obtaining various approvals and permissions from the concerned authorities including MIDC, to set up an additional manufacturing facility.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
HCL Technologies announced a five-year, digital transformation deal with MKS Instruments Inc., a global provider of instruments, systems, subsystems and solutions for advanced manufacturing processes, to improve performance, productivity and speed to market.

Shares of SBI Cards and Payment Services will be in focus. CA Rover Holdings, an affiliate of Carlyle Asia may reportedly sell 3.2 crore shares in the company through a block trade. Shares are being offered at Rs 1,021 to Rs 1,072.3 each.

Zydus Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cadila Healthcare has entered into an agreement with Integrace Private Limited ('Purchaser') to sell two brands viz. Mifegest and Cytolog.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (Glenmark) has received final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for Clindamycin Phosphate Foam, 1%, the generic version of Evoclin1 Foam, 1%, of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Kitex Garments has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telangana State Government for investing Rs. 2,406 crores in the state of Telangana. The investment is planned at Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, Warangal and Industrial Park, Sitarampur, Rangareddy District.

Action Construction Equipment launched its Qualified Institutions Placement on Monday. The floor price has been fixed at Rs 254.55 per share for the offer.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Copper slipped 1.44% to Rs 109.25, extending losses for fifth day.

The stock has declined by 13.36% in five sessions, from its recent closing high of Rs 126.10 recorded on 14 September 2021.

The stock has fallen 44.51% from its 52-week high of Rs 196.90 hit on 11 May 2021. The stock is trading below its 50-day, 100-day and 200-day daily simple moving average (SMA) placed at 131.18, 145.72 and 119.43, respectively.

On the technical front, the stock's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 32.924. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30.

On 15 September 2021, the Government of India announced an offer for sale (OFS) for offloading some shares of Hindustan Copper.

Through the OFS, the Government of India (GoI) proposed to sell up to 4,83,51,201 equity shares (representing 5% stake), with an option to sell an additional 5% stake or 4,83,51,201 equity shares in case of oversubscription. GoI held 72.76% stake in Hindustan Copper as of 30 June 2021.

The floor price for the OFS is Rs 116 per equity share, at a 6.83% discount to Hindustan Copper's closing price of Rs 124.50 recorded on the BSE on Wednesday, 15 September 2021.

The OFS opened on Thursday (16 September 2021) for non-retail investors, while both retail as well as non-retail investors were allowed to subscribe on Friday (17 September 2021). A total of 10% of the offer size was reserved for retail investors.

On Thursday (T day), the OFS received subscription for 6,14,66,049 shares or 141.25% against the base non-retail offer size of 4,35,16,080 shares.

Following the strong response on T day, the government decided to exercise the oversubscription option of 1,99,44,409 shares (2.06% equity) in addition to the base offer.

Accordingly, the final share sale was 6,82,95,610 shares, constituting 7.06% of the paid-up equity share capital of Hindustan Copper.

As on 15:30 IST on Friday (T+1 day), the OFS received total bids for 25,18,144 shares or 36.87% of the enhanced total retail offer size of 68,29,561 shares. All the bids were placed by retail investors.

Hindustan Copper is engaged in exploration, exploitation, mining of copper and copper ore, including beneficiation of minerals, smelting and refining.

The company's consolidated net profit rose 53.69% to Rs 45.63 crore on a 37.97% decline in net sales to Rs 267.60 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The benchmark indices were trading with small losses in early afternoon trade. The Nifty index hovered a tad below 17,400 level. Global shares slumped amid concern about China's crackdown on the real-estate sector and the debt crisis at developer China Evergrande Group.

At 12:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, skid 55.16 points or 0.09% at 58,435.77. The Nifty 50 index lost 4.15 points or 0.02% at 17,392.75.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.15% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index shed 0.93%.

The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,039 shares rose and 2,060 shares fell. A total of 155 shares were unchanged.

Economy:

The Reserve Bank of India will conduct open market purchase of Government Securities under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on 23 September 2021. Simultaneously, the bank will also sale government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on the same day.

Primary Market:

Paras Defence and Space Technologies IPO opened for subscription from Tuesday (21 September) and it will close on Thursday (23 September).

The offer comprises of a fresh issue of up to Rs 140.60 crore and an offer for sale of up to 17,24,490 equity shares (including anchor portion of 29,27,485 equity shares) in the price band of Rs 165 to Rs 175 per share.

As on 12:15 IST, the IPO received bids for 4.89 crore shares as against 71.40 lakh shares on offer. The issue was subscribed 6.86 times so far.

The company intends to utilize the net proceeds from the fresh issue towards purchase of machinery and equipment amounting Rs 34.657 crore, funding incremental working capital requirements amounting Rs 60 crore, repayment or prepayment of all or certain borrowings amounting Rs 12 crore and for general corporate purposes. As of 31 July 2021, its aggregate outstanding indebtedness was Rs 115.827 crore.

Paras Defence and Space Technologies is primarily engaged in designing, developing, manufacturing and testing of a wide range of defence and space engineering products and solutions.

Coronavirus Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 22,90,83,964 with 47,00,015 deaths. India reported 3,09,575 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 4,45,385 deaths while 3,27,49,574 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

A total of 81,78,68,213 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, with over 96.18 lakh doses being given yesterday, according to the Co-WIN dashboard.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of market's expectation of volatility over the near term, rose 0.24% to 17.5350. The Nifty 30 September 2021 futures were trading at 17,385.15, at a discount of 7.60 points as compared with the spot at 17,392.75.

The Nifty option chain for 30 September 2021 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 21 lakh contracts at the 17,500 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 32.4 lakh contracts was seen at 17,000 strike price.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Auto index fell 1.37% to 10,062.95. The index lost 2.78% in two trading sessions.

TVS Motor Company (down 3.59%), Maruti Suzuki India (down 2.47%), Exide Industries (down 2.28%), Hero MotoCorp (down 1.96%) and Bajaj Auto (down 1.88%) were the major losers in the Auto segment.

Tata Motors fell 0.70%. The company on Tuesday announced that it will increase the price of its commercial vehicle range in effect from 1 October 2021. The effective price hike will be in the range of 2% and will be implemented on the basis of the model and the variant of the vehicle. On 3 August, the company announced that it will increase prices of its passenger vehicles, on an average of 0.8%, depending on the variant and model.

The automobile maker said that the continued rise in the cost of commodities, such as steel and precious metals, necessitates the company to pass on a part of it through increase in price of the products. The company assured that it has strived to minimise the increase in the price by absorbing a certain portion of the cost at various levels of manufacturing. Furthermore, Tata Motors said it continues the efforts to deliver the lowest total cost of ownership for its customers.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals gained 1.42% after the company announced that it has received final approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration for clindamycin phosphate foam. Clindamycin phosphate foam is the generic version of evoclin foam of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. According to IQVIA sales data for the 12 month period ending July 2021, the Evoclin Foam market achieved annual sales of approximately $12.0 million. Clindamycin is used to treat severe acne in adults and children who are at least 12 years old.

Cadila Healthcare rose 0.15%. Zydus Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cadila Healthcare, entered into an agreement on Monday, 20 September 2021 with Integrace, the purchaser, to sell two brands viz. Mifegest and Cytolog. The transaction is expected to be completed within 30 days from the date of execution of agreement subject to customary approvals. The purchaser is a part of the portfolio companies of private equity (PE) firm, True North. Mifegest is an anti-progestational steroid class of drug used for medical termination of pregnancy while Cytolog tablet is a medicine used for medical abortion.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The key equity indices ended near the day's high after a volatile session on Tuesday. The Nifty closed above the 17,550 mark after hitting the day's low of 17,326.10 in mid-morning trade. Metal shares bounced following a selloff in the past three sessions.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 514.34 points or 0.88% to 59,005.27. The Nifty 50 index added 165.10 points or 0.95% to 17,562.

Oil India (up 7.04%), ONGC (up 5.14%) and Bajaj Finance (4.94%) were some of the prominent largecap gainers.

The broader market traded sideways as the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.79% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index declined 0.14%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1630 shares rose and 1599 shares fell. A total of 172 shares were unchanged.

COVID-19 Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 22,90,83,964 with 47,00,041 deaths. India reported 3,09,575 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 4,45,385 deaths while 3,27,49,574 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

A total of 81,78,68,213 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, with over 96.18 lakh doses being given yesterday, according to the Co-WIN dashboard.

Economy:

The Reserve Bank of India will conduct open market purchase of Government Securities under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 2.0) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on 23 September 2021. Simultaneously, the bank will also sale government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore on the same day.

Primary Market:

Paras Defence and Space Technologies IPO opened for subscription from Tuesday (21 September) and it will close on Thursday (23 September).

The offer comprises of a fresh issue of up to Rs 140.60 crore and an offer for sale of up to 17,24,490 equity shares (including anchor portion of 29,27,485 equity shares) in the price band of Rs 165 to Rs 175 per share.

As on 15:27 IST, the IPO received bids for 9.58 crore shares as against 71.40 lakh shares on offer. The issue was subscribed 13.42 times so far.

The company intends to utilize the net proceeds from the fresh issue towards purchase of machinery and equipment amounting Rs 34.657 crore, funding incremental working capital requirements amounting Rs 60 crore, repayment or prepayment of all or certain borrowings amounting Rs 12 crore and for general corporate purposes. As of 31 July 2021, its aggregate outstanding indebtedness was Rs 115.827 crore.

Paras Defence and Space Technologies is primarily engaged in designing, developing, manufacturing and testing of a wide range of defence and space engineering products and solutions.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index rose 2.56% to 5,445.10. The index has declined by 9.39% in the past three sessions.

JSW Steel (up 5.65%), SAIL (up 5.20%), National Aluminum Co. (up 3.32%), Tata Steel (up 3.26%), Welspun Corp (up 3.14%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 3.06%), Vedanta (up 2.14%) and Hindalco Industries (up 1.49%) advanced.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) rose 0.14% to Rs 750. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved proposed acquisition of 10.40% equity shareholding of Gangavaram Port by the company.

Kolte-Patil Developers jumped 4.25% to Rs 322.20. PGIM India Mutual Fund bought 5,00,000 equity shares (or 0.65% stake) of Kolte-Patil at an average price of Rs 314.36 per equity share via bulk deals on the NSE yesterday, 20 September 2021. The total amount invested is Rs 15.71 crore.

Larsen & Toubro added 0.90% to Rs 1719.15. The company's wholly owned subsidiary, L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering received 'significant' order in the construction services segment - one each from GAIL India and Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases. According L&T's classification, the value of the said contracts lies between Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 2,500 crore.

SBI Cards and Payment Services shed 0.53% to Rs 1066 after series of bulk deals in early trade.

On the BSE, 15.04 lakh shares were traded on the counter compared with the average daily volume of 2.24 lakh shares in the past two weeks. On the NSE, 3.97 crore shares were traded on the counter compared with the average daily volume of 88.62 lakh shares in the past one quarter.

The media reported that US private equity fund CA Rover Holdings, an affiliate of Carlyle Asia Partners, is selling 3.2 crore shares, or 3.4% stake, in SBI Cards and Payment Services worth $443 million or Rs 3,267 crore through the stock exchange platform on Tuesday. As of 30 June 2021, CA Rover Holdings held a 6.50% stake in the company.

Tata Motors advanced 0.80% to Rs 301.45. The company on Tuesday announced that it will increase the price of its commercial vehicle range in effect from 1 October 2021. The automobile maker said that the continued rise in the cost of commodities, such as steel and precious metals, necessitates the company to pass on a part of it through increase in price of the products.

HCL Technologies rose 1.84% to Rs 1298.80. The company announced a five-year, digital transformation deal with MKS Instruments Inc., a global provider of instruments, systems, subsystems, and solutions for advanced manufacturing processes, to improve performance, productivity, and speed to market.

Separately, the IT firm said that it has entered a multi-year application services transformation partnership with Lendico, a brand of ING Germany, to deliver application and engineering services to help it create a digital platform that makes business banking faster and more convenient for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Kitex Garments gained 1.74% to Rs 172.70. The company has signed the memorandum of understanding with Telangana State Government for investing Rs 2,406 crore in the state of Telangana. The investment is planned at Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, Warangal and Industrial Park, Sitarampur.

Global Markets:

European stocks advanced across the board while most Asian stocks ended higher on Tuesday.

Markets in mainland China and South Korea were closed on Tuesday for a holiday.

US stocks fell in a broad sell-off on Monday, as fear of contagion from potential collapse of China's Evergrande drove investors out of equities in a flight for safety.

The US Federal Reserve is due to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday as investors look for cues on when it will begin pulling back on its bond purchases. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference Wednesday at the conclusion of the two-day meeting.

Powell had said the so-called tapering could occur this year, but investors are waiting for more specifics, particularly after mixed economic data released since Powell's last comments.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tata Motors on Tuesday announced that it will increase the price of its commercial vehicle range in effect from 1 October 2021.

The automobile maker said that the continued rise in the cost of commodities, such as steel and precious metals, necessitates the company to pass on a part of it through increase in price of the products. The company assured that it has strived to minimise the increase in the price by absorbing a certain portion of the cost at various levels of manufacturing. Furthermore, Tata Motors said it continues the efforts to deliver the lowest total cost of ownership for its customers.

The commercial vehicle manufacturer said the effective price hike, will be in the range of 2% and will be implemented on the basis of the model and the variant of the vehicle.

On 3 August, the company announced that it will increase prices of its passenger vehicles, on an average of 0.8%, depending on the variant and model.

Shares of Tata Motors were trading 0.84% lower at Rs 296.55 on BSE.

Tata Motors is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. The auto major's consolidated net loss contracted to Rs 4,450.92 crore in Q1 FY22 as compared to a net loss of Rs 8,437.99 crore in Q1 FY21. Total revenue from operations soared 107.63% YoY to Rs 66,406.45 crore in Q1 FY22.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Utilties stocks were trading with losses, with the S&P BSE Utilities index decreasing 21 points or 0.76% at 2738.42 at 13:50 IST.

Among the components of the S&P BSE Utilities index, Adani Transmission Ltd (down 5%), Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (down 5%),CESC Ltd (down 3.76%),Gujarat State Petronet Ltd (down 2.98%),Reliance Power Ltd (down 2.23%), were the top losers. Among the other losers were NLC India Ltd (down 1.81%), Va Tech Wabag Ltd (down 1.78%), Gujarat Industries Power Co Ltd (down 1.36%), SJVN Ltd (down 1.1%), and PTC India Ltd (down 1.09%).

On the other hand, Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd (up 1.44%), Tata Power Company Ltd (up 1%), and NTPC Ltd (up 0.98%) turned up.

At 13:50 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 306.97 or 0.52% at 58797.9.

The Nifty 50 index was up 101.3 points or 0.58% at 17498.2.

The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was down 57 points or 0.21% at 27433.27.

The S&P BSE 150 Midcap Index index was up 18.8 points or 0.22% at 8508.43.

On BSE,1323 shares were trading in green, 1808 were trading in red and 165 were unchanged.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the latest data of gross domestic product, pertaining to the three months between April and June 2021, private final consumption expenditure appeared stable as it continued to account for over 55 per cent of growth  it was 55.1 per cent of real gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2021 as compared to 55.4 per cent in the equivalent quarter of the previous year. The data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suggest that ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
Punjab's new Chief Minister held talks with leaders in the national capital on Tuesday about cabinet formation.

Channi, his two deputies Sukhjinder Randhawa and O P Soni, along with state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu met AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and held deliberations.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat was also present during the meeting.

The also approved the names of Pargat Singh and Yoginder Pal Dhingra as new general secretaries of the Punjab Congress Committee.

Gulzar Inder Chahal was appointed as the PPCC treasurer, according to an official AICC statement.

Channi, his two deputies and Sidhu earlier met veteran party leader Ambika Soni at her residence.

They met Venugopal at his residence along with Rawat and discussed the formulation of the new Punjab Cabinet.

Channi and others were to meet Rahul Gandhi, but the meeting could not take place as he is not in Delhi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's claim of "aam aadmi sarkar", the on Tuesday questioned the use of a chartered flight to Delhi by him and his deputies.

Channi, his two deputies and chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday flew to Delhi in a chartered flight to hold discussions over the new state Cabinet with the party's central leadership, according to sources.

Slamming the leaders, the SAD in a tweet said, "After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 kms from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used?"



"Or is this chest thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi family's Delhi darbar culture," the party tweeted.

In Delhi, the leaders are expected to meet AICC general secretary Harish Rawat and other party leaders for deliberations on cabinet expansion, said party sources.

Sidhu uploaded a photo of him in which he was seen with Channi and Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa beside a chartered plane.

"In line of duty !!," Sidhu tweeted.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Targeting the BJP over the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Hindutva has been strangulated in and sought a CBI probe into the mysterious death of the top seer.

The influential Hindu seer was found dead on Monday at Baghambari Muth in Allahabad, He was the president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the largest organisation of sadhus in India.

Talking to reporters here, Raut said the reason cited for the seer's death is suicide, but his followers feel that he was murdered.

Someone has strangulated Hindutva in There should be a CBI inquiry (into the seer's death) the way we (Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra) did in Palghar, Raut said.

Referring to the lynching of two sadhus and their driver in Palghar in April 2020, Raut said the BJP had at that time said that Hindutva had been attacked.

On April 16, 2020, a mob lynched two sadhus Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70) and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) - and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) at Gadchinchale in Palghar district, 140 km north of Mumbai.

Recalling his party's links with the top seer, Raut said he was associated with the Kumbh Mela and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and as a Hindutva organisation, the received his blessings several times.

According to Inspector General of Police K P Singh, Mahant Giri's body was found hanging from the ceiling by his disciples.

A purported suicide note of seven-eight pages was also found at the site in which the seer had written that he was mentally disturbed and was ending his life. The seer had written he was upset with one of his disciples, the police said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
has been upgrading its budget and midrange to make them ready for the upcoming network. Fresh in the South Korean electronics makers smartphone portfolio, the Galaxy A52s is based on the Galaxy A52. The upgraded model is powered by a newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G system-on-chip, which brings with it network support and a boost in performance over the predecessors Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC.

Starting with 5G, says the Galaxy A52s has support for up to 12 network bands. What it means to the phones network capability, however, cannot be judged until the 5G network becomes available in India. Therefore, though the 5G network support makes the Galaxy A52s future ready, it is a novelty with little actual benefit for now.

Coming to performance gains, the phone handles everyday operations with ease and does a decent job with regard to heavy-duty tasks. Gaming performance is good too, but some graphic-intensive gaming titles are best played in medium graphics settings. The phone warms up at times, but not so much as to become uncomfortable to use.

Besides 5G and performance, has also made some changes to the display but the upgrade here is incremental. Though exactly of the same size (6.5-inch) and type (sAMOLED fullHD+) as the predecessors, the Galaxy A52s screen boosts 120Hz refresh rate. It is hard to notice the difference between screens of 90Hz and 120Hz, but a higher refresh rate is considered better.

Apart from these changes, the Galaxy A52s is exactly the same as the outgoing model. It has a plastic construction with a Gorilla Glass protection on the screen. The smartphone is IP67-rated for water and dust damages protection. It has dual stereo speakers, supported by Dolby Atmos. The audio output through speakers is top-notch, especially while playing games and streaming music and videos.

There is also a 3.5mm audio jack for wired audio output.

Imaging is covered by a quad-camera array on the back and a camera in the punch-hole slot on the front. The Galaxy A52s is powered by a 4,500 mAh battery, supported by a 25W fast charger. You can read in detail about the camera and battery performance here (review) in the Galaxy A52 review.

One thing that I wished would change  but has not  is the user experience. It is a familiar one that Samsung offers in its budget and midrange There is a lot of preloaded bloatware, including some that cannot be uninstalled from the phone. On top of that, there are ads in the user interface and the Galaxy A52s gets constant notification from the AppCloud service to complete the device set-up. Once you click on the notification, it redirects to the IronSource app store, which asks for your permission to install and make recommendations on new apps of interest. Surprisingly, you cannot bypass this part of set-up as the notification keeps popping up until you approve the permission. Moreover, the set-up compels you to download and install more junk in the smartphone in the name of recommended apps. There is a way to not do so but it is not direct and can only be done if you have time and patience.

Verdict

Priced Rs 35,999 onwards, the Galaxy A52s brings incremental but meaningful upgrades over the predecessor. The smartphone is geared for 5G experience, but it is only as good as the ongoing model till 5G becomes available in India. For now, the phones performance and display are the only upgrades differentiating the user experience. That said, consider the Galaxy A52s if you plan to jump on to the 5G bandwagon before the availability of the network. Otherwise, the Galaxy A52 still makes a better choice, simply because it is inexpensive and has more or less the same features.
FAI rent-a-jet, a leading Special Mission Operator in Germany, has configured one of its seven Global Express aircraft as a dedicated air ambulance.

The move follows increasing demand from the market for ultra-long-range air ambulance missions. FAI has completed 10 ultra-long-range air ambulance missions over the past two months alone.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

The company is focused on building up its air ambulance capabilities in long and ultra-long-range missions with a view to strengthening its position as a world leader in the field.

Volker Lemke, head of FAIs Air Ambulance Division said, Over the past year, we have experienced a significant increase in demand for long and ultra-long-range air ambulance business on sorties from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Equally, we have seen increased demand in the short and medium range repatriation air ambulance business. As a result, we are pleased to commit and dedicate one of our Global Express aircraft to air ambulance, which will enable us to be more agile and mission-ready within minutes.

Previously, FAI converted the interior of the Global Express and configured it for air ambulance missions on a case-by-case basis. In medevac use, the aircraft features up to three Spectrum Aeromed ICUs.

The Globals non-stop range of 6000 nm enables transport of up to three intensive care patients in addition to FAIs specially trained medical teams and co-travellers from the west coast of the US to Europe, the US east coast to the Middle East or from Europe to the Far East.

Award-winning FAI has been at the forefront of supporting the Covid pandemic response and earlier in the year was honoured with the Pandemic Response Special Award at the Middle East Annual Aviation Achievement Awards. In 2020, FAI had one of its busiest years ever for its air ambulance fleet owing to the pandemic.

This included medical evacuations of infected patients and repatriation flights of unaffected healthy individuals from all corners of the globe. During this time, FAI pioneered the roll-out of Covid-19 aeromedical transport capability, the EpiShuttle isolation pod. This enables self-contained oxygen and air ventilation directly to the patient, isolated from the cabins airflow.

The company is one of the worlds largest air ambulance jet operators by revenue. The 10-strong air ambulance fleet comprising Bombardier Global Express, Challenger 604 and Learjet 60 is based at FAIs Headquarters at Albrecht Durer International Airport in Nuremberg. It is supported by more than 200 full-time staff plus 50 part-time physicians, nurses and paramedics. The company also specialises in air support in hostile areas for the worlds largest NGO.
Shell has announced its ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel a year by 2025. It also aims to have at least 10% of its global aviation fuel sales as SAF by 2030.

Currently, sustainable aviation fuel accounts for less than 0.1% of the worlds use of aviation fuel. We want to help our customers use more SAF, said Anna Mascolo, president of Shell Aviation. With the right policies, investments and collaboration across the sector we can accelerate aviations progress towards net zero by 2050.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

Last week we announced that we have taken a final investment decision for a new biofuels plant at our Rotterdam Energy and Chemicals Park. Shell also offers certified nature-based carbon credits to offset emissions, and we are exploring other ways to help aviation get to net zero, including hydrogen power.

The announcement came as Shell published two reports looking at how the aviation sector can accelerate its progress towards decarbonisation.

Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off is a joint report by Shell and Deloitte, based on the views of more than 100 aviation industry executives and experts. It says that the current global industry targets are not ambitious enough, and that the aviation sector should aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The report outlines 15 ways to reduce emissions between now and 2030 that will help aviation to reach net zero by 2050.

Shells companion report Decarbonising Aviation: Shells Flight Path outlines how Shell, as one of the worlds largest suppliers of aviation fuel and lubricants, can help its aviation customers decarbonise. It announces Shells ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of SAF a year by 2025. Currently, Shell supplies SAF made by others. Achieving the new ambition would make Shell a leading global producer of SAF and support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.

The SAF production ambition would align with Shells target of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society.

The ambition was announced the week after Shell said it will build a biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with the ability to produce 820,000 tonnes of low-carbon fuels a year, including SAF.
In 1981, Baha Eddin Hadid, founded the company that we now know as Hadid International Services (HADID). Headquartered in Dubai, HADID has grown from a regional flight support company to a pioneer of flight services in the Middle East.

It emerged as a global provider of a comprehensive spectrum of aviation support services, as well as FBO and Executive Lounge facilities. Commercial airlines, private operators, corporate executives, heads of state, government agencies and non-governmental organisations are all part of HADIDs diversified clientele.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

As a company, HADID has evolved to conduct its business worldwide. The list of countries where HADID operate includes the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, China, India, Malaysia, Niger, Ethiopia, France, and Italy, to name a few.

HADIDs mission throughout the years has been to consistently improve its services to achieve maximum client satisfaction.

Services provided

HADID offers a wide range of aviation support services including the operation and management of several FBOs, or as HADID prefers to term them: Executive Aviation Terminals.

Flight Permits  For all accessible flight types and routes, HADID can obtain all the necessary permits needed, including overflight and landing clearances.

HADID can also secure permits for commercial and general aviation flights, emergency and diplomatic missions worldwide, with shorter average lead times than the official/regulatory averages.

HADIDs flight permits department is available 24/7 and will also assist with Special Clearance and pre-clearance of flights including Advanced Passenger Information (API) and US TSA Waivers.

Ground Support  Ground support covers three primary areas: handling, fueling and concierge. HADID can deliver dependable on-demand ground handling wherever you are in the world. HADID is driven to provide excellent value to its clients through a global network of trusted partners and agents.

HADID continuously provides high-quality service while minimizing turnaround times for all types of aircraft. Its aviation fuel services are designed to give you complete peace of mind by ensuring a reliable, timely and efficient fuel supply. HADID offers very competitive pricing due to its excellent supplier partnerships.

A dedicated team of concierge specialists, trained and proficient in multiple languages, stands ready to help you plan your trip without any hassles or disappointments with a variety of services such as airport meet-and-greet, visa assistance, accommodation and transportation arrangements.

Air Charter HADID charter services cater to a diverse spectrum of clients and scenarios. HADID provides charter services for governmental missions, cargo missions, humanitarian missions, emergencies, and medical evacuations (MEDEVAC). HADID also offers helicopter charter flights services and other services based on your requirements.

Navigation Support  HADIDs highly experienced Navigational Support Services department works closely with worldwide Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) to ensure quick and efficient navigation fees generated by the relevant authorities. In addition, Hadid reviews CAA invoices to ensure their costs are accurate based on flight details and will fix any anomalies while providing exact conversion rates.

Flight Planning  HADID uses in-house methods and software to provide International Flight Planning (IFP) with various layers of optimisation for its clients. HADID generates flight plans based on multiple characteristics such as flight destinations, aircraft performance, and weather conditions to ensure fuel efficiency and accurate flight information while maintaining maximum safety and security.

Governmental Flight Support  HADIDs streamlined services can also serve governmental aviation sectors. HADID provides the same immaculate level of service to Diplomatic Missions, Heads of State, Air Forces, United Nations Missions, Chartered Diplomatic Delegations, National Teams, Ministries, and NGOs. HADID is committed to maintaining discretion and protecting the confidentiality of its clients.

Executive Aviation Terminals

In 2018, HADID partnered with Riviera Airport (IATA: ALL, ICAO: LIMG) in Italy to operate and manage the Executive Aviation Terminal. HADID Riviera was formed to develop and administer executive aviation services at the airport, including the newly renovated Executive Aviation Terminal.

The airport is exclusive to business aviation, catering mainly to high-net-worth clientele flying to and from surrounding areas. HADID Riviera has evolved into a world-class facility with a full array of GSE and service vehicles and HADIDs ground crews on-site.

The inside features a business centre, meeting rooms, staff, and passenger rest areas, as well as fast-track CQI.

As part of the aviation and executive lounge services, HADID offers flight permits, planning, ground handling, fuelling, concierge, charter flights, medical evacuations, and preparations for VIP helicopter and limo services.

HADID also operates an Executive Aviation Terminal in Karachi, known as the Mehran Lounge. Just like the Riviera lounge, the Mehran Lounge boasts best-in-class facilities. HADID also has an Operations Control Centre (OCC) to secure landing and overflight permits, generate optimised flight plans, conduct flight-following, pertinent NOTAM updates, perform airport analyses, and more.

Meanwhile, HADIDs concierge departments handle passenger and crew arrangements such as airport meet and greet, transportation, hotel accommodation, and visa assistance.

Having seen strong results and positive client feedback through its existing facilities, HADID is expanding its network to a number of other promising locations.

40 years of Expertise

As mentioned earlier, Hadid International Services has evolved to conduct business worldwide. HADID now provides a complete variety of international trip planning services and air charters, Executive Aviation Terminal management, and governmental flight assistance.

Until the year 2000, HADID was the only global flight support firm of its kind in the Middle East. As digital transformation began in 2002, HADID developed a powerful in-house proprietary software system dubbed MASTER and later upgraded to COMPASS. COMPASS remains the companys flight management system and CRM handling thousands of flights.

Also in the early 2000s HADID began offering services more internationally, expanding its first operations centre outside the Middle East at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. Following this, HADID quickly expanded to other markets across the USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

HADID celebrated a significant milestone in 2010 when it opened its first office in New Delhi, India. Since its inception, the company has been a trusted provider to Indias booming aviation industry while expanding its service offerings.

HADID is a firm that has constantly progressed over its 40-year history while building a reputation as a trusted worldwide provider of aviation services with a commitment to service excellence. HADID has and will always be dedicated to providing outstanding services to its clients and people on a global scale.

During the pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, HADID has sought to reassure its clientele that not only is it fully functioning 24/7, but that the health and safety of its staff, customers, and vendors will always be the companys top priority. HADID has navigated the pandemic by applying focus on clear directions.

As a company, HADID is committed to carrying out health and safety policies in compliance with local and international laws throughout its global offices and representative stations. HADID has worked closely with various airlines, CAAs, operators, other authorities ever since the Covid-19 outbreak. For over 40 years, HADID has been relied upon for support in difficult locations during challenging times.

HADID works in strict accordance with international financial regulations and data privacy policies. As a company, it is highly conscientious in its approach towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The company has evolved from a regional flight support firm to a global provider of aviation services. HADID is committed to employing intelligent, user-friendly technology while also fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
China Evergrande Group, the property developer currently on the brink of default, has made many efforts over the years to branch off into businesses beyond real estate, but what is more impressive is how it has managed to manipulate the capital markets through the stories it created.

One such story is Evergrande as a new-energy car maker. The market value of China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group Ltd. (Evergrande Auto), which has yet to sell a single car, once surged to as high as HK$674.1 billion ($86.6 billion), making it not only the most valuable listed car company in China, but also worth twice as much as its parent Evergrande. Nevermind that Evergrande has sold several trillion yuan worth of homes over the past 20 years.

But times have changed. Evergrande Auto is now valued around HK$30 billion, about 4% of its peak. On Tuesday, the company granted 323.72 million share options worth HK$1.26 billion to three directors and around 3,180 employees of the company, according to a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The people who have profited most from Evergrandes stories are its founder, Hui Ka Yan, and his friends. For example, one person in Huis circle bought 80 million shares in Evergrande Health Industry Group Ltd.  Evergrande Autos predecessor before it was renamed to match its new purpose  for HK$0.3 a piece, before selling it all for HK$50 a share, Caixin has learned. The deal netted the investor more than HK$4 billion.

Encouraged by his runaway success, Huis friend also participated in Evergrande Autos private placement, only to find that his luck had changed, Caixin has learned. He continued to buy up shares as the stock price fell, but eventually was forced to sell it off at a loss.

Evergrande Autos primary purpose was to raise capital for the group company Evergrande. The parent claimed that it had invested 47.4 billion yuan in its automaking business, but some analysts believe the bulk of that investment came from the market, not Evergrande itself.

Evergrande Auto had raised 30 billion yuan in two rounds, which means that the company mostly used investors money  instead of its own capital  to invest, and it managed to gain a high market value (for the auto company). Consequently, with its shares (in the auto company) at high price, it could use them as collateral to raise even more money, one analyst said.

As Evergrande Autos story unfolded, the plot focused on M&A, not on making cars. In September 2018, Evergrande bought a major stake in Xinjiang Guanghui Industry Investment Group Co. Ltd. for 14.5 billion yuan, becoming the companys second-largest shareholder. That deal brought auto sales into the storyline because Guanghui Industry Investment is a stakeholder in China Grand Automotive Services Group Co. Ltd. (600297.SH), one of the largest auto dealers in the country. That particular storyline never really went anywhere, though. In 2019, a cash-strapped Evergrande sold off its stake in Guanghui Industry Investment to the state-owned energy giant Shenergy Group Co. Ltd. for 14.85 billion yuan.

In January 2019, Evergrande Autos predecessor, Evergrande Health, acquired 51% of National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) for $930 million. Hui, whose name is Xu Jiayin in Mandarin, closed the deal quickly, possibly because he needed to bolster Evergrandes carmaking bona fides after his decision to collaborate with controversy-plagued businessman Jia Yueting on the electric car project Faraday Future (FF) went bad. Without FF, Xu needed something to give Evergrandes identity as a carmaker some substance, and NEVS fit the bill. It worked. After buying a piece of NEVS, Evergrande Healths stock price skyrocketed.

The whipsawing of Evergrande Healths stock price is partly due to the fact that its stock is concentrated in the hands of relatively few shareholders. On Aug. 9, 2020, the company received a warning from Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission about high concentration in its shareholding. The SFCs finding suggested that as of Aug. 5, 2020, a group of 18 shareholders held 19.83% of the companys issued shares. Together with the 74.99% of issued shares held by the company, such a shareholding represented 94.82% of the companys total issued shares. Only 5.18% of Evergrandes issued shares were held by other owners of the companys stock.

The deal to take a majority stake in Fangchebao Group Co. Ltd. offers more evidence of Evergrandes finance skills. Evergrande acquired a 51% equity interest in Fangchebaos over 40,000 physical stores through a share swap. In this way, Evergrande didnt have to pay cash for the deal, which it lured Fangchebao into by promising an opportunity to go public. As a result, Evergrande gained valuable assets with an investment of roughly 1 billion yuan to cover store renovation and system integration costs. As of the end of 2020, Fangchebaos total assets and net assets reached 4.7 billion and 3.1 billion yuan, respectively.

On March 29, 2021, Fangchebao brought in 17 strategic investors and raised a total of HK$16.35 billion. These strategic investors would take a 10% stake in the company upon completion of the deal, driving Fangchebaos pre-financing valuation to HK$163.5 billion. This deal would see a portion of the funds raised through selling existing stock, with the remainder raised by issuing new shares. Fangchebao issued 651 million new shares to investors while Evergrande planned to sell 651 million existing shares to investors.

In this way, Evergrande was able to boost Fangchebaos market value to HK$163.5 billion within a year and pocket HK$8.175 billion from selling its shares in the company.

Read more

Caixins coverage about Evergrandes debt crisis

One question is how Evergrande managed to get investors to buy into the Fangchebao deal?

An institutional investor who participated in the deal said the secret was Evergrandes promise of a buyback. What we valued was its valuation adjustment mechanism (), the investor said. If Fangchebao failed to go public within a year, Evergrande would buy back our shares at a 15% premium to the prevailing market price. At least, through this mechanism, we could get out money back.

The investor also pointed out that another company under the Evergrande umbrella, Evergrande Property Services Group Ltd., was able to go public very quickly, which gave investors confidence that they had a potential exit from the deal that wasnt far off.

A few other investors also believed that Evergrande could push up Fangchebaos valuation, but wanted the company to remain private. Fangchebao, which sold both cars and houses, was merely a story. But we believed that Evergrande would not fall into major trouble in a year (and would be able to pay back the money). That was why we invested. However, Fangchebao was a relatively poor quality company, much worse than Evergrande Property Services. In Fangchebaos case, it was better not to go public. It would be more troublesome after the listing because its poor performance would become public knowledge, one investor said.

Many institutions bought Fangchebaos stock because they believed Evergrande was too big to fail  at least not for another year.

Last year, when Evergrande converted a strategic investment into ordinary shares, its bond prices plunged, one institution investor said. At that time, we speculated that it would not go bankrupt, so we bought more and ended up making a lot of money. In comparison, a while ago, the bond prices of China Fortune Land Development Co. Ltd. (another major real estate company) also fell significantly, but we didnt buy any because we felt that Ping An (a large shareholder of China Fortune Land) would not come to the rescue.

Is Evergrandes story about growing with the trends, or is it really about grabbing cash to shore up its debt-ridden property unit, Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd.?

In essence, Evergrande lowered the debt ratio on its balance sheet in two areas, its automobile arm and Fangchebao. With the high valuations of those assets, it was able to raise a large amount of money, an industry veteran explained. Evergrandes ultimate intention was to secure more land under the guise of making cars, and then use that land to make money.

To paraphrase Warren Buffet: Its only when the tide goes out do you discover who has been swimming naked. With the decline of housing prices and the roll-out of the three red-line policy  which stipulates a 70% cap on a developers liabilities-to-assets ratio, a 100% cap on its net-debt-to-equity ratio, and cash to cover short-term borrowing  dazzling financial skills are no longer the panacea for Evergrandes mounting operating costs. Evergrande, once Chinas leading property giant, is drowning in debt.

Xus personal assets have also been quietly changing. Recently, the hilltop mansion where he lives in Hong Kong has been transferred to new ownership.

Evergrande appeared to be generous to its investors. From 2011 to 2020, it paid a dividend each and every year. The total amount disbursed exceeds 114.2 billion yuan, with the dividend payout ratio maintained at 50%, much higher than that of other Chinese real estate giants.

But to whom were these generous dividends paid? As of June 2021, Hui, his spouse Ding Yumei, and their relatives held 76.7% of Evergrandes 13.248 billion publicly traded shares. In other words, 53 billion yuan of the 69 billion yuan that Evergrande has paid in dividends since it listed has ended up in the pockets of Hui and his family.

Contact editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.

Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
A Chinese courier has been given the green light for a Hong Kong IPO, which will likely make it the countrys first listed delivery company dedicated to the less-than-truckload (LTL) niche.

No details were offered about how much money Shanghai ANE Logistics Ltd., which is backed by multinational private equity giant Carlyle Group Inc., plans to raise through the listing.

ANEs prospectus says it is Chinas largest national LTL network operator with a 17.3% share of that particular segment, which doesnt include purely local players. It has a 0.5% share of the total LTL freight market by volume.

In logistics, LTL refers to delivery services that focus on midsize items, occupying the space between services for parcels between 10 kilograms and 3 tons, according to ANEs prospectus.

Because its relatively easy to set up and operate an LTL logistics company, the market is highly fragmented among many small and midsize firms, according to a market research company qianzhan.com.

The courier collaborates with freight partners in a model in which the partners act as middlemen between ANEs national network and the shippers and recipients. Building up that national network has required a lot of spending  capital expenditure jumped 198% in 2020 to hit 668 million yuan ($103 million).

As of April, the Shanghai-based firm was working with about 29,400 freight partners and agents, covering about 96% of Chinas local-level regions, the data in its prospectus shows.

ANE once also competed for a bite of Chinas highly competitive market for smaller packages, known as express delivery. However, continuous losses drove a decision to quit that market and focus on LTL. In 2018, the last year it operated an express delivery service, the company reported a net loss of 2.1 billion yuan. The following year, it turned a profit of 214.9 million yuan and in 2020 it earned 218.2 million yuan. However, that amounted to a measly 2% annual growth rate.

Its liabilities are also mounting, with ANEs total of 2.6 billion yuan in 2020 easily exceeding its 1.5 billion yuan of assets.

The company, founded in 2010, has undergone 11 rounds of fundraising, involving investors such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd., and Ping An Insurance Company of China Ltd.

Two other major Chinese logistics companies have listed this year JD Logistics Inc. went public in Hong Kong in May and Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. successfully listed in the U.S. in June.

Contact reporter Manyun Zou (manyunzou@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.

Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
Travelers crowded Chinas transportation hubs as the weeklong National Day holiday came to an end Thursday. Railway stations and highways were packed with passengers and vehicles as people headed home. This year, rains and snow in some parts of the country have also caused train delays and road traffic

Oct 07, 2021 05:35 PM
News at 4Cs

4Cs to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for Spring 2022

A Message From President John Cox

On Monday, September 20, the presidents of all Massachusetts Community Colleges announced that students, faculty, and staff at the Commonwealths 15 community colleges  including Cape Cod Community College  must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to be on campus starting in January 2022.

While a significant number of students, faculty, and staff are already vaccinated or are in the process of becoming vaccinated, we are seeking to increase the health and safety of the learning and working environment amid a rise in the number of new cases of COVID-19 across the State. This aligns with the increased access and availability of vaccines, the Food and Drug Administrations full and pending approvals of available vaccines, and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For students, this means proof of vaccination will be required prior to the start of in-person classes starting in 2022. For faculty and staff, the same requirement will be necessary to be on campus in any capacity. Students seeking to register for courses that do not include any in-person component, and who do not plan to come on campus for any reason for the Spring 2022 semester, will not be required to provide documentation of vaccination.

Throughout this pandemic our goal as an institution has always been to prioritize public health and provide flexible options for education for our students. Even with our transition to increased options in online, remote, hybrid, and hyflex classes, we continue to have many members of our College community coming to campus for classes, meetings, or support services. By ensuring vaccination status for our College community, we significantly strengthen our capacity to safely provide these opportunities moving forward.

As we move through the Fall semester, and we codify processes, exemptions, and other vaccine-related procedures, we will be in communication with you so you are prepared and knowledgeable.

Thank you for everything you do for our community.

John Cox

President
Photo: RCMP

The magic is gone from this illegal grow op.

Surrey RCMP has seized a large quantity 'magic mushrooms' after a clandestine psilocybin grow-op was located Clayton Heights.

The investigation began Sept. 6, after Surrey Fire Services attended a residence in the 7000-block of 196 Street, in response to a carbon monoxide alarm.

Once inside the residence, signs of illicit drug activity were noted and Surrey RCMP was called to assist. Frontline police officers attended and discovered what they believed to be a psilocybin mushroom drug laboratory. A woman was arrested at the scene, and later released pending further investigation, said Cpl. Vanessa Munn.

Police obtained a search warrant and over the following two days and conducted an investigation inside the residence. The grow operation was safely dismantled and items consistent with the production of Psilocybin mushrooms were seized.

During the investigation, police located and seized 11 kilograms of dried psilocybin mushrooms, and 18 kilograms of wet psilocybin mushrooms.

Munn said the dry mushrooms alone are more than 6,200 doses.

The possession, sale and production of magic mushrooms remains illegal in Canada, said Sgt. John Murray. There are risks when consuming illegal substances such as Psilocybin Mushrooms as they are not regulated so the potency and effects can vary significantly.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been laid.
Photo: Larissa Kurz / SASKTODAY.ca

Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party has won a third term in office, but without the majority he had hoped for when he triggered a snap election last month.

The call  made by the Canadian Press and big television networks like CBC and CTV  came less than a half-hour after polls closed in British Columbia.

Just how stable the minority will be is not clear, with nearly 800,000 mail-in ballots still uncounted. As of 10 p.m. Monday, the Liberal Party was leading with 156 seats, one shy of the partys seat total in 2019, but 14 short of a majority.

In British Columbia, partisan lines cut across geographic divides. Much of the Interior and northwest of the province aligned with deep Tory support that ran almost uninterrupted to the Ontario border.

In Metro Vancouver, several battleground ridings turned against the Conservative party with NDP and Liberal candidates winning or in the lead.

Thats indicative of a Conservative party that is not breaking through, said Simon Fraser University political scientist Stewart Prest. It seems like they really have run into a wall in the Lower Mainland.

That wall starts red. Across the Metro Vancouver region, Liberal candidates picked up or defended their seat in several battleground ridings, including Burnaby North-Seymour, Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Delta, Cloverdale-Langley City, and Fleetwood-Port Kells.

Ken Hardie, a third-time candidate for Surrey's Fleetwood-Port Kells riding, arrived at the Guilford Taphouse "expecting some drama." By late Monday, Hardy had a 6,000-vote cushion over the Conservative candidate.

"What we were hearing at the doors and what we were seeing in the community felt like 2015," he said.

Hardie says he will return to Ottawa with the goal of protecting salmon stocks, getting SkyTrain extended south of the Fraser and doing something about "the stupid money coming into the country" and driving up housing prices.

By 11 p.m., Liberal candidates were also leading in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country and even in Richmond Centre, where Tory incumbent Alice Wong has held the riding for three terms.

It wasnt just Liberals picking up seats in the Lower Mainland. In Port Moody-Coquitlam, Canadas closest race in 2019, NDP candidate Bonita Zarillo defeated Conservative incumbent Nelly Shin in a rematch. From there, a boot of orange cut through NDP strongholds in New Westminster, Burnaby (including NDP leader Jagmeet Singhs riding) and East Vancouver.

In Vancouver-Granville, one of the closest watched races in the country, NDP candidate Anjali Appadurai held a slight lead over Liberal Taleed Noormohamed late Monday.

We can see that the NDP are a real force in a number of different ridings, said Prest. Its really going to be a contest between progressives.

On the coast, the province showed its progressive streak. The NDP took ridings from the Alaska border to the capital, Victoria. Even in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, the NDP candidate was ahead of Green incumbent Paul Manly.

Manly said he was confident that special ballots would bring him the win.

Obviously this isnt what we had hoped for right here, right now, he said. It would be nice to be 1,000 votes ahead instead of 1,000 votes behind, but we have 8,000 votes yet that are going to be counted on Friday.

With almost 9,000 special ballots requested in the riding, it could be some time before a final result is known.

Should Manly lose his seat, it would seal what many political pundits had signalled since the start of the campaign: a collapse in Green support after party brass tried to oust leader Annamie Paul in June.

Despite a shift in seats (and Hardie's claims of a 2015 red wave repeat), no party managed a significant breakthrough since the campaign began in August. For University of British Columbia associate professor Gerald Baier, the strong regional pattern of voting shows a divided population in B.C.

If we get Groundhog Day, which we basically did, sometimes thats the message: how much power do Canadians want a Liberal government to have? he said.

None of that should come as a surprise, according to Prest. Deep divisions in society, like the urban-rural divide on issues like climate change and resource extraction, means Canadians are not going to trust one party with the keys to the country.

This may be a country that tends to produce minority governments divided by region, divided by urban and rural, said Prest.

In the hours after a minority government was called, several pundits had already begun casting the election as a loss for all parties, and especially Canadians, who are on the hook for a roughly $600-million bill.

But while thats certainly a fortune to any Canadian, Baier notes it works out to roughly $16 per Canadian in the end, a small cost to carry out the functions of a democracy.

Ill probably sound like a Trudeau apologist, but its never wrong to go through an election, Baier said.

The political scientist reserves his frustration for the long lines of student voters, who reportedly waited up to three hours at the University of British Columbia after Elections Canada failed to set up a smooth process for a student vote.

If Im going to criticize anybody, its Elections Canada, he said. Its not voter suppression. But its serious bureaucratic incompetence.

With files from the Canadian Press and Darron Kloster
Photo: The Canadian Press

U.S. President Joe Biden planned to use his first address before the U.N. General Assembly to reassure other nations of American leadership on the global stage and call on allies to move quickly and co-operatively to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses.

Biden, who arrived in New York on Monday evening to meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of Tuesday's address, offered a full-throated endorsement of the body's relevance and ambition at a difficult moment in history.

The president, in brief remarks at the start of his meeting with Guterres, returned to his mantra that "America is back"_ a phrase that's become presidential shorthand meant to encapsulate his promise to take a dramatically different tack with allies than predecessor Donald Trump.

"The vision of the United Nations has never been short on ambition, any more than our Constitution," Biden said.

But the president was facing a healthy measure of skepticism from allies during his week of high-level diplomacy. The opening months of his presidency have included a series of difficult moments with friendly nations that were expecting greater co-operation from Biden following four years of Trump's "America first" approach to foreign policy.

Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the chaotic ending to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. He has faced differences over how to go about sharing coronavirus vaccines with the developing world and over pandemic travel restrictions. And there are questions about the best way to respond to military and economic moves by China.

Biden also finds himself in the midst of a fresh diplomatic spat with France, the United States' oldest ally, after announcing plans _ along with Britain _ to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The move is expected to give Australia improved capabilities to patrol the Pacific amid growing concern about the Chinese military's increasingly aggressive tactics, but it upended a French defense contract worth at least $66 billion to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday there was a "crisis of trust" with the U.S. as a result of the episode.
Photo: The Canadian Press Yulia Skripal

British police said Tuesday they are charging a third Russian suspect in the 2018 nerve agent attack on a former Russian agent in England.

Scotland Yard said prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Denis Sergeev, who went by the alias Sergey Fedotov, with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon, and causing grievous bodily harm.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were targeted in a nerve agent attack in March 2018 in the English city of Salisbury that British authorities said had almost certainly approved been at a senior level of the Russian state. Moscow has vehemently denied the allegations.

The Skripals survived, but the attack later claimed the life of a British woman and left a man and a police officer seriously ill.

Police previously charged two other Russian military intelligence agents, known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, saying they traveled to the U.K. for the poisoning operation then flew back to Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the suspects were civilians, and the two suspects later appeared on Russian television claiming they had visited Salisbury as tourists.

Police said Tuesday they have evidence that the third suspect, Sergeev, was also a member of the Russian military intelligence service known as the GRU.

Arrest warrants have been issued for all three men. Police said they will apply for Interpol notices for Fedotov on Tuesday, but British prosecutors said they will not apply to Russia for Sergeev's extradition because the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals.

Russia's Defense Ministry, which the GRU is part of, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, a senior counter-terrorism officer who has been leading the investigation, said the case has been one of the most complex ever undertaken by the counter-terror team. He appealed for anyone who had seen the three men in the U.K. in March 2018 to come forward.

Investigators have pieced together evidence suggesting that all three suspects "previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia," Haydon said.

All three of them are dangerous individuals, he added. They have tried to murder people here in the U.K, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the U.K. by means unknown."

Online investigative website Bellingcat previously reported that Sergeev was suspected of involvement in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015.

Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer turned double agent for Britain, and his daughter Yulia, who was visiting him, spent weeks in critical condition after the attack.

Three months later, two local residents who apparently picked up a discarded perfume vial that contained the nerve agent fell ill. One recovered, but the other died. A police officer who was investigating the case also fell ill; he recovered but later quit the force.

The case ignited a diplomatic confrontation in which hundreds of envoys were expelled by both Russia and Western nations.
Photo: Jon Thorpe

Anne Bright awoke at 1:34 a.m. on Monday to what she thought was thunder.

Then she felt the entirety of her downtown Squamish home shake, and realized this was not a routine rainstorm. The window panes were rattling, reverberating with the sound.

"It was the loudest crash  it sounds almost like a train shunting, and then you hear repetitive things afterward," Bright said.

"There were a couple of loud crashes  not as loud as the first one  and then afterward you could just hear rumbling."

When she went outside and saw her neighbours looking at the Stawamus Chief, she realized that for the fourth time, a major rockfall had occurred on the monolith. Including a fall on Slhanay, this marks the fifth major rockfall event in Squamish this year.

Seismic readings from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology show that a station at Watts Point registered the earth-shaking event at the popular climbing area.

The chart shows a hefty spike at the time of the rockfall, showing the incident was large enough to make the ground tremble.

There was no actual earthquake, however, as Earthquakes Canada did not register such an event.

The people who felt and heard the fall say that noise persisted beyond the initial crash. Bright said she heard sounds coming from the Chief for about 20 minutes.

Steve Quane, head geologist at the Sea to Sky Fire and Ice Aspiring Geopark, said the most likely cause of the event was recent rainfall coupled with extreme heat that occurred this summer.

The heatwave likely caused the rock to expand during hot cycles and contract in cooler temperatures. This would create stress fractures. On top of that, a recent deluge of rain would be the final trigger that set the fall in motion.

Quane added that this is happening more often now, most likely as a result of climate change.

As of Sept. 20, BC Parks has shut down a number of climbing areas in the North Walls. This order adds to closures where the Grand Wall meets the Western Dihedrals, and their respective bouldering areas, which is where the first three rockfalls this year occurred.

The Ministry of the Environment said that no one was injured in the rockfall, and geotechnical engineers will be investigating the matter.

In the meantime, the ministry said existing closures are expected to remain in effect throughout the winter, as the areas are susceptible to more rockfall.

A second rockfall Sept. 20 occurred near Angels Crest Trail about 4:45 p.m.

There were no reports of injuries from the second slide.

We ask people to stay away from the area until BC Parks can assess the situation and until they deem okay to return, said Cpl. Dallas Langley of the Squamish RCMP in a news release. While this area is popular for recreation enthusiasts, we need to make sure people stay safe.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Police say the condition of a 77-year-old woman is uncertain after she was among nine people hit by a car outside a polling station in a Montreal suburb Monday evening.

Sgt. Veronique Comtois said today the woman's injuries weren't life threatening but due to the victim's age, her situation could deteriorate rapidly if she doesn't respond well to surgeries she may need following the collision.

Nine people were struck by a car outside a federal election polling station in the Montreal suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux Monday evening after the 51-year-old driver allegedly lost control of her vehicle.

Police say five men, three women and a five-year-old child were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

They say they believe the crash was accidental.

Police released the driver Monday night after she was questioned by investigators.
On behalf of the executive of the Kelowna-Lake Country Peoples Party, I would like to congratulate (Conservative candidate) Tracy Gray on returning to Ottawa as MP and thank her for her service and dedication to the citizens of this riding.

I would also like to praise the other four candidates for standing up for democracy in putting their names and policies forward and for running a fair campaign in which there was very little vandalism or shenanigans.

I would like to correct some reports that the PPC was a major force in splitting the vote and costing the Conservatives the election. Stereotypes say we are right wing, but if one takes a few minutes to read the PPC policies, you will see a classical liberal party in alignment with many Canadians.

Post-election analysis has shown that, while some support came from disaffected Conservatives of whom it would be more accurate to say that rather than them leaving the party, the Conservatives left them when they abandoned all pretence at fiscal responsibility, significant numbers of voters split off from the Greens and NDP.

Polling data has consistently shown that the typical PPC voter is young, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) and working class, unlike both the Liberals and Conservatives whose support rises in white, rich seniors. This is no surprise as lockdowns, debt and erosion of civil liberties disproportionately hurt young, marginalized people.

Thank you to our supporters, volunteers and the thousands who voted for our candidate, Brian Rogers, resulting in a four-fold increase (vote percentage)) from 2019. We promise to continue to work hard to communicate what the party really stands for and prepare for the next election.

Finally, I want to say how proud I am to live in this wonderful free country where we have fair and peaceful elections. Around the world we see power exerted at the (barrel end) of an AK-47 in Afghanistan, burning of cities by activists south of the border and the deployment of tear gas in European elections.

Despite the cynical calling of this useless election and using wedge issues to divide us and ignite passions, ours was a peaceful demonstration of democracy with one instance of gravel tossing at the Liberal leader and our own leader being hit on the head by an egg. We are lucky to have our freedoms here, and the PPC will continue to fight to keep them.

Doug Burget, president, Kelowna-Lake Country Peoples Party of Canada Association
Photo: B.C. Government B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix addresses media

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the province is opening up intensive care hospital capacity in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to deal with a rise in seriously ill COVID-19 patients from northern B.C.

Dix said Tuesday that 12 patients from the north are already in critical care down south, including nine patients with COVID-19. Ten high acuity ICU beds are being opened in the Lower Mainland and five on the island to help handle the northern caseload.

We expect the pressure on critical care in the north will continue until vaccination rates go up and cases and hospitalizations go down. We need to reduce pressure on north, Dix said.

Clearly this is less than ideal. It will be difficult for those patients and their families and their loved ones, but these are necessary steps to ensure people in the north have access to quality care and to support our healthcare workers in the north to do that.

There were 53 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Northern Health region as of Monday, including 20 listed in critical care.

Peace River North MLA Dan Davies is urging residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the Fort St. John Hospital struggles to handle a rise in patients.

Folks - our hospital is slammed with serious COVID patients (Many have been medivacd to elsewhere in the province) 90% are not fully vaccinated, Davies wrote in a post to Facebook on Tuesday morning. "The vaccines work. The science is sound.

Northern Health is currently managing an outbreak of the virus at the hospital, declared Aug. 27, which infected four patients and three staff, and led to the death of one patient. Two patients have since recovered, according to Northern Health.

There are 307 patients in hospital across B.C., including 156 in critical care, according Dix. Of those in critical care, a very significant share of 138 patients are unvaccinated, he said.

Five per cent of COVID-19 patients in ICU are fully vaccinated, and they represent 80% of the population, Dix said.
Pakistans promising prospects

Published 21 September 2021

Pakistans cement sector performed very well in the FY21, supported by government policies to assist construction activity in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Going forward local demand is expected to remain robust, giving rise to new capacity enhancements. Improved pricing power also bodes well for producers in terms of enhanced profitability. By The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Ltd, Pakistan.

Over the past couple of years, Pakistans economy has been struggling owing to stabilisation measures implemented by the incumbent government at the start of its political term in 2018 and also due to the COVID-19 outbreak which further exacerbated the situation. The countrys economy registered a contraction of 0.5 per cent in FY20, the first instance of negative growth since 1952.

Both the Pakistan government and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) acted proactively in the face of mounting challenges during the COVID-19 lockdown. With the federal government announcing an economic stimulus package of PKR1240bn (US$7.6bn) and other policy measures, the SBP quickly reduced the policy rate to a historically low level, from 13.25 to seven per cent. These measures, along with other successful government policies such as Smart Lockdown, significantly supported local businesses by ensuring minimal operational disruptions.

To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login
AfriSam's Centre for Product Excellence reduces carbon footprint

21 September 2021

AfriSams Centre for Product Excellence (CPE) is crucial to supporting customers in their quest for a low carbon future, according to the South Africa-based cement producer. The CPE is instrumental in pursuing environmental issues related to cement and concrete use, particularly for large projects where stakeholders prioritise the carbon footprint of the materials used.

According to CPE Manager, Mike McDonald, AfriSams CPE, based in Roodepoort, Gauteng, is aiding AfriSams progress in becoming a leading producer of low-carbon cement and concrete. While ordinary Portland cement generates about a tonne of carbon dioxide per tonne of cement, AfriSam has standard products available that generate only half that amount of emissions per tonne.

The facility also helps downstream customers improve their carbon footprint. The AfriSam CPE continues to act in COVID-19 times as an independent testing agency for customers and other parties. This valuable service is primarily for checking internal quality, but is regularly used by smaller ready-mix companies who do not have their own scientifically-accredited facilities.

The AfriSam CPE collaborates with customers who want to reduce their carbon footprint, leveraging our extensive expertise ensuring they can do this without compromising quality and integrity in their structures, added McDonald.

Published under
BUA Cement signs 70MW Wartsila power plant agreement

21 September 2021

BUA has signed an agreement with Wartsila OY of Finland for the construction of a 70MW dual-fuel power plant for the BUA Cement Sokoto Line 4 in Sokoto state, northwest Nigeria.

This will be the second plant to be constructed by Wartsila for BUA Cement  the first being the BUA Cement Sokoto power plant scheduled to be commissioned alongside the plant in November 2021.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Cement Plc, said BUA Cement will continue to invest strategically in the west African cement industry to enable it to bridge the huge infrastructure and housing deficit.

According to Mr Rabiu, BUA Cement is happy and pleased with the progress that Wartsila made with the construction of the power plant we initially purchased for our BUA Cement Sokoto Line 3 which we expect will begin commissioning by November alongside the power plant. We believe Wartsila will bring the same level of efficiency, technical expertise and professionalism to bear in ensuring that this new power plant for the 3Mta BUA Cement Sokoto Line 4 will be completed on schedule by the end of next year as we look towards bringing BUA's total capacity in its Sokoto plant to 8Mta by early 2023 and 17Mta across all its plants by the same time.

Published under
Vietnamese cement market contracts 33% in August

ICR Newsroom By 21 September 2021

Cement sales in Vietnam fell 33 per cent YoY and 31 per cent MoM to 3,503,485t in August 2021, according to the Vietnamese cement association, VNCA. VICEM sales declined 31 per cent YoY and MoM to 1,122,792t while the sales of its associates fell 48 per cent YoY and 32 per cent MoM to 700,693t in August 2021. Other cement companies reported a 25 per cent YoY and a 27 per cent MoM drop to 1,680,000t during this period.



In the first eight months of 2021 domestic sales edged up one per cent to 42,078,205t when compared with the 8M20. However, sales by VICEM declined by one per cent YoY to 9,776,780t while associated companies saw their sales down by 10 per cent to 9,776,870t. Other cement producers improved their sales volumes by nine per cent to 18,970,000t when compared with the January-August 2020 period.



Exports

Cement and clinker exports from Vietnam decreased 14 per cent YoY to 3,630,193t in August 2021 but when compared with July 2021 export volumes advanced 13 per cent. Clinker exports were down 49 per cent YoY but up 12 per cent MoM to 2,175,808t while cement exports saw a 51 per cent drop YoY and a 16 per cent increase MoM to 1,454,385t in August 2021.



In the January-August 2021 period exports reached 27,735,212t, representing a 20 per cent advance when compared with the 8M20. Of this total, clinker exports were up 12 per cent YoY to 16,796,547t while cement exports increased 16 per cent YoY to 10,938,665t.

Published under
Four former officers of the Collegedale Police Department have won a $412,500 settlement from the city of Collegedale, saying they were forced out of the department for complaining about an "illegal quota system" in which officers were required to make a certain number of enforcement actions.

On July 3, 2019, subsequent to his termination in January, 2019, Officer Robert Bedell filed a lawsuit against the city of Collegedale, Chief Brian Hickman and City Manager Ted Rogers.

On Oct. 24, 2019, subsequent to their termination in September, 2019, three other officers, Kolby Duckett, David Schilling and David Holloway, also filed a lawsuit against the city of Collegedale, Chief Hickman and City Manager Rogers.

After two years of litigation, the city of Collegedale and the officers announced that they have mutually agreed to settle and resolve all of their claims to their mutual satisfaction.

Attorney Janie Parks Varnell, who filed the suit along with attorney Bryan Hoss of the Davis Hoss law firm, said the settlement will result in the dismissal of two pending lawsuits, Duckett, et al, v. Hickman, United States District Court and Bedell v. Hickman, Hamilton County Circuit Court.

She said, "The settlement reflects that the claims were disputed and there was no admission of fault or liability.

"The plaintiffs have also agreed to separately dismiss their claims against Ted Rogers and Brian Hickman pursuant to the settlement with the city of Collegedale. As a part of the settlement, the city and its insurer have agreed to pay to the officers a total sum of $412,500. The city also agrees to provide a neutral reference for any potential employers.

"In exchange, the plaintiffs agreed to a full release of their claims and to dismiss both lawsuits."

On behalf of the officers, Attorney Varnell said, The plaintiffs are very pleased with this resolution. They are happy to put this behind them and move on with their careers.

Collegedale City Attorney Sam Elliott said, Although the city maintains its actions were lawful, this settlement will allow Collegedale to remove the distraction of the lawsuit so that it can focus on the needs of its citizens.

Collegedale Commissioners ratified the settlement at a meeting on Monday night. On the recommendation of City Attorney Elliott, the commissioners "made a business decision" to settle the lawsuit rather than taking it to trial.

Attorney Elliott said that the citys insurance coverage diminishes as the lawyers work on the case, and the lawyer fees are charged against it. A decision was needed whether the city should run the risk of the policy being substantially diminished if the case went to trial or to settle.

Insurance will cover $350,000 of the settlement. The agreement also includes that a statement will be placed in each personnel file that the allegations of wrongdoing are withdrawn.

The commissioners approved the settlement with Mayor Katie Lamb hesitating. Much to my disgust, she said she would vote yes, saying she has a problem using taxpayers money that way.

The financial report for August for Collegedale saw a substantial increase above the amount budgeted for the last payment of the Hall State Income Tax, said Michelle Toro, finance manager. She also said that as of August, the sale of surplus items has doubled from the budgeted amount. Income from both of those sources can be used for payment to settle the lawsuit. City Manager Wayon Hines said that a significant unbudgeted amount has also been received from building permits this year, which can be used.
Collegedale Commissioner Debbie Baker announced a job fair/meet-and-greet with the police department, in the citys courtroom on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. She said applicants for jobs can apply for the open positions and it will be an opportunity for anyone who is interested to meet the citys new police officers. More information will be available on the citys website.

Swinyar Drive is suffering from heavy truck traffic, said City Manager Wayon Hines. Temporary repairs will be started on Tuesday or Wednesday as the weather permits. Vice Mayor Tim Johnson asked if McKee could be responsible for the damage. No, replied Mr. Hines, the city has been monitoring the road for the past five years and was aware of problems. Repairs to the road were not included in the gift of Little Debbie Park from McKee that will be built along that road, he said. Repairs are expected to be just around $6,000.

The second and final vote to amend the commercial and multi-family residential design standards ordinance was approved Monday night. The changes include allowing for the first pass of approving a design to come from the citys staff. The applicant also will have the option of coming to the board of commissioners for approval. Also included is bike parking and pedestrian connectivity.

Commissioner Baker congratulated Mayor Katie Lamb for being named to the position of District 3 Director of the Tennessee Municipal League. The TML is a cooperative of cities and towns in the state that works for legislation to help the municipalities.

The commissioners acting as the citys beer board voted to approve a beer license for Thai Spice & Hibachi Express, 5910 Reagan Lane. The new permit was needed because of an ownership change.
A clerk at Mapco, 2727 Rossville Blvd., called police about a disorder. Police spoke to a black male who was at the gas station trying to purchase cigarellos. The clerk told the man that he needed to leave because he was not wearing a shirt. The man admitted to police that he called the clerk a name. The man was compliant with police and told them he would go to the Mobil across the street from now on.

* * *

Police spoke to the clerk at the Mapco gas station, 3709 Cummings Hwy. He said there was a white couple there that are not allowed in the store; they are known to steal items. He said they have been asked several times not to come back. He told police the couple drove up in a white Ford Focus, looked around the store and left. He said that he needed a report of the suspicious activity to send to his boss. He said they both have blond hair, but no other suspect information was given to identify the two.

* * *

A woman told police that at an unknown time the night before, she observed her vehicle struck by a vehicle while it was parked near the Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. She said she believes that the vehicle was a red Toyota. She said after her vehicle was struck, the other vehicle fled the scene and stopped up the street from the original crash location. She said the occupants then fled their vehicle. She said she then went up to the vehicle, where she was able to get the keys and a wallet belonging to one of them that was left in the vehicle. The wallet was turned into Property.

* * *

Police spoke with security at Sing It or Wing It, 410 Market St., who told them a young male attempted to enter the bar with a passport that did not look like him. The man was not on scene when police arrived.

* * *

Police were called about a couple arguing on Shallowford Road. The two had decided they were separating upon police arrival. The woman got a ride to her friend's house.

* * *

A couple on Tyner Road told police that a gold SUV occupied by two black males followed the woman home. She just wanted to make police aware of this.

* * *

Police initiated a traffic stop at 2100 Citico Ave., due to the vehicle temporary tag not having an expiration date. The driver told police he was having a hard time paying a few things and the vehicle wouldn't pass emissions. Police gave him a warning for this.

* * *

A woman told police that she was parked at the Moxy Hotel, 1220 King St. at 5:38 p.m. She said she returned to her vehicle the next day at 11:01 a.m. and noticed the front end of her vehicle and the passenger side front panel were damaged. Police did not locate any crash reports that may have been related to the incident.

* * *

A woman told police that someone took her debit and credit cards out of her wallet. She said she believed the incident occurred while she was at work at Spare Time. She said the manager there was looking for a video of the incident, but she currently does not have a video. She said her cards had been used at the Walmart, 2020 Gunbarrel Road.

* * *

The owner of Scenic City Glass, 6105 Airways Blvd., told police that his company utility trailer was stolen from there. He said the trailer was last seen last Thursday night around 4:30 p.m., and then he discovered that it was gone Friday around 5 p.m. The 18-foot Big Tex trailer was entered into NCIC as stolen.

* * *

A woman told police she was at Central High School from 6-8 p.m.. She said when she came out, she found a small dent to the side door of her vehicle. She said she does not now how the dent got there.

* * *

A woman at an apartment on E. Brainerd Road told police that on Friday the 13th she received a text she thought was from her brother to contact an attorney, Michael Snow, via text about receiving an amount of money. She said she communicated by text only with this person. She said he had her send a $250 gift card by text messaging a picture of it for administrative fees to receive $150,000. She said she complied. She said she then got a text that the gift card did not work and she needed to send him five $100 gift cards to cover the administrative fees due. She said she purchased the five gift cards and sent pictures of each, along with her Social Security card and driver's license. She said she now realizes that this was a scam. She said she has already contacted her bank to have a watch placed on her account. Police gave her the phone number to Equifax and suggested she place a freeze on her credit record and to read "identitytheft.gov."

* * *

A woman on Shannon Avenue told police she lost her handbag between 5-5:30 p.m. while on the CARTA bus. She said she has already reported her bank card lost to her bank.

* * *

A woman on Ellyn Lane told police she saw her and her son's Social Security card and her son's birth certificate inside her vehicle. She said she has looked around since then, but cannot locate the documents.

* * *

A man on Union Avenue told police his bike was stolen from his back deck and now his push mower was stolen sometime overnight. He said he last saw the mower the day before at about 3 p.m., and it was secured to the deck with a bike lock. He said he just discovered that the bike was gone, but there was no damage to the lock. He said he didn't see or hear anything and there are no cameras there.

* * *

Police responded on a call from TDOT in regards to a 1997 blue Acura (TN tag) left abandoned at 900 I-75 N. since Aug. 12. Police attempted to make contact with the registered vehicle owner. Police left a message on the phone saying it was being towed and to call CPD to get the wrecker information.

* * *

A woman on Chestnut Street told police that her tag was stolen off her vehicle. She said there was a man who was attempting to sell her vehicle to a tow truck driver, but he left prior to her and her husband arriving. She said they believe the man attempting to sell her vehicle stole the tag. The tag was entered into NCIC.

* * *

A woman on 5th Avenue told police that her husband's brother's wife and her daughter had been calling and arguing. She said the argument stemmed from when the daughter had called and "demanded" to speak to her uncle instead of requesting to. She said that she would not be disrespected like this. She wanted to document the incident in the event that the argument turned from verbal to actual events.

* * *

A man told police he was traveling south on Highway 153 and a silver sedan occupied by three people was following him and throwing cans at his vehicle. He stated the vehicle then got off at Airport Road and he continued south until Lee Highway, where he got off and called police. He reported no damage to his vehicle and was told if the people returned to contact police and not engage them.
Cempa Community Care announced Tuesday that the organization has welcomed Tracy Wood and Amanda Johns to its board of directors. Ms. Wood currently serves as president and CEO at Alleo Health System, a regional hospice and integrated senior care service provider based in Chattanooga. Ms. Johns directs the People First Solution Center at the Tennessee Valley Authority, leading a team of human resource professionals to meet the HR needs of TVAs 10,000+ employees.As we continue to execute on the ambitious growth plans we have for our organization, it is imperative that we are surrounded by proven leaders who are willing to share their experience and expertise with us, said Shannon Stephenson, CEO at Cempa Community Care.Tracys work at Alleo Health System is a testament to her leadership acumen, and she has long been an incredible partner to Cempa. Amandas HR prowess is well-known and will be an essential asset well have to draw on as we grow our own headcount and seek out streamlined ways to meet the needs of our ever-growing patient base. I am excited to have both of these powerful women on our team.Ms. Johns is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she earned a BS in psychology and an MS in industrial-organizational psychology. Ms. Woods completed her undergraduate education at Fordham University with a BA in psychology, and she earned an MPA with a concentration in healthcare administration from Grand Canyon University.Both Ms. Johns and Ms. Wood are slated to serve three-year terms with Cempa.
An editorial by Senator Mike Bell and Representative Bob Freeman, co-chairs of the Tennessee Legislative Sportsmens Caucus:

Saturday, September 25 marks our nations 49th Annual National Hunting and Fishing Day. Signed as an official Presidential Proclamation by President Richard Nixon in 1972, NHFD is a great opportunity to come together and recognize the historical and ongoing contributions of the original conservationists  hunters and anglers. Likewise, NHFD is another chance to highlight the availability of safe outdoor recreation opportunities that many Americans have turned to during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some are eager to return to a sense of normalcy, NHFD is a reminder that these opportunities are still available for all of us to enjoy.As co-chairs of the Tennessee Legislative Sportsmens Caucus and as members of the 49 state National Assembly of Sportsmens Caucuses, we are proud to take time to celebrate the time-honored traditions of hunting and angling. On this day, we ask our fellow Tennesseans to join us in recognizing the tremendous dedication that our states sportsmen and women bring to the conservation of our natural resources.Tennessees hunters and anglers are the primary source of conservation funding for The Volunteer State. Through the purchase of licenses, tags, and stamps, and by paying self-imposed excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle, electric trolling motors and motorboat fuel, hunters and anglers drive conservation funding in Tennessee and the United States, through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique user pays  public benefits program.Last year alone, contributions through the ASCF generated $70.65 million to fund state conservation efforts through the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. All Tennesseans benefit from these funds through improved access to public lands, public shooting ranges, improved soil and water quality, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife research, habitat management on public and private lands, hunter education, boat access area construction and many other Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency projects funded through this program.Hunting and angling are also a significant economic driver for our state. Tennessees sportsmen and women spend over $1.8 billion per year on their outdoor pursuits, supporting 26,389 jobs in the state and contributing $167 million in state and local taxes. Additionally, 2017 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that, on the national level, sportsmen and women spent more than $19 billion on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, which doesnt include trip-related spending or license fees that were necessary for their participation. This spending is critical to the outdoor economy, which comprised 2.4% of Tennessees GDP that same year.As has been discovered (or rediscovered) by many during the COVID-19 pandemic, hunting and fishing produce countless benefits for an individuals physical and mental health. As a sporting community we celebrate those that have decided to join us afield or on the water, and welcome new participants, both young and old, to our time-honored traditions. Hunting and fishing are great ways of procuring organic, sustainable, locally-sourced food for the entire family while simultaneously contributing to the conservation of our abundant natural resources for future generations.For more information on hunting and fishing opportunities in Tennessee please visit the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencys website. More information on National Hunting and Fishing Day is available at www.NHFDay.org or on the Congressional Sportsmens Foundation website at https://congressionalsportsmen.org/policies/national-hunting-and-fishing-day.* * *Senator Bell is a Republican who represents Senate District 9 comprised of Bradley, Polk, Monroe, McMinn and Meigs Counties.

Representative Freeman is a Democrat who represents House District 56 in Davidson County.
Fred Cornelius Walpole, 99, of Chattanooga, formerly of Memphis, passed away on Monday, September 20 2021 at his home.

He was born in Atwood, Tn., on October 16, 1921. He was the son of Lillie Mae and John J. Walpole and one of five sons. He lived his life in an upbeat way, in spite of losing two sons four years apart, when they were just teenagers.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, his wife of nearly 60 years, Joyce Milstead Walpole, and sons Ray and Joe Walpole. He is survived by his devoted son, Mark Walpole who has steadfastly ensured the safety and well-being of his dad since he moved to Chattanooga seven years ago. He also leaves several nieces and nephews who cherish his memory.

Fred lived most of his life in Memphis, where he met Joyce when the two were working at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Before that he served in the Navy during World War II. The navy sent Fred to Duke University for engineering and later he earned his degree from the University of Tennessee. He was a bridge and construction engineer for the Corps, did consulting, and was partner in a Memphis construction company.

Fred lived his faith, spending his life giving back to others. He delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly and homebound people: served on the foster care board in Memphis; and supported the food bank.

He won more medals than he could recall as a swimmer in Senior Olympics and represented Tennessee in his age group in the national competition several times. He often joked he won because he outlived everyone else in his age group.

Fred had a generous heart and a twinkle in his eye and found the good in almost every situation. After moving to Chattanooga he loved to go dancing at the senior center every Monday. He drove himself there until he was 96. He continued to lift weights until he was 97.

He especially loved his great niece, Gracie Gilbert and great-nephews, Nathan and Caleb Sexton and his special friend Dainese.

Fred was a long time member of Colonial Park United Methodist Church in Memphis and attended Faith Community Wesleyan Church here.

We hoped we would be celebrating his 100th birthday next month, but are so thankful for his long life and loving spirit.

The family will receive friends Thursday, Sept. 23, from 3-4 p.m. with the service beginning at 4:00 p.m. (EDT) in the East Brainerd Chapel.

Interment will be held Monday, Sept. 27, at 12:00 p.m. (CDT) at Memorial Park Funeral Home & Cemetery (5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis, Tn. 38119).

Memorial contributions may be made to the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Home, (6623 Lee Hwy., Chattanooga, TN 37421) www.tennesseechildren.org.

Arrangements are by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, 8214 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www. ChattanoogaEastBrainerdChapel. com .
The Cleveland Police Department was recognized Tuesday during an awards breakfast hosted by the Tennessee Municipal League. An award for Excellence in Police Service was presented to Chief of Police Mark Gibson, accompanied by Assistant Chief of Police Stacy Smith and Cleveland City Manager Joe Fivas on behalf of the Cleveland Police Department.



"It was an honor to be recognized by the Tennessee Municipal League for Excellence in Police Service. Our agency works tirelessly to pursue excellence in every objective we set to accomplish. These goals would not be attainable without our dedicated employees. We are proud to receive this award on behalf of the Cleveland Police Department staff and we thank them for all they do,"

said Chief Gibson.

The Cleveland Police Department has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies since 2009. In 2012, the CPD was accredited by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation. These organizations assess the department's policies and procedures for best practices. Participation with these agencies is voluntary and only 4 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide are accredited by CALEA, according to officials. In 2018, CPD achieved the Gold Standard of Excellence, which is recognized as the highest award within CALEA. This achievement includes the Cleveland Police Department in the 1 percent of CALEA accredited agencies who achieve the gold standard. This achievement is acquired by complying with all written directives, applicable by the Cleveland Police Department and set forth by CALEA. The department is scheduled to be reaccredited by both accreditation agencies in 2022.



Chief Gibson said, "During my tenure as Chief of Police, our department's focus has been on creating a culture of professionalism through creative police recruitment strategies, continuous training and encouraging a high degree of integrity to serve the citizens of Cleveland with excellence. In our endeavor to improve our relationship with the Cleveland community, we established the Community Relations Unit. The objective of this unit was to increase interaction with the community through community events and establish a creative way to keep the public informed. Strategies to recruit, showcase officers, issue public safety announcements, and announce community events have proven to be effective using our agency's social media page, which has passed 35,000 followers. By these means, we have been able to improve our communication, reaching an optimum number of residents, and build a strong foundation for police and community relations. The CPD has hosted an average of 46 community events annually, one of many which has become successful and popular with our student population: The Cleveland Police Department Youth Police Academy. We have hosted thirteen (13) academies, thus far. In addition to our community events, we have taken great initiative to be involved in special events and in fundraising for special causes in our community. Officers participating in fundraisers, such as No Shave November, have allowed our department to give to the empty stocking fund pledge drive, individual needs of officers and community members.



"Gathering diverse opinions on a variety of law enforcement topics have prompted the forming of the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee. This committee is responsible for providing guidance on all matters affecting professional standards for law enforcement. Additionally, the Chief's Advisory Board is comprised of officers from each division who serve as a liaison for their respective team.



"Our dedication to provide the public with a high quality of service, initiated a training program committed to providing optimal training classes year-round. Training of this intensity offers Cleveland police officers and other outside agencies opportunities of over 1500 hours of specialized training. These training hours are in addition to the minimum 40-hours of required training by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. In the past year, Cleveland officers have completed over 220 specialized schools focusing on investigations, de-escalation, mental health, crime scene management, and realistic scenario training. The caliber of training offered to the officers further progresses them in their progression plan of professional career development.



"To build a culture of wellness, the Cleveland Police Department Training Division has created a process to emphasize wellness throughout an officer's career. A fitness program was developed requiring a physical fitness test with successful completion annually. To assist the officer in preparing for the assessment, designated officers serve as fitness instructors and will provide nutrition plans and job-related cardiovascular exercises. A holistic wellness approach to address officer mental health provides Cleveland police officers with annual suicide prevention and PTSD classes, along with centralized mental health resources, the Employee Assistance Program and a rotational Chaplain Unit."
With Halloween right around the corner, anyone who loves horror is already getting prepared for Spooky Season. Streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix always add horror content during October, but that doesnt mean you have to wait. Theres plenty of horror series like American Horror Story to indulge in before the scariest month of the year.

Here are five horror series to binge before October.

The cast of Servant with M. Night Shyamalan | Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

M. Night Shyamalans Servant serves up chills

Servant is filled with Shyamalans signature twists and turns, as well as the creeping dread so many horror fans love. It follows a young, wealthy couple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From the start of season 1, viewers know that all is not well in the Turner household. Dorothy and Sean Turner recently lost their baby, Jericho, in a tragic accident. What exactly happened isnt known, but we know that it was enough to cause Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) to have a mental break. However, in the babys place is a lifelike doll that Dorothy carries around because she believes it to be her actual son. When the couple hires a nanny, Sean (Toby Kebbell) and Dorothys brother Julian (Rupert Grint) realize the baby is no longer a doll, and a live child is in its place.

Servant Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Apple TV, and a third season is expected to premiere in 2022. The horror series isnt scary in the traditional sense, though. There arent many jump-scares, and its light on the gore. The eeriness of the situation will leave the audience creeped out and wondering just what the heck is going on.

RELATED: Welcome to the Blumhouse is Returning to Amazon with 4 New Horror Movies

Creepshow has been rebooted as a series, and its worth a watch

The original Creepshow premiered in 1982 and is a horror anthology film by George Romero. But if the dialogue sounds familiar, its because it was written by Stephen King. King even stars in one of the segments of the movie as well as his son.

Now, the streaming platform Shudder has brought it back as a series. Its a clear homage to the horror comics of the 1950s like Tales from the Crypt. The horror series (like the movie) has designated parts that have the look and feel of those comics. Each episode contains two separate stories and is made to look as if they come from a comic. Its campy, its fun, and its a little bit gross. This is one of our favorite new shows, and were excited for the new season to premiere on Sept. 23, 2021. In the meantime, we highly suggest working your way through the first two seasons.

RELATED: 3 80s Movies For Kids That Are Scarier Than They Should Be

There are more than enough episodes of American Horror Story to satisfy your horror needs

Ryan Murphys and Brad Falchuks American Horror Story has been around for a solid 10 seasons, with the tenth season currently airing. An anthology horror series, AHS gives fans a new story each season. Murphy loves to bring the same actors back in different roles, though. Expect to see Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Jessica Lange in multiple seasons.

From haunted houses to vampires to carnivals, Murphy and his crew go heavy on the scares and heavier on the gore. This show isnt for anyone with a weak stomach, but if youre a fan of nitty-gritty horror, this one is for you. The shows home is on FX, but Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video have most seasons if youre a subscriber.

October will be here before we know it with a new batch of horror content, but were positive these horror series will work while were waiting.
Anya Taylor-Joy is an actor who is quickly making her mark on Hollywood. She was just nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role as Beth Harmon in the hit Netflix series The Queens Gambit. With a lot of attention on Taylor-Joy right now, some people are curious about her life, which, according to her, hasnt always been filled with happy moments.

Anya Taylor-Joy | Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Anya Taylor-Joy struggled to fit in after moving from Argentina to London

Two years after announcing to her parents that she wanted to be an actor, Anya Taylor-Joy and her family moved from Buena Aires, Argentina, to London, England, when she was eight years old. The Peaky Blinders star found the relocation to be difficult, especially since she didnt speak any English when she moved to Europe.

Argentina is all green and I had horses and animals everywhere, Taylor-Joy explained to The Sun in November 2020. All of a sudden I was in a big city and didnt speak the language. I didnt really feel like I fitted in anywhere.

RELATED: Anya Taylor-Joys Big Break Came From a Sketchy Encounter While Walking Her Dog

During an interview with Evening Standard, the actor revealed that her move to London was very traumatic, noting that she felt ostracized in school due to her not speaking the same language as her peers.

To begin with it was traumatic because I didnt speak a word of English, she told the outlet. I had just started to read in Spanish and when we got to England I was like, I dont speak this language, I cant read, I cant keep up in school I felt very alienated. It definitely left me with the feeling of being an outsider.

She continued, I just didnt fit in at school. I couldnt find that niche that I saw other kids exploring.

The actor says she was bullied throughout school

Because she spoke a different language than all of the other kids in school, Anya Taylor-Joy became a target for bullying from her classmates.

I was too English to be Argentine, too Argentine to be English, too American to be anything, she told Evening Standard. The kids just didnt understand me in any shape or form. I used to get locked in lockers.

The bullying had gotten so bad that actor alienated herself from others while school was in session.

I spent a lot of time in school crying in bathrooms, I was so lonely as a kid, The Witch star continued. I felt so isolated that I created this story in my head about lonely was bad, being alone was bad. That can be quite an impactful feeling, especially if youve taught yourself to fear it.

Anya Taylor-Joy left home at a young age to pursue an acting career

After enduring years of mistreatment from her classmates, Anya Taylor-Joy left school to escape the constant bullying. She eventually left London altogether to pursue a career in acting.

I ran away to New York at 14, Taylor-Joy said while appearing on The HFPA In Conversation podcast earlier this year. I was having a really bad time at school and I wanted to be an actor. So I enrolled in a directors program and I got in. I came down to go to school one day and I said to my parents, Look, Im not going to school. Ive saved up enough money to buy myself a plane ticket to New York. Im going to do this and you can either be a part of it with me, or Im just going to go do it by myself. My parents were amazing and they supported me in it.

Since landing her first acting role in the 2014 horror-comedy Vampire Academy, Taylor-joy has appeared in films and television shows left and right. Her latest acting gig was playing chess prodigy Beth Harmon in the Netflix miniseries The Queens Gambit.

RELATED: The Queens Gambit: Anya Taylor-Joy Reveals Her 1 Trick for Breaking Character and Becoming Herself Again

Now that she has been in the acting circuit for a few years, the actor finally feels like she belongs.

Much the same way as Beth needed chess, I needed acting, Taylor-Joy said in ELLE magazines May 2021 Rising Stars issue. I needed to believe in a place where I could be valued and appreciated, and actually have something to contribute rather than constantly feeling like, What is wrong with me, and why do I not fit in?'
Princess Beatrice is the latest royal to welcome a child. This baby is the 12th great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth.

In the royal family, births usually indicate some changes to the line of succession. So who just got bumped down thanks to Beatrices new baby?

Princess Beatrice | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Princess Beatrice and her husband welcomed a baby girl

Beatrice is married to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The couple tied the knot in July 2020 in an intimate ceremony at The Royal Chapel of All Saints.

On Sept. 20, 2021, the palace announced that Beatrice had given birth to a child two days earlier.

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter on Saturday 18 September 2021, the statement read. The baby was born at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. The baby weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces.

Beatrice also wrote on her Twitter page, Thank you to the Midwife team and everyone at the hospital for their wonderful care.

This is not Beatrices first foray into parenting, however. She is a stepmother to Mapelli Mozzis son, Christopher Woolf, who was born in 2016. Christophers mother is Mapelli Mozzis former fiancee, Dara Huang.

Who did Princess Beatrices daughter bump down in the line of succession?

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter on Saturday 18th September 2021, at 23.42, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London.



Read the announcement in full  https://t.co/ImbfRLEdAe pic.twitter.com/olwDMv3Zmo  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 20, 2021

RELATED: How Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Disprove Claim Meghan Markle Made During Interview With Oprah

Beatrice is currently 10th in line to the throne. This means her daughter is in 11th place. The birth of Beatrices child means everyone below Beatrice moved down one spot.

Beatrices sister, Princess Eugenie, was formerly 11th in line, but now she is 12th. Her son, August Brooksbank, moved down as well.

Beatrice is also higher in the line of succession than her uncle, Prince Edward (14th), and aunt, Princess Anne (17th) . Both Edward and Anne were bumped down, as were their children and grandchildren.

Will Princess Beatrices daughter have a title?

RELATED: How Princess Beatrice Subtly Paid Tribute to Kate Middleton at Her Top-Secret Wedding

There are a lot of rules regarding titles in the royal family.

For starters, titles are passed down via the male line, which means Beatrices daughter will actually not inherit any titles from her. Eugenies son is also in the same situation; despite being born to a princess, he is known simply as August Brooksbank.

However, Beatrices husband comes from Italian nobility and is technically a count. This means their daughter will, indeed, get a title.

Mapelli Mozzis father, Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, told the Daily Mail in 2020, Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation. He is a count, his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or nobile donna.

In fact, the Mapelli Mozzis have a history that is just as colorful as the royal familys. Count Alessandro shared, We as a family celebrated 1,000 years in 1985 with unbroken documented archives. We are one of the only families in Italy to have all the records from that period to today.
NO X (X=1 or 2) emitted from stationery/mobile sources are conventionally deemed as notorious, anthropogenic precursors of ultrafine particulate matters (PM2.5) because NO X can undergo a series of SO2-assisted photochemical transformative stages to finally evolve PM2.5 functioning as an air pollutant. Recently, a research group in South Korea rectifies the general notion of NO X (vide supra) by proposing an interesting means to exploit NO X in creative fashion.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has announced that a KIST research group with principal investigators of Dr. Jongsik Kim and Dr. Heon Phil Ha has collaborated with a research team led by Prof. Keunhong Jeong in the the Korea Military Academy (KMA) to graft NO 3 - species on a metal oxide via chemical fusion between NO X and O 2 under a low thermal energy ( 150 C). The resulting supported NO 3 - species can then be radicalized to generate NO 3  analogues that serve as degraders of refractory organic substances present in a wastewater.

Aqueous recalcitrant compounds including phenolics and bisphenol A are typically eliminated from water matrices via sedimentation with the use of coagulants or via degradation into H 2 O and CO Y (Y=1 or 2) with the injection of OH shuttles such as H 2 O 2 , O 3 , etc. However, these methods require additional stages to recover coagulants or suffer from short lifespans and/or chemical instabilities innate to OH, H 2 O 2 , and O 3 , thus severely limiting the sustainability of H 2 O purification processes currently being commercialized.

As a substitute of OH, NO 3  can be particularly appealing due to its longer lifetime and/or greater oxidizing potential in comparison with OH, OOH, or O 2 -, thereby being predicted to enhance the efficiency in degrading aqueous pollutants over the other radicals stated above. Nevertheless, NO 3  production is not trivial and has a bunch of constraints such as the need of highly energized electrons in the presence of a radioactive element or highly acidic environments.

Dr. Kim and co-workers make it viable under a wastewater including H 2 O 2 and NO 3 --functionalized manganese oxide that surface manganese species (Mn2+/Mn3+) initially activate H 2 O 2 for the formation of OH, whereas OH subsequently activates NO 3 - functionality for its transition into NO3 (denoted as OH  NO 3 ), all of which are evidenced by density functional calculation (DFT) techniques alongside with a bunch of control experiments.

The resulting NO 3  species were demonstrated to escalate degradation efficiency of textile wastewater by five- or seven-fold compared to those provided by conventional radicals (OH/OOH/O 2 -). Of significance, the catalyst (NO 3 --functionalized manganese oxide) discovered herein is ~30 % cheaper than a traditional commercial catalyst (iron salt) and is mass-producible. Of additional significance, the catalyst is reusable ten times or more. This is in contrast to a traditional catalyst that only guarantees one-time utilization in decomposing aqueous pollutants via homogeneous H 2 O 2 scission (OH generation).
Roy Boney Jr., an award-winning artist and manager of the Cherokee Language Program at Cherokee Nation, has been selected as Northeastern State Universitys 2022 Sequoyah Fellow.
In 1998, just over a decade after the scandal that landed Tammy Faye Bakkers husband, Jim, in prison and crashed the couples ministry empire, Tammy Faye was a guest on Roseanne Barrs daytime show. Roseannes opening line of questions quickly turned obnoxious, even cruel: I want to know what in the heck is the makeup a metaphor for? What does it really mean? Because you know its really extreme.

Tammy Faye, obviously stung, tried to deflect the insult. Roseanne persisted: No, your makeup is extreme. Its very extreme.  What does it mean to you?  Are you protecting yourself? Youre putting so much stuff on your face; youre, like, hiding.

Michael Showalters The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Searchlight, 2021), a film based on Fenton Baileys and Randy Barbatos 2000 documentary of the same name, is no less interested in what her look meant and means. Jessica Chastains performance, however, affords Tammy Faye a dignity Roseannes interview did not. Hopefully, this difference signals a long-needed shift in how Pentecostalsand Pentecostal women, in particularare represented in mass media and popular culture.

Broadly speaking, Pentecostals found Tammy Fayes look especially troubling and dismissed her as a cruisematic clown, while evangelicals feared her willingness to engage with gay people and her sympathy for those dying with AIDS. The culture at large, insofar as it noticed her at all, laughed her off as a tongue-talking, Bible-thumping pseudocelebrity.

When I was young (Im the same age as Jay, Tammy Fayes son), reared by my parents and grandparents in an old-fashioned, blue-collar Pentecostal church in rural Oklahoma, the Bakkers had just reached the height of their influence. I remember preachers, male and female, routinely parodying Jims health and wealth, name-it-and-claim-it message.

But women, especially rich and famous women, received the brunt of the condemnation, especially, as I recall, Tammy Faye, Amy Grant, and Jan Crouch (who in the early 70s cofounded the Trinity Broadcast Network with her husband, Paul, and the Bakkers). These women, among others, were reviled as Jezebels, the name given to that type of woman thought to lure men away from the truth by carnal wiles, leading the churchand, more importantly, the nationinto ruin.

Of course, as the Roseanne interview indicates, Tammy Faye was held up for scorn by the wider culture as well. But while she only seemed otherworldly to them, she epitomized worldliness for our religious community. In our circles, women and girls, no matter their ages, were not allowed to wear makeup, jewelry, or attention-grabbing outfits, and it would be hard even to suggest the intensity of our disdain for those who did.

Tammy Fayes appearance struck us as proof that no sane person would ever want to be worldly. She seemed to us the face of everything wrong with everyone who rejected our way of life. Without holiness, the preachers shouted, no manand certainly no womanshall see the Lord. We knew not only what they meant but whom.

In the films telling of her story, it seems obvious that Tammy Fayes look set the stage for white Pentecostals to begin to break free of their legalistic dress codes and that her vision began to make it possible for evangelicals to risk seeing gays and lesbians differentlymore caringly, more compassionately.

She was, to be sure, camp incarnate. Much of what she said and did was not merely odd or showy but outright foolish, or even wrong, as she herself often acknowledged. But somehow, against all odds, she never entirely lost touch with her personhood, her humanity. And to its credit, the film tries to honor this about her, this childlike openness to the truth.

Article continues below

The Eyes of Tammy Faye, with all its faults and shortcomings, promises to change the way Tammy Faye is remembered. But the way that the characters around her are so relatively undeveloped is consistent with the ways Pentecostals as a group continue to be perceived and portrayed in mass media and pop culture.

The first season of HBOs recent Perry Mason, for example, stars Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, founder of the fictional Radiant Assembly of God and an unmistakable interpretation of the real-life Sister Aimee Semple McPherson, the phenomenal turn-of-the-century evangelist, faith healer, and founder of the Foursquare Church. In Maslanys performance, Sister McKeegan, much like Chastains Tammy Faye, is shown to be deeply enigmatic and troubled, sexy and theatrical, but never reduced to burlesque or parody. Her fellow Pentecostals, however, including McKeegans tightfisted and highhanded mother, are not afforded the same respect.

Something similar happens in Them That Follow(Amasia, 2019), which tells the story of Mara Childs, a snake handlers daughter in an Appalachian Pentecostal church who at last is forced by her own compassion to abandon her family, if not also her faith. Some Pentecostal communities can be toxic, as my own story proves. But the courage shown by Chastains Tammy Faye, Maslanys Sister Alice, and Alice Englerts Mara Childs surely had something to do with the spirituality and theology that shaped them. Why do the storytellers fail to make that plain?

Before she died, Tammy Faye said she hoped to be remembered for her look and for her walk with God. Showalters film reminds us that she should be remembered not so much for her blush and lipstick as for her character, not for her eyeliner and eyelashes but for how she saw the world.

Regrettably, the film not only fails to fully realize its supporting cast but also seems reluctant to acknowledge that her character and her vision were in some real sense Pentecostal, shaped in her experience of the Spirit and led by her love for Jesus. In the film, the more sympathetic she becomes, the more she distances herself from the church. In fact, however, something more like the opposite was true.

Near the end of the interview that had started so awkwardly, Roseanne makes a request: You are an ordained minister. A lot of people dont know that about you, and always think of you as the wife behind the minister. But you yourself are a minister. So, we want to hear you preach, and we want you to go over to the organ and sing for us.

Tammy Faye does exactly that, happily belting out a rendition of (Give Me That) Old Time Religion. The crowd immediately joins her, smiling and clapping. Roseanne, surprisingly, does too, with an accompanying tambourine. All together they sing, faces beaming: Makes me love everybody, makes me love everybody, makes me love everybody, and its good enough for me.

Nothing could be more Pentecostal or stand as a clearer witness against the biases so many still hold against Pentecostals. That lyric, sung in that way, sung with the woman who had belittled her, not only captures Tammy Fayes spirit perfectly but also bears glad witness to the Spirit that blows where he wills, whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways.

Chris E. W. Green is a professor of public theology at Southeastern University and director for the St. Anthony Institute of Theology and Philosophy. His most recent book is All Things Beautiful: An Aesthetic Christology.
COVID-19 vaccine refusal rates may be high among white evangelical Christians, but the International Mission Boardwhich deploys thousands of missionariesis not hesitant about the shot.

The global agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical Protestant denomination in the US, announced this month it is requiring vaccinations for missionaries theyre sending into the field amid the pandemic.

The IMB may be the first US missionary agency known to have such a mandate, according to leaders in the field, as other faith groups approach the issue in a variety of ways including limiting where people can serve and making considerations for uneven global access to the vaccines.

This is a very common-sense decision, said Ed Stetzer, a Southern Baptist who is dean of mission, ministry and leadership at Wheaton College. Mission-sending agencies from the United States have the real opportunity to be vaccinated, and theyre going to places around the world that dont.

The IMB policy applies to both current and future missionaries as well as some staff members. Among the reasons it cited for the measure are health concerns and the fact that increasing numbers of countries are implementing their own vaccine requirementssome field personnel have reported needing to show proof to board airplanes and subways or enter restaurants and malls.

In a statement announcing the policy, IMB leaders acknowledged that it could be a deal-breaker for some people considering missionary work or currently serving with the organization.

Allen Nelson IV, a pastor who leads a Southern Baptist congregation in Arkansas, said he is not against vaccines but is completely opposed to mandates for missionaries.

This is something that must be left up to a persons own conscience, research and discussions with a doctor, as well as their particular ministry context, Nelson told The Associated Press.

Among religious groups that have stopped short of issuing vaccine mandates is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, which is giving unvaccinated missionaries assignments in their home countries.

The United Methodist Church, for its part, strongly encourages missionaries to get vaccinated but does not require it. That is partly because availability is not consistent around the world, according to Judy Chung, executive director of missionary services for the denominations Global Ministries.

We have discussed how to promote vaccination without making a mandatory requirement, Chung said, because some may not have access to that yet.

The denomination currently has about 240 full-time missionaries serving in 70 countries, and the most recently deployed cohort of about 40 has a vaccination rate around 80 percent.

We want to make sure that our missionary population are safe so that they can focus on the mission work that has been assigned to them, Chung said. We want to make sure that we are not causing harm as we engage in mission.

A key question for US-based mission groups is whether they will fall under the Biden administrations recently announced rule that companies with more than 100 employees must require workers be vaccinated for the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing.

If they do, Ted Esler, the president of Missio Nexus, an association that includes hundreds of missionary agencies in the US and Canada, said about 30 percent of those agencies could be affected. He thinks they would comply with the federal mandate but said the issue is not currently stirring much discussion.

Ultimately, he noted, organizations internal rules may be rendered moot by vaccine entry requirements that many countries have instituted for visitors.

Whether you have a policy or not, Esler said, if youre going to serve cross-culturally in another country, youre going to be faced with the government regulation.

A June survey by the Public Religion Research Institute showed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy decreasing and acceptance growing, but refusal rates holding steady. It also found significant variance of opinion between people from different faith traditions.

White evangelical Protestants had the highest vaccine refusal rate at 24 percent and among the lowest acceptance rates at 56 percent. By comparison, acceptance rates stood at 56 percent for Hispanic Protestants, 65 percent for Latter-day Saints, 66 percent for Black Protestants, 69 percent for other Protestants of color, and 74 percent for white mainline Protestants.

The IMB has had vaccine requirements for other diseases in place since the 1980s, and it says some have chosen to skip international service because of it.

Esler, who served as a missionary in Bosnia in the 1990s with the Pioneers organization, said he had to be inoculated against diseases like diphtheria, polio, tetanus and typhoid before he could go.

Esler wasnt eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine and is hesitant to advise others to roll up their sleeves. But he got vaccinated because he is continuing to travel.

From my perspective, this is an issue more because of the fact that its COVID-related than it is vaccine-related, Esler said.

Its unfortunate that the COVID vaccine here is controversial and rejected by some, he added, when in other places it would be coveted and highly sought-after and they cannot get it.
'60 Minutes' airs new allegation of rape at Hillsong Church after Brian Houston steps down

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Following news that Senior Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church stepped down from the global evangelical ministry's board, "60 Minutes" Australia aired a segment Sunday featuring new allegations from a woman who claims she was raped at one of the megachurch's campuses. Hillsong called the reporting "gutter journalism at its finest."

The program titled "Hillsong Hell" aired on Sunday night and coincided with news that Houston stepped down from the Hillsong board as he prepares for court proceedings related to allegations that he failed to report his father's sexual abuse to the authorities in the 1970s.

Along with highlighting Houston's legal case and the recent firing of Hillsong New York Pastor Carl Lentz for "moral failures," the "60 Minutes" program introduces an Australian woman who uses the alias "Katherine" and says she was raped in the Melbourne campus after a Bible study.

The program also featured Anna Crenshaw, an American woman who has been vocal about her alleged assault by a Hillsong leader.

Katherine described her rape as a violent occurrence committed by another Hillsong member in 2018 following a Bible study in which she stayed late to help clean.

"I had no reason to think I wasn't going to be safe. It was really violent. It was just completely filled with anger and rage and hatred," she said. "It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced in my whole life.

"That was the only sexual experience I'd ever had, and it was non-consensual," she added. "And I just wanted to pretend it didn't happen."

The woman alleges that she was pulled by the hair, undressed and raped inside an events office in the church.

Following the traumatic incident, Katherine claimed she reported the rape to a Hillsong youth pastor. She says she was told that it was something she had to "sort out" with the perpetrator and instead work on "repairing relationships."

Katherine said that it wasn't until she took the claims public on social media that she was contacted by Hillsong. The church asked to meet with her. But according to Katherine's account, it took Hillsong three years to inform the police.

"I want my abuser to never have the chance to be able to do that to another person again," Katherine told "60 Minutes."

"I also want Hillsong and the person I told to be held accountable for not doing anything," she added.

In a statement Monday responding to the "60 Minutes" segment, Hillsong Church stated that it was not made aware of the 2018 rape allegation until April 2021 after seeing a social media post from Katherine.

"We immediately reached out to her and asked for a meeting. During the meeting the person concerned was not forthcoming with all of the information," Hillsong argues. "She made several allegations but refused to provide details of a date or name of the alleged perpetrator. She advised she had reported the matter to police however Hillsong also made a report to police as per our procedures."

"She made it very clear that for personal reasons she was not willing to take the matter further with police," the statement adds. "We have made every effort to assist this individual and we continue to stand ready to assist. However, we cannot force someone to cooperate with us or police."

Also featured in the "60 Minutes" segment, Anna Crenshaw detailed her alleged assault to The Christian Post earlier this year.

The American Hillsong College attendee told the program of an incident with married Hillsong administrator Jason Mays, which allegedly occurred at a social gathering in 2016. He allegedly made advances toward her, including putting his hands around her waist and between her legs.

Mays, who is the son of the churchs head of human resources, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and was sentenced to two years' probation by a Sydney court last year. However, he was allowed to keep his job at Hillsong.

In its statement Monday, Hillsong Church said that it began an investigation when Crenshaw first brought the allegation to their attention. The church maintains that it brought the allegation to the attention of police, and Crenshaw was never discouraged from filing a formal complaint or participating in legal proceedings.

"There are several reasons why Jason Mays was given another opportunity to remain on staff including the comments of the magistrate who chose not to record a conviction, asserted the 'low level objective seriousness of the offence' and acknowledged that it occurred in the presence of several other people who did not fully corroborate her version of the events," Hillsong noted.

Jason was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond for 'assault with act of indecency' (not sexual assault), including stringent requirements that he has followed diligently."

The church added that the magistrate had spoken of the "significant punishment already received through his employer (Hillsong) with suspension relating to paid work and volunteering activities."

"Jason works in an administrative role and is not, and never has been, in a leadership position," the church's statement reads. One of the cornerstones of our Biblical beliefs as Christians is forgiveness and redemption. It is important Jason is allowed this as well."

Hillsong's statement pegged the "60 Minutes" reporting as "factually wrong, sensationalised, unbalanced and highly unethical journalism."

"Hillsong Church takes any allegation of sexual assault extremely seriously and our policy is to report the allegation to police," the statement said.

"We have a Safe Church and a legal department that handle allegations in accordance with all legal requirements and best practice, and are vigilant in their operations. Any insinuation to the contrary is false and defamatory."

Hillsong also pushed back against the program's claim that the church "declined a request to appear on camera," calling it a "blatant lie."

"60 Minutes has clearly been working on this story for some time yet only contacted us by email with vague questions four days before the story was scheduled to air, and after promotions for the story were already running across the Nine Network," the statement reads.

"After we responded with the facts (which were ignored) they belatedly offered us the opportunity to reply on air on Friday  the last working day before the program. Clearly there was no way we could do this and they knew it. It was never their intention to do a balanced piece because they didnt want to hear the truth. How sad that journalism in this country has stooped to this level."
A return to moral leadership: Christian group celebrates Biden's proposal to raise refugee cap to 125K

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A Christian humanitarian group commended the Biden administration for submitting a report to Congress to raise the refugee resettlement cap to 125,000 people for the next fiscal year.

On Monday, the U.S. State Department announced that the administration would raise the refugee admissions cap from 62,500 in the current fiscal year to 125,000 for fiscal year 2022, which begins on Oct. 1.

Church World Service, an immigrant and refugee resettlement organization that has 23 locations in 17 states, released a statement Monday praising the decision to increase the resettlement ceiling for refugees.

Erol Kekic, who head's the organization's immigration and refugee program, said in a statement shared with The Christian Post that he believed the move to raise the resettlement cap represented a return to moral leadership and our nations commitment to welcome and generosity.

At long last there is hope for refugees in search of safety, including Afghans who are in imminent danger and thousands of families waiting to be reunited, Kekic said. We urge Congress to hold the administration accountable to meeting the unprecedented protection needs during the worst displacement crisis in history.

While CWS praised the Biden administration for increasing the number of refugees being admitted into the U.S., the organization took issue with Bidens decision to deport some adult male Haitian refugees living in an encamped at a border bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Although some single men among the over 15,000 are being repatriated to their home countries, the Biden administration said family units who entered the country illegally will be allowed to remain in the U.S.

CWS is deeply concerned by the increased deportation flights to Haiti under the immoral Title 42 policy and by the treatment of Haitians seeking refuge at the Southern border, said the faith-based organization, which received over 55% of its funding from U.S. taxpayers in 2020.

We urge the administration to honor our countrys moral and legal obligation to welcome all people with dignity.

In a press release from Monday, the State Department announced that the administration was recommending that Congress raise the refugee resettlement cap to 125,000 people for fiscal year 2022.

A robust refugee admissions program is critical to U.S. foreign policy interests and national security objectives, and is a reflection of core American values, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

The United States has long been a global leader in refugee resettlement. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) reflects our tradition as a nation that has long welcomed immigrants and refugees.

Initially, President Joe Biden had opted to maintain the Trump administrations historically low resettlement cap of 15,000; however, after much criticism from multiple groups, Biden reversed course.

We are working quickly to undo the damage of the last four years. It will take some time, but that work is already underway, Biden said back in May in response to the Trump administration decreasing the number of refugees being admitted into the U.S.

The United States Refugee Admissions Program embodies Americas commitment to protect the most vulnerable, and to stand as a beacon of liberty and refuge to the world. Its a statement about who we are, and who we want to be.
Ed Litton warns against 'tribal hostility' in SBC: 'Our convention is struggling'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton warned against the tribal hostility, ungraciousness and suspicion within the denomination, reminding Southern Baptists that the world is watching the way they handle issues like sexual abuse and racial reconciliation.

In the toxicity of the conversation and lack of civility, we do the opposite, Litton, pastor of Redemption Church near Mobile, Alabama, said during the SBCs Executive Committee meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday night.

We should honor one another [and] those who are struggling. The mood of our times is to attack, demonize, make allegations and threaten. We are seldom slow to speak and slow to anger. Why not come and reason together instead of promoting tribal hostility, ungraciousness and suspicion of one another?

Litton spoke hours after members of the Executive Committee debated whether waiving attorney-client privilege as requested by the sexual abuse task force would violate SBC bylaws.

In June, SBC messengers voted for Litton to appoint a task force to oversee a third-party investigation of allegations SBC leaders mishandled a crisis of sexual abuse in the denomination.

Guidepost Solutions was commissioned to "review and enhance training provided to SBC Executive Committee staff and its board of trustees" as it relates to sex abuse and the organizations "communications to cooperating churches and congregants in cooperating churches."

The task force subsequently asked the Executive Committee to waive attorney-client privilege for the investigation.

The motion called for the Executive Committee to agree to the accepted best-standards and practices as recommended by the commissioned third-party, including but not limited to the Executive Committee staff and members waiving attorney client privilege in order to ensure full access to information and accuracy in the review.

Speaking on Monday night, Litton said his heart was heavy about the gathering.

I think all of us feel the weight of it, and we need to find a way forward for the glory of God together," he said.

Our convention is struggling right now, he continued, and its a crisis of trust. However you label it, theres a solution and that solution is with us. Our churches want to see our entities working together in harmony, and they want to see the EC leading the way.

Southern Baptists, Litton said, have genuine concerns for how abuse cases will be handled.

The people are watching, and what theyre looking for is openness and transparency," he said.

The world is watching, he added. Theyll watch to see what we do here this week about abuse. Theyll watch to see how sincere we will be about racial reconciliation. They'll watch us in every turn and they'll make decisions.

Litton also highlighted the weightiness of the EC's decisions.

Our actions will either trouble Southern Baptists and their mission to take this Gospel to the ends of the earth or well do what is right, he said. Well do whatever is possible to lift high the trust  that has been given to us.

The Southern Baptist Convention is not a child that we hold their hand. We hold the trust of the Southern Baptist Convention in our hands.

Earlier in his message, Litton said that during the short time hes served as president of the second-largest Christian denomination in the U.S., hes been struck by the good Southern Baptists are doing around the world  from feeding the poor and participating in disaster relief to planting churches.

But the pastor said hes also met with victims of sexual abuse and seen their pain firsthand. He stressed that the SBC wants to address sexual abuse and racial reconciliation and desperately wants to become unified.

The cross of Jesus Christ unites us like no other people can be united, Litton said. The only way the Gospel remains above all else is if Jesus remains at the center of it all.

Primarily due to the secularization of culture, the SBC has lost both power and influence in society, the pastor said. Instead of succumbing to fear, Litton urged listeners to trust God for deliverance. He warned that failing to do so will lead to the kind of fundamentalism that fosters fear.

I have always believed that the word fundamentalist was a good word, he said. Those are people who believe in the fundamentals. But theres a danger for fundamentalists. [Evangelist] Del Fehsenfeld Jr. said, Fundamentalism thrives on fear, force and intimidation.

The theme of next years SBC annual meeting will be Christ at the center of it all, Litton said. He stressed that the SBC has a disease that can only be cured by Jesus Christ. He reminded Southern Baptists that regardless of their differences, Christ is preeminent in everything.

The most common question I am asked as your president is, How in the world will you unite Southern Baptists? My answer is, I can't. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. But we are all called to unity, he said.
Megachurch pastor warns of a 'spirit of division' in the Church: 'We're acting fleshly'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Chicago-area megachurch Pastor Bill Winston shared at an annual conference at his church last week that there is a spirit of division in the Body of Christ exacerbated by the existence of racial division between congregations.

At Living Word Christian Centers six-day 2021 International Faith Conference in Forest Park, Illinois, last Friday, Winston preached a sermon in which he told the audience that many Christians continue to act fleshly even though they have been saved.

The enemy has created a spirit of division, and racism is division [and] prejudice. Once I come into Christ, I have a brand new identity, said the founder of the 20,000-member Living Word Christian Center and Tuskegee Christian Center in Tuskegee, Alabama.

It doesnt make any difference. Acts 10:34: In every nation, he who fears God is accepted in Him.

The 78-year-old televangelist said typically, when someone needs a heart transplant, they need the blood and usually wont pay close attention to the race of the blood donor.

In the same way that people view the bodys internal anatomy as being similar, Winston said, people should also view each member of the Body of Christ  regardless of their race  as equal with Christ dwelling inside them.

When the blood comes [for a blood transfusion], the people dont say, Whose blood is that? Does that blood come from an Indian? No, they dont say that. They say, Give me that blood, Winston rationalized. The man inside me is God. I am God's child  in the plan of God.

The God-given opportunities are open to everyone, according to Winston, because external appearances should not make a difference.

Most cities on Sunday morning are the most segregated time in the Body of Christ.  Because of that, we have been somewhat carnal, he added. So, I can get me a check too.  Whatever you can get, I can get it too. This thing comes in the Church. The world creeps in the Church, and as long as [the enemy] can keep the Church there, he can keep the Church from the miracles.

Winston also said that miracles start in the spirit, not in the natural places. And without miracles, he added, humans can potentially be held back from many places they would have gone otherwise.

You are not from this world.  You were born from above. Act like you are from home. Talk like God. I dont care what the situation looks like, he said. We have been programmed to operate in this human-logical-that-makes-sense world. And as a result of that, weve seen no miracles. The whole earth is waiting for you to manifest. The enemys job is to keep us in a place where we wont grow up.

If we did more acting like our faith, some of us wouldnt be broken out there. You got to come out of that, he charged.

One of the ways Christians can reach their final destination is by not allowing themselves to be ashamed of what the Gospel has to say, Winston stated.

You got to be unashamed of the Gospel. You were made for this. You werent made to sit back and cry about it and talk [about] how bad it is. You're made to do something about it. Thats what this is all about  that its time for miracles, he said. There are things that if there were no miracles, that wouldnt have happened in the Bible.

Let God be true, and every man be a liar. No matter what the doctor said, talk like God. No matter what the banker said, talk like God. No matter what your cousin said, talk like God. If you talk like God, Gods going to back it up.

He warned that the devils goal is to derail Christians from the Word of God.

The enemy knows if he can stop the Church from getting the word out, then what he can do is hold the world in hostage. He can keep them from coming to the Kingdom, he concluded. The enemy's job is to wipe out all traces of God's Word from the earth.  But, the Bible says the gates of Hell will not prevail against you.

Winston was one of many widely known pastors who preached at the International Faith Conference. For almost 27 years, the International Faith Conference has featured renowned speakers and musicians and has impacted the lives of countless men, women and young people.

Other notable speakers at this year's conference include Bishop, T.D. Jakes, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez and Rev. Kenneth Copeland.
SBC's IMB requiring all missionaries, staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention announced that its missionaries must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and strongly recommends that their children who are at least 12 years old be vaccinated as well.

The IMB posted a statement online earlier this month noting that missionaries planning to attend the Field Personnel Orientation before undertaking longterm missions must be vaccinated, while missionaries attending the Stateside Conference during a return to the United States must also be vaccinated. Both conferences are mandatory events.

Additionally, IMB is requiring staff who have to interact with field personnel at the conferences to be vaccinated.

Volunteers serving with IMB field teams must follow the recommendations and requirements of the government of the hosting country for the volunteer trip, stated the IMB.

IMB does, however, recommend those who are not required to be vaccinated by the host country to consider being vaccinated, given the risks associated with travel. The recommendation for volunteers is designed to protect not only the volunteer, but also the field personnel, national partners and ongoing field ministries.

The missions body went on to explain that, in the past, the IMB has required staff and missionaries to be vaccinated against other diseases, going at least as far back as the 1980s.

We must make every wise decision, even when a decision is exceptionally difficult, that maintains our team members access to the growing number of unreached peoples and places around the world where vaccines are required for entry, explained IMB President Paul Chitwood, in remarks included in the statement.

We also want to do all we can to undergird our team members spiritual and physical health to maximize our effectiveness as we serve Southern Baptists in our global gospel endeavors.

In recent months, multiple religious bodies and prominent American pastors have called on their members to get vaccinated against COVID-19, rejecting the idea of religious exemptions.

Southern Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress of the Texas-based megachurch First Baptist Dallas, for example, recently told The Associated Press that there were no valid religious objections to the vaccine.

There is no credible religious argument against the vaccines, Jeffress told the AP, adding that Christians who are troubled by the use of a fetal cell line for the testing of the vaccines would also have to abstain from the use of Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen, and other products that used the same cell line if they are sincere in their objection.

Others, however, have taken issue with the COVID-19 vaccine, including the use of aborted fetal cells as part of its research and development, and have sought to be exempted.

In August, for example, Pastor Greg Fairrington of Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, California, announced that his church would provide letters of exemption to anyone opposed to the vaccine.

"America is a free country. We have freedom of religion, and if a person has a moral objection to taking the vaccine, we want to come alongside of them," stated Fairrington at the time.
Trudeau wins third term as Canada's PM, but fails to get party majority

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to remain in office after he called a snap election, but his Liberal Party will not have a parliamentary majority.

According to official election results updated on Tuesday morning, Trudeaus Liberal Party was leading in 158 Electoral Districts, or 46.8% of all districts.

The Conservative Party held 119 Electoral Districts, or 35.2% of the districts, while the Bloc Quebecois held 35 Electoral Districts, or 10.1%, and the New Democratic Party held 25 Electoral Districts, or 7.4%.

Trudeau won a third term as prime minister Monday night, with the Liberal Party leader taking to his official Facebook account to thank the country for the electoral victory.

Thank you, Canada  for casting your vote, for putting your trust in the Liberal team, for choosing a brighter future. We're going to finish the fight against COVID. And we're going to move Canada forward, Trudeau said.

While the victory came after a 36-day campaign that cost approximately $600 million, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, little change ensued for the makeup of Canadas House of Commons.

As of 2:30 a.m. ET, Liberal candidates were leading or elected in 157 ridings, the exact same number of seats that party won in the 2019 contest, the CBC reported.

[Trudeau] launched this campaign with a sizeable lead in the polls  only to see his support crater days later as many voters expressed anger with his decision to call an election during this health crisis. Two middling debate performances by Trudeau and renewed questions about past scandals also put a Liberal victory in question.

Elected prime minister in 2015, Trudeau called for an election on Aug. 15 to take place on Sept. 20, well before the next scheduled election in October 2023.

According to Canadian election law, a prime minister can give a formal request that the governor general dissolve Parliament, which automatically triggers a national election.

At a press conference held in Ottawa at the time, Trudeau explained that the election was meant to give his government a mandate on fighting the pandemic and organizing economic recovery.

Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against COVID-19 and build back better, from getting the job done on vaccines to having peoples backs all the way to and through the end of this crisis, said Trudeau, as reported by The Washington Post last month.

The decisions that your government makes now will define the future that your children and grandchildren grow up in.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

According to the New York Times, As of September 14, about 64,000 evacuees from Afghanistan had arrived in the United States. . . . Nearly 49,000 are living on eight domestic military bases, waiting to be resettled in the United States.

By this time next year, a total of ninety-five thousand is expected.

We havent seen anything like this since the end of the Vietnam War. While government agencies work around the clock and refugee care organizations rapidly retool, many American Christians may be asking What in the world?! and How can we help?

My friend Ginny related, I was heartbroken as I watched what was happening to Afghans, but I didnt want to just sit in a place of brokenness. I asked myself, What can I do as a mom, a normal person, to provide a warm welcome for some of those whove suffered so much? So I googled helping Afghan refugees, picked an organization that popped up, and arranged a visit. My whole family went. We were told several ways to help, then we went out and let the kids spend their giving money to buy the basic set-up stuff for one Afghan refugee apartment.

I expect stories like Ginnys to multiply across the country in the coming weeks, in part because Americans tend toward generosity and a willingness to help. Well also see stories grow as Christians like us obey the clear teaching of Scripture for situations like this.

What does the Bible say about refugees?

Leviticus 19:34 says, The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the L your God (NIV).

This is not lightweight instruction.

Love them like yourself, remembering where you came from. Few of us have experienced what Afghan refugees are going through, but core to our theology is the truth that we were lost and have been found. We were outsiders who experienced the amazing kindness of God.

So, we share Gods kindness.

In case were tempted to say, Well, that is the Old Testament, Jesus gets all up in our grill in his debate with the lawyer in Luke 10. The principle is this: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesuss response to Who is my neighbor came in the form of the story of the Good Samaritan. It ends with Jesus effectively telling the lawyer (and you and me): Go act like the Samaritan. Show mercy to the one in need. Do this regardless of ethnicity and cultural suspicion.

This Afghan migration to our shores may be the greatest opportunity in years for us to obey Jesus instruction to act like the good Samaritan.

How can I help Afghan refugees?

If you feel a little angst about so many people coming to the US from somewhere like Afghanistan, youre not alone.

With respect, may I remind you what Jesus told us about worrying in Matthew 6:33? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (NIV).

Some of the Afghans coming to the US right now will commit crimes. I pray none will give themselves to terrorism, but some bad things will happen both through them and to them. Nonetheless, were called to the kingdom work of Jesus, and that means loving Afghans as they arrive in our country.

So what can normal Christians do?

Pray

Believe God knows this situation way better than we do and has the power to open doors, comfort hearts, and bring people to himself. Lets ask him to do so!

Download this simple, half-page prayer guide and see if you can get it in your church bulletin this week. Also, the amazing talent at PrayerCast.com produces stunning videos that will help you pray for Afghans.

Give

Imagine you only had the clothes youre wearing and the cash (not cards!) currently in your pocket. Your wife is gripping your hand in a way that communicates her fear. And your kids are asking, When will we get there?, but this time you dont even know where youre going! Such is the reality for many Afghans as they make their way to the US.

If you have more than the clothes on your back and the cash in your pocket, you can probably help them. Check out Welcome.US, a growing clearinghouse of opportunities, or be like Ginny and google something local.

If you feel like swinging for the fence, do what I just did and sign up through AirBnB.org to open your guest room (or RV!) to Afghan refugees. It only took about five minutes.

Befriend

This current crisis will fade from the news as they all do, but upwards of one hundred thousand possible new Americans will still need help. Long-term friendships cost more than money. They take time, attention, and energy. But, as people of Jesus, we have received grace and the mandate to connect. This isnt for all of us, but it may be for you.



If youre down to take action thats a little bigger than a baby step, figure out a way to invite an Afghan family to their very first American Thanksgiving dinner! If youre a guy, here are some manly ways to build friendships with Muslims.

Advocate

Lobby your church to make strategic contributions of attention, prayer, money, and friendship.

Mike Bell, a pastor and the director of Healing Nations, says, You dont have to wait for your church to figure this out. Look for a great opportunity, then you can potentially bring your church along.

I just recently got a thumbs-up from my pastor for our church to provide the start-up needs for one Afghan apartment in Denver.

Connect

If the incoming Afghans dont land near you, how about extending kindness to whatever Muslims are nearby?

There are several million in the USat work, down the street, in the next town over. Some have been here for generations. Many are successful, with children and communities theyre proud of. Most would be willing to chat with us. Wed likely learn something, and they would too.

May the God who opened doors for this blessed influx of Afghans open up opportunities for each of us, as he sees fit, to extend the love, grace, present peace, and hope of Jesus to both newly arriving Afghans and Muslims all over.

Originally published at the Denison Forum.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

At no time in memory have we seen more glaring examples of double standards, blatant hypocrisy, and attacks on religious freedoms than we have during the last two years with the COVID outbreak.

It started last year during the lockdowns when liquor stores and abortion clinics were allowed to operate, seeing that they provided essential services, while church gatherings were banned and shut down.

Then, when crowds of thousands flooded our streets during major race protests and riots, over 1,200 medical professionals signed an open letter supporting the protests. Their argument was that racism was more deadly than COVID. Consequently, protesting racism, even at the risk of getting and spreading COVID, was a healthy thing to do.

To quote their letter directly, as public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission. We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States. We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators' ability to gather and demand change. This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders.

So, go ahead and protest  as long as its against racism  and risk spreading death and disease to many. After all, its for a good cause! As for everyone else, stay home and stay locked down.

The most recent example of mind-blowing hypocrisy goes one step further. The very same week that the Biden administration announced a massive vaccine mandate, Press Secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that immigrants pouring through our borders did not need to be vaccinated. Can anyone possibly explain the rationale behind this? Anyone?

Fox News reporter Peter Doocy had asked, It [meaning, the vaccine] is a requirement for people at a business with more than 100 people. It is not a requirement for migrants at the southern border. Why?

Psaki replied curtly, Thats correct, without further explanation.

What an insult to all other Americans being put under forced vaccine pressure, and what a display of the political bias behind some of these decisions. (I do not write this an anti-vaxxer. Im simply talking about blatant hypocrisy and double standards.)

In July 2020, the Supreme Court, quite inexplicably (in fact, without explanation), declined to hear the case of a Las Vegas church protesting the states unfair and uneven COVID regulations. These regulations allowed casinos to operate at 50 percent capacity but churches, regardless of their building capacity, were limited to 50 people.

What a ridiculous, indefensible example of anti-religious double standards. (I guess the casinos brought in a lot more taxable revenue than the churches.) Yet Justice John Roberts joined the four liberal justices in deciding not to hear the case.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote, that while synagogues, mosques and churches were arbitrarily limited to 50 people in attendance for any religious services regardless of the capacity of their buildings, certain other favored facilities may admit 50% of their maximum occupancy, and in the case of gigantic Las Vegas casinos, this means that thousands of patrons are allowed.

To add insult to injury, when one congregation decided to get around these restrictions by holding a pro-Trump prayer gathering in a casino, the casino was fined as a result, even though the attendees followed all safety protocols. You can gamble here to your hearts content. You cannot worship God or pray here.

Last month, the ACLJ filed a lawsuit in federal court in Virginia on behalf of Alive Church of the Nazarene. (If you thought these previous examples were crazy, this one might just take the cake.)

Because of COVID restrictions, the congregation could no longer meet in the public school it had been using, so it sought permission to meet on property located in Prince William County. The county said it would grant them permission, as long as they obtained a liquor license. (Seriously.)

But based on their denominational convictions (they dont even serve wine at communion), they said they could not do so. As a result, the county banned them from meeting on their property. So, unless the church operates like a bar, it cannot meet on certain properties owned by the country.

As explained by attorney Jordan Sekulow, In so many words, our client asked the county, How do we get treated as favorably as breweries and wineries? The countys response, Go get a liquor license.

He continued, Wineries and breweries can host weddings. They can host live music. They can host community-engaging events and gatherings. They can even rent their facilities to churches to use. All while enjoying the beneficial treatment of the countys favor and avoiding cumbersome and expensive zoning and permit requirements. But not churches.

The bottom line is the county is treating our client, the church, differently and worse  because its a church and has these religious beliefs about alcohol.

So, there you have it.

Casinos can meet at 50 percent capacity but churches, even with buildings that seat thousands, can only accommodate 50 people.

If you kill babies in the womb and sell liquor to the public, you provide essential services. If you open your building to minister to struggling families, suicidal teens, drug addicts and others, providing Christian care and support, your services are not essential.

And if a church wants to operate on some properties in Prince William County, it must get a liquor license.

Whats more, if you gather to worship God and pray on the city streets, you are self-centered, reckless, superspreaders. But if you gather to protest racism, you are contributing to public health.

As for companies with at least 100 employees, vaccines are a must. As for tens of thousands of immigrants, legal or otherwise, who cares about vaccines?

Enough said.
35-y-o pastor dies in whitewater rafting accident, leaves behind 'legacy of Jesus'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Hundreds of people in Hopkins County, Kentucky, gathered this week to honor the life of a Baptist pastor who died in a whitewater rafting accident. He is remembered as a vibrant and cheerful "Jesus person" with "God-given abilities."

Rev. Clint Brame, the 35-year-old education minister at Olive Branch Baptist Church in Hanson, died last Friday in West Virginia. He leaves behind his wife, Amanda, and one daughter.

Brame was widely known in his church community for being a silly, balloon-animal-making servant of God who occasionally dressed in a colorful, clown-like jacket while preaching in the pulpit. Brame served in full-time ministry roles for five years at Olive Branch Baptist Church.

Pastor Brame was humble. He listened to you. He had a servant heart. He loved the people. He loved the Lord Jesus. He loved his family. And He loved the people, said Rev. Gary Taylor, the 58-year-old senior pastor of Olive Branch Baptist Church for the past 17 years. Pastor Brame wanted to see people grow in Christ and he was hands-on in working with both Christians and non-Christians to help them as part of his evangelistic duties. He truly knew how to share and live out his faith in Jesus.

When Brame was not leading the churchs various small groups, running Sunday school classes and discipleship programs or aiding in missions efforts, he was recognized for being out and about in the local community to perform acts of service.

Always known for smiling from ear to ear, the Hopkinsville native would be seen in the neighborhood's streets, sharing with others about Jesus. He was also known to teach the churchs youth how to make animals and various shapes out of balloons to give to other children in need.

He also had a quieter side, in which he played video games, watched "Star Wars" movies and devoted time to spend with his wife and daughter.

Before serving at Olive Branch, Brame earned his bachelor's degree from the Baptist institution Campbellsville University in Kentucky. He later graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.

Taylor told The Christian Post that Brame would preach in his place on Sundays when he was not available and was heavily involved in helping run the church's behind-the-scenes operations. His duties included overseeing the church's media services and sound booth. He also made sure that people had access to Sunday sermons online and that the live videos on the churchs Facebook page were accessible.

He was always ready to help me and he met the needs that I couldnt meet at certain times. He was a great support system and he was a servant leader, Taylor said. Pastor Brame was a Jesus-centered person with God-given abilities. Everything he did pointed to Jesus, the Son of God. He was a Jesus person. And he had God-given abilities that he used to point people to Jesus. He helped people to understand that Jesus is the way to Heaven and that declaring Jesus as Lord is key.

On various occasions, Brame wore a brightly colored jacket that he originally wore to his brothers wedding. Taylor recalls the first time Brame wore that suit to church was when Brame was preaching in his place when the senior pastor was away from the church for the weekend.

As Rev. Brame preached, multiple congregants captured pictures in admiration and amusement of what they viewed as a unique suit. Soon after, the article of clothing became one of the things Rev. Brame was known for among his church body.

Pastor Brame and that very funny and silky clown suit in the pulpit ... we always had a ball.  So much laughter, Taylor recollected, with a giggle.

In a Facebook post late last week, Amanda Brame said she never imagined when her husband got the suit that she would "be laying it out for funeral clothes."

"Not even when I started trying to pick out clothes for him to wear, did I think that he would be wearing this of all things, Amanda Brame wrote. So, here we are, Clints crazy suit.  The suit has special significance to the family [and] to our church.

Due to the pandemic, Olive Branch Baptist Church had not had an in-person service for nearly two years. But after Brames death, the senior pastor said he wanted to gather as a church community.

To create unity and comfort during a time of mourning, Taylor held a parking lot worship service for the congregation last Saturday. Roughly 335 people gathered for the service to sing, pray and read Scripture as they honored Brame.

Several attendees took time to share the joyful and inspiring memories that they had with their deceased friend.

Since attending the service, two people have told Taylor they wanted to fully dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ because they were inspired by hearing about all Brame has done.

God has started a healing process within our church.  This brought the church back together, and I believe the greatest thing is sharing the stories of brother Brame and his heart for Jesus. ... Pastor Brame might have only been 35, but he left a legacy of Jesus, Taylor said. God is sovereign and He has a purpose and plan. Losing Rev. Brame is horrible and terrible, but in the midst of it, we see God moving.

The visitation wake for Brame will occur Friday, and the funeral service will be Saturday at First Baptist Church in Hopkinsville County.
Biden admin. takes new steps to combat Texas abortion law, tells abortionists 'we have your back'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

As litigation surrounding Texas' controversial heartbeat abortion law continues, the Biden administration has unveiled new actions it is taking to ensure that women in the Lone Star state can obtain safe and legal abortions.

The Biden administration continues its efforts to nullify Texas Senate Bill 8 bill after a federal judge rejected the U.S. Department of Justices request to block the law as legal challenges to the measure move forward.

The law, which took effect Sept. 1, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks gestation. Additionally, the law allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and those who help women obtain illegal abortions.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services introduced a three-pronged Department-wide response to Senate Bill 8 designed to protect reproductive health care for Texans and bolster access to safe and legal abortions in Texas. In a statement, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra declared that every American deserves access to health care no matter where they live  including access to safe and legal abortions.

Critics of the bill maintain that Senate Bill 8 violates the central holding of the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, where the justices ruled that a woman has a constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy before viability.

HHS is taking actions to support and protect both patients and providers from this dangerous attack on Texans health care," Becerra stated. "Today we are making clear that doctors and hospitals have an obligation under federal law to make medical decisions regarding when its appropriate to treat their patients. And we are telling doctors and others involved in the provision of abortion care, that we have your back."

The first part of HHS three-pronged approach to Senate Bill 8 consists of increased funding for family planning services. Specifically, the HHS Office for Population Affairs plans to award additional funding to Every Body Texas, a current Title X family planning grantee, to respond to the anticipated increase in clients needs for emergency contraception and family planning services.

HHS also vowed to enforce the Church Amendments, protecting health care personnel from discrimination related to their employment because they performed or assisted with a lawful abortion. The Church Amendments also protect health care personnel from discrimination who object to performing abortion, sterilization, and biomedical or behavioral research activities because of their religious beliefs or moral convictions."

Todays guidance outlines protections that prohibit recipients of grants, loans, contracts, or loan guarantees under the Public Health Service Act from discriminating in the employment, promotion, or termination of employment of any physician or other health care personnel because the individual performed or assisted in the performance of an abortion," the statement reads.

The third aspect of the HHS strategy to bolster access to safe and legal abortions in Texas involves the enforcement of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. In response to the Texas law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid issued a memorandum explaining the medical communitys obligations to patients who are pregnant or experiencing pregnancy loss under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

A physicians professional and legal duty to provide stabilizing medical treatment to a patient who presents to the emergency department and is found to have an emergency medical condition preempts any directly conflicting state law or mandate that might otherwise prohibit or prevent such treatment, the memorandum states.

The memo stated that ectopic pregnancy, complications of pregnancy loss, or emergent hypertensive disorders" meet the standard for emergency medical condition," while "dilation and curettage (D&C), removal of one or both fallopian tubes, [and] anti-hypertension therapy" qualify as stabilizing medical treatment.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that legal experts say that the Justice Department could attempt to strip federal funding and determine if there are federal facilities in Texas that could provide abortions.

Pro-life lobbying organizations criticized the Biden administrations efforts to undermine the Texas law.

There are no lengths the Biden administration wont go to in their drive to prop up the abortion industry and impose abortion on demand up to birth nationwide, on a public that resoundingly rejects their agenda, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.

Texas is not California, no matter how hard Xavier Becerra tries to export his pro-abortion legacy. All Americans deserve the right to debate, find consensus and enact laws that reflect their values  thats how democracy works. Yet for almost fifty years, the Supreme Court has tied the hands of state legislators, and now Joe Biden and his radical allies want to shut down the debate permanently."

As the executive branch continues to evaluate its options for defeating Senate Bill 8, the U.S. House of Representatives is working to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Shortly after the Supreme Court declined to block Senate Bill 8 from going into effect, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced that the House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chus Womens Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America.

A federal judge in Texas has scheduled arguments in the challenge to Senate Bill 8 for Oct. 1. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of Mississippis 15-week abortion ban. The justices decision in the Mississippi case could have significant implications for abortion law in the U.S. A ruling in favor of Mississippi, which seeks to uphold the ban, could weaken the precedent set by Roe v. Wade and give states more freedom to enact abortion restrictions.
Jay Bakker Talks Faith, Doubt and Where the Church Has Gone Wrong Revolution Church Pastor Discusses New Book 'Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

NEW YORK  Pastor Jay Bakker of Revolution Church NYC has released a new book in which he encourages Christians to doubt, question and re-examine their beliefs and the Bible in pursuit of the "unknown God of limitless grace" that he's come to know through his own faith journey.

Son of televangelists Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, the 37-year-old self-described "evangelical punk preacher" believes the Christian Church has misrepresented God and contributed to the sufferings of many with its orthodox teachings on sin, salvation and eternity. More inclined to be filed alongside the works of Peter Rollins, Rob Bell, Brian D. McLaren and other so-called emergent Christian leaders, Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed is heavy on love and grace and selective in its assessment of Scripture  apparently a continuing theme from Bakker's previous work, Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self & Society (2011).

Bakker's reflections on a faith that he feels needs to be reformed don't seem to rest on genuine biblical interpretation, as he chooses in Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed to ignore the more troublesome and demanding texts that test his own views. He claims Christians who believe the Bible is inerrant don't take that same Bible "seriously." Yet the New York City preacher leaves plenty of room in Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed for others to make the same claim about him  and not because he disagrees with a God-inspired view of Scripture or believes that Scripture leaves room for homosexual relationships, but rather because he separates the God of the Bible from much of what the Bible claims God has said and done.

Although Bakker's theology may cause some readers to bristle, his demands for a more biblically literate, compassionate and socially-conscious Christian Church certainly hold merit. As the preacher explained to The Christian Post this week, there is plenty that the Church has gotten right in terms of combating poverty and hunger, but he also insists Christians need to re-think the issues he believes much of the community has gotten wrong  especially when it comes to gays and lesbians.

Below is Bakker's discussion with The Christian Post, conducted via phone and email, about his new book, Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I've Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God. It has been edited for clarity.

CP: Please summarize Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed. What's it all about?

Bakker: The idea is just that it's okay to question your faith. You usually come out stronger for doing so. Growing up I was always taught that doubt was something that was very forbidden. What I realized is that doubt is a part of faith, it's an element of it, not the opposite, as Paul Tillich said. I thought that it was important to write about living in a mystery and realizing that, if we want to serve a God that's actually God, we can't have God figured out.

CP: What kind of audience did you have in mind when writing Faith, Doubt and Other Lines I've Crossed?

Bakker: When I write books I don't really always even necessarily have an audience in mind as much as just people who like to read or people who are interested in spirituality. I guess my basic audience is usually those folks who've gone through Christianity and maybe have been disillusioned by the Church or disillusioned by faith. Your hope is always that even those folks who feel like that they've got it figured out read it too. You want people to think from all different sides. So I guess the intended audience would probably more likely be people who are a maybe a little disillusioned with their faith, but of course the hopeful audience is anybody who's curious about spirituality, who's curious about Christianity and maybe wanting to see it in a different light.

CP: When you mention "faith" in the book, what are you referring to? Faith in a person, a thing, an ideal...?

Bakker: For a lot of people I'm writing to, it would be Christianity and Christ. It's all three  thing, person, ideal. It's recognizing that faith by nature is necessarily in something of the unknown. Belief is in something known. Faith is about the unknown.

And so I'm trying to get people to really grasp the idea of allowing themselves to doubt in faith. I'm trying to get to deconstruct faith and say faith isn't about having it figured out. Faith isn't belief. Doubt is built-in with faith. Faith is not a fact. Faith has more in common with hope than it would [with] fact. There's always an unknowing when it comes to faith.

CP: You mentioned deconstructing faith. You also seem to deconstruct the traditional Christian doctrine of the atonement, the belief that Jesus died for the world's sins. In Faith, Doubt you write on page 58 that a God who asks us to love our enemies..."cannot also require some sort of 'payment' or 'satisfaction' or 'substitution.'" Please clarify that.

Bakker: Yes, I am definitely questioning the atonement and trying to discover how we can see it in a different way. We've got this image of God who needs some sort of flesh, some sort of blood, that needs some sort of vengeance to pay for sin. My experience of a loving God who's asked me to love my enemies  this isn't a God that demands something before you are accepted. I think Jesus died because Jesus was inclusive. God is inclusive. I think that the idea of God somehow being separated from us was more man's idea.

I talk about in the book how when Jesus died and the curtain ripped and there was nothing behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies. I think that our ideas of separation are our own. I think we're always coming up with other ideas of how we are separate from God, or for some reason why we have to be separate from God. I think that imagery of the temple curtain ripping and nothing being behind there is kind of the [same thing] as [God] saying "I've always been with you."

CP: I guess the next question would then be: who is Jesus? If you're putting the atonement aside, how do you explain Jesus to people?

Bakker: For me, it would be ... I still see Christ as the messiah and the Son of God. I still see Christ as the closest thing to God. In order to deconstruct the atonement theory really [it] all comes from the message of Christ, and the message of love and grace and acceptance and loving your enemies and forgiving those who persecute you. For me, Christ to me is still in my view messiah. It's just not seen as the way that Christ was necessarily this payment, as much as Christ was the full realization of God, or at least a glimpse of God. The God we've seen before who smited people, or demanded that babies' heads be crushed on rocks. Christ came to say "that's not me, that's not God. Your understanding of God is an understanding of you." Jesus came and kind of turned all that stuff on its head and said "now I want you to turn the other cheek, now I want you to walk the extra mile. I hang out with tax collectors and prostitutes. I have no reputation. I don't demand my own way."

So when Christ comes on the scene, we see a very different concept and idea of God. Then I guess the argument is if Jesus is the ultimate example of God, then we've gotten some things wrong and we need to take another look at it. So you kind of have to filter your view of the Bible through Christ, and I believe through Paul as well because Paul's writings are so earlier than even the Gospels. I think Paul gives us a glimpse of Christ that we don't necessarily get to see in the Gospels. So I think it's seeing the Bible with those eyes. Learning to see God and what other people have said about God and the concept of God through the eyes of Christ.

CP: You also question the afterlife and the traditional Christian belief that, based on one's relationship with Jesus Christ, there is either eternal fellowship with God or eternal separation from God.

Bakker: If you do a simple word study, you realize that hell is not Dante's Inferno. It's not God's retribution. To me, the hell concept doesn't match up with much of what Jesus said, even though people say Jesus preached about hell. But even when Jesus was preaching about hell, he wasn't referring what we think of as hell. He was talking about Gehenna, a place southwest of Jerusalem, or he was using the popular understanding of the afterlife to make a different point.

As for the afterlife, is it something that I hope for? That's one of those unknowns. I don't know. So I'm going to live my life here. A friend of mine was once asked "do you believe in life after death?" and he said "I believe in life before death, learning how to live life in the here and now, learning how to love my neighbors now and to love my enemies now."

I really don't believe in hell, but I hope for heaven.

CP: In Faith, Doubt, you come down heavily on the side of love and grace and that God is for everyone. Some might question, then, if God's love has any demands.

Bakker: If you think about First Corinthians 13:4-7, I believe it says there love never demands its own way, it's not irritable, it keeps no record of when it's been wronged. I think when you ask Jesus what are the two most important commandments, what are the two most important things, and Jesus said love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.

I think the demands are clearly love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, and realizing that your neighbor is your enemy. When I see it as demands or laws or anything, I don't see this as a heaven or hell issue. I think of it more as the fruits of the spirit, like in Galatians [5] where it says if you live a certain type of life, your life will produce patience and kindness and joy. But if you do this, this and this, you won't receive the kingdom of God, but I believe the kingdom of God is the fruits of the spirit. I do believe that the kingdom of God is here on earth.

I think it's saying when we do things like ignore others or not love others or become selfish, or things like that, we miss out on the peace, we miss out on patience, we miss out on joy. These are things that we miss out on when we follow a more selfish way. That's how I see it, as rather than being punished for our sins, we're punished by them.
Youth pastor shot dead while trying to help congregant save burning home in Myanmar

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A beloved youth pastor was reportedly shot dead as he tried to help one of his congregants save their burning home after it was set ablaze by Myanmars military junta during an attack on civilians in Chin state on Saturday.

The pastor was identified in multiple social media posts as Cung Biak Hum of Thantlang Centennial Baptist Church. Information on his Facebook page shows that he was married with two sons and was pursuing a master's of divinity degree at MIT Yangon.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews highlighted the pastors murder in a tweet Saturday and called on the international community to pay closer attention to the living hell civilians have been experiencing there since a Feb. 1 coup brought back full military rule following years of quasi-democracy.

The murder of a Baptist minister and bombing of homes in Thantlang, Chin State are the latest examples of the living hell being delivered daily by junta forces against the people of Myanmar. The world needs to pay closer attention. More importantly, the world needs to act, Andrews noted.

In a statement Monday, the Baptist World Alliance, a global Christian group representing 49 million Baptists in 126 countries and territories, also highlighted disturbing details of Pastor Hums death as it sought the immediate release of another Baptist pastor, the Rev. Thian Lian Sang.

On September 18, over 19 houses were burned down by military forces. Baptist Pastor Rev. Cung Biak Hum attempted to help as one of the houses belonged to a member of his church. Instead, upon his arrival on the scene, he was shot and killed by military soldiers  making him the first Baptist minister to die due to the ongoing conflicts. The military soldiers also stole his cellphone, watch and cut off his finger in order to steal his wedding ring, the Virginia-based group said.

Prior to the military coup, Myanmars Parliament was scheduled to hold its first session since the countrys Nov. 8 elections in which the countrys leading civilian party, National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 83% of available seats. The military refused to accept the results of the elections claiming there was fraud and detained the leaders of the National League for Democracy and other civilian officials, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, opposition politicians, writers and activists The New York Times reported.

Street protests and civil disobedience has been growing since then and at least 1,109 people have lost their lives as a result of the violent repression of protests by security forces La Prensa Latina said.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reported that as of Monday, a total of 6,637 people are under detention in Myanmar. Some 280 people have been sentenced in-person, including 26 who have been sentenced to death. Two of those 26 are children.
FAA allows Fox News drone to document border surge after flight restriction draws criticism

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Following criticism, the Federal Aviation Administration said it will allow Fox News to fly a drone in the airspace above Del Rio International Bridge in Texas, exempting the news outlet from temporary flight restrictions.

Fox News has used the drone to document the surge of illegal immigration in the border town of Del Rio at the southern border with Mexico.

On Friday, the FAA tweeted that Fox News "has received clearance to operate from now until the end of September in the restricted airspace."

Bill Melugin, a Fox News correspondent who has covered the situation at the border extensively, confirmed that FAA has cleared @FoxNews to fly our drones in the restricted airspace around the international bridge in Del Rio.

BREAKING: FAA has cleared @FoxNews to fly our drones to fly in the restricted airspace around the international bridge in Del Rio. https://t.co/zegGdXrr3M  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021

On Thursday, Melugin tweeted that the FAA had implemented two-week temporary flight restrictions over the International Bridge in Del Rio for a "special security reason."

The restrictions, which had the temporary effect of blocking the Fox News drone from entering the airspace above the Del Rio International Bridge, sparked outrage and allegations of censorship by the Biden administration.

NEW: Weve learned that the FAA just implemented a two week TFR (Temporary Flight Restrictions) over the international bridge in Del Rio, TX, meaning we can no longer fly our FOX drone over it to show images of the thousands of migrants. FAA says special security reason. pic.twitter.com/aJrjAPO2Pz  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, appeared on Fox News Hannity Thursday night from Del Rio, alleging that partisan motives played a role in the FAAs decision to issue temporary flight restrictions.

The drone footage started this morning, and people across the country were horrified," Cruz said. "And I guess the political operatives at the Biden White House saw that and decided the last thing they want is Fox News actually reporting on whats happening down here.

The FAA said in a statement that the Border Patrol "requested the temporary flight restriction due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border."

"As with any temporary flight restriction, media is able to call the FAA to make requests to operate in the area," the statement assured.

Meluguin told Fox News Tucker Carlson on Thursday that the news network had been at the border for the "better part of seven months now."

"Weve been using the drone the entire time," he said. "Its never been an issue. All of a sudden, the last 24 hours, we start showing these images at this bridge, and a TFR goes up."

Melugin maintained that the agents on the ground are completely overwhelmed and need some serious help right now. Through his coverage, Melugin has provided updates on the number of migrants who are living under the bridge in Del Rio.

As of his most recent update, posted Friday morning, there are now at least 10,500 migrants underneath the international bridge, with more coming by the hour. Melugin also reported that intel is up to more than 10,000 coming.

More migrants are arriving here in Del Rio, TX after crossing a dam in the Rio Grande and entering the United States illegally. There are now at least 10,500 migrants underneath the international bridge, with more coming by the hour. Intel is up to 10,000 more coming. @FoxNewspic.twitter.com/0qjvq8Uqa7  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021

The surge of migrants in Del Rio comes as U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 208,887 encounters between law enforcement officials and illegal immigrants at the southwest border in August.

While the number of encounters dropped slightly from July to August, more than 1.5 million people have crossed the border illegally in the fiscal year 2021, with the fiscal year 2022 set to begin on Oct. 1.

Critics of the Biden administration attribute the astronomical number of border crossings to the reversal of Trump-era policies designed to curb illegal immigration.

On Sept. 8, the Biden administration made a political decision. They announced that they were no longer going to fly deportation flights back to Haiti," Cruz said in a statement. "Eighty-five percent of the people under [the bridge] are from Haiti.

The senator contended that the policy change encouraged a wave of migration.

There were about 900 Haitians who were getting ready to board the flights when the political operatives in Washington canceled the flights," Cruz said. "Well, what happened? Those 900 people, they all pulled out their cell phones, and they emailed their friends, and they emailed their families, and they texted their friends and their families.

Cruz recalled how earlier in the year, when he toured a migrant detention facility in Donna, Texas, they wouldnt allow Fox News to come in.

The senator noted that this forced him to go in with my cell phone and photograph and take videos of the overcrowded conditions caused by the border surge.

As he tried to document the conditions in the Donna facility, a woman he identified as a senior advisor to the Biden administration stood in front of the camera and attempted to block him from capturing the footage. At the time, Cruz concluded that the woman was instructed to ask us not to have any pictures taken here  because the political leadership at [the Department of Homeland Security] does not want the American people to know it.

Every poll aggregated by RealClear Politics since the end of June has shown Bidens approval rating on the issue of immigration underwater or tied.

Currently, the RealClear Politics average of polls asking voters to assess Bidens performance on immigration finds that 56% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the issue, while 37.3% say they approve.

By contrast, the current RealClear Politics average measures his overall approval rating at 45.3% and disapproval rating at 49.8%.
Ohio mayor orders school board to resign or face criminal charges over 'child pornography' taught in schools Course materials ask students to write about orgasms, 'X-rated Disney scenario'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The mayor of a city in Ohio ordered the school board to either resign or face criminal charges for allowing high school students to be exposed to course material that he described as child pornography.

At the Hudson City School District Board of Education meeting Monday, Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert, a Republican, addressed the school board, saying, It has come to my attention that your educators are distributing essentially what is child pornography in the classroom. I have spoken to a judge this evening; she has already confirmed that.

Im going to give you a simple choice: You either choose to resign from this board of education or you will be charged, he added. The crowd gathered at the board meeting erupted into applause following Shuberts speech.

BREAKING: Hudson mayor demands all school board members resign or face possible criminal charges over high school course material that he said a judge called "child pornography."



I'm going to give you a simple choice: You either choose to resign or you will be charged." pic.twitter.com/guhp0zc0ns  Jenny Beth Martin (@jennybethm) September 14, 2021

The course material that raised concerns for Shubert and many parents and students who attended the school board meeting is called, 642 Things to Write About, one of several required texts for composition in the liberal arts II, a college-level English course offered at Hudson High School in conjunction with Hiram College.

Before Shubert spoke, a local resident shared his concerns about the book with the board. Do not sexualize our kids, he demanded. The raw filth that snuck past the gatekeeping functions of this board of ed of 642 Reasons was disgusting.

The man listed one of the prompts students were asked to write about, including explain a time when you wanted to orgasm but couldnt. He alleged that students were told not to take the book home so that their parents would not be aware of the material their children were exposed to at school.

Meredith Judson, a student at Hudson High School, recalled: The first day we got it, within 10 minutes of us getting this book, all of us around the room had already found the things out about the problematic prompts in the book. If we found out in 10 minutes ... that all of these prompts were in the book, its just interesting how  the teacher wouldnt have known about this.

Judson indicated exposure to sexually explicit material in the classroom was not an isolated incident. She described how in a previous class, she was watching movies that were rated R that showed very sexual  scenes and very explicit content, including a child that was a 10 year old that was up on stage taking off her clothes to do a perverted dance.

Monica Havens read aloud several additional prompts from the book. One prompt asking students to Write a sex scene you wouldnt show your mom was followed up by a subsequent prompt asking students to rewrite the sex scene from above into one that youd let your mom read.

According to Havens, 642 Things to Write About also asks students to describe your favorite part of a mans body using only verbs, write a sermon for a beloved preacher who has been caught in a sex scandal, write an X-rated Disney scenario, drink a beer and write about the taste, discuss the first time you had sex and write a scene that begins It was the first time I killed a man.

I hope each and every one of you is as uncomfortable as I am after reading that, she remarked. Now, imagine you are 17 and in a room full of peers with an adult teacher. How do you feel now?

This is what Hudson teachers are asking our children to write about. When these topics are encouraged and read by adults, that is pedophilia and this is happening on your watch.

Accusing the school board of allowing grooming to take place, she told them that all of you need to be replaced. Noting that the book has been in schools for six years, she concluded that you have allowed the sexualization of our youth and grooming material to be approved for classroom content.

In response to Shuberts call for him and his colleagues to step down, Hudson City Schools Board of Education President David Zuro issued a statement asserting that While we respect the Mayors position  at this time, no board of education member has indicated any intention to resign.

The terms of three of the five members of the board of education will expire on Dec. 31, while the other two members have two years left in their terms.

At Mondays meeting, Board Vice President Steve DiMauro proclaimed that the fact that our children were exposed to this, it needs to be addressed. Superintendent of Schools Phil Herman maintained that an investigation into the matter was underway.
Persecution watchdog documents over 100 incidents of Chinas crackdown on Christians in 1 year

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A U.S.-based persecution watchdog says it has documented more than 100 incidents of Christian persecution in China between July 2020 and June 2021 as the country's communist regime seeks to forcefully convert independent religious groups into mechanisms of the Chinese Communist Party.

A significant trend throughout the past year was an increase in church raids, says a report published by International Christian Concern. It notes that "not only were churches shut down or demolished, but pastors and church attendees were often arrested.

One example of this crackdown happened earlier this month when more than 30 officials from the CCP, including SWAT officers, police officers, religious affairs bureau officials and local school district administrators raided Maizi Christian Music High School in Harbin city in Chinas Heilongjiang province, the U.S.-based rights group China Aid reported at the time.

In August, officers from Chenghua District Mengzhuiwang office in Sichuan province forcibly entered the home of a church member, He Shan, where the small group of Early Rain Covenant Church members were meeting for worship, CBN News said at the time.

ICC has also tracked 23 incidents of authorities demolishing religious structures and symbols during its reporting period. The CCP has torn down, destroyed, and removed numerous churches in China, especially those that refused to submit to its control, the report says.

The persecution watchdog adds in the report that it recorded 14 cases of Sinicization, which is a state campaign to forcefully assimilate religious groups into CCP-defined Chinese culture.

As an example, ICC highlights the plight of a church bookstore that was forced to display Mao Zedongs Little Red Book instead of the Bible. The Administration for Religious Affairs also ordered Christians to study President Xis book and memorize his speeches.

Chinese authorities are also removing Bible apps and Christian WeChat public accounts as new highly restrictive administrative measures on religious staff went into effect earlier this year.

The ICC report says that almost every province in China has seen an increase in Christian persecution, and this rise has been especially apparent in Sichuan, Hebei and Fujian provinces.

China tightening down on people of faith comes as no surprise to observers, says Gina Goh, ICCs Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, in a statement about the report.

What is concerning is the depth and width of persecution and that it continues to expand. From Xinjiang to Sichuan, from state-sanctioned groups to underground churches, from verbal threats to imprisonment, believers in China are constantly watched and persecuted, Goh adds.

Under the direction of President Xi Jinping, officials from the CCP have been enforcing strict controls on religion, according to another report released in March by China Aid.

Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, estimates that there are about 97 million Christians in China, a large percentage of whom worship in what China considers to be illegal and unregistered underground house churches.

Christians are not the only religious minority to face persecution at the hands of the CCP.

Estimates suggest that as many as 1 million to 3 million Uyghur and other ethnic Muslims have been subject to internment camps in the western Xinjiang province, where they are taught to be secular citizens who fall in line with the CCP. In January, the U.S. State Department recognized China's treatment of Uyghurs as a genocide.

China has also reportedly violated the rights of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan Buddhists.
Hillsongs Brian Houston steps down from church boards amid charges

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Pastor Brian Houston, the lead pastor of the global multisite Hillsong Church who was charged last month with allegedly concealing sex abuse committed by his father decades earlier, has said he is stepping down from his role on various church boards so that they can continue to function to their fullest capacity.

I ... wanted to let you know that Ive made a decision to step aside from my role on the Hillsong Church boards that oversee the governance of our operations, Houston, the senior pastor of the Australia-based congregation, wrote in an email, according to The Roys Report.

I did this so that these boards can function to their fullest capacity during this season. This doesn't change my role as Global Senior Pastor. I thought it was important to let our church family know in the interests of transparency, and I wanted you to hear it from me directly, added the 67-year-old leader of the Sydney-based megachurch.

Police officials announced last month that Houston was being charged with concealing child sex offenses, The Associated Press reported at the time.

Police will allege in court [that Houston] knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police, stated Australian authorities, as quoted by the AP.

In a statement to The Christian Post through Hillsong, Houston expressed shock at the charges. These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent Ive always been about this matter, Houston said. I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.

The church also provided a statement to CP, explaining that they were disappointed that Pastor Brian has been charged, and asked that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right.

He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. Given that this matter is now before the court, neither Pastor Brian or Hillsong Church will be making further statements, Hillsong added.

The probe into whether Houston tried to cover-up an incident in which his late father, Frank Houston, sexually abused a minor in the 1970s was initiated years ago. In 2014, in response to that probe, Houston denied knowing anything about the $10,000 compensation payment made to a man who his father sexually abused as a child.

Houston said he was totally devastated to learn about his fathers abuse and he had to come to terms with the fact that the person I looked up to was not who I thought he was.

After Houston was charged, his church said in a statement: We ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right. He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. We thank all who are a part of our church for their support and prayers at this time.

Recently, some serious leadership problems also surfaced at the United States-based Hillsong East Coast, especially regarding the financial and sexual scandals surrounding Carl Lentz, including an affair.

Other Hillsong resignations that followed Lentz included Darnell Barrett, creative director of Hillsong Church Montclair in New Jersey, and Reed and Jess Bogard from Hillsong Dallas, which has since closed.
Kids younger than 16 will be allowed to take puberty blockers without parents consent, says UK court

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

In a controversial case concerning the use of puberty blockers for children who are confused about their gender, the British Court of Appeal ruled Friday that doctors can prescribe such experimental drugs without parental consent.

Overturning a High Court ruling, which had concluded last year that it was highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or younger would be able to consent to taking puberty blockers, the court said Friday that doctors, not the courts, will decide whether their patients can properly consent to taking such treatment, The Telegraph reported.

The court was not in a position to generalize about the capability of persons of different ages to understand what is necessary for them to be competent to consent to the administration of puberty blockers, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, with Sir. Geoffrey Vos and Lady Justice King, said in the judgment, The Times reported. It placed patients, parents and clinicians in a very difficult position.

The high courts decision was appealed by the nations sole gender clinic, the Tavistock and Portman National Health Service Trust in London, in June. And the Trust is now in talks with NHS England to ascertain the rulings impact on its practice.

The original case was brought about in part by Keira Bell, a 23-year-old detransitioned woman who underwent the experimental treatment at the Trusts facility as a teenager.

Bell had her breasts amputated as a young adult and then wound up regretting the entire gender transition later in her life. Bell argued in her case that she was incapable of understanding the risks of the medical interventions and that she is now likely not able to ever have children because of how the drugs compromised her fertility.

Bell was quoted as saying that she was surprised and disappointed by the decision of the appeal court but doesnt regret having filed the lawsuit. It has shone a light into the dark corners of a medical scandal that is harming children and harmed me, she said, adding that she plans to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

The high court ruling last year, which now stands overturned, required doctors to obtain what is known as a best interests order from a judge before they could prescribe such drugs to youth. At issue in the case was the Gillick competence test, which holds that parental rights in the United Kingdom pertaining to medical treatment end when the child achieves enough understanding and intelligence to understand what is being proposed.

The Gillick standard, from which the competence phrase is derived, centers around a 1985 case that was decided in the House of Lords. In Gillick v. West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority, lawmakers debated whether an under-16 minor could be prescribed contraception without parental consent.

In March, the high court ruled that parents would be allowed to give consent for their minor children to take puberty-blocking drugs without having to gain a judges approval.

The use of synthetic hormones to block the puberty processes of children experiencing gender dysphoria has faced increased scrutiny in recent years.

A study published in PLOS One followed a cohort of youth treated at the Tavistock clinic and found that the use of puberty blockers was shown to have stunted their bone growth. Of the 44 children who went on the puberty-suppressing drugs, 43 continued to cross-sex hormones.

Last June, the NHS updated its policy on puberty blockers by removing the claim that the experimental drugs prescribed to transgender-identifying youth are fully reversible, and said its unknown what the short-term and long-term effects will be on a person's bones, physical body and mental health.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted late Tuesday to keep the government funded, suspend the federal debt limit and provide disaster and refugee aid, setting up a high-stakes showdown with Republicans who oppose the package despite the risk of triggering a fiscal crisis.

The federal government faces a shutdown if funding stops on Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year  midnight next Thursday. Additionally, at some point in October the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if its borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.

Rushing to prevent that dire outcome, the Democratic-led House passed the measure by a party-line vote of 220-211. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is likely to falter because of overwhelming GOP opposition.

Our country will suffer greatly if we do not act now to stave off this unnecessary and preventable crisis, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said shortly before the vote.

Backed by the White House, the Democratic leaders pushed the package to approval at a time of great uncertainty in Congress. With lawmakers already chiseling away at the $3.5 trillion price tag of President Joe Bidens broad build back better agenda, immediate attention focused on the upcoming deadlines to avert deeper problems if votes to shore up government funding fail.

The package approved Tuesday would provide stopgap money to keep the government funded to Dec. 3 and extend borrowing authority through the end of 2022. It includes $28.6 billion in disaster relief for the aftermath of Hurricane Ida and other extreme weather events, and $6.3 billion to support Afghanistan evacuees in the fallout from the end of the 20-year war.

While suspending the debt ceiling allows the government to meet financial obligations already incurred, Republicans argued it would also facilitate a spending binge in the months ahead.

I will not support signing a blank check as this majority is advancing the most reckless expansion of government in generations," said Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., during the debate.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said since Democrats control the White House and Congress, it's their problem to find the votes  even though he had relied on bipartisan cooperation to approve the debt limits when Republicans were in charge.

The debt ceiling will be raised as it always should be, but it will be raised by the Democrats, McConnell said.

In the 50-50 Senate, Democrats will be hard-pressed to find 10 Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster.

This is playing with fire," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The Treasury Department has been using extraordinary measures to fund the government since the last debt limit suspension expired July 31, and projects that at some point next month will run out cash reserves. Then, it will have to rely on incoming receipts to pay its obligations, now at $28.4 trillion. That could force the Treasury to delay or miss payments, a devastating situation.

Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, warned if lawmakers allow a federal debt default this economic scenario is cataclysmic.

In a report being circulated by Democrats, Zandi warned that a potential downturn from government funding cutbacks would cost 6 million jobs and stock market losses would wipe out $15 trillion of household wealth.

Once a routine matter, raising the debt ceiling has become a political weapon of choice for Republicans in Washington ever since the 2011 arrival of tea party lawmakers who refused to allow the increase. At the time, they argued against more spending and the standoff triggered a fiscal crisis.

Echoing that strategy, McConnell is setting the tone for his party, but some GOP senators might have a tough time voting no.

Republican John Kennedy of Louisiana, whose state was battered by the hurricane and who is up for election next year, said he will likely vote for the increase. My people desperately need the help, he said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that in our view, this should not be a controversial vote. Psaki said Congress has raised the debt ceiling numerous times on a bipartisan basis, including three times under President Donald Trump.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Democratic chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, was forced to introduce another version of the bill Tuesday after some within the Democratic caucus objected to the inclusion of $1 billion for Israels Iron Dome defense system, which uses missiles to intercept short-range rockets fired into the country.

The Israel defense issue splits Democrats, but DeLauro assured colleagues that money for the weapons system would be included in the annual defense spending bill. Hoyer went a step further and said he would bring a bill to the floor this week to replenish the Iron Dome system.

Republicans were highly critical of the change and vowed to stand as allies with Israel.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Democrats were negotiating over Biden's big build back better package as the price tag likely slips to win over skeptical centrist lawmakers who view it as too much.

Publicly, the White House has remained confident the legislation will pass soon, despite sharp differences among progressives and moderates in the party over the eventual size of the package and a companion $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

There has been a flurry of outreach from the White House to Democrats on Capitol Hill, and Biden himself was given a call sheet of lawmakers to cajole. The president has been talking to a wide number of lawmakers beyond his recent meetings with key centrist Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., according to a White House official familiar with the calls and granted anonymity to discuss them.

Biden's big initiative touches almost all aspects of Americans' lives. It would impose tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans earning beyond $400,000 a year and plow that money back into federal programs for young and old, including government health, education and family support and environmental efforts to fight climate change.

With Republicans opposed to Biden's vision, Democrats have no votes to spare in the Senate, and just a few votes' margin in the House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised a Sept. 27 vote on the companion $1 trillion bill of public works projects that has already passed the Senate.

Even though that bipartisan bill should be an easy legislative lift, it too faces a political obstacle course. Dozens of lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus are expected to vote against it if it comes ahead of the broader Biden package. And centrists wont vote for the broader package unless they are assured the bipartisan bill will also be included.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.
DETROIT (AP)  Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines.

The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 or an optional gas-electric hybrid system with 437 horsepower.

The change is needed because of stronger U.S. fuel economy requirements that soon will be imposed under President Joe Biden, who is scrapping Donald Trump's rollback of the regulations.

The old V8 got only 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway. Toyota has not disclosed the estimated mileage for the new engines, but said they'll be more efficient and powerful than the outgoing V8.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which dominate the U.S. big pickup market, still offer V8 engines, which are often preferred for towing and hauling. Ford's F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.

Toyota says the new Tundra can tow up to 12,000 pounds and haul 1,940 in its bed. The outgoing six-speed automatic transmission will be replaced with a more efficient 10-speed version.

The hybrid system will help get the truck started in city driving and will add power during towing. It has a 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery under the rear passenger seats.

The truck also gets new styling, a revamped interior, a new suspension and frame, and a weight-saving aluminum-reinforced composite bed.

The new pickup made its debut Tuesday at Motor Bella, an outdoor auto show in Pontiac, Michigan, that is replacing Detroit's big North American International Auto Show.

Prices weren't released. The redesigned truck, a 2022 model built in San Antonio, Texas, goes on sale later this year.
A U.S. government committee that reviews foreign investment in telecom is probing videoconferencing company Zoom's $14.7 billion deal for cloud call center company Five9.

In an August filing with the Federal Communications Commission, the Justice Department, which chairs the committee, said it would review the deal to determine whether this application poses a risk to the national security or law enforcement interests of the United States. The Justice Department believes that such risk may be raised by the foreign participation (including the foreign relationships and ownership) associated with the application. The Wall Street Journal first reported the probe.

The Justice Department did not say in its filing what the foreign ties of concern were and spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle declined to answer questions Tuesday.

Five9 spokesperson Allison Wilson declined to comment. Zoom said in an emailed statement that it anticipates getting the required regulatory approvals and closing the Five9 deal in the first half of 2022. Zoom spokesperson CJ Lin did not respond to further questions.

Zoom is based in San Jose, California, and says more than half of its employees are in the U.S. But it has a sizable number of research and development workers in China, which the company has noted has exposed it to government and media scrutiny. Zoom's CEO, Eric Yuan, was born in China and became a U.S. citizen in 2007.

The company said in a late August regulatory filing that it is cooperating with ongoing investigations by prosecutors in New York and California, who last summer had sent subpoenas that asked about interactions with the Chinese government, among other things.

Zoom last year drew attention for blocking online meetings related to Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and temporarily suspending the accounts of three U.S. or Hong Kong-based activists at the request of the Chinese government. The company then said it would no longer allow requests from the Chinese government to impact anyone outside of mainland China.

Tensions in recent years have increased between Washington and Beijing, with disputes over trade, technology, cybersecurity and human rights. The U.S. government has taken a tougher stance on Chinese investment, with more scrutiny of deals.

Zoom has said that buying San Ramon, California-based Five9 will accelerate its growth and give it access to more business clients. Zoom Video Communications Inc. went public in early 2019, before the pandemic made the company a household name with the shift to online school and work.
Click here to read the full article.

What happens when a chief law enforcement officer acts like hes above the law?

Embattled Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva is refusing to comply with a subpoena from the countys Civilian Oversight Commission to answer for alleged abuses of power, claiming hes too busy to appear at a hearing this week. In a letter to the commission, obtained by Rolling Stone and embedded below, Villanueva offers no legal justification for flouting the commission, insisting only that hes booked for the entire day.

The COC is seeking to question Villanueva about allegations that LASD has undertaken politically motivated criminal investigations of the sheriffs critics in local government. The COC is also examining the scandal of alleged violent deputy gangs within LASD, which, according to an official report issued last week, have been actively recruiting on Villanuevas watch.

The executive director of the COC, attorney Brian K. Williams, blasts the countys top law enforcement officer for not following the rule of law. He seems to think that it is optional. Thats not our view, Williams tells Rolling Stone. The law gives us the authority to subpoena the sheriff, and were going to have to take steps to make him comply.

The subpoena, served August 26th, demands the sheriff appear before the oversight body at a meeting this Thursday, September 23rd.

Williams insists that Villanuevas stated reason, that his schedule is full, is not a valid excuse. Reached for comment, LASD Captain John Satterfield says Villanueva has a legal justification for his refusal to comply with the subpoena, but would not share it. Under advice of counsel, he said, we are unable to comment further at this time.

At a press conference Wednesday, Villanueva blasted the Civilian Oversight Commission as a kangaroo court, asserting the COC is conducting a proxy war on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. Their goal is not to seek information or to clarify, he said. They have only one mission, which is to discredit me. Theyre using the subpoena as a tool to do exactly that, he told reporters. And youre buying it hook, line and sinker!

Elected in 2018 to lead the nations largest sheriffs department, Villanueva took office with promises to rebuild and reform LASD around ethical standards of conduct. But Villanuevas tenure has been marred, instead, by scandal and open defiance of government officials tasked with holding the department accountable. In October 2020, the Civilian Oversight Commission issued an extraordinary call for the sheriffs resignation, writing in a resolution that Villanueva enables a culture of deputy impunity, disregards the constitutional rights of Los Angeles County residents, disdains other elected officials and disrespects the will of voters who support robust civilian oversight.

LASD deputy gangs have been accused of misconduct ranging from violent initiation rituals involving beating up inmates in county custody to harassment against fellow deputies, including withholding backup for non-member deputies in harms way.

A defiant Villanueva not only remains in office today, but has allegedly misused his authority in an effort to silence critics. In May, COC commissioner Sean Kennedy, a director at Loyola Law School, called for an investigation into whether Villanueva has been abusing his power by launching highly publicized criminal investigations into his public detractors, citing nearly half-a-dozen cases.

The number and similarity of the announcements, Kennedy writes, suggest a pattern of targeting oversight officials for investigation. The lack of criminal charges stemming from these probes, Kennedy adds, suggests that the motive is to chill oversight of the Department, not to pursue a prosecution. Kennedys legal analysis even suggests that Villanuevas conduct approaches the legal threshold for extortion.

In a heated letter responding to the COC dated July 16th, LASD undersheriff Timothy Murkami called the wild accusations of the Kennedy memorandum completely irresponsible, blasting extortion claims as nothing short of outrageous slander. Captain Satterfield defended his boss to Rolling Stone as the most transparent sheriff in the history of the office adding that misconduct claims against Villanueva are either politically driven or rooted in ignorance.

A prominent incident cited in Kennedys memorandum involves Villanuevas decision to reinstate a disgraced former deputy with a Grim Reapers tattoo who had been fired by the previous administration for violating policies regarding domestic violence and dishonesty. (The Grim Reapers are an alleged deputy gang within LASD.) Los Angeles County Inspector General Max Huntsman investigated the case and was preparing to release a report critical of the reinstatement, when Villanueva reportedly warned the IG there would be consequences if he proceeded. Undeterred, the IG released the report in July 2019. The next month, LASD trumpeted a criminal investigation into Huntsman, alleging hed improperly accessed confidential files during the investigation and could face charges of conspiracy, theft of government property, unauthorized computer access, theft of confidential files, unlawful dissemination of confidential files, civil rights violations, and burglary. The LASD announcement generated headlines, but has not led to any charges. And Villanuevas move to reinstate the disgraced former deputy has since been overruled by a judge.

The subpoena by the Civilian Oversight Commission is not the first that Villanueva has fought. In March, IG Huntsman subpoenaed Villanueva to answer questions about LASDs gang scandal. Villanueva refused, arguing the subpoena was too broad and a form of harassment. In July, a judge dismissed the sheriffs motion to quash the subpoena, although legal wrangling between the Sheriff and the IG continues.

Vincent Miller is a lawyer for a group of LASD deputies whove sued the department, claiming abuse and harassment by the Banditos, an alleged LASD gang operating out of the East Los Angeles station. The Sheriff needs to be asked why he is unwilling to discuss the Banditos under oath, Miller says. What is he afraid of?

Villanuevas letter announcing he will not abide by the COCs subpoena, dated September 9th, mounts no substantive argument as to why the Sheriff should not comply with the legal order to appear. It says only that Villanueva has previous commitments he is choosing to honor instead of the subpoena. I am simply not available to attend the COC meeting, Villanueva writes. I will be out of the office on two separate speaking engagements, a meeting, and a Town Hall event.

The sheriffs office refused to reveal the details of Villanuevas calendar, claiming secrecy is essential for the Sheriffs safety: Im sure you realize the sensitive and confidential nature of sharing the schedule of an elected official who routinely receives credible threats of violence, Satterfiled says. Villanuevas one publicly announced event that day is a community conversation to be held at the City of Walnuts Senior Center.

At its Thursday meeting, the COC will address the sheriffs absence by voting on a motion for the County Counsel of Los Angeles to immediately consider all legal remedies to bring the sheriff in front of the COC. That includes initiating an Order to Show Cause, which would force Villanueva to convince a judge why he should not be held in contempt.

Williams, the COC director, insists the oversight commission wont stop until it gets answers from Villanueva. We think there are actions by the sheriff and the sheriffs department that are extrajudicial, that are not constitutional, he says, and we want to question him about those actions.
The Bayou City and top chefs from around the world are a match made in heaven.

As reported by Greg Morago in the Houston Chronicle, Bravo's culinary competition showdown "Top Chef" will set its 19th season in Houston.

Houston's renowned food scene will be some match for the new slate of chefs, who have yet to be announced.

"I cannot think of a more perfect pairing than Top Chef and the city of Houston," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement from Houston First. "Both represent a celebration of cuisine, culture and innovation."

The Bayou City has already been well-represented on the show. Season 18 of "Top Chef" ended in a heartbreaking loss for Houston chef Dawn Burrell. Padma Lakshmi will return as host alongside judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons.

Stephanie Diani/Bravo / Stephanie Diani/Bravo

The decision to film in Houston wasn't welcomed by all, however. Shortly after the announcement, a number of Twitter users expressed disappointment in Bravo for selecting a Texas city in light of the state's new abortion law that bans the practice approximately six weeks into pregnancy.

Others came to the network's defense:

Like it or not, the ball is already rolling on Top Chef in Houston. Filming began earlier this year, according to Morago. Season 19 will premiere in spring 2022.

What Houston landmarks should be featured on the show? Let me know on Twitter: @jayrjordan
LAKE WORTH, Texas (AP)  One of the two pilots injured when their military training jet crashed into a suburban Fort Worth, Texas, neighborhood over the weekend has been released from the hospital.

The instructor pilot was released from the hospital Monday, the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi said in a statement.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP)  Sasha Krause was a devout Mennonite woman, often immersed in books, who easily quoted scripture and occasionally taught Sunday school before her body was found in a forest clearing in northern Arizona.

Mark Gooch was raised in a Mennonite community in Wisconsin but rejected the faith and joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at a base in metropolitan Phoenix when he was arrested and charged in Krause's death last year.

There is no indication the two knew each other. Prosecutors will try to convince a jury that Gooch had a general disdain for Mennonites and drove more than seven hours to Farmington, New Mexico, where Krause lived, kidnapped her and fatally shot her.

Jury selection began Tuesday in the largely circumstantial case. Gooch, 22, faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of first-degree murder and other charges.

Krause, 27, disappeared on Jan. 18, 2020, as she was gathering material for Sunday school. Her body was found more than a month later outside Flagstaff, Arizona, with her wrists bound with duct tape.

Gooch's attorney, Bruce Griffen, has said that any connection Gooch had with the Mennonite community or conversations he had with others about the faith's followers is not evidence of homicidal ill will.

Sheriff's officials who searched for Krause and those who investigated her death, along with cellphone data and ballistics experts, and people from Krause's community are expected to testify in the trial in Coconino County Superior Court.

Jury selection continues Wednesday, somewhat hampered by coronavirus protocols that limit the number of people who can be in the courtroom at the same time.

Authorities said they tied Gooch to Krause's disappearance and death using cellphone records, Gooch's financial statements and receipts, and surveillance video from Luke Air Force Base. A state crime lab report showed a bullet taken from Krause's skull was fired from a .22-caliber rifle Gooch owned.

Gooch's cellphone was the only one communicating with the same cell towers as Krause's phone before hers dropped off west of Farmington, authorities said. Prosecutors aren't sure why he targeted Krause.

Gooch told authorities he was in the area when Krause went missing because he had been checking out Mennonite searches for the fellowship. He denied playing any part in her disappearance or death, according to sheriff's records.

Griffen unsuccessfully sought to keep an expert for the prosecution from testifying about the cellphone data that he referred to as weak science. He also sought to limit mentions of text messages conversations that Gooch had with his brothers that referred to Mennonites.

Neither Griffen nor the prosecutor's office responded to requests for comment ahead of the trial.

Gooch never officially became a member of the Mennonite church, he told investigators. He said he joined the military to escape what he saw as a difficult, sheltered and restricted life, according to sheriff's records. He worked in equipment maintenance at the Phoenix-area air base where he was stationed in October 2019.

Krause was part of a group of conservative Mennonites where women wear head coverings and long dresses or skirts. She moved to Farmington from Texas, where she taught school.

On the one-year anniversary of her disappearance, the Mennonite community sent remembrances to Krause's parents. Krause's students said she was a good teacher who read to them and played games with them. Krause preached hard work, even if it went unrecognized, others said.

She spoke Spanish and French. The community remembered her deep, dancing brown eyes and her quiet mannerisms, saying her time in Farmington was short but her impact long-lasting.

Paul Kaufman, general manager of Lamp and Light Publishers where Krause worked, said emotions that slowly were healing have bubbled up with the start of the trial. He said the community wants to feel safe and for whoever was responsible for killing Krause to repent.

We did not see who showed up at the church that night and kidnapped Sasha, he said. We did not see who committed that horrible act. We didn't see that. But God saw that.
Texas man on 'The Voice' wows all four coaches Texas showed up big time this week on the NBC singing competition show.

Louisiana's restored 'Rabbit Island' is wildly popular with birds Federal scientists estimate that the 2010 BP oil spill killed up to 102,000 birds Gulf-wide.
ROME (AP)  Italys failing national airline Alitalia told passengers on Tuesday to just bring a single piece of hand luggage when travelling, given the intensifying strikes and labor protests that are disrupting services ahead of the airlines planned Oct. 14 demise.

In a series of tweets, Alitalia apologized to its customers and blamed the disruptions on union meetings that over the coming days could result in delays in the services provided by Alitalia. A single piece of hand luggage would ensure more timely luggage deliveries at destinations, Alitalia said.

Alitalia, which has been in the red for more than a decade, is due to formally exit the airline market next month and be replaced by a new national carrier ITA, or Italy Air Transport. The European Commission has given the go-ahead to a 1.35 billion euro ($1.58 billion) injection of government funding into the new airline, but ITA is only planning to hire around a quarter of the estimated 10,000 Alitalia employees.

Those employees have been protesting for weeks. A national strike is planned for Friday to demand better treatment and respecting previous contracts. On Tuesday, employees staged a new demonstration in Rome after unions and the ITA board failed again Monday to reach a deal.

It is not acceptable that around 7,500 employees, who are left out of the hiring plan, have to lose their jobs and have no income support, said Stefania Fabbri, representative of Fit-Cisl union in the Lazio region. We want solid prospects, in terms of salaries and of relocation of employees.

Italys Economy Ministry announced in July that ITA would replace Alitalia and would launch on Oct. 15. Alitalia has said it plans to keep flying through Oct. 14.

ITA had planned to start operating about 2,750 to 2,950 employees in its aviation sector, raising the number to 5,550-5,700 by the end of 2025.

The deal to create ITA also called for slashing the number of airport slots, especially at Romes main Leonardo da Vinci airport. Milans Linate Airport, popular with business travelers since it's close to Italys financial and fashion industry capital, will also see some slots reduced.

Among its routes, ITA plans to operate flights to New York from Milan and Rome, and to Tokyo, Boston and Miami from Rome. Destinations from Rome and Milans Linate airport will also include Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Geneva.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration sought Tuesday to choke the finances of criminal ransomware gangs, announcing sanctions against a Russia-based virtual currency brokerage that officials say helped at least eight ransomware gangs launder virtual currency.

The Treasury Department sanctions are aimed at kneecapping the economic infrastructure of a ransomware threat that has surged over the last year, crippling corporations, schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure, including a major fuel pipeline. Ransomware payments reached more than $400 million in 2020, the costliest year on record.

The goal is to go after the financial enablers of ransomware gangs, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told reporters. Todays action is a signal of our intention to expose and disrupt the illicit infrastructure using these attacks.

The blacklisted brokerage is SUEX OTC, a so-called nested exchange that conducted transactions from accounts on major, legal global cryptocurrency exchanges. Such operations process a disproportionate amount of illicit transactions, Adeyemo said. In the case of SUEX, officials said, more than 40% of its known transactions have been associated with illicit actors. That's more than $370 million, according to the cryptocurrency-tracking firm Elliptic.

Through its Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Treasury Department has previously sanctioned ransomware developers and distributors  though periodic retirements and rebrandings of ransomware strains have complicated those efforts. Officials say more such designations are possible.

SUEX is among the biggest and most active of a small group of illicit services that handle most money laundering for cybercriminals including scammers and darknet market operators, another crypto transaction-tracking firm, Chainalysis, said in a blog post. Such firms work closely with law enforcement to track criminal money laundering online.

Although legally registered in the Czech Republic, SUEX has no known physical presence there and operates out of branches in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, where users can cash out their virtual currency, said Chainalysis, adding that it also has operations in the Middle East.

Chainalysis said SUEX claims it can convert cryptocurrency holdings into cash and even real estate, cars and yachts.

Most ransomware gangs operate out of reach of Western law enforcement in Russia and allied states. President Joe Biden has repeatedly told Vladimir Putin that he expects the Russian president to crack down on the gangs, but administration officials say they have seen no signs that Moscow is cooperating.

Chainalysis said SUEX was laundering money from the illicit cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, which U.S. authorities shut down, perhaps on behalf of administrators, associates or former users. BTC-e's operator, arrested on holiday in Greece, was sentenced to five years in prison by a French court in December.

SUEX largely communicated with its clients on the Telegram app and accepted new customers on a system of referrals from trusted intermediaries. This was not the kind of business where a random person on the internet could open an account, another crypto-tracking firm, TRM Labs, said in a blog post. Transactions were only completed in-person at SUEXs offices.

TRM Labs CEO Esteban Castano said SUEX is what is known as a parasite exchange. They are difficult to detect by the legitimate exchanges whose infrastructure they exploit because they open accounts using fraudulent or stolen credentials to meet know-thy-customer requirements and then fly under the radar.

Chainalysis said SUEX deposit addresses hosted at large exchanges have received over $160 million in Bitcoin alone from cybercriminals since the brokerage opened in early 2018, including nearly $13 million from ransomware operators including Ryuk, Conti and Maze. Ethereum and Tether are among other cryptoassets SUEX handled.

The Treasury Department said it is also updating guidance for ransomware victims that it first issued last year. The advisory strongly discourages victims from paying ransomware, reminding them that some transactions are against the law, and urges victims to report attacks to law enforcement.

The reality is that the thing we know about this ecosystem is the way that we prevent ransomware attacks is by making sure that we get law enforcement engaged as soon as possible, Adeyemo said.

-

Bajak reported from Boston.

____

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro issued a defense of his administration at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, rebuffing criticism of its handling of the pandemic and touting recent data indicating less Amazon deforestation.

His presence at the General Assembly itself was something of a provocation, as he flouted the requirement for all attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Infected with the virus last year, he has said several times over the last week he remains unvaccinated and that getting a shot is a personal, medical decision.

By November, everyone who chooses to be vaccinated in Brazil will be attended to," Bolsonaro said in his speech. We support vaccination. However, our government has opposed vaccine passports or any obligation to get a vaccine.

He also doubled-down on early treatment drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, without naming the drug. The anti-malarial offered initial promise but scientists have roundly dismissed it as ineffective against COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine was central to the chaos of the pandemic response in Brazil, presided over by four different health ministers, two of whom opposed Bolsonaro's insistence to recommend it.

We dont understand why many countries, along with much of the media, positioned themselves against early treatment. History and science will know how to hold all of them responsible, Bolsonaro added. He also praised the governments generous COVID-19 welfare program that provided monthly payments to Brazil's poor. Its drawdown, however, fueled poverty.

The right-wing leader is embattled in Brazil as his approval ratings continue tumbling, in large part because the nation has recorded the world's second-highest COVID-19 death toll, with more than 590,000 dead. That's equal to the eighth-highest globally on a per capita basis. And Bolsonaro is more isolated internationally than ever following the electoral defeat of his ally, former U.S. President Donald Trump.

As he seeks to rehabilitate his image abroad, his critics had warned he was undertaking a disingenuous shift. It began at the White House-led climate summit in April, when he moved up the timeline for carbon neutrality by a decade and promised to stop illegal Amazon deforestation by 2030 in a nod to U.S. President Joe Biden, who had called out Brazils environmental track record on the campaign trail last year.

Instead, Bolsonaro adopted a defiant tone on Tuesday, hitting talking points similar to those directed toward his base, observed Thomas Traumann, a political analyst.

He could have given that speech in anywhere in Brazil, and not spent the money to go to New York, Traumann said.

During his debut General Assembly appearance in 2019, he railed against socialism and what he described as media sensationalism regarding Amazon destruction. Last year, in a pre-recorded video, he said Brazil was the victim of an environmental smear and stressed the economic harm caused by pandemic stay-at-home recommendations.

On Tuesday, he claimed Brazil had been on the verge of socialism before his election, said governors and mayors were to blame for isolation measures that cost workers' income and told assembled diplomats to look beyond media reports about Brazil. He heralded progress in development of railways and sanitation, plus recent indications of reduced Amazon deforestation.

The Brazilian president stopped short of saying Indigenous people control too much land given their sparse population, as he has repeatedly in the past, but claimed they increasingly want to use their vast territories for agriculture and other activities. He pledged to foster development of the Amazon on the campaign trail and, after his election, the environmental regulator was defanged and deforestation surged.

Bidens special envoy for climate John Kerry has made clear that the administration wants to see concrete results in reversing such devastation. Recent preliminary data point in the right direction, showing that Amazon deforestation in June was roughly level year-on-year, and dropped in July and August compared to the same two months of 2020.

Bolsonaro said the results stemmed from his administration's redoubled efforts. Environmentalists say it is too early to know if this is represents a trend and stress that deforestation levels remain elevated.

Before Bolsonaro took office, the Brazilian Amazon hadnt recorded a single year with more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) of deforestation in over a decade. It surpassed that level in each of Bolsonaro's first two years, and final data for the reference period between Aug. 2020 and July 2021 may confirm a third year.

While Bolsonaros fresh environmental pledges and preliminary progress mean Brazil can avoid consumer boycotts, sanctions and general ostracism, there remains skepticism about his commitment, said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas.

Everyone is attuned to the possibility this is just a cynical attempt to buy time by the Bolsonaro administration, making promises for 2030 and beyond knowing they wont be around to live with the consequences, Winter said.

____

Biller is the APs Brazil News Director. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DLBiller
Matthew Brown/AP

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  The company that operates the Dakota Access oil pipeline is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse an appellate ruling ordering additional environmental review, saying it puts the line at risk of being shut down.

A Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals panel earlier this year supported the Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes argument that the project deserves a thorough environmental review and is currently operating without a key federal permit. The study will determine whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissues a permit for the line to cross the Missouri River in south-central North Dakota.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A former chancellor for the Roman Catholic Churchs Archdiocese of Omaha is under criminal investigation after being accused of stealing a total of $275,000 from a former priest accused of sexual abuse and from a Springfield parish.

The Rev. Michael Gutgsell, 72, is accused of stealing $179,000 from the saving of the late Rev. Theodore Richling Jr. and $96,000 from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Springfield, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Authorities havent said where the missing funds went.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  Former South African president Jacob Zuma did not attend a hearing in his corruption trial Tuesday, prompting prosecutors to question his absence and ask the judge to examine his medical records.

Zuma was released from an unrelated 15-month jail sentence on medical parole earlier this month and has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness at an unnamed hospital, according to his foundation.

He was due to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court for the resumption of his corruption trial, where he had asked to have the prosecution team removed from the case because he asserts that it is biased against him. The hearing on Zuma's plea was scheduled to last two days.

Before that plea was argued, prosecutors demanded an explanation for Zuma's failure to appear at the courthouse in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. Zuma's chief defense lawyer said the former president wasn't using medical grounds as a reason for his absence and was happy for the hearing to go ahead without him.

Judge Piet Koen allowed the hearing to proceed.

The 79-year-old Zuma was jailed in July for contempt of court after he refused to testify at a separate commission of inquiry into wider corruption in the South African government when he was president from 2009-18. He was granted medical parole two months into that sentence and hasn't appeared in public since his release two weeks ago.

His medical condition and whereabouts have become a closely guarded secret after South Africa's main opposition party and other organizations questioned whether his parole followed procedure and if he was ill enough to be released.

Zuma's trial opened in May. He faces charges of corruption, racketeering, money laundering, tax evasion and fraud relating to a multi-billion dollar arms deal the South African government signed with French company Thales in 1999.

Zuma is accused of accepting bribes for years to give the deal political protection and shield it from investigation. The charges relate to the time before Zuma was president but a politician on the rise, and include when he was deputy president from 1999-2005.

Thales, formerly known as Thomson-CSF, is also charged with corruption, racketeering and money laundering. Both Zuma and Thales pleaded not guilty.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The battle over drawing new political boundary lines in Wisconsin is heating up, with federal judges telling the Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday that it wants to have new maps enacted by March.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson said the court needs to prepare to draw maps if Republican lawmakers and the Democratic governor can't agree.

It may all be for naught if the state succeeds in drawing its maps and enacting them into law, Peterson said. If history is any guide, there is at least, to put it mildly, theres at least a substantial likelihood that divided government in the state of Wisconsin will have trouble as they have in the past drawing its own maps.

A federal lawsuit that seeks to have the court draw the new boundaries is moving forward even as the Republican-controlled Legislature argues that the legal battle should be fought in state court. All of this is happening before the Legislature has introduced new maps, let alone voted on them or sent anything to Evers.

A look at redistricting and where it stands in Wisconsin:

WHAT IS REDISTRICING?

Redistricting is the process, done once a decade, of redrawing political boundary lines based on the latest census showing how populations have changed in neighborhoods, cities and counties since 2010. U.S. House and state legislative districts must be redrawn to rebalance their populations. But mapmakers can create an advantage for their political party in future elections by packing opponents voters into a few districts or spreading them thin among multiple districts  a process known as gerrymandering.

The Wisconsin Legislature is in charge of drawing the lines for the state's eight congressional districts and 132 legislative districts. Local governments also must draw new lines for local offices.

HOW HAS THE PROCESS WORKED IN WISCONSIN?

In 2011, when Republicans controlled the Legislature and Republican Scott Walker was governor, they enacted maps over objections from Democrats who argued they consolidated and solidified GOP power through gerrymandering.

Republicans gained seats in the Legislature over the past decade, even as Democrats won statewide elections for governor, attorney general and U.S. Senate in 2018 and in 2020 elected President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump.

With a divided government this year, the expectation is a court will have to ultimately draw the maps. That is what happened in Wisconsin under divided governments in 1982, 1992 and 2002.

WHO IS DRAWING MAPS NOW?

Evers established a commission to solicit public input over the past year with the ultimate goal of producing a map based off of those comments. Evers argues it is a more nonpartisan way to approach redistricting. That group, known as the Peoples Maps Commission, is expected to release its map by the end of October.

The Legislature does not have to consider that map, or any independently drawn map. And Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos initially criticized Evers' creation of the commission as a fake, phony, partisan process. But Republican leaders subsequently created a website and said they will entertain maps drawn by the commission and anyone else that are submitted by Oct. 15.

With this broad public input, we are confident we will create a map that the governor will sign, Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said last week.

WHO IS SUING?

There are two lawsuits, one in federal court and one in state court. The federal lawsuit combines a pair of cases first brought by the attorney leading the Democratic Partys legal fight against new voting restrictions and by Democratic-supported groups including Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, Voces de la Frontera and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

The Legislature and the conservative group Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty are fighting that lawsuit, and instead argue the case belongs before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. A lawsuit brought by WILL and supported by the Legislature is pending before the conservative-controlled state Supreme Court, which has yet to say whether it will take the case.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FEDERAL COURT?

The three-judge panel held a hearing Tuesday, telling attorneys it wants to prepare for resolving the trial in the case by Jan. 28 so there will be time to enact new maps by March. The Legislature objects to the case moving forward, and its attorney Kevin St. John said he is considering appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the lawsuit from proceeding.

The Legislature argues that the case is premature because the legislative process of debating and passing maps for the governor to consider hasn't happened yet. St. John didn't give a firm date for when the Legislature would complete that work, saying only that it could happen anytime between November and early March.

The Wisconsin Election Commission says new maps must be in place by March 1 to meet deadlines in state law for candidates circulating nomination papers to be on the ballot in the fall. The Legislature argues maps could be enacted later.
BRUSSELS (AP)  Frances European Union partners agreed Tuesday to put the country's festering dispute over a major Indo-Pacific defense deal between the U.S., Australia and Britain at the top of blocs political agenda, including at an EU summit next month.

The Indo-Pacific security pact known as AUKUS will see Australia cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. The French government is suggesting it was betrayed by the deal.

Its definitely something that raised interest and will occupy us in the months to come, Gasper Dovzan, Slovenias foreign affairs chief, told reporters after chairing a meeting of the bloc's European affairs ministers in Brussels.

EU leaders are set to meet in Slovenia on Oct. 6 and again in Brussels on Oct. 21-22.

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said the chaotic U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan last month and the surprise Australian security deal involving the United States are signs that we need to focus more on the strategic autonomy of the 27-nation EU.

Earlier, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told reporters that he would urge other EU nations to consider delaying the bloc's trade pact negotiations with Australia, which have been underway since 2018.

No comment was made about that possibility after the meeting, but a discussion scheduled for Wednesday among EU envoys on an EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council has now been taken off the agenda. The TTC  a forum for coordinating on trade, economic and technology issues  was launched when Biden visited Brussels in June. The council is holding its first meeting in Pittsburgh on Sept. 29.

The Europeans see the previously unannounced security deal as the second time in weeks that President Joe Biden has focused on an America First policy, similar in substance if not in tone to his predecessor Donald Trump, following the debacle at Kabul airport with the U.S. withdrawal.

Its raised questions about Europes ability to provide for its own security outside of the U.S.-led NATO and resulted in appeals for the EU to develop a strategic autonomy from the military alliance that breaks with the dependence on American military and logistical muscle.

For France, it's a matter of trust.

When you have your word, it has some value between allies, between democracies, between partners and in this case this word was not respected... so of course it creates a breach of trust," Beaune told reporters.

We have to be firm, not as French but as Europeans, because its a matter of the way we work together as allies, he said.

Germanys European Affairs Minister, Michael Roth, said he has great understanding for the disappointment felt by our French partners.

Its once more a wake-up call for all of us in the European Union to ask how we can strengthen our sovereignty, how can we stand as one even in question related to foreign and security policy, and how can we use our economic and political clout in such a way that we can contribute to security and multilateralism, Roth said.

But the ruckus also comes amid a busy election campaign period in Europe. Germans go to the polls on Sunday and France is holding elections in April.

EU nations bordering Russia or Belarus, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, count on the security guarantee provided by the U.S. through NATO and might opposed moves that complicate relations.

What is important is to keep trans-Atlantic unity, because we believe this is our biggest strength and biggest value, especially vis-a-vis such countries as Russia and China, Lithuanian deputy European Affairs Minister Arnoldas Prankevicius told reporters.

In New York, the EUs two top officials, EU Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, held talks Tuesday with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

___

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  National Guard soldiers will assist Montana hospitals with their COVID-19 response as the state struggles with a surge in infections, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Tuesday.

A total of 70 soldiers will assist six different hospitals in Helena, Billings, Butte, Missoula and Bozeman. They will begin helping the hospitals either this weekend or next weekend, according to an announcement from the governor's office. The Guardsmen will support staffing with non-medical intensive care assistance, environmental services, patient data entry and virus testing.

Gianforte has stopped short of issuing any statewide mask or vaccine requirements even as some communities face record high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

While we will not mandate them, vaccines are safe, they work, and they can save your life, Gianforte said in a statement.

The decision to mobilize the National Guard comes after Gianforte announced last week that 10 Guardsmen would begin assisting Billings Clinic and seven additional Guardsmen would assist in the state lab.

Of the 70 additional guardsmen, 10 will be stationed at St. Peter's Health in Helena; 10 will be stationed in Billings Clinic; six will be stationed in St. James Healthcare in Butte; 10 will be stationed in St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings; 24 will be stationed with Missoula County; and 10 will be stationed with Bozeman Health.

The state anticipates additional requests for Guard resources from several other hospitals, according to the governor's office.

Gianforte also directed Montana Disaster and Emergency Services to assist hospitals in the process of securing full reimbursements from FEMA for their COVID-19 staffing needs, after several hospitals reported last week that they faced staffing shortages that complicated their efforts to respond to the pandemic.

State health officials reported 1,181 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of active cases to just under 10,000. Over 370 people were reported hospitalized with the virus as of Tuesday, and 1,901 Montana residents have died of the virus since the onset of the pandemic.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Anna Nagurney, University of Massachusetts Amherst

(THE CONVERSATION) Take a look around you.

Perhaps youre snacking on a banana, sipping some coffee or sitting in front of your computer and taking a break from work to read this article. Most likely, those goods  as well as your smartphone, refrigerator and virtually every other object in your home  once were loaded onto a large container in another country and traveled thousands of miles via ships crossing the ocean before ultimately arriving at your doorstep.

Today, an estimated 90% of the worlds goods are transported by sea, with 60% of that  including virtually all your imported fruits, gadgets and appliances  packed in large steel containers. The rest is mainly commodities like oil or grains that are poured directly into the hull. In total, about US$14 trillion of the worlds goods spend some time inside a big metal box.

In short, without the standardized container, the global supply chain that society depends upon  and that I study  would not exist.

A recent shortage of these containers is raising costs and snarling supply chains of thousands of products across the world. The situation highlights the importance of the simple yet essential cargo containers that, from a distance, resemble Lego blocks floating on the sea.

Trade before the container

Since the dawn of commerce, people have been using boxes, sacks, barrels and containers of varying sizes to transport goods over long distances. Phoenicians in 1600 B.C. Egypt ferried wood, fabrics and glass to Arabia in sacks via camel-driven caravans. And hundreds of years later, the Greeks used ancient storage containers known as amphorae to transport wine, olive oil and grain on triremes that plied the Mediterranean and neighboring seas to other ports in the region.

Even as trade grew more advanced, the process of loading and unloading as goods were transferred from one method of transportation to another remained very labor-intensive, time-consuming and costly, in part because containers came in all shapes and sizes. Containers from a ship being transferred onto a smaller rail car, for example, often had to be opened up and repacked into a boxcar.

Different-sized packages also meant space on a ship could not be effectively utilized, and also created weight and balance challenges for a vessel. And goods were more likely to experience damage from handling or theft due to exposure.

A trade revolution

The U.S. military began exploring the use of standardized small containers to more efficiently transport guns, bombs and other materiel to the front lines during World War II.

But it was not until the 1950s that American entrepreneur Malcolm McLean realized that by standardizing the size of the containers being used in global trade, loading and unloading of ships and trains could be at least partially mechanized, thereby making the transfer from one mode of transportation to another seamless. This way products could remain in their containers from the point of manufacture to delivery, resulting in reduced costs in terms of labor and potential damage.

In 1956 McLean created the standard cargo container, which is basically still the standard today. He originally built it at a length of 33 feet  soon increased to 35  and 8 feet wide and tall.

This system dramatically reduced the cost of loading and unloading a ship. In 1956, manually loading a ship cost $5.86 per ton; the standardized container cut that cost to just 16 cents a ton. Containers also made it much easier to protect cargo from the elements or pirates, since they are made of durable steel and remain locked during transport.

The U.S. made great use of this innovation during the Vietnam War to ship supplies to soldiers, who sometimes even used the containers as shelters.

Today, the standard container size is 20 feet long, eight feet wide and nine feet tall  a size thats become known as a 20-foot-equivalent container unit, or TEU. There are actually a few different standard sizes, such as 40 feet long or a little taller, though they all have the same width. One of the key advantages is that whatever size a ship uses, they all, like Lego blocks, fit neatly together with virtually no empty spaces.

This innovation made the modern globalized world possible. The quantity of goods carried by containers soared from 102 million metric tons in 1980 to about 1.83 billion metric tons as of 2017. Most of the container traffic flows across the Pacific Ocean or between Europe and Asia.

Ships get huge

The standardization of container sizes has also led to a surge in ship size. The more containers packed on a ship, the more a shipping company can earn on each journey.

In fact, the average size of a container ship has doubled in the past 20 years alone. The largest ships sailing today are capable of hauling 24,000 containers  thats a carrying capacity equivalent to how much a freight train 44 miles long could hold. Put another way, a ship named the Globe with a capacity of 19,100 20-foot containers could haul 156 million pairs of shoes, 300 million tablet computers or 900 million cans of baked beans  in case youre feeling hungry.

The Ever Given, the ship that blocked traffic through the Suez Canal for almost a week in March 2021, has a similar capacity, 20,000 containers.

In terms of cost, imagine this: The typical pre-pandemic price of transporting a 20-foot container carrying over 20 tons of cargo from Asia to Europe was about the same as an economy ticket to fly the same journey.

Cost of success

But the growing size of ships has a cost, as the Ever Given incident showed.

Maritime shipping has grown increasingly important to global supply chains and trade, yet it was rather invisible until the logjam and blockage of the Suez Canal. As the Ever Given was traversing the narrow 120-mile canal, fierce wind gusts blew it to the bank, and its 200,000 tons of weight got it stuck in the muck.

About 12% of the worlds global shipping traffic passes through this canal. At one point during the blockage, at least 369 ships were stuck waiting to pass through the canal from either side, costing an estimated $9.6 billion a day. That translates to $400 million an hour, or $6.7 million a minute.

[Over 110,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.]

Ship-building companies continue to work on building ever larger container vessels, and theres little evidence this trend will stop anytime soon. Some experts forecast that ships capable of carrying loads 50% larger than the Ever Givens will be plying the open seas by 2030.

In other words, the shipping container remains more popular  and in demand  than ever.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on April 5, 2021.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/global-shortage-of-shipping-containers-highlights-their-importance-in-getting-goods-to-amazon-warehouses-store-shelves-and-your-door-in-time-for-christmas-168233.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  Rhode Island's governor wants state legislative leaders to decide soon on how to spend federal funds to help the state recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said in a press briefing Tuesday that Rhode Island is the only state in the Northeast that has not spent any of its American Rescue Plan funds. Rhode Island was allocated $1.1 billion.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Firefighters in Greece have contained a wildfire that threatened homes and prompted overnight evacuations at a resort town northeast of Athens, the country's fire service said Tuesday.

More than 150 firefighters and volunteers battled through the night, using hoses and excavators to stop the fire outside Nea Makri, 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of the Greek capital. At first light, two water-dropping planes and one helicopter joined the effort.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Burundis government said Tuesday that two people had been killed and 102 others wounded in grenade attacks in the commercial capital, Bujumbura.

No one has claimed responsibility, and it was not clear who was behind the attacks on Monday that Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni alleged were terrorist acts by people who seek to profit from insecurity in the East African nation.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  More than 18 months after Iowa's first coronavirus case, the state finds itself in a protracted argument over the value of wearing masks, especially in schools where children are increasingly becoming infected with the virus.

As the COVID-19 death toll in Iowa tops 6,400 people, discussions in the state have shifted away from vaccination efforts and more toward masks following a federal judge's ruling that temporarily blocked a state law banning mask mandates in schools.

In the courts, the state attorney general's office has been seeking to have the mask mandate ban restored and enforced in school districts across the state. School boards have been holding often-heated meetings about whether to require masks.

The efforts to question the value of masks in Iowa and elsewhere have left some public health officials frustrated about a situation they blame on politics.

Ive never seen a public health response that has been as politicized as this one and I think that politicization is responsible for the loss of thousands of lives, said Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because when ones willingness to follow public health advice is linked to politics rather than science, were in a really difficult situation and thats where we are.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has long opposed mask mandates, especially in schools, and she recently stepped up her questioning of masks' effectiveness.

Asked at a Sept. 2 news conference about her opposition to allowing schools to require masks, the Republican governor asserted, Theres data on both sides that support masks and the negative effects of masks. And speaking to reporters in August after the CDC recommended masks for indoor public spaces, she said, Wheres the data that the CDC is using to justify the mask mandate?

The CDC offers details on the science supporting mask use. It refers to at least 10 studies that have confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses and indicates research supports that mask wearing has no significant adverse health effects for wearers.

Reynolds said her public health department is treating this just like the flu when it comes to reporting and tracking school outbreaks.

Reynolds' office, the Republican Governors Association and the Republican Party of Iowa did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Iowa is among at least eight Republican-led states that have limited the ability of school boards to impose mask mandates. Iowa Republicans passed such a law in May and Reynolds quickly signed it at a ceremony attended by activists holding signs proclaiming that masks hurt children.

More recently, arguments about masks heated up after federal Judge Robert Pratt blocked enforcement of the mask mandate ban, leading at least 17 school boards to require masks in their schools.

At a Sioux City school board meeting last week, Vice Chairwoman Monique Scarlett said its been proven that wearing masks reduces virus spread and something is better than nothing. She also referred to communication she's received from residents, saying Some emails from my community were alarming and opened my eyes to what community I am actually existing in unfortunately.

Her motion to initiate a mask requirement died for lack of a second.

Johnston School Board member Steve Hopper said at a Sept. 13 meeting that passing a mask mandate would escalate the issue, pitting school principals against anti-mask parents.

I think many of you are being bullies, he said, adding that the situation has become so politicized that were in a lose-lose situation because were going to get sued either way.

The board initially opted not to take action but on Tuesday afternoon voted to require masks for all students.

Shana Kushner Gadarian, a political science professor at Syracuse University, has been studying the national response to COVID-19 and through surveys found a partisan gap over issues like mask use early on in the pandemic. She said people in Republican areas already didn't trust the federal government and quickly voiced skepticism over what government officials were saying about COVID-19.

Some governors then picked up on the perceptions of the Republican base and promoted the idea that each individual should decide whether to go out in public, wear a mask or get vaccinated.

Language that centers on individualism and freedom typically resonates more with Republicans, Kushner Gadarian said, and is being applied to public health issues.

Kushner Gadarian said its important to weigh the motivation of politicians questioning public health measures proven to slow virus spread.

Politicians are trying to win reelection. Theyre trying to keep their approval ratings up," she said. Theyre trying to help the party and politicians, particularly Republican politicians, have made a bet that the base of the Republican Party is now one that doesnt want mask mandates and pushes against what they perceive as government overreach.
BERLIN (AP)  German police say they have solved a burglary case at a kindergarten after a storytelling gadget the suspect had swiped revealed his location.

Police said Tuesday that the 44-year-old suspect had stolen various items during a break-in at a kindergarten in the western town of Halver in April.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky lawmakers voted this year to pump considerably more state money into full-day kindergarten, but the extra spending was limited to just one school year. Now a Republican legislator wants to turn that one-time support into a permanent commitment.

Rep. James Tipton said he has prefiled a measure for next year that would secure state funding to cover the entire cost of full-day kindergarten as a permanent expenditure. The Taylorsville lawmaker said the additional spending would have far-reaching benefits for the Bluegrass State.

We know that this investment will pay off in dividends for not only the children in our classrooms, but also our efforts to grow our economy, create jobs and improve our quality of life, Tipton said in a news release Tuesday.

Tipton prepared the legislation for the 2022 session, which begins in early January. He's a member of the House budget committee and is co-chairman of a task force studying K-12 funding.

Education leaders and advocates have long pushed for more kindergarten and preschool funding.

Full-day kindergarten is common across Kentucky. Until the current school year, districts received state funding for half-day kindergarten, with districts using local taxpayer money to pay for the rest of the costs for full-day classes.

On the final day of this year's regular session, the Republican-led legislature allocated $140 million in state funds to pay for full-day kindergarten. The expenditure only covered the current school year. It was first added and later removed from a contentious measure allowing public tax credits  in the form of scholarship tax credits  to support private school tuition. That legislation is currently being challenged in court. The extra state funding for kindergarten reemerged in another bill that overwhelmingly passed the legislature.

By having the state cover the entire tab for full-day kindergarten, the goal is to eliminate any opportunity gaps and help children reach their full potential, Tipton said.

That starts with creating clear, affordable pathways for learners to grow and succeed," he said. "Not only is kindergarten their first classroom experience, but the concepts taught pave the way for a lot of basic skills each of us uses in everyday life.

The full state funding commitment for kindergarten would free up money for local districts to assist children who have fallen behind during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tipton said.

Tipton's proposal will compete with a multitude of other spending proposals next year when lawmakers craft the state's next budget.

On the federal level, President Joe Biden has included universal pre-kindergarten as part of his proposed investments in families and education  a massive package being considered in Congress.
EVERETT, Wash. (AP)  Lawsuits have been filed in several western Washington counties claiming auditors used uncertified voting equipment and manipulated thousands of ballots in an unspecified statewide race last year.

The Daily Herald reports the lawsuits in Snohomish, Whatcom and Clark counties seek a full forensic audit conducted in the same manner as one carried out in Arizona  which has so far yielded no evidence of widespread fraud.

The legal pursuits in Washington, expected to expand to more counties this week, are steered by lead plaintiff Washington Election Integrity Coalition United, whose leader, Tamborine Borrelli of Gig Harbor, has traveled the state in search of residents willing to join the effort.

One of those stops, on Aug. 15, was at a Snohomish church for an unofficial public hearing at which people testified about fraud and irregularities they say they saw or experienced. State Rep. Robert Sutherland, R-Granite Falls, helped organize the event, along with four other Republican lawmakers. He later emailed some attendees with a direct pitch seeking lawsuit participants.

Twenty-eight people from throughout Snohomish County signed on as plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Sept. 16 lawsuit in Snohomish County Superior Court against Auditor Garth Fell. All are serving as their own lawyers.

Im not personally alleging that there has been any specific impropriety. I am not out there alleging massive fraud and they need to overturn the election, said Art Coday of Woodinville, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for state Senate last year. A forensic audit would go a long ways to reassure people things are as they should be.

The notion of needing to reassure people of the integrity of elections is a mantra of former President Donald Trump  despite a broad coalition of government and industry officials calling the presidential election the most secure in American history.

Fell declined to comment on the specific allegations, deferring to county lawyers.

Were reviewing the complaint. We are aware that there are other counties named in similar lawsuits, said Jason Cummings, chief civil deputy prosecutor for the county. Were disappointed that the themes of the Arizona auditing factions are trying to make their way into Washington.

The suits are largely similar, but with Fell accused of using uncertified voting equipment, while the Clark County auditor is not.

Otherwise, in each suit, the auditor is alleged to have engaged in wrongful acts, errors and/or neglect of duty by allowing or facilitating electronic manipulation of the voting results.

The suits contend that approximately 6,000 votes were flipped and more than 400,000 were added or removed in one or more statewide races before, during and/or after the Election. They argue a part of that happened in the county where each suit is filed.

In the Snohomish County lawsuit, plaintiffs say the election integrity group filed a public records request in August for copies of actual ballots and were denied. They want judicial intervention to obtain the ballots for review.

The lawsuit asks the court to unseal the ballots as the election integrity group stands ready, willing and able to have Jovan Hutton Pulitzer conduct a forensic audit using technology he claims to have invented that can detect fraudulent ballots.

The litigation didnt surprise Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

This is the new reality on the ground for election administrators, she said. It doesnt matter how wide a margin in the results. You call everything into question and it undermines the validity of everything in the process.

Neither here nor elsewhere is anyone discussing the extensive audit trail compiled by local auditors, Wyman said.

All these allegations and Ive yet to see anything brought to a prosecuting attorney or the FBI that we could actually respond to, Wyman said.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  A 25-year-old man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2017 death of a Wichita doctor who was stabbed more than 160 times.

Umar Dutt entered the plea Tuesday, admitting to killing 57-year-old Dr. Achutha Reddy on September 13, 2017, behind Reddys psychiatrics office, television station KAKE reported.
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP)  City employees in Rutland, Vermont, are now required to wear masks.

The mask mandate went into effect on Tuesday, after the Board of Aldermen rejected a proposal to ban such mandates in the city on Monday night, the Rutland Herald reported.

City employees who do not wish to wear masks must notify their department head and provide proof of vaccination, Mayor David Allaire said.

At the request of the unions and most of the department personnel, it was decided, yes, Allaire said on Monday night of the mask requirement.

In the early months of the pandemic, the board had discussed a mask mandate, but it was rejected in favor of a resolution to encourage the use of masks.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan will make more kids eligible for child care subsidies, equip state troopers with body cameras and make permanent a pandemic wage hike for nursing home workers and other caregivers under the next state budget, poised for initial approval Tuesday.

The bipartisan $53 billion spending plan, which includes billions in federal COVID-19 funding, also will boost payments for child care providers and enable them to give $1,000 bonuses to new or existing staff. The state's savings account will grow by $500 million.

As part of the deal, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer agreed to a Republican-written provision to prevent the state and local governments from issuing coronavirus vaccine requirements that go further than plans outlined by President Joe Biden. He recently said the federal government would mandate shots for many health care workers and require that employers with at least 100 employees force them to get vaccinated or be tested weekly.

We negotiated together in good faith, the governor said at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island. This budget makes bold investments in Michigan's families, in our communities and in our small businesses.

The GOP-led Legislature is expected to pass the plan this week so she can sign it before Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins. The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved one of two bills, which also includes $2 billion in supplemental spending this budget year. The $17 billion school aid budget was enacted in July.

Michigan will spend funding allotted for child care under the past two federal COVID-19 rescue laws. Much of it will help stabilize facilities hurt by the pandemic. Other funds will expand eligibility for child care subsidies to 185% of the federal poverty level instead of 150% for two years, raise payments to providers that serve lower-income children and waive families out-of-pocket copays.

Of the roughly 416,000 kids eligible for payment assistance through the state Child Care and Development program, about 25,000 are getting subsidized child care. The state estimates the expansion will make 105,000 additional children eligible, with roughly 6,000 new recipients enrolling.

As businesses emerge from the pandemic, they need workers, said state budget director Dave Massaron.

Child care is a huge part of that, particularly when you look at the data for working mothers. This investment is something we all are incredibly proud of, he said.

Infrastructure is another priority.

Michigan will spend about $200 million to replace or fix local bridges. Nearly $20 million will be set aside to repair or remove dams in the wake of disastrous Midland-area flooding in 2020. An additional $10 million will be used to replace lead pipes in Benton Harbor, where the drinking water has exceeded federal limits for the toxic metal that can disrupt childrens brain development.

The budget includes $460 million to fund a $2.35 hourly wage increase for direct care workers, such as home health aides. They have been paid $2 or $2.25 more an hour since last year due to the pandemic. The plan will cover the pay with base funding, a signal the hike will be permanent for future years.

We're approving a sustainable budget that supports vital services today and greatly reduces the potential need for cuts if the economy worsens tomorrow, said House Appropriations Committee Thomas Albert, a Lowell Republican who highlighted a $150 million deposit into the depleted unemployment benefits fund and spending on tourism, workforce development and infrastructure.

The budget also addresses police transparency by outfitting all enlisted state police personnel with body cameras. About 200 troopers, motor carrier officers and state property security officials currently have them because their work may not be captured by in-car cameras. But many do not.

The agency will buy 1,200 cameras for all troopers and sergeants assigned to uniform patrol.

Universities and community colleges will get a small, one-time 1% funding increase next fiscal year year along with a one-time 4% boost this year to partly offset a past pandemic-related reduction.

Several universities, including Michigan and Michigan State, have COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Republican-backed budget language bans the state and municipalities from requiring coronavirus vaccinations except as provided by federal law or as a condition of receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid funding.

Whitmer, who has repeatedly said she does not plan to mandate the vaccine, is generally OK with the restrictions. But she could declare the language unenforceable on public universities because they are independent schools.

The spending legislation says if government officials do establish a vaccine policy because of the pending federal requirement, they must offer exemptions if a doctor certifies it is detrimental to someone's health or is not appropriate. Those who cite religious convictions or another consistently held objection to immunization also must get waivers.

The governor is expected strike a GOP-written provision that would prohibit the state health director or local officials from requiring masks for kids. At least 16 of 83 counties, including many of the most populated ones, mandate indoor masking at schools.

___

Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
BANGKOK (AP)  A court in Myanmar ruled Tuesday that prosecutors presented enough evidence against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and two of her political allies for their trial to continue on charges of incitement.

Suu Kyi and her elected government were ousted by the military in February. A special court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is hearing various charges filed against her and several colleagues by the military, including incitement  spreading false or inflammatory information that could disturb public order.

Her co-defendants in the incitement charge are former Vice President Win Myint and the former mayor of Naypyitaw, Myo Aung. The charge is punishable by up to three years imprisonment.

Under the law, a judge can order an end to a trial after the prosecution has presented its case if it does not have merit. If the judge finds the prosecution case credible, the trial continues into a second phase in which the defense presents its case and a verdict is rendered.

Defense lawyers Kyi Win and Min Min Soe said the court ruled Tuesday that the trial would continue, formally indicting the defendants.

Kyi Win said the defendants were told to enter a plea, and all three pleaded not guilty. The defense lawyers asked that two prosecution witnesses be recalled for cross-examination before the defense presents its witnesses.

Suu Kyi is also being tried on two counts of breaking COVID-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020 election campaign, illegally importing walkie-talkies that were for her bodyguards use, and unlicensed use of the radios.

Suu Kyis supporters and independent analysts say the charges are politically motivated and are an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the militarys seizure of power.

The army takeover was met with massive popular resistance, which is continuing despite harsh measures by security forces.

The same court on Tuesday heard from a prosecution witness on the charges that Suu Kyi and Win Myint violated coronavirus restrictions.

Suu Kyi also faces additional charges that have yet to be tried: accepting bribes, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum term of 14 years.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP)  A Washington state prosecutor has decided not to file criminal charges against police who shot and killed an antifascist fugitive wanted in the highly publicized death last year of a right-wing demonstrator in Portland, Oregon, last year.

A U.S. Marshals-led task force was trying to arrest Michael Reinoehl, 48, at an apartment complex in Lacey, near Olympia, in September 2020 when four officers fired at him as he exited his car.

Reinoehl, who was armed, was on the run after being caught on surveillance video shooting Aaron Jay Danielson, a supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, on Aug. 29, 2020, after demonstration backing then-President Donald Trump.

Trump cheered on the manhunt for Reinoehl, tweeting just before he was killed for police to Do your job, and do it fast.

In a memo dated Monday, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim found that the use of force was justified, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

The Thurston County Sheriff's Office previously determined that Reinoehl likely fired first at the officers, based on witness and officer statements as well as a spent shell casing discovered in Reinoehl's vehicle.

Reinoehl's gun  the same .380-caliber handgun he used to kill Danielson  had a fully loaded clip, but no bullet in the chamber. Investigators said they couldn't prove when that shot was fired because they never found the bullet.

According to a summary of the investigative findings released last spring, the officers at the scene said that Reinoehl failed to comply with their commands and that he reached for his gun. Witnesses reported that task force members were readily identifiable because of their badges, vests and markings.

The officers who fired at Reinoehl were Jacob Whitehurst with the Washington Department of Corrections, Pierce County sheriff's deputies James Oleole and Craig Gocha, and Lakewood police officer Michael Merrill.

Braden Pence, an attorney representing Reinoehls family, called Tunheims report "disappointing but not surprising.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP)  The imam at a northern Virginia mosque has been charged with sexually assaulting a girl who had sought his help.

Fairfax County police said Tuesday that the 36-year-old imam, a Maryland resident, served as imam for the last nine years at the Mustafa Center in Annandale.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  State officials on Tuesday rejected an investment firms request to reconsider its massive land swap proposal involving state land in and around McCall for timberland in northern Idaho.

Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little and other members of the Idaho Land Board voted 5-0 against the request by Trident Holdings to rescind an August rejection letter from the Idaho Department of Lands.

The board in the same vote also rejected the companys request for an administrative procedure called a contested case hearing.

State officials in the letter to Trident Holdings said it was rejecting the deal to swap 33 square miles (85 square kilometers) of state land in and around McCall for 33 square miles (85 square kilometers) of private timberland in northern Idaho because the state would lose $292 million.

The Lands Department in the letter said the estimated value of the state land around McCall is $366 million, while the land it offered had a value of $74 million. The Lands Department said that the gross value of the state land was $488 million if fully developed. The 25% difference is a discount, or developers risk, the state factored in due to the associated costs Trident Holdings would face in developing the property.

Trident Holdings has said the Lands Departments valuation of the lands is way off, and the company offered roughly $40 million for the state land that's just over 20,000 acres.

I can tell you that there's nobody that believes that 20,000 acres is only worth $40 million, Republican Secretary of State Lawerence Denney said after the meeting. What I think is that it benefits us to hang onto that awhile longer, the way inflation is going and prices are going up. If you look at the long term, is this (Trident Holding's offer) the best solution? I don't know that it is."

The vacation and second-home area in and around McCall is prized for its outdoor recreation opportunities, but it also faces growing pains with a shortage of housing.

Alec Williams of Trident Holdings after the meeting said he was disappointed and wasn't sure what the company's next steps might be. The company earlier this month started legal action by filing a petition for judicial review involving the previous rejection.

Trident Holdings has said the swap, if successful, could ultimately lead to housing developments in the McCall area. The company also said it would help with preservation of open space with what would be the states largest park.

But Williams said the Lands Department valuation of the land put that out of reach.

No proposal makes sense at a $488 million land valuation," he said. "You can't do any conservation work. Local housing is completely out of the question. Really, any of the things that critics, or people concerned with our project, voiced wanting to do is equally impossible now. I don't know what that future looks like, but it looks far darker than it did yesterday.

The dispute could have ramifications for state-owned lands not only in the McCall area, but across the state. That would be especially true in areas such as McCall where skyrocketing land values could force recalculations of the best use of state land and how much should be charged for leases on state-owned land.

Idaho received 5,600 square miles (14,500 square kilometers) of endowment lands when it became a state in 1890, and retains about 3,900 square miles (10,000 square kilometers). The Land Board is constitutionally required to use the lands to generate the most money over the long run. The lands in the last fiscal year generated about $90 million, mainly for public schools.

It's certainly possible that other people will come forward with offers (in McCall), Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said after the meeting. Our duty is not to just the beneficiary today, but to the beneficiary 10 years, 50 years and 100 years from today. That is, what is the value today? What's the potential for value and increase in the lifetime of the property? Which is in perpetuity. So we have to take that long view.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  A human rights group urged Thailand not to deport a transgender businesswoman to her home country of Malaysia, where she is charged under Islamic laws for insulting Islam by cross-dressing.

Malaysian police are seeking to extradite Nur Sajat, 36, who left the country after she was charged in an Islamic court in January for bringing contempt to Islam by dressing in feminine clothing at a religious event in 2018. Sajat, who runs a cosmetics business, faces up to three years in jail for the offense.

Sajat failed to appear for a February court hearing and reportedly received death threats after she mulled renouncing Islam in a video on social media that has now been removed.

Malaysian police said in a statement late Monday that Sajat was detained by Thai authorities on Sept 8 for having an invalid passport. She was charged with immigration offenses and released on bail. The statement didn't say why her passport was canceled. Police said she is wanted in Malaysia for other offenses, including obstructing authorities in carrying out their duties.

Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director, said the U.N. Refugee Agency has granted Sajat refugee status and that she shouldn't be sent back under any circumstances.

She needs to be sent to a country that will offer rights protections, not persecuted for being #LGBT which is what will happen if she is sent to Malaysia," he tweeted late Monday. Local media reported that Sajat plans to seek refuge in Australia.

The UNHCR agency couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Malaysia has a dual-track legal system. Shariah laws govern Muslims, who account for two-thirds of Malaysias 32 million people, in family, marriage and personal issues. Ethnic Chinese, Indian and other minorities are covered by civil laws.

Rights activists say the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has faced increasing harassment with the rise of conservative Islam.
LONDON (AP)  A British couple who sought justice for their son after he died in a vehicle crash said Tuesday they have settled a civil lawsuit they filed in the United States against an American motorist involved in the collision.

Harry Dunn, 19, died in August 2019 after his motorcycle crashed into a car being driven on the wrong side of the road outside a U.S. airbase in central England.

The car's driver, Anne Sacoolas, left for the U.S. several weeks later along with her husband, Jonathan, a U.S. intelligence officer at RAF Croughton. Sacoolas was able to leave Britain after the collision because the U.S. government invoked diplomatic immunity on her behalf.

British authorities filed criminal charges against her and sought her extradition, and British officials have repeatedly brought up the case during high-level international talks.

The U.S. government rejected the extradition request, causing an outcry in Britain and becoming a source of tension in the U.K.'s relationship with the United States.

The Dunn family then filed the civil lawsuit in the District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, seeking damages.

Radd Seiger, the Dunn family's spokesperson, said Tuesday the two sides have reached a resolution in the civil damages claim.

The family feel they can now turn their attention to the criminal case and the long-awaited inquest into Harrys death which will follow the criminal case," Seiger said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the Harry Dunn case very sad when he and President Joe Biden were asked by a reporter about the settlement as the two leaders met in Washington on Tuesday.

Johnson added that Biden has been personally trying to move things along, but did not offer any details of the presidents effort. Biden said he was unaware of the settlement.
LONDON (AP)  Britain's defense minister apologized and his ministry suspended an official Tuesday after a significant data breach involving the email addresses of dozens of Afghan interpreters hoping to settle in the U.K.

A Defense Ministry email to more than 250 Afghans who are eligible for relocation and still remain in Afghanistan was mistakenly copied to all applicants Monday instead of blind copied. British media reports said the people whose email addresses were distributed included some individuals who are in hiding from the Taliban.
TAWAS CITY, Mich. (AP)  A Michigan woman has been charged with murder days after her 3-year-old daughter's body was found with stab wounds inside a garbage bag, authorities said.

Justine Johnson, 22, was arraigned Monday in 81st District Court in Tawas City on one count each of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. She pleaded not guilty to both charges and is scheduled for a Sept. 28 probable cause conference.

Police were called last Friday to a residence in Iosco County in Michigans northern Lower Peninsula after a garbage bag with a human foot protruding from it was found at the home. Police said the bag contained the body of Johnson's daughter, Sutton Mosser.

Iosco County Prosecutor James Bacarella said the girl had suffered multiple stab wounds.

The girl's grandmother, Alisa Johnson, said she believes her daughter is innocent and would never have hurt her young child.

Justine loved Sutton with all her heart. Shed never let anybody hurt that baby, she told WNEM-TV.

A message seeking comment on the charges was left Tuesday for Johnsons court-appointed attorney.

According to a probable cause affidavit, one of Johnson's brothers found the garbage bag with the child's body inside. The affidavit states that the day before he had asked Johnson where her child was and she told him to mind his business, WJRT-TV reported.

Officers found Johnson hours after the discovery of her daughter's body walking along railroad tracks. She told officers she did not want to talk about her child's death, the affidavit states.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw is allegedly seeking congressional campaign support through mock handwritten letters and...professional headshot photos?

Scott Braddock of Quorum Report on Tuesday shared photos on Twitter of a fundraising appeal he received in the mail from the Houston congressman. The seemingly hand-penned missive, marked as a private correspondence, included a large photo of Crenshaw.

Im drawing strong fire from Leftist Democrats for my leadership on border security and national defense, the letter reads. But as a wounded Navy SEAL, Ive faced much worse. Im personally grateful for your friendship and any support you can give me.

The Republican also boasts of his achievements in the strange letter riddled with war metaphors.

"I am a target ... In just two short years in Congress, I've drawn hostile fire for frequently taking on radical socialists and far-left Democrats," he further wrote in the letter, which he addressed "Personal and urgent update from the front-lines."

While Crenshaw claims in the letter to have been "effective" in Congress, the lawmaker has actually failed to get any bills passed since being elected.

The letter is the latest effort by Crenshaw to fill his campaign's war chest ahead of reelection in 2022.

The U.S. Rep, who represents parts of northern and western Harris County, recently held a youth summit in Houston where he charged attendees $15 a ticket, and sold Crenshaw merchandise, according to Hailey Fuchs of Politico.

In his 2020 reelection bid against Democratic opponent Sima Ladjevardian, the former Navy Seal raised more than $19.4 million, according to Julia Forrest and Melissa Holzberg of Open Secrets.

Crenshaw's current term ends in 2022.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Quebec skilled worker applicants in Canada can now obtain a BOWP for an initial duration of 24 months.

Quebec skilled workers now eligible for Bridging Open Work Permit Quebec skilled worker applicants in Canada can now obtain a BOWP for an initial duration of 24 months.

Quebec skilled workers now eligible for Bridging Open Work Permit Quebec skilled worker applicants in Canada can now obtain a BOWP for an initial duration of 24 months.

Quebec skilled workers now eligible for Bridging Open Work Permit Quebec skilled worker applicants in Canada can now obtain a BOWP for an initial duration of 24 months. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

A

As of August 31, 2021, temporary foreign workers who reside in Quebec and have been selected by Quebec as skilled workers, are eligible, under certain conditions, to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).

Holders of a BOWP are able to work for any employer of their choice while they wait for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process their permanent residence application.

Get a free legal consultation from Campbell Cohen on how to apply for a Canadian work permit

To be eligible for the Bridging Open Work Permit, temporary foreign workers must have:

submitted to IRCC a Quebec skilled worker application for permanent residence as the principal applicant

received an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) from IRCC that confirms the permanent residence application has been received by IRCC and passes the completeness check

Among its features, a completeness check entails an IRCC officer ensuring that the applicant has submitted all necessary forms, information, evidence, signatures, and fees that are required under a given program.

The principal applicants spouse or common law partner is also eligible to obtain an open work permit if they are included on the permanent residence application.

The purpose of the policy is to give skilled workers selected by Quebec the support they need to remain employed in the province while they await permanent residence.

IRCC notes on its website that it can take 24 months or more for it to process Quebec skilled worker applications. As such, the initial duration of approved BOWP applications will be 24 months or the length of the applicants passport validity. This is to minimize the need for applicants to submit multiple BOWP applications while waiting for IRCC to finalize their permanent residence. IRCC also says any needed BOWP extensions will be for 12 months, however IRCCs officers have discretion to adjust the length of BOWP extensions based on how long it is taking the department on average to process permanent residence applications.

Getting a BOWP serves multiple benefits. It enables permanent residence applicants to remain in Canada, contribute to the labour market, pay taxes, and to integrate economically and socially. It is also beneficial for Canadian and provincial governments such as Quebec since applicants can contribute to the economy as opposed to remaining in the country as visitors or leaving Canada altogether during the permanent residence application process.

Get a free legal consultation from Campbell Cohen on how to apply for a Canadian work permit

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
In the world of automotive financial services, both dealers and customers are looking for decision-making speed. To gain a competitive advantage, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) has turned to AI to help it increase automated credit decisioning, improve customer and dealer experience, and efficiently manage consumer credit risk, all while adhering to fair lending practices.

Our goal is to provide best-in-class customer and dealer experiences, says Bharadwaj Gopal, domain information officer at Toyota Financial Services. This required improving our credit decision-making speed and higher automation while managing our credit risk and meeting compliance standards.

Based on dealer and customer feedback, TFS started working on its Intelligent Financing Decision Engine (IFDE) in June 2019. IFDE is a cloud-native, scalable, loan origination decision engine for credit risk analysis in customer vehicle financing. The idea was to create a state-of-the-art AI decision model that utilized targeted premier credit attributes identified by TFS to craft algorithms capable of delivering sub-second results. The project has earned TFS a FutureEdge 50 Award for applications of emerging technologies.

Driving the process with cross-functional collaboration

TFS IT partnered with the companys consumer credit risk business unit to articulate the business case for IFDE based on real data, Gopal says.
Most roles and responsibilities in the C-suite are fairly distinct and well defined: CFOs are responsible for all financial operations; COOs oversee daily operations; and CEOs manage the entire enterprise, for example.

With CIOs and CTOs, however, roles and responsibilities can sometimes get blurred. The fact that technology and how organizations use it changes so rapidly doesnt help matters. Nevertheless, many enterprises have both a CIO and a CTO, and its important that the two work in harmony in order to maximize the benefits of technology.

CIO vs. CTO: Defining tech chief roles

The day-to-day responsibilities of the CIO and CTO might overlap depending on the organization and how its structured. But in most cases, its the CIO who oversees internal IT and its strategic value to the business, while the CTO stays on top of emerging technologies and creates policies and procedures that leverage technology to improve products and services delivered to customers.

I see the CIO role as the bigger picture role, in particular with aligning IT and business strategies, says James Rinaldi, chief IT advisor at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory research and development center. The CIO has overall responsibility for automation, process modernization, and data architecture. The CTO role is most effective at evaluating emerging technologies and their adoption into the company. The CTO evaluates trends as well and compares with what others are doing.

A CTO is typically focused on creating great experiences and offerings for the customers and partners of an organization, says Vishal Gupta, who serves as both CTO and CIO  as well as senior vice president of connected technology  at printer and imaging products maker Lexmark.

To do this, they need to effectively partner with sales teams to give them access to strategic customers and partners and then work collaboratively with these customers and partners to create new innovations for tomorrow, Gupta says. A typical day [for the CTO] is focused on collaborating with four key stakeholders: marketing and sales, customers and partners, technology teams, and the external ecosystem.

In addition to these stakeholders, CTOs need to help their organizations build an innovation roadmap to transform their organization, so they will also need to partner with executives in various lines of business as well as their board and form strategic partnerships with other CTOs in the industry and key vendors, Gupta says.

CIOs, on the other hand, are focused on whats happening today and enable the experience and automation for their employees, Gupta says. Both roles require a deep understanding of technology and how it can be used to create desirable outcomes for their organizations, and both are responsible for the experience of their stakeholders. They can also overlap in that they will both need technology talent and they will both need capabilities like design thinking to create great experiences.

The CIO is usually more inward-facing when it comes to the business, while a CTO is more technology, architecture, engineering, and product-facing, says Ash Athawale, senior managing director for the executive search practice group at Robert Half. The CIO will set the vision and will partner with the CTO to deliver on that vision. The overlap is on the strategy and product landscape, as well as with client deliverables.

In many organizations, when CIOs feel the need to have a technologist on the team, thats when theyll seek out a CTO, Athawale says.

At organizations that have both a CIO and CTO, the CTO typically has more technical knowledge and expertise, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). When a company does not have a CIO, its the CTO who determines the overall technology strategy, the BLS says.

In a sense, a CIO is a lot about operational leadership, says Ozgur Aksakal, president of the Global CTO Forum, an independent, global organization for technology professionals. The closest person to the CIO in an organization would be the COO. Their goal is to operate the company efficiently.

On the other hand, a CTO role is much more about creating revenue for the organization, Aksakal says. What you expect from a CTO is to develop competitive advantages that will differentiate you in the market. You dont see the CTO as a cost center. It is a profit center. The CTO works with product development, marketing, engineering, [and] sales to grow the company.

CTOs can thrive in market segments such as financial technology (FinTech), insurance technology (InsurTech), legal technology (LegalTech), and others, where the focus is mainly on developing tools to enhance operations in these sectors.

All these fields like FinTech are about creating innovation and products by scaling technology, Aksakal says. Look at the most disruptive companies in any industry. They are all driven by technology. And when you think of the person responsible for that technology, you think of the CTO.

Increased synergy between CIO and CTO roles

The CIO and CTO titles are becoming more interchangeable than ever, says Craig Stephenson, managing director of the North America Technology Officers Practice at organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry.

We see scenarios when companies convey transformational change through a title change, Stephenson says. In some cases, [the] CTO may remain focused on infrastructure, in others we may also see CTO be the more strategic leader of the technology function. To add to the complexity and confusion, we are now seeing the title of chief digital information officer or chief digital technology officer.

The CIO-CTO relationship has become much more synergistic over the past few years, Gupta says. As a result, like my current role at Lexmark, its more common to see CITOs  people who hold both roles, he says. In looking to create a new level of information transparency across the company, Lexmark found it was helpful to merge its IT and software research and development groups under one leader, which is why it combined the roles, he says.

We wanted to create a set of shared capabilities like design thinking and data science and cloud platforms that could be leveraged by both the functions to accelerate the outcomes, Gupta says.

Digital transformation is also helping to converge these roles, Gupta says, because companies often cannot roll out new solutions using technology such as the internet of things (IoT), cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) without leveraging them internally to understand how they work and the benefits and challenges they bring.

Like CTOs, CIOs must now continually look at whats next to keep their organizations resilient and future-proofed against whatever challenges tomorrow may bring, Gupta says.

CIO-CTO collaboration

Experts agree that it makes sense for CIOs and CTOs to work together whenever possible to maximize the benefits of technology for the organization.

These executives can best work together by understanding their differences and balancing their strengths, says Wendy Pfeiffer, CIO at software company Nutanix.

CTOs are technical engineers  they use technology to create products and capabilities, Pfeiffer says. They are builders, and their teams run best when team members are productive and unrestricted. CIOs are operational engineers  they use technology to deliver business services and enable employee productivity. They are operators, and their teams run best when team members are efficient and effective. CIOs and CTOs can connect and collaborate around their shared goal of employee productivity, while each bringing unique strengths to bear on a shared corporate mission of business enablement through great products and great systems.

Organizations can take several steps to foster a strong relationship between their CIOs and CTOs. One is to keep the lines of communication open. To be successful, the CIOs, CTOs, and their teams must regularly meet to build trust and a deeper understanding of what the other side is looking to achieve, Gupta says. Having open, transparent communication or common town halls will help both the organizations to develop more empathy and collaboration with each other.

Rinaldi, who says the relationship between the two roles has evolved to one of mutual trust where the CIO can count on the CTO to align technology opportunities to CIO plans, thinks these executives should frequently compare benchmarks and view trends to see what is most effective for the company.

IT innovation efforts are strengthened if the CTO has great communications skills, Rinaldi says. Often the CTO can do prototypes and work with business units to discover new approaches for the business. This helps the overall IT organization stay relevant.

Another good practice is to share knowledge whenever possible. If your organization is having a specific challenge, such as scaling a particular project, its likely that your [internal] customers will too, Gupta says. By combining your knowledge and working together on addressing issues, its more likely both teams will benefit. At Lexmark, we have pooled our technology learning paths for both of these groups in areas like cloud and AI.

To avoid turf battles, the IT and CTO teams should aim to find common ground.

Its natural that each part of the organization will have a different way of addressing challenges, given their respective roles, Gupta says. But there are ways to help both sides come to an agreement.

For example, Lexmark has worked to break down data silos and make data accessible to everyone in the organization by creating a common data lake. As a result, well let the data inform our decisions, which has helped to minimize conflict and build mutual confidence in the approach, Gupta says. Another area of common ground could be recruiting and developing technology talent. We have recently leveraged in our IT group the college recruiting relationships that were built by the technology team.

Both executives should aim to remove points of friction by having a good governance over IT decisions and technology investments, Rinaldi says. The CIO and CTO should not be a competitive relationship, and can benefit each other as a partnership, he says.
DENVER (AP)  The ramifications of a lawsuit that ended with the U.S. government paying an injured mountain biker several million dollars after a crash on a washed-out trail continue to challenge Colorado hikers.

And more recreational pursuits could be impacted by the 2019 court decision as private landowners worry about lawsuits filed by people who traverse their land on foot, bike or boat.

Trinchera Blanca Ranch, which is among the largest in Colorado at almost 180,000 acres, this month erected No Trespassing signs on the trail to the popular Mount Lindsey, warning hikers that public access to the San Luis Valley peak is not permitted.

The conservationist owner of Trinchera Blanca  billionaire financier Louis Bacon  put up the signs after consulting with his attorneys about the implications of a 2019 federal court decision that upheld a $7.3 million verdict awarded to a Colorado Springs mountain biker who crashed in a sinkhole on a washed out trail at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The ranch closed private sections of the trail up Mount Lindsey as a result of a recent ruling out of the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which limited the scope of the Colorado recreational use statute and increased landowner exposure, Trinchera Blanca spokesman Cody Wertz said.

Earlier this year, that 2019 decision prodded John Reiber, the owner of mining claims all over Mount Lincoln, Mount Democrat and Mount Bross, to close access to hikers on his land. Access to the peaks was restored last month, after the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and the Colorado Mountain Club worked with Reiber, putting up new signs urging hikers to stick to the trail and to stay out of privately owned mining structures. The Fourteeners Initiative is a nonprofit group that seeks to preserve and protect public access to Colorados tallest mountains, which rise over 14,000 feet in elevation.

Negotiations with the Trinchera Blanca Ranch are going to be a longer process, said Lloyd Athearn, the head of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, which itself owns private property atop Mount Shavano and worked with its lawyers to craft signs warning hikers of some, but not all, known hazards on that peak. I think their concerns might be more involved.

There are at least eight peaks in Colorado where hikers traverse private land to reach summits above 14,000 feet. For years the Colorado Recreational Use Statute  or CRUS  has protected those landowners, granting them immunity from lawsuits if they allow people to recreate on their land for free. The statute has exceptions though, if injured parties can prove a landowner willfully failed to warn or guard recreational visitors about a known dangerous condition  likely to cause harm.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled that the Air Force Academy knew about a washed-out section of the paved bike trail on its property but failed to give proper warning.

Jim Nelson, an engineer living in Colorado Springs, went for a bike ride on Sept. 3, 2008. In a shady section of trail on Air Force Academy property, Nelson pedaled into a damaged part of the trail and suffered serious injuries, including brain damage. Less than two weeks earlier a federal biologist stationed at the academy had taken pictures of the washed-out trail as part of a project to document erosion issues around the academy.

Had something been done to warn or guard against people riding their bicycles on this designated bike path, Jims injuries could have been prevented, said Nelsons attorney, David Hersh, with the Burg Simpson law firm.

The appeals court actually affirmed the Colorado Recreational Use Statute protection for landowners, Hersh said, giving them immunity from liability lawsuits, unless they act willfully in failing to guard or warn of known dangerous conditions that are likely to cause harm. The legislature, when it crafted the recreational use law, created a very narrow, high burden on the exception, Hersh said.

From my perspective as a trial lawyer, responsible landowners really should have no fear of the 10th Circuits plain reading of CRUS and this `willful exception to the otherwise blanket immunity landowners enjoy, Hersh said in an email. Landowners have nearly complete immunity. The exception bar is quite high, in my estimation, and will be very difficult for any claimant to address. A landowner who is concerned about steep cliffs near trails or extant mine works can easily warn, for example.

Jim Moss, a Denver attorney who specializes in recreation legal issues, says the liability of landowners who open their land to recreational users is absolutely zilch.

The original Colorado Recreational Use Statute is solid as a rock, Moss said. The only time that the Nelson case would apply to any other case would involve another mountain biker crashing at a federal military property.

Still, Athearn is finding landowners wary about possible exposure to lawsuits by recreational users who venture into steep mountain trails or explore dangerous, abandoned mining structures.

By warning visitors with signs that identify Trinchera Blanca Ranch as private property and anyone venturing onto private land as trespassing, the owner has more legal room to avoid lawsuits because trespassers have fewer rights when they get hurt.

Trinchera Blanca Ranch is a preeminent model for wildfire and wildlife management, with one of the states largest conservation easements protecting a vast swath of the property from any development. Bacon, the ranchs owner, is renowned as one of the countrys top conservationists, locking up hundreds of thousands of acres in easements that prevent any roads or structures. Those conservation easements, however, do not allow public access.

Wertz, the ranch spokesman, said the propertys managers and owner plan to continue discussing the issue with trail user groups, including the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.

Athearn himself worked with attorneys in 2016 to limit the liability of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative when it purchased land that hikers use to reach the summit of Mount Shavano, near Salida. One lawyer on the groups board agreed there was risk, but helped craft signs that warned hikers of hazards, including things like lightning, avalanches and rockfall. Another lawyer advised against buying the property, warning Athearn that an injured hiker could bankrupt the nonprofit trails group.

Different landowners with different lawyers with different risk assessments will come to different conclusions, he said.

Athearn fears the impact of the Nelson decision could soon reach beyond land accessing fourteeners.

Soon landowners with rock climbing crags, singletrack bike trails or navigable rapids could close access, he suggested. Athearn said a remedy may involve Colorado lawmakers going back into the Colorado Recreational Use Statute and adding more protections for landowners who open their land for recreational access.

There are all sorts of recreation features on private land, Athearn said. Legislatures across the country have said there is a public benefit to holding landowners harmless when they let the public recreate for free. How do we get back to where landowners are disincentivized from closing their land so they dont get sued?

About the photo: HIkers walk past a cairn along a ridge on Culebra Peak near San Luis, Colo. on July 27, 2008. Culebra is the only 14,000-foot peak in Colorado to lie entirely on private land. Climbers pay $100 to scale the peak, which doesnt have enough traffic for a trail to form, making the cairn a useful route marker. (AP Photo, The Gazette, David Phillips)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 20)  Some scholars from the University of the Philippines said the spread of disinformation to bury the ugly truth about the dictator former President Ferdinand Marcos and the martial law era must be corrected through reforms in the education system.

In a webinar series to commemorate the declaration of martial law 49 years ago, UP Diliman Prof. Ramon Guillermo said this may be done by having a clear direction in the content of teaching materials, like textbooks.

Guillermo cited how it is being done in Germany where the crimes and wrongdoings of the Nazis are being discussed as early as the elementary level.

In 2013, a law was passed to compensate victims of martial law, in effect recognizing human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. Meanwhile, in 2018, the Sandiganbayan convicted former first lady Imelda Marcos, wife of the dictator, of graft but has yet to serve jail time since her case is under appeal.

"Ang mas importante at mas mabisang programang pang-edukasyon na maisusulong sana ay pagtuturo ng mga kasalanan ng pamilyang Marcos sa konteksto ng mas malawakang proyekto ng pagtuturo ng pagpapahalaga sa karapatang pantao, mga kalayaang demokratiko at pagtanggi sa anumang pasistang diktatura," Guillermo said.

[Translation: What's important and could be a much more effective educational program that could be pushed is to teach the sins of the Marcos family in the context of a much wider project of teaching the importance of human rights, democratic freedom and rejection of any form of fascist dictatorship.]

Disinformation efforts

UP President Danilo Concepcion scored the efforts to spread lies and disinformation about martial law in different social media platforms.

Concepcion said the academe must not condone these acts.

"Mas naging mabilis ang daluyan ng impormasyon sa panahon ng social media. At kasabay nito ay ang paglaganap din ng disimpormasyon. Nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang ilan na baluktutin ang katotohanan. Hinding-hindi po natin hahayaan ito bilang unibersidad at dambana ng dunong at dangal," Concepcion said.

[Translation: The flow of information is so much faster under this time of social media. And with this, the rampant spread of disinformation. Others have taken this opportunity to bend the truth. As a shrine of knowledge and honor, this university will never allow this to happen.]

Guillermo claimed the orchestrated disinformation and misinformation efforts are funded by the Marcoses through their so-called ill-gotten wealth.

And he also theorizes that former senator Bongbong Marcos may capitalize on this in launching his possible presidential bid in next year's polls.

"Ang kalaban dito ay pera at korupsyon. Pera na ninakaw sa bayan na hindi na ibinalik. Ang kalaban ng makatotohanang kasaysayan ay ang pera na tila hindi maubos-ubos na ibinubuhos para malinis at mabura ang mga kasalanan ng mga Marcos sa mga pahina ng kasaysayan. At sa pamamagitan ng pera ay pinapalitan ang kasaysayan ng fairytale," said the professor.

[Translation: The enemy here is money and corruption. Money that was stolen from the nation and was never returned. The enemy of true history is the never-ending flow of money that is being used to clean and erase the sins of the Marcoses on the pages of history. And with money, they are changing what's written in history with a fairytale.]

Resurfacing of myths

UP Los Banos professor Roderick Javar said most of the claims now circulating online were mostly lifted from commissioned and manipulated biographies of the late dictator.

He cited the books "For Every Tear, A Victory" published in 1964 and "Marcos of the Philippines" published in 1969, both written by American novelist Hartzell Spence, and succeeding biographies that were based on Spence's works.

Javar identified some claims in those biographies that were supposedly manipulated like the extraordinary capabilities of Marcos when he was just a baby -- things Javar said are humanly impossible.

"Bago pa raw siya mag-isang taon ay matatas na siya magsalita at matatas na siyang makipag-usap sa mga matatanda. Natuto rin daw siya ng English alphabet ng wala pang isang taon sa pamamagitan ng kanyang pag-aaral, self-taught daw. Sa edad na ito, si Ferdinand Marcos daw ang tanging bata sa kanilang komunidad na umiinom ng gatas hindi sa tsupon kundi sa baso na. Sa madaling salita, binigyan si Marcos ng kakayahang humanly impossible sa edad na ito," the UPLB professor narrated.

[Translation: It was said that he learned to speak fluently and knew how to converse properly with elders even before he was one year old. It was also said that he taught himself the English alphabet even before he was a year old. During this age, it was said that Ferdinand Marcos was the only child in their community who was already drinking milk not from a baby bottle, but from a glass. In short, Marcos was given humanly impossible capabilities while he was only at that age.]

Javar also hit the exaggerated, if not false narratives about the former dictator as a World War II hero. These include dozens of medals that he received for his military service and the Maharlika guerilla unit that he supposedly organized to resist Japanese forces.

U.S. military documents released in 1986 showed that there's no basis for Marcos' claims.

He also mentioned that in the late dictator's biographies, Marcos' family fought against Japanese invaders. But Javar claimed that this information was manipulated, saying that Marcos' brother Pacifico became an interpreter for Japanese soldiers, while his father Mariano was killed by Filipino guerillas for being a spy for the Japanese government.

The professor said this was contrary to what were stated in Spence's writings -- that his father was killed by Japanese forces for resisting the occupation.

"Sa mga pahina ng kanyang mga opisyal na talambuhay nagsimula ang mga kasinungalingang ito," he said.

[Translation: It was in the pages of his official biography where these lies started.]

Ugly truth

Academicians, who served as panelists during Monday's webinar, said while the Marcos family want to project "the true, the good, and the beautiful" during the dictatorship, studies and research instead uncovered "false, not good, and ugly" facts at the time.

UP's week-long virtual commemoration aims to honor the struggle of the Filipino people under the authoritarian regime and the university's contribution to the uprising against the Marcos dictatorship.

The webinar series on martial law commemoration will tackle different issues like corruption, human rights, and the economic situation during that era.

Livestream of the webinars may be watched via TVUP.com and TVUP's official YouTube account from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every day until Sept. 24.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  A significant number of parents of students from private schools want a return to face-to-face classes, the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) said Tuesday.

"Meron po kaming ginawang survey sa aming member-schools, at lumabas po do'n merong substantial percentage ng mga magulang na gusto na rin na magkaroon ng in-person classes," COCOPEA managing director Joseph Noel Estrada said at the Laging Handa briefing.

[Translation: We did a survey among member-schools, and it turned out that a substantial percentage of parents want in-person classes.]

COCOPEA has 2,500 member-schools, colleges, universities and technology-vocational institutions. However, Estrada did not say how many parents were polled.

Estrada added despite this development, parents were also concerned about their children's safety.

"May mga karagdagan na concern na bago ito mapatupad gusto nilang maassure yung kaligtasan ng kanilang mga anak. Kaya marami pang questions na dinudulog," he said

[Translation: There are additional concerns before it is enforced that they want to be assured of their children's safety. So, there are more questions we want to ask.]

He said among the concerns raised by parents were if teachers and other staff were vaccinated and if vaccines would be available to students as well.

Estrada added they have asked for a list of the 20 private schools identified by the Department of Education to be part of its pilot testing of face-to-face classes so they could see whether they could offer suggestions and improve their preparations.

Schools were also concerned about what could happen when the pilot program starts.

"May mga concerns, operational issues na concerns din ng private schools lalo na yung maliliit dahil definitely meron na naman itong cost sa ating mga schools. At tinatanong na rin yung tungkol sa liabilities in case magkaroon ng surge at may macontract na virus ang mga bata dahil yan po ay kailangan naming sagutin na mga tanong sa mga magulang," he said.

[Translation: Private schools have raised concerns, operational issues, especially the smaller ones because there will definitely be a cost. And they are asking about liabilities in case there is a surge and children contract the virus because we have to answer parents' questions about that.]

Estrada also said private schools were struggling because of poor enrollment numbers.

"Base po sa quick count na galing sa Department of Education, mababa po ang enrollment sa private sector. Nasa 60% pa lang ng enrollment last year. Pero yung last year's enrollment is only half of the enrollment of the pre-pandemic school year," he said

[Translation: Based in a quick count from the Department of Education. enrollment of the private sector fell. Only about 60% enrolled compared to last year. But last year's enrollment is only half of the enrollment of the pre-pandemic school year]

At a Senate hearing last week, Estrada said only around 2 million enrolled this year in private education institutions, less than 50% of last year's enrollment figure of 4.3 million.

Some schools are nearing critical stage and need help to continue operating, he added

"We request and we pray for government intervention, economic intervention, baka merong maibigay na subsidiya deretso sa mga estudyante, sa mga teachers para makatulong sa continuity of delivery of education," he said.

At a Senate hearing on Sept. 16, Estrada said private schools in the country are a "dying sector" because of the challenges brought by the pandemic, as he appealed for urgent policy interventions that "are less regulatory but supportive."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The Philippine National Police said Tuesday it is conducting in-depth investigation into the death of young painter Bree Jonson, including the possible involvement of her boyfriend, Julian Roberto Ongpin  who has been released from detention.

The 30-year-old artist was found dead in a hostel in San Juan, La Union on September 18. The Ilocos Regional Police said it was able to retrieve 12.6 grams of cocaine in the room she shared with Ongpin, the son of former Trade Secretary and prominent businessman Roberto Ongpin.

In a statement, regional police chief PBGen. Emmanuel Peralta said Ongpin yielded positive for cocaine use, so they filed a complaint for possession and use of illegal drugs.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra assured a rigorous investigation to give justice to Jonson. He added the Office of the Prosecutor General will issue a statement regarding the incident, including Ongpin's release.

"I just want to assure everyone that this matter will be investigated thoroughly to find out the truth and to ensure that justice will be done," he said.

The police said it was initially reported as a suicide, but they are now conducting a more thorough probe.

"Investigation is ongoing to determine the real cause of death of the victim and to be able to gather pieces of evidence for possible filing of other charges if evidence warrants," Peralta said.

PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said they are waiting for autopsy results to see if additional cases can be filed against Jonson's boyfriend.

He said the Provincial Prosecutors Office decided to release Ongpin while the investigation is ongoing.

Jonson's mother Sally said in a television interview on Tuesday that she has sent an email to the Department of Justice to appeal for an immigration lookout bulletin and hold departure order to be issued against Ongpin. She fears he might have left the country despite ongoing investigation.

Siya ang last person na kasama ng anak ko sa resort na iyon... I would like to reemphasize this urgency kasi baka si Julian ay nakalabas na ng bansa [because he might be out of the country already], she told ANC Headstart.

She denied Bree was using illegal drugs, saying a photo of her body showed marks on her neck.

"Maiiisip mo na something happened there. Ang pinapalabas nila, nagci-circulate sa social media is that nag-OD (overdose) o suicide ang anak ko. Hindi eh," she said.

[Translation: You will think that something happened there. It's circulating on social media that she overdosed or she died by suicide. It's not true.]

CNN Philippines is trying to get comment from Ongpin.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The country would finally hold a pilot run of limited in-person classes in some areas after a year of distance learning, but a health reform advocate said the delayed implementation was "self-inflicted" with the quality of the government's pandemic response.

"In the first place, self-inflicted ang ating problema kaya tayo nahuhuli sa mga maraming bagay," Dr. Tony Leachon, former special adviser to the National Task Force against COVID-19, told CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday.

[Translation: In the first place, our problem is self-inflicted that's why we're lagging behind in many aspects.]

"And alam naman natin pag hindi natin na-control ang viral transmission, domino principle yan," he added.

[Translation: And we know that if we fail to control the viral transmission, the domino principle will happen.]

He cited the delayed vaccination and the government's failure to conduct more testing and contact tracing efforts. He also noted that the country would also lag behind in terms of economic recovery if it fails to achieve herd immunity.

Earlier this month, the government raised its herd immunity target to up to 90%, higher than the initial target of 70%, or 77 million Filipinos eligible for vaccination.

READ: Govt experts increase herd immunity estimate to 90%

The government has also assured that children will be included in the COVID-19 vaccination program in the fourth quarter of 2021, as more doses would be shipped to the country.

The United Nations Childrens Fund Philippines said that as of Sept. 14, the Philippines and Venezuela were the only remaining countries that have not reopened schools. The Philippines had one of the longest school breaks in the world, from March 2020 to Oct. 2020, it added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21) The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said it will issue an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Julian Roberto Ongpin following a drug complaint filed against him.

Ongpin, the son of former Trade Secretary and prominent businessman Roberto Ongpin, was reportedly the last companion of painter Bree Jonson  who was found dead in a La Union hostel on September 18. Local police had said they retrieved cocaine in the room shared by Ongpin and Jonson.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters he has already received the request from Jonson's mother to place Ongpin under the lookout list.

"Considering that charges for violation of the dangerous drugs law have been filed against Julian Ongpin, the DOJ will issue an immigration lookout bulletin order," Guevarra said.

He added the department may also consider requesting the issuance of a preliminary hold departure order "depending on the progress of the preliminary investigation."

Authorities earlier said Jonson's death was initially reported as a suicide. The Philippine National Police said it is conducting a more thorough probe on the case.

Meanwhile, the DOJ said Ongpin was released from detention pending the preliminary investigation.

"The inquest prosecutor of La Union deemed it proper to conduct a regular preliminary investigation of the case to give the law enforcers the opportunity to submit additional evidence to further prove the case for possession of dangerous drugs, and to investigate further if there was 'foul play' which resulted in the death of Bree Jonson," the agency noted.

CNN Philippines is trying to get comment from Ongpin.

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  Nearly 8,000 government-procured COVID-19 test kits with a six-month life span expired last year, a Department of Health (DOH) official confirmed on Tuesday.

"There were expired testing kits. I confirm," Health Assistant Secretary Nestor Santiago said in response to Senator Kiko Pangilinan's question during the Senate hearing on pandemic response funds.

"As per my record, there were 7,925 test kits," he added, noting these were supposedly for 371,794 tests.

When asked if these testing kits were all delivered by Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., Santiago said he is "not really sure because it is a PS-DBM (Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management) order."

But Pangilinan cited a Dec. 7, 2020 letter signed by Santiago himself, telling former PS-DBM chief Lloyd Christopher Lao to delay the delivery of testing kits "to prevent the repeat of a past scenario where a large number of stored BGI kits expired." Santiago also furnished Pharmally official Mohit Dargani a copy of that letter, Pangilinan added.

Pangilinan insisted that thousands of testing kits went to waste because their life span was shorter than the specification provided by the DOH.

The PS-DBM was told to buy RT-PCR test kits that will last for 12 to 24 months. But the DOH said the specification it gave to PS-DBM early last year was based on similar procurements prior to the pandemic. The department noted that testing kits had a shelf life of six months at the time. Health Secretary Francisco Duque provided the same argument during the same hearing.

But Pangilinan said the government should have negotiated for a lower price given that the initial specification requirement was not met.

Citing industry insiders, the lawmaker said, "when it is expiring in six months, you have as much as 25% discount." "Yet the full amount was paid," he added.

The PS-DBM bought testing kits from Pharmally at 69,500 per kit. Based on that price, Pangilinan estimates 550 million worth of public funds were wasted on expired testing kits.

"That gives us the gravity of waste, the incompetence, the corruption we are facing," he said.

The Senate has held a number of hearings on the COVID-19 budget utilization.

The legislative probe stemmed from an audit report that flagged the DOH's "deficiencies" in its management of over 67 billion pandemic response funds. These include the transfer of 42.4 billion to procuring agencies due to the lack of "required memorandum of agreement and other supporting documents," according to the Commission on Audit.

Of the amount, the PS-DBM got around 41 billion - a portion of which was used to buy testing kits.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill that will institutionalize the abrogated 1989 agreement prohibiting the entry of police and military forces to campuses of the University of the Philippines without prior notice.

With 179 affirmative votes, lawmakers on Tuesday passed House Bill No. 10171, or the Act Institutionalizing the 1989 University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense Accord.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act no. 9500, or the University of the Philippines Charter of 2008, to incorporate the accord into the institution's charter.

This will ensure state forces will not be permitted to enter any UP campus without prior notice, as well as ensure the right to procedural due process is followed to any member of the university.

Police and military forces must first follow a procedure before they are granted entry to university premises.

It also aims to protect UP campuses from intervention of law enforcers, harassment, and intimidation. The police and military are prohibited from interfering with peaceful protests held by individuals or groups in any UP campus.

In January, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana abruptly ended the three-decade old agreement, claiming it is now obsolete because there is a need to protect Filipinos against the university that has become "breeding ground" for communists.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21) As the country marked the 49th anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Tuesday, several groups and universities called on fellow Filipinos to keep the memory of the period alive  and to fight historical revisionism.

We've always been told that we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past if we don't remember it. That is why, as an educational institution, this is now one of our biggest challenges: to make sure that we, as a nation, will never forget, the Ateneo de Manila University said in a statement.

It is a tall order, but (we) will always strive to keep our collective memory, however painful, alive. Together, we need to keep the memory of martial law so that we won't make those same mistakes again, the university added.

Some scholars from the University of the Philippines earlier called a stop to the spread of false information on the martial law era, which they said could be done through reforms in the educational system.

Other groups also held protests on the ground, as they denounced the killings during the current administration.

The Philippines was placed under martial law on Sept. 21, 1972 by former president Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos lifted martial law in 1981, but his reign continued until he was ousted by the 1986 People Power revolt.

Amid accusations of historical revisionism, his son, former senator Bongbong Marcos, said the accounts regarding his father's regime depict "political propaganda.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  An executive of the countrys top medical supplier during the pandemic admitted he applied for a position under former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, as the Senates probe into the COVID-19 response fund controversy continued on Tuesday.

Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. treasurer Mohit Dargani initially told lawmakers he has never worked for the government, at which point Sen. Risa Hontiveros presented a screenshot of his LinkedIn account where it was stated that he was a Special Assistant to the Office of the Presidential Economic Adviser.

I tried to apply thereI assumed I was working there but apparently I was not so I took that down eventually, Dargani later clarified.

Hontiveros then rebutted the Pharmally executive, saying he was either not telling them the truth about working in the government before, or misrepresenting himself in the social media post.

Dargani further clarified he assumed wrong that he was indeed working for Yangs office, adding that he took down the LinkedIn post after he was not extended an appointment for the said position.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon noted in a tweet that Dargani immediately replaced his LinkedIn profile description after word got out regarding the issue.

Dargani and Yang are among the individuals the Justice department placed under immigration lookout bulletin orders amid their involvement in the legislative probe. Pharmally has been at the center of the inquiry after bagging contracts worth billions of pesos despite having only over 600,000 in capital.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. director Linconn Ong will continue his detention in the Senate after being put under house arrest for almost two weeks due to his bout with COVID-19.

Ong was escorted by the members of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms as he arrived in the Senate building on Tuesday.

The Pharmally executive was cited in contempt and ordered to be arrested by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 10 for evading questions on that day's hearing on the government's alleged anomalous purchase of medical supplies for its pandemic response.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon allowed Ong to be put under house arrest after he said in the hearing that he was battling COVID-19.

Senators are questioning why Pharmally, the company where Ong works, bagged the 8.6 billion contract for medical supplies last year despite declaring only 625,000 in their paid-up capital.

RELATED: Tax expert: Increase in assets of Pharmally 'not normal'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  The government's top medical supplier Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and its supplier TigerPhil Marketing Corp. bagged millions of pesos in profits from the sale of face masks during the onset of the pandemic, senators said on Tuesday.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon presented a sales invoice for 500,000 masks that TigerPhil bought from its supplier Greentrends Trading Int'l Inc. priced at 18 each. Another sales invoice showed TigerPhil sold the masks for 23.90 per piece to Pharmally  which then offered the items to the government for 27.72 each.

This means TigerPhil paid Greentrends a total of 9 million for the masks while Pharmally bought the items from Tigerphil for 11.9 million.

As a result, Gordon and Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said TigerPhil earned 2.9 million from the transaction while Pharmally got a 1.9-million profit. Lacson, however, added they do not know how much Greentrends profited from the sale.

Meanwhile, the request for quotation presented during the hearing showed the contract for 500,000 masks had an approved budget of 8 million with a unit price of 28. This means the masks cost the government a total of 14 million a huge discrepancy that Gordon noted.

"Ang dumating galing kay [former DBM Usec.] Mr. [Lloyd Christopher] Lao sa iyo, 8 million pero pagbalik na sa kanya, 14 million. Parang sleight of hand. Ang talagang inorder niya ay hindi pinapakita na ganon kalaki ang ibabayad sa kanya," the senator said as he questioned Pharmally official Krizle Grace Mago.

[Translation: What arrived to you from Mr. Lao was 8 million but it was already 14 million when it returned to him. It's like a sleight of hand. What he really ordered does not show how much was actually paid to him.]

Senators earlier questioned Pharmally for its supposed same-day delivery of 500,000 face masks, with the company eventually admitting it acquired them from TigerPhil as they had no such items in their inventory at that time.

Allegations of overpricing in face masks and face shields purchased by the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Health are among the controversies at the center of the legislative probe into the handling of the government's COVID-19 response funds.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  Senators are pushing to increase the Office of the Vice Presidents budget next year to at least 1 billion, citing Vice President Leni Robredos commendable efforts throughout the pandemic.

If you can give as much as we can, chairman. Bitin yung 1 billion," said Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

[Translation: If you can give as much as we can, chairman. 1 billion is not enough.]

"Kung pwede pa nating dagdagan, you will have my full support in the floor, Zubiri added.

[Translation: If we can increase it, you will have my full support in the floor.]

The OVP initially proposed 714.56 million for 2022, but the Department of Budget recommended 713.41 million  still way lower than its current budget of 908.79 million.

We are a small office, but this has also taught us to act swiftly, to be agile, and have a sense of what people need," Robredo stressed as she defended her offices budget.

"All of this was possible, because we believe in collaboration, and maximizing the public funds entrusted to us through partnerships, she also said.

With support from the Senate Majority Leader, Senate Finance Committee chairman Sonny Angara said that OVPs budget will not have a hard time during plenary deliberations and instead will pass through a fast lane.

Among the pandemic response efforts of the OVP include teleconsultation for COVID-19 and non-COVID patients, COVID-19 testing, assisting local government units in vaccination, providing jobs and livelihood opportunities, assistance in distance learning, and assisting frontliners.

Nakita naman natin, napakasipag ng ating vice president (We have seen, our vice president is so hardworking)," Zubiri said. "All she does is go out and continuously help our kababayan (people) and I admire her for that."

Members of the House of Representatives are also pushing to increase OVPs budget for next year.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  A former task force adviser has backed the call of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to purchase more Western-made COVID-19 vaccines after the local government reported low acceptability of Chinese vaccines.

Health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon, former special adviser to the National Task Force against COVID-19, told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday that the government should not force Chinese vaccines on Filipinos.

"Agree ako kay Mayor Sara na dapat ang ino-order hindi Sinovac, [dapat] Pfizer, Moderna o yung high efficacy," he said. "Kasi kung nagma-market survey sila...ang gusto talaga ng tao yung high effiacy rate lalo na yung Western brands."

[Translation: I agree with Mayor Sara that instead of Sinovac, more Pfizer, Moderna, or vaccines with high efficacy, should be purchased. Because if they conduct market surveys, people really want vaccines with high efficacy, particularly the Western brands.]

Leachon explained that he is not against purchasing Sinovacs COVID-19 shots, which accounts for 55.4% of the country's vaccine supply, but he noted that local governments and the private sector have been hoping to purchase other brands due to the "very limited data" on Chinese vaccines efficacy provided by manufacturers.

In a radio interview on Monday, Duterte said the city government of Davao issued a resolution informing the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases about the low acceptability of Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines, which have been affecting the city's vaccine drive.

Leachon said forcing the distribution of Chinese vaccines "may lead to wastage and increase vaccine hesitancy" among Filipinos.

As of Sept. 21, the Philippines has received over 64 million vaccines from different manufacturers  36 million of which are from Sinovac, and over 1 million from Sinopharm.

Western-made vaccines received by the country comprise 9.5 million doses from AstraZeneca, 9.1 million shots from Pfizer-BioNtech, 5.2 million doses from Moderna, 3.2 million J&J doses, and 570,000 doses from Gamaleya.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 21)  House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the mandatory use of face shields in public.

In a letter to the President dated Sept. 20, Velasco said the use of face shields is only an additional financial burden to poor families.

"The use of face shields has made little difference in protecting against the transmission of COVID-19 over the proper use of masks alone, and imposes an additional burden to poor Filipino families already reeling from the adverse effect of the pandemic on their livelihood," Velasco said.

"The cost of a face shield of about 20 to 50 is already a substantial amount of equivalent to the cost of a meal for these poor Filipinos, and mandatory requirement of the same takes away money for food from these families," he added.

Velasco also said disposable face shields add to the "worsening" garbage problem in the country.

READ: Face shields can absorb COVID-19 airborne particles, simulation shows

The President only required the use of face shields in hospitals after Senate President Tito Sotto said the Philippines was the only the country that requires its use in public. However, Malacanang retracted it and again mandated the wearing of face shields.

Velasco told Duterte to just require face shields inside hospitals and quarantine facilities. He added that wearing of face masks, proper handwashing, disinfecting of surfaces, and proper ventilation are already enough measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission in other parts of the world.

"Please reconsider our current policy that requires our poor kababayans to buy and wear a piece of plastic shield over their already masked faces," Velasco said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 22)  The House of Representatives on Tuesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed measure seeking to reset the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The lower chamber approved the bicameral report on the disagreeing provisions of House Bill No. 10121 and Senate Bill No. 2214, which seeks to postpone the first BARMM polls from 2022 to 2025.

The reconciled bill provides that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will continue as interim government in the region until elections are held in 2025.

The president may also appoint 80 new interim members of the BTA. They will hold office until the end of June 2025 or until their successors have been elected.

What is left now is for the Senate to ratify the substitute bill to incorporate both versions before it is transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte to be signed into law.

CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 22)  The government approved the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project more than a year after it was proposed by San Miguel Corporation (SMC).

The 19.37-kilometer elevated expressway is expected to cut travel time between Manila and Rizal province from two hours to only 15 minutes.

The construction may begin within the first three months of 2022 or as soon as SMC gets the Notice to Proceed from the government.

SMC President and CEO Ramon Ang said they are finishing the detailed engineering design for the PAREX project.

"Hinahanda na ho lahat para mabilis 'yung trabaho," Ang explained during the signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement on Tuesday.

[Translation: We are preparing everything to speed up work.]

Ang added the construction of the six-lane elevated road can be completed on or before 2027 or within five years.

SMC will fully shoulder the 95-billion cost to build PAREX.

PAREX will run along the banks of Pasig River, from Radial Road 10 in Manila to the portion of C-6 Road in Taguig City near Taytay, Rizal.

It will have entry and exit points in the university belt area in Manila, San Juan City, Buendia Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Makati City, Rockwell, EDSA, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and C-5 Avenue in Taguig City.

The expressway will also have a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, jogging paths, and a water ferry system.

"PAREX will also be for pedestrians and cyclists. It will not just be for motorized transportation and convenience, but also for maintaining our health and well-being," Ang said. "This will be an inclusive, user-centered infrastructure that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars."

SMC said the ferry system will also link people to cities along the waterfronts of Metro Manila, from Manila Bay to Laguna Lake, among others.

Green design principle

The PAREX will combine sustainability features with the functionality of a safe and efficient transport infrastructure, SMC also said.

The diversified conglomerate has tapped renowned architect and environmental planner Jun Palafox, Jr. to help build the project.

"Palafox, acknowledged as the country's top green urban planner, brings with him decades of experience master-planning some 1,700 projects in 45, countries," SMC said in a statement.

SMC also tapped Palafox to make sure the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan will be environmentally friendly.

In the 1970s, he was one of the urban planners of Dubai in United Arab Emirates aside from other major cities on the planet.

"Together with Palafox and Associates, we will build what will be the country's first sustainable infrastructure, one that will not just be 'green', but will have multiple uses and direct environmental, social, and economic benefits to Filipinos," Ang said.

Decongesting Metro Manila traffic

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), meanwhile, said the PAREX will help decongest traffic in the capital region by connecting toll roads and freeways. It will provide faster and alternative access to several business districts, such as Makati, Ortigas, and BGC.

Transportation Secretary Artur Tugade said decongesting traffic will benefit all Filipinos.

Heavy traffic has been one of Metro Manila's major problems, especially before the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency estimated in 2018 that the country was losing  5.4 billion daily due to traffic congestion.

Advocate groups such as Move as One Coalition, meanwhile, have expressed concerns about the project saying it's "car-centric."

The coalition's convenor Robert Siy said the PAREX will make congestion worse and ramp up the production of greenhouse gases in the country.

"It is high time that we shift away from the outdated car-centric transportation policies of the last century and instead embrace inclusive, people-centered, and sustainable approaches that are now being adapted as best practice all over the world," Siy added.

SMC said it will conduct more consultations with concerned groups to make sure the project will be inclusive to all stakeholders.

River cleanup projects

The conglomerate has also been continuously dredging, widening, and cleaning up the Pasig River as part of its rehabilitation efforts.

The 2-billion Pasig River cleanup project that began last June will last for five years. It aims to remove over three million metric tons of silt and solid waste from the river.

The river was considered dead in the 1990s due to the growing population of the metropolis and their activities that adversely affected the water body.

"We will use the most modern equipment, which we have already acquired, and employ our own engineers and trained personnel," Ang said.

The conglomerate is also currently undertaking a 1-billion cleanup of 27-kilometer Tullahan-Tinajeros River system.

Company officials said 414,000 metric tons of solid waste were removed from the river.
(CNN)  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to world leaders Tuesday to show solidarity and act on the climate crisis, warning that humanity was on track for a "hellscape" of temperature rise that would bring "catastrophe."

At the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres called specifically on leaders to end subsidies on fossil fuels, end the use of coal, invest in renewable energy, and tax carbon and pollution "instead of people's income."

"The climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch," he said. "The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a code red for humanity. We see the warning signs in every continent and region -- scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces."

He also said the climate divide between the rich and poor world must be bridged, calling explicitly for developed countries to contribute funds to help developing nations confront the climate crisis.

In a later speech to the assembly, USPresident Joe Biden announced he will work with Congress to double again the United States' financial commitment to support developing nations. Biden pledged in April the US would increase its contribution to global climate financing to $5.7 billion per year, putting his new commitment around $11 billion per year.

"In April, I announced the US will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis, and today, I'm proud to announce that we will work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts," Biden said.

More than a decade ago, world leaders from developed countries agreed to contribute $100 billion a year to support countries in the Global South that are facing the most direct impacts of climate, a goal that was missed. In 2019, developed countries contributed $79.6 billion for developing countries, around $20 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal, according to a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report.

The US was also criticized for failing to transfer any money under the Trump administration; Trump pulled the US out of its global climate financing commitments when he pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. Under the Obama administration, the US paid $1 billion of a $3 billion commitment it originally made in 2014.

Even with Biden's new commitment, US allies contribute more to the effort. For instance, the European Union transfers around 25 billion a year (the equivalent of $29.3 billion).

The assembly is the last major international event before world leaders meet again at the G20 in Rome in October, followed immediately by the UN climate conference in Scotland.

"We are weeks away from the UN climate conference in Glasgow, but seemingly light-years away from reaching our targets," Guterres said. "We must get serious and we must act fast".

Guterres' speech revealed his increasing impatience and frustration with leaders. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro -- whose government has allowed rampant deforestation in the Amazon -- is also speaking Tuesday.

The UN chief's speech and newly strident tone comes as Guterres prepares to launch his next five-year term as UN Secretary General. It also comes amid a global political landscape that has itself grown more moderate in tenor since the exit of former US President Donald Trump.

The Secretary General and President Biden met briefly on Monday evening at Biden's Manhattan hotel, with a discussion that "reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United Nations and the United States, anchored in shared principles and values," Guterres' office said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "UN chief says climate alarms are ringing at a 'fever pitch' in frustrated speech."
Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label.
This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!
Gragnani's response in part to Rep. Basye

"The lesson asked students to pick from one of four artifacts from history and analyze the author's perspective. One artifact was the Grammy Award winning video directed by Hiro Murai titled "This is America" ... Students were not forced to watch or read any particular text and were encouraged to think critically of their selected piece This was not taken for a grade and was used for the purpose of discussion," Gragnani replied to Basye.

"The teacher did have a warning by the linked video indicating the video did contain violence ... I did inform the teacher a more descriptive warning is needed. Again, this is consistent with regard to any material we use containing gun violence," Gragnani continued.
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Microsoft last week announced the availability of the next edition of perpetual-license Office for commercial and government customers.

Dubbed "Office LTSC 2021," as in "Long-term Support Channel," the new Office suite was built as a subset of the feature catalog of Office 365 (and its more expensive, expansive sibling, Microsoft 365) that, once released, will live unchanged until it exhausts support.

"Keep in mind that Office LTSC 2021 includes only some, but not all, features that are available in versions of Office that come with a Microsoft 365 (or Office 365) plan," Microsoft warned in a support document. "Office LTSC 2021 won't receive any new features now that it has been released."

These characteristics are just some of Office LTSC's that Microsoft has long used to cast the perpetual license as second-class (or even third-class) when compared to the rent-not-buy Office 365 and Microsoft 365. Microsoft vastly prefers customers opt for the subscription plans of those latter product names because the revenue is first, never-ending and second, regular and thus knowable (more or less) in advance). It openly puts policies on perpetual license versions or limits what the software can do to push customers toward subscriptions.

The most notable new limitation to this iteration? A dramatic decrease in support: Office LTSC 2021 will be supported for only five years, half the time of most past Office suites (and two years shorter than the truncated-before-launch Office 2019). According to Microsoft's support lifecycle site, Office LTSC 2021 will receive support to Oct. 13, 2026.

That support will consist of security updates and apparently only security updates. "Microsoft won't provide code fixes to resolve non-security related problems," the company spelled out on an online informational page.

One of the most puzzling constraints on Office LTSC 2021 is its exclusion of a full license to Teams, the most-hyped product/service in Microsoft's inventory since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. "Office LTSC 2021 includes the Teams client app, but only includes the free or the Exploratory service for Microsoft Teams," Microsoft acknowledged.

Teams Exploratory, for example, is a 12-month trial that requires customers to upgrade to a Microsoft 365 plan to continue using the collaboration platform.

Office LTSC 2021 is available only via volume licensing and comes in versions of differing composition for Windows and macOS. The Windows version will run on both Windows 10 and the impending Windows 11, which is to debut Oct. 5.

That date will also be the release date for the consumer and small business version of Office LTSC 2021. Named "Office 2021"  breaking a naming precedent by using the current year for a suite introduced in that year's second half  it will be the only edition available at retail or direct from Microsoft for non-volume licensing customers.

While prices for Office 2021 will remain the same as its 2019 predecessor, Microsoft has already stated that costs for Office LTSC 2021 will be boosted by 10%.

Microsoft has outlined the new in Office LTSC 2021 (and Office 2021) here.
09/21/2021

Photo (c) Onurdongel - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 42,294,019 (42,091,633)

Total U.S. deaths: 676,347 (673,781)

Total global cases: 229,222,879 (228, 678,343)

Total global deaths: 4,702,936 (4,695,251)

COVID-19 death toll eclipses Spanish Flu pandemic

The U.S. passed a grim milestone this week as the death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed the number of deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. That pandemic claimed an estimated 675,000 American lives between 1918 and 1921.

More than 676,000 American deaths have been attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, which began in early 2020. The U.S. death toll has risen this year despite the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

A century ago, the health profession had few weapons to fight against the flu. There was no vaccine, and the first antibiotic, penicillin, wasnt invented until 1928.

J&J offers data showing the effectiveness of its booster

While the widespread deployment of booster shots is far from a settled issue, Johnson & Johnson has offered data showing a second shot of its vaccine, administered two months after the first, is 94% effective against moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.

Company officials say the effectiveness of the booster is so high because of the initial dose, which they say produces a significant antibody response.

Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory, said Dr. Mathai Mammen, a top executive at Johnson & Johnsons Janssen Research & Development. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.

An increasing number of kids are getting COVID-19

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows cases of COVID-19 among children have increased exponentially, especially since schools opened for the fall term. The report says children now account for about 26% of all new cases of the virus.

"After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 925,000 cases in the past four weeks," AAP said in a statement.

Children may be especially vulnerable since those under age 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination. Health experts predict the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will focus on evaluating vaccinations for kids in the coming weeks. Pfizer has released data that it says shows its vaccine is safe and effective for children between the ages of five and 11.

Around the nation
60%

Website della.by uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 256111 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 78234 bytes (76.40 kb uncompressed) and 14191 bytes (13.86 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-10-18, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
100%

Website ensad.fr uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 283966 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 444207 bytes (433.80 kb uncompressed) and 30369 bytes (29.66 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2019-10-07, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
A class action lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleges that Bayer HealthCare, LLC, and Beiersdorf, Inc., deceptively labeled Coppertone brand sunscreen products as "mineral-based," despite their containing chemical actives.

As the case text clarifies, in September 2019, Bayer's parent company sold the Coppertone brand, including the Coppertone sunscreen lotions, to Beiersdorf's parent company. Beiersdorf, in turn, now owns, manufactures and distributes the Coppertone products, and also created or authorized the labeling for the products.

See related: Key West Joins Hawaii in the Ban of Octinoxate and Oxybenzone

In 2017, plaintiffs Steven Prescott and Mike Xavier, residents of California, purchased various Coppertone sunscreen lotions because the products' labels and advertising claimed the lotions were "mineral based." The products in question included Coppertone brands Water Babies Pure & Simple, Kids Tear Free and Sport Face.

While promoting their mineral-based sunscreen protection, the lotions allegedly contained more chemical active ingredients than mineral active ingredients. For Water Babies Mineral-based Sunscreen Stick products, the ingredient disclosure listed chemical actives at 17.5% and mineral actives at 15%; for Sport Face Mineral-based Sunscreen Lotion products, chemical actives were disclosed at 12% and mineral actives at 9.7%. Had the plaintiffs known the lotions contained chemical actives, they reportedly would not have purchased them.

"To obtain an unfair competitive advantage in the billion-dollar sunscreen market, [the] defendants are exposing babies and children to harmful chemical-based ingredients hidden in their sunscreens by fraudulently passing them off as safe mineral-based ingredients," the plaintiffs stated in the original court document. The products were cited to contain, in varying combinations, octinoxate (banned in Hawaii), octocrylene and octisalate, in addition to zinc oxide.

According to the Digital Settlement Group, in Prescott v. Bayer HealthCare, LLC, case no. 5:20-cv-00102, the court did not rule in favor of the plaintiffs or the defendants. Rather, the parties agreed to settle. The defendants deny any wrongdoing and contend that the products have always been truthfully marketed and labeled.
This story will appear in the November 2021 issue of Connecticut Magazine.

Bone In Prime, Cheshires new upscale steakhouse, promises steak perfection with premium cuts of beef: dry-aged strip, ribeye and filet mignon. For special occasions, the team will even add a little sparkle to the meal  literally.



The restaurant is quickly becoming known for its showpiece signature item: large steaks enrobed in sheets of edible 24-karat gold leaf. The gleaming entree is served tableside with a flourish, as co-owner Enzo Beskovic wheels the steak out on a cart, carefully carves the meat with a long knife and channels Salt Bae (Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, subject of a 2017 Internet meme) with a final dramatic sprinkle of seasoning.

Its so much fun to get one, and so much excitement. They do that for birthdays, special days, or to surprise someone, Beskovic said.

The presentation for two is available with 40-ounce tomahawk or Porterhouse steaks, and costs $195 with choice of three sides and three sauces.



Beskovic and co-owner Fico Cecunjanin opened the restaurant in late May, noting the need for a steak and seafood restaurant in the towns north end. They took over the former Perfectly Prepared food business and catering kitchen at 1410 Highland Avenue, which closed during the pandemic, and spent more than six months renovating the building.

Lisa Nichols/ Hearst Connecticut Media

The 8,000-square foot restaurant, with a large bar and multiple dining rooms with shelves full of fine wines, seats about 350, the partners said, and they have plans for a large patio next spring.



Beskovic and Cecunjanin came to the United States from Montenegro as teenagers. Both have extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Cecunjanin, who also owns Red Fox in Middletown, was the executive chef at Luce in Middletown before opening his Mediterranean eatery five years ago. Beskovic was a chef at Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in West Hartford.



The owners take pride in their steaks ($40 to $100): prime cuts aged in-house in special coolers for 60 or more days, served with classic steakhouse sides like creamed spinach, grilled asparagus, baked potatoes, Parmesan risotto or truffle fries. These are paired with signature steak sauces: bearnaise, peppercorn cognac, gorgonzola or horseradish cream. Other grilled items include rack of lamb and veal.

As for the gilded steaks, we sell quite a few of them, every night, Beskovic said. The display is a showstopper, he said, with guests heads turning as the cart goes by. The restaurant posts videos of the presentation on its Instagram and TikTok accounts, set to music like the Mission Impossible theme and Montell Jordans This Is How We Do It. In the clips, excited diners ooh, aah and clap as they grab their phones to document the occasion.

Lisa Nichols/ Hearst Connecticut Media



Not into steak? Bone Ins menu is wide-ranging, with chicken dishes, pastas, fish and seafood. Theres also a build-your-own charcuterie board option, with smoked sausages and feta from the owners native Montenegro among the selections. Other cheeses are imported from Italy, Spain, France and Holland. A Sunday brunch features a travel through the world menu of plates inspired by Spain, Italy and other European flavors.

And at the bar, the cocktail menu offers a range of light and fruity drinks (the signature Bone-In Prime martini with peach vodka, cranberry and pomegranate liqueur) along with brown-liquor staples like a Manhattan and a New York Rye Ball. A list of reserve wines presents big-ticket Napa Cabernets.

Lisa Nichols/ Hearst Connecticut Media

Beskovic said the location has been attractive to diners in the area. Guests from towns like Cheshire, Southington, Meriden, Middletown and Hamden now have a new steakhouse option without traveling too far, he said. Previously, theyd drive to New Haven or West Hartford for a similar experience.



Its just a nice ambiance, good steaks, good entrees, good service, a really nice team, Beskovic said. Everybody [has] positive presence. People like that, when they come and spend and dine, they like to be treated well. So far, so good.





Bone In Prime Steakhouse 1410 Highland Ave., Cheshire



203-806-1430, boneinprime.com; @BoneInPrimeSteakhouse on Facebook; @bone_in_prime_steak_house on Instagram and TikTok



Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.



Wheelchair accessible See More Collapse
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Tianshu Li, University of Virginia

(THE CONVERSATION) The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Photographs and computer vision techniques using artificial intelligence are able to detect the presence of bats on bridges automatically with over 90% accuracy, according to our new study.

More than 40 species of bats are found in the U.S., and many of them are endangered or threatened. Bats often nest by the hundreds or thousands underneath bridges, so transportation departments are required to survey for them before conducting repair or replacement projects.

I conducted the recently published study with colleagues at the University of Virginias MOB Lab in collaboration with the Virginia Transportation Research Council.

Bridge surveys are important for protecting threatened and endangered bat species. Guano, or excrement, droppings and stains are common signs that bats are present. But it can be hard to verify whether some stains were produced by bats or other sources, such as water seeps, rust staining, asphalt leaching or other types of structural deterioration. However, computers can be trained to detect the difference.

To construct our AI model, my colleagues and I collected a pool of digital photographs of bridges with and without signs that bats may be present. Using these images, we let the model learn the features and traits that identified the presence of bats. We also developed a prototype web application that allows users to interactively upload images of stains on structures and receive classification results from the model.

Why it matters

Bats are an indispensable part of natural ecosystems: They pollinate plants, disperse seeds and consume insects that prey on crops. Many bat species are at risk due to habitat loss, climate change, disease and other stresses.

Because bats often roost in large numbers, their populations are vulnerable to human activities that disturb or destroy their habitats. As the number of natural habitats declines, human structures such as bridges and culverts have become ideal alternatives for bat roosts. Often these sites offer stable climates and access to water and foraging sites, such as rivers and parks.

Visual inspection is the main method that transportation departments use to assess whether bats are present, but its hard for humans to distinguish bat indicators without comprehensive training. The main indicator, guano, can be very difficult to spot from ground level  for example, it may collect in spots that are hard to see, or fall directly into the water below. Our research can streamline these surveys by making it easier and faster to detect the presence of bats, with an estimate of how accurate the prediction is.

What other research is being done

Since bats emit acoustic pulses and use the echoes to learn about their surroundings, devices have been developed that monitor bats by detecting their acoustic signals. But this approach only works when live bats are present, so its success depends on when and how the detector is set up. And commercial bat detectors can be expensive, which limits their use by public agencies.

Whats next

The Virginia Department of Transportation is planning a pilot study in which bridge inspectors and environmental staff will use our web application as a screening tool. The goal is to assess whether the tool is easy to use and enables inspectors to identify and document the presence of bats with greater confidence.

[The Conversations science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories. Weekly on Wednesdays.]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/artificial-intelligence-can-help-highway-departments-find-bats-roosting-under-bridges-166806.
Tara O'Neill / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT - A warehouse fire on Union Avenue sent two firefighters to the hospital Tuesday afternoon for exhaustion and dehydration, officials said.

The Bridgeport Emergency Communications Center received a call around 12:10 p.m. about heavy smoke coming from a building on Union Avenue, according to Scott Appleby, the director of the citys Office of Emergency Management.
BRIDGEPORT  A second teenager was arraigned Tuesday in connection with the fatal shooting of a city man during an alleged aborted marijuana deal.

Edwin Abrams, 18, was charged Tuesday with felony murder and attempted first-degree robbery.

During his arraignment his lawyer, Darnell Crosland, asked Superior Court Judge Tracy Lee Dayton to release his client to house arrest. Deputy Assistant States Attorney Peter Cunniff urged the judge to set a high bond.

Whats germane is not the facts of the case but that he is 18 years old and has never been before a court in his life, Crosland argued. He then went on to read aloud sections of the arrest warrant affidavit in which his client details how he allegedly witnessed 16-year-old Syshone Joyner kill the victim.

Jamel Hayden, 21, was found fatally shot in his car on Lincoln Avenue shortly after noon on Aug. 28.

Police said nearby surveillance video showed Joyner and three other young men clustered around Haydens car at the time of the shooting. The teens then fled through backyards.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Joyner had seen the victim advertising marijuana on Snapchat and contacted him. They arranged to meet on Lincoln Avenue so Joyner could purchase $250 worth of marijuana, the affidavit states.

But when Hayden pulled up at the designated meeting spot, he was met by four teens, the affidavit continues. One of the teens was examining the marijuana when, the affidavit states, Joyner pulled out a gun and shot the victim. The teens then fled without the marijuana.

The affidavit states that Abrams told police while he was negotiating with Hayden for the purchase of marijuana, Joyner pulled out a gun and shot Hayden.

Joyner was arraigned Monday on charges of murder, felony murder, attempted first-degree robbery and carrying a pistol without a permit. He is held on $1 million bond.

Crosland told the judge his client was shocked when Joyner shot the victim. This was a spontaneous action by someone next to him, he said.

But the judge responded that she wasnt convinced.

Its not clear that everything he said (to police) was accurate, she said. The judge said that from the arrest warrant affidavit it appears Abrams distracted Hayden for Joyner. I respectfully disagree with your evaluation of the case, she added.

The judge then ordered Abrams held in lieu of $1 million bond and continued the case to Oct. 5.

This is a devastating case, in the last two days I have had a 16 and now an 18-year-old before me. The whole situation is devastating, the judge said.
ANSONIA  Second Ward Alderman Bill Phipps said hes heard stories of well-dressed people with nice cars over the border in Massachusetts, willing to wait in line to buy recreational marijuana at dispensaries.

Phipps wants that for Ansonia as well.

If we can get a piece of that action without harm, I'd say go for it, Phipps said.

Phipps was one of several speakers at a public hearing Monday before the Planning and Zoning Commission, which is considering whether to implement a temporary moratorium on the sale of recreational marijuana in Ansonia.

But many residents at the meeting were against the moratorium and raised concern that if the city does not accept applications for opening a dispensary it will risk losing out on much needed economic growth.

The moratorium, which Economic Development Director Sheila OMalley said was drafted at the request of the Ansonia Police Department, could be decided on next week.

It means that the city would not accept or process any applications to open a business that sells recreational marijuana. If approved, it will be in effect for nine months from the date it was passed. The moratorium would give the city time to figure out if a dispensary is beneficial to residents and if so, to draft up sale regulations.

The citys reluctance to allow applications for recreational marijuana sales is in stark contrast to the administrations pro business initiatives. Ansonia has welcomed new businesses over the years  most recently a Mexican restaurant and a deli  and the planned redevelopment of Ansonia Copper and Brass has been a point of pride for Mayor David Cassetti.

Yet Cassetti said after the meeting that he is against recreational marijuana sales.

I just don't want to see the city turn into a place where they sell marijuana, where people will come. Its like a methadone clinic. But we do have it up at Wakelee Avenue. Because you get undesirable people, Cassetti said.

Cassetti also said that while he has heard sales will be highly regulated, he isnt convinced that any recreational cannabis sales would be good for the city. While he also acknowledged that marijuana isnt a harmful drug, he said a moratorium would give the city time to figure out if it is a good idea to allow for a dispensary.

But John Feddern, a resident and a Democratic alderman candidate for the 1st Ward, said that such a ban would make the city miss out on opportunities to attract business to the city.

The city would be thumbing its nose at a steady tax revenue stream, at 3 percent of all sales we're talking about tens of thousands of dollars to the city to start, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars as we go on during the legalization process, Feddern said.

Other residents at the meeting pointed out that if Ansonia banned applications, it would simply mean that other cities, such as Shelton, would get the opportunity instead. The state announced on Aug. 5 that business applications for dispensaries would be administered through lotteries due to the expected onslaught of applications. Half of all licenses would be reserved for businesses that would be located in an economically distressed area of the state.

State Rep. Kara Rochelle, who was at the meeting, said a moratorium could make the city forgo financial incentives that would benefit municipalities like Ansonia.

There's going to be special consideration for towns like Ansonia, like Derby... not only are they going to be prioritizing 50 percent of all applications  meaning that we're trying to as a state funnel this economic development towards communities like ours, specifically to help these communities to thrive  but also the application fees will be less for residents of these census tracts, Rochelle said.

As of now, there arent any businesses expressing interest in setting up shop. Kianna DeCiucis, a resident running as the Democratic candidate for city treasurer, said that doesnt necessarily mean Ansonia isnt a potential destination. But if the moratorium goes forward, then it sends a signal that the city wont be friendly to cannabis businesses and they will act accordingly.

If we are giving the impression that we're not interested in this business, people will not be interested in opening their business in Ansonia, DeCiucis said.

Rochelle said that there are city residents who are involved in the legal cannabis business in Massachusetts and are willing to also expand into Ansonia. John Marini, the city attorney, also acknowledged that a moratorium could put potential tax revenue at risk.

But Cassetti was unmoved by the public comments.

No, it doesn't change my mind. Absolutely not.
BEIJING (AP)  Global investors are watching nervously as one of Chinas biggest real estate developers struggles to avoid defaulting on tens of billions of dollars of debt, fueling fears of possible wider shock waves for the financial system.

Chinese regulators have yet to say what they might do about Evergrande Group. Economists expect them to intervene if Evergrande and lenders cant agree on how to handle its debts. But any official resolution is expected to involve losses for banks and bondholders.

The government doesnt want to be seen as engineering a bail out but is likely to organize a debt restructuring to reduce systemic risk and contain economic disruption, Tommy Wu of Oxford Economics said in a report.

Evergrande is the biggest casualty yet from the ruling Communist Partys effort to rein in surging debt levels.

Investors are watching how the developer headquartered in the southern city of Shenzhen near Hong Kong handles an interest payment due Thursday on one of its bonds.

A look at Evergrande and anxiety about its debt troubles:

WHAT IS EVERGRANDE?

Evergrande Group, founded in 1996, is one of Chinas biggest builders of apartments, office towers and shopping malls.

The company says it has more than 200,000 employees and supports 3.8 million jobs in construction and other industries. Evergrande says it has 1,300 projects in 280 cities and assets worth 2.3 trillion yuan ($350 billion).

Evergrandes founder, Xu Jiayin, was Chinas richest entrepreneur in 2017 with a net worth of $43 billion, according to the Hurun Report, which follows Chinas wealthy. He has tumbled down the list as internet industries boomed but still ranked as Chinas richest real estate developer last year. He also topped Huruns 2020 list of philanthropists, giving away an estimated 2.8 billion yuan ($420 million).

Evergrande has branched out into electric vehicles, theme park development, health clinics, mineral water and other businesses.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT SO FAR?

Evergrandes Hong Kong-traded shares have fallen 85% since early 2021. Its bonds are trading at an equally deep discount.

Xu built Evergrande on borrowed money. As of June 30, Evergrande reported 2 trillion yuan ($310 billion) of outstanding debts to bondholders, banks, construction contractors and other creditors.

Of that debt, 240 billion yuan ($37.3 billion) was due within a year, nearly triple Evergrande's 86.8 billion yuan ($13.5 billion) in cash holdings, according to a company financial report.

In early 2021, Evergrande forecast its total annual transaction volume would surpass 2 trillion yuan ($310 billion). It reported a $1.4 billion first-half profit but says sales are weakening because news of its cash crunch is making would-be buyers nervous.

WHY NOW?

Evergrande has been squeezed by new limits regulators imposed on real estate-related borrowing as part of the Communist Party's campaign to reduce reliance on debt.

Economists have been warning Chinas rising debt is a potential threat for more than a decade. The ruling party has made reducing such financial risks a priority since 2018. But total corporate, government and household borrowing rose to nearly 300% of economic output last year from 270% in 2018. That's unusually high for a middle-income country.

News reports indicate Evergrande borrowed everywhere it could, including by requiring employees of its construction contractors to buy its debt.

In 2017, state-owned China Citic Bank in Shenzhen agreed to lend 40 billion yuan ($6.2 billion) for an Evergrande project only after its executives agreed to invest at least 3 million yuan ($465,000) each, according to the business news magazine Caixin.

HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO THE PARTYS PLANS TO REMAKE THE CHINESE ECONOMY?

The Communist Party is trying to reduce the economy's reliance on debt as it tries to nurture more self-sustaining economic growth based on domestic consumption

It allowed China's first corporate debt default since the 1949 revolution in 2014 as part of efforts to force borrowers and lenders to be more disciplined. Until then, the government had intervened to bail out insolvent borrowers to avoid spooking financial markets. Beijing has gradually allowed more defaults, but none by a debtor as big as Evergrande.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS?

Other major developers such as Vanke Co., state-owned Poly Group and Wanda Group have not reported similar problems. But hundreds of smaller developers have shut down since regulators in 2017 started tightening control over fundraising tactics such as selling apartments before construction begins.

Chinese residential real estate is regarded as posing little risk to the financial system, however, because most apartments are paid for with cash, not mortgages. That makes a wave of home foreclosures and defaults on complicated financial derivatives like those in the United States after the 2008 crisis unlikely and easier for banks to manage.

Given how bloated Chinas property developers are, there could be a whole wave of defaults around the corner, but Beijing has resources to prevent a full-blown Chinese credit crunch, Simon MacAdam of Capital Economics said in a report. For all its flaws, this is one advantage of having a tightly controlled financial system versus a more free-market system.

IS THERE RISK OUTSIDE CHINA?

Some commentators suggest Evergrande might become Chinas Lehman moment, referring to the failure of Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers, a forerunner to the 2008 crisis. But economists say the risk of wider financial market contagion is low.

A managed default or even messy collapse of Evergrande would have little global impact beyond some market turbulence, said MacAdam of Capital Economics.

Evergrande has $18 billion of outstanding foreign-currency bonds, but much of that is held by Chinese banks and other institutions. Unlike Lehman, whose assets were financial instruments whose prices can swing wildly, Evergrande has 1.4 trillion yuan ($215 billion) of land and partially completed projects with relatively stable prices.

In the unlikely event of an outright default, Chinas banking system has an annual profit of 1.9 trillion yuan and reserves of 5.4 trillion yuan against bad loans, which could easily absorb the loss, Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie Group said in a report.

WHAT NEXT?

Investors are waiting to see what Chinese regulators might do, but analysts say they appear to be focused on protecting home buyers by ensuring apartments already paid for are completed.

The government has injected money into other insolvent Chinese companies, but economists say Beijing appears determined to avoid doing that with Evergrande.

In August, Huarong Asset Management Co., Ltd., the biggest of a group of companies created to help resolve bad loans held by state banks, was bailed out by a capital injection from state-owned companies after it lost 102.9 billion yuan ($15.9 billion) last year.

In a letter Tuesday to employees, Xu expressed confidence the company will survive.

Evergrande will surely get out of the darkest moment as soon as possible, Xu said in the letter marking the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. (AP)  Cpl. Walter Smead was finally laid to rest Monday near his rural upstate New York hometown, seven decades after he was killed in the Korean War and months after his remains were officially accounted for with help from DNA analysis.

He was honored by a younger brother and sister with only hazy memories of him, by nieces and nephews born well after he died in 1950, by Patriot Guard Riders who escorted his hearse to the cemetery on rumbling motorcycles and by gray-haired veterans who came to give a man they never met a final salute.

Smead's niece Bonnie Wolff was thrilled so many people joined the family for the long-awaited day.

Its really important for Walter to be home. It gives the family closure," Wolff said before the burial. But more importantly, we can be proud of what he accomplished over there. He didn't come home alive, but he did his job the way he was supposed to. And we need to honor that.

Smead was buried with full military honors at Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, not far from the remote Adirondack town of Hadley, where he grew up. Local Congress member Elise Stefanik attended, as did representatives of the Korean War Veterans Association and other veterans groups.

We do not want to leave anyone behind, said Michael Hoag, state commander of the New York Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Smead would be 95 if alive today. His parents and most of his siblings are dead. Only a younger brother and sister are still living.

Eighty-five-year-old Douglas Smead has difficulty conjuring specific memories of his older brother, who enlisted in 1944. Douglas Smead was 7 years old and his sister Harriet was 6 years old when their brother left home.

Wolff, who is Douglas Smeads daughter, knows her uncle through stories, military records and old photos.

Her uncle Walter is the man in the black-and-white picture standing in his Army uniform with his hands behind his back on a snowy street in Hadley. He is the owner of the Purple Heart she found as a girl in her basement. She thought it was her dads medal until she noticed the name engraved on the back

Walter Smead served in Italy during World War II with the 10th Mountain Division and returned to the area after the war. Back in the Army in 1950, he went to Korea and was a member of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was among more than 1,000 U.S. troops killed during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which unfolded over two frigid, bloody weeks in late 1950.

Smead was declared missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950 and dead at the end of 1953. He was 24 years old.

Though his memories of him were limited, Douglas Smead never forgot his missing brother and attempted to find out information over the decades. He gave a DNA sample to the military in 2004.

The break came after President Donald Trump held a summit in 2018 with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. North Korea later sent the U.S. 55 boxes they said contained the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified the remains of 76 service members from those 55 boxes, all but nine were from the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Partial remains of Walter Smead were identified in box #33 using anthropological analysis, circumstantial evidence and DNA testing.

The family got the call in March.

Douglas Smead said recently that the news was a relief. On Monday, he and his sister each were presented with a folded flag at the crowded service.

This is better than I was hoping, all the people who have come out, Wolff said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Former colleagues of the late Senate leader Marc Basnight gathered Tuesday to remember his lasting contributions to North Carolina and to view a portrait of the Outer Banks Democrat that will hang in the chamber.

Gov. Roy Cooper, former Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and at least 30 other ex-senators who served with Basnight sat on the floor while the current Senate passed a formal resolution honoring his life. Basnight, whose service as Senate president pro tempore made him the longest-serving head of a legislative body in North Carolina history, died in December at age 73.

Basnight influenced nearly every major legislative achievement of the 1990s and 2000s, including passage of a state lottery, a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars, and funding improvements for higher education, the environment and cancer treatment. Colleagues who spoke remembered Basnight for his knack for listening to people, often during his weekly road trips between Manteo and Raleigh, and understanding their needs and aspirations.

Marc came from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential political figures in our states history, said Sen. Don Davis, a Democrat and one of three current senators who served in the legislature alongside Basnight. All three spoke Tuesday. His life was about people  the people of North Carolina.

Basnight joined the Senate in 1985 and within eight years was the chambers leader, keeping the post through 2010, when Republicans took over the chamber for the first time in 140 years.

He resigned his Senate seat in early 2011, announcing his decision weeks before GOP Sen. Phil Berger was elected by the chamber to succeed him as Senate leader. Basnight told reporters at the time that he was already struggling with a degenerative nerve disease later diagnosed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Although just a high school graduate, Basnight was among the legislature's top boosters of the University of North Carolina system, seeing it as a tool to help the state transition from textiles and tobacco to a high-tech economy.

Marc was instrument al in leading our state into the 21st century, said Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, who was also House speaker in the early 1990s.

Cooper was the Senate majority leader under Basnight in the late 1990s. Others who gained leadership experience during Basnight's tenure included Gov. Beverly Perdue and the late U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. Former State Treasurer Janet Cowell and 2020 U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham also attended Tuesday as ex-senators.

Berger said while he and others suffered political defeats at the hands of Basnight, they weren't personal. That's one reason why Tuesday's gathering had the feel of a class reunion, as senators from both parties and former Basnight aides shook hands and hugged.

We dont often get an opportunity to come together like this, Berger said during a speech. You see, thats one of things that Marc always had an ability to do, and that is bring people together. And I will say that hes doing it again today with this ceremony and this resolution.

Basnights two daughters were escorted to the well of the Senate for the unveiling of the portrait, which was painted by a Berger aide.

It is fitting that his portrait hang in this chamber, so that people now and in to the future will have the opportunity to ask, 'Who was that? What did he do?' Berger said.

___

The story has been corrected to show that the last time the GOP had taken control of the Senate was 140 years earlier, not 130 years earlier.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP)  A man has been arrested and jailed after he allegedly assaulted firefighters as they fought a fire at his North Carolina home and had to be subdued with a taser, a sheriff's office said.

The Pitt County Sheriffs Office says firefighters were inside a home in Belvoir on Sept. 9 when a man identified as Desmond Spencer, 40, entered and began fighting them, news outlets reported Monday.
BRIDGEPORT  The pastor of an East End church under foreclosure urged city officials Tuesday to take his properties by eminent domain.

Im putting out a public request, the Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr. told Mayor Joe Ganim, state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, and City Council members during a Zoom session Tuesday afternoon. Without your support we are done.

Ganim told Moales he was concerned about the situation but was noncommittal to his proposal. Moore said she would commit to sending a letter to the state attorney general regarding the loan situation.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Meyer recently granted a temporary stay to Moales of the judges eviction order pending an appeal of the eviction to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

Moales, a former chairman of the citys Board of Education, is senior pastor of Prayer Tabernacle Church of Love, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and chief executive of CREAM Enterprises, a construction and management company. Through his church he owns 15 parcels of land in the East End.

In September 2017, according to court documents, after a more than four-year legal battle that initially began in state court, Meyer issued a foreclosure order against Moales for failure to pay a debt of $12,630,230. That amount has since increased to more than $15 million.

Following numerous court hearings, the judge on May 29, 2020, ordered the eviction of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Union Avenue along with the Kingdoms Little Ones daycare, a summer camp, a private school, Love Christian Academy  all at the Union Avenue address  and other operations owned by Moales on Stratford Avenue.

Moales subsequently filed for bankruptcy to block the foreclosure but federal bankruptcy court dismissed the case and allowed the foreclosure to proceed.

Moales did not return calls and emails for comment. Thomas Bucci, whose law firm is representing Moales, declined comment.

Moales said they want an opportunity to buy back the properties, valued at a total of $5 million, and claimed they have a developer who is willing to fund a project on the properties for $7 million. He did not name the developer.

In 2007, Moales and his father, the late Bishop Kenneth Moales, had a vision to construct a grand 41,000-square-foot cathedral of glass and marble on Union Avenue to accommodate its growing congregation. Moales Sr. died in 2010.

That December, according to court documents, the Moales family borrowed $6.1 million from Foundation Capital Resources, securing the loan with the churchs properties. A year later, the records show they borrowed another $1.17 million from Foundation.

But in 2013, Foundation Capital filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Moales for unpaid mortgage payments.

Our church will not lose a mailbox  never mind a piece of property in Bridgeport, Moales said at the time.

Kristin B. Mayhew, the attorney for the foundation, said in an emailed response to a request for comment, My client, Foundation Capital Resources, Inc., has no comment on the pending litigation.
LEWISTON, Maine (AP)  Police are investigating the discovery of human remains on Tuesday at a landfill in Lewiston.

Lewiston and State Police detectives were at the scene on River Road and were conducting interviews.
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)  A woman has died in a North Carolina city after she was shot and hit by a car, police said Monday.

Greensboro police officers responding to a call about an assault on Sunday found Keyoka Robinson, 33, of Greensboro lying in the street with a gunshot wound, according to a news release.
BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. (AP)  A proposed $16 billion billion plan to address back bay flooding, one of the major sources of storm damage at the Jersey Shore, is raising concerns about where water would go during storms, whether barriers proposed as part of it would hinder navigation and the impact it would have on the environment.

During an online hearing Monday night on the project, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could prevent $1.8 billion worth of storm damage a year when fully constructed.

It doesn't eliminate all damage, but it will greatly reduce damages, said Robert Hampson, a hydraulic engineer with the Army Corps.

But officials did not yet have detailed answers on some concerns, particularly environmental ones, noting that the project, which is one of the most ambitious and expensive flood control efforts any U.S. state has yet taken to address back bay flooding, is still in the planning stages.

The proposal calls for construction of huge gates across the mouths of three inlets in New Jersey that could be slammed shut when major storms approach, closable barriers that would cut parts of two bays in half and the elevation of nearly 19,000 homes.

Back bay flooding refers to floods that are not primarily caused by waves crashing over ocean barriers, but by stealthily rising water levels in bays along inland shorelines.

Although ocean waves caused severe damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, back bay flooding also caused extensive damage in that storm. In numerous places, it was the primary source of property damage during Sandy.

It also would change the way several iconic spots at the Jersey Shore would look and operate.

When someone asked where all the water diverted by the gates and barriers would go during storms, Hampson said the barriers may cause a temporary increase in water levels near the structures of 6 inches to 1 foot when they are closed.

Brian Williams, who did not identify his hometown in the online meeting, expressed concern about the project's impact on marine life.

Can you guys inform the native residents of this area you're going to do this: whales, dolphins, fish, birds, crabs? he asked. I'm pretty sure they didn't get a notification on their shell phone. And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't approve of this project.

It calls for large storm gates across the Manasquan, Barnegat and Great Egg Harbor inlets. In addition, so-called cross-bay barriers would be erected in Absecon Bay near Atlantic City and along a former railroad right of way that would extend along 52nd Street in Ocean City.

These bay barriers would have a swing gate in the middle that could be shut during major storms, and slat-like gates spanning about a third of a mile that would be lowered down into the water to block surges of water during storms.

Similar barriers have been proposed for waterways in Texas and New York like those already in place along the Mississippi River, the Providence River in Rhode Island, and in Holland, England and Venice, Italy. But other places, including Boston, considered the idea but decided the cost outweighs the benefits.

The plans announced last month by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection are just that: plans. There is no guarantee of funding for the massive project, which would run from Neptune in Monmouth County all the way to the states southern tip in Cape May.

A second hearing is to be held Tuesday afternoon.

___

Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
TRUMBULL  Jake Scionti, 12, wasnt worried about the things he couldnt control as he prepared for his second appearance on American Ninja Warrior Junior on Peacock, a video streaming division of NBCUniversal.

He focused on preparation, and put his confidence in the training he had done in the gym and on the 30-foot obstacle course his stepfather had built for him in the familys backyard.

That was more mental preparation, honestly than physical. I had to train really hard, he said.

I had to work to not beat myself up inside, (and get) stressed out and stuff, he said.

The preparation paid off as Jake won his age group on the show. His mother, Shael Littleton, said she was proud of her son, whom commentators dubbed the Six Pack Ninja for his physique.

He just did an amazing job. Because, honestly, this is really hard for these kids, she said. These are kids, and theyre being put on this challenging course. And its mentally challenging for them.

Jake may not be a newcomer to the show, which can be viewed on NBCs streaming service Peacock, but he still gets butterflies when the cameras are on him. But when he sees the obstacles laid out in front of him, the fear goes out the window.

Littleton likens it to tunnel vision.

Jake gets very focused when hes running. So once he starts, hes just in the zone, is completely focused on the course and everything else disappears, Littleton said.

Jake previously competed during a previous season, winning a qualifying round. When he went home to Trumbull after his appearance, he trained at a local Ninja Warrior gym, and enjoyed the notoriety among his friends.

A lot of his friends havent been on the show. So of course they want to be on the show too, Littleton said.

Jake got a leg up on training, practicing overcoming obstacles in the backyard on a custom-built ninja course.

My stepdad built it, he said. Its 30 feet long. So its really really big. And I have a bunch of obstacles. I have the whole 30 foot cliffhanger.

The cliffhanger, a staple on Ninja Warrior obstacle courses, requires contestants to traverse a section of the course while hanging from their fingertips on a 3-centimeter ledge

Littleton said the family was planning to host a watch party when the episode is available streaming on Peacock. Then its back into training for next season, Jake said.
As a credit union leader, youve determined that proceeding with a merger is the best way to grow your financial institution. Perhaps youve even identified some potential merger partners. Now the question arises: How do you start the conversation?

Credit union executives contributed their insights on this topic in a three-part white paper from DDJ Myers, More for Members: Credit Union Leaders Plan Post-Pandemic Merger & Acquisition Strategies. Here are their five suggestions for getting the merger conversation started.
STORY LINK Pound Australian Dollar Exchange Rate News: GBP/AUD Muted amid UK Economic Concerns

Pound (GBP) Undermined by Rising Economic Uncertainty

Australian Dollar (AUD) Muted on Cautious RBA Minutes

GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Forecast: BoE Rate Decision in the Spotlight

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

The Pound (GBP) is trading without any strong directional bias against the Australian Dollar (AUD) today as traders grow increasingly concerned about the UKs economic trajectory.As a result surge in wholesale gas prices, the UK is now facing an energy price crisis which has already seen some industries forced to halt operations after the increased costs made them economically inviable.This has caused a knock-on effect with domestic CO2 production, following the closure of two fertilizer plants which produce roughly 60% of the UKs CO2 needs.A shortage of CO2 threats UK food supplies due to it being used in meat production as well as to chill products for transport.This has exacerbated concerns over the reliance of the UKs economic recovery, which was already in question due to staff shortages and supply chain constraints.At the same time, the Australian Dollar (AUD) is also struggling to attract support today, following the publication of the minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australias September policy meeting.The minutes reiterated the RBAs cautious outlook for the future as the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to drag on the countrys economic outlook.The minutes read:Members recognized that the outbreak of the Delta variant was delaying the recovery and had added to the uncertainty about the future.The economy was expected to bounce back as vaccination rates increase and restrictions are eased. However, there was considerable uncertainty about the timing and pace of the recovery, which was likely to be slower than experienced earlier in 2021.The Aussie also continues to face some pressure as a result of a prevailing risk-off mood, with sees investors apprehensive regarding high-yield currencies such as AUD.Looking ahead, the main catalyst of movement in the Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate through the latter half of this week will undoubtedly be the conclusion of the Bank of Englands (BoE) rate decision on Thursday.No policy changes are expected from the BoE this month, leaving the focus to be on the banks forward guidance. While recent comments from BoE Governor Andrew Bailey have been fairly hawkish, in light of the growing headwinds facing the UK economy, the bank may opt to strike a more cautious tone this week, potentially sending the Pound lower.Also potentially weighing on Sterling sentiment will be the release of the UKs latest PMI figures with economists forecasting that economic activity in the private sector will have continued to moderate in light of staff shortages and supply chain issues.The publication of Australias own PMI figures will be the focus for AUD investors in the latter half of the week.Septembers preliminary figures are widely expected to report another contraction of growth as the ongoing lockdowns in Syndey and Melbourne continue to disrupt economic activity.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound Australian Dollar Forecasts
A&C Reporter

Krista Kroiss writes for the Arts and Culture desk. In her free time she loves playing guitar with her rock band, watching movies, and reading books. If you have a movie you want her to review, send her an email!
Advertisement

THE MACRO SETUP OVERVIEW:

US equities sell-off finally arrives amid a perfect storm for risk aversion

Will Chinas Evergrande contagion be contained for the foreseeable future?

The US Dollar continues to follow Fed hike odds, US Treasury yield curve shifts

Will the Fed React to Evergrande?

In this weeks edition of The Macro Setup, featuring Dan Nathan and Guy Adami, we talked about why the news out of China regarding property developer Evergrande is weighing down US financial markets, as well as what the September Fed meeting could mean for the US Dollar, US stocks, gold, oil, and bitcoin.

While concerns have been lingering about Chinas property market for several years, the situation appears to have come to a head for Chinas second largest property developer in recent weeks as Evergrande appears poised to miss upcoming debt repayments, setting it on course for default.

With delta variant concerns still raging  even though US economic data appears to be weathering the storm, so to speak  the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting may be arriving at an inopportune time for risk appetite. After all, expectations are running high that the FOMC will suggest that enough progress has been made to warrant a winddown of pandemic-era stimulus measures, with a formal taper announcement and commencement of the policy shift before the end of the year.

The risk-off attitude proving pervasive in global financial markets, coupled with the Feds intention to withdraw stimulus efforts, has proven beneficial for the US Dollar (via the DXY Index). But strength in the greenback has enhanced weakness in commodity prices, particularly those that are sensitive to growth conditions like copper, crude oil, and iron ore.

*For commentary from Dan Nathan, Guy Adami, and myself on the US Dollar (via the DXY Index), the US S&P 500, gold prices, among others, please watch the video embedded at the top of this article.

CHARTS OF THE WEEK

Eurodollar Futures Contract Spread (September 2021-DECEMBER 2023) [BLUE], US 2s5s10s Butterfly [ORANGE], DXY Index [WHITE]: Daily Rate Chart (January 2021 to September 2021) (Chart 1)

GOLD PRICE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (JULY 2020 TO SEPTEMBER 2021) (CHART 2)

GBP/USD PRICE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (MARCH 2020 TO SEPTEMBER 2021) (CHART 3)

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Strategist
Wowee what a whirlwind! Jennifer Arcuri is back  and not for the first time shes landed in a thick mushroom cloud of smoke.

You remember crash-bang Jen, dont you? Shes the Yankee Doodle tech entreprenoo-er who claims to have put a boost in Boriss broadband signal while he was Mayor of London.

One of those sorts who never draws breath. A fast-talkin, jaw-jabberin one-woman triple espresso. Hectic as a screaming tot on a flight to Faliraki.

After yesterdays performance, if Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng could find out whats firing Jens batteries, wed solve the energy gap in no time.

Ms Arcuri was up before the London Assemblys oversight committee to answer questions on those City Hall trade missions she went on.

She appeared via Zoom from her home in sunny Californ-i-a, bare-armed, smile sweeter than sugar-frosted apple pie.

Some had accused her of blagging her way on to those taxpayer-funded missions Boris led while they were enjoying their dalliance.

Arcuri insisted it was the other way round. City Hall were the ones who needed her to show them the ropes. Literally begged her to be involved.

'Ms Arcuri was up before the London Assemblys oversight committee to answer questions on those City Hall trade missions she went on. She appeared via Zoom from her home in sunny Californ-i-a, bare-armed, smile sweeter than sugar-frosted apple pie'

'You remember crash-bang Jen, dont you? Shes the Yankee Doodle tech entreprenoo-er who claims to have put a boost in Boriss broadband signal while he was Mayor of London'

She bought a flat in Shoreditch, which became the go-to party destination for Londons tech community after chucking-out time.

We heard how she organised high-calibre events attended by tout le monde.

High-profile names plopped from Jens mouth like quarters from a Vegas slot machine. David Cameron. Arianna Huffington. And, yes, (eye roll) Boris Johnson.

You can see these events on YouTube, she assured the assembly, with the flick of the hair.

Goodness that mouth could motor. At one point the connection froze, leaving us staring down Jens throat at her epiglottis.

Members of the committee were most impressed by their pneumatic guests racy lifestyle. Most of them didnt get out much, by the sounds of it.

I never get invited to parties, moaned Peter Fortune (Con). Oh shame mine were very successful, said Jen. Theyre still up on YouTube.

Committee chairman Caroline Pidgeon (Lib Dem) tiptoed towards her relations with Boris. She wondered if anyone in his office had known about their tryst.

Poor Ms Pidgeon looked like she wanted to wash her own mouth out with Swarfega for asking such a delicate question.

Jen paused. Deep breath. Another flick of the hair. Well, she said, it was no secret around City Hall that the Mayor had something of a crush on her.

I meeee-an, they could see a dramatic difference in this man when I entered the room.

Jen was a hustler. Thats what the committee had to understand. She was well aware people at City Hall found her annoying because she was persistent.

I dont take no for an answer, she insisted. Susan Hall (Con) leant forward admiringly. Theres nothing wrong with being an aggressive person to get your own way, she fawned.

Soon, Jen was back talking about her racy heyday hustlin investors. Sometimes shed go to as many as 47 parties a week.

Then itd be on to the pub with colleagues and then back to her place for a go on the pole. Ah, the famous dancing pole chez Arcuri.

Didnt she insinuate Boris once had a go on it? Ms Halls matronly eyes widened. Im green with envy! she trilled. Pubs  a pole!

'Soon, Jen was back talking about her racy heyday hustlin investors. Sometimes shed go to as many as 47 parties a week. Then itd be on to the pub with colleagues and then back to her place for a go on the pole. Ah, the famous dancing pole chez Arcuri'

By now, we were all but mere observers to the Arcuri show. The committee had certainly tired of grilling her about those boring trade missions.

She was giving them far better juice. Arcuri told them a story about how shed gone on a trip to Tel Aviv with Boris and told him off for logging into the public wi-fi.

I made sure I gave him a mouthful, said Jen. Oo-er.

Time to go. Pidgeon looked sad. Poor woman hadnt had so much fun in yonks.

She thanked Arcuri for her energy and enthusiasm. And with that, zoik! Exit Jen.

What an operator.
To see it once is shocking. A second time is staggering. But for the M25  Britains busiest road  to be brought to a standstill five out of the past eight days beggars belief.

Put simply, the continuing scenes of motorway mayhem, caused by a small group of self-indulgent environmental protesters, are an embarrassment to British policing.

Instead of upholding the law and protecting the public by ensuring that society can continue to function, some senior officers appear to have repeatedly allowed these irresponsible demonstrators to bring parts of our most important road network to a halt.

Whatever your opinion on the Insulate Britain protesters beliefs, their reckless methods of running headfirst into motorway traffic are irrefutably both illegal and irresponsible.

Instead of upholding the law and protecting the public by ensuring that society can continue to function, some senior officers appear to have repeatedly allowed these irresponsible demonstrators to bring parts of our most important road network to a halt

Tailbacks

Resolute, swift action by police at the start of these protests could have nipped this nonsense in the bud. But instead a softly-softly approach has allowed things to escalate.

As a result, not only has major damage been inflicted on the economy at a time when supply lines are already under threat, but lives have also been put at risk  both in terms of the immediate danger of causing road collisions, and through leaving ambulances and other essential services caught up in tailbacks.

Last Wednesday, activists were blamed for a crash involving four vehicles that led to a woman in her 50s being airlifted to hospital with serious injuries (though police say it is too early to know if the protest caused the collision).

And only this week, a mother was reportedly left partially paralysed after her trip to hospital was delayed by six hours thanks to protests, as she suffered a suspected stroke.

No less an authority than the Supreme Court has stated that protests must be proportionate. That is manifestly not the case with Insulate Britains antics on the M25, where any sense of proportion has been lost

Yet against these individual tragedies, the polices mentality of appeasement was captured when an extraordinary piece of footage showed Inspector Vicki Richards telling protesters who were sprawled across the motorway last week: If you are in any discomfort or need anything, just let me know and well try and sort you out in a nice way.

As a former Chief Superintendent in the Met, I was utterly dismayed to see fellow officers kow-towing to people committing serious repeated criminal offences. And I know that many present and past officers feel exactly the same way.

Frankly, the police seem to have lost the plot. It is not the job of constabularies to make offenders feel comfortable  effectively signalling support for a political cause.

As Sir Robert Peel, the 19th-century statesman who created the Met, put it, police should retain their authority not by pandering to public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolutely impartial service to the law.

Let me be clear: I am not arguing against the right to protest. Such a freedom is a cornerstone of British democracy, distinguishing our open society from closed, oppressive states.

But the right to protest has to be balanced by a recognition that other people have to go about their business.

No less an authority than the Supreme Court has stated that protests must be proportionate.

That is manifestly not the case with Insulate Britains antics on the M25, where any sense of proportion has been lost.

Any descent into paralysing anarchy, even if dressed up in the language of eco-activism, cannot be accepted in a civilised society.

My own suspicion is that police have become so anxious to abide by the 1998 Human Rights Act, which enshrines the right to protest, theyve forgotten to enforce two other vital laws: the ones that make it a criminal offence to obstruct a public highway and to walk along the motorway.

What makes it so frustrating is that it would have been so straightforward to arrest any protestors immediately for such infringements.

At any of the targeted junctions on the M25, a few vanloads of PSU (Police Support Unit) officers, who have undergone tactical training, could have quickly removed the protesters.

If the protestors tried to superglue themselves to each other or the Tarmac, then police have access to special liquids that swiftly dissolve the glue.

Whats more, it should be obvious to any police officer that someone arrested for such an offence should have stringent bail conditions imposed which would lead to custody if they did it again.

It is impossible to avoid the suspicion that they have gone soft. And I am certain if the M25 crew had been protesting against vaccines or been a far-Right mob, then the polices attitude would have been very different

Vital

But, instead, we have witnessed the farce of the same small fanatical group of Insulate Britain protesters locked in a cycle of arrest, then release, then re-offending over the past fortnight.

Apart from the requirements of the law, police also have a duty to consider other public needs, like any risks to safety from severe traffic jams.

As a former Assistant Director of Operations for the London Ambulance Service, I am particularly thinking of threats to vital medical supplies and transporting vulnerable patients, as well as food supplies at a time when our supermarkets are already stretched thin.

But this duty of care runs more widely. The M25 is a truly essential British road, connecting to no fewer than 10 other motorways and serving millions of people every year. Yet somehow a selfish eco-brigade is able to bring it to a halt while the police stand by apparently helpless.

It is impossible to avoid the suspicion that they have gone soft. And I am certain if the M25 crew had been protesting against vaccines or been a far-Right mob, then the polices attitude would have been very different.

Prosecution

The irony is that this ugly mess has undoubtedly inflicted huge environmental damage. It is the height of hypocrisy to demand cuts to Britains carbon output by deliberately causing congestion that leaves idling cars and lorries to pump out vast clouds of pollution.

Not that they care. Many of these protesters come from affluent, middle-class backgrounds and seem more concerned with the self-righteous desire to signal their virtue than to achieve real change. That is why they are so indifferent to the needs of others.

Faith in the criminal justice system is already low, not least because the authorities seem so poor at law enforcement

But the longer these protests continue almost unchecked, the more the publics support for the police collapses.

Faith in the criminal justice system is already low, not least because the authorities seem so poor at law enforcement.

Just 8 per cent of all crimes now result in prosecution through the courts, even for serious offences like burglary and domestic violence.

Yet between 2014 and 2019 a staggering 120,000 non-crime hate incidents were recorded by police forces in England and Wales.

It seems our civic order has lost its legal and moral compass. And this M25 madness is just the latest chapter in this sorry decline.
A Covid-weary man has paid $280,000 for a tent on one of Australia's most remote islands - which he can't even visit due to interstate border closures.

After reaching his limit during Melbourne's sixth lockdown in 18 months, Chris Havre started an online search for a tropical escape and found exactly what he was looking for at the top of the country, 3,000 kilometres away.

He stumbled across his perfect oasis on Prince of Wales Island, also known as Muralag, the largest island in the Torres Strait, 16 kilometres off the tip of Cape York, Queensland.

The island, which is closer to Papua New Guinea than any major Australian city, has no electricity, water, shops or sewerage system - and that's exactly why Mr Havre wants to live there.

A Covid-weary Melburnian has splashed $280,000 on this 'glamping' style tent on Prince of Wales Island, one of Australia's most remote outposts off the coast of Far North Queensland

Doing it his way: Melbourne man Chris Havre (pictured) is keen to escape the drudgery of city life after six Covid lockdowns in 18 months

'It's a unique part of Australia. It seems to be a whole new world up there just waiting to be discovered,' he told the ABC.

His quirky new home on an 8,000sqm block contains a carport that doubles as a kitchen, a large barbecue area and an outdoor shower underneath a water tank.

The 'glamping' style tent has solar panels and battery storage as well as a satellite NBN connection, which means Mr Havre could even work remotely if he wished.

It's not hard to see the appeal.

The tent is just metres from a spectacular white sand beach and sparkling turquoise ocean which serves as a secluded paradise for those lucky enough to live there.

Paradise found: The tent is just metres from a spectacular white sand beach which serves as a secluded oasis for those lucky enough to live there

Mr Havre's quirky new home on an 8,000sqm block contains a carport that doubles as a kitchen (left), a large barbecue area and a spacious bedroom (right)

Outside, there's an outdoor shower underneath a water tank (pictured)

Cairns real estate agent Stacey Quaid, who sold the tent to Mr Havre, said its beauty, just like the beauty of the island, lies in what it does not have.

'It's rustic, I can't build it up to be the Hilton hotel or anything, but it's perfect for anyone who enjoys that type of experience,' Mr Quaid told Daily Mail Australia.

He added: 'The island is really a unique, beautiful paradise. It's got pristine water that is a shade of blue you've probably never seen before.'

Mr Havre travelled to Prince of Wales Island long before Covid became headline news, and quickly fell in love with the predominantly vacant, isolated land that is mainly used as a spot for fishing and hiking by locals from neighbouring islands.

The nearest shop is a short boat ride away on Thursday Island, but even that served as a drawcard for the adventurous Melburnian.

Cairns real estate agent Stacey Quaid who sold the tent to Mr Havre said its beauty, just like the beauty of the island, lies in what it does not have

'You have to eat whatever you can grow or whatever you can catch,' he said.

'It's a very different way to live and that will suit some people.'

Mr Havre hopes the tent will become a 'shared space' for his family to enjoy. And he's not alone.

Mr Quaid sold a similar block on the same island just before Christmas 2020 to a local buyer who wanted to use it as a weekend getaway.

'In this area, you find it's not what's missing, it's what is there that draws people,' he said.
A multimillion-dollar nutritionist behind a vitamin and health empire has shared a look at her daily routine - from morning meditation all the way through to long days at the office.

Jessica Sepel, from Sydney, is the brains behind the JSHealth empire of vitamins, supplements and powders, running a busy business in which one of her products sells every 27 seconds.

Despite her success, Jessica has a surprisingly down-to-earth morning routine that begins with 20 minutes of yoga or Pilates.

A multi-million-dollar nutritionist behind a vitamin empire shared a look at her daily routine - from morning meditation all the way through to long days at the office (Jessica Sepel pictured)

Jessica Sepel, from Sydney, said she always starts with 20 minutes of yoga or Pilates, and believes that's enough to keep you fit in your mind and body (pictured)

'It doesn't sound like much, but 20-30 minutes is genuinely enough from my experience,' Jessica posted on Instagram. 'Especially if you have long work hours or are a busy mama bear.'

In a typical session, Jessica might work on lengthening out tight muscles after she has been sat at a desk all day.

She complements this with five minutes of meditation or mindfulness, ideally outside on her balcony in the early morning sun. During her meditation, Jessica said she will 'visualise everything I want to attract in my life and give it thanks'.

Following this, the nutritionist said she absolutely can't do anything work-wise before she has made her bed.

She then gets ready for the day ahead, religiously applying her favourite natural skincare and her top makeup product: Ere Perez's Oat Milk Foundation ($50).

Created with ingredients like oat milk, peach and vitamin E, this foundation is completely natural, but boasts a radiant, creamy finish. It has an impressive 4.3 star rating on the MECCA website.

Jessica always has two coffees, but before 11am so they don't interrupt her sleep pattern; she swears by natural makeup and skincare that stays put all day (pictured)

Once she is ready to go, Jessica makes her favourite power protein smoothie and tops it with some granola.

To make this, you'll need some fruits including frozen berries and frozen banana, as well as protein powder, almond butter and vanilla extract.

When she adds granola, this typically manages to keep Jessica full for the first few hours of her day.

It is also packed full of nutrition and good ingredients that help your hair, skin and nails shine.

Next, Jessica said she takes her daily vitamins and enjoys a cup of coffee. Typically, she will have two cups per day, but always before 11am.

Finally, she heads to the office for 9am, where she spends the morning working her way through reviews and messages from customers and working until around 7pm.

'Some days are amazing and exciting building a business,' Jessica said.

'And the other 50 per cent is bloody hard, challenging and hair pulling. This has not been an easy journey, but I wouldn't change a thing.'

How to make Jessica's protein smoothie INGREDIENTS Jessica shared the recipe to her favourite power protein smoothie (pictured) 1 serving of JSHealth Protein + Probiotics or 2 tbsp LSA mix, or 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp natural almond or peanut butter 1-2 tsp stevia granules/powder or 3-4 drops stevia liquid 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract/powder (if available) 1 tbsp chia seeds or psyllium husk 1/2 cup frozen berries (can omit) 1/4-1/2 frozen banana 1/2 cup spinach leaves (can omit) 1/2-1 cup almond or coconut milk 1/2 cup ice blocks 1/2 cup filtered water METHOD 1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender 2. Pour into a glass or bowl and top with desiccated coconut, sliced fruit or nuts and seeds for the crunch factor! Source: Jessica Sepel Advertisement

She heads to the office for 9am, where she spends the morning working her way through reviews and messages from customers and working until around 7pm (pictured)

Since the launch of the vitamins in 2019, Jessica's (pictured) JSHealth has gone from strength to strength

Since the launch of the vitamins in 2019, Jessica's JSHealth has gone from strength to strength.

Today, a JSHealth product sells somewhere in the world every 27 seconds, Jessica's vitamin range is the second most popular stocked in Australian pharmacies and there are more than 25,000 independent glowing reviews for her products online.

To find out more about JSHealth, please click here.
Award-winning celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury is launching her coveted makeup and skincare range in MECCA stores across Australia today.

This is the first time that the British makeup artist to the stars - who is responsible for the likes of Olivia Culpo, Kate Moss, Miranda Kerr and Amal Clooney's flawless looks - has had her products stocked in a bricks-and-mortar store in Australia and New Zealand.

The new Charlotte Tilbury counter aims to give customers the chance to try before they buy any of her high-end products.

You can also access the exclusive range online, where prices start from $20.

Award-winning celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury is set to launch her coveted makeup and skincare range in MECCA stores across Australia from September (Charlotte pictured)

This will be the first time that the British makeup artist to the stars - who is responsible for the likes of Olivia Culpo's glow (pictured) has been available in bricks-and-mortar Down Under

Founder Charlotte said in a statement: 'I am thrilled to finally be launching my award-winning beauty secrets and research-powered glowing skincare in Australia and New Zealand with MECCA!

'The MECCA team and Jo [Horgan; the founder of MECCA] have the most incredible energy, and share my love for empowering everyone, everywhere with the magic of makeup and skincare.'

She added: 'We have worked so hard together to make this limitless dream a reality!'

Charlotte (pictured) said: 'I am thrilled to finally be launching my award-winning beauty secrets and research-powered glowing skincare in Australia and New Zealand with MECCA!'

What are the top five Charlotte Tilbury products available at MECCA? 1. Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream ($125): Magic Cream is the first product Charlotte ever created. Bridging the gap between a nourishing moisturiser, a makeup-binding primer and a dewy illuminator, the bestselling cream plumps, hydrates, brightens and calms with Tilburys 'magic 8 matrix' of supercharged skincare ingredients. 2. Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter ($65): This lightweight illuminator feels serum-like in application, and adds a light-reflecting sheen to your skin that never appears powdery, glittery or 'sweaty'. 3. Charlotte Tilbury's Cryo Recovery Mask ($69): Inspired by cryotherapy and facial acupressure techniques, this unique, reusable mask creates the appearance of lifted, firmer-looking, refreshed skin with noticeably smaller pores. 4. Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk ($35): Sparking a worldwide beauty phenomenon (one of these liners is sold every two minutes), this liner is satisfyingly smooth, deliciously velvety, conveniently longwearing, and looks great on everyone. 5. Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless Filter Finishing Powder ($69): Made up of superfine microparticles that effectively blur the appearance of pores, smooth visible skin texture and leave you looking airbrushed (in high-definition), this is the ultimate makeup must-have if you experience shine, cakey-ness, or are just a bit unsatisfied with the current status-quo of your complexion. Source: MECCA Advertisement

Charlotte Tilbury shoppers can expect a treasure trove of products at the MECCA counter, from glow-giving highlighters to her best-selling nude Pillow Talk lipstick.

There will also be plenty of skincare, including Charlotte's celebrity-loved 'magic cream' moisturiser - which sells a unit roughly every two minutes.

The moisturiser boasts a host of glossy fans - from models backstage prepping for a catwalk show like Elsa Hosk to actress Sienna Miller, Kim Kardashian and Gigi Hadid.

Charlotte spent 20 years coming up with the formula.

She said she came up with the idea when she saw models' dull, tired skin during fashion week and knew she needed something that could transform their complexions quickly.

Mixing together eight different 'magic' ingredients including Vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, rosehip oil and aloe vera extract, Charlotte concocted a 'secret weapon' cream that would target tiredness, redness and dry, puffy skin.

And when she launched it, it quickly became known as the 'instant miracle turnaround cream'.

Other top Charlotte Tilbury products include her 'push-up' mascara and the Pillow Talk nude lipstick that celebrities swear by on the red carpet.

Charlotte Tilbury shoppers can expect a treasure trove of products at the MECCA counter, from glow-giving highlighters to her best-selling nude Pillow Talk lipstick (Charlotte Tilbury products pictured in use)

Other top Charlotte Tilbury products include her 'push-up' mascara and the Pillow Talk nude lipstick that celebrities swear by on the red carpet (Charlotte Tilbury products pictured in use)

What are some of the services that will be offered at the Charlotte Tilbury counter? * Tilbury Transformation Makeup Application: Choose one of Charlotte's 10 iconic makeup looks ($150 redeemable) - 90 minutes. * Express 'Glow Up' Coverage Makeup Application: Experience Charlotte's iconic 'glow' products (Complimentary) - 15 minutes. * Luxe Skin Facial: An exclusive Charlotte Tilbury facial treatment ($75) - 45 minutes. * Magic Skin Service: The perfect pre-makeup skin treatment (Complimentary) - 15 minutes. * Charlotte Tilbury Icons Beauty Lab Class: Learn all about the brand new to MECCA ($50 redeemable) - 30 minutes. * Pillow Talk Lips Beauty Lab Class: Learn how to make your lips look their best (Complimentary) - 30 minutes. * Supermodel Brows Beauty Lab Class: Experts will use products to create the perfect brow look (Complimentary) - 15 minutes. * Magic Skin at the Skin Lab: Learn Charlotte's skin secrets (Complimentary) - 30 minutes. Advertisement

MECCA founder and co CEO Jo Horgan said of the move: 'Ever since the brand was founded in 2013, we have made it our mission to ensure Charlotte Tilbury Beauty was in its rightful ANZ home, MECCA, and every meeting with Charlotte since has only further cemented our determination to have her genius and vision, all wrapped up in her eponymous line, on offer for our customers and team members.'

Jo added: 'Our community has been so very vocal about wanting Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and I'm so thrilled we can finally give them what they asked for.

'Get ready, as we will be bringing the magic of Charlotte Tilbury to life in all its glowing glory for MECCA's biggest launch ever.'

MECCA founder Jo Horgan said MECCA customers have been vocal about getting Charlotte Tilbury into her store for years

Charlotte (pictured) previously shared her tips for looking younger, including using makeup that also combines skincare elements

Charlotte's tips for ageing gracefully 1. Look for skincare and makeup: Try to find skin and makeup hybrid products as these are the ones that will make you look younger. 2. Consider the texture of products: A cream will work well on your eyes, lips and cheeks, while something that is light and water-based will also allow your complexion to breathe. 3. Add a serum: In these decades, you absolutely need a serum in your routine - to be used morning and night. 4. Go lighter: Instead of black eyeliner, switch to brown for a softer look. 5. Perfect the feline flick: A feline flick with eyeliner will draw the gaze outwards and accentuate your eyes. Advertisement

Speaking previously to FEMAIL, Charlotte shared her tips and tricks for staying looking youthful as you get older.

When it comes to your thirties, forties, fifties and beyond, Charlotte explained that you're going to want your makeup to work a little harder, while also helping to make you look younger.

'Look for products that are makeup and skincare hybrids during these decades - like my Airbrush Flawless Foundation,' Charlotte told Daily Mail Australia.

'These sorts of products will work hard at nourishing your skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, while also hydrating and providing you with coverage.'

The makeup artist also said you should look at textures in your makeup at this time - she always looks for 'sophisticated' textures with subtle sparkle and a bit of pearlescence.

'Lighter, water-based textures are always better for our complexions too, as they hydrate and let the skin breathe,' she said.

Think creams for your eyes, lips and cheeks and brown eyeliner instead of black to soften your entire look.

If you could add one product to your regime at this time, Charlotte recommends a serum like her Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, which helps to add 'bounce, plumpness and elasticity'.

'This has been the perfect addition to my personal skincare regime and I use it by massaging just a few drops into my skin with my fingertips,' Charlotte said.

'The instant hit of intense hydration makes my skin look and feel so glowy, and it makes makeup application so much easier.'

She also said a feline flick works well into these decades too, as it will help to accentuate your eyes and draw the gaze outwards with your face.

Charlotte Tilbury will be available in MECCA stores from September. For more information about Charlotte Tilbury, please click here.
Sydney cafe Bennett St Dairy has launched its popular pre-made cookie dough in Woolworths' supermarkets.

Customers can choose from the original cookie dough or white chocolate and macadamia dookie cough for $13 for 500g.

The huge chunk of cookie dough makes between eight small to one giant cookie, allowing customers to decide for themselves how big or small they'd like the cookies to be.

Last year the business introduced a delivery service at the start of the Covid-19 crisis after co-owner James Meek and business partner Cliff Baskin shared a post on Instagram stating they are selling excess cookie dough.

Scroll down for video

Customers can choose from the original cookie dough or white chocolate and macadamia dookie cough for $13 for 500g (pictured)

The huge chunk of cookie dough makes from eight small to one giant cookie, allowing customers to decide for themselves how big or small they'd like the cookies to be

The cookie dough comes with easy-to-follow cooking instructions and will take no longer than 15 minutes to bake in the oven

The cafe announced the news of the product launch earlier this month on Instagram along with an image of the cookie dough packets stacked on store shelves.

But the popular cookie dough is only available in certain suburbs across Sydney, including Neutral Bay, Dee Why, Alexandria, Gordon, Lane Cove, Hornsby and Bondi Junction.

The cookie dough comes with easy-to-follow cooking instructions and will take no longer than 15 minutes to bake in the oven.

It's recommended to remove the cookie dough from the fridge 45 minutes before baking in the oven.

How to bake the Bennett St Dairy cookie dough Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before baking Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced Cut and shape cookies as you like them Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned Baking times will vary depending on size and shape Watch them like a hawk, don't let them burn Source: Bennett St Dairy Advertisement

The popular cookie dough is only available in certain Woolworths stores across Sydney

Once cooked the cookies look mouthwatering with pieces of melted chocolate oozing from the middle

Those who don't live close to participating Woolworths' stores can purchase the cookie dough via the Bennett St Dairy for $12 with an added service fee.

After sharing the news on social media, customers flooded the comments with words of praise and support.

'Good on you legends!' one person wrote, another added: 'No way, the cookies are the best!'

'Come on, we need this in Melbourne,' a third added.
Seasoned travellers have hailed a remote island in Central Queensland one of Australia's most beautiful holiday spots - and you've probably never heard of it.

Sitting 15 kilometres from the town of Yeppoon on the idyllic Capricorn Coast, Great Keppel Island is one of the country's last hidden gems, captivating visitors with rolling turquoise waves and long stretches of gleaming white sand.

The 1,308 hectare island, the largest of 18 islands in the Keppel Group, is described as 'one of the best getaways' on the Southern Great Barrier Reef thanks to its world-class snorkelling and spectacular sunsets.

Great Keppel boasts 17 breathtaking beaches and rugged hiking trails where you're likely to spot colourful native animals including bright rainbow lorikeets, blue-tongued lizards and jewel-hued butterflies.

Seasoned travellers have hailed this remote island in Central Queensland one of Australia's most beautiful holiday spots - and you've probably never heard of it

The island captivates visitors with rolling turquoise waves and long stretches of gleaming white sand

Great Keppel Island, 15km from Yeppoon on Queensland's Capricorn Coast

Much of the Maldives-like island is so untouched that you 'might be the only one leaving footprints in the sand', according to the Australian tourism website.

The island can be reached by catching a 30-minute ferry from Rosslyn Bay Harbour in Yeppoon, either at Pier One or Keppel Bay Marina.

Boats leave twice daily on weekdays and three times a day on weekends.

While there are plans to build a major resort on Great Keppel, the existing accommodation options are pretty basic.

Beachfront cabins start from $153 a night, while more adventurous visitors can choose from a range of glamping and eco-sensitive safari tents on the quiet side of the island.

Great Keppel boasts 17 breathtaking beaches and rugged hiking trails where you're likely to spot colourful native animals including bright rainbow lorikeets and jewel-hued butterflies

While there are plans to build a major resort on Great Keppel, the existing accommodation options are pretty basic

Travellers have described the island as 'heaven on Earth'

Travel bloggers Luke and Jess, who share their adventures on the popular As We Wander Instagram page, say the laid-back atmosphere and empty beaches make it one of the most special destinations in the country.

'Every time we head to a new island we say it's our favourite - but we really think Great Keppel might be one of the best in Queensland,' they wrote in the caption of their latest post.

Others agreed, with van life couple Jimmy and Sarah, aka 'The Sandy Van', echoing their praise.

'Our favourite place in Queensland so far!' they said.

'We explored the island for two days - bay hopping, snorkelling and soaking up the sun. We had some beaches all to ourselves and saw the best sunset that we can remember.'

Much of the island is so untouched that you 'might be the only one leaving footprints in the sand'

Bloggers Alex and James, who post as Twosome Travellers, added: 'Until a few weeks ago, we never knew this place even existed. Now we can't stop thinking about it.'

Visitors have called it their favourite place in Queensland

Bloggers Alex and James, who post as Twosome Travellers, added: 'Until a few weeks ago, we never knew this place even existed. Now we can't stop thinking about it.'

Photos of the island have sparked stunned responses on social media, with some branding it 'heaven on Earth'.

'Wow! That looks like paradise,' one woman wrote.

'Oh my gosh, take me there right now,' said a second.

Others said they are excited to visit the island once Queensland opens its state border, while people who have been there already attested to its incredible beauty.

'Heaven on Earth right there. I lived and worked there and it really is paradise,' one man said.
An American expat living in Australia has sparked a heated debate on social media after he revealed his 'crazy' problem when shopping at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets.

John, who runs a tour guide business in Melbourne and Sydney, shared a TikTok video urging the major supermarket chains to 'get your act together' after he ended up getting lost walking down every aisle trying to search for grocery items.

'I've lived here for six years and I still cannot understand how grocery stores are laid out. I just walked down seven aisles to find ground coffee because the categorisations are just crazy here,' John said in the video.

Clearly confused by the store's layout, John - who's currently living in Melbourne -explained how the signs placed at the end of every aisle only featured three items.

Scroll down for video

American expat John living in Australia has sparked a heated debate on social media after he revealed his 'crazy' problem when shopping at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets

'In this case, we have chips, cereal and chocolate. You just have to know intuit all the things that fall under that sub category,' he said.

John - who's the founder of Depot Adventures - said the aisles were 'not consistent' at both supermarket stores.

'Coles and Woolies would change where the eggs are,' he said.

'Sometimes it's by the produce, sometimes it's by the dairy. Which one? You just have to be lost for 20 minutes before you find them.'

John ended the video by saying: 'What the heck Australia.'

Clearly confused by the store's layout, John explained how the signs placed at the end of every aisle only features sub categories so he ended up walking down every aisle (picture of a Coles store)

Many Aussies responded to his video, with some explaining how supermarkets strategically place items around the store to ensure shoppers spend more money.

'Laid out intentionally so you walk past more stuff you don't need that ends up in your basket,' one man said, while another added: 'It's deliberate to make you lap aisles and make impulse purchases.'

Others pointed out that the signs were 'obvious' and 'not that hard to find things'.

'Such an American thing to expect signs showing you where instant coffee is and coffee beans... It's under coffee. Honestly,' one said, while another wrote: 'You can ask an employee or read the sub signs - one literally says "coffee".'

Meanwhile, many agreed with John, with one saying: 'Lived here my whole life and will never get it. I was at Coles that had two dips spread in two different sections.'

Another said: 'I agree with you 100 per cent. I was born here and never been able to figure out the structure.'

While another added: 'I'm from New Zealand and I still struggle seven years later.'
US burger chain Five Guys has opened its first restaurant in Australia, with huge crowds of fans waiting in line to get their hands on burgers, fries and milkshakes.

The franchise - famous for its made-to-order burgers with 15 toppings and American-style milkshakes - opened its doors in Penrith in Sydney's west on Monday.

On opening day, dozens of diners waited in a long queue stretching out the door to get the first taste of the world-famous burgers.

The restaurant is offering diners takeaway only until Covid-19 restrictions ease.

Sydney customers living in the 5km radius of the store were lucky to tuck into the famous menu items - as they shared their rave reviews online.

'The best burger I've ever had! Oh my god was so bloody delicious,' one wrote.

Scroll down for video

US burger chain Five Guys has opened its first restaurant in Australia, with huge crowds of fans waiting in line to get their hands on burgers, fries and milkshakes

Dozens of diners waited in a long queue to get the first taste of the world-famous burgers

The franchise - renowned for its fresh, customisable made-to-order burgers and American-style milkshakes - opened its doors in Penrith in Sydney's west on Monday

Revealed: The epic Five Guys menu BURGERS: Five Guys burgers are made with only the highest quality and freshest ingredients. Hand-formed burger patties with no preservatives, no hormones, and no antibiotics. Buns are baked fresh daily with a secret recipe and warmed on a dedicated grill to get the perfect toast. HOT DOGS: All-beef hot dogs, split and grilled lengthwise for a caramelized exterior. With the added option of melted American-style cheese, crispy smoked bacon, or both. FRIES: Fries are hand cut daily, cooked in peanut oil and made boardwalk style, firm on the outside with a creamy, mashed potato filling. Get them the traditional Five Guys way or try them with spicy Cajun seasoning. SHAKES: Five Guys shakes have a creamy, vanilla base. Customise them by adding one or more of the 10 premium mix-ins like crispy bacon, real bananas, fresh strawberries or cold-brewed coffee made daily in store. Advertisement

Another said: 'Best milkshakes. Fresh and juicy burger. Chips well-seasoned and yummy. Quantities bigger than other burger joints.'

While one man added: 'Real fast food has finally made it to Australia. The not-frozen beef makes an enormous difference.

'Having tried Five Guys in the US, I can say the quality standards are the same if not better. Definitely worth the drive to try it out, the hand cut fries and milkshakes are fantastic as well.'

The store opening comes after years of rumours swirling about Five Guys heading Down Under.

Seagrass Boutique Hospitality in Sydney confirmed in mid-2020 it had secured the rights to the brand's master franchisee in Australia.

On opening day, dozens of diners waited in a long queue stretching out the door to get the first taste of the world-famous burgers

US burger chain Five Guys has opened its first ever restaurant in Australia - complete with its famous burgers with 15 toppings, fries and shakes (picture of the new Penrith store)

A first look inside the new Five Guys store in Penrith in Sydney's west

'It's been an incredibly fun journey to bring the Five Guys opening to this point,' Robby Andronikos, brand manager of Five Guys Australia, said last week.

'I'm excited to finally be able to open the doors to our first store in Penrith with many more Australian Five Guys restaurants on the horizon already planned.'

Five Guys is a family-run burgers and fries joint that started in America in 1986, offering a craveable menu made from scratch.

Now, decades after Five Guys first opened, there are locations across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and in Australia, with planned expansion into New Zealand.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the Murrell brothers perfected their simple concept.

Five Guys became the place to get a fresh, juicy burger with all the toppings you could stuff between two fresh-baked buns.

After years of rumours swirling about Five Guys heading Down Under, Seagrass Boutique Hospitality in Sydney confirmed in mid-2020 it had secured the rights to the brand's master franchisee in Australia (picture of the new Penrith restaurant)

Decades after Five Guys first opened, there are locations across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and in Australia, with planned expansion into New Zealand

Two more brothers joined the team and as the family grew, so did the business. Early in 2003, Jerry and Janie, together with the 'FIVE GUYS', began offering franchise opportunities. In just less than 18 months, more than 300 units had been sold.

The Murrell brothers redefined the global burger landscape by focusing on freshness and quality. With no freezers and no microwaves, it's built on the premise that all burgers and fries are made fresh every day.

The meat is a perfected 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. Patties are hand-made seven days a week on site. The bread is baked fresh five days a week in a locally contracted bakery. The same unique recipe is used globally.

Potatoes are cut fresh daily, soaked to remove the starch and double-fried in pure, no cholesterol peanut oil to create the firm exterior and 'mashed-potato' interior that Five Guys fries are known for.

'From the beginning, we wanted our customers to know that we put all our money into the food. That's why the decor is so simple; only red and white tiles. We don't spend money on decor, or guys in chicken suits,' Chad Murrell said.

'We'll go overboard on food. By maintaining a simple ethos, coupled with highest quality ingredients, we continue to follow through on the vision since 1986.'
Australian fashion website The Iconic has expanded its lifestyle empire with the launch of a lavish new homeware range.

Items such as bedding, candles, and kitchen accessories are now available through the new Iconic Home section, after the retailer widened its offering into the $2 billion housewares and the $1 billion online home furnishings markets.

Customers can browse 130 of Australia's best-loved homeware brands such as Country Road, Aesop, and Ettitude, alongside the more than 80,000 products already stocked on The Iconic across categories like clothing, kids, and beauty.

Australian fashion website The Iconic has expanded its lifestyle empire with the launch of a lavish new homeware range

Items such as bedding, candles, kitchen accessories and personal tech gadgets are now available through the new Iconic Home section

Dozens of pages are filled with luxury buys such as linen sheets and pillowcases, flax towels and designer hand soaps, as well as vintage-inspired gadgets like vinyl record players, retro phone sets and 1970s-style Bluetooth-enabled speakers.

There's also a wide range of kitchen, bathroom and dining ware, as well as sustainably-made products including bulk food bags and reusable coffee cups, which can all be ordered direct to your door with no delivery fee.

The e-commerce giant has put major focus on eco-conscious brands, with 45 per cent of the of its 'Home' collection also featuring in the 'Considered Edit' section of the website.

Dozens of pages on The Iconic are now filled with luxury buys such as linen sheets, flax towels, designer hand soaps and candles (pictured)

Customers can choose from 130 of Australia's best-loved homeware brands such as Country Road, Aesop, AERE and Ettitude

Top three homeware trends in 2021 1. Mindfully made The move towards more mindful living is influencing a new wave of environmentally conscious design, according to The Iconic home buying manager, Joshua Nunan. He said he has seen increased demand for eco-friendly fabrics and sustainable products that give profits back to vulnerable communities. 2. Zen escapes 'With many of us spending increased time at home, were seeing customers look to create spaces that channel retreat and wellness,' Mr Nunan said. He said shoppers are buying greater quantities of neutral toned accessories, minimalist silhouettes, soy candles and tech-enhanced aromatherapy gadgets 3. Retro tech 'Old is new again' when it comes to music technology, according to Mr Nunan, who is seeing a surge in demand for vinyl record players, vintage turntables and speakers equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth that still have a retro aesthetic. Source: The Iconic Advertisement

It's the perfect place to browse for gifts, with plenty of thoughtful trinkets on offer including Fujifilm polaroid cameras ($109) and the latest wireless Beats headphones ($449.95).

The homeware section is also the only place in Australia you can buy AERE Home, a new collection of premium linen bedding from the popular sustainable fashion label.

The homewares launch comes weeks after The Iconic debuted its Adaptive Edit, a range of clothing and products aimed at people with disabilities, and months after the roll out of its wellness, beauty, and kids toys categories in 2020.

The e-commerce giant has put major focus on eco-conscious brands, with 45 per cent of the of its 'Home' collection also featuring in the 'Considered Edit' section of the website

The new home section is the perfect place to browse for gifts, with plenty of thoughtful trinkets on offer

Buys like this $109 Fujifilm polaroid camera would make perfect Christmas presents

The Iconic CEO Erica Berchtold said the expansion has been designed to make the website a one-stop-shop for customers, who can now find almost everything they need in the same place.

'We are thrilled to announce the launch of THE ICONIC Home and offer our customers in Australia and New Zealand even more choice when shopping with us,' Ms Berchtold said.

She added: 'Whether you're looking to refresh your bedroom space or elevate your home office, this launch is testament to our unwavering commitment to offer our customers an unrivaled shopping experience in line with their evolving needs.'
Ben Fogle has visited an ex-social worker living in a spiritual community on the Isle of Erraid in Scotland where members meditate, work and eat together - and vote on who is allowed to stay.

Phillip Hetherington, 46, originally lived on the mainland, but told the adventurer, 47, that his highly stressful job working with ex-offenders and addicts for 18 years left him experiencing low moods and anxiety.

In tonight's episode of Channel 5's New Lives in the Wild, Phillip introduces the presenter to his life on Erraid - a small Scottish isle he moved to 18 months ago, where he now lives with a handful of other permanent residents.

The isle is owned by the charity Findhorn Foundation, and residents make an income by allowing guests stay for a number of weeks, which then pays for electricity, wood and other resources.

But those who wish to stay on the island permanently have to be considered by the rest of the community following a 22-week long trial period, which can cost up to 2,020.

On tonight's episode of New Lives In the Wild, Ben Fogle meets Phillip Hetherington, a former social worker who moved 18 months ago to the Isle of Erraid, in Scotland, where he lives in a community of maximum 25 people

Harmony Row, pictured, counts seven cottages which were built in the 70s for lighthouse workers. Now, they are inhabited by the community Phillip is a part of, and their guests

Phillip tells Ben that even though he struggles with the enforced community meditations on the island, he has no intention of ever leaving.

The 2.5 sq mile-wide isle was used by lighthouse workers in the 19th century and, since 1972, has been owned by the Findhorn Foundation, which is a Dutch charitable spiritual foundation, and home to the community.

Terraced houses were built for the lighthouse keepers in a street which is called Harmony Row.

The cottages all have a small kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living-room, as well as log burners for heat and running electricity.

Phillip moved to Erraid 18 months ago with the idea of staying for a week, but says he instantly 'fell in love with the place' and applied for membership.

All the residents of Erraid island do services for the community, like this resident making candles. People can follow a process of 22 weeks and pay 2,020 to become permanent residents, but vacancies are limited

Everyone on the island works, meditates and lives together, pictured, but it is possible to have some alone time and to leave whenever you want for those who wish to do so

People who wish to stay on the isle have to complete a Love in Action guest stay, which costs 500-250.

After this initial stay, the prospective resident then must complete a longer stay of eight weeks, costing 800, where they will experience the main philosophy of the Findhorn Foundation about living together spiritually.

After a review to decide whether this person fits well with the community, the prospective resident will become a trial member and pay 60 for a 12-week-stay.

Members receive accommodation, board and a small allowance. They are not required to pay council tax.

Ben says Phillip's story is one 'of the most unusual wild life stories he immersed himself into' after staying with him for a week

There is a limited amount of vacancies to join the island, and it actually has a waiting list for those who wish to join in the future.

Everyone is free to leave the island when they want, with some choosing not to stay for long.

Each day is organised around jobs and tasks the community needs to fulfil. They rely on resources on the island, growing their own fruit and vegetables and using algae as fertiliser.

The week begins with a group meditation, followed by a discussion where members explain the services they will offer to the rest of the community - from cooking to chopping wood or completing a specific task.

Each of the permanent residents on the isle have an area of expertise, with Phillip telling Ben he looks after everything relating to wood and fire.

Members of the community sometimes go skinny dipping together in the waters surrounding the island. At high tide, it is completely cut off from the rest of the world

Phillip lived in several spots on the mainland during his time as a social worker, but says his job took a toll on his wellbeing.

'I fell in love with the place, just like a kid in a sweet shop,' Phillip explains. 'The plan was initially to come here for a week. I reached a point in my life where I actually thought "I need something like this".'

He admits his job resulted in him experiencing anxiety and low moods because he was tasked with dealing with ex-offenders who had taken other people's lives and drug addicts 'that can be a danger to you or a danger to themselves.'

He adds: 'What you take home from that job is that your average person can easily find themselves in very difficult positions. One morning I woke up in bed and actually felt completely frozen, which I guess was a panic attack.

'The GP essentially said "we can offer you anti-depressants or we can offer you this alternative, this mindfulness course".'

'The analogy that I used was when a bird flies through a window and gets trapped inside and tries to fly towards the light, thinking that's the way out without realising that there's glass there, and it needs someone to actually open that window.'

Ben, pictured, followed the lives of the resident s of the Isle of Erraid for a week and took party in daily life activities

'It felt like the GP opened the window for me. It almost felt like I was able to take a breath out,' he adds.

He goes on to say that this revelation has been the 'catalyst' that led him to Erraid.

'There are a lot of aspects of this community which just fit what my individual needs are,' he says., before joking that he he has not always been an outdoors man who enjoys chopping wood.

'I'm sure old friends will look at this and think "wow, this is not the Philip I remember" but actually I think this is the Philip that I always was,' he says.

During the episode, the ex-social worker says his relationship with money has also changed thanks to his time on the island.

The island, pictured, is privately owned by a charitable organisation called the Findhorn Foundation

'I used to worry a lot about money in my past life,' he tells Ben. 'I had this attitude on the mainland that every time I got paid, I deserved to treat myself. And I think that's what kept me going.

'I never had cuts through my hands, my nails would always be immaculate, I'd go to stupidly expensive hair salons, and spend one to three figures on stupid things.'

He jokes he hasn't cut his blonde hair since arriving on the island 18 months ago.

Katie, one of the residents who has been staying the longest, tells Ben that Phillip was an elusive presence when he first arrived on the island.

'I didn't see so much of him,' she explains. 'He missed a few meals, he was quite private. He really came here to get away from life over there on the mainland and I got the feeling "he finds life quite hard and needs a break."'

Pictured: A member of the community chopping some wood. Each member receives a small allowance

Pictured: Annie, a temporary resident who visited the island during Ben's visit for the show. Even guests of the island are assigned tasks to complete

Over dinner, another member of the community informs Ben that people tend to come to the island for specific reasons.

'People come at crossroads, when they've got decisions to make, or they are at an interesting point in their life, they're exploring that and having a treat being away from the everyday life and taking stock,' he says.

While some people decide to leave the island after they've lived here for a while, Phillip admits he has 'no intension of leaving.'

'Maybe it wouldn't have been the right place for me 15 or 20 years ago,' he says. Maybe I needed to be bumped around like a pinball in a machine before I event reached the point where it now becomes the perfect place for me to be.'

During his stay, Ben witnesses the community's celebration of the Spring Equinox, where they dance and sing during a spiritual ceremony.

Phillip, pictured, worked for 18 years as a social worker, but suffered a burnout when work took a toll on his mental well-being. He's now moved to Erraid

'This for me has a real honesty to it, a real integrity,' the presenter says. 'It's a great place to escape but it's only here to be found when you're here looking for it and Phillip found it. It found Philip.'

Phillip tells Ben he doesn't plan ahead when it comes to the future.

'From time to time I get little flashes of questions around the future but that thought stream used to be a river, but it's now very much a trickling stream. A lot more under control,' he says, adding that he now feels 'free.'

He continues: 'When you have a very nice dream or a nightmare, you wake up in the morning and you never quite sure if it's reality for a few moments. My only fear is that one day I'm going to wake up and it would have been a dream.'

'I spent my whole life worrying, I'm happy where I am now in that moment. Whatever that next step is, it will be the right step for me.'

Ben, who sees the group indulge in some skinny dipping in the freezing sea and goes for a dip - in a swimsuit - himself, says Erraid is the 'most unusual wild story he has immersed himself into.'

Ben Fogle: New Lives In the Wild airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
Queen Letizia stunned in an emerald green dress as she attended a charity awards presentation in Madrid today.

The royal, 48, donned a favourite Sandro number to present the 11th Santander Social Projects award at the Queen Sofia Museum.

The awards recognise social initiatives chosen by the bank's employees in Spain, which will receive more than 40,000 euros (34,300) each in funding.

Accompanied by Santander's president Ana Patricia Botin, the Spanish Queen looked relaxed at the event.

Queen Letizia of Spain, 48, recycled a silk scarf dress with a pleated skirt by Sandro to attended the 11th Santander Social Porject awards in Madrid today, pictured

Letizia struck the perfect balance between elegance and business chic in the floaty midi dress, which features a striking green and white scarf print.

Letting the dress speak for itself, she streamlined her look by picking discreet accessories.

Keeping things simple, she picked a black clutch bag, which matched her black stiletto heels for the occasion.

Letting the dress speak for itself, Letizia kept her accessories simple, by picking a black leather clutch bag and matching heels, pictured

Her jewellery was minimal, with her favourite ring on her ring index finger, and a favourite pair of hoop earrings.

Her dark tresses were styled perfectly in a glossy blow-dry, which a few locks tucked behind her ears.

She sported her signature smokey eye, with a dash of bronzer bringing intensity to her hazelnut gaze and sculpted eyebrow.

The mother-of-two seemed relaxed at today's event, where she will be handing awards to the winners of this year's Santander Social Projects awards

Sporting a pair of gold hoop earrings, Letizia went without a necklace. She had on her trademark smokey eye, pictured

The royal was invited to preside over the closing ceremony, which will see the bank support local social initiative.

The programme, which is in its 11th year, has funded 82 NGOs in Spain, and helped more than 45,000 people since its creation, donating 3million euros in total (2,5 million).

Each year, a panel of experts selected 30 projects out of the submissions, and Santander employees voted for their favourites.

The projects are split in five categories: international cooperation, disability, health, social exclusion and pre-school education..

Letizia was greeted at the event by Santander's president Ana Patricia Botin, right, and Spanish Science and Innovation Minister, Diana Morant, left

The royal sat at the front row during the event where 12 organisation will receive funding from Santander
Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall both sported full tartan outfits today as they officially opened the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery.

Prince Charles, 72 and Camilla, 74, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, looked to be in jovial spirits as they gazed around the one of the finest collections of art in the UK.

Charles sported a navy blue kilt while Camilla opted for grey and red tartan outfit for the occasion.

The Aberdeen Art Gallery underwent a landmark transformation between 2015 and 2019 and re-opened after being closed for five months during lockdown in Aug 2020.

Camilla appeared in high spirits and beamed as she clutched onto a bouquet gifted to her by a royal fan outside the Aberdeen art gallery

Charles and Camilla looked dashing in tartan on their visit to Aberdeen Art Gallery today

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall both sported full tartan today as they officially opened the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery

During the visit Camilla met local school children who have taken part in the 'Art Chat' project, which sees young people examine different pieces of art, take part in optional activities and share thoughts about the work

The couple shared a light-hearted moment as they adjusted their masks during the outing

Today the Duke and Duchess officially opened the gallery, which is hosting the British Art Show until next month, and last year won the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020, the most prestigious museum prize in the world.

The British Art Show will mark the launch of the national tour for this ambitious exhibition of contemporary art, which takes place across the UK every five years.

Spanning over 700 years, the collection at the gallery includes works by nationally and internationally-acclaimed artists including Barbara Hepworth, Francis Bacon, Tracey Emin and Claude Monet.

During the visit Camilla met pupils of Hanover Street Primary School who have taken part in the 'Art Chat' project.

The Duke and Duchess also unveiled a sword to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the granting of the Freedom Lands to Aberdeen, which were gifted by King Robert the Bruce in 1319

The couple looked to be in jovial spirits as they gazed around the one of the finest collections of art in the UK

The Prince of Wales, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland, was seen taking a tour of the gallery at the redeveloped art gallery

The royals unveiled a plaque to officially open the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery this afternoon

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were presented with a replica of the sword of Robert the Bruce during a visit to the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery

During the visit, the couple met with members of staff working at the gallery as they toured the redeveloped site

The project sees young people examine different pieces of art on display at the museum before taking part in optional activities and sharing their thoughts about the work.

The Duke and Duchess also unveiled a sword to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the granting of the Freedom Lands to Aberdeen, which were gifted by King Robert the Bruce in 1319.

During the trip the couple toured the galleries and met with staff and members of the team who were involved in the landmark redevelopment.

The redevelopment was primarily funded by Aberdeen City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with financial support from other organisations.

Prince Charles and Camilla both sported patterned face masks for the afternoon of engagements in Aberdeen

Camilla beamed as she adjusted her mask. Face coverings are still required inside public spaces in Scotland

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving to open the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery today

The exhibits toured by Charles included the Balmoral Phenomenon gallery featuring clothing belonging to Queen Victoria and the former editor of Harpers Bazaar Frances Farquharson.

The Duke and Duchess were accompanied on their visit by the Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen City Barney Crockett.

Their visit comes ahead BBC documentary, Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, which airs tomorrow and sees Charles recall the warm relationship he had with his late father.

In an unusual show of unity, senior members of the Royal Family have come together to share memories of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died at the age of 99 in April.

In a sneak preview clip, shared by Clarence House last week, Philip, a young Charles and Princess Anne can be seen riding bicycles as their aunt, Princess Margaret, chases after them.

Charles says of his late father: 'He was marvellous at arranging silly games. I mean, the fun of having obviously young parents was there were lots of chasing around and mad things.'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to make their first public trip since moving to California to broadcast from Central Park for Global Citizen Live event.

In May, the Duke, 37, and Duchess of Sussex, 40, acted as Campaign Chairs of Vax Live, which 'aims to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide and help get the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone, everywhere' - according to Global Citizen.

And according to the organisation's website, the couple will attend the event in New York on Saturday where they will 'continue their urgent work with world leaders in the pursuit of global vaccine equity to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere.'

It marks the first occasion the couple have appeared in public together since stepping back from royal duty and moving to California last year.

Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan Markle, 40, are set to make their first public trip since moving to California to broadcast from Central Park for Global Citizen Live event

The event will be part of a number of shows being held in cities as varied as London to Lagos by the organisation Global Citizen, with artists like Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Metallica and Coldplay scheduled to perform.

The Global Citizen Live campaign is calling on G7 countries and the European Union to share at least one billion Covid-19 vaccine doses with those most in need and support calls for a waiver on vaccine intellectual property rights.

It also marks the return to work for the Duke and Duchess, who have taken several months off following the birth of their daughter Lilibet in May.

Meghan has previously made several high profile trips to New York to visit friends in recent years.

The Duchess celebrated the impending birth of her firstborn son Archie by flying to the Big Apple by private jet in 2019, provoking outcry with the five-day baby shower celebration. Around 20 friends attended, including Serena Williams and Amal Clooney.

Months later, she visited the state again for a flying trip away to support her close friend Serena Williams in the US Open final.

The couple will attend the event in New York on Saturday where they will 'continue their urgent work with world leaders in the pursuit of global vaccine equity to end the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere'

It's far from the first time that the couple have spoken out about vaccine equity.

Prince Harry had his name in lights as he was greeted with wild cheers and a standing ovation by a rapturous crowd during a speech at a Global Citizen star-studded concert in Los Angeles in May, while his then heavily pregnant wife Meghan stayed at home.

Harry told the audience of vaccinated frontline workers 'every single one of you are awesome' before urging them to 'look beyond ourselves' as he joined A-list Hollywood celebrities at Vax Live - an initiative to encourage rich countries to share vaccines.

Harry delivered a five-minute address calling for vaccines to be shared with poorer countries, which was regularly punctuated by more rapturous cheers.

Speaking in a markedly different accent than his previous Queen's English, Harry said: 'We must look beyond ourselves with empathy and compassion for those we know, and those we don't. We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure that no person or community is left behind.'

To mark their son Archie's second birthday in May the couple appealed to well-wishers wanting to celebrate the anniversary to donate money to pay for Covid vaccinations in disadvantaged countries.

The Sussexes said in a statement earlier this year: 'Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss and struggle  together. Now we need to recover and heal  together. We can't leave anyone behind.

'We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone everywhere has equal access to the vaccine.

Prince Harry had his name in lights as he was greeted with wild cheers and a standing ovation by a rapturous crowd during a speech at a Global Citizen star-studded concert in Los Angeles in May (pictured)

'We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn't be more critical or important.'

Global Citizen describes itself as a movement of 'engaged citizens who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030'.

Its website states: 'Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards for their actions  as part of a global community committed to lasting change.'

'Their mission is to build a movement of 100M action-taking Global Citizens to help achieve our vision of ending extreme poverty by 2030.'

The appearance from the royal couple comes a week after they graced the cover of Time magazine as they were named among the world's 100 most influential people.

Prince Harry and Meghan said they were 'humbled' to be the cover stars of Time magazine's 2021 list in a feature that includes an 'awkward' photoshoot and a gushing tribute from a friend who praises them for 'giving a voice to the voiceless' and 'running toward the struggle' rather than living a quiet life in their California mansion.

The US publication released a glossy and heavily-airbrushed cover on Harry's 37th birthday showing the Duke of Sussex stood behind his wife with his arms on her right shoulder in the 'icons' section of the annual line-up alongside Naomi Osaka, Dolly Parton, Britney Spears and Alexei Navalny.

Meghan has previously made several high profile trips to New York to visit friends in recent years, including her $500,000 baby shower

One critic claimed the cover photo reflected the power dynamic in the relationship, because Meghan is in front of her husband, tweeting: 'Wow, this photo speaks volumes. There is no hiding who's in control'.

But Time's picture editor, Dilys Ng, who made the final decision on the cover image, said today that the portrait captures the Sussexes' 'powerful dynamic as equal partners'.

The couple responded to being named on the list of the world's most distinguished people with a post on their Archewell website that read: 'Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are not only humbled to be part of this years TIME 100 through the words of friend and partner Jose Andres, but to also write in praise of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the publications annual list of Most Influential People.'

The glossy photos of the Sussexes are accompanied by a profile, branded sycophantic by critics, written by their friend and chef Mr Andres, whose charity World Central Kitchen is loved by the Sussexes and supported financially by their Archewell foundation in India and the Caribbean.

He wrote: 'In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don't know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don't know. They don't just opine. They run toward the struggle.' Mr Andres said the couple are 'blessed through birth and talent, and burned by fame', adding: 'It would be much safer to enjoy their good fortune and stay silent. That's not what Harry and Meghan do, or who they are'.

On the cover Harry is dressed in all black and Meghan in all white on a terrace at their $14.65million mansion and then in green smiling at eachother and holding hands while walking through their estate in Montecito, California.

In another image they are in matching grey office-style clothes next to a window in outfits chosen by celebrity stylists Clare and Nina Hallwroth, who have recently dressed Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, in pictures taken by Serbian Pari Dukovic. But one critic, a fellow photographer, tweeted: 'Terrible retouching job. They look CGI'.

Others wrote: 'This photo looks photoshopped. Also, the way they are positioned is very revealing: it's the Meghan show and Harry is just the supporting actor'. One critic said: 'Harry looks completely awkward peering behind his wife like this'.
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman said that it's a 'privilege' that her abuser, Larry Nassar, is behind bars when so many survivors of sexual assault don't feel comfortable going to law enforecement for help.

But while the 27-year-old is glad to see Nassar in jail, she is still calling for a full investigation into how the FBI, USA Gymnastics, and the United States Oympic and Paralympic Committees handled his behvaior, echoing testimony she made last week at the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing into the FBI's botched probe of Nassar's abuse.

'What people often don't realize is abuse isn't just something you suffer in the moment. It can unfortunatley carry on with you for a really long time,' Raisman, who has six Olympic medals, said on Monday night's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

'And the way a survivor heals is linked to how their abuse is handled,' she added. 'So the power of one adult supporting a survivor and doing the right thing is so important.'

Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman said that it's a 'privilege' that her abuser, Larry Nassar, is behind bars when so many survivors of sexual assault don't feel comfortable going to law enforecement for help

The 27-year-old appeared on Monday night's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central to promote her new Lifetime documentary, 'Aly Raisman: Darkness to Light'

Raisman appeared on the show to promote her new Lifetime documentary, 'Aly Raisman: Darkness to Light.'

Speaking remotely, she shared her gratitude that Nassar, 58, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for multiple sex crimes in 2018  and noted that other survivors don't always get that relief.

'My abuser is in jail, but there were many survivors that I met with that didn't feel safe going to law enforcement,' she said.

She added that she is 'grateful' that other survivors 'gave me their time to share their stories with me' for the documentary, in part because it showed her the ways in which she is fortuante.

'To hear everyone's different perspective on what justice meant to them was really eye-opening to me and has really changed the way that I view justice, because I recognize that it's such a privilege that my abuser is in jail, and just even the fact that I felt comfortable going to law enforcement,' she said.

'I know so many other survivors don't have that, and I don't want to live in a world like that.'

Raisman is also grateful for all of the public support she and other gymnasts have recelieved.

She said the abuse sometimes still 'feels like an open wound that won't heal,' but the widespread support 'helps me get out of bed on the toughest days'

She said the abuse sometimes still 'feels like an open wound that won't heal,' but the widespread support 'helps me get out of bed on the toughest days.'

'What I didn't realize when I first came forward is, I hadn't processed it on my own. So what I think I'm realizing over the last few years is I'm dealing with the abuse personally but also publicly at the same time,' she said.

'I never thought about that, because everything kind of happened so fast, and it was more of a decision of, "I can't sit back and watch these organizaitons do nothing,"' she went on.

Yet Raisman once again blasted the organizations that allowed the abuse to go on for so long.

'Before I filmed the show, Darkness to Light, with Lifetime, I used to think that justice to me was accountibility. And I still think that it [is] in some capacity,' she said.

'I also think that it means that we need to be looking at a full and independent investigation of the FBI, USA Gymnastics, and the United States Oympic and Paralympic Committee, and looking at interplay among all three organizations going back decades.

'Nobody's off limits. Nothing's off limits. Access to text messages, date, everything and anything, so we understand who knew what when and there's no guesswork and no speculation. In my opinion, it's the only way we can believe in a safer future.

Star athlete: Raisman captained both the 2012 and the 2016 Olympic gymnastics teams. She won three medals at each Games, including two golds in London and another gold in Rio

'When I was filming the show, we had a bunch of different survivors on, and one of the survivors had mentioned that, to her, justice meant that it never happened. And that is something that has stuck with me and that I've thought a lot about.

In 2018, Nassar, 58, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for multiple sex crimes

'I think our case has been so public, and while I'm so grateful for the support that we have, from people all over the world, it's incredible, the organizations and people in positions of power continue to cover it up, gaslight us, and treat us so horribly,' she said.

'So I'm trying now in my everyday moments to focus ont he support that I feel from strangers and people in my family, 'cause I know that most survivors don't get the support that I get. So I do feel very lucky,' she said.

Raisman also spoke about how she continues to heal, explaining that she is continually working to be more compassionate toward herself.

'If Maggie [Nichols], McKayla [Maroney], or Simone [Biles] came to me and said that they were struggling, I would listen to them, I would try to be a good friend to them, I would tell them that however they feel is valid, and [to] take time them for themselves,' she said.

But yesterday, she said, she was having a 'little bit of a tougher day since I testified,' and was 'starting to be a little bit hard on myself, because often I think we can be our own biggest critics.'

'And I thought to myself, if Simone was calling me right now, I would be nicer to her than I'm being to myself,' she said.

Raisman also spoke about how she continues to heal, explaining that she is continually working to be more compassionate toward herself

'If Maggie [Nichols], McKayla [Maroney], or Simone [Biles] came to me and said that they were struggling, I would listen to them, I would try to be a good friend to them,' she said

'So I think the biggest thing in my healing is recognizing I need to have self-compassion and be nice to myself.

'And coming from the sport of gymnastics, where it's all about trying to be perfect, that's hard for me to do, and even when I do interviews, I watch them back and I'm hard on myself if I feel like I didn't say the right thing. Because I know that so many survivors don't have the platform that I have and I take that very seriously.

'So the biggest thing for me has been being nice to myself and treating myself the way that I would treat a loved one or someone that I care about, but it's definitely something that I work on and it's a struggle sometimes.'

On September 15, Raisman joined fellow star athletes and Nassar victims McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Simone Biles to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The four women testified that they were made to feel the years of abuse they suffered 'wasn't a big deal' when they reported it to FBI agents, who then failed to investigate their allegations and then tried to cover-up their inaction when it came to light.

Raisman delivered one of the hearing's most chilling lines, blasting the FBI for failing to properly investigate their initial abuse claims against Nassar, leaving him free to abuse another 120 children.

On September 15, Raisman joined fellow star athletes and Nassar victims McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Simone Biles to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee

Raisman delivered one of the hearing's most chilling lines, blasting the FBI for failing to properly investigate their initial abuse claims against Nassar, leaving him free to abuse another 120 children

Raisman, who was captain of the 2012 Fierce Five women's women's Olympic gymnastics team that earned gold, said it 'disgusts me' that they are 'still fighting' for accountability years later.

'We are still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability over six years later,' she said.

Raisman said authorities knew of at least six victims in 2015 but didn't act.

'In 2015 it was known that at least six national team athletes had been abused by Nassar. There was even one of the athletes that was abused on film,' she said.

'Given our abuser's unfettered access to children, stopping him should have been a priority.

'Instead, the following occurred: The FBI failed to interview pertinent parties in a timely manner.

'It took over 14 months for the FBI to contact me despite my many requests to be interviewed by them.

'Nassar found more than 100 new victims to molest. It was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter,' she said.

'Given our abuser's unfettered access to children, stopping him should have been a priority,' she said. 'Instead, the following occurred: The FBI failed to interview pertinent parties in a timely manner'

'Nassar found more than 100 new victims to molest. It was like serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter,' she said

When agents finally spoke with her about the abuse, Raisman said they tried to 'convince me that it wasn't that bad.'

'I remember sitting with the FBI agent and him trying to convince me that it wasn't that bad. It's taken me years of therapy to realize that my abuse was bad, that it does matter,' she said.

Raisman said the FBI, the USAG, and the USOPC also have a 'long history of enabling abuse by turning a blind eye  both organizations knew of Nassar's abuse long before it became public.'

Raisman told the committee she also felt 'pressured by the FBI to consent to Nassar's plea deal.'

The former gymnast called for an independent investigation into the FBI, USAG and the USOPC so that 'from there, then we will know the answers of who should be held accountable.'

On September 16, the star appeared on the Today show to discuss her testimony.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has once again proved her sartorial style by opting for an eye-catching floral gown, complete with an electric blue skirt and a bright red bodice.

However, while the royal's ensemble brought all the usual glamour expected of the monarch's wife when attending the opening of parliament with her husband King Willem-Alexander, the rest of the usual pomp and pageantry was nowhere to be found.

For the second straight year, the king's 'speech from the throne' was held in a Hague church instead of the historic Knight's Hall due to coronavirus restrictions and there was no horse-drawn carriage ride for the royal family through packed streets.

But the different circumstances didn't put off Maxima, 50, who still gave her all in the style stakes; she commanded attention in a very vibrant gown, teamed with a matching red hat and gloves.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands (pictured) has once again proved her sartorial style by opting for an eye-catching floral gown, complete with an electric blue skirt and a bright red bodice

However, while the royal's ensemble brought all the usual glamour expected of the monarch's wife when attending the opening of parliament with her husband King Willem-Alexander (pictured together), the rest of the usual pomp and pageantry was nowhere to be found

Adding even more glitz and glamour to her outfit, the-mother-of-three accessorised with a dazzling pair of drop earrings and a gold bracelet.

She wore a ceremonial sash and added an amber gemstone brooch, while keeping her hair down and curled to best accommodate her fashionable headpiece.

The royal, who is fond of colour coordinating her spectacular outfits, teamed the flattering gown with red high heels and a matching clutch.

Her husband King Willem-Alexander, 54, looked equally sophisticated in a tuxedo, teamed with a striped tie.

The Netherlands currently still has Covid restrictions in place, with social distancing largely still required across industries, such as hospitality and indoor activities.

For the second straight year, the king's 'speech from the throne' was held in a Hague church instead of the historic Knight's Hall due to coronavirus restrictions and there was no horse-drawn carriage ride for the royal family through packed streets

But the different circumstances didn't put off Maxima (pictured), 50, who still gave her all in the style stakes; she commanded attention in a very vibrant gown, teamed with a matching red hat and gloves

The Dutch king outlined a pared-back government plan for the coming year in his traditional speech opening the new parliamentary term that came amid drawn-out negotiations to form a new ruling coalition.

With the government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in caretaker mode since a March general election and no simple path to a new administration, no major plans were unveiled in the king's speech that is written by the government.

'Major new long-term choices are for the next Cabinet,' King Willem-Alexander told a joint sitting of both houses of parliament.

Even so, he said the government would invest an extra 7 billion euros for measures to help achieve its planned reduction in emissions including making homes and industry more sustainable and promoting use of electric cars.

Adding even more glitz and glamour to her outfit, the-mother-of-three (pictured with her husband) accessorised with a dazzling pair of drop earrings and a gold bracelet

She wore a ceremonial sash and added an amber gemstone brooch, while keeping her hair down and curled to best accommodate her fashionable headpiece

Her husband King Willem-Alexander, 54, looked equally sophisticated in a tuxedo, teamed with a striped tie

He also pledged more funds to tackle housing shortages, for education and to bolster rule of law, warning that organized crime gangs are becoming increasingly violent.

Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra was presenting details of the budget to parliament later Tuesday.

On foreign policy, the king said that membership of the European Union, NATO and the United Nations remain 'cornerstones of Dutch foreign policy,' but he added that the country has choices to make about its relations with China, Russia and the United States.

'Trans-Atlantic cooperation remains the foundation of Dutch security policy, but at the same time we will have to invest more in European security policy,' he said.
A North Carolina man made the best of a bad situation by proposing to his girlfriend the night their house burned down  after recovering the engagement ring that survived the blaze.

Sean Matthews intended on asking his partner Kellie Stanley to marry him in their new home in Fuquay-Varina, in honor of the one-year anniversary of them moving in, but his plans changed after their property was destroyed in a fire on September 4.

'Having her family there and some friends and neighbors, I knew it would be the last time that we would all be able to be at our home for a long time,' he told Fox News. 'I felt strongly that I wanted to leave with her as my fiancee.'

Scroll down for video

Making the best of it: Sean Matthews proposed to his girlfriend Kellie Stanley on Saturday, September 4, right after their new home burned down

Opportunity: He got down on one knee in front of their family, friends, and neighbors who were there for support after the blaze broke out

Terrifying: The couple was on a dinner date when they received a Ring doorbell camera call around 6:30 p.m. from a frantic neighbor who said their back porch was on fire

The couple was on a dinner date that Saturday when they received a Ring doorbell camera call around 6:30 p.m. from a frantic neighbor who said their back porch was on fire.

Matthews and Stanley were immediately concerned about the safety of their 13-year-old dog, Memphis, but, thankfully, they had left the interior door in their garage unlocked that day.

As they raced home from the nearby restaurant, their neighbors used the garage code to rescue their dog and cut off the gas lines to prevent a potential explosion while they waited for firefighters to arrive on the scene.

'Just seeing that our neighbors came together to try and save our home and save our dog, you can't put it into words,' Stanley told Fox News. 'We were probably 10 minutes from home and we could see the black billowing smoke in the air.'

The couple was allowed back inside their home after the fire was put out to see if they could salvage anything from the wreckage.

Local heroes: Neighbors were able to save their 13-year-old dog, Memphis, and cut off the gas line to prevent a potential explosion as they raced home from the restaurant

What luck: While they lost almost everything in the blaze, Matthews was able to recover the engagement ring he had hidden in a fireproof safe

While they lost almost everything they owned, Stanley found her Bible while Matthews was able to retrieve the engagement ring he had secretly stored in a fireproof safe.

After everything they had been through that night, he was moved to propose to her right then and there, which she was not at all expecting.

'Sean just gathered us all in the driveway at the end of the night to give a speech and thank everyone for being there for us. As he's giving the speech, in my head I'm trying to think of what I'm going to say,' Stanley recalled.

'But, then the entire conversation shifted, and he just started talking about how we started and how we built this house last year,' she continued.

'We moved in and his whole goal  which I hadnt known at the time  but his whole goal was to propose to me in the house because the house means a lot to us.'

Matthews said he popped the question because he 'wanted to make the best of things and see the silver lining' after losing their home, saying they were grateful to be safe and have Memphis.

Big surprise: After everything they had been through that night, he was moved to propose to Stanley right then and there, which she was not at all expecting

Grateful to be alive: Firefighters told the couple they probably would not have survived if they were sleeping because their smoke alarms never went off

Next steps: Matthews and Stanley are staying with a friend for now, but next month they will move into an apartment where they will live while rebuilding their home

The Fuquay-Varina Fire Department is still investigating what caused the fire, but the couple was told they probably would not have survived if they were sleeping because their smoke alarms never went off.

'The fire was on the screen porch and our screen porch is gabled, so it went up into the attic first. And once he got into the attic, it liquefied any mechanical and electrical components up there,' Stanley explained.

'So, by the time the smoke had penetrated the conditioned space of the home where the actual smoke alarms were, they were already dead.'

The newly engaged couple alternated staying in a hotel and with family members before settling into a friend's house. They plan on moving to an apartment in October, where they will live until their home is rebuilt.

Their neighbor Amanda Mangum started a GoFundMe to help them rebuild after losing everything they owned.

'People don't know what to say. They go, "Sorry for you losing your house, but congratulations." We feel the same way,' Stanley said. 'But, it definitely turned the night around for us and made something positive out of it instead of focusing on the tragedy.'
Princess Diana's nieces Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer piled on the glamour as they attended a Dior event in Dusseldorf earlier today.

The stunning twins, both 29, who grew up in South Africa, took to the pink carpet of the Miss Dior pop-up launch event for Dior's new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, both turning heads in their elegant gowns.

Lady Amelia, who recently moved from Cape Town to London with her fiance Greg Mallett, looked chic in a monochrome gold gown with red heels, while Lady Eliza opted for a coordinated gold and red ensemble.

It is far from the first high profile event the blonde duo, who are daughters of Earl Spencer and first cousins of Princes William and Harry, have attended in recent weeks.

Princess Diana 's nieces Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, both 29, piled on the glamour as they attended a Dior event in Dusseldorf earlier today

The pair joined their sister Lady Kitty at their first ever London Fashion Week at the weekend.

Sisters Lady Kitty, Amelia and Eliza Spencer proved that their trio can pose up a storm as they arrived for the Perfect Magazine and NoMad London Fashion Week party on Sunday.

The blonde beauties aligned their fashion senses for the glamorous evening as they joined forces to celebrate Perfect Issue One, Joy, and the official launch of NoMad, London.

And earlier this month they attended the 78th Venice Film Festival, turning heads in their elegant floor-length Alberta Ferretti gowns.

The stunning twins, took to the pink carpet of he Miss Dior pop-up launch event for Dior's new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, both turning heads in their elegant gowns

Amelia and Eliza, who are both signed to Storm Model Management, are looking forward to fulfilling long-held ambitions now they're both living 20 minutes apart in London.

Amelia hopes to become a wedding planner and Eliza dreams of being an interior designer.

They grew up with their father and mother Victoria Aitken in Constantia but spent significant time in the UK after their parents split and Charles moved back to the family's seat, Althorp.

They have two half-sisters and half-brother from their father's second and third marriages, and half-brother from their mother's second marriage.

Lady Eliza, who dreams of being an interior designer, looked chic in a monochrome red gown with gold heels which coordinated with her sister's outfit

Earlier this year, the pair were hailed by society bible Tatler as among the hottest and most elegant socialite siblings from across the world who are used to moving in the same circles as supermodels, aristocrats and royals.

They were ranked among others as one of the most glamorous sets of twins on the elite social scene.

The sisters have an unbreakable bond as twins, with Lady Amelia telling Tatler she and Lady Eliza have always been close and are 'very similar'.

'We love doing the same things and share the same friends,' she said. 'You're guaranteed to have a best friend there always  you can't really compare it to anything else.'

Amelia and Eliza, who are both signed to Storm Model Management, posed for a snap with Carola Graser-Kraus, Country General Manager Parfums Christian DIOR, at the event

She added that they are a 'very open family' and value the importance of talking about mental health.

'It was never something that we felt afraid to talk about when we had our own struggles,' Lady Eliza said.

The society beauties also told Tatler they have very fond memories of Althorp, the Spencer family seat, where they'd stay with their father during the school holidays.

'It is a truly special and beautiful place. Having spent the first three years of our lives at Althorp, exploring and discovering it as children, and being part of a long heritage of Spencers that have lived there, it has always felt like another home,' Lady Eliza said.

'And of course it conjures up memories of family Christmases as children, with our extended family all together.'

Speaking to Hello magazine, Eliza and Amelia revealed they have 'precious memories' of their late aunt Diana who was close to their hearts.

It is not known when Greg and Amelia will marry, or if they will choose to wed in England or South Africa. Lady Amelia hasn't ruled out holding the wedding at Althorp, after her father suggested their family seat as a venue.

Meanwhile Eliza and Channing often share romantic snaps together on Instagram of their date-nights and lavish holidays abroad.

Marketing executive Channing, who attended the same school as Eliza's brother, Viscount Althorp, has a son from a previous relationship, and his girlfriend appears to dote on the boy.
Britain has pinned its hopes on vaccines to get through the pandemic. But with signs that the protective effects of the two leading jabs are wearing off sooner than hoped, a booster programme has just been launched, targeting 30 million Britons (including all over-50s).

The latest data shows that protection against Covid infection from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines starts to fade within four to five months of the second dose.

The figures, not yet published in a journal, come from the ZOE Covid study, which relies on an app used by more than one million people to collect data on infection rates.

The latest data shows that protection against Covid infection from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines starts to fade within four to five months of the second dose

The data shows that while the AstraZeneca jab reduced the chances of infection by 77 per cent when first given, this dropped to 67 per cent after five months; meanwhile, protection from the Pfizer vaccine dropped from 88 to 74 per cent.

At that rate of decline, researchers have warned, protection could drop below 50 per cent by the winter, especially in those older people who were first to get the jabs and whose immunity may have waned the most since.

Similar findings emerged from a recent study by the University of Oxford, which looked at the vaccines' efficacy against the more virulent Delta strain.

Two weeks after being given, the Pfizer jab reduced the risk of someone developing a high viral load  the amount of virus circulating in their body  by 92 per cent; 90 days after vaccination, this had dropped to 78 per cent. Over the same time frame, the AstraZeneca jab's effectiveness fell from 69 to 61 per cent.

This contrasts with other vaccines, such as the one for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), which lasts a lifetime. So why is it different with Covid vaccines?

'To get long-lasting immunity, as you do with the measles jab, you usually need to have a live attenuated vaccine  one that contains a much weakened version of the virus itself,' says Lawrence Young, a virologist and a professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.

These vaccines contain a milder form of the real virus which is enough to trigger a robust, long-lasting immune system reaction. It's effectively like catching the virus, but without symptoms.

The data shows that while the AstraZeneca jab reduced the chances of infection by 77 per cent when first given, this dropped to 67 per cent after five months; meanwhile, protection from the Pfizer vaccine dropped from 88 to 74 per cent

By contrast, the current crop of Covid jabs mostly contain either a man-made version of a protein (the spike protein) found in the virus, or genetic fragments of the virus.

Both prime the immune system to produce antibodies that patrol the bloodstream looking for signs of the virus.

Although they produce a less robust immune system response, synthetic copies of the spike protein and genetic fragments of Covid  called mRNA  are much more stable and easier to control than vaccines made with live virus, making mass production simpler.

However, at least one live attenuated Covid vaccine  called COVI-VAC  is in clinical trials, with results due in spring 2022.

The key to a vaccine's long-term success is how the immune system responds to it.

This can be affected by many factors, such as age, sex, ethnic background and underlying illnesses, such as cancer, which can weaken the body's defences. When we get ill with an infection, immune system B cells start producing antibodies to fight it off. But once the immediate danger has passed, these antibodies get processed as waste.

To prevent a recurrence, some of the B cells are turned into permanent, mini antibody factories, known as long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs).

Anyone who has had Covid is likely to have these cells  and the more ill they were, the more LLPCs they may have, as the greater the exposure to the virus, the stronger the immune reaction.

LLPCs aren't always created after an infection, but, says Dr Steven Smith, a lecturer in biomedical sciences at Brunel University: 'LLPCs can live for many years in our bone marrow, continually releasing antibodies.'

For example, people who caught Sars in 2003 still have antibodies to it circulating in their system nearly 20 years later. The hope was that Covid vaccines would have the same effect, prompting the immune system to turn some B cells into antibody production lines.

But researchers in Belgium recently measured Covid antibody levels in blood at regular intervals in more than 200 people given the Pfizer vaccine, and found the levels halved within three months of the jab. This suggested that defences were already weakening, according to the findings published in July in Emerging Microbes & Infections.

Dr Smith says even if antibody levels decline, a vaccinated immune system is still well-equipped to deal with future threats. That's because B cells have an immunological 'memory'  which means that if they bump into the offending virus again, they can almost instantly kick-start production of new antibodies.

Professor Young adds: 'Your immune response will never drop to zero once you're vaccinated  it's not like we are back where we started before we had the jabs.'
Monoclonal antibodies may be a crucial treatment for high-risk Native Americans who contract COVID-19, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the Whiteriver Service Unit, a healthcare facility on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, found that no patients who received monoclonal antibodies required intensive care or died from the disease.

The patients treated with monoclonal antibodies were also less likely to require hospitalization or a transfer to a secondary medical facility.

The findings show that this treatment - which boosts vulnerable patients' immune systems - is effective for Native Americans, a group that's been hard-hit by Covid in the U.S.

Monoclonal antibodies may be an effective treatment for reducing COVID-19's severity in high-risk, Native American patients, a new study shows. Pictured: A patient is taken from the ambulance to the emergency room in Navajo Nation, Arizona, May 2020

Indigenous Americans are more likely to die of Covid than other demographic groups in the U.S., according to APM Research Lab

Monoclonal antibodies are a common treatment for Covid patients, especially for those deemed at high risk for severe symptoms.

It works by delivering an infusion of lab-made immune system proteins that are designed specifically to fight the coronavirus.

For many patients, the treatment can prevent a case from becoming severe enough that a patient requires hospital care.

However, previous studies of this treatment have not included Native Americans - who are highly vulnerable to severe Covid cases, data show.

Native Americans and Alaska Natives are 3.3 times more likely to have died of Covid than white Americans during the first year of the pandemic, according to an analysis by APM Research Lab.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a similar pattern.

Indigenous Americans have consistently had high death rates through different phases of the pandemic, with a peak of 9.2 deaths for every 100,000 people during one week in December 2020.

As a result, clinicians working at the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona saw the need for a study that evaluated how well monoclonal antibody treatments work for this vulnerable population.

The study - published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open - focused on high-risk Native American patients at the Whiteriver Service Unit, the primary hospital and public health department on this reservation.

Between December 2020 and February 2021, the healthcare facility treated a total of 983 patients who had received a positive Covid test.

Clinicians screened these patients to evaluate whether they were eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment.

Eligible patients were older, had higher body mass index (BMI), and had other preexisting conditions increasing their risk for severe Covid.

A total of 481 patients met the criteria for monoclonal antibody treatment. Of those, 201 patients decided to receive the treatment.

Native Americans and Alaska Natives (yellow line) have consistently had higher death rates than other groups throughout the pandemic, CDC data show

The patients who received this immune system-boosting treatment fared much better than those who didn't, the researchers found.

Monoclonal antibody patients were less likely to require an acute medical visit with 29 percent of these patients visiting compared to 49 percent of patients who didn't receive the treatment.

Monoclonal antibody patients were also less likely to require hospitalization (17 percent compared to 43 percent of non-monoclonal antibody patients) or require a transfer to an outside facility for more high-level care (two percent compared to nine percent).

In addition, none of the patients who received monoclonal antibody treatments were admitted to the ICU or died of Covid.

Eight patients died during the study period - all of whom met the criteria for monoclonal antibodies, but did not receive this treatment.

This study's findings align with other research showing how monoclonal antibodies may prevent Covid cases from becoming severe.

But this research specifically shows that the treatment works well for high-risk Native Americans, a group that was not previously studied.

Researchers found that monoclonal antibody treatments worked well for patients at Whiteriver Service Unit, a healthcare facility on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. Pictured: Whiteriver Indian Hospital, part of the facility

The authors noted that one driver of the Whiteriver Service Unit's success may be that patients were able to receive monoclonal antibody treatment fairly early into their bout with Covid - boosting their immune systems at the ideal time to prevent severe symptoms.

The median patient who received monoclonal antibodies did so within one day of their positive Covid test, and within two days of experiencing symptoms.

Most patients - over 75 percent - were treated within three days of their symptoms starting.

'The WRSU decreased the time to treatment by integrating contact tracing, clinical outreach, in-house molecular testing, and a unified public health and hospital system that streamlined information exchange,' the study's authors wrote.

'This approach may not be generalizable but is a model for other centralized health systems.'

The authors also noted that monoclonal antibodies 'can be used to great effect in rural, relatively resource-limited settings.'
Advertisement

The U.S. recorded fewer than one million weekly coronavirus cases for the first time in more than a month as the country starts nearing the end of the fourth wave of the pandemic.

On Monday, officials recorded 201,648 new cases of COVID-19 with a seven-day rolling average of 139,483, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

That figure is a decrease of seven percent from the rolling average of 150,098 reported four weeks ago.

More than half of U.S. states and the District of Columbia have seen Covid infections either decline or hold steady over the last week, a DailyMail.com analysis of the data shows.

This includes states such as former virus hotspot Florida, which is recording half as many cases as it was in August.

Additionally, over the last seven days - from September 14 to September 20 - America recorded 976,379 new infections of COVID-19.

This is the first time since August 19 that the weekly total of cases hasn't hit seven figures.

Hospitalizations have also declined with 89,266 patients seeking care, a 12 percent drop from 101,634 two weeks ago, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

However, deaths have risen with 2,303 virus-related fatalities recorded on Monday and a seven-day rolling average of 1,941, a 91 percent increase from the 1,011 average deaths recorded one month ago.

Experts say that fatalities are a lagging indicator and often don't start to decline until three or four weeks after cases and hospitalizations do, which means that deaths are expected to soon fall as well.

Additionally, not every state reports Covid deaths every day so it is likely that this figure includes deaths not reported earlier in the week.

On Monday, the U.S. recorded 201,648 new cases of Covid with a seven-day rolling average of 139,483, a 7% drop from the 150,098 average reported one month ago and recorded fewer than a million weekly cases for the first in a month

Deaths rose with 2,303 virus-related fatalities recorded on Monday and a seven-day rolling average of 1,941, a 91% increase from the 1,011 average deaths recorded one month ago, but experts day deaths are soon expected to decline

More than half of U.S. states and the District of Columbia have seen Covid infections either decline or hold steady over the last week

Experts have said the recent decline can be attributed to two things: vaccines and the 'true' number of people infected by the virus.

As of Tuesday, 63.9 percent of the entire U.S. population, or 212 million - has received at least one dose of the vaccine and 54.7 percent are fully vaccinated.

This means that nearly two-thirds of Americans have at least some level of protection against the virus.

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that far more than 42.2 million have been infected with COVID-19 and the true figure stands at 120.2 million.

Combine this figure with the number of people who have been vaccinated and the virus is running out of vulnerable bodies to infec.

Even former COVID-19 vaccine hotspots are seeing remarkable declines such as Florida.

The Sunshine State reported 6,904 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to the CDC.

This is the lowest number of daily infections reported since July 12 and more than half as many as the record-high 25,956 seen on August 12.

CDC figures show show that Florida has recorded 287.2 cases per 100,000 residents over the last seven says.

And while this is still classified as 'high' transmission, it is a massive drop from last month when the state was seeing 350 cases per 100,000.

The number of Covid hospitalizations has also decline to 8,488, a drop of 20.5 percent from the past week, data from the Florida Hospital Association show.

Experts say that while this shows that the pandemic is receding in Florida, they warn against prematurely celebrating.

Florida reported 6,904 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday the lowest daily number of daily infections reported since July 12 and more than half as many as the record-high in mid-August

As of Tuesday, California has the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the U.S., with 95 new cases for every 100,000 residents

'I don't think it's anything to pat ourselves on the back about because that's still a really high number,' Dr Jason Salemi, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida Health, told FOX 13 Tampa Bay.

'We'd like to see a thousand or fewer cases a day...[so] we have a lot of work left to be done.'

Another former hotspot, California, is also doing very well.

As of Tuesday, California has the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the U.S., with 95 new cases for every 100,000 residents, CDC data show.

It is currently the only state with a rate of less than 100 new infections per 100,000 and the only state classified by the federal health agency as having 'substantial' rather than 'high' transmission

The Golden State has been stricter about mitigation measures than other states in the country, requiring masks on public transportation, in schools and when visiting hospitals or nursing homes.

'We are not the most vaccinated state,' Dr Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of the University of San Francisco's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

'But we are also a state that has not completely abandoned the other mitigation methods.'
California currently has the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the U.S., with about 95 new cases for every 100,000 people in the past week.

It's the only state with a rate under 100 new infections per 100,000, marking California as a 'substantial' transmission area, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifications. All other states have high transmission.

The Golden State has one of the highest Covid vaccination rates, with about 77 percent of the state's population receiving at least one dose.

State residents just voted to keep Governor Gavin Newsom in office, signifying apparent approval for his administration's Covid safety measures.

With under 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents in the past week, California is the only U.S. state not currently classified as 'high transmission' by the CDC

California has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country (at 77%), which officials credit as a reason for its current low cases. Pictured: Nurse Eon Walk administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at a mobile clinic hosted in Los Angeles, July 2021

In December 2020, California was America's pandemic epicenter.

Los Angeles hospitals became 'critically overcrowded' as the state saw its highest case numbers yet, peaking at about 40,000 new cases per day.

But now, California has made it through both last winter's and this summer's surges - and is coming out on top, with the lowest case rate of any state in the country.

California reported about 37,600 cases total in the week ending September 20, according to the federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

When adjusted for population, that comes out to 95 new cases for every 100,000 residents - making California the only state to record fewer than 100 new cases per 100,000 people.

This low case rate signifies that California now has 'substantial' coronavirus transmission, according to categories set by the CDC.

California is now seeing about 5,000 new cases a day, far fewer than its winter surge peak of about 40,000 new cases a day

About 6,300 Covid patients are currently hospitalized state-wide, down 15 percent from the previous week's total of 7,400

Every other state has 'high' transmission, with more than 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents.

Some states are far above that threshold. West Virginia currently has the highest case rate in the country at 716 new cases for every 100,000 people.

In West Virginia and other southern states, such as Tennessee, hospitals are becoming overwhelmed - like what California faced last winter.

Along with its falling case counts, California is currently seeing lower numbers of Covid patients in hospitals.

About 6,300 Covid patients are currently hospitalized state-wide, down 15 percent from the previous week's total of 7,400.

California's hospitalization numbers peaked in early January, with more than 21,600 Covid patients in hospitals.

State officials credit California's current success to the state's high vaccination rate.

According to the California Department of Health, about 77 percent of the state population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine - and 69 percent are fully vaccinated.

That puts California well above the national average - 64 percent of Americans have received at least one dose, and 55 percent are fully vaccinated.

Several California cities and counties - like San Francisco - are requiring vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms, and other indoor venues.

California residents recently voted to keep Governor Gavin Newsom in office, which appears to signal their approval of his administration's Covid safety measures.

After his victory, Newsom told CBS that Democratic leaders need to 'stiffen our spines and lean in to keeping people safe and healthy.'

Newsom has continually encouraged California residents to get vaccinated and maintain other safety measures.

He recently said that the state has to 'maintain our vigilance' against the coronavirus.

Governor Gavin Newsom defeated a recall effort, signifying California voters' approval of his Covid safety measures. Pictured: Newsom speaks to the press after visiting an elementary school in Oakland, California, September 2021

In addition to state- and county-level safety measures, some school districts in California have uniquely stringent Covid protections.

For example, the Los Angeles school district is one of the first to require vaccination for all eligible students (ages 12 and older) in addition to staff.

San Francisco is requiring vaccinations for staff and regularly testing students for the coronavirus, along with other precautions.

The San Francisco public health department recently reported that the school district has not seen 'a single case of transmission at any of its schools.'

The news suggests that schools may safely open for in-person education during the Delta outbreak, if appropriate precautions are taken.
Most inmates infected in a COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak at a Texas prison were fully vaccinated, but hospitalizations and deaths were higher among the unvaccinated, a new report finds.

Of 172 prisoners who contracted the virus, 75 percent has received one of the three approved shots in the U.S., from either Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

However, inmates who hadn't received their immunizations were up to three times mire likely to be hospitalized or die from Covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The authors say the findings show how highly transmissible the Delta variant is, but that vaccines still protect recipients from the most severe outcomes of the virus.

A new CDC report looked at a summer 2021 Delta variant outbreak at a Texas prison that saw 172 prisoners infected with COVID-19, of which 75% were fully vaccinated. Pictured: Prisoners at the Bolivar County Correctional Facility in Cleveland, Mississippi, receive COVID-19 vaccines, April 2021

Four patients - three of whom were unvaccinated - required hospitalization and one unvaccinated patient died. Pictured: Most prisoners developed Covid symptoms six days and 14 days before testing positive

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for inmates inside jails and prisons.

Many correctional facilities are overcrowded or have common areas where social distancing cannot be practiced.

There is often insufficient amounts of soap in bathroom for inmates to wash their hands and a lack of access to cleaning supplies such as hand sanitizer and wipes.

As states ramped up testing as the pandemic dragged on, it's become more clear how widespread the problem is.

The new report, published on Friday from the CDC, shows how quickly the virus - and particularly the highly transmissible Delta variant - can spread in prison, but also how vaccines protect people from the most severe effects of the disease.

According to the report, the outbreak occurred in summer 2021 in two housing units at a federal prison in Texas.

The first cases were detected on July 12 when 18 prisoners, 11 of whom had been fully vaccinated, tested positive for the virus via rapid antigen tests.

The prisoners lived in two interconnected units that housed 233 men living in two- to 10-person cells.

All 233 inmates were tested between July 12, 2021 and August 14, 2021 with 172 ultimately confirmed to have the virus.

Genome sequencing from 58 specimens revealed the outbreak had been caused by the Delta variant.

Of the infected prisoners, 129 - or 75 percent - were fully vaccinated. The remaining 43 cases were among partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

In total, 66 percent of the fully vaccinated prisoners who caught the virus had received the Pfizer vaccine, 27 percent had received the Moderna shot and 10 percent had received the J&J jab.

Fifty percent of the vaccinated prisoners who fell ill had been inoculated between four and six months prior the outbreak, suggesting waning efficacy.

However, attack rates were higher among unvaccinated prisoners with 129 of 185 vaccinated prisoners falling ill compared to 39 of 42 unvaccinated prisoners.

That suggests a 70 percent attack rate among those who were immunized and a 93 percent attack rate for those who didn't get their shots.

Among the infected inmates, four were hospitalized, including three unvaccinated patients and one fully vaccinated patient, which shows a hospitalization rate three times higher for unvaccinated people.

What's more, just one patient, who was unvaccinated, required mechanical intubation and died.

'This study demonstrates the potential for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant outbreaks in congregate settings including correctional and detention facilities, even among resident populations with high vaccination coverage,' the authors wrote.

'In this outbreak...fewer hospitalizations and deaths occurred among vaccinated than unvaccinated persons, highlighting vaccination as an important strategy to reduce serious COVID-19related illness and death in congregate settings.'
Vaccinated Tennessee residents who contract COVID-19 may have trouble accessing monoclonal antibody treatments.

The state government is recommending hospitals and health care providers to reserve their supply of the effective Covid treatment for unvaccinated people, and to deny it to the vaccinated, reported The Tennessean.

The move comes after the federal government began limiting shipments of the treatments to each state after a few southern states with low vaccination rates began to drain the national supply.

Denying the drug to vaccinated people and prioritizing the more vulnerable unvaccinated population is recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as access to treatment becomes more scarce.

Tennessee hospitals are being instructed to deny vaccinated Covid patients monoclonal antibody treatments, and to instead reserve resources for the unvaccinated. Pictured: Doctors remove gear after checking on a Covid patient in Memphis, Tennessee, May 2020

Monoclonal antibody treatments are the most effective against Covid. They provide the body with additional antibodies to fight the virus. Pictured: An Eli Lilly researcher tests Covid antibodies in an Indianapolis, Indiana, lab, May 2020

'Clinically, it makes sense,' Dr Lisa Piercey, state health commissioner, told The Tennessean.

'But the doctor in me thinks about all these "what ifs?" What if there is a super-high-risk older person but they are not technically considered immunocompromised? Do they not get it? But a 22-year-old unvaccinated person with asthma - they get it?'

According to NIH recommendations, a unvaccinated or 'incompletely vaccinated' person, and those who are fully vaccinated but immunocompromised, should be prioritized for the treatment if there are logistical constraints or shortages.

'Our recommendation to monoclonal antibody providers or individual facilities across the state is if they need to prioritize distribution of the treatment, the NIH guidelines are the recommended approach for that prioritization, including prioritizing those who are most likely to be hospitalized,' the health commissioner's office told DailyMail.com.

'Ultimately, this comes down to providers' clinical judgment to ensure those most at risk are receiving this treatment.'

Some physicians agree that prioritizing the unvaccinated, who are significantly more likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus, is the right decision despite the potential negative optics.

'If we had enough to give this to every single person at risk of hospitalization, that would be ideal,' Dr Karen Bloch, medical director of the antibody infusion clinic at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, told The Tennessean.

'But with this limited resource, identifying those at most risk makes sense. Taking out the politics, the unvaccinated fit into that category.'

The federal government began to ration the distribution of monoclonal antibodies earlier this month.

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that seven southern states along the Gulf Coast had been utilizing 70 percent of the nation's supply, and they feared a shortage in case other parts of the nation needed resources.

Some states have been prioritizing the distribution of monoclonal antibodies over that of the Covid vaccines.

Many conservatives around the nation, even those who are skeptical of the Covid vaccines, are touting the treatment despite the fact that it is also relatively new - only being developed last year.

The drug is known as one of the most effective treatments against the virus, and works by providing a person lab-made antibodies that fight the virus, similar to those that someone who receives a vaccine will naturally generate.

Distribution of the drug is intensive and costly, however.

Tennessee is on the tail end of the state's summer COVID-19 surge, with new daily cases cutting in half from 8,000 a day to around 4,000 a day over the last month

The Volunteer State's COVID-19 vaccine roll out reached its highest point in early April, with more than70,000 people getting jabbed every day. After reaching a low below 10,000 a day in early July, around 16,000 people are getting the shots every day in late September

A person receiving monoclonal antibodies takes up a hospital bed for at least 90 minutes, requires the attention of medical staff - which is limited amid a massive nationwide Covid surge - and costs more than 100 times what it costs to give someone the vaccine.

Many southern states are leaning into monoclonal antibodies as the primary way to fight the pandemic, though.

In Florida, Gov Ron DeSantis opened 20 treatment sites for the antibodies.

Republican lawmakers from the state, including Sen Marco Rubio and Sen Rick Scott are calling for the HHS to reverse the decision and allow Florida to continue ordering an unlimited amount of the drug.

And in Alabama, health officials - who confirmed the state was one of the sevens states = have also expanded monoclonal antibody treatment sites as only 41 percent of the state is fully vaccinated.

In Tennessee, only 44 percent of residents are fully vaccinated, and the rollout of the shots has caused some political turmoil.

In June, state republicans attempted to dissolve the entire Tennessee Department of Health, claiming that pictures on the department website showing a teen with a band-aid on their shoulder was proof that the agency was attempting to vaccinate children without their parents knowledge and undermine parental consent.

In July, that state's top vaccine official was pushed into resignation after she distributed a memo alerting some vaccine providers that they could give minors the shot without their parents permission.

Days later, the state halted all vaccine outreach to minors of any kind - including vaccines that are not for Covid - and stopped using sites like schools as vaccine clinics.

The state's vaccine roll out reached its highest point in early April, when around 70,000 people were getting jabbed every day.

It hit a low in July, when under 10,000 people were getting the shots daily.

Currently, around 16,000 people are receiving the shots in the state every day.

The state appears to be on the backside of a summer COVID-19 surge, recording less than 4,000 cases every day, less than half of the over 8,000 a day in late August.

The state does not report COVID-19 numbers daily, however.
Some school districts are now utilizing frequent COVID-19 tests to allow children to continue attending class in-person, even when they have been in contact with someone who was infected with the coronavirus.

The protocol is often called 'test to stay,' in which students take a Covid test every day for a week.

So long as the test is negative, they're allowed to come into the school building and attend classes.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet endorsed this strategy, the agency does recommend that schools use Covid tests to identify cases and control outbreaks.

'Test to stay,' along with other strategies like rapid tests and pool testing, signify that a safe school reopening may be possible even when case numbers are high in the surrounding community.

Many schools currently require students to quarantine if they have contact with an infected student, meaning that thousands of students miss in-person class each day. Pictured: An instructor leads a discussion at Xavier Academy in Houston, Texas, August 2021

Frequent testing can help students stay in school, even when they're identified as the close contacts of a Covid-positive classmate. Pictured: Testing day at Brandeis Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky, August 2021

Since the fall 2021 school semester started in New York City on September 13, more than 500 K-12 classrooms have closed due to a Covid case.

The city - home of the nation's largest school district - has seen a total of 562 closures, as of September 20 while an additional 441 classrooms have been partially closed.

The closures have sent thousands of students into quarantine.

In many cases, these NYC students returned to classrooms for the first time since March 2020 - only to be sent home again, almost immediately.

To cut down on these closures, city leaders announced Monday that students will no longer need to quarantine following a Covid case in their classrooms, if they remain masked and follow three-feet distancing guidelines all day.

At the same time, the city is increasing school Covid testing from every other week to every week.

While the quarantine change follows CDC guidance for schools, parents and teachers have criticized it - saying that proper masking and distancing is difficult in often-overcrowded classrooms.

NYC may be able to learn from districts in other parts of the country that are implementing a strategy called 'test to stay.'

In this protocol, students are allowed to continue attending school in-person after they're identified as a close contact of a Covid-positive child - if they follow a strict testing regimen.

The regimen: a negative Covid test once a day, every day for a week. Students also must remain symptom-free to attend school.

One Georgia school district, profiled by the New York Times, pivoted to utilizing this strategy after more than 1,000 students had to quarantine in early August, 2021.

Districts in other parts of the county, such as Ohio and Utah, are making similar pivots, according to The Times.

'The philosophy of this is how can we keep healthy kids in school and sick kids at home?' said Isaac Seevers, the superintendent of Lebanon City Schools, one of the Ohio districts that is developing a test-to-stay program

'I think there's some real optimism that this is a game-changer for how we learn to live with Covid.'

The CDC does not currently recommend that schools follow a 'test to stay' strategy, because the agency says there's currently insufficient evidence to evaluate the approach's success.

'However, we are working with multiple jurisdictions who have chosen to use these approaches to gather more information,' the agency said in a statement to The Times.

Early studies have shown that the approach can be successful.

In May, the CDC published a report from Utah high schools that tried out 'test to stay' last school year.

Among almost 60,000 students who got tested at the Utah schools, just 1,900 tested positive - a rate of 3.2 percent - meaning the rest of the students continued attending school with no quarantine.

The report authors estimated that the test-to-stay programs saved more than 100,000 days of in-person instruction for students.

While research on the 'test to stay' strategy is ongoing, the CDC does recommend Covid testing in schools more broadly.

The agency's guidelines specifically suggest that schools test at least 10 percent of unvaccinated students and staff, at least once a week.

Schools may use PCR tests - those slow-but-accurate, genetic material-based tests - or rapid tests, which are less accurate but return results in mere minutes.

Pool testing may be another strategy that schools consider.

In this method, swab samples from an entire classroom are combined - or 'pooled' - into one test tube and tested all together.

Testing offers optimism for school staff and parents who want to keep students in classrooms as much as possible. Pictured: A school nurse tests a student at the E.N. White School in Holyoke, Mass., August 2021

The pooling allows a class of students to receive Covid test results in the time that it takes a PCR machine to run just one sample.

If the entire pool tests negative, the class is cleared to continue. If there's a positive, scientists can re-test smaller groups of samples until they identify the infected student.

Baltimore is one city that successfully utilized pool testing in spring 2021.

The Covid K-12 School Testing Impact Estimator dashboard, from research organizations The Rockefeller Foundation and Mathematica, provides even more possible testing strategies for schools.

The Biden administration has encouraged more schools to start testing programs - calling on all K-12 schools to utilize funding for these programs set in the American Rescue Plan.

Though the funding package included $10 billion for school Covid testing, many districts have not yet taken advantage of the opportunity.

More testing resources - and more success stories - may make school Covid testing more popular in fall 2021.
As one of the world's best-loved alcoholic drinks, whisky has a habit of appreciating in value.

According to one measure, rare and vintage whiskies have risen in value by more than 500 per cent in a decade.

Export markets are also booming, with the Scotch Whisky Association estimating that 36 bottles of the spirit are exported every second.

Liquid asset: Rare and vintage whiskies have risen in value by more than 500% in a decade

Thousands of Britons collect and sell rare whiskies, yet Money Mail has spoken to experts who fear unscrupulous firms are using the buzz around the spirit to push low-quality investment opportunities on unsuspecting savers.

In recent years, there have been stories of collectors making significant profits from selling whiskies they purchased years earlier.

The specialist nature of collectors' markets makes them great for those who know what they're doing. But they're also perfect for scammers.

In 2016, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warned about a rise of fine wine scams  where savers were duped into buying overpriced or non-existent wine.

How to spot a con Most experts agree that one of the favoured tactics of scammers is the use of high-pressure phone calls. By putting potential victims under pressure to make a decision, scammers increase their chances of making a sale. Of the whisky websites advertised on Google, several offered a free investment guide  in exchange for your contact details. After putting my details into three websites, I received more than 14 calls and four emails in one afternoon. When I answered the call, a friendly salesman was keen to talk about an apparently rare investment opportunity: buying casks of a new whisky for 2,000 each. 'We say on the website that you can expect to make around 10 pc a year,' he said. 'But I personally think that's a conservative estimate.' An independent whisky expert pointed out that an almost identical cask  from the same unremarkable distillery  had sold at auction earlier this summer: for the princely sum of 900.

These scams thrive on the internet, with data showing that 96 per cent of investment frauds begin online  often through adverts on search engines and social media.

Anti-scam campaigner Mark Taber says he's seen a rise of online adverts touting investments in whisky casks.

He says many of these share the characteristics of classic investment scams  including offering guaranteed returns, and asking visitors for their telephone number.

He also believes that scammers might be using whisky as a way of staying ahead of the regulators.

The search engine Google, for example, has introduced tougher rules requiring anyone advertising financial products to UK users to be registered with the FCA. However, as whisky is a luxury good, rather than a financial product, it falls outside the FCA's remit  and isn't subject to these new rules.

Mr Taber says: 'A red flag for me is that these adverts are deliberately targeting anyone searching for investment advice, rather than people looking to buy whisky.

'There's also a danger that companies will sell on the details of potential victims, who will then be targeted by more typical investment scams.'

Another tell-tale sign of an investment scam is the promise of high returns without the mention of risks.

Money Mail visited the websites of four companies advertising the opportunity to invest in whisky.

All four were offering the chance to buy casks of 'new make spirit'  a clear alcoholic liquid which eventually matures into whisky.

According to the companies websites, buyers could expect to sell their casks for a healthy profit  around 10 per cent per year  once their spirit had matured.

Furthermore, as casked whisky is classed as a 'wasting asset' (i.e. something that degrades over time), profits wouldn't be subject to capital gains tax. You can see why such an offer might sound tempting. But whisky experts are more cautious about the quality of these opportunities.

They say that, while it's true that casks are free of capital gains tax, returns are far from guaranteed.

Andrew Laing is a co-owner of Ardnahoe, the newest distillery to open on Islay  the Scottish island loved by many whisky fans.

Experts have warned over online ads offering the chance to buy casks of maturing whisky and claiming highly questionable returns of around 10 per cent per year

It's one of many distilleries which sells casks of whisky to private investors  with prices ranging from 2,000 to 12,000.

'We would never tell anyone they should expect a certain price or return,' he says. 'It's very much about the experience of owning your own whisky, rather than a typical investment.' Auctioneer turned expert whisky valuer Mark Littler believes some of the firms advertising online are also misleading investors.

He says: 'Casks can be a good investment. But if you are expecting 10 per cent returns a year, you will likely be disappointed.

'The value of whisky doesn't always go up in a linear way, and you won't make any money until you sell your cask completely.'

He advises that anyone buying whisky directly needs to know exactly what they're getting  and seek independent valuation where possible.

They should also keep in mind potential additional costs, such as bottling the whisky when it reaches maturity. If you're looking for less elaborate ways to invest in the rise in demand for whisky, there are alternatives.

FTSE drinks giant Diageo owns several high-end whisky brands  including Lagavulin and Talisker  and has been growing its export markets in recent years.

Its shares are up 56 per cent in five years, making a 10,000 investment in July 2016 worth 15,600 today.

It has also paid at least 2 per cent in dividends each year.

The company has been a long-term pick of fund manager Nick Train, and makes up 10 per cent of his LF Lindsell Train UK Equity fund.

The FTSE-focused fund has performed well in recent years, making a 10,000 investment five years ago worth 15,300.

moneymail@dailymail.co.uk
A first edition copy of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was among a string of rare books sold by auctioneers at Christies for a whopping 7.1million.

The gothic classic, published in 1818, sold for a record-breaking 856,000  the highest price ever paid for a work by a female author. Auctioneers had expected the book to go for as much as 219,000.

It was the high point during a sale of the exceptional literature collection of Theodore B Baum, an American former telecoms tycoon who died in August.

Rarity: A first-edition copy of Frankenstein by Mary Shelly (pictured) sold for a record-breaking 856,000 at Christie's  the highest price ever paid for a work by a female author

Works by other famous writers were also under the hammer, with a first edition of James Joyces Dubliners and a second edition collection of Shakespeares plays going for 293,000 each.

A first edition of Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species went for 412,000, while a first edition of Bram Stokers Dracula fetched 201,000.

Heather Weintraub, a books and manuscripts specialist at Christies, said: It was a privilege working with this exceptional library and we are delighted by the outstanding results.

The sale attracted bidders and buyers from around the world and showed that the market is strong for such fine examples of literary high spots.

The auction comprised two sales that were held both online and in person, with bidders from 14 countries.

Horror classic: Theodore Baum's copy of Shelleys Frankenstein was one of just 500 printed in 1818. Christies said the book was exceptionally rare

Baums collection was described as among the finest ever assembled, with works by English and American authors such as Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Conrad and others.

The tycoon was the former boss of Helicon Cable Communications. He died last month, aged 86, in Florida.

His copy of Shelleys Frankenstein was one of just 500 printed in 1818. Christies said the book was exceptionally rare, with the last one put under the hammer in 1985.

The first edition in its original boards is incredibly fragile and as a result very scarce, so a copy like this, particularly in fine condition, is highly desirable to collectors, a spokesman added. Overall, its a very strong market and we are seeing increased demand for fine examples of literary high spots.

Like other works of art, rare books are seen as an alternative asset class by many investors.

Some of the most important factors in a books value are its condition, rarity and desirability.

First editions are typically the most prized, as the print run is often small.

For example, only 500 first-edition hardback copies of JK Rowlings Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone were originally printed in 1997.

Twenty years later, an inscribed copy fetched 106,250 at a Bonhams auction.
The Treasury has raked in 7.6billion in stamp duty this year - 200million more than the same period in 2019 - despite the holiday that slashed the tax bills for moving home.

Analysis by Coventry Building Society claimed that between the start of the year and end of August 2021, stamp duty land tax receipts were higher than during the same period in pre-pandemic 2019, when 7.4billion was racked up.

The bumper tax take came despite the stamp duty holiday that slashed tax to zero on the first 500,000 of a property's purchase price until the end of June this year - a tax cut of 15,000 on homes costing that much or more.

A smaller tax break of zero up to the first 250,000 still exists until the end of September and Coventry BS calculated that 12.3billion in stamp duty had been paid between the holiday beginning at the start of July 2020 and the end of August 2021.

Treasury boost: The Treasury raked in 12.3bn in stamp duty land tax receipts between the start of the stamp duty holiday last July

In the closest 14-month period over the same months that were not affected by the pandemic, between July 2018 and August 2019, the stamp duty take was slightly higher at 13.9billion.

However, that means the stamp duty tax take was only down 2.16 per cent on a normal year between July 2020 and August 2021, despite that period containing many months of lockdown restrictions.

From July 2020 to the end of August 2021, the Treasury generated around 135million more from SDLT than the previous 14 months.

Total stamp duty receipts for 2020 were 8.6billion, with 5.2billion raked in between January and August 2020.

Back in 2019, and before Covid-19 hit the nation hard, the Treasury pocketed 11.7billion in SDLT receipts, with 7.4billion generated between January and August 2019, which is more than during the same period at the peak of the pandemic in 2020.

This August alone, the Government received 910million in SDLT receipts, and in the past eight months it pocketed 7.6billion from the property transaction tax.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduced the stamp duty holiday in July 2020 in order to give the housing market a boost and stimulate the economy.

Jonathan Stinton, head of intermediary relationships at Coventry Building Society, said: 'Stamp Duty has continued to be a very lucrative source of income for the taxman, even with a large proportion of property purchases being exempt from it for over a year.

'Clearly, theres still a very healthy market for higher value homes, second homes and rental properties.'

Stinton said that, with the Budget coming up on 27 October, the Government should consider raising the thresholds at which higher stamp duty rates kick in.

He believes higher thresholds would 'ease the burden from average home owners and wouldnt make much of a dent in revenue for HMRC'.

'When the holiday ends in a few days time, property tax bills for the average home buyer in England will be more than double than in 2014 when rates were last reviewed', Stinton added.

What's happening to stamp duty now?

The stamp duty holiday is closing in its entirety on 30 September, prompting some experts to fear that the property market could suffer a slowdown.

Buyers wanting to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday must have completed their property purchase by 30 September to have the temporary tax reprieve applied.

Up until the end of June this year, buyers did not have to pay stamp duty on the first 500,000 of a purchase price, meaning they could save up to 15,000.

However, the temporary stamp duty holiday prompted a deluge of buyers to flood the market, with many facing paying more for a home than they set out to amid fierce competition in popular locations.

From 1 July to the end of September, buyers do not have to pay stamp duty on the first 250,000 of their property purchase.

But, from 1 October, stamp duty rates will return to pre-Covid levels, meaning the level at which the tax has to be paid on a residential property purchase will be 125,001 in England and Northern Ireland.

Since 1 July, there has been no stamp duty for first-time buyers on the first 300,000 of a main residential property, provided it costs 500,000 or less.
Advertisement

LATEST RESULTS: Liberal Party: 158 (+1) Conservative Party: 119 (-2) Bloc Quebecois: 34 (+2) New Democratic Party: 25 (+1) Green Party: 2 (-1) *with 98% of votes counted Advertisement

Justin Trudeau has hailed his 'clear mandate' after securing a third term in Canada's general election - but the prime minister's victory has been described as 'bittersweet' as his snap election gamble failed to yield an outright majority.

The 49-year-old beamed on stage last night as he hugged his children Xavier and Ella-Grace and kissed his wife Sophie, 46, at the Liberal's victory party in Montreal, Quebec.

Trudeau's victory lap comes after a grueling campaign that saw a new photo of the PM in blackface emerge on the eve of the election, as well as accusations that the poll was a cynical power grab amid the pandemic.

The Liberals were projected to win 158 seats in the latest results - gaining just one seat on 2019's election, and 12 short of the 170 required for a majority in the House of Commons.

His nearest nearest rivals, the Conservatives, were predicted to lose two seats with 119. The left-wing New Democrats gained one seat to 25, the Quebec-based Bloc Quebecois added another two seats to 34, and the Greens dropped a seat to two.

Trudeau hailed his victory as a judgment on his government's performance during the pandemic and also highlighted his party's work on climate, affordable homes and childcare.

'You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead,' he said.

'You have given this government and this parliament clear direction,' the PM added.

However, Trudeau entered the election leading a stable minority that was not under threat of being toppled and the minor victory only serves to underline his failure to consolidate power.

'Trudeau lost his gamble to get a majority so I would say this is a bittersweet victory for him,' said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

'Basically we are back to square one, as the new minority parliament will look like the previous one.

'Trudeau and the Liberals saved their skin and will stay in power, but many Canadians who didn't want this late summer, pandemic election are probably not amused about the whole situation,' he said.

In addition, Trudeau faces yet more scrutiny on his decision to wear blackface and a turban at an Arabian Nights-themed party in 2001. He apologized for the controversy when it first came to light in 2019 but did not address it following this week's latest publication.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrates his election victory alongside wife Sophie, left, and their children Ella-Grace and Xavier in Montreal, Quebec

Trudeau kisses his wife Sophie at the Liberal election bash following his win

Trudeau with wife Sophie and kids Ella-Grace and Xavier

Conservative party leader Erin O'Toole, wife Rebecca and children Jack and Mollie as the results came in last night in Oshawa, Ontario. O'Toole has said he wants to stay as leader after his party lost two seats

Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet speaks at his election night event in Montreal, Quebec. The party are projected to have secured 34 seats, a two-seat gain on 2019

The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh celebrates with wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu in Vancouver, British Columbia. The left-wing party backed by Bernie Sanders gained one seat on 2019

Trudeau and his wife Sophie smile as they watch the results comes in last night with their three children Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien (held by his mother), at Liberal headquarters in Montreal

The Trudeaus are seen at home watching the election coverage in Montreal

The result suggests there will be little change in approach from the Liberals, who racked up record levels of debt and massive budget deficits fighting COVID-19.

Trudeau, who promised tens of billions of dollars in new investments during the campaign, will once again rely on the support of the smaller left-leaning New Democrats, who want even more social spending.

'We're getting more of the same as what we had before. I don't think markets are going to react either way,' said Martin Pelletier, senior portfolio manager at Trivest Wealth Counsel.

The Canadian dollar was trading slightly higher at 1.2766 to the greenback, or 78.33 U.S. cents, in Asian trading on Tuesday.

'The message Canadians are sending loud and clear is they like the direction the government is taking the country in but they're not quite sure they want to give anybody carte blanche,' former close Trudeau advisor Gerry Butts told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

One night before the Canadian Federal Election, a new photo emerged of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface

In 2019, similar pictures from the same event emerged online, but this is the first time this particular image has been released

Around 800,000 mail-in ballots will be counted on Tuesday, which could affect the final tally in some seats.

The result is a blow to the right-leaning Conservatives, whose leader Erin O'Toole had tried to take a more centrist approach to attract progressive voters.

For the second election in a row the party won a larger share of the popular vote than the Liberals, who nevertheless triumphed with their lock on major urban centers.

O'Toole, who said he was sure Trudeau plans to call another election within two years, said he had called the Liberal leader and challenged him to put the unity of Canada first.

'I told him if he thinks he can threaten Canadians with another election in 18 months, the Conservative Party will be ready,' he told supporters in his home town of Oshawa, east of Toronto.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau and children Ella-Grace and Xavier, waves as he arrives to deliver his victory speech after general elections at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, early on September 21

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kisses his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau next to children Ella-Grace and Xavier, before delivering his victory speech after general elections at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau and children Ella-Grace and Xavier, delivers his victory speech after general elections at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, delivers his victory speech

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau and children Ella-Grace and Xavier, delivers his victory speech

The opposition was relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling an unnecessary early vote - two years before the deadline - for his own personal ambition.

Trudeau bet Canadians did not want a Conservative government during a pandemic.

Canada is now among the most fully vaccinated countries in the world and Trudeau's government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.

Trudeau argued that the Conservatives' approach, which has been skeptical of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, would be dangerous and says Canadians need a government that follows science.

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole did not require his party's candidates to be vaccinated and would not say how many were unvaccinated.

O'Toole described vaccination as a personal health decision, but a growing number of vaccinated Canadians are increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated.

Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose.

And Trudeau has pointed out that Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government, is in crisis.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, an ally of O'Toole, said the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days.

Canada's Prime Minister and Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau greets supporters after his victory speech at election headquarters

Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau (C), next to his wife Sophie Gregoire (L) and daughter Ella Grace (R), waves to supporters as he celebrates his election victory

Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau (C), next to his wife Sophie Gregoire (L) and daughter Ella Grace (R), waves to supporters as he celebrates his election victory in Montreal

Canada's Prime Minister and Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau greets supporters after his victory speech

Margaret Trudeau (C), mother of Canada's Prime Minister and Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau reacts to his victory speech at election headquarters

Kenney apologized for the dire situation and is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions.

'Hubris led Trudeau to call the election. He and the Liberals won the election but lost the prize they were seeking,' said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto.

'This is only a great night for the Liberals because two weeks ago it appeared they would lose government outright - something they could not fathom before they gambled on an election.'

Wiseman said the Conservatives were hurt by the situation in Alberta.

'The explosion of the pandemic in Alberta in the past 10 days undermined O'Toole's compliments of the Alberta Conservatives on how they had handled the pandemic and reinforced Trudeau's argument for mandatory vaccinations,' he said.

A Conservative win would have represented a rebuke of Trudeau against a politician with a fraction of his name recognition.

O'Toole, 47, is a military veteran, former lawyer and a member of Parliament for nine years.

'Canadians did not give Mr Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted,' O'Toole said.

O'Toole said he was more determined than ever to continue but his party might dump him after it dumped the previous leader who failed to beat Trudeau in 2019.

O'Toole hoped to win support from Canadians fed up at pandemic restrictions, but failed

O'Toole, with his wife Rebecca and children Jack and Mollie, conceded in the early hours of Tuesday

O'Toole advertised himself a year ago as a 'true-blue Conservative.'

He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to 'take back Canada,' but immediately started working to push the party toward the political center.

O'Toole's strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his party's base on issues such as climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than its southern neighbor.

The son of a long-time politician has faced criticism he will say and do anything to get elected.

Whether moderate Canadians believed O'Toole is the progressive conservative he claims to be and whether he alienated traditional Conservatives became central questions of the campaign.

Adrian Archambault, a 53-year-old Vancouver resident, voted Liberal and said he didn't mind the election was held during a pandemic.

He noted provincial elections have also happened during the pandemic.

'Everybody has been so preoccupied with COVID the last few years it wasn't maybe a bad thing to sort of do a re-check,' he said.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh leaves with wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu after address the media about the results of the general election in Vancouver

The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, alongside wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, arrives to address the media

The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, alongside wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, arrives to address the media after Canada's 44th general election in Vancouver, British Columbia

Trudeau's legacy includes embracing immigration at a time when the U.S. and other countries closed their doors.

He also legalized cannabis nationwide and brought in a carbon tax to fight climate change.

And he preserved free trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico amid threats by former U.S. President Donald Trump to scrap the agreement.

Barack Obama and ex-Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted support for Trudeau.

There wasn't a Trump endorsement of O'Toole.

Conservative campaign co-chair Walied Soliman said there is no alignment whatsoever between O'Toole and Trumpism.

Soliman said earlier in the day holding Trudeau to a minority government would be a win for O'Toole.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the gun-waving St. Louis couple who gained notoriety last year after confronting BLM protesters

Mark McCloskey, who is among several Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in 2022, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault

Missouri Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel cited Mark and Patricia McCloskey's guilty pleas to misdemeanors from the encounters

The St. Louis couple who waved guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home could have their law licenses suspended.

Missouri Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel, in a court filing, cited Mark and Patricia McCloskey's guilty pleas to misdemeanors stemming from the June 2020 encounter in an attempt to temporarily prevent them from practicing law.

Pratzel's office is responsible for investigating ethical complaints against Missouri lawyers.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, standing in front their house, confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house on June 28, 2020

The couple, both lawyers in their 60s, said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor's house nearby in one of hundreds of similar demonstrations around the country after George Floyd's death

Mark McCloskey, who is among several Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in 2022 in Missouri, pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was ordered to pay a $750 fine.

Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the McCloskeys on July 30.

Pratzels motion said that while a pardon erases a persons conviction, 'the persons guilt remains.'

Parson, a Republican, pardoned Mark McCloskey, who pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750, and Patricia McCloskey, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000.

'Mark McCloskey has publicly stated that if he were involved in the same situation, he would have the exact same conduct,' the McCloskeys' lawyer Joel Schwartz said Tuesday. 'He believes that the pardon vindicates that conduct.'

Mark and Patricia McCloskey confront protesters in front of their home last year

An attorney for the McCloskeys declined comment on Monday.

Pratzel said both crimes showed 'indifference to public safety' and involved 'moral turpitude,' warranting discipline.

He recommended that the Supreme Court indefinitely suspend the McCloskeys licenses.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, pardoned the McCloskeys

The June 28, 2020, protests followed George Floyds death under a Minneapolis police officers knee.

The couple, both lawyers in their 60s, said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor's house nearby in one of hundreds of similar demonstrations around the country after George Floyd's death. The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street.

Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semiautomatic pistol, according to the indictment. Photos and cellphone video captured the confrontation, which drew widespread attention and made the couple heroes to some and villains to others. No shots were fired and no one was hurt.

Special prosecutor Richard Callahan said his investigation determined that the protesters were peaceful.

'There was no evidence that any of them had a weapon and no one I interviewed realized they had ventured onto a private enclave,' Callahan said in a news release after the McCloskeys pleaded guilty.

Patricia and Mark McCloskey leave a St. Louis court house in June after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges

Mark, who fast became the GOP's poster boy and spoke at August's Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump, is now running for US Senate.

He was unapologetic after the plea hearing.

'Id do it again,' he said from the courthouse steps in downtown St. Louis. 'Any time the mob approaches me, Ill do what I can to put them in imminent threat of physical injury because thats what kept them from destroying my house and my family.'

Because the charges were misdemeanors, the McCloskeys did not face the possibility of losing their law licenses or their rights to own firearms.

The McCloskeys were indicted by a grand jury in October on felony charges of the unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering. Callahan later amended the charges to give jurors the alternative of convictions of misdemeanor harassment instead of the weapons charge.

They agreed to give up the weapons used in the incident.

But shortly after the guilty plea, Mark McCloskey showed off his new rifle.

'Checking out my new AR, reads the caption on photos he posted to social media. McCloskey is seen in the photos wearing a curt smile and brandishing the weapon with a finger just above the trigger. One photo also includes his wife Patricia giving a thumbs up.
A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law all but dared supporters of the state's near-total ban on the procedure to try making an early example of him by filing a lawsuit - and by Monday, two people obliged.

Dr Alan Braid admitted in a weekend Washington Post opinion column that he had carried out the procedure, becoming the first Texas abortion provider to publicly reveal he violated the law that took effect on September 1st.

The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks and before some women even know they are pregnant.

Prosecutors cannot take criminal action against Braid, because the law explicitly forbids that.

The only way the ban can be enforced is through lawsuits brought by private citizens, who don't have to be from Texas and who are entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages if successful.

And former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed separate state lawsuits Monday against the doctor.

They both came in ahead of the state's largest anti-abortion group, which had said it had attorneys ready to bring lawsuits.

Neither ex-lawyer who filed suit said they were anti-abortion. But both said courts should weigh in.

Oscar Stilley, who described himself in court paperwork as a disgraced former lawyer who lost his law license after being convicted of tax fraud in 2010, said he is not opposed to abortion but sued to force a court review of Texas' anti-abortion law, which he called an 'end-run.'

He claims the law is likely to be unconstitutional, and that he does not expect to win the lawsuit.

But speaking to the Daily Beast, he said: 'Oscar is going to be the fastest gun in the West. He's going to be there first. If there's money to be had, it's going to go in Oscar's pocket.'

Stilley (right) said he decided to sue Braid (left) after reading a news report about Braids remarks. He added in an interview that he is not personally opposed to abortion but thinks the measure should be subject to judicial review

Stilley, of Cedarville, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, told The Associated Press: 'I don't want doctors out there nervous and sitting there and quaking in their boots and saying, "I can't do this because if this thing works out, then I'm going to be bankrupt".'

The second lawyer to launch legal action, Felipe N. Gomez of Chicago, asked a court in San Antonio in his lawsuit to declare the new law unconstitutional.

In his view, the law is a form of government overreach. He said his lawsuit is a way to hold the Republicans who run Texas accountable, adding that their lax response to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic conflicts with their crack down on abortion rights.

'If Republicans are going to say nobody can tell you to get a shot they shouldn't tell women what to do with their bodies either,' Gomez said. 'I think they should be consistent.'

Gomez said he wasn't aware he could claim up to $10,000 in damages if he won his lawsuit. If he received money, Gomez said he would likely donate it to an abortion rights group or to the patients of the doctor he sued.

A woman carries a sign calling for access to abortion (pictured) at a rally at the Texas State Capitol on September 11, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Texas Lawmakers recently passed legislation, including SB8, which prohibits abortions in Texas after a fetal heartbeat is detected on an ultrasound, usually between the fifth and sixth weeks of pregnancy

A woman participating in a protest with others (pictured) against the six-week abortion ban at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on September 1, 2021. The Justice Department is asking a federal court in Texas to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction against a new state law that bans most abortions in Texas

Legal experts say Braid's admission is likely to set up another test of whether the law can stand after the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect.

'Being sued puts him in a position ... that he will be able to defend the action against him by saying the law is unconstitutional,' said Carol Sanger, a law professor at Columbia University in New York City.

Braid wrote that on September 6, he provided an abortion to a woman who was still in her first trimester but beyond the state's new limit.

'I fully understood that there could be legal consequences - but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn't get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested,' Braid wrote.

Two federal lawsuits were already making their way through the courts over the law, known as Senate Bill 8. In one, filed by abortion providers and others, the Supreme Court declined to block the law from taking effect while the case makes its way through the legal system.

It's still proceeding in the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In the second case, the Justice Department is asking a federal judge to declare the law invalid, arguing it was enacted 'in open defiance of the Constitution.'

The Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the plaintiffs in the first federal lawsuit, is representing Braid.

Nancy Northup, the centers president and CEO, said they 'stand ready to defend him against the vigilante lawsuits that S.B. 8 threatens to unleash against those providing or supporting access to constitutionally protected abortion care.'

Braid could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. His clinic referred interview inquiries to the center.

Texas Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, criticized both lawsuits and Braid's opinion column.

'Neither of these lawsuits are valid attempts to save innocent human lives,' the group said. 'We believe Braid published his op-ed intending to attract imprudent lawsuits, but none came from the Pro-Life movement.'

Texas Right to Life launched a website to receive tips about suspected violations, though it is currently redirecting to the group's homepage. A spokeswoman for the group has noted that the website is mostly symbolic because anyone can report a violation and because abortion providers appeared to be complying with the law.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) has defended the state's abortion law by saying he's working to 'eliminate all rapists.'

A woman protesting is seen carrying a sign criticizing Texas Governor Greg Abbott at a rally at the Texas State Capitol on September 11, 2021 in Austin, Texas

Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if a lawsuit against Braid reaches the Texas Supreme Court, that court could decide whether the Legislature exceeded its power by allowing anyone to sue.

'The Texas Supreme Court will have the opportunity/obligation to say whether this approach - which would not be limited to abortion - is an acceptable way for the Legislature to pursue its goals,' Grossman said.

Seth Chandler, a law professor at the University of Houston, said anyone suing would 'have to persuade a Texas court that they have standing' despite not having personally suffered monetary or property damages.

'The only thing that might have happened is that they're offended by the fact that the abortion has been performed,' he said. 'But there are a lot of Supreme Court decisions saying that merely being offended is not a basis for a lawsuit, and there are Texas Supreme Court decisions saying we follow federal law on what's called standing.'

Braid said in the Post column that he started his obstetrics and gynecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, when abortion was 'effectively illegal in Texas.' That year, he saw three teens die from illegal abortions, he wrote.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade ruling, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, generally around 24 weeks.

'I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces,' Braid wrote. 'I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I can't just sit back and watch us return to 1972.'
The Pentagon appointed Tuesday Air Force Inspector General, Lt. Gen. Sami Said, to conduct a review of the probe of the bungled August 29 U.S. drone strike

The Pentagon named on Tuesday the Air Force inspector general to review the investigation that found the U.S.'s August 29 drone strike killed 10 innocent Afghan civilians, including seven children  and not an Islamic State fighter.

Lieutenant General Sami Said will conduct a review of the U.S. Central Commands probe of the strike in Kabul to consider whether any disciplinary action at the military-level is warranted.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Air Force to appoint an officer to review the investigation examining in detail the chronology of events leading to the tragedy.

The main findings of that probe of the strike were that only Afghan civilians were killed and that the U.S. military had been mistaken in its belief that the white Toyota Corolla it tracked for hours and then struck with a Hellfire missile was a valid threat.

Discrepancies between the military's initial claims about the strike and findings on the ground quickly emerged.

Reports emerged that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at a U.S. humanitarian organization.

There were no signs of a large secondary blast, despite the Pentagon's assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is ordering Said to review the investigation that found three innocent Afghan adults and seven children were killed in a U.S. drone strike on August 29 and not an ISIS fighter

Family members of the victims of the drone strike stand near the wreckage at their home on September 19  the day after the U.S. apologized for mistakenly attacking civilians in Kabul

The head of Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, announced Friday that his investigation had determined that the vehicle targeted by the drone had initially been spotted at a known Islamic State compound in Kabul and was tracked by U.S. intelligence for eight hours.

McKenzie said the intelligence about the vehicle turned out to be tragically mistaken.

The military initially asserted that at least one Islamic State fighter had been killed in the vehicle, but McKenzies investigation found that only innocent civilians were killed. McKenzie took blame for the mistake and apologized.

'This particular strike certainly was a terrible mistake and we certainly regret that, and Ive been very clear that we take full responsibility for it,' he told a Pentagon news conference.

On Saturday, it was revealed that the CIA issued a warning that children may be at the scene of the botched US drone strike in Kabul just seconds before the missile hit the car killing 10 innocent civilians.

Kirby said the Air Force review will study the thoroughness of Central Command's investigation and recommend whether anyone involved should be held accountable.

'If there is accountability to be held, the decisions about who and what would be done would be a separate consideration,' Kirby said, adding that the review should be completed within 45 days of appointment of a reviewing officer.

Ten innocent civilians - all members of the same family - were killed in the August 29 U.S. drone strike

Austin on Friday alluded to his request for a review, saying in a written statement that he wanted to be sure that Central Command had considered 'all available context and information' about the mistaken attack and that accountability be fully considered.

The decision to require a review is a reflection of the seriousness of the mistakes made in the final hours of the U.S. military withdrawal from Kabul, which included a hurried evacuation of more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and others. The evacuation was carried out under the threat of attack by the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate, which had conducted a deadly suicide bombing outside the airport three days before the mistaken drone strike.

The White House revealed on Monday that President Joe Biden also wants a 'thorough' government investigation of the US drone strike that killed an Afghan aide worker and his family members.

Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki fielded multiple questions about the strike after the Pentagon confirmed at a Friday briefing it had not taken out an ISIS target as initially claimed.

'So as a human being, as a president, as somebody who has overseen loss in a variety of scenarios, both as a leader and personally, it is his reaction - it's a tragedy. And every loss of life is a tragedy,' Psaki said at her Monday briefing.

'And he supports the effort to move this forward as soon as possible and have a thorough investigation.'
Annastacia Palaszczuk has hosed down reports Queensland's borders will remain closed until the state hits a 90 per cent double-dose vaccination rate.

The Queensland premier described reports she had rejected the national plan to reopen her state's borders at 80 per cent as 'misinformation'.

'Let me say categorically, national cabinet is working on a national plan, we are waiting on further information on the Doherty modelling coming to national cabinet in a fortnight's time,' she said at a press conference in Bundaberg on Tuesday.

Queensland could hit 80 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage as early as November 13 after a bumper 325,000 jabs last week.

Residents in NSW and Victoria are banned from travelling to Queensland without an exemption, but could be able to enjoy a Christmas holiday in the Sunshine State if vaccination rates remain steady.

Asked what Queensland would look like once the 80 per cent double-dose vaccination threshold was reached under Phase C of the national plan, Ms Palaszczuk said the mark meant 'different things to different states'.

'At the moment you can travel to Queensland from Tasmania, South Australia, WA and the Northern Territory, a large part of Australia is already opened up.' she said.

'Have a look at what it means for NSW and Victoria - it is completely different to Queensland because Queensland is already open.

'You only need to look at the Victorian roadmap as an example, that say when you have 80 per cent fully vaccinated, and that includes 12 to 15 year olds, then you can have 30 people over for Christmas dinner.

'Now we already have 100 people allowed to their homes, we have Queenslanders going out, their normal business, to cafes, restaurants, shops, and I'm told we already have record bookings for [the current ] school holidays.'

'Now if we had the virus come in from NSW or Victoria, we would have to go into lockdown... and then we would be fighting to get our freedoms backs.

'I am trying to get Queenslanders vaccinated to protect out lifestyle and protect our freedoms.'

Ms Palaszczuk described reports she had rejected the national plan to reopen borders once 80 per cent of Australia's population was fully vaccinated as 'misinformation'

Analysis by the Courier Mail shows the state government's Pfizer vaccine blitz last weekend bolstered the vaccination rate to new highs.

If 'Super Pfizer Weekends' become permanent - and other parts of the state without the jab hubs rates rise collectively by 5 per cent a week - 80 per cent of Queenslanders aged 16 and older could be fully-vaccinated by November 13.

Continuing that trajectory, Queensland would hit the 90 per cent jab rate just 10 days later - and six days faster than the current national forecast - if dose supplies are not hampered.

Queensland, alongside Western Australia, has the worst vaccination rates in the country, with 41.8 per cent their residents vaccinated and just over 60 per cent having received one dose.

As they trail behind the rest of the country, Ms Palaszczuk has signalled another mass vaccination weekend could be on the cards.

'We need to drive those vaccination rates even higher,' she said.

'We dont want to see our hospitals overwhelmed and our people sick  we have to be absolutely super prepared.'

Nationwide, November 13 is the day earmarked for Australia to hit the 80 per cent target, initially flagged as the key number for both international and interstate travel to resume.

Under the federal government's four-phase plan, Covid lockdowns will end once 70 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated, a milestone expected to be hit nationally by November 2.

Pictured: People line up at a mass vaccination hub at South Bank, Brisbane, on Monday

Queensland is on track to hit the 90 per cent double dose rate by late November if mass vaccination events continue. Pictured: A woman walks through Greater Brisbane in January

By December 5, when the Covid vaccination rate is forecast to reach 80 per cent, state border were meant to open to allow interstate travel for vaccinated Australians.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who are both battling Delta outbreaks in their states, released roadmaps outlining an end to lockdowns in their capital cities at the 70 per cent target.

But Ms Palaszczuk and Mr McGowan are yet to release blueprints for how their states will progress out of the pandemic.

All state and territories agreed to Scott Morrison's plan three times before it was announced in July but the rebel premiers want the vaccination threshold to be increased for their states.

Border tensions first arose in August when the Queensland and WA premiers disputed the accuracy of the Doherty Institute's modelling used to devise the national recovery plan.

They both argued the initial findings were based on small daily case numbers, and did not reflect the implications of borders reopening while other states, calling for further research in light of NSW's Delta outbreak.

On Friday, the Doherty Institute, released the results of an additional 'sensitivity analyses' of the scenarios presented in its initial report, requested by Ms Palaszczuk and Mr McGowan.

Millions of Aussies could holiday in Queensland from as early as November 23 if the state's vaccination rollout continues on the same trajectory. Pictured: Sydneysiders enjoy a picnic on Saturday

NSW and Victoria have both released roadmaps out of lockdown listing restrictions to be eased once vaccinations milestones are reached. Pictured: Sydney residents enjoy picnics in the city's eastern suburbs on Sunday

The institute was asked to test the robustness of the recommendation to transition to Phases B and C of the national plan at 70 and 80 per cent vaccination coverage if Covid-19 infection was already established in the community.

'These findings confirm our earlier strategic advice that even high levels of vaccination will not be sufficient to stop Covid-19 in its tracks,' the institute said in a statement.

Mr Andrews on Sunday released his long-awaited road map out of lockdown as the state recorded 507 new cases and another death, bringing its toll from the latest outbreak to 11.

The road map includes scrapping the nightly curfew once 70 per cent of Victorians are fully vaccinated.

But substantial changes will not be made until 80 per cent of people are immunised, which is forecast to occur around November 5.

'We are opening up, no doubt about that, and there will be no turning back,' Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

'If you care about nurses, doctors, ambos, cooks and cleaners, everyone in our health system, if they're important to you, then get vaccinated.'

Ms Berejiklian said recreation rules will be relaxed for 12 hotspots in western Sydney from Monday, a week after the rest of the state.

These include fully vaccinated adults being able to exercise outdoors with no time limits and gather in groups of five for outdoor recreation within 5km of home.

But the premier warned the state is still in a 'precarious' situation and case numbers will increase when it reopens at the 70 per cent vaccination target.

'We are anticipating our worst weeks in ICU and hospitals will be in October,' she said.
Leigh Sales has bizarrely found herself at the centre of a social media storm after asking if 'ordinary people' sick and tired of Melbourne's lockdowns protested at the city's violent anti-lockdown riots.

The award-winning political reporter asked Victoria's Chief Commissioner of Police on Monday evening how many everyday people were present during Saturday's protests and Monday's brawl outside the CFMEU.

'Do you have any sense of how many of the attendees are violent conspiracy theory types who are using Covid opportunistically versus the people who are just ordinary Melburnians fed-up with lockdowns?' Sales asked.

Leigh Sales (pictured) has sent tongues wagging after asking if 'ordinary people' sick and tired of stay-at-home orders attended Melbourne's violent anti-lockdown riots.

Commissioner Patton said the protests held last month and over the weekend were attended by a majority of 'young, angry men' using the opportunity to attack police officers.

'That's basically what we're seeing. It's not about the normal protestors who we would often have in the past come along,' he said.

The police commissioner said no mothers and fathers were in attendance at Saturday's violent protest, which was fronted by more than 1,000 people in Melbourne.

Sales then asked Mr Patton how he believed right-wing extremists were exploiting the Covid-19 pandemic to push their own agendas.

'We've seen right-wing extremists present at these past protests, we know that is the case, and they are exploiting the opportunity to participate in violence in amongst crowds, as do other people,' he replied.

'We saw thugs at both of these protests. These crowds are being used by cowards so that they can conduct criminal activities.

'Some of these right-wing extremists are using these opportunities to do the same so that's of significant concern for us.'

Victoria's Police Commissioner said some of the protestors at the anti-lockdown riots were cowards using the crowds to 'conduct criminal activities' (pictured, Victoria Police clashing with protestors in Melbourne on Saturday)

Alison Pennington, a senior economist at the Australian Institute, slammed Sales as providing 'dangerous cover' of the event on Twitter (pictured)

Leigh Sales (right) found herself on the receiving end of angry tweets that claimed the behaviour at the protests over the weekend was anything but 'ordinary'

But despite her balanced questioning, Sales found herself on the receiving end of angry tweets that claimed the behaviour at the protests over the weekend was anything but 'ordinary'.

Alison Pennington, a senior economist at the Australian Institute, slammed Sales as providing 'dangerous cover' of the protest after an interview with a trade union boss who slammed protests held outside the head office on Monday.

'Straight after (union boss Sally) McManus decried far-right/anti-vax targeting unions ABC 7:30 ran a story on the weekend Melbourne protests. VIC Pol describe internet-connected "young angry violent men" seeking to punch-on.

'Sales asks Are they ordinary people just frustrated with lockdowns? THIS. Is dangerous cover,' Ms Pennington tweeted.

Australian Council of Trade Unions chief Sally McManus had denounced 'right-wing extremists' on the program for targeting the construction union to protest mandates on mask-wearing, lockdowns and vaccinations.

Another Twitter user said Sales had suggested the behaviour seen at the weekend protests was a reasonable way for 'ordinary people' fed-up with lockdowns to act.

One said Sales had simply been seeking confirmation for the viewer that the majority of attendees were a 'minority behaving extremely'.

'Ordinary people may be frustrated, but ordinary people dont rampage in the streets and attack police,' a third tweeted.

Sally McManus denounced 'right-wing extremists' for targeting the construction union to protest mandates on mask-wearing, lockdowns and vaccinations (pictured, construction workers seen protesting at the CFMEU headquarters on Tuesday)

Anti-lockdown riots erupted in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday with some violent protesters overpowering police officers (pictured, a man being arrested in Melbourne on Saturday)

Ms McManus told Sales anti-vax conspiracists had been targeting construction unions for months to push their own agendas.

'This is coordinated. And it's coordinated by some extremist groups, the same people that were organising those rallies on the weekend,' the secretary said.

'What we saw today was absolutely disgusting, that attack on the union office. That was led and orchestrated by the very same people.

'They want to get unions on their side with their conspiracy theories. The union movement in this country will not be intimidated by them.'

Premier Dan Andrews announced a two week shut down of the construction industry in Metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong, the Surf Coast, Ballarat and Mitchell Shire on Monday.

The announcement came after the CFMEU building was damaged and riot police were deployed in wild scenes on Monday.

Tradies were filmed throwing projectiles at the union building in the CBD as a demonstration against mandatory vaccines turned violent, with police forced to fire rubber bullets at the crowd.

A few hours later, it was announced that hundreds of thousands would be out of work thanks to an unprecedented industry-wide shutdown.

It is understood to have been imposed due to high levels of Covid transmission happening at worksites and fears of 'non-compliance' with the new rules.

The announcement came after the CFMEU building was damaged and riot police were deployed in wild scenes on Monday (pictured, construction workers protesting on Monday)

Furious CFMEU leader John Setka has blasted the protesters as 'drunken fascist un-Australian morons', and blamed them for the government's controversial decision (pictured, construction workers arguing amongst themselves during protest at CFMEU headquarters on Monday)

Furious CFMEU leader John Setka blasted the protesters as 'drunken fascist un-Australian morons', and blamed them for the government's controversial decision.

Ms McManus said the union would always put safety first and supported those that chose to get vaccinated, describing jabs as the only way to get out of lockdown.

Sales asked the secretary if she thought it was fair for those who decided not to get vaccinated to ultimately lose the opportunity to earn a living.

'Sure it's an individual choice, but there's consequences,' Ms McManus replied.

'Follow medical experts on this issue, not mad people on the internet, not people that have got other motives, which clearly some of these groups do.'
Isaabdul Karim died Sunday at Rikers Island

A wheelchair-bound Rikers Island prisoner has died inside the notorious lockup Sunday, marking the 11th fatality at the facility this year.

Isaabdul Karim, 42, died of apparent 'natural causes' while in jail on a parole violation, officials said.

It comes as politicians call for the closure of the understaffed prison, which has been dubbed a 'horror house of abuse and neglect'.

Karim, who died Sunday about 7:35 p.m., was in a wheelchair and contracted COVID-19 after being jailed August 18, his legal team said.

Although no foul play is suspected, the case renewed calls for better treatment of the incarcerated.

Providing for the safety of incarcerated people is our core mission, and I am heartbroken that we have seen yet another death of a human being entrusted to our care, New York Corrections Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi said in a statement.

The cause of death so far appears to be natural, but there is nothing natural about what is happening in our jail system right now.

Karim, 42, was the 11th prisoner to die this year while locked up at the notorious Rikers Island

Ten inmates have died at the jail already this year, and at least half are believed to have taken their own lives, according to NBC News.

The Legal Aid Society, which represented Karim, said the latest casualty was jailed on a parole violation for smoking marijuana and failing to make an office report.

Tina Luongo, who leads the societys criminal defense practice, said she was heartbroken and outraged by the news.

Mr. Karim suffered from a host of medical issues for which he required a wheelchair, she said in a press release. Adding to this, Mr. Karim contracted COVID-19 while mired in intake for ten days, and he was denied access to his medications and critical medical care.

He should have been in the community with his family, friends and network, not in a jail plagued by an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Technical violations should not amount to a death sentence, and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Anthony Annucci has much to answer for.

Legal advocates said Karim was jailed on a technical parole violation, and caught COVID there

Violence runs rampant in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, which is one of the facilities located on Rikers Island in NYC's East River.

On August 30, a Rikers Island correction officer was left with a fractured skull after being viciously beaten by an inmate - who later said 'voices' in his head told him to carry out the attack.

A criminal complaint filed alleged that the inmate knocked the officer to the ground while pummeling him with his fists before stomping on his head and stealing the guard's pepper spray, according to The New York Post.

Violence is a frequent occurrence at the correctional facility, which some advocates want shut

A day earlier, a series of videos from Rikers Island captured violent scenes of inmates attacking prison guards - including one incident where one officer could not stand up after being brutally kicked and stomped on.

In July, a Rikers Island jail captain was making his nightly rounds when an inmate with a history of attacks and escape attempts hurled his feces at him.

Captain Nauvella Lacroix, who's spent nearly nine years with the Department of Corrections in New York City, was struck in the face and torso area, leaving his uniform covered in human waste.

A photo shows him standing at a jail facility with his shirt smothered in human waste.

Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the release of 191 Rikers inmates after signing the Less is More Act

Politicians are pushing for change.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul last Friday signed into law the Less is More Act, which helps eliminate the jailing of those whove violated parole rules.

She ordered the immediate release of 191 Rikers Island inmates in jail for technical violations, and the transfer of another 200 prisoners.

A corrections officer was brutally attacked by an inmate at Rikers Island on August 30. The officer fractured his skull and received 20 stitches (pictured)

New York Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, part of a delegation , said she was appalled by the treatment of inmates.

'What I witnessed was a humanitarian crisis,' Gallagher tweeted. 'A horror house of abuse and neglect. I'll share more soon but for now my message is simple: decarcerate.'

Other politicians spoke of the facility being severely understaffed, with some guards having to work double or triple shifts.

The New York City Department of Correction last Wednesday handed out suspensions to 20 officers for failing to show up to work amid an ongoing crisis at the notorious jail.

The crackdown took place just one day after Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a warning that any DOC staff member who was AWOL 'will be held accountable with 30-day suspension without pay.'

During his daily press conference on Tuesday, the mayor unveiled a five-point plan to address the dire situation at Rikers Island, which has long suffered from being critically overcrowded and understaffed.

The NYC Department of Correction on Wednesday handed out 30-day suspensions without pay to 20 officers who failed to show up to work for no apparent reason

Under the mayor's Emergency Rikers Relief Plan, any DOC officer who calls out sick for more than a day will have to undergo a medical evaluation and provide a doctor's note, or face a 30-day suspension.

DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi said last week that more than 1,400 officers out of a staff of 8,500 were out sick on average in August, which is more than double compared to the same time last year, reported New York Daily News.

About 93 officers skipped work a day in August 2021, compared to 29 the year before.

A plan was approved in 2019 to shutter Rikers and replace it with several smaller jails, but it won't happen until 2026.
A pregnant mum has given birth in the passenger seat of the family's brand new car while stopped in an underground parking lot.

Baby Ella Milner was delivered in front of the Epworth Hospital carpark's pay station in Melbourne on the weekend, before dad James had a chance to even find a spot.

Mum Stephanie Stewart began experiencing contractions at home and phoned the hospital who encouraged her to make their way but five minutes later Ella was already on the way.

Mum Stephanie Stewart gave birth in the underground carpark at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne on the weekend (pictured)

In a race against the clock to get to the hospital, the family jumped into James' new Subaru with the quick-thinking dad packing plenty of towels just in case.

The family didn't even have time to find a parking spot before Ella was delivered in the passenger seat of the vehicle after just three pushes.

'(We were) in safe hands so at that point we just let it happen and then she was born,' Ms Stewart told 7News.

Midwives rushed to the underground carpark, who was born weighing in at a healthy 3.1kg.

'She was nice and pink and was crying straight away so it's an amazing sound to hear,' midwife Raquel Iannello-Tabone said.

With additional blankets and a wheelchair on hand the family told the news outlet they were relieved the labour went smoothly - with both baby's left unharmed.

'We're very lucky in all aspects - car's fine, Ella's fine. Everything's worked out well,' he said.
Hundreds of people protested outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday over the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine across the globe.

Health Gap and the People's Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of activist equality organizations, held a protest against 'vaccine apartheid'  their description of the global Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

The group are demanding extra vaccine production and also for the technology used to make the jab to be shared more widely to ensure more local production around the world.

More than 5 billion vaccine shots have been administered worldwide, with 81% across ten high and upper middle-income countries.

Protesters in masks depicting US President Joe Biden act as people hold a die-in and blocking 2nd Avenue during a protest near United Nations headquarters

Protesters hold placards demanding equal access to the covid-19 vaccine, in New York city

Protestors in masks depicting US President Joe Biden attend a protest near the United Nations

Many countries around the world with fewer resources have not had access to sufficient supply of the vaccines against COVID-19 and the protestors hope to make their point

People march during a protest near United Nations headquarters call on US President Joe Biden and the international community to help provide wider access to the COVID-19 vaccine

Activists demand a change to the United Nations and United States approach to ending the pandemic and 'Vaccine Apartheid' outside the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan

An activist wears a rubber mask of U.S. President Joe Biden at a protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid'

The U.N.-backed vaccine program is so far behind schedule that not even 10 percent of the population in poor countries is fully vaccinated.

Less than four percent of the population of African has been vaccinated. Millions of healthcare workers on the continent also remain unvaccinated.

The U.S. has pledged to donate more than 600 million doses and to increase manufacturing of the vaccine in the United States, India and South Africa.

'A year ago, the barrier to beating this cruel disease was science. Today it is inequality. We have the ability to vaccinate the world and to end this pandemic. But instead, rich countries are hoarding vaccines and protecting the profits of their pharmaceutical corporations instead of saving lives,' a statement by the People's Vaccine Alliance read.

'Rich countries have bought more vaccine doses than they could ever use  while the rest of the world has minimal access to protection. A handful of pharmaceutical corporations dictate the manufacturing, distribution, and cost of the vaccine  they get to decide who lives and who dies- despite the fact that they created many of these vaccines with public money.

'This is particularly short-sighted because epidemiologists say the virus is mutating rapidly. This means the vaccines that the rich and powerful are presently hoarding could be ineffective within a year  posing a risk to us all. Elected officials have the chance right now to end vaccine apartheid and save millions of lives,' the activist group charge.

Activists protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid' outside the United Nations Headquarters

Activists held up tombstones displaying the number of deaths in each of the various countries

The protestors are calling on the international community to help provide wider access to the COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccine costs have pushed many developing countries to the end of the COVID-19 vaccination queue, with most low-income ones not even able to line up

As richer nations are buying up more vaccines for third shots, vaccination inequities are becoming starker

Activists explained their protest through a series of speeches via the use of a megaphone

The protest took place directly outside the United Nations HQ

Activists dressed up as President Biden with symbolic blood on their hands

The protest appeared symbolic but got ints message across loud and clear

Many of the protestors appeared to lay the blame with President Biden

On Monday, activists staged called on President Biden to 'end vaccine apartheid.'

Nearly 60 human rights and other advocacy groups sent a letter to him in the hopes of urging him to back a $25 billion investment.

The money would see eight billion doses of the vaccine produced over the course of a year.

'Our best chance of all staying safe is to ensure a COVID-19 vaccine is available for all as a global common good. This will only be possible with a transformation in how vaccines are produced and distributed  pharmaceutical corporations must allow the COVID-19 vaccines to be produced as widely as possible by sharing their knowledge free from patents,' a statement on People's Vaccine Alliance reads.

'Instead they are protecting their monopolies and putting up barriers to restrict production and drive up prices, leaving us all in danger. No one company can produce enough for the whole world. So long as vaccine solutions are kept under lock and key, there won't be enough to go around. We need a People's Vaccine, not a profit vaccine.'

Doctor Oni Blackstock speaks at a protest for U.S. to end 'Vaccine Apartheid'

Activists marched along streets close to the UN where world leaders are gathering

The activists want to see a vaccine delivered without profit at its core

Protesters hold placards demanding equal access to the covid-19 vaccine, in New York city near where the high-level 76th session of the UN General Assembly is taking place
Australians could be forced to wear masks indefinitely in some high-risk settings even after vaccination rates soar to 80 per cent, experts say.

With the country set to open up once that vaccination target is reached, some restrictions will stay to prevent the risk of large and uncontrollable Covid-19 outbreaks.

Monash University infectious disease expert Michael Lydeamore said until health authorities could be certain that there was not a risk of cases flaring up without some level of measures, Australians would have to learn to live with them.

'Masks are probably here to stay,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australians could have to wear masks indefinitely in some high-risk settings even after vaccination rates soar to 80 per cent, experts say (pictured in Melbourne)

'They're a relatively low-impost intervention that we know reduces transmission by some amount, and so, at least until we're in a situation where we're very confident we're not going to have a big surge of cases, the masks are going to hang around in these closed settings.'

The same was said last month by NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant who added there will likely be some restrictions held in place for years.

'The Doherty Report modelling says that at 80 per cent you have options and choices - but that's not to say you're not going to have to respond with a level of restrictions,' she said.

'It may be that we actually have indoor mask-wearing for years in certain settings.

'It could be you're only permitted to go to certain high-risk venues if you're vaccinated and can show proof of vaccination.'

Meanwhile, for states such as Western Australia which are trying to keep a Covid-zero approach, a recent Doherty Institute sensitivity analysis predicts the virus would eventually find a way in.

Life is set to reopen once 80 per cent of the population have received both jabs but some measures are likely to remain for years to come

What are the four phases of opening up? A. Vaccinate, prepare and pilot (from July 14) Arrival caps cut in half to 3,035 a week; early, stringent and short lockdowns if outbreaks occur; trials of seven-day home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals in South Australia; medicare vaccination certificates available on apps like apple wallet B. Post vaccination phase (when 70 per cent are jabbed, expected late this year) Lockdowns less likely but possible; vaccinated people face reduced restrictions; caps for unvaccinated arrivals increased; a larger cap for vaccinated arrivals with 'reduced quarantine requirements'; capped entry for students and economic visa holders C. Consolidation phase (when 80 per cent are jabbed, time not announced) Only 'highly targeted' lockdowns; lifting all restrictions for outbound travel for vaccinated travellers; no caps for vaccinated arrivals; increased caps for students and visa holders; more travel bubbles being set up with countries such as Singapore; booster shots rolled out D. Final phase (percentage or time not announced) Uncapped arrivals for vaccinated people without any quarantine and uncapped arrivals for unvaccinated people with testing before departure and on arrival Advertisement

'In reality, the national Covid-19 epidemic has been and will continue to be a 'fire' fought on multiple fronts,' the Doherty report said.

Australians can expect a return to near normal life once 80 per cent of those aged 16 and older have received both jabs.

International travel is set to return while only 'highly targeted' lockdowns will be enforced in the event of large outbreaks.

As of Tuesday, 47 per cent of the Australian adult population have received both jabs.
The Duke of York has been served with a sexual assault lawsuit after the relevant paperwork was delivered to his US lawyer, according to his accuser's legal team.

Virginia Roberts is seeking damages after alleging Andrew sexually assaulted her, a claim he vehemently denies.

Her lawyers said earlier this month the duke had officially been served with the papers, but his legal team disputed the claim.

The issue of whether or not Andrew has been notified about the case  known as service of proceedings  was contested during the first pre-trial hearing of the civil case last week in New York.

It was reported the judge in the case, US district judge Lewis Kaplan, had ruled Ms Giuffre's legal team could attempt to deliver the papers to Andrew B Brettler, the duke's Los Angeles-based lawyer.

Virginia Roberts is seeking damages after alleging Andrew sexually assaulted her, a claim he vehemently denies. The pair are pictured together in 2001

Virginia Roberts' lawyer David Boies, left, said papers were sent to Andrew Brettler, right

The certificate of service has now been delivered via email and FedEx, according to court records.

The email was sent on September 17 while the physical papers were delivered on Monday, the legal document claims.

It was left with the front desk of Mr Brettler's office in Los Angeles, according to the FedEx receipt.

The email sent to Mr Brettler stated: 'Pursuant to Judge Kaplan's September 16, 2021, order granting Plaintiff's motion for alternate service (attached), I am serving by email the Summons and Complaint in the above-captioned matter on you in your capacity as counsel for the Defendant, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.'

The filing says papers were also sent 'to the designated central authority of the United Kingdom on the court's behalf'.

Ms Giuffre's lawyers claimed on September 10 that they had served the legal papers on Andrew by leaving them with a Metropolitan Police officer who was on duty at the main gates of the The Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, on August 27 at 9.30am.

Andrew's legal team contested whether he has been officially notified about her claim for damages from the duke.

Prince Andrew has been staying with the Queen at Balmoral to make it more difficult for the case papers to be served on him. He is pictured there on Sunday

Ms Roberts' lawyers have posted evidence of previous attempts to serve the Duke with the paperwork necessary to start the case

Ms Giuffre is suing the Queen's son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. She is seeking unspecified damages, but there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars.

Andrew has denied all the allegations.

His eldest daughter Beatrice gave birth to her first child, a girl weighing 6lb 2oz, on Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Monday.
NRL star Anthony Milford's career could be under threat after he allegedly assaulted onlookers who intervened in a heated argument between him and his partner outside a nightclub.

The 27-year-old was arrested in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley at 2am on Monday after arguing on the street with Miri Fa'i and allegedly pushing two women and one man who confronted him, before allegedly throwing a wheelie bin at a car.

The arrest was initially reported as a domestic violence incident but the Daily Mail Australia understands Milford and Fa'i were involved in a heated argument outside a nightclub when the three bystanders approached them.

Daily Mail Australia understands that Anthony Milford (pictured above) argued with his partner, Miri Fa'i, outside a Brisbane nightclub when three onlookers intervened, after which Milford allegedly assaulted them and damaged a car by allegedly throwing a wheelie bin

Anthony Milford and Miri Fa'i were due to move to Sydney as he was set to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a $300,000 deal

Milford allegedly pushed the two women and one man before damaging the car.

Milford was arrested and spent the morning in police lock-up before being released on Monday.

'A 27-year-old Forest Lake man was arrested nearby and charged with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of wilful damage,' a Queensland Police statement said.

What the charges mean for Milford's playing career is unclear so far, but his new deal with Souths could be in jeopardy

'He was given police bail to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 20.'

Fa'i and Milford have two daughters, Aaliyah and Ariana, and were set to depart Brisbane to live in Sydney for his move to play for South Sydney.

What these charges mean for Milford's playing career is unclear, but his new deal, believed to be worth $350,000, with Souths could be in jeopardy.

Milford has just departed the Broncos after signing a one-year contract on July 30 for South Sydney following a run of poor form with Brisbane.

He initially signed for the Broncos for $1million.

Milford's new contract was due to commence in mid-November, but any suspension he faced would be served with Souths.

In 2019 the NRL introduced the no-fault stand-down policy - suspending players faced with serious criminal charges with a maximum jail term of 11 years or more.

Milford, 27, has just departed the Broncos after signing a one-year contract on July 30 for South Sydney following a run of poor form with Brisbane

Milford's offences do not trigger the policy, but the NRL has discretionary power to suspend players, as it has done with Penrith's Tyrone May and Manly's Dylan Walker.

The NRL's Integrity Unit is understood to be in contact with Queensland police and is assessing the charges.

The Broncos released a statement effectively saying the matter was no longer their concern.

'Anthony Milford has completed his contractual duties with the Brisbane Broncos,' the statement said.

'He is on leave and due to begin a new NRL contract elsewhere at the commencement of the 2022 pre-season.

'As the matter is now before the courts, the Broncos will make no further comment.'
Australia's ditching of a $90billion French submarine deal could derail a potential free trade agreement with the European Union.

France is outraged at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's termination of a plan for the Naval Group to build 12 diesel-powered Attack-class submarines by the mid-2030s.

Australia last week announced a new pact with the US and the UK, known as AUKUS, to produce nuclear-powered submarines within two decades in response to China's rise in the Pacific.

The US is sharing its nuclear technology with a new nation for the first time since 1958 when it formed a defence alliance with the UK

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has weighed in to express her outrage at Australia terminating a 2016 arrangement for France to build diesel submarines in Adelaide.

Australia's ditching of a $90billion French submarine deal could derail a potential free trade deal with the European Union (pictured is a submarine designed by the French Naval Group)

'There are a lot of open questions that have to be answered,' she told CNN in New York.

'One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable.'

France's Europe minister Clement Beaune said Paris could scuttle further progress on an EU-Australia trade deal.

'Keeping one's word is the condition of trust between democracies and between allies,' he told Politico.

'So it is unthinkable to move forward on trade negotiations as if nothing had happened with a country in which we no longer trust.'

Australia has since June 2018 been in negotiations with the EU to devise a free trade deal.

During the 2019-20 financial year, Australia's two-way trade with the EU was worth $78.7billion, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade data showed.

But that access could be at risk with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on September 16 joining Mr Morrison by video link, only hours after France was told its submarine deal was off.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (pictured left with French President Emmanuel Macron) has weighed in to express her outrage at Australia terminating a 2016 arrangement for France to build diesel submarines in Adelaide

The nuclear submarine development would see Australia join just six nations in the world to have nuclear-powered submarines, with the development jeopardising relations with France, a key EU member.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last week accused Australia of 'duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt' as he recalled back to Paris France's ambassadors to Australia and the US.

The Brexit era has seen the UK embrace Australia as it loosened trade and defence ties with the EU.

Since Brexit was concluded in January 2020, the UK has begun free trade negotiations with Australia, signalling it would give Australian agricultural producers greater access.

France is outraged at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement to terminate a plan for the Naval Group to build 12 diesel-powered Attack-class submarines by the mid-2030s (he is pictured centre with UK PM Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden)

Australia has bilateral trade deals with the US, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Chile, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Peru, Indonesia, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

China, Australia's biggest trading partner, however has imposed sanctions on Australian barley, wine, beef, lamb, lobsters and timber after Mr Morrison last year called for an inquiry into the origins of Covid.

Iron ore, Australia's biggest export, hit record highs above $US200 a tonne in July thanks to China's insatiable demand.

But the price of the commodity used to make steel has now dropped to $US100, as China cuts back on steel production to meet climate change targets, demonstrating the need for Australia to diversify its trading base.
Gabby Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, says she received an alarming text that has been sent from her daughter's phone number during what are believed to be the final days of the 22-year-old's life.

According to a warrant obtained by police in Florida, the cryptic message - which is described as the 'last communication' anyone had with Petito - asked about her grandfather.

On August 27th, 2021, the subjects mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an odd text from the subject. The text message read, Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls,' the warrant reads.

'The reference to Stan was referring to Gabbys grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him Stan. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.

After receiving the text, Petito's phone was 'no longer operational' and she 'stopped posting anything on social media about their trip'.

Her family says this was 'not normal behavior' for Petito, which made them more worried about her.

On August 27th, 2021, the subjects mother, Nichole Schmidt (pictured), received an odd text from the subject. The text message read, Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls,' a warrant obtained by Florida police reads

Forensic experts have been poring over Petitos computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device.

The computer was with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie when he returned to Florida without Petito on September 1.

A body believed to be Petito's was found in near a campsite in Wyoming on Sunday, and Laundrie - who returned to his parents' Florida home on September 1 - has vanished, and been declared missing.

Part of the application for the document revealed the last text message Petito sent to her mother Nichole Schmidt that set off alarm bells when it was received.

It added this was the last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' road trip. Petito's body was found on Sunday and Laundrie has disappeared

While this text was not a typical message for Petito, investigators do believe she sent the Aug. 27 text.

However, they do believe the text sent from her phone on Aug. 30 was not actually written by Petito.

Schmidt acknowledged receiving another text from her daughter's phone - previously believed to be Petito's final message - on Aug. 30 reading: 'No service in Yosemite.'

She is convinced her daughter didnt sent that final message and that she believes Petito's boyfriend may have sent the message from her phone, possibly to mislead her family and investigators as to her whereabouts.

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

Part of the application for the document reveals a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother Nichole Schmidt that set off alarm bells when it was received.

Petito's computer was in her white Ford Transit van that was taken away by police very late September 11  some 10 days after boyfriend Brian Laundrie had already returned to Florida without her.

The vehicle was taken by North Port Police around five hours after Schmidt- who lives on Long Island, New York - reported her daughter missing. A warrant to search the vehicle was issued on September 14.

The computer warrant application explains that Petito and Laundrie left from New York state sometime in mid-June 2021 for a vacation in Utah, traveling a variety of National Parks along the way. While they were on their trip, they documented some of the events on a YouTube video, VAN LIFE: Beginning Our Van Life Journey.

It added: During the trip the subject sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother Nichole Schmidt  during these conversations there appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie.

The document says the hard drive is a black Western Digital and is in the property/evidence vault and North Port Police Department.

In the warrant, police were given authority to search 'any and all external storage device(s), commercial software and hardware, computer disks, disk drives, tape drives, disk application programs, data disks, system disk operating systems, electronic mail, system storage devices, tape systems and hard drive and other computer-related operation equipment, in addition to computer photographs, graphic interchange formats and/or photographs, or other visual depictions.'

Additionally, WFLA reported that the warrant gives police access to a wide range of content potentially found on the hard drive, and digital documents, notes, passwords, encryptions or data security devices which might keep them from accessing the contents.

Laundrie and Petito set off on their dream road trip from New York on July 2

Part of the warrant application reads that Detective/Officer Daniel Aliz #398, a duly sworn law enforcement officer of the North Port Police Department.. deposes and says that he/she has probable cause to believe and does believe that the laws of the State of Florida have been violated.

The laws related to the missing/endangered person(s) controlled by Florida State Statute 937.021 in regard to w/f Gabrielle Venora Petito.

That the officer has reason to believe that evidence connected with the investigation is currently contained within the computer(s) external storage device(s) described below.

The white van, which belonged to Petito and not Laundrie, was tracked as going through a license plate reader at the Sumpter Boulevard exit of Interstate 75 towards North Port on September 1 at roughly 10.26am, reveals the application.

The warrant, issued by the office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court, was executed on Thursday, September 16  two days after Laundrie vanished from his parents home saying he was heading to the 25,000 acre Carlton Reserve, a swampy reserve infested with alligators.

Nicole Schmidt and her husband James are pictured during a September 14 press conference appealing for information about Petito's whereabouts

Laundrie and Petito are seen in a photo dated July 29. The pair met at high school on Long Island, New York, and begun dating several years ago

Petito and Laundrie in one of their photos from Instagram, to promote their blog about the trip

FBI agents stormed Laundrie's family's home on Monday and removed his parents from the house while declaring the area a crime scene moments after authorities called off a search of a nearby nature reserve, saying they have 'exhausted all avenues.'

The FBI tweeted on Monday that it 'is executing a court-authorized search warrant today at the Laundrie residence in North Port, FL relevant to the Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito investigation.'

'No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation,' the FBI added.

Steven Berolino, an attorney for the family, told ABC 7 that the family went looking for Laundrie on Wednesday. They found his Ford Mustang, which had a police note on it demanding that the vehicle be removed from the area.

The family initially left the car there so that Laundrie could drive it back, but they returned on Thursday to retrieve it, according to Bertolino.

The next day, the family filed a missing persons report for him.

DailyMail.com was on the scene Monday as FBI agents led Chris and Roberta Laundrie, Brian Laundrie's parents, out of the home and into a police van. They were allowed back into the residence about an hour later.

The dramatic developments came a day after investigators found the body of a person believed to be his fiance, missing van-lifer Petito, in Wyoming.

A forensic pathologist from Sheridan, Wyoming will travel 360 miles east to Teton County Coroner's Office to perform the autopsy.

FBI agents are seen searching the family home of Brian Laundrie on September 20

An FBI agent is pictured at the North Port home of Laundrie's parents on September 20

On Monday, chilling 911 audio revealed how a caller in Utah reported a domestic abuse incident involving Petito and Laundrie. The caller claimed Laundrie was seen slapping her on August 12.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car in Utah, 13 days before she was last seen. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

Shortly after the call, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police. In the video, an emotional Petito with tears streaming down her face tells officers she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet.

When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin.

Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

The cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor' and say they are separating the couple for the night.

The couple had been traveling around the country in their camper van since early July and were visiting Moab, Utah when they got into an altercation, an incident report reveals.
Blundering military officials have mistakenly revealed the names of hundreds of terrified Afghan interpreters hiding from the Taliban.

The astonishing error in an email could prove to be a death sentence for all of them if any are caught.

Last night, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ordered an urgent investigation into the data breach.

After years of working for British forces on the front line, the interpreters were to be given sanctuary in the UK as the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan.

Email addresses, names and photos of scores of Afghan interpreters were revealed in a data breach yesterday [file photo]

Blunder: The MoD apologised for the data breach and said an inquiry would be carried out. Pictured: The MoD HQ in London's Whitehall

But in the chaos at Kabul airport last month, hundreds failed to get on the RAF mercy flights airlifting Britons and loyal Afghans to safety.

Those stranded with their families were forced into hiding from Taliban fighters who vowed to hunt down the 'traitors' who had worked for the 'infidel' British.

Now the Ministry of Defence has plunged them into even deeper peril by inadvertently distributing a list of all their names.

In a shocking gaffe, an official sent an email to about 250 interpreters and other Afghans cleared for refuge in the UK who are still in hiding in Afghanistan, asking them for an update on their situation.

But it included all their email addresses, which in most cases are simply their names. Some of the email addresses had photos attached.

All the information could be seen by every recipient of the message from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy team (Arap), which has been in contact with them since the Taliban took control of the country.

The unnamed official failed to use 'blind copy'  the email feature that stops recipients of a group email seeing who else it had been copied to.

By only capturing one interpreter, the Taliban could now acquire details of all the rest.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer tweeted: 'The truth on how we have treated our Afghan interpreters will come out.

'All the back slapping over Operation Pitting masks a criminally negligent performance by the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office on doing our duty to these people.

Interpreters affected by the data breach 'will be moving house again tonight', Johnny Mercer said [file photo]

'I reiterate, the vast majority have been left behind, probably moving house again tonight.'

The message told the interpreters that Arap was doing everything it could to help relocate them. It also said they should not put themselves or their families at risk if it was not safe for them to leave their location.

However, the MoD sent another email 30 minutes later, marked 'Urgent  Arap case contact', asking the recipients to delete the previous email and warning: 'Your email address may have been compromised.'

It urged the interpreters to change their email addresses.

Rafi Hottak, a former frontline interpreter who was blown up working for the British Army in Helmand, said: 'This data breach is terrifying and compromises the security of those who are already in fear of their lives. It is hard to believe that someone could have made this kind of mistake.

'If it falls into Taliban hands then the implications for those involved are extremely serious, possibly life-threatening.

'We already know that the Taliban have a large number of names of those who worked for the British and other Western forces. This will only help them piece together who they should target.

'We know, too, that they are carrying out house-to-house searches, always looking for data which will implicate those who worked for the British.'

Former frontline interpreter Musa, 35, who is in hiding in Kabul after being left behind when the RAF evacuations ended, said he was devastated to learn of the blunder, adding: 'I can't believe that this can have been allowed to happen.

Ex-veterans minister Johnny Mercer has criticised the MoD

'We are already terrified that we will be found, and anything that will lead to us being identified is too much.

'I am very worried and all my colleagues will be, too.'

Labour shadow defence secretary John Healey said: 'We told these Afghans interpreters we would keep them safe, instead this breach has needlessly put lives at risk.

'The priority now is to urgently step up efforts to get these Afghans safely to the UK.

'This is the second major data breach from the MoD this year, after sensitive documents were discovered at a bus stop in Kent in June.

'Clearly, the Defence Secretary needs to get his house in order.'

Mr Wallace called it an 'unacceptable breach' and the MoD has apologised in a statement.

It said: 'We are aware of a data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy team.

'We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again.'

A spokesman added that the MoD 'takes its information and data handling responsibilities very seriously'.

During the six years our award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign has been running, the Daily Mail has highlighted the plight of hundreds of translators who risked their lives to serve the British Army. Hundreds have been brought to the UK, but hundreds more are still at the mercy of the Taliban.

Operation Pitting  where more than 1,000 troops, diplomats, and officials were dispatched to Afghanistan to rescue UK nationals and Afghan allies after the seizure of the country's capital by the Taliban  airlifted more than 15,000 people to safety across just over a fortnight.
A businessman has sobbed on live radio as he admitted he was going to sack his own son for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid.

The father - who runs a Melbourne home improvement company - told 3AW's Breakfast Show he was going into work today to tell his son he was axed.

'I'm devastated,' he said. 'Today's going to be the worst day of my life, business career-wise. I have to go into work today, and put my son off.'

Mandatory vaccine rules come in later this week in Victoria which will force all workers in the construction industry to be jabbed.

A businessman has sobbed on live radio as he admitted he was going to sack his own son for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid. (Pictured, a man is vaccinated in Sydney)

Construction workers will be required to show evidence that they've had their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from this Friday.

Tea rooms were also set to be shut and workers forced to eat lunch outdoors. Travel between Melbourne and the regions for work was also to be banned.

However the introduction of the new rules has since been overshadowed by a complete shutdown of all construction work in the state for two weeks.

The construction boss father - who only identified himself as Peter - said his son was the backbone of his company but had chosen not to get vaccinated.

Mandatory vaccine rules come in later this week in Victoria which will force all workers in the construction industry to be jabbed. (Pictured, constructions workers in Melbourne)

'I have never cried so much in my life,' he told the show. 'I've been in business for 50 years and I employ 10 other people, and it's gonna be the hardest day of my life.

'I've listened to my son about the reasons - he doesn't believe that the vaccination has been proven enough.

'I'm in semi retirement mode. I want my son to take over my business, but I can't now, because he chooses not to get vaccinated.

'I've tried to persuade him, but I'm not going to push him into doing something he doesn't want to do.'

The man's harrowing ordeal comes as Victoria's construction industry goes into a two week shutdown in a desperate bid to curtail the relentless spread of Covid in the current outbreak.

The Victorian government say the shutdown is needed as a 'reset', with Covid cases circulating on construction sites.

The state recorded another record number of cases for Victoria in 2021 with 603 people testing positive and one death in the 24 hours to Tuesday.

Shutting down the construction sector will cost about $455million a day and see 300,000 Victorians out of work, but officials believe it is the only course of action with so many cases linked to building sites and the lack of vaccine compliance from workers.

The man's harrowing ordeal comes as Victoria's construction industry goes into a two week shutdown in a desperate bid to curtail the relentless spread of Covid in the current outbreak, sparking protests across the city (pictured)

It claimed the extreme measures were needed to stop workers moving around Melbourne and beyond, reducing transmission as the industry has time to bring in the new Covid safety requirements.

Industry leaders were also told the violent protests on Monday showed why they had 'significant safety concerns' for the sector amid fears about 'hostile' workers.

A few critical projects will be exempt from the shutdown, with very small numbers of workers allowed to go to sites to check they are safe and secure.

Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas said: 'We've been clear: if you don't follow the rules, we won't hesitate to take action  we have seen widespread noncompliance across the industry and that's why we're taking necessary steps to protect every single Victorian.'

'We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on site and on our streets, and now we're acting decisively and without hesitation.'
Jabs were rolled out to thousands of schoolchildren yesterday in an ambitious drive to vaccinate all youngsters before the October half term.

NHS teams are going into hundreds of secondary schools this week to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations to 12 to 15-year-olds.

Three million youngsters are now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine after chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty gave the programme the go-ahead.

Schools are sending out consent letters to parents, in line with current standard practice for childhood vaccinations such as HPV.

The Covid vaccines are being delivered by around 60 School Age Immunisation Services across the country, which have teams made up of clinical staff such as paediatric nurses and school nurses.

Three million youngsters are now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine after chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty gave the programme the go-ahead

NHS teams are going into hundreds of secondary schools this week to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations to 12 to 15-year-olds

Guidance has been issued to headteachers to contact police if they believe anti-vaxx protests are planned outside their premises.

The NHS is aiming to offer vaccinations to all eligible children before the October half-term.

Officials hope the programme will curb the size of any winter wave and reduce disruption to education.

Quinn Foakes, 15, was one of the first schoolchildren to get the jab yesterday and said he was excited as it was another step towards life getting back to normal.

The pupil at Belfairs Academy secondary school in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, said: I was nervous at first but in the long run its going to be good because I can keep safe near my family and with my grandparents.

I can go near them, Im really excited to be around them.

His mother Janine Lilleker, 44, who is also a teacher at the school, said: Their education has been hindered since Covid.

'By getting their vaccination done its a way of them protecting themselves and also protecting the wider community of the school.

'Weve had our vaccines done as parents, so why not my son?

The NHS is aiming to offer vaccinations to all eligible children before the October half-term. Officials hope the programme will curb the size of any winter wave and reduce disruption to education

Latest UK data shows there has been no surge in cases since children returned to school earlier this month. Weekly cases are down 12 per cent, with 36,100 infections and 49 deaths reported yesterday

Fellow pupil Jack Lane, 14, said: It makes it easier and less worrying to go out. Despite hating needles Id rather have it done and get it out of the way.

The schools vice-principal Johan Zweistra said there had been significant uptake by children with permission of their parents.

Commenting on the move, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: Its encouraging to see 12 to 15-year-olds starting to get their vaccinations today  reflecting our ongoing commitment to protect young people from Covid-19 and minimise any disruption to their education.

Today is the culmination of the fantastic preparation work the NHS has put in place to ensure vaccines can be given as safely and quickly as possible.

Latest UK data shows there has been no surge in cases since children returned to school earlier this month.

Weekly cases are down 12 per cent, with 36,100 infections and 49 deaths reported yesterday.

Meanwhile the booster programme is also pressing ahead, and 1.5million vulnerable adults will be invited for third doses this week.
Five others, who are yet to be named, were also taken to hospital for treatment

Tributes have been paid on social media to the three men who died after a horror car crash along the M8 in Scotland.

David Paton, 27, Manveer Benning, 27, and Mark Downie, 31, died at the scene as emergency services raced to the M8 westbound, west of Glasgow, at around 5am on Sunday.

Five others, who are yet to be named, were also taken to hospital for treatment with serious but non-life threatening injuries following the crash which saw a blue Audi Q7 come off the westbound road near to junction 31.

Police Scotland have since confirmed a 35-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and is being questioned on suspicion of traffic offences.

Mark Downie, 31, was named locally as one of the three men who died in the M8 crash on Sunday

Manveer Benning, 27, also died in the crash, which took place west of Glasgow, at around 5am on Sunday

David Paton, 27, also died after the crash along the the M8, near junction 31, on Sunday

Last night, locals in Greenock as well as further afield described being 'rocked' by the tragedy as tributes poured in online for the three men.

One said: 'Heart is broken thinking of all the family's.'

Another said: 'RIP boys and deepest condolences to the families. This has rocked Greenock and the wider community.'

A third wrote: 'Heart breaks for all of your family and friends. Beautiful boys. RIP.'

While another added: 'Thoughts go out to all the friends and families involved.'

Meanwhile another person wrote: 'My condolences to all who lost a loved one.'

Yesterday the westbound carriageway of the M8 remained closed for several hours while an investigation by police in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde took place.

Police Scotland said the three men died at the scene when a blue Audi Q7 left the road on the M8 westbound

Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the collision remain ongoing and officers are still urging anyone with information to get in touch. (Stock image)

Inspector Darren Cook, of Police Scotland's Road Policing Unit, said: 'Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who have lost their lives as a result of this crash.

'Our enquiries are currently ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and we are seeking assistance from the public to help with our investigation.

'Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, we believe there may be other road users that can help with our enquiry.

'I would ask if you were driving in the area around the time of the incident or have possible dashcam footage that you come forward and speak to officers.'

Enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the collision remain ongoing and officers are still urging anyone with information to get in touch by phoning 101 and quoting incident number 0860 of Sunday, 19 September, 2021.
Advertisement

Violent anti-vax protesters have ambushed riot cops and smashed up police squad cars as construction worker demonstrations on the streets of Melbourne descended into chaos for the second day running, as premier Daniel Andrews made an impassioned plea for calm.

Footage showed tradesmen in hi-vis clothing kicking police cars and attempting to tear off their side mirrors in the Melbourne CBD as thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Victoria's Parliament House on Tuesday.

Riot police were then seen advancing in formation on the rioters before firing tear gas, stinger grenades and rubber bullets.

Police chief Shane Patton said three officers have been injured during the clashes and and 44 have been arrested, but that number is expected to rise dramatically.

Although more than 500 police have been deployed with the assistance of police air wing helicopters, he says it has 'really challenging for us' because of 'spontaneity and tactics they employed throughout the day'.

The rudderless mob of about 2,000 demonstrators marched aimlessly around the CBD for hours, even scaling the West Gate Bridge in the afternoon shutting down traffic throughout the city.

'Currently, this unlawful gathering is still unfolding and we're making arrests at this moment,' Police Chief Patton said around 6pm.

'We will stop this protest. We will hold those responsible to account. The message is clear. You cannot come in and break the law.'

Thousands of construction workers are pictured protesting on the West Gate Bridge on Tuesday afternoon as the demonstration moved out of the CBD

Construction workers and far-right activists are pictured as they moved the protest onto the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne

Riot police officers form a wall as they wait for protesting construction workers on the West Gate Bridge on Tuesday afternoon

DAN ANDREWS SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PROTESTER There is no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days. Acts of violence and disruption won't result in one less case of Covid - in fact it only helps the virus to spread. Thank you to the brave men and women of Victoria Police for their work today - and every day - to keep our community safe. We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way. For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts. We have come too far to turn back now. Please spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe. The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital. Its as simple as that. Advertisement

Premier Andrews backed up the state's top cop saying there is 'no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days'.

'We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way,' he said.

'For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts.'

The embattled state leader pleaded with protesters to 'spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe.'

'The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital,' he said. Its as simple as that.'

A Channel 7 TV reporter was earlier assaulted by a protester and had bags filled with urine thrown at him. The demonstrators then blocked the West Gate Bridge - a major freeway into the city - bringing traffic to a standstill at peak hour.

Building industry workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets for the second consecutive day - many of them distraught after a tradesman took his own life at a construction site earlier in the day.

Demonstrators sung Advance Australia Fair and chanted 'f*** the jab' in protest against mandatory vaccination orders and Premier Daniel Andrews' decision to shut the industry down for two weeks amid rising case numbers.

The protest began outside the boarded up head office of the construction union, the CFMEU, which was badly damaged by violent demonstrations just 24 hours earlier.

More than 100 police officers walked up Swanston Street in pursuit of the crowd, with officers warning demonstrators on a loudspeaker to turn back.

'Attention, this is a police public order warning. You have previously been directed to leave,' an officer inside a line of riot police and officers on horseback told the crowd.

'Leave now or force may be used. No further warnings will be given.'

By 2.30pm the protest had reached the West Gate Bridge with demonstrators bringing traffic to a standstill before breaking out into a rendition of 90s hit The Horses by Daryl Braithwaite as they marched across the bridge.

One vocal protester was heard shouting 'this is our bridge' as demonstrators threw a ladder across the road to block traffic.

Traffic heading inbound towards Melbourne was backed up for 6km as hundreds of cars and trucks tried to leave the freeway at Williamstown Road where police had formed a blockade.

Police with riot shields monitored Tuesday's rally, where demonstrators were told over loudspeaker 'leave now or more force may be used'

A protester lets off a flare as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Melbourne's CBD on Tuesday

Riot police are seen outside the Victoria's Parliament House during Tuesday's protest, which came a day after violent demonstrators damaged the CFMEU head office in Melbourne's CBD

Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union's head office on Tuesday

Protesters lit flares as they converged on the streets of the Melbourne CBD for the second 'freedom' rally in as many days

A protesters holds a sign on the West Gate Bridge that reads 'tradies have spoken - we built this city - we will fight for Australia'

In chaotic scenes, a person riding a motorcycle was seen tearing up and down the highway on the wrong side of the road on one wheel before making an escape down a exit ramp.

The mood in the crowd was dark, a Croatian man having earlier taken his own life at a building site in West Melbourne hours after the Premier's shut down was announced.

The worker is believed to have died by suicide at the Crema Construction site near Roden Street, with the company declining to comment.

Tensions boiled over about 11am with protesters lighting flares and a bottle being tossed towards police.

The angry crowd also turned their attention to television reporters, with a group of protesters physically attacking veteran journalist Paul Dowsley.

The Seven News reporter, who was also doused with urine during the chaos, was reporting from the scene when he was attacked by one demonstrator who grabbed him around the throat.

The veteran newsman though continued to report while people continued to threaten him.

'There are people with a real message about the vaccine and their health concerns and there are some that seem hellbent on causing trouble,' he said during a live cross from the rally.

'I'm not a fighter, I've never thrown a punch in my life.. [a protester] singled me out without knowing anything about me.

'My colleague and I are now covered in what I understand to be urine.'

Pictured are protesters along the West Gate Freeway on Tuesday. The demonstration started outside the headquarters of the CFMEU in Melbourne on Monday over the introduction of mandatory vaccinations for construction workers

Footage showed tradesmen in hi-vis clothing kicking police cars in the Melbourne CBD and pelting them with cans

A heavy police presence is pictured at Victoria's Parliament House during the protest on Tuesday

Workers are pictured rallying in Melbourne outside CFMEU headquarters on Tuesday; one held a sign that read 'all work is essential'

A line of police officers in masks are pictured protecting the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne's CBD on Tuesday

Police are pictured gathered in a line at the protest at CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne on Tuesday

A protestor wearing a metal hat and a skeleton-style face mask is pictured at Tuesday's demonstration

Thousands of protestors - many wearing hi-vis - marched towards state parliament to rally against mandatory vaccine orders

A protester holds a sign that reads 'you cannot comply your way out of tyranny' at Tuesday's protests in Melbourne's CBD

Workers are pictured protesting with a flag reading 'freedom' near the CFMEU headquarters on Tuesday

A protester stands by a flare at Tuesday's protest as thousands of tradesmen wearing hi-vis rallied against lockdown measures and their right to refuse a Covid-19 vaccine

Protesters march in the streets of Melbourne against the requirement of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for construction workers

Daily Mail Australia also saw a large crowd of tradesmen from the protest buying bags of alcohol at a Woolworths on Exhibition Street.

It comes as Victoria recorded 603 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally in the current outbreak and since August 2020, bringing the number of active cases to 6,000.

The protesters started moving back towards CFMEU headquarters at about 1pm, where demonstrators were seen throwing glass bottles and flares at police officers.

The Melbourne protesters are also using encrypted platform Telegram to call for an end to lockdowns, mandatory mask orders and the immediate reopening of the construction industry.

Thousands of protesters marched to Parliament House in protest against Melbourne's lockdown and vaccine mandates for construction workers

The protest comes after the state government announced that all construction workers would need to receive at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by September 23 to continue working

Three of the demands called for Victoria's leading figureheads in its pandemic response to stand down - Premier Daniel Andrews, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.

Protesters also called for a royal commission into the government's response to the pandemic and for officers they claim 'assaulted peaceful protesters' to be charged.

Their final demand was for the 'mass distribution of invermectin, Vitamins C, D and Zinc' as alternative treatments for Covid-19.

Invermectin, a horse tranquiliser used to treat parasitic infections, has not been proven to be effective in treating the virus.

CFMEU boss John Setka earlier blasted 'fake tradies' and 'man-baby Nazis' who sparked Monday's violent scenes outside union headquarters - prompting Daniel Andrews to shut down the entire industry for two weeks.

The state's health minister Martin Foley said hundreds of cases have been recorded across 186 construction sites.

A protester holds a sign during the mass demonstration which reads 'earning a living is essential - not criminal'

Construction workers march towards state parliament on Tuesday. Protesters have called for a royal commission into the government's response to the pandemic

A 7News reporter was reporting from the scene of the protest when he came under fire from some of the demonstrators, (pictured here)

Thousands of construction workers took to the streets of Melbourne on Tuesday morning for the protest

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Angry protesters rally against mandatory vaccine orders for the construction industry on Tuesday

A protester gestures as he stands next to a banner that reads 'freedom' outside Victoria's Parliament House

Shaken TV news reporter tells how he was brutally attacked and doused with URINE by anti-vaxxer tradies in vile scenes on the streets of Melbourne - before he is attacked AGAIN with a can of drink! Veteran TV newsman Paul Dowsley says he has been spat on, attacked and sprayed with urine in ugly scenes at the tradies' protest rally in Melbourne on Tuesday. The Seven News reporter was reporting from the scene of the protest when he was jumped by one demonstrator who grabbed him around the neck. He was also said to have been doused in urine, including in his mouth, when open bottles were thrown at him in another separate disgusting attack. 'My colleague myself and I are covered in what I understand to be urine,' he revealed live on air as he described how he had been attacked while covering the protest. 'To put it lightly, I'm not a fighter, I've never thrown a punch in my life, so in those situations I thought I'd be quick to make a move. 'But that guy came in to my side very quickly - I did my best to get out of what felt like a headlock. 'My [cameraman] colleague Rick who was standing on a seat trying to get an elevated shot, jumped down with his camera and came to my assistance. 'Some other people came in and tried break it up - they did try to defuse it. Veteran TV newsman Paul Dowsley (pictured) says he has been spat on, attacked and sprayed with urine in ugly scenes at the tradies' protest rally in Melbourne on Tuesday 'I will give credit to some protesters who stopped in the minutes after to check I was OK and one made a point of telling me that's not what they were about. 'He was disgusted by any attack like that on media.' Daily Mail Australia reporter Wayne Flower came to Mr Dowsley's rescue, fearing the journalist would be stomped on by the mob of fluoro-clad thugs. Moments later though, Mr Dowsley was viciously attacked a second time with a can of soft drink thrown at his head while he did a live update . The newsman was talking about the passion of the protesters he wa struck by the apparently near full can of energy drink. 'I've just been struck in the back of a back of the head by a can,' he said live on air. 'I'm not sure whether you saw that.' Advertisement

The majority of cases have been linked to metropolitan Melbourne, while 49 infections are from those living in regional Victoria.

Hundreds of workers in hi-vis vests gathered outside the union's head office in Melbourne on Monday to protest against mandatory Covid-19 vaccine requirements, which come into effect for the construction industry later this week.

The protest turned violent as demonstrators clashed with Mr Setka and other union officials, hurling abuse and projectiles and smashing glass windows.

Mr Setka is furious 300,000 construction staff state-wide have lost work because of the actions of 'fake tradies' at the protest, describing them as 'scum of the earth, drunken and un-Australian morons'.

A man in hi-vis is pictured holding a sign that reads 'let us live our life - no vaccine mandate'

Protesters are using encrypted platform Telegram to call for an end to lockdowns, mandatory mask orders and the immediate reopening of the construction industry

Protesters marched to state parliament on Tuesday, where they were met with a wall of police officers with riot shields

Construction workers took to the streets of Melbourne again on Tuesday to rally against vaccine orders and the city's ongoing lockdown

Police are pictured heading towards the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne on Tuesday to monitor the anti-vaxxer protesters

'There were a few of anti-vaxxer activists there who are not union members or are from our industry, they're the ones you see at all the protests,' Mr Setka told the Today show on Tuesday.

'It just got out of control. Then they were consuming a whole heap of alcohol. Thanks to these morons, 300,000 Victorians are sitting at home for at least the next couple of weeks, could drag out even longer.'

Mr Setka described how he went out to address the hostile crowd but was eventually forced to retreat back inside as protestors turned on him.

'We went out there to see what it was all about,' he said.

A protest turned violent outside CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne, prompting the state government to shut down the entire industry

'There was a sprinkling of construction workers there of our members and the rest were just people, I wouldn't even know who they are.

'You couldn't even talk. We tried to keep it all calm, and it just got out of chrome. People started throwing bottles. Some of them were fighting amongst themselves.

'You know, once they started throwing the bottles, that was it we just said this is too dangerous, let's move back in. It just got out of control from there.'

CFMEU boss John Setka (pictured) slammed the actions of fake tradies and neo Nazis

Mr Setka said he was blindsided by the state government's snap decision to shut down the construction industry statewide.

'It wasn't like there was full-on consultation us with,' he said.

'I have never spoken to Daniel Andrews to be honest. I have never met him and never spoken to him. I've had no discussions with Daniel Andrews ever.'

He doesn't believe the shutdown was payback for recent criticism of the state government's public health orders and agreed it had no other choice but to shut down the industry.

'I don't think they had much of an alternative but to do what they've done,' Mr Setka said.

'It's unfortunate, because families rely on a pay packet every week, and the problem with it is, I think it's going to go longer than two weeks.

'They can thank all the drunk morons yesterday. This lays squarely on their shoulders.'

Mr Setka fears the construction industry will be shut down for longer than two weeks as a result of Monday's ugly scenes outside CFMEU headquarters

Ex-unionist and federal MP Bill Shorten also slammed the 'fake tradies' and 'man-baby Nazis' earlier in the program.

'Some of those people in the crowd were construction workers, but others, I'm reliably informed, were fake tradies,' he said.

'They'd been down to the Reject Shop and got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoodie so they could pretend they were construction.'

On Monday night, the state government shut down the industry for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.

All worksites will need to demonstrate compliance with health directions prior to reopening.

This includes a requirement for workers to show evidence of having had at least one dose of a vaccine before they return to work on October 5.

Many of those who attended Monday's protest have been described as 'fake tradies' and 'man-baby Nazis' (protestor pictured)

Mr Shorten defended the CFMEU saying the construction union was being responsible and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

'There is a network of hard-right man-baby Nazis, just people who just want to cause trouble - these man-babies, they want to complain about vaccinations,' he said.

'They deserve to get the full force of everything that's coming their way.'

It's believed the protesters plan to gather again outside the CFMEU from 10am on Tuesday.

The Victorian branch of CFMEU said it had always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination.

'We are not going to be intimidated by outside extremists attempting to intimidate the union, by spreading misinformation and lies about the union's position,' it said in a statement on Monday.

The Victorian government said the shutdown was required to cut down movement, reduce Covid-19 transmission and give the industry time to adapt to new requirements.

An audit of about 200 construction sites last week found 73 per cent were failing to comply with health directions.

A protester is pictured screaming in the face of police officers monitoring the rally on Monday (pictured) as the situation became increasingly heated

'We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on-site and on our streets, and now we're acting decisively and without hesitation,' Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas said.

An amnesty will be in place on Tuesday so a limited number of workers can attend construction sites to shut them down safely.

All sites will need to demonstrate compliance with the chief health officer's directions prior to reopening, including evidence workers have had one dose of a vaccine before they return to work on October 5.

The Property Council of Australia said the shutdown would cost the economy $1.1 billion a week.

'The majority of construction sites and construction workers are doing everything required of them to meet the highest standards of COVID safety and have done so since the pandemic started,' executive director Danni Hunter said in a statement.

'Closing the industry will prevent them going to work and getting paid and it will stall projects causing immensely costly delays, putting projects and Victorian jobs at risk.'
A British heiress who was found dead in her hotel room in Switzerland was killed by her German boyfriend for her money despite his claim that she died in a sex game, a court has heard.

Anna Reed, 22, was discovered in the bathroom of her hotel room at the Hotel la Palma au Lac in Locarno, Switzerland, in April 2019, after her partner Marc Schatzle called the emergency services.

A post-mortem examination concluded that Ms Reed had died from strangulation and had also suffered small cuts and fractures.

This year, Schatzle, who previously worked as a bouncer in various pubs and nightclubs on the Swiss-German border, went on trial charged with murdering the 22-year-old.

Anna Reed (pictured with Marc Schatzle before her death) , 22, was found dead in her hotel room in Switzerland, in April 2019

During a trial in Lugano a court heard how Schatzle had debts of more than 40,000 and allegedly knew his girlfriend had 'more than 25,000 in her account'.

Five months after Ms Reed's death, a credit card belonging to the 22-year-old was discovered hidden in a panel of the hotel elevator.

Investigators suspected it was stolen by Schatzle, who claimed he hid it there as a joke.

But a prosecution source told The Times: 'The bank card was very carefully hidden away and quite clearly it was to be collected later. The claim that she died in a sex game was never convincing.

'We believe she was murdered for financial gain.'

They added that the German father-of-two claimed it was an 'erotic game that went wrong'.

On the night that Ms Reed was discovered by paramedics, other guests in the hotel described how they heard 'furniture being pushed nosily' and 'breaking glass.'

One person told The Sun: 'I heard breaking glass and furniture being pushed noisily around the room

They added: 'I wanted to go and say something but thought it was too dangerous.'

Following her death, Ms Reed's former school, Ashville College in Harrogate, said in a statement: 'We are saddened to learn of the death of former pupil Anna Reed, and our thoughts are with her family.'

Marc Schatzle, who has denied deliberately killing Miss Reed, is believed to have met Ms Reed in Thailand in February 2019

Ms Reed (left and right) had been enjoying a round-the-world trip which she received from her father as a present for her 21st birthday

On the night that Ms Reed was discovered by paramedics, other guests at the Hotel la Palma au Lac in Locarno, Switzerland, described how they heard 'furniture being pushed nosily' and 'breaking glass'

Schatzle, who has denied deliberately killing Ms Reed, is believed to have met her in Thailand in February 2019 while travelling.

It is understood that Ms Reed, who finished university and was taking a year out, had been enjoying a round-the-world trip which she received from her father as a present for her 21st birthday.

After the pair entered a relationship, Ms Reed's spending 'jumped considerably', a court heard.

On the evening of her death, the couple had shared a 100 bottle of champagne over dinner before returning to their hotel.

They were then pictured smiling on the terrace of their penthouse room just hours before Ms Reed's death.

Schatzle, who has a 'Warrior' tattooed over his eyebrow, worked as a bouncer in various pubs and nightclubs on the Swiss-German border.

One source told a Swiss newspaper at the time: 'Nobody knows how he could afford all the travel. Something can't be right.'

Schatzle denies murder and the trial continues.
Little Anthony 'AJ' Elfalak's Godfather has shut down his anti-vaccine group in the wake of the toddler's disappearance.

Alan Hashem claims his family circumstances have changed and he no longer has any inclination to push the anti-vax agenda to his 33,000 followers.

Loyal fans and followers have since turned on Mr Hashem, accusing him of abandoning supposed victims of the Covid vaccine and vulnerable Australians.

'You were the voice for others who couldn't speak out... now many more won't get a chance to share their stories,' one disappointed follower said.

'I hope you rethink your decision as there's many more out there.'

AJ Elfalak (pictured) went missing on September 3 and was found three days later, covered in cuts and bruises

Mr Hashem shared this photo of himself as he announced he would be closing his Our Voices Matter anti-vax platform

The sudden decision and half-hearted reasoning has sparked concerns from his conspiracy theorist followers that Mr Hashem was silenced by government officials.

Mr Hashem said he worries 'bad things come in threes' and cited the 'ordeal' that his family went through with AJ's disappearance and his ailing parents as reasons for stepping back from the movement.

Some have wildly alleged that Mr Hashem agreed to shut the platform down in exchange for AJ's safe return.

Three-year-old AJ, who is Mr Hashem's nephew and Godson, disappeared from his isolated home in Putty, 150km north west of Sydney, on September 3 and was found three days later just 500m from his home.

A large-scale search and rescue party spent three days in the dense bushland searching for him before he was spotted by a PolAir chopper cupping muddy water to his face in a creek.

The sudden decision and half-hearted reasoning has sparked concerns from his conspiracy theorist followers that Mr Hashem was silenced by government officials

Celebrations were underway from about an hour after word spread that AJ had been found alive. Pictured: Alan Hashem riding up to the home on the side of a car

This aerial image shows the distance between AJ's home and the area where he was found - complete with the dense bushland and dangerously steep terrain in between

While experts believe his minor injuries are consistent with three nights spent in rugged terrain, Mr Hashem and members of his family initially suggested something more sinister was at play.

At the time, he indicated someone had 'a lot of explaining to do' and was standing firm in his belief that little AJ had been abducted.

'How did he leave, who did he leave with? Did anything sinister happen? These are questions that need to still be answered and we will not stop until we actually find the truth,' he said the day AJ was found.

Mr Hashem supposedly promised his followers when launching his anti-vax platform that he would 'never give up' the group, sparking concerns that he has been silenced against his will.

Pictured: AJ Elfalak, age three

In response to the increasingly outlandish conspiracies, Mr Hashem urged his followers not to 'read too much into it'.

'We have raised awareness and done our bit, I need to focus on work and family commitments... I'll share more when I can,' he said.

'Recently I experienced an ordeal that resulted in me needing to take time off to re-focus on family.'

Critics have called on Mr Hashem to hand over the reins to somebody who is still willing to 'fight for freedoms,' but he has remained firm in his decision to close the platform all together.

Several videos purporting to show victims of the Covid jab with adverse reactions have been wiped from his social media platforms.

Critical messages shared on Mr Hashem's posts on both Facebook and Instagram have also disappeared.

The social media pages for Our Voices Matter are still active, and it is not clear if Mr Hashem is intending on removing them altogether.

'We achieved what we set out to do, which was to raise awareness... I would like to discourage any misinformation regarding the closure of Our Voices Matter,' he said.
How has crisis come about?

The reawakening of the global economy after the pandemic has driven demand for gas, both to heat homes and fuel power stations producing electricity.

This has caused prices to surge. The UK is reliant on expensive gas imports in the winter via connector pipes from the continent, Norway and Russia, which has squeezed supplies.

Wind levels have also been below expectations, making us more reliant on gas, nuclear and coal.

The UK is reliant on expensive gas imports in the winter via connector pipes from the continent, Norway and Russia, which has squeezed supplies

What about my bills?

Wholesale gas prices for winter are up 68 per cent in the past five weeks, and the price cap for household utilities from watchdog Ofgem is rising too.

Some 15million will see annual increases of 139, with more pain expected next year.

Why are small suppliers failing?

They offered cheap long-term tariffs to millions of households when wholesale prices were low, but then faced huge losses.

Larger suppliers protected themselves  to an extent  by purchasing energy long in advance.

What about their customers?

Ofgem transfers customers of collapsed firms to a new supplier.

There is no risk people will lose power  but they will find themselves on much higher tariffs, likely to cost at least 400 a year more.

A US company running fertiliser plants in Teesside and Cheshire has shut them down as the high cost of energy meant they were no longer economically viable. The sites produced CO2 gas which is vital to the entire food industry, from fizzy drinks to packaging

What is the Government doing?

Ministers held talks with their Norwegian counterparts in the hope of securing strong gas supplies through the winter. They insist there is no risk the lights will go out.

Whats the link to food supplies?

A US company running fertiliser plants in Teesside and Cheshire has shut them down as the high cost of energy meant they were no longer economically viable.

The sites produced CO2 gas which is vital to the entire food industry, from fizzy drinks to packaging.

Will gas shortage be fixed?

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has held talks with the US firm, CF Industries, in the hope it will restart production.

George Eustice, the Secretary of State for Food and Rural Affairs, will hold meetings with industry chiefs today.
Advertisement

Hundreds of firefighters were battling to protect several groves of giant sequoias in California, warning the enormous ancient trees were at risk from out-of-control blazes.

A number of separate fires were converging on the California woodland that is home to the huge trees, highlighting the terrifying power of wildfires to consume everything in their path.

Incident commanders said the Windy Fire, which has already charred 25,000 acres has burned into the remote Peyrone Sequoia Grove and the Red Hill Grove.

The giant sequoia known as the General Sherman Tree with its base wrapped in a fire-resistant blanket to protect it from the intense heat of approaching wildfires at Sequoia National Forest in California

Firefighters apply fire-resistant structural wrap around giant sequoias threatened by the KNP Complex Fire within the Sequoia National Forest near Three Rivers, California

Firefighters wrapped the base of the General Sherman Tree, along with other trees in the Giant Forest, in a type of aluminum that can withstand high heat

The firefighters used planks of wood in order to drag the aluminum wrap above the tree's base

Firefighters posing next to The General Sherman Tree after wrapping it in fire-resistant structural wrap

Smoke rises around sequoia trees, the bases of which have been wrapped with protective structural wrap, in the 'Four Guardsmen' area of the Giant Forest

Firefighters battling the Windy Fire extinguish a spot fire near the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest, California

Flames lick up a sequoia tree as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest

Firefighter Austin Cia sprays water as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest

Flames scorched at least two sequoia trees as firefighters worked to defend the grove

Flames lick up a sequoia tree as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia trees stand in Lost Grove along Generals Highway as the KNP Complex Fire burns about 15 miles away

Firefighters wrap the historic Sequoia National Forest entrance sign with fire-proof blankets

'We dont know that those are destroyed,' Windy fire incident spokeswoman Amanda Munsey said, according to the Los Angeles Times. 'But the fire has completely surrounded those two groves.'

In nearby Long Meadow Grove, the blaze had spread to the vulnerable top of at least one of the trees.

'It was running toward multiple trees and firefighters were able to get it out, but it did get into the crown of one of the sequoias.'

Wildfires that spread to the tops of trees -- especially very tall trees -- can move quickly through the forest, as the tops of the trees explode, showering embers over a large area below them.

A firefighter mops up hot spots in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest on Monday

The windy fire burns along a ridge in Sequoia National Forest, California, on Monday

Flames lick up a tree as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest on Sunday

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

Firefighter Aidan Hart battles the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

A firefighter battles the Windy Fire burning in the Trail of 100 Giants

Line safety director Joe Labak marks a falling branch hazard in the Trail of 100 Giants. Labak said the sequoia at center sustained fire damage when the fire spotted into its crown

Firefighter Austin Cia sprays water as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in Sequoia National Forest

Firefighters pass a sign wrapped in fire-resistant material while battling the Windy Fire

Sequoia trees stand in Lost Grove along Generals Highway as the KNP Complex Fire burns

Members of the media look at sequoia trees in Lost Grove as the KNP Complex Fire burns

Sequoia trees stand in Lost Grove along Generals Highway as the KNP Complex Fire burns

Mark Garrett, a fire information officer, examines a sequoia tree during a media tour of Lost Grove

A fire engine drives past sequoia trees in Lost Grove as the KNP Complex Fire burns nearby

Further north, the KNP Complex fire continued to threaten the renowned Giant Forest, home to General Sherman, the world's biggest tree by volume, and standing at 275 feet.

General Sherman, which is estimated by the National Parks Service to be 2,200 years old, was wrapped in fireproof foil blankets last week.

Incident commanders said they believed they could protect the tree from the 24,000-acre blaze, which was sparked by lightning just over a week ago

They point to meticulous forest management over the last few decades, including prescribed burns that deplete available fuels, and slow the progress of fires.

California and other parts of the western United States are laboring under a years-long drought that has left swathes of the region's magnificent forests tinder dry.

Members of the media walk among sequoia trees in Lost Grove

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest. Flames scorched at least two sequoia trees as firefighters worked to defend the grove

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest

Fire-resistant wrap covers a bridge as the Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

Firefighters discuss tactics while battling the Windy Fire burning in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest

Scientists say human activity, including the unchecked burning of fossil fuels, is warming the planet and changing weather patterns, making wildfires hotter, more intense and more destructive.

The giant sequoias are the world's largest trees by volume. Their relatives, the California redwoods, can grow taller -- well over 100 meters -- but are not as wide.

Both kinds of tree are adapted to fires, with thick bark that protects them from heat.

In their lifetimes, which are measured in thousands of years, they typically endure lots of fires, the heat from which helps their cones to open, allowing the seeds to disperse.

Smoke rises above trees as the Windy Fire burns in Sequoia National Forest, California

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove

A firefighters battling the Windy Fire extinguishes a spot fire near the Trail of 100 Giants grove

Firefighters pass a sign wrapped in fire-resistant material while battling the Windy Fire

Firefighters battle the Windy Fire as it burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove of Sequoia National Forest, California

But longer, hotter and more aggressive fires can damage them, sometimes irreparably, and California has recently seen multiple severe fire seasons in a row.

One fire last year killed up to 10,000 of the trees.

Rising temperatures and increased dryness due to changing rainfall patterns thanks to climate change create the ideal conditions for forest fires.

The World Meteorological Organization said that the five-year period to 2019 was 'unprecedented' for fires, especially in Europe and North America.
Patients are increasingly paying to see a doctor privately, according to healthcare providers.

For a fee of about 100, a face-to-face consultation can be arranged almost immediately, sometimes on the same day.

Patients usually do not need to be insured or even to have a referral if they are paying for it out of their own pocket.

Spire, Britains second-biggest private healthcare provider, is reporting an 81 per cent increase in self-pay patients this year compared with 2019.

It charges 90 for a 30-minute appointment described as quick and easy access to private GP services  when you need it.

A spokesman told the Mail: People are in pain and they are choosing not to wait for incredibly stretched GP services and the NHS to treat them.

Spire, Britains second-biggest private healthcare provider, is reporting an 81 per cent increase in self-pay patients this year compared with 2019. It charges 90 for a 30-minute appointment described as quick and easy access to private GP services  when you need it.

Dr Neil Haughton, a private GP in Notting Hill and the president of the Independent Doctors Federation, said: We have never been busier.

'All my private GP colleagues are saying we cant keep up with demand.

We are literally inundated. Some we have to turn away because we dont have enough slots.

The fact is, patients want to come and see me, they dont want a video consultation.

And as a doctor, you can miss the nuances if you dont see your patients directly. You dont pick up on the invisible things.

Its also inequitable. My 90-year-old mum, for example, hasnt got a smartphone or a computer, and actually you need to see people like that in person.

He added: You can get a mammogram or an ultrasound for a couple of hundred pounds, and people often dont realise that.

Dr Neil Haughton, a private GP in Notting Hill and the president of the Independent Doctors Federation, said: We have never been busier. 'All my private GP colleagues are saying we cant keep up with demand. The fact is, patients want to come and see me, they dont want a video consultation.'

Other independent GPs agree that their surgeries are busier than ever.

One, Dr Martin Saweirs, told the Sunday Times that many of the patients to his Harley Street clinic had not previously thought about paying for healthcare.

It started about nine months ago. There were loads of people who had stored up things they hadnt wanted to see anyone about during lockdown, he said, adding: I didnt get into medicine to talk to people across the camera.

'You cant listen to someones heart or examine their abdomen over the phone.

At Nuffield Health, which runs 31 private hospitals across Britain, referral rates for patients needing specialist care are twice as high as before the pandemic.

Nuffield Health claims its private doctors offer a full range of GP services near you, with no need to register.

Its doctors operate out of hospitals, fitness clubs and local medical centres.

While NHS GPs claim that their online or telephone appointments are just as effective, it seems that some frail, anxious or vulnerable people would rather go private.

Some patients are forking out five-figure sums to go straight to specialists  rather than wait for a GP to refer them.

Some desperate individuals even feel that they have to pay for heart operations that can cost as much as 20,000.

While NHS GPs claim that their online or telephone appointments are just as effective, it seems that some frail, anxious or vulnerable people would rather go private. Some patients are forking out five-figure sums to go straight to specialists  rather than wait for a GP to refer them

Meanwhile, Britains largest private hospital group, HCA, has seen a 20 per cent increase in self-funded cardiothoracic inpatient procedures.

One woman in her 60s from Dorset, who wanted to remain anonymous, revealed how she paid 13,000 for treatment on her spine, and said: I dont begrudge paying it. I had no other choice.

I think the NHS is wonderful but I dont understand why everything takes so long.

Dr Bruce Jobling, a private GP in Manchester, said: Weve been seeing a lot more mental health issues.

'Were also seeing late presentations of worrying symptoms, sometimes due to a reluctance to seek NHS healthcare during the pandemic.

Emma Hardy, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, said: Some have told me they now feel they have no choice but to try to save the money to see a GP privately, as they are worried that their health may suffer as they wait to see their GP face to face.
Byron Bay is to be thrown back into lockdown after a Covid infected Sydney man flew in on Saturday and tested positive on Monday.

Byron Shire, Kempsey and Tweed Shire areas will all go into a snap seven day lockdown from 5pm on Tuesday.

The man arrived on the Virgin Flight VA 1141 from Sydney to Ballina on Saturday morning and was infectious for two days while working in Byron, Ballina and Tweed.

NSW Health minister Brad Hazzard said the lockdown would initially be for seven days subject to a further review.

'I have spoken with the local members of parliament, and other community leaders, and there's a general understanding of the need for those lockdowns,' he said.

'I encourage everyone in those areas to take this very seriously. So far those areas have been kept relatively safe.

'But we need the community to keep getting tested, so that the public health team can be very very certain of what we need to do .

'Please go out and get tested and get vaccinated.'

Byron Bay (pictured) will be thrown back into lockdown from 5pm on Tuesday after a Covid infected Sydney man flew in on Saturday and tested positive on Monday

Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro earlier admitted a return to lockdown for the area was under discussion and could be brought in within hours.

'We're considering it this morning - NSW Health will take a look at the details of these movement sites,' he told Sunrise.

'We know there was a lot of movement by this individual as part of their work.

'It was part of their employment, they had all the approvals to leave Sydney, and they did so and followed the rules but unfortunately these things happen.'

He added: 'Once they arrived, [they had] further testing [after feeling] unwell and this person individually was picked up as someone that's now got the virus.'

All passengers and crew aboard the affected flight are being contacted by NSW Health and will be required to get tested and self-isolate.

Further contact tracing is currently under way in the Byron Bay region too.

Mr Hazzard revaled the man had travelled to the NSW North Coast after getting the all clear following an antigen test which later proved flawed.

'It's somebody who has travelled into the area with an appropriate permit and had actually had both a rapid antigen test and a PCR test,' he revealed on Tuesday.

'It's one of the problems, and we've talked about this before, rapid antigen tests have a certain degree of efficiency and they don't always show up and in this case it didn't.

The infected passenger arrived on the Virgin Flight VA 1141 from Sydney to Ballina on Saturday morning and was infectious for two days while working in Byron, Ballina and Tweed. (Pictured, a stock image of passengers exiting a Virgin flight in Ballina)

'A PCR test then showed later that there was positive case, which is good. The person did what was needed, but again it's a balancing act as to how you deal with this, particularly when people go for work reasons.'

Deputy chief health officer Dr Marianne Gale said there was a number of exposure sites in the area which would now be followed up by contact tracers.

'The concern there is about a number of exposures in the Byron Bay area - a number of shops as well as some restaurants and pubs in the Tweed area as well,' she said.

The incident is likely to jeopardise the NSW-Queensland border bubble just a week after it was reinstated.

With several areas included in the border bubble with Queensland now visited by infectious case, there are fears the travel conditions could revert back to their strictest conditions.

Students and essential workers from the LGAs have been able to travel into Queensland from September 13, in an arrangement negotiated after weeks of sparring between the Queensland and NSW governments.

Deputy NSW Premier John Barilaro (pictured) earlier admitted a return to lockdown for the area was under discussion and could be brought in within hours.

Ballina MP Tamara Smith said the area was already vulnerable given the restricted healthcare system in regional NSW.

'We're sitting ducks if suddenly they say, right everybody, off you go to the regions,' she told ABC.

'Because we don't even know with the modelling... let's say, best-case scenario, we're all sitting at 80 per cent double dose, what does that mean for us in terms of the number of ICU beds and the number of cases that you might still have?'

On Monday the western NSW town of Cowra was forced back into lockdown, when a nine-year-old school boy tested positive to the virus.

The incident is likely to jeopardise the NSW-Queensland border bubble just a week after it was reinstated. (Pictured, police man the border control between NSW and Queensland)

It follows the Albury, Lismore, Glen Innes and Hilltops local government areas.

It comes as NSW reported fewer than 1000 new infections for the first time in almost a month.

Some 935 new local COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday and four deaths - two people in their 60s and two in their 80s - taking the toll for the current NSW outbreak to 245.

It was the lowest number of daily infections since August 27, when the figure last dipped below 1000, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian pleaded with NSW residents to remain on high alert.

Students and essential workers from the LGAs have been able to travel into Queensland from September 13 but the arrangement is now back in jeopardy after the infected worker visited areas included in the border bubble. (Pictured, the state border)

'Even if case numbers go down, we should expect unfortunately the number of people in intensive care and the number of people who lose their lives to go up,' Ms Berejiklian said at Monday's Covid briefing.

'We have had a number of cases in the last few weeks ... people ordinarily get very sick in the second week of the illness.

'I don't want any of us to sit back and think the worst is behind us. Because, unfortunately, too many families are going to have loved ones end up in hospital, or worse.'
Professor Stephen Toope (pictured) said he was 'proud' of the prestigious university's delivery of education and research during the coronavirus crisis

The vice-chancellor of Cambridge University will step down at the end of September 2022 after a succession of bruising battles with 'woke warriors'.

Professor Stephen Toope said he was 'proud' of the prestigious university's delivery of education and research during the coronavirus crisis.

But the Canadian said being separated from his children and grandchildren by closed borders during the pandemic 'has been hard'.

He will leave behind his 365,000-a-year role after five years to 'spend more time with his family'.

The announcement comes as thousands of students arrive at university campuses across the UK over the next few weeks after 18 months of disruption.

Prof Toope said: 'I take a great deal of pride in our accomplishments, which were built together as a collegiate Cambridge community.

'I am especially proud of our joint leadership across collegiate Cambridge to deliver on our dual mission of education and research through the unprecedented Covid crisis.

'We kept the university on track and safe during its hardest years since World War Two.

'There is still much to do through our programme of recovery from the pandemic. I am fully committed to focusing on the priorities set by the University Council.

'The leadership transition next year will not detract from my commitment to the important work we have under way this year.'

But the Canadian said being separated from his children and grandchildren by closed borders during the pandemic 'has been hard' (file photo of the Cambridge University)

The vice-chancellor added: 'The upheaval of Covid has led me to reassess my own years ahead from a personal perspective.

'As an expat living far from home, being separated from my children and grandchildren by closed borders has been hard. Being near my own family and friends is more important than ever.'

In December, the university came under fire for a free speech policy which had proposed requiring staff and students to be 'respectful' of differing views.

But after an intervention, the university's governing body voted to revise the wording in the freedom of speech guidelines from 'respect' to 'tolerate' following concerns from academics and alumni, including actor Stephen Fry.

Opponents of Cambridge's original draft statement on freedom of speech warned that calling for respect for opposing views could undermine academic freedom at the university and stifle views.

In March 2019, Cambridge University rescinded a visiting fellowship offer to Dr Jordan Peterson because he was pictured with a man wearing a T-shirt with the slogan 'I'm a proud Islamophobe'.

At the time, Prof Toope said the Canadian psychology professor's 'casual endorsement' by association was believed to be 'antithetical' to the work of the Faculty of Divinity at the university.

The process to recruit a new vice-chancellor will begin shortly.

Mark Lewisohn, deputy chair of the University Council, said Prof Toope has had a 'profound impact' on the university as vice-chancellor.

He said: 'Under his leadership, the university has become more transparent and more robust in its processes and has launched several new and exciting research and teaching initiatives.

'Stephen's focus on sustainability, which has led to the creation of Cambridge Zero, will be an important part of his legacy, as will his efforts to make Cambridge more accessible to students from all backgrounds.'
A body modifier on trial over procedures that allegedly maimed or killed his patients was talked out of removing the wisdom teeth of a 'nervous young girl', a NSW judge has heard.

Lawrence O'Neil recalled asking colleague Brendan Leigh Russell one morning what was planned for the day and Russell declaring: 'I'm doing dentistry.'

'Some chick asked to have her teeth pulled out. I have been up all night watching YouTube learning how to do it,' Russell said, according to the barber.

The conversation, outlined in Mr O'Neil's statement to police, was read on Monday to the Sydney District Court, where Russell is on trial for manslaughter, intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and genital mutilation.

A NSW judge heard Brendan Leigh Russell (pictured) had to be talked out of removing the wisdom teeth of a young girl after he told his colleague he had watched YouTube dentistry tutorials to do it

He's pleaded guilty to each of the charges, which relate to modifications performed on three different women between 2015 and 2017.

Mr O'Neil, who subcontracted space in Russell's Transitions parlour in a Central Coast shopping centre, said he had to talk the body modifier out of 'a lot of surgeries and procedures'.

When told of the dentistry plan, Mr O'Neil said 'you don't know what you're doing' and told the woman words to the same effect when she arrived.

'The customer was a nervous young girl. They all were. I cannot remember her name,' his police statement said.

'Brendan convinced her he could just do it. She believed him. Her back molars were just growing wrong.'

Mr O'Neil denied suggestions from Russell's lawyer that the body modifier had in fact agreed to 'check on' her 'inflamed' wisdom teeth and that Mr O'Neil had not expressed any concern.

'I think the wording of 'checkup' and 'looking at them' needs to be changed to 'removal',' he said.

He did agree Russell removed none of the woman's teeth.

Russell's manslaughter charge relates to a woman who became septic shortly after Russell implanted a plastic snowflake in her hand.

Mr O'Neil, who like Russell was close to the deceased woman, says she complained of migraines and infection before her death.

'I believe her only contact (for medical advice) was Brendan,' he said.

The woman trusted Russell and 'never said bad things' about him, even if Mr O'Neil did.

On the way to the woman's funeral, the barber said Russell tried to convince him the woman's death was caused by overdosing on drugs supplied by neighbours.

'He was telling me that ... they had given her some drugs for migraines and she seemed lucid when came in (to get) her hand flushed, she seemed drugged or something,' he told the court.

Tattoo artist David Olteanu also recalled Russell's overdose theory being raised by Russell the morning the woman's body was found.

Russell (pictured) is currently on trial for manslaughter, intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and genital mutilation

Russell told Transition staff he'd spoken to the woman on numerous occasions the night before and she seemed 'drunk or wasted'.

'(He said) she told him her hand was sore but he talked that down, he didn't say too much about that, she seemed to him that she was off her face,' Mr Olteanu told the court on Monday.

'There wasn't much deep conversation about her hand because he was telling everyone it was a drug overdose.'

Mr Olteanu said he'd seen the woman discussing her migraines and pain in the parlour days earlier, and hearing Russell advise she take painkillers 'and see how it went'.

The trial continues before Judge Helen Syme, without a jury and via videolink.
Gabby Petito's disappearance spurred into action a vast network of online sleuths and social media users, all looking for clues to try and trace the missing 22-year-old's movements.

Petito, from New York, was reported missing on September 11, and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie - who had fled back to Florida on September 1 - was reported missing on September 14.

His whereabouts are unknown.

Petito was last seen on August 24 leaving a hotel in Utah, and spoke to her mother the following day, seemingly happy.

Gabby Petito was last seen on August 24 and was reported missing on September 11. Brian Laundrie, her boyfriend, arrived home in Florida alone on September 1, and disappeared, reported missing by his parents on September 14

Petito, 22, is seen with Laundrie in a post dated July 4, 2001 from Monument Rocks. His post is captioned: 'Downsizing our life to fit into this itty bitty van was the best decision we've ever made. With the limited space we wanted to take advantage of every inch, while also keeping everything minimalist. Definitely felt inspired by a lot of other #vanlifers on @youtube but we came up with a completely original layout. Barely spent anything on the conversion and couldn't be happier with the outcome. #vantour coming soon! Sacrificing space to wake up in nature everyday has been no sacrifice at all. Cross country road trip with @gabspetito'

The van that Petito and Laundrie were traveling in was spotted by multiple travelers

Petito is pictured on July 26 at Mystic Hot Springs, which she visited with Laundrie

The FBI in Denver began appealing for help on September 16, tweeting: 'UPDATE: The #FBI is working with our partners in the Teton County Sheriff's Office, Jackson Police Department, the @NatlParkService and other state & local law enforcement agencies across the country in the investigation of Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito's disappearance. #FindGabby.'

On September 18 they tweeted a map, with specific details of the search area.

Since then the social media sleuthing has taken off - on TikTok, the #gabbypetito hashtag has been viewed more than 212 million times.

Josh Taylor, spokesman for North Port police, in Laundrie's Florida hometown, said on Friday that they had received more than 1,000 tips.

In Victor, Idaho - a touristic town just across the hills from Jackson, Wyoming - a shopkeeper told her local newspaper, East Idaho News, that she had seen the couple on August 25 or 26.

'Brian and Gabby came to Rustic Row,' the shopkeeper said.

'They told me they were traveling from Florida. They had just been to Teton Park and they said they were interested in going to Yellowstone and I told them they could go to the west entrance.

'They seemed happy and when they left, she hollered back from the door that they were engaged and then I said congratulations.'

A shopkeeper in Victor, Idaho (pictured) said she saw the pair in the town on August 25 or 26

Jenn and Kyle Bethune believe they saw Petito's van on August 27, and noticed its plates

Petito made her last Instagram post on August 25.

On August 27, the van that Petito and Laundrie were traveling in was seen on August 27, around 6pm.

YouTubers Jenn and Kyle Bethune said on Sunday that they noticed it when they reviewed their footage.

'We came across a white van that had Florida plates,' Jenn Bethune said.

'A small white van. We were going to stop and say hi because we're from Florida, too, but the van was completely dark. There was nobody there, so we decided to continue on our way.'

Petito's family, on their Find Gabby page on Facebook, thanked the eagle-eyed online observers for spotting the van.

'Thank you so much, this is exactly why we are asking people to review older photos and video,' they wrote.

And on August 29, a TikTok user named Miranda Baker gave Laundrie a lift, she claimed.

Miranda Baker (pictured) believes she and her boyfriend gave Laundrie a lift when he was hitch-hiking on August 29

She said that she and her boyfriend picked him up at Grand Teton, with Laundrie telling them he 'needed to go to Jackson,' where they were heading.

But about 20 minutes later, she mentioned 'Jackson Hole,' and he allegedly asked to get out.

'Once I said Jackson Hole, he became agitated,' she said in one of the videos.

Brian Laundrie was given a lift from Grand Teton on August 29, according to Miranda Baker, who said he became 'antsy' and 'weird'

'He seemed like he needed to get out, he was kind of antsy. And that's when things got weird.'

She said they let him out near Jackson Dam and watched as he crossed the street and into a nearby crowded parking lot, presumably to try to continue hitch-hiking.

'I'm hoping this can help someone identify him because I saw him from TikTok, which then made me call the authorities,' she said.

Analysts have said that part of the social media world's fascination with the case is because Petito and Laundrie lived their lives in the public eye, filming a blog of their travels.

Another reason is the obsession with true crime podcasts and television series, and Petito's disappearance unraveled like a script.

'You've got this beautiful young couple, supposedly in love, making this romantic adventure across the country, and then something goes very bad,' said Scott Bonn, a criminologist who studies why certain crimes become cultural touchstones.

He told The Washington Post that Petito's looks and skin color likely enhanced the level of fascination.

'It's about our culture and our society,' he said. 'We place a priority on whiteness. We place a priority on youth and on our expectations of physical beauty.'

Petito and Laundrie knew each other from high school, and had been dating for several years

The pair had been traveling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

Experts said the high profile nature of the case likely helped investigators - even though there were pitfalls to be avoided, and inevitable baseless conspiracy theories.

Michael Alcazar, John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor and retired New York Police Department detective Michael Alcazar told the paper that the tips from the public can be critical.

'Most agencies don't have that many detectives to canvass for witnesses, to canvass for any kind of evidence,' he said.

'Now we have so many eyes out there, millions of civilian investigators, because now they're on the lookout. It's kind of like an Amber Alert, but more effective.'
Two takeaway food fans have been nabbed as they tried to cross the border into locked-down Auckland with $100,000 in cash and a car boot full of KFC.

While restrictions in the rest of New Zealand were eased at the start of September, Auckland remains under strict stage four lockdown, which includes fast food outlets being closed.

Police said the pair, who are known gang associates, had been trying to enter the city but were pulled over after they spotted a suspicious car travelling on a gravel road and the driver immediately did a U-turn.

The two gang associated were pulled over trying to smuggle in some Kentucky Fried Chicken (pictured) to locked-down Auckland where fast food outlets have been closed for five weeks

Officers searched the car, which had been driven from Hamilton - an hour-and-a-half away - and found the substantial amount of cash and the boot packed with takeaway bags of the Colonel's finest recipe.

'The vehicle was searched and police located the cash, alongside empty ounce bags and a large amount of takeaways,' police said.

The two men, aged 23 and 30, are set to appear in court for breaching the public health order but police said further charges are also likely and an investigation is ongoing.

Since Auckland was placed on alert level four in early August more than 86 people have been charged with 90 offences linked to breaching restrictions.

Of those, 73 charges were failing to comply with a COVID-19 order, 14 were for failure to comply with a direction or restriction, one for failing to stop, and two for assaulting, threatening, hindering, or obstructing and enforcement officer.

The pair also had $100,000 in cash in their car with police saying an investigation is underway

Auckland has been without takeaway KFC for five weeks so the pair decided to smuggle some into the city (pictured)

From Wednesday, 1.7 million residents in the Auckland region have shifted to a level three after five weeks in the tough level four environment.

Level three allows for more businesses - including construction and manufacturing - to open, for schools to return, and for restaurants and cafes to serve takeaways.

Aucklanders are desperate for the shift after they have suffered through five lockdowns during the pandemic, enduring 117 days and counting under lockdown orders.

On Tuesday, Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported 14 new cases in the community, including four in Whakatiwai.

Dr Bloomfield said he expected case numbers would 'rumble along a bit' and then 'we're expecting them to decline'.
Daniel Andrews has been accused of causing 'distress and chaos' by shutting down construction for two weeks, putting 320,000 workers out of a job.

The Victorian government said the move was needed to stop the spread of Covid because too many workers are breaking social-distancing and mask-wearing rules.

There are 403 Covid-19 cases linked to Victoria's construction sector, across 186 sites.

Victoria recorded 603 new cases on Tuesday, its highest total since 725 on August 5 last year.

Daniel Andrews has been accused of causing 'distress and chaos' by shutting down construction for two weeks, putting 320,000 workers out of a job

Protesters clashed with police on Monday in Melbourne to demonstrate against mandatory vaccination

But Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas admitted anti-vaccination protests by a minority of construction workers - who demonstrated violently outside a union headquarters on Monday and stormed the streets again on Tuesday - also prompted the shut down.

'There's been a very serious set of behaviours including on our streets which, in itself, is a public health risk,' he said, noting that 'abhorrent behaviour' was carried out by a 'minority' of tradies.

Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar said the move was unfair on the majority of law-abiding workers.

'Today, more than 320,000 Victorian workers in the building and construction industry  representing 9.3 per cent of all Victorian jobs  are seemingly being punished for the actions of a violent minority of CFMMEU protesters yesterday,' he said.

'Having suffered some of the longest lockdowns anywhere in the world, the last thing Victorians need at this time is more distress and chaos.

'Whether it's the apprentice carpenter from Frankston, the brickie from Geelong or the concreter from Ballarat, these Victorians should not be made to suffer as retaliation for the actions of violent protesters in Carlton yesterday.

'Not to mention the first home buyers, renovators and home builders who will suffer financially as a result of their projects being delayed and lives disrupted.'

A heavy police presence is seen on Elizabeth Street during a protest at the CFMEU headquarters on Monday

Hundreds of protesters have started to gather outside CFMEU'S union head office on Tuesday

The federal government expects the shut-down will cost $2.2 billion in construction activity and almost $640 million in lost wages over two weeks.

Union officials say the protest was run by far-right groups pretending to be tradies who are furious about laws which require construction workers to get vaccinated.

On Friday the Victorian Government announced that construction workers will need to show evidence to their employer that they have had a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 11.59pm on September 23.

Mr Andrews was accused of 'hiding' from the media on Tuesday by failing to appear at a Covid press conference.

Mr Pallas said the decision to shut construction came a week after the government put the industry on notice for non-compliance with public health orders.

'What we have seen is a need for the government to intervene and take strong action, consistent with the chief health officer's orders, in order to protect the community,' he said.

'But also to protect those workers, their workmates, their families.'

Mr Pallas said the construction workforce was young and mobile, leading to Covid spreading around the whole of Melbourne.

'We put the industry on notice, you'll recall, a week ago, that we needed to see a substantial improvement,' he said.

'And we made it very clear then that the permitted worker status would be reviewed if, in fact, those issues failed to be adhered to.

'Since then, we've seen poor compliance and further transmission sites being identified, and that just cannot continue.'

An audit of about 200 construction sites last week found 73 per cent were failing to comply with health directions

Riot police are seen outside the Victoria's Parliament House during Tuesday's protest, which came a day after violent demonstrators damaged the CFMEU head office in Melbourne's CBD

Police with riot shields monitored Tuesday's rally, where demonstrators were told over loudspeaker 'leave now or more force may be used'

Anti-vaxxer protesters have chased police and pelted squad cars with cans as rallies on the streets of Melbourne descended into chaos for the second day running.

Footage showed tradesmen in hi-vis clothing kicking police cars in the Melbourne CBD as thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Victoria's Parliament House.

A Channel 7 TV reporter was earlier assaulted by a protester and had bags filled with urine thrown at him.

Construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets for the second consecutive day on Tuesday - many of them distraught after a tradesman took his own life at a construction site earlier in the day.

Demonstrators sung Advance Australia Fair and chanted 'f*** the jab' in protest against mandatory vaccination orders for the industry, and Premier Daniel Andrews' decision to shut the industry down for two weeks, amid soaring case numbers.

The protest began outside the boarded up head office of the construction union, the CFMEU, which was badly damaged by violent demonstrations just 24 hours before.

More than 100 police officers walked up Swanston Street in pursuit of the crowd, with officers warning demonstrators on a loudspeaker to turn back.

'Attention, this is a police public order warning. You have previously been directed to leave,' an officer inside a line of riot police and officers on horseback told the crowd.

'Leave now or force may be used. No further warnings will be given.'

By 2.30pm the protest had reached the Westgate Freeway - a vital artery into the city - with demonstrators bringing traffic to a standstill as they marched across the bridge.

In chaotic scenes, a person riding a motorcycle was seen tearing up and down the highway on the wrong side of the road on one wheel before making an escape down a exit ramp.

The mood in the crowd was dark, a Croatian man having earlier taken his own life at a building site in West Melbourne hours after the Premier's shut down was announced.

The worker is believed to have died by suicide at the Crema Construction site near Roden Street, with the company declining to comment.

Tradesmen later took to the Westgate Freeway - a vital road artery into the city - to rally against vaccine mandates and the two-week shutdown of their industry
A fifteen-year-old schoolgirl left hardened journalists and NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard stunned after how well she answered questions at a press conference.

Called on to offer a young person's perspective on the new 'buddy bubble' announced by the NSW government, Alyssa quickly stole the show.

Alyssa, 15, stunned the NSW Covid press conference with her poise and eloquence on Tuesday

'I'm Alyssa and I'm in Year 9 at the moment. I'm 15 years old and I know that lockdown has been incredibly hard for everyone lately,' she introduced herself.

'However, children and young people definitely want to do the right thing and also be able to socialise because lockdown is incredibly isolating for everyone.

'Being able to socialise whilst also abide by the new rules through the friendship travel bubble will definitely help us all greatly at the moment. Thank you.'

Journalists at the press conference used to the practised lines of politicians and experts were left open-mouthed by Alyssa's fresh delivery.

'You did a good job there. Better than the Health Minister, if I can say,' one reporter commented.

Alyssa then took some questions on how lockdown had impacted her and her friends, and whether they were all keen to get vaccinated.

'I know everyone is excited to be vaccinated around me,' she responded.

'I am double vaccinated at the moment which is a great relief to know I'm protected transitioning into going back to school and seeing people again.

'I'm aware that all of my friends and family are also quite excited to be able to get vaccinated and feel safe going back into the community.'

She said doing schoolwork from home for an extended period during Sydney's lockdown had been hard.

'Of course it's difficult but utilising support networks and the facilities the school provides has definitely been helpful.

'I'm lucky enough to have a great school program at the moment but I know a lot of people might not be so fortunate to have home learning as effective as what I have at the moment.

'But definitely it's doing pretty well at the moment.'

Health Minister Brad Hazzard then returned to the microphone and expressed his amazement at Alyssa's poise before the media pack.

'How about that? To have young people like that is just amazing. And to think that our community is going to have her and her friends in charge at some point is amazing,' he said.

In new rules announced on Monday night, under-18s in NSW are now able to visit each others' homes and gather in groups of three as part of a friends' bubble

In new rules announced on Monday night, under-18s are now able to visit each others' homes and gather in groups of three as part of a friends' bubble.

Children must nominate which three friends will be part of their bubble and can't change their mind

Bubble participants must live within five kilometres of each other or in the same local government area, and adults in the kids' households must be fully vaccinated.

Parents and carers must not interact with each other when dropping kids off at their friends house.

The bubble has been extended to HSC students who can study in groups of three.
A woman accused of forcing a door to break out of hotel quarantine in Queensland and going on the run for days has been refused bail.

Jessica Lee Heath, 24, applied for bail in Southport Magistrates Court by videolink on Tuesday.

Heath was placed in quarantine after allegedly attempting to enter Queensland on July 31 after travelling from a Covid-19 hotspot in NSW.

She allegedly broke out of the Gold Coast hotel quarantine room and travelled to Caboolture, north of Brisbane.

Heath was found four days later in Caboolture and charged with failing to comply with health orders, wilful damage and stealing and separate bail breach offences.

She has since been in custody on remand.

Heath was placed in quarantine after allegedly attempting to enter Queensland on July 31 after travelling from a Covid-19 hotspot in NSW

Police lodged on Tuesday a formal objection to bail, based on Heath's history.

Legal aid lawyer James Grehan's argument Heath had been in isolation and spent eight days in the Brisbane City Watchhouse was rejected by the magistrate.

'She could have spent it at the Sofitel where it would have been much more comfortable that the Brisbane City Watchhouse,' Magistrate Kay Philipson said.

'The applicant kicked her way out of the very comfortable hotel - she smashed the door in and escaped.

'She does not seem to want to comply with any conditions if I grant her bail.

'I think there is an unreasonable risk.'

Magistrate Philipson said Heath's record was concerning.

'How can I be satisfied that she is going to turn up? She does not seem to want to turn up for anything,' she told the court.

'I accept she has been in custody for some period of time, but she is not doing herself any favours.

'I am not confident she is going to turn up, no matter what conditions I put in place. Bail is refused.'

Heath's matters were adjourned to Southport Magistrates Court on September 30.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has shut down the state's construction industry after it was revealed 403 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the sector.

There are now 300,000 tradies out of work for two weeks following the shut down announced late on Monday night with hundreds taking to the streets of Melbourne to protest outside construction union CFMEU's office.

The state's health minister Martin Foley said that the hundreds of cases found within the industry have been recorded across 186 construction sites.

While the majority of cases have been linked to metropolitan Melbourne, 49 infections are in those living in regional Victoria.

Mr Foley said the high case numbers and the fact the industry has not complied to health directions prompted authorities to shut the sector down.

More than 400 Covid-19 cases have been linked to Victoria's construction industry as it shuts down for two weeks

There are now 300,000 tradies out of work for two weeks following the shut down with hundreds taking to the streets of Melbourne on Monday and Tuesday to protest outside construction union CFMEU's office

'We've referred to multiple cases seeding from metropolitan Melbourne into the regions given the highly mobile and young permitted workforce that has been in the construction sector, for the past 18 months,' Mr Foley said.

'We've also reflected on poor levels of compliance with health directions and poor levels of application of Covid-safe principles and practices in multiple workplaces, big, small, and in between.'

Before workers can return to the tools on October 5, they must show proof of having at least one Covid vaccination - a measure which has sparked outrage among many tradies.

Countless protesters donning high-vis vests and jackets on Tuesday were told to back down by police as rallies began to turn ugly.

'Leave now or force may be used. No further warnings will be given,' an officer inside a line of riot police and officers on horseback told the crowd.

The group of protesters at the intersection of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets in Melbourne's CBD on Tuesday responded with chants of 'every day'.

They are opposing the government mandate requiring all construction workers to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The group were heard chanting 'f*** the jab', 'f*** off (Premier) Dan Andrews' and other expletives, but are being blocked from accessing the CFMEU headquarters by a line of Victoria Police officers.

Anti-vaxxer demonstrators have since marched their way up to Victoria's state parliament with a dozen bizarre demands.

Riot police are seen outside the Victoria's Parliament House during Tuesday's protest, which came a day after violent demonstrators damaged the CFMEU head office in Melbourne's CBD

Hundreds of protestors - many wearing hi-vis - marched towards state parliament to rally against mandatory vaccine orders

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Tensions threatened to boil over about 11am with protesters lighting flares and a bottle being tossed towards police.

The angry crowd also turned their attention to television reporters, with a group of protesters physically attacking veteran Channel Seven journalist Paul Dowsley.

Daily Mail Australia saw Dowsley, who was doused in urine during the chaos, repeatedly spat on and assaulted by a group of thugs.

The Melbourne protesters are also using encrypted platform Telegram to call for a list of demands including an end to lockdowns, mandatory mask orders and the immediate reopening of the construction industry.

The ugly scenes imitate what was seen on Monday, when riot police were called in to disperse a group of about 500 protesters, who threw bottles at Victorian CFMEU construction secretary John Setka and smashed the office's door down.

Mr Setka on Tuesday said the protesters were not all CFMEU members and blamed 'neo-Nazi's and right-wing extremists' for hijacking the event.

Before workers can return to the tools on October 5, they must show proof of having at least one Covid vaccination - a measure which has sparked outrage among many

Protests turned ugly on Monday with tradies hurling bottles at CFMEU construction secretary John Setka and smashing the office's door down

'There was a small minority of construction workers, some of them when it all got violent just walked away from it. It was hijacked by the professional protesters,' the Victorian construction branch secretary John Setka told ABC Radio National on Tuesday morning.

He said the CFMEU was 'pro-vax' but had always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination.

Former union leader and federal member for Maribyrnong Bill Shorten said he believed a group of professional trouble makers were to blame for Monday's 'shocking violence'.

'I never thought I would see a scene where you have people who call themselves Nazis using encrypted message systems to bring in a rent-a-crowd,' he told Nine Network on Tuesday.

'Some of those people ... I'm reliably informed were fake tradies.

'They've been down to the Reject Shop and got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoodie.'

On Monday night, the state government announced the industry would be shut down from Tuesday for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.

Protesters are seen at Melbourne's CFMEU headquarters on Monday

All worksites will need to demonstrate compliance with health directions prior to reopening.

This includes a requirement for workers to show evidence of having had at least one dose of a vaccine before they return to work on October 5.

Mr Shorten defended the CFMEU saying the construction union was being responsible and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

'There is a network of hard-right man-baby Nazis, just people who just want to cause trouble - these man-babies, they want to complain about vaccinations,' he said.

'They deserve to get the full force of everything that's coming their way.'

An audit of about 200 construction sites last week found 73 per cent were failing to comply with health directions.

An amnesty will be in place on Tuesday so a limited number of workers can attend construction sites to shut them down safely.
The militant union at the centre of violent protests in Melbourne has a long history of disruptive behaviour, antagonism towards government and illegal conduct.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union - technically the CFMMEU but usually shortened to CFMEU - has about 144,000 members, or 1 per cent of the Australian workforce.

It is one of Australia's most powerful trade unions, with a motto of 'If Provoked Will Strike' and is a strong influence over the left wing of Labor politics.

CFMEU boss John Setka has distanced the union from protesters objecting to mandatory Covid-19 vaccine requirements for Victorian construction workers.

The militant union at the centre of violent protests in Melbourne has a long history of disruptive behaviour, antagonism towards government and illegal conduct. CFMEU Victorian construction branch secretary John Setka is pictured with wife Emma Walters

CFMEU boss John Setka has distanced the union from protesters objecting to mandatory Covid-19 vaccine requirements, which come into effect for the construction industry later this week. Construction workers are pictured clashing with union officials on Monday

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union - technically the CFMMEU but often shortened to CFMEU - has about 144,000 members, or 1 per cent of the Australian workforce. John Setka is pictured (in blue shirt) as an organiser back in 2003

Hundreds of workers in hi-vis vests gathered outside the union's Elizabeth Street head office on Monday, hurling abuse and projectiles and smashing windows.

The relatively young, ethnically diverse protesters - many of them anti-vaxxers - clashed violently with police and union officials.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has since shut down the construction industry for at least a fortnight.

Public health officials had already become increasingly concerned the building workforce was becoming a major source of Covid transmission and exposure.

Mr Setka was furious 300,000 construction staff had lost work because of the actions of 'fake tradies' at the protest, describing them as 'scum of the earth, drunken and un-Australian morons'.

'There were a few of anti-vaxxer activists there who are not union members or are from our industry, they're the ones you see at all the protests,' Mr Setka told the Today show on Tuesday.

'There was a sprinkling of construction workers there of our members and the rest were just people, I wouldn't even know who they are.'

The protesters might not have been demonstrating under the banner of the CFMEU but the union is considered the most militant and uncompromising in the country.

Mondahy's protesters might not have been demonstrating under the banner of the CFMEU but the union is considered the most militant and uncompromising in the country. Construction workers are pictured at a rally in Melbourne in 2017

Hundreds of workers in hi-vis vests gathered outside the CFMEU's Elizabeth Street head office on Monday, hurling abuse and projectiles and smashing windows. Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has since shut down the construction industry for at least a fortnight.

It has repeatedly broken laws governing industrial action, accruing more breaches and fines than any other union in the past 25 years. It has also secured high wages and good conditions for many members using its collective power.

The union, which was founded in 1992, has offices in all capital cities and many major regional centres, while the national headquarters is in Melbourne.

It has assets of $310million, annual revenue of approximately $146million and as well as supporting Labor has donated to the Greens and political activist group GetUp!

As of last year it had been been fined almost $17million for unlawful behaviour related to almost 2,200 breaches of industrial relations legislation since 2002.

Breaches include unlawful strike action, unauthorised entry of construction sites by officials and attempts to stop non-members working on projects. Its actions have included intimidation, coercion and threats.

While not as disruptive as the disbanded Builders Labourers Federation of the 1980s or criminal in the way of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union of the 1970s, the CFMEU is nonetheless hard core.

Concerns about CFMEU conduct led to the 2001 Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Sector and the 2015 Royal Commission into Trade union Governance and Corruption.

Mr Setka was furious 300,000 construction staff had lost work because of the actions of 'fake tradies' at Monday's protest. There is no suggestion anyone pictured is a 'fake tradie' or engaged in any wrongdoing

In one case against the union Federal Court judge Debra Mortimer noted 'not only the sheer number of contraventions but the frequency of them.'

She suggested the CFMEU had a 'conscious and deliberate strategy' to engage in 'disruptive, threatening and abuse behaviour towards employers without regard to the lawfulness of that action, and impervious to the prospect of prosecution and penalties.'

That, or it 'weighs up the cost of engaging in such action... and nevertheless concludes it is a collateral cost doing its industrial business,' Justice Mortimer said

In another Federal Court case, Justice Salvatore Vasta said, 'it is no understatement to describe the CFMEU as the most recidivist corporate offender in Australian history.'

The union is organised into four divisions - construction and general, manufacturing, mining and energy, and maritime - each operating largely autonomously.

Mr Setka is the Victorian state secretary of the construction division, which as well as covering tradespeople represents building workers who would once have belonged to the deregistered BLF.

'There were a few of anti-vaxxer activists there who are not union members or are from our industry, they're the ones you see at all the protests,' Mr Setka told the Today show on Tuesday

The 57-year-old worked as muscle for the BLF in the 1980s when he was convicted of assaults and trespassing on Melbourne building sites.

Mr Setka is a heavy-set, tattooed, T-shirt-wearing official known outside the trade union movement for his friendship with underworld figure Mick Gatto and being the subject of domestic violence charges.

Among those allegations were that the Croatian-Australian sent his wife Emma Walters a series of texts calling her a 'weak f***in' piece of s***' and a 'treacherous Aussie f***in' c***'.

In June 2019, he was found guilty of using a carriage service to harass his wife, for which he received a 12-month good behaviour bond. Other charges were dismissed and the couple reconciled.

Mr Setka has resisted repeated demands for him to resign and is unapologetic about his past and colourful associations. He does not back down.

'You throw a stone at me and I'll throw a mountain back,' is reportedly one of his favourite warnings to colleagues.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese previously called for Mr Setka to quit the party - he resigned under threat of expulsion in October 2019 - and ACTU secretary Sally McManus has said he should resign from his union role.

'There was a sprinkling of construction workers there of our members and the rest were just people, I wouldn't even know who they are,' Mr Setka said on Tuesday

Mr Setka is seen a divisive force and it is expected the CFMEU will split into several smaller unions, bringing an end to its position as a major national political force.

He has been behind major protests previously, notably shutting down his home city's central business district in 2012 in a dispute with construction giant Grocon that drew almost 1,000 police in response.

The CFMEU has a long history of conflict with the Master Builders Victoria but that relationship had mellowed during the Covid pandemic as workers, employers and government cooperated to keep the construction industry open.

The protest against construction restrictions in Melbourne turned violent on Monday with anti-vaccination demonstrators clashing with CFMEU officials.

Flanked by other union officials, Mr Setka tried to appease the crowd and address the protesters over a loud speaker.

'Please calm down, can you at least give me the respect to talk,' he said. 'We're not the enemy, I don't know what you have heard.

'I have never ever said I support mandatory vaccination.'

It is one of Australia's most powerful trade unions, with a motto of 'If Provoked Will Strike' and is a strong influence over the left wing of Labor politics

Setka told the crowd he had never even met Mr Andrews but was eventually forced to retreat inside the union office before protestors smashed a glass door, chanting 'my body, my choice'.

On Monday night, the Victorian government shut down the construction industry for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, Ballarat, Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.

All sites will need to demonstrate compliance with health directions prior to reopening, including a requirement for workers to show evidence of having had at least one dose of a vaccine before they return to their jobs.

The government said the shutdown was required to cut down movement, reduce Covid-19 transmission and give the industry time to adapt to the new requirements.

An audit of about 200 construction sites last week found 73 per cent were failing to comply with health directions

Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas said: 'We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on-site and on our streets, and now we're acting decisively and without hesitation.'

On Monday night, the Victorian government shut down the construction industry for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, Ballarat, Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire. Protesters are pictured at CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne

Queensland construction unions including that state's CFMEU branch have opposed any blanket 'no jab-no job' laws which remove a worker's right to make personal health choices.

'We strongly support and have followed the health advice that has helped keep Queenslanders safe and our members working, even during periods of restrictions and lockdown,' the unions said in a statement under the banner of the Building Trades Group.

'Ultimately though, medical decisions must be a matter for an individual acting on the advice of their doctor, and workers should not be punished for acting according to their own personal circumstances.'

While demonstrations such as those scene in Melbourne have not yet occurred in Brisbane, the CFMEU's Queensland branch is ready to strike if provoked.

'We continue to work with employers and members to keep our industry safe, working and fully informed, but do not accept that coercive measures are part of any solution,' the combined unions statement said.

'Any employer found to be illegally coercing workers however, will be dealt with by BTG unions to the full extent of the law.'
Veteran TV newsman Paul Dowsley says he has been spat on, attacked and sprayed with urine in ugly scenes at the tradies' protest rally in Melbourne on Tuesday.

The Seven News reporter was reporting from the scene of the protest when he was jumped by one demonstrator who grabbed him around the neck.

He was also said to have been doused in urine, including in his mouth, when open bottles were thrown at him in another separate disgusting attack.

'My colleague myself and I are covered in what I understand to be urine,' he revealed live on air as he described how he had been attacked while covering the protest.

The 7News reporter was reporting from the scene of the protest when he came under fire from some of the demonstrators, (pictured here)

'To put it lightly, I'm not a fighter, I've never thrown a punch in my life, so in those situations I thought I'd be quick to make a move.

'But that guy came in to my side very quickly - I did my best to get out of what felt like a headlock.

'My [cameraman] colleague Rick who was standing on a seat trying to get an elevated shot, jumped down with his camera and came to my assistance.

'Some other people came in and tried break it up - they did try to defuse it.

Veteran TV newsman Paul Dowsley (pictured) says he has been spat on, attacked and sprayed with urine in ugly scenes at the tradies' protest rally in Melbourne on Tuesday

'I will give credit to some protesters who stopped in the minutes after to check I was OK and one made a point of telling me that's not what they were about.

'He was disgusted by any attack like that on media.'

Daily Mail Australia reporter Wayne Flower came to Mr Dowsley's rescue, fearing the journalist would be stomped on by the mob of fluoro-clad thugs.

Moments later though, Mr Dowsley was viciously attacked a second time with a can of soft drink thrown at his head while he did a live update .

The newsman was talking about the passion of the protesters he was painfully struck by the apparently near full can of energy drink.

'I've just been struck in the back of a back of the head by a can,' he said live on air, visibly shaken by the latest attack. 'I'm not sure whether you saw that.

'That really hurt. I'm going to go back to you [in the studio].'

He added: 'I have been grabbed around the neck today. I've had urine tipped on me. Now I've had I can of energy drink thrown on me.'

Newsman Paul Dowsley (pcitured) was talking about the passion of the protesters he painfully was struck by the apparently near full can of energy drink

As he spoke on air, he was drowned out by a yob running past shouting: 'F*** you.'

The tough newsman continued to report despite the attacks which came as the anti-vaxxer protesters marched to Victoria's state parliament in chaotic scenes.

Protesters first gathered outside CFMEU's boarded-up union head office on Tuesday morning, only a day after the building was badly damaged in violent demonstrations on Monday.

Hundreds of protesters have started to gather outside the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union's head office on Tuesday

Hundreds of demonstrators chanted 'f**k the jab' and sung Advance Australia Fair as they made their way up Victoria Street in the city's CBD towards state parliament.

Tensions threatened to boil over about 11am with protesters lighting flares and a bottle being tossed towards police.

Protesters are also using encrypted platform Telegram to call for an end to lockdowns, mandatory mask orders and the immediate reopening of the construction industry.

Three of the demands called for Victoria's leading figureheads in its pandemic response to stand down - Premier Daniel Andrews, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.

Riot police are seen outside the Victoria's Parliament House during Tuesday's protest, which came a day after violent demonstrators damaged the CFMEU head office in Melbourne's CBD

Police are pictured gathered in a line at the protest at CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne on Tuesday

A protestor wearing a metal hat and a skeleton-style face mask is pictured at Tuesday's demonstration

Hundreds of protestors - many wearing hi-vis - marched towards state parliament to rally against mandatory vaccine orders

Protesters also called for a royal commission into the government's response to the pandemic and for officers they claim 'assaulted peaceful protesters' to be charged.

Their final demand was for the 'mass distribution of invermectin, Vitamins C, D and Zinc' as alternative treatments for Covid-19.

Invermectin, a horse tranquiliser used to treat parasitic infections, has not been proven to be effective in treating the virus.

CFMEU boss John Setka earlier blasted 'fake tradies' and 'man-baby Nazis' who sparked Monday's violent scenes outside union headquarters - prompting Daniel Andrews to shut down the entire industry for two weeks.

Construction workers march towards state parliament on Tuesday. Protesters have called for a royal commission into the government's response to the pandemic

Hundreds of workers in hi-vis vests gathered outside the union's head office in Melbourne on Monday to protest against mandatory Covid-19 vaccine requirements, which come into effect for the construction industry later this week.

The protest turned violent as demonstrators clashed with Mr Setka and other union officials, hurling abuse and projectiles and smashing glass windows.

Mr Setka is furious 300,000 construction staff state-wide have lost work because of the actions of 'fake tradies' at the protest, describing them as 'scum of the earth, drunken and un-Australian morons'.

It comes as Victoria recorded 603 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally in the current outbreak and since August 2020, bringing the number of active cases to 6,000.

Angry protesters rally against mandatory vaccine orders for the construction industry on Tuesday

'There were a few of anti-vaxxer activists there who are not union members or are from our industry, they're the ones you see at all the protests,' Mr Setka told the Today show on Tuesday.

'It just got out of control. Then they were consuming a whole heap of alcohol. Thanks to these morons, 300,000 Victorians are sitting at home for at least the next couple of weeks, could drag out even longer.'

A protester gestures as he stands next to a banner that reads 'freedom' outside Victoria's Parliament House

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Mr Setka described how he went out to address the hostile crowd but was eventually forced to retreat back inside as protestors turned on him.

'We went out there to see what it was all about,' he said.

'There was a sprinkling of construction workers there of our members and the rest were just people, I wouldn't even know who they are.

'You couldn't even talk. We tried to keep it all calm, and it just got out of chrome. People started throwing bottles. Some of them were fighting amongst themselves.

'You know, once they started throwing the bottles, that was it we just said this is too dangerous, let's move back in. It just got out of control from there.'

'There was a sprinkling of construction workers there of our members and the rest were just people, I wouldn't even know who they are.

'You couldn't even talk. We tried to keep it all calm, and it just got out of chrome. People started throwing bottles. Some of them were fighting amongst themselves.

'You know, once they started throwing the bottles, that was it we just said this is too dangerous, let's move back in. It just got out of control from there.'

Protesters marched to state parliament on Tuesday, where they were met with a wall of police officers with riot shields

Construction workers took to the streets of Melbourne again on Tuesday to rally against vaccine orders and the city's ongoing lockdown

Police are pictured heading towards the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne on Tuesday to monitor the anti-vaxxer protesters

Ex-unionist and federal MP Bill Shorten also slammed the 'fake tradies' and 'man-baby Nazis' earlier in the program.

'Some of those people in the crowd were construction workers, but others, I'm reliably informed, were fake tradies,' he said.

'They'd been down to the Reject Shop and got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoodie so they could pretend they were construction.'

On Monday night, the state government shut down the industry for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire.

All worksites will need to demonstrate compliance with health directions prior to reopening.

This includes a requirement for workers to show evidence of having had at least one dose of a vaccine before they return to work on October 5.

Mr Shorten defended the CFMEU saying the construction union was being responsible and encouraging people to get vaccinated.

'There is a network of hard-right man-baby Nazis, just people who just want to cause trouble - these man-babies, they want to complain about vaccinations,' he said.

'They deserve to get the full force of everything that's coming their way.'

It's believed the protesters plan to gather again outside the CFMEU from 10am on Tuesday.

The Victorian branch of CFMEU said it had always supported freedom of choice regarding vaccination.

'We are not going to be intimidated by outside extremists attempting to intimidate the union, by spreading misinformation and lies about the union's position,' it said in a statement on Monday.

The Victorian government said the shutdown was required to cut down movement, reduce Covid-19 transmission and give the industry time to adapt to new requirements.

An audit of about 200 construction sites last week found 73 per cent were failing to comply with health directions.

'We put the industry on notice just a week ago, we have seen appalling behaviour on-site and on our streets, and now we're acting decisively and without hesitation,' Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas said.

An amnesty will be in place on Tuesday so a limited number of workers can attend construction sites to shut them down safely.

All sites will need to demonstrate compliance with the chief health officer's directions prior to reopening, including evidence workers have had one dose of a vaccine before they return to work on October 5.

The Property Council of Australia said the shutdown would cost the economy $1.1 billion a week.

'The majority of construction sites and construction workers are doing everything required of them to meet the highest standards of COVID safety and have done so since the pandemic started,' executive director Danni Hunter said in a statement.

'Closing the industry will prevent them going to work and getting paid and it will stall projects causing immensely costly delays, putting projects and Victorian jobs at risk.'
Advertisement

An area in Bridger-Teton National Forest where authorities found remains believed to be 22-year-old Gabby Petito now has a makeshift memorial made of white stones arranged in a cross.

The memorial was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite. Law enforcement awaits an autopsy scheduled for Tuesday to confirm whether the body belongs to the missing 'van-life' woman.

The New York native set out on a road trip with her boyfriend earlier this summer and was last seen alive on August 24. She was reported missing on September 11 after Brian Laundrie, who she was road-tripping with, returned home to Florida without her.

The spot with the stone crosses is just east of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming where law enforcement discovered the human remains on Sunday. It is not clear when the cross was created.

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Gabbys transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite. The remains were found about a quarter of a mile from where the van was photographed.

The location was found Monday just minutes after law enforcement left the campground around 5:40 p.m. and opened it back up to the public. The campground had been closed to the public since last Saturday.

A DailyMail reporter found a pink ribbon tied the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road.

Investigators left pink marker tape where the couple's van was seen in a YouTube video and more pink marker tape by the cross. There also were red markers in a large circle around the area where investigators had been working.

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

The memorial is placed near to where authorities found a body believed to belong to Gabby Petito, 22

The undeveloped campground is popular with tourists though it has no water or trash service. Above, a sign points to the area

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Gabbys transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite

Gabbys transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite, and the remains were found not far from where the van was photographed

911 AUDIO CLAIMS BRIAN LAUNDRIE REPEATEDLY SLAPPED GABBY BEFORE MOAB POLICE ARRIVED AND FOUND HER CRYING 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident that claimed Laundrie slapped Petito. In the audio, the caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away. The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight. 'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly. 'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues. 'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks. 'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends. Advertisement

There were markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross.

The orange paint on the dead trees was still wet. Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Gabbys transit van was filmed by the YouTuber.

Forensic experts have been going over Petitos computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device.

The computer was with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie when he returned to Florida without Petito on September 1.

A body believed to be Petito's was found in near a campsite in Wyoming on Sunday, and Laundrie has vanished and been declared missing.

Part of the warrant application reveals a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother Nichole Schmidt that set off alarm bells when it was received.

The warrant reads: On August 27th, 2021, the subjects mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an odd text from the subject. The text message read, Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.'

The document continues: 'The reference to Stan was referring to Gabbys grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him Stan. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.

It added this was the last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.

Gabbys mother acknowledged receiving another text from her phone on Aug. 30 with the message, No service in Yosemite.

She was convinced her daughter didnt sent that final message and that she believes Petito's boyfriend may have sent the message from her phone, possibly to mislead her family and investigators as to her whereabouts.

DailyMail reporter found a pink ribbon tied the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road

Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Gabbys transit van was filmed by the YouTuber

There were markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross

A pink ribbon thought to have been left by investigators can be seen at the location of Gabby's van

The makeshift memorial was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

Petito's hard drive is now the subject of intense scrutiny from police after her body was found on Sunday

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' road trip. Petito's body was found on Sunday and Laundrie has disappeared

Nicole Schmidt and her husband James are pictured during a September 14 press conference appealing for information about Petito's whereabouts

Part of the application for the document reveals a cryptic last text message Gabby sent to her mother Nichole Schmidt that set off alarm bells when it was received.

REVEALED: CRYPTIC LAST TEXTS SENT FROM GABBY PETITO'S PHONE TO HER MOM Forensic experts have been poring over Gabby Petitos computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device. Part of the application for the document reveals a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother. The warrant reads: On August 27th, 2021, the subjects mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an odd text from the subject. The text message read, Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.' The document continues: 'The reference to Stan was referring to Gabbys grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him Stan. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter. It added this was the last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her. Advertisement

Gabbys computer was in her white Ford Transit van that was taken away by police very late September 11  some 10 days after boyfriend Brian Laundrie had already returned to Florida without her.

The vehicle was taken by North Port Police around five hours after Schmidt- who lives on Long Island, New York - reported her daughter missing. A warrant to search the vehicle was issued on September 14.

The warrant application explains that Petito and Laundrie left from New York state sometime in mid-June 2021 for a vacation in Utah, traveling a variety of National Parks along the way. While they were on their trip, they documented some of the events on a YouTube video, VAN LIFE: Beginning Our Van Life Journey.

It added: During the trip the subject sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother Nichole Schmidt  during these conversations there appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie.

Additionally, WFLA reported that the warrant gives police access to a wide range of content potentially found on the hard drive, and digital documents, notes, passwords, encryptions or data security devices which might keep them from accessing the contents.

The white van, which belonged to Gabby, was tracked through a license plate reader at the Sumpter Boulevard exit of Interstate 75 towards North Port on September 1 at roughly 10.26am, the application reveals.

The warrant, issued by the office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court, was executed on September 16  two days after Laundrie vanished from his parents home saying he was heading to the 25,000 acre Carlton Reserve, a swampy reserve infested with alligators.

FBI agents stormed Laundrie's family's home on Monday and removed his parents from the house while declaring the area a crime scene moments after authorities called off a search of a nearby nature reserve, saying they have 'exhausted all avenues.'

Laundrie and Petito set off on their dream road trip from New York on July 2

Laundrie and Petito are seen in a photo dated July 29. The pair met at high school on Long Island, New York, and begun dating several years ago

Petito and Laundrie in one of their photos from Instagram, to promote their blog about the trip

ALABAMA COPS INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE LAUNDRIE SIGHTINGS Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Brian Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area, with many posting about their suspicions online. The city is more than 600 miles northwest of his home in North Port, Florida. Mobile County Sheriff's Office Captain Paul Burch told FOX 10 News he does not believe Laundrie had any connections to the area. Rumors of Laundrie's whereabouts have since flooded social media, with some speculating he may have been a body which was found in a dumpster outside of a Walmart in Mobile over the weekend. But police on Monday said they have been investigating the reports, but none have turned up anything of substance. The body in the dumpster, they said, belonged to an unidentified homeless man. Advertisement

The FBI tweeted on Monday that it 'is executing a court-authorized search warrant today at the Laundrie residence in North Port, FL relevant to the Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito investigation.'

'No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation,' the FBI added.

Steven Berolino, an attorney for the family, told ABC 7 that the family went looking for Laundrie on Wednesday. They found his Ford Mustang, which had a police note on it demanding that the vehicle be removed from the area.

The family initially left the car there so that Brian Laundrie could drive it back, but they returned on Thursday to retrieve it, according to Bertolino.

The next day, the family filed a missing persons report for him.

DailyMail.com was on the scene Monday as FBI agents led Chris and Roberta Laundrie, Brian Laundrie's parents, out of the home and into a police van. They were allowed back into the residence about an hour later.

On Monday, chilling 911 audio revealed how a caller in Utah reported a domestic abuse incident involving Petito and Laundrie. The caller claimed Laundrie was seen slapping her on August 12.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

FBI agents are seen searching the family home of Brian Laundrie on September 20

An FBI agent is pictured at the North Port home of Laundrie's parents on September 20

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car in Utah, 13 days before she was last seen. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

PETITO INVESTIGATORS RECEIVED MORE THAN 1,000 TIPS FROM ONLINE SLEUTHS Gabby Petito's disappearance spurred into action a vast network of online sleuths and social media users, all looking for clues to try and trace the missing 22-year-old's movements. The FBI in Denver began appealing for help on September 16, tweeting: 'UPDATE: The #FBI is working with our partners in the Teton County Sheriff's Office, Jackson Police Department, the @NatlParkService and other state & local law enforcement agencies across the country in the investigation of Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito's disappearance. #FindGabby.' On September 18 they tweeted a map, with specific details of the search area. Since then the social media sleuthing has taken off - on TikTok, the #gabbypetito hashtag has been viewed more than 212 million times. Josh Taylor, spokesman for North Port police, said on Friday that they had received more than 1,000 tips. In Victor, Idaho - a touristic town just across the hills from Jackson, Wyoming - a shopkeeper told her local newspaper, East Idaho News, that she had seen the couple on August 25 or 26. The van that Petito and Laundrie were traveling in was seen on August 27, around 6pm. YouTubers Jenn and Kyle Bethune said on Sunday that they noticed it when they were reviewing video footage from their travels. Petito's family, on their Find Gabby page on Facebook, thanked the eagle-eyed online observers for spotting the van. Advertisement

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Shortly after the call, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police.

In the video, an emotional Petito with tears streaming down her face tells officers she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet.

When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

The couple had been traveling around the country in their camper van since early July and were visiting Moab, Utah when they got into an altercation, an incident report reveals.

Petito's disappearance spurred into action a vast network of online sleuths and social media users, all looking for clues to try and trace the missing 22-year-old's movements.

The FBI in Denver began appealing for help on September 16, tweeting: 'UPDATE: The #FBI is working with our partners in the Teton County Sheriff's Office, Jackson Police Department, the @NatlParkService and other state & local law enforcement agencies across the country in the investigation of Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito's disappearance. #FindGabby.'

On September 18 they tweeted a map, with specific details of the search area. Since then the social media sleuthing has taken off - on TikTok, the #gabbypetito hashtag has been viewed more than 212 million times.

TRAVEL BLOGGER DESCRIBES SEEING PETITO'S VAN IN HER TRIP FOOTAGE The travel blogger who turned over footage of Gabby Petito's van to the FBI and her family said the discovery of the footage gave her 'chills.' Jenn Bethune, who runs 'Red, White and Bethune' on Youtube, said she parsed over her footage from the national park after she was tagged in a post urging anyone who had filmed or photographed the area to search for clues. The video was captured on August 27 at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area near Grand Tetons National Park. 'I got chills all over my body and ran straight back to my laptop, got my GoPro footage, and lo and behold Gabby's van was on there,' she told host Ainsley Earhardt today on Fox & Friends. Jenn Bethune (pictured left), who travels the country with her husband Kyle (pictured right) and her three children in a 1983 Silver Eagle bus that they call 'Blue Betty' (also pictured) said she remembered driving past the van because of its Florida plates - she and her travel partner, she said, are originally from the state. Bethune said that she was amazed by the resilience shown in the face of tragedy by Nicole Schmidt, Petito's mother. 'Even though it's not the best outcome, I'm happy that Gabby is home,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Nicole is absolutely amazing. Her strength is so apparent.' Hours before the discovery was announced, Petito's family posted Bethune's YouTube video capturing the van to their Facebook page 'Find Gabby.' 'We have this video, so does the FBI,' wrote the family on the Sunday morning post. 'We believe this is the van for multiple reasons.' Advertisement

Josh Taylor, spokesman for North Port police, in Laundrie's Florida hometown, said on Friday that they had received more than 1,000 tips.

In Victor, Idaho - a touristic town just across the hills from Jackson, Wyoming - a shopkeeper told her local newspaper, East Idaho News, that she had seen the couple on August 25 or 26.

'Brian and Gabby came to Rustic Row,' the shopkeeper said.

'They told me they were traveling from Florida. They had just been to Teton Park and they said they were interested in going to Yellowstone and I told them they could go to the west entrance.

'They seemed happy and when they left, she hollered back from the door that they were engaged and then I said congratulations.'

Petito made her last Instagram post on August 25.

On August 27, the van that Petito and Laundrie were traveling in was seen on August 27, around 6pm.

YouTubers Jenn and Kyle Bethune said on Sunday that they noticed it when they reviewed their footage.

'We came across a white van that had Florida plates,' Jenn Bethune said.

'A small white van. We were going to stop and say hi because we're from Florida, too, but the van was completely dark. There was nobody there, so we decided to continue on our way.'

Petito's family, on their Find Gabby page on Facebook, thanked the eagle-eyed online observers for spotting the van.

'Thank you so much, this is exactly why we are asking people to review older photos and video,' they wrote.

And on August 29, a TikTok user named Miranda Baker gave Laundrie a lift, she claimed.

She said that she and her boyfriend picked him up at Grand Teton, with Laundrie telling them he 'needed to go to Jackson,' where they were heading.

But about 20 minutes later, she mentioned 'Jackson Hole,' and he allegedly asked to get out.

'Once I said Jackson Hole, he became agitated,' she said in one of the videos.

'He seemed like he needed to get out, he was kind of antsy. And that's when things got weird.'

She said they let him out near Jackson Dam and watched as he crossed the street and into a nearby crowded parking lot, presumably to try to continue hitch-hiking.

'I'm hoping this can help someone identify him because I saw him from TikTok, which then made me call the authorities,' she said.

Analysts have said that part of the social media world's fascination with the case is because Petito and Laundrie lived their lives in the public eye, filming a blog of their travels.

Another reason is the obsession with true crime podcasts and television series, and Petito's disappearance unraveled like a script.

'You've got this beautiful young couple, supposedly in love, making this romantic adventure across the country, and then something goes very bad,' said Scott Bonn, a criminologist who studies why certain crimes become cultural touchstones.

Jenn and Kyle Bethune believe they saw Petito's van on August 27, and noticed its plates

Miranda Baker (pictured) believes she and her boyfriend gave Laundrie a lift when he was hitch-hiking on August 29

He told The Washington Post that Petito's looks and skin color likely enhanced the level of fascination.

'It's about our culture and our society,' he said. 'We place a priority on whiteness. We place a priority on youth and on our expectations of physical beauty.'

Experts said the high profile nature of the case likely helped investigators - even though there were pitfalls to be avoided, and inevitable baseless conspiracy theories.

Michael Alcazar, John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor and retired New York Police Department detective Michael Alcazar told the paper that the tips from the public can be critical.

'Most agencies don't have that many detectives to canvass for witnesses, to canvass for any kind of evidence,' he said.
Canberra has notched up another 16 coronavirus infections as the ACT boosts mental health funding to help get residents through lockdown.

Of Tuesday's cases, nine were linked to known sources, and at least 11 were in the community for part of their infectious period.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has announced an additional $14 million to boost immediate and longer-term mental health services.

Canberra has notched up another 16 coronavirus infections as the ACT boosts mental health funding to help get residents through lockdown

This includes boosted support for people with eating disorders, alcohol and drug services, and Indigenous and social housing residents.

'It is one of the most challenging times our community has faced,' Mr Barr told reporters.

The territory's lockdown is scheduled to run until October 15.
The Los Angeles County Health Department has defended Sunday night's Emmy Awards amid criticism that stars were not wearing masks or social distancing - by claiming that the event was a TV production, with stars considered 'performers'.

Indoor masking mandates are currently in place in the the city for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. While the Emmys was technically considered as an 'outdoor event,' the ceremony took place inside an enclosed tent.

The lack of masks was even referred to by presenter Seth Rogen, who said the experience was like being 'in a hermetically sealed tent.'

Viewers took to social media to criticize the show, pointing out the hypocrisy of Covid rules that apply to the average person but don't seem to apply to multi-million dollar celebrities.

But the LA Health Dept has now stressed how 'exceptions are made for film, television, and music productions, as additional safety modifications are made for these controlled interactions.'

'The Emmy Award Show is a television production, and persons appearing on the show are considered performers,' the department wrote in a statement.

'All persons appearing on or in the audience of the Emmy Award Show were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The L.A. County health department says Emmys were exempt from mask requirements, and insists award show was COVID safe

No social distancing rules were followed and it did not appear as though masks were being worn

Seth Rogen called out the Emmys for packing people inside during his monologue to open the show

LA officials continued: 'The Emmys reached out to Public Health in advance to share their safety protocols, which exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions. Careful planning before large events is essential to assure that all health and safety requirements are adequately addressed.'

The Health Department was also informed that all those who attended tested negative for COVID within a 48-hour window prior to the event, according to Fox News.

Those working at the event including production crews who were also required to be vaccinated and had to show a negative test twice a week.

'Full vaccination of all attendees is one of the most powerful ways to achieve a safe environment. Testing of event participants and crew and optimizing ventilation are additional powerful tools,' the Department of Health wrote in a statement.

'Public Health will continue review the protocols of future large television production events and prescribe additional safety modifications to mitigate risk of COVID-19 transmission.'

The awards ceremony also received criticism for forcing staff to wear masks while celebrities did not have to

People took to Twitter to point out the hypocrisy of Covid rules that apply to the average person but don't seem to apply to multi-million dollar celebrities

Rogen, who was presenting the first award of the night seemed taken aback, saying the guests were 'lied to about it being outside.'

'Good to be here at the Emmy Awards,' Rogen said. 'Let me start by saying: there's way too many of us in this little room. What are we doing? They said this was outdoorsit's not! They lied to us.

'We're in a hermetically-sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof?' Rogen joked.

'It's more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don't kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.

'This is insane. I went from wiping my groceries to having Paul Bettany sneeze in my face .. so, that's a big week. If anyone's gonna sneeze in my face, Paul, I want it to be you.'

Jurnee Smollett (far left) and Cynthia Erivo (far right) take a selfie on the red carpet of the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards

The Emmys was a packed house with a who's who of celebrities

Although Rogen appeared to be joking, videos and pictures of the even did indeed show that there was a packed crowd inside.

After Rogen's spiel and before the Emmys cut for commercial, Emmys DJ Reggie Watts clarified the record and said they're following all health and safety guidelines, the USA Today reported.

Then host Cedric the Entertainer said, 'It actually feels amazing in here unlike what Seth (Rogen) was talking about. It feels good. Were all vaxxed. We had to get vaxxed to come here.'

Celebrities were seen gathered in large groups, not wearing masks, and hugging and kissing each other, which angered some viewers who vented on Twitter.

One person wrote on Twitter: 'No distancing, no masks. Clearly a slap in the face for all the font line workers that are still dealing with the pandemic. Check your privilege @TheEmmys#Emmys.'

And another tweeted, 'No masks being worn INSIDE at The Emmys. Call me not shocked, love to preach but not practice what they preach'

Twitter user 'Biancaisabelle' said, 'Why no masks in sight at the #emmys?! these be the same people preaching against stubbornness and stupidity in this pandemic yet... agh hypocrisy. there's seth rogen calling it out but he still came on, and w/o a mask as well. what was that? all talk, no conviction in action.'

Akinwumi Oyebade tweeted, 'I agree with Seth Rogen... WTF was the #Emmys doing packing that room in the middle of a pandemic... Sends a terrible message. Why I stopped watching hours ago.'

Randee Dawn said on Twitter, 'I am so happy for the Emmy winners but is there a reason they couldn't get a good air conditioner in this "hermetically sealed tin" (as Seth Rogen put it) they're all celebrating in? So much glowing. I am honestly fearful for everyone's vaccinated safety. #Emmys2021'

Hollywood celebrities were criticized for not masking up at the event

On Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Health issued a new mandate - which will go in effect on October 8 - that will require unvaccinated people to require proof of vaccination or wear masks inside.

According to the new mandate, the number of COVID-19 cases 'remains high' but hospitalizations and positivity rate is 'declining' or 'steady.'

The current mandate - that has been in effect since August 19 - requires attendees at an indoor event with more than 1,000 attendees or an outdoor event with more than 10,000 attendees to wear masks at all times, except when eating.
Five people have been placed in quarantine in South Australia after a man travelled to NSW last week and returned a weak positive test result for Covid-19.

Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the person had since returned two negative tests suggesting the first result may have been a false positive.

However, she said out of an abundance of caution, the five close contacts would isolate for 14 days.

They have all returned negative results with SA posting no new virus cases on Monday.

Professor Spurrier said it was possible the man who travelled to NSW had previously come into contact with Covid-19 positive truck drivers who recently travelled into SA.

Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the person had since returned two negative tests suggesting the first result may have been a false positive

Also on Monday, the state's transition committee eased rules around dancing and stand-up drinking in licensed venues despite the changes cutting across health advice.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said it had been decided that dancing could return from Thursday at private functions where attendance limits are set at 150 people.

The number of people allowed on the dancefloor will also be restricted to 50.

Mr Stevens said stand-up drinking would also be allowed in outdoor areas in pubs and clubs from Thursday.

He said the changes went against advice from Professor Spurrier but he believed they balanced the risks with the level of frustration within the SA community and the desire to ease coronavirus measures.

'It's about managing the balancing the risk. We've done exceptionally well in South Australia,' he said.

'If we do have concerns in relation to seeding from other places into South Australia, these things that we're announcing now are the first things that will come off the table.

'We are at a point where it is very difficult to find concessions that we can make without substantially increasing risk.'

In other changes, SA will scrap travel restrictions on people coming from the greater Brisbane area from Saturday.

They will no longer need to have a coronavirus test on arrival but must still fill in a cross-border application.
The youngest Australian known to survive a taipan snake bite has been reunited with the chopper crew that brought him back to life five years on.

Eli Campbell, seven, who came terrifyingly close to death as a two-year-old in 2016, visited the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue base in Bundaberg, Queensland on Tuesday morning in an emotional reunion for both the aircrew who came to his rescue and for Eli's mother, Brittany Cervantes.

'I'm trying not to cry,' Ms Cervantes said.

'I am so grateful. We're lucky to have people who do this for a living.'

Eli Campbell has been reunited with the aircrew who came to his rescue in 2016 at the Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue base in Queensland on Tuesday morning

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Aircrew Officer John Kennedy said: 'Saving Eli was a massive team effort.

'It's been quite an emotional journey, watching his recovery.

Eli was only two when he was bitten on the leg by a coastal taipan in the backyard of his home in the coastal Queensland town of Agnes Water.

Eli (pictured on right) was only two when he was bitten on the leg by a coastal taipan in the backyard of his home in the coastal town of Agnes Water

Ms Cervantes recalled hearing her son repeatedly say 'ow, ow, ow' and noticed blood marks on his leg when she knelt to him.

She quickly grabbed the young boy and hurried back into their house to call emergency services.

Local Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics rushed to the family's home to transport Eli to the nearby 1770 showgrounds, where the Bundaberg RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter was waiting.

RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Pilot Mike Thomas said: 'The two paramedics on the ground were doing a fantastic job and I remember John (RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Aircrew Officer) came running over and said "he's arrested" and just to see the team swing into action that just really shows the teamwork.'

Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics rushed to the family's home in 2016 to transport Eli to the nearby 1770 showgrounds to meet the Bundaberg LifeFlight rescue helicopter (pictured)

The young boy's little body almost succumbed to the snake venom pulsing through his veins, but his life was saved due to the fast work by paramedics and quick response of the aircrew.

Despite Eli being severely ill, the medical professionals managed to keep him alive for the duration of the flight to Bundaberg Base Hospital.

Eli spent some time at Bundaberg Hospital and was later transported to Brisbane for specialist treatment, where he was in a coma for a week.

Five years on, the seven-year-old has started school, and despite suffering occasional seizures, Eli is a fit, healthy, sensitive, clever and funny little boy, according to Ms Cervantes.

'I am eternally grateful for the presence of RACQ LifeFlight Rescue that day.'

Despite suffering occasional seizures, the youngest Australian known to have survived a Taipan bite is a fit, healthy, sensitive, clever and funny little boy, according to his mother
A desperate nurse is calling for Australians to get vaccinated as Victoria struggles to cope with a seemingly never-ending increase in Covid-infected patients.

Katie, who didn't want her surname revealed, works in the emergency department of a public hospital in Melbourne and took to Instagram to highlight just how much health workers are struggling during the pandemic.

'I have worked as an ED nurse for just short of five years, and what should be the beginning of my career, feels like the end, and my passion has been short-lived,' she wrote.

'I look around at our emergency department every day, myself and my colleagues are burnt out and at breaking point.

'Our job is stressful, to say the least  our emergency departments, our hospitals, our healthcare services, and our facilities are inundated, and progressively worsening as each day passes.'

In her open letter, which she shared on social media, the nurse says she fears many health workers are at breaking point (stock image)

The number of people hospitalised with Covid in Victoria is currently 241, the highest number since September last year.

The nurse stressed that the situation will only worsen leading into the Christmas period.

'We fear for those who need our services desperately but cannot or will not have access to them due to our current surge in demand,' she said.

'When our hospitals are at capacity, and no beds are left, how will we treat you?

'With the projected numbers of emergency presentations over the next few weeks, I am almost certain we cannot and will not cope, because our limits are already stretched.'

She went on to point out many patients recovering in hospitals across the state are unvaccinated.

'It is clear vaccinations work, we have eradicated diseases time and time again,' she said. 'Without them, we'd be lucky if our lives surpassed the age of 30.

'Please listen to us, for this is our field, and we simply are the experts.'

A portion of the open letter where the nurse reveals the stress that accompanies life in the emergency room of a hospital in Melbourne during the pandemic

The nurse decided to share her open letter on social media in a bid to change the perspective of many Covid doubters.

'There is a lot of division between people getting vaccinated and not vaccinated - I thought maybe if people understood what we see and how we view it, they might understand (getting vaccinated) is not about someone trying to control you, or your own personal freedom,' she told the Herald Sun.

'It's more about everyone else being safe and prioritising the health of people you love and those of strangers.'

On Tuesday, Victoria recorded 603 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases and one death.

It is the first time the state has surpassed the 600-case mark for positive cases in one day since the start of the Delta outbreak of the virus.

There are now 6,000 active cases across Victoria, with the death toll from the current outbreak sitting at 13.

A total of 40,811 vaccines were administered in state-run hubs on Monday - a figure Health Minister Martin Foley said was higher than in any other Australian state.

'I think that just goes to point that there is a very strong appetite for Victorians to go out there and get vaccinated because they know it's the pathway to getting to the other side of this pandemic,' he said.

It comes after the government controversially closed construction sites across Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong, Mitchell Shire and the Surf Coast for two weeks on Monday following protests in Melbourne over a vaccine mandate for the industry.

Further violent scenes unfolded on Tuesday, with anti-vaxxer protesters chasing police and pelting squad cars with cans as Melbourne's 'freedom' rally descended into anarchy.

Footage showed tradesmen in hi-vis clothing kicking police cars in the Melbourne CBD as thousands of demonstrators massed outside Victoria's Parliament House and a TV reporter was assaulted and doused with urine in vile scenes.

Furious construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets - many of them distraught - after a tradesman took his own life at a construction site earlier in the day.
A self-proclaimed witch who was the original 'Bunnings Karen' has proudly attended violent anti-vaccine protests in Melbourne.

Covid denier, Lizzy Rose, was one of thousands who protested against vaccine mandates for construction workers outside the CFMEU headquarters on Monday.

'Oracle Lizzy', as she calls herself, is no stranger to pushing anti-vaccination and controversial Covid-19 views to her followers and urged all Victorians to join her at another demonstration on Tuesday.

'Join us tomorrow as we stand again, united against mandatory vaccination for ALL employees,' the mother-of-five wrote with details of the protest to Instagram on Monday.

'This ends when WE end it. Don't let Daniel Andrews decide when you die.'

Covid denier, Lizzy Rose, (left with video blogger known as The Real Rukshan) was one of hundreds of who turned out to protest against vaccine mandates for tradies outside union CFMEU's headquarters on Monday

Ms Rose urged her followers to join her at the second protest planned for Tuesday

Photos from the event show a maskless Ms Rose standing outside the CFMEU office surrounded by protesters in high-vis vests and jackets.

The rallies quickly turned ugly with many hurling abuse at CFMEU boss John Setka and smashing the windows of the union's office.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews shut down the construction industry altogether on Monday night, prompting even more backlash and a second protest on Tuesday.

Ms Rose became infamous last year during the state's deadly second wave after she posted a video on her Facebook page declaring she would continue to travel through several Melbourne suburbs a day without wearing a mask.

Other videos showed her burning face masks in a fire pit and walking into a Bunnings and arguing with staff about not being allowed in without one.

Lizzy Rose is a pagan witch and hates wearing masks. She has filmed herself burning them in a fire pit

Lizzy Rose hams it up while dressed as a Viking Queen. She had been trying to get items for a Viking fire pit when she ran into trouble at her local Bunnings last year

Her antics were condemned across the country and she was labelled 'Bunnings Karen'.

Earlier this month she was given 45 minutes to air her wacky views on a major breakfast Gold Coast radio station Sea FM.

Ms Rose was invited to speak with hosts Bianca Dye, Dan Anstey and Ben Hannant on the program 'Unpopular Opinion: Covid Is A Conspiracy, Do Not Get Vaccinated'.

She energetically laid out her absurd belief that Covid-19 is an evil plan devised by shadowy world leaders.

'It's a takeover of humans,' she confidently told listeners.

Lizzy Rose has prepared for the great 'Blackout', which will descend on Australians in 2023, she claims in a wild online rant

'A depopulation and a takeover of who is left and it all comes down to money, power and transforming everybody into a digital system.'

One of her ridiculous theories was the well-worn conspiracy that authorities plan to injecting microchips in to people via vaccinations so they can be controlled - claiming Mr Andrews was playing a very hands-on role.

In another outrageous claim, Ms Rose said she had stood in virus hotspots and 'tried' to contract Covid but that 'it's impossible'.

One of her more shocking performances was when she filmed herself supposedly putting a 'hex' on Mr Andrews.
It was the act that shocked Melbourne and now the RSPCA is investigating how a man kicked a dog at an anti-vaxxer protest earlier this week.

Hundreds of construction workers and anti-vaccination demonstrators have spent the past two days clashing with police over a Covid-19 vaccine mandate.

In footage captured at Monday's rally, a man was seen striking a dog being walked through the crowd outside the headquarters of the construction union, the CFMEU.

A man was caught on camera kicking a dog during a protest outside CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne on Monday

'It was disturbing to see the footage which appeared to show intentional cruelty inflicted on a defenceless animal,' RSPCA Victoria Chief Inspector Michael Stagg said in a statement.

'I assure the Victorian community that RSPCA Victoria's Inspectorate is investigating this alleged case of cruelty with the intention of holding the perpetrator accountable to the full extent of the law.'

It is illegal to abuse, beat, worry, torment or terrify an animal, and anyone found guilty of such an offence faces a maximum penalty of $45,435 or 12 months' imprisonment.

Hundreds of workers in hi-vis vests walked off the job for the second time in three days on Monday to gather outside the CFMEU head office on Elizabeth St to protest against mandatory Covid-19 vaccine requirements.

On Friday the Victorian Government announced that construction workers will need to show evidence to their employer that they have had a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 11.59pm on September 23.

Despite a participant describing the scenes on his live-stream video as a 'peaceful' protest, hostilities continued to boil over when the dog was kicked in an altercation.

Hundreds of construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets of Melbourne for the second consecutive day on Tuesday to protest a raft of new Covid-19 restrictions

Construction workers clashed with union officials in ugly scenes earlier on Monday

The disturbing footage of the altercation shared by Channel Seven reporter Paul Dowsley quickly sparked outrage online.

'It (the altercation) broke up quickly as police stepped in,' the reporter tweeted.

The footage left online viewers angry and horrified.

'Kicking a dog is not an answer to a human dispute. Hope the perpetrator is identified,' one woman commented.

Another added: 'Anyone who attacks an animal for simply 'being there' deserves to have the same thing done to him. There's absolutely no excuse for doing that...NONE!

Earlier in the day, mobile phone footage showed protesters hurling projectiles at men guarding the door, labelling high-profile CFMEU boss John Setka as 'Dan Andrews' b****' and yelling 'f*** the jab'.

Bottles and a bread crate were among the projectiles thrown, while a glass window was also smashed during the ugly and chaotic scenes.

Mr Setka, the longtime CFMEU state secretary, tried to appease the crowd and address the protestors over loud speaker

A protest against construction restrictions in Melbourne has turned violent with demonstrators clashing with union officials and hurling a bread crate

Hundreds of workers in h-vis vests gathered outside the CFMEU head office on Elizabeth St on Monday morning

Construction workers clash with union representatives outside the CFMEU office in Melbourne on Monday

Flanked by union officials, Mr Setka, the longtime CFMEU state secretary, tried to appease the crowd and address the protestors over loud speaker.

'Please calm down, can you at least give me the respect to talk,' he told protestors.

'We're not the enemy, I don't know what you have heard.

'I have never ever said I support mandatory vaccination.'

But his pleas fell on deaf ears and was drowned out by protestors booing and shouting expletive-filled insults.

'Dan Andrew's b****,' several could be heard chanting.

Others screamed: 'Stand up, or stand down.'

Mr Setka tried to tell the crowd he'd never even met the Victorian Premier but was eventually forced to retreat back inside the building before protestors smashed the glass door, chanting 'my body, my choice'.

Union reps were forced to formed a human wall outside of the entrance to stop demonstrators from entering the building.

The chaotic scene were sparked by a message sent to the 'Vic Freedom Movement Event' group on a social messaging app urging workers to attend CFMEU headquarters to 'support freedom of choice'.

Dramatic mobile phone footage showed protesters hurling projectiles at men guarding the door and heckling a union rep as 'Dan Andrews' b****'

Tradies swarmed outside Victoria's Parliament House on Tuesday singing Advance Australia Fair and chanting f*** the jab in protest against mandatory vaccinations and the two-week shutdown of the industry

'Send a message that your unions will lose your support if they comply with these measures that defy personal choices for medical decisions,' the message reads.

Many protestors remained outside CFMEU on Monday afternoon as a heavy police presence watched on.

Similar scenes were seen on Tuesday as hundreds of construction workers and anti-vaxxers took to the streets of Melbourne for the second consecutive day.

Tradies swarmed outside Victoria's Parliament House singing Advance Australia Fair and chanting f*** the jab in protest against mandatory vaccinations and the two-week shutdown of the industry.

The protest began outside the boarded up head office of the construction union, the CFMEU, which was badly damaged by violent demonstrations just 24 hours before.

The mood in the crowd was dark, a Croatian man having earlier taken his own life at a building site in West Melbourne hours after the Premier's shut down was announced.

The mood in the crowd was dark, a Croatian man having earlier taken his own life at a building site in West Melbourne hours after the Premier's shut down was announced

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

The worker is believed to have died by suicide at the Crema Construction site near Roden Street, with the company declining to comment.

Tensions boiled over about 11am with protesters lighting flares and a bottle being tossed towards police.

The angry crowd also turned their attention to television reporters, with a group of protesters physically attacking veteran journalist Paul Dowsley.

It comes as Victoria recorded 603 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally in the current outbreak and since August 2020, with active cases numbering 6,000.

The state's health minister Martin Foley on Tuesday said hundreds of cases have been recorded across 186 construction sites.

Meanwhile, a raft of new restrictions are enforced on the construction industry as part of Victoria's roadmap out of the Covid crisis.

Tea rooms will be forced to shut and workers forced to eat lunch outdoors. Travel between Melbourne and the regions for work has also been banned.

A bread crate was one of the projectiles hurled during wild scenes outside CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne

CFMEU Victorian secretary John Sekta's attempts to calm down construction workers fell on deaf ears

Victorian Daniel Andrews described protests as 'not smart, they are not safe' when he was asked about during his daily Covid update on Monday..

'This industry is open at 25 per cent, we want to get to 50, being vaccinated is an incredibly important part of that,' he told reporters.

'Protests don't work. Getting vaccinated works, following the rules works, that's how you stay open, that's how you get open.'

'There'd been a whole bunch of people sitting at home scratching their heads about why anyone would be protesting about being open'.

It's the second protest by Melbourne construction workers within three days to spark widespread chaos.

Up to 100 workers blocked traffic by sitting on plastic chairs in the middle of some of Melbourne CBD's busiest streets last Friday to protest against the closure of their tearooms.

CFMEU state secretary John Sekta tried to appease the crowd before he was outspoken by the workers

New construction restrictions Construction workers have staged a protest outside of the CFMEU office in Melbourne to demonstrate against new restrictions. - Construction workers will be required to show evidence that they've had their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. - Tea rooms will be forced to shut and workers forced to eat lunch outdoors. - Travel between Melbourne and the regions for work has also been banned. Advertisement

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, premier Daniel Andrews said protests were not helpful in containing the spread of the latest Covid-outbreak.

'This industry is open at 25 per cent, we want to get to 50, being vaccinated is an incredibly important part of that,' he said.

'Protests don't work. Getting vaccinated works, following the rules works, that's how you stay open, that's how you get open.'

'There'd be a whole bunch of people sitting at home scratching their heads about why anyone would be protesting about being open.'

Protestors began gathering outside the office in the early morning. By midday, the small group had ballooned to hundreds with demonstrators spilling onto the street and blocking traffic.

A group of protestors later broke off from the main crowd to march towards parliament.

CFMEU representatives clash with protestors at the entrance of the office on Monday

Most of the demonstrators remained behind with one person yelling they will return to the office until their message is heard.

'We will come back every day,' he yelled to loud cheers.

Several protestors could be heard demanding Mr Andrews resign as premier.

Another person was seen wearing a hardhat with the phrase: 'Covid-19 is all s***. Wake up'.

The protest was staged just days after construction workers demonstrated against the impending new restrictions on Friday.

Dozens of workers set up plastic chairs and tables in the middle of Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD for their morning smoke break, forcing the cancellation of trams in the vicinity.

Similar protests also took place on Collins Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre, as well as in Brunswick, Coburg, Kew, Parkville, South Yarra and Richmond, during the morning and at lunchtime.
The wife of a Minnesota state senator has been arrested after allegedly hitting him with a broomstick and threatening to stab him after a drunken dispute over 'past family dynamics' on Sunday night.

Charlotte A. Tomassoni, 69, allegedly threw a computer belonging to her husband David Tomassoni while he was in the couple's basement at their home near Hibbing, about 75 mi northwest of Duluth, according to a police report.

She also allegedly hit him with a broom handle and threatened to stab him with a knife if he went back upstairs, police say.

State Sen. Tomassoni, 68, feared that he wouldn't be able to defend himself because 'he has lost a lot of his upper body strength' after he was diagnosed with ALS in June, according to the Chisholm Police Department.

Charlotte A. Tomassoni (left) was charged with domestic assault Sunday night after allegedly hitting her husband David Tomassoni (right) at their home near Hibbing, Minnesota

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is an incurable degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, according to the ALS Association.

Those affected eventually lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.

Sen. Tomassoni told police that his wife was 'intoxicated and might be high on something' when officers arrived at the home at 6.36pm, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

She was allegedly upset about 'past family dynamics,' and David told police he left the house so she could 'cool off for a while,' but he later returned at around 4:30pm to watch the Minnesota Vikings game on TV.

He claims that's when he went into the basement, where she allegedly hit him in the chest with the broom handle and threatened to stab him.

Officers say they found Charlotte lying on the living room couch with two 12-packs of beer strewn about the floor, along with several empty bottles on the coffee table and around the couch.

They patted her down for weapons, noting that she reeked of alcohol and was slurring her words, according to the report.

Officers also noticed two steak knives on the kitchen table.

David Tomassoni, pictured above in 2004, was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder ALS in June. He told officers he was afraid he couldn't defend himself from his wife

Charlotte was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine or both, according to Minnesota law.

On Monday, she pled not guilty and was granted a conditional release. Her next court date is on October 4.

In 2012, she was convicted of fourth-degree driving while impaired and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation, the News Tribune reports.

Sen. Tomassoni represents the 6th District, which includes the Iron Range and parts of rural St. Louis and Itasca counties. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2000, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, and he is now the Senate president pro tem.

He first noticed ALS symptoms last year, telling the Star Tribune that it began with him having a hard time using his left hand to tuck in sheets on a bed or to turn down his collar.

The longtime Democrat split from the state party and formed an independent caucus in the narrowly divided Minnesota Senate last year, citing increased polarization.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has asked Pfizer to apply for its Covid-19 vaccine to be given to Australian children aged five to 11.

The pharmaceutical giant on Monday said its vaccine works for children in this age-group and that it will seek authorisation in the US this month.

The vaccine is already approved for anyone over 12 in Australia.

Three-year-old Andel was the first youngster to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Stanford Medicine in California. His parents, Otavio and Zina Good, enrolled him in a clinical trial for children aged six months through four years

On Tuesday Mr Hunt wrote to Pfizer Australia boss Anne Harris to request that Pfizer also apply for approval for five to 11 year olds from Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration.

'Should the ATAGI also approve vaccination of this age cohort, vaccination would commence as a priority,' Mr Hunt said.

For children under 12, Pfizer tested a much lower dose - a third of the amount in each shot given now.

After their second dose, children aged five to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, said Dr Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president.

The smaller dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects - such as sore arms, fever or aches - that teens experience, he said.

'I think we really hit the sweet spot,' said Dr Gruber, who's also a paediatrician.

Health Minister Greg Hunt

Dr Gruber said Pfizer aims to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr Peter Marks said that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data 'hopefully in a matter of weeks' to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.

Pfizer said it studied the lower dose in 2,268 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids.

The FDA required what is called an immune 'bridging' study: evidence that the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults.

Pfizer on Monday reported that in a press release, not a scientific publication.

The study still is ongoing, and there haven't yet been enough Covid-19 cases to compare rates between the vaccinated and those given a placebo - something that might offer additional evidence.

The study isn't large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men.

Dr Marks said the paediatric studies should be large enough to rule out any higher risk to young children.

Dr Gruber said once the vaccine is authorized for younger children, they'll be carefully monitored for rare risks just like everyone else.

Cuba last week began immunizing children as young as two with its homegrown vaccines and Chinese regulators have cleared two of its brands down to age three.

Australian Doctors have backed vaccinating children aged between five and 11 against coronavirus in schools as early as next year.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid told a Senate inquiry on Tuesday a rollout for younger children would depend on clinical trials and regulatory approval.

'I suspect that a school-based vaccine program will take place next year because it will take that long for various approvals to come through and we need to have vaccine supply,' he said.

With AP
The vast majority of Sydney's frustrated construction workers are set to get the green light to return to work from next Monday.

NSW Health is set to update its rules and restrictions for construction workers, allowing 'all construction work to take place', with the only remaining limits being on unvaccinated workers from the 12 Local Government Areas of concern.

One of the drivers of the change is understood to be that many fully-vaccinated Sydney tradies have been prevented from returning to work, in an unintended effect of the capacity caps on workforces.

It comes as thousands attended violent protests in Melbourne, rallying against mandatory vaccines for the city's tradies.

The vast majority of Sydney's frustrated construction workers are set to get the green light to return to work from next Monday

Meanwhile, tradies forced off the job in Melbourne took to the streets in violent rallies after being ordered to get vaccinated against Covid

NSW Health is set to update its rules and restrictions for construction workers, allowing 'all construction work to take place', with the only remaining limits on unvaccinated workers from the 12 Local Government Areas of concern

Many worksites began to struggle with capacity constraints introduced in August that effectively restricted workforces to 50 per cent of their required size.

The cap slowed workflows on almost all sites, and on big sites forced suppliers to stagger the arrival of crucial building supplies.

The NSW building industry's generally strong take-up of the government's message to get vaccinated is also believed to be behind the easing of restrictions that have hampered the industry for over two months.

While many Sydney tradies were reluctant, thousands begrudgingly accepted the direction seeing it as the logical means to return to work.

A line of police officers in masks are pictured protecting the CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne's CBD on Tuesday as anti-vaxx protests turned violent

The NSW industry's response to requests to vaccinate stands in stark contrast to the high profile public disorder caused in Melbourne by hundreds of defiant tradies in the past two weeks.

The NSW CFMEU also heavily promoted vaccination, which included an invite to construction workers to attend a 12 hour 'super Sunday' event on August 15 where Pfizer would be available for anyone aged between 16 and 39.

The NSW building industry has been subject to restrictions since the total shut-down of industry in mid-July and despite being allowed to restart with capacity constraints in August, the industry was increasingly frustrated.

The NSW industry's response to requests to vaccinate stands in stark contrast to the high profile public disorder caused in Melbourne by hundreds of defiant tradies in the past two weeks

The NSW Premier is set to allow all construction to recommence in Sydney

That change allowed work to recommence at Sydney sites with one person per four square metres or at '50 per cent of the maximum daily workforce' on a site.

The restrictions still limiting some tradies from working apply to unvaccinated people working in or travelling from the state's 12 LGAs of concern.

Construction can take place as normal in those 12 LGAs, but workers must follow NSW Health's Covid-19 vaccination requirements.

They must prove they have had two doses of a Covid vaccine, one dose within the last three weeks or have had a test in the last 72 hours as well as one vaccine dose.

Those same construction workers living in an LGA of concern, or going to work in one, must have had at least one dose within the last 21 days and been tested in the past three days, or have an exemption.
One of the country's most infamous vegan activists has revealed exactly how she prepared for a stunt that saw her paint herself in her own menstrual blood before she harassed shoppers for buying leather at a Louis Vuitton store.

Tash Peterson, 27, stormed the high-end store at Raine Square in Perth's CBD on August 21 yelling: 'If you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser'.

The plant-based public figure posted a video to Facebook on Monday night to show her fans exactly how she covered herself in menstrual blood ahead of the stunt.

Tash Peterson, 27, revealed exactly how she prepared for a stunt that saw her storm a Louis Vuitton store in Perth, in a video uploaded to Facebook on Monday night

'Many people were wondering if I really did use my period blood when against the leather, wool, fur, down and silk industries in Louis Vuitton,' she wrote.

'One month later, I thought I would show you how I did it.'

The militant vegan explained she captures the blood with a 'period cup' before transferring the liquid to a large glass jar to store.

The footage cuts to the scantily-clad 27-year-old standing in a busy carpark holding the jar of blood and a large paintbrush.

Ms Peterson - also known online as @vganbootyy - said she needed about two days worth of menstrual blood to cover her entire chest.

She explained she used an initial layer of fake blood for the protest but finished the bizarre artistry with a layer of her menstrual blood.

'If you're disgusted by looking at this but are okay with consuming the bloodied flesh of animals and cows breastmilk which is contaminated with blood, faeces and pus - you need a reality check,' she captioned the confronting footage.

The militant vegan explained she captures the blood with a 'period cup' (pictured) before transferring the liquid to a large glass jar for storage

The serial animal rights protestor (pictured) stood in a busy carpark to show her fans how she applied the menstrual blood to her chest

'The bloodied floor of a murder factory (slaughterhouse) is disgusting and abhorrent, not a woman's period.'

The serial protestor said she used her body, her blood, her voice and her human privilege to stand up for the rights of defenceless animals.

Ms Peterson was charged with disorderly conduct after she stormed the luxury store wearing only a g-string, holding a sign that read: 'If you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser'.

Lifting the board above her head, she paraded around the store attempting to shame shoppers for buying items featuring animal-derived materials.

'Who was murdered for your leather bag, down jacket, and woollen jumper,' she is heard chanting, as security guards attempt to usher her to the front door.

'If you buy animal skin, wool, fur, feather, and scales, you are paying for the most horrific animal abuse on this planet. You are contributing to an animal holocaust.'

Last week she fronted Perth Magistrates Court and told her now 4,000 Instagram followers she intended to plead not guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct.

Instagram deleted her Vegan Booty page, which boasted about 31,000 followers, for repeatedly uploading photos of animal abuse to 'expose' the industry.

'Who was murdered for your leather bag, down jacket, and woollen jumper,' she chants, as security guards attempt to usher her to the front door (pictured)

Reporters outside the court asked Ms Peterson why she chosen to plead guilty.

'I don't believe that I am guilty because I am standing up for the most depressed beings on this planet, animals that are subjected to the most horrific violence, abuse and murder on this planet,' she told reporters.

'I think disruptive activism is the most powerful weapon for social change and we definitely wouldn't be having this conversation right now and bringing light to the animal holocaust.'

Ms Peterson will face the same court again on October 5.

The outspoken activist previously told Daily Mail Australia she thought the demonstration had been a wild success and her most disruptive stunt yet.

'It's important for me to be as creative as possible so more people see my message - the moment my clothes come off, I get a lot more attention,' she said.

A day after the bloody stunt, she was at it again outside the same store carrying a megaphone and wearing a cropped black hoodie with 'end the animal holocaust' on the front and 'if you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser' on the back.

Ms Peterson was charged with disorderly conduct after storming the luxury store wearing only a g-string to protest the use of animal products (pictured)

The vegan activist (pictured) earns a staggering $40,000 per month selling topless and nude selfies on OnlyFans - more than enough to fuel her dream of being a full-time activist

The serial protester then started accusing stunned strangers on the street of being murderers.

'Who was murdered for your leather bag, down jacket and woollen jumper? If you buy animal skin, fur, wool, scales, feathers and silk, you are paying for the most horrific animal abuse on this planet,' she bellowed into the megaphone.

Ms Peterson said she would do almost anything to help animals, trading in her job as a pool lifeguard to sell topless and nude selfies to her Only Fans subscribers.

The vegan activist earns a staggering $40,000 per month - more than enough to fuel her dream of being a full-time activist.

'I want to go inside facilities and expose the [animal] industry,' she said.

'There are so many amazing forms of activism - I'm so grateful to be a full-time activist now - maybe eventually one day I can travel the world and do it.'

The 27-year-old has become known for her shock-tactic demonstrations performed in food courts, butchers, meat isles in supermarkets and busy restaurants.

Western Australia initially denied her entry into her home state due to her spate of high-profile protests.

The 27-year-old (pictured) has become known for her shock-tactic demonstrations performed in food courts, butchers, meat isles in supermarkets and busy restaurants

In June, she was banned from every pub in WA, after she was slapped with a disorderly behaviour charge for ambushing diners at a busy seafood restaurant and publicly chastising them about the 'fish holocaust'.

The Instagram and OnlyFans star has also dressed in bloodied aprons and stormed into restaurants and supermarkets like McDonald's, KFC and Coles.

She even interrupted an AFLW match by running onto the field at Perth Stadium.

The serial protester ran around for about a minute before she was tackled by Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers long enough for security to catch up.

She was fined $1,800 in court for trespassing.
The body of an 87-year-old retired cop has been found in a freezer at the California home she shared with her daughter, police say.

Police were asked to conduct a welfare check in Riverside by relatives who said they had not heard off the woman for two months.

The woman was named by relatives as Miriam Travis, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department homicide detective, the Press-Enterprise reports.

Her live-in daughter, named by neighbors only as Carol, was questioned by police about her mother's death and the storing of the body, and was released, the newspaper said.

The Riverside County Coroner's Office has yet to publicly announce that the dead woman was Travis as of Monday, a spokesman said.

However, deputy Maria Lucero, an LA County sheriff's representative, said that Travis was a sergeant at the homicide bureau from 1979 until she retired in 1990.

After retiring, Travis moved to the Riverside home with her husband, but he died two years later and the mother and daughter became increasingly reclusive, the Press-Enterprise reports.



Miriam Travis, 87, was found dead in a freezer in the garage of her home on New Ridge Drive in Riverside, California, according to the Riverside Police Department said

Another relative asked for police to carry out a wellness check on Sunday morning after becoming concerned about not hearing from her, Riverside Police Officer Javier Cabrera said.

Cabrera said that Travis' daughter provided inconsistent statements about her mother's location to officers, leading them to search the 'disheveled' home.

Officers described the home as having a foul odor, with large piles of trash and hoarder-conditions.

Travis body was found inside a working freezer in her garage.

An autopsy has been planned to determine a cause of death.

Neighbor Randy Hayes, 63, said had been living next door to the women for 27 years and was shocked by the news.

'Shocking. Very shocking. Especially because she's little old sweet Miriam,' Hayes told the Press-Enterprise.

A relative, Kerri Nickell of Oklahoma, told the newspaper she was Travis' step-granddaughter.

She hailed Travis as a 'great grandmother,' who took her and her 11 cousins to Disneyland every year at Christmas.

But Nickell said Travis cut communication with extended family after her husband's passing in 1992 and even changed the locks on her house.

'It was like this is my grandmother one day, and then we never heard from her again,' Nickell told Press-Enterprise.

She said Travis and her daughter became 'kind of hermits.'

Miriam Travis and her daughter's home (pictured) had drastically changed over the years, raising concerns from city code enforcement

A cousin would occasionally mail pictures of relatives on her side of the family to Travis, who never seemed to have responded.

Hayes said that despite their affiliation as neighbors, he didn't know much about Travis and her daughter, sparking little to no interactions between the three of them.

'I cannot overstate enough how reclusive they were,' he said.

Hayes said he rarely saw vehicles of guests, whether friends or family, pull up to the in front of the house or on its driveway, except for deliveries by Home Depot.

Storage units scattered the backyard and changes to the house raised concerns from city code enforcement, he added.
China is now one of the biggest worries for Australia's most powerful bankers with iron ore prices halving in just two months.

As recently as July, the commodity used to make steel was worth $US200 a metric tonne but in recent days, it has dropped to $US100 for the first time since July 2020.

To meet climate change targets, China's Communist Party government has ordered cutbacks in steel production, reducing the need for iron ore from Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Scroll down for video

China is now one of the biggest worries for Australia's most powerful bankers with iron ore prices halving in just two months (pictured is Chinese President Xi Jinping)

The Reserve Bank of Australia has now revealed the plunge in iron ore prices was discussed at its September meeting, chaired by Governor Philip Lowe.

'There was also uncertainty about the effects of a range of recent policy measures, including those aimed at curbing financial stability risks, reducing carbon emissions and achieving broader social objectives,' the bank's monthly meeting minutes said on Tuesday.

'The price of iron ore had fallen from high levels in recent times as Chinese authorities intensified efforts to restrict steel production.'

Chinese President Xi Jinping's directive to slash steel production affects Australian shareholders, especially those who own shares in mining companies, which have taken a hammering.

China's bid to meet its net zero by 2060 climate change targets has also placed pressure on its second biggest property developer, Evergrande, which on Monday failed to meeting an annual interest payment obligation.

Before the cut in steel production, unfinished apartment towers were already being demolished, highlighting the problem of 'ghost cities'.

Since July 29, iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group has seen its share price plunge from $26.30 to $14.72.

BHP's share price since August 4 has plummeted from $54 to $37.73 as Rio Tinto during the same period has tumbled from $134.40 to $95.47.

As recently as July, the commodity used to make steel was worth $US200 a metric tonne but in recent days, it has dropped to $US100 for the first time since July 2020 (pictured is Fortescue Metals Group chief executive Andrew Forrest with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Christmas Creek in Western Australia's Pilbara region)

Iron ore was, until recently, immune to China's trade sanctions against Australian exports ranging from wine to lobster, beef, lamb, timber and cotton.

But Brazil is now better able to mine iron ore, belatedly recovering from the 2019 Vale tailings dam collapse.

IG market analyst Kyle Rodda said 'a very targeted attempt' from the Chinese Communist Party to reduce steel production had hurt iron ore prices.

'There's a concern about a slowdown in Chinese property development and construction activity where you can see lower demand for commodities, especially iron ore,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's an environmental drive, part of this really big push from Chinese policymakers to reshape, restructure their economy right now.'
A new website is helping scores of residents across NSW and Victoria pinpoint where they can catch up over a picnic without breaking any Covid restrictions.

Self-confessed picnic enthusiasts and Sydney residents Stella Blake-Kelly, Ken Tsang and Vanessa Brewster created the website Friendship Island in order to help navigate the new 'picnic rules' dotting Australia's locked-down eastern states - and it is receiving rave reviews.

Online users simply drop multiple pins on the site for nearby friends after searching for an address, allowing them to then figure out the perfect place to catch over a glass of wine, a cheeky beer and good conversation.

The maps for both states were created using OpenStreetMap data and include important details ahead of locking in picnic locations, notably nearby public toilets and cafes.

Friendship Island is a new website which helps residents across NSW and Victoria pinpoint where they can catch up over a picnic during Covid lockdowns (pictured, residents in Sydney's east enjoying a recent picnic)

Online users simply need to drop multiple pins for nearby friends after searching for an address, allowing them to then figure out the perfect place to catch over a glass of wine, a cheeky beer and good conversation (pictured, a group of women catch up in Sydney's Centennial Park)

The website is the brainchild of Sydney trio Stella Blake-Kelly, Ken Tsang and Vanessa Brewster

'When the Premier (Gladys Berejiklian) announced we could see our friends again we all got really excited,' Ms Blake-Kelly told Nine.com.au.

'However, when thinking through the logistics of seeing more than one person it got complicated very quickly.'

While NSW and Victoria have slightly different rules for picnics, don't despair, the website lets you know what you can and can't do in both states.

In NSW for example, fully-vaccinated adults are permitted to attend outdoor gatherings of up to five people, including children - but it must be within 5km of your home.

Those who are not fully vaccinated can only gather outdoors with one other person.

In Victoria, groups of up to five fully-vaccinated adults can currently have a picnic together in the park within 10km of their home.

Those who are unvaccinated or have only had one jab can meet up with one other person from another household for a picnic.
Marilyn Burdon (pictured) was shot dead by her partner Charles Bisucci inside her luxury Melbourne mansion in August 2017. Bisucci then turned the gun on himself

A former lawyer who fatally shot his partner manipulated friends and acquaintances in order to maintain access to guns seized by police more than a decade earlier.

Charles Bisucci killed 70-year-old Marilyn Burdon at her Kew home in Melbourne's east in August 2017 before turning the illegally obtained gun on himself.

The 69-year-old had been in a relationship with Ms Burdon since 2011 - despite also dating another woman - and was heard describing her as 'my superannuation'.

She had kicked Bisucci - who found himself broke after decades of fraud and deceit - out of her $2million Kew mansion just two weeks earlier.

An inquest has prompted a series of recommendations by State Coroner John Cain.

Bisucci had been banned from owning a gun, the inquest heard, after violence toward a previous partner but transferred ownership to friends and acquaintances where he could access them.

The recommendations include for Victoria Police to update its firearm approval processes and for an increase in family violence training for psychiatrists.

The coroner found Bisucci was a deceitful person who actively and persistently broke, or sought to evade the law.

Bisucci's psychiatrist had warned Ms Burdon not to enter a financial relationship with him because of his duplicity.

'The evidence illustrates that Mr Bisucci was a man who acted entirely out of self interest and used or attempted to use those around him for his own personal gain,' Judge Cain said in findings released on Tuesday.

While he was unable to find that Ms Burdon's death was preventable, he said it had highlighted inadequacies and the need for systemic improvements that might prevent future family-violence related firearm deaths.

The death of Ms Burdon at the hands of Charles Bisucci (pictured) is currently being investigated by the Coroners Court of Victoria. Bisucci owned 16 firearms, 15 of which were transferred into the names of friends when he was banned from having a firearms licence

Bisucci's firearms licence was suspended in 2004 and he was declared a prohibited person. He had 16 firearms registered to him.

One was unaccounted for but the other 15 were seized by police and ownership was transferred to friends and acquaintances of Bisucci. Ms Burdon was killed with one of those guns.

'The ability for individuals who lose their firearms licence to get friends or associated to lawfully acquire these firearms is a gap in the firearms regulation system,' Judge Cain said.

Between 2004 and 2017 Bisucci had falsified various firearm permit applications and produced fraudulent evidence to secretly retain use of those guns.

The bodies of Bisucci and Ms Burdon were discovered in separate rooms of her luxury house on Princess Street, Kew (pictured, police at the scene)

Judge Cain said current firearm regulations don't require checks on a person witnessing an application for a firearms licence to see if they have previously owned the guns, or whether they're a prohibited person.

There's also no system to check that the storage address for a firearm is common to a prohibited person.

He recommended Victoria Police change its policies and procedures to follow up that information.

Judge Cain also recommended that psychiatrists be required to complete at least four hours of family violence-specific training every two years.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14
Advertisement

A house narrowly avoided being swallowed up by lava from La Palma's volcano as officials warned 1,000 homes are under threat from the eruption, forcing fresh evacuations on the Spanish island.

Other buildings in the village of Las Manchas were not so lucky as dramatic footage shows millions of gallons of lava swallowing up farmland and holiday homes and even boiling swimming pool water as it snakes its way towards the island's west coast where it is expected to drop into the ocean today.

Dramatic footage shows millions of gallons of lava swallowing up farmland and holiday homes and even boiling swimming pool water as it snakes its way towards the island's west coast where it is expected to drop into the ocean today.

There are fears the lava will then create a toxic cloud of hydrochloric acid laced with fine glass particles that form when the molten rock is rapidly cooled.

It comes as a new vent was spotted half a mile north of the old site after a 3.8 magnitude earthquake - the most-powerful on the island since the initial eruption - struck at 9.30pm, forcing around 500 people in the Tacande area to flee as a fresh stream of lava emerged.

In total, 6,000 people of the island's 80,000 inhabitants have now been forced from their homes by the eruption, which began on Sunday and is the first in 50 years. Families were given just one hour to escape the lava. Hundreds of tourists have also been affected.

Footage taken overnight showed the fresh eruption illuminating the sky as glowing lava pooled against the black mountainside as the molten liquid continued to crawl downwards.

Police have set up an exclusion zone to prevent people from getting too close to the cloud, stretching from the tourist resort of Puerto Naos in the south to Playa Vina in the north and heading two nautical miles out to sea.

Nobody has been injured by the eruption so-far as earthquake data provided ample warning for evacuations to take place. However, a total of 183 houses have been destroyed with some 250 acres of ground burned up by the lava including large stretches of farmland.

A house in the village of Las Manchas narrowly avoided being swallowed up by lava from La Palma's volcano as officials warned 1,000 homes are under threat from the eruption, forcing fresh evacuations on the Spanish island

Lava inches its way into the pool of a house on La Palma, having already demolished a nearby building. In total, 166 homes have now been destroyed by the eruption

The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava and ash in the area of Cabeza de Vaca on September 20, 2021 in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

The average height of the lava flow has been 20ft - the height of a two-storey hours - meaning that any buildings in its way have been easily swallowed up

A new volcano vent opened on La Palma overnight, forcing evacuations from the Tacande region (pictured right). Lava is now inching towards the ocean, and has reached the town of Todoque (centre). It is expected to hit the water later today and produce a cloud of toxic gas, with an exclusion zone set up from Puerto Naos in the south to Tazacorte in the north (left). The village of Las Manchas has been completely overrun with lava, destroying land and several properties

Journalists on Tuesday broadcast in front of a pillar of smoke from the volcano following its eruption on Sunday

Smoke rises near a church in Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma on Tuesday

Eruptions of lava from the volcano lit up the sky of La Palma on Monday night as the slowly but relentlessly tumbling flow headed towards the sea

La Palma's volcano opened a new mouth overnight as a magnitude 3.8 earthquake rocked the island - forcing fresh evacuations as a new river of lava began flowing out

The eruption began on Sunday on the Cumbre Vieja ridge, an area known for its volcanic activity but at a site that has not seen an eruption in the past. Experts believe it could last for weeks or even months

166 homes have been destroyed so-far along with 250 acres of farmland, but thankfully nobody has been injured after earthquake data gave scientists a tip-off that something was about to happen

The eruption is known as 'strombolic' - named after the volcanic island of Stromboli in Italy - and mostly involves hot gasses being released from underground that fling clumps of molten rock into the air (pictured)

Lava is now flowing from the volcano to La Palma's west coast where it is expected to fall into the ocean today, creating a toxic cloud with police setting up an exclusion zone to keep people away

People from the neighbourhood of Tacande Alto were evacuated late Monday and early Tuesday, mayor Sergio Rodriguez told TV station TVE on Tuesday.

'The lava on its path to the sea has been a bit capricious and has diverted from its course,' Rodriguez said.

Officials said a river of lava was bearing down on the neighborhood of Todoque, where more than 1,000 people live and where emergency services were preparing evacuations.

'The truth is that it's a tragedy to see people losing their properties,' said municipal worker Fernando Diaz in the town of El Paso, though he noted that people were also suffering by not knowing the fate of their homes as police kept people away from the lava flows.

'For the lucky ones they would have some peace in knowing that their homes haven't been affected,' he said. 'This uncertainty is complicated.'

The current eruption is taking place on the Cumbre Vieja ridge, an area of intense volcanic activity that has been the site of every major eruption on La Palma since the 1640s.

The site of the new eruption is new with no volcanic activity reported there in the past, and opened up after a cluster of earthquakes forced molten rock close to the surface and then split the ground for it to flow out.

Scientists had been monitoring the area closely after thousands of mostly-small earthquakes were detected, meaning people were ready to evacuate as soon as the eruption started - preventing any deaths or injuries.

Of the 183 homes destroyed so far, one of them belonged to German couple Matthias and Anette Fuchs, 65 and 64 respectively.

They said they fell in love with the house the moment they first saw it. Built in the islands' traditional architectural style using volcanic materials from previous eruptions, the couple had been improving it over nearly four decades.

'It was a special place, we saw it once and we fell in love,' Anette Fuchs told The Associated Press, recounting how the couple hosted large dinners for friends and visiting relatives. 'It was a paradise.'

Smoke rises fromc ooling lava in Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma on Monday after Cumbre Vieja erupted

The volcanic eruption sent vast plumes of black smoke into the air and molten lava oozing down the mountainside

Following the eruption, the lava was moving at 2,300ft per hour, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, though this has since slowed to around 1,000ft per hour as the force of the eruption has lessened

A large mound of black lava inches its way through villages and farmland on the island of La Palma after being spewed out of the volcano which began erupting on Sunday

The garage of a home in the village of Los Llanos, La Palma, lights on fire as it is consumed by lava from the volcano

Liquid rock spewed from the volcano swallows up a building in the Los Llanos region of La Palma

A fireman watches helplessly as tons of molten rock consume a house on La Palma, one of 166 destroyed so-far

A huge lava flow (rear, in black) sets light to a house as it demolishes the building in the Los Campitos area of La Palma

Todoque resident Rosendo Leal, 47, is among those who have fled their homes. The electrician left with his wife and 13-year-old son to his family's home in Los Llanos.

He told El Pais: 'My house is two kilometers from lava and fire. We pray that it does not burn. This is very small and we all know each other. We spent the day looking and saying "look at this poor man's house, it has burned down."

'I'm anguished,' said Ana, Rosendo's sister. 'We are all distraught. I am about to lose my parents' house, where I have lived all my life, if the language enters the town.'

The lava was moving at 2,300ft per hour, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, though this has since slowed to around 1,000ft per hour as the force of the eruption has lessened.

Authorities on La Palma, where people largely live from farming, told residents in a wide area where volcanic ash is falling to stay indoors with their doors and keep their windows closed.

Based on the amount of lava that scientists believe is pent up underground and the force of the eruption, they believe it could last anywhere between two weeks and two months.

Daniel Alvarez, a bar owner in Las Manchas, one of the closest villages to the volcano, was evacuated with his family on Sunday and was staying at the El Fuerte military barracks with some other 300 evacuees.

He didn't know whether the lava had consumed his home.

'For now,' he said, 'it seems like it's safe, but the lava is opening many paths. We have all of our lives inside (our house). We would need to start over again.'

Canary Islands government chief Angel Victor Torres said officials weren't expecting any more eruptions, adding that air traffic in the area wasn't affected.

'There will be considerable material damage,' Torres told SER radio. 'We hope there won't be any personal injuries.'

Late Monday, lava began flowing from a new fissure that opened on the volcano following an earthquake that shook the ridges of Cumbre Vieja, the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute.

A man carries his possessions to his truck after being told to evacuate from his home due to the eruption in La Palma

People leave their homes as Mount Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava

A sheep is seen in the back of a pickup as people are evacuated following the eruption of a volcano on the Island of La Palma

People leave their homes as Mount Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava

Authorities then ordered the evacuation of another neighborhood and closed some roads. It was not immediately clear how many people were involved in the new evacuation.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected area Monday after delaying his trip to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

He praised scientists for monitoring the eruption, saying their work was 'fundamental' in avoiding casualties, and promised that his government would help local people rebuild their lives.

The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute reported the initial eruption shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday near the southern end of the island, which saw its last eruption in 1971.

A 4.2-magnitude quake was recorded before the eruption, which took place in an area known as Cabeza de Vaca on the western slope as the ridge descends to the coast.

La Palma, with a population of 85,000, is one of eight Canary Islands. At their nearest point, the islands are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.

The last eruption on La Palma 50 years ago lasted just over three weeks. The last eruption on all the Canary Islands occurred underwater off the coast of El Hierro island in 2011. It lasted five months.
A cold front is sweeping across eastern Australia this week, bringing with it gusty winter winds, hail and even snow in some regions.

Despite a warm start to spring, temperatures have nosedived by 10C with parts of NSW and Victoria experiencing 20cm of snowfall overnight and gale-force wintry winds.

David Wilke from the Bureau of Meteorology said NSW and other areas in Australia's east would see the comeback of winter temperatures for the rest of this week.

But luckily for the lockdown-weary east of NSW, weather will improve drastically as the week goes on - with highs of 27C on Friday and a sunny - but slightly colder - 21C on Saturday in Sydney.

Melburnians won't enjoy the same pleasant spring temperatures, with highs of just 14C on Saturday and 15 on Sunday.

With a cold front sweeping across east Australia, snow has been seen falling in areas just 600m above sea level, with parts of NSW reaching -2C overnight

'We are getting throttled back into temperatures that are a bit more like winter', he commented to the ABC.

'You could see some isolated damage to properties.'

Both Greater Sydney and the Hunter regions are bracing for widespread showers and thunderstorms for the week, with coastal towns being hit hardest by forecast winds of up to 50 km per hour.

Snow is falling in areas just 600m above water level such as Cooma in the south of NSW with other snowfall recorded mostly along ranges in the NSW tablelands from areas such as Bathurst and Oberon to Armidale and Glen Innes.

In Armidale, temperatures reportedly dropped to -2C overnight on Tuesday, with snow seen falling in the area.

The cold front also dumped 15-20cm of snow onto major snowfield resorts. Mt Hotham on the Great Dividing Range in Victoria saw snowfall of 13cm overnight.

Snowfall of 15-20cm was seen in major snowfield resorts including Perisher (pictured)

Areas in the Snowy Mountains in NSW are set to only reach highs of 8C throughout the rest of the week with lows of -3C forecast.

More snow is set to fall in the region later in the week.

'The alps are going to see probably a number of centimetres of snow through the course of the event,' Mr Wilke said.

Other parts of Victoria are also experiencing the wild weather, with hail falling in areas of Melbourne and residents in Marysville in the Yarra Valley waking up to a blanket on their backyards.

Canberra is also feeling the freeze, with frost forecast in the morning for most of this week. Lows of -1C are predicted with highs not surpassing 20C.

In other areas of Australia's east, Queensland is set to miss most of the wintry weather with sun forecast and temperatures hitting highs in the mid to late 20s.

The wild weather including winds of up to 50km per hour are set to last the rest of the week along the east coast (pictured, a woman in windy Sydney)

Mr Wilke commented that in areas that don't usually see snow, it is only likely they will see a dusting before it slows down.

These colder conditions are also likely to cause ice to form on roads.

'Just generally keep up to date with forecasts and warnings so you're not heading into an area that's potentially dangerous,' he warned.

On the coast, Surf Life Saving NSW said swells between 1.5 and 1.7m have been forecast for the week and warned those near coastlines to take care in the water

'School holidays have started across the state, and we anticipate an increase in the number of people visiting our coastline,' said director Joel Wiseman to the ABC.

Parts of Melbourne also saw strong wind and rain, with hail storms recorded in areas on Victoria's coastline (pictured, hail in Victoria)

'Given the conditions we are expecting, I would strongly urge people to understand their limitations and avoid taking unnecessary risks in the water.'

For areas on the other side of Australia, Perth is set for a mostly sunny week with highs in the mid-20s and a minimum of 8 on Friday.

Darwin has dodged these wintry conditions, with a forecast of humid and sunny weather and possible showers later in the week. Temperatures are set to range between the low-20s to mid-30s throughout the week.

Adelaide and Hobart are both feeling the effects of this cold front, looking to be overcast only hitting maximum temperatures in the mid-to-high teens with possible showers and wind forecast.

These conditions are forecast to last the rest of the week along the east of Australia.
Scott Morrison's nephew has narrowly avoided jail after being pleading guilty to ripping off clients with dodgy building work, with a court hearing he used the cash to fund his cocaine habit.

Mitchell James Cole, 29, pleaded guilty in July to 20 charges including doing residential work when unlicensed and demand, receive payment for building without insurance.

The prime minister's nephew was sentenced to a two-year community correctional order and fined $26,000 at Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday, with the magistrate saying he was lucky to avoid prison.

'You have a history, and your conduct to date indicates you have very little regard for those who have purchased your services,' Magistrate Kasey Pearce said.

'You were very much on the cusp of going to jail.'

Uncle ScoMo: Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his nephew by marriage Mitchell James Cole during a Christmas shindig at Kirribilli House in 2018

Pictured: What remains of the unfinished building work at one of Mr Cole's victim's homes. He was sentenced to a two-year community correctional order at Parramatta Local Court Tuesday

The 29-year-old used family snaps of Christmas lunch at Kirribilli House to win the trust of innocent families before he left them thousands of dollars out of pocket with his dodgy building work.

NSW Fair Trading brought the charges against the name-dropping relative of the Prime Minister with a list of aggrieved parties coming forward to give evidence.

Each of Mr Cole's clients lost between $4,000 and $20,000 due to his shotty work, with several speaking to A Current Affair about their experiences with him.

Magistrate Pearce said further offences from Scott Morrison's nephew could see him 'serving a period of full-time custody' with 'nowhere further to go' for the dodgy tradie.

Mr Cole told court he was 'going through a really bad time with drug and alcohol addiction' and was 'very regretful and sorry and I sincerely did not mean to accept people's funds and not do the work and do defective work.'

The Magistrate said she was attempting to find the 'nexus' between his illegalities and drug use, saying it was 'difficult to accept' he did not mean to 'accept people's funds' to fuel his coke habit.

Lawyers for Mr Morrison's nephew argued his case being the topic of an A Current Affair episode counted for 'extra-curial punishment', but the Magistrate dismissed the notion.

She said the story was focused around 'the behaviour of Mr Cole as a builder, and an unlicensed and uninsured builder' and 'don't overly sensationalise the allegations against him'.

Magistrate Pearce said further offences from Scott Morrison's nephew could see him 'serving a period of full-time custody' with 'nowhere further to go' for the dodgy tradie

'You have a history, and your conduct to date indicates you have very little regard for those who have purchased your services,' Magistrate Kasey Pearce said

Scott Morrison's (pictured) nephew pleaded guilty to 17 counts of carrying out 'unlicensed' and 'uninsured' work in 2019 and was sentenced to a two-year community correctional order

One of his victims, James McCall, handed over $33,000 to Mr Cole for some building work on his backyard and pool.

Mr Cole left the home unfinished and in tatters with no gate for the property's fence and pool tiles that weren't stuck on properly, which later peeled off, Mr McCall claims.

'He'd message me and say 'I'll be around tomorrow', and he'd never show up,' Mr McCall told A Current Affair.

The hardworking Aussie said the PM's nephew was quick to speak about his famous uncle when they met.

'We just struck up a conversation and he told me he was related to Scott Morrison. He uses that to make himself look legit and he seemed genuine,' Mr McCall said.

'Do not trust him one bit.'

Mr Cole is seen in 2019 when he was confronted by an A Current Affair reporter on the street in an unedifying moment for a relative of the nation's leader

Fay Voyiatsis said it was the same story when Cole offered to revamp her backyard, which remains in disarray.

'He told us Scott Morrison was his uncle and he showed us pictures of him and his extended family including his uncle having Christmas together,' Ms Voyiatsis told the program, fighting back tears.

She paid Cole $56,000 for the uncompleted home renovations and says 'he's taken our dreams and turned them into a nightmare'.

'I don't think he ever had any intention of finishing this job, he was just trying to get as much money out of us as possible and walk away.

'It's terrible to think you've been taken for a fool like this just because you are trusting.'

Yet another victim, Peter Flanagan, launched a civil suit against Cole and $28,000 in a tribunal judgment that ruled Cole was responsible for the damage done to their property.

But despite the ruling Mr Flanagan has not seen a cent.

'It was a mess. We actually had no front door that we could access our house from so I just tried to go down all legal avenues to recoup the money,' he said.

'He's a slime ball.'
Advertisement

Officers identified the third Salisbury poisoning suspect as Sergey Fedotov (real name Denis Sergeev) and said he was a Russian national, aged about 50. This image is taken from his travel documents

Britain will take 'every possible step' to extradite the three men charged with carrying out the Salisbury Novichok attack from Russia, Priti Patel said today as Scotland Yard outed the group's alleged ringleader.

Police today said Sergey Fedotov, real name Denis Sergeev, faces a string of charges including trying to kill former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left fighting for their lives after members of a Russian military intelligence hit squad smeared the deadly weapon on Mr Skripal's front door.

The attack seriously injured police officer Nick Bailey and Salisbury resident Charlie Rowley, whose partner, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, later died.

Fedotov is accused of seven charges, including three of attempted murder as well as conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia and Mr Bailey, and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

These are the same counts faced by two other suspects in the case already identified by police in 2018 - Alexander Mishkin, who used the name Alexander Petrov while in the UK, and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the alias Ruslan Boshirov.

Addressing the Commons today, Home Secretary Priti Patel said everything possible was being done to hunt down the trio.

'Arrest warrants are in place for all three men and the police have applied for an Interpol notice against Fedotov mirroring those already in place against the other two suspects,' she said.

'Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice.'

Theresa May, who was Prime Minister at the time, called the attack an 'appalling crime', adding: 'I urge the UK government to do all it can to bring the individuals concerned to justice.'

Meanwhile, Downing Street said ministers would do 'everything' to bring the Salisbury suspects to justice but admitted that as long as they stayed in Russia it would be almost impossible to do so.

'We have said before that the use of Novichok nerve agent on British soil was a sickening and despicable act and a clear violation of the chemical weapons convention,' the PM's spokesman said.

'This wasn't a rogue operation and only the Russian state had both the technical means, experience and the motive to carry out the attack.

'But you will be aware that we don't have an extradition treaty with Russia and as we have found with other cases such as Litvinenko any formal extradition request is futile.'

The Met released an image of Fedotov leaving Heathrow at 1.45pm on Sunday March 4 - the same day as the Salisbury attack

Police believe Fedotov's real name was Denis Sergeev and he is a member of the GRU, Russian military intelligence

A recently uncovered video shows Fedotov discussing his exploits as a captain serving in the first paratroopers' company of the 108th air assault regiment

Addressing the Commons today, Home Secretary Priti Patel said everything possible was being done to hunt down the trio

Investigators say they now have evidence linking the three to Russian military intelligence service the GRU, and that the trio have been involved in similar operations in other countries including Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

News website Bellingcat previously reported that Fedotov is suspected of involvement in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015, while Boshirov and Petrov are accused of being part of a squad behind an explosion at an arms depot in the Czech Republic the previous year.

But with no extradition treaty in place, and Moscow denying any knowledge of the incident, UK authorities are powerless to put the suspects before an English court.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, who is the senior national co-ordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: 'The investigation team has been piecing together evidence that suggests that Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov have all previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia.'

Russia is ordered to pay 105,000 compensation to Alexander Litvinenko's widow as European Court of Human rights finds state WAS responsible for his 2006 assassination By Rachael Bunyan for MailOnline Russia has been ordered to pay 105,000 in damages to Alexander Litvinenko's widow after European judges ruled the state is responsible for his 2006 murder. The European Court of Human Rights issued the ruling today in response to a claim brought by Marina Litvinenko, the ex-KGB agent's widow, in November last year. Alexander Litvinenko is pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital on November 20, 2006 in London. He died three days later 'Russia was responsible for the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in the UK,' a ruling issued by six of the seven-member Strasbourg court said - with the sole Russian judge dissenting. Litvinenko, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, died aged 43 in London after drinking green tea laced with Polonium 210 at the plush Millennium Hotel in Mayfair. Britain has long blamed the attack on Russia, saying he was poisoned by Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. The ECHR agreed with that assessment. But Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, was quick to dismiss the findings - calling them 'unfounded' and adding: 'We are not prepared to accept such decisions'. Advertisement

They had all visited the UK before 2018, although there is no evidence that this was for reconnaissance purposes, police said.

'All three of them are dangerous individuals,' Mr Haydon said. 'They have tried to murder people here in the UK, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the UK by means unknown.

'The amount of Novichok in that perfume bottle was quite significant and if it had come into the wider circulation of the public, without a doubt it would have killed hundreds if not thousands of people.'

Fedotov entered the UK at 11am on March 2 2018, flying from Moscow to Heathrow and arriving about four hours before Petrov and Boshirov landed at Gatwick.

The three met a number of times in the coming days, both out in the open and at indoor venues, but Fedotov did not leave the capital.

Fedotov - who police are now hunting - is said to have met the other two men on more than one occasion in in the 'open air' in central London before the attack.

Unlike the other two, no traces of the nerve agent were found at his hotel and he did not travel to Salisbury, leading to speculation that he could have been the unit's commander.

He returned to Moscow on a flight from Heathrow on Sunday March 4 at 1.45pm. Petrov and Boshirov flew back from the same airport at 10.30pm that night.

Mr Haydon told today's briefing: 'In addition to identifying Fedotov's presence in the UK, the investigation team has also been piecing together evidence that suggests all three of them have previously worked with each other, and on behalf of the Russian state, as part of operations carried out, outside of Russia.'

He said the men's real names were Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga and Fedotov's real name was Denis Sergeev and that all three were members of the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

It is the first time that police have been able to evidentially link their suspects to the Russian spy agency, said Mr Haydon, senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism.

Officers are also liaising with investigators in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic about reports the men had visited there.

Charges have now been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service against all three for conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a chemical weapon.

Images of Fedotov were released to the media showing him on his travel documents and from CCTV taken as he arrived and left the country through Heathrow.

The poison was contained in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle, tragically found in June that year in a charity shop bin in Amesbury by Charlie Rowley.

He was left seriously ill and his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with the deadly substance.

Police have appealed to the public for any information about how the bottle came to be found eight miles from Salisbury, and where it was stored between the departure of the would-be assassins from the UK in March and its discovery three months later.

'We want to hear from anyone who might have information relating to the perfume box in the bottle during that period,' Mr Haydon said.

Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov, the two other Russian military intelligence officers accused of carrying out the poisoning

The first CCTV image shows the man police say are known as 'Petrov' (left) and 'Boshirov' (right) arriving at London Gatwick airport at 4.22pm on March 2

Both of the suspects are spotted at Salisbury train station, where authorities believe they are carrying out reconnaissance mission

Mr Haydon said Fedotov was identified early in the investigation but the team did not have enough information to bring charges.

'From the outset of the investigation, there were a number of lines of inquiry, a number of individuals that we were investigating.

Timeline of Salisbury horror that shocked the world Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury in March 2018. Here is a timeline of how events unfolded: - March 4 2018: Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire. - March 7: Police say a nerve agent was used to poison the pair and the case is being treated as attempted murder. - March 8: Then-home secretary Amber Rudd says Wiltshire Police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is seriously ill in hospital. - March 12: Then-prime minister Theresa May tells the House of Commons the nerve agent Novichok is of Russian origin and the Government has concluded it is 'highly likely' Russia is responsible for the poisoning. - March 14: Mrs May tells MPs the UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats, calling the incident an 'unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the UK'. - March 22: DS Bailey is discharged from hospital but says life will 'probably never be the same'. - March 26: Britain's allies announce more than 100 Russian agents are being sent home from 22 countries, in what Mrs May calls the 'largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history'. - April 10: Ms Skripal is discharged from hospital, followed by her father just over a month later. - June 30: Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley fall ill at a flat in Muggleton Road in Amesbury, eight miles from Salisbury, and are taken to hospital. - July 4: Police declare a 'major incident' after revealing Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley have been exposed to an 'unknown substance', later confirmed to be Novichok. - July 8: Ms Sturgess dies in hospital after exposure to the nerve agent and a murder investigation is launched. - July 10: Mr Rowley regains consciousness and is discharged from hospital later that month. - September 4: Independent investigator the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirms the toxic chemical which killed Ms Sturgess was the same nerve agent as that which poisoned the Skripals. - September 5: Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service say there is sufficient evidence to charge two Russians, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with offences including conspiracy to murder over the attack. - September 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is 'nothing criminal' about Petrov and Boshirov. Downing Street insists they are GRU officers 'who used a devastatingly toxic illegal chemical weapon on the streets of our country'. - September 13: Petrov and Boshirov are interviewed by Russian state-funded news channel RT in which they claim they were tourists visiting Salisbury. - March 1 2019: The Ministry of Defence announces Salisbury is to be declared decontaminated of Novichok after an almost year-long military clean-up of 12 sites. - June 2020: BBC docudrama The Salisbury Poisonings is broadcast over three consecutive nights. Its first episode was reported to have been watched by more than seven million viewers, making it the biggest UK television premiere of the year so far. - August 2020: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is treated in hospital in Germany after it was suspected he was poisoned with Novichok. - March 2021: Three years on from the attack, UK counter-terrorism police say they 'remain as determined and committed as ever' to bring those responsible to justice. - September 2021: Investigators say they have sufficient evidence to charge a third man over the poisonings - Russian spy Denis Sergeev, also known as Sergey Fedotov. Advertisement

'There has been a delay with the third man. We were able to evidence the first two pretty quickly but the third man has taken slightly longer.

'We have to follow due process, and by that I mean investigation, putting it into evidence, putting it before the Crown Prosecution Service, and then eventually we ended up where we are today.'

The three men acted as a 'small team' and had made previous visits to Britain, Mr Haydon said.

'In my mind, they've operated as a as a small team with a view to deploy Novichok to kill individuals in this country.

'We have other intelligence that suggests they've been here before, but we know that they've been in other countries as well, operating as a threesome and likely with others as well.

'Linking three of them to the GRU evidentially, our interest now is, who else was involved?

'I feel these questions can be really difficult to put a number, but I can say it remains an active line of inquiry of who exactly was involved.'

There have previously been 'exchanges' on diplomatic channels with Russia but Britain does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, and police say they have not had any cooperation from Russia in relation to the investigation.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found on a park bench in Salisbury after they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, believed to have been smeared on the door handle at Mr Skripal's home.

The attack is believed to have been ordered by Russian intelligence in revenge for Skripal's work as a double agent for MI6 during the 1990s. He was arrested in 2004 and moved to the UK six years later following a spy-swap deal.

Det Sgt Nick Bailey, one of the police officers who responded to the attack was also taken seriously ill following the attack on March 4 2018.

Four months later Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died from a dose of the nerve agent after her partner, Charlie Rowley, found a discarded bottle which turned out to contain the nerve agent.

Despite circumstantial evidence, police have still been unable to link the find by Mr Rowley to the original attack and so the three Russian spies, have only been charged with attempting to kill Mr Skripal, his daughter and DC Bailey.

They are accused of conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal and DC Bailey, and causing grievous bodily harm to Yulia Skripal and DC Bailey.

A fourth charge was brought for the use and possession of Novichok, contrary to the chemical weapons act.

Scotland Yard released images and details of two men who used the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov in September 2018.

Soon afterwards, the pair appeared on Russian TV saying they were tourists who had were visiting Salisbury and see its famous 123 metre spire.

At the time, they were identified by the investigative website Bellingcat as Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga and Dr Alexander Mishkin, two members of the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

Petrov and Boshirov have been linked to a huge explosion which tore apart an ammunitions storage depot in a forest in the Czech Republic on October 16 2014.

The remains of two men, aged 56 and 69, who worked at the site were found more than a month later.

The blast was assumed to have been an accident but in April this year, the Czech authorities identified a special operations team of the GRU called Unit 29155.

An email sent to Imex Group, the company which operated the depot, claiming to be from the National Guard of Tajikistan asked for two men - Ruslan Tabarov from Tajikistan and Nicolaj Popa, a Moldovan citizen - to be given access to the site for an inspection visit.

Police believe that the three suspects identified so far are in Russia, and with no extradition treaty with the country there is little chance of them being brought to the UK.

Nick Price, CPS head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'We will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of Sergey Fedotov as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals. Russia has made this clear following requests for extradition in other cases. Should this position change then an extradition request would be made.'

Sergei Skripal - seen with his daughter, Yulia - served as a double agent for the UK's intelligence services during the 1990s and early 2000s

Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess (left) and her partner Charlie Rowley (right) fell ill at the flat after she handled a perfume bottle containing the poison. She died while Mr Rowley recovered

Police will apply for an Interpol notice to be issued for Fedotov.

A number of other individuals remain under investigation over possible involvement in the Salisbury case.

No charges have yet been brought over Ms Sturgess' death, but Mr Haydon said the case remains a live investigation.

A pre-inquest review hearing into her death is due to take place tomorrow.

Wiltshire Police chief constable Kier Pritchard said he welcomed today's development.

'I know this announcement by the Counter Terrorism Policing Network today will affect many people - the victims, their families and the communities of Salisbury and Amesbury,' he said.

'These shocking incidents had a significant impact on all involved and my thoughts, and those of Wiltshire Police, remain with Sergei and Yulia Skripal, Charlie Rowley, the family of Dawn Sturgess, who tragically died, and former Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant, Nick Bailey.

'The Counter Terrorism Policing Network investigation team continues to work tirelessly to seek to bring those responsible to justice and Wiltshire Police will continue to offer our full and ongoing support in this investigation.'

Skripal's house, where the door handle was smeared with Novichok as part of the hit which shocked the world

Theresa May, who was Prime Minister at the time of the attack, today described it as an 'appalling crime'

Philip Wilkinson, police and crime commissioner for Wiltshire, said: 'My thoughts, and those of my office, remain with Dawn Sturgess' family and friends, alongside the other victims who have had their lives devastated by this incident.

'While today's announcement is important, it is vital we remember a member of our community was killed and others left changed and traumatised by the barbaric use of a nerve agent on UK soil.

'Our community has rebuilt and those other victims are coming to terms with the long-lasting implications, so my hope now is the perpetrators will have their appalling crimes levelled against them and all of the victims will see justice served in their names.

'I am democratically elected to hold our police force to account, it would be widely welcomed if some foreign security services demonstrated that same accountability.'

Anyone who saw Fedotov while he was in the UK or has information relating to the perfume bottle can call the anti-terrorism hotline on 0800 789321 or email Salisbury2018@met.police.uk.

Former Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey (pictured with wife Sarah) was also taken seriously ill but went on to recover
Advertisement

'Death wish' eco-zealots who ran into moving rush hour traffic on the M25 could have caused 'multiple fatalities' with their road-blocking protest, the boss of motoring group The AA warned today.

Disruptive eco-mob Insulate Britain brought a Surrey section of the UK's busiest road to a halt this morning when protests stormed both sides of the eight lane motorway.

Drivers were forced to brake and eventually stop on the 70mph speed limit motorway after the group ran into both carriageways from the hard shoulder.

It is the fifth time in eight days that the eco-warriors - who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero - have blocked Britain's busiest road.

It also comes as the eco-mob yesterday offered a 'profound apology' for their actions, while one of the group's ringleaders today revealed protesters 'hated' running out into the road.

She compared the demonstrations to the those of women's rights group - the Suffragettes - whose member Emily Davidson was killed when she ran in front of the king's horse at the 1913 Epsom Derby.

But the decision by Insulate Britain protesters to run out into moving traffic on this occasion has drawn particular criticism from police and from road safety groups - who say motorists could have been killed by their actions.

Today Edmund King, AA president, slammed the group's actions. He told MailOnline: 'The actions of some of these protestors storming live lanes of motorway traffic are suicidal. It appears that some of these people have a death wish.

'Their actions not only put themselves at risk but also threaten to cause multiple pile-ups and fatalities.

'We applaud the police for taking fast action against these counter-productive protests which are alienating the public, causing more emissions and putting lives at risk.'

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams also criticised the protest as 'incredibly dangerous'. He told MailOnline: 'However well-intentioned the cause might be, blocking motorways is incredibly dangerous both to the protesters and those inside their vehicles.

'Not only will this cause disruption to commuters on their way to work, but there may be people who miss hospital appointments or worse still emergency vehicles will be delayed which could pose a threat to life.'

Do YOU know who the climate 'anarchists' blocking the M25 are? Email tips@dailymail.com or james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

It comes as a ringleader of Insulate Britain - who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero - today claimed the movement was similar to the Suffragettes.

Zoe Cohen made the claim as she revealed that protesters 'hated' blocking the motorway in order to put pressure on the Government to support their aims.

She told Nick Ferrari on LBC: 'It's not about justifying [potential injuries to activists and motorists]. Our Government is failing to protect British families.

'Thousands of people will die this winter from fuel poverty. Millions will struggle, we don't know if we can eat at Christmas.

'We hate doing this, we don't want to do it. We have to cause disruption. It is the only thing we have left in our liberal democracy. We are not really expecting to get public support the Suffragettes were hated at the time.'

The latest protest, at junction 10 near to Woking, will heap yet more pressure on Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has called for police to take 'decisive action' in order to deal with the repeat protesters.

Officers were initially overwhelmed by the group, who managed to get round police and on to the motorway. But reinforcements arrived within minutes to quickly deal with the eco-mob.

The latest protest lasted around 40 minutes and involved around 30 protesters split between each side of the eight lane motorway. Motorists faced five mile tailbacks on either side of the motorway, through to junctions 9 and 11 respectively.

Surrey police say they have arrested 38 people in relation to the protest. Chief Superintendent Jerry Westerman said: 'Protesters have put their own lives, as well as those of others, at risk by walking onto both carriageways of the M25 during rush hour traffic.

'Fortunately, we were on scene within three minutes of the first call coming in and took swift and robust action to ensure protesters were removed from both carriageways after they ignored our requests to move on peacefully.'

The forces Chief Inspector, Mike Hodder, added: 'The risk of injury or death is very high when you're messing around on a motorway, which in some sections is four lanes of live traffic.

'The video footage today shows protestors standing on the hard shoulder and making an effort to get into live traffic.

'Anyone with a simple mind can understand that the results from that sort of action will be serious injury or death.

'It could cause other motorists to react and have further accidents due to the consequences of those protestors making irrational decisions to run onto live motorways.

'None of us would want to walk onto a motorway let alone run into live traffic. We are very worried about serious injury and death and it is very easily achievable by running into live traffic.'

Today the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said the police had the Prime Minster's 'full support in taking swift action'.

But the spokesman condemned the actions of protesters, saying: 'This kind of disruption is dangerous and takes police away from communities where they are needed most.'

Asked what was being done to combat the protests, the spokesman added: 'We are committed in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to give the police the tools they need to address this problem.'

Members of the eco-group Insulate Britain are blocking traffic on the motorway near junction 10 in Surrey

This is the moment that vehicles are forced to break on the M25 as protesters make their way across the carriageway

More than 30 protesters have been seen running into flowing traffic near Woking today. There are groups on both sides of the eight lane motorway

Police surrounding protesters from Insulate Britain who threw blue paint on to the M25 during their demonstration this morning

Protesters from Insulate Britain poured blue paint on the M25 and sat down on the carriageway as they carried out a fifth protest in eight days

Protesters from Insulate Britain block the M25 motorway near Cobham in Surrey on September 21

The protest caused tailbacks on both sides of the motorway, with five mile tailbacks on the westbound (or south) carriageway to junction 9

There were also tailbacks on the eastbound (north) carriageway back to junction 11 of the M25 following the protests today

Edmund King (pictured left), AA president, slammed the group's actions. He told MailOnline: 'The actions of some of these protestors storming live lanes of motorway traffic are suicidal. It appears that some of these people have a death wish.' The latest protest will heap pressure on Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured right) who has urged police officers to take 'decisive action' in dealing with the eco-mob

One of the ringleaders of Insulate Britain - who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero - today claimed the movement was similar to the Suffragettes. Zoe Cohen made the claim on LBC (pictured) as she revealed that protesters 'hated' blocking the motorway in order to put pressure on the Government to support their aims

Meanwhile, Insulate Britain yesterday penned an open letter to the Home Secretary offering a 'profound apology' for their actions and calling for an 'open dialogue' over their demands.

But they also vowed to continue their protests, saying they will not stop until they receive a 'meaningful statement' from the Government over home insulation.

Spokesperson Liam Norton said today: 'The idea that people would suddenly decide insulating our leaky homes is a bad idea as a result of our campaign is frankly laughable. We are simply asking the Government to get on with the job.

'The people of Britain understand that climate change is a severe threat to everything they hold dear. They are looking to the Government for leadership.

'We have a practical solution and have received encouragement for our aims from many construction industry professionals.'

Video from the latest protest, which began around 8am this morning, shows the eco-warriors standing on both sides of carriageway waiting to run across.

In one video, a handful of police in yellow hi-vis jackets, outnumbered by protesters in orange hi-vis outfits, are shown pulling members of the group from oncoming traffic.

But as considerate drivers slow down - in fear of harming the protesters - the eco-mob see their opportunity and charge into the road. They are later seen sitting down while holding 'Insulate Britain' banners.

Then, in separate video, another group of protesters on the other side of the motorway prepare to do the same.

The group stop the traffic and attempt to sit down, leading a police officer to attempt to pull one protester away.

But eventually the traffic stops and the group, like their eco-mob friends on the other side, then sit down and unveil their Insulate Britain banners.

Reverend Sue Parfitt was among the protesters today. The retired family therapist, 79, from Bristol was spotted being led away by police with blue paint on her hands.

Ms Parfitt, who was once arrested as part of the 2019 Extinction Rebellion protest in London, was seen at Insulate Britain's first M25 protest on September 13.

Retired reverend Mark Coleman, who stepped down as vicar and borough dean of Rochdale last year, was also among those at the protest today.

Mr Coleman, who is said to have joined Extinction Rebellion in 2015 after the Rochdale floods, vandalised Heywood and Middleton MP Chris Clarkson's constituency office earlier this year before staging a two-hour sit in.

Corbynista Steve Gower was also back among the protesters on the M25 today. The 54-year-old is one of the ringleaders of Insulate Britain.

Reverend Sue Parfitt returned to the protests today, after being spotted protesting with Insulate Britain during their first protest on September 13. Pictured left: Rev Parfitt today and right: On September 13

Corbynista Steve Gower was back among the protesters on the M25 today. The 54-year-old is one of the ringleaders of Insulate Britain

Retired reverend Mark Coleman, who stepped down as vicar and borough dean of Rochdale last year, was also among those at the protest today. Mr Coleman, who is said to have joined Extinction Rebellion in 2015 after the Rochdale floods, vandalised Heywood and Middleton MP Chris Clarkson's constituency office earlier this year before staging a two-hour sit in.

Police remove activists from the motorway as protestors from Insulate Britain block the M25 motorway near Cobham in Surrey on September 2

Officers are seen pulling protesters away from the motorway after they unfurled banners with 'Insulate Britain' on them while sitting on the M25

End of the road: Protesters are dragged from the M25 after taking part in the Insulate Britain demonstration near Woking earlier today

As protesters run out on to the road, eventually the traffic stops and the group, like their eco-mob friends on the other side, then sit down and unveil their Insulate Britain banners

One protester is pulled away by police as others attempt to glue their hands to the carriageway

Police grapple with activists spilling paint on the road as protestors from Insulate Britain block the M25 motorway near Cobham in Surrey

Police drag away a protester from the motorway during the M25 protest near Cobham on Tuesday. It is the fifth protest in eight days by the group Insulate Britain

Protesters were seen sitting on the M25 with blue paint on their hands as they held up banners for Insulate Britain during the M25 on Tuesday

One protester was later seen being led away by police after sitting on the motorway holding a banner for Insulate Britain on Tuesday

One protester was seen smearing blue paint on the M25 during the protest on the M25 near Cobham earlier today

Police remove activists from the motorway as protestors from Insulate Britain block the M25 motorway near Cobham

Today Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng slammed the group's actions as 'completely unacceptable'.

He told Good Morning Britain: 'I think you are absolutely right, I think it is completely unacceptable behaviour. That is why my colleague, Priti Patel the Home Secretary is really trying to push action on this.

'I don't think it is acceptable for people to be delaying others who are critically injured and stopping them from getting vital hospital services.'

It comes as yesterday the group infuriated drivers with a fourth protest on the M25 in seven days.

Police officers pictured yesterday carrying away a protester who had glued himself to the highway at a slip road at Junction 4 of the A1(M), near Hatfield

A police officer pictured yesterday searching a protester at a slip road at Junction 18 of the M25, near Rickmansworth

Protesters from Insulate Britain are dragged off the road on Monday as they blockaded the M25 at junction 18 near Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire

Despite the Home Secretary reading the eco-mob the riot act - promising to come down hard on the group's ringleaders - Insulate Britain continued their disruptive protest this morning by once again blocking the M25. Pictured: Police officers (pictured yesterday) work to free protesters who had glued themselves to a slip road at Junction 4 of the A1(M), near Hatfield

Police officers (pictured yesterday) carry away a protester who had glued herself to a slip road at Junction 4 of the A1(M), near Hatfield

How can you complain to the police about their handling of the protests? If you want to complain about the police's handling of the protests, you can contact each of the four forces involved this week by clicking on the links below: Surrey Police - Chief Constable Gavin Stephens Complaints link: Click here Email: surreychiefconstable@surrey.pnn.police.uk Metropolitan Police - Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick Complaints Link: Click here: Email: Comm.PO@met.police.uk Kent Police - Chief Constable Alan Pughsley Complaints link: Click here Email: cc@kent.pnn.police.uk Hertfordshire Constabulary - Chief Constable Charlie Hall) Complaints link: Click here Email: Charlie.hall@herts.pnn.police.uk You can also complain directly to the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog - click here Advertisement

Then, in a remarkable twist, the group sent shared an open letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel to 'profoundly apologise' for the disruption they have caused.

The group wrote to the Home Secretary in an effort to begin an 'open dialogue' and plead with her to 'demonstrate leadership'.

In their letter Insulate Britain said: 'We wish to profoundly apologise for the disruption we have caused over past week on the M25 motorway. We cannot imagine undertaking such acts in normal circumstances. But, like you and other Conservatives, we believe that the reality of our situation has to be faced.'

The group went on to say: 'We will lose our incomes, pensions, and savings while passing a hellish legacy onto our children. Around the world thousands of millions of people will lose their lives through slaughter and starvation as society collapses.

'We plead with you to demonstrate leadership. Ask the Prime Minister to make the statement the country wants to hear - that the Government will live up to its responsibilities to protect us.

'That it will take the lead needed to insulate and retrofit our homes.

'That it will now take the decisive action required to enable us, as a country, to get on with the job. So hard working families can both feed their children and keep their homes warm and our country is protected and defended.

'At this time of national crisis, we have to come together. We deeply appreciate the difficult position you find yourself in at this time. But we hope you will find it within yourself to come and meet with us in open dialogue, not so that we can agree but more that we can understand our differences.

'As soon as we have a meaningful statement we can all trust, we will immediately call off the campaign. That is all we ask.

'We apologise again for the disruption and hope to hear your response.'

It comes as Boris Johnson said the group, who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero, were doing 'no favours to their cause' after their fourth M25 protest in seven days.

Asked if he thought Insulate Britain's tactics of promoting climate change awareness by blocking motorways were effective or counter productive, the Prime Minister said: 'I don't think these people do any favours to their cause.

'I think that what they do is detract from a very important moral mission that is widely shared by the people of this country.'

Quizzed if the police are doing enough to deal with the demonstrators, he added: 'We are taking powers to be able to move protestors when they are threatening critical national infrastructure, when they are threatening to do serious economic damage and I think that is entirely right'.

Meanwhile, Ms Patel last night faced mounting pressure to deal with the eco-zealots - with one Tory MP urging her to tell police chiefs in the Met area to 'step up or stand down'.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, urged the Home Secretary to order police chiefs get tough on protesters.

He told MailOnline: 'I think what Priti Patel needs to do is get Cressida Dick and all the other chief constables in the Met area face-to-face around a table, sit there and read them the riot act.

'She needs to put that feisty determination that she has to good work and tell them 'step up and if you can't then step down'.'

Asked how police should handle the protesters, she said: 'Arrest them, take them away, charge them. The police need to do their job, which is to uphold law and order.'

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said police 'already had the powers' to deal with the protesters.

He told MailOnline: 'They (Insulate Britain) are a bunch of anarchists that are putting people's lives and livelihoods at risk and they appear to be committing offences with impunity of prosecution.

'Police have the powers to place conditions of their release that they don't reoffend and they should be doing this, because they they will be breaching bail conditions and that will be a much more serious offence.

He added: 'Police already have the powers they need to deal with them, but they are not using them.'

Police arrested 29 of the enviro-militants yesterday but two remained blocking the sliproad after gluing their hands to the Tarmac, as officers were forced to hold back another driver who tried to take the law into his own hands while yelling at the IB protesters: 'You lot are a bunch of f***ing p***ks'. The road was finally cleared around 90 minutes after the protest began.

A statement from the group said: 'Early (on Monday), Insulate Britain blocked the M25 for a fourth time. Actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain's 29 million leaky homes by 2030, and all social housing by 2025.

'People blocked slip roads and the M25 carriageway itself in a number of locations. Once again, blue paint was poured onto the road, which will require cleaning, leading to further disruption. Many of those blocking the roads today have participated in all four actions to date.'

Meanwhile, an Insulate Britain spokesperson confirmed the 12 people were arrested as they tried to obstruct the Dartford River Crossing.

Eco-zealots who brought the M25 to a halt at Junction 9 on Friday

Climate activist and retired doctor Bing Jones was caught on camera on both Monday (left) and Wednesday (right) after he was arrested by police for blockading J23 of the M25

Ms Patel had ordered police to take 'decisive action' against the 'selfish' eco-protesters and described the 'guerrilla tactics' of Insulate Britain as 'completely unacceptable'.

But critics have demanded to know what she will do to stamp out the problem, and halt the embarrassing cycle of protests, after the eco-warriors completely ignored her.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has been accused of 'losing control' of protests again and urged to resign just days after she was granted a two-year extension at Scotland Yard despite her critics including the parents of Stephen Lawrence and Jean Charles de Menezes saying she 'should have been fired long ago'.

One Government source told MailOnline the way it had been handled by the police this week was 'mental'.

As officers were shown being soft touch and drivers tried to clear the roads themselves, a Metropolitan Police officer was even filmed helping protesters to walk in front of cars and take their places at junction 25 on the M25 where they calmly sat down and blocked the road on Wednesday.

The Met defended the officer, saying it was for safety reasons, was a 'dynamic' decision and did not facilitate the protest.

Insulate Britain said its 'actions will continue until the Government makes a meaningful commitment to insulate all of Britain's 29 million leaky homes by 2030, which are among the oldest and most energy inefficient in Europe'.
Three British men have been arrested in the Costa del Sol after they allegedly kidnapped a couple for two days over a drugs debt.

The trio, believed to be known to UK police who had categorised them as 'very dangerous', were holding the pair against their will at their home in the holiday resort of Marbella when officers stormed the property.

The alarm was raised by a friend of the couple after one of them sent a WhatsApp message asking for help when one of his abductors fell asleep.

The trio were holding the pair against their will at their home in the holiday resort of Marbella (pictured)

Local reports said the alleged kidnappers tried to escape via a terrace but were intercepted and arrested.

Police found a loaded pistol hidden in an air conditioning unit during a search of the property.

Two of the three Brits are said to have been on the run, although it was not immediately clear if they were wanted by police in Spain or the UK.

None of the suspects, who are expected to be remanded in custody after a court appearance, have been named.

The victims' kidnap ordeal began on September 7 and was ended by police two days later.

It is understood to be linked to a drugs debt the male victim had with the criminal gang his alleged kidnappers belonged to or worked for.

The unnamed couple were abducted after going to a restaurant to meet up with a friend who never showed, but asked them to pick up two people who turned out to be part of the kidnap gang.

The alarm was raised by a friend of the couple after one of them sent a WhatsApp message asking for help when one of his abductors fell asleep (file image)

One of the two Britons is said to have produced a firearm and tied up the victims before taking them to waste ground where they spent several hours.

They were taken to their own home and held against their will there after picking up the third member of the alleged kidnap gang.

Respected Malaga-based newspaper Sur said the three Brits were known as 'violent' drug traffickers and were considered to be 'very dangerous' by UK police.

It was not immediately clear today if they have already appeared in court and been remanded in custody as expected.

The nationalities of their two alleged victims has not been revealed and there has not yet been any official comment from National Police in Malaga.
An extra 10,000 people are likely to die of cancer because of the Covid pandemic, a study has suggested.

University College London researchers said a drop in emergency referrals from GPs last year across the UK resulted in around 40,000 late diagnoses of the disease.

These delays and longer waits for NHS treatment  fuelled by the pandemic  mean thousands will die 'significantly earlier' from the disease than would have been the case pre-pandemic.

The study of more than 2,000 adults found nearly two thirds of people worried about bothering family doctors with 'minor health problems' because of Covid.

And during the first lockdown last year, the NHS moved GP appointments to online and telephone to limit face-to-face consultations. No10's 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives' messaging put people off coming forward, meaning their symptoms were never investigated.

It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday piled pressure on GPs to offer more face-to-face consultations amid concerns too many patients are struggling to see a doctor in-person.

Just 57 per cent of GP appointments are now in person compared with 80 per cent before the pandemic.

A senior coroner in Manchester earlier this month concluded a lack of face-to-face care contributed to at least five deaths in the area during the pandemic.

Downing Street said last night: 'The public rightly may choose to want to see their GP face to face  and GP practices should be making that facility available to their patients.'

Charities and politicians are urging the Prime Minister to act amid fears that cancers and other serious health conditions are being missed in remote consultations.

Graph shows: The number of people waiting to see a cancer doctor in the UK jumped from just over 5,000 at the start of the pandemic to nearly 30,000 in June this year

Twenty-three million appointments, whether face-to-face or otherwise, were also 'lost' during the pandemic.

Out of the 2,000 people polled by UCL, those above 65  the group who require the most healthcare  were the least likely to want to see their doctor remotely.

British adults want blood tests which screen for cancer, study finds A new survey has found that three in four British adults want blood tests for cancer screening amid a rise in concerns around the disease. The report released by University College London (UCL) states that 40 per cent of respondents said their lives had been changed because people important to them were harmed by cancer. The survey, undertaken in May 2021 of 2,096 UK adults, found that 75 per cent said when single blood tests for multiple forms of cancer become available, they will want to be regularly tested. The 25 per cent that were unsure about accepting cancer testing were also vaccine hesitant, and tended to be relatively young and ethnic minorities. Report co-author Professor David Taylor, UCL School of Pharmacy, said: 'Since early 2020 most people have been primarily focused on the threat of Covid, but as the pandemic becomes better controlled by vaccines, medicines and other public health measures, cancer is re-emerging as the UK public's top health priority. 'The immediate challenge is to reduce NHS waiting lists, yet to retain British public confidence up to the next general election, policy makers will also need to restore progress in cancer research, prevention and medical and social care improvement, despite the economic impacts of Brexit and Covid.' Advertisement

Some 56 per cent in that age group opposed having more telephone and online consultations, while 24 per cent were in favour of them.

And only 46 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 wanted more remote appointments, with more than a quarter (28 per cent) against them.

Professor David Taylor, a pharmaceutical scientist at UCL and co-author the report, said the trend of increasing online consultations has resulted in delays to diagnoses.

He told The Daily Telegraph: 'The immediate effect of the pandemic was to delay early diagnosis.

'Even before the pandemic, Britain's performance was not up there with the best of the world.

'There is some evidence to suggest every month treatment is delayed can increase the risk of early death by seven percent.

'Some of it is about patients not presenting, worrying about being a burden on their GP, some of it is about access problems.'

When asked about the NHS, respondents were generally positive as over one third said if they or members of their family develop cancer, the NHS care available would be world-class, and 40 per cent agreed NHS care would be as good as anywhere else.

Only five per cent of the total participants felt their NHS cancer treatment would be poor.

The survey was done by the research consultancy Yonder on behalf of UCL academics.

Co-author and cancer clinician Professor Mark Emberton said: 'I strongly support the efforts being made to re-awaken public awareness of the value of early cancer diagnosis and to encourage people to report unusual symptoms to their doctors, even if they seem minor.

'But there is only so much this can achieve without more investment in better diagnostic services and optimal access to effective new treatments for all stages of cancer.

'Our research should remind politicians that the UK public wants the NHS to be a global leader in cancer care.'

Doctors say telephone and video appointments allow them to get through more patients.

Boris Johnson (pictured at a meeting with Amazon Executive chairman Jeff Bezos in New York yesterday) piled pressure on GPs to offer more in-person consultations on Sunday night

But critics believe the pendulum has swung too far and that doctors are more likely to miss the signs of a more serious illness if they dont see someone in the flesh.

Boris Johnson's spokesman said: The NHS has been clear to every GP practice that they must provide face-to-face appointments, and we fully support that.

GPs throughout the pandemic have worked hard to see patients and appointment numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

'Its right that the public expect to be able to see their GP in person, if needed.

There have been calls to change the way GP practices are funded to incentivise doctors to see patients face to face.

The pressure group Silver Voices is campaigning for a statutory duty to be placed on them to hold in-person surgeries if patients want them.

Caroline Abrahams of the charity Age UK said older people were struggling with telephone triage.
Liz Truss has urged her US counterpart to 'make progress on delivering justice' for the family of Harry Dunn as they met for face-to-face talks.

The Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as she attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mr Dunn, 19, was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019.

His family has spent two years campaigning for 43-year-old suspect Anne Sacoolas, a US citizen, to face the UK justice system after diplomatic immunity was asserted on her behalf shortly after the collision.

Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said she was 'grateful' for the case being raised.

'It means the world to us to see that Harry remains at the top of the agenda,' she said.

Liz Truss has urged her US counterpart to 'make progress on delivering justice' for the family of Harry Dunn as they met for face-to-face talks

Mr Dunn, 19, was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019

'I can only imagine how busy the new Foreign Secretary is and Harry would be so proud that he is at the forefront of her mind in her first week in office.

'We continue to suffer, and miss Harry every single day.

'We feel we are just existing at the moment and I would just ask the officials in both London and Washington to do all they can to help my family get justice for Harry as soon as possible please.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'The Foreign Secretary also raised the case of Harry Dunn and the need to make progress on delivering justice for Harry's family.'

The trip to the UN General Assembly is Ms Truss's first overseas visit since she was elevated to the role of Foreign Secretary at Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle last week.

Mr Blinken had visited the UK back in May of this year when he held talks with Ms Truss's predecessor, Dominic Raab.

Ms Truss and Mr Blinken met last night and 'discussed the close partnership between the UK and the USA and their shared ambitions to build a stronger economic and security alliance between the two countries'.

The spokesman said: 'As two leading free enterprise democracies they recognised the shared common ground between the UK and USA on a wide range of areas including the Indo-Pacific and regional security there and the need to build back better from the Covid pandemic.

'They discussed how they could use the Build Back Better World initiative to provide developing countries with reliable investment to meet their infrastructure needs in a sustainable way.'

The pair also 'welcomed the recently agreed AUKUS partnership on security in the Indo-Pacific region'.

The Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as she attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York

The defence pact between the US, the UK and Australia will see the latter secure its first ever fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

But the deal has sparked a furious diplomatic row with France because Canberra has backed out of a deal with Paris to buy a fleet of diesel-electric submarines.

Ms Truss and Mr Blinken also discussed the US decision to allow fully-vaccinated British travellers to visit the country from November and 'discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan'.

They also agreed that Iran must grant the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained British and American nationals.
A shop worker has been murdered in Germany after refusing to sell beer to a maskless customer.

The 20-year-old petrol station clerk was shot dead by the 49-year-old who returned home to pick up a gun after the dispute on Saturday evening, police said.

The suspect first entered the shop in Trier in western Germany at around 7.45pm without a mask and tried to buy a six-pack of beer.

A shop worker has been murdered in Germany after refusing to sell beer to a maskless customer (pictured)

The 20-year-old petrol station clerk (pictured) was shot dead by the 49-year-old who returned home to pick up a gun after the dispute on Saturday evening, police said

The worker told him to comply with the petrol station's rules and would not serve him without wearing a protective face covering.

The customer, who 'rejected measures against Covid', started an argument with the worker before leaving the shop empty-handed.

Around an hour later, he returned wearing a mask and carrying a concealed revolver.

He then approached the counter, pulled down the mask and gunned down the student employee.

Senior public prosecutor Kai Fuhrmann said the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head and the suspect fled on foot.

A manhunt was launched before the gunman handed himself into police the following day.

The 49-year-old was then arrested on suspicion of murder after he told officers he 'acted out of anger'.

The worker told him to comply with the petrol station's rules and would not serve him without wearing a protective face covering. Pictured: people pay their tributes outside the shop

'He further stated during interrogation that he rejected the measures against coronavirus,' police said in a statement.

They added that the pandemic had greatly stressed him and he 'saw no other way out' than to make an example of the shop worker.

Fuhrmann said the gunman held the victim 'responsible for the overall situation, because he enforced the rules', DW reported.

During a search of his apartment, police found the murder weapon along with other firearms and ammunition.

The killing in the western town of Idar-Oberstein is believed to be the first in Germany linked to the government's Covid rules.

A requirement to wear masks is among the measures in place in Germany to stop the spread of the virus.

Idar-Oberstein mayor Frank Fruehauf called it 'an unfathomable, terrible act', and residents have laid flowers and candles outside the petrol station.

Police are pictured securing the gas station after the murder on Saturday night

The murder comes just days before Germans head to the polls for a general election on September 26 that will see Chancellor Angela Merkel bow out of politics after 16 years.

Katrin Goering-Eckardt, the parliamentary leader of the Green party, tweeted that she was 'deeply shaken' by the killing, which she said was 'the cruel result of hatred'.

Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner from Merkel's centre-right CDU party, who hails from the region, said the murder was 'shocking'.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper said far-right chat groups on Telegram were applauding the murder, with one user writing 'Here we go!!!' while others posted thumbs-up emojis.

Germany has seen repeated protests from anti-mask demonstrators throughout the pandemic, some of them attracting tens of thousands of people.

The Querdenker (Lateral Thinkers) movement has emerged as the loudest voice against the government's coronavirus curbs and regulations. Its marches have drawn a wide mix of people, including vaccine sceptics, neo-Nazis and members of Germany's far-right AfD party.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the 'hatred and incitement' of Querdenker 'divides our community and kills people'. 'They have no place in our society,' he wrote on Twitter.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency announced in April that it would start monitoring leading Querdenker figures over concerns they were trying to undermine the state and had ties to right-wing extremism.

Stephan Kramer, head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, told Germany's RND media group he was saddened but not surprised by the killing.

'The escalation of right-wing conspiracy fantasies among aggressive and violence-prone citizens has been obvious for months,' he said.

'The growing aggressiveness is palpable in everyday life.'
Advertisement

Rows upon rows of tanks, the last Soviet-made locomotive and a one-of-a-kind invention are among the rusting objects captured in eerie images of abandoned military equipment from around the world.

At first glance, these boats, tanks and aeroplanes appear to be lined up and ready for action, but in reality they have been left to rot.

Photographer and history fanatic, Dmitry Osadchy, from St Petersburg, has trekked through swamps, forests and deserts in more than 50 countries to reach closely guarded facilities the public never usually sees.

The 38-year-old uses a drone to capture his aerial images and has travelled the world tracking down abandoned military aircraft and vehicles from his native Russia to the UAE since buying his first drone five years ago.

This Lun-class ekranoplan, dubbed the 'Caspian Sea Monster', was discovered by the USA during the Cold War and dragged onto the beach in Derbent, Russia, in July 2020. The colossal piece of machinery is 301-feet long, with a wingspan of 123 feet, and weighs an estimated 380,000kg

Eerie images show rows upon rows of decommissioned T-80 tanks gradually being reclaimed by nature at an armored repair plant in the Leningrad oblast. These entered service in 1979 as the main battle tank designed and manufactured by the Soviet Union. The model is still used today and has been exported to countries including the UK, Pakistan and South Korea

The Lockheed Tristar L-1011, wide-body passenger trijet airliner Osadchy describes as 'possibly the coolest abandoned aircraft I have ever seen'. This abandoned example can be found in the vast Rub al-Khali desert in the UAE and is part of the collection of the Emirates National Auto Museum

'I started to shoot mostly ships, then sunken ships. Then I realised that I was interested in shooting abandoned equipment,' he said.

'Almost all of the equipment is not very accessible. You have to go to distant lands and then often walk through forests, swamps or deserts - even then it's still pretty far for the drone to fly,' Osadchy explained, adding that the facilities 'are also usually closed or closely guarded'.

Among rows and rows of tanks and abandoned planes, Osadchy has photographed what he called 'the last and most beautiful Soviet locomotive' - the P36, which was nicknamed 'General'.

A Beriev Be-6 amphibious aircraft is pictured in Russia's Murmansk region. The planes operated from 1949 until the late 1960s in Russia and China. Primarily for maritime reconnaissance and patrol, the aircraft were also involved in torpedo/bombing strikes, mine-laying, and transport operations

Decommissioned helicopters and planes are seen parked haphazardly and left to rust on the territory of a disused military airfield at Leningrad Oblast

On the right is what Osadchy calls 'the last and most beautiful Soviet locomotive' rusting at the Lebyazhye Railway Museum and Krasnaya Gorka Fort in Leningrad Oblast. Nicknamed the 'General' because of the distinctive red strip down its side, the P36 was a Soviet passenger train, 251 of which were built between 1950 and 1956

Another interesting find was a lun-class ekranoplan, which was designed to transport troops and equipment quickly over bodies of water. Only one was ever built.

Pondering what it is that appeals to him about the rusting machinery, he said: 'I like to look at them. It's hard to explain but in this decay there is some kind of indescribable beauty that cannot be found anywhere else.

'That is why I am attracted to abandoned places. It's the spirit of history and the unknown.'

Rows of disintegrating helicopters at a 'helicopter cemetery' at an aircraft repair plant in Leningrad Oblast. Among the helicopters used by the Russian military is the Mil Mi-24, a gunship operated since 1972, which has been exported to 48 countries not including former Soviet Union territories. More than 2,648 have been built

 Slide me  A flooded Project 1388 Shelon Class Torpedo Retriever is pictured in Ugolnaya harbour in Kronstadt, Russia where it was moored for years before being cut into metal. The same boat is pictured frozen into the ice in winter. Made obsolete by improvements in technology, this torpedo retriever would have been specialised in radiological monitoring

'Dozen of helicopters, some without rotor blades, at the former training ground of the University of Civil Aviation, the Seleznyovo airfield, in Leningrad Oblast. The airfield is thought to have been built in the late 1930s but was never completed after construction was interrupted by the Russo-Finnish War (1939-1940). In the 1950s, the airfield became a flying school before eventually becoming a training ground

The Lun-class ekranoplan was an experimental ground effect vehicle which was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. It is classified as a ship by the International Maritime Organisation, but actually forms a distinct technological group. The craft was designed to hover between one and five metres above the surface of the water using the aerodynamic principle of 'ground effect'. The machine began operating in the landlocked sea between Iran and the Soviet Union in 1966, earning its nickname as the 'Caspian Sea Monster'

A Beriev Be-6 amphibious aircraft is pictured in Russia's Murmansk region. The planes operated from 1949 until the late 1960s in Russia and China. Primarily for maritime reconnaissance and patrol, the aircraft were also involved in torpedo/bombing strikes, mine-laying, and transport operations

The Lockheed Tristar L-1011 airliner is part of a museum collection belonging to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, also known as the 'Rainbow Sheikh'. Sheikh Hamad got the nickname after buying seven brand-new Mercedes 500 SEL cars and getting them painted in the colours of the rainbow. His vehicle collection, of which the former British Caledonian plane is a part, has been dubbed 'the world's craziest car collection'

The destroyer Rastoropny waits to be scrapped at the slop berth of Kronstadt Marine Plant in Russia. Work on the ship began in 1936, with it making its first voyage in 1940. It was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers, whose crews numbered 197 officers and sailors in peacetime and 236 in wartime. In 1965, the Rastoropny was sold for scrap metal

The destroyer Rastoropny warship's stern and bow guns have been dismantled, and the gun shafts are covered with boards as it waits to be scrapped, having been sold for scrap metal in 1965. As built, the Rastoropny would have mounted four 130-millimeter B-13 guns in two pairs of superfiring single mounts. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by a pair of 76.2-millimeter 34-K AA guns in single mounts and a pair of 45-millimeter 21-K AA guns as well as two 12.7-millimeter DK or DShK machine guns

Helicopters of various sizes are pictured at the overgrown Seleznyovo air field in Leningrad Oblast, where their tails cut through the trees in the surrounding forest

Decommissioned T-80 tanks on the territory of an armored repair plant in Leningrad Oblast. The T-80 was the second main battle tank in the world to be equipped with a gas turbine engine after the Swedish Strv 103, and the first to use it as a primary propulsion engine

A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter plane lies in the bushes by a semi-abandoned military base not far from St Petersburg. Entering service in 1985, the aircraft's primary role was long range air defence against American SAC B-1B and B-52G/H bombers, protecting the Soviet coast from aircraft carriers and flying long range fighter escort for Soviet heavy bombers

Decommissioned BTR-70 on the territory of an armored repair plant in Leningrad Oblast. The eight-person armoured personnel carrier was introduced into service in 1972 and widely exported. The 11.5-tonne vehicles have 9mm of armour on the front and 7mm on the sides

An Antonov An-8 military transport aircraft, the site of which 'has become a place of pilgrimage for all drone pilots in [the] St Petersburg and Leningrad Region,' Osadchy wrote. The Soviet-designed twin-turboprop, high-wing light military transport aircraft was retired in 2004. The model made its first flight in 1956
This is the dramatic moment that a woman who speaks perfect English but cannot remember her own name was rescued from a rocky stretch of coast in Croatia.

The woman, who is believed to be in her 60s, was found by a fisherman on rocks on the island of Krk on September 12 around 9am.

A team of 12 rescuers were dispatched to the remote location near Rudine beach, and had to used 4x4s and hike two miles to reach her.

Bloodied and bruised, she was so weak she had to be carried on a stretcher more than two miles back to a waiting ambulance.

This is the moment a team of rescuers reached a woman on a remote part of the Croatian island of Krk - only to find that she cannot remember her own name or how she got there

Rescuers were called by fishermen who heard the woman calling for help around 9am on September 12 - having spotted her the previous evening without realising she was stuck

A passing fisherman who spotted the woman told MailOnline: 'She was yelling in English 'please, help'.

'The area was hard to approach and we were in the boat. So we called the rescue service.

He said his wife had spoken to her and he could 'only guess that the accent could be Scottish'.

He said he saw her on rocks at the same spot the night before, but she was not calling for help.

It was only the following day that they realised she was in trouble and called rescue teams.

The woman is said to be in her 60s and speak perfect English with a slight Scottish accent, but cannot remember her own name

Authorities in Croatia say no one has come forward to identify her, despite widespread appeals.

A police spokesman said she can communicate in English but does not remember her name or where she is from.

'Various methods have been tried to establish her identity but so far none have proved successful,' said a police spokesman.

The woman, who is about 5ft 4in and has blonde hair, is recovering in hospital in the port city of Rijeka.

A lifeboat crew had attempted to reach the woman but due to the shallow water were unable to get close enough.

A team of 12 volunteers from the Rijeka Mountain Rescue were then called out.

Due to the rough terrain they had to leave their vehicles two miles from the shoreline and walk to where the woman was last spotted.

After receiving first aid for minor injuries, including cuts to her face, she was carried back to a waiting ambulance and taken to hospital.

A member of the rescue team said she had no passport or any other identification and was not wearing the correct clothing to have been hiking in the area.

'The woman had minor injuries, she also had a few scratches and was extremely dehydrated and emaciated. She could barely take a few sips of water,' said a member of the rescue team,

The woman was found with cuts and bruises and was so weak that she was unable to walk or take more than a few sips of water, so had to be carried to safety

Police revealed the bizarre case at the weekend in the hopes that someone would come forward to identify the woman, but so-far have not been contacted

'We placed her on a stretcher because she was unable to walk and transported her to the hospital.'

Photos of the rescue were posted to the Facebook site of the HCJS Rijeka mountain rescue.

Locals who know the area are puzzled as to how the woman came to be marooned on the jagged rocks.

One who lives nearby told news site 24Sata: 'It's weird that she was looking in the area at all. It is an extremely inaccessible part of the bay with terribly sharp rocks  literally razors that cut the rubber on your shoes.

'There is no life or animals except maybe wild boars or bears which know how to swim to here in search of food, but this is a rarity because there is no food, nothing.

'A woman that age certainly could not swim that distance, it needs exceptional strength.'

The isle of Krk covers 157 square miles and is the largest island in the Adriatic sea.

It is home to 17,000 people and connected to the mainland by bridge.

The island is located about 30km from the city of Rijeka, and is also popular with tourists.
Advertisement

Covid was the third leading cause of death in England last month after the country lifted all restrictions, official figures showed today.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed the virus was behind 2,162 fatalities in August, the equivalent of almost 70 per day. This was more than double the number recorded in July, when it was the ninth biggest killer.

Only dementia (4,417) and heart disease (3,982) killed more people last month.

It means Covid has now reached its highest rank for monthly fatalities since March, when the brutal second wave was receding.

There were 40,460 deaths from all causes in England last month, a tenth more than the five-year average for the final month of summer. Covid was behind 5.3 per cent of the fatalities.

A separate ONS report published today found coronavirus deaths surged by almost a third over the second week of September. The virus was mentioned on 857 death certificates in the week to September 10, up from 659 in the previous seven-day spell.

But the Government agency said the surge was skewed by the August bank holiday, which saw fewer registrations in the previous week. But there was a slight uptick in reported deaths over the time frame.

It comes amid fears Britain's Covid cases may be starting to rise again, in a sign the predicted wave of infections following the return of schools and workers back to the office may be beginning to materialise.

If the upwards trend in cases is genuine, hospitalisations and deaths are likely to follow suit in the coming weeks.

Boris Johnson last week unveiled his winter plan to try to keep the virus at bay in the colder months and prevent the country from returning to another lockdown. Ministers hope booster vaccines for over-50s and jabbing over-12s will help to keep a lid on Covid and stop the NHS facing unsustainable pressure.

The above graph shows Covid's rank in terms of deaths triggered in England since July last year. It reveals that the virus surged to number one between November and February during the second wave. It is now rising again, and was the third leading cause of death in August

Covid has become the third leading cause of death in England, official figures showed today. They revealed that over August there were 2,162 deaths mentioning the virus. Only dementia (4,417 deaths) and heart disease (3,982) sparked more deaths. There were 2,150 deaths due to lung cancer

The Office for National Statistics released a separate report today showing weekly deaths due to Covid had risen by almost a third in a week. They said there were 857 deaths that mentioned the virus, but pointed out the sharp rise is likely due to the bank holiday at the start of September, which delayed reporting of figures

The mortality rate due to Covid increased between July and August. The above graph shows the Covid mortality rate for England (dark blue bar) and Wales (light blue bar)

The above graph shows the number of deaths in England due to Covid (green line) and total fatalities (dark blue line) by the date they occurred. It dips for September because it takes at least a week for a death to be formally registered, and then for statisticians to note down the date at which it occurred

The above graph shows the mortality rate in England (blue line) and Wales (dotted blue line) by year for the period January to August. It reveals that the mortality rate is lower in both countries than in 2020, but it is still higher than in 2019

The ONS report showed there were a further 294 deaths in August that mentioned Covid, but did not record it as the underlying cause of death.

This means that, overall, there were 2,456 death certificates that included the virus, or six per cent of the total number of fatalities.

The North West recorded the highest number of fatalities due to Covid (376) last month, followed by London (320) and Yorkshire and the Humber (300).

End of working from home 'fuelled England's third Covid wave' Whitecollar workers drove the start of England's third Covid wave, official data suggested yesterday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that case rates this summer were highest among office workers, bankers, teachers and other professions. Its report also found that white people had higher infection rates per population size in May and July than ethnic minorities for the first time in the pandemic. The figures suggest the drive to get people back to work after the winter lockdown helped fuel the spread of the ultra-transmissible Delta variant, which was first seeded in the country in late April. There were 235 confirmed cases among white people per every 100,000 person-weeks between May 23 and July 25. For comparison, the figure was as low as 98 per 100,000 in other ethnic minority communities. During the second wave, which began last September, cases were highest among Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and black adults. Advertisement

On the other hand, the South West recorded the fewest number of Covid deaths (148), followed by the East of England (167) and the North East (171).

Every region recorded more Covid deaths in August compared to the previous month.

In Wales there were 70 deaths due to Covid recorded in August, which was more than double the 33 recorded in the previous month.

Covid was also the seventh leading cause of death in nation, up from the 22nd place in the previous month.

Separate weekly data showed Covid deaths had surged by almost a third week-on-week, but the ONS said this was likely down to the bank holiday on August 30 which will have affected the number of registrations.

Around one in 13 (7.8 per cent) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to September 10 mentioned Covid on the death certificate.

Some 120 care home resident deaths involving Covid in England and Wales were registered in the week to September 10, up from 89 the previous week.

In total, 43,156 care home residents in England and Wales have had Covid recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.

The ONS figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.

It came after Britain's daily Covid cases rose significantly yesterday in the first hint of a delayed back to school surge.

The Department of Health's daily update showed there were 36,100 new infections in the past 24 hours, up 17 per cent on the figure last Monday.

There were signs that the trend of the epidemic was starting to change over the weekend as cases crept up by around 2 per cent following a week of sustained decline.

Figures from the Government's Covid dashboard for England show that case numbers fell in every age group in the past week except children between five and 14.

Experts had for weeks warned that the return of schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of the month could trigger a fresh wave of infections.

Scotland saw a meteoric rise in cases almost immediately when education resumed in the middle of August, but the rest of the country looked to have avoided a surge.

The Government's scientific advisory group has also warned that a sudden end to working from home could trigger a new spike in cases this autumn.

Meanwhile, the UK's daily Covid deaths fell by a fifth in a week with 49 more victims. Fatalities lag by a few weeks behind cases due to the time it takes for people to become seriously ill.

No new Covid hospitalisation data for the UK was released yesterday but latest NHS England numbers show that figure was down 14 per cent on September 14.
Russia has been ordered to pay 105,000 in damages to Alexander Litvinenko's widow after European judges ruled the state is responsible for his 2006 murder.

The European Court of Human Rights issued the ruling today in response to a claim brought by Marina Litvinenko, the ex-KGB agent's widow, in November last year.

'Russia was responsible for the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in the UK,' a ruling issued by six of the seven-member Strasbourg court said - with the sole Russian judge dissenting.

Litvinenko, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, died aged 43 in London after drinking green tea laced with Polonium 210 at the plush Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.

Britain has long blamed the attack on Russia, saying he was poisoned by Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. The ECHR agreed with that assessment.

Marina, speaking to Sky News after the verdict, said it is a 'great day' for those who oppose Russia's 'anti-democratic regime' and a 'very happy' day for her personally.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, was quick to dismiss the findings - calling them 'unfounded' and adding: 'We are not prepared to accept such decisions'.

Alexander Litvinenko is pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital on November 20, 2006 in London. He died three days later

Marina Litvinenko, who brought the claim to the ECHR, said the ruling sends a 'great message' that Europe is 'not weak' and is willing to stand up to Putin's regime

Lugovoy also dismissed the ruling, calling it 'absolutely politically motivated'.

Using her nickname for Litvinenko, Marina added: 'From the very beginning when Sacha was killed, the UK did not receive a lot of support from European countries.

'This decision from the Court of Human Rights it is very important to us all [for the case] to be accepted by more than just the UK.

'[But] we still have to bring the people who committed this crime to justice in UK, and when the regime changes in Russia, I'm sure this will happen.'

The court - which rules on whether states that have signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights are in breach of it - also found that Russian insufficiently investigated the killing, meaning no arrests were made on its soil.

Ms Litvinenko - who married then-FSB agent Alexander in 1994 and had a son, Anatoly, with him - had been claiming some 3million in 'punitive' damages for his death along with loss of income.

The court ruled against the majority of the claim, saying it does not award punitive damages and that other paperwork was submitted late.

But it did award 85,000 (100,000 euros) in 'non-pecuniary' damages - meaning for pain and suffering as a result of the death.

Judges also awarded 20,000 in legal costs, which was less than the 27,000 that Marina had been claiming.

As part of the ruling, the judges said Marina was not entitled to money spent on 'expensive lawyers' - which at one point had included Kier Starmer before he became Labour Party leader.

Ms Litvinenko had brought her case before the ECHR once before, in 2007, when it was suspended because a public inquiry was underway in the UK.

Alexander Litvinenko was born in 1962 in the Soviet Union - started life as a platoon commander for the Ministry of Internal Affairs before being recruited into the KGB in counter-intelligence, but later flipped to become a critic of the Kremlin and Putin.

Litvinenko, 43, (pictured in 2002 with his book in which he accused the Russia state of terror acts to bring Putin to power) died weeks after drinking green tea laced with polonium-210

Former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and another Russian, Dmitry Kovtun, carried out the killing as part of an operation probably directed by Russia's Federal Security Service

He also served for a time as Boris Berezovsky's bodyguard.

In 1998, Litvinenko fell out with FSB leadership when he backed Berezovsky who had accused senior FSB officers of ordering his assassination.

He was subsequently dismissed from the organisation, arrested, and twice appeared in court on charges of exceeding his authority - but saw both cases quashed.

Fearing for his life, Litvinenko fled to London in 2000 with second wife Marina and was granted asylum in London. He then moved to Boston, Lincolnshire, where he worked as a journalist, author and consultant for British intelligence.

During this time he wrote two books accusing the Russian state of staging apartment bombings and other terror acts to bring Putin to power. He also coined the phrase 'mafia state'.

In October 2006, he accused the Kremlin of being behind the death of journalist Anna Politkovskaya - another prominent Kremlin critic who was fatally shot in the elevator of her apartment building in Moscow.

Just a few weeks later, Litvinenko fell suddenly ill after meeting with Lugovoi and Kovtun at the Millennium Hotel to drink tea.

Three days later, Litvinenko took himself to hospital in Barnet before being transferred to University College Hospital as his condition worsened.

He died in intensive care on November 23, more than three weeks after the initial poisoning and three days after the now-infamous photo of him lying in bed without hair was released to the media.

The day after his death, friend Alex Goldfarb read a statement that Litvinenko had dictated in which he blamed Vladimir Putin directly for his killing.

Russia has always denied any involvement in Litvinenko's death, which plunged Anglo-Russian relations to a post-Cold War low.

A lengthy British inquiry concluded in 2016 that Putin probably had approved a Russian intelligence operation to murder Litvinenko.

A public inquiry in the UK found Putin 'probably' issued the order to have Litvinenko killed. While the ECHR ruling did not go as far, it did lay the blame with the Russia state

It also found that former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and another Russian, Dmitry Kovtun, carried out the killing as part of an operation probably directed by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.

Responding to a complaint brought by Litvinenko's widow Marina, the ECHR agreed. Both men have always denied involvement.

'The court found it established, beyond reasonable doubt, that the assassination had been carried out by Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun,' the ruling said.

The pair had travelled to the British capital with the aim of killing him, the court found.

'The planned and complex operation involving the procurement of a rare deadly poison, the travel arrangements for the pair, and repeated and sustained attempts to administer the poison indicated that Mr Litvinenko had been the target of the operation.'

It added that that there was also a 'strong prima facie case that, in killing Mr Litvinenko, Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun had been acting on the direction or control of the Russian authorities.'

The court concluded that the Russian state was to blame and that had the men been carrying out a 'rogue operation', Moscow would have the information to prove that theory.

'However, the government had made no serious attempt to provide such information or to counter the findings of the UK authorities,' the ruling said.

The court thus found 'that Mr Litvinenko's assassination was imputable to Russia,' it said.

Critics of the Kremlin see the Litvinenko killing as one in a line of assassination plots ordered by Russia, including the attempted poisonings of former agent Sergei Skripal in Britain in 2018 and opposition leader Alexei Navanly in Siberia in 2020. The Kremlin denies the charges.

THIRD Russian spy wanted over Salisbury poisoning as Scotland Yard accuse man in his 50s over attack on double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia

Officers identified the third Salisbury poisoning suspect as Sergey Fedotov (real name Denis Sergeev) and said he was a Russian national, aged about 50. This image is taken from his travel documents

Scotland Yard today sensationally named a third Russian spy who is facing murder charges as the suspected ringleader of the Salisbury Novichok poisonings.

Police said Sergey Fedotov, real name Denis Sergeev, faces a string of charges including trying to assassinate former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey.

The Skripals were left fighting for their lives in March 2018 when members of a Russian military intelligence hit squad are believed to have smeared deadly nerve agent Mr Skripal's door handle in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Mr Bailey was one of the officers investigating the case and also became seriously ill.

Fedotov is accused of seven charges, including three of attempted murder as well as conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia and Mr Bailey, and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

These are the same counts faced by two other suspects in the case already identified by police in 2018 - Alexander Mishkin, who used the name Alexander Petrov while in the UK, and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the alias Ruslan Boshirov.

Investigators say they now have evidence linking the three to Russian military intelligence service the GRU, and that the trio have been involved in similar operations in other countries including Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

But with no extradition treaty in place, and Moscow denying any knowledge of the incident, UK authorities are powerless to put the suspects before an English court.

The Met released an image of Fedotov leaving Heathrow at 1.45pm on Sunday March 4 - the same day as the Salisbury attack

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, who is the senior national co-ordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: 'The investigation team has been piecing together evidence that suggests that Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov have all previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia.'

They had all visited the UK before 2018, although there is no evidence that this was for reconnaissance purposes, police said.

'All three of them are dangerous individuals,' Mr Haydon said. 'They have tried to murder people here in the UK, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the UK by means unknown.

'The amount of Novichok in that perfume bottle was quite significant and if it had come into the wider circulation of the public, without a doubt it would have killed hundreds if not thousands of people.'

Investigative website Bellingcat previously said Fedotov was involved in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015, while Boshirov and Petrov are accused of being part of a squad behind an explosion at an arms depot in the Czech Republic the previous year.

Fedotov entered the UK at 11am on March 2 2018, flying from Moscow to Heathrow and arriving about four hours before Petrov and Boshirov landed at Gatwick.

The three met a number of times in the coming days, both out in the open and at indoor venues, but Fedotov did not leave the capital.

Fedotov - who police are now hunting - is said to have met the other two men on more than one occasion in in the 'open air' in central London before the attack.

Unlike the other two, no traces of the nerve agent were found at his hotel and he did not travel to Salisbury, leading to speculation that he could have been the unit's commander.

He returned to Moscow on a flight from Heathrow on Sunday March 4 at 1.45pm. Petrov and Boshirov flew back from the same airport at 10.30pm that night.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the US decision to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban today as he prepared to meet President Joe Biden for talks at the White House.

Johnson admitted on that intelligence reports warned Afghanistan's capital could 'collapse very fast' to the Taliban amid a withdrawal of western forces, despite Biden stating shortly after the insurgent group's takeover that it caught the intelligence community by surprise.

Speaking to NBC in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly, Johnson appeared hesitant to criticize his host country despite host Savannah Guthrie calling the withdrawal a 'botched' effort.

'There was a spectrum of advice, a spectrum of convictions from the intelligence people, amongst which was the possibility that Kabul would collapse very fast and that the Taliban would take over very fast,' Johnson said.

He quickly added, 'Of course, you're going to look back on it with mixed feelings, but I'll say this, Savannah - all the things we did in Afghanistan, 3.6 million women and girls were educated, who would otherwise have not been educated.'

'But what about those women and girls now?' Guthrie pressed.

'Sure, I agree, it's a terrible thing now to listen to some of the threats that we're hearing to their potential, their freedom, their opportunities,' Johnson answered.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended President Biden's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal in an interview that aired on NBC Tuesday

My admiration for American democracy is undimmed.



Watch @SavannahGuthries full interview with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the U.N. General Assembly on Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and more. pic.twitter.com/mu5YKjDgJz  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2021

Biden dismissed reports in August that he was warned about how quickly Kabul would fall to the insurgent group.

But speaking before Congress last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted he received a cable in mid-July warning of a potentially swift takeover - but repeated several times that the Taliban's lightning fast advance and collapse of the Afghan military caught the government off guard.

Biden's claim the intelligence community had no idea how quickly Afghanistan would fall was further undercut by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward.

Both Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tried to warn the president to slow down the Afghanistan withdrawal, but a stubborn Biden insisted on pressing forward, according to Woodward.

'Biden was insisting that we've got to get out now,' Woodward, author of the new tell-all 'Peril, said on MSNBC Tuesday morning.

'It turns out March of this year, Biden's top cabinet officers Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State and Lloyd Austin, the Defense Secretary, proposed formally in all of these discussions to slow down the process,' Woodward continued.

Biden denied in August that the intelligence community had any idea how quickly Kabul would fall

'Austin, particularly says, 'gate the withdrawal. A few here, a few now, don't do it in one sweep,' and you now look back at that, and that probably was good advice that was not taken.'

During the chaos of the Taliban takeover Johnson reportedly called Biden and had to wait 36 hours before getting a call back.

But the prime minister dismissed those reports and defended Biden.

'I don't discuss my calls with other leaders but to the best of my recollection we talked very frankly about this whole thing,' Johnson said.

Johnson also lauded United States' 'amazing operation' in Kabul and said the United Kingdom 'owes a big debt to the US military' for their actions at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

His glowing review of Biden's command over the Afghanistan crisis is in stark contrast with his predecessors' comments during the withdrawal.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair slammed the military evacuation as a 'political decision, writing on his own institute's website that 'The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their interests and not in ours.'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted in a hearing last week that he received a mid-July cable warning Kabul could swiftly collapse to the Taliban

Theresa May, who led the country before Johnson and still sits in Parliament as a member of his own party, said it was 'incomprehensible and worrying' that Johnson could not work with other leaders to 'sustain' Afghanistan's government.

During the NBC interview Guthrie repeatedly pressed Johnson on whether he shared any frustration with Brits and Americans criticizing Biden.

'Do you think the president was too stubborn about this total withdrawal by a certain date from Afghanistan?'

Johnson avoided giving a direct answer.

'America has been there for 20 years, and it's a respectable argument to say enough is enough,' he said.

He also didn't say whether he personally agreed.

'Look, could we have done it a bit differently, maybe we could,' Johnson offered.

Taliban fighters on patrol in vehicles seized from the surrendering Afghan Army

Biden used his first address before the UN General Assembly to reassure other nations of American leadership on the global stage and call on allies to move quickly and cooperatively to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses.

Biden, who arrived in New York last night to meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of today's address, offered a full-throated endorsement of the body's relevance and ambition at a difficult moment in history.

The president, in brief remarks at the start of his meeting with Guterres, returned to his mantra that 'America is back' - a phrase that's become presidential shorthand meant to encapsulate his promise to take a dramatically different tack with allies than predecessor Donald Trump.

But the president was facing a healthy measure of skepticism from allies during his week of high-level diplomacy.

The opening months of his presidency have included a series of difficult moments with friendly nations that were expecting greater cooperation from Biden following four years of Trump's 'America first' approach to foreign policy.

Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the chaotic ending to the US war in Afghanistan.

President Biden's administration has faced widespread criticism for its rapid pull-out from Afghanistan, which left the country in the hands of one of a brutal theocratic regime (Kandahar pictured today)

Johnson has met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in New York

He has faced differences over how to go about sharing coronavirus vaccines with the developing world and over pandemic travel restrictions. And there are questions about the best way to respond to military and economic moves by China.

Biden also finds himself in the midst of a fresh diplomatic spat with France, the United States' oldest ally, after announcing plans - along with Britain - to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

The move is expected to give Australia improved capabilities to patrol the Pacific amid growing concern about the Chinese military's increasingly aggressive tactics, but it upended a French defense contract worth at least $66 billion to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

Boris Johnson has met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in New York.

The Prime Minister said 'thanks for all your help with everything on Afghanistan', referring to the evacuation flights leaving Kabul airport and landing in Qatar.

Mr Johnson said he was looking forward to welcoming the emir to Glasgow for Cop26 and compared securing finance towards the 100 billion dollar (730 million) a year fund to tackle climate change to a rugby game.

'We need to now start moving like in rugby, start binding everyone together for the final scrum,' the PM said.
Advertisement

Nine men found guilty of spying in Yemen have been put to death in a brutal public execution in which they were dragged into a square, forced to lie on their fronts and shot in the back.

They were convicted in a 'sham trial' for their alleged involvement in the killing of a senior Houthi official in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition more than three years ago.

Hundreds of people, mostly Houthis and their supporters, attended Saturday's execution in Tahrir Square in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa and danced in the streets after the deaths.

An executioner stands over a man convicted of being involved in the killing of senior Houthi official Saleh al-Samad

Policemen stand around bags containing the bodies of the nine men who were publicly executed on Saturday

They were convicted in a 'sham trial' for their alleged involvement in the killing of a senior Houthi official in an airstrike

The nine defendants line up before the brutal execution in front of hundreds of Houthi supporters

Yemeni soldiers shout slogans and cheer as the executions are carried out in front of a huge crowd of Houthi supporters

The killings, carried out by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, have sparked international outrage with the EU branding them 'cruel and inhumane'.

The nine were among more than 60 people the Houthis accused of involvement in the targeted killing of Saleh al-Samad in April 2018.

They were charged with spying for the Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging war against the rebels for years in an effort to bring back Yemen's internationally recognised government to power.

Al-Samad, who held the post of president in the administration which runs most of northern Yemen, was killed by a coalition air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast.

A Houthi court found the nine men, including one who was a minor when he was arrested, guilty of spying and sharing sensitive information.

Pro-Houthi soldiers patrol the streets following the executions which have sparked international outrage

An executioner gestures before he shoots a man convicted of involvement in the killing of Saleh al-Samad

The nine were among more than 60 people the Houthis accused of involvement in the targeted killing of Saleh al-Samad (pictured) in April 2018

They were charged with spying for the Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging war against the rebels for years

Yemenis celebrate following the execution of nine men at a public square in the Yemeni capital Sanaa

Pictures and videos of the executions have been widely shared on social media, which showed military officers shooting the nine men in the back in Sanaa's central public square.

The nine were arrested months after al-Samad's killing and were held for months in undisclosed places where they suffered inhumane treatment, according to Abdel-Majeed Sabra, a Yemeni lawyer representing one of the people executed.

In a statement condemning the executions, an EU spokesperson said there had also been reports of irregularities in the judicial process and allegations of mistreatment.

'The European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances. It is a cruel and inhumane punishment...,' said the statement.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a similar statement in which he also called for a moratorium on use of the death penalty in Yemen and for a peaceful negotiated settlement of the conflict there.

A Houthi court found the nine men, including one who was a minor when he was arrested, guilty of spying and sharing sensitive information

The nine were arrested months after al-Samad's killing and were held for months in undisclosed places

The nine were among more than 60 people the Houthis accused of involvement in the targeted killing of Saleh al-Samad in April 2018. Pictured: policemen carry a defendant's body away

Security forces loyal to Yemen's Huthi rebels stand guard during Saturday's public execution

The US embassy in Yemen condemned what it called 'a sham trial following years of torture and abuse' by the Houthis.

Britain said the executions demonstrated 'indifference to human dignity & blatant disregard for fair trial & due process'.

The Houthis' foreign ministry dismissed the criticism as 'interference in domestic affairs' and accused the United Nations and the West of turning a blind eye to the 'coalition's crimes'.

Samad was the most senior official to be killed by the coalition in the years-long war in which the Houthis are fighting forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government based in the southern port city of Aden.

The US embassy in Yemen condemned what it called 'a sham trial following years of torture and abuse' by the Houthis

Britain said the executions demonstrated 'indifference to human dignity & blatant disregard for fair trial & due process

Houthi military commander Abdullah al-Hakim (centre) attends the execution to the delight of his supporters

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis swept across much of the north and seized Sanaa

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis swept across much of the north and seized Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government into exile.

The Saudi-led coalition entered the war the following year on the side of the government.

The stalemated conflict has killed more than 130,000 people and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
A former Arkansas lawyer says he's going to sue a Texas doctor who performed an abortion in defiance of Texas' new laws against the procedure in an attempt to either prove or disprove their legal viability.

Oscar Stilley, a man who says he has been 'disbarred and disgraced' from practicing law, is suing Dr. Allan Braid in one of the first lawsuits tied to SB 8, which prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into a pregnancy.

Stilley's interest in the new law in part comes from the incentive provided, as it is enforceable by private citizens, who are able to take medical providers or anyone else who aides in an abortion to try and claim a bounty of up to $10,000.

'That's a fine payday,' said Stilley.

Stilley (right) said he decided to sue Braid (left) after reading a news report about Braid's remarks. He added in an interview that he is not personally opposed to abortion but thinks the measure should be subject to judicial review

However, Stilley also believes that the law is 'blatantly unconstitutional' and deserves to be tested, because he believes it's meant to hurt doctors.

'I know what the proponents of this law are doing,' he explained. 'They're trying to inject uncertainty so that the doctors are going to say, 'Oh, my goodness, this could bankrupt me.''

Stilley, who in his complaint says he's on home confinement from prison while serving a 15-year sentence for tax evasion and conspiracy, wants to see how the law is applied in court.

'I want a judgment on it. I'd like to get this establishedis this a valid enactment or is this garbage that needs to be thrown out?'

Stilley is the second lawyer to launch legal action, Felipe N. Gomez of Chicago, asked a court in San Antonio in his lawsuit to declare the new law unconstitutional

Stilley, who has spent the last decade in prisons across the south, describes himself as libertarian leaning and generally in favor of abortion.

He believes 'any woman or any couple who has a defective fetus, and has the good sense and judgment to abort it, deserves our praise and our support.' He added, 'I support the jurisprudence that [the country has] on abortion right now.'

Stilley attempted to contact Braid's office in San Antonio Monday but was not given the time of day.

'I think they thought I was a bad guy,' he said, chuckling. 'But I just want to him to knowI respect the man. Any man who will stand on his hind legs, knowing good and well that the whole purpose of the thing is to bankrupt any doctor who tries it, and does what he thinks is the right thing to do, I have a high degree of respect for him.'

He doesn't believe he'll win if the case goes to trial, but he wants to target lawmakers who enacted the legislation in the first place.

The new law has drawn fervent protests from pro-abortion activists

'I see what you guys are doing,' he said. 'Oscar's laying in wait for you. I'm coming.'

And if he wins, well, Stilley -- who currently makes $13.75 an hour according to The Daily Beast -- says he might as well profit.

'Oscar is going to be the fastest gun in the West. He's going to be there first. If there's money to be had, it's going to go in Oscar's pocket. Might as well go there as anywhere, if it's just a free-for-all. This is the Wild, Wild West.'

Dr Alan Braid admitted in a weekend Washington Post opinion column that he had carried out the procedure, becoming the first Texas abortion provider to publicly reveal he violated the law that took effect on September 1st.

The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks and before some women even know they are pregnant.

Prosecutors cannot take criminal action against Braid, because the law explicitly forbids that.

Texas lawmakers enacted SB 8 in a special legislative session that also including controversial voting laws

The only way the ban can be enforced is through lawsuits brought by private citizens, who don't have to be from Texas and who are entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages if successful.

Stilley and another former attorney in Illinois filed separate state lawsuits Monday against the doctor.

They both came in ahead of the state's largest anti-abortion group, which had said it had attorneys ready to bring lawsuits.

Neither ex-lawyer who filed suit said they were anti-abortion. But both said courts should weigh in.

Stilley, of Cedarville, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, told The Associated Press: 'I don't want doctors out there nervous and sitting there and quaking in their boots and saying, 'I can't do this because if this thing works out, then I'm going to be bankrupt'.'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) has defended the state's abortion law by saying he's working to 'eliminate all rapists.'

The second lawyer to launch legal action, Felipe N. Gomez of Chicago, asked a court in San Antonio in his lawsuit to declare the new law unconstitutional.

In his view, the law is a form of government overreach. He said his lawsuit is a way to hold the Republicans who run Texas accountable, adding that their lax response to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic conflicts with their crack down on abortion rights.

'If Republicans are going to say nobody can tell you to get a shot they shouldn't tell women what to do with their bodies either,' Gomez said. 'I think they should be consistent.'

Gomez said he wasn't aware he could claim up to $10,000 in damages if he won his lawsuit. If he received money, Gomez said he would likely donate it to an abortion rights group or to the patients of the doctor he sued.

A woman carries a sign calling for access to abortion (pictured) at a rally at the Texas State Capitol on September 11, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Texas Lawmakers recently passed legislation, including SB8, which prohibits abortions in Texas after a fetal heartbeat is detected on an ultrasound, usually between the fifth and sixth weeks of pregnancy

A woman participating in a protest with others (pictured) against the six-week abortion ban at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on September 1, 2021. The Justice Department is asking a federal court in Texas to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction against a new state law that bans most abortions in Texas

Legal experts say Braid's admission is likely to set up another test of whether the law can stand after the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect.

'Being sued puts him in a position ... that he will be able to defend the action against him by saying the law is unconstitutional,' said Carol Sanger, a law professor at Columbia University in New York City.

Braid wrote that on September 6, he provided an abortion to a woman who was still in her first trimester but beyond the state's new limit.

'I fully understood that there could be legal consequences - but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn't get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested,' Braid wrote.

Two federal lawsuits were already making their way through the courts over the law, known as Senate Bill 8. In one, filed by abortion providers and others, the Supreme Court declined to block the law from taking effect while the case makes its way through the legal system.

It's still proceeding in the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In the second case, the Justice Department is asking a federal judge to declare the law invalid, arguing it was enacted 'in open defiance of the Constitution.'

The Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the plaintiffs in the first federal lawsuit, is representing Braid.

Nancy Northup, the centers president and CEO, said they 'stand ready to defend him against the vigilante lawsuits that S.B. 8 threatens to unleash against those providing or supporting access to constitutionally protected abortion care.'

Braid could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. His clinic referred interview inquiries to the center.

Texas Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion group, criticized both lawsuits and Braid's opinion column.

'Neither of these lawsuits are valid attempts to save innocent human lives,' the group said. 'We believe Braid published his op-ed intending to attract imprudent lawsuits, but none came from the Pro-Life movement.'

Texas Right to Life launched a website to receive tips about suspected violations, though it is currently redirecting to the group's homepage. A spokeswoman for the group has noted that the website is mostly symbolic because anyone can report a violation and because abortion providers appeared to be complying with the law.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

A woman protesting is seen carrying a sign criticizing Texas Governor Greg Abbott at a rally at the Texas State Capitol on September 11, 2021 in Austin, Texas

Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if a lawsuit against Braid reaches the Texas Supreme Court, that court could decide whether the Legislature exceeded its power by allowing anyone to sue.

'The Texas Supreme Court will have the opportunity/obligation to say whether this approach - which would not be limited to abortion - is an acceptable way for the Legislature to pursue its goals,' Grossman said.

Seth Chandler, a law professor at the University of Houston, said anyone suing would 'have to persuade a Texas court that they have standing' despite not having personally suffered monetary or property damages.

'The only thing that might have happened is that they're offended by the fact that the abortion has been performed,' he said. 'But there are a lot of Supreme Court decisions saying that merely being offended is not a basis for a lawsuit, and there are Texas Supreme Court decisions saying we follow federal law on what's called standing.'

Braid said in the Post column that he started his obstetrics and gynecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, when abortion was 'effectively illegal in Texas.' That year, he saw three teens die from illegal abortions, he wrote.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade ruling, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, generally around 24 weeks.

'I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces,' Braid wrote. 'I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I can't just sit back and watch us return to 1972.'
Advertisement

Boozed-up students kick-started Freshers' Week with a raucous night out - before some ended up passed out on the pavement.

Paramedics were on hand to treat drunken students who had over-indulged as they got into the spirit of life at university in Birmingham on Monday night.

Meanwhile, students gathered in Newcastle's famous Bigg Market and along the Diamond Strip, where huge queues formed outside the most popular bars.

In Bristol, students hit the nightclubs for the first night of this year's Freshers' Week events, while in Nottingham city centre partygoers made the most of their newly-returned freedoms.

Some of the lines outside clubs were ten people deep and police had to intervene to ensure taxis were able to get through safely.

Revellers out on Broad Street in Birmingham at the start of the Freshers' Week celebrations

Huge groups of students attempt to get into bars and clubs in Newcastle city centre on Monday evening as thousdands of students return to the city

Hundreds of students hit the clubs in Bristol for the first night of their Freshers' Week

A group of students wait outside a club in Birmingham's Broad Street

For some, the night ended with them collapsed in a heap on the street - or stumbling home clutching a bottle of water.

Others were spotted urinating in public, vomiting on the pavement or being helped by ambulance crews.

Some loved-up freshers put on an amorous display in front of crowds in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the city's Broad Street party district.

But for those less fortunate, their night ended in the tears as they made their way home with aching feet and a pounding head.

A pair of loved-up freshers put on an amorous display in front of crowds

A large number of students queue to get into Bigg Market, in Newcastle

Freshers' Week, which began on Monday, is typically a busy time for the hordes of first-year students who are beginning a whole new chapter in their lives

For many, the night ended with them collapsed in a heap on the street - or stumbling home clutching a bottle of water

Paramedics were on hand to treat drunken teens who had over-indulged as they got into the spirit of life at university in Birmingham on Monday night

One student was seen with a traffic cone in his hands as he walked through Broad Street in Birmingham

Hundreds of students queued to get inside Coyote Ugly Saloon while the bars surrounding the canal basin and Brindley Place were packed with revellers.

A first year English student, who just gave his name as Andy, said: 'It's been carnage tonight but who can blame us?

'The pandemic has taken it's toll on everyone but students have been cooped up, unable to meet up or have any fun.

Students said Monday night was 'carnage' following a year and a half of restrictions which saw last year's Freshers' Week cancelled. Pictured is the queue to get into Soho club, Newcastle

Four students queue to get into the clubs in Newcastle

Students in Birmingham enjoying a night out in the city's Broad Street

'As soon as the bars were open everyone went mad. It's been a hell of night but it'll be worth the hangover.'

Despite warnings of an expected spike in Covid cases following the influx of students starting university, many freshers expressed little concern.

One student, Samantha, 18, said: 'My mum and dad have both had the vaccine, as had my nan.

'I've just had my vaccine before I got to uni so as far as I'm concerned Covid is over for us.

Hundreds of students queued to get inside Coyote Ugly Saloon while the bars surrounding the canal basin and Brindley Place were packed with revellers

Many freshers expressed little concern about an expected spike in Covid cases

'It's basically like flu or a heavy cold. We all need to crack on with life. We can't run scared anymore. Life's too damn short!'

Birmingham University and Aston University Freshers' Week kicked off on Sunday and goes on all week.

A 22 wristband gets students access to events including an adult-sized ball-pit, confetti showers, beer pong, bucking rodeo bulls and a neon glow rave which promises 'f*** loads of neon paint'.

Students returned to Bristol in their hundreds to kickstart this year's events

Police were in Newcastle city centre on Monday night as queues to get into the clubs were blocking the road

A huge queue forms to get into the Soho nightclub, in Newcastle

Meanwhile, freshers week is currently in full swing at Newcastle's two universities, Northumbria and Newcastle.

Last year, festivities were cancelled due to the pandemic, but yesterday evening was busier than ever.

Newcastle has a firm reputation as a party city and it is popular with stag and hen groups.

One student said: 'The nightlife here is amazing. I have never known anything like. It's a carnival atmosphere.

'Everyone is just so happy to be out partying after such a terrible 18 months.'

Students said they were happy to be out celebrating again after a 'terrible' 18 months

Groups of new friends were out enjoying their newly-returned freedoms after last year's Freshers' Week cancellation

A group of students pose outside the Market Shaker, in the Bigg Market, Newcastle
Two members of the Household Cavalry carried out a persistent campaign of bullying against a Northern Irish colleague, racially abusing him by calling him 'Gerry Adams', a court martial heard.

Troopers Maxwell Nicholls and Declan Coutts allegedly harassed fellow soldier Tpr Scott Alexander, with slurs about the IRA and 'car bombs'.

They put him in choke-holds and headlocks, repeatedly soaked his bed with water and stole his ironing board and boots, a panel was told.

A lawyer representing Tpr Nicholls described the behaviour as 'harmless horse play' while Tpr Coutts' lawyer accused Tpr Alexander of 'making it up'.

Trooper Scott Alexander, from Northern Ireland, said he was the victim of a persistent campain of bullying from two colleagues who racially abused him and called him by the name of former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, a court martial heard

The three were roommates in barracks at Windsor where they were trainees at the historic regiment, traditionally responsible for guarding the Queen.

Tpr Alexander said he felt 'demoralised' and pleaded with Scottish Tpr Coutts and English Tpr Nicholls to stop but said 'it didn't make a difference, they thought it was funny'.

He also said when he called them to ask for some belongings back, Tpr Coutts and Tpr Nicholls - who were drunk in a pub - told him they would if he called Muslim Trooper Azaan Aziz-Sheikh a 'black-faced P**i'.

That night, Tpr Aziz-Sheikh was allegedly attacked by Tpr Nicholls in Wetherspoons in Windsor, Berkshire, and when they returned to Windsor's Combermere Barracks was punched and kicked in the face by Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts.

All four soldiers were recruits at the time with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Windsor. The distinguished regiment is one of the most senior in the British Army and is often referred to as 'trusted guardians of the monarch'.

Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts are accused of a string of nine charges relating to the incidents between July and November in 2020.

Prosecutor Lieutenant Matthew Poulsom told Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire: 'Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts launched a persistent bullying campaign against [Tpr Alexander].

'On multiple occasions they would pin him down, sit on his chest, strangle and choke him, and made racially abusive comments.

'They frequently made racial slurs against him being Northern Irish, referencing the IRA in a derogatory manner.'

Regarding an incident on October 30, 2020, he said: 'Several junior soldiers were in a pub in Windsor... The two defendants were drinking and behaving poorly and they shouted out across the bar to Tpr Aziz-Sheikh.

'Tpr Nicholls assaulted him by shoving him in the head and immediately after Tpr Nicholls sat down and made abusive comments about his Muslim faith.'

Later that evening, the defendants returned to barracks 'very drunk' and Tpr Nicholls again verbally abused Tpr Aziz-Sheikh after seeing him in a corridor.

Lt Poulsom said: 'Tpr Nicholls was aggressive and tried to headbutt him and they ended up in a tussle on the floor. They were separated and Tpr Nicholls was removed by others.

'Tpr Coutts went over to Tpr Aziz-Sheikh and without warning punched him to the face, causing him to fall to the floor.

'Tpr Nicholls returned and kicked Tpr Aziz-Sheikh to the face.'

Troopers Declan Coutts (left) and Maxwell Nicholls (right) allegedly harassed fellow soldier Tpr Scott Alexander, with slurs about the IRA and 'car bombs'

The punch was described as an 'eight out of 10' in power while the kick was described as a 'nine out of 10'.

Giving evidence, Tpr Alexander said his relationship with roommates Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts started off 'friendly' but became 'unpleasant' within a week.

Tpr Alexander, who spoke with a strong Northern Irish accent, said they called him by the name of former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

He said: 'I had slurs used against me after they picked up on my accent.

'Lots of derogatory terms were used. Terms about car bombs, I was called Gerry Adams, and they would say I was in the IRA.

'I ignored it in the beginning but it did make me feel quite demoralised.

'A lot of IRA terms were made against me... Terms like 'IRA c***', along those lines.

'I believe it was said in quite a targeted manner, not in a banterish way. I truly feel those words were meant to hurt me or cause me anger.'

Tpr Alexander said he 'took it on the chin at first' but struggled to cope.

He added: 'I would constantly say 'leave it out' or tell them to grow up. They didn't stop and it didn't make a difference, they thought it was funny.

'It became more physical... There were headlocks, choke holds, they would sit on my chest and pin me down. Sometimes it didn't hurt but sometimes it did and I had to break free.

'I would be lying on my bed and they would come and jump on me.

'There were times where they put water on my bed, I would go to get in bed and feel that it was saturated with water.

'While I was in bed they would say 'Alexander's thirsty' and then come over with water bottles and try to soak me.'

Tpr Alexander said he 'dreaded' staying in the same room and moved rooms after requesting a change.

He added: 'When it comes to banter you expect it, but when it comes to the point where you're doing it again, again, and again and you still think it's funny, with someone telling you to stop, that's the point where, as men, you leave it out.'

Eleanor Lucas, a lawyer representing Tpr Nicholls, said the behaviour was 'harmless horse play between friends' and Tpr Alexander was an 'enthusiastic participant' who was never given 'malicious' racial slurs.

She showed the court videos of Tpr Alexander taking part in group pranks and photos of him wearing a T-shirt with the nickname 'terrorist' on.

Cathryn Sutcliffe, a lawyer representing Tpr Coutts, accused Tpr Alexander of 'making it up as he goes along'.

Tpr Jamie Bartlett, who was drinking in Wetherspoons with the soldiers, said Tpr Nicholls called Tpr Aziz-Sheikh 'f***ing little brown man'.

Tpr Nicholls and Tpr Coutts both face one charge of racially aggravated battery on Tpr Alexander as well as an alternative charge of battery.

The pair also both face a conduct charge relating to racial abuse towards Tpr Alexander.

Tpr Nicholls is charged with two counts of religiously aggravated assault by beating and two alternative counts of battery, all relating to attacks on Tpr Aziz-Sheikh.

Tpr Coutts is charged with battery towards Tpr Aziz-Sheikh.

The trial continues.
Nearly three tonnes of heroin with a street value of 2 billion from Afghanistan have been seized from a western Indian port in a major bust, officials said .

Two Indians were arrested after the heroin, which was kept in two containers marked as carrying talc, was found by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Mundra Port in the western state of Gujarat, the anti-smuggling government agency said.

The consignment - with one container carrying nearly 2,000 kilograms of heroin and another holding nearly 1,000 kilograms - originated from Afghanistan and was shipped from a port in Iran to Gujarat, the DRI said.

Afghani opium poppy farmers score poppies during a harvest in Sistani, Helmand Province in 2011

Nearly three tonnes of heroin with a street value of 2 billion from Afghanistan have been seized from Mundra Port, India (file image of stacked containers at Mundra Port)

'Searches have been conducted in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham and Mandvi in Gujarat,' the agency said in a statement.

It added that the shipment was estimated to be worth 200 billion rupees (2 billion) and was seized on September 15 after the agency received intelligence they contained narcotics.

The investigation also allegedly uncovered the involvement of Afghan nationals, the DRI said, although no one else has been arrested so far.

'Investigation conducted so far has also revealed the involvement of Afghan nationals, who are under investigation,' an official in Gujarat said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak publicly.

An Afghan farmer collects raw opium from poppies, in a village outside Balkh province, north of Kabul, in 2006

The narcotics were headed to Delhi and the two arrested people had sought an import-export licence based on a house address in Vijayawada, police in Vijayawada said in a statement on Monday.

The containers had been declared as containing semi-processed talc stones from Afghanistan and had been shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Gujarat Mundra port, the Gujarat official said, adding that forensic tests confirmed the presence of heroin.

Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of heroin, supplying between 80-90 percent of global output.

Heroin production has boomed in Afghanistan in recent years, helping fund the Taliban which returned to power in August.

But the Islamist militants have said they plan to ban the drug trade, without giving details on how.
Colleges say they are struggling to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks in Republican states where up to 40 per cent of students are unvaccinated and governors have banned mandating shots.

Schools leaders in Arizona, Florida, Tennessee and Texas hoped that this year would mark a turnaround after the last academic year was blighted by the pandemic.

But they are facing rampant infections of the Delta variant which, compounded by mask and vaccine resistance, is already threatening the fall semester.

In Tennessee, which has the most Covid infections per capita, the University of Memphis pleaded with Republican Governor Bill Lee to implement vaccines.

College students clap their hands like alligator jaws as they watch the Florida Gators taking on Alabama in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis gas banned vaccine and mask mandates in schools and colleges in the state

Coronavirus cases in Tennessee

Coronavirus cases in Alabama

University president M. David Rudd suggested a workaround by adding the shot to a list of vaccines already required for state university students, which includes the shot for measles, mumps and rubella.

'It has never been more important for us to follow the medical advice from credible authorities we have trusted for decades,' Rudd wrote to the Governor in August.

Lee failed to respond to his letter.

In Arizona, where only 58 per cent of people have received a single vaccine dose, Republican Governor Doug Ducey is holding firm to his principles.

'We are certainly not anti-vaccine,' a spokesperson for Ducey's office told Politico. 'We are anti-mandate.'

Arizona State University has not pursued a vaccine mandate but announced in June that unvaccinated students would need to wear masks and be tested weekly.

But Governor Ducey and GOP leaders blocked these rules.

The university has now implemented masking rules for all students in an effort to circumvent lawmaker interference. The testing policy was dropped.

In Arizona, college students are already required to receive measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.

University of Arizona President Robert Robbins, a former Stanford medical professor, told Politico: 'I'm obviously an advocate for vaccinating everyone.'

As well as the immediate health implications, university officials are concerned that in the long run, not being able to control the virus is going to impact their balance sheets.

Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Associations Covid-19 task force, said: 'Ultimately, there is a business cost to be paid here. The human health side of it, of course, is the most important to us in university public health, but there is an economic risk as well.'

With students faced with Zoom lectures and online tutorials, universities fear that high school graduates are going to be less inclined to apply to colleges.

Republican Governor Bill Lee has refused mandates for college students in Tennessee

Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says he isn't anti-vaccine, but anti-mandate

The cost of going to college is a major consideration for many prospective students, and there is already evidence that some are unwilling to spend it means they will be limited to virtual learning.

Undergraduate enrollment fell again this spring, down nearly 5 per cent from least year. There were 727,000 fewer students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

Colleges in blue states such as Maryland and New York have mandated vaccines and masks for those who are unvaccinated, leading to a higher uptake of the shots.

Ohio allowed for vaccine mandates once the FDA granted approval to the Pfizer shot, but many red state governors continue to reject the notion of such enforcement.

Lynn Schoenberg, dean of students at Stetson University in Florida, where masks and vaccine mandates are banned in schools and colleges, told Politico: 'We would seriously consider a change in policy if the legal situation changed.'

Before the semester began the university had said that it 'expected' all students and staff to get a vaccine - but they are not able to enforce this as per the state law.
The BBC's director general has defended appointing Jess Brammar as head of news channels amid accusations of political bias from Tories.

Tim Davie faced questions from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee at Westminster today over the hiring of the former Huffington Post editor to run the corporation's news operation.

The corporation has been accused of creating a six-figure non-job for the left-wing editor, who has been attacked over past criticism of Brexit and support for Black Lives Matter.

But Mr Davie defended Ms Brammar's appointment and said it was important the BBC 'hire across the political spectrum'.

He said: 'We need to hire the best at the BBC and we need to hire across the political spectrum. That is an incredibly important precedent and this affair is dangerous territory for us.

'Not because of the process but because if people begin doubting our ability to hire people with views into the BBC, and when they get here they leave them at the door - political views.'

He also denied the departure of BBC news chief Fran Unsworth was prompted by the appointment of Ms Brammar.

Tim Davie faced questions today over the hiring of the former Huffington Post editor Jess Brammar to run its news operation, amid accusations of political bias from Tories.

The corporation has been accused of creating a six-figure non-job for Ms Brammar, who has been attacked over past criticism of Brexit and support for Black Lives Matter.

The BBC chief added: 'Not in the slightest. Nothing to do with the latest incident. This was a planned move. Fran is an exceptional executive, if you look through her record.

'This is a plan that has got absolutely nothing to do with the Jess Brammar appointment.'

However Mr Davie admitted he was unsure if the corporation had hired anyone to a senior position who had supported Brexit.

He said: 'I have no idea. I don't know where my top team is on Brexit. We don't talk like that.'

Elsewhere Richard Sharp, the chairman of the BBC, denied controversy surrounding the hiring of Ms Brammar.

Mr Sharp defended the hiring process and told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee such appointments were 'a matter for the director-general and the executive team'.

Ms Brammar, a former Newsnight journalist, rejoined the BBC after being made redundant as editor-in-chief of HuffPost UK.

She will run a 'combined team across both BBC TV news channels, providing BBC News around the clock, in the UK and around the world', according to the job description.

She will also 'manage and develop the team of presenters, in conjunction with the Editor'.

She made headlines after historic tweets emerged in which she was critical of Brexit and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Her deleted tweets included comparing Brexit to a bad comedy, demanding a 'fight for a properly funded NHS' and claiming 'black Brits' were 'considering leaving the UK' because of racism and the threat of Boris Johnson winning the 2019 general election.

In thousands of deleted posts going back a decade, she also voiced support for Black Lives Matter and described her own 'ignorance as a white woman'.

Labour previously called for Theresa May's former communications director Sir Robbie Gibb to be sacked from the board of the BBC after claims he tried to block her hiring on political grounds.

Discussing the challenge of hiring journalists from across the political spectrum, Mr Davie said: 'It's absolutely appropriate to leave (political views) at the door. That is what we do. And, by the way, we have done it pretty well for 99 years.

'I think it is just tougher now, by the way. The culture wars are raging. I think we have got a real battle on our hands. I walk a tightrope every day on this. But we have got to fight for this. It is not an easy choice.'

BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who appeared alongside Mr Davie and chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva, said: 'Staff appointments are a matter for the director-general and the executive team.

'At the same time, you should be aware in light of some of the things that have been discussed in relation to the Martin Bashir issue, recruiting to senior positions is very important in media organisations such as the BBC, where many issues are involved of reputational importance and issues such as impartiality and balance.'

Mr Sharp said executive directors and non-executive directors should feel free to communicate any 'information they think is relevant to a critical decision'.

He added: 'There are some people who didn't fully understand the changing nature of the structure of the BBC as a result of the corporate board, who thought it was inappropriate for a non-executive director to communicate to an executive director about any information that may be relevant, in fact the truth is quite the reverse.'

He added: 'What shouldn't happen is the non-executive director should make the decision.'

Kevin Brennan MP told Mr Sharp he thought it was 'unsurprising that some people fear there is something else going on and it's more serious than a corporate process'.

Mr Sharp said: 'People are entitled to their fears and concerns, it doesn't mean they are right.'

He added: 'If people had matters they thought relevant, they should feel free to communicate them.'

Asked if the episode has 'tainted' Ms Brammar's appointment, because 'there is a member of the board so vehemently thinking she is unsuitable for the job', Mr Sharp said Mr Brennan was 'making a supposition', adding: 'The board supports the director-general and the process that has been undertaken.'

Asked if that includes Sir Robbie, Mr Sharp replied: 'Yes.'
Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday that a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine is highly protective against severe illness.

The company said on Tuesday that a second shot given about two months after the first increased effectiveness to 94 percent against symptomatic disease.

This compares to 70 percent protection seen with a single dose.

The data will help J&J make its case to U.S. regulators for a booster shot even as the company stresses the durability of its single-shot vaccine as a tool to ease the global pandemic.

President Joe Biden is pushing for booster shots in the face of a Delta variant-fueled surge and J&J - the only drugmaker with a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine approved in the U.S. - has been under pressure to produce evidence on the effectiveness of an additional dose.

'A single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that is easy to use, distribute and administer, and that provides strong and long-lasting protection is crucial to vaccinating the global population,' Dr Paul Stoffels, J&J's chief scientific officer, said in a statement.

'At the same time, we now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly.'

Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday a second shot of its COVID-19 vaccine given about two months after the first increased its effectiveness to 94% in the United States against moderate to severe forms of the disease. That compares to 70% protection with a single dose

The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based firm published details of three studies examining different aspects of its vaccine.

The first study was a Phase III two-dose trial of up to 30,000 participants looking at the effectiveness of a second dose given 56 days after the first in adults 18 and older.

The first study found that a booster shot was 94 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 in the U.S. and 100 percent effective against critical illness at least 14 days post-vaccination.

There was only one case of COVID-19 in the vaccine group and 14 in the placebo group.

J&J said that a booster given two months after the first dose increased antibody levels between four-fold and six-fold.

When given six months after the first dose, antibody levels shot up nine-fold after one week and 12-fold after four weeks.

These increases were seen regardless of age.

Side effects with two doses were comparable to those seen in studies with the single-dose vaccine.

The data are yet to be peer reviewed but will be submitted for publication in the coming months.

J&J said it has submitted data to the FDA and plans to submit it to other regulators, the World Health Organization and other vaccine advisory groups worldwide to inform their decision-making.

The company also shared data from a real-world study comparing 390,000 people who received the standard one-dose J&J vaccine to 1.52 million unvaccinated people from March 2021 to late July 2021.

The vaccine was found to be 79 percent effective against COVID-19 infection and 81 percent against hospitalizations

'Our large real-world evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations,' said Dr Mathai Mammen, global head of research an development at J&J, in a statement.

'Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.'

To date, only Pfizer-BioNTech have submitted sufficient data for U.S. regulators to evaluate whether boosters are warranted.

Last month, boosters were approved for immunocompromised Americans after data showed they were less likely to develop high antibody levels after two doses.

At least 2.21 million people in the U.S. have received booster doses as of Monday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)..

The White House also announced last month booster shots would become available for all Americans starting on September 20 due to data suggesting waning efficacy of the initial shots.

However, an independent panel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voted on Friday to only to give vaccines to specific at-risk groups.

A first vote by the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) was 16-2 against boosters for all healthy Americans.

Members said said there was not enough evidence that a third dose was safe and effective for use in people under age 65.

A second vote unanimously recommended approval of booster doses for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to older adults aged 65 and older and those who are at high risk of developing a severe case of the virus.

The FDA is not bound to follow the advisory group's recommendations but the agency rarely goes against the guidance of VRBPAC.

The next step before the FDA can issue authorization is a recommendation for approved by the advisory committee for the CDC.
Top doctors today fought back against calls for face-to-face GP appointments to become the default again, claiming that it was 'undeliverable'.

The Royal College of General Practitioners, which represents more than 50,000 GPs, said practices were battling staffing issues and increased demand due to delayed diagnoses during the pandemic.

Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, also warned there was still too much Covid in the community for practices to return to having packed waiting rooms.

Boris Johnson last night piled pressure on GPs to offer more in-person consultations, with his spokesman claiming every patient had the right if they wanted one.

But Professor Marshall told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee today: 'There's no point in having a right if it's undeliverable at the moment because of the workload pressures.'

He defended the widespread move to virtual GP appointments, claiming it was a 'positive' and more convenient for the majority of patients.

Figures show just 57 per cent of appointments are face-to-face now, compared to 80 per cent before the pandemic.

Charities and politicians have been clamouring for the Prime Minister to act amid fears that cancers and serious health conditions are missed in remote consultations.

A damning study published by University College London last night warned of 10,000 extra cancer deaths due to delayed diagnoses and lack of face-to-face care.

Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, warned there was still too much Covid in the community for practices to return to packed waiting rooms

Up to March 2020, around 80 per cent of all appointments across England were in-person, but this dropped to 46.8 per cent last April and has not risen above 57 per cent since

In-person appointments began to increase last summer, before dropping again during the second wave. Despite being on the rise, the figures are still much lower than pre-pandemic levels

Professor Marshall said: 'What we've learned from the pandemic is we can do more in general practice remotely than we thought we could, and that's a positive bit of learning.

'There's a lot of stuff that can be done without having to examine someone or be in the same room.

'Having said that, face-to face-contact is a really important part of dealing with, particularly, more complex problems.'

Full-time GPs are a thing of the past, top doctor warns GPs who work full-time is 'something we won't see again', Professor Marshall warned. Speaking to MPs today at a Health and Social Care Committee on clearing the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic, he said three-day weeks for GPs are here to stay. Long hours, intense pressure and younger doctors seeking a varied career means doctors working five days will not return. And while it would save money for current GPs to work longer hours than train more new doctors, forcing them to do so would be unsafe, he warned. Part-time GPs work 11 to 12 hours three-days a week 'under intense pressure', which Professor Marshall noted is 'pretty much full-time'. He said: 'I dont think it would be our job as a professional body to force people into working more sessions where they dont feel safe working those extra sessions, and thats the position were in at the moment. 'The pressure that general practice is under not only impacts on our ability to provide personalised care, which is what we want to do as GPs, but it is increasingly impacting on our ability to provide safe care. 'So if I force one of my colleagues - in whatever way I can, which I have no levers to do - but if I was to say to someone youve really got to be working four days a week and as a consequence they start making diagnostic errors or prescribing errors, thats not good for anybody. 'So while general practice is under pressure, there are very few people who feel that they are able to work full-time. 'And secondly we have to accept the reality that the younger generation, of clinicians of all sorts, want career portfolios, they want mixed careers, they dont want to work full time. So the model of a full time GP I think is probably something we wont see again.' Advertisement

Responding to Downing Street's comments last night, he added: 'People are saying that the patient should have a right.

'There's no point in having a right if it's undeliverable and it is essentially undeliverable at the moment, because of the workload pressures.'

He said GP workload had gone up over the pandemic 'and indeed over the last decade'.

And he added: 'The second thing is, really importantly, the pandemic isn't over.

'We'd like to think it is  it isn't over, it might be over for pubs and nightclubs, it's not over for health services.

'It's really important that if you run a health service, whether it be in general practice or in hospitals, that you protect vulnerable patients.

'Around one in 70 and 80 patients in this country have got Covid, so the idea of having somebody who is fit and healthy but shedding the virus sitting next to someone who's vulnerable in a waiting room is just not something that's acceptable.'

Professor Marshall was asked by committee chair and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about people not being able to see the same GP for repeat appointments.

He told MPs that staffing shortages and flexible working had made it difficult to guarantee that each patient has one assigned family doctor.

Professor Marshall said: 'I think the essence of general practice is the long-term relationships that the patients and their GPs are able to develop, that gives you an understanding of people's health beliefs and allows you to make diagnoses more effectively.

'So this concept of continuity of care has long been something that had been an important part of general practice.'

However, he said 'not all patients need continuity all the time', although there was evidence that people seeing the same GP had dropped over time.

On the reasons why, he added: 'Patients are less likely to stay in one place for a long period of time, GPs are more likely to work part-time, more likely to be geographically mobile as well, so there are a lot of societal factors as well as health service factors that have contributed.'

He said there was a need to build the general practice workforce 'to get back to general practice being able to deliver more personal care and GP and patients getting to know each other more effectively.

'We're a long, long way away from that, at the moment.'

The British Medical Association warned last week that England is short of around 50,000 doctors.

The BMA said that the number had fallen behind comparable European Union countries, with 2.8 doctors per 1,000 people compared to an EU average of 3.7.

Graph shows: The number of people waiting to see a cancer doctor in the UK jumped from just over 5,000 at the start of the pandemic to nearly 30,000 in June this year

Patients are shelling out a fortune to see a private GPs, healthcare providers say Patients are increasingly paying to see a doctor privately, according to healthcare providers. For a fee of about 100, a face-to-face consultation can be arranged almost immediately, sometimes on the same day. Patients usually do not need to be insured or even to have a referral if they are paying for it out of their own pocket. Spire, Britains second-biggest private healthcare provider, is reporting an 81 per cent increase in self-pay patients this year compared with 2019. It charges 90 for a 30-minute appointment described as quick and easy access to private GP services  when you need it. A spokesman told the Mail: People are in pain and they are choosing not to wait for incredibly stretched GP services and the NHS to treat them. Dr Neil Haughton, a private GP in Notting Hill and the president of the Independent Doctors Federation, said: We have never been busier. 'All my private GP colleagues are saying we cant keep up with demand. We are literally inundated. Some we have to turn away because we dont have enough slots. The fact is, patients want to come and see me, they dont want a video consultation. And as a doctor, you can miss the nuances if you dont see your patients directly. You dont pick up on the invisible things. Its also inequitable. My 90-year-old mum, for example, hasnt got a smartphone or a computer, and actually you need to see people like that in person. He added: You can get a mammogram or an ultrasound for a couple of hundred pounds, and people often dont realise that. Advertisement

Its research at the start of the summer showed that meeting this average would require scaling up the medical workforce by an additional 31 per cent  or a further 49,162 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors.

The staff shortages come after a bruising two years battling the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes after researchers at UCL said an extra 10,000 people are likely to die of cancer because of a pandemic delays.

University College London researchers said a drop in emergency referrals from GPs last year across the UK resulted in around 40,000 late diagnoses of the disease.

These delays and longer waits for NHS treatment  fuelled by the pandemic  mean thousands will die 'significantly earlier' from the disease than would have been the case pre-pandemic.

The study of more than 2,000 adults found nearly two thirds of people worried about bothering family doctors with 'minor health problems' because of Covid.

And during the first lockdown last year, the NHS moved GP appointments to online and telephone to limit face-to-face consultations.

No10's 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives' messaging put people off coming forward, meaning their symptoms were never investigated.

A senior coroner in Manchester earlier this month concluded a lack of face-to-face care contributed to at least five deaths in the area during the pandemic.

Doctors say telephone and video appointments allow them to get through more patients.

But critics believe the pendulum has swung too far and that doctors are more likely to miss the signs of a more serious illness if they don't see someone in the flesh.

Pressed on the issue yesterday, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'The NHS has been clear to every GP practice that they must provide face-to-face appointments, and we fully support that.

'GPs throughout the pandemic have worked hard to see patients and appointment numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

'It's right that the public expect to be able to see their GP in person, if needed.'

Although the comments from Downing Street are a positive step, there has been no commitment to take action.

There have been calls to change the way GP practices are funded to incentivise doctors to see patients face to face.

The pressure group Silver Voices is campaigning for a statutory duty to be placed on them to hold in-person surgeries if patients want them.

Caroline Abrahams of the charity Age UK said older people were struggling with telephone triage.

She added: 'We urge NHS England to challenge and support GP practices that have moved too far, too fast, in their use of technology.'

The BMA said: 'The move to an initial telephone consultation to assess a patient's needs was, and is, in line with NHS England's and the Government's guidance.

'Many patients have really appreciated the benefit of alternative types of consultations, which can then be followed by a face-to-face appointment if needs be.'
Anti-vaxxers have begun targeting children, with Piers Corbyn yelling at London pupils in an attempt to scare them off getting the jab while a separate mob picketed a school in Kent.

The notorious conspiracy theorist and his allies were spotted yesterday screaming at pupils and trying to shove leaflets into their hands.

In separate shameful scenes, a group of protesters appeared outside Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School in Canterbury after the government announced it would begin rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 12 to 15.

The notorious conspiracy theorist and his allies were spotted yesterday screaming at pupils and trying to shove leaflets into their hands

Guidance has been issued for head teachers to contact police if they believe protests could take place as the programme will largely be delivered through schools.

The protesters had already shown up outside the school gates earlier this month when they were seen handing out literature to pupils.

Two days later, the Abbey School in Faversham was targeted, with police being called after a woman was reportedly assaulted.

They have now returned to Langton Girls', displaying placards from the opposite side of the road for students to read as they arrived.

To date, 135, 252 have lost their lives to Covid-19 in the UK and 7,465,448 have been infected.

After the initial protest, the school's head teacher Paul Pollard circulated a letter to parents accusing the group of engaging in 'propaganda that has much in common with familiar far-right tropes'.

It read: 'Following the recent events outside the school, where an anti-vaccination group staged a short protest, and with this announcement raising the possibility that this could happen again, I would like to ensure total clarity around this situation and the difference between the protest made and reasoned debate.

'The group that protested outside of the school were not engaged in a science-led debate on the decision of whether or not to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds.

'Instead, they were engaged in conspiracy theories, disinformation and various other propaganda that has much in common with familiar far-right tropes.

'Whilst their protest outside school was peaceful, and very few students accepted leaflets, groups of this nature are working to spread fear and misinformation, not engage in discussion or debate.'

In separate shameful scenes, a group of protesters appeared outside Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School in Canterbury

The government has advised children between the ages of 12 and 15 to get a single dose of the Covid vaccine.

Parental consent is not required if a child is considered competent to make the decision themselves.

But in the 'great majority of cases, children and their parents come to the same decision', according to England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was aware some schools had received campaign letters and emails with 'misinformation' about the vaccine programme.

The agency's guidance states: 'In the event of a protest or disruptive activity outside a school, or if schools know a protest is planned, they should alert the SAIS (School Age Immunisation Service) provider, local authority and police contacts to discuss the best way to manage the situation.'

Staff have been advised not to 'engage directly' with misinformation campaigns about the vaccine.

Instead, should 'acknowledge receipt of concerns' and 'refer to the latest scientific guidance on the issue' if necessary.

While they were not informed about the protest, the police will be called upon if they return, Mr Pollard said.

Two days later, the Abbey School in Faversham was targeted, with police being called after a woman was reportedly assaulted

He continued: 'We will do all we can to discourage students from speaking or accepting material from them.

'As previously, they will not enter the school site.

'We would welcome parental support with this and ask that you reinforce with your children that in the event of further protests they should enter school without taking any literature or engaging in conversations.'

The school's head teacher has already been in contact with the Kent County Council Prevent Education Officer.

Prevent is the government's controversial strategy to combat extremist views and terrorism.

Documents, including one titled The Anti-Vaxx Playbook which outlines many of the common tropes and narratives being circulated have been provided by the council and shared with parents.

Mr Pollard added: 'As a school we continue to develop our approach to all areas of safeguarding,' Mr Pollard added.

'This academic year we will be undertaking further whole staff training around extremism and the Prevent strategy, with a focus on contextual threats for our students.

'We will also be commissioning an external review of our whole school's safeguarding practices, policies and procedures, something we will routinely do to ensure all areas of safeguarding are as robust as we expect.'
Patients trying to contact GP surgeries say they are phoning hundreds of times - including one who made 390 attempts before getting through.

They say they are spending hours on the phone to reach doctors, only to be told they cannot have a face-to-face appointment after eventually getting through.

One patient said she needed to change some of her husband's cancer medication and rang Abbey Meads Medical Practice, in Swindon, Wiltshire 390 times to get through.

Another patient, Mark Cahillane, said he dialled 269 times to reach Ashington House Surgery, also in Swindon.

Discussing his struggles, Mark, 63, said: 'My wife rang on the landline and it took 45 minutes before she could get through.

'And then the receptionist was saying that they can't make a face-to-face appointment until we speak to a doctor. You're just going around in circles.'

It comes after Boris Johnson last night piled pressure on GPs to offer more in-person consultations.

One patient said she needed to change some of her husband's cancer medication and rang Abbey Meads Medical Practice, in Swindon, Wiltshire 390 times to get through

His spokesman said every patient had the right to a face-to-face appointment if they wanted one.

A day after the Mail launched a campaign to improve access to family doctors, Downing Street said: 'The public rightly may choose to want to see their GP face to face  and GP practices should be making that facility available to their patients.'

Charities and politicians have been clamouring for the Prime Minister to act amid fears that cancers and other serious health conditions are being missed in remote consultations.

Just 57 per cent of GP appointments are now in person compared with 80 per cent before the pandemic.

Mark said he called the surgery the following day and waited another 55 minutes before getting through.

He added: 'Then there's a call queue which was another 15 minutes. And again, they said they can't do a face-to-face appointment, 'you have to wait for a doctor to call you'.

'Unless you're familiar with local government policies, you're a good communicator, you're articulate or you can use all the jargon, you're going to get the run around, which is what we got.

'You're trying to get things sorted out because the NHS is trying to catch up on the backlog of patients. My wife has a very bad ankle and it's serious and she needs to get it sorted out.

'I was trying to be polite and calm. It was stressful as anything.'

After waiting for hours, a doctor ended up calling Mark's wife.

He said: 'A doctor rang her, and she was absolutely brilliant. You give respect, you'd like to have a bit of respect and this doctor was absolutely beautiful. And now my wife is getting referred.

'It's just the process, the process causes you a lot of distress.'

Another patient, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had phoned the practice 390 times to get through to Abbey Meads Medical Practice, in Swindon, Wilts.

She said: 'It was for my husband. He's had cancer and needed to change some of his medication. It was on a Monday, and I know Mondays are always busy - so I just rang the surgery and I just redialled for 390 times - but before I've had about over 425 - and then you get put in a queue and you still have to wait.

Another patient, Mark Cahillane, said he dialled 269 times to reach Ashington House Surgery, also in Swindon

'It takes a good hour and 15 minutes to get through, and then they'll say 'sorry there's no appointment, you've got to come back tomorrow' and you start all over again.

'But how can an old person do that? Someone in their 80s can't keep trying to get an appointment.'

The woman said she is unable to change her GP practice.

'I tried to go to Homeground Surgery, and what they said is that if you're with a surgery, they won't let you change,' she said.

'So, I have to move out of Swindon and then move back to Swindon to change my surgery and have another address.'

She said after three days she finally managed to get through.

Discussing Mark's case, assistant practice manager at Ashington House Surgery Dean Mills said the pandemic had seen new working methods introduced.

He said: 'The introduction of an initial telephone assessment ensures that patients can be cared for by the most appropriate member of our team, either in person or online.

'Patients can play their part in easing the pressure by calling outside of the busiest times, such as first thing in the morning, and making use of alternative healthcare services, such as NHS 111 and local pharmacies.'

GWH NHS Hospital Trust took on Abbey Meads earlier this year and, responding to the anonymous woman, a spokesperson said: 'Our practices are currently experiencing significant pressure and the high level of demand has meant that some callers are waiting much longer than we would like to speak to somebody.

'We introduced a new electronic consultation system to help provide a better experience for those wishing to access primary care and are working to improve our telephony system as quickly as possible and anticipate a significant improvement from October.

'We are sorry the caller concerned had to wait such a long time.

'The booking team, which supports Moredon, Abbey Meads, Penhill and Crossroads surgeries, are working hard every day to answer as many calls as possible.'

Extra 10,000 Britons may die of cancer due to Covid pandemic delays fuelled by a drop in emergency referrals from GPs, report warns

An extra 10,000 people are likely to die of cancer because of the Covid pandemic, a study has suggested.

University College London researchers said a drop in emergency referrals from GPs last year across the UK resulted in around 40,000 late diagnoses of the disease.

These delays and longer waits for NHS treatment  fuelled by the pandemic  mean thousands will die 'significantly earlier' from the disease than would have been the case pre-pandemic.

The study of more than 2,000 adults found nearly two thirds of people worried about bothering family doctors with 'minor health problems' because of Covid.

And during the first lockdown last year, the NHS moved GP appointments to online and telephone to limit face-to-face consultations. No10's 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives' messaging put people off coming forward, meaning their symptoms were never investigated.

It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday piled pressure on GPs to offer more face-to-face consultations amid concerns too many patients are struggling to see a doctor in-person.

Just 57 per cent of GP appointments are now in person compared with 80 per cent before the pandemic.

A senior coroner in Manchester earlier this month concluded a lack of face-to-face care contributed to at least five deaths in the area during the pandemic.

Downing Street said last night: 'The public rightly may choose to want to see their GP face to face  and GP practices should be making that facility available to their patients.'

Charities and politicians are urging the Prime Minister to act amid fears that cancers and other serious health conditions are being missed in remote consultations.

Graph shows: The number of people waiting to see a cancer doctor in the UK jumped from just over 5,000 at the start of the pandemic to nearly 30,000 in June this year

Twenty-three million appointments, whether face-to-face or otherwise, were also 'lost' during the pandemic.

Out of the 2,000 people polled by UCL, those above 65  the group who require the most healthcare  were the least likely to want to see their doctor remotely.

British adults want blood tests which screen for cancer, study finds A new survey has found that three in four British adults want blood tests for cancer screening amid a rise in concerns around the disease. The report released by University College London (UCL) states that 40 per cent of respondents said their lives had been changed because people important to them were harmed by cancer. The survey, undertaken in May 2021 of 2,096 UK adults, found that 75 per cent said when single blood tests for multiple forms of cancer become available, they will want to be regularly tested. The 25 per cent that were unsure about accepting cancer testing were also vaccine hesitant, and tended to be relatively young and ethnic minorities. Report co-author Professor David Taylor, UCL School of Pharmacy, said: 'Since early 2020 most people have been primarily focused on the threat of Covid, but as the pandemic becomes better controlled by vaccines, medicines and other public health measures, cancer is re-emerging as the UK public's top health priority. 'The immediate challenge is to reduce NHS waiting lists, yet to retain British public confidence up to the next general election, policy makers will also need to restore progress in cancer research, prevention and medical and social care improvement, despite the economic impacts of Brexit and Covid.' Advertisement

Some 56 per cent in that age group opposed having more telephone and online consultations, while 24 per cent were in favour of them.

And only 46 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 wanted more remote appointments, with more than a quarter (28 per cent) against them.

Professor David Taylor, a pharmaceutical scientist at UCL and co-author the report, said the trend of increasing online consultations has resulted in delays to diagnoses.

He told The Daily Telegraph: 'The immediate effect of the pandemic was to delay early diagnosis.

'Even before the pandemic, Britain's performance was not up there with the best of the world.

'There is some evidence to suggest every month treatment is delayed can increase the risk of early death by seven percent.

'Some of it is about patients not presenting, worrying about being a burden on their GP, some of it is about access problems.'

When asked about the NHS, respondents were generally positive as over one third said if they or members of their family develop cancer, the NHS care available would be world-class, and 40 per cent agreed NHS care would be as good as anywhere else.

Only five per cent of the total participants felt their NHS cancer treatment would be poor.

The survey was done by the research consultancy Yonder on behalf of UCL academics.

Co-author and cancer clinician Professor Mark Emberton said: 'I strongly support the efforts being made to re-awaken public awareness of the value of early cancer diagnosis and to encourage people to report unusual symptoms to their doctors, even if they seem minor.

'But there is only so much this can achieve without more investment in better diagnostic services and optimal access to effective new treatments for all stages of cancer.

'Our research should remind politicians that the UK public wants the NHS to be a global leader in cancer care.'

Doctors say telephone and video appointments allow them to get through more patients.

But critics believe the pendulum has swung too far and that doctors are more likely to miss the signs of a more serious illness if they dont see someone in the flesh.

Boris Johnson's spokesman said: The NHS has been clear to every GP practice that they must provide face-to-face appointments, and we fully support that.

Boris Johnson (pictured at a meeting with Amazon Executive chairman Jeff Bezos in New York yesterday) piled pressure on GPs to offer more in-person consultations on Sunday night

GPs throughout the pandemic have worked hard to see patients and appointment numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

'Its right that the public expect to be able to see their GP in person, if needed.

There have been calls to change the way GP practices are funded to incentivise doctors to see patients face to face.

The pressure group Silver Voices is campaigning for a statutory duty to be placed on them to hold in-person surgeries if patients want them.

Caroline Abrahams of the charity Age UK said older people were struggling with telephone triage.
Sudanese authorities have thwarted an attempted military coup by soldiers supporting the jailed former president Omar al-Bashir and arrested 'all those involved'.

The country's ruling council and military remain in control of the fragile nation after bridges, ports and roads were blocked by the rebels who also tried to seize a building housing the state media and the military headquarters.

The attempted uprising comes more than two years after the military's overthrow of longtime Islamist autocrat al-Bashir amid a public backlash against his three-decade rule.

Sudanese soldiers block the road after a failed coup attempt in Qhartoum by supporters of the ousted president

Sudanese protesters gather outside the main entrance to the southern port in Port Sudan as demonstrators blocked key roads

Authorities accused the loyalists of the ousted president of trying to reverse the revolution that removed him from power in 2019 and ushered in a transition to democracy.

Sudan's state-run television called on the public 'to counter' the coup attempt but did not provide further details.

'All is under control. The revolution is victorious,' Mohammed al-Fiky Suliman, a member of the ruling military-civilian council, wrote on Facebook. He also called on the Sudanese to protect the transition.

A military official said around 40 troops from the armoured corps were behind the attempt and that they tried to take over several government institutions but were stopped in their tracks and arrested.

He said they had aimed to seize the military headquarters and the state television.

Bridges, ports and roads were blocked by the rebels who also tried to seize a building housing the state media

The attempted uprising comes more than two years after the military's overthrow of longtime autocrat al-Bashir (pictured during his recent trial over the 1989 military coup that brought him to power)

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media, said over three dozen troops, including high-ranking officers, have been arrested.

He did not provide further details, saying that a military statement would be released shorty.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the coup in was organised by elements inside and outside the military establishment.

The failed attempt was preceded by attempts to sow insecurity, especially in the east of Sudan, but had failed to undermine the country's democratic transition, Hamdok said in a televised statement.

The coup attempt points to the difficult path facing a government that has reoriented Sudan since 2019, winning Western debt relief and taking steps to normalise ties with Israel, while battling a severe economic crisis and facing down challenges from those still loyal to Bashir.

A ruling body known as the Sovereign Council has run Sudan under a fragile power-sharing deal between the military and civilians since the overthrow of Bashir, an Islamist shunned by the West who presided over Sudan for nearly three decades.

Elections are expected in 2024 and Bashir is currently in prison in Khartoum, where he faces several trials and is also being sought by the International Criminal Court over alleged atrocities committed in Darfur in the early 2000s.

The state-run SUNA news agency quoted Brig. Al-Tahir Abu Haja, a media consultant for the military's chief, as saying that the armed forces 'thwarted the attempted coup and that all is completely under control.'

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok addresses his cabinet after quelling the attempted coup on Tuesday

The agency said all troops taking part in the attempt were detained and that investigations have started. It did not provide further details.

Footage circulated online showing troops and armoured vehicles deployed to main roads and intersections in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Security was also boosted at the military headquarters and other government buildings in the city.

Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the sovereign council, called the attempt a 'foolish and bad choice.'

'The option of military coups has left us only a failed and weak country,' he wrote on Twitter.

'The path towards democratic transition and securing the country's political future and unity remains one option.'

Later, in a statement read on the state-run TV, Culture and Information Minister Hamza Baloul said security forces have arrested civilian and military leaders of the coup attempt, and that they have been interrogated after the military managed to get the armoured corps camp south of Khartoum under control.

Baloul, who is also the government spokesman, said authorities were chasing others 'from the remnants' of al-Bashir's regime who were suspects in orchestrated the attempted coup. He did not give further details.

Sudan has been on a fragile path to democratic rule since the military's ouster of al-Bashir in April 2019, following four months of mass protests. The country is now ruled by a joint civilian and military government.

The transitional government has been under increasing pressure to end wars with rebel groups as it seeks to rehabilitate the country's battered economy, attract much-needed foreign aid and deliver the democracy it promised.
Pope Francis joked that 'some people wanted me dead' and described how cardinals were already preparing to replace him when he underwent colon surgery this summer, according to a media report.

The 84-year-old pontiff made the comments during a meeting with fellow Jesuits in Bratislava earlier this month, according to Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica.

Asked by one of those present how he was, Francis replied: 'Still alive, even though some people wanted me dead.

'I know there were even meetings between prelates who thought the pope's condition was more serious than what was said. They were preparing for the conclave. Ah well!'

When a pope dies or retires, cardinals meet in a secret conclave to elect his replacement from among their peers.

Pope Francis joked that 'some people wanted me dead' and described how cardinals were already preparing to replace him when he underwent colon surgery this summer

'Thank God, I'm well. Undergoing that surgery was a decision I didn't want to take,' Francis continued.

'It was a nurse who convinced me. Nurses sometimes understand the situation more than doctors because they are in direct contact with the patients.'

Francis had half of his colon removed after a severe narrowing of his large intestine on July 4, his first major surgery since he became pope in 2013. He was discharged from hospital after 10 days.

It was a planned procedure, scheduled for early July when the pope's audiences are suspended and Francis would normally take time off.

Pope Francis pictured leaving hospital ten days after undergoing planned surgery to remove half his colon on July 14

It is not the first time the pontiff has commented on rumours sparked by his health.

After media reports last month that he might step down, he told Spanish radio Cope that 'it didn't even cross my mind'.

Francis was in Bratislava as part of a four-day trip to Slovakia and Hungary earlier this month.

During his trip to Slovakia, Francis urged the country's Roma to better integrate into the mainstream as he met with the socially excluded minority group.

Roma in Slovakia have long suffered discrimination, marginalisation and poverty and, in some ways, Francis' visit to the Lunik IX settlement in the eastern city of Kosice emphasised just how excluded they are.

Slovak police and soldiers lined tall fencing along the main route into the neighbourhood, preventing residents who hadn't registered in who hadn't registered in advance from accessing the small seating area for the event.

Despite the problematic optics, the visit was a highlight of Francis' four-day tour of Hungary and Slovakia. The trip is his first outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July and marks the restart of his globetrotting papacy after a nearly two-year coronavirus hiatus.

The trip to Slovakia was Francis' first outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July and marks the restart of his globetrotting papacy after a nearly two-year coronavirus hiatus

Francis acknowledged Slovakia's Roma had long been subject to 'prejudice and harsh judgments, discriminatory stereotypes, defamatory words and gestures,' and misunderstandings on the part of the Catholic Church.

It is hoped his visit could help change attitudes among Slovakia's majority, many of whom would never visit the neighbourhood, which until recently police refused to enter at night.

But Francis, 84, urged the residents to think of future generations in trying to overcome their own prejudices, obstacles and longstanding mistrust of the Slovak majority, and try to integrate better so their children can have a brighter future.

The Argentine was elected pope in 2013 after the shock resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff since the Middle Ages to quit the role.
Tories today slammed the 'perverse' decision to extend the Covid vaccine rollout to children as young as 12.

In the first parliamentary debate about the controversial expansion of the jab drive, Conservative MPs said it did not make sense now that Britain was 'through the worst of the pandemic'.

They questioned the move to leave the final say on vaccination with children, if they are deemed competent enough, given that experts are torn on the health benefits and ethics.

Britain began inoculating healthy secondary school-aged children with a single dose of Pfizer's vaccine for the first time yesterday.

It did so despite originally not getting the blessing from No10's vaccines advisory panel, which said the health benefit to youngsters was 'marginal'.

The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) left the decision to Chris Whitty and the chief medical officers in the devolved nations. They signed off on the plans on the basis that it could prevent hundreds of thousands of school absences.

Bolton West MP Chris Green said in the Commons: 'In many ways we can objectively say we are through the worst of the pandemic and yet the more draconian or authoritarian measures are being introduced at this stage. It's perverse.'

MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge Miriam Cates, who led the debate, questioned the logic behind the plans, adding: 'Children are not disease spreaders, they're not a buffer for our healthcare system and they're not an economic inconvenience.'

And MP Derek Thomas added said the decision to override the JCVI's original advice 'undermined confidence in the very vaccine rollout programme'.

Conservative MPs have slammed the Government's decision to extend the vaccine rollout to all over-12s. Bolton West MP Chris Green (left) described it as 'perverse' while MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge Miriam Cates (right) says the Government put pressure on the JCVI to reach a decision quickly

Revealed: The logistics of vaccinating over-12s in schools How will it work? The NHS has already been asked to prepare to offer Covid vaccines to 3million 12 to 15-year-olds. Doses will mostly be administered through the school vaccination programme, which manages HPV and flu inoculations in schools every year. Official figures showed almost 90 per cent of children offered the HPV vaccine every year take it. Children will likely receive their vaccines in suitable areas such as school halls. They will be delivered by nurses, healthcare support workers and administrative staff. Parents are set to receive a letter revealing the plans for jabbing kids in the coming days, No10's vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi revealed today. They will also be asked to consent to their child receiving the vaccine. Will it need parental consent? Under-16s are not automatically presumed to be legally competent to make decisions about their healthcare and, therefore, whether they should get the Covid jab. But the courts have previously ruled that under-16s are competent to give consent to an intervention if they have 'sufficient understanding and intelligence to understand fully what is proposed'. This is known as the 'Gillick test', and has been in place since the 1980s. The test is normally carried out by a medical professional or nurse, who assesses the child's maturity, and their understanding of the advantages, disadvantages and potential long-term impacts of vaccination. They then give a view on whether the child is competent to consent to vaccination. Can children overrule their parents? Mr Zahawi said today that children as young as 12 could be able to overrule their parents to get the vaccine. But he admitted this was likely to be a 'very rare occurrence' for the youngest children. He also said parents should not be 'stigmatised' if they are hesitant about their children being vaccinated. Mr Zahawi said children would only be able to choose to have the coronavirus vaccine against their parents' wishes following a meeting with a clinician. The deputy head of the JCVI Professor Anthony Harnden said there was 'sliding scale' of competency, meaning it would be easier for a 15-year-old to overrule their parents than a 12-year-old who is 'less likely to be deemed competent'. Professor Chris Whitty said, in terms of medical consent: 'In the majority of cases, children and their parents come to the same decision.' Advertisement

More than 3million under-16s are eligible for the vaccines and ministers expect at least 60 per cent to take up the offer.

The jabs began at some schools in England yesterday and the rollout is due to begin in Scotland and Wales later this week.

In Northern Ireland, the head of the region's vaccination programme said jabs are likely to be offered in schools from October.

Mr Green said there was little need to extend the rollout further because of the success of adult vaccination.

He said: 'We've seen the first and second wave having a huge impact on us. We've seen the third wave being far less impactful.

'All of our vaccines are effective against all variants of concern and at this time we see compulsory vaccination in the care sector  no doubt shortly to be rolled out into the NHS and therefore after that other sectors in society.

'We see the establishment of the principal of vaccine IDs, domestic ID cards. There's a pause at the moment in England but we can see in Scotland and in Wales these causes are being advanced.

'In many ways we can objectively say we are through the worst of the pandemic and yet the more draconian or authoritarian measures are being introduced at this stage.

'It's perverse.'

Karl McCartney, the Tory MP for Lincoln, highlighted issues around the lack of parental consent needed for children to take a vaccine.

He said: 'As no trials that have been definitive have been made public, I fail to see how any child can be " fully informed" [about the safety of vaccines].'

All vaccine trials show that jabs are safe for the vast majority of children and many countries in the West including the US, Spain and Italy have been rolling out inoculations to over-12s for months.

There is a small one in 10,000 risk of myocarditis  an extremely rare form of heart inflammation that is not necessarily serious  in children. It is slightly more prevalent in boys but doctors say most cases are treatable.

But the long term implications of the condition are not yet fully understood.

JVI member Professor Adam Finn, a paediatrician at the University of Bristol, this weekend said vaccines appear to be safe in children but urged parents who were unsure to wait six months for more long-term safety data to emerge.

Meanwhile, Ms Cates said it was 'surprising to say the least that the Government put political pressure on the JCVI to reach a decision quickly about the vaccination of children'.

She said: 'I think there are some very difficult issues around parental consent and the vaccine, and whether any child can know enough about the potential benefits, the potential risks and I think this is going to be a very difficult question for schools, for health authorities and for parents.'

Ms Cates said the way the decision to vaccinate healthy 12- to 15-year-olds had been made 'should give us pause for thought'.

She said: 'For no other cohort has the Government questioned the JCVI's advice.

'Why have we departed from this stance when it comes to children and look for reasons other than direct medical benefit to press ahead?

'When there are concerns about future health of our children, why haven't we waited for more evidence to emerge?

'Children are not disease spreaders, they're not a buffer for our healthcare system and they're not an economic inconvenience.'

St Ives MP Mr Thomas added: 'The impact of this decision to override the JCVI advice is to undermine confidence in the very vaccine rollout programme.

'Up until now, because of the way the JCVI has operated, the country has welcomed the approach and had confidence in it and supported it.

'I wonder if the Government is doing itself a disservice by undermining the confidence in this.'

Fifteen-year-old Quinn Foakes receiving a Covid-19 vaccination at Belfairs Academy in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

But new vaccines minister Maggie Throup, who replaces Nadhim Zahawi who was promoted to Education Secretary, said: 'The unanimous recommendation of the UK's CMOs is to offer all remaining 12 to 15-year-olds a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine with further JCVI guidance needed before any decision of a second dose.

'They have been clear they are making this recommendation based on the benefits to children alone and not on the benefits to adults or wider society.

'At every point in our vaccination programme we have been guided by the best clinical advice.'

Adviser admits jabs would not have been recommended for use on children in normal times A government advisor over the weekend admitted the Covid vaccine would not have been recommended for children in normal times until it had been fully investigated. Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said scientists did not have the 'luxury' of time to research the possible risks of jabbing children and would usually have collected more evidence before recommending their use on teens. It comes after the school rollout of jabs for children aged 12 to 15 was given the go ahead last week, with the vaccinations set to start on Wednesday. But Finn said parents were justified in waiting an extra three to six months to get their children jabbed until the risks were made clearer with further research, the Times reported. Finn added the decision on whether to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds is not black and white, adding that while it is not 'essential' for them to have a coronavirus jab, it is also 'perfectly sensible' for them to do so. Advertisement

The scientific community has been split over vaccinating healthy children against Covid because the virus poses such a low risk to them.

The JCVI said earlier this month that immunising them would only provide 'marginal' benefit to their health, and not enough to advise a mass rollout.

But Professor Chris Whitty and the chief medical officers in the devolved nations came down in favour of expanding the inoculation drive after weighing up the wider benefits to children.

They said hundreds of thousands of school absences could be prevented and school closures averted if there was good uptake of the vaccines.

And Labour's shadow vaccine minister Liz Kendall insisted extending the rollout was the right decision for children's safety and said the Government should have moved to do so sooner, citing the US, Spain and Italy as countries who have successfully prevented disruptions to education through their rollouts.

Speaking at the debate today, she said it was not true that ministers had ignored the JCVI.

Ms Kendall said: 'It is not true to say that the JCVI advice has been undermined, as I have heard several times in this debate.

'The JCVI says, and I quote: "It is not within our remit to incorporate in-depth considerations on wider societal impacts, including educational benefits.

'"The Government may wish to seek further views on the wider societal impacts from the CMOs of the four nations with representation from JCVI on these wider discussions".'

'They recommended the wider societal impacts were looked at. That is not undermining the JCVI's decision, it is putting it into practice.'

She added that she was 'appalled' at reports of headteachers receiving threats from anti-vaxx parents in her constituency of Leicester.

In response, Mrs Throup said: 'I absolutely condemn intimation and threats to headteachers, school staff and anybody who enters school premises.

'I feel that this is a very big issue and my advice to headteacher who have received such intimidation is that they rapidly the School Age and Immunisation service, who are well versed in addressing this issue, and not be afraid to speak to the police and local authority as well.'
Employees will reportedly be able to put in a request to work from home from their first day in a job under plans due to be announced later this week.

Laws which will protect flexible working first put forward before the pandemic will be confirmed, according to a report in The Times.

The current rules mean employees have to accrue 26 weeks - or half a year - of continuous service before they have a legal right to request flexible working.

Employers are able to decline such requests on business grounds if they wish.

It is reported ministers will confirm the proposal on Thursday as part of a consultation, The Guardian said in a separate report.

Employees will reportedly be able to put in a request to work from home from their first day in a job under plans due to be announced later this week. Pictured: Library image.

This will allow anyone to make a request from the start of their job, with the move aimed at enabling women, disabled people and carers to balance their work and life commitments.

A government source told the Times: 'The business case is compelling. If you're happy at work you're less likely to leave, and companies benefit from motivated employees.'

However, Labour has criticised the plans as not going far enough.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said: 'Labour will give workers the right to flexible working - not just the right to request it - and give all workers full rights from day one on the job.

'This is a U-turn from the Conservative manifesto which promised to make flexible working the default and once again the Conservatives have sold out working people.

'The 'new normal' after this pandemic must mean a new deal for all working people based on flexibility, security and strengthened rights at work.'

Working from home became a huge part of the Covid pandemic as the Government urged Britons to stay indoors.

As the pandemic developed, and the UK moved out of lockdown, the Government changed to advising people to work from home where possible.

Companies able to allow their employees to work away from the office moved to a primarily work from home basis.

However, since July, and the lifting of Covid restrictions in England, many office workers have returned to the office in some capacity.

Some firms, such as building society Nationwide, announced earlier this year that staff would be able to continue working from home even after the lifting of restrictions.

Working from home became a huge part of the Covid pandemic as the Government urged Britons to stay indoors (pictured: Library image). As the pandemic developed, and the UK moved out of lockdown, the Government changed to advising people to work from home where possible

Some firms, such as building society Nationwide (pictured: Library image), announced earlier this year that staff would be able to continue working from home even after the lifting of restrictions

And last week, in a poll reported by the BBC, 70 per cent said they thought workers would 'never return to offices at the same rate'.

But in the same poll, half of 530 senior leaders surveyed by YouGov for the BBC said that workers staying at home would adversely affect both creativity and collaboration.

This was compared to just 38 per cent of the general public.

Meanwhile, a study published last month warned workers in Britain are suffering from an 'epidemic of hidden overtime' with women 43 per cent more likely than men to be working longer than a standard working week during the pandemic.

Employees are finding they can never quite 'switch off' and so continue to work throughout the evening and weekend amid an expectation to 'stay on' as the day is extended in fragments, the Autonomy think tank said.

Experts say the issue particularly affects those working remotely - with a lack of clear boundaries between work and leisure in the UK meaning workers are more likely to take calls and respond to emails throughout the evening.

The think tank found that women are 43 per cent more likely than men to have increased their hours beyond a standard working week, and for those with children this was even more clearly associated with mental distress.

Some 86 per cent of women who carry out a standard working week alongside childcare, greater than or equal to the UK average, were said to have experienced mental distress during April 2020 when the Covid-19 crisis began.

The prevalence of mental distress linked to changes in working patterns for men and women between April and June 2020

The average working hours across EU countries shows how only the Greeks have a longer working week than Britons

The GDP and annual hours per capita across EU countries are shown in this graph, with the biggest disparity in Greece

New working patterns have placed a greater burden on those carrying out standard caregiving - which again has disproportionately impacted women, according to study by Hampshire-based Autonomy.

Two thirds of workers (65 per cent) whose working week increased beyond a standard 37.5-40 hours and who also carried out active childcare during April at a rate greater than or equal to the UK average reported mental distress.

By June 2020 more than half (51 per cent) of workers keeping up this level of work alongside childcare were experiencing mental distress. The study said the UK average level of childcare giving is 80 minutes a day.

Data on overtime levels from 2018 found more than five million UK workers put in a total of two billion unpaid hours of work - an average of 7.5 hours a week per worker and 32.7billion of free labour annually.

The report, called 'The Right to Disconnect', said: 'Much of the data on unpaid labour time concentrates on low paid hourly work and labour market violations. But there is a more subtle problem emerging in our digitally connected world  the expectation to be 'always on'.

'Modern workplaces and homes are digital spaces. The fact that we are able to send and receive messages, emails, and online content 24 hours a day, seven days a week means that it is increasingly hard to disconnect, enjoy our leisure time and develop a healthy work-life balance.

'This has created an epidemic of 'hidden overtime', where workers never quite 'switch off' and continue to do bits of work throughout the evening and weekend.

'Being 'switched back on' by an employer after the working day has finished differs from standard overtime, whereby a worker is usually required to 'stay on'. Instead, a call from an employer - and the response it requires - expands the working day fragment by fragment, meaning the worker is never quite 'off'.'

The report also sets out legislation needed to enshrine the 'right to disconnect' into British law  calling for two amendments to the Employment Rights Act 1996 to ensure workers have the right to fully disconnect from all work communications outside of work hours.

The prevalence of mental distress across industries for 2017-19 and June 2020, three months after the pandemic

Days lost due to illness caused or made worse by work. Data for thousands of days lost in the past 12 months, 2010/112018/19

An International Labour Organization study looked at the percentage of workers who were home based before the pandemic

This graphic from TomTom shows how congestion in London in the first few months of 2021 was significantly below 2019 levels (blue circles), before recovering to above 2019 levels (red circles) by late April, as people began to return to the office

The new laws are modelled on the French Government's right to disconnect law which was introduced in 2016.

Under this law, French employees do not have to take calls or read emails related to work during their time off.

A survey of 2,000 workers by Linkedin in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation found that a loss of boundaries between work and home life have meant those working from home during the pandemic are working on average 28 hours extra a month.

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy, said: 'The Covid pandemic has accelerated the need to create much clearer boundaries between work-life and home-life.

'By enshrining a right to disconnect in British law, workers will be able to take back some control of their lives.

'British workers put in longer full-time hours than most of Europe and action is needed at the level of government to address these fundamentally unsustainable working conditions.'
A new initiative launched by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to 'reduce deadly force encounters' between police and black drivers has divided the city.

The 'Not Reaching' pouches feature a clear plastic bag, which hold a driver's license, insurance card and registration, and is attached to the dashboard by magnets so the motorist does not have to reach inside their glove box or bag.

They were created for the police by Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile who was shot dead by cops who mistook him reaching for his license for reaching for a gun.

She is hopeful the pouches can prevent more innocent black men from being killed by police, just like her son.

But many were furious with Minnesota Police for handing out the pouches, which they believe shift the blame of the cop-killings from the officer to the victim.

Twitter was quick to pounce on the 'tone deaf' bags which some branded 'don't-murder-me pouches' or 'please-don't-execute-me pouches.'

One user replied bluntly: 'Have you tried simply not shooting people instead?'

But others support the pouches as a temporary solution to avoid further killings until perceived issues with police conduct are addressed.

Valerie said she still supports the police department's efforts for 'bigger' policy changes to make traffic stops safer, such as a nearby Minnesota county also no longer prosecuting minor traffic violations.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has offered drivers what they call 'not-reaching pouches' that allow drivers to keep their license and insurance

Valerie Castile (pictured) helped bring the pouches to Minnesota and noted she thought it was a 'brilliant idea' as the police department looks to make traffic stops safer

She noted: 'Some people don't have to worry about that in the morning when their kids leave. They don't have that anxiety and frustration that their child may not come home because of what's happening in the world. But for the fact that my son was murdered, there probably wouldn't be a not-reaching pouch.'

She also criticized the backlash and called for a people to try and find a middle ground.

'My god, it's a plastic cardholder, for God's sake. Why are you upset and angry about a piece of plastic?' the mother said.

'It shows me that there's still this division,' she added. 'No one's looking at the middle ground. It's us against them. And that has to end.'

Many social media users have criticized the pouches as a way to shift the blame on victims of police shootings

Back in 2016, Philando was driving with his girlfriend and 4-year-old daughter when he was stopped for a broken taillight.

St Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez asked Philando for a driver's license and proof of insurance, which he provided the officer through the driver's side window.

Castile then told Yanez that he had a firearm in the vehicle along with a permit allowing him to legally carry the weapon.

Yanez pulled his gun out of his holster and shouted at Castile not to reach for his gun. Moments later he fired seven shots into the car, killing Castile.

Castile's girlfriend streamed part of the event on Facebook after her boyfriend was shot and bloodied. Yanez is seen with his gun drawn, shouting: 'I told him not to reach for it!'

'You told him to get his ID sir, his driver's license,' Castile's girlfriend responded.

'Please officer don't tell me that you just did this to him. You shot four bullets into him sir. He was just getting his license and registration,' she added.

Philando Castile's death was an inspiration for the pouches. Castile (pictured) was shot seven times in an attempt to reach for his information and not for the gun he was legally permitted to own

The officer's lawyer said that his client thought he was approaching someone who resembled a suspect in an armed robbery.

A year after the incident Yanez was acquitted on charges of manslaughter and two lesser charges by a jury consisting of 10 white people and two black.

More recently. in April 2021, another Minnesota man - 20-year-old Daunte Wright - was killed by Officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop after he resisted arrest and she threatened to taser him.

Bodycam footage showed one officer trying to handcuff Wright as a second officer told him he was being arrested on a warrant. Wright immediately jumped back into his car in an apparent attempt to flee.

A struggle then broke out between the officers and Wright, who was still sitting inside his car.

'I'll taser you! I'll taser you! Taser! Taser! Taser!' Potter could be heard shouting in her bodycam video.

Immediately after, Potter can be heard saying: 'Holy sh*t. I shot him'.

Twenty-year-old Daunte Wright was killed by Officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop after he resisted arrest and she threatened to taser him

In court she claimed that she meant to use her taser instead of her handgun when she fatally shot Wright on April 11.

Potter has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in addition to a prior charge of second-degree manslaughter.

Similar tragedies occurred in South Carolina in 2014, when Sean Grouber shot motorist Levar Jones after stopping him in Richland County for not wearing a seat belt.

In Alabama that same year a similar situation unfolded when an policeman shot an unarmed Air Force officer.
Staff at two flagship Scottish hospitals where children's deaths were linked to problems with the building's environment 'played down' concerns about water safety, an inquiry heard.

The inquiry is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.

It is hearing evidence into problems at the hospitals that contributed to the deaths of two children.

It was ordered after patients at the Glasgow hospital died from infections linked to pigeon droppings and the water supply, and the opening of the Edinburgh site was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system.

Colette Gough's 10-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer after he became unwell in July 2018, aged seven, and was found to have a kidney tumour.

The inquiry is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus in Glasgow (pictured)

The following month he was being treated in Schiehallion unit, the children's cancer unit in the children's hospital on the QEUH campus.

Alastair Duncan, counsel to the inquiry, asked Mrs Gough: 'Was there an indication over this period that there might be some concern about the safety of the water that was being used in the Schiehallion unit?'

She replied: 'Not from any member of staff. There were signs on the sink saying not drinking water, and don't pour anything down the drain.

'When we were first admitted there were no water filters on any of the taps but by our second or our third admission, at some point in that first month the tap filters appeared, and I questioned, 'Oh, what are they?'

'When we asked we were told 'Oh, there has been an issue with the water, it's just to keep everybody safe'. The caveat for everything was it's just in case.'

She said when they later asked about this, staff played down concerns.

Reading from the statement she submitted to the inquiry, she said: 'We were told by the staff that there had been issues with the water at the start of the summer.'

The statement continued: 'It was very much played down by the staff when you asked about it. They said to use bottled water, the filters are on the taps and not to touch them or interfere with them and that was it.'

Last year, a child and a pensioner both died at the hospital in Glasgow after becoming ill with cryptococcus, which is linked to pigeon droppings.

The 14-floor Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, one of the largest in Europe, fell under scrutiny after claims the pigeon infestation was known about two years ago.

A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said at the time: 'Our pest control contractor has been called to respond to a complaint received about pigeon droppings in the car park at the New Victoria hospital.'

The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh (pictured) is also investigation

The Scottish hospitals inquiry in Edinburgh is being chaired by Lord Brodie (pictured)

Earlier this year, an independent review found the deaths of two children at the QEUH campus were at least in part the result of infections linked to the hospital environment.

The review investigated 118 episodes of serious bacterial infection in 84 children and young people who received treatment for blood disease, cancer or related conditions at the Royal Hospital for Children at the campus.

It found a third of these infections were 'most likely' to have been linked to the hospital environment.

Two of 22 deaths were 'at least in part' the result of their infection, it said.

The inquiry in Edinburgh, chaired by Lord Brodie, continues.
Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson waded into the controversy over the US military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Monday, slamming it as a ruse to identify 'sincere Christians,' 'free thinkers' and 'men with high testosterone levels' in the armed forces.

During the diatribe, Carlson, 52, condemned the requirement as 'dishonest' and a 'political purity test' - and accused military officials of 'brainwashing' soldiers hesitant to the get the jab.

'To this day, only 46 members of the entire US Military died from the coronavirus over the last year-and-a-half,' Carlson said at the start of his piece.

Tucker Carlson went on another on-air tirade against the US military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Monday, slamming it as a ruse to identify 'sincere Christians,' 'free thinkers,' and 'men with high testosterone levels'

Tucker Carlson reveals a powerpoint from the U.S. Army justifying vaccine mandates with a slide that says "How many children were sacrificed to Satan for the vaccine?" along with listing the 7 tenets of Satanism pic.twitter.com/a6SmmNwLvS  Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 21, 2021

'Suicides, by contrast, kill many, many times more. In just a few months last year, 156 service members killed themselves. So military suicide is an actual crisis the Pentagon might want to address.'

Carlson then asserted: 'The point of mandatory vaccination is to identify the sincere Christians in the ranks, the freethinkers, the men with high testosterone levels, and anyone else who doesn't love Joe Biden, and make them leave immediately.'

'It's horrifying,' Carlson added of the military mandate. 'If you loved the country, you would not do this.'

'It's a takeover of the U.S. military.'

Carlson calls the vaccine mandate a military 'takeover' and a ploy to to brainwash 'freethinkers'

Carlson then attempted to bolster his claim with the help of some visual aids - two PowerPoint slides that he says were used by the US Army to brainwash 'freethinkers.'

According to Carlson, the slides address concerns service members may have had pertaining to getting the jab against their will.

The first slide, titled 'Questions from Friday,' lists seven principles that someone might live by - such as, 'Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs,' and 'Ones body is inviolable, subject to ones own will alone.'

Another principle reads, 'One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.'

Another states, 'People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.'

In reality, the seven statements are the seven tenets of Satanism, taken from the Temple of Satanism website.

The slide also boast a prominent pull quote, that's been highlighted by Carlson's team, that reads, 'How many children were sacrificed to Satan for the vaccine?' as well as an archaic painting of a Satanic sacrifice ritual.

Carlson attempted to bolster his claim on-air with a strange PowerPoint slide that lists the seven tenets of Satanism, that he said he obtained from the US Army

'This is an actual slide from it on your screen,' Carlson said.

'You will notice there, the sympathetic portrayal of Satanism. "How many children were sacrificed to Satan because of the vaccine?" the slide reads, apparently sarcastically,' the news host scoffed.

'The presentation proceeds to list the so called tenets of Satanism which are taken from the Temple of Satanism website,' he remarks, before asserting, 'So here you have the United States Army doing P.R. for Satanists.'

Carlson then produces a second slide, one that claims that just three people have died from taking the COVID vaccine - all from the Johnson & Johnson jab.

Carson then attacked the facts presented in a second slide he said comes from the US Army, saying it directly conflicts with facts offered by the Biden administration

The irate anchor remarks that the facts in the alleged Army slide are 'dishonest,' and that they conflict with facts presented by the Biden administration.

'Reports collected by the Biden administration itself indicate (deaths are) actually in the thousands,' he stated to the camera.

Carlson did not cite which 'reports' he was referring to in his rant.

The host said his show confirmed with the Army the authenticity of the PowerPoint slides.

The Army, however, stated that the presentation had not been approved by military officials.
Ben Wallace today revealed the UK has been unable to contact eight of the 260 Afghan interpreters who were left behind at the end of the Kabul airlift as he apologised for an astonishing Ministry of Defence data breach.

The Defence Secretary said the MOD has 'not had comms' with eight of the interpreters since the end of Operation Pitting which came to a close on August 28.

Mr Wallace said the 'numbers are changing everyday' and 'often when they are travelling they are not in communication'.

However, his comments are likely to spark concerns about the safety of those interpreters who worked for British forces during the Afghanistan conflict as they try to avoid reprisals from the new Taliban regime.

Mr Wallace revealed the numbers as he apologised after blundering MOD officials mistakenly revealed the names of hundreds of the interpreters who are in hiding.

A furious Defence Secretary said one individual has already been suspended after he ordered an immediate investigation into last night's staggering email data breach.

Mr Wallace said the interpreters were swiftly advised to delete their email and to change addresses, with the MOD now assessing the 'potential increased risk' they are facing.

He said those interpreters who are still in Afghanistan after failing to make it out during the airlift had been offered an 'unacceptable level of service' which had 'let down' veterans.

Ben Wallace today apologised after blundering Ministry of Defence officials mistakenly revealed the names of hundreds of Afghan interpreters who are in hiding from the Taliban

A furious Defence Secretary said one individual has already been suspended after he ordered an immediate investigation into last night's staggering email data breach. The MOD building in Whitehall is pictured

After years of working for British forces on the front line, the interpreters are eligible to be given sanctuary in the UK after the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan.

But many were unable to make it out last month during the hurried exit of US and UK forces from Kabul.

Those stranded with their families were forced into hiding from Taliban fighters who vowed to hunt down the 'traitors' who had worked for British forces.

The Ministry of Defence last night plunged them into even deeper peril by inadvertently distributing a list of all their names.

In a shocking gaffe, an official sent an email to about 250 interpreters and other Afghans cleared for refuge in the UK who are still in hiding in Afghanistan, asking them for an update on their situation.

But it included all their email addresses, which in most cases are simply their names. Some of the email addresses had photos attached.

All the information could be seen by every recipient of the message from the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy team (Arap), which has been in contact with them since the Taliban took control of the country.

The unnamed official failed to use 'blind copy'  the email feature that stops recipients of a group email seeing who else it had been copied to.

It is feared that if the Taliban captures just one of the individuals they could acquire details of all the rest.

Mr Wallace told the House of Commons this afternoon: It was brought to my attention at 22.00 hours last night there had been a significant data breach.

To say I was angered by this was an understatement and I immediately directed an investigation to take place.

Initial findings show that an email was sent at 17.44 hours as part of the weekly contact we maintain with Arap currently remaining in Afghanistan and this was copied to all applicants rather than blind copying them.

The email was immediately recalled on identification of the breach and then a subsequent email was sent advising people to delete their email and change their addresses, many of whom have done.

So far one individual has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation and processes for data handling and correspondence processing have already been changed.

I have directed extensive steps are taken to quantify potential increased risk to individuals in order to take further steps to protect them.'

Email addresses, names and photos of scores of Afghan interpreters were revealed in a data breach yesterday [file photo]

Mr Wallace said the Information Commissioner has been informed of the breach and the MOD will 'cooperate fully with any of their own inquiries'.

He said: I apologise to those Afghans affected by this data breach and... we are now working with them to provide security advice.

He added: It is an unacceptable level of service that has let down the thousands of members of the armed forces and veterans and on behalf of the Ministry of Defence I apologise.

Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey said the email 'needlessly' puts the lives of Afghan interpreters at risk, adding: It is not the apology but the action which matters most now.

Mr Wallace also told MPs that of the 260 Afghan interpreters who were left behind by the UK 'there were eight that we have not had comms with since the end of Op Pitting and we have continued to try'.

He said: The numbers are changing everyday, either because people crop up and say actually Im in London already or in Australia, all because what is happening on the ground and they make it across the border. Often when they are travelling they are not in communication.
A Liberal MP has called for Health Minister Brad Hazzard to resign after allowing a reality show to film in Byron Bay where a crew member later tested positive to Covid.

The Byron and Tweed shires were thrown into a snap lockdown on Tuesday afternoon after a case was recorded in the area.

The person has since been revealed as a fully-vaccinated female crew member on Channel Ten's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia.

Liberal MP Catherine Cusack said she was 'devastated' by the news the worker was allowed to fly in from Sydney and called for the resignation of Mr Hazzard, her colleague, for granting the exemption.

'I am calling on Brad Hazzard to resign because he has ignored the regions and I hold him personally accountable for the new lockdown and destruction of the progress we have made on the Queensland border arrangement,' Ms Cusack said on Tuesday.

'Sydney coming out of lockdown is going to be a disaster for the regions unless Sydney is prevented from travelling out of the city.'

The person responsible for the snap Byron and Tweed shire lockdown is a crew member on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Australia Pictured: Hosts Chris Brown and Julia Morris

Liberal MP Catherine Cusack (pictured right with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian left) called for the resignation of Brad Hazzard after the case was infectious in Byron and Tweed

'I am calling on Brad Hazzard to resign because he has ignored the regions and I hold him personally accountable for the new lockdown,' Ms Cusack said

Byron Shire, Kempsey and Tweed Shire areas all went into a snap seven-day lockdown from 5pm on Tuesday.

The woman, who is fully-vaccinated, arrived on the Virgin Flight VA 1141 from Sydney to Ballina on Saturday morning and was infectious for two days while working in Byron, Ballina and Tweed.

Mr Hazzard said the lockdown would initially be for seven days, subject to a further review.

Ms Cusack slammed the NSW government and the health minister for putting the regions at risk.

'The regions are not ready because we have not had vaccine access. We haven't had the same rules to fast-track vaccination, and we are sitting ducks,' she said.

'Our health system is not going to cope and our Indigenous communities are at massive risk.'

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an ITV Studios Australia spokesperson confirmed that an I'm A Celebrity crew member has tested positive for Covid-19.

'ITV Studios Australia has been filming I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Northern NSW in accordance with Public Health Orders and restrictions, as well as its own comprehensive CovidSAFE plan, which is consistent with Screen NSW's guidelines for film and television production,' the spokesperson said.

'We take our CovidSAFE plan extremely seriously. The health, safety and welfare of the community, as well as our cast and crew, is our number one priority.

Crew: In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an ITV Studios Australia spokesperson confirmed that an I'm A Celebrity crew member has tested positive for Covid-19. Pictured: Last year's cast

Mr Hazzard said the lockdown would initially be for seven days. Ms Cusack slammed the NSW government and the health minister for repeatedly putting the regions at risk

Lockdown: Byron Shire, Kempsey and Tweed Shire areas all went into a snap seven day lockdown from 5pm on Tuesday, after a Covid infected Sydney resident flew in on Saturday and tested positive on Monday

'We can confirm that one of our crew members has tested positive to COVID-19. This discovery was made through the rigorous testing regime implemented by our CovidSAFE plan. The crew member is fully vaccinated and was wearing PPE while at work.'

'The crew member is fully vaccinated and was wearing PPE while at work. All close contacts of the crew member from within the ITV production have been identified.

'They are being tested and will isolate in accordance with NSW Health's requirements. ITV is providing crew members with all the support and assistance possible.

'We are working with NSW Health to ensure all necessary steps are taken in relation to contact tracing, testing and further communication to anyone that needs to isolate.'

They were PCR tested and returned a negative result prior to their departure from Sydney for Northern NSW, and took a second test on the day of arrival, as is required, and that test was positive.

According to TV Tonight, the crew member 'has returned to Sydney and into isolation after their positive test'.

The crew member was not on set or in studio and the production of I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here! Australia was not affected by the positive test.

'ITV Studios Australia has been filming I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Northern NSW in accordance with Public Health Orders and restrictions, as well as its own comprehensive CovidSAFE plan, which is consistent with Screen NSW's guidelines for film and television production,' the spokesperson said
Advertisement

Boris Johnson today finally admitted that he is the father of six children after years of speculation and told US TV it is 'a lot of hard work' being a parent before insisting that he 'changes a lot of nappies'.

The Prime Minister, whose second child with his new wife Carrie is due at Christmas, a younger sibling to their son Wilf, one, is notoriously reluctant to discuss his often colourful private life but let down his guard on American television today.

In an interview with NBC on his trip to New York, Mr Johnson admitted for the first time that he has six children - from three different relationships - although there has been some suggestion that there may actually be a seventh.

The PM has a son, Wilfred, with third wife Carrie Johnson and four with his second wife Marina Wheeler. He also has a daughter from an affair in 2009 with journalist and art critic Helen Macintyre - although a court case in 2013 hinted that there may be a second.

Boris has never previously put a figure on the size of his family. Speaking to the Today morning show, he was asked if he was a father of six, replying, 'yes'. Asked what it was like being a father to a young child while in power he added: 'It's fantastic. It's a lot of work, I'll tell you that much. But I love it, I absolutely love it. I change a lot of nappies.'

I change a lot of nappies. -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on fatherhood pic.twitter.com/amLxx3sm9B  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2021

The Prime Minister is notoriously reluctant to discuss his often colourful private life but let down his guard on American television today as he said he had six children

The PM told US TV that being a parent of a young child is 'a lot of hard work' before insisting that he 'changes a lot of nappies'

The PM has a son, Wilfred, with third wife Carrie Johnson (above) and four with his second wife Marina Wheeler. He also has a daughter from an affair in 2009.

Boris, Carrie and Wilf on holiday in Scotland when the little boy in a sling was just five months old

Boris, pictured with his four children from his marriage to Marina, right, pictured together in London when she became a QC in 2016

Six or seven.... How many children does Boris Johnson REALLY have? The Prime Minister and Marina Wheeler, who separated in 2018, have four children together: Lara Lettice, 26, Milo Arthur, 24, Cassia Peaches, 22, and Theodore Apollo, 20. He also has a fifth child, Stephanie Macintyre, with art consultant Helen Macintyre (right). Ms Macintyre's daughter is allegedly one of two children he may have fathered as a result of an affair. The Appeal Court ruled in 2013 that the public had a right to know that he had fathered a daughter during an adulterous liaison while Mayor of London in 2009 - but also mentioned the possibility of a second baby. Lara attended Bedales school - which costs 33,000-a-year - in Hampshire and went on to read Latin at St Andrews University. She reportedly branded her father a 'selfish b******' after his split with her mother. Milo went to 27,000-a-year Westminster School and can speak Arabic, Russian and French, The Mirror reports. Cassia went to Highgate School - which costs 18,000 per year - and Theodore went to Cambridge University. Boris' son Wilf, born on April 29, 2020, is from his relationship with new wife Carrie, who lives with him in Downing Street. His second baby with Carrie, due at Christmas, will be his seventh, officially. Advertisement

Mr Johnson has wed three times, with both previous marriages ending in divorce after he had an affair with his future wife.

The PM  who once dismissed reports of his cheating as 'an inverted pyramid of piffle'  married Oxford University sweetheart Allegra Mostyn-Owen in 1987, but they divorced in 1993 after he cheated on her with Wheeler.

In 2004, his four-year affair with journalist and society author Petronella Wyatt, the daughter of Labour grandee Lord Wyatt, became public. She later told how she had an abortion and suffered a miscarriage.

Mr Johnson was sacked from his role as shadow arts minister by then-Tory leader Michael Howard for lying about the relationship.

The following year he fathered a child with art consultant Helen Macintyre but again was reconciled with his then wife. They finally announced plans to divorce in 2019 year after his relationship with Carrie came to light.

Boris Johnson's second wife Marina was reportedly 'crushed' and their four children 'furious' about news he was having his first child with Carrie in March 2020.

Ms Wheeler divorced Mr Johnson after throwing him out in 2018 amid claims he was having an affair with Ms Symonds.

She is also said to be aggrieved that Boris became engaged and tried for a baby while they were divorcing.

Mr Johnson is thought to have tried to tell their four children Lara Lettice, 26, Milo Arthur, 24, Cassia Peaches, 22, and Theodore Apollo, 20, in person that he and Carrie were having a baby, born later that year.

But not all of his children reportedly bothered to turn up for their father's announcement and are said to be 'furious' because they believe Carrie and Boris got together after an affair.

On discovering his relationship with with Carrie, who is 24 years Boris' junior, Lara told friends he was a 'selfish b*****d' and all the children are said to have been supporting their mother through the divorce.

Boris had a fifth child from an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre.

At first he denied he was the father and even sought a High Court injunction in 2013 to prevent her existence becoming public. He lost, and also the case led to claims there was another secret love child.

The confusion sprang from the judgment that suggested he may have fathered two children as a result of the affair with Ms Macintyre.

It read: 'What was material was that the father's infidelities resulted in the conception of children on two occasions.'

Boris Johnson poses with his wife Carrie in the garden of 10 Downing Street following their wedding at Westminster Cathedral on May 29 in London

Boris Johnson's second wife Marina (pictured together in 2015) was reportedly 'crushed' and their four children 'furious' about his decision to marry again and have more children

Petronella Wyatt, Boris's vivacious deputy when he was editor of The Spectator  at that time dubbed the 'Sextator' because of the numerous affairs between staff, including her relationship with Boris. Pictured together at the Spectator Magazine summer party in 2006

Boris Johnson and Allegra Mostyn-Owen, pictured together in 1987. They divorced after six years after he had an affair

Boris' daughter Lara (together in 2012) reportedly branded her father a 'selfish b*****d' after allegations he had an affair with Carrie surfaced in 2018

Mr Johnson's children with Marina are Lara Lettice, 26, Milo Arthur, 24, (left) Cassia Peaches, 22, (centre) and Theodore Apollo, 20, (right)

Boris and Carrie's announcement they were getting engaged was made just 11 days after his divorce settlement with Marina Wheeler was agreed in court.

The couple had been married for 27 years and have four children, with Ms Wheeler - a successful barrister - reportedly in line to receive 4million from her husband.

The Prime Minister, 55, and Carrie Symonds confirmed they were engaged and expecting a baby, following months of rumours inside Westminster that they were to marry.

Boris Johnson defends US decision to leave Afghanistan after 20 years ahead of his first White House meeting with Joe Biden TODAY - but admits the chaotic pullout that left nation in the hands of the Taliban could 'maybe' have been handled better

Boris Johnson defended the US decision to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban today as he prepared to meet Joe Biden for talks at the White House.

The Prime Minister said Washington was entitled to believe 'enough is enough' after its forces spent 20 years propping up the country in the face of an Islamist insurgency.

In an interview with US network NBC he admitted the chaotic withdrawal last month, which allowed a swift extremist takeover could 'maybe' have been handled better.

But he suggested it was time for the Afghan people to run their own country instead of relying on the West.

President Biden's administration has faced widespread criticism for its rapid pull-out from Afghanistan, which left the country in the hands of one of a brutal theocratic regime.

But speaking in New York after visiting the UN he told the broadcaster: 'America has been there for 20 years and it is a respectable argument to say that enough is enough.

'You can't endlessly subcontract the government of your country to other people. There has got to be some sort of system by which they get back on their feet.'

Asked if he agreed with the withdrawal, he added: 'Could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could.'

Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the chaotic ending to the US war in Afghanistan

President Biden planned to use his first address before the UN General Assembly to reassure other nations of American leadership on the global stage and call on allies to move quickly and cooperatively to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses.

Biden, who arrived in New York last night to meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of today's address, offered a full-throated endorsement of the body's relevance and ambition at a difficult moment in history.

The president, in brief remarks at the start of his meeting with Guterres, returned to his mantra that 'America is back' - a phrase that's become presidential shorthand meant to encapsulate his promise to take a dramatically different tack with allies than predecessor Donald Trump.

But the president was facing a healthy measure of skepticism from allies during his week of high-level diplomacy.

The opening months of his presidency have included a series of difficult moments with friendly nations that were expecting greater cooperation from Biden following four years of Trump's 'America first' approach to foreign policy.

Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the chaotic ending to the US war in Afghanistan.

He has faced differences over how to go about sharing coronavirus vaccines with the developing world and over pandemic travel restrictions. And there are questions about the best way to respond to military and economic moves by China.

Biden also finds himself in the midst of a fresh diplomatic spat with France, the United States' oldest ally, after announcing plans - along with Britain - to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

The move is expected to give Australia improved capabilities to patrol the Pacific amid growing concern about the Chinese military's increasingly aggressive tactics, but it upended a French defense contract worth at least $66 billion to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

President Biden's administration has faced widespread criticism for its rapid pull-out from Afghanistan, which left the country in the hands of one of a brutal theocratic regime (Kandahar pictured today)

Mr Johnson has met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in New York

Boris Johnson has met the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in New York.

The Prime Minister said 'thanks for all your help with everything on Afghanistan', referring to the evacuation flights leaving Kabul airport and landing in Qatar.

Mr Johnson said he was looking forward to welcoming the emir to Glasgow for Cop26 and compared securing finance towards the 100 billion dollar (730 million) a year fund to tackle climate change to a rugby game.

'We need to now start moving like in rugby, start binding everyone together for the final scrum,' the PM said.
Advertisement

Famed New York City restaurant Carmine's has released new footage of what it claims was an 'unprovoked attack' on an Asian hostess by three black women who claimed she called them the N-word during a dispute over vaccine cards.

The Italian eatery shared the surveillance footage, taken from both inside the entrance to the restaurant and the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week, after Black Lives Matter protesters accused the restaurant of intentionally keeping it under wraps.

It shows the three Texas women - Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49 - entering the restaurant as part of a larger party.

The women are escorted inside the restaurant after showing their proof of COVID-19 vaccination while three men in their party - who do not have proof and show up shortly after - remain outside.

The unnamed 24-year-old hostess passes the group, with the four women at the back of the group suddenly stopping and turning in her direction as though something has been said.

At this moment, the women rush outside with what happened next captured on the now-infamous bystander footage shot outside.

There is no audio in the footage so it is unclear if there was an exchange of words between the diners and the hostess and - if there was - what was said.

Kaeita Rankin, Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis - all from the Houston area - say they were provoked by the server who used the racial slur.

Famed New York City restaurant Carmine's has released new footage of what it claims was an 'unprovoked attack' on an Asian hostess by three black women. Footage taken inside the restaurant above

Surveillance footage also shows the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week at the famed New York City eatery

BLM activists gathered outside Carmines Monday night in support of the three black women, chanting F*** you, Carmines, 'Cancel Carmine's' and Carmines are racist.

The restaurant denies the server used the n-word with a spokesperson for its PR firm Trident DMG describing the incident as 'an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts'.

The restaurant had initially claimed the women did not show proof of vaccination, leading to the feud, but walked back that assertion Monday and admitted the three did present their cards.

Instead, the alleged attack broke out when three men who were part of their group arrived several minutes later and two of them could not produce proof of vaccination, Trident DMG PR Emma Novak told Gothamist.

The identity of the server is not being released by the restaurant for her safety but she is said to be new.

There were no protesters Tuesday lunchtime at the restaurant which was busy with diners.

A worker told DailyMail.com that the server was taken to hospital following the incident, which left her with bruises and scratches.

Rankin, her niece, and Lewis were arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. They were given desk appearance tickets and ordered to appear in court on October 5.

In the newly released surveillance footage, the three women are seen arriving at the restaurant as part of a larger party.

The footage then gives an aerial view of inside the restaurant just above the doorway, showing a staff member - not the hostess who was filmed being attacked -walking ahead to seat the party.

The group of people who have shown proof of vaccination follows the server inside.

The four women at the back of the group are seen turning to their right as though something has caught their attention.

The newly released surveillance footage gives an aerial view of inside the restaurant just above the doorway, showing a staff member taking the party in to their restaurant

The four women at the back of the group are seen turning and stopping as the server goes past and leaves the restaurant as though something has been done or said

The women then rush out the door after the server. What happens next is captured on the surveillance footage from outside

At this point, the server - who was walking passed them toward the door just off camera - reaches the door and exits the restaurant.

The four women all stop and look at each other, with some of them seen to be exchanging words.

The woman second closest to the door reaches her arm out toward the woman nearest the door as if to gesture her inside, before she then suddenly rushes out the door after the server.

The three other women rush after this woman outside too.

Surveillance footage taken by a different camera outside the restaurant then reveals one of the women coming up close behind the server - who is standing with her back to the door - and appearing to say something into her ear.

The server looks around as the other women also confront her, while her coworker appears to try to guide her away from the diners.

At this point, the women push the server and a fight breaks out with other diners and restaurant workers getting involved to try to break up the fight.

Jeffrey Bank, the owner of the restaurant, released a statement saying that the surveillance footage shows the assailants started the brawl without justification and were 'entirely unprovoked.'

'This video footage makes clear that the women's Texan criminal defense attorney is heaving falsehoods to try to get his clients off the hook for their attack,' Bank said.

'It also makes clear Carmine's staff acted appropriately and professionally.'

Surveillance footage taken outside the restaurant then reveals one of the women coming up close behind the server - who is standing with her back to the door - and appearing to say something into her ear

The other women also confront the server, while her coworker appears to try to guide her away from the diners before a fight breaks out

Other diners and restaurant workers jump in to try to break up the fight in the surveillance footage released Tuesday

STATEMENT FROM KAEITA NKEENGE RANKIN'S ATTORNEY: Justin Moore, a lawyer who represents Kaeita Nkeenge Rankin, alleged that the hostess used a racial slur and was rude to the women. Moore said the hostess also accused the women of producing fake vaccination cards. 'The hostess begins spouting out derogatory comments, and speaking with two of the women; they claim that the N-word is being spewed out,' Moore told The New York Times. 'They also heard the hostess say, "Yeah, you guys can leave my restaurant," or something very aggressive like that. 'When Dr. Rankin hears that, she turns around and addresses the hostess. She tells her: "This isn't your restaurant. You're just a staff member here. Please address us with respect"'. He said the incident amounted to 'mutual combat.' Advertisement

BLM protesters on Monday demanded the restaurant release its surveillance footage of the incident and accused Carmine's management of a 'cover up.'

Hawk Newsome, a co-founder of BLM's New York chapter who planned Monday's protest, said Carmine's was 'trying to cover up their employee's actions by using the vaccination passport as an excuse.'

He said the tourists were reacting to being called the racial slur by the hostess, that she was disrespectful and that the hostess 'lunged' at the three Texans first.

'After she (the hostess) dropped the N-bomb, the three women did a double take and followed her out the restaurant,' Newsome said.

'And thats the melee you saw.'

BLM organizers also blasted the city's strict vaccine passport rules and invoked the names of recent black women killed by police.

'This vaccination card mandate to create more Sandra Blands, and more Breonna Taylors, it ends here,' said BLM organizer Kimberly Bernard.

'Consider yourself served. Cancel Carmine's!'

Newsome also blasted the vaccination edict.

'Listen, vaccine is a choice, it's a choice,' Newsome told Fox News Channel.

'You shouldn't exclude people from everyday activities because they choose not to engage in something they have every reason to doubt.'

The three women have claimed the hostess was actually the aggressor, and have called for her to be fired.

Justin Moore, a lawyer who represents Kaeita Nkeenge Rankin, alleged that the hostess used a racial slur and was rude to the women.

Moore said the hostess also accused the women of producing fake vaccination cards.

'The hostess begins spouting out derogatory comments, and speaking with two of the women; they claim that the N-word is being spewed out,' Moore told The New York Times.

'They also heard the hostess say, "Yeah, you guys can leave my restaurant," or something very aggressive like that.

'When Dr. Rankin hears that, she turns around and addresses the hostess. She tells her: "This isn't your restaurant. You're just a staff member here. Please address us with respect"'.

He said the incident amounted to 'mutual combat.'

Black Lives Matter protesters gather outside Carmine's, an Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, on Monday

Protesters with bullhorns chanted and denounced the restaurant's management as 'racist'

The protesters were angry over an incident on Thursday in which three black women visiting from Texas were arrested after they were filmed in a violent altercation with a hostess who is said to have asked them to show proof of vaccination

A Black Lives Matter protester holds a sign near the entrance to Carmine's restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Monday

BLM protesters chanted F*** you, Carmines and Carmines are racist outside the Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Monday night

Hawk Newsome (left), a co-founder of BLM's New York chapter, speaks during the protest

'After she (the hostess) dropped the N-bomb, the three women did a double take and followed her out the restaurant,' Newsome said. 'And thats the melee you saw.'

NEW YORK: BLM activists confront the Carmines restaurant continuing to accuse them of being racist after an altercation over vaxx papers took place a few days ago



pic.twitter.com/C7EvZCllaj  Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) September 20, 2021

Moore's allegations were rejected by Carolyn Richmond, an attorney for the restaurant.

'Nothing about this incident suggests race was an issue,' Richmond told The Times.

'The pandemic has added a key responsibility to the host position - insuring the safety and health of all employees and guests by checking for proof of vaccination in compliance with New York City law.

'The idea that anyone would become violent as an employee performs this necessary function is anathema to New York, the hospitality industry and New Yorkers in general,' she added.

'As all of the women showed proof of vaccination they were all permitted to enter and were in fact seated inside.'

Moore told Daily News: 'This hostess clearly has some anger management issues and unfortunately her aggression and her violence led to something that three black women are being punished for.'

Richmond denied the Texas women's accusation.

'Any claim that they were racially profiled is a complete fabrication, disingenuous, and outright irresponsible,' the lawyer for the restaurant told the Daily News.

The hostess 'refused service to these women and got hostile with them,' Moore said in a statement on Friday.

'The injuries that she received were incurred by her being physically restrained by other staff at Carmines after she was called out for racial discrimination, which she took offense to.'

Carmine's, which has two locations in New York City as well as outposts in cities including Las Vegas, is known for large servings of pasta and other Italian dishes.

The restaurant has been following the city's rule requiring proof of vaccination for indoor restaurant dining, which has been in effect since August 17 but was only being enforced as of this week.

Three women from Texas punched and beat a hostess at Carmine's Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Thursday after she asked for their proof of vaccination to dine indoors

Carmine's staff, right, assisted by another person, jumped in to separate one of the attackers from the 24-year-old host

One of Carmine's managers, left, confronted the women who attacked her employee. The women complained that they were not being allowed inside

Black Lives Matter protest happening outside of Carmines now on the Upper West Side. pic.twitter.com/o5Mc5mvdtX  Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) September 20, 2021

'Last weeks violence against our staff had nothing to do with race, despite a Texas criminal defense lawyers false assertions to the contrary,' the restaurant said in a statement.

'Three of our hosts who are respectively black, Latinx, and Asian American women did their best to welcome a large party while enforcing New York's vaccination requirement for indoor dining.

'We require that every guest show evidence of vaccination to eat inside.

'Unfortunately, some male members of the party were unable to provide vaccination proof and so could not enter the restaurant.

'Three female guests in the party who had shown proof of vaccination and been welcomed into the restaurant without issue then launched an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts, one of whom continues to suffer from a concussion.'

The statement added: 'None of the attackers offered any reason for their attack. None of the hosts  all of whom are people of color  uttered a racial slur.

'None of the attackers mentioned anything about race to our managers, staff, or the police who arrested them, and the Texas criminal defense lawyer's false assertion otherwise is a deeply cynical ploy to try to excuse wanton violence.'

New York City has some of the most restrictive COVID-19 rules.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured third from left) had to eat pizza outside on the street in New York City on Sunday because he is unvaccinated

The photo of Bolsonaro and his inner circle of advisers eating pizza on the sidewalk went viral on social media

Bolsonaro, who claims he is unvaccinated against coronavirus , and his ministers had pizza slices and sodas in the middle of the street on Sunday as they arrived in-person for the United Nations General Assembly meeting

Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed a mandate requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination to enjoy indoor activities like dining, concerts, movies and conventions.

Businesses had a grace period, which ended on September 13, to begin implementing vaccine checkpoints before facing $1,000 fines.

Mask rules have remained largely relaxed, although New Yorkers must still wear them on public transport and in health settings, with individual businesses also permitted to impose a mandatory face-covering rule if they wish.

Last month de Blasio said every Department of Education employee must receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by September 27 in efforts to stop the hyper-contagious Delta variant spread through the city.

He did not offer the option of a weekly test instead.

City data showed that only 28 percent of black city residents between the ages of 18 and 44 are fully vaccinated, compared to 49 percent of Hispanics, 52 percent of whites, and 82 percent of Asians in the same age group.

Since New York announced its vaccine mandate, New Orleans and San Francisco have issued similar orders for patrons and staff of indoor businesses.

The US currently has about 149,000 weekly average of new cases and the death toll has reached 673,000.

The mandate applies even to world leaders, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

The leader of the world's sixth most populous country was forced to eat pizza on a Manhattan sidewalk on Sunday after he was refused indoor dining service due to his refusal to get vaccinated.

A drunken woman, branded as 'Karen,' in California attacked a restaurant worker for not wearing a mask. Karen herself was maskless when she attacked a restaurant supervisor. When no one responded to her commands, she grabbed a bottle of cleaning spray off the counter and sprayed it in the worker's face before finally leaving the restaurant

Bolsonaro and several of his key government ministers arrived in-person for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

The photo of Bolsonaro and his inner circle of advisers eating pizza on the sidewalk went viral on social media.

New York City's health commissioner informed the General Assembly president-elect Abdulla Shahid that UNGA would be covered by a local law requiring proof of vaccination for indoor venues.

Already indicative of clashes is Bolsonaro, who says he is not vaccinated but has antibodies from a COVID-19 infection last year.

His in-person attendance at UNGA defies the New York City vaccine requirement and the honor system it implemented for attendees.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the requirement 'discriminatory' and said he was 'surprised and disappointed' by the idea of requiring proof of vaccination to enter the General Assembly Hall.

Nebenzia claimed the rule is contrary to the 1947 agreement between the US and the UN that establishes the world body's international status.

After pushback on the requirement, Shahid walked back in a new letter on Thursday: 'I would like to advise delegations that the honor system related to vaccinations  remains in place.'

The incident at Carmine's wasn't the only vaccine-related violence to take place on Thursday.

A drunken woman branded as a 'Karen' in California attacked a restaurant worker for not wearing a mask.

That woman was maskless when she attacked a restaurant supervisor and demanded she wear a mask and let her check her vaccination card, yelling at the woman: 'You don't f***ing deserve your f***ing job.'

Karen ordered that the supervisor wear a mask and when no one responded to her commands, she grabbed a bottle of cleaning spray off the counter and sprayed it in the worker's face before finally leaving the restaurant.
Advertisement

President Joe Biden made his first major address before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday - announcing new financial commitments as he tried to reestablish the U.S.'s place in the global community.

Biden said he'd ask Congress to double the amount of money for public climate financing - to about $11 billion a year - while also devoting $10 billion to curb hunger.

'We are not seeking a new Cold War,' Biden also assured the delegates, after the U.N.'s secretary- general expressed concerns about the U.S.'s deteriorating relationship with China.

President Joe Biden speaks at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning - marking his first appearance at the annual forum as president

Biden made new financial commitments toward climate change prevention and hunger during his first appearance as president before the United Nations General Assembly

'We'll stand up for our allies and our friends and oppose attempts by stronger countries to dominate weaker ones, whether through changes to territory by force, economic coercion, technical exploitation or disinformation, but we're not seeking - I'll say it again, we are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs,' the president stated.

'The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges - even if we have intense disagreements in other areas because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19, climate change or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation,' Biden said.

Later, however, Biden name-dropped China's Xinjiang region - where large numbers of Uyghur Muslims are being kept in detention camps.

'We all must call out and condemn the targeting and oppression of racial, ethnic and religious minorities,' Biden said.

Biden was addressing the conference on the heels of the U.S.'s frenzied pull-out from Afghanistan, which he portrayed as an opportunity.

'I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years the United States not at war. We've turned the page. All the unmatched strength, energy and commitment, will and resources of our nation now fully and squarely focused on what's ahead of us. Not what was behind,' Biden said.

'I know this, as we look ahead, we will lead,' he continued. 'We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time.'

'But we will not go it alone,' Biden added. 'We will lead together with our allies and partners and in cooperation with all those that believe, as we do, that this is within our power to meet these challenges, to build a future that enlists all of our people, [and] preserves this planet.'

Biden appeared before the U.N. General Assembly for the first time as U.S. president on Tuesday

Biden removes his mask before speaking at UNGA on Tuesday

Biden committed to boost funding for climate change and hunger initiatives in front of the United Nations on Tuesday

He said that by ending 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan the United States was concluding 'this period of relentless war' by 'opening a new era of relentless diplomacy.'

'Today many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms,' Biden said. 'Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.'

'To fight this pandemic we need a collective act of science and political will,' Biden said.

Biden pushed - after four years of former President Donald Trump's 'America First' policies - that the U.S. would again play ball with multi-state actors, which the ex-president viewed skeptically.

'We're back at the table in international forums, especially the United Nations,' Biden said.

'We are reengaged at the World Health Organization working in close partnership with COVAX to deliver life-saving vaccines around the world,' he continued.

'We rejoined the Paris climate agreement and we're running to retake a seat in the Human Rights Council next year, at the U.N.,' he added.

Biden voiced to the 'authoritarians of the world' that democracies were alive and well.

'The truth is, the democratic world is everywhere. It lives in the anti-corruption activists, the human rights defenders, the journalists, the peace protesters. On the front lines of the struggle in Belarus, Burma, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and everywhere in between,' Biden said. 'It lives in the brave women of Sudan, who withstood violence and oppression to push the genocidal dictator from power.'

Biden also cheered on the 'proud Moldovans' and 'young people of Zambia' for democratic wins.

'And while no democracy is perfect, including the United States - we'll continue to struggle to live up to the highest ideals to heal our divisions,' Biden said.

Biden's climate envoy, former Secretary of State John Kerry, is seen arriving for Tuesday's UNGA session

The Beast is seen departing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday

'And as we face down violence and insurrection, democracy remains the best tool we have to unleash our full human potential,' he argued.

Biden dedicated sections of his speech to try to draw Iran and North Korea back to the negotiating table over the issue of nuclearization.

He also said he remained supportive of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

'We're a long way from that goal at this moment. But we must never allow ourselves to give up the possiblitity of progress,' Biden said.

Throughout the address, Biden touched on climate and the COVID response again and again.

'In April, I announced the United States will double our public international financing to help developing nations tackle the climate crisis. Today, I'm proud to announce that we'll work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts,' Biden said.

'This will make the United States the leader in public climate finance,' Biden announced.

'With our added support together with increased private capital from other donors, we'll be able to meet the goal of mobilizing $100 billion to support climate action in developing nations,' the president said.

Biden was beefing up a commitment made prior to the U.S. signing onto the Paris climate agreement, which was done in 2015 under President Barack Obama.

The announcement comes weeks before world leaders will gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate summit.

President Joe Biden (right) held one bilateral meeting in New York Tuesday, with Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left)

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opens Tuesday's session of the United Nations General Assembly

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro - who says he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 - spoke before Biden on Tuesday

Biden also spoke of the virtual UNGA summit he'll host from the White House Wednesday, which focuses on COVID - telling the delegates he'd announce more U.S. commitments then.

'Planes carrying vaccines from the United States have already landed in 100 countries, bringing people all over the world a dose of hope, as one American nurse termed it to me. A dose of hope direct from the American people - and importantly, no strings attached,' Biden said.

Addressing food insecurity, Biden said 'the United States is making a $10 billion commitment to end hunger and invest in food systems at home and abroad.'

He arrived with an entourage of aides to U.N. headquarters Tuesday morning - ignoring reporters' questions.

Biden addressed the conference on the heels of the U.S.'s frenzied pull-out from Afghanistan and after the relationship with a key ally, France, was rattled, over a submarine deal with Australia.

Biden spoke about the importance of the U.S.'s relationship with the European Union during his remarks, but didn't call out France specifically.

He didn't answer questions during his one bilateral meeting of the day - with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison - about the dust-up with the French.

Biden also met with the president of Iraq, Barham Saleh, but didn't allow reporters in the room.

Biden arrived in New York Monday afternoon and met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Monday night.

'America is back. We believe in the United Nations and its values,' Biden said, trying to constrast his White House with that of Trump's.

President Joe Biden arrives at the United Nations headquarters in New York Tuesday morning where he'll deliver a speech before the U.N. General Assembly

President Joe Biden (right) met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (left) in New York Monday night, ahead of his speech to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (left) and President Joe Biden (right) are photographed with their aides at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel in New York Monday night

In their first in-person meeting, Guterres said he was 'delighted' to meet with the American president, saying Biden 'clearly affirmed a strong commitment' to the U.N.

'The vision of the United Nations has never been short in ambition, any more than our Constitution,' Biden said. 'Ambition matters.'

'Today, governments must continue to work together in a system to build on international law to deliver equitable prosperity, peace and security for everyone,' Biden continued. 'This is as vital and important today as it was 76 years ago,' Biden told aides and reporters in the room, noting that he recently re-read the U.N.'s charter.

The duo took no questions and neither man brought up comments Guterres made over the weekend saying he feared another Cold War - this time between the U.S. and China - because the countries' had a 'completely dysfunctional relationship' as of late.

Prior to Biden's arrival in New York press secretary Jen Psaki said the president will make it 'absolutely clear' during his UNGA address he is not looking to start a Cold War with any country.

'I would also note that tomorrow the president will deliver a speech ... at the U.N. General Assembly and he will make absolutely clear he is not looking to pursue a future, new Cold War with any country in the world,' Psaki said. 'We will continue to pursue our interests. We will continue to lift up global priorities, but that is not the objective or policy of the United States.'

A senior administration official pressed this point when talking to reporters Monday.

'And the speech will center on the proposition that we are closing the chapter on 20 years of war and opening a chapter of intensive diplomacy by rallying allies and partners and institutions to deal with the major challenges of our time,' the official said before ticking them off.

'COVID-19, climate change, emerging technologies, rules of the road on trade and economics, investments in clean infrastructure that is noncorrupt and high-standards, a modern approach to counterterrorism, and vigorous competition with great powers - but not a new Cold War,' the White House official said.

When Biden arrived in New York he was greeted by the state's new governor, Kathy Hochul, along with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray.

He will only stay in New York through Tuesday afternoon and then return to the White House to host British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a bilateral meeting.

On Wednesday, Biden will host a virtual COVID-19 summit as part of UNGA - again from the White House.

On Friday, Biden will host the first in-person Quad summit with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan.

On Tuesday, he's meeting Austalian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the sidelines of the summit.

'He couldn't do all three on one day and do the Quad Summit, and so he'll see Prime Minister Morrison tomorrow in New York,' the White House official said Monday.

He'll then have one-on-one meetings with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday as well.
Advertisement

Scotland Yard today named a Russian paratrooper captain turned GRU spy as the third man wanted over the Salisbury Novichok attack, as Priti Patel warned Britain will take 'every possible step' to extradite the suspects.

Police said this morning Sergey Fedotov, real name Denis Sergeev, faces a string of charges including trying to kill former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey.

The Skripals were left fighting for their lives after members of a Russian military intelligence hit squad smeared the deadly weapon on Mr Skripal's front door.

The attack seriously injured police officer Nick Bailey and Salisbury resident Charlie Rowley, whose partner, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, later died.

Fedotov is accused of seven charges, including three of attempted murder as well as conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia and Mr Bailey, and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

These are the same counts faced by two other suspects in the case already identified by police in 2018 - Alexander Mishkin, who used the name Alexander Petrov while in the UK, and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the alias Ruslan Boshirov.

It comes as footage emerged of Fedotov - the alleged ringleader - describing attacking Chechen rebels while serving as a paratrooper in 1999.

A recently uncovered video shows the suspect discussing his exploits as a captain serving in the first paratroopers' company of the 108th air assault regiment.

The unit - based in Novorossiysk, on Russia's Black Sea coast - was involved in fighting in Dagestan in the summer of 1999, and later in Chechnya.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Ms Patel told the Commons today that everything possible was being done to hunt down the trio.

A recently uncovered video shows suspected Salisbury ringleader Sergey Fedotov discussing his exploits as a captain serving in the first paratroopers' company of the 108th air assault regiment

His unit - based in Novorossiysk, on Russia's Black Sea coast - was involved in fighting in Dagestan in the summer of 1999, and later in Chechnya

The videos relate to an attempt to recapture Mount Alilen in Dagestan from Chechen fighters. Fedotov was injured during the operation and decorated, Bellingcat revealed.

In two separate clips he described the operation.

In the first, he said: 'When the ascent began on Mount Alilen, a downpour came down and it lasted about two or three hours. everyone was soaked, feet slipped and so on.'

In the second clip, Sergeev recalled his exploits in more detail. 'Firstly, helicopters were shot down,' he said.

'Second, it (the mountain) was dominant over the entire valley, and the entire gorge, where the villages of Rakhata and Ansalta were located. And when I went up there, (the village) Tando was exclusively in the palm of my hand.

'It could be shot at calmly. Well, not to mention the fact of all the movements of federal troops at our former base.

'They were extremely visible and could be fired upon. If we had failed to take this mountain the success of the operation would be dubious.'

Officers identified the third Salisbury poisoning suspect as Sergey Fedotov (real name Denis Sergeev) and said he was a Russian national, aged about 50. This image is taken from his travel documents

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'Arrest warrants are in place for all three men and the police have applied for an Interpol notice against Fedotov mirroring those already in place against the other two suspects.

'Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice.'

Theresa May, who was Prime Minister at the time, called the attack an 'appalling crime', adding: 'I urge the UK government to do all it can to bring the individuals concerned to justice.'

Meanwhile, Downing Street said ministers would do 'everything' to bring the Salisbury suspects to justice but admitted that as long as they stayed in Russia it would be almost impossible to do so.

'We have said before that the use of Novichok nerve agent on British soil was a sickening and despicable act and a clear violation of the chemical weapons convention,' the PM's spokesman said.

'This wasn't a rogue operation and only the Russian state had both the technical means, experience and the motive to carry out the attack.

'But you will be aware that we don't have an extradition treaty with Russia and as we have found with other cases such as Litvinenko any formal extradition request is futile.'

The Skripals were left fighting for their lives in March 2018 when members of a Russian military intelligence hit squad are believed to have smeared deadly nerve agent Mr Skripal's door handle in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Mr Bailey was one of the officers investigating the case and also became seriously ill.

Fedotov is accused of seven charges, including three of attempted murder as well as conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia and Mr Bailey, and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

These are the same counts faced by two other suspects in the case already identified by police in 2018 - Alexander Mishkin, who used the name Alexander Petrov while in the UK, and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the alias Ruslan Boshirov.

Investigators say they now have evidence linking the three to Russian military intelligence service the GRU, and that the trio have been involved in similar operations in other countries including Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

News website Bellingcat previously reported that Fedotov is suspected of involvement in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015, while Boshirov and Petrov are accused of being part of a squad behind an explosion at an arms depot in the Czech Republic the previous year.

But with no extradition treaty in place, and Moscow denying any knowledge of the incident, UK authorities are powerless to put the suspects before an English court.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, who is the senior national co-ordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said: 'The investigation team has been piecing together evidence that suggests that Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov have all previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia.'

They had all visited the UK before 2018, although there is no evidence that this was for reconnaissance purposes, police said.

'All three of them are dangerous individuals,' Mr Haydon said. 'They have tried to murder people here in the UK, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the UK by means unknown.

'The amount of Novichok in that perfume bottle was quite significant and if it had come into the wider circulation of the public, without a doubt it would have killed hundreds if not thousands of people.'

The Met released an image of Fedotov leaving Heathrow at 1.45pm on Sunday March 4 - the same day as the Salisbury attack

Police believe Fedotov's real name was Denis Sergeev and he is a member of the GRU, Russian military intelligence

Fedotov entered the UK at 11am on March 2 2018, flying from Moscow to Heathrow and arriving about four hours before Petrov and Boshirov landed at Gatwick.

The three met a number of times in the coming days, both out in the open and at indoor venues, but Fedotov did not leave the capital.

Russia is ordered to pay 105,000 compensation to Alexander Litvinenko's widow as European Court of Human rights finds state WAS responsible for his 2006 assassination By Rachael Bunyan for MailOnline Russia has been ordered to pay 105,000 in damages to Alexander Litvinenko's widow after European judges ruled the state is responsible for his 2006 murder. The European Court of Human Rights issued the ruling today in response to a claim brought by Marina Litvinenko, the ex-KGB agent's widow, in November last year. Alexander Litvinenko is pictured at the Intensive Care Unit of University College Hospital on November 20, 2006 in London. He died three days later 'Russia was responsible for the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in the UK,' a ruling issued by six of the seven-member Strasbourg court said - with the sole Russian judge dissenting. Litvinenko, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, died aged 43 in London after drinking green tea laced with Polonium 210 at the plush Millennium Hotel in Mayfair. Britain has long blamed the attack on Russia, saying he was poisoned by Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. The ECHR agreed with that assessment. But Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, was quick to dismiss the findings - calling them 'unfounded' and adding: 'We are not prepared to accept such decisions'. Advertisement

Fedotov - who police are now hunting - is said to have met the other two men on more than one occasion in in the 'open air' in central London before the attack.

Unlike the other two, no traces of the nerve agent were found at his hotel and he did not travel to Salisbury, leading to speculation that he could have been the unit's commander.

He returned to Moscow on a flight from Heathrow on Sunday March 4 at 1.45pm. Petrov and Boshirov flew back from the same airport at 10.30pm that night.

Mr Haydon told today's briefing: 'In addition to identifying Fedotov's presence in the UK, the investigation team has also been piecing together evidence that suggests all three of them have previously worked with each other, and on behalf of the Russian state, as part of operations carried out, outside of Russia.'

He said the men's real names were Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga and Fedotov's real name was Denis Sergeev and that all three were members of the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

It is the first time that police have been able to evidentially link their suspects to the Russian spy agency, said Mr Haydon, senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism.

Officers are also liaising with investigators in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic about reports the men had visited there.

Charges have now been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service against all three for conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a chemical weapon.

Images of Fedotov were released to the media showing him on his travel documents and from CCTV taken as he arrived and left the country through Heathrow.

The poison was contained in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle, tragically found in June that year in a charity shop bin in Amesbury by Charlie Rowley.

He was left seriously ill and his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with the deadly substance.

Police have appealed to the public for any information about how the bottle came to be found eight miles from Salisbury, and where it was stored between the departure of the would-be assassins from the UK in March and its discovery three months later.

'We want to hear from anyone who might have information relating to the perfume box in the bottle during that period,' Mr Haydon said.

Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov, the two other Russian military intelligence officers accused of carrying out the poisoning

Both of the suspects are spotted at Salisbury train station, where authorities believe they are carrying out reconnaissance mission

Mr Haydon said Fedotov was identified early in the investigation but the team did not have enough information to bring charges.

'From the outset of the investigation, there were a number of lines of inquiry, a number of individuals that we were investigating.

Timeline of Salisbury horror that shocked the world Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury in March 2018. Here is a timeline of how events unfolded: - March 4 2018: Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire. - March 7: Police say a nerve agent was used to poison the pair and the case is being treated as attempted murder. - March 8: Then-home secretary Amber Rudd says Wiltshire Police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is seriously ill in hospital. - March 12: Then-prime minister Theresa May tells the House of Commons the nerve agent Novichok is of Russian origin and the Government has concluded it is 'highly likely' Russia is responsible for the poisoning. - March 14: Mrs May tells MPs the UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats, calling the incident an 'unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the UK'. - March 22: DS Bailey is discharged from hospital but says life will 'probably never be the same'. - March 26: Britain's allies announce more than 100 Russian agents are being sent home from 22 countries, in what Mrs May calls the 'largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history'. - April 10: Ms Skripal is discharged from hospital, followed by her father just over a month later. - June 30: Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley fall ill at a flat in Muggleton Road in Amesbury, eight miles from Salisbury, and are taken to hospital. - July 4: Police declare a 'major incident' after revealing Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley have been exposed to an 'unknown substance', later confirmed to be Novichok. - July 8: Ms Sturgess dies in hospital after exposure to the nerve agent and a murder investigation is launched. - July 10: Mr Rowley regains consciousness and is discharged from hospital later that month. - September 4: Independent investigator the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirms the toxic chemical which killed Ms Sturgess was the same nerve agent as that which poisoned the Skripals. - September 5: Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service say there is sufficient evidence to charge two Russians, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with offences including conspiracy to murder over the attack. - September 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is 'nothing criminal' about Petrov and Boshirov. Downing Street insists they are GRU officers 'who used a devastatingly toxic illegal chemical weapon on the streets of our country'. - September 13: Petrov and Boshirov are interviewed by Russian state-funded news channel RT in which they claim they were tourists visiting Salisbury. - March 1 2019: The Ministry of Defence announces Salisbury is to be declared decontaminated of Novichok after an almost year-long military clean-up of 12 sites. - June 2020: BBC docudrama The Salisbury Poisonings is broadcast over three consecutive nights. Its first episode was reported to have been watched by more than seven million viewers, making it the biggest UK television premiere of the year so far. - August 2020: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is treated in hospital in Germany after it was suspected he was poisoned with Novichok. - March 2021: Three years on from the attack, UK counter-terrorism police say they 'remain as determined and committed as ever' to bring those responsible to justice. - September 2021: Investigators say they have sufficient evidence to charge a third man over the poisonings - Russian spy Denis Sergeev, also known as Sergey Fedotov. Advertisement

'There has been a delay with the third man. We were able to evidence the first two pretty quickly but the third man has taken slightly longer.

'We have to follow due process, and by that I mean investigation, putting it into evidence, putting it before the Crown Prosecution Service, and then eventually we ended up where we are today.'

The three men acted as a 'small team' and had made previous visits to Britain, Mr Haydon said.

'In my mind, they've operated as a as a small team with a view to deploy Novichok to kill individuals in this country.

'We have other intelligence that suggests they've been here before, but we know that they've been in other countries as well, operating as a threesome and likely with others as well.

'Linking three of them to the GRU evidentially, our interest now is, who else was involved?

'I feel these questions can be really difficult to put a number, but I can say it remains an active line of inquiry of who exactly was involved.'

There have previously been 'exchanges' on diplomatic channels with Russia but Britain does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, and police say they have not had any cooperation from Russia in relation to the investigation.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found on a park bench in Salisbury after they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, believed to have been smeared on the door handle at Mr Skripal's home.

The attack is believed to have been ordered by Russian intelligence in revenge for Skripal's work as a double agent for MI6 during the 1990s. He was arrested in 2004 and moved to the UK six years later following a spy-swap deal.

Det Sgt Nick Bailey, one of the police officers who responded to the attack was also taken seriously ill following the attack on March 4 2018.

Four months later Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died from a dose of the nerve agent after her partner, Charlie Rowley, found a discarded bottle which turned out to contain the nerve agent.

Despite circumstantial evidence, police have still been unable to link the find by Mr Rowley to the original attack and so the three Russian spies, have only been charged with attempting to kill Mr Skripal, his daughter and DC Bailey.

They are accused of conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal and DC Bailey, and causing grievous bodily harm to Yulia Skripal and DC Bailey.

A fourth charge was brought for the use and possession of Novichok, contrary to the chemical weapons act.

Scotland Yard released images and details of two men who used the names Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov in September 2018.

Soon afterwards, the pair appeared on Russian TV saying they were tourists who had were visiting Salisbury and see its famous 123 metre spire.

At the time, they were identified by the investigative website Bellingcat as Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga and Dr Alexander Mishkin, two members of the GRU, Russian military intelligence.

Petrov and Boshirov have been linked to a huge explosion which tore apart an ammunitions storage depot in a forest in the Czech Republic on October 16 2014.

The remains of two men, aged 56 and 69, who worked at the site were found more than a month later.

The blast was assumed to have been an accident but in April this year, the Czech authorities identified a special operations team of the GRU called Unit 29155.

An email sent to Imex Group, the company which operated the depot, claiming to be from the National Guard of Tajikistan asked for two men - Ruslan Tabarov from Tajikistan and Nicolaj Popa, a Moldovan citizen - to be given access to the site for an inspection visit.

Police believe that the three suspects identified so far are in Russia, and with no extradition treaty with the country there is little chance of them being brought to the UK.

Nick Price, CPS head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'We will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of Sergey Fedotov as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals. Russia has made this clear following requests for extradition in other cases. Should this position change then an extradition request would be made.'

Sergei Skripal - seen with his daughter, Yulia - served as a double agent for the UK's intelligence services during the 1990s and early 2000s

Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess (left) and her partner Charlie Rowley (right) fell ill at the flat after she handled a perfume bottle containing the poison. She died while Mr Rowley recovered

Police will apply for an Interpol notice to be issued for Fedotov.

A number of other individuals remain under investigation over possible involvement in the Salisbury case.

No charges have yet been brought over Ms Sturgess' death, but Mr Haydon said the case remains a live investigation.

A pre-inquest review hearing into her death is due to take place tomorrow.

Wiltshire Police chief constable Kier Pritchard said he welcomed today's development.

'I know this announcement by the Counter Terrorism Policing Network today will affect many people - the victims, their families and the communities of Salisbury and Amesbury,' he said.

'These shocking incidents had a significant impact on all involved and my thoughts, and those of Wiltshire Police, remain with Sergei and Yulia Skripal, Charlie Rowley, the family of Dawn Sturgess, who tragically died, and former Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant, Nick Bailey.

'The Counter Terrorism Policing Network investigation team continues to work tirelessly to seek to bring those responsible to justice and Wiltshire Police will continue to offer our full and ongoing support in this investigation.'

Skripal's house, where the door handle was smeared with Novichok as part of the hit which shocked the world

Philip Wilkinson, police and crime commissioner for Wiltshire, said: 'My thoughts, and those of my office, remain with Dawn Sturgess' family and friends, alongside the other victims who have had their lives devastated by this incident.

'While today's announcement is important, it is vital we remember a member of our community was killed and others left changed and traumatised by the barbaric use of a nerve agent on UK soil.

'Our community has rebuilt and those other victims are coming to terms with the long-lasting implications, so my hope now is the perpetrators will have their appalling crimes levelled against them and all of the victims will see justice served in their names.

'I am democratically elected to hold our police force to account, it would be widely welcomed if some foreign security services demonstrated that same accountability.'

Anyone who saw Fedotov while he was in the UK or has information relating to the perfume bottle can call the anti-terrorism hotline on 0800 789321 or email Salisbury2018@met.police.uk.

Former Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey (pictured with wife Sarah) was also taken seriously ill but went on to recover
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismissed the idea of a sweeping vaccine mandate like the one President Joe Biden announced two weeks ago, adding that Britons are 'great lovers of liberty' in an interview on Tuesday.

Johnson suggested Biden might be better off using 'sweet reason and persuasion' to convince people to get a COVID shot.

Speaking to NBC's Savannah Guthrie in New York City amid the United Nations General Assembly, the UK leader was asked whether Biden's unprecedented order would narrow the gap between Americans' vaccination rate and that of Brits'.

'You have 81 percent of your eligible citizens vaccinated right now. We're at 64 percent. The president has turned to mandates where he has the legal authority to do so. Do you think that's the right idea?' Guthrie asks.

Johnson begins by playing up the differences in each country.

'It's different strokes for different folks, ok - it's up to different countries to decide how they want to approach this, this is a very controversial area.'

But he adds, 'People feel very strongly about not having the state mandate something in my country.'

Boris Johnson sat down with NBC in New York City ahead of the United Nations General Assembly

The President has turned to mandates where he has the legal authority to do so. Do you think that's the right idea? -@SavannahGuthrie



Different strokes for different folks ... its up to different countries to decide how they want to approach this. -Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/Zcl5E6vrdR  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy

'We're great lovers of liberty. We've had to do it by sweet reason and persuasion. And that's working.'

Guthrie asked him what happens when persuasion alone doesn't work.

'Keep going. More sweet reason,' Johnson answered.

On September 9 Biden stood in the White House and announced that he was directing the Labor Department to require private businesses with 100 employees or more to either enact a vaccine mandate or a weekly testing rule.

He also ordered employees of the federal government to get vaccinated - throwing away a previous testing option.

Biden's sweeping order would affect more than 100 million US workers. It's already prompted legal threats from mostly Republican-led states.

It came as the US hit a turning point after its summer COVID surge, though several Southern states still lag below a 50 percent adult vaccination rate.

President Joe Biden meets with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. He is scheduled to meet with Johnson at the White House later on Tuesday

The president sent a stark warning to those still choosing not to get the shot, 'Our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us.'

The United Kingdom rolled back most of its COVID restrictions in July on what Johnson had called 'Freedom Day.'

Cases in the country have also been falling recently. As of Monday, new COVID infections in the UK were down 17.7 percent from the week before, according to Reuters.

Johnson has credited his vaccination campaign for the UK reemerging as 'one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe.'

Last week he announced that booster shots would be available to people 50 and over and first shots for children aged 12 to 15.

The US COVID infection rate has begun to slow down after a summer surge

Meanwhile the US vaccination rate has slowly begun rising after a dip earlier in the summer

The UK COVID infection rate has also been slowing down, which Johnson credited to his vaccination campaign

In the US, hospitals across the South, particularly in states with largely unvaccinated populations, are still buckling under the strain of the most recent surge.

The vaccination rate, which had fallen significantly in the early summer months, began rising steadily in recent weeks.

Fully inoculated UK travelers will soon be able to enter the US from November, a sign of global confidence in the vaccines.

COVID-19 will also be a central topic at the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden will deliver remarks before the UNGA this morning before going back to Washington in the afternoon.

There he and Johnson will meet for a bilateral meeting. It comes after they signed a new defense pact with Australia aimed at containing China's growing influence in the Pacific.
Angelina Jolie has been slammed as 'vindictive' and guilty of 'systematic obstruction' in a new lawsuit brought against her on behalf of Brad Pitt, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Court papers filed in Luxembourg Tuesday accuse Jolie of trying to carve Pitt out of a deal to offload her shares in the divorced couple's French property and vineyard, Chateau Miraval in Correns, France

According to the lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com, Miraval is owned by Quimicum, a company in which Pitt originally held a 60 per cent share through his company Mondo Bongo while Jolie held 40 per cent through her company, Nouvel.

Three years before he and Jolie split, Pitt transferred ten per cent of Mondo Bongo's shares to her company, Nouvel rendering them 50/50 stakeholders in Quimicum.

A new lawsuit filed on behalf of Brad Pitt Tuesday has accused ex Angelina Jolie of trying to carve him out of her deal to offload her shares in their Miraval vineyard in France, DailyMail.com can reveal

The The Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate - now valued at $164M - is where the couple tied the knot in 2008

Now, the suit alleges, Jolie is trying to sell her 50 per cent, circumvent Pitt's right of first refusal and profit from the 'incredible amount of work, time and money,' invested by Pitt and his business partners in growing the brand.

But according to the lawsuit, the ten per cent transfer is void as the shares were 'sold' for only 1 Euro and not a 'serious' amount as required by Luxembourg law.

The Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate near Aix-en-Provence in which it sits was once the couple's getaway.

It was there that the couple, who met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004 when Pitt was still married to Jennifer Anniston, decided to marry in an intimate ceremony in 2008.

Now, it's simply another asset over which to wrangle in a divorce that has burned through the courts for years.

According to the lawsuit it is valued at over 140million Euros (approximately $164million).

'It is worth mentioning that, for the last four years, Nouvel [Jolie's company] did not act in the best interest of Quimicum by systematically delaying the approval of the annual accounts and the renewal of the manager,' the suit states.

Three years before their split, Pitt's company transferred 10% of his shares to Jolie, to make them 50/50 stakeholders in the company, according to the suit

The filing claims Jolie is now trying to circumvent Pitt's right of first refusal and profit from the 'incredible amount of work, time and money,' he spent on the property (pictured)

It continues: 'We understand that behind this systematic obstruction, the real purpose of Nouvel and its shareholder [Jolie] is to sell its stake in Chateau Miraval SA in a way that would circumvent Mondo Bongo's right of first refusal (as provided in Quimicum's articles of approval), taking, as a result, a capital gain raised thanks to Mondo Bongo's investment and to which Nouvel did not contribute.'

Commenting on the latest proceedings one source familiar with the couple's ongoing legal battles told DailyMail.com: 'Angelina's actions towards Brad are consistently vindictive.'

'It's another example of this person trying to circumvent the rules and avoid their obligations.

Jolie filed for divorce in August 2016 citing 'irreconcilable differences' and requesting primary custody of their six children, Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15 and twins Vivienne and Nox, 12.

Three months ago, in June, Pitt, 57, was awarded joint custody  a decision that Jolie, 45, vowed to fight 'with everything she's got.'

Brad and Angelina split in 2016, with Jolie requesting primary custody of their six children (pictured). The actor was awarded joint custody earlier this year

A 'bitterly disappointed,' Jolie let it be known that as far as she was concerned, their legal battle was 'far from over.'

The actress claimed that three of the children wanted to testify against Pitt but were blocked from doing so by Judge John Ouderkirk, the private judge to whom Pitt and Jolie initially agreed in a bid to keep the details of their case sealed.

But just one month after that blow, Jolie won a major victory when her lawyers convinced a California appeals court that Judge Ouderkirk should be excluded on the grounds that Pitt's lawyers did not disclose previous dealings he had had with the actor's attorneys.

Lawyers for Pitt reacted to the decision with dismay, stating that the ongoing legal proceedings and overturning of the custody agreement were detrimental not only to Pitt but to all of the couple's children.

Speaking at the time once source said: 'Brad believes there is overwhelming evidence that the current situation isn't good for the kids. This just sets things back for everyone.'
A former Food and Drug Administration boss has called on the US government to deploy spies to probe overseas public health crises in a bid to quickly identify any future pandemics.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, also told CNBC on Monday that he believes the American public lost trust in its health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control, over their cumbersome initial response to the COVID outbreak in early 2020.

He conceded that while sending spies to monitor potential health threats could lead to all doctors being tarred as potential government secret agents while working abroad, such a measure is necessary to formulate a more nimble response to any future global health crisis.

He also called for a boost in funding to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to better monitor other countries.

Gottlieb, who sits on the board at Pfizer, said that these changes would drastically improve the country's capability to combat another public health crisis, with China accused of lying about the origins of COVID, and frustrating other governments' attempts to pinpoint its origins.

'I think going forward we're not going to just be able to depend on countries voluntarily sharing information,' Gottlieb said.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb said US intelligence agencies should be tasked with investigating emerging health threats overseas to combat outbreaks and needs more funding to be more effective

President Biden in a statement after an inconclusive investigation into the origins of COVID-19 that his administration's efforts to unveil the pandemic's origin 'will not rest,' while taking a swipe at China's lack of 'transparency'

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has since said he was 'not convinced' that COVID-19 developed naturally and called for an open investigation.

'We're going to have to go in and have the capacity to collect it and to monitor for these things, and that means getting our foreign intelligence services much more engaged in the public health mission globally.'

He claimed that in the past the US has avoided bringing intelligence agencies into international public health affairs because the CDC was concerned that 'anyone wearing a white coat overseas would be perceived to be a spy.'

But after the fruitless investigation into the origins of COVID-19, Gottlieb noted that countries are more secretive with the details of their public health issues because they fear being isolated.

After more than a year, the World Health Organization and US intelligence authorities have not reached a satisfied conclusion on the origins of COVID-19.

Three months ago, President Biden ordered a new investigation into the origins of COVID, hoping to conclusively uncover its source.

That has proved inconclusive, amid growing fears COVID may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, rather than the initial theory claiming it was transmitted at a wet market in the city that slaughters live animals for food.

Part of the problem is a lack of detailed information from China, according to the Wall Street Journal.

'If China's not going to give access to certain data sets, you're never really going to know,' an official told the Journal on condition of anonymity since the report is not public.

The basis for the Biden's investigation stemmed from a report from intelligence agencies saying that they had 'coalesced around two likely scenarios', according to Yahoo News.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky claimed that 'evolving data' lead to mixed messages surrounding COVID-19 protocols

Gottlieb said that Americans have lost trust in health agencies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wuhan Institute of Virology - the suspected source of COVID - is pictured

The first theory was that coronavirus spread to humans naturally from diseased animals at a wet market in Wuhan, China.

While the other theorized that the virus was leaked from the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology, where Chinese scientists were experimenting on the virus.

In the face of China's reluctance to open up to outside investigators, experts are increasingly open to considering the theory that the virus might have leaked out of a lab conducting bat coronavirus research in Wuhan, an idea once dismissed as a conspiracy propagated by the US far-right.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has admitted that the global health body's initial probe into Wuhan's virology labs did not go far enough.

But the WHO's call last month for the investigation's second stage to include audits of the labs infuriated Beijing. Vice health minister Zeng Yixin said the plan showed 'disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science.'

Amidst the devastation of the deadly spread of COVID-19, Gottlieb thinks that the public has lost trust in its public health agencies due to the mixed and changed messages about the virus and how to combat it.

'I think coming out of this pandemic, a lot of people have lost confidence in the public health officials,' Gottlieb said.

'They felt that guidance wasn't well informed, it wasn't well articulated, it wasn't distributed in a way that we could assimilate it into our lives.'

CDC experts and White House COVID tsar Dr Anthony Fauci have been accused of flip-flopping on a wide array of issues, including mask wearing, booster shots and the origins of the virus itself.

When the inconclusive intelligence report was released, another official said the intelligence community is 'not necessarily best equipped to sole this problem,' which they claimed is fundamentally an issue of science.

Inconclusive reports on the origins of COVID-19 and mixed messages surrounding the virus and safety protocols have left Americans distrustful of public health agencies, according to Gottlieb (pictured: Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 27, 2020)

Although spy services are 'positioned to collect on a range of foreign actors' they are not necessarily poised to dive into global health datasets.

Gottlieb also noted that the pandemic exacerbated the inequities in healthcare specifically affecting people of color, with inconsistencies in public messaging blamed for breeding further mistrust in groups which may already be vaccine hesitant, or downplay the potential risks of COVID.

In the US, black people have died at 1.4 times the rate of white people. American Indians or Alaskan natives, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders also died at disproportionate rates compared to white people, according to the COVID Tracking Project and the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research.

An analysis of CDC data conducted by DailyMail.com found that unvaccinated Americans are most likely to be younger, male, black and living in a rural area.

'If we're going to make ourselves more resilient going forward to these kinds of public health crises, we're going to have to address those inequities and do more to make sure that we're getting adequate health care to people who have historically been locked out of those opportunities,' Gottlieb said.
Advertisement

Google announced it has plans to buy a 1.3million-sq-ft building in Hudson Square for $2.1billion, its second biggest purchase of office space to date in New York City, even though the company has repeatedly promoted remote work.

The purchase, which Google said would happen in the first quarter of 2022, will be the most expensive sale of an office building in the country since the pandemic began and will make Google one of the biggest commercial property owners, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The plan comes on the heels of Google's announcement saying it will slash the salaries of staff who refused to return to the office with those who live further away hit harder.

Construction in 550 Washington Street is underway and the company is expected to move in sometime in 2023. The building is part of a Hudson Square campus investment dubbed 'Googleplex' that will include a total of 1.7million-sq-ft of office space including two other sites at 315 and 345 Hudson Square.

Google currently leases 315 and 345 Hudson Square and has not announced plans to purchase the sites. The tech giant has also been leasing the site of 550 Washington Street during construction, but will go forward with the purchase next year.

DailyMail.com contacted Google and the company confirmed that the building in Washington Street will be headquarters for Google's Global Business Organization.

Scroll down for video

Google announced it has plans to buy a 1.3million-sq-ft skyscraper in 550 Washington Street for $2.1billion, its biggest purchase of office space to date in New York City. The tech giant has also been leasing the site since 2020

In March, Google announced plans to invest $250million in office presence in the city. An aerial view shows 550 Washington Street, which will be part of a campus complex dubbed 'Googleplex' along with buildings at 315 and 345 Hudson Square

The purchase, which Google said would happen in the first quarter of 2022, will be the most expensive sale of an office building in the country since the pandemic started. The company is expected to move in sometime in 2023

In a September update from YIMBY, the top floors of the building had been enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass and metal panels wrapping all four sides of the office complex.

In March, Google announced plans to invest $250million in office presence in the city. The company, which has had presence in New York City since 2000, now employs 12,000 workers in its city campuses, the largest outside of California.

Although Google has reinforced the notion that the company encourages its workers to work remotely, its expanding of office footprint and salary reduction to employees who work from home hints otherwise.

Screenshots of Google's internal salary calculator show that an employee living in Stamford, Connecticut - an hour from New York City by train - would be paid 15 percent less if she worked from home, while a colleague from the same office living in New York City would see no cut from working from home.

This map shows the locations of Google office space, leased and owned, in Manhattan. Along with 'Googleplex,' of which Google will own 550 Washington Square in 2022, the company owns 111 Eight Ave in Chelsea Market and 450 W. 15th Street

The building is part of a campus investment dubbed 'Googleplex' that will include a total of 1.7million-sq-ft of office space including two other sites at 315 and 345 Hudson Square. Google currently leases 315 and 345 Hudson Square and has not announced plans to purchase the sites

Construction in 550 Washington Street, which Google already leases, is underway. Construction topped out in 2020 and the top floors of the building have already been enclosed in floor-to-ceiling glass and metal panels wrapping all four sides of the complex

The building is a former freight facility known as St. John's Terminal, which was the terminus of the New York Central Railroad's West Side viaduct

The move is part of a Silicon Valley experiment and will see employees who work from home paid less because of the savings they make on commuting and costs like food.

In the announcement Tuesday, Google CFO Ruth Porat said that the office space purchase followed a plan to get employees back to the office.

'As Google moves toward a more flexible hybrid approach to work, coming together in person to collaborate and build community will remain an important part of our future. It is why we continue investing in our offices around the world. Our decision to exercise our option to purchase St. John's Terminal further builds upon our existing,' Porat said.

The building, equivalent to two city blocks, is a former freight facility known as St. John's Terminal, which was the terminus of the New York Central Railroad's West Side viaduct.

Google also owns office space in 111 Eighth Ave. and the Milk Building at 450 W. 15th St. Once the Washington Street purchase goes through, Google one of the biggest commercial property owners in New York City

Google's Chelsea office space in New York takes up an entire city block on 8th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets

Turner Construction is responsible for the 12-story steel-framed building. Google also owns office space in the Milk Building at 450 W. 15th St.

In 2018, Google bought Manhattan's Chelsea Market for $2.4billion, where the office space takes up an entire city block on 8th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets.

Google did not back up from its plans to expand office space in New York City, even after Amazon had to pull out from building second headquarters due to backlash from lawmakers and residents.

If something, Google's announcement was commended by local politicians.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said: 'New York City is the place for world-class talent and Google's acquisition of 550 Washington Street in Manhattan for its workforce demonstrates that.'

Mayor DeBlasio and New York Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in on Google's announcement.

DeBlasio said that the purchase would encourage recovery after the financial losses the city endured in the pandemic and its aftermath.

'Google's historic investment in New York City marks an enormous step for our recovery,' he said. 'Our economy is going to come back stronger and fairer than ever by creating thousands upon thousands of new tech jobs, supporting small businesses and showing the world the strength of New York City's diverse, unparalleled workforce.'

'This announcement from Google is yet another proof point that New York's economy is recovering and rebuilding. We are creating jobs, investing in emerging industries, lifting up New Yorkers, and together, we are writing our comeback story,' said Hochul.

Stick and carrot method to end WFH: Google plans to slash salaries of staff who refuse to return to desks while London lettings firm says demand is rising for 'destination' offices with gyms, roof-terraces and running tracks

Google is planning to slash the salaries of staff who refuse to return to the office with those who live further away hit harder.

The move is part of a Silicon Valley experiment and will see employees who work from home paid less because of the savings they make on commuting and costs like food.

Though the plans are being considered in the US for the moment, it is thought that Google could later apply them to its London office.

The tech giant is preparing for UK staff to return to the office from October - though it expects about a fifth of staff to continue working from home.

And, according to research from CV Library and Reed, the number of working from home positions available are continuing to rise.

CV library carried nearly 70,000 postings which allowed remote working between March and July 2021  four times the number of the year before. On Reed, just 1% of jobs offered remote working in 2019, with the number now at 5%

However, Paul Williams, chief executive of property firm Derwent London, says he expects businesses to return to the office from September, with demand rising for offices with amenities such as gyms, bars and running tracks.

A running track at a site owned by property firm Derwent London. The firm's CEO said demand is rising for offices with appealing amenities

Google headquarters in London. Google is planning to pay employees who work from home less because of the savings they make on commuting and costs like food

The cost of commuting: Mail Online analysis on the thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours people living outside London spend commuting to and from work in the capital. Hours calculated through average journey time multiplied by number of days average UK worker works

It comes after it was revealed that Whitehall officials are considering stripping civil servants of their London weighting if they continue working from home  a salary boost worth around 4,000.

Downing Street refused to condemn civil servants resisting a return to Whitehall, however, amid the calls for them to face a pay cut if they want to continue to work from home.

Property firm chief Mr Williams told BBC Radio 4 Today that his clients are eager to return to offices from September.

He said: 'The demand is being driven by a war for talent. There's a fight for good, green buildings that are zero carbon.

'An adaptable place, a place for people to go for amenities, a building that's got a running track and all the things. A place to go and develop and have creativity.

'Talking to our customers over the last 6 to 18 months there's a strong desire to get back. We are seeing a desire to get back and lots more people planning to get back from September.

'People want to go back to the office. Whether it's to learn or see their colleagues. We've got a lot of roof terraces, bars, gyms. If you keep creating great buildings, more people will come back.'

MailOnline analysis suggests workers could save thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours by working from home instead of commuting into an office in London.

Property firm chief Mr Williams told BBC Radio 4 Today that his clients are eager to return to offices from September

Mr Williams says he expects businesses to return to the office from September, with demand rising for offices with amenities such as gyms, bars and running tracks

Mr Williams added: 'People want to go back to the office. Whether it's to learn or see their colleagues. We've got a lot of roof terraces, bars, gyms. If you keep creating great buildings, more people will come back'

Some of the available amenities in an office building developed by property developer Derwent London

Congestion on UK streets is still comfortably less than the same time in 2020 and 2019 as people gradually return to the office

From Sevenoaks, an annual season ticket costs 3,804, while the journey would see you spend around four hours travelling per week. Annually, this adds up to 166 hours.

From Windsor to London, an annual season ticket costs 3,468, with commuters spending 10 hours a week travelling and 454 hours a year.

Travel times are the same for Oxford to London - though a season ticket costs 5,544.

Those areas are among some of the most popular destinations for Londoners who left the capital during the pandemic.

Now, Google is appearing to crackdown on those working from home with its new policy.

The plan suggests the firm will deduct salaries based on money saved by commuters.

'Our compensation packages have always been determined by location, and we always pay at the top of the local market based on where an employee works from,' a Google spokesperson said, adding that pay will differ from city to city.

In the US, one Google employee, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, typically commutes to the Seattle office from a nearby county and would see their pay cut by about 10% by working from home full-time, according estimates by the company's Work Location Tool launched in June.

The employee was considering remote work but decided to keep going to the office - despite the two-hour commute. 'It's as high of a pay cut as I got for my most recent promotion. I didn't do all that hard work to get promoted to then take a pay cut,' they said.

Jake Rosenfeld, a sociology professor at Washington University in St. Louis who researches pay determination, said Google's pay structure raises alarms about who will feel the impacts most acutely, including families.

'What's clear is that Google doesn't have to do this,' Rosenfeld said. 'Google has paid these workers at 100% of their prior wage, by definition. So it's not like they can't afford to pay their workers who choose to work remotely the same that they are used to receiving.'

Screenshots of Google's internal salary calculator show that an employee living in Stamford, Connecticut - an hour from New York City by train - would be paid 15% less if she worked from home, while a colleague from the same office living in New York City would see no cut from working from home.

Interviews with Google employees indicate pay cuts as high as 25% for remote work.

News of Google's plan comes as Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV Library, says he believes working from home is here to stay.

He told MailOnline: 'Contractual obligations, weighting allowances and individual circumstances will be unique to each business. What is apparent is that flexible working is here to stay and we're in a candidate led market with job postings at a record high.

'If businesses choose to cut salaries and benefits for those working from home, there will be plenty opportunities from companies who will be prepared to meet the needs of top job seekers.'

In a recent survey, CV Library asked 2,000 candidates the most important factors in choosing a new job.

More than 50% said a competitive salary - while 43% said reasonable hours and 38.2% said flexible working.

Marcus Storm, of the United Tech and Allied Workers union, said that Google would set a 'dangerous precedent' if it tried to also cut salaries for home workers in the UK.

He told the Times: 'You are discriminating based on where a worker lives not on their ability or even their ability to come into the office.'

Joseph Lappin, head of employment at Stewarts, a law firm, said that British workers had 'greater protections' than their counterparts in the US. 'Employers cannot unilaterally change a key term of the employment contract. Pay will always be a key term,' he said.

Paul Nowak, the TUC's deputy general secretary, said: 'After working hard at home during the pandemic, many workers will want to retain the option of hybrid working into the future. Employers need to negotiate their approach with their staff and unions  without threatening cuts to their pay.'

Civil service union chiefs blasted a Cabinet minister last night for suggesting staff should have their pay cut if they refuse to return to Whitehall (stock image)

Meanwhile, civil service union chiefs blasted a Cabinet minister last night for suggesting staff should have their pay cut if they refuse to return to Whitehall.

They accused ministers of 'dreaming up a rufty-tufty strategy' that was 'devoid of any basis in reality' to force civil servants back into their offices.

Mandarins are also said to have considered stripping civil servants of their London weighting  a salary boost worth around 4,000.

But Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA  the union representing senior civil servants, accused ministers of making 'reckless' and 'cowardly' attacks.

He said it would be a 'legal minefield' to withdraw London weighting and said those proposing it had 'no idea how this works in reality'.

The PCS, the union for those in government departments, has warned of potential strike action if the Government tries to dock civil servants' pay.

A Government spokesman said yesterday there were 'no plans to change terms and conditions around London-based pay'.
Unvaccinated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday suggested that his approach toward Covid-19 would be proven right.

'History and science will hold everyone accountable,' he told world leaders in his address.

The right-wing Brazilian leader said he supported vaccinations but promoted early treatment of Covid-19, noting that he himself underwent 'early treatment' following a diagnosis last summer.

'We cannot understand why many countries, together with a large portion of the media, took a stance against early treatment measures,' Bolsonaro said.

Bolsonaro said that his government stood against vaccine mandates, such as the one he had broken to enter the United Nations. New York City requires vaccination to enter most public spaces, including convention centers.

President Biden, too, as imposed sweeping vaccine mandates that cover federal workers and those at companies with over 100 employees.

'We support vaccination efforts, however my administration has not supported a vaccine or health passport or any other vaccine-related obligations,' Bolsonaro said.

He noted that by November, 'all citizens who have chosen to be vaccinated in Brazil will be duly covered.'

In a meeting Monday night with Bolsonaro, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: 'Thanks everybody. Get AstraZeneca vaccines.'

'I've had it twice.'

'Not yet,' the Brazilian president replied.

Earlier this year, Bolsonaro signaled he wasn't in a rush to get the jab since he'd already had Covid.

'I already had the virus,' he said. 'I think what must happen is that after the last Brazilian gets vaccinated, if there's a spare shot, I will decide whether or not I get vaccinated.' He added that 'that's the example the boss must provide.'

Before talking about vaccinations, Bolsonaro in his address touted his administration's accomplishments, saying the Brazil has 'changed a great deal' since he took office in 2019.

'It is a solid foundation if we take into account that we were at the brink of socialism,' he said. 'Brazil has a president who believes in God, respects the Constitution, values family principles and is loyal to his people.'

The far-right politician wore a mask as he entered the United Nations Tuesday morning but took it off to deliver his address.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro broke New York City's COVID-19 mandates by attending an indoor event - the United Nations General Assembly - unvaccinated

'We cannot understand why many countries, together with a large portion of the media, took a stance against early treatment measures,' Bolsonaro said in his speech at the UNGA

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro (right) arrived with his wife Michelle Bolsonaro (left) to the United Nations Tuesday morning. Both of them wore masks

During a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) on Monday in New York, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (left) confirmed that he remained unvaccinated

Upon landing in New York City, Bolsonaro had his first meal in the U.S. in the middle of the street due to restrictive city-wide restrictions not allowing unvaccinated people to dine indoors.

Bolsonaro and his ministers had pizza slices and sodas in the middle of the street on Sunday prior to his arrival at the U.N. Tuesday morning.

Pictures of the humble meal emerged on the Minister of Tourism Gilson Machado's social media of Bolsonaro with the Brazilian Ministers of Health, Marcelo Queiroga; Justice and Public Security, Anderson Torres; Civil House, Luiz Eduardo Ramos; and President of Caixa Economica Federal, Pedro Guimaraes, according to Brazilian news site Correio Braziliense.

A member of his delegation, who arrived in New York City a week before the president, has since tested positive for COVID-19. He has been placed in quarantine at a NYC hotel.

Bolsonaro, who has been vocal in dismissing the seriousness of the virus, tested positive in July 2020. He previously described the disease as nothing more than 'a little flu' and claimed his past as an athlete would make him immune to the worst symptoms.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured third from left) had to eat pizza outside on the street in New York City because he is unvaccinated

Pictures of Bolsonaro emerged of his first meal on U.S. soil for the United Nations General Assembly Meeting this week. He was joined by Caixa Economica Federal Bank President Pedro Guimaraes, General Luiz Eduardo Ramos, Tourism Minister Gilson Machado Neto, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga and other politicians

Also according to the report, Bolsonaro and his ministers, all unmasked, had to sneak in the back door of their hotel in New York City as they were met by a group of protesters with signs telling him he is not welcome.

Brazil's government has imposed 100-year secrecy on Bolsonaro's card, making it impossible to know for sure if he's been vaccinated against COVID-19 or not. He claims, however, that he did not take the vaccine and continues to defend using other medicines, including hydroxychloroquine, against the disease.

The White House expressed concern that the UNGA gathering could be a COVID-19 superspreader event.

'We are concerned about the U.N. event being a superspreader event, and that we need to take all measures to ensure that it does not become a superspreader event,' President Joe Biden's Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a press conference Friday.

On Monday, Bolsonaro met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who remarked before the bilateral meeting: 'Thanks everybody, get AstraZeneca vaccines.' He then told Bolsonaro he's 'had it twice', referring to the shot. At that remark, Bolsonaro laughed and said 'not me', while pointing to himself

Bolsonaro walks outside his hotel to the United Nations building

World leaders began descending on New York City last week for the annual meeting, and Thomas-Greenfield notes they aren't necessarily abiding by local vaccine requirements and other coronavirus-related restrictions.

President Joe Biden delivered his first address to the UN as president following Bolsonaro.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Friday she is worried the General Assembly gathering could turn into a COVID superspreader event

Last year's UNGA meeting, held at the height of the pandemic, forced world leaders to go virtual.

This year, however, the meeting is being held in hybrid formatting, allowing heads of state to appear in-person or by video message.

Thomas-Greenfield said she sent a note urging diplomats and world leaders to send in videos to be played throughout the two-week event.

More than 100 presidents, prime ministers and other leaders are expected to give in-person speeches.

New York City has some of the most restrictive COVID-19 rules currently, after Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed earlier this summer a mandate that people need to be vaccinated  and show proof of vaccination  to enjoy indoor activities like dining, concerts, movies and convention centers.

UNGA is held indoors at the U.N. General Assembly Hall, which qualified as a convention center, according to a September 9 letter from de Blasio's Office for International Affairs.

New York City's health commissioner informed the General Assembly president-elect Abdulla Shahid that UNGA would be covered by a local law requiring proof of vaccination for indoor venues.

Already indicative of clashes is Bolsonaro, who says he is not vaccinated but has antibodies from a COVID-19 infection last year. His in-person attendance at UNGA defies the New York City vaccine requirement and the honor system it implemented for attendees.

There are already concerns over world leaders and diplomats not following NYC vaccination protocols, which requires people to be vaccinated for indoor events  including at convention centers

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the requirement 'discriminatory' and said he was 'surprised and disappointed' by the idea of requiring proof of vaccination to enter the General Assembly Hall.

Nebenzia claimed the rule is contrary to the 1947 agreement between the U.S. and the U.N. that establishes the world body's international status.

After pushback on the requirement, Shahid walked back in a new letter on Thursday: 'I would like to advise delegations that the honour system related to vaccinations  remains in place.'

Secretary General's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Friday that the honor system means 'by swiping a badge to enter the General Assembly Hall, delegates attest that they are fully vaccinated, that they have not tested positive for COVID19 in the last 10 days [and] have no symptoms.'

De Blasio announced New York City will open a pop-up testing and vaccination site at U.N. headquarters where attendees can get free COVID-19 tests and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The 2021 UNGA gathering kicked off last week and will conclude Tuesday.

Case rates of COVID-19 have been spiking in the U.S. as the Delta variant surges and more breakthrough cases emerge in vaccinated people
Military veterans who were discharged under the Clinton-era 'don't ask, don't tell' policy can now qualify for full benefits - 10 years after the derided plan was repealed, the Department of Veteran's Affairs said.

The shift in policy allows veterans given other-than-honorable discharges because of their gender identity, sexual orientation or HIV status benefits that include healthcare, pensions and employment services, VA Assistant Secretary in the Office of Public Affairs Kayla Williams said Monday.

An estimated 14,000 LGBTQ+ service members were discharged during the 17 years the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy was in place. The rule barred openly gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the armed forces.

Enacted under President Bill Clinton in 1994, the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy barred openly-gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the armed forces - 14,000 LGBTQ+ servicemembers were discharged during the 17 years it was in effect, the VA reported. Pictured are local leaders and former servicemembers holding banners celebrating the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on September 20, 2011

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough (pictured) issued guidance to veterans benefits administrator adjudicators that military service members who have an 'other than honorable discharge due solely to their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status should be considered veterans who may be eligible for VA benefits.'

Williams said that Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough had issued guidance to veterans benefits administrator adjudicators that military service members who have an 'other than honorable discharge due solely to their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status should be considered veterans who may be eligible for VA benefits.'

'I'm confident that we as an agency will continue to find more ways to show through word and deed that VA serves all who served... the Biden administration and Secretary McDonough are taking the steps necessary to begin addressing the pain that such policies have created.'

Among the gamut of benefits now available to veterans discharged under the policy are employment benefits, home loan guaranty, pensions, healthcare, homeless programs and burial benefits, Williams wrote in a blog post detailing the change.

'L.G.B.T.Q.+ veterans are not any less worthy of the care and services that all veterans earn through their service, and VA is committed to making sure that they have equal access to those services.'

Senator Mark Leno (pictured right) hugs retired Navy Commander Zoe Dunning, as dozens celebrate the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in front of the War Memorial and Veterans building in San Francisco on September 20, 2011. Gerardo Marin, a gay retired Air Force veteran is pictured left

Williams, who identifies herself as bisexual, married a man in 2005, but said it was difficult to maintain her identity while serving in the military.

'As a bisexual veteran, I chose to present as straight during the push to repeal DADT,' Williams wrote in the post. 'It made sense at the time that there was a more pressing need for me as a woman married to a man to say, No one in my unit cared if anyone was gay while we were in Iraq.'

'My own identity seemed irrelevant. It took many years for me to shed the toxic legacy of having served under DADT and come back out of the closet; Im proud to recognize this anniversary as my authentic self.'

Williams said every Character of Discharge case that was initially considered for denial of benefits will be looked over a second time. However, she did not clarify whether veterans discharged under the law would receive retroactive benefits.

President Barack Obama greets former US Army Captain Jonathan Hopkins (left), who was discharged because of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in August 2010, at the Democratic National Committee's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Leadership Gala in New York

President Joe Biden joined Williams and other military officials during the virtual event held at the White House.

'More than 100,000 American service members have been discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity - including more than 14,000 under Don't Ask Don't Tell," Biden wrote.

'Many of these veterans received what are known as "other than honorable" discharges, excluding them and their families from the vitally important services and benefits they had sacrificed so much to earn.'

'More than 100,000 American service members have been discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity - including more than 14,000 under Don't Ask Don't Tell," Biden wrote in a Monday statement. Biden also commemorated the ten-year anniversary of the repeal via Twitter

'On behalf of the entire Department, I thank our LGBTQ+ service members -- and your families -- for the service you render each and every day,' Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin wrote in a statement.

The change marks another step in the Biden administration's effort to improve rights for LGBTQ+ in the armed forces. Days after taking office in January, Biden signed an executive order reversing the Trump-era ban on transgendered servicemembers.

'No veteran should bear a less than honorable discharge based solely on sexual orientation or gender identity," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

'On behalf of the entire department, I thank our LGBTQ+ service members - and your families - for the service you render each and every day.'

He urged service members ousted under the policy and those who felt they were discharged unjustly to contact their military branch's Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records or their Discharge Review Board.

Staff Sgt. LeAnne Withrow said that the armed forces were a 'different place' when she served in the National Guard under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' - 'it wasnt a super friendly place to be LGBTQ.'

'As a transgender woman and a lesbian Im excited,' she told NBC Chicago of the policy change. 'I think we've made a lot of progress. I think theres progress left to go, but todays a really big day.'

Staff Sgt. LeAnne Withrow (pictured) said that the armed forces were a 'different place' when she served in the National Guard under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' - 'it wasnt a super friendly place to be LGBTQ.' 'As a transgender woman and a lesbian Im excited,' she told NBC Chicago of the policy change on Monday. 'I think we've made a lot of progress. I think theres progress left to go, but todays a really big day'

In 2010, after the process to reverse the controversial policy had begun, former President Clinton defended his administration's implementation of DADT in an interview with CBS.

'I didn't choose this policy - don't ask don't tell was only adopted when both houses of congress had voted by a huge veto-proof margin to legislate the absolute ban on gays in the military,' he said.

'They had made it clear, both houses and their votes by veto-proof margins, they would never let me order by executive order gays to serve in the military.'

Former President Barack Obama repealed the law on September 20, 2011.

'We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot,' Obama said. 'We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal ... Those are the ideals that we uphold today.'
A CIA agent fell ill with suspected Havana syndrome while on a work trip to India with agency director William Burns.

The unidentified officer needed medical attention after the incident earlier this month. They reported symptoms associated with the unexplained syndrome, which include headaches, pain, nausea or vertigo brought on by sounds, pressure or heat.

Burns is said to be 'fuming' with anger over the incident.

Speculation abounds as to whether the incident - if caused by an adversary - was deliberately designed to targets Burns' entourage, or if the attackers were unaware they were targeting an officer traveling with the CIA boss.

But some within the agency are saying that having someone who travelled so closely with the director fall ill is a 'direct message' to Burns that no one within the agency is safe, CNN reported.

An unidentified CIA officer had to receive medical attention after reporting symptoms associated with the unexplained Havana syndrome after travelling to India earlier this month with CIA director William Burns (pictured)

The sonic weapon the could cause Havana syndrome is said to be a smaller version of this 1990s Soviet microwave generator, which is kept at the University of New Mexico

The circumstances surrounding the incident in India are still being investigated, including if the agent was targeted because of his proximity to Burns.

Former officials say if it was an attack by an adversarial power, targeting someone in Burns' delegation is an 'egregious escalation,' the New York Times reported.

This incident is the second reported case of the illness to affect U.S. personnel in less than a month.

During Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Asia in late August her departure from Singapore was delayed by more than three hours due to an 'anomalous health incident in Hanoi,' which is what the U.S. government officially calls suspected Havana syndrome cases.

Multiple U.S. personnel suffered symptoms consistent with the syndrome, with at least two personnel in Hanoi having to be medevacked out of the country.

Officials are still looking into the cause of the symptoms, with theories that symptoms are caused inadvertently by surveillance equipment, or that incidents are caused by a mysterious sonic weapon.

Although referred to as Anomalous Health Incidents by US government officials, the Havana Syndrome earned its colloquial name from the first reported instance of the illness in 2016 at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba (pictured)

Vice President Kamala Harris' departure from Singapore was delayed by nearly three hours because of an 'anomalous health incident in Hanoi,' which was the next stop in her Asia trip

There have been 200 reported cases of the yet unexplained illness, colloquially named for its first reported case in 2016 at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba.

Roughly half of the cases involved CIA officers or their relatives, nearly 60 have been linked to Department of Defense workers or relatives, and about 50 involved State Department personnel the outlet reported.

What is 'Havana Syndrome'? The problem has been labeled the 'Havana Syndrome,' because the first cases affected personnel in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. At least 130 cases across the government are now under investigation, up from several dozen last year, according to a U.S. defense official who was not authorized to discuss details publicly. The National Security Council is leading the investigation. People who are believed to have been affected have reported headaches, dizziness and symptoms consistent with concussions, with some requiring months of medical treatment. Some have reported hearing a loud noise before the sudden onset of symptoms. Investigators believe there are at least four cases involving Trump White House officials. Advocates for those affected accuse the U.S. government of long failing to take the problem seriously or provide the necessary medical care and benefits. US senators said last month that the government is investigating an apparent increase in the mysterious directed-energy attacks. Symptoms include; -hearing loss -severe headaches -memory issues -dizziness -brain injury Advertisement

Last week the Department of Defense asked all 2.9million of its employees, including civilians and contractors, to report symptoms of Havana Syndrome.

The request, signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, is part of a wider government effort to gather more information about the mysterious illness.

Austin advised personnel who believe they have come down with Havana Syndrome to, 'Immediately remove yourself, coworkers, and/or family member from the area, and report the incident,' according to the memo, first reported on by the New York Times.

'Theres a classic intelligence problem, and we are approaching it with the same techniques,' David S. Cohen, deputy CIA director said at the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit in September, the Times reported.

'This is a serious issue. Its real, its affecting our officers, its affecting others around their community and in government.'

As of August, the illness had reportedly affected American personnel stationed on every continent excluding Antarctica, including a baby in one case.

On July 22, CIA Director William Burns assigned an intelligence officer involved in the hunt for Osama bin Laden to lead an investigation into Havana syndrome.

The unnamed officer, a veteran of the Counterterrorism Center, is heading a task force made up of experts from the CIA who specialize in human intelligence, human resources and information-gathering.

He took over after the retirement of Cynthia Rapp, less than a year after taking the role.

Rapp was appointed by Trump CIA chief Gina Haspel.

A day later, the agency reportedly launched a review of how Havana syndrome cases are handled, and how officers are treated for the illness CNN reported.

The agency under Haspel had received criticism for dragging their feet on the investigation into Havana Syndrome, and for not adequately caring for officers who reported symptoms.

Since taking over the agency Burns told NPR on July 22 that he reduced afflicted officers' wait time for receiving care from Walter Reed from 'more than eight weeks to less than two weeks,' and has also tripled the number of CIA personnel tasked with medical care for victims.

Additionally, the House is considering a Senate-approved bill to expand help for current and former government employees who had come down with the symptoms, with a vote possibly coming by the end of this month, the Times reported.

In addition to the CIA and Pentagon, the State Department also announced in late July that it was stepping up investigation into the illness after more than two-dozen diplomats were reported coming down with symptoms at the US embassy in Vienna, making it the largest hotspot outside of Cuba.

In May reports emerged that some US officials suspect Russia's infamous foreign intelligence agency - the GRU - could be the culprit.

A U.S. military officer based in a country with a large Russian presence also said he felt like his head was going to explode during one incident when he was near a GRU vehicle.

And Politico reported that government investigators are examining a suspected attack on US personnel in Miami last year.

Earlier in July, former CIA officer and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Marc Polymeropolous claimed that he was zapped by one of the attacks while visiting a Moscow hotel room in 2017 and blamed it for destroying his career, as well as debilitating headaches that he continues to get.

In October 2020, a story emerged of diplomat Mark Lenzi, 45, who was stationed in Guangzhou, China, in 2017, when he developed unexplained symptoms, including headaches, memory loss and trouble sleeping.

His neighbor Catherine Werner also fell ill and fellow US official Robyn Garfield was evacuated from Shanghai with his family in June 2018.

The incidents in China cast doubt on theories that Russia was behind the attacks, since it is a country where Russian intelligence would have trouble operating.
The Only Way Is Essex star Lewis Bloor used a fake name to con people in a 3million diamond scam, a court has heard.

Bloor, 31, who joined the cast of the ITV2 reality show for three years from 2013, allegedly posed as 'Thomas Harkin' to dupe investors into buying the coloured stones at a 600% mark-up.

He denies conspiracy to defraud between May 7 2013 and July 1 2014 at Southwark Crown Court where he is on trial alongside Joseph Jordan, 29, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, George Walters, 29, from Beckenham, in Kent, Max Potter, of Enfield, Middlesex, Nathan Wilson, 28, of Brentwood, Essex, and Simon Akbari, 27, from Loughton, Essex, who also deny the charge.

Around 200 people, many of whom were elderly, were allegedly fleeced of more than 3million by fraudsters working for two firms, Imperial Assets Solutions (IAS) and Henderson & Forbes.

Lewis Bloor (pictured), 31, who joined the cast of the ITV2 reality show The Only Way Is Essex for three years from 2013, denies conspiracy to defraud between May 7 2013 and July 1 2014 at Southwark Crown Court

Bloor joined the cast of Towie for its tenth series in 2013 and spent three years on the show where he shared romances with co-stars Chloe Lewis and Kate Wright.

He left to appear in Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and got together with Marnie Simpson while in the house.

Southwark Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Bloor was paid 150,000, with some of the money paid on to others, by IAS, before leaving to pursue his television career.

Bloor's alleged co-conspirator Potter, 25, was said to have sent a message to a friend shortly after he started working at IAS in 2013.

Prosecutor David Durose QC read from the message: 'Mate, they've all got great big gold rolexs [sic] and Porsche jeeps and s**t, some serious ps man, one guy was smashing out the horses on this computer banking a monkey on every race, he done about 6 or 7.

'It's all a bit dodgy tbh like they're all mates cos it's my cousins [sic]company he's 28 and he's a f***ing millionaire.

'he gave me the job and they're all like me you tom totty, there's about 7 of them, we don't pay tax and I think it's all a scam.

'tbh obviously they don't say it but I ain't stupid, we sell diamond investments init, minimum invest per client is 20,000, cos we call up its like a call centre like you get them people who ring your house phone, all rich old people who we call.

'Mothers life mike you're the only one I've said this to and this stays between me and you alright?'

Jurors heard brokers would cold-call potential customers to tell them coloured diamonds were expected to 'shoot up' in value when certain coloured diamond mines owned by Rio Tinto and De Beers closed in future.

The 'boiler room' fraud was run from an Isle of Dogs office while investors read brochures that showed a Canary Wharf address, projecting an air of professionalism, jurors heard.

But when one investor tried to see the office, she was taken to a Canary Wharf office and told her entering the office would be seen as 'insider trading', the court heard.

The diamonds were stored in a bonded warehouse in Geneva, and no investors actually saw the precious stones before purchasing them, the court heard.

One of Bloor's alleged co-conspirators Max Potter was said to have sent a message to a friend shortly after he started working at IAS in 2013 and said he thought the job was a 'scam'. (Pictured: Bloor after being evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2016

Payments were made through a law firm or accountancy firm to give the purchase an impression of legitimacy, jurors heard.

Victims were sent glossy brochures containing quotations from De Beers and office addresses in a Canary Wharf and Antwerp, the worldwide hub of the diamond trading.

One alleged victim, Michael Williams, described Bloor as having a 'very persistent style' which 'subtly put pressure on me', the court heard.

Prosecutor David Durose QC said: 'Mr Williams said he was made to feel that he was buying a valuable item at a fair market price which would quickly go up in value with little risk.'

He said Mr Williams bought a stone for 5,978.70, while Bloor was paid 896.81, or exactly 15% of the investment sum.

'These diamonds were marked up by five or six times so thats probably about the sort of figure that IAS would have actually paid for the diamond,' he said.

'Fifteen per cent of the investment disappeared straight away, was not going anywhere near the price of the payment, and Mr Bloor knew that, of course, because he received that money.'

Bloor, who denies conspiracy to defraud, joined the cast of Towie for its tenth series in 2013 and spent three years on the show where he shared romances with co-stars Chloe Lewis and Kate Wright. He left to appear in Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and got together with Marnie Simpson while in the house

Victims were sold the coloured diamonds as a genuine investment which would increase in value, it was heard. But the stones, which were bought from a wholesaler and sold on with a mark-up of around 600%, could never have been a legitimate investment, it is alleged.

Both of the firms involved purported to be specialist brokers for people wanting to buy or sell investment grade stones, the court heard.

Mr Durose said: 'It involved tracing victims and, if they could be found, speaking to them.

'Not all of the victims have been found.

'Many of the fraudsters' victims were elderly and they were encouraged to part with significant portions of their life savings or pension pots.

'Those who became victims of these conspirators received cold calls from them and from those with whom they worked.

'The companies at the heart of the fraud bought lists of the names, telephone numbers and addresses of potential victims, which were supplied to them as spreadsheets.

'These potential victims were known to the fraudsters as "leads".

'It is impossible to be absolutely clear where such lists come from, but they appear to be the names of people who may have been interested in investment of some kind.

'It was a characteristic of the fraud that the fraudsters did not use their actual names when dealing with their victims, no doubt because they wanted to place distance between themselves and the fraudulent activity in which they were engaged.

'However, it is clear that the names used were not just chosen randomly on each occasion - they would each have had one or a small set of aliases, as otherwise it would have been impossible to keep track of the names used to the different clients, and if multiple people used the same name, a client could ring up and be connected to the wrong person.'

The trial continues.
A family are terrified for the life of their beloved grandmother who contracted Covid while in a Sydney hospital, as they recall hearing people crying out in agony on her heartbreaking video chats.

Peggy and Sam Pozoglou are worried about the physical and mental health of Sam's grandmother Christy Katehos, 83, who is trapped in a Covid ward in Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred hospital after she caught the virus at Canterbury hospital.

'I don't want to remember her as I saw her in the Zoom last night. Confined to that hospital, with no family members, with some patients yelling in pain in the background,' grandson Sam said.

It comes amid repeated warnings that Sydney's hospitals will become overwhelmed with patients when lockdown ends, with 244 people with Covid currently in ICU.

Due to the hospitals isolating Covid patients in order to prevent the spread of the virus, the family is not allowed to see Ms Katehos and they claim basic services such as cleaning and access to a proper shower are being impacted.

'Every day that I call my grandmother, her spirits and positivity have diminished significantly. She's describing to me over the phone, "Sam, the hygiene in this hospital is the worst by far, I've ever seen in my life in Australia",' Sam said.

Ms Katehos, who doesn't speak much English, was getting fluid drained from her lung at Canterbury hospital where it was discovered she also had breast cancer, which has spread throughout her body.

Christy Katehos (pictured with grandson Sam) is trapped in a Covid ward in Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after she contracted Covid while being treated for unrelated illnesses in Canterbury hospital

She then contracted Covid from another patient from the hospital and was transferred to the Covid ward at RPA.

Peggy Pozoglou said that the doctor was crying on the phone when she was told of her mother's condition.

Ms Pozoglou was told that her mother would not be provided with a ventilator if she needed one because her cancer was so far gone that she has no chance of surviving.

'That's what they've said to me, so, and now I'm just waiting thinking that, am I ever going to see my mother, ever again,' Ms Pozoglou told A Current Affair.

Ms Katehos does not speak much English, with the family claiming basic services such as cleaning are being impacted due to staff being overworked and the isolation process

Ms Pozoglou said her mother may not receive a ventilator if she requires one because her breast cancer is so far gone she wouldn't survive (pictured, zooming her mother in hospital)

In NSW, there are more than 1,266 people diagnosed with Covid in hospital. 244 people are in intensive care and 118 people require ventilators to breathe.

A further ten deaths were reported on Wednesday.

Healthcare workers are under enormous amounts of pressure, with many being pushed to breaking point as health officials say the worst is yet to come once the state opens up.

Australian Paramedic Association delegate Brett Simpson said that many patients are often waiting 30 to 60 minutes before an ambulance is even able to attend to their call.

There are currently more than 1266 people with COVID-19 in hospital in NSW, 244 people in intensive care and 118 on ventilators (pictured, ICU staff at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney)

'Worst case scenario for us is, we see a worsening in the conditions. You know, we're already seeing people literally dying in their lounge rooms from Covid and other non-Covid related illnesses because they've had to wait so long for treatment,' he remarked.

The latest figures show that 15 per cent of all cases of Covid have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak. That is at least 4,142 patients.

The union says healthcare workers are overstretched with the city's healthcare system struggling in the three months before the latest Covid wave hit.

During these three months, there were 329,709 ambulance responses for life-threatening jobs in NSW alone which is the highest ever since 2010.

The union says healthcare workers are under enormous amounts of pressure, with the system struggling before the current outbreak of Covid (pictured, workers at a vaccine hub in Sydney on Tuesday)

Ambulances arrived in less than 15 minutes for less than half of those jobs, the lowest result in a decade.

Mr Simpson says this result is the most unsatisfying the union has ever had and remarked that healthcare workers are worried for when the state will begin to open up again because cases are set to soar once again.

'We are begging the public not only for their own safety, but for the health of the ambos, and the nurses, and the doctors that are treating them and the system itself. We need people to be vaccinated to try and prevent the tsunami of patients that's heading our way,' he said.

Amanda Gulasi is all too familiar with the state of the healthcare system after she contracted the virus a few weeks ago after believing in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.

Australian Paramedic Association delegate Brett Simpson said patients are having to wait 30 to 60 minutes for an ambulance because of the demand they are in (pictured, an ambulance in Redfern)

After getting so sick, she called triple zero but claims that while one paramedic arrived and helped her initially, she had to wait five hours for an ambulance.

She spent three nights in hospital.

She begged residents to stay at home if they can because the system is already so busy and under so much pressure.

Julie Trimarchi also told the program her Covid positive neighbour called triple zero four times in a week to be taken to hospital, only to be brought back home only hours later.

She warned others to only use the system if they really need it when there are others needing urgent care.

A spokesperson from Sydney Local Health District released a statement regarding Ms Katehos' situation saying NSW Health is constantly monitoring hospital capacity and ensuring strategies are in place to make ICU capacity available during this period.

'All patients on COVID-19 wards needing assistance to shower are offered bed baths as the water pressure and heat from a shower can result in the aerosolisation of viral-loaded droplets, putting other patients and staff at risk. Sheets are always changed regularly for all patients,' the statement reads.
Advertisement

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas could not say on Tuesday how many of the 1.3 million migrants who were apprehended at the southern border are being detained or how many have been deported or released into the interior of the country, and did not even have a ballpark estimate of what the figures were.

Mayorkas also insisted he believes the southern border is 'closed.'

'I want some numbers here. Of the 1.3 million people that we've apprehended, how many people have been returned? How many people are being detained? How many people have been dispersed to all points around America?' Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., asked the secretary during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday.

'Senator, I would be pleased to provide you with that data  ' Mayorkas said before he was cut off.

'I want them now,' Johnson demanded. 'Why don't you have that information now?'

'Senator, I do not have that data before me,' Mayorkas replied.

'Why not? Why don't you have that basic information?' the senator asked.

'Senator, I want to be accurate,' Mayorkas said.

'You have repeatedly stated that our borders are not open, they're closed. Do you honestly believe that our borders are closed?' Johnson questioned.

'Senator, I do, and let me speak to that ' Mayorkas responded, as he was cut off by the senator once again.

'No, let me ask you a couple questions here,' Johnson said.

He then referenced a letter sent to Senate leaders by by former US Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott that came after the Biden administration for weak border enforcement.

Scott in the letter wrote he was 'sickened by the avoidable and rapid disintegration of what was arguably the most effective border security in our nation's history.'

'I witnessed the unprecedented seismic shift in border security and immigration policy that was initiated on Jan. 20, 2021. I believe this policy shift and the associated public statements created the current border crisis,' Scott wrote in the letter.

'Contrary to the current rhetoric, this is not simply another illegal immigration surge. This is a national security threat.'

Johnson told Mayorkas he'd promised to enforce the laws upon assuming office, but 'you have not done that'

Johnson told Mayorkas he'd promised to enforce the laws upon assuming office, but 'you have not done that.'

On Monday Mayorkas issued a stern warning to Haitian migrants who are a part of the sudden influx seeking asylumat the southern border: 'If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's life.'

The secretary revealed Tuesday that around 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment surrounding the Del Rio International Bridge as the Department of Homeland Security launches a probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips against the mostly Haitian migrants.

'How many migrants have crossed into the United States in Del Rio over the past week?' Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Mayorkas.

'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000  it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary responded.

'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' Mayorkas added as it was revealed this week DHS is aiming to send out several deportation flights per day.

Mayorkas also refused to say whether he felt he and the Biden administration bear any responsibility for the influx of Haitian migrants over the last few weeks or the broader border crisis in general.

'Don't you think that you bear responsibility for this latest crisis?' Hawley asked.

The secretary deflected to talking about how temporary protected status for Haitians ended for any nationals who arrived in the U.S. after July 29.

'But Mr. Secretary,' Hawley cut in, 'my time is almost expired, I just want an answer. Do you bear responsibility for the crisi in Del Rio?'

Instead of answering, Mayorkas started to address other actions he claims the administration is taking to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

'Does that mean you're not going to answer me?' Hawley pushed.

Mayorkas shot back: 'I am answering, if you've give me the opportunity,'

A decreased number of mostly Haitian migrants remain at a makeshift encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande on Tuesday as many fled the area back to Mexico to avoid deportation

An aerial image taken on Tuesday shows Texas' Department of Safety lined up vehicles along the bank of the Rio Grande River near the massive, but dwindling, migrant camp

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley (right) pushed Mayorkas (left) on Tuesday to say 'yes or no' when asking if the DHS secretary or Biden administration bear responsibility for the crisis. Mayorkas appears to pass blame onto 'misinformation' from human smugglers and traffickers

'That's a yes or a no question,' Hawley insisted. 'Do you bear responsibility for the crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, the smuggling organization ' Mayorkas started but was cut off.

'Yes or no? Do you bear responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, it is my responsibility to address the human tragedy in Del Rio, to address that,' Mayorkas said. 'And we are doing so. That is my responsibility and we are executing it as a Department of Homeland Security.'

'But you don't think you've played any role  that your policies have played any role in fostering and fomenting this crisis that has ensnared so many thousands of people?' Hawley asked.

'Senator, what we are learning from our interviews with individuals is they are receiving false information and misinformation from the smuggling organizations that traffick  and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,' he said.

'Well, so in other words, it's someone else's fault,' the senator clarified.

'All I can say, Mr. Secretary, sooner or later this administration is going to have to take responsibility for this crisis that you have fomented at the border that gets worse day upon day and so far  every time we hear from you it's somebody else's fault something's going to happen later. It's really unbelievable,' Hawley concluded as his time for questioning expired.

Customs and Border Protection launched a formal probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips as they attempted to stop migrants from stepping onto U.S. soil.

'I was horrified by what I saw,' Mayorkas told CNN on Tuesday morning.

'I'm going to let the investigation run its course,' he added. 'But the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly. That defies all of the values that we seek to instill in our people.'

A DHS spokesperson said the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility will 'define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken' against those found to have used whips when preventing asylum-seekers from entering the U.S. and rounding up others for deportation.

The probe comes after widespread condemnation of the 'horrific' and disturbing scenes emerged of the agents on horseback chasing after and rounding up migrants who were on foot. One in particular image garnered the most pushback when an agent unfurled a cord resembling a lariat and swung it near a migrant's face.

Mayorkas directed the CBP office to have personnel on site 'full-time to ensure that the responsibilities of DHS personnel are executed consistent with applicable policies and training and the department's values.'

Images of Border Patrol agents on horseback began emerging on Sunday as the Department of Homeland Security ramped up deportation by restarting removal flights of Haitian migrants back to their homeland after these flights were paused by President Joe Biden in February.

Migrants stand on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River as they prepare to wade from Del Rio, Texas on Tuesday to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico to avoid deportation back to their homeland. Six expulsion flights are expected to arrive in Haiti on Tuesday

Migrants hold personal items above their head as they wade back to Mexico after seeking asylum in the U.S.

CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is launching a probe into Border Patrol agents using what appears to be a whip or lasso while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday he is 'horrified' but will 'let the investigation run its course'

Three planes full of Haitian migrants departed San Antonio on Sunday and landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which led to thousands making the trip back across the Rio Grande River on Monday from Del Rio, Texas.

In the last few weeks, about 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up camp near and under the Del Rio International Bridge on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. They were using a dam of knee- and thigh-high water to trek back and forth across the border.

On Sunday, however, agents and officers on horseback started preventing migrants coming back to the camp from stepping foot back on U.S. soil. They were also rounding up the illegal immigrants to be put on flights back to their home country.

DHS also dispatched additional personnel to oversee future border patrol operations near the makeshift encampment after already sending 400 border agents and officers to the area to help quell the flow of migration into Del Rio.

The new goal from the agency is to get around seven removal flights out of the U.S. back to migrants' homelands each day.

Migrants gather under a tent to register with local immigration officers on Tuesday after they were flown out of the makeshift encampment in Del Rio, Texas

Migrants began turning back from Del Rio and trekking back to Ciudad Acura, Mexico. Here a man walks across waist-high water in the Rio Grande River returning to Mexico to avoid deportation

Haitian Migrants wade across the water back to Mexico on Tuesday so they aren't deported by the U.S. back to Haiti after several flights were sent back the past two days

When asked Tuesday if the new scenes from the border amounts to a crisis, Mayorkas wouldn't go that far, instead calling it a 'heartbreaking situation' and a 'tremendous challenge.'

'I, by no means, diminish the humane issue that it presents, but I want to be clear that we do have a plan to address it, respecting the needs of the individuals and we are executing on that plan,' he said on CNN.

Mayorkas added that 4,000 or more migrants have already been moved from the bridge camp and previewed a 'dramatic change' in the situation 'in the next 48 to 96 hours.'

The announcement of a formal investigation came after outrage ensued.

Mayorkas' comments echoed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's when she called the images 'horrific'.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it's acceptable or appropriate,' Psaki said at her press briefing on Monday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the reports 'deeply troubling', adding that Congress will continue to 'closely monitor developments.'

'All migrants seeking asylum must be treated in accordance with the law and with basic decency,' the California Democrat wrote in a Monday evening statement.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the images 'inhumane' and called on the Biden administration to 'stop Title 42 deportations'

Progressive squad members Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar slammed the use of whips, calling it 'human rights abuses' and claiming the U.S. has made immigration a crime

'Any acts of aggression or violence cannot be tolerated and must be investigated. The situation facing Haitian migrants at the border is heartbreaking, and Congress will continue to closely monitor developments.'

Mayorkas issued a stern warning for Haitian nationals trying to enter the US on Monday after he became the first Biden administration official to visit the border in Del Rio.

'If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's life,' he said.

The secretary said he'd brought in about 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the National Guard, to Del Rio to help with what he described as a 'challenging and heartbreaking situation.'

He said that he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the U.S. in decades.

A man walks with a child on his shoulders as he steps out of the Rio Grande River in returning to Mexico from Del Rio, Texas as DHS steps up deportation efforts  already sending out several planes of migrants back to Haiti this week

Six more removal flights are expected to land in Haiti from the U.S. on Tuesday. An airplane chartered to transport people to Haiti prepares to board passengers at the San Antonio International Airport on Monday

White House slams 'horrific' footage of border patrol agent on horseback WHIPPING Haitian migrants as they cross Rio Grande carrying food for their families

The White House is reacting to disturbing images that surfaced on Sunday of Border Patrol agents appearing to whip Haitian migrants desperately trying to cross the Rio Grande river into the United States.

'I don't know what the circumstances would be, it's obviously horrific,' Press Secretary Jen Psaki said of relevant footage from the border on Monday.

Psaki was asked about the images at her daily White House briefing.

'I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context, I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate but I don't have additional details,' she said.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.'

She added that it was 'horrible to watch.'

A video obtained Sunday night shows Border Patrol officers on horseback, waiting on the US side of the Rio Grande as migrants - some of them families with young children - wade through chest-deep waters trying to cross.

Officers can be seen charging their horses toward migrants carrying food and supplies. Some of them are swinging what appears to be lariats.

U.S. border patrol officers cut the way of migrants asylum seekers as they are trying to return to the United States

The devastating images were captures as migrants were trying to return to their encampment from Mexico, where they were buying much-needed supplies

Migrants crossing the Del Rio river to head back into the US after gathering supplies in Mexico are confronted by Border Patrol officers on horseback

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar.

At one point, a Border Patrol officer appears to hit a man, sending him falling back into the water.

Many of those migrants were reportedly already camped out in a makeshift tent city under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. They had crossed back to Mexico to purchase water, food and diapers in Ciudad Acuna.

Psaki was asked on Monday if there would be consequences against the officers involved.

She didn't say whether they'd lose their jobs but suggested 'they should never be able to do it again.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the images 'horrific' on Monday

The Biden administration has been grappling with an influx of migrants since the Democrat took office in January.

Migrants began flowing back into the Mexican side of the southern border on Monday from Del Rio, Texas as the Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up deportation flights to seven per day.

Video emerged today of scores of mostly Haitian migrants making the trek back across the Rio Grande River to Mexico from the US after three flights full of migrants from the US landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Sunday.

Up to 15,000 migrants set up camp under and around the Del Rio International Bridge, using a dam area to cross between the Mexico and US side of the border.

The massive encampment of migrants has brought up several issues, including health concerns in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed they are not vaccinating migrants.

Mayorkas said Sunday that he will visit the southern border, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was put in charge of the border crisis, have remained silent on the recent developments of mass migration among Haitians.

'I will be traveling to the border myself,' Mayorkas told CNN, adding he speaks regularly with the White House and President Joe Biden about the issue.

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar

U.S. Border Patrol agents deploy a boat into the Rio Grande river on the U.S. side of the bank as migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the river into Mexico

The Haitian migration crisis is exacerbated by those who left Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to settle in South and Central America who are now desperate to leave there due to the coronavirus pandemic and economic collapse.

At that time many flew to Ecuador where there's no visa requirements  then proliferated to Brazil and Chile.

They are now leaving there and making their way up to Mexico anyway they can.

Images from Del Rio, Texas began emerging over the weekend where thousands of mostly Haitian migrants used a dam to cross between Mexico and the US On Sunday, three removal flights of migrants arrived back in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The developing crisis forced the Biden administration to close six crossing points along the border and send in at least 400 troops to help stop the flow and round up migrants for deportation.

Haitian migrants set up a massive makeshift camp under the Del Rio International Bridge in just the last weeks, with the number swelling from around 400 to 14,534 in just one week, according to Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano.

DHS revealed over the weekend that it would ramp up and accelerate its removal efforts of migrants as Biden continues to face widespread criticism for his handling of the humanitarian and national security crisis at the southern border.

Biden and Harris have not visited the US side of the Rio Grande Valley  where the majority of the migration crisis has taken place.

Neither the president or vice president have addressed the latest developments or the new DHS strategy to deport these migrants.

On Monday Psaki was asked about a double standard in letting Afghan refugees resettle in the US but forcefully turning away Haitian refugees at a time when the country is dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake and a presidential assassination.

'Our immigration policy is not about one country or discriminating against one country over another. We want to end that and we want to put an end to what we saw over the last four years,' she said, referring to the Trump administration.

Psaki added that Haitians are encouraged to apply for temporary protected status to remain in the US.

She also said the federal government was working with Haiti's government to help the country recover and accommodate the Haitians being sent back.

'We have also been working to provide a range of assistance, working closely with officials from the government, as individuals are going back to Haiti to provide a range of financial assistance, to provide technical assistance,' Psaki said. 'That's on-going.'
Advertisement

Britons have been soaking up the sunshine on the last day of summer as the Met Office warns Scotland and the north of England to expect strong winds and rain in the coming days.

Temperatures across much of the south east of England have peaked at around 73F (23C) today, with bright and sunny spells expected throughout the day, according to Met Office forecasters.

Today is the last full day of astronomical summer in the UK, with tomorrow marking the beginning of autumn.

People have today been out enjoying what might be the last of the British summer sun with temperatures almost 10F higher than the average for this time of year.

According to the Met Office, this month is on track to be one of the warmest Septembers on record. Temperatures are running around three degrees Celsius above average in many areas and today will feel unseasonably warm where it is sunny.

Naomi Prosser aged 28, enjoys the sea and sunshine in Torbay, Devon, as Britons make the most of the warm temperatures on the last day of summer

People have been enjoying the pedalos on the Serpentine at London's Hyde Park where temperatures have peaked at 73F. The weather is expected to stay warm until the weekend

Sunseekers make the most of the lovely sunny weather on the beach in Sidmouth, Devon

People make the most of the lovely sunny weather on Jacobs Ladder Beach, Sidmouth, Devon. Temperatures are 10F warmer than the average at this time of year

However, as the day progresses, the north and northwest of Scotland are set to become increasingly cloudy and windy with some patchy rain or drizzle, and coastal gales developing across the far northwest from this afternoon.

The Met Office said those areas can expect 'two bouts' of strong winds, firstly starting tonight and into tomorrow morning and again on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Elsewhere in the UK, it is expected to stay dry, fine and warm - with temperatures peaking at 70F on Wednesday and Thursday - after the clearance of any early fog patches expected in the east of England.

The Met Office predicts temperatures, particularly in the south east of England, to hold over the next few days and into the early part of the weekend.

A young female cyclist takes yoga exercise on the sandy beach just after sunrise by the Firth of Forth, Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland, on the last day of summer

Visitors travel by pedalo along the Serpentine, Hyde Park, London, where temperatures have peaked at 73F (23C) today, with bright spells of sunshine

The 'sea' of Somerset is seen from Glastonbury Tor as a shroud of fog appears to flood the Levels at the break of dawn on Tuesday morning, the last day of summer

People soak up the last of the British summer on the Jacobs Ladder Beach, Sidmouth, Devon. Tomorrow sparks the official start of autumn

On the last day of summer, people relax on Jacobs Ladder Beach as they make the most of the unseasonably warm weather. Temperatures today are above the average expected at this time of year

Rain predicted across the northwest of Scotland on Wednesday is expected to sink into Northern Ireland and southern Scotland by tomorrow evening, but will be much lighter.

Other areas of the UK will see mostly sunny and warm weather again once the early fog patches clear, the Met Office said.

As the weekend approaches, periods of heavy rain are expected in northwestern areas, with gale force winds in the far north at times.

Elsewhere, it will be mostly 'dry, bright and feeling warm but breezy with some showers', according to the Met Office.

One pedalo-user ditched his t-shirt as temperatures in London's Hyde Park stayed approximately 10F higher than the average at this stage of September

A woman walks her dog in the shallow waters at Jacobs Ladder Beach, in Sidmouth, Devon, on the last official day of summer in the UK

Another woman opts for the umbrella to block out the bright spells of sunshine experienced in Sidmouth, Devon, on Tuesday morning

Did you see it? Stunning photos show last night's Harvest Moon as it lit up skies around the world ahead of the Autumn Equinox

By Ryan Morrison for MailOnline

A stunning selection of photographs captured last night's Harvest Moon in all its glory, as the Earth's natural satellite lit up skies around the world.

This is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox - the moment the sun appears to cross over the celestial equator - on September 22.

In the UK, the full moon rose at 19:23 BST and set at 06:52 BST early this morning, but the spectacle will appear full and bright for the next two nights.

On average, the moon rises 50 minutes later than sunset each day, but when it is an equinox moon, it can rise as little as 25 minutes after sunset.

The September full moon was named Harvest Moon in the 1700s when farmers depended on the glow of moonlight to harvest crops late at night.

The Harvest Moon rises earlier, sets later and in some very northerly latitudes like Alaska, can remain full and bright for up to a week.

A photographer snapped a star-struck couple gazing at the full moon over an ancient stone circle on the Isle of Lewis

The Harvest Moon rises behind midtown Manhattan, One Vanderbilt, the Chrysler Building, the Spiral, Hudson Yards and the Empire State Building as the sun sets in New York City

The full moon is seen from Tokyos Roppongi district. This is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox - the moment the sun appears to cross over the celestial equator - on September 22

SHINE ON HARVEST MOON: WHAT IS THE EQUINOX MOON? The Harvest Moon is the first full moon that takes place close to the autumn equinox, happening up to two weeks either side of the annual event. It derived its name because farmers are able to use the moonlight to work late into the night under moonlight. Normally a full moon rises about 50 minutes after sunset and sets about 50 minutes before sunrise. For a Harvest Moon this can be as little as 20 minutes before or after, depending on how far north you are. Advertisement

Unlike other moon names, the Harvest Moon isn't tied to a specific month. Whilst it is usually in September, it can also occur in October.

According to NASA, farmers used the light of the full moon closest to the equinox to extend their workday beyond sunset before electric light was invented.

'It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market.

'The full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox became "the Harvest Moon," and it was always a welcome sight,' the US space agency explained.

'The term became further entrenched in popular culture thanks to a 1903 pop tune called "Shine on Harvest Moon".'

The Harvest Moon can occur any time from a fortnight before, to a fortnight after the autumn equinox and is either the last full moon of summer, or the first full moon of autumn.

This is the fourth full moon of summer this year, and will peak before the equinox actually happens, making it a summer moon.

In the southern hemisphere it is the fourth full moon of the winter, known as a worm moon - in the winter the Harvest Moon happens in March.

In one of the images of the 2021 Harvest Moon, a photographer snapped a star-struck couple gazing at the spectacle as it rose over an ancient stone circle on the Isle of Lewis.

The full moon sets behind the hills of the Taunus region near Wehrheim, Germany. According to NASA used the light of the full moon closest to the equinox to extend their workday beyond sunset before electric light was invented

The Harvest Moon, also known as the Corn Moon, is seen behind Boston Light as it rises in Boston, Massachusetts, US

The Harvest Moon is seen with the Presidential Complex, in Ankara, Turkey. The Harvest Moon can occur any time from a fortnight before, to a fortnight after the autumn equinox and is either the last full moon of summer, or the first full moon of autumn

Grant Jones, 50, lives on the Hebridean island and usually takes landscape photos, but was out during moonrise and snapped the shot on Sunday - just before the moon reached its full peak.

He got married at the stone circle, Callanish, in 2014, so took delight in watching a 'loved-up couple' walking through the stone circle arm in arm.

'It was twilight, it was getting dark. I knew the moon would be rising. They came into the stones and they appeared transfixed by the moon. It made a lovely image.'

The Harvest Moon got its name from the ability farmers had to use the extra light to harvest their crops until the early hours - long after sunset.

The full Harvest Moon rises behind the top of the antenna on One World Trade Center in New York City. This is the fourth full moon of summer this year, and will peak before the equinox actually happens, making it a summer moon

The full moon sets behind the hills of the Taunus region near Wehrheim, Germany. On average, the moon rises 50 minutes later than sunset each day, but when it is an equinox moon, it can rise as little as 25 minutes after sunset

Stunning images of the Harvest Moon have been captured from around the world, including in the UK over Birmingham (left) and the Isle of Wight (right)

The Harvest Moon sets behind the Statue of Liberty before sunrise. The September full moon was named Harvest Moon in the 1700s when farmers depended on the glow of moonlight to harvest crops late at night

A full moon, also known as the 'Harvest Moon' is seen over the Hanoi skyline at dawn on September 21, 2021

The Harvest Moon rises earlier, sets later and in some very northerly latitudes like Alaska, can remain full and bright for up to a week, often appearing bigger because people tend to view it closer to sunrise, as with this image from Boston, US

It provides dusk-til-dawn moonlight for several evenings in a row, making harvest time easier, and longer, for farmers - rising 30 minutes after sunset instead of the usual 50 for other moons, due to the equinox.

According to EarthSky: 'For very high northern latitudes, there's even less time between successive moonrises.

'The farther north you live, the greater the Harvest Moon effect. For instance, at Anchorage, Alaska the moon will rise at nearly the same time for a week!'

Swimmers took to the sea to swim under the Harvest Moon in Swanpool Beach, Falmouth, to mark the equinox

The full harvest moon rises Monday, September 20, 2021, as viewed from Olympia, Washington. The moon is the last full moon before the autumn equinox, which will take place Wednesday

While the Harvest Moon is no closer, and no different to the average full moon, many people view it soon after sunset, at a time when all full moons appear more orange.

TV presenter, author and world-class astronomer Mark Thompson said the best time to view a full moon was just after sunset as the gas and dust in the atmosphere will turn it an 'eerie orange colour'.

'To successfully capture lunar close-ups, a long lens is a must. Aspiring photographers should check out these expert tips from Canon for more advice,' he advised.

It can be a spectacular sight, although isn't actually any larger, brighter or more orange than other full moons, it just appears that way, as with this view over South Shields lighthouse on the north east coast

The full moon known as the Harvest moon rises over Whitby Abbey, in Whitby. Much of the UK was covered with clouds, obscuring the moon and giving it an eerie feel

The September full moon is more often than not the Harvest Moon, but if the October full moon happens closer to the equinox than the September moon, then it would be the Harvest Moon.

This is because the Harvest Moon is always the one closest to the point of equinox, or the instant in time when the plane of Earth's equator passes through the geometric center of the sun's disk.

An equinox happens twice a year, around March 20 and again around September 23 - although this year it is on September 22.

It is the moment when the centre of the visible sun is directly above the equator.
Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted he supports vaccine mandates for school-aged children, after flip-flopping back and forth on the issue for months.

The Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden spoke with MSNBCs Hallie Jackson on Monday, where he revealed his support of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for kids ages 5 to 11, after Pfizer and BioNtech found their vaccines were safe for that age group.

But even as he backed the mandates, he complained that his critics would take his position 'out of context.'

'Would you support schools mandating the COVID vaccine for kids?' Jackson plainly asked Dr. Fauci.

'Would I be in favor of mandating? In fact, I would be,' Dr. Fauci revealed, despite a history of changing his mind on the issue.

'I know theres a lot of pushback against mandates, but I think we are in such an emergency situation with the 150,000 cases that were having each day we need to put it into the context of what has gone on prior to COVID-19.'

Scroll down for video

Dr. Fauci (pictured) spoke with MSNBC on Monday, where he revealed his support of vaccine mandates for children ages 5 to 11 after months of flip-flopping on this issue

'People think that having children be required to get vaccination is a very novel thing. It isnt. Right now, if you want to go to many schools, most public schools, youve got to be vaccinated for measles, rumps, rubella, hepatitis.'

'So its nothing new,' Fauci continued.

Fauci's most recent support of vaccine mandates for children ages 5 to 11 comes as Pfizer board member and former FDA Chair Dr. Scott Gottlieb revealed the agency could approve the vaccine for the age group 'as early as probably by the end of October,' Gottlieb told CNBC on Monday morning, just hours before Fauci's MSNBC appearance.

As of right now, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved the vaccine's use for children ages 12 and up, Mediaite reports.

Just last week, Fauci was slammed in an advertisement by the Republican National Convention, who accused the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director of flip-flopping on the issue of vaccine mandates.

Students arrive on the first day of school in Boca Raton last month. Palm Beach County Schools opened the school year with a masking requirement with an opt-out option

The ad, which first aired on Thursday, shows various clips of Fauci offering contradictory statements regarding his stance on federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

'There's no secret that I feel that we should not have central [vaccine] mandates from the federal government,' Fauci said last month.

At the time, he urged businesses to 'seriously consider the idea of mandating vaccination in the enterprise for which they are responsible whether that's a university or a place of business.'

'I don't see it on a national level merely because of all the situations you have upon encroaching upon a person's freedom to make their own choice of their own health,' Fauci said in a clip taken from July 2020.

The advertisement also quoted Fauci as saying the federal government does not 'want to be mandating' vaccines, claiming such an undertaking would be 'unenforceable and not appropriate.'

'Joe Biden and his entire administration repeatedly promised there would be no vaccine mandate. They lied  and the RNC is holding them accountable,' RNC rapid response director Tommy Pigott told Fox News on Thursday.

Pictured: Percentage of the US population vaccinated so far, showing a total of 63.9 percent of Americans who have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

Pictured: Daily COVID-19 vaccinations in the US, showing a noticeable drop in daily jabs over the last several months

The ad itself aired in response to the Biden administration's mandates for all businesses with more than 100 employees, as well as all federal workers and contractors, requiring them to be either vaccinated or tested on a regular basis.

In May, DailyMail.com reported that Fauci claimed he was 'not so sure' US schools should require children to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to go back to in-person learning, saying parents should be encouraged to get their kids vaccinated, but that mandating shots could 'get a lot of pushback.'

In August, he offered a slightly different take, saying that he would support any local government that institutes vaccine mandates for teachers, as students and faculty members prepared to return to school.

Fauci appeared to brace himself for the onslaught of criticism during Monday's interview with MSNBC, complaining that his stances are 'taken out of context' while citing decades of school vaccination mandates for non-COVID related diseases.

'But that gets taken out of context like Im trying to impose some novel, new restriction on somebody, of taking away their rights,' Fauci bemoaned on Monday.

'Look at whats been going on for decades in schools  the requirement for vaccination.'

As of September, a total of 63.9 percent of Americans have received at least one shot if the COVID-19 vaccine. There has been a noticeable drop in daily vaccination rates in the US over the last several months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thousands of angry anti-vaxx protesters have vowed to march on Melbourne's streets 'every day' as part of a violent crusade sparked by mandatory coronavirus vaccinations on job sites.

But Victoria's police chief has warned next time 'things will be different' with riot cops to be armed with rubber bullets, pepper balls and stinger grenades ready to take on the mob 'head on', with protests set to enter their third day on Wednesday.

The tough new tactics come after just 62 protesters were arrested on Tuesday, despite thousands shutting down the city, terrorising the streets and injuring several police officers during a dangerous seven-hour-long melee.

With union bosses fronting media to denounce the senseless violence, the state's premier Daniel Andrews was nowhere to be seen.

The usually camera-enthusiastic premier was ruthlessly criticised for 'hiding away' and failing to directly condemn the riots in a meekly-worded statement issued later on Tuesday evening.

Victoria's police chief has warned next time 'things will be different' with riot cops ready to take on the mob 'head on' (pictured, riot police pictured at the Melbourne protest on Tuesday)

About 2,000 angry protesters took to the streets (pictured on Tuesday) to oppose mandatory Covid vaccinations on work sites - with unions insisting many weren't tradies but 'far-right opportunists'

Thousands of angry tradies have vowed to march on Melbourne's streets 'every day' as part of their violent crusade against Covid vaccinations (pictured, a post promoting more days of unrest)

Poll SHOULD COPS TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE ON THE ANTI-VAXX PROTESTERS? Yes No SHOULD COPS TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE ON THE ANTI-VAXX PROTESTERS? Yes 1222 votes

No 974 votes Now share your opinion





Tensions have been brewing for months within the construction industry with a significant contingent of workers vehemently opposed to the jab requirement.

That resentment exploded this week with hi-vis-wearing anti-vaxx demonstrators hurling projectiles at the CFMEU headquarters on Monday, before taking over the entire city on Tuesday.

A rudderless mob of up to 2,000 stormed across the CBD for more than seven hours clashing with police, lighting flares, hurling rocks and in one case even assaulting a Channel 7 news reporter by throwing urine on him.

The out-of-control group even scaled the West Gate Bridge shutting down traffic and jumping on cars as terrified bystanders including children watched on in fear from inside their surrounded vehicles.

'This was a very large and very, very angry group. Crowds like this, they're for cowards,' Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton said.

'Cowards who seek to hide their identity to do other things that if they were by themselves they wouldn't have the courage to do.

The out-of-control group even scaled the West Gate Bridge (pictured on Tuesday) shutting down traffic and jumping on cars as terrified bystanders including children watched on in fear from inside their surrounded vehicles

A police officer receives treatment during a protest by construction workers and demonstrators against Covid-19 regulations in Melbourne (pictured on Tuesday)

A demonstrator is sent flying backwards off his bike as scenes turned ugly at the anti-vaxx protest (pictured on Tuesday)

'I can't imagine what it would have been like to be a citizen in your car . how scary that would have been.'

An online poster created by rally organisers declares the 'Victorian Workers Rally for Freedom' will continue 'every day' from 10am outside the head office of the CFMEU until their 'no vaccine mandate' demand is met.

But Commissioner Patton has promised that police will be ready to unleash a range of new counter measures on Wednesday, setting the scene for a fiery showdown.

'I'm not going to disclose what our tactics will be but they will be different,' he said.

'This is utter criminal conduct they've been involved in. You cannot come in and break the law. We will hold you to account.'

Commissioner Patton has promised that police will be ready to unleash a range of new counter measures on Wednesday, setting the scene for a fiery showdown (pictured, police take down a protester at 6pm on Tuesday as the violence continued)

Tensions have been brewing for months within the construction industry with a significant contingent of workers vehemently opposed to the jab requirement (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

Riot cops armed with rubber bullets, pepper balls and stinger grenades are pictured at the protest - with 'new tactics' to control the crowds set to be brought in on Wednesday

The premier (pictured) refused to reference the damage and injuries inflicted by the mob, which the CFMEU said was fuelled by 'neo-Nazis'

DAN ANDREWS' SOFTLY-WORDED RESPONCE TO RIOTS 'There is no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days. 'Acts of violence and disruption won't result in one less case of Covid - in fact it only helps the virus to spread. 'Thank you to the brave men and women of Victoria Police for their work today - and every day - to keep our community safe. 'We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way. 'For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts. 'We have come too far to turn back now. 'Please spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe. 'The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital. 'Its as simple as that.' Advertisement

Although more than 500 officers were deployed on Tuesday with the assistance of police air wing helicopters, the police chief said it was 'really challenging for us' because of the 'spontaneity and tactics they employed throughout the day'.

Three officers were injured in the chaos along with veteran journalist Paul Dowsley who had a can thrown at the back of his head, was doused with urine and grabbed around the throat.

There were just 62 protesters arrested, but police have vowed to scour CCTV and social media footage in order to bring more arrests in the coming days and weeks.

'They seem to be intent on random violence,' Commissioner Patton said.

'It's clear this was not a protest, this was at times an affray.

'When you've got a couple of thousands of people traipsing around town  throwing bottles, throwing lit flares it defies logic for anyone to respond to that  and control the (crowd).'

Premier Andrews backed up the state's top cop in a brief statement posted to Twitter at 8:41pm, saying there is 'no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days'.

But he failed to reference the damage or injuries suffered by police officers, instead imploring protesters to 'think of their fellow Victorians'.

'We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way,' he said.

'For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts.'

The embattled state leader pleaded with protesters to 'spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe.'

'The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital,' he said. 'It's as simple as that.'

A large contingent of police line up on the West Gate Bridge (pictured on Tuesday afternoon) as the angry mob approaches

A rudderless mob of up to 2000 stormed across the CBD for more than seven hours clashing with police (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

Demonstrators also lit flares, hurled rocks and in one case even assaulting a Channel 7 news reporter by throwing urine on him (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

For many the softly-worded statement did not go far enough to condemn the mob, which the CFMEU claimed was fuelled by 'neo-Nazis' and 'conspiracy theorists' - not its own members.

'I genuinely think he needs to come out and make an in person statement tonight to condemn this and speak for the 6+ million of us who were sickened by what we saw today,' one commenter wrote.

Another said: 'I've supported him throughout the entire pandemic, but this is totally inadequate and disappointing.

'On one of the most disturbing days in recent history. Where is the great man? Not good enough. He's lost the public,' a third wrote.

Construction industry workers in Victoria have been furious over Covid compliance measures enforced on their industry.

Of the state's 6,000 active Covid cases, 403 are directly linked to 186 construction sites - with health officials fearing the industry is not taking the deadly virus seriously.

Police with crowd control shields force back demonstrators during the clashes as the situation became increasingly violent on Tuesday (pictured)

Two men in midst of the protest strip down to expose their chests to police (pictured on Tuesday)

A demonstrator in wrestled to the ground by officers (pictured in Melbourne on Tuesday), but just 62 arrests were made out of 2,000 who attended

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Last week, in an attempt to stop the virus spreading on work sites, lunch rooms were shut down prompting scores of Melbourne tradies to block off busy roads with barbecues and outdoor furniture.

The impromptu protest was not well received by the broader public as the building industry has been largely able to continue operating during Victoria's lockdowns while other sectors have been forced to close.

After about 1,000 riled-up workers stormed the CFMEU head office in Melbourne on Monday, breaking stay-at-home orders, Mr Andrews declared all job sites would be shut down for two weeks.

Furious tradies in the aftermath then organised Tuesday's protest on encrypted apps such as Telegram - popular with right-wing extremists and conspiracy groups.

The platform played a key role in the US Capitol insurrection back in January where tens of thousands of Trump supporters entered Congress bringing Washington to a standstill.

At Tuesday's demonstrations several were bizarrely seen waving Trump flags as they marched with the violent horde.

Union leaders have dubiously claimed the mob are mostly made up of 'fake tradies' and have little to do with the construction sector (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

Furious tradies in the aftermath of the construction industry shutdown then organised Tuesday's protest (pictured) on encrypted apps like Telegram, popular with right wing conspiracy groups

Construction industry workers in Victoria have been furious over Covid compliance measures enforced on their industry (pictured, crowds storming West Gate Bridge on Tuesday)

Union leaders have dubiously claimed the mob are mostly made up of 'fake tradies' and have little to do with the construction sector.

Federal member for Maribyrnong and former Australian Workers' Union boss Bill Shorten told the Today show the rowdy mob is just a 'Nazi rent-a-crowd' who got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoody from the 'Reject Shop'.

CFMEU boss John Setka labelled the majority of protesters 'man-baby Nazis' and ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said the unions have been 'infiltrated'.

But senior figures within the CFMEU say although far-right agitators and anti-vaxxers have exploited the situation, about '80 to 90 per cent' of the demonstrators were construction workers, The Age reported.

The sources also added that the once militant left wing union has seen a cultural shift take place among some of its members, with a growing number identifying with fringe right-wing ideologies.
An NYPD cop was suspended without pay after video surfaced of her on the back of a dirt bike at a Brooklyn block party less than a week after the NYPD announced a crackdown to rid city streets of illegal dirt bikes and ATVs.

Uploaded to Instagram, the short video clip shows Donna Scott not wearing a helmet on the back of the bike in Greenpoint while hugging the rider, who performed stunts while other bikers and motorcyclists looked on.

On Sunday night, Scott was removed from the 83 Precinct stationhouse where she is assigned just hours after the video was posted.

A NYPD cop was suspended without pay after video surfaced of her on the back of a dirt bike at a Brooklyn block party

Uploaded to Instagram, the short video clip shows Donna Scott not wearing a helmet on the back of a bike in Greenpoint while hugging the rider, who performed stunts while other bikers and motorcyclists looked on

The rider posted a comment on Instagram coming to the defense of NYPD officer Donna Scott, who was suspended without pay Sunday evening

Scott joined the force in April 2019, according to police records.

The video came to light just three days after Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD officials held a press event in which confiscated illegal bikes and ATVs were lined up and crushed by a bulldozer at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island.

'We have a message for anyone driving an illegal dirt bike in New York City: We're gonna crush it,' de Blasio said after the stunt.

Dirt bikes and ATVs are not legally permitted on New York City streets, but that law has been largely ignored in recent months.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (right) was joined by NYPD officials on Thursday at a landfill in Staten Island to announce the crackdown of illegal dirt bikes and ATVs

A bulldozer crushes confiscated illegal bikes in at a Staten Island landfill

However, the rider involved in the latest incident came to Scott's defense on social media and complimented the cop on interacting with the riders.

He insisted that the group were using legal bikes during an event on a road that was blocked off.

'I have nothing but respect for the NYPD officer who took the time to break the ice by showing love to all of the bikers at a LEGAL event. All roads were blocked off, and we had the proper permits to ride,' he said on social media.

'Usually cops and bikers don't mix, but she actually took the time to get to know us and get a better understanding of the culture. The smile on her face says it all.

'This was a huge first step to bridging the gap between us. To the officer who took her time out to understand, thank you on behalf of the entire bike life community.

The NYC mayor issued this statement on Thursday

The mayor's office tweeted a video of a bulldozer crushing illegal confiscated dirt bikes

'Secondly, I would like the city of New York to know that I am a professional, and my bike is legal for stunt events.

'Furthermore, lets put our minds together and come up with a plan to create a space or track for the NYC bike community.'

His words did not convince one NYPD cop, who said the officer in the footage should have been suspended.

'Unbelievable. We're supposed to lead by example,' the unidentified cop told The New Post.

Illegal dirt bikes have been plaguing the streets of New York in recent months.

Over the summer, riders were seen on videos driving through crowds at Washington Square Park during wild weekend parties.

On July 18, four-year-old Jonathan Beauchamp was struck and injured by a man on a dirt bike in Queens.

And on June 30, A postal worker in Greeenpoint was attacked by a man riding a dirt bike.

Those caught riding a dirt bike or ATV in the city could be fined $500.

The city expects to confiscate and demolish as many as 3,000 dirt bikes this year, officials said.

'We will continue to be relentless in taking these bikes off the streets,' said Robert Martinez, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of the Support Services Bureau.
Advertisement

Dog the Bounty Hunter's wedding to his sixth wife Francie Frane was an inmate affair filled with 100 of the couple's closest friends and family, exclusive DailyMail.com photos reveal.

But it wasn't all emotional vows, first dances and wedding cake as drama surrounded the event. Dog, real name Duane Chapman, beefed up security with German Shepherds and Navy SEALs after an anonymous person threatened to throw paint on Francie's wedding gown.

One guest claimed their car tires had been slashed with razor blades and another said vandals left a 'mysterious pungent odor' in their car.

Many guests suspected it has something to do with the family rift between Dog and his two daughters, Cecily, 28, and Bonnie, 22, who weren't invited to the wedding after accusing their father of making racist remarks and cheating on his late wife Beth.

Despite the hiccups, the couple exchanged heartfelt vows in front of minister Katie Souza and their guests on September 2 at The Pinery At The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show Dog the Bounty Hunter's wedding to his sixth wife Francie Frane

The wedding was inmate, filled with 100 of the couple's closest friends and family at a luxury Colorado resort

Dog, 68, wore a black tuxedo but kept his trademark shades on, while Francie, 52, wore a billowing white dress which she paired with custom crystal-encrusted sneakers

The TV personality, 68, and Francie, 52, tied the knot at The Pinery At The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Drama surrounded the event as Dog, real name Duane Chapman, beefed up security after an anonymous person threatened to throw paint on Francie's wedding gown

The reality TV bounty hunter and his new wife exchanged vows in front of family and friends at a Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views

Many guests suspected it has something to do with the family rift between Dog and his two daughters, Cecily, 28, (left) and Bonnie, 22, (right) who weren't invited to the wedding

Dog, 68, wore a black tuxedo but kept his trademark shades on, while Francie, 52, wore a billowing white dress which she paired with custom crystal-encrusted sneakers.

Three of his son were in attendance. Jon, Leland and Garry Boy Chapman all escorted their father down the aisle.

The couple exchanged vows at the Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views. During their emotional vows, the couple professed their love and commitment to one another.

Choking back tears, Dog said, 'This was a match made in heaven. Francie, I give you my word, I will love you every day until I die.

'I will love you, guard you and protect you. I love you more than I do myself, Francie. I will love you more than any man ever has.'

Francie said in her vows, 'What I thought was the end was just the very beginning. We have walked alongside each other through one of the hardest things we could ever face in this life and through that we've found an incredible friendship and inner strength we didn't know we have.

'I will walk alongside you to the ends of the earth and back and be your loyal wife, your best friend and your biggest fan.'

The couple met after both being widowed and their bond grew through their shared grief.

During their emotional vows, the couple professed their love and commitment to one another. Despite the hiccups, the couple exchanged heartfelt vows in front of minister Katie Souza and their guests at The Pinery At The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Choking back tears, Dog said, 'This was a match made in heaven. Francie, I give you my word, I will love you every day until I die

The couple's blinged-out wedding bands are pictured. 'I will walk alongside you to the ends of the earth and back and be your loyal wife, your best friend and your biggest fan,' Francie said in her vows

Francie was walked down the aisle by her son Greg, as about 100 guests looked on. She said in her vows, 'What I thought was the end was just the very beginning. We have walked alongside each other through one of the hardest things we could ever face in this life and through that we've found an incredible friendship and inner strength we didn't know we have'

One wedding guest claimed their car tires had been slashed with razor blades and another said vandals left a 'mysterious pungent odor' in their car

Dog the Bounty Hunter wore his trademark dark shades as his long blond locks were out during the ceremony. Despite previously teasing he would wear a bright orange suit, the father-of-13 sported a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt

The bride took pre-wedding photos, showing off her long train as she got ready for the ceremony

Francie's tattoos were on display in her strapless wedding gown. She joked about her 'heavy' wedding dress, saying she had 'more bling on it than' she 'ever thought' she would wear

The bride's crew of female family and friends circled around, joined hands and said a prayer before the ceremony

The bride's family and friends joined her for a group photo opp before the ceremony began. Dog initially vowed that he would never remarry after losing the love of his in 2019

Three of Dog's son were in attendance. Jon, Leland and Garry Boy Chapman all escorted their father down the aisle

Dog's daughter Bonnie claimed that her involvement with Black Lives Matter fractured their relationship.

She took to Facebook to blast her father in a lengthy statement where she accused him of racism, homophobia, and cheating on his late wife 'all the time,' even when she was 'sick in the hospital.'

In the post she also brandished him as having 'racist ways,' said he sat idly by when her life was 'threatened on several occasions by QAnon wackos,' and said she felt inclined to speak out to honor her mom's legacy as she would have not 'stand for this.'

Bonnie also claimed Francie traveled on a plane 'knowing' she was infected with COVID-19 and attended events as she wrote: 'She didn't seem to care about the thousands of people she could have infected.'

'If my dad and his new wife want to travel to right-wing churches attacking gay people and advancing QAnon theories, he can certainly do that, but I'm going to stand by the memory and legacy of my mom, Beth Chapman. Her memory, and the values she stood for, are worth fighting to advance,' it read.

A representative for Dog denied Beth's allegations in a statement obtained by E!: 'Bonnie's allegations are false and a misguided attempt to derail our wedding.'

The bride and groom walked into cheers and celebration and danced the night away at their reception. Last year Dog an Francie opened up to DailyMailTV in an exclusive interview, where he gushed about how cupid shot him when he least expected it and how both of them connected by sharing the pain of being widowed

Francie is seen having a blast at the wedding reception, as she took to the dance floor with her closest family and friends

Dog got down on one knee in May 2020 at a romantic dinner at their home in Colorado, ten months after the death of his wife, Beth, from throat cancer. Francie's husband Bob had past away six months prior

Last year Dog an Francie opened up to DailyMailTV in an exclusive interview, where he gushed about how cupid shot him when he least expected it and how both of them connected by sharing the pain of being widowed.

Beth Chapman died at 51 in May 2019. Dog had vowed never to remarry, but was struck by cupid when he met Francie

'I'm a widower and she's a widow so the connection started there,' Dog told DailyMailTV host Thomas Roberts. 'I spoke with her because her husband passed six months before my former wife and she had been through stuff, so I was asking for advice and all the sudden cupid shot me.'

Dog got down on one knee in May 2020 at a romantic dinner at their home in Colorado, ten months after the death of his wife, Beth, from throat cancer. Francie's husband Bob had past away six months prior.

'We didn't expect it,' Dog said.

'It was God for sure,' Francie added.

Dog initially vowed that he would never remarry after losing the love of his life in 2019..

When asked what changed for Dog, he said: 'Well, Francie is a Christian and unless you marry you can't uh....' he drifted off, as Francie nudged him and said 'be nice'.

'What changed was I had no idea I was going to meet someone like Francie because a rancher was not in my black book,' Dog said.

'And when I did, she put down some rules - like you must go to church, you gotta start eating grass and weeds, and you got to quit smoking, and you got to quit using the A-word every other sentence. And you just gotta get your heart rate because maybe someday you'll be gone.'

Dog said his late wife Beth is up in heaven laughing at all of those restrictions.

Francie said he's checked off all of her requirements and he wears a couple of nicotine patches. He said he's gone down from three packs a day to just one.

Francie said she feels she has her late husband Bob's blessing from above.

'Bob and I had a lot of conversations before he went about moving on and what that looked like and what he wanted,' Francie said. 'I didn't know who Duane [Dog] was when I met him. I actually think Bob is in heaven laughing that it's Dog The Bounty Hunter that God brought into my life.'

'I think Bob would be very happy about where I'm at and who Duane is in my life and how we've been walking alongside each other.'
Advertisement

A violin-shaped church and a 'welcome to hell' glass bridge with two 'very scary' statues of people in traditional costumes at the end of it are among the contenders for China's top 10 ugliest buildings.

Chinese architectural firm Archcy has launched its annual competition where the public get to vote for the country's architectural horror shows.

Among the 87 questionable designs is the Inner Mongolia Manzhouli Matryoshka Hotel which is impossible to miss as it features a 240-foot high babushka doll - the world's largest doll building.

Another is a church in Yongping Village, Guangdong Province, which is no ordinary building. On one side a white violin-shaped building topped with a cross towers rises up into the sky in a project which cost more than 2 million yuan (226,500).

Currently ranked in second place is the Glass Bridge Tower of Jiuhuangshan Mountain in Mianyang, Sichuan, which features two enormous statues of men and women wearing traditional dress.

Speaking about the suspension bridge, one voter commented: 'I have never seen such an ugly building.'

Another person who had walked over the bridge, said: 'It's really a 'soul' design. I walked through this bridge and my soul was frightened. The embroidered shoes looked creepy.'

Among the contenders for China's 'ugliest' building is a church in Yongping Village, Guangdong Province, which is no ordinary building. On one side a white violin-shaped building topped with a cross towers rises up into the sky in a project which cost more than 2 million yuan (226,500)

Among the 87 questionable designs is the Inner Mongolia Manzhouli Matryoshka Hotel which is impossible to miss as it features a 240-foot high babushka doll - the world's largest doll building

Currently ranked in second place is the Glass Bridge Tower of Jiuhuangshan Mountain in Mianyang, Sichuan, which features two 'very scary' enormous statues of men and women wearing traditional dress

The building which is in the running to be named China's 'ugliest' is the South Gate of Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University, which was built with donations from alumni. The university gate, which comprises of six large double pillars engraved with the university's motto and values, has been criticised by students for not being fit for purpose

The colourful Xi'an International Children's Art Museum is currently ranked as the fourth ugliest building. The design, using colourful circlular holes, abandons the conventional elements of the adult world and instead is inspired by children

The building which is in the running to be named China's 'ugliest' is the South Gate of Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University, which was built with donations from alumni.

The university gate, which comprises of six large double pillars engraved with the university's motto and values, has been criticised by students for not being fit for purpose.

One voter described it as a 'nondescript and useless school gate' while others said it was 'extremely disharmonious' with the surrounding environment.

The colourful Xi'an International Children's Art Museum is currently ranked as the fourth ugliest building. The design, using colourful circlular holes, abandons the conventional elements of the adult world and instead is inspired by children.

But the comments by voters reveal their views on the building is mixed. While some said 'the exterior is ugly, and the interior decoration is even simpler', others said the design is 'ingenious'.

Archcy says its competition, which is in its 12th year, aims to 'arouse people's thinking about the beauty and ugliness of architecture, and enhance the sense of social responsibility of practitioners in the construction industry'.

These bizarrely shaped pods - which have roofs which look like cowboy hats - are part of the Wild World Resort Hotel. The buildings, which are partly covered by the earth, are integrated within the landscape. As the first cave hotel in China, the project is located in the bamboo forest valley of Miaoshan Village, Miaoxi Town, Wuxing District

Hainan Danzhou Haihua Island is the world's largest flower-shaped artificial tourist island. It consists of three independent offshore islands. The project covers 28 major formats such as the International Conference Center, International Convention and Exhibition Center, Seven-Star Island Hotel

This colorful 'upside-down house' in Chongqing is located at the Majiapu intersection next to Longhu Shidaitian Street in Daping. Voters in the competition have criticised the building for its plagiarism as a similar model, also called the Upside Down House, can be found in Taipei

Taiyuan Museum is one of the landmark buildings on the Cultural Island Grand Platform Plaza. The museum features five red cones, which are inspired by Chinese red lanterns. But voters have said they look more like 'plastic red bowls'

The Ma Xu Wenbo Art Center's design draws on the concepts of ancient Greek and Roman amphitheaters. But voters have criticised the building for being a 'mishmash' of elements

The Dongping Poly Plaza in Foshan, Guangdong, is a business centre with four skyscrapers which are integrated with outdoor space. While the developers aims to create a 'fashionable and interesting life centre' in Foshan, some voters described the building as 'ugly'

The competition comes as China cracks down on the construction of 'ugly buildings'.

In April this year, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced it would restrict developers from building skyscrapers over 500 metres and 'ugly buildings'.



The authority claims the regulation was approved in line with the nation's 'new-era architectural principle' which requires urban structures to be 'practical, economical, ecological and beautiful'.

The Ministry vowed to clamp down on 'huge, foreign-worshipping and wacky' buildings. Copycat designs are strictly forbidden.

Officials also demand cities to come up with building designs that can 'strengthen cultural confidence' and 'represent Chinese characteristics'.

Chaozhou Wanda City Exhibition Center is presented in the image of a 'red-head boat', covering an area of about 14,000 square meters. Based on the understanding of Chaozhou's humanities and history, the design team extracted keywords such as 'struggle and miss prospects' as design elements

The Langham Place hotel in Dawangshan has a novel shape and appears to twist in the air. Standing in the hotel, you can overlook the entire Xiangjiang Happy City including Happy Snow Region, Happy Water Village, Tongxi Lake, Huayi Movie Town

The new Puyun Road Bridge project is located in Jiangpu Street, Pukou District, Nanjing. As a landmark building in the city, the bridge actively integrates into the landscape style of the surrounding neighborhoods and adopts a European style design. But voters criticised the design for following the European way rather than fitting with the Chinese style

If any city does need to erect new supertall skyscrapers, relevant officials must first pass 'strict inspections' from the firefighting, earthquake and energy-saving authorities.

Then, they will have their proposals assessed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development  and eventually by the National Development and Reform Commission.

The Ministry also instructed the local authorities to tighten the approval process for buildings taller than 100 metres (328 feet) and protect natural areas and historic buildings.

According to CTBUH, a Chicago-based organisation specialising in the design and construction of tall buildings, the new directive didn't come as a surprise.

Daniel Safarik, a spokesperson for the group, told MailOnline: 'For several years, China's top leadership has been quoted in the media alluding to an opinion that there should be 'no more weird or strange buildings.'

'This appears to be the formalisation of that commentary.'
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin both tried to warn the president to slow down the Afghanistan withdrawal, but a stubborn Biden insisted on pressing forward, according to Bob Woodward.

'Biden was insisting that we've got to get out now,' Woodward, associate editor at the Washington Post and author of the new tell-all 'Peril, said on MSNBC Tuesday morning.

'It turns out March of this year, Biden's top cabinet officers Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State and Lloyd Austin, the Defense Secretary, proposed formally in all of these discussions to slow down the process,' Woodward continued.

'Austin, particularly says, 'gate the withdrawal. A few here, a few now, don't do it in one sweep,' and you now look back at that, and that probably was good advice that was not taken.'

Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's tell-all book hits the shelves on Tuesday

But Biden was intent on ending the two decade-long war before the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the attack that prompted its inception.

According to 'Peril,' Blinken was initially on board with the full withdrawal before speaking to NATO ministers in March.

'His new recommendation was to extend the mission with US troops for a while to see if it could yield a political settlement. Buy time for negotiations,' Woodward and co-author Robert Costa write.

Blinken reportedly told Biden during a phone call from Brussels that he was hearing 'in quadraphonic sound' that the US should leverage its departure on steps toward a political settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

At the same time, Austin was proposing a 'gated' withdrawal carried out in three to four stages to provide leverage for diplomatic negotiations.

'Biden was insisting that we've got to get out now,' Woodward, associate editor at the Washington Post and author of the new tell-all 'Peril, said on MSNBC Tuesday morning

Woodward claimed that both Sec of State, Antony Blinken, left, and Defense Sec Lloyd Austin, right, had warned Biden to slow down the withdrawal

Biden was determined not to allow 'mission creep' to extend a US presence in Afghanistan

But Biden was determined not to allow 'mission creep' to extend a US presence in Afghanistan.

'Our mission is to stop Afghanistan from being a base for attacking the homeland and US allies by al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, not to deliver a death blow to the Taliban,' Biden said during a national security council meeting, according to the book.

A defiant Biden said in late August that the operation couldn't have been done in a 'more orderly manner' and 'respectfully disagreed' with critics who said he should have started the evacuation sooner to avoid the chaos.

The president claimed that the intelligence community had not warned him that Kabul could collapse.

'Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse,' a reporter said to the president during a July 8 press conference.

Biden fired back by saying, 'That is not true.'

'They did not reach that conclusion,' the president insisted.

'The Afghan government and leadership has to come together,' Biden said at the time of the press conference. 'They clearly have the capacity to sustain the government in place. The question is: Will they generate the kind of cohesion to do it?'

'It's not a question of whether they have the capacity. They have the capacity,' he continued.

Another reporter asked during the press conference last month: 'Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable?'

'No, it is not,' Biden responded.

'You have the Afghan troops at 300,000  well equipped, as well as any army in the world  and an Air Force, against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable,' he explained.

Speaking before Congress last week, Blinken admitted he received a cable in mid-July warning of a potentially swift takeover - but repeated several times that the Taliban's lightning fast advance and collapse of the Afghan military caught the government off guard.

The White House has repeatedly insisted that they were blindsided by the Afghan security forces giving up so easily.

Biden has also laid blame on his predecessor Donald Trump for striking a peace deal in February 2020 with the Taliban. Trump's peace deal had promised US withdrawal by May of the Taliban did not harbor terrorists or attack US forces or allies.

Biden had already extended that deadline to September, and the US withdrawal was completed on Aug. 31, after a suicide explosion left 170 dead, including 13 US service members.

Meanwhile, UK prime minister Boris Johnson admitted Tuesday that intelligence reports warned Afghanistan's capital could 'collapse very fast' to the Taliban amid a withdrawal of western forces but still heaped praise on President Joe Biden's military pullout.

Speaking to NBC in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly, Johnson appeared hesitant to criticize his host country despite host Savannah Guthrie calling the withdrawal a 'botched' effort.

'There was a spectrum of advice, a spectrum of convictions from the intelligence people, amongst which was the possibility that Kabul would collapse very fast and that the Taliban would take over very fast,' Johnson said.
The family of Robert Durst's missing wife is calling on prosecutors in New York to bring charges against him after a jury in LA found him guilty of murdering friend Susan Berman to cover up her disappearance and suspected killing.

In a statement released by their attorneys, the family of Kathleen McCormack Durst, who went missing in 1982, told the Westchester County District Attorney to 'do the right thing,' and prosecute Durst for her disappearance.

On Friday, Durst, 79, was found guilty of murdering mutual friend and confidante Berman in 2000 after she threatened to retract her alibi over Kathie's killing. He faces life in prison without parole at his sentencing scheduled for October 18.

The family of Robert Durst's missing wife Kathie (pictured with him, right) is calling on prosecutors in New York to bring charges against him after a jury in LA found him guilty of murdering friend Susan Berman (left) to cover up her disappearance and suspected killing

Kathie's brother, Jim (pictured) has urged prosecutors in New York to hold him accountable

Real estate heir Durst (pictured in court last month) was found guilty Friday of the 2000 murder of a confidante Susan Berman, who threatened to retract her alibi over the 1982 killing of his wife

'Not a single day goes by that we do not think about our beautiful, smart, and kind sister, Kathleen. Today, more than ever before, it is clear that she was murdered by Robert Durst in Westchester County, New York on January 31, 1982. The evidence is overwhelming,' the McCormack family said.

'Although Durst has now been rightly convicted of killing Susan Berman, who helped him conceal the truth about Kathies death, the McCormack family is still waiting for justice. Kathie is still waiting for justice.'

Prosecutors in Los Angeles had said throughout Durst's lengthy murder trial that Berman knew he had killed Kathie, at one point impersonating her to call in sick to the medical school she attended.

Prosecutors said the call made it appear Kathie was alive after she was last seen by her husband.

She is believed to have suffered domestic violence at Durst's hands, with investigators speculating that he killed his wife after she tried to leave him.

'The justice system in Los Angeles has finally served the Berman family. It is now time for Westchester to do the same for the McCormack family and charge Durst for the murder of his wife, Kathie, which occurred almost forty years ago,' the McCormack family statement continued, according to Law & Crime.

'Westchester DA Rocah has assembled a team of cold case prosecutors and investigators every bit the equal of those in Los Angeles. It is time for Westchester to finally do the right thing.'

Kathie's brother, Jim McCormack said he was certain the real estate heir had killed his younger sister.

'The McCormack family wants desperately to have this thing finally brought to at least a charge,' he said when it was announced that Miriam Rocah, district attorney for Westchester County said her office was reopening the case into Kathie's disappearance in May.

The investigation is ongoing, Rocah said.

Prosecutors had argued that an anonymous note sent to police by Durst directing them to Berman's body proved he had killed her

The lawyers had linked the note to a previous letter Durst sent with the same handwriting

Durst appeared in court in Inglewood, California, on September 8, 2021, with his attorneys for closing arguments presented by the prosecution in the murder trial of the New York real estate scion who is charged with the longtime friend Susan Berman's killing in Benedict Canyon just before Christmas Eve 2000

'The Westchester District Attorneys Office commends all of those involved in persuading a California jury to hold Robert Durst accountable for the murder of Susan Berman,' she told DailyMail.com in a statement.

'Our independent investigation, which District Attorney Rocah re-opened shortly after she took office into Kathie Dursts death, remains ongoing and we will have no further comment at this time.'

Prosecutors said Durst silenced Berman at her Los Angeles home to prevent her from telling police what she knew about the disappearance and suspected killing of McCormack.

Durst testified he didn't kill his wife or Berman and doesn't know who did, though he said he'd have lied any way had he murdered either woman.

Jurors deliberated for roughly seven hours over three days, and said they agreed with the prosecution's assertion that he also killed Kathie in 1982, however, he has yet to be charged for it.

'He killed his wife and then he had to keep killing to cover it up,' John Lewin, LA deputy district attorney said.

Lewin, who met with jurors after the verdict, said they believed prosecutors proved Durst killed Kathie Durst and murdered Berman and his neighbor Morris Black in Texas in 2001. He was acquitted of the Black murder in 2005.

In 1973, just after his thirtieth birthday, Robert Durst married Kathleen McCormack, a 19-year-old aspiring pediatrician. Their romance was a fast and intense relationship, with Robert asking Kathleen to move in with him after just two dates

Durst's defense said they believed there was 'substantial reasonable doubt' and were disappointed in the verdict, attorney David Chesnoff said. He said Durst would pursue all avenues of appeal.

Prosecutors had focused on a note Durst sent anonymously to police directing them to Berman's 'cadaver' at her L.A. home.

They said he would have gotten away with it if documentary filmmakers had not unearthed a letter from Durst that had identical handwriting to that found on the note.

Prosecutors said it was hard to fathom that Susan Bermans killer was not the same person who sent the note to the police.

'You can ignore everything else in this case,' Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian said.

While filming the documentary The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst, filmmakers discovered an envelope Durst sent Berman a year earlier. The handwriting was identical to the note sent to police after Berman's death - and Beverly Hills was misspelled as 'Beverley' on both.

The global pandemic significantly altered the course of the trial, suspending it in March 2020 after only two days of testimony. After a 14-month break, possibly the longest in the US legal system, the case resumed in May for four more months of testimony.
Boris Johnson has called China 'ridiculous' for its furious response to the new military alliance between the US, Britain and Australia.

Beijing claims the move has 'intensified' the arms race and state media has warned that it 'will potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike if war breaks out.'

As part of the deal, Britain and the US have agreed to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, largely-viewed as an effort to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea where it lays claim to several disputed islands.

But Johnson told the Today show of China's objections: 'I think that's ridiculous. And there's no need whatsoever for anybody to construe this as adversarial towards them. This is about technology transfer.'

It comes as Germany today backed France in a converging diplomatic row over the Australian decision to tear up its $65 billion contract with Paris for diesel-electric submarines, in favor of the nuclear submarines from the Aukus deal.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who has developed close ties with the Biden administration, told reporters at the UN: 'I can understand our French friends' anger.'

'What was decided, and the manner in which it was decided, was irritating and disappointing, and not only for France,' he added.

But Johnson told the Today show of China's objections: 'I think that's ridiculous. And there's no need whatsoever for anybody to construe this as adversarial towards them. This is about technology transfer'

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who has developed close ties with the Biden administration, told reporters at the UN: 'I can understand our French friends' anger' (pictured: in Berlin on September 15)

Astute class submarine HMS Ambush is pictured during sea trials near Scotland. Britain and the United States have agreed to provide the Australians with nuclear submarine technology as part of the new Aukus pact

An incandescent Emmanuel Macron on Friday recalled his ambassadors to the United States and Australia, in a rare move for such close allies.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has also not scheduled the usual one-on-one meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken while in New York.

Before leaving Canberra, ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said that France had been 'stabbed in the back' and that the Australian decision had caught Paris totally by surprise.

The French said on Monday they would be expecting compensation for the shredded submarine deal, estimated to be as much as $290 million.

China has reacted furiously to the Aukus deal, claiming it is a blow to nuclear non-proliferation (pictured: President Xi Jinping visits a chemical company in Yulin City on Sept. 13)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims that he had raised 'issues' about the contract 'many months ago.'

Johnson meanwhile went on the charm offensive as he insisted that Britain and France enjoyed an 'indestructible' relationship.

'The UK and France have, I believe, a very, very important, and indestructible relationship,' he told reporters in New York.

'And of course we'll be talking to all our friends about how to make the Aukus pact work so that it's not exclusionary, it's not divisive and it really doesn't have to be that way.'

The running disputes of the French and the Chinese comes as world leaders are converging on the Big Apple for a United Nations conference, with a focus on the fight against climate change and Covid-19.

The US tried to dissuade leaders from coming to New York in a bid to stop the General Assembly from becoming a 'super-spreader event,' although Joe Biden will address the assembly in person, his first UN visit since taking office.

A so-called UN honor system means that anyone entering the assembly hall effectively declares they are vaccinated, but they do not have to show proof.

This system will be broken when the first country speaks - Brazil. Jair Bolsonaro is a vaccine skeptic, who last week declared that he does not need the shot because he is already immune after being infected with COVID-19.

Indeed, when British PM Johnson met Bolsonaro on Monday he urged the Brazilian to get the Oxford University-developed AstraZeneca vaccine.

'I've had two,' Johnson proudly declared as he smacked his arm.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks on as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and U.S. President Joe Biden bump elbows during the G7 conference in Cornwall in June

Bolsonaro, dubbed the Trump of the Tropics, wagged his finger at the Englishman, telling him: 'Not yet.'

Should he change his mind, New York City has set up a van outside the UN for the week to supply free testing and free shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters that the discussions around how many traveling diplomats might have been immunized illustrated 'how dramatic the inequality is today in relation to vaccination.'

He is pushing for a global plan to vaccinate 70 per cent of the world by the first half of next year.

Out of 5.7 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines administered around the world, only 2 per cent have been in Africa.

Biden will host a virtual meeting from Washington with leaders and chief executives on Wednesday that aims to boost the distribution of vaccines globally.
The parents of Harry Dunn family have reached a 'resolution' with his alleged killer Anne Sacoolas in a civil claim for damages.

The teenager's family's spokesman Radd Seiger said an agreement had been 'reached successfully between the parties and they can put this part of the campaign behind them'.

The details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but Mr Seiger said a resolution in the civil claim means Harry's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, will now turn their focus to any future criminal case - which remains ongoing.

In 2020, an extradition request submitted by the Home Office to bring Sacoolas to the UK was rejected by the US State Department.

The Dunn family were then advised that, although there could be no criminal proceedings in the US, they could bring a civil claim for damages against Sacoolas as her immunity was no longer valid when she returned to her home country.

In February, Judge Ellis allowed the civil claim against Sacoolas to go ahead in the US, despite the suspect's motion to dismiss it.

The civil case will allow a claim of 'vicarious liability' to be brought against Sacoolas and her husband under the Virginia state law and would mean Mr Sacoolas could be liable for the teenager's death by allowing his wife to use the car which killed him.

However, the Dunn family's main objective continues to be for Sacoolas to face a criminal charge through the UK justice system.

Confirming a resolution had been reached in the civil damages claim, Mr Seiger said: 'It has come as some considerable relief to them that a resolution to the civil claim has been now been reached successfully between the parties and they can put this part of the campaign behind them.

'It is never easy mounting a legal battle for justice abroad, let alone in the USA, but the family's courage and determination to see this through has been incredible.

'They have been supported throughout the claim by (ex-Foreign Secretary) Dominic Raab and his excellent officials at the FCDO and we are very grateful to them for all their help.

Harry Dunn, 19, was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019

Sacoolas, 44, was able to leave the UK following the fatal road crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019

The new Foreign Secretary said the civil case resolution was 'absolutely not' the end of the fight to get Sacoolas to return to the UK over the the death of Harry

'We have been made aware that the US Government made no secret of their displeasure at the British Government's backing of Harry's family in bringing the claim.'

It comes as the new Foreign Secretary Liz Truss demanded that Harry's alleged killer return to the UK to face justice.

Ms Truss said the agreement was 'absolutely not' the end of the fight to get Sacoolas to return to the UK over the the death of Harry.

Timeline of events following Harry Dunn's death 27 August 2019: Harry Dunn, 19, killed while riding his motorcycle near Croughton, Northamptonshire near the exit to RAF Croughton, when it collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction 28 August 2019: Suspect Anne Sacoolas is interviewed by police. Northamptonshire police request a diplomatic immunity waiver 16 September 2019: Foreign office informs police that the waiver had been declined and that Sacoolas had left the UK on a US Air Force aircraft 15 October 2019: Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn take their campaign for justice to the US where they meet with President Trump at the White House. They refuse meet the suspect, who was waiting in a room next door 31 October 2019: Northamptonshire police interview Sacoolas in the US after requesting permission to do so 25 November 2019: Dunn's parents submit a judicial review of the Foreign Secretary's actions over the extension of diplomatic immunity to intelligence staff and families at RAF Croughton 20 December 2019: Crown Prosecution Service announces that Sacoolas to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving and that it was starting extradition proceedings against her 10 January: Home Office formally requests the extradition of Sacoolas to face charges in the United Kingdom 23 January: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally rejects request for extradition 28 April: Charlotte and Tim write a letter to the US Government, urging it to change its mind on the diplomatic immunity granted to Sacoolas 11 May: An Interpol Red Notice is issued for Sacoolas' arrest May 12: The US State Department says the decision not to extradite Sacoolas is 'final' after Interpol notice claims. May 20: Mr Dunn's mother calls for Mr Raab's resignation. July 22: Mr Raab announces the 'anomaly' which allowed Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity following the road crash that killed Mr Dunn has been amended. August 25: The Lord Chancellor said Attorney General Suella Braverman was considering the possibility of trying Sacoolas virtually or in her absence. September 9: Mr Dunn's parents file a civil claim against Sacoolas in the US. September 10: Sacoolas's legal representatives admit the suspect had been driving on the wrong side of the road for 20 seconds prior to the crash. November 24: Mr Dunn's parents lose their High Court battle with the Foreign Office over the diplomatic immunity asserted on behalf of Sacoolas. January 24: The Foreign Office apologises after 'unprofessional and unacceptable language' was used by officials in internal emails about Mr Dunn's bereaved family. January 28: New US President Joe Biden's administration maintains the position that the decision not to extradite Sacoolas is 'final'. February 4: The Alexandria District Court in Virginia hears Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan's work in intelligence was a 'factor' in their departure from the UK after the road crash. March 9: Sacoolas's lawyer says the suspect is willing to complete community service. June 12: Mr Raab says the UK Government would be seeking a 'virtual trial or process' for Sacoolas. July 2: Mr Dunn's parents give evidence under oath in their 'depositions' as part of the civil claim for damages filed in the US. September 21: Mr Dunn's parents and Sacoolas reach a 'resolution' in the civil claim for damages filed in the US. Advertisement

Speaking to reporters on the train to Washington where she will meet with Joe Biden, Ms Truss was asked if the resolution of the civil case in the US was the end of the road for the British effort for Sacoolas's return.

She replied: 'Absolutely not. We continue to press for justice for Harry.'

Sacoolas, 44, was able to leave the UK following the fatal road crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019, after diplomatic immunity was asserted on her behalf by the US Government.

The diplomat's wife, who is charged with causing 19-year-old Harry's death by dangerous driving, was due to give evidence under oath last month as part of the damages claim until a last minute postponement.

The damages claim, brought against Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan, unearthed a great deal of previously unheard material, such as the State Department roles held by the couple at the time of the crash.

Alexandria District Court in the US state of Virginia heard the pair's work in intelligence was a 'factor' in their departure from the UK, as they left for 'security reasons'.

Mr Seiger continued: 'The family feel they can now turn their attention to the criminal case and the long-awaited inquest into Harry's death which will follow the criminal case.

'There will also need to be a parliamentary inquiry into this scandal in due course.

'Harry's family will never be able to move on from his loss, but they are more determined than ever to continue to move forward.

'This is a pivotal point in the campaign, a real milestone. But there is much work left to be done before justice for Harry can be said to be done.'

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sacoolas have been approached for comment.

The US Government asserted diplomatic immunity on Anne Sacoolas's behalf and she was able to return to the US shortly after Harry's death.

Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving by the Crown Prosecution Service in December 2020.

An extradition request was then submitted by the Home Office but that was rejected by the US State Department in January 2020.

The Dunn family were then advised that, although there could be no criminal proceedings in the US, they could bring a civil claim for damages against Sacoolas as her immunity was no longer valid when she returned to her home country.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan attempted to throw the case out on the grounds it should be heard in the UK, despite admitting she would not agree to face trial due to a 'concern' she would not 'receive fair treatment'.

Judge Thomas Ellis dismissed Sacoolas's submissions that the UK was a 'more convenient' forum, keeping the case in Virginia - describing the motion as 'not warranted'.

Harry's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, then flew out to the US to give evidence under oath as part of the 'discovery' process.

In his judgment which threw out Sacoolas's motion to dismiss the claim, Judge Ellis said: 'While it is commendable that defendant Anne Sacoolas admits that she was negligent and that her negligence caused Harry Dunn's death, this does not equate acceptance of responsibility.

'Full acceptance of responsibility entails facing those harmed by her negligence and taking responsibility for her acts where they occurred, in the United Kingdom.'

If the case had not been resolved, Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan would have had to have gone through a process known as a 'deposition' in which they would have been compelled to give evidence under oath.

If the case had not been resolved by the end of the depositions, a trial would have taken place in the civil courts in Virginia where a panel of jurors would have determined what financial settlement, if any, the Dunn family would be entitled to.

The civil case has unearthed a great deal of previously unheard material, such as the State Department roles held by the Sacoolases at the time of the crash.

The Alexandria District Court in the US State of Virginia heard the pair's work in intelligence was a 'factor' in their departure from the UK - with the couple leaving for 'security reasons'.

The court heard Sacoolas had not returned to the UK due to a 'fear' that because of the 'media attention, she would not have a fair trial'.

Her lawyer John McGavin said she was 'currently apologetic' and 'accepted responsibility for the accident'.

However, the Dunn family's main objective was for Sacoolas to face a criminal charge through the UK justice system.

Former foreign secretary Dominic Raab said a path had been cleared for a 'virtual trial or process' to take place and Harry's parents remain hopeful Sacoolas will take part in a criminal process.

It comes after Liz Truss has urged her US counterpart to 'make progress on delivering justice' for the family of Harry as they met for face-to-face talks.

Charlotte Charles (left) and Tim Dunn, the parents of Harry Dunn, have reached a resolution for damages in a civil claim against their son's alleged killer Anne Sacoolas

Spokesman Radd Seiger for the family of Harry Dunn, flanked by mother Charlotte Charles and father Tim Dunn

Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the road crash which killed Harry

The new Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as she attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said she was 'grateful' for the case being raised.

'It means the world to us to see that Harry remains at the top of the agenda,' she said.

'I can only imagine how busy the new Foreign Secretary is and Harry would be so proud that he is at the forefront of her mind in her first week in office.

'We continue to suffer, and miss Harry every single day.

'We feel we are just existing at the moment and I would just ask the officials in both London and Washington to do all they can to help my family get justice for Harry as soon as possible please.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'The Foreign Secretary also raised the case of Harry Dunn and the need to make progress on delivering justice for Harry's family.'

The trip to the UN General Assembly is Ms Truss's first overseas visit since she was elevated to the role of Foreign Secretary at Boris Johnson's Cabinet reshuffle last week.

Mr Blinken had visited the UK back in May of this year when he held talks with Ms Truss's predecessor, Dominic Raab.

The Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as she attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York

Ms Truss and Mr Blinken met last night and 'discussed the close partnership between the UK and the USA and their shared ambitions to build a stronger economic and security alliance between the two countries'.

The spokesman said: 'As two leading free enterprise democracies they recognised the shared common ground between the UK and USA on a wide range of areas including the Indo-Pacific and regional security there and the need to build back better from the Covid pandemic.

'They discussed how they could use the Build Back Better World initiative to provide developing countries with reliable investment to meet their infrastructure needs in a sustainable way.'

The pair also 'welcomed the recently agreed AUKUS partnership on security in the Indo-Pacific region'.

The defence pact between the US, the UK and Australia will see the latter secure its first ever fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

But the deal has sparked a furious diplomatic row with France because Canberra has backed out of a deal with Paris to buy a fleet of diesel-electric submarines.

Ms Truss and Mr Blinken also discussed the US decision to allow fully-vaccinated British travellers to visit the country from November and 'discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan'.

They also agreed that Iran must grant the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained British and American nationals.
A three-month-old foal suffering from full-body burns has been wrapped in colourful bandages after he was allegedly set alight in a 'barbaric' arson attack.

Vets caring for Phoenix the foal have dressed him in colourful bandages, adorned with rainbow and ladybird patterns, to brighten his days as he recovers from the horrifying injuries.

The young horse almost died when he lost most of his hair and mane and his tiny body was burnt to a crisp in a 'barbaric' and 'cruel' alleged arson attack in Ash, near Sevenoaks, in Kent at around 10.15pm on August 3.

It is thought that his Barnfield Park stable was set alight in a sick arson attack, while a horrified passerby spotted the injured foal after he ran out on to the road.

Another horse died in the alleged attack and two fire engines attended the scene to extinguish the blaze.

Vets caring for Phoenix the foal have dressed him in colourful bandages, adorned with rainbow, ladybird and polka dot patterns as he recovers from full-body burns

The young horse's body (pictured in ladybird bandages) was burnt to a crisp in a 'barbaric' and 'cruel' alleged arson attack in Ash, near Sevenoaks, in Kent at around 10.15pm on August 3

He was rushed Lingfield Equine Vets before being transferred to Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Hapton, Norfolk, where he is being treated around the clock.

Phoenix will need long-term care before he recovers, and vets have introduced him to his 'foster mum' Mildred, a black and white mare who has started caring for the injured horse.

He now has to be fully bandaged to prevent infection, with new dressings needed every two days, which has prompted vets to get creative with his bandages.

His colourful bandages, which included superman, ladybird and polka dot designs, prompted an outpouring of support from teary-eyed supporters on social media.

Pam Coulson commented on Facebook: 'Bless him he's a very special boy looks great in his bandages.

'Bless you for your care, speedy wishes Phoenix.xxx'

It is thought that his Barnfield Park stable was set alight in a sick arson attack, while a horrified passerby spotted the injured foal (his burns pictured) after he ran out on to the road

He was rushed Lingfield Equine Vets before being transferred to Redwings Horse Sanctuary (pictured at the sanctuary) in Hapton, Norfolk, where he is being treated around the clock

He now has to be fully bandaged to prevent infection, with new dressings needed every two days. Pictured: Phoenix's burns while he recovers at the horse sanctuary

Phoenix still needs round-the-clock care (pictured at Redwings Horse Sanctuary), including daily blood tests, and vets are considering skin grafts to save his charred body

Joan Mccue added: 'He might not be able to fly but little Phoenix is truly a super hero xxx'

The alleged arson attack was described as 'barbaric' by Nic de Brauwere, head of welfare and behaviour at Redwings.

He told KentOnline: 'It's heartbreaking that anyone would target any animal, but particularly such an innocent foal with such a barbaric act of cruelty.'

Phoenix still needs round-the-clock care, including daily blood tests, and vets are considering skin grafts to save his charred body.

Nicola Knight, communications manager at Redwings, said: 'It's very early days still but clinically Phoenix seems to be much stronger and is an absolute sweetheart, so our vet team are completely smitten!

'He is getting on well with his new foster mum Mildred and has been having some turnout in the field each day which he really seems to enjoy.'

Redwings Horse Sanctuary said it has been flooded with donations and gifts since Phoenix's horrific story came to light last month.

Nicola added: 'We've been inundated with donations, cards and presents and the public have really taken him to their hearts; so we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been in touch, it really means such a lot to us.'

The alleged arson attack was described as 'barbaric' by Nic de Brauwere, head of welfare and behaviour at Redwings. Pictured: Phoenix covered in bandages at the sanctuary

Commenting on Phoenix's case last month, a spokesperson for Redwings said that the horse hospital had 'never seen anything this bad'. Pictured: Phoenix's full-body burns

It is understood that Kent Police were informed of the alleged arson incident but no arrests were made. Pictured: Phoenix is looked after by staff at the horse sanctuary

Speaking of the attack, Nic de Brauwere, head of welfare at Redwings, added: 'It's heartbreaking that anyone would target any animal, but particularly such an innocent foal, with such a barbaric act of cruelty.

'Phoenix's condition was very touch-and-go for a few days but he started to respond to treatment.

'Even if he pulled through his initial treatment, it was clear he would need to be somewhere that could provide long-term intensive care, as well as a new permanent home, so we were only too happy to help.'

Commenting on Phoenix's case last month, a spokesperson for Redwings said that the horse hospital had 'never seen anything this bad'.

Hospital communications manager Stephanie Callen told The Sun: 'We're still being very careful with who gets close to him to protect him as best as possible from infection.'

It is understood that Kent Police were informed of the alleged arson incident but no arrests have made yet.

A spokesperson said: 'Kent Police is investigating a suspected arson at a stable in Barnfield Park, Ash, at around 10pm on Tuesday 3 August 2021.

'The fire caused the death on one horse and another horse was located nearby with serious burns. Enquiries are ongoing and at this stage no arrests have been made.

'Anyone with information can call 01622 604100 quoting reference 46/140289/21. They can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or complete the online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.'

Speaking about the incident, a Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: 'Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called at 22.13 on 3 August to reports of a fire at a stable in Barnfield Park, in Ash, Sevenoaks.

'Two fire engines attended and crews used hose reel jets to extinguish the flames.

'No casualties were reported, however one horse had died at the scene before crews arrived.

'The cause of the fire is believed to be suspicious. Please contact Kent Police for further details.'
Former President Donald Trump urged Vice President Mike Pence to 'listen' to a conservative lawyer who drew up a 6-point for Pence to overturn the election results, according to Bob Woodward's new book.

Trump made the pitch to Pence in a January 4th Oval Office meeting that included the lawyer, James Eastman, who was then the dean of the Chapman University Law School, and was among a group of figures pushing Trump's electoral fraud claims up until his final days in office.

'You really need to listen to John. He's a respected constitutional scholar. Hear him out,' Trump told Pence, according to Peril, by Woodward and journalist Robert Costa.

The authors write about a six-point memo that Eastman, who later spoke at the 'Stop the Steal Rally' near the White House Jan. 6th, drafted.

Former Chapman University law professor John Eastman, next to U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, drafted a six-point memo spelling out his beliefs about how Vice President Mike Pence could refuse to accept votes from seven states where Trump allies were claiming fraud

The memo sketches out steps Eastman proposed Pence could take while presiding over counting the Electoral College votes from the states  a role that Pence himself and numerous constitutional scholars concluded was largely ceremonial.

The Eastman memo, published by CNN, carves out a pivotal role for Pence. When counting votes from states where Trump was claiming fraud, Pence would cite 'ongoing disputes in the 7 States' to claim that there are in fact 'no electors that can be deemed validly appointed in those States.'

Doing so would put Trump ahead, by 232 to 222 electoral votes. 'Pence then gavels President Trump as re-elected,' Eastman rights.

In fact Biden amassed 306 electoral votes, according to the results certified by states.

'You really need to listen to John,' Woodward's book quotes former President Donald Trump as telling Vice President Mike Pence

The move would provoke 'howls' from Democrats, Eastman predicted.

'So Pence says fine' and sends the matter to the House, where under the 12th Amendment each state delegation would get a single vote in deciding a disputed election.

'Republicans currently control 26 of the state delegations, the bare majority needed to win that vote. President Trump is re-elected there as well,' Eastman writes.

'The fact is that the Constitution assigns this power to the Vice President as the ultimate arbiter. We should take all of our actions with that in mind,' according to Eastman's interpretation.

Eastman's memo urges Pence to cite 'ongoing disputes in the 7 States' and refuse to accept their electors

Eastman said Pence should act 'without asking for permission' from Congress or the Supreme Court when refusing to accept votes certified by states

Eastman's effort to pitch the memo to Lee, a Utah conservative Republican, were ineffective.

'You might as well make your case to Queen Elizabeth II. Congress can't do this. You're wasting your time,' Lee told him, according to the book.

The pitch came despite no state sending an alternate set of electors for Congress to consider, something that has happened in historical instances.

'Lee's head was spinning,' according to Woodward and Costa. 'No such procedure existed in the Constitution, any law or past practice. Eastman had apparently drawn it out of thin air.'

Lee himself voted to certify votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania where Trump and his allies were claiming fraud. 'Our job is a very simple one. Our job is to convene to open the ballots and to count them. That's it,' he said on the Senate floor.

Eastman retired from his law position a week after the Capitol riot.

Pence refused the course of action Trump urged him to consider, and Trump tweeted angrily at him on Jan. 6th.

'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!' Trump wrote.
The shocking story of a secret police operation to track down all gay men in Communist Poland is to be retold in a new Netflix film.

Due for release next month, the Polish-language Operation Hyacinth is based on a plan of the same name (Akcja Hyacint in Polish) which led to information being collected on at least 11,000 gay men in the 1980s.

Set in the period, the drama itself follows the story of a police officer trying to track down a serial killer targeting the gay community.

But in the sinister real-life events launched on the 15th of November 1985, thousands of men were arrested, files created, fingerprints taken and 'confessions' confirming their homosexuality forcibly signed.

One of the operation's victims, Waldemar Zboralski, had been chairman of the gay rights group the Warsaw Homosexual Movement. He later fled to the UK and became the first gay Polish man to get married.

Although homosexuality stopped being a criminal offence in Poland in 1932, the Communist authorities put homosexual communities under observation from the mid-1960s believing their sexual orientation to be a social pathology.

But it was not until Operation Hyacinth that personal data and police files started being collated on a nationwide scale, with police using the hunt for the serial killer - as well as the need to combat the newly-emergent AIDS virus - as justification.

After being arrested, men were forced to sign statements declaring that they were gay and, shockingly, that they were 'not interested' in children.

The shocking story of a secret police operation to track down all gay men in Communist Poland is to be retold in a new Netflix film. Waldemar Zboralski, chairman of the Warsaw Homosexual Movement, was one of the victims of Operation Hyacinth. He later fled to the UK. He is seen above in 2009

Secret police from the feared SB (Suzba Bezpieczenstwa) and their cohorts in an organisation known as the Civil Militia (MO) rounded up and arrested 'suspects' in schools, universities, workplaces, and railway stations all over Poland.

Those arrested were given folders called 'Gay cards' and the information was stored in secret police files called a 'pink briefcase.'

They were then forced to sign statements saying: 'I hereby declare that I [name and surname] have been homosexual from birth. I have had many partners in my life, all of them adult. I am not interested in minors.'

Detainees were also blackmailed into denouncing other homosexual men, as well as describing the techniques of sexual intercourse.

Initiated by Poland's minister of internal affairs, Czeslaw Kiszczak, the Communist authorities justified the operation by saying they were trying to fight AIDS and combat sex crimes including prostitution.

Due for release next month, the Polish-language Operation Hyacinth is based on the plan of the same name (Akcja Hyacint in Polish) which led to information being collected on at least 11,000 gay men in the 1980s

Secret police from the feared SB (Suzba Bezpieczenstwa) and their cohorts in an organisation known as the Civil Militia (MO) rounded up and arrested 'suspects' in schools, universities, workplaces, and railway stations all over Poland. Above: Secret police arresting a suspect

Another official justification was to protect gay men themselves, following the murder of a homosexual man in the city of Gdansk - the crime that is detailed in the new Netflix drama.

Operation Hyacinth was launched by Poland's minister of internal affairs, Czeslaw Kiszczak (pictured)

A few months before the operation was launched, police discovered several hundred letters in the man's apartment which he had received in response to an advertisement in a magazine popular within the gay community.

As part of the investigation, all the authors of the letters were immediately summoned for questioning, their personal details were written down, and their fingerprints and photos were stored on file.

But Polish historians have previously said that the real reason was to gather compromising evidence which could later be used for blackmail, because those arrested would be more willing to cooperate with the security services.

It is also believed that the operation was part of a wider campaign aimed at gathering compromising material to use against members of the anti-communist opposition, such as those in Solidarity trade union movement.

It was led by Lech Walesa, who went on to become president of Poland after the Communist regime fell.

According to LGBT activist Krzysztof Tomasik, some of the 'pink briefcase' folders survived, and the information they contain could still be useful in blackmailing politicians and other high-ranking people.

Those arrested were given folders called 'Gay cards' and the information was stored in secret police files called a 'pink briefcase'. Above: Secret police 'pink briefcase' documents

The men were then forced to sign statements saying: 'I hereby declare that I [name and surname] have been homosexual from birth. I have had many partners in my life, all of them adult. I am not interested in minors'. Above: The name of one suspect is seen in one of the secret files

They were were then forced to sign statements saying: 'I hereby declare that I [name and surname] have been homosexual from birth. I have had many partners in my life, all of them adult. I am not interested in minors'

However, thousands of others were destroyed or went missing, leaving the exact number of those persecuted unclear.

As a result of the Operation, many members of the gay community went 'underground' to hide their sexual orientations even deeper.

In 1988, a year after the operation finished, a government spokesman denied allegations being made by western media, telling the US newspaper Baltimore Sun that no such operation had ever taken place.

Some of the ID cards of Secret Policemen in the feared SB (Suzba Bezpieczenstwa)

Krzysztof Tomasik, LGBT activist and author of the book 'Sexual minorities in the People's Republic of Poland' told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita: 'It was a nightmare for many; it's not just about the humiliating interrogation and the type of questions asked, including about the names of lovers and their favourite sex positions, they were threatened with the disclosure of their secret to their parents, colleagues, and also wives.'

He added: 'It is likely that these files were dispersed, some could have been destroyed, but there are also hypotheses that the information obtained at that time is still useful in blackmailing high-ranking people, including politicians.

'Generally, nothing can be ruled out, because so little is known about Operation Hyacinth.'

Detainees were also blackmailed into denouncing other homosexual men, as well as describing the techniques of sexual intercourse. Above: A Secret Police file on a suspect
A couple who died in the Manchester Arena bombing were standing with their arms around each other as they waited for their daughters to leave the concert minutes before the blast, an inquiry has heard.

Marcin Klis, 42, and his wife Angelika, 37, from York had travelled to the arena on May 22 2017 with their two daughters, Aleksandra, 20, and Patrycja, 14.

The couple went into the city centre while their daughters attended the Ariana Grande concert, and seemed to enjoy themselves, taking a selfie outside the Corn Exchange.

They returned to the arena at 10.23pm and were 'stood with their arms around each other' at 10.28pm, Det Insp Mike Russell said.

They were facing the exit doors from the arena when Salman Abedi set off his rucksack bomb - around five metres from where they were standing - killing them.

The details were described as the inquiry into the attacks began a series of hearings on the treatment of each victim.

Marcin Klis, 42, and his wife Angelika, 37, had their arms around each other as they waited for their daughters outside Manchester Arena when the bomb went off

In a statement their daughters said Marcin and Angelika (pictured) 'didn't want to be without each other' and 'did everything to put their daughters first'

Police have compiled footage from 90 CCTV cameras, and 52 bodyworn cameras, along with witness statements from 45 individuals, according to the inquiry team.

In a statement their daughters said Marcin and Angelika 'didn't want to be without each other' and 'did everything to put their daughters first'.

'They were amazing parents, great friends and kind people,' they added.

CCTV and mobile phone footage in the seconds after the explosion showed the couple lying on their righthand sides with their faces towards the ground and they did not move, the inquiry was told.

Phillip Clegg, a 'travel safe officer' for Northern Rail, entered the City Room from Victoria Station, underneath the arena, at 10.33pm, two minutes after the blast and his bodyworn footage showed the couple.

Dr Darah Burke, an off-duty GP, leant over the couple at 10.38pm, and Zak Warburton, a first aid provider for ETUK, also seemed to help at 10.43pm.

Mr Warburton 'recalls that he would have assisted Angelika but does not recall doing so. He would have been checking for signs of life, breathing or a pulse,' Ms Cartwright said.

At 10.45pm, Ken O'Connor from ETUK stood over Angelika and placed a t-shirt over the body, later explaining that he did so out of 'respect and dignity for her.'

Five minutes later PC Stephen Corke from British Transport Police, knelt near several casualties, including Marcin.

He later confirmed that he checked for a pulse but could not detect one and at 10.53pm, Marcin's body was covered over with a poster.

Police have compiled footage from 90 CCTV cameras, and 52 bodyworn cameras, along with witness statements from 45 individuals, as the inquiry into the attacks began a series of hearings on the treatment of each victim

Sir John Saunders, the chairman of the inquiry, said: 'We know that Marcin and Angelica had two daughters Alex and Patrycja. The night of May 22 was meant to be a particularly happy occasion. Instead it turned into a complete tragedy and one they will never, ever forget'

A CCTV image of Salman Abedi at Victoria Station making his way to the Manchester Arena, on May 22, 2017, where he detonated his bomb

At 11.38pm, an hour and seven minutes after the explosion, Sgt John Whittaker lifted the poster to check Marcin's pulse and at 11.39pm, Patrick Ennis, a paramedic, attached labels to each showing they had passed away.

Post mortems found that the couple were facing the explosion and that Marcin died from chest injuries and Angelika from multiple injuries.

Experts said the couple had multiple secondary blast injuries which were unsurviveable with current advanced medical treatment.

Kim Harrison, the family lawyer, described how the couple, were born and grew up in Poland where they met in the early 1990s and fell in love.

They were married in 1996 and Alex was born in 1997 and Patrycja in 2003.

Marcin worked as a courier, then in Tesco and, for the last five years of his life as a taxi driver.

Angelika began work as a cleaner and then worked as customer service assistant for Tesco.

Sir John Saunders, the chairman of the inquiry, said: 'We know that Marcin and Angelica had two daughters Alex and Patrycja. The night of May 22 was meant to be a particularly happy occasion. Instead it turned into a complete tragedy and one they will never, ever forget.

'They remember that their parents' love for each other was very strong, like teenagers without a care in the world. They were soulmates and didn't want to be without each other.'

The inquiry continues.
Advertisement

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered all state agencies to assist in the search for Gabby Petito's missing boyfriend Brian Laundrie as FBI and local police deployed ATVs and drones to a snake and alligator-infested swampland as the hunt for him enters its fifth day.

North Port Police announced Tuesday its officers had returned to the 'vast and unforgiving' 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve to continue the search that morning in the waist-deep water and 'dangerous' terrain.

More than 50 searchers from at least eight law enforcement agencies led by the FBI are using huge swamp-busting amphibious vehicles, ATVs, bloodhounds, other K9s and drones as they ramp up efforts to track down the 23-year-old.

Today, Gov. DeSantis said that at the request of local law enforcement, 'I have directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby'.

Laundrie went missing a week ago on Tuesday, September 14, with his parents only reporting his disappearance on Friday.

Cops released a video of the search today showing teams in tactical gear being briefed, K9 sniffer dogs in action, specialist vehicles traversing swampland and drone footage of the massive area being searched.

North Port Police also emphasized they are involved in a criminal probe now, which is being led by the FBI and they are 'assisting out federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close'.

Commander Joe Fussell (correct), from the local department, said on the video: 'The terrain is very difficult. Essentially 75 per cent of it is under water.

'And other areas that are dry, we're trying to clear. So we're expecting to get wet by the end of the day and check the entire area for Brian Laundrie.'

He also revealed the searchers 'have multiple drone operators that have been sent out in numerous teams.

'We also have drones that operate as higher altitude that has more advanced technology to zoom in and to see areas that are difficult to access on foot or in wheeled vehicles as well.'

Florida police have deployed ATVs and drones to a snake and alligator-infested swampland as they resumed their search for van-life woman Gabby Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie

Cops in ATVs were seen heading into the 25,000 acre Carlton Reserve in Florida to search for Laundrie on Tuesday

Four ATVs were seen heading to the swampy area in this photo, as part of the huge search operation to try and find Laundrie

Two huge high-water all-terrain vehicles came out of one area briefly and headed along a perimeter road to make for another location in the reserve. They carried at seven searchers.

Today, Gov. DeSantis said that at the request of local law enforcement, 'I have directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby'

Police had halted the large-scale operation Monday after a weekend of combing through the nature reserve, about five miles from the home Laundrie shared with his parents and Petito.

This came the same day the final resting place of the body believed to belong to Petito was revealed to be marked with a stone cross tribute at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite, close to the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

A body matching Petito, 22, was discovered there Sunday bringing her family's hopes of finding her alive to an end.

An autopsy is being carried out today and is expected to confirm the remains belong to Petito - as well as cast light on how she died.

Petito's family said in a statement released this afternoon that they will speak publicly after her body is returned home.

North Port Police shared these images showing officers sending drones operated by remote controls up in the air

Police announced Tuesday its officers had returned to the 'vast and unforgiving' Carlton Reserve to continue the search

More than 50 searchers from at least eight law enforcement agencies led by the FBI are using huge swamp-busting amphibious vehicles, ATVs, bloodhounds, other K9s and drones

Authorities are ramping up efforts to track down 23-year-old Laundrie after they halted the large-scale operation Monday

Petito was last seen alive August 24 leaving a motel in Salt Lake City in Utah with Laundrie during the cross-country campervan trip that she and Laundrie had set out on back in early July.

ALABAMA COPS INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE LAUNDRIE SIGHTINGS Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Brian Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area, with many posting about their suspicions online. The city is more than 600 miles northwest of his home in North Port, Florida. Mobile County Sheriff's Office Captain Paul Burch told FOX 10 News he does not believe Laundrie had any connections to the area. Rumors of Laundrie's whereabouts have since flooded social media, with some speculating he may have been a body which was found in a dumpster outside of a Walmart in Mobile over the weekend. But police on Monday said they have been investigating the reports, but none have turned up anything of substance. The body in the dumpster, they said, belonged to an unidentified homeless man. Advertisement

She was then last heard from the next day when she called her mom.

Laundrie arrived back in North Port alone on September 1 in their van and Petito was reported missing September 11 by her family.

Laundrie refused to cooperate with investigators or tell them when he had last seen his girlfriend and was named a person of interest in her disappearance last Wednesday - four days before a body was discovered.

Laundrie's parents then made the stunning revelation Friday that he too had vanished and that they had not seen him since Tuesday - when he allegedly left their home with a backpack saying he was heading to the reserve.

On Monday, a dramatic FBI raid was executed on the Laundrie family home and the 23-year-old's silver Ford Mustang convertible was seized by authorities.

Steven Berolino, an attorney for the family, told ABC7 the family went looking for Laundrie on Wednesday and found the Mustang, which had a police note on it demanding that the vehicle be removed from the area.

The family initially left the car there so Laundrie could drive it back, but they returned on Thursday to retrieve it, according to Bertolino.

North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor said Tuesday morning search teams were up against the elements as they returned to the nature reserve to continue the 'dangerous work' to track down Laundrie.

Taylor said heavy rains the day before has left much of the swampland 'waist-deep in water'.

'Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times. It is currently waist-deep in water in many areas,' he said.

'This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails.'

As well as local police and the FBI, other agencies involved in the search include Florida Wildlife Commission, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Lee County Sheriff's Office, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Sarasota Police Department and Venice Police Department.

The search began on Saturday, starting at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park which is linked to the Carlton Reserve.

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

The memorial is placed near to where authorities found a body believed to belong to Gabby Petito, 22

The undeveloped campground is popular with tourists though it has no water or trash service. Above, a sign points to the area

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Gabby's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite

Gabby's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite, and the remains were found not far from where the van was photographed

But the focus has now switched to covering the area closer to the city of Venice, along with adjoining lands, said Taylor.

It is not clear whether authorities have receive intel directing them to this part of the reserve.

'A weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25,000-acre preserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on,' said Taylor.

North Port Police tweeted photos of searchers assembling for a briefing early Tuesday, announcing the efforts are: 'By land. By air.'

Photos show teams driving buggies through dense foliage and police officers using remotes to operate drones going up into the air.

Dozens of law enforcement vehicles were also seen at the entrance to the nature reserve.

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' trip

Petito was last seen alive on August 24 leaving a hotel with Laundrie in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the couple's cross-country campervan trip

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

The reserve is currently closed until further notice while the search is ongoing.

Multiple sightings of Laundrie have been reported in recent days but it is not clear if any have been confirmed.

The renewed search follows the Laundrie's home being busted by around 25 law enforcement officers Monday, the majority FBI agents wearing bullet-proof vests and wielding drawn weapons.

Dailymail.com was up close to the action, just feet away as the FBI swooped on the single-story house  with shouts of 'search warrant, search warrant' clearly heard and the area declared a crime scene.

An FBI team in tactical gear - carrying a battering ram, a blast shield and with weapons drawn - lined up along the wall close to the front door.

Seconds later other agents swiftly led Laundrie's parents Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, out of the home and into a waiting black Dodge Caravan minivan.

The FBI team outside then swarmed into the house, followed by other agents, some wielding rifles while other agents checked outside areas.

At one point, it appeared they might be looking for Laundrie. Five agents - one with a blast shield - surrounded a lid-topped storage before the lid was carefully lifted and an agent deliberately pointed his pistol down inside.

After 10 minutes the Laundries were allowed back in their home, looking solemn and with their heads down. They were not handcuffed.

The couple's camper van top, which was sat on stilts on their driveway, was also searched  before Laundrie's Ford Mustang was towed away for forensic examination.

Agents spent five hours meticulously going through the property before leaving with boxes and boxes of evidence.

Over in Wyoming, a makeshift memorial of white stones arranged in a cross was seen Monday evening in the spot where the human remains are thought to have been discovered at the weekend.

The spot with the stone crosses is just east of Grand Teton National Park where law enforcement had been searching for Petito. It is not clear when the memorial was arranged.

Sarasota County Sheriff's Deputies and FBI Agents are seen at the Carlton Reserve Tuesday morning amid the search

The nature reserve is about five miles from the home in North Port that Laundrie shared with his parents and Petito

North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor said Tuesday morning search teams were up against the elements as they returned to the nature reserve to continue the 'dangerous work' to track down Laundrie

REVEALED: CRYPTIC LAST TEXTS SENT FROM GABBY PETITO'S PHONE TO HER MOM Forensic experts have been poring over Gabby Petito's computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device. Part of the application for the document reveals a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother. The warrant reads: 'On August 27th, 2021, the subject's mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an 'odd text' from the subject. The text message read, 'Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls'.' The document continues: 'The reference to 'Stan' was referring to Gabby's grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him 'Stan'. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.' It added this was the 'last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.' Advertisement

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Petito's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27 at the Spread Creek campsite.

The remains were found about a quarter of a mile from where the van had been photographed.

The location was found Monday just minutes after law enforcement left the campground around 5:40 p.m. and opened it back up to the public.

The campground had been closed to the public since last Saturday.

A DailyMail reporter found a pink ribbon tied the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road.

Investigators left pink marker tape where the couple's van was seen in a YouTube video and more pink marker tape by the cross.

There were also red markers in a large circle around the area where investigators had been working and markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross.

The orange paint on the dead trees was still wet. Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Petito's transit van was filmed by the YouTuber.

Forensic experts have been going over Petito's computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device.

The computer was with Laundrie when he returned to Florida without Petito on September 1.

The warrant application also revealed the last text message sent from Petito's phone to her mother Nichole Schmidt on August 27. The message sent alarm bells when it was received as her mom said it did not sound like her daughter.

The warrant reads: 'On August 27th, 2021, the subject's mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an 'odd text' from the subject. The text message read, 'Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls'.'

In Spread Creek, Wyoming, a pink ribbon was found tied to the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road

Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Gabby's transit van was filmed by the YouTuber

There were markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross

The makeshift memorial was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite in Wyoming

911 AUDIO CLAIMS BRIAN LAUNDRIE REPEATEDLY SLAPPED GABBY BEFORE MOAB POLICE ARRIVED AND FOUND HER CRYING 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident that claimed Laundrie slapped Petito. In the audio, the caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away. The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight. 'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly. 'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues. 'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks. 'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends. Advertisement

The document continues: 'The reference to 'Stan' was referring to Gabby's grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him 'Stan'. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.'

It added this was the 'last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.'

Gabby's mother acknowledged receiving another text from her phone on Aug. 30 with the message, 'No service in Yosemite.'

She was convinced her daughter didn't sent that final message and that she believes Petito's boyfriend may have sent the message from her phone, possibly to mislead her family and investigators as to her whereabouts.

Petito's computer was in her white Ford Transit van that was taken away by police very late September 11  some 10 days after Laundrie had already returned to Florida without her.

The vehicle was taken by North Port Police around five hours after Schmidt- who lives on Long Island, New York - reported her daughter missing. A warrant to search the vehicle was issued on September 14.

The warrant application explains that Petito and Laundrie 'left from New York state sometime in mid-June 2021 for a vacation in Utah, traveling a variety of National Parks along the way. While they were on their trip, they documented some of the events on a YouTube video, 'VAN LIFE: Beginning Our Van Life Journey'.

It added: 'During the trip the subject sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother Nichole Schmidt  during these conversations there appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie.'

Additionally, WFLA reported that the warrant gives police access to a wide range of content potentially found on the hard drive, and digital documents, notes, passwords, encryptions or data security devices which might keep them from accessing the contents.

The white van, which belonged to Petito, was tracked through a license plate reader at the Sumpter Boulevard exit of Interstate 75 towards North Port on September 1 at roughly 10.26am, the application reveals.

The warrant, issued by the office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court, was executed on September 16.

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car in Utah August 12 -13 days before she was last seen. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

TRAVEL BLOGGER DESCRIBES SEEING PETITO'S VAN IN HER TRIP FOOTAGE The travel blogger who turned over footage of Gabby Petito's van to the FBI and her family said the discovery of the footage gave her 'chills.' Jenn Bethune, who runs 'Red, White and Bethune' on Youtube, said she parsed over her footage from the national park after she was tagged in a post urging anyone who had filmed or photographed the area to search for clues. The video was captured August 27 at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area near Grand Teton National Park. 'I got chills all over my body and ran straight back to my laptop, got my GoPro footage, and lo and behold Gabby's van was on there,' she told Fox & Friends. Bethune said that she was amazed by the resilience shown by Nicole Schmidt, Petito's mother. 'Even though it's not the best outcome, I'm happy that Gabby is home,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Nicole is absolutely amazing. Her strength is so apparent.' Hours before the discovery was announced, Petito's family posted Bethune's YouTube video capturing the van to their Facebook page 'Find Gabby.' 'We have this video, so does the FBI,' wrote the family on the Sunday morning post. 'We believe this is the van for multiple reasons.' Advertisement

On Monday, new details also emerged about the suspected 'domestic abuse incident' on August 12 - less than two weeks before Petito was last seen alive.

Police were called out to the incident involving the young couple in Moab, Utah.

Chilling 911 audio released Monday revealed how the caller reported seeing the 'gentleman was slapping the girl'.

Police bodycam footage released last week of the encounter showed a sobbing Petito telling officers they had 'been fighting all morning' before cops determined she was the 'primary aggressor.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Shortly after the call, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police.

In the video, an emotional Petito with tears streaming down her face tells officers she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

An FBI agent is pictured at the North Port home of Laundrie's parents on September 20 to execute a search warrant

FBI agents are seen searching the family home of Brian Laundrie - one day after a body matching Petito was found while Laundrie is still missing

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet.

When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

The couple had been traveling around the country in their camper van since early July and were visiting Moab, Utah when they got into an altercation, an incident report reveals.
France has warned that upcoming Brexit talks are under threat because of Britain's 'breach of trust' over the AUKUS submarine deal.

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said he would raise the trade pact at a meeting with European counterparts in Brussels after they were left out of the secret agreement.

He told reporters: 'We see with Brexit, we see with the AUKUS project, that we first need to rebuild confidence we need to discuss together. We are not in this context at the moment.'

France has warned that upcoming Brexit talks are under threat because of Britain's 'breach of trust' over the AUKUS submarine deal

In a thinly-veiled attack on Boris Johnson, he added that the UK had joined as a 'junior partner' after facing 'pressure' from Joe Biden.

Talks are scheduled between Britain and the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol and post-Brexit fishing rights.

But these could be hampered by the new agreement, Beaune suggested.

He said: 'There is a difficult relationship with the UK. We signed an agreement and we still see today that in terms of fishing and the Irish protocol, these agreements are not well applied and they are not fully respected.

'So we want to be extremely clear and repeat that the agreement must be respected. It is also a question of trust, of keeping your word, of respecting the interests of Europeans. We can't say we take the things that suit us and forget about the ones that don't.'

The Indo-Pacific security pact will see Australia cancel a multi-billion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire US nuclear-powered vessels instead.

In a direct attack, Beaune added that the UK had joined as a 'junior partner' after facing 'pressure' from Joe Biden

The French government is suggesting it was betrayed by the deal, which comes in the run-up to elections in France in April.

'It's a matter of trust,' Beaune said. 'When you have your word, it has some value between allies, between democracies, between partners and in this case this word was not respected... so of course it creates a breach of trust.'

'We have to be firm, not as French but as Europeans, because it's a matter of the way we work together as allies,' he said.

German Europe Minister Michael Roth said France's diplomatic crisis with the US was a 'wake-up call for all of us' on the importance of uniting an often divided EU on foreign and security policy.

Europe broke its silence and backed a furious France, which has accused the United States, Australia and Britain of working behind its back to negotiate their defence pact.

The show of solidarity from Germany and the EU's top officials was welcomed by France, which said the breakdown of trust with Washington strengthened the case for Europe to set its own strategic course.

Beaune called the row 'a European issue' not simply a French one, as he arrived at ministerial talks in Brussels, with the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan in August also a source of irritation among EU members.

'I don't think France is overreacting and I don't think France should overreact. But when a situation... is serious, I think it's also our responsibility to state it very clearly,' he said.

The Indo-Pacific security pact will see Australia cancel a multi-billion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines (pictured)

The European Commission said it was considering whether the diplomatic storm would affect a gathering of a new EU-US Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh on September 29 to discuss ways to cooperate on trade and regulate big tech.

'We are analysing the impact that the AUKUS announcement would have on this date,' European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said.

An EU diplomat said France had 'floated' the idea of delaying the TTC meeting, though they face opposition from the Baltic republics, which border Russia and set great store in the NATO alliance.

The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the EU's 27 member states, already said on Monday it was looking into delaying negotiations with Australia on Canberra's three-year bid to secure an EU trade deal.

'It is up to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to decide,' said another EU diplomat, referring to the president of the commission, the EU chief executive.

Von der Leyen, a former German defence minister, on Monday said the way France had been treated was 'unacceptable', though she gave no indication on the fate of the trade talks.

Arnoldas Pranckevicius, the Lithuanian deputy minister for European Affairs, told reporters that overcoming the mistrust would be in the interests of both Europe and the US and that his government would be 'the last ... standing in defence of transatlantic unity'.

Sweden's EU minister Hans Dahlgren also expressed reservations, saying he understood French irritation but wanted more detail on what had happened over the submarine deal.

'I don't think we should restructure the EU's trade policy because of this,' he said.

The creation of an EU-US tech council was agreed at a summit in June. Washington was expected to use it to seek deeper support from the Europeans on curbing the ambitions of emerging superpower China.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson heaped praise on President Joe Biden in a Tuesday interview ahead of his planned White House meeting later this afternoon.

While doing so he also took a subtle jab at former President Donald Trump, who was widely known for his sometimes erratic foreign policy decisions that would frustrate and confuse allies.

'What I will say about Joe Biden, dealing with the new American president, yes it is a breath of fresh air in the sense that there are some things on which we can really, really work together,' Johnson told NBC's Savannah Guthrie in New York City.

He singled out Biden's stance on climate change, commending the president for doing a 'great' job.

'He's great on that,' Johnson said unequivocally. 'He wants to cut CO2, he wants to net zero by 2050, and he shares with me a basic view that you can do this without penalizing the economy.'

Hours later Biden made good on that reputation by vowing to double the US climate change fund to $11 billion per year at his Tuesday address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Boris Johnson sat down with NBC in New York City ahead of the United Nations General Assembly

Do you hold former President Trump responsible for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot? -@SavannahGuthrie to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/yvSR29nX5S  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2021

In his speech Biden emphasized the US's willingness to retake its place in the global community after his predecessor's more isolationist ideals.

'The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges - even if we have intense disagreements in other areas because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19, climate change or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation,' he told world leaders in New York City.

Trump, in contrast, withdrew the US from the internationally-backed Paris Climate Accord months into his first year in office.

The ex-president had closely aligned himself with Johnson during his time in office and the two were frequently compared for their bombastic public styles and populist politics.

When Johnson took office in 2019 Trump commented on their similarities, 'He's a different kind of guy, but they say I'm a different kind of guy, too.'

Biden pledged to double the US's climate funding in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday

But on Tuesday Johnson quickly distanced himself from the Republican president.

'People here perceive you as two peas in a pod,' Guthrie told him.

Johnson said the UK would seek a good relationship with whoever was in the White House.

'It is the job of the prime minister of the UK to have a good relationship with the president of the United States,' he said. 'The US-UK relationship - we are doomed, we are fated to get along. That applies to Donald Trump, that applies to Joe Biden.'

The prime minister's most forceful denunciation of the ex-president came after violent Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6. Johnson had said after the riot that Trump was 'completely wrong' to fuel doubts over the 2020 election and 'unreservedly condemned' him for his role.

Johnson also distanced himself from Biden's predecessor in the NBC interview

Trump and Johnson were often compared for their bombastic public style and populist politics

But today he appeared to walk those comments back, seemingly hesitant to answer whether his comments on the riot had created a 'rift' between himself and Trump.

Johnson said he was merely a 'friendly and loving observer' of the unprecedented strain put on the US political system.

'I'm a massive fan of American democracy,' he said. 'I think America stands for an ideal, and that ideal is that people should be able to choose their governments peacefully.'

'I just felt that some of the scenes at the Capitol didn't wholly correspond with that ideal.'

Guthrie directly asked Johnson if he holds Trump 'responsible' for inciting the riot.

'Look, I have no knowledge of what happened but what I think is - let me put it this way, my admiration for American democracy is undimmed by the whole thing,' he said.

Immediately after violent Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, Johnson 'unreservedly condemned' the then-president

At another point in the interview, Johnson dismissed the idea of a sweeping vaccine mandate like the one Biden announced two weeks ago, adding that Britons are 'great lovers of liberty.'

Johnson suggested Biden might be better off using 'sweet reason and persuasion' to convince people to get a COVID shot.

Guthrie asked the UK leader whether Biden's unprecedented order would narrow the gap between Americans' vaccination rate and that of Brits'.

'You have 81 percent of your eligible citizens vaccinated right now. We're at 64 percent. The president has turned to mandates where he has the legal authority to do so. Do you think that's the right idea?' Guthrie asks.

Johnson begins by playing up the differences in each country.

'It's different strokes for different folks, ok - it's up to different countries to decide how they want to approach this, this is a very controversial area.'

But he adds, 'People feel very strongly about not having the state mandate something in my country.'

The President has turned to mandates where he has the legal authority to do so. Do you think that's the right idea? -@SavannahGuthrie



Different strokes for different folks ... its up to different countries to decide how they want to approach this. -Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/Zcl5E6vrdR  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 21, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy

'We're great lovers of liberty. We've had to do it by sweet reason and persuasion. And that's working.'

Guthrie asked him what happens when persuasion alone doesn't work.

'Keep going. More sweet reason,' Johnson answered.

On September 9 Biden stood in the White House and announced that he was directing the Labor Department to require private businesses with 100 employees or more to either enact a vaccine mandate or a weekly testing rule.

He also ordered employees of the federal government to get vaccinated - throwing away a previous testing option.

Biden's sweeping order would affect more than 100 million US workers. It's already prompted legal threats from mostly Republican-led states.

It came as the US hit a turning point after its summer COVID surge, though several Southern states still lag below a 50 percent adult vaccination rate.

President Joe Biden meets with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Intercontinental Barclay Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. He is scheduled to meet with Johnson at the White House later on Tuesday

The president sent a stark warning to those still choosing not to get the shot, 'Our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us.'

The United Kingdom rolled back most of its COVID restrictions in July on what Johnson had called 'Freedom Day.'

Cases in the country have also been falling recently. As of Monday, new COVID infections in the UK were down 17.7 percent from the week before, according to Reuters.

Johnson has credited his vaccination campaign for the UK reemerging as 'one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe.'

Last week he announced that booster shots would be available to people 50 and over and first shots for children aged 12 to 15.

The US COVID infection rate has begun to slow down after a summer surge

Meanwhile the US vaccination rate has slowly begun rising after a dip earlier in the summer

The UK COVID infection rate has also been slowing down, which Johnson credited to his vaccination campaign

In the US, hospitals across the South, particularly in states with largely unvaccinated populations, are still buckling under the strain of the most recent surge.

The vaccination rate, which had fallen significantly in the early summer months, began rising steadily in recent weeks.

Fully inoculated UK travelers will soon be able to enter the US from November, a sign of global confidence in the vaccines.

COVID-19 will also be a central topic at the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden will deliver remarks before the UNGA this morning before going back to Washington in the afternoon.

There he and Johnson will meet for a bilateral meeting. It comes after they signed a new defense pact with Australia aimed at containing China's growing influence in the Pacific.
The disappearance and subsequent news coverage of Florida 'van-life' woman Gabby Petito was panned by MSNBC host Joy Reid Monday as a clear-cut case of 'missing white woman syndrome.'

'It goes without saying that no family should ever have to endure that kind of pain,' Reid began Monday on her program, The ReidOut, referring to the highly publicized case of the missing 22-year-old social media influencer whose fiance returned from their viral cross-country excursion without her.

'But the way this story has captivated the nation has many wondering - why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?'

'Well, the answer actually has a name,' the newscaster continued, 'missing white woman syndrome.'

MSNBC host Joy Reid dismissed the widespread coverage of missing 22-year-old van-life girl Gabby Petito as a case of 'missing white woman syndrome'

MSNBCs Joy Ann Reid: Media reporting Gabby Petitos disappearance/presumed murder is symptom of "Missing White Woman Syndrome." pic.twitter.com/UYAWgaDyYr  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 21, 2021

Reid credited the term to the 'late and great' journalist Gwen Ifill, and said the phenomenon outlines 'the media and public fascination with missing white women.'

She cited other high-profile coverage of searches for white women who were later found dead like Laci Peterson or Natalie Holloway - 'while ignoring cases involving missing people of color.'

The host then brought on two panelists - Derrica Wilson of the Black and Missing Foundation, and Lynette Grey Bull of the Not Our Native Daughters Foundation - to discuss people of color who went missing but the media ignored because they were not white.

Gabby Petito, the missing 22-year-old social media influencer whose fiance returned from their viral cross-country 'van-life' excursion without her, was reported missing September 11

Reid referenced the still-unsolved case of geologist Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old black man who went missing after he was last seen on June 23 driving home from a remote job site in the Arizona desert, as an example of the disparity of news coverage.

Reid said she had 'never heard of it until this friend of mine sent it to me. And I guess, that's the issue, isn't it?'

'It is definitely the issue,' Wilson responded, adding that cases where people of color go missing, regardless of age or gender, are not taken seriously.

'One of the main factors and one of the key factors that a lot of people dont want to talk about is that its racism,' Bull added.

'Its systemic racism.'

The panel went on to discuss the case of Mary Johnson, a Native American woman who went missing from the a reservation in Washington state in November - whom the FBI is now offering $10,000 for information regarding her disappearance.

'I`d never heard of this case, either,' Reid said.

The nation's captivation surrounding the cases of Laci Peterson (left) and and Natalee Holloway (right) are prime examples of 'missing white woman syndrome,' according to Reid

Meanwhile, another black news anchor on rival network CNN also thrust race into the investigation of the Petito case on Monday.

Don Lemon suggested that the skin color of Petito's now-missing fiance Brian Laundrie - who is white - allowed him the 'privilege' of not talking to police during the early investigation into her disappearance.

Laundrie's family members were instructed by their attorney not to talk to the authorities, which Lemon attributed to 'privilege.'

'You ask any person of color, you ask a black man who - if they have that sort of privilege,' the newscaster said Monday night.

Reid referenced the still-unsolved case of geologist Daniel Robinson, a 24-year-old Black man who went missing earlier this year on June 23 after leaving a remote job site in the Arizona desert, as an example of the disparity of news coverage between races

Reid also suggested the disproportionate media coverage between missing white women and non-white women can be attributed to several determining factors, such as: missing minorities being classified as runaways, minority adults being labeled as criminals, and minorities' situations being dismissed by the public due to assumed notions of crime and poverty eclipsing their actual lives.

Reid also suggested that missing women of color are not paid attention to as much by the public because of their appearance, and that they do not look like the daughters or granddaughters of newsroom executives.

Social media users were swift to comment on Reid's outburst.

'Wow - this young girl documented her entire trip and if she had lived her intention was to continue documenting her life of travel,' one Twitter user wrote. 'THAT's why the story of her disappearance has captivated the world - sad that it has to be reported by this woman in this way.'

'The woman was an influencer with a following, which is why it got more attention,' another user pointed out.

Social media users were swift to offer their thoughts on Reid's comments concerning race

But some backed the newscaster's view.

'The story isnt as salacious as the headline,' one user Tweeted. 'It was done in good taste and if the subject matter strikes a nerve, welcome to our struggle.

Another griped: 'Name one black woman who has gone missing & gotten media coverage. I'll wait.'
A glamorous American tech entrepreneur who claims to have had an affair with Boris Johnson today said their relationship was far from secret - because he was unable to hide his 'crush' on her.

Ex-model Jennifer Arcuri was grilled over her close friendship with the then London Mayor by members of the Greater London Assembly today.

She has said they had a four-year relationship while he was in office between 2012 and 2016. At the time she received thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money in grants for her firms.

The GLA is investigating her presence at trade missions carried out to boost business for the capital, which she attended events for.

Appearing online from her home in the United States, Ms Arcuri was asked whether people in Mr Johnson's office were aware of their relationship.

She replied: 'People knew that there was an interest of the mayor in me, that he had somewhat of a crush on me.

'When I went to events, everyone could see the dramatic difference of this man when I entered the room.'

She also told the committee that she used to give the technophobic senior politician security advice about computer encryption as well as saying 'don't log on to free wifi' when abroad.

Jennifer Arcuri was grilled over her close friendship with the then London Mayor by members of the Greater London Assembly today.

Appearing online from her home in the United States, Ms Arcuri was asked whether people in Mr Johnson's office were aware of their relationship.

The London Assembly's oversight committee had already been investigating whether the 57-year-old breached the mayoral code of conduct by failing to declare the relationship, or abused his position to benefit his mistress.

What are the key issues officials are investigating? The Greater London Authority probe will examine whether Mr Johnson breached the Nolan Principles of Public Life over his affair with Miss Arcuri. These require officials to behave with 'honesty and integrity'. The key lines of inquiry are: If Mr Johnson breached the Nolan Principles by failing to report the relationship. If the future PM gave Miss Arcuri 'preferential treatment' over - 126,000 in taxpayer' money she received in event sponsorship and grants. The majority 100,000, came in a government grant in 2019;

Mr Johnson's decision to speak at her technology events;

The privileged access she gained to three official overseas trade missions led by him. Advertisement

The Prime Minister is now facing a City Hall investigation into sensational new claims about their 'four-year affair' when he was mayor of London - and married to Marina Wheeler, mother of four of his children.

Lurid details emerged in March when Miss Arcuri, 36, revealed how on one occasion in 2016 they had sex on a sofa at Mr Johnsons marital home while his now ex-wife, a QC, was at work.

She even took a selfie in the kitchen of his 3.35million Grade-II townhouse while he was out buying food at the corner shop and told how he said a raunchy photo she sent him was 'enough to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window'.

The London Assembly's oversight committee had already been investigating whether the 57-year-old breached the mayoral code of conduct by failing to declare the relationship, or abused his position to benefit his mistress.

In 2019, it emerged that she had been given 126,000 of public money and privileged access to three official overseas trade missions led by him, leading to claims he had abused his position to benefit her.

Today Ms Arcuri insisted she had not been an official part of the trade mission, but had been given permission to attend events by Will Walden, Mr Johnson's head of communications at the time.

She said that her relationship with Mr Johnson played no part in her work, saying she was also an 'annoying, perseverant hustler'.

'Whether or not they assumed whatever they wanted, it didnt change the fact that really Jennifer Arcuri was the most annoying, perseverant hustler,' she added, referring to herself in the third person.

'Even when they said no, I didnt listen. I assumed yes. ''Just find another way to say yes to me'', those are my words.

'So my relationship with the mayor, or non relationship, had really no bearing in my complete pursuit of London ... people knew that I was quite aggressive in my approach.

'They would roll their eyes, ''theres Jennifer again. Good luck saying no to her.'''

As well as giving the now PM tech advice she also said she warned him to be on his game when he came to New York seeking investment, or the tech industry would 'eat you alive.'

Her revelation of security comments to the PM come it was revealed earlier this year that his personal mobile number had been available online for 15 years.

Popular gossip newsletter Popbitch gave its readers clues on how to find the Prime Minister's number in March, pointing them to a press release from his time as MP for Henley in 2006.

Jennifer Arcuri has claimed that she and Boris Johnson (together in 2014) had four-year affair where she sent him 'arty' topless pictures - but insists they had an 'intellectual attraction'

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case is said to have raised the issue with the PM last year, telling him he was being asked for help by MPs, lobbyists and others in the business world so often because his number was too widely known.
Advertisement

Colorado police released a 'bikini selfie' taken by Suzanne Morphew, 49, on May 9 of last year -a day before she disappeared. Suzanne sent the photo via LinkedIn to Jeff Libler, a married father of six children from Indiana with whom she was having an affair. Her husband, Barry Morphew, has been charged with her murder

The 'bikini selfie' that missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew sent to her lover the day before she disappeared and an image of her alleged killer-husband Barry Morphew carrying two shovels the following day were unsealed for the first time in court before he was freed on bail Monday.

The shocking evidence was part of an arrest affidavit released by Colorado law enforcement during Morphew's bail hearing as he prepares to stand trial for the murder of his wife.

Suzanne Morphew, 49, sent the bikini selfie via LinkedIn on May 9, 2020, to Jeff Libler - a married father of six children from Indiana with whom she was having an affair - the day before she disappeared, according to the report.

In the arrest affidavit, police refer to the photo as Suzannes last proof of life. She wore the swimsuit while laying out at home, according to the document.

While questioning Barry, police said he looked at the photograph and said: Well, look at her. Shes obviously drunk. Look at her eyes. Do you know what drunk eyes look like?

I mean, would you say those eyes are drunk eyes?

The affidavit also included a surveillance photo of Barry carrying two shovels into a Holiday Inn hotel in Broomfield, Colorado the day Suzanne was reported missing by a neighbor after heading out on a bike ride.

Investigators allege that Barry decided to hunt and control her like an animal after she insisted on leaving him and later changed his statements as evidence in the case developed, according to the document.

Barry has denied any wrongdoing inside his hotel suite following claims his co-worker, Jeff Puckett, made alleging that he arrived to the room on May 10, 2020, to find it scattered with wet towels and mail belonging to Barry.

Colorado law enforcement officials released this photo showing Barry Morphew carrying two shovels into a Holiday Inn hotel in Broomfield, Colorado on May 10, 2020 - the same day that his wife, Suzanne Morphew, 49, vanished

Police found Suzannes bike on the side of a hill the same day as her disappearance, but saw no indications of a crash.' Barry is pictured above (left) after his May 5, 2021 arrest and Suzanne is pictured right

Yesterday, murder suspect Barry Morphew grinned for the cameras as he walked out of jail after posting $500,000 bail with his daughters Macy (left) and Mallory

The room is also alleged to have reeked of chlorine.

Barry has pleaded not guilty and was released from jail on Monday after posting a $500,000 cash bond.

Television footage showed him walking out of jail with his two daughters with Suzanne.

Barry 53, was in court in Salida, Colorado, on Friday to hear closing arguments from the prosecution who said Suzanne's 'road to being murdered' began when she told him she wanted a divorce days before she vanished and described it as 'a domestic violence homicide'.

Barry learned his wife Suzanne had been having a two-year affair with one of her high school classmates, Jeff Libler (pictured), in the days before allegedly killing her

A judge ruled there is enough evidence for the case to proceed nearly a year after his wife was reported missing after going for a bike ride on Mother's Day 2020.

Barry tried to convince police that his wife ran away from home and that he had nothing to do with her disappearance, according to the affidavit.

Police did not believe him and started a frantic search on May 10, 2020, for Suzanne, who failed to return to the family home in Maysville, Colorado.

Barry's defense lawyer Dru Nielsen has questioned the police's timeline of events leading up to the disappearance as he argues that the case should be thrown out before it goes to a full-scale murder trial.

But investigators have revealed holes in Barry's story that they say prove he murdered his wife.

Barry told police that a man from whom his wife was buying drugs off the street could be behind her disappearance, according to an arrest affidavit.

He also has speculated that his wifes body was washed up in a river after either being abducted or falling in an accident and hit a rock with her head.

He did admit to police that he had been physically abusive toward his wife on one occasion when he clipped her nose.

He said that his wife would physically come at him whenever she felt frustrated.

She physically came at me several times through my life and I took it, Barry is alleged to have told investigators.

And Im a man and Im touch and I can take it.

Barry told police that he would lie to friends and neighbors about scratch marks that were visible on his face, which he alleges were caused by Suzanne.

Four days before she went missing, Suzanne wrote in a text to Barry, Im done. I could care less what youre up to and have been up to for years. We just need to figure this out civilly.

The day she went missing, investigators also noted that the cutting blade on the bucket of Barrys Bobcat loading machine were newly replaced.

One of the couples daughters, who was not named specifically, told police that her parents were not doing well, argued a lot and she thought it best for parents to separate because they were both in an 'unsafe place' emotionally.

Barry Morphew has consistently denied the allegations that he killed his wife. According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Johnny Grusing, he appeared shocked when he was arrested on May 5

Police on Monday released a photo of missing mom Suzanne Morphews abandoned bike. She went missing on Mother's Day 2020 and still hasn't been found

Barry stayed at this Holiday Inn hotel room on May 9, 2020, before leaving to return to his hometown of Maysville the following day. His co-worker, Jeff Puckett, then checked in and says he found the room scattered with wet towels and stinking of chlorine

Police interviewed Suzannes sister Melinda Baumunk, who revealed a text Suzanne sent her two days before her disappearance that read, Its hard dealing with the harsh abrasiveness and having to show respect. Hes been so abusive, emotionally and physically. Theres so much I went thru a period of acceptance and I feel more angry now. Anger at what Ive allowed.

Jeff Puckett (pictured) was hired by Barry for work on a landscaping project near Broomfield. But the job never materialized and he told DailyMail.com that the experience has left him suspicious

Baumunk told police that this was the first time she was hearing that Barry was physically abusive and when she heard of Suzannes disappearance three days later, she said 'damn it, damn it damn it' to herself because she was certain that Barry had killed her.

Baumunk added that Suzanne had inherited about $208,000 from their mother Adrienne, when she died in 2013, and another $217,000 from her grandmother-in-law Helen Burnette, who died in 2017.

Suzannes phone included a list of shorthand notes detailing the abuse she alluded to in her texts to Baumunk.

The notes include, Stalking Sheila and me in house without telling, Chased me around resort and threatened, Not safe alone with you. Cant be trusted, Oppressive, Slam on breaks when angry, Threaten to jump out of car and Gun.

Police revealed in court that Suzanne had been having a two-year fling with Libler, while Barry had accessed porn website Celebrity Jihad and extramarital dating site Ashley Madison.

A judge allowed the release of the arrest affidavit laying out investigators' case against Barry after ruling last week that there was enough evidence for him to stand trial for murder in the presumed death of Suzanne.

Barry looked disheveled but happy as he walked to his car after leaving the Chaffee County Probation Department.

In this still image from video, Barry Morphew, center, appears in court in Salida, Colorado on May 6, 2021

Morphew (pictured in court in May) was released on Monday but will have to wear an ankle monitor as a condition of his release and will be forced to stay in Chaffee County

He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor ahead of his trial for murder and evidence tampering, which is scheduled for May 2022.

He will also be required to live in and largely remain in Chaffee County and will be barred from contacting a number of people involved in the case.

However, he is still permitted to be in contact with his and Suzannes two daughters - Mallory and Macy.

Barry was released on the same day Colorado cops published a photo of Suzanne's abandoned bike on Monday.



Details about the couple's troubled marriage were previously discussed in court during a hearing on the evidence in the case.

In the affidavit, investigators said that after Barry realized he could not control Suzanne's insistence on leaving him 'he resorted to something he has done his entire life - hunt and control Suzanne like he had hunted and controlled animals.'

Barry refused to take a polygraph test in the days after his wife was reported missing on May 10, 2020, which was Mother's Day, the affidavit said.

Barry, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, did not initially tell investigators that he went out of his way as he left for work that morning, driving toward the place where his wife's bicycle helmet was eventually found.

Later, he said he went that way because he had seen an elk cross the road, the affidavit said.

Suzanne's body has not been found.

Barry also is charged with tampering with a human body, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a dangerous weapon and attempting to influence a public servant.

The 130-page arrest affidavit unsealed by police includes details of notes Suzanne kept on her phone about her husband Barry's alleged 'abuse.'

New details in the case against Barry include secretly recorded notes and recordings documenting his abuse and a text Suzanne sent him four days before she went missing saying she was 'done, let's handle this civilly.'

Prosecutors told the court that they believe Barry killed his wife on the night of May 9 and could have disposed of her body at the remote Garfield Mine, 12 miles from Salida.

In police interviews, Barry admitted driving close to the turn-off to the mine in the early hours of May 10  but claimed he had done so because he had spotted a bull elk.

The decision to send Barry to trial came after a four-day preliminary hearing in August that shattered the portrait he had painted of a happy, problem-free marriage. Morphew has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

In court, prosecutors presented text messages between her and a friend from 2019 and 2020 in which she complained that her husband was picking fights and putting their children in the middle.

Cops said the pair had been fighting for years, with Barry accusing his wife of being a habitual drunk and a drug addict who bought cannabis from street dealers.

Pictured, Garfield mine near Morphew's home where it is believed that Barry dumped evidence

Cadaver dogs are brought back to the scene where Chaffee County Sheriff's officers, FBI and CBI were searching for Suzanne Morphew in May 2020

But they also said he was desperately fighting to save his marriage but to no avail with Suzanne texting him on May 8 to say  'I'm done'.

That evening, Suzanne had a pizza from Moonlight Pizza and Brew Pub, telling Libler that she had enjoyed herself.

The following morning, Suzanne and Barry had discussed going hiking but she spent most of the morning sending photos to Libler while he worked.

Barry returned home at 2.40pm. Just seven minutes later, his phone was put in airplane mode where it stayed until 10.17pm that evening.

Suzanne sent a final message to Libler just after 2.30pm and made one last call. The phone was not used again.

Police and prosecutors say it was that afternoon that Suzanne was killed, with witnesses revealing Barry had a dart gun that investigators said was the murder weapon.

Agent Johnny Grusing of the CBI told the court that the animal tranquilizer it contained would have knocked Suzanne out in around 10 minutes and then caused breathing difficulties and hypoxia.

Grusing said the heavy breathing caused by the drug would have sounded like snoring. Barry repeatedly told investigators that the last sound he heard from his wife was 'light snoring'.

On the morning of May 10, data from Barry's white truck shows the door was opened seven times between 3.25am and 3.49am.

At 5am, the truck left the Morphew home and drove close to the Garfield Mine before being picked up on camera in nearby Poncha Springs at 5.14am.

The couple with their two daughters, Mallory and Macy, who have been supporting their father

Barry then drove to Broomfield, near Denver, for a landscaping job but truck data showed he stopped several times and he was picked up on camera dumping trash in dumpsters along the way  including at a McDonalds and at a Men's Wearhouse.

He then headed to a Holiday Inn in Broomfield, where he left the room reeking of chlorine and littered with wet towels according to co-workers Morgan Gentile and Jeff Puckett.

Puckett told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview last September that he had also found ripped up insurance documents stuffed in the trash can.

In police interviews, Gentile said the job  which Barry claimed was urgent  was scheduled for the following day and that he had been due to pick her up to drive to Denver at 5.30pm on May 10.

Instead, she received a call at 11am telling her he was already there and to drive herself up, and to bring an extra worker.

By the time Gentile and Puckett arrived, Barry had already left citing a family emergency.

The next morning, she received another call from Barry at 7.30am in which he said Suzanne had vanished and suggested a mountain lion could be to blame.

Undersheriff Rohrich described the video Barry made pleading for his wife's safe return as 'crocodile tears'.

He told the court: 'I thought of it like crocodile tears. He acted like he was crying but no tears.'

When police searched the home, they found it 'perfectly clean' but found a live .22 caliber bullet lying on the floor next to Suzanne's side of the bed in the master bedroom.

They also discovered the charred remains of ring binders and a lacquered piece of wood in the fireplace  despite firewood placed nearby  and discovered an empty tranquilizer casing in the dryer, along with a pair of Morphew's khaki shorts.

Police also revealed that the door of the master bedroom bore marks consistent with being forced open, while Barry himself was found with scratches to both hands and his upper left arm.
A builder who fits insulation was blocked from doing his job because of a protest by eco-zealots calling for more homes to be insulated.

Self-employed Tom Watson, 37, was on his way back from a client's home on Monday when he became caught up in Insulate Britain's M25 protest.

He was filmed shouting at protesters, who had blocked a slip road at Junction 18, Rickmansworth.

Mr Watson, who claims he lost around 500 in lost work, was eventually hauled back by police officers, who wanted to separate him from the eco-mob.

Insulate Britain have blocked the M25 five times in the last eight days to put pressure on the Government to pay for insulation for social housing.

But Mr Watson, of Chorleywood, Herts, has criticised the group from stopping him from doing the sort of work they are demanding.

Mr Watson, who is a semi-pro martial arts fighter, told the Sun: 'I just wanted to tell them, "Don't stop me getting to work and doing my job".

Self-employed Tom Watson, 37, was on his way back from a client's home on Monday when he became caught up in Insulate Britain's M25 protest

Mr Watson, who is a semi-pro martial arts fighter, told the Sun: 'I just wanted to tell them, "Don't stop me getting to work and doing my job"

'They're called Insulate Britain. Well, insulating homes is what I do. How does stopping me doing that job help the environment?'.

The builder told the paper that he was on his way back from a job to collect materials from Watford when he was caught up in Monday's protest.

He was filmed shouting at the protesters in frustration. During the expletive-ridden video, he can be heard saying: 'I've had to go all the way around here because of you,' before being moved away by police.

Mr Watson, who is the WKO European Muay Thai title-holder, told the Sun he had no intention of 'getting physical' with protesters.

He added: 'As soon as I tried to get anywhere near them, the cops started pushing me, I was doing nothing wrong.'

Along with the junction Mr Watson was stuck at, Insulate Britain also targeted the M25 junctions at Dartford Bridge and the A1M on Monday. A total of 41 people were arrested.

But less than 24 hours later the group were back protesting again. This morning they were seen running onto the main carriageway of the M25, this time at junction 10 for Woking, Surrey.

Drivers were forced to brake and eventually stop on the 70mph speed limit motorway after the group ran into both carriageways from the hard shoulder.

It is the fifth time in eight days that the eco-warriors - who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero - have blocked Britain's busiest road.

It also comes as the eco-mob yesterday offered a 'profound apology' for their actions, while one of the group's ringleaders today revealed protesters 'hated' running out into the road.

She compared the demonstrations to the those of women's rights group - the Suffragettes - whose member Emily Davidson was killed when she ran in front of the king's horse at the 1913 Epsom Derby.

Members of the eco-group Insulate Britain are blocking traffic on the motorway near junction 10 in Surrey

This is the moment that vehicles are forced to break on the M25 as protesters make their way across the carriageway

More than 30 protesters have been seen running into flowing traffic near Woking today. There are groups on both sides of the eight lane motorway

But the decision by Insulate Britain protesters to run out into moving traffic on this occasion has drawn particular criticism from police and from road safety groups - who say motorists could have been killed by their actions.

Today Edmund King, AA president, slammed the group's actions. He told MailOnline: 'The actions of some of these protestors storming live lanes of motorway traffic are suicidal. It appears that some of these people have a death wish.

'Their actions not only put themselves at risk but also threaten to cause multiple pile-ups and fatalities.

'We applaud the police for taking fast action against these counter-productive protests which are alienating the public, causing more emissions and putting lives at risk.'

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams also criticised the protest as 'incredibly dangerous'. He told MailOnline: 'However well-intentioned the cause might be, blocking motorways is incredibly dangerous both to the protesters and those inside their vehicles.

'Not only will this cause disruption to commuters on their way to work, but there may be people who miss hospital appointments or worse still emergency vehicles will be delayed which could pose a threat to life.'

It comes as a ringleader of Insulate Britain - who are demanding the Government reduce home heating emissions to zero - today claimed the movement was similar to the Suffragettes.

Zoe Cohen made the claim as she revealed that protesters 'hated' blocking the motorway in order to put pressure on the Government to support their aims.

She told Nick Ferrari on LBC: 'It's not about justifying [potential injuries to activists and motorists]. Our Government is failing to protect British families.

'Thousands of people will die this winter from fuel poverty. Millions will struggle, we don't know if we can eat at Christmas.

'We hate doing this, we don't want to do it. We have to cause disruption. It is the only thing we have left in our liberal democracy. We are not really expecting to get public support the Suffragettes were hated at the time.'

The latest protest lasted around 40 minutes and involved around 30 protesters split between each side of the eight lane motorway. Motorists faced five mile tailbacks on either side of the motorway, through to junctions 9 and 11 respectively.

Surrey police say they have arrested 38 people in relation to the protest. Chief Superintendent Jerry Westerman said: 'Protesters have put their own lives, as well as those of others, at risk by walking onto both carriageways of the M25 during rush hour traffic.

'Fortunately, we were on scene within three minutes of the first call coming in and took swift and robust action to ensure protesters were removed from both carriageways after they ignored our requests to move on peacefully.'
A second woman has come forward to allege sexual assault at the hands of Wall Street billionaire, Leon Black, placing him in Jeffery Epstein's home and 'squarely within' the disgraced financier's, 'immediate nefarious sexual circle,' DailyMail.com can reveal.

The woman, referred to only as Ms. Doe, has added her claims to a lawsuit filed by former model, Guzel Ganieva, whose defamation suit was reported exclusively by DailyMail.com in June.

In that suit Ganieva accused Black of being a 'violent, sadistic,' sexual predator who raped and harassed her then coerced her into signing an NDA.

Black, 70, once one of the City's most powerful executives as the former CEO of Apollo Global Management resigned his position in the investment firm on March 22, just days after Ganieva went public with claims that he had 'abused' her 'for years.'

Billionaire investor Leon Black, 70, is accused of raping a second woman, who claims the former C Apollo Global Management CEO forced himself on her at pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's home in 2002

The new claims, leveled against him by a 'Ms. Doe', were added to a previous lawsuit filed by former model Guzel Ganieva (pictured in 2011) who accused Black of sexually assaulting her and then coercing her to sign an NDA

Now lawyers for Ganieva have filed an amended complaint detailing what they describe as Ms. Doe's 'horrific experiences.'

Not only do they present the claims as bolstering Ganieva's case, according to the suit, Ms. Doe's experiences show that 'contrary to Black's version of events that he knew 'nothing' about Epstein's sexual wrongdoing, as alleged, Black was perpetrating his own sexual crimes at Epstein's home as far back as 2002.'

The motion for leave to amend the original complaint states that, in 2002, 'in a massage room at Jeffery Epstein's home located at 9 East 71st Street, New YorkBlack forced himself on Ms. Doe against her will, inflicting serious pain and harm.'

Going a step further, the motion alleges that Black had a, 'long-standing relationship with Epstein for years. that involved arranged massages with women for money at Epstein's home.'

According to the amended suit Ms. Doe met Epstein 'sometime around 2000,' when she was introduced by an acquaintance, a Ukrainian woman.

She was told that Epstein, 'picks models for Victoria's Secret,' which she thought odd as, though she looked younger than her years, she believed herself to be too old to be a Victoria's Secret model.

According to the suit, Epstein described himself as a 'massage slut' who liked two to three massages a day before instructing her to massage him in a bikini for 20 minutes and paying her $300.

According to the new complaint, Ms. Doe met Epstein sometime in 2000 and was paid to give him massages in a bikini. Epstein later introduced her to Black, who gave her $300 for a massage at Epstein's home in New York (pictured) where he sexually assaulted her, she claims

The suit states: 'He masturbated and wanted her to perform oral sex on him but she refused.'

Her association with Epstein continued and, eventually, he told her he was going to introduce her to someone else who 'may be able to 'help' her,' financially.

According to Ms. Doe that someone was Black, though when they first met at Epstein's home he did not introduce himself.

Ms. Doe's recollection as set out in the suit is that they took the elevator to the third floor to Epstein's 'massage room.'

Black (pictured with wife Debra) already stands accused of years of 'bullying, threatening and pressure tactics,' to 'force' Ganieva's silence, according to a previous lawsuit

The complaint states: 'Once in the room, Black gave Ms. Doe $300, money she presumed was for a massage. Black appeared at ease, like he knew his way around the massage room and had been there before. Black took off all his clothes, which she also believed was for the massage she was supposed to give him.'

Standing more than 6ft 4in and weighing more than 300lbs, Black is described as 'huge.'

According to the complaint, Black, 'spun her sideways on the massage table, and pushed her in a backbend over the side of the table in an incredibly painful position.'

She struggled to breathe, felt blood rushing to her head and tried to yell out but was unable.

She claims that she was uncertain if Black had 'pushed something into her,' but that 'she experienced tearing pain [and]was in such agony she could barely speak or breathe.'

When Black was finished, the complaint states, 'he got dressed as if nothing had happened.'

The pair met twice more  in a restaurant and at the St Regis hotel  and when, she claims, Black gave Ms. Doe $5,000 and asked to see her again. She refused.

Ms. Doe is described as a single mother of 'limited financial means' and, it is alleged, Black, 'believed that his money couldsilence [her] and nullify his behavior.'

The motion alleges that Black had a, 'long-standing relationship with Epstein for years. that involved arranged massages with women for money at Epstein's home'

Ms. Doe claims in her suit that Epstein eventually told her he was going to introduce her to someone else who 'may be able to 'help' her,' financially, who ended up being Black

Black already stands accused of years of 'bullying, threatening and pressure tactics,' to 'force' Ganieva's silence.

Now, the motion to amend the original complaint has asserted, 'the voice of another brave woman has come forward to shine a light on the atrocities committed by Black against her.'

Black has hit back against Ganieva's allegations describing them as 'demonstrably false,' in his own filing in response to her civil lawsuit.

The married billionaire says that he paid Ganieva $100,000 a month for 15 years not to discuss their consensual six-and-a-half-year relationship after she allegedly demanded $100million.

The payments eventually added up to $18million in total and stopped after Ganieva tweeted about Black in March.

In his own lawyers' response Black stated that Ganieva, 'has a history of inventing tales of bullying, harassment, disrespect - and worse - in the hopes of winning a payday for herself.'

They have described her allegations as 'gratuitous' and stated that flight records and other evidence will show that they were untrue.

After going up to Epstein's massage room together, Black allegedly spun Ms. Doe sideways on the massage table, and pushed her in a 'backbend over the side of the table in an incredibly painful position', the complaint claims

However, Ganieva's lawyer, Jeanne Christensen, a partner with Wigdor LLP, has noted that, 'Tellingly absent from Black's answer is the fact that just two weeks earlier, he tried to improperly withdraw his own legal claim against Ms Ganieva  which he purposely alleged with the intention of concocting a false narrative in the media that he did not abuse her. Black's billions and his powerful connections will not prevent the truth from coming out.

'We are confident that a jury of Ms Ganieva's peers will hold Black accountable for Black's horrific conduct as alleged in our complaint.'

According to the motion to add Ms Doe's allegations to those of Ganieva, 'Incredulously, Black believes somehow that he is the victim here  harpooned by alleged scandalous and prejudicial allegations.'

In fact, it asserts, 'He cannot claim surprise about something he did.'

Black, who stood by Epstein long after others had abandoned him, has said publicly that he regretted his involvement with the man who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
A crazed Colorado contractor took a sledgehammer to the tiles and walls of a bathroom he had just finished remodeling because of a $4K payment dispute with the homeowner, a video shot by the client's neighbor shows.

Terry Gregory of Dream Home Remodels can be seen swinging the giant sledgehammer, knocking the new tiling and installations from the shower's walls, while bellowing between bouts of demolition.

'We put weeks into this, thousands of dollars into this,' Gregory raged over the lack of final payment by Amber Trucke of Colorado Springs.

Trucke's neighbor asks Gregory repeatedly to cut it out: 'I'm just asking you to stop - this is not your house to destroy.'

'Is somebody going to pay me,' Gregory yelled back before he resumes the destruction.

'Let me tell you something,' he said to the neighbor, out of breath and gesturing with a sawzall, before he and his wife and business partner Jordan Cazares leave the house. 'No contractor in the state of Colorado will fix that when they found out I took it back because you refused to pay me. No one.

Homeowner Amber Trucke posted pictures of the wrecked shower to her Facebook page

Trucke said she paid the two contractors $3,330 of an owed $7,555, according to invoices she posted to her Facebook account.

Cazares sent Trucke a Facebook Pay request for the remainder on Friday morning, according to conversations with Trucke posted on Facebook.

She told the homeowner that she had until that evening to pay up.

Initially, Trucke asked to return from work, see the finished product, get receipts proving that the contractors had ordered a yet-uninstalled shower door and ensure that water would flow properly through the newly-installed plumbing before paying.

Around 9.30 am on Saturday, 23 hours after the contractor demanded payment, Cazares and Gregory came back to Trucke's apartment while she was at work, demolition equipment in hand.

'That's it. 23 hours,' Trucke wrote on Facebook. [Because] I didn't pay in 23 hours (there is NO statement from me in writing or otherwise to them that I wasn't going to pay) they showed up like thugs and destroyed my property.'

'We put weeks into this, thousands of dollars into this,' Terry Gregory of Dream Home Remodels of Colorado shouted between bouts of beating away tiling. 'Is somebody going to pay me?'

Im more than happy to deal with the place,' Gregory muttered in the video. 'More than happy. More than happy. More than happy.'

Gregory can be seen flashing a middle finger to Trucke's doorbell camera as he walks up her driveway.

The unidentified neighbor rushed to the house and began filming after she saw the contractors' truck pull up asked the pair whether Trucke was expecting anyone.

Gregory can be seen flashing a middle finger to Trucke's doorbell camera as he walks up her driveway.

'That's it. 23 hours,' Trucke wrote on Facebook. [Because] I didn't pay in 23 hours (there is NO statement from me in writing or otherwise to them that I wasn't going to pay) they showed up like thugs and destroyed my property'

Trucke posted a list qualms that she had with the remodeling job that she last edited on September 9 to allay claims that she complained post-hock to get a free or discounted installation

Amber Trucke paid contractors from Dream Home Remodels of Colorado $3,330 of an owed $7,555, according to invoices she posted to her Facebook account

'This is my property, I have receipts for everything,' Gregory said.

Thats not taking back your stuff, that's...' the neighbor trails off, rendered speechless.

'It is our stuff, this is how we need to take it back because we solidly built it construction unfortunately so it wont just fall off,' replies Cazares.

Gregory takes a break from the demolition to lean up against the doorframe and address the neighbor.

Im more than happy to deal with the place,' he said

'More than happy. More than happy. More than happy,' he muttered.

Since the footage circulated online, Dream Homes Remodeling of Colorado has taken down its Facebook page and website.

Trucke, who lives with her dog and a roommate, who let the contractors back in on Saturday while Trucke was at work, figuring they were coming to pick up their materials

'They showed up with just a crowbar, a sawzall, and a sledgehammer,' Trucke told KRDO

'Watching it just brings tears to my eyes,' she told the outlet. 'It makes me sick, it makes me scared. This is more than just trashing my bathroom, my sense of safety is gone'

Cazares told MailOnline that 'even with removing the shower from her invoice she actually still owes almost $2000 for completed work that is still in her home'

Water cannot [yet] be used unless you want to ruin the entire thing, said Cazares in the pairs Messenger back-and-forth. Never in my career has someone tried to hold payment for the curing time of group and adhesives'

'Never in my life has someone expected me to pay for work I haven't checked out first,' Trucke shot back

Trucke said that she never said or wrote that she didn't intend to pay

Cazares said that Trucke owes her company more than $2,000 for a vanity, mirror, light fixture, 2 ceiling fans, plumbing work, fixing rotten framing in her walls and an exterior door replacement. Trucke insists she paid for those items

'At the end of a bathroom renovation and several other home improvement projects, communication between our company and Ms. Trucke broke down,' Cazares told MailOnline

'Payment was refused, and we ended up repossessing a tile shower. We did not enter the home with any intentions of damage to her property nor intimidating anyone present'

Trucke lives with her dog and a roommate, who let the contractors in on Saturday while Trucke was at work, figuring they were coming to pick up their materials.

'They showed up with just a crowbar, a sawzall (electric handsaw), and a sledgehammer,' Trucke told KRDO.

'Watching it just brings tears to my eyes,' she told the outlet. 'It makes me sick, it makes me scared. This is more than just trashing my bathroom, my sense of safety is gone.'

'A customer we have worked for for over 2 weeks refused payment. We did an entire bathroom remodel, chased down plumbing issues and fixed them, crawled through an asbestos-filled attic and wired ceiling fans and more for her,' Cazares wrote on Facebook

Cazares took to Facebook to write about the incident, too.

'A customer we have worked for for over 2 weeks refused payment. We did an entire bathroom remodel, chased down plumbing issues and fixed them, crawled through an asbestos-filled attic and wired ceiling fans and more for her,' she wrote.

'When she made it clear she was refusing to pay, we tore our work out. Not even all of it. Just the shower. She still has thousands of dollars worth of my and Terry's work in her home that is unpaid for.'

Cazares told DailyMail.com that a contract has never 'gone so sour' before and that she and Gregory 'don't plan to make it a practice.'

'At the end of a bathroom renovation and several other home improvement projects, communication between our company and Ms. Trucke broke down,' Cazares said.

'Payment was refused, and we ended up repossessing a tile shower. We did not enter the home with any intentions of damage to her property nor intimidating anyone present.'

'She said she wanted to look at the work before she paid, at which point I said that she absolutely can do that,' Cazares said. 'I needed to know of issues to fix, or have payment by the end of the day.'

Cazares told DailyMail.com that 'even with removing the shower from her invoice she actually still owes almost $2,000 for completed work that is still in her home.'

This includes, Cazares said, a vanity, mirror, light fixture, 2 ceiling fans, plumbing work, fixing rotten framing in her walls and an exterior door replacement. Trucke insists she paid for those items.

'Payment was refused, and we ended up repossessing a tile shower. We did not enter the home with any intentions of damage to her property nor intimidating anyone present,' Cazares (pictured left) told MailOnline

The contractors had previously fixed two ceiling fans and the back door of the home, according to Facebook messages between Cazares and Trucke.

Trucke said she was unhappy with the sloppy remodeling job, and that she wanted to make sure water would run properly through the new fixtures - because grout and adhesives were still drying, it would take a day or so to test them out.

Water cannot [yet] be used unless you want to ruin the entire thing, said Cazares in the pairs Messenger back-and-forth. Never in my career has someone tried to hold payment for the curing time of group and adhesives.

'Never in my life has someone expected me to pay for work I haven't checked out first,' Trucke shot back.

You didnt do... the window. I had black mold in my walls because that window isnt usable. I asked you days ago... if you were flipping it and you STILL said yes. The second you realized it couldnt be flipped you shouldve said something'

Cazares refused to show Trucke a receipt for the shower components, writing that until Trucke paid for them: 'receipts are mine for my business purposes.'

Trucke then detailed a laundry list of elements in the remodel that she felt were sloppily done to the contractor, and pointed out that the job took two weeks as opposed to the agreed-upon four days.

Jordan, you got paint all over the ceiling, Ive been scraping grout off my counters and sinks for weeks, you left holes in my door frame, Trucke wrote in the message.

You didnt do... the window. I had black mold in my walls because that window isnt usable. I asked you days ago... if you were flipping it and you STILL said yes. The second you realized it couldnt be flipped you shouldve said something.

Cazares told MailOnline that Trucke's claims about their work were incorrect, and shared photos of the window she and Gregory fixed both open and closed. Trucke said in her posts that the pair never made the window functional

Cazares told MailOnline that photos showing sloppy elements of the remodel, which Trucke shared to Facebook, were taken 'before a final clean up and fix'

Trucke said she was unhappy with the sloppy remodeling job, posting pictured on Facebook

Cazares told MailOnline that the pictures were taken 'before a final clean up and fix'

Trucke said she was unhappy with the sloppy remodeling job, and that she wanted to make sure water would run properly through the new fixtures - because grout and adhesives were still drying, it would take a day or so to test them out

However, Cazares told DailyMail.com that she and Gregory had fixed the offending window, and provided a pictures in which the window is closed and open after the remodel.

For over $6,000, she said, she 'deserve[d] to be happy' with the job, and wanted to examine it herself before paying the remaining sum.

Jordan, you got paint all over the ceiling, Ive been scraping grout off my counters and sinks for weeks, you left holes in my door frame, Trucke wrote in a message to the contractor

Trucke posted photos of work she was unsatisfied with on Facebook

'Obviously people are sometimes not what they seem, and that was certainly the case this time,' she told KRDO

Cazares told DailyMail.com that photos showing sloppy elements of the remodel, which Trucke shared to Facebook, were taken 'before a final clean up and fix.'

Trucke told Cazares that she would pay the debt once she had inspected the finished product, and said that if that was an issue, Cazares '[knew] where the courthouse is.'

'We are here to reposess our materials and labor since you made it clear you are refusing payment,' Cezares wrote to Trucke the next day around 9.30 am, after the pair had squabbled back and forth over messenger the night before.

'We will leave the materials that you paid for.'

Trucke told the contractors that they were not allowed in her home, and that she had called police.

The Colorado Springs Police Department could not be reached at press time to determine whether a complaint had been filed.

Gregory and Cazares told DailyMail.com that they intend to take Trucke to small claims court for the money they say she owes. Likewise, Trucke intends to sue the company for the money she did pay for the doomed project and the cost of repairing the new damage.

'Obviously people are sometimes not what they seem, and that was certainly the case this time,' she told KRDO.
A bombshell lawsuit filed against Facebook last month accuses the company of 'epic governance failure' over its failure to protect user data and alleges executives including Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and Peter Thiel engaged in insider trading.

The 389-page suit and related 220-page suit were filed on August 6 in Delaware on behalf of pension pots for state employees of Rhode Island, city employees of Warwick and several others, and draw on a trove of internal documents from 2013 to 2019.

Among its long list of accusations against the company, is that Zuckerberg allegedly lied to Congress over the company's user data policies amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The investor suit is seeking monetary relief on behalf of a litany of plaintiffs, including the Rhode Island public employee pension fund, and various other union retirement systems. The monetary value has not been disclosed.

In addition to naming Zuckerberg, Sandberg and Thiel, the suit accuses current and former board members Jan Koum, Marc Andreessen, David Fischer, Michael Schroepfer and David Wehner of offloading billions of dollars in stock before accusations they had acted recklessly became public knowledge when documents were filed with the SEC.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Facebook for comment.

A bombshell lawsuit filed in Delaware last month alleges Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg engaged in reckless business practices over its handling of user data and lied before Congress

The suit references an exchange in Congress between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Zuckerberg in 2019.

In it, she grilled him on whether Facebook knew about Cambridge Analytica prior to a December 2015 report by the Guardian indicating that data collected on the platform had been sold to the firm.

In a stumbling response, Zuckerberg said: 'Congresswoman I believe so, in that some folks were tracking it internally,' he said before suddenly backtracking.

'I'm actually, as you're asking this... I do think I was aware of Cambridge Analytica as an entity earlier. I just, I don't know if I was tracking how they were using Facebook specifically.'

The suit also alleges that the Facebook executive board sought to shield Zuckerberg from personal liability when it overpaid the FTC in 2019 in a $5billion settlement in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The suit also accuses Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (pictured) as engaging in Insider trading by dumping stocks in the company ahead of filings that might reveal reckless business practices

The effort, the suit alleges, was emblematic of the board's willingness to engage in reckless business practices that jeopardized shareholder investments without their knowledge.

It comes after a further review of internal company files it was forced to turn over in an earlier suit filed in 2019 by the Rhode Island retirement system probing whether it had overpaid the FTC in its settlement.

The settlement was the result of the company's violation of a 2012 consent agreement it signed with the agency when it was revealed that it allowed the data of 87million users to be harvested and sold to political research firm Cambridge Analytica in 2015.

The latest legal action was first uncovered by Jason Kint, CEO of the trade association Digital Content Next.

The suit accuses Facebook's board of a 'lack of independence from Zuckerberg in his pursuit of an illegal business plan' through the company's user data policies, and emerged from further review of the documents won in the 2019 suit, which it says show an 'epic corporate governance failure,' leading the company to take 'tremendous risks.'

The suit also alleges board members Peter Thiel (left) and Marc Andreessen engaged in insider trading by knowingly engaging in reckless business practices without investor knowledge

It sheds further light on the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and what Facebook knew and when.

In 2015, data scientist Aleksandr Kogan sold the data from 87million raw Facebook profiles he collected through his app Your Digital Life to Cambridge Analytica for $800,000.

The data was used in the 2016 elections to develop strategies for the campaigns of Sen. Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump.

According to documents cited in the suit, Facebook was aware that the data collected by Kogan was being shared with Cambridge Analytica as early as 2015, and that employees had been raising concerns about its use for months before Facebook finally admitted to the data harvesting scheme.

Facebook had cast blame on the applications that used Facebook's data, labeling them as 'sketchy,' but the suit notes that Joseph Chancellor, who helped develop Kogan's app at the firm Global Science Research, had gone on to work for Facebook, just months after leaving the company.

Other board members named in the suit include David Fischer (left) and Jan Koum

The suit also goes on to point out that the Facebook executive board's nominating committee is run by Andreessen, Thiel and Drew Houston, who all have close, personal ties to Zuckerberg, leading to board members to be ousted regularly when they come into conflict with leadership.

The suit also alleges a number of misleading or outright false claims Zuckerberg made before congress in 2018.

They include one in which he claimed that Facebook users had control over what data was accessible. The suit notes, however, that according to internal documents the company had 'whitelisting' agreements with other firms such as Amazon, Netflix and Spotify, and that the agreements were still in effect even after he testified.

It also claims Zuckerberg lied when he said Kogan's use of the data harvested by his app was a breach of Facebook policy, and that it had sought to verify the data was deleted immediately after news reports of the breach emerged in 2015.

Other members of Facebook leadership accused in the investor suit include David Wehner (left) chief financial officer at Facebook and Mike Schroepfer , chief technology officer of Facebook

The company, according to the suit, did not verify that Kogan had deleted the data until June 2015, and that Cambridge had done so until 2017.

The suit also reveals the cavalier attitude Facebook leadership continued to have up until recently regarding how its user data was being used despite repeated controversy.

Responding to the revelation in April that the data of over 530million users had been scraped off Facebook's website, and made freely available, internal communications instead indicated the company would do nothing unless it received bad press.

'Assuming press volume continues to decline, we're not planning additional statements on this issue,' the communication read.
Advertisement

Britain's Covid crisis appears to be growing again as daily cases increased week-on-week for the fourth day running amid fears of a delayed back to school surge.

Department of Health bosses posted 31,564 new coronavirus infections today, up 18.5 per cent on the 26,628 recorded last Tuesday.

Cases had been falling for the nine days prior to Saturday, suggesting the UK may finally be seeing the effect of the return to schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at the start of the month. Experts warned that classrooms reopening would cause a sharp uptick in infections.

Deaths also increased today, with the number of people dying within 28 days of testing positive for the virus increasing to 203. This was up 9.7 per cent of last Tuesday's 185.

But Covid hospital admissions are continuing to fall, with 861 new patients recorded last Thursday  the latest date data is available for  down 25 per cent on the previous week.

It was the sixth day in a row hospitalisations fell week-on-week but admission figures tend to follow trends in cases more than a week after any changes.

Both hospital and death data lag behind trends in cases by a few weeks due to the time it takes to fall seriously ill with the virus.

Separate figures show more than 122,000 children in England were out of school for Covid-related reasons last week, either because they tested positive for the virus or were in close contact with someone who had.

Cradoc Primary School in Brecon, in the Welsh county Powys, was sent home today after almost half the school recorded positive Covid test results.

Health chiefs last week signed off on plans to start vaccinating children against the virus to prevent further disruptions to education, despite admitting the direct benefit of vaccination to their health was 'marginal'.

The vaccines began to be rolled out yesterday and 3million healthy children between 12 and 15 are now eligible.

ENGLAND: Cases appear to be relatively flat in England despite schools reopening at the start of the month but the data for the four nations of the UK is slightly behind that for the UK in total

SCOTLAND: Infections are continuing drop massively in Scotland after peaking shortly after schools reopened slightly earlier in the country

WALES (left) AND NORTHERN IRELAND (right): Cases have picked up again in Wales after briefly dropping off, while they continue to trend down in Northern Ireland

Tories slam No10 over 'perverse' move to give over-12s Covid vaccines Tories today slammed the 'perverse' decision to extend the Covid vaccine rollout to children as young as 12. In the first parliamentary debate about the controversial expansion of the jab drive, Conservative MPs said it did not make sense now that Britain was 'through the worst of the pandemic'. They questioned the move to leave the final say on vaccination with children, if they are deemed competent enough, given that experts are torn on the health benefits and ethics. Britain began inoculating healthy secondary school-aged children with a single dose of Pfizer's vaccine for the first time yesterday. It did so despite originally not getting the blessing from No10's vaccines advisory panel, which said the health benefit to youngsters was 'marginal'. The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) left the decision to Chris Whitty and the chief medical officers in the devolved nations. They signed off on the plans on the basis that it could prevent hundreds of thousands of school absences. Bolton West MP Chris Green said in the Commons: 'In many ways we can objectively say we are through the worst of the pandemic and yet the more draconian or authoritarian measures are being introduced at this stage. It's perverse.' Advertisement

It comes as:

A study suggested an extra 10,000 people are likely to die of cancer because of the Covid pandemic;

America's top Covid doctor today suggested Britons vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab will be allowed into the US when travel restrictions are eased this autumn;

Tories today slammed the 'perverse' decision to extend the Covid vaccine rollout to children as young as 12;

Top doctors today fought back against calls for face-to-face GP appointments to become the default again, claiming that it was 'undeliverable'.

Government figures show about one in 10 children were out of class last Thursday due to Covid.

The Department for Education (DfE) estimates 1.5 per cent of all pupils - around 122,300 children - were not in school for Covid-19 related reasons on Thursday last week.

The figures include 59,300 pupils with a confirmed case of Covid-19, 44,600 with a suspected case and 15,900 absent due to isolation for other reasons.

A further 2,000 pupils were off due to attendance restrictions being in place to manage an outbreak and 500 did not attend as a result of school closures due to Covid-related reasons.

It comes as schools in England no longer have to keep pupils in year group 'bubbles' to reduce mixing and children do not have to isolate if they come into contact with a positive case of Covid-19.

Instead, they need to get a PCR test and isolate only if positive.

Headteachers' unions have warned that educational disruption remains 'significant' and some schools are already struggling to keep classes open.

Some 91.9 per cent of students were in class on Thursday last week (September 16), according to the DfE analysis. In comparison, approximately 87 per cent of students were in class on September 17 last year.

All secondary school and college pupils have been invited to take two lateral flow tests at school, three to five days apart, in England on their return.

Schools and colleges are being encouraged to maintain increased hygiene and ventilation and secondary school and college pupils have been asked to continue to test twice weekly at home.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'It is clear from the fact that over 100,000 pupils were absent from school last week with a confirmed or suspected case of coronavirus that educational disruption remains significant.

'We are hearing of schools where significant numbers of pupils are absent.

'We are hopeful that the vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds will help to reduce this level of disruption. However, the Government must also take more action to support schools and colleges.'

The above graph shows Covid's rank in terms of deaths triggered in England since July last year. It reveals that the virus surged to number one between November and February during the second wave. It is now rising again, and was the third leading cause of death in August

Covid has become the third leading cause of death in England, official figures showed today. They revealed that over August there were 2,162 deaths mentioning the virus. Only dementia (4,417 deaths) and heart disease (3,982) sparked more deaths. There were 2,150 deaths due to lung cancer

The Office for National Statistics released a separate report today showing weekly deaths due to Covid had risen by almost a third in a week. They said there were 857 deaths that mentioned the virus, but pointed out the sharp rise is likely due to the bank holiday at the start of September, which delayed reporting of figures

Extra 10,000 Britons may die of cancer due to Covid pandemic delays fuelled by a drop in emergency referrals from GPs, report warns An extra 10,000 people are likely to die of cancer because of the Covid pandemic, a study has suggested. University College London researchers said a drop in emergency referrals from GPs last year across the UK resulted in around 40,000 late diagnoses of the disease. These delays and longer waits for NHS treatment  fuelled by the pandemic  mean thousands will die 'significantly earlier' from the disease than would have been the case pre-pandemic. The study of more than 2,000 adults found nearly two thirds of people worried about bothering family doctors with 'minor health problems' because of Covid. And during the first lockdown last year, the NHS moved GP appointments to online and telephone to limit face-to-face consultations. No10's 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives' messaging put people off coming forward, meaning their symptoms were never investigated. It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday piled pressure on GPs to offer more face-to-face consultations amid concerns too many patients are struggling to see a doctor in-person. Just 57 per cent of GP appointments are now in person compared with 80 per cent before the pandemic. A senior coroner in Manchester earlier this month concluded a lack of face-to-face care contributed to at least five deaths in the area during the pandemic. Downing Street said last night: 'The public rightly may choose to want to see their GP face to face  and GP practices should be making that facility available to their patients.' Charities and politicians are urging the Prime Minister to act amid fears that cancers and other serious health conditions are being missed in remote consultations. Advertisement

The Government should launch a public information campaign to encourage twice-weekly home-testing among pupils and provide funding for high-quality ventilation systems in schools and colleges, the union has said.

In July, figures showed that a record 1.13 million children in England were out of school for Covid-19 related reasons towards the end of term.

Rules at the time said children had to self-isolate for 10 days if another pupil in their bubble - which can be an entire year group - tested positive for Covid-19.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said the latest numbers reflect changes to government policy which requires fewer pupils to self-isolate when there is a positive case in school.

But he added: 'It's important to note that these national figures mask some significant issues arising at a local level, and we already know of schools that are struggling to keep classes open due to outbreaks occurring.

'It is crucial that both central and local government are now on high alert and are ready to react quickly if and when cases rise rapidly or outbreaks occur. The next few weeks will be crucial.'

Kate Green, Labour's shadow education secretary, said: 'The Conservatives' chaotic failure to plan ahead or to listen to Labour, parents and teachers and get ventilation and mitigations in place saw over 122,000 children out of school again last week. This is not good enough.

'The Conservatives have left schools in a mess, the new Education Secretary urgently needs to set this right.'

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: 'My priority is to make sure children are in school and back to face-to-face learning. That's the best place for them to be, so it's fantastic to see more than 91% of them back in the classroom with their teachers and friends, compared to 87% this time last year.

'That's down to the hard work of teachers, support staff as well as families whose efforts have been heroic in making sure children can get back to school safely.

'The rollout of the vaccine to those aged 12-15, which started this week, is another significant step in building the walls of protection from the virus across society.'

Meanwhile, a whole primary school was sent home in Powys after almost half the school recorded positive Covid test results.

Forty per cent of pupils and 50 per cent of staff tested positive at Cradoc Primary School in Brecon over the last couple of weeks, since term resumed in early September, which the local authority said left the school with no alternative but to close.

Lynette Lovell, interim chief executive of Powys County Council, said: 'We can confirm that Cradoc Primary School has closed due to rising Covid cases.

'Despite the school's best efforts to mitigate the risk of infection among pupils and staff, including limited contact groups, daytime cleaning, handwashing, ventilation and outdoor learning, the number of positive cases within the school has increased significantly over the past couple of weeks with approximately 40 per cent of pupils and 50 per cent of staff currently testing positive.'

The news comes as Year 9 at Cwmtawe Community High School near Pontardawe have also been sent home for a week due to high cases.

A Neath Port Talbot council spokesman said: 'Staff at the school have taken regular LFD tests. Staff have now taken every precaution to safeguard pupils and themselves. However, the impact of staff illness and self-isolation has made it impossible to operate the school safely for all year groups this week.

'The health and safety of our pupils and staff is of paramount importance, so, from Monday September 20 up to Friday September 24, Year 9 pupils will move to home learning.

'We will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the week. All Year 9 pupils should log on to Microsoft Teams via Hwb and follow their usual timetable. Teachers will make every effort to ensure appropriate work is available and, where possible, live lessons will take place.'
A plasterer has been charged with making racist abuse against England's black players following the Euros 2020 final.

Kent Police this afternoon charged Brad Petty, 49, with sending an offensive message sent via a public communications network under S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Officers took the step after the Crown Prosecution Service reviewed a file of evidence on Folkstone man Pretty.

It came after a video was posted on Facebook of a man abusing Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho after their loss to Italy.

Staring into the camera with a St George's Cross etched across his face, the man used a string of racist terms against the trio and then hollered: 'They f***** it for us.'

Mark Tavender, CPS Senior Crown Prosecutor, said: 'The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Kent Police to charge Bradford Pretty, 49, with sending an obscene message via a social media network.

A film of a man making an allegedly racist rant about the England players prompted the probe

Bukayo Saka of England is consoled by Gareth Southgate after the Euros final penalty miss

'We made the decision to charge Mr Pretty, after reviewing a file of evidence from Kent Police relating to allegations of racist online abuse after the Euros 2020 final.

'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Pretty are now active and that he has a right to a fair trial.

'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.'

Bradford Pretty in a social media picture taken a few years ago. He works as a plasterer

Pretty's Facebook profile, which has since been deleted from the social media platform

The video went viral, igniting a social media storm and huge anger over the comments. The Facebook page was since deleted.

Pretty has his own company called BK Plastering,

He lives with his partner and has one son and has spent most of his life in Folkstone.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan to refund her city's police department by $60 million has been dismissed as a cheap political stunt by a civil rights lawyer.

Leo Terrell told Fox News Tuesday that Lightfoot's budget, announced Monday, was just a ploy to try and boost her chances of reelection.

He said: 'This is a political stunt, he told Fox and Friends host Steve Doocy. 'As you said, shes running for re-election. She cut the budget last year. She is a friend of Black Lives Matter. I can ask all of the viewers, what has Lori Lightfoot done to curb crime in the last two years? the summer riots, shes done absolutely nothing.'

'This is basically blood money,' he added. 'Ill tell you right now, she turned down help from Donald Trump a couple years ago and all she is trying to do is kowtow to her political base.'

Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell (right) called mayor Lightfoot's proposal to 'refund the police' a political stunt to help her chances at re-election

Lightfoot (pictured) has denounced 'defund the police', and last month she revealed her plans to refund the police following the death of Officer Ella French

Terrell was referring to Lightfoot's U-turn from her 2020 proposal that slashed $59million from the CPD budget, or 3.3percent, and 600 vacant positions from the department, amid Black Lives Matter protests throughout the summer of 2020.

City aldermen voted 29-21 in support of Lightfoots $12.8billion budget last year, which she called her pandemic budget. It included a $94 million property tax hike and controversial debt refinancing to help close a $1.2 billion deficit.

Next year, the city is facing a $733million budget shortfall attributed to the 'lasting and continuing impacts' of the coronavirus pandemic, the city wrote in a press release.

The city plans to alleviate the budget gap using a portion of the roughly $2billion in one-time funding from the federal American Rescue Plan.

Chicagos property tax levy is expected to rise by $76.5million, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, but Lightfoot will hold the line on all other taxes, fines and fees.

Lightfoot has since denounced the 'defund the police' movement, and last month she revealed her plans to refund the police following the shooting death of Officer Ella French.

While Lightfoot did not give an estimate of this years police budget, she said at a press conference last month, Its my expectation that the police department budget will increase, no question. We have to.

She added, We have to make sure we are continuing to provide resources to recruit the next generation of police officers and make sure were doing that recruitment in a way that reflects diversity of the city.

But Terrell said it is too little too late to backpaddle, and pointed out that Chicago's police union issued a vote of 'no confidence' in the mayor and sky rocketing crime rates in Chicago.

'Look, the Chicago police union gave her a vote of no confidence they turned their backs on her regarding Officer French who lost her life,' Terell said. 'She is no friend to police officers at all and you can ask the viewers what has she done to curb crime. Absolutely nothing.'

'Steve, Chicago is a war zone, and let me give you another powerful fact,' Terrell added. 'At one point this year, there were more kids shot in Chicago than those kids who have died of Covid this year. Chicago is a war zone. Kids are afraid to even walk the street. When it hits Friday, until Sunday, it is a danger for children in Chicago.'

Chicago has seen an influx in violent crime throughout 2021 and many have said they dont have faith in Lightfoot to stem the tide.

This year through September 12, the most recent statistics from the CPD, murders, shootings and sex crimes have all spiked. Overall, however, crime has dropped by 6 percent with 30,318 incidents this year and 32,190 last year.

More children have now been shot in Chicago this year than the number of kids who have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

A total of 214 children, under the age of 17, have died from the virus while a total of 261 have been shot in the liberal city this year alone, according to data from police and the Center for Disease Control. Of those 261 minors who were shot, 41 were fatally wounded.

Although COVID-19 cases among children spiked over the summer, the death rates in the demographic remain low, accounting for just 0-0.27 percent of pandemic fatalities nationwide.

John Catanzara, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7, told Fox News in August that Lightfoot's tough on cops, soft on crime approach has emboldened criminals like the killer who shot and killed Ella French, 29.

He also defended the decision by dozens of officers literally turned their backs on the mayor as she approached them at University of Chicago Medical Center following the murder.

Shes a flag in the wind, Catanzara said, suggesting that Lightfoot lacks any political backbone. For two-and-a-half years that shes been mayor, she has vilified the police. Now because the political climate says that the defund policy and the police arent the enemy - now she has to pivot and now she has to be our best friend? Its too damn late.

He added: The men and women of this police department have no respect for this mayor and it was as palpable as you could possibly imagine outside that hospital at the University of Chicago.
FBI Director Chris Wray says investigators have more than doubled the number of potential domestic terrorism cases, even while countering threats to the homeland from abroad.

'Since the spring of 2020 ... we've more than doubled our domestic terrorism caseload, from about 1,000 to around 2,700 investigations,' Wray told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

'We've surged personnel to match, more than doubling the amount of people working that threat from the year before,' he said

Wray said in prepared testimony the bureau had 'surged' resources to domestic terrorism cases. There are currently more than 600 active cases involving those who took part in the Jan. 6th Capitol riot.

Personnel have gone up 260 per cent, he said.

'Importantly, however, our increased focus on domestic terrorism is not at the expense of our work on other terrorism threats. We continue to monitor potential threats by foreign terrorist organizations like al Qaeda and ISIS, which have never stopped expressing their intent to carry out large-scale attacks like 9/11 here in the United States. And we are also monitoring other dangerous groups like Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,' he said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing to discuss security threats 20 years after the 9/11 attacks, in Washington, D.C., U.S. September 21, 2021. Wray said the bureau's domestic terror caseload has more than doubled

He also warned that the US pullout from Afghanistan, which featured an ISIS-K attack that killed 13 US troops during the chaotic evacuation, could spark domestic terror at home.

'We are concerned that, with developments in Afghanistan - among other things - that there will be more inspiration to the first bucket,' Wray said. 'So I think we anticipate, unfortunately, growth in both categories as we look ahead over the next couple of years.'

Added director of the National Counterterrorism Center Christine Abizaid: 'I think it is fair to assess that the development of those groups' external operations capability, we've got to monitor and assess whether that's going to happen faster than we had predicted otherwise.'

'Afghanistan is a very dynamic environment right now,' she continued.

Wray also cited 'persistent counterintelligence threats from the People's Republic of China ('P.R.C.'), Russia, Iran, and North Korea.'

Wray reported a piece of 'good news'  namely that FBI recruiting has gone up 'exorbitantly,' with triple the number of people applying to be special agents in 2019 through 2021  at a time when former President Donald Trump was regularly attacking the FBI.

He said when questioned by Sen. Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.) that there are 'a lot of people' with good ideas of what the FBI should do more of, but 'I haven't found anybody with much in the way of good ideas of we can suddenly do less of.'

There are other threats.

'Ransomware incidents are on the rise. Last year victims paid an estimated $350 million in ransoms  a 311 per cent increase over the prior years, with the average payment exceeding $300,000,' said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,' who also took part in the hearing.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid chat before testifying at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing to discuss security threats 20 years after the 9/11 attacks

'Ransomware incidents are on the rise. Last year victims paid an estimated $350 million in ransoms,' said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas

Officials cited ongoing threats from Al Qaeda. Top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appears in undated video, indicating he was alive as recently as January

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on September 18, 2021. The US anticipates potential revenge attacks

Armed members of the Boogaloo militia stand holding a flag in front of the State Capital in Concord, New Hampshire on January 17, 2021, during a nationwide protest called by anti-government and far-right groups supporting US President Donald Trump and his claim of electoral fraud in the November 3 presidential election. Wray warned of the potential for domestic as well as foreign threats

'We also remain vigilant against Iran and its agents proxies principally lebanese Hizballah,' said Christine Abizaid, head of the national counterterrorism center.

She cited the threat of retaliation for the January 2020 killing of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Quasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike.

Mayorkas defended the screening of Afghans who fled the country who are seeking entry into the US. He said screening architecture that has been built since 9/11 'remains in place and has only strengthened.'

'We have a screening and vetting architecture. We have greater cooperation amongst the federal agencies in the counterterrorism, intelligence and law enforcement communities. We remain ever vigilant in that regard,' he added.
In an apparent rebuke at President Trump, House Democrats brought forth legislation on Tuesday aimed at curbing presidential powers and bolstering checks on the presidency.

In a package dubbed the Protecting our Democracy Act, nine Democrats put together legislation that would make it harder for presidents to grant clemency or pardons in situations that raise concerns of corruption, suspend the statute of limitations for federal offenses made by a sitting president or vice president, reestablish Congress' power of the purse and protect whistleblowers and inspectors general.

Additionally, the bill would require presidents and candidates from major parties to provide 10 years of tax returns to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), strengthen Congress' ability to enforce subpoenas and strengthen enforcement for Hatch Act violations.

The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in campaign politics work. An independent agency cited former White House aide Kellyanne Conway for violating the act, but the White House brushed it off.

Trump also granted 11th-hour pardons to friends and allies such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone and refused to hand over his tax returns.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

In an apparent rebuke at President Trump, House Democrats unveiled legislation on Tuesday aimed at curbing presidential powers and bolstering checks on the presidency

The legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

'While Donald Trump is no longer president, the fault lines he exposed in the foundation of our democracy remain  ready for a future unethical president to exploit. These weaknesses continue to erode the American people's trust in our democratic institutions and the norms that are essential to a functioning democracy,' Schiff said in a statement on the bill.

'In their great wisdom, our Founders enshrined in the Constitution a system of checks and balances to ensure the survival and strength of a democracy of, by and for the people,' said Pelosi.

Democrats would need to get 10 Republicans in the Senate to support the bill to send it to the president's desk. While the legislation would constrain Biden and his successors, it is pointedly aimed at Trump.

The bill could be taken up piece by piece in the Senate.

Supporters of the bill note that Republican senators have voiced support for some measures included, such as requiring the Justice Department to turn over documentation of its contact with the White House to Congress and hindering a president's ability to declare a national emergency to spend money in ways unapproved by Congress.

The bill's website notes that 'longstanding vulnerabilities' have led to 'aggrandizement of presidential power' for decades under presidencies of both parties, but said that Trump took it to 'new heights.'

Schiff first introduced a version of the bill in October 2020 to send a political message heading into the election, but this time intends to pass it, after having spent months negotiating with Biden administration officials and removing some elements they believe infringed on traditional executive branch authority, according to the New York Times.
A furious mounted Border Patrol officer was filmed shouting at an illegal Haitian migrant who appeared to push women in between himself and the horse for protection.

The unnamed guard is heard to shout, 'You use your women like this? That's why your country's sh*t' at the man during the encounter along the border between Acuna in Mexico and in Del Rio in Texas on Monday.

It is unclear who the migrant was, or whether the women he was with were relatives in the clip shared by Al Jazeera amid President's Biden latest border disaster.

The group scattered moments after being confronted by the Border Patrol officer, and it is unclear if they made it into the United States, or returned to Mexico.

Footage captured a U.S. patrol officer yelling at Haitian refugees who were crossing into Texas

About 15,000 refugees have made shelter near the Rio Grande in Texas following the departure from their native Haiti

Around 15,000 Haitians have gathered at the southern border after hearing that the US would halt deportations because of instability in their home nation.

The Caribbean island was hit by the assassination of its president Jovenel Moise in June, with its prime minister Ariel Levy named as a suspect in the killing.

And in August, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that has killed at least 2,000 people.

The massive instability has been triggered by an unofficial White House amnesty on Haitian migrants crossing into the US.

But the Biden Administration has performed a rapid U-turn in recent days after seeing the influx of migrants crossing into the US, and has now begun deportation flights to Haiti.

Many of those who made it to Del Rio were forced to live in appalling conditions under a bridge in sweltering heat, and have subsequently been bussed away.

Most of those scheduled for deportation are lone adults, with families who have children more likely to be allowed to remain in the United States.

The influx of Haitian people is the latest crisis to hit the Biden Administration, with a huge surge in the number of people caught crossing the southern border in recent months.

A total of 208,887 were apprehended in August, 213,534 in July, and 189,020 in May.

More than 1.5 million have crossed so far this year - triple the 458,000 caught making the same trip last year, although that figure was lower than usual because of COVID.

But the figure for the first eight months of 2021 is still far higher than the 977,509 crossings for the same period in 2019, and the 521,090 crossings in 2018, when Donald Trump was president, and had more hardline immigration policies in place.

Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris - who has been tasked with handling the border crisis - have faced mounting condemnation for failing to bring the issue under control.

Refugees filmed by John Holman, the Al Jazeera reporter who captured the confrontation clip, told him of what they'd endured to make it to the border.

'We've got our families inside, dying of hunger, we've had to go out to buy food,' one refugee said.

Another refugee named Nicolas told Holman of the conditions in the camp and the treatment they have endured.

'Sanitary products? There aren't any. Food? There isn't any either. They don't give you anything!', Nicolas said.

Nicolas continued why they left their country as the U.S. has started deporting refugees back to Haiti.

'What kills me is that everyone knows what we Haitians are going through,' he added.

'There's no president, crime is high, student's can't go to school, there's no work, the economy is down, people can't put up with that. Deportation is not the answer.'

Officers yelled 'no!' at refugees in an attempt to threaten them to turn back

The video also reported that Haitians crossed into the country after going through areas of South America such as the Darien Gap, a crime hot spot notorious for rape and robbery.

Images of Border Patrol agents on horseback began emerging on Sunday as the Department of Homeland Security ramped up deportation by restarting removal flights of Haitian migrants back to their homeland after these flights were paused by President Joe Biden in February.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented on the video on Monday calling the situation 'horrific' and 'horrible'.

'I've seen some of the footage. I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don't have additional details, and certainly I don't have additional context,' Psaki said at a briefing.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.'

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shared the same reaction and said that 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment on Tuesday.

'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000  it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary said.

Three planes full of Haitian migrants departed San Antonio on Sunday and landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which led to thousands making the trip back across the Rio Grande River on Monday from Del Rio, Texas.

'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' he added.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the images of the refugees 'horrific' on Monday

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wouldn't take responsibility for the massive Haitian migration crisis and revealed during a Senate Homeland Security hearing Tuesday that around 5,000 were removed from the encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge

On Sunday, however, agents and officers on horseback started preventing migrants coming back to the camp from stepping foot back on U.S. soil. They were also rounding up the illegal immigrants to be put on flights back to their home country.

DHS also dispatched additional personnel to oversee future border patrol operations near the makeshift encampment after already sending 400 border agents and officers to the area to help quell the flow of migration into Del Rio.

The new goal from the agency is to get around seven removal flights out of the U.S. back to migrants' homelands each day.

Mayorkas said that the department will launch an investigation into that the refugees endured at the camp but will not take responsibility for the crisis.

Biden and Harris have not visited the US side of the Rio Grande Valley  where the majority of the migration crisis has taken place.

Neither the president or vice president have addressed the latest developments or the new DHS strategy to deport these migrants.

One of the reasons for the migration is because Haitians are attempting to escape the horrific conditions of the country following a massive earthquake

Former Haitian president Jovenel Moise was assasinated in July

The reasons for the influx of Haitians traveling to the U.S. are multifaceted. The rise in Haitian migration began soon after President Biden took office when he began reversing former President Donald Trump's strict immigration policies. Many Haitians interpreted this as the U.S. being more open to immigration.

'False information, misinformation and misunderstanding might have created a false sense of hope,' said Guerline M. Jozef, the executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, told The New York Times.

Meanwhile, last month Haiti experienced another devastating earthquake last month and the assassination of the President Jovenel Moise in July - leaving gangs to wreak havoc on the capital. This led many Haitians to flee their homes and leave the country.

'In Haiti, there is no security,' said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. 'The country is in a political crisis.'

In addition, many Haitians who are traveling to the U.S. are among the estimated 250,000 Haitians who left Haiti after the 2010 earthquake for Chile and Brazil. But since the pandemic, both countries have suffered economic declines which has sparked the current influx of migrants trying to reach the U.S.

As a result, thousands have flocked to Del Rio after crossing narrow sections of the Rio Grande River.
A Georgia women is wanted by police after she threw a puppy into the ocean leaving it with such severe injuries it had to euthanized.

Candy Selena Marban, from Gainesville, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

Police in Tybee Island responded to the area of South Beach after a 911 call around 3pm on September 12 claiming there were 'people throwing a puppy into the ocean.'

When they arrived at the beach, they found the puppy curled up in the sand, said Tybee's Police Public Information Officer Emory Randolph.

Marban was questioned and given a city ordinance citation for cruelty to animals.

She reportedly told officers that the dog had been injured a week prior but she did not have any money for medical treatment and decided to throw it into the ocean instead.

Marban told officers that the dog had been injured a week prior but she did not have any money to treat it. Pictured is Marban next to the puppy after police arrived at the beach

Police took the puppy to Savannah for emergency medical treatment but the veterinarian determined the injuries it had sustained were so severe that it had to be euthanized

Beachgoers in the South Beach area of Tybee Island witnessed Marban throwing the puppy into the ocean and reported her to the police

Police took the puppy to Savannah for emergency medical treatment but the veterinarian determined the injuries it had sustained were so severe that it had to be euthanized.

Once the puppy was put down, Tybee Police secured a warrant for Marban on the felony charge.

As of Monday, Marban's whereabouts were unknown.

In Tybee Island, a person who is found guilty of committing an act of cruelty against an animal faces fines of not less than $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

On September 20, police released an update on their Facebook page announcing they were working along with Gainesville police to locate Marban.

Ppolice released an update on their Facebook page announcing they were working along with Gainesville police to locate Marban

Tybee Police said that they are pursuing leads they have received about the case involving Marban, and asked people to contact the department with any information

'First, we appreciate all of your help. We are aware that Marban has ties to Gainesville, GA and have been in contact with law enforcement there for several days.

'New information suggests that she may be in the Savannah area, but she could be anywhere,' the statement read.

Facebook users reacted to the post and voiced their disapproval of Marban's actions.

'Awful...hope they find her and prosecute her to the fullest! She should not be able to own another dog!' said Carol Bryan.

Lina Soucie said: 'Thank you for bringing awareness to this type of cruelty! The lack of animal cruelty laws in the south needs to change and this is a great example!!!'

Tybee Police said that they are pursuing leads they have received about the case.

Anyone with information about Marban can contact Tybee Police at (912)786-5600.
President Joe Biden emphasized the partnership American democracy shares with the world as he sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday amid tensions with the French.

The two men met amid French anger at the new US-UK-Australian partnership and Paris losing out on a $90 billion sub deal in the process, which resulted in the country pulling its ambassadors from the United States and Australia.

Both Biden and Morrison emphasized their partnership was in the best interest of the world. The AUKUS deal, as it has been dubbed, is part of American moves to counter China's growing power in the Pacific region.

'The issues we discussed and our partnership today really do reach out to so many others in terms of how we address the global challenges,' Morrison said as he met with Biden at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York

Biden agreed. 'It goes well beyond just our partnership. Our partnership is in line with all the other democracies in the world. And we got a lot of work to do,' he noted.

'The United States has no closer and more reliable ally than Australia,' he said.

President Joe Biden emphasized the partnership American democracy shares with the world as he sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Biden is attempting to speak with French President Emmanuel Macron amid French anger at new US-UK-Australia pact

Neither man responded to questions from reporters about the French anger. Biden has yet to address the situation and is attempting to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron.

'Were still working on the scheduling of it  with President Macron in the coming days,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

'And what I expect the President will do on that call is reaffirm our commitment to working with one of our oldest and closest partners on a range of challenges that the global community is facing,' she noted.

Biden did say on Tuesday the situation in the Indo-Pacific would be part of his conversation with Morrison.

'We have a big agenda discussed today, starting with our partnership to advance our vision of a free and open Indo Pacific, and this conversation that we're going to continue with Japan, India, India on Friday,' he said.

Biden will host a Quad summit at the White House on Friday with Morrison, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.

'But it's not just about our partnership because our partnership reaches out to so many others, whether it be our friends in in the ASEAN nations, or in Europe or elsewhere, where we share so many like minded interests,' the president noted.

China is also furious at the deal.

Beijing claims it has 'intensified' the arms race and state media has warned that it 'will potentially make Australia a target of a nuclear strike if war breaks out.'

As part of the deal, Britain and the US have agreed to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, largely-viewed as an effort to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea where it lays claim to several disputed islands.

But Johnson told NBC's Today Show of China's objections: 'I think that's ridiculous. And there's no need whatsoever for anybody to construe this as adversarial towards them. This is about technology transfer.'

President Joe Biden did not answer questions from reporters on the French anger

It comes as Germany today backed France in a converging diplomatic row over the Australian decision to tear up its $90 billion contract with Paris for diesel-electric submarines, in favor of the nuclear submarines from the Aukus deal.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who has developed close ties with the Biden administration, told reporters at the UN: 'I can understand our French friends' anger.'

'What was decided, and the manner in which it was decided, was irritating and disappointing, and not only for France,' he added.

Macron is not at the UN meeting. And French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has not scheduled the usual one-on-one meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken while in New York.

The French said on Monday they would be expecting compensation for the shredded submarine deal, estimated to be as much as $290 million.

Morrison claims that he had raised 'issues' about the contract 'many months ago' amid French criticism they did not have enough prior warning to the deal.

Johnson meanwhile went on the charm offensive as he insisted that Britain and France enjoyed an 'indestructible' relationship.

'The UK and France have, I believe, a very, very important, and indestructible relationship,' he told reporters in New York.

'And of course we'll be talking to all our friends about how to make the Aukus pact work so that it's not exclusionary, it's not divisive and it really doesn't have to be that way.'

The running disputes of the French and the Chinese comes as world leaders are converging on the Big Apple for a United Nations conference, with a focus on the fight against climate change and Covid-19.

The US tried to dissuade leaders from coming to New York in a bid to stop the General Assembly from becoming a 'super-spreader event,' although Joe Biden will address the assembly in person, his first UN visit since taking office.

A so-called UN honor system means that anyone entering the assembly hall effectively declares they are vaccinated, but they do not have to show proof.
A doctor has admitted bombarding a colleague with homophobic messages telling him staff 'didn't want a gay' in their department, a tribunal heard.

Dr Lydia Krexi sent the medic, known as Dr A, a string of texts and WhatsApp messages during telling him other doctors were gossiping about his sexuality and wanted him to work elsewhere.

Dr Krexi - who qualified in medicine in Greece in 2017 - told Dr A that his colleagues in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary orthopaedics department believed he was 'gay or racist' and wanted him to work in Inverness instead.

The medic, whose conduct is alleged to have been sexually motivated after Dr A rejected her, also admitted making anonymous phone calls to Dr A and accessing his medical records.

A hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) heard Dr Krexi admitted sending inappropriate messages via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and text to Dr A between May 19, 2019, and June 2, 2019.

A doctor has admitted bombarding a colleague at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (pictured) with homophobic messages telling him staff 'didn't want a gay' in their department, a tribunal heard

Dr Krexi admitted that between March 2019 and June 2019, she made one or more anonymous telephone calls to Dr A's mobile phone, as well as that between April 3, 2019 and May 30, 2019, on one or more occasion she accessed and viewed his electronic patient records without clinical justification.

She also admitted sending one or more inappropriate messages to Dr A between May 19, 2019 and June 2, 2019, and that seven of the messages were 'homophobic in nature'.

A tribunal is set to determine whether messages sent to another medic, Dr B, were inappropriate, and whether her conduct was sexually motivated, as well as whether her fitness to practice is impaired 'because of misconduct'.

On May 20, Dr Krexi told Dr A that colleagues at ARI 'comment on the fact that you don't have a girlfriend'.

She wrote: 'They say that you are probably gay. Ortho consultants are not happy. They say that they don't want a gay in their department and they should send you to Inverness.'

On May 25, Dr Krexi texted Dr A again telling him that consultants and registrars were 'talking about you again'.

She wrote: 'Half were saying that you are gay and half that you are racist and you don't want European or Christian women. Gay or racist doesn't sound good and it isn't nice that they talk about you like this all the time.'

A hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) heard Dr Krexi admitted sending inappropriate messages via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and text to Dr A between May 19, 2019, and June 2, 2019

On June 2, Dr Krexi sent a message on WhatsApp suggesting that Dr A was not going to be offered another job at ARI because the consultants 'think you are weird'.

She wrote: 'You have never been with a girl. They have only seen you with [Dr B] and they think that you are in love with him.

'It is unacceptable for an orthopaedic surgeon to be gay and they don't want anyone like you at the department.'

Dr Krexi then insisted she was sharing the information with Dr A because she 'wanted to help', before adding: 'How do you feel that you work in a hospital that [sic] everyone knows that you are gay and they laugh at you?

'They said that you shouldn't be using the male changing room, you should go with the ladies. Your walk also shows what you do every night.'

Later that same day, Dr Krexi - who is now employed by the NHS in Thames Valley, England - sent Dr A a message via Facebook insisting that she had not contacted him 'since you told me that you aren't interested' but had felt 'sad that you didn't want me'.

She continued: 'I had good intentions. Why do you want to hurt me? I am not a whore because I am Christian and I am not desperate for a man.'

Dr Krexi is also alleged to have sent inappropriate messages via Facebook in June 2019 to a married male colleague, known only as Dr B (stock image)

Dr Krexi is also alleged to have sent inappropriate messages via Facebook in June 2019 to a married male colleague, known only as Dr B.

In one, dated June 1, she is alleged to have written that ARI doctors 'talk about your pal, [Dr A]', adding: 'There are girls flirting with him and he prefers to be alone. His consultants think that he is gay.

'They are upset and they say that it is unacceptable for an orthopaedic surgeon to be gay. They want to send him to Inverness.

'They have only seen him with you and they say that he may be in love with you.'

On June 2, Dr Krexi is alleged to have written to Dr B again claiming that another orthopaedic colleague had checked Dr A's phone while he was in theatre, adding: 'He saw his texts saying that he wants to make you get a divorce.

'There were very naughty texts about you.'

The case, which is ongoing, was referred to the MPTS by the General Medical Council.

It will be up to the MPTS to rule on any possible sanction for misconduct.
A Spanish judge has launched a probe to determine whether a driver who killed himself and the husband of a British woman after smashing into a Spanish bar terrace was a terrorist.

A Ecuadorian man, who was at dinner with his British wife at Honey's Bar in Roldan, died from injuries he sustained when the unnamed 30-year-old driver ploughed into the side of the bar's terrace last Friday in the south-east Spanish province of Murcia.

It was initially reported the driver blamed for the crash had been stabbed in an unrelated incident earlier and had lost control of his vehicle because of his injuries.

But it emerged on Tuesday that a judge at Spain's Audiencia Court in Madrid is looking into whether the perpetrator was a terrorist after an autopsy revealed that the dead motorist's wounds were self-inflicted.

Local reports say investigators discovered a suicide note pointing to the 'accident' being a deliberate act of violence after paramedics and police raced to the scene.

Mental illness is also being considered as a possible reason for the attack.

A Ecuadorian man, who was at dinner with his British wife at Honey's Bar in Roldan, lost his life when the unnamed 30-year-old driver ploughed into the side of the bar's terrace last Friday

A Spanish judge has launched a probe to determine whether a driver who killed himself and the husband of a British woman after smashing into a Spanish bar terrace was a terrorist

Local reports say investigators discovered a suicide note pointing to the 'accident' being a deliberate act of violence after paramedics and police raced to the scene

Local Alberto Rodriguez, who spoke to Spanish media after witnessing the incident said: 'It was like being in a film.

'The car mounted the pavement at great speed.

'There were about six customers and waiters. The vehicle destroyed almost everything in its path. It's been a disaster.

'My wife tried to save the life of the diner who ended up on the ground but there was nothing she could do.'

The unnamed Moroccan lived alone in a flat in the municipality of Torre Pacheco and nothing was found during a search of his apartment, but the manuscript indicating he could be a 'lone wolf' terrorist was discovered in the car which had been lent to him.

The suicide note reportedly made references to 'telepathic murders' and other violent acts.

A witness has also reportedly come forward and told police he saw the motorist engage in 'farewell prayers' before putting his foot on the accelerator with his arms raised high in the air.

Initial reports said the Civil Guard were hunting an aggressor thought to have stabbed the motorist who also died, with information pointing to the knifeman being in a second car seen tailing his vehicle at speed.

A witness has also reportedly come forward and told police he saw the motorist engage in 'farewell prayers' before putting his foot on the accelerator with his arms raised high in the air

The incident now under investigation occurred around lunchtime last Friday between the terraces of a restaurant called Gateway India and a popular British hangout called Honey's Bar in the small village of Roldan which belongs to the municipality of Torre Pacheco

The ongoing criminal probe has now been handed over to the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid, tasked with investigating terrorism, after it emerged the motorist's wounds had been self-inflicted and the witness to his 'farewell prayers' came forward.

On its Facebook site, Honey's bar confirmed it had closed for two days following the incident 'in respect of the person who was tragically killed during the accident' and added: 'Our respect and condolences go to his family and friends, also our thoughts are with all others at the bar at the time.'

Dozens of messages were also posted in English, with one man saying: 'Was sitting on the Terrace at Honey's this afternoon, seems we left just minutes before the accident.'

The owner of the restaurant said the vehicle had been 'circling the area for some time, driving from one place to another.'

'He didn't stop until he hit the house next door. Everything was normal, we were serving customers as usual when we heard the blow,' he said.

An English nurse on the scene reportedly tried to help the fatally injured customer.

The mayor of the town, Antonio Leon, explained that Honey's Bar is a restaurant frequented by British expats who live in the area, although fortunately, the terrace was not full at the time.

It is believed that two other diners were injured and needed hospital treatment, while a woman and her son inside the bar needed treatment for anxiety attacks.
According to a new lawsuit filed by Connor Cook, (pictured above) prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh, 53, allegedly tried to pin a boating crash Cook, who was 19 at the time

Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced lawyer accused of staging his own death in an insurance-fraud scheme, is facing additional legal strife for allegedly covering up his son's involvement in a fatal boat crash in February 2019.

In a new lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of Connor Cook, Murdaugh, 53, allegedly attempted to 'shift the blame' from his son Paul, who initially was charged in the crash prior to his murder in June.

According to the lawsuit, the former South Carolina lawyer allegedly tried to pin the incident on Cook, who was 19 at the time and one of six individuals on the boat.

Cook, now 21, said Murdaugh allegedly told him to 'keep his mouth shut' and lie to authorities that he was unaware who was driving the boat, despite knowing it was Paul.

He added that Murdaugh and others were 'orchestrating a campaign' to have him 'held criminally and civilly responsible' for the incident.

'Murdaugh ... negligently or intentionally attempted to shift the blame for the boat accident, causing the intentional and/or reckless infliction of severe emotional distress,' the lawsuit reads.

Cook said Murdaugh allegedly told him to 'keep his mouth shut' and lie to authorities that he was unaware who was driving the boat, despite knowing it was his son, Paul. PICTURED: Paul and his mother Maggie (together left), Alex Murdaugh (center), Buster Murdaugh (right)

Cook added that Murdaugh and others were 'orchestrating a campaign' to have him 'held criminally and civilly responsible' for the incident. PICTURED: Alex Murdaugh at his bond hearing at the Hampton County Jail in Varnville,SC (Christopher Oquendo for DailyMail.com)

Cook added that Murdaugh and others were 'orchestrating a campaign' to have him 'held criminally and civilly responsible' for the incident

By 'attempting to steer the criminal investigation away from Paul Murdaugh' the suit claims that 'the methods used, proximately caused Plaintiff Cook severe emotional distress.'

On Feb. 24, 2019, prosecutors alleged that Paul drunkenly crashed his dad's 17-foot into a bridge after an oyster roast.

The boat was carrying five additional passengers, and at least three were launched into the water as a result from the crash.

Mallory Beach, 19, was among those who went overboard and was found dead a week later by two fishermen about five miles from where the boat crashed.

The boat was carrying five additional passengers, and at least three were launched into the water as a result from the crash. Mallory Beach, 19, (pictured) was among those who went overboard and was found dead a week later

Excerpt from Cook's testimony about the arguments before the boat accelerated and crashed

Excerpt from Cook's testimony about the arguments before the boat accelerated and crashed

According to a police report, all passengers on the boat were 'grossly intoxicated' despite being under the legal drinking age.

Beach's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Murdaughs, in addition to the liquor store which sold the alcohol to the teenagers.

Cook's lawsuit comes on the heels of a petition filed on his behalf in July, claiming officers from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office attempted to shift blame away from Paul to Cook.

Murdaugh later 'encouraged and instructed' Cook to hire Cory Fleming as an attorney, whom Murdaugh claimed was the 'best' choice for the 19-year-old.

Fleming was later discovered to be Murdaugh's college roommate and best friend, according to a report from The Daily Beast.

Buster, Margaret, Paul and Richard Alex Murdaugh. Margaret, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, were found dead, shot multiple times, in the backyard of their sprawling estate in Islandton, South Carolina, at 10pm on Monday

Paul (right) - the son of a powerful South Carolina legal family - is thought to have been the intended target of the shooting that also killed his mom Margaret (left)

'Such advice was to the advantage of Paul and Defendant Murdaugh and against the interests of Fleming's new client, Plaintiff Cook, increasing the potential that Plaintiff Cook would continue to be a suspect and potentially face criminal charges as operator of the boat,' the lawsuit alleges.

'Fleming's instructions served to convert the unwitting Plaintiff Cook into an agent of protection for Paul Murdaugh, exposing Plaintiff Cook to the potential of being charged as boat operator and therefore responsible for the accident.'

The lawsuit also claims Murdaugh and his family allegedly launched a 'whisper campaign' in the Hampton County Community.

In police dashcam video from the night of the incident, a person can be heard telling police that everyone on the boat, including Paul, had been drinking.

When the officer asks if they were speeding, the person tells him: 'I don't even know. I finally got to the point where I grabbed my girlfriend and put her in my lap in the bottom of the boat and was holding on with my eyes closed.

Hitman Cirtus Eddie Smith (left), who disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh (right) paid to kill him in a failed suicide-for-hire plot was his primary oxycodone supplier. Smith told the New York Post on Saturday that he was 'set up,' and that Murdaugh shot himself

Smith was arrested Tuesday on charges of assisted suicide, assault and battery, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud

'Next thing I know, I'm in the f*****g water.'

At the 11:57 minute marker in the video, the person asks the officer if he knows the name Alex Murdaugh. The officer says he's heard of him.

'That's his son,' the man tells the officer.

The officer responds:'That's who was driving the boat?'

'Yea. Good luck,' he says. 'He was the last one driving before I got down to the floor of the boat.'

In the video, the man can also be heard saying: 'That motherf****r needs to rot in f*****g prison. He aint gonna get in no f*****g trouble.'

Several police officers have been accused of trying to diminish Murdaugh's role in the crash, according to The Daily Beast. That includes one who filed a report suggesting it was not clear who was driving the boat.

According to the lawsuit, the influence of the Murdaugh family was so potent, Connor mentioned he was afraid of the Murdaughs because of 'them being who they are.'

'Just anything they get in they get out of. I've always been told that,' Cook said in his Jan. 2020 deposition.

The Murdaugh family has ruled the county's legal system for decades, prosecuting nearly every criminal case in the southern part of the state.

Several family members have served as county elected prosecutors going back almost 87 years. The local community felt Paul was receiving special treatment in the boating death case due to his family's power.

Cook is seeking a jury trial and unspecified compensation 'severe injuries and damages for which he sought medical treatment and continues to suffer today.'

Paul Murdaugh, Richard and Margaret Murdaugh, and Buster Murdaugh (left to right). Sources said Paul was the likely target and his mother was collateral damage

In an unforeseen turn of events, Paul and his mother Margaret were found shot dead 'execution-style' outside their 1,700-acre Islandton home on June 7.

Richard Alex and Margaret. The Murdaugh family has ruled the county's legal system for decades

Paul was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while Margaret was shot with an assault rifle, the source said.

Their bodies were found several yards apart from one another and shell casings were discovered at the scene.

Their deaths have been ruled a double murder and two firearms - a shotgun and an assault rifle - were used to carry out the killings.

Three days after the murders, Paul's grandfather Richard Murdaugh III died aged 81, although his death is believed to have been the result of natural causes.

Gossip over the shocking killings of two members of a family spawning multiple generations of local prosecutors has reached fever pitch, with cops yet to officially reveal a motive, suspect, or any further information about the case.

During that time, Paul had been facing trial in connection to the boating incident and pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of boating under the influence.

He had been released on a personal recognizance bond of $50,000 just before his murder.

Alex Murdaugh was the one who dialed 9-1-1, telling dispatchers that he came home to find his wife and son shot dead.

In September, Murdaugh stepped down from his role at his family's law firm, PMPED, after it was discovered he had misused $1 million of work funds on his opioid addiction.

Murdaugh's brother, Randy, released a statement claiming he was 'shocked' by claims of his brother Alex Murdaugh's drug addiction and blasted him over allegations he stole money from his law firm.

'I was shocked, just as the rest of my PMPED family, to learn of my brother, Alexs, drug addiction and stealing of money. I love my law firm family and also love Alex as my brother,' Randy Murdaugh wrote.

As if things couldn't get more odd, on September 4, Murdaugh was allegedly shot by his 61-year-old drug supplier, Curtis Edward Smith, while changing a tire.

Smith told authorities he was hired by the prominent lawyer to kill him so that his son Buster, 25, could receive a $10 million insurance police.

Murdaugh didn't think the insurance company would pay any money if he died by suicide.

Smith was arrested last week and charged on multiple counts including conspiracy and assisted suicide for his role in the shooting.

Just a few hours later, Alex Murdaugh was seen arriving at the Hampton County jail after surrendering to police on a charge of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Murdaugh spent about five hours in the Hampton County jail before being issued a $20,000 bond and being released on his own recognizance on September 16.

Magistrate Tonja Alexander noted Murdaugh had no prior criminal record and she didn't think he would be a risk to the community.

Craig Waters for the Attorney Generals office asked for Murdaugh to surrender his passport, which sat before him on the table.

Waters also asked him to waive extradition, which he did, and is attending an out of state rehab center.
Soldier's wives have claimed they are forced to live in 'dirty, filthy houses' on Army bases with 'crumbling worktops and carpets that smell of dog'.

One army wife, Hannah, who asked to only be named by her first name, revealed that young families are forced to live in 'disgusting' conditions in the houses provided to members of the British Army.

Hannah recently moved to Aldershot with her husband, who works for the British Army, along with their young children however, when the family entered their new home they were greeted with stained carpets smelling of 'wet dog' and broken kitchen cupboards.

When the family moved in, they had to ask the company to send the cleaners back because it was so dirty with kitchen cupboards falling off the hinges

In previous army accomodation, she had to endure the nightmare situation of mould and an infestation of mice while 30-weeks pregnant but when they asked to move she claims they were given an even dirtier house.

Speaking to HampshireLive, Hannah said: 'Our housing is meant to be a perk of our husbands' job because they do sacrifice quite a bit.

'Myself and some other wives just moved into Aldershot a few weeks ago, and we have all have been given really dirty, filthy houses.'

Amey, an infrastructure and engineering company, provides Service Family Accommodation for army families across the UK, including Aldershot.

Hannah continued: 'Amey have a contract for our housing and are meant to be providing some sort of standard, but this is one of many houses that we've had problems with.'

When the family moved in, they had to ask the company to send the cleaners back because it was so dirty.

In the paperwork, the kitchen was supposed to receive some repairs however the kitchen cupboards are falling off the hinges and the worktops are crumbling.

She added: 'My main issue is the awful carpets. They all literally smell of dog and they're not down properly either, so my toddler has already got her foot stuck and banged her head.'

Hannah has spoken to other wives who feel in a similarly desperate situation with their housing.

Vimbai, who also recently moved to a home in Aldershot, said: 'No effort had been made to put the house in a decent standard before we moved in, it was a very rushed job with no care.

'Not only was the fireplace not working, the extractor fan in the bathroom wasn't working either. We have a new gas stove and I need to call Amey to find out if the house has had a gas safety test recently as I am concerned it may not have been done.'

After years of dealing with Amey, Hannah admitted that she is no longer 'shocked' when she enters a dirty home, but described every move as 'stressful' as they can't refuse a house when a moving van is outside with all their belongings.

When she was 30-weeks-pregnant, the family had to repeatedly ask to move house due to mould and an infestation of mice.

However, they say they were moved into an even dirtier house that Hannah had to scrub clean whilst heavily pregnant.

Hannah said she ended up going into labour at 37-weeks, something she believes was due to the stress of the dirty housing.

She added: 'The houses are good houses, the layout and everything, but we're all sort of battling with this company to get things rectified. If it was private or council there would be absolute uproar.

'It's meant to be an upside of our partners joining the services but when you're getting this stressed moving it is going to affect soldiers welfare and mental health, and also the family life - it puts extra stress on couples.'

Another problem facing the families is that they get fined if they leave the property unclean or cause any damage, something Hannah described as 'hypocritical'.

She said: 'We're being told it's not Amey's responsibility to make sure that it is clean when we move in, but when we move out, if there is an issue we get billed for it.'

Hannah was keen to emphasise that the Army and Ministry of Defence welfare team always 'amazing' and try to help the families with their housing problems.

In previous army accomodation, she had to endure the nightmare situation of mould (pictured) and an infestation of mice while 30-weeks pregnant but when they asked to move she claims they were given an even dirtier house

An Amey spokesperson said: 'We fully appreciate that the issues raised in the article are distressing. The image featuring damaged kitchen tiles relates to a case that is in the process of being rectified and a new kitchen is scheduled to be fitted at a time convenient to the resident.

'We work closely with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to ensure any complaints concerning damp and mould are responded to as swiftly as possible  ensuring that the right advice is offered to residents regarding ventilation and prevention.

'We are committed to working alongside the DIO to ensure SFA residents receive quality accommodation and we would urge anyone who has a concern about maintenance or the move-in standard of a property to contact our customer centre immediately.'



Hannah said the accomodation provided to service families is meant to be an upside of their partners joining the services but it just puts 'stress' on family life (pictured, British troops in training in Aldershot)

Speaking to MailOnline, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said they 'regret' that some service families experience issues with housing and are hoping to improve the conditions through a combined 348m investment over two years.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'Providing safe and good quality accommodation is a top priority and we regret that service personnel and their families sometimes experience issues with their housing.

'We continue to invest in improving the quality of our homes, with 160m invested in 2020/21 and a further 188m planned for this year. In addition, we continue to work closely with our contractors to improve these services.

'We recognise that some Service families experience a poor Move-In, and we are seeking to improve performance in this area. The new accommodation delivery contracts will address this through greater oversight and application of standards and incentivisation of suppliers.'

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has approximately 49,500 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the UK, 38,000 of which are leased from Annington Homes Limited (AHL) and the remainder are either MOD owned or leased from others.

In a statement today, the MOD said that SFA allocated to Service families in the UK meet the Government Decent Homes Standard as a minimum.
A 51-year-old tax disc issued to the famous Aston Martin used in the James Bond movie classic 'Goldfinger' fetched more than 25,000 at auction.

Auctioneers Bonhams said that with the imminent release of the new James Bond film No Time to Die, 007-fever had clearly swept the saleroom at the Goodwood motor circuit in West Sussex.

For the 1970 UK tax disc issued to the original 'Goldfinger' Aston Martin DB5, used by Pinewood Studios in the James Bond film, sold for a staggering 25,250.

Sean Connery posing with the classic Aston Martin used in the James Bond movie Goldfinger

It is more than 10 times its pre-sale estimate, following a two-way bidding war in the Bonhams saleroom at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Tim Schofield, Head of Department, Bonhams Motor Cars UK, said of Bonhams' first Goodwood Revival Sale in two years: 'This was an excellent result, and we are thrilled to have set yet another auction world record with the sale of the XJ220.'

It is more than 10 times its pre-sale estimate, following a two-way bidding war in the Bonhams saleroom at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Two Jaguar supercars from different eras were top cats at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale with a 1993 Jaguar XJ220, with just over 400 miles covered since new, setting a new auction world record for the model, selling for 460,000.

Meanwhile, its spiritual ancestor, a 1956/1980s D-Type Sports-Racing Two-Seater, owned by Goodwood Revival racer Valentine Lindsay, made 799,000 and was the top lot of the day.

Auctioneers Bonhams said that with the imminent release of the new James Bond film No Time to Die, 007-fever had clearly swept the saleroom

No Time To Die has been delayed by a total of 18 months due to the ongoing Covid crisis, but has finally been set for release on September 30.

Betting is already underway on which actor will replace the longtime favourite.

Luther star Idris Elba has been a firm fan favorite, as well as sparking heated debate about whether there cold ever be a black James Bond.

Bookies also reported heavy betting on Wolf Hall and Homeland star Damian Lewis as the next 007. If chosen, he would be the first red-haired actor to play the spy role.

Others considered possible replacements for Craig include Richard Madden, Tom Hiddleston, Henry Cavill, Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy.
Advertisement

Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will get the situation at the border 'under control' as Kamala Harris slammed Border Patrol agents for 'horrible' treatment of migrants in their first direct response to the unfolding crisis.

'We will get it under control,' Biden said to reporters after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in New York City.

He did not specify what he plans to do in order to mitigate the crisis.

The president and vice president finally reacted to the crisis when reporters asked the about it during public appearances on Tuesday  and after backlash ensued surrounding images of Border Patrol agents on horseback using whips to round up migrants or prevent them from stepping onto U.S. soil.

Harris on Tuesday slammed Border Patrol agents for 'horrible' treatment of migrants and promised to provide more assistance to Haiti as their nationals get deported back on removal flights.

'What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible,' Harris told reporters on Tuesday.

The vice president also said that she supports the Department of Homeland Security opening an investigation to the magnets on horseback using what appeared to be whips to round up the mostly Haitian migrants.

'I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there,' Harris said. 'But human beings should never be treated that way. And I'm deeply troubled about it.

'I'll also be talking to Secretary Mayorkas about it today,' she said of an impending conversation with the DHS secretary.

Harris, who was made border czar by President Joe Biden earlier this year, received criticism for not responding to the massive crisis in Del Rio, Texas where up to 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up an encampment near the international bridge there.

DHS began sending Haitian migrants back to their homeland in removal flights starting on Sunday  prompting scores of these illegal crossers to trek back across the Rio Grande River to Mexico to avoid deportation back to Haiti.

President Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to get the situation at the southern border 'under control'

Vice President Kamala Harris slammed Border Patrol for their treatment of mostly Haitian migrants: 'What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible...human beings should never be treated that way'

A decreased number of mostly Haitian migrants remain at a makeshift encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande on Tuesday as many fled the area back to Mexico to avoid deportation

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Sen. Josh Hawley (right) that around 5,000 were removed from the encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge as he announced a probe into the agents using whips on migrants

Harris supports the DHS investigation. This was the first time the vice president, who was appointed border czar by Biden, addressed the crisis that saw 15,000 mostly Haitian nations cross into Del Rio and set up camp near the bridge

Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents were frustrated by the pile-on as they try to get a hold on the sudden flux of nearly 15,000 migrants.

'This whole situation is blowing up and even liberals are turning on this administration,' one agent told Fox News. '[Harris] is placing blame on agents to deflect because she and Biden are not going to change how they are handling this.'

Another source bluntly said the outrage 'just proves what absolute idiots they are.'

'With basic knowledge and two brain cells, anyone knows those agents use split reins. They do use them as a whip, on their horses,' the agent said. 'This helps get a quicker response from the horse to move out when needed, especially when the horse may be hesitant with groups of people or other animals.'

'Again it is clear that those 'in charge,' a term that is disgusting to use, have no clue about our operations and frankly operate by ignorance and unhinged emotions,' the agent said.

'In your role, stemming migration from Central America. Are you also going to be looking into migration issues for Haitians as well?' a reporter asked Harris.

'Well, listen, the whole point is that we have to understand Haiti. I mean, talk about a country that has just experienced so much tragedy that has been about natural disasters, the head of state assassinated, and we really have to do a lot more to recognize that as a member of the Western Hemisphere.'

'We've got to support some very basic needs that the people of Haiti have to get back up and to and to do what we want to do be them from Haiti or in the countries in Central America,' she added.

The vice president insisted: 'People want to stay home, they don't want to leave home, but they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs. So yes, this is a concern.'

Mayorkas revealed Tuesday that around 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment surrounding the Del Rio International Bridge as the Department of Homeland Security launches a probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips against the mostly Haitian migrants.

'How many migrants have crossed into the United States in Del Rio over the past week?' Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Mayorkas during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday.

'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000  it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary responded.

'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' Mayorkas added as it was revealed this week DHS is aiming to send out several deportation flights per day.

Mayorkas also refused to say whether he felt he and the Biden administration bear any responsibility for the influx of Haitian migrants over the last few weeks or the broader border crisis in general.

'Don't you think that you bear responsibility for this latest crisis?' Hawley asked.

The secretary deflected to talking about how temporary protected status for Haitians ended for any nationals who arrived in the U.S. after July 29

'But Mr. Secretary,' Hawley cut in, 'my time is almost expired, I just want an answer. Do you bear responsibility for the crisi in Del Rio?'

Instead of answering, Mayorkas started to address other actions he claims the administration is taking to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

'Does that mean you're not going to answer me?' Hawley pushed.

Mayorkas shot back: 'I am answering, if you've give me the opportunity.'

An aerial image taken on Tuesday shows Texas' Department of Safety lined up vehicles along the bank of the Rio Grande River near the massive, but dwindling, migrant camp

'That's a yes or a no question,' Hawley insisted. 'Do you bear responsibility for the crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, the smuggling organization ' Mayorkas started but was cut off.

'Yes or no? Do you bear responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, it is my responsibility to address the human tragedy in Del Rio, to address that,' Mayorkas said. 'And we are doing so. That is my responsibility and we are executing it as a Department of Homeland Security.'

'But you don't think you've played any role  that your policies have played any role in fostering and fomenting this crisis that has ensnared so many thousands of people?' Hawley asked.

'Senator, what we are learning from our interviews with individuals is they are receiving false information and misinformation from the smuggling organizations that traffic  and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,' he said.

'Well, so in other words, it's someone else's fault,' the senator clarified.

'All I can say, Mr. Secretary, sooner or later this administration is going to have to take responsibility for this crisis that you have fomented at the border that gets worse day upon day and so far  every time we hear from you it's somebody else's fault something's going to happen later. It's really unbelievable,' Hawley concluded as his time for questioning expired.

Customs and Border Protection launched a formal probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips as they attempted to stop migrants from stepping onto U.S. soil.

'I was horrified by what I saw,' Mayorkas told CNN on Tuesday morning.

'I'm going to let the investigation run its course,' he added. 'But the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly. That defies all of the values that we seek to instill in our people.'

A DHS spokesperson said the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility will 'define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken' against those found to have used whips when preventing asylum-seekers from entering the U.S. and rounding up others for deportation.

The probe comes after widespread condemnation of the 'horrific' and disturbing scenes emerged of the agents on horseback chasing after and rounding up migrants who were on foot. One in particular image garnered the most pushback when an agent unfurled a cord resembling a lariat and swung it near a migrant's face.

Mayorkas directed the CBP office to have personnel on site 'full-time to ensure that the responsibilities of DHS personnel are executed consistent with applicable policies and training and the department's values.'

Images of Border Patrol agents on horseback began emerging on Sunday as the Department of Homeland Security ramped up deportation by restarting removal flights of Haitian migrants back to their homeland after these flights were paused by President Joe Biden in February.

Migrants stand on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River as they prepare to wade from Del Rio, Texas on Tuesday to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico to avoid deportation back to their homeland. Six expulsion flights are expected to arrive in Haiti on Tuesday

Migrants hold personal items above their head as they wade back to Mexico after seeking asylum in the U.S.

CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is launching a probe into Border Patrol agents using what appears to be a whip or lasso while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas

Three planes full of Haitian migrants departed San Antonio on Sunday and landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which led to thousands making the trip back across the Rio Grande River on Monday from Del Rio, Texas.

In the last few weeks, about 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up camp near and under the Del Rio International Bridge on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. They were using a dam of knee- and thigh-high water to trek back and forth across the border.

On Sunday, however, agents and officers on horseback started preventing migrants coming back to the camp from stepping foot back on U.S. soil. They were also rounding up the illegal immigrants to be put on flights back to their home country.

DHS also dispatched additional personnel to oversee future border patrol operations near the makeshift encampment after already sending 400 border agents and officers to the area to help quell the flow of migration into Del Rio.

The new goal from the agency is to get around seven removal flights out of the U.S. back to migrants' homelands each day.

Migrants gather under a tent to register with local immigration officers on Tuesday after they were flown out of the makeshift encampment in Del Rio, Texas

Migrants began turning back from Del Rio and trekking back to Ciudad Acura, Mexico. Here a man walks across waist-high water in the Rio Grande River returning to Mexico to avoid deportation

Haitian Migrants wade across the water back to Mexico on Tuesday so they aren't deported by the U.S. back to Haiti after several flights were sent back the past two days

When asked Tuesday if the new scenes from the border amounts to a crisis, Mayorkas wouldn't go that far, instead calling it a 'heartbreaking situation' and a 'tremendous challenge.'

'I, by no means, diminish the humane issue that it presents, but I want to be clear that we do have a plan to address it, respecting the needs of the individuals and we are executing on that plan,' he said on CNN.

Mayorkas added that 4,000 or more migrants have already been moved from the bridge camp and previewed a 'dramatic change' in the situation 'in the next 48 to 96 hours.'

The announcement of a formal investigation came after outrage ensued.

Mayorkas' comments echoed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's when she called the images 'horrific'.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it's acceptable or appropriate,' Psaki said at her press briefing on Monday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the reports 'deeply troubling', adding that Congress will continue to 'closely monitor developments.'

'All migrants seeking asylum must be treated in accordance with the law and with basic decency,' the California Democrat wrote in a Monday evening statement.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the images 'inhumane' and called on the Biden administration to 'stop Title 42 deportations'

Progressive squad members Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar slammed the use of whips, calling it 'human rights abuses' and claiming the U.S. has made immigration a crime

'Any acts of aggression or violence cannot be tolerated and must be investigated. The situation facing Haitian migrants at the border is heartbreaking, and Congress will continue to closely monitor developments.'

Mayorkas issued a stern warning for Haitian nationals trying to enter the US on Monday after he became the first Biden administration official to visit the border in Del Rio.

'If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's life,' he said.

The secretary said he'd brought in about 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the National Guard, to Del Rio to help with what he described as a 'challenging and heartbreaking situation.'

He said that he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the U.S. in decades.

A man walks with a child on his shoulders as he steps out of the Rio Grande River in returning to Mexico from Del Rio, Texas as DHS steps up deportation efforts  already sending out several planes of migrants back to Haiti this week

Six more removal flights are expected to land in Haiti from the U.S. on Tuesday. An airplane chartered to transport people to Haiti prepares to board passengers at the San Antonio International Airport on Monday

White House slams 'horrific' footage of border patrol agent on horseback WHIPPING Haitian migrants as they cross Rio Grande carrying food for their families

The White House is reacting to disturbing images that surfaced on Sunday of Border Patrol agents appearing to whip Haitian migrants desperately trying to cross the Rio Grande river into the United States.

'I don't know what the circumstances would be, it's obviously horrific,' Press Secretary Jen Psaki said of relevant footage from the border on Monday.

Psaki was asked about the images at her daily White House briefing.

'I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context, I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate but I don't have additional details,' she said.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.'

She added that it was 'horrible to watch.'

A video obtained Sunday night shows Border Patrol officers on horseback, waiting on the US side of the Rio Grande as migrants - some of them families with young children - wade through chest-deep waters trying to cross.

Officers can be seen charging their horses toward migrants carrying food and supplies. Some of them are swinging what appears to be lariats.

U.S. border patrol officers cut the way of migrants asylum seekers as they are trying to return to the United States

The devastating images were captures as migrants were trying to return to their encampment from Mexico, where they were buying much-needed supplies

Migrants crossing the Del Rio river to head back into the US after gathering supplies in Mexico are confronted by Border Patrol officers on horseback

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar.

At one point, a Border Patrol officer appears to hit a man, sending him falling back into the water.

Many of those migrants were reportedly already camped out in a makeshift tent city under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. They had crossed back to Mexico to purchase water, food and diapers in Ciudad Acuna.

Psaki was asked on Monday if there would be consequences against the officers involved.

She didn't say whether they'd lose their jobs but suggested 'they should never be able to do it again.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the images 'horrific' on Monday

The Biden administration has been grappling with an influx of migrants since the Democrat took office in January.

Migrants began flowing back into the Mexican side of the southern border on Monday from Del Rio, Texas as the Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up deportation flights to seven per day.

Video emerged today of scores of mostly Haitian migrants making the trek back across the Rio Grande River to Mexico from the US after three flights full of migrants from the US landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Sunday.

Up to 15,000 migrants set up camp under and around the Del Rio International Bridge, using a dam area to cross between the Mexico and US side of the border.

The massive encampment of migrants has brought up several issues, including health concerns in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed they are not vaccinating migrants.

Mayorkas said Sunday that he will visit the southern border, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was put in charge of the border crisis, have remained silent on the recent developments of mass migration among Haitians.

'I will be traveling to the border myself,' Mayorkas told CNN, adding he speaks regularly with the White House and President Joe Biden about the issue.

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar

U.S. Border Patrol agents deploy a boat into the Rio Grande river on the U.S. side of the bank as migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the river into Mexico

The Haitian migration crisis is exacerbated by those who left Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to settle in South and Central America who are now desperate to leave there due to the coronavirus pandemic and economic collapse.

At that time many flew to Ecuador where there's no visa requirements  then proliferated to Brazil and Chile.

They are now leaving there and making their way up to Mexico anyway they can.

Images from Del Rio, Texas began emerging over the weekend where thousands of mostly Haitian migrants used a dam to cross between Mexico and the US On Sunday, three removal flights of migrants arrived back in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The developing crisis forced the Biden administration to close six crossing points along the border and send in at least 400 troops to help stop the flow and round up migrants for deportation.

Haitian migrants set up a massive makeshift camp under the Del Rio International Bridge in just the last weeks, with the number swelling from around 400 to 14,534 in just one week, according to Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano.

DHS revealed over the weekend that it would ramp up and accelerate its removal efforts of migrants as Biden continues to face widespread criticism for his handling of the humanitarian and national security crisis at the southern border.

Biden and Harris have not visited the US side of the Rio Grande Valley  where the majority of the migration crisis has taken place.

Neither the president or vice president have addressed the latest developments or the new DHS strategy to deport these migrants.

On Monday Psaki was asked about a double standard in letting Afghan refugees resettle in the US but forcefully turning away Haitian refugees at a time when the country is dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake and a presidential assassination.

'Our immigration policy is not about one country or discriminating against one country over another. We want to end that and we want to put an end to what we saw over the last four years,' she said, referring to the Trump administration.

Psaki added that Haitians are encouraged to apply for temporary protected status to remain in the US.

She also said the federal government was working with Haiti's government to help the country recover and accommodate the Haitians being sent back.

'We have also been working to provide a range of assistance, working closely with officials from the government, as individuals are going back to Haiti to provide a range of financial assistance, to provide technical assistance,' Psaki said. 'That's on-going.'
A landlord who took on a pub and expected a huge bill to sort out itswater supply found he was sitting on a 'liquid goldmine'.

Doran Binder, 49, bought The Crag Inn in Wildboarclough, Cheshire, in 2016 when he was at 'rock bottom' because of his divorce.

Not long after taking on the small country pub near Macclesfield he had to get the water tested as part of an annual inspection to make sure it was safe for the public to drink.

But despite fearing he was going to end up having to dig deep, the outcome couldn't have been more different.

Doran soon learned that the aquifer which runs 27 metres below the pub flowed with some of the purest water in the world.

And with 700,000 litres of it - enough to fill more than a million bottles a day - he found himself sitting on 'liquid gold'.

Doran has now been approached by a boutique US drinks manufacturer that sells high-end mineral water to rich clients for up to $150 (109) a bottle.

But the environmentalist turned them down, instead opting to run his own eco-friendly and small scale operation from his old pub facilities.

He is now regularly receiving calls from India, China, the US and further afield from companies looking to import his water.

Doran Binder, 49, (above) bought a failing pub, The Crag Inn, Cheshire, in 2016 when he was at 'rock bottom' because of his divorce and soon discovered he was sat atop a 'liquid goldmine'

Sitting at the crest of Shutlingsloe Hill in Wildboarclough, Cheshire, there are more than 700,000 litres of available water which could sell for upwards of 109 a bottle

The father-of-five was working for Bumble and bumble, a hair care products brand in New York, and living between the US and the UK when family circumstances prompted him to buy the pub.

Doran said: 'I knew the pub was failing, but I thought I'd just buy it and see what happened.

'At the time I was working in New York and quite happy. I bought this, I'm commuting two weeks here, two weeks there, I've got a great little life.

'I thought: "I'll run it for a year, see how it goes and then make a decision about what we do with the pub."

'Because it's a pub we have to undergo annual testing to make sure the water is safe for public consumption. I invited Blair Water round because they're the company that has historically tested the water every year.

'I approached the meeting thinking' "I'm going to have to spend ten grand on this water, I know it".

But Richard Taylor, owner of Blair Water, was so impressed with the water readings he came to meet Doran in person.

Mr Taylor told him that he's previously petitioned the former owner of the property to let him bottle and sell his product, a 'vein of gold coming off Shutlingsloe Hill', but to no avail.

Doran explained: 'He [Taylor] said: "I've been drilling water for forty years, all over the world, and this is the best water I've drilled by a mile, anywhere.'

He sent a sample of the water to be tested and accredited, and was intrigued as to what the result would be.

His company, Crag Spring Water Ltd, now employs 12 people who operate out of the pub's old dining room

Doran said: 'I was at New York Fashion Week on a runway when my phone rang and it's Richard Taylor, and he goes: "I've got the results, sell everything you've got, hand in your notice, come back here and start bottling it".

So he did, selling everything and turning his pub into a bottle processing plant three years ago.

After the first penniless year-and-a-half of toiling by himself, including washing his reusable bottles by hand, he was contacted by an American firm who requested water samples.

Doran reluctantly sent them off, expecting to be 'rumbled' by a bigger company, and having to put the 85 postage and tracking fee on his credit card.

But to his delight, they got back to him to tell him they enjoyed some of the finest water they had ever tasted.

Doran explained: 'They said: "If we were to sell your water on our boutique today, the 750ml bottle we'd be selling for between $35 and $50 a bottle".

'They have bottles there that they sell for $150 a bottle, and that's when I realised it wasn't too good to be true.'

After the first penniless year-and-a-half of toiling by himself, including washing his reusable bottles by hand, Doran was contacted by an American firm who requested water samples

His company, Crag Spring Water Ltd, now employs 12 people who operate out of the pub's old dining room. The pub is now closed and the water business is Doran's main focus.

Doran intends to keep growing the business, and receives calls from India, China, the US and South Korea.

Doran said: 'We want to grow it as big as we can but I don't mean big in a financial sense, I mean big in terms of making a difference.

'We'll be building a 10m by 25m unit on the land, then it'll be automated, and when it's automated we'll produce in an hour what we're currently doing in a day.'
House Democrats removed a provision to give Israel $1 billion toward its Iron Dome defense system from the continuing resolution to keep the government open and funded past September 30 after opposition from the Squad.

The US was forced into crisis talks with Israel in the fallout, with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer reportedly telling Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid the removal of funds from the stopgap bill was only a 'technical delay.'

Hoyer told Lapid the money would be transferred 'in the near future.'

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Pramila Jayapal of Washington are leading the blockade, according reports.

Funding for the Iron Dome will instead be included in Congress' bipartisan fiscal year 2022 defense bill, House Appropriations Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro said on Tuesday.

DailyMail.com has reached out to all three progressives' offices but has not yet heard back.

Top Republican lawmakers have already panned Democrats for capitulating to the progressive wing.

Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were among the progressive lawmakers pushing to get the funding for Israel out of the funding bill

Streaks of light are seen as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercept rockets launched from the Gaza Strip

Israel's Iron Dome has been operational since 2011 and is one of the most sophisticated defense systems in the world

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wrote on Twitter, 'Democrats just pulled funding from the Iron Domethe missile defense system that has saved countless lives in Israel from Hamas' rocket attacks.

'While Dems capitulate to the antisemitic influence of their radical members, Republicans will always stand with Israel.'

Rep. Elise Stafanik, who heads the House Republican Conference, labeled Democrats 'the party attacking Israel and their inherent right to self-defense.'

'Republicans stand strongly with Israel and support [the Iron Dome],' the New York lawmaker wrote on Twitter.

Rep. August Pfluger of Texas said, 'Democrats don't support the Iron Dome anymore. Does that mean they want rockets to hit civilians? This party gets more radical by the day.'

Republican leaders in the House quickly spoke out in outrage after Democrats pulled the provision

Senator Ted Cruz, who vowed to filibuster Democrats' attempt to take action on the debt ceiling, also lambasted their decision to pull the funding

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who vowed to filibuster the measure when it got to the Senate, accused Democratic leaders of surrendering to progressives.

'Tragic. Dem leadership surrenders to the anti-Semitic Left. They hate Israel so much that Dems are stripping $1 BILLION in funding for Iron Domea purely defensive system that protects countless innocent civilians from Hamas rockets,' he wrote on Twitter.

Cruz added, 'Will any Dems have the courage to denounce?'

The House is still aiming to pass the stopgap funding bill to keep the government running until December 3 today.

But during the House Rules Committee's Tuesday morning session, Chairman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts unexpectedly called a recess before getting to the legislation.

'We just have one [thing] to resolve, I hope it won't take very long,' McGovern said.

'I thought we were all set, but we have a little glitch we've got to figure out.'

The session resumed on Tuesday afternoon after a few hours' delay.

The push to remove funding for Israeli defense from the stopgap spending bill reportedly comes from Squad members Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Along with money to keep federal agencies running and their employees paid, the 93-page spending bill also includes $28.6 billion in disaster aid and $6.3 billion to help resettle Afghan refugees.

The measure would also suspend the debt ceiling until after the midterm elections, December 2022.

Lawmakers also included a provision to keep Republicans in the House happy, ordering the Pentagon to produce a report on military equipment left behind in Afghanistan.

But the progressives took issue with the funds aimed at boosting Israel's military defense.

That group reportedly includes progressive Democrats who signed a resolution in May aimed at blocking a $735 weapons sale to Israel during deadly violence between Israel and Hamas.

Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Rep. Mark Pocan were the resolution's lead sponsors.

Pocan's office has told DailyMail.com that he is not part of the current effort to block the continuing resolution.

House Rules Chair Rep. Jim McGovern interrupted lawmakers' session due to a 'little glitch' - reportedly that was Democrats' threat to tank the spending bill

The Squad's fellow Democrats are already bristling at their party's sudden reversal

Lawmakers missed a July deadline to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, forcing the US Treasury into extraordinary measures to keep up the flow of dollars through government.

But that money is weeks away from running out, according to estimates by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The measure was expected to pass the Democrat-controlled House today.

With just a narrow majority, they can only afford to lose three votes to still get it through.

But moderate Democrats are already bristling at the sudden change in direction.

'Iron Dome is a defensive system used by one of our closest allies to save civilian lives. It needs to be replenished because thousands of rockets were fired by the Hamas terrorists who control Gaza,' Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

'Consider this my pushing back against this decision.'

Michigan Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin said taking issue with funding for the Iron Dome comes from a 'desire to attack' anything related to Israel rather than a 'genuine concern.

In a lengthy Twitter post, the ex-CIA analyst detailed the system's development, writing 'it protects civilians when hundreds of rockets are shot at population centers.'

'Whatever your views on the Israeli-Pal conflict, using a system that just saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives as a political chit is problematic,' Slotkin said.

Israel's Iron Dome defense system has been operational since 2011 and is considered one of the most advanced defense technologies in the world

She highlighted that continued support of the Iron Dome was part of a 2016 memorandum negotiated under the Obama administration.

'All of this is publicly-available information. So to target Iron Dome now means the issue isnt a genuine concern over the system, but rather the desire to attack something - anything - related to the State of Israel; its devoid of substance and irresponsible,' she writes.

Even if the legislation passes the House today, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate where Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed Republicans will oppose it.

Israel's Iron Dome has been operational since 2011 and is one of the most sophisticated defense systems in the world. It was created by Israeli military firms with additional support from the US.

The all-weather system uses radar technology to detect incoming airborne threats and destroy them before they can cause damage.

The radar then activates a control center that calculates a rocket's flight path. If it's found to be dangerous, interceptor missiles are launched to detonate the incoming weapon.

Each Iron Dome 'battery' comprised of radar, control center and missiles costs roughly $100 million.

Missiles fired from the Iron Dome cost between $50,000 and $80,000, according to estimates from the Jerusalem Post.

Israel uses Iron Dome systems to defend on land as well as at sea, where it can be fixed to Navy ships to guard offshore property.

Designed to stop short-range missiles from Gaza, the Iron Dome came under one of its most significant tests this past May as tensions between Israel and Hamas reached a deadly boiling point.

Of more than 3,000 rockets fired at Israel during the short but bloody conflict, the Israeli military claimed that roughly 90 percent were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome.
Every speaker - including President Joe Biden - was given a fresh microphone head at Tuesday's United Nations General Assembly in order to prevent the gathering of world leaders from becoming a COVID superspreader event.

One reporter remarked: 'New in the age of COVID, a little condom for the microphone' - for both its bag-like appearance and the protection it was supposed to provide.

'According to the UN COVID-19 protocols, the podium will be cleaned after every speaker and the microphone head will be replaced,' a White House official said.

Every speaker was given a fresh microphone head at Tuesday's U.N. General Assembly in order to prevent the gathering of world leaders from becoming a COVID superspraeder event

Voice of America's Patsy WidaKuswara nicknamed the microphone heads 'a little condom for the microphone' during Tuesday's UNGA meeting

President Joe Biden was given a fresh microphone 'condom' before his address to the United Nations Tuesday

The mic contraption can be seen on the podium as Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro speaks. Bolsonaro confirmed Monday that he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19

Biden was speaking at U.N. headquarters in New York directly after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who confirmed Monday to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he hasn't been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Johnson urged people to 'get AstraZeneca vaccines' - one that hasn't yet been approved in the United States.

'I've had it twice,' the British PM said, to which Bolsonaro replied, 'Not yet.'

Bolsonaro had COVID in July 2020.

'I already had the virus,' he said. 'I think what must happen is that after the last Brazilian gets vaccinated, if there's a spare shot, I will decide whether or not I get vaccinated.' He added that 'that's the example the boss must provide.'

After the mask-less Bolsonaro left the podium, a worker came and switched out the microphone head, which had the appearance of black, condom-like bag.

The White House later put out the statement pointing out the mic swap was happening between every world leader, meaning it wasn't just a precaution surrounding Bolsonaro's vaccination status.

Workers sanitized the podium when Biden - who is vaccinated - exited too.

In advance of the in-person summit, U.N. Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed concerns that UNGA could lead to more COVID-19 infections.

'We are concerned about the U.N. event being a superspreader event, and that we need to take all measures to ensure that it does not become a superspreader event,' she said at a press conference Friday.

While precautions were taken, the main event was still held indoors, in the U.N.'s Assembly Hall.

Biden stayed on the ground in New York for less than 24 hours, traveling to the city Monday night for a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

He gave his speech Tuesday and met with the leaders of Australia and Iraq before heading back to Washington for a meeting with Johnson at the White House.

Biden will particpate in UNGA on Wednesday virtually, hosting a summit on COVID-19.
Advertisement

Joe Biden on Tuesday did not recognize any American reporters for questions during an Oval Office meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his aides cleared out journalists as they tried to query the president.

Biden did attempt to answer one shouted question from a CBS reporter about the crisis on the Southern border but his answer was unclear when White House staff shouted down reporters, covering the president's attempt to respond as they demanded journalists leave.

'Violence is not justified,' Biden appeared to say but the rest of his response was not decipherable.

White House staff even interrupted Johnson as they pushed to get reporters out of the room, shouting over the British prime minister as he and Biden sat in their chairs, watching the chaotic scene unfold as aides ushered journalists out of the Oval Office.

As reporters were ushered out, CBS White House reporter Ed O'Keefe shouted a question to Biden asked about the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border. The administration is facing backlash and criticism following images of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback using whips to round up migrants or prevent them from stepping onto American soil.

But White House aides yelled 'thank you' and 'let's go' to the press in the room, herding them out as Biden appeared to try and address the issue. Between the shouting of his aides and the president's wearing a face mask, it was impossible to make out the majority of what Biden said.

The president seemed to know what he and the prime minister where in for when he wished Johnson 'good luck' after the prime minister said the two leaders would take a few questions.

'I think we will take a couple of questions, just a couple of people,' Johnson said.

'Good luck,' Biden responded.

Johnson then took control, calling on three British reporters for questions that he and Biden answered. The president did not call on a single reporter.

With no American reporter called upon and, as White House staff said it was time to go, the U.S. journalists started shouting questions at Biden and Johnson. That is when aides shouted them down.

'I think that's it,' Johnson quipped as the aides shouted at reporters and journalists shouted questions.

After reporters were pulled from the Oval Office, a group of American reporters making up the 'pool' - the small group of journalists that follow the president to represent the entire press crops - went into White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's office to give her a formal complaint about the situation.

'The entire editorial component of the US pool went immediately into Jen Psaki's office to register a formal complaint that no American reporters were recognized for questions in the president's Oval Office,' noted CBS radio correspondent Steve Portnoy in his report. Portnoy is also president of the White House Correspondents Association. 'And that wranglers loudly shouted over the president as he seemed to give an answer to Ed O'Keefe's question about the situation at the Southern Border. Biden's answer could not be heard over the shouting.'

'Psaki was unaware that the incident has occurred and suggested that she was not in a position to offer an immediate solution,' Portnoy's report continued. 'Your pooler requested a press conference. Psaki suggested the president takes questions several times a week.'

President Joe Biden holds a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office at the White House

President Biden had a notecard in hand - as he usually does for meetings - that he referred to during his remarks with Johnson

Press are seen gathered in the Oval Office as Biden and Boris Johnson hold a meeting

A close up of the notecard Biden used in his meeting with PM Johnson

At the beginning of their meeting, Biden and Johnson exchanged pleasantries and joked about their shared love of trains. The prime minister took the Amtrak train down from New York City, where he was at the annual UN General Assembly meeting, to meet with Biden at the White House.

'They love you,' Johnson told Biden of Amtrak. 'You are a living deity on Amtrak, I can tell you.'

The president bragged how he had ridden over 2 million miles on the nation's train system.

'Well, they should. I've traveled more on Amtrak,' he said. 'If I were conductor I'd be number one in seniority.'

Johnson thanked Biden for hosting his first White House meeting. The two men were both in New York on Tuesday for the UN meeting but each traveled separately to Washington so they could meet at the White House.

'I want to thank you very much for today. It's great to be with you,' Johnson said. 'And This is a very important trip for us in the UK and we've seen some great progress just in the last period.'

He thanked Biden for lifting the ban on British beef in the U.S. and for easing the travel ban, allowing those fully vaccinated to travel between the U.S. and UK.

Biden had a notecard in hand - as he usually does for meetings - that he referred to during his remarks with Johnson.

Johnson then called on a few British reporters to ask questions. The two leaders were quizzed on the Harry Dunn case, possible trade deals and the Irish protocols. Reporters when then escorted out as the American press shouted questions to Biden about the latest crisis at the border and the situation with the French.

Biden reassured Johnson that the case of Harry Dunn, who died in a road crash involving U.S. diplomat Anne Sacoolas, is 'being worked on' even as no details were released.

But there seemed little prospect of Johnson get his wish for a trade deal.

'We are going to talk about trade a little bit today and we're going to have to work that through,' Biden cautioned.

Johnson, in the wake of Brexit, wants a free trade deal.

President Biden's answer to a question about the situation on the border couldn't be heard as his staff shouted over him

Immigrants at the Rio Grande river on the U.S.-Mexico border

CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is launching a probe into Border Patrol agents using what appears to be a whip or lasso while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson enters the West Wing of the White House

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took control of the Oval Office meeting with President Biden, calling on British reporters for questions

Johnson was at the White House for his first in-person meeting as prime minister. He first met with Vice President Kamala Harris before he joined Biden in the Oval Office.

'It's a great honor and privilege for me to be here to meet you for the first time. I've heard a lot about you but it's fantastic to be here,' Johnson told Harris at their meeting.

He praised the new announcement on climate funding from the United States, which Biden announced during his speech at the UN General Assembly. Biden said he'd ask Congress to double the amount of money for public climate financing - to about $11 billion a year.

'I just want to say, Madame Vice President, Kamala, on climate change I think that today was a really good day for the world. And I thank the U.S. government and President Biden for the steps you've taken to reassure the world that America is committed to helping to tackle climate change,' Johnson said.

Harris welcomed the prime minister, talking about the 'shared priorities' of the two countries - including the COVID pandemic and climate change.

'And of course we must work and continue to work together to uphold and protect democratic principles and values around the globe. And we look forward to that continuing relationship, and our relationship as partners,' she said.

Johnson also praised the U.S. easing its travel ban, allowing fully vaccinated people from the UK to come visit the United States.

He and Harris met in the vice president's ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, across the driveway from the White House.

After their remarks, Johnson and Harris walked outside to the balcony overlooking the West Wing of the White House. They posed for photos and waved to journalists below.

Johnson and Biden took separate trips from New York to Washington on Tuesday to meet at the White House amid rising tensions with the French.

The two leaders were in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting but didn't meet face to face there. Instead their sit down on Tuesday evening will be in the Oval Office of the White House, a symbol of power and more recognizable backdrop.

It's Johnson's first trip to the White House, a visit he never made during Donald Trump's presidency, partially due to the COVID pandemic.

The British prime minister took the train from New York City to Washington D.C. a move the president - who earned the nickname 'Amtrak Joe' when he commuted daily from Wilmington, Del., to the nation's Capitol as a senator - appreciated. Biden on Tuesday took Air Force One back to Washington.

The two men previously met in person in June at the G7 meeting in Cornwall.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris wave from a balcony of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks with Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial office across the drive way from the White House

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at White House to meet Vice President Kamala at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building ahead of his meeting with President Biden

Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes a train from Penn Station in New York to Washington DC for his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with aide David Blair (left), prepares for the meeting during the train ride

Boris Johnson in New York City's Penn Station, preparing to board his Amtrak train

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrive in Washington DC - it's Johnson's first White House meeting as prime minister

Prime Minister Johnson boarding the train

Joe Biden will sit down with Johnson in the Oval Office amid tensions with France over new AUKUS alliance - Biden flew from New York to DC on Air Force One

Johnson gushed over Biden in an interview with NBC's Today Show, which aired Tuesday morning ahead of their meeting.

'What I will say about Joe Biden and dealing with the new American president, yes, it is a breath of fresh air in the sense of the some things on which we can really really work together, and you knew I was gonna bring it up  climate change  he's great on that,' he said.

His remarks were seen as a swipe at former President Donald Trump.

But Johnson said the UK would seek a good relationship with whoever was in the White House.

'It is the job of the prime minister of the UK to have a good relationship with the president of the United States,' he said. 'The US-UK relationship - we are doomed, we are fated to get along. That applies to Donald Trump, that applies to Joe Biden.'

On Wednesday morning, the British prime minister will be on Capitol Hill to meet with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The British and American leaders are touting their close special relationship amid French fury at the new US-UK-Australian alliance, dubbed AUKUS, that saw Paris lose a $90 billion sub contract.

French President Emmanuel Macron recalled France's ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia after the deal was announced.

Biden has yet to address the situation and is attempting to speak to Macron.

'We're still working on the scheduling of it  with President Macron in the coming days,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

'And what I expect the President will do on that call is reaffirm our commitment to working with one of our oldest and closest partners on a range of challenges that the global community is facing,' she noted.

Johnson, meanwhile, will celebrate the new deal with a dinner Tuesday night at the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. with Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

President Joe Biden emphasized the partnership American democracy shares with the world as he sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Boris Johnson sat down with NBC in New York City ahead of the United Nations General Assembly where he gushed over Biden in an interview

Meanwhile, Biden and Morrison met in New York City on Tuesday afternoon where they emphasized their partnership was in the best interest of the world. The AUKUS deal, as it has been dubbed, is part of American moves to counter China's growing power in the Pacific region.

'The issues we discussed and our partnership today really do reach out to so many others in terms of how we address the global challenges,' Morrison said as he met with Biden at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York

Biden agreed. 'It goes well beyond just our partnership. Our partnership is in line with all the other democracies in the world. And we got a lot of work to do,' he noted.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was put on defense during a sit-down interview with 'CBS Mornings' when anchor Gayle King the Biden administration's 'very bad behavior.'

'[Biden] appears to be under the gun on so many different levels,' King said.

'That's what you do as president - you navigate crises,' Psaki shot back. 'You weather storms and we're certainly doing that right now.'

On the heels of the frenzied Afghanistan withdrawal, Psaki said that President Biden would at the United Nations General Assembly portray a message that 'we're not going to look inward after a 20 year war, we're going to look outward at what is most important to address.'

'Its good to say we're going to look outward but we can't ignore what's happened before,' King said.

'We're still getting hammered for how the withdrawal from Afghanistan happened ... we all agree that's not a good look,' she continued.

'That's what you do as president - you navigate crises,' Jen Psaki, above, said when CBS' Gayle King said that Biden appears to be 'under the gun.' 'You weather storms and we're certainly doing that right now'

'You look at what's happening with immigration, you look at France now saying they've been betrayed by the US, so I get that we have to look forward but what are we doing to justify, to explain what appears to be very bad behavior on our part?' King asked Psaki

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was put on defense during a sit-down interview with 'CBS Mornings' when anchor Gayle King the Biden administration's 'very bad behavior.'

'You look at what's happening with immigration, you look at France now saying they've been betrayed by the US, so I get that we have to look forward but what are we doing to justify, to explain what appears to be very bad behavior on our part?'

'We don't see it that way,' Psaki replied, admitting that France was 'displeased' with the US for stepping in on their market of selling submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS deal.

France, miffed at what it considered a backroom deal, recalled its ambassador to the US last week.

'But we have a long, abiding friendship with them that is going to endure,' Psaki added.

King and her co-anchors also pressed Psaki on the images of border officials trying to get a handle on the sudden influx of Haitian migrants at the southern border.

Psaki said the images and video were 'horrific' and would be investigated. Video and images circulated yesterday where Border Patrol officers pushed migrants back to the Mexico side of the Rio Grande. In some images, officers are swinging the reins of their horses toward migrants in a display that some characterized as whipping.

A Border Patrol officer is swinging what appears to be a lariat while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge

The devastating images were captures as migrants were trying to return to their encampment from Mexico, where they were buying much-needed supplies

As many as 15,000 Haitian migrants had set up camp under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, as border officials stiffened their spines and ramped up evacuation flights and border enforcement, sending many migrants back across the Rio Grande toward Mexico of their own volition.

Many of those who lived in the camp trekked to the United States from South and Central America, where they had been living since escaping Haiti following a devastating earthquake in 2010.

Others fled to the United States after another devastating earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in the island nation and amid the political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in his home the month before.

But as of Monday, more than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants have been removed from the camp that once housed nearly 15,000 migrants, the Associated Press reports.

The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum.

A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to stop using the provision to deport families, but stayed the order until the end of September. The Biden administration has appealed the ruling.

Of the roughly 11,000 migrants who remain, 8,000 are part of family groups, according to the Washington Post.

They were seen moving across a yellow string across the river, with some holding children and supplies above their heads

They were seen moving across a yellow string across the river, with some holding children and supplies above their heads

So far this year, about 19,000 Haitian migrants have requested asylum in Mexico

Biden, too, touted the pullout from Afghanistan as he addressed the annual conference of world leaders at the UN.

'I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years the United States not at war. We've turned the page. All the unmatched strength, energy and commitment, will and resources of our nation now fully and squarely focused on what's ahead of us. Not what was behind,' Biden said.

'I know this, as we look ahead, we will lead,' he continued. 'We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time.'

'But we will not go it alone,' Biden added. 'We will lead together with our allies and partners and in cooperation with all those that believe, as we do, that this is within our power to meet these challenges, to build a future that enlists all of our people, [and] preserves this planet.'

He said that by ending 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan the United States was concluding 'this period of relentless war' by 'opening a new era of relentless diplomacy.'

'Today many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms,' Biden said. 'Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.'
Advertisement

Joe Biden appeared to slam the door shut on any lingering hopes of an imminent trans-Atlantic trade deal last night, as it emerged ministers are considering joining in with an existing US-Canada-Mexico agreement instead.

Boris Johnson mounted a charm offensive on Mr Biden as he visited the White House for the first time as PM - but looks doomed to come away empty handed on the trade front.

The US President offered Mr Johnson no encouragement on talks of a trade agreement between the two countries, insisting: 'We're going to have to work that through.'

The lukewarm message came amid claims from senior government figures that the UK is looking at joining the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement as an apparent back door into American markets that could leave British goods ranked alongside Mexican and Canadian exports.

The Prime Minister had earlier told reporters in Manhattan there were 'plenty of reasons to be optimistic' about getting a free trade agreement with the US, but faced a frosty relationship as the pair met at the historic White House event.

The premier broke the ice in the Oval Office by telling Mr Biden that he took an Amtrak train from New York and people 'love you' - a reference to the president's famous fondness for commuting by rail that earned him the nickname 'Amtrack Joe'.

But Mr Biden, who has strong Irish links, again made clear his concern that Brexit wrangling over Ulster's trade rules could undermine the peace process, saying he feels 'very strongly' on issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol.

However, there seemed little prospect of Mr Johnson getting his dearest wish of a trade deal from Mr Biden. 'We are going to talk about trade a little bit today and we're going to have to work that through,' the President said vaguely.

After Mr Johnson welcomed 'great progress' with the ban on British beef imports already having gone, the President added: 'And we're going to be working on lamb, too', in a possible boost to post-Brexit US-UK trade.

Speaking at the White House, the pair both enthused about the need for more action to tackle climate change, after the US announced a major boost in funding earlier.

Mr Biden also moved to reassure the UK that the case of Harry Dunn - who died in a road crash involving US diplomat Anne Sacoolas - is 'being worked on' as it was revealed yesterday that his family and Ms Sacoolas' lawyers had come to a 'compromise' in their civil lawsuit.

Boris Johnson signalled his determination to bolster the 'special relationship' - a term he doesn't like - as he met Joe Biden in the White House last night

Joe Biden appeared to slam the door shut on any lingering hopes of a Transatlantic trade deal last night, as it emerged ministers are considering an alternative pact involving an existing US-Canada-Mexico agreement

Senior government figures are said to be looking at joining the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement as an apparent back door into American markets that could leave British goods ranked alongside Mexican and Canadian exports

Mr Biden, who has strong Irish links, again made clear his concern that Brexit wrangling over Ulster's trade rules could undermine the peace process

Mr Johnson broke the ice in the Oval Office by telling Mr Biden that he took an Amtrak train from New York and people 'love you' - a reference to the president's famous fondness for commuting by rail

Both Mr Johnson (left) and Mr Biden (right) enthused about the need for more action to tackle climate change, after the US announced a major boost in funding earlier

Boris Johnson enters the West Wing at the White House for talks with President Joe Biden tonight

The PM and Vice President Kamala Harris waved from the balcony before starting their discussions at the Eisenhower building on the White House campus this evening

Mr Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrive at the White House tonight, where he held talks with Vice President Kamala Harris before meeting the commander in chief

How US-Canada-Mexico deal would deliver far fewer benefits than a bespoke agreement The economic bounty... Britain's bespoke deal: Currently, trade with the US is worth 221bn, or 20% of UK exports. The government said in a briefing note last year that it aimed for a new UK-US deal to increase this by 15.8bn. US-Canada-Mexico (USMCA) deal: Britain joining USMCA might add perhaps only 0.1-0.2% of gross domestic product to the economy, David Henig, director of the UK Trade Policy Project, told the FT. US-CANADA-MEXICO TRADE (USMCA) DEAL BENEFITS Agriculture: The deal made it easier for farmers to export dairy products. This was especially true for American producers selling to Canada, which had substantial barriers to this trade. Farm exports account for just 2.8% of total US goods exports to the UK, so there is plenty of scope for this to increase. Digital trade: The new included provisions for the digital economy, including protections for internet companies so they cannot be sued over the content their users produce. This is an area of controversy due to criticism of the big tech platforms - all of them American - for failing to delete offensive content on their websites. Alcohol: The deal agreed to carry on recognising products like Tequila and Tennessee Whiskey as distinctive products. It is likely this would be extended to Scotch whisky if the UK joined the deal. Zero tariffs for cars: No tariffs could be placed on vehicles as long as 75% of their components were made in the US, Mexico or Canada. The deal also mandated that 40 or 45% of car parts have to be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour by 2023 in a bid to stop Mexico undercutting the other parties. (Source: Vox) WHAT THE UK HOPES TO GET FROM ITS OWN UNIQUE DEAL The UK government set out its objectives for a trade deal with America last year in a document released by the Department for International Trade. The government's ambitions include: Removing tariffs: The government would seek to remove trade barriers, including tariffs, on a raft of goods. It says this could 'deliver huge gains, especially for the 30,000 small- to medium-sized enterprises already trading with the US'. Goods like cheddar cheese currently carry a 17.6% levy, so removing this would help dairy farmers. Other groups that could benefit include the Scottish whisky sector, London tech firms and producers of Welsh lamb. The main advantage of a bespoke deal would be the ability to target tariff removal on sectors that are particularly important to the UK economy, such as the trade in services. Fast-track visa: Making it easier for workers to travel between the UK and US was the single most important demand from businesses during a public consultation carried out by the government before trade talks began. UK trade officials are said to want a fast-tracked visa as one of their requests in the trade talks. The USMCA includes a limited visa for certain professions. Advertisement

Trade talks between the two nations appear to be deadlocked, despite early promise and positives steps being taken by both sides.

One senior government source indicated there were a 'variety of different ways' the UK could join the US-Canada-Mexico (USMCA) deal.

They added: 'The question is whether the US administration is ready. The ball is in the USs court. It takes two to tango.'

But amid all the discussions, Mr Biden only appointed his chief agricultural trade negotiator, Elaine Trevino, to post last week - and is yet to name his new ambassador to London.

Further to that, American policymakers have more aggressively pursued legislation for their domestic economic agenda compared to international trade deals.

One member of US Congress appeared to rubbish claims the UK was potentially in line to join the US-Canada-Mexico trade deal.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight on Tuesday evening, Democrat Congressman Brendan Boyle said: 'I havent heard one word about that [the UK joining the deal].

'It is just not a subject that ever comes up here. It does sometimes in the context of Northern Ireland. Aside from that though, its just not an issue that ever comes up.

'We have no planned meetings on any sort of prospective US/UK trade deal.

'President Obama five years ago famously said that any consideration of a bilateral trade deal would go to the back of the line, or the back of the queue as you would say.'

Complicating matters further, the UK already enjoys existing agreements with Canada and Mexico - meaning adjoining itself to the USMCA would require significant co-operation with the Americans.

Downing Street had been keen to use the imposing backdrop, where so many alliances between British and American leaders have been burnished.

Mr Johnson said earlier that it is the 'job of any Prime Minister of the UK to have a good relationship with the President of the United States' - although he has also previously made clear he does not like the term 'special relationship'.

Aides will have been pleased with the mood music leading up to the encounter - only the second face-to-face since they took office, thanks to Covid.

Mr Johnson has hailed Mr Biden's announcement at the UN general assembly yesterday that the US climate change finance will be doubled to $11.4billion per year, or 8.3billion. The move gives the PM a springboard for the COP26 summit this Autumn.

No10 was also delighted that the American administration has finally eased the draconian travel restrictions on Britons crossing the Atlantic, in a surprise step yesterday.

However, Mr Johnson has had to navigate some tricky moments, including having to defend the US decision to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban - something that caused fury in the UK and friction between the two governments.

The PM also tried to nullify another bone of contention by taking a subtle jab at former President Donald Trump in an NBC interview.

Mr Biden was so enraged by the closeness between the men that he once famously described Mr Johnson as a 'physical and emotional clone' of Mr Trump.

Mr Biden did have some good news on trade as he suggested the ban on British lamb in the US could be lifted.

But pressed on the Northern Ireland protocol and whether the post-Brexit arrangements might inhibit a trade deal, Mr Biden said he feels 'very strongly' that there should be no changes to the 'Irish accords' resulting in 'a closed border'.

Asked about a UK-US trade deal, the US president told reporters in the Oval Office: 'To do with the UK, that's continuing to be discussed.

'But on the (Northern Ireland) protocols I feel very strongly on those. We spent an enormous amount of time and effort, the United States, it was a major bipartisan effort made.

'And I would not at all like to see, nor I might add would many of my Republican colleagues like to see, a change in the Irish accords, the end result having a closed border in Ireland.'

Mr Johnson said 'that's absolutely right', adding: 'On that point, Joe, we're completely at one, nobody wants to see anything that interrupts or unbalances the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.'

Brexiteers have been increasingly frustrated at the US administration's refusal to recognise that the protocol itself poses a risk to the peace process.

The leaders said they would be discussing continuing co-operation on Afghanistan and in the Pacific during their meeting.

Mr Biden said the UN General Assembly had made clear that 'climate must be the core focus', with Mr Johnson set to make a speech about the need for global action at the UN on Wednesday.

Mr Johnson thanked the president for his speech at the UN which he said 'made the difference on supporting the world to adapt to climate change'.

Mr Biden said he was going to be in Glasgow 'with bells on' to attend the Cop26 climate summit.

The US president said: 'As we look ahead to the UK hosting Cop26, which I'm really anxious to attend in Glasgow in November.

'We're going to be there with bells on, as they say.'

They also briefly discussed the Aukus defence deal, with Mr Johnson adding that their relationship with Australia 'has great potential to benefit the whole of the world'.

As so often with prime ministerial trips abroad, Mr Johnson has ended up having to field a crisis at home, with soaring gas prices sending energy firms bust and fears the knock-on effect on CO2 supplies could cause food shortages.

Holding talks with Vice President Kamala Harris at her offices in the Eisenhower building earlier, Mr Johnson gushed that the two government were 'cooperating at a higher and more intense level than at anytime I can remember'.

Mr Johnson said: 'Madame Vice President it's a great honor and privilege for me to be here to meet you for the first time.

President Biden says Harry Dunn death criminal case is 'being worked on' Joe Biden insisted a criminal case over the death of Harry Dunn is 'being worked on', after the tragic teenager's family settled in their civil court battle with the US spy wanted for killing him. Sat next to Boris Johnson in the Oval Office, the US president told reporters the case against Anne Sacoolas was progressing. 'I was under the impression there had been a civil settlement reached, but I don't know that, based on what I've been told it was not an intentional act. 'It was someone who's new... driving down the wrong side of the road, quote unquote. But I will follow up on that.' Mr Johnson said that Joe Biden has been 'personally trying to move things along' in the Anne Sacoolas case. The PM said: 'I know that the president has been personally trying to move things along, and I'm grateful for that.' Advertisement

'I've heard a lot about you but it's fantastic to be here and I want to thank the US government, your government, for the many ways in which we are cooperating now I think at a higher and more intense level than at anytime I can remember.

'I want to signal out the amazing work, the brave work, of the US military is helping the Kabul airlift. We could always done that without US leadership and I'm grateful for that.'

He also expressed gratitude for the new travel rules announced yesterday. 'That's great, that's an improvement on the previous arrangements and thank you for your hard work on that.'

On trade, the PM said he was glad 'your curious ban' on British beef had been removed. 'That's a wonderful thing,' he added.

And he said it had been a 'really good day for the world' with Mr Biden helping progress on climate change.

'I just want to say, Madame Vice President, Kamala, on climate change I think that today was a really good day for the world,' he said.

'And I thank the US government and President Biden for the steps you've taken to reassure the world that America is committed to helping to tackle climate change. And the last point we certainly shoulder to shoulder.'

Ms Harris said it was an 'honour' to welcome Mr Johnson to the White House.

'As you will discuss with the president, the relationship between our two countries is a long and enduring one, one that we value based on shared priorities and based on as we know, what is increasingly evident about partnerships and alliances around the world,' she said.

'We are indeed interconnected and interdependent in so many ways and in many ways, more than before.'

She added: 'And of course we must work and continue to work together to uphold and protect democratic principles and values around the globe. And we look forward to that continuing relationship, and our relationship as partners.'

PM heaps praise on Joe Biden.. and has a dig at Donald Trump Boris Johnson heaped praise on Joe Biden yesterday ahead of their White House meeting. While doing so he also took a subtle jab at former President Donald Trump, who was widely known for his sometimes erratic foreign policy decisions that would frustrate and confuse allies. 'What I will say about Joe Biden, dealing with the new American president, yes it is a breath of fresh air in the sense that there are some things on which we can really, really work together,' Johnson told NBC's Savannah Guthrie in New York City. He singled out Biden's stance on climate change, commending the president for doing a 'great' job. 'He's great on that,' Johnson said unequivocally. 'He wants to cut CO2, he wants to net zero by 2050, and he shares with me a basic view that you can do this without penalizing the economy.' Hours later Biden made good on that reputation by vowing to double the US climate change fund to $11 billion per year at his Tuesday address to the United Nations General Assembly. Advertisement

Mr Johnson was holding discussions with Ms Harris ahead of his talks with president Joe Biden later this evening

Mr Johnson and Ms Harris did not answer questions from waiting reporters as they gave some warm remarks about the Transatlantic relationship

Mr Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss chose to travel by train from New York to Washington DC. Both the PM and Mr Biden are known as train geeks

Too late for Emma - Biden lifts UK travel ban that barred US to most Brits for 18 months The vast majority of UK citizens have been barred from entering the United States since the height of the first wave of Covid last year. On March 16, 2020, then president Trump blocked entry to British nationals if they had been in the UK, Ireland, the EU's Schengen free travel zone, Iran, Brazil, or China within the previous 14 days. The ban had a chilling effect on transatlantic travel - as it was designed to do - prompting pleas from airlines and other travel firms for the rules to be eased as the threat from Covid recedes. A high-profile victims of the ban has been the family of British tennis ace Emma Radacanu. Her family was unable to travel to New York this month to watch her spectacular victory in the final of the US Open. It has also deprived the beleaguered aviation sector of one of its most important and lucrative markets. Trump attempted to lift the flight ban in January as he left office, but incoming president Joe Biden reversed the decision and kept them in place to prevent a new wave of Covid overwhelming the US at the same time as he stepped up its vaccination programme. At present, travellers from the UK cannot visit the US without special permission from the United States government Britain dropped restrictions on fully vaccinated US visitors in July as a 'goodwill gesture' and he and Biden set up a dedicated working group in June to take the issue forward, following talks at the G7 summit in Cornwall. Mr Johnson has been arguing that the effectiveness of the UK's vaccination programme means there is no justification for maintaining restrictions on fully jabbed travellers. Freeing travel for Brits will provide a welcome tonic for travel and tourism, allowing business trips and holidays in popular destinations like Florida and California. Advertisement

Earlier, Mr Johnson said he has 'plenty of reason to be optimistic' about getting the free trade agreement (FTA) touted by Leave supporters as a major prize of departing the European Union but noted Americans 'do negotiate very hard'.

His admission came after suggesting trade negotiations are not a priority for the US president, who he accepted has 'a lot of fish to fry'.

Mr Johnson spoke to broadcasters on the terrace of a skyscraper in New York, where he has been attending a UN summit, before getting the train to Washington DC for his first visit to the White House since Mr Biden succeeded Donald Trump.

The Vote Leave figurehead downplayed the prospects of getting a trade deal by the next election, raising the possibility that he could leave Downing Street without achieving a key ambition for the post-Brexit era.

Asked if he would get the deal by 2024, the Prime Minister told Sky News: 'We will keep going with free trade deals around the world including in the United States.

'I have plenty of reason to be optimistic about that. But the Americans do negotiate very hard.'

New Foreign Secretary Liz Truss raised the stalled negotiations with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when they met in New York during the UN General Assembly yesterday.

She is understood to be considering the possibility of the UK joining the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

A diplomatic source said: 'There are a variety of different ways to do this. The question is whether the US administration is ready.

'The ball is in the US's court. It takes two to tango.'

After finishing her duties at the UN, Ms Truss will travel to Mexico City to open a new British embassy.

Mr Johnson heads to the White House having conceded Britain and the US could have possibly taken a different course over the withdrawal of troops of Afghanistan, with the president having rejected his calls to extend the deadline.

'America has been there for 20 years and it's a respectable argument to say that enough is enough. Look, I mean, could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could,' the Prime Minister told American broadcaster NBC.

Mr Johnson is expected to discuss the stalled trade talks with Mr Biden, as well as what further efforts they can take to address the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The PM had pleaded with the president to push back his deadline for drawing down all US troops after the Taliban marched back to power.

But Mr Biden rejected the request, meaning potentially thousands of vulnerable Afghans who worked for the UK and their families were left behind.

Travelling on an Amtrak train to DC, Mr Johnson had been buoyed by the announcement the US will drop the blanket ban on travellers arriving from the UK due to the coronavirus crisis.

Just one day before the end of the ban was announced, Mr Johnson was downplaying to reporters any expectations that he could 'crack' the issue this week.

Aboard the RAF Voyager to New York, Mr Johnson also seemed negative about the prospect of getting a trade deal in place any time soon.

'On the FTA, the reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry,' Mr Johnson told reporters.

In the run-up to the EU referendum in 2016, then-president Barack Obama warned Britons they would be at the 'back of the queue' for any trade deal if they voted for Brexit.

The EU departure also presents a quandary to the Prime Minister's relationship with Mr Biden, who is vocally proud of his Irish heritage and has warned there will be no trade deal if peace in Northern Ireland is jeopardised by the EU departure.

A major diplomatic row has also broken out over a new military pact between the UK, US and Australia because it scuppered a multibillion-dollar contract for France to provide submarines to Australia.

France took the extraordinary step of recalling its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra, but declined to do the same from London, accusing the UK of being America's lapdog.

After meeting Mr Biden and Ms Harris in the White House, Mr Johnson enjoyed dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Washington - where the pair reportedly discussed travel restrictions on the upcoming Ashes cricket series.

In an interview with NBC, Mr Johnson admitted the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last month which allowed a swift extremist takeover could 'maybe' have been handled better.

But he suggested it was time for the Afghan people to run their own country instead of relying on the West.

Asked about his past closeness with Mr Trump, Mr Johnson said: 'What I will say about Joe Biden, dealing with the new American president, yes it is a breath of fresh air in the sense that there are some things on which we can really, really work together.'

He singled out Mr Biden's stance on climate change, commending the president for doing a 'great' job.

'He's great on that,' Mr Johnson said. 'He wants to cut CO2, he wants to net zero by 2050, and he shares with me a basic view that you can do this without penalising the economy.'

Eight months into his presidency, Biden has been out of sync with allies on the chaotic ending to the US war in Afghanistan.

He has faced differences over how to go about sharing coronavirus vaccines with the developing world and over pandemic travel restrictions. And there are questions about the best way to respond to military and economic moves by China.

Mr Biden also finds himself in the midst of a fresh diplomatic spat with France, the United States' oldest ally, after announcing plans - along with Britain - to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

The move is expected to give Australia improved capabilities to patrol the Pacific amid growing concern about the Chinese military's increasingly aggressive tactics, but it upended a French defense contract worth at least $66 billion to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.

Mr Johnson (left) was put on the back foot in his relations with Mr Biden after building a notable warm alliance with former president Donald Trump (pictured together in New York in 2019)

Mr Johnson tried to paper over tensions on Afghanistan by saying Washington was entitled to believe 'enough is enough' after its forces spent 20 years propping up the country in the face of an Islamist insurgency.
The Houston police union is calling for the resignation of a judge who released an alleged gunman who shot and killed a police officer despite his history of violence.

Houston Police Officers' Union President Douglas Griffith is calling on Harris County's 208th District Court Judge Greg Glass to resign after he let 31-year-old Deon Ledet out on bond despite his extensive criminal history.

Ledet was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with Houston police officers and allegedly fatally shot veteran officer William 'Bill' Jeffrey.

He is also said to have wounded Jeffrey's partner Officer Michael Vance while they were executing a warrant in Houston early Monday morning.

''Judge'' Greg Glass's short tenure in Harris County's 208th District Court has been an overwhelming failure,' Griffith tweeted on Tuesday. 'Greg Glass does not care about criminal justice nor the safety of our community. This isn't the first time he has made the news for the same behavior.'

Houston Police Officers' Union President Douglas Griffith is calling on Harris County's 208th District Court Judge Greg Glass (pictured) to resign

Deon Ledet (pictured) was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with Houston police officers on Monday

Jeffrey died in hospital on Monday after the early morning shootout. His partner Sgt. Michael Vance was also shot and taken to the hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

The officers were on a 'high level felony' narcotics arrest warrant when Ledet 'immediately' ambushed the cops and opened fire, striking Jeffrey and Vance several times, Police Chief Troy Finner said at a press conference following the shooting.

Jeffrey was hit in the stomach and Vance was hit in the leg. Both officers returned fire and eventually shot the suspect dead at the scene.

Ledet allegedly fatally shot officer William 'Bill' Jeffrey (pictured)and wounded another officer while they were executing a warrant in Houston

A veteran cop was killed and another was wounded while executing a warrant in Houston early Monday morning

Griffith says that the community is fed up with Houston officers being killed by career criminals.

'We are calling for his resignation,' Griffith told Fox News in a phone interview. 'The community is becoming more and more outraged. This is the 138th person, one of our officers, over the last two years that has been killed by someone out on multiple felony bonds.'

Griffith says that over the last year judge Glass has neglected his duty and released everyone on bail because he refuses to hold a trial due to COVID.

He says if Glass had followed the recommendation of the DA's office, then Ledet would currently be in jail awaiting trial.

'We're putting an all-out blitz to get him to do the right thing,' Griffith said. 'There's over a thousand cases that he's done this to. The exact same thing. He hasn't held a trial in over a year claiming it's because of COVID. Other judges have gone forward with trials. There are ways to do it safely. He's just choosing not to.'

Griffth says the responsibility for officer Jeffrey's death falls on Glass.

'This blood is on your hands, Greg Glass. Shame on you. Resign from your position, 'Judge' Glass.' he tweeted.

According to court records, Ledet has been arrested 18 times since 2008  when he was 18  and his charges include burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest.

He was wanted for forfeiting his bond on two felony drug charges from November 2020 and ordered to get a GPS ankle monitor, but never did, which is what led to Jeffrey and Vance tracking him down on Monday, reported KHOU 11.

Jeffrey was married with one child, the mayor said. He served the department for just under 31 years, and his wife Suzanne is a retired police officer who left the department in December 2020.

Vance is also married, with two children, and has been on the force since 1997.

A police honor guard has since escorted Jeffreys remains from the Medical Center to the medical examiner at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, where he was saluted as his body was taken from the vehicle to the building.

'Most of us know [Jeffrey] personally,' Chief Troy Finner said. 'I've known him my entire career. It's just as his wife said what a great man, what a great officer. Wife just retired. Building their dream home with one kid. But you know, right now I want to celebrate the service of him and all our officers around the nation and in this great city.'

He added, '[Jeffrey] is a great man, a great family man. Every police officer is special. Every first responder is special. But like his wife said, he was one of our very best and I'm telling you, I'm gonna celebrate that . . . first responders we can't shut it down. It's not an assembly line. We gotta keep it moving and that's what we intend to do. We're gonna uphold the family, number one, and we're gonna uphold our city.'
A man, 52, from London has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an attack outside a Cotswolds pub last month.

Colin Leslie, 51, died on Sunday, September 5 and his death is now being investigated by Gloucestershire police.

Today a man from London was re-arrested in connection and remains in police custody on suspicion of murder. No-one else is being sought as part of the investigation, police said.

Officers were called to the Kingsbridge Inn in Bourton-on-the-Water on the evening of Saturday, August 28 after reports a man had been punched and fallen unconscious following an altercation.

Local officers attended along with paramedics and Leslie, from Cheltenham, was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with head injuries.

Colin Leslie, 51, died on Sunday, September 5, after he was allegedly attacked at the Kingsbridge Inn in Bourton-on-the-Water on Saturday, August 28

He remained in hospital and died earlier this month, eight days after the incident. The coroner has been informed.

His 'absolutely heartbroken' family have paid tribute to a 'dearly loved son, father, brother, partner and uncle'.

They said : 'Colin was always a happy guy who was well known to everyone and who touched so many lives.

'We as a family are absolutely heartbroken that he has been tragically taken from us like this. Our lives without Colin will never be the same again.'

Investigating officers are continuing to ask for anyone who has not already spoken to police to get in contact.

Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was there and may have filmed the incident on their mobile phone.

The police statement added: 'Investigating officers are continuing to ask for anyone who has not already spoken to police to get in contact.

'Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was there and may have filmed the incident on their mobile phone.

'You can provide information online by completing this form and quoting incident 497 of 28 August.'

'Alternatively you can call police on 101 or submit information anonymously to the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers. This can be done by calling 0800 555 111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/'
Advertisement

Black Lives Matter protestors were seen hurling homophobic slurs at a Guardian Angel member at a demonstration in New York City at an eatery where a trio of tourists claim a server called them the n-word in an argument over vaccination cards.

Video of the encounter shows the protesters outside Carmines in the Upper West Side Monday night confronting the Guardian Angel, who was identified as Joshua Penner.

One demonstrator wearing a black ski mask is seen repeatedly shouting at him to 's*** d***.'

'You don't like gay people is that what it is?' Penner says.

'I love gay people,' the protester replies. 'My brother's gay, s*** d*** b***.'

Black Lives Matter protesters were seen hurling anti-gay slurs at a Guardian Angel in Manhattan's Upper West Side Monday

After a brief but tense exchange between the Angel, who was identified as Joshua Penner and the demonstrators, who had been protesting outside the restaurant Carmines, the group moves on

BLM Protesters Confront a Guardian Angel in UWS as they march through the streets to "Cancel Carmines" following a viral video, information about which is now being disputed. pic.twitter.com/4ZCmOeV2oR  Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) September 21, 2021

Soon the protesters, one equipped with a loudspeaker, ask Penner to leave.

He refuses.

'I'm not going to leave, I live here,' he says.

Eventually the group moves on.

The demonstration was prompted after three black women visiting from Houston - Kaeita Rankin, Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis - claimed a server at Upper West Side restaurant Carmines called them the n-word in a dispute over vaccine proof, prompting a physical altercation.

The local Black Lives Matter chapter subsequently organized a 'cancel Carmines' protest Monday outside the restaurant.

Carmines, meanwhile, says that the women attacked the server after she told friends of the tourists they had to leave when they couldn't provide evidence of their vaccinations - in line with New York City law.

The three women were arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief.

Penner is a longtime member of the Guardian Angels, and a patrol lead for the group in the Upper West Side, according to NYC Republican mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels leader Curtis Sliwa.

In a separate encounter at the protest, a woman was seen confronting demonstrators for blocking traffic

The demonstrators were part of a Black Lives Matter protest organized outside Carmines, where three black tourists alleged a server called them the n-word last week before getting into a physical altercation

'He withstood a lot of verbal abuse and physical threatening,' Sliwa told WABC of the encounter.

'He stood there and didnt get sucked into the cursing, finger-pointing, and harassment. All they do is sell wolf-tickets in order to fall into their trap.'

In another video of the protest, a women was seen confronting the demonstrators for blocking traffic.

'They were there to cause trouble  thats all they ever do is cause trouble,' Sliwa told WABC, adding that Guardian Angels go through training to deal with such encounters.

After calls from BLM protesters Monday, Carmines released surveillance footage of the altercation Tuesday taken from both inside the entrance to the restaurant and the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week.

It shows the three Texas women entering the restaurant as part of a larger party.

Carmine's, meanwhile, released surveillance footage of what it claims was an 'unprovoked attack' on an Asian hostess by the women

Surveillance footage also shows the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week at the famed New York City eatery

Who are the Guardian Angels? Curtis Sliwa was a night manager at McDonald's when he first organized a 'community clean up program.' The group erased graffiti and cleaned vacant lots in the Bronx, according to a 2007 archived website of the Guardian Angels. Starting in 1979, Sliwa and 12 other volunteers rode the subway to conduct safety patrols. Today, the New York-based nonprofit claims thousands of members in 130 cities and 13 countries. 'Every mugging, robbery, rape, or murder we help stop is one more person and one more family that is spared the trauma that could have happened,' the group says. Sliwa, 67, also began a career as a radio talk show host in the 1990s, though he's on hiatus while seeking to become mayor of the most populous city in the United States. Advertisement

The women are escorted inside the restaurant after showing their proof of COVID-19 vaccination while three men in their party - who do not have proof and show up shortly after - remain outside.

The unnamed 24-year-old hostess passes the group, with the women at the back of the group suddenly stopping and turning in her direction.

At that point, the women rush outside.

Surveillance footage taken by a different camera outside the restaurant then reveals one of the women coming up close behind the server - who is standing with her back to the door - and appearing to say something into her ear.

The server looks around as the other women also confront her, while her coworker appears to try to guide her away from the diners.

At this point, the women push the server and a fight breaks out with other diners and restaurant workers getting involved to try to break up the fight.

Jeffrey Bank, the owner of the restaurant, released a statement saying that the surveillance footage shows the assailants started the brawl without justification and were 'entirely unprovoked.'

The restaurant denies the server used the n-word with a spokesperson for its PR firm Trident DMG describing the incident as 'an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts'.

The restaurant had initially claimed the women did not show proof of vaccination, leading to the feud, but corrected that assertion Monday and said the three did present their cards.

Instead, the alleged attack broke out when three men who were part of their group arrived several minutes later and two of them could not produce proof of vaccination, Trident DMG PR Emma Novak told Gothamist.

The identity of the server is not being released by the restaurant for her safety but she is said to be new.

There were no protesters Tuesday lunchtime at the restaurant which was busy with diners.
An Oklahoma cannibal who castrated a volunteer with his husband at a holiday cabin before freezing his victim's testicles and talking of eating them has been jailed for 12 years.

Bob Lee Allen, 54, was previously set for trial on Monday at Le Flore County District Court but struck a plea deal with prosecutors on August 31 and was jailed Tuesday, according to The Oklahoman.

Allen's husband Thomas Evan Gates, 43, - who handed Allen the surgical tools during the makeshift operation - was freed on time served Tuesday after admitting misdemeanor maiming last month.

The plea deal for Allen came after believed 'a jury might convict me' before his trial was set to take place. Gates agreed to testify against his spouse to reach a plea agreement.

It is unclear if the couple's marriage - held in September 2020, just a month before the botched operation - has survived Gates' willingness to snitch.

Bob Lee Allen, 54, (left) has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he performed an illegal castration on an unnamed 28-year-old male victim with the help of his husband Thomas Evans Gates, 43, (right) who handed him the tools

The castration was performed in an Airbnb cabin called 'Bob's weekend wonder mountain retreat'

The couple performed a castration surgery on October 12 2020 at their Airbnb cabin called 'Bob's weekend wonders mountain retreat' on a 28-year-old victim who they found online. The volunteer still remains unidentified, with the couple subsequently charged because they were not licensed to perform surgery.

According to the volunteer, Allen had advertised that he performed the surgeries and that he videoed them for his own pleasure on his website Eunuch Maker.

The volunteer traveled from Virginia to the cabin in Oklahoma for the surgery, which Allen said he'd perform for free.

DailyMail.com previously revealed that the pair list the cabin on Airbnb which he calls 'Bob's weekend wonders mountain retreat.'

He said that Allen assured him he'd done the surgery many times, telling him: 'No ER. No morgue.'

He was awake for the two-hour procedure and had only received numbing injections in and around his genitalia.

Allen and Gates were married in September 2020, a month before they performed the illegal procedure

The couple dropped the volunteer off at McAlster Regional Health Center after he lost a considerable amount of blood during the procedure

Rise of 'eunuch' culture that sees men willingly disfigure their privates The earliest known eunuchs were castrated 2,000 years before the birth of Christ in Sumeria - an ancient nation which is now part of Iraq. Kings ordered the procedure carried out on servants or slaves to make them reliable workers who could be trusted to guard female royals and dignitaries. Some fetishists continue to practice this voluntary castration as part of extreme body-mod (modification) culture. Others remove their genitals entirely, and subsequently identify themselves as a 'nullo' - meaning they're completely devoid of genitals - or a 'smoothie'. Some nullos claim losing their penis and testicles actually enhances sexual pleasure, and they are still able to urinate through an opening left in their mutilated privates. Online body-mod communities offer would-be eunuchs and nullos the chance to meet other people like them - or unlicensed surgeons, who are often fellow fetishists, willing to perform the gruesome amputations. Doctors have understandably warned people off performing the procedure, saying it is medically unnecessary and carries an extremely high risk of infection or bleeding to death. Advertisement

Allen allegedly advertised the service on his own website offering free surgical services.

Once it was over, Allen reportedly told the volunteer he was going to eat his penis and that he kept others' in a freezer.

Those testicles were later found in a freezer during a police search, although it is unclear if Allen followed through on his statement about eating any of them.

Afterward the makeshift surgery, the volunteer lost a considerable amount of blood but Allen told him he would not take him to the hospital, claiming instead he would 'dump him in the woods'.

He also told him once of a man who he'd left to bleed out on the table overnight because the man was 'crazy'. It is unclear if Allen was joking.

Allen claimed to have six other people on their way to the cabin to undergo the surgery.

Eventually, they decided the man needed medical care so dropped him off at McAlester Regional Health Center, where he relayed the story to staff.

The pair then tried to visit him in hospital. They'd told him to tell doctors that he performed the procedure on himself, according to charging documents.

Police searched the cabin on October 15 of last year and found a freezer in Allen's bedroom which contained testicles.

They also found a six-foot tall medicine cabinet full of various medications, medical utensils, mushrooms in pill bottles, a cartery tool with blood, xylocaine, and more.

Allen and Gates were charged with conspiracy to commit unlicensed surgery-felony, practicing medicine without a license/unlicensed surgery-felony, maiming, unlawful use of communication facility, distribution of CDS-including possession w/intent to distribute, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, failure to bury dead human member-misdemeanor, possession of controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia-misdemeanor.

Allen has been sentenced to two years in jail and ten years in prison and had two misdemeanor charges dropped. Gates was released on Tuesday and plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges on August 4.

Allen pleaded no contest to felony counts of conspiracy to commit unlicensed surgery, practicing medicine without a license and attempted distribution of a psychedelic mushroom. He also pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts and was sentenced to two years in jail and 10 years in prison.

He also owes more than $5,000 in fines and other costs. The felony maiming charges and two misdemeanors were dropped as a result of his plea deal.

Gates, who was released Tuesday, owes more than $2,000 in fines and costs.

He previously plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges to prosecutors on August 4.
Facebook's oversight board is reviewing the company's practice of exempting secret 'whitelisted' users from its community guidelines and allowing them to post banned content through a special XCheck program.

XCheck, also known internally as cross-check, has been a long-time subject of Facebook's oversight board - a body not affiliated with the social media giant hired to critique how Facebook handles problematic content.

The board was created last year with a $130million trust fund from Facebook, which allows the committee to make final decisions on whether individual pieces of content can remain on the site.

While it was initially designed to as a type of quality control to protect the company from bad publicity in the event that it moderated content from high-profile users, critics say it has shielded those same users from the rules that apply to the general public.

Facebook's oversight board is reviewing the company's practice of exempting secret 'whitelisted' users from its community guidelines through a special XCheck program. While it was initially designed to as a type of quality control, critics say it has shielded those same users from the rules that apply to the general public

Facebook has yet to hand over that information but employees themselves have spoken out on the practice of whitelisting, complaining that it left users exposed to misinformation

These unmoderated users are part of an elite list that has grown to include millions of accounts, such as former President Donald Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr, Senator Elizabeth Warren, model Sunnaya Nash and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself.

While the company has previously told its oversight board that the system was only used in a 'small number of decisions' the board is now looking into whether Facebook 'has been fully forthcoming in its responses in relation to cross-check, including the practice of whitelisting,' according to The Wall Street Journal.

In a blog post on Tuesday the board said 'disclosures (from The Journal) have drawn renewed attention to the seemingly inconsistent way that the company makes decisions, and why greater transparency and independent oversight of Facebook matter so much for users'.

The Journal relied on internal documents provided to it by employees of the company who say that the program shields celebrities from enforcement actions that are meted out against the platforms more than three billion other users.

If a VIP is believed to have violated the rules their posts arent removed immediately but are instead sent to a separate system staffed by better-trained employees who then further review the content.

The XCheck program has been in place for years - well before Trump was banned from the platform after he was accused of fomenting the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

The board then called on Facebook to address the claims, 'share the criteria for adding pages and accounts to cross-check as well as to report on relative error rates of determinations made through cross-check, compared with its ordinary enforcement procedures'.

The board said it would share any new details on the topic it learned from the social media site in October as part of its quarterly transparency report.

Unmoderated users are part of an elite list that has grown to include millions of accounts, such as former President Donald Trump (left), his son Donald Trump Jr, Senator Elizabeth Warren (right), model Sunnaya Nash and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself

The board then called on Facebook to address the claims, 'share the criteria for adding pages and accounts to cross-check as well as to report on relative error rates of determinations made through cross-check, compared with its ordinary enforcement procedures (pictured: Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, California)

Facebook didnt immediately respond to The Journal's request for comment.

The backlash comes as Facebook faces relentless pressure to guard against being a platform where misinformation and hate can spread, while at the same time remain a forum for people to speak freely.

The oversight board said: 'The choices made by companies like Facebook have real-world consequences for the freedom of expression and human rights of billions of people across the world.

'By having clear rules and enforcing them consistently, platforms can give users the confidence that theyll be treated fairly. Ultimately, that benefits everyone.'

Apparently the oversight board doesn't even have clarity on how the XCheck program works. It has previously requested for Facebook to share how it works, including the criteria for adding users to the list and its system error rates.

Facebook has yet to hand over that information but employees themselves have spoken out on the practice of whitelisting, complaining that it left users exposed to misinformation.

'We are knowingly exposing users to misinformation that we have the processes and resources to mitigate,' read a 2019 memo by Facebook researchers.

Mark Zuckerberg's livestream Q&A with his employees was banned by his OWN algorithm Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg In 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a livestreamed Q&A session with employees from his own companies. But the session was mistakenly banned because it ran afoul of the platform's own algorithm, according to The Wall Street Journal. The mistake was one of 18 instances from 2019 that were inadvertently flagged among those who are 'whitelisted' by the 'XCheck' program. Four of those instances involved posts by then-President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. The other incidents included posts by Senator Elizabeth Warren, fashion model Sunnaya Nash, and others. Advertisement

At one point, content moderators were reviewing less than 10 per cent of problematic posts by users shielded by XCheck.

One Facebook user who was on the whitelist was allowed to share an article by a doctor who died more than 40 years ago claiming that chemotherapy was ineffective in treating cancer.

Samidh Chakrabarti, an executive who headed Facebooks Civic Team, wrote in a document: 'One of the fundamental reasons I joined FB Is that I believe in its potential to be a profoundly democratizing force that enables everyone to have an equal civic voice.

'So having different rules on speech for different people is very troubling to me.'

Other employees expressed their displeasure with the program.

'FBs decision-making on content policy is influenced by political considerations,' wrote a company economist in the data-science division.

Kaushik Iyer, an engineer for Facebook's civic integrity team, wrote in June 2020: 'Separate content policy from public policy.'

Meanwhile, also in the series of recent Wall Street Journal reports, Facebook supposedly knew its Instagram photo sharing tool was hurting teenage girls' mental health and that its moderation system had a double standard allowing VIPs to skirt rules.

In another report, Facebook's 2018 algorithm overhaul geared towards boosting 'meaningful social interactions (MSI)' and making the site a healthier place actually made it angrier instead.

The Journal report read: 'Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said the aim of the algorithm change was to strengthen bonds between users and to improve their well-being.

'Facebook would encourage people to interact more with friends and family and spend less time passively consuming professionally produced content, which research suggested was harmful to their mental health.'

In turn, high-profile users and companies looked to tactics such as 'outrage and sensationalism' to dig through the algorithm and reach their customers.

'That tactic produced high levels of comments and reactions that translated into success on Facebook,' which, according to The Journal, Facebook's internal employees knew would happen.

However, Facebook's vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg said otherwise in a blog post on Saturday.

In reference to The Journal's reports, he wrote: 'These stories have contained deliberate mischaracterizations of what we are trying to do, and conferred egregiously false motives to Facebooks leadership and employees.'

The post didn't specifically cite any factual inaccuracies between reports from the social media giant and The Journal - only that Facebook has 40,000 employees working on safety and security and has invested more than $13billion in those areas since 2016.
A new book on President Joe Biden is verifying that at least some of the information found on a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden is real - months after incriminating emails regarding Hunter's dealings with Ukraine were examined in a DailyMail.com investigation.

Materials that were confirmed as real include an infamous 2015 email from Ukrainian businessman Vadym Pozharskyi thanking Hunter for the chance to meet his father, then only Vice President Biden.

Someone with independent access to Hunter's emails confirmed he received the message.

The book 'The Bidens: Inside the First Family's Fifty-Year Rise to Power' by Politico's Ben Schreckinger, released on Tuesday, documents the Biden family's decades-long political life.

It also confirms the validity of a 2017 email between Hunter and his business partners.

Someone with independent access to Hunter Biden's emails confirmed he received a 2015 message from a businessman with Ukrainian energy company Burisma thanking him for setting up a meeting with then-Vice President Joe Biden

In a multi-million-dollar deal with Chinese oil giant CEFC, consultant James Gilliar set out potential terms of the deal and listed '10 held by H for the big guy?'

The mysterious phrase from the May 2017 message, examined by DailyMail.com in July, has been interpreted as a proposal for Hunter to hold 10 percent of the shares in the joint venture on behalf of his father, who is referred to as 'the big guy' in several other emails on the laptop.

Sources cited in a new book on the Biden family confirmed the validity of some items found on a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden

Biden denied the interpretation at the time.

A source who spoke with the book's author said they had seen both emails but couldn't verify whether they were word-for-word identical.

The leaked cache from the emails was matched to emails released by the Swedish government, Politico reports.

Two additional sources confirmed to the outlet that emails from that cache were genuine.

The 2015 email with Pozharskyi was the subject of an extensive DailyMail.com investigation in May.

In the correspondence obtained by DailyMail.com, Hunter wrote to a friend before a 2015 Washington DC dinner he organized that it was 'ostensibly to discuss food security', but was in fact an opportunity to introduce his potential clients and partners to his powerful father.

Pozharskyi emailed Hunter the day after.

'Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It's realty [sic] an honor and pleasure', Vadym Pozharskyi wrote on April 17, 2015.

Pozharskyi's email emerged in October, when the contents of Hunter's laptop were first leaked by the New York Post.

Vadym Pozharskyi, an executive at now-infamous Ukrainian energy firm Burisma where Hunter was a board member, wrote an email the day after thanking Hunter for the 'opportunity to meet your father'

An article from the New York Post detailing allegations stemming from the digital files was subsequently blocked from being shared on Twitter and got the outlet's account temporarily suspended.

Twitter has since expressed regret for the move.

Biden's campaign blasted the report in June, and said a records search indicated no such meeting occurred.

Other items on the laptop include lewd images of Hunter without clothing smoking cigarettes and other things

But Biden did make an unscheduled stop at a private restaurant dinner in April 2015 where Hunter was hosting someone from Burisma, according to a Washington Post fact check from October.

The Politico report also notes that while the files are genuine, it's still possible they may have been tampered with using fake material.

But the revelations seemingly undercut Biden's repeat denials on the campaign trail and in the White House that he never discussed his son's foreign business dealings.

Other contents found on the laptop, which had been left at a repair shop in Delaware, include images of Hunter Biden without clothing, smoking cigarettes and what appears to be a crack pipe.

It also contained lewd footage of someone who appears to be Hunter taking part in sexual acts with unnamed women.

Other emails allegedly uncovered on the laptop detailed plans for President Biden to join a law and consultancy firm with his two sons in 2014.

Beau Biden died in 2015 after a battle with brain cancer.

Hunter had discussed the proposed firm in a November 2014 email with his business partner and Biden family friend Jeff Cooper, a lawyer and entrepreneur.

Had Beau not passed away, the emails suggest that Joe Biden might have quit politics and entered the DC 'swamp' of politically-tied lawyers and highly-paid consultants and lobbyists  a world he has decried in speeches.

Hunter discussed his proposed new Biden family company in an email with Cooper dated November 20, 2014, with the title 'Firm'.

He set out 'ball park' annual overheads for the consultancy shop totaling $1.2 million including a $500,000 salary for his brother Beau.

His other estimates included $250,000 for a senior attorney, $175,000 for a junior attorney, $65,000 for an administrative assistant and $20,000 per month for 'office and other expenses'.
Advertisement

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded the Biden administration stop deportation flights of Haitian migrants and cease using Title 42, a coronavirus public health order, to expel them.

'I'm told there are four flights scheduled to deport these asylum-seekers back to a country that cannot receive them. Such a decision defies common sense. It also defies common decency,' the New York Democrat said on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

'I urge President Biden and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas to immediately put a stop to these expulsions and to end this Title 42 policy at our southern border. We cannot continue these hateful and xenophobic Trump policies that disregard our refugee laws,' he continued.

Department of Homeland Security officials were planning as many as eight deportation flights per day to stem the flow of migrants that led to pop-up encampment beneath the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas.

This morning the Senate leader decried the 'inhumane' treatment of Haitian migrants.

'The images of inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants by Border Patrolincluding the use of whipsare unacceptable They are fleeing violence and natural disaster and seeking protection in our country The Administration must uphold our refugee laws and stop Title 42 deportations,' he wrote on Twitter.

This morning Senate leader Chuck Schumer decried the 'inhumane' treatment of Haitian migrants

On Monday Border Patrol agents were seen in video and images pushing migrants back across the Rio Grande toward Mexico. They were seen swinging their reins toward migrants in what many characterized as 'whipping.'

As many as 15,000 Haitian migrants had set up camp under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, as border officials stiffened their spines and ramped up evacuation flights and border enforcement, sending many migrants back across the Rio Grande toward Mexico of their own volition.

But as of Monday, more than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants have been removed from the camp that once housed nearly 15,000 migrants, the Associated Press reports.

The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum.

A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to stop using the provision to deport families, but stayed the order until the end of September. The Biden administration has appealed the ruling.

Of the roughly 11,000 migrants who remain, 8,000 are part of family groups, according to the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden said Tuesday that he will get the situation at the border 'under control' as Kamala Harris slammed Border Patrol agents for 'horrible' treatment of migrants in their first direct response to the unfolding crisis.

'We will get it under control,' Biden said to reporters after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in New York City.

He did not specify what he plans to do in order to mitigate the crisis.

The president and vice president finally reacted to the crisis when reporters asked the about it during public appearances on Tuesday  and after backlash ensued surrounding images of Border Patrol agents on horseback using whips to round up migrants or prevent them from stepping onto U.S. soil.

Harris on Tuesday slammed Border Patrol agents for 'horrible' treatment of migrants and promised to provide more assistance to Haiti as their nationals get deported back on removal flights.

'What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible,' Harris told reporters on Tuesday.

The vice president also said that she supports the Department of Homeland Security opening an investigation to the magnets on horseback using what appeared to be whips to round up the mostly Haitian migrants.

'I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there,' Harris said. 'But human beings should never be treated that way. And I'm deeply troubled about it.

'I'll also be talking to Secretary Mayorkas about it today,' she said of an impending conversation with the DHS secretary.

Harris, who was made border czar by Biden earlier this year, received criticism for not responding to the massive crisis in Del Rio, Texas where up to 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up an encampment near the international bridge there.

DHS began sending Haitian migrants back to their homeland in removal flights starting on Sunday  prompting scores of these illegal crossers to trek back across the Rio Grande River to Mexico to avoid deportation back to Haiti.

President Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to get the situation at the southern border 'under control'

Vice President Kamala Harris slammed Border Patrol for their treatment of mostly Haitian migrants: 'What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible...human beings should never be treated that way'

A decreased number of mostly Haitian migrants remain at a makeshift encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande on Tuesday as many fled the area back to Mexico to avoid deportation

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Sen. Josh Hawley (right) that around 5,000 were removed from the encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge as he announced a probe into the agents using whips on migrants

Harris supports the DHS investigation. This was the first time the vice president, who was appointed border czar by Biden, addressed the crisis that saw 15,000 mostly Haitian nations cross into Del Rio and set up camp near the bridge

'In your role, stemming migration from Central America. Are you also going to be looking into migration issues for Haitians as well?' a reporter asked Harris.

'Well, listen, the whole point is that we have to understand Haiti. I mean, talk about a country that has just experienced so much tragedy that has been about natural disasters, the head of state assassinated, and we really have to do a lot more to recognize that as a member of the Western Hemisphere.'

'We've got to support some very basic needs that the people of Haiti have to get back up and to and to do what we want to do be them from Haiti or in the countries in Central America,' she added.

The vice president insisted: 'People want to stay home, they don't want to leave home, but they leave when they cannot satisfy their basic needs. So yes, this is a concern.'

Border Patrol agents were frustrated by the pile-on as they try to get a hold on the sudden flux of nearly 15,000 migrants.

'This whole situation is blowing up and even liberals are turning on this administration,' one agent told Fox News. '[Harris] is placing blame on agents to deflect because she and Biden are not going to change how they are handling this.'

Another source bluntly said the outrage 'just proves what absolute idiots they are.'

'With basic knowledge and two brain cells, anyone knows those agents use split reins. They do use them as a whip, on their horses,' the agent said. 'This helps get a quicker response from the horse to move out when needed, especially when the horse may be hesitant with groups of people or other animals.'

'Again it is clear that those 'in charge,' a term that is disgusting to use, have no clue about our operations and frankly operate by ignorance and unhinged emotions,' the agent said.

Mayorkas revealed Tuesday that around 5,000 migrants have been removed from the encampment surrounding the Del Rio International Bridge as the Department of Homeland Security launches a probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips against the mostly Haitian migrants.

'How many migrants have crossed into the United States in Del Rio over the past week?' Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Mayorkas during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday.

'So last week, I think the high point was 13,000-15,000  it is now well below 10,000. We continue to move individuals from Del Rio to other processing centers to facilitate their repatriation,' the DHS secretary responded.

'We have increased the number of repatriation flights to Haiti and to other countries,' Mayorkas added as it was revealed this week DHS is aiming to send out several deportation flights per day.

Mayorkas also refused to say whether he felt he and the Biden administration bear any responsibility for the influx of Haitian migrants over the last few weeks or the broader border crisis in general.

'Don't you think that you bear responsibility for this latest crisis?' Hawley asked.

The secretary deflected to talking about how temporary protected status for Haitians ended for any nationals who arrived in the U.S. after July 29

'But Mr. Secretary,' Hawley cut in, 'my time is almost expired, I just want an answer. Do you bear responsibility for the crisi in Del Rio?'

Instead of answering, Mayorkas started to address other actions he claims the administration is taking to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.

'Does that mean you're not going to answer me?' Hawley pushed.

Mayorkas shot back: 'I am answering, if you've give me the opportunity.'

An aerial image taken on Tuesday shows Texas' Department of Safety lined up vehicles along the bank of the Rio Grande River near the massive, but dwindling, migrant camp

'That's a yes or a no question,' Hawley insisted. 'Do you bear responsibility for the crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, the smuggling organization ' Mayorkas started but was cut off.

'Yes or no? Do you bear responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Del Rio? Yes or no?'

'Senator, it is my responsibility to address the human tragedy in Del Rio, to address that,' Mayorkas said. 'And we are doing so. That is my responsibility and we are executing it as a Department of Homeland Security.'

'But you don't think you've played any role  that your policies have played any role in fostering and fomenting this crisis that has ensnared so many thousands of people?' Hawley asked.

'Senator, what we are learning from our interviews with individuals is they are receiving false information and misinformation from the smuggling organizations that traffic  and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,' he said.

'Well, so in other words, it's someone else's fault,' the senator clarified.

'All I can say, Mr. Secretary, sooner or later this administration is going to have to take responsibility for this crisis that you have fomented at the border that gets worse day upon day and so far  every time we hear from you it's somebody else's fault something's going to happen later. It's really unbelievable,' Hawley concluded as his time for questioning expired.

Customs and Border Protection launched a formal probe into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips as they attempted to stop migrants from stepping onto U.S. soil.

'I was horrified by what I saw,' Mayorkas told CNN on Tuesday morning.

'I'm going to let the investigation run its course,' he added. 'But the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly. That defies all of the values that we seek to instill in our people.'

A DHS spokesperson said the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility will 'define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken' against those found to have used whips when preventing asylum-seekers from entering the U.S. and rounding up others for deportation.

The probe comes after widespread condemnation of the 'horrific' and disturbing scenes emerged of the agents on horseback chasing after and rounding up migrants who were on foot. One in particular image garnered the most pushback when an agent unfurled a cord resembling a lariat and swung it near a migrant's face.

Mayorkas directed the CBP office to have personnel on site 'full-time to ensure that the responsibilities of DHS personnel are executed consistent with applicable policies and training and the department's values.'

Images of Border Patrol agents on horseback began emerging on Sunday as the Department of Homeland Security ramped up deportation by restarting removal flights of Haitian migrants back to their homeland after these flights were paused by President Joe Biden in February.

Migrants stand on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River as they prepare to wade from Del Rio, Texas on Tuesday to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico to avoid deportation back to their homeland. Six expulsion flights are expected to arrive in Haiti on Tuesday

Migrants hold personal items above their head as they wade back to Mexico after seeking asylum in the U.S.

CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is launching a probe into Border Patrol agents using what appears to be a whip or lasso while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas

Three planes full of Haitian migrants departed San Antonio on Sunday and landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which led to thousands making the trip back across the Rio Grande River on Monday from Del Rio, Texas.

In the last few weeks, about 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants set up camp near and under the Del Rio International Bridge on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. They were using a dam of knee- and thigh-high water to trek back and forth across the border.

On Sunday, however, agents and officers on horseback started preventing migrants coming back to the camp from stepping foot back on U.S. soil. They were also rounding up the illegal immigrants to be put on flights back to their home country.

DHS also dispatched additional personnel to oversee future border patrol operations near the makeshift encampment after already sending 400 border agents and officers to the area to help quell the flow of migration into Del Rio.

The new goal from the agency is to get around seven removal flights out of the U.S. back to migrants' homelands each day.

Migrants gather under a tent to register with local immigration officers on Tuesday after they were flown out of the makeshift encampment in Del Rio, Texas

Migrants began turning back from Del Rio and trekking back to Ciudad Acura, Mexico. Here a man walks across waist-high water in the Rio Grande River returning to Mexico to avoid deportation

Haitian Migrants wade across the water back to Mexico on Tuesday so they aren't deported by the U.S. back to Haiti after several flights were sent back the past two days

When asked Tuesday if the new scenes from the border amounts to a crisis, Mayorkas wouldn't go that far, instead calling it a 'heartbreaking situation' and a 'tremendous challenge.'

'I, by no means, diminish the humane issue that it presents, but I want to be clear that we do have a plan to address it, respecting the needs of the individuals and we are executing on that plan,' he said on CNN.

Mayorkas added that 4,000 or more migrants have already been moved from the bridge camp and previewed a 'dramatic change' in the situation 'in the next 48 to 96 hours.'

The announcement of a formal investigation came after outrage ensued.

Mayorkas' comments echoed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's when she called the images 'horrific'.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it's acceptable or appropriate,' Psaki said at her press briefing on Monday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the reports 'deeply troubling', adding that Congress will continue to 'closely monitor developments.'

'All migrants seeking asylum must be treated in accordance with the law and with basic decency,' the California Democrat wrote in a Monday evening statement.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called the images 'inhumane' and called on the Biden administration to 'stop Title 42 deportations'

Progressive squad members Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar slammed the use of whips, calling it 'human rights abuses' and claiming the U.S. has made immigration a crime

'Any acts of aggression or violence cannot be tolerated and must be investigated. The situation facing Haitian migrants at the border is heartbreaking, and Congress will continue to closely monitor developments.'

Mayorkas issued a stern warning for Haitian nationals trying to enter the US on Monday after he became the first Biden administration official to visit the border in Del Rio.

'If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's life,' he said.

The secretary said he'd brought in about 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the National Guard, to Del Rio to help with what he described as a 'challenging and heartbreaking situation.'

He said that he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the U.S. in decades.

A man walks with a child on his shoulders as he steps out of the Rio Grande River in returning to Mexico from Del Rio, Texas as DHS steps up deportation efforts  already sending out several planes of migrants back to Haiti this week

Six more removal flights are expected to land in Haiti from the U.S. on Tuesday. An airplane chartered to transport people to Haiti prepares to board passengers at the San Antonio International Airport on Monday

White House slams 'horrific' footage of border patrol agent on horseback WHIPPING Haitian migrants as they cross Rio Grande carrying food for their families

The White House is reacting to disturbing images that surfaced on Sunday of Border Patrol agents appearing to whip Haitian migrants desperately trying to cross the Rio Grande river into the United States.

'I don't know what the circumstances would be, it's obviously horrific,' Press Secretary Jen Psaki said of relevant footage from the border on Monday.

Psaki was asked about the images at her daily White House briefing.

'I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context, I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate but I don't have additional details,' she said.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.'

She added that it was 'horrible to watch.'

A video obtained Sunday night shows Border Patrol officers on horseback, waiting on the US side of the Rio Grande as migrants - some of them families with young children - wade through chest-deep waters trying to cross.

Officers can be seen charging their horses toward migrants carrying food and supplies. Some of them are swinging what appears to be lariats.

U.S. border patrol officers cut the way of migrants asylum seekers as they are trying to return to the United States

The devastating images were captures as migrants were trying to return to their encampment from Mexico, where they were buying much-needed supplies

Migrants crossing the Del Rio river to head back into the US after gathering supplies in Mexico are confronted by Border Patrol officers on horseback

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar.

At one point, a Border Patrol officer appears to hit a man, sending him falling back into the water.

Many of those migrants were reportedly already camped out in a makeshift tent city under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. They had crossed back to Mexico to purchase water, food and diapers in Ciudad Acuna.

Psaki was asked on Monday if there would be consequences against the officers involved.

She didn't say whether they'd lose their jobs but suggested 'they should never be able to do it again.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the images 'horrific' on Monday

The Biden administration has been grappling with an influx of migrants since the Democrat took office in January.

Migrants began flowing back into the Mexican side of the southern border on Monday from Del Rio, Texas as the Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up deportation flights to seven per day.

Video emerged today of scores of mostly Haitian migrants making the trek back across the Rio Grande River to Mexico from the US after three flights full of migrants from the US landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Sunday.

Up to 15,000 migrants set up camp under and around the Del Rio International Bridge, using a dam area to cross between the Mexico and US side of the border.

The massive encampment of migrants has brought up several issues, including health concerns in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed they are not vaccinating migrants.

Mayorkas said Sunday that he will visit the southern border, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was put in charge of the border crisis, have remained silent on the recent developments of mass migration among Haitians.

'I will be traveling to the border myself,' Mayorkas told CNN, adding he speaks regularly with the White House and President Joe Biden about the issue.

Other officials can be seen reaching down to violently grab migrants by the sleeve or collar

U.S. Border Patrol agents deploy a boat into the Rio Grande river on the U.S. side of the bank as migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. cross the river into Mexico

The Haitian migration crisis is exacerbated by those who left Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to settle in South and Central America who are now desperate to leave there due to the coronavirus pandemic and economic collapse.

At that time many flew to Ecuador where there's no visa requirements  then proliferated to Brazil and Chile.

They are now leaving there and making their way up to Mexico anyway they can.

Images from Del Rio, Texas began emerging over the weekend where thousands of mostly Haitian migrants used a dam to cross between Mexico and the US On Sunday, three removal flights of migrants arrived back in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The developing crisis forced the Biden administration to close six crossing points along the border and send in at least 400 troops to help stop the flow and round up migrants for deportation.

Haitian migrants set up a massive makeshift camp under the Del Rio International Bridge in just the last weeks, with the number swelling from around 400 to 14,534 in just one week, according to Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano.

DHS revealed over the weekend that it would ramp up and accelerate its removal efforts of migrants as Biden continues to face widespread criticism for his handling of the humanitarian and national security crisis at the southern border.

Biden and Harris have not visited the US side of the Rio Grande Valley  where the majority of the migration crisis has taken place.

Neither the president or vice president have addressed the latest developments or the new DHS strategy to deport these migrants.

On Monday Psaki was asked about a double standard in letting Afghan refugees resettle in the US but forcefully turning away Haitian refugees at a time when the country is dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake and a presidential assassination.

'Our immigration policy is not about one country or discriminating against one country over another. We want to end that and we want to put an end to what we saw over the last four years,' she said, referring to the Trump administration.

Psaki added that Haitians are encouraged to apply for temporary protected status to remain in the US.

She also said the federal government was working with Haiti's government to help the country recover and accommodate the Haitians being sent back.

'We have also been working to provide a range of assistance, working closely with officials from the government, as individuals are going back to Haiti to provide a range of financial assistance, to provide technical assistance,' Psaki said. 'That's on-going.'
The husband of an NYPD officer has been charged with her attempted murder after he allegedly fired at her with her own service weapon in their Queens home following a jealous rage.

Prosecutors charged 43-year-old Marco Mosquera with attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, and aggravated assault of a police officer for allegedly using two of his wife's service weapons to fire at her during a heated argument last week, the Queens District Attorneys Office said in a statement.

Prosecutors say that Mosquera confronted his wife Stacy, 39 when she entered their Ozone Park home in the early hours of September 14 and began breaking picture frames and other items in their home.

He is said to have accused his spouse of cheating on him.

Marco Mosquera (left) allegedly pointed two service weapons at his wife Stacy, 39,(right) and he told her that if she attempted to contact law enforcement 'things would end badly

Officer Mosquera tried to calm her husband down and was cleaning up after him when he retreated to their bedroom and emerged with two service weapons that he pointed at her, according to prosecutors.

Officer Mosquera told her husband that his actions would 'make the situation worse' and he told her that if she attempted to contact law enforcement 'things would end badly'.

He then reportedly said 'there was not way out for them' and that 'they would be dying that day,' prosecutors said.

Officer Mosquera managed to get ahold of a telephone and called relatives and police for help.

When officers, arrived they found the home was barricaded and Mosquera fired several shots towards officers, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say that Mosquera confronted his wife Stacy, 39 when she entered their Ozone Park home (pictured) in the early hours of September 14

Harrison said the off-duty cop was treated for what appeared to be a broken leg. Above, cops were transporting one of the injured to a nearby hospital

Officer Mosquera was able to exit the home through a second floor bedroom window and was covered by a ballistic blanket that shielded her from the additional shots her husband fired at her, prosecutors said.

Officers returned fire at the 43-year-old and he was struck once in his forearm.

Mosquera then retreated back into the home and continued to shoot at officers, prosecutors said.

Eventually a hostage negotiation team coaxed him into coming outside, where he was taken into custody, officials said.

Four officers were injured, one of whom was taken to Jamaica Hospital. The other three were treated at the scene. The 39-year-old off duty officer was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for leg injuries from her fall and her husband was treated for his gunshot injuries.

Mosquera is currently being held without bail and his next court date is set for November 10.

If convicted, he faces 75 years to life.

'This defendant in this case was filled with jealousy when he took his wife's service weapons and threatened both their lives,' District Attorney Katz said. 'The responding officers swiftly took control of this crisis and averted a much greater tragedy that day.'
Advertisement

Brian Laundrie's father Christopher Laundrie broke cover for the first time Tuesday - but refused to answer questions about his missing son.

The 62-year-old is seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos walking out onto his driveway around 3pm, a day after the FBI raid on the North Port, Florida home he shares with wife Roberta.

Dressed in khaki shorts and a black top, Laundrie strode out to his red Dodge Ram pick-up truck and drove past the continued police presence outside his home.

He returned 20 minutes later with half a gallon of milk and quickly disappeared back into the house.

The Laundrie residence has become somewhat of a media circus since Brian has refused to speak to investigators about his fiancee Gabby, 22, who was reported missing 10 days after he returned from their cross-country trip alone. Her body was found in a remote area of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sunday.

FBI agents executed a search warrant the following day and stormed the Laundries' home while declaring the area a crime scene.

On Tuesday the Teton County Coroner on confirmed the remains discovered in the park are those of Gabby Petito, with the manner of death ruled a homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results.

The FBI said it is now seeking information from anyone who visited the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area of the park between the dates of August 27 to 30, and who may have had contact with the couple or who may have seen their vehicle.

Gabby's disappearance took a bizarre turn last week after Brian, who was named a person of interest in the case and has refused to cooperate in the investigation, also vanished.

Brian Laundrie's father Christopher Laundrie made a rare foray into town on Tuesday, one day after the FBI raided the North Port, Florida home he shares with his wife Roberta

The 62-year-old was seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos walking out onto his driveway around 3pm, breaking his cover for the first time

Laundrie, who was dressed in khaki shorts and a black top, strode out to his red Dodge Ram pick-up truck and drove past the police presence outside his home before returning 20 minutes later with half a gallon of milk

The disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito took a bizarre turn last week after her fiance, who was named a person of interest in the case, also vanished

The search for the 23-year-old entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordering all state agencies to assist in the manhunt as local police deployed ATVs and drones to a snake and alligator-infested swampland in the Carlton Reserve where Brian was last reported to be.

DailyMail.com has learned cops have also been searching farmland in northern Florida - more than 250 miles from the FBI-led hunt at the nature reserve.

They sprang into action after a reported possible 'sighting' of Brian Laundrie in footage from a camera set up to spot deer near the town of Baker.

Local law enforcement conducted a detailed ground search and also used drones, but did not find any evidence to suggest the unknown man on the video was Laundrie.

The video was posted on Facebook by user Sam Bass who said it was shot at 6:17am Monday.

'I'm not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie. Authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area need to be on the lookout,' he wrote in a post.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office information officer Michele Nicholson told DailyMail.com: 'Investigators went out and did an extensive ground search of that entire area which is very rural.

'They also searched surrounding farmlands and fields and used a drone. However, they didn't find anything of note. There was no evidence of Laundrie being there. Meanwhile, there have been reports in the past of an individual of that appearance in the area before.'

Nicholson added: 'Officers are no longer actively searching. Also, there is nothing that we heard that would indicate he could be in this area. We have checked and there is no reason to believe he has any specific connections up here  family members, friends etc.'

She said her department did liaise with investigating authorities in North Port, Florida, where the Laundries live and the current location of the massive search operation.

Brian and his parents had earlier refused to talk to authorities investigating Gabby Petito's disappearance

The Laundrie residence has attracted a media circus since Brian returned home alone September 1 from a cross-country trip with fiancee Gabby, 22, who was reported missing 10 days later

The search for Brian Laundrie entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordering all state agencies to assist in the manhunt at the snake and alligator-infested swampland in the Carlton Reserve where he was last reported to be

DailyMail.com has learned cops have also been searching farmland in northern Florida - more than 250 miles from the FBI-led hunt at the nature reserve

Earlier on Tuesday North Port Police announced its officers had returned to the 'vast and unforgiving' 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve to continue the search that morning in the waist-deep water and 'dangerous' terrain.

More than 50 searchers from at least eight law enforcement agencies led by the FBI are using huge swamp-busting amphibious vehicles, ATVs, bloodhounds, other K9s and drones as they ramp up efforts to track down the 23-year-old.

Gov. DeSantis later announced that at the request of local law enforcement, he had 'directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby'.

Laundrie went missing a week ago on Tuesday, September 14, with his parents only reporting his disappearance on Friday.

Cops released a video of the search today showing teams in tactical gear being briefed, K9 sniffer dogs in action, specialist vehicles traversing swampland and drone footage of the massive area being searched.

North Port Police also emphasized they are involved in a criminal probe now, which is being led by the FBI and they are 'assisting out federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close'.

Commander Joe Fussell (correct), from the local department, said on the video: 'The terrain is very difficult. Essentially 75 per cent of it is under water.

'And other areas that are dry, we're trying to clear. So we're expecting to get wet by the end of the day and check the entire area for Brian Laundrie.'

He also revealed the searchers 'have multiple drone operators that have been sent out in numerous teams.

'We also have drones that operate as higher altitude that has more advanced technology to zoom in and to see areas that are difficult to access on foot or in wheeled vehicles as well.'

Florida police have deployed ATVs and drones to a snake and alligator-infested swampland as they resumed their search for van-life woman Gabby Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie

Cops in ATVs were seen heading into the 25,000 acre Carlton Reserve in Florida to search for Laundrie on Tuesday

Four ATVs were seen heading to the swampy area in this photo, as part of the huge search operation to try and find Laundrie

Two huge high-water all-terrain vehicles came out of one area briefly and headed along a perimeter road to make for another location in the reserve. They carried at seven searchers.

Today, Gov. DeSantis said that at the request of local law enforcement, 'I have directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby'

Police had halted the large-scale operation Monday after a weekend of combing through the nature reserve, about five miles from the home Laundrie shared with his parents and Petito.

This came the same day the final resting place of the body believed to belong to Petito was revealed to be marked with a stone cross tribute at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite, close to the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

A body matching Petito, 22, was discovered there Sunday bringing her family's hopes of finding her alive to an end.

An autopsy is being carried out today and is expected to confirm the remains belong to Petito - as well as cast light on how she died.

Petito's family said in a statement released this afternoon that they will speak publicly after her body is returned home.

North Port Police shared these images showing officers sending drones operated by remote controls up in the air

Police announced Tuesday its officers had returned to the 'vast and unforgiving' Carlton Reserve to continue the search

More than 50 searchers from at least eight law enforcement agencies led by the FBI are using huge swamp-busting amphibious vehicles, ATVs, bloodhounds, other K9s and drones

Authorities are ramping up efforts to track down 23-year-old Laundrie after they halted the large-scale operation Monday

Petito was last seen alive August 24 leaving a motel in Salt Lake City in Utah with Laundrie during the cross-country campervan trip that she and Laundrie had set out on back in early July.

ALABAMA COPS INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE LAUNDRIE SIGHTINGS Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Brian Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area Multiple people have reported sightings of a man fitting Laundrie's description in the Mobile, Alabama area, with many posting about their suspicions online. The city is more than 600 miles northwest of his home in North Port, Florida. Mobile County Sheriff's Office Captain Paul Burch told FOX 10 News he does not believe Laundrie had any connections to the area. Rumors of Laundrie's whereabouts have since flooded social media, with some speculating he may have been a body which was found in a dumpster outside of a Walmart in Mobile over the weekend. But police on Monday said they have been investigating the reports, but none have turned up anything of substance. The body in the dumpster, they said, belonged to an unidentified homeless man. Advertisement

She was then last heard from the next day when she called her mom.

Laundrie arrived back in North Port alone on September 1 in their van and Petito was reported missing September 11 by her family.

Laundrie refused to cooperate with investigators or tell them when he had last seen his girlfriend and was named a person of interest in her disappearance last Wednesday - four days before a body was discovered.

Laundrie's parents then made the stunning revelation Friday that he too had vanished and that they had not seen him since Tuesday - when he allegedly left their home with a backpack saying he was heading to the reserve.

On Monday, a dramatic FBI raid was executed on the Laundrie family home and the 23-year-old's silver Ford Mustang convertible was seized by authorities.

Steven Berolino, an attorney for the family, told ABC7 the family went looking for Laundrie on Wednesday and found the Mustang, which had a police note on it demanding that the vehicle be removed from the area.

The family initially left the car there so Laundrie could drive it back, but they returned on Thursday to retrieve it, according to Bertolino.

North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor said Tuesday morning search teams were up against the elements as they returned to the nature reserve to continue the 'dangerous work' to track down Laundrie.

Taylor said heavy rains the day before has left much of the swampland 'waist-deep in water'.

'Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times. It is currently waist-deep in water in many areas,' he said.

'This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails.'

As well as local police and the FBI, other agencies involved in the search include Florida Wildlife Commission, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Lee County Sheriff's Office, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Sarasota Police Department and Venice Police Department.

The search began on Saturday, starting at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park which is linked to the Carlton Reserve.

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

The memorial is placed near to where authorities found a body believed to belong to Gabby Petito, 22

The undeveloped campground is popular with tourists though it has no water or trash service. Above, a sign points to the area

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Gabby's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite

Gabby's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27th at the Spread Creek campsite, and the remains were found not far from where the van was photographed

But the focus has now switched to covering the area closer to the city of Venice, along with adjoining lands, said Taylor.

It is not clear whether authorities have receive intel directing them to this part of the reserve.

'A weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25,000-acre preserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on,' said Taylor.

North Port Police tweeted photos of searchers assembling for a briefing early Tuesday, announcing the efforts are: 'By land. By air.'

Photos show teams driving buggies through dense foliage and police officers using remotes to operate drones going up into the air.

Dozens of law enforcement vehicles were also seen at the entrance to the nature reserve.

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' trip

Petito was last seen alive on August 24 leaving a hotel with Laundrie in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the couple's cross-country campervan trip

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

The reserve is currently closed until further notice while the search is ongoing.

Multiple sightings of Laundrie have been reported in recent days but it is not clear if any have been confirmed.

The renewed search follows the Laundrie's home being busted by around 25 law enforcement officers Monday, the majority FBI agents wearing bullet-proof vests and wielding drawn weapons.

Dailymail.com was up close to the action, just feet away as the FBI swooped on the single-story house  with shouts of 'search warrant, search warrant' clearly heard and the area declared a crime scene.

An FBI team in tactical gear - carrying a battering ram, a blast shield and with weapons drawn - lined up along the wall close to the front door.

Seconds later other agents swiftly led Laundrie's parents Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, out of the home and into a waiting black Dodge Caravan minivan.

The FBI team outside then swarmed into the house, followed by other agents, some wielding rifles while other agents checked outside areas.

At one point, it appeared they might be looking for Laundrie. Five agents - one with a blast shield - surrounded a lid-topped storage before the lid was carefully lifted and an agent deliberately pointed his pistol down inside.

After 10 minutes the Laundries were allowed back in their home, looking solemn and with their heads down. They were not handcuffed.

The couple's camper van top, which was sat on stilts on their driveway, was also searched  before Laundrie's Ford Mustang was towed away for forensic examination.

Agents spent five hours meticulously going through the property before leaving with boxes and boxes of evidence.

Over in Wyoming, a makeshift memorial of white stones arranged in a cross was seen Monday evening in the spot where the human remains are thought to have been discovered at the weekend.

The spot with the stone crosses is just east of Grand Teton National Park where law enforcement had been searching for Petito. It is not clear when the memorial was arranged.

Sarasota County Sheriff's Deputies and FBI Agents are seen at the Carlton Reserve Tuesday morning amid the search

The nature reserve is about five miles from the home in North Port that Laundrie shared with his parents and Petito

North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor said Tuesday morning search teams were up against the elements as they returned to the nature reserve to continue the 'dangerous work' to track down Laundrie

REVEALED: CRYPTIC LAST TEXTS SENT FROM GABBY PETITO'S PHONE TO HER MOM Forensic experts have been poring over Gabby Petito's computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device. Part of the application for the document reveals a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother. The warrant reads: 'On August 27th, 2021, the subject's mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an 'odd text' from the subject. The text message read, 'Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls'.' The document continues: 'The reference to 'Stan' was referring to Gabby's grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him 'Stan'. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.' It added this was the 'last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.' Advertisement

DailyMail.com exclusively found the location where Petito's transit van was filmed by a Youtuber on August 27 at the Spread Creek campsite.

The remains were found about a quarter of a mile from where the van had been photographed.

The location was found Monday just minutes after law enforcement left the campground around 5:40 p.m. and opened it back up to the public.

The campground had been closed to the public since last Saturday.

A DailyMail reporter found a pink ribbon tied the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road.

Investigators left pink marker tape where the couple's van was seen in a YouTube video and more pink marker tape by the cross.

There were also red markers in a large circle around the area where investigators had been working and markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross.

The orange paint on the dead trees was still wet. Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Petito's transit van was filmed by the YouTuber.

Forensic experts have been going over Petito's computer hard drive for crucial clues after police in North Port, Florida, got a court warrant to search the device.

The computer was with Laundrie when he returned to Florida without Petito on September 1.

The warrant application also revealed the last text message sent from Petito's phone to her mother Nichole Schmidt on August 27. The message sent alarm bells when it was received as her mom said it did not sound like her daughter.

The warrant reads: 'On August 27th, 2021, the subject's mother, Nichole Schmidt, received an 'odd text' from the subject. The text message read, 'Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls'.'

In Spread Creek, Wyoming, a pink ribbon was found tied to the bushes near where the van was parked on the side of the road

Near the makeshift cross, a pink ribbon was tied to a dead tree. That pink ribbon was the same type found where Gabby's transit van was filmed by the YouTuber

There were markings with orange paint on several rocks and trees surrounding the cross

The makeshift memorial was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite in Wyoming

911 AUDIO CLAIMS BRIAN LAUNDRIE REPEATEDLY SLAPPED GABBY BEFORE MOAB POLICE ARRIVED AND FOUND HER CRYING 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident that claimed Laundrie slapped Petito. In the audio, the caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away. The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight. 'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly. 'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues. 'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks. 'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends. Advertisement

The document continues: 'The reference to 'Stan' was referring to Gabby's grandfather. But according to her mother, Gabby never calls him 'Stan'. The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter.'

It added this was the 'last communication anyone has with the subject. Her cell phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for the subject and they became more worried about her.'

Gabby's mother acknowledged receiving another text from her phone on Aug. 30 with the message, 'No service in Yosemite.'

She was convinced her daughter didn't sent that final message and that she believes Petito's boyfriend may have sent the message from her phone, possibly to mislead her family and investigators as to her whereabouts.

Petito's computer was in her white Ford Transit van that was taken away by police very late September 11  some 10 days after Laundrie had already returned to Florida without her.

The vehicle was taken by North Port Police around five hours after Schmidt- who lives on Long Island, New York - reported her daughter missing. A warrant to search the vehicle was issued on September 14.

The warrant application explains that Petito and Laundrie 'left from New York state sometime in mid-June 2021 for a vacation in Utah, traveling a variety of National Parks along the way. While they were on their trip, they documented some of the events on a YouTube video, 'VAN LIFE: Beginning Our Van Life Journey'.

It added: 'During the trip the subject sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother Nichole Schmidt  during these conversations there appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie.'

Additionally, WFLA reported that the warrant gives police access to a wide range of content potentially found on the hard drive, and digital documents, notes, passwords, encryptions or data security devices which might keep them from accessing the contents.

The white van, which belonged to Petito, was tracked through a license plate reader at the Sumpter Boulevard exit of Interstate 75 towards North Port on September 1 at roughly 10.26am, the application reveals.

The warrant, issued by the office of the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court, was executed on September 16.

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car in Utah August 12 -13 days before she was last seen. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

TRAVEL BLOGGER DESCRIBES SEEING PETITO'S VAN IN HER TRIP FOOTAGE The travel blogger who turned over footage of Gabby Petito's van to the FBI and her family said the discovery of the footage gave her 'chills.' Jenn Bethune, who runs 'Red, White and Bethune' on Youtube, said she parsed over her footage from the national park after she was tagged in a post urging anyone who had filmed or photographed the area to search for clues. The video was captured August 27 at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area near Grand Teton National Park. 'I got chills all over my body and ran straight back to my laptop, got my GoPro footage, and lo and behold Gabby's van was on there,' she told Fox & Friends. Bethune said that she was amazed by the resilience shown by Nicole Schmidt, Petito's mother. 'Even though it's not the best outcome, I'm happy that Gabby is home,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Nicole is absolutely amazing. Her strength is so apparent.' Hours before the discovery was announced, Petito's family posted Bethune's YouTube video capturing the van to their Facebook page 'Find Gabby.' 'We have this video, so does the FBI,' wrote the family on the Sunday morning post. 'We believe this is the van for multiple reasons.' Advertisement

On Monday, new details also emerged about the suspected 'domestic abuse incident' on August 12 - less than two weeks before Petito was last seen alive.

Police were called out to the incident involving the young couple in Moab, Utah.

Chilling 911 audio released Monday revealed how the caller reported seeing the 'gentleman was slapping the girl'.

Police bodycam footage released last week of the encounter showed a sobbing Petito telling officers they had 'been fighting all morning' before cops determined she was the 'primary aggressor.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Shortly after the call, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police.

In the video, an emotional Petito with tears streaming down her face tells officers she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

An FBI agent is pictured at the North Port home of Laundrie's parents on September 20 to execute a search warrant

FBI agents are seen searching the family home of Brian Laundrie - one day after a body matching Petito was found while Laundrie is still missing

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet.

When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

The couple had been traveling around the country in their camper van since early July and were visiting Moab, Utah when they got into an altercation, an incident report reveals.
Texas Border Patrol agents have denied whipping migrants and claimed anyone with 'two brain cells' knows they use split reins to control their horses, after images emerged of mounted officers appearing to whip Haitian border crossers.

Agents pushed back against the criticism leveled at them and accused the Biden administration of trying to deflect from its own failings in tackling the migrant crisis.

One unidentified agent told Fox News the outrage over the images shows officials lack 'basic knowledge' of handling horses and that the outrage 'just proves what absolute idiots they are.'

And in a separate interview on Tuesday, National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto insisted the agents were using approved techniques to protect themselves and their horses.

Disturbing photos and video surfaced Sunday appearing to show agents on horseback whipping Haitian migrants with horse reins at the Rio Grande river which connects Mexico and the US.

A Border Patrol officer is swinging what appears to be a lariat while trying to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge Sunday

The devastating images were captures as migrants were trying to return to their encampment from Mexico, where they were buying much-needed supplies

National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto insisted the footage and photos show agents carrying out approved techniques designed to keep both the agents, the horses safe - and the migrants on the ground - safe

But one unidentified agent denied the images depict physical abuse, saying the reins are used as whips - but on horses, not humans.

'With basic knowledge and two brain cells, anyone knows those agents use split reins. They do use them as a whip, on their horses,' the agent said.

'This helps get a quicker response from the horse to move out when needed, especially when the horse may be hesitant with groups of people or other animals.'

The agent voiced frustration that the officials 'in charge' do not understand their roles at the border.

'Again it is clear that those 'in charge,' a term that is disgusting to use, have no clue about our operations and frankly operate by ignorance and unhinged emotions,' they said.

A second agent told Fox the situation is 'blowing up' and that the accusatory response from officials and lawmakers is fueling more anger toward the Biden administration.

'This whole situation is blowing up and even liberals are turning on this administration,' one agent told Fox News.

'[Harris] is placing blame on agents to deflect because she and Biden are not going to change how they are handling this.'

National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto also pushed back against the theory the agents were whipping migrants and insisted the footage and photos show them carrying out approved techniques designed to keep the agents, the horses, and the migrants on the ground safe.

The National Border Patrol Council is the labor union that represents United States Border Patrol agents and support staff.

'They were not whipping anyone. They don't carry whips. They don't get assigned whips,' he told Fox.

'What they do is a training technique that has been shown to them to make sure that no one takes over their horse.

'It was to protect the horse, to protect the rider, and to protect the individual that was trying to cause chaos and knock down that rider from that horse.'

Del Cueto described the process of 'twirl[ing] the reins to protect everything and make sure everything's done correctly.'

He added: 'But nobody was getting whipped, but some members of the media are sure pushing that narrative and our agency and our administration isn't helping much by not saying something about it.'

An agent is seen grabbing a migrant by the shirt in a photo taken near the border Sunday

U.S. border patrol officers cut the way of migrants asylum seekers as they are trying to return to the United States

Migrants crossing the Del Rio river to head back into the US after gathering supplies in Mexico are confronted by Border Patrol officers on horseback

The images sparked outrage from the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris telling reporters Tuesday she was 'deeply troubled' by what she saw.

'What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible,' she said.

'And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there.

'But human beings should never be treated that way. And I'm deeply troubled about it. And I'll also be talking to Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas about it today.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also condemned the actions of the agents, saying the photos are 'horrific.'

The images came to light as around 12,000 Haitians were camped out in squalid conditions under a nearby bride in Del Rio, Texas, this weekend after crossing the border to enter America.

DHS Secretary Mayorkas initially said he saw nothing wrong with the situation Monday and that the agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses.

Mayorkas made the comments as he was in Del Rio on Monday with United States Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.

Ortiz said he made the decision to deploy the mounted agents to 'find out if we had any individuals in distress, and be able to provide information and intelligence as to what the smuggling organizations were doing in and around the river.'

He said he was confident the agents were simply 'trying to control' their horses but would investigate to make sure there were no 'unacceptable actions' by the agents.

But, Mayorkas changed tact hours later, with the DHS releasing a statement Monday night saying it 'does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody, and we take these allegations very seriously.'

'The footage is extremely troubling and the facts learned from the full investigation, which will be conducted swiftly will define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken,'

Vice President Kamala Harris (pictures Tuesday) said she was 'deeply troubled' by what she saw in the video and photos

The statement also said Mayorkas has directed the department's internal oversight office to send personnel to the camp to oversee agents' conduct at all times.

'We are committed to processing migrants in a safe, orderly and humane way,' it said.

'We can and must do this in a way that ensures the safety and dignity of migrants.'

Border agents have been struggling to process the influx of migrants who have crossed the border and set up camp under the Del Rio Port of Entry and the International Bridge in recent days to await processing.

Thousands of mostly Haitian migrants traveled to Texas after Joe Biden issued a temporary pause on deportation flights to the country which is in the grips of turmoil following the assassination of its president in July and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August.

Many have since fled back across the border after Biden said it would ramp up flights to expel the migrants back to Haiti.

Questions are now mounting over the treatment of migrants at the hands of agents at the border following the emergence of the photos and video Sunday night.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the images 'horrific' in her briefing Monday

The video shows agents on horseback, waiting on the US side of the Rio Grande as migrants - some of them families with young children - wade through chest-deep waters trying to cross.

Officers appear to charge their horses toward the migrants carrying food and supplies.

Some of them are swinging their reins, with one clip appearing to show a horse being used to push a migrant back into the water.

In one photo, a mounted agent appears to be grabbing a migrant by the shirt as he tries to flee.

Several Democrats have spoken out against the images, with Psaki saying 'it's obviously horrific'.

'I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context, I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate but I don't have additional details,' she said in her press briefing Monday when asked about the footage.

'I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.'

She added that it was 'horrible to watch.'

Several politicians condemned the Border Patrol agent for his behavior on social media

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the conduct of agents as 'grotesquely inhumane'.

'The images of inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants by Border Patrolincluding the use of whipsare unacceptable,' he tweeted.

They are fleeing violence and natural disaster and seeking protection in our country The Administration must uphold our refugee laws and stop Title 42 deportations.'

Rep. Ilhan Omar referred to the officers' actions as 'human rights abuses' and a 'violation of domestic and international law.'

'These are human rights abuses plain and simple,' she tweeted.

'Cruel, inhumane an a violation of domestic and international law.

'This needs a course correction and the issuance of a clear directive on ow to humanely process asylum seekers at our border.'

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also tweeted: 'It doesn't matter if a Democrat or Republican is president, our immigration system is designed for cruelty towards and dehumanization of immigrants.

'Immigration should not be a crime, and its criminalization is a relatively recent invention,' she continued. 'This is a stain on our country.'
Almost a fifth of people yet to return to the office for work full-time have revealed their biggest concern is about taking a poo at work, new research has found.

A poll of 2,000 adults across the United Kingdom by health startup The Gut Stuff found 18 per cent of those surveyed said going to the toilet was the most worrying part of returning to the office full-time.

More than half (53 per cent) of those polled also said they were more comfortable leaving their place of work to find somewhere else to relive their bowels, with 18 per cent saying they had even gone back to their own home to use their toilet before.

And the issue appears to disproportionately affect women, with 67 per cent of those asked saying they felt uncomfortable using the toilet for a number two at work.

More than a quarter (28pc) said they had used facilities on another floor in the office, while 18 per cent admitted they were willing to hold it in all day.

Lisa and Alana MacFarlane, founders of The Gut Stuff, are urging employers to not turn their noses up at the issue and 'try to help break the loo taboo'.

A poll of 2,000 adults across the United Kingdom by health startup The Gut Stuff found 18 per cent of those surveyed said going to the toilet was the most worrying part of returning to the office full-time [File picture]

Lisa and Alana MacFarlane (pictured above), founders of The Gut Stuff, are urging employers to not turn their noses up at the issue and 'try to help break the loo taboo'

The new research comes amid the raging return to office debate, with experts seemingly divided on the benefits and disadvantages of a hybrid working system in the future.

One recent report indicated almost half of all office workers would quit their jobs if asked to go back to the office five days a week.

Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics shows less than a quarter of UK businesses are willing to accommodate increased home-working in the future.

The number of homeworkers has increased since the start of the pandemic, with the total number of employees working from home office rising from 27 per cent in 2019 to 37 per cent in 2021.

But The Gut Stuff's data indicating almost a fifth of workers worry about returning to the office because of their bowel movements shows the issue may now be expanding to concerns over our 'work-loo' balance.

Lisa and Alana MacFarlane released advice for employers alongside their research, with tips including ensuring toilet paper supplies are well stocked and being prepared to talk about it with colleagues.

They told Refinery29: 'Its so much more than feeling embarrassed  employers have a responsibility to make sure their teams health and wellbeing is supported in the back-to-work transition, and that absolutely includes encouraging people to go, when they need to go.'

'Nobody cares as much as you think they do. Theyre all too busy worrying about themselves, we promise!'

The issue appears to disproportionately affect women, with 67 per cent of those asked saying they felt uncomfortable using the toilet for a number two at work. [File picture]

Medical professionals have coined the term parcopresis or 'shy bowel syndrome', which is defined as the fear of defecating in public places, and suggest it is a surprisingly common phenomenon.

Bottling up that anxiety can adversely affect your health, according to Dr Ben Disney, a consultant gastroenterologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.

He told HuffPost parcopresis 'can impair rectal sensitivity and decrease sphincter strength,' ultimately leading to constipation.

That also has widespread connotations across the country, with a 2020 report by The Bowel Interest finding those suffering with poor bowel health and chronic constipation cost the taxpayer 81million per year in NHS A&E admissions.
A suspect has been arrested over the theft of rosary beads that belonged to Mary Queen of Scots.

Treasures worth more than 1million were taken in the raid on Arundel Castle despite police arriving within minutes of the alarm going off.

Other missing items include gold and silverware and a series of coronation cups.

But the rosary beads, which Mary carried with her to her execution in 1587, were the pride of the collection at the West Sussex castle.

Police carried out eight raids on addresses in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and in Eckington, Worcestershire, where the 45-year-old suspect was seized.

Officers did not say whether any of the stolen treasures had been recovered.

'Our investigation into the Arundel Castle burglary remains live,' said Detective Inspector Alan Pack of Sussex Police. The break-in was on May 21.

A man, 45, has been arrested over the theft of rosary beads that Mary Queen of Scots carried with her to her execution in 1587, were the pride of the collection at the West Sussex castle

Detective Inspector Pack added: 'This action marks a significant step in our enquiries.

'I would encourage anyone with further information about this burglary to contact us and also remind people that the insurers have offered a substantial reward should any of the property be recovered intact.'

The collection, valued at more than 1 million, comprised Mary Queen of Scots' Rosary Beads, seven gold and silver-gilt coronation cups (George II, George III, George IV, William IV, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II), gold Earl Marshal's baton, gold and enamel baton, other miscellaneous items including 10 silver-gilt Apostle Spoons, a silver-gilt casket with hunting and fishing scenes, and a silver-gilt mug.

Police carried out eight raids on addresses in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and in Eckington, Worcestershire, where the 45-year-old suspect was seized. They have not said if the rosary beads have been recovered

A Sussex Police spokesman at the time said: 'The rosary is of little intrinsic value as metal, but as a piece of the Howard family history and the nation's heritage it is irreplaceable.'

Staff were alerted to the break-in at 10.30pm on May 21 after a burglar alarm went off and police were scrambled to the scene.

A 4x4 saloon car was later found burnt out and abandoned.

A spokesman for Arundel Castle Trustees said at the time: 'The stolen items have significant monetary value, but as unique artefacts of the Duke of Norfolk's collection have immeasurably greater and priceless historical importance.

'We therefore urge anyone with information to come forward to the police to assist them in returning these treasures back where they belong.'
Ministers last night struck a taxpayer-funded deal to avert supermarket shortages as business leaders warned that problems remain due to labour shortages.

Soaring gas prices have left energy companies struggling and led to two US-owned fertiliser manufacturing plants shutting down because they cannot operate at a profit.

The Teesside and Cheshire sites, run by CF Industries, supply 60 per cent of Britain's CO2 gas  which is essential for food production and packaging.

CO2 is used for everything from the humane slaughter of chickens and pigs, to putting the fizz in soft drinks and creating packaging that keeps foods fresh.

And it is critical for cooling nuclear reactors and as well as keeping certain medicines and vaccines cold.

Industry leaders had warned that the shortage could bring the entire meat processing system to a halt.

But it is understood that Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday clinched a deal with the factories to resume production from as early as today.

The deal is reportedly set to last three weeks and is worth tens of millions of pounds, according to the BBC.

The CF Fertilisers plant in Billingham, Cleveland, one of two such plants which has been shut down down due to high energy prices

Under the short-term arrangement, the taxpayer will financially support the factories so they can operate again.

Only one plant - the plant in Billingham - will reopen. It is expected to take up to three days to start CO2 production. The company's Cheshire plant remains closed.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) welcomed the resolution of the CO2 crisis, but food industry leaders said problems remain because of a massive shortage of labour, from pickers and packers on farms, to workers in meat processing and delivery drivers.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said: 'It is vital that production at the Cheshire and Stockton-on-Tees plants is restarted as soon as possible, and distributed quickly to food manufacturers in need of it.

'To support this issue, and other supply chain disruption arising in recent weeks, the Government must also find a solution to the shortage of HGV drivers.

'Retailers are helping to train tens of thousands of new British delivery drivers, but the Government must keep its foot on the gas by introducing temporary work visas to allow drivers from abroad to fill the gap and keep our supply chains moving.'

The British Poultry Council's chief executive, Richard Griffiths, said CO2 production should be considered something that is in 'the national interest' and both prioritised and financially supported by the Government to keep food moving.

Director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, Gavin Partington, warned that some shortages are still likely.

'With the likelihood that it may take a few days for production to resume, combined with ongoing HGV driver shortage issues, it's possible that supply of certain products won't be as abundant as usual over the next week or so,' he said.

Kwasi Kwarteng leaves the Business Department in Westminster on Tuesday morning

The president of the National Farmers' Union, Minette Batters, added that 'urgent clarity' is needed on the detail of the agreement to restart the manufacturing plants.

It came as the International Energy Agency (IEA) last night called on Russia to send more gas to Europe to help alleviate the energy crisis, becoming the first major international body to address claims that Moscow has restricted supplies.

The Paris-based group said that while Russia was fulfilling long-term contracts to European customers it was supplying less gas to Europe than before the pandemic.

The group, which advises on energy policy and security, said: 'The IEA believes that Russia could do more to increase gas availability to Europe and ensure storage is filled to adequate levels in preparation for the coming winter heating season.'
Prince Andrew's legal team has finally accepted that he has been correctly served with legal papers by his sex accuser.

It sets him up for a dramatic US court battle with the complainant, Virginia Roberts.

The ninth in line to the throne has conceded 'the inevitable', sources told the Daily Mail, and now has 21 days to respond to her accusations of sexual assault and sexual battery.

But Miss Roberts's attorney, David Boies, also told the Mail last night that he expected the prince's US lawyer, Andrew B Brettler, to apply for a 'reasonable' extension to respond to the complaint  and indicated they would likely agree.

Sources have said that Prince Andrew retains 'every confidence in his legal team and their strategy' in his sexual assault lawsuit

The Duke of York is being urged by friends and aides to ditch his London-based lawyers, according to reports. Pictured: The Duke of York with Virginia Roberts, then 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell in London

Sources have confirmed that they fully expect Andrew's team to embark on that course of action.

But they also warned that the duke intends to 'come out fighting' and use the civil court claim to repudiate Miss Roberts's accusations 'point by point, claim by claim' and, they hope, clear his name.

A second preliminary hearing is due to take place in Manhattan on October 13. Andrew has always strongly denied the accusations.

Last week his lawyer claimed that the legal papers had not been properly served in the UK, after they were left with a policeman at the gate of his Windsor mansion.

For one person to sue another in a civil case, the claimant has to formally present legal papers to the other party to notify them of the action - a process known as a service of proceedings.

However, by earlier this week Miss Roberts's legal team had lodged documents with a court in New York saying they had been able to send papers to Mr Brettler in Los Angeles via FedEx courier and email officially notifying the prince of the case.

The filing said the High Court in London was also informed. Mr Boies  who is widely considered to have 'outwitted' Andrew's London-based legal team at every turn  said: 'Andrew's counsel have agreed that service has been made.

'Theoretically the clock is now ticking. However, it would be normal for them to ask for, and for us to agree to, a reasonable extension of time to respond to the complaint.'

The news comes as sources close to the prince attempted to scotch reports saying Andrew was being urged to ditch his London-based legal team  led by Gary Bloxsome at Blackfords LLP  amid concern about its strategy.

The claim was made following reports that the Duke of York is being urged by friends and aides to ditch his London-based lawyers.

Prince Andrew is seen with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson leaving Windsor on September 7

Ms Roberts' legal team has been trying to serve Andrew with legal papers this month (pictured - they are left in a London postbox)

Concerns have been expressed about the stonewalling strategy of the team  led by Mr Bloxsome  against the explosive allegations.

Virginia Roberts has accused the prince of having sex with her on three occasions when she was 17, knowing she had been trafficked by his close friend, the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has strongly denied the accusations. But many in the princes circle are said to believe the attempts to play a dead bat to the allegations have been both a legal and a PR disaster, allowing Miss Robertss lawyers to outwit and outplay them at every turn.

Her solicitor David Boies has scathingly described their actions as a game of hide and seek behind palace walls.

Even the judge in the case, Lewis Kaplan, made clear his irritation at the delay tactics last week, telling the princes US attorney Andrew B Brettler: Lets cut out all the technicalities and get to the substance.

But a source close to the Duke of York told the Daily Mail yesterday: Irrespective of media reports, the duke retains every confidence in his legal team and their strategy.

Virginia Roberts accused the prince of having sex with her on three occasions when she was 17, knowing she had been trafficked by his close friend, the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

In a car-crash 2019 interview with the BBC, Andrew claimed he had no memory of ever meeting Roberts, now a 38-year-old mother-of-three who lives in Australia and goes by her married name, Virginia Giuffre.

A now-notorious photo, taken inside the London townhouse of Epstein's alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell, shows Andrew smiling for the camera with his arm around Roberts' waist while Maxwell stands in the background.

Andrew's eldest daughter Beatrice gave birth to her first child, a girl weighing 6lb 2oz, on Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Monday.

However, the beleaguered Duke of York is yet to return from Balmoral to meet his new granddaughter, according to reports.

But after yet another disastrous week trying to fight the damning allegations against him, Andrew was spotted putting his right foot forward (for once) by rescuing a dog while attending a reception in an upper storey of the royal residence.

He managed to rush to the aid of the small canine after it became excited at the sounds of the royal security dogs barking below and bolted towards an open window.

Moments before the dog plunged to its doom, the Duke of York rushed to the window and rescued it from peril before cradling the helpless creature in his arms.

Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice at Royal Ascot on June 18, 2019

Beatrice's good news, which comes only seven months after younger daughter Eugenie gave birth to her son August, has already been welcomed by Sarah, Duchess of York.

She is said to have returned from Balmoral on Friday and met her new grandchild over the weekend.

A friend of the duchess told the Mail: 'She's perfect and Sarah is absolutely smitten. She's always very proud of both girls but to have two grandchildren in a year is a total joy.'

The friend suggested that Beatrice's daughter might even have inherited her mother and grandmother's flame-coloured locks, saying: 'She's got a hint of red... and a hint of gold.'

But it seems that Sarah's troubled former husband has not returned with her.
Former United Nations Amb. Nikki Haley said President Joe Biden 'ignored' threats to the United States in his U.N. General Assembly address where he didn't mention Russia or China by name.

'President Biden's speech ignored the reality and seriousness of America's threats and enemies,' Haley told Fox News Tuesday after Biden delivered remarks in New York. 'China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and terrorism, to name a few.'

Haley added that 'under the Trump administration, the world knew where we stood.'

'At the U.N., we took the names of our enemies and had the backs of our allies,' the former South Carolina governor said.

Piggybacking off of former President Donald Trump's campaign nickname for Biden - 'Sleepy Joe' Haley noted, 'With Joe Biden asleep at the switch, our friends don't trust us, and our enemies are rejoicing.'

Former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, captured in the Oval Office in 2018 while serving under former President Donald Trump, was critical of President Joe Biden's General Assembly address

President Joe Biden delivered his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday

In Biden's first address to the U.N. he didn't mention China or Russia by name.

Instead he pledged that the U.S. wasn't interested in starting a new Cold War - something U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he feared would happen between the U.S. and China.

He also knocked 'attempts by stronger countries to dominate weaker ones' - likely a coded reference to Russian aggression toward Ukraine.

'The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges - even if we have intense disagreements in other areas because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19, climate change or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation,' Biden also said.

In a slight to China, Biden name-dropped the country's Xinjiang region - where large numbers of Uyghur Muslims are being kept in detention camps.

'We all must call out and condemn the targeting and oppression of racial, ethnic and religious minorities,' Biden said.

Biden did mention Iran and talk about denuclearization of the Korean peninsula - signaling to Iran and North Korea that the door was open for negotiations.

He spoke about Venezuela as well, listing it among the countries that are thirsting for democracy.

'The truth is, the democratic world is everywhere. It lives in the anti-corruption activists, the human rights defenders, the journalists, the peace protesters. On the front lines of the struggle in Belarus, Burma, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and everywhere in between,' Biden said. 'It lives in the brave women of Sudan, who withstood violence and oppression to push the genocidal dictator from power.'

Biden tried to spin the U.S.'s frenzied pull-out from Afghanistan as a positive.

'I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years the United States not at war. We've turned the page. All the unmatched strength, energy and commitment, will and resources of our nation now fully and squarely focused on what's ahead of us. Not what was behind,' Biden said.

'I know this, as we look ahead, we will lead,' he continued. 'We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time.'

'But we will not go it alone,' Biden added. 'We will lead together with our allies and partners and in cooperation with all those that believe, as we do, that this is within our power to meet these challenges, to build a future that enlists all of our people, [and] preserves this planet.'

He said that by ending 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan the United States was concluding 'this period of relentless war' by 'opening a new era of relentless diplomacy.'

'Today many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms,' Biden said. 'Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants.'

'To fight this pandemic we need a collective act of science and political will,' Biden said.

Biden pushed - after four years of former President Donald Trump's 'America First' policies - that the U.S. would again play ball with multi-state actors, which the ex-president viewed skeptically.

'We're back at the table in international forums, especially the United Nations,' Biden said.

'We are reengaged at the World Health Organization working in close partnership with COVAX to deliver life-saving vaccines around the world,' he continued.

'We rejoined the Paris climate agreement and we're running to retake a seat in the Human Rights Council next year, at the U.N.,' he added.

While Haley may have talked tough on Russia while serving as U.N. ambassador under Trump, the Republican president wasn't particularly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his one term in office.

At a meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Trump sided with Putin when asked if he believed American intelligence or the Russian president on the subject of 2016 election interference.

'President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be,' Trump said.

Trump was also complimentary of China's COVID-19 response before he wasn't.

'China has been working very hard to contain the coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!' Trump tweeted in January 2020.
Advertisement

A coroner in Wyoming has confirmed that a body found on Sunday is that of Gabby Petito, and that her death was a homicide.

The 22-year-old from New York was last seen alive on August 24, checking out of a hotel in Utah during her road trip across the U.S. with boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23.

Laundrie returned to his family home in Florida without her on September 1, and on September 14 police were alerted to his disappearance. He has not been seen since, and remains a 'person of interest' in the case.

On Tuesday night, sources told TMZ that he is viewed by prosecutors as the prime suspect, but they are waiting to see if he is found alive, and if there is evidence that he killed her before charges are filed.

The search for Laundrie in the swampy 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve has ended for the night, police in Florida said on Tuesday evening - adding that they will resume on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the FBI in Denver tweeted: 'Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999.

'Coroner Blue's initial determination for the manner of death is homicide.

'The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results.'

The FBI on Tuesday said that a forensic search of the camping area where her body was found had ended, and appealed for anyone who was in the area from August 27 to August 30 to contact them.

'We extend sincere condolences to Gabbys family, friends, and all the people whose lives she touched,' the FBI said in a statement.

They also added her to the 'seeking information' area of their Most Wanted site, describing Petito as a 'homicide victim'.

Petito's case was being referred to as a criminal investigation by law enforcement for the first time on Tuesday.

'This is an FBI-led criminal investigation and North Port Police are assisting our federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close,' said Josh Taylor, a spokesperson for Florida's North Port Police Department, in a statement.

Laundrie's family issued a five-word statement on Tuesday evening through their lawyer, saying: 'May Gabby Rest In Peace.'

The Petito family said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that they will speak publicly after her body is returned home.

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' road trip. A body believed to be Petito's was found on Sunday and on Tuesday the coroner confirmed it was her. Laundrie has disappeared

Petito's case was added to the 'seeking information' site on Tuesday, with her described as 'homicide victim'

Petito and Laundrie are seen at Monument Rocks in Utah in a post dated July 4

Police were alerted to Gabby's disappearance on September 11 by her mother, Nichole Schmidt.

Schmidt said that she last spoke to her daughter on August 24. She then received two text messages from her phone, but the wording sounded odd and she is unsure if Petito sent them.

The couple had been in contact with police shortly before she vanished.

On August 12, a passerby in Moab, Utah, called police after seeing a man and a woman in a blazing row, physically fighting each other.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

Laundrie and Petito are seen in a photo dated July 29. The pair met at high school on Long Island, New York, and begun dating several years ago

A witness, known only as Christopher, wrote in his statement - obtained by Fox News - that 'they were talking aggressively [at] each other [and] something definitely seemed off.'

He added: 'At one point, they were sort of fighting over a phone  I think the male took the female's phone. It appeared that he didn't want her in the white van.

'I heard her say, 'Why do you have to be so mean?'

He said he saw Petito allegedly 'punching him in the arm' and trying to get inside the vehicle  which was registered in her name. She had been working as a pharmacy technician to save money for the four-month trip.

'From my point of view, something definitely didn't seem right,' Christopher wrote.

'It was as if the guy was trying to leave her, and maybe take her phone? Not sure but wanted to help out.'

Petito and Laundrie were both interviewed by police, and Petito said that Laundrie sometimes hit her.

Melissa Hulls, the visitor and resource protection supervisor at Arches National Park, told Petito that her relationship with Laundrie 'seemed toxic'.

Hulls told Deseret News: 'I was probably more candid with her than I should've been.

'I was imploring with her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life.

'She had a lot of anxiety about being away from him, I honestly thought if anything was going to change it would be after they got home to Florida.'

In the end, Petito stayed with Laundrie.

'This wasn't a good day for anybody. We thought we were making the right decision when we left them.'

A huge manhunt was launched on September 11 to find the missing woman, and police said that they eventually received more than 1,000 tips.

As of Tuesday, the hashtag #GabbyPetito has received more than 650 million views on the social media platform TikTok, according to the Associated Press.

Petito and Laundrie had cultivated a following on social media as the traversed the West in their van, and fellow social media users jumped into the hunt for clues.

The van was spotted in footage made by YouTubers, a TikTok user said that she had given an 'antsy' Laundrie a lift when he was hitchhiking on August 29, and an Idaho woman who owns a shop in the town of Victor said that she had seen the pair around that time.

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

Laundrie and Petito set off on their dream road trip from New York on July 2

The pair had been traveling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

The statement from Brian Laundrie's attorney: 'Many people are wondering why Mr. Laundrie would not make a statement or speak with law enforcement in the face of Ms. Petito's absence. 'In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focus their attention on in cases like this and the warning that 'any statement made will be used against you' is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito's disappearance. 'As such, on the advice of counsel Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on the matter. 'I have been informed that the North Port, Florida police have named Brian Laundrie as a 'person of interest' in this matter. 'This formality has not really changed the circumstances of Mr. Laundrie being the focus of attention of law enforcement and Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel.' Advertisement

Petito's body was located on Sunday at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area.

The camp site is on the edge of the Grand Teton national park, and has views of the stunning mountain range.

Campers are allowed to stay on the undeveloped site, in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Laundrie's whereabouts are now the subject of intense interest.

Petito's family issued a withering statement through their lawyer, Richard Stafford, demanding Laundrie tell police what he knows.

'All of Gabby's family want the world to know that Brian is not missing, he is hiding. Gabby is missing,' they said on Friday.

In a letter, Petito's family implored Laundrie's parents on Thursday to tell them 'where Brian left Gabby.'

Stafford said on Thursday the family was 'devastated.'

Petito is the eldest of six children.

'They're at the point that desperation has turned to anger,' Stafford said during a news conference.

'They know that the Laundries know where their daughter is, and they will not tell them. That's infuriating.'

His car has been recovered, abandoned, from the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida. The Mustang had a note on it asking for the car to be removed.

Police on Monday said they had 'exhausted all avenues in searching of the grounds there,' but are still looking for Laundrie.

Carlton Reserve is described by locals as swampy, alligator-filled, and full of snakes and mosquitoes.

Yet despite their statement suggesting the search was done, they continued to scour the area.

On Tuesday evening they tweeted: 'Search of the Carlton & nearby lands concluded for the evening. Nothing of note. The current plan is to return Wednesday with a similar operation.'

On Tuesday the teams were searching the Venice sector of the reserve. It was unclear why they chose that particular site to hone in on.

Police were also investigating a possible sighting of him on Tuesday, after someone baring a resemblance was spotted in a wooded area 500 miles from his Florida home.

The photo image provided to police by Bass shows a man with a backpack as he is walking through the woods. The man appears to have the same physical features as Laundrie, including a slim build and a bald head

'I'm not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie, authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area be on the look out,' Bass wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday

The alleged sighting took place some 500 miles from Laundrie's North Port, Florida home. North Port Police on Tuesday resumed a search for Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve, a swampy region where he is last believed to have visited before his disappearance last week

Sam Bass told police that he spotted a man while he set up his deer camera in the wilderness in Baker, Florida in Okaloosa County early on Monday morning.

But the local sheriff's office said that it followed up on the report and 'no one - and nothing - of note was located.'

'The OCSO did its due diligence in response to this report and is wrapping up an extensive search that took place in this area to include nearby farmlands,' the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

'No one - and nothing - of note was located. The individual referenced in the post below has no known ties to our area.'

The photo image provided to police by Bass shows a man with a backpack as he is walking through the woods in the Florida Panhandle.

The man appears to have the same physical features as Laundrie, including a slim build and a bald head.

More than 50 searchers from at least eight law enforcement agencies led by the FBI are using huge swamp-busting amphibious vehicles, ATVs, bloodhounds, other K9s and drones as they ramp up efforts to track down the 23-year-old.

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, announced that at the request of local law enforcement, he had 'directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby'.

Police in North Port, Florida - who are facing criticism for allowing Laundrie to disappear - issued a statement last week defending themselves.

'We understand the community's frustration. We are frustrated too,' the department said in a tweet.

'For six days, the North Port police department and the FBI have been pleading with the family to contact investigators regarding Brian's fiancee Gabby Petito.

'Friday is the first time they have spoken with investigators in detail.

'It is important to note that while Brian is a person of interest in Gabby's disappearance, he is not wanted for a crime. We are not currently working a crime investigation. We are now working a multiple missing persons investigation.'

John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted, told CNN on Tuesday he wanted to know whether Laundrie was ever inside his parents' house, and asking whether it was possible that the Carlton Reserve story was all part of an elaborate plot to allow the 23-year-old to escape.

Laundrie's father Christopher Laundrie broke cover for the first time Tuesday - but refused to answer questions about his missing son.

The 62-year-old is seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos walking out onto his driveway around 3pm, a day after the FBI raid on the North Port, Florida home he shares with wife Roberta, 55.

Brian Laundrie's father Christopher Laundrie made a rare foray into town on Tuesday, one day after the FBI raided the North Port, Florida home he shares with his wife Roberta

Laundrie, who was dressed in khaki shorts and a black top, strode out to his red Dodge Ram pick-up truck and drove past the police presence outside his home before returning 20 minutes later with half a gallon of milk

Dressed in khaki shorts and a black top, Laundrie strode out to his red Dodge Ram pick-up truck and drove past the continued police presence outside his home.

He returned 20 minutes later with half a gallon of milk and quickly disappeared back into the house.

The Laundrie residence has become somewhat of a media circus.

Christopher and Roberta Laundrie told police on September 17 that their son had told them three days earlier he was going for a hike, and never returned.

In the early days of the investigation, they refused to speak to investigators and their son hired a lawyer.

The attorney, Steven Bertolino, was planning to hold a press conference from Long Island, New York, at 1 pm. on Tuesday.

He canceled the press conference on Monday night after discussions with the FBI.

On Tuesday photos obtained by The New York Post showed the inside of Laundrie's bedroom.

The wanted man appeared to have a gun in his bedroom, and displayed a poster of dark figures with hammers and spheres violently attacking other.

The three bedroom, two bath 1,448 square feet home has belonged to the family since 2015, and comes with a small pool in the backyard.

The family, which has a history of buying and selling properties, bought the home for $120,000 and two years later attempted to list it for $215,000, with a price reduction a month later.

The Laundries took the home back off the market shortly after, in January 2018, the paper said.
President Biden insists a criminal case over the death of Harry Dunn is 'being worked on', after the tragic teenager's family settled in their civil court battle with the US spy wanted for killing him.

Sat next to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office, the US president told reporters the case against Anne Sacoolas was progressing.

'I was under the impression there had been a civil settlement reached, but I don't know that, based on what I've been told it was not an intentional act.

'It was someone who's new... driving down the wrong side of the road, quote unquote. But I will follow up on that.'

Mr Johnson said that Joe Biden has been 'personally trying to move things along' in the Anne Sacoolas case.

The Prime Minister said: 'I know that the president has been personally trying to move things along, and I'm grateful for that.'

Sat next to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Oval Office, the US president told reporters the case against Anne Sacoolas was progressing

The 19-year-old was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike outside a US military base in Northamptonshire on August 27, 2019

It comes after Harry's parents reached a 'resolution' on Tuesday in their US damages claim against his alleged killer.

Sacoolas and her husband Jonathan, both reported to be former CIA agents, were due to give evidence under oath as part of the civil case.

The claim, being heard in the state of Virginia, had unearthed material surrounding their secretive State Department roles. But yesterday's agreement, for an undisclosed fee, has prevented further disclosure  fuelling speculation that the US government might have intervened.

Radd Seiger, the Dunn family's spokesman, said the deal meant their attention would turn to the criminal case in the UK. He called the agreement a 'real milestone' but said there was 'much work left to be done' to secure justice for Harry.

Sacoolas has been charged with causing the 19-year-old's death by dangerous driving following the fatal crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019.

Her car was allegedly turning out of the base, where her husband worked as a US intelligence officer, when it struck Harry's motorcycle.

She was able to leave the UK after the Trump administration underwrote her diplomatic immunity.

The couple's status in the UK was the subject of a fierce diplomatic row when Washington refused Britain's demands to extradite Sacoolas to the UK to face justice.

As part of the civil damages claim, the Virginia court heard the pair left the UK for 'security reasons' and that their intelligence roles were a factor in their departure.

The financial settlement has caused suspicions that the US government may have intervened to prevent the release of further revelations about the couple's roles.

Sacoolas has been charged with causing the 19-year-old's death by dangerous driving following the fatal crash

Mr Seiger said: 'We have been made aware that the US government made no secret of their displeasure at the British Government's backing of Harry's family in bringing the claim.'

The lawyer would not declare how much the Dunn family was paid, nor whether the US government had made a contribution. Sacoolas's lawyers had previously offered to pay some degree of compensation.

Her lawyer John McGavin made the offer in US court documents but stated that it must be 'limited to funeral expenses'. He added that there was 'no plausible civil claim for dependency damages'.

Mr Seiger, commenting on the agreement yesterday, said: 'It has come as some considerable relief to them that a resolution to the civil claim has been now been reached successfully between the parties and they can put this part of the campaign behind them.'

He said the mental health of Harry's parents was at an 'all time low', adding: 'The family feel they can now turn their attention to the criminal case and the long-awaited inquest into Harry's death which will follow the criminal case.'

Lawyers acting on behalf of Sacoolas have been approached for comment.
Well, they call it the river round here but it isnt much more than a big stream. Afon is the Welsh name. That means river, too. (Avon, Stour or even Humber  our rivers have the most ancient names in our country, and they nearly all just mean river.)

Afon rises in a bog, fed by a few springs. After a big rain, it rushes down the inside range of the high garns, the hills that define this stretch of the Pembrokeshire coast near Strumble Head, towards our farm. It has little more than two miles to go until it reaches the glorious beach at Aberbach.

Insignificant this beck may seem, but only half a mile downriver from the source, just by the chapel in the hamlet of Harmony, there is already enough water for someone to have built a set of steps going down into it. When I first saw them, I thought it an odd place to launch a boat, but these are baptismal stairs. Dear Olwen, my neighbour, was once washed of her sins at this very spot.

She wouldnt want to be ducked in the water now. It is stinking of excrement, and horrible with dead things.

Jonny, who helps look after the place, rang me two Fridays ago when I was travelling down to the tiny farm in Trehilyn, near Trefasser, which I first saw 17 years ago and bought on impulse at an auction a few weeks later.

I discovered some effluent in the river today, he said. The mill pond was rancid. Green filth in the ford. Horrible mess. Looks like farmyard slurry to me. Have a look in the morning. Hope it hasnt killed the fish.

Griff Rhys Jones (pictured at his mill pond in Pembrokeshire) is custodian of a stretch of rural Welsh river that was home to magical rare species of fish  until they were wiped out, apparently by an intensive farming slurry spill

I didnt make much of this. It was a farm issue. I dont farm. Too hard for me. In this distinctive, wind-driven landscape of Pembrokeshire, we are surrounded by dedicated men and women who do this difficult, all-day, all-weather, all-year job. And it has a dirty side to it. Surely, we have to accept that?

We have cattle and sheep on the land. Our neighbour Alun looks after them. I am really only a custodian here. I came to restore the buildings. They were derelict and beyond use for modern farming practices.

At that time, they were in danger of joining the many abandoned farmsteads around this part of far west Wales. Smallholdings become untenable and supermarket prices force farmers into greater intensive practices on larger, amalgamated properties.

But I wanted to preserve the fascinating stone buildings left behind. I have spent 15 years doing so: leaving the good fields to the tenant farmer and bringing the less accessible back to nature with acres of tree-planting and meadow management.

I reckon that 200 years ago, five families would have worked these 90 acres. Today, six families can stay there, including in a mill and a mill owners house we rent out.

Our mill sits just beside this little river. It is one of five mills that once worked the renewable power of the water on this tiny stream. And now, apparently, there had been some spill.

When I arrived, I didnt need to look  I could smell the trouble. It took a little time to realise that Jonnys hope was unfounded. Far from a simple farming accident, this was a disaster.

Those fish were dead all right. A heron flapped off as I walked to the ford. I suspect it had been gorging on the bloated bodies. I worried for it.

I went straight along to the nearby mill pond. We are in the process of clearing the invasive bullrush (for the second time). I found more of these delicately marked sewin, or sea trout, floating belly up. They were all dead. I had hardly expected such carnage. The slurry had deoxygenated the entire lake. How much of this muck had been washed in?

Nobody brought these poor fish here. They found their own way up this rivulet to spawn. The pond had been full of them. Only a few weeks before, a local wildlife enthusiast, Vaughan Thomas, had watched the crystal-clear water boil. They were jumping to catch flies.

I found more of these delicately marked sewin, or sea trout, (pictured) floating belly up. They were all dead. I had hardly expected such carnage. The slurry had deoxygenated the entire lake. How much of this muck had been washed in?

Ive never seen anything like it, he told me. These are rare, rare gene pools surviving from the Ice Age. I could count 25 from where I sat.

But what really got to me were the eels. As we searched the shallows, trying to collect a sample of the foetid water in a used plastic bottle, we found three pathetic, sleek, silvery bodies lodged against stones on the riverbed.

I laid them out on the grass and photographed them.

I had never seen this protected species here before. They are rapidly becoming a worldwide rarity. In the past 40 years, the number of eels arriving in Europe has fallen by around 95 per cent.

Once, barrels of eels were sent by the people of the Fens in the form of tithes to the Bishop of Ely, the town of eels. I interviewed the last eel catcher in Britain, who gave up his craft five years ago. His trade, which had stretched back 3,000 years, is now completely gone.

There are no more eels in the town of eels. Overfishing and pollution have killed them all.

I was startled to find that they had been here at the head of my river in Pembrokeshire. More than anything else, their loss proved to me what a disaster this really was. We had lost something miraculous and unique that had survived in our tiny upland stream.

The fields of Trehilyn straddle the river for about half a mile. I cant tell how many other fish or species were killed further down. I was overwhelmed by how quickly and how devastatingly the poison took effect. It seemed to have wiped out the entire eco-system.

Many years ago, I wanted to try to create a walk along the rivers tiny valley through what are largely wind-whipped, bare fields. Peter, my tenant then, had helped me fence it off, explaining patiently to this city-slicker that the sheep and the cattle would still require some access to its vital water. I planted trees. We had created, as a national park officer admiringly informed us only this year, our own nature corridor  that fashionable preserve that grants and policies and instructions are currently trying to encourage.

As I walked along its devastated length that weekend, I found myself struck by the paradox of all this. What is the point of organic farming and hedgerow policies on the one hand, if we are unable to control the excesses that can destroy it in an instant on the other?

This certainly seemed to be a slurry incident. A big spill into the watercourse, but it definitely hadnt come from our fields.

Alun raises beef cattle and sheep. Slurry is the by-product of extensive dairy farming.

Large herds of cows are producing lagoons of cattle poo. It collects in pits and sumps and lakes until it starts to overflow.

There has been endless talk and rumour. Someone is supposed to have been off-loading tankers of the stuff nearby. There is new legislation due, which might have encouraged some illicit dumping. Perhaps a full tanker just dumped what it had left over. Or maybe it wasnt slurry at all but an overflowing human cesspit  theres one just up the other tributary  although that would have been a tell-tale grey colour, not putrid green. Alas, it remains a mystery.

By Monday, of course, I was burning with righteous indignation. I visited the Environment Agencys website. Its not their responsibility, apparently. But I posted the grid reference and the pictures anyway. Their message instructed me to phone Natural Resources Wales and I did so.

The fields of Trehilyn straddle the river for about half a mile. I cant tell how many other fish or species were killed further down. I was overwhelmed by how quickly and how devastatingly the poison took effect. It seemed to have wiped out the entire eco-system. Pictured: Rhys Jones' remote farm

I got a recorded message. Several times. I left one of my messages with that grid reference again, and my numbers and my email. I have been told now that the message was not recorded. The phone system was at fault in some way. Not very good for a first response unit, as a member of their staff later apologised.

I alerted everybody, including Ian, a local park ranger, who did get through to them. By now, it was Wednesday. A representative of Natural Resources Wales came down that evening. He was a friend of Ians. He lived locally. This was not his patch but he would have a look around.

He was sympathetic but not encouraging. My samples were no good. They were not taken under scientific conditions. My call was a bit late. The damage had happened a couple of days before.

Proper samples would need to be taken nearer the spill anyway. Where was that? Who knew? They have to catch the offender red-handed really.

What this decent man was telling me was that prosecution is difficult.

Spreading slurry on fields should not be discouraged. It is an organically sound practice. Its better than a chemical fertiliser. It has to be done ten metres from a water course. Monitoring this is complicated.

Small farmers struggle. Some big farmers see the fines as little more than an inconvenient tax when a new pit can cost hundreds of thousands. Natural Resources Wales have visited all the dairy farmers in Wales to try to help. They are a small unit struggling against a growing lake of cow poo.

My guess is that they darent risk their limited resources pursuing prosecutions on the sort of flimsy hearsay evidence that I could provide. By the nature of it, this sort of crime is washed downstream to reappear after the actual event.

And we cant just point the fingers at farmers. We want milk. Farmers struggle as it is. Better than the stick might be the sensible carrot.

This muck could be brass. But there needs to be a big incentive to turn it into a proper saleable fertiliser product. And how about its possibilities as fuel?

I have long believed that we might divert some of those scientists who spend so much time predicting doom and woe into technicians finding better solutions to our problems. And the problem does need sorting. Its not just farms. Road run-off, oil spills and human waste from cesspits get straight into the natural water courses. Landfill can leach liquids. The next river down, the Western Cleddau, is apparently poisoned from landfill near Rudbaxton.

Vaughan Thomas is convinced that the whole river system in this, our totally rural paradise, is under siege. Just above nearby St Catherines Bridge, a small stream enters the main river and in heavy rain it runs constantly grey. This has been reported many times over the past five years, but still it carries on.

Brandy Brook is a small stream that runs into the famous Newgale Beach. It had a very healthy population of wild trout. No longer. There was a massive spill from a cesspit which not only killed all the fish, it also completely covered the beach with raw sewage.

The stream at Abercastle has been void of fish for many years thanks to slurry spills. The River Alun in St Davids was polluted with farming waste, causing huge fatalities of fish. And so on and so on. There are a few pockets of trout left. The Alun might possibly recover. Cartlett Brook in Haverfordwest, however, is now void of fish owing to constant pollution from domestic and farming waste. These depletions all happened within a few miles of Trehilyn. Most of it is taking place within one of the most wonderful national parks in Britain.

But it is everywhere else, too. Human waste and the slurry from intensive farming is swilling into our major rivers. It has been reported by The Rivers Trust that only 14 per cent of our rivers meet clean water standards.

In a big river, there is some hope that the waters will wash the offence away, but when the feeder tributaries, the little brooks and streams, the tarns and the becks themselves are poisoned, what hope do we have for regeneration? The eels made a crazily difficult journey up our river seeking their spawning grounds. How can we be so careless of their existence and chances?

Fifteen years ago, I helped a lave-net fisherman catch a salmon in the shallows of the Severn using nothing more than a hand net. His family had worked the river for centuries, but I learned then that the largest catch ever made had been in the 1970s. Now, the catch has dwindled to almost nothing and lave fishing has been banned  even though it is not the reason for the decline.

I feel ashamed. This has happened in my adult lifetime. I am part of a community who knows what is what. Were not like whalers or cod fishermen in the 19th century who thought the worlds resources were inexhaustible.

Fashionable TV series may wallow in their brutal historic ruthlessness, as if we are more morally upright today, but we know the effects of greed and carelessness. We know we have to exercise self-control if we want our natural world to survive. We have absolutely no excuse.

We ought to be doing more. But even as we loudly trumpet organic farming and rewilding and eco-policy and natural virtues from all sides and in every magazine, we are actively getting worse.

People do care. I put the pictures you see here on social media. I am only on Instagram, but the response was astonishing. The offers of help and instruction poured in.

Some reported incidents in their own streams. Some had had good and effective support. Many lamented. Many were outraged. Dozens demanded swift retribution. I have had callers at the door. I was frankly amazed by what a storm was stirred up in these murky waters.

It is clear we have the will. How are we going to take action? This is our planet now.
Daniel Andrews has blasted violent protesters who caused chaos in Melbourne as police vowed to use new tactics to fight back with more carnage expected on Wednesday.

About 2,000 tradesmen and anti-vaccination and freedom campaigners rampaged through the city for ten hours on Tuesday to demonstrate against a two-week shutdown of the construction industry imposed due to rising Covid cases.

Police - who were caught short by the hastily organised protest - said 62 people have been arrested after footage showed violent thugs attacking police by throwing cans or punching them in the street.

Daniel Andrews has blasted violent anti-vaccination protesters in Melbourne who took the city by storm on Tuesday

The protesters have been communicating using encrypted messaging app Telegram (above are their messages). Police say they have no obvious leader, making discussions difficult

Mr Andrews said the actions were an 'insult' to the majority of law-abiding tradies and said the protesters were not just builders but also far-right freedom and anti-vaxx protesters.

'Can I say at the outset that the ugly scenes that we saw yesterday are not only appalling, they're unlawful. Victoria Police will take action against those who did the wrong thing yesterday,' Mr Andrews said in his first public appearance since the protests.

'I think there were some people there who you would say were from the building industry.

'There were others who were not from the building industry. They're not there to protests, they're there for a fight, pretend to be protesting. They're from many different backgrounds.

Poll SHOULD COPS TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE ON THE ANTI-VAXX PROTESTERS? Yes No SHOULD COPS TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE ON THE ANTI-VAXX PROTESTERS? Yes 1222 votes

No 974 votes Now share your opinion





'What offends me is not only is the conduct, but in my job, over many years, I have met hundreds and thousands of builders, hundreds and thousands of tradies who build this state, whether it be removing level crossings, building hospitals and schools, all the way through to building homes, they're fine people, hardworking people, and what we saw yesterday is an insult, an insult, to the vast, vast majority of tradies or people in the building industry who are not about wrecking, they're about building,' he said.

Mr Andrews defended his construction ban saying there were more than 350 Covid cases linked to the industry, more than in Victoria's aged care sector.

He also said mandatory vaccination orders for the industry would not be removed.

Ahead of more expected protests on Wednesday, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Shane Patton said officers would employ 'different' tactics and have more boots on the ground - but refused to reveal operational details.

'Victoria Police have planned, we have significant tactics in place, we will be agile in our response, we will be very swift in our response an conduct, as we've seen yesterday, and the previous day, will not be tolerated,' he said.

Police sources have told Daily Mail Australia that officers are on high alert for protesters carrying weapons, with fears nail guns could be used against police.

It is understood the Australian Defence Force has also been alerted should police need back-up.

Thousands of angry anti-vaxx protesters have vowed to march on Melbourne's streets 'every day' this week 'until demands are met' as part of a violent crusade sparked by mandatory coronavirus vaccinations on job sites.

Their demands include the immediate end of lockdown, the mass distribution of unproven drug invermectin to treat Covid and the removal of a law requiring construction workers to be vaccinated by Friday.

The protesters have been communicating using encrypted messaging app Telegram. Police say they have no obvious leader, making discussions difficult.

Riot cops are expected to be armed with rubber bullets, pepper balls and stinger grenades ready to take on the mob 'head on'.

Mr Andrews' condemnation of the protesters came after he copped criticism for 'hiding' from the cameras on Tuesday, only issuing a meekly-worded statement issued later on Tuesday evening.

Victoria's police chief has warned next time 'things will be different' with riot cops ready to take on the mob 'head on' (pictured, riot police pictured at the Melbourne protest on Tuesday)

About 2,000 angry protesters took to the streets (pictured on Tuesday) to oppose mandatory Covid vaccinations on work sites - with unions insisting many weren't tradies but 'far-right opportunists'

Thousands of angry tradies have vowed to march on Melbourne's streets 'every day' as part of their violent crusade against Covid vaccinations (pictured, a post promoting more days of unrest)

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Tensions have been brewing for months within the construction industry with a significant contingent of workers vehemently opposed to the jab requirement.

That resentment exploded this week with hi-vis-wearing anti-vaxx demonstrators hurling projectiles at the CFMEU headquarters on Monday, before taking over the entire city on Tuesday.

A rudderless mob of up to 2,000 stormed across the CBD for more than seven hours clashing with police, lighting flares, hurling rocks and in one case even assaulting a Channel 7 news reporter by throwing urine on him.

The out-of-control group even scaled the West Gate Bridge shutting down traffic and jumping on cars as terrified bystanders including children watched on in fear from inside their surrounded vehicles.

'This was a very large and very, very angry group. Crowds like this, they're for cowards,' Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton said.

'Cowards who seek to hide their identity to do other things that if they were by themselves they wouldn't have the courage to do.

'I can't imagine what it would have been like to be a citizen in your car . how scary that would have been.'

An online poster created by rally organisers declares the 'Victorian Workers Rally for Freedom' will continue 'every day' from 10am outside the head office of the CFMEU until their 'no vaccine mandate' demand is met.

But Commissioner Patton has promised that police will be ready to unleash a range of new counter measures on Wednesday, setting the scene for a fiery showdown.

'I'm not going to disclose what our tactics will be but they will be different,' he said.

'This is utter criminal conduct they've been involved in. You cannot come in and break the law. We will hold you to account.'

The out-of-control group even scaled the West Gate Bridge (pictured on Tuesday) shutting down traffic and jumping on cars as terrified bystanders including children watched on in fear from inside their surrounded vehicles

A police officer receives treatment during a protest by construction workers and demonstrators against Covid-19 regulations in Melbourne (pictured on Tuesday)

A demonstrator is sent flying backwards off his bike as scenes turned ugly at the anti-vaxx protest (pictured on Tuesday)

Riot cops armed with rubber bullets, pepper balls and stinger grenades are pictured at the protest - with 'new tactics' to control the crowds set to be brought in on Wednesday

DAN ANDREWS' SOFTLY-WORDED RESPONCE TO RIOTS 'There is no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days. 'Acts of violence and disruption won't result in one less case of Covid - in fact it only helps the virus to spread. 'Thank you to the brave men and women of Victoria Police for their work today - and every day - to keep our community safe. 'We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way. 'For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts. 'We have come too far to turn back now. 'Please spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe. 'The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital. 'Its as simple as that.' Advertisement

Although more than 500 officers were deployed on Tuesday with the assistance of police air wing helicopters, the police chief said it was 'really challenging for us' because of the 'spontaneity and tactics they employed throughout the day'.

Three officers were injured in the chaos along with veteran journalist Paul Dowsley who had a can thrown at the back of his head, was doused with urine and grabbed around the throat.

There were just 62 protesters arrested, but police have vowed to scour CCTV and social media footage in order to bring more arrests in the coming days and weeks.

'They seem to be intent on random violence,' Commissioner Patton said.

'It's clear this was not a protest, this was at times an affray.

'When you've got a couple of thousands of people traipsing around town  throwing bottles, throwing lit flares it defies logic for anyone to respond to that  and control the (crowd).'

Premier Andrews backed up the state's top cop in a brief statement posted to Twitter at 8:41pm, saying there is 'no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days'.

But he failed to reference the damage or injuries suffered by police officers, instead imploring protesters to 'think of their fellow Victorians'.

'We know vaccinations are our only ticket out of this pandemic. There is no other way,' he said.

'For those who think violence is the answer, I ask that you think of your fellow Victorians - doing the right thing over many months, following the advice of our health experts.'

The embattled state leader pleaded with protesters to 'spare a thought for our healthcare workers who are working such long hours looking after patients, many who are struggling to breathe.'

'The more of us who get vaccinated, the fewer of us who will end up in hospital,' he said. 'It's as simple as that.'

A large contingent of police line up on the West Gate Bridge (pictured on Tuesday afternoon) as the angry mob approaches

A rudderless mob of up to 2000 stormed across the CBD for more than seven hours clashing with police (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

Demonstrators also lit flares, hurled rocks and in one case even assaulting a Channel 7 news reporter by throwing urine on him (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

For many the softly-worded statement did not go far enough to condemn the mob, which the CFMEU claimed was fuelled by 'neo-Nazis' and 'conspiracy theorists' - not its own members.

Construction industry workers in Victoria have been furious over Covid compliance measures enforced on their industry.

Of the state's 6,000 active Covid cases, 403 are directly linked to 186 construction sites - with health officials fearing the industry is not taking the deadly virus seriously.

Police with crowd control shields force back demonstrators during the clashes as the situation became increasingly violent on Tuesday (pictured)

A demonstrator in wrestled to the ground by officers (pictured in Melbourne on Tuesday), but just 62 arrests were made out of 2,000 who attended

MELBOURNE ANTI-VAXXER PROTESTERS' LIST OF DEMANDS 1. Emergency state powers to be removed immediately 2. Lockdowns to end immediately 3. Mask mandate to end immediately 4. Vaccine mandates to end immediately 5. Vaccine passport to be removed 6. Immediate resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews 7. Immediate resignation of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton 8. Immediate resignation of Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton 9. Royal commission into government's response to pandemic 10. Charges laid against officers for 'assaulting peaceful protesters' 11. All construction sites to resume immediately. 12. Mass distribution of invermectin, vitamins C, D, and zinc Advertisement

Last week, in an attempt to stop the virus spreading on work sites, lunch rooms were shut down prompting scores of Melbourne tradies to block off busy roads with barbecues and outdoor furniture.

The impromptu protest was not well received by the broader public as the building industry has been largely able to continue operating during Victoria's lockdowns while other sectors have been forced to close.

After about 1,000 riled-up workers stormed the CFMEU head office in Melbourne on Monday, breaking stay-at-home orders, Mr Andrews declared all job sites would be shut down for two weeks.

Furious tradies in the aftermath then organised Tuesday's protest on encrypted apps such as Telegram - popular with right-wing extremists and conspiracy groups.

The platform played a key role in the US Capitol insurrection back in January where tens of thousands of Trump supporters entered Congress bringing Washington to a standstill.

At Tuesday's demonstrations several were bizarrely seen waving Trump flags as they marched with the violent horde.

Union leaders have dubiously claimed the mob are mostly made up of 'fake tradies' and have little to do with the construction sector (pictured, protesters on Tuesday)

Construction industry workers in Victoria have been furious over Covid compliance measures enforced on their industry (pictured, crowds storming West Gate Bridge on Tuesday)

Union leaders have dubiously claimed the mob are mostly made up of 'fake tradies' and have little to do with the construction sector.

Federal member for Maribyrnong and former Australian Workers' Union boss Bill Shorten told the Today show the rowdy mob is just a 'Nazi rent-a-crowd' who got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoody from the 'Reject Shop'.

CFMEU boss John Setka labelled the majority of protesters 'man-baby Nazis' and ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said the unions have been 'infiltrated'.

But senior figures within the CFMEU say although far-right agitators and anti-vaxxers have exploited the situation, about '80 to 90 per cent' of the demonstrators were construction workers, The Age reported.

The sources also added that the once militant left wing union has seen a cultural shift take place among some of its members, with a growing number identifying with fringe right-wing ideologies.
Advertisement

A stunning selection of photographs captured last night's Harvest Moon in all its glory, as the Earth's natural satellite lit up skies around the world.

This is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox - the moment the sun appears to cross over the celestial equator - on September 22.

In the UK, the full moon rose at 19:23 BST and set at 06:52 BST early this morning, but the spectacle will appear full and bright for the next two nights.

On average, the moon rises 50 minutes later than sunset each day, but when it is an equinox moon, it can rise as little as 25 minutes after sunset.

The September full moon was named Harvest Moon in the 1700s when farmers depended on the glow of moonlight to harvest crops late at night.

The Harvest Moon rises earlier, sets later and in some very northerly latitudes like Alaska, can remain full and bright for up to a week.

A photographer snapped a star-struck couple gazing at the full moon over an ancient stone circle on the Isle of Lewis

The Harvest Moon rises behind midtown Manhattan, One Vanderbilt, the Chrysler Building, the Spiral, Hudson Yards and the Empire State Building as the sun sets in New York City

The full moon is seen from Tokyos Roppongi district. This is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox - the moment the sun appears to cross over the celestial equator - on September 22

SHINE ON HARVEST MOON: WHAT IS THE EQUINOX MOON? The Harvest Moon is the first full moon that takes place close to the autumn equinox, happening up to two weeks either side of the annual event. It derived its name because farmers are able to use the moonlight to work late into the night under moonlight. Normally a full moon rises about 50 minutes after sunset and sets about 50 minutes before sunrise. For a Harvest Moon this can be as little as 20 minutes before or after, depending on how far north you are. Advertisement

Unlike other moon names, the Harvest Moon isn't tied to a specific month. Whilst it is usually in September, it can also occur in October.

According to NASA, farmers used the light of the full moon closest to the equinox to extend their workday beyond sunset before electric light was invented.

'It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market.

'The full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox became "the Harvest Moon," and it was always a welcome sight,' the US space agency explained.

'The term became further entrenched in popular culture thanks to a 1903 pop tune called "Shine on Harvest Moon".'

The Harvest Moon can occur any time from a fortnight before, to a fortnight after the autumn equinox and is either the last full moon of summer, or the first full moon of autumn.

This is the fourth full moon of summer this year, and will peak before the equinox actually happens, making it a summer moon.

In the southern hemisphere it is the fourth full moon of the winter, known as a worm moon - in the winter the Harvest Moon happens in March.

In one of the images of the 2021 Harvest Moon, a photographer snapped a star-struck couple gazing at the spectacle as it rose over an ancient stone circle on the Isle of Lewis.

The full moon sets behind the hills of the Taunus region near Wehrheim, Germany. According to NASA used the light of the full moon closest to the equinox to extend their workday beyond sunset before electric light was invented

The Harvest Moon, also known as the Corn Moon, is seen behind Boston Light as it rises in Boston, Massachusetts, US

The Harvest Moon is seen with the Presidential Complex, in Ankara, Turkey. The Harvest Moon can occur any time from a fortnight before, to a fortnight after the autumn equinox and is either the last full moon of summer, or the first full moon of autumn

Grant Jones, 50, lives on the Hebridean island and usually takes landscape photos, but was out during moonrise and snapped the shot on Sunday - just before the moon reached its full peak.

He got married at the stone circle, Callanish, in 2014, so took delight in watching a 'loved-up couple' walking through the stone circle arm in arm.

'It was twilight, it was getting dark. I knew the moon would be rising. They came into the stones and they appeared transfixed by the moon. It made a lovely image.'

The Harvest Moon got its name from the ability farmers had to use the extra light to harvest their crops until the early hours - long after sunset.

The full Harvest Moon rises behind the top of the antenna on One World Trade Center in New York City. This is the fourth full moon of summer this year, and will peak before the equinox actually happens, making it a summer moon

The full moon sets behind the hills of the Taunus region near Wehrheim, Germany. On average, the moon rises 50 minutes later than sunset each day, but when it is an equinox moon, it can rise as little as 25 minutes after sunset

Stunning images of the Harvest Moon have been captured from around the world, including in the UK over Birmingham (left) and the Isle of Wight (right)

The Harvest Moon sets behind the Statue of Liberty before sunrise. The September full moon was named Harvest Moon in the 1700s when farmers depended on the glow of moonlight to harvest crops late at night

A full moon, also known as the 'Harvest Moon' is seen over the Hanoi skyline at dawn on September 21, 2021

The Harvest Moon rises earlier, sets later and in some very northerly latitudes like Alaska, can remain full and bright for up to a week, often appearing bigger because people tend to view it closer to sunrise, as with this image from Boston, US

It provides dusk-til-dawn moonlight for several evenings in a row, making harvest time easier, and longer, for farmers - rising 30 minutes after sunset instead of the usual 50 for other moons, due to the equinox.

According to EarthSky: 'For very high northern latitudes, there's even less time between successive moonrises.

'The farther north you live, the greater the Harvest Moon effect. For instance, at Anchorage, Alaska the moon will rise at nearly the same time for a week!'

Swimmers took to the sea to swim under the Harvest Moon in Swanpool Beach, Falmouth, to mark the equinox

The full harvest moon rises Monday, September 20, 2021, as viewed from Olympia, Washington. The moon is the last full moon before the autumn equinox, which will take place Wednesday

While the Harvest Moon is no closer, and no different to the average full moon, many people view it soon after sunset, at a time when all full moons appear more orange.

TV presenter, author and world-class astronomer Mark Thompson said the best time to view a full moon was just after sunset as the gas and dust in the atmosphere will turn it an 'eerie orange colour'.

'To successfully capture lunar close-ups, a long lens is a must. Aspiring photographers should check out these expert tips from Canon for more advice,' he advised.

It can be a spectacular sight, although isn't actually any larger, brighter or more orange than other full moons, it just appears that way, as with this view over South Shields lighthouse on the north east coast

The full moon known as the Harvest moon rises over Whitby Abbey, in Whitby. Much of the UK was covered with clouds, obscuring the moon and giving it an eerie feel

The September full moon is more often than not the Harvest Moon, but if the October full moon happens closer to the equinox than the September moon, then it would be the Harvest Moon.

This is because the Harvest Moon is always the one closest to the point of equinox, or the instant in time when the plane of Earth's equator passes through the geometric center of the sun's disk.

An equinox happens twice a year, around March 20 and again around September 23 - although this year it is on September 22.

It is the moment when the centre of the visible sun is directly above the equator.
Streaming giant Netflix has launched a free subscription plan  but only for users in Kenya with an Android phone.

The ad-free plan, which is rolling out to users in Kenya now, is part of Netflix's attempts to get more users in the African market.

When users sign up, no payment information is required  all they need to do is confirm they're 18 or over, enter an email address and create a password.

There's a catch though  the free option only has around one-quarter of all content that's offered with a paid subscription.

Shows that are included in the tier are 'Blood & Water', 'Money Heist', 'Lupin', 'Dynasty', 'Bridgerton', 'Army of the Dead', 'The Witcher', among others.

Netflix, which streams in more than 190 countries, has previously taken steps to boost usage in Africa, including creation of a paid mobile-only plan and partnerships with local telecom operators to ease payments.

With 209 million subscribers around the world, Netflix is the world's biggest streaming service, but the African continent is seen as an untapped goldmine of users and one of its final frontiers in its bid for world domination.

MailOnline has contacted Netflix regarding whether a similar plan would be rolled out to other countries in Africa, or to other continents.

If you're based in Kenya, you can enjoy Netflix on an Android phone for free. However, you'll only have access to about one quarter of the total content that's available on the streaming site

NETLIX SUBSCRIBERS BY REGION IN 2023 North America - 77 million Latin America - 25 million Sub-Saharan Africa - 4 million Middle East and North Africa - 8 million Western Europe - 48 million Eastern Europe - 9 million Asia Pacific - 28 million Source: Digital TV Research Advertisement

The streaming service only has 1.4 million subscribers on the African continent, according to Digital TV Research, a London-based industry forecaster  a fraction of the 13 million in the UK and 74 million in North America.

Digital TV Research predicts Netflix subscriptions in Africa will soar to 15.06 million by 2026, up from 5.11 million expected at the end of this year.

It also projects Netflix to lead subscription video on demand services on the African continent with 6.26 million paying customers in 2026.

Netflix has been available in Kenya and other African countries since its widescale international expansion back in 2016, but the new plan suggests Kenyans users are yet to give it a try.

Cathy Conk, director of product innovation at Netflix, outlined the new plan in a blog post published on Monday.

'At Netflix, we want everyone to be able to enjoy the suspense of "Blood & Water", the romance of "Bridgerton" and the adventure of "Army of the Dead",' she said.

'Now were giving audiences in Kenya the chance to experience these stories for themselves  completely free of charge.

'If you've never watched Netflix before  and many people in Kenya haven't  this is a great way to experience our service.

'And if you like what you see, its easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so you can enjoy our full catalog on your TV or laptop as well.'

Conk said she hopes many of the people who try the free plan 'love Netflix so much that over time they upgrade to a full, paid subscription'.

Kenyan users can create up to five free profiles as part of the plan, which come with personalised recommendations, parental controls, and profiles (including kids) just like the normal paid plan.

However, some functions, such as the ability to download a show or movie, are not be available under the free plan.

Digital TV Research predicts Netflix subscriptions in Africa will soar to 15.06 million by 2026, up from 5.11 million expected at the end of this year

Shows that are not included in the free plan will be marked with a lock icon. Clicking on one of those titles will encourage the user sign up for a paid option.

The non-paying Netflix subscribers in Kenya will not be counted in the paid total the company reports each quarter, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

Netflix has experimented with free offers before. In 2020, it made some episodes of series such as 'Stranger Things' and movies including 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' available around the world for no charge via web browsers.

In July, Netflix published its latest earnings report, which revealed disappointing subscriber growth for 2021, and confirmed it would be expanding into games in the near future.

The streaming giant reported gains of just 5.5 million subscribers in the first six months of this year  its weakest numbers since 2013.

The earnings report showed it added 1.5 million subscribers during the April-June quarterly period, below the 1.75 million analysts had expected, as well as 5.5 million for the first half of the year.

1.5 million is slightly better than the modest increase that management forecast after the service stumbled to a sluggish start to the year, but still far below its growth rate in recent years.

Despite the slowdown, Netflix remains by far the world's biggest streaming service in an increasingly competitive field that includes Disney+, HBO, Amazon and Apple.
NASA is sending a spacecraft with a futuristic propulsion system that emits a 'cool blue glow', to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche next year.

The spacecraft is being developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to explore the unusual rock, which some scientists believe may be the core of a long-destroyed planet from early in the history of the solar system.

Launching in August 2022, the spacecraft, also named Psyche, will travel about 1.5 billion miles in 3.5 years to get to the space rock, arriving in 2026.

To cover this great distance, Psyche will use solar electric thrusters and tanks full of xenon, the natural gas that is used in car headlights and plasma televisions.

The four thrusters will use electromagnetic fields to accelerate and expel charged atoms of xenon, and as they are expelled they produce thrust and a blue beam.

Psyche is thought to contain enough metal that if it could be transported back to Earth, the iron alone would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion).

Its value would be large enough to destroy commodity prices and cause the world's economy - worth $73.7 trillion (59.5 trillion)  to collapse.

The photo on the left captures an operating electric Hall thruster identical to those that will propel NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is set to launch in August 2022 and travel to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

The first high-resolution measurements of the surface temperature of asteroid Psyche confirms it is packed full of $10,000 quadrillion worth of precious metal

The spacecraft will arrive in early 2026 and orbit the asteroid for nearly two years to investigate its composition

NASA PSYCHE MISSION: TIMELINE AND KEY EVENTS KEY EVENTS Launch: 2022

Solar electric cruise: 3.5 years

Arrival at Psyche: 2026

Observation Period: 21 months in orbit, mapping and studying Psyche's properties TIMELINE 2022 - Launch of Psyche spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center, Florida

2023 - Mars Flyby of Psyche spacecraft

2026 - Psyche spacecraft arrives in asteroid's orbit

2026-2027 - Psyche spacecraft orbits the Psyche asteroid Advertisement

This technology, never used in a spacecraft going beyond the moon, produces a very gentle thrust.

This is about the same pressure you'd feel holding three 10p pieces, but despite the low pressure, it is enough to accelerate Psyche through deep space.

With no atmospheric drag to hold it back, the spacecraft will eventually accelerate to speeds of up to 200,000 miles/hour, helping it get to Psyche.

While the asteroid itself is 230 million miles from Earth, the total journey time will be 1.5 billion miles due to the need for 'fly-bys' to get a gravity assist from Mars on the way to the rock.

The spacecraft will rely on the chemical rocket engines of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle to blast off the launchpad and to escape Earths gravity.

But the rest of the journey, once Psyche separates from the launch vehicle, will rely on solar electric propulsion.

This form of propulsion starts with large solar arrays that convert sunlight into electricity, providing the power source for the spacecraft's thrusters.

Known as Hall Thrusters, its propulsion system is so efficient it could operate nonstop for years without running out of fuel, according to NASA JPL.

Psyche will carry 2,030lb (922kg) of xenon in its tanks during its flight.

Engineers working for NASA estimate that the mission would burn through about five times that amount of propellant if it had to use traditional chemical thrusters, adding they designed it with Hall Thrusters from the start.

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California prepare to integrate four Hall thrusters (beneath red protective covers) into the agency's Psyche spacecraft in July 2021

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is photographed in July 2021 during the mission's assembly, test, and launch operations phase at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California work to integrate Hall thrusters into the agency's Psyche spacecraft in this July 2021 photo. One of the thrusters is visible on the side of the spacecraft beneath a red protective cover

'Even in the beginning, when we were first designing the mission in 2012, we were talking about solar electric propulsion as part of the plan,' said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, lead investigator on the mission for Arizona State University in Phoenix.

'Without it, we wouldnt have the Psyche mission,' Elkins-Tanton said, adding 'it's become part of the character of the mission. It takes a specialized team to calculate trajectories and orbits using solar electric propulsion.'

Psyche will launch from the historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will first fly by Mars for a gravity assist in May 2023.

In early 2026, the thrusters will do the delicate work of getting the spacecraft into orbit around asteroid Psyche, using a 'bit of ballet' to back into orbit around its target.

An artists' depiction of what the 16 Psyche spacecraft will look like. It is slated to launch in August 2022

It is hoped this will help NASA in its mission due to launch next year and arrive at the rock in 2026, as it will have a more detailed starting point in its observations

Nasa plans to explore a $10,000 quadrillion asteroid that could cause the world's economy to COLLAPSE It may be 230 million miles (370 million km) away from Earth, but this asteroid could be worth a small fortune. 16 Psyche is one of the most mysterious objects in our solar system, and scientists could soon be getting a close-up view thanks to a newly confirmed Nasa mission. If the asteroid could be transported back to Earth, the iron alone would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion). It's value would be large enough to destroy commodity prices and cause the world's economy - worth $73.7 trillion (59.5 trillion)  to collapse. Lindy Elkins-Tanton the lead scientist on the Nasa mission and the director of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, said: '16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core. 'We learn about inner space by visiting outer space.' Dr Elkins-Tanton has calculated that the iron in 16 Psyche alone, would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion). Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet, completely devaluing all holdings including those of Governments, and all companies involved in mining, distributing and trading such commodities. Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy. Advertisement

'That task will be especially tricky because of how little scientists know about the asteroid, which appears as only a tiny dot of light in telescopes,' the team said.

Ground-based radar suggests it's about 140 miles (226 kilometers) wide and potato-shaped, which means scientists won't know until they get there how exactly its gravity field works, making orbital insertion particularly difficult.

As the mission conducts its science investigation over 21 months, navigation engineers will use the electric propulsion thrusters to fly the spacecraft through a progression of orbits that gradually bring it closer and closer to Psyche.

NASA used a similar system with the agencys Deep Space 1, which launched in 1998 and flew by an asteroid and a comet before the mission ended in 2001.

Next came Dawn, which used solar electric propulsion to travel to and orbit the asteroid Vesta and then the protoplanet Ceres.

The first spacecraft ever to orbit two extraterrestrial targets, the Dawn mission lasted 11 years, ending in 2018 when it used up the last of the hydrazine propellant.

Maxar Technologies, responsible for building the chassis and propulsion system, has been using solar electric propulsion to power commercial communications satellites for decades - but deep space travel required some adjustments.

They needed to adapt the superefficient Hall thrusters to fly in deep space, and that's where JPL engineers came in.

Both teams hope that Psyche, by using Hall thrusters for the first time beyond lunar orbit, will help push the limits of solar electric propulsion.

'Solar electric propulsion technology delivers the right mix of cost savings, efficiency, and power and could play an important role in supporting future science missions to Mars and beyond,' said Steven Scott, Maxars Psyche program manager.

When fully assembled, the Psyche spacecraft will move into JPLs huge thermal vacuum chamber for testing that simulates the environment of deep space.

Once in orbit, the mission team will use the payload of science instruments to investigate what this unique target can reveal about the formation of rocky planets like Earth, Venus, Mars and even yet undiscovered exoplanets.

Scientists think that Psyche, unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, is made up of mostly iron and nickel  similar to Earth's core.

The Psyche team will use a magnetometer to measure the asteroid's magnetic field.

A multispectral imager will capture images of the surface, as well as data about Psyche's composition and topography.

Spectrometers will analyze the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the surface to reveal the elements that make up the asteroid.
Elon Musk said SpaceX's next space tourism flight would have several upgrades, including an 'upgraded toilet.'

The SpaceX CEO said that there were 'challenges' with the toilet onboard the modified Crew Dragon module that launched the Inspiration4 crew into space for a three-day trip last week.

Scroll down for video

Elon Musk said SpaceX's next space tourism flight would have several upgrades, including an 'upgraded toilet'

There were 'challenges' with the toilet onboard the modified Crew Dragon module, but Musk did not go into details

The world's second-richest man did not go into details on what the issue with the toilet (pictured) may have been

The world's second-richest man did not go into details on what the issue with the toilet may have been.

Musk, 50, also said that he had personally met the crew, comprised of Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski, in Florida to congratulate them for their mission.

'Such great people!' Musk tweeted.

Musk said that he had personally met the crew, comprised of Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski, in Florida to congratulate them for their mission

In addition to the new toilet, Musk said additional features would be available on the next flight, including an oven for heating food and Starlink Wi-Fi.

Other upgrades for SpaceX's next space tourism flight include an oven and Starlink Wi-Fi

The commander of the mission, Jared Isaacman, 38, previously said that the toilet did not offer much privacy, but that it had a great view of space.

'It's not a ton of privacy,' Isaacman told Insider in July. 'But you do have this kind of privacy curtain that cuts across the top of the spacecraft, so you can kind of separate yourself from everyone else.'

'And that also happens to be where the glass cupola is. So, you know, when people do inevitably have to use the bathroom, they're going to have one hell of a view.'

The Inspiration4 crew splashed downed safely in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida on September 18, shortly after 7 pm

One of the modifications on the Crew Dragon module was the aforementioned cupola, or giant window, that let the four astronauts have a panoramic view of space in the modified Crew Dragon craft.

The crew began their journey at 4:07pm ET on September 15, when the four individuals emerged from Hangar X from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Musk was also present to see the crew off and appeared to be just as excited as the team going to space on board a modified Crew Dragon module.

The Inspiration4 crew splashed downed in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida on September 18 shortly after 7 pm, bringing an end to their historic three-day mission orbiting Earth, 360 miles above the surface.

The Dragon capsule descended towards Earth on four chutes before gently landing in the water as the module floated on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
Apple is working on new technology that could be used to help diagnose mental health conditions such as depression and cognitive decline, insiders claim.

Working with the University of California in Los Angeles and biotech firm Biogen, Apple is hoping to get more out of the health-related sensors in its devices.

The firm already has a wide health-related technology offerings, including heart, sleep and activity monitoring through the Apple Watch and iPhone.

Insiders, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, say researchers will use data from iPhone sensors to look for digital signals linked to certain mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and feed them into an algorithm.

This should be able to reliably predict depression and other conditions and form the basis of new features in a future version of Apple's iOS operating system.

Apple is working on new technology that could be used to help diagnose mental health conditions such as depression and cognitive decline, insiders claim

What is depression? While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months on end. Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common  approximately one in ten people are likely to experience it at some point in their life. Depression is a genuine health condition which people cannot just ignore or 'snap out of it'. Symptoms and effects vary, but can include constantly feeling upset or hopeless, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy. It can also cause physical symptoms such as problems sleeping, tiredness, having a low appetite or sex drive, and even feeling physical pain. In extreme cases it can lead to suicidal thoughts. Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be more at risk. It is important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy or medication. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

The details come from two research projects that involve using technology in devices like iPhones and Apple Watches to predict mental health outcomes.

One, from UCLA, is exploring stress, anxiety and depression in partnership with Apple, and has been codenamed 'Seabreeze'.

The other, codenamed 'Pi', is the work of Cambridge Massachusetts-based Biogen, and set out to study mild cognitive impairment.

These are early stage projects, and Apple is yet to confirm the details in the WSJ report, or whether they will actually result in new iPhone features.

To effectively diagnose a mental health condition, a patient requires close monitoring by experts to look for changes in behaviour from the norm.

Changes in phone use behaviour could be used in lieu of these specialists to give an early indication, especially in areas where specialists may not be available widely.

UCLA says its research into signs of stress, anxiety and depression started with a pilot phase using fall tracking features in the Apple Watch and iPhone in 2020.

The team is expanding this to use data from 3,000 people this year, and will be tracking data from the iPhone camera, keyboard and audio sensors and combining it with information from the watch on movement, sleep and vital signs.

It could include facial expressions, how the volunteers speak, how often they go for a walk, how well they sleep as well as heart and breathing rates.

People 'close to the study' told the WSJ they may also be looking at the speed of typing, frequency of typos, content they type and other points.

These are all thought to be be 'digital signals' hinting at signs of a mental health condition.

These large data sets coming from the devices can tell experts things about us we don't know about ourselves, including clues on emotions, concentration, energy level and state of mind.

Working with the University of California in Los Angeles, and biotech firm Biogen, Apple is hoping to get more out of the health-related sensors in its devices

Apple Watches have previously saved lives In April 2017, Casey Bennett of Laytonsville, Maryland, was driving home from school when he was struck by another vehicle, sending him and his Jeep Patriot flying through the air. Bennett, 22, found himself hanging from the driver's seat by just his seat belt, with his iPhone too far out of reach to call for help. However, he remembered his Apple Watch included an SOS Emergency feature and held the side button down to contacted emergency rescuer worker, who were on the scene in six minutes. Many wearers use the Apple Watch's heart-monitoring capabilities to catch cardiac issues early. James Green, 32, said in 2017 his timepiece notified him of a sudden rise in his heart rate, a sign of a possible pulmonary embolism. Green had already suffered a life-threatening clot before and raced to the hospital, where doctors found a new clot on his lungs, which could have killed him in minutes if left untreated. He says the only reason he is only alive is because of that notification. 'Never thought a stupid lil [sic] wrist computer I bought two years ago would save my life,' Green tweeted. 'Saw my heart rate go up, ended upeing a pulmonary embolism.' Advertisement

Reports suggest the UCLA researchers are having the volunteers fill out questionnaires on their mental health, and looking for stress hormones in their hair follicles to see if the data matches.

A future app, possibly the Apple Health app, could then warn someone they are at risk and should seek professional care.

Biogen meanwhile, is working with a cohort of 20,000 participants using the iPhone and Apple Watch to track cognitive function over two years.

It hopes this can be used to identify mild cognitive impairment, a condition that often leads to Alzheimer's.

Similar to the UCLA project, it could result in new iPhone features that could warn people they are at risk and suggest they seek help earlier than would otherwise happen.

Mental health conditions spiked during the coronavirus pandemic, especially around depression and anxiety, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.

Around 1 in 5 adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021, more than double that observed before the coronavirus pandemic started.

Rumours have circled for a number of years of Apple's ambition to bring mental health support to its devices and health services.

With the release of watchOS 8 yesterday, Apple unveiled the Mindfulness app for the Apple Watch, designed to help people 'take stock' and breathe.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple Chief operating Officer, Jeff Williams, has spoken enthusiastically about the potential the firm has to address the surging rates of depression and anxiety around the world.

The head of health team also spoke of how its devices could be used to support other brain disorders and cognitive decline.

It isn't clear how much tracking and personal data would be required to make the technology work, but it would likely require users to trust Apple with significant, and very sensitive personal information.

Apple says privacy is paramount in all of its products and services, but the firm is under intense scrutiny over plans to access user data to warn authorities if it detects evidence of child pornography in photo libraries or data stores.
Amazon said on Tuesday that it will continue to lobby the U.S. government in support of federal legislation to legalize marijuana.

The tech giant said in a blog post it has endorsed the recently introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act.

This legislation was introduced in September by Senators Cory Booker, Ron Wyden and Chuck Schumer.

It previously supported the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act), DailyMail.com reported in June.

Amazon will continue to lobby the U.S. government to legalize marijuana

The MORE Act was introduced in July 2019 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and passed by Congress on December 4, 2020.

However, it has yet to be passed by the Senate, but it was again reintroduced on May 28.

In addition, Beth Galetti, Amazon's Senior VP of Human Resources, wrote in the post that the Andy Jassy-led company has 'reinstated employment eligibility for former employees and applicants who were previously terminated or deferred during random or pre-employment marijuana screenings.'

Galletti said the changes were made for a number of reasons: the number of states legalizing cannabis is increasing; pre-employment marijuana testing 'disproportionately impacts people of color and acts as a barrier to employment;' and the company needs to expand the number of people who apply for jobs, given its growth.

'Pre-employment marijuana testing has disproportionately affected communities of color by stalling job placement and, by extension, economic growth, and we believe this inequitable treatment is unacceptable,' Galletti wrote.

The tech giant said it has endorsed the recently introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. It has previously supported the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021

Earlier this month, Amazon unveiled plans to hire 55,000 corporate and tech staff to keep up with demand.

According to its last earnings report, Amazon has 950,000 employees in the U.S. and at the end of 2020, Amazon had 1.3 million full-time and temporary workers globally.

Already the second-biggest private employer in the U.S., Amazon brought on more than 500,000 people in 2020, largely in warehouse and delivery operations because of the surge in online shopping, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amazon will still screen for the drug for those who apply for positions that are regulated by the Department of Transportation.

In September, Amazon asked its delivery partners not to screen potential drivers for marijuana usage to help overcome labor shortages.

Following that decision, a staffing firm surveyed 45,000 companies in 43 countries that have stopped testing for recreational use of the drug to fill vacant positions.

The 18 locales (17 states and the District of Columbia) in black have fully legalized marijuana

Amazon's headquarters is in Washington State, which was among the first (along with Colorado) in the US to legalize recreational use of the drug in 2012.

The company is also constructing a second headquarters in Virginia, which decriminalized marijuana via state legislature in 2020.

In total, 43 states and the District of Columbia have varying degrees of legalization of cannabis.
As NASA gets set to retire the International Space Station by the end of the decade, the U.S. space agency is looking to private companies for a replacement and hopes to award $400 million in contracts to do so.

Phil McAlister, NASA's commercial-spaceflight director, told CNBC that the agency has received 'roughly a dozen proposals' to replace the ISS, which launched into orbit in November 1998.

'We got an incredibly strong response from industry to our announcement for proposals for commercial, free fliers that go directly to orbit,' McAlister told the news outlet.

'I can't remember the last time we got that many proposals [in response] to a [human spaceflight] contract announcement.'

NASA is looking to private companies for a replacement to the International Space Station and hopes to award $400 million in contracts

NASA said it has received 'roughly a dozen proposals' to replace the International Space Station, which launched in November 1998

Earlier this year, NASA unveiled the Commercial LEO (low-Earth orbit) Destinations project to help private companies build their own space station, with NASA being one of 'many' customers.

McAlister did not name the companies working on the proposals, but some space exploration companies have already publicly expressed interest in building a private space station.

CNBC noted that more than 50 companies were interested in the Commercial LEO Destinations project when it was announced, including SpaceX, Boeing and Blue Origin.

In August, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Collins Aerospace said it was building a life support system for a private space station, though it refused to reveal the mystery buyer.

Axiom Space, a private space tourism operator that manages flights to the ISS with SpaceX, has discussed building 'the world's first private space station,' noting construction is underway

Axiom Space, a private space tourism operator that manages flights to the ISS with SpaceX, has discussed building 'the world's first private space station' on its website, adding that construction is underway.

McAlister added that it costs NASA around $4 billion per year to operate the ISS, which cost roughly $100 billion to build, assemble and run over a period of 30 years, according to the European Space Agency.

By having facilities on private space stations instead of the ISS, it could save NASA more than $1 billion per year, McAlister explained.

NASA had a similar mindset when it replaced the Space Shuttles.

The space agency handed out contracts to companies to develop and build new spaceships under the Commercial Crew Program, which went to SpaceX and Boeing, respectively.

McAlister also pointed out that NASA needs to 'right-size our [low Earth orbit] infrastructure' with a new space station, adding that it will eventually only pay 'for the part that we need.'

He said that NASA hopes to announce the contract winners 'before the end of the year.'

The ISS is officially approved to operate through December 2024, according to Space.com.

However, NASA has given Axiom Space a $140 million contract to fly modules to the ISS as soon as 2024 which will eventually become their own space station.

McAlister told CNBC that NASA is relying on Congress to extend the ISS's life span to 2028 because 'we are not going to be ready with these [independent] destinations by 2024.'

Low Earth orbit, where the ISS currently resides, could one day be littered with human habitable outposts - both commercial and government.

Currently there are two, the ISS itself, and Tiangong, the Chinese space station launched earlier this year and set to be about the size of Mir when complete.

In June, three Chinese astronauts successfully settled into the Tiangong space station, which is significantly smaller than the ISS.

Russia is also working on its own space station, the first time it will operate its own base in orbit since it decommissioned the Soviet-era Mir in 2001.

In August, Russia claimed they had found 'bad' cracks on the ISS, however, NASA later denied the report, stating the floating space lab was operating normally.
If the people of Amity Island had this, than Jaws may have turned out a lot differently.

Researchers at engineering company Cardno and Bond University have found that a $500 rechargeable device that clips onto surfboards reduces the chances of a shark attack by two-thirds.

The experts tested the device, known as Rpela V2 on great whites at Salisbury Island, Western Australia, long considered a 'hotspot' for sharks.

A $500 rechargeable device that clips onto surfboards reduces the chances of a shark attack by two-thirds, according to a new study. It was tested on great whites (pictured)

The Rpela V2 clips into the surfboard's bottom deck and uses an electric field to overwhelm the shark's electro-reception organs that they use to navigate

The researchers found that the electric pulse did not endanger the sharks

The device clips into the surfboard's bottom deck and uses an electric field to overwhelm the shark's electro-reception organs that they use to navigate.

The researchers found that the electric pulse did not endanger the sharks.

'Such a stimulus does not harm a shark but may encourage a shark to rapidly move away from an area or change its behavior,' they wrote in the study, likening it to a person who moves away from 'very loud music that becomes unpleasant.'

The researchers also found that Rpela V2 cut shark interactions (such as a nudge) with surfers by 38 percent, which could give them extra time to get out of the water after they encounter the apex predator.

'There are many different individual shark deterrents available but most, including some that are very popular, are not effective or have not been independently tested,' study co-author and Bond University shark expert Dr Daryl McPhee said in a statement.

'This means surfers may put themselves at risk thinking they have an additional layer of protection when they do not.'

It was tested on great whites at Salisbury Island, Western Australia, an area considered a 'hotspot' for sharks

The device clips into the surfboard's bottom deck and uses an electric field to overwhelm the shark's electro-reception organs that they use to navigate

Dr McPhee added that although no shark deterrent is 100 percent safe, it's important that surfers (who are most at risk of shark attacks) understand electric deterrents are considered the most effective.

'As well as the Rpela V2 we assessed in this study, electric deterrents developed by Ocean Guardian have been tested several times and have been shown to be effective,' he added.

'No shark deterrent is 100 percent effective but when independent testing demonstrates a statistically significant reduction in interactions with sharks, consumers can be confident that safety is enhanced.'

The findings were published in the Journal of Marine Science and Technology.

The study comes as the level of shark attacks have increased on the continent, with 18 unprovoked attacks occurring in Australia in 2020, according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were 57 unprovoked cases of shark attacks on humans in 2020, down from the 2015-2019 average of 80 per year.

Despite the low figure, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 people died from shark attacks in 2020, the highest figure since 2013, something experts described as 'an unusually deadly year.'

The ISAF noted, however, that 'short-term trends still show both fatal and non-fatal bites to be decreasing' and the higher number of incidents in Australia 'is not cause for alarm.'

The average of unprovoked shark-related fatalities is four per year.

Just over two percent of the known 548 species of sharks have been known to attack humans, but three - bull sharks, great whites and tiger sharks - are responsible for a great majority of them.

The odds of being killed by a shark in the US are more than 3.7 million to 1 according to the ISAF, with USA Today noting that bees, wasps and dogs kill more people domestically than sharks.

In July, a study found that Hollywood's shark movies overwhelmingly portray sharks negatively, hurting conservation efforts.
They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus - and never has that been more true than in the village of Ubang in southern Nigeria, where males speak one language and women speak another.

In a fascinating tradition, the Ubang people use different words depending on their gender.

Children in the community pick up the 'female' language first, because they are predominantly raised by women throughout childhood. However, by the age of 10, boys are expected to adopt the 'male' tongue, which locals believe to be a sign of maturity.

In Ubang in southern Nigeria, males speak one language and women speak another, though both are discouraged at the village school (stock image)

A BBC documentary investigated the unusual dialects and interviewed anthropologist Chi Chi Undie, who has studied the community.

She said: There are a lot of words that men and women share in common, then there are others which are totally different depending on your sex. They don't sound alike, they don't have the same letters, they are completely different words.

Women use the word okwakwe for dog, whereas men say abu. The Ubang word for 'clothing'? Women call it 'ariga', while for men, it's 'nki'. The term kitchi is the male word for tree, but females describe it as an okweng. And water is bamuie for males and amu for females.

Children in the Ubang community pick up the 'female' language first, because they are predominantly raised by women throughout childhood

UBANG LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES Dog - Okwakwe (female) / abu (male) Tree - Okweng (female) / kitchi (male) Water - Amu (female) / bamuie (male) Cup - Ogbala (female) / nko (male) Clothing - Ariga (female) / nki (male) Bush - Deyire (female) / bibiang (male) Goat - Obi (female) / ibue (male) Source: BBC / Olaniyi Adebimpe Advertisement

If a male or female child uses the language assigned to the opposite gender beyond a certain age, they are perceived to be abnormal, according to the BBC.

There are several theories behind the origins of the gendered vernaculars, though the most popular is tied to religion.

Locals believe God planned to give each ethnic group two languages, but after creating two different dialects for the Ubang community, found there werent enough languages to go around the rest of the world.

The languages have been passed down through generations, but as they havent been written down, there are concerns they might be lost in the future.

Younger members of the Ubang community tend to include English words in their dialect, and schools often discourage students from using the Ubang language in the classroom.

Despite these concerns, Chief Oliver Ibang of the Ubang Traditional Ruling Council believes the Ubang language will survive against the odds. He told the BBC: There is no way the language will die off because, if the language dies, that means people in Ubang are no more existing.
Kate Garraway has shared her joy after spending time at the Elvetham Hotel in Hampshire on Monday where Disney and Make-A-Wish UK have transformed the grounds into an Enchanted Manor, hosting 150 families for a magical three-day experience.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 54, spoke exclusively to MailOnline alongside Wayne and Frankie Bridge, who also participated in the program, gushing that it's 'lovely' seeing families' dreams come true after having their wish put on hold due to the pandemic

It comes after Kate praised NHS nurses, saying everything they do is 'utterly breath-taking' at The Sun's Who Cares Wins Awards, as her husband Derek Draper continues to recover from Covid-19 while still requiring round-the-clock care.

Incredible: Kate Garraway, 54, has shared her joy after spending time at the Elvetham Hotel in Hampshire on Monday where Disney and Make-A-Wish UK have transformed the grounds into an Enchanted Manor

Getting involved: The Good Morning Britain presenter spoke exclusively to MailOnline alongside Wayne and Frankie Bridge, who also participated in the program

Speaking about Make-A-Wish's mission and spending time with the children and their families, Kate told MailOnline: 'It was lovely meeting the families and it's lovely seeing what they've created.

'One of the many impacts of COVID has been that Make-A-Wish hasn't been able to do it, so there's a backlog of people and they haven't got time and abundance. [Make A Wish] really thought about what the families need.'

The star added: '[The families said] it's actually better, it's calmer and quieter.

'[During COVID] doing the simplest thing became too complicated for them. For them to be here with somebody else having taken care of everything, it means they can relax.'

'An honour': Loose Women star Frankie, 32, said: 'It's an honour to be a part of such an amazing experience and see the joy that it's bringing'

Gushing: Kate gushed that it's 'lovely' seeing families' dreams come true after having their wish put on hold due to the pandemic

Kate explained: 'One of the many impacts of COVID has been that Make-A-Wish hasn't been able to do it, so there's a backlog of people and they haven't got time and abundance'

Loose Women star Frankie, 32, echoed: 'It's an honour to be a part of such an amazing experience and see the joy that it's bringing.'

Adding that he was moved having seen 'what it meant to all the families', Frankie's husband Wayne, 41, added: 'There were emotional tears, but there were happy tears too as they had such a good time together.'

The happy couple also noted: 'We know how much our boys love Disney so we can really understand the excitement these families must be feeling.

Emotional: Frankie's husband Wayne, 41, added: 'There were emotional tears, but there were happy tears too as they had such a good time together'

The happy couple also noted: 'We know how much our boys love Disney so we can really understand the excitement these families must be feeling'

Frankie and Wayne went on: 'It's great to see the children interacting with their favourite characters and having their dreams fulfilled'

Frankie and Wayne noted: 'Whilst the last two years have been tough for so many people, it's brilliant to see the Make-A-Wish children finally able to experience the magic'

'It's great to see the children interacting with their favourite characters and having their dreams fulfilled. Whilst the last two years have been tough for so many people, it's brilliant to see the Make-a-Wish children finally able to experience the magic.'

Deborah Armstrong, Senior Vice President and Country Manager, Disney UK & Ireland, said: 'This event exceeded our expectations on every level.

'To see the positive impact this Disney Wish Experience has had on children and families has been humbling and inspiring.

Exceeding expectations: Deborah Armstrong, Senior Vice President and Country Manager, Disney UK & Ireland, said: 'This event exceeded our expectations on every level'

She added: 'To see the positive impact this Disney Wish Experience has had on children and families has been humbling and inspiring'

Deborah concluded: 'We are so grateful to Make-A-Wish and the Kentown Wizard Foundation for enabling us to restart granting wishes after such a difficult year'

'We are so grateful to Make-A-Wish and the Kentown Wizard Foundation for enabling us to restart granting wishes after such a difficult year and I want to personally thank all of the families who made it so special.'

Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley added: 'We've witnessed children gaping in awe at Disney characters they've only ever seen on a screen; going on the carousel 12 times in a row; practising their Marvel character skills; spending their Elf coins at the Toy Story carnival and enjoying much-needed time together with their families - away from the pressures of their daily lives.

'It's been truly wonderful to grant 150 wishes this month and on behalf of Make-A-Wish UK I'd like to thank Disney, The Kentown Wizard Foundation, all the suppliers involved and every single person who helped to make these wishes so personalised and precious.'

'Wonderful': Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley added: 'It's been truly wonderful to grant 150 wishes this month'

It comes after Kate picked up the National Television Award for Authored Documentary at the O2 Arena in London for Finding Derek - her televised account of Derek's ongoing battle against COVID-19.

Finding Derek became ITV's most-watched factual programme in three years.

An incredible 4.5 million viewers tuned into the moving programme when it aired in March.

Disney UK, Make-A-Wish UK and The Kentown Wizard Foundation have joined forces to deliver the Disney Wish Experience, a first-of-its kind three-week event supporting 150 wish children and families from across the UK. To find out more please visit www.make-a-wish.org.uk

Presenter: Taking to the stage to present the award for Best Nurse, Kate first gave an update on husband Derek's health
Martha Stewart doled out some surprising lifestyle advice for the at-home host during an exclusive chat with DailyMail.com, as she insisted 'you don't need to wait for a special occasion to use the good stuff'.

The lifestyle guru insists that pricy china and crystal collecting dust on shelves can't truly be appreciated if it is only brought out for special occasions.

Stewart also announced the exciting new expansion of Martha.com, her new one-stop-shop for retail, and dished on how she is 're-inventing digital commerce'.

Guru! Martha Stewart has some helpful advice to dinner party hosts about not waiting for a special occasion to use the 'good' crystal while exclusively chatting with DailyMail.com about her newly expanded retail website Martha.com

'Use your crystal!' Martha said. The business mogul, who boasts a jaw-dropping array of crystal wine glasses, decanters and pitchers says they shouldn't just be used for display or tucked away.

Baccarat, the famed French crystal company, recently jumped at the chance to join up with Stewart on a collaboration after learning that she'd inherited a 'vast collection' of Baccarat items at her home in Maine.

'Baccarat never really put a person's name on a glass before,' Martha gushed about the Martha Collection by Baccarat.

The new collection includes the Martharita Goblets (set of 2: $450) and the Martharita Pitcher ($1,100) and will be available to purchase until October 14. Next year, the collaboration will add new items like martini glasses and tumblers.

'Use your crystal!' insisted the business mogul who has partnered with Baccarat on a collaboration of crystal drinkware which is available for pre-sale on her newly expanded retail website Martha.com

'I say they're the ultimate wedding gift or shower gift,' Martha said. 'They're a little on the pricy side but they are the foundation of a nice crystal collection.'

Those crystal pieces are available for pre-sale on Martha's new expanded retail platform, Martha.com, which just got a makeover.

The expanded site will include all types of 'curated and original content' that Martha says fans constantly ask for.

'I say they're the ultimate wedding gift or shower gift,' Martha said. 'They're a little on the pricy side but they are the foundation of a nice crystal collection.'

'This is a new venture to kind of emulate what we did a long time ago with Martha by Mail, our beautiful catalog,' Martha explained.

Martha.com will feature, for the first time in one place, all of Stewart's own products, collaborations and partners - Amazon, California Closets, Canopy CBD, Easy Spirit, Macy's, Martha Stewart Kitchen, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Martha Stewart Wine Co., Pretty Litter QVC, Sur La Table and Wayfair.

Other items already available for pre-sale include Martha's 99th cookbook, Martha Stewart's Fruit Desserts and Martha's go-to kitchen item, an enamel cast iron Dutch oven.

Much like she did with publishing, Martha is hoping to re-invent and improve the e-commerce space by creating her first direct-to-consumer shop for her own designs, collaborations and favorite things.

'It's an opportunity to see a lot more of my products in one place and to get nice content along with the products,' she said.

The site will be built out each week and month with new products, shops, experiences alongside tons of information like how-to content, recipes, guides and classes.

Martha.com has been expanded to a one-stop-shop for all Martha Stewart products: 'It's an opportunity to see a lot more of my products in one place and to get nice content along with the products.'

If you're in the market for an enamel cast iron Dutch oven, for example, Stewart says that the product itself will not only be available for purchase but a compendium of related content will be at the ready, from best practices for cleaning and care to delicious recipes suited for Dutch oven cooking.

Stewart promises that the expansion of Martha.com will be 'really practical' and allow for shoppers to curate with ease their own homes and holidays just like she would.

'There will be new product added all the time,' she said. 'It will become more and more and more robust as time goes on.'

Plus, everything will have the Martha Stewart stamp of approval, meaning they are 'affordable, practical, useful and long lasting.'

'We're designers,' she explained. 'We're like anyone else involved in home decor and home fashion. We spend a lot of time working on the products. We're not just slapping on our name. We're designing it from scratch.'

How it works: If you're in the market for an enamel cast iron Dutch oven, for example, Stewart says that the product itself will not only be available for purchase but a compendium of related content will be at the ready, from best practices for cleaning and care to delicious recipes suited for Dutch oven cooking

The wine store is one of Martha's favorite categories for people to peruse on the site as she's taken all the guess-work out of choosing the right bottle. 'We care about the quality a lot,' she quipped.

'Affordable wines, very good price, delivered right to your door,' Martha said, adding that there are also tips on how to serve them and what recipes to pair with them.

'Martha.com is a limitless source of inspiration, all in one place and this is just the beginning. Much more is on the way  new tools, new applications, new products, and new experiences. We are planning to launch new innovations every month for the foreseeable future,' she said in a press release.

In addition to her own lines, some of the items Stewart uses at her many luxurious homes will be featured in partner content - and they're all carefully picked by Martha herself. The caviar for sale on the website, for instance, is the very same brand that you would find in Martha's own home.

Those products and brands will be dubbed Good Things on the site, which is already up and running, and are chosen based on the 'three tenets of the Martha Stewart brand: function and innovation, quality at a value, and beauty.'
Jodie Kidd looked stunning as she stepped out to the Vogue X Tiffany & Co. party at London Fashion Week on Monday.

The former model, 42, couldn't help but be drawn to sparkles for the luxury jewellery party, choosing to wear an embellished gown for the event.

Her gorgeous frock boasted glistening star embroidery, mesh sleeves and a chiffon overlay.

Stunning: Jodie Kidd, 42, looked stunning as she stepped out to the Vogue X Tiffany & Co. party at London Fashion Week on Monday

The fashionista stepped out in a pair of black court heels, while she carried her essentials in a small gold purse - showing off her elegant red manicure.

She wore a slew of silver and diamond jewellery for the party, including drop earrings and a thin choker necklace.

The blonde beauty styled her long tresses over to one side, holding it in place with beautiful diamante barrette clips.

Drawn that way: The former model couldn't help but be drawn to sparkles for the luxury jewellery party, choosing to wear an embellished gown by Temperley London for the event

Wow! Her gorgeous frock boasted glistening star embroidery, mesh sleeves and a chiffon overlay

Jodie showcased her natural beauty, wearing just a touch of blusher on her cheekbones and a slick of mascara on her lashes.

The model-turned-landlady has been running the Half Moon pub in Kirdford, West Sussex, since 2017.

She has recently launched a new campaign with organisation Long Live The Local to support small pubs and breweries.

Natural beauty: Jodie showcased her natural beauty, wearing just a touch of blusher on her cheekbones and a slick of mascara on her lashes

She took to Instagram in July, explaining: 'I am very excited to launch a new campaign with @longlivelocal championing the vital role pubs play in the heart of communities in the UK.

'The pub has long been a place to find that special connection; to fall in love, find a mentor or reconnect with long-lost friends.

She continued: 'To celebrate these stories, Long Live The Local has renamed the Rose & Crown in Clapham Common to the Rose & Rory in honour of this couple who met there two years ago.

New career: The model-turned-landlady has been running the Half Moon pub in Kirdford, West Sussex, since 2017

'Brits rely on pubs to provide a warm, comforting and welcoming space to socialise. We cant take them for granted so to help support our pubs and breweries thrive, head to the link in bio.'

A whopping 70,915 pub-goers have backed the petition on the campaigner website, which encourages the UK Government to lower VAT & Business Rates for pubs and reduce Beer Duty.

Long Live The Local launched in July 2018 to raise awareness of the high number of pub closures across the UK.

Campaigner: She has recently launched a new campaign with organisation Long Live The Local to support small pubs and breweries
She's been known to send pulses racing with her raunchy snaps.

And Demi Rose showcased her curves in a tiny bikini during her trip to Capri, Italy on Monday.

The model, 26, took to Instagram to share her risque picture set which showed her highlighting her pert derriere on a boat as penned the ironic phrase 'innocence'.

Not that innocent: Demi Rose, 26, showcased her curves in a tiny bikini during her trip to Capri, Italy on Monday

Demi showcased her impressive physique in the two-piece set - which featured brown thong bottoms and a tie-back white bikini top.

The star's tiny waist was on full display in the snaps, with her glossy brunette tresses tumbling down her back.

Demi gave a sultry gaze to the camera as she looked over her shoulder, appearing to sport a naturally glowing palette of makeup.

Sweet irony: The model took to Instagram to share her risque picture set which showed her highlighting her pert derriere on a boat as penned the ironic phrase 'innocence'

The Birmingham-born beauty has been modelling for eight years and credits her career for being a 'blessing' after being subjected to bullying when she was younger.

Speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat, Demi previously revealed: 'I always wanted to get into modelling and when I eventually got there I classed it as a blessing because I grew up being bullied and didn't have many friends at all.'

In 2019, both of Demi's parents died, just seven months apart and the star said going into lockdown straight after their deaths was 'a time of reflection.'

'Blessing': The Birmingham-born beauty has been modelling for eight years and credits her career for being a 'blessing' after being subjected to bullying when she was younger

'Having to deal with my parents' house and selling their stuff - it was a really sad place for me.

'I wanted to go and travel but I had three months in London, which was a lot of facing what I had been through and was a time of reflection.'

Her latest shoot comes after she was seen teasing her OnlyFans page to her Instagram followers, after signing up to the X-rated content-sharing platform.

Demi told fans she was ditching her profile's subscription fee for a limited period.

OnlyFans is an online platform, known for its X-rated content, that allows public figure to charge fans a fee to their profile, where they often shares pictures and videos deemed too provocative for other social media sites.

Demi previously charged fans for access to her content - with costs ranging from $22.22 (16) a month or $119.99 (around 86) for six months.

She's not the only famous face who uses the platform, with celebrities including Bella Thorne, Cardi B and Danniella Westbrook signing up to the service.
She may be Australian royalty, but Bindi Irwin isn't immune to the struggles faced by many new mothers.

Posting to Twitter on Tuesday, Bindi's mother Terri, 57, uploaded a photo of Bindi, 23, looking exhausted while posing with her five-month-old daughter Grace Warrior.

Appearing bleary-eyed, Bindi smiled gently as she sat in a dimly-lit room with her beaming baby perched on her lap.

Bindi Irwin, 23, (left) looked exhausted in a photo shared to Twitter by her mother Terri, 57, on Tuesday after getting up at 2am every morning to nurse her five-month-old baby Grace Warrior (right)

Terri, who became a first-time grandmother when Bindi welcomed Grace in March, accompanied the intimate photo with a heartfelt message to her daughter.

'Bindi, you are a beautiful mama. Grace is so blessed to have all your love,' the widow of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin wrote.

'Always. Even when she wakes up at 2am. Again,' she mused.

'Bindi, you are a beautiful mama': Terri (left) who became a first-time grandmother when Bindi welcomed Grace in March, accompanied the intimate photo with a heartfelt message to her daughter

The struggles of new motherhood: Terri finished her Tweet by adding: 'Even when she wakes up at 2am. Again'

Responding to her mother's post with a Tweet of her own, Bindi wrote: 'Thank you so much. I hope to be even half the extraordinary mama you are [love heart emoji]. I love you so much'.

Fans meanwhile responded to Terri's Tweet with congratulatory comments, one writing: 'A beautiful baby raised by a beautiful mama... a beautiful mama raised by a beautiful mother,' one wrote.

'Even being awakened at 2am you are such a beautiful young lady, not to mention a wonderful mum. Gracie is soooooo precious. Enjoy her baby years. They fly by so fast,' another cooed.

Family bond: Responding to her mother's post with a Tweet of her own, Bindi wrote: 'Thank you so much. I hope to be even half the extraordinary mama you are [love heart emoji]. I love you so much'.

Terri's update comes weeks after Bindi announced that Grace has started to show signs of teething.

At the time, Bindi shared an Instagram photo taken by her husband Chandler Powell, showing posing with Grace on the front porch of a log cabin.

'Time on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve is incredibly special,' Bindi wrote in the caption.

Praise: Fans meanwhile responded to Terri's Tweet with congratulatory comments, one writing: 'A beautiful baby raised by a beautiful mama... a beautiful mama raised by a beautiful mother,' one wrote

'Early mornings and not much sleep for any of us': Terri's update comes weeks after Bindi announced that Grace has started to show signs of teething

'While we've been here our beautiful girl has started to show teething signs,' she revealed.

Most babies begin teething at six months old, however some can begin at four months or after 12 months old, according to the NHS.

'Early mornings and not much sleep for any of us. However, this little sunbeam smile makes it all worth it,' she added.

Bindi and Chandler welcomed Grace in March 2021, a year after they tied the knot at an intimate ceremony at Australia Zoo.
Fans of The Sopranos will learn how the iconic Tony Soprano grew up in the upcoming movie The Many Saints of Newark, which takes place years before the events of the HBO series.

Many fans have been wondering if any cast members from The Sopranos will be reprising their roles, though director Alan Taylor revealed that Edie Falco did film a scene as Carmela Soprano, the wife of James Gandolfini's iconic Tony Soprano.

Sadly, fans won't get to see this scene in the theatrical cut of the movie, with Taylor revealing in an interview with NME that the scene was cut.

Prequel: Fans of The Sopranos will learn how the iconic Tony Soprano grew up in the upcoming movie The Many Saints of Newark, which takes place years before the events of the HBO series

Scene: Many fans have been wondering if any cast members from The Sopranos will be reprising their roles, though director Alan Taylor revealed that Edie Falco did film a scene as Carmela Soprano, the wife of James Gandolfini's iconic Tony Soprano

Taylor previously directed nine episodes of The Sopranos, including the show's penultimate episode, The Blue Comet.

While it was never previously confirmed if The Sopranos stars will return for the movie, Taylor did confirm Falco's scene that was filmed before being discarded.

'Yes, not to give away too much but, when you make a movie youre not exactly sure the final shape its going to be and we, believe it or not, shot a few things that included other cast members,' Taylor confirmed.

Edie's scene: While it was never previously confirmed if The Sopranos stars will return for the movie, Taylor did confirm Falco's scene that was filmed before being discarded

Final shape: 'Yes, not to give away too much but, when you make a movie youre not exactly sure the final shape its going to be and we, believe it or not, shot a few things that included other cast members,' Taylor confirmed

'We had Edie come in and she dressed up as Carmela and we shot something with her and it wound up not being in the final movie but it was a great excuse to see her again,' Taylor added.

He had nothing but praise for Falco, who he called, 'so ridiculously talented,' while adding, 'shes also one of these people who  and it seems to frequently be women  that manage to be perfect actors and also the sanest people youve ever met in your life.'

The director also compared Falco to Frances McDormand as a, 'solid, good, sane person,' adding, 'it was good to see her again.'

Carmela: 'We had Edie come in and she dressed up as Carmela and we shot something with her and it wound up not being in the final movie but it was a great excuse to see her again,' Taylor added

Talented: He had nothing but praise for Falco, who he called, 'so ridiculously talented,' while adding, 'shes also one of these people who  and it seems to frequently be women  that manage to be perfect actors and also the sanest people youve ever met in your life'

While Taylor wouldn't go into specifics about the scene he shot with Falco, he did admit that it was the opening scene of the movie.

'There was some confusion as to how best launch the movie. How to start the movie. So we tried a few things and that was one of them,' he said.

'If youve seen the movie youll see that we begin it in a very different way now but that wasnt always the idea,' Taylor added.

Opening scene: While Taylor wouldn't go into specifics about the scene he shot with Falco, he did admit that it was the opening scene of the movie

Different: 'If youve seen the movie youll see that we begin it in a very different way now but that wasnt always the idea,' Taylor added

The Many Saints of Newark was written by The Sopranos creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner, who wrote three episodes of the original series.

Michael Gandolfini, the 22-year-old son of late Sopranos star James Gandolfini, plays his father's iconic character Tony Soprano in his formative years.

The cast also includes Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Billy Magnussen, Corey Stoll, Alesssandro Nivola, Ray Liotta, John Magaro, Gabriella Piazza and Leslie Odom Jr.

Falco currently stars as Hillary Clinton on the FX series Impeachment: American Crime Story.
He recently tied the knot with his handsome beau Fernando Casablancas during a stunning ceremony in Ibiza.

But on Monday, Jordan Barrett was back to work in London, attending an intimate dinner hosted by British Vogue and Tiffany & Co.

The 24-year-old turned up to the event with good pal and fellow model, Lila Moss, on his arm.

Fashionable outing: Australian model Jordan Barrett attended an intimate dinner hosted by British Vogue and Tiffany & Co with close pal Lila Moss during London Fashion Week on Monday

For the outing, Jordan donned an all-black satin suit and black patent shoes.

He accessorised with gold jewel while his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones were accentuated by an application of bronzer.

Meanwhile, the daughter of legendary supermodel Kate Moss opted for a matching black satin mini dress with an embellishment on the chest.

She accessorised her look with black heels detailed with a strip of diamantes and black leather coat with fur at the neckline and sleeves.

Chic: Jordan donned an all-black satin suit and black patent shoes, while the daughter of legendary supermodel Kate Moss opted for a matching black satin mini dress with an embellishment on the chest

Jordan also caught up with fellow friend and Fast & Furious actress Clara Paget at the event.

The party appeared to be themed as Clara, 33, also donned a black gown for the occasion.

She let her blonde hair hang sleekly on her shoulders, and opted for a minimal make-up look.

Fun with friends: Jordan also caught up with fellow friend and Fast & Furious actress Clara Paget at the event

Last month, Jordan surprised fans after marrying fellow male model Fernando Casablancas, 23, following an intimate ceremony in Ibiza, Spain.

The ceremony was attended by no more than 15 of Jordan's closet friends including Lila's famous supermodel mother Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger and American playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

Congratulations! Last month, Jordan, 24, (left) married his beau Fernando Casablancas, 23, (right) during an intimate ceremony in Ibiza, Spain

'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his Aussie family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

'Champagne and cocktail drinks were flowing, it was very relaxed. Kate (Moss) brought out the rings, and really made sure it was special for him,' they added.

Jordan looked suave dressed in a black sleeveless silk top, which he wore unbuttoned paired with a matching pants.

'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia

His beau Fernando meanwhile opted for a black mesh sleeveless top with matching pants.

The striking model completed his look wearing a gold head chain from Messika by Kate Moss.

Jordan - who is signed to Kate's modelling agency - appears to have a good relationship with Kate and her daughter Lila.
The Bachelorette's Sasha Mielczarek has sold the elegant Bowral home he built with his own two hands for $2.6 million.

It was a very successful sale for the former reality star, who won the heart of Sam Frost in the 2015 series, as it was sold before it had even touched the market.

It's also the highest payment made for a house in the Retford Park Estate as prospective home owners continue to snap up property in the Southern Highlands area.

Fast sale: The Bachelorette star Sasha Mielczarek has sold his striking self-built Bowral house for $2.6 million before it even went to the market

'Demand is outstripping supply at the moment and buyers are making offers as soon as they can so they dont miss out,' Bowral principal agent Debbie Pearce told Realeatate.com.au.

'It is not uncommon for buyers to be reaching out before weve even had the chance to take the pictures,' she added.

Sacha bought the 1337 square metre plot of land in 2016 for $420,000 in the hopes of building an investment property.

Successful: It's also the highest payment made for a house in the Retford Park Estate as prospective home owners continue to snap up property in the Southern Highlands area

Pay off: Sacha bought the 1337 square metre plot of land in 2016 for $420,000 in the hopes of building an investment property

Records show the home was advertised as a rental in October last year with a listing price of $1450 per week.

The immaculate house features four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a double garage.

It also includes SMEG kitchen and a gas fireplace, European oak timber flooring, wool carpets, double glazed windows, custom cabinetry, 2.7 metre ceilings, panelled walls and timber finishes.

Luxe: Records showed the home was advertised as a rental in October last year with a listing price of $1450 per week

Drawcards: The immaculate house features four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a double garage, SMEG kitchen and a gas fireplace, European oak timber flooring, custom cabinetry, 2.7 metre ceilings, panelled walls and timber finishes

Realestate.com.au reports the median house price in the area has increased from $1.115 million to $1.282 million in the past 12 months - which helped drive the price.

Sacha rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia back in 2015, where he met and fell in love with Sam Frost.

Since their split, the 36-year-old has largely remained out of the limelight.

In December last year, Sacha debut his newest relationship with an unknown brunette beauty who he's posted pictures with on his Instagram.
Iggy Azalea is no stranger to wearing racy outfits on stage.

And the Aussie rapper stunned audience members in a skintight checkerboard bodysuit as she performed in San Diego, California, on Sunday.

The 31-year-old, who is travelling across America for Pitbull's I Feel Good tour, drew attention to her famously plump derriere in the skimpy ensemble.

Showstopper! Iggy Azalea (centre) stunned audience members in a skintight checkerboard bodysuit as she performed in San Diego, California, on Sunday

She accentuated her hourglass figure with a bright pink corset that cinched her waist.

The Fancy hitmaker teamed her bodysuit with magenta gloves, and styled her blonde hair in a sleek half-up, half-down ponytail.

She completed her look with fishnet stockings and heeled checkerboard boots.

Out there: She accentuated her hourglass figure with a bright pink corset that cinched her waist, and accessorised with fishnet stockings and heeled checkerboard boots

Changing it up: Iggy had worn a similar outfit for her performance in Austin, Texas, on September 12

Meanwhile, her back-up dancers opted for magenta bodysuits.

Iggy had worn a similar outfit for her performance in Austin, Texas, on September 12.

She donned the same checkerboard bodysuit, but this time teamed it with an electric-blue corset and gloves.

Check out her moves! She was in her element as she performed on stage, and sent fans wild as she turned around and twerked for the cheering crowd

Speaking out: Last month, the rapper got candid while speaking about how she juggles her music career with raising her son as a single mother and launching a makeup brand

She was in her element as she performed on stage, and sent fans wild as she turned around and twerked for the cheering crowd.

Last month, the rapper got candid while speaking about how she juggles her music career with raising her son as a single mother and launching a makeup brand.

Iggy, who shares 16-month-old son Onyx with ex-boyfriend Playboi Carti, told a fan on Twitter she'd been sleep deprived for 'over a year'.

Struggle: Iggy, who shares 16-month-old son Onyx (pictured) with ex-boyfriend Playboi Carti, told a fan on Twitter she'd been sleep deprived for 'over a year'

'It's been literally three hours a night of sleep for over a year. But worth it,' she tweeted.

Iggy's new makeup line is called Totally Plastic and she has received positive feedback about the brand on social media.

It comes after she recently announced she was taking a break from music for 'a few years' to focus on 'other creative projects'.

Her most recent album, End of an Era, will be her last for a while.
Miley Cyrus was putting on a typically steamy display in her latest racy Instagram snaps shared over the weekend.

In the first batch, the We Can't Stop songstress, 28, slipped into a graphic print unitard with sky-high heels to pose in a gym in a series of sexy poses.

Next, she joked she was 'shroomin' at the show' while posing with decorative mushrooms before her headlining set at Music Midtown in Atlanta on Sunday.

Pumping iron: Miley Cyrus was putting on a typically steamy display in her latest racy Instagram snaps shared over the weekend

In the mushroom shoot, Miley was wearing a jean jacket, shorts, and bag designed by artist Shane Kastl in the spread captured by her photographer Vijat Mohindra.

Hairstylist Cervando Maldonado pulled Miley's mullet into a tidy updo for the grassy shoot and make-up artist Janice Daoud brought out her natural beauty.

Earlier that same day, Cyrus wore a psychedelic b&w-print bike shorts onesie and black stilettos selected by her stylist Bradley Kenneth.

The 'gender-fluid' millennial - who boasts 268.5M social media followers - bent over while posing in front of a Maybach parked outside The Wxllxm Culture Center.

Glam: Next, she joked she was 'shroomin' at the show' while posing with decorative mushrooms before her headlining set at Music Midtown in Atlanta on Sunday

'MILEY & A MAYBACH': This time, Miley let her bleached mullet fly free and accessorized her scantily-clad look with neon shades

'MC & MW REUNITE': Speaking of which, the Am I Dreaming hitmaker enjoyed a reunion with her Bangerz producer Mike WiLL Made-It in his native Georgia

Over it: Cyrus - who's the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus - went on to explain her alienation from the hip-hop scene in a 2017 interview with Billboard

This time, Miley let her bleached mullet fly free and accessorized her scantily-clad look with neon shades. Cyrus was also pictured in a kitchen autographing material from her 2013 Bangerz era.

Speaking of which, the Am I Dreaming hitmaker enjoyed a reunion with her Bangerz producer Mike WiLL Made-It in his native Georgia.

The 32-year-old Grammy winner was partially responsible for Miley's 'culture vulture' hip-hop makeover and even featured her on his rap track, 23.

Sharpee in hand! Cyrus was also pictured in a kitchen autographing material from her 2013 Bangerz era

Tongue out! She was looking sexy as ever in her mushroom shoot

Cyrus - who's the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus - went on to explain her alienation from the hip-hop scene in a 2017 interview with Billboard.

'It was too much "Lamborghini, got my Rolex, got a girl on my c***" - I am so not that,' the former Disney Channel star said at the time.

'It's mind-boggling to me that there was even a controversy around me having black dancers. That became a thing, where people said I was taking advantage of black culture, and with Mike - what the f***? That wasn't true....

'Those were the dancers I liked!'

Cartoon: The 28-year-old pop star was wearing a colorful jean jacket, shorts, and bag designed by artist Shane Kastl in the spread captured by her personal photographer Vijat Mohindra

Cheeky: The 'gender-fluid' millennial - who boasts 268.5M social media followers - bent over while posing in front of a Maybach parked outside The Wxllxm Culture Center

Throwback! The 32-year-old Grammy winner (L) was partially responsible for Miley's 'culture vulture' hip-hop makeover and even featured her on his rap track, 23

The former Disney Channel star said at the time: 'It was too much "Lamborghini, got my Rolex, got a girl on my c***" - I am so not that'

Last Friday, Miley admitted she was 'terrified' while headlining Milwaukee's Summerfest after spending 18 months not performing in person for audiences.

'Like everyone else, for the last year and a half I've been locked away and isolated and it is very stunning to be back in a place that used to feel like second nature,' Cyrus said in a video tweeted by Journal Centinel's Piet Levy.

'Being on stage used to feel like being at home, and it doesnt anymore because of how much time I spent at home locked away. And this is very drastic.

'[It] was startling and terrifying': Last Friday, Miley admitted she was 'terrified' while headlining Milwaukee's Summerfest after spending 18 months not performing in person for audiences

.@MileyCyrus confessed @Summerfest tonight that she felt like she was having a panic attack in the middle of the show. I think by being honest, that makes me less afraid, she said. Look for our coverage of her amazing show @journalsentinel https://t.co/VszwAqVemN pic.twitter.com/JX7I0VcDKT  Piet Levy (@pietlevy) September 18, 2021

Sold out! Cyrus (pictured Friday) will next put her three-octave mezzo-soprano pipes to use at the Austin City Limits Festival on October 1 and 8 in Zilker Park

'[It] was startling and terrifying and coming out of it is also slightly terrifying. So I just wanted to be honest with how I'm feeling. Because I think by being honest about that, then it makes me less afraid.'

The Nothing Else Matters songstress will next put her three-octave mezzo-soprano pipes to use at the sold out Austin City Limits Festival on October 1 and 8 in Zilker Park.

Texan fans can probably expect pro-choice Miley to speak out about the state's unconstitutional ban on abortion at six weeks.
The sister of Sarah, Duchess of York, left viewers baffled on Tuesday during a bizarre interview on Australia's The Morning Show.

Jane Ferguson Luedecke, who was born in Britain but now lives on the Central Coast, appeared on the show to discuss her niece Princess Beatrice welcoming her first child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

But viewers watching at home were left perplexed when Jane appeared on screen flanked by her two enormous Great Danes, Ruby and Rufus.

Stealing the spotlight from their owner, the pooches took centre stage as they furiously licked a silicone mat covered in food.

At several points during the interview, Jane was forced to restrain Ruby and Rufus from becoming too excited by pulling at their thick necks.

Despite the awkward display, Jane managed to maintain her composure, politely answering the hosts' questions with a smile.

Woof: Jane Ferguson Luedecke (right), the sister of Sarah, Duchess of York, left viewers baffled on Tuesday when she appeared on The Morning Show flanked between her two huge dogs. Pictured left: The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Natarsha Belling

Discussing Beatrice's baby news, Jane enthused: 'It's so exciting. She is just a tiny little human but it's wonderful. I'm so happy for Beatrice. It is really good news.'

Jane also revealed how she communicates with the Royal Family from her home in Australia.

When asked whether she'd been in touch with her family following the birth, Jane replied: 'I've spoken on WhatsApp, as I usually do.'

Gone to the dogs! The interview centred around her niece Princess Beatrice welcoming her first child; however, Jane was forced to restrain her dogs Ruby and Rufus on several occasions

It was only at the end of the segment that it became clear why Jane had allowed her dogs to join her for the interview: to promote her new range of pet products.

Jane explained that Ruby and Rufus were licking frozen food from a special silicone mat she'd developed to help keep dogs occupied while their owners are on Zoom calls.

'[My sister] actually does have five of these!' she said. 'Probably other members of the Royal Family use them too!'

New parents: Beatrice and Edoardo welcomed a baby daughter on Saturday at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Buckingham Palace said on Monday. The royal couple are pictured in London on July 8

Beatrice and Edoardo welcomed a baby daughter on Saturday at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

She is Queen Elizabeth II's twelfth great-grandchild.

The newborn's name has not yet been revealed.
Jay-Z's Team Roc organization on Monday sued the Kansas City Police Department over allegations they covered up instances of police misconduct.

The lawsuit was filed in Wyandotte County, Kansas's district court, requesting a look at records of investigators with the department, and specifics such as training and supervision, according to ABC News.

Team Roc lawyer Alex Spiro told the outlet that previous documents authorities submitted under the Kansas Open Records Act were 'not sufficient.'

The latest: Jay-Z's Team Roc organization on Monday sued the Kansas City Police Department over allegations they covered up instances of police misconduct. The rap icon was snapped in NYC last month

The lawyer continued, 'Because of the Public Records Act that allows interested parties to look at various states and government documents, we're allowed to see certain files and how the government handled certain issues.

'The government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so we're suing to see what they don't want us to see.'

According to legal docs viewed by the outlet, the KCKPD has consented to submit documents 'pertaining to the complaints made against members of the Investigative Division,' but 'refused to produce documents pertaining to any steps that the city has taken in response to those complaints, including any investigations or disciplinary proceedings initiated as a result of the complaints.'

The suit from Team Roc was filed amid activists requesting a probe of the KCKPD by the U.S Department of Justice amid recent accusations of misconduct and discrimination against police in Kansas City, Kansas.

Details: The lawsuit was filed in Wyandotte County, Kansas's district court, requesting a look at records of investigators with the department, and specifics such as training and supervision

Team Roc is the philanthropy arm of Jay-Zs Roc Nation organization, which has been involved in multiple efforts at reform in criminal justice

Among them included a police officer accused of a sex crime with a minor; two officers charged with felony and misdemeanor assault on an inmate, and a race and gender discrimination brought against the department by a Black female officer.

Lawyers for Team Roc said 'these documents will help identify the scope of the problem, any potential evidence of a cover-up, and also the potential causes.'

A police rep told The Wyandotte Daily this past July that police continue 'to be willing, and available, to assist any agency working any investigation involving our department.

'Our relationship with the community is of utmost importance, which is why we are focused on strengthening current relationships and restoring those that have been broken.'

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said that exceptions in the public records case include 'most personnel records' as well as records of criminal probes and intelligence information.

Team Roc's legal team said they were pursing info to suss out whether 'complaints are being seriously addressed and whether there is sufficient oversight and supervision over the KCKPD.'

Team Roc is the philanthropy arm of Jay-Zs Roc Nation organization, which has been involved in multiple efforts at reform in criminal justice.
New Zealand model Georgia Fowler welcomed her first child last week, and shared the happy news on Instagram on Monday.

The 29-year-old has now shared several heart-melting photos of her little girl, Dylan, after she and partner Nathan Dalah took her home from the hospital.

One image shows Dylan sleeping in baby mittens, while another pictures her tiny feet with hospital tags wrapped around her ankles.

New mum: Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler has shared heart-melting new photos of her newborn daughter Dylan as she takes her home from hospital

A third image shows Dylan sleeping as Georgia's dog Chilli watches over her.

Georgia captioned her Stories: '17/9/21, an angel landed. Dylan Aman Dalah, we love you.'

Too cute: One image shows Dylan sleeping in baby mittens

'An angel landed': Another pictures her tiny feet with hospital tags wrapped around her ankles

She also shared a video of Dylan in a striped onesie sitting in the car on the way home from hospital.

Georgia welcomed her child with restaurateur boyfriend Nathan, 27, last week.

She announced the birth of her daughter on Instagram on Monday, showing Dylan sleeping and wrapped up in a white knitted blanket.

Milestone moment: She also shared a video of Dylan in a striped onesie sitting in the car on the way home from hospital

'Looking over you, baby sister': Georgia's dog Chilli watches over baby Dylan in her cot

'We love you so much': Georgia announced the birth of her daughter on Instagram on Monday, showing Dylan sleeping and wrapped up in a white knitted blanket

'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17/9/21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much,' she captioned the post, receiving a series of well-wishes and congratulations from fans and friends alike.

Georgia announced she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan back in April.

'We can't wait to meet you little one,' she wrote on Instagram. 'It's been hard to keep this one quiet, but now it's pretty hard to hide.'
She triumphed at Sunday night's 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards with a win for Outstanding Writing for her acclaimed miniseries I May Destroy You.

But Michaela Coel didn't spend long celebrating her win as she headed to a flight on Monday.

The 33-year-old actress, writer and director looked totally relaxed in sweatpants and a T-shirt as she arrived at LAX airport near Los Angeles to catch a flight.

Flying away: Michaela Coel, 33, looked relaxed in pink sweatpants and a pastel colored T-shirt as she arrived at LAX near LA on Monday after Emmys win the night before

Michaela had on a cozy set of pale pink sweatpants, which she paired with a pastel-shaded multicolored T-shirt.

She contrasted the bright colors with a set of fuzzy black slide sandals and a black hip bag that she wore slung across her torso.

The Chewing Gum star sported buzzed hair and blocked out the piercing sun with thick white sunglasses.

She also brought along a black backpack, and the man with her carried other bags and a set of chunky pink-and-white high-top sneakers.

Contrast: Michaela paired fuzzy black slippers and a black hip bag with her colorful ensemble

Safety first: She sanitized and put on a mask as she headed into the airport

Michaela put on a mask to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and rubbed some sanitizer on her hands as she walked up to the airport from the curb.

Even before her win for I May Destroy You and her moving acceptance speech, the British star set heads turning with her glamorous yellow Christopher John Rogers ensemble.

The two-piece outfit featured a slim bandeau-like crop top highlighting her toned midriff and strong arms.

She top featured a long train dangling from it, and she paired it with a matching yellow skirt, as well as pointy yellow heels.

Eye-catching: She set heads turning at the Emmys in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night in a stunning yellow Christopher John Rogers dress

In her series, which was a co-production of the BBC and HBO, Coel stars as the writer Arabella, who rose to fame after publishing a buzzy book inspired by her Twitter profile.

She struggles considerably more to meet deadlines on a second book, but her progress is derailed following a night out with friends that leaves her with hazy memories and fears that she may have been assaulted by a stranger.

The series received nearly universal critical acclaim and boasts an impressive 97 percent fresh rating from critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes.

The show had already won a Creative Arts Emmy for music supervision, but its biggest win came Sunday night when Michaela won for writing the entire show.

She began her acceptance speech with words of advice for her fellow writers.

'Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isnt comfortable. I dare you,' she said.

Powerful: She stars in, wrote and co-directed her series I May Destroy You. She plays a rising writer whose book project is derailed after she's sexually assaulted

Words of wisdom: She began her acceptance speech with words of advice for her fellow writers. 'Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isnt comfortable. I dare you,' she said

'In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to in turn feel the need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success  do not be afraid to disappear from it, from us for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence,' she continued.

She concluded her speech by stating, 'I dedicate this to every single survivor of sexual assault.'

Coel, who co-directed several episodes of the series in addition to writing and starring in them, was also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, as well as Outstanding Lead Actress for Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Kate Winslet scored the Emmy for Lead Actress, while the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit earned Outstanding Limited Series, the final award of the evening.

Moving: She concluded her speech by stating, 'I dedicate this to every single survivor of sexual assault'

Support: She told E! News that it was incredible to have her costar Paapa Essiedu at her side. He was nominated for a supporting award for his role on I May Destroy You

This was Coel's first Emmys appearance, and she told E! Online that she was 'overwhelmed with gratitude' to be there.

'If I think about it too much, I get emotional. I means a lot to be heard and listened to so attentively. I'm very grateful,' she added.

She also added it was 'incredible' and meaningful to be nominated with her costar Paapa Essiedu at her side.

He played a friend who finds himself connected to her character through a devastating sexual assault in I May Destroy You.

'We went to drama school together. I'm so proud of him. I'm so happy that we got to work together and more so than myself, if he wins, I will be so happy,' she said.

Essiedu was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role.

Wouldn't budge: In a 2020 Vulture profile, the star described how she walked away from a Netflix deal for I May Destroy You after the streamer wouldn't let her keep even a modest ownership stake

Although Michaela eventually made her limited series for BBC One and HBO, she had originally approached Netflix about the project.

In a Vulture profile published last year, the multitalented performer revealed that she turned down the streamer after it offered her $1 million but refused to allow her to negotiate for even a small ownership stake in her series.

She initially negotiated for 'at least 5 percent of the copyright,' which apparently didn't go over well with Netflix executives.

'There was just silence on the phone. And she said, "Its not how we do things here. Nobody does that, its not a big deal,"' Michaela said of her conversation with a senior-level development executive.

'I said, "If its not a big deal, then Id really like to have 5 percent of my rights."'

Even just 0.5 percent ownership in the series proved to be too much for Netflix to allow her, so she shopped the project to the BBC, which agreed to make it and let her keep a portion of the ownership.
She recently joined the cast of Channel Nine's new drama After the Verdict.

But it was business as usual for Magda Szubanski on Tuesday as she stepped out in Melbourne to pick up some pastries from a local cafe.

The 60-year-old actress, who has spent months living under lockdown, still looked lively as she waved to paparazzi across the street.

Lockdown goodies: Magda Szubanski was spotted picking up pastries from a Melbourne cafe on Tuesday after it was announced she'd joined the cast of new Nine drama After the Verdict

Magda wore a black parka, red jumper and grey tracksuit pants for her solo outing.

The Kath & Kim star accessorised with pair of black Asics sneakers and sunglasses.

She kept Covid-safe during Melbourne's Delta outbreak by wearing a surgical mask.

Hello there! The 60-year-old actress, who has spent months living under lockdown, still looked lively as she waved to paparazzi across the street

Magda's outing comes just a week after it was announced she was joining the cast of Channel Nine's upcoming drama series After the Verdict.

The network had previously confirmed actors Lincoln Younes and Sullivan Stapleton were starring in the post-jury drama from the producers of House Husbands.

The story follows four Australians who have just completed jury duty on a high-profile murder trial.

Safe: She kept Covid-safe during Melbourne's Delta outbreak by wearing a surgical mask

As the characters each try to return to their normal lives, they start to question their verdict.

They then reinvestigate the murder themselves as they struggle to live with the lasting impacts of the trial.

After the Verdict is slated to air on Channel Nine next year
Married At First Sight star Michael Goonan was granted special permission to fly to Colombia to appear on celebrity dating show Ex on the Beach.

But looks like the 30-year-old's stint on the ITV series has come to end after he was spotted enjoying a flirty date night with Dutch model Sylvia Geersen.

Uploading several videos to Instagram Stories, Michael couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he cosied up to the glamorous brunette at a restaurant in Marbella, Spain.

KC who? Married At First Sight star Michael Goonan (left) was spotted getting cosy with Dutch model Sylvia Geersen (right) on a date night after filming Ex on the Beach

'The problem when you're hanging out with Holland's Next Top Model, they just can't stop the job can they?' he laughed while filming the 35-year-old pouting.

Michael then shared a video of Sylvia speaking to her Instagram followers in another language, remarking: 'I don't understand a word you're saying but you're good to look at.'

Following their date night, Michael reposted a video of himself and Sylvia waiting for a rideshare.

Something to tell us? Uploading several videos to Instagram Stories, Michael couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he cosied up to the glamorous brunette at a restaurant in Marbella

Flirty: 'The problem when you're hanging out with Holland's Next Top Model, they just can't stop the job can they?' he laughed in one video

Flirty: Sylvia laughed and smiled while Michael goofed around at their table

'Gosh we've been downgraded babe,' he chuckled when a Mini Cooper showed up.

It's unclear if Michael and Sylvia were friends before his trip to South America, or if they met while filming the upcoming dating series.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month that Michael was set to appear on the show, which sees celebrity contestants jet off overseas to live together in a luxury villa under the illusion they'll be finding love in the sun.

Lost in translation: Michael shared a video of Sylvia speaking to her Instagram followers in another language, saying: 'I don't understand a word you're saying but you're good to look at'

Jokes: Following their date night, Michael reposted a video of himself and Sylvia waiting for a rideshare. 'Gosh we've been downgraded babe,' he laughed when a Mini Cooper showed up

Upon their arrival, however, they're told their former flames will be rocking up to surprise them.

Fellow MAFS star KC Osborne - who dated Michael for several months after he and Stacey Hampton's 'marriage' fell apart on Nine's social experiment - is also set to appear on the series.

It's believed KC, 32, is still in Colombia, where the show is being filmed.

Drama: Fellow MAFS star KC Osborne (left) - who dated Michael for several months after Michael and Stacey Hampton's 'marriage' fell apart on Nine's social experiment - is also set to appear on the star-studded show

Michael's on-screen ex Stacey had apparently also agreed to take part on the series, but is said to have pulled out in recent days.

A source told Daily Mail Australia: 'Stacey isn't interested. She doesn't care for it.

'She's about to launch her clothing label and needs to stay in Adelaide for her kids. Her two boys are in school right now, and they need her more than ever.'
Comedian Chelsea Handler got serious on Monday announcing she was 'finally in love' with a wistful solo snap of herself vacationing in Spain.

'Just sitting here in Mallorca thinking about how grateful I am to have so many people that I love in my life, to live the life I do, and to be going on tour doing what I love,' the usually wisecracking 46-year-old - who boasts 15.1M social media followers - wrote.

'And that I'm finally in love, with the best kind of guy there is. There is hope for everyone! That kind of stuff.'

Earlier this summer she was linked to Metal Shop Masters host Jo Koy after the pair were caught enjoying some PDA at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.

Love is in the air: Chelsea Handler talked about having a new man in her life in a new Instagram. Some have suggested her new love is comic Jo Koy, who she was seen getting cozy with at a Dodgers game last month

No joke: The comedian got serious on Monday announcing she was 'finally in love' with a wistful solo snap of herself vacationing in Spain

The usually wisecracking 46-year-old - who boasts 15.1M social media followers - wrote: 'I'm finally in love, with the best kind of guy there is. There is hope for everyone! That kind of stuff'

Chelsea's surprising news received congratulatory comments from her celeb pals Paris Hilton, Kate Beckinsale, Emmanuel Acho, Reese Witherspoon, Lena Headey, Kelsea Ballerini, and Katie Couric.

Handler's more cynical guy friends - Ultra City Smiths actor Dax Shepard and Comedy Central 'roastmaster' Jeff Ross - replied with skepticism.

The New Jersey-born blonde previously romanced chef Bobby Flay, hotelier Andre Balazs, rapper 50 Cent, and TV exec Ted Harbert, and comedian David Alan Grier.

It's only been 17 days since Chelsea told a fan on TikTok that she was thrilled she 'remained childless and alone' during the coronavirus pandemic.

Happy together: It seemed clear that the duo liked each other from their snaps

'Happy you're happy': Chelsea's surprising news received congratulatory comments from her celeb pals Paris Hilton, Kate Beckinsale, Emmanuel Acho, Reese Witherspoon, Lena Headey, Kelsea Ballerini, and Katie Couric

'Fantastical': Handler's more cynical guy friends - Ultra City Smiths actor Dax Shepard and Comedy Central 'roastmaster' Jeff Ross - replied with skepticism

Former flames: The New Jersey-born blonde previously romanced chef Bobby Flay, hotelier Andre Balazs, rapper 50 Cent (L, pictured in 2010), and TV exec Ted Harbert, and comedian David Alan Grier

'I have never felt more confident and secure in my life decision-making skills': It's only been 17 days since Chelsea told a fan on TikTok that she was thrilled she 'remained childless and alone' during the coronavirus pandemic

However, eyebrows raised when Handler packed on the PDA with Metal Shop Masters host Jo Koy - whom she's known as far back as 2005 - at the Los Angeles Dodgers game on August 31.

'How beautiful did she look that day? Me and Chelsea, she's amazing,' the 50-year-old comedian (born Joseph Herbert) gushed to TMZ on September 10.

'I've known Chelsea for a long, long time I mean a long time, like years ago and we've always been great friends. We, uh, I don't know how to answer [whether we're dating].'

Intimate: However, eyebrows raised when Handler packed on the PDA with Metal Shop Masters host Jo Koy - whom she's known as far back as 2005 - at the Los Angeles Dodgers game on August 31

The 50-year-old comedian (L, pictured September 3) gushed to TMZ on September 10: 'How beautiful did she look that day? Me and Chelsea, she's amazing. I've known Chelsea for a long, long time I mean a long time, like years ago and we've always been great friends. We, uh, I don't know how to answer [whether we're dating]'

Father: Koy was a featured panelist on the former talk show host's E! series Chelsea Lately from 2009-2011, and he has an 18-year-old son Joseph Herbert Jr. (L, pictured last Wednesday) with artist Angie King

Koy was a featured panelist on the former talk show host's E! series Chelsea Lately from 2009-2011, and he has an 18-year-old son Joseph Jr. with artist Angie King.

Chelsea - who's back in LA after her two-week vacation - will next bring her 40-date Vaccinated & Horny Tour to Ohio's Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on September 30.

Handler will also return for season two of Dear Chelsea, her weekly advice podcast for iHeartRadio on October 7.
She confirmed she was pregnant with her second child earlier this month.

And Kylie Jenner seemed to admire her changing figure on Monday when she posted a short clip of herself to her Instagram Stories.

The 24-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star could be seen caressing her baby bump in a mirror selfie video taken from one of her dressing rooms.

Admiring herself: Kylie Jenner, 24, delicately caressed her baby bump in a short video posted to her Insta Stories on Monday

Kylie looked like she was ready for fall weather with a stately gray overcoat that she wore open to reveal her stomach.

She appeared to also have on dark jeans and cream-colored crop top that didn't do anything to cover her midriff.

The reality star sported pointy white nails and thick gold rings on her fingers, which she rested gently on her bump.

Kylie let her voluminous raven locks cascade over one shoulder in playfully messy waves.

Elegant: Kylie looked like she was ready for fall weather with a stately gray overcoat that she wore open to reveal her stomach

Delicate: She ran two fingers over the top of her stomach and wore a cream-colored crop top

She had a makeup chair just behind her and displays filled with cosmetics in the background.

Kylie seems to have delighted in showing off her baby bump as her pregnancy progresses, like she didn't in a recent car photo posted to her Insta Stories on Sunday.

The social media star sat behind the wheel and turned her camera down to show her stomach.

'belly's getting big,' she captioned the snap, adding two hearts.

'belly's getting big': The day before, the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan  who is soon to welcome her second child with rapper Travis Scott  showed off her growing baby bump

Kylie was spotted earlier on Sunday during a family trip to a zoo in Houston, Texas, with her partner Travis Scott  who hails from Houston  and their three-year-old daughter Stormi Webster.

The cosmetics mogul has been taking things easy since she opted to skip out on the Met Gala a week earlier.

At the time, a source told E! Online: 'She did a lot this past weekend and pushed it.

'Kylie has been going back and forth for the last two months on if she wanted to attend or not and decided she doesn't really need to go.'

They added: 'Kylie is focused on her pregnancy right now and just wants to take it easy.'

A second source claimed she claimed she wanted to reveal her pregnancy and debut her baby bump at the Met Gala, but it 'didn't work out the way she hoped.'

MIA: Kylie skipped out on the Met Gala last week, which led some fans to wonder on social media if she was unvaccinated, as all attendees needed to be fully vaccinated; seen in 2019

Her decision to skip the event came as a surprise, as Kylie had been picture at several New York Fashion Week events just days earlier.

Attendees of the Met Gala were required to be fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, which led some fans to wonder on social media if Kylie was unvaccinated.

So far, she doesn't appear to have publicly shared her vaccination status.

Her decision to skip out on the event was reportedly shortly after Nicki Minaj shared that she wouldn't be attending the Met Gala because she was unvaccinated.

The rapper was the brunt of merciless ribbing on Twitter after she claimed a cousin's friend in Trinidad had had to cancel his wedding because he became 'impotent' due to 'swollen' testicles, which health officials in Trinidad later debunked.
NRL WAG and model Tahlia Giumelli has revealed her secret battle with spondylitis, or inflammatory arthritis, in her lower back.

The 29-year-old said her doctor is investigating the issue which is believed to be linked to her Crohn's disease.

Tahlia, who is engaged to Tom Burgess, shared a picture of herself looking downcast on the couch and said she is suffering incredible pain.

NRL WAG and model Tahlia Giumelli has revealed her secret battle with spondylitis, or inflammatory arthritis, in her lower back

'My GP is currently investigating spondylitis (inflammatory arthritis) in my lower back, which is also known to be associated with Crohn's disease,' she wrote.

'Just because you can't see an injury or illness doesn't mean it's not there or that people aren't struggling daily,' she added.

Tahlia said she's been going to the gym and Pilates to help with the pain, as well as taking regular baths.

The 29-year-old said her doctor is investigating the issue which is believed to be linked to her Crohn's disease

Tahlia said she's been going to the gym and Pilates to help with the pain, as well as taking regular baths

What is inflammatory arthritis? -Inflammation around the spine and joints -Movement, posture and breathing can be affected -While there's no cure, treatments include pain-relief medication and in some cases, surgery Advertisement

'I have good days and bad and today is a bad one,' she wrote.

'People see a very small snippet of our lives so wanted to share one part of what we juggle.'

In the past, Tahlia has been open about her battle with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.

In March last year, the beauty was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after an attack of the 'silent but painful' disease.

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract.

It can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea and anaemia, as well as life-threatening complications.

Speaking to Body and Soul in 2017, Tahlia described her battle with the disease, and how understanding fiance Tom is about her illness.

'I'm pretty honest and this is something I wouldn't hide. Tom was really understanding,' she said.

'He's been a good support through and through from the beginning - he's always encouraging me. He's amazing.'

The Miss Universe Australia 2018 finalist also revealed she has to avoid certain foods to avoid flare ups.
Following the passing of her beloved grandmother at the age of 96, Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough) and her sister Jade have both shared touching tributes.

The designer and wife of Today show co-host Karl Stefanovic posted her tribute to Instagram on Tuesday after she was spotted attending the funeral last Friday.

Jasmine, 37, posted two photos of herself and her grandmother together in the tribute - one where she's a child and a more recent picture - along with a poem titled 'Nana's Love' by Sunburnt Poet Leanne Laydon.

In remembrance: Jasmine Yarbrough and her sister Jade have shared special tributes to their late grandmother who tragically passed away at the age of 96

'The days may dance too swiftly as your Quickstep becomes a Walt, but your voice still sings with angels Sunday mornings, when it matters most,' it begins.

'Take your afternoon tea and chocolate and come down memory lane, hold my hand on Burleigh beach where my childhood days remain.'

The lovely words then change from memories to values that have been ingrained.

'With the softest touch of Nana's love guiding as I've grown, you shone brighter than any star in a class, all on your own. I learnt the art of being a lady. The value of grace, and being kind.'

Heartfelt: The designer posted two photos of herself and her grandmother together in the tribute - one where she's a child and a more recent picture - along with a poem titled 'Nana's Love' by Sunburnt Poet Leanne Laydon

'You always matched your necklace and dress, these little things come to mind. And fill my cup with admiration for those values instilled along the way because I wouldn't be the woman I am, without Nana's love, today.'

Jasmine's sister Jade posted on the day of the funeral on Friday and also published a series of pictures.

'96 years young. What a life lived,' Jade wrote. 'Not like any nana, but a second mumma to us and the matriarch of our family.'

'Hand and hand forever. Hope you are dancing the night away now,' she added.

'A second mumma to us and the matriarch of our family': Jade Yarbrough, sister of Jasmine, posted a tribute to her nan on the same day

The first picture is a recent photo of the two sisters with their grandmother at a function, while the last one, taken around the same time, sees Jade dancing with her.

An older photo is also shared in the post showing Jade and Jasmine as children smiling with their nan.

The sisters had been taking care of their grandmother for a while, with Jasmine flying into Brisbane, Queensland from covid-stricken Sydney last month to help look after her.

Sweet: Jade posted the tribute on Instagram with a series of photos with Jasmine and their grandmother with a lovely message attached

Memories: An older photo shows Jade and Jasmine as children smiling with their nan

Jasmine's husband, Karl Stefanovic, announced on-air on the Today show in August that his wife had flown into hotel quarantine with their one-year-old daughter Harper.

He said that she had acquired a special exemption from Queensland Health.

The TV host emphasised that Jasmine and Jade's grandmother was 'really, really, really sick' at the time.

The shoe designer visited her ailing nan after she completed 14 days of hotel quarantine with Harper.
Former Bachelor Matt Agnew has been secretly living in Sydney after he was forced to move out of his two-bedroom 1890s Richmond home back in March last year.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the 34-year-old astrophysicist decided to move to the Emerald City in September.

Agnew had been renting a inner-city home in West Richmond for $470 per week since December 2017, just two years before he was thrust into the spotlight in 2019.

EXCLUSIVE: Former Bachelor Matt Agnew (pictured) has been secretly living in Sydney after he was forced to move out of his two-bedroom 1890s Richmond home last year

Built over 130 years ago, the property Matt called his home was put on the market in March 2020, before it sold for a whopping $1,120,000 in May this year.

'After lockdown last year I just wanted a bit of a change of scenery... but it didn't quite go to plan,' he said of his move.

The handsome star quietly unpacked his two-bedroom home into a similar estate in a Sydney inner suburb where he is living with his pet Labrador, Pluto.

Welcome! Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the 34-year-old astrophysicist decided to move to the Emerald City in September last year after Melbourne restrictions eased

SOLD: Built over 130 years ago, the property Matt called his home (pictured) was put on the market in March 2020 before it sold for a whopping $1,120,000 in May this year

Moving out: Agnew had been renting a inner-city home in West Richmond for $470 per week since December 2017, just one year before he was thrust into the spotlight in 2019

He is currently working in his industry as a data scientist.

'I decided I wanted to move towards A.I. work, and data science is the natural path there from where I was in my career,' he said.

'It's really fun and has enormous real world application!'

Change: After lockdown last year I just wanted a bit of a change of scenery... but it didn't quite go to plan,' he said of his move. The handsome star quietly unpacked his two-bedroom home into a similar estate in a Sydney inner suburb where he is living with his pet Labrador, Pluto

Over the weekend, Matt set pulses racing as he uploaded a scorching image of himself posing topless.

Flaunting his etched abs, bronze tan, full beard and long, Tarzan-inspired locks, Matt looked worlds away from the geeky suitor fans remember.

'Its a beautiful day,' Matt wrote in the caption, adding a sun emoji and tagging his location as Sydney.

Fans immediately went into meltdown over the eye-popping image, with one commenting: 'Ummmm okay now you can teach me science'.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr has spoken out about the abuse she receives on social media.

The 53-year-old TV presenter said she chooses to 'delete and block' her tormenters rather than engage.

'I have blocked hundreds of people,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

Rolling with it: Sunrise host Natalie Barr (pictured) has spoken out about the abuse she receives on social media

Natalie rose to the top of the breakfast show pile when her predecessor Samantha Armytage dramatically quit Sunrise earlier this year.

Barr was subsequently given the co-host role alongside anchor David 'Kochie' Koch.

Armytage quickly joined Barr's online critics in the aftermath, tweeting 'Nats wanted the job, forever.. & shes finally got it,' before adding that Natalie should 'forget about' her.

However despite the changing of the guard, Sunrise is still flying high in the ratings, with Barr telling the newspaper, 'I am just really happy that we are still winning nationally every week'.

Not suffering fools: The 53-year-old TV presenter said she chooses to 'delete and block' her tormenters rather than engage, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph

Natalie's candid interview comes after she couldn't resist joking about Prince Harry's 'airbrushed' appearance on the cover of Time's Most Influential People issue last week.

Speaking on-air, the presenter mentioned the cover after the Cash Cow drew attention to a similarly airbrushed promo photo in Seven's Martin Place headquarters.

Natalie quipped that the same person who enhanced Harry's receding hairline for his Time 100 cover had given her fill-in co-anchor Matt Doran a thicker head of hair.

'I demand airbrushing like that': Barr couldn't resist joking about Prince Harry's 'airbrushed' appearance on the cover of Time's Most Influential People issue last week. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured on the cover of Time 100

The moment happened when the Cash Cow was taking selfies in front of a poster of Matt and his Weekend Sunrise co-host Monique Wright.

Matt's hair appeared slightly thicker than usual and was parted on the wrong side, prompting Natalie to suggest it had been flipped using Photoshop.

'I demand airbrushing like that,' she said. 'It takes at least half a year off you!'

Having a laugh: Natalie joked that the same person who enhanced Harry's receding hairline had given her co-host Matt Doran (right) a thicker head of hair for a recent promo shoot

She then noticed something odd about the image, saying: 'Hang on, does the hair sweep the other way? It does!'

'Have they flipped it like a wig?' asked a stunned Matt.

Natalie then said: 'I think you used the same airbrusher as Prince Harry on the front cover of Time [magazine].'

She even speculated the Seven graphics team had superimposed Weekend Sunrise weatherman James Tobin's hair onto Matt's head.

Not impressed: The Time 100 cover featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been ruthlessly mocked on social media for its excessive use of Photoshop and awkward positioning

The Time 100 cover featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been ruthlessly mocked on social media for its excessive use of Photoshop.

Many fans also ridiculed the awkward positioning of the photo as the Duke of Sussex appeared to be hiding behind his wife as he clutched her shoulders.

Others joked that he looked like the Duchess' hairdresser as he proudly stood behind her and she presented her voluminous hair.

But much of the commentary focused on Harry's locks, which appeared thicker than usual - perhaps due to some generous Photoshopping.

Hair: Much of the commentary focused on Harry's locks, which appeared thicker than usual - perhaps due to some generous Photoshopping. Pictured: the Duke of Sussex in January 2020

Harry, 37, comes from a family of balding men, including his brother, Prince William, and father, Prince Charles, and has shown signs of male-pattern baldness himself.

But unlike his relatives, the LA-based royal has reportedly taken steps to reverse the issue by visiting a London hair-loss clinic in late 2019.

He is said to have undergone hair-thickening treatment at the prestigious Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic, according to The Sun on Sunday.

The treatment has seen an improvement in the length and thickness of his hair.
WAG-turned-influencer Phoebe Burgess' troubled marriage to her ex-husband Sam was once again laid bare when he confessed to cheating on her during a recent episode of SAS Australia.

But Phoebe appeared to brush the drama aside on Tuesday.

The former journalist was every inch the doting mother as she let her daughter Poppy, four, do her makeup at her parent's Southern Highlands home.

Doting: WAG Phoebe Burgess was every inch the doting mother to her two children - daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, two - as she let her children do her makeup on Tuesday

The Ostelin ambassador shared clips of her little one using a blush brush to paint her face as Phoebe gazed at her adoringly.

Poppy appeared equally excited to paint her mother's face and later used a lip brush on her as Phoebe held son Billy, two.

The trio later looked content as they laughed while a made-up Phoebe kissed her children.

Just like mum! The Ostelin ambassador shared clips of her little one using a blush brush to paint her face as Phoebe gazed at her adoringly

Last Monday, Sam admitted during an episode of SAS Australia that he had been unfaithful to his wife in their marriage.

Phoebe later shared a screen grab of a book she was reading titled: 'Charmed and dangerous: A woman's guide to reclaiming a healthy relationship.'

While she made no reference to Sam or the confession, the timing of the post appeared to correlate with the retired star's surprise announcement.

Cute: Poppy appeared equally excited to be doing her mother's makeup and later used a lip brush on her as Phoebe held son Billy

During the episode, former South Sydney Rabbitohs player Sam, 32, confessed he had previously been unfaithful to Phoebe.

He said that he knew he had 'embarrassed' her during their four-year marriage.

'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times,' he said to the camera. 'I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. That's true.

Sweet: The trio later looked content as they laughed while a made-up Phoebe kissed her children

'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... it would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be.'

In 2018, Sam was embroiled in a sexting scandal which involved a Melbourne woman who claimed he had cheated on his wife the year prior.

In the immediate aftermath of the scandal in September 2018, Phoebe, who was then pregnant with her second child, pulled out of a public appearance but was otherwise publicly supportive of her husband in the weeks that followed.

Breaking his silence: Last Monday, Sam admitted during an episode of SAS Australia that he had been unfaithful to his wife in their marriage

However, the couple ended their marriage shortly after Christmas the same year, three months after he was cleared of any involvement in an NRL 'sexting' affair.

Despite reconciling briefly in early 2019, the couple called it quits for good in October the same year.

News of the separation came just days after Sam announced his retirement from all sporting competitions with immediate effect on October 30, 2019, due to a shoulder injury.

Honest: 'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be,' Sam said on the show

Sam said he 'couldn't accept' hearing the decision from his surgeon that he should retire, and so tried to go back and play.

'It was a bit of a knife to the heart,' he explained on Monday's episode. 'I couldn't accept it. I knew two games in I couldn't do my job anymore, so I retired. It was s**t.'

Chief instructor Ant Middleton then asked if Sam had then gone on a 'path of destruction' following the demise of his marriage and the end of his career, to which he replied: 'I didn't know how to manage it.

'I'm not great with managing emotional. Anything to do with my team, myself, press - I don't mind about that.

'When it became emotional stuff with losing my kids, not seeing my kids every day, my marriage breakdown and that put pressure on my ex-wife... I didn't like that.
She recently broke up with Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Scott Disick.

Yet Amelia Gray Hamlin put her heartbreak aside as she attended the Dazed event at The Standard for London Fashion Week on Monday wearing leggy black hot pants.

The 20-year-old model's statuesque frame was showcased in the racy ensemble which she paired with a grey busty strapless sheer top which floated down to the ground.

Wow: Newly-single Amelia Gray Hamlin, 20, put her heartbreak from Scott Disick aside as she donned leggy black hot pants for a Dazed event at The Standard at London Fashion Week on Monday

She elevated her tall frame by donning huge platform black heels which she paired with knee-high socks.

Taking the edgy vibe of the outfit further, she wore smoky black eye shadow, had her eyebrows in her statement bushy style and made me pout shine with layers of clear lip gloss.

Amelia's long brown locks fell over her bust, down to her waist and were styled in a wet look.

She has been walking the catwalk at numerous shows during London Fashion Week, including the brand Aadnevik.

Amazing: The model's statuesque frame was showcased in the racy ensemble which she paired with a grey busty strapless sheer top which floated down to the ground

Stunner: Taking the edgy vibe of the outfit further, she wore smoky black eye shadow, had her eyebrows in her statement bushy style and made me pout shine with layers of clear lip gloss

She recently put on a racy display at the Perfect Magazine party in a barely-there chainmail dress, which many were wowed by but she was sure to send a message to her actor father Harry Hamlin to say 'sorry.'

In hilarious screenshots posted on her Instagram story, Amelia wrote in the family group chat: 'sorry for my nip dad it's fashion.'

Her dad is yet to respond, but Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star mom Lisa Rinna was totally behind the ensemble.

'It's fashion!': She recently put on a racy display at the Perfect Magazine party in a barely-there chainmail dress, which many were wowed by but she was sure to send a message to her actor father Harry Hamlin to say 'sorry'

Funny: In hilarious screenshots posted on her Instagram story, Amelia wrote in the family group chat: 'sorry for my nip dad it's fashion'

'I just saw lol,' the Days Of Our Lives alum wrote back. 'It's fashionnnnnn.'

Her visit to the capital comes after Amelia split with reality star Scott earlier this month.

However, a source told TMZ that Scott is the one who made the call to split as he did not see a long-term future with Amelia as she is 18 years his junior, and didn't want to keep 'wasting time.'

An insider told E! News that the couple 'needed a break from one another, that was clear,' before adding: 'They are in different places and trying to figure out if it's time to move on and if they are really done.'

The split came just days after Scott sent Kourtney Kardashian's ex Younes Benjima a direct message about her PDA-packed behaviour with boyfriend Travis Barker.

'Yo is this chick ok!??? Broo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' the Talentless designer wrote as he sent a photo of Kourtney kissing and straddling the drummer on an inflatable boat.
Alexa Chung looked typically stylish when she left private members' club Loulou's in Mayfair on Monday night alongside her boyfriend Orson Fry.

The fashion designer, 37, showcased her slender midriff in a leather crop top complete with puffed sleeves and teamed the statement-making piece with a pink floral ruffle skirt, polished brogues and pretty ribboned socks.

Orson, 25  who is the heir to Fry's chocolate dynasty  cut a dapper figure in a navy suit layered over a pale blue shirt and appeared in high spirits as he left the London Fashion Week bash with his beau.

Stylish: Alexa Chung, 37, looked typically stylish when she left private members' club Loulou's in Mayfair on Monday night alongside her boyfriend Orson Fry

Leather look: The fashion designer showcased her slender midriff in a leather crop top complete with puffed sleeves

Also in attendance were the likes of Lady Mary Charteris and her husband Robbie Furze plus newlywed Jordan Barret, with the 24-year-old Australian model linking arms with a female companion as he made his way through the capital.

Socialite Mary, 34, caught the eye in sequined purple trousers teamed with platform leopard print heels.

Her rocker husband Robbie, 43, looked trendy in all black and accessorised with two chain necklaces.

Alexa's outing came hours after she attended the Simone Rocha show sans Orson, who she was first linked to in 2019.

Night out: Also in attendance were the likes of Lady Mary Charteris and her husband Robbie Furze

Wow: Socialite Mary, 34, caught the eye in sequined purple trousers teamed with platform leopard print heels

They first sparked romance rumours in May that year when they were seen putting on an affectionate display at the All Point East Festival, it was then revealed that their relationship had begun two months prior.

A source told The Mail's Katie Hind at the time: 'They instantly hit it off. Now they're inseparable and he's practically living at her place. It's all moving very fast, but she's smitten.

'They're also not shy when it comes to public displays of affection and were recently seen getting very cosy at the festival. They are very much enjoying themselves.'

Friends: Model Jordan Barret, who linked arms with a female companion as he made his way through the capital

Dapper: The Australian model, 24, cut a dapper figure in an all-black look

At the time, the source revealed that even though the romance was new, Orson had as good as moved into her apartment in Dalston, east London.

Meanwhile, she is said to have been regularly cheering him on when he performed at pubs and small venues across the capital with his band, Soundtown.

Before embarking on her romance with Orson, Alexa had split with True Blood actor Alexander Skarsgard in 2018.
Iris Law stood out from the crowd as she attended the Fashion East x Browns bash at The Standard London on Monday night.

Sporting her signature peroxide blonde buzz cut, the model, 20, put on a leggy display in a multicoloured minidress.

Iris teased a hint of her abs in the skimpy number which had a cut out section and ruched detailing as she mingled with stars at the party, sponsored by CIROC Vodka.

Wow factor: Iris Law stood out from the crowd as she attended the Fashion East x Browns at The Standard London on Monday night

Iris added a boost to her height with black platform heels and accessorised her look with gold jewellery.

The daughter of Sadie and Jude finished off her look with a pop of blue eyeshadow.

Iris debuted her blonde buzz cut back in July. At the time, the beauty discussed with Vogue how she had shaved her head for her role as Soo Catwoman in the upcoming series, Pistol.

All eyes on her: Sporting her signature peroxide blonde buzz cut, the model, 20, put on a leggy display in a multicoloured minidress

She said: 'I wanted to do something that felt liberating. The day I shaved my head, I changed my life. I've never done anything like that before.

'I looked in the mirror and thought it was going to be emotional but it wasn't. It felt so positive.'

Iris began experimenting with new hairstyles as Soo Catwoman in Danny Boyle's upcoming Sex Pistols drama.

Discussing her acting debut in the series, Pistol, she said of her character: 'I want to do her justice. A lot of people don't actually know who she is or much about her. I want that to be rectified.'

Bright: The daughter of Sadie and Jude finished off her look with a pop of blue eyeshadow

Also attending the event was Amelia Gray Hamlin, 20. The socialite is newly-single after her split from Scott Disick.

And Amelia appears to be making the most of single life as she posed up at storm in an ab-flashing grey crop top and black denim shorts.

Romeo Beckham's model girlfriend Mia Regan, 18, rocked a linen shirt and baby blue shoulder bag to the event.

Jefferson Hack, Tigerlily Taylor, India Rose James and Rizzle Kicks' Jordan Stephens also attended the London Fashion Week bash.

Party girl: Also attending the event was Amelia Gray Hamlin, 20. The socialite is newly-single after her split from Scott Disick

Night out: Romeo Beckham's model girlfriend Mia Regan, 18, rocked a linen shirt and baby blue shoulder bag to the event

Fashion Week in the Big Smoke takes place twice a year, in February and September.

It is branded one of the Big Four fashion weeks, along with the New York, Milan and Paris.

The events showcase over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers throughout the week.

Numerous other celebrities were seen attending opening night events across the city on Thursday including Amelia, Anna Wintour and Jorja Smith.

LBD: Tigerlily Taylor opted for a slinky black minidress which had cut out sections along the sides

Walk this way: India Rose James flashed a hint of leg in her off the shoulder dress

Fashion week: India posed with Twiggy Garcia (L) and Rizzle Kicks Jordan Stephens (R)

Cool: Dazed editor Jefferson Hack (L) rocked a pinstripe blazer, while Twiggy (R) showed off his fashion style in a blue suit and poio neck
Jordan Barrett and his pal Ella Richards looked bleary eyed as they left the reopening party for restaurant Loulou's in Mayfair on Monday night.

The Australian model, 24, wrapped his arm around his 25-year-old model friend - who is the granddaughter of Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards - after they were seen attending the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. event earlier in the evening.

Jordan walked down the London street looking dapper in a black satin suit, paired with a T-shirt and black shoes, while Ella wore a black Shrimps coat with a fur trim round the collar and wrists.

Good night? Jordan Barrett, 24, and his pal Ella Richards, 25, looked bleary eyed as they left the reopening party for restaurant Loulou's in Mayfair on Monday night

Underneath the coat, she wore a thigh skimming satin mini dress with bejewelled detailing round the bust.

The newly-married Jordan wore his caramel locks in his statement surfer style, which fell messily round his face, while Ella wore her bright blond bob straight.

The bombshell elevated her height with black sling back kitten heels.

Fun: The Australian model wrapped his arm around his 25-year-old friend - who is the granddaughter of Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards - after attending British Vogue party

Last month, Jordan surprised fans after marrying fellow male model Fernando Casablancas, 23, following an intimate ceremony in Ibiza, Spain.

The ceremony was attended by no more than 15 of Jordan's closet friends including Lila's famous supermodel mother Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger and American playwright Jeremy O. Harris.

'It was very spontaneous, but his wedding planner Serena Cook was able to pull some strings to make sure it was very special since his Aussie family couldn't attend,' a source told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

Stylish: Jordan looked dapper in a black satin suit, paired with a T-shirt and black shoes, while Ella wore a black Shrimps coat with a fur trim round the collar and wrists and a mini dress

Fashionable outing: The pair were seen earlier in the evening at the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. event in the capital

'Champagne and cocktail drinks were flowing, it was very relaxed. Kate (Moss) brought out the rings, and really made sure it was special for him,' they added.

Jordan looked suave dressed in a black sleeveless silk top, which he wore unbuttoned paired with a matching pants.

His beau Fernando meanwhile opted for a black mesh sleeveless top with matching pants.

The striking model completed his look wearing a gold head chain from Messika by Kate Moss.

Jordan - who is signed to Kate's modelling agency - appears to have a good relationship with Kate and her daughter Lila.

Congratulations! Last month, Jordan married his beau Fernando Casablancas, 23, (right) during an intimate ceremony in Ibiza, Spain
Do you know Daphne's male companion? Contact tips@dailymail.com

Daphne Guinness had a kiss planted on her cheek by a male companion on Monday night after she left a London Fashion Week party held at private members' club Loulou's in Mayfair.

The designer, 52, sat in the back of a taxi wearing a typically extravagant sequined outfit and eye mask when a dapper gentleman wearing a suit leant towards Daphne and planted a friendly kiss on her cheek.

Daphne's friend wrapped his right arm around her back and placed his left across the fashionista's waist.

Heading home: Daphne Guinness, 52, was kissed by a male companion on Monday night after she left a London Fashion Week party held at private members' club Loulou's in Mayfair

Kiss: She sat in the back of a taxi wearing a typically extravagant sequined outfit and eye mask when a dapper gentleman planted a kiss on her cheek

Wearing her iconic black and white hair pulled into a chic bun, Daphne looked typically fabulous as she prepared to head home after calling it a night.

The star teamed her show-stopping look with towering purple platform heels covered in glitter.

MailOnline has reached out to Daphne's representatives for comment.

Daphne famously embarked on an extra-marital affair with 72-year-old French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who she was last confirmed as being romantically involved with in 2016.

Cosy farewell: The pair exchanged a cosy farewell

Taken back: The socialite looked slightly taken aback as she pulled away from the fellow party goer

Chatting away: The pair appeared to be friendly and stopped for a chat before Daphne was whisked home

High spirits: Daphne appeared in high spirits while in conversation with her friend

Bernard-Henri  who Daphne hailed as being 'the love of her life'  was last seen with the fashion circuit staple in 2016.

The pair first met at a party in Paris in 2005, after which they embarked on a passionate affair when he stayed at her flat in America in 2008.

Levy has been married three times. His eldest daughter by his first marriage to Isabelle Doutreluigne, Justine Levy, is a best-selling novelist, and he has a son, Antonin-Balthazar Levy, by his second wife, Sylvie Bouscasse.

Readjusting: Daphne was seen fixing her eye mask in place

Thumbs up: The fashionista flashed cameras a thumbs up

Guinness, meanwhile, has only been married once  to shipping heir Spyros Niarchos, the son of shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos, whom she divorced in 1999 after 12 years.

Speaking about juggling a three-way relationship, she has said in the past: 'I've tried to be as elegant about it as possible.

'It certainly doesn't make me feel good to hurt anyone, but when things are real, and when there is bound to be collateral damage, you have to look at what's most precious, and that's love.'
On Tuesday's episode of SAS Australia, John Steffensen had a very awkward experience.

The former track and field athlete had to do a 'number two' in the shared, outdoor toilet - and he chose to use the girls' loo.

In wandered two of the women - Isabel Lucas and Jessica Peris, who needed to use the bathroom.

Oh dear! On Tuesday's episode of SAS Australia, John Steffensen (pictured) had a very awkward experience

John was literally caught with his pants down as he tried to go in peace while Isabel used the stall next to him.

'Who is that? Who is next to me? This is weird man. I hate this,' he complained, while Sam Burgess, who was also in the bathroom, laughed at him.

'Someone has p**sed all over this toilet!' Isabel complained while she used the stall.

Oh no! The former track and field athlete had to do a 'number two' in the shared, outdoor toilet - and he chose to use the girls' loo. In wandered two of the women - Isabel Lucas and Jessica Peris, who needed to use the bathroom

Oh dear! John was literally caught with his pants down as he tried to go in peace while Isabel used the stall next to him

'There is p**s all over that seat. I squat on that. I don't sit down on that', she added as Jessica agreed the boys had soiled the seats.

Isabel left and Jessica went into the same stall, with Sam cracking up and saying, 'Steff you have a new toilet partner!'

'This is embarrassing,' John groaned. 'This is f**king weird man, seriously this is f**king wrong'.

Jessica finished using the toilet and went to wash her hands, telling John he could now, 'Grunt and do whatever you need to do'.

Laughs: Isabel left and Jessica went into the same stall, with Sam cracking up and saying, 'Steff you have a new toilet partner!'

Embarrassed: 'This is embarrassing,' John groaned. 'This is f**king weird man, seriously this is f**king wrong'. As the runner laughed by the door, John finished up and expressed how embarrassed he was by the whole encounter

As the runner laughed by the door, John finished up and expressed how embarrassed he was by the whole encounter.

'Just get out of my sight,' he called out to Jessica, who was giggling helplessly.

'That was depressing sorry man. I am disgusting myself. I am a broken man,' he said as he pulled his pants up.

SAS Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven
Advertisement

Bridgerton two filming has been thwarted by a series of Covid outbreaks on set this year.

Yet the defiant cast and crew returned to filming on Monday, as actors including leading lady Phoebe Dynevor [Daphne Bridgerton] and her on-screen brother Jonathan Bailey [Anthony Bridgerton] were spotted on set.

The actress, 26, attempted to try and minimise the possibility of another coronavirus wave on set, as she wore a plastic visor to protect herself and others from the potentially-deadly virus.

They're back! Bridgerton two filming has been thwarted by a series of Covid outbreaks on set this year, yet the defiant cast and crew returned to filming on Monday

Beaming Phoebe, who reportedly recently split from her boyfriend of five months Pete Davidson, flashed a smile as she walked through the London location with her co-stars and members of the crew.

The daughter of Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor wore her strawberry blonde locks in a blue hair net to protect her elegant up do before the cameras began rolling.

Phoebe opted for a subtle pallet of make-up in neutral tones, while she masked her lilac period costume with a black robe while moving around on set.

All smiles: Beaming Phoebe, who reportedly recently split from her boyfriend of five months Pete Davidson, flashed a smile as she walked through the London location with her co-stars and members of the crew

Star of the show: Meanwhile, Jonathan, 33, who will take on the main character role this season as he searches for a wife, was dressed in a double-breasted white waistcoat and navy robe during the appearance

Meanwhile, Jonathan, 33, who will take on the main character role this season as he searches for a wife, was dressed in a double-breasted white waistcoat and navy robe during the appearance.

His character was dressed in a pair of smart trousers and dress shoes, while he also wore a protective visor loosely around his neck as he chatted to a member of the crew who was covered in a face mask.

Also filming on Monday was Anthony's younger brother Benedict Bridgerton - who is played by Luke Thompson - and was spotted wearing a black robe to cover his elaborate costume beneath.

Walking: His character was dressed in a pair of smart trousers and dress shoes, while he also wore a protective visor loosely around his neck as he chatted to a member of the crew who was covered in a face mask

Covered up: Luke was spotted wearing a black robe to cover his elaborate costume beneath

Bridgerton series two production reportedly ground to a halt once again late last month after bosses muddled up positive and negative COVID-19 tests, according to The Sun.

In August production resumed on the second season after two positive coronavirus tests shut it down - but the set experienced a further minor delay due to the testing gaffe, meaning it was not known which test belonged to whom.

It was alleged due to a positive test among the tests, bosses on the set in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire had to retest the entire cast and crew and wait for the results.

A source said: 'Nothing can account for mistakes, sadly, and producers cannot take any chances, given it could quickly tear through cast and crew and shut production down for a while. The tests were cross-contaminated, meaning they all had to be done again.

Nightmare: In August production resumed on the second season after two positive coronavirus tests shut it down - but the set experienced a further minor delay due to the testing gaffe

Waiting game: It was alleged due to a positive test among the tests, bosses on the set in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire had to retest the entire cast and crew and wait for the results

'Ironically, when they came back a second time the positives were negatives so maybe they could have ploughed on regardless.

'They had to revise and shift the shooting schedule slightly but it hasn't caused any delays to shooting thankfully. It could've been a lot worse.'

MailOnline contacted a Netflix spokesman for comment at the time.

Earlier this month Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen confirmed that production has resumed on the highly-anticipated second season after two positive coronavirus tests shut it down.

Family affair: Lady Portia Featherington - played by Ruth Gemmell - was seen walking behind her on-screen daughter

Bromance: Two out of three of the Bridgerton brothers joined the rest of their family members on set

'We are back under way. We had to delay because of Covid, but we're back in it,' the 61-year-old showrunner told Variety.

'Right now I'm in post, editing our first couple episodes, which are looking great.'

Season two is based on Julia Quinn's 2000 sequel The Viscount Who Loved Me, which is centered on Anthony's (Jonathan Bailey) quest to find a suitable partner.

'We pick up Anthony after we've seen what he's been through with his mistress,' Van Dusen teased.

Plot: Season two is based on Julia Quinn's 2000 sequel The Viscount Who Loved Me, which is centered on Anthony's (Jonathan Bailey) quest to find a suitable partner

'He's thinking, 'Was that love?' Some would call it that, others would not. We're exploring those concepts of duty and honor once again...I hope people love this season and beyond as much as they did the first.'

Newcomers to the critically-acclaimed Shondaland show will include Simone Ashley, Charithra Chandran, Rupert Evans, Rupert Young, Shelley Conn, and Calam Lynch.

An eye-popping 82M households streamed the Gossip Girl-style period drama about Regency London high society within the first 28 days of its Christmas Day premiere.

Season one scored an impressive 12 nominations - including outstanding drama series - for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, which air September 19 on CBS.

Rege-Jean Page scored a lead actor nod for portraying Duke of Hastings Simon Bassett, but saddened fans after announcing he was exiting Bridgerton on April 2.
SAS Australia star Koby Abberton left his fellow recruits in fits of laughter on Tuesday night's episode, as he recalled a nightmare first date which saw him abandon his companion in shame.

After a gruelling day of challenges, the big wave surfer and Bra Boy, 42, decided to lift the mood with the hilarious tale while sitting down at the dinner table.

Koby laughed as he confessed that decades prior, he had finally secured a date with a woman in Bondi after 'six months' of trying - but it ended in disaster when he tried to open a bottle of Champagne in a fancy restaurant.

Hilarious: SAS Australia star Koby Abberton (left) left his fellow recruits in fits of laughter on Tuesday night's episode, as he recalled a nightmare first date which saw him abandon his companion in shame. Pictured next to John Steffensen

'I've never opened Champagne in my life, brah!' he said. 'So I put it inbetween my legs, and it just goes - wapah!'

Koby then mimicked the motion of Champagne blasting into his face, leaving Sam Burgess to roll his head back in hysterics.

'I got up, walked straight out and I've never seen her again!' he added, with John Steffensen unable to control his own laughter next to him.

'I've never opened Champagne in my life, brah!' Koby said, mimicking the actions of a bottle exploding in his face. 'So I put it inbetween my legs, and it just goes - wapah!'

'My mate rings me and goes, "Brah, this chick has been here for an hour",' Koby continued, with his response being: 'I don't want to see her anymore! I'm done with that s**t, too hard.'

Through fits of giggles, he added: 'Whacked me in the eye, and I was wrestling with it between my legs, brah!

'We laughed for hours over it, it's a great story!'

Howling : 'I got up, walked straight out and I've never seen her again!' Koby added, leaving Sam Burgess (right) to roll his head back in hysterics

These days, Koby is happily married to wife Olya Nechiporenko, a Ukrainian model, psychologist and accountant who he met in Bali.

The couple share a son, Makua, who was born in July 2015.

SAS Australia continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven
The person responsible for the snap Byron and Tweed shire lockdown is a crew member on Channel Ten's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Australia, according to an ABC report.

Byron Shire, Kempsey and Tweed Shire areas all went into a snap seven-day lockdown from 5pm on Tuesday, after a Covid infected Sydney resident flew in on Saturday and tested positive on Monday.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an ITV Studios Australia spokesperson confirmed that an I'm A Celebrity crew member has tested positive for Covid-19.

Shut down: The person responsible for the snap Byron and Tweed shire lockdown is a crew member on Channel Ten's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Australia, according to an ABC report. Pictured: Hosts Chris Brown and Julia Morris

'ITV Studios Australia has been filming I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Northern NSW in accordance with Public Health Orders and restrictions, as well as its own comprehensive CovidSAFE plan, which is consistent with Screen NSW's guidelines for film and television production,' the spokesperson said.

'We take our CovidSAFE plan extremely seriously. The health, safety and welfare of the community, as well as our cast and crew, is our number one priority.

'We can confirm that one of our crew members has tested positive to COVID-19. This discovery was made through the rigorous testing regime implemented by our CovidSAFE plan.

Crew: In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an ITV Studios Australia spokesperson confirmed that an I'm A Celebrity crew member has tested positive for Covid-19. Pictured: Last year's cast

'The crew member is fully vaccinated and was wearing PPE while at work. All close contacts of the crew member from within the ITV production have been identified.

'They are being tested and will isolate in accordance with NSW Health's requirements. ITV is providing crew members with all the support and assistance possible.

'We are working with NSW Health to ensure all necessary steps are taken in relation to contact tracing, testing and further communication to anyone that needs to isolate.'

'ITV Studios Australia has been filming I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in Northern NSW in accordance with Public Health Orders and restrictions, as well as its own comprehensive CovidSAFE plan, which is consistent with Screen NSW's guidelines for film and television production,' the spokesperson said

They were PCR tested and returned a negative result prior to their departure from Sydney for Northern NSW, and took a second test on the day of arrival, as is required, and that test was positive.

According to TV Tonight, the crew member 'has returned to Sydney and into isolation after their positive test'.

The crew member was not on set or in studio and the production of I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here! Australia was not affected by the positive test.

Return: According to TV Tonight , the crew member 'has returned to Sydney and into isolation after their positive test'

Byron Bay was thrown back into lockdown after a Sydney resident flew in on Saturday and tested positive on Monday.

The person arrived on the Virgin Flight VA 1141 from Sydney to Ballina on Saturday morning and was infectious for two days while working in Byron, Ballina and Tweed.

NSW Health minister Brad Hazzard said the lockdown would initially be for seven days subject to a further review.
She has just touched down in the UK ahead of her new makeup range launch.

And Christine Quinn commanded attention as usual as she stepped out for a glamorous VIP dinner at The Mandrake Hotel in London to celebrate the new Ciate x CQ line.

The Selling Sunset beauty, 32, wowed in a plunging black velvet dress with silver tassel detailing while heading to the swanky venue with her beau on Monday night.

Wow: Christine Quinn stepped out for a glamorous VIP dinner at The Mandrake Hotel in London on Monday night with her husband Christian Richard ahead of her makeup range launch

She showed off a hint of her ample assets in the slinky number which gave a glimpse of her black lace bustier.

The star completed her look with silver heels, a matching clutch bag and elaborate jewellery while styling her locks in loose waves.

Meanwhile Christian looked suave in a black and white shirt and white jeans as he held her arm.

Style: The Selling Sunset beauty, 32, wowed in a plunging black velvet dress with silver tassel detailing while heading to the swanky venue with her beau

Just last week, Christine put on a fashionable display as she enjoyed a whirlwind New York Fashion Week.

The Netflix star was a staple on the front row, having attended a host of shows, including The Blonds, PrettyLittleThing and Christian Siriano.

She admitted to having had 'such an incredible time', but needed to head back to Los Angeles to film season five of her popular Netflix reality show, Selling Sunset.

Christine previously revealed how filming season four was particularly traumatic as she had to relive her son's 'extremely dramatic' birth where she almost 'flatlined' during an emergency C-section.

Whirlwind trip: Just last week, Christine put on a fashionable display as she enjoyed a whirlwind New York Fashion Week. She admitted to having had 'such an incredible time', but needed to head back to Los Angeles to film season five of Netflix reality show, Selling Sunset

'Reliving the trauma on Selling Sunset about my birth experience, was one of the most difficult things I have ever done; let alone allowing these very raw, personal moments of my life captured on camera,' she wrote in a lengthy caption to honour her son Christian's two-month birthday in July.

It's unclear the premise of the following season, but it will likely include her co-star Heather Rae Young's wedding to home renovation expert Tarek El Moussa.

Christine once compared their relationship to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, which the couple didn't take too kindly.

On Amanda Hirsh's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast late last year, Tarek said: 'Christine has a big mouth. She said some s**tty things about us. And that's about it. We're not really interested in dealing with her nonsense.'

However Christine downplayed the situation in an interview with Us Weekly this year.

'I don't regret saying those things at all. I mean, at the end of the day, I'm a comedian and you know, it's a show. We all say silly things,' she said.

'I talked to her (Heather) probably a week ago. She's super sweet, we're on great terms. I'm really happy for them that they're getting married.'
Mick Jagger's son Devereux looked the spitting image of the rocker when he was young in a Instagram photo posted by his mother Melanie Hamrick on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old ballerina shared the adorable black and white image of her son, four, and fans commented how much he looked like his rocker dad, 78, with similar big lips and floppy hair.

One commented: 'So adorable! Looks just like his dad!' while another wrote: 'Mini Mick.'

Twins! Mick Jagger, 78, and Melanie Hamrick's, 34, son Devereux, four, (left), looked the spitting image of his father when he was young in a photo posted to Instagram by the ballet dancer on Tuesday

Another said: 'He's his dad!' with a string of red love-hearts and clapping emoji, with another pointing out he looks like his half-sister Georgia: 'So cute! Reminds me of his sister Georgia.'

Melanie and Mick have been romantically linked since 2014, and met while the pair were both touring Tokyo.

The dancer was able to go backstage after one of the rock star's shows, and became an item before eventually having their son.

'Mini mick!' Melanie posted the adorable black and white image of her four-year-old son and fans commented how much he looked like his rocker dad with similar big lips and floppy hair

Resemblance: One follower said: 'He's his dad!' with a string of red love-hearts and clapping emoji, with another pointing out he looks like his half-sister Georgia: 'So cute! Reminds me of his sister Georgia' (pictured)

Mick has a total of eight children from different relationships including Georgia, 29, Elizabeth, 37, and 36-year-old James and Gabriel, 23, with Jerry Hall.

He also has 49-year-old Jade with 70s fashion icon Bianca Jagger, and 50-year-old Karis with Marsha P Hunt.

As well as 22-year-old Lucas, whose mother is Luciana Gimenez who Mick had an affair with while he was still married to Jerry.

Luciana discovered that she was pregnant with Mick's child in 1998 after an eight-month affair, which resulted in Jerry and Mick's 22-year relationship breakdown.

In 1999 Luciana was described as 'the straw that broke the camels back' by Jerry during her split from Mick.

Luciana previously said of model Jerry: 'I don't know how she feels about me, but I understand that I probably hurt her.'

Couple: Melanie and Mick have romantically linked since 2014, and met while the pair were both touring Tokyo

The Rolling Stones will reportedly alter their world famous logo on their upcoming tour in tribute to their late bandmate Charlie Watts.

Sir Mick, Keith Richards, 77, and Ronnie Wood, 74, have decided to make their tongue logo from red to black in memory of drummer Charlie who died last month aged 80.

According to The Sun, the new logo will be projected onto screens on the tour and will also be used on the band's merchandise.

A source said: 'They don't want it to be a concert that is a downer because they know fans have paid good money to see them.

'But it feels only right that they referenced Charlie's passing because he was such a vital part of the band and it will be strange for them all to not have him there.

'They think the plans make for a fitting tribute.'

Tribute: The Rolling Stones will reportedly alter their world famous logo on their upcoming tour in tribute to their late bandmate Charlie Watts (L-R, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Mick and Charlie Watts in 2016)
She has been busy during London Fashion Week attending star-studded parties.

And Iris Law showed off her figure in a sexy lace dress as she posed up a storm in the bathroom at the Perfect Magazine party which took place on Sunday night.

The daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, 20, flaunted her ample assets as she channeled vintage glamour in the slinky number which featured pink satin sections.

Stunning: Iris Law showed off her figure in a sexy lace dress as she posed up a storm in the bathroom at the Perfect Magazine party during LFW which took place on Sunday night

Iris also showed off the button and lace detailing on the back of the pretty number as she turned around and leant against one of the sinks.

The blonde beauty, who recently shaved her tresses, opted for a hot pink smudged lip and pink eyeshadow for the clip.

She looked like she was having a great time at the bash as she larked around and posed away in her edgy sunglasses.

Stylish: The daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, 20, channeled vintage glamour in the slinky number which featured pink lace sections

The look: Iris debuted her blonde buzz cut back in July. At the time, the beauty discussed with Vogue how she had shaved her head for her role as Soo Catwoman in the upcoming series, Pistol

The Perfect Magazine party saw the celebration of Perfect Issue One 'Joy' and the official launch of NoMad.

Fashion Week in the Big Smoke takes place twice a year, in February and September.

It is branded one of the Big Four fashion weeks, along with the New York, Milan and Paris.

Work it! She looked like she was having a great time at the bash as she larked around and posed away in her edgy sunglasses

The events showcase over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers throughout the week.

Numerous other celebrities were seen attending opening night events across the city on Thursday including Amelia Hamlin, Anna Wintour and Jorja Smith.

Iris debuted her blonde buzz cut back in July. At the time, the beauty discussed with Vogue how she had shaved her head for her role as Soo Catwoman in the upcoming series, Pistol.

Radiant: The blonde beauty, who recently shaved her tresses, opted for a hot pink smudged lip and pink eyeshadow for the clip

Beautiful: Iris also showed off the button and lace detailing on the back of the pretty number as she turned around and leant against one of the sinks

She said: 'I wanted to do something that felt liberating. The day I shaved my head, I changed my life.

'I've never done anything like that before.

'I looked in the mirror and thought it was going to be emotional but it wasn't. It felt so positive.'

Exciting: The Perfect Magazine party saw the celebration of Perfect Issue One 'Joy' and the official launch of NoMad
Coronation Street's Abi Franklin (played by Sally Carman) is set to pull a gun on her son's murderer Corey Brent (Maximus Evans).

In tense scenes filmed on Sunday, Abi could be seen sitting outside Corey's home when she removed a gun from her handbag, however was stopped in her tracks as police arrived at Corey's house to speak to him.

Elsewhere, teenager Kelly Neelan (Millie Gibson) was filmed having an intense chat with Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher) after having beer poured over her head by teenage thugs.

Explosive: Coronation Street's Abi Franklin (played by Sally Carman) is set to pull a gun on her son's murderer Corey Brent (Maximus Evans)

Intense: Elsewhere, teenager Kelly Neelan (Millie Gibson) was filmed having an intense chat with Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher)

Earlier this month, Corey was found not guilty of murdering Abi's son Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni) who was beaten to death in May.

Clearly keen to take matters into her own hands, a distressed Abi waited for Corey while he took out the bins.

Elsewhere, Nina was seen wiping away tears while speaking to Kelly while a police officer cast a watchful eye over the pair.

A day earlier, Kelly was filmed being accosted by youths who poured beer over her head as she walked through Weatherfield.

Waiting: Clearly keen to take matters into her own hands, a distressed Abi waited for Corey while he took out the bins

Don't do it! In tense scenes filmed on Sunday, Abi was seen sitting outside Corey's home when she removed a gun from her handbag

Big decision: Abi contemplated her next moves while sitting in her car

Stress: The Corrie character appeared stressed out

Not guilty: Earlier this month, Corey was found not guilty of murdering Abi's son Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni) who was beaten to death in May

Chores: Corey was running errands while Abi watched on

Police: Abi was interrupted as the police arrived to speak to Corey

Concerned: Corey appeared concerned

Outfit: Corey was dressed in jeans and a red bomber jacket

Explanation: Holding his hands up, Corey appeared to try and explain something to the police officer

Having fun: Between takes actors Sally and Maximus shared a joke

Kelly was first introduced to the show in 2019, and is currently embroiled in Seb's murder trial.

Kelly is in jail currently on the show, and recently found out that her criminal father, Rick, may be dead.

She was told this news by fellow inmate Mia, who is convinced that crime rivals have 'made him disappear.'

However, Kelly believes her dad is still alive, and funded her failed legal case from Spain.

The filming comes after the show received 137 complaints from furious viewers after killer Corey Brent was found not guilty of murdering Seb.

The teenager was put on trial for his role in the death of Seb who was beaten to death in May in a hate crime.

Fans of the long-running ITV soap watched in disbelief as Corey was found not guilty in Friday's episode with many complaining to the broadcasting authority, according to Metro.co.uk.

Waiting: Abi played the waiting game while keeping an eye on Corey

No idea: Corey appeared to have no idea that he was being watched by Abi

Rubbish: Corey had plenty of rubbish to get rid of

Under arrest? It seemed as though Corey was placed under arrest

Not amused: Corey did not appear amused as he was given a telling off by the officer

Seb's mother Abi arrived in court in time to watch Kelly being found guilty but was devastated to see Corey celebrating with his friends.

Abi was understandably heartbroken which quickly turned to fury when Corey looked at her and winked.

Speaking to the publication, actress Sally Carman said: 'I think [Abi] was daring to believe that justice could be done. That's why she did everything by the book.'

Meanwhile, an ITV boss has hinted at a major shake-up for Coronation Street and Emmerdale schedules.

Tearful: Nina was seen wiping away tears while speaking to Kelly while the police cast a watchful eye over the pair

Filming: A day earlier, Kelly was filmed being accosted by youths who poured beer over her head as she walked through Weatherfield

Drama: Kelly was first introduced to the show in 2019, and is currently embroiled in Seb's murder trial

Caffeine: While chatting away the teenagers made sure to get their caffeine fix

Phone: Kelly was seen taking out her phone and checking the screen

Deep in conversation: The teenagers were deep in conversation while the Corrie cameras were rolling

Crew: The soap's crew spread out around the two actors

In thought: Kelly appeared to be deep in thought

This summer, a week's worth of soaps were uploaded to the ITV Hub early during the Euro 2020 competition, meaning fans of both sport and soaps could avoid huge schedule clashes.

And now, ITV's Director of Television Kevin Lygo has said that due to the success of the temporary measure, it could be a possibility that there may be a permanent shift to early streaming online.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he said of the possible changes: 'On soaps - it's possible [that the soaps could stream on the hub first], it's a possible future.

'For us, part of the restructure and its effect on commissioning is that we wanted to bring together in one place all aspects of what used to be called broadcasting, so the commercial programming and delivery so that it is more in line with modern behaviour and tastes.

'ITV is incredibly successful at getting large numbers of people to come and watch the show at the same time.'

Complaints: Coronation Street reportedly received 137 complaints from furious viewers after killer Corey was found not guilty of murdering Seb
Bonnie Anderson became emotional when discussing an ex-boyfriend on Tuesday's episode of SAS Australia.

The former Neighbours star, 27, said the relationship, which began in her teens, was a defining moment in her life.

'I was about 18 and I met this guys that I fell in love with. He just kind of threw me through the absolute ringer, and I feel like that was the moment where I learned more about myself than I ever had,' she told the instructors during an interrogation.

Hard: Bonnie Anderson (pictured) became emotional when discussing an ex-boyfriend on Tuesday's episode of SAS Australia. The former Neighbours star, 27, said the relationship, which began in her teens, was a defining moment in her life

'So I think that's the most defining moment for me and I think that was a big part of why I am on this course,' she added.

The actress added that she was struggling in the competition and experiencing feelings of failure.

'Honestly I've been struggling. I have been, obviously you can see, just trying to switch my brain off,' she said.

Emotional: 'I was about 18 and I met this guys that I fell in love with. He just kind of threw me through the absolute ringer, and I feel like that was the moment where I learned more about myself than I ever had,' she told the instructors during an interrogation

Difficult: The actress added that she was struggling in the competition and experiencing feelings of failure

'Rejection's a big thing in what I do. We do auditions on a daily basis and we get knocked back all the time.

'I remember going for Neighbours and I auditioned three times and I didn't get it until the fourth time. So, for me, if you get knocked back, you just get back up again, it's as simple as that. You just fight harder,' she added.

In 2019, Bonnie pleaded guilty to failing to inform authorities her then-partner Matt Arnautovic was driving her car when he sped away from police in 2017.

Past: In 2019, Bonnie pleaded guilty to failing to inform authorities her then-partner Matt Arnautovic (right) was driving her car when he sped away from police in 2017

She fronted Melbourne's Ringwood Magistrates Court in August 2019 after a warrant was issued for her arrest in January that year.

Her lawyer Rainer Martini said his client had shown 'misguided loyalty' in covering up for her troubled then-boyfriend.

'At the end of the day it was a misguided relationship,' he told the court.

Arnautovic was charged with dangerous driving in relation to the same incident, and was placed on a community corrections order after pleading guilty on April 2.

At the time he had been living with Ms Anderson in east Melbourne and driving her Blue Subaru Imprezza.

Loyal: Her lawyer Rainer Martini said his client had shown 'misguided loyalty' in covering up for her troubled then-boyfriend. Bonnie was later released on a good behaviour bond

He was also struggling with a drug habit, Anderson's lawyer said.

He pleaded guilty on April 2 and was placed on a community corrections order.

Bonnie was later released on a good behaviour bond over the incident.

In March this year, she went public with her new boyfriend, Matthew Bushby.

Bonnie recently announced she was leaving Neighbours after three years on the long-running soap, with her final episode set to air later in the year.
Danniella Westbrook has vowed to give up cocaine and champagne after feeling like a 'fraud' for relapsing during her battle with drug addiction.

Taking to Instagram on Monday evening, the former EastEnders star, 47, told her followers how she wants to change her life before her addictions 'claim hers'.

In a lengthy post, Danniella, whose cocaine addiction in the 1990s and 2000s was much publicised, spoke of how she is over the 'vicious circle' and wants to go back to being sober because they were the 'best years of my adult life.

The next chapter: Danniella Westbrook has vowed to give up cocaine and champagne after feeling like a 'fraud' for relapsing during her battle with drug addiction

'Ok so here goes . HONESTY POST Ok so its no secret since leaving rehab Ive slipped and slides more than I have been straight I guess,' she wrote.

'But today Ive joined a new gym restarted my herbal life and going back to the rooms tonight.

'Im done with the drinking, the occasional packet and night out Im totally over it.

Changes: Taking to Instagram on Monday evening, the former EastEnders star, 47, told her followers how she wants to change her life before her addictions 'claim hers'

'I know the best years of my whole adult life was the 14 years I spent clean and sober. So todays the day I go back own my s**t pick up the newcomers ring with pride not shame.

'Im tired of being sick and tired and feeling shame and a fraud when people tell me Im doing well. Ive done better this time round but Im done Im so b****y bored of it all.

'So today Im saying. Hello Im Danniella and Im a recovering drug addict.'

Tough: In a lengthy post, Danniella, whose cocaine addiction in the 1990s and 2000s was much publicised, spoke of how she was over the 'vicious circle'

Danniella went on to say she is hoping to help others tackle their addiction with alcohol and drugs.

She added: 'I havent had a rock bottom this time Im just all over the whole vicious circle that is crippling disease that stops me and from being the best me I can be and from reaching my full potential.

'Im lucky this time Im not crawling in the rooms a sniveling skinny bag head  I was meant for more than this and this last few years f*****g about has shown me, that cocaine and champagne aint got the high I want.'

Danniella said she will have her 'head held high' as she embarks of her new sober chapter and seeks to find her 'natural high from life'.

Hopeful: Danniella said she will have her 'head held high' as she embarks of her new sober chapter and seeks to find her 'natural high from life'

Addiction: She told her followers: 'I was meant for more than this and this last few years f*****g about has shown me, that cocaine and champagne aint got the high I want'

She concluded the post by saying: ' So that's me done .see you all on the sunny side of life 

'And to anyone struggling wake up and change your life before it claims yours. Were all worth it, much love to you.'Westie xxxx'.

The actress' battle with drugs has been well-publicised, and she famously had her nose reconstructed after her septum collapsed from excessive cocaine use in 2002.

At the height of her use it was reported she would take up to five grams of cocaine a day, blowing close to 250,000 on the drug.

The star has since embarked on multiple rehab stints in order to battle her demons - and revealed she was finally clean in June last year, after attending a clinic in Mijas, Spain.

Danniella first appeared in EastEnders in 1990 at the age of 16 and acted on the soap for three years.

She returned in 1996 but her time was cut short when her off-screen behaviour got her sacked.

She returned again shortly after, but was axed again in 2000 after further disruptive behaviour, admitting she blew 100k on cocaine at the time.

The part was recast between 2002 and 2005, and played by Kim Medcalf, but Danniella returned to the role once more in 2009 until 2010.

She was back once more in 2016 for the storyline surrounding on-screen mother Peggy Mitchell's death, which is to date her final appearance.
Patty Perez who starred in two Jackass movies has passed away at the age of 57.

The actress, who was also known as Goddess Patty, had been suffering from complications with her kidneys after battling diabetes for years.

Perez died at a hospital in Reno, Nevada, where she had been living recently, on Friday, according to a Tuesday report from TMZ.

Sad loss: Patty Perez of the hit movie Jackass has passed away at the age of 57

Her daughter Priscilla confirmed the death and told the site Patty had been 'treated for complications related to her type 1 diabetes.'

'We want to express our immense gratitude for the love and kindness everyone has shown to our mom,' said the daughter.

'Being able to entertain and bring light and happiness to people was the highlight of her life. She was so proud of the work she did in the film industry.'

Tough time: The star, who was also known as Goddess Patty, had been suffering from complications with her kidneys after battling diabetes for years.

There is a Go Fund Me page set up for Perez wit the hope of collecting $6,000 for her funeral expenses, as well as other things.

It was added she had been battling her type 1 diabetes since birth.

And the daughter also shared that her passing was no way related to COVID, which has now seen more deaths than the 1918 Spanish flu.

Patty was also battling her weight which contributed to her poor health.

In 2006 she was in the film Jackass 2 and also the follow up, Jackass 2.5.

Her work: In 2006 she was in the film Jackass 2 and also the follow up, Jackass 2.5. Seen with, from left, John Waters, Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, and Wee Man in 2006

Her costars: Director Jeff Tremaine (left) arrives with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville for the MTV Europe Music Awards in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2006

She played herself opposite costar Jason Acuna, who also went by the nickname Wee Man.

In one Jackass skit, she laid on top of Acuna; her body was large enough to hide him completely.

Jackass' top star Johnny Knoxville seems to get a laugh out of this asking where 'Wee man' went.

She also appeared on one episode of My Big Fat Fetish about men who were attracted to larger women. The show also explored how challenging it was for her to do simple things because of her weight.

Patty is survived by her four children, her mother and her grandchildren, Priscilla shared.
Abby Cohen has shared her remorse over branding Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff 'a f**king Russian dancer'.

Abby, 42, made the comment back in 2015, less than a year after her ex-husband Ben, 43, left her for Strictly's Kristina, also 43, after being partnered up with the blonde bombshell during his 2013 stint on the BBC ballroom show.

Speaking in a new interview, Abby  who shares 13-year-old twin daughters with Ben  shared her remorse while admitting that despite Strictly having caused the breakdown of their marriage, she feels the show 'did her a favour' in hindsight.

Remorse: Abby Cohen, 42, has shared her remorse over branding Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff 'a f**king Russian dancer'

Past comment: Abby made the comment back in 2015, less than a year after her ex-husband Ben, 43, left her for Strictly's Kristina, also 43

Abby told new! magazine: 'At the time of the break-up, when hugely stressed, I once angrily referred to Ben's partner as a ''f***ing Russian dancer'' to a journalist hassling me. I regret that now.'

Speaking in 2015, Abby remarked to The Sun: 'My husband, who I was with for 23 years, unconditionally loved and was completely loyal to in every respect, has left me for a f**king Russian dancer.

'The last two years have been the most traumatic thing to ever happen to me. He's done the dirty on me. I want people to know.'

Opening up to new! about watching her marriage 'disintegrate' before her eyes, Abby  who fell in love with Ben after meeting him aged just 16 - explained: 'I sat in the [Strictly] studio audience each week smiling, but looking back, I see I was terrified.'

Ex: Abby was married to the rugby player-turned-Strictly contestant for 11 years (pictured in 2014  the year they split)

Way back when: Abbey pictured with her ex husband Ben when they were childhood sweethearts aged just 17

Emotional: Abby admitted that she won't be watching Strictly this year as 'even the music triggers too many feelings' (Ben and Kristina pictured in 2013)

She added: 'Thankfully, I don't recognise that frightened woman now, I'm so different. Perhaps Strictly did me a favour in the long run.'

While admitting that she won't be watching Strictly this year as 'even the music triggers too many feelings', Abby also made sure to stress that Ben 'was and still is a fantastic hands-on father'.

Revealing that the news Ben and Kristina were expecting a child of their own felt 'like a dagger' when it broke in 2016, Abby bravely added that 'she couldn't imagine going through this hell' but insisted 'if I can, anyone can'.

She also shared that she was unable to eat, sleep or 'get out of bed' when her and Ben's marriage ended and suffered two mental breakdowns.

Looking to the future, Abby  who has since found love with her partner Dave - gushed that she is ready for her next chapter.
Katherine Ryan took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap celebrating two years of civil partnership with teenage sweetheart Bobby Koostra.

The comedian, 38, posed with pouted lips as if to give Bobby, also 38, an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

She then posted an equally sentimental post on her grid, which showed The Duchess star in a pink shirt while once again going to give her man a kiss.

Loved up: Katherine Ryan, 38, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap celebrating her two years of civil partnership with Bobby Koostra, also 38

Native Canadian Katherine captioned the post: 'Married to this complete hunk for two years today. Best decision UK immigration control ever made. Xx'

Bobby also celebrated by penning his own post alongside a picture from their big day: 'Two years ago this iconic image was captured just before we signed our love documents in Frederiksberg. Happy Anniversary :) '

The photo showed him and Katherine in a beautifully decorated room with her daughter 11-year-old Violet - who is from a previous relationship.

Bobby and Katherine first met in high school in Canada, and they rekindled their flame after she travelled back to her home country for the filming of Who Do You Think You Are.

Romance isn't dead: She also posted an equally gushy post on her grid, which showed The Duchess star in a pink shirt and once again giving her man a kiss while taking a Boomerang

Sweet: The jokester captioned the post: Married to this complete hunk for two years today. Best decision UK immigration control ever made. Xx'

The childhood sweethearts opted for a civil partnership back in 2019, with the ceremony taking place in Denmark, opted for a civil partnership over a marriage as they saw it as more equal, Katherine told MailOnIine.

The couple now have a son together, three-month-old Fred.

The post comes after Katherine revealed to You Magazine that she was once investigated by child protection officers who had received a 'malicious and vindictive' false allegation about her.

The 8 Out Of 10 Cats star spoke of the chilling moment she feared her daughter Violet, then four, might be taken away from her.

Recalling how she was contacted by the authorities after stepping off stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she said: 'I'd made some bad choices for myself, there had been a few volatile men in my life.

Stunning day: Bobby also celebrated by penning his own post alongside a picture from their big day: 'Two years ago this iconic image was captured just before we signed our love documents in Frederiksberg. Happy Anniversary :) '

Old flames: Bobby and Katherine first met in high school in Canada, and they rekindled their flame after she travelled back to her home country for the filming of Who Do You Think You Are

'But I was confident of one truth: Violet was impeccably looked after, protected and loved. We were closer than close.

'But now I genuinely did not know if my daughter could be taken away from me. I spent the whole night before their visit crying.'

Child protection officers quickly realised that Violet was in no danger and told her mother the call was probably made by someone 'who wanted vindictively to hurt me'.

She went on: 'They told me this happens a lot. People who want revenge threaten the thing you cherish most.'
Rebel Wilson showed fans her brand new children's book on Monday.

The actress, 41, shared a video filmed in her home to Instagram, in which she enjoyed a breakfast smoothie while opening a parcel.

She proudly unwrapped a copy of the tome, called Bella the Brave, with a pink cover.

New venture: Rebel Wilson (pictured) showed fans her brand new children's book on Monday. The actress, 41, shared a video filmed in her home to Instagram, in which she enjoyed a breakfast smoothie while opening a parcel containing copies of the book

The Isn't It Romantic star explained in her caption that the story was inspired by her own struggles with shyness.

'OMG just received a very special delivery! This is a very limited run of my first ever children's book BELLA THE BRAVE' she wrote.

'This is a book for ages 3+ [and] based on my childhood. This first book is about overcoming shyness. Can't wait for you guys to meet Bella'.

Loves it! She proudly unwrapped a copy of the tome, called Bella the Brave, with a pink cover

Her story: The Isn't It Romantic star explained in her caption that the story was inspired by her own struggles with shyness

Rebel also explained that this limited book will be available for purchase on October 27th.

The star recently announced that she was going to be taking a break to focus on a film she has written that will go into production next year.

Sharing a photo of herself dressed up as a mermaid, Rebel wrote: 'I feel like turning 40, I've weathered a lot of storms in my life (malaria, being kidnapped, being bullied, fertility struggles, emotional eating, overcoming shyness, having no money) but somehow I've managed to thrive, to find my inner 'siren'.

Break: The star recently announced that she was going to be taking a break to focus on a film she has written that will go into production next year

'I encourage everyone out there to seek their inner 'siren' - it's not about looking a certain way or being a certain size, it's about embracing your unique beauty, loving yourself, finding your purpose and then feeling yourself to the MAX!

'Love you guys and now I'm taking a bit of break to focus on a very exciting film I've written going into production next year'.

Rebel has documented her incredible weight loss journey, which she dubbed as her 'Year Of Health', throughout 2020.

Over the past 18 months, Rebel has completely overhauled her lifestyle and lost more than 30kg in the process.
Vanessa Hudgens made a splash over the weekend at a new photo-call for her upcoming film My Little Pony: A New Generation.

The Hollywood veteran posed up a storm at the Los Angeles event on Sunday with her co-stars from the computer animated Netflix movie.

The 32-year-old High School Musical alum was a sizzling sensation in an eye-popping black and white polka dot skirt that fell to the ankle.

Looking fab: Vanessa Hudgens made a splash over the weekend at a new photo-call for her upcoming film My Little Pony: A New Generation

Vanessa emphasized her enviably svelte frame in a fitted zebra print top and added a pop of color with pink bubblegum heels and pale purple earrings.

Wearing her silky hair down she accentuated her screen siren features with makeup as she shot her best supermodel stare at the shutterbugs.

Her co-star Kimiko Glenn brought back 1930s chic in a sleek checked Vivetta outfit reminiscent of the classic Chanel tweed suit.

She slipped into hosiery by Swedish Stockings and sauntered around the event on a pair of large white heels.

Aglow: She posed up a storm at the Los Angeles event on Sunday with her co-stars from the computer animated Netflix movie

In the offing: After staggered early releases in Hong Kong and Russia over the course of this week the movie will be available on Netflix on Friday; Vanessa with Sofia Carson, left

Making it happen: My Little Pony: A New Generation is the latest in a wide variety of movies that have been made about the Hasbro toys which first went into production in 1981

There she is: Carson, who is also one of the voice stars of the film, showed off her endless pins in a massive feathery pale blue dress

Showgirl: She wore her hair in an attractive bob redolent of the 1920s

Sofia Carson, who is also one of the voice stars of the film, showed off her endless pins in a massive feathery pale blue dress.

She wore her hair in an attractive bob redolent of the 1920s and balanced expertly on a pair of gold ankle-strap stilettos.

Liza Koshy slipped into a knee-high pair of scarlet boots and matched her snappy footwear with a pleated print dress.

She swept her hair up into a high ponytail that she played with for the cameras while posing in front of the My Little Pony backdrop.

Swanking about: Her co-star Kimiko Glenn brought back 1930s chic in a sleek checked Vivetta outfit reminiscent of the classic Chanel tweed suit

Radiant: She slipped into hosiery by Swedish Stockings and sauntered around the event on a pair of large white heels

Liza with a Z: Liza Koshy slipped into a knee-high pair of scarlet boots and matched her snappy footwear with a pleated print dress

Having a ball: She swept her hair up into a high ponytail that she played with for the cameras while posing in front of the My Little Pony backdrop

The four stars of the film also gathered together at the event for a few group shots ahead of the release of their latest project.

Their castmates include X-Men heartthrob James Marsden, 30 Rock scene-stealer Jane Krakowski and Weeds star Elizabeth Perkins.

My Little Pony: A New Generation is the latest in a wide variety of movies that have been made about the Hasbro toys which first went into production in 1981.

After staggered early releases in Hong Kong and Russia over the course of this week the movie will be available on Netflix on Friday.

Quartet: The four stars of the film also gathered together at the event for a few group shots ahead of the release of their latest project
Jennifer Garner and her nine-year-old son Samuel looked cheerful as they arrived to buy chocolate at the Brentwood Country Mart in the Los Angeles area on Monday.

For her shopping excursion, the 49-year-old Yes Day star rocked a bright red sweater, a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and black and white sneakers.

While out and about, the actress and little boy held hands before heading into Edelweiss Chocolates, which sells premium handmade chocolates.

Having fun: Jennifer Garner and son Samuel looked cheerful as they arrived to buy chocolate at the Brentwood Country Mart on Monday

Samuel wore a green polo, khaki pants, a beanie and blue cloth face mask amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In May, she quietly got back together with Cali Group chairman John Miller, who she first began dating in 2018 before ending their relationship ahead of LA's COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Their romantic rekindling came as her ex-husband Ben Affleck reunited with girlfriend Jennifer Lopez after breaking off their engagement in 2004

Sweet: While out and about, the duo boy held hands before heading into Edelweiss Chocolates, which sells premium handmade chocolates

Casual: For her shopping excursion, the 49-year-old Yes Day star rocked a bright red sweater, a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and black and white sneakers

Garner's latest sighting comes as her first husband Scott Foley, who she wed from 2000 to 2004, during an interview with SiriusXMs Andy Cohen Live.

When Foley was asked how he met the Golden Globe winner, the 49-year-old actor said: 'She played my girlfriend on Felicity. Yeah. We met on the show, and I, um, uh, we hit it off instantly and, and were soon dating.'

Despite a short marriage, which lasted only four years, Foley said they're 'very civil' and wouldn't feel awkward bumping into each other at events.

Way back: Garner's latest sighting comes as her first husband Scott Foley, who she wed from 2000 to 2004, during an interview with SiriusXMs Andy Cohen Live; seen in 2003

'I mean, we do not keep in contact because she has her own family,' he added.

'I have mine. Its, uh, wouldnt be something that we would search out, but, but Ive seen her a few times, especially when we were living in LA and, uh, Marika has been with me and, you know, everybody says, hi, and youre cordial and you move on. Thats life right,' he concluded of the subject.

The Scandal star went on to remarry his current wife Marika Dominczyk in June 2007 during a private ceremony in Hawaii.

They share their three children six-year-old Konrad, Keller, 9, Malina, 11.
She dazzled during her debut on Dancing With The Stars on Monday night.

But Olivia Jade Giannulli, 21, tried to keep a low-profile while celebrating her comeback from the college admissions scandal with a dinner at celeb-beloved spot Craig's in West Hollywood.

During the outing the influencer bundled up in a tan button-down jacket and loose grey pants while turning up the style with yellow sunglasses and cool Nike kicks.

Ready to relax: Olivia Jade cut a casual figure while heading to West Hollywood hotspot Craig's to celebrate her first episode of Dancing With The Stars on Monday night

She let her golden blonde locks glow down smoothly as she smiled and showed off her on-stage glow leftover from earlier in the evening.

Also at the American eatery was fellow Dancing With The Stars celeb Christine Chiu of Bling Empire.

The reality star stunned in a white pinstriped cold-shoulder number with a gathered side and long sleeves, accessorizing with a mini Balenciaga hourglass bag and pointy brown mules.

Earlier in the night Olivia and Christine showed off their fancy footwork during the season 30 premiere of Dancing With The Stars.

Cool kid: During the outing the influencer bundled up in a tan button-down jacket and loose grey pants while turning up the style with yellow sunglasses and cool Nike kicks

Beauty: Also at the American eatery was fellow Dancing With The Stars celeb Christine Chiu of Bling Empire

Giannulli made a modest first impression, earning 25 points out of 40 for a salsa dance with professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy.

The daughter of actress Lori Loughlin and designer Mossimo Giannulli addressed the college admissions scandal which sent both of her parents to prison for allegedly buying Olivia admissions to USC.

'For the past few years, I guess you can say I've been wrapped up in a scandal,' she said on the show.

'After everything happened, I did step back from social media and just soak in what everybody was saying.'

Big night: Olivia made her first appearance on Dancing with the Stars Monday as the show kicked off its 30th season

Fancy feet: She took to the floor to perform a salsa dance with pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy

She added that she was 'not trying to pull a pity card,' but is looking 'to move forward and do better.'

She explained to Chmerkovskiy, 'I just want to show people that I have a different side to me, I have a strong work ethic.'

Chmerkovskiy said that the show presented 'a perfect opportunity for the world to see another side of Olivia.'

She was praised by judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who said she was 'so proud' of Olivia Jade for her positive path in the new season.

'This is the start of a brand new chapter in your life,' Inaba said. 'I'm so proud of the way you came out with such confidence. You're so sure of yourself.'

The social media influencer got 25 points out of 40 for the outing with Chmerkovskiy, 35

New light: Chmerkovskiy said that the show presented 'a perfect opportunity for the world to see another side of Olivia'

Speaking with People, Olivia Jade said she felt sister Bella's support from the crowd.

'It was great having my sister in the crowd,' she said. 'She's my best friend in the world. Her support is everything and it creates a level of comfort knowing my older sister is there watching me. The best advice she gave was to breathe.

'She texted me a long thing before, like "Take a deep breath, I know you're nervous." That's pretty much all she said, breathe.'

Olivia Jade said at a media event earlier this month that she was 'super thankful for a second chance' in show business.

'I hope people just really genuinely know how excited and grateful I am,' she said. 'I think about a few weeks ago, and knowing that this was very far-fetched and not really in the cards.'

Dancing with the Stars can be seen Mondays on ABC at 8/7c.

Scandal: Olivia Jade said on the show, 'For the past few years, I guess you can say I've been wrapped up in a scandal'
Advertisement

Kanye West has found his bachelor pad amid his divorce from Kim Kardashian and it is a minimalist's dream at a maximalist's price point.

The 44-year-old mogul dropped a whopping $57.3million on a sprawling beachside home in Malibu in an off-market deal according to real estate transaction website Dirt.

The stunning property which looks like a piece of art was designed by Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando and was built by Marmol Radziner.

Scroll down for video

Wow factor: Kanye West dropped a whopping $57.3million on a sprawling beachside home in Malibu in an off-market deal according to real estate transaction website Dirt

Moving on: The 44-year-old rap mogul (seen in August 2015) found his bachelor pad amid his divorce from Kim Kardashian and it is a minimalist's dream at a maximalist's price point

Self-taught architect Ando, 80, is renowned in the industry as he is behind the He Art Museum in China and the Bourse de Commerce in Paris and Kanye became a fan of the Osaka, Japan native after visiting the 'art island' he designed in Naoshima.

No doubt the part house, part sculpture home was a must-have for Kanye as it is one of only a handful of homes designed by Ando in the United States.

The home was previously owned by financier and ex of Ashley Olsen, Richard Sachs, who bought the home at a much lower price of $1.9million.

The art of simplicity: The stunning property which looks like a piece of art was designed by Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando and was built by Marmol Radziner

Work of art: No doubt the part house, part sculpture home was a must-have for Kanye as it is one of only a handful of homes designed by Ando in the United States

Serious cash: The price tag may seem steep but it was initially listed at $75million last year before being taken off the market according to the Wall Street Journal

Making a splash: The 3,665-square-feet home sits on a 5,672-square-feet property right by a public beach

The price tag may seem steep but it was initially listed at $75million last year before being taken off the market according to the Wall Street Journal.

The 3,665-square-feet home sits on a 5,672-square-feet property right by a public beach.

As the purchase was made via an off-market deal there are no photos of the interior available online but it does include four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms.

The home is divided into three stories: a bottom floor with three guest bedrooms, a middle floor which is a shared space, and a top floor which contains the primary suite.

In the details: The home is divided into three stories: a bottom floor with three guest bedrooms, a middle floor which is a shared space, and a top floor which contains the primary suite

Views: As the purchase was made via an off-market deal there are no photos of the interior available online

Breeze: The property does not include a yard or outdoor space but there is a lounge area surrounding a firepit on the second floor in addition to a rooftop terrace with direct access to the beach from a staircase

Waves: Kanye joins several A-listers who have made Malibu their home

The property does not include a yard or outdoor space but there is a lounge area surrounding a firepit on the second floor in addition to a rooftop terrace with direct access to the beach from a staircase.

This is the first home property purchase for Kanye amid his impending divorce from Kim Kardashian.

His 40-year-old estranged wife and mother to his four children has been living in the $60million Hidden Hills mansion they bought together which is about a half-an-hour drive from his new property.

Back in March, DailyMail.com learned that Kim was currently staying there amid their separation despite Kanye being the one to have spent years designing the residence.

Picture perfect: The home's facade featured plenty of concrete

Stunning: No doubt Kanye is in for many beautiful sunrises and sunsets

Kim officially filed for divorce in February following months of rumors surrounding the state of their marriage.

The couple were married for over six years and share four children together: daughters North, eight , Chicago, three, and sons Psalm, two, and Saint, five.

Kim and Kanye purchased the Hidden Hills residence for $20 million in 2014, but did not move in until 2018 after investing $40 million in renovations.

An insider revealed to Page Six earlier this year that Kim reportedly owns the land, but Kanye owns the actual house.

Icon: Self-taught architect Ando (pictured), 80, is renowned in the industry

Stunning: Ando is behind the He Art Museum in Datong, Shanxi, China (left) and the Bourse de Commerce in Paris

Incredible: Kanye became a fan of the Osaka, Japan native after visiting the 'art island' he designed in Naoshima

Gone: The home was previously owned by financier and ex of Ashley Olsen, Richard Sachs, who bought the home at a much lower price of $1.9million, the former couple are seen together in November 2016

Regardless of the monetary situation regarding the properties, Kanye does not have to worry so much about cash as in April he was officially declared a billionaire.

A Forbes Magazine article published on April 23 revealed how the rapper recently provided documents to the publication, giving them an 'authentic numeric look into Kanye, Inc.' to prove the feat.

However, the article notes that West was left unhappy with their research and findings - stating that he believes his net worth to be around $3.3 billion, rather than the $1.26 billion they have estimated.

'It's not a billion,' West allegedly texted the publication Thursday night. 'It's $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.'

Making moves: This is the first home property purchase for Kanye amid his impending divorce from Kim Kardashian, as they are seen in May 2013
She plays an unapologetic sex therapist in Netflix's comedy drama Sex Education.

And Gillian Anderson celebrated her 'BIG' win at the Emmy's in an unsurprising way on Tuesday, as she was gifted a very crude cake from the Chloe team.

The actress, 53, took to Instagram to share a photo of the huge phallic dessert, which was topped with a crown and hilariously read: 'Congrats on a BIG one!'

'BIG' win: Gillian Anderson, 53, celebrated her 'BIG' win at the Emmy's in the most typical way on Tuesday, as she was gifted a very crude cake from the Chloe team

The icing continued: 'Gabi & the Chloe team' - referring to the made-to-measure dress designed by Creative Director Gabriela Hearst which Gillian wore at the Emmy Awards.

The Crown star captioned her witty post: 'Let them eat cake! Thank you thank you thank you' with a laughing emoji and the hashtags '#sizedoesmatter #penisoftheyear'.

Gillian's post comes as she took home the award for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown on Sunday.

Phallic dessert: The actress took to Instagram to share a photo of the huge phallic dessert, which was topped with a crown and hilariously read: 'Congrats on a BIG one!

She dedicated her Emmy Award win to her 'best friend' and manager during the star-studded awards.

The celebrity used her speech to pay tribute to Connie Freiberg for always being by her side and offering her support.

The star also gave thanks to her former partner Peter Morgan, who serves as creator and showrunner for the Netflix drama.

Award-winner: Gillian's post comes as she took home the award for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown on Sunday

She said: 'I want to say thank you to Peter Morgan for creating this role and to Netflix for everything.

'I really want to dedicate this award to a woman who was my manager for 20 years, Connie Freiberg.

'She believed in me like no one else would, believed I had talent when I didn't think I had talent, always invited me to take the high road, she was one of the best friends I ever had in my life.

Dedication: She dedicated her Emmy Award win to her 'best friend' and manager during the star-studded awards

'She wore the same dress five years running to every awards show, three times a year, slow fashion before everyone knew it was cool. I love you, this is for you. Thank you.'

Gillian beat off competition from her co-stars Emerald Fennell and Helena Bonham Carter, The Handmaid's Tale actresses Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley and Yvonne Strahovski, and Lovecraft Country's Aunjanue Ellis to win the award.

Her co-star Tobias Menzies then scooped the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series honour, but wasn't at the ceremony to accept the prize, so Kerry Washington - who was handing out the gong - pledged to take it on his behalf.

Well deserved: Gillian beat off competition from her co-stars Emerald Fennell and Helena Bonham Carter, The Handmaid's Tale actresses Madeline Brewer and more to win the award

When she introduced the nominees - which also included Giancarlo Esposito for The Mandelorian, John Lithgow for Perry Mason, The Handmaid's Tale stars O-T Fagbenie, Max Minghella and Bradley Whitford, and This Is Us actor Chris Sullivan - she took time to pay tribute to the final shortlisted actor, Lovecraft Country star Michael K. Williams, who passed away earlier this month.

The 73rd annual awards show that celebrates the best of television had a 'limited' number of guests (about 500) and nominees on the red carpet as well as event staff.

Attendees had to show proof of vaccination and a negative test result.
She recently denied breaking off her engagement to fiance Carl Woods before 'flirting with another man' during a 'boozy' appearance at the National Television Awards.

And Katie Price, 43, put her recent dramas behind her and put on a confident display on Tuesday as she stripped naked to promote her new Scented by Katie Price range on Instagram.

The 43-year-old former glamour model lathered herself with her 'whipped soap' and moaned: 'Oh it's delicious' as she splashed around in the bath.

Birthday suit: Katie Price put on a confident display on Tuesday as she stripped naked to promote her new Scented by Katie Price range on Instagram

Katie sported a full face of glamorous makeup but otherwise wore nothing at all for the sultry Instagram story.

The TV personality's raven tresses were left in a wet tousled style as she rubbed the whipped soap onto her skin.

'I love the smell, the sound... If I could, I would eat it,' she gushed to her followers as she enjoyed the luxurious bubble bath.

Katie's steamy post comes after she denied breaking off her engagement to fiance Carl before 'flirting with another man' during a 'boozy' appearance at the NTAs.

Wow: Katie sported a full face of glamorous makeup but otherwise wore nothing at all for the sultry Instagram story

Bath time: The TV personality's raven tresses were left in a wet tousled style as she rubbed the whipped soap onto her skin

Katie attended the annual ceremony with eldest son Harvey, 19, last Thursday evening, weeks after sustaining facial injuries during an alleged break-in at an Essex property occupied by the star.

She has since denied claims that she boasted of being single, broke strict event protocol by repeatedly leaving her seat during ad breaks and 'downed booze' before honing in on a mystery businessman at the late-night after-party.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, she wrote: 'It's such a shame having such a good night these awful story's [sic] about me coming out infact I never went out and said I've dumped Carl this is not true I was actually proud to be with my son Harvey I wish people would leave me and Carl alone.' [sic]

Rumours: Katie's steamy post comes after she denied breaking off her engagement to fiance Carl before 'flirting with another man' during a 'boozy' appearance at the NTAs

Speaking out: Taking to Instagram on Sunday, she wrote: 'It's such a shame having such a good night these awful story's [sic] about me coming out infact I never went out and said I've dumped Carl this is not true'

Katie was in attendance after receiving a nomination in the Authored Documentary category for her show Harvey & Me, when onlookers reportedly overheard her talk about ending her five-month engagement to Woods.

A source told The Sun: 'She was knocking back the wine and asking for vodka. She was telling people, ''I'm single, I've dumped him'' and was clearly focused on moving on. They had been constantly rowing, and she said she'd had enough.

'She said she was back living at her house in West Sussex even though it wasn't fully done up yet. But she was adamant she wouldn't go back to his place. As far as she's concerned, it's over.

'Katie said she couldn't handle it any more and wanted out.'

While guests were asked to remain in their seats between breaks during the live broadcast, onlookers claim Katie repeatedly got to her feet while gesturing towards the stage.

Sources claim Katie later 'flirted' with an unnamed businessman at the ensuing after-party, where she remained after Harvey had been driven home.

Not guilty: Katie's fiance denied hitting her in a passionate Instagram post shared two weeks after she was assaulted in her home in August in an 'unsolicited attack'

'The pair of them were walking around the party together, and could have easily been mistaken for a couple. They were very flirty. She looked very tipsy and kept leaning in to him, almost as if to kiss him,' the source added.

It comes after police were called to an Essex property occupied by Katie at around 1.30am on August 23rd, with a man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault, theft and coercive and controlling behaviour. He has since been released on bail.

Following the attack, photos showed Katie with a bruise on her cheek and an injured lip. The mother-of-five said that she was attacked as she watched TV inside the property.
She is a proud mother of one.

And Salma Hayek warmly wished her daughter Valentina a happy 14th birthday on her Instagram page this Tuesday.

The 55-year-old movie star wrote her message next to a waterfront picture of her and Valentina touching foreheads at sunset.

She is a proud mother of one: And Salma Hayek warmly wished her daughter Valentina a happy 14th birthday on her Instagram page this Tuesday

'My precious girl, you are everything to me. Blessed be the day you came into my life to shine your radiant light,' wrote Salma.

'Happy Birthday Valentina!!!!! Thank you for being YOU,' she added before repeating the message in her native Spanish.

Salma shares Valentina with her French billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault whom she has been married to since 2009.

Francois-Henri inherited the luxury firm Kering founded by his father Francois Pinault, 85, who handed over his companies to his son 18 years ago.

Side by side: Salma shares Valentina with her French billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault whom she has been married to since 2009; pictured in 2019 in Paris

Salma, who was 41 when she had Valentina, has remarked: 'I think Im a better mother because I had her later. But I do get tired. Im not going to lie.'

She spilled to Town And Country a couple of years ago that her daughter is 'very creative, very smart, very funny, and very willful.'

During an interview with the British magazine Red she shared the ways that she ensures she has plenty of time with Valentina.

'I try to be with Valentina as much as possible, even when Im working. She was with me on the cover shoot and she felt like a participant - she wasnt just sitting there on the iPad,' explained the Frida star.

Family photo: Salma, who was 41 when she had Valentina, has remarked: 'I think Im a better mother because I had her later'; they are pictured with Francois at Milan Fashion Week in 2019

'This is so important. You have to drag children into participating in life. It takes a lot of work and mummies are very tired because most of us work and life is exhausting, especially if you are an older mom like me, but you have to make the effort,' said she.

'And if you have a smart child, its harder. Now its so easy to just entertain them (with a screen), and you dont have to go through the complaining for an hour about dragging them places. Drag them, and make them a part of your life,' she urged.

'Its about the human connection, and the things they can learn from participating in life. Otherwise, isolation starts to happen.'

Family time: Salma has told the British magazine Red that 'I try to be with Valentina as much as possible, even when Im working'; they are pictured at a red carpet in 2015

Salma is part of the top-flight cast of the upcoming Marvel movie Eternals, which wrapped shooting before the coronavirus lockdowns.

Although the film was scheduled to bow last November, the pandemic caused several film release to be moved around and it will now be out next November.

Angelina Jolie joins Salma in the cast as well as Game Of Thrones hunks Richard Madden and Kit Harington, plus Silicon Valley alum Kumail Nanjiani.

The picture is helmed by Chloe Zhao, who just won the director Oscar for Nomadland, which also scooped up best picture.
They've never shied away from a little PDA.

And Bella Thorne didn't hold back her love for fiance Benjamin Mascolo during a collection of steamy new photos marking their engagement - in a very tacky fashion.

The former Disney Channel talent, 23, stripped off the top of her white gown to show off a lacy black bra while her Italian pop star love, 28, held her from behind in the shots by revered photog Ellen von Unwerth.

Getting hitched! The chemistry between Bella Thorne and fiance Benjamin Mascolo was clear in their sexy new engagement photos

Bella looked radiant while rocking tousled crimson locks, dramatic red lips and smoky bedroom eyes.

She lavished herself in diamonds, adding glittering bangles, necklaces, and rings on nearly every finger.

And as if there was any confusion about whose big day was coming, the Habit star donned a glittering 'Bride' tiara.

Though it wasn't quite their special day, the scene come complete with a seven-tier cake.

Blushing bride: The shots were from revered photographer Ellen von Unwerth

Underneath it all: Offering a sneak peek at their wedding night, she stripped down to a pink bustier and purple thong bottoms in another snap

Cheers! Bella and Ben continued to celebrate their love with a champagne toast, donning sexy leather looks while sipping from a tower of bubbly

She gushed about her love in the caption, writing: 'I am so in love with you @b3nm  SO excited to share these pics from our engagement shoot and even more excited to marry you.'

Bella and Ben continued to celebrate their love with a champagne toast, donning sexy leather looks while sipping from a tower of bubbly.

Perhaps offering a sneak peek at their wedding night, Bella also stripped down to a pink bustier and purple thong worn with thigh-high stockings and silver heels.

Standing near a statue and holding a long-stemmed pink rose, she looked like a work of art.

Lady in charge: The Habit star donned a glittering 'Bride' tiara for most of the shots

Let's have a toast: Ben donned his best while sipping on champagne in the pool

Oh my: They also slipped into a bubble bath, where they continued to kiss and cuddle

They also slipped into a bubble bath, where they continued to kiss and cuddle. She also rocked black lingerie and retro pin curls in a seductive black and white shot.

The couple announced their engagement back in March, following two years together.

Ben went all out to pop the question, setting up a red heart made of roses that featured 'B+B' on the front, as well as a lit-up sign that read: 'Marry Me.'

Handsy: Bella had her hands all over her soon-to-be husband

Sneak peek: She also rocked black lingerie and retro pin curls in a seductive black and white shot

Happy: They announced their engagement in March

The duo are not only partners in life, but are both set to appear in the film Time Is Up.

The couple both take on leading roles in the upcoming movie, which follows Vivien (Bella) and Royan (Benjamin) after an accident forces them to stop and reclaim their lives and start living in the present.

After posting a trailer of the film earlier this month, Bella said, 'Cant believe [Ben] proposed to me after we filmed this.'

She also said to her beau in another post, 'Ive never filmed a movie before with someone Im romantically involved with, and Im so happy I got to fall in love with you on screen and off screen a million times over.'
Jeff Bridges appeared healthy and happy as he stepped out with his wife in Los Angeles following the announcement that his says his cancer is in 'remission'.

The 71-year-old Oscar winner sported this signature scruffy beard spotted running errands with wife Susan in their Brentwood neighborhood on Tuesday.

Earlier in September, the Big Lebowski star took to social media to tell fans his lymphoma was in remission and his tumor has 'shrunk down to the size of a marble.'

On the mend: Jeff Bridges appeared healthy and happy as he stepped out with his wife in Los Angeles following the announcement that his says his cancer is in 'remission'

The Dude looked relaxed in loose fit khaki pants, a blue Tee and sunglasses with backpack slung over one shoulder.

He and Susan popped on a facemask before heading into a local establishment as the protective personal equipment is currently mandated for indoors in Los Angeles.

Jeff's healthful look will come was a welcome sight for his fans who have been worried about the star since he went public with is cancer diagnosis three months ago.

Recently, the Hollywood legend revealed he is winning his battle with lymphoma in a uplifting social media post.

The Dude abides COVID-19 regulations: He and Susan popped on a facemask before heading into a local establishment as the protective personal equipment is currently mandated for indoors in Los Angeles

Great news: Earlier in September, the Big Lebowski star took to social media to tell fans his lymphoma was in remission and his tumor has 'shrunk down to the size of a marble'

'My cancer is in remission. The 9' x 12' mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble,' The Big Lebowski star wrote a handwritten note posted to his website.

Bridges also revealed that he caught COVID-19 admitting the respiratory illness had 'kicked my a** pretty good' leaving him requiring oxygen assistance which left him sounding like Darth Vader, the Star Wars villain who requires a breathing device to keep him alive.

He added: 'I'm double vaccinated and feeling much better now. I heard that the vaccine can help folks with long haulers. Maybe that's the cause of my quick improvement.

Feeling good: Jeff appeared in great spirits as he grabbed lunch and checked out a roadhouse restaurant with his wife and a friend

Iconic! Jeff appeared to be channeling his Big Lebowski character, The Dude, with his relaxed ensemble and big sweater

'I've been working out with a great therapist, Zack Wermers. We've been concentrating on getting me off the oxygen assistance, which until recently I've been needing to walk around. The sound it makes me reminds me of Darth Vader.'

The Oscar winner was determined to ditch his oxygen mask so he could walk his youngest daughter Hayley down the aisle on her wedding day and dance with her.

His post revealed: 'I had a goal  walking my daughter Hayley down the aisle. She was getting married to a wonderful guy, Justin Shane.

For his fans: The 71-year-old Hollywood legend revealed three months ago that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma and after keeping his fans up-to-date with his progress he has now revealed that he is winning his battle with the disease

'Thanks to Zach and my terrific medical team, I was able to not only walk Hay down the aisle, but do the father/bride dance with her without oxygen.'

The Fabulous Baker Boys star - who has two other daughters, Isabelle and Jessie, with his his wife Susan - also uploaded a video clip of himself dancing with Hayley to Ray Charles' Ain't That Love.

Bridges now plans to get back to work on his Hulu series 'The Old Man' in which he plays a former intelligence officer who finds himself targeted for assassination.

The series - based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry - is set to premiere in 2022 and also stars John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman.
Drew Barrymore paid homage to some of the most famous movie moments in a new promo for season 2 of her eponymous talk show.

The 46-year-old actress hilariously channeled Meg Ryan to recreate the iconic deli scene from When Harry Met Sally and went to play other characters from classic films.

'Our love letter to New York via movies we love,' Drew wrote in the caption of the clip that she posted to Instagram on Tuesday.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Drew Barrymore (left) recreated Meg Ryan's famous scene from the film When Harry Met Sally in which Meg Ryan's character Sally fakes an orgasm while eating a sandwich. Ryan pictured right in 1989

The funny scene took place in a replica of Katz's deli from When Harry Met Sally. Barrymore looked like the spitting image of Meg Ryan's character Sally as she donned a gray cardigan over a white button-down shirt with her hair styled in a blonde perm.

A voiceover said, 'With her signature passion and appetite for life...'

Ross, in the role of Billy Crystal's Harry, and Drew then recreated the hilarious deli scene in which Sally loudly fakes an orgasm while eating a sandwich, prompting a woman sitting nearby to tell the waiter, 'I'll have what she's having.'

Legendary: The scene took place in replica of Katz's deli, the famous New York deli featured in the movie

In character: Barrymore looked like the spitting image of Meg Ryan's character Sally as she donned a gray cardigan over a white button-down shirt with her hair styled in a blonde perm

As she bit into the sandwich, Drew threw her head back in ecstasy and shook it from side to side. She cried out, 'Mmmm, this sandwich is so good. It's so good! It's the best sandwich I have ever had.'

Designer Mikael Welch, who played the deli patron, then told a waiter, 'I think I'll have one of those. As a matter of fact, I'll have a double.'

The video opened with Drew taking on the role of Melanie's Griffith's character Tess McGill from Working Girl.

Loving it: As she bit into the sandwich, Drew threw her head back in ecstasy

Yum: Barrymore shook her head from side to side as she chewed the sandwich

Memorable line: In the movie, Sally's reaction to the sandwich prompted a woman sitting nearby to tell the waiter, 'I'll have what she's having'

I'll have what she's having: Designer Mikael Welch, who played the deli patron, then told a waiter, 'I think I'll have one of those. As a matter of fact, I'll have a double.'

Tribute: Drew paid homage to some of the most famous movie moments in a new promo for season 2 of her eponymous talk show

A voiceover started with 'This season on the Drew Barrymore show, one working girl takes on the world.'

Clad in a 80s-style blazer with shoulder pads and with a teased blonde hairstyle, Barrymore rested her hands on the railing of a ferry as she gazed over the New York skyline in a scene reminiscent of the movie's opening credits.

Drew turned to face comedian Ross Matthews, who was playing Harrison Ford's character Jack Trainer.

Homage: This video opened with Drew taking on the role of Melanie's Griffith's character Tess McGill from Working Girl

Switching it up: In a riff on Griffith's famous line, 'I have a head for business and a bod for sin,' Drew said, 'You know, I have a head for business and a bod for single-breasted suits.' Melanie Griffith pictured in 1988

In a riff on Griffith's famous line, 'I have a head for business and a bod for sin,' Drew said, 'You know, I have a head for business and a bod for single-breasted suits.'

Instead of becoming enthralled with her like Ford's character in the movie, Ross walked off in disgust.

The voiceover then resumed with 'Whether you are a Miranda looking for her Steve or just a slice of pizza..'

Classic: This time, Barrymore stepped into Cynthia Nixon's role of Miranda Hobbes from Sex And The City as she and Chef Pilar Valdez recreated the scene in which Miranda reunites with her boyfriend Steve (David Eigenberg) on the Brooklyn Bridge

Imitation: Rocking a red bob and pashmina, Drew strutted down the bridge to meet Valdez, who was holding a box of pizza. 'Cheers! I love you,' Drew said

Not quite the same: 'I love you,' Pilar replied as they cheered with slices of pizza. Cynthia Nixon seen in 2010

Later in the clip, Barrymore stepped into Cynthia Nixon's role of Miranda Hobbes from Sex And The City as she and Chef Pilar Valdez recreated the scene in which Miranda reunites with her boyfriend Steve (David Eigenberg) on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Rocking a red bob and a pashmina, Drew strutted down the bridge to meet Valdez, who was holding a box of pizza. 'Cheers! I love you,' Drew said.

'I love you,' Pilar replied as they cheered with slices of pizza.

Famous ending: The clip concluded with a spin on the final scene from Sleepless in Seattle in which Meg Ryan's character Annie Reed finally meets Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) at the top of the Empire State Building

Callback: Drew, who donned a gray coat and wore her hair in a braid, reached down to pull up a yellow mug with the wording 'Drew's News' from underneath a telescope in a departure from the original scene in which Annie finds Sam's young son's backpack. Ryan pictured in 1993

Putting a spin on it: 'It's you,' she said as she turned to Ross who played Sam. Matthews, who was leaning against the Drew's News anchor desk, said 'It's me'

Drew, who donned a gray coat and wore her hair in a braid, reached down to pull up a yellow mug with the wording 'Drew's News' from underneath a telescope in a departure from the original scene in which Annie finds Sam's young son's backpack.

The clip concluded with a spin on the final scene from Sleepless in Seattle in which Meg Ryan's character Annie Reed finally meets Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) at the top of the Empire State Building.

The voiceover said, 'This season will leave you Sleepless with excitement thanks to a little help from the Drew crew.'

Finale: The clip ended with Drew and Ross getting into an elevator as he told her, 'Welcome home'

'It's you,' she said as she turned to Ross who played Sam. Matthews, who was leaning against the Drew's News anchor desk, said 'It's me.'

The voiceover concluded with 'Starring interior designer Mikael Welch, Chef Pilar Valdez, co-anchor Ross Matthews and host Drew Barrymore in the Drew Barrymore Show.

The clip ended with Drew and Ross getting into an elevator as he told her, 'Welcome home.'
Ready or not, here they come, you can't hide.

Lauryn Hill, Pras Michel, and Wyclef Jean are reuniting as iconic hip-hop group Fugees and will embark on their first tour in 25 years.

The trio announced that they are coming together to celebrate their hit 1996 hit album The Score with a 12-city tour. The album is one of the best selling albums of all-time as it has sold 22million copies.

Ready Or Not: Lauryn Hill, Pras Michel, and Wyclef Jean are reuniting as iconic hip-hop group Fugees and will embark on their first tour in 25 years, as they are seen at The Grammys in February 1997

The first date will actually be Wednesday, September 22 at an undisclosed location in New York and will be their first concert in 15 years.

The kick-off event is in support of Global Citizen Live which is a global broadcast event which is 'calling on world leaders to defend the planet and defeat poverty' and is set to air on Saturday, September 25.

The rest of the tour will begin in Chicago at the iconic United Center on November 2 and work its way across the US before finishing up in Africa with final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana.

Smash hit: The trio announced that they are coming together to celebrate their hit 1996 hit album The Score with a 12-city tour. The album is one of the best selling albums of all-time as it has sold 22million copies

The group's charitable fund will also partner with the aforementioned Global Citizen to work on philanthropic efforts around the tour.

Fugees have had a tough history together as they have disbanded twice - once in 1997 and again in 2006 - and Hill made light of that in her statement.

The 46-year-old Grammy Award winner said: 'The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasnt even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention.

'I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.'

Mystery: The first date will actually be Wednesday, September 22 at an undisclosed location in New York and will be their first concert in 15 years, as Lauryn Hill is seen on stage in London back in December 2005

Pras, 48, did not provide a quote but Wyclef, 51, said: 'As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.'

The Haitian-American hip-hop group formed in the early-90s and were together for just five years and released two studio albums before disbanding in 1997.

All three went on to have successful solo careers with Hill most notably releasing highly successful 1998 debut album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill which earned five Grammy Awards including Album Of The Year and is considered among the greatest albums of all-time.

'The Fugees have a complex but impactful history': Fugees have had a tough history together as they have disbanded twice - once in 1997 and again in 2006 - and Hill made light of that in her statement, as the trio are seen in June 2005

The trio reunited in September 2004 for Dave Chappelle's Block Party before marking their first televised appearance in a decade at the BET Awards in June 2005.

They played a few dates in Europe together toward the end of the year before playing a free concert in Hollywood in February 2006 which ended up being their last show together.

The planned reunion tour and album did not materialize as relationships between the members deteriorated before they disbanded a second time in 2006.
How I Met Your Mother's Alyson Hannigan had her hands full as she carried boxes out of her stunning five-bedroom Encino mansion over the weekend.

After reportedly renting out her home to NBC to use for their hit show This Is Us for their final season, the 47-year-old actress was seen relocating her family's belongings and furniture to a smaller property in Los Angeles.

While packing up her home, which she shares with husband Alexis Denisof, the mom-of-two wore a green t-shirt, black Nike sweatpants and sneakers.

Just temporary: Alyson Hannigan had her hands full as she carried boxes out of her stunning five-bedroom Encino mansion over the weekend

As she supervised movers and did some heavy lifting in the scorching heat, Hannigan wore a black face mask to safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The redhead's fiery tresses were pulled up in a high ponytail and she kept a pair of black shades perched on top of her head.

Last week, a large This Is Us production crew was pictured setting up at her property.

Hands full: After reportedly renting out her home to NBC to use for their hit show This Is Us for their final season, the 47-year-old actress was seen relocating her family's belongings and furniture to a smaller property in Los Angeles

Practical: While packing up her home, which she shares with husband Alexis Denisof, the mom-of-two wore a green t-shirt, black sweatpants and sneakers

Hannigan's home was also used as a location for Fracture starring Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins

By the pool: The home seen in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D; Bella Thorne pictured in Episode 11, titled The Magical Place

The home has previously been seen in other shows and some films, including Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Hannigan has quite the real estate portfolio, which has included selling a $4.9million home in Santa Monica, California, purchased for just under $2million in 2002, and her $8.16million home Brentwood home in 2018.

She and her husband met on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, before marrying in 2003 and going on to welcome their daughters Satyana, 12. and Keeva, nine.

Alyson starred for nearly ten years on the hit comedy series How I Met Your Mother as Lily Aldrin.

Views: The house pictured in another scene from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D episode 11

The living room pictured in 2011's film Fracture

In demand: Additionally the home was used in Hyundai's 2016 Super Bowl commercial

She's appeared in several projects since the show ended in 2014, with her latest roles being in the 2021's Fancy Nancy as the voice of Claire Clancy.

She is also known for her role as Michelle in the American Pie film series, appearing in four films between 1999 and 2012.

Last year, the Halloween fanatic even hosted Food Network's Outrageous Pumpkins.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have been married for 25 years.

And on Monday's episode of Live! With Kelly and Ryan, the 50-year-old talk show host and Mark, 50, shared some secrets to their long-lasting union while discussing the characters' tumultuous relationship in HBO's drama miniseries Scenes From A Marriage.

'I was like, none of this would ever be happening in the Mark Consuelos household, because he would have nipped all of this in the bud immediately,' Ripa said on the episode in which her spouse joined her as co-host in place of Ryan Seacrest.

Longtime loves: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos shared some secrets to their long-lasting union while discussing the characters' tumultuous relationship in HBO's drama miniseries Scenes from a marriage on Live! With Kelly and Ryan

Kelly went on to say, 'He would have been like, "Oh, you're upset? I know how to take care of that. Oh, you don't feel good about something? I'll take care of that."'

She added, 'Oh, you're feeling like maybe you're overworked? I got you. I know what you need.'

The Hope & Faith star was specifically referencing events that transpired in the second episode of the show which stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac as a couple whose marriage is falling apart.

Not having it: Kelly said of her reaction to the show's second episode: 'I was like, none of this would ever be happening in the Mark Consuelos household, because he would have nipped all of this in the bud immediately'

Scenes From A Marriage is based on the 1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name which written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and starred Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson.

Ripa further explained how the couple manage to quickly resolve any marital issues. She said, 'Because everything for Mark is settled with, everything is settled with...'

'Love,' the Riverdale star interjected.

Relationship issues: he show stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac as a couple whose marriage is falling apart

Kelly then clarified, 'Love and sexy time' to which Mark exclaimed, 'Not everything. Not everything!'

'Just about almost everything,' Ripa quipped.

At the beginning to the show, Kelly told viewers that the episode left the couple 'as the kids would say, shooketh.'

She said that during one particular scene, they reached over to hold each other's hands while lying in bed watching the show.

Cheeky: Kelly explained that she and Mark resolve their marital issues quickly with 'love and sexy time'

Ripa joked, 'As if one of us is having a tooth extracted without Novocain, and the other is there for moral support.

'We clenched each other's hands. I'd seen it twice already, I knew what was coming. But it was still the same reaction.'

Mark told viewers that he believed that the characters would 'do sexy time' during a pivotal and dramatic moment in the episode.

Funny: Mark said that 'sexy time' is how he deals with stress to the laughter of the audience. Pictured in 2019

'Yeah, but you think that about everything,' Ripa retorted. 'There are scenes in The Godfather, and he's like, "I thought for a minute they were going to [do it]."'

Mark responded, 'Listen, that's how I deal with stress' to the laughter and cheers of the studio audience.

Consuelos and Ripa first met in 1995 when they co-starred in the long-running soap opera The Young And The Restless. The pair tied the knot a year later. They share sons Michael, 24, and Joaquin, 18, and daughter Lola, 20.

The two recently became empty-nesters after they sent Joaquin off to college last month.
He never fails to maintain his sharp sense of style when he steps out for A-list events.

And Rafferty Law looked the spitting image of his father Jude as he stepped out for the Many Saints of Newark screening in Leicester Square on Tuesday.

The actor and influencer, 24, cut a dapper figure in a navy pinstripe blazer, which he layered over a chic white roll neck.

Wow: Rafferty Law looked the spitting image of his father Jude as he stepped out for the Many Saints of Newark screening in Leicester Square on Tuesday

Rafferty beamed at the screening of Alan Taylor's The Sopranos prequel with his curly brunette tresses perfectly coiffed.

He paired the neatly tailored blazer with a pair of plain matching slacks, which were held up with a black Hermes belt.

The Twist star accessorised with a selection of gold rings and looked upbeat as his smized for the cameras.

Rafferty nailed mid-season dressing as he kept warm in a beige turtle neck jumper while attending the hotly anticipated film screening.

Hunk: Rafferty beamed at the screening of Alan Taylor's The Sopranos prequel with his curly brunette tresses perfectly coiffed

Many Saints of Newark's screening in Leicester Square comes after fans were teased with the latest trailer last month.

The updated clip gave fans a clearer view of Alessandro Nivola's character Dickie Moltisanti, who appears to vie for control of an organized crime empire in Newark, New Jersey.

The film, which is set more than 30 years before the start of the iconic HBO series The Sopranos, also charts the rise of Dickie's nephew Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini's son Michael.

Star turn: Alessandro Nivola plays mobster Dickie Moltisanti, as he pushes young Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini) toward a life of crime in the newest trailer for The Many Saints Of Newark, which was released earlier this month

The trailer opens with a tense jailhouse conversation between Dickie and Ray Liotta's character Aldo 'Hollywood Dick' Moltisanti, whose name was recently revealed on IMDb.

Liotta's character has previously been kept under wraps, though his name suggests he's either the father or a close relative to Nivola's character.

'I'll be honest with you,' Dickie begins, an ironic preface as most of the Sopranos characters are experienced liars.

'I want to do a good deed,' he continues, which may be code for something more sinister.

He looks dapper in a suit and tied as he sits across from Liotta's character, who is clearly incarcerated and is wearing prison denim.

The trailer opens with a tense jailhouse conversation between Dickie and Ray Liotta's character Aldo 'Hollywood Dick' Moltisanti. 'I want to do a good deed,' Dickie says, which may be code for something more sinister

'I want to do a lot more,' he continues in voiceover soundtracking a montage of him smirking at a crowded dinner party and then pummeling a man in the face with his fists.

A hand is seen lighting a book of matches, and its revealed to be Dickie in a follow-up shot as he walks away from a fire he has just set.

Unlike the first official trailer, which was heavily focused on Michael Gandolfini's version of young Tony Soprano, the character plays second fiddle to Dickie in the newest clip.

'I'm trying to set an example for my nephew,' he says as young Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini) is introduced.

Tony is in trouble at school, and his mother Livia Soprano (played by Vera Farmiga with a fake nose) gets the news that he's been kicked out during a parentteacher conference.

'I'm always being accused!' he cries out defensively.

Rising star: Unlike the first official trailer, which was heavily focused on Michael Gandolfini's version of young Tony Soprano, the character plays second fiddle to Dickie in the newest clip

The trailer also sets up a conflict between Dickie and the new character Harold McBrayer, played by Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr.

A shot of Dickie smoking a cigar in his convertible with Tony in the back seat is juxtaposed with an image of Harold walking down a Newark street amid a riot, which escalates until gunmen are firing shotguns from speeding cars.

Dickie's ruthlessness is illustrated in a scene in an mechanic's shop as he grabs a power drill while a young Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (Billy Magnussen) holds an unfortunate man down.

'Dickie, I just got this jacket!' he says as he fears his yellow blazer will be covered in blood.

Conflict: The trailer also sets up a conflict between Dickie and the new character Harold McBrayer, played by Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr.

The trailer climaxes with fast-cutting violence and the explosion of colliding police cars amid a downtown riot.

As Dickie continues his descent into crime, Tony also inaugurates himself as a foot soldier when he attacks an ice cream truck driver with a friend.

Ray Liotta's wizened character gets the last word from his prison visitation table.

'Pain comes from always wanting things,' he tells Dickie, before adding sinisterly, 'But what do I know. I'm a murderer.'

The Many Saints Of Newark will be released in theaters on October 1 and simultaneously on HBO Max for one month.
Alexander Armstrong revealed that he once played a game of Pointless with The Queen during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

The host of the afternoon gameshow, 51, left viewers open-mouthed as he detailed the unexpected encounter with the monarch, 95, who he claimed was 'totally lovely' and 'got right into it'.

The once-in-a-lifetime experience took place in January 2019 at a Women's Institute talk near one of the royal residences at Sandringham Village Hall.

'She was brilliant and got right into it': Alexander Armstrong left GMB presenters open-mouthed on Tuesday after revealing he played Pointless with The Queen who was 'totally lovely'

Remembering the astonishing event, the TV presenter began: 'It was literally me and a room full of 36 ladies, including one, who we would all have recognised.

'It was just the most wonderful thing to be asked to do. Totally surreal as you can imagine.

'We did a higher, lower Pointless. This is our mobile version of Pointless. We haven't got all the kit. You basically say, "On Abba's greatest hits, how many people do you think would have said Dancing Queen?"

Having a blast! The once-in-a-lifetime experience took place in January 2019 at a Women's Institute talk near one of the royal residences at Sandringham village hall

'One team says, "Oh 14," and the others go higher or lower than that.'

Astonished by the tale, Richard Madeley questioned: 'Did the queen come up on stage with you?'

Alexander quipped: 'She came up on stage. No, she didn't. We played it in the village hall. She was sitting right in front of me, closer than you are to me.

'She was brilliant. She was so game. She got right into it. She was totally lovely.

Excited: Alexander put on an animated display as he recalled the spectacular story

Mesmerised: Astonished by the tale, Richard Madeley questioned: 'Did the queen come up on stage with you?'

'It was the most enchanting can you imagine, it was like one of those dream where you wake up.'

Alexander continued to disclose that he believes The Queen is a fan of the BBC gameshow.

'She also came to having watched the news a little bit too early. It's how we hook them all in!' he concluded.
Camille Grammer has let slip that she knew about certain troubles between Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi years before they became public.

'Camille, did you hear of the Tom and Erika rumors before she came on the show?' a Twitter user asked last Friday, to which Grammer replied: 'Yes. One of the housewives mentioned it at Andy's baby shower.'

It is not clear if Grammer was referring to Jayne and Girardi's marriage breakdown, their embezzlement scandal, or both. However, Cohen's baby shower took place in 2019, and Jayne filed for divorce from her husband of 21 years in November 2020.

Drama: Camille Grammer claims she knew about Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi rumors from a fellow 'Housewife' at Andy Cohen's baby shower in 2019 (pictured together above)

Grammer also did not reveal which housewife made the remarks, but the shindig was attended by the likes of Teresa Giudice, NeNe Leakes, Vicky Gunvalson, and many others.

Jayne's estranged husband Giardi, 82, is currently facing claims of allegedly embezzling settlement funds that were meant to help the families of plane crash victims.

They have both moved out of their $13million Pasadena mansion following the scandal.

What she knows: Camille has let slip that she knew about issues between Erika and Tom

What will Erika say: Jayne has been under fire lately from her fellow housewives

Meanwhile, Erika's attorney Evan Borges recently lashed out at former Real Housewives Of New York City star Bethenny Frankel - who also claimed to know about their issues.

Bethenny claimed last week on her Just B With Bethenny Frankel podcast that she met Girardi at a conference for lawyers years ago where they talked about his then-wife's extravagant spending.

After the meeting, the entrepreneur's late ex Dennis Shields claimed Girardi owed him half a million dollars, and he claimed Girardi was in debt to others as well.

In hot water: Girardi is currently under investigation amid accusations he 'misappropriated at least $2 million' meant for the families of those killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia (He and Erika Jayne pictured in 2016 above)

Shields allegedly said Girardi was 'using peoples money to support her lifestyle. Hes using the companys money to support her lifestyle.'

But Erika's lawyer Borges denied Bethenny's claims.

'Erika has no knowledge of the alleged loans or the conversations referred to by Ms. Frankel, which even per Ms. Frankel, didnt involve Erika,' he told Page Six.

However, a source claimed to the publication that the RHONY star was painting Girardi as a manipulator, rather than suggesting Erika lived too extravagantly.
She's been making a plethora of stylish appearances at various London Fashion Week events.

And Tuesday night was no exception for Jourdan Dunn, who put on a very busty display in a zebra-print dress at the Changemakers Prize with Swarovski.

The model, 31, ensured all eyes were on her for the evening as she stepped out in the busy-printed number, which also featured bright yellow flowers and a huge bow at the back.

Style icon: Jourdan Dunn, 31, put on a very busty display in a zebra-print dress at the Changemakers Prize with Swarovski on Tuesday

The star, who's modelled for the likes of Vogue, Prada and Kurt Geiger, looked nothing less than fashionable in the short-to-long gown.

Her outfit boasted a wrap skirt at the front, crystals along the bust and a lengthy train at the back.

The catwalk star stood even taller in a pair of white sling back court heels, and accessorised with yet more sparklers - adding a diamond choker necklace and earrings.

Wow! The model ensured all eyes were on her for the evening as she stepped out in the busy-printed number, which also featured bright yellow flowers and a huge bow at the back

Fashionable: The star, who's modelled for the likes of Vogue, Prada and Kurt Geiger, looked nothing less than fashionable in the short-to-long gown

The raven-haired beauty styled her locks into a knotted bun slicked back high on her head, while she modelled a dewy palette of makeup.

Jourdan was positively glowing at the event, sporting gold eye makeup, black eyeliner and nude lip gloss.

The fashion mogul put her modelling skills to good use as she was pictured at the event, beaming as she strutted her stuff into the luxe private club, Annabel's in London.

Raven-haired beauty: The raven-haired beauty styled her locks into a knotted bun slicked back high on her head, while she modelled a dewy palette of makeup

Glowing: Jourdan was positively glowing at the event, sporting gold eye makeup, black eyeliner and nude lip gloss

Jourdan beamed as she headed out to the fashion week event, running into the likes of fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert.

Her outing to the Fashion Week event comes as the model recently slammed the fashion industry over racist castings.

The Brit spoke candidly on the podcast Role Model with Leomie Anderson in May, where she reflected on how some castings claim they don't want 'black models this season.'

Beaming: Jourdan beamed as she headed out to the fashion week event, running into the likes of fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert (right)

Calling the act 'f****d up', she claimed: 'Are you trying to say that black can only be beautiful if it's mixed with something?

'I've gone to castings where I've seen things like, "no black models this season", it's like, wait, what? So black models are for a season?

'And then that's it we keep it moving and we carry on doing the f*****s that we've been doing. Like, come on.

Slammed: Her outing to the Fashion Week event comes as the model recently slammed the fashion industry over racist castings

'And then we should be grateful if you are that one black model that has been chosen is like, no, this is really, really f****d up.'

Jourdan has previously claimed she has been paid less than other models for jobs because of her 'skin tone'.

The beauty said that her 'best friends in the industry' and fellow supermodels Cara Delevingne and Karlie Kloss had 'different rates' to her for work.

The star admitted she thought the difference in treatment was 'so f****d up' but that now she 'knows her worth' and has learnt to 'own her voice' in asking for what she wants.

Speaking on the TTYA Talks podcast she said: 'I remember the girls I came up with, like my best friends in the industry, Cara and Karlie, I know their rate was different to my rate, even though we were doing the same jobs.

'When I think about that it's so f****d up, like what is the difference? But clearly the difference is the skin tone.

'But now I know my worth and I'm going to ask for it. Even for me now it's just owning your voice and knowing your worth.'

Representatives for Karlie and Cara were contacted by MailOnline for further comment at the time.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is coming out of her coffin, revealing she's been in a relationship with her assistant Teresa Wierson for the past 19 years.

The performer, born Cassandra Peterson, opened up about her personal life in the pages of her memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira, which was published on Tuesday.

Though the 70-year-old horror hostess had never dated women before, something clicked when she and Wierson met decades ago at a Gold's Gym in Hollywood.

Love is love! Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark, has been dating a woman for the past 19 years, revealing the news in her new memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira. She's seen in 1988 above

Juicy: The 70-year-old horror hostess' memoirs came out on Tuesday

In an excerpt from The Advocate, Peterson recalled that 'when I was doing my preworkout warm-up on the treadmill, I couldn't help noticing one particular trainer...stalking across the gym floor, knit cap pulled so low over his long brown hair that it nearly covered his eyes.'

The television personality spared no details when describing the first impression that her now-partner made on everyone in the fitness center.

'Dark and brooding, he gave off such intense energy that when he crossed the enormous gym floor, the waters parted and people stopped in their tracks to stare,' she wrote.

However, the two later encountered each other in one of the workout center's restrooms, where the actress realized that her 'bad boy' was in actuality a 'bad girl.'

At the time, Peterson was married to signer-turned-manager Mark Pierson, who she wed in 1981 and shares a daughter named Sadie with.

Attractive qualities: The performer - real name Cassandra Pierson - noted that she had met her partner at a gym in Hollywood and was drawn to Wierson's 'intense energy.' She is seen out of costume in 2019 above

When their relationship come to a close in 2003, it was Wierson who was there to comfort Elvira.

Things became romantic after Teresa - who the star affectionately calls 'T' - split with her own partner.

'There on the doorstep stood my trainer, T, holding a trash bag full of her belongings, looking sad and bedraggled.

'She'd split from her longtime partner, spent some time in rehab, and now had no place to go,' Elvira recalled.

In the past: Before she became involved with her current partner, Peterson was married to her manager Mark Pierson, and the two share a daughter named Sadie; she is seen in 1988

They began living together when things started to get romantic.

Noticing her urge to kiss T, Elvira said she was 'surprised.'

'What the hell was I doing? I'd never been interested in women as anything other than friends...I was stunned that I'd been friends with her for so many years and never noticed our chemistry,' she said.

Though they found love, the actress said the decided to keep their relationship private in order to protect the Elvira brand, which has a huge male fanbase.

Things change: After the pair moved in together, Peterson expressed that she was 'stunned that I'd been friends with her for so many years and never noticed our chemistry'; pictured in 2007

'Could my fans hate me for not being what they expected me to be?

'I'm very aware that there will be some who will be disappointed and maybe even angry, but...at this point in my life, I've got to be truthful about who I am,' she said.

Wierson has since served as Peterson's assistant, and the actress noted that she could not be happier with regard to her love life.

'For the first time in my life, I'm with someone who makes me feel safe, blessed, and truly loved,' she wrote.

Yours Cruelly, Elvira is on shelves now.
Former NRL star Sam Burgess hasn't joined the cast of Russell Crowe's new film Poker Face, despite reports he's looking to 'kickstart his career in movies' by calling in a favour from his old boss at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Woman's Day reported on Monday that Sam, 32, had set his sights on a Hollywood career post-retirement and was about to fly to Thailand to film scenes for the upcoming thriller, starring Elsa Pataky and Liam Hemsworth.

But a spokesperson for Russell denied this on Wednesday, telling Daily Mail Australia the rugby league great was involved in the production - but only as an on-set driver.

From rugby league to Hollywood? Former NRL star Sam Burgess (right) hasn't joined the cast of Russell Crowe's (left) new film Poker Face, despite reports he's looking to 'kickstart his career in movies' by calling in a favour from his old boss at the South Sydney Rabbitohs

Sam has a solid friendship with Oscar-winner Russell, who co-owns the Rabbitohs and was instrumental in bringing him over from the UK to play for the club.

Woman's Day claimed the move was part of an 'escape plan' for Sam - who is trying to rehabilitate his public image after a series of scandals and legal dramas - but it looks like he isn't making a bid for the silver screen just yet.

Fake news: Woman's Day reported on Monday that Sam (seen on SAS Australia) was about to fly to Thailand to film scenes for the upcoming thriller. But a spokesperson for Russell denied this, telling Daily Mail Australia he was involved in the production - but only as an on-set driver

He is already getting a glowing 'redemption edit' on SAS Australia, and last week broke down in tears as he apologised for cheating on his ex-wife Phoebe.

Sam also wept over his father's death from motor neurone disease when he was just a teenager, during an interrogation with the drill sergeants on Tuesday's episode.

It follows reports the SAS Australia recruits are furious over Sam's 'redemption story'.

Connections: Sam has a solid friendship with Oscar-winner Russell, who co-owns the Rabbitohs and was instrumental in bringing him over from the UK to play for the club. Pictured after the Rabbitohs' victory at the 2014 NRL Grand Final

Sam has been featured heavily on Seven's military-style reality show, while the other contestants are completing the same challenges almost unnoticed.

A production source told Daily Mail Australia this week several of the recruits were feeling 'frustrated' with their lack of airtime.

The stars are unhappy their efforts have been left on the cutting room floor, with the insider saying SAS Australia's second season is 'basically the Sam Burgess show'.

Making headlines: Sam is already getting a glowing 'redemption edit' on SAS Australia, and last week broke down in tears as he apologised for cheating on his ex-wife Phoebe (left)

'The talk right now amongst recruits is [the producers] are doing their best to make Sam Burgess look good doesn't take a genius to figure out why,' the source said.

'The best way to minimise any potential backlash was to make him likeable and to make everyone else look bad.'

'It's blatantly obvious to the recruits the network is terrified given Sam has ongoing legal issues still pending,' they added.

The insider sensationally claimed producers were instructed by executives at Seven to 'start conditioning the audience to like Sam'.

'The order came straight from the top... SAS is trying to pull the wool over audiences' eyes,' they alleged.
Ajay Rochester has revealed she is planning to follow in Rebel Wilson's footsteps and declared her 'year of health'.

The former Biggest Loser host, 52, announced she is planning to drop the kilos she gained in lockdown following a health scare.

'It's time to take my health and fitness back! If Rebel Wilson can do it I can too!' she wrote alongside a selfie of her in hospital.

'Am I going to be the latest fat girl standing?' Former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester, 52, (pictured) has vowed to follow in Rebel Wilson and lose some weight

Ajay explained that she ended up in the emergency room for a electrocardiogram after her heart started to flutter, causing her blood pressure to rise and panic.

'I'm fine. My EKG was normal, but it was enough of a scare to make me wake up and get serious. So here's to MY year of health!' she wrote.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ajay said she was shocked to discover how big she was after seeing photos of herself snorkelling and swimming earlier this year.

Wake up call: The former Biggest Loser host, 52, announced she is planning to drop the kilos she gained in lockdown following a health scare

'I looked at myself and went "sh*t on a little bigger than I thought it was" and, I was quite shocked and, and a little scared for my health,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday

'I looked at myself and went "sh*t on a little bigger than I thought it was" and, I was quite shocked and, and a little scared for my health.'

'It really was like, "oh my God, holy sh*t. What happened?" I'm like, well, you know, quarantine happened and, I don't know what happened. I lost the plot.

'I've been so inspired by Rebel's weight loss. I was like, all the fat girls around me are getting thin. Mama June (Here Comes Honey Boo Boo) lost the weight and now, Rebel has lost all the weight.

'I lost the plot': Ajay said that she blames being stuck in Los Angeles and Sydney lockdowns for her food choices

Ajay went on to say that she didn't want to be the 'last fat girl standing'.

'I was literally up in Rebel's Instagram and she was doing like the stairs at the Opera House with her hot trainer. I'm like, well, I'm going to do the stairs,' she laughed.

'I'm going to follow in her footsteps and I'm declaring this my year of health.'

Inspired: Ajay said that she has been so inspired by actress Rebel Wilson's recent weight loss she has decided to declare her year of health

She's done it before: Back in 2019, the Aussie TV host lost a whopping 10 kilos in just 10 days during her stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Back in 2020, Rebel documented her incredible weight loss journey after enlisting celebrity trainer Jono Castano.

She told The Weekend Briefing podcast on LiSTNR that she was 'proud' of herself as reflected on her hard work over the past year.

The actress explained that her weight loss was about a lifestyle change and to be a 'healthier version' of herself, rather that reaching a certain weight.

'To me what the year of health was, was just being a healthier version,' she said, noting that working on her fertility and curbing emotional eating were her goals.

'It wasn't about losing a set amount of weight, although I did put a goal original of 75 kilos so I could have something tangible to work towards. But it's not about a number or a dress size, or anything like that.

Working hard: Rebel Wilson [R] documented her incredible weight loss journey, after enlisting fitness guru Jono Castano, [L] which she dubbed as her 'Year Of Health', throughout 2020
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has sought to repudiate recent reports which asserted that he is interested in commissioning incarcerated deejay Vybz Kartel to be a part of his governments Every Vax Counts Campaign.

On Monday afternoon, Holness, via his social media pages posted a video clip of his interaction with a newspaper reporter, who had brought up the subject last Friday at the Caribbean Palms Community Centre in St Andrew South West, a constituency represented by Dr. Angela Brown Burke, where the Ministry of Health and Wellness was undertaking a vaccination blitz.

The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper and this publication had concluded that Kartel may have a role to play in the Governments pro-vaccination campaign, as Holness, in responding to a direct question about engaging the Gaza boss, did not rule out the entertainers possible involvement in rallying Jamaicans.

However, on Monday Holness was on the defensive, and though not addressing the reports frontally, declared that he was launching a new social media programme to disavow any misprint or misquote of his utterances going forward.

Today we launch a new feature on my pages called, What Did I Actually Say. Too often statements are attributed to me when I made no such statement. While everyone is entitled to their own interpretation, they must at least have regard to the facts. Here is what I said; draw your conclusions, Holness wrote under a video clip of the question being asked by the reporter and the lengthy response he gave.

Today we launch a new feature on my pages called, What Did I Actually Say. Too often statements are attributed to me when I made no such statement. While everyone is entitled to their own interpretation, they must at least have regard to the facts. Here is what I said. pic.twitter.com/VvpkwYxXJ0  Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) September 20, 2021

In his response though, Holness had sidestepped the question and made no mention of Kartel, explicitly or implicitly. Speaking in general terms, he had said, among other things, that: In a national emergency such as a pandemic, we in the Government of Jamaica would enlist the support of all well-thinking citizens in encouraging persons to take the vaccine

Holness reserved response and subsequent rebuttal, is a far cry from that of Chairman of Jamaicas National Health Fund Howard Mitchell, who was desirous of having Vybz Kartel at the forefront of the Ministry of Healths Every Vax Counts campaign, according to Professor Carolyn Cooper.

Days later Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton had told The Star tabloid that he would love to see the Any Weather artist take the vaccine as well as become an influencer. In addition, Opposition Spokesman on Health had also said that he would be in support of any Vybz Kartel jingle or song aimed at encouraging Jamaicans to get vaccinated.

Holness post had polarized responses on Twitter on Monday, as some users said that his response to the reporters question did not confirm or deny that he wanted Kartel on the Vax campaign, while others accused the media of spreading falsehoods.

Twitter users Sandy Golden and Cmac were among those who joined Holness in rubbishing the news reports.

The media said that PM endorsed Kartel to do campaign to encourage Covid vaccine. Where in this statement did the PM say this. The media these days are something else. FAKE, Sandy wrote.

The media continues to spread LIES and PROPAGANDA. Had they taken the higher ground in educating and encouraging ppl the importance to get vaccinated and to unite during this pandemic JA would be in a much better place today, Cmac stated.

JawlettePP5, though, was not impressed with the response Holness gave in the interview.

After all that talk respectfully youve not answered the question, she wrote, while dante_blackwood added: @AndrewHolnessJM, u have a tendency to talk nothing but f_kry, pretty it up using some big words as the ordinary individual cannot comprehend, but make note, we know u a chat faat.

Yah i hard what you said and I see that you tried really hard to ignore the question and mentioning Vybz Kartel name but you still said you want everyone to get on board so to me that means you dont mind using the his name and Brand to get people to take the vaccine, Leah wrote in response.
A scene from 'Attica', which tells the story of America's longest prison uprising that began on September 8, 1971.

New Delhi: Do prisoners have human rights? If the men in charge of the survival and wellbeing of prisoners are racist, abusive, violent, how should prisoners demand humane living conditions? With polite petitions or by wresting power?

These questions lie at the heart of director Stanley Nelson's documentary, Attica, which is playing at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) which opened on Friday in a hybrid format. Theatres have opened in Toronto with limited seating, but because of travel restrictions, there is a larger online viewership worldwide.

Attica tells the story of America's longest prison uprising that began on September 8, 1971, with prisoners taking some guards hostage and demanding, in exchange, basic human rights, including an end to beatings and brutality.

The uprising lasted four days where prisoners pitched tents in the large open grounds and organised themselves to survive and negotiate.

With the water supply cut off, they dug trenches and turned them into latrines. A medical team was set up, the press was called in and a team of negotiators was elected who prepared the Attica Liberation Faction Manifesto of Demands, which included the freedom to pray, toothbrushes, daily showers and decent medical treatment.

A security group was also set up to protect the state negotiators who went back and forth  meeting the prisoners and the state authorities  to peacefully bring an end to the uprising and free the hostages.

Stanley Nelson's documentary uses archival footage, TV clips, interviews with former prisoners who are still alive and families of guards to explain why the Attica Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison set in the all-white town of Attica, New York, had been on the edge for a while and how the marginalised, when pushed, can band together to remind the world that they exist.

At one point during the negotiations, we watch one of the prisoners take the mike to announce, "If we can't live as people, we will at least die like men. A state negotiator springs up to hug him.

After the New York states pretence of negotiating with the prisoners for four days, the uprising ended on the fifth day in a carnage. The authorities dropped tear gas in the large yard and then ordered sharp shooters and armed troopers to fire indiscriminately through the smoke. About 43 people died of gunshots, including 10 guards.

After the state took control of the prison, the prisoners were stripped naked and lined up in the yard. They were beaten, tortured, abused and made to run bare-feet to their cells on floors layered with broken glass.

Attica is a crucial, shameful chapter in the story of Americas racial crimes. It is also a reminder to governments with power to listen when a group of citizens want to be heard.
The seer stated that he met Modi on September 18 in Delhi and invited him to unveil the statue. (PTI Photo)

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the Statue of Equality of Bhagavad Ramanuja in Muchintal village on the city outskirts on February 5, said Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy.

Addressing a press conference at his ashram in Muchintal on Monday, the spiritual leader said the statue of Ramanujucharya, who founded the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, would be unveiled in a grand ceremony to be held from February 2 to 12.

The seer stated that he met Modi on September 18 in Delhi and invited him to unveil the statue.

"The Prime Minister assured me that he would attend the event without fail. We are making all arrangements for Modi's visit on February 5," Jeeyar Swamy said.

He added that he had extended invitations to President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and several others by meeting them personally during his recent Delhi visit and all of them assured to grace the event.

The 65.8-metre (216-feet) statue being constructed is coming up on 40 acres inside the 200 acre-ashram with an estimated cost of Rs 216 crore.

The statue made of panchaloha (an alloy of gold, silver, copper, brass and tin/lead) is the second tallest statue in a seated position, the first being a 302-feet statue of Lord Buddha in Bangkok.

The project was taken up as part of the Sahasrabdi (1,000th anniversary) celebrations of Ramanucharya, who was born in 1017 and spent a major part of his lifespan propagating the Hindu philosophy of Vishishtadwaita (qualified non-dualism).

Stating that Ramanuja fought against discrimination in the name of caste, colour, creed, and propounded that God existed in all living beings, the seer said the statue was named as the Statue of Equality.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Monday said that more than 90 per cent of the eligible population has been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, adding that they are fast approaching 100 per cent first dose vaccination of the population.

"Kerala has covered more than 90 per cent of the total eligible population with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We are moving fast towards achieving 100 per cent first dose vaccination of the eligible population," Veena told ANI on Monday.

Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 81 crore on Monday as per Union Health Ministry. Out of 81,73,95,763, 64.8 per cent (60,88,10,164) eligible population received first dose of COVID-19 vaccination and 22.2 per cent (20,85,85,599) eligible population received second dose of COVID-19 vaccination
The Centre had earlier told the top court that the armed forces have decided to induct women into the NDA. (Photo: joinindianarmy.nic.in)

New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has informed the Supreme Court that a notification allowing women candidates to appear for the entrance exam to the National Defence Academy (NDA) will be out by May next year.

Keeping the timeline in mind, deliberate planning and meticulous preparation is needed to ensure smooth induction and seamless training of such women candidates, the ministry said.

"The Government of India, in line with its commitment, hereby place on record its clear and categorical stand that the women candidates shall be considered for entry in the three defence services, in the existing streams, through National Defence Academy," said in an affidavit filed before the top court.

The NDA entrance exams are held twice a year and the government proposes to have necessary mechanism in place by May 2022, the time by which UPSC is required to publish the first notification next year, for the exam, it said.

A Study Group has been constituted by the Defence services, comprising of the experts to expeditiously formulate the comprehensive curriculum for women cadets at NDA, it said, adding that a Board of Officers has been convened to give a holistic and futuristic proposal for training of women Cadets at NDA incorporating all relevant aspects.

The Centre had earlier told the top court that the armed forces have decided to induct women into the NDA.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, had told that a decision has been taken at the highest level of the armed forces as also the government that females will be inducted for permanent commission through the NDA.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Kush Kalra which has raised the issue of exclusion of eligible and willing female candidates from joining the prestigious NDA solely on the ground of sex which allegedly is a violation of fundamental right of equality.

The plea said the authorities allow unmarried male candidates having adequate 10+2 qualification to take the 'National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination', but eligible and willing female candidates are not allowed to take the examination on the sole ground of their sex and without any reasonable or justifiable explanations within the Constitution.

It alleged that this act of discrimination is a dishonour committed by the concerned authorities to the Constitutional values of equality and non-discrimination.

The petition stated that UPSC conducts the 'National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination' and as per eligibility criteria, any unmarried male candidate with the required educational qualification and aged between 15-18 years can appear in it.

The plea said the candidate, on qualifying the exam and on successful completion of training at the NDA and subsequent training at the respective academy of the service the cadet opts for, gets commissioned into the service as a permanent commissioned officer by the age of 19-22 years old.

This opportunity to take the NDA and Naval Academy Examination at the age of 15-18 years, with the eligible academic qualifications is not available to eligible and willing female candidates and the sole reason for this categorical exclusion is on the basis of their sex, the plea said.

It claimed that duration of training for the Short Service Commission women officers is very less compared to the training that a male permanent commission officer, who gets entry through the NDA, gains.
HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, on Monday reproached the Telangana State Housing Board for not registering plots and villas for decades, after collaborating with private firms to develop its own lands.

The bench made it clear that the buyers cannot be subject to suffering for the disputes between the Housing Board and the developers and they cant be forced to approach civil courts to seek redressal.

The bench was dealing with an appeal filed by the Housing Board, which challenged the single court order, which had directed the Board in April to register flats and villas situated at Ramky Enclave, near the Warangal railway station in favour of the buyers within four weeks. He ordered the Housing Board to pay Rs 10,000 to each purchaser, for the delay in registration.

Telangana Housing Board is the owner of the land situated at Warangal, in Sy. No.4(P), and 5 part of Girmajipet village, and Sy. Nos.67(P), 68(P), 71(P), 72, 73, 74, 76(P) of Laxmipura village, admeasuring 32 acres and 69 guntas and the land was given to Ramky Developers to develop villas. Meanwhile, the Housing Board made a sale agreement with the purchasers, who paid full sale consideration long ago.

Due to the dispute between the developer and the Board, registrations were denied in favour of the purchasers. When the issue came to the High Court, the single bench court issued orders and directed them to pay costs to the purchasers. These orders were challenged by the Housing Board by way of an appeal.

The division bench dismissed the appeal and reiterated the directions issued by the single bench. While adjudicating the appeal, the court criticized the Housing Board for making the purchasers move the courts even after they had paid the entire amount more than a decade back.
A few months after taking office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the Lok Sabha that MNREGA would be continued only because it would show how poorly the Manmohan Singh government had performed. My political instincts tell me that MNREGA should not be discontinued, he said, mocking the Opposition benches, because it is a living memorial to your failures. After so many years in power, all you were able to deliver is for a poor man to dig ditches a few days a month. Mr Modi said he would instead let the scheme die naturally as his government would create better jobs.

This would be done by underfunding it and by making it accessible to fewer people. After the government had taken office, Nitin Gadkari had indicated that MNREGA would be limited to less than one-third of Indias districts. Another thing that the Modi government would do to discourage MNREGA work would be to delay payments to workers who are meant to be paid in 15 days. Delays went up from 42 per cent in 2012 to 70 per cent in 2014. Six months after Mr Modi had taken office, by December 2014, except for five states, all others had received significantly lower funds from the Centre in 2014, compared to 2013.

As Indias economy has begun to weaken and unemployment has risen, the Modi government has begun to invest more and more in the scheme which the Prime Minister had called a failure. In 2014-15 MNREGA got Rs 32,000 crores, in 2015-16 Rs 37,000 crores, in 2016-17 48,000 crores, in 2017-18 Rs 55,000 crores, in 2018-19 Rs 61,000 crores, in 2019-20 Rs 71,000 crores and in 2010-21 Rs 111,000 crores. The memorial has become almost three times the size it had been under Dr Manmohan Singh. However, it is still not able to meet the demand for jobs by a population that simply has no work.

In the current year, Rs 73,000 crores has been set aside on the assumption that demand is low, but 80 per cent of the money has already been spent in the first five months of the financial year. And the most demand for work under MNREGA is going unmet as we will see.

MNREGA guarantees 100 days of employment in the year at Rs 200 per day to each registered household, meaning that the family would receive Rs 20,000 for the year.

A total of 13 crore Indian households are registered, covering half the population, which is 25 crore households. There was a decline of 24 lakh job cards in 2016 but after demonetisation there was an increase of 18 lakh cards the following year. This shows that when there is an economic stress, poor Indians fall back on MNREGA but when things are going well they look for non-MNREGA jobs.

A study by the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA), affiliated to Ashoka University, notes that last year, MNREGA demand increased by 1.5 crore, meaning eight times more additional demand than in that hard year after demonetisation. Unfortunately, in our biggest states, the government is failing to ensure that those who want work get it. In Uttar Pradesh, the average employment per registered households was 18 days (Rs 3,600) and in Bihar it was 11 days (Rs 2,000). These are not amounts that households can survive an entire year on. Ninety-five per cent of registered homes did not receive the full 100 days of work last year.

That is the condition that we find ourselves in today. The other thing that the CEDA survey revealed is that the youth, not being able to find permanent employment elsewhere, are now seeking MNREGA jobs. From 20 per cent of the age group 18-30 looking for MNREGA work in 2018, the figure has almost doubled to 37 per cent.

The governments own data says that the number of Indians aged 15 and above who are working or looking for work is 40 per cent of the workforce. This number is over 60 per cent in the United States, closer to 70 per cent in Thailand and Indonesia and over 70 per cent in China. Indias work participation rate is lower than Pakistan and Bangladesh. Are Indians lazy? No, there are no jobs.

The Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy says that in In 2016 42 per cent of India's working age population was employed. This fell to 41 per cent in 2017, then 40 per cent in 2018-19, then 39 per cent in 2019 and it is now 36 per cent. The total number of Indians who are working today is less than five years ago though the population has grown by seven crore people.

The problem is not one that will go away and as we have seen the numbers are getting progressively worse. The impact that this is having and has already had has not been fully examined because the politics of our country is focused on other things. India has always been a poor nation where the majority suffers silently while a tiny set of people do well. Things today may not appear to be very different from the way they were a thousand years ago. The question is, will the majority silently suffering remain the case at a time when inequality is visible to the extent that it is today? If the answer to that question is no, then its vital that as a nation we discuss the problem and not wait for it to explode.
Honda Motor Co said its car factories in Japan have been operating at 40% of capacity in August and September because of shortages of semiconductors and other components caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Honda in a press release on its website said production in early October should rebound to 70% of capacity.

"We are doing what we can to minimize the impact on production, but the situation remains unclear," the Japanese company said.

Check out the latest DH videos here:
By Sophie Alexander

Jeff Bezos revealed that $1 billion of his $10 billion Earth Fund pledge to fight climate change will be directed to conservation efforts, principally targeting key areas for biodiversity and carbon stocks.

The first of the grants will be released this year with a focus on the Congo Basin, tropical Andes and tropical Pacific Ocean, according to a statement Monday to coincide with a Climate Week event in New York.

By most metrics, life is better than it was in the past. Global poverty rates are lower, infant mortality and life expectancies are better, and education rates are much higher, Bezos, 57, said in the statement. There is a notable exception  the natural world is not better today than it was 500 years ago, when we enjoyed unspoiled forests, clean rivers, and the pristine air of the pre-industrial age. We can and must reverse this anomaly.

Read more: Global protest seeks to turn up heat on leaders over climate

Bezos, the worlds second-richest person and founder of Amazon.com Inc., has promised to distribute $10 billion by 2030. His current net worth is around $194.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Conservation is the first of a three-part nature strategy the Earth Fund will support, with future commitments for landscape restoration and food-system transformation.

So far, the fund has distributed $864 million. Earlier this month, Bezos announced he would give an additional $130 million to groups supporting the Justice40 Initiative, an effort by the Biden administration to fight climate change and support disadvantaged communities, by the end of the year.

The Earth Funds statement quoted world leaders lauding the pledge, including Amina Mohammed, United Nations deputy secretary general, John Kerry, US Special presidential envoy for climate, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

I look forward to working more with the Bezos Earth Fund in our shared fight for the planet in the run up to COP26, Johnson said, referring to the international climate change meeting to be held in Glasgow, Scotland starting in late October.

Johnson was scheduled to meet Bezos on Monday, with the Prime Minister saying beforehand that he planned to tell the billionaire that Amazon must pay its fair share of taxes in the country and address working standards for UK employees. Johnson also said he would congratulate Bezos on his massive forestry initiative.

Check out the latest DH videos:
India's plan to tighten rules on its fast-growing ecommerce market has run into internal government dissent, memos reviewed by Reuters show, with the Ministry of Finance describing some proposals as "excessive" and "without economic rationale".

The memos offer a rare glimpse of high-stakes policy-making governing a market already featuring global retail heavyweights from Amazon to Walmart, plus domestic players like Reliance Industries and Tata Group. The sector is forecast by Grant Thornton to be worth $188 billion by 2025.

It's not clear how the objections from the finance ministry - a dozen in total - will ultimately be reflected in the proposed rule changes, first floated in June. But watchers of the influential government arm say its complaints won't fall on deaf ears in the upper echelons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.

Read more: E-commerce brands spent most on advertisements during IPL: Report

"The ministry of finance raising such concerns would likely spur a rethink of the policy," said Suhaan Mukerji, managing partner at India's PLR Chambers, a law firm that specialises in public policy issues.

India in June shocked the ecommerce world with proposals from its consumer affairs ministry that sought to limit 'flash sales', rein in a push to promote private-label brands push and raise scrutiny of relationships between online marketplace operators and their vendors. There is not yet a formal implementation timeline for the new rules.

Though the rules were announced after complaints from brick-and-mortar retailers about alleged unfair practices of foreign companies, they also drew protest from Tata Group, with more than $100 billion in revenue, which is planning an ecommerce expansion.

But the finance ministry, the ministry of corporate affairs and the NITI Aayog - an active player in policy-making - have all raised objections in memos reviewed by Reuters, saying the proposals go far beyond their stated aim of protecting consumers and also lack regulatory clarity.

An August 31 memo from the Finance Ministry's Department of Economic Affairs said the rules appeared "excessive" and would hit a sector that could boost job creation as well as tax revenue.

"The proposed amendments are likely to have significant implications/restrictions on a sunrise sector and 'ease of doing business'," said the three-page memo. "Care needs to be taken to ensure that the proposed measures remain 'light-touch regulations'."

The ministry did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Read more: Ecommerce sector to get independent regulator: Report

Unpredictability in policy making

Voicing its own objections on July 6, NITI Aayog's vice chairman, Rajiv Kumar, wrote to Piyush Goyal, who is minister for commerce as well as consumer affairs minister, saying the rules could hit small businesses.

"Moreover, they send the message of unpredictability and in-consistency in our policy-making," Kumar wrote in the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters.

Minister Goyal and NITI Aayog's Kumar did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The consumer affairs ministry, which drafted the rules, also did not respond. Its secretary, Leena Nandan, this month told Indian media that "wide and varied diverse views" had been expressed on the proposed new rules by stakeholders, but that there was no timeline for any announcement on their implementation.

The arguments put forth by the finance ministry and NITI Aayog are in line with concerns raised by sector operators, and even the US government. They say New Delhi has in recent years changed ecommerce policies too often and taken a hard-line regulatory approach that especially hurts American players.

But Indian consumer affairs minister Goyal and brick-and-mortar retailers disagree, and have repeatedly said big US firms have bypassed Indian laws and their practices hurt small retailers.

The consumer affairs ministry said the new rules were aimed to "further strengthen the regulatory framework" and were issued after complaints of "widespread cheating and unfair trade practices being observed in the ecommerce ecosystem."

Read more: Flipkart expands grocery shopping service to TN, Kerala

Flash sales, regulatory overlap

But the proposals have met with resistance in more than one ministry.

In a July 22 memo, the corporate affairs ministry objected to one proposed clause to be enshrined in new rules that says ecommerce firms should not abuse their dominant position in India. The ministry said the provision was "unnecessary and superfluous", and that the subject was best handled by India's antitrust watchdog.

"It is undesirable to introduce a mini-competition law regime in the consumer" rules, said the memo. The corporate affairs ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The finance ministry has taken a much harder stance on the proposals and raised a total of 12 objections.

Among them, it said, a proposal that makes online shopping websites liable for its sellers' mistakes would be a "huge dampener" and could force companies "to revisit their basic business models".

It also lodged a protest against the banning of flash sales, which see deep discounts on offer on websites like Amazon and are popular during festive seasons.

"This is a normal trade practice. The proposed restriction ... seems without economic rationale," the ministry wrote.

Check out the latest DH videos:
In a joint operation, National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials and Chikkaballapur district police on Monday arrested a 35-year-old man for his involvement in the DJ Halli rioting case. The man had been on the run since the incident took place on August 11 last year.

The arrested has been identified as Tabrez, 35, a resident of Old Bagalur Layout in East Bengaluru. The officials had already filed a charge-sheet against Tabrez and 108 other accused persons before the NIA special court under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act (KPDLP Act) on February 5. He was caught in Chikkaballapur district.

Also Read | Karnataka govt drags feet on appointing assessors to process riots claims

During the investigation, officials had found that Tabrez is a member of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political outfit of Popular Front of India (PFI), and was involved in hatching a conspiracy to attack the DJ Halli police station and had instigated many others on WhatsApp groups. He was also found involved in burning of vehicles and damaging public/private property.

The case was originally registered at DJ Halli police station in Bengaluru. NIA re-registered the case on September 21. Riots had taken place on August 11 last year over an alleged derogatory social media (Facebook) post about Prophet Mohammed posted by Naveen P, nephew of MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy.

Check out latest DH videos here
Karnataka will stick to Transferable Development Rights (TDR) as the only way to acquire land for widening Bannerghatta, Begur and Sarjapur roads in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The widening of three arterial roads has been delayed due to troubles with land acquisition. Private property owners are demanding cash compensation instead of the TDR.

The TDR refers to the grant of additional built-up area to a landowner in return for the portion of a plot taken for a public project.

"There's a metro line that goes on these roads. The BMRCL, in order to fasten its work, offered higher compensation rates. So property owners want the BBMP to fix the same rate as the BMRCL and they don't want TDR," Bommai said while answering a question raised by Bommanahalli MLA, M Satish Reddy.

According to Bommai, the government would need Rs 4,475 crore if property owners are to be given cash compensation: Bannerghatta Road (Rs 2,320 crore), Begur Road (Rs 575 crore) and Sarjapur Road (1,580 crore). "That would be a big burden on the BBMP. So we want to stick to the TDR, he said.

Read | 100% occupancy in Karnataka theatres? Decision this week

The widening of Bannerghatta Road started in September 2017 and was to conclude in February 2019. The deadline has now been revised to March 2022. The work to widen Sarjapur Road started in March 2018, to a March 2020 deadline. It's now expected to get over only in March next year. Begur Road is scheduled to be widened by August 2022.

"Nobody is ready to take the TDR. We need to strengthen the TDR and make it more valuable. We need a TDR bank," Reddy said.

Acknowledging the problems with the TDR, Bommai said the government had come up with a plan to simplify it. "The TDR regime came under both the BBMP and the BDA. We have now decided to bring the TDR under one authority," he said.

The chief minister invited MLAs from Bengaluru to give suggestions on creating a bank for trading TDRs.

1,372 MLD sewage treated: CM

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Bengaluru generated 1,440 MLD sewage, of which 1,372.50 MLD is treated at 33 plants. "In six months, new plants with a 290 MLD capacity will be started, he said while responding to a question asked by former minister K J George on sewage treatment in the city.

Bommai announced that the government would encourage the use of bioremediation in sewage treatment. "Bioremedy is a new thing. Ive asked officials to check it out," he added.
A man from Rajasthan, who donned Indian Army uniform to impress women on social media, found himself in real-world intrigue when his fake online persona saw him recruited by a foreign spy agency which sent him on espionage missions.

Jitendra Singh, the Rajasthani at the centre of this remarkable tale, was finally arrested on Friday at Jolly Mohalla, Cottonpet, in Bengaluru in a joint raid by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) and Military Intelligence (MI).

According to Military Intelligence sources, it all began in 2016 when 24-year-old Jitendra, a clothier from Barmer and desperate for womens attention, procured army uniform from a second-hand veterans store in Rajasthan and began impersonating an officer on social media.

His initial intention was to appeal to women online. He was posing as an officer trainee in the Indian Army. He knew exactly where the various accoutrements and insignia needed to be placed on the uniform, a Military Intelligence source said.

In a short time, Jitendra allegedly attracted the attention of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and was set for a life he could have never foreseen in his wildest dreams.

Police and army sources say Jitendra was first contacted on Facebook in March 2016 by a woman named Pooja Ji, who claimed to be living in Himachal Pradesh, but whose IP address was later traced to Karachi, Pakistan.

By that time, Jitendra was living in Bengaluru as a distributor of shirts. The ISI seems to have genuinely believed that he was a serviceman and did not appear to have questioned his online persona. A selfie taken as recent as May 2021 shows Jitendra wearing the insignia of a captain.

Army sources said that Pooja gave him money to send back intelligence. From ISIs perspective, this was a successful honeypot operation. They were so taken in by this imposter, sources said.

Law enforcement officials have uncovered evidence that Jitendra tracked Indian Army tank movements in Barmer, catalogued changes to guard posts at Pokhran and took photos of frontier bases at Longewala. He is also noted to have taken images of other sensitive locations across the country, including in Delhi.

Records also show that he was flying regularly to various cities in the country.

Jitendra first came to the attention of Military Intelligence in July 2021 when spy networks set up by the ISI were busted in several locations across the country. We discovered more evidence of Jitendras link to the network when one operative caught recently in Ludhiana was sending sensitive materials via WhatsApp to a person named Neha. It was the same phone number used by Pooja, an army source said.

Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said they have evidence to charge Jitendra under the Official Secrets Act. He was also charged for possession of an army uniform which was being misused. He has been charged with committing offences under Section 120B in the Indian Penal Code, Patil said.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Quiffs, mohawks, and crew cuts were hairstyles Nader Shah was accustomed to styling for image-conscious young men in Afghanistan's third-biggest city of Herat.

But since the Taliban swept to power in mid-August, Afghans have little cash to spare and fear being punished for sporting short or fashionable cuts.

"Before, people came and asked for different hairstyles, but it's simply not like that anymore," 24-year-old Shah said at his barber's shop, with mirrors covering every wall. "Now they are heartbroken."

Read | How US helped, hampered escape of Afghan journalists

During the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, the hardliners banned flamboyant hairstyles and insisted men grow beards.

After they were ousted, being clean-shaven was often considered a sign of modernity, including in the relatively cosmopolitan western city of Herat.

"Now people come here and they only ask for simple cuts," Shah said. "They also don't shave their beards, so it's a problem now."

The barber, who has been in the business for 15 years after starting as a young apprentice, said the downturn has caused his daily earnings to plummet from $15 to between $5 and $7.

Also read: ISIS-K claims Kabul bomber was arrested in Delhi 5 years ago

In the next neighbourhood, Mohammad Yousefi, 32, said he has had to dramatically lower his prices -- from $6 a cut to just $1 -- to keep his shop running.

"Because of the Taliban situation, customers have less income and they pay us less," he said.

Yousefi said that after the Islamist hardliners took control of the country, "suddenly people like to make themselves look like the Taliban".

"It's not like the Taliban are fashionable, but people don't shave their beards because the Taliban will stop and ask them about it," he said. "They say it's not in sharia law, and that men should have beards and long hair."

At 36-year-old Ali Reza's barber shop, pink spotlights shone down on customers and shelves were crammed with hairspray cans, gels, mousses, cologne and face masks.

Also Read | It's in the Taliban's interest to include women

The barber deftly chopped his scissors over a customer's beard as waiting clients discussed Afghan politics.

His two apprentices -- Reza's 11-year-old nephew Sobhan and Mohsan, 14 -- watched his every move, tidying away brushes, combs and electric clippers, and helping unwrap razor blades.

Reza completed the experience with a flourish, drumming his fingers over the customer's head, massaging his temples and eyebrows, before scrunching the unsuspecting client's ears for several seconds.

"In the past, young people would come every one or two weeks to cut their hair or beards, and they were happy," Reza told AFP, adding many of his clients had fled.

"Those young people who are still here are not interested in cutting their hair or beards anymore because the economy is really poor," he said.

Since the Taliban takeover, Afghans say job opportunities have dried up.

"Before my income was excellent, and now it's not," he said.

Check out the latest DH videos here:
President Joe Biden will tell the world Tuesday that the United States wants to avoid a Cold War with China, while pivoting from continuous post-9/11 conflicts to an era of US-led diplomacy.

Biden's first speech as US president to the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York faces a tough reception.

He has spent his presidency branding countries like China and Russia as the opposing side in a generational, global struggle between autocrats and democracies.

Read | Modi-Biden bilateral meet will strengthen India-US relation, boost Quad, says White House official

Close ally France is also furious at what it calls backstabbing by Washington in a defense pact that will see Australia acquire US nuclear submarine technology, while ditching previous plans for French conventional submarines.

Throw in the hangover from the traumatic Afghanistan exit -- where victorious Taliban guerrillas forced the US-led alliance into a hasty, at times chaotic, withdrawal -- and Biden can expect some skepticism.

However, Biden will argue from the UN rostrum that the United States is stepping in to save the world from the Covid pandemic, leading on climate crisis measures and rebuilding democratic ties frayed under Donald Trump.

And he will insist that his drive to deepen the US footprint in Asia -- the new nuclear submarines pact with Australia is only the latest building block -- doesn't have to mean confrontation with China.

Biden will say "he does not believe in the notion of a new Cold War with the world divided into blocks. He believes in vigorous, intensive, principled competition," a senior US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Read | Joe Biden to announce 'good news' on $100 billion UN climate fund

Reinforcing that theme of a United States wanting to turn the page on two decades of conflicts, Biden will vow a shift to diplomatic leadership, the official said.

"The president will essentially drive home the message that ending the war in Afghanistan closed the chapter focused on war and opens a chapter focused on personal, purposeful, effective American diplomacy," said the official.

Biden will not be the only leader making his first appearance before the United Nations.

Iran's new ultraconservative president, Ebrahim Raisi, will make his international debut with a pre-recorded speech, possibly offering clues on whether a 2015 nuclear accord can be salvaged.

The summit will kick off with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right leader who insisted on flying to New York despite refusing guidance that he be vaccinated against Covid.

Biden's speech will stress US pledges in tackling both the pandemic and climate change.

A UN official signaled Monday that Biden would deliver "good news" on resolving a $20 billion shortfall in the $100 billion fund that developed countries promised to mobilize annually from 2020-2025 for helping poorer nations adapt to climate change.

On Covid-19, Biden will likely recall that the United States is easily the biggest donor of vaccines around the world, while acknowledging that considerably more needs to be done before vaccine imbalances can be ironed out. Many African countries, for example, have got only a trickle of their populations fully vaccinated, and international donations are nowhere near enough to change the dynamic.

Read | EU chief Charles Michel denounces 'lack of loyalty' by US

On Wednesday, Biden will be hosting virtually from the White House a global summit on the pandemic response.

He will "call for an all-hands-on-deck effort that can end this pandemic much more rapidly," the US official said.

Ending a busy diplomatic week, Biden will also meet Friday in the White House with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, which join the United States in the Quad alliance at the heart of the Indo-Pacific.

While maneuvering through this week's multilateral mazes, Biden will have to keep one eye on trying to mend bridges with France.

Paris recalled its ambassador to Washington in fury at the US-Australian submarines deal, and the French foreign minister has described Biden's diplomatic style as "brutality."

The White House appears confident it can calm the spat, while keeping focused on what it says is the main issue: shoring up regional networks to resist China's growing military and commercial footprint.

On Monday, the US government satisfied a key European demand by easing a travel ban imposed at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. From November, anyone fully vaccinated will be allowed to fly into the United States.

Check out latest videos from DH:
Dr. Mercedes Sobreviela, a gynecologist in this city in northeast Spain, believes it is a womans choice whether she has an abortion. She says the right decision for a woman is always the one she wants.

But as a physician in Spain, Sobreviela believes she has the right to choose as well, and she has chosen not to perform abortions.

Her public hospital, University Clinic Hospital of Zaragoza, does not perform them either. In fact, no public hospital in the surrounding region of Aragon, which includes 1.3 million people, will do the procedure.

Read more: Mexican abortion ban punished poor women, top justice says

We are doctors, our calling is as physicians, and we are here to help people live, not to decide this one lives and this one dies, Sobreviela said.

Spain liberalised itars before, it allowed women to ges abortion laws in 2010. In the yet abortions in only extraordinary circumstances, but the new laws allow all women to get the procedure in the first 14 weeks of a pregnancy, without restrictions.

But the map of where abortions are available is drawn up less by national law than by Spains doctors. In large numbers and across the country, doctors refuse to perform them.

The situation in Spain offers a window into what may await other countries at a time when sharply different measures in Texas and Mexico have revived the debate on abortion access. Conservative lawmakers in Texas have all but banned abortion in the state, while across the border, the Supreme Court in Mexico this month ruled to decriminalize abortions there.

The uncertainty in Mexico is whether doctors will provide the service  a question that has already been answered by many doctors in Spain.

They call themselves conscientious objectors, a term coined by pacifists who refused military service. And like those who claimed a moral duty not to go to war, many doctors in Spain say performing abortions would violate their oath to do no harm  a pledge, they say, that extends to the fetus.

Its one thing if you think abortion is right or wrong; each person will have their own criteria, says Dr. Maria Jesus Barco, another gynecologist from Zaragoza who is an objector. Its another thing if I have to do it. Thats different.

Conscientious objection has gained ground in other countries, like Italy, where it was cited by doctors working in hospitals that largely do not perform abortions. And in Argentina, it has limited attempts to liberalize an abortion law passed there last year.

In five of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain  the equivalent of states  no public hospital offers abortions, according to the most recent government statistics. Women may still receive an abortion in a subsidized private clinic, but in many cases, they must travel across state lines to obtain one.

That was what Erika Espinosa, 34, had to do in 2015 when her gynecologist in the city of Logrono would not perform an abortion after she asked for one.

The doctors try to convince you that you dont love your child for wanting an abortion, said Espinosa, who went to the neighboring Navarra region to end her pregnancy. It felt like I was doing something clandestine.

No official statistics exist on how many objecting doctors work in Spain. But the countrys left-wing coalition government is concerned enough that in July, Irene Montero, the minister of equality, proposed changing the current abortion law to place limits on the ability of doctors to become objectors.

Read more: Change rape definition, stop targeting media, EU tells Poland

Conscientious objection cant be incompatible with the rights of women, nor can it be an obstacle to them exercising their right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy, the minister said in a written statement.

Such words have been met with sharp criticism from sectors of the Spanish medical community.

Eva Maria Martin, a pharmacist who heads the National Association for the Defense of Conscientious Objectors, a group that defends objecting doctors, called the proposals unfair and accused the government of radical feminism.

Its part of a careless gender ideology that puts the freedom of women first, and leaves those of men in the gutter, she said.

Martin said it was the doctors duty to oppose any law that pushes them to take actions they see as unjust.

When there is a grave conflict between your conscience and the law, morally, in your interior, you must reject it, she said, adding that she had nine children as evidence of her anti-abortion views.

Some doctors have pushed to offer abortions at public hospitals. But they say it has rarely proved easy, not only because of objecting physicians, but also because doctors are rarely trained in the procedures during medical school.

When Dr. Abel Renuncio arrived at the Santiago Apostol Hospital, a facility in the rural town of Miranda de Ebro, his team decided, for the first time, to offer abortions. Because the members of his team had not been trained to do them, they taught themselves using World Health Organization protocols.

The technique is quite simple, said Renuncio, a gynecologist. We had no previous experience, but with willingness, it can be done.

Yet a willingness to expand abortion options may be the exception.

Silvia De Zordo, an Italian researcher with the Europe Abortion Access Project, which studies barriers to abortion, said many older physicians who defend abortion rights developed their views after witnessing the consequences of clandestine procedures and then participating in the legalization debate. But many of those doctors have since retired.

The new generations didnt have this experience or memory at all, she said.

Read more: Biden administration sues Texas, seeking to block new abortion ban

Among the provinces where abortions are no longer performed is Jaen, an olive-growing region in Spains southern Andalucia.

Juana Peragon, a feminist activist there, said that for a time, one clinic did offer them, though it was not subsidized by the state and charged women roughly $400 for the procedure.

But that clinic has been closed for remodeling for years, Peragon said. Many women are now sent as far as Seville to get an abortion, about 150 miles away.

We can see a concrete test of the distance between what the law says and how its applied, Peragon said, saying a broad part of Spain is socially conservative and remains at odds with the law. Its impossible to get an abortion in Jaen.

Spanish physicians like Sobreviela, the objector in Zaragoza, said the debate was not as clear-cut as some activists had framed it.

The abortion law passed in 2010 was in some ways ahead of where Spanish society was at the time, she said, and it caught many physicians off guard.

Sobreviela said she remembered attending a hospitalwide meeting in Zaragoza to discuss the new law, and doctors and others were asked to raise their hands if they objected. Ninety-nine percent of us were conscientious objectors, she said. Nearly everyone: the doctors, the nursing staff, the assistants, the guards.

In her daily work, Sobreviela continues to focus on prenatal care, doing diagnostics on pregnant women to screen for signs of birth defects like Down syndrome or for heart problems that can be detected in fetuses.

At times, she said, most often when the defects may be fatal, a mother will ask her about abortion. Sobreviela said those could be very difficult conversations.

But she also offers warnings to those who choose to end their pregnancies. Under Spanish law, she said, doctors can explain possible psychological and social consequences of terminating a pregnancy.

The day before, a patient came to her after her fetus was diagnosed with heart problems, Sobreviela said.

She was in distress, and I was with her afterward, and she asked: This will happen soon, right? I want this problem to go away,  Sobreviela recalled, saying the woman was going ahead with an abortion.

And I said: Theyre not going to get rid of your problem, they will just get rid of your pregnancy,'  she said. The problem comes when the pregnancy is gone and you have to sit with yourself, with your own conscience. Just you and your conscience.

Check out the latest DH videos:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the issue of taxation when he met Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos in New York, Downing Street said.

"The prime minister raised the issue of taxation, and hoped progress could be in implementing the G7 agreement on tax," a Downing Street spokesperson said in a readout of the meeting.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau narrowly won re-election on Monday but failed to secure a majority in parliament, after alienating some voters by calling a snap vote two years early during a fourth wave of the pandemic.

The prospect of another minority government, in which Trudeau's Liberals will again need support from opposition parties to govern, raises questions about the future of a leader who came to power in 2015 promising "sunny ways" but has struggled to deliver on many of his ambitious policy promises.

Trudeau, 49, took a gamble with his early election call two years ahead of schedule, betting that his handling of the pandemic and Canada's high vaccination rates would deliver him a stronger mandate to rule after the 2019 vote left him with a minority government.

Read more: In tense campaign, Canada's Trudeau defends snapping at protester

That plan did not go exactly as hoped. The Liberals are projected to win 156 seats in the House of Commons, one more than they had governed with before the vote, according to television projections.

"What we've seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan, and some have talked about the division, but that's not what I see," Trudeau said after his rival conceded. "I see Canadians standing together."

Trudeau will now have to negotiate his campaign promises - including C$10-a-day childcare, billions to seniors homes and new climate-linked investments - with the left-leaning New Democrats whose votes will be needed to pass all legislation.

"It seems to suggest exactly what people want, which is some degree of ambivalence....They're not ready to have one party or another really have all the reins," said Gerald Baier, an associate political science professor at the University of British Columbia.

Trudeau, a father of three, comes from Canadian political royalty. Born on Christmas Day 1971 to a sitting Canadian prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, he worked as a teacher and snowboard instructor before winning a seat in parliament in 2008.

He took over a Liberal Party in shambles in 2013 and swept to power two years later on a wave of optimism, promising bold action on issues including electoral reform, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring clean drinking water for all of Canada's indigenous reserves.

He has not delivered on those big promises in his six years as prime minister but he did introduce a national carbon pricing scheme, welcomed 25,000 Syrian refugees and made Canada the first Western nation to legalize recreational cannabis.

He also won plaudits for introducing a gender-balanced cabinet when he took office in 2015, and spent billions to support Canadians during the pandemic.

During this year's campaign, he faced angry anti-vaccine protesters and a new, disciplined Conservative candidate in Erin O'Toole.

Scandals have also marred his reputation. During the 2019 campaign, photos emerged of a younger Trudeau wearing blackface and he was twice censured for ethics violations during his first term in office.

"He over-promises and under-delivers, and the shine has come off," said Melanee Thomas, political science professor at the University of Calgary.

Apathy toward Trudeau at home contrasts with his popularity on the international stage, where he is still cast as a glamorous leader who inherited former US President Barack Obama's mantle as one of the world's foremost progressive politicians.

Obama endorsed Trudeau last week, as he did in the 2019 election. Their friendship contrasts with a sometimes rocky relationship with former US President Donald Trump, who once called Trudeau "two-faced" after a video emerged that appeared to show Trudeau and other world leaders mocking Trump.

Relations between Trudeau and current President Joe Biden are more harmonious, despite Biden ignoring Canada's objections and revoking a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office.

Check out the latest DH videos:
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers announced several senior appointments on Tuesday, naming two veteran battlefield commanders from the movement's southern heartlands as deputies in important ministries.

Main Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir will be deputy defence minister, while Sadr Ibrahim was named deputy minister for the interior. Both men had been expected to take major positions in the new government but neither was named in the main list of ministers announced this month.

The two were identified in U.N. reports as being among battlefield commanders loyal to the former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour who were pressing the leadership to step up the war against the Western-backed government.

Read | Taliban working on reopening girls' high schools in Afghanistan

The appointments add to the roster of hardliners in the main group of ministers, which included figures like Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the militant Haqqani network, blamed for a string of attacks on civilian targets.

But the appointments also appear to reflect concern within the Taliban to secure unity by balancing the regional and personal differences that have surfaced as the movement transitions from a wartime guerrilla force to a peacetime administration.

According to a U.N. Security Council report from June, both Zakir and Sadr commanded significant forces of their own, called mahaz, that traditionally operated across several provinces.

They were considered so powerful and independent that there were concerns within the leadership that this could stoke tension over the loyalties of certain groups, particularly in the south and southwest of the country.

Zakir, a former detainee in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, was a close associate of late Taliban founder Mullah Omar. He was captured when U.S.-led forces swept through in Afghanistan in 2001 and was incarcerated in Guantanamo until 2007, according to media reports.

He was released and handed over to the Afghan government and was widely tipped to become defence minister in the new government before Mullah Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, was appointed to the post.

Sadr, a former head of the Taliban military commission from the southern province of Helmand, will be deputy to Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose family comes from the eastern borderlands with Pakistan.

Check out the latest DH videos here:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus political gamble failed to pay off Monday when Canadian voters returned him to office but denied him the expanded bloc of power he was seeking in Parliament.

Election returns late Monday showed that while he would remain prime minister, it will again be as the head of a minority government, Canadian broadcasters projected.

In August, with his approval ratings high, Trudeau called a snap election, summoning voters to the polls two years before he had to. The goal, he said, was to obtain a strong mandate for his Liberal Party to lead the nation out of the pandemic and into recovery.

But many Canadians suspected that his true ambitions were mere political opportunism, and that he was trying to regain the parliamentary majority the Liberals had until they lost seats in the 2019 election.

Whatever his motive, it did not work.

Read | Justin Trudeau: Liberal star shines less bright

With some voters still casting ballots, preliminary results indicate that the Liberal Party won 156 seats  one fewer than it acquired in 2019  while its main rival, the Conservative Party, won 123 seats, a gain of two.

The outcome left Trudeau in a familiar situation.

To pass any laws, he will once more need to win members of the opposition over to his side. And, at least in theory, his party shaky grip on power leaves his government vulnerable to being overturned by Parliament.

In calling for the election, Trudeau argued that, like his predecessors in the aftermath of World War II, he needed a strong mandate from voters to vanquish the coronavirus and rebuild the national economy, badly damaged by the pandemic.

But the announcement was not well received by many Canadians.

Alarm that the government was holding an election when it did not have to, even as the delta variant was straining hospitals in some areas, never abated for many voters during the 36-day campaign. And Trudeaus opponents were quick to characterize his move as a reckless power grab. Erin OToole, the Conservative leader, went so far as to call it un-Canadian.

Also read: In tense campaign, Canada's Trudeau defends snapping at protester

In the end, Trudeau not only failed to secure a majority in Parliament, according to the projections, he may also have squandered the goodwill he gained as he led his nation through the coronavirus crisis.

Im wondering if the Liberals, in their minds, are saying: Dang it, why did we, why did we call it?'  Kimberly Speers, a professor of political science at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, said during the final week of campaigning.

Now, she said, it is unclear how long any Liberal minority government will be able to hold together and what this will all mean for the party's leader. How long is Trudeau going to last? Speers wondered.

When Trudeau first ran for office as leader of the Liberals in 2015, few political experts thought he could pull it off. He began that campaign in third place, behind the incumbent Conservatives and the left-of-center New Democratic Party.

He won by presenting himself as a new voice in politics with a different approach and different ideas to go with it

But that fresh young politician was little to be seen this time around.

Trudeau, 49, offered voters less a vision for the future than a warning, sometimes explicitly: A return to the Conservative government under OToole, he said, would wipe away his governments achievements in a variety of areas, among them gun control, gender equity, climate change, child care, poverty reduction and above all, fighting the pandemic and getting Canadians vaccinated.

Mr. OToole wont make sure the traveler sitting beside you and your kids on a train or a plane is vaccinated, he said at a campaign rally in Surrey, British Columbia, last week. This is the moment for real leadership. Mr. OToole doesnt lead  he misleads.

But in OToole, the prime minister was running against a different opponent than the Conservative leaders he had encountered in the two previous campaigns.

I am a new leader with a new style, OToole, who took over the party just over a year ago, said at the outset of the campaign. There are five parties but two choices. Canadas Conservatives or more of the same.

A former air force helicopter navigator and corporate lawyer from Ontario, OToole, seeking to broaden Conservatives appeal, produced a 160-page campaign platform that essentially turned the partys back on many once-central positions, like opposition to carbon taxes.

Check out the latest DH videos here:

After condemning Trudeau for running up large deficits with pandemic spending, OToole issued a plan that forecast similar budget shortfalls.

He even reversed a major campaign pledge  to repeal Trudeaus ban on 1,500 models of assault-style rifles  when it became apparent that it alienated voters who were not core Conservative supporters.

OToole did, however, maintain his opposition to mandatory vaccination and vaccine passports.

OToole also repeatedly attacked Trudeaus personal integrity citing, as the Conservatives have repeatedly in Parliament, several low points in the prime ministers career.

The federal ethics commissioner found that Trudeau broke ethics laws when he and his staff pressured his justice minister, an Indigenous woman, in 2018 to offer a large Canadian engineering firm a deal allowing it to avoid a criminal conviction on corruption charges. Last year a charity with close ties to the Trudeau family was awarded a no-bid contract to administer a Covid-19 financial assistance plan for students. The group withdrew, the program was canceled and Trudeau was cleared of conflict of interest allegations.

And while Trudeau champions diversity and racial justice, it came out during the 2019 vote that he had worn blackface or brownface at least three times in the past.

Every Canadian has met a Justin Trudeau in their lives  privileged, entitled and always looking out for No. 1, OToole said during the campaign. Hell say anything to get elected, regardless of the damage it does to our country.

Trudeau returned the criticism, saying OTooles willingness to ditch Conservative policies and alter his platform mid-campaign showed it was he who would say or promise anything to voters.

While many voters eagerly bumped elbows and posed for selfies with Trudeau at campaign stops, his campaign was often disturbed by unruly mobs protesting mandatory vaccines and vaccine passports. One event was canceled out of safety concerns, and Trudeau was pelted with gravel at another.

Trudeau did have a strong political challenger on the left nationally with Jagmeet Singh of the New Democrats. Singh, a lawyer and former provincial lawmaker from Ontario, consistently had the highest approval ratings of all the leaders before and during the campaign. But personal popularity was not enough: His party gained three seats but won only a total of 27.

As before the election, the New Democrats are likely to be Trudeaus primary source of support in Parliament.


Chinese People's Liberation Army carried out a night battle exercise at over 16,000 feet on the heights of Xinjian, near the Indian border amid the two countries' border dispute in eastern Ladakh and ongoing military and diplomatic talks to resolve it.

The Western Theatre Command carried out the night battle exercise recently to boost their capabilities, sources said. The theatre command oversees the Xinjiang and the Tibet autonomous regions as well as the border with India, making it the largest geographical area under one command in the PLA.

Earlier this year, China had brought troops from the Tibet Military region to the Xinjiang region that is responsible for Karakoram Pass down to south Uttarakhand. Further, they have deployed larger numbers of long-range artillery and are rapidly building infrastructure on the Tibetan plateau.

Read more:UN chief warns China, US to avoid Cold War

After these troops were brought, the PLA has started carrying out military exercises in the region.

Further, China has refurbished its existing airfields in Tibetan plateau that will allow twin-engines fighter aircraft to be stationed. They are currently revamping 30 airports built or under construction in Xinjiang and Tibet for military transportation.

China has revamped infrastructure in Tibet, launching a high-speed bullet train connecting provincial capital Lhasa with Nyingchi, the Tibetan border town close to Arunachal Pradesh.

The Chinese have also been rapidly enhancing military infrastructure at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after clashes with India last year.

India too has reoriented around 50,000 troops whose main focus is now at the disputed border with China.

Both the countries decided to resolve the issue through talks.

Last month, in another major breakthrough, India and China withdrew troops from friction point, Patrolling Point (PP) 17 in Gogra at the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Both the countries have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner.

Indian military delegates will meet their Chinese counterparts to discuss disengagement at the other friction area, the Depsang plains.

The build-up in Depsang was not being considered part of the current standoff that started in May last year as escalations here took place in 2013. India has insisted during recent military commander meetings to resolve all issues across the LAC.

Check out the latest DH videos:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio held closed door interaction with NSCN(IM) chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah at Dimapur on Tuesday, a government official said.

The interaction, which was held a day after the resumption of talks between the Centre and NSCN(IM) to find a solution to the vexed Naga political issue, was also confirmed by Nagaland minister Neiba Kronu. NSCN(IM) is holding talks with political leaders for the first time since it started the negotiations with the Centre in 1997.

'We have never had talks with political leaders ... But we have to if they are assigned by the central government', NSCN(IM) leader R Raising told reporters on Monday after Muivah's meeting with the Centre's interlocutor A K Mishra at Dimapur.

Also Read | Sarma denies saying that Assam is becoming another Kashmir

Asked if Sarma has been officially appointed to have parleys with the Naga negotiators, Kronu told PTI, He is assisting us as he is the convener of North East Democratic Alliance and he knows the issue.

He, however, declined to divulge details of the discussion held between Sarma and NSCN(IM) leadership. Kronu also said that Sarma also had a sitting with the presidents of Nationalist Democratic Progressive (NDPP) and the state BJP.

It was Sarma, who had formally declared the alliance between BJP and NDPP ahead of the 2018 Nagaland assembly election. The minister said it was a courtesy visit to reaffirm that BJP and NDPP will remain partners even for the 2023 state election.

Chief Minister Rio and Deputy CM Y Patton were also present during the poltical parties' meeting with Sarma, he said. In reply to a question Kronu said there was no discussion in the meeting on the newly formed all party government United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in Nagaland.
Nearly 5,000 people including children and elderly persons have been forced to live under the open sky in Assam's Darrang district since they were evicted from government land by the local administration on Monday.

Nearly 800 "immigrant" Muslim families were evicted from Dholpur (Number 1, 2 and 3) under Sipajhar revenue circle, about 60 kilometres from here on Monday as part of the BJP-led Assam government's drive to clear "illegal encroachers" from government land.

According to the government, they had illegally occupied the land and were served notices to vacate it.

Hundreds of policemen armed with excavators and riot control vehicles reached the spot on Monday following which most residents vacated their houses fearing demolition. BJP's Mangaldoi MP and two other MLAs  Mrinal Hazarika and Padma Hazarika  supervised the eviction drive.

Read | Sarma denies saying that Assam is becoming another Kashmir

"Most of them had occupied the government land as they are landless and are unable to buy thier own land. They were living there for several decades. After the eviction, they have no option but to live under the open sky. Many children and aged persons have fallen ill due to the rain and cold weather since Monday night. Many have run short of food too. The situation on the ground is heart-wrenching. How can a democratically elected government be so inhuman and insensitive to the plight of such poor and landless people?" Ainuddin Ahmed, advisor of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) told DH on Tuesday.

Two mosques and a Madrassa were also demolished during the drive, Ahmed said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while complementing Assam police and Darrang district administration tweeted, "I am happy and complement the district administration and Assam police for having cleared about 4,500 bigha land by evicting 800 households and demolishing two illegal religious institutions." Sarma also uploaded photographs of the eviction drive including one showing the demolition of a mosque.

Continuing our drive against illegal encroachments, I am happy and compliment district administration of Darrang and @assampolice for having cleared about 4500 bigha, by evicting 800 households, demolishing 4 illegal religious structures and a private instn at Sipajhar, Darrang. pic.twitter.com/eXG6XBNH6j  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 20, 2021

Ahmed said the evicted persons are Indian citizens and are not "illegal migrants" from Bangladesh as is being claimed by the MLAs and leaders of the ruling BJP. "Most of them have names in the NRC," he said.

Also Read | NRC published in August 2019 is final, rules Assam Foreigners' Tribunal

Ahmed said Darrang district administration asked them to shift their houses to another government-owned land but without any allotment. "Can the government give an assurance that they would not be evicted similarly from the new plot?" the AAMSU leader questioned.

BJP MLA Mrinal Hazarika said the land being cleared from the "illegal settlers" would be utilised for an agriculture and horticulture project and engage the local youths belonging to "indigenous communities." "Already 500 youths have been engaged and we plan to offer employment to at least 5,000 youths," he said. "Congress government in the past used to settle the immigrant Muslims in any vacant land to build vote bank. That must stop," Hazarika said.

Ahmed questioned how the government could evict some citizens in order to offer employment to another section of citizens. "This is nothing but part of hate Muslims policy of the BJP and communal politics against the religious minorities," he said. "I just hope that high court will take cognizance of such unconstitutional drive by the government and register a case to stop such acts," Ahmed said.

A similar eviction drive was carried out in Biswanath, Nagaon and Morigaon districts since the BJP-led government retained power in Assam for the second consecutive term in May this year.

Check out latest DH videos here
Embarrassing the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP leader Rajib Banerjee said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will win with a huge margin and it would have been better if the party had not fielded any candidate against her.

"The people gave her a mandate and she has come back to power with 213 seats. She is contesting from Bhabanipur and the Congress has decided not to put up any candidate against her. We cannot or should not ignore the people's verdict and the people want her to be the chief minister of the state. She is going to win by a huge margin in Bhabanipur. It would have been the right gesture if the BJP had also stayed away from the election. They should not have fielded any candidate against her," the former Trinamool Congress minister who switched over to the BJP just before the assembly polls said.

Banerjee who lost in this election to the Trinamool Congress was also critical about Suvendu Adhikari's approach towards the chief minister.

Also Read | Non-Bengali voters hold key to Bhabanipur by-poll

Speaking to the media, Banerjee said, "People brought her back to power with 213 seats and so it is not decent to speak foul about that person. To make comments like 'Fufu', 'Kahlu', 'Begum' has created a wrong impression about us. One should be careful when speaking about a leader of her stature."Banerjee was speaking about the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who accused Mamata Banerjee of divisive and partisan politics.

Speaking on an issue like religious division, the BJP leader said, "I have occasionally warned the party not to follow religious lines because religious divisive politics will not work in West Bengal but the party has not paid any heed. The party has suffered for that."

Rajib Banerjee was a member of the earlier West Bengal cabinet. But just before the assembly elections he joined the BJP and contested from Domjur assembly constituency, where he was the MLA earlier, but was defeated.

Soon after his defeat, he became a rebel and started making anti-party statements and avoiding party meetings. Banerjee was accused of meeting Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several Trinamool leaders and he was show-caused for that.

According to a senior BJP leader, Rajib Banerjee was show-caused twice for his anti-party activities but he did not reply.

Check out DH's latest videos:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on an appeal filed by filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh, sister of slain activist Gauri Lankesh, against the High Court's decision to quash charges under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) against one of the accused in the murder case.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar wrapped up hearing of arguments advanced by senior advocates Huzefa Ahmedi and Basava Prabhu Patil on behalf of the petitioner and the accused, Mohan Nayak respectively.

Ahmedi contended that since the charge sheet categorically made out a case of a syndicate involved in the commission of the crime, the argument whether a particular person was not part of earlier crimes of the syndicate was irrelevant.

He also submitted that charges were yet to be framed in the case, four years after the incident.

Representing the accused, Patil, for his part, contended that there was a distinction between abettor or harbourer and a member of a crime syndicate under the KCOCA. An abettor cannot be necessarily equated to a syndicate member, he submitted.

He also asked if it was right to brand a person as a member of organised crime at the very stage of approval of registration of FIR against him, especially when there was no proof that he had earlier participated in unlawful activities of the syndicate.

Ahmedi, on other hand, countered the argument that since the accused had harboured other accused, he was deemed to come under the organised crime.

The top court had earlier ordered that the plea for bail moved by accused Nayak, a resident of Dakshina Kannada, after dropping of stringent charges, cannot be allowed until it decided the instant matter.

The plea before the court claimed the investigation by SIT has revealed that Nayak was part of the syndicate led by Amol Kale which has committed multiple organised crimes apart from the murder of Gauri.

The plea said charge-sheets have been filed with respect to the murders of Dr Narendra Dabolkar in 2013, Govinda Pansare in 2015, Dr M M Kalburgi in 2015 and conspiracy to murder Prof Bhagavan in 2018.

Accordingly, the condition of at least 2 charge-sheets having been filed against the syndicate in the last 10 years along with cognisance by competent court stands fulfilled and invocation of KCOCA against the accused stands justified," it contended.

The High Court had on April 22, quashed the order of Bengaluru Commissioner of Police passed in 2018 and the supplementary chargesheet filed thereafter.

The plea claimed Nayak has been actively involved in providing shelter to the killers prior to and after committing the offence and has participated in a series of conspiracies, abetting, planning, providing logistics.

Lankesh, a leading journalist, was killed on September 05, 2017 outside her house at Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru. Kavitha is a complainant in the case.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared that a plea seeking change in date of birth by a government employee cannot be made as a matter of right. Such a request also cannot be allowed at the fag end of one's career.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna allowed an appeal filed by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd against the High Court's order for change in date of birth of an employee.

In its judgement, the court noted that the determination of the age of the state government employees is governed by the Karnataka State Servant (Determination of Age) Act, 1974. The law, among others, stated that an application for alteration in date of birth can be made within three years of entry of the details in the service book or within one year of the commencement of the Act.

In this case, the court agreed to a submission by senior advocate Gurudas S Kannur, and advocates Chinmay Deshpande and Anirudh Sanganeria on behalf of the corporation.

The employee was not entitled to any relief or change in date of birth on the ground of delay and laches as the request for change of date of birth was made after a lapse of 24 years since he joined the service and 16 years after adoption of the 1974 Act by the employer, it said.

"Being the employee of the corporation, he was supposed to know the rules and regulations applicable to the employees of the corporation. Ignorance of law cannot be an excuse to get out of the applicability of the statutory provisions," the bench said.

Summarising the law in this regard, the top court said the application for changing date of birth can only be as per the relevant provisions or regulations applicable; and even if there is cogent evidence, it cannot be claimed as a matter of right. Further, such an application can be rejected on the ground of delay and latches also more particularly when it is made at the fag end of service and/or when the employee is about to retire on attaining the age of superannuation.

Check out latest DH videos here
Only months ago, India ran so short of Covid-19 vaccines that computer experts wrote software code to help people snag scarce immunisation slots and the then health minister had to constantly battle opposition criticism on social media.

The minister later quit and in came a little-known but hands-on politician, Mansukh Mandaviya, who, according to a person close to him, communicates with vaccine producers on a near daily basis and tries to resolve their problems promptly.

Vaccine supplies have surged

Government officials say they are confident of fully immunizing nearly all adults by December, giving it the confidence to announce a gradual restart of vaccine exports in the October quarter, for the first time since April when a second surge in infections overwhelmed hospitals.

Also Read | After spiralling in August, India's Covid R-value drops below 1 in mid-September

That will help the sputtering global COVAX vaccine-sharing programme, which is far behind its pledge to deliver 2 billion doses this year following supply problems and India's export curbs.

The GAVI vaccine alliance, which sponsors the programme along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the CEPI, this month cut COVAX's supply target by nearly 30 per cent to 1.425 billion doses.

"This could have an immense positive impact on both health security within India as well as globally," a GAVI spokesperson told Reuters about the export announcement on Monday.

"Our priority right now is to engage with the government of India and Serum Institute of India (SII) to understand the impact this will have on our supply schedule."

The turnaround is chiefly thanks to the SII, which is cranking up more doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot than the government's most optimistic projection.

SII would supply 200 million doses of the vaccine, branded Covishield, to the government this month, compared with about 150 million the previous month, said a government source who declined to be identified.

New production lines

The government said in May that Covishield output could reach 750 million doses between August and December, but the actual output could be more than 900 million, said two other sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Also Read | Covid may be heading towards endemicity in India, local flare-ups may form 3rd wave: Vaccinologist

"The company added new lines, got quick approvals to divert a line meant for some other vaccine," said one of the sources.

It now has five production lines making Covishield, up from just two in April, according to the source. The person said SII's monthly output could go as high as 215 million doses.

The health ministry and SII did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bharat Biotech, the producer of India's first domestically developed shot, Covaxin, told Reuters its monthly output would nearly treble to 100 million doses by the end of the year.

SII also received funding and diplomatic help from the government that ensured supplies of raw material from the United States following a plea on social media and elsewhere.

That enabled India, which has reported the most number of infections in the world after the United States, to ramp up its vaccination campaign, giving at least one dose to 65 per cent of its 944 million adults and the necessary two doses to 22 per cent.

Health Minister Mandaviya told reporters on Monday that he expected overall domestic vaccine production to exceed 1 billion doses in the October-December quarter, which would be more than enough to meet domestic demand.

India is the world's biggest vaccine maker and its companies including SII, Bharat Biotech and Biological E, which does bottling work for Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 shot, have trebled their capacity to make nearly 3 billion doses a year, much of which could be available for overseas sale from next year.

"We will keep producing more to meet our needs and also export," Mandaviya said.

Check out DH's latest videos:
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) fixed a bug on its e-ticketing platform after a plus two lad from the city raised an alarm over the presence of Insecure direct object references (IDOR)  a type of access control vulnerability in the booking site.

The IT wing of the IRCTC which took note of the complaint, immediately resolved the vulnerability issue that has been reported, a senior official said on Tuesday. Our e-ticketing system is well-protected (now). The issue was reported on August 30 and it was fixed on September 2, he added. The IDOR, a type of access control vulnerability, arises when an application uses user-supplied input to access objects directly.

I accidently discovered a critical IDOR that leaks the transaction details of millions of travelers, when I was trying to book tickets on August 30. It was the most common bug. Immediately, I reported about it to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), P Renganathan, a plus two student of a private school in Tambaram here, said. I've discovered a critical IDOR that leaks the transaction details of millions of travelers. Go to your account ticket history, click on any ticket with burp suite turned on. Now change the transaction ID to gain access to anothers tickets, you will get all the sensitive details. You can also cancel someones ticket or do anything malicious, he said in an email complaint to CERT-In, under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

As a mitigation, Renganathan who identifies himself as ethical hacker and cyber security researcher, said that the booked user and ticket should be validated so that no one else can access it except the booked user. On September 11, 2021, he received a mail thanking him for reporting the incident to CERT-In and also a confirmation that the reported vulnerability has been resolved by the authorities concerned.

Renganathan, currently pursuing commerce group, has been acknowledged by LinkedIn, United Nations, BYJU's, Nike, Lenovo, Upstox for reporting security vulnerabilities in their web applications. Schools across Tamil Nadu re-opened only for classes ninth to twelfth on September 1. I have opted for online classes owing to the pandemic, he said.

Check out DH's latest videos
If the British Government makes travellers fully inoculated with the Covishield vaccine in India undergo mandatory quarantine procedures upon arrival in the United Kingdom, New Delhi will respond with reciprocal measures, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla warned on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue strongly during a meeting with his new counterpart in the British Government, Liz Truss, in New York. He urged Truss to expeditiously make changes in the British Governments new travel rules and ensure recognition of the certificates issued by the Government of India to people fully inoculated with the Covishield Covid-19 vaccines so that they could visit the UK without any hassle.

Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interests, the External Affairs Minister tweeted after his meeting with the British Foreign Secretary in New York, where both of them arrived to take part in the meetings related to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz. Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side. Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/pc49NS7zcw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

Hours after the Jaishankar-Truss meeting, Shringla said in New Delhi that the UKs new travel rules were discriminatory towards travellers from India. As we go along, we will have to see how it goes. If we dont get satisfaction, we would be within our right to impose reciprocal measures, the Foreign Secretary told journalists.

Read | UK says it is working with India on recognition of vaccine certificates

The new travel rules recently introduced by the British Government do not recognize people travelling to the UK as vaccinated even if they received both doses of the Covishield Covid-19 vaccines under the inoculation programme in India. The new rules, which will come into force on October 4, implies that people who received both doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in India, will be considered unvaccinated and hence will have to go through mandatory quarantine procedures on arrival in the UK.

Shringla noted that Covishield was a licensed product of a UK company and manufactured in India. He also pointed out that India had supplied five million doses of Covishield to the UK at the request of the British government, which wanted the jabs for its National Health Systems inoculation programme. Therefore, non-recognition of the Covishield is a discriminatory policy and does impact those of our citizens travelling to the UK, the Foreign Secretary said, adding that India had offered some of its partner countries the option of mutual recognition of vaccination certificates.

The issue is likely to come up again when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Boris Johnson in Washington D.C. later this week.

What has irked New Delhi is that the UK Government has decided to waive off the mandatory quarantine requirement for visitors who are fully inoculated with the same vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University, but manufactured in other countries.

Watch | UK vaccine rules are double standard: Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Kerala, protested against the new travel rules introduced by the British Government. He pulled out of some events in UK which he was to participate in, including a debate at Cambridge University and the launch of his new book. His party colleague, Jairam Ramesh, said that the new UK travel rules smacked of racism.

Jaishankar conveyed to Truss that the British Governments new travel rules had triggered widespread criticism in India and it was not in sync with the spirit of the new Roadmap 2030 that Modi and Johnson had agreed upon during the last summit held virtually on May 4.

This was the first meeting between the two after Truss took over as the new British Foreign Secretary, replacing Dominic Raab.

According to the British Governments new travel rules, only those people who are inoculated with vaccines, such as the double-dose ones developed by AstraZeneca PLC, Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc, or the single-dose one developed by the Johnson and Johnsons under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas, will be considered fully vaccinated.

Besides, beneficiaries of the inoculation programmes run by the public health authorities in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan will also be considered fully vaccinated.

The External Affairs Minister and the UK Foreign Secretary also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban last month returned to power through a military offensive across the country, taking advantage of the withdrawal of troops by the United States and its NATO allies. They also discussed the developments in the Indo-Pacific region, where the UK recently joined Australia and the United States to forge a new security alliance AUKUS to counter the hegemonic aspirations of China.

Check out latest DH videos here
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday urged his counterpart in the British government, Elizabeth Truss, to expeditiously ensure recognition of the certificates issued by the Government of India to people fully inoculated with the Covishield anti-Covid-19 vaccines so that they could visit the United Kingdom without any hassle.

Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interests, Jaishankar tweeted after his meeting with Truss in New York, where both of them arrived to take part in the meetings related to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The issue is likely to come up again when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting with his UK counterpart Boris Johnson in Washington D.C. later this week.

The new travel rules recently introduced by the British government do not recognise people travelling to the UK as vaccinated even if they received both the doses of the Covishield anti-Covid-19 vaccines under the inoculation programme in India. The new rules, which will come into force on October 4, implies that people, who received both doses of the vaccine developed by the AstraZeneca PLC and the Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in India, will be considered unvaccinated and hence will have to go through mandatory quarantine procedures on arrival in the UK.

What has irked New Delhi is that the UK government has decided to waive off the mandatory quarantine requirement for visitors, who are fully inoculated with the same vaccine developed by the AstraZeneca PLC and the Oxford University but manufactured in other countries.

Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Kerala, protested the new travel rules introduced by the British Government and pulled out of some events he was to participate in in the UK, including a debate at the Cambridge University and the launch of his new book. His party colleague, Jairam Ramesh, too said that the new UK travel rules smacked of racism.

Also Read  'Racist, offensive': Jairam Ramesh, Tharoor slam UK's Covid travel rules

Jaishankar conveyed to Truss that the British governments new travel rules had triggered widespread criticism in India and it was not in sync with the spirit of the new Roadmap 2030 Modi and Johnson had agreed upon during the last summit held virtually on May 4 last.

This was the first meeting between the two after Truss took over as the new British Foreign Secretary, replacing Dominic Raab.

According to the British governments new travel rules, only the people, who were inoculated with the vaccines, such as the double dose ones developed by AstraZeneca PLC, Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc or the single-dose one developed by the Johnson and Johnsons under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas, will be considered fully vaccinated. Besides, beneficiaries of the inoculation programmes run by the public health authorities in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan will also be considered fully vaccinated.

The External Affairs Minister and the UK Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban last month returned to power through a military offensive across the country taking advantage of the withdrawal of troops by the United States and its NATO allies. They also discussed the developments in the Indo-Pacific region, where the UK recently joined Australia and the United States to forge a new security alliance AUKUS to counter hegemonic aspirations of China.
All you need to know about malaria vaccine Mosquirix
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said if voted to power in Goa in the 2022 polls, his party will ensure that 80 per cent of jobs, including in the private sector, will be reserved for local people.

He also assured a monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 to families dependent on the mining and tourism industries till these sectors are normalised. Speaking to reporters in Mapusa town, Kejriwal further said that at least one unemployed person from each family in Goa would be given a government job and jobless youths will get a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 till they find jobs.

Assembly elections are due in Goa, currently ruled by the BJP, in February next year.

Read more: BJP will win Goa polls by historic majority, says Fadnavis; plays down threat of rebellion

This is the second visit of Kejriwal to Goa in the last two months. In his earlier visit in July, the Delhi chief minister had assured free electricity up to 300 units per month to people in Goa if his party forms the government after polls.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Kejriwal said, "80 per cent of jobs, including in the private sector, will be reserved for Goan youths. We will pass a law making it mandatory for private industries to employ 80 per cent of workers from local people.

Kejriwal also tried to woo the people dependent on the mining and tourism sectors, the major recruiters in Goa. While mining came to a standstill after the Supreme Court ban, the Covid-19 induced lockdown has adversely affected the tourism industry.

"Families dependent on the mining and tourism industries will get a monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 till these sectors are resumed," he said.

In another promise, Kejriwal said a Skills University will be set up in Goa on the lines of Delhi where youth would be skilled and made employment-ready. He said if the AAP comes to power only the deserving people will get jobs in the state government only on merit.

"The current practice of recruiting people in government through favours from MLAs or influential politicians will be discarded. The entire system of job recruitment in the government sector would be made transparent and accountable, he added.

Referring to the doorstep delivery of services introduced by the Pramod Sawant government, Kejriwal said a similar initiative was implemented by the Delhi government.

As per our scheme, government officers go to the doorstep of people with the required facilities. People don't have to move out of their homes, he said.

He claimed the Sawant government has been copying the Delhi government's initiatives.

Why choose duplicate when you have original, he quipped. In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, the AAP had drawn a blank. The Congress had then won the highest 17 seats in the 40-member House in Goa restricting the BJP to 13. Surprising the Congress, the saffron party allied with regional parties and came to power under the leadership of senior leader Manohar Parrikar, now deceased.

Check out the latest DH videos:
Newly appointed State BJP president of West Bengal Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday attacked TMC and said that he will stop the talibanisation of the state. Speaking to reporters at the State BJP headquarters, Majumdar also took a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees national ambition and said that first she should run Bengal "properly".

With the help and advice of my predecessors and the central leadership, I will continue my fight against the Talibanisation of the state. said Majumdar.

As for the defectors in the party, Majumdar sought to send a strong message to them saying that if they think that they can finish the BJP by switching to other parties, they are mistaken. He also said that those who are committed to the BJPs ideology will never leave the party .

Our workers are our real asset. If we have made any mistake, we will rectify it, said Majumdar.

Taking a dig at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, Majumdar said that despite her "eagerness" to become the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will continue to lead the country as the Prime Minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Our Chief Minister is dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister. But with all due respect let me tell her that after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi will continue to serve the country as the Prime Minister, said Majumdar.

He also said that the State BJP will win more seats than it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to strengthen Modi.

Mazumdar also targeted members of the civil society in the state accusing them of being silent on the issue of post-poll violence.

I want to ask the intellectuals why they are silent on the issue. They are very active when it comes to pointing out flaws in the speeches of our leader Dilip Ghosh and Tathagata Roy. A specific community was incited to attack our workers. Is this a sign of healthy democracy? said Mazumdar.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
Accusing the BJP of dividing Jammu and Kashmir on religious lines, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday alleged that the Union Territory has been put on sale by the central government.

"Jammu and Kashmir has been put on sale by the government for the people from outside. They want us to become bankrupt in order to make us dependent on (people from) other states," Mufti told reporters here.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief claimed all projects which were launched during her tenure as the chief minister of the erstwhile state have been halted by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

"The contracts of liquor businesses under the excise policy have been given to outsiders. Liquor will be consumed by the people of Jammu and Kashmir but the profit will go to outsiders," she alleged.

Also Read | BJP uses Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan to garner votes: Mehbooba Mufti

She claimed all big projects, including mining contracts, have been allotted to outsiders.

Mufti, who is supporting the Jammu traders call for bandh on Wednesday against the opening of Reliance retail stores in the city, said the shops will destroy small businesses.

"What we have in the country, they (BJP government) are selling to corporate houses", she said.

Replying to a question about investments coming to Jammu and Kashmir, she said: "Whatever investments we got earlier have also been destroyed. They (industries) have gone back after closing their ventures here".

Earlier, there were strikes in Kashmir, but now they are taking place in Jammu, she said.

She also accused the BJP government of dividing people of Jammu and Kashmir on religious lines.

"J&K is laboratory where they are testing (divide and rule policy). It (policy) will then be applied to other states," she alleged.

"The BJP dubs those who raise any issue as anti-nationals. A sardar ji becomes Khalistani, we are dubbed as Pakistanis BJP people only call themselves as Hindustanis," she said.

She further claimed that the present dispensation at the Centre has no clear policy on Jammu and Kashmir.

"Nehru ji and Vajpayee ji had a vision for Kashmir. They knew what they had to do on economic, political and emotional fronts... there is no vision of (this) government," she said

Replying to a question about the government's decision to rename institutions after martyrs, which the Hurriyat has dubbed as a Hindutva agenda, Mufti asked what Prime Minister Narendra Modi was doing to tackle the high unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Unemployment rate in J&K is 18 per cent. Corruption is high here Will students get jobs by changing names of schools, lanes and road. So, it (renaming exercise) is all nonsense", she said.

Mufti further said stone pelting is not a disease but a symptom and asserted that the disease is growing".

Check out latest DH videos here
All aspects related to the death of top seer Mahant Narendra Giri are being probed and the guilty will be punished, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.

The influential Hindu seer was found dead on Monday at Baghambari Muth in Allahabad. He was the president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the largest organisation of sadhus in India.

The police under ADG (Allahabad zone) and commissioner, Allahabad are working as a team, the chief minister who rushed to Allahabad to pay respects to the seer told newspersons there.

Also Read  Disciples booked in UP seer Mahant Narendra Giri's 'suicide'

Asserting that evidence has been collected in connection with the seers death, Adityanath said the case will be solved soon.

Every single aspect connected with the case will be exposed and the guilty will be punished, he added.

According to the wishes of the seers followers, the body will be kept for darshan (public viewing) on Tuesday so that people can pay their last respects, Adityanath said, adding that a five-member team will conduct a post-mortem examination on Wednesday.

After that, he will be laid to rest in a samadhi as per religious rites and beliefs, the chief minister said.

According to the police, the seer's body was found hanging from the ceiling by his disciples on Monday.

A purported suicide note of seven-eight pages was also found at the site in which the seer had written that he was mentally disturbed and was ending his life. The seer had written he was upset with one of his disciples, they said.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
Three disciples of top seer and All India Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri, who died allegedly by suicide on Monday evening, were booked on charges of abetment of suicide and were taken into custody by the police.

A special investigation team (SIT) was formed to probe the alleged suicide of the Mahant, who was found hanging inside his room at Baghamabri Mutt in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj town, about 200 kilometres from here.

An alleged eight-page ''suicide note'' was recovered from his room, according to the police sources.

A section of the seers demanded a CBI probe into the 'suicide' and sources said that the state government was considering recommending a probe by the premier investigating agency.

Read | Top seer Mahant Narendra Giri found dead at Allahabad Mutt

A senior police official said in Prayagraj that Mahant had accused three disciples of his of 'harassing' him. ''I have lived my life with dignity but now I am being harassed and forced to life of humiliation,'' he reportedly wrote in the alleged note.

Sources said that Narednra Giri mentioned the names of the disciples, who, he said, had been harassing him. One of the disciples, identified as Anand Giri was detained in Haridwar town in Uttarakhand while two others, identified as Adya Tewari and Sandeep Tewari, were taken into custody from Prayagraj. All three were booked under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment of suicide).

Sources said that Narendra Giri and his disciple Anand Giri had been having some dispute and that Anand Giri had been expelled from the Baghambari Mutt recently. Anand Giri, however, claimed that he had tendered an apology to the Akhara Parishad president and the issue had been resolved.

Narendra Giri enjoyed considerable clout among the seers and politicians, especially from the BJP, including ministers, used to make a beeline before his Mutt to meet him and get his blessings.

Check out the latest DH videos here:
A massive operation launched by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of north Kashmirs Baramulla district to flush out a newly-infiltrated group of militants continued for the second day on Tuesday with mobile and internet services being snapped in the area.

The Army launched the combing operation after detection of suspicious movement along the LoC on the night of September 18, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers were killed after two suicide attackers stormed a military installation in 2016.

Sources said a group of six to eight militants infiltrated into the Gohalan area of Uri. As soon as the Army got a clue about the infiltration, they rushed to the area and during a brief gun battle one soldier was injured. Four to six infiltrating militants may have fled to Pakistan and two are probably hiding in the area, they said.

Reports said that reinforcements including Special Forces have been sent to the area with internet, landline, and mobile phone services suspended in Uri. This is for the first time that mobile and internet services were snapped in the wake of a cross-border infiltration attempt.

Also Read  Mobile telephony, internet services snapped in Uri in aid to combing ops

General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant General D P Pandey on Monday said that only two successful infiltration bids were reported along the LoC this year. One group was neutralised in Bandipora district, and we are looking for the second one, which has been successful, he told reporters.

While in recent years most of the local youths who join militant ranks are trained locally, those who infiltrate from across the border are mostly Pakistanis. According to official figures, there are about 50 to 60 Pakistani militants active in Kashmir.

Most of the Pakistani militants are active in the north Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara that share the border with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

While dismissing the apprehensions of Pakistani militant build-up in north Kashmir with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, a senior police officer said, Most of the Pakistani militants who are active in Kashmir, had infiltrated long before the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

He said that last year 32 Pakistani militants were killed in Kashmir while this year the number is just 10 so far.

Watch the latest DH Videos here:
A day after his swearing in, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi air-dashed to Delhi along with the Dy CMs who had sworn in with him and PCC chief Navjot Sigh Sidhu to discuss the new Cabinet formation, evoking a strong reaction from Opposition Akali Dal, which slammed the new CM for "promoting Delhi Durbar" culture.

Channi, Sidhu and Dy CMs--Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O P Soni took a chartered flight to Delhi to discuss Cabinet formation. Sidhu, whose shadow looms larger over the new dispensation, tweeted a photo of them with the chartered plane with the caption "in line of duty !!".

The tweet kicked up a row with Akali Dal raising questions over the use of a chartered flight while Channi had pitched for an "aam aadmi sarkar", flauting his "humble origin" at the time of swearing in.

Read: New Punjab CM Channi urges Centre to repeal farm laws

"After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 kms from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used? Or is this chest thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi familys Delhi Darbar culture?," SAD tweeted.

AICC in-charge for Telangana Manickam Tagore, has, however, hailed the appointment of Channi tweeting, "Channiji didn't have a roof in his house, his mother used to get mud to plaster walls, father ran a tent house. Humble background."

Apparently, Congress leadership is doing a balancing act on the issue of the leadership of Channi. After AICC in-charge for Punjab Harish Rawat's remarks that the party will go to the polls with the face of Sidhu, "undermining" the new CM, invited sharp criticism, AICC was quick to clarify that both Sidhu and Channi will be the party's faces for the polls that are months away.

Congress, which carried out a "social balancing" in inducing a dalit CM, and one deputy CM each from Jat Sikh and Hindu community, is expected to extend such social engineering even in the new Cabinet expansion. With Sidhu spearheading the campaign after the exit of 79-year-old Captain, the party is expected to bring forth fresh faces in the new government to give it a youth-friendly look.

Former Youth Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former national-level hockey player Pargat Singh, OBC leader Sangat Singh Gilzian, who had in 2018 accused the party of ignoring backward classes in Cabinet, Madanlal Jalalpur, who had got into a controversy in 2019 over his certain remarks on women are in contention along with others for the Cabinet.

What remains to be seen is how many loyalists of former CM Captain Amarinder Singh are inducted into the Cabinet.

Meanwhle, rumblings in Punjab continued with more senior leaders in the party reflecting discomfiture with the Sidhu takeover even as the party played Dalit card to the hilt.

Latching on to remarks to the chief priest of Akal Takht Sahib Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh, party MP Manish Tewari, who is close to Amarinder, said he salutes his sagacity and wisdom.

"He is wiser than most of us - Politicians! As Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj said--Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Eke Pehchan Bo (There should be one identity of human beings)," Tewari tweeted on Tuesday.

Giani Harpreet Singh, had said it was secondary whether the CM is Sikh or Hindu and what is more important is that one should rather be a better human being.

Reacting to the remarks, former Punjab PCC chief Sunil Jakhar had hit out at Congress leaders saying, "Sagacious words of Jathedar of Shri Akal Takht Sahib couldnt have come at a better time when petty-minded people occupying high positions are trying to divide Punjab on basis of race/caste/identities-forgetting eternal message of Guru."

Check out DH's latest videos
In what appears to be one of the largest seizures of narcotics substances in the country, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recovered nearly 3,000 kg of heroin consignment at Mundra port in Kutch district. The international value of the contraband is considered to up to Rs 21,000 crore. By Tuesday morning, DRI is said to have arrested four persons including a couple from Andhra Pradesh and two Afghan nationals.

"Specific Intelligence was developed by DRI that a consignment imported by M/s Aashi Trading Company, Vijaywada declared as semi-processed Talc stones originating from Afghanistan and shipped from Bandar Abbas Port, Iran to Mundra Port, Gujarat is suspected to contain Narcotics drugs,'' a statement released by the DRI said.

Also Read  Gujarat: DRI seizes Afghan heroin worth over Rs 2K cr at Mundra port

Based on the information, the DRI officials seized two containers weighing 40 tonnes for examination. The note stated that an examination conducted in the presence of experts from Forensic Science Lab, Gandhinagar confirmed the substance as heroin. "Accordingly, 1999.579 kgs recovered from the first container and 988.64 Kgs recovered from the second container totalling 2988.219 Kgs were seized under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985," the note stated.

The statement also said that searches were conducted in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham, and Mandvi in Gujarat.

As DH had reported on September 15, the consignment was exported by a firm identified as 'Hasan Husaai Ltd', located in General Sarak, Kandahar in Afghanistan. The Vijayawada-based importer has been identified as Aashi Trading Company, belonging to Vaishali and her husband Govindaraju. DRI officials said the husband and wife are originally from Chennai but had their export-import firm registered at Vijayawada. The duo was arrested by the DRI and was produced before a Bhuj court. They are granted DRI custody for ten days for questioning.


An Army soldier was shot dead by his colleague following an argument during a patrol in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

A defence spokesman here said the incident took place at Lassipura village in the Kupwara district this afternoon.

"The patrol was on a tactical break, when two personnel entered into an argument leading to two rounds being fired and injuring one soldier," the spokesman said.

The injured soldier was immediately evacuated to the nearest military hospital, where he was declared brought dead," he added.

He said an enquiry as per the laid down procedures has been ordered into the incident.

"All necessary assistance is being provided to the local police in the investigation," he added.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Even as the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Kerala progresses, the state health sector is concerned over vaccine hesitancy among the aged and those with comorbid factors.

Around 90 per cent of the 23,897 persons who died due to Covid-19 in Kerala so far come under this group and hence, the health authorities are more concerned about hesitancy in this group.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had recently stated that around 9 lakh people aged above 60 and those with comorbid factors were yet to take Covid vaccination. Fear of side effects seems to be a key factor and hence, awareness needs to be raised.

Health department sources said that even as facilities for vaccinating the aged and bed-ridden at homes were offered, a major chunk of them haven't taken the vaccine yet.

Earlier, there was a general hesitation towards vaccination in some parts of the state. Many families were even reluctant to give normal preventive vaccinations to children. But the scenario has changed over the years. However, hesitancy among the elder generation seems to be pertaining.

Over 90 per cent of those aged above 18 already got their first dose and 38 per cent have got the second dose, too.

Meanwhile, 15,768 fresh Covid cases were reported in Kerala on Tuesday with a test positivity rate of around 15 per cent. A total of 1.61 lakh active cases are there in Kerala now.

Check out DH's latest videos
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre has dismissed all claims pertaining to any perceived threats to the Hindu religion, stating such apprehensions as merely 'hypothetical' or 'imaginary'.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) headed by Amit Shah has categorically stated that it has no records or evidence concerning any so-called 'threats' to Hindu religion, in a recent RTI reply to Nagpur-based activist Mohnish Jabalpure.

In an RTI query on August 31, Jabalpure had sought proof of "threats to the 'Hindu religion' in the country" that the MHA had in its possession.

After a month, the MHA's CPIO (Internal Security) V S Rana responded to the effect that they are neither aware of nor possess any evidence suggesting alleged dangers to 'Hindu religion'.

The reply said that as per the RTI Act rules, the Public Information Officer (PIOs) can only provide information that is available with them, or which is falling within their jurisdiction. However, since the Centre has no records concerning this, Rana contended that it was not possible to respond to the query of Jabalpure and hence it was treated as void.

Read | UP: Opposition absent amid Yogi's aggressive Hindutva

"This is the first time a key functionary of the MHA has said even any query pertaining to 'threats to Hindu religion' is imaginary and admitted on record that they have been no records to support any such speculation...," said Jabalpure.

Despite this, he alleged that the BJP and its affiliates, for vested political gains, continue to foment a fear psychosis among the Hindus that their religion and religious identity are in grave danger, he pointed out.

"The RSS's flagship prayer in Sanskrit, 'Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrabhume', refers to saving Hindu religion and Bharatmata, which is chanted by all its activists across the country daily twice," Jabalpure said.

He wondered how -- when the Centre has confidently assured that Hinduism is not at any risk from any quarters -- can the RSS drill such ideas through a daily prayer into the minds of its ordinary swayamsevaks, and said he plans to challenge it in the court as it goes against the tenets of the Indian Constitution.

Nevertheless, Jabalpure says he is "extremely grateful" to the MHA officer Rana for his clear-cut reply -- which should bury all political controversies on this sensitive issue and spell relief to the majority and minority communities.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
US Vice-President Kamala Harris will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on September 23, a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meet between him and President Joe Biden and the Quad Summit at the White House, officials have said.

Biden will host Modi for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on September 24. Later on that day, Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit at the White House with Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"The Vice President will meet with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India," a White House official told PTI.

This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Harris had earlier spoken with Modi over the phone during the Covid-19 crisis.

Harris is the first-ever person of Indian origin to be elected as the vice-president of the United States.

During this week, when world leaders will gather in New York to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Harris, according to the White House, is scheduled to hold meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday and President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday.

On Wednesday, she will also lead a session at the President's virtual Covid Summit on building back better and preparing and preventing future pandemics, according to a senior White House official.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
The geopolitical location of Afghanistan has been the focal point of Great Power rivalries. Beijing has been waiting on the sidelines for long, and perhaps now hopes to fill the power vacuum left behind by the United States (US). China has come a long way since the 1990s, when it extended support to the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. Of late, Chinas strategy towards the Taliban was to start warming up to it even before the US formally withdrew from Afghanistan. Beijing did not get embroiled in counter-insurgency operations on the Taliban. Rather, it adopted a hedging strategy. Chinese leaders have consistently pointed out that they respect Afghanistans territorial sovereignty and integrity and believe in a policy of non-interference in its internal affairs. After two decades of involvement in Afghanistans affairs, the US has called it quits. Chinas strategy at this point seems to be the following.

Beijing is keen to avoid a civil insurgency and war in Afghanistan to the extent that it adversely affects its interests in the Xinjiang province. Moreover, China is conscious of the potential backlash from the Taliban for its treatment of the Muslim Uighurs. Chinese officials have demolished mosques and set up re-education camps to reform the Uighurs so that they can contribute to the motherland. China even began to engage the Taliban to ensure that they do not cooperate with their Uighur counterparts. Needless to say, Beijing has the wherewithal, politically and otherwise, to crack down on any such possibility, too.

China has been worried about the role of the Turkistan Islamic movement which has been pushing the cause of an independent Xinjiang state. Uighur militants with combat experience in Syria are another cause for worry for Beijing. China could also take Russias assistance to prevent the Islamic State from developing leverage and influence in the Central Asian region. Moscow has clearly increased its military presence in the region.

The importance of the Russia-backed Collective Security Treaty and the Chinese-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which India is a member, will be critically important in this context. Moscow and Beijing are aligned more than ever before. Beijing is also keen to see how it could promote intra-Afghan dialogue. Hence, Beijing seems to be falling back on Moscow, Islamabad, and Tehran too, to facilitate this process.

Similarly, Iran also seems to perceive an Afghanistan under the Taliban as both a threat as well as an opportunity. Tehrans interest in the Afghan and Central Asian markets is quite evident. Needless to say, it has been interested in promoting Shia ideology, too. Iran has always desired a diminished US role in the region.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), both Afghanistan and China already have mutual interests and ongoing dialogues. China and Afghanistan share a narrow border high in the Wakhan Valley. Whether to reconnect Afghanistan with China by linking the 50-km distance from Bazai Gonbad with the Wakjhir Pass is something the Taliban will have to decide. This is a project which was being financed by the former Karzai government. As far as China is concerned, connectivity holds out opportunities as well as risks. Its for China also to take a call on this. Beijing is Kabuls second-largest trading partner. Hence the Sino-Afghanistan Special Railway Transportation Project could be a flagship project in the days to come. Connecting Afghanistan to the CPEC through Pakistan could make a difference to Afghanistans fortunes, too.

One strategy of China would be to offer the new Taliban regime a variety of economic sops to stabilise the situation and build bridges. Beijing is bound to throw carrots at the Taliban in the form of a variety of infrastructure projects and other possibilities for investments. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has consistently spoken about the need for communication and cooperation between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

China also wants to exploit the rich rare-earths deposits of Afghanistan. This has been a long-standing goal of China, which seems achievable now, given that China will be one of the few countries to have diplomatic engagement with the Taliban regime. Estimates suggest that its potential is almost $3 trillion. Afghanistan possesses huge resources that are waiting to be exploited  copper, iron, mercury, gold, cobalt, thorium, lithium, and coal and gas. Even before the Taliban rode into Kabul, Beijing had been negotiating with the Taliban to invest in Afghanistans infrastructure through BRI. China seeks to establish one of the largest copper mines in the world.

Key issues of the future will revolve around the evolving equations  China-Pakistan, China-Russia and Afghanistan-Pakistan relations. The future is full of potential opportunities and challenges for each one of these actors. These evolving geopolitical equations have already created turbulence in the Indo-Pacific region, which impacts Indias interests. Until recently, Indias strategy was to focus on the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Beijing will be conscious of the challenges and opportunities that a Taliban regime in Afghanistan holds out. It will be keen to ensure that it learns from the experiences of the US and Russia in Afghanistan. All seems set for China to fill the void in Afghanistan. Yet, the Chinese are known to hold their diplomatic cards close to their chest. As a geopolitical strategist recently commented, the Chinese are more vicious and have a better chance of achieving their goals in Afghanistan. It does not mean they will necessarily succeed, but just that they may take a longer time to fail. Whether China will get trapped in the graveyard of empires called Afghanistan, only time will tell.

(The writer is professor, Department of International Studies, Politics and History, Christ (Deemed to be) University.)
Rakesh Tikait of the Bhartiya Kisan Union has emerged as the face of the farmers agitation against the three farm laws. Tikait accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dividing the farming community by talking about the welfare of small farmers. Tikait, in an interview with Sagar Kulkarni of DH dismissed the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Centre for Rabi crops, contending that the MSP remains only on paper.

The farmers agitation will complete 10 months soon. Where do you see the protests going?

We have nothing to see or plan. It is for the government to respond. Farmers have been camping in protest to put forth its demands. The government is not ready to listen. So, the responsibility lies with the government.

Muzaffarnagar Kisan Mahapanchayat drew a huge crowd. Do you think the gathering has breathed new life into the agitation?

Muzaffarnagar saw a big gathering. More than 20 lakh people attended the Mahapanchayat. The government should take note of it. If 20 lakh people are gathering against the government, it should get the message. Such meetings will be held across the state in the coming days and months. There will be more such meetings. Some will be small, others will be large. We will go to the people, we will also go to the villages.

The government says you are indulging in politics under the garb of raising farmers issues...

Do you expect the government to speak in our favour? It is the job of the government to level allegations against us. Let it level allegations.

BJP leaders also claim that the agitation will last only till the elections?

Will the government dictate everything? This agitation will continue till the time the government agrees to talk to the farmers to resolve our issues and concerns. The agitation will continue.

Will you contest elections? A section of the farmer leaders such as Gurnam Singh Chaduni of BKU Haryana appears keen on contesting elections.

We will not contest elections. If some leaders want to contest elections, like Chaduni, let them contest.

Have there been any efforts from either side to resume the talks?

Our last meeting happened on January 22. There have been no talks after that. Our demand is the same even today  the three farm laws should be repealed.

After Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat, BJP has been alleging that Tikait and other farmer leaders have resorted to appeasement of Muslims...

Right now, the Constitution grants us the right to raise slogans, follow every form of worship. Will the political parties tell us which slogans to raise? These people are trying to divide the nation, we are working towards uniting the nation.

Have the wounds of the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar healed over the past eight years?

The riots were engineered. It was a conspiracy of the BJP. We are working for the unity of the people. The riots were not targeted at a particular caste. Everyone is together now. There is unity among all farmers organisations in the region.

Do you think Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths abba jaan remarks are fresh attempts to polarise the electorate ahead of elections?

Polarisation is their sole purpose. Through such statements, they want to take the nation back on the beaten track. Their only intention is how to garner votes. They keep on fooling the people, they play with the sentiments of the people. Any nation where religion plays a dominant role in politics has never progressed.

A section of the BJP believes that farmers, at least in western Uttar Pradesh, can be won over by giving adequate price for the sugarcane crop this coming season...

This agitation is not limited to western Uttar Pradesh. It has found resonance across the country. If farmers get proper support prices, the entire country will benefit. Sugarcane is just one crop. This agitation is not for a single crop, this is for the entire nation.

Since Uttar Pradesh elections are viewed as a semi-final to the Lok Sabha polls, there is a focus on farmers of western Uttar Pradesh...

Our fight is for farmers across the country. The government may have its own approach to issues.

The Rabi MSP was announced recently. Do you feel it was adequate?

The increase in MSP is only on paper. The farmers will benefit only when they get the promised returns. This can be ensured only through an appropriate law that guarantees MSP to the farmer.

Do you think farmers can claim partial victory if the government brings a law that guarantees MSP to farmers?

No. There are three clear demands. First, roll back the three farm laws. Second, enact a law that guarantees MSP to farmers, and third, set up a committee of farmers organisations and the government to take decisions on issues related to agriculture. Once these three demands are agreed to, the agitation will end.

Recently, the prime minister said that his government will stand with the small farmers, who constitute 86% of the total farmers in the country. The BJP also dismisses your agitation as backed by middlemen or arthiyas...

Is Modi the prime minister only of small farmers? These people only work towards dividing the nation. They divide the farmers into big and small. Give the guarantee that the crops grown by the small farmers will be bought at MSP.

Watch latest videos by DH here:
Charanjit Singh Channi, the 58-year-old Dalit chief minister of Punjab, will at best get a four-month apprenticeship to prove his mettle. On day one of his stewardship, Channi and his two deputies took a slew of "pro-poor" decisions.

Even as a section of state Congress leadership sought to discredit his elevation, Channi seemed aware that his tenure would be short-lived and conscious of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 's challenge in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

"If someone asks who is an aam aadmi, I suggest look at me, I am one," he said, taking a swipe at both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Amarinder Singh, the scion of the royal house of Patiala. Channi had raised a banner of revolt against Amarinder Singh in recent times.

Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who once hailed himself as a proud tea-seller, in the same vein, Channi tried to establish common ground with all the immigrants who are now voters of Punjab. To them, he said his father had pulled a rickshaw, and he had pulled one, and he was one like them.

Channi also spoke of his rural background. "My mother and I have collected cow dung and fodder," he said, connecting with the farmers and rural voters of Punjab. He didn't need to make the same appeal to his Dalit brethren, who comprise 30 per cent of the voters of Punjab.

Read | Punjab CM, Deputy CMs in Delhi to discuss Cabinet expansion, Sidhu tags along 'in line of duty'

To counter AAP's promise of free electricity up to 300 units if voted to power, Channi's government proposed increasing free power consumption from 200 units to 300 units. It also offered to waive off electricity dues of tubewells and free water supply in rural areas for non-agricultural use. There was also a proposal to cut domestic water and sewerage tariffs in urban areas and prioritise constructing houses for the economically weaker sections.

However, the Congress high command's plan to bring the turmoil in Punjab Congress to an end with Channi's appointment was not to be. The Congress, it would seem, likes drama more than stability, even if it means harakiri.

The drama started unfolding within 24 hours of the announcement that Channi was to be the new CM. Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat tweeted to remind Channi that he was, at the most, a night watchman. Rawat tweeted that the Congress will fight the 2022 Assembly polls under the leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sidhu is at the centre of the recent turn of events. He had also displaced Sunil Jakhar as the state unit chief of the Congress in July, and Jakhar chose the ongoing crisis to hit back. "It (contesting the 2022 polls under Sidhu's leadership) will undermine the CM's authority and also negate the very 'raison detre' of his selection for this position," Jakhar tweeted.

To quell such speculation, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told the media that the party would fight the Punjab polls under the leadership of both Charanjit Singh Channi and Sidhu.

However, Channi has found little time to cherish his new chair. The countdown to the end of his tenure began the moment his swearing-in ceremony ended. The new CM doesn't have time, and his struggle would be how to make time. He could learn from the mistakes of his predecessor Amarinder Singh that he shouldn't promise what he cannot deliver.

To Channi's credit, in his first press conference as the chief minister of Punjab, he displayed political sagacity to touch upon the issue of be-adbi (blasphemy) but in passing. Channi said he would not like to meet people involved in illegal sand mining.

If during Channi's tenure, the turmoil in Punjab Congress doesn't end and if the party loses the 2022 assembly elections, his tenure will be nothing more than a token of remembrance for him and his family. Not to forget, it could also endanger his political career.

Channi is fortunate to be the chief minister. He will have to play a T20 innings to show his calibre to remain a vital member of the team that will lead the Congress into the electoral battle and possibly in the next government.

(The writer is a journalist based in Chandigarh)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to support sustainable agriculture by increasing the export of millets.

Her appeal came as the United Nations has declared 2023 as the International year of millets. Karnataka being a home for Siridhanya, the government's intent is to reintroduce and promote staple and nutritious food products and increase its export, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said while inaugurating the Vanijya Utsav.

The event is part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, which is being organised by the Central Commerce Department in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka on the occasion of 75th-year anniversary celebrations of the Indian Independence at The Lalit Ashok here on Tuesday.

Read more: India becoming destination country for healthy foods like millets: Tomar at G-20 agri meet

Karandlaje said, The state has established six Centres of Excellence under IndoIsrael-Netherlands Programme to boost quality and quantity production of Mango, Pomegranate, Flowers, Oil palm etc.

The initiative will make India shine on the global front as a leading producer and innovator of high-quality agricultural products.

According to Karandlaje, who is a BJP MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency in Karnataka said the state government has been working to formulate an Agri-Export Cell to better target the policy initiatives and to expand its export market reach. She added that her ministry is also actively engaged in the implementation of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Scheme and Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises.

The Minister assured the Centre's complete support to the Government of Karnataka to help them achieve their objectives. She also said the administration in Karnataka is committed to materialising central government initiatives such as developing districts as export hubs, setting up export development centres and One District one Product scheme to achieve the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Vocal for Local and Make in India.

Speaking at the function, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industry Department Ramana Reddy said Karnataka has facilitated Indias growth through its Information Technology industry.

"Apart from this, we have successfully facilitated the economic growth of the nation through our conducive business environment and business-friendly policies," he said.

The programme was organised by SEPC under the guidance of the Union Commerce and Industry Department. Eminent people and industry experts from various leading Chambers of Commerce, Industry Associations, Export Promotion Councils attended the event.
The sweatbands will be out on Saturday, October 16 as Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, hosts a spin-a-thon to raise funds for his Mayor's charity, Foyle Down Syndrome Trust.

The event will take place from 10am to 4pm in Foyleside Shopping Centre, and buckets will be available on the day for the public to donate or there is also the option to donate online.

Members of the public can also take part by calling FDST on: 02871343991 or expressing an interest on the day. Strict cleaning regimes, however, will be in place in line with COVID-19 guidelines.

Mayor Warke said: I'm really excited about next month's spin-a-thon, which will be a great day's fun that will also hopefully help raise a bit of money for Foyle Down Syndrome Trust.

Although I'm admittedly a bit nervous myself about taking part and testing my fitness out, it's all a bit of craic and nothing too serious. We will have four bikes in operation so if you fancy joining myself and staff and members from Foyle Down Syndrome Trust then get yourself signed up.

I want to thank Foyleside for their co-operation in allowing us to host this event in the centre and I would ask anyone who may be out and about shopping if you could spare any change for this fantastic cause, it would certainly be much appreciated.

Christopher Cooper, Manager of Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, added: We've been really pleased and overwhelmed with the support that Mayor Warke has shown us so far, and with the support that we have received from the public as well.

We're delighted to be a part of another exciting fund-raising event and every little does help in terms of donations so we would really welcome anything that people would be able to give on the day, or online.

Anyone who is interested in testing their pedal power can give us a call on 02871343991 and we can get you booked in, or just turn up on the day. The more people we can get involved, the better, so if you're interested, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Donation buckets will be available on the day, or you can donate online at: bit.ly/MWCharity
A County Derry butcher who launched his own store at just 23 years of age has said local butchers are thriving on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Patrick O'Kane, of Pat O'Kane Family Butcher's on Coleraine's New Row, opened his own store amid stringent lockdown restrictions in February 2021.

The street was previously home to Cunning's Butchers, and in opening up, O'Kane's is carrying on the area's tradition of local butchery.

Now 24, Patrick is preparing for his first Christmas in business. The venture is his latest leap of faith, having shown plenty of initiative so far in his career.

I'm the first butcher, but there are a lot of self-starters in our family, he told the County Derry Post.

I started working in 2013 when I left school; starting at the bottom with a Saturday job brushing floors and washing the dishes.

I'd saved up a wee bit of money when I was 18,19, and I bought most of the equipment needed to start up my own shop, but I needed the right premises and location.

This space came up, with great access to the car park behind us, so the facilities were great. It came up at the right time.

I'd actually sold all the equipment I'd previously bought and had to start to buy it all again.

The investment of so much money and time during a period of Covid-driven economic instability was daunting.

Our first week was scary, I'm not going to lie. We had so much money put into the place and we didn't know what to expect, said Patrick.

On our first Saturday though, we were queued out the door. We supply six shops around the area with the pre-packed meals as well. It helps customers from those areas who want to buy our produce.

We've had great support from the local community and we're trying to offer something for everybody. It's been paying off and we're pushing hard.

Having built up experience from working six days a week as a teenager, Patrick's entrepreneurial streak was given a nudge from a health predicament.

A desire to be available to care for his fiancee led to a decision to open the premises in Coleraine.

I'd met Emma, who's a Coleraine lady, and we're together now almost six years. She is a Type 1 diabetic, he said.

Anywhere I worked, there was always a problem with sick days and that, and someone said to me I'd be better staying at home as a full-time carer.

Patrick outside the shop in Coleraine.

That gave me the kick up the arse I needed to get out on my own. I've people I can trust in the shop, and I can take Emma to appointments without having to answer to anyone.

She's had issues with her sight, so she attends regular appointments up at the Royal as well, and it helps a lot knowing you have that security.

Patrick, a native of Rasharkin in County Antrim, enlisted the help of Roe Valley Enterprises, who helped him draw up a business plan and assisted with his sales projections and targets.

It was a natural progression in a career that had, for him, become more than just a job.

This is my hobby as well as my job, he said.

There are big overheads with a butchers and a lot of costs involved, but it's not all about the money for us.

I'd been put out in the factory, where you had no people to serve, you were packing trays and putting labels on, and it wasn't for me.

I was working Monday to Friday in the factory and then a Saturday job came up. It didn't teach me everything I know, but they taught me how to treat a customer properly.

Patrick is excited by the prospect of the new North West Regional College (NWRC) Butchery course, spearheaded by his former employers, McAtamney's.

Patrick previously worked for Oran McAtamney, now a lecturer on a new butchery course.

Former boss Oran McAtamney is a lecturer on the course, and Patrick says he has been an inspiration to his own career.

Oran is one of the best bosses I had. He's right up there, a great fella. Working for Oran was where I got my passion, and it's good to see him back in full swing, he said.

It would be nice to see a lot of new butchers coming up through. It's something you can't be forced into, you have to have a real passion for food.

It's not like how it used to be with the sawdust on the floors. People haven't as much time to cook home meals, with such a busy schedule.

One advantage of opening during the pandemic is that O'Kane's have been able to tap into a growing trend of customers returning to their local butcher.

The local nature of the business is also helping to mitigate the effect the UK's exit from the EU has had on many businesses.

Too many of the bigger supermarkets are trying to do everything under one roof, said Patrick.

I was working Mountsandel at the time Covid started and we noticed people were even buying freezers just so they could fill them up.

We've fresh stock coming in every day, and because it's local, we don't have to worry about Brexit or anything like that.

It's nice to see people using their local butcher again. A lot of people said we were mad opening up; there were still a lot of restrictions.

We've had great support from the local community and we're trying to offer something for everybody.

Amid the whirlwind of starting a new business and steering it through the minefield created by Covid and Brexit, one thing stays constant for Patrick.

When it comes down to it, I always want to make my family and my wife proud, he added.
A man appeared before a local court yesterday (Monday) charged in connection with an armed robbery in Limavady at the weekend.

Adam McDaid is accused of robbing the Spar shop at Anderson Avenue, Limavady of money on Saturday, September 18.

He is further accused of having a knife with him in a public place on the same date.

Appearing via videolink before Coleraine Magistrates Court, 26 year-old McDaid confirmed that he understood the charges against him.

An investigating PSNI officer told the court that she could connect McDaid, of no fixed abode, to the charges and said she would be opposing bail due to the likelihood of the accused reoffending.

The court heard that McDaid, who has 181 previous convictions, had spent a 'significant' period of time in custody and had only been released on bail last week.

Defence barrister Eoghan Devlin said it was 'very unfortunate' that the accused now found himself, a few days after being released, charged with an armed robbery.

Applying for bail, Mr Devlin said that McDaid was arrested after two witnesses claimed the person who carried out the robbery went into the accused's home.

He was found there some time later, said Mr Devlin, adding that the case will be contested.

Applying for bail, Mr Devlin said that it will probably take 'around 18 months' for a trial to take place.

However District Judge Peter King said he believed that McDaid would be 'back before the court by the end of the week' if he was released on bail.

As far as I am concerned, you are not a suitable candidate for bail, Judge King told McDaid before remanding him in custody.

McDaid is due to appear before the court again on October 4.
Derry's bishops are among leading church leaders calling for the Irish Government to offer 'full and immediate' redress to the thousands of people whose homes have been affected by the mica/pyrite crisis.

Numerous family homes in Donegal (within the Diocese of Derry) have been seriously damaged because defective building blocks were used in their construction.

Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Donal McKeown, Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Right Rev Andrew Forster and Rev Keith Hibbert, Moderator of Derry and Donegal Presbytery are among a number of church leaders offering support to the families affected.

In a joint statement, they said: Housing and homelessness are recognised as key political and social justice issues of our time. In this context, immediate action is needed to alleviate the mica/pyrite crisis which is affecting the health, wellbeing and safety of homeowners and their families.

As Church leaders, we are gravely concerned at the families plight. While many of our impacted citizens live on the periphery of our island, it is disturbing that their basic need for good housing also seems peripheral to the agenda of our political leaders.

"A number of us have had the opportunity to visit some of the affected homes and heard from campaigners.

Our foremost concern now is getting support for these families. There appears to be a disparity in the way people in our region are being treated compared to those elsewhere. Homeowners in Leinster were awarded 100% redress for the pyrite problems there.

The citizens of Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Tipperary, Clare and Limerick deserve no less. This is a matter of fairness, justice and compassion.

There may come a time for assigning responsibility for what has happened

One thing is certain, though: the homeowners are not to blame.

"The cost of repairing the damage is beyond the means of most families. The mica/pyrite scandal is now a test of our compassion as a society and of the States resolve to help its most vulnerable.

"We must move quickly to end the anguish and uncertainty for all those affected by mica or pyrite in homes that they have bought or built.

"The affected homeowners need three guarantees of support: 100% redress from the government for home- owners, a 40-year, Sstate- backed scheme, guaran- teeing full redress in the event of future problems and the remedy of 100% redress made available to all those affected.

"We realise there will be significant costs involved, but the State has found resources in the past to rescue the banking sector and, more recently, to deal with the pandemic.

"The mica and pyrite families need our sympathy, our prayers and our help.

The statement ended They have our full support, as Church leaders, in their pursuit of their three demands.
Police have described a pile of broken glass placed across a busy County Derry road last night as having the potential to be extremely dangerous

The PSNI received a report of several broken bottles on the Disert Road, Draperstown at approximately 9.50pm last night, Monday September 20.

I nearly ran the car off the road tonight because somebody thought it would be funny to empty a bucket load of glass on the Disert Road (bad bridge at Creagh pit entrance).Not only would this destroy tyres but it would cause serious harm or even death as it's on a bridge! Why ?? pic.twitter.com/Q1dCnltTj3 September 20, 2021

Inspector Patton said enquiries into the incident were underway.

This was an extremely dangerous act as the bottles were placed on a 60mph road and on a sharp bend, he said.

Our partner agency, Northern Ireland Road Service also attended the scene and cleared the road.

Our enquiries are continuing and we would ask anyone who may have noticed any suspicious activity or who may have captured dashcam footage to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1897 of 20/09/21.

A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/ makeareport/.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Sinn Fein Councillor Sandra Duffy said progress on new organ donor legislation was life-saving and will help save lives.

Reforms to current organ donor legislation have been debated in the Assembly at Stormont with the Bill being passed to the next stage where it will be scrutinised by the Health Committee.

Should the Bill eventually become law, people would automatically be registered as organ donors unless they specifically request to opt-out.

The north of Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that does not have the opt-out system,

Organ donation has been in the news lately with the case of four-year-old Belfast youngster, Daithi MacGahann, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant for more than 1200 days.

And Cllr Duffy, who represents Derry's Ballyarnett ward, hoped that this news would hopefully end long agonising waits like Daithi's for an organ transplant.

She said : This is life-saving legislation and will make a real difference to many families in the north.

I commend the fantastic work of all the campaigners including the Donate4Daithi campaign who have brought this discussion to our homes and families.

This is vitally important legislation, which will help to save lives.

I would also encourage everyone to have the conversation about their wishes regarding organ donation with their family and loved ones.
A Sinn Fein councillor has been denied permission to speak in a council debate over a proposed air show for the area in 2022.

Cllr Cara McShane had been responding to comments made by County Derry councillor Adrian McQuillan to her party colleague Cllr Dermot Nicholl.

Cllr Nicholl had outlined his opposition to the proposed air show, referencing the fact it was in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Cllr McQuillan said he would 'not take any lectures' from the Sinn Fein councillor.

Cllr Nicholl needs to take off his green-tinted glasses and see this for what it is. There is an extra 2.5 million coming into the Borough, he said.

It's very simple; it's because the army is involved in it. His party, Sinn Fein, supported the IRA through 40 years of violence.

The Bogside butcher, the butchers of the Bogside, he led them, and all he could do was shoot and kill our armed forces.

Now the armed forces are here showing what they can do in other countries, and how they won the so-called war here.

Sinn Fein couldn't beat them the last time, but they're trying to beat them this time by keeping them out of the area.

He talks about not his Queen, where does he think he lives? It's a part of the UK and Northern Ireland. I'll be taking no lectures from them regarding the air show.

Subsequent speaker Cara McShane began her remarks by referencing a quote widely attributed to American writer Mark Twain.

You never lower yourself to debate with a fool, because they only bring you down to your level and beat you with experience, so I'll move on from those previous comments, she began.

Shortly after Cllr McShane began speaking, Cllr McQuillan called a point of order (18.12) which states members may object to comments they feel to be inaccurate.

She called me a fool. I feel that's inaccurate and I want an apology for it, he said.

Cllr McShane began to state remarks had been made by Cllr McQuillan about herself, Cllr Bateson and Cllr Nicholl in the previous statement, but was unable to finish her point.

Turn her off, responded Cllr McQuillan.

A further point of order was then called by Cllr McQuillan's DUP colleague Cllr George Duddy.

18.12 is quite explicit. Whether Cllr McShane wants to admit it or not, calling somebody a fool is not nice, he told the Committee.

Cllr McShane is renowned for making comments, should it be ageist or calling someone a fool. She should apologise to Cllr McQuillan and to the general public.

Cllr McQuillan is entitled to ask for that apology, and if it's not forthcoming, you have to take whatever action you deem necessary.

It is not acceptable for anybody in this chamber to call anybody a fool. Most definitely not. The member is out of order.

After a tense period of silence, Cllr McShane was asked by Committee Chair John McAuley to retract her remarks.

She indicated she was not willing to do so, and Cllr McAuley moved on to the next speaker without taking Cllr McShane's input.
Copenhagen, Denmark, September 21, 2021 - Comcores ApS, a fast-growing specialized supplier of Intellectual Property (IP) Cores, today announced the availability of a 100G Ethernet MAC IP including the Reconciliation Sublayer (RS), as well as a 100G PCS IP that includes RS-FEC and Base-R (SC)- FEC sublayers.

Comcores Ethernet MAC 100G provides a complete IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Layer 2 solution. The MAC IP core performs the Link function of the 100G Ethernet Standard and is a low latency cut-through implementation reaching best in market results while still keeping size at a minimum. The Ethernet MAC Core, on the Client side, implements a 256-bit AXI-S Client interface while having a standard 256-bit CGMII interface on the PHY side.

Comcores PCS 100G IP core is a silicon agnostic implementation of the PCS layer described in the Ethernet standard IEEE 802.3-2018 and compliant with Clause 82 of IEEE 802.3ba and Clause 91 of IEEE 802.3bj specification. The IP-core has been optimized for size and offers a CGMII interface on one side and a 4 lane 10-66-bit parallel interface at the PMA-side.

Comcores Silicon Agnostic MAC and PCS IP cores are Designed in System Verilog and targeting any RTL implementation such as ASICs and FPGAs. The MAC and PCS IPs are highly configurable and can be delivered in a subsystem integrated with Comcores Time Stamping Unit IP and IEEE 1588 Software solution.

About Comcores

Comcores is a Key supplier of digital IP Cores and design services for digital subsystems with a focus on Ethernet Solutions, Wireless Fronthaul and C-RAN, and Chip to Chip Interfaces. Comcores mission is to provide best-in-class, state of the art, quality components and design services to ASIC, FPGA, and System vendors, and thereby drastically reduce their product cost, risk, and time to market. Our long-term background in building communication protocols, ASIC development, wireless networks and digital radio systems has brought a solid foundation for understanding the complex requirements of modern communication tasks. This know-how is used to define and build state-of-the-art, high-quality products used in communication networks.

To learn more about this solution from Comcores, please contact us at sales@comcores.com or visit www.comcores.com.






Kangana calls for the 'reestablishment of Ram Rajya' in reply to Alia's ad against 'kanyadaan': "Please stop mocking Hindus"

Kangana Ranaut has shared her opinion on Alia Bhatts recently released ad for a wedding fashion brand that is not caught in controversy for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The commercial which paints the practice of kanyadaan in Hindu weddings as regressive has faced backlash and has been flagged as several social media users as misleading.

Alia Bhatt plays the bride in the commercial who asks main koi daan karne ki cheez hoon? apart from also mentioning how girls are often called paraya dhan in society. Kangana now points out that the practice of daan shows a societys core value system and said, When they start to look down upon the very idea of daan.... Then you know it is time for reestablishment of Ram Rajya.... The king who renounced everything he ever loved only to live the life of a Tapasvi(Monk) Please stop mocking Hindus and there rituals.... Dharti and woman both are mothers in scriptures they are worshipped as goddesses of fertility.... Nothing wrong in seeing them as precious and very source of existence (shakti).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kangana Thalaivii (@kanganaranaut)

In another post, Kangana called out the ad for painting the term parya dhan in a bad light and even tagged the brand and Alia Bhatt saying, Dhan is not a dirty word, your mind is dirty.

Explaining the use of the word dhan Kangana further added, Dhan is used in many contexts like ' Maine Ramratan Dhan payo' aur ' Putra Dhan' or' Saundrya our roop ke dhani hona' are commonly used terms... Kanya Dhan or paraya dhan does not mean you are selling your daughter.... Stop this anti hindu propaganda.

Apart from the criticism that the commercial has met with post release many a sections of social media are also celebrating the ad as a progressive step forward.
Shilpa Shetty shares an insightful quote after husband Raj Kundra gets bail; says Rainbows exist

Minutes after her husband Raj Kundra was granted bail in the pornography case, actor Shilpa Shetty took to her social media to share an insightful thought that "beautiful things can happen after a bad storm." Taking to her Instagram story, Shilpa shared a quotation that reads, "Rainbows exist to prove that beautiful things can happen after a bad storm."

This post from the Dhadkan star came after the Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to her husband Raj Kundra in the pornography case on a surety of Rs 50,000. The court has also granted bail to Kundra's associate Ryan Thorpe. He will also have to furnish a surety of Rs 50,000. "We had submitted (before the court) that the charge sheet in the case has been filed and hence, we are filing for bail now; which the court has granted," informed Niranjan Mundargi, the advocate of Kundra.

Meanwhile, the Property Cell of Mumbai Crime Branch submitted a 1500-page supplementary charge sheet before Esplanade Court in connection with the pornography case against businessman Kundra. As per information shared by Mumbai police on Thursday, the 1500-page charge sheet contains the statements of 43 witnesses including Shilpa. The statements of actors Sherlyn Chopra, Sejal Shah, many models and employees of Kundra's company have been recorded in the charge sheet. The charge sheet also includes the names of two wanted accused persons in the case.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raj Kundra (@rajkundra9)

Kundra was arrested by police on July 19 along with 11 other people on charges related to the alleged creation of pornographic films. Recently, Shilpa had paid a visit to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra to seek the blessings of the Lord. Pictures that went viral on the internet showed her taking the journey to the shrine on a horse. She even interacted with other devotees there.

Meanwhile, on the work front, after taking a brief hiatus following Raj's arrest, Shilpa is once again busy judging the dance reality show Super Dancer 4, alongside Geeta Kapur and Anurag Basu. On the film front, she was recently seen in Priyadarshan's Hungama 2.
Varun Dhawan & Kriti Sanon starrer Bedhiya's plot to connect with Stree 2; the horror comedy will deliver a social message

Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon starrer Bhediya is among of the most anticipated horror comedies in Bollywood, a genre that has exploded in the film industry in a big way recently. The movie which wrapped up shoot in June with a final schedule in Mumbai is now in the post production stage and theres finally an update on what the fans can expect from the project.

Bhediya enters Dinesh Vijans horror comedy universe that started with Stree in 2018 and grew with Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma starrer Roohi. According to a Pinkvilla report, the film will be based on a social message about save the forests. Like the previous two films, the message will be delivered in a humorous fashion according to the source of the portal.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by VROOM DHAWAN (@varundvn)

It has further been suggested that the plot of Bhediya will later tie in Stree 2 which is also being directed by filmmaker Amar Kaushik. Varun and Kriti shot for the film in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this year and the film was wrapped up during the pandemic.

After the success of Stree and Roohi, Bedhiya is certainly on must watch list on many. The film will mark both Kriti and Varuns first tryst with the horror genre. The film is expected to arrive in theatres in the first half of 2022.
Bigg Boss OTT: Pratik apologizes to Nehas husband & family if they felt their bond was inappropriate; calls it pure friendship

When a handful of people are isolated together in a house like Bigg Boss, they tend to make connections. While some are just for survival on the show, others tend to last a lifetime. This year on Bigg Boss OTT, Pratik Sehajpal and Neha Bhasin found a friend in one another. They grew closer each week and shared a beautiful bond. But some other contestants and trolls twisted the tale and spoke about their friendship in a negative way. Some had even given it the name of lust. Nehas husband Sameeruddin was also brutally trolled on social media.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neha Bhasin (NB) (@nehabhasin4u)

Just yesterday, Pratik posted a note on his Instagram story asking fans not to troll Neha. He explained that they share a true friendship and added, Don't blame her because I was equally involved in everything and I accept it. Well, today Pratik took to his social media handle to apologize to Nehas husband, family, his own family and fans. He wrote: Also in context of me and Neha. I would like to publicly apologise to her family, her husband, my family and all the viewers if you guys think there was anything inappropriate about the bond we shared. For me it is just pure friendship which is unconditional. I apologise to our families and all the viewers for anything which has hurt anyone.

He went on to add, But jo insan ek band jagah pe hota hai completely disconnected from the outside world only that person can understand how it feels to be there. Still there was nothing we did to intentionally hurt anyone. But I still apologise to anyone and everyone who is hurt. Never meant to hurt anyone! Pratik also added a special not for haters.

When Pratiks sister had entered the BB house on family day, she had told her brother to remember the thin line in friendship. Well, Neha recently revealed that she had a long chat with Sameeruddin after returning home and he has a balanced take on her journey in the house, her game and her friendship with Pratik.
Subscriber content preview

OLYMPIA (AP)  Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has asked the federal government for assistance staffing hospitals and long-term care facilities in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In Washington State, our hospitals are currently at or beyond capacity, and we need additional assistance at this time, Inslee wrote in Friday's letter  released publicly Monday  to Jeffrey Zients, the White House COVID-19 coordinator.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Missouri's decision to allow open containers of alcohol in vehicles forces the state to divert millions of federal dollars intended for road construction to safety programs, according to a public radio report.

The state's policy of letting passengers drink in moving vehicles violates federal safety laws. Because of the violation, Missouri has moved about $370 million in highway construction funds to safety programs since 2001, KCUR-FM reported.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

Photo by Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management [enlarge] Touchstone originally developed the tower, with CallisonRTKL as its architect.





The West 8th building, at 2001 Eighth Ave. in the Denny Triangle, has sold for just under $489.9 million, according to King County records. The seller was Par2 West 8th LLC, associated with Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, which acquired the property in 2016 for $370 million.





. . .
Local

INVESTIGATIVE SERIES: UNDER FIRE

Widespread use of no-knock search warrants in Monroe County raises constitutional questions

Ray Van Dusen / RAY VAN DUSEN/BUY AT PHOTOS.MONROECOUNTYJOURNAL.COM Members of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office conducted search warrant training exercises in August 2021. Monroe County Sheriff's Office SWAT team members Warren Smith and Sam Mitchell participate in a search warrant training exercise in August 2021. Adam Robison | DAILY JOURNAL The trailer behind this gate, shown here in September 2021, was where Ricky Keeton lived in October 2015 when Monroe County sheriff's deputies shot and killed Keeton while serving a no-knock search warrant. Caleb Bedillion / Mississippi Bureau of Investigation This photo from a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigation file shows the ram and pry bar used by Monroe County sheriff's deputies to break open Ricky Keeton's door in October 2015.

ABERDEEN  Court documents and testimony suggest potentially widespread and abusive use of no-knock warrants in Monroe County, at least during the two-terms under former Sheriff Cecil Cantrell.

When sheriffs deputies raided the trailer home of Ricky Keeton on Sizemore Road between Amory and Smithville in October 2015, they served it as a no-knock raid. Those deputies claim they eventually announced their presence, but not until the moment a battering ram slammed into the door.

UNDER FIRE PART 1: The death of Ricky Keeton

UNDER FIRE PART 3: Misconduct allegations surround Eric Sloan

Deputies then shot and killed Keeton after he allegedly fired a pellet pistol at officers.

Keetons girlfriend, Wanda Stegall, was in the trailer bedroom during the raid. She has consistently maintained that deputies never verbally identified themselves. According to her account of that night, Keeton woke her after the pair had gone to bed and told her he heard someone outside. When he went to the door with a pellet pistol, just as deputies were staging on the back porch, Stegall believes Keeton thought intruders were breaking into the home.

A federal lawsuit filed by three of Keetons daughters claims that both the search warrant and the use of force violated their fathers constitutional rights.

With both Monroe County and former deputy Eric Sloan named as defendants, the federal lawsuit is currently scheduled to go to trial early next year in Greenville.

But Keeton's killing raises questions that reach beyond a single night in 2015. The Daily Journal has reviewed hundreds of pages of sworn testimony, court records and other public documents that suggest Monroe County has for years pushed the limits of the law in its use of a search warrant tactic that has become increasingly controversial.

Monroe Sheriffs Department heavily relied on no-knock raids for years

Sloan was head of the Monroe County narcotics unit at the time Keeton was shot, and he personally participated in the raid that killed him.

During his time as a deputy sheriff, Sloan said in a sworn deposition that he helped serve hundreds of search of warrants and could not recall a single such warrant served with a knock at the door.

Most all narcotic search warrants are no-knock, Sloan said. In Monroe County they are.

Sloan was a deputy sheriff from 2004 until December 2015. He told lawyers present at a 2016 deposition that, during his employment, deputies preferred to serve forced-entry raids in the dark.

Most of the time, if we have a choice, wed rather do it at night, Sloan said.

Jim Waide, questioning Sloan during the deposition on behalf of the plaintiffs, lingered on this point.

So you go in when theyre sleeping. Thats customary? Waide asked.

Yes sir, Sloan said.

Another former narcotics officer, Tony Coxey  who was a deputy from 2007 to 2017 and died in 2018  testified that he could only recall a few knock-and-announce search warrants during his tenure. The vast majority of the departments search warrants, he said, were no-knock warrants.

Judges never refused to approve a no-knock warrant when asked, Coxey said.

Robert Fowlkes  a former Monroe County justice court judge  similarly testified that hed never declined to authorize a search warrant brought to him by law enforcement.

Chief Deputy Curtis Knight, who currently remains in that post, testified in 2017 that no-knock search warrants are used to preserve evidence.

The no-knocks are mainly pertaining to narcotics because you  youre not wanting to give the person an opportunity to dispose of or destroy the evidence, Knight said.

In the Keeton raid, however, other measures were in place to preserve evidence. A pair of deputies were stationed by a sewer line to break it open just as the raid began to prevent anyone from flushing drugs down the toilet.

Supreme Court rulings require case-by-case justification for no-knock search warrants

In a 2017 deposition, the former sheriff linked no-knock search warrants with the belief that narcotics raids pose a particular risk to deputies.

We just assume any person thats dealing in drugs is dangerous, said Cantrell.

But such an assumption is not a sufficient basis for a no-knock warrant under current precedent.

There needs to be a specific finding that a no-knock is necessary because of danger to the officer or evidence destruction, said Christopher Slobogin, a law professor and director of Vanderbilt Universitys Criminal Justice Program.

Slobogin reviewed the Keeton warrant and said he didnt see such a finding.

A 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that law enforcement officials may lawfully enter a home without knocking and announcing their presence only if a showing can be made that knocking would allow a suspect to dispose of evidence, flee or attack the officers.

But two years later, in Richards v. Wisconsin, the Court clarified its ruling: There is no categorical allowance for no-knock entry in drug cases, or in any other investigation.

Instead, a judge must determine, for each and every no-knock search warrant requested, that circumstances particular to that case justify no-knock entry.

Before raiding Keetons home, a deputy submitted an affidavit to a judge requesting a search warrant, with an attached sheet detailing the circumstances. These documents do not request in writing a no-knock search warrant and fail to make any mention of particular circumstances unique to the planned Keeton raid, appearing to flout Supreme Court precedent.

The Richards v. Wisconsin precedent emerged in the civil litigation after defendants asked the court to issue a summary judgement in favor of the state.

Sharion Aycock, who was at the time chief judge in the Northern U.S. District Court, noted that neither the search warrant itself, the affidavit requesting the warrant, nor the attached circumstances document contained any information relevant to the standard articulated in Richards.

Rather than the facts of circumstances of any particular case, deposition testimony by officers consistently offered the view that in Monroe County, forced-entry search warrants were essentially automatic in drug cases.

In response to questions, Sloan described no-knock search warrants as standard procedure in drug cases, including the Keeton raid.

We went and got a search warrant from a judge, a no-knock search warrant, which is  in narcotics is almost a given, Sloan said in 2016, describing the Keeton search.

Defects in Keeton search warrant seen in other raids by Monroe County sheriffs department

In response to recent public records requests seeking search warrants linked to several key deputies across several years, Monroe County Justice Court Clerk Tina Morrow has produced only four.

She told the Daily Journal that a comprehensive, single repository of search warrants does not exist, as far as she knows, and could be spread across multiple courts, or still in possession of the originating law enforcement officer.

The warrants she has produced represent what she has found after what she called a comprehensive search of drug cases in Justice Court linked to several key narcotics deputies over a multi-year period.

The four warrants the Daily Journal obtained from Morrow date from 2009 to January 2021. These warrants repeat some of the potentially problematic features identified by Aycock and Slobogin with the Keeton search warrant.

The only mention of no-knock entry on any of the documents comes in the following language, repeated nearly verbatim on the final search warrant: Affiant respectfully requests no-knock service of this warrant to maintain highest officer safety and evidence integrity.

And that very language may not even constitute judicial approval for a knock-and-announce procedure.

The warrant does not explicitly say that it authorizes a no knock entry, Aycock wrote in 2018 about very similar language used in the search warrant used to raid Keetons home.

Current sheriffs office leadership says concerns about officer safety driving force behind no-knocks

After two terms of office, Cantrell was defeated in a Democratic primary in 2019. After the primary, but before his term of office ended, Cantrell resigned his post after the state Auditor found that the sheriff had used county prisoners to help assemble campaign signs.

While still in office, Cantrell met with members of the Keeton family after the fatal raid in 2015.

Those family members objected to the use of a no-knock search warrant, according to audio of that meeting obtained by the Daily Journal.

What I dont think we understand is, why yall had to go in that way, a Keeton family members says on the audio. Why couldnt it be handled in a better manner?

The speaker goes on to suggest that reaching for a weapon when awakened at 1 a.m. would be a normal reaction.

Why couldnt you wait until the day? another speaker asked.

Such criticisms have been raised across the country, especially following the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky during the execution of a no-knock search warrant. A number of cities and states have restricted the use of no-knock search warrants. Mississippi has not.

Current Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook would not respond to repeated requests for an interview with the Daily Journal about the departments current warrant practices.

However, in mid-August, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office held a search warrant training session. A reporter with the Monroe Journal, which is owned by the Daily Journals parent company, was present for that training.

Key SWAT deputies and leaders of the department emphasized officer-safety as a key issue for them as they consider search warrant practices.

Crook was among the law enforcement members at the training. He defended the use of search warrants against other tactics, such as using a traffic stop or some other method to arrest or detain a suspect away from their home.

Why wouldnt a traffic stop be a better approach versus executing a warrant? Crook said. One, hes not going to take his drugs with him. Two, if its a public place and we try to take this guy, and he decides he doesnt want to go, you put other people in danger.

Billy Richey, a leader on Monroe County's SWAT team, said the team doesn't kick down a suspect's door during the execution of every search warrant. Officers' safety is the primary consideration when deciding how to enter a property.

"Were going to look at it from all angles and make a decision like, This isnt worth our guys going into this; the dope is not worth us taking this chance,'" Richey said. "We dont get a no-knock warrant to preserve narcotics. Yes, that is the evidence and it does help, but thats not the sole purpose. Its for the safety of the guys."

Ray Van Dusen contributed to this report.
A group of rowers set off from Greenore last night to row to the Isle of Man and back in preparation for their cross Atlantic row next year.

The rowers, two of which are from Dundalk, set off yesterday evening from Greenore to row their way across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man.

The distance between Greenore Point and the nearest point of the Isle of Man is approximately 88km, making the journey at least a 176km round trip.

The group of rowers, grouped as Row Hard or Go Home are preparing to take part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, which is a 3,000 mile race across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat.

Entrants have to row from La Gomera in the Canary Island to Antigua, which is an island located near Puerto Rico.

Eugene Mohan, one of the rowers taking part in the competition, previously told the Democrat that the group decided to take on the Atlantic Challenge due to their habit of challenging one another.

This is just taking it to the next level, said Mr Mohan.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rowing the Atlantic in 2022 (@row.hard.or.go.home)

The race doesnt take place until December 2022, but the group are undergoing intensive training, including the row to the Isle of Man and back.

The challenge itself will force contestants to row their boats all day and night, with two people actively rowing at any one time.

The rowing will be done in two-hour shifts, while one pair is rowing, the others will be able to rest or get some sleep.

Eugene, who lives in Blackrock, while his brother Frankie lives in Knockbridge, will both be undertaking the challenge alongside Gearoid O Briain and Oisin McGrath in the four-man boat.
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 subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
The Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) is calling on the government to tackle the refusal of abortion services by GPs and maternity hospitals.

According to the ARC website, 90% of GPs and half of maternity hospitals refuse to provide abortion care even after the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

"More than half of people seeking abortions still do not know how to access services and women continue to travel abroad for terminations, new research reveals." New report by @freesafelegal #AbortionAccess https://t.co/1QbnCT92YH September 21, 2021

Spokesperson JoAnne Neary said, "The refusal to provide care is the single biggest barrier to accessing abortion in Ireland. In huge swathes of the country, people still have to make long and difficult journeys to access reproductive healthcare  exactly what we voted against on May 25, 2018."

A report by ARC in collaboration with Dr Lorraine Grimes called 'Too Many Barriers: Experiences of Abortion in Ireland after Repeal' is due to be released at a public event tomorrow (September 22nd). The findings will reportedly outline changes needed in legislation.

It's hoped that a #RepealReview campaign will increase the number of providers among GPs and doctors.

The launch can be viewed via Zoom on the Abortion Rights Campaign website from 11am to 12.30pm.
By The Staff of The News

PORTALES  The Super 8 Motel in Portales remained closed Monday as police continued to investigate the presence of what appeared to be methamphetamine in the motels water supply.

Our building is still closed due to all the complications, Sean McLaughlin, a front desk clerk, said. The building has been closed since Friday, when the substance was discovered in an ice machine.

Portales City Manager Sarah Austin said Friday night officials have determined there has been no contamination to the city's water supply and that the problem was confined to the hotel.

A hotel next to the Super 8 was tested and found to be not contaminated, she said.

Police said they started investigating Friday afternoon when a motel customer reported being struck in the eye by a "piece of methamphetamine" that came out of a faucet.

Police confirmed the substance was methamphetamine, according to a police news release.

"It was later found that a large amount of methamphetamine had been introduced to the building's water system and then continued throughout the building," the release stated.

Austin said testing by New Mexico State Police on Friday night found "inconclusive" results for contamination at the motel. Police said samples had been sent Friday for further laboratory testing. Results of the laboratory testing were not available on Monday.

Portales police did not return phone calls seeking updates on Monday.
EBRD provides US$ 50 million trade finance limit to the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance

Support will foster exports and imports in Jordan

Housing Bank to increase correspondent banking network

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is fostering export and import activities in Jordan by providing a US$ 50 million trade facility to the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance under the EBRDs Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP).

The TFP facility will enable the Housing Bank to provide cash financing for pre-export, post-import financing and local distribution.

Under the facility the EBRD will issue guarantees in favour of international confirming banks, taking on the political and commercial payment risk of these international trade transactions in the economies where the EBRD operates.

By joining the TFP, the Housing Bank will gain access to a community of more than 100 issuing banks and 800 confirming banks worldwide, expanding its correspondent banking network and international business opportunities. The Housing Bank will also have the opportunity to develop new products such as factoring, which will support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and intra-regional trade.

Francis Malige, the EBRD Managing Director for Financial institutions, said: We are very glad to partner with the Housing Bank to promote trade in Jordan. Supporting local importers and exporters activities is an important step in boosting the countrys economy in response to the pandemic.

The Housing Banks CEO, Ammar Safadi, commented: Due to its positive role in stimulating economic growth, the Housing Bank continues to expand its network and is pleased to announce its partnership with the EBRD, being among the first Jordanian banks to launch a financing programme to support the trading business of large corporates and SMEs. Under the TFP, the Housing Bank will be able to offer its clients excellent terms and competitive pricing to facilitate their trading activities.

The EBRD TFP was launched in 1999 with the aim of promoting international trade between the economies in the Banks regions, in the form of guarantees and short-term loans to selected participating banks and factoring companies.

The Housing Bank for Trade and Finance was established in 1973 and is the second largest bank in Jordan by total assets. It specialises in providing housing financing, having been a major driver in Jordans urbanisation and construction sector.

Since it started investing in Jordan in 2012, the EBRD has provided more than 1.5 billion in financing for 62 projects in the country.
Our website uses cookies

We are always working to improve this website for our users. To do this, we use the anonymous data provided by cookies.

Learn more about how we use cookies
Current Politics and Economics of Europe

The EU in International Fora  Lessons for the Unions External Representation after Lisbon

After the Crisis: A new socio-economic settlement for the EU

Governance and Legitimacy in EMU

The Polish Way to the Euro

Beyond expert circles: Measuring central banks engagement with the wider public

paper presented at the 16th Biennial Conference of the EU Studies Association, Denver, 2019

Graduation speech for the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

Communicating Europe: lessons from the Brexit campaign

paper presented at the 15th Biennial EU Studies Association Conference, Miami, May 2017

paper presented at the conference "The ECB in the Institutional, Political, and Economic Framework of the Post-crisis EU"

"Engage, explain and convince" - Recent trends in communication and transparency of the European Central Bank
Disney may insist on returning to theater-first movie releases, but that doesn't mean you'll be waiting long if you'd rather watch at home. The company is marking the second anniversary of the Disney+ launch on November 12th with the streaming debut of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  and yes, that's at no extra charge. That's not completely surprising when Disney said it would cut the Marvel movie's theatrical window in half, but it's good to know exactly when you can start streaming.

More people will have access to Disney+ around the same time. The service is launching in South Korea and Taiwan the same day, and will reach Hong Kong on November 16th. This is arguably the largest expansion for Disney+ in the region to date following rollouts in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Disney+ Day will also include a "look toward the future" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you aren't a fan of superheroes, you'll have general access to Jungle Cruise, a Boba Fett origins special, Home Sweet Home Alone and shorts linked to Frozen, Pixar's Luca and The Simpsons.

The content pile-up isn't a total shock. On top of the anniversary, all these releases could help fend off a wave of higher-profile Amazon and Netflix titles arriving around the same time. At the same time, it might keep Disney's streaming momentum going through what's left of 2021.
ByteDance has announced that Douyin, the version of TikTok for China, will introduce new limits for minors under 14 . These minors will now be limited to just 40 minutes of use per day and cant access the app at all between 10 PM and 6 AM.

ByteDance is also urging parents to add in more comprehensive user data to avoid kids lying about their age to get around the ban. At the same time, the company unveiled a new TikTok-esque app called Xiao Qu Xing ("Little Fun Star"), which offers short educational videos.

This is another fairly dramatic move as part of Chinas broader crackdown on digital media and video games. Officials have recently described gaming as spiritual opium and limited kids playtime to just three hours a week .

Chinese leaders are reportedly concerned that children are becoming addicted to video games, which is having a detrimental effect on their development. The science behind video game addiction is controversial and disputed, with research into the condition ongoing.

Either way, the changes to Douyin arent likely to be that wide ranging in isolation since its thought that less than half a percent of users are under 14. Its just the overall trend thats likely to be worth keeping an eye on, especially if this anti-game rhetoric spreads to other countries.

 Dan Cooper

No more drilling or unsightly charging plates on your table, desk or nightstand.

IKEA

When I added an Ikea-branded wireless charging plate to my Ikea nightstand, I had to buy a custom Ikea hole saw to drill through into the top. As it turned out, Ikea furniture is sufficiently weak that I managed to scorch the wood and the paint with just the friction of the saw. The charging plate was, mercifully, big enough to cover the burn marks, so I never got any lectures about being bad at DIY. I had, however, learned my lesson that drilling out a QI charger was not my forte.

Ikea seems to feel similarly and has now launched the new Sjomarke QI charger, which is strong enough to charge a phone from the underside of your desk. You can glue or screw the chunky $40 unit to the underside of a suitable wooden or plastic table top. Then, all you have to do is drop your phone on the right spot and watch as about 5W of juice wafts into your phone. Or, at least, you will when it arrives in October.

Continue Reading.

That cost being awful selfies.

Mat Smith

ZTEs Axon 30 is one of those rare smartphones offering a (pretty much) invisible front-facing camera. The lack of notch, punch-hole or cut-out means users can take full advantage of the 30s gorgeous, 6.92-inch, 2,460 x 1,080 120Hz AMOLED display. But, for $500, there are a couple of teeny-weeny compromises youll have to accept, including, er, lackluster selfies. We wont spoil the rest of Mat Smiths review but, suffice it to say, his feelings on this handset are pretty complicated.

Continue Reading.

Your iPad, Watch and Apple TV will also get updated operating systems.

Cherlynn Low

iOS 15 and its device-specific cousins have now arrived and are making their way to your tech as we speak. Some of the biggest new features include upgraded FaceTime and Messages, better notifications and a Google Lens-esque Live Text function. Some of the more notable features announced at WWDC havent arrived just yet, including SharePlay, but those are expected to drop later in the year. At the same time, Apple showed off the full trailer for Finch, the Tom Hanks-fronted post-apocalyptic movie about a man, his dog and his robot trying to survive after the world ends. I imagine its a bit like if Cormac McCarthy had written Turner and Hooch after watching Short Circuit.

Continue Reading.

Uh-oh.

Honor

When Huawei went on the US entity list, the Chinese giant was prevented from working with pretty much every tech company worth mentioning. Huawei couldnt source chips from Intel or Qualcomm or get software help (and Play Store access) from Google. Consequently, Huawei spun out and sold off Honor , its budget division, for it to thrive free from the sanctions threatening its own future as a global brand.

Unfortunately, those best laid plans may be undone by a quartet of federal agencies who are deciding if Honor should go on the same entity list. Reports suggest that teams from the Pentagon and Department of Energy are in favor of addition, while the Commerce and State Departments are against. If this deadlock cant be solved, however, the decision could ultimately end up on Joe Bidens desk to sort out.

Continue Reading.

The biggest news stories you might have missed

Apple's 2022 iPhones could feature notch-less designs, but not in-display Touch ID

DoorDash expands alcohol deliveries to 20 states and DC

OnePlus' 2022 flagship will share a unified Android 13 system with Oppo

Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K gets Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and better Wi-Fi
After being hospitalized with COVID-19, the man who filmed the violent Rodney King attack that started the 1992 Los Angeles riots has apparently died.

According to TMZ, George Holliday, 61, had been hospitalized in Simi Valley, Calif., since mid-August with deteriorating symptoms. Holliday, then a plumber, took his video camera and captured King, an unarmed Black man arrested for driving while inebriated, from his balcony in March 1991.

After being hit with a billy club, King sustained a broken right leg, wounds and bruises to his face and body, and a burn to his chest from a stun gun. Four policemen from the Los Angeles Police Department have been charged.

All four were found not guilty of assault, and three of them were found not guilty of using excessive force. On the charge of excessive force against a fourth officer, the jury was deadlocked. Riots erupted in the streets of Los Angeles within hours after the verdicts. demonstrators gathered for six days to demonstrate against the police and judiciary systems.

Three of the officers were charged on federal charges in late 1992, one for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the unlawful assault," and the other for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the unlawful assault."

READ ALSO: Ellen DeGeneres Devastated By A-Listers Who Snubbed Her Show Following Scandal?

Sergeant Stacey Koon and Officer Laurence Powell were found guilty and sentenced to 30 months in jail. Despite being exonerated of all charges, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno were fired by the LAPD. King also filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, which was settled for $3.8 million. Holliday auctioned off the video camera last summer.

After the cops were acquitted, the video became a global sensation, sparking riots that resulted in 54 deaths, 2,383 injuries, hundreds of demolished structures, and almost 12,000 arrests.

George was married and working as a manager for a large plumbing and rooting company at the time. He's now divorced twice, self-employed, and barely scraping by, all because of what he saw and captured.

His identity was splashed across newspaper headlines, television screens, and radio stations after he gave the eight-minute footage to KTLA. George had a couple of death threats in the mail-one saying, "Be careful when you start your car in the morning," and the other was an envelope full of knife drawings-and people would often say, "You're the one who triggered the riots."

His first wife had abandoned him. "Every day, there was a sea of reporters," he said as he sat at my kitchen table. "Maria was adamant about not leaving the house." His second marriage also didn't work out.

LSO READ: Anthony Johnson Dead: 3 Details About Death That Makes It Devastating and Peculiar [Details]
Tom Ford's husband and fashion journalist, Richard Buckley, passed away at the age of 72.

A statement from Ford's representative read, Buckley "died of natural causes after a long illness," on September 19, Sunday night. It continued, "It is with great sadness that Tom Ford announces the death of his beloved husband of 35 years, Richard Buckley."

"Richard passed away peacefully at their home in Los Angeles with Tom and their son Jack by his side," the statement concluded.

Tom Ford met Buckley in a 1986 New York fashion show, and they eventually wedded in 2014 after the States legalized same-sex, per Daily Mail.

Three years later, Buckley got diagnosed with throat cancer and further went on with the surgery. Despite knowing that the procedure was fatal, the fashion editor pulled through and changed the couple's luck for the better.

Buckley In The World Of Fashion Journalism

According to the source, Buckley was born in 1948 in Binghamton, New York, and raised by a military family in the US, France, and Germany. And as he grew up, he studied at the University of Maryland in Munich, where he continued to pursue his career in journalism.

As reported by People, Buckley started his career in fashion journalism at New York Magazine in 1979. By 1982, he worked in Paris as a European editor of "Fairchild Publications' Daily News Record."

Ford's husband also worked as a European editor of "Mirabella" magazine, contributing editor at "Italian Vogue," and also editor-in-chief of "Vogue Hommes International."

The outlet also proclaimed that the couple most recently lived in London, New York, and Santa Fe. Ahead of their marriage, in 2012, Ford and Buckley welcomed their son, Jack, who was born via a surrogate.

READ ALSO: Jimmy Greaves Cause of Death: What Health Issues Did Former Tottenham Player Have?

The Love At First Sight

The "A Single Man" director, Ford, recalled the time he met and fell for his husband on an interview with the same outlet back in 2016. "Our eyes locked and within a month we were living together," he said during an appearance on The Jess Cagle Interview.

"We have been together ever since."

And for three decades, Ford said he could "vividly" remember the first time he met Buckley in an elevator ride. "By the time that elevator landed on the ground floor I thought, 'You're the one.' That's it. Click. Sold," he said.

"It was literally love at first sight."



READ MORE: Ben Platt Reveals Precious Friendship With Actress Beanie Feldstein: Actor Predicted Her Starring in 'Funny Girl'?
2021-09-21

Maeci

Lombardy and Queensland are closer after the evening event organised by the Italian Consul in Brisbane (Queensland), Salvatore Napolitano, as part of the 'Tour of Italy through Queensland' initiative to celebrate the roots and success stories of the Italian community in Queensland.

Partnerships in the institutional, economic, cultural and sporting fields were also discussed at the event. With regard to sports, a video-message by the Mayor of Bormio, Roberto Volpato, was an opportunity to explore the possible collaboration between the organisations of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Coinciding with the promotion of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile  the world-renowned furniture and design fair in Milan  the event also showcased products by the Lombardy-based company Calligaris and Bianchi bicycles, including a replica of Marco Pantani's bike at the 1999 Tour. Consul Salvatore Napolitano, announced that the Queensland State Library would collect and make available to the general public all the video materials, interviews with members of the community and the content of the 'Tour of Italy through Queensland'.

The Lombardy-themed event was, in fact, the third leg of the initiative that, on June 18, had already regarded Tuscany, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri and the first Australian translation of the Divine Comedy by the Queenslander Sir Samuel Griffith.
2021-09-21

Maeci

The Ambassador of Italy in Tanzania, Marco Lombardi, together with the Heads of the Missions of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the European Union, visited the cities of Mbeya, Njombe and Iringa, the main towns in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, for the purpose of visiting the European and Italian projects under way in the region.

During the visit to Mbeya, the second most populated city after Dar es Salaam, the delegation visited the coffee plantations which, assisted by EU projects, supply Lavazza with coffee beans. During a meeting with representatives of local institutions, also attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, Tulia Ackson, a presentation was made of the activities carried out by the "Comunita Solidali nel Mondo" organisation in support of disabled children in the region.

In Njombe, the Delegation could learn more about the status of the development cooperation projects sponsored by the EU Delegation in the field of agriculture, to encourage innovation in the production process and improve the living conditions of the local communities. The Italian Embassy and the EU Delegation in Tanzania also organised a meeting in Iringa, at which representatives of Doctors with Africa-CUAMM, Sant'Egidio, CEFA, CALL AFRICA and IBO could present their activities to representatives of the local authorities. According to Ambassador Marco Lombardi, the visit was a great opportunity to promote Italian civil society organisations operating in Tanzania to the local authorities and the EU bodies responsible for funding cooperation projects in this country.
A new North Carolina-based hotel chain plans to open two extended-stay hotels in the San Antonio area next spring.

stayAPT Suites 88-room, three-story hotel at 9923 Ingram Road near SeaWorld San Antonio and 76-room, three-story hotel 7645 N. Loop 1604 E. near Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph are among 25 hotels the company aims to open by the end of 2022.
Im in Seoul, working on two productions as music director of the Korea National Opera. The organization is a symbol of pride for a nation where some of the finest musicians have emerged. The amount of outstanding talent is overwhelming, and the competition is tough.

The San Antonio Symphony musicians are in the midst of another contract renegotiation, facing wage and staff cuts as the new season that started Saturday is expected to end with a $3 million deficit. It may seem like a niche issue that doesnt affect the daily lives of San Antonians, but symphonies have a big impact on their cities. Ive seen that in San Antonio, Seoul and other cities where Ive worked.

The Seoul Arts Center, where we perform, was built in 1988 and is a symbol of the new Korea that embraced democracy and creative expression. The Seoul Arts Center is similar to the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in that it houses multiple resident companies, including a symphony.

Its a vibrant complex with an opera house with several stages; a big rehearsal venue for the Korean Symphony Orchestra, the opera, the ballet and the national chorus; a concert hall with different venues; a music academy; and several museums. All are government-funded and -supported.

The construction of the arts center in the Seocho District, close to the famed Gangnam District, led to the development of what is now one of the most culturally vibrant parts of town  an area that had been neglected. Its the headquarters of Samsung and Hyundai, and now home to some of Seouls best restaurants and hotels, attracting tourists interested in learning more about Korean culture.

The Korean Symphony Orchestra plays for the opera, the ballet and the national chorus in addition to its own concerts and tours around the country. The symphony is the backbone of the artistic ecosystem here, and its one of several major orchestras in Seoul, each of which provide live music for other performing arts groups.

The city of Oslo underwent a similar pioneering adventure when building its stunning opera house. The Oslo Opera House opened in 2008 as part of the citys strategy to revitalize and redevelop the citys industrial waterfront. It is a big draw for residents and tourists.

I had the privilege of opening the opera house with Porgy and Bess, and I saw how that previously abandoned part of town was transformed. The first two years, every performance was sold out because the building was such an attraction. Now its one of the major opera companies in Europe, and the building has become an icon for Norway, like the Sydney Opera House has become for Australia.

But without the performing arts groups inside these stunning buildings in Seoul and Oslo, whats the point of the buildings?

Without the Korean Symphony Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center or the opera and its orchestra at the Oslo Opera House, the buildings become expensive, empty liabilities. The nearby hotels would go bankrupt. The restaurants would go bankrupt. And the real estate that became expensive would drop in value.

The money saved by no longer paying for an orchestra would be outstripped by all the losses.

Weve already had a taste. The pandemic forced many performances in Seoul to be canceled or to go on with just a fraction of the usual audience, and several restaurants nearby couldnt survive.

Through my work with the Cape Town Opera in South Africa, Ive also seen firsthand how an opera company and its symphony could pull a community out of poverty. Founded in 1999, the nonprofit opera company recruited its talent from the townships of Cape Town, the impoverished settlements set up during apartheid.

The company discovered then-16-year-old Pretty Yende, a soprano who has gone on to sing at La Scala and New Yorks Metropolitan Opera. To this day, Cape Town Opera provides free musical training to more than 2,000 learners in rural and township communities each year.

The opera gave people who had the God-given talent to sing an opportunity, finally, to work full time as professionals and support their families. Whatever the government is spending is paying dividends in getting people off welfare and pursuing higher education.

Clearly, the impact of orchestras goes way beyond their seasons, spurring development around their concert halls, boosting job creation and worker retention, all of which has an enormously positive ripple effect through a citys economy.

In agreement with me is Richard Florida, an economics professor, head of the University of Torontos Martin Prosperity Institute and author of the bestselling book The Rise of the Creative Class. In 2015, he wrote for Bloomberg about a study that found substantial evidence that performing arts organizations broadly add to the growth of the knowledge class and to urban economies. San Antonio was part of the study, which found that our symphony helped generate $222 million in annual employment income between 2000 and 2010.

Performance halls need to be filled with live performances and to become showcases of artistic excellence. A building on its own is of no value; its the content that fills it with life. Investing in construction is one step; investing in the creative class is imperative for a citys success.

Visiting artists or entertainers dont generate this value. They leave and spend their money elsewhere.

The musicians who form an orchestra are the nucleus of the musical life of a city. Trained all over the world and selected through competitive auditions, they come to our cities and enrich them, not only by playing for the symphony and chamber ensembles but also by teaching our children. Without an orchestra, these spectacular musicians will leave for other places.

Not being able to pay a living wage to the San Antonio Symphony musicians is a struggle the whole city owns. Its not the sole responsibility of a board or an administration, and definitely not its musicians.

The artistic infrastructure starts with the creative class. Reducing this class will have a devastating and embarrassing effect. Driving away talent is something we cannot afford.

Sebastian Lang-Lessing was music director of the San Antonio Symphony for 10 years and last year became its music director emeritus.
Fall doesn't start until Wednesday, but for weeks pumpkin spice everything has already been selling across the country.

If you name it, there is probably a pumpkin spice version of it, including pumpkin spice ramen noodles.

In fact, the unusual pairing is Texas' top-searched item on Google in 2021 with the term "pumpkin spice" in it. Last week, Google Trends tweeted a U.S. map listing the top search food item in each state that included the fall flavor.

On ExpressNews.com: Empty tequila bottles found on new Air Force One in San Antonio

Texans are not the only ones curious about the ramen flavor. That was also the top search in Alabama and Vermont. Other states like Missouri and Ohio seem most interested in pumpkin spice cheesecake enchiladas, which you can find recipes of online.

Floridians were searching for pumpkin spice margaritas while most other states stuck to the traditional pumpkin spice items like pastries and lattes.

We can save you the search and let you know that Nissin Foods' Cup Noodles will release a limited edition of the pumpkin spice flavor next month at select Walmarts nationwide for a limited time, including in Texas locations.

The vice president of marketing at Nissin Foods USA, Jaclyn Park said the company is excited for Texas and the rest of the country to experience the new flavor.

"Were thrilled to see that weve staked our claim on Texas love for pumpkin spice this year with our limited-edition Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice," Park said.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
Broad majorities of Americans oppose key provisions of a restrictive Texas abortion law, and a majority disagrees with the recent Supreme Court decision that allowed the law, which effectively bans abortions after six weeks, to go into effect, a new poll finds.

The new law takes a novel approach, relying on private citizens to sue people who help women get forbidden abortions, effectively eliminating the guarantee in Roe v. Wade and subsequent Supreme Court decisions that women have a right to end their pregnancies before viability, and that states may not impose undue burdens on that decision.

In the Monmouth University Poll, 70% of Americans say they disapprove of allowing private citizens to use lawsuits to enforce the law rather than having government prosecutors handle cases.

Meanwhile, 81% say they disapprove of giving $10,000 to private citizens who successfully file suits against those who perform or assist a woman with getting an abortion.

The poll also finds that 54% of Americans say they disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to let the law stand while the legal battle over it continues.

The court's five most consistent conservatives - Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., plus President Donald Trump's nominees to the court, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett - said in a ruling earlier this month that they would let the law take effect. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined the court's three liberals to say he would have kept the law from being implemented while its legality was weighed in court.

"The American public is largely pro-choice, although many would accept some limitations on abortion access. This Texas law goes way too far for most people," Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement. "The 'bounty' aspect in particular seems objectionable."

The poll finds that 62% of Americans say abortion should either be always legal or legal with some limitations. Another 24% of respondents say it should be illegal except for rape, incest or to save the mother's life, and 11% say it should always be illegal. Those numbers are largely unchanged from a Monmouth poll two years ago.

In the wake of the enactment of the Texas law, the Democratic-led U.S. House is poised to vote as early as this week on codifying Roe v. Wade. The measure is not expected to advance in the evenly divided Senate.

American's views on whether the Supreme Court should have allowed the Texas law to go into effect break largely along partisan lines. Most Democrats (73%) disagree with the decision while most Republicans (62%) agree.

When asked about two key provisions of the Texas law, the vast majority of Democrats and independents voice opposition. Republicans are split on having private citizens enforce the law (46% approves and 41% disapproves), while most Republicans (67%) take a negative view of the $10,000 payment provision.

The Monmouth University poll also finds that the public's view of the Supreme Court has dimmed during the past five years, a period that coincides with highly partisan Senate battles over three of Trump's nominees.

In the new poll, 42% of Americans say they approve of the job the court is doing while 45% disapprove. In 2016, 49% approved while 33% disapproved.

The decline has largely been driven by the views of Democrats, whose approval has dropped over the five years from 65% to 33%. During the same period, the approval rating from Republicans has climbed, from 36% to 52%.

The poll also finds little support for expanding the number of justices on the court, an idea advanced by liberals seeking to counter the conservative direction it took during the Trump years. Thirty-six percent of Americans say they support the idea, while 58% say they oppose it, according to the poll.

The Monmouth University poll of 802 adults was conducted by phone from Sept. 9 to Sept. 13. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

- - -

The Washington Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Family planning providers that were denied state funding for routine health care services such as screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases said Monday that they could see cuts in services and longer patient waiting times as a result.

State funding for this care is critical because it covers low-income and uninsured Granite staters who rely on us for these specific health care services," said Kayla Montgomery, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, which was denied funding.

She spoke on a call Monday with New Hampshire's congressional delegation, which has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to award supplemental grants to the clinics.

The New Hampshire Executive Council decided last week against extending contracts to Planned Parenthood and two other family planning services that also provide abortions. No public money funds abortions in the state.

The Republican-majority council voted against the contracts under a new state requirement that mandates financial audits of reproductive health facilities to ensure no public funds are paying for abortion-related services. Councilors did not feel the requirement was met.

Montgomery said Planned Parenthood clinics in New Hampshire see about 12,000 patients.

Rates of unattended pregnancy and teen pregnancy in New Hampshire are among the lowest in the country, and that is in large part to the New Hampshire family planning program and the work that our health centers do every single day," she said.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu supported the contracts and called the council's vote a huge mistake," suggesting there would be other ways to fund the clinics. But during Monday's call, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, said he could have taken a stronger stance in support of the funding at the outset or held onto the contracts. She called his statement to distance himself from the council not credible."

Paul Collins, a senior adviser to Sununu, called the statement absolutely absurd and ridiculous propaganda." He said Sununu has supported and brought forward these family planning contracts at every opportunity since becoming governor."

___

This story has been corrected to show that first name of the senator is Jeanne, not Jean.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  With some powerful NATO allies at odds over a submarine sale, the alliance's leader suggested Tuesday that members need to focus on the big picture and not let the dispute between France and the U.S. and Britain open an ongoing rift.

During an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also was cool to the notion of developing a separate European military force and said NATO needs to give careful consideration to any future deployments to fight terrorism after the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

A U.S. and British deal to supply nuclear-powered subs to Australia  which had been set to buy diesel-powered ones from a French company instead  has France crying foul, with support from European Union diplomats. But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg didn't take sides in speaking Wednesday to The Associated Press, instead emphasizing cohesion about the alliance's major goals.

I fully understand France's disappointment. At the same time, NATO allies agree on the big picture on the most important challenges, and that is that we have to stand together" to address common challenges, including a shifting global balance of power, he said.

Stoltenberg said he was confident that France, the U.K. and the U.S. will find a way forward and to not make this disagreement create lasting problems for the alliance, because we all see the need for allies to stand together and to continue to modernize and adapt NATO.

Still, the submarine spat has introduced tensions into a 72-year-old military and political alliance that prizes consensus and was formed to try to avoid such conflicts.

French officials have repeatedly decried the sub deal as a betrayal, with Defense Minister Florence Parly describing it Tuesday as breach of trust between allies and a strategic turning point. European Union foreign ministers expressed solidarity with France after a meeting on the assembly sidelines Monday night.

Australia argues that the submarine deal was about protecting its strategic interests amid broad concern about Chinas growing assertiveness. The U.K. and the U.S. have insisted the disagreement shouldn't shake up their overall relationships with France, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the deal wasn't meant to be a zero-sum arrangement and is "not something that anybody needs to worry about and particularly not our French friends.

The episode  which came weeks after the fraught, bloody U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan had NATO members scrambling to get people out  has stirred some European interest in more military autonomy.

EU ministers recently debated creating a standby force of around 5,000 troops to deploy in crises such as the Afghanistan airlift. The idea reflects longstanding French and German proposals but faces opposition from some other NATO-member EU nations.

Stoltenberg said more European investment in defense is welcome, though not as something that happens outside NATO, but something that happens inside NATO.

Any attempt to weaken the trans-Atlantic bond between Europe and North America will not only weaken NATO, it will divide Europe, he said. We have one set of forces, and we have to make the most available for NATO.

NATOs provision for common defense was invoked after the 9/11 terror attacks in the U.S., leading to NATO involvement in U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. It ended with Taliban militants retaking the country, 20 years after being ousted by western forces for harboring the plotters of 9/11. The chaotic pullout flew over 100,000 people to safety but was beset by terror attacks, including a suicide bombing that killed more than 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.

As NATO looks to learn lessons from the war and its end, Stoltenberg said the alliance will have to stay ready to combat international terrorism but needs to think through carefully the targets, the goals, of the mission, and also to understand that the more were able to stabilize countries without deploying thousands of troops in combat missions, the better.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden called the NATO alliance sacred in his General Assembly speech, striving  despite the frictions of recent months -- to turn the page on former President Donald Trumps America first approach to foreign policy.

Stoltenberg said he welcomed Bidens speech and his countrys increased engagement in the alliance.
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  The Kosovo-Serbia border was blocked again Tuesday by ethnic Kosovo Serbs protesting a decision by Kosovo authorities to start removing Serbian license plates from cars entering the country. The traffic chaos raised fears that it may unleash much deeper tensions between the two Balkan neighbors.

Serbia doesnt recognize its former province of Kosovo as a separate nation and considers their mutual border only as an administrative and temporary boundary.

Trucks have blocked the road to the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossing where small groups of Serbs spent the night in tents. An Associated Press photographer wasn't let onto the road by car but other people crossed the border on foot.

Tensions soared Monday when Kosovo special police with armored vehicles were sent to the border to impose a rule on temporarily replacing Serb license plates from cars while they drive in Kosovo. It's a minor annoyance for drivers with a big symbolic impact. Kosovo authorities say they are only copying a program by Serbian police, who have for years been taking off registration plates from Kosovo-registered cars entering Serbia. Drivers then need to pay 5 euros for a temporary license plate.

Kosovo authorities said a 2016 deal with Serbia reached in European Union-mediated talks had expired and now only proper Kosovo symbols are valid.

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla told The Associated Press that Serb citizens in Kosovo should not fear state institutions, police. He said many Serbs in Kosovo were being "manipulated' by authorities in Serbia.

Hundreds of Kosovo Serbs drove to the border in their cars and trucks, blocking roads leading to the crossing points. Kosovo police on Monday fired tear gas at the protesters, but they remained.

Igor Simic, a Kosovo Serb official, said this is a democratic protest" by Kosovo's Serbs.

They are just trying to save their human rights of free movement, he said.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti held a meeting with Western ambassadors from United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union, telling them that yesterdays decision was not a provocation or discrimination against anyone.

On this reciprocity of the temporary number plates for the cars, either both Kosovo and Serbia are right or they are wrong. Thus they will either keep number plates of both countries or take them away, Kurti said.

The Kosovar prime minister talked with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday on the issue.

Thousands of people were killed and more than 1 million were left homeless after a 1998-1999 bloody crackdown by Serbian troops against Kosovo Albanian separatists. The war ended only after NATO intervened. Kosovo then declared independence in 2008. It has been recognized by the U.S. and other Western nations, but not by Serbia and its allies Russia and China.

Thousands of NATO-led peacekeepers, including U.S. troops, are still deployed in Kosovo, trying to stave off lingering ethnic tensions between majority Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs.

The EU and U.S. urged Kosovo and Serbia to immediately, without any delay exercise restraint and refrain from unilateral actions.

Its important to reduce tensions, restore a peaceful atmosphere & allow for freedom of movement. We stand ready to facilitate talks on all open issues," tweeted Miroslav Lajcak, EUs special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Serbias populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, described Kosovos car license plates decision as a criminal action after a meeting Tuesday of the top Serbian state security body and insisted that Kosovo's special police withdraw from the Serb-dominated north.

We consider as inappropriate any statements equaling the blame of Belgrade and Pristina, Vucic said referring to the EU and U.S. urging both sides to ease the tensions. The only solution is the withdrawal of all troops, then we can go to Brussels and discuss everything and possibly reach an agreement.

___

Llazar Semini reported from Tirana, Albania, Jovana Gec from Belgrade, Serbia.
The Latest on the U.N. General Assembly:

___

The chair of Bosnia and Herzegovinas presidency called upon the United Nations to uphold its commitment to human rights, citing ethnic inequality within his own country.

Zeljko Komsic is the Croat member of the western Balkan countrys presidency, which is shared between the countrys Croats, Bozniak Muslims and Serbs.

Komsic on Wednesday hailed bilateral and regional cooperation during the pandemic, saying neighbors provided aid before multilateral institutions did. But later in his speech, he spoke of neighbors intentions to annex parts of his country by fomenting ethnic tensions within.

Bosnia was the site of a bloody civil war in the 1990s that ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement. Komsic says the international agreement created complex institutions that make it difficult for the country to come to a political consensus that would allow it to move toward a functioning state.

He lambasted conditions that have created political, electoral and social inequality within his own country on ethnic and religious lines. In an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Croatias president also called for electoral reform in Bosnia, saying its Croats were marginalized.

Komsic bemoaned population outflows, saying a substantial segment of the population, including those of working age and with young families, have left Bosnia for better business and human rights opportunities. At the same time, Bosnia has received economic migrants from elsewhere. He says this combination has created additional social problems.

___

The presidents of Argentina and Colombia warned the U.N. General Assembly that increasingly strapped emerging markets could default on their foreign debts, and called on multilateral lenders to push for changes that ease conditions.

Argentinas Alberto Fernandez said in a video message there is clearly risk of a generalized debacle of foreign debts for developing nations, and said there should be a reconfiguration of global financial architecture.

Hours earlier, his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque told diplomats assembled in New York that governments increased their indebtedness and fiscal deficits to cope with COVID-19, but credit ratings agencies still evaluate them with pre-pandemic eyes. He called on multilateral lenders to create a new consensus on acceptable minimum risk criteria that reflect the post-pandemic reboot period.

Otherwise, in the short term, in the face of demand for debt and generalized increase in the cost of capital, it could precipitate a debt crisis, Duque said.

He also proposed excluding all expenses and investments directed toward climate change from the assessment of fiscal deficits.

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poors cut Colombias sovereign bond rating to junk in May, and Fitch Ratings did the same in July. Duque didnt make explicit reference to his countrys downgrades.

Fernandez, for his part, called Argentinas indebtedness to the International Monetary Fund toxic and irresponsible. His predecessor, Mauricio Macri, arranged a $57 billion loan that Fernandez has previously said was unpayable. His country has received $45 billion of the total, and the president refused to accept the remainder.

___

NEW YORK  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised the very different mood in Washington about the urgency of dealing with climate change since President Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump.

Johnson, who is due to meet Biden at the White House on Tuesday, said the U.S. government was passionately committed to fixing climate change.

Johnson is due to host a United Nations climate conference in Glasgow in November, and has been using a visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week to urge nations to contribute more to help poor countries tackle the crisis.

Britain welcomed Bidens announcement Tuesday that the U.S. would double its contribution.

Johnson downplayed the likelihood of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal being struck soon, saying this week that Biden had a lot of fish to fry.

Johnson, a long-time backer of Brexit, has often cited the chance of a deal with the U.S. as one of the key benefits of leaving the European Union. But talks have stalled, and the U.S. has warned there will be no trade deal unless Britain resolves post-Brexit tensions with the EU over Northern Ireland that some fear could undermine the peace process there.

I have plenty of reason to be optimistic about (a trade deal), Johnson said during interviews in New York on Tuesday with British broadcasters. But the Americans do negotiate very hard.

___

NEW YORK  President Joe Biden is meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, several days after unveiling a new partnership that would enable Australia to acquire at least 8 U.S. nuclear submarines led to a diplomatic blowup with France.

The new deal that also included the United Kingdom led Australia to cancel previous submarine acquisitions from France, which then recalled its U.S. ambassador. The deal has widely been seen as an effort by the U.S., Britain and Australia to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The pair are meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Morrison did not address the submarines issue directly, but thanked Biden for his leadership in the region. Biden says their goal is a free and open Pacific region and emphasizes that the U.S. has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia.

Biden says that their conversation will continue Friday in a meeting with Japan and India, the other two members of a separate partnership known as the quad.

___

UNITED NATIONS  Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih called hope a highly desirable commodity in these difficult times in his address at the U.N. General Assembly.

Solihs foreign minister, Abdulla Shahid, is presiding over the U.N. General Assembly. Addressing him, Solih said Tuesday that it was apt his tenure is called the Presidency of Hope. But he cautioned that hope without action is ineffective.

The Maldives is highly reliant on tourism for its economy, and was accordingly devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. While its borders have reopened, Solih said the virus remains a threat as long as it's not defeated everywhere. He touted vaccines, saying 85% of all Maldivians are vaccinated.

Climate change threatens to wipe out the small Indian Ocean island nation, and Solih brought with him pleas written by young children to protect their home. He said that 56 years since Maldives made haste to seek U.N. membership, he still believes the world body is the best hope for humanity.

___

UNITED NATIONS  President Joe Biden is appealing to delegates to the U.N. General Assembly for action on climate change. He says the situation is at a code red for humanity.

Biden says the world is fast approaching a point of no return with regard to extreme weather events that are taking lives and costing billions of dollars in damage. He says every nation must bring their highest possible ambitions to an upcoming global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, that he plans to attend.

Biden says hes working with the U.S. Congress on climate investments and encouraged other leaders to work with their governments, too, saying it will help create good-paying jobs for their citizens.

The address is Bidens first to the U.N. General Assembly.

Biden says the U.S. is looking forward after recently turning the page on 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

___

UNITED NATIONS  President Joe Biden is delivering his first address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden opened by addressing the challenge and loss facing the world from COVID-19 and he appealed to delegates to address climate change.

Biden is delivering the speech at a difficult time in his still new presidency after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a new deal with Australia and the United Kingdom that has angered France, one of Americas oldest European allies.

Biden told delegates he will outline how the U.S. intends to work with partners and allies to help lead the world toward a more prosperous future for all people.

To deliver for our own people, we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world. he said.

___

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations chief is warning global leaders that the world has never been more threatened and divided and we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his annual state of the world speech at Tuesdays opening of the U.N. General Assemblys annual high-level meeting for leaders of its 193 member nations.

We are on the edge of an abyss  and moving in the wrong direction, he said.

Guterres pointed to supersized glaring inequalities sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate alarm bells ringing at fever pitch, upheavals from Afghanistan to Ethiopia and Yemen thwarting global peace, a surge of mistrust and misinformation polarizing people and paralyzing societies and human rights under fire.

The secretary-general said the solidarity of nations to tackle these and other crises is missing in action -- just when we need it most.

And he lamented that instead of humility in the face of these epic challenges, we see hubris.

Guterres said people may lose faith not only in their governments and institutions but in basic values when they see rights curtailed, corruption, the reality of their harsh lives, no future for their children -- and when they see billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on earth.

Despite all these crises and challenges, the U.N. chief said he has hope.

Guterres urged world leaders to bridge divides to promote peace, restore trust between the richer north and developing south on tackling global warming, reduce the gap between rich and poor, promote gender equality, ensure that the half of humanity that has no access to the Internet is connected by 2030, and tackle the generation divide by giving young people a seat at the table.

Last year, no leader showed up in person because of COVID-19, but this year despite the pandemic still raging over 100 heads of state and government and several dozen ministers are slated to speak from the General Assembly podium during the high-level meeting which ends Sept. 27.
Images and video of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback grabbing and chasing away asylum seekers from Haiti at the border in Del Rio have drawn criticism on social media.

One photo in particular has drawn the ire of many. In the photo taken Sunday by Paul Ratje, an agent on horseback is seen grabbing a Haitian migrant while what appears to be a rein dangles from the horse.

The Department of Homeland Security said Monday on Twitter that it has launched an investigation into the photos and video that show agents using aggressive tactics to drive away asylum seekers.

On ExpressNews.com: US officials defend expulsion of Haitians from Texas town

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, a San Antonio-based non-profit organization, said in a tweet that it was appalled by the images and compared them to when Black people were rounded up in the 1800s during Reconstruction after the Civil War.

MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid and actress Sophia Bush also related the images to America's past. Reid called the actions "beyond repulsive."

Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro pointed out that seeking asylum is a legal and human right. In a Twitter thread, Castro called on the Biden administration to improve the treatment of asylum seekers.

Sawyer Hackett, the executive director of Castro's political action committee, called the agents' actions "unfathomable cruelty."

The Texas Democratic Party's Twitter account said "no human should be treated as cattle."

U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York; Cori Bush, D-Missouri; Veronica Escobar, D-Texas; and Jamaal Bowman, D-New York, all shared their outrage online and demanded the country do better.

"We are still whipping black bodies in 2021," Bowman said.

Some, like the National Fraternal Order of Police and former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy, defended the agent in the image, saying that he was not "whipping" people and said the rope was a horse rein.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
DEL RIO, Texas (AP)  More than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants have been removed from an encampment at a Texas border town, U.S. officials said Monday as they defended a strong response that included immediately expelling migrants to their impoverished Caribbean country and faced criticism for using horse patrols to stop them from entering the town.

Calling it a challenging and heartbreaking situation," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a stark warning: If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life.

Isaac Isner, 30, and his wife Mirdege, took wet clothing off their 3-year-old daughter Isadora after crossing the Rio Grande to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, Monday afternoon. They had been in Del Rio, Texas, for seven days but decided to return to Mexico after a friend showed cellphone video of the U.S. expelling migrants.

"They were putting people on a bus and sent them to Haiti just like that without signing anything, Isner said.

His family has an appointment this month with Mexicos asylum agency in the southern city of Tapachula, and they think they could be safe in Mexico.

Most migrants, however, still havent made up their minds.

We dont know what were going to do, said a second Haitian man, who declined to give his name but said he crossed into Mexico Monday for food, leaving his wife and child in Del Rio. The U.S. is deporting and now Mexico wont just sit back and do nothing. We dont know where to go.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexicos foreign minister, said about 15% of the Haitian migrants in Mexico have accepted refuge there. So far this year, about 19,000 Haitian migrants have requested asylum in Mexico.

Mexico does not have any problem with them being in our country as long as they respect Mexicos laws, he said.

Mexico was busing Haitian migrants from Ciudad Acuna Sunday evening, according to Luis Angel Urraza, president of the local chamber of commerce. Mexicos immigration agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But a federal official told The Associated Press on Sunday that the plan was to take the migrants to Monterrey, in northern Mexico, and Tapachula, in the south, with flights to Haiti from those cities to begin in coming days.

Mayorkas and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said they would look into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips and their horses to push back migrants at the river between Ciudad Acuna and Del Rio, a city of about 35,000 people roughly 145 miles (230 kilometers) west of San Antonio where thousands of migrants remain camped around a bridge.

Both officials said during an afternoon news conference they saw nothing apparently wrong based on the widely seen photos and video. Mayorkas said agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses. Ortiz, the former chief of the Del Rio sector, said it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers as people move back and forth near the river. The chief said he would investigate to make sure there was no unacceptable actions by the agents.

I dont think anyone seeing that footage would think it acceptable or appropriate," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about the images at a nearly simultaneous briefing. She deemed the footage horrific and said the matter would be investigated.

Later Monday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement calling the footage extremely troubling and promising a full investigation that would define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken.

Mayorkas said 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the Coast Guard, have been brought to Del Rio. He said he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the United States in decades.

He also said the U.S. would increase the pace and capacity of flights to Haiti and other countries in the hemisphere. The number of migrants at the bridge peaked at 14,872 on Saturday, said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union that represents agents.

When it was reported that were flights going back to Haiti, it got around almost immediately, he said. There has been talk that some of them are going to go back (to Mexico) but we have not seen very much movement.

The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows for migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum. President Joe Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the order but let the rest stand.

Any Haitians not expelled are subject to immigration laws, which include rights to seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection. Families are quickly released in the U.S. because the government cannot generally hold children.

More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. The U.S. plans to begin seven expulsion flights daily on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio but authorities may add El Paso, the official said.

The only obvious parallel for such an expulsion without an opportunity to seek asylum was in 1992 when the Coast Guard intercepted Haitian refugees at sea, said Yael Schacher, senior U.S. advocate at Refugees International whose doctoral studies focused on the history of U.S. asylum law.

Similarly large numbers of Mexicans have been sent home during peak years of immigration but over land and not so suddenly.

Central Americans have also crossed the border in comparable numbers without being subject to mass expulsion, although Mexico has agreed to accept them from the U.S. under pandemic-related authority in effect since March 2020. Mexico does not accept expelled Haitians or people of other nationalities outside of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

In Mexico, local authorities of border municipalities have asked for help from state and federal authorities. Claudio Bres, the mayor in Piedras Negras, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Ciudad Acuna, told local media that the official agreement is to turn back all the buses with migrants to prevent them from reaching the border. He said that last weekend around 70 buses passed through his town.

Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake. After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.

Some of the migrants at the Del Rio camp said the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise make them afraid to return to a country that seems more unstable than when they left.

In Haiti, there is no security, said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. The country is in a political crisis.

But Mayorkas defended his recent decision to grant Haitians temporary legal status due to political and civil strife in their homeland if they were in the United States on July 29, but not to those being sent back now.

We made an assessment based on the country conditions ... that Haiti could in fact receive individuals safely, he said.

Six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Tuesday  three to Port-au-Prince and three to the northern city of Cap-Haitien, said Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, Haiti's migration director.

Some migrants said they were planning to leave Haiti again as soon as possible. Valeria Ternission, 29, said she and her husband want to travel with their 4-year-old son back to Chile, where she worked as a bakery's cashier.

I am truly worried, especially for the child, she said. I cant do anything here.

___

Lozano and Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Evens Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, also contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Robert Jaklich, a retired former superintendent at the Harlandale and Victoria independent school districts, will become San Antonio ISDs interim leader next week, charged with helping it recover from the pandemic as its board searches for a permanent successor.

After about six hours of interviews and deliberation in closed session, the board chose Jaklich because of his experience and people skills, board president Christina Martinez said.

The 7-0 vote came at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, in a meeting that had started on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Jaklich will take over on Sept. 29 as Superintendent Pedro Martinez leaves to become CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

It was really important for us, in this interim, to bring in somebody that has a great reputation for building morale, and that is one of the main qualities that we see in Dr. Jaklich, Martinez said. And he is a seasoned, professional superintendent, so we knew with him we would not miss a beat, that we would be able to keep moving through what we needed to do.

On ExpressNews.com: Steep challenge - but a few advantages - await San Antonio ISDs next leader

Jaklich worked for 15 years at Harlandale ISD  four of them as superintendent  before leaving to run the Victoria district in 2012.

/Courtesy

He was popular at Harlandale and credited with helping turn the district around. His supporters blamed his departure on pressure from a faction of board members. The anger over it was shared by then-Mayor Julian Castro, who joined other community members in rebuking trustees at a board meeting after Jaklich resigned.

On ExpressNews.com: TEA recommends replacing entire Harlandale ISD board; naming conservator

The board infighting continued at Harlandale for years afterward, culminating in a narrowly-averted takeover attempt by the Texas Education Agency in 2019. The agencys investigators found procurement violations under Jaklichs successor and faulted trustees for repeatedly amending a long-running, no-bid contract with an engineering firm.

Long-time SAISD trustee Patti Radle said she was confident that Jaklich understands and can meet the high expectations that come with the job. Communication will be key, she said, for maintaining momentum and the relationships between the district, the community, employees and partnering institutions.

I think that he will be able to make sure that those relationships dont slip during his interim time, Radle said. He understands the dynamics and the importance of keeping in touch with teachers, staff, administrators  but he also has a responsibility with the community.

Radle declined to say how many candidates the board interviewed, but said they were talented and capable.

For as quickly as we wanted to move, I was glad to see the number of candidates that we had, and the variety, Radle said. It was a difficult decision, because there was so much talent that came into the room last night.

The meeting was the last for Martinez, who received words of praise from the board and a resolution thanking him for his commitment to SAISD students.

Its unclear how long Jaklich, who could not be reached for comment, will run the district.

Some SAISD board members have said they are in a strong position and can afford to take the time needed to find the right permanent successor to Martinez. The board plans to hire a national search firm in November and Christina Martinez said the tentative goal is to identify candidates in the spring and hopefully make a choice by the summer of 2022.

We are committed to having the process take as long as it needs to, so that we can find the right person, she said. So part of what our ask (of Jaklich) was; We are not putting a time frame on this. Your commitment is to be with us until we find the next superintendent. Which he fully accepted.

The last time SAISD appointed an interim superintendent was in 2012, and the boards subsequent search for a permanent superintendent suffered setbacks. Trustees ended up hiring the interim leader, Sylvestre Perez, more than a year later with a two-year contract. It extended the contract in 2014 and finally hired Martinez in 2015.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
Thousands of Haitian migrants are waiting under the international bridge in Del Rio, with hopes theyll be granted entry in the United States where they can seek a more safe and prosperous life.

But the federal government has been moving large numbers of those arriving at the border to other locations to be processed and flying many back to Haiti. Several dozen arrived in Houston on buses Monday night and Tuesday and are staying at a shelter owned by the National Association of Christian Churches and being operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Most will stay no longer than 24 hours at the shelter, which is a transfer center. Officials said 2,000 to 3,000 more are expected to pass through the shelter in the next week or so.

Though recent unrest has caused the exodus of some Haitians from their homes, many Haitians arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border are coming after having lived in South America, especially Chile.

Since Haitis devastating 2010 earthquake, Chiles Haitian population has soared due to the countrys relative wealth and security compared to the rest of Latin America, along with the countrys liberal immigration policies.

They were providing relatively easy permits for Haitians to travel to Chile. And then once there, (migrants) were able to convert that into temporary work authorization, said S. Priya Morley, a researcher with UCLAs Promise Institute for Human Rights.

Chiles immigration policies and reputation have attracted some 182,000 Haitians to live there, according to government statistics from 2020, making them the third largest immigrant population, behind Venezuelans and Peruvians.

But the influx of Haitians also spurred an anti-immigrant backlash in Chile, which eventually altered the countrys immigration policies, and since 2016 tens of thousands of Haitians have left the country for a variety of reasons  many making their way to the United States.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

In Chile, Haitians have been met with racism and xenophobia. Chile is notably less racially diverse than many other South American countries. As Haitian Creole speakers, Haitians also have also faced language barriers that immigrants from Venezuela and Peru dont generally experience.

Chiles economy also has not necessarily delivered the job opportunities that many Haitians who made the journey were seeking.

Studies have indicated that Haitians who came to Chile from 2016 on really struggled more to find formal work and were largely relegated to the informal (job) market, said Jessica Bolter, policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute.

Then in 2018, after running an anti-immigrant political campaign, Chiles newly elected right-wing president Sebastian Pinera altered Chiles immigration law, making Haitians ineligible for the 90-day tourist visa and he ended a visa category that had allowed many Haitians to work and live in the country, according to a Center for Gender and Refugee Studies report.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

The number of visas issued to Haitians in Chile collapsed to just 3,000 so far this year from the peak of 126,000 in 2018, according to the countrys migration statistics. In fact, more Haitians have left than arrived in Chile this year, dramatically reversing a prepandemic trend.

I couldnt build a life for myself like I wanted to because I didnt have papers, said Exode, a Haitian migrant who arrived at the international bridge in Del Rio last week. Like thousands of others, he came to the U.S. from Chile with his wife and son. He said they made the harrowing journey because he wasnt able to get a work visa in northern Chile, where he lived for around three years. He asked to use his first name only for security reasons.

Also having traveled from Chile, Noel Claivensky, 23, from Haiti, had recently left the border camp with his family and was released in Del Rio. At a Stripes gas station, he explained in Spanish that it was the lack of immigration paperwork that prompted his departure from Chile.

We didnt have papers and the (Chilean) government didnt want to give papers and I wanted to help my family, thats why I had to come here, Claivensky said.

He came to Texas with his partner and their kids, a 6-month-old and 4-year-old girl. Theyve traveled thousands of miles by bus, taxi and on foot to get this far and hope to reunite with family in New Jersey.

Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after the 2010 earthquake.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Haitian mass migration to Brazil, South Americas largest nation, began increasing in 2011, reaching a peak of nearly 17,000 in 2018.

But as the pandemic has battered the Brazilian and other South American economies, work opportunities have proved increasingly scarce: Only a net of about 500 Haitians gained formal jobs in Brazil in the first five months of this year, compared with around 2,000 in the same period in 2019, according to Brazils latest migration statistics.

After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.

More than 42,000 Haitians have been apprehended crossing the Panamanian-Colombian border heading north in 2021 and most are likely en route to or have already arrived in the United States, according to government statistics from Panama. More Haitians have been apprehended while crossing north into Panama this year than in the entire previous decade (2010 to 2020), indicating a remarkable influx of Haitian migrants to the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

elizabeth.trovall@chron.com
A majority of Americans disapprove of the two key parts of the Texas law restricting access to abortion, according to a recent Monmouth University poll.

The survey conducted earlier this month also found that most disagree with a Supreme Court decision that allowed the law, which bans abortions when most women realize theyre pregnant, to go into effect.

The Monmouth University poll found that 70 percent of Americans say they disapprove of allowing private citizens to use lawsuits to enforce this law rather than having government prosecutors handle these cases.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio doctor appears to be first sued under new Texas Heartbeat Act

The survey also found that 81 percent of Americans disapprove of giving $10,000 in civic damages to anyone who filed lawsuits against doctors, clinic workers or others who help a woman get the procedure. That includes 67 percent of Republican voters who take a negative view of the payment provision.

The poll found that 62 percent of Americans say abortion should either always be legal or have some limitations. Another 24 percent said it should be illegal except for rape, incest or to save the mothers life. The Texas law, which bans abortions after six weeks, makes no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Ronald Cortes /Contributor /

The American public is largely pro-choice, although many would accept some limitations on abortion access, said Patrick Murray, the director of the independent Mommouth University Polling Institute. This Texas law goes way too far for most people. The bounty aspect in particular seems objectionable.

Two lawsuits invoking the private enforcement provisions of the Texas law were filed Monday in state district court in Bexar County. However, the plantiffs say they do not want to punish the San Antonio abortion provider who admitted to performing an abortion in defiance of the law.

On ExpressNews.com: Empty tequila bottles found on new Air Force One being refurbished in San Antonio

Instead, both suits seek judicial review of the Texas law, and one asks the court to declare it unconstitutional.

The Monmouth University Poll was conducted by telephone from Sept. 9-13 with 802 adults in the United States. The results of the question in this release have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Of the Americans surveyed, 54 percent disagreed with the Supreme Courts decision that allowed the Texas law to take effect. The poll also found that 62 percent of Americans say the court should leave the landmark Roe V. Wade decision alone.

Americans appear divided along partisan lines on whether the Supreme Court should have allowed the Texas law to go into effect. Seventy-three percent of Democrats disagree with the decision while 63 percent of Republicans approve of it.

The Monmouth poll also found that the publics view of the Supreme Court has dimmed in the last five years, a period that coincides with the appointment of three conservative justices.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas abortion by the numbers: How SB8 impacts residents

In 2016, the top courts approval rating stood at 49 percent while 33 percent disapproved. The new poll found that 42 percent of Americans say they approve of the job the court is doing while 45 percent disapprove.

That decline is largely buoyed by Democrats, whose approval of the court has dropped over the five years from 65 percent to 33 percent. Meanwhile, more Republicans appear satisfied with the court during that period. The approval rating during that period have climbed from 36 percent to 52 percent.

The proposal by some Democrats to expand the number of justices to the supreme court has garnered little support from those surveyed. Just 36 percent support the idea.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
The Texas Senate distributed the first of its proposed redistricting maps Saturday and Monday, kicking off the once-a-decade process of redrawing the states political maps as the Legislature convened in Austin for another special session.

The Republican-controlled Senate is suggesting new district lines for its 31 members, alongside a proposed map for the 15-member state Board of Education. Both proposals drew immediate criticism from Democrats and civil rights advocates who say they are calculated to cement GOP majorities in a state that has become bluer and more competitive in recent years  even at the cost of disenfranchising the people of color who drove Texas population surge.

The state is almost 50-50 Democrat-Republican, and yet the makeup of these maps  the gerrymandering of these maps  is clearly meant for them to stay in power, which we all know, said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat who has already filed a lawsuit to stop the Legislature from redrawing maps this year.

In the 2020 general election, about 5.9 million Texans voted for Republican President Donald Trumps re-election; about 5.3 million voted for Democrat Joe Biden.

The proposed Senate map, the more controversial of the two, is all but certain to change over the next few weeks. The proposal must move through both chambers of the Legislature and head to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk for approval.

ENCOURAGED: Former Republican state Sen. Pete Flores plans comeback run for San-Antonio-area district

Still, the new plan is an indication of Republicans ideal scenario  one in which lines are moved in purple areas in ways that appear to facilitate re-election bids for GOP incumbents who would otherwise face tough campaigns. That includes Republican state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston and Angela Paxton of McKinney, whose districts would swell under the new proposal to include more solidly conservative areas.

A representative for Huffman, the head of the Senate redistricting committee who submitted the proposed map, did not respond to a request for comment.

Map calls for big changes in the Metroplex

The most dramatic changes are seen in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where the suggested new districts could help Republicans pick up a seat or two, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a politics professor at the University of Houston.

A lot of the biggest changes are in that region, which is interesting, and does give a sense of how much its growing and how unpredictable that growth, politically, has been for Republicans, he said.

Currently, the Senate is made up of 18 Republicans and 13 Democrats. The proposed map would make 18 seats the floor, Rottinghaus said, with the potential to secure as many as 20.

One of the districts in jeopardy belongs to state Sen. Beverly Powell, a Burleson Democrat. After the map was released Saturday, she called the proposal a direct assault on the voting rights of minority citizens in Senate District 10.

Texas population growth over the past decade has been driven almost exclusively by people of color  especially Hispanics, who now nearly match the proportion of non-Hispanic white people in the Lone Star State.

TEXAS TAKE: Get the latest news on Texas politics sent directly to your inbox every weekday

But the new map would not create any additional majority Hispanic or majority Black districts. Civil rights advocates and good-government groups say the proposal amounts to discrimination, denying Black and Latino voters the opportunity to elect senators who share their political views.

Powells district includes most of Tarrant County. She represents about 945,000 people  just 5,000 more than the ideal number of individuals per district, if the states population were divided equally among the 31 districts.

The proposed District 10 extends into redder Johnson and Parker counties and adds 10,000 people within the boundaries. The suggested changes would bring up the districts proportion of white voters by roughly 10 percentage points.

The 2020 census revealed the population of Senate District 10 is nearly ideal, Powell said in a statement. There is no need to make any changes to district lines.

Moreover, since 2010, the minority population percentage within the district increased dramatically while the Anglo percentage has dropped. The changes now proposed are intended to silence and destroy the established and growing voting strength of minority voters in Tarrant County.

The parts of Texas I most closely identify with

Nearly two dozen activists from across Texas gathered virtually Monday morning for a news conference to denounce the proposal.

These lines that you are securing today will hold for the next 10 years, and with ramifications to be felt decades after, said Amatullah Contractor, the deputy director of Emgage Texas, an advocacy group that encourages Muslim Americans to become involved in politics. I should not have to plead with you to not dilute my voting power, and yet, historical racial gerrymandering has forced me to testify here.

During the last redistricting fight, a panel of federal judges found that Texas had discriminated against voters of color while drawing maps in 2011. No matter what maps are passed this session, Democrats are sure to challenge them in court.

Still, as Democrats attempt to quash the proposed lines before they become law, the suggested map could open doors for Republicans eyeing a legislative bid. Former state Sen. Pete Flores of Pleasanton  who lost his Senate District 19 seat last year to Gutierrez, the San Antonio Democrat  announced Monday that he would make a comeback, this time in a run for Senate District 24.

The district, which includes much of the Hill Country, is currently held by state Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway  but she is leaving her post to run for state land commissioner next year. The new Senate plan stretches the district as far south as Atascosa County, where Flores resides.

Its not the old District 19, but it still encompasses the heartland of Texas  the parts of Texas I most closely identify with, Flores said in a statement. Its also a more safely red district for the former senator.

The Legislature must also redraw lines this fall for the Texas House and the states congressional seats. Neither chamber has released proposals for those districts yet.

The redistricting process typically occurs in the first regular session after the decennial census, but it was delayed this year by the coronavirus pandemic.

cayla.harris@express-news.net
Police arrested a man Sunday  before he boarded a bus to Mexico City  whose family reported that he told them he beat his girlfriend to death and disposed of the body in San Marcos.

Francisco Javier Garcia Ventura, 29, is charged with tampering with physical evidence. His bail is $200,000.

While the affidavit supporting Venturas arrest does not call him a murder suspect, it states that three of his family members said he confessed to killing his girlfriend.

The woman believe to be killed, who remains missing, was not named in the affidavit.

Ventura was with relatives when he was arrested at a South Side bus terminal where he had bought a ticket to Mexico City, according to court records. He had asked his family for a ride to the bus terminal, and they called police before taking him there.

Police said that when they asked him how he got scratches on his face, he asked for a lawyer.

Three family members gave videoed statements that Ventura told them he beat his girlfriend to the point where she stopped breathing Friday at an apartment in the 3700 block of Wurzbach Road, just north of Ingram Park Mall.

Ventura said he then hid her body in San Marcos, family members told police.

On Saturday, the girlfriends mother requested a welfare check at the same apartment, investigators said. The mother told police that her daughter had not called her or picked up her two children.

An officer entered the apartment with help from management. The officer found all the lights on, but no one was inside. Police also found the womans vehicle in the parking lot.

Investigators found blood spatter on a bedroom wall, according to the affidavit. A security camera that was mounted on a kitchen wall had been removed.

Crime scene investigators used a chemical called Bluestar, designed to reveal bloodstains that have been washed out or wiped off.

There was a heavy presence of blood throughout the residence, the affidavit states.

A bottle of cleaning product that had blood on it was also found in the apartment, police said.

Security camera footage from a nearby apartment shows Ventura arriving at the apartment on Friday, investigators said in the affidavit. After some time, he is seen leaving with a heavy-duty garbage bag, detectives said.

Venturas girlfriend has not been seen or heard from since Friday, court records state.

jbeltran@express-news.net
The Lost Maples State Natural Area is full of beauty with its hills and canyons on the upper Sabinal River.

For years, hikers have flocked to the 2,174 acres in Bandera and Real counties to admire the aptly named Monkey Rock. The limestone outcrop that looks like a giant sock monkey and took shape by thousands of years worth of water flowing through the Sabinal Canyons walls.

Now graffiti vandals have found the place, too.

Park officials recently spotted black scrawls on the rocks off the popular east trail. The graffiti letters and stick figures stretch across the 1,000-year-old formation. The name JE$$ appears in one of three images shared on Lost Maples Instagram account.

This vandalism breaks our hearts, park officials said on Instagram. This is not OK.

Lost Maples State Natural Area is almost 90 miles northwest of San Antonio. Many visit the area in the fall to watch the leaves of the bigtooth maples turn to a spectacular red and orange.

Courtesy David Blasingame

The park says trail-goers will have no trouble spotting the unique limestone outcrop along the 3.1-mile trail. Trail maps describe Monkey Rock as unique and fondly named.

Nearby youll spot plants growing on cliff walls that are supported by underground water.

As you transition upward on the rocky slopes, youll be rewarded with scenic views and spectacular rock faces, the map says. There are a couple of steep areas, so be prepared with plenty of water (32 oz. or one quart per hour of your hike) and good hiking shoes.

Many hikers took to social media to express outrage at the vandalism.

What the hell is wrong with people? one person wrote. Cannot even respect Mother Nature.

This makes me so angry and sad, another wrote. Our kids love that rock.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
In the first lawsuits prompted by Texas restrictive new abortion law, two out-of-state litigants have sued a San Antonio physician who admitted to performing an abortion in defiance of the law.

The law, Senate Bill 8, bars the procedure after a fetal heartbeat has been detected  typically around 6 weeks, before most women know they are pregnant.

The law does not allow government enforcement of its restrictions. Instead, it empowers private individuals to sue abortion providers and anyone else who facilitates an illegal abortion, and collect up to $10,000 in civil damages. The law makes no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Two lawsuits invoking the private enforcement provisions of SB8 were filed Monday in state district court in Bexar County. But the plaintiffs say they do not want to punish the San Antonio abortion provider, Dr. Alan Braid.

Instead, both suits seek judicial review of the Texas law, and one asks the court to declare it unconstitutional.

One of the litigants is Oscar Stilley of Arkansas, a former lawyer who is serving a 15-year sentence for tax fraud. Stilley said he is not opposed to abortion and sued Braid because he believes SB8 should be reviewed by the courts.

A doctor shouldnt have to question whether or not hes going to be bankrupt by a law when everybody says that law is garbage, Stilley said in an interview. But he doesnt know, and if it turns out the courts uphold it, hes going to be destroyed. Thats wrong.

The other suit was filed by Felipe N. Gomez, a Chicago lawyer whose license has been suspended for alleged misconduct.

In the suit, Gomez identifies himself as a pro-choice plaintiff and Braid as the pro-choice defendant.

In his lawsuit, Gomez asserts that Braid may have violated SB8 but not Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said women have a constitutional right to an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, or about 24 weeks.

Gomezs two-page complaint asks the court to declare that the Act is unconstitutional and in violation of Roe v. Wade.

Braid went public about violating the Texas law in an op-ed published by the Washington Post on Saturday.

Braid, who owns Alamo Womens Reproductive Services in San Antonio, said he performed an abortion on Sept. 6, less than a week after the law went into effect.

I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care, he wrote.

Braid said that during 45 years as an obstetrician-gynecologist in Texas, he delivered more than 10,000 babies and performed abortions at his San Antonio clinic and others he founded in Houston and Oklahoma.

I fully understood that there could be legal consequences for violating SB8, but I wanted to make sure that Texas didnt get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested, he wrote.

Gomez, in an email, expressed admiration for Braid, who he said took an oath as a physician and bravely chose to honor his word rather than a bogus law.

Acknowledging that he nevertheless is suing Braid under SB8, which allows plaintiffs to recover civil damages, Gomez said that if he is awarded any money, he will donate it to a charity of the doctors choosing.

Im not in it for the money. Im in it to expose corruption and abuse of power, he said.

Gomez, 61, currently is not practicing law. He said his Illinois law license was suspended over harassing emails he sent to attorneys in 2019 and the case is in litigation. In his suit against Braid, he is acting pro se, a doctrine that allows non-lawyers to represent themselves in legal proceedings.

Abortion providers and their supporters have been trying for months to challenge SB8, but have run into trouble because of the laws unusual civilian enforcement approach. As a result, there is no state action for courts to block.

Legal experts have suggested that the only way to overturn the law may be to violate it and bring a constitutional challenge in response to lawsuits seeking to enforce the law.

But until Braids op-ed on Saturday, no provider had said they planned to do so.

Though we never ask why someone has come to our clinic, they often tell us, Braid wrote in the Post article. Theyre finishing school or they already have three children, theyre in an abusive relationship, or its just not time. A majority are mothers. Most are between 18 and 30. Many are struggling financially  more than half qualify for some form of financial aid from us.

Several times a month, a woman confides that she is having the abortion because she has been raped. Sometimes, she reports it to the police; more often, she doesnt.

He added: Texass new law makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Drinking tequila and building airplanes is probably not a good combination, especially when the plane is expected to serve as transportation for the president of the United States.

Boeing is investigating how two small empty bottles of the distilled liquor wound up on one of the 747 jumbo jets under development in San Antonio that is expected to serve as the next Air Force One, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The plane is one of two Boeing 747-8 aircraft being retrofitted at Port San Antonio.

On ExpressNews.com: Explosive growth endangers unique wildlife, critical waters of San Marcos River

The tequila bottles were discovered sometime in September, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. However, its unclear where the bottles were found. Alcohol is banned at Port San Antonio and added security clearance is required for anyone working on the airplanes.

A spokesperson for Boeing told several media outlets that the situation was deemed a personnel matter. The Wall Street Journal noted that Boeing has said it is trying to improve manufacturing and quality operations.

WILLIAM LUTHER/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

A person familiar with the investigation told the newspaper that Boeing was taking the discovery of the empty bottles seriously.

The Department of Defense contract awarded to Boeing in 2018 is worth $3.9 billion. The U.S. Air Force initially had reservations about using San Antonio due to the lack of experienced mechanics it had on such specialized planes.

On ExpressNews.com: Boeing's San Antonio mechanics ignored warnings, rushed Air Force One contract

The Air Force concluded in a 2017 report detailed systematic problems with Boeings San Antonio maintenance facility. The company ignored warnings and provided lax supervision to overworked and inexperienced staff that caused $4 million in damages to Air Force Ones oxygen system, the report said.

The contract came after former President Donald Trump publicly admonished Boeing over the cost of the planes, which are custom made to ensure the presidents safety and ability to command U.S. forces in the case of a variety of disasters and threats.

A spokeswoman for the Air Force told the Wall Street Journal that Boeing had notified it about the incident, which she said had not impacted work on the aircraft.

The Air Force and Defense Contract Management Agency could hold Boeing accountable to ensure the VC-25B program meets stringent quality-control requirements, the spokeswoman said.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
The English language needs a new word.

We need a noun that could apply a label to a very specific kind of political duplicity; the kind of phoniness we see when a crisis occurs and politicians pretend to be worried and upset, but are secretly joyful, because the crisis gives them a chance to score points against the opposition.

This new word would come in particularly handy right now.

It would capture the glee masquerading as outrage from Texas Republicans over the border crisis in Del Rio, in which more than 14,000 refugees  most of them from Haiti  have waded across the Rio Grande and camped under and around the international bridge connecting Del Rio to Ciudad Acuna.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has blamed the crisis on Democratic President Joe Bidens open-border politics and policies.

Cruz scored some good photo-ops for himself during a visit to Del Rio, went on Sean Hannitys Fox News show to demagogue the crisis and even exploited the human suffering with a fundraising email blast in which he told his supporters, Im leading the charge to stop (the crisis), but Im counting on your partnership to do it. Please stand with me today by pitching in a much-needed gift.

Correct me if Im wrong, but the Haitian refugees suffering through squalid conditions on the border would appear to be in greater need than Ted Cruzs 2024 re-election campaign.

Gov. Greg Abbott, during a Tuesday visit to Del Rio, warned refugees thinking of crossing the Rio Grande that they may wind up with handcuffs on your hands, going straight to jail.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has used the crisis to hawk the deranged theory that Biden is bringing Haitians and other refugees to the border to give Democrats a fresh supply of new voters who will eventually upend the U.S. political system.

Calling the Haitian refugees illegals who are part of an invasion of the United States, Patrick told Fox News Laura Ingraham that the revolution has begun, a silent revolution by the Democrat Party and Joe Biden to take over this country.

Patrick also shared a video of himself in Del Rio, barely containing his satisfaction as he described the Biden refugee camp and the mass of humanity which he said had been brought to you by the president of the United States.

I understand that politics gets much of its fuel from cynical distortions, but that doesnt mean we have to buy into it.

Its a blatant lie to suggest that Biden brought Haitian refugees to the border or that his party is somehow orchestrating this mass exodus from Haiti as a way to build the Democratic voter base.

Over the past 2 months, Haiti has been rocked by the political assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed more than 50,000 homes. Thats why so many Haitians are trying to escape their homeland.

What I saw is a humanitarian crisis, not an invasion, said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, who visited Del Rio on Sunday.

It astounds me that we have a governor who likes to wear God and religion on his shirtsleeve and yet doesnt have one ounce of compassion for people in need that are fleeing an earthquake, presidential assassination and government corruption.

Unless you believe that Biden has the power to unleash earthquakes on the Caribbean, its hard to see how he bears responsibility for this border surge.

He does, however, bear responsibility for how he has handled the crisis. On that front, as with the rest of Bidens approach to immigration, the reality, for better or worse, is exactly the opposite of how its being characterized by his political opponents.

For all his talk about a humane approach to immigration, Biden has actually preserved much of the draconian border strategy employed by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

That includes Trumps controversial use of Title 42, a provision of the federal public-health code, to automatically expel asylum seekers on this countrys southern border during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bidens only exception to Trumps Title 42 policy has been for unaccompanied children.

Last Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Title 42 cant be used for immigration cases, but the judges preliminary injunction doesnt go into effect until next week. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is not only appealing the decision, it is using Title 42 as an excuse to deport Haitian refugees.

All in all, Bidens border policies are more stringent than those of former President George W. Bush, who was never described by his fellow Republicans as an open-borders guy.

The most apt criticism of Bidens handling of the Del Rio situation has been that, like Trump, hes putting deterrence ahead of justice by flippantly tossing aside the historical rights of asylum seekers to get their cases processed.

But thats not a convenient fundraising narrative for Texas Republicans.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
A day after President Joe Bidens administration announced it had swiftly moved 6,000 migrants out of Del Rio, Gov. Greg Abbott went to the Texas border to take credit for stopping even more potential crossings with a show of police muscle.

Abbott, a Republican, said his administration played a key role in keeping Haitian migrants from crossing into the United States by surging state troopers and Texas National Guard troops to the border city  lining up scores of police vehicles along the Rio Grande to deter them.

They have created a steel barrier preventing people from being able to cross the border, Abbott said, repeating what he told Fox News during a Monday night interview.

Abbott said the crossings stopped instantly after the cars were positioned. He said if migrants try to cross at other locations, his administration will do the same thing again.

WHERE THEY CAME FROM: Heres why so many Haitians at the Texas border are coming from Chile

Abbotts trip, coming a day after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited the same city, underscored how the crush of Haitians in Del Rio and the situation at the border have added another fissure in the battle over immigration between Republicans and Democrats.

The situation has given Abbott  who hasnt ruled out a presidential bid in 2024  a chance to challenge the Democratic administration directly and cast himself as the last line of defense for the state and nation. But the Biden administration is moving almost as quickly to return the migrants to Haiti to defuse it.

At one point on Saturday, an estimated 15,000 migrants had amassed in a makeshift encampment at an international bridge. By Tuesday, those numbers had dropped to around, 10,000 according to federal officials.

Images from the encampment show migrants sleeping on dirt, surrounded by piles of garbage in the Texas heat.

Because the Biden administration is doing nothing to secure our border  it has been the state of Texas that had to step up and address this challenge, Abbott said.

His comments came less than 24 hours after Mayorkas was in Del Rio talking up the Biden administrations response and saying that the 6,000 migrants were being returned to their home countries. Mayorkas also forcefully warned others from taking a similar journey.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned, Mayorkas said. Your journey will not succeed and you will be endangering your life and your familys life.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Mayorkas said in an interview on CNN on Tuesday morning that the situation under the bridge will get dramatically better in the next two to four days as federal officials speed up processing the migrants.

We will get it under control, Biden pledged Tuesday.

Mayorkas said hes also launching an investigation of photos and video showing border patrol officers who appear to be using horses to push back migrants. The images have shown border patrol agents appearing to aggressively advance on people with the horses, including children, and depict the officers twirling the reins at people near them, appearing to use the reins like whips.

I was horrified by what I saw, Mayorkas said on CNN on Tuesday. Im going to let the investigation run its course. But the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly. That defies all of the values that we seek to instill in our people.

Abbott issued his own warning to migrants on Tuesday, saying if Texas catches them crossing illegally, they will end up handcuffed and going to jail.

We are arresting and jailing anybody who comes across the border illegally and trespasses on private property or on public land, Abbott said.

How much Republicans want to focus on the issue was hard to miss on Monday. Within the course of an hour, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas, plus former President Donald Trump, all issued statements slamming Biden for his handling of the border.

Democrats say its an attempt by Abbott and other Republicans to draw attention away from their mismanagement of COVID-19. Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said Abbott is trying to distract from his massive failures by pointing the finger at immigrants and drumming up fear around our borders.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
Low cost carrier Ryanair has revealed new expansion plans for its Zagreb base with the airline planning to station a further two aircraft, for a total of five, in the Croatian capital during the summer of 2022. Talks are currently underway with the airport's management over the matter. The companys group CEO, Michael O'Leary, made the announcement at a press conference in the Croatian capital today, adding the airline is fuelling Zagrebs recovery in the tourism sector. The carrier currently has two Lauda Europe A320 aircraft stationed in the city, with some routes still operated by out-of-base aircraft. From December 1, Ryanair will add a third jet in Zagreb. The low cost airline has moved quickly to expand from the Croatian capital since launching operations to the city in June. It will have 24 routes and 124 weekly movements to and from Zagreb by the end of the year.





The additional jet will result in new routes being added, however, Mr OLeary did not wish to outline which ones they could be. We are not focusing on routes covered by Croatia Airlines but those that are not served from Zagreb. The airport should be handling 3.5 million passengers next year, six million in 2023 and over seven million travellers in 2024. We plan on carrying over ten million passengers in cooperation with Zagreb Airport over the next five to six years, Mr OLeary said. For the most part, Ryanair has introduced busy unserved routes out of the Croatian capital, as well as airports which serve regions with a high volume of indirect traffic from Zagreb. However, it has not shied away from adding longer rotations, such as Dublin and Malta, or destinations relying primarily on leisure traffic, such as Malaga and Paphos. Ryanair bases that remain unserved from Zagreb but have a high volume of indirect traffic include Porto, Riga (base opening October 31), Vilnius, Bologna, Krakow and Stockholm (base opening October 31), all of which could be potentially added to its network as it targets eventually having up to ten jets stationed in the Croatian capital.





Mr OLeary criticised Croatia Airlines slow development out of Zagreb. While he conceded that the national carrier provides good connections out of the capital, he noted that these were not enough to satisfy existing demand. The airline groups chief noted, In the next six months, Ryanair will have added 24 routes out of Zagreb, while Croatia Airlines has introduced three in the past three years and been the beneficiary of twelve million euros in state aid. We, on the other hand, receive no subsidies from the government. Croatia Airlines is a distinguished carrier but it has lost touch with the development of air travel in Croatia, particularly from Zagreb. We do not see them as a competitor because even on the routes we both operate on, we fly to different airports. Ryanair will change travel habits in Zagreb and encourage locals to travel more by air.








Hugh Evans started his fight against extreme poverty by mobilizing his friends when he was growing up in Australia.

On Saturday, Evans will try to mobilize the world to tackle poverty and COVID-19 with Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour live concert featuring The Weekend, BTS, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, H.E.R. and dozens of other artists performing at locations across the globe  from Lagos, Nigeria, and Seoul, South Korea, to the Champ de Mars in Paris and New Yorks Central Park. On Tuesday, the group announced Prince HArry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will join the event in Central Park to discuss global vaccine equity.

Unlike most star-studded concerts for charity, Global Citizen Live isnt asking for cash from fans. It wants to display their voices  on social media, on petitions and in person  as evidence for world leaders and corporate honchos that people support action on these issues. Evans, Global Citizens CEO, says such an awareness campaign is needed now because COVID-19 has ended years of gains and pushed 150 million people around the world into extreme poverty.

The Associated Press spoke recently with Evans, 38, about how he wants people to battle poverty any way they can, because he believes only collective action can make a difference. The interview was edited for clarity and length.

___

Q: Why is the concert global this year?

A: Were facing so many challenges right now, firstly, with the global COVID-19 pandemic, secondly, with the fact that wildfires are raging all around the world as a result of climate change, and thirdly, with so many people out of work due to COVID-19, there are now 41 million people on the Horn of Africa who are facing the devastating effects of starvation. And so we knew we needed to address these issues head-on, and we need to create a global moment of unity.

___

Q: You also want people to know this event is serious.

A: This is not a celebration. Its really an opportunity to come together in solidarity, to call on world leaders to address these issues. Right now, the U.S. government hasnt done enough on climate change funding. Also, no governments are stepping up enough to support the (United Nations) World Food Programmes urgent effort to address the hunger crisis. Thats a $6 billion need right now. So were calling on businesses, were calling on governments, were calling on philanthropists to step up like never before.

___

Q: Global Citizens focus has always been fighting extreme poverty. Why have COVID-19 and climate change affected your work so much?

A: COVID-19 has forced millions of people out of work, especially the extreme poor who are in the service industry and who rely on interacting with people. When 150 million people have been pushed back into extreme poverty due to COVID-19, this becomes an existential issue for our mission. So we have to respond to the issue of vaccine sharing and vaccine equity. Climate change is the other side of the coin of extreme poverty because if you dont equitably enable people to lift themselves out of poverty, then you have no pathway to also create a sustainable future for the whole planet. Its not like one nation can sign on to the climate accord and then everyone else ignore it. They have to work in unison.

___

Q: Is it because of all these pressing issues that you were able to get so many huge stars together?

A: I think everyone on the planet is feeling the effects of these devastating crises that are affecting everyone. And thats why I think the artist community is willing to step up like never before. Theyre willing to use their platform to create systemic change. No amount of charity will address the issues the world is currently facing. We need to change the systems that keep people in poverty and perpetuate the climate crisis. And thats why so many artists are joining together. They need to give a sense of hope that individual voices do matter, that your actions do matter and that you can influence world leaders to respond. Theyre not immune to this response. They need to step up at this urgent moment, and thats what were calling for with Global Citizen Live.

___

Q: How did you pair the artists with the places where they will perform? Did you want Jennifer Lopez in Central Park for maximum impact?

A: We wanted to represent all six continents, and were working on the seventh with Antarctica right now. Were having some of the greatest artists of our entire generation, so we dont look upon this moment lightly. We know its a huge responsibility, and if weve got one job, its to make sure that people take action.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio tested positive Monday for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated against the virus.

In a statement, Ryan said he was experiencing mild symptoms from his breakthrough case and will continue to quarantine from his northeast Ohio home.

While I'm currently experiencing mild symptoms, I'm grateful to have the protection of a safe and effective vaccine and I know without it, this illness could be much, much worse, the Democratic congressman said. I urge all Ohioans to help us crush this pandemic by wearing a mask and getting vaccinated so that we can get back to normal.

The 47-year-old lawmaker joins the list of more than 80 members of Congress who have contracted the virus since it began to spread in the U.S. in March 2020, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Ryan said he will continue to fulfill his congressional duties virtually until he can return to Washington.

The 10-term representative from the state's blue-collar Mahoning Valley officially launched his Senate bid in April, becoming the Democratic frontrunner as the party goes after Republican Rob Portmans seat.

Ryan entered the crowded race in hopes to rein in control for his party in Ohio. Progressive Morgan Harper, a Stanford-educated attorney, also is running for the Senate seat.

Republicans in the race include former state party chair Jane Timken, former Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel and Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance. Also on Monday, GOP state Sen. Matt Dolan formally entered the race, providing voters a choice of a centrist candidate more in tune with establishment Republicans like Portman.

___

Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
I grew up in Bristol, home of ESPN and ... well, thats about it. Still, anyone I mention it to says the same thing: Bristol, eh? I drove through there once.

Everyone passes through, no one stops. But at least theyve heard of it. Anytime I meet someone from Connecticut, theyre from some town Ive never heard of, such as Pumpkin Corners or Old New East-West. Were not that big a state  theres only two smaller  so we should be able to keep track of all our towns. Theres 169 of them, and they fall into five basic categories.

First, about half of Connecticut towns sound like the names of English butlers: Simsbury, Milford, Sterling and the beloved family valet, Old Saybrook. You could fill six seasons of Downton Abbey with servants such as Wilton, Weston, Wolcott and Wallingford. And those are just the Ws!

At the other end of the spectrum are the casual Connecticut towns, the ones that go by their first names: Milton, Morris, Sherman, Vernon, Seymour, Warren and Sharon. This reminds me of every college party I ever went to  six guys and one woman.

Then there are the cities named for foreign places with which they have absolutely nothing in common: Lebanon, Berlin, Lisbon and, God help me, Bethlehem. Theres even a Brooklyn  one with just 8,000 people.

Theres a pair of Connecticut towns that frankly scare me: Killingly and Killingworth. What the heck did they do to earn these names?

Rounding out the list are the cities seemingly named using random Scrabble tiles: Bozrah and Pomfret.

Connecticut is a funny place, and I mean that in the literal sense. Weve produced more writers for The Simpsons than any other state. Currently, its roughly a third of The Simpsons staff. When I ask people why they think that is, they all have the same answer: Who cares?

Well, I care, deeply. And you know who else does? Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy. When we met, one of the first things he told me was, Im from Kent, Connecticut.

Never heard of it, I admitted. And Im from Bristol.

Bristol, eh? Seth replied. I drove through there once.

Mike Reiss is the author of Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons.

This essay has been updated to correct the name of Killington to Killingworth.
DALLAS, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Simmons Bank, as Trustee of the Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE: PBT) ("Permian") today declared a cash distribution to the holders of its units of beneficial interest of $0.023119 per unit, payable on October 15, 2021, to unit holders of record on September 30, 2021.

This month's distribution increased from the previous month as the result of an increase in the pricing for oil and gas for the Texas Royalty Properties during the month of July. Currently, only the Texas Royalty Properties are contributing to the monthly distribution.

Since the Waddell Ranch is in current deficit for the foreseeable future, any increase or decrease of the distribution by revenues received, will only be reflective of the activity of the Texas Royalty Properties. The activity of the Waddell Ranch will be discussed with the following narrative until it contributes back to the distribution. This reflects the production month of July.

WADDELL RANCH

In reporting July production of the Underlying Properties for this month's press release, production for oil volumes was 102,735 bbls (gross) and was priced at about $71.32 per bbl. Production for gas volumes (including gas liquids) was 249,359 mcf (gross) and was priced at about $3.45 per mcf, which now includes the value received from plant products and natural gas liquids. Net revenue for the underlying properties of the Waddell ranch was $8,595,054 (gross) for July. Lease Operating Expenses were $2,248,498 (gross) and Capital Expenditures were $10,009,161 (gross) for July. This would put the Trust's proceeds as a deficit of $ 2,746,953 (net) for the month of July, leaving an excess cost deficit cumulative of $18.2 million (net).

Resulting producing well count relating to activity on the Waddell Ranch properties for the month of July reflects 14 additional recompletion wells(gross) along with the previously stated well count of 61 recompletions giving a total for the year of 75 wells (gross) recompleted and producing. New producing drill well count for the month of July were 4 new drill wells along with the previously stated new drill well count of 30 new drill wells giving the total of new drill wells for the year of 34 (gross) drilled and producing. Both the recompletions and new drill wells are currently receiving revenue on new production, as reflected by the increasing volumes as stated above.

Blackbeard Operating has advised the Trust of the 2021 capital budget of $86.6 million (gross), ($32.5 million net to the Trust) for the Waddell Ranch proposing 91 (gross) drill wells, with 24 (gross) recompletions.

TEXAS ROYALTY PROPERTIES

Production for the underlying properties at the Texas Royalties was 17,690 of oil and 11,870 Mcf of gas. The production for the Trust's allocated portion of the Texas Royalties was 15,772 barrels of oil and 10,570 of gas. The average price for oil was $71.11 per bbl and for gas was $8.09 per Mcf. This would primarily reflect production and pricing for the month of July for oil and the month of June for gas. These allocated volumes were impacted by the pricing of both oil and gas. This production and pricing for the underlying properties resulted in revenues for the Texas Royalties of $1,353,995. Deducted from these were taxes of $134,426 resulting in a Net Profit of $1,219,569 for the month of July. With the Trust's Net Profit Interest (NPI) of 95% of the Underlying Properties, this would result in net contribution by the Texas Royalties of $1,158,591 to this month's distribution.





Underlying Properties Net to Trust Sales











Volumes Volumes Average Price



Oil (bbls) Gas (Mcf) Oil (bbls) Gas (Mcf) Oil (per bbl) Gas (per Mcf) Current Month























Waddell Ranch 102,735 249,359 77,051 187,019* $71.32 $3.45** Texas Royalties 17,690 11,870 15,772 10,570* $71.11 $8.09**



























Prior Month























Waddell Ranch 90,258 220,120 67,694 165,090* $70.22 $4.21** Texas Royalties 17,820 9,894 15,854 8,797* $69.06 $7.89**

*These volumes are the net to the trust, after allocation of expenses to Trust's net profit interest, including any prior period adjustments.

**This pricing includes sales of gas liquid products.

General and Administrative Expenses deducted for the month were $81,481 resulting in a distribution of $1,077,575 to 46,608,796 units outstanding, or $0.023119 per unit.

The worldwide market conditions continue to affect the pricing for domestic production. It is difficult to predict what effect these conditions will have on future distributions.

The 2020 Annual Report with Form 10-K and the January 1, 2021 Reserve Summary are now available on Permian's website. Permian's cash distribution history, current and prior year financial reports, tax information booklets, and a link to filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all can be found on Permian's website at http://www.pbt-permian.com/. Additionally, printed reports can be requested and are mailed free of charge.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/permian-basin-royalty-trust-announces-september-cash-distribution-301380468.html

SOURCE Permian Basin Royalty Trust
I could hear the anguish in the voice of Sheree Curtiss when I called with a few questions about her son, Dan Baker, who was last seen on June 10. Her voice trembled, she was holding back tears as she tried to explain the worry any mother must feel when one of their children goes missing  no matter the age.

Today has been tough, she told me. Its Dans birthday.

Daniel ONeil Baker was born on August 27, 1976. He attended school in Fairfield.

Classmate Lane Pearson, who now lives in Utah, noticed a Facebook post by Dans daughter, Alexis Mehrer.

Pearson said that he liked to look out for his classmates, so when he noticed Alexis post about her dad being missing, he reached out to the family and other classmates. Then he came across another post by Alexis, No one cared.

I couldnt do much but sit behind a keyboard and share the fact that Danny is missing.

Pearson first met Danny in the first grade at Fairfield. He was likeable, mischievous not afraid of trouble. Brave; he did not back down. But he was not a scary person.

Lance set up a Facebook page where friends and classmates of Danny can keep up with the progress for the search. Donations have come in, and a tipline (1-888-675-8911) has been established, and anyone with information can also contact the tipline by email, HelpFindDanB@gmail.com

The timeline leading up to Dans disappearance are as follows:

Tuesday, June 8  Dan had been riding his motorcycle but it developed a problem and he was walking along HWY 200 when a passerby offered him a ride. He was then dropped off in Potomac, MT. Dans motorcycle and helmet are later found at a location near Potomac, MT.

Wednesday, June 9 - Dan calls Amy (girlfriend) and reported that he had lost his phone, (he accidentally left it in the vehicle that he had gotten a ride from on Tuesday) he reported that he was OK and had gotten a ride.

Thursday, June 10  Dan calls Amy again from a borrowed phone. He has made his way to the Poverello Center in Missoula. Amy and Dan are coordinating a ride home when Dan realizes he does not have his wallet, it has been lost. Amy can hear Dan asking people in the background if they have seen a wallet, at this point the call is disconnected.

That is the last known communication anyone had from Dan. Later that day Amy goes to Missoula to look for Dan but is unable to locate him

Friday, June 11  Dans wallet is found by some bushes near the University of Montana campus by a grounds crew. His ID/License is not in the wallet but an insurance card with his work info in on it and they contact Dans boss to let them know they found a wallet.

Saturday, June 12  This is the day of his daughters wedding and he does not show.

Monday, June 14 - Dan is officially declared missing.

Dannys girlfriend, Amy, said that he did not go into work on that Monday or Tuesday, and that Danny Seemed pretty normal. He had just gotten a raise and was happy with the boss recognition. Dan was working for Skinner Enterprises in Helena. Amy described him as incredibly creative. A man of all trades.

Amy has known Dan for four years, and they have been dating since 2018.

Amy said that Dannys bike was found near Culleys, a bar and convenience store located on Highway 200 in Potomac. The key was in the bike his helmet was at the bike, and there appeared to be some minor damage to the bike.

A man in a truck gave Dan a ride. According to Amy, when he called her on June 9, Dan told her that he had found some guys to take him to Missoula, where he was going to hang out until the 10th. Then, Dan told Amy, he would call her back. Amy said that during the call, Dan did not seem disturbed.

Asked if this was the first time Dan had taken off like this, Amy replied, no.

Its been very hard, said Amy. His family has been very supportive. It was a hard weekend  it was his birthday. She went on to say that since Lance Pearson had gotten involved, there had been some progress.

She and the family continue to work with the Missoula Police Department.

In Missoula County, there are currently 24 missing person cases.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the commandeering of four commercial airliners by a group of Islamic jihadists. The planes were subsequently used to attack the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The fourth plane, its intended target being either the Capitol Building or the White House, was brought down when its passengers attacked the jihadist hijackers. The details of those tragedies are well known, so I wont repeat them here.

What is less known is why the hijackers chose the date of Sept. 11 on which to stage their attacks. That answer requires a deep delve into the history of the Ottoman Empire and its struggle with Christian Europe to dominate the Mediterranean world, and by extension Western Europe, from the 15th-17th centuries.

In the early 13th century Turkic tribes from the central Asian steppes began to migrate into the Seljuk kingdom in Anatolia. By 1299, they had organized a Turkish state in northwest Anatolia under Osman Bey. From that point on they would be known to history as the Ottoman Turks.

Over the next century and a half, the Ottomans conquered most of Anatolia and the eastern Balkans. In 1453, Mehmed the Conqueror took Constantinople. It was the symbolic beginning of an Ottoman Empire that at its peak, in 1590, would cover two million square miles of territory. The Ottoman dynasty would rule for 632 years, from July 27, 1299 to Nov. 1, 1922.

'Gunpowder empires'

The Ottoman Empire along with the Safavid and Mughal empires have been called by some historians the gunpowder empires, because they were able to utilize Chinese advances in the development of gunpowder and metallurgy to develop sophisticated firearms, especially artillery and small arms.

The development of artillery and firearms had far-ranging implications for 15th-century warfare. Not only did it mark the beginning of the end of the age of mounted knights, but it also became a powerful driver for the monarchical consolidation of Europes petty states.

Artillery was expensive and required specialized training to operate correctly. Only larger states, with the administrative infrastructure to collect taxes from their inhabitants and enough wherewithal to train and maintain standing armies, could afford a significant force of artillery.

The term Gunpowder Empires was first coined by Marshall G. S. Hodgson and William H. McNeil, two historians at the University of Chicago. The concept has been challenged by other historians who have cited other, contributing factors in the rise of those empires and their varying use of firearms and artillery  quite high for the Ottomans and very low for the Safavids.

Ottomans dominant, technically advanced

Nonetheless, there is little doubt, that by the middle of the 15th century, the Ottoman military was the most technically advanced in Europe and posed a significant threat to the Christian kingdoms to its west.

This was especially true from the early 16th century through the late-17 century when the Ottoman military seemed unstoppable as it steadily expanded across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. That sense of invincibility was especially true of Ottoman naval power.

In a series of conflicts lasting from the early 15th century until the early 18th century, Ottoman naval forces swept the Genoese out of the Black Sea, fought seven separate wars with the Venetian Republic, clashed repeatedly with the Holy League and laid siege to European strongholds from Malta to Vienna to Tripoli.

In the process, the Ottomans marched up the Ionian and Adriatic coast of the western Balkans, took Cyprus, Rhodes, Crete, Greece and the Aegean islands and solidified their hold on the Eastern Mediterranean. Elsewhere, the Ottomans took control of much of the North African littoral, conquered Egypt and expanded their territory to include a significant portion of the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf.

In 1529, an Ottoman fleet destroyed a Spanish fleet at Formentera in the Balearic Islands. In 1537, they staged amphibious attacks on Calabria and Puglia and besieged Corfu. More defeats for Europe followed: Preveza (1538), Algiers (1541), Naples (1544), Ponza (1552), Piombino (1555) and Jerba (1560). Ottoman naval successes were a remarkable achievement for a people from the Central Asian steppes that until the 13th century had no maritime traditions.

By the beginning of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire was arguably the first Mediterranean superpower since the Roman Empire at its peak. Its land and naval forces had consistently proven superior to anything that Christian Europe could muster.

It seemed only a matter of time before the Ottoman juggernaut would roll over Western Europe  an event that would have inevitably reset the trajectory of Western civilization on a completely different and difficult-to-ascertain arc.

Rise of Spain, Christian wins derail Ottomans

Two events, however, cut short the Ottoman ambition to sweep to the Atlantic. Starting in the 16th century, fueled by the wealth of the New World, Spain emerged as a military superpower in its own right to counterbalance Ottoman might.

Its often forgotten that it was the gold and silver from the Americas, first that looted from the Aztec and Inca empires, and later from the exploitation of their mines and other deposits in the Mexican highlands and the Andean foothills, that financed the rise of Spains military forces.

The second event was a series of unlikely and lopsided victories by Christian Europe against the Ottomans that would finally end the myth of Ottoman invincibility.

The first was the Siege of Malta in 1565. The Ottomans saw the conquest of Malta as the first step toward conquering Sicily, then conquering the Kingdom of Naples, and eventually marching up the Italian peninsula and taking Rome. The Turks had attempted an invasion of Malta with some 10,000 soldiers in 1551, but quickly broke it off. This time, however, they were serious.

The Ottoman Emperor, Suleiman the Magnificent, dispatched an army of 40,000 soldiers, including 6,500 crack Janissary troops from the Imperial guard, and 200 ships to conquer Malta. The island was guarded by a force of approximately 600 Knights Hospitaller of St. John, Jerusalem, and Rhodes (later to be given the sobriquet Knights of Malta), and some 6,000 foot soldiers, made up roughly 3,000 Spanish, Italian Greek, and Sicilian soldiers and 3,000 Maltese volunteers.

Notwithstanding being outnumbered seven to one, the Knights and their troops hung on through a siege that lasted three months, three weeks and three days, and daily, murderous artillery bombardments, before a relief force from Sicily finally came to their aid prompting the Ottoman withdrawal.

Christians better prepared in Cyprus

The second victory occurred six years later, in 1571, at the naval Battle of Lepanto. Fearful that another siege of Malta was inevitable and responding to the Ottoman invasion of Cyprus, then a Venetian possession, Pope Pius V organized a second Holy League made up primarily of the naval forces of Spain, Venice and the Papacy, along with ships from the rest of the Hapsburg Empire, Genoa, Tuscany/Pisa, Savoy, Urbino, and the Knights Hospitaller.

The fleet represented 70 percent of European naval power. Its goal, incredibly risky given the Ottomans naval success, was a decisive showdown. Phillip II put his half-brother, Don Juan of Austria, in command. The newly minted admiral was just 25 years old. He had no command experience and his entire naval record consisted of serving for three months on a Spanish fleet engaging the Barbary Corsairs.

Indeed, his claim to fame was that he was the best dancer at the Spanish court, and had a reputation for being so charming that none of the women at court could resist his advances. Despite what should have been an inevitable disaster, the Holy League prevailed, decisively defeating the larger Ottoman fleet.

The battle took place in the Gulf of Patras. It included 600 ships, the largest naval force since Octavian Caesar and Marcus Agrippa met the fleets of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra VII Philopator at Actium. Ironically that battle was also fought in the Ionian Sea not far from Patras. Lepanto represented the largest naval force ever assembled between the battle of Actium in 31 BC and the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

Second Ottoman Siege of Vienna

The last decisive battle that would mark the apex of Ottoman power in Europe occurred in 1683, during the Second Ottoman siege of Vienna.

Vienna sits in the Vienna basin, a natural gap between the eastern Alps and the western Carpathians. The Danube flows through the Vienna basin on its way to the Black Sea. Historically, this was the invasion route into Europe from the southeast, as well as an important trade route that linked Western Europe with the Black Sea and the eastern Balkans.

The frontier between Ottoman Hungary and Habsburg Austria had been the scene of repeated military clashes between Habsburg and Ottoman forces. In 1683, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV dispatched an army of approximately 170,000 soldiers and 150 cannons to lay siege to Vienna. The city was defended by 15,000 soldiers and 8,700 civilian militia backed by 370 pieces of artillery.

The siege lasted for roughly two months. By September, short of food and ammunition, the city was on the verge of collapse when an 80,000-strong relief army arrived under the command of King John III Sobieski, the head of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The force consisted of Austrian and German troops of the Hapsburg Empire and Polish forces. Sobieskis army included a force of 3,000 Polish heavy cavalry, the famed Winged Hussars (Husaria). The Hussars wore an elaborate wooden frame on their backs festooned with feathers, giving the impression they had wings.

The battle began at 4 a.m. Sobieski was in overall command and was leading the troops at the center and right flank of the Polish-Hapsburg line. Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, commanded the troops on the left flank.

The Ottoman forces, trying to both take the city of Vienna while engaged with Sobieskis army, increasingly found themselves pinned down between Viennas walls and Sobieskis troops. At 5 p.m., Sobieski ordered a cavalry attack, which he personally led, of some 20,000 mounted troops, including the 3,000 Polish Winged Hussars. This was the largest cavalry charge in Western history. The charge broke the Ottoman line. Three hours later, the Ottoman forces surrendered.

The Battle of Vienna, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Kahlenberg Mountain, lasted a total of 16 hours. Combined with the earlier Ottoman defeats at the Siege of Malta and the Battle of Lepanto, it would represent the apex of Ottoman power in Europe. It would also mark the end of the European fear of Ottoman invincibility.

The Ottoman Empire would survive for another 239 years. It remained a formidable military force, especially against smaller states, but it would never again threaten Western Europe. On the field of battle outside Vienna in 1683, Western civilization as we know it, for better and for worse, was saved. The day that battle was fought was Sept. 11.

Jihadists picking up Ottoman gauntlet

The choice of Sept. 11 as the day to stage the jihadist attacks on the United States was not a coincidence. It was intended to send a powerful message, that modern day jihadists were taking up the gauntlet that the Ottoman Empire had lost in Vienna in 1683. That they were renewing what they saw as a Christian-Muslim conflict that had persisted since Bedouin tribesman had first burst out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century.

Admittedly, the notion of an enduring Christian-Muslim struggle spanning centuries is the view of a very small minority. Its not one shared by a majority of the worlds Muslims, or for that matter the worlds Christians. It is nonetheless a powerfully attractive concept that is at the base of much of the worlds jihadist sentiment and which continues to inspire jihadists, would be and otherwise.

The recent successes of the Taliban in Afghanistan are a startling reminder of the power of ideas rooted in history, testament to their enormous appeal and popularity.

Unfortunately, all too often, we are led by a political class that is both ignorant of history and ambivalent toward it. Leaders who think history is yesterdays news cycle. Against an opponent that is both inspired by its history and is oblivious to time, America is at a distinct disadvantage. The attack on Sept. 11, 2001, and the tragedy of Afghanistan some 20 years later, is simply the latest example that we ignore history at our peril.
Substantial funding has been made available to extend key agricultural schemes in Wales, including Glastir contracts and the Basic Payment Scheme.

The Welsh government has announced 66m for the extension of numerous agri-schemes, including Glastir Advanced, Commons and Organic contracts.

The contracts were due to end on 13 December 2021 but will now be extended for another year, the devolved government said.

Over 1.3m hectares of farmland come under a Glastir contract and its continuation will ensure priority sites can continue to achieve environmental outcomes, it added.

This includes conserving wildlife and biodiversity, improving soil and water resources, and contributing to the decarbonisation of Welsh agriculture.

The Welsh government said all existing eligible contract holders will be offered an extension via their Rural Payments Wales (RPW) online accounts.

The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will also continue until 2023, subject to the UK governments comprehensive spending review.

And 7m has been announced to extend the Farming Connect programme, a scheme which provides business support to farmers, through to March 2023.

Announcing the funding, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said she wants to 'continue delivering positive environmental outcomes for Wales'.

Significant and important change is coming which will provide a stable and sustainable future for the industry and rural communities in Wales," she added.

"The BPS will remain in place up to 2023, subject to UK government funding, to provide support for farmers as we work together to transition to the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Under the Welsh government's post-Brexit proposals, the BPS and agri-environment schemes such as Glastir will be replaced with a new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

This will place a value on outcomes farmers deliver, such as improved soils, clean air, clean water and improved biodiversity, alongside sustainable food production.

But more certainty from Welsh government on the scheme and its funding is needed, the Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs Samuel Kurtz has said.

What the industry wants to see is both the UK and Welsh governments working together to deliver lasting change beyond that 2023 expiration," he added.

I have always been of the view that farmers can help deliver positive outcomes for the environment while enhancing our food security.

"But for that to be achieved, they need help rather than obstacles."
An enterprising young farmer from Hertfordshire who transformed a disused barn into a thriving business has been awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Victoria Smith, from St Albans YFC, launched her business during lockdown after converting a disused barn and turning it into a location to sell hot drinks, homemade cakes and other local produce.

She used funding and support that she successfully gained from the Henry Plumb Foundation and spent every day making her idea a reality  all while working in a full-time job.

The business started with a takeaway option, but she has now grown it to offer undercover and outdoor seating and the product range has expanded to include local ice creams, oils and honey.

As well as employing local people, Victoria plans to expand the business with longer opening hours, sales of her fiances home-reared meat and selling locally produced gifts for Christmas.

The young farmer was revealed as the winner of the award on 15 September at the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Achiever Awards 2021.

Luke Watts from Pembrokeshire was announced as the runner up for a green glamping site he launched last year called Moithan Meadows.

Victoria said: I am absolutely thrilled to win this award, something that I couldnt have imagined possible this time last year, when my idea really was just an idea.

West End Barns is proof that if you are determined enough and are prepared to work hard, anything is possible, and I cant wait to see what the future holds for the business.

Victorias approach to business planning, research and funding impressed all four judges, which included Zoe Colville, aka the Chief Shepherdess on social media, Alexia Robinson, director of Love British Food, Roddy McLean, director of agriculture at NatWest and Tom Pope, NFYFCs YFC AGRI Chair.

The YFC Achiever Awards announcement shows ran from 13-17 September 2021.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2021) - Intangible Properties Exchange Inc. (the "Company" or "IPEX") is developing a proprietary process for the valuation and monetization of intangible assets and, together with industry leading strategic partners, the creation of an intangible asset marketplace. With an initial primary focus on the United States marketplace, IPEX is building an end-to-end solution for companies to unlock the value of their intangible assets, such as intellectual property (IP).

The IPEX solution involves the valuation, structuring and monetization of this highly valuable asset class through the issuance of IP-backed digital securities. Each digital security issued through the proprietary IPEX process involves a professional valuation and validation for the underlying intangible asset without the need to disclose confidential information by the asset owner. IPEX is revolutionizing the ability for companies, big and small, to demonstrate and utilize the value of their intangible assets to maximize the value of their enterprises.

IPEX is pleased to announce the appointment of its executive team led by Chief Executive Officer, Nathan Montgomery. The executive team supporting Mr. Montgomery is characterized by deep experience and proven track records of building and scaling technology companies across a variety of industries. The IPEX team includes technology, accounting, legal and intellectual property experts who are dedicated to solving the increasingly frustrating challenge around intangible asset valuation and monetization.

"We are tremendously excited for the support shown for IPEX from those in the intellectual property ecosystem, including companies, investors, lenders and service providers. The value of intangible assets globally is currently estimated at approximately $54.6 trillion with only approximately $1 trillion of that value considered liquid. More importantly, this value is largely absent from companies' balance sheets. Accounting principles and the current illiquid marketplace for intangible assets do not provide a meaningful process for the accurate valuation and flexible monetization of intangible assets. IPEX is changing that," commented Nathan Montgomery, CEO of IPEX. "We are thrilled to be working with IP asset owners, investors and industry experts who are also innovators and trailblazers to unlock the value of intangible assets and, in doing so, bring the most valuable asset class in the world to the broader financing markets."

The IPEX executive team consists of the following:

Nathan Montgomery, JD, B. Comm



Chief Executive Officer Mr. Montgomery is the Chief Executive Officer of IPEX. Prior to joining IPEX, Mr. Montgomery has held various leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of a number of regulated companies in the financial technology and blockchain industries. Mr. Montgomery has held the role of General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of a Schedule I Canadian bank and of one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in Canada. Mr. Montgomery is an experienced corporate finance and securities lawyer who practiced at a top tier national law firm. Mason Darabi, CPA, B.Eng



Executive Chairman Mr. Darabi is the Founder and Executive Chairman of IPEX and has over 20 years building technology businesses. Since 2020, Mr. Darabi has been the CFO at Levitee Labs Inc, an alternative medicine provider. Mr. Darabi is also general partner at Darkhorse Partners Inc, a venture builder firm, a Blockchain Founders Fund Global Expert. Mr. Darabi was a founding Director of the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, and a CPA Staff at MNP where he led the firm's agriculture data strategy nationally. Dr. Muhammad Ali Khan, PhD



Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ali Khan specializes in building Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions with Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain and tokenization focus. Dr. Ali Khan is an executive leader and computer scientist with 10+ of experience of solving complex problems in industry and academia. With a masters from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from University of Calgary, Dr. Ali Khan has held executive and faculty positions across three continents and managed several teams on blockchain, machine learning and software application development projects. Andry Tanusdjaja, CPA, CFA



Chief Financial Officer Mr. Tanusdjaja is the CFO and co-founder of MuseFind, an influencer marketing platform. Mr. Tanusdjaja is a mentor at entrepreneurship@UBC, a mentor at Foresight Cleantech and Entrepreneur In Residence at Entrepreneurs' Roundtable Accelerator based in New York City. Mr. Tanusdjaja holds both Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations and comes with 14+ years of experience in corporate finance, team building, operations, management, fundraising as well as building strategy for small businesses to the world's most recognized Fortune 500 brands. Wilson Acton, JD



Chief Legal Officer Mr. Acton is a serial entrepreneur and 4x tech start-up co-founder. Mr. Acton has an extensive background in M&A, capital markets and venture building. Mr. Acton was the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Verge Ag, an agtech SaaS business with customers around the globe. Prior thereto, Mr. Acton was the EVP, Corporate Development for Whipcord, a data center operator, prior to its merger with C15 Edge to form Whipcrod Edge. Mr. Acton is actively involved in the community through his roles on multiple advisory and community boards. Sahr Saffa, B.Comm



Chief Growth Officer Mr. Saffa has extensive experience building and scaling companies. Mr. Saffa is a partner and former Director of Marketing of a California-based AI company, AutonomIQ (acquired by Sauce Labs), which under his marketing leadership grew its user base to over one million users residing in more than 160 countries. Mr. Saffa is the Founder and Chairperson of C-Tribe Society, a community driven by diversity and helping innovative and creative people achieve their dreams, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Black Talent Initiative, an organization championing equity by reshaping career opportunities for young Black Canadians. J. Mark Mitchell, M.Sc, MiM (CEMS)



Chief Investment Officer Mr. Mitchell is an international finance professional with experience across five countries and three continents, including four years in China. Mr. Mitchell is the Fund Manager & Director at Red Thread Ventures, a global investment and advisory firm investing in high potential companies. Mr. Mitchell is fluent in Mandarin and holds two master's degrees (Ivey Business School, CEMS Organization) with academic focuses in Economics, Finance, and International Management.

About IPEX

IPEX was founded to become the world's first regulatory compliant blockchain-enabled end-to-end platform for the tokenization and monetization of intangible assets, including registrable intellectual property (such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights) and non-registrable intangible assets. Through IPEX's end-to-end solution to identify, value, structure, issue, and trade tokenized intangible assets, IPEX is a pioneer in the new frontier of digital securities. The IPEX platform will allow asset owners to unlock the true value of their intangible assets, including flexible financing alternatives and instant liquidity. The platform will also provide investors with investment exposure to a new asset class through an incentive-driven marketplace.

Additional Information

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

Notice regarding forward-looking statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company and its respective business, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed business plan of the Company and other statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "will", "intends", "expects", 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. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks regarding the financial technology and securities industries, economic factors, regulatory factors, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth and competition. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:

Intangible Properties Exchange Inc.

Mark Mitchell

Chief Investment Officer

Tel: (403) 877-7620

Email: mark@ipex.network

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97108
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 20, 2021 / Viva Gold Corp. (TSXV:VAU)(OTCQB:VAUCF)(FSE:7PB) (the "Company" or "Viva") is pleased to announce that it has updated its Consulting Services Agreement ("Agreement") with Mr. James Hesketh, through his consulting company Kalex LLC., replacing his existing agreement dated April 2017. Under the Agreement, Mr. Hesketh provides the services and performs all required duties as President and Chief Executive Officer to Viva Gold Corp. He develops, recommends to the board of directors and implements general corporate, administrative, technical, engineering and other management systems as is considered necessary or advisable for proper management of the Company. Mr. Hesketh is also a Director of the Company, elected by shareholders. The Agreement contains terms and conditions that are typical to other agreements of this type in the junior mining industry. Terms of the Agreement were approved by the Company's Compensation Committee made up of independent directors and outlines a yearly compensation of USD $120,000 which includes a 20% reduction in monthly payments in relation to the prior 2017 Agreement. Mr. Hesketh is entitled to equity-based compensation subject to the terms of the Company's Stock Option Plan and TSXV policies and an annual bonus not exceeding U.S. $120,000.

The Agreement may be cancelled at any time on 30 days' notice with a severance payment, and it incorporates, in certain circumstances, up to 24-months of severance pay on change of control of the Company.

About Viva Gold Corp:

Viva Gold is a gold exploration and project development company with a focus on Nevada. Viva holds 100% of the advanced Tonopah Gold Project, a large land position of approximately 10,500 acres with demonstrated high-grade measured, indicated and inferred gold resources, located on the prolific Walker Lane gold trend in Nevada, about 30-minutes' drive south-east of the Round Mountain mine of Kinross Gold and 20-minutes' drive from the Town of Tonopah. Viva's management team has extensive experience in mineral exploration, mine development and production and are supported by a Board of Directors and advisors who are proven mine finders, deal makers and financiers. Viva trades on the TSX-V as "VAU", on the OTCQB in the US as "VAUCF" and on the Frankfurt exchange under "7PB". For additional information on Viva Gold and the Tonopah Gold Project, please visit our website: www.vivagoldcorp.com.

For further information, please contact:

James Hesketh, President & CEO

(720) 291-1775

jhesketh@vivagoldcorp.com

Valerie Kimball, Director Investor Relations

(720) 933-1150

vkimball@vivagoldcorp.com

Renmark Financial Communications Inc.

Daniel Gordon: dgordon@renmarkfinancial.com

Tel: (416) 644-2020 or (212) 812-7680

www.renmarkfinancial.com

SOURCE: Viva Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664900/Viva-Gold-Updates-Services-Agreement-with-CEO
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 20, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, announces that it has changed its auditors from Deloitte LLP ("Former Auditor") to Mazars, LLP ("Successor Auditor") effective September 17, 2021.

At the request of the Company, the Former Auditor resigned as the auditor of the Company effective September 17, 2021, and the Plurilock board of directors appointed the Successor Auditor as the Company's auditor, effective September 17, 2021, until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company.

"We would like to thank Deloitte LLP for their expertise and guidance, and we are pleased to announce that Mazars, LLP will be an important part of the Plurilock story in the next stage of our growth," said Barry Carlson, Audit Committee Chair of Plurilock.

There were no reservations in the Former Auditor's audit reports since the Former Auditor was appointed on September 17, 2020, for and ending at the date of the resignation of the Former Auditor. There are no "reportable events" (as the term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102") between the Company and the Former Auditor.

In accordance with NI 51-102, the notice of change of auditor, together with the required letters from the Former Auditor and the Successor Auditor, have been reviewed by the Company and filed on SEDAR.

About Plurilock

Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use.

For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact:

Ian L. Paterson

Chief Executive Officer

ian@plurilock.com

416.800.1566

Roland Sartorius

Chief Financial Officer

roland.sartorius@plurilock.com

Prit Singh

Investor Relations

prit.singh@plurilock.com

905.510.7636

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97117
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (IDX:BBRI) ("BRI") has recently launched a rights issue with a transaction target of up to IDR 96 trillion in connection with the establishment of BRI as an ultra-micro holding company and the acquisition of PT Pegadaian (Persero) and PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (Persero).

Chief Financial Officer of BRI, Viviana Dyah Ayu, said "We have long believed that our shareholders will benefit from the economic and social value represented by this corporate action. We have created an ecosystem to support the enormous growth of Indonesia's digital economy, providing equitable access to finance in the ultra-micro sector. This also helps to create new jobs, preserving the ultra-micro sector as the backbone of national economic growth."

According to a data by the Ministry of Cooperative and SMEs, the ultra-micro segment comprised approximately 65 million micro business units in 2019, representing 99% of total businesses in Indonesia.

BRI estimates that out of 45 million ultra-micro businesses across Indonesia in 2019, there were only around 20 million businesses that have had access to funding from formal sources such as financial institutions. Around 12 million ultra-micro businesses get access to funding from informal sources such as family, relatives and other informal institutions. Meanwhile, around 14 million ultra-micro businesses do not have access to funding at all.

The limited access to funding for ultra-micro businesses is caused by, among other things, the unequal service coverage from the formal financial institutions' work units. The role of financial agents is not yet optimized to provide financial services to this segment due to the low financial literacy in the ultra-micro segment to access financial services digitally.

"As we see a huge potential in the ultra-micro segment, BRI is optimistic that the new business model created by the establishment of an ultra-micro holding company will lead to a long-term and sustainable business growth. Moreover, operating in the ultra-micro segment reinforces our company's core competence in the micro and small business sectors. The establishment of BRI as an ultra-micro holding company is expected to contribute to BRI's vision of becoming "The Most Valuable Banking Group in Southeast Asia" and "Champion of Financial Inclusion" by 2025," concluded Vivi.

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA OR JAPAN.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1629791/WhatsApp_Image_2021_09_20_at_19_07_56.jpg
WALLIX has obtained the highest level of all categories among the other PAM International players selected by KuppingerCole analysts.

WALLIX confirms its leadership thanks to its capacity for innovation enabling it to offer a PAM solution with leading-edge features and easily interoperable in customer environments (multi-clouds, industrial networks, workstations, etc.)



Paris, September 21, 2021 - WALLIX (Euronext ALLIX), a European software company providing cybersecurity solutions and the specialist in identity an access security, is again recognized this year as "Overall Leader" among the PAM (Privileged Access Management) international players selected by KuppingerCole analysts.

Each year, KuppingerCole conducts its Leadership Compass report, which aims at providing companies with an overview of the different existing publishers of IT solutions by field and identify who the leaders are. Therefore, the Leadership Compass is a real decision-making tool when it comes to making a purchase.



The Leadership Compass classifies publishers into 4 categories:

Market Leaders : Publishers who have a large global customer base and a strong partner network to sell their solutions.

: Publishers who have a large global customer base and a strong partner network to sell their solutions. Product Leaders : This category includes publishers who have both leading-edge and mature products which largely meet KuppingerCole analysts' expectations.

: This category includes publishers who have both leading-edge and mature products which largely meet KuppingerCole analysts' expectations. Innovation Leaders : Publishers who drive innovation in their field by providing the most ground-breaking and promising features on the market.

: Publishers who drive innovation in their field by providing the most ground-breaking and promising features on the market. Overall Leaders : Publishers who achieve an above average overall result following a combined evaluation of the 3 previous categories, and thus dominate the market.



WALLIX, PAM leader in all categories

WALLIX has managed to succeed as Market Leader thanks to its partner network. The Business Partner Program, which currently consists of 180 partners with 739 certified people on its solutions, represents a total of more than 1,300 customers in more than 70 countries. WALLIX's Business Partner Portal is constantly strengthening and expanding, particularly due to the growing number of partnership agreements with high-profile distributors - such as Arrow in the US or Tech Data in DACH and Spain - but also with regional value-added resellers (more than forty in MEA this year), with the purpose of responding to the specificities of each market.

Thanks to its WALLIX Bastion solution, WALLIX is recognized as Product, Innovation, and Overall Leader, achieving near-perfect scores in security, features, interoperability, ease of use, and deployment. Once again, KuppingerCole analysts confirm that WALLIX Bastion is a robust PAM solution.

What sets WALLIX apart from its competitors is its capacity for innovation, which has led it to add improved features to WALLIX Bastion to stay at the leading edge of technology and users' needs. These new features include the strengthening of remote work security during the pandemic thanks to its compatibility with WALLIX BestSafe (endpoint protection solution), the automation of cybersecurity for improved detection and response to cyber-attacks, real-time monitoring and recording of privileged accounts, the simplification of DevSecOps for a solution with an increasingly secure architecture, and the development of AAPM (Application-to-Application Password Management) technology, which enables WALLIX Bastion to never store passwords in clear text.



"Endorsed by its recognized expertise in privileged account management, WALLIX has been able to enrich WALLIX Bastion with very advanced features, thus offering a truly competitive PAM solution that should be seriously considered by companies." retrieved from the KuppingerCole 2021 Leadership Compass report.



"Being recognized as a 'Leader' in the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass is the result of WALLIX teams' dedication, who ensure the development of the company and enable WALLIX to offer state-of-the-art PAM technology. WALLIX Bastion is a highly efficient solution that adapts to the company's entire IT environment and responds to its specific use cases. Therefore, CISOs and cybersecurity managers can protect access to IT systems, cloud applications, workstations, etc. in addition to securing employees and external suppliers' digital identities. Finally, what sets us apart from other players in the market is our particular know-how in terms of industrial networks and healthcare IT systems protection, which are today's major challenges of the digital transformation." explains Jean-Noel de Galzain, founder & CEO at WALLIX.



Read the KuppingerCole 2021 Leadership Compass report

ABOUT WALLIX

A software company providing cybersecurity solutions, WALLIX is the European specialist in Identity and Access Security. WALLIX's unified solutions portfolio enables companies to respond to today's data protection challenges. WALLIX solutions guarantee detection of and resilience to cyberattacks, which enables business continuity. The solutions also ensure compliance with regulatory requirements regarding access to IT infrastructures and critical data. The portfolio of unified solutions is distributed through a network of more than 180 resellers and integrators worldwide. Listed on Euronext (ALLIX), WALLIX supports more than 1,200 organizations in securing their digital transformation. WALLIX is a founding member of the HEXATRUST group and has been included in the Futur40, the first ranking of fast-growing companies on the stock exchange published by Forbes France, and is part of the Tech 40 index.

WALLIX affirms its digital responsibility and is committed to contributing to the construction of a trusted European digital space, guaranteeing the security and confidentiality of data for organizations as well as for individuals concerned about the protection of their digital identity and privacy. Digital technology, whether for professional or personal use, must be ethical and responsible in order to pursue a secure societal digital transformation that respects individual freedoms.

www.wallix.com | info@wallix.com



PRESS CONTACT

LEWIS

Maxence GODEFROY / Gregory ALLEAUME

06 48 43 41 27 / 07 77 00 56 52 wallixfrance@teamlewis.com



FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION CONTACTS

ACTUS Finance & Communication

Investor Relations - Olivier LAMBERT

01 53 67 36 33 / wallix@actus.fr

Media Relations - Nicolas BOUCHEZ

01 53 67 36 74 / nbouchez@actus.fr

------------------------

This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ".

- SECURITY MASTER Key:

x2hrkpyYaZjGnnBqZsqbl5VsaZxqmWCamGmYk5NulpydbJ6WlZtkm5jHZnBilWlv

- Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com.

------------------------



 Copyright Actusnews Wire

Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free

Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-71049-20210921_kuppingercole_final_eng.pdf
PORVOO, Finland, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamor Corporation provides Reverse Osmosis-systems for brackish and seawater treatment.



Finland has been one of the leading countries in cruise vessel construction for decades, and various large cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean, TUI and Carnival have purchased their vessels from Finnish shipyards. For years cruise line companies have been concerned about fuel consumption and recently this has extended to their CO2 footprint. Now this same trend has reached aquaculture.

Finnish companies who have delivered Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems to cruise vessels have been forced to pay exceptional attention to the systems' energy efficiency. Modern RO technology has changed rapidly in terms of process design during the past 10 years and the development of the energy recovering units have also brought some variables to the equation.

In simplified terms it can be said that currently there are two types of energy recovery units in the market. The first energy recovery device (ERD) developed - which is still available - was the turbo-type unit which collected reject water and spun a turbine. The compression turbine made the pressure increase to the membrane inlet water. A few years later a Danish company developed an ERD-unit which also uses the reject water pressure to increase the inlet water pressure, but this process happens through a pressure exchanger.

Energy efficiency can also be increased by methods other than equipment. Of course, friction losses in the pipelines and the pumps play a significant role but even better results can be achieved with intelligent process design. By selecting the membrane quantities according to the actual need, fine tuning the produced water quality and calculating all the key elements together, the energy consumption can be minimized. These same principles also apply to aquaculture and the same know-how can be adapted to live fish carriers.

But how does intelligent process design and equipment selections affect operating costs? The simple math shows that by reducing energy consumption by 1 kW/produced cubic metre, the average sized live fish carrier operator could save about 100,000 USD and 350 Tons of CO2 annually.

Easy and flawless operation is one of our strengths, and the developed automation software and user interface guarantees a stress-free operation experience for the users. Our reverse osmosis systems can provide you with fresh water safely, efficiently, economically and reliably.

Modern pre-treatment methods enable the extended lifetime of the RO membranes. We have collected the data from the systems and serviced our equipment for years. By providing this information to our development team we create even better solutions. This operation model has been the cornerstone of our development and provides the easy and flawless operation our customers enjoy today.

Lamor also offers a wide variety of other cost-efficient, customizable water treatment, oil spill response, and waste management solutions worldwide. Learn more about our solutions at lamor.com and contact us today for a personal quote.

Communications: Iryna Besarab - iryna.besarab@lamor.com

Related Images











Image 1









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Anaqua's AQX platform to help global medical products group protect and optimize its valuable IP portfolios

LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021, the leading innovation and intellectual property management technology provider, today announced that global medical products and technologies group ConvaTec will use Anaqua's AQX platform to help more effectively manage their valuable patent and trademark portfolios.



The agreement further strengthens Anaqua's position in the medical solutions markets, with a growing number of clients from these sectors collaborating with Anaqua as their preferred IP management provider.

With operations in more than 100 countries, ConvaTec is a global medical and technologies company focused on therapies for the management of chronic conditions, with leading market positions in advanced wound care, ostomy care, continence care, critical care, and infusion care. ConvaTec products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care.

Christina Allegrini, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Global Head of Intellectual Property at ConvaTec, said: "Our company vision is to pioneer trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch. As part of this, one of our key strategic pillars is to innovate in our work and solutions, supported by increased investment in R&D. Therefore, it is critically important that we manage our innovation and IP effectively and efficiently - and Anaqua will help ensure we do that."

ConvaTec will use Anaqua's AQX platform for patent and trademark management, annuities and renewals (in conjunction with Anaqua Services), and patent analytics through integration with Anaqua's AcclaimIP.

Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua, said: "We are proud to be working with and supporting ConvaTec, a company driven by innovation to better serve people around the world in need of advanced medical care. For our part, we look forward to helping ConvaTec protect their innovation and IP management needs. We are also delighted to add another global company to our growing portfolio of clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors."

About Anaqua

Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property, or on LinkedIn.

About ConvaTec

ConvaTec is a global medical products and technologies company focused on therapies for the management of chronic conditions, with leading market positions in advanced wound care, ostomy care, continence and critical care, and infusion care. Headquartered in the UK, the company has operations in more than 100 countries and almost 10,000 employees worldwide. ConvaTec products provide a range of clinical and economic benefits including infection prevention, protection of at-risk skin, improved patient outcomes and reduced total cost of care. To learn more about ConvaTec, please visit convatecgroup.com.
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - AstraZeneca (AZN) a global biopharmaceutical company, on Tuesday, has announced its plans to establish its first-ever manufacturing site in Ireland with an investment of $360 million. The investment for an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility for small molecules at the Alexion Campus in College Park, Dublin, is expected to create about 100 highly skilled direct jobs, including scientists and engineers, and further indirect jobs. The project, which will provide an important boost to the local economy and to the country's life-sciences sector, was developed with the support and collaboration of Ireland's investment agency, IDA Ireland, the British-Swedish company said in a statement. | The investment program is expected to significantly reduce commercialization lead times, costs and introduce more sustainable manufacturing processes, contributing to the Company's Ambition Zero Carbon program, the Cambridge-based drug company added. The design of the plant could permit the addition of the capability to manufacture a wide range of medicines, including new modalities, such as antibody-drug conjugates and oligonucleotides. 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.
ANTWERP, Belgium, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dockwater BV ("Dockwater") is pleased to announce that is has partnered with ENGIE Fabricom ("Fabricom") and DENYS NV ("Denys"), to design and build the Dockwater desalination facility that will provide sustainable process water in the Port of Antwerp.

Fabricom and Denys have formed a joint venture ("Clearwater") to build the desalination project and join Suez to complete the technical team that will deliver the Dockwater plant. Suez is expected to provide engineering process design, operate and maintain the desalination facility.

Industrial facilities at the Port of Antwerp currently use drinking water for industrial purposes as it was viewed as the only source of water available in the foreseeable future. Dockwater will offer an alternative by supplying sustainable high quality process water sourced from brackish water to all industrial customers. Dockwater will be the only source of process water offering service to, from inception, most of the industrial water demand in the Port with a new process water pipeline system. In addition, Dockwater will reduce drinking water consumption by more than 95% at industrial sites at the Port and ease pressure on drinking water supplies in the Antwerp region. The project will be financed by private capital.

Mark McComiskey, a representative of Dockwater said, "We welcome the addition of the ENGIE Fabricom and Denys to the Dockwater project team. The industry-leading capabilities of Denys, Fabricom and Suez will ensure that Dockwater is a world-class sustainable facility that allows industrial customers in the Port of Antwerp to stop consuming local drinking water and to reduce their overall water consumption while simultaneously reducing costs."

Steven Van den Heede, a spokesperson for Clearwater said, "We are excited to work with Dockwater to design and build the Dockwater desalination project. In addition to drawing on our collective experience in building first-rate projects in Antwerp and the Port, our organizations are committed to advancing the underlying sustainable goals that Dockwater brings to the Port. Dockwater will significantly increase the reliability of industrial operations at the Port of Antwerp."

Media enquiries

DOCKWATER

Mark McComiskey

information@avaiocapital.com

http://www.avaiocapital.com

About DOCKWATER

DOCKWATER BV is developing a desalination plant to provide process water to industrial companies operating in the Port of Antwerp, allowing industry to substantially reduce its consumption of drinking water as well as its overall consumption of water, while increasing the resiliency of water supply in the whole Flemish region. The development of the DOCKWATER project is being led by AVAIO Capital, and DOCKWATER BV is jointly owned by AVAIO Capital and Macquarie Capital.

AVAIO Capital is an infrastructure investment firm focused on the development and construction of new sustainable infrastructure assets throughout North America and Europe in four sectors: digital, water, energy transition and transportation. Macquarie Capital is the advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group, and specializes in infrastructure development with more than US$ 20 billion of projects under construction or development.

About DENYS NV

Denys is a multidisciplinary group specialized in water, energy, mobility, architecture, restoration and special techniques. Because of this unique diversification, Denys is a preferred partner for complex building projects and infrastructure work, in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Canada and South America.

About ENGIE Fabricom

ENGIE Fabricom (now Equans) is the leading Belgian company specialised in the design, implementation and maintenance of multi-technical installations and services. Our large expertise in the markets of infrastructure, water, buildings, industry, distribution networks and energy production guarantees a comprehensive and customised solution. Using this multidisciplinary approach, ENGIE Fabricom is able to assist companies and local authorities optimise their energy consumption, environmental and operational performance.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1553464/Dockwater_Logo.jpg
Key European location expands services, expertise to serve clients worldwide

CSC, the world's leading provider of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services, has significantly expanded its operations in Luxembourg by securing new fund administration and depositary licenses and adding two experienced executives to help lead its growth in the market. This further extends CSC's European fund administration and depositary offerings.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005284/en/

Yves Cheret (Photo: Business Wire)

With these key hires, clients will benefit from the addition of more than 30 years of combined industry expertise to CSC's long-standing service offerings, including a range of alternative investment, capital markets, and corporate solutions. In addition, these new licenses will open new and essential services to clients in Luxembourg, yet another key European financial center in CSC's growing footprint.

Veteran talent, local expertise

Pierre Mifsud joins as managing director for depositary services for CSC Global Financial Markets (GFM), while Yves Cheret comes aboard as managing director of fund administration for CSC GFM. Both will work with Laurent Belik, managing director of Capital Markets Europe, who is responsible for general management, including finance and operations in Luxembourg.

"Pierre and Yves will add tremendous value for our clients," said Belik. "Because CSC is privately owned, we can invest additional time and effort to build long-term relationships with our clients and focus on the complexities of their unique needs and markets. We take the same approach with our employees, which has allowed us to develop and retain top industry talent to provide clients with the knowledge base, stability, and world-class service that CSC is known for, both locally and around the world."

Mifsud comes to CSC with more than 15 years of experience in the alternative funds industry, with a focus on private equity, real estate, venture capital, infrastructure, and debt funds. Mifsud previously held leadership roles at Edmond de Rothschild (Europe) S.A., Citco Bank Nederland N.V. Luxembourg Branch, and Quintet Luxembourg.

"The number of funds domiciled in Luxembourg surpasses all other European markets, so the ability to provide depositary services for alternative assets allows CSC to give clients greater flexibility whether they are based here or somewhere else," said Mifsud.

Cheret, meanwhile, has held senior positions in the alternative investment fund industry in Luxembourg for companies such as Alter Domus, Arendt Services, and Ocorian. He is fluent in five languages and is a qualified chartered accountant.

"I look forward to working with Laurent and Pierre and the rest of our talented, multilingual team in Luxembourg to help our clients navigate the increasingly complex environment they face," said Cheret. "Whether they need fund administration or depositary services or both, CSC's centralized team offers clients global reach and unrivaled service quality that is committed to supporting their business."

About CSC

CSC is a leading provider of specialized administration services to alternative asset managers across a range of fund strategies, capital markets participants in both public and private markets, and corporations requiring fiduciary and governance support. We are the unwavering partner for 90% of the Fortune 500, nearly 10,000 law firms, and more than 3,000 financial institutions. CSC's Global Financial Markets professionals are located in key financial centers across the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. We are a global company capable of conducting transactions wherever our clients are?and we accomplish that by deploying experts in every business we serve. For more information about CSC's services, visit cscgfm.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005284/en/

Contacts:

Jeff Lyons

Public Relations Manager

(302) 636-5401 x65519

jeff.lyons@cscglobal.com

CSC News Room
MARTIN, Slovakia, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After several years of preparations, thanks to this unique moment, the realization of a modern medical centre in the heart of Slovakia is taking a more realistic shape. It happened at the Holy Mass in Sastin-Straze on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, which was served by Pope Francis in the presence of the highest state officials, including the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger.

"Blessing of the cornerstone of the new university hospital in Martin by Pope Francis is a great honour for us and at the same time a commitment to further work. For the region of Central Slovakia, Saint Martin's University Hospital will represent a significant investment", stated MUDr. Dusan Krkoska, PhD., MBA, general director of University Hospital in Martin.

The Holy Mass was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger who perceives the act of blessing as follows: "I see this ceremony as the beginning of a journey to meet my government's ambitious goals in the sphere of health care. The construction project of Saint Martin's University Hospital in Martin will be implemented in the timeframe of several years and has the potential to be one of the first materializations of the Recovery and Resilience Plan results".

Saint Martin's University Hospital - the first candidate for funding from the Recovery Plan

Slovakia submitted the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic as one of the first EU countries. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Slovakia to present the official evaluation. After being positively evaluated by the European Commission and described as an ambitious document with a pro-reform charge, it was approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in June this year. For healthcare, significant resources of more than 1.5 billion EUR are planned from the recovery plan, while almost 1 billion EUR are available for the construction and reconstruction of hospitals.

Project

Construction of the new university hospital represents a radical innovation in the conditions of Slovakia's health care, which significantly transforms the "old system" and creates space for high-quality and modern health services. Expected investment costs for the project are totalling 307 million EUR. The main focus of the new hospital is to be internal medicine (mainly focused on cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, nervous system), woman-mother-child treatment, personalized medicine and oncology. In a complementary way, these will be both horizontally and vertically linked to a wide range of diagnostic procedures, interventional and surgical disciplines, urgent and specialized out-patient and in-patient health care, screening activities, patient prevention and education, training, research, and development.

Basic parameters of the new university hospital:

Number of beds: 660 Number of operating rooms: 19 Total floor area: 126,803 sqm Total area of the project: 68,000 sqm Estimated construction time: 30 - 36 months Estimated start of construction: 2Q/2023 Estimated construction completion: 2Q/2026

University Hospital Martin:

Kollarova 2, 036 01 Martin

www.unm.sk

PR agency: PRime time:

Viedenska cesta 5, 851 01 Bratislava

www.primetime.sk
The consortium formed by Dyne.org, RIDDLE&CODE and InfoCert, has been selected by the European Commission as one of seven contractors to develop the next version of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI)

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005128/en/

The award is one more milestone in the consortium's track record of excellence with cryptography and blockchain, after Dyne.org led the flagship H2020 project DECODE, RIDDLE&CODE's blockchain solutions are deployed in banking and utility markets Europe wide and InfoCert being the largest Certification Authority at European level and eIDAS certified QTSP.

The European Commission's vision for EBSI is to leverage distributed ledger technologies to create international and intra-communautaire services for public administrations. The European Blockchain Partnership aims to scale the investment fund to a fully developed platform with up to 2 billion in funding.

The consortium led by the non-profit foundation Dyne.org is developing a multilayered network of blockchains for distributed secure execution of smart contracts, including edge-computing scenarios deployed on low-power embedded devices and chips. The blockchain-agnostic solution offers compatibility with a wide range of products to grant freedom of choice to participating member states and solution developers. Existing integrations include BigchainDB, Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Sawtooth and Bitcoin.

Dyne.org's Zenroom is the core component of the solution. Its portable and secure smart-contract execution environment works standalone (zero dependency) even in a web browser. It can be programmed in a language similar to plain English and guarantees to be functional and portable for two decades to come. Dr. Francesca Bria, president of the Italian National Innovation Fund Cassa Depositi e Prestiti comments: "Zenroom stands for Citizen Crypto. It is a core part of the DECODE tech stack for Smart Cities and it makes it easy to understand the complexity of data transformation while being compatible with any platform, including Legacy Infrastructure. We make Crypto for Citizens and we make it Open Source.

Each member of this consortium gathers together a mature experience developing and deploying industrial standards, as well as facilitating open source community adoption of technologies, including the presence in major blockchain standardisation initiatives such as ISO TC/307, INATBA, W3C and Sovrin.

The combination of blockchain-specific hardware solutions for critical infrastructures, developed by RIDDLE&CODE, will help turn data sources into trusted ones and lay the foundation for EBSI's automated processes and scalability. The combination of InfoCert's leadership and scale when providing services for digital trust, security and identity management complying with standards will allow Europe to adopt mature blockchain solutions to mission-critical environments.

For the initial phase of EBSI's procurement, the consortium proposes a revolutionary solution for a European Digital Product Passport. As a path to success, the consortium plans to work actively to create an open "playing field" in Europe that can easily integrate a diversity of solutions and open this promising industrial field to new players from the public and private sectors.

Quote from the consortium members:

Andrea D'Intino (EBSI Project leader, Dyne.org): "The consortium's unique combined understanding of cryptography, blockchain and identity technologies as well as its global market positioning, give us the tools and the strength to bring EBSI to the next level. We are truly excited to embrace the policy makers, the businesses and the developers into an inclusive community, to fuel their ideas and products into the European Union's blockchain.

Thomas Furstner (Founder CTO, RIDDLE&CODE): "The blockchain landscape diversifies into layer one and layer two technologies. Layer one is used for attesting values and identities with a small transaction payload and low frequency. Layer two is used for high-volume, low-value, day-to-day transactions. Then, there is the neglected but important layer zero, where blockchain meets products and goods of the physical world. This is exactly where RIDDLE&CODE contributes to EBSI

Carmine Auletta (Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, InfoCert Tinexta Group): "Being involved in shaping the future EU blockchain infrastructure not only makes us extremely proud, it also could have an important strategic impact on our reference market. An EU blockchain infrastructure could represent the backbone on which EU Trust will be built in the future." He further commented: "InfoCert, as the leading Qualified Trust Service Provider in the EU, aims to further strengthen its thought leadership role in a constantly evolving market. InfoCert has an impressive track record in building innovative solutions and an ambitious R&D program focused on Digital Identity and Digital Trust. It includes the exploitation of emerging technologies, among which blockchain is one of the most promising. Our partners have tremendous technical competencies in distributed ledger technologies, while InfoCert has very distinctive expertise in building Trust Frameworks. Joining forces was natural and proved to be crucial in the success of our consortium.

About RIDDLE&CODE

RIDDLE&CODE is Europe's leading company for blockchain interface solutions. The company develops hardware and software stacks that combine the security of smart cards with blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT). Together with its tier-one clients and partners, which include Daimler Mobility, BMW, Wien Energie and leading Dutch crypto exchange LiteBit, RIDDLE&CODE brings new business models to the fintech, energy, mobility and materials industries.

More information: www.riddleandcode.com

About Dyne.org

Dyne.org is a non-profit foundation dedicated to free and open source software and community development with 20 years of expertise in developing applications used worldwide. Its motto is "we are free to share code and we code to share freedom" and other projects include independent streaming software for free speech, privacy tools for activists and GNU/Linux distributions.

More information: dyne.org

About InfoCert

InfoCert, Tinexta Group, is the largest European Certification Authority, active in over twenty countries. The company provides services in digitisation, eDelivery, Digital Signature and digital preservation of documents and is an accredited AgID digital identity operator in the area of SPID (Public System for the management of Digital Identity). The company holds a 51% stake in Camerfirma, one of the principal Spanish certification authorities and a 16.7% stake in Authada, a leading-edge German Identity Provider.

More information: infocert.digital

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005128/en/

Contacts:

Media contact for RIDDLE&CODE:

Aysenur Yukselal Aji

aysenur@riddleandcode.com



Media contact for Dyne.org

Andrea D'Intino

info@dyne.org



Media contact for InfoCert

comunicazioni@infocert.it
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Spritzer Malaysia ("Spritzer" or the "Company"), which produces Malaysia's best-selling natural mineral water, is committed to the wellbeing of the community and has endeavoured to send aid to the vulnerable and less privileged in society during these challenging times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.It is especially poignant for Spritzer as the Company turns 32 today, that the best way of celebrating another milestone in its corporate journey is to continue the commitment to support fellow Malaysians, especially those who have been marginalised by society and lack the basic necessities such as food, shelter or even safe drinking water.Spritzer Malaysia recognises that the pandemic has been especially hard on those in the Bottom-40 income bracket, the Orang Asli, the homeless and those living in rural areas. The Company escalated its community outreach programme in April 2021 by working through non-governmental organisations ("NGOs") to send them aid in the form of clean drinking water amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Company has, to-date, sponsored more than RM60,000 in aid nationwide that has been distributed through NGOs, food banks and restaurants on top of the other donation outreach activities, and will continue to support initiatives and community outreach programmes that targets marginalised or vulnerable groups.Hakim JuraimiEmail: h.juraimi@swanconsultancy.bizSource: Spritzer BerhadCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.

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.
Minna Bank was awarded Brand of the Year at the internationally renowned Red Dot Design Award in the Brands Communication Design category, becoming both the first Japanese company and the first financial institution to receive the award in history. Red Dot says "The Japanese company convinced the jurors with consistent brand management that is reflected in all of its communication elements."

Minna Bank also awarded Best of the Best in Apps, and Red Dot in Brand Design Identity.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005498/en/

Image of Minna Bank app (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the biggest design competitions in the world. In three disciplines, participants submit products, communication projects and brands as well as prototypes and concepts. The distinction "Red Dot" is an internationally recognised seal of excellent design.

In 2021, designers, agencies and companies from around the world registered their creative projects and brands for the Red Dot Award: Brands Communication Design. Big players as well as newcomers from across Europe, Asia and America used the platform for the evaluation and thus the recognition of their design work. True to the competition's guiding principle "In search of good design and creativity", the 24 international jury members expertly, individually and comprehensively assessed each of the submitted communication projects and brands. In the process, they placed great emphasis on the creative idea, the form and the communicative effect of the submissions. Only those works that impressed the experts with the outstanding quality of their design received an award.

The Red Dot is the mark of high-quality design. The Red Dot: Best of the Best" is awarded to projects that impress thanks to the excellent quality of their design and their creativity.

"The Red Dot: Brand of the Year" award goes to the best brand in a respective sector.

Red Dot Design Award press release on the results of the 2021 selection

About Minna Bank

Minna Bank, Ltd. is Japan's first digital bank which commenced commercial operations on May 28, 2021. Minna Bank means "a bank for everyone" in Japanese. Its mission is to "Deliver valuable connections to everyone." Minna Bank strives to become a pioneer in the financial services industry, creating and connecting ecosystems including consumer and business customers and various communities. Minna Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fukuoka Financial Group. For more information, visit https://www.minna-no-ginko.com/?wovn=en

About Fukuoka Financial Group

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (FFG, TOKYO:8354), established in 2007, is Japan's largest regional financial group. With The Bank of Fukuoka, The Kumamoto Bank, and The Juhachi-Shinwa Bank as its subsidiaries, FFG has a wide network covering the entire Kyushu region. FFG is actively pursuing a Digital Transformation (DX) strategy, and established Minna Bank, Japan's first digital bank architected from the ground up. For more information, visit https://www.fukuoka-fg.com/en/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005498/en/

Contacts:

Media Relations Contact:

Minna Bank, Ltd. Corporate Communications

Yumi Imamura

Junichi Nakahara

press@minna-no-ginko.com

+81-92-791-9231
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. (TSXV: SOIL) (FSE: SMK) ("Saturn" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the final independent reserves evaluation of its newly acquired Oxbow Asset, effective April 1, 2021, in compliance with National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities and in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (the "Oxbow Report") as well as the appointment of Glenn Hamilton to the Saturn Board of Directors.

Oxbow Reserves Evaluation

The Oxbow Report, prepared by Ryder Scott Company-Canada, evaluated assets in Southeast Saskatchewan (the "Oxbow Asset") that Saturn acquired in June 2021 for net cash consideration of $76.8 million, after closing adjustments. The net present value of net future revenues, (net of royalties, operating costs, and capital expenditures, including asset retirement obligations) before income tax, discounted at 10% ("NPV 10%") of the total proved plus probable reserves is estimated at $435.7 million, or $0.87 per outstanding share (basic).

Oxbow reserves comprise 95% light and medium oil, and natural gas liquids;

Total Proved Reserves make up 70% of the Total Proved plus Probable Reserves;

Oxbow Report identified 242 booked drilling locations with certified reserves; and

Saturn has identified an additional 100+ un-booked horizontal drilling locations on the Oxbow Asset.

Summary of Gross Oil and Gas Reserves and Net Present Value of Revenue:

Before Income Taxes as of April 1, 2021 - Forecast Prices and Costs

Reserves

MMboe Cash Acquisition Cost1

$ / boe NPV 10%2

($ million) NPV per BOE2

$ / boe Proved Developed Producing 24.1 $3.19 $243.7 $10.11 Total Proved 30.4 $2.53 $298.0 $9.80 Proved Plus Probable 43.3 $1.77 $435.7 $10.06

Cash Acquisition Cost calculated as cash consideration of acquisition divided by the reserves (boe) of the category Oxbow Report used Ryder Scott Company price forecast effective March 31, 2021

"We are encouraged that the independently prepared Oxbow Report confirms Saturn's initial evaluation of the large reserves in place and long-life production of the Oxbow Asset," commented Justin Kaufmann, Senior Vice President Exploration. "Saturn's focus now is to redeploy the strong cash flow from Oxbow's low decline production into growth projects and debt reduction."

New Director to the Board

Glenn Hamilton has over 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry specializing in accounting finance. Mr. Hamilton served as Corporate Advisor of Bonavista Energy Corporation (formerly, Bonavista Energy Trust) from May 2015 until July 2016. Prior thereto, Mr. Hamilton served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bonavista Energy Corporation from June 2008 until May 2015 and prior thereto served as its Vice President of Finance. Mr. Hamilton served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NuVista Energy Ltd. from July 2003 until May 2006 and served as its Corporate Secretary from July 2003 to June 2008. Prior to Bonavista's reorganization in July 2003, he spent over five years as Vice President, Finance of Bonavista Petroleum Ltd. and played a key role in Bonavista's successful refinancing and restructuring from a junior company to company with $1.2 billion market capitalization at the time of reorganization. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Ember Resources Inc., Inter Pipeline Ltd. and Islander Oil and Gas Inc. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University, is a Chartered Accountant and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Summary of Oxbow Asset Gross Oil and Gas Reserves:

Light & Medium Oil Natural

Gas Natural Gas Liquids Total BOE RESERVES CATEGORY Mbbl MMcf Mbbl Mboe Proved Developed Producing 21,877 7,065 1,046 24,101 Proved Non- Producing 354 111 17 389 Proved Undeveloped 5,274 2,321 294 5,955 Total Proved 27,505 9,498 1,357 30,445 Probable 11,535 4,267 566 12,812 Proved Plus Probable 39,040 13,764 1,924 43,258

Natural Gas: 6.0 Mcf/boe

About Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.

Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. is a growing Canadian energy company focused on generating positive shareholder returns through the continued responsible development of high-quality, light oil weighted assets, supported by an acquisition strategy that targets highly accretive, complementary opportunities. Saturn has assembled an attractive portfolio of free-cash flowing, low-decline operated assets in Southeastern Saskatchewan and West Central Saskatchewan that provide a deep inventory of long-term economic drilling opportunities across multiple zones. With an unwavering commitment to building an ESG-focused culture, Saturn's goal is to increase reserves, production and cash flows at an attractive return on invested capital. Saturn's shares are listed for trading on the TSXV under ticker 'SOIL' and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol 'SMK'.

Saturn Oil & Gas Investor & Media Contacts:

John Jeffrey, MBA - Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 (587) 392-7902

www.saturnoil.com

Kevin Smith, MBA - VP Corporate Development

Tel: +1 (587) 392-7900

info@saturnoil.com

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 press release.

Reader Advisory

BOE PRESENTATION

Boe means barrel of oil equivalent. All boe conversions in this news release are derived by converting gas to oil at the ratio of six thousand cubic feet ("Mcf") of natural gas to one barrel ("Bbl") of oil. Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A Boe conversion rate of 1 Bbl: 6 Mcf is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given that the value ratio of oil compared to natural gas based on currently prevailing prices is significantly different than the energy equivalency ratio of 1 Bbl: 6 Mcf, utilizing a conversion ratio of 1 Bbl: 6 Mcf may be misleading as an indication of value.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97120
COLOMBES, France, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From September 12th to September 15th, 2021, Bostik teams have participated in the Big5 exhibition, a Dubai-based construction event which has provided leading-edge innovation, knowledge, and business opportunities for industry players since 1979.

Bostik, the adhesive solutions division of Arkema, has been present in the region since 2016. In 2020 the company established a partnership with Gerflor Middle East to manufacture and distribute products to address the needs of a broad range of construction clients in the Wall & Floor and Sealing & Bonding segments.

With over 50% of Bostik's turnover created in the Construction & Consumer segment, the Big5 exhibition is a very important one. This is why after almost two years of covid, the teams were thrilled to be provided with this unique, and much-awaited, opportunity to engage in person with their clients and partners - distributors, contractors, specifiers, engineers, architects, end users - bringing new life to Bostik's long tradition of creating strong relationships with our stakeholders.

The well-designed stand with great functionality also provided the perfect setting to offer technical support to visitors and share live demonstrations of the Bostik's One Flooring Range and Sealing & Bonding Professional Line. Capitalising on the broad range of content created by the Bostik Academy, Bostik's global knowledge center, the teams were able to organise as many as 10 demonstrations per day, totaling to 40 throughout the whole show and attracting many visitors every day.

According to Bertrand JAUSSEME, Arkema Middle East Director, "We are thrilled that the Arkema Group could take part in this great exhibition through the presence of Bostik, our adhesive solutions division. Arkema has a long history in the Middle East, where we have been established since 2001. Creating a local presence for Bostik goes to show our commitment to helping our partners and customers in the region lay the foundations for their future and achieve their vision of a thriving and diversified economy."

Koen SAMWEL, Business Director of Bostik's Construction & Consumer Business Unit in charge of the Southern Europe & Middle East region, further comments: "It has been wonderful to be able to meet again in person with our clients and business partners on this key event for the construction world. The booming construction market makes the Middle East a region of high strategic importance for Bostik, and we look forward to developing our local presence, strengthening our relationships with our clients and partners there, and providing them with Bostik's unique expertise in terms of adhesive solutions for the construction market."

Contact information

Redha SALAOUATCHI

Business Manager Middle East and Northern Africa

E-mail: Redha.salaouatchi@bostik.com

Bostik Consumer & Construction

Arkema Middle East DMCC

Unit 1108, JBC3 Tower Cluster Y

Jumeirah Lakes Towers

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

E-mail: bostik.mena-info@bostik.com

Hortense BLAZSIN

hortense.blazsin@bostik.com

www.bostik.com/uae/en/

About Bostik, an Arkema company

Bostik, a subsidiary of the Arkema Group and a global player in specialty adhesives for the construction, consumer and industrial markets, develops innovative and multifunctional sealing and bonding solutions that have been shaping our daily lives for over 130 years. With an annual sales of 2.1 billion euros in 2019, a presence in more than 40 countries, and 6,000 employees, the company is committed to meeting the major ecological, energy and technological challenges through its innovations. It is focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence to meet the expectations of its customers and partners. www.bostik.com

Logo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557528/Bostik_an_Arkema_company_logo.jpg
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BST Global, a Tampa-based ERP solution provider, marks its 50th anniversary with a commemorative campaign celebrating the people, culture and business philosophy behind the company's success. This initiative includes a brand refresh, exclusive client and employee events, a special 50th anniversary logo and more.

Founded in 1971 by Carlos A. Baldor Sr. and two colleagues as a data processing firm, BST Global has continuously evolved its product offering along with the AEC industry it serves. Over the years, the company has shifted its focus from data processing to software development, embracing innovation to better deliver the ERP solution of the future. "We've been able to accommodate and transcend those generational changes. A lot of this goes back to my father and how he instilled in the company the need to grow and change," BST Global President, Carlos A. Baldor Jr., said.

Chief Executive Officer Javier A. Baldor added, "I've been involved in the business for almost three decades now, and I have never been more excited about what is before us and the passion that I see in the business."

Earlier this year, BST Global introduced a refreshed brand to the market with a new company logo and website, and hosted an event in Tampa, FL, where company leaders shared an exciting look at what's still to come. Chief Product Officer Debbie Preacher stated, "Our solution was designed from the ground up for the demanding needs of project and operations managers, and we continue to evolve our solutions with them as the focus."

BST Global also held a gathering at the University of Tampa where attendees sported matching shirts designed with a special 50th anniversary logo. The event brought together 100+ employees and family members, and the video footage from the day will be used as part of a commemorative documentary celebrating the company and its founder. "This is a tremendous accomplishment in the memory of my father and his vision, and his legacy will live on," Javier stated.

ABOUT BST GLOBAL

BST Global designs, develops and deploys project-based ERP solutions specifically for the world's leading architects, engineers?and consultancies. More than 120,000 professionals across six continents and 65 countries rely on BST Global's solutions each day to successfully manage their projects, resources, finances and client relationships.

CONTACT

Eileen Canady

Director, Global Marketing

ECanady@BSTGlobal.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1628964/BSTGlobal_50thAnniversary.jpg



Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1628965/BSTGlobal_15_Years.jpg



Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1478858/BST_Global_Logo.jpg
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: INCA) (OTCQB: INCAF) (FSE: SU92) ("Inca One" or the "Company") a gold producer, operating two fully permitted mineral processing facilities in Peru, is pleased to report it has achieved record production this past month of August 2021.

Consolidated Operations

August 2021 July 2021 MoM Change August 2020 YoY Change Deliveries (tonnes) 6,982 3,997 75% 3,017 131% Throughput (tonnes) 6,838 3,478 97% 2,599 163% Gold Produced (oz) 2,309 1,218 90% 1,471 57%

Following record processing months in both May and July, Inca One had its best-ever month of August in the Company's history for each of ore deliveries, processing and daily throughput.

The Company received its highest ever deliveries totaling 6,982 tonnes of gold-bearing material, surpassing its prior record of 6,111 tonnes. This represents a 14% increase over the previous high and a 75% increase over July 2021 deliveries. Additionally, the Company processed 6,838 tonnes of material in surpassing its prior record of 6,581 tonnes. Both plants processed a combined 221 tonnes per day ("tpd") in August 2021. This represents a 4% increase from the prior highest months daily average output of 212 tpd and a 97% increase over last month's processing. Fueling these records was the high volume of mineral supplies to both processing facilities.





Operations (trailing 6 months)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/97133_f09fd812b4b39ae3_001full.jpg

"We are excited to see the continuing and increasing volumes of high-quality mineral being sourced and delivered to both plants, which led directly to our record deliveries, processing and best-ever August gold production," stated Edward Kelly, President and CEO of Inca One. "It validates our business model and operational aptitude that we were able to so quickly and effectively deploy the working capital received from our second Gold Prepayment Facility received in the first week of August from OCIM Precious Metals (August 9, 2021, press release). The Company, now armed with sufficient working capital, its only 10% off its record processing pace set in 2018 and has a goal of achieving a new production record for calendar 2021, as we come into the traditionally busier final few months of the year."

Gold production this past August was 2,309 ounces and is the Company's highest gold production since March 2020 (2,315 ounces). August was the highest August production in the Company's history and one of the Company's best-ever production months. This represents a 90% increase over the prior month's production in July 2021 (1,218 ounces).

About Inca One

Inca One Gold Corp is a TSXV listed gold producer operating two fully permitted gold mineral processing facilities in Peru. The Company has produced more than 92,000 ounces of gold, generating over US$125 million in revenue from its first six years of operations. Inca One is led by an experienced and capable management team that has established the Company as a trusted leader in servicing government permitted, small-scale miners in Peru. Peru is the world's seventh-largest producer of gold, and its small-scale mining sector is estimated by government officials to be valued in the billions of dollars annually. Inca One possesses a combined 450 tonnes per day of permitted operating capacity at its two fully integrated plants, Chala One and Kori One. To learn more, visit www.incaone.com.





Figure 1. Inca One's gold processing facilities in Peru (left: Chala One facility; right: Kori One facility)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/97133_f09fd812b4b39ae3_002full.jpg

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly,

President and CEO

Inca One Gold Corp.

For More Information Contact:

Konstantine Tsakumis

Inca One Gold Corp.

ktsakumis@incaone.com

604-568-4877

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.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. 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. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that future operating results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable. Still, no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97133
Bybit

WSOT 2021: Crypto Trading Competition of the Year Made History With $4.09 Million in Prizes



21-Sep-2021 / 12:00 CET/CEST





WSOT 2021: Crypto Trading Competition of the Year Made History With $4.09 Million in Prizes

Record number of participants in Bybit's World Series of Trading (WSOT) 2021 drove up total prize pool to a historic $4.09 million, up from last year's $1.27 million

??? secured No.1 title as captain of top troop ?????? with a staggering 2,044.90% P&L, followed by ??? ??? (1,774.84% P&L) and PepeCup Army (1,417.15% P&L)

A star-studded cast from the esports world: gaming legends from four elite esports clubs dabbled in competitive crypto trading

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 21 September 2021 - The 2021 edition of the World Series of Trading (WSOT) ended on a high note on Friday. The world's best crypto traders can now kick back and relax after 20 intensive days of trading, having divided up a record prize pool at $4.09 million.

South Korean outfit demonstrated the value of team effort - 840,000 USDT to be exact, taking home the prize money on top of their stunning 2,044.90% P&L earnings. This year's trading super stars also include winners by individual P&Ls: HeresJonny (P&L: 7,265.94%), chinesebirdman (P&L: 4,599.74%) and CHANS (P&L: 4,249.09%).

Powered by Bybit, the world's largest cryptocurrency trading event attracted more than 34,738 sign-ups this year, up 280.86% from last year. Team players from 136 eligible regions formed or joined 196 troops in the main event, with 19,592 independent traders opting to play solo in the individual competition.

WSOT 2021 has captivated crypto lovers worldwide this year with the sheer size of its prize pool of USDT and NFTs. The event has also extended its reach to another community with a group of special guests: A-list esports athletes.

12 gaming professionals from four prominent organizations - NAVI, Astralis, Alliance and Virtus.pro - put on their crypto trader hat and assumed the role of troop captains with 198 troopers slash fans from around the world, who followed their exhilarating performances live on the event website.

"We are in awe once again of the outpour of support from the global crypto community, and we are excited to have met all 34,738 participants this year. Whether you've just discovered WSOT or crypto, whether you are a seasoned trader or a budding crypto lover, you have found an incredibly creative and supportive community," said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit.

"We have returned bigger and better this year as promised. WSOT runs on the principles of fair competition, full transparency, access to opportunities and everything crypto is about. We hope everyone who took part in WSOT 2021 will continue to find joy in trading and explore the potential digital assets have to offer in the next 12 months as we build the next big thing," Zhou added.

City of dragons, secret codes, surprise dropping of NFTs, WSOT 2021 was not for the faint of heart. Keeping up with its imaginative gamification tradition, this year's tournament kept participants entertained and challenged with live tasks, mini games, and most importantly traders had to compete to deliver the most impressive final P&Ls and performances for the grand prizes and bonus prizes. Together, traders from around the world successfully unlocked the largest prize pool the crypto trading world has ever seen.

It takes imagination and dedication to win in a trading competition, which is why Bybit is committed to furthering its partnership with UNICEF to empower girls' education in East Asia and the Pacific with another BTC donation equivalent to $400,000 in WSOT 2021, or 5% of the prize pool plus contributions from Bybit. The donation is dedicated to UN's Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 towards "inclusive and equitable quality education" via UNICEF efforts. It helps fund, among other initiatives, digital education for girls in the region by making science and technology education within reach for marginalized groups with innovative education solutions.

Check out bybit.com/wsot2021 for the final rankings of WSOT 2021.

About WSOT

The World Series of Trading (WSOT) is a global cryptocurrency trading competition powered by Bybit championing the spirit of competition, fair play, and cultivating camaraderie between crypto lovers from around the world. WSOT celebrates the positive changes cryptocurrency and technologies have brought to our lives.

WSOT ranks contestants by the "profit vs. loss" percentage where traders compete on a level playing field regardless of the depth of their pockets.

Read the rules and sign up for WSOT 2021: bybit.com/wsot2021

About Bybit

Bybit is a cryptocurrency exchange established in March 2018 to offer a professional platform where crypto traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, excellent customer service and multi-lingual community support. The company provides innovative online trading services and cloud mining products, as well as API support, to retail and institutional clients around the world, and strives to be the most reliable exchange for the emerging digital asset class.

For more information please visit: https://www.bybit.com/

For updates, follow Bybit's social platforms on Twitter and Telegram.

Media Contact

Kristy Shih

kristy.shih@hkstrategies.com

+852 2894 6372

Mavis Wu

mavis.wu@hkstrategies.com

+852 2894 6356

Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




Biedermann Motech, the company that developed the world's first polyaxial pedicle screw (MOSS System) and pioneer in the spinal market for more than 35 years, today announced that its MOSS VRSPedicle Screw Platform, the most advanced system on the market today, is now available as a fully modular solution.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005274/en/

The Next Generation: MOSS VRS. Real-Time Intraoperative Decision Making. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The MOSS VRS System features Next Generation Pedicle Screw Technology, which allows the surgeon to lock the polyaxial angle of the pedicle screw at any angle, at any time during surgery. This provides surgeons unmatched intraoperative real-time options using a single, highly functional implant.

In contrast to traditional pedicle screw systems, which include a wide range of different screw types, the MOSS VRS Pedicle Screw can be locked and unlocked as and when required by the surgeon during complex correction and reconstruction maneuvers.

By adding MOSS Modularity to this unique functionality, surgeons now will have the option to attach the modular MOSS VRS tulip heads after the pedicle screw shafts have been placed, allowing even more advanced and versatile surgical techniques.

"Over 30 years after the introduction of the MOSS System, the world's first polyaxial pedicle screw, we are excited to continue to lead the advancement of posterior screw systems with the further expansion of our MOSS VRS platform," said Markku Biedermann, President CEO of Biedermann Motech, Inc.

The unique and proprietary technologies of the MOSS VRS System are licensed from Biedermann Technologies GmbH Co. KG, a company which holds a broad and extensive patent and technology portfolio, and are exclusively available through Biedermann Motech.

Biedermann Motech will showcase the MOSS VRS System at the upcoming North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, September 22-24, 2021 at booth #2349.

About Biedermann Motech

Biedermann Motech is a mid-sized, family owned group of companies with headquarters in Germany (Villingen-Schwenningen) and the USA (Miami) whose roots go back to 1916. Since then, the focus has been on working in synergy with world-class surgeons to solve significant clinical challenges through the development of next generation technologies. The core competency is the development, production, and distribution of innovative implants and instruments for spinal and extremity surgery. Biedermann Motech researches, develops, manufactures, and distributes high-quality implant systems in collaboration with healthcare professionals, technology partners, scientific institutions, and specialized companies with the goal of achieving improved clinical outcomes. For more information about Biedermann Motech, please visit: www.biedermann.com.

Follow us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/biedermannmotech

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biedermannmotech/

About Biedermann Technologies

Biedermann Technologies GmbH Co. KG (www.biedermann-technologies.com) is a privately held company based in Germany (Donaueschingen) and is the owner and guardian of a substantial patent and technology portfolio for specialized orthopedic markets. For the last 25 years, Biedermann Technologies has successfully licensed numerous patents and related technologies to several key players in the orthopedic and neurosurgical field.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005274/en/

Contacts:

Kevin Averett kaverett@biedermann.com
- Nose and throat spray shown to reduce viral shedding by 60%

- Study also shows reduction in severity of respiratory clinical symptoms

A recent clinical study has shown that the ViroStop anti-viral spray from Swiss company, Herb-Pharma is effective in reducing the impact of Covid-19 for patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

The key benefits were a 60% reduction in viral shedding after using the treatment and a reduction in the severity of clinical respiratory symptoms. The study supports the findings of earlier in-vitro tests where its mix of polyphenols inhibited the growth of the virus in cell cultures.

The study included 170 PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients at the Complex Medical Clinic in Budapest, Hungary between January 15th, and May 31st, 2021. The volunteers all had mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, having tested positive in PCR tests for Covid-19 at the start of the study, and their symptoms were monitored over 12 days.

Of the 170 volunteers, 86 received a nasopharyngeal spray, the patented ViroStop solution, which contains a mixture of Cistus Creticus and other polyphenol-rich ingredients. Polyphenols when attached to viral protein, mechanically inhibit the workings of the protein, and thus stop the virus from entering the cell. The rest of the 84 patients remained in the control group and were not given the ViroStop solution. Each patient's symptoms were checked every two days for 12 days.

At the end of the study the level of viral shedding was checked by PCR tests. Those patients who had used the ViroStop spray from the first day after testing positive, showed an almost 60% reduction in viral shedding on day 12, compared to the control group. The study showed that the severity of respiratory clinical symptoms was also reduced in those who used ViroStop spray.

A reduction was also noted in gastrointestinal symptoms compared to the control group. Recent research has shown that a key factor in the spread of the virus is its ability to also multiply in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr Istvan Jankovics, whose team ran the study commented, "The primary treatment for Covid 19 is, of course, vaccination, however this study means that the use of the ViroStop spray significantly inhibits the amount of SARS CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract, thus providing an opportunity for the infected person to develop a specific immune response."

ViroStop is a non-prescription treatment, made from natural ingredients and can be taken safely by children as young as three. Furthermore, at the time of the study, at least three variants of the virus were present in Hungary, so it is reasonable to assume that the solution and the action of polyphenols is effective against all known mutations of Covid-19.

Issued on behalf of:

Herb-Pharma AG

Waldmannstrasse 6,

8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Company email: home@herb-pharma.com

For more information visit: https://www.virostop.info/

Company website: https://www.fytofontana.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005309/en/

Contacts:

For media enquiries:

virostop@contextpr.co.uk

+44(0)300 124 6100

Eleanor Smith Eleanor.smith@contextpr.co.uk
LONDON and VALLETTA, Malta, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech startup wamo has integrated Apple Pay into its mobile app to expedite its customers' capability to perform contactless transactions.

From now on, all customers, including small and medium-sized businesses, will be able to use Apple's payments technology to receive payments.

The corporation, which is incorporated in the UK, is already operating vigorously in European countries and especially in Malta, thus maturing as a new pioneer in the digital banking market in the region.

As the company's CEO, Yanki Onen, describes, "It is part of our purpose to develop unique functionalities and facilitate the financial lives of customers and micro-businesses in a way that is speedy, timely, reliable, and secure."

As of summer 2020, Apple's payments service had more than 220 million users, 85 percent outside the United States. These are consumers who move $10 billion a year in financial transactions.

In Malta, where the company has an important part of its operations, Apple Pay was only launched at the end of 2019. However, during the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent health emergency situation, digital banking soared significantly.

wamo's technology, which natively uses QR codes to accept payments, allows small companies to operate without having to have a POS device.

Business can rely on a QR code, which permits its clients to execute transfers and card payments in a second.

wamo is a digital native fintech targeting small and medium-sized businesses, is incorporated in the UK, and has offices in London and Malta.

With technology and innovation at its gist, the corporation strives to compete with traditional financial methods in delivering financial services.

The fintech institution uses innovative technology to streamline all aspects of day-to-day financial management processes, enabling both businesses and consumers to do it all from a single app.

This year, wamo raised a 1 million investment from a group of angel investors, bringing the total amount raised to more than 1.9 million and securing funding for its expansion plan in Europe.

wamo has partnered with Railsbank to improve the security of transactions and secure customers' money. PayrNet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Railsbank, issues electronic money and provides payment services to wamo.

The company has received backing from investors in the UK, Malta, Turkey and Canada.

Registered in the UK and EEA, it is working to become the solution of choice for over 10,000 European SME and retail customers seeking convenient and cost-effective solutions for their day-to-day financial management needs.

With a potential market of 25.1 million small businesses in Europe, wamo is looking to become the first choice in the post-pandemic era of fintech.

PayrNet Limited grants e-money issuing and payment services. With each transaction, PayrNet holds a sum equivalent to the money in wamo's current accounts in a safeguarded account, which offers customers protection against insolvency.

wamo, as a financial technology company, has been actively adjusting for this transformation for the past four years with a technical solution that has been finely crafted to step in and take SMEs and their customers forward effortlessly.

To join wamo as a client, click on the link www.wamo.io

Read wamo's post on the integration of Apple Pay: https://wamo.io/en/newscenter/wamo-apple-pay
Ghent, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Press release

Biotalysto Participate in Upcoming Investor and Stakeholder Events

Ghent, BELGIUM - 21September2021- Biotalys (Euronext - BTLS), an AgTech company focused on addressing food protection challenges to enable a more sustainable and safer food supply, today announces that it will be presenting at the following events during the remainder of 2021:

Bryan-Garnier Food Tech Virtual Conference, 23-24 September

CEO Patrice Selles and CFO Wim Ottevaere will be speaking at Bryan Garnier & Co.'s Food Tech Conference on Friday 24 September at 15:00 CEST to an international audience of investors, with a presentation and Q&A session.

Knowledge for GrowthFlandersBio), 28 September

Biotalys will give a company presentation and participate in a panel debate on Europe's Farm to Fork strategy at Knowledge for Growth on Tuesday 28 September 2021, at 14:00 CEST. The conference takes place in Ghent and is attended by decision makers from the biotech, pharma and medtech, agricultural and chemical industries as well as investors, universities and research institutes.

VIB 25 Year Anniversary, 13 October

Biotalys will feature as one of the key spinoffs at the event in Brussels for the 25th anniversary of VIB, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology.

CongresoRedagricola Biocontrol, 13-15 October

Carlos Reyes, Field Prodcut Development Manager at Biotalys, will be giving a talk in this online conference. The Latin America-based event will span over three days, with workshops, roundtables and keynote lectures.

VFBHappening 2021, 23 October

Wim Ottevaere, CFO, and Toon Musschoot, Head IR & Communication, will represent Biotalys in a booth at this retail investor conference in Kinepolis, Antwerp.

Food Tech Congress, 3-4 November

CEO Patrice Selles will speak at the AgriTech session during this year's FoodTech Congress on Thursday 4 November 2021.

Kepler Cheuvreux's Global Agri Forum, 15 November

Biotalys' CEO, Patrice Selles, and CFO, Wim Ottevaere, will speak with investors at this year's Global Agri Forum organised by Kepler Cheuvreux (virtual format).

DeutschesEigenkapitalforum, 22-24 November

Biotalys' management will give a company presentation at the Deutsches Eigenkapitalforum (EKF) on Wednesday 24 November 2021 at 14:00 CEST (virtual format).

KBCSecurities Small & Mid Cap Conference, 9-10 December

Biotalys will participate in this event for institutional investors in Brussels. CEO, Patrice Selles, CFO, Wim Ottevaere and Toon Musschoot, Head IR & Communication, will represent the company.

-ENDS -

About Biotalys

Biotalys is an Agricultural Technology.

For further information, please contact:

Toon Musschoot, Head of Investor Relations & Communications

T: +32

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell

T: +44 (0)203 709 5700

E: Biotalys@consilium-comms.com

Important Notice

This announcement contains statements which are "forward-looking statements" or could be considered as such. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words 'aim', 'believe', 'estimate', 'anticipate', 'expect', 'intend', 'may', 'will', 'plan', 'continue', 'ongoing', 'possible', 'predict', 'plans', 'target', 'seek', 'would' or 'should', and contain statements made by the company regarding the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are warned that none of these forward-looking statements offers any guarantee of future performance. The Biotalys actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. Biotalys makes no undertaking whatsoever to publish updates or adjustments to these forward-looking statements, unless required to do so by law.
SURREY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Gungnir Resources Inc. (TSXV:GUG)(OTC PINK:ASWRF) ("Gungnir" or the "Company") is very pleased to report additional high-grade nickel results from continuing drilling at the Company's Lappvattnet nickel deposit in Sweden. Today's results are expedited assays from hole LAP21-05 located 40 metres along strike of hole LAP21-02 which intersected 3.19% Nickel over 4.25 metres (see news releases dated August 31 and September 15, 2021).

Drill Hole LAP21-05 Highlights:

2.62% Ni over 5.65 metres within a 14.00 metre interval grading 1.40% Ni

Peak of 6.67% Ni over 0.65 metres

High-grade Nickel intercept less than 60 metres below surface

Results Table:

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ni % Cu % Co % PGEs (g/t) LAP21-05 60.00 74.00 14.00 1.40 0.12 0.03 0.169 62.35 68.00 5.65 2.62 0.13 0.05 0.177 62.90 64.30 1.40 2.51 0.10 0.04 0.196 65.10 68.00 2.90 3.39 0.14 0.06 0.212 66.30 66.95 0.65 6.67 0.14 0.11 0.315 PGEs (g/t) = platinum (Pt) + palladium (Pd) + gold (Au) Length = core length in metres

The high-grade nickel intercept in hole LAP21-05 consists of several sections of massive and semi-massive sulphides located at the upper contact of the host peridotite intrusion with the intercept located less than 60 metres below surface.

Hole LAP21-05 was drilled on Section 9E, 40 metres east of high-grade nickel mineralization recently intersected in hole LAP21-02 which drilled on Section 8E. LAP21-05 was one of three holes drilled on Section 9E testing a 90-metre interval up-dip of historic hole 2007-04 (0.97% Ni over 17.0 metres from 92.0 metres). Hole LAP21-05, along with LAP21-03 and LAP21-04 were all drilled at location 1,741,549mN and 7,165,169mE (RT90-2.5 co-ordinates) at an azimuth of 340 degrees. LAP21-05, a 100.3 metre hole, was drilled at a dip of -85 degrees, LAP21-04 was drilled 98 metres at a dip of -75 degrees, and LAP21-03 was drilled 77.5 metres at a dip of -45 degrees. Historic hole 74209 (2.87% Ni over 2.81 metres from 39.24 metres) is located between LAP21-03 and LAP21-04.

Drilling continues with tighter spaced holes at the shallow western part of the Lappvattnet deposit with a current plan of 15 drill holes covering a strike length of approximately 140 metres. Please link to accompanying attachment for plan map showing drill sections and a core photo of nickel mineralization in hole LAP21-05 (Figure 1).

Assays are pending for the lower portion of hole LAP21-05, as well as for holes LAP21-01, LAP21-03 to LAP21-06 and LAP21-08 to LAP21-10, all of which have been submitted to the lab. Drill core was logged and tagged for sampling at the Company's core logging facility in Lycksele then shipped to ALS Minerals' Core Services Laboratory in Mala. Core was sawed on site in Mala by ALS staff and prepped sample material was sent to ALS's Lab in Ireland. Core was analyzed for multi-elements using code ME-MS41, Cu OG46 analysis for >10000 ppm Cu, NiOG46 analysis for >10000 ppm Ni, and Pt, Pd, and Au were analyzed using fire assay method PGM-ICP27. Blanks and certified standards are routinely included in sample batches for quality assurance and control.

Gungnir's nickel resources in Sweden include Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget. In 2020, the Company updated both resources which collectively total 177 million pounds of nickel (see Technical Report with an effective date of November 17, 2020):

Lappvattnet: Inferred Resource of 780,000 tonnes grading 1.35% nickel for 23.1 million lbs (10.5 million kg) of nickel.

Rormyrberget: Inferred Resource of 36,800,000 tonnes grading 0.19% nickel for 154 million lbs (70 million kg) of nickel.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Jari Paakki, P.Geo., CEO and a director of the Company. Mr. Paakki is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Gungnir Resources

Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V) with gold and base metal projects in northern Sweden. Gungnir's assets include the Knaften project which hosts a developing intrusion-hosted gold system, and VMS (zinc-copper) and copper-nickel targets, all of which are open for expansion and further discovery. East of Knaften, the Company holds two nickel-copper-cobalt deposits, Lappvattnet and Rormyrberget, with updated nickel resources. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Jari Paakki, CEO and Director

For further information contact:

Head Office/Investor Relations

Phone: +1-604-683-0484

Jari Paakki, CEO

Email: jpaakki@eastlink.ca

Chris Robbins, CFO

Email: robbinscr@shaw.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 Information

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (also known as forward-looking statements). Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or industry results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "feel", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "subject to", "will", "would", and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Some of the specific forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: planned drilling activities and the expected timing thereof; expectations of additional high-grade nickel assays within the planned program, and Gungnir's plan for development of its properties and the timing thereof.

Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by Gungnir, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian and global economy and Gungnir's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect Gungnir's business; there will be a demand for Gungnir's services and products in the future; Gungnir will be able to operate its business as planned; and Gungnir's plans for future exploration and development of its properties is reasonable and will be possible within the anticipated timelines. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what Gungnir believes to be reasonable assumptions, it cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information.

Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: no certainty that any economically viable mineral deposit will be located on Gungnir's properties; that Gungnir may not be able to complete its planned drilling as anticipated; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; ability to access capital markets; environmental matters; changes in legislation or regulations; receipt of required licenses, permits and approvals; and resource estimates may not be accurate and may differ significantly from actual mineral resources. Management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information contained herein are based upon reasonable assumptions and information currently available; however, management can give no assurance that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Gungnir. The forward-looking information is stated as of the date of this news release and Gungnir assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Gungnir Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664882/Gungnir-Drills-667-Nickel-Within-565-metres-Grading-262-Nickel
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - SKRR Exploration Inc. (TSXV: SKRR) (OTC Pink: SKKRF) (FSE: B04Q) ("SKRR" or the "Company") announces that the first drill hole was completed on the 100% owned Manson Bay gold project (the "Manson Bay Project") located in the Trans Hudson Corridor in east-central Saskatchewan, approximately 40km northwest of the historic mining center of Flin Flon, on the Manitoba border. The Manson Bay Project consists of 13 mineral claims compromising a total of approximately 4,293 hectares.

Sherman Dahl, CEO of SKRR stated:

"The first drill hole was completed (MB21001) on Saturday, September 18, 2021, which was terminated at 149m. The drill hole was collared at an angle of -70 degrees and drilled in the same approximate vicinity as historic hole MBO-15, which returned 15.39 g/t Au over 10.03m. MB21001 intercepted mineralization in a sulphide rich shear zone from 84.3m to 95.0m. Sulphides consist of 1 to 10% semi-massive and massive pyrite and pyrrhotite with moderate to strong sericite alteration. A further zone of sulphide mineralization, but without the intense sericite alteration was present from 99.5m to 115m consisting of 1 - 5% disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite. Additional logging and details are pending. The beginning of this drill program is an exciting new exploration area for SKRR. This exploration program is in addition to the large Olson Gold project that yielded a discovery in previous drilling. SKRR plans to continue the year with the return to the Olson property in addition to the current Manson Bay drilling."

SKRR is pleased to release initial core pictures that have not been assayed and results will be released as available.





Manson Bay Drill Program Core Image 1



To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6952/97123_skrrfigure1.jpg





Manson Bay Drill Program Core Image 2

To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6952/97123_skrrfigure2.jpg

2021 Manson Bay Drill Program

QB Drilling has been contracted to conduct a 1700m, 9-hole NQ core drill program at the Manson Bay Project. The primary focus of the drilling will be to test the historic Manson Bay Gold Zone, where historic drilling by HudBay Minerals (1985) and MinGold Resources (1987-88) outlined the Manson Bay Gold Zone, with highlights such as drill hole MBO-15 intersected 15.39 g/t Au over 10.03m including a high-grade interval of 23.13 g/t Au over 6.40m. It is expected that seven (7) holes will test within the known Manson Bay Gold Zone, with the aim to confirm and expand upon historic results, and two (2) step-out holes contingent on results from the summer mapping and soil geochemistry surveys.

The 2021 Manson Bay drilling targets are based on a comprehensive compilation and modelling of all available data including historic drilling, and from the recent fieldwork completed by SKRR.

The mineral occurrence located on the Manson Bay Project referred to as the Manson Bay Gold Zone is documented in the Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") as occurrence #2280. The historic results were summarized from the SMDI descriptions and assessment reports filed with the Saskatchewan government. SKRR cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person but form a basis for ongoing work at the Manson Bay Project. Further work (including drilling) is required by SKRR in order to verify the historical work on the Manson Bay Project. Widths reported in this news release are down hole, and do not necessarily represent true width.

Samples from drill core will be split in half sections on site. One-half of the split sample will be sent for multi-element analysis. The other half of the split core will remain on site for reference.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ross McElroy P.Geol, a director of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. McElroy verified the data disclosed (unless indicated otherwise) which includes a review of the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.

About SKRR Exploration Inc.:

SKRR is a Canadian-based precious metal explorer with properties in Saskatchewan - one of the world's highest ranked mining jurisdictions. The primary exploration focus is on the Trans-Hudson Corridor in Saskatchewan in search of world class precious metal deposits. The Trans-Hudson Orogen - although extremely well known in geological terms has been significantly under-explored in Saskatchewan. SKRR is committed to all stakeholders including shareholders, all its partners and the environment in which it operates.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Sherman Dahl

President & CEO

Tel: 250-558-8340

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 Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements that address the planned drilling on the Manson Bay Project and the expected outcomes, additional work on the Olson Project, other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its projects and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals, the ability to achieve its goals, the ability to secure equipment and personnel to carry out work programs, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There is a possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, decrease in the price of gold and other metals, equipment failures or failure to obtain the necessary equipment, adverse weather and climate conditions, failure to maintain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97123


Managing Director of CEKD, Ms. Yap Kai Ning

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - The shares of CEKD BERHAD ("CEKD" or the "Group") has been oversubscribed by 131.61 times ahead of the Group's listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad ("Bursa Securities")."We are extremely grateful for the strong confidence our investors have in CEKD, our business, prospects and future plans. Our hard work to build a sustainable business has paid off," said Managing Director of CEKD, Ms. Yap Kai Ning.CEKD is raising RM24.28 million from the IPO exercise. From the proceeds, the Group will use RM8.8 million for the acquisition of a factory for Hotstar, RM3.0 million for purchase of new machinery, RM1.3 million for upgrade and development of computer software and server, RM4 million for repayment of bank borrowings, with the remainder to be used for marketing activities, general working capital and listing expenses."This is just the beginning of our corporate journey. The expansion plan will give a push to the growth of the Group's business," Ms. Yap explained. "This is also part of the strategy to increase automation and capacity to meet the demand of our new and existing clients."For this IPO, a total of 18,884 applications for 1,290,183,500 new Shares with a value of RM619,288,080.00 were received from the Malaysian public, which represents an overall oversubscription rate of 131.61 times.For the Bumiputera portion, a total of 10,413 applications for 593,591,600 new Shares were received, which represents an oversubscription rate of 121.03 times. For the public portion, a total of 8,471 applications for 695,591,900 new Shares were received, which represents an oversubscription rate of 142.20 times.Meanwhile, a total of 9,729,000 new Shares available for application by the eligible directors and employees and persons who have contributed to the success of the Group have also been fully subscribed.In addition, the Placement Agent has confirmed that the 31,132,000 Shares made available for application by way of private placement have been fully placed out.The notices of allotment will be posted to all successful applicants on or before 28 September 2021.M&A Securities Sdn Bhd is the Adviser, Sponsor, Underwriter and Placement Agent for this IPO exercise.CEKD's listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Securities is scheduled on 29 September 2021.About CEKD BerhadCEKD Berhad ("CEKD" or the "Group") is an investment holding company with three wholly owned subsidiaries, namely Sharp Die Cutting Mould Sdn Bhd at Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur; Hotstar (M) Sdn Bhd at Kepong, Kuala Lumpur and Focuswin Diecutting Mould Sdn Bhd at Prai, Penang.The Group is a die-cutting solutions provider and is involved in the manufacturing of die-cutting moulds and trading of related consumables, tools, and accessories, mainly to the paper printing and packaging industry, electronic and electrical industry, and other industries such as automotive, plastic packaging, textile and leather industries.CEKD's die-cutting moulds and tools are used to die-cut paper boxes and cartons, plastic packaging boxes, electrical components such as laptops, hard disks, audio speakers, remote controllers, automotive parts such as engine gaskets, emblem, fabric and leather for furniture, car seats, steering wheels, clothing and shoes. For more information, visit www.cekd.com.my.Issued by: Swan Consultancy on behalf of CEKD BerhadDate: 21 September 2021Please contact the below for more information:Hakim JuraimiTel: +60 12-318 5410Email: h.juraimi@swanconsultancy.bizKahjin GanTel: +60 16-555 5187Email: kj.gan@swanconsultancy.bizSource: CEKD BerhadCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Drone Market in terms of revenue was worth of USD 18.28 Billion in 2020 and is Projected to reach USD 40.90 Billion in 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.27% from 2021 to 2027.

Drones are commonly known as unmanned aerial vehicles. It is an aircraft without any human pilot, passengers, or crew on board. The flight of drone may use under remote control by a human hand with different degrees of autonomy, such as autopilot assistance, up to completely independent aircraft that have no obligation for human involvement. Drones are considered pilotless platforms that can be remotely monitored by a human worker or piloted independently by a predetermined onboard computer. Drones offer the immense potential to convert urban and rural infrastructure and improve agricultural productivity in emerging countries. These can be as huge as an aircraft or as small as the hand's palm. Drones are usually used in conditions where operated flight is deemed very risky or complicated. They offer troops along with an "eye in the sky" seven days a week, 24-hour. Initially established for military and aerospace activities, drones have discovered their route into the mainstream due to the improved levels of security and effectiveness they bring. Various drones are available of traveling differing heights and distances.

Get Sample Copy of This Premium Report@ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/27

The study provides a crucial view of the global drone market by segmenting the market based on type, application and region & country level. Based upon the type, global drone market is segmented into Fixed-Wing Drone, Multi-Rotor Drone, and Others (Helirotor & Hybrid). Based upon application, the market is segmented into Military, Commercial and Consumer.

Rising demand for drones in military applications, advanced development in drones, and its growing applications in various sectors are some of the major factors driving the growth of the global drone market. Drones have been used by military forces of several countries for more than a decade. Military spending for drone technology is anticipated to flourish as a complete percentage of military budgets, presenting growth opportunities to particular drone manufacturers and software developers. For instance; there were demands for at least 3,447 additional unmanned ground, air, and sea systems in 2019, that is, a triple rise in the orders of 2018. Roughly 95 countries throughout the world previously have military drones. Many countries such as India, China, Germany, and Azerbaijan make use of remotely piloted drones designed for transporting munitions for dense forces.

Drones are usually utilized to collect data concerning ongoing and life-threatening military missions with the aid of their surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance capabilities on a real-time basis. Owing to the many advantages of drones in military sectors, the demand for them is gradually increasing all over the globe. In addition, increasing number of product offerings in the market is also fueling the growth of the drone market growth all over the globe during the forecast period. For instance; DJI introduced its Phantom 4 RTK drone, for assessing and mapping, at the European Drone Summit in Frankfurt, in October 2018 in Germany. Also, in April 2018, DroneDeploy Inc. launched its construction solution that permits users to instinctively develop photo flights, spontaneously capture corner images, instantly generate a visual timeline of a job site, and produce a replicable weekly improvement report. These various advancements have stemmed in constant demand for drones from the construction sector. However, various technological constraints such as SWaP challenges, limited endurance, and the presence of non-uniform laws and regulations may hinder the market growth. Despite this, ongoing technological advancements in this field may offer lucrative opportunities for the further growth of market.

The type of segment of the Global Drone Market is dominated by Fixed-Wing Drone drive with the largest market share of 54.85% in 2020. The application segment of the Global Drone Market is dominated by Military drive with the largest market share of 56.74% in 2020.

The global Drone market research reports segments as follows:

Global Drone Market: By Type

Fixed-Wing Drone

Multi-Rotor Drone

Others (Helirotor & Hybrid)

Global Drone Market: By Application

Military

Commercial

Consumer

Get Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/27

On a geographic basis, North America is expected to dominate the drone market during the forecast period owing to the increasing use of combat drones, the adoption of drones in the military, and other application and high investment in research & development in this region. For instance; the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a kidney, which was shortly provided by drone in April 2019. This observed the first delivery of such kind in the United States and the reach to donor organ pool and access to transplantation delivery of organs like kidneys, heart, and livers, among others.

Additionally, in October 2019, Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) signed an agreement with Air Canada and the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) to release the world's first airport-based drone delivery center. Edmonton Regional Airports Authority and DDC develop flight paths from EIA utilizing DroneSpot takeoff and arriving zones and started the processes by 2020. More, by the end of 2020, around 20 more routes included building a drone logistics network focused on EIA. This deal was a project to execute, organize, and market drone delivery facilities in Canadian-controlled airspace.

The Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market for the drones owing to several government regulations & schemes, the increasing number product launches and as well as increasing use of drones in the region. For instance; Coal India utilized drones to test illegal mining and pilferage, a scheme that it had previously tested in a pilot plan in November 2019. Also, Indian Railways is using drones for examination and 3D mapping to bring to life its concept of a devoted freight corridor with a 3,360 km network. Likewise, in China, there were about 558 thousand number of registered drone operators in 2020. The use of drones is noticeably increasing in the region.

Market Trends of Drone Market:

An aircraft without any human pilot, crew or passengers on board is nothing but the A drone which is also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). These Drones or unmanned flying systems are capable to carry different devices or sensors based on the type of their missions such as photographic, sound, chemical and biological devices. Drones can be clustered into categories such as fixed-wing, tilt-rotor, flapping wing, rotary-wing, helicopter, ducted fan, ornithopter and unconventional types.

Some of the major trends of Global Drone Market are such as:

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Eachine E520S DJI Mini 2 Ryze Tello DJI Mavic Air Autel EVO II DJI Inspire 2 PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard DJI Air 2 Flyability Elios DJI FPV senseFly eBee X Emax Tinyhawk 2 DJI Phantom 4 RTK MQ-5B Hunter TAI Anka

Get Full Access of all Trends:https://brandessenceresearch.com/technology-media/global-drone-market-2018-2024

Related Reports:

Drone Analytics Market: Historical And Forecasts By Type (On-Premises And On-Demand), By Industry (Agriculture & Forestry, Construction, Insurance, Mining & Quarrying, Utility, Telecommunication, Oil & Gas, Transportation, Scientific Research And Others), By Application (Thermal Detection, Geolocation Tagging, Aerial Monitoring, Ground Exploration, Volumetric Calculations, 3D Modelling And Others), By Solution (End To End Solutions And Point Solutions): Global Industry Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, to 2027

At 6.3% CAGR, Personalized Medicine Market Revenue to Cross USD 751 Bn by 2027, Says Brandessence Market Research

The UCaaS Market Size Will Reach USD 32.28 Bn by 2027

Smart Electric Meter Market size is expected to reach USD 15.29 Billion By 2025

The Aircraft MRO Market Size is Projected to USD 105.02 Billion in 2025 Says Brandessence Market Research

Global Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Market is valued at USD 12.67 Billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 48.96 Billion by 2027 with the CAGR of 21.3% over the forecast period

Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market is valued around USD 1941.7 Million in 2020 and expected to reach USD 6772.9 Million by 2027 with the CAGR of 19.54% over the forecast period.

About Brandessence Market Research & Consulting Pvt ltd.

Brandessence market research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations, and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in Pune, India and our sales office is in London.

Website: https://brandessenceresearch.com

Media contact:

Mr. Vishal Sawant

Email: vishal@brandessenceresearch.com

Email: Sales@brandessenceresearch.com

Corporate Sales: +44-2038074155

Asia Office: +917447409162

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1392316/BEMR_Logo.jpg


Sixth Annual SDG Impact Report from GSMA Shows Mobile Sector Increased its SDG Contribution, Despite the Pandemic

LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The sixth annual SDG impact report from the GSMA shows the mobile industry increased its contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2020. Despite the significant challenges posed by the global pandemic, the sector is halfway to maximising its potential impact on the SDGs. However, progress cannot be taken for granted, as there are less than 10 years to achieve the 2030 SDG targets.

Click here to download: 2021 Mobile Industry Impact Report: Sustainable Development Goals.

"As heads of state gather for the UN General Assembly, we call on world leaders, and the public and private sectors, to work together to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in many ways, so keeping the commitment to the SDGs has never been more important for governments and industries. Yet, we know that it will not be possible to attain the 2030 Agenda without mobile connectivity. It is our responsibility to collaborate in new ways that will maximise the industry's potential," said GSMA's Director General, Mats Granryd.

The mobile industry's SDG contributions

Despite rising mobile data traffic, mobile networks delivered a 33% improvement in download speeds in 2020 due to increasing 4G adoption and 5G take-up. These improvements enhance the mobile industry's SDG impact, as it enables mobile to be at the heart of a broad range of services designed to address society's global challenges.

Last year, a staggering 3.3 billion people used mobile to make video calls, aiding several online activities, including e-learning, telehealth, and remote working. 1.6 billion people are now using mobile internet to improve or monitor their health; 2 billion people use mobile internet to access education for themselves or their children.

2.3 billion people (45% of mobile subscribers) used their phones to purchase goods and services, representing an increase of 300 million since 2019. During the pandemic, more people used mobile to purchase food and other essential products and services as they became less comfortable handling cash. This activity supports the mobile industry's contribution to SDG3: Good Health; SDG4: Quality Education; SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

2.6 billion people used mobile financial services, such as mobile banking and mobile money, an increase of 270 million people since 2019. Using mobile financial services helps create employment opportunities, raise productivity and formalise the economy, contributing to SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Other gains are included in the report.

Key facts include:

In 2020, the mobile industry increased its impact for each of the 17 SDGs, achieving an average SDG impact score of 50

This means the industry is achieving 50% of its potential contribution to the SDGs - up from 48% in 2019 and 33% in 2015

Despite the economic recession, mobile adoption continued to increase in 2020, supporting the industry's contribution to multiple SDGs.

By the end of 2020, 5.2 billion people (67% of the global population) were using a mobile phone, representing an increase of 90 million people since 2019.

And, 4 billion people (51% of the global population) were also using the mobile internet, which is an increase of 220 million since 2019.

Net Zero by 2050

The mobile industry is making continued progress on disclosing climate data and setting targets for emissions reductions.

At the end of 2020, 69% of operators by connections and 80% by revenue disclosed their climate impacts, while 31% of operators by connections and 36% by revenue had set carbon reduction targets to be net zero by 2050.

About GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Africa, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the M360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

Media Contacts:

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com

Logo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1385555/GSMA_Logo.jpg
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, D.C., Sept 21, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - The recent debate over the Infrastructure Bill has made two things clear: The government will be regulating blockchain activities, but they don't understand it well enough to do an effective job. For that reason, the Government Blockchain Association (GBA) and our partners are organizing Blockchain & Infrastructure (https://www.gbaglobal.org/event/blockchain-infastructure/), a two-day educational seminar to be held from 27-28 September 2021 in Washington DC, for government leaders and their staff. The educational content will be delivered to public sector organizations exploring blockchain and cryptocurrency.Mr. Charles Hoskinson of Cardano will be speaking live from Washington, DC, and will also be broadcast to virtual attendees in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. This 2-day hybrid experience will be a crash course in blockchain and cryptocurrency training, followed by an evening reception for networking and meeting the speakers, including Charles Hoskinson, Scott Stornetta, and other blockchain pioneers. Live and virtual attendees will also be able to engage with Mr. Hoskinson and other participants through a conference app provided by Qbix.In 2013, Mr. Hoskinson was one of the original founders of Ethereum. A few years later, he spearheaded IOHK (Input Output Hong Kong), whose key project is Cardano. Cardano's market cap is currently over $69 Billion. IOHK sponsors blockchain technology research labs at the University of Edinburgh and the Tokyo Institute of Technology and is collaborating on a blockchain research project with the University of Wyoming. Mr. Hoskinson will be speaking at Blockchain & Infrastructure and will be networking with conference attendees during the evening reception on September 28.Source: PlatoData IntelligenceSource: GBACopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / (TSXV:OGN) (OTCQX:OGNRF) Orogen Royalties Inc. ("Orogen" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that is has signed an agreement (the "Agreement") with Ivy Minerals Inc. ("Ivy"), a private mineral exploration company, to option Orogen's Ghost Ranch gold project in northeastern Nevada, U.S.A.

Ivy can earn a 51% interest in the Ghost Ranch project by spending US$1.5 million over a four-year period, including a firm commitment of 4,000 feet of drilling. Orogen will retain a 49% interest in Ghost Ranch and reserve a 0.5% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty. Both Ivy and Orogen will then participate in a joint venture to develop Ghost Ranch. If either parties' equity interest in Ghost Ranch falls below 10%, their interest will convert to a 1% NSR royalty. Orogen would then retain a total 1.5% NSR royalty in the event the Company is diluted below 10%.

"Ghost Ranch is an undrilled Carlin-type target under shallow pediment along a regional gravity break, that could represent an extension of the Long Canyon trend," commented Paddy Nicol, Orogen's CEO. "The structure of this Agreement allows Orogen to participate with an equity interest in the event a discovery is made at Ghost Ranch, with the optionality of converting to an NSR royalty within a relatively short time frame."

About Ghost Ranch Property

The Ghost Ranch project is located 25 kilometres west of West Wendover and 30 kilometres southeast of Nevada Gold Mines' Long Canyon open pit mine (1.97 million ounces M&I Resource at 3.21 grams per tonne gold)1 in northeast Nevada (Figure 1). The project consists of 258 claims located on BLM land encompassing a shallow shelf covered by less than one hundred metres of alluvium. Prospective Cambrian and Ordovician host rocks project into the subsurface and have seen no historic drilling. This stratigraphy outcrops to the east at Morgan Pass where Carlin-type mineralization occurs at surface but development has been limited due to the wilderness study area land status to the east of Ghost Ranch.

At Ghost Ranch, enzyme leach soils covering the northern half of the property display a strong correlation between inferred structures and anomalous gold and Carlin Suite elements (Figure 2).

The property represents a rare opportunity to discover Carlin-type systems in Nevada at less than one hundred metres depth. Ivy minerals have expanded the soil survey across the remainder of the project and will use these results to guide future drill plans.

Figure 1: Location of Ghost Ranch

Figure 2: Gold in soils at Ghost Ranch over complete Bouguer Gravity (red is high, blue is low)

About Ivy Minerals

Ivy Minerals Inc, established in 1978, is a private, closely held explorer of gold, silver and copper mineral projects with the potential to develop into high quality mines. It has active early-stage projects in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.

Qualified Person Statement

All technical data, as disclosed in this press release, has been verified by Laurence Pryer, Ph.D., P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Orogen. Dr. Pryer is a qualified person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101.

About Orogen Royalties Inc.

Orogen Royalties Inc. is focused on organic royalty creation and royalty acquisitions on precious and base metal discoveries in western North America. The Company's royalty portfolio includes the Ermitano West gold deposit in Sonora, Mexico (2% NSR royalty) being developed by First Majestic Silver Corp. and the Silicon gold project (1% NSR royalty) in Nevada, USA, being advanced by AngloGold Ashanti N.A. The Company is well financed with several projects actively being developed by joint venture partners.

On Behalf of the Board

OROGEN ROYALTIES INC.

Paddy Nicol

President & CEO

To find out more about Orogen, please contact Paddy Nicol, President & CEO at 604-248-8648, and Liliana Wong, Manager of Marketing and Investor Relations at 604-248-8648. Visit our website at www.orogenroyalties.com.

Orogen Royalties Inc.

1201 - 510 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC

Canada V6B 1L8

info@orogenroyalties.com

https://s25.q4cdn.com/322814910/files/doc_presentations/2021/NGM_Investor_Day_08_Long_Canyon.pdf

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this presentation, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Orogen Royalties Inc. (the "Company") expect to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking information relates to statements concerning the Company's future outlook and anticipated events or results, as well as the Company's management expectations with respect to the proposed business combination (the "Transaction"). This document also contains forward-looking statements regarding the anticipated completion of the Transaction and timing thereof. Forward-looking statements in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning the receipt, in a timely manner, of regulatory and stock exchange approvals in respect of the Transaction.

Although the Company believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Furthermore, the extent to which COVID-19 may impact the Company's business will depend on future developments such as the geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions, physical distancing, business closures or business disruptions, and the effectiveness of actions taken in Canada and other countries to contain and treat the disease. Although it is not possible to reliably estimate the length or severity of these developments and their financial impact as of the date of approval of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements, continuation of the prevailing conditions could have a significant adverse impact on the Company's financial position and results of operations for future periods.

Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither 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.

SOURCE: Orogen Royalties Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664847/Orogen-Options-Ghost-Ranch-to-Ivy-Minerals
Company Previously Engaged Structural Engineering Technologies, P.C. (SET) For Engineering & Test Boring Services; SET Is 80 Year Old Firm Nationally Renowned For Its Structural And Foundation Engineering Services

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Green Stream Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK:GSFI) ("the Company") (https://greensolarutility.com), an emerging leader in the solar utility and finance space, today announced that the soil boring testing has been completed for the Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY. Now the Company can proceed to the construction phase for their Solar Farm canopies at the site.

CEO James DiPrima said: "The completion of this step will now allow us to enter into the construction phase on this site with our other sites quickly following suit."

SET's two principals have over 80 years of combined experience in all facets of structural and foundation Engineering. S.E.T., P.C. has blended traditional, practical engineering skills with modern technological tools in a single firm that provides efficient and cost-effective solutions for all phases of a project.

?S.E.T., P.C. is not your typical structural engineering firm, but rather a rapidly growing design firm that provides demolition, structural, foundation, geotechnical, civil and environmental, value engineering, and forensic engineering services, as well as engineering support services for owners and contractors, interface with and obtaining approvals from NYC Department of Buildings (Excavation Unit, Concrete Enforcement Unit, Forensic Unit, etc.) and NYC Transit Authority.

S.E.T., P.C. has also expanded into directly providing soil borings, soil testing, underground environmental services, optical and vibration monitoring services, precondition surveys of existing facilities, and project management/advisory services for the support of excavation, foundation, and superstructure phases of your project.

The Company had previously engaged SET for the Preparation and Submission of Geotechnical Reports, based on Soil Borings, and samples taken by SET's driller. Report contained all pertinent new building data, brief site history, description of site geology, analysis and description of Soil Borings, and recommended foundation types for proposed new building. Approximately twelve (12) Soil Borings will be made for this site and were to be installed to an anticipated depth of 30 feet below grade. All Borings were installed to their desired anticipated depth, bedrock or refusal, whichever comes first.

?About Green Stream Finance, Inc.

Green Stream Finance, Inc., a solar utility and finance company with satellite offices in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, is focused on exploiting currently unmet markets in the solar energy space, and is currently licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and Canada. The Company's next-generation solar greenhouses constructed and managed by Green Rain Solar, LLC, a Nevada-based division, utilize proprietary greenhouse technology and trademarked design developed by world-renowned architect Mr. Antony Morali. The Company is currently targeting high-growth solar market segments for its advanced solar greenhouse and advanced solar battery products. The Company has a growing footprint in the significantly underserved solar market in New York City where it is targeting 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space for the installation of its solar panels. Green Stream is looking to forge key partnership with major investment groups, brokers, and private investors in order to capitalize on a variety of unique investment opportunities in the commercial solar energy markets. The Company is dedicated to becoming a major player in this critical space. Through its innovative solar product offerings and industry partnerships, the Company is well-positioned to become a significant player in the solar space.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Green Stream Finance, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, Green Stream Finance, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For All Inquiries Contact:

+1 (424) 280-4096

president@greenstreamfinance.com

Website: greensolarutility.com

Phone number: (646) 669-7007

SOURCE: Green Stream Holdings Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664917/Green-Stream-Holdings-Announces-Its-Structural-Engineer-Completed-Soil-Borings-For-3-Megawatt-Solar-Farm-Construction-Of-Canopy-To-Begin-Shortly
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Negev Capital, a psychedelic medical intervention investment fund, has recently "doubled down" on its sizable investment in Small Pharma Inc (TSXV: DMT), a neuropharmaceutical company specialised in IP-led development of novel treatments for mental health conditions, with a focus on depression.

Negev Capital has a broader strategic relationship with Small Pharma, and this latest investment increases the cumulative investment to (USD)$1 million.

Negev Capital invests in companies that develop novel drugs for psychiatric disorders based on psychedelic compounds. Since its inception in February 2021, the fund has recorded exceptional performance through fifteen investments valued at $15+ million, executed across the USA, Canada and Europe.

Small Pharma initiated a clinical program into DMT-assisted therapy in February 2021. This program includes a Phase I/IIa trial on their lead candidate alongside the development of a robust pipeline of proprietary preclinical assets.

Peter Rands, Small Pharma CEO, said: "Negev Capital's ongoing investment in our company is a vote of confidence in our robust pipeline of proprietary assets. Small Pharma's performance to date is a reflection of our team's capabilities and potential."

"Small Pharma's recent market cap of circa USD$100mln including approximately USD$42mln in cash is an exceptional investment opportunity giving consideration to the strong science team and progress in clinical trials. We are excited to play a crucial role in helping such companies to achieve their goals." - Ken Belotsky, Partner, Negev Capital.

Notes to Editor

About Negev Capital

Negev Capital is a psychedelic medical intervention investment fund with assets of USD$20+ million. We invest in drug discovery, with a focus on preclinical and/or Phase 1 stages of development. We aim to support those early stage companies in need of capital that promote the thoughtful, responsible, medical use of psychedelic medication for psychiatric disorders, and who have excellent management and science teams, and solid IP.

We believe that psychedelic medications will be not only disruptive to the practice of psychiatry, but hold the potential to reduce enormous amounts of human suffering, and we are committed to helping the field mature, and further promote ways for these treatments to reach all of those in need.

For further information, please visit https://negevcap.com/

About Small Pharma Inc.

Small Pharma is a neuropharmaceutical company specialised in IP-led development of novel treatments for mental health conditions, with a focus on depression. Small Pharma initiated a clinical program into DMT-assisted therapy in February 2021. This program includes a Phase I/IIa trial on its lead candidate alongside development of a robust pipeline of proprietary preclinical assets.

For further information, please visit https://www.smallpharma.co.uk/

Contacts

kristina@microdose.buzz

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/96796
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Andean Precious Metals Corp. (TSXV: APM) (OTCQB: ANPMF) ("Andean" or the "Company"), a leading Latin-American silver producer, is pleased to announce that, effective September 21, 2021, its common shares will commence trading on the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the symbol "ANPMF".

"Listing on the OTCQB reaffirms our commitment to improving our stock's liquidity, while also enhancing Andean's visibility and exposure in the United States," said Alberto Morales, Executive Chairman. "We believe that trading on the OTCQB will further broaden the Company's shareholder base by allowing prospective U.S.-based investors to more readily obtain information and access through a domestic trading platform. U.S. investors have shown a strong interest in silver producers, and we look forward to introducing Andean to this community."

The OTCQB is the premier marketplace for entrepreneurial and development stage U.S. and international companies that are committed to providing a high-quality trading and information experience for their U.S. investors. To be eligible, companies must be current in their financial reporting, pass a minimum bid price test, and undergo an annual company verification and management certification process. The OTCQB quality standards provide a strong baseline of transparency, as well as the technology and regulation to improve the information and trading experience for investors.

About Andean Precious Metals Corp.

Andean Precious Metals (TSXV: APM) (OTCQB: ANPMF) is a Canadian, growth-focused silver producer that owns and operates the San Bartolome project located in the department of Potosi, Bolivia. San Bartolome has been operating consistently since 2008, producing an average of over five million ounces of silver per year. The Company is also exploring its wholly-owned San Pablo and Rio Blanco gold projects and seeking other accretive opportunities in Bolivia and Latin America. Andean Precious Metals is committed to fostering safe, sustainable and responsible operations. For more information, please visit www.andeanpm.com.

Company Contact

Fraser Buchan

Corporate Development and Investor Relations

ir@andeanpm.com

T: +1 647 480 1550 ext. 1550

Investor Contact N.A.

Daniel Weinerman

NATIONAL Capital Markets

dweinerman@national.ca

T: +1 416 848 1715

Media Contact Eur.

Oliver Lamb

Consultant

Tavistock

andean@tavistock.co.uk

T: +44 20 7920 3150

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. 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.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Andean with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Andean'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 Andean 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 Andean. 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 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; the risks and uncertainties associated with foreign markets. These forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Andean and general market conditions, including COVID-19.

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 Andean has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended and such changes could be material. Andean does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97053.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture digital services and insights provider in North America, is pleased to announce the launch of its agricultural carbon services platform. The platform is the first of its kind to provide a scalable and streamlined process of collecting, analyzing, and sharing in-field soil carbon data to support the development of carbon programs.

Deveron's new platform eliminates a number of key bottlenecks impeding the current market for agriculture carbon. The Company views these improvements as key enablers for maximizing the creation of reliable and credible carbon credits. The platform is built on three key principles highlighted below:

Leverage Deveron's growing network of trained and dedicated soil technicians across North America, thus ensuring consistency of sampling

Provide single chain of custody from the farm to the lab in a digital platform

Ensure soil data integrity via best-in-class data security

"Carbon credits in agriculture are becoming a new opportunity for farmers to obtain direct financial compensation for positive environmental improvements implemented in their operations," stated David MacMillan, Deveron's President and CEO. "Over the past 2 years, we have helped multiple companies and growers collect and analyze soil data, leveraging our data technician network and our soil laboratory partners, including our recently acquisition, Woods End Laboratories. The development of our carbon services platform addresses the need to provide standardized carbon data across multiple locations. Our view is that high-value carbon credits in agriculture will require high fidelity field data which Deveron is uniquely positioned to provide while at the same time making sure field data is digitized and standardized to allow for comparability and auditability over time."

In conjunction with the Company's product announcement, Deveron has signed enterprise contract commencing this fall, to provide its carbon program to a large multinational agribusiness. Utilizing Deveron's industry-leading soil health platform, the client gains access to Deveron's extensive foot print of soil technicians across North America, providing a single chain of data custody from collection to analysis, assuring best in class data sharing and security. The contract is valued at US $125,000 and focuses on the US Midwest and could increase depending on demand for the client's carbon program.

To find out more about our carbon platform, visit: https://deveronuas.com/carbon/.

About Deveron: Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to better manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide, and other farm inputs. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone. Our geographic focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres are actively farmed annually.

For more information, please visit www.deveronuas.com.

David MacMillan

President & CEO Deveron Corp.

416-367-4571 ext. 221

dmacmillan@deveronuas.com

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97121
Warrior Gold Inc. (TSX-V WAR) ("Warrior Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has engaged GoldSpot Discoveries Corp. ("GoldSpot") (TSXV: SPOT) to acquire magnetics/VLF, LiDAR and radiometric data on Warrior Gold's KLC and Arnold properties located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Once the surveys are complete, GoldSpot will analyze the acquired data set utilizing its proprietary machine learning technology and geoscience expertise.

Efficient Data Acquisition

GoldSpot's newly acquired geophysical services division utilizes the M-PASS system, a triaxial magnetic gradient/VLF platform, with a 2048-channel radiometric sensor which includes a high-precision LiDAR sensor and high-resolution cameras capable of producing four-band imagery. The combination of these systems onto a single helicopter allows for increased data captured through a single mobilization and flight creating a significantly cost-effective solution for multi-parameter data.

Daniele Spethmann Warrior Gold's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are really pleased to work with GoldSpot and their new team of geophysicists and data acquisition technicians. The geophysical and LiDAR data acquired from this survey will be the foundational work upon which the Warrior Gold and GoldSpot teams will base their AI targeting efforts on our new ground. It really is exciting times in the exploration/data acquisition industry. These new data acquisition tools, as well as the sophisticated software available to assist in the targeting exercises, continue to refine the methods used in the discovery process."

Expertise in the Abitibi

GoldSpot's technical team has a long history of working in the Abitibi and will work closely with the Warrior Gold technical team to analyze the acquired geoscience data sets to develop and refine Smart Targets on our new ground.

"Our engagement with Warrior Gold brings us back to our roots in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. This will be our ninth project in the Abitibi and the repeat engagement highlights the successes that we have had. GoldSpot is excited to launch its M-PASS program on Warrior Gold's KLC/Arnold ground and we look forward to demonstrating the functionality and proficiency of the data acquisition arm at GoldSpot," stated Denis Laviolette, Executive Chairman and President of GoldSpot, who added, "Far too many exploration companies are forced to limit which data sets they want to incorporate into their exploration plan. With M-PASS and GoldSpot's computing power that will no longer be the case as GoldSpot is offering a multitude of high-quality data acquisition products that can be combined at a fraction of competitor's costs."

About Warrior Gold Inc.

Warrior Gold is a TSX Venture Exchange-listed company that has consolidated a significant and prospective land package in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp in Ontario, Canada. The properties are hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the world's best-endowed greenstone belts with +200 million ounces of gold produced to date. The properties are host to regional and property-scale mineralized structures that are considered to be second order structures off the Larder Lake Cadillac Deformation Zone LLCDZ the regional structure in the belt known to be spatially associated with the gold mines hosted in the camp.

The properties assembled include: the 100%-owned Goodfish-Kirana, the Arnold property and the recently optioned KL West (KLW) and KL Central (KLC). Warrior's land position in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp comprises 19,307 ha, over 376 claims and 29 patented claims and ranks the company as one of the largest landholders in the Kirkland Lake region.

?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 contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although Warrior Gold believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Warrior Gold can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. In addition to other risks that may affect the forward-looking statements in this press release are those set out in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2021 and the first quarter ended June 30, 2021, which are available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Warrior Gold undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005400/en/

Contacts:

Daniele Spethmann, P.Geo.

President CEO

+1 647 344-3433

dspethmann@warriorgoldinc.com

Daniel Rodriguez

Corporate Development

+1 604 353-4080

drodriguez@warriorgoldinc.com
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new research study on "Medical Packaging Market to 2027 - Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Analysis- by Material, Type, and Application," the market was valued at US$ 109,238.35 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 169,183.91 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% during 2021-2028. The growth of the market is attributed to the rise in demand for medical products, the surge in technological advancements, and favorable government initiatives. However, the fluctuations in the prices of raw materials restrain the market growth.

In 2021, North America dominated the global medical packaging market. Growing demand for medical devices; rising investments, funds, and grants; and the growing number of hospitals propel the demand for pharmaceutical products and technological advancements, which is expected to bolster the growth of the market in the region during the forecast period. Additionally, the implementation of safety guidelines and policies and extensive investments by market players in product development and distribution in the US and Canada are fueling the market growth.

Get Exclusive Sample Pages of Medical Packaging Market - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00005546/

The global medical packaging market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate in the coming years. The market growth in the region is attributed to the presence of pharmaceutical hubs in countries such as India and China, rise in healthcare spending, and lowest production cost than North America and Europe. In addition, a rise in the developments by the market players would fuel the market growth in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.

Based on type, the medical packaging market is segmented into containers, pouches, trays, blister packets, vials, and others. In 2021, the containers segment accounted for the largest share of the market. The market growth for this segment is primarily driven by the rising demand for counterfeit prevention mechanisms and increasing emphasis on convenience and environmental issues.

Rise in Demand for Counterfeit Prevention Mechanisms Fuels Medical Packaging Market Growth

Counterfeit medical products have been detected in most member states and all regions. Examples involved widely-used medicines such as atorvastatin or paracetamol; limited-use medicines such as growth hormone, paclitaxel, and filgastrim; and other kind of drugs such as sildenafil and tadalafil, as well as medical devices such as contact lenses, condoms, surgical mesh, and strips used by diabetic patients to monitor their blood glucose concentrations.

The threat that counterfeit medicines pose to the global pharmaceutical sector is immense. From fake formulations to issues in the manufacturing process, some industry figures believe we could be looking at revenue losses up to  27 billion in Europe alone. The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) is a good source of expertise in this field and highlights an industry report that indicates continued growth for anti-counterfeiting packaging technologies.

The increasing demand for anti-counterfeiting techniques to protect the interests of patients has further strengthened the medical packaging's growth.

Download Sample PDF Brochure of Medical Packaging Market Growth Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00005546/

Medical Packaging Market: Segmental Overview

In terms of type, the containers segment held the largest share of the market in 2021. However, the blister packets segment is estimated to register a significant CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period owing to increasing product developments, and product launches.

In the US, healthcare professionals and leading organizations are distracting the flow of healthcare resources from research & development to primary care due to an increasing number of COVID-19 confirmed patients, which is slowing down the process of innovation. Moreover, the US has the maximum number of COVID-19 patients across the world. However, compared to the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, various businesses in the regions were closed due to multiple reasons, such as the lockdown and reduced production of products and goods. Moreover, well-established treatment procedures and stability in the healthcare system have helped the associated businesses gain pace. The vaccines, ventilators, oxygen generators, and other medical devices and medications have gained importance and demand amid the pandemic. These products are exported to various developing regions. Boxes, molded fiber, containers, and blisters are used for the packing of these products. The supply of the packing material is stable and resumed as compared to the initial phase of the outbreak. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a low impact on the medical packaging market.

Medical Packaging Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments

Company Profiles

Amcor plc

DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

SGD Pharma

3M

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc

Avery Dennison Corporation

Sonoco Products Company

CCL Industries Inc.

WestRock Company

These players are focusing on the expansion and diversification of their market presence and the acquisition of a new customer base, thereby tapping prevailing business opportunities.

Order a Copy of Medical Packaging MarketShares, Strategies and Forecasts 2021-2028 Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00005546/

In June 2021, Amcor released the ACT2100 heat seal coating for medical-grade DuPont Tyvek 2 and paper packaging. This next-generation coating technology has improved performance attributes for healthcare applications and will be manufactured in numerous locations across the world to give clients more options in choosing the best site for device manufacturing and packaging.

In October 2020, SGD Pharma added a market-first 50 ml volume option in a tray produced at an industrial scale by a molded glass producer to its ready-to-use (RTU) molded glass vial portfolio.

In October 2019, 3M introduced a new style of packaging that doesn't require tape or filler and can be adjusted to fit any object weighing less than 3 pounds. The flex amp seal shipping roll, according to 3M, can reduce the amount of time spent on packing, the number of packaging materials used, and the amount of space needed to send items.

Browse Related Reports:

Medical packaging films Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Sterile Medical Packaging Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis

Empty Capsules For Medical Use Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis

About Us:

The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

Contact Us:

If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us:

Contact Person: Sameer Joshi

E-mail: sales@theinsightpartners.com

Phone: +1-646-491-9876

More Research: https://www.openpr.com/news/archive/139407/The-Insight-Partners.html

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1586348/The_Insight_Partners_Logo.jpg


NEW BRUNSWICK (dpa-AFX) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) said its single-shot vaccine showed strong and long-lasting protection in the real world. In a study that included 390,000 people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine effectiveness was 79 percent for COVID-19-related infections and 81 percent for COVID-19-related hospitalizations.



The company said the real-world data were consistent with the phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial, which demonstrated 74 percent efficacy in the U.S. against severe/critical COVID-19. The vaccine was found to be 83 percent effective in preventing COVID-19-related death in the trial.



Johnson & Johnson said the phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 study showed that another shot of its COVID-19 vaccine given 56 days after the first provided 100 percent protection against severe/critical COVID-19 - at least 14 days post-final vaccination. It also resulted in 94 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 in the U.S.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

JOHNSON & JOHNSON-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) has reached an agreement to acquire Devoro Medical, Inc., developer of the WOLF Thrombectomy Platform. The transaction consists of an upfront payment of approximately $269 million for the 84 percent stake not yet owned and up to $67 million upon achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones. On an adjusted basis, Boston Scientific expects the acquisition to be slightly dilutive to earnings per share in 2021. In 2022, the deal is not expected to impact adjusted EPS and will be slightly dilutive on a GAAP basis. 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. - September 21, 2021) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its Tonopah North project located adjacent to the Tonopah West silver-gold resource project along the Walker Lane in west central Nevada.

The Tonopah North project consists of unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 20 square kilometres north and west of the Tonopah West DPB resource area. The claims had been staked to cover the western margin of the recently identified Tonopah Caldera.

The caldera margin is an important foci for mineralization on the Tonopah West project. Detailed mapping and interpretation shows the caldera margin is buried beneath younger volcanic rocks and gravel. A specific unit called the Siebert Tuff outcrops along the margin of the caldera. These tuffaceous sediments and volcanic tuff form a unit classified as moat sediments that occur in close proximity to the margin of the caldera.

Mapping and a gravity geophysical survey show the caldera is east-west at the Tonopah West project and swings northwest then north and finally eastward. The configuration of the caldera is paramount to finding new veins in the district and two distinctive high-priority targets have emerged.

The first target is along the western edge of the Tonopah Caldera where a large northwest fault system appears to offset the caldera rim. The structure appears to be the strike extension of the Pittsburg-Monarch fault system (PMFS) which controls thick veins in the Victor and Ohio areas of the Tonopah West project. At Victor, the vein was 24 metres thick at the intersection with the PMFS. Similarly, the Ohio vein was 14 metres thick where it intersected the PMFS.

The target is compelling in that a new area under the pediment gravels may host another Victor or Ohio vein set. Additional exploration work is being planned to include CSAMT and scout drilling.

The second exciting target is on the north side of the Tonopah Caldera where a strong east-west structural fabric has been mapped and regional magnetic data show a strong east-west structural domain. The geologic setting for the second target is very similar to the Tonopah district itself. The Tonopah North property covers the area which has roughly the same strike as the existing Tonopah silver district. More work is justified as the prize could be a second Tonopah-sized district located beneath post mineral cover and pediment gravels.





Figure 1: Map of Tonopah North claims and relationship to the Tonopah West project and targets

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/676/97090_64013a946485fb85_002full.jpg

Town Hall Webinar

Blackrock Silver is hosting a live town hall webinar today, Tuesday, September 21st at 11 am Pacific, including a presentation and investor Q&A with management.

To register please visit: The Silver Queen's Maiden - 6ixAbout Blackrock Silver Corp

Blackrock's exploration activities at the Tonopah West Project are being conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock Silver Corp. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Blackrock is a junior gold-focused exploration company that is on a quest to make an economic discovery. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation epithermal gold & silver projects located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: andrew@blackrocksilver.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company's strategic plans, completion and exercise of the Tonopah option agreement, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; 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. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors including the ability of the Company to complete the Tonopah lease option, the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

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/97090
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Psyched Wellness Ltd. (CSE: PSYC) (OTCQB: PSYCF) (FSE: 5U9) (the "Company" or "Psyched"), a life sciences company focused on the production and distribution of artisanal functional and psychedelic mushrooms, is pleased to announce it has initiated first steps towards a clinical sleep study for a structure/function claim for the Company's proprietary extract from Amanita Muscaria mushrooms, AME-1.

The study will be led by Psyched Wellness's Board member and Head of the Company's Scientific Committee, Professor David Nutt, a psychiatrist and the Edmond J. Safra Professor of psychopharmacology at the Imperial College London and the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for COMPASS Pathways.

The aim of the study is to carry out an assessment of a novel sleep enhancing food supplement for self-declared insomniacs based on both subjective and objective sleep measures, including residual effects.

Several conventional and over-the-counter sleep medications have residual effects and drowsiness. Psyched Wellness aims to develop new treatments that show a lack of residual hangover effects and increased alertness during the day.

Professor David Nutt, Board member and Head of the Company's Scientific Committee, said: "Psyched Wellness is researching the hugely important field of sleep and its disorders, and the Company's proprietary AME-1 has the potential to assist with these. Positive results from this clinical study will allow the Company to write a claim on the future AME-1 supplement that the product can help with sleep while also improving daytime functioning."

Professor David Nutt will lead this study, along with an experienced team, including:

Chris Alford PhD - Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the West of England where he leads a group measuring the impact of drugs and other variables on cognitive processes especially sleep and driving. Dr. Alford is an advisor to the UK government on transport safety issues especially self-driving cars and advises on issues relating to cognitive impact of medicines on these.

Sue Wilson PhD - One of UK's leading human EEG and physiological measurement experts for which she is much sought after by pharmaceutical companies doing phase 1 research using sleep as a measure of drugs effects. Dr. Wilson led the recent BAP consensus review of the treatment of sleep disorders.

Claire Durant PhD - After completing her PhD in EEG sleep recording at Bristol University, Dr. Durant joined DJN psychopharmacology team running human experimental studies on various GABAergic agents using sleep EEG and fMRI measures of effect.

"Completing the sleep study and obtaining a structure/function claim for AME-1 is a very significant milestone, not only for the Company but for everyone that suffers from insomnia and sleeping disorders," said David Shisel, COO of Psyched Wellness. "Developing a natural Amanita Muscaria Mushroom food supplement that has been clinically proven in human trials to help with sleeping disorders is very promising to the Company and to consumers world-wide."

For further information, please contact:

Jeffrey Stevens

Chief Executive Officer

Psyched Wellness Ltd.

t: 647-400-8494

e: jstevens@psyched-wellness.com

w: http://www.psyched-wellness.com

Investor Contacts:

Tim Regan/Sophia Bashford

KCSA Strategic Communications

t: (978) 505-2478

e: PsychedWellness@kcsa.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Psyched Wellness Ltd.:

Psyched Wellness Ltd. is a Canadian-based health supplements company dedicated to the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods. The Company's objective is to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category. The Company is in the process of developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Psyched Wellness Ltd. current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Psyched at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, (i) details relating to the clinical sleep study, including the completion of the study on the terms mentioned in this release(ii) the safety of Amanita Muscaria consumption and the safety and purity of any extracts thereof, and (iii) the uses and potential benefits of Amanita Muscaria, including the expected benefits of AME-1 on sleep Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Psyched is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction.

This news release includes data that has been obtained from third party sources, including the findings from the AME-1 clinical sleep study. The Company believes that the data is accurate and that its estimates and assumptions are reasonable, but there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of this data. Third party sources generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included information. Although the data is believed to be reliable, the Company has not independently verified any of the data from third party sources referred to in this news release or ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97129
Company will also host key opinion leader webinar on Friday, October 1 at 10:00am ET, to discuss Phase 1 healthy volunteer data in more detail

LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amolyt Pharma, a global company specialized in developing therapeutic peptides for rare endocrine and related diseases, today announced that the company will present a poster at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 Annual Meeting, October 1-4, 2021, in San Diego, CA.



The poster will review data from the single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) healthy volunteer cohorts of the company's Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead product candidate, AZP-3601. AZP-3601 is being developed as a potential treatment for hypoparathyroidism.

Details are as follows:

ASBMR Annual Meeting

Title: Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics following Single and Multiple Administration of AZP-3601, a Novel Long-Acting PTH Analog, to Healthy Adults

Day/time: The poster will be available to meeting participants beginning at 8:00am PT on Friday, October 1, 2021.

Additional details can be found on the ASBMRwebsite, and a copy of the poster will be available on the Amolyt website once the presentation concludes.

Investor Webinar

Amolyt will host a key opinion leader.

About AZP-3601

AZP-3601 is an investigational therapeutic peptide designed to target a specific conformation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor in order to safely produce sustained levels of calcium in the blood and thereby manage the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism. AZP-3601 is designed to be selectively active through this distinct conformation of the PTH receptor and to limit urine calcium excretion by restoring calcium reabsorption by the kidney, with the goal of consequently preventing chronic kidney disease. In addition, AZP-3601 is designed to have a unique receptor profile and short half-life, which would have the potential to preserve bone integrity, an important potential benefit since the majority of patients with hypoparathyroidism are peri- and menopausal women who are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

About Amolyt Pharma

Amolyt Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, is building on its team's established expertise in therapeutic peptides to deliver life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare endocrine and related diseases. Its portfolio includes AZP-3601, a long-acting PTH analog as a potential treatment of hypoparathyroidism, AZP-3813, a peptide growth hormone receptor antagonist for the potential treatment of acromegaly, and AZP-3404, which is undergoing indication selection work. Amolyt Pharma aims to further expand and develop its portfolio by leveraging its global network in the field of endocrinology and with support from a strong syndicate of international investors. To learn more, visit https://amolytpharma.com/or follow us on Twitter at @AmolytPharma.

Media:

Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D.

LifeSci Communications

ccecchini@lifescicomms.com

+1.646.876.5196

Investors:

Ashley Robinson

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

arr@lifesciadvisors.com

+1.617.430.7577
- Licensed Candidates Hold Potential to Address Emerging SARS-CoV-2 and other Infectious Diseases Including Human and Veterinary Applications -

- Data Supporting the Potential of Lead Vaccine Candidates was Funded Through Competitive Federal Grants and has Been Published in Peer Reviewed Scientific Publications -

- MVP Combines Protein Nanoparticle-Based Adjuvants Linked to Infectious Disease Peptides for Rapid Development of Thermally Stable and Easy to Administer Vaccines -

NOVATO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc. ("Mosaic" or the "Company"), (OTCQB:CPMV), a development-stage biotechnology company focused on bridging immunology and engineering to develop novel immunotherapies to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that it has licensed rights to develop and commercialize several novel vaccine candidates that have been validated in pre-clinical infectious disease studies including SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious disease applications. The new technology was licensed from the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and expands the Company's Modular Vaccine Platform (MVP) for infectious diseases.

"This technology facilitates the combination of a potent immune stimulant with carefully selected peptides related to infectious diseases to create vaccine candidates. The resulting constructs are designed to teach cells of the immune system to recognize the pathogen and prevent infection," said Nicole F. Steinmetz, Ph.D., acting chief scientific officer of Mosaic. "Additionally, the vaccine candidates can be blended into slow-release polymer-based dermal implants or topically applied micro-needle patches. Potential benefits of this delivery technology include stability at room temperature for storage and shipment, slow release of the vaccine candidate for single-dose efficacy and potential self-administration."

"This licensing agreement with UC San Diego significantly expands and adds value to our Modular Vaccine Platform. The science behind the technology has been well funded by federal agencies resulting in data that has been published in leading scientific journals by Mosaic co-founders, UC San Diego nanoengineering professors Nicole Steinmetz and Jon Pokorski and their colleagues, further validating the approach." said Steven King, chief executive officer of Mosaic. "The modular vaccine platform is a natural extension of the immune-stimulating properties of our lead immuno-oncology candidate, MIE-101, combined with directing an immune response to pre-defined infectious disease targets. Importantly, the MVP approach of linking disease specific targets to a protein nanoparticle adjuvant allows the potential to rapidly develop countermeasures, from concept to candidate within a matter of weeks, for SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging infectious diseases."

About the Modular Vaccine Platform (MVP)

Mosaic's MVP links a protein nanoparticle-based adjuvant with carefully selected target peptides of interest to direct a protective or potentially a therapeutic immune response. The adjuvant is recognized as a foreign entity, thus stimulating immune activation, while the attached peptide focuses the immune response to recognize and attack the specific target(s) of choice. This technology platform has been successfully evaluated for effectiveness in preclinical studies, demonstrating efficacy for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as SARS and HPV. Applicability in other disease settings has also been demonstrated in scientific publications. The MVP platform is designed to facilitate the rapid development of vaccine candidates due to its modular nature. The adjuvant and linking chemistry can be stockpiled and ready for the identification of targets of interest, which can be linked for testing in a very short time. The MVP candidates, when blended into slow-release polymer delivery devices, allow for shipment of materials at room temperature and potential self-administration, making the platform ideal for rapid response situations. Researchers at UC San Diego have identified a lead vaccine candidate for COVID-19 while simultaneously advancing the system for rapid response and the development of vaccine candidates to address additional infectious and other diseases. MVP studies performed by researchers at the Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering at UC San Diego were externally funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

About Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc.

Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company focused on bridging immunology and engineering to develop novel immunotherapies to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases. Mosaic's core technology platform is based on Cowpea mosaic virus ("CPMV"), which is non-infectious to humans or other animals but upon intra-tumoral administration, elicits a strong innate immune response resulting in potent anti-tumor activity against the primary and distant tumor sites. The broad potential of our lead candidate, MIE-101, for the treatment of many different types of cancer and potential combination therapies continues to be supported by numerous publications and grant funding through our university collaborators at the UC San Diego Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering. In addition, the core technology has a potential application as part of a modular vaccine platform (MVP) that has already generated promising data in infectious disease preclinical models, including COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine research is currently being performed by our co-founders and was funded by the National Science Foundation. For additional information about Mosaic, please visit MosaicIE.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other Federal securities laws. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss Mosaic's future operations and its ability to successfully advance the product candidates; the nature, strategy and focus of Mosaic's business; and the development and commercial potential and potential benefits of any of Mosaic's product candidates. Mosaic may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Mosaic's current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of these forward-looking statements could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release, including: the uncertainties associated with raising sufficient capital to advance these product candidates, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all; advancing Mosaic's multiple products into clinical trials, the clinical development and regulatory approval of Mosaic's product candidates, including potential delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical trials; the potential that earlier preclinical studies of Mosaic's product candidates may not be predictive of future results; risks related to business interruptions, including but not limited to, the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus, which could harm Mosaic's financial condition and increase its costs and expenses. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risks discussed in Mosaic's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, Mosaic disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether, as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

CONTACT:

Jay Carlson

Sr. Manager, Investor Relations

Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc.

info@mosaicie.com

SOURCE: Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664923/Mosaic-ImmunoEngineering-Expands-Its-Modular-Vaccine-Platform-MVP-Through-New-Technology-Licensing-Agreement-with-the-University-of-California-San-Diego
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Goldplay Mining Inc (TSXV:AUC)(OTCQB:AUCCF)(FRA:9FY), (the "Company" or "Goldplay"), is pleased to announce that it has begun trading on the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") in the United States, under the symbol "AUCCF". The OTCQB offers Goldplay the opportunity to build Company's visibility, expand its liquidity and diversify its shareholder base on an established public market in the US.

Catalin Kilofliski, Goldplay Mining President & CEO stated: "As we continue our growth, we are now in a position to expand our investors base into the US. We are extremely excited to be trading on the OTCQB market as we believe it will broaden our investor community and increase our accessibility, visibility, and liquidity in the North American market."

The OTCQB is recognized as an established public financial market for international companies to trade in the United States through a quality investment experience. The OTCQB offers transparent trading in early stage firms, such as exploration companies, while ensuring that listed businesses must pass background checks, meet certain minimum reporting requirements, and undergo annual verification.

The Company's common shares will also continue to trade with no change on the TSX Venture Exchange, under the symbol "AUC."

About Goldplay Mining

Goldplay Mining is a newly listed Canadian public company which is focused on exploring and advancing gold-copper projects located in top mining jurisdictions with potential for world class mineral discovery.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Catalin Kilofliski"

Catalin Kilofliski

President, CEO & Director

For further information please contact:

Goldplay Mining Inc.

Mr. Catalin Kilofliski, President & CEO

Suite 650 - 1021 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 0C3

T: (604) 655-1420

E: catalin@goldplaymining.ca

www.goldplaymining.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 Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the potential increase in the liquidity of the Company's common shares, an increase in the Company's visibility and the growth of its investor base as the result of a listing on OTCQB. Generally forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "expect", "believe", "may", "continue", "could", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential" and similar expressions. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. 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. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, fluctuations in the commodities markets, results of future exploration and development activities, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government approvals, changes in commodity prices and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Although the Company believes current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered are appropriate and that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct or enduring. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any forward-looking statements that are contained or incorporated in this press release. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE: Goldplay Mining Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664870/Goldplay-Begins-Trading-on-the-US-OTCQB-Market
Boehringer Ingelheim aims to develop novel cancer therapies by leveraging Abexxa's unique technology and breakthrough antibody-based drugs.

Abexxa's focus is on the development of specific antibodies to intracellular antigens presented by the non-classical MHC Class I molecule, HLA-E (human leucocyte antigens), enabling the development of cancer immunotherapies potentially benefiting a broader range of patients and cancer types.

The addition of Abexxa's expertise complements Boehringer Ingelheim's current approaches to the treatment of difficult-to-treat solid cancers and especially those resistant to available immunotherapies.

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced the acquisition of Abexxa Biologics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company taking a new approach in the fields of immuno-oncology and oncology research to develop the next generation of precision medicines designed to revolutionize cancer treatments. The acquisition will allow Boehringer Ingelheim to access Abexxa's expertise in targeting cancer-specific proteins that are located inside the cell, rather than those expressed on the cell membrane. This enlarges the pool of potential cancer antigen targets. In particular, Abexxa's technology could lead to the development of cancer immunotherapies that are effective in a broader range of patients and cancer types.

"The acquisition of Abexxa bolsters our commitment to tumor-antigen discovery and new ways of targeting intracellular antigens. Their cutting-edge know-how and technologies for antigen discovery and novel antibody generation strongly complement the current approaches we have been applying successfully to enable immune-targeting of cancer cells," said Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., corporate senior vice president and global head of discovery research, Boehringer Ingelheim. "By expanding our portfolio of antibodies binding novel intracellular tumor antigens, we are striving to develop unique and broadly applicable new immunotherapeutic approaches for cancer patients," added Wood.

Abexxa's innovative platform unlocks the ability to target intracellular antigens of cancer cells by recognizing their presentation on the cell surface by MHC class 1 molecules. While the Abexxa platform addresses the more common HLA-A2 peptide presentation, the company has developed specific expertise in the nonclassical MHC class 1 molecule HLA-E, which has the potential to impact a broader set of cancer patients' antigens. More specifically, Abexxa has developed a first-in-class T-cell receptor (TCR)-like antibody that can be used to disrupt the NKG2A:HLA-E immune checkpoint axis in oncology. Abexxa molecules are also being formulated to recruit immune cells targeting HLA-E peptide complexes on tumors.

In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim's Venture Fund, the arm of the company that invests in ground-breaking therapeutic and digital health approaches, awarded Abexxa initial investment funding. Later that year, Abexxa won Boehringer Ingelheim's Innovation Prize, which facilitates business growth and rewards new companies for their dedication to innovation. The prize allowed Abexxa to expand operations into a shared lab space in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to continue its research. Boehringer Ingelheim's investment in Abexxa demonstrates how the company is seeking to foster innovation across leading biotech communities, including the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area.

"The investment by Boehringer Ingelheim's Venture Fund in 2016 was a defining moment for Abexxa," said Debra Wawro Weidanz, co-founder and CEO of Abexxa. "The acquisition by Boehringer Ingelheim allows our team to access the company's expertise and capabilities in immuno-oncology and antibody development and to have the opportunity to translate Abexxa technology into a clinical asset," said Jon Weidanz, Ph.D., co-founder and CSO of Abexxa.

This transaction is the latestin a series of strategic acquisitions and collaborations that reinforce Boehringer Ingelheim's overall oncology strategy, bringing together cancer immunology and cancer cell directed therapies to fight cancer. This strategy has further strengthened Boehringer Ingelheim's position in oncology through the development of leading assets and robust capabilities in cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, T-cell engagers, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and myeloid and stromal cell modulators. By combining its world-class in-house research and development with that of highly innovative biotechnology companies like Abexxa, Boehringer Ingelheim is developing innovative cancer immunology therapies and accelerating the delivery of the next generation of cancer treatments.

Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim's innovation in oncology here.

The total transaction includes an upfront payment, milestones and other consideration payments. Abexxa will continue to operate in the Arlington, Texas, area as a Boehringer Ingelheim family company, collaborating extensively with the colleagues at Boehringer Ingelheim's U.S. research site in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Please click on the following link for 'Notes to Editors':

http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/acquisition-expands-research-cancer-immunology

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005613/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts

Abexxa Biologics

Debra Wawro Weidanz

debra.weidanz@abexxa.com



Boehringer Ingelheim

Dr. Reinhard Malin

Head of Communications Innovation Unit

Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH

Media PR

P: +49 6132 77-90815

press@boehringer-ingelheim.com



Linda Ruckel

Senior Associate Director, Media and Corporate Reputation

Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.

Media PR

P: +1 203-791-6672

press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - DelphX Capital Markets Inc. (TSXV: DELX) ("DelphX" or the "Company"), a technology and financial services company focused on bringing new and exciting alternatives to structured product and credit markets, is providing this update to highlight its positioning as a preferred choice for Socially Responsible Investing ("SRI") oriented funds and managers in the fintech space. DelphX believes that its platform is well designed to become an attractive investment for investors with a strong SRI mandate.

As part of this strategy, DelphX recently became a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment ("UN PRI"), which has grown to become the world's leading proponent of responsible investing. While it is well known that environmental, social and governance ("ESG") concerns are a common theme in the equity markets, this same commitment is also taking hold in the structured products sector. To date, the UN PRI reports that over 170 fixed income investors (with nearly US$40trn in collective AUM) and 27 credit rating agencies ("CRAs") have pledged to follow the agency's comprehensive ESG standards. This policy is bolstered by evidence that poor resource management, low public health standards, corruption and other negative social factors can affect the safety of bonds, increasing both volatility and the risk of default.

The DelphX platform can bring greater stability, liquidity and safety to the structured products market, giving SRI advocates new tools that can enhance the assessment of creditworthiness in fixed-income portfolios that maintain high ESG standards. DelphX, at both the corporate and operational level, is committed to maintaining these same practices.

"This is another of the many steps we are taking to make our company a highly desirable institutional investment," said DelphX CEO Patrick Wood. "Some of the first signatories to the UN PRI standards were the same institutions now previewing the DelphX platform. We are excited to join some of the largest companies in the financial services industry in supporting enhanced levels of corporate citizenship."

In anticipation of an expected increase in investor and customer activity, DelphX would also like to highlight the Company's new website (www.Delphx.com) created by our partners at Succinct Social Media, which is designed to better reflect and explain management's current vision for serving the structured product and credit markets.

About DelphX:

DelphX is a technology and financial services company focused on developing and distributing the next generation of structured products. Through its special purpose vehicle Quantem and its broker-dealer DelphX Services Corp, it enables fixed income dealers to offer new Rule 144A securities that optimally transfer and diffuse credit risk, while allowing the enhancement of yield. The new DelphX securities will be regulated by the SEC and enable dealers to competitively structure, sell and make markets in:

Collateralized Put Options (CPOs) that provide secured default protection for underlying corporate, municipal and sovereign securities, and

Collateralized Reference Notes (CRNs) that enable credit investors to take on the default exposure of an underlying security in exchange for enhanced yield.

All CPOs and CRNs are fully collateralized and held in custody by an independent custodian. CPOs and CRNs are proprietary products created and owned by DelphX Capital Markets Inc.

For more information about DelphX, please visit www.delphx.com.

Contact:

Mark Forney, Corporate Development

DelphX Capital Markets Inc.

Mark.forney@delphx.com

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/97085
Sudbury, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Transition Metals Corp. (TSXV: XTM) ("Transition", "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Carmelo Marrelli as the Company's Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Marrelli is the principal of The Marrelli Group of Companies. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA, CGA) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, a professional body that certifies corporate secretaries. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Marrelli acts as the chief financial officer to a number of issuers on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange, and CSE, as well as non-listed companies, and as a director of select issuers.

Company CEO, Scott McLean commented; "We are pleased to welcome Carmelo to the Transition management team. His experience in working with numerous peer companies together with his knowledge of the regulations affecting public issuers and the junior mining business in general will enhance the Company going forward."

TRANSITION METALS CORP.

Transition Metals Corp. (TSXV: XTM) is a Canadian-based, multi-commodity project generator that specializes in converting new exploration ideas into discoveries. The award-winning team of geoscientists has extensive exploration experience which actively develops and tests new ideas for discovering mineralization in places that others have not looked, often allowing the company to acquire properties inexpensively. Joint venture partners earn an interest in the projects by funding a portion of higher-risk drilling and exploration, allowing Transition to conserve capital and minimize shareholder's equity dilution.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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.

Further information is available at www.transitionmetalscorp.com or by contacting:

Scott McLean

President and CEO

Transition Metals Corp.

Tel: (705) 677-6178 (cell)

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97149
SANTA MONICA (dpa-AFX) - Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) said that it continues to work with regulators on addressing and resolving workplace complaints it has received. The company confirmed that it is complying with a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subpoena issued to the Company and several current and former employees and executives regarding disclosures on employment matters and related issues. The Company is confident in its prior disclosures and is cooperating with the SEC's investigation. Activision Blizzard noted that it has made a number of important improvements including significant changes to personnel, exiting a number of employees, and expanding compliance resources. In addition, the company has refreshed its HR organization and, this week, will welcome a new Chief People Officer, Julie Hodges, who joins the Company from The Walt Disney Company. The Company has also expanded training, performance management, and anti-harassment resources. 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.
NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - American Express Company (AXP) on Tuesday announced its plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2035, fifteen years ahead of the Paris Agreement's 2050 goal. The company intends to follow the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) methodology for the next two years to accomplish this goal. To achieve net-zero emissions, the company plans to work with its suppliers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, that will in turn lower their impact on the company's value chain. Initially, it aims to partner with top vendors that are responsible for 50% of the company's annual third-party spend to set their own science-based emissions reduction targets. American Express said it will join the 'Business Ambition for 1.5C' initiative, a commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 C, and Race to Zero campaign, that encourages businesses to cut their emissions to net zero by 2050. Further, the company plans to fund at least $10 million to organizations and initiatives that work on climate change through 2025. 'To further our impact, we will seek to innovate and advance sustainable solutions, and work with our business, vendor, and community partners to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035,' said Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. American Express has remained a carbon neutral company since 2018 and has been powered with 100% renewable energy. 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.


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are up sharply around noon on Tuesday, rebounding strongly thanks to some hectic bargain hunting after recent losses.



Investors, shrugging off concerns about Chinese realty major Evergrande's debt woes for now, are looking ahead to the policy meetings of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.



While the Fed's two-day monetary policy meeting gets underway today, the ECB is scheduled to announce its policy on Thursday.



The Fed is widely expected to leave monetary policy unchanged but could address the outlook for its asset purchase program. The minutes of the Fed's last meeting signaled the central bank was prepared to begin scaling back asset purchases by the end of the year.



With some recent disappointing economic data suggesting the Fed could push back its plans, traders are likely to pay close attention to the wording of the post-meeting statement.



Markets are reacting positively to the OECD's economic outlook report showing the Euro Area economy will likely grow 5.3% this year. The earlier projection was for a 4.3% expansion.



Mining and energy shares are among the top gainers.



The pan European Stoxx 600 is gaining 1.04%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 is surging up 1.21%, Germany's DAX is climbing 1.5% and France's CAC 40 is up by about 1.4%.



In the UK market, Pershing Square Holdings is climbing 5.5%. Royal Dutch Shell is up nearly 5% and BP is up 2.8%.



Antofagasta, IAG, Rolls-Royce Holdings, BHP Group, BT Group, Prudential, IHG, Aviva, Barclays Group, Glencore and Ashtead Group are among the other major gainers.



Kingfisher is down more than 5% despite reporting a surge in first-half earnings.



In the German market, Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche Automobil, Siemens, Allianz, BASF, Infineon Technologies, Henkel and Vonovia are gaining 2 to 3%.



In France, Accor, Air France-KLM, Capgemini, BNP Paribas, Saint Gobain, Teleperformance, LVMH, Technip, Air Liquide, Schneider Electric and Essilor are rising 1.7 to 3.3%.



Universal Music Group's shares soared this morning, as owner Vivendi spun off the record label in the biggest European listing of the year.



In economic news, the UK budget posted its second highest deficit on record for the month of August, data published by the Office for National Statistics showed.



Public sector net borrowing, excluding public sector banks, totaled GBP 20.5 billion in August 2021. This was the second-highest August borrowing since monthly records began in 1993. Nonetheless, this was GBP 5.5 billion less than in August 2020.



UK manufacturing orders grew the most on record in September, with the order book balance rising to 22% in the month from 18% in August, survey data published by the Confederation of British Industry showed on Tuesday.



This was the strongest growth in orders since April 1977.



At the same time, the export order book balance advanced to -2%, the highest since March 2019, from -16% in August.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Sleep-friendly snacking finding a natural ally in hotels

Takeaways

Nightfood (OTCQB: NGTF), which solves the $50 billion problem of unhealthy nighttime snacking, successfully concluded a retail pilot test in lobby shops of a global hotel chain

That chain will be rolling Nightfood into their grab-and-go freezers in coming months

The brand has engaged iDEAL Hospitality Partners to secure additional hotel distribution partnerships

Nightfood believes hotel distribution will greatly advance supermarket sales in the short and long term

The hotel news has not yet moved Nightfood's OTC stock

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - PCG Digital -- Nightfood Holdings' (OTCQB: NGTF) pilot sales test in hotel lobby shops, announced six months ago, has reached a successful conclusion, according to the company.

In a recent call with investors, Nightfood CEO Sean Folkson invited attendees to "appreciate the impact hotel distribution is expected to have, not just on sales and profits, but on the category itself  which can elevate us from a middle-of-the-road player into a top seller."

The category Folkson is referring to is that of night snacks, specially formulated to support better sleep.

While the forward-thinking snack company, based in Tarrytown, N.Y., is not revealing which international hotel chain initiated the pilot program, this won't stay secret for long. Nightfood has engaged iDEAL Hospitality Partners to accelerate the national rollout, targeting the 20,000+ hotels with snacks in their lobby shops.

While the testing chain is finalizing their rollout timelines, expected to be Q4 or the first quarter of 2022, the brand expects its snacks to be launched into additional chains in coming months, with an interim target of 7,500 hotel points of distribution by mid-2022.

"When a partner has an innovative product like Nightfood, we want to secure a partnership at the hotel brand level and establish a standard that can be adopted and implemented from the top down," says iDEAL CEO, Jill Dean Rigsbee. "Once the first chain puts the Nightfood in, we believe it will set the standard in the industry. It's our job to make sure all the other chains fall in line and help Nightfood manage that growth."

Changing channels

Nightfood, however, is not focused exclusively on the hospitality market. Folkson's team sees it more as a force multiplier, with the majority of long-term brand growth coming from the more conventional vector of supermarkets.

"There's been tremendous enthusiasm surrounding the hotel test and its potential impact on the company," according to Folkson. "Supermarket category managers are excited about having Nightfood at retail with potentially thousands of hotels supporting that distribution."

There's only so much room in the supermarket freezer aisle, so this channel is highly competitive. Nightfood, like any other mid-tier frozen food purveyor, is going to have its hits and misses. While it's gotten rotated out of a couple chains since initial launch in 2019, Nightfood's same-store unit sales and same-store dollar sales its major accounts continue to grow.

"While the category as a whole is down significantly, compared to the 2020 Covid spike, our [six-month] growth - which seems modest at 6% -- has us outperforming a category which is down over 12%, by almost 20%," Folkson says.

Take before bed

If you've never heard of the nighttime snack segment, that's because it didn't exist before Nightfood created it. Folkson's team was responding to a major consumer market blind spot which looks obvious in retrospect.

Market data suggests that 85% of Americans snack most nights. That means they spend about $1 billion each week to eat 700 million nighttime snacks. And to be honest, most of it is unhealthy. Human beings crave sweets and fats at night, which explains why the most reached-for treats before bed are cookies, chips and ice cream. The empty calories are bad; the potential for disrupting sleep cycles compounds the problem.

Nightfood embraced the challenge, gaining significant market interest with ice cream. Consulting with sleep and nutrition experts, the company formulated a treat with fewer sleep disruption triggers, more relaxation and sleep-supporting ingredients, and higher overall nutritional value. The brand won the 2019 Product of the Year award in the ice cream category in a Kantar survey of over 40,000 consumers and was also named Best New Ice Cream in the 2019 World Dairy Innovation Awards. The American Pregnancy Association recommends Nightfood ice cream for pregnancy cravings.

Sleeping beauty?

It's not only revenues that Nightfood is chasing with its move into hotel sales; it's also operational efficiency. "Launching, operating, and scaling in hotels, project to be much less expensive and much more cash efficient than supermarkets," Folkson told shareholders. "There's no slotting fees, there's no ad spend and there's no need to run price discounts."

Perhaps it was inevitable, but Nightfood appears to be catching investors napping. Even with this new earnings driver coming on the heels of their biggest quarter ever, year-over-year revenue growth of 37% in unit terms and 25% in dollar terms and a debt-free balance sheet, NGTF has languished in over-the-counter trading. While NGTF is well off its all-time lows, it has been trading sideways around $0.25 per share since late 2019.

While Nightfood ice cream is in supermarket freezers across the country, it has apparently not caught on in Greenwich, CT. When that finally happens - or when some clever portfolio manager on a business trip has a late-night hotel snack attack - that could change. Overnight.

Disclaimer

This communication was produced by PCG Digital Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of PCG Advisory Inc., (together "PCG"). PCG is not a registered or licensed broker-dealer nor investment adviser. No information contained in this communication constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation of any security. PCG may be compensated by respective clients for publicizing information relating to its client's securities. See www.pcgadvisory.com/disclosures.

PCG Digital

info@pcgadvisory.com

646-863-6341

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97112
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - CAVU Mining Corp. (CSE: CAVU) (OTC: CAVVF) (FSE: 8NQ) ("CAVU" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide an overview of the 2021 drilling campaign on the Hopper copper-gold project located in the Yukon. The Hopper project is in the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

Highlights

The skarn, now named "Copper Castle", mineralized footprint expanded from 433,000 m 2 to 507,000 m 2 , a 16% increase

to 507,000 m , a 16% increase Visual inspection indicates mineralized skarn horizons intersected in every hole at Copper Castle

Mineralized margin of a porphyry intrusion intersected from surface to 200m depth through testing of three complementary datasets with one hole

Drilling results are expected to be returned from MS Analytical Langley soon

The footprint of mineralization at Copper Castle increased by 16%, after CAVU's inaugural drill campaign. Mineralization at Copper Castle occurs over a strike length of 1350m.The holes targeted skarn extensions, geophysical targets, and undrilled showings. Copper Castle remains open to all directions but the north, where it is cut off by the Hopper intrusion where the Company has discovered porphyry mineralization.

"We are very happy with the results of the drilling on the Hopper," stated Jaap Verbaas, CEO of CAVU. "Despite border restrictions and supply chain issues, which are amplified in Canada's north, CAVU drilled 1119m in six holes. The first five holes increased the footprint of Copper Castle considerably. The sixth hole intersected the low-grade shell normally found around mineralized porphyry cores. This hole represents a major development on the project as it proves the occurrence of a mineralized porphyry. These holes lay the foundation for a larger program in 2022 during which we will vector towards the center of the porphyry target and further increase the Copper Castle footprint."

Copper Castle skarn exploration

Five holes were drilled in the Copper Castle skarn in 2021. The holes were designed to test certain geophysical targets such as EM and magnetic targets while at the same time infilling and extending the mineralized envelope. As a result, the mineralized footprint of the skarn increased considerably, and the company expects this will increase further to the south, west and east.

Figure 1. Copper Castle collars on an EM AdTau anomaly map (scale 0-1 msec). Photos show: top) magnetite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite skarn in HOP21-DDH-01 at 66.07 (top) and, carbonate, magnetite and chalcopyrite skarn in HOP21-DDH-02 at 79.15m (bottom).

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7764/97114_22dfe7c004733921_001full.jpg

Hopper porphyry exploration

HOP21-DDH-06 was collared in a porphyry target (Figure 2) and designed to test three separate datasets (magnetic, induced polarization,and soil geochemistry). The result identified which datasets are best utilized for targeting shallow porphyry mineralization. The hole intersected chlorite altered (propylitic) monzonite locally cut by vein-controlled potassic alteration and mineralized porphyry dykes. Mineralization includes minor vein-hosted to disseminated chalcopyrite (average <0.3% chalcopyrite from 0 - 200m), the latter overprinting primary mafic sites. Potassic alteration is a marker for high-temperature alteration in porphyry centers. The three intended datasets were successfully tested and give the company a clear strategy for porphyry exploration. The alteration and mineralogy indicates that HOP21-DDH-06 intersected the margin of a Cu-Mo porphyry system, proximal to a porphyry center.





Figure 2. Porphyry target exploration. Photos show typical vein-controlled potassic alteration (top) and pervasive propylitic alteration (bottom) from 0 - 200m.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7764/97114_22dfe7c004733921_002full.jpg

Collar table

Table 1. 2021 Drill collars

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth Zone Name HOP21-DDH-01 397674.7 6794636.0 1177.8 269.4 -69.7 83 Copper Castle HOP21-DDH-02 397711.2 6794599.2 1186.3 271.9 -68.3 128 Copper Castle HOP21-DDH-03 397738.5 6794569.6 1189.7 271.1 -69.9 146 Copper Castle HOP21-DDH-04 397505.9 6795295.9 1285.6 281.0 -74.4 251 Copper Castle HOP21-DDH-05 397217.4 6795562.8 1280.9 299.2 -60.5 209 Copper Castle HOP21-DDH-06 397679.3 6797243.4 1362.1 105.6 -74.9 302 Porphyry Target

About the Hopper

The Hopper is a road accessible porphyry-skarn project in southern Yukon. The project is under option for a 70% interest from Strategic Metals, a renowned Yukon Project Generator. The project is 2.5 hours by car from the city of Whitehorse and located 50km north of Haines Junction. The Otter Falls hydroelectric power station is 22km south of the claim.

Engagement of Investor Relations Firm

CAVU is also pleased to announce that Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) has been retained to provide investor/public relations services. EMC specializes in helping small and mid-sized public companies establish brand awareness and increase market share to its customer base while improving visibility to the institutional and retail investment community. The contract is for an initial term of 3 months at a cost of US$110,000.

Based in Orlando, Florida, Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) brings multiple decades of combined experience in the investor relations industry. EMC is an international investor relations firm with affiliates around the world. EMC is relationship-driven and results-oriented with the goal of seeking attractive emerging companies and concentrating its resources and efforts to serve a limited number of high-quality clients. For more information, visit EMC's website at www.emergingmarketsllc.com.

QAQC and Data Verification

The current drill samples will be sent to MS Analytical Langley, an ISO 9001:2008 certified laboratory for analysis along with 5% QA/QC samples consisting of certified blanks, standards and field duplicates, for assay. The information presented above is based on recently drilled core which has been mineralogically assessed by geologists on-site.

Qualified Person

Jeremy Hanson, P. Geo., is the qualified person for the Company as defined in the National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information presented within the news release.

About CAVU Mining Corp.

CAVU Mining Corp. is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral projects containing metals used in green technologies and the renewable energy sector. The Company is currently focused on the exploration of its flagship Hopper Copper-Gold Project in the Yukon and continues to evaluate complimentary mineral projects in mining-friendly jurisdictions.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Jaap Verbaas, P.Geo.

CEO and Director

CAVU Mining Corp.

jverbaas@cavumining.com

604-493-2997

Forward Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various 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 are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the Canadian Securities Exchange, the British Columbia Securities Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97114
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - ArcWest Exploration (TSXV: AWX) partner Sanatana Resources (TSXV: STA) has initiated exploration at the Oweegee Dome porphyry copper-gold (Cu-Au) project located within British Columbia's renowned Golden Triangle. ArcWest optioned the Oweegee Dome project to Sanatana in July 2021; details of the earn-in agreement are available in ArcWest press release dated July 21, 2021.

Oweegee Dome is located approximately 45 km east of Seabridge Gold's giant KSM-Iron Cap porphyry Cu-Au deposits as well as Tudor Gold's Treaty Creek Au-Ag project. Collectively, the KSM-Iron Cap and Treaty Creek deposits represent one of the largest Au-Cu concentrations in North America. Contained metal within Proven plus Probable Reserves at KSM-Iron Cap total 38.8 million ounces (oz) Au, 183 million oz Ag and 10.2 billion pounds of copper. Tudor recently released a measured plus indicated resource estimate of 17 million oz Au and 93 million oz Ag.

The Oweegee Dome technical presentation is available for download here and incorporates the results discussed below.

Highlights of the Oweegee Dome 2021 exploration program to date include:

Intrusive hosted porphyry style quartz-chalcopyrite stockwork veins ('B' veins) have been identified at the Molloy Zone within the much larger Delta target area. The Delta target area contains widespread gossans underlain by previously unrecognized altered intrusions and associated breccias with extensive anomalous copper-gold in soil geochemistry. New observations indicate the altered intrusions are partly overlain by post-mineral volcanic rocks and may continue under cover to the north. Historical sampling of the Molloy Zone averaged 0.53% Cu, 1.09 g/t Au and 4.8 g/t Ag from eleven rock samples. Despite the presence of significant Cu-Au grades associated with porphyry Cu-Au style veining in outcrop, the Molloy zone has never been drill tested.

Pyrite-chalcopyrite-bornite bearing, potassic altered breccias and associated intrusive rocks have been identified at Snowpatch Creek, located about 2 km west of the Molloy zone.

Quartz-magnetite-specular hematite-chalcopyrite veining has been discovered at the Skowill East target area located about 8 km north of the Delta target area. The discovery showing, named the Tarn Zone, is situated within a 500 m wide magnetic high anomaly which is cut off at its northern end by the boundary of the previous airborne survey. As such, the zone remains open to the north. Chalcopyrite mineralized veining is flanked by intense silica-pyrite alteration with trace disseminated chalcopyrite and local barite veining. The discovery is situated at the southeast end of a two km gossanous ridge and underlain by variably altered volcanic rocks recently dated at 204 Ma (i.e., Red Chris age; George et al., 2021).

A 3D IP survey over the Delta target area has been completed, comprising over 10 line km across 6 lines; results are pending.

An airborne magnetic survey of the northern portion of the property is ongoing and aims to cover the Tarn Zone discovery and surrounding Skowill East area.

ArcWest President & CEO Tyler Ruks commented: "ArcWest is excited to work with the top notch team at Sanatana in order to advance our Oweegee Dome porphyry Cu-Au project. The 2021 exploration program at Oweegee Dome has demonstrated unequivocally that the project contains one of the largest underexplored porphyry Cu-Au systems in northwestern British Columbia. Very rarely has our team observed outcropping zones of porphyry Cu-Au style stockwork veining that have yet to be drilled. Not only do these zones exist at Oweegee Dome, but more copper occurrences remain to be found, as evidenced by our recent discovery at the Tarn Zone. Our 2021 exploration program has demonstrated that, like the giant KSM-Iron Cap porphyry Cu-Au deposits to the west, the Oweegee Dome project contains potential for the discovery of multiple porphyry Cu-Au centres. Exploration is ongoing, with the goal of delineating targets for a 2022 diamond drilling campaign. ArcWest thanks Sanatana for funding an aggressive late season exploration program on the project."

The 2021 exploration program at Oweegee Dome commenced in mid-August and focused on the highly gossanous Delta target area which hosts multiple porphyry Cu-Au occurrences. From east to west, porphyry Cu-Au targets include Delta Ridge, Molloy, and Snowpatch Creek. The Delta area is underlain by a succession of sedimentary and mafic volcanic rocks intruded by widespread, variably altered and Cu-Au mineralized porphyries and associated breccias. Alteration throughout Delta is dominated by quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) and clay-pyrite assemblages. Potassic alteration has been observed as secondary biotite replacement of mafic minerals at the HEG showing at Snowpatch Creek. Quartz-chalcopyrite stockwork resembling B veins is present within microdiorites at the Molloy Zone.

Historical drilling of Delta focused on the east side (Delta Ridge) and included eight shallow inclined holes. Several drillholes intersected intensely QSP/clay-pyrite altered porphyritic intrusions and abundant sulfide rich breccia. Fragments of porphyry style veins with quartz-pyrite+/-chalcopyrite centrelines are locally present in the breccias. Despite the presence of intense QSP/clay-pyrite alteration, drill holes in this zone returned significant Cu-Au intercepts including 70.4 m of 0.26 g/t Au and 0.12% Cu (DC 96-02) and 86.3 m of 0.23 g/t Au and 0.10% Cu (DC07-03). The presence of Cu-Au mineralized QSP alteration on the property suggests higher Cu-Au grades might be encountered with depth as the system transitions to potassic dominant alteration.

Initial 2021 exploration of the Delta area included sampling and delineation of the Molloy zone. Eleven chip samples collected by previous workers in 1997 from the Molloy zone averaged 0.53% Cu, 1.09 g/t Au and 4.8 g/t Ag. A significant Cu-Au in soil anomaly exists downslope and along strike of the Molloy Zone, with historical samples returning up to 0.1% Cu and 0.9 g/t Au in soil.

Mapping and re-sampling in August 2021 of the Molloy showing indicates Cu-Au mineralization is hosted within quartz-chalcopyrite centreline veins and stockwork cutting fine grained equigranular microdiorite. The microdiorite is flanked to the west by a broad area of intense quartz-sericite-pyrite altered breccias containing intrusive clasts and capped by interpreted post mineral volcanic rocks. This suggests the microdiorite hosted mineralization is open to the north and may be significantly larger than exposed. This prospective zone of porphyry Cu-Au style stockwork veining has yet to undergo drill testing.

A 3D IP survey of the Delta zone has been completed by Dias Geophysics. The survey team completed over 10 line km across 6 approximately north-south lines and covered the Delta Ridge, Molloy and Snowpatch target areas. Geological mapping and sampling of the Delta target area is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

The Oweegee Dome project hosts a number of additional Cu-Au targets outside of the Delta target area including the Skowill East zone located 8 km north of Delta Zone. The gossanous Skowill East zone is underlain by a structurally complex succession of Permian limestone and variably altered volcanic rocks that have recently been dated at 204 Ma (i.e., Red Chris age; George et al., 2021). The southeast margin of the two km gossanous ridge is underlain by a prominent 500 m diameter magnetic high which remains open to the northwest. Recent ground truthing of this magnetic anomaly resulted in the discovery of magnetite-specular hematite-quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veining flanked by intense silica-pyrite+/-sericite alteration with trace disseminated chalcopyrite and local barite veining. This discovery has been named the Tarn Zone. Additional mapping and sampling of this new discovery is scheduled for September and assays are pending. An airborne magnetic survey of the Skowill Creek area is underway.

Reconnaissance mapping and sampling of additional porphyry Cu-Au targets throughout the 31,077 hectare Oweegee Dome property is ongoing. Geological mapping, rock and soil sample assays and geophysical results will be used to delineate targets for a 2022 drill campaign.

About ArcWest Exploration Inc.

ArcWest Exploration is a project generator focused on porphyry copper-gold exploration opportunities throughout western North America. The company is in possession of eight 100% owned copper-gold projects throughout BC's premier porphyry copper-gold districts; several of these projects are scheduled to undergo partner funded drill testing in 2021. By conducting partner funded exploration on multiple exploration projects simultaneously, ArcWest's chances of discovery are enhanced while exposing shareholders to minimal dilution. The company is managed by an experienced technical team with a track record of discovery and a reputation for attracting well-funded senior partners, including Freeport McMoRan, Robert Friedland group companies, ITOCHU, Antofagasta and Teck.

Qualified Person

ArcWest's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jeff Kyba, PGeo, VP Exploration, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

For further information please contact: Tyler Ruks, President and CEO at +1 (604) 638 3695.

Investors are cautioned that ArcWest Exploration Inc. has not verified the data from the KSM-Iron Cap, Treaty Creek and Red Chris deposits. Further, the presence and style of mineralization on these properties is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the ArcWest Exploration Inc. property. Historical assays from drill programs on its properties have not been verified by ArcWest but have been cited from sources believed to be reliable.

This news release contains statements about ArcWest's expectations and are forward-looking in nature. As a result, they are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although ArcWest believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and ArcWest undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law.

References:

George, S. W. M., Nelson, J. L., Alberts, D., Greig, C. J., & Gehrels, G. E. (2021). Triassic-Jurassic accretionary history and tectonic origin of Stikinia from U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotope analysis, British Columbia. Tectonics, 40, e2020TC006505. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006505

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97140
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Manufacturing solutions provider Jabil, Inc. (JBL) announced Tuesday that its Board of Directors has appointed CEO Mark Mondello as Chairman of the Board, effective November 1, 2021, in a planned transition from present Chairman, Timothy Main. Main will permanently retire from the board on that date after more than three decades with the company. Main has served as Chairman since 2013. Main joined the company in 1987 as a Production Control Manager and then became President in 1999 and served as CEO and President from 2000 until February of 2013. During Main's tenure as Chairman, Jabil has grown to nearly $30 billion in annual revenues, with well over 200,000 employees serving customers around the world. 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.
IT management software company NinjaRMM plans expansion into UK and Australia after dramatic revenue growth, increasing customer base, and launch of Ninja Ticketing.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NinjaRMM , a unified IT operations management platform, today announced major growth in 2021 due to its ability to deliver fast and secure remote endpoint management to companies embracing hybrid- and remote working environments. In the last year, the company's customer base increased by nearly 50% to more than 6,000 customers globally and has seen revenue rise 75% year-over-year. As NinjaRMM accelerates into a hyper-growth phase, early investments into hiring and product development have paid off with a record number of platform updates and products that will serve as fuel for continued growth.

"This year has completely blown away our expectations for the company's growth and that's thanks to the incredible leaders that push NinjaRMM forward every day," said NinjaRMM CEO Sal Sferlazza. "The investments we've made across the company ensure that we're delivering constant improvements to our platform faster and getting it into the hands of our customers. As we move into market leadership, I'm confident IT leaders will see just how transformative our technology can be."

US and International Expansion

The transition to a fully remote workforce didn't slow NinjaRMM's hiring plan throughout 2021, which saw the company's workforce double to 320 worldwide. Notably, NinjaRMM added two new executives to its roster with Chief Revenue Officer Dean Yeck and Chief Technology Officer Shane Stevens .

Over the next year, NinjaRMM plans to add more than 200 new employees to its global workforce. In addition to hiring for roles in sales, marketing, and support, NinjaRMM plans to nearly double its engineering and security force in 2022.

Internationally, NinjaRMM saw its Berlin-based EMEA HQ more than double and expand into more than a dozen European countries with a fully localized product and support operations. Additionally, the company has identified the United Kingdom and Australia as key growth markets. Already, the company has established in-market remote sales teams and plans to open offices in both London and Sydney in 2022.

Dean Yeck, NinjaRMM Chief Revenue Officer, said, "all over the world we're seeing IT leaders turn to us as they seek solutions that will enable them to thrive in a distributed future. NinjaRMM's single-pane-of-glass platform delivers an incredibly agile yet powerful endpoint management experience with unbeatable efficiency and support."

Fueling Future Growth: Ninja Ticketing

2021 saw the release of three major updates (NinjaRMM 5.1 , 5.2 , 5.2.1 ) to NinjaRMM's platform. Driven by users, the company introduced a slew of security features aimed at protecting user environments, new time saving features, and a new IT documentation solution. Now, the company has introduced Ninja Ticketing - a new RMM-integrated ticketing solution for IT teams to streamline support workflows.

By combining an RMM and ticketing solution into a single-pane-of-glass, NinjaRMM dramatically improves the efficiency of support operations. Through robust mapping techniques, tickets are automatically linked to their respective devices, end-users, and organizations to make communication and remediation quicker and more efficient. Technicians can quickly navigate to related devices to kick off quick remediations or gather more information for complex issues.

Ninja Ticketing is a flexible, intuitive, and collaborative workflow solution with an unlimited number of customizable forms. Users can create tickets automatically when any of the platform's highly configurable monitoring conditions are triggered and adjust ticket status, priority, and severity based on behavior. Event- and time-based ticket automation allow users to route tickets to applicable ticket boards for prioritization. An at-a-glance dashboard of device health, performance, and ticket status at the global, organization, and individual device levels helps users stay up-to-date overview of their IT environment. Additionally, users can build fully customizable ticketing views to audit data, manage teams, and impress business leaders.

"The release of Ninja Ticketing makes our platform more valuable, more flexible, and more impactful on businesses," said Michael Shelton, NinjaRMM VP of Global Training and Support Operations. "Over the course of two years, we brought first-hand knowledge of what it takes to manage and support a distributed workforce and put it into this product. Ninja Ticketing was built to enable support teams to leverage the power of an RMM to fundamentally transform support operations."

Ninja Ticketing is currently in open beta and users can contact their account representatives to start using the product.

For more information on NinjaRMM and how its endpoint management solution can transform your business visit www.ninjarmm.com or sign up for a free trial .

About NinjaRMM

NinjaRMM provides powerful remote endpoint monitoring and management software to for IT departments and managed services providers (MSPs). The platform offers a single-pane-of-glass experience that increases business efficiency by combining monitoring, alerting, patching, antivirus, backup, and IT automation. NinjaRMM has been recognized as a Leader by user review sites like G2Crowd, SourceForge, and Capterra and was named the #1 RMM across 8 categories, including ease of use, product direction, quality of support and overall satisfaction. NinjaRMM has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Tampa, Berlin, Germany, London, United Kingdom, and Sydney, Australia. Learn more by visiting www.ninjarmm.com or signing up for a free trial .

Media Contact

Kodie Dower, Media Relations Manager

kodie.dower@ninjarmm.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1122826/NinjaRMM_Logo.jpg
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A cultural exchange forum "Night of Guoyuan" was held at the Harvard Club of New York City on Sept. 17, to celebrate the oncoming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as sharing bonds with China. The event was hosted by Jiangsu King's Luck Brewery Co., Ltd.

Nearly 100 dignitaries and business leaders attended the event, and among them were the American, Russian, Japanese, and South Korean diplomats to the United Nations, as well as overseas Chinese leaders.

Abigail Posner, creative business strategy director at Google, discussed "Yuan" (bond) culture during the forum. Yuan (?) means fate and bond in Chinese. Posner expressed appreciation for the creativity of Guoyuan brand baijiu, which holds Yuan as its core value. She also shared her understanding that Yuan culture is a bridge connecting the East and the West.

Zhou Suming, President of King's Luck, told the forum participants that humankind has become more interconnected and interdependent because of globalization. "Yuan culture promotes harmony and world peace, encourages cultural exchange, and builds a community with a shared future for humankind," said Zhou.

Teng Shaojun (Fred Teng), President of the America China Public Affairs Institute, said the relationship among countries is similar as Yuan. The connections China has had with the rest of the world could be traced back to a long and recorded history, in which Yuan has always played an important role.

Forum participants also shared their stories of Yuan with China. Georgy Tologray, a senior United Nations expert and former visiting professor at China's Jilin University, said spirits and Baijiu represent a unique way for Chinese people to express their emotions via a way of communication which is widely acknowledged by the world.

A photo exhibition on modern Chinese baijiu history and culture was held alongside with the forum. Guests also tasted and enjoyed "Guoyuan" baijiu at the following baijiu tasting reception, and they looked forward to more Chinese bajiu like "Guoyuan" embarking on the U.S. market.

Contact:

Sasa Guan

Email: tongguan@xinhuanetus.com

Tel: 1-330-780-6068

Related Images











Image 1: 'Night of Guoyuan'





A cultural exchange forum 'Night of Guoyuan' was held at the Harvard Club of New York City on Sept. 17.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / EMulate Therapeutics, Inc. (EMulate) announced today the results of a pain screening study for new candidate therapeutic signals. These signals were tested at ANS Biotech SA in Riom, France, an independent Contract Research Organization (CRO) specializing in proven preclinical pain models, as part of EMulate's scientific and business strategy to expand its ultra-low Radio Frequency Energy (ulRFE) technology beyond the oncology market.

The ANS Biotech screens tested eleven different pain models and tests (acute, tonic, neuropathic, inflammatory, visceral and post-operative pain). In the screen, eight signal candidates with pain-reducing potential were tested. Four of the eight showed excellent pain-reducing effects and two additional signals showed good pain-reducing effects. In the case of two of those signals, the effects measured were equivalent to or better than the effects of the physical reference drugs (gold standards), including opioids, cannabidiols and anti-inflammatory agents. No adverse events or toxicities were noted or observed in these screens.

"These results mark an exciting turning point for EMulate as we continue to develop and optimize our technology. Stated Chris Rivera, EMulate's President and CEO. These data suggest that radio frequency energy, focused on the ultra-low end of the energy spectrum (ulRFE) may be able to provide beneficial clinical effects without the use of chemicals or drugs, which could be a game changer for many people suffering from acute or chronic pain, and other physical maladies."

EMulate is moving forward to validate and improve on the observed effects of the signal candidates with additional assays at ANS Biotech. New results are expected to validate the screens and demonstrate a significant effect on the pain models tested.

"With the new animal trials under way, we fully expect that the new results will demonstrate an excellent reduction in pain sensation. We look forward to moving into human clinical trials and to expand the capabilities of the ulRFE technology platform, once these animal trials are completed," stated Dr. Xavier Figueroa, Vice President, Preclinical Development.

"We are extremely pleased to collaborate with EMulate on testing the ulRFE technology in various pain situations using our ALGOGram screening platform. This is a great opportunity to investigate the activity of EMulate's medical device with our screening tool and to show how it can be relevant in this exciting project," said Dr. Francois Caussade, President and Chief Executive Officer of ANS Biotech. "We are now eager to know the results of ongoing additional assays and to expand our collaboration with EMulate." ALGOGram was initially designed in 2013 to assess, in various pain areas, the analgesic profile of administrable products from active molecules and antibodies for the pharma and biotech industry to probiotics and health supplements for the food industry. "Adapting our unique in vivo screening tool to meet EMulate's needs, and expectations was both challenging and exciting," said Dr. Yassine Darbaky, Chief Business Officer of ANS Biotech. "The results generated with the ulRFE technology are similar to those we have obtained with reference drugs used in ALGOGram. These first data with EMulate's signal candidates are very promising and will be replicated soon in fully powered studies. The innovative technology currently developed by EMulate could dramatically change the pain market landscape over the coming years."

EMulate continues its efforts to expand the ulRFE technology beyond the oncology market, to develop the technology into a platform for applications in additional medical indications including pain and mental health, animal health, agricultural, non-medical and industrial applications.

About ANS Biotech

ANS Biotech is an independent preclinical CRO specializing in the pharmacology of pain. It supports the research and development efforts of companies developing drug candidates in the field of human and animal health as well as nutrition. ANS Biotech offers consulting services and scientific studies based on clinically relevant in vivo models for the study of promising molecules in the treatment of neuropathic, visceral, inflammatory, post-operative and cancer-related pain. In addition, ANS Biotech created ALGOGram, a unique proprietary in vivo screening platform enabling rapid and cost-effective exploration of the analgesic efficacy of any type of product in a broad range of indications.

About EMulate Therapeutics

EMulate Therapeutics is a clinical stage company utilizing its proprietary ulRFE technology to provide safe and effective therapeutic benefits. The company has generated encouraging data in patients afflicted with glioblastoma and diffuse midline glioma. It has also generated encouraging preclinical data in pain and mental health models, as well as in animal health and bio-agriculture. EMulate Therapeutics is also the licensor of Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (HAPB) proprietary technology. Hapbee is a commercial stage consumer technology company.

Company Contact:

David Matteson

dmatteson@emultatetx.com

Cell: 425/478-2121

Investor Contact:

James Carbonara

Hayden IR

Tel (646) 755-7412

james@haydenir.com

SOURCE: EMulate Therapeutics Inc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664908/EMulate-Therapeutics-Announces-Positive-Pre-Clinical-Data-for-its-ulRFER-Technology-Targeting-Acute-and-Chronic-Pain-Demonstrates-Excellent-Pain-Reducing-Effects-Without-the-Use-of-Chemicals-or-Drugs
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Blender Bites Limited (formerly, Balsam Technologies Corp.) (the "Company" or "Blender") (CSE:BITE) is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition (the "Transaction") of all of the outstanding securities of the privately held, Blender Bites (Holdings) Limited (formerly, Blender Bites Incorporated) ("BBI"). The Transaction proceeded pursuant to a definitive share purchase agreement (the "Agreement") dated August 31, 2021, among the Company, BBI and the former shareholders of BBI (the "Vendors").

In connection with the Transaction, the Company delisted from the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") on Monday, September 20, 2021, and will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 under the symbol "BITE" (the "Listing").

About Blender Bites

Blender Bites is a Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium frozen food products with a focus on functionality. Blender Bites was founded in 2016 and was first to market in Western Canada with a pre-portioned "easy smoothie" product that is free of any unnecessary inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free. They contain no added sugars and are made in Canada. Blender Bites products are distributed nationally across Canada and are currently sold in over 800 stores, including Sobeys, Safeway, Save on Foods, Whole Foods Market, Buy-Low/Nesters, IGA and Fresh Street.

Reverse-Takeover Transaction

The Transaction closed on September 20, 2021, and the Company acquired all of the outstanding securities of BBI in exchange for 11,773,580 common shares of the Company ("Consideration Shares") and 10,136,790 share purchase warrants ("Consideration Warrants"). In accordance with the policies of the CSE, 5,025,079 of the Consideration Shares held by Chelsie Hodge, the new Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will be subject to a 36-month escrow, whereby 10% of such shares will be released upon the Listing, with the remaining shares being released in equal tranches of 15% every six months after the Listing.

Following the completion of the Transaction, the Company's Board now includes Chelsie Hodge, Patrick Morris, Christopher Mackay and Grant Smith. Chelsie Hodge has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, and Geoff Balderson will continue as Chief Financial Officer.

Conversion of Subscription Receipts

On August 31, 2021, the Company completed a non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") of 3,884,500 subscription receipts (each, a "Receipt") at a price of $1.00 per Receipt for gross proceeds of $3,884,500. Proceeds from the Financing were held in escrow pending completion of the Transaction. Following today's completion of the Transaction, each Receipt automatically converted into one common share of the Company and one-half-of-one common share purchase warrant of the Company, with each warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $2.00 per share until August 31, 2023.

Following completion of the Transaction

Net proceeds of the Financing will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes of the Company upon completion of the Transaction. The securities issued in connection with the financing are subject to a statutory hold period expiring January 1, 2022.

For further information, contact:

Blender IR Team email at:

Email - investors@blenderbites.com

Telephone - +1-888-997-2055

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Blender Bites Limited

Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive Officer

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. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor the Canadian Securities Exchange, has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing statement 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 the Company should be considered highly speculative.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will proceed on the terms contemplated above or at all and 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. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Blender Bites Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664926/Blender-Bites-Completes-Reverse-Takeover-with-Balsam-Technologies
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices have climbed higher Tuesday morning, rebounding from losses in the previous session. Oil prices had tumbled on Monday, weighed down by concerns about the impact of a potential collapse of Chinese realty major Evergrande. Data showing a slow recovery of U.S. oil output in the Gulf of Mexico, which faced disruptions due to Hurricane Ida recently, is supporting oil prices. Meanwhile, traders now look ahead to weekly oil inventory reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The API's report is due later today, while the EIA is scheduled to release its inventory data Wednesday morning. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for November are up $0.62 or 0.89% at $70.91 a barrel. Brent crude futures are gaining $0.63 or 0.85% at $74.55 a barrel. According to reports, U.S. oil output in the Gulf of Mexico is recovering slowly. As of Monday, more than 18% of production in the Gulf remained shut in. Royal Dutch has reportedly said that damage to its transfer facility is unlikely to be repaired until the first quarter of next year. 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.
SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Global WealthTech company, Dacxi, is leading the charge in Crypto 4.0 with the development of the Dacxi Chain, a brand new global tokenized crowd-funding system, designed to close the innovation-funding gap.

"Crowd-funding as we know it is over a decade old, and has some fundamental flaws," says Ian Lowe, CEO Dacxi. "The global enterprise economy comprises of a vast number of investable ideas and entrepreneurs, the significant majority of which are unattainable to everyday investors." Equity crowd funding is a $10billion sector, which with the help of the Dacxi Chain, Dacxi believes has the potential to grow to $1trillion.

According to Cardano, Crypto 1.0 was led by Bitcoin, with the emergence of payment cryptocurrencies. Crypto 2.0 was led by Ethereum, which saw focus extend to include the blockchain technology that enables crypto-coins. This also marked the birth of the tokenization revolution. Despite this, the Proof of Work protocols experienced critical issues such as scale, speed, and cost of use.

The current era, Crypto 3.0, is aiming to solve those issues. In doing so, it aims to create more effective tokenization solutions on a general blockchain platform. "Companies like Cisco, Nokia and Intel created the infrastructure of the internet, which enabled the digital revolution of the last two decades," explains Lowe. "Similarly, Crypto 3.0 is creating the infrastructure upon which the token revolution will be built."

This leads to the next big era, and the next evolution of the blockchain; Crypto 4.0. Crypto 4.0 will see purpose built tokenization technology to deliver solutions that respond to real consumer problems. Rather than the technology-focused solutions of today, Crypto 4.0 will see an influx of bespoke, customer-focused solutions for specific industries, use cases, and countries.

The Dacxi Chain is a prime example of a purpose built solution responding to a known use case. Built upon Dacxi's global network of Crypto Wealth Platforms, the Dacxi Chain will be highly regulated, secure, and crowd-centric - with a focus on helping everyday investors access investment opportunities previously reserved for the wealthy and the connected.

"The Dacxi Chain is an innovative use case for tokenization," says Lowe. "It's not as simple as tokenizing shares, like Tesla Tokens. The development of the Dacxi Chain involves building a regulated global system encompassing deal origination, due diligence, marketing, custody, and liquidity."

It sounds complex, and it is. However, once launched, the Dacxi Chain will be positioned to democratise hyper-growth innovation investment, taking it from the realms of Silicon Valley and elite investors, and delivering it into the hands of the people.

Founded in 2017, Dacxi is no stranger to innovation in the crypto industry. They are the pioneers behind Crypto Wealth - a new sector of the industry, focusing on educating and empowering everyday people to purchase crypto with confidence. The development of the Dacxi Chain is the company's latest major step towards opening up a world of investment opportunities for everyone, no matter who or where they are.

"Crypto 4.0 will see blockchain technology used solve a staggering number of consumer-centric problems, and the world should be watching," says Lowe. "Keep an eye on the Dacxi Chain. Just like Cardano, Solana and friends did this year; it's going to surprise you."

About Dacxi

Dacxi Chain is a global tokenized crowd-funding system that will be powered by the Dacxi Coin. Dacxi is launching this system on top of a global network of crypto-wealth platforms that will provide the unique commercial infrastructure required to deliver the true power of a global tokenized solution and unleash the true potential of crowd-funding to revolutionize the funding of innovative companies worldwide.

Social Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DacxiGlobal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DacxiGlobal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.cn/company/dacxiglobal

Media Contact:

Brand: Dacxi

Contact: Bristol James, PR

E-mail: bristol@dacxi.com

Website: https://dacxi.com/

SOURCE: Dacxi

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/663994/Dacxi-Chain-Crowd-Funding-Tokenization-Technology-Poised-to-Usher-in-the-Era-of-Crypto-40
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Datametrex AI Limited (TSXV: DM) (FSE: D4G) (OTCQB: DTMXF) (the "Company" or "Datametrex") announces the appointment of Baker Tilly WM LLP ("Baker Tilly") as its new auditor. This follows the Company's prior announcement on August 10, 2021 announcing the resignation of SRCO Professional Corporation as its former auditor. The Company's audit committee and board have approved the appointment of Baker Tilly effective September 20, 2021.

Baker Tilly is a full-service accounting, tax and advisory firm with offices in Vancouver and Toronto. Baker Tilly is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 147 territories, with 33,600 professionals.

The filings required under Section 4.11(6) of National Instrument 51-102- Continuous Disclosure Obligations will be made publicly available at www.sedar.com. The Company confirms that there were no "reportable events" (as such term is defined in NI 51-102) with respect to the Company since the appointment of its former auditor.

About Datametrex

Datametrex AI Limited is a technology-focused company with exposure to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nexalogy (www.nexalogy.com). Datametrex's mission is to provide tools that support companies in fulfilling their operational goals, including Health and Safety, with predictive and preventive technologies. By working with companies to set a new standard of protocols through Artificial Intelligence and health diagnostics, Company provides progressive solutions to support the supply chain.

For additional information on Datametrex and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.datametrex.com.

For further information, please contact:

Marshall Gunter - CEO

Phone: (514) 295-2300

Email: mgunter@datametrex.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor it's 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:

All statements included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

###

G:\DataMetrexAILimited\Change of Auditor 2021\Press Release - Auditor Apointment v.1 (Sept 2021).docx

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97153
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its partner, Silver Spruce Resources, Inc. (TSXV: SSE) has reported assay results for the final 10 holes drilled at the El Mezquite Au-Ag property ("El Mezquite" or the "Property"). All holes intersected gold mineralization over variable core lengths. Highlights of the assays received include intercepts of 0.537 grams per tonne ("g/t") Au over an intersection length of 6.1 metres ("m") in hole MEZ-21-016 and 0.502 g/t Au + 24.7 g/t Ag over an intersection length of 4.575 m in hole MEZ-21-012.

The Phase 1 drill program consisted of a total of 2,485 metres completed in 20 holes from eight drill pads (see Figure 1) and was completed on July 28, 2021. Results of the first 10 holes were reported by the Company on September 7, 2021 which included significant Au assays (Au > 0.10 g/t) in nine of the 10 holes reported with a highlight of 0.83 g/t Au over 3.05 metres ("m") in hole MEZ-21-005.

The locations for all holes drilled in the Phase 1 El Mezquite drill program are contained figure 1 and significant assay results from holes MEZ-21-011 to 020 are reported in table 1.

Ron Goguen, President and CEO of Colibri commented: "This is the first drill program completed on the El Mezquite property and we are very encouraged that gold mineralization has been intersected in nineteen of the twenty holes drilled. The locally high-grade base metal values are also encouraging, and we look forward to our partners utilizing all data to continue to develop the property exploration strategy and test targets in future drill programs."

Greg Davison, Silver Spruce Vice-President Exploration and Director commented: "Pathfinder elements (Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Sb and As) with low grade Au often displayed well-defined metal haloes adjacent to notable Au values. These zones, which occurred in fourteen (14) drill holes, ranged from ten (10) to forty-three (43) metres, with seven intervals over 20 metres in apparent thickness downhole, within and peripheral to the multiple gold and silver-bearing intervals."

Silver Spruce Resources is currently in the 2nd year of a four year agreement with Colibri to earn 50% of the El Mezquite Gold and Silver Project. For full details of the agreement please refer to the Colibri news release dated June 11th, 2020.





Figure 1. Drill collar location map for the El Mezquite property

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/97151_c48a963854b3188f_001full.jpg.





Table 1. Select assay intervals (>0.1 g/t Au) for the Phase 1 drilling program as provided by Silver Spruce Resources Inc (MEZ011-MEZ-020)

Collar From To Length Au_ppm Ag_ppm Cu_ppm Pb_ppm Zn_ppm MEZ-21-011 22.875 24.4 1.525 0.141 41.1 4660 2110 5170 MEZ-21-011 123.525 125.05 1.525 0.126 0.25 87 134 685 MEZ-21-012 6.1 10.675 4.575 0.502 24.7 97 1506 98 MEZ-21-013 86.925 88.45 1.525 0.141 4.1 62 2290 3680 MEZ-21-013 94.55 96.075 1.525 0.298 99.4 987 >10000 >10000 MEZ-21-014 105.225 106.75 1.525 0.182 26.1 624 1065 2160 MEZ-21-015 24.4 32.025 7.625 0.229 17.2 385 3214 8183 MEZ-21-015 70.15 71.675 1.525 0.157 4.9 156 868 1240 MEZ-21-016 24.4 30.5 6.1 0.152 4.1 110 1403 1536 MEZ-21-016 62.525 68.625 6.1 0.537 2.5 27 717 1110 MEZ-21-016 83.875 85.4 1.525 0.107 7.5 136 1050 1035 MEZ-21-016 88.45 89.975 1.525 0.104 12.2 134 910 1215 MEZ-21-016 93.025 94.55 1.525 0.188 1.1 52 370 563 MEZ-21-017 65.575 73.2 7.625 0.177 12.4 353 2203 3510 MEZ-21-017 77.775 80.825 3.05 0.121 7.9 151 1489 1537 MEZ-21-018 45.75 47.275 1.525 0.278 8.4 231 666 923 MEZ-21-018 47.275 48.8 1.525 0.127 3.8 86 1035 1625 MEZ-21-018 91.5 93.025 1.525 0.111 2.2 34 139 278 MEZ-21-019 36.6 39.65 3.05 0.47 31.7 1277 2771 6353 MEZ-21-019 45.75 48.8 3.05 0.176 52.9 501 4549 6752 MEZ-21-019 74.725 76.25 1.525 0.162 20.7 500 6820 >10000 MEZ-21-020 25.925 28.975 3.05 0.127 1.6 82 675 632 MEZ-21-020 42.7 48.8 6.1 0.187 4.5 204 1873 3820 MEZ-21-020 89.975 91.5 1.525 0.101 0.25 9 53 304









*The above Lengths are drilled lengths. True widths are unknown

About El Mezquite Property

The El Mezquite Property is located within a belt of Epithermal Au-Au mineralization hosted by the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex. Major gold mining operations in the area of El Mezquite include Alamos Golds' Los Mulatos Mine and Agnico Eagles' El India and Pinos Altos Mines. The 180 hectare El Mezquite Property is located approximately 170 km southeast of Sonora state capital Hermosillo and approximately 10 km northwest of the town of Tepoca. The property is accessed directly from Sonora state Highway 16.

ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company has six exploration projects of which five currently have exploration programs being executed or planned for 2021. The flagship Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by Colibri. The Company has four additional projects, Pilar Gold & Silver Project (optioned to Tocvan Ventures- (CSE: TOC)), El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project , Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and the Diamante Gold & Silver Project (earn-in agreements with Silver Spruce Resources - )TSXV: SSE)) are also currently being actively advanced.

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For further information: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97151
Plymouth, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc. (CSE: PRT) (OTCQB: PLRTF) (FSE: 4XA) (WKN# A2N8RH) ("Plymouth Rock", "PRT", or the "Company"), a leader in developing detection apparatus and unmanned technologies, is pleased to announce the sale of custom drones and training services to Cranfield University in collaboration with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) National Beyond Visual Line of Sight Experimentation Corridor (NBEC).

The goal of the NBEC is to provide a safe, managed environment to test and develop concepts, principles, and the related technologies to enable flying unmanned aircraft systems beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in non-segregated airspace.

"From the outset, the differentiator of the PRT UAS operation was to create a product portfolio designed and engineered for autonomous and BVLOS flight as the primary function, while having a fully manual piloting capability as a secondary function," stated Ben Pickard, VP of UAS Development at PRT. "Our UAS platforms are currently being used in demanding BVLOS missions with critical value humanitarian and civilian missions which include the UN, Oil & Gas and Environmental agencies. We are honoured to be supplying products and services into this program and further to share any data from operational deployments that will assist not only the CAA in the UK, but also the FAA in the United States," concluded Pickard.

"Being chosen by Cranfield University to be the supplier of UAS and training services for this globally recognized program is a positive endorsement of the Company and its products," stated Carl Cagliarini, Chief Strategy Officer of PRT. "The requirement for Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) capabilities to ensure flight safety systems, electronic redundancy and constant communication must be rigorously tested if drone technologies are ever to be deployed over urban environments for commercial operations. This program takes our proven technologies to a higher level by assessing UAS capabilities towards the goal of introducing drones into non-segregated airspace. This will require drones to sense, communicate and work with manned aircraft across general aviation and military operations," concluded Cagliarini.

About Cranfield University

We are the only university in Europe with our own airport and runway. Through the strong links with industry, we have built over the past 70 years, we focus on defining and delivering the aircraft, airport, and airspace management of the future. Read less

Using our expertise in propulsion, aeronautical engineering, intelligent automation, autonomous systems, and computational engineering we are creating tomorrow's air vehicles and businesses here today.

Our blue-sky research generates concepts that, through then building and testing, we actually put into practice in physical flight demonstrations. Using our airport at Cranfield we show how our ideas are more than theories but work on the ground and in the air. Find out more about our global research airport and expertise in aircraft electrification and urban air mobility.

Because our work starts with ideas and culminates in actual delivery, Cranfield offers something for industry partners and also people at all stages of their career.

We have more than 200 doctoral students and 400 MSc Aerospace students drawn from universities around the world. We are the UK's top destination for aerospace engineering postgraduate students and the largest provider of accredited aerospace degree courses.

https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/themes/aerospace

About Plymouth Rock Technologies Inc.

We are on a mission to bring engineering-driven answers to the most critical problems that threaten our safety. We work with government, law enforcement and military to innovate solutions for national security, defense and space systems.

The Company is developing the next generation of threat detection solutions and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The PRT X1 is a purpose-built multirotor UAS, utilizing Artificial Intelligence, cutting-edge sensors and the latest FLIR dual-camera module as standard, offering thermal capabilities alongside 1080p HD real-time air-to-ground streaming and 4K video recording, with the ability to mount multiple, various sensors, modules, and payloads.

Our advanced threat detection methods fuse artificial intelligence with augmented reality interfaces to eliminate human operating error. Plymouth Rock products, both airborne and land-based, will scan for threat items at greater 'stand-off' distances than current existing technologies. Our unique radar imaging and signal processing technology creates new opportunities for remotely operated, non-intrusive screening of crowds in real time.

Plymouth Rock's core technologies include: (1) UAS platforms engineered to conform to NDAA Section 848 ("PRT UAS"); (2) A compact microwave radar system for scanning shoe's ("Shoe Scanner"); (3) A compact modular radar utilized for a variety of applications, from aircraft to weapon detection ("CODA").

www.plyrotech.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dana Wheeler

President and CEO

+1-774-404-7685

info@plyrotech.com

Investor Information:

Tasso Baras

+1-778-477-6990

tasso@plyrotech.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97054
Long-term sustainability strategy of pharmaceutical service provider pays off

Continuous investment in energy-efficient and eco-friendly technology

Purchasing green energy and offering sustainable mobility solutions

Supporting certificated climate protection actions

The "Green Deal" initiated by the European Commission aims at reducing the net emissions of greenhouse gases to zero across the EU by 2050, thereby making the European continent climate-neutral. As a globally operating Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), Vetter added this topic to its corporate agenda many years ago. Now, the pharmaceutical service provider is making yet another contribution: all Vetter sites are climate-neutral and no longer have a CO2 footprint. The company's production sites and sales offices in Austria, the US, and Asia have followed the example of its sites in Germany, where climate neutrality was already achieved in the past year. This important milestone was made possible by the interaction of many components within the scope of a long-term CO2 strategy in the company.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005718/en/

Covered and with a lot of space: Highly modern parking facilities for bicycles are only one of the many actions of Vetter's sustainability initiatives. Picture source: Vetter Pharma International GmbH (Photo: Business Wire)

Investments in energy-efficient and eco-friendly technology play a key role in this regard. For example, the CDMO relies on in-house cogeneration units, solar panels, and geothermal energy, amongst others. Over approximately the past ten years, the company has successfully implemented more than 100 efficiency projects, thereby saving over 30 million kWh of electricity, natural gas, and biogas. In the past five years alone, Vetter reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4,500 tons. New buildings are always constructed according to the latest environmental standards.

Another important component is the energy supply. Since 2014, all German sites have been operated with green electricity from hydropower. The same is true for the company's new Austrian site in Rankweil, which was purchased in 2020.

In addition, Vetter relies on a comprehensive, modular concept for alternative mobility to make switching to sustainable means of transportation as appealing as possible to its staff members. For example, the pharmaceutical service provider has already invested in two highly innovative bicycle parking facilities at its corporate sites in Ravensburg, with more to follow at the other sites. Moreover, the company cooperates with a local energy supplier on leasing bicycles. In this way, staff members can quickly commute between corporate sites while also saving resources. Furthermore, the JobRad program, a national bike leasing initiative, offers staff members attractive leasing conditions when acquiring a new bicycle. Employees can also charge their electric vehicles with electricity from hydropower; the infrastructure required for this purpose has been provided at the first sites.

"As a family business committed to sustainability, we take our responsibility towards the environment and climate protection very seriously. Whenever possible, we opt for the solutions that are most eco-friendly," said Vetter Managing Director Thomas Otto.

However, emissions cannot be eliminated completely when producing drugs in a highly regulated setting. Henryk Badack, Senior Vice President Technical Services/Internal Project Management, stated: "Operating within the pharmaceutical industry, we have to meet numerous regulatory requirements and high standards to enable patients around the world to have access to impeccable, high-quality medication. This results in energy-intensive production operations. Therefore, it is even more important to sensibly compensate for the emissions generated." CO2 compensation is one means in this regard, i.e., emissions that cannot be eliminated are compensated for by financing high-quality and certified climate protection actions. The projects supported by Vetter are subject to strict requirements. On the one hand, they must be related purely to the generation of renewable energies; on the other, the systems used for this purpose may not be older than ten years. In addition, the certificates must conform to the standards of the Kyoto Protocol or the Paris Agreement

"Despite the milestone of global CO 2-neutrality, which we have now achieved, we maintain our efforts in further driving our environmental initiatives and making our company even greener," said Vetter Managing Director Peter Soelkner. "As a family business that thinks in generations, we see this as an important component of our social responsibility, as well as for our children and grandchildren."

Find the Vetter press kit and more background information here

About Vetter

Headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter is a family-owned, global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. Currently employing more than 5,500 individuals worldwide, the company has long-term experience in supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers both large and small. Vetter services range from early stage development support including clinical manufacturing, to commercial supply and numerous packaging solutions for vials, syringes and cartridges. As a leading solution provider, Vetter appreciates its responsibility to support the needs of its customers by developing devices that contribute to increased patient safety, convenience, and enhanced compliance. Great importance is also given to social responsibility, including environmental protection and sustainability. Learn more about Vetter at www.vetter-pharma.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005718/en/

Contacts:

Vetter Pharma International GmbH

Markus Kirchner

Corporate Spokesperson Media Relations

Eywiesenstrasse 5

88212 Ravensburg

Germany

Phone: +49 (0)751-3700-3729

E-mail: PRnews@vetter-pharma.com
New test provided through Infinity BiologiX (IBX) laboratories, powered by Cytox's genoSCORE polygenic risk score platform, with Vanguard providing medical liaison and customer support available from early October 2021

The IBX Alzheimer's Risk Test enables physicians to support patients with lifestyle changes, and guide use of drug therapy, to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms

For physician use only, the test can be ordered through the dedicated web portal: www.alzheimers-risk-test.com

Today, Infinity BiologiX, LLC (IBX), Cytox Ltd, and Vanguard Pharma announce the launch of the IBX Alzheimer's Risk Test, powered by genoSCORE. Physicians are able to pre-register to order the test, which will be available from early October 2021.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005715/en/

The following chart shows the well-documented modifiable risk factors(1) associated with Alzheimer's disease, and executable actions that patients can take to mitigate the risks, with the potential to delay the onset of symptoms, and slow disease progression. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The new, non-invasive, test is the first physicians use only, clinically available and validated "polygenic" test, assessing over 100,000 genetic variations, to predict the risk of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease. The test only requires a simple saliva or blood sample, enabling individuals not wishing or easily able to attend healthcare settings, to provide a suitable sample from home.

Physicians can use the Alzheimer's Risk Test to identify patients most at risk of cognitive decline, prior to invasive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing or expensive scanning techniques. The results of the test can guide lifestyle changes and use of drug therapy to delay the onset of disease symptoms.

Dr. Richard Pither, CEO of Cytox, commented: "Modifiable factors account for more than 40% of the risk for dementia1. Consequently, it is important that clinicians confronted with patients with early cognitive concerns, have the appropriate tools to assist in understanding the future risk of disease progression to guide lifestyle advice and clinical management. This new test can support planning, by reducing the burden of additional testing in lower risk patients, and targeting monitoring and prevention approaches to those most likely to benefit."

Robin Grimwood, IBX CEO, explained: "We are proud to partner with Cytox and Vanguard Pharma bringing the lab capabilities and expertise of the IBX team to bear on this cutting-edge solution. Enabling physicians to support their patients with the most clinically appropriate treatments is at the heart of what we do as an organization. This new test will provide physicians with a critical tool to stimulate lifestyle changes and therapy guidance prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms."

Kevin Danylchuk, President of Vanguard Pharma added: "We are honored to be part of the launch of this exciting and innovative test. As part of the launch activities for the Alzheimer's Risk Test, we will be hosting a number of different educational forums both live and on-line that discuss how this test can be optimally used in clinical practice. Our aim is to ensure that the test is widely available to clinicians across the country who can use it to help guide patient needs and care decisions."

About Infinity BiologiX (IBX) (www.ibx.bio)

IBX is a market-disrupting next-generation central laboratory supporting academia, government, and industry. IBX provides global sample collection, processing, storage, and analytical services integrated with scientific and technical support in both the research and clinical arenas. As a leader in biomaterials, IBX provides support to the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and research in the genomics, precision, and regenerative medicine arenas. IBX previously operated as RUCDR Infinite Biologics before spinning off from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in August 2020.

About Cytox (www.cytoxgroup.com)

Without new drug therapies, the economic and healthcare cost burden of dementia including Alzheimer's disease (AD) is estimated to exceed $1tn per year in the next decade2. AD a highly complex disease with risk factors based in genetics, lifestyle, age, and environment. Cytox's products genoSCORE and genoTOR use Polygenic Risk Scoring (PRS) to predict the risk of individuals developing AD, and to improve clinical trial outcomes through patient stratification and the genetic characterisation of the disease.

About Vanguard Pharma (www.vanguardpharma.com)

Vanguard Pharma is a leading healthcare contract sales organization serving the industry with innovative sales solutions, premier medical professional placement, and flexible partnerships that are required in today's unpredictable marketplace. We offer unparalleled service to our clients and partners and exceptional support to our employees. In an industry that is facing many stresses and challenges, Vanguard Pharma remains committed to delivering quality solutions to meet the needs of both health care organizations and health care professionals as well as educators and sales staff alike.

About the IBX Alzheimer's Risk Test, powered by genoSCORE

genoSCORE is a new non-invasive, genetic test to predict future risk of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The test, which uses a simple blood or saliva sample, analyses patient genotypes against an array of over 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with AD. As such, the test generates a patient-specific polygenic risk score (PRS).

Clinicians can use the test to assess patients for the risk of developing Alzheimer's, before symptoms arise, prior to invasive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing or expensive scanning techniques. Furthermore, the test's simplicity of use would enable elderly and vulnerable patients self-isolating due to COVID-19, or not wishing or easily able to attend healthcare settings, to provide a suitable sample from home.

Developers of new AD drug therapies can also the test to identify and recruit patients to clinical studies, ensuring the selection of the most suitable candidates, those most likely to experience cognitive decline over the time period of the study.

This test is a measure of relative risk for future onset of Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and should not be considered as standalone diagnostic test. A high test score does not indicate that an individual will definitively develop LOAD in the future, and conversely a low test score does not categorically mean that subsequent onset of LOAD will never occur. The test result should be used in conjunction with other information available to the physician.

References:

Lancet Commission: Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32738937/ World Alzheimer's Report 2015 www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2015.pdf

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005715/en/

Contacts:

For physicians wanting to order the test please register at:

www.alzheimers-risk-test.com.

For physicians interested in hearing more about the test, please contact: alzheimers@vanguardpharma.com

Richard Pither, Chief Executive Officer, Cytox

Tel: +44 (0)1865 338 018

Adam Michael Communications Lead, Media Contact, Cytox

Tel: +44 777 588 1813

adam.michael@cytoxgroup.com

Infinity BiologiX Media Contact:

Mike Thurogood mike.thurogood@infinity-biologix.com
Elko, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Lithium Corporation (OTCQB: LTUM) ("LTUM" or "the Company"), a North American corporation focused on energy metals for the growing energy storage sector and high-tech industries, wishes to announce it recently entered into an option agreement with Surge Battery Metals Inc. (Surge) (TSXV: NILI) (OTCQB: NILIF), whereby Surge may earn an 80% interest in Lithium Corporation's San Emidio Lithium-in-Brine property in Washoe County, Nevada. In support of this agreement, and in anticipation of increased activity in the project area, the companies recently increased the claim holdings in the prospect area to 5,560 acres.

Under the terms of the agreement, Surge will make staged cash and share payments, and incur $1,000,000 in exploration expenditures in order to earn an undivided 80% working interest in the prospect. The full terms of the agreement are outlined in the September 20th press release, and LTUM's 8-K filing.

Lithium Corporation has maintained the property since 2010 and recovered up to 80 mg/l Li from near surface brine samples. Tom Lewis, Lithium Corporation President and CEO, recently stated, "I'm delighted to be able to enter into an agreement with the Surge team that could conceivably culminate in development of the property, and look forward to working with them as the property is advanced."

About Lithium Corporation

Lithium Corporation is an exploration company based in Nevada devoted to the exploration for energy storage related resources throughout North America, and looking to capitalize on opportunities within the ever-expanding next generation energy storage markets. Website: www.lithiumcorporation.com.

Contact Info

Tom Lewis, CEO

Lithium Corporation

775-410-5287

info@lithiumcorporation.com

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of minerals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lithium Corporation (OTCQB: LTUM) 1031 Railroad St. Ste 102B Elko NV 89801 (775) 410-5287 www.lithiumcorporation.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97089
Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, 42 companies have pledged a promising USD 345 million to contribute to ending global hunger as part of a new initiative led by key international organizations. The Zero HungerPrivate SectorPledge is a game-changing solution emerging from the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Action Tracks. It recognizes that governments cannot eradicate hunger alone and need more private sector involvement. To date, pledges have been made in 34 priority countries. The pledge is being supported by a network of partners, including the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Grow Africa, Grow Asia, the World Benchmarking Alliance, the World Food Programme, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Cornell University.

Global hunger is rising unabated, with up to 811 million hungry people in the world in 2020, suffering because they did not have access to the most basic need and fundamental right of food. But there is a roadmap to end world hunger. Additional investment in 10 high-impact areas can put hunger in the history books.

"Today, one in ten people go to bed hungry and millions are right on the brink of starvation. This is happening in a world that has enough food to feed everyone, everywhere. It's time to end this suffering. But to succeed, WFP and the entire community need the creative drive, energy, and commitment of the private sector. Through the Zero Hunger Pledge initiative, businesses around the world can join us and truly make a difference-giving food, hope, and a better future to those who need them most."

~ David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP)

Although this financial investment must mostly come from governments, public spending will not be sufficient. That is why the UNFSS came up with a game-changing solution to mobilize more private sector investment as a catalytic contributor to achieving zero hunger. Companies make a financial commitment in at least one of the 10 high-impact intervention areas identified in the Ceres2030 findingsand in at least one of the priority countries or regions.

"What we are seeing with the Pledge is the private sector stepping up to be a bigger part of the solution. This is a game-changing approach to solving one of the most pressing yet oldest challenges humanity faces."

~ Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, GAIN

With a level of commitment so far amounting to USD 345 million, the implementing organizations are confident more companies will join in the fight against zero hunger. The Pledge is officially being launchedon Tuesday, September 21, 10 am EDT/4 pm CEST.

###

The Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledgeis a multistakeholder platform of cooperation and action with a single objective of ending hunger for good. It involves businesses supported by civil society, member state governments, and international organizations.

Enquiries/Interviews

Edwin Shankar, Media Relations, edwin.shankar@leidar.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
Regulatory News:

Not for distribution in Canada, Japan or Australia

Europcar Mobility Group S.A. ("Europcar Mobility Group" or the "Company") (Paris:EUCAR), a societe anonyme organised under the laws of France, announced today the launch of an offering of 500 million Sustainability-Linked Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (the "Sustainability-Linked Notes") to be issued by EC Finance plc, subject to market and other conditions (the "Notes Offering

As part of this debut Sustainability-Linked issuance, Europcar Mobility Group has established robust and ambitious sustainability performance targets namely: (1) reducing carbon emissions for its car and van fleet to reach an average of 93 g CO2/km and 144 g CO2/km respectively by the end of 2024 and (2) its target to have green vehicles (less than 50 g CO2/km) account for 20% of its car and van fleet by the end of 2024.

The gross proceeds from the Notes Offering, together with cash-on-hand, will be used for:

early redemption in full of the 2.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 issued by EC Finance plc (the "2022 Notes"), and

- payment of related costs, fees and expenses.

The purpose of the Notes Offering is to proactively manage the Company's debt profile and extend its average maturity whilst taking advantage of the prevailing market conditions.

The Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework is available here:

https://investors.europcar-group.com/financial-documentation/debt

DISCLAIMER

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

This announcement is solely an advertisement and does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 14, 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation

This press release does not, and shall not, in any circumstances constitute a public offering by Europcar Mobility Group of Sustainability-Linked Notes nor an invitation to the public in connection with any offer. No action has been or will be taken in any country or jurisdiction that would permit a public offering of the Sustainability-Linked Notes, or the possession or distribution of this press release or any other offering or publicity material relating to the Sustainability-Linked Notes, in any country or jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The offering or subscription of the Sustainability-Linked Notes may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Europcar Mobility Group does not take any responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person.

The Sustainability-Linked Notes will be offered only to qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive.

With respect to the Member States of the European Economic Area other than France (each, a "relevant Member State") no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the securities requiring a publication of a prospectus in any relevant Member State. As a result, the Sustainability-Linked Notes can only be offered and will only be offered in relevant Member States (a) to legal entities that are qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation, or (b) in accordance with the other exemptions of Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this paragraph, the notion of an "offer to the public of securities" in each of the relevant Member States, means any communication to persons in any form and by any means, presenting sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered, so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for those securities.

This selling restriction comes in addition to the other selling restrictions applicable in the relevant Member States.

This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or exempt from registration thereunder. The Sustainability-Linked Notes have not been and are not being registered under the Securities Act and Europcar Mobility Group, nor any of its shareholders or affiliates, intend to register any portion of the proposed offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. This press release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act.

This announcement is directed only to persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Financial Promotion Order"), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. The Sustainability-Linked Notes are being offered solely to "qualified investors" pursuant to the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA") (the "UK Prospectus Regulation

This press release may not be published, forwarded or distributed in Canada, Australia or Japan.

MiFID II Product governance

According to the product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures, the target market assessment in respect of the Sustainability-Linked Notes offered in the global offering has led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market of the Sustainability-Linked Notes is eligible counterparties and professional clients, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) all channels for distribution of the Sustainability-Linked Notes to eligible counterparties and professional clients are appropriate (the "Target Market Assessment"). Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the Sustainability-Linked Notes (a "distributor") should take into consideration the manufacturer's Target Market Assessment; however, a distributor subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Sustainability-Linked Notes (by either adopting or refining the manufacturer's Target Market Assessment) and determining appropriate distribution channels.

Solely for the purposes of each manufacturer's product approval process, the target market assessment in respect of the Sustainability-Linked Notes, has led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market for the Sustainability-Linked Notes is only eligible counterparties, as defined in the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook ("COBS"), and professional clients, as defined in Regulation (EU) 600/2014, as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA ("UK MiFIR"); and (ii) all channels for distribution of the Sustainability-Linked Notes to eligible counterparties and professional clients are appropriate (the "UK Target Market Assessment"). Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the securities (a "distributor") should take into consideration the manufacturers' target market assessment; however, a distributor subject to the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules") is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Sustainability-Linked Notes (by either adopting or refining the manufacturers' target market assessment) and determining appropriate distribution channels.

The Target Market Assessment is conducted solely for the purposes of the manufacturer's product approval process and neither constitutes an assessment for any particular client of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II nor a recommendation to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Sustainability-Linked Notes. Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the attention of distributors is drawn to the fact that: the price of the Sustainability-Linked Notes may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Sustainability-Linked Notes offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and that an investment in the Sustainability-Linked Notes is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who are capable (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom.

This press release may include projections and other "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any such projections or statements reflect the current views of Europcar Mobility Group about further events and financial performance.

No assurances can be given that such events or performance will occur as project and actual results may differ materially from these projections.

About Europcar Mobility Group

Europcar Mobility Group is a major player in mobility markets and listed on Euronext Paris. Europcar Mobility Group's purpose is to offer attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership, in a responsible and sustainable manner. With this in mind, the Group offers a wide range of car and van rental services be it for a few hours, a few days, a week, a month or more with a fleet that is already "C02 light" and equipped with the latest engines, and which will be increasingly "green" in the years to come (more than 1/3 electric and hybrid vehicles by 2023).

Customers' satisfaction is at the heart of the Group's ambition and that of its employees. It also fuels the ongoing development of new offerings in the Group's three service lines Professional, Leisure and Proximity which respond to the specific needs and use cases of both businesses and individuals. The Group's 4 major brands are: Europcar the European leader of car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, Goldcar the low-cost car-rental Leader in Europe, InterRent 'mid-tier' car rental and Ubeeqo one of the European leaders of round-trip car-sharing (BtoB, BtoC). Europcar Mobility Group delivers its mobility solutions worldwide through an extensive network in over 140 countries (including wholly owned subsidiaries 18 in Europe, 1 in the USA, 2 in Australia and New Zealand completed by franchises and partners).

Further details on our website: www.europcar-mobility-group.com

Forward-looking statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements based on current beliefs and expectations about future events. Such forward-looking statements may include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and/or expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations and services and product development, as well as statements, regarding performance or events. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "may", "would", "should" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Europcar Mobility Group and its subsidiaries and investments, trends in their business, future capital expenditures and acquisitions, developments in respect of contingent liabilities, changes in economic conditions globally or in Europcar Mobility Group's principal markets, competitive conditions in the market and regulatory factors. Those events are uncertain; their outcome may differ from current expectations which may in turn materially affect expected results. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained in this press release is made as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by applicable law, Europcar Mobility Group does not undertake to revise or update any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. The results and the Group's performance may also be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, risks identified in the "Risk factors" of the Universal Registration Document registered by the Autorite des marches financiers and also available on the Group's website: www.europcar-mobility-group.com. This press release does not contain or constitute an offer or invitation to purchase any securities in France, the United States or any other jurisdiction.

Regulated information related to this press release is available on the website:

https://investors.europcar-group.com/results-center

www.europcar-mobility-group.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005786/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Caroline Cohen caroline.cohen@europcar.com

Press Relations

Valerie Sauteret valerie.sauteret@europcar.com

Vincent Vevaud vincent.vevaud@europcar.com
The renewables-powered sustainable hydrogen announcements have come as a group of international researchers made controversial claims about the potential of gas-fired blue hydrogen to be part of the climate change solution.Gautam Adani, the chairman of Indian conglomerate Adani Group has said the company will become one of the world's biggest green hydrogen producers over the next four years as it trebles its clean energy generation capacity to 63% of its power portfolio. Outlining a ten-year, $20 billion strategy, Adani told today's JP Morgan India Investor Summit: "Today, we are already the ...

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 Wisma Indocement and Rodamas Buildings Install ActivePure Technology

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / ActivePure , the global leader in active surface and air purification technology, has expanded its presence in Indonesia. Two high-rise buildings, the Wisma Indocement and Rodamas, worked with an ActivePure global distributor in Indonesia, PT Hibaru, to install the company's units on the two properties.

With Indonesia's daily coronavirus positivity falling below 5% earlier this month, businesses around the country have been taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of their employees and clients, and to do their part to help reduce transmission levels. PT Hibaru had previously installed ActivePure units in office buildings, schools and factories throughout the country. PT Hibaru's customers have reported a decrease in positive COVID-19 tests after installation was completed, a key indicator of ActivePure effectiveness when layered with other remediation strategies.

Some other projects PT Hibaru has worked on include United Tractors, Danone, TOTO, Pama Persada, Karpowership, Union Group and Ariobimo.

"Mr. William and his team of professionals have done a great job in swiftly providing ActivePure Technology solutions to businesses, providing their teams with an extra layer of protection against airborne and surface contaminants. Subsequently, several other projects are underway using our exclusive technology," explained Anil Agrawal, vice president of international sales & operations for ActivePure.

ActivePure has been scientifically proven to reduce exposure to pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and molds, by up to 99.9% in the air and on surfaces. ActivePure is an extensively tested and validated solution for businesses navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Businesses in Indonesia, which is home to more than 276 million people, have adopted new hygiene and indoor air sanitization practices in order to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus amongst their employees, guests and visitors. Products with ActivePure have been shown in independent laboratory testing to inactivate 99.9% of airborne and surface SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

"We are very happy that we are able to help and support businesses operate in clean environments, especially during the pandemic," said William Stephanus Nusalim, CEO of PT Hibaru. "We are grateful to know that we can contribute to minimizing the risk of COVID-19 spread amongst office building workers. We have 34 years of experience in the air cleaning industry, and we are humbled to be able to use our expertise in the field to strongly recommend ActivePure products to our clients, as it is the only active solution in this time of crisis."

Rather than passively waiting for pathogens in the air to make their way to filtration systems, ActivePure Technology directly and actively targets pathogens in the air and on surfaces, releasing ActivePure Molecules into the air 24/7 and effectively inactivating contaminants.

ActivePure is proud to offer solutions that bring countries an added layer of protection against the coronavirus and many other scientifically relevant pathogens.

"Our technology helps give employees and customers confidence when returning to work, school and play," said Joe Urso, chairman and CEO of ActivePure. "We are thrilled to expand our presence in Indonesia. We will continue to improve and innovate technology with the mission of bettering the environmental health of our international partners and their customers."

For more information on ActivePure Technology or its scientific uses, please visit ActivePure.com , or call 888-217-4316. For further information on ActivePure Products in Indonesia, please visit PTHibaru.com .

###

ABOUT ACTIVEPURE:

Privately held ActivePure has been the global leader in active, 24/7 surface and air disinfection systems for healthcare and educational institutions, commercial and public facilities, hospitality and residential applications since 1924. Patented ActivePure Technology has been proven in independent university and laboratory testing to effectively control and neutralize indoor contaminants. It is the only product in its class recognized by the Space Foundation as Certified Space Technology and inducted in the Space Foundation Hall of Fame. The ActivePure Medical Guardian is registered and cleared as an FDA Class II Medical Device. ActivePure was developed for use in space exploration and has since evolved for use in commercial and consumer products used to reduce exposure to pathogens, including RNA and DNA viruses, bacteria, fungi and molds, by up to 99.9% in the air and on surfaces. For more information, please visit ActivePure.com , or call 888-217-4316.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jo Trizila, TrizCom Public Relations on behalf of ActivePure

Email: Jo@TrizCom.com

Office: 972-247-1369

Cell/Text: 214-232-0078

WISMA INDOCEMENT PHOTOS:

RODAMAS BUILDING PHOTOS:

SOURCE: ActivePure Technology

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664973/Indonesian-Buildings-Take-Extra-Precautions-Against-COVID-By-Installing-Air-and-Surface-Purification-Technology
Mucinno Holding, Inc. (MCNO) is negotiating a contract with CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (CX) to be a supplier of recycled silica sand and a provider of transport services.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Mucinno Holding, Inc. (OTC PINK:MCNO) is pleased to announce that it is negotiating a contract with CEMEX to supply silica sand and provide transport services. It is agreed to keep supplying the multiple concrete plants located in the center region of Mexico with 75,000 tons of silica sand annually. The strategic location of the mine is a beneficial factor for the company since it eliminates the competition in the region.

The total demand for our sand and freight has increased by 34% in this circuit, with respect to last year, a figure that is estimated to continue its growth throughout the year due to an increase in the construction sector that exists in the country. According to INEGI there was a 16% increase of cement production just in June.

The sand we are providing in this contract is recycled sand, it means that it is collected from foundry residuals. These residuals are presented in foundry molds that are revalued and processed to have a high-quality raw material as a result. This process reduces the negative impact on the environment and on the community's health.

Mucinno Holding, Inc. has worked with CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. for more than 15 years, time in which it has managed to build a firm commercial relationship due to the fulfillment of silica sand orders, which has resulted in the formation of circuits and contracts to supply raw materials to its plants.

Edgar Mucino Castillo, CEO of Mucinno Holding said: "We will be pleased to formalize the supply with a contract, especially with a world class company such as CEMEX."

About CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. They produce, distribute, and sell cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and related building materials in more than 50 countries, and they maintain trade relationships in approximately 102 nations. It has annual revenues of 13 billion dollars.

To learn more about CEMEX, visit: www.cemex.com.

About Mucinno Holding, Inc.

Mucinno Holding is a group focused on mining activities that specializes on the extraction and transport of aggregates. It owns two silica sand mines and transport equipment to supply its consumers. The company aims to expand by offering more services to their clients and innovate creating finished goods made from their own raw material.

To learn more about Mucinno Holding, Inc. visit: www.mcno.com.mx

Shareholder Notice

Let us begin with the great gratitude we have for placing your trust in us. We want to let you know that we are working hard on the projects that have been presented to us, which are the fruit of much effort and dedication from previous years.

We continue to be leaders in the production and sales of recycled silica sand, a market in which we have no competition.

We maintain a philosophy of continuous improvement in the processes to be increasingly efficient and make this company grow, taking advantage of the opportunities we have; We will continue to keep you abreast of the strategic movements of the company

To contact us please write to investors@mcno.com.mx , we will be happy to hear from you.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1993 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those laws. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are subject to significant uncertainties that involve known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in any such forward-looking statements and any such difference may be caused by risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's news releases and/or its filings with the OTC Bulletin Board or as a result of other factors.

Company Contact:

Mucinno Holding, Inc.

investors@mcno.com.mx

www.mcno.com.mx

SOURCE: Mucinno Holding, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664968/Mucinno-Holding-Inc-Negotiates-Contract-with-CEMEX-SAB-de-CV
FII Institute launched a unique global index that uses groundbreaking technology to track infectious diseases and transform how the world reacts to future crises.

The Global Infectious Diseases Index was developed by FII Institute in partnership with Accenture and Metabiota.

Metabiota's risk solution program was among the first to flag unusual infections in Wuhan in December 2019.

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute launched the Global Infectious Diseases Index today; it uses a specially designed Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool designed to track pathogens around the world and provide key data to help prepare for, and fight, infectious diseases. Captured in near real time, it was developed in partnership with the global pioneer in infectious disease risk solutions Metabiota and leading technology consulting firm Accenture. It tracks up to 60 pathogens, including those behind COVID-19, Dengue and Measles and is designed to increase global awareness about infectious diseases including Tuberculosis, Malaria and HIV, as well as reduce threats and provide valuable insights to drive decision making.

The FII Institute officially launched the Index at the Health Is Wealth roundtable, held on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York, with world leaders, and government and private sector representatives in attendance. The Index is available live online now at www.globalinfectiousdiseaseindex.org

FII Institute CEO Richard Attias said he is proud of the collaborative work done to harness the technology required to provide these valuable analytics. "The insights the Index will provide will prepare governments and health services to make informed decisions that will help humanity," he said. "It removes the complexities of infectious diseases data and delivers a simple and intuitive global view."

The Index is unique because it will provide endemic disease burden and epidemic disease threat data in one platform. It includes the top five deadliest global endemic diseases, across 204 countries and territories, and tracks up to 60 pathogens, including the Corona Virus. Integrated data also includes countries ranked by Highest Healthcare Expenditure (as a percentage of GDP), the number of people per country vaccinated for each disease and in-depth information on medical professionals and services.

Leading the Index's development was FII Institute's THINK Director, and Nobel Laureate, Lameen Abdul-Malik, who said there is a need to address infectious diseases that burden countries, economies, and individuals. "The data from the index should provide insightful information to help countries plan ahead to mitigate the effects of future pandemics as well as address endemic diseases to help their populations live healthier and longer lives," he said. "Solutions being developed to fight COVID-19 should be leveraged to address other infectious disease threats which have been a problem for many years."

Note to Editors: For more information and a fact sheet on the Global Infectious Diseases Index, contact the FII Institute. Representatives are also available for media interviews.

About FII Institute (Future Investment Initiative Institute)

FII Institute is a global non-profit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Committed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, we foster the brightest minds and transform ideas into real-world solutions in five focus areas: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability.

We are in the right place at the right time - when decision makers, investors and an engaged generation of youth come together in aspiration, energized and ready for change. We harness that energy into three pillars - THINK, XCHANGE, ACT - and invest in the innovations that make a difference to lives globally.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630968/FII_Institute_Roundtable.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630846/FII_Institute_Logo.jpg

www.Fii-institute.org

Media contact: media@fii-institute.org
H1 2021 revenue up 43% to 3.7 million

Sharp increase in gross margin to 61.2%, vs. 55.7% in H1 2020

24% improvement in net loss vs. H1 2020

Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Paris:ALIMP) (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, announces its results for the first half of the year to June 30, 2021, as approved by the Board of Directors on September 21, 2021.

Ludovic Lastennet, IMPLANET's CEO, said: "The recentering of our operations initiated in 2020 pertaining to our Spine activity, combined with the upturn observed during the first half of the year, illustrate the relevance of our strategic focus. Despite the still limited impact of OSD's activity, given its acquisition date, we have been able to improve our gross margin over the period while continuing to rationalize our fixed costs. Combining IMPLANET and OSD's expertise has brought its first benefits with the signing of a contract with one of the major players in the spinal implant sector in Germany, ulrich medical. Although the public health situation is not facilitating the return to normal surgical activity, the first results of this partnership should materialize during the second half of this year and confirm the return to growth that has already begun

In thousands IFRS Simplified income statement H1 2021 H1 2020 Change Revenue 3,718 2,595 43% Cost of goods sold -1,442 -1,148 26% Gross margin 2,276 1,446 57% Gross margin % 61.2% 55.7% +5.5 pp Recurring operating costs -3,990 -3,339 20% Recurring operating profit/loss -1,714 -1,892 9% Other non-recurring operating income/expenses 0 -148 n/a Operating profit/loss -1,714 -2,040 16% Financial profit/loss -120 -370 67% Net profit/loss net -1,834 -2,410 24%

*Unaudited data

H1 2021 revenue

In the first half of 2021, IMPLANET generated revenue of 3.72 million, up 43% (vs. 2.59 million in H1 2020).

Thanks to the strategic acquisition of Orthopaedic Spine Development ("OSD")1 in the first half of 2021, Spine activity saw strong growth of 71% compared with H1 2020, with sales totaling 2.58 million. Activity was also up 8% compared with H1 2019. Despite the still significant impact of the health crisis since the start of the year, MADISON activity was up by 5% compared with H1 2020.

Gross margin and operating profit

Over the first half of 2021, the gross margin improved by 5.5 percentage points to 2.28 million, compared with 1.44 million in H1 2020.

Recurring operating expenses increased by 0.65 million over the period compared with the first half of 2020, primarily because of OSD costs of 0.30 million booked for the period from May 19, 2021 to June 30, 2021, as well as the resumption in activity and the end of partial work measures. Despite this increase, operating costs recorded a decrease of 27 percentage points, representing 107% of H1 2021 revenue compared with 134% in 2020. This improvement marks the continuation of the constant efforts to rationalize fixed costs.

Other non-recurring operating expenses in the first half of 2020 correspond to the costs incurred during the divestment of the Company's Knee activity. There was thus a 16% improvement in the operating loss to -1.71 million in H1 2021 from -2.04 million in H1 2020.

Once the financial result is taken into account, the net loss was 1.83 million over the six months to June 30, 2021, a 24% improvement compared with the loss of 2.41 million recorded in the first half of 2020.

Cash position

As of June 30, 2021, IMPLANET had cash and cash equivalents of 0.37 million (versus 1.14 million on December 31, 2020). As a reminder, in January 2021 the Company signed a bond financing program with Nice Green for a total of 5.0 million. As of the date of this press release, 2.85 million was still available and to be subscribed to by Nice Green.

2021 outlook

Thanks to the integration of OSD in May 2021, IMPLANET now has a comprehensive range of innovative products for spine surgery. The two structures' geographical complementarity also offers international development prospects for the entire range.

In the second half of 2021, activity should accelerate notably thanks to:

The postponement of the first Madison surgical procedures in the United States, within the framework of the strategic partnership with KICo;

The first spine surgical procedures following the exclusive agreement for the distribution of GLOBUS MEDICAL's REFLECT range to 15 French university centers specializing in pediatric spine surgery;

The first deliveries of JAZZ implants and OSD cervical plates to ulrich medical within the framework of the distribution contract signed in June.

Reminder of H1 2021 highlights

Agreement for the acquisition of OSD, which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery;

Clearance for the MADISON TM total knee prosthesis obtained from the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) enabling the product to be marketed in Australia;

total knee prosthesis obtained from the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) enabling the product to be marketed in Australia; Signing of a strategic partnership with ulrich medical for the distribution of JAZZ implants and the OSD cervical plate;

Exclusive distribution contract with GLOBUS MEDICAL to market the latter's Scoliosis Correction System to 15 French university centers specialized in pediatric spine surgery in order to increase our market share.

The Half Year financial report as of 30 June 2021 is available on IMPLANET's website and on the AMF website.

Upcoming financial event:

Q3 2021 revenue, on October 12, 2021 after market close

About IMPLANET

Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around two product ranges, a comprehensive innovative solution for improving the treatment of spinal pathologies (JAZZ and OSD), as well as the MADISON implant for first-line prosthetic knee surgery. Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on the traceability of its products. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark in Europe and ANVISA approval in Brazil. IMPLANET employs 29 staff and recorded sales of 6.0 million in 2020. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET opened a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. In May 2021, IMPLANET acquired Orthopaedic Spine Development (OSD), which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery and offers a product range that complements the latest generation JAZZ implant (thoraco-lumbar screws, cages and cervical plates). IMPLANET is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris.

The Company would like to remind readers that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80

1 Since May 19 2021, Spine activity includes revenue recorded by OSD, i.e. 0.52 million.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005644/en/

Contacts:

IMPLANET

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO

David Dieumegard, CFO

Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55

investors@Implanet.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Mathilde Bohin

Nicolas Fossiez

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Implanet@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

Implanet@newcap.eu
Tallinn, Estonia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Zam.io announces they have developed a unique protocol, zMorgan, that can issue stablecoins secured by clients' shares. Therefore, every stablecoin issued will have real collateral. Crypto investors, hodlers and the EU administration have started to re-consider stablecoins as a potential means of payment after the stablecoin market cap had surpassed the $125.7 billion mark in September this year.

zMorgan

Cannot view this image? Visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8325/97158_fae08665d49d8b9b_001.jpg.

Crypto enthusiasts might be ready to transfer their assets into stablecoins, to stabilize their profits and survive the possible October market correction without losses, but heads of states are skeptical about stablecoins and are wary of using them in daily life, given the issues with their real value.

More recently, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, stated that stablecoins are not at all the digital equivalent of fiat money as they have serious collateral problems. Lawsuits between the New York prosecutor's office and the issuer of the most popular stablecoin, Tether (USDT), had once again proved that their coins are inherently worthless as they are not backed up by real collateral.

Zam.io has presented a new protocol, zMorgan, which helps address this issue, by transferring stock capital to decentralized finance. We will present the way it works in the sections that follow.

From CeFi to DeFi: How to Secure Stablecoins with Company Shares

According to the analytical resource CoinMarketCap, the daily transaction volume of USDT stablecoin exceeds $137 billion, but the number of coins truly secured by fiat money is indeterminable. Tether representatives claim that absolutely all issued USDT are backed by dollars, bills of exchange and other securities. However, upon investigation, this turned out to be untrue. In fact, millions of people use dummy coins every day.

"We have been observing problems with securing stablecoins for a long time and fully support the position of the authorities, which is aimed at tightening control over issuers of stablecoins. Users need to be sure that every USDT stored in their crypto wallet has real value. Therefore, we've created a unique protocol, zMorgan, that allows the issuance of stablecoins secured by stocks," explains George Gus, founder of Zam.io.

The zMorgan protocol is capable of issuing a certain number of stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies: USDZ (pegged to the US dollar) and AEDZ (pegged to the Emirate dirham).

How the zMorgan protocol works

In fact, the service mechanism is very simple and accessible to everyone. Let's assume you have shares in Fortune 500 companies, which can be Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, etc. You don't intend to sell them yet or use them to obtain a physical product but are holding them solely as a long-term investment.

If shares are worth $100,000 but investors with no money available want to try out crypto investing and plan to buy cryptocurrencies without selling stocks, they can use the zMorgan protocol, which can mint a certain amount of USDZ or AEDZ stablecoins secured by shares as collateral. In this way, each issued stablecoin will be backed by equity.

USDZ or AEDZ stablecoins can be used to buy BTC and ETH cryptocurrencies and other top coins, which can be transferred to decentralized platforms and used to issue loans and credits, while you retain your shares.





USDZ and AEDZ stablecoin issuance process

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8325/97158_fae08665d49d8b9b_002full.jpg.

Now imagine that the zMorgan protocol is used by large companies, investment funds and banks. These entities are capable of creating stablecoins backed by stocks, gold or other assets, thereby pouring capital locked in securities and other assets into the cryptocurrency and decentralized finance sector. This will result in the rapid development of the digital finance market and the creation of a new economic environment.

"We've estimated the value of the stock market to be approximately $100 trillion. If at least 1% of the blocked capital in public company shares goes to the DeFi sector, the crypto market cap would increase by $1 trillion. What does this mean for cryptocurrency holders? Lightning-fast growth in the price of major cryptocurrencies, record profits, and early adoption of cryptocurrencies as an investment tool," explains George Gus.

All this can become a reality today!

How the stock market will change in the near future

For a long time, the stock market had remained fairly conservative and closed. The rules and regulations have not been changed for centuries in order to reliably preserve world capital among large corporations. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies will lead to the emergence of a new alternative economic system, transforming the stock markets in the future. This is what we are witnessing nowadays.

"The development of blockchain and cryptocurrencies will somehow change the stock market. We've already witnessed the first changes. At the beginning of summer, crypto exchange Binance launched tokenized stock trading, which was a direct challenge to stock exchanges. Trading these assets has now been suspended. Our company, in turn, is enabling the transfer of the stock market's "dead" capital, which has been locked away in stocks for decades, in the bank accounts of large corporations and investment funds, into decentralized finance," explains George Gus.

As the expert describes, in the coming years there will be major transformations in the global financial sector. Traditional investors and bankers who dismiss the obvious benefits of cryptocurrencies will be replaced by young, free money holders. At the same time, blockchain technologies will overrun the world of traditional finance and alter money management approaches. Instead of static banks with huge commission fees, neo-banks which support crypto payments will emerge. Instead of unprofitable deposits, staking will take place. Instead of the usual expensive loans, simple loans on DEX could occur. The world is already moving in that direction, and these transformations have consistently proven difficult to impede.

"We understand and clearly recognize that the world is changing and the financial sector is the first to respond to such changes. Therefore, our team has created a unique service that will facilitate and accelerate the transition from a traditional economy to an alternative one. One could say that Zam.io would act as a bridge between CeFi and DeFi," explained George Gus.

Contact

George Gus

zam-admin@zam.io

ZamZamTechnology OU (registry code 14566685)

Address is Harju maakond, Tallinn, Ponhja-Tallinna linnaosa, Randla tn 13-201, 10315

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97158.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, JAPAN OR AUSTRALIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Article 53 of the SIX Exchange Regulation Listing Rules

Mannedorf, Switzerland - September 21, 2021 - Today, the Tecan Group (SIX Swiss Exchange: TECN) successfully raised CHF 250 million debt through the issuance of a fixed rate domestic straight bond. The bonds bear a 0.050% coupon and have a duration of 4 years (final maturity October 6, 2025). Settlement date of the bonds is October 6, 2021. The bonds will be listed and traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

The net proceeds of the issue will partly refinance the USD 1.0 billion (CHF 920 million) acquisition of Paramit Corporation, a leading OEM developer and manufacturer of medical devices and life science instruments, that was announced on June 23, 2021 and successfully closed on August 2, 2021.

The bonds were placed with institutional investors and private banks in Switzerland under the joint lead management of Credit Suisse and Zurcher Kantonalbank.

About Tecan

Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production and distribution of automation solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. Its clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments, forensic and diagnostic laboratories. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2020, Tecan generated sales of CHF 731 million (USD 778 million; EUR 683 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TECN; ISIN CH0012100191).

For further information:

Tecan Group

Martin Braendle

Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & IR

Tel. +41

www.tecan.com

Disclaimer

This press release and the information contained herein may not be published, distributed or transmitted to the United States (USA) Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction into which the same would be unlawful, or given or transmitted to US persons (including legal entities) or to media with a general circulation in the USA. This bond will not be publicly offered for sale outside Switzerland. This media release does not constitute an offer to buy or subscribe for securities; it is neither an issue prospectus within the meaning of Article 35 FinSA nor a listing prospectus within the meaning of the SIX Swiss Exchange Listing Rules.

Attachment
On the same day President Biden addresses the U.N. General Assembly on global COVID-19 vaccine access and supply, activists will protest J&J at its NJ global headquarters over its COVID-19 vaccine practices

Wednesday, September 22, 12:00 noon ET, 1 Johnson and Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and its partner organizations will hold a demonstration at the global headquarters of Johnson Johnson (J&J), maker of a key single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, over the drug company's 'pandemic profiteering.' The protest, part of the AHF-led 'Vaccinate Our World' (VOW) campaign, will be held in New Brunswick, New Jersey on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 12 noon ET.

AHF's J&J protest will also take place the same day that President Biden will be addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York on global COVID vaccine access and shortages. At a point where nearly 4.7 million people worldwide have died from the novel coronavirus, 57% of the world population have yet to receive a single dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

J&J drew withering criticism recently over revelations that doses of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine being produced in South Africa-one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 and on the continent with the lowest vaccination rates-were being exported to Europe. After significant public outcry, those doses manufactured at Aspen Pharmacare's facility in South Africa will now be shipped to African countries instead, according to the Wall Street Journal and Fierce Pharma.

WHAT: Vaccinate our World (VOW) PROTEST at Johnson Johnson's World Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ WHEN: Wednesday, September 22 at 12 noon ET WHERE: 1 Johnson and Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 WHO: Approximately 25+/- community advocates, including AHF and partners NEWS DESK NOTE VISUALS There will be a moving picket line on the sidewalk in front of and around J&J's HQ, protesters with signs and banners, chants, people in campaign t-shirts.



The event will be live streamed on Facebook (@AIDShealth) and Instagram (@aidshealthcare); Live tweeting (@AIDSHealthcare) IN-MARKET MEDIA CONTACTS Mr. W. Imara Canady, AHF National Director, Communications Community Engagement, +1.770.940.6555 mobile Imara.Canady@ahf.org Denys Nazarov, Director of Global Policy Communications, AHF, +1 323.308.1829 denys.nazarov@ahf.org

"J&J has stated it will end nonprofit pricing for its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2021-just three months from now! It is also making US taxpayers pay twice for its lifesaving vaccine, as the company received over $1.5 billion from the US government to develop it," said Terri Ford, Chief of Global Advocacy Policy for AHF. "J&J: we are simply not going to allow this pandemic to turn into another AIDS crisis, when pharma companies kept lifesaving treatment from millions of people by charging exorbitant prices for medicines often developed with taxpayer support. We won't stop until J&J, Pfizer, and Moderna do the right thing!"

According to Forbes, "J&J may have been obliged to price their vaccine cheaper (approx. $10 per dose, compared with Pfizer and Moderna's higher price points) in return for receiving R&D money from the U.S. government. According to Bloomberg, the federal government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an office in the Health and Human Services Department, granted J&J approximately $1.5 billion to develop a COVID-19 vaccine."

J&J is also slated to produce doses in India. With severe vaccine shortages in the Asia-Pacific region, including India itself, it is imperative that these vaccines go to hard-hit lower-income countries, instead of getting shipped to more profitable markets in Europe and North America.

"In addition to J&J's disgusting exportation of vaccines from Africa to the EU, India is facing the same potential treatment J&J is scheduled to produce 600 million doses of its vaccine via an Indian pharmaceutical company," said Dr. V. Sam Prasad, Country Program Director for AHF India Cares. "Just like the doses from Africa were returned by the EU, J&J must ensure all India-produced vaccines go to countries in need within the region or in Africa. Anything else is an injustice to the billions of people still suffering as they wait for a lifesaving vaccine, while wealthy countries contemplate booster shots."

"We also want to thank President Biden for pushing world leaders today at the UN General Assembly to join him and really step-up global vaccine distribution and access efforts. He and others often state, 'This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,' and nowhere is that more true than in the scores of countries around the globe that are waiting-and desperately in need of-vaccines," added Ford.

AHF spearheaded similar Vaccinate Our World protests targeting Pfizer, an even more egregious pandemic profiteer, and Moderna. The Pfizer protest took place on August 17 in front of its world headquarters in New York City. For information on the earlier Pfizer protest, click here; or to view/download Pfizer protest images, click here. The Moderna protest took place at its headquarters in Cambridge, MA on August 31. For information on that prior Moderna protest, click here; to view/download Moderna protest images, click here.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005902/en/

Contacts:

US MEDIA CONTACTS:

Mr. W. Imara Canady

AHF National Director,

Communications Community Engagement

+1.770.940.6555 mobile

Imara.Canady@ahf.org



Ged Kenslea,Senior Director,

Communications, AHF

+1.323.308.1833 work

+1.323.791.5526 mobile

gedk@aidshealth.org
Positive final Phase 3 results for Tedopi in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after ICI failure.

Positive Phase 1 dose escalation results for BI 765063 (CD47/SIRPa pathway) as monotherapy or in combination with ezabenlimab (anti-PD-1) in advanced solid tumor patients.

Initiation of two Phase 2 trials with OSE-127/S95011 in Sjogren's syndrome (Servier sponsor) and in ulcerative colitis (OSE sponsor).

Initiation of two Phase 2 studies with Tedopi in combination with ICI in NSCLC and in ovarian cancer in collaboration with oncology expert groups.

Global license agreement entered with Veloxis for FR104 in transplant indications for up to 315 million.

Strong non-dilutive financing including 11 million upfront/milestone payments and 6.9 million public fundings.

9 million turnover and 27.3 million available cash as of June 30, 2021 providing financial visibility until Q3 2022.

OSE Immunotherapeutics will hold a R&D Day with live webcast presentation on October 12 th at 4:00 p.m. CET.

Conference call with live webcast today at 6:30 p.m. CET 9:30 a.m. ET.

Regulatory News:

OSE Immunotherapeutics (Paris:OSE) (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE) today reported its consolidated half-year financial results as of June 30, 2021 and provided updates on key milestones achieved during H1 2021.

Alexis Peyroles, CEO of OSE Immunotherapeutics, commented: "The first half of 2021 was marked by major clinical advances with promising data readouts on one hand and the initiation of new clinical trials on the other. We also secured additional non-dilutive financial resources to continue investing in our R&D drug discovery engine which has continued to identify novel therapeutics for patients with high medical need in immuno-oncology and autoimmune indications.

The positive final results of the Tedopi Phase 3 trial in non-small cell lung cancer patients in secondary resistance to ICIs presented at the recent ESMO conference include promising clinical benefit and good safety profile, and will support our discussions with the FDA and EMA on the best regulatory paths and next steps toward a potential approval. In parallel, the scope of Tedopi is being broadened through two sponsored studies, one in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in NSCLC for patients in secondary resistance to checkpoints inhibitors and another in ovarian cancer.

The first part of 2021 has also established OSE Immunotherapeutics as one of the key players in the promising CD47 space in solid tumors. Encouraging data with SIRPa inhibitor BI 765063 in combination with anti-PD-1 BI 754091, which were presented at ASCO and ESMO, support moving forward with the Phase 1 expansion trial to demonstrate the relevance of the combination approach as a potential therapeutic strategy in solid tumors.

OSE remains a partner of choice for pharma companies and we concluded a new license agreement with Veloxis, a leading transplantation company, to develop, manufacture and commercialize FR104 for all transplant indications.

We also strengthened our cash position through upfront and milestone payments from our pharma partners, public fundings and financing from the European Investment Bank received in July 2021, extending our cash position to Q3 2022."

Clinical results and advances in immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases

Tedopi,a neoepitope-based vaccineto induce specific T-lymphocyte activation: Positive final results for Phase 3 clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); initiation of two Phase 2 clinical trials in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor

Positive final results from the 'Atalante-1' Phase 3 study of Tedopi

These results were presented at the 2021 ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) conference on September 20th. The data have shown statistical improvement in overall survival, favorable benefit/risk ratio and a good quality of life in NSCLC patients after secondary resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Based on the promising clinical benefit and good safety profile, OSE Immunotherapeutics plans to continue discussing with the FDA and EMA about the optimal regulatory paths and next steps to register Tedopi in both territoriesand evaluate how these positive results can support this objective.

In May, initiation of Phase 2 in NSCLC, sponsored and conducted by the Italian oncology Foundation FoRT

This study will evaluate Tedopi in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab), or Tedopi plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone as second-line treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC after first-line chemo-immunotherapy.

This study will evaluate Tedopi in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab), or Tedopi plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone as second-line treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC after first-line chemo-immunotherapy. In August, first patient randomized in the 'TEDOVA' Phase 2 in ovarian cancer, sponsored and conducted by the cooperative oncology group ARCAGY-GINECO

This trial will evaluate Tedopi as a maintenance treatment, alone or in combination with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab), versus best supportive care in patients with first or second platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer with controlled disease after platinum-based chemotherapy and who have already received both bevacizumab and a PARP (Poly ADP-Ribose Polymerase) inhibitor.

Ongoing 'TEDOPaM' Phase 2 in pancreatic cancer, sponsored by the cooperative oncology group GERCOR

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, accrual of new patients had been temporarily suspended in March 2020. After reviewing data collected until the end of March 2020 and based on the initial protocol (Tedopi in combination with Opdivo or alone versus chemotherapy with FOLFIRI), the trial's independent committee of scientific experts (IDMC, "Independent Data Monitoring Committee") recommended stopping the evaluation of treatment with Opdivo in combination with Tedopi and to integrate the chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) in combination with Tedopi. The new inclusions resumed in Q2 2021 with an amended protocol comparing Tedopi in combination with FOLFIRI chemotherapy versus FOLFIRI, after treatment with FOLFIRINOX.

BI 765063 (OSE-172), a myeloid checkpoint inhibitor being developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim: Promising data from the dose escalation of the Phase 1 clinical trial

Data from the dose escalation (Step 1) of the Phase 1 trial were presented at ASCO (June 2021) and ESMO (September 2021) and indicated that BI 765063 in monotherapy or in combination with

anti-PD-1 BI 745091 (ezabenlimab) was well tolerated and showed promising clinical activity, including one partial response in monotherapy and three partial responses in combination in heavily pre-treated advanced solid tumor patients.

OSE-127/S95011, a monoclonal antibody antagonist of the interleukin-7 (IL-7) receptor, developed in partnership with Servier: Initiation of a Phase 2 in Sjogren's syndrome (sponsored by Servier) and a Phase 2 clinical trial in ulcerative colitis (sponsored by OSE)

In January, the Company received a 1.3 million milestone payment from Bpifrance related to the collaborative program EFFIMab, focused on developing the clinical asset OSE-127/S95011.

In August, the first patient was enrolled in a Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of OSE-127/S95011 in Sjogren's syndrome, sponsored by Servier.

As part of the partnership agreement, this first patient enrolled in the Sjogren's syndrome Phase 2 triggered a 5 million milestone payment from Servier to OSE Immunotherapeutics,.

In parallel, a Phase 2 in ulcerative colitis is being conducted under OSE sponsorship. First patient was enrolled at the end of 2020 and data are expected in H2 2022.

FR104, a monoclonal antibody antagonist of CD28: Licensing agreement with Veloxis in transplantation

In April, OSE announced a global license agreement granting Veloxis Pharmaceuticals worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize FR104 for all transplant indications. Under this agreement, OSE can receive up to 315 million in potential milestones, including a 7 million upfront, and tiered royalties on sales. OSE retains the rights in autoimmune indications.

FR104 is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 trial initiated in December 2020 in patients undergoing renal transplant. This study is conducted as part of a collaboration agreement between OSE Immunotherapeutics and the University Hospital of Nantes, the sponsor.

CoVepiT, a 2nd generation multi-targetvaccine against COVID-19, developed using SARS-CoV-2 optimized epitopes: Initiation of Phase 1/2 clinical trial followed by a voluntary and temporary pause in enrollment

In April, OSE initiated a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of CoVepiT vaccine in 48 healthy adult volunteers.

In July, the trial's principal investigator reported a limited number of Grade 1 and one Grade 2 adverse events, in particular, persistent nodules around the injection sites. Out of an abundance of caution, and in agreement with the independent Safety Monitoring Committee (SMC), the Company decided to voluntarily pause dosing and assess the evolution of these nodules before determining the best way forward for this product and its target population. The Company is carefully reviewing all available data to determine the future clinical development strategy of CoVepiT.

New data reflecting progress on 3 early-stage programs developed in immuno-oncology and inflammation presented at the 2021 AACR meeting (American Association of Cancer Research)

New myeloid checkpoint target CLEC-1 (a C type lectin receptor) and first monoclonal antibody antagonists of CLEC-1 blocking the "Don't Eat Me" signal

Data generated to date illustrate that CLEC-1 broadly inhibits tumor-cell phagocytosis and synergizes with tumor-targeted cytotoxic monoclonal antibodies in both solid and hematological tumors and hampers dendritic cell antigen cross-presentation.

BiCKI-IL-7, a novel bispecific therapy combining anti-PD-1 and the cytokine IL-7

Data presented to date validate the strong therapeutic potential of providing IL-7 signals to strengthen PD-1 therapy and prevent immuno-resistance by sustaining T cell response and overcoming Treg suppression. The bispecific BiCKI IL-7 mutein can preferentially deliver and activate the IL-7 pathway on tumor reactive T cells, limiting the risk of immunotoxicity resulting from combination immunotherapies.

OSE-230, novel monoclonal antibody agonist therapy triggering resolution of chronic iInflammation

An article published in Science Advances is the first peer-reviewed publication to describe an agonist monoclonal antibody (OSE-230) that triggers pro-resolutive mechanisms in macrophages and neutrophils in chronic inflammatory condition. This breakthrough discovery opens the development pathway of OSE-230 in various chronic inflammations such as inflammatory bowel diseases, arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lung or kidney inflammatory diseases. Moreover, the data presented at the AACR meeting revealed for the first time a therapeutic potential of triggering the pro-resolutive pathways using anti-ChemR23 agonistic monoclonal antibodies to limit chronic inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and inhibit metastasis development.

OSE Immunotherapeutics will host an "Immuno-oncology R&D Day"

on October 12, 2021 (16:00 19:00 CET).

The event will be hybrid with virtual and in-person presentations held in Paris.

In this event, the company will highlight its leading scientific role in immuno-oncology and emerging proprietary portfolio, and provide a more in-depth look at lead projects, Tedopi and BI 765063.

H1 2021 Results

The key figures of the 2021 consolidated half-year results are reported below:

In k June 30, 2021 June 30, 2020 Operating result (11,580) (7,085) Net result (11,488) (3,114) In k June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 Available cash 27,264 29,368 Consolidated balance sheet 98,214 96,973

As of June 30, 2021, available cash amounted to 27.3 million, giving a financial visibility until Q3 2022.

During the first half of 2021, OSE secured:

1.3 million milestone payment from Bpifrance as part of the collaborative program EFFIMab for OSE-217/S95011;

7 million upfront as part of the global license agreement with Veloxis;

5.6 million in public funding via Bpifrance to finance further development of CoVepiT.

Moreover, in July 2021, the Company has received a 10 million payment corresponding to the first tranche of the financing granted by the European Investment Bank as part of a loan agreement of up to 25 million.

This available cash will enable the Company to finance its clinical development and R&D costs for earlier stage products.

The turnover amounted to 9 million due to Veloxis upfront and reinvoicing of BI 765063 development costs to Boehringer Ingelheim.

During the first half of 2021, the Company recorded a consolidated net result of -11.5 million.

Current operating expenses were 20.6 million (versus 12.9 million for the same period of 2020) of which 84% are related to R&D. This increase is in line with the development of OSE portfolio.

OSE Immunotherapeutics will hold a conference call on September 21 at 6:30 p.m. CET 9:30 a.m. ET

for analysts to give an update on business progress during the first half of 2021.

The live webcast will be available at the following link:

https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/oseimmunotherapeutics-en/20210921_1/

A replay of the webcast following the event will be available on the Company's website:

https://ose-immuno.com/en/

The Board of Directors of September 21, 2021 has approved the Company's semester accounts as of June 30, 2021. The full "Semester financial report" (Regulated information) is available on: https://ose-immuno.com/en/investors/ The consolidated accounts have been subject to a limited review by the Statutory Auditors.

ABOUT OSE Immunotherapeutics

OSE Immunotherapeutics is an integrated biotechnology company focused on developing and partnering therapies to control the immune system for immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases. The company's immunology research and development platform is focused on three areas: T-cell-based vaccination, Immuno-Oncology (focus on myeloid targets), Auto-immunity Inflammation. Its balanced first-in-class clinical and preclinical portfolio has a diversified risk profile:

Vaccine platform

Tedopi (innovative combination of neoepitopes): the company's most advanced product; positive final results of the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients after secondary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors.

In Phase 2 in pancreatic cancer (TEDOPaM), sponsor GERCOR.

In Phase 2 in ovary cancer, in combination with pembrolizumab (TEDOVA), sponsor ARCAGY-GINECO.

In Phase 2 in non-small cell lung cancer in combination with nivolumab, sponsor Italian foundation FoRT.

CoVepiT: a prophylactic second-generation vaccine against COVID-19, developed using SARS-CoV-2 optimized epitopes against multi variants. Positive preclinical and human ex vivo results. Voluntary and temporary Phase 1 enrollment suspension on-going (July 2021).

Immuno-oncology platform

BI 765063 (OSE-172, anti-SIRPa mAb on CD47/SIRPa pathway): developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim in advanced solid tumors; positive Phase 1 dose escalation results of BI 765063 in monotherapy or in combination with ezabenlimab (PD-1 antagonist); Expansion Phase 1 open for screening.

CLEC-1 (novel myeloid checkpoint target): identification of mAb antagonists of CLEC-1 blocking the "Don't Eat Me" signal that increase both tumor cell phagocytosis by macrophages and antigen capture by dendritic cells.

BiCKI: bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 (OSE-279) combined with new immunotherapy targets; 2nd generation of PD-(L)1 inhibitors to increase antitumor efficacity.

Auto-immunity and inflammation platform

FR104 (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): Licensing partnership agreement with Veloxis in the organ transplant market; ongoing Phase 1/2 in renal transplant (sponsored by the Nantes University Hospital); Phase 2-ready asset in an autoimmune disease indication.

OSE-127/S95011 (humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IL-7 receptor): developed in partnership with Servier; positive Phase 1 results; in Phase 2 in ulcerative colitis (OSE sponsor) and an independent Phase 2a is being conducted in Sjogren's syndrome (Servier sponsor).

OSE-230 (ChemR23 agonist mAb): first-in-class therapeutic agent with the potential to resolve chronic inflammation by driving affected tissues to tissue integrity.

For more information: https://ose-immuno.com/en/

Click and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics' management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.

These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "target", "plan", or "estimate", their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import. Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics' shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on 15 April 2021, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2020, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics' website. Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.

CONSOLIDATED PROFIT LOSS

In K H1 2021 H1 2020 Turnover 8,975 5,849 OPERATING INCOME RECURRING 8,975 5,849 Research Development expenses (13,980) (9,087) Overhead expenses (3,413) (2,672) Expenses related to share-based payments (2,724) (1,176) Depreciation (439) OPERATING PROFIT/LOSS RECURRING (11,580) (7,085) Other operating income and expenses 0 0 OPERATING RESULT (11,580) (7,085) Financial income 9 28 Financial expenses (190) (150) PROFIT/LOSS BEFORE TAX (11,761) (7,208) INCOME TAX 273 4,094 CONSOLIDATED NET RESULT (11,488) (3,114) Of which consolidated net result attributable to shareholders (11,488) (3,114) Net earnings attributable to shareholders Weighted average number of shares outstanding 18,006,502 15,087,010 The basic and diluted result per common share (/share) (0,64) (0,21) Diluted result per share (0,64) (0,21) In K H1 2021 H1 2020 NET RESULT (11,488) (3,114) Amounts to be recycled in the income statement: Unrealized gains on securities available for sale, net of tax Currency conversion difference 19 (16) Amounts not to be recycled in the income statement: Actuarial gains and losses on post-employment benefits 17 1 Other comprehensive income in the period 36 (15) GLOBAL PROFIT/LOSS (11,452) (3,129)

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

ASSETS in K June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 NON-CURRENT ASSETS Intangible assets 52,161 52,600 Other intangible assets 11 0 Tangible assets Rights of use 916 1,926 947 2,848 Financial assets 942 581 Deferred tax assets 163 165 TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 56,118 57,141 CURRENT ASSETS Trade receivables 734 1,074 Other current assets 14,098 9,390 Cash and cash equivalents 27,264 29,368 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 42,096 39,832 TOTAL ASSETS 98,214 96,973 EQUITY LIABILITIES in K June 30, 2021 December 31, 2020 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Stated capital 3,657 3,597 Share premium 38,818 38,622 Merger premium 26,827 26,827 Treasury stock (146) (93) Reserves and retained earnings (5,363) 8,966 Consolidated result (11,488) (16,555) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 52,306 61,364 NON-CURRENT DEBTS Non-current financial liabilities Lease non current liabilities 21,753 16,552 Non-current lease liabilities 1,426 2,318 Non-current deferred tax liabilities 1,802 2,080 Non-current provisions 578 531 TOTAL NON-CURRENT DEBTS 25,560 21,481 CURRENT DEBTS Current financial liabilities 202 50 Current lease liabilities 544 594 Trade payables 13,082 10,286 Corporate income tax liabilities 4 2 Social and tax payables 2,789 2,108 Other debts 3,728 1,088 TOTAL CURRENT DEBTS 20,349 14,128 TOTAL LIABILITIES 98,214 96,973

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005923/en/

Contacts:

OSE Immunotherapeutics

Sylvie Detry

sylvie.detry@ose-immuno.com

+33 153 198 757

Investor Relations

Thomas Guillot

thomas.guillot@ose-immuno.com

+33 607 380 431

Media

U.S. Media: LifeSci Communications

Darren Opland, Ph.D.

darren@lifescicomms.com

+1 646 627 8387

French Media: FP2COM

Florence Portejoie

fportejoie@fp2com.fr

+33 607 768 283

Guillaume van Renterghem LifeSci Advisors

gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com

+41 76 735 01 31
BOISE, ID and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 21, 2021 / Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. (OTCQB:THMG)(TSXV:THM), (the "Company" or "THMG") is pleased to report that the Company has agreed to an extension of the option agreement (the "Option Agreement") with BeMetals Corp. (TSXV: BMET, OTCQB: BMTLF, Frankfurt: 1OI.F) ("BeMetals"), to acquire up to a 100% interest in the South Mountain Project ("South Mountain" or the "Project" or the "Property") in southwest Idaho, U.S.A.

Eric T. Jones, President and CEO of Thunder Mountain Gold Inc. commented, "We at the Company are excited with the proposed program ahead outlined by BeMetals that this extension will allow. The underground drilling in 2019 and 2020 has indicated that the high precious metal polymetallic massive sulfide mineralization likely continues at depths below the extent defined by this program. BeMetals is proposing deep core holes from the surface to test this downdip extension. If successful, the resource would be significantly increased, and would enhance the economics of South Mountain."

The South Mountain Project

South Mountain is a high precious metal polymetallic development project focused on high-grade zinc and silver, located seventy miles southwest of Boise, Idaho (See Figure 1). The Project was intermittently mined from the late 1800s to the late 1960s and its existing underground workings remain intact and well maintained. Historic production at the Project has largely come from high-grade massive sulphide bodies that remain open at depth and along strike. According to historical smelter records, approximately 53,642 tons of mineralized material has been mined to date. These records also indicate average grades; 14.5% Zn, 363.42 g/t Ag, 1.98 g/t Au, 2.4% Pb, and 1.4% Cu were realised (See NI 43-101 Technical Report: Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the South Mountain Project, dated June 15, 2021, Section 6.4 - Table 6.3 for more details. Available on the BeMetals website and at www.sedar.com). Thunder Mountain purchased and advanced the South Mountain from 2007 through 2019, with expenditures into the Project of approximately US$12million.

In 2019, BeMetals Corp. purchased an option on the Project, and formed a Boise, Idaho-based project team that is focused on advancing South Mountain. This team includes key management of Thunder Mountain Gold Inc., Optionee of the Property. The project team has completed re-establishment of the Project site and have conducted two phases of drilling. The team continues to build and maintain strong relations with local communities relevant to the South Mountain Project. The Project is largely on and surrounded by private surface land, and as such, the permitting and environmental aspects of the Project are expected to be straightforward. Permits are in place for underground exploration activities and BeMetals does not anticipate significant barriers to any future development at the Project.

Figure 3. Location of South Mountain Project

Regarding Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc.

Thunder Mountain Gold Inc., a junior exploration company founded in 1935, owns interests in base and precious metals projects in the western U.S. The Company's principal asset is The South Mountain Mine, an historic former producer of zinc, silver, gold, lead, and copper, located on private land in Owyhee County Idaho. In February 2019, The Company entered into an option agreement with BeMetals Corp. (www.Bemetalscorp.com) based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Thunder Mountain Gold also owns 100% of the Trout Creek Project - a gold exploration project located along the western flank of the Shoshone Mountain Range in the Reese River Valley, adjacent to and surrounded by Nevada Gold Mines, a joint operating agreement between Barrick and Newmont Gold, Inc. private mineral lands. For more information on Thunder Mountain Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.Thundermountaingold.com.

ABOUT BEMETALS CORP.

BeMetals is a precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on becoming a leading metal producer through the acquisition of quality exploration, development and potentially production stage projects. The Company has recently established itself in the gold sector with the acquisition of certain wholly owned exploration projects in Japan. BeMetals is also progressing both its advanced high-grade, zinc-silver-gold-copper polymetallic underground exploration at the South Mountain Project in Idaho through a preliminary economic assessment, and its tier-one targeted, Pangeni Copper Exploration Project in Zambia. Guiding and leading BeMetals' growth strategy is a strong board and management team, founders and significant shareholders of the Company, who have an extensive proven record of delivering considerable value in the mining sector through the discovery, construction and operation of mines around the world.

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Larry D. Kornze, Retired, P. Eng., Qualified Person, and Director of Thunder Mountain Gold Inc., and a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 standards.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. The forward-looking statements in this press release include statements with respect to the completion of the transactions contemplated with BeMetals Corp., a Canadian Corporation. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" 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" or the negative connotation thereof. The forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, which could change materially in the future, including the assumption that the transactions contemplated with BeMetals Corp. will be completed. By their nature, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include the determination and ability of BeMetals to complete all required option payments and issuance of shares under the BeMetals Option Agreement, the receipt of all required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of all required terms and conditions. Investors should refer to THMG's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q reports, and Definitive 14C Information Statement as filed May 20, 2019, for a more detailed discussion of risks that may impact future results. 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 statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

Cautionary Note to Investors

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc.

Eric T. Jones

President and Chief Executive Officer

Eric@thundermountaingold.com

Office: (208) 658-1037

SOURCE: Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/664999/BeMetals-Extends-Option-Agreement-for-Thunder-Mountain-Golds-South-Mountain-Project
Community vote was initiated on September 15 and approved September 17

Chain key cryptography will now link the Internet Computer and Bitcoin networks

Implementation is currently set for Q4 2021

The Internet Computer blockchain launched by the DFINITY Foundation will leverage new cryptography techniques to integrate with the Bitcoin network, resulting in smart contracts that directly operate on bitcoin balances for the first time. Related R&D work performed by DFINITY will be realized after the Internet Computer community passed a Network Nervous System (NNS) proposal on September 17 with 96.55% approval. It was already the 20,586th proposal sent to the NNS since the network launched in May.

Today, the Bitcoin network hosts almost a trillion dollars of value. However, the Bitcoin network does not currently host "Turing-complete" smart contract software of the kind introduced by Ethereum six and a half years after the launch of Bitcoin. Bringing smart contracts to the Bitcoin network will enable developers to build all manner of exciting new systems and Web 3.0 services that process bitcoins and run entirely from the blockchain, creating a foundation for immense new value creation on both networks.

Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist of the DFINITY Foundation, says: "The Internet Computer is powered by novel "chain key cryptography" that allows it to sign transactions for other blockchains such as Bitcoin. This capability will be used to provide smart contracts hosted on the Internet Computer with native bitcoin addresses via a direct integration of the networks. Internet Computer smart contracts will gain access to bitcoin liquidity, and Bitcoin will gain powerful new smart contract functionality, without the need for insecure and cumbersome trusted bridging services. This will help realize Satoshi's vision by allowing bitcoin to power a new generation of Web 3.0 internet services."

This integration is possible because the Internet Computer protocol will be able to securely generate the ECDSA signatures involved in bitcoin transactions on behalf of smart contracts, using chain key cryptography (after the Taproot Bitcoin upgrade in November, Schnorr signatures will also be created). Meanwhile, Internet Computer network nodes will directly consume Bitcoin blocks, to ensure that balance information is always available to smart contracts.

Smart contracts will have associated Bitcoin addresses, and by default will send and receive bitcoins on the Bitcoin blockchain. On the Internet Computer, transaction finality occurs in 2 seconds, while it can take 40 minutes in expectation on Bitcoin. However, it will be possible to use trustless smart contracts on the Internet Computer as bitcoin banks, within which it will be possible to transfer balances within 2 seconds, which can be useful in applications such as DeFi.

Dominic Williams adds: "The Internet Computer is the only blockchain that supports smart contracts that can securely serve interactive web content directly to end users, and that supports the Internet Identity system that enables users to anonymously authenticate themselves to Web 3.0 dapps and services using any device that supports the WebAuthn standard. This means that it will be possible to create a Bitcoin wallet using Internet Computer smart contracts that is directly served from the blockchain into a web browser, which then allows the user to securely, conveniently and anonymously authenticate themselves using, say, the fingerprint sensor on their laptop, or face recognition on their phone, in order to send bitcoins to another user, without need for the key management typically involved in self-hosting crypto.

About The Internet Computer Blockchain

The Internet Computer is the first public blockchain that:

Can truly scale to host any volume of smart contracts and related computation and data, making it the first unbounded blockchain

Runs at web speed by finalizing transactions that update data in 2 seconds and others in milliseconds, making it the fastest blockchain in the world

Hosts smart contracts that can securely serve interactive web content directly to end users without the need for intermediaries, finally realizing the Web 3.0 vision (on every other blockchain, dapps involve a website that is hosted on a centralized cloud service like Amazon Web Services, which then talks to smart contracts on the backend, requiring trust in the cloud operator, that the account hasn't been hacked, and so on)

Runs under the control of a permissionless governance system called the Network Nervous System (NNS), that enables it to rapidly evolve and adapt by exerting the will of a community of tens of thousands of "neuron" holders

Runs on dedicated hardware, in the form of special "node machines", which are run by independent "node providers", from independent data centers and racks, from different geographies and jurisdictions, greatly increasing security, sovereignty and censorship resistance (by comparison, most modern proof-of-stake blockchains are hosted almost exclusively by validator nodes that run on the cloud, raising the risk that the cloud operator might switch them off, or steal their validator keys).

The Internet Computer network was launched by the not-for-profit DFINITY Foundation (DFINITY Stiftung) based in Zurich, and is joined by the not-for-profit Internet Computer Association in Geneva, and many community contributors. Project R&D is pursued by a team of more than 200 people that includes many leading cryptographers and computer science researchers and engineers, working from numerous locations and dedicated research centers around the world. The project is the realization of a multi-year R&D effort, which culminated in the Internet Computer network's Genesis launch on the 10th May 2021. In the few months since Genesis, the blockchain's developer community has grown into the hundreds, and the rapidly expanding range of services and dapps they have built have been accruing large numbers of active users, such that arguably it has become the world's fastest growing blockchain ecosystem. At the time of writing, more than one million Internet Identity anchors have been created, and the blockchain, which is infinitely scalable, has processed more than 200,000,000 blocks far more than any other blockchain (in just four months).

DFINITY: Twitter Reddit YouTube GitHub DFINITY Developer Center

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005981/en/

Contacts:

Seamus Conwell

150Bond

seamus.conwell@150bond.com


MOUNTAIN VIEW (dpa-AFX) - Tech giants Google (GOOGL) is buying a new office property in Manhattan worth $2.1 billion, as per reports. The 1.3 million square foot space in Hudson Square is the most expensive property acquisition by a company, according to Wall Street Journal.



The waterfront property was leased by Google back in 2018 from Oxford Properties Group and Canada Pension Plan Investments with an option to buy. The company said that it will exercise the clause in the opening quarter of 2022. The campus will be ready for use by mid-2023.



The building was originally constructed in 1930 for freight trains and the compound takes up two city blocks. At present, there are 12,000 people from the city of New York who work for Google, and the company will add up to 2000 more from the city while it continues to operate remotely until the health department deems the conditions fit to open up completely.



The company's Chief Financial Officer, Ruth Porat said, 'As Google moves toward a more flexible hybrid approach to work, coming together in person to collaborate and build community will remain an important part of our future. It is why we continue investing in our offices around the world.'



Porat also added that the campus will be made in a way that will be able to offset 100% of its carbon footprint, a part of Google's goal.



Apart from the property at St. John's Terminal site at 550 Washington Street, another campus at Pier 57, Chelsea, is expected to be finished and ready to use by 2022. This campus was bought for $2.5 billion back in 2018.



Porat added that Google is also concentrating on giving back to the community with the help of grants. 'Since 2005, Google has provided over $170 million in grant funding to nonprofits in New York. In the Hudson Square neighborhood, in particular, we're supporting the new Jackie Robinson Museum opening next year with a grant to help deliver new educational programming for students' added the CFO.



The company is working with different organizations to help the community with child education and child-hunger problems. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said,' Google's historic investment in New York City marks an enormous step for our recovery.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

ALPHABET-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S Justice Department plans to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the deal between American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU), the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, citing sources. According to the newspaper, the lawsuit could be filed as soon as Tuesday itself.



In July 2020, both the airlines had announced the 'Northeast Alliance' partnership, under which the airlines would trade their respective flights in the New York and Boston networks. The deal secured approval from the U.S Transport Department after a period of six months. This happened just before as the end of Trump's term at office. As per the codeshare agreement, both the airlines have linked together their frequent flyer programs. This alliance was designed keeping in mind the stiff competition from other airlines like United Airlines and Delta Airlines in the busy North-Eastern airline routes.



The U.S Government is going ahead with the lawsuit as it is of the opinion that the alliance will lead to monopoly in the region and that in turn could result in higher fares. Wall Street Journal said that the Government will file the lawsuit to ensure that there is no monopoly and fair competition in the skies.



The 'Northeast Alliance' was inaugurated early this year with both airlines adding around 60 new routes and helping flyers make use of the airlines' loyalty program to earn miles on their respective flights.



Commenting on the development, American Airlines said that it did not receive any notification of a lawsuit. The company said that its alliance with JetBlue was 'providing more choices and better service for customers.'



The lawsuit is the second step undertaken by the Biden administration to ensure fair competition among airlines. Last week the Federal Aviation Administration said it will allot 16 available slots at the Newark Liberty International Airport to a low-cost carrier, in a move that will bring about healthy competition.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

JETBLUE AIRWAYS-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Andean Precious Metals Corp. (TSXV: APM) (OTCQB: ANPMF) ("Andean" or the "Company"), a leading Latin-American silver producer, today announced that Luis da Silva has stepped down from his roles as President, Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company.

Alberto Morales, Executive Chairman, stated: "On behalf of the Board and the management team, I want to thank Mr. da Silva for his contributions over the past 12 months. Mr. da Silva played a meaningful role in Andean becoming a publicly-traded company and in positioning us for the future. We remain focused on executing our strategy and realizing our vision to be a premier primary silver producer."

Effective immediately, Simon Griffiths has been appointed as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Griffiths previously served as the Company's Chief Operating Officer, is a Chartered Mining Engineer and Qualified Person and has extensive global experience in the resources industry with both public and private companies. Mr. Griffiths has re-engineered major mining operations, creating significant value during senior roles with both Newcrest Mining and OceanaGold.

Pursuant to the appointment of Mr. Griffiths, he has been granted 1,762,500 restricted share units vesting equally on September 30, 2021, March 25, 2022, September 25, 2022, and March 25, 2023.

About Andean Precious Metals Corp.

Andean Precious Metals (TSXV: APM) (OTCQB: ANPMF) is a Canadian, growth-focused silver producer that owns and operates the San Bartolome project located in the department of Potosi, Bolivia. San Bartolome has been operating consistently since 2008, producing an average of over five million ounces of silver per year. The Company is also exploring its wholly-owned San Pablo and Rio Blanco gold projects and seeking other accretive opportunities in Bolivia and Latin America. Andean Precious Metals is committed to fostering safe, sustainable and responsible operations. For more information, please visit www.andeanpm.com .

Company Contact

Simon Griffiths

Chief Executive Officer

ir@andeanpm.com

T: +1 647 480 1550 ext. 1550

Investor Contact N.A.

Daniel Weinerman

NATIONAL Capital Markets

dweinerman@national.ca

T: +1 416 848 1715



Media Contact Eur.

Oliver Lamb

Tavistock

andean@tavistock.co.uk

T: +44 20 7920 3150



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97135
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Cascada Silver Corp. (CSE: CSS) ("Cascada") announces that it has terminated the Agua Amarga option agreement after a review of the results from its recent exploration activities determined that the historically mined silver-rich veins had minimal economic potential.

Commenting on the termination of the Agua Amarga agreement, Carl Hansen, Cascada's CEO noted, "Our recent drilling program determined that the silver-rich veins at Agua Amarga lacked depth extension and, therefore, the probability that Agua Amarga may host economically viable mineralization was minimal. Following our strict policy of limiting expenditures when exploration results do not meet our objectives, the decision was made to terminate the option agreement and focus our activities and associated expenditures elsewhere. Cascada continues to maintain a healthy $1.9 million cash position and we are finalizing our review of a number of exploration opportunities in Chile and Peru."

In addition to terminating the Agua Amarga option agreement, the GEMA Concessions option agreement was allowed to expire. While Cascada's recent work identified significant mineralization on one of the GEMA properties, the potential for the discovery of an economic mineral deposit was considered limited.

NI 43-101 Technical Disclosure

The Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, for Cascada's exploration activities in Chile is Sergio Diaz, a resident of Santiago, Chile. Mr. Diaz is a Public Registered Person for Reserves and Resources N 51, in Chile and is also registered in the Colegio de Geologos de Chile under N 315.

About Cascada Silver Corp.

Cascada is a mineral exploration company focused on silver and gold exploration in Latin America. Cascada's team of successful exploration professionals are dedicated to the discovery of mineral deposits that can be progressed into economically viable development projects creating value for all stakeholders.

On behalf of Cascada Silver Corp.,

Carl Hansen, CEO

For additional information, please contact us at info@cascadasilver.com or contact:

Mars Investor Relations

(647) 557-6651

css@marsinvestorrelations.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including predictions, projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: plans for the evaluation of exploration properties; the success of evaluation plans; the success of exploration activities; mine development prospects; and, potential for future metals production. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or describes a "goal", or variation 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.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: changes in economic parameters and assumptions; all aspects related to the timing of exploration activities and receipt of exploration results; the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future metals price; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of economic and technical studies; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration; as well as those factors disclosed in Cascada's publicly filed documents.

Although Cascada has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts

responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97171
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) (NYSE: IAG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin O'Kane to its board of directors.

Mr. O'Kane is a mining engineer with almost 40 years' experience in the global mining industry. Mr. O'Kane spent over 35 years with BHP in various roles including leading multibillion-dollar projects from conception, through permitting and into execution and operations, President of Pampa Norte copper operations in Chile, in various major project development, technical and operating roles at La Escondida copper mine in Chile and in various health, safety, environment and community leadership roles including as Vice President Health, Safety, Environment & Community for BHP's copper business. Most recently, Mr. O'Kane served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SSR Mining Inc.

Don Charter, IAMGOLD's Chair of the Board, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Kevin to the IAMGOLD board of directors. His deep project development and operational experience in mining combined with his leadership in the environmental, health, safety and social aspects of the mining industry provide a further complement to our governance. We look forward to Kevin's contributions as the Company executes on its major growth project in Canada, Cote Gold."

About IAMGOLD

IAMGOLD is a mid-tier gold mining company operating in three regions globally: North America, South America and West Africa. Within these regions the Company is developing high potential mining districts that encompass operating mines and construction, development and exploration projects. The Company's operating mines include Westwood in Canada, Rosebel (including Saramacca) in Suriname and Essakane in Burkina Faso. A solid base of strategic assets is complemented by the Cote Gold construction project in Canada, the Boto Gold development project in Senegal, as well as greenfield and brownfield exploration projects in various countries located in the Americas and West Africa.

IAMGOLD employs approximately 5,000 people. IAMGOLD is committed to maintaining its culture of accountable mining through high standards of Environmental, Social and Governance practices, including its commitment to Zero Harm, in every aspect of its business. IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: IAG) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: IMG) and is one of the companies on the JSI index1.

1 Jantzi Social Index ("JSI"). The JSI is a socially screened market capitalization-weighted common stock index modeled on the S&P/TSX 60. It consists of companies which pass a set of broadly based environmental, social and governance rating criteria.

For further information please contact :

Indi Gopinathan, VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, IAMGOLD Corporation

Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883

Philip Rabenok, Manager, Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation

Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942

Toll-free: 1-888-464-9999 info@iamgold.com

Please note:

This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov.

Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le https://www.iamgold.com/French/accueil/default.aspx.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97199


SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Retail giant Amazon Inc. (AMZN) said on Tuesday that it was actively lobbying the Joe Biden Government to legalize cannabis federally. The company had first extended support to federally legalize cannabis in June.



The company said in a statement, 'Given our previous support for legalizing cannabis at the federal level, as well as expunging certain criminal records and investing in impacted businesses and communities, Amazon recently announced our support for, and began actively lobbying on, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021. We are also pleased to endorse the recently introduced Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act.'



The U.S Government has drafted both the bills to remove marijuana from the federal list of 'Schedule 1' drugs, including LSD and heroin, and to bring about national legalization to the use of marijuana.



One of the main reasons Amazon is actively supporting legalizing marijuana is because it makes hiring process easier.



Amazon senior VP of human resources Beth Galetti said, 'We've found that eliminating pre-employment testing for cannabis allows us to expand our applicant pool.'



Amazon's consumer CEO Dave Clark said that the retail company would no longer reject employees on the condition that they are using marijuana.



Clark commented, 'In the past, like many employers, we've disqualified people from working at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use. However, given where state laws are moving across the US, we've changed course.'



The main reason why Amazon is pushing for federal legalization of cannabis is that the company feels the relaxation of rules will help it with employing for its warehouses, which forms the majority of its workforce. The company feels that it cannot hire new employees as fast as the ones leaving, so the relaxation of cannabis rules will be considered beneficial in hiring new workforce.



In order to federally legalize marijuana, Amazon has already spent at least $5 million on lobbying efforts alongside over 160 other groups, who have the same demands.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

AMAZON-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a second tranche of a non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 3,875,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.10 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $387,500 (the "Offering"). The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company for working capital and for other general and administrative costs.

Each Unit consists of one common share (each a "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 CDN$0.15 per Common Share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the closing of the Offering (the "Warrant Term"), provided, however, should the closing price at which the Common Shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (or any such other stock exchange in Canada as the Common Shares may trade at the applicable time) exceed CDN$0.30 for 10 consecutive trading days at any time following the date of issuance, the Company may accelerate the Warrant Term (the "Reduced Warrant Term") such that the Warrants shall expire on the date which is 30 business days following the date a press release is issued by the Company announcing the Reduced Warrant Term.

In connection with the Offering, the Company paid certain eligible persons (the "Finders") a cash commission of $28,800 and issued 288,000 broker warrants ("Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Unit at an exercise price of $0.10 for a period of (24) months from the closing of the Offering and subject to the acceleration provision noted above.

All securities issued under the Offering are subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

About American Aires Inc.

American Aires Inc. is Canadian-based nanotechnology company which has developed proprietary silicon-based microprocessors that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The technology was developed by a team of highly credited scientists and confirmed by independent third-party validation including peer reviewed studies and publications in scientific journals. Aires' Lifetune products specifically target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, Wi-Fi radiation, including the rapidly expanding next-generation high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under ticker 'WIFI'. Learn more at www.airestech.com.

On behalf of the board of directors



Company Contact:

Dimitry Serov, CEO

Email: dimitry@airestech.com

Telephone: (905) 482-4667

Website: www.airestech.com

For further information please contact:

5 Quarters Investor Relations, Inc.

Cindy Gray, CEO & Managing Director

Email: wifi@airestech.com

Telephone: (403) 705.5076

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Not intended for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States Securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97269
Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 21, 2021) - Fission 3.0 Corp. (TSXV: FUU) ("Fission 3" or the "Company") announces that Mr. William Marsh has stepped down as a Director of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Marsh will move to an advisory role with Fission 3.0.

Dev Randhawa, CEO commented, "We want to thank Mr. Marsh for his expertise and support as a director, since the inception of Fission 3.0. We look forward to his input and expertise as an advisor as Fission 3.0 moves forward with advancing their projects in the Athabasca Basin."

The Company is also encouraged by the recent strengthening of and renewed interest in the Uranium sector.

About Fission 3.0 Corp.

Fission 3.0 Corp. is a Canadian based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of uranium properties and is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "FUU."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dev Randhawa"

_____________________________

Dev Randhawa, Chairman and CEO

Fission 3.0 Corp.

Investor Relations

TF: 778-484-8030

ir@fission3corp.com

www.fission3corp.com

Cautionary Statement: Fission 3.0 Corp.

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "has", "now", "shall", "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "offers the opportunity to", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions, our ability to continue to trade on the OTCQB Marketplace, our ability to increase visibility and liquidity, our ability to diversify our shareholder base, risks related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including disruptions to the Company's business and operational plans, risks related to the global economic uncertainty as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Fission 3.0 Corp. disclaim 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97271
3TS Capital Partners, a European technology-focused growth capital investor, held the first closing of its Fund IV with a target size of 150m.

Fund IV received commitments from a broad group of premier institutional investors including European Investment Fund (EIF), Erste Group, Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment), as well as several family offices and technology entrepreneurs.

The new investment vehicle will continue 3TS mission of backing rapidly growing technology companies, across software, tech-enabled services, and e-commerce sectors, by leading investment rounds of 5-20m.

Since its start, 3TS has primarily focused on investing in companies from Engineering Europe, a region with technical strengths and increasing levels of experienced management.

Based in Helsinki, Finland, Vienna, Austria, and Luxembourg and led by Pekka Maki, Managing Partner, 3TS has an extensive track record of bringing strategic value to enable entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. The firm has supported current global challenger portfolio companies on their expansion, including Piano, Entelo, SalesManago, HomeCare.com, PerfectGym, EyeRim, and Safesize. Exits include LogMeIn, H88, Systinet, Avangate, SolveDirect, as well as the most recent exit of Tresorit, which was acquired by Swiss Post in July 2021.

The firms prior multi-generation funds totaling over 300 million have made a strong, positive impact on the innovation and technology ecosystem development across Europe, by investing in over 50 companies out of which more than half have been successfully exited.

FinSMEs

21/09/2021
Bilt Rewards, a NYC-based loyalty program and co-brand credit card for renters, raised $60m in growth funding.

Backers included Wells Fargo, Mastercard, and a group of the nations largest real estate owners including Blackstone, AvalonBay Communities, Douglas Elliman, New Valley Ventures, Equity Residential, GID, LEN, The Moinian Group; Morgan Properties, Related Group, and Starwood Capital Group among others.

The company intends to use the funds to further expand its real estate and loyalty partner network, grow organic distribution channels, and open the Bilt Rewards platform and Bilt Mastercard more widely to the public.

Launched in June 2021 by Kairos HQ and led by CEO and founder Ankur Jain, Bilt Rewards is a loyalty program and co-brand credit card for renters, enabling renters to earn points on their largest monthly expense with no fees. The free Bilt Rewards loyalty program is available to renters living within the Bilt Rewards Alliance, a network of more than 2 million rental units across the country, or by using the Bilt Mastercard, a credit card that can be used to pay rent with no fees at any rental unit in the U.S.

Bilt Rewards has been rolling out through a network of more 2 million rental units nationwide since launch in June 2021, with real estate partners including Blackstone, Related Companies, Related Group, Equity Residential, AvalonBay Communities, Inc., Camden Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield, Trammell Crow Residential, Highmark Residential, AMLI Residential, Morgan Properties, SL Green Realty Corp., Starwood Capital Group, GID, The Moinian Group, Veritas Investments, and Artemis Real Estate Partners. Following launch Douglas Elliman, LeFrak, and Rudin Management properties among others have joined the Alliance, expanding Bilts footprint widely across the country.

FinSMEs

21/09/2021
Chapter, a New York-based Medicare Advisor, raised $17M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Narya Capital with participation from Susa Ventures, Maverick Ventures, XYZ Venture Capital, Core Innovation Capital and Health2047 Capital Partners. Peter Thiel joined Chapters board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its product development efforts, expand its team of engineers and licensed advisors, and further invest in supporting its members.



Founded by Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz, Corey Metzman, and Vivek Ramaswamy, Chapter provides a personalized end-to-end guidance to Americans navigating Medicare. The company has built and maintains a proprietary technology platform used by its advisors to search every Medicare plan nationwide, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements, and standalone Part D prescription plans. The advisory team earns identical compensation irrespective of the selected plan or carrier, ensuring that each Chapter member receives recommendations tailored solely for their needs. Additionally, the companys tools support older Americans in deciding when and how to sign up for Medicare and whether they can improve existing coverage to get better benefits for less. As a result of its model, Chapter not only supports Americans directly, but also the types of organizations they trust most, including non-profits, religious institutions, community groups, financial advisors, employers, and employee benefits organizations.

Along with the funding, the company announced its partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) as a partner Medicare Advisor that meets the NCOAs Standards of Excellence for Medicare. Chapter has also partnered with Palantir Technologies to accelerate the development of the most comprehensive Medicare data platform.

FinSMEs

21/09/2021
Eat Just, Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based company that applies science and technology to create sustainable foods, announced that its GOOD Meat division secured $97m in new funding, adding to the initial $170m raised in May 2021 reaching overall $267m.

New and previously announced investors include UBS OConnor, a hedge fund manager within UBS Asset Management; Graphene Ventures; K3 Ventures; Resilience Reserve, a venture capital fund founded by entrepreneur Rob Reid and TED curator Chris Anderson; businessman Fernando Chico Pardo and others.

The division will use the funds to increase capacity and accelerate research and development for real meat made directly from animal cells.

Also today, GOOD Meat added two food and agriculture leaders: Dan Glickman, who is well-recognized in the fields of agriculture, nutrition, hunger, bipartisan politics and public policy, will serve on its Advisory Board; and Jim Borel, former Executive Vice President of DuPont, will join its Board of Directors.

The investment and additions of Glickman and Borel follow GOOD Meats announcement earlier this month that it plans to build a cultivated meat facility in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region through a partnership with Doha Venture Capital and Qatar Free Zones Authority. The QFZA and the Ministry of Public Health have indicated their intention to grant regulatory approval for GOOD Meat cultivated chicken very soon.

In March, parent company Eat Just announced a $200m round, and in late 2020, the company secured in Singapore the regulatory approval of cultivated meat. Since then, through a partnership with foodpanda, Asias food and grocery delivery platform, hundreds of customers have enjoyed its chicken.

Led by Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO. Eat Just created an egg brand, which is made entirely of plants, and meat made from animal cells instead of slaughtered livestock.

FinSMEs

21/09/2021
Swirl, a Vadodara, India-based Live Commerce SaaS platform, raised USD250k in pre-seed funding.

Investors included Asheesh Khaneja  Ex WW Executive IBM, Siddarth Razdan  Founder Indianivesh FirstBridge Fund, Vineet Sharma  VP Brandscope (Dentsu), Nirmal Shah  Prism Advisory, Gaurav Agarwal  Freedom Financial Network, and others.

The company intends to use the funds to grow in India, and optimize its platform.

Founded in 2017, by Kaizad Hansotia and Bheshaj Joshi, Swirl provides a multi-cloud video commerce technology platform that enables retailers to empower their in-store associates to provide an immersive video shopping experience for a global audience. It offers businesses full control over the customer data and allows them to get real-time engagement analytics and post-show data points to optimise campaigns for future sales. The technology contains a proprietary layer on top of video using Text, Chat, WhatsApp, SMS, and Voice to make the entire shopping experience human-like. It integrates with any website be it on Shopify, WooCommerce, or any other custom eCommerce / CRM platforms.

The company has over 100+ clients in India such as Fabelle by ITC, Unlimited Fashion by Arvind, GIVA, Zariin, and recently also signed up a Finnish fashion brand Ivana Helsinki.

FinSMEs

21/09/2021
Update: After Amazon announced its Great Indian Sale on October 4th, Flipkart has rescheduled the Big Billion Days date from October 7th to October 3rd. Instead of six days, it will now happen for 10 days, so it will end only on 10th October. Flipkart has also announced curtain raiser deals and pre-book option at Re. 1 for guaranteed deal price from September 29th to October 1st.

Earlier: Flipkart has announced that the eighth edition of Big Billion Days sale will be held between October 7-12, 2021. There will be Early Access for Flipkart Plus consumers. This year, Flipkart has partnered with Axis Bank and ICICI Bank to offer 10% instant discount and also partnered with Paytm to offer assured cashback to consumers paying through Paytm Wallet and Paytm UPI.

Flipkart has launched EMI facility on Flipkart Pay Later, which opens a credit line of up to Rs.70,000 for eligible customers, that can be paid back over flexible tenures of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, enabling high-value purchases. Flipkart will also facilitate no-cost EMIs from its brand and seller partners on a wide range of products  across 18 leading EMI options such as Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI and others

Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card is being offered as Lifetime Free for the first time. Customers can get 5% Unlimited Cashback and additional discounts. Furthermore, Flipkart has partnered with multiple loyalty point catalogues to offer gift cards at the best value to its customers ahead of the festive season. Big Billion Day themed Gift Card, a first of its kind product, is going live for customers to purchase and add to their wallets before the sale begins.

As part of the Big Billion Days Specials, exciting offers are slated on limited edition products across categories including Mobile, TVs & Appliances, Electronics & Accessories, Fashion, Beauty, Food, Toys, Baby Care, Home & Kitchen, Furniture, Grocery etc. Flipkart has built over

100+ new partnerships with brands across categories to bring forth a wide assortment of 10,000+ new products to ensure there is something special for every kind of shopper.

Flipkart has already confirmed the launch of realme 4K Google TV stick, new Lenovo Chromebooks, Nokia Android 11 TVs, Acer Predator Gaming laptop, Nokia Windows 11 Laptop, Boult Audio SoulPods, Acer Predator Gaming with NVIDIA RTX 3060, Fire Boltt Max smartwatch, Hisense 55 QLED TV, ASUS Vivobook Ultra laptop.

There will also be MSI i5 Gaming laptop with NVIDIA RTX GPU, Ambrane 20W Magsafe Power Bank Ravindra Jadeja special edition, Moto Tab 8, which is said to be rebranded Lenovo Tab M8 FHD, JBL Work from Home Bundle, realme Cordless Vaccum cleaner and Boat Rockerz 355.

During the sale, Flipkart will offer

ASUS ROG Strix G15 at Rs. 69,990

ASUS ROG Phone 3 from Rs. 34,999

motorola edge 20 fusion 5G from Rs. 19,999

POCO X3 Pro from Rs. 16,999

moto G60 from Rs. 15,999

TCL Tables from Rs. 13,999

moto g40 from Rs. 12999

Infinix Hot 10s from Rs. 9499

Micromax In Note 1 at Rs. 9499

Fitbit Charge 4 at Rs. 7999

Amazfit GTS at Rs. 5999

Amazfit BIP U at Rs. 3399

Up to 80% off on electronics and accessories, Soundbars

Flat 70% off on smartwatch

Up to 60% off on wireless headset

Up to 40% off on laptops

There will also be discounts on Pixel 4a, Samsung Galaxy F62, and more smartphones and accessories.

The reveal calendar hints at new launches from marQ, OPPO, Samsung, POCO, vivo and Motorola.

There is option to upgrade to the latest Samsung smartphone by paying just 70% with smart upgrade plan. Other offers include Crazy deals at 12AM, 8AM and 4PM will offer extra discounts on mobiles and TVs and Rush hours with the lowest prices till 2AM.

Consumers will also get to utilize their SuperCoins as they shop on the platform to get Rewards Pass for never-before deals and up to 2,000 bonus coins for additional shopping.

The Big Billion Days Dhamaal is a live stream that will be aired for 1 hour daily at 8 PM on the Flipkart app, beginning 1 week before the Big Billion Days, giving users an interactive experience with an array of celebrities and influencers, with a chance to shop and win multiple rewards as part of the show.

Launching for the very first time this TBBD, customers will have the chance to play an exciting game on the app, where they can grow their own celebration tree by completing various tasks on the Flipkart app. For every virtual tree completed, Flipkart will plant a tree in real life associated with GiveIndia.

This year, Flipkart has partnered with Indias favourite celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Virat Kohli, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Sudeep Kiccha, and Mahesh Babu, who will be seen in creative avatars as they celebrate The Big Billion Days event.

In a first, non-Plus customers will be able to gain early access by redeeming 50 earned SuperCoins on the Flipkart app. This year, The Big Billion Days will bring forth several new opportunities for homegrown brands and sellers to celebrate with consumers across the country, from metros to Tier 2 cities and beyond.
Etat Libre d'Orange The Ghost In The Shell

Niche Perfumery

There is always a great buzz when Etat Libre d'Orange launches something new. In mid-September the Parisian brand presents to us the latest fragrance, THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, as a fresh and modern floral fragrance  a fragrance for the future. The composition was created in collaboration with Mane.

MERGER OF THE MATTER, BIRTH OF THE SPIRIT.



"It is a night of pale moonlight, a night toward the end of the 20th century, a night when the old world is ending and the new one is beginning. It is a night when one trembles to boldly lower the sacred cross against the heart, to aid in the passage to fatherhood.

"So, as a crucifix, that night I pick up Hyperion, a novel by Dan Simmons. This is a masterful science fiction saga that celebrates the infinite legend of the French Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who was a 20th century researcher, paleontologist, theologian and philosopher

"And I read, pacified, until the reflections of the dawn, until the first golden rays of the East. I read the future of man, the celebration of transhumanism and the qualitative leap of humanity enhanced by machine. I have rarely loved a book this much, I have rarely loved a thinker this much.



"I read that night what a man thought he saw in the tombs of time.



"I am a lover of words in the service of materials when they come together to make poetry in the bottom of our bottles; thus, a few years ago, I bring up the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to one of the last living vestiges of the triumphant 20th century, and I ask him: 'Then Teilhard de Chardin, precursor of genius?' A look, a silence and for the answer four unexpected words, four words whispered by my father: GHOST IN THE SHELL.

"This is the act of birth that makes the spirit of perfume. The rest is poetry to live on the skin.

"Pierre Teilhard de Chardin died in 1955, but his spirit continues to travel. This fragrance extends it through an alliance with the Japanese artist Shirow Masamune to transcend the spirit of Earth.



"By mixing biotech and natural materials, this perfume silently celebrates the wake of the future and also whispers of a day to come, by providence or chance, when humanity is reunited and organized. A day when all consciousness is summoned by the infosphere to constitute a superior being and pass from the inert to the living. As the molecules assemble to make the living, we will then make a qualitative leap that becomes the starting point and arrival of transhumanism.



"This perfume is the future. It comes to us from the 20th century.

"Ghost in the Shell, a perfume that speaks of the human phenomenon and its paradox, a perfume to wear on oneself ab libitum, at ones pleasure. A perfume as a propagation towards the other, that makes you the axis and the arrow of evolution; modern, indeed! From the bottom of the matter, rise up."  Etienne de Swardt

Top notes: Aqual - provides ozonic, aldehydic and marine accords; Yuzu HE; Hexyl Acetate (MANE Biotech) - provides the fruity pear smell

Heart notes: Jasmin absolute; Mugane; Milky Skin Accord

Base notes: Moss Accord; Vinyl Gaiacol (MANE Biotech) - provides the smell of cloves and vanilla; smoky, sweet, balsamic and powdery carnation accord; Orcanox

The Ghost In The Shell is available as a 50ml Eau de Parfum at the price of 95 EUR and 100ml Eau de Parfum at the price of 140 EUR through the official ELDO website.
Baskin-Robbins has opened its first-ever restaurant in Morocco, in Casablanca City. Galadari Ice Cream Company, one of the brands largest franchisees, will own and operate the new restaurant, adding to their portfolio of nearly 1,000 Baskin-Robbins locations around the world.

More than ever before, people are craving the joy and comfort of ice cream, said Ahmed Osman, CEO of Galadaris Food and Beverage Division. With extensive experience operating across the region, we feel confident Baskin-Robbins unique flavors and fun atmosphere, coupled with our strong operations experience and customer-first, customer-centric focus, will resonate with local guests as we continue to open new locations around the country.

Located in the Morocco Mall, Baskin-Robbins newest location debuted with a ribbon-cutting event on August 24, with doors officially opening to the public shortly afterward. The first 100 guests in line received free ice cream for a year.

While we aggressively expand throughout the markets where we currently operate, we are also taking Baskin-Robbins to new countries as part of our divisions growth strategy, said Osman.

We are thrilled to support the Galadari Ice Cream Company as they officially introduce Baskin-Robbins to the Moroccan market, said Michael Haley, President and Managing Director of International for Inspire Brands, parent of Baskin-Robbins. Throughout our four decades of working together, Galadari has truly brought that unique brand experience to life across the Middle East, Australia, and now Africa.
Marugame Udon Names CEO Of U.S. Operations

Gregg Imamoto to fuel U.S. growth for worlds No. 1 udon concept

September 21, 2021 // Franchising.com // DALLAS - Marugame Udon, the worlds No. 1 udon concept, has named restaurant and franchising executive Gregg Imamoto its CEO of U.S. operations, effective Sept. 13, 2021.

Mr. Imamoto previously served as CEO of Pieology, where he helped create record financial performance while growing the brand between 2018 and 2021. He has more than 25 years of C-suite experience in the food & beverage, consumer products, healthcare, aerospace and financial services industries with a proven process and track record of improving company performance, developing bench talent, and maximizing stakeholder value.

At Marugame Udon, hell be tasked with leading the expansion of the brands U.S. presence while developing a franchise business model. The company currently operates restaurants in Hawaii, California and Texas.

Marugame Udon is the flagship concept for publicly traded Toridoll, a restaurant conglomerate with over $1.4 billion in sales across more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide. In partnership with Toridoll, US-based private equity firm Hargett Hunter will continue to lead the growth of this popular fast casual Japanese chain in the United States.

Our partnership with Hargett Hunter enables Toridoll to share authentic Japanese food and culture in the U.S., which is our most important market for growth. said Toridoll founder and President Takaya Awata. We are confident Mr. Imamoto is the right leader at the right time to propel our expansion, and I have high expectations for his success.

We searched at length to find the right executive who will refine our mission and sharpen our business model in preparation for growth, said Hargett Hunter Managing Partner Jeff Brock. Gregg has the financial, strategic and operational expertise to help us replicate Marugames international success here in the U.S.

Tokyo-based Marugame Udon, with more than 1,000 locations in 10 countries and regions, specializes in authentic, handmade Japanese Sanuki udon noodles and fresh tempura, all made in an open and engaging kitchen. Marugame Udon first came to the U.S. in Hawaii more than 10 years ago with its flagship store in Waikiki and expanded into California in 2017. It opened its first Texas location in 2020.

Ive been a fan of Marugame Udon since the first time I tried it in Waikiki  I ate there every day of every week I was in town when we discovered it  so the offer to lead the company and grow the brands U.S. presence was especially attractive because of my personal enjoyment of the brand, said Imamoto. I look forward to working with the team in introducing Marugames incredible food to more consumers across the country.

SOURCE Marugame Udon

###

Comments:

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Disqus
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, 2006-2021.
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following is an open letter from Citizens For Mental Health Reform on our proposal to re-sentence all Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board Clients from the maximum to what they would have gotten on the Oregon Sentencing Guidelines if they didn't have a mental health condition.

Attention Mental Health Peers, Family Members and Compassionate Allies of human beings currently suffering from a Mental Health Condition:

People with mental illness didn't choose to be born that way and shouldn't be punished with the maximum possible sentence based on the fact that they have one.

In the name of Justice, Oregon discriminates against the mentally ill with excessively long sentences under the Psychiatric Security Review Board.

People shouldn't be kept under jurisdiction just because it creates mental health jobs.

We understand there is also community safety to take into consideration. We would like to point out the PSRB's own recidivism rate.

From January 2011 through 2017 (the most recent year for which recidivism figures are currently available), only 15 people out of the 896 who were living in the community on conditional release have been convicted of new felonies or misdemeanors.

Most people under the PSRB are not criminals; they simply had a mental health crisis and it got out of control. If there were better community mental health options they may have never had an incident that required the Justice System.

The majority of people currently stuck under the PSRB are there because of the incredible hurdles it takes to be released early.

Millions of dollars are being wasted keeping people under jurisdiction.

In Oregon if someone commits a crime they are sentenced under the The Oregon Sentencing Guidelines Grid, which can range from 30 Days to Life in Prison.

But if a person with a mental illness commits a crime they are given the maximum sentence.

We believe this is unfair and discrimination against people with a mental disability.

That is why we are calling upon Kate Brown and the Oregon Legislature to fix this by re-sentencing all current PSRB Clients according to the Oregon Sentencing Guidelines Grid.

Many have done twice or three times the amount under the PSRB then if they hadn't asserted the mental health defense.

Preston is 31 years old and suffers from Bipolar in remission. In 2010 he came to Oregon to go to a Sober Living House. He suffered a mental health crisis and attempted suicide by starting a fire in an unoccupied building. On the Oregon Sentencing Guidelines Grid, he would have received 3 years in prison, but due to asserting a mental health defense he was given 20 years under the PSRB. He has done 11 years without committing any new crimes. He has no relatives in Oregon but still has 9 years before he can return to his family.

Preston isn't the only one. There are hundreds of people living successfully and safely in the community but trapped under the maximum sentence.

Please consider signing our Petition https://www.citizensformentalhealthreform.com/get-involved

Contact@CitizensForMentalHealthReform.com

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.
ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HAVERTYS (NYSE: HVT and HVT.A) today reported members of the company's senior management are scheduled to meet on September 22nd and 23rd with institutional investors and discuss the companys operations. In anticipation of these meetings, Havertys also today released updated sales information.



Havertys sales for the third quarter to date of 2021 are up approximately 21.2% over the same period last year and comparable store sales are up 19.5%. Written business for the third quarter to date over the same period last year is up 2.7% and comparable written business is up 1.0%. This pace of business compares to the full third quarter of 2020 over 2019 and that period's increases in sales of 3.9% and written business of 22.8%.

Our business continues to be strong as we work to deliver customers purchases and help them create their vision of home, said Clarence Smith, chairman and chief executive officer. Merchandise availability impacts our business and supply chain disruptions remain a concern, particularly as lockdowns continue in Vietnam," Smith concluded.

The Company plans to announce third quarter 2021 financial results on October 28, 2021, after the market closes.

About Havertys

Havertys (NYSE: HVT and HVT.A), established in 1885, is a full-service home furnishings retailer with 121 showrooms in 16 states in the Southern and Midwestern regions providing its customers with a wide selection of quality merchandise in middle to upper-middle price ranges. Additional information is available on the Companys website at www.havertys.com.

Contact:

Havertys 404-443-2900

Jenny Hill Parker

SVP, finance and corporate secretary

SOURCE: Havertys




MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The new financial year is well underway and with it, new budgets. Businesses are examining how to best increase productivity and streamline all practices to create an efficient work environment. For many, optimising their productivity begins by increasing their work force and ensuring their staff members are the best qualified for the job. Melbourne-based AIO Contracting is providing superior labour hire solutions.

As the leading supplier of labour hire, Melbourne-based AIO Contracting is on a mission to provide businesses with comprehensive solutions to all labour hire problems, from recruiting to HR and everything in between.

Working with an all-in-one labour hire company like AIO Contracting means that businesses can save time, energy and money on recruitment, training, hiring, and HR operations. AIO Contracting promises to cover all bases when matching businesses with workers. The family-owned company takes thorough measures to ensure that each candidate is well-screened for qualifications, skill and a good work ethic.

One of the keys to increasing productivity by way of a larger workforce is holding staff to a high standard of work. AIO Contracting has access to hundreds of workers across Melbourne who are not only qualified and experienced but who also have a favourable attitude and strictly adhere to safe work practices.

As one of the top recruitment agencies Melbourne-wide, the industries in which AIO Contracting specialises include maintenance, manufacturing and construction. Its labour hire service is performed to the highest industry standards and AIO Contracting is available around the clock for 24/7 support.

On top of utilising AIO Contracting's labour hire agency, Melbourne businesses can improve productivity of their existing employees by taking advantage of AIO Contracting's training and education courses. Each comprehensive training course equips workers with the skills, knowledge and tools to stay at the forefront of their industry. AIO Contracting explains that the courses are available on site at a training venue that suits each business' needs.

As one of the premier labour agencies Melbourne-wide, AIO Contracting is committed to matching the best workers available with the right opportunities in their industries. The company offers support all day, every day of the year, so businesses know they are putting their trust in a company that cares.

33 Randor Street, Campbellfield, VIC - 3061

T 1300 314 008

E info@aiocontracting.com.au

Related Images











Image 1: labour hire





labour hire









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Los Angeles, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IVF services company Ovation Fertility announces the publication of a new study, Automated detection of poor-quality data: case studies in healthcare, by Scientific Reports, a Nature portfolio journal. The study, which focuses on a novel data cleansing technique to improve the use of artificial intelligence in embryo selection in IVF and in pneumonia detection in chest X-rays, is now available online at OvationFertility.com and at Nature.com.

The international study was co-produced by U.S.-Australian AI healthcare company Presagen and U.S.-based Ovation Fertility, in collaboration with the Department of Medical Imaging - SAMI, Womens and Childrens Hospital Campus, in Adelaide, Australia. Authors include Milad Dakka (Presagen), Tuc Van Nguyen (Presagen), Jonathan Hall (Presagen), Sonya Diakiw (Presagen), Matthew Tex VerMilyea (Ovation), Rebecca Linke (SAMI), Michelle Perugini (Presagen) and Don Perugini (Presagen).

This study proved that the UDC algorithm can automatically detect errors in medical data  even those that may be missed by trained medical experts, says Matthew Tex VerMilyea, PhD, HCLD/CC, Ovations vice president of scientific advancement. The development of this novel algorithm is one giant leap toward the creation of commercially scalable and reliable AI products for use not only in the IVF lab, but in other healthcare applications. Im proud to have been part of this study and look forward to ongoing collaborative research with Presagen as we work together to develop new technologies that will improve IVF outcomes for families.

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a novel data cleansing algorithm, Untrainable Data Cleansing (UDC), that can automatically identify and allow removal of poor-quality data to improve AI performance and reporting. This patent-pending algorithm was developed by Presagen for its Life Whisperer product, which uses AI to select the best embryo for transfer to help improve IVF pregnancy outcomes. Already in use in IVF labs worldwide, Life Whisperer has been shown to perform 25% better than manual embryo assessment methods, which rely largely on visual appearance of an embryo under a microscope.

In this study, the UDC was also applied to chest X-rays, identifying poor-quality images that are clinically uninformative and counter-productive to training AI systems. UDC was also applied to two non-medical problems: detection of mislabeled vehicle types as well as cats and dogs.

In all cases, UDC effectively identified poor-quality data and significantly improved accuracy and generalizability. Other benefits included protection of private patient data and reduced time, cost and data needed for AI system training. Results also indicate that UCD could be useful as a triage tool to identify difficult clinical cases that may warrant in-depth evaluation or additional testing to support a diagnosis.

Learn more about Ovation research at OvationFertility.com/Research.

About Ovation Fertility

Ovation Fertility is a national network of reproductive endocrinologists and scientific thought leaders focused on reducing the cost of having a family through more efficient and effective fertility care. Ovations IVF and genetics laboratories, along with affiliated physician practices, work collaboratively to raise the bar for IVF treatment, with state-of-the-art, evidence-based fertility services that give hopeful parents the best chance for a successful pregnancy. Physicians partner with Ovation to offer their patients advanced preconception carrier screening; preimplantation genetic testing; donor egg and surrogacy services; and secure storage for their frozen eggs, embryos and sperm. Ovation also helps IVF labs across America improve their quality and performance with expert off-site lab direction and consultation. Learn more about Ovations vision of a world without infertility at www.OvationFertility.com.

About Presagen

Presagen is an artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare company focused on building scalable AI products to improve womens healthcare outcomes globally. Presagen changes the way the global medical data is connected to build and deliver affordable, accessible, AI-enabled healthcare products. Its platform, The Social Network for Healthcare, connects a global collaborative network of clinics and their diverse medical data to create scalable and unbiased AI products. Presagens flagship fertility products are branded Life Whisperer and focus on the application of AI to improve IVF outcomes for couples struggling with fertility. Life Whisperer applications are authorized for sale in two thirds of the global market and are being sold in IVF clinics globally. Learn more at www.Presagen.com.

Attachments
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bendheim, the 94-year-old architectural glass manufacturer, shared important company-wide updates and celebrated with employees old and new as part of its first Employee Day on September 9, 2021.

The day included an employee Town Hall meeting in the morning, led by incoming President Ben Jayson, in which every department shared recent accomplishments, initiatives, and goals. Among the new developments, several new hires were introduced, and the Systems & Innovation department unveiled new systems and prototypes for interior and exterior applications.

Following the Town Hall, Bendheim employees, including plant workers, office staff, sales personnel, and management enjoyed lunch, games, and raffles at Captain Kilroy Park in Wayne, N.J. Over 70 employees participated in the event. Bendheim secured exclusive use of the facility for the duration of the day.

Bendheim prides itself on our work environment, Jayson said. Over the years, generations of employees have worked here  parents bringing their children and grandchildren to the company for full-time positions, internships, or summer jobs, to gain experience or build a career at Bendheim. We have several family members working with us today. This was an opportunity to celebrate our successes and our tight-knit community.

Bendheims human resources manager, Alaina Plytynski, spearheaded Employee Day and worked with company volunteers to plan and execute the days activities. The event was especially poignant as it brought together employees from New York, New Jersey, and other locales for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was a great way to come together, said Plytynski, who joined the company in 2020. Many also remembered our International Day, which celebrates the various nationalities and cultures we represent. We all look forward to continuing this tradition, alongside our new Employee Day tradition.

Bendheim, a fourth-generation family business, has retained its commitment to employees through various hardships, from the Great Depression to the Great Recession of the early 2000s. Employee Day helped strengthen the bond between departments and between workers at every level.

We all have demanding jobs, so its important to take time to acknowledge the contributions of our employees, said Jayson, the great-grandson of company founders Margaret and Sem Bendheim. Recognizing our employees has played an important part in the foundational success of our business, and they are the reason we have been able to maintain a superior track record for nearly a century.

Attachment
Luxembourg  21 September 2021 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable(1) contract by OneSubsea, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division of Schlumberger, for a project at the Ormen Lange field operated by Shell in the Norwegian Sea.



Subsea 7s scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the subsea flowline system as well as the installation of OneSubseas multiphase compression system. The contract award follows completion of the front-end engineering design study(2) and will be executed as a Subsea Integration Alliance project(3).

Monica Th. Bjrkmann, Subsea 7s Vice President Norway, said, This award demonstrates the value Subsea Integration Alliance brings by combining the technologies and capabilities of OneSubsea and Subsea 7 into a seamless integrated offering, resulting in the delivery of optimised solutions with reduced execution and interface risk. Subsea 7 looks forward to progressing the execution phase of the project with a focus on safe, efficient and reliable operations.

(1) Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million.

(2) Announced on 31 October 2019.

(3) Subsea Integration Alliance is a strategic global alliance between Subsea 7 and OneSubsea, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division of Schlumberger, bringing together field development planning, project delivery and total lifecycle solutions under an extensive technology and services portfolio. As one team, Subsea Integration Alliance amplifies subsea performance by helping customers to define, select, install and operate the smartest subsea projects, that eliminate costly revisions, delays and reduces risk across the life of field.





*******************************************************************************

Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

Subsea 7 is listed on the Oslo Brs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

*******************************************************************************

Contact for investment community enquiries:

Katherine Tonks

Investor Relations Director

Tel +44 (0)20 8210 5568

katherine.tonks@subsea7.com

Contact for media enquiries:

Jan Roger Moksnes

Communications Manager, Norway

Tel +47 415 15 777

janroger.moksnes@subsea7.com

Forward-Looking Statements: This announcement may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, goal, intend, likely may, plan, project, seek, should, strategy will, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the Risk Management section of the Groups Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; and (xvii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise..

Attachment
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ISG Technology is proud to announce Project RecognITion 2021: an initiative that honors the heroes of modern business.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many businesses to operate using a remote workforce, IT teams across the nation have been asked to step up their efforts. Project RecognITion seeks to celebrate the IT professionals who work tirelessly to keep businesses productive, connected, and secure.

Coworkers, end-users, and executives across the Midwest are being encouraged to visit the Project RecognITion website to nominate the IT professionals that go above and beyond for their organizations.

Nominees will be honored during the month of October in a variety of ways, including a series of celebration events across four Midwest cities.

"Our team works alongside and supports some really talented IT professionals at the organizations we serve," said ISG CEO Ben Foster. "Project RecognITion is our way of showcasing some of the unsung heroes who helped businesses continue operations through the pandemic."

The initiative launches on National IT Professionals Day - a holiday that started six years ago to bring awareness to just how important IT professionals are. The holiday is observed every third Tuesday in September and utilizes the hashtag #ITProDay on social media to drive awareness.

"IT Pro Day has been such an amazing way to appreciate technology professionals that we wanted to continue what we started in 2019," continued Foster. "We're looking forward to hearing the stories people will share about their IT superheroes."

Project RecognITion is supported by many of ISG's strategic partners, including Veeam, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Aruba, Arctic Wolf, Fortinet and VMware. Online nominations will be open until Friday, October 15.

About ISG Technology:

ISG Technology helps organizations unlock possibilities so that businesses can realize their full potential. They provide a unique combination of managed IT services , technology consulting, professional services, and cloud/data center solutions.

Part of the Twin Valley Family of Companies and a fourth-generation family business, ISG Technology has grown and evolved into the recognized leader in the area by aligning its success with the long-term success of its clients.

The company is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, with seven additional locations across the Midwest, as well as a regional network of data centers. ISG services clients throughout the region, nation, and world.

To learn more about how ISG Technology can help your business, contact us today to receive a free consultation.

For media inquiries, contact:

Scott Strickler

Director of Marketing, ISG Technology

sstrickler@isgtech.com

913.826.6058

Related Images











Image 1: Project RecognITion 2021 from ISG Technology





Project RecognITion 2021 is a salute to the heroes of modern business. Learn more at projectrecognITion.biz.









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Farmer Focus , the only 100% organic and Humane Certified chicken company with a mission to promote and protect generational family farms, announced that it was the recipient of multiple industry awards honoring its company values and forward-thinking product development.



Farmer Focus received the Impact Award from Progressive Grocer in recognition of outstanding environmental, social and governance leadership. The award is bestowed upon companies whose efforts are improving lives, creating opportunities, and having a positive impact at the local and global levels. Farmer Focus won in the category of Entrepreneurial Support and Free Enterprise Enablement because of founding farmer and CEO Corwin Heatwoles commitment through Farmer Focus to empower independent farmers. Farmer Focus business model eliminates tournament-style payment systems that are common in the poultry industry, ensuring farmers receive fair pay, thus securing the survival of family farming for generations to come.

Im a sixth-generation farmer who has been told repeatedly that farmers dont start poultry companies, said Corwin Heatwole, founding farmer and CEO of Farmer Focus. Seeing the company recognized for an honor like Progressive Grocers Impact Award renews our passion to change farming for the better for independent growers. We currently work with over 70 farmers and have more than 100 on our waiting list. I cant wait to have them all raising chickens with Farmer Focus.

On the innovation side, Farmer Focus earned two NEXTY Awards for its new pre-seasoned organic chicken line. Farmer Focus Toasted Lager Organic and Free-Range Half Chicken won in the category of Best New Meat, Dairy or Animal-Based Product and Farmer Focus Rich Red Curry Organic and Free-Range Chicken Thighs won in the category of Best New Organic Food. NEXTY Awards are bestowed upon products that display outstanding innovation, inspiration and integrity.

"To say the NEXTY judges were impressed with the company's new line of delicious products and its mission to disrupt the conventional chicken farming model would be an understatement, wrote New Hope Networks Hannah Esper, in a recent feature of Farmer Focus.

New Hope Network has further honored Farmer Focus by inviting Heatwole as a keynote speaker at Natural Products Expo East.  Keynote: The State of Natural and Organic  can be attended virtually via live stream or in-person on September 23, 8:30-10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Restaurant closures during the pandemic led to many people making a sudden switch to cooking at home more frequently, quickly resulting in mealtime monotony, said Mark Saylor, Senior Brand Manager for Farmer Focus. Our new product line was crafted for health-minded shoppers and includes some adventurous and seasonal flavor profiles to help home cooks recreate exciting restaurant experiences.

These awards are just the most recent indication of Farmer Focus success, which has been bolstered by its mission and fueled by consumers adoption of its branded products. Other noteworthy metrics include:

In 2021, the Farmer Focus farming family grew by 62%. The company currently works with over 70 family farms, with over 100 more on the waiting list.

Farmer Focus is the #1 fastest growing organic chicken brand in grocery stores over the latest 52 weeks as indicated by IRI Sales Data Period ending 9.5.21.

Farmer Focus is the #2 organic chicken brand in grocery stores over the latest 13 weeks as indicated by IRI Sales Data Period ending 9.5.21.

ABOUT FARMER FOCUS

Founded by sixth-generation chicken farmer Corwin Heatwole in 2014, Farmer Focus is the only 100% organic and Humane Certified chicken company with a mission to promote and protect generational family farms. By shifting farm-level decision-making and chicken ownership back to farmers and empowering them to farm the way they know is best, Farmer Focus significantly improves the financial viability of the farm and farmer profit. Available in 2500 stores throughout the East Coast and Midwest, including major retailers like Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter, and more, Farmer Focus is committed to consistently producing exceedingly delicious, 100% organic and humanely raised chicken that is better for people, the planet, and animals.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b91c85b3-fce5-47a7-b2f7-cb04125fccbc

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/54823b4e-b5f6-4051-aef1-e8a21a9855a3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6817cc8d-5650-4d45-93a2-4d6f03fc1708

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d632e7b-f6c1-4e58-8a41-1cb76fc33784
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Camp Corral, a leading provider of support and enrichment opportunities for the children of this nation's wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes, today announced that renowned investment strategist John Longo has committed to donating at least $100,000 to the nonprofit through his annual LONGO Ride charity event. A check presentation will occur on Sept. 30, 2021, at the General George Patton Museum of Leadership in Ft. Knox, Ky.

Longo's annual fundraising drive combines his passion for riding motorcycles with a desire to raise awareness and support for important causes. This year's event, sponsored by Morgan Stanley: The Longo Group, Jersey Mike's and Concordia International Forwarding, will pay tribute to the service and sacrifices of wounded warriors' families by providing their children with the opportunity to access Camp Corral summer camps and enrichment programs free of charge.



"I began my ride to support our military service members, their families and their children," said Longo. "Camp Corral's mission aligns with my goals in the most direct way by giving the children of military heroes - the men and women to whom we should be most thankful - a place to thrive."

Many military children step up to serve as caregivers for their families, with 69 percent of military parents indicating their child performed at least one caregiving task in their household. Camp Corral's programs are designed to provide respite, build peer-support connections, strengthen self-confidence, and reinforce coping skills for the children of wounded warriors. The $2,000 cost of sending a child to camp is fully covered by the nonprofit.

"A fact many Americans may not consider is how military kids serve the country in their own way, and we owe to them to support their wellbeing," said Lori Noonan, Chief Operating Officer at Camp Corral. "As the son of a WWII veteran, John understands what it means to be a military kid, and we cannot thank him enough for the considerable support he is providing our programs through this year's LONGO Ride."

"Empowering the children of wounded warriors requires the support of both individuals and organizations," said Lori Noonan. "John's annual ride brings together both of these forces, and we greatly appreciate his dedication to this mission."

Individuals interested in contributing to the 2021 LONGO Ride in support of Camp Corral and military children can learn more at the fundraising drive's website by visiting give.classy.org/LongoRide2021.

About Camp Corral

Camp Corral's mission is to transform the lives of children of this nation's wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes. Since 2011, the nonprofit has served over 30,000 children from every state in the nation with resilience-based programs. For more information, visit www.campcorral.org.

Media Contact:

Anthony Popiel

Dalton Agency

apopiel@daltonagency.com

404-876-1309

###

Related Files

Camp Corral_Press Release_Longo Ride_FINAL.pdf

Related Images











Image 1









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rebel Space Technologies has been awarded a NASA Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract for their proposal SpaceWeaver: A Collaborative Smart Network for Space Communications. The proposal leverages Rebel Space's proprietary Rebel Cognitive Communications & Control software (Rebel-C3) for autonomous network management, in addition to their partner Prewitt Ridge's VerifAI capability.

SpaceWeaver utilizes Rebel-C3 to create a distributed cognitive space communications network for lunar operations that increases mission science data return and improves network resource efficiencies for NASA missions. Rebel-C3 uses artificial intelligence enhanced distributed sensing and optimized data routing to ensure efficient, resilient operations in an unpredictable space environment. The ultimate goal is to coordinate the transfer and relay of mission data across the lunar architecture based on data priority, content, schedule, and environmental conditions, a necessity for future lunar missions.

The SBIR Phase I and Phase II efforts and resulting prototype software will contribute to future NASA missions and lunar operations. Rebel Space co-founder, Carrie Hernandez, stated "the continued research and development under the NASA Phase II contract aligns with our company's commercial goal of providing autonomous network management software to deliver a 10x network performance improvement in challenging industrial environments. We believe that our Rebel-C3 software can help businesses significantly optimize their operations by providing customized network management that takes advantage of 5G capabilities and simplifies the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology."

Rebel Space is partnering with Prewitt Ridge's patent-pending method for processing unstructured and semi-structured textual data into technical decisions, known as VerifAI. "We're ecstatic to adapt VerifAI from supporting engineering design and into a cognitive component for Rebel Space's vision of dynamic on-orbit communications routing via SpaceWeaver," said Steven Massey, CEO & Co-Founder of Prewitt Ridge.

The NASA Phase II contract has a two year period of performance, during that time, Rebel Space and Prewitt Ridge will deliver to NASA prototype software that will advance NASA's lunar communications capabilities.

ABOUT REBEL SPACE TECHNOLOGIES

Founded in 2019 by Carrie and Gabriel Hernandez, a mother and son team, Rebel Space Technologies expands the boundaries of existing communications systems by developing autonomous network management software. Backed by Acequia Capital and world-tier angel investors, Rebel Space has strong early engagement across leading commercial space, defense, and logistics companies.

(https://www.rebelspacetech.com)

Press Contact: Carrie Hernandez, CEO, carrie@rebelspacetech.com

ABOUT PREWITT RIDGE

Prewitt Ridge was founded by former SpaceX engineers in 2019 to solve one of the most difficult meta-problems in deep tech: making engineering collaboration less prone to error, and less reliant on email & PowerPoint. Backed by leading early-stage funds Wonder Ventures, Haystack, and Acequia Capital, Prewitt Ridge's technologies have found early traction across a variety of private aerospace companies and government agencies.

(https://www.prewittridge.com)

Press Contact: Steven Massey, CEO, media@prewittridge.com

Related Images











Image 1: Rebel Space Technologies Co-Founders





Mother and son team Carrie and Gabriel Hernandez









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Tampa, Florida, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KCI Technologies Inc., a multi-disciplined engineering firm with offices throughout the United States, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Florida-based consulting firm Bridging Solutions. KCI will expand its capabilities to include Bridging Solutions highly specialized bridge and structural engineering services in the transportation and land development markets.

Bridging Solutions offers an extensive range of bridge design and inspection expertise to a diverse client base consisting of state and local agencies, community associations, professional service firms, and private owners. Their comprehensive portfolio includes the completion of preliminary and final design, construction engineering inspection, and structural evaluation for a multitude of new and existing vehicular, rail and pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, privacy and sound walls, and traffic signals and signage structures. Bridging Solutions has also built a strong reputation as experts in private bridge management, applying best practices to mitigate the risks and reduce costs associated with private ownership while ensuring the private crossings meet the safety and federal inspection standards of publicly owned bridges.

Bridging Solutions is an accomplished structures engineering firm in South Florida, said Vice President and Discipline Manager Erick J. Fry, PE. Their experience working with private and public clients will provide a platform for KCI to leverage our collective strengths and better serve the growing market.

The firm was founded by Ralph Verrastro, PE, in 2006. Verrastro is a nationally recognized expert in accelerated bridge constructiona fast-track repair and replacement method utilizing prefabricated components. He has served as the structural engineer for hundreds of bridge-related projects throughout the country and has extensive experience in the rehabilitation of historic metal truss and concrete arch bridges. He is a registered professional engineer in 37 states, earned his bachelors degree in civil engineering from Cornell University, and in 2018 was named Engineer of the Year by the Florida Engineering Society. Verrastro is a frequent presenter of technical presentations on engineering topics at industry conferences, seminars and training courses.

Bridging Solutions will join KCIs staff of more than 230 employees in the state of Florida to continue its expansion in the Southeast and further its transportation-related service offerings in the surrounding regions.

###

KCI Technologies

With sales in excess of $343 million in 2020, KCI Technologies Inc. is ranked among the top 50 engineering firms in the country by Engineering News-Record. Roughly 1,750 employee owners support clients from more than 55+ offices throughout the U.S. KCI offers environmental, transportation, telecommunications, construction, facilities and land development services to government, institutional and private-sector clients. For more information, visit www.kci.com.

Attachment
Somers, Wisconsin, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In April 2021, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, located in Chicago, launched an international competition for the new Cold War Veterans Memorial to be built in Somers, Wisconsin. After reviewing an impressive number of inspiring design concepts, four finalists have been selected to advance to Stage II of the competition. The Cold War Veterans Memorial will be a critical piece of the Pritzker Archives and Memorial Park Center (PAMPC) currently under development.

In missions on and off the battlefield, Americans of all stripes made immense sacrifices in defense of our national interest. They deserve to be recognized, and the weight of this era deserves to be understood. This Memorial will provide a place where their contributions are honored, said Col. Jennifer Pritzker, Founder of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.

The four finalists are representatives from the U.S., Italy, Japan, and Jordan. These individuals and groups achieved the highest scores against strict criteria, including individuality, relevance, and conceptualization. The design challenge was to provide a conceptual design for the Cold War Veterans Memorial that embraces the mission statement, exemplifies the guiding vision, and achieves the design goals. The finalists include:

INFINITE LIFE - Michele De Lucchi con Francesco Forcella (project architect), Nicholas Bewick, Junmei Liu, Emanuele Novembre, Guido Tarantola, Mayya Sargsyan of AMDL CIRCLE in Milan, Italy Although this Memorial project was born out of the importance of respecting and honoring those that served during the Cold War period, we also see its relevance as a heroic symbol towards our continually evolving universe and the existence of human life.

- Michele De Lucchi con Francesco Forcella (project architect), Nicholas Bewick, Junmei Liu, Emanuele Novembre, Guido Tarantola, Mayya Sargsyan of

For this reason, we have chosen not only the metaphor of infinity, by evoking the Moebius Loop or Orbit in our design concept, but also to create an experience and place from which to think about our complex global interrelationships, in the hope that they can find a harmony that links every single person and preserves the physical environment in which we all live.

THE CONFLICT - Mai Abu-Shanab and Jalal Al-Sadi of m+j architect studio atelier in Amman, Jordan This cold war memorial is intended to honor individuals and groups and give a permanent recognition to accomplishments, as quietly made, by countless individuals and groups as they pursued the expansion of freedom and democracy, creating a place for reflection and remembrance, inspiring the public to perceive freedom for centuries to come.

- Mai Abu-Shanab and Jalal Al-Sadi of ORBITS OF TIME - Jenny Wu and Dwayne Oyler of Oyler Wu Collaborative in Los Angeles, California , USA The proposed design envisions a memorial that embodies the ideals and mission of Memorial Park, making more tactile a context that cant be measured in a single name or event: only in glimpses of history. Within these glimpses is layered a timeline of both personal and collective experiences emblematic of the Cold War  a paradigm that rebalances the interconnected narratives of American innovation and service.

- Jenny Wu and Dwayne Oyler of ETERNAL CIRCULATION - Shinsaku Munemoto of Shinsaku Munemoto & Associates, Architects in Kyoto, Japan This memorial intends to preserve the memories, records, and achievements of the veterans in perpetuity. By uncovering the layer of land, one space separates into two. The space of the past underneath meets the layers of the veterans work and time, where one can relive the veterans history and memories of the Cold War. The satellite dish formed above forges the present space to transmit the histories and memories. Through the hole opened in the unfolded land, the archive is seen, bridging the past records to the present, creating an ETERNAL CIRCULATION of education and communication.

- Shinsaku Munemoto of

"We were impressed by the number of inspiring design submissions that were received," states Donald J. Stastny, FAIA, FAICP, FCIP, Competition Manager. "It wasn't an easy decision, but we are very confident in the four finalists chosen to move forward. Their conceptual designs best embraced the mission and vision of the Memorial, and we can see them serve as an attraction for visitors."

The Cold War Veterans Memorial's guiding vision is to create permanent recognition that stimulates ongoing thought and study that honors American military members and civilians who served and sacrificed during the Cold War era (1945-1991). In line with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission, the Cold War Veterans Memorial aims to increase the public understanding of military history.

Stage II

In Stage II, the four groups of selected finalists will evolve their concepts for the Memorial and create more fully defined design concepts by late February 2022. Procedures in this stage include a virtual competition briefing, Q&A, mid-course review, and design exhibit.

The Competition Leadership Group will conduct an individual review of each design submittal and provide an advisory report of its findings to the Jury. The Jury will analyze each design and determine whether the integrity of the design concept embodied in the Stage I entry has been maintained in the Stage II design submittal and how it addresses the mission, vision, and design goals for the Memorial. The winning design will be announced publicly in March 2022.

View the finalists' submissions here. All information on the design competition, including the design manual, Jury process, regulations, and schedule, can be found at coldwarveteransmemorial.org.

###

Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center

The PAMPC was created out of a need for additional space to house some of the circulating book collection and the archival collections of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and will be completed in phases over an estimated ten years.

The first phase of the project will include the Pritzker Military Archives Center to house the collections and provide workspace for the continued curation for future exhibits; Commercial Archives based on demand where private collectors, public institutions, and others may store their archives; a facility specializing in firearms education and training; a Community Green Space expertly landscaped with walking and biking paths; and the Cold War Veterans Memorial.

About the Cold War Veterans Memorial

In line with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission, the Cold War Veterans Memorial aims to increase the public understanding of military history. It will be a lasting tribute to the courage and tenacity found in the U.S. Armed Forces and civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served during the Cold War era, September 2, 1945, to December 26, 1991. The Memorial will be a publicly accessible display where citizens can honor, reflect, and learn about the bravery and sacrifice displayed to further our country's freedom. To learn more, visit www.coldwarveteransmemorial.org.

About Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center

Located in Somers, Wisconsin, The Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center supports the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission of preserving the past, present, and future of the citizen soldier. This state-of-the-art archive center is a space to restore, preserve, and provide storage for collections that include books, artifacts, and other historical materials. Other components of the project include a 9,687 square-foot Gallery that will display exhibits drawing from the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, Commercial Archives, a facility specializing in firearms education and training, Cold War Veterans Memorial, and community green space. To learn more, visit www.pritzkerarchivespark.com.

About the Pritzker Military Museum & Library

The Pritzker Military Museum & Library aims to increase the public's understanding of military history, military affairs and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military - past, present, and future - with a specific focus on their stories, sacrifices, and values. With national and global reach, these spaces and events aim to share the stories of those who served and their contributions as citizen soldiers, helping citizens everywhere appreciate the relationship between the armed forces and the civilians whose freedoms they protect. A non-governmental, non-partisan organization, the Museum & Library features diverse collections, scholarly initiatives, and public programs from its flagship center in downtown Chicago to its world-class research center and park currently under construction in Somers, Wisconsin.
BOSTON, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEFA is advising student loan borrowers of a recent wave of student loan debt relief scams using high-pressure sales tactics and promising repayment assistance in exchange for upfront fees. Debt relief companies may also claim to have the ability to help borrowers pay off their student loans, or help to pay them off more quickly. For both federal and private student loan borrowers, many of the services being offered may already be available from the borrowers current loan servicer.

The debt relief scams may be an attempt to collect personal and financial data to enroll borrowers in high-priced services actually available for free elsewhere. Consumers are urged to avoid falling victim to a scam or bad business practice by learning the warning signs, which include:

A random telephone call offering student loan debt relief or immediate forgiveness

High-pressure sales tactics, such as insisting the borrower needs to act quickly on a limited-time offer

Individuals misrepresenting themselves as having a legitimate relationship with the Department of Education or one of the federal student loan servicers

A request for personal and financial information, such as loan debt amount, Social Security number, loan account user name and password, etc.

An advertisement on social media or search engines

To avoid debt relief scams, MEFA advises consumers to take the following steps:

Never provide personal or financial information over the phone, unless it is a call initiated by you, and you are confident of the identity of the person on the phone.

Research the company and services being offered to determine legitimacy.

Contact your student loan servicer and ask if they provide the services being offered by the debt relief company.

Do not agree verbally to any debt services, and review documents closely to fully understand the details and cost.

Keep complete records of communications and documents with any company providing loan services.

Borrowers who suspect they are the victim of a debt relief scam are urged to immediately contact Federal Student Aid or their student loan servicer to discuss their options. A consumer that has fallen victim to a scam is potentially at risk of identity theft or may have been charged excessive fees for a service that fails to meet their expectations.

The Federal Trade Commissions resources page has information on avoiding scams, steps to take if you were scammed, and instructions on how to report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. For additional information on avoiding student loan debt relief scams, visit the following:

Federal Student Aids Avoiding Student Aid Scams , which gives tips on how to identify a debt relief scam

, which gives tips on how to identify a debt relief scam Studentloanscam.com, which has information on spotting debt relief scams and what to do if you have been scammed

American Education Services page, Beware of Debt Relief Organizations, which provides guidance around identifying debt relief scams.

About MEFA



MEFA is a not-for-profit state authority, not reliant on state or federal appropriations, established under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 15C. MEFAs mission, since its founding in 1982, has been to help Massachusetts students and families access and afford higher education and reach financial goals through education programs, tax-advantaged savings plans, low-cost loans, and expert guidance. All of MEFAs work aligns with the ever-present goal to support the independence, growth, and success of Massachusetts students and families. Visit mefa.org to learn more or follow MEFA on Twitter @mefatweets and on Facebook at mefaMA.




Premier Vertically Integrated Medical Cannabis Company Announces Attendance at Second Annual Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival

Pittsburgh, PA, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Maitri Holdings, (Maitri or the Company), Pennsylvanias locally-owned cannabis company that is the No. 1 producer of craft flower in the state with one of the most diverse strain libraries in the U.S., announced today the Company will be attending the 2021 Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival. This will mark the second festival with over 200 vendors, live music, canna-centric speakers, and discussion panels. The event is free and open to the public.

The 2021 Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival will take place from October 2-3 at Renningers Farmers Market, 740 Noble St., just outside the Berks County borough in Maxatawny Township. Maitri Genetics will be located at education table #516, connecting festival attendees with information and resources to learn more about the wellness benefits of medical cannabis and increase patient access to superior products.

Its important for the state of Pennsylvania to have educational opportunities such as this event, where patients can gather to learn more about the health and wellness benefits of the cannabis plant, said Maitri CEO Jimil Wilson. Public support for the legalization of cannabis in Pennsylvania is at a record high, and were confident that with more events like the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival popping up around the state, that support will only increase.

As a result of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, those in attendance at the 2021 Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival will be asked to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing where possible.

Maitris founders are third-generation Southwestern Pennsylvania residents who became cannabis advocates after personally benefiting from cannabis in their own journeys toward health and wellness. Maitri assures its customers the highest quality of cannabis that can be produced, as well as strains that are new for the Pennsylvania market.

About Maitri Holdings

Maitri Holdings is a Pennsylvania-based vertically integrated cannabis company comprised of cultivation and production subsidiary Maitri Genetics and retail subsidiary Maitri Medicinals.

Maitri Genetics has one of the most diverse cannabis strain libraries in the U.S. with operations including a tissue culture lab, propagation, and more. Maitri Genetics introduces new strains into the Pennsylvania marketplace, offers legacy strains, and cultivates small batch craft cannabis.

Maitri products are available at locations throughout Pennsylvania, including at Maitri Medicinals dispensary locations in Pittsburgh and Uniontown. Maitri Medicinals third dispensary is slated to open in Greensburg in late 2021. To learn more, visit www.maitrimedicinals.com.

Media Contact:

Cassandra Dowell

CMW Media

+1 (858) 264-6600

cassandra@cmwmedia.com

www.cmwmedia.com
LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to The Business Research Companys research report on the phase change materials market, the introduction of bio-based phase change material fabric coatings is shaping the phase change materials market. Bio-based phase change materials are manufactured using bio-based products such as beef tallow or oils from coconut, palm, and soybeans.

For instance, in January 2019, a US-based specialty chemical company, PureTemp LLC has developed a bio-based fabric coating that serves as an effective temperature buffer. A bio-based fabric coating is a designed phase change material coating that is applied to the fabric surface to control temperature changes in consumer products such as apparel, footwear, and workwear.



The main types of phase change materials are organic, inorganic, and biobased. Organic phase change materials are a type of phase change materials that can absorb and release latent heat during the phase change process at certain temperatures. The different product types include paraffin, non-paraffin, salt hydrates, eutectics and use various encapsulation technologies such as macro, micro, and molecular. These are implemented in several end-use industries such as building and construction, packaging, textiles, electronics, transportation, and others.

The global phase change materials market size is expected to grow from $0.94 billion in 2020 to $1.04 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4%. The growth in the phase change market is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The phase change market size is expected to reach $2.16 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 19.9%.

The Business Research Companys report titled Phase Change Materials Global Market Report 2021 - By Type (Organic, Inorganic, Bio-based), By Encapsulation Technology (Macro, Micro, Molecular), By Product (Paraffin, Non-Paraffin, Salt Hydrates, Eutectics), By End-User (Building and Construction, Packaging, Textiles, Electronics, Transportation), COVID-19 Growth And Change covers major phase change materials companies, phase change materials market share by company, phase change materials manufacturers, phase change materials market size, and phase change materials market forecasts. The report also covers the global phase change materials market and its segments.

Request For A Sample Of The Global Phase Change Materials Market Report:

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=5311&type=smp

Europe was the largest region in the phase change materials market in 2020. The regions covered in the phase change market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.

In July 2021, Dupont, a US-based chemicals company, acquired Laird performance materials from Advent International for an undisclosed amount. The addition of Laird Performance Materials significantly strengthens DuPont's Electronics & Industrial (E&I) segment and represents another significant step forward in their strategy to grow as a global innovation leader and premier multi-industrial company. Laird Performance Materials is a China-based company that offers phase change materials.

Major players in the phase change materials industry are Honeywell Electronic Materials Inc, Microtek Laboratories, Croda International, Sasol, Henkel, Climator, PCM Products, Phase Change Energy Solutions, Rubitherm Technologies, Cryopak, Outlast Technologies, Dupont, Dow Chemical Company, BASF, Puretemp, Pluss Advanced Technologies, and Cold Chain Technologies.

Phase Change Materials Global Market Report 2021  COVID-19 Growth And Change is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provide market overviews, analyze and forecast market size and growth for the whole market, segments and geographies, trends, drivers, restraints, leading competitors revenues, profiles and market shares in over 1,000 industry reports, covering over 2,500 market segments and 60 geographies. The report also gives in-depth analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the market. The reports draw on 150,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders. A highly experienced and expert team of analysts and modelers provides market analysis and forecasts. The reports identify top countries and segments for opportunities and strategies based on market trends and leading competitors approaches.

Here Is A List Of Similar Reports By The Business Research Company:

Thermal Interface Materials Global Market Report 2021 - By Type (Greases & Adhesives, Tapes & Films, Gap Fillers, Metal-Based TIMs, Phase Change Materials), By Chemistry (Silicone, Epoxy, Polyimide), By Application (Telecom, Computer, Medical Devices, Industrial Machinery, Consumer Durables, Automotive Electronics), COVID-19 Impact And Recovery

Automatic Environmental Control Global Market Report 2020 - By Type (Heating Equipment, Refrigeration Equipment, Air Conditioning Equipment), COVID-19 Impact and Recovery

Automotive Heat Shield Global Market Report 2021 - By Material Type (Metallic, Non-Metallic), By Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Heavy Commercial Vehicle), By Product Type (Single Shell, Double Shell, Sandwich), By Application (Exhaust System Heat Shield, Turbocharger Heat Shield, Under Bonnet Heat Shield, Engine Compartment Heat Shield, Under Chassis), By Sales Channel (OEM, Aftermarket), COVID-19 Impact And Recovery

Interested to know more about The Business Research Company?

The Business Research Company is a market intelligence firm that excels in company, market, and consumer research. Located globally it has specialist consultants in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, chemicals, and technology.

Get a quick glimpse of our services here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ

The Worlds Most Comprehensive Database

The Business Research Companys flagship product, Global Market Model, is a market intelligence platform covering various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 27 industries. The Global Market Model covers multi-layered datasets which help its users assess supply-demand gaps.
DENVER, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- George Lopez Tacos are rolling into Denver with free tacos via a Taco Truck, starting on September 24 and traveling to four locations over four days. Along with free tastings of the badass George Lopez Tacos, Nextbite will give away $10,000 in cash prizes of $500 each to 20 different lucky taco truck diners to celebrate the availability of George Lopez Tacos in the Denver and Colorado area.



Nextbite, based in Denver, is a leading virtual restaurant company that is partnering with restaurants and George Lopez to bring delicious tacos to fans and tacos lovers nationwide.

The taco truck event coincides with George Lopezs comedy show performances to be held at the Paramount Theater in Denver on Friday, September 24. Along with free tacos, visitors to the Taco Truck will also get a special Uber Eats discount offer to purchase George Lopez Tacos for delivery to their home.

Offered online through an array of Nextbite restaurant partners throughout Colorado, the George Lopez Tacos menu features tender and slow-cooked meats, flavorful toppings, and salsas for a delicious DIY taco experience. The menu also features sides including tasty chips and guac, and tempting churros.

We are fired up and ready to roll into Denver and surrounding areas so consumers can take a bite of these delicious George Lopez Tacos, said Alex Canter, CEO and founder of Nextbite. We are confident that once consumers try these tacos, they will love them and be back for more, ordering fast and easy delivery-only George Lopez Tacos through their favorite delivery app or directly from lopeztacos.com.

George Lopez Taco Truck Schedule:

Fri. 9/24: Outside the Paramount Theater | Downtown Denver | 4pm - 9:30pm

Sat. 9/25: Sloan's Lake Bazar (inside the market) | Sloans Lake | 3pm - 7pm

Sun. 9/26: The Cannabis Station | Five Points | 4pm - 8pm

Tues. 9/28: Details to come

RSVP at www.lopeztacos.com/denver

Nextbites virtual restaurant solution for George Lopez seamlessly connects restaurant partners with delivery services like Uber Eats, and directly via lopeztacos.com. Nextbite has restaurant partner locations in more than 20 states nationwide offering George Lopez tacos, with the number of restaurant partners expanding every week.

About Nextbite

Nextbite is focused on helping restaurant partners successfully enter the virtual restaurant space by diversifying their portfolio, using under-utilized labor and kitchen capacity, and driving demand to increase margins and revenue. It enables brick and mortar restaurants to easily enter the delivery-only business, empowering them in the off-premise space. Founded in 2019, Nextbite is the only complete virtual restaurant solution for existing restaurants and kitchens that pairs the proven Ordermark ordering/delivery management solution with a selection of highly visible, on-trend, delivery-only brands. Headquartered in Denver, Nextbite/Ordermark recently closed $120M funding round led by SoftBank.

Nextbite Media Contact:

Lisa Hendrickson/LCH Communications for Nextbite

516-767-8390

lisa@lchcommunications.com
QUINCY, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADUSA Supply Chain, along with other Ahold Delhaize USA companies, Retail Business Services and Peapod Digital Labs, and Venture Cafe Cambridge, named includesign, a product design firm dedicated to creating products to empower individuals with disabilities around the world, the winner of the 2021 SEED Live pitch competition. The pitch competition was part of a culminating event for the 2021 SEED Immersion program.



The SEED program continues to demonstrate the power of collaboration and collective intelligence in developing unique solutions consumers, said Bob L'Heureux, VP, Supply Chain Services, ADUSA Supply Chain Services. Regardless of which part of the supply chain you are focused on, we all understand the importance of keeping the customer at the center of everything we do. This program highlights the tremendous amount of innovative companies and startups that share that passion with us.

includesign participated with four other start-ups in the program. Over 10 weeks, the start-ups worked with mentors to increase their retail industry IQ and built critical relationships with Ahold Delhaize USA companies. During the pitch competition, a panel of retail and venture capital experts named includesign as the start-up with the most viable technology.

For the third year in a row, we have been floored by the drive, initiative, creativity and capabilities of the start-ups we have worked with, said Harsh (Harshvardhan), innovation specialist for ADUSA Supply Chain Services, who has spearheaded the program since its inception. This year, we expanded the program to look at the entirety of the food supply chain from point of manufacture, all the way to the retail experience, where includesign is innovating.

Led by Diana Perkins, includesign, empowers individuals with disabilities around the world. Diana pitched the companys LapSnap product, a shopping basket which can be used by wheelchair users to make an easier, more comfortable shopping experience. By winning the pitch competition includesign was awarded a $25,000 grant and earned a path to pilot within Ahold Delhaize USA companies.

"It has been such a wonderful experience to be part of the SEED program, especially getting to work with my amazing mentor, Perkins said. I am extremely pleased about includesign winning the final pitch and thankful that Ahold Delhaize USA companies see that an accessible shopping experience is indeed 'the future of retail'. This award will help bring the LapSnap to more wheelchair users and expand our product line. I look forward to working with Ahold Delhaize USA companies to further develop inclusively designed products for their customers. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for includesign!"

As we think about innovating the future of grocery retail, ideas like this are key to enhancing the consumer experience in retail settings, said Heather Paquette, VP, Retail Innovation Center of Excellence, Retail Business Services. We applaud Diana and her team for their work so far and look forward to continuing to see their idea and business grow.

Other finalists in the SEED program include:

Akuret , led by Fredrik Eng-Larsson and Daniel Steeneck, a cloud-based software service that helps retailers keep accurate inventory data and maintain shelf availability in real time.

, led by Fredrik Eng-Larsson and Daniel Steeneck, a cloud-based software service that helps retailers keep accurate inventory data and maintain shelf availability in real time. Lillii RNB Inc , led by Barbara Jones, a retail system integrator that has created a returns management platform that cuts System Integration costs and time with their platform, Freeing Returns.

, led by Barbara Jones, a retail system integrator that has created a returns management platform that cuts System Integration costs and time with their platform, Freeing Returns. PICKL , led by Ossie Cohen, which provides hyper-local human brand insights: robots dont shop, people do. PICKL delivers on demand data from shoppers providing real-time competitor, category & product insights while driving consumers to stores & shelf.

, led by Ossie Cohen, which provides hyper-local human brand insights: robots dont shop, people do. PICKL delivers on demand data from shoppers providing real-time competitor, category & product insights while driving consumers to stores & shelf. Stuzo, led by Aaron McLean, which offers Open Commerce, a cloud-based software platform, which helps retailers gain more share of wallet by using data to intelligently activate and engage with more shoppers.

About ADUSA Supply Chain

ADUSA Supply Chain is a family of supply chain companies that together support one of the largest supply chains on the East Coast, serving the omnichannel grocery brands of Ahold Delhaize USA  Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, through a self-distribution model for the future. The ADUSA Supply Chain infrastructure enables each unique brand to deliver an unparalleled experience to its customers, no matter how, when or where they choose to shop. For more information, visit www.adusasc.com.

About Venture Cafe

Venture Cafe Cambridge, activated by Innovation Studio, an inclusive 501(c)(3) non-profit and leader in offering free innovation resources, through a constellation of virtual and physical community spaces. Over the years, Innovation Studio has run 5,000+ program sessions, held 2800 office hour sessions, welcomed 250,000+ public lounge users and 265,000+ program attendees. At Venture Cafe Cambridge, we support entrepreneurs of all stages and industries in the City of Cambridge and beyond. The flagship Thursday Gathering program continues to offer virtual weekly Workshops, Office Hours consultations, Virtual Conferences and networking opportunities to facilitate innovation and help community members launch successful businesses.

CONTACT

Media Relations

scmediarelations@adusasc.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d7f383b-dd23-497b-bbbe-e4ae9ac441e7
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pittcon is honored to announce Professor Albert J. R. Heck as the 2022 Wallace H. Coulter Lecturer. The 2022 Coulter Lecture is entitled New Horizons in Mass Spectrometry: Sizing and Counting Particles by Native Mass Spectrometry. The topic illustrates the broad impact of native mass spectrometry on various disciplines within the life sciences  a general theme of increased relevance in this age of epidemiologic concern.

Albert J. R. Heck is Distinguished Faculty Professor at the Science Faculty of Utrecht University (the Netherlands). His research focuses on the development and applications of mass spectrometry-based proteomics and structural biology. Heck introduced innovative proteomics technologies for phospho-enrichment, the use of stable-isotope-labeling, the use of alternative proteases, and hybrid peptide- and protein-centric fragmentation techniques. Heck is also known for his expertise in structural biology and glycoproteomics, and is considered a pioneer in native- and cross-linking mass spectrometry.

Heck has been coordinating several national and European Union-funded large-scale proteomics facilities, such as the Netherlands Proteomics Center and Prime-XS. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Field and Franklin Award (ACS), The Thomson Medal (IMSF), the Krebs Medal (FEBS), and Spinoza Award (NWO). He is a member of EMBO and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and Arts.

A distinct facet of Pittcons annual conference, the Wallace H. Coulter Lectureship Award recognizes an outstanding scientist who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to science, having made important contributions with a significant impact on scientific education, practice, and/or research within the field of laboratory science. The 2022 Wallace H. Coulter Lecture is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM on Monday, March 7, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, taking place at the Sidney Marcus Auditorium in the Georgia World Congress Center during the annual installment of the Pittcon conference and exposition. Details may be found at pittcon.org/technical-program/wallace-coulter-lecture.

Pittcon is a dynamic, transnational exposition and comprehensive technical conference, a venue for presenting the latest advances in research and scientific instrumentation, and a platform for continuing education and science-enhancing opportunity. Our aim is to advance scientific endeavor through collaboration, bringing together a world of knowledge to impact, enrich, and inspire the future of science. Pittcon is a catalyst for the exchange of information, a showcase of the latest advances in laboratory science, and a venue for international connectivity. Over 90% of Pittcons annual net profit funds scientific grants, education, laboratory improvements, and outreach. pittcon.org

###

Attachment
EL PASO, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DATAMARK, Inc. recently expanded its footprint with its recent launch of remote contact center operations to Guadalajara, Jalisco, in support of one of the world's largest over-the-phone language interpretation service providers.

The expansion, which began in April 2021 with 100 agents, will continue to scale up over the next year, creating more career opportunities for English-Spanish interpreters all over Mexico.

Currently, the company is hiring in the state of Chihuahua and Jalisco, bringing more than 200 bilingual interpreter positions this year to a diverse talent pool that will continue to expand to other Mexican cities in the upcoming year.

"We're very excited to continue to grow and provide even more career opportunities to Mexican citizens, all while supporting our customers with stellar service," said Victor Saenz, Director of Mexico Operations at DATAMARK. "It's quite impressive to witness the growth and evolution of this project, considering that it started as a pilot with 20 agents and has now scaled up to 700 agents in Mexico. Overall, the project is now close to 1,000 multilingual interpreters globally."

Russ Metcalf, Principal Consultant at Metcalf Management, Outsourcer Selection, and Management, noted, "The expansion in the Guadalajara area by DATAMARK is indicative of the company's intelligent growth and recognition of the opportunity in Western Mexico. The people there are well-suited to the needs of the translation process that is so critical to today's CX demands. I applaud the team at DATAMARK for their recognition of the available skill set driving this well-planned move into the area and their contributions to the economy of Guadalajara."

DATAMARK currently employs interpreters at its Contact Centers in the U.S., Mexico, and India, as well as Work-From-Home agents covering more than 20 of the world's leading languages. The company is currently accepting Medical Specialized Interpreter applications for this project. People interested in these positions or other remote, over-the-phone interpretation positions with the company can apply online at DATAMARK's Career Site.

Founded in 1989, DATAMARK, Inc. is a leading mid-sized Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company headquartered in El Paso, Texas. Small enough to care, yet big enough to serve the world's leading brands, DATAMARK serves large enterprises and government agencies from its delivery centers located in the U.S., Mexico, and India. DATAMARK offers a wide range of BPO services, including omni-channel, multilingual contact center services, document lifecycle management, loyalty program management, and finance & accounting outsourcing.

Thom Mead

123 W. Mills Ave., Suite #400

El Paso, TX 79901

915-275-0264

thom.mead@datamark.net

Related Images











Image 1









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Chicago, IL, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apple Growth Partners (AGP), award-winning accounting and business advisory firm, proudly announces the firm has expanded services to businesses in the state of Illinois, with professionals now practicing in Chicago.

The Chicago office is the first extension of the firm to be located outside of Northeastern Ohio.

Spearheading the Chicago team is Dirk Ahlbeck, CPA, tax principal and AGPs national restaurant practice lead. Ahlbecks addition is one component of the firms aggressive growth strategy, as the needs for accounting and advisory services continue to grow among business owners.

With more than 20 years of public accounting experience, Ahlbeck joins AGP as a tax principal and national restaurant practice lead. Ahlbecks expertise consists of servicing restaurants, including breweries and wineries, and other industries such as distribution, construction, and professionals in the service sector. A frequently requested presenter, Ahlbeck provides business owners within the food industry best practices for tax planning, accounting, and most recently, navigating the changes brought on by the pandemic for restaurant owners. He has also provided extensive consulting services to assist his clients with improving profitability and performance by utilizing benchmarking and related metrics, developing more streamlined accounting systems and other best practices from the restaurant industry and identifying tax-saving opportunities. Ahlbeck holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University. He is an active member of the AICPA, ILCPAS, and Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. He also served on the Advisory Council of the Illinois Restaurant Association and was past president of the Food and Beverage Equipment Executives. He shares his experience and knowledge of the industry as an Adjunct Professor in the Manfred Steinfeld School of Hospitality at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Expanding outside of the firms Ohio headquarters was the next logical step to meet demand. Chairman Chuck Mullen describes this decision based on the needs of business owners.

What we discovered during the onset of the pandemic, especially among restaurant owners, was the urgency of services outside of our standard accounting and tax expertise, says Mullen. Our firm was revolutionary in developing immediate tools and resources for business owners to operate during the ongoing changes in order not just to keep their business afloat, but even expand through M&As.

Our firm knew we needed a leader in the restaurant accounting industry, and that was Dirk, comments Mullen. And as a result of our firm transitioning to a remote workforce, we determined the best course was to expand into Illinois and keep Dirk in the Chicago area. This is a very exciting development for our firm.

President Erica Ishida agrees.

As we continue our firms aggressive growth trajectory, broadening our services outside of Ohio was a top priority and achievable with our recent AGP Anywhere program, states Ishida. Empowering our employees to choose where they work best aligned perfectly with welcoming employees in a new state. Were expanding our workforce outside of Ohio, and with opening a new location in Chicago, were on a path to help businesses grow outside our initial radius and offer world-class service from anywhere.

About Apple Growth Partners

Apple Growth Partners (AGP) is an award-winning accounting and business advisory firm with more than 77 years of creative solutions that deliver healthy, sustainable growth. AGP offers a full range of services for privately held businesses, including tax planning and compliance, audit and assurance, business valuation, litigation consulting, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), fraud prevention and detection, family office services for High-Net-Worth individuals, and transaction advisory. With more than 100 employees, AGP collaborates with business owners and partners across Ohio and beyond, extending client services through a remote workforce in 2020 while maintaining office locations in Akron, Canton, Chicago, and Cleveland. AGPs professionals provide expertise in additional industries and services, such as employee benefit plans, bookkeeping, auto dealerships, manufacturing, construction and real estate, and Black-owned businesses. To learn more, visit http://www.applegrowth.com.

####

Attachment
TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As one of the most followed female influencers, Amanda Cerny is known for her success on YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. Utilizing her massive following to its full potential, Amanda has created several digital marketing campaigns for large brands and become a United Nations Environmental Ambassador. She is recognized globally for her sense of humor, charitable causes and incredible talent.

"Amanda knows that there are few limits when it comes to building an audience on social media," explains Gordon Weiske, CSO of UTU.ONE. "No matter what the platform, Amanda has had remarkable success, and we look forward to having her on board as UTU.ONE prepares to launch officially."

Amanda Cerny's CERNY token and her DAC (Decentralized Autonomous Community) went live Sept. 21, 2021.

About UTU.ONE

UTU (User to User) is a blockchain-based social platform that addresses the fundamental issues preventing sustainable growth in the world of social mediautilizing the EOS blockchain and a native token economy, UTU.ONE can eliminate many of the problems that plague social media today, such as fake news, dangerous online groups and more. It acts as a foundation for publishers and influencers alike by rewarding users with an instant cryptocurrency reward for their actions on the platform. Users can also spend those tokens across other platforms. Blockchain, UTU provides a safe, secure and transparent environment for businesses and users to thrive within.

To join Amanda and UTU.ONE, please visit: https://signup.utu.one/amanda-cerny-join-dac

Media inquires contact: pressrelease@utu.one

Related Images











Image 1: Amanda Cerny Joins the UTU.ONE Social App.





Amanda Cerny joins UTU.ONE









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
Beverly Hills, California, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In this insightful interview, Mike McConville discusses the importance of securing the best possible domains early on in any business journey.

Listen to the full interview of Mike McConville with Adam Torres on Mission Matters Innovation Podcast.

What mission matters to you?

Purchasing a domain can be an uphill battle for buyers, McConville explains. Investors have the advantage since they saw the potential of the domain early on in the Internet age and snapped up what they presumed would be the most lucrative options. My mission, he says, is to level the playing field between founders, startups, small business owners acquiring the domain for their business and the investors who have been selling them since the early 90s.

M2C Digitals focus, he says, is to introduce more fairness into that dynamic.

How did M2C Digital come into existence?

After running several businesses over the years, McConville, now a five-time entrepreneur, made it to the Inc. 5000 in 2009. When he tried to correct his brands website hyphenated domain to simplify it, it cost a couple hundred thousand dollars. This startling expenditure was a light-bulb moment, making clear the lack of representation that typically exists on the buyers side and the level of disadvantage it creates. Later on, when I stumbled upon the outbound domain brokerage industry and found my colleagues representing the sellers, he says, I knew I had to represent the buyers.

Why is a business domain name so significant?

People encounter the domain names of the businesses much more than just as the face of the brand, he explains. Not having the ideal domain becomes one of the red flags that (people might think) reflects your low commitment to your business. The right domain name is necessary for your business to be believable and trustworthy to your venture investors and consumers.

What are some challenges of the domain brokerage industry?

Anything that makes a brand more noticeablebe it a key hire, a product announcement, more funding, or a conferencecan increase the domain price from attainable to stratospheric. Businesses often end up providing too much information to the investors (i.e., sellers), inadvertently adding to their own hurdles.

The reason behind this, McConville explains, is lack of knowledge, which were trying to bridge by getting our clients ahead of the curve.

How do M2C Digitals services help its clients?

M2C Digitals focus is to upgrade businesses domains to those befitting of their brands. Our key weapons are the tools and resources accumulated to determine the perspective and personality of single domain acquisition against the sellers access to information, its founder and CEO says.

When asked about the engagement process, he explains how they help clients get ahead of the curve. We first ask for exclusivity for a period of time, typically about 30 days, during which we put the buyer in power by controlling the anonymity and other price-inflating factors, he says. Once we reach the end of the negotiation, we create the plan with the buyer, discussing the budget and the right time to make the purchase.

Whether youre interested in purchasing a domain name for an individual, a small business, a startup, or an institution, M2C Digital can assist you in taking hold of the best options available by getting a step ahead of investors who have the upper hand. To sum up, Mike explains, M2C makes domain acquisition an easy path by providing the knowledge a buyer needs to make the purchase at a fair price.

To connect with M2C Digital Inc., visit https://www.m2cdigital.com/ or email info@m2cdigital.com.

Media Communications

Inquiries: adamtorres@missionmatters.com

Publicist for Adam Torres and Mission Matters Media KISS PR Brand Story PressWire

Brand Publicity Partners KissPR.com

For more details, visit Kisspr.com [Global Podcast Marketing Agency]. KISS PR Digital PR & Marketing powers the Mission Matters Business podcast with brand storytelling. T: 972.437.8942

Attachment
Bravery Medal

Mr Vincent Melbin displayed considerable bravery during the rescue of a man from the Brisbane River in Queensland on 15 March 2019. At 2:50am Mr Melbin and a companion were walking on the Goodwill Bridge over the Brisbane River when they saw a man about to jump from the bridge.

They attempted to talk to the man, however he jumped off the bridge into the water 15 metres below. When he surfaced he was barely able to keep his head above the water.

Mr Melbin removed his shoes and shirt and jumped into the water, whilst his companion called 000.

Mr Melbin grabbed hold of the now unconscious man and supported him as he swam towards a nearby jetty. Unable to climb up onto the jetty, Mr Melbin managed to keep afloat and continued to struggle to keep the man's head above the water.

Police arrived and threw a rope into the water. Mr Melbin secured the rope around the man who was then pulled out of the river and onto the jetty where first aid was applied until paramedics arrived.

Exhausted, Mr Melbin was helped from the water.
Aurora shared the first look of the Toyota Sienna hybrid powered by the Aurora Driver, designed for a convenient and comfortable ride-hailing experience. This represents a significant milestone in Auroras path to commercializing Aurora-powered Toyota vehicles designed specifically for ride-hailing.





This modified Toyota Sienna is Toyotas first mass-produced Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) prototype, which has a unique interface to work with third-party autonomous driving systems. (Earlier post.) Its also the self-driving passenger car Aurora plans to deploy on ride-hailing networks in late 2024. (Photo: Aurora)

Aurora is now integrating its Driver with Toyotas first S-AM vehicles, fresh off of Toyotas production line.





When Aurora announced its long-term, global, strategic collaboration with Toyota earlier this year, it set out to develop a self-driving car for autonomous ride-hailing. Built upon the progress made by Toyota and Uber ATG, and the integration process Aurora established in the Aurora Driver Development Program, it has moved faster than anticipated toward the goal.

In collaboration with Toyotas engineering team, Aurora has defined the requirements that will enable the Toyota S-AM to be safely operated by the Aurora Driver.

Aurora is now integrating its Driver with Toyotas first S-AM vehicles. As progress is made with Toyota through the Aurora Driver Development Program, Aurora will expand testing of this prototype, refine it through pilots, validate it in accordance with its Safety Case Framework and Toyotas own safety standards, and expect to launch it on ride-hailing networks at scale.

Toyota Group companies produce approximately 10 million vehicles a year globally, that are known for being well-designed, safe, reliable, and durable. Theyre also deeply invested in the long-term vision of delivering mobility for all. Aurora is combining the deep experience of Toyotas engineering and research teams with its expertise in safely developing a robust autonomous system to conceive a comfortable, convenient, and safe ride experience.

Over the next six months, Aurora will test and mature this initial development fleet in Pittsburgh, Dallas, the Bay Area, and additional locations.
Honda announced an initial annual sales target of 70,000 units for the Prologue SUV, Hondas first new volume battery-electric vehicle (BEV), when it goes on sale in 2024.

Following the launch of Prologue, Honda-brand electrified vehicle sales will be boosted by the introduction of additional vehicles based on a new e-Architecture now being developed. This will take Honda to anticipated sales of 500,000 BEVs by 2030, and ultimately leading to 100% zero emission vehicles sales in North America by 2040, Honda said.

Honda cautioned that initial zero emission vehicle sales goals of 40% by 2030 are contingent upon fair and equitable access to state and federal EV incentives intended to encourage American consumers to purchase electric vehicles. Honda has urged Congress to ensure that all vehicles made in America are treated equally.

Hondas initial approach to selling the Prologue will be regional, focusing on California and the ZEV states, including the BEV-friendly sunbelt states of Texas and Florida. Honda anticipates these regions will represent the bulk of sales at the onset of launch due to higher customer acceptance and regulatory requirements.

As EV infrastructure expands and customer interest grows nationwide, the company will rapidly expand sales and marketing efforts to other areas of the country.

In April 2021, Honda global CEO Toshihiro Mibe outlined the companys vision for global sales of electrified vehicles as part of Hondas strategy to achieve carbon-neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050. This vision calls for the sales ratio of battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America to progress from 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035 to 100 by 2040.

Following the 2024 introduction of Honda Prologue, co-developed with GM and based on the Ultium platform, Honda will introduce a series of electrified vehicles in the second half of the decade based on the Honda developed e-Architecture and production of BEVs beginning at Honda plants in North America.

As Honda prepares for the launch of Prologue, the company will introduce hybrid-electric systems to more core models to continue to reduce CO 2 emissions and bridge customers to the volume battery-electric vehicles now in development.

Honda achieved record sales of electrified vehicles in each of the past three years, with sales momentum continuing in 2021. Led by CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid, Honda just recorded its best-ever first-half year of electrified vehicle sales.
Royal Dutch Shell announced its ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025. It also aims to have at least 10% of its global aviation fuel sales as SAF by 2030.

Currently, sustainable aviation fuel accounts for less than 0.1% of the worlds use of aviation fuel1. We want to help our customers use more SAF. With the right policies, investments and collaboration across the sector we can accelerate aviations progress towards net zero by 2050. Last week we announced that we have taken a final investment decision for a new biofuels plant at our Rotterdam Energy and Chemicals Park. [Earlier post] Shell also offers certified nature-based carbon credits to offset emissions, and we are exploring other ways to help aviation get to net zero, including hydrogen power. Anna Mascolo, President of Shell Aviation

The announcement came as Shell published two reports looking at how the aviation sector can accelerate its progress towards decarbonization.

Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off is a joint report by Shell and Deloitte, based on the views of more than 100 aviation industry executives and experts. It says that the current global industry targets are not ambitious enough, and that the aviation sector should aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The report outlines 15 ways to reduce emissions between now and 2030 that will help aviation to reach net zero by 2050.

Shells companion report Decarbonising Aviation: Shells Flight Path outlines how Shell, as one of the worlds largest suppliers of aviation fuel and lubricants, can help its aviation customers decarbonise. It announces Shells ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of SAF a year by 2025. Currently, Shell supplies SAF made by others. Achieving the new ambition would make Shell a leading global producer of SAF and support the decarbonization of the aviation sector.

The SAF production ambition would align with Shells target of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society.

The ambition was announced the week after Shell said it will build a biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with the ability to produce 820,000 tonnes of low-carbon fuels a year, including SAF.

Compared with conventional jet fuel derived from fossil fuels, when used neat SAF has the potential to cut life-cycle emissions from aviation by up to 80%. It can be used immediately as a drop-in fuel, blended with conventional jet fuel, without the need for a fundamental change in infrastructure or aircraft design.

To accelerate the decarbonization of aviation, Shell believes a comprehensive regulatory regime is needed, one that encourages consistent customer demand and provides fiscal support to drive infrastructure development, new technologies and SAF production plants. To this end and to stimulate demand, Shell has been calling for and fully supports the introduction of ambitious and feasible SAF blending mandates.

Key highlights from the Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off report include:

Aviation has often been considered a sector that will decarbonize later than others. This attitude should be replaced by a greater sense of ambition.

Choosing SAF as the primary means of decarbonization has the advantage of avoiding the need to redesign aircraft or airport infrastructure.

More ambitious efforts are required and investments must start sooner if SAF is to be adopted at scale within 15 years.

The uptake of certified carbon offsets must significantly increase in the short term, so they can play as full a role as possible in the early stages of decarbonization.

In parallel, there is a need to invest in less mature propulsion technologies like electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, and for these to play a role in short-haul flights before 2050.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can be made from plant or animal material. Research and development is also underway to find ways to produce industrial quantities of SAF synthetically, using hydrogen obtained from low-emission sources and carbon dioxide captured from other industrial processes or the air.

Shell has invested in SAF-producer LanzaJet and hydrogen-powered aircraft developer ZeroAvia.
GREENWICH  There were 11 new COVID-19 cases reported this week at the Greenwich Public Schools, according to the Tuesday update on the districts online tracker.

The total, reported in the latest update from the school district, is slightly down from Friday, when 14 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the district. Several elementary schools showed growing numbers of affected students.

The update notes that 22 students and three teachers  and one service provider  have tested positive for the virus.

Since classes began on Sept. 1, a total of 43 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, according to the district, with 17 cases classified as resolved. Students accounted for 39 cases, teachers for three cases and service providers, one.

Of the active cases, eight schools are currently affected, with one case each at New Lebanon, Riverside and Western Middle, two at Greenwich High and Eastern Middle, six at Glenville and Hamilton Avenue and seven at North Mianus.

Children ages 11 and younger are not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but the Pfizer vaccine is available to children ages 12 to 17. Of the active cases in Greenwich schools, there are five cases at the middle school and high school level. The remaining active cases are in elementary schools.

Sixteen of the resolved cases were attributed to family or outside activity transmission and one attributed to an undetermined cause, the tracker said. Of the 26 active cases, 10 were attributed to family or outside activity exposure; 13 cases to unknown exposure; and three cases to in-school transmission.

Six families have multiple COVID-19 cases, with 15 people impacted, according to the tracker

Under an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont, masks are required for everyone, regardless of immunization status, in schools statewide until at least Sept. 30. The Greenwich Board of Education also voted to approve a mask mandate through at least Sept. 30 and require social distancing in school buildings.

Lamonts administration said it was considering an extension of the mask mandate, which is set to expire on Sept. 30 for students and staff in schools.

I just think it should continue a little bit longer. Weve got not just delta, but mu (variants). Weve got flu season. ... I think well know a lot more in six weeks, Lamont said last week.

As officials weigh the mask mandate in schools, Connecticut reported Sept. 16 that 877 cases of COVID-19 had been reported statewide among students and staff since school began this fall.

While 751 students in grades K-12 have tested positive for COVID since the start of the school year, 87 percent of the cases have been found in students who are not vaccinated  many of whom are still ineligible. The state has also reported 126 cases among teachers and staff, about 22 percent of whom were not vaccinated.

The Greenwich Public Schools will continue to update the online COVID-19 on Tuesdays and Fridays, according to Jonathan Supranowitz, director of communications for the school district.

The school district will also send letters to staff and families if they are impacted directly, he has said.

A year ago, the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Greenwich Public Schools came in mid-September and, until late October, cases remained in the single digits districtwide. For the entirety of the 2020-21 school year, a total of 697 cases of COVID-19 were reported.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  Parents of students in the Las Vegas area who filed a lawsuit last month challenging Nevadas COVID-19 mask mandates asked a federal judge on Monday to issue an emergency order allowing children to attend school without masks.

The lawsuit filed against Gov. Steve Sisolak, Attorney General Aaron Ford and the Clark County School District says the districts current policy requiring masks in schools regardless of vaccination status is causing psychological distress and emotional harm to students who must wear them.

It says the policy adopted under emergency directives issued by the governor and enforced by the attorney general, both Democrats, is unconstitutional because it violates parental rights and due process requirements.

The new filing Monday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas argues the worst of the pandemic has passed and that scientific evidence of the effectiveness of masks continues to be subject to debate.

One of the plaintiffs, Monica Branch-Noto, said in a declaration attached to the motion for a temporary injunction her son has never had any issues in school before. But she says that she and his teachers have seen a significant negative change in his behavior since masks were mandated.

He has become this angry child that I dont recognize. He cannot breathe, study, pay attention in class, concentrate or hear the teachers, Branch-Noto said.

The other plaintiff, Tiffany Paulson, said the masks are affecting her two childrens relationships with teachers and friends. She said her daughter must wear a mask playing volleyball cutting off the oxygen to her brain when she is already over exerting herself.

An aide to Sisolak said Monday the governor had no comment. Spokespersons for Fords office and the Clark County School District said in emails to The Associated Press on Monday they dont comment on ongoing litigation.

The parents lawyers include include Joey Gilbert, a Reno attorney running for governor, and Sigal Chattah, a Las Vegas attorney running for attorney general. Both are Republicans.

Chattah was one of the lawyers for a Nevada church that won an appeal in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year that struck down the states COVID-19 restrictions on the size of religious gatherings that were in place at the time.

The new court filing cites contradictory signals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the effectiveness of masks in general, and CDC statistics that show school-age children are the least likely age group to suffer from COVID-19.

The CDC updated its guidance in May to say fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, the motion states.

Two months later, with COVID-19 cases on the rise and the delta variant becoming more dominant, the CDC changed course again, recommending fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission, Chattah wrote.

While scientists and purported experts figure out the science behind the virus, CCSD students are forced to endure wearing masks for 6-8 hours a day, while in school and engaging in extra-curricular school activities.

Simply put, the science simply does not justify the adverse effects caused to students on a daily basis, she said.

Chattah said they waited 30 days to evaluate the need for mask mandates based on the latest CDC state profile reports.

But now, a month into the new school year, the state and school district have no answers as to how long will students be required to wear face masks, she wrote.

Are students expected to wear masks forever? Will there be parental discretion ever in the future when it comes to efficacy and treatment of this virus, or will the state continue to engage in arbitrary health decisions for parents in violation of their constitutional rights.

____

This story corrects an earlier version that said Sigal Chattah represented a Nevada church in a lawsuit challenging the states COVID-19 restrictions on the size of religious gatherings that went before the U.S. Supreme Court. She was one of the lawyers who represented a different Nevada church that won a related appeal in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The board that governs Mississippi's public universities has voted to prohibit schools from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for students and staff.

The Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning took the vote on Friday, said Caron Blanton, communications director for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. At an earlier meeting on Aug. 27, the board voted not to require public university students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Board members decided to vote again because there was confusion about whether officials at individual schools could choose to mandate the shots if they wished to, Blanton said.

Except for clinical settings within institutions, centers, departments, and programs, institutions are directed to refrain from mandating the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of enrollment or employment, the new motion passed Friday reads.

The clinical exception means that the policy adopted by the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which already announced that it will require students and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1, will stay in place.

Friday's meeting took place during the board's annual retreat away from Jackson. It was not livestreamed, so the public could not hear what was discussed.

During the livestreamed August meeting, nine board members said the vaccine should not be mandated. Many said they support students getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but that shots should be voluntary.

The board's two physician members, Dr. Alfred McNair Jr. and Dr. Steven Cunningham, were the only two board members who voted to mandate vaccinations.

Mississippis public universities already mandate that students be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to Institutions of Higher Learning bylaws. Students studying in a health-related field must be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Some Mississippi cities, including the capital of Jackson, have required workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Jackson Mayor Antar Lumumba extended a deadline for city workers to show proof of vaccination until Oct. 15.

The extension also applies to contractors and subcontractors who are paid in whole or in part from funds provided under a city contract, WLBT-TV reported.

Those who choose not to provide proof of vaccination must undergo weekly testing at their own expense. Employees who dont show their vaccination status must also wear masks at all times while at work.
MOSCOW (AP)  A student opened fire Monday at a university in Russia, leaving six people dead and 28 hurt before being shot by police and detained, officials said. Other students and staff locked themselves in rooms during the attack and video on Russian news sites showed some students jumping out of second-story windows.

Beyond saying that he was a student, Russian authorities offered no further information on his identity or a possible motive.

In some footage, a black-clad helmeted figure could be seen striding on a sidewalk at Perm State University, cradling a long-barreled weapon. Russias Investigative Committee, the country's top body for criminal probes, said the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon. That could indicate he used a shotgun.

The university, which has 12,000 students, said about 3,000 people were on campus at the time. The school is in Perm, a city of 1 million residents located 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow.

The Investigative Committee said six people were killed, revising down its earlier figure of eight dead. No explanation was given for the change. It said 28 people were injured and some of them were hospitalized. The Health Ministry said 19 of them were shot; it was not clear how the others were injured.

In a video released by the Interior Ministry, a witness whose name was not given said he saw the man outside after shooting two people and that he appeared to be wearing a bulletproof vest.

A traffic police unit was the first to reach the scene and the suspect opened fire on them, according to the Interior Ministry. He was wounded when police returned fire and then was disarmed. The gunman also had a knife, the ministry said.

One traffic officer said people rushed out of the university building as gunshots were heard.

I entered the building and saw an armed young man walking down the stairs. I shouted at him Drop it!" That's when he pointed the gun at me and fired. At that point I used my gun," officer Konstantin Kalinin said in the ministry video.

I feel shock, disdain and anger, university student Olga Kechatova said later at a makeshift memorial outside the university. People who study with me at the university suffered and died for nothing.

Although firearms laws are strict in Russia, many people obtain permits for hunting. News reports cited officials as saying the suspect had a permit for a pump-action shotgun, although it was not clear if that was for the weapon used.

School shootings are infrequent in Russia, but the Perm attack was the third such shooting in recent years. In May, a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan, killing seven students and two teachers with a registered weapon. A student at a college in Russia-annexed Crimea killed 20 students and himself in 2018.

After the Kazan shooting, President Vladimir Putin called on the national guard to tighten gun regulations. Russia then passed a law raising the minimum gun purchase age from 18 to 21.

The Russian leader offered his condolences on Monday.

It is a tremendous tragedy, not only for the families who lost their children but for the entire country, Putin said.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Who should represent Afghanistan at the United Nations this month? It's a complex question with plenty of political implications.

The Taliban, the country's new rulers for a matter of weeks, are challenging the credentials of their country's former U.N. ambassador and want to speak at the General Assemblys high-level meeting of world leaders this week, the international body says.

The question now facing U.N. officials comes just over a month after the Taliban, ejected from Afghanistan by the United States and its allies after 9/11, swept back into power as U.S. forces prepared to withdraw from the country at the end of August. The Taliban stunned the world by taking territory with surprising speed and little resistance from the U.S.-trained Afghan military. The Western-backed government collapsed on Aug. 15.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a communication on Sept. 15 from the currently accredited Afghan Ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, with the list of Afghanistans delegation for the assemblys 76th annual session.

Five days later, Guterres received another communication with the letterhead Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by Ameer Khan Muttaqi as Minister of Foreign Affairs, requesting to participate in the U.N. gathering of world leaders.

Muttaqi said in the letter that former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani was ousted as of Aug. 15 and that countries across the world no longer recognize him as president, and therefore Isaczai no longer represents Afghanistan, Dujarric said.

The Taliban said it was nominating a new U.N. permanent representative, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, the U.N. spokesman said. He has been a spokesman for the Taliban during peace negotiations in Qatar.

Senior U.S. State Department officials said they were aware of the Talibans request  the United States is a member of the U.N. credentials committee  but they would not predict how that panel might rule. However, one of the officials said the committee would take some time to deliberate, suggesting the Talibans envoy would not be able to speak at the General Assembly at this session at least during the high-level leaders week.

In cases of disputes over seats at the United Nations, the General Assemblys nine-member credentials committee must meet to make a decision. Both letters have been sent to the committee after consultations with General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid's office. The committee's members are the United States, Russia, China, Bahama, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Sweden.

Afghanistan is scheduled to give the last speech on the final day of the high-level meeting on Sept. 27. It wasn't clear who would speak if the committee met and the Taliban were given Afghanistan's seat.

When the Taliban last ruled from 1996 to 2001, the U.N. refused to recognize their government and instead gave Afghanistans seat to the previous, warlord-dominated government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who eventually was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. It was Rabbanis government that brought Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, to Afghanistan from Sudan in 1996.

The Taliban have said they want international recognition and financial help to rebuild the war-battered country. But the makeup of the new Taliban government poses a dilemma for the United Nations. Several of the interim ministers are on the U.N.s so-called blacklist of international terrorists and funders of terrorism.

Credentials committee members could also use Taliban recognition as leverage to press for a more inclusive government that guarantees human rights, especially for girls who were barred from going to school during their previous rule, and women who weren't able to work.

___

Kathy Gannon in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Matthew Lee in New York contributed to this report.
It has been more than a month since Samsung's August Unpacked event where it announced a couple of new foldables, new smartwatches, and new earbuds. It was also expected that Samsung was going to announce the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) but that didn't end up happening.

Samsung has yet to acknowledge that it will be brining a Fan Edition of its 2021 S-Series flagship, but Google has inadvertently listed the device as supported by Android's Depth API as seen on Google's AR Core support website.

This could mean that Samsung is ready to release the Fan Edition Galaxy S21. The Fan Edition should deliver the same flagship experience as the Galaxy S21, but with a notably lower price point due to production cost-savings and component variances.

Last week, Google confirmed that there would be two variants of the Galaxy S21 FE, including an Exynos variant, believed to be powered by the Exynos 2100. The Qualcomm version is believed to use the Snapdragon 888. The Galaxy S21 FE was listed to Google's Play Console last month.

Previously leaked image of Galaxy S21 FE

Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE is expected to have the same features as its flagship counterparts including the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner, IP 68 water and dust resistance, high refresh rate screen, wireless charging, Samsung Pay, Wireless DeX, and Dobly Atmos.

Samsung has yet to confirm when the Fan Edition will arrive. We suspect it should be arriving in time for the holiday shopping season. An optimal time frame for that could be October, but this is only speculation. We're expecting it to arrive at some point before the end of the year.

Source  Via
Mark your calendars as HMD Global just confirmed a new product launch event set for October 6. The accompanying press image shows a few feature phones and smartphones next to a big box which is likely for a tablet. If the rumors are true we should see the debut of the Nokia G50 5G smartphone and T20 Android tablet among others.

Our family keeps growing.

Coming 6.10.21 pic.twitter.com/B55fUMWAOs  Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) September 20, 2021

The G50 5G is expected to bring a Snapdragon 480 5G chipset paired with a 6.8-inch HD+ display and a 4,850 mAh battery. The phone will reportedly pack a 48MP main camera. Leaked renders of the device have shown it next to a new pair of Nokia branded TWS earphones which implies the G50 5G will be bundled with the buds in some markets.



Nokia G50 5G in Midnight Sun (gold) and Blue

The T20 Android tablet will likely bring a 10.36-inch display alongside 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The chipset at the helm is rumored to be provided by Unisoc though the exact model is not quite specified. The slate will boot Android 11 and will be available in 4G and Wi-Fi-only trims. The T20 will be the first Nokia tablet since 2015's N1 slate.



Nokia N1 tablet from 2015

A new Nokia flagship is expected to launch on November 11 which adds yet another date to mark on your calendar.
Security agencies in the United States are debating whether to place Honor, the former Huawei brand, on an export blacklist, The Washington Post reports.

Staff members of the Pentagon and Energy Department want the new company put on the entity list (a list of companies that is banned from trading with US companies unless they receive a special permission), while the Commerce Department and State Department opposed.

Personnel at these agencies was split whether Honor deserves its place on the list as a threat to US national security. The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has stated that same concerns about technology exports should apply to Honor since it is a state-backed company.

However, The Washington Post reminded the brand is now owned by Zhixin New Information Technology - a company formed by two state-backed investors, tied to the Shenzhen municipal government.

The opposing side argues Honor does not make nuclear materials or components, nor its devices are sold in the United States, so it makes no sense to ban the brand from trading with US companies, and that would hurt more the US economy instead of China.

Some experts say that Honor should end up on the entity list simply because it is a former unit of a well-investigated bad actor, while others say if there is no evidence that the brand is secretly funneling chips and technology to Huawei, theres no justification for any sanctions.

Honor hasnt commented on the matter at this point.

Source




Haiti - Migration crisis : The Government calls for solidarity with our compatriots in difficulty





In a note, Jean Emmanuel Jacquet the Minister of Communication explains that 3the problem of Haitian migrants at the American-Mexican border, which makes the headlines, is not different from that of other peoples in difficult situations of emigration in the world. In the case of Haiti, it is the result of a de facto situation in recent years, accentuated by migratory flows towards Brazil and Chile, transformed into attempts to reach the United States by all means."



The Haitian Government takes note of the resurgence of a situation which does not date from today, but which "deserves a hasty treatment to which it intends to respond as effectively as possible." It is indisputable that the acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry inherits a heavy file which he takes to heart. Despite the limits and very limited room for maneuver, he intends to fully assume its responsibilities by honorably welcoming these compatriots in difficulty.



In the process, the Ministry of Communication "urges Haitian compatriots, as well as users of social networks, to exercise restraint and respect towards these compatriots regarding the excessive dissemination of certain dishonorable images of our repressed brothers and sisters, who stigmatize the Haitian and the country as a whole. "



Recalling to the attention of the USA, that on the level of "fundamental morality" on an international scale and on a strictly humanitarian level, the implementation of territorial laws must in no way jeopardize the fundamental rights of the human person."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34794-haiti-flash-45-to-60-flights-of-expulsion-of-haitians-expected-in-port-au-prince.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34786-haiti-flash-joe-biden-orders-the-deportation-of-thousands-of-illegal-haitian-migrants.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34770-haiti-flash-thousands-of-haitian-migrants-detained-in-the-usa-in-a-makeshift-camp.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34734-haiti-politic-200-illegal-haitian-migrants-intercepted-in-mexico-returned-to-guatemala.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34669-icihaiti-chiapas-a-caravan-of-haitians-marches-towards-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34658-haiti-mexico-muscular-interception-of-migrants-dozens-of-haitians-arrested-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34626-haiti-politic-more-expulsions-of-haitians-under-joe-biden.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34268-haiti-mexico-more-than-2-000-illegal-haitian-migrants-arrive-in-tapachula.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33352-haiti-flash-joe-biden-expels-more-haitians-than-donald-trump.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33039-haiti-usa-500-haitians-repatriated-to-haiti-trump-or-biden-nothing-changes.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





PNH : 2 bandits killed during firefight

Sunday evening in Croix-des-Bouquets, a police patrol was targeted at the corner of Saint-Dominique and Saint-Jean streets by 3 hooded individuals riding motorcycles. During the exchange of fire with the security forces, 2 of the 3 individuals were killed, the 3rd managed to escape.



3 bandits arrested

The Haitian National Police (PNH) arrested 3 bandits in Plaisance du Sud, including a member of the Village de Dieu gang. 3 firearms were seized.



Already 582 Haitians expelled

While 582 Haitian migrants have already been deported to Haiti within 48 hours by the American authorities Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, Director General of the National Office for Migration of Haiti, he declared "The Haitian State is not able to receive these refugees" referring to "security problems [...] The situation is very difficult and I call for a humanitarian moratorium on these expulsions" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34786-haiti-flash-joe-biden-orders-the-deportation-of-thousands-of-illegal-haitian-migrants.html



MIDAS sets up at the Belladere border point

The International Organization for Migration (IOM-Haiti) Haiti supports the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) in the installation of the Information System and Analysis of Migration Flows (MIDAS) at the border point official Belladere between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This will be the 4th installation since 2019, covering the points of Malpasse, Ouanaminthe, as well as the Cap Haitien International Airport. It should be remembered that the system makes it possible to collect, process and analyze in real time the information of travelers entering and leaving their territory, while also offering a reliable base of statistics to conduct migration policies. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29839-haiti-technology-inauguration-of-the-midas-computer-system-at-the-border-crossing-of-malpasse.html



Haitians celebrate Dessalines in Cuba

"On this day when we commemorate the birth of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the Embassy of Haiti in Cuba invites all the sons and daughters of the Nation to unite to celebrate the life of the Emperor and to remain faithfully attached to its ideals for a better Haiti," declared Embassy of Haiti in Cuba.



Launch of the academic year

This Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 9:45 a.m. at the Argentine Bellegarde National School, located at Ruelle Vaillant (Lalue), the launching ceremony of the academic year 2021-2022 took place in the presence of the highest authorities of the country.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2021/09/20

"High Class" had a 1% point decrease in ratings.

Advertisement

According to Nielsen Korea, a ratings research company, tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama "High Class" which aired on the 20th, recorded a rating of 2.953% (Ep.5).

This is almost 1% point decrease in ratings from 3.986% (Ep.4) recorded in the previous episode.

Meanwhile, SBS' "Lovers of the Red Sky" and KBS2's "Police University" skipped broadcast for the Chuseok celebrations.
The co-chair of the Health Body in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria explained that the deaths are for a man from Hasaka, a woman from Tal Tamr, a man and a woman from Qamishlo, 3 men from Derik and 3 men from Deir ez-Zor.

He confirmed that the new infections are 148 males and 122 females.

Today, the body recorded 13 new cases of recovery from the virus.

The total number of cases of infection, according to the Health Body, reached 25,288, while 852 deaths were recorded, and 2,079 cases of recovery from the virus, in NE, Syria.

T/S

ANHA
THE Mill at Sonning theatre has renamed its auditorium to thank a playwright and actor who helped to ensure its survival.

The new Ray Cooney Auditorium is in honour of the comedy writer who helped reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the business.

Managing and artistic director Sally Hughes said Mr Cooney offered financial help from the very beginning of the crisis and would reguarly call to ask when the theatre would be re-opening.

A ceremony was held to mark the new name with a gala dinner and the latest performanceof his comedy Two Into One, which is currently on a run at the theatre.

Mrs Hughes said: In 1989, the Mill produced its first Ray Cooney play Run For Your Wife. Dennis Slim Ramsden directed and played the part of Porterhouse.

During the run, Slim became ill and was rushed to hospital.

Ray sent the understudy down from his West End production to rescue us. That is the moment that the warm and safe arms of Ray Cooney encircled our theatre for the first time.

From that moment a special bond was forged between the Mill and Ray.

He has helped us in many ways over those 32 years. Whenever we put on a Ray Cooney comedy we sell out and we have performed most of his plays three times. Last year, when the future looked bleak, Ray came to our rescue  yet again  in a big way.

I cant think of a better way to thank him for everything he has done for The Mill over three decades than by naming the auditorium after him.

He is an amazing man and a real theatre man who has entertained our customers. There are theatres which have been named after people but we cant really change ours so I thought it would be nice to name the auditorium after him.

The naming ceremony was attended by many of the stars who have appeared in Cooneys shows at the Mill over the years.

These included radio presenter and TV personality Debbie McGee, who lives in Wargrave, actress Sue Holderness, who is known for playing Marlene Boyce in Only Fools and Horses, and Jeffrey Holland, who played Spike Dixon in Hi-de-Hi and Carol Royle, who is starring in Two Into One with Mark Curry.

Other guests included Judy Buxton, Wendy Craig, Annie Rogers, Michael Cochrane, Anita Graham and Richard Harris.

Mr Cooney said: This evening is the happiest occasion for me for a very long time.

It makes me so happy and proud to have my name associated with one of the best theatres in the world.

First performed in 1984, Two Into One features the adventures of hapless cabinet minister Richard Wiley, who is trying to arrange an intimate afternoon liaison with a young lady in a London hotel.
Appointment

21 September 2021

Hilton has appointed Abhishek Lakhotia as cluster director of revenue for its DoubleTree and Hampton by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah cluster.

In his new role, Lakhotia spearheads strategies to generate further revenue for the cluster, which consists the 723-room resort, DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, Hampton by Hilton Marjan Island, DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah and DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Corniche Residences.

Before joining the team, he has held various positions including group director of revenue management and complex director of revenue management.

The new team member has a bachelor's degree in Hospitality & Tourism Administration from the Swiss Asian School of Hotel Management, and a post-graduate diploma in Hotel Management from Les Roches School of Hotel Management.
Appointment

21 September 2021

Bobby Hotel is thrilled to announce the appointment of acclaimed Chef Ryan Poli to Executive Chef leading all culinary operations of the lifestyle hotel. Hailing from Chicago, Poli brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the downtown Nashville hotel, where he has been enlisted to reinvent the dining experience throughout Bobby's four culinary and cocktail concepts. Most recently serving as Executive Chef at The Catbird Seat, Poli has made his return to Music City with the ultimate vision of placing Nashville on the map as a world-renowned culinary destination.

Having an impressive start to his career, Chef Ryan Poli learned from some of the most notable chefs in the industry including Jean Banchet of Le Francais Restaurant and Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, before moving to Spain to work under Chef Sergi Arola at La Broche. Poli returned home to the Windy City in 2005, where he took on Executive Chef roles at highly recognized restaurants, Butter, Perennial, and Tavernita, respectively - each earning coveted awards within the culinary industry. In 2013, Poli decided to pick up his life and start from the beginning by learning to stage with other notable chefs all over the world in the pursuit of self-discovery and inspiration. For two years, he traveled the globe - landing him in countries such as Denmark, Japan, and Australia, as well as stateside at Osteria in

Philadelphia and Blue Hill Stone Barns in New York. While abroad, Poli studied under prominent culinary names, including Rene Redzepi, Dan Puskas and Dan Hunter, among many others.

In 2016, Poli picked up and moved to Nashville to take on the role of executive chef of The Catbird Seat, one of Music City's most acclaimed restaurants. In this position, Poli put his personal touch on the everchanging tasting menus, paying tribute to the worldly studies and influences he gained over the past two years. While leaving this role at the beginning of 2019, Poli took the remainder of the year to travel around Asia, ultimately leading him to work in Bali in 2020. Due to the pandemic, he found himself returning back to Nashville to be closer to family, where he fell back in love with the city all over again. In this new chapter, Poli will be utilizing his new title at Bobby Hotel to add to Nashville's gastronomy landscape while solidifying the destination on the culinary map.
Appointment

21 September 2021

Continuing his passion for hospitality; Jovani has been promoted to Director of Operations | AC Hotels by Marriott.

Jovani comes with extensive background in full-service luxury properties.

Spending multiple years at Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas and recently the Pasea Hotel and Spa in Huntington Beach California. Jovani will oversee all F&B operations, Front Desk, Housekeeping and Engineering.

We are excited to see him continue his growth with Pacific Hospitality Group and look forward to a successful transition.
Appointment

21 September 2021

Downtown Dallas' newest luxury hotel announces Aaron Ide as the general manager of the first Thompson Hotel in Texas, located in the newly transformed iconic First National Bank building, now known as The National. Aaron's extraordinary background includes over 20 years in luxury hospitality in a variety of roles. As General Manager, he will lead the team to create innovative programming along with exceptional service focused on enhancing the guest experience.

Aaron has a deep passion for service that began in college at The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University. He began his career at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and later joined the Four Seasons where he has spent the past 12 years in various Four Seasons locations throughout the US. Aaron is also a graduate of the General Managers Program at Cornell University and currently serves on the Alumni Board for Michigan State University.

Aaron, his wife Karie, and their three boys are outdoor enthusiasts. They love exploring new places, traveling the world, eating great cuisine and spending time together as a family. They are looking forward to living in Dallas and exploring and experiencing all that the city has to offer.
Author

Based in San Francisco, Dan Fenton is an Executive Vice President with JLL's Hotels & Hospitality Group specializing in tourism and destination strategic planning. Leading the Tourism Advisory group, he provides operations, sales and marketing support for destinations, public assembly venues and hotels. Mr. Fenton works extensively with DMOs and convention centers, including providing strategic planning and other related advisory services. With more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and tourism, he has extensive knowledge of market research and tourism development. He has managed a number of large renovation projects, negotiated contracts and created a new approach to destination branding. Mr. Fenton has assisted a number of convention centers and CVBs with operational strategic planning and implementation.

More about Dan Fenton
Supplier News

21 September 2021

Dubai, Casablanca IT Hospitality officially announced the opening of their new office in Dubai during the Arabian & African Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC) held at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. This expansion into the Middle East enables IT Hospitality to further deploy and integrate solutions as part of their turnkey solution packages to Hotel Groups like Accor, Hilton, Marriott, Radisson, and others in the region. The opening of the Dubai office is part of the expansion plans to give IT Hospitality partners and customers a regional coverage in service, deployment, and support.



Olivier Hennion, Managing Director of IT Hospitality, Our vision is to create an environment where the process of IT integration for Hotel Groups is the simplest of tasks. By expanding into the Middle East we add another strategic hub to our regional and continental setup to better serve and support our growing number of customers and installations in the region. It will enable IT Hospitality to design, integrate, bundle and support wired and wireless infrastructure service to even more Hotel Groups across Africa and the Middle East.

Frederic Van Lennep, Business Development Director for IT Hospitality, added Dubai is a very important regional hub for the Middle East and the whole sub-continent. Our office here will offer us a strong foothold into the Middle East to develop pipeline projects with our partners in the region whilst also being able to support existing and operating hotels. We are very proud to be able to announce this exciting expansion at the AHIC, to further strengthen our partnerships with our existing customers and reach out to new potential partners.



About IT HOSPITALITY

IT Hospitality is one of the largest IT solutions integrators for Hotel Groups in its region for more than 10 years. Its mission and vocation are to expertly design, integrate, bundle and support wired and wireless infrastructure service to Hotel Groups across the Middle East and Africa. By supplying bigger and better infrastructures our customers can offer Hotel Guests the full power of the newest technologies and support an ever-increasing number of devices and bandwidth usage.

IT Hospitality has offices and service centers in 6 locations in Africa and the Middle East, making the group the only IT integrator to give a full Pan-African and sub continental cover and service to their partners and customers.

The coverage is structured as follows:

ITH East Africa , operating from Nairobi, Kenya

, operating from Nairobi, Kenya ITH Egypt , operating from Cairo, Egypt

, operating from Cairo, Egypt ITH Mauritius, operating form Port Louis, Mauritius

operating form Port Louis, Mauritius ITH Middle East, operating from Dubai, U.A.E.

operating from Dubai, U.A.E. ITH North Africa , operating from Casablanca, Morocco

, operating from Casablanca, Morocco ITH South Africa , operating from Johannesburg, South Africa

, operating from Johannesburg, South Africa ITH West Africa, operating from Abidjan, Ivory Coast

The group has subregional offices with technical teams in Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and DRC.

For more information, please contact IT Hospitality

[email protected]

www.it-hospitality.com
Supplier News

21 September 2021

MARKHAM, Ontario - With Canadas border still closed, Maestro PMS will be present virtually at HITEC Dallas 2021, to be held September 27 to 30 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. In the spirit of hospitality, the trusted long-time provider of Web-browser based cloud and on-premises property-management systems will open its expansive booth to all attendees looking for a sanitized space to relax and socially distance safely. It is in Maestro Booth 3211  located in the center of the tradeshow floor  that attendees can take advantage of the complimentary Recharge Lounge. They can scan a QR code to schedule LIVE meetings and product demos with Maestro staff or they can rest in comfortable seating, power their mobile devices at a lockable charging station, and enjoy a complementary Barista Coffee Bar courtesy of Maestro.

"Maestro is not pulling out of HITEC; as a Corporate Allied Silver Sponsor we are heavily invested in this HFTP event, said Maestro President Warren Dehan. Greeters will be present in Maestro Booth 3211 to direct attendees to QR codes that when scanned will enable them to engage with us LIVE, albeit remotely. We are doing everything possible to remain top of mind at this premier technology event, and the Maestro team is ready, willing, and able to speak with anyone who wants to discuss their business needs or wishes to see a demo of our PMSs mobile, contactless, and cloud capabilities. With a quick scan of a QR code, booth visitors will be directed to an availability calendar where they can schedule time with us before, during, and after show hours to discuss their needs and answer their questions.

In addition to this, Maestro has also made their team available weeks prior to and post show for demo and meeting bookings at this booking link.

Also in Maestro Booth 3211, hoteliers can supercharge their HITEC Dallas PMS Shopping Experience by scanning other QR codes that will enable them to download four important documents, including:

PMS Evaluation Checklist

PMS Buying Guide

Power to Choose/Guide on Deployment Options

Guest Engagement Whitepaper

The hotel PMS  with mobile and contactless features  is one of the most important and sought-after solutions that hoteliers will be researching at HITEC Dallas, Dehan said. As a long time, trusted and proven partner for a discerning list of clients, Maestro is taking measured steps to ensure that we are present for our clients and prospects despite the lingering pandemic and government travel advisories that hinder us from attending the show in person this year. As disheartened as we are to miss out on networking in Dallas with our industry friends and business partners, we are confident that we are making the right decision for our valued employees. Rest assured; Maestros hearts and minds will be at HITEC Dallas, just in a different way. We are here for you today, and we will be here for you tomorrow.

Maestro features the Power to Choose, and offers independent hotel and resort groups complete flexibility to deploy an integrated mobile and web browser PMS solution in the cloud, on premise, private cloud or self-hosted. The company boasts a wide selection of integrated modules and contactless applications for guests and staff, all to help hoteliers customize the preferred digital and on-property experience from booking to check-out and everything in between.

To pre-schedule a meeting or demo prior to HITEC, click here. For more information on Maestro, visit www.maestropms.com.

About Maestro

Maestro is the preferred Web Browser based cloud and on-premises PMS solution for independent hotels, luxury resorts, conference centers, vacation rentals, and multi-property groups. Maestros PCI certified and EMV ready enterprise system offers a Web browser version (or Windows) complete with 20+ integrated modules on a single database, including mobile and contactless apps to support a digitalized guest journey as well as staff operations. Maestros sophisticated solutions empower operators to increase profitability, drive direct bookings, centralize operations, and engage guests with a personalized experience from booking to check out and everything in between. For over 40 years Maestros Diamond Plus Service has provided unparalleled 24/7 North American based support and education services to keep hospitality groups productive and competitive. Click here for more information on Maestro. Click here to get your free PMS Buying guide.
Supplier News

21 September 2021

Together React Mobile and Amadeus are making it easier for hoteliers to adopt and implement municipal and state mandated employee safety devices (ESDs). Integration between the Amadeus HotSOS Housekeeping platform and the React Mobile panic button solution is aiding hoteliers in creating safer work environments by leveraging innovative technology.

One such property benefitting from the joint technology solution is the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile. The 415-room downtown luxury hotel selected React Mobile  the leading hotel panic button platform  to comply with Chicago's Hotel Workers Sexual Harassment Ordinance requiring them to equip all employees working alone in guestrooms, restrooms with panic buttons. By pairing React Mobiles Bluetooth Panic Button to employee devices running both the Amadeus HotSOS Housekeeping App and the React Mobile Hospitality App and paying a software subscription, the hotel can leverage HotSOS Housekeeping location data to pinpoint an employees location in the event of an emergency.

Heres how it works: When a housekeeper begins a shift, he or she is assigned a smart device (Android or iOS phone or tablet) by management to facilitate daily tasks, along with a small wearable React Mobile panic button that is paired to the smart device. Next, the employee receives a room assignment, and enters the cleaning status into the HotSOS Housekeeping App. Once cleaned, the room status is updated in the app. The process is repeated until the attendants daily task list is complete. If the paired React Mobile panic button is pressed, it sends an alert from the person assigned smart device to the React Mobile Dispatch Center pinpointing his or her exact location with the data location information from the HotSOS Housekeeping app, and the appropriate emergency contact is then dispatched to provide help.

Newly effective State of Illinois legislation under Article 5 of the Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act now requires hotels to equip ALL employee working in solo with no other employees present in a guestroom or restroom, or on a casino floor, with an ESD. As such, in April React Mobile went back to the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile and installed 451 additional beacons property wide  from service elevator landings (of which some double as linen closets) and public restrooms to the fitness center and all meeting rooms  to supplement HotSOS and provide additional coverage around the property for more employees. An additional 10 panic buttons were also provided to ensure that engineers, bell staff, minibar attendants, and room service workers have their own personal ESD when in remote areas, including stairwells and loading docks.

After adopting React Mobile panic buttons, we saw an immediate positive impact on employee safety, said Stephano Baik, Housekeeping Manager at the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile. These devices overcome multiple restrictions hotel workers traditionally face when calling for assistance in the event of an emergency, from overcoming language barriers to providing more accurate location data. React Mobile frequently checks in with us to make sure the system is working effectively, which is not something you expect from a digital partner. This technology is an added layer in our suite of safety measures, and our employees appreciate knowing they can call for help when needed."

The Renaissance Seattle Hotel also selected React Mobile to help it meet municipal mandates for installing ESDs. The AAA Four Diamond accommodation also utilizes the Amadeus HotSOS Housekeeping solution, however, a Seattle ordinance requires the hotel to install Bluetooth Beacons in each guestroom, as well as corridors, stairwells, public restrooms and other spaces where the signal needs to operate and be detectable regardless of where the employee is located and should not be obstructed by noise from other sources or other visual alarms." React beacons have been placed throughout the hotels guestrooms and common areas; 80 employee smart devices comprised of 45 iPod Touchs, 29 iPhone 6s and four iPad Minis) are configured with both the React Mobile Hospitality App and the HotSOS Housekeeping App and paired to 80 React Mobile Sidekick panic buttons.

Thanks to the React Mobile/Amadeus integration partnership, our hotels leadership is able to know the room number, recent assignments, and location data of any of our ambassadors who trigger their safety device, said Brandon Martinez, Director of Operations at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. Operationally, this system makes it easier for us to locate employees and reduces the time required to reach them if they need our help. The integration also helps our property run more smoothly by pushing alerts directly to mobile devices, allowing supervisors to walk the floor and integrate themselves into the propertys operations rather than monitoring things from a back office.

React Mobile CEO John Stachowiak said whether hotels can leverage existing technology such as Amadeus HotSOS Housekeeping like the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, or are required by law to implement a full safety solution like the Renaissance Seattle Hotel featuring Bluetooth Panic Buttons + React Mobile Hospitality App and the Amadeus HotSOS App on Smart Device + React Mobile Software Subscription, these properties are changing the employee safety culture forever and are securing the future for travel and hospitality.

Employee safety remains one of the most important challenges facing a variety of businesses today, Stachowiak said. Adding new safety solutions doesnt have to be a complex, costly exercise. Through our integration partnership with Amadeus, we are making ESDs much simpler to deploy and operate, and in some cases, extremely easy to afford. Together with Amadeus, we will continue to elevate workplace safety by giving hotel employees more information about a potential emergency, at the touch of a button.

Daniel O'Keefe, Senior Vice President of Hotel Property Solutions at Amadeus, added: We are constantly innovating to provide solutions that empower our partners and customers to adapt to evolving hospitality ecosystems. We have been working closely with our partners and their engineering teams to match our technology solutions with industry needs to help further support hotels around the globe. By adding location-based data to React Mobiles employee safety devices, hoteliers can stay one step ahead when an alert is triggered, and employees can rest easier, knowing that they can trigger their device and have someone come to their location right away.

To learn more about the benefits of this technology integration, visit React Mobile in Booth 1723 and Amadeus in Booth 3601 at HITEC Dallas 2021, to be held September 27 to 30at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

About React Mobile

Founded in 2013, React Mobile is a global leader in providing panic button solutions for hotels. Our best in class hospitality safety platform helps hotels keep their employees safe. The React Mobile system is an open and flexible platform that allows management to deploy response resources to the exact location of an emergency within seconds of an alert, getting help to where its needed anywhere on or off property. In an emergency quick response times are essential and React Mobile gives you the tools to react fast. For more information, visit www.reactmobile.com.

About Amadeus

Amadeus powers more personalized and authentic travel experiences. Our solutions are designed to enrich every stage of the traveller journey and help hospitality providers acquire, service, and retain guests by profitability driving demand and converting them into loyal fans.

Backed by over 30 years of experience, we design open, cutting-edge software to provide the most efficient, trusted, and reliable systems for our customers. With experts in 175+ countries, we have a deep understanding of the hospitality industry and a desire to enable our hotel partners to create memorable guest experiences.

To find out more about Amadeus, visit www.amadeus-hospitality.com.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The above release is not intended and does not constitute legal advice; instead, all information, and content is for informational purposes only and may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.
Press Release

21 September 2021

When Airbnb first got started in 2007, we were told that people would never open their doors to strangers. Today, were announcing that we have passed 1 billion guest arrivals at Airbnb listings around the world and 500 million guest reviews. Home sharing is now mainstream.

Advertisements

As recently as 2019, home sharing was seen as alternative accommodation that was still gaining mainstream acceptance. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up consumer adoption of Airbnb because families and friends came to see whole homes, often either in nearby or remote locations, as the safe, responsible way to gather together. Airbnbs business proved to be resilient and adjusted from long-distance to road trips, and from urban to more rural destinations. We moved quickly to design, build and launch innovations to help lead, shape and support what consumers wanted. Today, we have more listings than evermore than the worlds top six hotel chains combined have rooms.

This shift toward whole homes also has brought meaningful economic benefits for Hosts and their communities. Changes in personal finances caused by the pandemic have inspired people to start sharing their extra space with travelers. One third of Airbnb Hosts surveyed globally said either they or someone in their household experienced a pay cut or lost work hours in 2020 because of the pandemic; 14 percent said they lost their jobs or were laid off themselves, or lived with someone who did.1

New Hosts on Airbnb since the pandemic began have earned $6 billion in income. The typical Airbnb Host earns $9,600. Most of our Hosts are everyday people sharing the homes in which they live. One in five Hosts who are employed are either teachers or healthcare workers.2 A majority (55 percent) of Hosts are women, and we are proud to announce today that women Hosts have earned an estimated $70 billion through Airbnb, all time.

Beyond the financial help for Hosts, Airbnb is distributing the economic benefits of travel across geographies and income brackets, including by distributing tourism spending by city-based guests to rural areas, and by wealthier guests to workers in the places they visit. During popular travel times over the course of the pandemic, we have seen more guests travel to New Yorks Hudson Valley than New York City, more to Brittany than Paris, and more to the Costa Blanca than to Barcelona. In the US, travel on Airbnb generated $830 million for house cleaners in a recent 12-month span.3

As the pandemic has stretched on, however, we have noticed an even more systemic change in travel beyond just the shift to whole homes in non-urban markets. For those who are able to work remotely, the longer the pandemic has lasted, the more working and living have blurred together, and the more permanent this way of working and living has becomeas evidenced by multiplying studies and reports about the hybrid workplace becoming the norm and the recovery of business travel, and about the second-home market and the commercial real estate sector.

The travel recovery has become a travel revolution.

Propelled by the flexibility created by remote work, travel is undergoing a fundamental change. Zoom and similar services are the latest technological innovation to disrupt travelpreceded by the steam engine that gave us the first trains and ships and helped give rise to the concept of tourist destinations for the privileged; the mass-produced automobile that democratized road trips; and commercial air travel bringing us cross-border travel at scale, among many others. Unlike trains, ships, cars and planes, however, Zoom and similar services havent just enabled us to travel faster, farther or more affordablythey have given us the ability to choose not to travel at all, such as for business, or to travel anywhere at anytime, such as for remote workers and their families and friends.

Zoom and other technologies that enable remote work have fundamentally altered the rationale for travelall while cross-border travel is only just starting to recoverand with more innovations to support remote work surely still to come. And the younger the company, the more flexible their remote-work policy is likely to be. An Airbnb-commissioned survey across six countries found, not surprisingly, that the youngest adults (ages 18-34) are the most likely to spend any time working remotely, and also likely to have traveled the most. Full-time remote workers are most likely to be between the ages of 35-44.4

At Airbnb, we believe that travel will be back, bigger than everjust not like it was in 2019. People have been isolated on a scale and for a duration never seen before, and want to come together. We expect to see a significant shift in how people move around the world as gathering together intentionallyby families, friends and colleaguesbecomes more important than ever while the lines between travel, work and living continue to blur:

Longer business trips that blend work and leisure will be part of the future as travel becomes less organized around the week-long vacation and more around where people want to both experience and work. Were seeing an uptick of about 2.5x in the share of long-term stays for self-reported business travel, and long-term stays (28+ nights) were our fastest-growing trip-length category in Q2 2021.

Zoom may not be helpful for business travel but its good for family travel, and longer weekends that blend work and leisure, made possible by part-time remote work, also will be part of the future. In the US, extended weekends are on the rise: 3- and 4-day weekends with families are up 70 percent from Q2 2019 to Q2 2021.

Remote work arrangements also will give people unprecedented flexibility to book rentals for seasons at a time. In Q1 and Q2 2021, we saw more bookings for long-term stays in Florida than in any other quarters in Airbnb history. People are captivated by the prospect of travel blurring with living: When we invited people to Live Anywhere on Airbnb for a year, not just one season, we received more than 300,000 applications in three weeks.

Well see more co-living as friends want to stay and move around with friends, families reunite and stay together, and remote colleagues come together to meet. Were already seeing measurable increases in nights booked for larger listings (four bedrooms or more) and in nights booked for family trips from January-August 2021 over January-August 2019.

Looking ahead, technologies like Zoom mean those who are able to work remotely will only have more and more flexibility in terms of when and where they work and live. Airbnbs business proved resilient during the pandemic, but our adaptable platform lets us innovate fast and shape our future. Earlier this year, we introduced product upgrades and new features to cater to remote workers new flexibility to travel anytime:

Since we began rolling out our new flexible-date and -destination tools in early 2021, more than 500 million searcheson Airbnb have been flexible on dates, and among recent searchers, 40% have had flexible dates or destinations.

And to help Hosts position themselves to benefit from increasing demand for not just WiFi but fast, reliable WiFi, we recently gave Hosts a tool to help them display their listings WiFi speed.

The other reason why Airbnb is leading the travel revolution is because our platform is not just highly adaptableits because we are a community built on connection and belonging, and that resonates when people have been isolated to a degree never seen before. At Airbnb, everything we do has to provide a sense of connectionto the places you go and the people you meet. Our Hosts make our guests feel welcomed and cared for and guests respond to that, perhaps especially during a pandemic. Guest reviews are one of the ways in which guests respondnow at 500 million and counting.

1According to a survey of global Airbnb Homes Hosts who hosted a trip during 2020, from February 1, 2021 to March 3, 2021.

2According to a survey of global Airbnb Homes Hosts who hosted a trip during 2020, from February 1, 2021 to March 3, 2021.

3July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021

4Morning Consult, August 31 to September 5, 2021 of 7,200 adults aged 18-65 in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and Korea.
Press Release

21 September 2021

Radisson Hotel Group is proud to achieve a historic milestone of 100 operating hotels in India with the opening of Radisson Bhopal. With more than 20 years in operation, Radisson Hotel Group is one of the leading international hotel groups in the country with seven distinct brands and a presence across over 60 locations encompassing key business, leisure and gateway centers. Boasting one of the most widely connected domestic network in India, the Group has been growing at an exceptional momentum with plans to open 14 new hotels in 2021 and more than 60 hotels in the next five years.

Advertisements

Radisson Hotel Group has been one of the pioneers to identify tier II, III and mid-segment markets as the growth engine, and was amongst the first international hotel chain to venture into these areas. Today, the Group draws more than 50% of its business from these centers, a testament of its vision and commitment to make hospitality accessible in every part of the country. With the Groups wide presence, operating scale and distribution in India, it is now seeking to enter tier IV and V markets in an aggressive manner.

This is indeed a nostalgic point in our journey of over two decades. Since inception in the 1990s, Radisson Hotel Group has charted out a success story and played a significant role in transforming the Indian hospitality industry. I am truly grateful to our guests, owners, employees and the extended hospitality industry for their tremendous support to help us reach this milestone, said K.B Kachru, Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia.

One hundred operating hotels is a milestone that both celebrates our legacy and heralds a new era of hospitality at Radisson Hotel Group. We are focused on building a future-ready roadmap for our business which will uplift our brand equity, transform our operations and establish a culture of excellence, said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Focused on the needs of todays travelers, the Group has evolved its portfolio by introducing hotels and resorts that offer contemporary indulgences, elevated guest experiences and superior design quality. Strengthening its portfolio with a new brand addition, the Group launched Classic Grande Imphal, a member of Radisson Individuals constituting 171 keys in March 2021. Radisson Individuals is a conversion brand that offers independent hotels and local, regional chains the opportunity to be part of Radisson Hotel Group and benefit from the Groups international awareness and experience, with the freedom to maintain their own uniqueness and identity. Radisson RED, a much-awaited addition to the Groups India portfolio, that will usher in a new culture of unconventional, bold and unique hospitality is expected this year as well with the first hotel to be launched as Radisson RED Chandigarh Mohali constituting 154 keys.

Radisson Hotel Group plans to add six upper upscale and upscale resorts in high demand leisure destinations in 2021. Radisson Blu Resort, Dharamshala, Radisson Blu Resort, Visakhapatnam, Radisson Resort & Spa Lonavala opened recently while resort additions in Goa, Pondicherry and Pahalgam are to follow. Other distinguished additions to the portfolio include Radisson Bhopal, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Nashik; Radisson Kufri; Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Sonamarg; The Elite Narasapura, a member of Radisson Individuals and The White Hotel Katra, a member of Radisson Individuals.

We have adopted a new design approach and developed global guest experience programs to make every stay memorable. Our upcoming portfolio reflects the energy, passion, brand connect, and Yes I Can! hospitality that resonate strongly with modern travelers, added Zubin.

With a renewed focus to strengthen guest experience, the Group has rolled out new experience proposition for resorts, added a branded spa concept and introduced Rad Family, a bespoke program dedicated to the family segment.

One hundred operating hotels in its portfolio strengthens the Groups network and furthers its operations strategy known as India Unification Plan, which has been a key guiding factor in its success throughout the pandemic. Under this business strategy, the Group leverages the strength of its network to deliver efficiencies across various verticals such as Talent Management, Procurement, Food and Beverage (F&B), Operations and Commercial, driving owners value in the form of reduced costs, higher returns and improved efficiencies.

Food and Beverage (F&B), a key component of the Groups operations is all set to receive a facelift with a pan-India expansion of Meetha along with the first outlet to be opened in Mumbai this year. Radisson Hotel Group recently forged an alliance with Massive restaurants as a significant step towards strengthening F&B capabilities and creating its hotels as Social Hubs. The corporate tie up with EazyDiner since 2020 also remains a key partnership to enhance national reach and maintain guest loyalty.

Placing safety at the heart of its operations, Radisson Hotel Group implemented a 20-step protocol for hotels and a 10-step protocol for meeting and events in partnership with SGS - worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. The partnership was renewed in 2021 with the global roll out of Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol for continued focus on health, safety and security of its guests, team members, and business partners.
Press Release

21 September 2021

Dubai, UAE - More than 700 hospitality owners, investors, developers and operators from across the Middle East and Africa gathered today to kick off the 17th edition of AHIC, being held from 20-22 September at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai live in person.

Advertisements

For the first time, AHIC 2021, organised by Bench and MEED, has brought together the four close-knit investment communities of the Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC), Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference (SHIC), Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) under one roof.

Jonathan Worsley, chairman of Bench and founder of AHIC, said: After months of careful planning, we are thrilled to be here in Dubai today to launch this very special edition of AHIC, just a few days before Expo 2020 Dubai begins. United by the theme Rise Together, more than 700 investors, financiers, franchise owners, innovators, developers, brand leaders and tourism officials are here to network, share insights and do business, with the potential for partnerships greater than ever."

We are excited to present our delegates with a programme featuring close to 200 speakers, including keynote interviews with hoteliers such as Sebastien Bazin, CEO and chairman, Accor; Jose Silva, chief executive officer, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts; and Kenneth Macpherson, chief executive officer, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa, IHG."

While conversation on the main stage has centred on how to recover and rise up from the Covid-19 pandemic, weve also had a roster of workshops, numerous networking opportunities and a host of special features including the Sustainability Hospitality Challenge and the AHIC Innovation Den. This morning, we heard pitches from business start-ups that are transforming the industry, including the exclusive unveiling of an industry-first investment incubator, KUBE Ventures, created by entrepreneurs Michael Levie and David Keen. Were expecting many more new launches to be announced over the course of the three days of AHIC, so watch this space said Worsley.

Day one of AHIC 2021 has been underpinned by AHIC Intelligence, with industry data, insights and predictions for the regions pipeline, performance and profitability setting the tone for the rest of the conversation.

Robin Rossmann, managing director, STR, presented some of the key learnings from the past 18 months.

He revealed that 97% of Middle East hotels have now reopened, with some markets tracking a full occupancy recovery by the end of the year, and highlighted that half of Dubais hotels are close to or exceeding 2019 ADRs.

Rossmann said: Rate has been the big surprise. Typically, we see rates take three to four years to recover after a downturn, but many markets are close to 2019 levels already. We think rates will be back to 2019 levels by the end of the year and continue into next year.

AHIC day one was also jam-packed with sessions dedicated towards the GRIF community, with focus groups exploring how to expand concepts beyond the GCC, customer trends, the potential of food halls, and flexible destination dining.

In a special presentation from Krush Brands, founder Ian Ohan revealed how the company was partnering with food-preneurs in the UAE to help them grow their businesses using its ecosystem of food technology, operations and delivery capability. Called Locale, the new platform is focused on discovering great food and offering small, local brands an alternative to third party networks. The successful graduates of Krush Brands Rise Up competition to seek out talented new players to work with Locale will be announced at AHIC on 22 September.

Also live on stage, The London Project announced global expansion, with outlets confirmed to open in Dubai Marina and London's Canary Wharf next year, followed by Miami and Barcelona in 2023.

Jennifer Pettinger-Haines, co-founder GRIF and MD Middle East, Bench, said: GRIF has championed the regional F&B industry throughout the pandemic and it has been brilliant to finally bring the leaders of this hugely resilient sector together. As an investment community, we are looking forward to several more sessions over the coming days that will address the numbers around hotel f&b, current eating trends, and how the Middle East can achieve global recognition of its ever-impressive food scene and the talented individuals driving it.
Supplier News

21 September 2021

Above Property, a full-service provider of innovative, scalable, and services-oriented platforms, will showcase its latest innovations for travel and hospitality  including Hotel in a Box and Above Property Services (APS), a web service-based multi-cloud platform  at the annual Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC).

At the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, from September 27th-30th, HITEC attendees and media are invited to meet with the Above Property team at booth #3614 to learn more and see the pioneering solutions in action. Above Property offers a one-stop shop of cloud-native apps including Property Management, Reservations, Revenue Optimization, Distribution, Channel Management, Internet Booking Engine, Call Center, Pantry, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Payments, and Advanced Analytics.

We created Above Property as a much-needed solution for an industry that has relied on antiquated technology that lacks the ability to scale or meet the emerging demand opportunities, explains company CEO and co-founder Aaron Shepherd. We reimaged the traditional tech stack and developed a single, agile and advanced platform with an ecosystem of solutions. Hoteliers can simplify the number of systems needed to manage their guests experience, increase revenue, and run operations seamlessly for today and be ready for the ever-changing future.

With over 1,100 web services driving more than 10,000 unique features and capabilities, Above Propertys Distributed Reservations, Inline Revenue Management, Channel Management, Call Center, and Property Management System (PMS) work to re-imagine how core travel systems operate today. Above Property also offers a signature Hotel in a Box solution designed for independent hotel properties. This single platform includes all required functionality, giving hoteliers the technological infrastructure necessary to truly connect with their guests and drive ancillary revenues. Through an orchestrated multi-datacenter, multi-cloud provider configuration, Above Property brings a new level of speed, stability, and cost-effective scalability to the travel industry.

We are incredibly excited to bring our APS platform to HITEC this year and showcase the power of microservice technology to some of the greatest minds in the industry, shares Shepherd. As the hospitality industry enters a period of recovery, our technology is well-positioned to lead the charge to a more innovative and flexible future for hotels.

The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) is the largest and oldest hospitality technology event. Produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), a global nonprofit hospitality association headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, HITEC offers a unique combination of top-notch education and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe to one place.
Press Release

21 September 2021

ADELAIDE  Australian accommodation declines for the 2020-21 financial year were worse for capital markets than regional areas, according to STRs collection of national accommodation statistics through the Australian Accommodation Monitor.

Advertisements

The Australian Accommodation Monitor is a national collection of performance statistics for accommodation providers, including hotels, motels, serviced apartments and holiday cabins.

During the 2020-21 financial year (1 July to 30 June), Australia recorded decreases in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-17.4% to 49.6%), average daily rate (-5.1% to AUD171.77) and revenue per available room (-21.5% to AUD85.15). This performance illustrates the multitude of factors that accommodation operators experienced over the last 12 months, including recovery from the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, circuit breaker lockdowns, recovery from the summer bushfires of 2019-2020 and consumer travel decisions.

Performance over the last year improved consistently from Q3 2020 to Q2 2021, said Matthew Burke, STRs regional manager for the Pacific region. The clearest divide of performance was between Australias nine capital markets versus the regional areas, which showed just how initial intrastate tourism flourished. Major cities saw a lack of business and group demand, travel they typically rely upon, and ultimately made up seven of the top 10 lowest-performing tourism regions when looking at the year-over-year RevPAR percentage change.

Of the major markets, the two largest, Melbourne and Sydney, reported year-over-year RevPAR declines of 55.9% and 47.8%, respectively.

The double-digit RevPAR declines were also felt by specific accommodation types, with hotels & resorts experiencing a 27.6% decline in the metric, while serviced apartments saw RevPAR fall 14.2% year over year. Holiday parks, on the other hand, posted a 30.8% increase in the metric, giving further evidence to regional and leisure dominance throughout the financial year.

Among the states and territories, South Australia (56.8%) and Western Australia (56.2%) reported the highest occupancy levels for the year.

While performance improved over the financial year, it is important to note that the accommodation industry recently has been heavily affected by pandemic restrictions, with the two most populous states in long-term lockdowns and three jurisdictions in partial or full lockdown, limiting travel. The 2021-22 financial year has started from a very challenging position, said Burke.

Australian Accommodation Monitor

Supported by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), STR collects performance data from accommodation providers throughout Australia. Properties submitting their data to STR receive complimentary benchmarking reports comparing their performance levels against local market averages. The program is free for any accommodation provider in Australia, with data privacy and confidentiality guaranteed. For more information, please visit https://str.com/aam.
Opinion Article

21 September 2021

While uncertainty continues to dominate headlines, there is a new constant that remains chronically underreported. Booked travel. In fact, its now been four consecutive months that hotel bookings globally have remained over 60% of 2019 levels. As I write this, theyre sitting at 70%  their highest point since the pandemic began. Lets examine why.

Europeans are redefining summer

In Europe, pent-up demand has redefined summer from the warmest months of the year to a state of travel freedom. Sixteen of the 17 European countries on the World Hotel Index are currently outpacing the global average for hotel bookings, with only Malta narrowly below it. Meanwhile, hotels in Iceland, Portugal and Spain are receiving more hotel bookings now than this time two years ago.

The performance of Spain, which withstood another surge of Covid cases in late July, is of particular note. It could very well represent the worlds first case study of how travel can successfully coexist alongside looming threats.

The MEA region is also bouncing back. This past month, Namibia joined the handful of countries on the World Hotel Index to exceed its 2019 hotel booking levels, after a strong dip in local Covid cases. The UAE, Morocco and South Africa are seeing an uptick of booking activity for the same reason.

Fastest risers are in Asia

In Asia, hotel booking volumes remain low overall, but in certain markets are now rising relatively faster than anywhere in the world.

After four months, Indonesia is again above 50% of its 2019 hotel booking levels, as restrictions ease in Bali. Malaysia has experienced a sharp jump in bookings to 34% of 2019 levels, from below 10% at the beginning of the month. And, Thailand, which is eyeing a broadening of travel options to vaccinated tourists from October, has risen from 10% of 2019 levels at the start of August, to 27%.

In the Pacific, Fiji has also seen a small, yet significant rise in bookings. The archipelago, which relies on tourism for roughly 40% of its GDP, is now targeting a November 1 reopening date, which has resulted in an initial rallying of bookings in recent days.

North and Central America are showing stability

Despite the ongoing presence of the Delta strain, North and Central America remain two of the most stable regions on SiteMinders World Hotel Index, showcasing their resilience. In the United States, hotel booking momentum has remained between 70% and 90% of 2019 levels since April, while, in Canada, it has stayed above 75% of 2019 levels since July. In Mexico, which currently leads the region, the momentum has remained above 80% of 2019 levels since mid-March.

Travellers are still living days, not months, ahead

We know from our recent Changing Traveller Report research that, globally, people are currently enthused to travel  which means that were likely to see bookings sustained for as long as individuals are able to do so. We only need to look at regions like Asia to be reminded how quickly booking patterns can change, as travel restrictions ease.

However, as the World Hotel Index also shows, the way that people are arranging their trips remains extremely last-minute. Of all bookings made in the last two weeks, globally, around two-thirds are for stays in either September or October, highlighting just how little planning is currently taking place.

As both global resilience and confidence grow, were likely to see a lengthening of these lead times in the months ahead. Well stay close to this, as always.

To visit the live World Hotel Index or for direct access to my analyses, subscribe at www.siteminder.com/world-hotel-index.
Steve Gonzales/Staff photographer

Small businesses in Harris County can now apply for up to $25,000 in COVID-19 relief grants.

The funds, which were made available Monday, are part of the county's ongoing efforts to assist small, and women- or minority-owned businesses as they continue to recover from the pandemic.
If the world wasnt already familiar with the food and dining glories of Houston, it will be: Bravos Top Chef is coming to the Bayou City.

NBC/Universal, the parent company of Bravo, and Houston First confirmed Tuesday that televisions biggest chef competition will be set in Houston for Season 19, airing in spring 2022. Filming has already begun for Top Chef: Houston, which will be set against the citys vibrant, multicultural food scene.

While the shows chef contestants have not yet been named, Bravo announced that series host Padma Lakshmi will return with head judge Tom Colicchio as well as Gail Simmons at the judges table. Houston chef Dawn Burrell, who competed in the finale for the most recent Top Chef set in Portland, Ore., will be among the chef all-stars appearing on the series.

Stephanie Diani/Bravo / Stephanie Diani/Bravo

Bringing the reality show to Houston is a huge get for the city and could help restart the tourism engine that lost nearly all its steam during the pandemic.

I cannot think of a more perfect pairing than Top Chef and the city of Houston. Both represent a celebration of cuisine, culture and innovation, said Mayor Sylvester Turner. We are proud of the diverse community and unique heritage that make our city such a hot culinary destination  from classics like Tex-Mex and barbecue to local inventions like Viet-Cajun and Japanese tapas. As any Top Chef contestant will tell you, the best food is born out of passion, and Houstonians exemplify this idea with every dish we create.

Locking in Houston for Top Chef was the result of a carefully calibrated campaign by Houston First, the local corporation that promotes the citys tourism and convention trade. The timing could not be more advantageous, said Michael Heckman, Houston First president and CEO.

Anyone who has watched the show knows that it makes the destination look like a place youll want to travel to, he said.

That could be lucrative to Houston once the show airs. At a minimum youre looking at tens of millions of dollars in positive (public relations), he said. After a devastating 18 months that saw restaurants and bars shut down and thousands of hospitality jobs lost, Top Chef could be the perfect recipe for restoring the restaurant industrys luster and economic clout.

For months, Houston First has been secretly showing off the city to the staff of Magical Elves, the production company responsible for Top Chef. That Houston was being considered for the show has been a topic of hot but quiet buzz within the foodie community as dozens of key leaders were abiding by strict confidentiality agreements.

More than 100 different locations were scouted as potential sites to highlight on the series or feature as part of the competition. Houston chefs, celebrity personalities and restaurateurs will be tapped to lend location color to the production. Magical Elves will bring a production and talent crew of about 150 to Houston; an additional 60 local workers will be hired for various aspects of filming the series.

Stephanie Diani/Bravo / Stephanie Diani/Bravo

This isnt the first rodeo in Texas for Top Chef. Season 9 in 2011 was set in Texas with filming in San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. Houston was conspicuously left out of Top Chef: Texas, which makes the new season even sweeter. Diversity was key for Top Chef brass, which noted the citys melting-pot food scene that embraces both abundant food traditions as well as the Hispanic, Nigerian, Indian, Vietnamese, and Chinese heritages that call Houston home.

Twelve of the series 14 episodes will be shot in the Houston region, including an episode set on Galveston Island. Contestants for the new season will be announced at a later date and actual filming will cover about five weeks, completing at the end of October. COVID-19 protocols will be in effect; staff will be regularly tested and the crew will wear masks.

Because of pandemic precautions, there are no ticketed events during Top Chef filming; the public will not have access to the production.

While its not known if a local chef will be among the contestants, Burrell, a finalist and fan favorite during Top Chef: Portland, said she hopes a Houston chef will make the cut. Appearing on the show, she said, can be a life-altering opportunity.

It boosted my career beyond what you can imagine. I appreciate all the doors it opened, said Burrell, who, along with chef Sasha Grumman, represented Houston on the series set in Portland.

Burrell, who hopes to open her new restaurant Late August in early 2022, said the show will bring the culinary recognition to Houston that it fully deserves.

Houston hosting Top Chef will solidify our place on the culinary scene, she said. We all know what Houston is, its diversity and the wealth of restaurants and chef talent we have. Maybe the nation doesnt know that and its high time they do.

greg.morago@chron.com
An old meeting space is now a construction site inside the newly renamed Grand Galvez, wood shavings scattered across the newly installed floors as workers recover and restore one section of Galvestons historic hotel.

Its where Peacock Alley once stood, a grand hallway where guests and local residents strutted in their finest clothes to the music hall on the west side of the hotel. At some point in the hotels history, Peacock Alleys plaster moldings and arched doorways were covered up when a prior owner decided they could live without a wider hallway in order to have larger private meeting rooms.

Artist renderings show the space with black-and-white marble floors, white walls and black trim, with potted palms providing pops of emerald green. Crystal chandeliers tucked inside oversized gold bells dangle from above.

The space  as the entire hotel eventually will be  is filled with cues from the favorite designers of the hotels new owners, Mark and Lorenda Wyant of Dallas-based Seawall Hospitality. They love the style of French designer Philippe Starck, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders and the bold mix of color and patterns of American Dorothy Draper.

The Wyants jumped in to buy what was then Hotel Galvez, after a deal that Dallas-based SRH Hospitality was working on to buy both the Galvez and the historic Tremont Hotel from Mitchell Historic Properties fell through during the pandemic. SRH followed through to buy the Tremont and the Wyants purchased the Galvez, closing on May 12. Renovations on both properties should finish in 2022.

Ive been coming to Galveston my whole life, Mark Wyant said, while Lorenda, a Houston native, noted that she came to the Galvez for her high school prom. The first hotel I built here was a Holiday Inn Express and the second one is next door to us, its now a Doubletree. If you grew up in Dallas, youd drive down to Galveston on the weekends.

Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

What is now the West Loggia will be the hotels bar  bathed in wood, brass and crystal, and evoking an ambiance of Jay Gatsby and the Jazz Age  which is set to open in mid-December. The hotels restaurant will reopen by March 15 next year, followed by its 224 guest rooms  which will be redone in stages  by June 1.

The Wyants flipped through renderings during a recent visit to Galveston, still undecided about some of the flooring. An early plan had red carpet in one area, but they decided the was overwhelming and shifted to wood floors. Looking at them again, the wood suddenly looked dull to Lorenda. After noting that the wood had already been ordered, Mark had to agree.

Design is still a bit of a work in progress. Renderings of the bar have red carpet with giant butterflies scattered into the weave. They may not make the final cut, either.

Some things are certain  the new lobby treatment will have a Queen of the Gulf tile mosaic in the floor near the check-in desk, styled to look and feel more like a train station ticket counter or bank tellers cage. The current ceiling, with beams and wallpaper, will get a more grown-up look with gold leaf.

In the East Loggia, a potential future home for High Tea on weekends, the black-and-white floor will repeat, and wicker chairs will line the hall, aglow from Baccarat crystal chandeliers.

Courtesy of Seawall Hospitality/Mark Wyant

Pitchforks and pink paint

As Mark Wyant opens his iPad to show artist renderings, he points out a Sherwin-Williams paint mix sticker labeled Texas Light Clay.

The sticker comes with a story.

Whenever Wyant drove past the Galvez with his mother, Jana Wyant, a vocal partner in his business, shed wonder out loud why they didnt paint it pink. The idea stuck with her son, who rattles off several favorite hotels that are pink, including the Royal Hawaiian  where hed stay when he was an American Airlines pilot flying from Dallas to Hawaii  and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

They gathered samples of pink paint and put swaths of color on different parts of the building, causing more than a kerfuffle along the way. Galveston residents were up in arms that the pride of the island was being defaced.

It was never a secret that I wanted to paint it pink. Right after closing, we were out there and painted some paint samples on the side of the building. One of them was bright Taco Cabana/Pepto Bismol pink. Actually, it was brighter than Pepto, Mark Wyant said. And thats when the local paper decided to take a picture of it. Oh, Lord. I could see the bonfires and pitchforks from Dallas. They were upset.

He got the message and got serious about finding the right pink.

Lets go, Mark Wyant said to his wife one day. They hopped on a plane and flew to Beverly Hills, determined to match the color on that hotel, which opened just a year after the Galvez.

They checked into the hotel and promptly took dozens of paint chips outside, comparing the colors. Approached by hotel management, the Wyants fessed up, and their reward was a trip to the maintenance room, where the manager handed them a can of paint.

Most people go to Beverly Hills and shop on Rodeo Drive. Lorenda and I went there and spent half a day at Sherwin-Williams, he said.

They came home with a color-match mix, and the label from the can is their constant reminder of what the hotel means to Galvestonians.

Courtesy of Seawall Hospitality/Mark Wyant

Remembering its roots

Though the Galvez opened when Victorian and Edwardian style dominated, the Wyants are fast forwarding a decade to the Jazz Age for decor.

Still, they want to be true to many of the hotels origins, so plans include a lobby display case that will pay tribute to the hotels history and its founders. The hotel has only had a handful of owners through the years, including W.L. Moody, Dr. Denton Cooley, George P. Mitchells group and, now, the Wyants.

Theyve also sent a section of original stair rail to have molds made and new railing poured to identically match what was originally in the hotel. Theres just a single small wall in the stairs that still has it, but its trapped behind another brass rail thats ADA compliant. The newly recast rail will be a few inches higher to meet current code.

When finished, that stairs off of the lobby will be a grander welcome, with red and green carpet  a nod to their love of the Dorothy Draper/Carleton Varney-decorated Greenbrier hotel in West Virginia  paneled walls and beautiful lighting.

Modern updates are in store, too, with tech upgrades that will let guests have Alexa operating lights, music and even window treatments.

A white marble fountain is under construction in Italy now. Eventually, it will be placed at the entrance to the Grand Galvez to greet visitors with an elegant splash.

diane.cowen@chron.com
It all boils down to a mothers persistence. Thats the through line in Gloria Rodriguezs story  and the moral she now wants to pass on to others.

You owe it to yourself as family to try whatever you can, whatever is available, she said. And its really important that you find a team with the same goals in mind.

Rodriguez used to feel helpless as she counted the number of seizures her daughter Grace had in a single day.

Grace was 4 months old when she had her first seizure. It lasted about 15 minutes.

I didnt know what was going on, said Rodriguez, who lives in Pearland.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston's Dr. SreyRam Kuy will be spotlighted as a national inspiration

She had just taken her daughter out of the bath, wrapped her in a towel and was tickling her while drying her off.

She was midlaughter and then her face stuck like that, Rodriguez said.

Graces breathing became troubled; her arms and legs began to jerk. It almost looked like she had the hiccups. But when Gloria and her husband, Ascencion, noticed saliva building in their daughters mouth, they quickly dialed 911.

In the emergency room, doctors told the family it was normal for infants to go through seizures.

They were sure it was an isolated incident, Gloria Rodriguez recalled.

But it kept happening.

A mysterious and troubling first year

When Grace reached 10 months old, going to the hospital  and even being placed on a ventilator  became routine.

Doctors still had no explanations or treatments.

Each time was terrifying for Rodriguez. Her older daughter Madlyn, now 18, never had a seizure.

I had never even seen a seizure before, besides in movies or on TV, Rodriguez said. Theres no epilepsy on either side of our family.

After the third episode, Grace was taken to a neurologist and underwent a series of tests. While the results looked normal, the baby was placed on medication to prevent future seizures.

But it wasnt helping, Rodriguez recalled. The first year of Graces life was a mystery, and it was frustrating. She seemed to be getting progressively worse.

Grace always seemed to be elsewhere, Rodriguez added. She never looked her parents in the eye. She rarely responded when called. Her head drooped down. Later, Rodriguez would learn, it was because Grace was continuously having seizures.

The Rodriguezes moved furniture and ordered a helmet.

We just tried our best, Rodriguez said.

They scheduled more tests, including a spinal tap.

No one could give me an answer, Rodriguez said. For a child under 2 years old, the choices are very limited. Our family couldnt keep living like this. We were always on edge.

Each day, the Rodriguezes went to work, as Graces grandmother watched the baby. Before returning home, Graces parents wondered what had happened while they were away.

I never want to relive that period, Rodriguez said. Every time I went to a neurologist, I got the same answer over and over. No one did anything different.

When doctors couldnt diagnosis her baby, Rodriguez hit the books  and the internet. She Googled relentlessly, searching hard to treat seizures. And thats how she stumbled upon a promising pharmaceutical.

Gary Fountain, Houston Chronicle / Contributor

A promising trial

She found a U.K. trial with a cannabidiol  a nonpsychoactive medication derived from cannabis  called Epidiolex.

I wanted to find out everything I could, Rodriguez said. She sent thrice-weekly emails to the pharmaceutical company, GW Pharmaceuticals, for three weeks, explaining that she was a mother, desperate for a treatment for her daughter.

She asked if there were any trials in Texas while also asking local neurologists if anyone was willing to try treatment with a cannabidiol. Three shut her down.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston doctor performs scar-free thyroid surgery

Then she found Dr. Melissa Jones with Houston Area Pediatric Neurology. Jones finally diagnosed Grace with Dravet syndrome, a rare and lifelong form of epilepsy that begins at birth. She also agreed to help Rodriguez find out about Epidiolex.

She was the first doctor who made me feel not crazy, Rodriguez recalled. When I asked, How do you feel about cannabidiol? she said, Lets figure it out together. They were like magic words.

Rodriguez asked Jones to reach out to GW Pharmaceuticals. Soon they learned there was a trial right in her own backyard. Grace qualified for a trial at Texas Childrens Hospital but had to wait until her second birthday to start treatment.

That was a very difficult time, Rodriguez said. All we could do is just sit, count her seizures and report them.

Finally, the day came when Grace received her first dose of Epidiolex  but there was no way to be certain whether she got the real drug or a placebo.

It felt like a huge risk, the biggest gamble of my life, Rodriguez said. We also felt like there were no other options.

But Rodriguez saw a difference in her daughter after just one day.

That was the first day of the rest of her life, Rodriguez said. Things started to change. She could hear us, follow us into a room, reach out to us, just be a normal child.

Suddenly, the Rodriguezes could get to know their daughter, her personality, who she is.

We finally got to spend time with her and not just watch her have seizures, Rodriguez said.

Things are changing

Dr. James Riviello, associate section head for epilepsy, neurophysiology and neurocritical care at Texas Childrens Hospital, said epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the U.S, affecting 750,000 children.

A seizure is basically a short circuiting of brain electricity, Riviello said.

There are various types of seizures, and determining the type of seizure a patient is experiencing can help doctors form a diagnosis and treatment plan, Riviello continued.

He explained that Dravet syndrome is an early onset form of epilepsy, typically occurring in the first or second year of life.

Its not uncommon for it to take a while to make the specific diagnosis of Dravet syndrome, Riviello added. At the beginning, patients might not present with all the symptoms of a specific syndrome.

The disorder is caused by a mutation of the sodium channel gene  SCN1A. Genetic testing can provide families with a clear diagnosis.

Finding out the underlying genetic abnormality helps us pick the medications, he said. It helps us select the appropriate treatment.

Riviello said doctors often turn to Epidiolex when other treatments fail. But new medications are also becoming available.

In 2020, the FDA approved fenfluramine  marketed as Fintepla by pharmaceutical company Zogenix  for treatment of seizures in Dravet syndrome patients. And Riviello notes that more medications are coming out as well.

With advances in genetic testing, he said, more advances in treatment are possible.

On HoustonChronicle.com: As COVID patients overcrowd hospitals, those with other medical issues wait for care

Were in a world now, where if we know the underlying pathology, we can figure out how to alter that with a specific treatment, he said. And thats where we are with Dravet now. In the past four to five years, weve had all these major advancements.

Texas Childrens is preparing to start a new Dravet program in the next few months.

By following patients with Dravet syndrome, you can learn more, turn that into research and help people with the disease, Riviello said. We can translate research back to help our patients.

Good days continue

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex in 2018.

When the study ended, Grace, who is now 8, was able to extend her access. She has taken Epidiolex for six years now.

Were so glad it works for her, Rodriguez said. We continue to have good days.

Living with Dravet syndrome, has been beyond challenging.

Weve basically been living eight years of COVID, Rodriguez said. We dont go anywhere. We cant do anything.

There are a number of limitations; Grace cannot handle the heat, which, in Houston, is almost yearlong.

But I have learned theres a new way to do everything, Rodriguez said. Im still learning, and Graces struggle is ongoing.

At the same time, she wants other parents of children with Dravet syndrome to know there are solutions.

This life is livable, she said. I think its most important that parents know they arent alone.

All children are not the same, Rodriguez added, and may not benefit from the same treatment. But she encourages other parents to be persistent and find doctors willing to work with their family.

Dont give up, she said. Listen to your gut. If youre in the wrong office, go find another.

It is easy to feel stuck or want to give up, Rodriguez added.

All the puzzle pieces dont always come together, she said. It pays to be open-minded to innovative and new ideas. Things are changing all the time  and that gives me hope.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
As a girl, Erleigh Wileys first love was writing.

She wrote short stories and plays and her grade-school teachers let her and her friends act them out at school. She was also a tomboy growing up with four brothers and the daughter of a coach.

But when she wasnt outside playing, she was in her room writing and dreaming of all the things she could be and places she could go.

The current Kaufman County District Attorney however, could never have imagined, a part of her life would develop into a true crime novel.

Wiley penned A Target on My Back: A Prosecutors Terrifying Tale of Life on a Hit List. The book chronicles her experiences in winter and spring of 2013 when she was a sitting judge in Kaufman County near Dallas when two of her colleagues were murdered.

In April 2013, Wiley was appointed as District Attorney in Kaufman County and she recalled moments from 2013 as she spoke to the Lake Conroe Area Republican Womens group on Thursday at the clubs celebration of Literacy Month.

On HoustonChronicle.com: LCARW hosts My American Hero essay awards

She related the similarities between Kaufman County and Montgomery County. Both are Republican strongholds and both serve as bedroom communities to major cities. Kaufman County is southeast of Dallas.

At one time, both counties were also a part of a task force that address the Aryan Brotherhood.

Wiley was the judge for the Kaufman County Court at Law No. 1. She served the court from 2003 to 2013.

On the morning of Jan. 31, 2013, Mark Hasse, chief assistant district attorney was shot while walking into the Kaufman County Courthouse and later died at a local hospital.

The gunman fired once into the air, she said, and then fired point-blank at Hasse striking him in the temple.

On the bench in her courtroom, she said her mind immediately went to a car backfiring.

She looked out the window of the courthouse to see people running and never saw her court bailiff for the rest of the day. She sent those in her court upstairs while she could figure out what was going on.

A defense attorney saw her and asked her to pray for Hasse, both of them not knowing he had died, she told those gathered.

It was chilling what happened to our community. We were shocked, she said. The people of the community had so many questions.

Officials spent hours and hours reviewing his cases considering how this tragedy could have happened.

Some theorized that the Aryan Brotherhood was involved, but that lead was later unfounded.

Then the case went cold.

Eric Williams, a former attorney and justice of the peace for Kaufman County, had been convicted of burglary and theft while in office. He had been a suspect in the murder, but following Hasses murder everything pointed to him being in the clear.

On HoustonChronicle.com: MISD superintendent lays out goals at LCARW meeting

Around the middle of March, Wiley said had the thought, Were never going to know who killed Mark.

Then March 30, 2013 started out as a beautiful spring day. Wiley was having a girls night drinking wine and chatting with friends.

Her phone was in her purse out of reach. Her husband told her her coordinator Katie is calling you.

When I picked up that phone, I didnt understand a word she said. But I knew someone had passed, she said. Somewhere in that she said We couldnt find you, where are you?. She told them she was at a neighbors house. Then she said Mike and Cindy are dead. They were killed in their home.

She was referring to Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Michael McLelland, 63, and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, 65.

She told her, Were looking for you. Were looking for every elected official and you need to go.

It still chills me. Really, Mike didnt do anything but his job. But Cynthia, thats a hard one. She was a sweet woman. She made cookies for the office and crocheted. When I arrived on Monday morning, it was pandemonium with helicopters hovering over the Kaufman County Courthouse. The Feds, the DEA, the Texas Ranger were around the courthouse. It was crazy.

Wiley was given a security detail.

The Kaufman County Sheriff, a former Texas Ranger, sat with the judges and explained the situation.

I thought, he looked scared and man if he is scared then were in deep doo-doo, she said. He scared me.

She said between her children, their school and her husband and her job, she said her detail said you wear us out.

They were so professional. They did not get jovial with us until there was a break in the case, she said. If I was going to go to the potty, they were like ok, well were going to go in and make sure its clear first. It was serious.

And she knew Williams didnt like her.

She had been reviewing complaints against Williams and would later find out she was on his hit list.

Within two weeks of the second murders, things started happening in the case, she said. An associate of Williams lead law enforcement to a storage unit with evidence.

On April 18, 2013, Eric Lyle Williams and his wife, Kim, were arrested for all three murders. Kim Williams eventually flipped and testified against her husband.

Wiley later learned she was on a hit list made by Williams and that was part of the evidence that sealed the case.

Eric Williams is on Death Row and awaiting execution for the murders of Mark Hasse and Mike and Cynthia McLelland.

Wiley went on to sign copies of her book following the meeting. Wileys book is available for purchase on amazon.com for $19.99.

The October meeting will feature State Rep. Will Metcalf giving a legislative update. The group meets on the third Thursday of the month at Walden on Lake Conroe, 13101 Melville Dr., Montgomery. Social time begins at 11:30 a.m.with the program and lunch starting at noon.

Visit www.lcarw.org for more.

shernandez@hcnonline.com
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP)  Gabby Petito was killed by another person, a coroner concluded while also confirming that the human remains found recently at a Wyoming national park were those of the 22-year-old woman who disappeared months after she set out on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend, the FBI said Tuesday.

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue determined Petito was a homicide victim, but did not disclose a cause of death pending final autopsy results, officials said. Her body was found Sunday near an undeveloped camping area in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park.

Meanwhile, authorities continued to search a swampy Florida preserve area near the home of Petito's boyfriend. Police in North Port, Florida, said investigators returned Tuesday to the Carlton Reserve to look for Brian Laundrie, 23. Nothing of note was found, and the search was expected to continue Wednesday. Investigators began searching the 24,000-acre (9,700-hectare) Florida nature preserve over the weekend, focusing on the area after Laundries parents told police he may have gone there.

Authorities are using helicopters, drones, dogs and officers in all-terrain vehicles in their search for Laundrie. About 75% of the search area is underwater.

On Monday, the FBI went to Laundrie's parents' home in North Port and removed several boxes and towed away a car neighbors said Laundrie's mother typically used.

Laundrie and Petito had been living with his parents at the North Port home before the road trip on which she died.

The young couple had set out in July in a converted van to visit national parks in the West. They got into a fight along the way, and Laundrie was alone when he returned in the van to his parents home Sept. 1, police said.

Laundrie has been named a person of interest in the case, but his whereabouts in recent days were unknown.

Petitos father, Joseph, posted on social media an image of a broken heart above a picture of his daughter, with the message: She touched the world.

In an interview broadcast Monday on TVs Dr. Phil show, Joseph Petito said Laundrie and his daughter had dated for 2 1/2 years, and Laundrie was always respectful. During the interview, which was recorded before his daughters body was found, Petito said the couple had taken a previous road trip to California in her car and there were no problems.

Joseph Petito said the family began worrying after several days without hearing from their daughter.

We called Brian, we called the mom, we called the dad, we called the sister, we called every number that we could find, Joseph Petito said. No phone calls were picked up, no text messages were returned.

Joseph Petito said he wants Laundrie to be held accountable for whatever part he played in his daughter's disappearance, along with his family for protecting him.

I hope they get whats coming, and that includes his folks, Joseph Petito said. Because Ill tell you, right now, they are just as complicit, in my book.

The FBI said investigators are seeking information from anyone who may have seen the couple around Grand Teton.

Gabby Petito and Laundrie were childhood sweethearts who met while growing up on New Yorks Long Island. His parents later moved to North Port, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Sarasota.

A man who saw Petito and Laundrie fighting in Moab, Utah, on Aug. 12 called 911 to report a domestic violence incident, according to a recording of the call obtained from the Grand County Sheriffs Office. The man said he saw Laundrie slap Petito while walking through the town and proceeded to hit her before the two got in their van and drove off.

Video released by the Moab police showed that an officer pulled the couples van over on the same day after it was seen speeding and hitting a curb near Arches National Park. The body-camera footage showed an upset Petito.

Laundrie said on the video that the couple had gotten into a scuffle after he climbed into the van with dirty feet. He said he did not want to pursue a domestic violence charge against Petito, who officers decided was the aggressor.

Moab police separated the couple for the night, with Laundrie checking into a motel and Petito remaining with the van.

In the footage, Gabby Petito cried as she told the officer she and Laundrie had been arguing over her excessive cleaning of the van. She told the officer she has OCD  obsessive compulsive disorder.

On Dr. Phil, her father said that was not literally true. She just likes to keep her living area orderly and was using slang, he said.

___

AP writer Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greek authorities ordered outlying parts of a coastal resort town near Athens evacuated late Monday after a large wildfire broke out in the area.

Media reports said a few houses on the outskirts of Nea Makri, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of the Greek capital, had suffered fire damage, but no injuries to residents or firefighters were reported.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey will host about 500 Afghan evacuees, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

New Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst served as an arrival point for many thousands" of Afghans who left their homeland as the United States withdrew its troops from the country, according to Murphy. It's unclear how exactly the state is helping the refugees, but Murphy said the state was eager to assist.

We want to do our share whether temporary or permanent, he said.

Murphy, a Democrat, didn't offer much detail on the evacuees, but promised more specifics soon.

The Biden administration last week began telling governors how many Afghan evacuees from among the first group of nearly 37,000 arrivals are slated to be resettled in their states.

California is projected to take more arrivals than any other  more than 5,200 people, according to State Department data for the Afghan Placement and Assistance program obtained by The Associated Press.

The Biden administration has requested funding from Congress to help resettle 65,000 Afghans in the United States by the end of this month and 95,000 by September 2022. President Joe Biden tapped the former governor of his home state of Delaware, Jack Markell, to temporarily serve as his point person on resettling Afghan evacuees in the United States.

States with a historically large number of Afghans who resettled in the U.S. over the last 20 years  including California, Maryland, Texas and Virginia  are again welcoming a disproportionate number of evacuees, according to the data.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  The mayors of two Louisiana cities have announced a friendly competition aimed at bolstering efforts to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19.

Adrian Perkins, the mayor of Shreveport in northwest Louisiana, and Nic Hunter, the mayor of Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana are vying to see which city can achieve the higher increase in first-dose vaccinations.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Active coronavirus cases in West Virginia have fallen dramatically in recent days, bringing a hope that the latest surge is at or past its peak but prompting warnings that deaths and record hospitalizations will continue to swell before dropping, too, officials said Monday.

The number of current virus cases statewide fell to 21,490 on Monday, down 28% from Thursday's pandemic high of nearly 30,000. The caseload had been increasing astronomically since early July, when there were fewer than 1,000 cases, according to state health data.

Last week marked a seven-day record for statewide cases at 9,571, breaking the weekly record of about 8,900 set the previous week. But Sundays 980 positive cases was the first time in 12 days that the count had fallen below 1,000.

While it's a sign that perhaps the pandemic is easing in terms of people contracting the virus, the toll on hospitals is at a breaking point, Gov. Jim Justice said at a news conference.

Working closely with the West Virginia Hospital Association, Justice said he will allocate federal pandemic funding to help reimburse stressed hospitals for staffing issues, expenses and revenue losses.

We've got to step up right now and we've got to help our people, Justice said.

The problem is expected to get worse.

Despite the drop in cases, deaths and hospitalizations are expected to continue increasing for as many as six more weeks, said retired National Guard Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, who leads the states coronavirus task force.

The number of virus-related deaths so far this month, 340, is more than those in June, July and August combined, according to health data. Those hospitalized for the virus hit a record 957 on Sunday, including 292 in intensive care units.

Justice said the state's latest efforts will provide staffing assistance and funding to hospitals and long-term care facilities to maintain workforce levels, including financial help to hospitals forced to defer elective procedures.

If they need to start eliminating elective surgeries, and we do nothing, that would really destroy the economics of our hospitals, Justice said.

The state hospital association welcomed the offer.

Ultimately, funding will help support our health care workers who have been on the frontlines of care for more than 19-months and help maintain the long-term stability of our health care system to care for all patients, association President and CEO Jim Kaufman said in a statement.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Virginia has by far the highest seven-day average of virus cases in the nation at 716 per 100,000 population.

___

Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
Former New York model Diane Graham, 29, was found dead in her Upper Kirby-area apartment on this day in 1960.

The Houston Chronicle's Walter Gray wrote she "was a tall blonde with a reputation as a classy dresser." Her closet contained 14 pairs of "spike-heeled shoes and an assortment of cocktail and evening dresses."

A neighbor said Graham once described herself as the "golden girl" of the scandalous Mickey Jelke vice trial out of New York. Jelke, an oleomargarine heir, was convicted of running a call-girl ring in the 1950s. The Houston Post said Graham (known as Diane Harris in New York circles) was called as a witness in that case but did not testify. She was apparently once engaged to Jelke.

Houston Chronicle / Houston Post file

A New York prosecutor, speaking to the Post, said she was the "golden girl of cafe society." She had an active social life in Europe and the Egypt in the 1950s. Photos of her taken by famed pinup photographer Bruno Bernard can be found in the Post files.

It's not known why she ended up in Houston. While here, Graham had crossed paths with vice investigators, the Chronicle reported. A 1959 Houston police mugshot also appears in her photo file.

A doctor who was at Graham's home when police arrived that night was arrested and later released on bond. The Post said the doctor told police he couldn't remember much about her death. A few weeks later police cleared him after they determined a crime had not been committed.

County medical examiner Dr. Joseph A. Jachimczyk said Graham died as a result of cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism. Morphine poisoning also was a contributing factor.

Graham, born Mary Lou Brew in Michigan, is buried at Memorial Oaks Cemetery on the west side.
Jay Jordan

A woman was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound on Monday morning in East Houston, according to a media release by the Houston Police Department.

Officers responded to the 8800 block of Parkhurst Drive where they said they found the body of the woman in a ditch near the bayou.
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbotts ban on mask mandates in schools.

The investigation will focus on whether students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are prevented from safely returning to in-person education, in violation of federal law, Suzanne B. Goldberg, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights wrote in a letter to Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath.

The probe comes as the Texas Education Agency released new guidance saying public school systems cannot require students or staff to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because of Abbotts order prohibiting mask requirements.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued several school districts for imposing mask requirements on students and teachers, and some districts have sued the state over the governors order. The lawsuits have produced mixed results with some courts upholding districts mask mandates and some siding with the attorney general.

Goldberg wrote in the DOE letter that it is unclear whether this prohibition remains in place even if the school or district determines, given the COVID-19 transmission rates in the surrounding area, that a mask requirement is necessary to protect students with disabilities.

Guidance released by TEA Friday said Abbotts executive order precludes districts from requiring face coverings.

Per GA-38, school systems cannot require students or staff to wear a mask. GA-38 addresses government-mandated face coverings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement reads. Other authority to require protective equipment, including masks, in an employment setting is not necessarily affected by GA-38.

The agency previously had said it would not enforce the governors ban until the issue was resolved in the courts.

TEA officials on Tuesday did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new guidelines and questions about how the agency would enforce the ban. The agency has not yet clarified what prompted the new guidelines, given that the legal battles regarding the order are ongoing.

Last month, Abbott and Paxton acknowledged in court filings that they do not have the power to enforce the ban on mask mandates. Abbott said at that time that local district attorneys have the authority to enforce the ban.

Renae Eze, a spokesperson for the governor's office, said in an email Tuesday that Abbotts order can be carried out by state and local law enforcement.

In the Houston region, Aldine, Channelview, Galena Park, Galveston, Houston, Spring and Texas City ISDs currently require masks in school buildings.

Aldine ISD will continue to mandate face coverings in its schools, spokeswoman Valonia Walker wrote in an email Tuesday.

Aldine ISDs top priorities continue to be the safety and academic success of all students, she said. At this time, Aldine ISD will continue to require universal masking for anyone age 2 and older at every Aldine ISD campus, district building and school bus.

Texas City ISD also will continue to require masks, said Melissa Tortorici, director of communications for the district.

The district believes that masking is a mitigating measure that will assist with keeping staff and students safe, Tortorici said. The Texas City ISD Board of Trustees has established the requirement that masks will be worn indoors on all district facilities.

The Texas State Teachers Association plans to continue supporting school systems that do require masking, spokesman Clay Robison said.

We support the districts that are continuing to defy the governors order banning mask mandates, he said. Unlike the governor, they understand how dangerous this pandemic is.

A handful of districts are suing Abbott over the order, including Aldine, Houston, Spring and Dallas ISDs.

A federal judge earlier this month moved to fast track a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren with disabilities whose lawyers argue Abbotts mask order breaks federal law by discriminating against them because they are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

Lawyers representing the children in that lawsuit, which names Paxton, Abbott and TEA as defendants, also said the governors order preempts the federal American Rescue Plan, a relief bill signed into law earlier this year, which provides discretion for school districts to follow federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

As part of its defense in that case, attorneys from Paxtons office said no one in the state actually is enforcing the order.

Last week, a Galveston County judge denied an attempt by Paxton to stop Galveston ISD from mandating masks. The next hearing on the case is slated for Sept. 28.

hannah.dellinger@chron.com

alejandro.serrano@chron.com

ben.wermund@chron.com
The CDC is still searching for the source of a multi-state salmonella outbreak that is impacting Texas the most.

Of the 127 confirmed infections of the outbreak strain Salmonella Oranienburg, 45 live in Texas, the CDC reported on Sept. 17. Although cases have been reported in 25 total states, no other state has reported more than 13 salmonella infections connected to the outbreak.

HEALTH JOURNEY: A mom's persistence finally pays off with her daughter's diagnosis in Houston

Confirmed infections are still climbing, and the CDC is planning to provide a new update later this week, a department spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"We continue to see a significant number of new cases reported each day. It remains important that people report symptoms to their healthcare provider and local health department," CDC Senior Public Affairs Specialist Belsie Gonzalez said.

The first salmonella case connected to the outbreak was reported on Aug. 3, and since then, 18 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been recorded, the CDC reported last week.

The CDC is still investigating the foods they ate to determine what caused the outbreak, however it is difficult to track because most salmonella cases are treated at home, the organization said. It also takes at least three weeks for a salmonella case to be confirmed as part of the outbreak.

AVIAN OUTBREAK: Salmonella is killing Houston's birds. Here's how you can help them.

Common symptoms for people who have been infected with salmonella include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, However. most people can recover within a week without seeking professional medical treatment.

People can contract salmonella through contact with a contaminated animal or a variety of foods, such as vegetables, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits even and some processed foods.

Residents are encouraged to wash their hands often while cooking or handling pets, avoid cross contamination between different foods and avoid undercooked foods. You should also avoid kissing pets or placing your hands in your mouth after touching an animal.

"Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal, which is why it is important to know how to prevent infection," according to the CDC website.

chris.shelton@chron.com
After a historically light flu season in 2020, experts warn an influenza resurgence is looming this fall and winter.

I would expect a more intense influenza season, simply because we did not have a flu season last year, said Dr. Pedro Piedra, a virologist at Baylor College of Medicine.

Flu exposure breeds a level of natural immunity, creating a cellular memory of prior infections in those it infects. The absence of influenza last year, due to widespread masking and social distancing, has left many with a weakened immune defense  a development that could spell trouble as Texans venture out in droves this fall.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-area parents hope to get 'back to normal' with COVID vaccine for kids ages 5-11

The return of the familiar body aching, fever-inducing wintertime scourge could not arrive at a worse time. Hospitals are still reeling from the fourth surge of COVID-19 spurred by the highly contagious delta variant and stagnating vaccination rates.

Experts predict flu season could hit Houston by early November.

Now is the time to start making flu vaccine appointments, Piedra said.

At Houstons four city-run health clinics, the push for seasonal flu protection has already started. On Monday, nurses doled out their first doses of the flu vaccine to walk-in patients, which are free to anyone who lacks insurance. Uninsured children are also eligible for free shots through a statewide program that has already begun distributing doses.

H. Omar Salgado, vaccination chief for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services, said the health clinics are administering flu vaccines at the same time as COVID vaccines. Same-day shots have earned the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions stamp of approval and are considered safe.

We do both simultaneously, Salgado said.

Retailers like CVS and Walgreens are offering walk-in flu shots ahead of the expected winter flu surge. Walmart offers same-day appointments.

Its unclear, however, whether the push for flu inoculation will get lost in the deluge of public health messaging and pandemic fatigue. Flu vaccination rates have never been high among adults: Just one-third of Houston adults between the ages of 18 and 64 got the jab during the 2019 season, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Among school-aged children  the engines of viral spread  the rate hovered around 60 percent.

There is already some indication that flu season is back in full force. Flu cases in the Southern Hemisphere are surging, though they remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to the World Health Organization. Influenza viruses circulate all over the globe and kill an average of half a million people each year.

But this years flu vaccine may be less well-matched to counter the circulating strains.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Role of COVID-19 in Galveston County 4-year-old's death now faces more questions, officials say

Each year, scientists monitor influenza viruses globally in order to predict dangerous mutations. They then alter vaccine formulas to counteract the most virulent strains. Without a flu season last year, virologists were left guessing about which strains might be most prevalent this year, said Dr. Wesley Long, Houston Methodists medical director of diagnostic microbiology.

Nationwide, flu hospitalization rates last year dropped to the lowest levels on record. Just three patients tested positive for influenza at Memorial Hermann during the 2020 flu season, down from nearly 1,000 the previous year.

Its harder to tell what is going to happen, Long said.

What is clear, he said, is that the same interventions that stall the spread of COVID  indoor masking, social distancing and early detection  are time-tested for the prevention of flu transmission.

The uptick in flu, common colds and other respiratory pathogens is likely to be most concerning in schools, where officials are letting down their guard on masking and social distancing, said Dr. Hana M. El Sahly, a virologist and microbiologist at Baylor .

While schools are typically prime transmission zones, they dont need to be, she said. Unlike the COVID vaccine, which is not yet available for young children, the flu vaccine is approved for kids 6 months and up.

There may be heavy flu activity coming, El Sahly said. We have to be ready for it.

nora.mishanec@chron.com
Mayor Sylvester Turner fired the citys housing director Tuesday after he publicly accused the mayor of manufacturing a charade of a competitive process to steer affordable housing money to a select developer against the recommendation of staff.

According to state documents, a company listed as a co-general partner and co-developer with a stake in the deal, Harbor Venture Group, is run by the mayors longtime law partner, Barry Barnes, and another partner at Barnes firm, Jermaine Thomas. Turner left the firm after being elected mayor in 2015.

Turner denied wrongdoing and said he fired Housing and Community Development Director Tom McCasland because he lost confidence in him after the explosive allegations, which were delivered in remarks to City Councils housing committee.

The mayor said he did not know Barnes was involved in the deal until Tuesday, and did not see anything wrong with his participation.

Theres no reason why he should excuse himself, Turner said. Theres no conflict.

McCasland did not mention Barnes or Thomas when he spoke at the housing committee meeting Tuesday morning. He sent council members a packet of emails and memos detailing how Turner rebuffed housing officials recommendation to approve four affordable housing developments in favor of one project in Clear Lake, called Huntington at Bay Area.

The four projects recommended by housing staff would have used $16.2 million in city money to help finance 362 affordable units, whereas the project Turners administration selected to replace them would use $15 million for one project with 88 affordable units.

The lead company in the Huntington at Bay Area proposal is MGroup, a Montrose-based firm founded by Bellaire couple Laura and Mark Musemeche, who have been involved in many tax credit housing projects in Texas.

Barnes and Thomas, who reported on state forms they had no experience with the state tax credit process  and whose company was formed Dec. 29, 2020, records show, just weeks before the proposal first was filed  did not respond to requests for comment. A receptionist at the law firm said they were in a conference.

Mark Musemeche is on vacation this week, according to his receptionist. He did not respond to a request for comment.

More expensive, fewer units

The documents McCasland gave council show the Clear Lake project scored lower in the application process, reserves a far smaller share of units for low-income tenants, and costs nearly $170,500 per affordable unit  nearly four times the $44,800 subsidy required for the four deals it replaced, on average. The project also would serve only seniors, whereas three of the four bumped projects are for low-income families, the citys stated preference for affordable housing investments.

McCasland acknowledged the mayor has the authority to overturn staff recommendations, but he argued in this case it represented a subversion of a competitive process to benefit one applicant. He said he was not alleging fraud, but said the pattern was emblematic of a broader theme in Turners administration, a management style he said drives out public servants dedicated to integrity and creates a breeding culture for corruption.

This administration is bankrolling a certain developer to the detriment of working families who need affordable homes, McCasland said, adding in the memo to council members: I cannot support Huntington at Bay Area without participating in what I know is a charade of a competitive process when the outcome of the process was predetermined before the funding opportunity was even issued.

Turner issued a midday statement, announcing his termination of McCasland and saying there was no charade.

Comments made by the former director of the city of Houston Housing and Community Development Department are puzzling, inflated, and wrong, the mayor said.

At a later news conference, Turner said he prioritized Huntington at Bay Area because it is in the councils District E, a wealthier district where the city has not placed an affordable development in six years. He said McCaslands only gripe was that the mayor did not follow his recommendation, and said he did not raise these objections before emailing the mayor Friday.

The documents McCasland gave to council, however, show his briefings to the mayor beginning Aug. 17 noted the Huntington at Bay Area proposal was not recommended in part because it was an "extremely high ask" and was a senior project, not a family project. On Aug. 24, documents show, McCasland presented the same recommendations, and stressed the high per-unit cost of the Huntington and other deals that were not recommended.

The former housing director said putting affordable homes in District E is a noble aim, but it was not the mayors goal in advancing this project.

One of the projects scrapped to make room for Huntington, Camponile at Minimax, had proposed more units of affordable housing for seniors, 93, in District C, one of the citys wealthiest districts. Staff recommended giving Camponile $3 million in city funds, a fifth of what Huntington was awarded.

The mayor said the city has placed other projects in District C in recent years, although city figures show it still has fewer affordable units than District E.

We have tried to spread these developments across the city of Houston, put them in opportunity districts, Turner said. The one district where we have not placed many affordable housing projects has been in District E.

The other three proposed projects, all intended for families, were in Districts H, F, and J. Districts F and J also have below-average amounts of affordable housing, although that figure does not account for units that are affordable at market value.

Blindsided, direct hit

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, who represents District E and rushed into the council chamber during McCaslands remarks to the committee, said he was a strong advocate for Huntington because the district has not seen a city-backed affordable housing development in years. He said Huntington serves a need.

Ive always been a big proponent of it, Martin said. You say youre not alleging fraud, but you are alleging fraud. Youre alleging something.

After the meeting, Martin denied any knowledge of impropriety with the deal.

Zero, zero improper acting not one iota, not one inference of impropriety regarding this or any other tax credit developments, I have ever seen, Martin said. This was a blindsided, direct hit on the administration, and I take significant offense to that.

McCasland acknowledged earlier in the day he expected to be fired. He warned that the Turner administration is pushing other unethical proposals that will negatively impact the city, calling on council members and the public to hold the administration to account, decrying what he called a do-it-because-I-say-so culture.

Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, who chairs the housing committee, moved to cut McCaslands comments short after about 12 minutes, saying the people named in his testimony did not have a chance to respond.

Im overwhelmed with all this information, Thomas said. I want to hear your complete report.

McCasland said he would stop mentioning people by name and wrap up his comments.

Several council members  Tarsha Jackson of District B, Robert Gallegos of District I, and At-Large member David Robinson  thanked McCasland for his remarks and transparency. The three echoed Thomas remark that the information was overwhelming.

Harvey recovery funds reallocated

McCasland said Turners administration had pressured him to add projects from the developer MGroup before, undercutting the mayors purported focus on District E.

The former housing chief said Turners chief of staff, Marvalette Hunter, urged him last winter to override his staffs recommendations and include another of the companys proposed developments in Spring Branch, in District A, on a list of projects the city would support for affordable housing tax credits. McCasland said he agreed, knowing the local state representative would oppose the deal, effectively killing its chances at receiving the credits; when that occurred, the deal  Huntington at Witte  was replaced with another project.

Musemeche, of MGroup, donated $5,000, the maximum contribution allowed, to Turners 2019 re-election campaign, and MGroup contributed $5,000 to Turners earlier campaign in 2015, but the two men have no other apparent ties. MGroup also contributed $5,000 to former mayor Annise Parker in 2013, and Musemeche gave small donations totaling $3,500 to several former council members.

In May, McCasland proposed reallocating some federal Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery funds to free up money to buy land for an affordable complex in Montrose. Hunter approved the fund transfer, but directed McCasland to instead use the extra dollars to quickly seek formal proposals from developers for new projects or tax credit developments that may need additional gap funding.

That notice was issued June 1, and within days MGroup had applied for the funding, a move McCasland said prevented Huntington at Bay Area from being eliminated in the competition for tax credits, as the developers could tell state officials they were seeking city help to cover their $15 million funding gap.

Still, the city initially had no plans to provide the funds. Housing staff did not recommend giving the Huntington project money, as it ranked eighth out of 12 applicants, and had proposed reserving the lowest share  60 percent  of its units for low-income tenants. The project also would use more than half the citys available money, while higher-scoring projects needed less money to finance more units.

The cost-per-unit for the four projects recommended by the housing staff were roughly $33,000, $38,000, $42,000, and $103,000. The cost-per-unit for the project Turner pushed for is $170,000.

McCasland said the mayor approved adding Huntington to the list, scrapping the four other projects. One other deal, a New Hope Housing project in District H, was kept.

The Housing Department sent out a press release announcing the awards Tuesday morning. McCasland said the directive to send that press release, effectively sealing the deals, motivated him to go public Tuesday.

The allegations could have broader implications for the city, as the funds at issue include federal disaster recovery dollars, overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Texas General Land Office.

The GLO said in a statement it was looking into the serious allegations of fraud or corruption and would coordinate with HUD officials to re-review the citys requests for disaster dollars.

HUD said it would work with the Office of Inspector General to review the allegation.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com

mike.morris@chron.com
Tam Pham  a former HPD officer who submitted his resignation early this year  has pleaded guilty to his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Pham on Monday entered into an agreement pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. The former officer is one of dozens of Texans who have faced charges in connection to the riot.

Mr. Pham entered a plea to a very low level or petty misdemeanor and all other charges against him were dismissed, Phams lawyer, Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, wrote in an email. With an offer of a petty misdemeanor for parading on Capitol grounds on the table, the expense and stress of ongoing litigation makes little sense. Mr. Pham is a kind, peace loving, family man and we look forward to sharing his beautiful life story with the Court in preparation for the conclusion of this case.

According to court documents, Pham went to then-President Donald Trumps speech before making his way to the U.S. Capitol, walking over already-knocked-over fences and seeing police officers.

Pham went into the building, taking photos and videos, and stayed in there for around 10-15 minutes, according to the documents.

While inside, some people were yelling and some were waving flags, a court document read. The defendant posed for a picture in front of a bronze statue of President Gerald Ford in whose arms a flag had been placed that read, Trump - 2020 - No More Bulls- - - -.

The document  which Pham attested to the accuracy of by signing his name at the bottom  acknowledged that he knowingly entered the building without permission and also paraded, demonstrated, or picketed.

Pham at first denied going to the building in a Jan. 12 interview with officials, although he admitted to attending the rally, according to court documents. A special agent then found photos and videos on his phone in an album for deleted content that were readily identifiable as being of the interior of the Capitol building.

But after an official told him about how making false statements wasnt lawful, Pham opened up, telling them that he, his wife and a friend of hers went to D.C. on Jan. 5 for a two-night trip related to his spouses business, he acknowledged as part of his plea.

Pham told officials that he learned about the rally from Facebook and the only reason he went to the rally was to see history. He also told officials that he didnt have weapons or meet up with people at the rally and had no intention of committing any act of violence or vandalism at the Capitol.

The three attended the rally, and Pham started following others toward the Capitol afterward, but his wife and her friend didnt go with Pham.

When Pham reached the building and entered it, he was looking at art in the Rotunda, and also snapped photos and took video in the building, Pham acknowledged as part of his plea. After staying for around 10-15 minutes, Pham then left.

Former HPD Chief Art Acevedo has previously said that he contacted the FBI after getting a complaint and seeing photos on social media.

Pham faces a six-month maximum prison sentence, a fine that doesnt exceed $5,000 as well as an obligation to pay any applicable interest or penalties on fines and restitution not timely made, according to the plea deal.

The deal also stipulated that Pham would pay $500 in restitution and give the U.S. District Court for D.C.s clerk a $10 special assessment.

His sentencing date is scheduled for Dec. 9, according to a U.S. attorneys office website.

leah.brennan@chron.com
Floyd Young blamed the coronavirus pandemic.

When the virus disrupted what he cared about  football  and sapped his interest in other aspects of school, the would-be sophomore at Houston Independent School Districts Kashmere High School stopped going. Instead, he started working at McDonalds about 20 hours a week to help his family, said his mother, Angelica Henley.

He is just a teenager, Henley said. He should not have to put all this stress on him.

More from Alejandro Serrano: Video of Houston ISD student beating was posted online. His family wants answers from the district.

HISD Superintendent Millard House II personally visited Floyd on Saturday to check in and pitch him on returning to school. And it seemed to work. Floyd said he would go back, as did 81 other students, during the districts annual Students Within Reach Walk.

Many youngsters, however, so far have remained out of reach.

The states largest school district recorded a first-day enrollment of 172,091 students, a significant decrease compared with previous years. It is not uncommon for enrollment to lag, even to its lowest point of the year, in August.

While numbers reported later in the fall typically provide a more accurate depiction of a districts student body, HISDs enrollment in recent weeks has slowly risen to about 190,000 as of last week, according to House, but remains lower than the nearly 200,000 who finished last school year.

Still, House said before embarking on the home visits Saturday, the district is on pace to reach its target of about 197,000 students.

Student reengagement efforts are ongoing, and it is our goal to facilitate outreach to the families of all students who have left HISD, he said. We are not here to judge, we are here to support. That is very important for us to understand. So, as we knock on doors this morning, we are here to ensure that we get these babies back in classrooms so that they can get the kind of support they need.

HISD is not alone.

The Texas Education Agency registered a decrease last year of statewide enrollment from the previous year for the first time since it began collecting enrollment data.

There were roughly 5.37 million students enrolled in schools across Texas last year, a 2.2 percent decrease  about 122,354 students  from the prior year, agency officials wrote in a June report.

Locally, districts have seen a mix of enrollment fluctuations this year.

Fort Bend ISD has recorded a roughly 3 percent decline to about 77,050 students.

Fort Bend ISD is working to recapture students not currently enrolled in the district, and multiple departments are working in tandem to plan and conduct these outreach efforts, the district said in a statement Monday.

Meanwhile, some districts in the Houston region already have seen increases in student enrollment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: HISD to stop taking temperature of elementary students, visitors

Conroe ISD had projected an enrollment of 66,298 and as of Monday had 67,747 students. Spring Branch ISD had nearly 400 more students than anticipated.

We made an aggressive outreach effort to families in advance of the start of the school year, Spring Branch ISD spokesman Terry Abbott wrote in an email Monday. And school leaders have been diligent about being in touch with their families to encourage everyone to return this fall.

At HISD, the start of Saturdays walk offered a glimpse into the challenges districts can face trying to entice students to come back.

A cadre of district staffers looking to engage with Floyd first went to a house on Lavender, where they found a barking dog, a wandering chicken and a man who was not the student.

Eventually, administrators got an updated address and drove the nearly 5 miles to the apartment where he lived.

Such problems  having an outdated address or phone number as a students contact information  are par for the course for Burl Jones, a student outreach worker at HISD, who said he goes on wild goose chases all the time as he tries to get students back into classrooms.

COVID-19 made it worse. Some students did not have access to the internet early on, and some parents remain skeptical of vaccines or health protocols.

Sometimes, people will be there, they wont answer the door. Or you have an address on file for them and they dont actually live there, Jones said. That is what it is out there, man, that is the real world.  I do what it takes to find them. Its like, I am an investigator. I dont give up. I get a joy out of recovering these kids.

HISD also has held several phone banking sessions, including in partnership with Houston Federation of Teachers, the districts largest employees union.

Of 23,099 calls looking for students, 4,437 led to conversations, HFT President Jackie Anderson said. An additional 3,500 conversations occurred during neighborhood visits on the districts southeast, southwest and north sides.

We know that the best learning for students occurs in the classroom, Anderson said. There is no doubt about that.

As part of its return to school program, HISD also has expanded its wraparound services to have at least one specialist on every campus to help identify and address students basic needs.

The tough part is that it is really detrimental if our students dont come back, said Adeeb Barqawi, a former Kashmere High teacher who founded the nonprofit ProUnitas, which partners with the district to better connect students with social service providers. While there might not be like a silver bullet solution of how we are going to get them back, we cannot leave this because schools are so important to our kids lives and them not being there is really going to set us back even more in our fight for educational equity.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
Maya Bailey doesnt feel she can study at the law school campus of Texas Southern University because of a weak internet connection, so she often downloads study materials before heading to the school.

Other students complain about classroom clocks without batteries, and faulty equipment such as projectors and microphones.

We want to learn and be in person, but the university has had a year and a half to get the infrastructure up to par and they have failed to do that, said Bailey, a juris doctorate candidate.

Bailey was among a group of TSU students who gathered at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law on Monday to air their grievances about technology issues at the historically Black campus.

Administrators barred Houston Chronicle journalists from covering the gathering, citing COVID-19 protocols. But students said that as many as 50 students met with Joan Bullock, the law school dean, that afternoon.

Some questioned why police officers were called to the building, noting that the gathering was peaceful.

In a video provided to the Chronicle, TSU Police Chief Mary Young assured students that they had been peaceful and that she was responding to a call from the law school to ensure everyone was safe.

After the gathering, Susan Bynam, the law schools assistant dean for institutional advancement, told Chronicle journalists outside the building that they would have to leave campus, saying she had the police chief on the line on her cell phone. Bynam repeatedly told reporters there was no story.

Frank Achonye, vice president of TSUs Student Bar Association, said the quality of technology at the law school is inexcusable. He cited the cost of attending  as much as $50,320 a year  as well as the institutions history.

Were a professional school and a law school  a very prestigious law school at that, said Achonye, a second-year law student. With that being said, we cant even ask for simple things like Wi-Fi and more resources.

Such concerns prompted a professor to walk out of his classroom and to the deans office Sept. 17 to discuss his concerns with students in tow, according to students and an email provided to the Chronicle. Students encouraged others via email to join the Monday protest to engage in our duty as law students to try and improve the quality of our law school.

Bullock said she was unable to speak to students that day because she was attending an HBCU summit, but she spoke with students Monday. Students also planned to meet with TSU president Lesia L. Crumpton-Young on Tuesday to discuss their concerns, according to an email.

Bullock noted that the university, which is under a three-year improvements plan, is actively working to upgrade its equipment and fiber cable network throughout the schools various buildings and has a strategic plan to do so. The law school is set to receive those upgrades, but Bullock said she cannot move that process at a quicker pace. In the meantime, the law school does have Wi-Fi and Internet, albeit low at times.

It gets a little shaky. It could be better, Bullock said, adding that the students concerns are legitimate.

Bailey said some students have also expressed frustrations with TSUs protocols during COVID-19, which require students to attend classes in person. While Bullock was allowed to conduct classes virtually after contracting COVID-19, Bailey said students were not given the same flexibility.

It caused friction between the administration and the students, Bailey said.

Bullock said she addressed many of these concerns during a town hall meeting earlier this month. She wants students to know and feel that their voices are heard, but also give them a chance to be creative in problem solving, she said. Her hope is to work with them to get results for the university without distracting from their studies or passing the bar.

Im willing to listen, and Im willing to do what we need to do to accomplish the results, and thats my focus, Bullock said.

While some students say they feel their concerns have been dismissed, Achonye said he believes Bullock is working in support of the law schools students and faculty and everyones agendas to bring the law school up to par with other schools.

Shes willing to assist us, but it seems like her hands are tied by the bureaucracy of the school, he said. When were asking for Wi-Fi, its not because were trying to download videos on YouTube. Its so we can learn the material that will be on the bar and increase the bar rates.

Achonye said students have delivered action plans to Bullock to see what can be done. If they dont see progress, they plan to continue the protests, he said.

What were doing is all out of love for this school. We dont want to graduate and then other students are experiencing hardships, Achonye said Monday. We got something done today. It was a very small victory. The war is not over.

brittany.britto@chron.com
2 1 of 2 Felix Marquez, STR / Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 2 PAUL RATJE/AFP, Contributor / TNS Show More Show Less



U.S. officials said they will look into allegations that border agents on horseback used whips on Monday to push a group of Haitian migrants from along a river encampment in Del Rio, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said their respective departments would investigate photos and videos from the scene that depicted agents on horseback using whips to remove migrants from the encampment. According to Mayorkas, agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses.
Last weekend, a makeshift refugee camp under the Del Rio International Bridge grew to nearly 16,000 people, most of them Haitian, overwhelming immigration officials and leading to allegations of abuse from Border Patrol agents. Here's what you need to know about the ongoing situation at the U.S.-Mexico border:

Nearly 16,000 people were camped at the bridge last weekend, moving back and forth over the Rio Grande between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Though the camp includes migrants from several Caribbean and Latin American countries, the vast majority are coming from Haiti, many by way of Chile. As of Monday, 6,000 migrants had already been removed from the camp, with another 3,000 expected to leave by the following day.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Why are Haitians coming in such large numbers?

Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, and has been subjected to a series of natural disasters and political crises over the last decade or so. In 2010, the country was struck by a devastating earthquake which left thousands dead and a million more homeless. Nearly 200,000 Haitians emigrated to Chile in the years following, due to the country's economic stability and lax immigration policies, but were met with racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in many cases, spurring tens of thousands to leave for other countries such as the U.S.

In the last summer alone, the country has seen the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise, and another crushing earthquake, which left at least 1,400 dead. The confluence of crises has led to an unstable situation in Haiti, and many of its residents no longer feel safe living there.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

What's going to happen to them?

The U.S. began putting Haitians on flights back to their homeland over the weekend, with seven daily expulsion flights to the country expected to begin Wednesday. Authorities are aiming to have the entire camp cleared by the end of the week.

The mass expulsion is made possible by a policy adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that allows border officials to turn away many migrants without due process.

Are migrants actually being whipped by Border Patrol agents?

As authorities begin the process of removing migrants from the camp in Del Rio, some Border Patrol agents have been accused of whipping people from horseback. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said their respective departments would investigate photos and videos from the scene. Mayorkas said the images "horrified" him, but refused to call the situation a crisis.

Felix Marquez, STR / Associated Press

What have elected officials said about the situation?

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote a letter to President Joe Biden Monday asking that he declare a federal emergency in Del Rio, and blaming him for the untenable situation at the border.

Biden's administration has held firm on the stance that the United States will not be accepting migrants, and that only Haitians living in the U.S. before July 29 are eligible for Temporary Protected Status.

FROM THE BORDER: Del Rio's sprawling migrant camp grows with no resolution in sight

"We have reiterated that our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey. Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday.

"Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities, and to the lives of the migrants themselves, and should not be attempted. If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's lives," Mayorkas said.

How can I help migrants?

Several advocacy groups are accepting donations and volunteers to help ease the crisis in Del Rio. Here are a few:
NASA is being restructured to better handle the surge of people going into space today and in the not-too-distant future.

More and more people are accessing microgravity on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, a commercial capsule developed with help from NASA. The International Space Station has housed humans for an uninterrupted 21 years, and NASA hopes its successor will be a commercial space station. A NASA rocket and spacecraft are being developed to send humans to the moon, create a sustainable lunar presence and then go on to Mars.

All this growth has led our Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate to grow substantially, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a NASA town hall.

QUESTION: You can buy your way into space on a billionaires ship. Did you earn the same pin as astronauts?

So, effective Tuesday, the agencys human spaceflight directorate will be divided into new directorates focused on two important tasks: operating missions that are currently in space and developing future systems that will get the agency to the moon and Mars.

The new Space Operations Mission Directorate will focus on launch and space operations, which includes the International Space Station, certifying Boeing to fly astronauts to the station and helping stimulate the future of commercial space stations. Eventually, this directorate will include sustaining operations on and around the moon.

The new Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate will focus on developing the systems critical for reaching the moon, creating a base and then moving on to Mars. This will ensure there is a constant cycle of development to advance NASAs goals in space exploration.

Weve learned a lot in the last decade and the future is starting to emerge much more clearly, said Pam Melroy, NASAs deputy administrator. This is exactly the time for us to take a deep breath and say, Wow, we have a chain of development programs, no longer just one monolithic program. How are we going to manage this huge change in scope?

Returning to the moon, for instance, requires a rocket and spacecraft. A landing system will have to lower astronauts to the moon. Habitats and new spacesuits will protect them on the lunar surface, and a small platform will orbit the moon to provide support. All of that is separate from the space station and programs in low-Earth orbit.

Kathy Lueders was the first woman to lead the agencys Human Exploration and Operations. Now, shell lead the new Space Operations.

Jim Free, who left NASA in 2017 after 27 years with the agency, will return to lead the new Exploration Systems Development. Free started his NASA career as a propulsion engineer and later held a number of leadership positions, most recently as deputy associate administrator for technical in NASAs Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

Today is more than an organizational change, Nelson said. Its setting the stage for the next 20 years. Its defining NASAs future in a growing space economy. Its maintaining leadership in space.

andrea.leinfelder@chron.com

twitter.com/a_leinfelder
From the drones-eye view many of us have on cable news, the thousands of Haitians  families, pregnant women, children, babies  milling around under a Del Rio bridge are an urgent problem to be solved.

Those of us who have read individual interviews with some of the families know that many have traveled years across continents on epic journeys to escape natural disasters, political unrest and poverty. Theyre looking for better lives, for education, for decent wages they can feed their families on.

And we, from the comfort of our cozy recliners, just want a solution.

The solution that appeals to many is a perfectly tuned balance of security, efficiency and humanity, which is nothing but a pipe dream until this country passes comprehensive immigration reform and provides more resources, such as immigration judges, that would allow people to have their claims promptly considered and either receive relief or be deported.

For years, weve had only a messy hodgepodge of policies under different administrations that vary in severity, effectiveness, and compassion  leaving ordinary Americans across the political spectrum, and apparently plenty of migrants as well  confused about what current U.S. immigration law actually is.

The politicians, of course, enjoy this confusion because its much easier to spin their way. Its much easier to weaponize to further divide us into partisan camps. And we happily oblige.

ANALYSIS: How Chile's treatment of Haitian migrants contributed to the humanitarian crisis at the border in Del Rio

Take a recent poll by the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler. It found that 47 percent of the registered voters surveyed approve of Gov. Greg Abbotts border immigration policies while only 29 percent approve of President Bidens handling of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Only 36 percent of those polled said they thought Texas should spend more on the border wall, so perhaps people do understand that the state is throwing money at a federal issue without any real results.

It might seem a paradox, the polls director Mark Owens told the newspaper. But the public wants to see some decisive action but also some welcoming or compassion.

What Texans may not understand is that, by many accounts, Abbott is making the situation on the border even worse.

Until a court order stopped him, he was impeding the transport of asylum-seekers trying to leave the Valley for their next destination, usually with family. Then he flooded border towns with officers from various agencies, including state troopers and the Texas National Guard, that are apparently tripping over each other in their enforcement efforts. The governors directives to arrest migrants on trespassing charges have needlessly clogged jails and courts with thousands of cases while ensnaring asylum-seekers, who have a legal right to have their claims heard.

Nobody knows what to do, and every time somebody thinks they figure it out, something new happens, David Ortiz, a court-appointed attorney representing clients with trespassing cases, told the Texas Tribune.

The Tribune reported that earlier this month, the Val Verde County Attorney David Martinez dismissed dozens of cases against migrants in the interest of justice, after more recent guidance from the state to focus on dangerous criminals, not migrants seeking asylum. What a great idea.

Biden, meanwhile, is being blamed by Republicans for causing the crisis at the border with his open border policies. Nothing could be further than the truth.

Biden may well have contributed to continued flows of migrants by virtue of simply being elected. He ran as the anti-Trump, promising more humane enforcement of U.S. border policy.

On the enforcement side, Biden doubled the number of migrant detainees from the start of his administration and his expulsions have mostly kept pace with Trumps, drawing condemnation from liberals in his own party and immigration advocates for keeping the Trump era Title 42 policy that allows for many migrants to be immediately expelled from the country amid the pandemic, depriving many of an asylum hearing. When a court blocked the provision for families, the Biden administration appealed to get it back.

In some ways, Biden has kept his vow for more compassionate border enforcement. He had paused deportations to Haiti after an earthquake in the country in August that killed 2,000 people. But his compassion is in serious question now that his administration has responded to the humanitarian crisis in Del Rio with a massive deportation effort to immediately fly the Haitian migrants back to their shattered homeland, where Haitian officials say they are poorly equipped to take them.

The fact that more migrants are coming under the false assumption that Biden will welcome them with open arms isnt necessarily Bidens fault. Contrary to the bloviating commentary on Fox News, Biden never extended a blanket invitation and Vice President Kamala Harris was ridiculed by the left during her trip to Central America for telling would-be migrants not to come.

And his administration continues to repeat that message as Marsha Espinosa, a public affairs official with Department of Homeland Security, did again this week: We have reiterated that our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey.

That doesnt sound like open borders to us.

When President Trump, who took an unprecedented hard line against immigration, was howling about the approaching migrant caravans, Republicans generally didnt blame him or accuse him of somehow inviting them. Why would they? He did everything he could to stop them  including a zero tolerance policy that led migrant parents to have babies snatched from their arms. Trump figured thatd teach them. It didnt. They kept coming.

We can all agree, though, that even if Biden didnt cause the problem, its his to solve. And right now, hes doing a poor job. Thats easy to see. Its easy for us to say, isnt it? And yet, how fair is it to ridicule a president over his handling of a vexing problem that has eluded countless presidents and Congressional efforts to address it?

Nevertheless, the buck stops with Biden. Local officials along the border need urgent federal aid to help house migrants and, when necessary, detain them in humane conditions while they await their days in court. If this nation is going to have a law on the books telling people they can come here and request asylum, we need to find a way to honor it.

Americans, for the most part, know what we dont want in immigration enforcement. Few, even those who strongly support border enforcement, want babies ripped from their parents arms. And few, even those who favor more lenient border enforcement, want asylum-seekers living in squalid conditions under a Del Rio bridge.

Its much harder to say what specific policies we do want. Maybe thats because no one thing will work. We need the whole shebang of comprehensive immigration reform, which will only come when enough Americans demand it. And that will only happen when enough Americans get the facts.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbotts ban on mask mandates in schools, making Texas the sixth state to face a federal inquiry over mask rules.

The investigation will focus on whether Abbotts order prevents students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19 from safely returning to in-person education, in violation of federal law, Suzanne B. Goldberg, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights wrote in a letter to Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath.

The investigation comes after the Texas Education Agency released guidance saying public school systems cannot require students or staff to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in light of Abbotts ban on mask mandates.

BACKGROUND: TEA now says school districts cannot require masks, but does not say how it will enforce that

A federal judge earlier this month moved to fast track a lawsuit filed on behalf of 14 Texas schoolchildren with disabilities whose lawyers argue Abbotts mask order breaks federal law by discriminating against them because they are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

Goldberg wrote that the Office for Civil Rights will examine whether TEA may be preventing school districts in the state from considering or meeting the individual educational needs of students with disabilities or otherwise enabling discrimination based on disability.

The department previously opened similar investigations into mask policies in Iowa, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma and Tennessee. But the agency had not done so in Texas because of court orders preventing the state from enforcing Abbotts order. The new TEA guidance changed that, however.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, had also requested an investigation late last month.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a number of school districts that have imposed mask mandates, but Paxton and Abbott have admitted in court filings they do not have authority to do much more than that to enforce the ban on mask requirements.

Goldberg wrote that it is unclear whether this prohibition remains in place even if the school or district determines, given the COVID-19 transmission rates in the surrounding area, that a mask requirement is necessary to protect students with disabilities.

The education departments office of civil rights will also examine that issue, the letter says.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrongly characterized the timeline of pregnancy, distorting how long a woman would typically know she was pregnant and be able to get an abortion under the states new law.

A reporter recently asked Abbott about SB 8, the states law that bans doctors from providing an abortion after detecting a fetal heart beat. The law has no exceptions for rape or incest. Under the law, which went into effect Sept. 1, any person can sue abortion providers or anyone who "aids and abets" an abortion. Plaintiffs have the opportunity to win judgments of at least $10,000.

"Why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?" the reporter asked.

Abbott replied: "It doesnt require that at all, because obviously it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion." Abbott then pivoted to vow to "eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas."

Abbotts statement that women would have at least six weeks to get an abortion drew pushback from abortion rights supporters, who said that the Republican governor was wrong about his pregnancy timeline. We contacted a spokesperson for Abbott to ask for his evidence and did not hear back by our deadline.

Abbotts comment that a woman would have six weeks to get an abortion distorts the timeline of pregnancy and assumes a woman would know almost immediately after intercourse that she was pregnant.

Counting weeks of pregnancy

The law doesnt state that abortion is banned after six weeks. Instead, the law says that abortion is banned after detection of a fetal heart beat, which is defined as "cardiac activity or the steady and repetitive rhythimc contraction of the fetal heart within the gestational sac."

The law is named the "Texas Heatbeat Act," but medical experts say thats a misnomer.

"This is medically inaccurate, because a fetus doesnt have a developed heart at this time," Dr. Kristyn Brandi, board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health and an abortion provider in New Jersey told PolitiFact. "What they are referring to is being able to visualize electric activity in the cells that will eventually become a heart."

This visualization of embryonic cardiac activity often is first able to be visualized around six weeks, but it can be seen at times even before that, Brandi told PolitiFact.

What people think of as a heartbeat in early pregnancy is actually created by electric impulses that are captured by an ultrasound machine and translated by the machine into the sound of a heartbeat  there are no cardiac valves, so there is no sound of them opening and closing, said Dr. Nisha Verma, who provides abortion and is a fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization.

"Those electric impulses do not make the sound of a heartbeat on their own, nor do they suggest that the heart is now developed," Verma said. "This is not a particularly important part of fetal cardiac development, even though it may be an important moment for my patients who are connecting with their pregnancies."

Multiple experts on pregnancy told us that the length of a womans pregnancy is measured from the first day of her last menstrual period.

That means that by the time a woman misses her period, she is already considered four weeks pregnant, Verma said. That leaves women with roughly two weeks to make a decision about their pregnancy and, if they choose to do so, have an abortion.

The most sensitive urine pregnancy tests may detect a pregnancy five to seven days before a womans first missed period, Verma said. However, doctors recommend that women wait until the first day of their missed period for the most accurate test results.

Not all women realize they are pregnant by that early stage.

"Women with irregular cycles often don't know they are pregnant until later than the six weeks," said Dr. John Thoppil, president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Brandi told us in 2019 that most women dont realize theyre pregnant until missing at least one period. Often, it takes two.

While women who are trying to conceive may track their cycles closely and know sooner if they are pregnant, that isnt generally the case for women whose pregnancies are unintended.

In Texas, most patients seeking an abortion must first receive in-person counseling and then wait 24 hours before getting the procedure. The use of telemedicine for medication abortion is prohibited, and insurance policies only cover abortion in limited circumstances, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organization that supports abortion rights and whose research is widely cited.

"At its most generous interpretation, if a person discovers they are pregnant at exactly four weeks on the dot, that person would only have two weeks to decide if they want an abortion, find a clinic that has capacity to accept patients immediately, schedule two separate appointments, arrange for transportation, time off work, find childcare if needed, and pull together the money to pay for the abortion itself, which is typically around $500 at that point in pregnancy," said Liza Fuentes, a senior research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute.

The Texas Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Texas found in a 2018 survey of 603 abortion patients at 12 facilities that 16% were less than six weeks pregnant at the time of their abortion.

In the recent federal court case about the Texas abortion law, a co-medical director of a center that provides abortions said in 2020 about 10% of abortions were for patients up to five weeks and six days from their last menstral period. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect.

Our ruling

Abbott said that the new Texas abortion law "provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion."

Abbotts statement ignores how the pregnancy timeline is calculated. Doctors count pregnancy as starting from the date of a womans last period. That means by the time a woman with a regular cycle misses her first period, she is considered four weeks pregnant, which leaves her with two weeks to get an abortion. A woman with an irregular cycle may discover she has even less time.

We rate this statement False.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK

The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
New survey: How companies are responding to the Delta variant
Fugees reunite for Global Citizen Live campaign, tour + how to get tickets for tomorrows NYC show!

UPDATED: A reunited Fugees have partnered with Global Citizen for a special NYC performance Wednesday to kick off a campaign to end the hunger and shine a spotlight on the crisis in Haiti.

After a 15 year hiatus Wyclef Jean, Pras Michael, and Lauryn Hill will also embark on a US tour this Fall.

In a statement, Lauryn Hill said,  The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasnt even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.

Wyclef Jean added: As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.

Wednesdays Special Concert

From Global Citizen: Since the pandemic began, even more people have been pushed to the brink of famine, with 41 million now facing starvation. Climate change is making this situation even worse, with rising temperatures and water scarcity making it harder to produce and distribute the food that people need.

This situation is especially acute in Haiti, where climate change, frequent natural disasters, and poverty have pushed nearly half of the population into food insecurity.

You could see the Fugees reunion live in New York City action now via Global Citizen to earn tickets here.

FUGEES TOUR 2021 DATES

Bandsintown will have more details and links to buy tickets here.

Wed, Sept 22  NYC

Tues, Nov 2  Chicago, IL  United Center

Sun, Nov 7  Oakland, CA  Oakland Arena

Fri, Nov 12  Los Angeles, CA  The Forum

Thurs, Nov 18  Atlanta, GA  State Farm Arena

Sun, Nov 21  Miami, FL  FTX Arena

Fri, Nov 26  Newark, NJ  Prudential Center

Sun, Nov 28  Washington D.C.  Capital One Arena

Sat, Dec 4  Paris, France  La Defense Arena

Mon, Dec 6  London, U.K.  The O2

TBD  Nigeria  TBD

Sat, Dec 18  Ghana  TBD

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

Share on:
At least 20 countries blocked people's internet access between June 2020 and May 2021

Internet users in a record number of countries have faced arrest and physical attacks for their posts over the past year, a report said on Sept. 21, painting a grim picture of digital freedoms in 2021. The annual "Freedom on the Net" report said internet shutdowns in Myanmar and Belarus had proved particular low points as online rights declined globally for the 11th year in a row. Compiled by US think tank Freedom House, the survey gives countries a score out of 100 for the level of internet freedom enjoyed by citizens, including the extent to which they face restrictions on the content they can access. Donate to UCA News with a small contribution of your choice Other factors include whether pro-government trolls seek to manipulate online debates. "This year, users faced physical attacks in retribution for their online activities in 41 countries," the report said, a record high since the tracking started 11 years ago. Examples included a Bangladeshi student hospitalised after a beating for alleged "anti-government activities" on social media, and a Mexican journalist assassinated after posting a Facebook video accusing a gang of murder. China was named the world's worst abuser of internet freedoms, handing out heavy prison sentences for online dissent The report also found that people had been arrested or convicted for their online activities in 56 out of the 70 countries covered by the report  a record 80 percent. They included two Egyptian influencers jailed in June for sharing TikTok videos that encouraged women to pursue careers on social media platforms. Myanmar was singled out for heavy criticism in the report after a military junta seized power in February and shut down the internet, blocked social media and forced tech companies to hand over personal data. Internet shutdowns were similarly used to cut communications ahead of Uganda's elections in January and after a disputed Belarus election in August last year. Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/myanmar-shutdown-marks-grim-year-for-internet-freedom/94222#
Portugal's secretary of state for cinema, audiovisual and media argued on Wednesday that citizens prepared for the future must be informed and in order for that to happen they need instruments that defend them from the "traps of disinformation" that "undermine democracies", in comments to Lusa.

Nuno Artur Silva was speaking in erlation the launch of the LEME website, which contains media literacy resources that are to be available to all educators.

"Valuing media literacy is fundamental for citizenship and social participation reasons, so that everyone can participate in an informed way," the secretary of state said. "We are all vulnerable when we are on social networks, when we read a news story, when we see a news story on television or information comes to us on the internet: we are vulnerable and we tend to believe the news.

"Nowadays this is fertile ground for voluntary manoeuvres, sometimes involuntary, of disinformation and this undermines democracies, it destroys democracy," he said.

Silva said that there was a gap in the fight against disinformation, as no content aggregator existed such as the one that is now being launched, to help equip students with tools to fight disinformation and 'fake news'.

"What we are doing seems fundamental to the defence of democracy because it is, deep down, to give citizens from a very young age the ability to understand how they should inform themselves, that is, what they have to be alert to in order to understand if the information they receive is correct, if the sources are credible, if they are not being deceived," he explained.

However, he stressed that media companies themselves should also create their own mechanisms to defend themselves against disinformation, even if with the support of and incentives from the government.

"The areas where at the moment the government has the possibility to intervene directly is here at the level of schools," he said. "This is, let's say, part of the government's area of influence, through a series of programmes to encourage media literacy."

The government on Wednesday launches a website called LEME containing media literacy resources, with contributions from several sources, among them Lusa itself.

In a note from the cabinet office, the government recalled that, through the secretary of state for education, Joao Costa, and Silva himself, it had "decided to promote, in June 2020, the creation of a working group formed by researchers, teachers, trainers, journalists and representatives of public institutions" that was then "mandated to inventory, select and systematise the available resources on media literacy, as well as to propose innovations that contribute to enrich the offer and to fill the gaps detected."

This group's work "originated the creation of a website, called LEME - Media Literacy and Education Online (leme.gov.pt), funded by .PT [which manages the .pt domain] which, in the meantime, has joined the project," the note reads.

The new site is "entirely dedicated to media literacy resources, with the purpose of contributing so that educators and teachers of pre-school, primary and secondary education promote in a more sustained way their pedagogical mission of stimulating in their students, consumers and producers of contents in the digital media more and more frequently, the knowledge, the skills and the critical sense indispensable to an informed and responsible performance," it continues.

LEME is, as of Wednesday, "accessible to the general public [and] free of charge."

Source: https://www.lusa.pt/article/34286380/portugal-new-media-literacy-website-defence-against-fake-news-government
BCC To Offer Flu and COVID-19 vaccines

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire Community College (BCC) will welcome Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) and Community Health Programs (CHP) to campus on Wednesday, Sept. 22 for free vaccination clinics.

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: CHP's mobile health unit, the Big Orange Bus, will administer Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the flu vaccine and COVID testing.

The bus will be located near the Susan B. Anthony Center.

1-4 p.m.: BHS will administer the flu vaccine from 1-4 pm at the Susan B. Anthony Center.

Vaccines are given free of charge, and no appointment is necessary. Please bring insurance cards.

The Presidents of the Massachusetts community colleges announced Monday that students, faculty, and staff at the Commonwealth's 15 community colleges must be fully vaccinated by January 2022.

BCC is one of the 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges

Free COVID testing is also available at Stop the Spread clinics located at 505 East Street, Pittsfield; 98 Church Street, North Adams; and 475 Main Street, Great Barrington. To make an appointment, call (855) 262-5465.
Three separate IFJ digital media studies commissioned from July to September 2021 found that digital media workers in Pakistan are largely ignored both in terms of working conditions and in meaningful participation in unions and press clubs. The International Federation of the Journalists (IFJ) echoes the researchers concerns and urges media, governments and journalist representative organisations in Pakistan to take note of the recommendations put forward by the countrys young, digital and female media workers and put plans in action to address issues raised.

The research was conducted by activists from the Freedom Network, the Young Journalists Forum Lahore and the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), under the IFJ and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) project Promoting Labour Rights, Gender Equality and Freedom of Association in Pakistans Media.

Endorsing the findings of research of Pakistans digital media landscape, a new Digital Working Group (DWG), formed on September 7 and put forward joint recommendations from the three research efforts. The group also expressed grave concern over increased censorship and crackdowns on media in Pakistan, particularly in online spaces.

Specifically, the three IFJ digital media research pilot projects highlighted that while there has been a massive growth in digital media and digital only journalists, the burgeoning sector is neither appropriately acknowledged, represented nor valued in terms of professional membership and in advocacy issues pertinent to this sector.

The research also found that the participation of women and young journalists within unions was disproportionately low. Despite unions acknowledged willingness to increase diversity and representation, this was yet to be reflected in union executives and in membership drives.

Groups from the three research groups in a research evaluation meeting this month put forward collective recommendations:

For Pakistans media:

Pakistans media should develop a common strategy to defend journalists rights, freedom of expression and media pluralism for all media  not just reflect the issues of legacy media.

A widely accepted journalists charter, incorporating the digital media landscape, is needed to unite and reflect Pakistans media today.

For media owners

Dialogue between media management and unions should be prioritized so that journalists labour rights issues such as low and delayed salary pay and illegal sackings, as well as the issues of women, digital and young journalists, can be addressed.

Digital media managers should be given comprehensive training on labour and media rights.

For young and digital workers

Young and digital journalists need to urgently develop their capacities on collective bargaining on the common issues confronting them.

Young, digital and female journalists should seek to secure dialogue with the various media stakeholders with a view to increase their meaningful participation in the media sphere and in unions.

For unions and press clubs

Unions and press clubs should revise their respective constitutions to make them more inclusive, participatory and democratic. This will, by effect, attract more women, digital and young journalists to their membership and strengthen unions.

Training for executive committees of unions and press club is needed to facilitate the reform of unions charters and constitutions.

Comprehensive membership drives targeting women, young and digital journalists should be supported and membership processes should be reviewed to overcome the hurdles and obstacles for young, digital and female media workers to secure membership in a timely process.

Digital organizing training within media unions and press clubs should be prioritised.

Journalists in the studies alsoexpressed concerns that the media is re-orienting towards private and state interests rather than the public interest. Many journalists surveyed reported being laid off, having salaries reduced or not being paid for extended periods.

The downsizing of Pakistans legacy media runs parallel to the emergence of a thriving digital media ecosystem, but one that has led a decrease in formal and full time employees and an increase in freelance and part time media workers.

The Digital Working Group included Adnan Rehmat, Iqbal Khattak,Faizah Hassan, Shakeel Ahmed, Rizwan Ahmed Khan, Kanwar Uzair, Waheed Khan, Kamran Khalid, Farhat Fatima, Momina Sheeraz, Salman Yousuf, Sana Khalid and Muhammad Umer Javed as members .

The IFJ said: Despite the increased pace of media digitalisation and growing number of digital only journalists in Pakistan, they are still alarmingly not adequately represented, protected in their labour rights or defended in the challenges that confront the. The IFJ hopes that the efforts by digital media workers will be given due consideration by all stakeholders so that critical reform and engagement can be achieved.
Hundreds of journalists working in Afghanistan have fled or gone into hiding in recent weeks following the seizure of power by the Taliban. The leader of one of the IFJ's affiliates in Afghanistan, who has worked for over 20 years with international media as a reporter and senior editor tells us about the challenges he and his colleagues have faced since the militants took Kabul on 14 August 2021 in a country where censorship has become the norm and the risk of being detained, beaten or killed a daily reality.

IFJ: It's been over a month since the Taliban took over Kabul which led many journalists to escape or to go into hiding. As a journalist and a unionist, what are the biggest challenges you've had to face?

As a journalist it is hard to work under the Taliban because they don't respect journalists' rights, they see every journalist as an enemy or as working against them. They have violated the existing legislation, they have not set out any clear policy, they don't allow access to information and prevent news coverage each time they don't wish an issue to be reported on. I have worked mostly with international media, mainly from the UK and US and they want to punish journalists who have worked with US, UK and other western media. My life is at risk and every minute I fear they will try to find and arrest me or kill me.

As a unionist I feel my life is even more in danger because I was protecting national and international journalists and media workers' rights and I was critical of the Taliban policy, fighting for press freedom and freedom of expression. I have been at the frontline of protecting journalists' rights, holding press conferences, issuing statements with critical words against the Taliban over the past 20 years. I have used every opportunity to lobby against them. It is clear they have all the records, archives of our speeches, statements and quotes. In their files, my role has been highlighted which has created even more problems. For these reasons, I have restricted myself, changed my location and kept a very low profile, but it will be difficult to continue in the long run.

IFJ: What kind of threats do journalists remaining in Afghanistan face on a daily basis?

There are two types of threats. Journalists who are heads of unions and protecting other journalists' rights, members of media commissions and councils with former governmental bodies or those moderating important programs face the risk of being abducted, arrested, tortured, disappeared or killed. Journalists covering daily news and incidents may face arrests, disappearance, intimidation, abduction, attacks or injuries.

IFJ: How do you personally cope with the situation in your everyday life?

I have lost all my ability and passion for journalism to cope with growing stress, fear of being abducted or killed. I am their target for my criticisms against them. My association's affiliation, work and reporting to the international media and freedom of expression organizations is known to all.

IFJ: How can you describe the state of the media in Afghanistan right now?

Media in Afghanistan are in a critical situation. Media owners, managers and workers have seen their rights removed. Many media programs have been stopped. TV and radio stations need to run all programs with a religious angle. But these programs do not appeal to citizens. The younger generation and children have nothing to watch or listen to in the media. Media have lost all their advertisement revenues and financial support. There is only a small number of advertisements in the media and without advertisement it is impossible to survive. More than 153 media outlets have collapsed in over 20 provinces. The results of 20 years of democratic process and international support are falling to pieces.

IFJ: What change have you noticed in news coverage from Afghanistan?

Changes are coming one after the other. We are losing press freedom. We are working under a religious dictatorship where we have to ask permission to report. We witnessed in the past few weeks journalists being arrested for covering demonstrations, public gatherings and public demands for freedom. If journalists do not respect the new rules and instructions they will be targeted or arrested, some will disappear. Coverage for international media is becoming harder and more difficult.

IFJ: Are there still any women journalists working in the media?

Most experienced and professional women journalists have left the country or remain at home and are not working. A small number still work for TV or radio channels as anchors. It is hard now for them to report from the field or shoot with cameras. A number of women journalists working in provincial radios lost their jobs because most radio stations were stopped and collapsed.

IFJ: Our affiliates AIJA and AIJU have been doing an extremely important job on the ground supporting journalists. What sort of help do you need right now from the IFJ community?

AIJA and ANJU have been at the forefront of protecting journalists in the past two decades. Their leadership needs protection until the situation becomes normal or at least some sort of legal framework becomes active and Taliban put in place specific mechanisms to protect media organizations and their leadership. AIAJ and ANJU's Executive body and leadership are facing serious threats to continue their job. Some senior members of both organizations need IFJ and other organizations support in evacuation, visa issues, and safe transfer to other countries to remain in shelter for some time. AIJA and ANJU members who are displaced need financial support and shelter. In general both organizations need IFJ support to protect journalists rights in this critical situation, both in Afghanistan and outside the country.

IFJ: Local media groups left in Afghanistan met with Taliban leaders on September 3 to address concerns around journalist safety. What was the result of this meeting and how did it concretely translate into practice? Are you planning to run more of these meetings?

I have no hope that the Taliban are really interested to genuinely work with media organizations and to estbalish a clear mechanism to listen to our concerns and solve problems. They are confronted with their own opposition issues right now. There is no unified and agreed policy including on media freedom and the way media should work. We keep links with the Taliban in order to keep the door open for times when journalists face life and death situations. Without the existence of laws and clear policies it will be hard for meetings and temporary committees to offer the rights and freedoms we want.

IFJ: Any other specific issue you would like to mention?

We have a clear financial issue. After NATO member countries left, all international funds and support ended. Journalists are facing serious financial problems, many are not getting paid, we have no access to our bank accounts and there is no cash available. Even if the media had access to their bank account, they would not be able to pay salaries because they have limited income and no sponsor programs or advertising revenues. Urgent international support is needed to help media survive.



The IFJ has established a special Afghanistan Solidarity Fund within the IFJ Safety Fund to channel further support and urge those who can donate. All funds raised will go directly to providing support to Afghan colleagues.
XTREME Appliances, the countrys leading one-stop shop appliance brand, continues to strengthen its standing in the local appliance market. Despite the economic challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand managed to increase its overall sales to 148%  the growth was driven by the solid demand of their hero products including TVs, gas ranges, aircons, washing machines, and refrigerators.

According to XTREME Appliances Vice President for Marketing, Stephen Cheng, the exponential growth of sales was fueled by the increasing demand of home improvement and the desire for household upgrades.

XTREME Appliance Vice President for Marketing, Stephen Cheng

Some Filipinos are looking for ways to make their quarantine bearable and worthwhile. The surge in home improvements including appliances upgrade has been really impactful to the local appliance market, most especially to our brand. The fact of the matter is, these home projects and lifestyle upgrades cater to the lifestyle changes in this new normal world.

Since the first quarter of 2021, the growth of sales in XTREME televisions, most specifically Android TVs, has reached 52% growth in sales compared to 2020 and it is expected to continue in the last quarter to support the overall sales at the end of the year. Meanwhile, XTREME Cool products including air conditioning units, refrigerators, and washing machines showed a high demand with an average of 30% increase. The brand also noted that a good number of Filipino households have been investing in premium quality kitchen products hence the rapid increase of sales of gas range, and other kitchen appliances in both offline and online platforms. This years impressive sales performance of hero products solidified XTREME Appliances growing market share in the local appliance landscape.

True to its commitment in bringing premium quality yet affordable appliances to the Filipino market, XTREME Appliances launched new products that are designed to help every Filipino adapt to the new normal setting. These products include portable aircon, electric oven, large-capacity air fryer, twin tub washing machines, inverter double-door refrigerator, deep fryer, and a variety of gas stoves. Collectively, these new additions to the ever-growing product lines have contributed an immense increase in sales  a clear evidence that the brands effective product pipeline has been focused on adapting to lifestyle and economic changes.

On the other hand, XTREME Appliances continues to expand its reach across the country through its 40 concept stores as of September 2021. A total of concept stores are expected to be launched by the end of the year. Aside from Lazada and Shopee, the brand has been partnering with various online platforms including Ayala Malls Zing, Linkshop, MetroMart, Nest Genie, and GLife-Gcash. Earlier this year, the brand established partnerships with most trusted retail stores like Abenson, Ansons, SNR, All Homes, and Puregold.

As part of the brands efforts in maintaining its standing as the leading one-stop shop appliance brand, XTREME Appliances just launched its newest endorser, actress and fashion icon Heart Evangelista-Escudero. According to Mr. Cheng, the brand is gearing up for a new chapter as it is now ready to leverage their brand visibility through aggressive marketing efforts.

XTREME Appliances is a brand for Filipinos. We always make sure to cater every Filipinos needs and preferences. That's why we are continuously developing new product lines, and building better relationships with our customers, dealers, media, and everyone in between. We are 101% ready!
There are few figures in Silicon Valley who have been as influential, or as controversial, as Peter Thiel. The PayPal co-founder was the first outside investor in Facebook, then co-founded Palantir, and then became tech's premier venture capitalist--and that was before he distinguished (or, depending on your point of view, disgraced) himself by becoming and early and vocal supporter of Donald Trump.

My book, The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power, explores the entrepreneur's career and ideology and tries to reckon with his impact. Even if you find Thiel's politics, and the impact of many of the companies he's had a hand in, troubling, it's impossible not to also appreciate his brilliance as an investor, prognosticator, and power broker. Thiel has been consistently prescient--even if he's at times failed to capitalize on his foresight. Here are a few of his bets that have surprised me most.

Thiel is the ideological godfather of crypto

PayPal is widely seen as a pioneering e-commerce company, but PayPal was also a pioneer of the extreme libertarian philosophy espoused by crypto entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. The company took off thanks to its association with eBay, but that success was largely accidental. The original vision--promoted by Thiel and a staff largely drawn from the Stanford Review, the right-wing student newspaper he founded while he was an undergraduate--was to create a currency that would be outside the controls of nation-states. In other words: Bitcoin.

Thiel called the 2008 financial crisis

Thiel's track record as a hedge fund manager is remembered as being mostly disastrous--and it was. His fund, at one point, was worth billions of dollars, and Thiel was hailed by the financial press as the next George Soros. Amazingly, it was at this point that Thiel called the 2008 crash--encouraging employees to prepare for banking failures by withdrawing huge sums of cash. The prediction was on the money, but Thiel nonetheless mistimed his trades, betting on a recovery after the crash, rather than sticking to his original thesis. Lesson: Predictions are worthless unless you can take advantage of them.

Thiel bet on Trump when he was most toxic. It paid off

Thiel famously endorsed Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, but he didn't donate money to the election effort until mid-October, just after Trump's boasts about sexual assault to Access Hollywood leaked publicly. Most pundits--and many in the Republican party--assumed Trump was cooked, but Thiel, as I report in the book, was encouraged by advisers to "double down." The plan may have been cynical, but it worked. Thiel helped revive Trump's candidacy and was appointed to an influential position on Trump's transition team.

The conventional wisdom says Silicon Valley prizes free thinking. Thiel's network prizes conformity
Location matters for startups for many reasons -- one is that different places have different values that can affect a startup's ability to attract and retain talent. And the startups with the best and most highly motivated talent win.

This comes to mind in considering high tech companies that have made the move from Silicon Valley to Texas, a state that has made explicit laws that ban most abortions, limit voting rights, and ban coronavirus mandates, noted the Washington Post.

And those legal changes have proved to be a problem for workers who moved from San Francisco to Austin. Consider Valerie Veteto, a copywriter who did freelance work for San Francisco tech companies such as Salesforce and Lyft. As the Post reported, a year ago she moved from San Francisco to Austin due to its "city's vibe, creativity, live music scene and the low cost of living."

Since then, she has decided to relocate to New York City. Not long after moving to Austin, the Texas power grid failed, which left millions without power, heat or water -- eroding her confidence in living there. The recently passed Texas laws "sealed the deal" for her to leave for the Big Apple, noted the Post.

Those who have moved there -- including companies such as Oracle and Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Tesla's CEO Elon Musk -- may be thinking along the same lines.

Here are four questions business leaders should ask themselves to help make the choice.

1. Do you agree with the values reflected in Texas's recently passed laws?

If you're from Silicon Valley and you disagree with the values reflected in these Texas laws, I think you should either make plans to move out or to stay in Texas and fight to repeal them.

Of course fighting to repeal such laws could be a futile struggle unless you can partner with other influential business leaders to boost your odds of success.

If you agree with the laws, you are likely to be happy to keep your company in Texas -- which leads to a second question.

2. Do your customers and employees agree with these laws?

If your customers and employees in Texas disagree with these laws, they may be asking themselves whether to stay with your company. Some may decide to continuing living in Texas despite their discomfort.

However, some of your customers and employees may find these laws immediately intolerable and be making urgent plans to relocate. Others may fear that these laws are the tip of the spear -- with even more such Texas laws to come.

Texas business leaders should ask their customers and employees how they feel about these laws and what they are planning to do in response.

3. If they disagree with these laws, will they cut ties with your company if you stay in Texas?

It's crucial that you count how many of your customers and employees will stick with your company if you stay there. If most of them plan to stay, the economic case for leaving is not compelling.

Even if you decide to stay, you may be able to help employees who find the Texas laws intolerable. For example, Vivek Bhaskaran, CEO of an Austin-based online survey software company, told his female employees in a Zoom call that regardless of insurance, his company would cover out-of-state abortion services, noted the Post.

Of course, if most of your customers and employees plan to cut ties with your company if you stay in Texas, then you must consider where best to relocate. Should you return to Silicon Valley or move elsewhere?

4. If you move out of Texas, will the benefits outweigh the costs?

To relocate from Texas to Silicon Valley or elsewhere is a complex choice. Business leaders must weigh intangible factors -- such as how consistent the new location will be with your company's core values and how much the new location will ease attracting and hiring top talent and winning new customers.

In addition, leaders must estimate the quantitative benefits and costs of moving. To that end, they should answer questions such as:

How much will it cost to break local contracts -- such as leases for office space and manufacturing facilities? How much will such facilities cost in the new location?

If you move, would you relocate your Texas based employees to the new location? If so, how much will that cost compared with providing them severance packages and hiring employees in the new location?

How much additional revenue will your company gain by moving to the new location?
ITVs excellent detective series Manhunt is back, and it makes for superb, compulsive viewing. Its the dramatisation of the memoirs of real-life copper Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton of the Metropolitan Police (now retired). In an earlier, slightly less sensationalist age, the series might have gone by the name of Inspector Suttons Casebook, but that does sound altogether too wholesome for the sort of crimes Sutton was given to sort out.

Starring Martin Clunes as the unpretentious ace detective, the first run in 2019 centred on the hunt for serial killer Levi Bellfield, the nightclub bouncer eventually convicted of the murder of Milly Dowler, among others. Now Sutton is running the manhunt for Delroy Grant, better known as the Night Stalker.

Grant was a prolific burglar and rapist who preyed on elderly women living alone across south London from about 1992 until he was apprehended in 2009. His 17-year reign of terror made fools of the Metropolitan Police. For Clunes, DCI Sutton must have been a difficult challenge; unlike proper fictional detectives, he really is an everyman figure, a chap in spectacles and woolly pullover with a rucksack slung over his back, no quirks, no outward manifestation of his brilliance. We just marvel as he asks the struggling Operation Minstead (as the Night Stalker investigation was named) some plain, honest questions about work.

The insights he offers arent some Sherlock-style magical deductions about the personality of this offender, but about the inefficient use of police resources and how to make the best of a bad job. There are no shootouts, no dramatic car chases, no drunken rows and affairs, just arguments about overtime, databases and swab samples. As a senior officer reviewing (in reality taking over) the inquiry, Sutton has to spend time on office politics, smoothing ruffled feathers. Its striking to see how policing, in that respect, is no different to accountancy or retail management.

These familiar disputes are a lot more dramatic than they sound, because the backdrop is one where, through everyday police failings, evil gets its opportunity. That is where much of the tension in this story lies. We have here a very ordinary man, Sutton, using unremarkable methods to pursue the most extraordinary and dangerous people in the country. Another tension is how, in the Stalkers case, he is as meticulous in his crimes as they are depraved. The writers and directors and a fine supporting cast get the balance just right between seeing the vulnerable, traumatised elderly victims and affording them a measure of privacy and discretion.

Its a sensitively filmed production, then, that rightly never glamorises the criminal, and you almost shudder as the calls come through to the incident room that there were another three last night. The other impression, though, from this recent trend in TV of reinvestigating high-profile crimes (including the murder of Stephen Lawrence and reopening Fred and Rose Wests case) is how the police are often incompetent and rely on a few superstar detectives to pull floundering inquiries out of a mess. That might be misleading, or things might be better these days, but watching Manhunt certainly makes you go and make sure your windows are safely locked.
A move by TikTok owner ByteDance to limit the amount of time children spend on its Chinese app Douyin has been hailed as a proactive measure that could set a precedent for other social media companies.

ByteDance announced on Saturday that children in China will be able to access Douyin for only about 40 minutes a day. The company has introduced a youth mode in the short-form video app for children below the age of 14.

Experts believe that this move may prompt other internet platforms and media companies with short-form video content to adopt similar restrictions.

Self-assessment and voluntary implementation of minor-protection measures by more platforms could help suggest platforms are being more socially responsible and potentially reassure parents and regulators, analysts at Citigroup Global Markets said in a note on Monday. They added that this was a way for ByteDance to get ahead of potential regulation.

The app wont be accessible to children between 10pm and 6am, ByteDance said in the statement. The new policy will also filter out any inappropriate content on the app.

The company urged parents to help their children register on the app only using their real names or else activate the youth mode manually. But ByteDance did not elaborate on its plans to implement the policy for those who dont use their real names.

Meanwhile, ByteDance added that Douyin would also introduce new content, including science experiments, art exhibitions, nature, and history, to inspire youth. The statement said: We are more strict with teenagers. We will work harder to provide quality content so that young people can learn and see the world.

In 2018, Douyin had launched various protection measures for minors, such as time locks, parent-child platforms, customer service lines, and parent manuals.

Douyins main domestic rival, Kuaishou, offered similar features, including an optional youth mode, in 2019. Users could also opt for preselected age-appropriate content and limiting daily app usage to a maximum of 40 minutes between 6am and 10pm.

ByteDances latest move came less than a month after Chinas video game regulator announced that online gamers under the age of 18 shall only be allowed to play for an hour  between 8pm and 9pm  on Fridays, weekends and holidays. The Chinese state media had also called online games spiritual opium.

Experts have suggested that these measures are being taken to keep in line with Chinas Minor Protection Bill, which was revised in June. The bill mandates internet providers, including social media apps, to set up functions for time management, content restriction and consumption limits for minors.

The China Daily reported that the revised legislation said that with more youngsters becoming addicted to online games and short videos, the law on the protection of minors requires people from all walks of life, including parents, schools and social institutions, to take preventive measures to stop internet addiction causing physical or mental harm to young people.

The Global Times reported last week that the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued guidelines urging internet platforms to strengthen the management of push news and protection for minors. It said that the announcement represented the regulators ongoing effort to create a healthy internet environment.

In August this year, the CAC also ordered a crackdown on unhealthy fan culture to reduce frenzied idol worship among underage fans. Local reports said that recent cases involving fans blindly supporting scandal-hit celebrities had increased concern over toxic fan culture in the country.

Over 930 million people of Chinas 1.44 billion population used social media in 2021, according to the We Are Social digital agency. The agency found that Douyin was the fourth-most used social media platform in China in 2020 with roughly 40 per cent of users aged between 16 and 64.

According to the latest data, Douyin had at least 490 million users in November last year.

State broadcaster CGTN said that 95 per cent of Chinas youth population is online nowadays  183 million minors.
The British government was accused of "discrimination" for forcing mandatory quarantine, even for completely vaccinated people arriving from India, UAE and other countries under their newly changed Covid-19 related travel guidelines.

India's foreign ministry on Tuesday described Britain's decision to not recognise 'Covishield' -- the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and manufacture by Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune as "discriminatory".

Harsh Varshan Shringla, India foreign secretary warned that the country is within its rights to "take reciprocal measures" if the matter was not resolved.

"The non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminating policy and impacts our citizens travelling to the UK. The external affairs minister has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved," Mr Shringla said in New Delhi.

Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar raised the issue with his British counterpart Liz Truss in New York and reportedly urged her to remove the quarantine requirement for vaccinated Indians. "Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest," Mr Jaishankar said in a tweet.

We have offered our partner countries of mutual recognition of vaccines. But these are reciprocal actions. If we dont get satisfaction we will be well within our rights to impose reciprocal measures, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the rules in the UK, travellers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine will have to quarantine for 10 days. The new rules will take effect from 4 October and is an attempt to streamline the present red, amber, green traffic light system to a single red list of countries.

However, according to New Delhi, India provided 4 million doses of Covishield vaccine to the UK at their request. The basic issue is that the vaccine called Covishield, of which the original manufacturer is in the UK. This has been used by their health system, the statement added.

Besides India, several other countries in the Middle East, South America, Africa and Russia are upset over the change in Britain's travel policy.

Meanwhile, author and opposition MP, Shashi Tharoor, pulled out of a planned book tour of UK in protest against the quarantine rules. In a tweet on Monday, he wrote: "It is offensive to ask fully vaccinated Indians to quarantine. The Brits are reviewing".

Another lawmaker from India Jairam Ramesh said "This smacks of racism". "Absolutely bizarre considering Covishield was originally developed in the UK and The Serum Institute, Pune has supplied to that country too," he added.

Covishield and Covaxin are the two India-made coronavirus vaccines that have been administered to millions of Indians so far.
The Taliban expanded their interim cabinet on Tuesday by announcing a list of deputy ministers but failed to name any woman despite facing an international backlash.

The rulers appointed 2 acting ministers, 11 deputy ministers. According to 1TVNewsAF, Nooruddin Azizi, a businessman from Panjshir, was appointed as the acting minister of commerce, while a businessman from Baghlan Mohammad Bashir was appointed as his deputy.

Dr Qalandar Ebad who takes over the ministry of health faces the mammoth task of bringing down Covid-19 cases in Afghanistan.

Abdul Qayoum Zakir was appointed as deputy minister of defence, Engineer Najibullah was appointed as the atomic energy chief and Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeb was appointed the acting head of the National Olympic Committee.

The government's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid presented the list of deputies at a news conference in Kabul. Defending the all-male cabinet, Mr Mujahid said that it included members of ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras.

He added that women might be added later although there was no announcement of the formation of a women's ministry. Answering a question, he said the caretaker government needs time to address women's demands on education and work to ensure their safety.

"We are working to complete the procedures so that girls can resume their education," he said. Boys in grades 6 to 12 went back to school over the weekend.

The Taliban has been lambasted by Western governments for not including women in ministerial and government roles. On Saturday, the Taliban set up a ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice in the building that once housed the ministry of women's affairs.

The Islamist militants, during their earlier rule in Afghanistan between 1996 to 2001 had banned women from schools, work and public life.

Activists and female staff organised a protest on Sunday over the Talibans decision to disband the womens ministry. They had reportedly been trying to return to work at the ministry for several weeks but were turned away each time.

Mr Mujahid stressed that the current government is an interim one without hinting at any possible election in the future.
Australia has lost nearly a third of its koala population over the last three years, according to new figures.

Droughts, heatwaves and bushfires have all contributed to the decline, the Australian Koala Foundation said.

The charity has estimated there are no more than 58,000 koalas in the country.

This is a drop of 30 per cent from 80,000 in 2018.

The worst drop in numbers was in the state of New South Wales - which was badly hit by wildfires in late 2019 and early 2020 - where the population has shrunk by more than 40 per cent.

The Australian Koala Foundation said every region across Australia saw a fall in koala numbers over the past three years.

Only one area in the study was estimated to have more than 5,000 koalas, and some regions were estimated to have as few as five or 10.

The Australian Koala Foundation said the figures showed a disturbing trend.

Deborah Tabar, the non-profit groups chair, said: The terrible bushfires of 2019-20 of course contributed to this outcome, however, they are certainly not the only reason we are seeing Koala populations on the decline.

She added: We have witnessed a drastic decrease in inland populations because of drought, heat waves, and lack of water for Koalas to drink.

I have seen some landscapes that look like the moon  with dead and dying trees everywhere.

Besides the impact of drought and fires, land clearing by property developers and road builders has destroyed the marsupials habitat.

I think everyone gets it, weve got to change. But if those bulldozers keep working, then I really fear for the koalas, Ms Tabart said.

She called for Australia to adopt a koala protection law.

Earlier this year, the Australian government said it was considering listing koalas on its east coast as endangered.

Haunting images of koalas and accounts of injured or killed animals emerged from Australias wildfires between late 2019 and early 2020.

Experts estimated over one billion animals in total were killed in blazes which ravaged Australia during this period.

Additional reporting by Reuters
US president Joe Biden has given a big boost to Boris Johnsons faltering preparations for Novembers climate change summit in Glasgow, announcing he will double the US contribution to a $100bn-a-year fund to help developing countries adapt.

The announcement brings the fund to around $85bn - still $15bn short of the total which rich countries pledged that they would deliver by a deadline of 2020.

Mr Johnson admitted this week that he had only a six in 10 chance of hitting the crucial target by the time he hosts the UN COP26 summit in six weeks time.

Mr Biden had already doubled the US contribution to climate finance to $5.6bn in April this year, and today told the United Nations that he would now work with Congress to do the same again.

Speaking to the UN general assembly in New York, the US president described climate change and the continuing coronavirus pandemic as urgent and looming crises wherein lie enormous opportunities, if the globe can work together to seize them.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2021 The surface of Spain's La Palma island is continuing to expand as lava from a volcano flows into the Atlantic Ocean and hardens when it comes into contact with the water, European Union scientists said Thursday. AP World news in pictures 29 September 2021 Pope Francis meets a group of seminarians during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican AP World news in pictures 28 September 2021 People camp overnight to receive a dose of Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at a government run district hospital at midnight in Siliguri AFP via Getty Images World news in pictures 27 September 2021 People ride a motorcycle past burning tires during protests against the deteriorating economic situation and the devaluation of the local currency, in Taiz, Yemen Reuters World news in pictures 26 September 2021 Absentee ballots for the German general election are counted at the Frankfurt Messe hall Frankfurt am Main EPA World news in pictures 25 September 2021 Thai anti-government protesters have their eyes flushed out after being teargassed by police during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images World news in pictures 24 September 2021 German Chancellor Angela Merkel feeds Australian lorikeets at Marlow Bird Park in Marlow, Germany AP World news in pictures 23 September 2021 Workers sing and dance as a South African Airways airplane prepares to take off after a year-long hiatus triggered by the national airline running out of funds, at O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg Reuters World news in pictures 22 September 2021 Seized rhino horns burn on a furnace in an anti-poaching drive to mark World Rhino Day near the Kaziranga National Park in Bokakhat AFP/Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2021 The full moon sets behind the hills of the Taunus region near Wehrheim, Germany AP World news in pictures 20 September 2021 A house burns due to lava from the eruption of a volcano in the Cumbre Vieja national park at Los Llanos de Aridane, on the Canary Island of La Palma Reuters World news in pictures 19 September 2021 Smoke and magma rise to the sky from the volcanic eruption in El Paso, La Palma, Canary Islands EPA World news in pictures 18 September 2021 The fully wrapped Arc de Triomphe monument, as part of an art installation entitled 'L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped' conceived by the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, is pictured on the Champs Elysees avenue in Pari Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2021 An Indonesian activist from ECOTON (ecological observation and wetland conservation) prepares an installation made with used plastic, including 4,444 bottles, collected from the river in Gresik to raise public awareness of plastic waste in rivers and oceans AFP/Getty World news in pictures 16 September 2021 An activist places photos of German politicians outside the Bundestag in protest against human rights violations at Europe's borders EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2021 A zebra family at Alipore Zoo in Kolkata EPA World news in pictures 14 September 2021 A woman walks past a fruits and vegetables stall in a flooded street in Codognan, in the Occitanie region of southern France, following heavy rains AFP/Getty World news in pictures 13 September 2021 People hold umbrellas amid rainfall as Typhoon Chanthu approaches, in Shanghai, China Reuters World news in pictures 12 September 2021 US rapper Lil Nas X performs on stage during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York AFP/Getty World news in pictures 11 September 2021 George Bush wells up at an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pennsylvania Reuters World news in pictures 10 September 2021 A Taliban fighter lays his AK-47 rifle down during Friday prayers at a Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan AP World news in pictures 9 September 2021 Paramilitary and public security forces take part in a parade to celebrate the 73rd founding anniversary of North Korea at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang KCNA via KNS/AFP/Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2021 A vendor pushes a cart of sugarcane juice past a fire at a demonstration in Bangkok as activists call for the resignation of Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha over the government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis AFP/Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2021 People take part in a religious procession on the occasion of the 417th anniversary of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, at the Gurudwara Ramsar in Amritsar AFP/Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2021 A dog sits on the doorway as a shopkeeper clears muddy water from his shop after heavy rainfall flooded the banks of Bishnumati river in Kathmandu, Nepal AP World news in pictures 5 September 2021 apan athletes wave as Thank you' in Japanese is displayed in the stadium during the closing ceremony of 2020 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony Reuters World news in pictures 4 September 2021 People demonstrate at the Zurich Pride parade with the slogan 'Dare. Marriage for all, now!', for the rights of the LGBTIQ community in Zurich, Switzerland. EPA World news in pictures 3 September 2021 China's Dong Lu competes in the Women's 200m individual medley final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Getty World news in pictures 2 September 2021 People look at cars abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway following a night of extremely heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, in the Bronx borough of New York City Getty World news in pictures 1 September 2021 A one-legged stork rescued by an animal sanctuary eats fish with a new 3D-printed leg inside its enclosure near Frantiskovy Lazne, Czech Republic Reuters World news in pictures 31 August 2021 Women hold umbrellas to cover from rain as they wait to receive a dose of COVISHIELD vaccine in Kolkata, India Reuters World news in pictures 30 August 2021 Taliban fighters investigate a damaged car after multiple rockets were fired in Kabul AFP/Getty World news in pictures 29 August 2021 A Taliban fighter stands guard as Talibans acting Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani (not pictured) addresses a gathering during a consultative meeting on Taliban's general higher education policies at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabu AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2021 A child that was evacuated from Afghanistan looks on at the U.S. airbase in Ramstein, Germany Reuters World news in pictures 27 August 2021 Soldiers take a selfie before a military parade in Chisinau, Moldova EPA World news in pictures 26 August 2021 Smoke rises from the site of a suspected suicide bombing outside Kabul airport in Afghanistan AP World news in pictures 25 August 2021 Egypts Ibrahim Elhusseiny Hamadtou in action during his Mens Singles Class 6 Group E Table Tennis match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA World news in pictures 24 August 2021 People take pictures of fireworks outside the stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 23 August 2021 Staff members spraying disinfectant at a school ahead of the new semester in Bozhou, Chinas eastern Anhui province AFP/Getty World news in pictures 22 August 2021 A Taliban fighter stands guard at a checkpoint in the Wazir Akbar Khan area in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan AP World news in pictures 21 August 2021 Mexican firefighters known as "Topos" work in the early morning hours in a search and rescue mission, amid the rubble from last week's 7.2 magnitude earthquake, in Les Cayes, Haiti AP World news in pictures 20 August 2021 Bangladeshi vendor sells a religious item during a Muharram event at the premises of Hussaini Dalan in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA World news in pictures 19 August 2021 Law enforcement officers with rifles take position near the US Capitol building in Washington DC as police investigate a possible explosive device in a truck near the heart of American government AP World news in pictures 18 August 2021 A Taliban fighter patrols in Wazir Akbar Khan in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan AP World news in pictures 17 August 2021 Art students paint messages of solidarity with people at risk in Afghanistans crisis outside an art school in Mumbai AFP/Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2021 Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport AFP via Getty World news in pictures 15 August 2021 Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Kandahar province in southwest Afghanistan AP World news in pictures 14 August 2021 A collapsed building is seen in Les Cayes, Haiti following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake which left at least 29 people dead Reuters World news in pictures 13 August 2021 Perseids are seen next to Milky Way during the annual Perseid meteor shower at Tres Mares peak, in Cantabria, northern Spain EPA World news in pictures 12 August 2021 A woman sits along the broken steps of a partially-collapsed building destroyed by bombardment during the May 2021 conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City AFP via Getty

He warned that the world will face further pandemics, and that without action on pollution, humanity will suffer the merciless march of ever-worsening droughts and floods, more intense fires and hurricanes and intensifying heat waves and sea level rises.

Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes and devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future, he said in his first general assembly address since entering the White House in January.

The $100bn (73bn) fund, first promised at the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, is intended to help low-income countries invest in alternative energy supplies to reduce their dependance on fossil fuels like coal, as well as to adapt to a likely future of extreme weather, droughts and natural disasters caused by global warming.

OECD figures showed last week that only $79.6bn (58bn) was mobilised by richer countries in 2019 - 2 percentage points up from the previous year but still well short of the for 2020.

Mr Johnson has made hitting the target a key goal of the Glasgow gathering, alongside improved commitments to cut carbon emissions, phase out coal power and switch to electric cars.
Boris Johnson will today issue a call for the world to grow up and address the threat of climate change to the future of humanity.

Speaking to world leaders at the United Nations in New York, the prime minister will say that mankind has behaved like a reckless teenager with planet Earth, trashing its home in the infantile belief that it will not have to suffer the consequences.

And he will say that the UN Cop26 climate change summit which the UK will host in Glasgow in November must be the turning point for humanity, when the world must show it can limit temperature rises and prevent the planet becoming uninhabitable.

A day after US president Joe Biden pledged to double Americas contribution to a $100bn (73bn) climate finance fund for developing countries, Mr Johnson will boost the UKs share to 11.6bn by increasing the share of overseas investment which goes towards global warming projects.

And the UK welcomed an announcement from China that it will step up its support for poorer nations developing low-carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power plants abroad.

Mr Johnson thanked the president in person for the new US pledge when the pair met for talks in the White House on Tuesday, telling Biden it was fantastic to see the United States really stepping up and showing a real lead.

He presented the president a signed copy of astronaut Tim Peakes plea for preservation of the Earths natural beauties Hello, Is this Planet Earth?

Mr Biden repeated his assurance that he will be among more than 100 world leaders attending the Glasgow gathering, saying the US will be present with bells on.

But he poured cold water on the PMs hopes for a UK/US trade deal, saying only that the subject would be discussed a little bit in their talks in the Oval Office. The meeting came as it emerged that the UK is considering a bid to join a North American free trade pact with the US, Mexico and Canada.

And he once again warned Johnson not to allow Brexit to lead to a hard border in Ireland, telling him: I would not at all like to see - nor, I might add, would many of my Republican colleagues like to see - a change in the Irish accords, with the end result of having a closed border in Ireland.

In his speech on Wednedsday, the PM will tell the UN that humanity is at a turning point, where it can no longer take the health of the planet for granted but instead needs to take urgent action to halt climate change.

But he will insist that this is not incompatible with economic prosperity, arguing that clean and green energy will deliver the growth of the future.

Mr Johnsons speech comes a day after talks with Mr Biden at the White House, when the pair agreed to continue pressing the rich world to fill the remaining $15bn gap in the climate finance fund in time for the crucial Cop26 summit.

Despite Washingtons failure to consult London over its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan or its decision to lift coronavirus travel restrictions, Mr Johnson insisted that UK-US relations were in fantastic shape.

But he was forced to backtrack after risking a spat with the president by suggesting the Afghan pullout was badly handled.

Speaking on breakfast TV, the prime minister hinted at dissatisfaction with the US approach, saying: Could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could. But meeting vice-president Kamala Harris later at the White House, he restricted himself to praising the brave US troops who facilitated the evacuation from Kabul airport.

Ahead of the UN address, the PM revealed that the UK was putting 100m from its biodiverse landscapes fund into six of the worlds most important wildlife hotspots, including the Congo Basin, the Lower Mekong and the Kavango-Zambezi region, and was inviting some of the UKs most polluting businesses to bid for a share of a 220m pot of money to help find new ways to reduce their carbon emissions.

Speaking to the general assembly, Mr Johnson will say that fossil records show that mammalian species typically exist for around 1 million years before evolving into something else or becoming extinct.

At 200,000 years old, mankind is roughly one-fifth of the way through this expected lifespan  the equivalent of reaching its late teens  he will say.

And he will tell his audience of world leaders and diplomats: We have come to that fateful age when we know roughly how to drive and we know how to unlock the drinks cabinet and to engage in all sorts of activity that is not only potentially embarrassing but also terminal.

In the words of the Oxford philosopher Toby Ord: We are just old enough to get ourselves into serious trouble.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA

Humanitys teenage sensibility allows it to cling onto the infantile belief that the world was made for our gratification and pleasure, the prime minister will say, adding: We combine this narcissism with a primitive assumption of our own immortality.

We believe that someone else will clear up the mess we make, because that is what someone else has always done. We trash our habitats again and again with the inductive reasoning that we have got away with it so far, and therefore we will get away with it again.

But he will warn that humanitys adolescence is now coming to an end, and that the Cop26 summit will mark the critical turning point when we must show that we are capable of learning and maturing and finally taking responsibility for the destruction we are doing  not just to our planet but to ourselves.

He will say: It is time for humanity to grow up. It is time for us to listen to the warnings of the scientists  and look at Covid, if you want an example of gloomy scientists being proved right  and to understand who we are and what we are doing.

The world  this precious blue sphere with its eggshell crust and wisp of an atmosphere  is not some indestructible toy, some bouncy plastic romper room against which we can hurl ourselves to our hearts content.

Daily, weekly, we are doing such irreversible damage that long before a million years are up we will have made this beautiful planet effectively uninhabitable  not just for us but for many other species.

And that is why the Glasgow Cop26 summit is the turning point for humanity. We must limit the rise in temperatures  whose appalling effects were visible even this summer  to 1.5 degrees.

We must come together in a collective coming of age. We must show we have the maturity and wisdom to act. And we can.
The Biden administration is to tackle how workplaces respond to extreme temperatures as part of new initiatives in the wake of hundreds of US deaths this summer from record-breaking heatwaves driven by the climate crisis.

The White House announced on Monday that the plan will involve a number of federal agencies to tackle heat hazards including the departments of Labor, Health, Homeland Security and Agriculture.

This summer the US broke a heat record set during the historic Dust Bowl summer of 1936. In the Pacific Northwest, a heatwave in late June led to around 600 excess deaths, The Lancet said, along with thousands of hospitalisations. It was the deadliest weather-related event in the history of Washington state.

Following the extreme event, an international team of climate scientists reported that the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change.

And after power outages caused by Hurricane Ida last month, the Louisiana Health Department said the deaths of a 69-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman were due to excessive heat.

While climate-related disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods produce dramatic images of devastation, extreme heat often takes place out of sight and out of the news. But heat is the nations leading weather-related killer, the administration stated.

Among the actions will be the first-ever, workplace heat standard, established and enforced by the Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Along with a heat-specific standard, OSHA will use its existing rules to clamp down on employees being forced to work in dangerously hot indoor, and outdoor, workplaces.

OSHA will prioritise heat-related interventions like scheduled and unscheduled workplace inspections on days when the heat index exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Workers in agriculture and construction are often at highest risk, but the problem affects all workers exposed to heat, including indoor workers without climate-controlled environments, a statement read, referencing delivery workers and those employed in warehouses, factories, and kitchens.

Too often, heat-induced injuries and illnesses are misclassified or not reported, especially in sectors that employ vulnerable and undocumented workers.

Among the heat-related deaths this summer was Sebastian Francisco Perez, a 38-year-old immigrant farm worker from Guatemala, who collapsed and died while working at a nursery in St Paul, Oregon.

OSHA is working to develop a programme of heat inspections targeting high-risk industries before the summer 2022 heat season.

Along with vulnerable workers, the new initiatives will also look to alleviate the risks for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and the economically disadvantaged.

Debra Moore, 68, died during the Pacific Northwest heatwave after suffering a fall on a street in Enumclaw, Washington, The New York Times reported. Ms Moore had recently undergone chemotherapy and was using a cane or a walker, said local police. She was not discovered for several hours as houses surrounding where she had fallen had closed blinds to shield from the heat.

The White House release also noted that heat exposure disproportionately impacts Black and Brown people both in workplaces and communities.

Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as people with low incomes, are more likely to live in areas with intensifying heat impacts and often have less access to air conditioning and other risk-reduction resources, it noted.

The plans will provide more cooling assistance to low-income residences like access to in-home air conditioning, and public cooling centres. Part of the plan is to use schools for the latter.

There will also be focus on increasing the number of trees and greening projects in neighbourhoods that suffer from the urban heat island effect  where vast expanses of manmade materials like glass, asphalt and concrete trap excessive heat.

A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency looked at data on 49 cities and found that increases in high-temperature days are projected to cause premature deaths. Additionally, Black residents are 40-59 per cent more likely than non-Black individuals to currently live in high-impact areas.
Police have made 23 arrests and dragged Insulate Britain protesters from the M25 after members of the group stormed onto the motorway.

The climate activists moved into lanes of traffic on Tuesday morning, forcing cars to come to a stop.

It was the fifth time the group, which is calling on the government to help insulate homes to reduce emissions, has blocked the M25 since last week.

Police said 23 arrests were made in connection with the incident on a stretch of Britains busiest motorway in Surrey.

A video shows protesters walking onto the main carriageway, carrying signs and sitting on the ground.

On the other side of the motorway, more protesters are seen sat down holding a banner.

Officers dragged activists off the road as traffic built up.

Surrey Police said around 8.30am on Tuesday that the affected stretches of road between Junctions 9 and 10 were fully re-opened after officers cleared all Insulate Britain activists off the road.

The force said they were called around half an hour earlier following reports of protesters on both carriageways.

It said they found a number of demonstrators at the scene, where they had also poured blue paint on to the motorway.

Insulate Britain confirmed they led the demonstration, adding that new people have joined their campaign to improve home insulation in addition to the others who have been involved in similar demonstrations in Hertfordshire, Kent, Essex and Surrey over the past week.

It added that the recent rise in gas and electricity costs has increased the urgency for change and they would end their campaign as soon as they hear a meaningful commitment to their demands.

The idea that people would suddenly decide insulating our leaky homes is a bad idea as a result of our campaign is frankly laughable, Liam Norton, a spokesperson for the group, said.

He added: The people of Britain understand that climate change is a severe threat to everything they hold dear. They are looking to the government for leadership.

We have a practical solution and have received encouragement for our aims from many construction industry professionals. 

Insulate Britain protesters have blocked parts of the M25 multiple times in just over a week, including junction 18 on Monday.

Additional reporting by Press Association
About 100 years ago, on May 15, 1921, multiple fires broke out in electricity and telegraph control rooms in several parts of the world, including in the US and the UK.

In New York City, it was from a switch-board at the Brewster station that quickly spread to destroy the whole building, and in Sweden, operators at Karlstad exchange first experienced equipment malfunction and faint smoke, then after a period of quiet the main fire started, leading to extensive equipment damage, studies say.

Similar reports emerged from various parts of the world, including India, the UK, and New Zealand of disturbances in electrical equipment and the then-nascent electric and telegraph wires.

These were due to magnetic fields generated on Earth by one of the biggest solar storms to have impacted the planet  known as the 1921 New York Railroad Storm.

The effects were in terms of interference to radio communications, telegraph, and telephone systems, all of which were used in 1921, Jeffrey Love, a Geophysicist in the Geomagnetism Program of the US Geological Survey (USGS), tells The Independent.

May 15 1921 report of solar storm disrupting telegraph wires in New York (Image Provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC/New-York tribune)

This space weather event is essentially a wake-up call, according to Dr Love, who says if such solar superflares were to strike Earth today, it could bring even more devastation.

When we look back at this time, anything thats related to electricity wasnt as important in 1921 as it is today, he says.

Scientists have understood for over a century how these solar superstorms arise and cause disruptions in electricity and communication networks. But the impact such a space weather event could cause today is still not completely understood.

Solar storms are caused when the sun gives off a burst of electrically conducting plasma in what is called a coronal mass ejection (CME).

When CMEs are directed towards the Earth, they could pass between the Sun and our planet at very high speeds of about 2000 km per second, reaching the Earth in a couple of days.

Since the plasma in the CMEs is electrically conducting, it interacts with the Earths magnetic field, bringing current into a layer of the Earths atmosphere called the ionosphere. That in turn produces a magnetic field via the principle of electromagnetism by which motors and generators work.

The process ultimately generates electric fields in the electrically conducting surface of the Earth, driving electric currents through the different types of rocks on the crust which have varying abilities to conduct current.

Now, if you happen to have a power grid to flow across an electrically resistive geological structure, the current cant flow very well through this part of the Earth. So, it takes the path of least resistance, which is through the power grid, Dr Love says.

So it ends up kind of short-circuiting this, and you get currents in your power grid system, which are unwanted or uncontrolled. And since the power grid system is all about controlling currents, and managing them, and basically, having alternating currents at a particular frequency, in this scenario, there is quasi-direct current flowing in a system designed for alternating current, he adds.

Experts say solar superstorms can be particularly disastrous to transformers in the power grid, causing them to heat up and shut down because of the unwanted flow of current.

And if you damage a transformer, then you might have to replace it, which means your power outage could last quite a while, Dr Love says.

Mike Hapgood, chair of the Space Environment Impacts Expert Group (SEIEG) in the UK, also believes one of the biggest problems would be faced by the transformers in power grids since they work on very specific frequencies of alternating current around the world.

When the current induced on the Earth by solar storms gets into a transformer, they unbalance it, Dr Hapgood tells The Independent.

Transformers rely on the balance of currents as the voltages changes  and if they are pushed out of balance, it can cause heating, and vibration that would switch them off.

So thats how you can get the blackout, but you can switch it back on. There will be damage but it wont be particularly big damage, Dr Hapgood says.

Citing the example of a moderate-level solar storm that struck the Earth in 1989, he said the power disruptions it caused in Quebec, Canada were resolved in about nine hours.

People now know how to fix it. And I wouldnt expect anything extensive. While some raise fears that it would take years to resolve, I dont think a lot of people, especially the engineers really believe that, Dr Hapgood says.

Scientists also say satellite navigation systems could be significantly impacted by solar superstorms.

One of the big ones coming up now is the impact on satellite navigation GNSS. I think its not so much that it would break, but it will have a lot of intermittency over several days. In some points, it would work, and at other points, it wouldnt, the space weather researcher explains.

At some points, it would be putting people in completely the wrong place. So theres an element of it that would not be trusted. I think for aviation, thats not bad, because they have clever systems which actually tell pilots if they cant be trusted, Dr Hapgood adds.

However, experts are unsure of the extent to which global internet connectivity would be impacted by a solar storm.

According to a recent study by Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi from the University of California, Irvine, and VMware Research, the robustness of undersea internet cables to such space weather events has particularly not been tested.

The research predicts that long-distance optical fiber lines and submarine cables, which are a vital part of the global internet infrastructure, are vulnerable to CMEs.

While the optical fibers used in long-haul internet cables are themselves immune to these currents, Dr Jyothi says these cables have electrically powered repeaters at about 100 km intervals that are grounded and are susceptible to damages.

Since the repeaters in these cables are connected in series and to the ground  and also at intermediate points  these ground connections can act as entry and exit points for the induced currents, she tells The Independent.

Dr Love also believes long-distance communication cables could be particularly vulnerable.

The long, large-scale electricity systems are grounded because you seek stability in the operation of your power grid or your telecommunication cable. And normally the earth by grounding it to the earth provides that stability, but its during a solar storm that it doesnt. So thats the kind of paradox, says Dr Love.

They are exposed to the magnetic storm hazard because they have these components called repeaters that are grounded. So yes, the long telecommunication cables are also vulnerable, he explained.

However, not all space weather experts agree that the effects on the internet system could be as catastrophic.

Dr Hapgood, who advises the UK government on the impacts and mitigations for space weather, asserts that the undersea cables are by nature less conductive, and their high resistance would make them less vulnerable to the flow of disrupting currents in the event of a severe solar storm.

According to the UK scientist, an undersea cable spanning 9000 kms, made of 5 mm diameter copper wires, would carry very little current to cause problems.

Due to the large resistance offered by undersea internet cables to the flow of the geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) from solar storms, he believes there will likely not be any disturbance caused to the global internet connectivity by solar flares.

There could be a way to test these theoretical predictions, believes Dibyendu Nandi from the The Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (CESSI) at the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Kolkata.

Even though the undersea cables may be comparatively better off, Dr Nandi tells The Independent that the impact of solar storms on these cables needs to be fully understood since they are a strong backbone of the global internet infrastructure.

So, I think one intelligent way to do that would be to have instruments that can measure current surges in these undersea cables, and observe the variations of these current surges across a period of time wherein various geomagnetic storms of different scales have occured. Dr Nandi says.

According to the Indian astrophysicist, known for his studies related to Solar Magnetic Cycle, the results from such experiments can be compared to understand what kind of impacts the strongest geomagnetic storms can have on undersea cables.

The induced current is proportional to the voltage, and the electric field generated is equal to the voltage divided by the length over which the voltage is being used, he explains.

So when you have a larger length the voltage also scales to the length. And the current is directly proportional to the voltage and the current will also be proportional to the length, Dr Nandi adds.

Dr Jyothi concurs. She believes the induced voltage and current for the strongest storms could be much greater and may pose a threat to transocean internet cables.

Induced voltages are a better way to express the risk. Induced voltages for the strongest storms will be around 10X compared to moderate scale storms, so the current will be in that range, she said.Engineers measure how much voltage variation a cable can take in V/km, and submarine cables are designed to handle about 0.1V/km.

In 1989, during a moderate storm, 0.13 V/km was measured on a cable running under the Atlantic, and in 1958, during another moderate storm, 0.5 V/km was measured on another transatlantic cable.

But these are not the voltage values recorded from the strongest CMEs.

With the strongest CMEs, 5-20V/km variations are expected. So it is orders of magnitude higher than what the cables are designed to handle, Dr Jyothi adds.

While currently, both long distance cables and communication satellites, which are integral to the global internet infrastructure could be vulnerable to CMEs, Dr Jyothi says there are several other solutions for temporary connectivity.

For example internet-powered drones or balloons like project Loon Google had, and there are also proposals for high altitude platform stations which are floating in the air and provide internet connectivity to larger areas. But we dont have any solutions that can be readily deployed, she says.

There are also proposals in the US for inserting automatic shutdown to the ground connections at some of the transformer stations that would cut off the grounding connection, if there is a surge in electricity going through that ground point.

However, for this experimental system to work as intended, Dr Love says there must be an apparatus to shut down the grounding connection at all the transformer stations simultaneously.

This is because, if the grounding connection is temporarily cut off at one point, then the electricity would simply go through a different point.

And wed all have to work simultaneously. So theyre experimenting with this, to see what would happen if you just did a little bit of it. And its still a work in progress, but it is expensive Dr Love adds.

Experts agree that there are still no comprehensive plans to prepare for such a space weather event.

A US project, known as SWORM, organised through the White House brings together different federal agencies to try to address space global hazards.

They are not just worried for the power grid but also about losing communication satellites since we could lose a certain fraction of the communication and GPS satellites due to solar storms, you have, Dr Love said.

The bigger problem, according to Dr Hapgood, is finding out how all the pieces of known information fit together.

When youve got to put it all back together, how does everything interact? And often the overall response is not determined by the behavior of the elements, but by the interactions between them as well, he said.

In a recent study, Dr Hapgood and his team also caution that several scenarios following a solar superstorm may occur close together in time, with the need for government officials to prepare for the near-simultaneous occurrence of many different problems.

The scientists underscore the need for policy makers to consider how public behavior will play out during such severe space weather events.

Dr Jyothi agrees, adding that there is an urgent need to better quantify the risks and then design solutions based on that.

We need better models. We know they are vulnerable but we dont know the extent, she added.
Medical professionals are warning women not to try a dangerous TikTok trend that involves pulling out a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD), also known as a coil, at home.

The risky DIY IUD removal trend was first shown in a video by TikTok creator Mikki Gallagher, who is from the US but now lives in Ireland.

In the caption to her video, she warns her almost 25,000 followers that she is not giving them medical advice, but noted that removing her IUD by herself was a lot easier than I thought.

It only took two minutes, she wrote. In the video, she puts on a latex glove and purportedly pulls out the IUD out of view of the camera. She then holds it up for viewers to see.

The TikTok video garnered more than two million views and viewers left thousands of comments with mixed reactions.

One person wrote: Did the same thing! Was a lot more scary than it was painful or difficult.

Gallagher responded: Yes! They are truly designed to be removed easily so it should be fine but its just the fear of the what ifs.

A number of comments came from women who said they were considering or planning to try yanking their own IUDs out after seeing the video.

A hashtag created for the trend, #iudremoval, has more than 64 million tags linked to videos of women trying to procedure at home or filming their visit to the doctor.

Other women warned against the trend, with one person recalling their experience: I just got out of surgery for IUD removal because that s*** was embedded in my uterine muscle. It couldnt just be pulled out. Be careful!

Another wrote: The problem is you can severely hurt your uterus, mine fell and wrapped around my cervix, tearing it apart and causing severe bleeding.

Doctors are urging women not to try this at home, as if the device is embedded in the uterus, it could lead to severe pain and bleeding, or result in a uterine prolapse.

Dr Gloria Bachmann, an OB-GYN and director of the Womens Health Institute at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told TODAY: It is better to do it in a controlled environment.

When we take it out in the office, everything is visualised [but] you are doing it more or less blindly [at home].

If its embedded in the muscle layer of the uterus, which can happen, it can cause a lot more bleeding, a lot more pain, and it can actually bring the uterus down with it, which is not something that one would want, she added.

Dr Kathleen McNamee, medical director of Family Planning Victoria, told Refinery29 Australia: Not all IUDs are created equally. Some require careful traction on the thread using a special instrument for removal.

If you pull too hard, the thread can snap off, making it a more complicated procedure.

The Independent has contacted the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for comment.
The Duchess of Cambridge has shown her cadet skills while on a visit to the Lake District, where she tried out abseiling and mountain biking.

Kate Middleton braved the drop at Cathedral Quarry in Little Langdale, Cumbria, with a group of Air Cadets on Tuesday.

Itelouwa Odipe, 13, from Lancaster, spoke to the duchess, who is Honorary Air Commandant of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, as she waited to try abseiling.

He said: She was about to abseil and I was next in line so she asked me if I wanted to go before her. I was a bit scared so I said no.

She said if I did she would meet me down there.

Odipe spoke to Kate again after deciding not to abseil, and said she told him her experience was really good and I should try it.

I think she was very kind, he added. Even though she is a royal highness she still does things normal humans do.

The duchess asked the teenagers about the activities they took part in and how the pandemic had affected their mental health.

Britains Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, talks to Air Cadets as she visits the Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Cadet Windermere Adventure Training Centre near Ambleside in north west England (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

She said of the activities: Its so great to have these challenges.

Josh Binnie, 15, from the Kendal squadron of the cadets, told her about his experience in a glider and was asked by the duchess whether it made him travel sick.

When he said no, she replied: Youre made of tougher stuff than me.

Binnie said: She was very nice, a lot less formal than I expected.

Fergus Ripley, 16, from Lancaster, said: It was a fantastic experience to talk to Her Royal Highness.

It was great to see her get involved.

The cadets also made a cup of tea for Kate, who wore black jeans and a green coat with brown boots.

Abby Armstrong, 14, from Lancaster, said: I found out this morning we would be meeting her and it was a total shock. I was just like wow.

She was very nice and not what I was expecting, she was more down to earth.

The duchess also spoke to former cadet Emma Wolstenholme, 39, who is planning to row across the Atlantic to raise funds for the organisation in its 80th anniversary year.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge rides a mountain bike during a visit to the Windermere Adventure Training Centre (Getty Images)

Wolstenholme said: She thinks its incredible, an amazing challenge.

Its such a great cause. I joined the cadets at 13 and went from being the quietest kid in the school to one of the more confident, outdoorsy and adventurous ones.

The visit marked the reopening of the Windermere Adventure Training Centre following a 2m refit.

The centre will allow hundreds of cadets from across the UK to visit the Lake District each year and take part in a wide variety of activities, building their confidence and leadership skills and achieving their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Kate also went on a boat trip with two of the Windermere Children, a group of 300 child Holocaust survivors who came to stay in the Lake District in 1945.

She met with relatives of survivors to talk about how their loved ones time in Cumbria helped them to go on to build successful lives in the UK.
Things to watch beyond the main speeches from leaders at this week's high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York:

 A MEETING at U.N. headquarters on Wednesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the U.N. conference on racism in Durban South Africa will be closely watched. It is being boycotted by the United States France Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia because of concerns about anti-Semitic statements at the 2001 meeting.

 THERE ARE also high-level meetings on energy and the nuclear test ban treaty, and a summit on the connected system of producing, processing, distributing and consuming food, which according to the U.N. contributes an estimated one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. The U.N. Security Council will hold a high-level meeting Wednesday on climate and security.

 USUALLY, HIGH-LEVEL WEEK has hundreds of side events but because of the COVID-19 pandemic only a limited number are being held mainly virtually or outside U.N. headquarters. These include events on vaccines, on children as invisible victims of the coronavirus and conflict, on multilateralism and democracy, and on global hotspots including Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

 THE OUTCOME of a meeting Wednesday of the foreign ministers of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council is eagerly awaited. Afghanistan and other major global challenges are expected to be on the agenda, including the lack of progress on the United States rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Irans new foreign minister, Hossain Amir Abdollahian, is coming to New York and there is speculation that he may meet with the five countries that remain part of the deal  Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
British authorities have charged a senior Russian intelligence agent with involvement in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning, as details emerge of other attacks around the world.

Denis Sergeev, who travelled to the UK under the alias Sergey Fedotov, is believed to have commanded the two GRU agents who carried out the poisoning from London.

Their target was Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, and was living a quiet life in Salisbury.

Novichok was applied to his front door on 4 March 2018, poisoning Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who fell grievously ill but survived.

Months later, in June 2018, a local man found a counterfeit perfume bottle containing the chemical weapon and gave it to his partner as a present.

Charlie Rowley survived being poisoned but his partner, 44-year-old mother Dawn Sturgess, died after applying it to her skin.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised the same charges against Sergeev as the two previous suspects, including the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, the grievous bodily harm of police officer Nick Bailey and the use of novichok as a chemical weapon.

Dean Haydon, the Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said Sergeev operated as a team with Alexander Mishkin, alias Alexander Petrov, and Anatoliy Chepiga, alias Ruslan Boshirov.

He said the trio had also worked as a threesome on attacks in other countries, including Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

The Russian government has denied any involvement in the 2018 attack. At a press conference on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the UK of deliberately worsening relations and using the poisoning to increase anti-Russian feeling in British society.

We condemn attempts to blame Russia, she added. We are trying to ascertain the truth and want exhaustive information from the UK, and to fulfil obligations to give us consulate access to our citizens [Sergei and Yulia Skripal].

Who is Denis Sergeev?

British police say Sergeev is an agent in Russians GRU military intelligence service, aged around 50.

Further details of his life and career have previously been revealed by the investigative website Bellingcat, but not confirmed by authorities.

Bellingcat reported that Sergeev held the rank of major-general at the time of the attack, which is senior to two other GRU agents previously named as suspects.

Telephone records obtained from a whistleblower at a Russian mobile operator showed Sergeev lived in Moscow and worked at GRU buildings including its headquarters and academy.

He was born in Usharal, a small town in what was at the time Soviet Kazakhstan, on 17 September 1973 according to records obtained by Bellingcat.

Sergeev reportedly served in the army, before transferring to Moscow and enrolling at the elite Military Diplomatic Academy or GRU Conservatory.

The first use of his alias Sergey Fedotov, has been dated to 2010, when a passport was issued in that name by the same office that issued cover documents to other agents involved in the Salisbury attack.

Sergeev arrived in the UK days before the Salisbury poisoning (Met Police)

What was his role in the attack?

Sergeev flew from Moscow to Heathrow Airport on 2 March 2018, arriving around four hours before his colleagues, and stayed at a hotel in Paddington for two nights.

British counter-terror police said Sergeev met the two agents who then travelled to Salisbury on more than one occasion over the weekend of the attack, but that no traces of novichok were found at his hotel.

He remained in London for the duration of his three-day visit, and investigators did not give further details of his movements.

Bellingcat previously reported that phone records showed Sergeev remained Paddington area apart from on 3 March 2018, when his phone registered near Oxford Circus and Embankment.

He was in the Embankment area between noon and 1.30pm  the same period when Mishkin and Chepiga were about to catch a train to Salisbury for a reconnaissance trip from nearby Waterloo station.

The Metropolitan Police said the pair arrived in the area at 11.45am but their train did not leave until 12.50pm. With only a 10-minute-walk between Waterloo and Embankment, the three agents could have met in that time.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned on 4 March 2018

Had a meeting in person been necessary between Sergeev and the Chepiga/Mishkin team  whether to pass on final instructions or a physical object  the area between the Embankment and Waterloo would have been a convenient place, and the one hour time gap between their arrival to the station and their departure would have likely sufficed, Bellingcat said.

The website reported that while in London, Sergeev was also exchanging messages on encrypted apps including Telegram, Viber and WhatsApp.

He was downloading large files  all using mobile networks rather than wifi  and speaking on the phone to someone codenamed Amir from Moscow.

Bellingcat concluded that due to his rank and experience, Sergeev was more likely in charge of coordinating the Salisbury operation.

Researchers said the available evidence indicated he was involved in the Skripal operation in a supervising, coordinating role; communicating back and forth to Moscow, while leaving the suspected hit-team to work in an operational Faraday cage.

Sergeev flew back to Moscow from Heathrow at 1.45pm on 4 March, less than two hours after the nerve agent was applied to Sergei Skripals door.

The police investigation is still live, and police are investigating other suspects who may have been part of the poisoning operation

Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Show all 19 1 /19 Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station The two suspects charged in relation to the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal at Salisbury train station at 16:11hrs on 03 March 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspects Suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, Russian nationals, approximately 40 years old, who travelled on a Russian passport. It is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence Bottle and applicator recovered by police from Charlie Rowleys address in Muggleton Road Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence A counterfeit perfume box that was discovered by nerve agent victim Charlie Rowley, who later gave it, and the bottle inside, to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Rowley has previously said he felt lucky to be alive after giving a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, who later died Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspeccts The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Boshirov' at Gatwick airport Movements in detail - At 3pm on Friday, 2 March, the suspects arrived at Gatwick airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Petrov at Gatwick airport From the airport it is believed that they travelled by train into London, arriving at Victoria station at approximately 5.40pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 11:48hrs on 4 March 2018 They then travelled on London public transport to Waterloo station and were in the area between approximately 6pm and 7pm. They travelled to the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London, where they stayed on Friday, 2 March, and Saturday, 3 March. On Saturday, 3 March, they left the hotel and took the underground to Waterloo station, arriving at approximately 11.45am, where they caught a train to Salisbury, arriving at approximately 2.25pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack City Stay Hotel in Bow Road Police officers stand outside the City Stay Hotel in Bow where on Sunday, 4 March, 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' made the same journey from the hotel as they did the previous day, again using the underground from Bow to Waterloo station at approximately 8.05am, before continuing their journey by train to Salisbury Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Wilton Road, Salisbury, 11:58hrs on 4 March 2018 CCTV shows them in the vicinity of Mr Skripals house and we believe that they contaminated the front door with Novichok Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Fisherton Road CCTV image of both suspects on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 13:05hrs on 4 March, 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 13:50hrs on 4 March 2018 They left Salisbury and returned to Waterloo Station, arriving at approximately 4.45pm and boarded the London Underground at approximately 6.30pm to London Heathrow Airport Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Heathrow airport security, 19:28hrs on 4 March 2018 From Heathrow Airport, they returned to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585, departing at 10.30pm Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The police investigation was carried out over 6 months. Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on March 4 in a critical condition on a bench outside the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury AFP Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, right, and his daughter Yulia Rex Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who rushed to the aid of the Skripals was also taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling ill when attempting to help them PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died after falling ill when partner Charlie Rowley gave her a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok Facebook/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The home of Charlie Rowley in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, where he and Dawn Sturgess were exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok PA

What other attacks may he have been involved in?

British police said Sergeev, Mishkin and Chepiga worked as a team on the Salisbury attack and on others around the world.

We have been piecing together evidence that suggests Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov have all previously worked with each other on behalf of the Russian state on operations outside of Russia, Mr Haydon said.

We are in discussion with other countries, particularly Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, in relation to investigations they lead on.

British authorities are also believed to be in touch with other nations with an interest regarding the latest developments in the investigation.

The investigation referred to in the Czech Republic is believed to be a 2014 explosion at an arms depot that previously resulted in the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Six months later, there was a linked poisoning in Bulgaria.

The blast at an ammunition storage depot on 16 October 2014 killed two workers and was initially presumed to be an accident.

But investigations later revealed that two men given access to the site for a supposed inspection prior to the blast had passport photos matching the Salisbury suspects Chepiga and Mishkin.

Suspected Russian military agents Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov (Met Police)

The BBC reported that they used the same cover identities used in the Salisbury attack - Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov - to arrive at Prague airport.

They stayed in Ostrava, near the ammunition depot, and left on the day of the explosion.

Six months later, in April 2015, an arms dealer linked to the depot fell seriously ill in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

Local authorities discovered that Sergeev stayed in a hotel in the same complex as victim Emilian Gebrev's office in April 2015. He is believed to have been attacked using poison smeared on his car door handle.

In February 2020, Bulgarian prosecutors charged Sergeev with the poisoning under his cover name, as well as two other suspected GRU agents known as Sergey Viktorovich Pavlov and Georgi Gorshkov.

Bellingcat accessed travel records showing that Sergeev has moved extensively around Europe since 2012, visiting countries including Ukraine, France, Italy, Switzerland, Serbia and Spain.

Why are these developments happening now?

Sergeevs identity and other details of the attack were revealed by the investigative website Bellingcat in 2019, but Mr Haydon said it had taken time to gather evidence that reached the threshold for a criminal charge.

Despite speculation [and reporting by] Bellingcat and open source media we have to follow due process and follow the evidence, he told a press conference. Since early 2018 thats what weve been doing ...it has taken us longer with the third individual.

Mr Haydon said investigators had identified Sergeev as a suspect at roughly the same time as Mishkin and Chepiga, but not been able to find concrete evidence linking him to the attack as easily.

The police did not announce that they were investigating Sergeev until the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges, after lengthy consideration of the evidence.

The same test is applied to all crimes in England and Wales, meaning that prosecutions must be in the public interest and that there must be enough evidence to give a realistic prospect of conviction.

Intelligence gathered by covert means or spy agencies cannot easily be used in British courts, for both national security and legal reasons.

(Met Police)

What will happen to Sergeev?

British police believe that Sergeev, as well as his alleged accomplices Mishkin and Chepiga, remain in Russia.

The CPS is not applying to Russia for an extradition warrant because the countrys constitution does not permit the extradition of its own nationals.

Instead, Interpol red notices have been issued meaning the suspects can be arrested if they leave Russia - where all three men are believed to remain.

Mr Haydon said British authorities had seen very little cooperation from Russia since 2018, or in previous cases such as the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

He added: The Foreign Office will be talking on diplomatic channels to Russia but from the police investigation side, our due process is to seek arrest warrants and circulate those through Interpol.

If there is an opportunity to arrest those individuals and put them in front of a UK court to seek justice for those individuals mentioned or the people of Salisbury, we will do that.
A primary school has been left devastated after a 28-year-old teacher was named as a murder victim found in a London park.

Sabina Nessa has been remembered as absolutely dedicated to her pupils by the headteacher of Rushey Green Primary School where she worked.

The 28-year-olds body was discovered in Cator Park in southeast London on Saturday.

Police have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of murder. He has been released under further investigation.

Lisa Williams, the headteacher of Rushey Green Primary School in Lewisham, said the school was devastated by Sabinas tragic death.

She was a brilliant teacher; she was kind, caring and absolutely dedicated to her pupils, she said. She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give and her loss is desperately sad.

Ms Williams said the school would be providing specialist support to those who need it.

Ms Nessa, from Kidbrooke in southeast London, was found dead near a community centre on Saturday afternoon.

Police were called at around 5.20pm to reports of a body in Cator Park off Kidbrooke Park Road in the London Borough of Greenwich.

Police said initial enquiries suggest the attack happened at around 20.30pm on Friday.

Detective Chief Inspector Joe Garrity said the park was likely being used by many people from dog walkers to joggers at the time.

Sabina was found near the OneSpace community centre which we know is a facility used by lots of people, Mr Garrity from the Specialist Crime Command said.

He added: We would ask anyone who was in or around the area and who may have any information to come forward.

Did you see someone loitering or acting suspiciously? Or, did you see someone leaving the area in a hurry, perhaps running away? If you have any information, it is vital you tell us.

He said police were working around the clock to deliver justice for the family of this young woman.

Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, who responsible for local policing in Greenwich, called it a shocking incident.

He said: Over the next few days, they can expect to see extra high-visibility patrols both in and around the crime scene as well as other open spaces across the boroughs of Lewisham and Greenwich.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Monday was inconclusive.

Police said enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information or any witnesses have been asked to call police on 101 and give the reference 5747/18. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Additional reporting by Press Association
Russia will make more assassination attempts on British soil if the government does not act very firmly, ministers have been warned.

No new sanctions or diplomatic action against the Kremlin have been announced after a third GRU agent was charged over the 2018 novichok attack targeting Sergei Skripal.

The prosecution was revealed just hours after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia was responsible for the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.

Boris Johnson urged the countrys authorities to hand over the three Salisbury suspects so they can face justice in the UK, but Russia has denied any involvement and no extradition treaty exists.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the UK of deliberately worsening relations and using the poisoning to increase anti-Russian feeling in British society.

We condemn attempts to blame Russia, she added. We are trying to ascertain the truth and want exhaustive information from the UK.

Russia previously refused to extradite the main suspect accused of murdering Litvinenko, and the former KGB agent is now a member of the Russian parliament.

Addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday, senior Conservative MP David Davis said there was a very clear lesson to be learned.

If we do not act very firmly, they will do it again, he added. So we should act, not just against the GRU officers the home secretary has properly highlighted, but against all the manifestations of the Russian mafia state.

If our government do not act more firmly now than we did after the Litvinenko murder, this will happen again.

It came days after a parliamentary committee accused the government of an increasingly casual approach to national security and called for reform.

A report on the threat posed by Russia, published last year, said the UK had badly underestimated the Russian threat and the response it required.

When asked why no new sanctions or diplomatic expulsions were being announced, the home secretary said the government had ruled nothing out.

The UN General Assembly is taking place, Priti Patel added. All such discussions with our allies and many of our bilateral counterparts are absolutely in flight. We are constantly having discussions to consider the other levers we have and what the next steps should be.

Denis Sergeev is the third suspect charged over the Salisbury poisonings (PA)

Ms Patel said the government would be relentless in our pursuit of justice for the victims of the Salisbury attack, which resulted in the death of 44-year-old mother Dawn Sturgess.

Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain them and extradite them to face justice, she added.

Caroline Corbin, the mayor of Salisbury, told The Independent the prospects looked bleak.

For Dawn Sturgess and her family it doesnt appear as though they will see any justice, she said.

I think there should be some steps taken to ensure justice happens. Everyone wants proper justice done.

Ms Corbin said the poisoning continued to have an impact on the city, which was barely back to normal before Covid struck, and that everyone living there continues to be affected.

Interpol red notices have been circulated internationally for the past three years for the two suspects previously charged over the attack, GRU agents Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga, but no arrests have been made. The new suspect, Denis Sergeev, is also thought to remain in Russia.

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the same charges against him as the two previous suspects, including the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, the grievous bodily harm of police officer Nick Bailey and the use of novichok as a chemical weapon.

Sergeev, who travelled to the UK under the alias Sergey Fedotov, is believed to have commanded the poisoning operation from London.

Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Show all 19 1 /19 Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station The two suspects charged in relation to the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal at Salisbury train station at 16:11hrs on 03 March 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspects Suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, Russian nationals, approximately 40 years old, who travelled on a Russian passport. It is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence Bottle and applicator recovered by police from Charlie Rowleys address in Muggleton Road Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence A counterfeit perfume box that was discovered by nerve agent victim Charlie Rowley, who later gave it, and the bottle inside, to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Rowley has previously said he felt lucky to be alive after giving a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, who later died Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspeccts The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Boshirov' at Gatwick airport Movements in detail - At 3pm on Friday, 2 March, the suspects arrived at Gatwick airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Petrov at Gatwick airport From the airport it is believed that they travelled by train into London, arriving at Victoria station at approximately 5.40pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 11:48hrs on 4 March 2018 They then travelled on London public transport to Waterloo station and were in the area between approximately 6pm and 7pm. They travelled to the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London, where they stayed on Friday, 2 March, and Saturday, 3 March. On Saturday, 3 March, they left the hotel and took the underground to Waterloo station, arriving at approximately 11.45am, where they caught a train to Salisbury, arriving at approximately 2.25pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack City Stay Hotel in Bow Road Police officers stand outside the City Stay Hotel in Bow where on Sunday, 4 March, 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' made the same journey from the hotel as they did the previous day, again using the underground from Bow to Waterloo station at approximately 8.05am, before continuing their journey by train to Salisbury Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Wilton Road, Salisbury, 11:58hrs on 4 March 2018 CCTV shows them in the vicinity of Mr Skripals house and we believe that they contaminated the front door with Novichok Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Fisherton Road CCTV image of both suspects on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 13:05hrs on 4 March, 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 13:50hrs on 4 March 2018 They left Salisbury and returned to Waterloo Station, arriving at approximately 4.45pm and boarded the London Underground at approximately 6.30pm to London Heathrow Airport Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Heathrow airport security, 19:28hrs on 4 March 2018 From Heathrow Airport, they returned to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585, departing at 10.30pm Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The police investigation was carried out over 6 months. Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on March 4 in a critical condition on a bench outside the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury AFP Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, right, and his daughter Yulia Rex Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who rushed to the aid of the Skripals was also taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling ill when attempting to help them PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died after falling ill when partner Charlie Rowley gave her a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok Facebook/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The home of Charlie Rowley in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, where he and Dawn Sturgess were exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok PA

He arrived in Britain hours before his alleged accomplices on 2 March 2018, and met them on more than one occasion before the attack.

Sergeev flew back to Moscow from Heathrow at 1.45pm on 4 March, under two hours after the nerve agent was applied to Mr Skripals front door.

Detectives admitted they still do not know what happened to the counterfeit perfume bottle used to deliver the nerve agent, between when it was discarded by the perpetrators on 4 March 2018 and found by a local man in Salisbury on 22 June that year.

Charlie Rowley gave Ms Sturgess the bottle as a present, not knowing it contained enough novichok to kill thousands of people, police said.

Dean Haydon, the Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the three suspects operated as a team to target Mr Skripal, a former double agent who gave information to MI6.

We have been piecing together evidence that suggests Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov have all previously worked with each other on behalf of the Russian state on operations outside of Russia, he told a press conference.

We are in discussion with other countries, particularly Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, in relation to investigations they lead on.

British authorities are also believed to be in touch with other nations with an interest regarding the latest developments in the investigation.

The probe is still live, and police are investigating other suspects who may have been part of the poisoning operation.
 Close Russian spy Denis Sergeev accused of attempted murder over Salisbury novichok attack

Boris Johnson has today called on Russia to hand over those responsible for the Salisbury novichok poisonings after a new suspect was named.

The Prime Minister told Sky News he wanted the suspects handed over for justice after a third Russian spy, Denis Sergeev, faces charges of attempted murder.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel vowed that the government will be relentless in its pursuit of justice over the incident and told MPs in the House of Commons that ministers are committed to introducing new legislation to counter state threats.

Former Russian military officer Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were lucky to escape with their lives after exposure to the poison.

Dawn Sturgess died from exposure to novichok and her partner Charlie Rowley continues to suffer from medical issues after the incident. Police officer Nick Bailey was forced to quit the force after coming into contact with the nerve agent.
Two Russian spies charged with launching the Salisbury novichok attack arrived in the UK just two days before attempting to assassinate Sergei Skripal and fled back to Moscow hours later, police have revealed.

Investigators painstakingly combed through 11,000 hours of CCTV footage to compile a timeline of the movements of two men who were using genuine Russian passports in the names of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, which are believed to be aliases.

Theresa May said the men were members of Russias GRU military intelligence agency, after authorities issued European Arrest Warrants and Interpol red notices.

Should either of these individuals ever again travel outside Russia, we will take every possible step to detain them, to extradite them and to bring them to face justice here in the United Kingdom, the prime minister said.

After flying to London from Moscow on 2 March, they carried out a reconnaissance mission to Salisbury the following day, then returned on 4 March to deploy the nerve agent.

They were caught on CCTV near Mr Skripals house at noon, and by the time the former Russian double agent and his daughter fell ill the pair were on their way back to London to catch a flight back to Moscow.

Police are appealing for information to fill in any gaps in their knowledge, and trace how then men disposed of a novichok bottle they believe was later found by Charlie Rowley.

The 45-year-old cannot remember exactly where he picked up what appeared to be a Nina Ricci perfume in Salisbury, before giving it to his partner Dawn Sturgess as a present.

The mother-of-three died days after spreading the nerve agent it contained on her wrists, while Mr Rowley was left critically ill and has since been readmitted to hospital.

Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Show all 19 1 /19 Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station The two suspects charged in relation to the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal at Salisbury train station at 16:11hrs on 03 March 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspects Suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, Russian nationals, approximately 40 years old, who travelled on a Russian passport. It is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence Bottle and applicator recovered by police from Charlie Rowleys address in Muggleton Road Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence A counterfeit perfume box that was discovered by nerve agent victim Charlie Rowley, who later gave it, and the bottle inside, to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Rowley has previously said he felt lucky to be alive after giving a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, who later died Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspeccts The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Boshirov' at Gatwick airport Movements in detail - At 3pm on Friday, 2 March, the suspects arrived at Gatwick airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Petrov at Gatwick airport From the airport it is believed that they travelled by train into London, arriving at Victoria station at approximately 5.40pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 11:48hrs on 4 March 2018 They then travelled on London public transport to Waterloo station and were in the area between approximately 6pm and 7pm. They travelled to the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London, where they stayed on Friday, 2 March, and Saturday, 3 March. On Saturday, 3 March, they left the hotel and took the underground to Waterloo station, arriving at approximately 11.45am, where they caught a train to Salisbury, arriving at approximately 2.25pm Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack City Stay Hotel in Bow Road Police officers stand outside the City Stay Hotel in Bow where on Sunday, 4 March, 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' made the same journey from the hotel as they did the previous day, again using the underground from Bow to Waterloo station at approximately 8.05am, before continuing their journey by train to Salisbury Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Wilton Road, Salisbury, 11:58hrs on 4 March 2018 CCTV shows them in the vicinity of Mr Skripals house and we believe that they contaminated the front door with Novichok Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Fisherton Road CCTV image of both suspects on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 13:05hrs on 4 March, 2018 Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Salisbury train station, 13:50hrs on 4 March 2018 They left Salisbury and returned to Waterloo Station, arriving at approximately 4.45pm and boarded the London Underground at approximately 6.30pm to London Heathrow Airport Metropolitan Police Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV  Heathrow airport security, 19:28hrs on 4 March 2018 From Heathrow Airport, they returned to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585, departing at 10.30pm Metropolitan Police/PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The police investigation was carried out over 6 months. Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on March 4 in a critical condition on a bench outside the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury AFP Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, right, and his daughter Yulia Rex Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who rushed to the aid of the Skripals was also taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling ill when attempting to help them PA Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died after falling ill when partner Charlie Rowley gave her a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok Facebook/AFP/Getty Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The home of Charlie Rowley in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, where he and Dawn Sturgess were exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok PA

Here is a timeline of the Salisbury and Amesbury incidents:

2 March:

3pm: Men travelling on passports in the name of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov arrive at Gatwick Airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588.

5.40pm: Suspects arrive at Victoria railway station after travelling by train into central London.

6-7pm: Men in Waterloo station area after travelling on London public transport, then onwards to City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London.

Photos from passports in the names of Ruslan Boshirov (L) and Alexander Petrov (R) (Metropolitan Police)

3 March

11.45am: Suspects arrive back at Waterloo station after taking Underground from hotel.

2.25pm: Suspects arrive in Salisbury on train for suspected reconnaissance trip. We assess that this trip was for reconnaissance of the Salisbury area and do not believe that there was any risk to the public from their movements on this day, Mr Basu said.

2.40pm: Yulia Skripal arrives at London Heathrow Airport from Russia to visit her father.

4.10pm: Suspects leave Salisbury on train, arriving back in Bow at 8.05pm.

CCTV image of both suspects at Salisbury train station at 16:11hrs on 3 March 2018 (Metropolitan Police)

4 March

8.05am: Suspects repeat journey from Bow to Waterloo station, and onwards to Salisbury.

11.48am: Men caught on CCTV exiting Salisbury railway station.

11.58am: Suspects caught on CCTV near Mr Skripals house in Wilton Road, Salisbury, moments before the attack.

1.05pm: Men filmed in Fisherton Street, Salisbury city centre, heading towards the train station.

1.30pm: Mr Skripals car seen driving towards Salisbury city centre, where he and his daughter arrived at the Sainsburys car park 10 minutes later.

The suspects on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 1.05pm on 4 March 2018 (Metropolitan Police/PA)

1.50pm: Suspects embark on their journey back to London, arriving at Waterloo at 4.45pm.

2.20pm: Sergei Skripal and his daughter visit The Mill pub in Salisbury before eating at a Zizzi restaurant in the Maltings shopping area.

4.15pm: Sergei and Yulia Skripal found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury city centre.

6.30pm: Pair board the London Underground to London Heathrow Airport.

7.28pm: Suspects pass through passport control at London Heathrow Airport.

10.30pm: Suspects return to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585. Police have no evidence that they re-entered the UK after that date.

The suspects passing through passport control at London Heathrow at 7.28pm on Sunday evening (4 March) (Metropolitan Police/PA)

5 March

Major incident declared after Salisbury District Hospital staff send samples for testing, as Sergei Skripal, his daughter and Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey are treated.

7 March

The Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down confirm substance used is a nerve agent and an attempted murder investigation is launched.

12 March

Theresa May tells parliament nerve agent has been identified as a military-grade nerve agent part of a group known as novichoks.

22 March

DS Nick Bailey discharged from hospital

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who joined Wiltshire Police in 2002, was taken to hospital after a nerve agent was used to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal (Wiltshire Police/Handout)

28 March

Front door of Mr Skripals house confirmed as the primary source of contamination.

9 April

Yulia Skripal discharged from hospital.

12 April

Testing by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirms UK findings that novichok nerve agent was used.

4 May

Tests uncover traces of novichok in room used by the suspects at the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road.

18 May

Sergei Skripal discharged from hospital.

22 May

The Maltings reopens following decontamination work.

(AFP/Getty) (AFP)

27 June

Charlie Rowley discovers what he believes to be a discarded perfume box in Salisbury.

30 June

Mr Rowley opens the perfume box to find a bottle and applicator, and tries to put them together. He spills some of the substance on himself and washes it off quickly, while Dawn Sturgess applies it to her wrists.

10.15am: Ambulance called to Mr Rowleys home in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, after Dawn Sturgess falls ill.

6.20pm: Ambulance called to Mr Rowleys home after he falls ill.

3 July

Major incident declared after tests at Porton Down show Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley were exposed to nerve agent.

4 July

Five sites in Salisbury and Amesbury cordoned off, presence of novichok confirmed.

8 July

Dawn Sturgess dies in hospital, murder investigation launched.

Dawn Sturgess, a mother-of-three, died in hospital days after being poisoned with novichok (Metropolitan Police)

11 July

Police find small bottle that contained novichok at Mr Rowleys home after he regains consciousness and gives his first interview.

20 July

Mr Rowley discharged from hospital, before being readmitted a month later.

2 August

Police seize charity bins where Mr Rowley believes he may have found the novichok bottle for testing.

4 September

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirms UKs finding that novichok was used in Amesbury and caused Dawn Sturgess death.

The toxic chemical compound displays the same toxic properties of a nerve agent. It is also the same toxic chemical that was found in the biomedical and environmental samples relating to the poisoning of Mr Sergei Skripal, Ms Yulia Skripal, and Mr Nicholas Bailey on 4 March 2018 in Salisbury, investigators say.

Theresa May informing MPs that the suspects are Russian spies on 5 September

5 September

Crown Prosecution Service announces criminal charges against two Russian suspects, who Theresa May identifies as GRU spies.

Police launch appeal for information on the suspects, their movements and the perfume bottle.

The manner in which the bottle and packaging has been adapted makes it a perfect cover for smuggling the weapon into the country, and a perfect delivery method for the attack against Mr Skripals front door, Mr Basu said.

The lack of crossover between the known movements of the suspects and Dawn and Charlies known movements around Salisbury, and the fact that there is no evidence to suggest they have been targeted mean it is much more likely Dawn and Charlie found the bottle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigation team in confidence on 0800 789 321 or email Salisbury2018@met.police.uk.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ordered an investigation into a data breach involving dozens of Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces.

More than 250 former workers seeking evacuation to the UK were mistakenly copied into an email from the Ministry of Defence asking for an update on their situation, the BBC reported.

John Healey MP, Labours Shadow Defence Secretary, said: We told these Afghans interpreters we would keep them safe, instead this breach has needlessly put lives at risk.

This is the second major data breach from the MoD this year, after sensitive documents were discovered at a bus stop in Kent in June. Clearly, the defence secretary needs to get his house in order.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: An investigation has been launched into a data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations Assistance Policy team.

We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again.

The Independent has launched a petition urging the UK government to be more ambitious in its plans to take in Afghan refugees. To sign the petition click here

The Ministry of Defence takes its information and data handling responsibilities very seriously.

One of the affected interpreters told the BBC that some others failed to spot the mistake and replied to the entire list with further personal details.

The email was sent by the team in charge of the UKs Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which has been dealing with claims of refuge since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August.

Conservative MP Johnny Mercer said the treatment of Afghan interpreters had been deeply shameful.

In July, myself along with many others in defence asked the Defence Secretary and the Home Secretary to sort out the Arap programme, he said.

They wrote a churlish letter back saying we were reacting to significant misreporting and our concerns were simply not true.

I told them they would regret their childish approach to a genuine effort to protect those who had served in harms way on behalf of our nation.

Their hubris will cost lives; this latest episode will only accelerate that. Deeply shameful.

The Independent has launched a petition which has so far gathered nearly 15,000 signatures urging the UK government to be more ambitious in its plans to take in Afghan refugees. It comes after the Taliban seized power ahead of withdrawal of western troops in August. We are keen to gather more signatures and this is your chance to have your voice heard by adding yours. We thank you for your support. To sign the petition click here
A severely depressed asylum seeker who has been stranded on the fringes of a Greek refugee camp for months must be transferred to the UK to reunite with his brother, an immigration judge has ruled.

The Home Office rejected a family reunion application from Samir (not his real name), who has been living alone on the island of Samos since 2019, to join his older brother, a refugee in the UK, in February 2021, claiming that there was insufficient evidence of a close relationship.

The Independent reported in May that Samir, who was assessed by the Greek authorities last year as being 20 years old but maintained that he was 17, was facing sexual assault and bullying on the Greek island.

His lawyers challenged the Home Offices refusal. An immigration judge subsequently ruled last week that his continued exclusion from Britain constituted a disproportionate breach of his right to a family life with his brother, and that he must be transferred to the UK  as soon as possible in order for his asylum claim to be considered.

Samir, who has been assessed as being at high risk of suicide, told The Independent on Monday that his tent had been burnt down in the night, and provided video footage of the structure ablaze. It was destroyed by a large fire that broke out in the Vathy camp on Sunday night.

The camp was due be closed anyway, with plans to move hundreds of migrants into a controversial 43m (36.9m) closed asylum centre on the island. No major injuries were reported to have been caused by the fire.

Samir, who fled to Europe after fleeing detention and torture in his home country, which cannot be revealed to protect his identity, said: The fire came to my tent and I was scared, so I left the tent. Everything has been damaged except that I just managed to rescue my papers and my phone. I dont know where I will sleep now. Im homeless.

The teenager also spoke of facing sexual harassment, adding: A few weeks ago I was walking to meet my solicitor and two older men tried to have sex with me. They gave me a kiss on my cheeks, then I ran away.

Im really, really scared. I dont know where to go. I cant sleep outside. Things are becoming worse and worse here.

Handing down her judgment, Judge Jackson said she had attached significant weight to a medical report of professor David Bell, one of the UKs leading psychiatric experts in asylum and immigration, who assessed Samir as being in a complex chronic traumatised state and suffering from a severe depressive disorder.

The report, published in July and seen by The Independent, states that it is clear that Samir will not recover from his disorder as long as he remains in this environment, regardless of any treatment he can receive.

Dr Bell said Samir was in the top 5 per cent of most traumatised cases of around 400 refugees he has assessed during his career.

Judge Jackson said the report identified Samirs current condition and living circumstances at the very high end of serious and compelling and gave a very poor prognosis for Samir should those circumstances persist in Greece and he is denied the support of his brother in the UK.

I have no hesitation in the present case in accepting on the basis of the evidence before me that there is a disproportionate interference with the applicants Article 8 rights, she added.

Samirs UK-based solicitor, Rachel Harger of Bindmans Solicitors, told The Independent: Samir has endured a legal process of over a year before reaching this ruling. Meanwhile the conditions on Samos are increasingly volatile and dangerous and the burning down of Samirs tent is just latest example of events which continue to traumatise him.

The Home Office must now set out what action will be taken to expedite and facilitate Samirs safe arrival into the UK to be reunited with his brother.

Beth Gardiner-Smith, chief executive of Safe Passage International, said: Samirs struggle to join his brothers demonstrates just how fundamental safe routes to family reunion are for refugee children. Yet this government closed the refugee family reunion route from Europe last year, and now plans to further limit refugee family reunion in their Nationality and Borders Bill.

As a result, many more children and young people like Samir risk being left alone in squalid camps or pushed to risk their lives in the hands of smugglers, instead of being safely reunited with family so they can rebuild their lives. The government must rethink and act to save lives by opening safe routes and expanding family reunion.

A Home Office spokesperson said: Protecting vulnerable children is an absolute priority for the government and in 2019, the UK received more asylum claims from unaccompanied children than any other European country, including Greece.

As part of our New Plan for Immigration to fix the UKs broken asylum system, we will continue to welcome people through safe and legal routes and prioritise those most in need.
The government has struck a deal with American firm CF Industries to restart carbon dioxide production at its UK plants in Ince, Cheshire and Billingham, Teesside.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng met with the fertiliser company over the weekend, after it had halted production at its UK-based plants on Friday in response to a spike in global natural gas prices.

Taxpayers will pay towards the operating costs of the manufacturer to ensure the supply of CO2 for the food sector continues amid the ongoing energy crisis.

The agreement will be in place for three weeks while the CO2 market adapts to the surge in global gas prices, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis).

Mr Kwarteng said the decision would avert disruption in the many critical industries that rely on a stable supply of carbon dioxide.

The halt in operations has led to a food production crisis, as CO2, a byproduct of fertiliser production, is widely used in food processing. The gas is used to stun animals for slaughter, to package meats and salads, and to carbonate beer and other fizzy drinks.

Prior to halting production, the CF Industries supplied around 60 per cent of the UKs food-grade CO2.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ian Wright, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation said on BBC Radio 4s Today programme that Britain likely had about 10 days before consumers and shoppers start to notice that products  ranging from poultry and pork to baked goods  would not be available due to the CO2 shortage.

Meat processors in the UK have also warned that they would need to halt production within days if CO2 production did not resume swiftly.

Details on the deal, including when production will restart and what incentives were offered to the company, remain unknown.
 Close 'We've got the perfect storm', says London mayor about energy crisis

The government has not been complacent over the energy crisis, Kwasi Kwarteng has insisted, after Labours Ed Miliband produced a letter he claimed was sent by regulator Ofgem to the business secretary 18 months ago warning of a systemic risk to the UKs energy market.

A 250 per cent spike in wholesale gas prices has caused seven firms to collapse in a matter of weeks, with Avro Energy and Green becoming the latest to fold.

As figures from the regulator showed nearly 1.5 million households have now suffered their suppliers going bust, junior minister Paul Scully said it was not going to be possible to guarantee that their bills would not rise  contradicting assertions by Mr Kwarteng days earlier that customers being transferred to new providers should be expected to pay the same amount.

While all customers affected will continue to receive energy until Ofgem allocates them to a new  possibly more expensive  supplier, the regulators boss Jonathan Brearley warned MPs that the number of households affected may well go well above the hundreds of thousands.

Mr Scully also said it would be up to the energy watchdog to decide whether the price cap should rise. It is currently due to next be reviewed in April.

The business minister told Sky News the government was planning for the worst-case scenario, which he said was that gas prices would remain high beyond a short spike.

Both Mr Kwarteng and the regulator have insisted the cap should remain in place.
Residents in high-rise social housing blocks remain at risk of future fires because of an unstable regulatory system and incompetent fire service, the Grenfell Tower inquiry has heard.

Danny Friedman QC, who represents a group of bereaved people, survivors and residents of the west London tower block, told the hearing that the UK has an unstable fire regulatory system and a fire service that is incompetent to meet contemporary challenges.

The long-running inquiry is being held to examine the circumstances surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people on the night of 14 June 2017.

His comments came as the panel heard opening statements for a new phase of the inquiry examining firefighting.

The panel also heard opening submissions from lawyers representing London mayor Sadiq Khan, the Fire Brigades Union, the Fire Officers Association and the London Fire Commissioner, who spoke on behalf of the London Fire Brigade.

Mr Friedman told the panel that the fire regulatory system and fire service need fixing.

He added: Until that happens, those who live in high rise social housing will continue to be at significant risk.

Grenfell Tower showed them (to be) least likely to be protected from fire and most likely to be dependent on effective fire service response.

The LFB (London Fire Brigade) was brave at Grenfell Tower but it was not effective.

There was a time and a place in this inquiry to deal with deregulation and austerity.

But the fire service leadership and the Fire Brigade Union need to be far more introspective than they currently are in acknowledging how they can be more part of the solution rather than the problem.

Leslie Thomas QC, representing a separate group of bereaved people, survivors and residents, said the evidence disclosed to the inquiry demonstrated the London Fire Brigade is in urgent need of reform.

He told the panel: Our clients are concerned that the London Fire Brigade is an institution incapable of reforming itself from within... given the implications for public safety, this overhaul cannot wait.

Mr Thomas also called for proper funding from the government for the fire service to help aid its transformation, adding: Safety in lives cannot be sacrificed at the altar of austerity.

Anne Studd QC, representing London mayor Sadiq Khan, told the inquiry that since the creation of the London Fire Commissioner, the governing body of LFB, in April 2018, there is now a more direct oversight and scrutiny by the mayor.

She added that 18 out of 29 recommendations made by the panel in a report from Phase 1 have been completed and Mr Khan was working to implement the remainder.

In addition, Mr Khan was calling for a permanent annual increase in funding to carry out fire protection activity on buildings across London until they are safer.

Martin Seaward QC, representing the Fire Brigades Union, told the inquiry the union supported some aspects for reforming the fire service but warned any further structural reform will be seized upon by central government as an opportunity for further cuts.

He added that any future reforms must include proper engagement and consultation with the unions.

Stephen Walsh QC, representing the London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe who was appointed in January 2020, said Mr Roe has been clear that large organisations must always develop policy procedure through learning from experience.

He added the brigade was also tackling any challenges it is facing head on.

The London Fires Commissioners paramount consideration is and always has been to protect the safety of Londoners in case of fire and other emergencies.

The interests of the bereaved, survivors and residents of Grenfell Tower remain at the very heart of the LFBs continuing commitment to learn from the tragic events of June 14 and to affect meaningful change wherever possible.

Mr Friedman told the panel that the fire regulatory system and fire service need fixing.

He added: Until that happens, those who live in high rise social housing will continue to be at significant risk.

Grenfell Tower showed them (to be) least likely to be protected from fire and most likely to be dependent on effective fire service response.

The LFB (London Fire Brigade) was brave at Grenfell Tower but it was not effective.

There was a time and a place in this inquiry to deal with deregulation and austerity.

But the fire service leadership and the Fire Brigade Union need to be far more introspective than they currently are in acknowledging how they can be more part of the solution rather than the problem.

Leslie Thomas QC, representing a separate group of bereaved people, survivors and residents, said the evidence disclosed to the inquiry demonstrated the London Fire Brigade is in urgent need of reform.

He told the panel: Our clients are concerned that the London Fire Brigade is an institution incapable of reforming itself from within... given the implications for public safety, this overhaul cannot wait.

Mr Thomas also called for proper funding from the Government for the fire service to help aid its transformation, adding: Safety in lives cannot be sacrificed at the altar of austerity.

Anne Studd QC, representing London mayor Sadiq Khan, told the inquiry that since the creation of the London Fire Commissioner, the governing body of LFB, in April 2018, there is now a more direct oversight and scrutiny by the mayor.

She added that 18 out of 29 recommendations made by the panel in a report from Phase 1 have been completed and Mr Khan was working to implement the remainder.

In addition, Mr Khan was calling for a permanent annual increase in funding to carry out fire protection activity on buildings across London until they are safer.

Martin Seaward QC, representing the Fire Brigades Union, told the inquiry the union supported some aspects for reforming the fire service but warned any further structural reform will be seized upon by central government as an opportunity for further cuts.

He added that any future reforms must include proper engagement and consultation with the unions.

Stephen Walsh QC, representing the London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe who was appointed in January 2020, said Mr Roe has been clear that large organisations must always develop policy procedure through learning from experience.

He added the brigade was also tackling any challenges it is facing head on.

The London Fires Commissioners paramount consideration is and always has been to protect the safety of Londoners in case of fire and other emergencies.

The interests of the bereaved, survivors and residents of Grenfell Tower remain at the very heart of the LFBs continuing commitment to learn from the tragic events of June 14 and to affect meaningful change wherever possible.

The hearing continues.
Two soldiers in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment have been accused of carrying out a persistent bullying campaign against a Northern Irish colleague, including hurling abuse at him about the IRA and car bombs.

Troopers Maxwell Nicholls and Declan Coutts also allegedly put trooper Scott Alexander in chokeholds and headlocks, repeatedly soaked his bed with water and stole his ironing board and boots, a court martial was told.

The three were roommates in barracks at Windsor where they were training at the historic regiment, which is usually tasked with guarding the Queen.

Mr Nicholls, who is English, and Mr Coutts, who is Scottish, are also accused of racially abusing a Muslim colleague, Azaan Aziz-Sheikh, with the former alleged to have called him a black-faced p*** and both are alleged to have assaulted him.

Asked about the extent of the abuse by the panel, Mr Alexander, who speaks with a strong Northern Irish accent, said he felt demoralised and pleaded with Mr Coutts and Mr Nicholls to stop, but added it didnt make a difference, they thought it was funny.

In total, Mr Nicholls and Mr Coutts are accused of a string of nine charges relating to alleged incidents that took place between July and November in 2020.

Lieutenant Matthew Poulsom, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Court: Nicholls and Coutts launched a persistent bullying campaign against [Mr Alexander]. On multiple occasions they would pin him down, sit on his chest, strangle and choke him, and made racially abusive comments. They frequently made racial slurs against him being Northern Irish, referencing the IRA in a derogatory manner.

Speaking about a specific alleged incident, which he said happened on 30 October 2020, Lt Poulsom claimed that while in a Windsor pub, Mr Nicholls shouted racially abusive comments at Mr Aziz-Sheikh. Mr Nicholls and Mr Coutts allegedly went on to assault him when they all returned to Windsors Combermere Barracks.

Nicholls assaulted him by shoving him in the head and immediately after Nicholls sat down and made abusive comments about [Tpr Aziz-Sheikhs] Muslim faith, he said.

Giving evidence, Mr Alexander said his relationship with his roommates became unpleasant within a week. He said: I had slurs used against me after they picked up on my accent. Lots of derogatory terms were used. Terms about car bombs, I was called Gerry Adams, and they would say I was in the IRA. I believe it was said in quite a targeted manner, not in a banterish way.

Eleanor Lucas, a lawyer representing Mr Nicholls, said the behaviour was harmless horseplay between friends. She also showed the court videos of Mr Alexander taking part in group pranks and photos of him allegedly wearing a T-shirt with the nickname terrorist on.

Cathryn Sutcliffe, for Mr Coutts, accused Mr Alexander of making it up as he goes along.

Mr Alexander continued by explaining how, at first, he took it on the chin but struggled to cope. He said: I would constantly say, Leave it out or tell them to grow up. It became more physical. There were headlocks, chokeholds, they would sit on my chest and pin me down. I would be lying on my bed and they would come and jump on me.

Jamie Bartlett, another trainee soldier who was drinking in a Wetherspoons pub with the soldiers on the night of 30 October, claimed he heard Mr Nicholls call Mr Aziz-Sheikh a f****ng little brown man.

Mr Nicholls and Mr Coutts both face one charge of racially aggravated battery on Mr Alexander as well as an alternative charge of battery. The pair also face a conduct charge relating to alleged racial abuse towards Mr Alexander.

Mr Nicholls is charged with two counts of religiously aggravated assault by beating and two alternative counts of battery, all relating to alleged attacks on Mr Aziz-Sheikh. Mr Coutts is charged with battery of Mr Aziz-Sheikh. They deny all the charges.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by Solent News
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is not going to pay his taxes as an act of kindness and it is up to governments to make sure that big business operators like him pay what is due, Boris Johnson has said.

The prime minister confronted the worlds richest man over Amazons tax bill when the pair met on the margins of the United Nations general assembly in New York on Monday.

But he said that Bezos  whose personal fortune is estimated at over 130bn  made clear that he believed the onus was on governments to ensure that they have an effective tax system, rather than for businesses voluntarily to pay more than is required by the law.

Hes a capitalist, and he made the very important point that this is a job for governments, Mr Johnson told Channel 5 News.

And tax isnt something that hes going to pay as an ex gratia act of kindness. Its up to governments to come up with the right framework.

Asked if Mr Johnson got a sense that Mr Bezos accepted he was not paying enough tax in the UK, the prime minister said: This is a guy whos making he has to operate within the commercial framework, within the laws as he finds; thats what he does.

Were trying to make sure we change so as to be fair to the taxpayer, fair to other businesses in the high street and elsewhere.

Amazon has sparked fury over many years for its minimal tax payments in the UK despite making billions in sales. The company paid 492m in direct taxation in 2020 as its sales rose 50 per cent to 20.63bn.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is planning a 2 per cent tax on digital sales amid concerns that big tech firms are re-routing their profits through low-tax jurisdictions.

The levy, fiercely resisted by tech giants, is intended to redress the balance with bricks-and-mortar businesses, which have seen profits savaged as consumers flood away from the high street to virtual shopping.

Mr Sunak has said that the Covid pandemic made online retailers even more powerful and more profitable.

Amazons direct tax bill for 2020 was up by more than two-thirds compared with the 293m it paid in the previous year.

The firm, which employs 55,000 people in the UK, said the taxes included business rates, stamp duty, corporation tax and other contributions.

Recent analysis by union Unite found that the ecommerce giants accounts and public statements showed 13.7bn in sales in the UK in 2019, of which only 5.5bn worth were reported in filings for UK-based companies, with others routed via low-tax Luxembourg.
New foreign secretary Liz Truss will on Wednesday demand the immediate release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other British detainees being held in Iran when she meets her Iranian counterpart at the United Nations.

Ms Trusss meeting with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the fringes of the UN general assembly in New York will be the first between Iran and the UK at foreign minister level since 2018. It was postponed from Monday after the Iranian delegation got stuck in Tajikistan and were unable to travel to the US.

The foreign secretary has followed her predecessor Dominic Raab in rejecting outright Iranian attempts to link Nazanins fate to the resolution of a egal case over the UKs non-payment of a 400m debt relating to tanks sold to the countrys former shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the most prominent of a group of Anglo-Iranian dual nationals held by Tehran, will mark her 2,000th day detained in Iran on Thursday and her supporters have called for the Foreign Office to step up pressure on Iran by imposing sanctions on 10 officials seen as implicated in state hostage-taking since 1979.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA

The 10 Iranians  lawyers, jailers and propagandists  would be subject to UK travel bans and asset freezes.

First detained in 2016 after visiting Iran with her first child, aid worker Nazanin was sentenced to a further years prison in April after being found guilty of propaganda against the Iranian government. She denies all wrong-doing.

Speaking on the eve of her meeting, Truss said she would urge her Iranian counterpart to ensure the immediate and permanent release of all arbitrarily detained British nationals in Iran, and to begin working with us to mend our fractured relations.

She said she had spoke to Nazanins British husband Richard and assured him she would press his wifes case very firmly.
Tanmanjeet Dhesi, Britains first MP to wear a turban, has described the racist attacks he has experienced throughout his life in the UK as a Sikh.

The Labour politician became the MP for Slough in 2017, the town in which he was born and raised to Indian parents.

Having faced racism throughout his life, starting in the school classroom when a pupil tried to rip his turban off, Dhesi described his experiences during an appearance on GB News.

He explained racism was a common and prevalent experience across the country for many from ethnic minorities, with attacks having ramped up following the September 11 terror attacks.

Speaking to former Labour MP-turned-GB News host Gloria De Piero, he said: When I grew up, somebody - one of my so-called classmates - thought itd be very funny to try and pull off my turban.

I was in tears and trying to come to terms with that as a child, and that is unfortunately the experience for many.

He added: After the 9/11 attacks, the level of racism towards people, especially with turbans like me or with beards, increased substantially.

Dhesi insisted racism spanned further than classrooms, describing the discrimination an Indian visitor who wore a turban faced by the House Commons.

As he was queuing up outside Parliament, somebody filled with so much hatred made disparaging remarks to him, Islamophobic remarks to him, saying go back to your country, he MP recounted.

He also, unfortunately, also tried to pull off his turban.

Dhesi admitted he had felt shame with the attack happening just outside Parliament, adding: What image is that going to make of our country as he goes back to India?

The MP, who was appointed Shadow Minister for the Railways, said he had been likened to the Taliban for the past couple of decades, due to the colour of his skin and his choice to wear a turban.

Members of the Sikh faith had been shot in the US following the September 11 terror attacks due to hatred, he said, hatred which is instilled in so many people across not only North American, but Europe too.

Dhesi said it was a privilege to be the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit in British Parliament - and indeed, European Parliament too - but with the title came an enormous sense of responsibility to represent the community which make up some one per cent of the population.

If I say something incorrect, it wont just reflect on me, it will reflect on anybody that wears a turban, any young children who face bullying.

I want them to look up and say if he can do it, why cant I?.
A US intelligence officer, who travelled to India earlier this month, has reported symptoms of the mysterious Havana syndrome, an illness that has reportedly afflicted more than 100 US diplomats and spies since 2016, according to a report.

Officials said they were investigating whether the officer was targeted because he was travelling with CIA director William Burns.

Mr Burns was fuming with anger after he was briefed about the officers condition, a source told CNN. The officer received medical attention as soon as he reached the US.

We dont comment on specific incidents or officers. We have protocols in place for when individuals report possible anomalous health incidents that include receiving appropriate medical treatment, a CIA spokesperson told CNN.

Burns met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and members of the National Security Council Secretariat in India on 7 September. Neither India nor the US had revealed any details about Burns trip.

Experts suspect that the latest episode was probably a direct message to Mr Burns that no one is safe, even if they worked for Americas top spy agency.

The Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency have previously said that they do not believe Havana syndrome is a naturally occurring illness. A study commissioned by the US Department of State, in fact, found that the most likely cause of the illness was a pulse of radio-frequency energy directed at US targets.

Last month, US Vice President Kamala Harriss visit to Vietnam was delayed by three hours when several officers reported symptoms of the syndrome. Two officials had to be immediately evacuated.

Over the last five years, an increasing number of US diplomats, troops, and intelligence officers have been suddenly afflicted with the mysterious illness. Its symptoms include headaches, ringing in the ears, loss of hearing, memory, and balance. Some victims have also suffered long-term brain damage.

Officials have said that at least two incidents occurred near the White House.

The US department of defence is working on a wearable sensor to detect the use of invisible radio-frequency weapons on people.

However, it is important to note that none of this directed energy theory has actually been proven.

Since 2016  when the first case of Havana syndrome was reported in Cuba  more than 130 American personnel have fallen ill. The State Department says that at least 21 employees of the US embassy in Cuba reported headaches, tinnitus, and balance and memory problems.
A college professor in Chicago, Illinois, has been charged with allegedly racially attacking a Black woman and her seven-year-old child outside a supermarket, after he reportedly hurled racial slurs and spat.

Alberto Friedmann, aged 53, allegedly carried out the attack on 7 September outside a Jewel-Osco supermarket in the Oak Park area of the city. He is believed to be a professor at the National University of Health Sciences in Chicago.

Mr Friedmann, according to CBS Chicago, shouted at the woman and her daughter because their car was parked along the side of Madison Street West, where they were waiting for her elderly mother to finish shopping.

Despite not blocking traffic, the woman was allegedly racially abused by Mr Friedmann, who rammed his vehicle into the Black womans and demanded she move her car.

He then got out of his Jaguar and approached the woman and her child, and according to reports, continued to shout racial slurs, which included the N word, the attorneys office in Cook County, Illinois, claimed in court on Sunday.

At this point, her mother had finished shopping and had walked out of the Jewel-Osco, to witness Mr Friedmann spit and racially abuse her daughter, who authorities have not named.

CBS Chicago reported that Mr Friedmann told the woman he did not like Black people.

Shortly after, he allegedly accelerated towards the woman  who had got out of her car to call for help, and to look at his licence plate  and she was forced to step out of the way. She was not believed to have been hit.

Members of the public soon intervened and when Chicago police arrived at the Jewel-Osco, Mr Friedman was arrested. He was afterwards charged with a hate crime and aggravated assault, and admitted to the attack.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, he holds a doctorate in kinesiology and exercise science and neurology, and teaches neuro kinesiology at National University of Health Sciences.

He was reportedly released from police custody on $2,500 bail.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
Law enforcement agencies are using drones and all-terrain vehicles to search a vast and unforgiving nature reserve near the Florida home of Brian Laundrie.

Officers from several police departments were joined by the FBI and specialist dog units as they hunted for Mr Laundrie, who told his parents he was going hiking in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County a week ago and hasnt been seen since.

The search operation resumed early on Tuesday after a multi-agency manhunt over the weekend failed to turn up any trace of Mr Laundrie.

A weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25,000-acre reserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on, North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said.

Large parts of the reserve are under water, and packed with dangerous wildlife, Mr Taylor added.

Please be aware, the Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times. It is currently waist-deep in water in many areas.

This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake-infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails.

Mr Taylor posted several videos of the search to Twitter, showing the vast expanse of the reserve and its challenging terrain.

Law enforcement has put in place a flight restriction over the Carlton Reserve on Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he had directed all state agencies under his purview to assist federal and local law enforcement as they continue to search.

We need justice for Gabby Petito, he said in a post on Twitter.

At the request of @NorthPortPolice, @MyFWC law enforcement has been assisting in the search for Brian Laundrie. I have directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local law enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby Petito.  Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 21, 2021

Mr Laundrie left his family home last Tuesday, telling his parents he was going hiking in the Carlton Reserve, and hasnt been seen since.

He was reported missing on Friday after police went to his house to speak to his parents.

His Ford Mustang car was found parked near the reserve was later driven back to his parents home, before being seized by police.

FBI agents and North Port Police executed a search warrant on the Laundrie family home on Monday.

Investigators are resuming their search for Brian Laundrie (Instagram)

The 23-year-old was last week named a person of interest in the disappearance of his girlfriend Gabby Petito during a cross-country van-life tour.

Remains believed to belong to Ms Petito were found in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sunday. An autopsy is expected to be completed on Tuesday.

The search will be conducted by several law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sarasota County Sheriffs Office, Sarasota Police Department, Venice Police Department and K9 search and rescue teams, Mr Taylor said.

Authorities have broadened their search for Mr Laundrie across several states.

There were several unconfirmed sightings of Mr Laundrie in Alabama in the last few days.
The family of a young geologist missing in Arizona since June after leaving a work site have hired their own private investigator and believe his car - recovered in July with his phone, wallet and keys intact - was dumped in an effort to stage the scene.

South Carolina native Daniel Robinson, 24, graduated from the College of Charleston two years ago with a major in archaeology and moved to Arizona after landing a job with Matrix New World Engineering. He was with a coworker at a well site near Buckeye, Arizona on 23 June and heading to what the other man thought was the main road.

Mr Robinson, however, eventually headed farther west into the desert and has not been heard from since. His family back in South Carolina quickly became concerned because the recent college graduate regularly checked in with his parents and siblings.

Relatives began constantly calling, pleading with him to call us back, his father, David Robinson, told The Independent. We didnt know what was going on; we know Dan does not ignore his phone calls.

He added: I can imagine his phone ringing, ringing, ringing for I think almost a day  and then finally I guess the phone died or somebody cut it off. After that point, it goes straight to the voicemail.

The geologist is described as a 58 Black man weighing 165 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and a distinctive characteristic; he is missing part of his right forearm, including his hand.

The 24-year-old was reported missing to Buckeye Police Department on the same day he was last seen  and his vehicle was discovered by a rancher in a ravine on 19 July, around the same time his father decide to retain his own PI.

When police first called about the vehicles discovery, Mr Robinson told The Independent, my initial thought was that I was going to hear something horrible.

Police showed him photos and explained the condition of the 2017 Jeep Renegade, which seemed to have landed on its side. The geologists clothes were also bafflingly found at the scene.

That was a bittersweet thing, Mr Robinson told The Independent. I was feeling great that I didnt find out my son was deceased or something. At the same time, I ended up not having my son at all.

He shared details of the vehicles recovery and the black box GPS data retrieved with his private investigator, former police officer Jeff McGrath, introduced to him through an attorney acquaintance.

According to Mr Robinson, the data shows that his sons vehicle got into multiple accidents after the young mans disappearance.

My sons first initial crash is four hours after he went missing, he told The Independent. Something happened. Also theres some paint transfer from the vehicle. I feel like something happened there ... that we just dont know yet. We just cant get a full answer  and from there we dont know where the vehicle was taken.

He said the car was found around two miles from the work site his son had visited  but insisted the area had been searched to no avail before the vehicle was discovered on 19 July.

It was returned to an area near where we were searching  my theory would be maybe to ty to throw us off, he told The Independent.

Buckeye Police Department, they did a search, they didnt find a vehicle  and also my search team had been out there; they hadnt seen the vehicle, said Mr Robinson, who is former military.

He added: The vehicle wasnt there and all of a sudden appeared there ... I feel like it was dumped. My family and I, we all feel the same way.

There was no blood found in the car, and a police spokeswoman told The Independent that no indications of foul play had yet been uncovered.

Carissa Planalp, Buckeye PDs public information officer, said experts were continuing to analyse the evidence and data taken from the geologists vehicle  emphasising that solving his disappearance remained a priority for the department and wider community.

The police department has not only used all of its resources to try to find Daniel, but weve also leaned on other partner agencies like the Phoenix Firebird helicopters, civil air patrol, cadaver dogs ... we flew a drone over the area. Hours and hours of manpower, boots on the ground searching for Daniel, Planalp told The Independent.

The search did yield a human skull, she said, which had been ruled out as belonging neither to the missing geologist nor another local whod vanished.

She said: At this point, we are still analysing data that was pulled from Daniels Jeep that was recovered  so were still analysing that and were reaching out to some outside experts to take another look.

We know the family is desperate for answers. So are we  and were super committed to finding him.

The 24-year-olds disappearance, she said, is a conversation every day.

This case is such a priority, and theres so much importance on it ... Were looking for any information from the public  and the public has really come out in a big way through searches and through providing information thats been so helpful. But we need more. We need more information.

The missing mans father told The Independent that he felt authorities could have begun more extensive searches earlier  and he was upset at how the case had been handled so far, particularly in the wake of other high-profile missing persons cases in the West and Southwest this summer.

I started researching Arizona, and I realized ... theres a lot of missing cases here, he told The Independent. Because of the way the Buckeye Police Department was handling my sons case, I kind of understand why. Time is of the essence  and if you dont move fast enough, you may not ever find the person.

He said the personal theory he is sticking to steadfastly is that, somehow, Gods going to bring my son back alive.
The number of domestic terrorism investigations in the United States has doubled in more than a year, the director of the FBI has admitted, in what is another warning sign of the threat from homegrown extremism.

During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, FBI director Chris Wray said the number of domestic terrorist incidents under investigation by the FBI had more than doubled since spring 2020, with the period including the 6 January riot at the US Capitol.

"The domestic terrorism caseload has exploded," Mr Wray told the US Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, whose members include Utah Republican senator Mitt Romney.

The FBI director, who partially blamed the Capitol riot in January for the growing caseload, said the figure had gone from about 1,000 to around 2,700 investigations in the space of a year.

The number of people working on domestic terrorism for the FBI has also more than doubled since spring 2020, with the FBI hiring 260 per cent more staff, Mr Wray said.

Responding to a question from Mr Romney, he also told the committee that cases of domestic terrorism were growing in the years before  and prior to 6 January, as reported by HuffPost.

So far, more than 600 of those who rioted that day have been arrested and charged, and most are awaiting trial on a number of connected charges.

Concerns about domestic terrorism in the US have have been heightened in the aftermath of the 6 January attack on the Capitol, in which five people were killed.

Mr Wray, who was appointed in 2017, downplayed false claims made by former US president Donald Trump about a stolen election, which led to the riot, and described it as a domestic terrorism issue.

As did Merrick Garland, the US attorney general, when he said recently that the attack carried out by Trump supporters bolstered white supremacists and militia groups, who were again on the streets of Washington DC on Saturday for a so-called Justice for J6 rally.

The Biden's administration released a 30-page plan to counter domestic terrorism in June which called for greater information sharing between federal and local officials and social media firms.

It also called for additional resources to identify and prosecute threats and new deterrents to prevent Americans from joining dangerous groups.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
Two men who allegedly found a body inside a vehicle that was advertised as a free car have said they drove the car through several towns in Mississippi before making the shock finding.

Police in Copiah County told WLBT, a local TV station, that the two men found the car on the outskirts of Jackson, Mississippi, before driving 30 miles south on Sunday.

Copiah County sheriff Byron Swilley said the men arrived home and found the body of 34-year-old Anthony McCrillis in the boot of the car. His body was unclothed, and had allegedly been there for days.

The men told officers the vehicle was parked on the side of a road by a junkyard in Byram, with a sign on the front reading free car. It also had a key already in the ignition, allowing the two men to drive off.

Ellis Stuart, the Copiah County coroner, said the vehicle had been seen in Byram and Jackson for several days before it was taken at the weekend. McCrillis, meanwhile, was last seen on Friday evening.

It was believed he owned the vehicle, and according to Byram Police chief David Errington, was identified by immediate family.

Chief Errington told WLBT that It stayed there all day long for sure until 6 PM, [and] Saturday night, it was still seen by another employee from the [Starz Auto Sales] junkyard.

Dan Peacock, an employee at the junkyard, said he passed the car a number of times on Saturday, and that it had vanished by Sunday.

[I] never stopped and looked or anything, but I knew it was kind of unusual. I figured somebody was driving down here to sell it. We buy a bunch of cars. I figured somebody was driving down to sell it, and it quit on them or something, said the junkyard employee. Just never dawned on me that something like that went on.

Police in Copiah and Byram are reportedly deciding who takes jurisdiction over the investigation, and an autopsy was due to be carried out to determine an official cause of death.
Human remains found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest have been confirmed as belonging to Gabby Petito.

The Petito family attorney Richard Stafford confirmed the body was Ms Petitos in a text to The Independent.

The FBI revealed that Ms Petitos death had been determined to be a homicide, but the cause of death had not been established after a preliminary autopsy.

Ms Petitos remains were located near Spread Creek in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday after an extensive search led by FBI agents.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Petito family attorney Richard Stafford said he had wanted to wait until Ms Petitos body had been returned home before making the autopsy results public.

I want to personally thank the press and news media for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to grieve, Mr Stafford said in a statement.

We will be making a statement when Gabby is home.

An autopsy confirmed that remains found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday were Gabby Petito (Petito family)

Ms Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie left Long Island, New York, on 2 July for a van-life tour of US national parks and camping reserves, and documented their trip on their shared YouTube account Nomadic Statik and on Instagram.

On 12 August, police in Moab, Utah, were notified of a domestic disturbance involving the couple. A witness called 911 to report they had seen Mr Laundrie hitting and slapping Ms Petito.

When the police officers pulled the couples Ford Transit van over, a visibly upset Ms Petito denied she had been hit and no charges were pressed.

 Travel blogger describes driving past Gabby Petitos van in Wyoming and capturing it on video

Ms Petito, 22, last spoke to her mother Nichole Schmidt on 25 August. Ms Schmidt believes several text messages sent from Ms Petitos phone to her family between 27 and 30 August were faked, including one which claimed she was in Yosemite National Park.

An eyewitness told the FBI she saw Mr Laundrie alone and acting weird several times in between 26 and 28 August in the Spread Creek area, close to the site where Ms Petitos body was found in a Wyoming national park on Sunday.

Jessica Schultz told the San Francisco Chronicle she spotted the couples white Ford Transit van in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. several times in late August.

He was very awkward and confused and it was just him, there was no Gabby, Ms Schultz said.

A friend sent Ms Schultz bodycam footage of a domestic dispute between Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie in Moab, Utah, on 12 August, and she instantly recognised it as being he van she had passed in Bridger-Teton.

My friend texted me a picture of the hat on the dashboard and I just lost my s***, Ms Schultz told The Chronicle.

And thats when I called the FBI (on Thursday) and said, Guys, look at Spread Creek.

Ms Schmidt tried to contact Mr Laundrie and his mother Roberta by text on 10 September, but they failed to answer her, and she reported Ms Petito missing on 11 September.

That night officers from the North Port Police Department seized the Ford Transit van they had been travelling in. The Laundrie family refused to speak to police officers, and instead provided them contact details for their attorney Steve Bertolino.

On 14 September, Mr Laundrie left his parents home, telling them he was going hiking in the nearby Carlton Reserve.

He was declared a person of interest in his girlfriends disappearance the next day, but his family only notified authorities he was missing two days later on September 17.

Police and FBI have conducted extensive searches of the 25,000-acre reserve with dogs, drones, and all-terrain vehicles, but they have failed so far failed to turn up any trace of Mr Laundrie.
An eyewitness has told the FBI she saw Brian Laundrie alone and acting weird close to the site where Gabby Petitos body was found in a Wyoming national park.

Jessica Schultz told the San Francisco Chronicle she spotted the couples white Ford Transit van in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. several times in late August.

It was only after she was sent a photo of Mr Laundrie by a friend that she realised the significance of the sighting and reported it to law enforcement.

Ms Schultz also discussed her creepy encounter with the man she would later identify as Mr Laundrie on Tik Tok.

Recalling her first encounter on 26 August, Ms Schultz said she was driving behind a white Ford Transit van with Florida plates as it drove slowly down a narrow road, and the driver didnt seem to know where he was going.

The vans driver partially pulled off the road, forcing Ms Schultz to drive off the road to get around it.

Looking over at the driver, she noticed he was alone and said he looked like a generic white guy.

He was just acting weird, Ms Schultz, 38, told The Chronicle.

You know, when youre out in the middle of nowhere, your hackles go up when you see something thats out of the ordinary.

Ms Schultz, a graphic designer who has lived out of her own van for four years, said she paid close attention because she was curious about how other van-lifers travelled.

He was very awkward and confused and it was just him, there was no Gabby, Ms Schultz said on TikTok.

Mr Laundrie has not been charged with any crime in relation to his girlfriends disappearance, but has been named a person of interest by police.

Ms Schultz saw the van parked in the same place on 27 and 28 August, which struck her as odd because it wasnt a designated camping area. She didnt see any one in the van, and there were no signs of a campsite being set up.

A friend sent Ms Schultz bodycam footage of a domestic dispute between Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie in Moab, Utah, on 12 August, and she instantly recognised it as being he van she had passed in Bridger-Teton.

My friend texted me a picture of the hat on the dashboard and I just lost my s***, Ms Schultz told The Chronicle.

And thats when I called the FBI (on Thursday) and said, Guys, look at Spread Creek.

A body which the FBI believes is Ms Petito was found near the creek on Sunday.
A mother in Iosco County, Michigan has been charged with murder after her three-year-old daughter was found dead in a garbage bag, police say.

Justine Johnson, 22, has been charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Police say the toddler, Sutton Mosser, was found when Ms Johnsons brother saw a foot protruding from a garbage bag at her house. He immediately called 911.

According to the local prosecutor, when police arrived they found Suttons body inside the bag, with multiple stab wounds.

Ms Johnson was not at home at the time. Police finally found her almost five hours later, wandering along some railroad tracks, according to a probable cause affidavit. When they asked her about her daughters death, she allegedly said she didnt want to talk about it.

The young mother is now being held at Iosco County Jail without bond. She will face a probable cause hearing on 29 September.

Suttons grandmother, who lived with the mother and daughter, was devastated by the news.

I broke down, Alisa Johnson told WNEM . I told them tell me its not true, that I needed to get to my baby, and this couldnt be happening.

The grandmother believes her daughter is innocent.

Justine loved Sutton with all her heart, she said. Shed never let anybody hurt that baby.

Iosco County Prosecutor James Bacarella says the case has shocked the community.

Certainly, thereve been homicides in the county previously, Mr Bacarella told WNEM . I dont know of any that have involved a young child.

Martin Gayeski, who owns a laundromat across the street from the home, told WJRT he couldnt believe the news.

She was a customer here. I knew who she was, he said of Ms Johnson. Shocked me because she didnt seem to be that kind of a person.
A group of pro-Trump lawyers held a press briefing two weeks after the 2020 election at the offices of the Republican Party in Washington, DC, during which they deployed an intricate conspiracy theory claiming that a manufacturer of voting machines had conspired with an election software company, financier George Soros, and Venezuela to steal the election from then-President Donald Trump.

But court documents released on Monday reveal that the Trump campaign had acknowledged in an internal memo that many of the bizarre theories about Dominion Voting Systems and software company Smartmatic were not based in fact, The New York Times reported.

The legal filings were part of a motion last week in the defamation lawsuit brought by former Dominion employee Eric Coomer against the Trump campaign. The court documents include evidence that Trump campaign officials knew that the claims put out by lawyers allied with the Trump team were untrue.

The filing also indicates that the Trump campaign chose to not reveal its findings concerning the Dominion claims even as Sydney Powell and other attorneys on Mr Trumps side blanketed conservative media outlets with false statements. They filed four lawsuits in federal court against Dominion, accusing the company of having rigged the election to thwart Mr Trump.

Zach Parkinson was at the time the campaigns deputy director of communications. In emails included in the court documents, he reached out to lower-level staffers on 13 November, 10 days after the election, requesting that they substantiate or debunk multiple claims about Dominion.

Mr Parkinson received a response the following day from staffers having collected information from news sources and fact-checking websites that showed that the claims that Ms Powell was already making in public were false.

The memo stated that Dominion didnt use software from Smartmatic during the 2020 election, that the company had no connections to Venezuela or Mr Soros, and that there was no evidence to substantiate the claims that the companys leadership had ties to leftwing Antifa activists.

The memo produced by the Trump campaign shows that, at least internally, the Trump campaign found there was no evidence to support the conspiracy theories regarding Dominion and Mr Coomer, his lawyers wrote in a motion in the defamation lawsuit.

Even as many dismissed the allegations made by Ms Powell and fellow pro-Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the claims gained traction in conservative media, leading some to still believe the claims almost a year later.

It remains unclear if Mr Trump himself read the memo or knew of its existence. But it indicates that his own communications staff stayed quiet even as they appear to have known that the claims people affiliated with the campaign were making were in fact false.

The Trump campaign continued to allow its agents to advance debunked conspiracy theories and defame Mr Coomer, the motion states, apparently without providing them with their own research debunking those theories.

Mr Coomer served as Dominions director of product strategy and security. He sued Ms Powell, Mr Giuliani, the Trump campaign, as well as others, in a Denver state district court last year. He said that after the 2020 election, he was accused by rightwing podcast host Joe Oltmann of hacking Dominions systems to make sure Mr Trump lost the election and then telling leftwing activists about the alleged actions.

Following the accusations by Mr Oltmann, they were repeated by Mr Giuliani and Ms Powell. On 19 November, the two lawyers said during a press conference at the offices of the Republican National Committee that Mr Coomer was at the centre of the plan to hack the voting systems. Ms Powell also claimed that the plan involved Smartmatic, Venezuelan officials, and individuals tied to Mr Soros as well as a massive influence of communist money.

Mr Trump still claims, without evidence, that the election was stolen from him, and Mr Giuliani and Ms Powell have reiterated that the election was fraudulent. In an August court filing, a lawyer representing Mr Giuliani said that some of his claims about the election were substantially true.

Ms Powell told an Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter less than a month ago that the 2020 election was essentially a bloodless coup where they took over the presidency of the United States without a single shot being fired.

The court documents show that during a deposition, Mr Giuliani said he hadnt seen the memo before taking part in the press briefing, he also questioned the intentions of those who compiled the memo.

They wanted Trump to lose because they could raise more money, he said in the deposition, according to the court documents.

But Mr Giuliani also said that he and Ms Powell were active supervisors for the Trump campaigns plan to challenge the results of the election.

The motion states that the lines were blurred concerning who Ms Powell was working for  it was unclear if she was working for herself, her nonprofit, or the Trump campaign. Mr Trump attempted to distance himself from Ms Powell after the press briefing, but in December he considered bringing her back on the team.

Dominion has sued both Mr Giuliani and Ms Powell for defamation, as well as MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for making false allegations about the election.

Last month, a federal judge in Detriot ruled that penalties be imposed on Ms Powell and eight other pro-Trump lawyers, not including Mr Giuliani, who filed a lawsuit in Michigan attempting to overturn the election results in the state by deploying the false claims about Dominion.

Judge Linda Parker wrote in her decision that this case was never about fraud. It was about undermining the peoples faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so.

Mr Giulianis New York law licence was suspended in June for demonstrably false and misleading statements, during the 2020 election fight, a state court said.

The fresh court documents also show that former Trump campaign officials still think the election was nefarious.

Yes, sir, Trump campaign representative Sean Dollman said when asked if he thought the election was fraudulent by lawyers representing Mr Coomer.

What is that opinion based on? the lawyers asked, prompting an uncertain answer from Mr Dollman.

We have no underlying definite facts that it wasnt, he said.
Two teenage students were wounded in a shooting at a Virginia high school, say police.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the face and a 17-year-old girl suffered a bullet wound to the leg after violence broke out at Heritage High School in Newport News, Virginia.

Both students were transported to hospital and neither of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening, according to the citys police chief Steve Drew.

The alleged shooter, a juvenile male, was taken into custody, and authorities say they believe the suspect knew both of his victims.

Chief Drew said there was some type of altercation that sparked the incident on Monday, but did not say whether the suspect was also a student at the school.

I dont believe that this is an individual that is searching the community to hurt members, added chief Drew.

As the shooting unfolded the school building was evacuated, and FBI agents and state troopers searched for anyone remaining inside.

Authorities said that any reports of active shooters at other schools in the area were false.

Two other people needed hospital treatment, one with an arm injury suffered as people ran out of the school, and another who suffered an asthma attack.

Police respond to the scene of a shooting at Heritage High School in Newport News, Va. (AP)

George Parker, superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, said the high school, which is in its second full week of the school year, does perform random searches for guns.

No superintendent, no teacher or principal would want to ever go through this situation, said Mr Parker.

Just seeing the faces of our students and how afraid they were under these circumstances, and out staff, who are traumatized... No one would want to through these circumstances."

He added that the school would go virtual for several days and pupils would not return until the incident had been reviewed.

That will not happen until we have discussed this matter and looked at better ways to ensure something like this never happens again, he said.

Video from the scene showed tactical units arriving at the scene, parents on sidewalks talking on cellphones as crime scene tape stretched across portions of the school parking lot.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The US Federal Aviation Administration says it wants airlines to do more to crack down on unruly passengers.

As US airlines grapple with record numbers of disruptive or violent customers, the FAA says the companies themselves must commit to take more action.

At a meeting with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and other groups on Tuesday, the regulatory agency told airlines it believes additional action by the airlines and all aviation stakeholders is necessary to stop the unsafe behavior, Reuters reported.

Over the past year, airlines have seen 4,385 reports of unruly passengers, according to data from the FAA . Of those, a large majority  3,199  have been related to masks, which passengers are required to wear onboard due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the FAA says it held a discussion with the countrys major airlines on ways the industry can work together to reduce the number of unruly passenger incidents. The companies have one week, the FAA said, to report back on what concrete steps they will take.

The meeting comes a day after two Democratic senators requested that the Department of Justice do more to prosecute passengers who have committed crimes in the sky.

In recent months, incidents involving unruly airline passengers have increased dramatically, senators Dick Durbin and Maria Cantwell wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. These incidents put passengers and crewmembers in danger.

The letter noted that the FAA had already issued over $1 million in fines over the past year, but said this was not enough.

While these efforts are commendable, civil fines are not a sufficient deterrent to curb the recent tide of unruly passengers, the senators wrote. It is critical that DOJ direct federal law enforcement agents and prosecutors to fully investigate reported incidents on aircraft, and, when supported by the evidence, prosecute those who are criminally responsible.

Violence on planes has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic. According to one survey, almost one out of every five flight attendants said theyd been in a physical incident with a passenger in the past year.

Some companies, including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have responded by banning or suspending alcohol from their planes  particularly after an especially violent incident in May left one flight attendant missing two teeth.

Let me be clear, Brady Byrnes, American Airlines head of flight service wrote in a company memo at the time. American Airlines will not tolerate assault or mistreatment of our crews.
Footage showing Gabby Petito and Brian Laundries van in disarray, with backpacks and other belongings strewn across the floor, was captured on bodycam when the couple were stopped by police.

Images of the chaotic interior of the van were caught when police pulled the couple over outside Arches National Park near Moab on 12 August, several weeks before Ms Petito was reported missing by her family.

In the bodycam footage, Ms Petito was crying and the pair told police they had been arguing more than usual. Officers decided they were dealing with a mental health crisis rather than a domestic assault, and no charges were made.

The bodycam video gave a glimpse of bedding, bags and other clutter bundled in the back of the van as the police questioned Mr Laundrie outside.

The scene was in stark contrast to a video Ms Petito posted on YouTube a few days later, which showed the van spick and and span with a neatly made bed and backpacks out of sight. Its not known when she recorded the video.

Ms Petito had been documenting the couples van life and travels on the YouTube channel Nomadic Static.

In the bodycam footage, she told police that her fiance Mr Laundrie was a downer, and didnt support her efforts to make a success of her blog.

I just quit my job to travel across the country, and Im trying to start a blog, a travel blog, so Ive been building my website, Petito said, visibly distressed, in the recording that was released by Utah police on September 16. Ive been really stressed, and he doesnt really believe that I can do any of it.

The FBI announced on Sunday that a body matching the description of Ms Petito had been recovered in the Teton National Park area, which is where Ms Petitos family said she was when they last spoke with her. Mr Laundrie remains missing and has been named by police as a person of interest in Ms Petitos case.
A National Parks Service ranger who responded to a possible domestic incident between Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie in Utah last month warned her to reevaluate the relationship.

Melissa Hulls, a visitor and resource protection supervisor at Arches National Park, said she told van-life blogger Ms Petito, 22, that the relationship appeared toxic after she found her sobbing in the back of a police vehicle.

The FBI said on Sunday that a body discovered over the weekend at a Wyoming national park was consistent with the description of Ms Petito - months after the couple set out on a cross-country road trip. Investigators have called Mr Laundrie, 23, a person of interest in the case.

Ms Hulls told Deseret News she approached Ms Petito on 12 August after the couple were pulled over by a police officer inside the park.

I was asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life, Ms Hulls said.

She had a lot of anxiety about being away from him, I honestly thought if anything was going to change it would be after they got home to Florida.

Prior to Ms Hulls interaction with Ms Petito, a 911 caller had reported seeing a man slapping a girl in the face, according to audio released by the Grand County Sheriffs Office and obtained by Fox News. The audio of the call portrays Mr Laundrie as the aggressor in the incident.

Police did not file charges and Mr Laundrie was sent to a hotel for the night, while Ms Petito stayed in the van. The incident was later classified by police as a mental/emotional health break.

This wasnt a good day for anybody. We thought we were making the right decision when we left them, Ms Hulls continued.

I wouldnt have called (the relationship) unsafe. If we had any reason to think any one of them was in danger, we wouldve separated them.

In body cam footage shared by the Moab City Police Department, Ms Petito is heard telling an officer: I just quit my job to travel across the country, and Im trying to start a blog, a travel blog, so Ive been building my website.

Ive been really stressed, and he doesnt really believe that I can do any of it... so thats kind of been like... hes like a downer.

Ms Hulls said she had also worn a body camera but had decided not to look over the footage.

Its hard not to second-guess myself, and wish I said more, or wish I had found the right words to make her believe that she deserved more, she added.

Ms Petito was reported missing by her family on September 11 after her and Mr Laundrie returned from their trip alone at the beginning of the month.

She was last heard from at the end of August - weeks after having an argument with Mr Laundrie that resulted in police being called.

Ms Petito was an aspiring blogger who grew up on Long Island, New York, where she met Mr Laundrie. She had set off with him on a cross-country trip in July, documenting the journey and the pairs lives as they travelled.
George Holliday, whose amateur video of police beating Black motorist Rodney King in 1991, has died of complications of Covid-19, according to a friend.

Mr Holliday, 61, died Sunday at a hospital in Los Angeles  the same city gripped 30 years ago by footage he shot on a month-old camcorder. A plumber whod grown up in Argentina, Mr Holliday was a white resident of San Fernando Valley when he noticed four officers brutally beating Mr King, picking up his camera and notifying police.

That grainy video remains widely recognised and was essential during the officers trial despite their eventual acquittal  which shocked the nation and sparked days of riots throughout Los Angeles.

Mr Holliday was not vaccinated for Covid and had been in the hospital for more than a month, longtime friend Robert Wollenweber told AP. He died after contracting pneumonia and being placed on a ventilator.

The Los Angeles Times  the hometown paper of a city fundamentally changed by Mr Hollidays footage and the King case  published a lyrical obituary which recalled the turmoil at the time and the plumbers inadvertent step into the spotlight.

Shot with a bulky Sony Handycam, the video of the Rodney King beating in 1991 tore open a city already heaving with racial tension, an era when the Los Angeles Police Department was all but an occupying force in the citys Black neighborhoods, arriving with tanks, battering rams and brute force, the paper wrote.

And when the four officers who beat King were acquitted the following year, the city exploded in protest and violence, thick smoke curling into the sky from Koreatown to South L.A. By the time it was over, more than 50 people had been killed and more than 2,300 were injured. The scars  both to the citys urban core and to the psyches of its residents  remained in plain view for decades.

For Holliday, it was like being hurled over a cliff. Reporters lurked outside his Lake View Terrace apartment, death threats arrived in the mail, and his efforts to receive just compensation for one of the most infamous videos of the time vaporized again and again.

Last year, he told The New York Times that the entire incident stemmed from his instinctive decision to utilise a recent purchase.

You know how it is when you have a new piece of technology, he said. You film anything and everything.

His footage was a prelude to the countless videos to come in the following decades of police brutality filmed on more advanced technology, spurring protests, activism, reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, in a 2016 interview with The Marshall Project, said that when hed first seen the video at the time of the incident, he was asked to comment.

My response was that Rodney King was the victim, but George Holliday, the white man who filmed the beating from his balcony, was the hero, he said.

Given the racial polarization and stereotypes, he could have said: All those police out there and lights blinking, Im not going to get involved in that. He could have said, Whats that Black guy doing in our neighborhood? But something about his own character and upbringing said to him, beyond color and culture, this is not right.

Had he not filmed it we would not know anything about Rodney King.
A former Massachusetts mayor, once a rising Democratic star after being elected at just 23 years old, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday after being convicted of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses that wanted to operate in his city.

The judge handed down the punishment for ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia after tossing several convictions stemming from allegations that the now 29-year-old swindled investors who backed a smartphone app he created.

Correia's family members in the courtroom wept as U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock described his actions as old-style and crude corruption that "eviscerates a community.

City Hall was for sale, the judge said.

Correia, who has insisted that he's innocent and that the real truth" will eventually come out, did not make a statement during the hearing in Boston federal court because he is still challenging his remaining convictions.

The defense asked for three years, telling the judge that while there's no sugarcoating the case, Correia also did much good for Fall River.

None of that excuses what happened here, but I think it's required to have a fuller picture of the man and to understand how somebody might get derailed but still have hope to contribute in a future chapter of life, Attorney William Fick said.

Correia was convicted of May of a slew of charges including fraud and extortion after a trial that shone a light on his meteoric rise to become mayor as a recent college graduate. Correia portrayed himself to voters as a successful entrepreneur who could breathe new life into the struggling, old mill city.

Prosecutors told jurors that in reality Corriea funded his lavish lifestyle with money he stole from investors who pumped cash into his app called SnoOwl," which was designed to help businesses connect with consumers. Prosecutors said Correia took nearly two-thirds of the almost $400,000 he took from investors and spent it on things like fancy hotels and a Mercedes and to pay down his student loans.

After becoming mayor in 2016, prosecutors say Correia started a pay-to-play scheme involving bribes from marijuana vendors in exchange for letters of approval from the city they needed in order to get a license. Prosecutors have called the corruption scheme particularly galling because much of it occurred when the former mayor knew he was already under investigation for the allegations of investor fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Hafer  who asked for 11 years behind bars  questioned how anything other than greed and hubris could explain Correia's actions, noting that Correia had a supportive family and was making a good salary as mayor.

The cash in clipboards and in envelopes and sheds. ... Fall River under Jasiel Correia was like Atlantic City during Prohibition in terms of the crudeness of the corruption," Hafer said.

Correia was supposed to have been sentenced Monday, but the judge instead agreed with new lawyers hired by Correia after the trial to overturn the jury's guilty verdict on several counts they said the government failed to prove.

The judge agreed to toss six counts of wire fraud because of what he described as a lack of evidence about how the checks were processed. He also tossed two tax fraud counts because he said prosecutors didn't prove that Correia willfully filed false returns.

Correia remains convicted of more than a dozen counts of wire fraud, extortion and extortion conspiracy. The jury acquitted him on three counts, including accusations that he forced his chief of staff to give him half of her salary in order to keep her city job.

For months after his arrest, Correia resisted calls to leave office and survived a bizarre election in March 2019 during which he was recalled by voters and reelected the same night. But after federal agents arrested him a second time  this time for the extortion scheme  he agreed in October 2019 to take a leave of absence. He was ousted by voters the next month.
The disappearance and death of Florida woman Gabby Petito has been dubbed as the missing white woman syndrome by television host Joy Reid who questioned the lack of similar attention in cases involving people of colour.

Petito, 22, who was on almost a two-month-long cross country road trip with her boyfriend, went missing last month and a body matching her description was found in Wyoming on Sunday. An autopsy will be conducted on the unidentified remains, the police said.

Pointing to similar incidents leading to disappearance of other people of colour, Ms Reid said: The way this story captivated the nation has many wondering, why not the same media attention when people of colour go missing?

Well, the answer actually has a name: Missing White Woman Syndrome - the term coined by the late and great Gwen Ifill to describe the media and public fascination with missing White women like Laci Peterson or Natalee Holloway, while ignoring cases involving people of colour, the host of ReidOut on MSNBC said.

Ms Reid cited the case of geologist Daniel Robinson who went missing in June this year.

The 24-year-old Black man was last seen on 23 June driving a Jeep Renegade from his work site near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road.

I never heard of it until this friend of mine sent it to me. And I guess, thats the issue, isnt it? Ms Reid said during a panel discussion.

Panelist Derrica Wilson of Black and Missing Foundation agreed and said, It is definitely the issue. Cases where people of colour, men, women and children go missing are not taken seriously, Ms Wilson said.

Systematic failure to counter racism is one of the reasons for such a discrimination in crimes, said panelist Lynette Grey Bull of the Not Our Native Daughters Foundation.

One of the main factors and one of the key factors that a lot of people dont want to talk about is that its racism. Its systemic racism, said Ms Bull.

Petitos body was found by a couple almost three weeks after she sent a text to her mother from the road trip covering national parks. She did not return with Brian Laundrie who came back home this month, even though the two left together in a camper van and documented their journey on social media platforms.

Mr Laundrie has been named as a person of interest by the police as the investigation progresses to find him and understand what transpired on the trip in the last few weeks.

Mr Laundrie left his home and disappeared into the Florida wilderness, police said.

A report from Utah showed Petitio and her fiance arguing and hitting each other and were spotted by police in Utahs Moab city on 12 August.

According to a report by National Crime Centre data, nearly 90,000 active missing person cases were recorded in the US by the end of 2020.
Justin Trudeau will remain as Canadas prime minister after his Liberal Party won the most seats in Mondays election, early media projections say, but it remains to be seen whether the party will claim an outright majority.

Canadian media projections had the Liberals leading in 139 of 338 seats in Canadas House of Commons, in line with predictions from most opinion polls, reported Reuters.

The Trudeau-led party had called the snap election off the back of popular support for the governments response to the pandemic, hoping to win an outright majority, but as opinion polls tightened closer to election day the Liberals ultimately campaigned to keep the Conservatives out.

Mr Trudeau spoke early on Tuesday morning, as it was increasingly clear the Liberals would be returning to power but without a majority, thanking voters for their support.

In a nearly 10-minute-long speech, Mr Trudeau said: Thank you, all. You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead. My friends, that is exactly what we are ready to do.

Mr Trudeau, who was accompanied by his wife and children for the speech, said Canadians had opted for a progressive route out of the Covid crisis.

There are still votes to be counted but what we have seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan. Some have talked about division but that is not what I see. Thats not what I have seen these past weeks across the country.

He added: I see Canadians standing together in determination to end this pandemic, together for real climate action, for $10-a-day child care, for homes that are in reach for middle class families, for our shared journey on the path of reconciliation.

Youve elected parliamentarians to deliver all this and our team, our government is ready, he told reporters.

While the Conservatives had positioned themselves as being against lockdowns and vaccine mandates, Mr Trudeau had called on Canadians to vote in a government that follows science.

Conservative leader Erin OToole described vaccination as a personal health decision. Mr OToole also did not press for vaccination among the partys candidates.

Since he first came to power in 2015, Mr Trudeau has embraced immigration even as countries like the US closed their doors to immigrants. Other policy landmarks include legalising cannabis, bringing in a carbon tax to fight climate change, and fighting to preserve a free trade deal with the US and Mexico despite threats from former US president Donald Trump to call off the agreement.

The call to stage the elections two years early was made despite Mr Trudeau leading a stable minority administration  a decision criticised by the opposition as exposing the prime ministers personal ambition.

Analysts said that even without a majority, the Liberals will be delighted with what early projections are showing.

I think [the Liberals] are feeling vindicated  The prime minister has pulled together one of the most impressive runs of any Liberal prime minister in power  three elections in a row in an amazing achievement, said John Duffy, former adviser to federal and provincial Liberals.

Trudeau has proved his political resilience with his re-election, Mr Duffy said, explaining that it had been a difficult time for the party since late August, resulting in mounting pressure for the incumbent.

Conservative analysts questioned why the early elections were held in the first place, with little expected to change in the Canadian parliament.

I think it was to be expected. In the last couple of weeks, public opinion polls certainly turned in this direction, said Will Steward, national lead of Hill+Knowlton strategies and a conservative commentator.

Justin Trudeau called his campaign to get a majority. I dont think hes going to get there, which then takes us right back to where we were sort of six weeks ago, Mr Steward said.

Trudeaus return to power also did not send ripples across the Canadian markets because the elections were not expected to take a dramatic turn and throw out the current government. The Canadian dollar surged but not strongly, market spectators said.
A Michigan woman has been charged with murder days after her 3-year-old daughter's body was found with stab wounds inside a garbage bag, authorities said.

Justine Johnson, 22, was arraigned Monday in 81st District Court in Tawas City on one count each of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. She pleaded not guilty to both charges and is scheduled for a Sept. 28 probable cause conference.

Police were called last Friday to a residence in Iosco County in Michigans northern Lower Peninsula after a garbage bag with a human foot protruding from it was found at the home. Police said the bag contained the body of Johnson's daughter, Sutton Mosser.

Iosco County Prosecutor James Bacarella said the girl had suffered multiple stab wounds.

The girl's grandmother, Alisa Johnson, said she believes her daughter is innocent and would never have hurt her young child.

Justine loved Sutton with all her heart. Shed never let anybody hurt that baby, she told WNEM-TV.

A message seeking comment on the charges was left Tuesday for Johnsons court-appointed attorney.

According to a probable cause affidavit, one of Johnson's brothers found the garbage bag with the child's body inside. The affidavit states that the day before he had asked Johnson where her child was and she told him to mind his business, WJRT-TV reported.

Officers found Johnson hours after the discovery of her daughter's body walking along railroad tracks. She told officers she did not want to talk about her child's death, the affidavit states.
A mountain goat in Canada reportedly turned the tables of predator and prey on a grizzly bear, goring it to death in a national park in British Columbia, officials say.

The incident, described by wildlife officials as a rare occurrence, came to light after the remains of a female grizzly bear were found at Yoho National Park, according to local reports.

A hiker spotted the bear carcass on 4 September, just metres off the Burgess Pass trail  a nearly 13km trail located near Field at Yoho National Park, newspaper Rocky Mountain Outlook Today first reported on 16 September.

A goats sharp horns had pierced the 70kg bears armpits and a spot under its neck, leading to its death, according to a forensic necropsy conducted by officials.

File: Rocky mountain goat lying on a rock in Colorado (Getty Images)

David Laskin, a wildlife ecologist with Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay National Park field unit, said the necropsy determined that the female grizzly bear died of natural causes, which is due to an unsuccessful predation attempt of a mountain goat.

The predation of mountain goats by grizzly bears is relatively common, he said. In this particular incident, however, the mountain goat was successful in this instance and turned the tables on the grizzly, he added.

The mountain goats are big animals and those horns are very sharp, Mr Laskin explained.

When grizzly bears attack, they tend to focus on the head, back of the neck and the shoulders of the prey, and its usually from above, so in turn, the defensive response of the mountain goat would be to protect itself using its sharp horns, Mr Laskin was quoted as saying by RMO Today.

He added that the forensic necropsy confirmed that the wounds incurred before death were consistent with the size and shape of mountain goat horns. Any other cause  including any human involvement  was subsequently ruled out.

Steeve Cote, a mountain goat expert and professor at Quebecs Laval University, told RMO Today that grizzly bears can be significant predators of mountain goats.

Goats can kill a bear, but this remains a rare event. All they need is a good horn jab well placed, he said.

Officials said there was no evidence that the female grizzly bear had any cubs. It weighed only about 70 kg, while large male mountain goats can go up to 125 kg.

Parks Canada officials said they could not identify the mountain goat that killed the bear because it was not tagged.

The officials had to remove the bear carcass to prevent it from attracting other wildlife. Carcasses attract carnivores and other wildlife that may act aggressively to protect their food source. That may pose a risk to visitors in the area, Mr Laskin said.

In 2018, a nanny mountain goat  tagged for research purposes  was apparently killed and eaten by a grizzly bear just below the treeline near Sherbrooke Lake at Yoho National Park near its border with Banff National Park.

Yoho National Park spans about 1,300 sq km and is located in British Columbia, west of the famed Banff National Park.

The news story has attracted a large number of reactions on social media. One user said: Holy cow, thats some nature is metal type stuff. Another said: I didnt realise mountain goats were strong enough to do that.
A staff member at an Oregon elementary school showed up in blackface to protest against its vaccination mandate.

The employee at Mabel Rush Elementary School in Newberg claimed they were dressed as civil rights icon Rosa Parks, who refused to obey racist laws that forced Black people to sit in the back of public buses.

The Newberg Public Schools district has a vaccine mandate that covers both teachers and staff members, with religious and medical exemptions.

The school district condemned the action and aid that the staff member had been placed on administrative leave.

The administration of Newberg Public Schools condemns all expressions of racism, the school district said in a statement.

It is important to remember how blackface has been used to misrepresent Black communities and do harm. We acknowledge the violence this represents and the trauma it evokes regardless of intention.

Blackface has no place in our schools, and we are committed to the work of created spaces where every student belongs as we move forward together in our mission of educating students.

Superintendent Dr Joe Morelock said: Weve seen some dehumanising and deeply disturbing expressions of racism in recent days involving our district.

As always, our deepest concern is for the wellbeing of our students and our staff. Every day, we work toward building an environment where every student is welcomed and safe, and where there is absolutely no tolerance for racist or bullying behaviour, he said.

I am horrified, angry and ashamed that this happened, as is nearly every other staff member. The students of colour in Newberg deserve so much more.

This goes against everything I and the vast majority of NSD staff believe, and is unfathomably offensive.

He added: If we had the power to entirely eliminate deep-seated racism, we would in a heartbeat. But the painful truth is that clearly, racist behaviour exists in our town, in our state, and our worldnot just in the major and overt ways weve seen recently, but in subtle ways that affect people of colour every single day.

We must interrupt and respond; we must do better.
An armed F-16 fighter plane was seen flying low circles over the George Washington Bridge in New York City to divert a small plane away from the area on the day that Joe Biden addressed the United Nations.

Newsweek initially reported that editor-at-large Naveed Jamali saw the incident over the Hudson River by Washington Heights in northern Manhattan at approximately 2pm on Tuesday.

The incident comes only 12 days after the 20th anniversary commemorations of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

President Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly at 10am in the morning and departed the city after meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Iraqi President Barham Saleh.

The incident occurred at around the same time that Marine One, the presidential helicopter, departed Manhattan for the 15-minute journey to JFK Airport in Queens.

Mr Biden was on his way back to Washington, DC to meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House.

Air Force One took off from JFK at 2.24pm and landed at Joint Base Andrews at 2.59pm. The president took Marine One to the White House and was in the Oval office t 3.27pm.

North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed to Newsweek that there is an ongoing operation over New York. Security in the city is tight with so many world leaders in town for the General Assembly.

A tweet from Norad elaborates: F-16 fighter aircraft intercepted a small, single engine general aviation aircraft that violated the Temporary Flight Restriction area near #NYC. The aircraft was escorted out of the TFR w/o incident at approx 2.pm EDT #OperationNoble Eagle.

Adding further clarification, a second tweet reads: ONE is the name given to air defense missions in N America. Norad closely coordinates air defense activities with the FAA and responds as required. Temporary Flight Restriction area violations such as this one occur from time to time and are a normal part of Norad operations.
Students are boycotting the theatre programme at a South Carolina university, after an incident where non-white students names were written on a whiteboard touched off a wider discussion of race in the department.

The aspiring playwrights and actors of Coastal Carolina Universitys theatre department didnt attend classes on Monday in protest.

"We are telling ourselves that we have each other when they dont have us," theatre student Kelis Herriot told WPDE . "Until we are met with the same respect that we give our professors, we do not owe them that."

The outrage began when students arrived in class to find the names of non-white students listed on a white board and categorised by race.

The Universitys artist-in-residence Dr Susan Finque had been working with two Black students after one class, she explained to reporters, hearing out their concerns about feeling isolated at the school.

The list was left up on the board, prompting confusion and outrage, for which Ms Finque apologised.

Students also saw an email chain where another professor, Dr Robert Earnest, seemed to dismiss the whole incident, writing, "I dont think its a big deal ... Im just sad people get their feelings hurt so easily. And they are going into theatre?

He also apologised.

"I just sent a letter of apology to the DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] committee, he told WPDE. My comments were not directed at BIPOC students. Evidently, there was an issue of a list of students that was posted that caused some confusion. I then made an insensitive comment asking them to move on from it. I had no idea it would blow up like this."

The university says it is working to resolve the issue.

"The leadership of the University and of the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts are aware of the complaints that some of our theatre students have communicated, it said in a statement. We are working to establish the most appropriate path for resolving their concerns.

Last summer, amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, more than 600 alumni of CCU signed a petition calling on the theatre department to be more inclusive of people of colour and hire a more diverse faculty.

An overall lack of respect for the BIPOC students  theres an overall culture of dismissing them and treating them as less than, Miquela Rivers told WBTW at the time. To treat students who have entrusted you with their education and believe that youre going to provide them with a safe place to grow and be vulnerable and to not see this as absolutely imperative is abhorrently concerning.

In the petition, students described being called by the wrong name, being confused with other students of colour, and the use of loaded terms like sassy, urban, and ghetto in class discussion.
The daughter of a man who died with Covid-19 was interviewed by CNN after she said her dad was waiting for FDA approval before getting the vaccine due to "misinformation" from Tucker Carlson.

Katie Lane told CNNs New Day that her father, Patrick Lane, was not an anti-vaxxer but he consumed media across the political spectrum and misinformation from one side, in particular, made him hesitant.

So he was going to wait for FDA approval, but by the time that Pfizer had been approved, it was already too late, Ms Lane said.

Ms Lane said there were multiple reasons why her father hadnt gotten the vaccine, including one of which was some of the media that he ingested.

He wasnt by any means far-right. He was right in the middle, and he consumed media from both sides, and just some of the misinformation on one of those sides made him hesitant, she added.

CNN anchor John Berman prompted Ms Lane to identify the one media source in particular that made her father vaccine-hesitant, referencing claims she had made in local media a week earlier.

He watched some Tucker Carlson videos on YouTube, and some of those videos involved some misinformation about vaccines, and I believe that that played a role, Ms Lane replied.

Ms Lane, 20, first made the claim in an interview with an NBC News affiliate in Washington, saying he was diagnosed with Covid-19 just days before the Pfizer vaccine was fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Despite being healthy and having no underlying conditions, Ms Lane told the broadcaster that her father began deteriorating quickly and died two weeks later. He was 45 years old.

It honestly kind of felt like a sick joke, Ms Lane said. When he was placed on the ventilator, I was told there was still hope, but part of me knew that was the beginning of the end.

Evan Lane, appearing with his sister on CNN, said their father was not anti-vaccine and wouldnt have had issues with recommending people take the shot now that Pfizer is FDA approved.

Since appearing on CNN, the siblings claims against Carlson have been boosted by The Daily Beast, which said the Fox star has spent months questioning the efficacy and safety of the Covid vaccine, while also saying he is pro-vaccine.

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Fresh off several weeks of a whirlwind of bad headlines for his administration regarding its pullout of US forces from Kabul, President Joe Biden is now facing a new crisis in the form of thousands of mostly Haitian migrants gathering at the border of Texas and Mexico.

The growing crowd, estimated on Monday to have swelled to between 12,000 and 14,000 by multiple news outlets and agencies, presents the greatest challenge for Mr Biden so far on the issue of immigration, which until now has been little more than a persistent GOP talking point and a task delegated to Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Biden administration and Republicans have battled in the press for months over the issue of immigration and the growing number of migrants seeking to cross the US border illegally or apply for asylum, with Democrats blaming the Trump administration for leaving the US asylum system broken and barely functional, while Republicans have claimed that reversals of Trump-era policies criticised for being inhumane were driving more migrants north to the US.

Heres what we know about the developing situation in Del Rio, Texas, and the broader implications for the US and its government:

The crowd is growing, and showing little signs of slowing down

A crowd that was just a few thousand strong late last week could now number as high as 14,000 as more and more migrants join the makeshift encampments originally limited to an area just under an international bridge between Mexico and Texas.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents did not respond to an emailed request for comment last week regarding at what size the camps would become too large for US officials to manage safely. More agents were dispatched to the area on Monday as conditions in the area grow increasingly chaotic.

Local officials acknowledged the possibility of thousands more arriving over the weekend, but theres no sign as to when the camps size will stop growing.

Many have nothing to go back to in Haiti

Reporting from The New York Times indicated that many of the thousands of migrants who are currently awaiting action from CBP and other US agencies to determine their fates originally left Haiti for countries in South America including Brazil and Chile where they first attempted to set up new lives; economic instability and anti-Black racism experienced by many in those countries led thousands to migrate north, however, especially as Chile has tightened its immigration policies in response to an influx of migrants.

Thousands were gathering in Mexican cities and towns in recent weeks before arriving in Del Rio, and are desperate to find anywhere to settle down as their home country has only faced more and more problems in recent months following a devastating tropical storm, earthquake, and the assassination of its president.

Historic devastation on the island nation that already faced a poverty crisis has left many to abandon their homeland with little choice but to seek economic and personal fortune elsewhere.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed on this issue by a reporter on Monday, who asked, what are you deporting them back to?

Our objective and our focus is not only in implementing current immigration policies, she said, claiming that the administration was also working to provide aid including financial support to those who returned to Haiti.

What are you deporting them back to?  A reporter asked Jen Psaki about the reality for Haitian migrants if they were sent back to a nation experiencing political unrest and the aftermath of an earthquake pic.twitter.com/0KDaBOuI9o  NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 20, 2021

Shocking images on Monday showed migrants being corralled on horseback

If the scenes of more than 10,000 migrants gathered along the riverbank in small camps wasnt enough of a nightmare for the Biden administration, the White House also came under fire on Monday after shocking videos and photos were released by reporters of CBP agents on horseback corralling migrants and attempting to drive them back from some areas, in some cases confronting people in waist-deep water.

A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas (PAUL RATJE / AFP via Getty Images)

Photos showed a handful of agents holding the leather straps of their horses reins as one would hold a whip, though it wasnt immediately clear if that was sanctioned by CBP or whether agents were physically using it for that purpose against the migrants.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was questioned about the images, which she agreed were shocking and while adding that she did not have all the facts, could not imagine a situation where such actions were justified.

Criticism grows on the left as conservatives continue knocking Biden over crossings

Conservatives have been hammering the White House for month about the number of border crossings at the US-Mexico border, a favourite issue of the right, but the situation in Texas has now led progressives and immigration activists to open fire on the president as well.

Allegations of agents using whips against migrants caused that criticism to escalate sharply, with lawmakers on Capitol Hill joining in.

We are still whipping black bodies in 2021, tweeted Rep Jamaal Bowman, a Black freshman Democrat. Shame on us as a nation. For our inhumanity.

We are still whipping black bodies in 2021.



Shame on us as a nation. For our inhumanity. https://t.co/gcg0BfWFLZ  Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) September 20, 2021

It doesnt matter if a Democrat or Republican is President, our immigration system is designed for cruelty towards and dehumanization of immigrants, added Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Immigration should not be a crime, and its criminalization is a relatively recent invention. This is a stain on our country.

It doesnt matter if a Democrat or Republican is President, our immigration system is designed for cruelty towards and dehumanization of immigrants.



Immigration should not be a crime, and its criminalization is a relatively recent invention. This is a stain on our country. https://t.co/PZKYN4WLyj  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 20, 2021

Biden administration remains firm with message of do not come to the US

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas became the first high-ranking administration official to directly visit the scene at Del Rio on Monday, where he delivered a firm message to others seeking to migrate to the US with the intent of crossing the border illegally.

"If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed and you will be endangering your life and your familys lives," Mr Mayorkas said. "This administration is committed to developing safe, orderly and humane pathways for migration. This is not the way to do it."

He clarified that many of those at the Del Rio encampments now were under the mistaken assertion that Haitians were currently designated under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which Mr Mayorkas said applied to only those who arrived before July 29.

Ms Psaki also said from behind the White House podium on Monday that the US was stressing the risk of Covid-19 infection posed by immigrants congregating in such close spaces with such large numbers, thought that concern has done little to discourage many from making the already treacherous journey.
President Joe Biden did not take questions from US reporters during his meeting with UK prime minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday.

Mr Johnson was speaking about the Good Friday Agreement and ensuring nothing the United Kingdom does interrupts the accords with Northern Irelands. Mr Johnson was responding to questions from two British reporters, CBSs Steven Portnoy reported from inside the Oval Office.

On that point, Joe, we are completely at one. And I think nobody want to see anything that interrupts or un-balances the Belfast Good Friday, Mr Johnson was saying before being cut off.

But Mr Bidens team began to shepherd out reporters before members of the American media could ask the president any questions and while Mr Johnson was still speaking.

Seung-Min Kim, a reporter for the Washington Post criticised the move, saying it was Not great, folks.
President Joe Biden told the United Nations General Assembly that the United States is focusing on relentless diplomacy and closing an era of relentless war after it ended military operations in Afghanistan.

Mr Biden made the remarks as he has sought to tell the global stage that America has returned from its retreat from the international community during his predecessor Donald Trumps presidency.

Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future: ending this pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, managing the shifts in global power dynamics, shaping the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber and emerging technologies, and facing the threat of terrorism as it ends today the president said.

Weve ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan and as we close this period of relentless war, were opening a new era of relentless diplomacy, he continued.

European allies have vocally or quietly criticised Mr Bidens withdrawal from Afghanistan. But Mr Biden was insistent that the United States and the world faces unique challenges that military conflict could not ameliorate.

Many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed through the force of arms, he said. Bombs and bullets cannot defend against Covid-19 or its future variants. To fight this pandemic, we need a collective act of science and political will.

At the same time, Mr Biden articulated the criteria he would make for use of force when the United States and its allies are threatened, including against terrorism.

But, the mission must be clear and achievable, undertaken with informed consent of the American people and whenever possible, in partnership with our allies, he said.

Mr Biden added that he and the international community would continue to pursue the protection of human rights in Afghanistan even under the new Taliban regime, specifically highlighting the rights of women and girls.

We all must advocate for the rights of women and girls to use their full talents to contribute economically, politically and socially and pursue their dreams free of violence and intimidation from central America, to the Middle East to Africa to Afghanistan, he said.

But Afghanistan and military conflict were not the only aspects of Mr Bidens speech. He frequently invoked the climate crisis and his words came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres specifically warned of a conflict between China and the United States.

It would be far less predictable than the Cold War, Mr Guterres said. But Mr Biden pushed back on the idea that such a feud would happen.

We are not seeking a new Cold War, or a world divided into rigid blocs, he said. The US is ready to work with any nation, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas.
President Joe Biden indicated an interest in turning a page on US-Iranian relations during his first address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

Speaking at the bodys headquarters in New York City, Mr Biden said that the US would return to full compliance with the deal negotiated during his previous stint in the White House, under former President Barack Obama.

The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. We are working with the P5+1 to engage Iran diplomatically and seek a return to the JCPOA, said Mr Biden, referring to the acronym for the official title of the 2015 nuclear accord signed by the US, Iran, and several European nations. We're prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same.

The remarks represented a defeat for Iran hawks, who for months have pushed the Biden administration to continue with the maximum pressure campaign begun under the Trump administration after it withdrew from the Iran deal in 2017 and began slapping sanctions back on top figures in Irans government. The rationale given by the US State Department at the time were supposed violations of the spirit of the deal by Irans government.

Those tactics drove the two countries apart even further and nearly led to war breaking out on several occasions, including in 2019 when Iran shot down a US spy drone that it claimed had entered its territory but US officials asserted was over international waters. Iranian leaders have said that the US must be the first to drop those sanctions and return to compliance with the accord, as the US officially left the deal first.

Allies of former President Donald Trump such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were chief boosters of that strategy, but it also found some allies in the conservative wing of the Democratic Party.

Mr Pompeo joined a meeting of Iranian-American activists in DC on Monday, where he called for Irans president to be prosecuted for human rights violations including the massacre of thousands of dissidents not tomorrow; not next week; not next year. But he should be prosecuted now.

As recently as August former House Foreign Affairs chairman Rep Eliot Engel, a centrist New York Democrat who lost his seat to a Justice Democrat-backed primary challenge from Rep Jamaal Bowman, told The Independent that he hoped the Biden administration would seek to renegotiate the 2015 deal in a manner that was tougher on the Iranian government.

Iranian-American activists and Iranians active around the world in groups opposed to Irans government have been part of the campaign pressuring Mr Biden to be tougher on Iran and its new president, Ebrahim Raisi. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in the streets of New York on Tuesday as both Mr Biden and Mr Raisi gave speeches to the UNGA.

Freedom-loving Iranians,

Your protests today in various countries reflect the general desire of the Iranian people that Khamenei and Raisi, the henchman of the #1988Massacre, must face justice.

Raise your voice louder, and keep up your fight to overthrow the regime of massacre. pic.twitter.com/lD3lyBcKWq  Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) September 21, 2021

In a statement issued on Monday, the head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) called on Mr Biden to refer a dossier of alleged human rights violations including the murders of thousands of dissidents to the UN Security Council.

The international community must adopt a firm policy on Iran, something that meets the desire of the Iranian people and is vital to regional and global peace and tranquility, said Maryam Rajavi.

We want the world to recognise the right of the Iranian people to overthrow the regime. We want them to acknowledge their right to establish freedom and democracy and a republic based on the separation of church and state, she continued.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk has seemingly taken exception to US president Joe Bidens silence around his companys recent successful space mission.

The Inspiration4 mission launched an all-civilian crew out of the Earths atmosphere last week, after which they orbited the planet for three days and then returned safely back to Earth on Saturday.

Mr Biden and the White House have so far not issued any statements on the landing, prompting Mr Musk to employ a turn of phrase used frequently by the Republican party and former president Donald Trump to mock the president.

The President of the United States has refused to even acknowledge the 4 newest American astronauts who helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for St Jude. Whats your theory on why that is? asked a Twitter user.

Hes still sleeping, quipped Mr Musk.

The tweet drew sharp reactions from social media users. While some slammed the president, others came to his support for not immediately wishing the crew on their successful mission.

Dude is busy running a nation during a pandemic. Post-war intelligence briefings. Cybersecurity threats. SCOTUS shenanigans and human rights. Budget and tax legislation, wrote one user.

Stroking the egos of billionaires isnt a national priority.

Quite interesting to see Musk parroting Trump and directly attacking [the president]. He was on his advisory council, but still made you believe hes generally impartial. Just to remind you: he made no similar snarky attacks on Trump or Xi Jinping. This is new, wrote another user.

Youre awake, you may be better than the sleeper. Why dont you nominate yourself to be the next president of America instead of the sleeper?

Others began attacking Mr Biden by using the hashtag #SleepyJoe.

#SleepyJoe is sleeping. #Biden really is a failure, wrote a user.

Tweet of the day! #golden #SleepyJoe wrote another.

Mr Trump has used the phrase Sleepy Joe to mock Mr Biden during the presidential campaign. This was one of the many nicknames he gave to his then rival presidential candidate.

More recently, Israels former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to mock Mr Biden by repeating a previously debunked claim that he slept during a meeting with Israels newly elected prime minister Naftali Bennett.
A US Customs and Border Protection officer will escape prosecution despite carrying a firearm during the Justice for J6 rally at the US Capitol, where it is illegal for federal law enforcement to carry guns if not acting in an official capacity.

A spokesman for the US attorneys office in Washington said they were not moving forward with charges against the unidentified 27-year-old New Jersey man, according to the Associated Press.

The spokesman did not provide any further information as to why they were not charging the suspect, despite two law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity saying that he was not at the rally in any official capacity.

While the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act exempts active and retired officers from local and State prohibitions on carrying concealed firearms while off duty, it does not apply within the US Capitol Grounds.

The US Capitol Police says agents face arrest, fines, and imprisonment if bringing a weapon to the grounds while not performing official duties. Any law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity needs to contact the Capitol Police to determine if they can carry a firearm under established criteria.

US Capitol Police confirmed in a tweet that the man was charged with unlawful activities under 40 U.S. Code  5104 for possessing a gun, but did not mention that he showed a badge or any law enforcement credentials during the arrest.

It is not clear why the man was at the demonstration, the tweet on Saturday said.

The arrest was captured on video by reporter Ford Fischer, who said the man was not disarmed or handcuffed when extracted from the event.

In the video, the man, whose face is mostly covered with a mask and sunglasses, is asked are you undercover?

He appears to make a slight head movement in one direction before pausing slightly, shaking his head, and replying Im just here before directing them to the location of the concealed gun.

The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general was also notified of his arrest, while US Customs and Border Protection AP the agency was are of the arrest and was fully cooperating with the investigation.

CBP stresses honour and integrity in every aspect of our mission and expects officers to adhere to the oath they take to uphold the laws of this country, the statement said.
The Biden administration is relying on a contested Trump-era policy as it disperses thousands of Haitian migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border near the small South Texas city of Del Rio

Much to the dismay of migrant advocates, the Department of Homeland Security is invoking the public health law known as Title 42 to quickly take Haitians into custody and fly them back to their troubled homeland, denying them an opportunity to make a claim to stay in the U.S. by seeking asylum.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday that most of the Haitians removed from the Del Rio encampment have been expelled under the authority of Title 42, angering human rights activists and others who had hoped to see the policy ended by an administration that has otherwise sought to reverse much of Trumps immigration agenda.

A look at the law and the controversy that surrounds it:

WHAT IS TITLE 42 AND WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW?

Title 42 of the Public Health Service Act gives federal health officials powers during a pandemic to take extraordinary measures to limit transmission of an infectious disease.

Its not a new power. The authority has, in various forms, been around since 1893. The Trump administration invoked it in March 2020 to sweeping effect, prohibiting entry by virtually anyone from Mexico and Canada and essentially sealing the northern and southern borders.

It was ostensibly intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in cramped Border Patrol stations or in facilities run by Immigration and Customs and Enforcement. Critics of the policy see it as a thinly disguised measure to thwart immigration, noting it deprives people of the right to claim asylum or seek to remain in the U.S. through some other legal avenue.

Former federal health officials told The Associated Press last year that the Trump administration overruled government scientists who said there was no evidence that invoking Title 42 would slow the coronavirus. Nevertheless, the public health order remains in place and hundreds of thousands of people have been expelled under its authority.

WHAT HAPPENED UNDER BIDEN?

President Joe Biden has been unwinding many Trump policies targeting both legal and illegal immigration. But the new administration has kept Title 42 in place as COVID-19 continues to rage around the world and amid an increase in migrants seeking to enter the U.S. at the southwest border, due in part to the economic upheaval of the pandemic and overall conditions in Central America, Haiti and elsewhere.

The Biden administration halted the Trump-era practice of expelling unaccompanied children into Mexico, and has allowed some migrants traveling with their children to stay in the U.S. to pursue asylum claims or other legal residency. But it has expelled tens of thousands of adults and families under Title 42, insisting it's a public health measure and not an immigration policy.

The American Civil Liberties Union and others filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to end the expulsions of families. They seemed to score a victory last week, when a federal judge in Washington said the use of Title 42 in this manner was likely illegal. He said he would order the administration to stop expelling families in two weeks. But within hours the administration said it would appeal.

The Biden administration claims it wants to distance itself from the Trump administrations inhumane asylum policies," said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt. "Yet it has retained the most extreme of all the policies, the Title 42 policy that is literally sending families into the hands of persecutors and cartels."

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DEL RIO?

In recent days, thousands of migrants from Haiti have sought to enter the U.S. at the Del Rio border crossing. Haitians have been trying to get into the country over the Southwest border for years but it's not clear what prompted so many to gather at this one spot at this particular moment.

In May, the Biden administration granted temporary protected status for Haitians who were already in the United States, but that doesn't apply to the people massing near Del Rio.

As an increasingly squalid camp emerged under a bridge on the U.S. side of the border, authorities began the process of detaining the migrants and then expelling them. Mayorkas said some would be subject to expedited removal in which the U.S. quickly deports low-level immigration offenders. But most he said would be expelled under Title 42, which he was careful to portray as a public health measure.

Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities and to the lives of the migrants themselves and should not be attempted, he said.
Biden administration officials were on the defensive on Tuesday after images of shocking confrontations between desperate Haitian migrants and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on horseback were filmed and spread on social media.

The images, which showed CBP agents apparently attempting to corral migrants in specific areas, comes as the Biden administration is surging federal Homeland Security personnel to the region to respond to more than 14,000 migrants who have descended upon the region in the past few days.

In particular, several images of CBP agents appearing to swing the reins of their horse tack in whipping motions drew stinging criticism from progressives and human rights advocates, who likened the images to Americas dark racist history of Southern slave patrols.

Officials on Tuesday characterised the chaos unfolding in Del Rio as something the Biden administration was responding to, while disavowing the shocking scenes of horseback agents harassing migrants as anathema to the character and compassion the administration says it is trying to espouse.

In at least one video, a CBP agent is heard berating a migrant using xenophobic and racist language, exclaiming to one man as he and his wife crossed a river: This is why your countrys sh*t, because you use your women for this!

White House press secretary Jen Psaki addressed the issue during an in-person interview on Tuesday with CBS This Morning a day after she at a press briefing had said that she could not imagine a situation where such conduct would be justified.

I dont know anyone who watched that video who would not think the images were horrible and horrific, Ms Psaki said on Tuesday.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials confirmed Monday evening that the images of horseback CBP agents appearing to use their reins as whips would be investigated.

Any mistreatment or abuse of a migrant is unacceptable, is against border patrol policy, training, and our departments values, the agencys secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday. We have directed an investigation, that investigation is underway and it will be conducted swiftly and the public needs and deserves to know its results.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who was tapped by the president earlier this year to lead up his administrations response to growing numbers of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border, said on Tuesday that she supports the investigation into the images and called the treatment of migrants horrible.

"What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were is horrible. I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation, she said.

Critics on both sides of the aisle are taking aim at the Biden administration as the situation unfolds. On the right, conservatives are touting the scene as evidence of the Biden administrations failures resulting from the rollback of Trump-era immigration policies that were widely denounced as inhumane; on the left, progressives are furious about the images of mostly Black migrants being harassed by white CBP agents.

Black lives matter wherever they are, Texas congressman Al Green, a Democrat, said on the House floor on Tuesday while introducing a resolution denouncing the alleged mistreatment of Haitian migrants at the border.

The scene was also pilloried by hosts of The View, in particular by co-host Sunny Hostin, a Black attorney.

Im so disappointed. So disappointed in the Biden administration today. So very disappointed, she said.
A Texas doctor who admitted to breaking the states new abortion law to force a test of its legality has been sued, setting up a constitutional challenge that could end up in the Supreme Court.

San Antonio physician Alan Braid was sued by an Arkansas man in a civil lawsuit filed on Monday, according to The Washington Post.

Dr Braid instigated the showdown in a Post opinion column over the weekend where he admitted to breaking the law on 6 September, just days after it came into effect at the start of the month.

I fully understood that there could be legal consequences  but I wanted to make sure that Texas didnt get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested, Mr Braid wrote.

The suit filed against Mr Braid comes from former lawyer Oscar Stilley, who told the Post he is not personally opposed to abortion but acted after reading Mr Braids confession on Saturday to test the law.

Mr Braid also stands to gain at least $10,000 in damages if successful.

If the law is no good, why should we have to go through a long, drawn-out process to find out if its garbage? he told the outlet, which adds that Mr Stilley is currently serving a 15-year federal sentence for tax fraud in home confinement.

If the state of Texas decided its going to give a $10,000 bounty, why shouldnt I get that $10,000 bounty?

The Texas Heartbeat Act, or SB 8, bans abortion once the heartbeat of the foetus is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into the pregnancy.

The first legal challenge in the Supreme Court was dismissed on procedural grounds as opponents had sued the wrong people.

Texas new law was designed to remove state officials from the enforcement process, and instead left it to private citizens to file lawsuits against anyone in violation of the statute.

Its constitutionality could not be tested in the courts until someone performed an abortion and someone else sued that person for it, which Mr Braid and Mr Stilley have both now made possible.

Mr Stilley was first to file the suit against Mr Braid, beating the anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life. The group had said it was exploring its options following Mr Braids admission in The Washington Post opinion column, headlined Why I violated Texass extreme abortion ban.

In the piece, Mr Braid said he performed a first-trimester abortion that was beyond the states new limit.

I understand that by providing an abortion beyond the new legal limit, I am taking a personal risk, but its something I believe in strongly, Mr Braid added.
A newly released memo from a former member of Donald Trumps legal team has shed further light on efforts to overturn the 2020 election  spelling out a plan for then-vice president Mike Pence to throw out the result in the Senate without asking for permission.

Written by controversial conservative lawyer John Eastman, who appeared at the Stop the Steal rally that precipitated the Capitol insurrection on 6 January, the memo was obtained in full by CNN and is described in the new book Peril, an account of the Trump administrations behaviour after the election. The book has generated multiple sensational headlines before even being published.

According to Mr Eastmans plan, which was never enacted even in part, Mr Pence would have interrupted the normal procedure of reading out the Electoral College vote by abruptly announcing that Arizona has sent multiple slates of electors, and that as a result, he would defer decision on that until finishing the other states. The other disputed states that Mr Biden in fact won would be similarly pushed aside.

Mr Pence would then have gone on to announce that because of the ongoing disputes in the 7 states, there are no electors that can be deemed validly appointed in those states  reducing the number of electors appointed to 454. At that point, Mr Pence would have gavelled Mr Trump as re-elected with 232 votes.

This plan is legally farcical, and was reportedly not seriously considered even by close Trump allies in the Senate. According to Peril, Utahs Mike Lee  who later said the then-president deserved a Mulligan for his part urging people to storm the Capitol  spurned the argument as worthless, as did South Carolinas Lindsey Graham.

According to Peril, Mr Trumps personal efforts to get Mr Pence to interfere with the electoral certification process saw the president pose the question, Wouldnt it be almost cool to have that power?

The authors write that when Mr Pence answered that it would not, Mr Trump lashed out: No, no, no! You dont understand, Mike. You can do this. I dont want to be your friend anymore if you dont do this. If you dont do it, I picked the wrong man four years ago.

Mr Pence was ultimately one of the top targets of the extremists and Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January after Mr Trump told them youll never take back our country with weakness. Rioters were heard chanting hang Mike Pence as the vice president was evacuated from the Senate chamber to an undisclosed place of safety.

When he returned to his position later that day once the attack had ended, the vice president sounded a defiant note against the violence.

To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today: you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the peoples house. And as we reconvene in this chamber the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy.

After the riot, Mr Eastman retired from his position at Chapman Universitys Fowler School of Law as colleagues at the university clamored for him to be fired. In a furious piece written as he departed, he restated various dubious and false claims about the supposed conspiracies to steal the election and insisted that far from trying to obstruct the certification of the result or helping incite the riot, he simply participated in a peaceful rally of nearly  million people, two miles away from the violence that occurred at the capital (sic) and which began even before the speeches were finished.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, health officials have pushed the importance of Covid-19 vaccines in an effort to protect a majority of Americans, and the rest of the world, against the novel virus.

Already 158 million Americans, or 47.7 per cent, have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 124 million Americans, or 37.5 per cent, are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Health officials would now have to reach those who are hesitant about the vaccine, as the country works to reach herd immunity. But questions still remain among some people about the available vaccines safety and efficacy.

The Independent has answered some of the most searched questions about the Covid-19 vaccines.

Is the Covid vaccine FDA approved?

A recurring issue among the vaccine-hesitant is the difference between FDA emergency use authorisation versus full approval for the Covid-19 vaccines.

Currently, there are three pharmaceutical companies that have emergency use authorisation (EUA) for their Covid-19 vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Usually, the FDA can take one year or longer to give a drug full approval. But the pandemic encouraged the federal health agency to issue emergency use authorisation to the three different companies for their Covid-19 vaccines. The emergency use authorisation allowed for companies to apply for the approval with just two months of clinical data.

For an EUA to be issued for a vaccine, for which there is adequate manufacturing information to ensure quality and consistency, FDA must determine that the known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine, the FDA states on its website.

The federal health agency has maintained, though, that safety standards were not loosened when issuing emergency use authorisation to the available Covid-19 vaccines.

Covid-19 vaccines are undergoing a rigorous development process that includes tens of thousands of study participants to generate the needed non-clinical, clinical, and manufacturing data, the agency said.

Pfizer announced earlier this month that it has applied for full approval for its Covid-19 vaccine in people ages 16 years and older from the FDA. Moderna has also indicated it will submit its application for full approval in the coming weeks.

If approved, the companies could then market their shots directly to consumers and possibly alter the pricing of the doses. Currently the vaccine is available for free to Americans through the federal government.

The approval would also allow the vaccines to remain on the market after the pandemic because they would no longer have emergency authorisation.

 Barack Obama urges Americans to get vaccinated in TV special

Is it safe to get the Covid vaccine when pregnant?

When Covid-19 vaccines first received emergency use authorisation in December, researchers knew little about how the jab could impact pregnant women. This was because pregnant women were excluded from initial clinical trials.

Several studies have since come to light and have shown positive preliminary results of the vaccines impact for pregnant women.

In one study, published in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this month, Pfizer and Modernas vaccines sparked a robust immune response in pregnant and lactating women. The results also indicated that the vaccines protected the women against the novel virus.

Then a second study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology last week, revealed that there was no evidence the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine caused damage to the placenta in pregnant women.

Based on the current data available, the CDC and FDA have authorised the vaccines for anyone who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant. But the health agencies do recommend for women to consult with their healthcare provider if they are unsure about the potential effects of the vaccine.

You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider to help you decide whether to get vaccinated. While such a conversation might be helpful, it is not required before vaccination, CDC states on its website.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Which Covid vaccine is better?

According to clinical data, the Pfizer vaccine is 95 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 disease two weeks after the second dose of the jab. Modernas vaccine is 94 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 disease two weeks after the second dose.

A new study released by the CDC has also found that a single dose of Pfizers or Modernas Covid vaccine was 80 per cent effective in preventing infections.

The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66 to 72 per cent effective in preventing Covdi-19 disease about two weeks after the jab.

However, the company announced in September that a booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be 94 per cent effective when given two months after the initial shot.

So Pfizer and Modernas vaccines have demonstrated a higher effectiveness against the novel virus, but that doesnt mean they are necessarily better to get.

Johnson & Johnsons vaccine has a higher efficacy against severe disease from Covid-19 compared to its effectiveness against disease from all symptoms related to the novel virus, which health experts have called a game changer.

The overall efficacy for severe disease was 85 per cent, Dr Anthony Fauci said during a White House Covid press briefing in April. There were essentially no hospitalisations or deaths in the vaccine group, whereas with the placebo group there were. We have a value-added vaccine candidate.

Experts have also pointed out that none of the three vaccines have gone head-to-head in determining which was the most effective. Instead, the vaccines were tested differently in clinical trials around the world, making comparing the three jabs nearly impossible.

 Pfizer CEO says oral Covid vaccine could be ready by next year

Is it safe for 12 year olds to get the Covid vaccine?

Pfizers Covid-19 vaccine is the only vaccine currently available in the US that has received emergency use authorisation for children ages 12 to 18 years old.

Both Moderna and Johnson & Johnsons vaccine are approved for emergency use in those ages 18 years and older.

Federal health officials authorised the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 years old last week after clinical trials showed the jab was safe and effective against the novel virus for that age group. Since then, the US has administered more than 600,000 vaccines to that age group, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky revealed on Tuesday.

So yes, the vaccines have been found to be safe in children 12 years and older.

Children are more likely to be asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms from Covid-19 if they contract the novel virus. But some children have still experienced severe symptoms or transmitted the virus to others, which is why health officials prioritised vaccinating all age groups.

How long does the Covid vaccine last?

Studies are ongoing about how long immunity lasts after people are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Recent data released by Pfizer has indicated the immunity from its vaccine lasts at least six months after the second dose. In the study, there was minimal antibody decline after six months. Similarly, results from Moderna showed that participants had a high level of antibodies in their system after six months of becoming fully vaccinated.

Critics have taken this information and concluded that it means the vaccines only offer six months of protection against the virus, but this conclusion is incorrect.

Given these are breakthrough vaccines that have only been administered to large segments of the public since December, the data is limited for researchers to determine how long immune response lasts. Experts hypothesise immune response could last months longer.

Covid-19 variants are also another variable experts are considering when determining immunity. Several highly transmissible variants are circulating the US and around the world, but there is no indication yet that these will diminish vaccine efficacy.

Pharmaceutical companies are researching potential booster shots to their vaccines that would increase someones antibody count in the future, which could be used if antibody count and vaccine efficacy diminish.

 Biden announces Covid vaccines available for all adults

Where to get the Covid vaccine?

The Biden administration has worked alongside state governments and pharmacies to provide Americans with easy access to the available Covid-19 vaccines.

Vaccines.gov is an online website developed by the CDC to assist people in finding a location near them offering vaccination appointments. Additionally, individual states also have their own portals that detail vaccine sites in someones surrounding area and if appointments are available.

Large pharmaceutical chains like CVS, Walgreens, and RiteAid have also collaborated with the federal government to provide Covid-19 vaccines to customers.

Individuals looking to receive a vaccine at a pharmacy can go directly to the stores website to set up an appointment at a nearby location.

Is it safe to not wear a mask after getting the Covid vaccine?

For the most part, the CDC guidance states that fully vaccinated Americans are allowed to participate in normal activities without wearing a mask or social distancing.

"If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic," Dr Walensky said during a White House press briefing last week when announcing the new guidance.

According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear a mask for indoor and outdoor activities, including eating at a restaurant, participating in an exercise class, and attending an outdoor event like a concert.

This same guidance also applies to social distancing.

Previous guidance recommended for vaccinated individuals to wear a mask when indoors if they were around other people who have yet to receive a vaccine. But Dr Walensky said this would no longer be required.

"The science demonstrates that if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected. It is the people not vaccinated who are not protected," she said.

"The science is also very clear about unvaccinated people: you remain at risk of mild or severe illness, of death, or of spreading the disease," Dr Walensky added. "You should still mask, and you should get vaccinated right away."

The CDC still requires all Americans to wear masks when on aeroplanes or other public transportation like trains and busses.
Fresh protests erupted in Melbourne as thousands marched on Tuesday against a recent government order shutting construction sites for two weeks until workers get at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Nearly 2,000 protesters took over streets at peak traffic hour, according to news agency Reuters. Some of those in the crowd damaged cars including police vehicles, and set off flares, reported local media.

The demonstrators included not just construction workers, but also many who opposed mandatory vaccines against Covid-19. Local media reports said protesters chanted: F**k the jab.

Aerial views of the protests shared on social media showed streams of people sprawling across the West Gate Freeway on the outskirts of the Melbourne city centre.

A protester lights a flare as thousands march through Melbourne after the state government announced construction shutdown on 21 September 2021 (Getty Images)

The police used pepper balls, foam baton rounds, smoke rounds and stinger grenades to contain the protests and arrested more than 60, reported Reuters.

This was a very, very large and very, very angry group, Shane Patton, police commissioner in the southeastern state of Victoria, told reporters, adding that the protest breached Covid lockdown rules. And it was a challenging and confronting environment, he added.

Any police force would have been challenged by the spontaneity and the sheer mass of numbers we saw from this group, and the tactics they employed throughout the day, Mr Patton was quoted as saying by ABC News.

He said three officers were injured during the protests.

A demonstrator is handled by police officers attempting to disperse a protest against Covid-19 regulations in Melbourne on 21 September 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

Justifying the use of police force, Mr Patton told the news organisation the crowd control equipment munitions were necessary as they cant allow this kind of conduct to go on.

Authorities aimed to deploy more than 500 police officials on Wednesday to deter the protests, he added.

Channel 7 journalist Paul Dowsley was also attacked by the protesters while reporting live, with cans of drinks being thrown at him. Ive been grabbed around the neck today, Ive had urine tipped on me, and now Ive had a can of energy drink thrown on me, he was quoted as saying.

Protesters fumed against the Victoria governments mandate, which was temporarily stopped, said the state health minister.

The public health team was left with no choice but to hit the pause button and continue to work with the sector over the next two weeks to improve compliance... and slow the spread of the virus, Martin Foley told reporters.

Victorias premier Dan Andrews said, acts of violence and disruption wont result in one less case of COVID - in fact it only helps the virus to spread. Several of the protesters could be seen holding up placards against the premier. Andrews is the virus, read one such placard.

Construction workers and demonstrators attend a protest in Melbourne. The placard reads Andrews is the virus, referring to Dan Andrews, the premier of Australias Victoria state (AFP via Getty Images)

Australia has imposed a lockdown in the cities of Sydney and Canberra to contain the spread of the infection from Delta variant. Several protests in the cities, however, erupted over the weekend against the imposition of strict measures.

The forced closure of building sites is likely to make Australias economic woes worse, said experts. Some forecast that an extended lockdown could potentially push the countrys $1.45 trillion (1.06tn) economy into a second recession.

Additional reporting from agencies
Russia was responsible for the assassination of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko in the UK, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.

The 43-year-old, who had worked for the Russian security services before defecting to the UK, died after drinking green tea laced with poison in London in 2006.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia was behind his assassination, which was carried out at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.

Russia has always denied any involvement in Litvinenkos death.

A British inquiry concluded in 2016 that Vladimir Putin probably approved a Russian intelligence operation to murder Litvinenko, who was an outspoken critic of the Russian president.

It found ex-KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and another Russian, Dmitry Kovtun, carried out the killing as part of an operation probably directed by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB).

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights said it had found there was a strong prima facie case that both men had been acting as agents of the Russian State in poisoning Litvinenko.

It said: The Court found that there was no evidence that either man had had any personal reason to kill Mr Litvinenko and that, if acting on their own behalf, they would not have had access to the rare radioactive isotope used to poison him.

Litvinenko, who had worked for both the FSB and KGB, went public with allegations in 1998 that he had been asked to look into the possibility of killing a wealthy businessman.

He fled Russia after being fired by the FSB and was granted asylum in the UK in 2001.

In its ruling, the European Court of Human Rights said Litvinenko became involved in exposing corruption and links to organised crime in the Russian intelligence services.

The former spy was poisoned with a rare and very potent radioactive isotope called Polonium 210 in London in 2006. He died around three weeks after falling ill with symptoms including vomiting and abdominal pain.

Additional reporting by Reuters
A man in his thirties has been arrested after three bus drivers were taken hostage on a motorway in southern Germany, police said.

Witnesses said the suspect, a 30-year-old Serbian national, was armed, but no weapon has yet been found either on the bus or in his possession, Middle Franconia Police said.

Although investigations into the incident are ongoing, police believe that the bus stopped on a hard shoulder between the Hilpoltstein and Greding junctions in Bavaria after a physical dispute broke out between passengers, during which two were injured.

When the bus stopped, the passengers disembarked but three drivers remained onboard with a man who was said to have had a gun.

The A9 motorway, on which the bus was travelling towards Serbia, was partially closed and emergency services were dispatched to the scene including special operations command and Bavarian riot police.

Police were able to speak to one of the bus drivers on board via mobile phone, after which all three disembarked. The 30-year-old was arrested at 9.30pm on Tuesday without resistance, police said.

The force added that further investigations into the circumstances around the incident will be led by the specialist commissioner of the Schwabach police.
Streams of volcanic lava have continued to create paths of destruction on the island of La Palma as they cascade towards the sea.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Sunday afternoon after locals had endured more than 20,000 tremors since 11 September.

The eruption, on one of the Canary Islands situated off the coast of Morocco, is the first time in 50 years that the Cumbre Vieja has spewed lava.

Fountains of lava reached heights of up to 5,000ft  nearly twice that of Dubais Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest skyscraper  the National Geographic said.

Since the volcano opened up, rivers of lava has been moving downhill across the La Palmas countryside towards the more densely populated coastline, burning everything they come into contact with, while earthquakes on the island continue.

Lava at temperatures of more than 1,000C was still flowing at 700m (2,300ft) per hour on Monday, according to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute.

On Tuesday, officials said a river of lava was bearing down on the neighbourhood of Todoque, where more than 1,000 people live and where emergency services were preparing evacuations.

The lava has so far covered 106 hectares (about 260 acres) of land, according to the European Unions earth observation programme Copernicus, previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

About 6,000 people on La Palma  an island of roughly 85,000 people  have been evacuated so far and 183 houses damaged, government spokeswoman Isabel Rodriguez said after a cabinet meeting in Madrid.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported. Firefighters have also been seen evacuating animals such as goats.

Four villages were evacuated, including El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, with shelters set up for displaced residents.

Fernando Diaz, a municipal worker in El Paso, said: The truth is that its a tragedy to see people losing their properties.

For the lucky ones they would have some peace in knowing that their homes havent been affected. This uncertainty is complicated.

La Palma president Mariano Hernandez urged people to stay away from the island and described the scenes of damage as bleak.

The head of the Canary Islands regional government, Angel Victor Torres, said authorities would ask for EU financial aid to help rebuild.

He said damage already amounted to much more than 340m (400m), which means the island qualifies for emergency EU aid.

Mr Torres described the region as a catastrophe zone and said he would request money to rebuild road and water supply networks and create temporary accommodation for families who have lost their homes, farmland, and livelihoods.

Authorities said the speed of the streams of lava appeared to have slowed down and that they didnt expect them to reach the Atlantic Ocean before Wednesday at the earliest, according to Spanish news agency Europa Press.

When the flow of lava  which can last for weeks or months  reaches the sea, it could cause explosions and produce clouds of toxic gas, scientists have warned.

The volcano has been spewing out between 8,000 and 10,500 tons of sulfur dioxide a day, the Volcanology Institute said.

Diana Morant, Spanish minister of science and innovation, said : There is still no scientific answer on how long the eruption of La Palma will last.

But, she added, analysis of the lava and gases suggests that it could last between one and three weeks.

The last Canary Islands eruption, which occurred underwater off the coast of the island of El Hierro island in 2011, lasted five months.
Burning lava from a volcano which erupted on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma has destroyed at least 100 houses as it streamed through villages towards the coast.

About 500 tourists were among the 5,000 people who were evacuated from the path of the molten lava which poured in rivers towards houses and hotels in villages in the Cumbre Vieja national park in the south of the island.

Authorities said on Monday that at least 100 homes, some of them rental properties for tourists, had been engulfed by the lava in the village of El Paso.

Video footage showed the Spanish Civil Guard clearing people from their houses as the lava crept closer.

It is unstoppable, we can do absolutely nothing other than to follow up so that there is no greater damage than we already know there will be, Sergio Rodriguez, mayor of El Paso, told the Spanish state radio RNE.

Stavros Meletlidis, a doctor of volcanology at the Spanish Geographical Institute, said the eruption had torn five holes in the hillside and the situation could change at any moment.

Eruptive dynamics can change in minutes, he said.

About 5,000 people were evacuated after the eruption at 3.15 pm local time on Sunday in the sparsely populated Cabeza de Vaca area, the islands government said.

Among those evacuated were about 500 tourists who had been staying at a hotel in the village of Puerto Naos.

Video footage showed orange rivers of molten rock pouring down the hill, tearing gashes into woods and farmland, and spreading as they reached lower ground.

This is not going to be a short eruption, Canary Islands President Angel Victor Torres told reporters on Monday.

At an earlier press conference on Sunday night, Mr Torres said that 5,000 people had been evacuated and no injuries had been reported so far.

He said that the lava was moving towards the coast and the damage would be material.

According to experts there are about 17-20 million cubic metres of lava," he added.

Canary Islands local airline Binter said on Monday it cancelled four flights to and from the island of La Gomera after a volcanic eruption projected ashes and smoke on the neighbouring island of La Palma.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who arrived in La Palma, the most northwesterly island of the archipelago, was expected to meet the people who have been evacuated from their houses.

We have all the resources (to deal with the eruption) and all the troops, the citizens can rest easy, he said on Sunday night.

La Palma had been on high alert after more than 22,000 tremors were reported in the space of a week in Cumbre Vieja, a chain of volcanoes that last had a major eruption in 1971 but is one of the most active volcanic regions in the Canaries.

In 1971, one man was killed as he was taking photographs near the lava flows, but no property was damaged.

The earliest recorded eruption in La Palma was in 1430, according to the Spanish National Geographical Institute.
The first fatalities of migrants trying to enter the EU through Polands border with Belarus have been confirmed.

With the dire situation facing migrants stranded at the Polish border becoming a national scandal over recent weeks, four deaths announced by the Polish authorities have cast the humanitarian crisis in an even more distressing light.

The bodies of three people who tried to cross the border illegally were found in the border region, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Monday.

The Belarusian authorities, accused by neighbouring countries Poland, Latvia and Lithuania of shepherding migrants from the Middle East towards the borders of the Schengen Zone, meanwhile announced a fourth death.

They claimed the body of a 39-year-old Iraqi woman had been dragged from the Polish side of the border to the Belarusian side, with the Belarusian press agency quoting the womans husband claiming violence from a Polish border guard led to his wifes death.

My wife was feeling unwell. She was very tired, she was walking very slowly. One Polish border guard put on gloves, with metal on them. He pushed her hard and she fell, he was quoted as saying by the Belarusian agency.

Morawiecki dismissed the Belarusian claims as a lie, saying the attempt to slander Poland is being orchestrated by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko in cooperation with Moscow.

At the same time, though, the deaths of three men on the Polish side of the border from hypothermia and exhaustion threw the lack of aid for desperate migrants into sharp relief.

The body of an Iraqi man was found near a village on the border; another man died in a field; and a third was found dead in a forest.

Polish authorities also had to rescue eight people, including children, who became trapped in a swamp. Seven of them had to be hospitalised.

Such stark examples of the danger facing migrants attempting to enter the EU from Belarus came as Polish border guards announced a record number of migrants trying to enter the country illegally from Belarus at the weekend.

With the number of attempted crossings only increasing, fears are growing that more people may die as the coming colder weather makes conditions even more harsh.

And with the Polish government introducing a state of emergency in an area three kilometres deep at the border, there are concerns that scrutiny of the dire circumstances being faced by migrants is being blocked.

The Independent spoke to Grzegorz Kukowka, the spokesperson for a group of Warsaw lawyers representing Afghan migrants stranded at Usnarz Gorny on the Polish-Belarusian border, about the worsening situation.

The Polish authorities have introduced a state of emergency in the border zone. This means media representatives and NGO workers have been banned from the area, Kukowka said.

This makes the situation even more complicated. We are now afraid for the lives of these people, in the context of ever colder temperatures, he added.

Polish border guard officers stand guard next to a group of migrants stranded on the border between Belarus and Poland (REUTERS)

Some relief is being provided for the group stuck in Usnarz Gorny, but Kukowka says current efforts are not enough.

Despite the temporary measure we obtained from the European Court of Human Rights, these people are still in a tragic situation, and Poland is not implementing provisions on the application of interim measures.

Some Polish analysts are blaming international organisations such as the EU and NATO for their lack of support against hybrid warfare tactics being deployed by the Lukashenko regime.

It is believed Belaruss attempt to shepherd migrants into Poland are intended to destabilise the Schengen Zones eastern border.

On the current evidence, with migrants dying in the open and a state of emergency declared in Poland for the first time since the fall of Communism in the country, the tactic seems to be working.

Morawiecki announced that an additional 500 Polish soldiers would be sent to the border region to strengthen efforts to stop migrants entering the country.

We will defend Polands border with full determination, he said.

Unfortunately for those stuck at the border, there is little mainstream political support for welcoming stranded migrants to Poland. Donald Tusk, the leader of the Polish opposition, has urged humanitarian aid but echoes the governments stance on the need to ensure the safety of Polands borders.

A view of a vehicle next to a fence built by Polish soldiers on the border between Poland and Belarus (REUTERS)

And as a formidable border fence was recently erected to keep migrants out, a group trying to help the migrants declared that barbed wire has become a new symbol of Poland.

Polands tough stance against the influx of migrants may be driven by its determination not to be cowed by Lukahsenkos aggression, but this will be scant comfort to those facing danger and death at the border. Caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions between Belarus and the EU, the stranded migrants face even greater danger as the days and nights became colder.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin was once again all over the front pages of international editions.

In the morning, the European Court of Human Rights linked Russian agents to the 2006 assassination of former spy Alexander Litvinenko. A few hours later, Scotland Yard announced it was charging Russian intelligence agent Denis Sergeev, earlier identified by the investigative outlet Bellingcat, over the 2018 Novichok poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

In Russia, however, the headlines were far more subdued. Part of the reason for that is the tamed nature of the local media. But its also because over the years, Moscow has developed a cynical, yet sophisticated, formula for dealing with bad news days.

The front-footed approach usually begins by dismissing baseless allegations as Russophobic conspiracies. It then looks for ambiguity in complicated stories. And failing all that, it reaches for sarcasm, mockery, and the boomerang.

When accused of hybrid war, Moscow reliably responds you too, dismissing, for example, investigators Bellingcat as agents of the British (or Dutch, or American) state. When linked to electoral interference in the US, it says Google and Apple are trying to influence Russian elections. And it then uses the argument to force them to curb to their censorship demands.

So its no surprise that when the new charges were announced on Tuesday, Russias immediate response was to coolly turn the tables on her accusers.

The foreign ministrys spokesperson Maria Zakharova said it was Britain that had violated international law. They had, after all, outrageously refused consular access to two unnamed Russian citizens. Assuming the citizens she refers to are the Skripals, in hiding after surviving the nerve agent attack, it isnt hard to understand why they might not be seeking such access.

On the allegation of failing to cooperate with UK police inquiries, Ms Zakharova said it was Russia that was pushing for the truth and an open investigation. We are awaiting exhaustive information on the affair from the UK, she said. The decision from Europes top human rights court on Litvinenko was meanwhile an attempt to cultivate Russophobia.

Over at the State Duma, deputy Yelena Panina, a prominent member of the foreign affairs committee, said the allegations were part of a carefully coordinated attack on Russian sovereignty. The Skripal affair had become a systemic tool to discredit Russian elections, she said.

It was used as a provocation just before the March 2018 presidential elections, when Theresa May raised the degree of confrontation [against Russia].

There are, of course, more grounded ways of looking at the timeline of the Salisbury events. Not least by posing a question as to why a former spy would have been attacked  with the likelihood of collateral damage in a foreign state  during an election week.

Some, indeed, have suggested that the operation and massive backlash helped the Kremlin shore up an image of Russia as a besieged fortress just before the vote.

That context makes the decision by London to announce they are charging a new suspect in the immediate aftermath of Duma elections appear to be a touch provocative. There is no obvious reason why it needed to be done this week. The identity of Denis Sergeev has, after all, long been in the public domain.

It may well be that London believes the best way of confronting Moscow is to play them at their own game. If so, that would be a shame. The ramifications of both the Litvinenko and Skripal cases are too serious to be mixed up with petty tricks.
An Olympic athlete has been hospitalised with Covid-19 after she fell ill from the virus while competing in Italy, just two months after winning gold in the Tokyo 2020 games.

Madi Wilson, a 27-year-old Australian, told her Instagram followers on Sunday that she was withdrawing from the competition after testing positive for Covid. She had been competing with the with the Los Angeles Current swimming team.

The double vaccinated swimmer, who was in Naples, Italy, for the 2021 International Swimming League (ISL), explained that she had been hospitalised for care and observation as a precaution.

She said she tested positive even thought shes "double vaccinated and took the right precaution set in place through the ISL, and that being run down physically and mentally may have made me more susceptible.

I feel extremely unlucky but I do believe this is a huge wake-up call, Covid is a serious thing and when it comes it hits very hard. I'd be stupid not to say I wasn't scared, the Olympic swimmer wrote.

Ms Wilson, who also won a bronze medal for Australia at this summers Olympic games in Tokyo, said she was so lucky for all my family, friends and support people as well as her incredible LA family.

You havent and wont ever see a team with a bigger heart then theirs, away from the pool the most incredible compassionate group of people and in the pool we are fighting with every bit of strength, Wilson wrote on Instagram.

On Monday, the swimmer again thanked family and fans for their support, as well as Swimming Australia and the ISL, who she said had been incredible.

Wilson also called on her followers to get vaccinated because it worked, and protected the people around me.

The 27-year-old added that her hospitalisation from Covid was precautionary, and due to underlying health conditions.

She is expected to recover and compete in the semifinals of the ISL, and said she will be taking some time to rest and Im sure Ill be ready to bounce back in no time.

The competition, which began on 26 August, runs until 30 September.
Boris Johnson said he was delighted to meet Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro but urged the vaccine-skeptic right-wing populist to get jabbed against Covid-19.

Joined by the new foreign secretary, Liz Truss, at the British Consulate General's residence in New York, the prime minister said he had promised to come to Brazil before the bummer of the pandemic.

Mr Johnson added: But we're working together on the vaccines. AstraZeneca it's a great vaccine. I have AstraZeneca.

As the press were ushered out of the room at the end of the bilateral meeting, Mr Johnson told them: Thanks everybody, get AstraZeneca vaccines.

He turned to Mr Bolsonaro and said: I've had it twice.

Mr Bolsonaro, who has made strange claims about vaccines including that they could turn people into crocodiles, pointed at himself and wagged his finger.

Not yet, he said through an interpreter, before laughing. Both men were maskless throughout the exchange.

They discussed their own fights against coronavirus infections, before Mr Bolsonaro bragged he had developed excellent immunity to the disease.

Mr Bolsonaro, who has courted publicity over his anti-vaccine stance, arrived in New York on Sunday ahead of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, when he was pictured eating a slice of pizza on the street with Brazilian ministers and aides  reportedly after falling foul of local rules for unvaccinated diners.

He has been condemned in Brazil for falling ill with Covid after his own resistance to many public health measures to control the virus, which has seen Brazil among the worst hit by Covid in South America and around the globe.

Separately, Mr Johnson told world leaders he is growing increasingly frustrated that their commitments to tackle the climate crisis are nowhere near enough.

The prime minister warned during the UN meeting that the gap between what industrialised nations have promised and what they are actually delivering remains vast.

Mr Johnson had been expected to challenge Mr Bolsonaro, a notorious climate change sceptic, on deforestation during the New York trip.
United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker insists he has no worries over the mindset of Brooks Koepka as they head into the tournament later this week.

In an interview last week the four-time major champion said he finds the biennial event tough, hectic and a bit odd and also expressed his frustration at not being able to take naps during the week.

It appeared to offer another insight into the disharmony within the American team room which critics have linked to them losing nine of the last 12 matches.

Brooks Koepkas comments about the Ryder Cup caused an unnecessary stir for captain Steve Stricker on the eve of the event (Richard Sellers/PA) (PA Wire)

Koepka, who has declared himself fit from a wrist injury which prevented him from joining a two-day reconnaissance at Whistling Straits with the rest of the team, also brings a long-running feud with Bryson DeChambeau to Wisconsin but Stricker insists everything is under control on both fronts.

I have talked to him about it, said the USA captain over Koepkas comments.

Ive had experiences with Brooks over many of these teams and the conversation Ive had with him and what Ive personally seen in the team room doesnt jib up to what I was reading in those articles.

I am not worried about Brooks. He assures me he is healthy and 100 per cent and he is on this team to do whatever needs to be done to be a winner at the end of the week.

Ive been talking to him every couple of days since it (the injury) happened and he tells me everything is 100 per cent and he is ready to go.

From what I understand he is fully healed and ready for anything.

The Koepka-DeChambeau relationship is likely to be a thread running throughout the week as players appear in front of the media.

Stricker has been asked about it many times before so had his answer prepared when questioned.

He added: Its a non-issue for me and the team. Ive had conversations between them both and they have assured me its not going to be an issue.

I had a dinner, they all showed up, had great conversation and they are completely on board. I have no worries whatsoever.

Will we pair them together? I dont think so at this point but things could change. Could always happen. But probably not.

Will we pair them together? I don't think so at this point. Could always happen. But probably not. Stricker on a Koepka-DeChambeau combination

Stricker does not expect Tiger Woods, recovering from a car crash in February, to make an appearance during the week in a vice-captaincy role.

Probably not going to happen, he said. Hes been in my ear a lot and I call him pretty regularly. Hes part of our Ryder Cup Team. Hes part of what we do.

I know some of the players went over to see him but I think its just not a good time for him to be here physically because of where hes at in his rehabilitation.

But hes getting better and his focus is on making a comeback to play again. We dont want to get in the way of that because we would all love to see him come back and play.

European captain Padraig Harrington arrived not quite knowing the fitness status of world number one Jon Rahm after illness last week but was reassured once he met the Spaniard.

Rahm pulled out of the Wednesday pro-am and missed the cut in California having not eaten for two days, saying he felt worse than when he contracted Covid-19 in June.

He was lifting very nicely in the gym today when I arrived, said Harrington.

After hearing the reports last week, I arrived in to find him too sweaty to give a hug due to lifting some heavy weights.

I said, OK, things are looking good.

With no European fans allowed to travel over for the event, Harringtons players face an even greater partisan atmosphere as they seek to defend the trophy they won in Paris three years ago.

It is not a worry for their captain, however, nor the team.

He said: Our players play for the glory of this event. If there was 40,000 US fans and no Europeans, wed prefer that than having no fans. Thats just the reality.

We want the noise. We want the excitement. We want the buzz of it all. Yes, the players will have to deal with it and yes, they will have to embrace it.

But they wouldnt want the alternative. Having no fans is no fun.
We all get on with each other. Our group has bonded over hotel dinners, camel rides and the long, jolting drive into the desert. But the conversation around the fire is, well, stilted.

The problem isnt social. Its acoustic.

Our camp lies in a natural amphitheatre bordered by low hills and sand dunes hundreds of feet high. We are at least 200 miles from cars, towns and any man-made sound. The air is dead dry and super silent.

Result: anything you say sounds as if youre in the worlds biggest Imax theatre with state of the art surround-sound.

That puts the pressure on. You feel your every utterance should contain some great truth; not, Bit chilly now, isnt it? or, Wonder if you can get frankincense-infused gin in Soho?

Pouring the tonic sounds like a distant waterfall. You bite into a crisp and its like a thunderclap. As for calls of nature or unexpected gastro-colic sounds  well, you get the idea.

We are in Oman. This is Rub al Khali  the Empty Quarter - 200,000 square miles of sand stretching across the heart of Arabia. Its a fabled wilderness that still hadnt been properly explored or mapped by the middle of the 20th century.

A desert picnic in Oman (Mark Jones)

In the early 1950s, the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger set out to do just that. But his book, Arabian Sands, is not recommended reading before you head to Oman.

Sure, its a detailed and poetic description of some of the places youll see and the people youll encounter. But it will also make you feel like a rather pampered 21st century traveller. Thesigers journey was all grit, danger and thirst; yours is  well, sipping frankincense gin and tonics while someone rigs up your solar shower and four-poster bed.

We are at least 200 miles from cars, towns and any man-made sound. The air is dead dry and super silent

Were on a tour organised by Oman Expeditions. We have driven due north from the coastal town of Salalah towards the capital, Muscat. In the foothills of the Dhofar mountains we wrapped keffiyehs around our faces and rode our camels slowly in the blinding winter sun.

At the outpost of Thumrait, the road took us due west along hard, bony tracks. Then there were no tracks at all. We deflated the tyres as the world became sand and wound between boulders and scrubby vegetation, the 4x4 tilting at scary degrees up the ridges of the dunes.

The advance party had made the camp ready by the time we arrived. We got to choose between our roomy tent or sleeping in a four-poster under the stars.

A camel in Omans Empty Quarter (Mark Jones)

Ive done a few deserts in my time  Mongolia, Australia, Namibia, Jordan  but this, at last, felt like the proper Lawrence of Arabia experience. Youre in a land made by the winds: pink ripples of sand forming and reforming into valleys and pinnacles. And that silence. I swear you can hear the stars come out.

We drove back to our base in the town of Salalah, in south-eastern Oman, stopping on the way for tea in a herdsmans shack. The inside was decorated, unexpectedly, like a Play School set from the 1970s: browns and yellows with flower petals stencilled on the corrugated iron walls.

Salalah itself has to be one of the worlds oddest holiday centres. Every summer, the Dhofar region in which it sits is kissed by the Indian monsoon and the days become cloudy and cool. So while half of northern Europe is on the move in search of sun, half of the Arabian Gulf flies to Salalah to escape from it.

Youre in a land made by the winds: pink ripples of sand forming and reforming into valleys and pinnacles

The khareef, as its known, is party time for Salalah. But now Omani tourism figures are reaching out to westerners in search of winter sun.

The Bangkok-based Anantara group has the latest and swishest resort to open in town  its Al Baleed Resort lies next to the archaeological park of the same name (a Unesco World Heritage Site) between the mountains and the sea. The villas are perfect to retreat into after a day in the desert: cool stone, daybeds, your own blue-green and very private plunge pool.

Writer Mark Jones in the Omani desert (Mark Jones)

Ive been coming to Oman since it began to open up, very cautiously, to tourism in the late nineties. It has always followed a conservative form of Islam but unlike some of its neighbours, its tolerant of other people with other ways of doing things. Alcohol isnt a problem. Displays of flesh can, or should be: its worse than bad manners to go into public places with bare arms and legs.

But you are fine in the resorts and there is always an empty beach to be found. The coast of Oman is in an innocent, idyllic state of underdevelopment. If you can imagine the Mediterranean in the 1920s you can picture the Gulf of Oman now.

The sleepy Omani coastline near Mirbat (Mark Jones)

That goes for the roads, too, so it was just as well we had the Oman Expeditions 4x4 to get us to a cove near the town of Mirbat. After a jolting drive across dried-out wadis and scrub we found a stretch of silky, grey-white sand surrounded by more-than-ancient Cambrian rocks seamed with quartz. The beach gently sloped into a sheltered bay, perfect for snorkelling or gazing at the Arabian sky.

Salalah itself is one of those Middle Eastern towns that feels a bit half-finished or half abandoned. You can wander around its Frankincense souk or Merbats fish market: apart from the odd mall, thats it for retail opportunities.

But as a base for exploring  the endless desert to your north, the perfect beaches along the east  I cant think of anywhere more spectacularly well placed.

Travel essentials

Getting there

Trying to fly less?

It is, unsurprisingly, not that straightforward to reach Oman flight-free. However, once cargo ship routes start accepting passengers again (expected to be January), its possible to travel by freighter from Southampton all the way to Jebel Ali in the UAE. Its a half-hour cab ride to Dubai; from there, three daily buses connect it to Muscat in Oman.

Fine with flying?

Flights from London Heathrow to Salalah via Doha are available with British Airways and Qatar Airways.

Staying there

The desert and coast camping is a tailor-made experience by Oman Expeditions, booked together with Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara.

More information

For more information or to book, visit salalah.anantara.com or email res.aabs@anantara.com.
Democrats should want Beto ORourke to run for Texas governor.

Thats not because hes sure to win the seat against Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. No Democrat is assured of a win in a statewide race in Texas. But ORourke is a serious candidate with some obvious strengths. And if youre a Democrat, you want serious candidates to run in difficult races. He may not be the best candidate, but hes a credible candidate  and finding which credible candidate is the strongest is why parties hold primaries in the first place.

ORourke gained national attention when he ran a strong campaign against much-loathed Texas Senator Ted Cruz in 2018. Though ORourke lost in a tight race, 50.9 percent to 48.3 percent, he outperformed virtually every other statewide Democrat. He was particularly successful in boosting Latinx turnout, which helped Democrats pick up 12 state House seats.

In 2018, ORourke seemed like a natural and obvious candidate for governor or for another statewide Texas office. Rather than running for Senate again in 2020, though, he decided to run for president. His performance was lackluster; after an initial burst, his fundraising dried up and his poll numbers sagged. Calculating  probably correctly  that his record was too moderate to stand out in the primary field, he tacked left. In particular, he took a strong pro-gun control stance, which critics are worried will hurt him in his next Texas contest.

ORourkes numbers against Texas Governor Abbott have improved recently. In July he was down 45-33 in polls, or 12 points. More recent polls show him at 42-37, or only 5 points back. That reflects Abbotts poor handling of the Covid pandemic and the governors falling approval ratings. ORourke is hardly a shoo-in, but he at least seems within striking distance.

The possibility of an ORourke run may be keeping some other candidates on the sidelines, according to The Texas Tribune. ORourke has so much name recognition, and so much fundraising prowess, that other Democrats are nervous about challenging him. Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro has mostly squelched rumors about a governors run. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo hasnt indicated that shell enter the race either. Actor Matthew McConaughey has good poll numbers against Abbott, and seems interested in competing. But he hasnt run a real political campaign before, so its hard to assess his actual strength.

Part of the primary process is sewing up support from party actors, donors, and activists. Their backing is vital in a general contest too. If ORourke is so much better at Democratic politics than his next best rival that no one will challenge him  well, then it seems likely that hes the best bet against Abbott. If, on the other hand, someone (Castro? Hidalgo? McConaughey?) fights him for the nomination and wins, well have strong evidence that ORourke was not the better candidate.

The worry is that ORourke is a paper tiger, who looks strong because of name recognition and national fundraising prowess, but whose gun control stance would allow Abbott to crush him. And yes, maybe if ORourke didnt enter the race, other candidates would. And maybe one of those other candidates would be stronger in a general election.

But if a candidate is afraid to challenge ORourke, how well are they to thump Abbott? Its an iron rule of politics that candidates who dont run always look more shiny and awesome than candidates who do. Many people were sure Elizabeth Warren should have run in 2016, but when she competed in 2020, the results were uninspiring (and Im a Warren voter.) In general, politicians are optimistic; they think theyre going to win unless forced to think otherwise. If they dont run, its probably not because they underestimated their chances.

Primaries arent infallible. You could easily win a Democratic contest with a gun control stance that might lose you votes among independents in a general election, as just one obvious example. But we also dont have a great alternative to the primary process. We dont know for sure how ORourke will do in a matchup with Abbott. But we dont know how McConaughey would do either. So we have them run against other as a test of strength.

Part of that test of strength is getting party support. Part of it is being willing to contest a primary where you might lose  because if youre a Democrat running in the red state of Texas, youd better not be afraid of getting beaten. We know ORourke isnt. Thats at least one point in his favor.
Send to Email Address

Your Name

Your Email Address

Post was not sent - check your email addresses!

Email check failed, please try again

Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
"Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors." | "KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary." | "No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
Little over a month ago the Taliban swept through Afghanistan, taking cities and provinces one by one, and on August 15, the capital Kabul also fell to them.

Since then it has not been a smooth ride for the Taliban, who waited 20 years to return to power.

Just days after the fall of Kabul, it was widely reported that the Taliban is all set to take over the administration of Afghanistan, with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as the head of the new government.

Reuters

The Taliban co-founder who was in Doha had also traveled back to Afghanistan, and take charge.

But that did not happen, and the government formation got delayed. Initially, it was reported that the Taliban was waiting for the fall of Panjshir to announce the new government, but that also did not happen.

Then it was said that the Taliban wanted to inaugurate its government on the anniversary of 9/11, which in fact did happen.

AFP

But in a low-key affair, with some unexpected changes. Instead of Baradar it was Mullah Hasan Akhund, who was made the prime minister of the interim government. Baradar was made a deputy PM in the cabinet.

Power struggle

By this time, the rift within the ranks of the Taliban was out in the open, and there have been several unconfirmed reports of clashes over a power struggle.

Mullah Baradar and the Haqqani network a powerful faction of the Taliban had been engaged in a fight for control of the militia.

AFP

Sirajuddin Haqqani is the Deputy Amir of the Afghan Taliban and in rankings of the militia holds the third position after Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is considered as the Amir. He is an UN-designated terrorist.

Though the interim government has been formed, two of the most prominent faces of the Taliban have not been seen in public for nearly a month.

Missing in action

Mullah Akhundzada and Mullah Baradar had been missing from public view, triggering rumors that they may have been killed in the power struggle.

The Taliban has so far denied the rumors and said that both the leaders are alive.

The Taliban even released photos of a handwritten note from one of Baradars deputies saying he was in Kandahar, then shared an audio message purporting to be from Baradar, set against old photos.

Mullah Bradar, deputy PM, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in a voice message rejected all those claims that he was injured or killed in a clash. He says it is lies and totally baseless, Suhail Shaheen, a Spokesman of the Taliban wrote on Twitter.

Reuters

But this has not many takers, given the Taliban's past track record and how they hid the death of Mullah Omar who died in April 2013, but was only acknowledged in September 2015.

In the two years since his death, Omar used to communicate with the Taliban over audio messages, which were released on important Islamic festivals.

Dead or alive?

Now a new report has claimed that Baradar is being held hostage, while Akhundzada is probably dead.

A report by UK-based The Spectator said that Mullah Baradar wanted more roles for Afghanistan's many ethnic minorities in the government and has also argued that the green, red and black Afghan national flag should still be flown alongside the white Taliban flag.

"Tempers flared in a meeting in Presidential Palace in Kabul and spilled over into a fight between Baradar's supporters and those of Khalil Haqqani. Some accounts said there was gunfire, although this has not been verified," the report said.

AFP

Gunfire heard in Kabul earlier this month was actually a power struggle between two senior Taliban leaders - group co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Afghan Taliban leader, Anas Haqqani, according to some accounts.

Alleged disagreement

The incident took place over an alleged disagreement among the Taliban leaders on how to resolve the Panjshir situation.

The information about reported gunfight was shared through the unverified Twitter handle of Panjshir Observer, which describes itself as an independent news outlet covering Afghanistan and Panjshir.

Following the fight, Baradar disappeared for some days, resurfacing in Kandahar, where the group's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada is said to be based.

"While these very public disagreements have been played out, the whereabouts of the leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, are not known. He has not been seen or heard from for some time, and there are many rumours that he is dead," the report said.

"This vacuum at the top has allowed for arguments between the Taliban factions to erupt in a way that they did not when the Taliban were last in power, and the word of the leader of the movement Mullah Omar was law, even though he never came to Kabul. The titular head of the government formed earlier this month, Mullah Hassan Akhund, does not hold real power," the report said, adding that "there is no one to rein in the Haqqani network, who are very much off-message in their public statements."

Reuters

It stated that it is difficult to predict how Pakistan will manage their new power in Afghanistan.



Pakistan's hand

Pakistan intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed arrived in Kabul earlier this month leading a delegation of Pakistani officials. Hameed's emergency visit affirms that the Taliban are merely an ISI puppet.

Experts believe that Pakistan has been a key player in removing the elected Afghan government from power and establishing the Taliban as a decisive power in Afghanistan. Recently, a UN Monitoring report has said that a significant part of the leadership of Al-Qaida resides in Afghanistan and Pakistan border region.

Former Afghan Vice-President Amrullah Saleh has asserted that the Taliban are being micromanaged by Pakistan's notorious intelligence agency--the ISI, adding that Islamabad is in charge of the war-ravaged country effectively as a colonial power.

AFP

Last week, The Guardian had also drawn a similar conclusion following the power struggle.

It said that according to Afghanistan Analysts Network Akhundzadas absence from all public and private events, nearly a month after Kabul fell, suggested that he was no longer alive.

It would be strange, therefore, if Haibatullah, now that the movement is in power, were alive and still so secluded. For the moment he appears to function as a symbolic figurehead who can unify without actually appearing or speaking.
Apple fans in India, listen up! The California-based company recently launched its iPhone 13 line up with a new iPad Mini and the Apple Watch Series 7. Now, the company is offering a credit bonus to users in India.

Apple

What is the Apple bonus offer?

In a brand new offering for Indian users, Apple is offering a 20 per cent bonus to all costumers who add money to Apple ID credits. Valid till September 30, the credits may be used to purchase games and software on the Apple App Store.

Also read: New iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7 & iPad Are Here

In addition, the credits (including the bonus) may be used to pay for subscriptions like Apple Music and Apple TV+. It doesn't stop there. The credits may also be used to buy additional iCloud storage - a fan favourite.

Apple

The 20 per cent bonus amount will be deposited by Apple in the user's Apple ID. The 20 per cent bonus is valid on all transactions and the bonus amount will depend on what constitutes 20 per cent of the paid amount. For instance, a 500 top up will give users extra credit worth 100 automatically till September 30.

Here's how to avail Apple's special credit bonus for Indians:

1. Open settings in our Apple device

2. Click on your profile name and then go to "payment"

3. After clicking on "Apple ID", you should see the option to "Add money"

4. Get set go - once you add money, Apple will automatically add the bonus amount in your store credits

You could also top up your Apple account by going to the App Store and choosing "Add credit to Apple ID".

Also read: Apple Revealed iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro And Max: All You Need To Know



Apple

Want to spend your bonus amount on non-Apple services? Worry not, the company allows users to purchase third-party subscriptions of even competing streaming services like Hotstar Disney+ and Netflix. To avail the offer, make sure you have a valid payment method activated in your account. It could be UPI, RuPay along with support for credit and debit cards.

Let us know if you availed the offer in the comments below. For more in the world of science and technology, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
A volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma sent lava spewing down residential streets, forcing residents to flee their homes.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted at 15:00 local time on Sunday, sending lava flowing down the hillside toward nearby villages, Reuters reported.



Screengrab/YouTube

The eruption, the first in Spain since 1971, has not claimed any lives, but thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes.



In the footage that is going viral, the expansive pile of molten lava could be seen piling towards firefighters in one village. It completely engulfs homes and sets fire to almost everything in its path.





After nightfall, footage showed fountains of lava shooting hundreds of metres into the sky, and at least three incandescent orange rivers of molten rock pouring down the hill, tearing gashes into woods and farmland, and spreading as they reached lower ground.



Mariano Hernandez, the president of La Palmas council, said that the lava is literally eating up the houses, infrastructure and crops that it is finding on its path toward the coast in the valley of Aridane."



Hernandez also asked people to keep away from the affected areas because spectators were hampering the evacuation effort.

People shouldnt come near the eruption site where the lava is flowing, he said. Were having serious problems with the evacuation because the roads are jammed with people who are trying to get close enough to see it.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the transition to working from home was extremely fast for a lot of organizations. But, it has been over a year now since the pandemic happened and employees and employers have gotten a hold of this work from the home scene.

Several companies are now figuring out that permanent remote work is the future of workpandemic or not because it has opened eyes to a hassle-free way of working that is great for both the company and the employees.

There are many big Indian companies that are still allowing work from home and seems like they will be continuing it for a while. Here are a few of them in case you want to shift:

1. OYO

Hospitality major OYO has ended up becoming a great example of entrepreneurial success. Originating in Haryana, this hospitality brand is highly sought after by graduates all over the country. The company has stated that team leaders would ensure that teams only work during mandated working hours, take personal time-outs, and make annual holidays available. Oyo also provides its staff with a 50 per cent discount for a 12-month membership of cure. fit.





2. Amazon

As the largest online retailer in the world, Amazon employs nearly 92,000 employees all over the globe and offers traditional and e-books, furniture, household items, apparel, electronics, music, movies, and more. In June 2021, Amazon stated that employees whose positions allow them to work from home can do so two days a week. The online retailer is allowing its corporate employees to avail the work from home option, if their roles permit, till June 2021 worldwide.

Unsplash





3. Infosys

IT giant Infosys announced permanent work from home for around 50% of its total workforce. The IT service major is also looking for flexible work from home model for its employees. However, the company expects 20-30 per cent of people to start coming to work from the office. This will vary according to geographies, depending on the nature of projects, individual preferences.







4. Microsoft

Seattle-based technology giant Microsoft has decided to expand its work-from-home policy and make it permanent for some workers. Microsoft will allow employees to work from home freely for less than 50 per cent of their working week, and managers will be able to approve permanent remote work.



Unsplash





5. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) followed the new standard and in April became one of the first big IT companies to announce work from home for its staff. Also, the IT company announced that it will have three-fourth of its total working force to work from home, by the year 2025.





6. Twitter

The company's CEO, Jack Dorsey, sent an email to his employees informing the staff they can work from home "forever" if they so wish. Twitter's shift to a permanent remote work policy was a two-year project, accelerated by the pandemic amid lockdowns.

Unsplash





7. Spotify

Spotify announced its transition to a permanent flexible-work model with its Work From Anywhere policy. The new occupational strategy lets its 6,550 global employees choose how they want to work at the company - in an office, remotely, or at a coworking space that the company will pay a subscription for. Employees will be given more choice over the town, city, or country they want to work from.







8. Razorpay

The payment company offers a no-questions-asked allowance for its employees to improve their internet access, setting up work stations, and other expenses for working from home. It has also collaborated with Rentile on office furniture for its employees.

Unsplash





9. IBM India

IBM aims to expand its emphasis on working from home. The organization has agreed to make 75% of its employees work from home. In nearly half of its offices in major cities in India, the tech firm plans to discontinue lease agreements.







10. Salesforce

The software and cloud computing company adopted similar work-from-home policies after recently unveiling its Work From Anywhere plans. The new guidelines offer employees three options for how they'll work going forward: flex, fully remote, and office-based. The flex option will allow workers to come into the office up to three times a week for tasks that cannot be conducted virtually.





11. Facebook

Facebook said it will give employees the option of sticking with remote work for the long term, even offering to help some interested in moving to other countries. The internet giant has shared that if an employees job can be done remotely, they can work from home permanently.

Unsplash



Remote working has somehow become a norm for some major companies. If it continues post-pandemic, it is a win-win scenario for both employees and employers, who can save commute time and office expenses, respectively.

Companies are also using remote work as a signing bonus to increase the workforce.

Greater flexibility is becoming a huge perk to attract talent. Even those who were not considering leaving their jobs are being chased away by the possibility of offices reopening and are accepting remote positions. For the employees, not only do these new jobs offer higher pay, but also allow them to have more personal time for meditation and other self-care, along with saving on commute time.



Unsplash

Companies and brands that are offering remote work have also reported an increase in job applications after emphasizing that roles can be performed mostly at home.

Employees are accustomed to this new work from home life and everyone has realised how most of the work doesn't require an office setting. A person can be productive and balance their personal life all at the same time.

However, allowing certain employees to work from home can lead to the uncertainty of being treated differently than employees present in offices. Two in three workers think being physically apart from leaders could result in fewer growth opportunities, per CNBC.



So what do you prefer?
Gurdarshan Gill of India holds his U.S. citizenship certificate during a naturalization ceremony May 22, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough Sept. 19 evening dealt a crushing blow to millions of immigrants seeking permanent residence status as she ruled that a landmark immigration proposal could not be included in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill. Failure to provide a path to lawful permanent residence for the 1.2 million people in the employment-based green card backlog would be tantamount to staging an economic recovery with one hand tied behind our back, said Indian American Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A photo of some of the damage done to the Khalsa Gurmat Center in Federal Way, Washington, during a break-in on Sept. 17. (Facebook photo/Khalsa Gurmat Center)
The decade-long legal battle between two of the worlds largest tech companies has finally come to an end. The result was a victory for the open-source software community.

In case you need a refresher on the Oracle v. Google case, Oracle sued Google in 2010 for copyright infringement on Googles use of Oracles Java API in its Android smartphone operating system. The District Court ruled in favor of Google, but that decision was later reversed on appeal. The case ultimately landed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled six to two in Googles favor this April.

The final verdict? Googles usage was indeed fair usea win for open source.

What copyrightable APIs would have meant

Oracle v. Google hinged on the question of whether APIs are copyrightable and if fair use applies to them under the law. While the Supreme Court withheld ruling on the broadest legal issue at stake in the caseif APIs are even eligible for copyright protection at allthe verdict does have some important implications for the use of APIs in software development.

Throughout the past decade, justices and attorneys have compared the Java API to gas pedals in cars and the QWERTY keyboard layout: universal interfaces that are the foundation of complex systems. Much of the software we use today is built on re-implemented APIs, like the Java API in question in this case. An Oracle victory would have sent shockwaves throughout the tech industrychanging fundamental aspects of software development that programmers have relied on for decades. End users would also feel the ramifications, including rising costs and reduced cross-compatibility between applications.

Most of the tech industry views Googles victory as a triumph for software development and innovation. The Supreme Courts decision reaffirmed the importance of fair use in copyright law and supported software developers long-standing use of open-source software as building blocks for new and creative technologies. But if the decision had been in Oracles favor, the future of software development would have looked very different.

Software development after Oracle v. Google

While the verdict of Oracle v. Google wont necessarily change the way the software world operates, it will help maintain the tech industrys status quo. Now that the historic legal battle is finally over, lets examine what Googles victory means for the software community.

Cross-compatibility will support software innovation. An Oracle victory would have made it possible for companies like Oracle to charge licensing fees for the APIs they develop. This would have put pressure on cost-conscious companiesfrom small startups to large enterprisesto develop unique, proprietary APIs rather than pay for licensing. While this would save money, moving off a single universal standard would make it harder for software applications from different companies to work together.

With APIs remaining open, developers wont have to waste time modifying their code to match a separate set of APIs for every application. Instead, they can focus on experimenting and innovating within a cross-compatible software ecosystem built on universal standards. Developers skills will also continue to be transferable because developers wont have to learn a new set of APIs every time they switch companies. By deepening their expertise over time, theyre more likely to unlock new areas of innovation.

An Oracle victory would have made it possible for companies like Oracle to charge licensing fees for the APIs they develop. This would have put pressure on cost-conscious companiesfrom small startups to large enterprisesto develop unique, proprietary APIs rather than pay for licensing. While this would save money, moving off a single universal standard would make it harder for software applications from different companies to work together. With APIs remaining open, developers wont have to waste time modifying their code to match a separate set of APIs for every application. Instead, they can focus on experimenting and innovating within a cross-compatible software ecosystem built on universal standards. Developers skills will also continue to be transferable because developers wont have to learn a new set of APIs every time they switch companies. By deepening their expertise over time, theyre more likely to unlock new areas of innovation. Small companies will have a more level playing field. Making APIs copyrightable would have turbocharged the already cutthroat competition between tech giants. Companies could have blocked competitors use of vital APIs by refusing to sign licensing agreements. Many in the industry also feared that an Oracle win would lead to tech giants gatekeeping their APIs, resulting in a huge disadvantage for small startups and independent developers without the budget to pay fees.

The fair use of APIs gives all companies, no matter their size, access to the same software building blocks that help drive healthy competition. For example, if company A isnt providing an excellent service behind its API, company B can use the same API to create an even better service that is still compatible with existing software. This dynamic keeps legacy companies on their toes, and encourages young startups to develop new products. So, Googles win will continue to drive innovation in the tech industry going forward.

The battle continues

While Googles victory was a win for the open-source community, the war isnt over yet. Organizations need to continue to fight for open and collaborative standards in the software community.

When developers are allowed free access to vital building blocks of software like the Java API, it fosters equal opportunity and greater transparency across the tech industry. It can also make for a more reliable tech ecosystem, since developers can come together to work out bugs and strengthen public code. By increasing efficiency, open-source software enables companies to improve time to market and reduce costs, while also avoiding vendor lock-in. On the developers side, the collaboration that comes with being part of an open-source project can yield new ideas and inspire ingenuity.

Its thanks to open-source software that we have the latest technologies that drive digital transformation and enable advancements like remote work. If tech giants were allowed to hold the keys to certain building blocks, it would greatly limit progress and creativity in the industry.

Open-source software can continue to bolster the tech ecosystem in the aftermath of Oracle v. Google, as long as developers and businesses play fair. When you take open-source code, remember you are modifying and building upon it, which should benefit not only you but also the community as a whole. By taking the time to understand the open-source communitys code of conduct and by using best ethical practices, you help preserve the benefits of open source for years to come.

Oracle v. Google was a monumental case that set in stone what an inventive software industry looks like. Without the fear of tech giants monetizing APIs or putting up cross-compatibility barriers, software developers can continue to improve their code and software to make our technology even more efficient and forward-looking.

Hannu Valtonen is co-founder and chief product officer at Aiven, a cloud data platform provider that operates managed open-source database, event streaming, cache, search, and graphing solutions for customers worldwide.



New Tech Forum provides a venue to explore and discuss emerging enterprise technology in unprecedented depth and breadth. The selection is subjective, based on our pick of the technologies we believe to be important and of greatest interest to InfoWorld readers. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Send all inquiries to newtechforum@infoworld.com.
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint against ABM Janitorial Services after a compliance evaluation by the departments Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs alleged systematic racial discrimination against Black and a smaller number of white applicants for janitorial positions at its Baltimore, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia, locations.

Filed on September 15 with the departments Office of Administrative Law Judges, the complaint alleges that since at least 2015 and continuing to the present, ABM Janitorial Services has discriminated against Black workers for cleaning positions at all three facilities and white workers at one of the facilities. The complaint also alleges that the employer failed to document hiring decisions properly, which masked its discriminatory hiring practices.

OFCCP found ABMs actions violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity. ABM Janitorial Services is a subsidiary of ABM Industries Inc., a large federal contractor.

The departments complaint seeks an order that would compel ABM Janitorial Services to provide relief to affected workers and would debar the company from obtaining any new federal contracts if it fails to follow a court order to come into compliance.

No one should be denied an opportunity to work based on race, said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Jenny R. Yang. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will vigorously enforce the law to ensure that companies doing business with the federal government meet their equal employment opportunity obligations.

ABM Industries Inc. provides janitorial, electrical and lighting and other facilities services. It employs more than 100,000 employees in offices throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

Topics Virginia Maryland
Gilbert Insurance Agency Hires Bernazani as Account Executive

Gilbert Insurance Agency hired Carmelina Bernazani as an account executive for personal and commercial lines.

Bernazani will work out of Gilberts Reading, Massachusetts, office. With Carmelinas addition to the team, Gilbert Insurance Agency now has 18 employees located across its Reading and Medford locations.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, including roles in sales, customer service, training, and account management. Bernazani began her insurance career in 1997 as a call center representative for direct carrier Electric Insurance. While there, she was promoted to customer service trainer, mentoring new customer service representatives.

After six years at Electric, she transitioned to the agency side of the industry and gained valuable experience in both the standard and high-net-worth markets at several large national insurance agencies, including HUB International.

Source: Gilbert Insurance Agency

IAT Insurance Group Hires Four Management Liability Employees

IAT Insurance Group, a provider of specialty property/casualty and surety products, hired four management liability employees to the team.

Joe Higgins joined as underwriting director, while Lauren Drohan will serve as a senior underwriter. In addition, Kelly Mercey and Megan Furey joined as underwriters. These additions come months after IATs April 2021 launch of the ML Pro Plus unit in response to demand for directors and officers (D&O), employment practices liability (EPL), fiduciary, crime and cyber liability coverages.

Higgins joins from Travelers, where he spent 14 years in several positions, most recently as an account executive officer for management liability. Drohan was previously with Chubb as a senior financial lines underwriter. She also worked for Cincinnati Insurance Company as a commercial lines underwriter.

Mercey joins from Chubb, where she spent the last three years as a management liability underwriter. Furey previously served on the specialty team at CNA. Earlier in her career, she was a management liability underwriter with a managing general agent specializing in homeowner and condominium associations.

Source: IAT Insurance Group
Global reinsurer MS Amlin AG announced the appointment of Robert Wiest as chief executive officer. Wiest will take up the role on Jan. 3, 2022 and will be based in Zurich, Switzerland.

He replaces Christopher Beazley who stepped down in September after three years as CEO in order to pursue other opportunities.

Wiest brings over 30 years of industry experience. During a career at Swiss Re spanning over two decades, most recently as chief operating officer, Wiest led business units as the head of Global Business Solutions, head of Strategy and Operations for Asia, and head of Western and Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Turkey.

He has also led high-level business development, transformational and digitization projects globally. Wiests international experience across key markets is well suited to drive continued growth and innovation at MS AAG.

Wiest will assume the position from Martin Albers, chairman of the board of directors, who is currently serving as CEO on an interim basis. Albers will work with Wiest upon his appointment to ensure the continuation of a high-level of service through the transition.

We are delighted that Robert has stepped forward to take up the mantle at MS AAG. Robert is one of the sectors highly regarded leaders with a track record that speaks for itself. He brings an innovative, responsive approach to leading ambitious growth projects in high-profile reinsurance organizations, commented Tamaki Kawate, director and senior executive officer at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd., MS Amlins parent company.

His unrivaled expertise and leadership credentials will be integral to taking MS AAG forward as it continues on its journey to develop a diverse, efficient, profitable and client-focused business, added Kawate.

Source: MS Amlin AG

Topics Mississippi Swiss Re
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Liberty Specialty Markets, Amwins Global Risks and Lockton Re.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Liberty Specialty Markets Appoints AXA XLs Harth as Germanys Country Manager

Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, announced that Michael Harth will be joining the company in January 2022 as country manager for Germany.

He will report to Kadidja Sinz, head of Central Region, and will be based in Cologne.

Harth will be responsible for leading the team in Germany to deliver the strategy and objectives for LSMs insurance business in the region. He will take over from Angelika Gasser, current interim country manager who will stay in charge until Dec. 31. She will work closely with Harth in her role of deputy general manager Insurance Germany and her Underwriting Management role.

Harth has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry leading several successful businesses for major industry players both on the insurer and broker side. He will be joining LSM from AXA XL where he was head of Broker, Client, Portfolio Solutions & Revenue Synergies Management Europe, and a member of the Executive and Operational Management Board.

***

Amwins Global Risks Hires Ed Brokings Keenan as Head of Construction & Engineering Practice

Amwins Global Risks, the specialist insurance and reinsurance broker and subsidiary of Amwins, announced the appointment of Gary Keenan in the role of head of construction & engineering. Keenan will take over from current managing director, Steve Willsmer, who retires at the end of this year.

Keenan joins from Ed Broking where he held the role of divisional director. He previously worked for Miller Insurance Services.

We are delighted to be welcoming Gary to the team, and we thank Steve for his dedication and hard work over the last 13 years to build out our construction and engineering portfolio, commented Mark Cody, chief executive officer of Worldwide Specialty, a division of Amwins Global Risks.

We view this segment of the industry as key to our future proposition and our aim is to build a core of excellence in this class, under Garys leadership and to take full advantage of his wealth of global expertise, Cody added.

Amwins Global Risks serves clients and markets in the UK and internationally, placing more than $2 billion annually of premium into the London and global marketplace.

***

Former Marsh Exec Tigleanu to Join Lockton Res Cyber Practice

Lockton Re, the global reinsurance business of the worlds largest privately held independent insurance broker, announced that Monica Tigleanu will be joining its Specialty Division as part of the Cyber Practice.

Tigleanu was most recently SVP Cyber, Media & Technology at Marsh Specialty, having joined the business in 2018. Prior to that, Tigleanu held a number of underwriting positions at both Beazley and AIG, having worked in both London and Canada.

We continue to invest heavily in our Cyber practice, and were excited to welcome Monica to the team in London having recently also added Ram Ramakrishnan, commented Paul Upton, head of the Speciality Division, Lockton Re.

Monica is a recognized voice in the cyber and technology space and will provide our expanding client base with deep insight on managing and mitigating their exposure, drawing on her considerable experience both on the broking and underwriting side of the business. We are building our capability in the cyber space with a focus on deep technical understanding and reinsurance expertise supported by our powerful structuring and modeling capabilities, Upton continued.

Topics Cyber AXA XL Construction Lockton Germany
Aston Lark, the Goldman Sachs-based insurance broker, announced two acquisitions in one day: Deanspoint Insurance Brokers, which trades in Ireland as Abbey Murphy Insurance, and The Health Insurance Company, based in Bournemouth, England.

Financial details of the deals were not disclosed.

Established in 1983 and based in Longford and Mullingar, Ireland, Abbey Murphy Insurance is a personal lines broker with a wide range of commercial sector expertise. Abbey Murphy is led by the management team of Mike Winters, Celine Gill and Michael Gardiner, together with a 14-strong team of dedicated professionals.

We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Abbey Murphy Insurance and welcome the opportunity to work closely with Mike, Celine, Michael and the team. This is our second acquisition in the Midlands, to go with our Portlaoise office and we see the broadening of our geographical footprint as being key to our future success, commented Robert Kennedy, Aston Lark Ireland CEO. (Aston Lark Ireland completed the acquisition).

Theres lots of synergy in the cultures of Abbey Murphy Insurance and Aston Lark Ireland. They have built a fantastic business based on client-first principles, delivering a high level of customer service and focusing on building long-lasting relationships, which aligns with our values, said Kennedy.

The Health Insurance Company

In the second of todays announced acquisitions, Aston Lark said it agreed terms to acquire the clients of The Health Insurance Company. This acquisition further strengthens the Aston Lark Groups already significant health insurance expertise and represents another step in the continual expansion of its employee benefits and healthcare insurance business, with further acquisitions planned, the broker said.

Having advised on health insurance since 1998, Paul Spector in 2016 formed The Health Insurance Company, which is a private medical insurance specialist, providing cover for both individuals and small businesses.

The brand has achieved recognition as a trusted partner to its clients through first rate client service and health insurance expertise, said Aston Lark in a statement.

Peter Blanc, Aston Lark Group CEO, said: Were delighted to welcome The Health Insurance Company to Aston Larks Employee Benefits family. Pauls ethos for customer service fits in perfectly with Aston Lark. Were growing strongly in the private health insurance market, and we continue to seek other like-minded private medical insurance brokers that want to join forces to be able to better service their clients going forward.

This is an incredible milestone in the history of my company. We pride ourselves on offering our clients first-class professional advice combined with great customer service, commented Spector.

Aston Lark have the same ethos and professionalism as The Health Insurance Company, and I am excited that clients will now be able to benefit from the huge potential of dealing with this superb company, and their enhanced ability to offer clients some of the best propositions in the marketplace, whilst maintaining the personal service that we have placed so much emphasis on, Spector continued.

Aston Lark is the perfect partner with the ideal pedigree for our business and we are confident that this next chapter in the life of The Health Insurance Company will be an excellent opportunity for the most important people in our business  our clients.

Source: Aston Lark

Topics Mergers Agencies
New CEO, COO at Michigans Frankenmuth Insurance

Frankenmuth Insurance in Frankenmuth, Michigan, named Fred Edmond president and chief executive officer. Edmond formerly served as the companys president and chief operating officer,

Succeeding Edmond as chief operating officer is Andy Knudsen. Both appointments were effective Sept. 3.

Edmond has 37 years of industry experience and 23 years of service with Frankenmuth Insurance. He began his career with Frankenmuth Insurance serving as group coordinator in the marketing department.

He later transitioned to group coordinator and sales manager (Michigan) in 2001 and sales manager (Michigan-Wisconsin-Ohio) in 2004. In 2005, he was promoted to vice president, to senior vice president in 2012, and to president and chief operating officer in 2014. He has also served on the board of directors for Frankenmuth Insurance and its six subsidiaries since 2008.

In addition to serving as COO, Knudsen will continue in his role as executive vice president and corporate secretary.

Knudsen has 32 years of claims management experience and has been with Frankenmuth Insurance for more than eight years. Earlier this year, Knudsen was elected to the board of directors for Frankenmuth Insurance and its six subsidiary companies.

Lockton Names Kerrigan AVP in Cleveland

Kansas City-based global insurance services firm, Lockton, appointed Jessica Kerrigan as assistant vice president in the firms Cleveland, Ohio, office.

With almost two decades in the industry, Kerrigan joins Lockton with extensive experience in a variety of roles including brokerage and underwriting. In her role as assistant vice president, she will focus on serving as an extension to her clients risk management teams, developing uniquely tailored programs, and delivering on carefully executed strategy and planning efforts.

Kerrigans hire comes at a significant time as Locktons Cleveland office continues to grow. In her role, Kerrigan will engage with a range of industries including chemical, manufacturing, and private equity, and company sizes including middle market, upper market and global firms.

Topics Michigan Lockton
A court-appointed receiver has recouped more than $1 billion for victims of Texas financier Allen Stanfords Ponzi scheme, the largest by dollar amount other than Bernard Madoffs fraud, the receivers lawyers said on Monday.

The threshold was crossed when Ralph Janvey, the receiver for Stanford Financial Group, received $65 million from a June 2016 settlement with insurers including Lloyds of London, which won final court approval in January after years of litigation.

Court Relieves Insurers of $65 Million Payment Linked to Stanford Ponzi Scheme

Janvey expects to distribute money from the settlement in the first quarter of 2022. As of April 29, he had received court approval to distribute about $550 million, and had distributed $443 million.

Once considered a billionaire but later declared indigent, Stanford, 71, is serving a 110-year prison sentence following his 2012 conviction for running a $7.2 billion Ponzi scheme affecting approximately 18,000 former investors.

Prosecutors said Stanford sold fraudulent high-yielding certificates of deposit through his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank, and used investor money to make risky investments and fund a lavish lifestyle.

The fraud lasted about two decades, and was uncovered in February 2009.

When the receivership started, the receiver found only $63 million in a bank that was supposed to be holding more than $7 billion, Kevin Sadler, a Baker Botts partner representing Janvey, said in an interview. It has taken more than 12 years, but getting to $1 billion is a significant achievement.

More recoveries are possible.

Janvey is defending against appeals from a $124.9 million judgment he won against Colorado billionaire Gary Magness.

He is also working with the Official Stanford Investors Committee on a $4 billion lawsuit against five former Stanford banks including HSBC, Societe Generale and TD Bank.

Last month, U.S. District Judge David Godbey in Dallas rejected HSBCs and Societe Generales bids to dismiss that case.

Recovery efforts from Madoffs Ponzi scheme have recouped more than $18 billion for victims.

Madoff died in April at age 82 while serving a 150-year prison term. His fraud was uncovered in December 2008.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Marguerita Choy)

Related:

Topics Carriers
After a furious run of ransomware attacks in the first half of the year, President Joe Biden in July warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russia-based hacking groups should steer clear of 16 critical sectors of the U.S. economy.

In recent days, a Russia-linked ransomware group called BlackMatter attacked a grain cooperative in Iowa, an incident that appears to test Bidens terms since food and agriculture is one of the protected sectors.

Cyber Bullets Are Part of War on Hacks, Says U.S. Cyber Director Biden Under Pressure to Counter Growing Ransomware Threat

In messages with Bloomberg News, however, BlackMatter said it has rules for how it operates its ransomware operation, a sort of ethical playbook for an illegal enterprise. Hospitals, the defense industry and the government sector are off-limits, according to details on the groups dark web page. The hack on Iowas New Cooperative, however, didnt violate Bidens mandate, the group says.

The volumes of their production do not correspond to the volume to call them critical, BlackMatter said in messages via its dark web page. The group said it has refrained from attacking dozens of companies that are really critical like companies associated with oil, minerals and many others much more serious.

We dont see any critical areas of activity, the group said. Also this company only works in one state. New Cooperative operates in Iowa, which produces the most corn in the U.S. and the second most soybeans.

The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency declined to comment.

Cybersecurity experts have previously warned that claims in which ransomware groups appear to take the high ground should be taken with a grain of salt. Other groups have previously vowed to steer clear of hospitals and medical facilities. It is nice that an uneducated backwoods Russian can decide what does and doesnt count as critical infrastructure, said Allan Liska, senior threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future Inc.

The attack occurred on or around Friday, and BlackMatter is demanding a $5.9 million ransom, Liska said.

New Cooperative said they had contacted law enforcement and were working with data security experts to investigate and remediate the situation.

New Cooperative recently identified a cybersecurity incident that is impacting some of our companys devices and systems, according to a statement from the cooperative. Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively taken our systems offline to contain the threat, and we can confirm it has been successfully contained.

New Cooperative has communicated with its feed customers and is working to create workarounds to get feed to animals while its systems are down, a person familiar with the matter said. Farmers told Bloomberg News that grain delivery, normally a digital process, has gone old school. Workers are using paper tickets to take down truck weight and grain moisture content by hand, slowing down the process considerably, the farmers said.

Based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, New Cooperative has over 50 locations across Iowa and is among the larger crop buyers from its farmer members. The cooperative, which in July announced a merger with MaxYield Cooperative, also distributes fuel and crop chemicals.

BlackMatter is believed to be linked to the ransomware group DarkSide, which attacked Colonial Pipeline Co. earlier this year, triggering fuel shortages along on the East Coast. The Colonial hackers attempted to publicly distance themselves from the real world impact of the hack, claiming their operation was strictly financially motivated. But within months, the DarkSide operations infrastructure disappeared from the dark web, and the FBI had clawed back a chunk of Colonials $4.4 million ransom payment.

BlackMatters hackers are native Russian speakers and their code is in Russian, Liska said.

According to a post on BlackMatters website, the ransomware group has stolen New Cooperatives financial information, human resources data, research and development information and source code for its SoilMap product, a technology platform for agricultural producers. A message on SoilMaps website says the product is currently unavailable.

While BlackMatter says it has rules for hacking, they dont apply to victims who it considers fair game, including New Cooperative.

They will pay or have nothing, the ransomware group said in a message Monday.

With assistance from Michael Hirtzer, Kartikay Mehrotra and Elizabeth Elkin.

Photograph: A man typing on a back lit computer keyboard. Photo credit: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg Creative Collection

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber Iowa Russia
The union behind the Fight for $15 movement is suing to overturn a Trump-era rule that makes it harder to hold companies like McDonalds Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. accountable for violations of franchised or sub-contracted workers rights.

In a lawsuit filed Friday [Sept. 17] in Washington D.C. federal court, the Service Employees International Union challenged the legality of a 2020 National Labor Relations Board regulation that narrowed the definition of a joint employer. The designation refers to a company with enough control over workers to be liable if theyre mistreated and obligated to negotiate with them if they unionize, even though the individuals get their paychecks from a different company.

Trump Labor Rule That Narrows Joint Employer Standard Struck Down by Judge

Joint employer liability has been one of the most controversial and closely watched issues facing the labor agency in recent years, as major companies have increasingly been relying on workers officially hired by someone else, like the temps, vendors and contractors who in 2018 became the majority of Alphabet Inc.s global workforce.

The standard had become more worker-friendly under the Obama administration, when Democratic labor board appointees established a broader definition of joint employer.

Under President Donald Trump, Republicans worked to reverse the precedent, initially with a ruling that was invalidated over an ethics violation and later via regulatory rule-making authority. The labor boards Republican majority said last year that having control over workers doesnt make a company a joint employer unless it meets narrower criteria, such as setting their specific pay rates.

In its federal court complaint, the SEIU said that regulation is arbitrary and capricious, disregards the significance of corporations control over safety conditions, and is inconsistent with the National Labor Relations Act, which the labor board exists to enforce.

The final rule betrays the acts fundamental promise by empowering large, highly organized employers to hold control over workers and extract the maximum amount of profit from their labor while unilaterally opting out of the legal duty to negotiate over working conditions, the union said in the filing.

In an emailed statement, the union, which has tried to win higher pay and unionization for fast food workers through the Fight for $15 campaign, cited the need for essential workers who labored through the Covid-19 pandemic to be able to negotiate over safety issues.

Speaking Out

When I put on a McDonalds uniform, it means Im working for McDonalds, period, Delia Vargas, an employee at a franchised McDonalds restaurant in Oakland, California, said in the statement. We know McDonalds is our boss, and well keep speaking out and fighting for a voice on the job until they take responsibility for keeping us safe.

In an emailed statement, McDonalds Corp. said its not a joint employer of its franchises workers and called the lawsuit yet another attempt by the union to advance claims on an issue that has been fully considered and resolved.

While the union is focused on deploying tactics to grow its membership base, McDonalds and our franchisees are focused on actual efforts to support and protect restaurant crew during an incredibly challenging time, the company said.

A spokesperson for the labor relations board declined to comment on the lawsuit. The agency last month became controlled by Democrats again, following confirmation of President Joe Bidens nominees.

Photograph: A worker picks up an order of french fries at a McDonalds Corp. restaurant in Little Falls, N.J. Photo credit: Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Commercial Lines Business Insurance
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into a crash of a Tesla Inc. vehicle, the second probe by the agency of a fatal accident involving the electric carmakers models in less than six months.

Two people were killed Sept. 13 when a Tesla crashed into a tree and caught on fire in Coral Gables, Fla. The NTSB, which investigates highway safety issues but has no regulatory authority, is coordinating with the City of Coral Gables Police Department and sending three investigators to the scene, it announced Friday [Sept. 17] in a tweet.

The NTSB, in coordination with City of Coral Gables Police Department, is sending 3 investigators to conduct a safety investigation of the fatal Sept. 13, 2021, vehicle crash involving a Tesla Model 3 that departed the roadway and collided with a tree in Coral Gables, Florida.

 NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) Sept. 17, 2021

The new federal inquiry comes as the EV maker has faced increased scrutiny from regulators. Last month, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, another agency which is authorized to enact auto-safety rules, initiated a formal defect investigation into Teslas Autopilot driver-assistance system after almost a dozen collisions at crash scenes involving first-responder vehicles.

The lithium-ion batteries that power Tesla models and other EVs are highly flammable and difficult to extinguish. Once damaged, they can reignite hours or days after being doused, the safety board has warned. In January, the NTSB issued a special report about the dangers of battery fires from electric cars, saying manufacturers have left emergency responders vulnerable to battery blazes.

The NTSB also is investigating a fatal crash in Texas involving a Model S sedan that hit a tree and caught on fire, killing both occupants in April. The Tesla owner had almost twice his states legal limit of alcohol in his system, an autopsy report obtained by Bloomberg News showed.

Photograph: A Tesla Inc. logo is reflected in the glass of a showroom at a shopping mall in San Diego, Calif. on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Photo credit: Bing Guan/Bloomberg.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Florida Tesla
Authorities on Sunday found the body of a man whose vehicle was overtaken by water during flash flooding in Tuscaloosa the day before.

A spokeswoman for the Tuscaloosa police, Stephanie Taylor, told Al.com that the mans body was found shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday morning. The area where his body was discovered was about a quarter-mile downstream from where his red SUV was swept into a drainage ditch.

The citys police department said Saturday in a statement on Facebook that heavy rainfall had led to road closures and stranded motorists across the city. Authorities said several people called 911 after the rising floodwaters stalled their vehicles and forced them to crawl out of their windows to safety.

Police said a witness told police that he saw a vehicle get stuck in the drainage tunnel and saw the 40-year-old occupant disappear under the flood waters.

In Huntsville, police advised drivers to use caution because of standing water and hydroplaning. Officers said Sunday that since midnight they responded to nearly two dozen accidents and listed a number of roads in the city that were closed due to flooding.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood Alabama
Christopher Katsikaris of Nampa, Idao, was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and a $500 fine after being convicted of one count of insurance fraud.

Katsikaris plead guilty to the offense on June 21 after it was determined that damage he listed on a vehicle theft claim was present before the reported disappearance.

On April 16, 2018, Katsikaris reportedly filed a police report with the Nampa Police Department alleging that his vehicle had been stolen and submitted a claim for vehicle theft to his insurance company. When asked by the company whether the vehicle had any damage present prior to the theft, Katsikaris stated there were only minor dings. Five days later, the Owyhee County Sheriffs Office located the vehicle. The car had been partially stripped and was badly damaged.

While investigating the claim, Katsikaris insurance company received photographs of his vehicle that were taken by his dealership on April 9, 2018, just a week before Katsikaris submitted a vehicle theft claim.

The pictures reportedly showed that much of the damage on the car was present before it was reported as stolen, and that items which Katsikaris had claimed were missing from the recovered vehicle, such as a roof rack, were not present. His claim was then denied.

When questioned by investigators at the Idaho Department of Insurance, Katsikaris admitted that he knowingly failed to inform his insurance company about the damage that was present on his vehicle before the reported theft, and that he had hoped that making the claim would lead his insurance company to pay to fix the damage.

In addition to probation and a fine, the court also imposed 150 days of suspended discretionary jail time which Katsikaris probation officer may utilize as deemed necessary. Katsikaris must also pay $514.97 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Insurance and $2,528.22 to his insurance company.

Topics Fraud
The Washington Department of Labor & Industries is proposing an increase in the average price employers and workers pay for workers compensation insurance next year.

If the proposal is adopted, it would be the first time in five years that workers comp rates would go up in Washington.

The proposed 3.1% overall average rate increase is driven by cost-of-living adjustments for pensions, which were triggered by an increase in the states average wage, according to L&I.

Washington charges for workers comp coverage based on hours worked. When looking at rates as a percentage of payroll, rates in Washington have gone down from 2012 to 2021, according to L&I.

In 2021, L&I by tapped its contingency reserves to avoid an increase in premiums to help employers and workers reeling from the pandemic. Under the current proposal, L&I will use contingency reserves to cover any gap between premiums and ultimate costs rather than proposing to raise rates even more.

If the proposed rate increase is adopted, the average net rate per $100 of payroll in 2022 will be $1.53, a 1.4 percent increase over 2021. Workers will continue to pay on average about a quarter of the premium, a similar percentage to that paid in 2021.

A public hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Oct. 26 to take input on the rate proposal. Final rates will be adopted by Nov. 30 and go into effect Jan. 1, 2022.

Topics Trends Workers' Compensation Washington Pricing Trends
Wells Media Publishes Workers Compensation in Two Hours: The Business Owners Guide to an Exceptional Workers Compensation Program

Phoenix, AZ, September 21, 2021  Workers compensation program management can be a struggle for small-to-medium sized business owners. From finding the right agent to preventing or promptly reporting injuries, main street business owners and managers struggle with rising workers compensation costs and imperfect safety programs.

Workers Compensation in Two Hours: The Business Owners Guide to an Exceptional Workers Compensation Program takes managers step by step through the challenges associated with workers compensation management. For business owners who dont have a chief financial officer or risk manager to rely on, managing your insurance purchase and building a strong workers compensation program can be challenging, says the author, Nancy Germond, who has over three decades of claims handling and risk management expertise.

Chapter by chapter, this book helps the reader understand the work comp policy, determine how to choose an agent, implement better hiring practices, and learn how to respond when workers injuries dont resolve. Some practical tips and examples help business owners understand the insurance jargon they may hear, as well as help them survive the inevitable premium audit they face each year.

With insurance prices rising and workers facing increasing health challenges which may delay post-injury healing, this book helps business owners better manage a complicated and often misunderstood process.

A chapter on the emerging risks employers face in todays turbulent world is a bonus to help business owners develop a strategy for better management of their risk management program.

This book is available through local and national bookstores and Amazon. It can also be ordered here through Wells Media: www.ijacademy.com/workers-compensation-in-2-hours/

About the Insurance Journals Academy of Insurance:

Insurance Journals Academy of Insurance (www.ijacademy.com) delivers specialized property/casualty insurance training to thousands of insurance professionals. The Academys insurance learning products include on-demand and live webinars, a learning management system (LMS), facilitator guides, insurance books, skills tests, and on-site instruction. The Academy is a division of Insurance Journal, the Internets top-trafficked property/casualty industry news source. Insurance Journal is part of Wells Media Group, a business media company with a focus on the property/casualty insurance industry.

Contact:

George Jack

Academy of Insurance

800-897-9965 x166

support@ijacademy.com

Topics Workers' Compensation Talent
As an IoT pioneer, Sierra Wireless offers some of the smallest embedded wireless modules on the market to support business results. From gateways and boxes, to cloud management and connectivity, Sierra delivers end-to-end IoT support. The market leader is looking to dive headfirst into 5G, underscored by the announcement of AVIWEST selecting Sierras EM9191 5G New Radio (NR) module for mobile video encoding.

VP & GM of Sierra Wireless IoT Products and Solutions Business Line, Olivier Pauzet explained in a recent interview, broadcasting video leveraging 4G is extremely complex and quite costly, noting 4G has limitations, and we are now in the Gigabit world. We knew 5G would offer new use cases.

Pauzet exclaimed, 5G is expensive but it is much cheaper in the long run, explaining the next generation networking technology can find favor in myriad ways  spanning robot and drone monitoring, to video surveillance, for example. There are more applications to come, thats a promise.

People like the capability of 5G, and we have done a lot of work to make it as easy as possible from anywhere in the world. We have done a lot of work to add value. Weve used all of our secret sauce, Pauzet stated. Adding, while the interest in 5G is there, customer education on integrating the next generation technology is critical, and Sierra is able to lean on connectivity and IoT expertise to share best practice insight.

This summer the world witnessed 5G take the main stage at the Tokyo Olympics. Pauzet illustrated, From a tech standpoint, everyone was targeting the Olympics to demonstrate what 5G can do, considering real-time HD video an exceptional use case to display. Japan required a lot of work to be 5G ready, but it achieved intended goals, and 5G is ready for whats next.

After about two years of R&D, certification, testing, the EM9191 5G module started shipment to early customers 9 months ago, and today is shipping globally.

The EM9191 family is growing. EM9292 is next in the roadmap, with an updated chipset, more availability to 5G brands and is moving 15 to 16 bands. Per Pauzet, its fair to expect regular intervals of improvement to the solution set.

We make sure that together we are partnering with our customer so they get the technology to work. IoT is table stakes today. This was not the case a few years ago. Before COVID, you would send a guy, now you need to know in advance.

Customer expectations are warranted, especially when working with an industry leader like Sierra, and Pauzet doubled-down on this notion, explaining, Expect to get simplicity, scalability and security. This is what we do. They say fortune favors the bold; Sierra is daring to take 5G where its never gone before. Please make sure your seats are in their locked and upright positions, its time for takeoff.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Opinion Policies

Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue.

Feedback policy

If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com).

Column Policy

Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
Cork energy firm DP Energy has completed work on Australia's largest hybrid wind-solar farm with Spanish firm Iberdrola.

The Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park in South Australia saw the installation of its final wind turbine this week.

It comprises 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar panels to produce 320MW of renewable energy.

Headquartered in Buttevant the company has submitted foreshore site investigation licences for three offshore wind projects around the Irish Coast, off Cork, Clare, and Wexford.

DP Energy is also partnering with Iberdrola for the development of these Irish projects.

DP Energys first wind farm project was completed in Tyrone in 1995, and since then the company has delivered energy projects in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the UK.

The company is led by co-founders Maureen and Simon De Pietro  a mother and son partnership.

To mark the completion of the Port Augusta project, South Australian minister for energy and mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan said: Congratulations to Iberdrola and project partners DP Energy on completing this important milestone in the project which created more than 200 full-time jobs during the construction phase and a further 20 on-going jobs after completion, with many positions occupied by locals.

This innovative regional renewable energy project is an example of the way our state government is delivering on its vision for South Australia to achieve 100% net renewable energy by 2030.

DP Energy is excited to be part of this substantial contribution to South Australias low carbon energy future," DP Energys director and country manager, Catherine Way, said.

"Watching such an ambitious concept be realised throughout construction has been rewarding, and it is great that Iberdrola chose DP Energys project for their entry into the Australian market.

In Ireland, DP Energy is developing the Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park which is located off the Cork coast.

It would involve the installation of approximately 70 floating wind turbines moored to the sea bed to generate 1GW of power.

The company submitted a foreshore application in 2019 and it is expected to submit a Maritime Area Consent Application next year and a full planning application in 2023.

Further Irish coastal developments

The company is also examining the feasibility of developing a similar-sized offshore wind project off the coasts of Clare and Kerry  called Clarus Offshore Wind Farm it would provide 1GW of renewable energy.

The Shelmalere Offshore Windfarm project will be located off the Wexford coast.

It will utilise fixed bottom wind turbines and upon completion, will have the potential capacity of up to 1GW.

An Application for Foreshore Licence was submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in November 2020.

In February, Iberdrola announced it had acquired a majority stake in DP Energy's three offshore wind projects.

In Ireland, the Spanish firm plans to invest up to 100m in new renewable and storage projects by 2025.

Existing projects include the repowering of the Barnesmore wind farm in County Donegal, and the Rigged Hill and Corkey projects in Northern Ireland, all of which include energy storage.

It is also building the country's largest battery facility in Gorman (50 MW), which will be operational later this year.
The Great British Bake Off will return to screens on Tuesday night with another batch of amateur bakers.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith, and presenters Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding, will be back in the shows famous tent for another series of signature, technical and showstopper bakes.

The Tent Of Dreams reopens tonight! Please form an orderly queue... #GBBO https://t.co/Y5BmTiQtSf pic.twitter.com/OnspqoIuh8  British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 21, 2021

Twelve new contestants  including a Metropolitan Police detective, a retired nurse and an IT professional  will be competing for the title of star baker.

Lucas made his debut on the show last year and celebrated its imminent return on Instagram by sharing a picture of the judges and hosts imitating the Beatles on the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios in west London.

Among the contestants is Amanda, 56, who works for the Met in London and studied graphic design at college, working in advertising before training as a detective.

Her baking is heavily influenced by her Greek-Cypriot heritage.

(L-R) Elizabeth, George, Juergen, Crystelle, Jairzeno, Rochica, Giuseppe, Tom, Maggie, Chirag, Amanda and Freya from The Great British Bake Off 2021. Picture: PA

Quadrilingual Crystelle, 26, is a client relationship manager from London and began baking seriously three years ago.

She was born in north-west London to Kenyan-born Portuguese-Goan parents.

Vegan psychology student Freya, 19, from North Yorkshire, is the youngest baker in the tent this year.

Originally from the Black Forest in Germany, 56-year-old Jurgen, an IT professional, moved to the UK in 2003 and lives with his wife and son on the Sussex coast.

Dorset-based Maggie, 70, is a retired nurse and midwife and believes the excitement of delivering a baby offers good preparation for taking part in Bake Off.

The 11th series, which aired in late 2020, saw cast and crew move into Down Hall Hotel near Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, throughout the duration of filming, after being tested for the virus and self-isolating.

Peter Sawkins, an accounting and finance student from Edinburgh, was crowned the shows youngest ever winner at 20.

He was also the first winner from Scotland in the shows decade-long history.

The programme also saw its biggest-ever final on Channel 4, attracting a record average audience of 9.2 million viewers and a 39.7% share of the audience.

The Great British Bake Off begins at 8pm on September 21 on Channel 4.
If one of your favourite Christmas traditions was ordering your dinner fully cooked, then you will need to find an alternative, because M&S have cancelled their Irish Food to order service.

In a statement, the retailer said, "at M&S, we want to make this Christmas a magical one for all our customers. Given the current challenges in the food industry, there was too much risk that we could potentially let customers down with key items in their orders ahead of the all-important big day  wed never want to do that."
A topic worthy of infinite discussion in 2021 is the importance of the album - or lack thereof - in the streaming era. Two new Irish podcasts seek to celebrate the form.

Paul McDermott, an occasional contributor to this publication, hosts To Here Knows When, named after a My Bloody Valentine track. The show takes a deep dive into what McDermott calls iconic Irish records - so far weve had Paul Page of Whipping Boy discussing Heartworm and author Julian Gough reprising his role as frontman of Toasted Heretic, looking back on Another Day, Another Riot.

Even if the listener hasnt heard these albums - released in 1995 and 1992, respectively - the interviews are interesting enough on their own, Page sounding chuffed that despite Heartwoms status as a commercial disappointment, it has stood the test of time critically and proved influential. Gough, meanwhile, laments his cocky attitude as a youth; he gets emotional recalling how he wishes he had been kinder and how he feels like he was the problem with the band not fulfilling their potential. McDermott, well researched, doesnt seek to push buttons, but like the best interviewers, gives the guests space to speak.

The next instalment also looks very promising: McDermott takes a look at Viva Dead Ponies by the Fatima Mansions, in the company of the band's vocalist, Cathal Coughlan.

My Favourite Album with Andrea Cleary is a more excitable affair, though similarly nostalgic. Guests including Today FM presenter Claire Beck and Pillow Queens Sarah Corcoran pick their - yes, you guessed it - favourite albums.

The guests' enthusiasm is infectious, Beck making the underappreciated, avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson (and her record Big Science) sound like a genius that you must listen to right now.

She just doesnt care if you like it or not, says Beck, pointing out the contemporary artists, such as St Vincent, who are indebted to Anderson.

Both To Here Knows When and My Favourite Album will have you dipping back into your record collection - long live the album!

Meanwhile, congratulations to Corks Two Norries - James Leonard and Timmy Long - who have signed a deal with podcasting platform Acast. As the pair said themselves, its a great endorsement of how far theyve come in little over a year.

It shouldnt change anything for listeners, with episodes still available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Earlier this year, the platform launched Acast+, a subscription tool akin to Patreon that seeks to offer something extra for both creators and listeners. The Tommy, Hector & Laurita Podcast is among the shows offering bonus episodes every week, along with ad-free content, from 3-7.


Arguably the greatest TV drama series of all time, The Sopranos gets a belated origins tale in the shape of The Many Saints of Newark (16s), in which the young Tony Soprano is played as a child by William Ludwig and as a teenager by Michael Gandolfini, the son of James Gandolfini, who so memorably played the original Tony Soprano. Surprisingly, perhaps, the film is less concerned with young Tony himself than it is with the adults who shaped him, which include his constantly warring mother Livia (Vera Farmiga) and father Johnny Boy (Jon Bernthal), but especially his uncle, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), the mobster who takes Tony under his wing. Its no wonder, then, that the adult Tony was obliged to seek psychiatric help: where a conventional crime thriller might evolve as a battle for an impressionable young mans soul, Tonys mentor, Dickie, is only a little less brutal than his father, Johnny Boy, in part because Dickies own father, Hollywood Dick Moltisanti (Ray Liotta), is himself an old-school mobster steeped in violence.
A 52-year-old woman who fraudulently claimed 69,000 in carers allowance for minding her elderly mother in Cork when she was actually living in London was jailed for 18 months.

Garda John Dineen previously stated that the accused used some of the money to holiday in Barbados, Morocco and other places. Defence barrister Nikki OSullivan said that there was some comment on Facebook about a Barbados holiday but she said the accused woman  Mary OCallaghan  only travelled there for a funeral of a family member of her partner who comes from there.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain jailed Mary OCallaghan of Woodvale Road, Beaumont, Blackrock, Cork, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, saying she paid back 19,000 leaving a substantial unpaid balance.

Ms OSullivan BL said the defendant worked in the UK as a painter decorator but was currently out of work as a result of an assault on her in the UK, and did not have further compensation available to pay back at the moment.

The barrister said Mary OCallaghan was initially entitled to the carers allowance when she lived in Cork but continued claiming it after leaving for the UK. Ms OSullivan BL said the defendants son was caring for his grandmother at the time and continues to do so.

Judge O Donnabhain said in respect of Mary OCallaghans offences: This was an egregious, deliberate abuse of social welfare allowance.

She knowingly and deliberately was living abroad while claiming it and there is no doubt she knew what she was doing was fraudulent and was very egregious behaviour, which was in part allowed for by continuous travel over and back the Irish Sea.

A certain amount of money was repaid which has now fully stopped. There has to be a custodial sentence. Garda Dineen said the money which was fraudulently claimed was partly used by the accused for foreign holidays.

He said she was very co-operative with the investigation since she was first approached by gardai.

Garda Dineen said there were 243 counts of theft representing a total of over 69,000 by fraudulently claiming carers allowance for minding her mother in Cork when she (the defendant) was living in London. Payments were made to her from 2013 to 2019.

It came to the Departments attention she was not living in the country. A Social Welfare inspector made various enquiries with Ryanair. He witnessed her flying in from Gatwick. And an investigation commenced, Garda Dineen said.

While there was reference to a much bigger number of charges, the defendant was charged with a total of 20 sample counts of theft.

The 20 counts related to various amounts, mainly 204 but one was for 10,608  namely a back-payment from 2014 to 2013 to when the application was initially made.

The location for the offences was Ballintemple post office and the charges stated that the amounts were stolen from the Department of Social Protection, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Act.
A motorcyclist has been rushed to hospital in critical condition after a road traffic collision near Blarney in Cork this afternoon.

A section of the Blarney to Tower road has now been closed following the incident.

The collision involving the motorcyclist and a truck occurred close to the entrance to Willison Estate on the R617 between Blarney and Tower at around 1pm.

Gardai, National Ambulance Service paramedics and two units of the Cork City Fire Brigade rushed to the scene.

The motorcyclist, a man in his 40s, suffered serious injuries and was removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

No other injuries were reported at the scene.

The road between Pauds Cross and the Shournagh Line was closed to all vehicular traffic, with pedestrian access only to Willison Estate, for a period of time but has since reopened.

Gardai have appealed to witnesses to the collision to contact Gurranabraher Garda station on 021 494 6200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Meanwhile, a two-car collision on the M7 Limerick to Dublin motorway resulted in massive tailbacks as gardai closed all outbound lanes for an hour and a half during g rush hour traffic this evening.

The collision which occurred shortly after 5pm, near Ballysimon, led to a long delay for motorists.

Gardai attended a two-car road traffic collision that occurred on the M7 shortly after 5pm this evening. No injuries were reported at the scene and the road has since reopened, said a garda spokesman.

Several units attached to Limerick City and County Fire Service also attended the scene.

Traffic flow returned to normal around 6.30pm this evening.
The Governor of New York says that Irish students should be welcomed back to the state from next year.

The J1 programme, which offers Irish students the chance to work summers in the US, has been suspended since last March when then US president Donald Trump signed an executive order.

With the lifting of the US travel ban set to take place, there is hope that the J1 programme will reopen for the summer of 2022. Each year, around 3,000 students take up the visas, with more using the J1 graduate programme, which offers a 12-month working visa for college graduates.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul told Irish reporters in New York today that she wants to "hear the brogues" in areas from Manhattan to Montauk.

"I would absolutely love to see them coming back next year," she said:

It's part of growing up  I spent time in Ireland and London as a student and I'm a better person for having that international experience. I feel it is really discouraging to me that during the Trump administration there was such a suppression of anyone coming here.

She said that America "needs to get them back" as immigration is part of our heritage.

Ms Hochul said the Trump administration had suppressed the entry of people into America and said that she would work to ensure that New York was a more welcoming place, and made a particular pitch to nurses:

I need people in a number of jobs  particularly healthcare. If there are any nurses who want to come to the state of New York, we will try to pave the way with visas.

Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach said that he had not raised the issue of undocumented Irish in New York with Governor Hochul, but said that she was empathetic to their plight.

"That's not really a matter for the governor, but I think you could hear she's very empathetic to the undocumented in particular and would be in favour of a much more liberal approach and seems to me to facilitating and helping people in difficult situations," he said,

Mr Martin added that Ireland's Ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall, and Consul General Helena Nolan would continue to work on the issue. There are around 50,000 undocumented Irish people in the US.
The Taoiseach has said that Ireland will continue to engage in discussions about global tax reform in a constructive way.

Speaking in New York after a meeting with the Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, Micheal Martin told reporters that Ireland would continue to discuss the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) agreement on a reform of global tax rules.

The country is one of only a handful of nations not to agree to the major OECD agreement, which is backed by more than 130 countries worldwide, as well as the EU.

Mr Martin said that 12.5% remains Irelands corporate tax rate, but added: Theres discussions under way within the OECD and we have made it very clear from the outset that we are engaging in the OECD process in a constructive way. And we want certainty and we want continuity.

Enjoyed my visit with Governor of New York @GovKathyHochul today.



We shared our experiences in tackling the pandemic, and the importance of connectivity between our two countries.



We also discussed her proud Kerry roots, and her familys love for the GAA. pic.twitter.com/aYKRDULTAw  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) September 20, 2021

The Taoiseach declined to give a commitment about whether Irelands highly-prized corporate tax rate would remain at 12.5% into the future.

We are engaged in a process. At the moment, we havent agreed to the conclusions that have been arrived at in that process because they dont give us any certainty or continuity about the future, he said.

Mr Martin is in New York for a week of engagements at the UN General Assembly.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Ms Hochul, whose ancestors hail from Co Kerry, Mr Martin said that the coming weeks will be important as discussions continue.

He said that he would not be making a commitment one way or another to any individual companies about Irelands future tax arrangements.

Mr Martin is in New York for a week of engagements at the UN General Assembly. Picture: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Earlier in Dublin, the Finance Minister told the European Commission that Ireland could yet remain outside the global tax agreement.

At a meeting with the European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni on Monday, Minister Paschal Donohoe said it was not appropriate at present for Ireland to sign up to the OECD agreement, which is backed by 130 countries.

He said Ireland is seeking further assurances on the predictability and certainty of the agreement, ahead of a mid-October deadline to finalise the deal.

Mr Donohoe said Ireland, which relies heavily on its low corporate tax rate of 12.5%, would take the decision based on the best interests of its economy, and not on external pressures.

He said: I remain committed to seeing whether the process can yield an outcome that Ireland would be willing to consider joining.

But equally, I have communicated to my colleague that where we are at the moment, of not being in the agreement, is a position that could continue.

This a very, very important process. Its a very, very important negotiation.

Im very clear that it is not appropriate for Ireland to be in the agreement now.

That may continue to be the case.

But equally, we are working very hard to see if an agreement is possible that would allow Ireland to join.

He said proposals that the corporate tax rate could be set at least at 15%, were deeply problematic for Ireland.

He added that there would be consequences for Ireland whether it joined the agreement, or chose to remain outside of it.

Ireland is one of just nine countries yet to sign up to the OECD framework to reform the global corporate tax regime.

European Commission position 'very clear'

Mr Gentiloni said it was not the moment to talk about the potential consequences for Ireland of rejecting the deal.

He added: This is the moment to co-operate, to continue our dialogue.

And to leave to the Irish government, the time, the opportunity, in this discussion with the OECD, to take the right decision in the interest of the Irish citizens.

Of course, the European Commission position is very clear.

Paschal Donohoe and European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni in Dublin on Monday. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

We believe that having this global agreement would help the stability, predictability of the global taxation systems.

At the same time, having been in office also at national level, I know perfectly well that the Government has to take decisions, considering different aspects of this.

There are concerns that Irelands international reputation could be damaged by remaining outside the OECD framework.

Asked if Ireland would be trusted to senior international positions, such as his own as President of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, should it remain outside a deal backed by 130 other countries, Mr Donohoe insisted any decision would be made solely on the countrys economic interest.

He said: The critical thing here isnt so much what our role is in different organisations.

The critical thing is the ability of our economy to grow, to retain jobs, to get new jobs in the future and to continue to be competitive.

That is the metric through which any decision here has to be evaluated and that is the only lens that I will be using in the decision that I make.

But Mr Gentiloni said he remains confident that an agreement can be reached.
As the wheels come off the Slaintecare plan, Stephen Donnelly has insisted the Government remains fully committed to a revolutionary blueprint for the healthcare service.

But serious questions are now being asked as to whether the Health Minister actually knows what he is committed to and whether he has the political courage to implement real change.

Not only has Mr Donnelly allowed two key drivers of the Slaintecare reforms to step down, he has also appeared casual in his response, downplaying the departures and instead insisting that progress is being made at a speed we have never seen before.

Mr Donnelly must ditch the cavalier attitude, immediately find replacements for those who have left and fully engage with those who remain. File picture: PA

Last Thursday, Mr Donnelly cancelled a meeting with the Slaintecare Implementation Advisory Council citing "urgent" matters, only to appear on television hours later.

The media appearance prompted council member Anthony O'Connor to tweet: "Great to see Minister on #rtept on Slaintecare. As a council member I've not received a single explanation, briefing or my questions answered in 9 days since Magahy & Keane resigned. Were due to meet tonight but cancelled and here we are on TV. Interesting way of doing business."

When the minister did speak to the Slaintecare group the following day, another member, and former general secretary of the INMO, Liam Doran said he was "none the wiser" as to why Laura Magahy and Dr Tom Keane had resigned, adding he got "no sense" the Government was of a mind to renew and re-energise their commitment to Slaintecare.

"We are not sure who is in charge of Slaintecare at the moment," Mr Doran added.

Slaintecare met with fierce opposition Then health minister Simon Harris and Laura Magahy, executive director of Slaintecare, at the publication of the Slaintecare Implementation Strategy in August 2018. File picture Slaintecare, which received all-party support when it was published in 2017, is a radical plan. The restructuring and decentralisation of power within the HSE, the provision of free GP services and the phasing out of private care in public hospitals was always going to be contentious and met with fierce opposition. There have always been vested interests in our healthcare system  you can go right back to the 1950s and Noel Browne's attempt to introduce the mother and child scheme. If Slaintecare is to succeed, it will require a strong personality to cut through a natural resistance to change and desire to cling onto power. To date, Mr Donnelly appears to have bent to the pressure from those within the HSE and his own department, which will ultimately lead to the failure of Slaintecare. When everyone is in charge nothing gets done. During a Prime Time interview last week, Mr Donnelly tried to spread the load: "Slaintecare is owned by the entire healthcare system, it is not being implemented by any one person or any one team, I am responsible for Slaintecare, Paul Reid is responsible for Slaintecare, the Government is responsible for Slaintecare and indeed the Oireachtas because it was a plan of the Oireachtas." Mr Donnelly's insistence that everything remains rosy in the Slaintecare garden even left seasoned host Miriam O'Callaghan slightly aghast, dubbing his explanations as "gibberish". "I can't take that seriously, Minister," she said at one stage during the interview. One point mentioned by a number of people who sat on the Oireachtas committee tasked with drawing up the ambitious 10-year plan for the health system, is that Mr Donnelly was not involved from the start and so comes at it from a disadvantaged angle. "I do think he's not invested in the way other party representatives who were on that committee were, and maybe doesn't understand the whole thing about governance of the health service," said one TD who sat on the Oireachtas Committee. Laura Magahy: Not only has Mr Donnelly allowed two key drivers of the Slaintecare reforms to step down, he has also appeared casual in his response, downplaying the departures and instead insisting that progress is being made at a speed we have never seen before. When the intricacies of what became Slaintecare were being thrashed out, Billy Kelleher was Fianna Fail's health spokesperson and sat on the committee. "I think it was Billy out, Donnelly in and then Slaintecare was a done deal," another member of the Oireachtas committee said. I would doubt Stephen Donnelly's commitment to Slaintecare because I would doubt he understands it. I know it sounds disrespectful, I don't mean it like that, but as somebody who was on the committee, it's a really really complicated document. "It's really well stepped out, but the problem with it is the whole thing falls apart if you don't do it all together." The intervention from Mr Kelleher last week, is therefore interesting. Why did they resign? And if they resigned because they did not see the pace of change, then we have to ask ourselves the next question  is there political commitment to Slaintecare?" Mr Kelleher asked. Is the Department of Health, is the HSE, is the minister and the Government fully committed to ensuring that Slaintecare is rolled out in a timely way to provide universal healthcare for the Irish people?

Should Slaintecare have been Donnelly's to deal with?

Of course, many say that Slaintecare should never have been Mr Donnelly's problem to deal with in the first place.

Placing Slaintecare within the Taoiseach's department was "heavily resisted" from the get-go, a number of committee members recall.

When asked if he would heed the continued calls to bring Slaintecare under the Office of An Taoiseach, Micheal Martin last week said his department doesn't have the "bandwidth" to deal with structural reform of such magnitude.

"A key recommendation, and something that we were very strong on was that the Slaintecare implementation office would be located in the Department of the Taoiseach because we knew there was a danger that there would be ministerial capture by his department and by the HSE. And that's exactly what happened," said Roisin Shortall, who chaired the Oireachtas committee.

The Health Committee has asked Ms Magahy and Dr Keane to appear before it later this week. If they accept the invitation, their contributions will be watched closely by the remaining members of the council, some of whom have already signalled they are also on the brink of walking away.

Mr Donnelly must ditch the cavalier attitude, immediately find replacements for those who have left and fully engage with those who remain. But above all the minister must have the political courage to stand up to those within his own department and the HSE for whom change will be difficult.

Obtaining buy-in from across the political spectrum for Slaintecare was hailed as a significant feat  allowing it to collapse would be catastrophic for any Government and Mr Donnelly must now step up and lead.

Did you know?

Anyone who has watched Dail proceedings or has enjoyed a tour of Leinster House will have spotted a group of men and women in uniform dotted around the building.

These are the Leinster House ushers. They come under the leadership of the Captain of the Guard, a position which is currently unfilled following the retirement of John Flaherty, and take care of much of the day-to-day running of the house.

They fall into strict ranks from head usher, to deputy head usher, events manager, team leaders down to ushers.

They are responsible for manning the entrances to Leinster House, controlling entry to the Dail and Seanad Chambers, and in non-Covid times receiving visitors and conducting tours through Leinster House.

What to look out for this week

Tuesday: The Seanad returns this week after the summer break. Among the items on the agenda is a motion on bullying and sexual harassment in third-level institutions, which has been tabled by senators in the University of Dublin grouping. On Wednesday, a number of MEPs will address the Seanad.

Tuesday: Housing is never off the agenda. Sinn Fein will bring forward a bill to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000, to delete the sunset clause which affords an exemption to developers who secure planning permission before 2026 to provide 20% of the relevant land or houses for social and affordable housing.

Wednesday: A bill brought forward by Labour's Ivana Bacik to provide for greater security of tenure and rent certainty for tenants will be debated in the Dail from 10am. As well as restricting the allowable excuses for evictions, the bill prevents landlords from putting a blanket ban on pets and hanging clothes on balconies.

Wednesday: It's a jam packed day, with 14 Oireachtas committee meetings scheduled. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar will come before the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment to discuss the controversial Ceta agreement. In the afternoon, Minister of State Ossian Smyth will provide an update to the Transport and Communications Committee on the review of the National Cyber Security Centre.

Thursday: Taoiseach Micheal Martin is in New York all week where he is attending the UN. He will chair a meeting of the Security Council on the growing challenge of climate and security on Thursday before delivering Ireland's national statement to the UN general assembly on Friday.

Thursday: With the budget less than a month away, early morning Dail questions to Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath will be worth tuning into from 9am.
The words in our headline above were written by John Donne in 1623 in his poem of the same title when describing transience and its deathly hold on all of us. In the first line of the same poem he wrote no man is an island which endears the English metaphysical poet to this column.

The bell in question in this case is known as the Lough Lene bell of Castle Island, Co Westmeath. It dates from the eighth century and was once the probable possession of St Feichin of Fore, a settlement near the lake. This is the same Feichin whom we met earlier in this series as the founder of a monastery on High Island, Co Galway.

Dan MacCarthy: 'Castle Island is truly diminutive, with not room enough to swing a cat, or a bell, and definitely not to build a castle.'

The bell is a splendid example of an early church hand bell (used primarily in Masses) of which many examples exist. This one is particularly interesting in that a replica cast from it was presented to Dail Eireann in 1931 and since then has been the bell used by the ceann comhairle to call to order TDs for the days business. It was presented to the Dail by the widow of former TD, Major Bryan Cooper.

By far the largest island in the lough is Turgesius Island. The heavily wooded island was named after the eponymous ninth-century Viking king who was tricked by the king of Meath, Maelseachlainn, into a tryst with his daughter and who paid with his life. About 300m away to the northwest is the much smaller Nuns Island, which is still sizeable enough and again, very leafy. On a recent trip to the lake to visit its islands it was apparent that the third of the trio was very hard to distinguish. After scanning the shoreline back and forth with a small pair of binoculars the shy island finally gave itself up: Castle Island. The three islands are collectively known as Smythes Islands after the owner of the adjacent Barbavilla estate and author of an article on the bell.

Castle Island is truly diminutive, with not room enough to swing a cat, or a bell, and definitely not to build a castle. That name was probably a reference to a nearby castle of which the island was a property. Its major significance was that it was considered useful as a place to hide a valuable possession; somewhere where no-one would think to look, and no-one did.

The Lough Lene bell was discovered about 1,000 years after being initially hidden, probably to keep it from the voracious Vikings. A young boy out fishing for eels came across the priceless artefact in 1881 and it was promptly passed on to the Royal Irish Academy by the owner of the estate in the village of Collinstown, William Smythe. Unfortunately, the boys name is not given by the record. The bell is today kept in the National Museum.

Fore was a place of great devotion, wrote Smythe. It contains the remains of three saints churches, a monastery, and the church of an anchorite. He wrote that the early medieval bell was perfect with the Christian emblem of the cross faintly, but distinctly, marked upon it in outline on two sides. It has an elaborate border decoration which sets off the crosses and enhances the artistic merit.

Castle Island is a crannog which was constructed in unusually deep water according to the National Monuments Service. It was surveyed in 1987 as part of the Crannog Archaeological Project (Farrell and Brady). The authors wrote that given the number and size of the worked timbers, it is very probably that the timber structure that originally surrounded the island was many times the size.

The site was dated dendrochronologically to AD 855  9 years.

This Castle Island is one of at least four in the country. A few wildflowers were evident, including willowherb and bishops wort when this writer came calling. The latter has medicinal uses: a survivor from the lakes days as an ecclesiastical hub, perhaps.
Burma Myanmar Coup Leader Met by Protests in Kachin State

Kachin chief minister Khet Htein Nan helps Senior General Min Aung Hlaing put on a Kachin traditional jacket.

Kachin youths gathered in downtown Myitkyina to show their opposition to coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaings visit to the capital of Kachin State in northern Myanmar.

Over a dozen youths staged a flash mob protest against the coup leader during his visit to Myitkyina over the weekend.

Min Aung Hlaing, dont you feel ashamed to come to Kachin land? Get out of Kachin Land, shouted the youths in unison, despite the heavy presence of junta forces.

We cant welcome the military leader who has killed hundreds of people to our land, said an anti-regime activist from Myitkyina.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has visited Kachin State numerous times as the chief of the Myanmar military, but this was his first visit to Kachin since the February 1 coup.

Sundays protest was also the first time he has been booed by Kachin people, despite the fact that he has overseen military operations even before the coup that have killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands of people in Kachin.

Junta-appointed Kachin State Chief Minister Khet Htein Nan presented the coup leader with a Kachin traditional costume, bag and ceremonial silver sword, prompting huge criticism in Kachin circles.

Kachin communities have slammed Khet Htein Nan as a traitor to the Kachin people. He was condemned by the Kachin people for accepting the position of chief minister from the military regime and a series of protests have been staged against him, with some locals calling for social punishment against him and his family.

Khat Htein Nan has drawn fresh criticism following Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaings weekend visit to Myitkyina, with Kachin people calling for a boycott of the clothing business run by his daughter.

The coup leader arrived in Myitkyina on Saturday and met military personnel and their families from Northern Command and the Myitkyina battalion, as well as junta-appointed Kachin State ministers.

At the meeting with military personnel, he repeated claims that he has made to soldiers in other parts of the country that Myanmar is in crisis because the National League for Democracy (NLD) rigged the vote in the 2020 general election.

From what we have seen and heard the current political situation is quite complicated and there are serious armed conflicts in Kachin. Security is always in a state of emergency in Kachin. We heard that he came to give some guidance regarding that situation, a source close to Northern Command told The Irrawaddy.

There have been frequent clashes between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Myanmar military since a bilateral ceasefire broke down in 2011, although fighting stopped for two years before the February 1 coup.

Since March 11, the KIA has attacked regime troops and police stations in Kachin and northern Shan State, inflicting heavy casualties on junta forces. Clashes have taken place in some eight townships across Kachin State. The KIA has claimed that the regime had brought in thousands of extra soldiers since late March.

The ethnic armed group has provided military training to civilians wishing to fight back against the regime, as well as giving shelter to political activists and NLD lawmakers wanted by the junta. Moreover, Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the parallel National Unity Government, is reportedly backed by the KIA and other influential Kachin politicians.

Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing likely attaches great importance to Kachin State as the KIA is viewed by the regime as the major ethnic armed group backing the nationwide revolt against the juntas coup.

KIA information chief Colonel Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy that the central executive committee of the Kachin Independence Organization, the KIAs political wing, had no comment so far on the coup leaders visit to Kachin.



You may also like these stories:
Burma Scores of Myanmar Regime Troops Killed in Clashes With Civilian, Ethnic Groups

KIA fighters / Kyaw Kha / The Irrawaddy

More than 40 Myanmar junta troops were killed and some civilian resistance fighters were injured during intense firefights in Kayah State and Sagaing Region on Monday.

On Monday morning, an intense firefight between junta soldiers and a combined force of the Peoples Defense Force-Katha (PDF-K) and the ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke out in Katha Township, Sagaing Region.

During the firefight, more than 40 junta soldiers were killed and many others were wounded, while no casualties were reported among the combined civilian forces, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense of the National Unity Government (NUG).

Following the clash, the PDF-K urged people using the Katha-Banmauk Highway and traveling in the north of the township to be aware that there would be more firefights in the area.

In May, the KIA also joined the civilian resistance fighters of the PDF-K during a fierce clash with military regime forces in Katha.

During the firefight, eight junta soldiers were killed and 13 seriously injured, while five civilian resistance fighters were killed and one was arrested by the military.

Two firefights between junta forces and a combined force of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army (KA), the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party, also broke out near Daw Poese Villlage in Demoso Township, Kayah State on Monday morning and evening.

The KNDF claimed that junta forces wearing civilian clothes attacked the Karenni armed forces from civilian houses in the village.

During the firefights, a civilian resistance fighter was killed and some others were wounded. However, the extent of the military casualties remains unknown.

Junta forces used heavy explosives, and many houses in nearby villages were destroyed by the militarys artillery shells, the KNDF said.

Myanmar has seen increasingly intense clashes between junta forces and civilian armed resistance fighters and ethnic armed groups across the country since the declaration of a Peoples Defensive War against the junta by the NUG on Sept. 7.

Junta forces have escalated not only their inspections and arrests but also the violence and number of their raids including burning down villages and cutting off internet access, especially in Chin and Kayah states and Magwe and Sagaing regions.

Meanwhile, civilian resistance fighters of the People Defense Forces across the country have stepped up their operations against junta forces and destroyed junta-owned Mytel telecom masts in numerous locations.

As of Monday, 1,114 people had been killed by junta forces during their raids, crackdowns, arrests, interrogations and random shootings, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

A total of 6,637 people including elected government leaders have been detained by the junta and more than 1,980 people face arrest warrants.



You may also like these stories:
Indiana State Universitys Lingua Franca House hosted the Mini World Cup on Thursday at Kennedy Field. The soccer game ran from 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening and was attended by various students and faculty from the Languages, Literature, and Linguistics (LLL) department at ISU.
Adelaide-based fintech and digital lender Tic:Toc today announced the appointment of Shantell Williams as chief technology officer to supercharge the companys next growth phase.

Tic:Toc launched Australia's first, and only, digital fulfilment platform in 2017, changing the way Australians select their home loan. The company has since leveraged its home loans business as a proving ground to validate technology-led financial services solutions.

Shantell Williams was previously vice president of software development at Purple Group Limited, a financial services and technology group of companies incorporated in South Africa. She oversaw software development and implementation across the EasyEquities subsidiary, expanding the software engineering team, and seeing the Groups share price rise 220% in one year. Earlier, she held technology leadership roles across the financial services sector including Lombard Insurance Company and Standard Bank.

In her new role at Tic:Toc Williams will lead the company's engineers and developers, and build on Tic:Tocs technical vision and its proprietary AI-based lending platform.

Anthony Baum, CEO and founder of Tic:Toc said, "Im thrilled to welcome Shantell to Tic:Toc. Shantell joins us at a pivotal time as we accelerate our capacity to respond to the surge in demand for digital lending and our technologies. Our model of running a direct to consumer digital home loan as well as offering our technology to the industry puts Tic:Tocs platform at the core of our business, and Shantells strong technology and innovation background will be invaluable to us. I look forward to having her lead our cross-functional technology team as we scale and strengthen our customer platform experience and enterprise offerings."

Shantell Williams said, I am thoroughly impressed by the sophistication and level of automation in Tic:Tocs purpose-built platform, which drives better, faster and more affordable customer experiences. I was drawn to this role as I couldnt pass up the opportunity to be a part of this ambitious, fast-growing company, disrupting a traditionally slow-moving industry. Equally as impressive is the close-knit, diverse and supportive team Tic:Toc has cultivated. The team is so passionate about what they do, and its amazing to be in the midst of it all. I look forward to shaping this next phase of growth with Anthony and the team.

Williams joins Tic:Toc after notable growth at Tic:Toc. In recent months the company struck a $25 billion funding partnership deal with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, announced a partnership with Aussie Home Loans, and expanded its Adelaide CBD office space to accommodate the growing team.

Tic:Toc is committed to diversity and inclusion, with females representing 44% of the entire workforce and 62% of the leadership team.

Tic:Toc Home Loans recently reduced its fixed and variable home loan rates to a record low of below 1.89% (1.9% comparison rate) making them among the most competitive in the market.
Benefits and rewards platform operator Perkbox has appointed Ross McDonald to the role of country manager for Australia.

McDonald joined Perkbox from Zip, where he was senior commercial director for ANZ.

He previously worked as ANZ country manager at Expedia, ANZ general manager of distribution at nib, and in several roles at Google ANZ, most recently that of head of travel and tourism.

McDonald holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

"It's an exciting time to join the Perkbox Australia team as the company is solving a real challenge in today's workplaces," he said.

"Teams around Australia are tired, fragmented, and outright fatigued by the pandemic. Rather than risk the associated burn-out and staff resignations, we're seeing forward-looking organisations implement solutions to connect and recognise employees, and reinforce their cultural values, wherever they may be working.

"Perkbox is playing a key role in providing the tools companies need to connect employees at scale. Its recent evolution addresses the disconnect between rewarding and recognising remote and overseas teams too, as they are often forgotten when it comes to managing culture and motivation in the workplace."

Perkbox combines perks  including discounts on retail, travel and food  wellbeing tools, rewards and employee recognition on a single mobile app.

The wellbeing component includes free access to HIIT workouts, hypnotherapy and meditation guides.

"All perks and tools on the platform have been designed with remote and distributed teams in mind. We've pivoted to become a simple, cost-effective solution that helps future-proof organisations against an increasing push towards remote work," added McDonald.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
In some parts of the country, there are more federal government finance jobs than candidates. That's led to more openness to remote-work arrangements, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic showed it could be done.

New research from Gartner shows that several cities with high numbers of federal government accounting jobs  including Austin, Texas; Denver; Indianapolis; and Kansas City, Mo.  are not top sources of government finance talent with in-demand skills.

Some cities with the greatest supply of government accounting and finance talent  Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco  aren't major centers of recruiting for federal finance jobs. As a result, places that do have lots of federal finance jobs may have trouble hiring. More than 80% of the federal government works outside Washington, D.C., said Mallory Barg Bulman, director in the Gartner Finance practice.

"Federal agencies, or any company for that matter, do not only need to look for talent in their backyard," Barg Bulman said. "[They] really can recruit from a wider pool of individuals that gives them access to the best talent. It also enables more diverse hiring."

Remote work has been allowed for some federal jobs for a decade, or longer in some cases, but Barg Bulman said legislation doesn't necessarily change culture. After a year in which many people worked virtually, however, government finance leaders may be willing to embrace remote hiring, she said.

"What COVID has done that no [legislation] could do is demystify telework a little bit and really show managers that they can have accountability for their staff's work and positive outcomes even if people are not in the physical workplace," she said.

Differentiating itself

Employment practices are changing for some state agencies, too.

At the Office of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, a new, post-pandemic policy allows auditors to work two to three days per week remotely, depending on their role and the work that needs to be done. It has been another incentive that recruiters have added to lure accountants to state government service.

"We looked at the past year  what worked, what we were able to do, and what this can look like going forward," said Christy Behnke, talent manager on the human resources team at the agency.

The 560-person office employs more than 300 auditors who, under state law, audit both state and local government agencies across Tennessee. Those audits are subject to deadlines set by lawmakers, so when COVID-19 struck last year, they continued to work. The stability of state employment, Behnke said, is attractive to some job candidates.

The office also continued its practice of providing internships to accounting students through the pandemic. With some students losing private-sector internships last summer during the pandemic, Tennessee's willingness to go ahead with internships was another differentiator.

Over the last three years or so, the office has ramped up its recruiting efforts. During a typical year, Behnke said, the office must fill 50 to 65 positions.

Her position was created specifically to help the organization compete more effectively for accounting talent.

"Leadership had the insight that the market was going to continue to be tough and challenging and we were going to really have to differentiate ourselves," she said.

Local hiring struggles

While finding people with the right skills for local government finance and accounting jobs can be tough, hiring someone who works remotely from another state is not common, at least not yet.

"We're looking for CPAs who understand fund accounting," said Carrie Kruse, CPA, CGMA, economic development administrator for Des Moines, Iowa. "That's challenging, I think, to find across the Midwest. College students are very minimally exposed to fund accounting. Some have one class, if any, in government accounting."

For some entry-level positions, Kruse recruits from local colleges and universities. For higher-level positions, however, she conducts a national search.

The CFO of the city of Boulder, Colo., Cheryl Pattelli, CPA, said it's challenging to find candidates with the skills she needs, and then to recruit them to Boulder, a city with a high cost of living.

"We have a tax audit manager position that's been vacant for quite a while," she said.

"There's a lot of great people in government finance in the Denver metro  actually all throughout the state of Colorado," she said. "But getting them to actually move positions is really tough."

Many employees have worked remotely through the pandemic, Pattelli said, but the city is considering a policy that would allow more flexible work arrangements  potentially including full-time remote work  even after COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.

But, unlike the federal government, local and state governments are less likely to be open to hiring someone to work remotely in another state. Some local governments have residency requirements requiring employees to live within the jurisdiction or within a certain distance of it. State civil service regulations also sometimes impose restrictions.

"Being remote would put us at a competitive advantage as far as finding talent and working with talent from anywhere. At the local level, I think we're always going to have the political reality of wanting public servants, who are the stewards of our taxpayer dollars, to be locally invested in the community and physically present in the community," Kruse said.

"We report up to elected officials who live in the community," she said. "It's going to be hard to get away from those political realities of wanting your public servants to be local."

Visit the Global Career Hub from AICPA & CIMA for help with finding a job or recruiting.

 Mark Tosczak is a freelance writer based in North Carolina. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Chris Baysden, a JofA associate director, at Chris.Baysden@aicpa-cima.com.

Top finance job opening locations

Washington, D.C. Atlanta New York City Philadelphia Austin, Texas Chicago Denver Indianapolis Kansas City, Mo. Houston

Top finance candidate supply locations

New York City Washington, D.C. Dallas Philadelphia Boston Chicago Los Angeles Atlanta San Francisco Houston

Source: Gartner.
Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 71F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.

Tomorrow

Rain early with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
I dont usually write. My job at Justice Info is to publish the articles written by our journalists, make them look nice visually and publish them on the Internet, giving them as much visibility as possible. I speak a language of acronyms and Anglicisms: AFP, Photoshop, CMS, community management, SEO and so on. But exceptionally, since this event took place in the digital space  a continent both foreign and familiar to consumers of information on the Internet , the editorial team asked me to tell this story.

Google: Statistical ally and investigative tool

At the end of June, as I produced my statistical report for the month, I saw an unusual peak in the middle of a classic audience curve for our news site. From June 15 to 18, our audience almost quadrupled, with a peak on June 16.

Statistical curve (source Google Analytics) showing the number of users visiting JusticeInfo.net each day, from 1 to 30 June 2021.

To find out why, I dived into the statistics. The first thing to do was identify the publication on Justice Info that generated all this traffic. Google Analytics, the tool of reference in this matter, indicates that it is the following article, in its English version: Will Fatou Bensouda face the Truth Commission in Gambia? Its a sensitive article because we revealed two testimonies of Gambians, victims of torture under the authoritarian regime of Yahya Jammeh, directly implicating Fatou Bensouda when she held high judicial office in her native Gambia, long before she became the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

The second question to be answered was: On which platform did this article, which dates from July 11, 2019, suddenly reappear in 2021? This is where the investigation got complicated. After a few minutes of digging through the Google statistics tool, I got some important information. From June 14 to June 30, the article in question accumulated 4,448 unique views (the number of different people accessing this page). And 88% of that traffic came from Facebook. However, we had not republished it on this social network since 2019, even if this article, which remains in our archives, is still well referenced on Google.

This led me to a third question: who are these people suddenly reading about Bensouda? It turns out that 73% of them (again according to Google Analytics) have an IP address located in the Philippines. An IP address, in our jargon, is the unique identifier assigned to each digital terminal connected to the Internet, making it possible, in principle, to know the place from which this computer or this smartphone connects.

A score of relatively influential posts

But why on earth are Filipinos interested in Bensoudas controversial past? To find out more, you have to get out of Google and onto Facebook. By simply typing the English title of our article into the internal search engine of the famous social network, I see that 20 recent posts cite our article. These posts, in Facebook language, are usually accompanied by a short introductory comment, not always very subtle, written by their Filipino author. Note that these accounts are relatively influential, since the most popular posts generate up to 1,000 likes and several dozen comments.

One of the 20 Facebook accounts that posted a link to our article about Fatou Bensouda. This post generated 1,100 likes, 57 comments and 104 shares.

The Facebook profiles in question are of people living in, or connected to the Philippines. Some are linked to the network of the University of the Philippines, a state university. The patient zero (the first of the 20 users to post) has also expressed himself on the alumni group of this university, which has 12,500 members.

One of the profiles in this anti-Bensouda digital hit squad is presented as Popoy De Vera. This account is easily traced to find his official biography. In 2018, Dr. J. Prospero Popoy de Vera was appointed by Duterte as the chairman of the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He describes himself as an academician who has used his technical expertise to assist policymakers, educate the public, and conduct political campaigns.

Whats the connection?

Why would these Filipinos, working mainly in an academic setting, be interested in Bensouda, with the clear intention of discrediting her? Easy: on June 14, the ICC Prosecutor officially requested the opening of an investigation into the bloody war on drugs led by President Duterte. The latter had already in March 2018 moved to withdraw his country from the Rome Statute (ratified by every ICC member state) and signalled that he would not collaborate with the court. Bensoudas move therefore sparked a lot of comment in many media outlets, in the Philippines and elsewhere.

Did Duterte himself use the most extensive academic network in the Philippines for an influence operation on social networks? Indeed, arent Filipinos experts in digital influence peddling? According to a senior Facebook official, quoted by the US newspaper Los Angeles Times, the country is described as patient zero in the global disinformation pandemic. Or is it more likely that this was a spontaneous operation by a network of pro-Duterte activists, knowing that we are, after all, only talking about 4,500 unique views in a country of 108 million people?

The fact that the Facebook posts are very similar and all published in the space of three days, allows us to think that there was consultation between these different accounts. It was in any case the second time in less than a year that the Philippines intruded into our statistics. The first intrusion took place during our mock election of December 2020, which allowed our readers to elect, in a symbolic way, their favourite candidate to succeed Bensouda as ICC Prosecutor, with her mandate ending in June 2021. Many Filipinos (often with the same IP address) then voted en masse for the candidate Karim Khan. The British lawyer is now the boss of ICC investigations, including the one on Dutertes anti-drug actions that has just been authorized by the judges. He should probably start preparing already for the end of his digital honeymoon with the Filipinos.

This article was modified on 27/09/2021.
Sudans fragile transitional government said it foiled an attempted coup early Tuesday involving military officers and civilians linked to the ousted regime of longtime President Omar al-Bashir.

Information Minister Hamza Baloul said the coup attempt was thwarted and those behind it brought under control.

We assure the Sudanese people that order has been restored and the leaders of the attempted coup, both military and civilian, have been arrested and are being investigated, he said in a televised address.

Authorities are pursuing supporters of the defunct regime who participated in the coup attempt.

Top military and government sources had told AFP that the plotters had attempted to take over the state media building but failed and the officers involved were immediately suspended.

State television broadcast patriotic songs as it announced the coup attempt and urged the people to confront it.

The cabinet said all those involved in the attempt have been detained.

Traffic appeared to be flowing smoothly in central Khartoum, AFP correspondents reported, including around army headquarters, where protesters staged a months-long sit-in that eventually led to Bashirs overthrow in a palace coup by the army in 2019.

Security forces did however close the main bridge across the White Nile connecting Khartoum to its twin city Omdurman.

 We will not allow a coup 

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the coup attempt was the latest manifestation of the national crisis.

The plotters made extensive preparations, which were showcased in the security breakdown in cities  blocking of national roads, closure of ports and persistent instigation against the civilian government, he said in a televised speech.

Demonstrators have since Friday blocked key roads as well as the countrys main trade hub, Port Sudan, to protest a peace deal the transitional government signed with rebel groups last year.

There have been previous coup attempts since Bashirs ouster which officials have blamed on Islamist supporters of the former president and members of his now-defunct ruling party.

Sudan has had a long history of coups. Bashir, a one-time general himself, came to power on the back of an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989.

Since his ouster, the ex-president has been kept in Khartoums high security Kober prison and is facing trial over the coup which brought him to power.

He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide for his prosecution of a deadly scorched-earth campaign against ethnic minority rebels in Darfur.

During a visit to Khartoum last month, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan signed a cooperation deal with the transitional authorities that marked another step towards Bashir facing trial in The Hague.

In an address to troops on Tuesday, powerful paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo said: We will not allow a coup to take place.

We want real democratic transition through free and fair elections, not like in the past, said the commander, widely known as Hemeti.

Under an August 2019 power-sharing deal, Sudan is ruled by a transitional government composed of both civilian and military representatives, and tasked with overseeing a return to full civilian rule.

The deal originally provided for the formation of a legislative assembly during a three-year transition, but that period was reset when Sudan signed the peace deal with rebel groups last October.

 Two years under transition 

More than two years into the transition, the country remains plagued by chronic economic problems inherited from the Bashir regime as well as deep divisions among the various factions steering the transition.

The promised legislative assembly has yet to materialise.

In June, Hamdok had warned of worrying divisions within Sudans military and security establishment.

The coup (attempt)  clearly indicates the importance of reform to the military and security sectors, the premier said on Tuesday.

Civilians and former rebel groups have stepped up calls for armed groups and paramilitary forces to be merged into the regular army.

In recent months, tensions have reportedly simmered between paramilitaries and army commanders over the integration process.

The transitional government headed by Hamdok has also vowed to dismantle Bashirs legacy and fix the battered economy.

It has launched a package of tough economic reforms to qualify for debt relief from the International Monetary Fund.

The steps, which included slashing subsidies and a managed float of the Sudanese pound, were seen by many Sudanese as too harsh.

Sporadic protests have broken out against the IMF-backed reforms and the rising cost of living, as well as delays in delivering justice to the families of those killed under Bashir.
Several hundred people staged a protest outside parliament in Namibia on Tuesday where an agreement by Germany acknowledging it committed genocide during its colonial occupation, was due to debated.

Around 400 chanting and placard-carrying, mainly opposition activists marched to the parliament building in Windhoek to protest against the agreement penned earlier this year between their government and Germany .

Germany in May acknowledged it had committed genocide in colonial-era Namibia and promised a billion euros in financial support to descendants of the victims.

Activists have rejected the offer as insufficient.

Say no to the fake genocide deal; the blood of our ancestors was not in vain and proper reparation now, read some of the placards.

Inside the National Assembly, Defence Minister Frans Kapofi read a statement on his intention to table the agreement, describing it as an achievement, of some measure, to get the Federal Republic of Germany accepting responsibility for the genocide.

Kapofi said the government has raised concerns over the reparation amount.

Depending on the negotiations between the parties, an improvement of the terms of reparations, particularly on quantum, is not out of the question, the minister said.

The speaker accepted that the agreement be submitted but abruptly adjourned the session to Wednesday before it was tabled.

The agreement was a result of more than five years of negotiations between the two countries over events in the territory held by Berlin from 1884 to 1915.

German colonial settlers killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people in 1904-1908 massacres  labelled by historians as the first genocide of the 20th century.

The atrocities have poisoned relations between Namibia and Germany for decades.
LAFAYETTE, La. - The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the fourth year in a row.

UL Lafayette is among 103 colleges and universities to earn the 2021 HEED Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. It is the largest diversity magazine and website in higher education. Honorees will be featured in the November issue.

The publication evaluated schools in the U.S. and Canada for contributions in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. Recruitment and campus leadership were also considered.

Dr. Taniecea A. Mallery, UL Lafayettes executive director of Strategic Initiatives and chief diversity officer, said the recognition represents the Universitys ongoing commitment to providing educational opportunities that embrace underrepresented groups.

It also says a lot about some of the things weve done that position the University as a leader not only in higher education, but in the community. Thats especially significant now, given the political, economic, cultural and pandemic-related challenges we face as a nation, she added.

Mallery pointed out several recent programs, initiatives and efforts, including the Educating for Equity Fellows Program. Faculty and staff members are coordinating a professional development curriculum this fall to examine diversity, equity and inclusion challenges in online and traditional learning.

The Louisiana Board of Regents is funding the two-semester initiative, which the Office for Campus Diversity is leading. A cohort of representatives from many areas of campus will research transformative social and emotional learning strategies related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The group will compile evidence-based research, and share findings with University of Louisiana System institutions and other schools across the state and nation.

Mallery also singled out a community book reading and virtual discussion series on voting rights that was hosted by the Universitys Edith Garland Dupre Library.

The library was among 10 in the state that received a Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities grant for the Who Gets to Vote? Conversations on Voting Rights in America series. It examined voting rights since the countrys founding, the electoral process, womens suffrage, and historic and contemporary voter suppression practices.

She also cited the Accelerate Northside economic initiative. The Universitys Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center collaborated with the Greater Southwest Louisiana Black Chamber of Commerce during the 12-week program.

The entities enlisted volunteers who mentored people interested in starting a small business on the north side of Lafayette. The work was conducted as part of a larger LEED Center effort to help bolster economic development in several regions of Acadiana, including rural areas.

The Office for Campus Diversitys weeklong First to Geaux initiative was designed to help first-generation students  those whose parents either didnt pursue or didnt complete a college degree program.

First-generation students are more likely to be from lower-income backgrounds, and be less familiar with processes on college campuses. First to Geaux included a social media campaign to promote awareness about campus resources, departments and programs.

The University was among 54 schools selected for a National Science Foundation initiative to help reshape higher education practices and policies for hiring and retaining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics faculty.

The Aspire: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty" effort is being coordinated by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. UL Lafayette and other institutions are addressing a national issue. According to NSF research, underrepresented groups hold 9 percent of the STEM professorships at the nations four-year institutions.

Mallery also mentioned a public dialogue series that the University hosted. It examined race, equality and social justice in the wake of police shootings and protest movements. Race & Social Justice: A Three-Day Community Conversation brought together students, University leaders, alumni, social justice advocates, and other community members.

Among the issues explored were the justice system and the history of incarceration in the region; police practices and reform; racial profiling; protest and free speech; social disparities and exclusion; the legacy of slavery and racism in Lafayette and the Deep South; the Civil Rights Movement and its legacy; and the Black experience in Acadiana.

Mallery said the Universitys commitment to advancing diversity and equity is guided by the Office for Campus Diversitys Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. The comprehensive plan sets forth campus wide objectives for bolstering programs and resources that promote equity and inclusion.

Among the plans overarching objectives are fostering engagement across campus and in the community, increasing enrollment and retention among underrepresented students, and creating more professional development resources for faculty and staff members, she explained.

Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion at the University at the Office for Campus Diversity website.
BATON ROUGE, La.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Idas destruction, Community Coffee Company will donate 10% of retail sales proceeds, up to $250,000, from the sale of Community coffee products from Sept. 13, 2021, through Oct. 28, 2021, to support The Salvation Armys Hurricane Ida relief efforts in Louisiana.

Salvation Army staff and volunteers are on the ground across South Louisiana, supporting communities with food, water and relief supplies. With mobile feeding units and field kitchens, The Salvation Army has served hundreds of thousands of meals to those impacted since Ida made landfall on Aug. 29.

Our state has a long road ahead, but we know our communities are strong and are already coming together to support each other, said Community Coffee Company President and CEO David Belanger. Its inspiring how Louisianans lock arms and take care of one another when disaster hits. We are proud to call Louisiana home.

Hurricane Idas impact is no match for the people in the State of Louisiana, and were humbled to serve these resilient communities during a time of need, said William Trueblood, emergency disaster services director for The Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi Division. Our work is just getting started as we provide essential items to the public, and gifts like the one from Community Coffee help us lift up these communities with comfort.

In addition to giving back to The Salvation Army, Community Coffee Company is supporting employees, customers and communities impacted by the storm. In the first week following Hurricane Idas landfall, the company served more than 70,000 cups of fresh coffee to first responders, frontline utility workers and displaced residents. Mobile cafes are serving communities as rebuilding efforts continue.

More information about Community Coffee Companys hurricane relief efforts is available at https://www.communitycoffee.com/relief.
Opelousas, LA - The Opelousas General Health System announced the hospital has added a treatment site for monoclonal antibody therapy (mAb) at its South Campus. The new site is in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health.

This site is open 5 days per week (Monday through Friday) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with an ability to serve approximately 50 patients daily.

For mAb therapy, patients must have a referral by their physician, community clinic or urgernt care clinic. Only medical providers can schedule appointments. This can be done by calling LDHs clinical hotline at (337) 678-4700.

We have been offering monoclonal antibody infusion since it became available but have only been able to do so in a limited capacity, due to staffing constraints and the need to shift staff to care for inpatients. We have seen significant improvement in COVID positive patients who meet the criteria and receive the infusion, in many cases reducing the severity of symptoms and reducing the need for being hospitalized. Through the collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health, we were able to secure much needed physician, nursing, and administrative staffing to better meet the needs of our community, said Tim Marks, Chief Population Health & Clinical Integration Officer at Opelousas General.

Recently, LDH has aggressively worked to expand access to mAB treatment by opening at least two sites in all nine public health regions of Louisiana. In each region, the State is locating a site in a city and one in a more rural area.

LDHs Bureau of Community Preparedness has led the effort to select qualified contractors who can quickly develop and staff sites  infusion centers  where mAb treatments will be offered.

Monoclonal antibodies are man-made antibodies produced in a laboratory that can mimic the human immune system response to infection. mAbs are designed to block viral attachment and entry into human cells, thus neutralizing the virus that causes COVID-19.

Monoclonal antibody treatments must be prescribed by a physician. The treatment is done by intravenous (IV) infusion. mAbs may only be administered in settings in which health care providers have immediate access to medications to treat severe infusion reactions, such as allergic reaction, and the ability to activate the emergency medical system, as necessary. The new infusion centers all meet this requirement.

Monoclonal antibody treatments may be used for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients who are within 10 days of the start of their symptoms, at least 12 years of age or older and weigh at least 40 kilograms (88 pounds), and are at a high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.

For more information about mAbs, visit the LA Department of Health COVID-19 Information Site or the Opelousas General Health System COVID-19 Resources Site.
LAFAYETTE -- Award-winning writer and historian Dr. Natalia Molina will discuss race, immigration and citizenship for this years Guilbeau Lecture Series event at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The virtual lecture will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. It is free and open to the public.

Molina is a distinguished professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. She is a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.

Molina was named a 2020 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.

She is the author of How Race Is Made in America: Immigration, Citizenship, and the Historical Power of Racial Scripts. It won the Susanne M. Glasscock Humanities Book Prize for Interdisciplinary Scholarship from the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research at Texas A&M University.

Molina also wrote Fit to Be Citizens?: Public Health and Race in Los Angeles, 1879-1940. The book won the Norris & Carol Hundley Award from the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association.

UL Lafayettes Department of History, Geography and Philosophy hosts the Guilbeau Lecture Series. It is funded by the Guilbeau Charitable Trust, which honors the memories of history graduate student Jamie Guilbeau and his mother, Thelma Guilbeau. The Guilbeaus created the trust through an endowment managed by the UL Lafayette Foundation.



The virtual lecture can be accessed via Zoom.
Park Hae Jin, known for his roles in Cheese in the Trap and Kkondae Intern, will be hosting an online fan meeting event through Amazer Live.

Park Hae Jin to Meet Fans Through Online Fan Meeting With Amazer

Korean actor Park Hae Jin will meet and greet his fans from around the world on September 25, marking his first fan meeting event in two years since 2019.

Additionally, this will allow the Doctor Stranger actor to meet everyone around the world through the virtual event, held in partnership with the emerging live broadcasting powerhouse, the Amazer app.

ALSO READ: Park Hae Jin Shares He Still Has No Plans to Date Even If He's Nearing 40

According to a press release by Amazer, the biggest reason that led Park Hae Jin to organize this surprise online fan meeting event is to see his fans from all over the world.

Park Hae Jin online fan meeting, created with the concept of "I miss you, I wanted to see you, so I am coming to you," is currently titled "Invitation." Its September 25 schedule coincides with the date of the very first fan meeting of Club Jeans, the actor's official fan club, which makes the event all the more meaningful as Park Hae Jin works to express his love for his fans every chance he gets.

He has previously invited more than 5,000 fans across the globe to his fan meeting at his own expense, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his debut in 2016, creating an extraordinary event for the fans. This 10th Anniversary event had 5,000 seats in-person as well as more than 1.3 million people watching online.

The event also set a record of five hours running time, showing his commitment to fans befitting of the title "A Fool Who Only Recognizes Fans."

In the upcoming Amazer fan meeting event, Park Hae Jin online fan meeting will be for 90 minutes starting at 8:00 PM KST on September 25. Fans can use the Amazer app and its specialized avatar system to communicate in real-time with the actor.

"I want to personally ask the well-being of fans around the world," Park Hae Jin explains on why he wanted to have this online fan meeting.

Park Hae Jin online fan meeting Invitation will be broadcast in real-time through the Amazer app, and tickets are available through Interpark Tickets.
Fans of top rating K-dramas "Lovers of the Red Sky" and KBS' "Police University" need to wait for another week as the series postpones its broadcast for the week.

The SBS historical fantasy drama starring Kim Yoo Jung and Ahn Hyo Seop, as well as GOT7's Jinyoung and Krystal's "Police University," is on hiatus from September 20 to 21.

'Lovers of the Red Sky' and 'Police University' to Resume Broadcast on September 27 and 28

The broadcast delay is due to the ongoing Chuseok holiday in South Korea that falls on September 20.

One of the biggest and significant holidays in the country, it is equivalent to Thanksgiving, where Koreans visit their families and relatives in their hometown as they dig in to delectable traditional food with them.

With the sudden changes, SBS announced that "Lovers of the Red Sky" episodes 7 and 8 will be aired on September 27 and 28.

The same goes for "Police University" episode 13 and 14, which are also set to air on the same dates.

Unfortunately, this means that viewers will have to endure one week of waiting to get a hold of the drama's latest episode.

Lovers of the Red Sky Cast Sent Warm Greeting to Fans

To make up for the delay of its episodes, SBS unveiled a surprising treat for fans featuring Kim Yoo Jung, Ahn Hyo Seop, and Gong Myung alongside a message that says, "Have a nice Chuseok."

In a series of photos, the trio wore their traditional costume and smiled for the camera donning a peace sign.

The post also includes still cuts from episode 6 during the Maejukheon Art Competition.

Interestingly, the comment section was filled with hearts and smileys as fans expressed their warm greetings towards the actors.

Lovers of the Red Sky Behind-the-Scenes Photos

The broadcast network continues to appease the fans with the behind-the-scenes photos on the set of the K-drama.

In SBS Now official Instagram, netizens saw the extraordinary affection of Kim Yoo Jung and Ahn Hyo Seop off cam as the team celebrates the "Dr. Romantic 2" star's birthday.

His OG fans would know that his birthday falls on April 17, which means the event took place in the same month.

In a photo, the 26-year-old actor closed his eyes as he made a wish in front of the former child star while holding a candle-lit cake.

The photo was followed by another snap featuring Ahn Hyo Seop holding his cake as he smiled in front of the camera.

"Lovers of the Red Sky" is the newest historical fantasy series starring Kim Yoo Jung as Hong Cheong Ki, the sole female painter in the Joseon Dynasty, while the "Abyss" star portrays the blind astrologer named Ha Ram.

Joining the two are Gong Myung, who plays Grand Prince Yang Myung and "Alice" star Kwak Shi Yang took on the role of the villain Prince Joo Hyang.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
KBS2 released another exclusive Police University behind-the-scenes video from various clips in episodes 7 to 12 on September 21. The BTS video featured the quirky cast and production crew of the drama, as well as Cha Tae Hyun, B1A4 Jinyoung, Krystal, and the rest of the cast prepared before and during filming.

Police University Behind-the-Scenes: Jinyoung, Krystal, Yoo Youngjae, and More Share How They Prepare for Filming

B1A4 Jinyoung, Krystal, Yoo Youngjae, and Lee Dal gave show-stopping performances in the previous episodes of KBS2 high-rating romantic-comedy Kdrama Police University.

On September 21, through an exclusive sneak peek, the actors shared how they prepared themselves before and during filming the drama.

First, Jinyoung, Krystal, and Lee Dal work to film a scene together. On the other hand, Youngjae, who is currently not in the scene, wanders around the filming set in his casual clothes with a drink in hand and jokingly says, "Let me join you!"

After a while, Jinyoung, Krystal, and Lee Dal shared their own routine on how they prepare themselves as actors. Sweet & Sour actress Krystal reveals that she crosses out her script after completing filming each scene, to which Lee Dal agrees.

Opposite Jinyoung who shakes his head and says, "I don't do that, I just keep it all in my heart."

However, Krystal counters that her habit allows her to control her tasks, "There's a sense of satisfaction whenever I look at a page and see that I have accomplished almost everything."

Despite their different routines in preparing themselves, the two actors show their dedication as actors.

In the next scene, Jinyoung practices his line and how he delivers it through trying out multiple tones, while across from him is Krystal who is trying to find the perfect posture and way to hold her hat.

Meanwhile, seasoned actor Cha Tae Hyun also gives a glimpse of his habits in acting. The veteran actor particularly pays attention to the details of his character, even in how he lies down on the sofa.

This extra effort amuses his juniors, who are all watching him from the other side of the room.

In the following scene, Cha Tae Hyun, who plays the detective-turned professor, lies on the bed and acts to be unconscious, which he does effortlessly despite the commotion in the set.

Meanwhile, danger visits the actor in the form of the criminal who attempts to inject a poison into his IV bag, but is suddenly halted by Krystal.

In the newly unveiled behind-the-scenes making video, the Police University production crew showed how they internalize and prepare their performances as well as quirks of the actors, raising expectations and respect for their craft.

Police University Episode 13 Release Date and Where to Watch

Police University Episode 13 and Episode 14, set to air on September 20 and 21, respectively, were postponed due to the Chuseok.

The drama is down to its last four episodes, and episodes 13 and 14 are now scheduled to air on Monday and Tuesday, September 27 and 28 at 9:30 p.m. KST on KBS2.

Police University is available for streaming worldwide on Viu.

Follow KDramastars for more Kdrama, KMovie, and celebrity news updates!

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
MEDFORD, Ore. -- In response to the indoor capacity restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Medford began allowing

temporary use of on-street parking spaces by downtown businesses in 2020.

This allowed restaurants and bars to continue operating by allowing them to provide outdoor seating and dining to patrons within

the on-street parking spaces adjacent to their business.

At the request of the Council and due to the success of the temporary measure, the Planning Department prepared a draft code amendment along with a design and construction manual to allow parklets on a permanent basis.

Newswatch 12 spoke to the principal planner for the city of Medford, Carla Paldino, who said there is not a set criteria to apply for the program with new changes that go into effect starting October 1.

"We do have a manual that we've created to provide some guidance so they can look at that before they apply for the pre-application just to know what the standards are."

Paladino tells NewsWatch 12, the pre-application does come with a cost.

"Pre-application is $400. The formal application is $275. We will be requiring a $500 deposit for when you create the parklet, if it needs to be removed. if something happens to the business, that would give the city the ability to remove it."

Most pre-fabricated parklets would meet the Citys requirements. The original fee proposed has been reduced and the renewal fee is being removed to keep the program affordable.

"There has been discussion about using some American rescue plan dollars to help buy some of them, so we're still in the initial talk about that. So hopefully, there will be some dollars to help."

Newswatch 12 asked if parklets would last beyond the age of the pandemic and Paladino's response was, "That's the goal. We would love for them to be a permanent fixture downtown, and to kind of bring that vibrancy, and community feel outside."

The Gypsy Blues Bar, Jefferson's Spirits, Portal Brewing Co., and Beerworks are all currently utilizing the parklet program downtown.

Owner of Beerworks, Chris Dennett tells Newswatch 12 he looks forward to keeping his parklet up, as it's been a "lifeline" for businesses.
TALENT, Ore.  On Sunday night, and Ashland man died after being struck by a car while riding his bike along South Pacific Highway near Talent. Oregon State Police identified him Monday as 44-year-old Geoffry Sterling.

The driver left the scene after striking Sterling, and Oregon State Police is now investigating.

NewsWatch 12 spoke to Sterling's friends and co-workers on Monday, as they remembered a man who they agreed was an incredibly generous, thoughtful, understanding, and creative person.

Daniel Williams knew Sterling for two years, working alongside him at Target in Medford. He says that Sterling enjoyed riding his bike between Ashland and Medford every day between his work and his home, both for his health and for the environment.

"He was always careful, he always looked around him, he always made sure to take the safest path," said Williams.

Williams had glowing things to say about Sterling's character.

"No matter what he was feeling or what he was going through, he would always help you out and be one of the friends who was there for you  he always put others first," Williams said of Sterling. "One of the most generous people I've ever met in my entire life."

Williams wasn't alone in appreciating Sterling's generosity. Multiple friends passed on messages to NewsWatch 12 about Sterling, all painting a picture of a man brimming with positivity, one who would gladly serve as a shoulder to cry on. One co-worker said that he was like a father figure.

While Sterling worked in General Merchandise at Target, Williams said that he was most passionate about toys and loved helping customers with them.

"He knew everything about them," said Williams. "He knew everything about action figures. He would make toys in his spare time  he had a company he wanted to make, selling toys and making them for kids, he really enjoyed that."

NewsWatch 12 spoke to OSP Captain Stephanie Bigman on Monday afternoon to ask about any updates in the hit-and-run investigation, but she said that there wasn't much more to share as of yet.

"The only thing that we are requesting is that the public, if they saw anything that they thought was suspicious or might actually pertain to this crash, to call in to OSP dispatch and just let us know what they saw," said Cpt. Bigman. "It could be the smallest thing that helps us break this case."

Overnight, OSP brought in a reconstructionist to go over the scene and piece together the circumstances of the crash. This should help investigators figure out the type of vehicle involved and how fast they were going.

"We have reason to believe it was probably a little larger vehicle, that the subject did know they hit the bicyclist ... but we really right now don't have a lot to go on," Bigman said. "So we're really hoping that somebody was in the area last night and saw something."

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, the intersection of South Pacific Highway and W Valley View Road  near where Sterling was killed  only saw one crash involving a bicyclist during the past decade, from the beginning of 2010 through the end of 2019. The crash occurred in 2013, and though one person was injured, it was not fatal.

Anyone with information regarding the crash or the suspect vehicle is asked to contact the OSP Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP and refer to Case number: SP21-268789.
SALEM, Ore.  A power-sharing agreement between Oregon Democratic and Republican state lawmakers for the process of redrawing legislative and Congressional districts has gone down in flames, with the conservative party accusing their opponents of gerrymandering.

When the redistricting process began earlier this year, the Democratic majority in the House agreed to compose their redistricting committee of equal parts Democrats and Republicans in exchange for a promise that the latter party would stop blocking legislation.



Oregon's Congressional map at present, as drawn after the 2010 Census. The Census in 2020 gave Oregon a sixth Congressional district, ensuring that this new redistricting session would be more complex and politically high-stakes. Oregon's Congressional map at present, as drawn after the 2010 Census. The Census in 2020 gave Oregon a sixth Congressional district, ensuring that this new redistricting session would be more complex and politically high-stakes.

That agreement appeared to hold through the release of the first map proposals in early September. The first rumblings of major dissent came on September 17, when Oregon Senate Republicans accused Democrats of releasing a revised map "designed to keep Democrats in power for the next decade." The latest map appeared broadly similar to the 'Plan A' map released by the redistricting committees prior to public hearings.

As lawmakers met on Monday for a special legislative session to consider the redistricting proposals, House Speaker Tina Kotek rescinded the earlier power-sharing agreement on the House redistricting committee. Kotek said that "after many months of work, House Republicans did not engage constructively despite many attempts to address their concerns," the Associated Press reported.

"She lied and broke her promise not just to us but to Oregonians," said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan in a statement. "She just sold the soul of our state for Democrats' political gain. She's determined to gerrymander Oregon's congressional maps. Republicans have been at the table extending a hand so we can work together on fair maps. We wanted to be responsive to public testimony. This map doesn't do that."

Democrats in the state Senate succeeded Monday in passing their redistricting plan, over objections from Republicans.

I believe the plan that was passed violated the law by not following the criteria, said Republican Senator Tim Knopp, vice-chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee. They must do logical and legal gymnastics to justify pairing the rural and urban communities that they lumped together. No matter how Democrats try to spin it, the only reason to spread downtown Portland into three districts is to silence the voices of rural communities.

As written, this plan will rig the next 10 years of election to favor Democrats, said Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod. Fifty percent of Oregons congressional representatives will serve the City of Portland, but only 15% of Oregons population live in Portland. The urban-rural divide will continue to grow wider under this plan."

Senate Democrats disagreed, maintaining that the plan passed on Monday ticks all the boxes  contiguous districts with roughly equal populations, informed by transportation routes, utilizing existing geographical and administrative boundaries, and designed to avoid breaking up communities of common interest "wherever possible."

The committee did phenomenal work and heard from many across our great state during 22 public hearings and many submissions of public testimony, said Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner in a statement. These are balanced maps that meet all integrity tests. I appreciate my colleagues' work, and I was glad to vote yes today.

Monday's developments put Republicans between a rock and a hard place. They do not have the votes in the House to oppose passage of Democrats' redistricting plan  and walking out of the Capitol to deny a quorum, the favored tactic of the minority party in recent years to gain some semblance of leverage, would inevitably put redistricting decisions into the hands of Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.

If lawmakers miss a September 27 deadline to cement the new districts, Oregon law places the duty on Fagan, a Democrat, to finish the job. While Fagan has promised to form a People's Commission to advise her on the process, horrified Republicans this week referred to the former state senator as an "extreme left-wing partisan," suggesting that they do not consider her a feasible alternative.

House Speaker Tina Kotek came to the podium briefly Tuesday morning to say both she and House Republican Leader Christine Drazan were eager to take up congressional and legislative redistricting plans. When Kotek returned to the podium again in the afternoon she informed lawmakers that the session would be adjourned until Wednesday, as someone in the Capitol the day before had tested positive for COVID-19.

Rep. Drazan released a brief statement shortly afterward, acknowledging the delay and committing to continued dialogue on redistricting:

At this time we are following recommended guidance to postpone todays legislative session in the interest of member and staff health. In the meantime, we will continue ongoing conversations with Democratic leadership on the redistricting process.

"Its in the best interest of Oregonians that we salvage an opportunity to pass fair maps. They deserve fair representation despite the unexpected actions taken by the Speaker yesterday. We need fair maps for Oregon and thats still possible.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Article updated Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. with the news that the session would be adjourned until Wednesday.
MEDFORD, Ore. -- One month ago, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced two vaccination measures to address Oregons hospital crisis, caused by the Delta variant surge, and to help keep Oregon students stay safe during the school year and minimize disruptions to in-person instruction.

With this announcement came the mandate to have all teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval.

Newswatch 12 spoke to Medford School District Superintendent, Dr. Bret Chamipon, with less than a month until the deadline, about where the district stands with its Covid vaccine progress.

"We are in the process of working through the requirement that all employees and contractors that have direct access to students get vaccinated."

Champion tells Newswatch 12, the school district's HR team has sent out the needed information on vaccines to all 15,000 employees and included time-lines to get vaccinated in order to make the October 18 cutoff. Those who don't make the deadline will be handled on a case by case basis, according to Champion.

"There is language as to how that's going to be handled on a case by case basis. When while we know that the person is going through the process. It could mean additional PPE. The same is true for those who qualify for an exception. There are two exceptions. One is for medical and one is for religious. The third is really about if you don't have any contact with kids at all."

Champion says any exception qualifying employees will default to weekly Covid testing. He says certain individuals of which testing "doesn't work for them", will also be handled individually and will work on establishing additional safeguards against Covid-19.

When Newswatch 12 asked Champion if the school board would be pushing back on mandates he said, "The school board really hasn't had any discussions about pushing back on mandates. What we've actually talked about is ensuring that we have local control when decision making is needed. We believe that there are decisions that are best made at the local level and the state has chosen to say that there's decisions they believe are best made at the state level."

Newswatch 12 will continue to follow this story as the Covid vaccination deadline approaches.
Allan Slaight, longtime friend of Gordon Lightfoot and Standard Broadcasting co-founder, congratulates Gordon Lightfoot for being inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony in Ottawa Tuesday Oct 30, 2001. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is joined on stage by wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, left, and children Xavier and Ella-Grace, during his victory speech at Party campaign headquarters in Montreal, early Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Before Gabby Petito disappeared while on a cross-country van trip with her fiance, her conversations with her mother appeared to reveal Petito had "more and more tension" with her travel partner, a police affidavit for a search warrant indicates.

The affidavit, filed by Florida police last week, offers new insight into what investigators have gleaned as they try to determine not only what happened to Petito but also the current whereabouts of the fiance who returned to Florida this month without her.

Human remains that officials said are consistent with Petito's description were found Sunday in an undeveloped camping area in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of Grand Teton National Park.

An autopsy was underway Tuesday morning, and the FBI is expected to release the results later in the day, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue told CNN.

And a police search for the fiance, Brian Laundrie, resumed Tuesday at a Florida nature reserve where his parents reportedly said he indicated he was going last week.

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, had been road-tripping in a white van from New York through the US West over the summer, regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages with the hashtag #vanlife.

Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, and Laundrie returned to his North Port, Florida, home on September 1 in their van without Petito, whose family reported her missing September 11. Authorities are looking for Laundrie, whose parents told investigators he left home with a backpack September 14, and have searched his home, including on Monday.

The case has become an obsession for many, spurring digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail. The story has also further highlighted the tens of thousands of unsolved missing persons stories.

Before she vanished, Petito sent multiple text messages and had many talks with her mother via cell phone during her trip, Florida police wrote in an application filed last week for a search warrant for an external hard drive found in the couple's van.

In those conversations, there "appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie," the affidavit reads. On August 27, Petito's mother received one last communication from her daughter, which she called an "odd text," the affidavit says.

The message read: "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Because the text message referred to Petito's grandfather as Stan, her mother was concerned that something was wrong, the warrant states.

Following that text message, Petito's phone was no longer operational and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip, the warrant says.

One more text came on August 30 that read, "No service in Yosemite," but her family doubts she wrote it, Richard Stafford, an attorney representing Joseph Petito and her mother, Nichole Schmidt, said.

Other evidence of tension between Petito and Laundrie also has emerged. A 911 audio recording in Utah sheds new light on a now-well-publicized incident in which police confronted the pair on August 12.

In the 911 recording from the Grand County Sheriff's Office in Moab, Utah, a caller reports what he called a "domestic dispute" between a couple.

"We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl," the caller says. "Then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off."

Police later stopped the couple, and previously released police documents and body-camera video reveal what followed that day.

Although the Petito and Laundrie are described in a police report as getting into a physical fight following an argument, "both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime," Officer Eric Pratt wrote in the report.

At the suggestion by police, the couple separated for the night, the report said, which described Petito as "confused and emotional."

A National Park Service ranger who also responded to the call interacted with Petito for about 90 minutes, and warned her that her relationship with Laundrie had markings of a "toxic" one, the ranger told the Deseret News of Utah.

"I was imploring with her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life," ranger Melissa Hulls told the Deseret News.

CNN has sought comment from Hulls.

Woman says she picked up Laundrie hitchhiking last month in Wyoming

A woman has said she and her boyfriend gave Laundrie a ride on August 29 in Wyoming -- and that Laundrie claimed he'd been camping by himself for multiple days while Petitio was back at their van working on social media posts.

In a series of videos posted on TikTok, Miranda Baker said she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie that evening while he was hitchhiking in Colter Bay, Wyoming. That's not far from where human remains consistent with Petito's description were found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday.

Laundrie offered to pay $200 for the ride before he even got into the vehicle, Baker said.

Laundrie, who was wearing a backpack, pants, hiking boots, "looked clean and didn't smell bad," and was very polite, Baker said. Laundrie told them he had been camping "basically in the middle of nowhere" at a site outside the Grand Teton National Park, near the Snake River, she said.

Laundrie claimed to have hiked for days along that river, and that all he had was a tarp to sleep on, she said.

Once Laundrie found out Baker and her boyfriend were going to Jackson Hole instead of Jackson, he got agitated, asked to stop the car and got out near the Jackson Dam, according to Baker. She said they dropped him off less than 30 minutes after picking him up.

Baker said she has spoken to law enforcement about their reported interaction with Laundrie.

North Port police confirmed to CNN that Baker spoke with the department before posting the videos on TikTok.

"Her account is plausible, it appears," North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor said.

CNN has not been able to independently verify Baker's claims. The FBI has not returned CNN requests for comment.

FBI searches Laundrie's home

The FBI on Monday searched the North Port home of Laundrie and his parents, removing many items over several hours.

Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta, were escorted from their home Monday morning so agents could execute a search warrant, North Port police spokesman Joshua Taylor told CNN. They were later taken back inside for questioning.

His parents had previously told police that they had not seen Laundrie since September 14, when he told them he was going to the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature reserve near Venice, Florida, according to authorities.

Investigators resumed their search there at 8 a.m. ET Tuesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

North Port police on Tuesday announced they were resuming their search on the Venice side of the reserve after saying Monday they'd shifted their search away from the reserve, having "exhausted all avenues" there. Agents from the fish and wildlife commission were requested Monday afternoon, commission spokesperson Adam Brown said.

An attorney for Laundrie's family, Steven P. Bertolino, said he would hold a news conference Tuesday, but later canceled the event. He said the FBI requested he not hold the conference.

Agents removed a number of items from the home Monday, and a Ford Mustang convertible was also towed away.

Before his parents told police Laundrie left the home September 14, he had refused to talk to investigators, and the family had directed them to their attorney, police said. Laundrie has not been charged in the case.

'She touched the world,' father says

Pathologists will conduct a full forensic examination of the remains found Sunday to confirm the identity, said Charles Jones, FBI Denver's supervisory senior resident agent in Wyoming. Authorities also must identify the cause of death, he said.

Petito's family has been notified of the discovery.

Her father, Joseph Petito, tweeted a picture of his daughter Sunday evening, saying, "She touched the world." Richard Stafford, an attorney representing Joseph Petito and her mother, Schmidt, asked that the family be given space, per a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WABC.

Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino called the news "heartbreaking," adding, "The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family."

Laundrie's sister praised Petito for her relationship with Laundrie's nephews, according to a statement to ABC News.

"Gabby was a fun and loving influence to 'the boys' as she always referred to them. We will cherish the time we spent with her," Cassie Laundrie said.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
ALBANY, Ore.  Police are looking for a man who broke into an Albany home early Monday morning and sexually assaulted two children.

Just after 4 a.m., according to officials, a stepmother returned to her home on SE Jackson Street and found the front door open. Inside, she found the other parent asleep and heard noises coming from the children's bedroom.

When she checked on them, she found a man sexually assaulting them. The invader reportedly pushed past the woman and ran from the home.

Police said the suspect has been described as white, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and having short blonde hair. He is reportedly in his late 20s to 30s and was wearing a blue shirt and black sweatpants.

The woman told police she didnt recognize the man and police were unable to locate him.

Police said the victims were taken to Samaritan Albany General Hospital and then to ABC House, a child advocacy center.

If you have any information, contact detectives at 541-917-7686.
LYONS, Ore.  A Eugene man accused of setting a home on fire in Lyons has been arrested.

The Linn County Sheriffs Office said Thursday morning a caller reported that David Allen Crouch, 42, was trespassing on the property of a family member he had been threatening.

As deputies headed to the Fox Valley Road area, the caller said Crouch had left and they were following him. After losing sight of the man, the caller returned to the property and found the home on fire.

Once on scene, deputies found the home fully on fire, and fire personnel from 14 surrounding agencies responded to help put it out. The fire quickly spread to the field of a neighboring property but did not damage any additional structures.

One person from the neighboring property was taken to Santiam Hospital in Stayton after suffering a medical event and was treated and released.

The home, which had been the Fox Valley School, was destroyed.

Later the same day, Crouch was found in Eugene and taken into custody by the Eugene SWAT team. Crouch was taken to the Linn County Jail on charges of menacing and harassment related to the threats.

Following additional investigation, Crouch was also charged with first-degree arson, and more charges may be pending.

Anyone with information should contact detectives at 541-967-3950.
NEWBERG, Ore.  A staff member in the Newberg School District has been placed on leave after showing up to work in blackface last Friday, according to district officials.

The staff member worked at Mabel Elementary School as a teacher's aid for special education students and showed up dressed as Rosa Parks with her face darkened with dye to protest a vaccine mandate for teachers, according to reporter Ryan Clarke with the Newberg Graphic. All K-12 school employees statewide in Oregon must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, per a mandate from Gov. Kate Brown.

A statement from the school district's website said in part, "it is important to remember how blackface has been used to misrepresent Black communities and do harm. We acknowledge the violence this represents and the trauma it evokes regardless of intention."

RELATED: Newberg High School students participated in virtual 'slave trade'

This is just the latest controversy the district has been involved in recently. For months, the Newberg School Board has been trying to ban teachers from hanging Black Lives Matter and Pride flags in their classrooms. Recently, the school board beefed up the ban to include all "controversial political symbols" in schools.

And just last week, KGW reported parents at Newberg High School found out some of their kids were either participating in  or targeted by  a social media group chat called "Slave Trade," which joked about how much participants would pay for their Black classmates in a slave auction.

In an email to KGW News, the principal of Newberg High School, Tami Erion, said Newberg High students took part in a Snapchat group chat, and used photos of students, along with racist and homophobic slurs.

On Monday, KGW spoke with parents of students in the Newberg School District.

"It's just one thing after another and as a parent you question sending your kid to school after awhile, at least I do," said Shannon Benito. Her daughters go to Mabel Rush Elementary, where the staff member wore blackface.

Tai Harden-Moore has two kids in high school  a daughter who is a freshman and a son who's a sophomore.

"I feel like we're [going] back in time as if some folks really want us to go back to that Jim Crow era, back to the Civil Rights era where Black people didn't have rights," she said. "I don't buy the innocent ignorance at all. No, no no because there's too much information and history available to you, so ignorance is not an excuse. I think this person was emboldened to do this because of the actions of the board."

She said her son, who is black, has been called racial slurs at school.

"He was called the N-word in 7th grade, the school did very little about it," Harden-Moore said. "Their approach was to protect the student who did it."

Her son left the high school and has moved to a school in Portland because he felt tokenized at Newberg High.

"He's a student athlete and felt he was boxed into the role of athlete, nobody wanted to see him outside of that," she said.

The school district serves 5,252 students in Yamhill County and about 1% of students in the school district are Black, according to recent numbers from US News and World Report. Census numbers from 2019 also show .5% of Newberg's 23,396 residents at the time were Black.

In an interview with KGW regarding the most recent incident this week, Joe Morelock, the Newberg School District's superintendent, said "I am horrified, angry, and ashamed that this happened as is nearly every other staff member. The students of color of Newberg deserve so much more -- this goes against everything I and the vast majority of Newberg School District staff believe and it's unfathomably offensive."
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Police are seeking the public's help solving an arson that damaged a Springfield strip mall late Sunday night.

Eugene-Springfield Fire responded to the Centennial Plaza mall just after 11:30 p.m. and just 30 minutes later, Springfield police also responded to the scene.

RELATED: FIRE AT SPRINGFIELD STRIP MALL DEEMED SUSPICIOUS

The person who reported the fire told police he was working on a washing machine in the laundromat when he smelled smoke, He went outside and saw the sidewalk in front of the Day Spa on fire. The man said he believed the fire was started with something highly flammable, but he did not see the start of the fire himself. No one was around when he came outside, he added.

Police also said the man grabbed water and put out the fire on the concrete, but he then felt intense heat coming from the wall and the fire began to spread, which is when he called 911.

The officer at the scene reportedly saw a man and two women in the area who left before he was able to question them.

Detectives are looking for surveillance video to establish leads and ask that anyone with information call them at 541-726-3721.

The fire reportedly caused an estimated $10,000 in damage.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - President Joe Biden used his first address before the U.N. General Assembly to declare that the world stands at an "inflection point in history" and that the world must act with haste to move quickly and cooperatively to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses.

With China tensions growing, he also declared America "is not seeking a new Cold War."

The president noted his decision to end America's longest war, in Afghanistan, last month and set the table for his administration to shift the U.S. attention to intensive diplomacy with no shortage of crises facing the globe.
LEBANON, Ore. -- Oregon's congressional redistricting plans could have a big impact on Linn County residents.

If the Democrats' plan is made into law, then cities like Lebanon could be grouped together with larger, more blue cities like Portland and Salem on the political map.

Legislators have been holding a special session in Salem to discuss redistricting, but the session has been postponed and lawmakers have been sent home early due to reports of a COVID-19 case in the Oregon Capitol.

Congressman Peter Defazio has represented Linn County since 1987. Under the latest plan, the county will move to Oregon's 5th congressional district, which is currently represented by Congressman Kurt Schrader.

Many residents in Lebanon said they arent for this plan. One woman, Gwen, told KEZI 9 News she feels like her vote wont count if its grouped together with bigger cities.

"Because the area they want to redistrict us to is such a large area, and obviously has more voters in that area, I feel that smaller communities won't necessarily get heard as well," said Gwen.

And other residents like Moni Shuttlesworth think rural communities like Lebanon might be under-represented.

"I think that if a rural community like us, a rural county like we are, is redistricted to be lumped in with the larger communities that have a different value set maybe, a different world view, different priorities," Shuttlesworth said.

Christopher Nichols, history professor at Oregon State University, said both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are making things harder than they need to be.

"The kind of big issue at stake in this moment of redistricting is, for the state of Oregon, where will the new six districts be for Congress, and what's the likely party that will hold that seat?" said Nichols.

Nichols also said the fifth district will almost certainly remain in the hands of the Democrats.

"Everybody shot themselves in the foot in this negotiation. Republicans who have refused to compromise, if they walk out in the house, then a Democrat will get to do whatever they want, essentially in redistricting," said Nichols.

Under this new plan, Linn County would be in the same district as the Portland metropolitan area. This has residents like Joseph Holt worried for what could come if the vote passes.

"If we're grouped in with Portland and Salem, they have the population to just outvote us, and there's no voice and representation in that," said Holt.
WALTON, Ore. -- Western Lane Ambulance District officials confirmed Monday afternoon that one of their employees was killed in a crash on Highway 126 east of Walton earlier in the day.

In a Facebook post, they said Sarah Susman was headed into work when the crash happened. She was a part-time employee with the district.

Three others were injured with one potentially hospitalized.

MORE: FATAL CRASH INVOLVING LOG TRUCK CLOSES HIGHWAY 126 EAST OF WALTON

The crash happened at 7:15 a.m. and involved a log truck and three vehicles. The highway was closed while the crash was investigated and has since reopened. During the closure, traffic was detoured to Highway 36 at Mapleton and Poodle Creek Road, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

While the highway was closed officials removed logs from the roadway while law enforcement officials conducted a crash reconstruction. An ODOT employee on scene said the closure was expected to last the entire day Monday.
Female entrepreneurs and budding businesswomen from across County Kilkenny are being encouraged to look to the future and register for this years National Womens Enterprise Day, after the line up for the event was announced today.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) initiative, now in its 15th year, will be hosted by broadcaster Aine Kerr.

Traditionally, National Womens Enterprise Day has taken place locally with LEO Kilkenny putting on events for female businesswomen across the county and those who may have a business idea they want to get off the ground. However, the event went online in 2020 due to restrictions and will take place online again this year.

The free event, titled Build the Future, takes place online on October 7 and will feature some of Irelands best known female entrepreneurs including the likes of Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee, Rachel Doyle of The Arboretum and Sharon Keegan of Peachy Lean, who was recently supported on Dragons Den UK.

Also speaking at the event on the day will be nominated Leading Light Kay Lyng, promoter of K Kajoux Jewels based in Clonmantagh, Kilkenny. K Kajoux started out as a hobby, became a side hustle, progressed to a full- time job and is now an employer with exciting growth plans on the horizon.

Covid-19 initially hit the business very badly with all retail stockists having to close their stores. While in lockdown, Kay again engaged with the Local Enterprise Office for supports to help increase traffic, improve SEO and content on her website. The results were fantastic, within weeks revenue was matching the wholesale business in ordinary times. Kay will be involved in the first panel discussion on the topic of Ideas, Innovation and Action during National Womens Enterprise Day.

The days programme will cover a whole host of areas on how to build the future of a business covering topics like, how to get started, internationalisation, finding new markets, trading effectively online, sustainability and innovation. This will be coupled with breakout rooms for networking and a host of one-to-one advice clinics for any business issues.

New figures released by the Local Enterprise Offices, who are funded by the Government of Ireland and supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities, have shown that the amount of women engaging in entrepreneurship and business supports continues to rise.

In 2020 over 47,000 women engaged in training and upskilling with their Local Enterprise Office. This was a huge jump on 2019 as 23,466 female entrepreneurs took part in training that year. In 2020, 50% more females engaged in training and upskilling with their Local Enterprise Office than their male counterparts (30,000).

National Womens Enterprise Day is an opportunity to showcase and hear from successful entrepreneurs who are building for the future," said Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office.

"This year is no different, but we are very much looking forward. The role of the Local Enterprise Office is to support entrepreneurs in County Kilkenny, to sustain and develop their businesses and ideas going into the future.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council Fidelis Doherty congratulated Kay Lyng on her business success to date with K Kajoux Jewels.

"The last 18 months has been difficult for businesses all across the country but opportunities have arisen. Businesses like Kays have demonstrated how they have pivoted and taken steps to drive the business forward and become more adaptable, innovative and successful," said Cllr Doherty.

Those looking to attend National Womens Enterprise Day can find more information and register for free at www.localenterprise.ie and join the conversation online using the hashtag #NWED.
Failte Ireland, in partnership with Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Civil Trust, has today announced funding for the new Medieval Kilkenny Experience, a world-class visitor attraction.

Under Failte Irelands Large Capital Grants Scheme 2016, Kilkenny County Council has been offered 3.2 million to develop the experience, increasing visitor spend and supporting jobs in the city centre.

The new attraction will encompass the historic Town Hall (Tholsel), the existing Medieval Mile Museum and the churchyard of St Marys. This will be the first time the dungeon and clocktower will be accessible to the public.

A new brand and interpretive scheme will unify the entire complex and will use fun, humour and horrible history style stories to appeal to a wider variety of visitors.

The multi-level Tholsel will use interpretive displays and exhibits to bring the story of medieval Kilkenny to life, from the darker side of history in the basement right up to the original clocktower on the upper levels.

The outdoor areas surrounding St Marys Church will be landscaped and an outdoor play space and covered seating for a coffee kiosk will also be introduced within the churchyard.

In St Marys Church, the interpretation will be revised to integrate with the new overarching brand and interpretive concept.

The central map table will be made mobile to allow for large events in the nave, and the Kilkenny room will be adapted to allow for events and venue hire.

It is intended this major new attraction, which has an expected opening date of Spring 2023, will help to re-establish the historic city centre as the essential highlight of any visit to Irelands Ancient East.

Commenting on the announcement, Rory McCarthy, Product Development Manager at Failte Ireland said that "developing must-visit attractions for domestic and international visitors is a key part of our recovery post-Covid."

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Councillor Fidelis Doherty added, "We are delighted with todays announcement of funding for this exciting new tourist attraction for Kilkenny. Heritage and cultural assets such as the Tholsel give us the opportunity to preserve our traditions for future generations.

"We would like to thank Failte Ireland for their continued support in delivering this and many other projects for Kilkenny."

Ciaran Conroy, Chief Executive of Kilkenny Civic Trust said: "The Medieval Kilkenny Experience will add yet another world-class visitor experience to Kilkennys rich tourism and heritage offering. We look forward to working closely with Failte Ireland and Kilkenny County Council on this project and continuing to develop the unique tourism offering of the City."
Local councillor Peter Chap Cleere has hit out at the Valuation Office, under the aegis of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for breaking promises that could leave Kilkenny County Council 1million out-of-pocket every year.

The Valuation Office is responsible for the valuation of commercial and industrial property in the State for the purposes of levying of commercial rates by local authorities.

In 2017, the rates for all Kilkenny commercial properties were reviewed by the Valuation Office.

Cleere asserts that promises made to councillors and local authority officials from the Valuation Office at the time about the future impact of the new valuations have been broken.

In relation to the rates revaluation, we were told in County Hall by the Valuation Office officials that some properties would be seeing a reduction, some would be seeing an increase, but the net effect would be cost-neutral, Cleere told elected members at yesterdays meeting of Kilkenny County Council.

197 businesses appealed the subsequent rate decision - something theyre absolutely entitled to do - and of the 186 appeals that have been completed so far, 75% have resulted in a reduction of that rate payment.

This puts the income loss to-date to Kilkenny County Council at 836,000 per annum, with scope to rise further with future appeals.

For Cleere, this is far from the cost-neutral outcome promised and could have huge implications on local authority funding going forward.

We have been sold an absolute pup on this by the Valuation Office and I am insisting that we write to the Department immediately seeking exactly what we were promised, he continued.

Kilkenny County Council will be left with a deficit to the tune of 1million per annum because of this valuation system that we were promised was going to be cost-neutral.

We have worked damn-hard in my time over the last seven years, over the last fifty years in previous councils, to ensure that the rates were fair in Kilkenny and that they enabled us invest in our communities, in our parks, in our libraries, in our footpaths...

Where are we going to come up with that million euro?

Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick formally seconded Cllr Cleeres proposal to write to the Department and added to the remarks.

To be looking at that type of deficit at this point of time as we prepare to go to Budget is incomprehensible, he said.

If this shortfall is not reimbursed and correspondence is not made urgently we could be looking at losing amenity grants, money in housing, community projects, the list goes on.

The revaluation of commercial and industrial rates in Kilkenny by the Valuation Office is part of an ongoing national programme to ensure that the rateable valuation of all commercial and industrial property in Ireland reflects the contemporary business environment.
The judicial review undertaken by some of the relatives of those murdered on Bloody Sunday dead has begun in Belfast.

The review is challenging the decision by the Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute any other soldier apart from Soldier F for their actions on January 30, 1972, and the more recent decision to discontinue the prosecution of Soldier F.

Opening for some of the relatives, Karen Quinlivan QC argued that the decision by the PPS to rule that various accounts given by soldiers in 1972 would be ruled inadmissible in a criminal court was flawed.

She said that on Bloody Sunday 108 live rounds were fired and no one was doing anything that would have justified that firing.

The hearing was told that there was an agreement in place at the time between the Chief Constable of the RUC and the GOC of the British Army that incidents where lethal force was used by the British Army they would be investigated by the Royal Military Police.

Ms Quinlivan said that soldiers were 'interviewed as witnesses not suspects.'

She said they were not cautioned nor were they legally represented while making these statements.

Lord Justice Maguire said that the fact the RUC were not involved and was 'not a great investigative vista.'

The barrister told the hearing that the interviews by the RMP were 'amicable' and a senior officer was present.

She argued that the intention behind this scheme was to 'protect' soldiers not to convict them.

The hearing continues and is scheduled to last a week.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  A judge has given an 18-year-old Cedar Rapids man probation for a botched drug robbery that ended in the shooting death of his cousin.

The Gazette reports that Tyrell Gaston was sentenced Tuesday to three years' probation for his conviction of second-degree robbery. His sentencing on the robbery was delayed a year so he could complete his probation for other charges in juvenile court, including conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance-marijuana, carrying weapons and obstructing prosecution.

Prosecutors say Gaston was 16 on Jan. 24, 2020, when he went with his 18-year-old cousin Andrew Gaston rob a 17-year-old during a marijuana deal. Police say the 17-year-old pulled a gun and fired after he was attacked, killing Andrew Gaston and injuring Tyrell Gaston.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A former probation officer has been found guilty for her role in the kidnapping and killing of a Minneapolis real estate agent.

Jurors in Hennepin County on Monday found 29-year-old Elsa Segura guilty of luring Monique Baugh to a bogus home showing in Maple Grove on Dec. 31, 2019, and aiding in the kidnapping and murder of the victim.

Seguras attorney, Amanda Montgomery, told jurors her client had no knowledge of a plot, and that the prosecutions case was speculation.

Investigators say two men convicted in the case were part of a scheme aimed at getting to Baughs boyfriend, who had a feud with a former business associate and drug dealer. Baughs boyfriend was shot and wounded during an altercation after Baugh was kidnapped.
ELLSWORTH, Iowa  A Garner man is arrested for leading law enforcement on a 120-mile per hour chase in central Iowa.

Braden Alan Johnson, 34, is facing charges of eluding, child endangerment, and unlawful possession of a prescription drug.

Authorities say Johnson refused to pull over for a traffic stop in Hamilton County around 12:30 am Monday on Interstate 35. Court documents state that started a 120-mph chase and that Johnson had a three-year-old child in his vehicle, with loaded guns within the childs reach.

After finally being stopped and taken into custody, law enforcement says an OxyContin pill was found in Johnsons pants pocket.
President Moon Jae-in, right, poses with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson before their summit at U.N., Sept. 20. Yonhap





South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed deep concern Monday about North Korea's recent series of missile launches during a summit with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly, Cheong Wa Dae said.







He pointed out that Pyongyang's move had come at a time when stabilization of the security condition on the peninsula is very important.







Moon then stressed the need for the parties concerned to manage the situation in a stable manner and make constant efforts for the early resumption of dialogue.







The leaders were holding their second face-to-face summit in about three months.






Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Foggy early. Then periods of showers this afternoon. Thunder possible. High 72F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Garrett, IN (46738)

Today

Foggy this morning followed by occasional showers during the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 73F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with showers. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
The FBI searched the family home of Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, in Florida for hours Monday, a day after investigators across the country found what they believe to be her remains.

In the morning, FBI investigators searched Laundrie's parents' home in North Port as part of a "court-authorized search warrant" related to the Petito case. His parents were escorted from the home before the search and then were brought back inside for questioning, police said.

Agents removed a number of items from the home, and a Ford Mustang convertible was also towed away.

The FBI tweeted Monday evening that the search was finished but the investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, investigators are still searching for Laundrie, who returned to the Florida home without Petito earlier this month, declined to talk to investigators and then went missing last week. The search for him had centered on a nearby nature reserve, but investigators shifted their focus after they "exhausted all avenues in searching the grounds there," North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor said Monday.

On Sunday, human remains that officials believe to be of Petito's were found in an undeveloped camping area in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of Grand Teton National Park. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday to confirm the identity.

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, had road tripping in a white van from New York through the American West this summer, all while regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages with the hashtag #vanlife.

Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, though. Laundrie returned to his home in North Port, Florida, with their van but without Petito on September 1, according to police. Petito's family, unable to get in touch with her, reported her missing on September 11.

In the days since, her story has become a national obsession for many, spurring digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail to try to solve the case. The story has also further highlighted the tens of thousands of missing persons stories that do not garner such intense interest; there were nearly 90,000 active missing person cases as of the end of 2020, according to the National Crime Information Center.

More details about an incident involving the couple emerged Monday when authorities in Utah released a recording of a 911 call where a man described a woman being slapped.

In the audio provided to CNN by the Grand County Sherriff's Office in Utah, a caller to 911 tells an operator he wants to report a domestic dispute and describes a white van with a Florida license plate.

"We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl," the caller says. "Then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off."

Police later stopped the couple.

'She touched the world,' father says

Pathologists will do a full forensic examination of the remains found Sunday to confirm the identity, said Charles Jones, FBI Denver's supervisory senior resident agent in Wyoming. Authorities also need to identify the cause of death, he said.

Even so, Petito's family has been notified of the discovery. Her father, Joseph Petito, tweeted a picture of her Sunday evening, saying, "She touched the world." Richard Stafford, an attorney representing Joseph Petito and her mother, Nichole Schmidt, issued a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WABC asking that the family be given space.

Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino called the news "heartbreaking," adding: "The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family."

Laundrie's sister also issued a statement to ABC News praising Petito for her relationship with Laundrie's nephews.

"Gabby was a fun and loving influence to 'the boys' as she always referred to them. We will cherish the time we spent with her," Cassie Laundrie said in the statement.

The search for Laundrie

Laundrie, meanwhile, avoided authorities after returning home to Florida and has now gone missing.

Police visited the Laundrie family home after Petito was reported missing, but Laundrie's family refused to talk and instead gave authorities their attorney's information, police said last week.

Their home was searched Friday evening after Laundrie's family told police they had not seen him for days. He left home with his backpack Tuesday and told them he was going to a local nature reserve, Taylor, the police spokesperson, said Saturday.

Over the weekend, federal and local authorities conducted their search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, police said. The search was suspended Sunday evening and there was "nothing to report," North Port Police said on Twitter.

The search effort included the use of drones and bloodhounds who used articles of Laundrie's clothing taken from his home to get his scent, Taylor said in a news conference at the scene of the search Saturday. Police initially focused their search on a nearby park which spans about 200 acres before expanding to the rest of the reserve.

Laundrie is not wanted for a crime, officials have said. Still, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson said that could soon change as the investigation continues.

"One thing for sure: they're focused on him, looking for him, and when they do find him, I expect he'll be before a judge in short order," he said.

Petito and Laundrie were on a road trip to national parks

Petito was believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming when her family was last in contact with her, North Port police said.

The two began their road trip in June with a plan to visit state national parks across the western United States, North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said last week. She had been excited to share her journey with her family and others on social media, he said.

"She maintained regular contact with her family members during her travels, however that communication abruptly stopped around the end of August," the police chief added.

The 911 call released Monday sheds new light on an encounter police had with the couple in Moab, Utah, on August 12, where officers described them as having "engaged in some sort of altercation."

Although the two are described in a police report as getting into a physical fight following an argument, "both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime," officer Eric Pratt writes in the report.

At the suggestion by police, the couple separated for the night, the report said, which described Petito as "confused and emotional."

"After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis," officer Daniel Robbins wrote in the police report. No charges were filed.

On August 24, Petito FaceTimed with her mother and told her she was leaving Utah and heading to the Teton range in Wyoming, said Stafford, the family attorney. Over the next three days, Petito and her mother exchanged texts, he said. They received one last message on August 30 that read, "No service in Yosemite," but her family doubts she wrote it, Stafford said.

And an affidavit filed last week for a search warrant on Gabby Petito's hard drive says her mother received an odd text from her daughter on August 27.

The text message read: "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Because the text message referred to Petito's grandfather as Stan -- something Gabby never called him -- her mother was concerned that something was wrong, the warrant states.

Following that text message, Petito's phone was no longer operational and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip, the warrant says.

The warrant also says that during the trip, Petito had many talks with her mother via cellphone when there "appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie."

Another potential clue came Sunday when two vloggers posted video to YouTube of what they believed to be Petito's and Laundrie's van near the Wyoming camping area.

Kyle and Jenn Bethune said the video was taken on their GoPro on August 27 in the camping area in Bridger-Teton National Forest between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Bethunes, who are from Florida, were looking for a spot to camp and thought it was "neat" to see a vehicle with Florida plates in Wyoming.

In the video, Jenn Bethune said they thought about stopping to say hello, but the van "was completely dark. There was nobody there."

"The van looked like it was pretty much kind of abandoned," Kyle Bethune added in the video narration. "We figured maybe they were out hiking or they were just chilling inside. There was no doors open."

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Antananarivo [Madagascar], September 15 (ANI): Hindi Day was celebrated at the Embassy of India in Antananarivo on September 14, which saw the participation of Malagasy diplomats, the Indian community, and families of Embassy officials.

A release by Indian Embassy in Madagascar said the event started with a welcome remark by Ambassador Abhay Kumar on the history of Hindi day celebrations in India and how celebrating Hindi day is important in promoting Hindi around the world.

Also Read | China Imposes Local Lockdown as COVID-19 Cases Surge.

It was followed by the video message of the External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Hindi Day. A short Hindi animation movie was also shown during the event.

Thereafter, a special Hindi quiz show was held that saw the enthusiastic participation of the guests.

Also Read | China Mainland Reports 50 New Locally Transmitted COVID-19-19 cases.

Laster, Hindi poems were recited by the Ambassador, officials of the Embassy and the school children.

The event ended with the Hindi Day pledge taken by the Indian Embassy officials towards promoting Hindi language. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
President Joe Biden and his administration plan to double the refugee cap for the Fiscal Year 2022, which will start on October 1.

The Biden administration announced their plan through the U.S. State Department on Monday, saying that the target ceiling for the refugee cap next fiscal year is 125,000. The said number was double the current refugee cap of 62,500 refugees. In May, President Biden had raised the refugee cap from the 15,000 limits set by former President Donald Trump.

The State Department explained in a press release that the recommendation of the Biden administration to raise the refugee cap for the next fiscal year was done to "address needs generated by humanitarian crises around the globe," Daily Wire reported.

READ NEXT: Federal Judge Bars Biden Administration from Using a Trump-Era Policy in Expelling Migrant Families

Biden Administration's Refugee Cap Allocation

Apart from proposing a higher number of refugee cap for Fiscal Year 2022, the Biden administration also provided allocations to different groups of refugees from the 125,000.

In the new proposal, the Biden administration would allow 40,000 refugees from Africa, and 35,000 to the Near East and South Asia, the region where Afghanistan is located. Meanwhile, the U.S. would allow 25,000 refugees from Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and another 15,000 refugees from East Asia would also be permitted, according to the press release by the State Department.

The regional subtotal for the refugees was 115,000, but the administration designated 10,000 slots more for the unallocated reserve, making the total of the refugee cap for Fiscal Year 2022, to 125,000.

The proposal increase announced by the State Department comes as the Biden administration faces a migrant surge in the southern border and an uptick of Afghan citizens over the U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan.

Approximately 40,000 Afghan citizens were brought to the United States after the U.S. withdrawal in the South Asian country, New York Post reported, citing WSJ. However, none of the thousands of Afghan citizens were classified as refugees due to the rush with which they were taken out of their country.

Meanwhile, thousands of migrants from Haiti gathered under an international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, prompting House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to call on President Biden to deploy national guards to help control the situation in the area.

Vietnamese Americans Help Afghan Refugees

Aside from the Biden administration, Vietnamese Americans also made their move to help the Afghan refugees resettle in the United States.

As the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, Vietnamese Americans gave out monetary donations to resettlement groups and help provide housing, furniture, and legal assistance to newly arriving refugees from Afghanistan. Some Vietnamese Americans also offered to guide the Afghan refugees and teach them how to shop at a supermarket, enroll kids in school, and drive a car in the U.S.

"We were them 40 years ago," Thuy Do, a Vietnamese American doctor in Seattle, said. Do incorporates the similarities of the Afghan refugees to them "with the fall of Saigon in 1975."

Meanwhile, another Vietnamese American identified as Andrew Do, said that they experienced what the Afghan refugees experienced, and they can't help but feel that they are "brethren" due to their common ground.

It can be recalled that hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese arrived in the U.S. since the Vietnam war. To date, the group is the sixth-largest immigrant group in the U.S.

READ NEXT: USCIS New Rule: Migrants Applying for U.S. Citizenship Must Show Proof of COVID Vaccines

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: US Evacuation Operation: Afghan Refugees Arrive in Northern Virginia - From Al Jazeera English
A formal probe was launched by the U.S Customs and Border Protection Office for professional responsibility on Monday, for border agents who were riding horses that were seen chasing Haitian Migrants in Texas.

The announcement of the formal probe was made by a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) on Monday, saying that the said CBP office notified DHS' Office inspector general about the move.

The DHS said that the probe would "define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken." Furthermore, the department also confirmed that they dispatched additional personnel to supervise future border patrol operations on the make-shift encampment of Haitians in Del Rio, Texas.

READ NEXT: President Biden to Increase Refugee Cap to 125K Amid Border Surge

White House Press Secretary Horrified on Border Agents on Horses Chasing Haitians

The investigation from the CBP office stemmed out as border agents riding horses were photographed chasing Haitian migrants along the Texas borders.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki expressed her thought as she saw the photos, calling them "horrific."

In one photo, a border patrol agent leaned over his saddle to grab the shirt of a man trying to get away. Some photos also showed migrants carrying plastic bags and their possessions in their hands, USA Today reported.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on Sunday.



 Paul Ratje / AFP via Getty pic.twitter.com/JTMDq6ITPn  NBC News (@NBCNews) September 20, 2021

"I can't imagine what context would make that [photos] appropriate," Psaki said. The White House press secretary furthered that even though she had no additional details about the photograph she saw, anyone who will see the pictures will think that what the border agents did was unacceptable or inappropriate.

When asked whether the border agents on horses should be fired, Psaki agreed, saying that the agents should not be able to chase migrants again.

Representative Ilhan Omar also blasted the border agents, as he took to Twitter his sentiments on Monday. He called the move human rights abuses. Omar went on and said that the issue surrounding the border agents on horses "needs a course correction and the issuance of a clear directive" on how to humanely process asylum seekers.

These are human rights abuses, plain and simple.



Cruel, inhumane, and a violation of domestic and international law. This needs a course correction and the issuance of a clear directive on how to humanely process asylums seekers at our border. https://t.co/tdDN70Hz1z  Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 20, 2021

The representative quoted his statement with a video of border agents on horses along a river trying to keep the migrants from going into the land.

DHS Secretary Says U.S. Borders 'Not Open'

Jen Psaki's comments on the border agents came as DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a press conference on Monday that U.S. borders are not open, as thousands of Haitian migrants gather in a makeshift encampment in Texas.

Mayorkas underscored that they were concerned that Haitians who take the "irregular migration path" might have received false information that the U.S. borders were open and temporary protected status is available.

"That is false information," Mayorkas said, adding that they have reiterated and urged people not to engage in a "dangerous journey" into the U.S.

To date, more than 15,000 migrants, predominantly composed of Haitians, flooded Del Rio, Texas, in two weeks.

"If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned," Mayorkas pointed out, adding that the migrant's journey will not succeed and only endanger their lives and those of their families.

READ NEXT: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Backpedals on Order to Shut Down Border Crossing; Says Pres. Joe Biden Abandoning Border Security

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers
U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed his support on the investigation in Afghanistan involving an error in an airstrike that had killed 10 civilians, including seven children.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that all of their views is that the loss of any civilian life is a tragedy, according to a Fox News report.

Psaki also reiterated to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie that the drone strike was done in error. The two officials also affirmed that the investigation will continue as long as the president widely supports the move.

Psaki said that the president supports moving the probe forward as quickly as possible and conducting a thorough investigation. The press secretary did not specify whether anyone would be fired or held accountable for the botched airstrike. However, she said that what's important was that the secretary of defense and the chairman, McKenzie, came forward and made very clear what it was.

Psaki added that the officials wanted it to be as transparent as possible and learn from what had happened.

READ NEXT: Taliban Replaces Afghanistan's Women's Ministry With Ministry of Virtue and Vice, Bringing Back Religious Police

Airstrike Failure in Afghanistan

Last month, the U.S. military said that a drone strike on a vehicle suspected being used for a planned attack in Afghanistan may have led to "additional casualties."

Earlier reports noted that there were three children killed in the strike near Kabul's airport.

U.S. Central Command, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, said that officials were aware of the reports of civilian casualties and were investigating, according to an ABC News report.

On Friday, the Pentagon had admitted that the U.S. drone strike in Kabul had killed as many as 10 civilians with seven children. McKenzie offered his condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed, according to a CNBC report.

The airstrike was a response to the suicide bombing, which was claimed by the terrorist group ISIS-K. Thirteen service members were dead due to the attack.

The U.S. is eyeing reparation payments to surviving family members. However, McKenzie said that it would be difficult with the U.S. having no presence in Afghanistan.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff had concerns about the department's transparency. Schiff said that he and his colleagues in Congress will continue to push forward for answers.

Meanwhile, Rep. Michael McCaul has hired a former CNN journalist for the investigation of the U.S.'s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Journalist, Ryan Browne, released a statement through McCaul's office, saying that he looks forward to putting together a comprehensive, independent, and facts-driven probe, according to The Hill report.

He added that it is crucial for them to know what caused the chaos of the emergency evacuation, as well as look at the administration's failed efforts to evacuate all who need to get out of the country.

State Secretary Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration's effort, including its wrong projection of how long the Taliban could take over.

Blinken said that no one else saw anything that indicated the fall of the Afghan government in 11 days.

READ MORE: Sen. Mitch McConnell Says Pres. Joe Biden Won't Be Impeached Over Afghanistan, Says Hold Him Accountable at 'Ballot Box'

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Lawmakers vow to investigate Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan - from GMA






The southwestern province of Valle del Cauca in Colombia witnessed the ninth massacre in the region after residents from the town of Tulua found the victims on Sunday, increasing the number of massacres in the region.

Increasing Number of Massacres in Colombia

The southwestern region of Colombia situated around the city of Cali has been one of the hardest hit by a surge in massacres in the country. The numbers that have been registered throughout the country have increased this year and it alarmed Colombian citizens.

According to Colombia Reports, the Defense Ministry of Colombia registered a 91% increase in massacres involving four or more individuals. The rising numbers were recorded between the months of January and July and were compared to the same period last year.

READ MORE: Instagram Warns Colombian Artist For Selling NFTs of Cocaine; Threatens To Delete Artist's Account

Reasons Behind Massacres in Colombia

Indepaz, a non-government organization that carries out long term projects in the pursuit of peace, 260 individuals were killed in 71 massacres of three and more people so far this year.

Based on the data provided by Indepaz, the surge in massacres was a result of the increasing violence in regions that have long been a strategic route for illegal activities. The region has been facing problems like drug trafficking and illegal mining.

The region of Valle del Cauca has historically been of major importance for drug cartels and illegal groups involved in moving cocaine and other illegal products from central Colombia to the country's Pacific coast in the west.

Indepaz said that FARC dissident organization CCO, organized crime group La Oficina de Envigado, and paramilitary group AGC are still active in Tulua. Even local drug traffickers are still operating in the area.

Since the mid-1990s, the region around Tulua became a major drug trafficking hub for cartels especially during the reign of the regional "Norte del Valle Cartel," which was one of Colombia's most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the country's history.

The Colombian cartel promoted the domestic production of cocaine instead of importing illicit drugs from other countries like Bolivia and Peru.

The rise in the domestic cocaine production in Colombia fueled the violence in the country between now-defunct guerrilla group FARC and the cartel's partner, now-defunct paramilitary organization AUC.

Despite the multiple strategies and announced plans to combat deadly violence and organized crime released by the government of Colombian President Ivan Duque, it came out without any results. Since he took office in 2018, Duque has been trying to implement numerous strategies related to drugs, but the numbers have been increasing.

Furthermore, authorities have been unable to prevent the recent increase in massacres and other deadly violence that are causing a surge in homicides that has not been seen by the country in more than a decade.

Based on the information of the Medical Examiner's Office, at least 8,566 were murdered between January and August. The number is 26% higher than the gathered data in the same period last year. It also has been the highest number since 2013.

READ NEXT: Colombia Navy Seizes $60 Million Worth of Cocaine Found Inside a Semi-Submersible VesselThis article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Jess Smith

WATCH: Colombia: 43 massacres and 75 social leaders killed so far in 2021-TeleSUR English


Los Angeles County officials on Monday, defended the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday after Seth Rogen jokingly complained over the COVID-19 protocols that were not observed during the ceremony.

It can be recalled that Rogen jokingly said that the awards-giving body lied to the artists, contending that the organizers of the Emmy claimed that the event would be held outdoors.

Before presenting the winner of the first category of the night, Rogen said that they were in a "hermetically sealed tent" and asked why there is a roof despite organizers from Emmys previously claimed that the event would be held outdoors.

READ NEXT: Netflix 'Queen's Gambit' Wins at 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards; No Season 2 Says EP

Los Angeles Officials Responds on Maskless Emmy Awards Backlash

Apart from Seth Rogen, online backlash also surfaced as the camera on the awards show revealed that all the attendees were not wearing their face masks during the event.

One Twitter user said that the artists were not wearing masks on Emmys because "rules are for the little people." Another said that Seth Rogen said what she was thinking as she saw that the gathering was held in a small room without masks and ventilation.

No Masks at the #Emmys because rules are for the little people. pic.twitter.com/dNi34YRCP5  Eric Bott (@BottAFP) September 20, 2021

me: why are the emmys in such a small room without masks and no ventilation during a pandemic



(30 seconds later)



seth rogen: why are we in such a small room without masks and no ventilation during a pandemic  lenika  (@lenikacruz) September 20, 2021

In a statement, the L.A. Department of Health underscored that due to the nature of Emmy Awards, the crowded venue does not violate any of the suggested safety guidelines, Fox News reported.

The department furthered that the guideline exceptions were made for television, film, and music productions, contending that "additional safety modifications" were established for such "controlled interactions."

"The Emmy Award Show is a television production, and persons appearing on the show are considered performers," the department pointed out in their statement, adding that all who appeared in the audience were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

It can be recalled that organizers of the prestigious awards ceremony also clarified that attendees were required to test negative and vaccinated ahead of the show, as well as provide a negative RT-PCR COVID test before their admission.

Los Angeles officials also said in the statement that the Emmys reached out to the Public Health in advance to share their safety protocols.

Despite defending the Emmys for going maskless, the department highlighted that they will continue to review the protocols of future large television production events.

'Ted Lasso' Star Hannah Waddingham Responds to Seth Rogan Mispronouncing Her Name

Apart from complaining about the COVID protocols on the Primetime Emmy Awards 2021, Seth Rogan also made the headlines as he mispronounced Hannah Waddingham's name as he presented the winner of the category, outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.

Instead of saying Waddingham, Rogan mispronounced the last name of the "Ted Lasso" star as Waddington. Waddingham said that she did not hear her last name mispronounced, as she went to stage, hugged her co-stars, and went straight to her acceptance speech.

"I didn't hear that. It's a brand-new information," Waddingham said in an interview. The comedy actress also said that she has to call Seth Rogen Seth Ragin.

READ NEXT: Carlos Santana to Release New Star-Studded Album 'Blessings and Miracles' in October

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: COVID-19 Concerns at 73rd Emmy Awards - From Fox 11 Los Angeles
An Amnesty International report said at least 10 women and young girls are murdered daily in Mexico, adding that the victims' families are often left to do their own investigations.

The human rights group released the report on Monday amid the violence and lack of interest on the part of Mexican authorities to solve the crimes, The Guardian reported.

The Amnesty International report noted that Mexico continues to fail to do its duty to investigate, guarantee the rights to life and personal integrity of the victims, and prevent further violence against women.

In the 1990s, some 400 women in the border city Ciudad Juarez were killed. Femicide has been growing in Mexico for decades, prompting the rise of the feminist movement.

Advocates held massive street protests against the violence, but authorities continued to fail in stopping the killing. Maricruz Ocampo, a women's activist in the state of Queretaro, said it is always a question of political will.

READ NEXT: Mexican Serial Killer Admits to Slaying 15 Women in Mexico City and Eating His Victims

Femicide in Mexico

According to its website, Amnesty's 47-page report titled "Justice on Trial" focused on the failures in criminal investigations of femicides preceded by the disappearance in the state of Mexico.

It tackled four cases of femicide that were followed by the disappearance and other significant failures by the authorities in the criminal investigations.

Just last year, 3,723 women were murdered in Mexico, and 940 of these cases were investigated as femicides.

The figure equates to at least 10 women being killed every day, with around one-third of the victims killed for reasons connected to their gender.

Ocampo said the officials refuse to acknowledge the problem that is growing in the country. She added that the governors are more concerned about their states' images and investments.

In addition, the state of Mexico Attorney General's Office does not have the needed framework to do such investigations, with staff's workload being already overcapacity.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had earlier branded the women protesting on International Women's Day as "conservatives" while claiming that there's a dark hand controlling the demonstrations.

When asked about the rising violence against women, Lopez Obrador said that women of Mexico are protected and represented. He noted that they are doing everything possible to ensure peace.

Citizens Conducting Investigations on Their Own

Families and advocacy groups are taking the matter into their own hands to investigate the murder of their loved ones.

One known individual and journalist, Frida Guerrera, hunts down men who kill women, according to another The Guardian report. Guerrera said she always believed that the girls tell her where to go, calling "it magic."

Meanwhile, many cases of crime scenes were contaminated by authorities. Officials, also at times, mishandled evidence.

Julia Sosa's children recounted their experience with the authorities when they reported what happened to their mother.

Sosa's children said they had to wait for hours for police to arrive and process the crime scene. One of her daughters noted that the police were falling asleep during the interview process.

Sosa was believed to have been killed by her partner, the alleged suspect. Her partner had hanged himself, which led the police to close the case.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 'A Day Without Women': Strike in Mexico to Condemn Femicides - From Al Jazeera English






Police in Alabama on Monday said investigations into multiple possible sightings of missing Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, in Mobile County had not yielded any leads on his whereabouts.

Alabama cops searched for Gabby Petito's fiance after multiple people reported a man's sightings that fit Laundrie's description in the Mobile area, The Daily Mail reported.

The county is located more than 600 miles northwest of his Florida home in North Port, where he had been staying with his parents before he disappeared on Tuesday last week.

Some netizens even speculated that Laundrie may have been the body found in a dumpster outside a Walmart in Mobile over the weekend.

But Alabama cops told FOX 10 News on Monday that the body in the dumpster belonged to an unidentified homeless man. Police said they have been investigating many tips, but none had produced any concrete information.

Mobile County Sheriff's Office Captain Paul Burch said they have dispatched a vehicle for each call and verified that the person was not Laundrie. But still, Burch encouraged the public to report anything that might be useful.

"We will always check on everyone because you may never know," he noted.

The multiple tips on Brian Laundrie's whereabouts came as law enforcement in Florida called off their search for Laundrie at the massive park known as the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, which his parents said he visited.

The North Port Police Department said on Monday that they had exhausted all avenues in searching the area. Police are also investigating a cellphone photo showing a man that looks like Brian Laundrie.

According to the New York Post, the photo was taken about two blocks from Laundrie's parents' home in North Port on Friday. However, the man in the photo appeared to have a tattoo on his left arm, which Laundrie does not.

RELATED ARTICLE: Missing Gabby Petito's Family Accuses Fiance Brian Laundrie of 'Hiding' After His Parents Say He Vanished From Florida Home

Missing Gabby Petito's Last and Cryptic Message to Her Mom Before Her Disappearance

The North Port Police acquired a court warrant to search and investigate Gabby Petito's computer for clues on her disappearance. Part of the application for warrant stated a cryptic last text message Petito sent to her mother, Nichole Schmidt.

It noted that on August 27, Schmidt received an "odd text" from Petito asking her to help Stan, the YouTuber's grandfather. Petito said she keeps receiving voicemails and missed calls from him.

However, Schmidt noted that Gabby Petito never called her grandfather "Stan," making her think something was wrong. On August 30, Petito's mother acknowledged that she also received a text from her daughter saying: "No service in Yosemite."

Schmidt believes that her daughter did not send that final message and that Brian Laundrie might have sent them from her phone, possibly to mislead her family and investigators to her whereabouts.

The document further noted that this was the "last communication anyone has" with Gabby Petito. Her mobile phone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on her social media.

911 Call Reveals Brian Laundrie Slapped Gabby Petito Repeatedly Before She Disappeared

A 911 call narrated a domestic abuse involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie at a community cooperative in Moab before the YouTuber was reported missing.

The man from Utah who called the emergency hotline said they saw a man, who appeared to be Brian Laundrie, slapped Petito before the two hopped back in a van and drove off on August 12.

The unnamed man also said that Laundrie and Petito drove off to Main Street from Moonflower. Shortly after the call, the couple was filmed in police bodycam footage when Moab Police stopped them.

In the video, the YouTuber, who was crying, told police that they had "been fighting all morning."

Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the You Tuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Petito was reported missing by her family.

On Sunday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said human remains believed to be of Gabby Petito were found in Wyoming.

The FBI said the remains they found in Teton County, Wyoming was "consistent" with the description of the missing YouTuber.

However, the body has yet to be 100 percent positively identified, and the cause of death has not been determined. An autopsy on the body is scheduled for Tuesday.

READ MORE: Utah Police Says They Are "Not Ruling Out" Possible Link Between Double Murder and Gabby Petito Case

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: The Search for Gabby Petito's Boyfriend - From CNBC Television
Two Laois villages have taken a big step closer to erecting a crime fighting CCTV camera network on their roads.

This week the Joint Policing Committee met and gave approval for Rosenallis and Dunmore to get the legally compliant community CCTV systems.

It will mean that Laois will be the county with the most community CCTV systems in Ireland, according to Laois Offaly Kildare Garda Chief John Scanlan.

"There are more CCTV projects in this county than any other in the state. It is not the total panacea it is described to be. Sometimes it can have a displacement effect on crime, it happens on the other side of the cameras," he said.

The Garda Chief added that communities must bear most of the brunt of paying for the cameras, with thousands needed to be raised first to qualify for a Government grant, and then money needed to be donated every year locally to maintain the cameras.

When the new cameras can go up and be turned on is still an unknown.

"This is an approval in principal. Details and locations are to be worked out over the weeks and months ahead," Laois County Council official Carmel McNichol told the meeting.

Cllr John King proposed the approval, seconded by Cllr James Kelly.

For Dunmore who already had erected their own cameras some years ago, the approval is for Phase II. This will also make the cameras fully compliant with Laois County Council having agreed last year to act as Data Controller for such systems. The footage can only be viewed by Gardai following approval by a senior Garda for specific investigations.

Mountmellick was the first town in Laois to get the new scheme installed and is shortly to turn their cameras on after several years of fundraising, negotiating paperwork, waiting for the council to agree to be data controller and finally installing the system and waiting for connection.

JPC member Bobby Delaney is a member of the Mountmellick committee and spoke at the meeting.

"It was one of the easiest fundraisers I was ever on, people just walked in and gave us money. The whole community in Mountmellick is behind the cameras. Our committee has gone down from 18 to six. Hopefully when the cameras are launched we will get new blood," he said.
An asylum seeker from Afghanistan told Tullamore District Court that it was normal to smoke cannabis in his country.

Aryan Habibi, 24, was living in the direct provision centre at Marian Hostel, High Street, Tullamore, on April 30 last where four deal bags of amphetamines were found.

The man was also found with 240 worth of cannabis resin at Offaly Street in Tullamore on March 25 last.

He pleaded guilty to both drugs charges and a further offence of a breach of the peace at Dolan's store, Clara Road on April 30.

Giving details of the offence at Offaly Street, Sergeant James O'Sullivan said when gardai were on patrol there they saw a male trying to throw something away.

During a search they found 240 of cannabis in a sealed bag on top of a gate divided into segments.

Mr Habibi was arrested and made admissions to possessing the drug for sale or supply.

Sergeant O'Sullivan also said that on April 30 the accused entered Dolan's Gala accompanied by a friend who was not wearing a mask.

When the owner approached and asked the second male to leave the store until he got a face mask, the defendant started to argue the point and swung at Mr Dolan in a threatening manner but didn't connect.

The accused's address at Marian Hostel was searched and 120 worth of amphetamine was found there.

Mr Farrelly said his client had no previous convictions. He had a difficult experience he had coming from his own country through Pakistan and then through France to Ireland.

He left his family behind him and some of his siblings were stuck in France. After arriving in Ireland he got a job for a short period in AES and then settled down following his turmoil and troubles.

Mr Habibi had entered his guilty pleas on a previous occasion and a restorative justice report was prepared for him in advance of sentencing.

Judge Staines said she had sympathy for the accused but he had committed some very serious offences in Ireland.

Though the man's English was said to be reasonable, he was assisted in court by an interpreter when Judge Staines asked him if he understood the seriousness of the offences.

Mr Habibi said smoking cannabis would be normal in his own country and the drugs found were for his own use.

Judge Staines said he had pleaded guilty to selling drugs and had them divided up into different bags.

Mr Farrelly said his client had taken a pragmatic approach by pleading guilty to having the drugs for sale or supply to deal with all the issues and put the matter behind him.

Having read the restorative justice report, Judge Staines said there had been a lot of problems making contact with the accused and the service intended contacting him by phone with a new appointment.

She told the accused it was very important for him to keep all his appointments because he could go to prison for two years.

She adjourned sentencing again to December 8 next and warned Mr Habibi that he must co-operate with the restorative justice service and keep all his appointments.
Santa worked through Covid-19 but the restrictions meant parents in Laois and around the world couldn't bring the kids to meet him in the run up to Christmas 2020.

However, with the Covid-19 curbs eased, the man in the red suit will be making a welcome return to shops all around Ireland.

While Santa's elves are busy in the North Pole he needs some extra help in towns and cities where children can meet him in person.

The Santa Experience is seeking Christmas Elves to help bring the North Pole alive in Dunnes Stores at The Kyle Centre in Portlaoise.

Applicant will be in a full elf costume and will entertain children and their families in the queue and on their way to Santa's House. Christmas Elves will also assist Santa in his house.

Santa says you must be enthusiastic, have a cheery and bright disposition, experience with children and the public, and a colourful imagination!

Elves will be needed from November 19 to December 23.

Santa says applicants who are interested will be prompted to schedule a Zoom interview after submitting their applications. Anyone interested can contact Santa here.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has not ruled out a change in Ireland's low corporation tax.

He spoke about the issue with Caroline Hyde of Bloomberg TV while in New York, which Taoiseach Martin is visiting to chair the UN Security Council at the General Assembly.

Ms Hyde brought up Ireland's 12.5% corporation tax rate and asked whether Ireland is committed to that.

The Taoiseach responded to say the rate has been "a very important part" of attracting companies to Ireland.

He said, "On the corporation tax, we've engaged in the OECD process. We haven't joined the consensus yet but we've been broadly supportive of the process."

The question comes in the wake of a global push led by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for a minimum tax rate of 15%.

He clarified that Ireland hasn't signed up yet because of "some aspects of it which we believe do not give certainty of continuity".

The next phase of economic growth targets the green economy and digitization, Irish PM Micheal Martin tells @CarolineHydeTV https://t.co/iZUkWvFVM6 pic.twitter.com/FBwlDQc2UP  Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) September 20, 2021

According to the Taoiseach, companies need certainty and continuity into the future.

He said, "It can't be a scenario that changes every two or three years and that's something that needs to be discussed in this process."
The campaign for a big upgrade of the secondary school that serves Portarlington and big surrounding areas of Laois and Offaly has taken a step significant step forward according to a local TD.

Independent TD for the Kildare South constituency, which includes Portarlington, Dr. Cathal Berry TD claims that the Colaiste Iosagain secondary school project will be moving from Stage 1 (architectural design) to Stage 2 (planning permission).

He says the permission will be sought for a 1,300 new school.

Deputy Berry commented welcomed the development saying it was his number one priority to secure this critical infrastructure for the Portarlington area.

I fully appreciate what a gateway a good secondary school is for peoples personal and professional development," he said.

"Having repeated my own Leaving Certificate in the school in 2009 to get into medical school, Im delighted to finally see some positive progress. This 25m project will be transformative for the town.

"Looking forward to meeting again with students, staff, parent representatives and the rest of the school community shortly to update them in person, he said.

Staff, school management and parents have been campaigning for upgrade for a number years. Different designs have been drawn up on the request of the Department of Education.

Options varied from a complete new school to an extention and overhaul. A new school would be built on a site beside the existing school which is located off the bog road in Portarlington on the Offaly side of the town.
Wind energy is Irelands best tool in our battle against climate change and a growing source of jobs and investment in rural Ireland.

A recent report, Economic Impact of Onshore Wind in Ireland, by KPMG found that the Irish onshore wind energy industry currently employs around 5,000 people and this is expected to increase to 7,000 by 2030.

Onshore wind energy is worth over 400 million annually to the Irish economy and contributes 45 million in commercial rates every year, and rising, to County Councils to fund local services.

Delivering the onshore wind energy targets in the Climate Action Plan will generate 2.7 billion of investment over the next ten years, create thousands of new jobs and could be worth 550 million per annum.

In this weeks edition you will see a full colour education poster on wind energy and climate change that might be of interest to you, your family or your local primary school.

Irish wind farms are reducing our CO2 emissions by 4 million tonnes a year and rising, said Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland.

This report shows that as well as being essential to the fight against climate change wind farms are increasingly central to Irelands economy.

It shows we can drive down our carbon emissions while creating jobs, attracting investment and building stronger, more sustainable, communities. This is what the just transition looks like.

Among the reports key findings are:

Irelands wind farms currently support more than 5,100 jobs directly, and through the supply chain, and this could rise to more than 7,000 by 2030.

directly, and through the supply chain, and this could rise to more than 7,000 by 2030. Onshore wind is worth 410 million annually to todays economy with most of this concentrated in rural Ireland.

to todays economy with most of this concentrated in rural Ireland. Wind farms pay more than 45 million in commercial rates to County Councils and this is expected to double by the end of the decade. In seven counties wind farms contribute more than 8 per cent of the entire commercial rates budget and this figure rises to 22 per cent in Leitrim and 15.5 per cent in Tipperary.

to County Councils and this is expected to double by the end of the decade. In seven counties wind farms contribute more than 8 per cent of the commercial rates budget and this figure rises to 22 per cent in Leitrim and 15.5 per cent in Tipperary. Communities potentially stand to benefit from up to 25m in annual community benefit payments as new wind farms are built.

The rates paid by these wind farms keeps libraries open, repair roads and support local businesses but the investment made by wind farms in rural Ireland goes well beyond that, Noel Cunniffe continued.

The KPMG report shows that 95 per cent of operational expenditure by Irish wind farms is in the south, west or north of the country where it is supporting local jobs and local businesses.

And under the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, launched last year by Minister Eamon Ryan, the additional 4,000 MW of onshore wind to be delivered over this decade could be worth 25 million annually in community benefit payments with 40 per cent of that reserved for sustainable development projects.

The report by KPMG was funded by Wind Energy Ireland with additional support from Bord na Mona, Brookfield Renewables, Coillte and Statkraft Ireland.
Businesses from all over the country are being offered a unique opportunity to improve competitive edge with Kildare Local Enterprise Office's (LEO) Innovate 2021 online event.

Headlining the morning webinar will be a variety of keynote expert speakers, including: Senior Lecturer of Design and Innovation at Maynooth University and author of ARRIVE Frank Devitt, former President and current director of the Institute of Designers Ireland and the Head of The B!g Idea Kim McKenzie-Doyle, and Workplace Innovation Engineer with the IDEAS Institute, Tony Murphy.

LEO has confirmed that attendees will also explore innovation supports from Carlow IT and Enterprise Ireland, with agency speaker Ailish Delaney, Design+ Applied Design Gateway Manager at Carlow IT and Technical Advisor Enterprise Ireland Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) Fund, Padraig Doolan.

The group have also confirmed that practical financial supports will also be discussed with the Head of Economic Development and Enterprise Jacqui McNabb and Senior Enterprise Development Officer Claire Dunleavy from Kildare Local

Enterprise Office.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ms McNabb quoted the multinational company Deloitte by saying: "Innovation is the development of new or improvement of existing products, services or processes."

"A key to any successful business, regardless of its size, its ability to innovate.

As the business world evolves, businesses should be innovating or simply put, making improvements doing things better."

She continued: Of course, the average small business owner often feels they are too busy to be thinking about

innovation and feels a large innovation budget is required but for many small business owners today, innovation does not need to take large budgets or the latest technology."

"Successful innovation for the small business owner takes the ability to focus, critically evaluate your

own company and the aptitude to work at grassroots.

"With the assistance of the Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland as well as our academic institutions, companies can apply Innovative thinking right through their business models."

She concluded: "Innovation will keep operations, products, and services fresh, and adding this fuel will make your business more competitive."

Innovation Voucher

The webinar comes as part of a wider initiative of Kildare Local Enterprise Office with support from

Enterprise Ireland to help small businesses finance research and innovation projects.

The initiative features Innovation Vouchers worth 5,000 to assist a companies in exploring new business

opportunities with a registered knowledge provider.

Businesses can register at www.bit.ly/INNOVATE2021.

For more information visit www.LocalEnterprise.ie/Kildare or contact Kildare Local Enterprise Office at

localenterprise@kildarecoco.ie.
Get the plastic teeth, fake claws, old bedsheets and face paint ready, as Trick or Treat for Sick Children is returning to County Kildare!

Broadcaster and TV personality Lucy Kennedy has today launched the ninth annual annual 'Trick or Treat for Sick Children' fundraising campaign, in aid of Childrens Health Foundation (CHF).

Kennedy was helped by two kind but mighty little monsters, Aoife and Ciara Jane O'Sullivan, who have both spent time at CHI at Crumlin and Temple Street.

The CHF, in association with refreshment giant MiWadi, are calling on families, friends, and communities throughout the county to take part in some mighty monster fun by hosting Halloween activities at home, in school or creche, in the workplace, and even virtually, all the while making a contribution to support the magic that happens in CHI hospitals every day.

Funds raised will go towards the purchasing of vital, life-saving equipment for sick children all across Ireland.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Lucy Kennedy, said: "Im thrilled to have been asked to get behind this years Trick or Treat campaign for Sick Children and contribute to raising awareness and funds for the extraordinary work carried out in CHI Hospitals every single day."

"Were big fans of Halloween in my house and I know my little monsters cant wait to get dressed up and have some serious spooky fun while supporting this great cause!" she added.

As part of this years campaign, MiWadi has also partnered with renowned childrens book illustrator, Chris Judge (Tiny and Teeny, The Beast series), to create a selection of bespoke Fruit Monster artworks that will be made available for charity auction across MiWadi Irelands Instagram page from October.

There will be four original pieces of artwork up for grabs for the highest bidder with all proceeds going directly to the Trick or Treat for Sick Children 2021 campaign.

Denise Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Childrens Health Foundation, also commented on the launch: "Were excited to announce that Trick or Treat for Sick Children, a favourite amongst our supporters, is back for another year."

"Funds raised through this fantastic campaign will make a huge impact, providing vital funds for essential equipment and services across all CHI hospitals and urgent care centres."

She continued: "Were delighted to have the support of MiWadi who stay by our side for this important fundraiser each year.

Were so grateful to all our supporters who take part every year as well as those who are joining in for the first time."

"Your support helps give every sick child the very best chance," she concluded.

In addition, throughout the campaign, MiWadi will be sharing their top tricks and tips on social media to help get the party startled as well as their live auction in partnership with artist Chris Judge  you can check it out at www.instagram.com/miwadi_ ireland/.

To register for a personalised Trick or Treat for Sick Children Party Pack, register www.childrenshealth.ie/trickortreat, or call 01 709 1700 which includes posters, stickers and much more.
Two prominent politicians from south Kildare raised the allegations made in the Women of Honour documentary on sexual assault and harassment in the Defence Forces to the Seanad earlier today.

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin of Fianna Fail and Minister Martin Heydon of Fine Gael were present during the Seanad motion, which came about after allegations of sex abuse and bullying within the Irish Defence Forces (IDF) came to light last week.

The issue was also talked about extensively by four female members of the IDF, who gave the accounts of the alleged abuse while taking part in a radio documentary commissioned by RTE.

It was further elaborated on by former Army captain and whistleblower Tom Clonan, as well as former IDF member Anthony O' Brien.

Senator O' Loughlin told the Seanad that the issues raised in Women Of Honour are nothing new, yet nothing has been done to pursue justice for the survivors.

She further called for a reform of the IDF and referred to the allegations of a cover up within the IDF by senior members of staff made within the programme as being "among the more concerning aspects of this story."

"This review must have the confidence of every member of the Defence Forces, and must be open to public scrutiny," Senator O' Loughlin said.

"The days of quiet back room dealings are over: the review must be transparent, must be public, and must deal with the allegations effectively."

Minister Heydon was present in the Seanad to respond on behalf of the Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney: "As recently indicated by Mr Coveney, the review will be conducted by independent and unbiased personnel."

Deputy Heydon also revealed that a meeting will take place this week between some these participants and the secretary general, and senior officials with the Department of Defence.

"Minister Coveney, the government and the defence organisation are committed to providing a safe place to work for all employees," he added.

Also present at the meeting was Fianna Fail Senator, Lisa Chambers.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call Samaritans Ireland at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie, or you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre by visiting drcc.ie.

Help is always at hand and there is always someone available to listen.
Gender imbalance in Irish agriculture is to be addressed at a meeting with a new female farmers advocacy group in Leinster House today.

The Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (WASG), which is made up of prominent farming organisations including The Irish Farmers' Association and Macra na Feirme, will discuss their Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) submission to achieve a better gender balance in the industry.

They will also reportedly discuss the issue of women not being considered as young farm successors "despite being equally capable".

Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Jackie Cahill TD, spoke ahead of the meeting and said, "The Committee looks forward to meeting with [WASG] and to discuss their call for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address the issue of achieving gender balance within Irish agriculture on its [CAP] submission. We welcome a constructive debate with the group.

According to a 2017 study from Eurostat, Ireland has the lowest proportion of female farmers in the European Union at just 12%.

Currently more women over 80 are considered to be actively farming than those under 40 - the same isn't true for men.



Women aren't considered as young farm successors despite being equally capable.



We'll be bringing this & other points on CAP up on Tuesday in @OireachtasNews. pic.twitter.com/egR4Vsrx3m  Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group (@WomensAgriGroup) September 20, 2021

The committee will also discuss the impact of peat shortages on the horticulture industry.

Deputy Cahill said the committee had "a busy day ahead" discussing the two important issues.

He called the importation of peat into Ireland "nonsensical" and said, "At the moment, the solution put forward seems to be the importation of peat into this country for this industry. Peat is a natural product of this country. We need to explore possibilities around a small percentage of our bogs being used to harvest peat for these industries in rural Ireland."

The meeting will be broadcast from Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.
Kildare County Council have confirmed that a road will soon be closed for two days.

In association with Irish Water, KCC gives notice in accordance with Section 75 of the Roads Act, 1993 and the Roads Regulations, 1994 that it will close the Ballymany Road (R-445-30) from Junction of R445, L7042 and L7036 at Ballymany Road

to Junction of R445, L7042 and L7036 at Moorfield Crossroads, Newbridge.

This will be done to facilitate wastewater connection works.

The works will commence 7am Monday October 11 to 7pm Wednesday October 13.

Diversionary routes will be clearly signposted, as agreed with the Council and An Garda Siochana, while emergency access and restricted local access will be maintained.

Southbound vehicles travelling on Ballymany Road will be diverted onto Green Road and then diverted onto the R413 Road. Vehicles will be directed north back towards Newbridge where they will reach the end of the diversion.

The reverse will apply in the opposite direction.
A LEADING professional services company is to create 17 new jobs in Limerick as part of nationwide expansion announced today.

EY is to create over 800 new roles bringing its headcount on the island of Ireland to more than 4,200.

Just over 600 of the new roles will be Dublin-based, while the remaining 210 roles will be located in Cork, Galway, Belfast, Limerick and Waterford.

The company says 414 'experienced hire roles' will be advertised and filled by the end of June 2022 while a further 402 roles will be filled by university graduates starting this autumn.

EY will now actively recruit candidates to fill a variety of roles across its core areas of tax, audit, corporate finance and consulting as well as in new growth areas including technology consulting, digital and emerging technology, data analytics, cyber security, sustainability, law, strategy and transformation.

The firm is also recruiting heavily across other growth areas such as workforce and organisation design and planning, change management, transaction diligence, and valuations, modelling and economics.

Commenting on the announcement, An Taoiseach Mr Micheal Martin, who is currently in New York said: Its always encouraging to see high value jobs being created for both experienced professionals and the next generation of university graduates alike, and its a testament to the skills and talent available here in Ireland and a welcome endorsement of Irelands attractiveness as a place to invest and grow."

Frank OKeeffe, Managing Partner of EY Ireland, added: Our plans to grow our headcount by over 810 people in the coming months reflect the continuing strong growth of EY across the island of Ireland and the evolution were seeing amongst our client base. The fundamental changes brought about by the pandemic, coupled with wider macroeconomic headwinds and shifting business models, have created increased demand for our services as we help our clients tackle their most complex business challenges."

Mr O'Keeffe added: Were recruiting professionals at all levels, from university graduates through to partners, with backgrounds not only in business but in technology, science, engineering, law and humanities, however were not limited to these areas. Our new EY hybrid working model will also give us the opportunity to attract talent from every corner of the island of Ireland, not just in Dublin or in the big urban centres.
THE UL Hospitals Group has confirmed it is asking patients about their vaccination status when they attend at hospitals, including the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick.

It says the policy, which is in line with the latest national guidance, is to help keep all patients and staff in its hospitals safe from Covid infection.

A spokesperson confirmed patients are being asked about their status either before they attend for appointments, at the time of check-in or admission, or as soon as possible thereafter.

"Providing this information at admission assists the hospital to manage patients according to the degree of immunisation they have from Covid-19. It also helps the hospital more safely manage patients who come into contact with a Covid-19 case in any of our hospitals," said a spokesperson.

UL Hospitals says it is now part of the national guidance on Covid-19 that information on the vaccination status of patients in acute hospitals is determined and recorded, either prior to admission or as soon as possible thereafter.

The key informationdate of last vaccination dose; how many doses have been received; and type of vaccinewill be requested from the patient or, in the case of those patients unable to communicate the information themselves, from next of kin or a family member accompanying the patient to hospital.

The vaccination status of patients will not affect their treatment.

Barbara Slevin, Assistant Director of Nursing in Infection Prevention & Control at UL Hospitals, says the request for vaccination by hospitals is part of a best practice approach to infection prevention during the pandemic that is already in evidence in wider society.

People are already carrying their vaccination records with them, either the EU Digital Covid Certificate on their mobile phones, or the vaccination record card they would have received at their vaccination centres, and using that to access indoor dining and so on. This is very much a continuation of that. Its best practice in infection prevention, and its all about ensuring that people are safe when attending hospital, Ms Slevin said.

She added that it is important for those attending hospital with a patient to observe the Covid-19 public health protocols: If you are accompanying a member of your family to hospital or appointments, please do not attend if you have been informed that you are a Covid contact, or if you have any Covid symptoms.

Knowledge of patients vaccination status has assumed greater importance in recent months, in light of the prevalence in our communities of the contagious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, and the threat that Covid-19 continues to present to hospitals and other public healthcare facilities.

UL Hospitals says information on patients vaccination status will be treated in the strictest confidence, in line with the ethical obligation on UL Hospitals Group to protect the confidentiality of all patients in its care.

This is also a legal requirement as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation along with the Data Protection Acts 1988-2018.
MORE than 20 men and women are to take on pastoral roles within the Diocese of Limerick as part of the ongoing adaption for a more lay-involved future in leadership and ministry, it has been revealed.

According to Bishop Brendan Leahy, the 23 men and men are set to complete their Lay Pastoral Ministry and Leadership programmes shortly and will be also able to assist with pastoral opportunities when their training concludes.

To coincide with the announcement, an invitation to new candidates to step forward for the roles has been issued ahead of a number of information evenings later in the Autumn.

In addition to these roles, Bishop Leahy has also invited candidates interested in taking up roles as permanent deacons across the diocese to step forward.

Deacons had a ministry in the early Church, he said, which focused on service, both within the church community helping in the administration of the Diocese and in reaching out to the marginalised in society.

Gradually, they also helped out in some liturgical functions like performing baptisms or presiding at weddings and preaching. For a long time, this ministry practically died out. The Second Vatican Council, however, proposed the ministry should be re-vamped, he said.

Several Dioceses now have deacons, with about 100 overall in Ireland. At our Limerick Diocesan Synod in 2016, it was agreed we might explore developing the ministry of deacons in our Diocese. So, at this point I would ask for expressions of interest from men over 35 years of age, married or single," added Bishop Leahy.

While only men can be ordained Deacons at present, a commission is currently studying the question of a female deaconate. This followed the suggestion by the 2019 Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, which had recommended that women be considered for certain ministries in the church, including the permanent diaconate.

Bishop Leahy also revealed that three women and two young men from the Diocese of Limerick have joined religious orders.

Currently, there is one seminarian preparing to be ordained a priest of the Diocese. Tim Collins, from Croagh parish, is studying in St Patricks College, Maynooth.

We are at a time of great change for the Church. While this change has coincided with huge decline in the vocations to priesthood and religious life over recent decades, the move to a more inclusive Church of many different ministries is the Holy Spirit at work. So, we must conclude that while change can sometimes be difficult to achieve, it is what is set out for us and what is right. It is up to all us, clergy and lay people now to make this change happen, commented Bishop Leahy.
Cheap flights to the US are already being advertised following an announcement yesterday that vaccinated passengers from the EU - including Ireland - and the UK will be able to travel to the US in November.

It was announced yesterday that President Joe Biden was set to relax Covid-related travel measures.

The lifting of restrictions was described as a "major diplomatic victory" for both the EU and the UK, according to a report in the Financial Times on Monday afternoon.

The strict ban has been in place since March 2020 when then-president Donald Trump announced the curbs as part of measures to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19.

Jeffrey Zients, coronavirus response coordinator for President Biden, told reporters on Monday that the new consistent approach would take effect in early November.

The lifting of the ban will apply to all passengers if they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing.

USA Covid 19 restrictions to go in November for vaccinated passengers from EU. This surprise breakthrough in US travel policy over the weekend, from Fridays impasse, was partly triggered by breakdown of relations with France that led to recall of ambassador.  Eoghan Corry (@eoghancorry) September 20, 2021

In June, the EU opened up travel to passengers from the United States, typically requiring proof of vaccination or negative tests.

Following the news, airlines have announced flight sales until the end of the month.

One airline carrier sale will see direct flights from Dublin to New York, Boston and Washington from only 149 each way, as well as destination such as Orlando and Chicago from only 169 each way, and to the West Coast from only 259 each way.

Flights to Canada are also on sale with tickets to Toronto starting at 149 each way
AN independent organisation is calling for increased female involvement in politics in Limerick.

Women for Election wants women across Limerick to sign up for its next INSPIRE Campaign School, which starts online on Wednesday, September 29.

The non-partisan, independent organisation that has trained women to stand for election since 2012 stressed that Ireland has a poor record for female participation in national and local politics when compared globally, with just 23 per cent (37 of 160) of our TDs being female.

No female TDS were elected in either of the Limerick Dail constituencies last year and of the 24 candidates who sought election in Limerick and Limerick city, there were just seven women on the ballot papers.

Limerick currently has one female senator and of the 40 elected members on Limerick City and County Council, nine are women, giving a 23% representation - below the national average of 25%.

Currently, when decisions are made about our lives, our homes, our communities, our businesses, the diversity and value of womens contribution is missing from our politics, said Caitriona Gleeson, CEO of Women for Election. A 50/50 gender balance in government is key to Ireland becoming a thriving vibrant society. But we have a long way to go to get there, based on current figures, she added.

Women for Election research shows that there are a variety of barriers that make it more difficult for women to access politics in Ireland, starting with the resources of time, money, and continued difficulties with candidate selection in political parties  the basic ingredients necessary to run for office successfully.

In addition, women face specific barriers with regard to self-confidence and safety. The risk of on and off-line abuse is a growing consideration for many women stepping forward for public office. In addition, the extra care responsibilities that women disproportionately have responsibility for can also be a barrier.

We can change this, starting with greater equality and diversity in local participation and local representation for women, she continued.

Key to this is providing women from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures with the training, tools and resilience to come forward as local area or local community representatives, to stand for election and to withstand challenges that they may face as elected representatives, Caitriona stated..

The INSPIRE Campaign school runs over three consecutive weeks, with training in three key themes with three nationally recognised leaders and mentors: Confidence with Orlaith Carmody on September 29; Communications with Margaret E. Ward on October 6; and Campaigning with Pat Montague on October 13.

The training sessions take place in the evening starting at 6:30pm and running for up to three hours, with breaks.

The cost is 50 and more information can be found here.
MUMBAI : Singapores state investor Temasek Holdings and Canadas Brookfield Asset Management are among at least four global investors looking to buy US private equity firm KKR and Co. Inc.s 60% stake in Ramky Enviro Engineers for at least $1 billion, two people directly aware of the matter said.

This follows the Hyderabad-based company abandoning a plan for a public listing to offer an exit to KKR, the people said, requesting anonymity.

The fresh plan is to monetize the stake by selling it to a clutch of other global investors, irrespective of the IPO which was earlier being planned by Ramky Enviro in which KKR would have sold its stake through a secondary market window," one of the two people said, referring to the earlier plan for an initial public offering.

KKR wants to exploit a growing global penchant for companies offering environmental services amid a wider awareness about investments aimed at protecting the environment. A potential deal would be the largest in the environmental services industry in India.

The valuation of Ramky Enviro has gone up significantly, with companies around the world increasingly focusing on ways to prevent environmental damage due to the nature of their businesses," the person cited above said.

The remaining 40% stake in Ramky Enviro is held by Ayodhya Rami Reddy, founder and chairman, Ramky Group, with businesses spanning infrastructure, environmental services, pharmaceuticals and consultancy services.

There are at least four large global investors who are willing to invest in Ramky Enviro. Temasek Holdings and Brookfield Asset Management are in talks to buy a chunk of KKRs stake in Ramky. Additionally, two other marquee private equity firms may also come in as new investors. The current discussion pegs the proposed transaction at around $1 billion for KKRs entire stake," the second person said.

JP Morgan has been hired as the banker to KKR for the proposed transaction.

Spokespeople for KKR and Temasek declined to comment, while an email sent to Brookfield remained unanswered.

In February 2019, KKR completed the purchase of the 60% stake in Ramky Enviro for 3,630 crore through a mix of primary and secondary investments. The deal, first announced in August 2018, was the largest foreign investment and the first private equity buyout at the time in Indias thriving environmental services sector. It valued Ramky at an enterprise value of $925 million or 6,400 crore.

Ramky is engaged in the business of managing and processing hazardous, municipal, biomedical and e-waste, as well as the recycling of paper, plastic and chemicals, aimed at reducing pollution and improving critical sanitation infrastructure. The company has businesses in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Tanzania.

Companies globally are warming up to the ESG theme, enhancing valuations of service providers such as Ramky. Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) refers to the three metrics for measuring the sustainability and the impact of an investment in a business on human society.

ESG compliance has become a critical element of business sustainability. Gradually, the value of companies adhering to ESG standards is increasing, which in turn is steadily enhancing the value of firms that are in the business of providing solutions to such ESG companies," the second person said.

Ramky also deals in generating power from waste while offering consulting and integrated environmental services. It is in the process of commissioning a 20MW plant in Hyderabad. The plant, its second in India after a 24MW waste-to-energy plant in Delhi NCR, will process 2,800 tonnes per day of garbage.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Forum for lenders including JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank argues rules would push crypto trading into unregulated corners of the financial system

The biggest U.S. and European banks oppose strict new rules that would require them to set aside a dollar in capital for every dollar of bitcoin they own, a group of trade associations representing the lenders told the top global standard setter for banking regulation.

The Basel Committee for Banking Supervision, a group of global central bankers and regulators, proposed the new rules in June. The Global Financial Markets Association, a forum for banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG, and five other industry associations pushed against them in a letter published Tuesday, arguing that the most traded cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, shouldnt face such strict capital requirements.

Bank regulators have said they are concerned about consumer protection, money laundering and terrorist financing threats from the use of cryptocurrencies. But the trade associations said that the proposed new rules are counterproductive because they would prevent banks from holding cryptocurrencies, which would be forced into unregulated corners of the financial system.

We find the proposals in the consultation to be so overly conservative and simplistic that they, in effect, would preclude bank involvement in crypto asset markets," the associations wrote in the letter to the Basel Committee.

A spokesperson for the Basel Committee didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The committee said in June that banks should apply a 1,250% risk weight to bitcoin, which it said is similar in effect to the deduction of the asset from capital." If a bank holds $100 of bitcoin exposure, it would give rise to risk-weighted assets of $1,250, which when multiplied by the minimum capital requirement of 8% results in setting aside at least $100, the committee said.

The committee, which includes the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and other major central banks, doesnt enforce rules itself but sets minimum standards that regulators around the world agree upon and implement locally.

The trade associations said that such a high risk weight wasnt necessary for bitcoin and other heavily traded cryptocurrencies, such as ether.

The associations also said the Basel Committees definition of stablecoins, whose value is pegged to the U.S. dollar or other currencies, stipulated such narrow price fluctuations that it risked them falling under the same capital requirements applied to bitcoin.

The associations said allowing a 0.25-percentage-point difference in price between stablecoins and their underlying asset, rather than the proposed 0.1 percentage point, would encompass more assets. The worlds largest stablecoin by market value, tether, moved 0.1 percentage point above or below the U.S. dollars value 124 times last year, according to the associations analysis. Rival stablecoin USD Coin broke from that range on 15 occasions.

The letter was signed by the Financial Services Forum, the Futures Industry Association, the Institute of International Finance, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association and the Chamber of Digital Commerce, as well as the Global Financial Markets Association.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), Indias premier housing finance company, today unveiled its special limited period offer for the upcoming festival season. Under this special offer, customers can avail of HDFC Home Loan starting at 6.70% effective 20th September 2021. This offer will be applicable to all new loan applications irrespective of the loan amount or employment category. The special rate is linked to the borrowers credit score. This is a close-ended scheme and will be valid till 31st October 2021.

"We are pleased to announce the special home loans rates for the upcoming festive season. I am sure that this offer will help prospective House buyers to realize their house buying a dream and bring festive cheer. Housing is much more affordable today than it ever was. In the last couple of years, property prices have more or less remained the same in major pockets across the country while income levels have gone up. Record low-interest rates, subsidies under PMAY and the tax benefits have also helped." said Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd.

HDFC current home loan rates

According to its website, HDFC is currently offering home loan interest rates starting from 6.75%* p.a.

Several banks in the country have cut their home loan rates with the onset of the festive season in order to make housing more affordable. Last week, State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda (BoB), and private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank announced a slew of offers on home loans.

We are pleased to launch the festive offer for our prospective home loan customers. Generally, the concessional interest rates are applicable for a loan up to a certain limit and are also linked to the profession of the borrower. This time, we have made the offers more inclusive and the offers are available to all segments of borrowers irrespective of the loan amount and the profession of the borrower. The 6.70% home loan offer is also applicable to balance transfer cases. We believe zero processing fees and concessional interest rates in the festive season will make homeownership more affordable., C.S. Setty, Managing Director (Retail & Digital Banking), SBI said.

An HDFC home loan customer can choose between two types of interest rate options while availing of a home loan.

1) Adjustable-Rate Home Loan (ARHL)

2) TruFixed Loan.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Mumbai: The Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai is likely to introduce a logo with a QR code to identify buildings in Mumbai where all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. State Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray on Monday asked BMC to design this code to identify buildings in Mumbai where all eligible residents have taken both doses of the Covid vaccine.

Thackeray was speaking at a meeting held to review Mumbai's strategy to tackle COVID-19, increase vaccination and control vector-borne diseases in the city.

  ,                   , AMC      DMCs   . pic.twitter.com/4sO5meIRd5  Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) September 20, 2021

How will the QR code identify fully vaccinated people in Mumbai?

A statement issued by the minister's office said that the QR Code will be displayed at the entry gates of residential and commercial buildings and offices. The QR Codes would help in verifying that residents of housing societies and occupants of buildings and offices are fully vaccinated, it said.

I request to create a logo with QR code for fully vaccinated housing societies, buildings, offices. BMC has done. These logos can be affixed to the entrance," Aditya Thackeray tweeted in Marathi.

Meanwhile, Mumbai on Monday reported 419 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally of active cases in the city to 4,595.

With the administration of 96,46,778 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 81.85 crores (81,85,13,827) as per provisional reports till 7 am on Tuesday, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. According to the health ministry, 33,12,97,757 vaccine doses were administered as the first dose and 6,26,66,347 vaccine doses were given as the second dose in the age group 18-44 years.

Meanwhile, India reported 26,115 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The active caseload is presently 3,09,575.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Chinas crackdown on its technology industry means global investors seeking emerging-markets exposure will turn their attention to India, said Sumant Mandal, a managing partner at U.S. venture investor March Capital Partners.

Investors are now putting more weight on government risk" as they assess Chinese technology companies, Mandal said in a video interview. Indian startups in areas such as internet and cloud software offer strong growth prospects but without a similar risk profile, said Mandal, co-founder of the Santa Monica, California-based firm.

Chinese regulators are reining in unruly internet companies in a campaign that spans everything from gaming to money worship," raising questions about their growth and earnings prospects. While Indias internet industry is trailing far behind that of China in size, its recently produced new billion-dollar startups and initial public offerings at an intensifying pace.Chinas market is of a size and scale thats unmatched," Mandal said. But the risk-reward structure around China has changed" and investors from the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East are now looking to balance their portfolios by re-routing investments to its neighbour, he said.

March Capital has a long track record of backing Indian startups and it plans to increase such investments, he said. The coronavirus has changed consumer behaviour in India, a boon for companies handling e-commerce and digital transactions. The firm has more than $1 billion in assets under management, including a $450 million fund that closed early this year. Last month, March had two exits in India that represented nearly $6 billion in combined deal value: Online payments service BillDesk was acquired for $4.7 billion, just days after CarTrade Tech Ltd. had its IPO. Mandal leads Marchs investments in areas such as blockchain, network infrastructure and software as a service, or SaaS. More than two dozen India-born SaaS startups have moved to the U.S. to successfully win global customers and garner hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, he said.

Now theres more of a belief system around India," he said. The size of startups like Flipkart, Byjus and BillDesk changes everything."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
An autopsy has confirmed that a body found in Grand Teton National Park does belong to van life blogger Gabrielle Gabby Petito.

The FBIs Denver office confirmed the news on Twitter, writing Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blues initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results.

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blues initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results. pic.twitter.com/JoHenMZ9UU  FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 21, 2021

A statement from Michael Schneider, the special agent in charge of the investigation, read, The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms. Petitos death is held accountable for their actions. Mr. Brian Laundrie has been named a person of interest. Anyone with information concerning Mr. Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI.

The autopsy was performed several days after remains consistent with Petitos description were discovered Sunday, September 19th. At the time, while a coroner had yet to officially identify the body as Petitos, authorities had notified her family of her death.

The autopsy results come as authorities continue to look for Petitos fiance, Brian Laundrie, who has been named a person of interest in Petitos disappearance. Two months into what was supposed to be a four-month cross-country trip, Laundrie returned to Florida on September 1st without Petito, but with her van. Petitos family filed a missing person report for her on September 11th after failing to get an answer about her whereabouts from Laundrie.

Laundrie then lawyered up and refused to speak with police. On September 17th, Laundries parents allowed investigators into their home in North Port, Florida. At that point, the Laundries revealed that they had not seen their son in three days.

A month before Petitos disappearance, a police report was filed after the pair got into a fight in Moab, Utah. A person called the police about some sort of altercation outside a shop, and while officers pulled them over in their van, they decided the incident had been more of a mental/emotional health break than a domestic assault. Neither Petito nor Laundrie wanted to file charges against the other, but police still separated them for the night, sending Laundrie to a hotel and leaving Petito with the van.

Petitos disappearance has also captured the attention of true crime communities on social media, especially TikTok, where videos with the hashtags #findgabby and #gabbypetito generated tens of millions of views.
Click here to read the full article.

Following a string of celebrity scandals, Chinese officials have told young filmmakers entering Chinas top film school that their foremost task is to develop the moral cultivation necessary to further Chinas rise in the world.

The Beijing Film Academy, cradle of the countrys top filmmaking talent, last week opened a major new campus in the capitals northern Huairou district, an hours drive outside the urban center. At an outdoor opening ceremony, more than 1,000 new students sat in socially distanced rows to hear speeches from local government officials, administrators and notable alumni.

The school, which last year celebrated its 70th anniversary with a splashy party, has a deserved reputation for selecting and honing some of Chinas foremost directing, performing and craft talent. Past alumni include Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Jia Zhangke, Huang Xiaoming, Zhou Dongyu, Zhao Wei and Ai Weiwei.

The overall message, hammered home repeatedly, was clear: work hard, shun excess and viral success, seek moral cultivation, and consider yourself an art worker seeking above all to forward the countrys development in accordance with President Xi Jinpings eponymous philosophy.

Students, you are lucky because you are in time for unprecedented opportunity in the historical development of our nation, said Beijing Film Academy vice president and deputy Communist Party secretary Hu Zhifeng in the keynote speech. You should be proud of this new era, and consciously and confidently shoulder the historical responsibility of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, using a central phrase of Xis indicating Chinas return to its great power status.

Hu added that he hoped the students could make use of their youth and become the first generation of our strong country that can reassure the Party with the knowledge that cultural production and its related politics are headed in the desired direction.

China is in the midst of its most dramatic crackdown yet on what officials have called an overly chaotic fan culture.

In the past month, some of Chinas top celebrities have had their astronomically successful careers entirely derailed. First there was pop icon Kris Wu, who was arrested on suspicion of rape in mid-August. Then, there was TV darling Zheng Shuang, hit with a $46 million fine for tax evasion. Days later, Zhao Wei, one of the countrys most recognized names, had her name and past works wiped entirely from the Chinese web without warning or explanation.

Those incidents offer a very strong warning, Hu said.

Even if you get countless fans for a while and your fan club is full, there is no way to develop steadily over the long-term [without] constantly cultivating our own morality and character, he said. I hope that you will be respected by the world instead of slipping down to the moral bottom, appearing superficially grand for a while before being cast aside.

He urged students to become shining stars of humble virtue rather than blazing then burnt-out shooting stars, and to avoid creating the ridiculed, substandard works that he said currently plague the industry.

The Beijing Film Academy was founded in 1950 right at the start of the Peoples Republic, and is the only public film institution of higher learning directly created by the Party and the state, speakers reminded students.

Its new Huairou outpost will better serve the needs of the Party and countrys strategy to become a strong cultural power, the China Youth Daily said.

Students will be helped along by a new campus six times the size of the Academys old stomping grounds in central Beijings Haidian district. It boasts eight cinemas and five sound stages, ranging from 400 square meters to 1,000 square meters in size.

China has recently banned the use of popularity and attractiveness lists and indexes to rank celebrities. Hu criticized the way those lists drove the widespread use of plastic surgery, calling stars engaging in such procedures detached from life and capable of creating only cookie-cutter, empty and boring works.

He called on performers instead to adhere to the laws of artistic aesthetics deemed desirable by the Party and be an emissary of a beauty that delights, resonates and arouses the emotions, rather than an agitator for the artificial [and] a pale, feeble beauty.

Alum and Nirvana in Fire actor Leo Wu summed up the essence of the Party messaging in a speech of his own.

Does our school train celebrities? I dont think so, he said. I think what our school trains is film workers rooted in the masses.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

Harry Styles, Bon Jovi and Tears For Fears were among the big winners on stage at the 2021 Ivor Novello Awards in London  but events off stage loomed large over proceedings.

By coincidence the Awards, which honor excellence in songwriting and composition, took place on the same day as the Universal Music Group IPO. But, as the major music company was surging towards a market cap in excess of $50 billion on its market debut, the songwriters on which that valuation was partly built were competing for creative glory.

It was an irony not lost on many of the days participants. In his opening remarks, Ivors Academy chair Crispin Hunt  a top songwriter himself as well as a leading light of the #FixStreaming campaign  quipped that, Music owes its writers a very great debt Around $40bn, according to the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, he said, referring to an earlier, lower projected valuation.

Later, super-producer Nile Rodgers  presenting the Special International Award to Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora  drew wild applause when he declared: The songwriter deserves to be paid more money. We work in a wonderful business, but people tend to forget that everything starts with a song. His comments echoed an open letter to the music industry from his partner in the fast-growing Hipgnosis Songs, Merck Mercuriadis.

But, of course, it wasnt all about the money. The Ivors, which were first presented all the way back in 1956, is always the most touchy-feely music awards and, after a 28-month COVID-19-enforced absence, there was no lack of emotion in the air at Grosvenor House as the industry reconnected to celebrate the art of songwriting.

COVID also limited the amount of star names who could attend, ensuring it really was the songwriters who took the limelight. So there was no Dave  the homegrown hip-hop star who has taken the U.K. charts by storm this year  to collect the Best Contemporary Song Award for Children of the Internet, leaving his co-writer Fraser T Smith to do the honors. It was the third time in four years that the duo have triumphed, leading Smith to praise the greatest creative journey of my career.

Harry Styles was also absent when it came to collecting the PRS for Music Most Performed Work gong for Adore You, his first ever award at this ceremony. Instead co-writer Amy Allen stepped up and hailed the star for making her and fellow co-writers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson feel like equal partners right from the start.

And there was no Celeste or Jamie Hartman when the pair won Songwriters of the Year, leaving Hartmans publisher Annette Barrett of Reservoir to read out a speech from the songwriter praising herself, much to the rooms amusement.

Those who could attend certainly enjoyed their moment. Lianne La Havas wept as she collected the Best Album prize with co-writer Matthew Hales (aka Aqualung) for her self-titled record.

Veteran electronic pioneers Goldfrapp  aka Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory  won the Ivors Inspiration Award, presented by Mute label boss Daniel Miller. Its a crazy beautiful thing to be able to write music, said Goldfrapp. To do something that touches other people continuously blows my mind.

The Ivors also continued its tradition of celebrating the great songwriters that other awards ceremonies miss, by handing the Outstanding Song Collection prize to Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears For Fears, for hits such as Mad World, Sowing the Seeds of Love and Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Not that the reunited duo took things too seriously. Orzabal walked on stage singing along to his own hit and reeled off a list of their achievements before pondering, Im not sure what Im more proud of: Seeds of Love, breaking America or having our own personal parking spaces at Bath Spa Waitrose.

Smith then chuckled before thanking the two people without whom we just wouldnt be here Us!

Meanwhile, Jon Bon Jovis absence  he did send a video message, although that robbed us of a potential Bon Jovi reunion  meant his erstwhile songwriting partner Richie Sambora, who left the band in 2013, was able to take the limelight. He duly delivered a lengthy, somewhat rambling speech that will live long in the crowds memory, if not necessarily, you suspect, in Samboras own.

Sambora also praised Mercuriadis, the Hipgnosis boss who has been disrupting the traditional publishing business by buying up more than $2 billion worth of song catalogs, including Samboras own  a bold move in a room full of traditional publishers. But the former Bon Jovi man nonetheless struck the right note at the end as he declared the enduring power of songwriting: One note can stop time, one chord can save a life and one song can change the world.

As the crowd headed out to the after parties to gossip about the IPO and the imminent government response to the recent investigation into the economics of music streaming, many Ivors attendees will be hoping that turns out to be true.

The full list of Ivor Novellos winners is below:

Best Album

Lianne La Havas

Written by Matthew Hales and Lianne La Havas

Performed by Lianne La Havas

Published in the UK by Universal Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music

Best Contemporary Song

Children of the Internet

Written by Dave and Fraser T Smith

Performed by Future Utopia feat. Dave and Es Devlin

Published in the UK by Warner Chappell Music and Kobalt Music Publishing

Best Original Film Score

Calm with Horses

Composed by Blanck Mass

Published in the UK by BMG UK

Best Original Video Game Score

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Composed by Gareth Coker

Best Song Musically and Lyrically

Gods Own Children

Written by Barney Lister and Obongjayar

Performed by Obongjayar

Published in the UK by Promised Land Music-Universal Music Publishing and Beggars Music

Best Television Soundtrack

Devs

Composed by Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury, The Insects

Published in the UK by Sony Music Publishing

Outstanding Song Collection

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith

PRS for Music Most Performed Work

Adore You

Written by Amy Allen, Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles

Performed by Harry Styles

Published in the UK by Artist Publishing Group West-Kobalt Music Publishing, Concord Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing

Rising Star Award with Apple Music

Willow Kayne

Songwriter of the Year

Celeste and Jamie Hartman

Special International Award with Apple Music

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora

The Ivors Classical Music Award

Mark-Anthony Turnage

The Ivors Inspiration Award

Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

Nathalie Traffords Paraiso Production Diffusion and Jerome Vidals Noodles from France and Roberto Butraguenos Elamedia and Luis Minarros Eddie Saeta from Spain have teamed to co-produce Javier Rebollos Dans la chambre du Sultan.

A multi-prized Spanish film director, Rebollo won San Sebastians best director with La mujer sin piano (The Woman Without a Piano) and a Fipresci prize with El muerto y ser feliz (The Dead Man and Being Happy) at the festivals 2009 and 2012 editions.

Dans la chambre du Sultan (Close to the Sultan) turns on Gabriel Veyre (pictured), the most gifted of Auguste and Louis Lumieres camera operators who traveled to Morocco for three months in 1900, hired by the Sultan Moulay Abd el-Aziz to initiate him into the mysteries of cinema. He remained for his lifetime.

Starring Vincent Macaigne (Louis Garrels Two Friends), Dans la chambres cast will also include Ingrid Garcia-Jonsson (Jaime Rosales Beauty Youth) and actor-composer Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy), who will horse ride in a revolution and sing in Arabic a theme expressly written for the film, according to the producers.

Like Veyre, Javier is an adventurer and a curious person, someone who knows how to put life in art and a lot of art in life. In Dans la chambre du Sultan, starting from this fascinating historical character, Javier will shoot an anti-biopic, Natalie Trafford at Paraiso Production told Variety.

She added: In the feature Javier blends a multitude of genres, from adventure films to porn and from horror to melodrama with admirable spontaneity and respect.

Trafford co-produced Manuel Nietos Cannes Directors Fortnight player The Employer and the Employee, which closes San Sebastians Horizontes Latinos, and has in post Spanish director Meritxell Colells Duo.

For 20 years I have been pursuing Gabriel Veyre, the famous yet unknown Lumiere operator, a fascinating character who was both novelistic and real, Rebollo said. He added: Now, I have been able to investigate his life and archives in Paris, Lyon, Marrakech, Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca, to meet and learn from his heirs, and, above all, I have been able to travel with Luis Bertolo, my assistant and co-writer, to the places where he lived and worked.

Dans la chambre is scheduled to begin shooting in May 2022. It will be lensed in 35 mm in Morocco and will be shot in Fez and Casablanca. Regular Rebollos collaborator Santiago Racaj will serve as D.P.

Rebollos new feature links with all his career due to thE non-renounceable, non-negotiable love for the seventh art, but also to an obsession with the greatness and adventures of antiheroes  as in Lola, The Woman or The Dead or Vyre, Minarro told Variety.

Producer-director Minarro, who backed Ainhoa Rodriguezs Mighty Flash, featuring at San Sebastians Made in Spain showcase, and directed Love Me Not, co-produced Rebollos The Dead Man and Being Happy.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

The Universal Beijing Resort finally had its grand opening Monday, the culmination of a 20-year wait and further pandemic-related delays.

The park has proved a big hit with Chinese consumers so far. Tickets for Mondays opening were sold out in minutes, quickly followed by tickets for the week-long National Day holiday coming up on Oct. 1, with demand so strong that it crashed the site.

The opening gives the Chinese capital a U.S.-branded park of its own to compete with the Disneylands in Shanghai and Hong Kong. It is the fifth Universal theme park globally, the third park in Asia and first in China.

The multibillion-dollar resort has had a long journey from conception to approval to reality. It was first conceived two decades ago in 2001 and approved by Chinese authorities back in 2014. Construction began in the summer of 2018 and was completed last year. Stress tests began this past June and trial operations began on Sept. 1. The Sept. 20 formal open hits amid the countrys Mid-Autumn Festival holiday running from Sept. 19 to 21.

The resort is a joint venture with 70% owned by state-owned enterprise Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment and 30% owned by Comcast Corps Universal Parks and Resorts.

The park is located in Tongzhou, an eastern, less glitzy district of Beijing that the government has pushed hard to develop in recent years. Yang Lei, the deputy chief of that district, said that it ultimately cost more than $5.4 billion (RMB35 billion) to build. The official Xinhua news agency declared that its construction displays the strength of Chinas manufacturing industry.

The resort is expected to welcome between 10 and 12 million visitors a year and generate annual revenues of more than $1.55 billion (RMB10 billion), according to the vice general manager of Beijing Tourism Group Yu Xuezhong, Xinhua said.

It features seven themed lands, including Minion Land, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Transformers Metrobase and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a particularly popular section given Chinas many Potterheads. In a world first, there is also a new Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness currently unique to Beijing.

The full resort area consists of the theme park, a commercial CityWalk and two hotels. There is also an enormous cinema with 2,000 seats across 11 screening halls that boasts the largest Imax screen in the capital.

Universal ticket prices range from $65 (RMB418) for a single day fare in the low season to $116 (RMB748) at peak periods. That makes the cheapest ticket comparable but a hair above Shanghai Disneys lowest adult ticket at $62 (RMB399).

A promotional video kicking off the Universal resorts opening featured soundbites from top filmmakers and stars from both sides of the Pacific.

Highlighted were directors Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, pictured walking together side by side. The former emphasized how world-renowned filmmakers helped make the park as authentic as possible, while the latter opined in Chinese: There are indeed many theme parts around the world, but only Universal Studios Resort takes film alone as its subject. This is a distinguishing feature that I particularly like.

Actor Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction) encouraged visitors to come experience a park similar to those abroad but with more Chinese characteristics and elements, while Huang Lei, the Chinese voice of Po in Kung Fu Panda 3, spoke of how he will definitely bring [his] kid here.

Detective Chinatown franchise superstar Liu Haoran said he felt very proud that such a wonderful theme park has been built in Beijing, and in China.

The attestations seem to emanate from a period before the current nadir of U.S.-China relations and harken back to a more cooperative time between Hollywood and Beijing when co-production dreams bloomed and American blockbusters entered the China market with little drama.

Indeed, the Universal resort was touted by Chinas Global Times newspaper earlier this week as a symbol of how China is not actually awash in as much of what it called pervading anti-U.S. nationalism as some might think.

Describing the enthusiasm for the park on local social media, the article stated: This is a rare time in a long while when an America-themed topic has attracted such obvious and widespread praise in China.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The partial border closure that prohibits nonessential travel from Mexico and Canada to the United States has been extended for another month, which means that it will now be 19 months since this policy was put in place to curtail pandemic numbers on both sides of the border.

Despite growing optimism in recent weeks that the border would potentially reopen, this was not the case. And no timetable has been provided yet to when it could reopen once again.

The decision was announced by White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients on Monday.

We do not have any updates to the land border policies at this point, Zients said. Title 19 is being extended for another month, as it is done on a monthly basis, through Oct. 21. And as I said, no further updates on that policy at this point.

Locals from the sister cities have come to expect the news. And they shared that sentiment once again with LMT on Monday.

Cases are still up, so it makes sense, local Oliver Rodriguez said. However, it is so sad knowing that for over a year and a half, several families have not seen (each other) and also many people have not come to shop for things over here nor enjoy our city or our country, which they really like.

In Nuevo Laredo, people are anxious to come to the city for shopping and also simply to visit. But some state that they do not expect the bridge to open anytime soon with the way things are going.

I dont see the bridges opening until maybe next year, local Sylvia Naranjo said. Although October might be a good time to open  as it is when Mexicans do travel more to the U.S. to buy stuff for Christmas  I doubt the U.S. wants to open the bridges. They dont have those intentions right now because they know the virus is still big, and politics on both sides of the border might be playing a role.

Naranjo states that she feels good that for the past year, she has helped her local economy a lot more than ever before. This was done by buying all her Christmas gifts at stores in Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey. But she is sad that she cannot do simple things like enjoy a Chick-fil-A sandwich or shop at the mall in Laredo because of the closure.

The months from October to January are considered among the most important for the local border economy of Laredo, as they are when more people come to shop for gifts, goods and electronics. Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) has stated in the past that the borders should reopen back responsibility for the health of the economy.

Even though Mexican citizens cannot come into the country via pedestrian bridges, they are able to travel through air travel. On Monday, the White House also released information of implementing a new air travel regulation by allowing people to come into the country from foreign places starting in November if they are fully vaccinated.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
NEW DELHI (AP)  India on Tuesday criticized the British governments decision not to recognize coronavirus vaccine certificates issued by Indian authorities, calling it a discriminatory policy that will impact its citizens who want to travel to that country.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the new rules unveiled last week, which take effect next month, could force India to impose reciprocal measures" if it isn't resolved.

The new rules require Indians visiting the U.K. to quarantine themselves for 10 days and undergo COVID-19 tests even if they are fully vaccinated with Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine.

The vaccine, produced under license by India's Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine maker, is not recognized by the U.K. The institute has not formally applied to the European Union for official approval of its AstraZeneca vaccine, which it calls Covishield.

Here is a vaccine, Covishield, which is a licensed product of a U.K. company, manufactured in India, of which we have supplied 5 million doses to the U.K. at the request of the government of the U.K. We understand that this has been used in the national health system and therefore, non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminatory policy, Shringla told reporters.

India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said Tuesday he discussed the matter with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

In a tweet, Jaishankar said he urged Truss to quickly resolve the issue.

The new rules, which also require people arriving from many other countries to undergo quarantine, have sparked anger in India.

On Monday, a leader of the main opposition Congress party, Shashi Tharoor, said he has canceled an upcoming book tour of Britain in protest and accused the U.K. government of double standards.

Another lawmaker, Jairam Ramesh, said the decision smacks of racism.

The vast majority of Indians have been vaccinated with the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine. Others have received COVAXIN, which is not used in Britain.

India, the worlds largest vaccine producer, said Monday it will resume exports and donations of surplus coronavirus vaccines in October after a months-long freeze because of massive surge in domestic infections.
The man accused of shooting at a City of Laredo Solid Waste truck driver has been arrested, authorities said on Monday afternoon.

Roberto Gonzalez, 49, was served with a warrant in Zapata County charging him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was in custody in the neighboring county on unrelated charges, according to Laredo police.

The case unfolded on Sept. 15, when the LPD Crimes Against Persons Unit launched an investigation into an alleged road rage incident that led to a man shooting at a Solid Waste truck driver. The incident occurred along Bob Bullock Loop by the City Hall Annex area.

Police said the driver of a red Honda passenger vehicle shot at the city truck driver after not being able to merge onto Loop 20 South. Detectives canvassed the area for surveillance footage and were able to identify the suspect vehicle.

A query of vehicles matching the description led detectives to identify the owner of the vehicle as 39-year-old Roberto Gonzalez, LPD said in a statement.

During the investigation, detectives received information from the Webb County Sheriffs Office regarding the potential whereabouts of Gonzalez. On Sept. 18, Texas Rangers notified LPD investigators that Zapata County Sheriffs Office deputies had arrested Gonzalez on possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Investigators along with the Texas Rangers went to the Zapata County Jail, where Gonzalez was served with the warrant for allegedly shooting at the city truck driver.

While being served with the warrant, Gonzalez admitted to the incident. Detectives conducted a search of the suspect vehicle where a single bullet casing was located. Additionally, Zapata County Sheriffs deputies had seized a weapon from Gonzalezs possession matching the same caliber as the spent casing and bullet fragments found inside the victims vehicle, LPD said.

LPD Chief Claudio Trevino Jr. thanked the Texas Rangers, Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar and the Webb County Sheriffs Office, Zapata County Sheriff Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. and the Zapata County Sheriffs Office for assisting in the arrest of Gonzalez.
Sudanese authorities reported a coup attempt Tuesday by a group of soldiers but said the attempt failed and the country's ruling council and military remain in control.

The development underscored the fragility of Sudans path to democracy, more than two years after the military's overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a public uprising against his three-decade rule.

Sudans state-run television called on the public to counter" the coup attempt but did not provide further details.

All is under control. The revolution is victorious, Mohammed al-Fiky Suliman, a member of the ruling military-civilian council, wrote on Facebook. He also called on the Sudanese to protect the transition.

A senior military official said an unspecified number of troops from the armored corps were behind the attempt and that they tried to take over several government institutions but were stopped.

He said the attempt began at dawn and that a group of soldiers had tried to seize the military headquarters and the state television station in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman to read a statement to citizens. The content of the statement was not immediately clear.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said over three dozen troops, including high-ranking officers, were arrested.

Brig. Al-Tahir Abu Haja, a media consultant for the militarys chief, said in a televised statement that at least 21 suspected officers and some troops were arrested and that authorities were searching for other suspects in the failed attempt.

Footage circulated online showing troops and armored vehicles deployed to main roads and intersections in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Security was also boosted at the military headquarters and other government buildings in the city.

Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the sovereign council, called the attempt a foolish and bad choice.

The option of military coups has left us only a failed and weak country, he wrote on Twitter. The path towards democratic transition and securing the countrys political future and unity remains one option.

Later, in a statement read on the state-run TV, Culture and Information Minister Hamza Baloul said security forces have arrested civilian and military leaders behind the coup attempt, and that they have been interrogated after the military managed to get the armored corps' camp south of Khartoum under control.

Baloul, who is also the government spokesman, said authorities were chasing others from the remnants of al-Bashirs regime who were suspects in orchestrated the attempted coup. He did not give further details.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok blamed remnants of al-Bashirs government for the coup attempt, describing it as an effort to undermine Sudan's democratic transition.

What happened is an orchestrated coup by factions inside and outside the armed forces, he said.

Hamdok, the civilian face of the Sudanese government, spoke during an emergency Cabinet meeting that was broadcast on state-run TV, saying the attempt underscored the need for a complete, clear and transparent review of the transition."

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, and his deputy Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the powerful Rapid Support Forces, visited the armored corps camp Tuesday, according to video footage circulated by the council.

The coup attempt, had it succeeded, would have had devastating consequences to the unity of the military, and the country as well, Burhan said.

Volker Perthes, the U.N. political envoy to Sudan, condemned the attempt. The United Nations condemns any attempt  whether a coup or otherwise  to undermine the democratic political transition process and the pluralistic nature of the state as stipulated in the constitutional declaration, he said.

Sudan has been on a fragile path to democratic rule since the military's ouster of al-Bashir in April 2019, following four months of mass protests. For decades, al-Bashirs government, which was allied with the Islamists, had worked to impede ideologues within the military and other security agencies. Al-Bashir himself had come to power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989.

The country is now ruled by a joint civilian and military government. The transitional government has been under increasing pressure to end wars with rebel groups as it seeks to rehabilitate the countrys battered economy, attract much-needed foreign aid and deliver the democracy it promised.

The U.S. government condemned the coup attempt in a statement from Samantha Powers, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development who recently visited Sudan.

The United States remains committed  alongside allies in the region and around the world  to supporting the continuation of Sudans historic transition toward democracy, and to working with actors across Sudan to advance critically needed progress on economic, judicial, governance, human rights, and security reforms, Power said.
Gardai last night renewed an appeal for information on the disappearance and murder of Tullamore woman Fiona Pender 25 years ago.

The appeal was made on RTE's Crimecall programme on Monday night, September 20.

Fiona was last seen by her mother Josephine and her brother John on August 22, 1996, when she was 25-years-old and seven and half months pregnant. They were in Tullamore together shopping for baby clothes.

Fiona returned to her flat on Church Street, where she was last sighted at approximately 6am the following morning, August 23, 1996.

Fiona was 5'5" in height, with long blonde hair. When last seen, she was wearing bright coloured clothing with white leggings.

At the time of her disappearance, Gardai carried out extensive searches of farmland, canals, lakes and forests in Laois and Offaly.

In 2008, a significant excavation was undertaken in Monicknew woods in the Slieve Bloom Mountains. In 2014, acting on new information, Gardai mounted a two-week search in a forest in Capard, Rosenallis, Co Laois. Unfortunately, none of these searches yielded any results.

25 years on, the search for justice for Fiona remains a sustained Garda investigation.

"We are seeking that critical bit of information that would help to secure justice for Fiona and her family," gardai said.

"An Garda Siochana would like to assure anyone who may come forward that any information received will be treated in a sensitive manner."

Fionas younger brother, John Pender, will also appeal for the publics assistance: "We still need people's help. If theres any information that you think would be useful, make contact with someone that you trust and let them pass it on."

Anyone with information can contact:

Portlaoise Garda Station: (057) 8674100

Garda Confidential Line: 1800 666 111
Health & Wellness

By Chris Boyle Published: September 21 2021

Highest rate statewide and second nationwide among large counties.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has announced that 90.1% of adult residents (18+) in Nassau County have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, the highest adult vaccination rate of all sixty-two counties in New York State according to the New York State Department of Health. In comparison, 79.1% of adults in New York State have received at least one vaccine dose, and 75.7% of adults in the United States have received at least one vaccine dose. Nassau County has the second highest adult vaccination rate in the United States among the forty most populous counties in the United States.

Nassau County is a national model for vaccination. I want to commend and thank our residents for stepping up to this historic challenge and doing the right thing. The vaccine is saving lives every day and Nassau is committed to keeping up our momentum, said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

To further increase vaccinations, County Executive Curran and the Nassau County Department of Health recently launched an innovative program which offers on-site vaccination events to businesses. The program is open to all sized businesses, restaurants, shops, etc. and offers free in-house vaccinations by appointment to all eligible employees and family members. The unique vaccination program has been utilized by large companies, warehouses and even franchises such as McDonalds. The program has been overwhelmingly successful in getting shots into the arms of employees who do not necessarily have equitable access to the vaccine. Businesses can inquire about the program by calling 516-227-9570.

Over the summer, the County focused on vaccinating eligible youth ahead of the school year. Nassau County pioneered a first-of-its-kind Student Vaccination Initiative, which has vaccinated thousands of eligible students through various pop-up events, most recently in Hempstead. The Student Vaccination Initiative has engaged and trained youth ambassadors to support and encourage peers to roll up their sleeves. Click here for more info on the vaccine and for available appointments.
Tech & Science, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: September 21 2021

Initiative will serve as a model for local governments across the state to address climate change.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Westchester County Executive George Latimer have announced a new shared services partnership to procure electric vehicles (EV) in an effort to tackle climate change, reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, save taxpayer dollars, and develop a shared services framework that will be a model for other local governments across the State. The two Counties will be seeking to partner with additional counties and local governments across New York State that would like to participate in this green initiative and combine purchasing power to save taxpayer dollars.

Suffolk County has determined it could initially support 40 electric vehicles in its first phase of deployment, which is slated to begin in 2022. Suffolk and Westchester Counties joint procurement of electric vehicles will enable other local governments in both counties to join on with the cooperative procurement.

It is our job on the local level to ensure we are leading the way and doing everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint and harmful emissions from transportation to create a cleaner, healthier environment for our residents, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. This joint procurement will lay the groundwork towards a clean, zero-emissions fleet by 2030. Not only are we building back, but we are building back better with cleaner, greener energy.

As we saw with Hurricane Ida, climate change is real, it is here and we must act now to do something about it, said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. This policy will put Westchester and Suffolk Counties on the forefront of this fight, leading by example so other local governments around the State and Country can follow.

Martha Sauerbrey, President of the New York State Association of Counties said, This is another example of how counties are at the forefront of public policy in New York. This innovative collaboration between two of New Yorks largest counties to invest in zero-emission vehicles is an exciting example of the vital role counties play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping the state meet its ambitious clean energy goals. Initiatives like this, coupled with enhanced rebates that counties fought for in the budget, can provide local governments with the financial resources and incentives needed to convert their substantial fleets to zero-emission electric vehicles. On behalf of the NYS Association of Counties, I commend County Executives Latimer and Bellone for their leadership and vision in creating a win-win solution that moves their counties toward a zero-emission future while maximizing local resources.

In May, similar to President Joe Bidens recent Executive Order, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed dual Executive Orders that directed their respective County departments to develop plans to convert their vehicle fleets to electric by 2030. Departments were directed to submit plans to the County Executive and requisite departments to achieve clean and zero-emissions fleets by 2030 or sooner.

The Electric Fleet Implementation report, released today, serves as a blueprint for how Suffolk County will move forward to procure a 100% green fleet. The move towards a fully electrified fleet is part of the Countys ongoing commitment to investing in efforts to counter climate change effects by reducing greenhouse gas and air pollution. The use of electric vehicles in lieu of vehicles that run solely off of fossil fuels is critical to the Countys effort.

While electric vehicles are a newer technology, the report outlines the clear benefits of electric vehicles, including significantly lower operating and maintenance costs, elimination of harmful tailpipe emissions, greatly reduced greenhouse gases, and cleaner roadways and parking lots for reduced contamination runoff.

To help ensure fleet electrification by 2030, the County identified seven focus areas to eliminate barriers to adoption and bring about transformative change. The areas include Phased Deployment of EVs, both updated and new Fleet Policies and Procedures, Right Sizing the County Fleet, Right Sizing County Facilities to meet charging and infrastructure needs, Partnership with Utility Companies, Leveraging Incentives to Promote Equitable, Affordable EV Adoption, and Shared Services and Procurement similar to todays partnership with Westchester.

While the transition to electric vehicles is critical to help combat the effects if climate change, the report outlines a number of obstacles to overcome, and recommendations for how best to move forward. Some of the challenges identified include the long term commitment needed to realize savings, the high up-front transition costs, access to convenient and easily accessible charging infrastructure, along with maintenance, training and staffing, to name a few.

To overcome these challenges, the report recommends the phased implementation of the program to reduce costs, along with a 10-year cost benefit analysis, conducting an evaluation of options for broad phased deployment of charging infrastructure across the County, along with coordinating closely with PSEG LI, and finally creating an ongoing EV Maintenance Training Program to train maintenance personnel on the EV fleet.

As part of the phased implementation plan, the County would replace fuel operated vehicles at the optimum time, resulting in more resources to invest in available EV technology. This approach will provide the ability to pilot EVs in day to day operations while continuing to utilize current assets during their peak use, decommissioning assets at the optimal time as well as adjusting the overall plan as the new industry advances.

Additionally, Suffolk County has begun discussions with utility companies to discuss potential cooperative procurement of solar EV charging stations, establishing an interoperable charging network for vehicles from outside municipalities to charge EVs, and moving forward through regional planning and cooperation to ensure efficient, quick and reliable build out of EV charging infrastructure across Long Island.

This new shared services initiative to electrify County Fleets marks the second time that Suffolk County and Westchester County have partnered together to increase purchasing power and save taxpayer money. In 2019, the Counties partnered together to purchase hundreds of police vehicles, saving Suffolk approximately $500,000.

Suffolk County is also in the process of electrifying its public transit network. New York State has identified Suffolk County as one of five suburban municipalities responsible for electrification and Suffolk County Transit (SCT) has begun the process of replacing public transit buses with electric models which have zero tailpipe emissions and could begin serving riders by late 2022. The County is assessing the six depots that currently house the fleet and is coordinating with PSEG LI on the Ronkonkoma and West Babylon depots that will house the first set of buses.

In addition, Suffolk is embarking on a State-sponsored Countywide master plan to explore the infrastructure upgrades needed to support bus electrification. Suffolk County Transits plan to electrify the fleet by 2035 has been updated to 2030 to meet the goals of County Executive Bellones Executive Order (NO. 1-2021).
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: September 21 2021

Annual tradition recognizes outstanding, accomplished women throughout New York State.

State Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) announced her 2021 New York State Senate Woman of Distinction Honoree, Tai Wang of Sands Point. Ms. Wang received the honor at an intimate ceremony on September 9th attended by local community leaders.

Senator Anna M. Kaplan said Its my honor and privilege each year to select one exemplary woman from our community who sets herself apart from all others through her work to make our world and our lives better, and Im thrilled to recognize Tai Wang as my Woman of Distinction for 2021. Tai is a trailblazer who has excelled to the heights of success as an entrepreneur, while giving generously of herself to support important causes, and promoting Chinese cultural understanding and awareness. Tai is living proof that the American Dream still works, shes a treasured member of our community, and an inspiration to us all.

Each year, the New York State Senate recognizes a group of outstanding women whose accomplishments and dedication can be lauded and celebrated. These Women of Distinction are each selected by their respective State Senators as role models who step up to serve their communities and their neighbors.

Tai Wang, her husband, and their one-year-old daughter, Shelley, came to the United States more than 30 years ago, chasing their dreams. With little money, they purchased a grocery retailer in Queens, and in 1984, they established WAC Lighting.

Ms. Wang, along with her husband, Tony, have helped to grow WAC into a global engineering and production operation with a vertically integrated design, while upholding their commitment to excellence and reinvestment. WAC has grown into one of the largest lighting manufacturers in the world, and holds several major brands, including Modern Forms Schonbek Crystal Lighting, dweLED, LIMITED and others.

In her private life, Ms. Wang supports important causes such as Gift of Life, Alliance for Smiles, and the American Red Cross. In her dedication to education, Ms. Wang sponsors not-for-profit organizations, education institutions, the Long Island Research Associations Science Fair and other programs to offer children opportunities for higher education to fulfill their dreams in life.

Ms. Wang is also the Founder and President of the New York Chinese Chorus (NYCC) and the Glow Foundation, with the mission to promote cultural understanding and celebrate the diversity of our communities. The Foundation sponsors cultural festivals, and music and dance performances in the New York metropolitan area.
Angle PLC - liquid biopsy company - Notes Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria publishes results from a study in metastatic prostate cancer patients. A key aim of the study was to demonstrate the ability to analyse gene expression in circulating tumour cells, which may help guide treatment decision-making for a diverse range of metastatic prostate cancer patients with differing tumour burdens and various prior therapies. Angle says longitudinal monitoring of one patient was undertaken using Angle's cell separation technology Parsortix, with five blood draws over a six-month period, and it was notable that the presence of circulating tumour cells declined.

"This study therefore provides further evidence of the capability of the Parsortix system to provide cancer cells for analysis from a simple blood test when tissue biopsy is not feasible, with the potential to guide future treatment decisions," says Angle Founder & Chief Executive Andrew Newland.

Current stock price: 117.00 pence

Year-to-date change: more than doubled from 47.75p on December 31

By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
BlueRock Diamonds PLC - Kareevlei diamond mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa - Appoints Gary Teichmann as non-executive director at its general meeting held on Monday. Teichmann is executive chair of the Teichmann Group, a member of a concert party that holds 26.8% of BlueRock shares. Experienced in the mining, construction and agriculture sectors in Africa, Teichmann has been an "instrumental force" in the growth of the company, BlueRock said.

Current stock price: 43.00 pence

Year-to-date change: down 31%

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Corre Energy BV - Groningen, Netherlands-based renewable energy storage solutions and green hydrogen producer - Sets out plan to list on Euronext Growth market, part of Euronext Dublin, on Thursday. Corre Energy says it plans to use "renewable electricity to store compressed air in underground salt caverns, which can subsequently be combined with green hydrogen stored in co-located caverns to fuel the generation of electricity".

The company, which is still in the development phase, explains: "When renewable electricity supply is high resulting in low prices, Corre Energy will compress air into storage caverns and conversely when renewable electricity supplies are low and prices are high, Corre Energy will generate green electricity from [compressed air energy storage]."

Davy is acting as sole bookrunner and broker for the initial public offering. Corre Energy hopes to raise EUR12 million from the IPO, giving the company a EUR62 million market capitalisation on admission, with a free float of just under 20%.

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







Meggitt PLC - aerospace components maker - Over 99% of shareholders vote in favour of Parker-Hannifin Corp's GBP6.3 billion takeover offer. Two weeks ago, TransDigm Group Inc bowed out of the battle to acquire company, leaving only Parker's bid. The board of the Coventry, England-based firm continues to "recommend unanimously" Parker's 800 pence-per-share offer, worth about GBP6.3 billion. That's even after TransDigm made a possible offer of 900p per share. Cleveland, Ohio-headquartered aerospace manufacturer TransDigm made an approach in August, mulling a bid of 900 pence per share, valuing Meggitt at GBP7.03 billion. Though not a firm offer, TransDigm's tilt was a 13% premium to Parker-Hannifin's 800p per share bid.







Great Portland Estates PLC - central London landlord and developer - Says Executive Director Dan Nicholson to take leave of absence in order to recuperate from a road traffic accident. "Dan was recently appointed to the newly created role of executive director, with responsibility for Portfolio Management and Development Management. In his absence, his responsibilities will be covered by other members of the executive management team," company says.







Manolete Partners PLC - London-based insolvency litigation financing company - Says trading performance in line with internal expectations, despite drop in corporate insolvencies. "This is a testament to the strength of our offering and our team," Chief Executive Steven Cooklin says. Adds: "With the recent confirmation that these temporary measures [the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020] are being phased out from October 1 we expect to see a return to more normal market conditions in the second half of this year and beyond. Manolete Partners is very well positioned in the insolvency financing market and for long term profitable growth."







Nexus Infrastructure PLC - Braintree, Essex-based gas, electricity, water, fibre networks and electrical vehicle charging infrastructure - Believes eSmart Networks unit is "well positioned" to support the energy transition agenda in the UK. "eSmart Networks' total addressable market is forecast to be in excess of GBP9.2 billion by 2030. eSmart Networks is well placed for future growth with a current forward orderbook at GBP13.5 million, versus GBP3.8 million year before, and visibility over a pipeline of more than GBP400 million. Revenue growth is substantial and in 2020 the business generated revenue of GBP2.2 million, which is expected to grow to in excess of GBP10.0 million in 2021. The business is also expected to be profitable at the operating level in 2021," company says.







AfriTin Mining Ltd - African tin mining company which operates the Uis tin mine in Namibia - Enters conditional, credit approved, lending facility with Standard Bank Namibia Ltd, to fund the expansion of the Uis Phase 1 processing plant. The GBP4.5 million senior secured loan will help to increase tin concentrate production by 67% from 720 tonnes of tin concentrate per annum to 1,200 tonnes of tin concentrate per annum. Phase 1 expansion commissioning is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2022.







Altus Strategies PLC - mining royalties investor - Discovers multiple hard rock gold workings from Egyptian licences at Gabal om Ourada and Wadi Dubu. Says 37 hard rock artisanal gold workings discovered across two projects in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Chief Executive Steven Poulton says: "Reconnaissance has focused on areas identified by our in-house target generation techniques that integrate remote sensing and historical data. The field programmes have validated the power of this approach and underscored the prospectivity of the licences. At least 37 hard rock workings have been discovered to date, the largest of which has been mapped for over 370 metres in length. Many of the gold workings have undergone extensive mechanised activity, indicating the potential for significant mineralisation."







Power Metal Resources PLC - exploration company seeking metal discoveries in the US, Australia and Africa - Chair Andrew Bell to step down from company on September 30, to focus on Red Rock Resources PLC and the spinning out of Power and Red's joint venture, Red Rock Australasia, New Ballarat Gold Corp PLC. New Ballarat will hold Power and Red's licences in the Victoria Goldfields in Australia. "Red Rock and POW will hold their interests in the projects through shareholdings in NBGC in the same proportions as their previous shareholdings in Red Rock Australasia, at 50.1% Red Rock and 49.9% POW. Red Rock Australasia will become a wholly owned Australian subsidiary of New Ballarat Gold," company says. Bell says: "We will now intensify work on the planned IPO of NBGC on the London markets. As I shall be heavily involved in that process, and will have a continuing role in NBGC before, and for some time after, listing, it is no longer desirable for me to continue my active role as chair and director of Power Metal Resources."







Caerus Mineral Resources PLC - exploration & resource development company focussed on Europe - Proposes placing of up to 7.2 million shares at 20 pence each, looking to raise about GBP1.4 million. Will also plan subscription of 300,000 shares, at same price. For every 2 placing and subscription shares, a warrant will be issued, exercisable for two years from completion at a price of 30p per new ordinary share. "The proceeds of the placing will be used primarily to fund the accelerated development towards the production of the 'flagship' projects in the expanded portfolio of properties from the acquisitions," company says.







MobilityOne Ltd - e-commerce infrastructure payments and platform provider - Pretax profit in 2020 improves to GBP2.3 million from GBP1.1 million in 2019. Revenue grows to GBP246.7 million from GBP169.4 million. "The Covid-19 pandemic has not negatively affected the group's financial performance. This is primarily as a result of the nature of the group's major business activities being focused on e-payments. Notwithstanding that the group's international remittance services and e-money business in Malaysia and business activities in the Philippines and Brunei are expected to remain insignificant in 2021, the group remains positive on its business outlook for the remainder of 2021. This is particularly in light of the activity within the group's mobile phone prepaid airtime reload and bill payment business in Malaysia," company says.







United Oil & Gas PLC - AIM-listed oil & gas company with assets in Italy, UK, Jamaica and Egypt - Continues drilling of ASX-1X exploration well in the Abu Sennan licence, onshore Egypt. Says completed the well and well-testing is now planned, and if successful, will be followed by an application to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp for a development lease. Preliminary interpretations suggest the well encountered at least 10m net pay across a number of reservoir intervals, including the primary reservoir targets of the Abu Roash Formation. United holds a 22% working interest in the Abu Sennan licence. Chief Executive Brian Larkin says: "Today's announcement is the fourth positive well result from Abu Sennan in 2021. With the well testing set to begin shortly, we look forward to understanding the full potential of the ASX-1X well."







Honye Financial Services Ltd - Cayman Islands-based company seeking acquisitions in financial services and financial technology - Finalising due diligence on takeover of tech firm Zoyo Capital Ltd and negotiating the final terms of the sale and purchase agreement. "The company is progressing with the UK Financial Conduct Authority's review of its prospectus and hopes that final eligibility approval and completion of the Acquisition will be concluded in the final quarter of the year," company adds.







Rurelec PLC - power producer - Wholly-owned Chilean subsidiary, Termoelectrica Del Norte SA has completes sale of its Frame 6B gas turbine to Independent Power Corp PLC. Nets USD900,000 outstanding balance from the sale.







By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has declined to commit to securing a post-Brexit trade deal with the US by the next election, ahead of his talks with Joe Biden in the White House.

The prime minister said he has "plenty of reason to be optimistic" about getting the free trade agreement which was touted by leave supporters as a major prize of departing the EU, but noted Americans "do negotiate very hard".

His concession on Tuesday came after suggesting trade negotiations are not a priority for the US president, who he accepted has "a lot of fish to fry".

The prime minister arrived at Union Station in Washington DC to welcome the "very good news" that Biden had pledged to double US funding to help vulnerable countries fight the climate crisis, with Johnson having pushed for increased spending.

But the Vote Leave figurehead earlier downplayed the prospects of getting a trade deal by the next election, raising the possibility that he could leave Downing Street without achieving a key ambition for the post-Brexit era.

Asked if he would get the deal by 2024, the prime minister told Sky News: "We will keep going with free trade deals around the world, including in the US.

"I have plenty of reason to be optimistic about that. But the Americans do negotiate very hard."

Johnson spoke to broadcasters on the terrace of a skyscraper in New York, where he has been attending a UN summit, before getting the train to Washington DC for his first visit to the White House since Biden succeeded Donald Trump.

Johnson is expected to discuss the stalled trade talks with Biden, as well as what further efforts they can take to address the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The prime minister conceded Britain and the US could have possibly taken a different course over the withdrawal of troops of Afghanistan.

"America has been there for 20 years and it's a respectable argument to say that enough is enough. Look, I mean, could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could," the prime minister told American broadcaster NBC.

The prime minister had pleaded with the president to push back his deadline for drawing down all US troops after the Taliban marched back to power.

But Biden rejected the request, meaning potentially thousands of vulnerable Afghans who worked for the UK and their families were left behind.

Travelling on an Amtrak train to DC, Johnson had been buoyed by the announcement the US will drop the blanket ban on travellers arriving from the UK due to the coronavirus crisis.

However, No 10 appeared blind sided by Monday's announcement, raising questions over the state of communications between the White House and Downing Street.

Just one day before the end of the ban was announced, Johnson was downplaying to reporters any expectations that he could "crack" the issue this week.

Aboard the RAF Voyager on the flight to New York, Johnson also seemed negative about the prospect of getting a trade deal in place any time soon.

"On the FTA, the reality is that Joe has a lot of fish to fry," Johnson told reporters.

In the run-up to the EU referendum in 2016, then-president Barack Obama warned Britons they would be at the "back of the queue" for any trade deal if they voted for Brexit.

The EU departure also presents a quandary to the prime minister's relationship with Biden, who is vocally proud of his Irish heritage and has warned there will be no trade deal if peace in Northern Ireland is jeopardised by the EU departure.

A major diplomatic row has also broken out over a new military pact between the UK, US and Australia because it scuppered a multibillion-dollar contract for France to provide submarines to Australia.

France took the extraordinary step of recalling its ambassadors to Washington and Canberra, but declined to do the same from London, accusing the UK of being America's lapdog.

After meeting Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House, Johnson will have dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Washington.

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
As parents become more and more frustrated with school schedules disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, and left-wing indoctrination such as Critical Race Theory being taught to their children, support for school choice options is on the rise.

There is no doubt public education, both K-12 and university level, is badly broken. Taxpayers continue to pour ever-increasing amounts of money into systems that gobble up funds, fail to yield improved outcomes, and then demand even more money.

Even worse, in an era when the spotlight is on racial equality, K-12 public education in Pennsylvania traps minority youth in under-performing schools with no way out. That has given rise to a unique coalition of school choice advocates bringing together conservatives and many Black leaders  unified around the belief that the best way to level the playing field for people of all colors is to receive a quality education.

The Washington, D.C.-based Club for Growth recently launched a National Campaign for School Choice. In so doing it commissioned a nationwide poll. It found that re-branding the debate as school freedom and talking in terms of school choice scholarships resulted in a higher level of support and more accurately describes the movement.

The poll further found that there has been a 12% drop in overall satisfaction with the nations public schools since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in a five percent jump in overall support for school choice  school freedom  since 2015, and a 10-point surge among Democrats. When asked who is at fault for our faltering public school system poll respondents first blamed politicians (70%), 53% placed the blame on union bosses.

Over the years there have been many legislative efforts aimed at providing parents with more freedom to select the educational option that is best for their child. The latest proposal is sponsored by State Rep. Andrew Lewis (R-Dauphin) and it would redirect billions of dollars in public school funding into individual scholarship accounts for each child.

According to The Center Square, the Excellent Education for All Act would allow families to use the roughly $6,000 per student the state pays to afford tuition at private, parochial and charter schools. It also proposes some reforms to charter schools, bolsters tax credit scholarship programs, and preserves some options that were developed to deal with the pandemic.

In introducing the bill Lewis said Pennsylvania is fortunate to have fantastic schools that come in different forms. If passed House Bill 1 would give families access to scholarships that give them more options. And that is precisely what the Club for Growth poll found parents are seeking: the freedom to select the educational opportunity that best suits their childs individual needs.

Some progress toward that goal was made in the current fiscal years state budget. Lawmakers successfully increased the cap on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) by $40 million. That program provides tax credits of up to $750,000 to businesses that donate money toward scholarships for private schools. It, however, is relatively small given the overall state basic education budget tops $7 billion.

The need to provide more flexibility in education does not end at the K-12 level. Changing occupational needs, along with a smaller student base, have scrambled the market for higher education. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE) is restructuring and merging some campuses due to fiscal challenges and declining enrollment. Interest in technical schools and community colleges is growing as students confront the skyrocketing costs of a four-year degree.

To provide more flexibility State Representative Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) has introduced the Pennsylvania College Voucher Program. The Center Square reports that this program would redirect more than $580 million state taxpayer dollars that are currently allocated exclusively to the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, and Penn State University directly to students in the form of grants that could be used at technical schools, community colleges, PSSHE schools, private colleges or major universities.

All of these initiatives are efforts to provide parents and students with the freedom to select the educational opportunity  either K-12 or higher education  that best suits their individual needs and career goals. And while there is clear public support for moving state policy in this direction powerful vested, and frequently failing, special interests stand in the way.

But the time has come to give students and parents the financial freedom to choose. We can do that by funding students rather than by funding school districts or specific institutions of higher learning.

Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal and American Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org
Working-class Bronx native served US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) well as elect me schtick in 2018.

It wasnt true  Ocasio-Cortez is an architects daughter who grew up in the tony suburb of Yorktown Heights (median family income of $137,580 versus the US median family income of $68,703), attended Boston University, and interned for US Sen. Ted Kennedy before putting together her just your average waitress PR package  but it got the political job done.

AOC continues to lean on that carefully polished mythology, most recently at the annual Met Gala, where she introduced herself and the designer of her Tax the Rich gown as two working-class women.

Ive not heard anyone explain how a working class gal like AOC afforded the $35,000 ticket to the gala on her pittance of a congressional salary (only $174,000 per year; the ticket cost nearly as much as the US median personal income, $35,977). Unless she manages her money very well, it seems likely that someone gave her the ticket, which makes me wonder what kind of political favors such a large bribe might be intended to buy.

I have to wonder how much money the real working-class stiffs  wait staff, doormen, chauffeurs, etc.  lurking in the corners of the Met Galas celebrity footage earn per year. I bet that number falls closer to the US median than the AOC median.

I also have to wonder what those working-class stiffs look like. They were required to wear masks while catering to the needs of AOC and her fellow ruling class party attendees as they hammed it up for the cameras, bare-faced so we could admire their pearly whites and hear the bon mots that they deigned to speak rather than air-brush onto their costumes.

The masked and anonymous serving staff included one poor guy filmed trotting along behind AOC like some European monarchs valet, holding up the train of her designer gown to keep it from touching the ground.

Marie Antoinette supposedly never uttered the phrase let them eat cake, or displayed the lack of awareness of or compassion for working-class conditions associated with that phrase. Is her unfortunate image as manufactured and mythological as AOCs working class pretensions?

While her Tax the Rich gown certainly attracted attention, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez would have been more on point with a slogan from George Orwells Animal Farm: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org).
A record number of migrant boats have arrived in the Balearic Islands already this year and there appears to be no end to the flow of pateras.

Four boats arrived on Monday; two in Cabrera, one in Ibiza and another in Formentera, with 62 migrants onboard, which means a total of 1,499 migrants have arrived on Balearic shores this year.

The Algerian border was closed as a result of the pandemic, so the migrants can't be returned, but the Government now wants to reopen it so that they can be sent home.

The objective is to open the border as soon as possible, we cannot consolidate an irregular flow, said Government Delegate, Aina Calvo.

The wave of migrant boats in recent days is the largest ever recorded. 21 boats arrived in the Balearic Islands, bringing 175 people to Mallorca; 128 to Formentera and 19 to Ibiza, including children aged 6 months to 11 years old, several women, one of whom is pregnant.

The migrants are transferred to the mainland through a Humanitarian Assistance Programme supervised by non-Governmental organisations and from there they travel to various European countries, mostly France and Belgium.

"It is a phenomenon that worries us and is laborious to maintain, but we have the situation under control with very good institutional coordination, adds Calvo, who alluded to the adequacy of a place in Son Tous to accommodate immigrants.

The migrants who arrived in Mallorca in recent days were taken to National Police stations.

The migrants are cared for in conditions of absolute dignity, insists Calvo, who confirmed that they are held for a maximum of three days while medical examinations and administrative procedures are completed.

On Monday, boat skippers were arrested by the Guardia Civil in Formentera as they tried to refuel an 8 metre long boat, which had allegedly been used to traffick people.
By the late 1910s, the lumber industry that had all but built Manistee was all but finished due to the simple fact that all of the quality timber had been cut down. This gradual stoppage of work left Manistee with a smaller population as people left to find jobs elsewhere while those wanting for employment did not have much to choose from.

To this end, the local board of commerce was essential in attracting new, albeit, smaller industries to Manistee to not only put back to work the employed and underemployed of the county, but also hopefully bring those people back to Manistee.

In an interview with the Manistee News Advocate, Stacy Thompson, president of the board of commerce, outlined some of the ongoing problems with Manistees lack of industry as well as what could be done to fix it. Portions of the interview, published on June 27, 1924, follow:

That we need industries is not doubted. The big lumber mills of the city disappeared so suddenly with the timber that the city has been unable to hit its stride since. Many families are now living here while the husband and father work in some other city. If we can provide plenty of jobs, those men and others will be only too glad to come back. The market for workmen here will be better.

We did not give up hope, however, and it seems as though our present plan will bring results.

Those plans eventually led to the announcement in Oct. 1924 that the Falleen Drop Forge Company had purchased the Manistee Drop Forge formerly located in Filer City.

The Manistee Drop Forge Company was started by a group of local businessmen in 1920 but had since gone belly up due to the countrywide economic slump that was initiated by the aftermath of World War I. With the help of the original bondholders of the company and the board of commerce, a father and son pair of businessmen from Rockford, Illinois named Gustave and Arthur Falleen, purchased the factory.

An article published on Oct. 24, 1924, briefly describes the Falleen family and their plans for the factory which was to be named the Falleen Drop Forge Company. Portions of that article follow:

Gustave Falleen has been general manager of the Rockford Drop Forge Company, one of the most successful and largest concerns of its kind in the country, since the date of its organization some 12 or 15 years ago, while his son has grown up in the business to a position of high responsibility with the same concern

The new owners are to take immediate possession of the plant, and plan to start work in the die shop next Monday, Oct. 27. With growth of the business the new company, in addition to common labor, expects to provide employment to a considerable force of skilled mechanics, such as hammermen, die sinkers, and toolmakers.

The entire property, both real and personal, is included in the purchase. This comprises over 12 acres of land, a group of factory and office buildings including hammer shop, boiler power house, machine shop and die room, pickling and shipping room, office building, railroad sidetrack, machinery and equipment more than sufficient to present needs.

In a similar way, the A.D. Joslin Factory came to Manistee soon after to occupy a building that was constructed in 1908 off of Manistee Lake for the Manistee Watch Company.

For over 15 years the building housed other short-lived businesses such as Manistee Art Furniture and Chemical Closet Supply, but had been vacant for some time before it attracted the attention of the A.D. Joslin Manufacturing Company, a factory that specialized in the production of time recorders, dating stamps, and marking devices.

An article published in the Manistee News Advocate on Nov. 15, 1924 provides details on the companys arrival in Manistee:

While the rest of the United States is buying stocks and otherwise showing its faith in and hope for the nations industry. Manistee is rapidly getting down to the actual business of new production.

Monday the doors of the A.D. Joslin Companys Factory, in the watch factory building, will open to workmen. Many have been seeking jobs at the new plant since it became known that it would locate here and all will be given a chance Monday. Morris Sheras, head of the firm, announced today that all men seeking jobs would have to file applications and the needed help will be picked from the list. Married men, he said, will be preferred in the selection because they are more in the need of a job, they cannot as easily move to another city for a job and they are more liable to become permanent employees.

No girls will be employed in the factory though a few will be required in the office. They will be hired through the same medium as the men."

With two businesses putting some local citizens back to work through the purchase of other businesses/buildings, in 1924 the Ramsdell Theater was similarly looking for new owners. After being owned by the Ramsdell family for many years, it was sold to the newly formed Rotary Club for the sum of $25,000.

Finishing up the year, the board of commerce brought to Manistee a guest speaker, a man by the name of W.K. Greenebaum, for a banquet in late December.

Greenebaum was the executive manager of the Michigan City, Indiana, chamber of commerce and was brought to Manistee to help facilitate a discussion on what could make it better.

After handing out questionnaires at the banquet, it was found that more industry and a new high school were the greatest needs of the general public in attendance.

Likewise, Greenebaum also went on to describe that what is really needed to make a town successful was exceptional people to lead to it. While Greenebaum lays it on a little thick, his comments, published in the Dec. 16, 1924 edition of the Manistee News Advocate provide some insight for the onward momentum of Manistee.

The greatest asset of any city, Mr. Greenebaum continued, are forward looking, ambitious and energetic men and women. Without them your city cannot exist. Likewise, knockers are the worst handicap. Those who live in this city should pull for Manistee or pull out. Tell em to make one more investment  in a railroad ticket for anywhere except Michigan City; Im sure we dont want them there.

Cities reflect the tendency of the times; they are either alive and going or slow and falling behind. The quick or the dead. Dead towns! What are they? The towns where knockers exist; the towns of cant be done!  the towns where the young men and young women find they have no opportunity to advance and must seek their field of endeavor elsewhere. The devil lived in heaven until he started knocking  think where he is now!

My friends, Manistee, what a place to be. Home. In all the world no place just like it. Great in friendships, great in comforts, great in many things to help make life worth living. Great in possibilities. At least great if the building ordinances of your ambition so provide. Think big things and big things result. Think little and you get small returns.

MANISTEE  Praise it; beautify it; improve it; laud it; applaud it; commend it, defend it; tell others about it; take pride in it  be public spirited.'"

Mark Fedder is the executive director of the Manistee County Historical Museum. He can be reached by email at manisteemuseum@gmail.com, or by phone at 231-723-5531.

MORE FROM THE MUSEUM'S ARCHIVES

 How Manistee's lumber epicenter status meant it needed more communication with the world

 The story of the Manistee shipwreck Estelle
LA PINE, Ore. (AP)  Jack Dwyer pursued a dream of getting back to the land by moving in 1972 to an idyllic, tree-studded parcel in Oregon with a creek running through it.

We were going to grow our own food. We were going to live righteously. We were going to grow organic, Dwyer said. Over the decades that followed, he and his family did just that.

But now, Deer Creek has run dry after several illegal marijuana grows cropped up in the neighborhood last spring, stealing water from both the stream and nearby aquifers and throwing Dwyer's future in doubt.

From dusty towns to forests in the U.S. West, illegal marijuana growers are taking water in uncontrolled amounts when there often isn't enough to go around for even licensed users. Conflicts about water have long existed, but illegal marijuana farms  which proliferate despite legalization in many Western states  are adding strain during a severe drought.

In California, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, there are still more illegal cannabis farms than licensed ones, according to the Cannabis Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

"Because peak water demand for cannabis occurs in the dry season, when streamflow is at its lowest levels, even small diversions can dry streams and harm aquatic plants and animals, a study from the center said.

Some jurisdictions are fighting back. California's Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors in May banned trucks carrying 100 gallons or more of water from using roads leading to arid tracts where some 2,000 illegal marijuana grows were purportedly using millions of gallons of water daily.

The illegal grows are depleting precious groundwater and surface water resources and jeopardizing agricultural, recreational and residential water use, the county ordinance says.

In Oregon, the number of illegal grows appears to have increased recently as the Pacific Northwest endured its driest spring since 1924.

Many are operating under the guise of being hemp farms, legalized nationally under the 2018 Farm Bill, said Mark Pettinger, spokesman for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Under the law, hemp's maximum THC content  the compound that gives cannabis its high  must be no greater than 0.3%. Fibers of the hemp plant are used in making rope, clothing, paper and other products.

Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel believes there are hundreds of illegal grows in his southern Oregon county alone, many financed by overseas money. He believes the financiers expect to lose a few grows but the sheer number of them means many will last until the marijuana is harvested and sold on the black market outside Oregon.

None of the new sites has been licensed to grow recreational marijuana, Pettinger said. Regulators, confronted in 2019 by a backlog of license applications and a glut of regulated marijuana, stopped processing new applications until January 2022.

The illegal grows have had catastrophic consequences for natural water resources, Daniel said. Several creeks have dried up far earlier than normal and the water table  the underground boundary between water-saturated soil and unsaturated soil  is dropping.

Its just blatant theft of water, Daniel said.

Last month, Daniel and his deputies, reinforced by other law enforcement officers, destroyed 72,000 marijuana plants growing in 400 cheaply built greenhouses, known as hoop houses.

The water for those plants came through a makeshift, illicit system of pumps and hoses from the nearby Illinois River, which belongs to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, created by Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values.

Daniel said another illegal grow that had 200,000 plants was drawing water from Deer Creek using pumps and pipes. He called it one of the most blatant and ugly things Ive seen.

They had actually dug holes into the ground so deep that Deer Creek had dried up ... and they were down into the water table, the sheriff said.

Dwyer has a water right to Deer Creek, near the community of Selma, that allows him to grow crops. The creek can run dry late in the year sometimes, but Dwyer has never seen it this dry, much less this early in the year.

The streambed is now an avenue of rocks bordered by brush and trees.

Over the decades, Dwyer created an infrastructure of buried water pipe, a dozen spigots and an irrigation system connected to the creek to grow vegetables and to protect his home against wildfires. He uses an old well for household water, but it's unclear how long that will last.

I just dont know what I will do if I dont have water, the 75-year-old retired middle school teacher said.

Marijuana has been grown for decades in southern Oregon, but the recent explosion of huge illegal grows has shocked residents.

The Illinois Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, where Dwyer lives, held two town halls about the issue recently. Water theft was the main concern, said Christopher Hall, the conservation district's community organizer.

The people of the Illinois Valley are experiencing an existential threat for the first time in local history, Hall said.

In the high desert of central Oregon, illegal marijuana growers are also tapping the water supply that's already so stressed that many farmers, including those who produce 60% of the world's carrot-seed supply, face a water shortage this year.

On Sept. 2, Deschutes County authorities raided a 30-acre (12-hectare) property in Alfalfa, just east of Bend. It had 49 greenhouses containing almost 10,000 marijuana plants and featured a complex watering system with several 15,000- to 20,000-gallon cisterns. Neighbors told detectives the illegal grow has forced them to drill a new well, Sheriff Shane Nelson said.

The Bend area has experienced a population boom, putting more demands on the water supply. The illegal grows are making things worse.

In La Pine, south of Bend, Rodger Jincks watched a crew drill a new well on his property. The first sign that his existing well was failing came when the pressure dropped as he watered his tiny front lawn. Driller Shane Harris estimated the water table is dropping 6 inches (15 centimeters) per year.

Sheriffs deputies last November raided an illegal grow a block away that had 500 marijuana plants.

Jincks' neighbor, Jim Hooper, worries that his well might fail next. He resents the illegal grows and their uncontrolled used of water.

With the illegals, theres no tracking of it, Hooper said. "Theyre just stealing the water from the rest of us, which is causing us to spend thousands of dollars to drill new wells deeper.

___

Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky

___

Follow APs complete drought coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/droughts
Telemis Increases its Presence in Latvia through Cooperation with A.Medical

MedTech Outlook | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

The new long-term arrangement follows a recent joint business victory and strengthens Telemis's position in Latvia by providing more resources.

FREMONT, CA: Telemis, a medical imaging business specializing in MACS (Multimedia Archiving and Communication System) solutions, has expanded its presence in Latvia through a cooperation agreement with a medical, a provider of medical equipment and infrastructure. The long-term deal comes on the heels of recent joint business success with a hospital in Daugavpils, Latvia's second-largest city after the capital, Riga.

In line with Telemis existing international expansion strategy to ensure business continuity with customers at a local level, Stephane Ketelaer, CEO of Telemis, says, We are happy to be able to count on A.Medical as a solid partner in Latvia. This newly signed agreement extends our joint presence in Latvia and contributes to offering the highest quality medical software to diagnose and treat Latvian patients. We have known A.Medical as a reliable service company and one that does not hesitate to go with the newest technologies while helping medical institutions.

Latvia's healthcare system has recently been restructured to improve efficiency and expand access to care. The sector's development potential is based on a mix of highly skilled medical staff, affordable services, and first-rate infrastructure.

Our company is well established in the sale of modalities throughout Latvia in the hospital environment, says IgorsPalkovs, Chief Executive Officer, A.Medical. We have known Telemis for more than 5 years and have seen the evolution of their solutions. We are pleased to have signed a partnership agreement to represent Telemis throughout Latvia. Our aim is to develop the business in the region and to provide local support to Telemis customers.

Telemis SIA, headquartered in Riga, Latvia, serves its existing installed base while expanding into new markets and neighboring countries. A.Medical operates as Telemis' representative in Latvia, servicing existing software and maintenance contracts, responding to tenders, and generating new business. Together, the two firms have already secured a five-year deal with Daugavpils Regional Hospital in south-eastern Latvia to replace the hospital's existing PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) system.

Pleased with the recent contract and the news of Telemis partnership with A.Medical, Gregory Semjonos, General Manager, Daugavpils Regional Hospital, says, We acquired the TelemisPACS as a replacement for the AGFA PACS. Due to the good performance and our satisfaction with the solution, it was decided to extend the contract and collaboration for the next 5 years. As director of Daugavpils, I am happy to work with a scalable solution. I would also like to thank Telemis for its partnership with A.Medical, allowing us to benefit from local and efficient support. I believe that the Telemis solution gives our doctors all the tools to work in the best possible conditions.
Sixty by 30 Talent Tour highlights regional efforts to boost skills and create pathways to fill high-demand, high-wage jobs in Northeast Michigan

Sixty by 30 Talent Tour highlights regional efforts to boost skills and create pathways to fill high-demand, high-wage jobs in Northeast Michigan

State announces region's high-wage, high-demand career data through 2028 and promotes tuition-free paths to those careers through programs like Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners

Erica Quealy 517-582-2961 Labor and Economic Opportunity

RELEASE DATE: Sept. 20, 2021

GAYLORD, Mich - The Michigan Sixty by 30 Talent Tour zero in on the state's Northeast Michigan Prosperity Region today as state and local talent leaders celebrate the growing number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree toward the goal of 60% by 2030 and highlighted opportunities for more Michiganders to take advantage of low- or no-cost training to excel in high-demand careers.

"Postsecondary education attainment is critical to the success of our workers and businesses alike," Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin said. "Whether it's an apprenticeship, skilled trade program, community college, four-year university or beyond, these are the paths that lead to exciting, high-wage career opportunities in high-demand fields for Michiganders and provide a flowing talent pipeline for businesses so they can compete and thrive here."

The tour's aim is to highlight the state's latest Sixty by 30 achievements and promote awareness of how programs like Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners are creating a rewarding path to in-demand careers, such as those recently announced in a new report forecasting career trends in Northeast Michigan through 2028.

Data compiled by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives shows Northeast Michigan (Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon) is home to nearly 54,000 jobs and is projected to have almost 7,500 job openings every year through 2028. Of those projected openings, at least 1,700 will typically require a postsecondary certification, an associate degree or apprenticeship.

Since Michigan Reconnect launched this February, over 80,000 state residents have been accepted into the program, including more than 940 in Northeast Michigan. Futures for Frontliners had another 85,000 applicants with more than 15,000 accepted into the program, including over 1,300 in the region. Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Sixty by 30 goal, the percentage of working-age adults with a certificate, associate degree or higher has increased from 45% to 49%.

Alpena Community College President Dr. Don MacMaster said initiatives like Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners provide hope for older workers who thought postsecondary education or training were out of their reach.

"The community college mission is to change lives through education, and there's nothing more life-changing than the opportunity to gain new skills, achieve goals and pursue a better future," he said. "We support both Futures and Reconnect as programs of great merit."

Within the state's new set of employment projections, data shows several long-term trends that will impact the Northeast Michigan region and statewide labor market. Among them are an aging population that will continue to spur demand for jobs in health care industries and occupations, the continued use of online shopping that will drive changes in the distribution of retail-related jobs and an increase in careers that require postsecondary training or education.

Statewide data projections show Michigan's population is expected to grow by 3.6% through 2028. This population growth, however, is expected to be combined with a sharp 28% increase in people age 65 and older. Largely because the number of residents approaching retirement age is expected to outpace the count of new residents in the state, the Michigan labor force is expected to contract by 0.2% through 2028.

The driving force of Michigan's population change and labor force contraction will also govern the industries and occupations that will be needed most in the coming years. The aging of Michigan's population and workforce is expected to drive demand for many medical-related industries.

In Northeast Michigan, for example, some of the high-demand, high-wage health care occupations projected to grow the most through 2028 include diagnostic medical sonographer, which is projected to grow by 33.3% and requires an associate degree to earn $27 to $35 per hour; respiratory therapist, which is projected to grow by 25% and requires an associate degree to earn $25 to $30 per hour; and medical assistant, which is projected to grow by 9.1% and requires a postsecondary certificate to earn $15 to $18 per hour.

The state's aging trend will also impact other industries like maritime, construction and manufacturing. In Northeast Michigan, occupations with expected rates of high growth include captain, mate and pilot of water vessels, which is projected to grow by 16.7% and requires a postsecondary certificate to earn $45 to $76 per hour; electrician, which is projected to grow by 7.1% and requires an associate degree or apprenticeship to earn $21 to $37 per hour; operating engineer, which is projected to grow by 5% and requires a postsecondary certificate to earn $18 to $29 per hour; and, machinist, which is expected to grow by 2.7% and requires an associate degree or apprenticeship to earn $15 to $24 per hour.

"We work with businesses every day and access to skilled talent is their No. 1 need," said Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium Director Marisue Moreau. "Over the next several years, our region is projected to see an influx of job openings that require more than just a high school diploma. With the variety of training programs available right now, such as the Governor's Michigan Reconnect and the many training programs that Michigan Works! has for job seekers and employers, there has never been a better time for people to consider upgrading their skills and training so they can be successful in a rewarding career."

The Sixty by 30 Talent Tour also showcased the success story of an Alpena Community College student whose career pursuit reflects the latest trends in high-demand, high-wage jobs in growing sectors across the state.

Nate Spicer, a 35-year-old Michigan Reconnect program participant, recently enrolled in Alpena Community College. The married father of two young girls is currently taking pre-requisite courses for the college's nursing program which he plans to enter next summer. After graduating from Alpena High School in 2004, Spicer took classes at Alpena Community College but had to leave to get a full-time job to support his mother. He said going back to school and finishing his degree seemed out of reach until his wife told him about Michigan Reconnect.

"Cost was always a big barrier when I considered returning to school, especially when our family would have to adjust to a single-family income," he said. "My past student debt was put on a credit card, which is not ideal. Student loans weren't an option for our family so Michigan Reconnect was a lifesaver. Imagine my surprise when I saw my tuition bill for the fall semester, and I only owed $400.00. Michigan Reconnect allowed me to afford to take more classes to pursue my degree even faster."

Michigan Reconnect is the largest effort in state history to ensure that Michiganders who are 25 or older and do not have a college degree - more than 4.1 million in all - will have an opportunity to earn an associate degree or skills certificate with free or discounted tuition. The $30 million bipartisan investment launched February 2021 and will pay the cost of in-district tuition for eligible adults who want to pursue an associate degree or skills certificate at any of Michigan's public community colleges, including its three tribal colleges. The program also offers skills scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition through more than 70 private training schools with 120 programs that offer certificates in high-demand careers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, information technology, health care or business management. More information is available at Michigan.gov/Reconnect.

Futures for Frontliners is a scholarship program announced by Gov. Whitmer in April 2020. The program launched last September, and more than 120,000 Michiganders submitted applications. The first program of its kind in the nation, Futures for Frontliners offers free in-district tuition to community college for Michiganders, with or without high school diplomas, who provided essential front-line services during COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe orders between April and June 2020.
Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan

Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2021

Contact: Press@Michigan.gov

Governor Whitmer Announces Initiative for Nation-Leading Wireless EV Charging Infrastructure in Michigan

Wireless charging advances Governor Whitmer's goals for EV adoption and environmental sustainability in Michigan

PONTIAC, Mich. - While participating in the opening ceremony at Motor Bella today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new initiative to develop the nation's first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in the U.S. right here in Michigan. The development of a wireless dynamic charging roadway in Michigan is a step forward in addressing range anxiety and will accelerate the transition to all-electric transit fleets in Michigan, and beyond.

"Michigan was home to the first mile of paved road, and now we're paving the way for the roads of tomorrow with innovative infrastructure that will support the economy and the environment, helping us achieve our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "This project reinforces my commitment to accelerating the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure in Michigan and will create new opportunities for businesses and high-tech jobs amidst the transition to electric vehicles."

The Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification that will deploy an electrified roadway system that allows electric buses, shuttles and vehicles to charge while driving, enabling electric vehicles to operate continuously without stopping to charge. Electrified roadways have the potential to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles by consumers and fleet operations alike by enabling continuous vehicle operations and turning public streets into safe and sustainable shared energy platforms. As the first in the nation to deploy this forward-looking infrastructure, Michigan continues to secure its reputation as a leader in future transportation solutions and accelerate progress toward our carbon neutrality goals.

MDOT will release a Request for Proposal on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 to design, fund, evaluate, iterate, test and implement the Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot along a one-mile stretch of state-operated roadway in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. This partner will work closely with MODT, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on this project. The RFP (Requisition 3524) will be posted to eProposal; which can be accessed through MILogin at MILogin for Third Party or at the following link starting on September 28.

"At MDOT, we know the future of mobility involves connectivity, and this initiative dovetails nicely with our other successes linking vehicles and infrastructure through technology," said MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba. "This is a model we will build on across the state to further promote the governor's broad and ambitious vision."

To date, MDOT has activated the largest vehicle-to-infrastructure technology deployment - nearly 600 miles - in the United States, including a first-of-its-kind connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) corridor. Michigan is also home to the most diverse collection of automated vehicle and drone testing environments in the world, more mobility-related patents than any other state, and more engineers per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Today's news builds on announcements by the administration in the past month, including the first round of Michigan Mobility Funding Platform funding grants to accelerate mobility and EV investments in the state, a robot delivery program to address last-mile delivery challenges in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood; Detroit Smart Parking Lab, a new public/private sector collaboration launching the nation's first-of-its-kind, real-world test site for parking solutions, also in Corktown; and a MOU between Michigan and Ontario on cross-border activities to spur technology innovations and transportation solutions that enhance crossings by land, air, and water.

"We're in the midst of the most significant shift in the automotive industry since the Model T rolled off the assembly line more than a century ago, and Michigan is once setting the course manufacturing the vehicles of the future and deploying charging solutions that make EV adoption more widely available" said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. "This electrified roadway has the potential to accelerate autonomous vehicles at scale and turn our streets into safe, sustainable, accessible and shared transportation platforms."

Learn more about how Michigan is leading in transportation mobility and electrification visit www.michiganbusiness.org/mobility.

# # #
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Amid calls for investigations following major power losses during Hurricane Ida, the power company subsidiary that provides electric service to New Orleans said Tuesday it's ready to discuss having the city assume control of the municipal power system.

That's one of four options Entergy New Orleans outlined in a news release as the company prepares for discussions with the City Council, which regulates the electric monopoly in the city.

The other options include a merger with another Entergy Corporation subsidiary, Entergy Louisiana; a sale of Entergy New Orleans to another public or private business; or establishing a spinoff company separate from Entergy Corporation.

The council's utility committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday. It's chairperson, Helena Moreno, last week called for an investigation of the generation and transmission problems that led to a blackout related to Ida; a study on retail competition and utility ownership in New Orleans and a management audit of Entergy New Orleans. She has also called for a suspension in any rate changes for the utility.

It is obvious that we have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with the City Council, said Rod West, the group president for utility operations at Entergy Corp. While we believe that the actions of Entergy New Orleans have always been in the best interest of our New Orleans customers, some members of the council have publicly expressed a different opinion." Without addressing specific Moreno proposals, West said the council could wind up "inflicting further financial decline" on the company and adversely impacting its ability to provide quality service to its customers.

Ida was a Category 4 hurricane when it struck Aug. 29, devastating much of southeast Louisiana. More than a million customers of electric utilities in Louisiana and Mississippi lost power. That included everyone in New Orleans.

Entergy New Orleans, in its Tuesday statement, noted that despite the devastation, most in the city had power restored within a week. But critics question whether the utility has taken sufficient steps to strengthen its system in preparation for major hurricanes.

They point to the failure of all eight of the transmission lines that link the city to outside power and the collapse of a high voltage tower beside the Mississippi River. Earlier this month, Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said in an email that the company seeks to upgrade priority structures under yearly plans and bring up damaged towers to more resilient standards when repairing or replacing them.

One of the options put forth by Entergy New Orleans on Tuesday is a merger with Entergy Louisiana, which would transfer regulatory authority over the utility to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Although that would mean a loss of local authority, the release said it would mean lower rates for New Orleans customers while creating a stronger company and spreading the risk of storm costs among more customers.

Spinning off a stand-alone company would allow the city to retain regulatory control, but such a company would likely face financing challenges for improvements and storm damage restoration, the statement said. Even as part of Entergy Corporation, Entergy New Orleans has been downgraded twice in the last twelve months by rating agencies due to its storm risk and weakening financial performance."

Arranging for a city takeover of Entergy New Orleans assets would allow the city to maintain control, eliminate the need for a profit and could open up new disaster relief fund sources, the statement said. However, it could result in higher financing costs and additional operational expenses.

As for the option of finding a buyer for the utility: If a willing buyer with sufficient financial strength is identified, such a transaction could lead to benefits or drawbacks depending on the specific circumstances," Entergy's statement said.

___

This story was first published on Sept. 21, 2021. It was updated on Sept. 22, 2021 to correct the title of utility company executive Rod West. He is the group president for utility operations at Entergy Corp, not the CEO of Entergy New Orleans.
TORONTO (AP)  Canadians gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party a victory in Monday's parliamentary elections, but his gamble to win a majority of seats failed and nearly mirrored the result of two years ago.

The Liberals won the most seats of any party. The 49-year-old Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015 and has led his party to the top finish in two elections since.

Trudeaus Liberals were leading or elected in 156 seats  one less than they won 2019, and 14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives were leading or elected in 121 seats, the same number they won in 2019. The leftist New Democrats were leading or elected in 27, a gain of three seats, while the Quebec-based Bloc Quebecois remained unchanged with 32 seats and the Greens were down to two.

You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic, Trudeau said.

I hear you when you say you just want to get back to the things you love and not worry about this pandemic or an election."

Trudeau entered the election leading a stable minority government that wasnt under threat of being toppled.

The opposition was relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling an unnecessary early vote  two years before the deadline  for his own personal ambition.

Trudeau lost his gamble to get a majority so I would say this is a bittersweet victory for him, said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Basically we are back to square one, as the new minority parliament will look like the previous one. Trudeau and the Liberals saved their skin and will stay in power, but many Canadians who didnt want this late summer, pandemic election are probably not amused about the whole situation, he said.

Trudeau bet Canadians didnt want a Conservative government during a pandemic. Canada is now among the most fully vaccinated countries in the world and Trudeaus government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns. Trudeau argued that the Conservatives approach, which has been skeptical of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, would be dangerous and says Canadians need a government that follows science.

Conservative leader Erin OToole didnt require his partys candidates to be vaccinated and would not say how many were unvaccinated. OToole described vaccination as a personal health decision, but a growing number of vaccinated Canadians are increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated.

The debate on vaccination and Trudeau taking on the anti-vaccination crowd helped the Liberals to salvage a campaign that didnt start well for the party, Beland said.

Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose. And Trudeau has pointed out that Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government, is in crisis.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, an ally of OToole, said the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days. Kenney apologized for the dire situation and is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions.

Hubris led Trudeau to call the election. He and the Liberals won the election but lost the prize they were seeking. This is only a great night for the Liberals because two weeks ago it appeared they would lose government outright something they could not fathom before they gambled on an election, said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto.

Wiseman said the Conservatives were hurt by the situation in Alberta. The explosion of the pandemic in Alberta in the past 10 days undermined OTooles compliments of the Alberta Conservatives on how they had handled the pandemic and reinforced Trudeaus argument for mandatory vaccinations, he said.

A Conservative win would have represented a rebuke of Trudeau against a politician with a fraction of his name recognition. OToole, 47, is a military veteran, former lawyer and a member of Parliament for nine years.

Canadians did not give Mr. Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted, OToole said.

O'Toole said he was more determined than ever to continue but his party might dump him after it dumped the previous leader who failed to beat Trudeau in 2019.

OToole advertised himself a year ago as a true-blue Conservative. He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to take back Canada, but immediately started working to push the party toward the political center.

OTooles strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his partys base on issues such as climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than its southern neighbor.

The son of a long-time politician has faced criticism he will say and do anything to get elected.

Whether moderate Canadians believed OToole is the progressive conservative he claims to be and whether he alienated traditional Conservatives became central questions of the campaign.

Regina Adshade, a 28-year-old Vancouver software developer, said she was bothered that an election was called early, during a pandemic and with wildfires burning in British Columbia. But it didnt stop her from voting Liberal because the party represents her values.

I dont love there was an election right now but it wasnt going to change my vote, she said.

Trudeaus legacy includes embracing immigration at a time when the U.S. and other countries closed their doors. He also legalized cannabis nationwide and brought in a carbon tax to fight climate change. And he preserved free trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico amid threats by former U.S. President Donald Trump to scrap the agreement.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and ex-Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted support for Trudeau. There wasnt a Trump endorsement of OToole. Conservative campaign co-chair Walied Soliman said there is no alignment whatsoever between OToole and Trumpism. Soliman said earlier in the day holding Trudeau to a minority government would be a win for O'Toole.

Liberals governed Canada for 69 years during the 20th century. Pierre Trudeau called for a just society and ran the country with a panache not seen before from a Canadian leader. He is responsible for Canadas version of the bill of rights and is credited with opening the door wide to immigration.

Trudeau's Liberals dominated in Toronto, Canada's largest city and one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

____

Associated Press writer Jim Morris in Vancouver, British Columbia, contributed to this report.
BERLIN (AP)  A German court on Tuesday ordered a small far-right party to take down election posters with the slogan Hang the Greens, overturning a decision by a lower court and ruling that the posters were a danger to public safety.

Authorities in the eastern city of Zwickau earlier this month said the tiny Third Way party must remove the posters.

The party went to an administrative court in Chemnitz, which said it was unclear whether the conditions to limit freedom of expression were fulfilled and ruled that the posters could stay  though it stipulated that they must be kept at a minimum 100-meter (328-foot) distance from the Green partys posters.

Zwickau appealed that decision. On Tuesday, Saxony state's highest administrative court found that the slogan amounts to incitement and the posters constituted a danger to public safety, the dpa news agency reported.

Judges said a much smaller sentence on the posters  make our nationalist-revolutionary movement known with poster advertising in our party colors in the city and in the countryside  made no difference to the verdict, and that most people wouldn't notice it.

In a separate ruling on Friday, a court in Munich banned the party from using the same slogan in public there.

The environmentalist Greens are one of three parties running for the chance to put forth Germany's next leader after Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sunday's parliamentary election. Merkel, 67, is not running for reelection.

Also on Tuesday, Armin Laschet  the candidate for chancellor of Merkel's center-right bloc  said he was grateful for cross-party solidarity after someone altered posters in Cologne with his image and the slogan Entschlossen fuer Deutschland ("Determined for Germany") to read Erschossen fuer Deutschland ("Shot dead for Germany.")

We are seeing aggression at the moment that is not good for the country, Laschet said. He also welcomed the Munich ruling against the Hang the Greens posters.

___

Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election
CAIRO (AP)  Hussein Tantawi, the Egyptian general who took charge of the country when longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down amid the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, died on Tuesday, Egypts presidency said. He was 85.

Field Marshal Tantawi, Mubaraks defense minister for some 20 years, chaired the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that took power after Mubarak's ouster. He was known to be unquestioningly loyal to the former president, and oversaw a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that continued under Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Egypts current president. El-Sissis government has since rolled back many of the freedoms won in 2011.

Born in October 1935, Tantawi, who suffered from age-related health problems in recent months, died in a hospital in Cairo, according to a person close to his family, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

His death came 19 months after Mubarak died in a Cairo military hospital in February last year.

Tantawi ran Egypt for 17 months starting from Feb. 11, 2011, when Mubarak stepped down, until the election of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in June 2012.

After a short honeymoon, relations grew increasingly hostile between the ruling generals and the pro-democracy movement that had led the 18-day uprising against Mubarak.

In one of the most violent incidents, in October 2011, military armored vehicles ran over protesters participating in a sit-in in front of the state television headquarters, killing several beneath their wheels. This marked the beginnings of a fierce campaign to crush dissent, resulting in the death of dozens at the hands of security forces in street skirmishes in the following months and the arrest of hundreds, many of them civil society leaders.

Youth groups that had engineered the uprising against Mubarak accused Tantawi of employing the same violent tactics as his predecessor. Dismay at police brutality was one of the rallying cries of the 2011 uprising. But rather than dismantle the security services, under Tantawi, the military in particular grew in power.

Mistreatment of detainees in government custody continued, many of them arrested on trumped-up charges. More than 10,000 civilians were also sentenced by military tribunals during Tantawi's time in power.

Tanatawi was a statesman who ran the country in a most difficult period, confronting with wisdom the risks that surrounded Egypt, the presidency statement said, referring to the period that followed Mubaraks removal from power.

El-Sissi praised Tanatawis running of the country after Mubaraks ouster. This period was a very difficult and hard period, he said in televised comments. This great man was a true reason for protecting Egypt from fall during this period."

El-Sissi declared a three-day national mourning period, starting Tuesday, his office said. He also named the sprawling military Camp Huckstep after Tantawi, the state-run MENA news agency reported.

Camp Huckstep, close to Cairo's international airport, had been named after U.S. solider Russell Huckstep who was killed in a plane crash during a trip to Cairo in 1943.

A full-honor military funeral for Tantawi was held at a mosque complex in eastern New Cairo later Tuesday. El-Sissi, along with the country's top military and civilian officials, attended.

Tantawi and the military's supreme council enjoyed lukewarm support from the Muslim Brotherhood, before the standoff between the military and the group reached its height in 2012.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypts most powerful Islamist group, was long oppressed under Mubarak. The group won the elections held after Mubaraks fall, considered the first free votes the country had seen. First they gained a majority in parliament, then Morsi squeaked to victory in presidential elections held in 2012, becoming the first civilian to hold the office.

However, a court dissolved the Brotherhood-led parliament, and the generals granted themselves legislative and budgetary authority and control over the process of drafting a new constitution. They also put severe limits on the presidents authority just days before Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood, was sworn in as president in June 2012.

Only two months later, Morsi used a major militant attack against troops in the Sinai Peninsula to remove Tantawi, along with chief of staff Sami Enan. He named Gen. el-Sissi, then-head of military intelligence, as defense minister, replacing Tantawi, his longtime mentor. El-Sissi would eventually oversee Morsis removal from power amid more street protests.

Tantawi had a strong military background as an infantry serviceman. He fought in the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1967 and 1973 Middle East wars against Israel. He became defense minister in 1991, after Mubarak in 1989 removed Field Marshal Abdul-Halim Abu Ghazalah, who was rumored to have been sacked because of his growing popularity.

Mubarak seemed determined not to risk the rise of another powerful military officer who could pose a challenge to his power  and Tantawi fit the role. But he was criticized for failing to adapt his conventional military view to a new era of global terrorism.

The tactical and operational readiness of the Egyptian Armed Forces has decayed under Tantawis command, according to a 2008 U.S. diplomatic memo leaked by WikiLeaks.

The cable described the top general as charming and courtly but aged and change-resistant. It said he and Mubarak were focused on maintaining the status-quo above all else, and that they faced criticism from mid-level officers.

They simply do not have the energy, inclination or world view to do anything differently, the cable said of Mubarak and Tantawi.

Tantawi is survived by a wife and two sons.
TORONTO (AP)  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won his third straight election but failed to get the majority in Parliament he wanted, an outcome that threatened his Conservative rival with loss of his job after moving his party to the center and alienating its base.

Trudeau bet Canadians didnt want a Conservative government during a pandemic and voiced the concerns of Canadians who are increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated.

That helped propel Trudeau to victory in the election Monday, and while the gamble to win a majority of Parliament seats didn't pay off, Trudeau now leads a strong minority government that won't be toppled by the opposition any time soon.

The results nearly mirrored those of two years ago. The Liberal Party secured or was leading in 158 seats  one more than it won in 2019, and 12 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives were leading or elected in 119 seats, two less than in 2019. The leftist New Democrats were leading or elected in 25, while the Bloc Quebecois were poised to win 34 and the Greens were down to two.

Hours after the results came in, Trudeau greeted commuters and posed for photos Tuesday morning at a subway stop in his district in Montreal  a post-election tradition for the prime minister.

I hear you when you say you just want to get back to the things you love and not worry about this pandemic or an election," Trudeau said in his post-victory speech hours earlier.

At a news conference Tuesday, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole said he had initiated a post-election review to examine what went wrong for his party.

We are building towards victory next time, OToole said, adding that an election could occur within 18 months. We are all disappointed by the results and as leader no one more than me."

Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, blamed OTooles move toward the center, calling it a source of contention within the party.

Conservative campaign co-chair Walied Soliman said before the votes were counted Monday that holding Trudeau to a minority government would be a win. But Jenni Byrne, campaign manager and deputy chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told The Associated Press she was stunned by Solimans comments and later said OToole gave a tone-deaf concession speech in which he acted as if hed won.

OToole said he was more determined than ever to continue, but his party might dump him as it did his predecessor, who failed to beat Trudeau in 2019.

People should reflect more on where improvements can be made to the campaign rather than tearing down the leader," said Rick Roth, a former top Conservative Party staff member in the Harper government. This trend cant continue or well be in the wilderness for a decade.

Whether O'Toole remains Conservative leader has big implications for the conservative movement in Canada. If hes removed, the party could swing back right.

A politician who narrowly lost the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2017 and who now leads a far-right party that opposes vaccines and lockdowns bled support from OTooles Conservatives and helped the Liberals retain power. Maxime Bernier and the Peoples Party of Canada didnt win any seats in Parliament but support for his party led to some Conservative party losses.

Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said the Peoples Party of Canada cost the Conservative Party about 10 seats in the election.

OToole advertised himself a year ago as a true-blue Conservative. He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to take back Canada, but immediately started working to push the party toward the political center.

OTooles strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his partys base on climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than its southern neighbor.

Whether moderate Canadians believed OToole is the progressive conservative he claims to be and whether he alienated traditional Conservatives became central questions of the campaign.

OToole failed to win more seats in and around vote-rich liberal Toronto, Canadas largest city.

Trudeau argued that the Conservatives approach on the pandemic, which has been more skeptical of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, would be dangerous. And he played up his own partys successes. Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and Trudeaus government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.

Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose.

And Trudeau pointed out that Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government, is in crisis. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days. Kenney is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions.

OToole, meanwhile, didnt require his partys candidates to be vaccinated and would not say how many were not. OToole described vaccination as a personal health decision.

The debate on vaccination and Trudeau taking on the anti-vaccination crowd helped the Liberals to salvage a campaign that didnt start well for the party, Beland said.

Wiseman said the Conservatives were hurt by the situation in Alberta.

The explosion of the pandemic in Alberta in the past 10 days ... reinforced Trudeaus argument for mandatory vaccinations, he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden called Trudeau on Tuesday to congratulate him.

The 49-year-old Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015 and has led his party to the top finish in two elections since.

Still, failing to win a majority again may well spell his demise in the future, analysts said.

This may have been Trudeaus last election," Wiseman said. He may decide that the next election will be even more difficult to win and he does not want to go out as a loser.

The reality is that elections, like the one we just had, are usually referendums on the government and its leader," Wiseman added.

Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto, said OToole might retain his leadership of the Conservative Party if he argues theyll never win if they dont move to the center.

Trudeaus prospects are better than OTooles, Bothwell said. OToole may well be in trouble.
As Hispanic Heritage Month continues through Oct. 15, we're spotlighting Peruvian cuisine, once called the "original fusion food" by the New York Times.

Peruvian food is a multicultural celebration, melding indigenous Incan ingredients like potatoes, chili peppers, tomatoes and quinoa with global culinary influences from Europe, Africa and Asia.

Those new to the cuisine may be surprised to find fried rice (chaufa) and pesto-style pasta (tallarin verde) on Peruvian restaurant menus, influence from Chinese and Italian immigrants. And with its west coast bordering the Pacific Ocean, Peruvian food is also seafood-heavy, with emphasis on ceviche, seafood-based soups and fried fish and shellfish.

"There was a lot of Japanese and Chinese influence a couple centuries ago, as [immigrants] settled in Peru, especially in Lima," said Wilson Rodriguez, who co-owns Pesca Peruvian Bistro in New Canaan and will open Ayahuasca Peruvian Kitchen in Norwalk next month.

Lidia Ryan

The Asian inspiration shows particularly in dishes like lomo saltado, Rodriguez said, where strips of beef (or other proteins) are flambeed and sauteed with tomatoes, onions, peppers and soy sauce and served over French fries and rice. Other popular dishes include pollo a la brasa, marinated whole chicken cooked on a rotisserie until the skin is golden-brown and crispy, and served with French fries and salad.

Peru has become a popular spot for gastro-tourism in the past decade, winning a World Travel award for "World's Leading Culinary Destination" eight years in a row.

"If you can beat Italy and France for that category, it's pretty impressive," said Bryant Aliaga, whose father, David, owns Empire of the Incas in Danbury.

Popular Peruvian foods Here's a sampling of dishes you're likely to find on Peruvian menus: Ceviche: Ceviche is one of the most popular items in Peruvian cuisine, with fresh fish, shrimp and other seafood "cooked" in lime juice and Peruvian peppers. It's often served with boiled potatoes, red onions and choclo (giant corn.) Pollo a la brasa: Marinated whole chicken, cooked on a rotisserie until the skin is golden brown and crispy, served with French fries. salad and a variety of sauces. Lomo saltado: Beef tenderloin stir-fried in soy sauce with red onion, tomato and pepper, served with rice and French fries. Some restaurants also offer additional saltados, stir-fries with chicken, seafood and vegetables. Chaufa: Peruvian wok-fried rice with chicken, beef, seafood and vegetables. Papa a la huancaina: Sliced boiled potatoes (often with hard-boiled eggs and olives) with a creamy, spicy cheese sauce, typically made with aji amarillo pepper and queso fresco. Tallarin: Tallarin verde is a noodle dish similar to pesto, often served with steak. Tallarin saltado dishes feature pasta with meats, seafood, red onion, tomato and pepper, stir-fried with soy sauce. Jalea: Lightly breaded and fried fish and seafood, often served with fried yucca and salsa criolla (red onion salad.) Pescado: Fish dishes. Pescado a lo macho is served with a creamy seafood sauce featuring aji panca and aji amarillo seasoning; sudado de pescado is a fish stew with tomato and red onion. Parihuela: A special Peruvian seafood soup, described as the cuisine's answer to boulliabaisse, that gets its flavor from aji panca paste (Peruvian red pepper.) Anticuchos: Grilled meat skewers (beef heart is the most common.) Salchipapas: Sliced hot dogs with French fries. Tacu tacu: Dishes that feature Peruvian rice and beans. A lo pobre: Dishes with added fried egg and plantains. Chicha morada: A traditional juice made from boiled purple corn (maiz morado) flavored with sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice. Pisco sour: A cocktail made with Peru's most popular spirit, a brandy made by distilling fermented grapes. See More Collapse

With a sizable Peruvian population in the state, Connecticut boasts dozens of restaurants serving the cuisine, many concentrated in cities like Hartford, Stamford, Bridgeport and Norwalk.

Here's a selection of some of the top-rated Peruvian restaurants in Connecticut:

Acuario Stamford The Ceviche Mixto includes calamari, octopus and red snapper. It is then served with Peruvian corn and a side salad. ctbites The Peruvian restaurant and bar, with a variety of pisco cocktails, margaritas, sangrias and other specialty drinks, also has locations in Port Chester. 78 W. Park Place, 203-998-7722, acuariorestaurants.com/stamfordct.

Pesca Peruvian Bistro New Canaan Restaurateur Wilson Rodriguez and chef Jose Draganac, the co-owners of New Cannan's Pesca Peruvian Bistro, are opening Ayahuasca Peruvian Cuisine in Norwalk this June. Courtesy of Pesca Owners Wilson Rodriguez and Jose Draganac call Peruvian cuisine "unique and wildly beautiful," and serve a seafood-focused menu with assorted ceviches, paella de mariscos and their own twists on chaufa and pescado de lo macho. The partners will open Ayahuasca in South Norwalk this fall, with an emphasis on pollo a la brasa, ceviche and other authentic Peruvian dishes. 70 Main St., 203-594-7400, pescaperuvianbistro.com.

Empire of the Incas Danbury Choritos a la chalaca (steamed mussels covered with chopped onions, corn, avocado, cilantro and lime juice) at Empire of the Incas in Danbury Joseph Antony Photo Open since 2005, the restaurant features brightly colored wall murals (recently designed by artist Sean Maze) and cocktails like pisco and chicha sours, margaritas and mojitos. Empire of the Incas also received a grant from the city in 2020 to update its exterior facade. 241 Main St., 203-744-4622, empireoftheincasrestaurant.com.

The Rockin Chicken Hartford The Rockin Chicken's pollo a la brasa is cooked in Hartford County's only charcoal rotisserie oven. Courtesy of The Rockin Chicken Rockin Chicken boasts the only charcoal rotisserie in the Hartford area for its pollo a la brasa, featuring an oven specially crafted and shipped from Peru. "My goal, when I opened the place, was to replicate the way they do it back home," said Miguel Colan, who opened the restaurant with his wife, Kate, in 2016. "In order for me to accomplish that, we had to do it [with] charcoal." 476 Franklin Ave., 860-244-2536, therockinchicken.com.

Piolin Restaurant Sr. Hartford This Hartford mainstay with daily specials also has a second location, Piolin II, on Franklin Avenue. 417 New Britain Ave., 860-293-1255, facebook.com/piolinrestaurant.

Sabor Peru New Haven Sabor Peru's owners came to the United States in 2002 "with hopes and dreams," bringing family recipes from Peru to eventually open the Elm City restaurant. 56 Main St. Annex, 203-780-8801, saborperunewhaven.com.

Munay Kitchen Norwalk Munay's menu offers traditional dishes like ceviche, lomo saltado, chaufa and tallarin verde, and other specialties like tunita apassionada, an appetizer of ahi tuna and passion fruit sauce. 280 Connecticut Ave., 203-899-0410, munaykitchen.com.

Ceviche Palace Bridgeport View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ceviche Palace (@cevichepalace) The popular restaurant offers happy hour at its pisco bar Monday through Friday, with cocktail specials (many featuring pisco) and snacks like mozzarella sticks with huancaina sauce, chicken wings and avocado salad. 1429 E. Main St., 203-870-4404, cevichepalacect.com.
Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation in New Milford hosts senior arts soiree

On Sept. 8, Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation (CV.H.R.) hosted a Seniors in the Arts Soiree to honor the winners and participants of its photography and writing contests held throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.

Barbara Gradia, first place winner within the Life Lessons and Inspiration category with her story The Bus, The Ice and The Angel, said, Im thrilled to be here. I hope these contests and celebrations continue!

The winner of the raffle basket, William Vibbert, said, Ive never won anything and now Ive won a raffle basket, a writing contest and I received a notable mention for my photography. Im becoming lucky in my old age. His story was titled My Army Life and came in third for Humor and Engagement.

New senior creative writing contest announcement: Take a Stab at Mystery Writing! Ages 55-Plus, 750 Word Minimum - 2,000 word maximum. Prizes: $200 first prize, $200 second prize, $75 third prize, Submissions due 12/31/21, Send submissions to mmarici@candlewoodvalley.com or call 860-355-0971, ext. 11.

New Milford Public Library presenting young adult events

The New Milford Public Library are offering events for grades 6-12 in October. Most events are in person at the Marsh Parish House, 46 Danbury Road. RSVP for all programs by emailing Amy Berkun at aberkun@biblio.org.

 Jungle Cruise Virtual Escape on Zoom. Oct. 13 from 4-5 p.m.

 Be Zen like a sloth is Oct. 20 from 4-5 p.m. Celebrate International Sloth Day and learn how to chill out like a sloth.

 Spooky Poetry Slam is Oct. 30 from 7-8:30 p.m. Perform your poetry to friends and family or just come and watch.

 Dungeons & Dragons meets two times this month on Zoom, Oct. 4 and 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

 Games and Chess Club is Oct.12 from 6:30-8 p.m.

 Graphic Novels Book Club is Oct. 17 from 3-4 p.m.

 Write Stuff is Oct. 21 from 4-5:30 p.m.

New Milford hosts first annual apple festival

The Town of New Milford is organizing the first annual New Milford Apple Festival. The Apple Festival will be held on the South Green in New Milford on Saturday, Sept. 25. There will be over 40 booths with crafters, nonprofits, and small businesses on the Green from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the event will end with the band, Those Guys performing a concert on the Green, beginning at 6 p.m. Bring a chair. There will many activities at the Apple Festival including an Apple Bake-Off organized by the Womans Club of Greater New Milford, bike and bike safety parade, games, a bake-off, contests and much more. Also kids, start thinking of how you can decorate your bike for the Mayors Bike Parade at the Apple Festival. Village Center for the Arts has offered to provide supplies that to decorate bikes at their business during their open hours. For more information, contact the Mayors Office at 860-355-6010.

New Milford hosts Apple Of My Eye bake-off

New Milford will be holding its first The Apple of My Eye Bake Off at their first annual Apple Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25. The only rule is that the recipe must have apples as one of its main ingredients. Bake off items with a copy of the recipe can be brought to the bake off area at the Bandstand during the Apple Festival by 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 25. Judging will begin at noon with prizes awarded at 2 p.m. For registration forms, call Diane at 860 354-4827 and leave a message, or email dianemccaff@gmail.com.

Sherman Library hosts annual meeting

The Sherman Library annual Meeting of Members will be held on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. To attend the meeting, register by 7 p.m. on Oct.5 by emailing ablake@biblio.org. Please include the name(s) of attendee(s) in the email. Members of the Sherman Library will be asked to elect Trustees and will hear reports from the executive director, president, treasurer, and investment committee chair. Voting is permitted for those who have become a member between September 12, 2020 and Sept. 11. Members may vote at the annual meeting or by proxy. Proxies are available on the website at shermanlibrary.org or at the library. The completed proxy may be mailed to the library, dropped off at the library or scanned and emailed to slboard@biblio.org. The deadline for submitting a proxy is Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. The meeting agenda, proxy, and FAQs are available at the library or by visiting shermanlibrary.org. For further information email slboard@biblio.org or call 860-354-2455.

Sherman Library hosting talk on preparing for the unexpected

The Sherman Library is hosting: Ready or Not? Preparing for the Unexpected presented by Maria Xavier on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. on Zoom.

Life is full of surprises. A job loss, prolonged illness or unexpected death of a family member can have a big impact on your family and your financial situation.

Join the Sherman Library and presenter Maria Xavier to discover how to put yourself in a better financial position to keep your financial strategy from veering off course. Though you cant predict the unexpected, you can prepare for it.

Xavier is a financial advisor with Edward Jones. This program is free and is offered by the Sherman Library and the Sherman Conservation Commission remotely through Zoom. For more information and to register, contact the library at SLprograms@biblio.org.

Bicycle rodeo, bike safety check and decorated bicycle parade to be part of the 1st annual apple festival in New Milford

The New Milford Police Department, along with the New Milford Apple Festival Committeec, are organizing bicycle activities for children with bicycles at the first annual Apple Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The New Milford Police will be holding the Bike Rodeo on Church Street starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25. In addition, there will be a bicycle safety check at the same time. Also following this, there will be a bicycle parade around the Green. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes and bring them down to the Green to participate in the parade.

For supplies to decorate the bikes, the Village Center for the Arts invites all to bring your bike down to their studio on Main Street Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For questions, call the Mayors office at 860-355-6010.

New Milford Water Witch Hose Co. names names honorary member

Water Witch Hose Company #2, a fire department in New Milford, bestowed honorary member status on Cramer & Anderson Partner Randy DiBella at its Sept. 7 meeting for his longtime community service pro bono work.

Through the years we have been able to look towards [Attorney DiBella] for legal counsel, which plays a pivotal role in the execution of our duties, Water Witch President David Golembeski said in a proclamation. Hours upon hours of phone calls, analysis of contracts, legal disputes, or questions about human resources have all been resolved due to his guidance, the proclamation said.

DiBella also assists the New Milford Community Ambulance with legal questions and matters, and in 2009 the ambulance corps made him an honorary member. New Milford Community Ambulance honored Attorney DiBella again in 2016 with its highest honor, the Andy Armstrong Community Service Award. Armstrong, who died in 2013 had been president of the ambulance group for 36 years, logging more than 65 years of service in all. He had also been a member of the towns Police Commission, as well as a community leader and volunteer with the American Red Cross and Rotary Club.

Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department hosting Taste of the Fair

No Bridgewater Fair? No Problem! On Oct. 16 from 4-7 p.m., the Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a drive-thru Taste of the Fair over the coals roast beef at the Bridgewater Fairgrounds, 100 Main St. South, Bridgewater. Cost is $20 for per dinner - cash/debit and credit cards are accepted. It includes a mound full of over-the-coals roast beef sandwich, macaroni and cheese and a bottle of water.

The volunteer firefighters will be directing visitors upon entry to the Fairgrounds. Stay in the car while paying and they will have the food packaged There are 500 dinners. Contact Eric Gsell, Fair Chairman, with questions.

Vincent Rodriguez Acoustic performs at the Silo in New Milford

Vincent Rodriguez will perform Smiles I Cant See with Terri Lachance Saturday, Oct. 2, at 4:30 p.m. The Silo is at Hunt Hill Farm, 44 Upland Road, New Milford. For more information, call 860- 355-0300.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP)  In the summer of 2020, after racial justice protests roiled Klamath Falls and many other American cities, the Klamath Falls City Council created a task force to examine local issues of racial and social fairness and advise city government on ways to make the city more equitable.

Last week, the mayor and city council decided not to continue the group.

The citys former liaison to the task force  former assistant to the city manager Eric Osterberg  has criticized the decision, telling Jefferson Public Radio that failing to continue the task forces work will make it harder to make needed changes in Klamath Falls.

Osterberg, who is Black, is calling out the move by the council and mayor to not form a permanent equity committee. Osterberg took a job as city manager in Ferguson, Missouri, last month.

The decision-makers, the people who create policy, really should be being advised by people that government institutions have historically not engaged with, he said.

Osterberg said the intent of the task force was to produce a final report, followed by action by the city council to then establish a permanent equity committee advising the city on such issues.

But a letter dated Sept. 10 and signed by Mayor Carol Westfall and all five members of the city council thanks members of the task force for their work, and says their work under the citys jurisdiction is complete.

Osterberg said he received messages from members of the task force earlier this week about the letter, following his departure from the city government.

Joey Gentry, a member of the task force and a local activist, was among members who reached out to Osterberg about the citys action. Gentry and other task force members of the group were surprised by the move.

I tried initially to give them the benefit of the doubt because it just doesnt make sense to take such bold and progressive action in the formation of the task force and then pull that back, Gentry said.

Gentry said task force members were aware that operating under the authority of the city council had its constraints and limitations, but had hoped to see a permanent equity committee formed to advise the city. She said without a connection to the city, she and others may seek to form a community action committee.

City officials stated in the letter to Equity Task Force members that they plan to continue to pursue equity in addressing the issues raised by the task force, Osterberg said that thats not enough.

I just think its going to be difficult for the city council to kind of pursue some of these items without some sort of advisory group comprised of a diverse selection of people from Klamath Falls, Osterberg said.

He said one of the last tasks he completed before departing his role at the city was conducting a community survey about broad perceptions of the community and status of parks and recreation.

Through the survey, Osterberg learned that 40 to 45% of people who participated in the survey indicated that they dont feel welcome in Klamath Falls.

That was pretty alarming to me, Osterberg said. I would hope that that would inspire city council to be thinking about how theyre engaging in the public and I cant think of a better way than having an established body that kind of deals with these things.

Osterberg himself was threatened by a man at a City Hall meeting who displayed a rock in his hand and said he intended to stone Osterberg as a sinner for being a gay, Black man. The man has since been charged with misdemeanors by Klamath County District Attorney Eve Costello.

Mayor Carol Westfall, who is serving in her second, four-year term, said the decision to end the task force, along with efforts to create a permanent city advisory committee, was advised by City Attorney Michael Swanson.

Westfall initially suggested the concept of establishing the task force in Klamath Falls last year and says there is still a need to deal with equity issues.

Following an equity task force established by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, as well as by other municipalities in the state, Westfall said city officials also felt a need to also address those issues.

Westfall said the city recognizes the work the task force accomplished, including passing a resolution acknowledging racism and economic inequity in the city, but that the group should continue their work apart from the city.

I believe that they can continue on as an equity task force, not necessarily being under the citys jurisdiction, Westfall said. If they were independent, they would be able to do more  They had met the criteria we had asked for, she added.

The city states that the task force has completed its objective, which includes a final report detailing future steps to address inequities among marginalized groups.

In a response emailed to Jefferson Public Radio, the citys Public Information Officer Kristina Mainwaring stated, Council chose, at that time (last Summer), to select the first option, which was to create a temporary task force as opposed to a permanent committee. While the task force has completed its task, their recommendations are still under review by Council so that the City can take the appropriate actions going forward.

Osterberg said the whole point of the initiative was to try to build bridges to communities that the city council has not heard from historically, through forming a permanent committee following the task force.

As a government, you cant approach these issues without being in partnership with these people, the people who have been telling you that theyve been marginalized, Osterberg said.

I understand that these conversations are difficult to have, he added.

Citing a transitional stage, where the city is searching for a city manager, Westfall said that progress can take time.

Westfall also said there were items on the task forces list that were outside the purview of the city council, such as taking a public position on water issues.

Westfall emphasized a desire to not to have division and continue to achieve equitable solutions.

As a city  we want to see those changes that they suggested happening, Westfall said.

Westfall she expects the city will consider changing the name of a city park named for Kit Carson along a section of Highway 97, known locally as Crater Lake Parkway.

Were going to be picking what we can start working on and that one will be top of the list, Westfall said.
WARSAW, Mo. (AP)  A western Missouri woman who spent nearly seven years behind bars awaiting trial for the 2012 shooting death of her husband has been found guilty.

A Clay County jury on Monday convicted Viola Bowman, 60, of first-degree murder in the killing of 53-year-old Albert Rusty Bowman in their Kansas City home on Nov. 7, 2012, the Kansas City Star reported.

Viola Bowman has steadfastly maintained her innocence and says she found her husband shot when she returned from the store that day. She was not arrested for the killing until 2015, but has remained in jail since then while her case was delayed dozens of times as public defenders dealt with overwhelming caseloads.

Trial finally began last October, but ended in a mistrial when because of COVID-19 exposures involving a juror and court staff member.

Last year, Viola Bowman rejected a plea deal that would have given her credit for time served and allowed her to go free, but would have required her to admit guilt. She told a judge, "I did not do this.

Prosecutors said Bowman shot her husband to collected on a life insurance policy and claimed statements she made to police were inconsistent. Officials also labeled her reaction to her husband's death with first responders as odd.

Bowman's attorney told jurors she loved her husband of 35 years, had cooperated fully with police and had no criminal history.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP)  The Navajo Nation on Monday reported 17 more COVID-19 cases and two additional deaths.

The latest numbers pushed the tribes totals to 33,548 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The death toll now is at 1,431.

Navajo officials are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel.

Officials said all Navajo Nation executive branch employees will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus by the end of September or submit to regular testing.

The new rules apply to full, part-time and temporary employees, including those working for tribal enterprises like utilities, shopping centers and casinos.

Any worker who does not show proof of vaccination by Sept. 29 must be tested every two weeks or face discipline.

The tribes reservation is the countrys largest at 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers) and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A drive-by shooting in north Philadelphia killed one person and wounded five others, authorities said.

Police said a gunman in the back seat of a car opened fire shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday at a group of people standing on a street in the Fern Rock neighborhood.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban expanded their interim Cabinet by naming more ministers and deputies on Tuesday, but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hard-line course despite the international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male government lineup earlier this month.

The international community has said that it will judge the Taliban by their actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment of women and minorities.

In their previous rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, the Taliban, who adhere to a harsh interpretation of Islam, had barred girls and women from schools, work and public life.

At a news conference Tuesday, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid held out the possibility of adding women to the Cabinet at a later time, but gave no specifics. He also said the Taliban are preparing rules for allowing teen-age girls and women to return to schools and jobs in line with Islamic law, but did not say when that might happen.

Mujahid defended the latest additions to the Cabinet, saying they included members of ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras. He said the deputies were chosen for their technical skills.

He bristled at international conditions for recognition, saying there was no reason for withholding it. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to recognize our government (and) for other countries, including European, Asian and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us, he said.

The Taliban seek international support as they grapple with the daunting challenges of governing a nation shredded by four decades of conflict. The U.S.-backed government deposed by the Taliban in a rapid military campaign last month had depended heavily on foreign aid. Even before the Taliban takeover, the economy was in deep trouble. Now Afghanistan's new rulers face an economic meltdown and growing poverty.

Mujahid played down the financial problems, saying that much of the foreign aid to the previous government  widely seen as corrupt  was spent on funding America's 20-year war against the Taliban.

He suggested Afghanistan could manage without that aid, saying the country had sufficient resources. According to our inspection, Afghanistan is not a failed country, financially, he said. We have revenue, and if it is controlled and collected properly, it can solve our current problems.

It wasn't clear, however, how the Taliban government expected to raise sufficient tax revenue from a population the United Nations said would see 97% living below the poverty level by the end of the year.

The Taliban have framed their current Cabinet as an interim government, suggesting that change is still possible, but they have not said if there would ever be elections.

Mujahid was also asked about the recent restrictions imposed on girls and women, including a decision not to allow girls in grades seven to 12 to return to classrooms for the time being. Boys in those grades were allowed to return to school over the weekend.

Mujahid said this was a temporary decision, and that soon it will be announced when they can go to school. He said plans were being made to allow for the return of girls and women to schools and work, in line with Islamic law, or Sharia.

At the moment, girls in grades one to six are allowed to go to school, and women in universities can pursue their studies, but only in gender-segregated settings and while complying with an Islamic dress code.

With the Taliban takeover, there has been widespread fear among girls and women that they would lose the gains of the past 20 years, and many of their concerns have materialized. The Taliban have repeatedly suggested their decisions are temporary, in an apparent attempt to blunt international criticism even as they issue hard-line decrees.
NEW YORK (AP)  One of two teens charged as adults in the fatal stabbing of a college student in a New York City park pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder and robbery charges.

Luchiano Lewis was accused of holding Barnard College freshman Tessa Majors in a headlock and preventing her from escaping while another 14-year-old knifed her in Manhattans Morningside Park in December 2019.

Lewis, now 16, downplayed his role in the attack in court Tuesday, saying he didnt know Majors had been stabbed, let alone killed until the next day, when he heard someone was killed in the park and read a news story about it.

Lewis and the suspected stabber, Rashaun Weaver, were charged as adults.

A boy who was 13 at the time was tried as a juvenile and sentenced last year to 18 months in a juvenile detention center.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14 before Judge Robert Mandelbaum. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weaver, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery charges, is due back in court on Oct. 18.

Weavers lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said he heard Lewis give his statement in court and said it "was obviously written out for him.

Having previously read press reports today that he is now cooperating with the state, I wasnt surprised that he minimized his involvement and blamed nearly everything on Rashaun and his other codefendant, Lichtman said.

In a statement, Majors' family said, We remain resolute in our belief that all parties who bear responsibility for Tesss senseless death will be held accountable, and we are deeply grateful to the many people who continue to pursue that goal.

Majors, 18, was stabbed during an attempted robbery as she walked in the early evening through the park near Barnards campus. She staggered up a flight of stairs to street level and collapsed.

Lewis said in court that the plan was to rob her of Majors cell phone and run to a bus stop, but that Weaver ran up to her, kicked her hard in the back and screamed give me your money, run your pockets, Im not playing.

Lewis said that Majors asked Weaver, Are you seriously trying to rob me? and the two started tussling. Majors tried to run away, up the stairs, but the boy who was 13 at the time ran and kicked her to the ground, Lewis said.

A police detective testified at a previous proceeding that the youngest of the three said in an interview that he saw one of the 14-year-old boys grabbing Majors from behind while the other stabbed her, causing feathers to billow from her jacket.

Lewis said in court that he didn't know where in the park he was when Weaver stabbed Majors, but noted that he too saw feathers coming out of her jacket.

He said the three then fled from the park and that he asked Weaver what he'd taken from Majors, to which Weaver kept replying, nothing. Weaver then pulled up his hand and said that Majors had bit him, Lewis said.

Majors, from Charlottesville, Virginia, played in a rock band and aspired to study journalism. Her death drew national attention and condemnation from city leaders. Mayor Bill de Blasio called it an unacceptable reality.

The Associated Press identified Lewis and Weaver because of the seriousness of the crime and because they were charged as adults. The juvenile suspect was not identified in court papers.

__

Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mikesisak
The military could do better at combating extremism in the ranks just by using programs that already exist, a newly published study by researchers at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank says.

"Historically, the military has struggled to identify and manage personnel whose beliefs might lead to future problems," wrote the authors of the report, which was produced by Rand Corp.

The most recent and glaring examples of extremists in the ranks include at least 32 veterans and one active-duty service member who were allegedly part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. However, incidents of individual service members who belong to groups with extreme views or agendas continue to crop up as well. The Pentagon also has acknowledged that extremist groups are actively trying to recruit military members.

Read Next: The Space Force Finally Has Its Own Rank Insignia

The report's authors argue that not only should the Department of Defense utilize the programs it has to deal with service members in the initial stages of extremist leanings, but tailor them to whatever groups are targeting service members.

"You want to understand the landscape, and then tailor the programs accordingly so you can get ahead of this type of activity before it gets out of hand," Marek Posard, one of the study's authors, told Military.com.

Posard explained that "everything from mental health providers to chaplains to Family Readiness Groups" can be utilized as part of this effort.

"Military organizations don't exist independent of broader society and so ... you'll start seeing the same types of things happening in the military," he added.

The goal, Posard and his fellow researchers argue, is to intervene early -- ideally before law enforcement needs to get involved. The report stresses "community-based" approaches that focus on the entire military or whole groups of extremists rather than individual people.

Posard also noted that there is a great need to learn more about how service members get recruited and the real scope of the issue.

"There really is a need for data collection to capture and understand these trends at different kinds of touch points," he explained. "You can have actual activities that are clearly illegal, but there's also other types of manifestations and initial states. Those are harder to measure."

The paper also notes that "the military could better leverage existing violence prevention programs to prevent service members from becoming involved with extremist groups."

So far, while each of the branches has publicly condemned any extremist activity, dealing with individual cases has been more fraught. Some measures, such as tougher entrance screenings, seem to be yielding results. However, in other cases, officers have been allowed to stay in the military and continue working while lengthy investigations or court proceedings go on.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Pentagon Announces Tougher Extremism Screenings for New Military Recruits
LAKE WORTH, Texas  One of the two pilots injured when their military training jet crashed into a suburban Fort Worth, Texas, neighborhood over the weekend has been released from the hospital.

The instructor pilot was released from the hospital Monday, the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi said in a statement.

Navy officials said Tuesday that the student pilot remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

Three homes were damaged in Sunday's crash, but no one on the ground was seriously injured. The two pilots ejected from the aircraft before it crashed into the neighborhood in Lake Worth, which is just west of Fort Worth.

Lake Worth police have said that one of the pilots was electrocuted after being caught in power lines.

Navy officials have said that the Navy T-45C Goshawk was on a routine training flight that originated from an airport in Corpus Christi, about 350 miles (563 kilometers) south of Lake Worth along the Gulf Coast. The jet was based at Naval Air Station Kingsville, near Corpus Christi.

Navy officials say the investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
The Air Force secretary has picked Lt. Gen. Sami Said, the service's inspector general, to review an airstrike in the waning days of the military evacuation from Afghanistan that mistakenly killed 10 civilians, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The service is asking Said to consider whether anyone in the chain of command should be held accountable for what Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, called a tragic mistake.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the review, which also will examine the process that led to the strike, to be completed in 45 days, with Said's recommendations on accountability delivered to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

A single Hellfire missile hit the driver of a white Toyota at a compound near Kabul airport on Aug. 29, days after a suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and scores of Afghans. The Pentagon initially said an Islamic State-Khorasan terrorist planner was killed, but the driver was a worker with a California-based aid group and the missile strike killed family members too, including seven children.

Read Next: Retirees to Pay More for Tricare Enrollment While Pharmacy Copays Rise for All in 2022

Kendall was tasked by Austin to pick a senior officer to lead the review, the Pentagon said Monday.

Said, a command pilot with 2,200 flight hours, is the service watchdog responsible for reviewing issues of readiness, efficiency and discipline, as well as fraud, waste and abuse, according to his official biography.

He will "investigate the facts and circumstances" of the strike last month, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek wrote in an email statement. "Lt. Gen. Said will report directly to Secretary Kendall."

On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the officer appointed by Kendall could recommend accountability for service members involved in the civilian deaths, and will be required to notify both Kendall and Austin if the recommendations deal with anyone at a higher rank. Said is a three-star officer at the O-9 paygrade.

The strike was conducted by a team at the Kabul airport, according to Kirby. McKenzie, a four-star general officer, admitted the error and publicly apologized during a briefing to reporters on Friday.

-- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten.

Related: Kabul Drone Strike Was a 'Tragic Mistake' that Killed Civilians, Children, Pentagon Says
Alaska is still considered the last frontier, even in todays modern times. The unforgiving and extreme weather coupled with the rough terrain makes it a challenging place to live. More than one hundred years ago  during the Spanish Flu  it was even more deadly.

The world is very familiar with the new words in our daily vocabulary: quarantine, face mask and social distancing, thanks to COVID-19 and the current global pandemic. Just 100 years ago this was the case as well, during the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu. The big difference between then and now are the extreme advancements in technology and medical care. According to the CDC, 500 million people were positive and 50 million people died from the Spanish Flu.

In a wild place like Alaska with scarce medical care, it was a sure death sentence.

When the Spanish Flu arrived in Alaska during the spring of 1919, it wiped out villages  and fast. World War I had just ended and on May 26, 1919, the USS Unalga was patrolling around the Aleutian Islands, near Akun Island located in Seredka Bay. The crew and ship were still technically considered part of the Navy, with the war only ending shortly before that. Their role in that moment was law enforcement, inspection, mail transport and rescues. They were also a floating court and were able to give medical care to those in need.

After a full day of training, the crew was resting when they received a distress call from a newer settlement on Unalaska Island. They reported a severe outbreak of the Spanish Flu. The Coast Guard didnt hesitate; they planned to get underway at dawn. Although they would receive another distress call from a settlement in Bristol Bay, the captain made the decision to head to Unalaska Island first.

When the crew made their way off the ship, they were shocked. It was if the entirety of the settlement had been infected with the Spanish Flu, the doctor included. They also discovered that all but one operator of the small U.S. Navy radio station had it as well. The coastie crew of the USS Unalga was their last hope of survival.

With that, the 80 coasties dove in. Pharmacists Mate First Class E.S. Chase, Lieutenant Junior Grade Dr. F.H. Johnson and Lieutenant E.W. Scott (a dentist), were the only men on board with advanced medical training. Despite that, they were all in. For over a week they were the only resource of support for Unalaska with nothing but cloth masks to protect themselves.

The captain made the decision to utilize the food on board to feed the entire town. At one point, they were providing up to 1,000 meals a day. The coasties even built a temporary hospital with pumping and electricity that was powered through the ships own power plant.

Without the proper protective equipment that today we know is critical, many of the crew fell ill themselves, including the captain. Despite this, they charged on and continued working. Although the 80 coasties fought to save everyone, they did bury 45 villagers who succumbed to the Spanish Flu.

The crew was not only caring for the ill, but for the children of those who died because the orphanage became full. Without their willingness to step forward, the children were at risk of dying from starvation, the elements and even documented feral dogs that were roaming the island. Some of the crew even made clothing for the children.

On June 3, 1919, the Coast Guard Cutter arrived to support their efforts. With both crews nursing and caring for the sick, recovery began. Due to the dedication of these coasties, the mortality rate of the village was only 12 percent. The majority of Alaska was at 90 percent mortality. At the end of the Spanish flu, around 3,000 Alaskans lost their lives, most of them natives.

Thanks to these coasties, this village was spared that fate.

More articles from We Are the Mighty:

George W. Bush survived an assassination attempt because of a red handkerchief

4 American traitors more destructive than Benedict Arnold

4 US weapons that have been declared illegal by enemies

We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty.

Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment

Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox.
SEPTEMBER 23: The Cardinals announced Thursday that Ponce de Leon has been granted his release. Hell be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.

SEPTEMBER 22: Ponce de Leon cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Memphis, the Cardinals announced Wednesday. Hell remain in the organization but is no longer on the 40-man roster.

SEPTEMBER 20: The Cardinals announced Monday that theyve designated right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to lefty Brandon Waddell, who has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

Ponce de Leon, 29, got out to a nice start in his big league career with the Cards. From 2018-19, the former ninth-round pick tallied 81 2/3 frames with a 3.31 ERA, a solid 24.8 percent strikeout rate and an 11.6 percent walk rate. The free passes were too frequent, of course, but Ponce de Leon generally functioned as a useful swingman in St. Louis over those two seasons. He appeared in 24 games and split his time evenly between the bullpen and the rotation: a dozen appearances each. He had a bit more success out of the pen, but Ponce de Leon was quite solid in both roles.

Things took a downward turn in 2020, when he limped to a 4.96 ERA in 32 2/3 frames, and the 2021 season has gone largely off the rails for the righty. So far, Ponce de Leon has pitched 33 1/3 innings and been tagged for a dismal 6.21 ERA. His 15.2 percent strikeout rate is far and away the lowest of his career, and his 13.9 percent strikeout rate is right in line with last seasons career-worst mark of 14.0 percent. Ponce de Leon is generating fewer swinging strikes than ever before, and the 89.1 mph average exit velocity hes allowed is a career-high mark.

The Cardinals will place Ponce de Leon on outright waivers or release him within the next couple of days. Its possible that given his 2018-19 success, another club in need of some depth would take a speculative look via waiver claim. However, Ponce de Leon is also out of minor league options, so any club that picks him up wont have the luxury of sending him to the minors unless they can successfully pass him through waivers themselves.
The Phillies announced theyve designated minor league righty Tyler Phillips for assignment. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for utilityman Luke Williams, who has been activated from the COVID-19 injured list. Outfielder Mickey Moniak was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open active roster space for Williams.

Phillips joined the Philadelphia organization in July, when they added him via waiver claim from the Rangers. Hed spent his entire career up to that point with Texas, who drafted him in 2015. Phillips posted quality numbers throughout much of his low minors tenure, but he struggled a bit upon reaching Double-A two years ago and was knocked around in his first four Triple-A appearances this season.

The Phillies assigned Phillips to Double-A Reading after adding him, but he was tagged for nine runs (eight earned) in 11 1/3 frames of work in that hitter-friendly setting. 2021 has been a struggle for Phillips no matter where hes pitched, as hes managed just a 6.13 ERA over 39 2/3 total minor league frames. That has come with subpar strikeout and walk rates, as the 23-year-old has punched out 22.7% of batters faced while issuing walks at an elevated 12.7% clip.

Obviously, things havent gone as planned for Phillips this season. But hes not far removed from being seen as a potential back-end starter by public prospect evaluators. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him 29th in the Rangers system this May, projecting Phillips to overcome fringy raw stuff because of potential plus-plus command.

Indeed, Phillips had doled out free passes to only 4.6% of opponents in his career entering this season, making his sudden strike-throwing woes quite perplexing. Its certainly not of the question he could again find that kind of feel for locating and reemerge as a decent prospect. The Phillies will place him on outright or release waivers in the coming days.
In a welcome relief, lenders to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) may start receiving payment from Piramal Capital and Housing Finance (PCHFL) this week. DHFL has been undergoing insolvency proceedings at National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Mumbai since 3 December 2019.

According to sources, while State Bank of India (SBI) is said to have signed a transaction document on Monday evening, the other lenders, including Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank, may sign the transaction document soon. Financial creditors, including the debenture trustees of the DHFL bonds, Catalyst Trusteeship, and IDBI Trusteeship Ltd, are also expected to sign the papers soon.

The resolution plan involves Piramal Capital taking over DHFL and making payments to lenderswhich can be implemented in full only after 90% of the financial creditors sign the execution documents.

If the money is transferred by this week, it will reflect in the banks September quarter earnings (Q2FY21-22). Banks had earlier written off their entire debt to DHFL.

In a regulatory filing, Piramal Enterprises had said that total consideration of Rs34,250 crore for DHFL included Rs14,700-crore upfront cash and non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of Rs19,550 crore. The NCLT-approved plan shows 93.65% of financial creditors voted in favour of Piramal Capital & Housing Finances Rs37,250 crore resolution plan.

With a total consideration of Rs34,250 crore, Piramals resolution plan approved in January 2021 will enable lenders to recover around 40% of their dues, out of the total admitted claims at Rs87,082 crore.

To conclude the transaction by this month-end, financial creditors agreed to set aside Rs2,350 crore of claims made by the National Housing Bank (NHB) for DHFL until a dispute over the distribution of proceeds is resolved. NHB has claimed that it has the right to receive the proceeds of DHFL on a preferential basis; however other financial creditors have disagreed.

Of the Rs37,250 crore offered to creditors, Rs12,700 is upfront cash payment; Rs3,000 crore of interest income earned by DHFL during the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) and Rs19,550 crore in the form of 6.75% non-convertible debentures due 2031 with an option to repay after five years, according to the resolution plan.

According to the NCLT order, PCHFL was required to make payments to creditors by 5th Septemberwithin 90-days of approval from NCLT. However, this was delayed initially, with NCLT also ordering the committee of creditors (CoC) to consider higher payment to fixed deposit-holders. Later, 63 moons technologies ltd questioned the legality of Piramals resolution plan.

Meanwhile, the enforcement directorate (ED) has arrested Vinod Chaturvedi, managing director of Usher Agro Ltd and other group companies under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) in a case related to cheating and siphoning of bank loan Rs915 crore. He had allegedly done bogus transaction with 15 shell companies and with DHFL group companies.

Separately, a special court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai on Saturday denied bail to Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoors wife Bindu and two daughters, Roshni and Radha, in a quid-pro-quo case involving DHFL.

The special court refused to grant them bail stating that prima facie loss of Rs4,000 crore was caused to the bank through illegal acts. The court, which remanded them in 14-day judicial custody, said the three did not deserve any sympathy for being women or the mother of small kids.

In their bail pleas filed separately in Bombay High Court, Bindu Kapoor, Roshni Kapoor and Radha Kapoor Khanna, who are currently lodged in Byculla womens prison here, sought for the CBI court order to be quashed and set aside, as it was grossly illegal and untenable.
We had mentioned in Mondays closing report that Nifty, Sensex were under pressure due to a global market selloff. On Tuesday, the indices opened higher and closed with major gains.

On the NSE, there were 978 advances, 1,037 declines and 0 unchanged.

The trend of the major indices on Tuesdays trading are given in the table below:

Kitex Garments signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Telangana government for investing Rs 2,406 crore in the southern state.

New Delhi Television denied reports circulating in the media of a buyout of the firm by Adani Group.

Budget airline SpiceJet has received shareholders' nod to raise Rs 2,500 crore through issuance of shares under a QIP.

Tata Motors will increase the price of its commercial vehicles in the range of 2 percent from October 2021.

Adani Ports proposal to acquire 10.40% equity shareholding of Gangavaram Port was approved by The Competition Commission of India.

Sterling and Wilson Solar commissioned its 66 MWp Al Husainiyah solar power plant in Jordan.

KP Energy has received LOI worth Rs 119.73 crore from captive customers in Gujarat for executing wind power project under the wind power policy 2016 which is getting expired on March 31, 2022.

Glenmark Pharma received final approval from the USFDA for Clindamycin Phosphate Foam, 1%, the generic version of Evoclin Foam, 1%, of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Lincoln Pharma is planning to launch Cephalosporin products soon.

Godrej Industries plans to issue up to 7,500 debentures aggregating to Rs 750 crore on private placement basis.

SoftSol India may give loan of USD 5 million to its wholly owned subsidiary SoftSol Resources Inc, USA.

Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility will raise Rs 49 crore through a right issue.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs1 lakh each on the promoter-director and system administrator of Kolkata-based Excel Stock Broking Pvt Ltd for violating the provisions about the access to secondary servers of the National Stock Exchange (NSE)s co-location (Colo) facility.

In an order, Soma Majumder, adjudicating officer (AO) of SEBI says, There are no investor complaints on record arising out of failure on the part of the noticees... I also note that the noticee except for the fact that the noticees provided incorrect and contradictory statements for two particular queries of the investigating authority (IA), the material available on record shows that the noticees have extended their cooperation to the IA on the majority of the instances.

During the investigation, the IA had asked the noticees, Anil Kedia, promoter-director and Nagendra Yadav, system administrator of Excel Stock Broking, if they know the guidelines provided by NSE in relation to connections to be made to the secondary server. On 16 April 2013, the NSE colo support had sent an email to Ravi Sharma on his official and personal ID.

On 3 May 2019, both Mr Kedia and Mr Yadav told the IA that they were unaware of any such email. However, responding to a query from the IA, on 3 September 2019, they both submitted that based on their recollection, they had read the guidelines received from NSE.

The incorrect and contradictory statements made by the noticees in their statements deposed before the IA is a testimony to the fact that they did not fulfil the obligations cast upon them under section 11C (2) of the SEBI Act.

In view of the foregoing, I find that the allegation that the noticees violated section 11 C(2) of the SEBI Act stands established, Ms Majumder, the AO of SEBI says in an order issued on 29 July 2021.

Further during the hearing, both Mr Kedia and Mr Yadav contended that SEBI issued notices after a delay of six years.

SEBI elucidates that it carried out a detailed investigation during 2018 to 2020 involving various brokers including the noticees, when such entities continuously logged in to the secondary server during 2010 to 2015, whereafter it was deemed fit to enquire whether the noticee connected to the secondary server without NSEs permission, and the show cause notice was issued in October 2020, thus there was no delay.

In 2015, an anonymous whistleblower had written to Sucheta Dalal. managing editor of Moneylife alleging that some trading members on the NSE, who had subscribed to the Exchanges co-location server facility were getting an unfair advantage by way of faster access to the Exchange. The whistleblower also alleged the collusion of NSE officials.

It may be recalled that Moneylife was the first to expose this scam in mid-2015 , for which NSE had filed a defamation case against us. A single-judge in Bombay HC dismissed the frivolous suit and ordered the NSE to pay a fine of Rs50 lakh (mainly to two Mumbai hospitals). After filing an appeal against the order, NSE paid up the penalty. Meanwhile, in the wake of the scam, the top brass of NSE had to resign and a new management team took charge.
Ever since the National Stock Exchange (NSE) scrapped the TER (trade execution range) with effect from 16th August, freak trades in the derivatives segment of NSE had become a recurring routine event. Traders, who regularly suffered huge losses, have expressed outrage on social media every few days posting screenshots of the freak trades; but the exchange seemed impervious.

There were far too many cases of freak trades in the F&O (futures & options) segment and Moneylife has been reporting them. Moneylife Foundation has also been following up continuously with NSE to come out and explain the situation to investors through a webinar. While we were told by the Exchange on Monday night that the Exchange is working on some changes to the option trading framework, Nithin Kamath, founder of Indias largest brokerage firm, Zerodha, was very specific that changes would be made from 27th September  that too four days ago. On 17th September, he tweeted Starting Sept 27th, Stop-Loss Market (SL-M) orders wont be available for options." ( https://twitter.com/Nithin0dha/status/1438723736492859400?s=20 ) . Strangely, there is still no formal announcement from the Exchange.

In the past couple of weeks, brokers have been advising their clients to use stop-loss limit orders instead of stop-loss market orders in order to limit their losses due to freak trades. Stop-loss orders are an automated way of selling particular security when it reaches a pre-set price limit, while a stop-loss market order is an instruction given to the stock exchange to sell a stock or contract at a particular price point. But, once the stock price goes below the set price level, it becomes a market order, and the sell instructions could be executed at any price at that point in time.

However, in the stop-loss limit order, the investors can specify the minimum price at which the sell order should be triggered. With this option, an investor can overcome the uncertainty attached to the stop-loss market order.

Nithin Kamath tweeted that from 27th September, the stop-loss market orders will not be available for options. NSE is stopping this facility. He said This should help avoid freak trades and reduce its impact significantly.

Starting Sept 27th, Stop-Loss Market (SL-M) orders wont be available for options. @NSEIndia is stopping the facility. This should help avoid freak trades and reduce its impact significantly. https://t.co/WNh2odSUYz  Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) September 17, 2021

Moneylife Foundation is hosting an explainer webinar on Saturday, 25th September at 5pm. The webinar will be followed by a discussion and seeks to address confusion/ questions on the frequent freak trades and how to protect yourself.

On 14th September, RIL futures were traded at Rs2616 while the price of the stock was Rs2,392. Similarly, trades in HDFC Bank futures were recorded at Rs1,715 compared to its stock price of Rs1,565. Similar trades were reported in Bharati Airtel, HDFC and TCS. All these five stocks are amongst the most traded stocks.

On the same afternoon, NSE had tweeted that some unusual trades were observed during the session, which were executed by a trading member.

This is seemingly similar to what had happened on 5th July when, at the time of market opening, a trading members dealer placed a manual buy order for Nifty Near Month Futures in the first few seconds upon opening of the market at a price which was significantly higher than the prevailing price in the market. NSE had, at that time, sought an explanation from the broker about why it placed orders at a price much higher than prevailing price, which has misled the market.

Many traders (many of whom have turned to derivatives, especially options trading after the levy of peak margin in cash segment) have raised serious concerns with respect to the wild swing in Bank Nifty options.

For instance, the premium of weekly Bank Nifty 36000-strike put option, expiring on 9th September, rose 2,029% from a low of Rs35.25 to touch a high of Rs750. The option finally closed at Rs53.65 against the previous close of Rs62.15. The underlying Bank Nifty index opened at 36,559 points and hit a high of 36,686 and low of 36,152 before closing at 36,469 with a loss of 124 points.

On the same afternoon, NSE had tweeted that some unusual trades were observed during the session, which were executed by a trading member.

The execution range led to trade disturbances, particularly during the market opening. During the huge swings at market opening, the reference price and range calculated based on previous closing price, historical implied volatility and other parameters bear little relation to the actual price. This is an issue, even during trading hours when there is a sudden rise or fall in prices. Whenever the actual price is outside the trade execution range, no trade can be executed until the Exchange increases the execution range manually.

Since NSE found it difficult to have a dynamic trade execution range that can automatically change at the Exchange level, it decided to follow other global exchanges and removed the restrictions altogether to allow demand and supply to determine the price at which a trade gets executed. But this has led to sudden rises and falls in prices triggering the stop-loss set by investors. Many market experts have pointed out that NSE can work out a higher price range rather than removing it altogether to ensure investors' confidence, particularly when new investors are entering the options segment.

This FREAK trades are really ridiculous and becoming common nowadays.. couldn't understand what SEBI and NSE are doing..



Indian markets becoming NASTY nowadays pic.twitter.com/gys18k1wLF  pravin (@Pravinkri) September 14, 2021

One trader pointed out If it is executed within the NSEs so called operating range then why is the Exchange calling it unusual trade? So that means, in a way, NSE is accepting that its operating range is unusual.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had recently shortlisted TCS, Wipro, Capgemini Technology Services, L&T Infotech and NEC Corporation India for implementing a data analytics-based software to detect fraud and alert the regulator to take corrective measures and levy penalty.

Meanwhile, in other news, NSE has shifted the settlement day from Thursday to Tuesday for its FinNifty (Nifty Financial Services Index) for both monthly and weekly derivative contracts. However, there is no change in other contracts such as Nifty futures and options, stock futures and options and on other indices and they will continue to be settled on the last Thursday of every month.

According to NSE, all weekly and monthly contracts on FinNifty will expire on Tuesday. If Tuesday is a trading holiday, then the expiry day is the previous trading day, the circular added. In a circular, the NSE said: Trading in weekly index futures of FinNifty contracts shall be discontinued.

Accordingly, no new FinNifty weekly index futures shall be introduced from 14 October 2021 (end of the day). Weekly futures contracts of FinNifty created till 14 October 2021, shall continue to available for trading till respective expiry dates/maturity dates.

However, weekly FinNifty options contracts will continue to be available. Members are requested to note that there is no other change in the existing contracts specifications of FinNifty.

Many traders have expressed their apprehension about this move. They claimed that this will create unnecessary confusion while trading and added that uniform settlement day will be easy to follow by traders.
WORCESTER  Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visited Merrymead Farm Wednesday, highlighting the popular fall family fun destination as an example of agritourism in the state. Theres probably not a better backdrop for agritourism in the state than here at Merrymead Farm, Redding said of the local farm complex. Established more than 100 years ago, Maynard and Betty Jean...
Effects of COVID-19 on children the focus of first Pennridge Community Partnership event
September 21, 2021

"What Happens When China Becomes Number One?"

Kishore Mahbubani is an experienced Singaporean civil servant. He later became Dean and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

In 2015 he gave a talk at the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics under the title "What Happens When China Becomes Number One?"

The video of the talk was uploaded earlier this year. The interesting part starts at 28:00 min where he begins to show a proverbial mirror to the audience.

He ends his talk with this:

Would the United States be comfortable living in a world where China behaves just like America did when it was the sole superpower?

Unfortunately U.S. President Joe Biden did not reflect on that question. In his speech today, before the United Nations General Assembly, he again displayed an unnecessary aggressive posture towards China:

Mr. Biden said the world faced a choice between the democratic values espoused by the West and the disregard for them by China and other authoritarian governments. The future belongs to those who give their people the ability to breathe free, not those who seek to suffocate their people with an iron hand authoritarianism, he said. The authoritarians of the world, they seek to proclaim the end of the age of democracy, but theyre wrong. But the president vowed not to pursue a new era of sustained conflict with countries like China, saying that the United States would compete vigorously and lead with our values and our strength to stand up for our allies and our friends. Were not seeking  say it again, we are not seeking  a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocks, he said.

To which Blake Hounshell correctly replies:

Blake News @blakehounshell - 14:55 UTC  Sep 21, 2021 Nobody ever says,

I am seeking a new Cold War.

I would also add that 650,000 people in the U.S. have lost their "ability to breathe free" over the last eighteen months while China has successfully suppressed the pandemic. Are 'democratic' or 'authoritarian' the right criteria for judging that difference?

In an answer to a question after his talk Mahbubani, who believes that China will soon be number one, he explains (58:00 min):

Unlike the United States of America the Chinese do not believe in proselytizing their beliefs. ... So in a sense we will have a very different world when the world's number one power is no longer a missionary power.

I for one hope for that.

h/t agitpapa

Posted by b on September 21, 2021 at 17:11 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page 
A federal appeals court is deciding the fate of a Missouri law that puts sweeping restrictions on abortions, and a focal point of oral arguments on Tuesday was a provision prohibiting abortions based solely on a Down syndrome diagnosis.

The law adopted in 2019 would ban abortions at the eighth week of pregnancy. The full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis isn't expected to rule for several weeks. In June, a three-judge 8th Circuit panel upheld an injunction from U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs prohibiting Missouri from enforcing the law's provisions, but the full court decided to hear the case.

Missouri Solicitor General John Sauer cited high rates of abortions for fetuses with Down syndrome and noted that in some countries, those abortion rates are above 90%.

This is the crisis against which Missouri enacted its Down syndrome provision that is before the court today," Sauer said.

The law prohibits abortions if Down syndrome is the sole reason for the procedure. But Planned Parenthood Federation of America attorney Susan Lambiase said doctors at Missouri's only abortion clinic, Reproductive Health Services in St. Louis, will likely avoid any abortions involving fetuses with Down syndrome for fear of the consequences. Those consequences potentially include loss of a doctor's medical license, and the loss of the clinic's license.

Youre asking the doctors to take a risk that they cannot take," Lambiase said.

Sachs said in his 2020 ruling that he thought Planned Parenthood and the ACLU would likely succeed in their lawsuit challenging the law as unconstitutional. Similar laws have been struck down in North Dakota and Iowa.

Legislators who helped draft the Missouri law said it was meant to withstand court challenges, especially challenges to the timing of the ban. The law included a provision stating that if the eight-week ban was struck down, a series of less-restrictive abortion limits would kick in at 14, 18 or 20 weeks. But courts have blocked enforcement of all of those limits thus far.

The measure also includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. But women who become pregnant after being raped or subjected to incest will not be allowed to abort after eight weeks. Women who terminate their pregnancies cannot be prosecuted under the law.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt wants the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the case. In a court filing in July, Schmitt, a Republican, said the Supreme Court should consider whether Missouris restrictions are reasonable regulations on abortion."

Schmitt also said the high court should use the case to decide whether to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, which is roughly around the 24th week.

The appeals court case over the Missouri law comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a Texas law that bans abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks into a pregnancy.

The Supreme Court also has agreed to consider allowing the enforcement of a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which could dramatically alter nearly 50 years of court precedent on abortion rights.
BERLIN (AP)  Senior officials in Germany expressed shock Tuesday over the killing of a young gas station clerk who was shot dead at the weekend by a man opposed to the country's pandemic restrictions.

A 49-year-old German was arrested in the fatal shooting of the clerk Saturday in the western town of Idar-Oberstein. The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder.

Authorities said the man told officers he acted out of anger after being refused service by the clerk for not wearing a mask while trying to buy beer at the gas station.

He further stated during interrogation that he rejected the measures against the coronavirus, the Trier police department said in a statement.

A requirement to wear masks in stores is among the measures in place in Germany to stop the spread of the virus.

I'm deeply shocked, said Malu Dreyer, the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.

Dreyer called for the killing to be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrator punished.

According to police, the suspect left the gas station after the dispute but then returned a half-hour later wearing a mask and fatally shot the 20-year-old clerk in the head.

The suspect, a German citizen named in local media as Mario N., initially fled the scene. After a large-scale manhunt was called he turned himself in to police on Sunday morning.

The three candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next Sunday's German election also voiced dismay at the killing.

Im shaken by this terrible murder of a young man who merely asked that existing rules be followed, Annalena Baerbock of the center-left Green party said in a tweet.

She warned of the growing radicalization of Germanys Querdenken movement, which includes people who oppose masks and vaccines, conspiracy theorists and some far-right extremists.

Authorities didn't immediately say whether the suspect was associated with that movement, which has come under increasing scrutiny from Germany's security services following a series of large antigovernment protests, some of which turned violent.

But a Twitter account linked to the suspect followed several prominent German far-right politicians and publicists, including senior members of the Alternative for Germany party.

Posts from the account, which was last used in October 2019, reflect a dislike for immigrants, climate activists and the government

Prosecutors told Germany's dpa news agency that the suspect wasn't previously known to police and that he wasn't legally entitled to possess the firearm found at his house.

Paul Ziemiak, the general secretary of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, called the clerk's slaying incomprehensible.

A young man was virtually executed because he pointed out the mask requirement, Ziemiak said on Twitter. An inconceivable level of radicalization!

The Christian Democrats have come under criticism for a campaign video showing their candidate, Armin Laschet, giving a Querdenken activist the microphone during a campaign event.

The head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, told Germany's RND media group that the killing was no surprise to me in view of the steady escalation in recent weeks.

Kramer said his office had warned of the growing potential for violence from extremists.

It's regrettable that someone always has to die before the risk is taken seriously, he was quoted as saying.

Facebook last week removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to the Querdenken movement under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but which didn't fit into the platforms existing categories of bad actors.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran's new president slammed U.S. sanctions imposed on his nation as a mechanism of war, using his first U.N address since his swearing-in to forcefully call out Washington's policies in the region and the growing political schism within America.

President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday delivered a far more critical and blunt take on American foreign policy than his moderate predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, had done in previous speeches to the U.N. General Assembly. Raisi, who was sworn in last month after an election, is a conservative cleric and former judiciary chief seen as close to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His speech espoused Irans Islamic political identity and where the Shiite-led nation sees its place in the world, despite crushing U.S. sanctions that have hurt its economy and ordinary Iranians.

Sanctions are the U.S. new way of war with the nations of the world, Raisi said, adding that such economic punishment during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic amounts to crimes against humanity.

U.S. sanctions, while allowing for humanitarian aid, have made international purchases of medicine and equipment much more difficult. Iran has endured multiple waves of the coronavirus, with nearly 118,000 deaths recorded  the highest in the region.

In taking aim at the United States, Raisi also referenced the shocking Jan. 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, and the horrific scenes at Kabul airport last month as desperate Afghans plunged to their deaths after clinging to a U.S. aircraft evacuating people.

From the Capitol to Kabul, one clear message was sent to the world: the U.S. hegemonic system has no credibility, whether inside or outside the country, Raisi said.

The Iranian president said the project of imposing Westernized identity had failed, and added erroneously that today, the U.S. does not get to exit Iraq and Afghanistan but is expelled.

The U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan amid a hasty and chaotic airlift of more than 100,000 Afghans and foreigners, and has largely withdrawn from Iraq. Iran shares long borders with Afghanistan to its east and Iraq to its west, where Shiite militias are powerful.

The perseverance of nations, he said, is stronger than the power of superpowers. In a dig at the political slogans used by Trump and his successor President Joe Biden, Raisi said: Today, the world doesnt care about America First or America is Back.

Speaking remotely via video from Tehran, Raisi wore a black turban on his head that identifies him in the Shiite tradition as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He praised Irans Islamic Revolution of 1979 as the fulfilment of religious democracy and linked the growth of indigenous terrorism in the West to a decline in spirituality.

Despite the criticism aimed at Washington, Raisi appeared not to rule out a return to the negotiating table for the nuclear accord, saying Iran considers talks useful if their ultimate outcome is the lifting of all sanctions. Still, he stated: We dont trust the promises made by the U.S. government.

A senior U.S. State Department official said Washington had taken note of Raisis speech but was looking to Iran for actions, rather than rhetoric.

In that context, the official said the U.S. also noted an Iranian foreign ministry statement earlier Tuesday that said Iran is willing to return to the indirect nuclear talks in Vienna in the coming weeks.

We continue to believe that we need to re-engage in the Vienna context as soon as possible, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

Tensions peaked last year between the U.S. and Iran after the Trump administrations assassination of powerful field commander, Qassim Soleimani, and a top Iraqi Shiite militia leader by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. Raisi mentioned the men in his speech, saying they helped fight Sunni extremists of the Islamic State Group from becoming neighbors of Europe.

Biden has made clear he wants to salvage the nuclear deal with Iran that Trump withdrew the U.S. from, but indirect talks between Washington and Tehran in Vienna have stalled as tensions in the Persian Gulf persist. The Biden administration and allies like Israel and Gulf Arab states also want to see Irans missile development and support for regional militias addressed.

The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, Biden said in his own U.N. speech, delivered in person earlier Tuesday.

When asked about Iran, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One that the door remains open to diplomacy and that U.S. negotiators believe the best path forward is to pursue talks, but she had no update on when the parties might meet again.

Raisi insisted that atomic weapons have no place in Irans defense doctrine and deterrence policy.

___

Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Darlene Superville in Washington and Matthew Lee in New York contributed to this report.

___

Dubai-based Associated Press journalist Aya Batrawy covers the Gulf and wider Middle East. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ayaelb
The Midland ISD board, ahead of a long-range facility planning committee this week, received student population projections through 2031.

The study forecasts 13.1 percent growth over the next five years and 20.31 percent growth over the next 10 years.

That translates into thousands of extra students, according to the Davis Demographics study. Midland ISD partnered with Davis for at least the second time inside five years. A study released in 2019 showed Midland ISD would grow 28.6 percent in 10 years. That study was cited by pro-bond people in 2019 to help justify a $569 million bond program that voters ultimately voted down. The results of that study then became irrelevant because of the COVID pandemic and downturn in the oil industry and their impacts on student population.

The presentation to the Midland ISD board on Monday showed the district with a student population of 25,292 during its base year of 2020 (a COVID-impacted year). The population, according to the district, jumped to 26,300 this year and continues toward 28,627 at the end of school year 2025 (a 13.1 percent increase compared to 2020). The forecast calls for a population after school year 2030 of 30,430 (a 20.31 percent increase).

The numbers include the following student population numbers:

Pre-K through sixth: 14,556 in 2020 to 17,009 in 2030

Seventh and eighth: 3,885 to 4,656

Ninth: 1,922 to 2,562

10th-12th: 4,929 to 6,202.

Highlights of the study include:

The district is forecasted to experience annual growth each year through school year 2030;

There are approximately 2,761 active or planned units in the MISD boundary;

The county has been experiencing overall births between 3,088 and 3,355 children a year for the last six years.

The numbers also show student populations rising in four of five years  the exclusion being 2020 (because of COVID-19, according to the report). The study shows a population of 25,496 in school year 2017, 25,698 in SY 2018, 25,961 in SY 2019, 25,292 in SY 2020 and 26,300 in SY 2021.

The previous Davis Demographics study forecasted 28,600 in SY 2021. Another note shows an actual higher percentage increase in the student population over a seven-year period in the more recent study.

In the previous study, Davis Demographics projected 15.5 percent growth from 2021 to 2028. The newer Davis Demographic report forecasts an even higher percentage  18.45 percent  between the same years.

The report showed that most of the new development is expected to take place inside two elementary zones  Fasken and Gen. Tommy Franks. The report states 40 percent of all development is taking place inside the Fasken attendance area in northwest Midland while 26 percent is taking place inside the Franks attendance area along State Highway 349 in north Midland. The two areas could yield around 660 students.
En el tiempo de las mariposas begins Theatre & Dance departmental season

True story of the Mirabal sisters, Dominican freedom fighters, marks return to in-person performance

By: Clarissa Shirley 22 Tuesday, September 21, 2021 00:26 AM

The Mirabal sisters (L-R): Alejandra Cepeda Batiz as Patria, Maria Isabel Castillo as Mate, Alaila Florian as Minerva. Photo by Maddi Whiting.

The true story of the Mirabal sisters, political activists who became freedom fighters in the Dominican Republics struggle against oppression, will open the performance season for Muhlenberg Colleges Theatre & Dance Department.

A staged reading of En el tiempo de las mariposas (In the Time of the Butterflies) will signal the return of live theater at Muhlenberg, following an entirely virtual season in spring of 2021. Directed by Leticia Robles-Moreno, the show runs Sept. 30 through Oct 3.

Robles-Moreno acknowledged the significance of this story within her own life; she says that her family was inspired by the Mirabal sisters' story during her childhood in Peru.

To have this wonderful cast of Latina women bringing life to these voices, Robles-Moreno says. It brings me hope.

Alaila Florian, a Muhlenberg senior who plays Minerva, one of the sisters, says she feels honored to represent the kind of Latina women that she reveres in her own life.

Whenever we see Latina women portrayed, it's always the same stereotypical perspectives: overly sensual, the angry Latina who can barely speak English, Florian says. It's tiring.

The Mirabal sisters are so headstrong, hopeful, selfless  everything I've wanted to be since I learned about them when I was 14, she says. It is truly an honor to be able to portray women I've looked up to for so long, and be part of the journey to keep their work and their memory alive.

Written by Caridad Svich and based on the novel by Julia Alverez, En el tiempo de las mariposas is a compelling story of Latina feminist empowerment, Robles-Moreno says. The play is about sisters who become revolutionaries and create a circuit of resistance against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, from the 1940s to the 1960s. All performances will include Spanish subtitles.

The play is about how a woman can realize the power that she has, Robles-Moreno says. Its about a sisterhood that reminds her that she is never alone, and that can empower someone to risk everything for the freedom they and their people deserve.

The piece will be performed in the format of a staged reading. Robles-Moreno says that this choice will help bring the Mirabal sisters story to life in a transformative way.

Staged reading is a theater genre that doesn't require a set or costumes, she says. It is stripped down to the performers simply bringing the text to life. It is important that as we return to live theater we acknowledge that theater is not about the beautiful and immense production details; instead we are inviting the audience to be in communion with the words.

All tickets for En el tiempo de las mariposas (In the Time of the Butterflies) are $5. Performances are Sept. 30 through Oct 3, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 5 and 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online or by phone at 484-664-3333. Performances are in the Studio Theatre in Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 West Chew St, Allentown. Masks are required for all audience members.

About the Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance Department

Muhlenberg offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theater and dance. The Princeton Review ranked Muhlenbergs theater program in the top twelve in the nation for eight years in a row, and Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theater and dance programs among the top small college programs in the United States. Muhlenberg is one of only eight colleges to be listed in Fiske for both theater and dance.

About Muhlenberg College

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential, liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and masters degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
A Finley Street church property has changed ownership.

Jacksonville Community Christian Church at 405 Finley St. decided to close and a small church plant took over the property.

Jacksonville Bible Church took ownership of the property at the beginning of August.

Jacksonville Bible Church started in November 2019 and the church used to meet in MacMurray Colleges recital hall, pastor Andrew Lafferty said.

Lafferty said the Jacksonville Bible Church was looking for another place to meet after the college announced it would be closing last year.

We have been praying for six months to find a building to use, Lafferty said.

Jacksonville Bible Church connected with Jacksonville Community Christian Church and shared the building for 18 months, he said.

Starting next month, Jacksonville Bible Church will be the only church at that location.

We are pleased to announce that the Jacksonville Bible Church will continue to use our church building to lead a gospel centered ministry in our community. We are grateful that our neighborhood will continue to be blessed by the presence of a healthy church in this neighborhood for years to come, said the Jacksonville Community Christian Church in a statement.

The buildings and property were sold to Jacksonville Bible Church for $1000, Lafferty said. Jacksonville Community Christian Church had been looking for someone to share the building for three years.

Were very thankful for it, he said.

Jacksonville Bible Church was thankful for being able to move into a building that already had everything set up such as a nursery, offices for ministry, and a place to worship. It is a huge blessing, he said.

This month the Jacksonville Community Christian Church invited people for Sunday worship to celebrate the life of the Jacksonville Community Christian Church.

Sunday is the last day Jacksonville Community Christian Church will be open before closing.
NEW YORK (AP)  Choosing calm language as tensions with the United States grow, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his nation's longtime policy of multilateralism on Tuesday, telling world leaders at the United Nations that disputes among countries need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation."

His remarks came hours after U.S. President Joe Biden said he didn't have any intention of starting a new Cold War"  itself a response to criticism from the U.N. chief this weekend that both Washington and Beijing need to make sure their differences and tensions don't derail their 42-year-old relationship and cause problems for the rest of the planet.

"One countrys success does not have to mean another countrys failure," Xi said in a prerecorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly's leaders' meeting in New York. "The world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries."

The comments from leaders of the two major powers, the world's most formidable economies, appeared to represent linguistic, if not necessarily substantive, efforts to calm the waters after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres admonished them over the weekend for putting confrontation over productive dialogue.

China often preaches multilateralism and international cooperation in public forums, though critics say its policies toward Taiwan and in South China Sea territorial disputes with its neighbors  among other things  strongly indicate otherwise.

Xi didn't let the United States off the hook entirely, however, and rarely does. In pointed comments clearly aimed at Washington, he criticized nations that would fiddle around in the affairs of others.

Recent developments in the global situation show once again that military intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm," he said, an apparent reference to events in Afghanistan last month after the U.S. military withdrawal.

China's Foreign Ministry and state media have relentlessly emphasized the chaos surrounding the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, saying Washington would be responsible for any ensuing instability in the region. Afghanistan shares a small border with China.

The very presence of a Xi speech at the United Nations on Tuesday was unexpected. Earlier schedules of speakers indicated a deputy Chinese premier would give an address Friday. The decision to slot in the country's supreme leader moved him up to Tuesday's first-day docket, hours after Biden's remarks.

Earlier Tuesday, Biden said in his U.N. address that the United States was not attempting to be divisive or confrontational.

We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs, he said. The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges even if we have intense disagreements in other areas.

He didnt say the word China directly in the speech. But the language mirrored what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this weekend in an Associated Press interview when he said he worried of a new Cold War  this one between Washington and Beijing if they failed to improve their relationship.

Unfortunately, today we only have confrontation, Guterres said Saturday in the AP interview. We need to re-establish a functional relationship between the two powers, he said.

He reiterated that theme Tuesday in opening the meetings, saying: I fear our world is creeping towards two different sets of economic, trade, financial, and technology rules, two divergent approaches in the development of artificial intelligence  and ultimately two different military and geopolitical strategies.

This is a recipe for trouble," Guterres said.

Chinas current Communist rulers took power in 1949 under Mao Zedong, ejecting Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists  American allies  from the mainland to the island of Taiwan. It took until 1979 for diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington to be established.

Ties over the ensuing decades have pinballed between friendly and contentious. Low points have included the years after the governments bloody 1989 crackdown on democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square and the days after a U.S. military aircraft was forced down off the southern Chinese coast by fighter jets in 2001.

Today, the two governments share an assortment of disagreements, from trade and tariffs to climate change, human rights and online security. In particular, China's claims of total sovereignty over the South China Sea do not sit well with the United States and its allies. China protests the presence of the U.S. military in the area and has upped its threat to attack the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

China has also been strongly critical of American calls for a renewed investigation into the origins of COVID-19, which first spread in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Blaming the pandemic on a Chinese virus, which former U.S. President Donald Trump and his supporters often did, does not go over well in China.

China will continue to support and engage in global, science-based origins tracing, and stands firmly opposed to political maneuvering in whatever form, Xi said in his speech.

On climate, China has tied its cooperation on reducing carbon emissions to the United States dropping critical policies linked to the mass detention of Uyghurs and other members of Muslim minority groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, a crackdown on civil rights in Hong Kong and other human rights issues.

Xi, the paramount leader in China's Communist Party for a decade, has set the tone for an assertive foreign policy, backed by his nation's massive economic influence and growing military power.

Xis address also comes as China, the worlds second-largest economy, faces increasing financial pressures.

Zhao Kejian, a professor of international relations at Beijings Tsinghua University, said there were opportunities for cooperation on pandemic control, security on the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas, even while disputes would continue over ideology, values and human rights.

There might have already been preparations on that between the two sides, Zhao said. China believes the U.N. embodies multilateralism. If the U.S. also pays attention to the U.N., there can be a foundation for strategic coordination under the framework of the U.N.

___

The Beijing bureau of The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ted Anthony, director of new storytelling and newsroom innovation for The Associated Press, was based in China for AP from 2001 to 2004 and was its director of Asia-Pacific news from 2014 to 2018. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/anthonyted
Pike County confirmed 63 new cases of COVID-19 during the past week, with more than half involving people in their 30s or younger.

Fourteen of the new infections were in boys and girls from birth to age 9, according to weekly statistics from Pike County Health Department. There were five cases diagnosed in those ages 10 to 19, four in people in their 20s, and 10 in those in their 30s.

Since March 2020, there have been 2,510 confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus reported in Pike County and 64 deaths attributed to the disease.

Health officials say the latest round of COVID-19 and its particularly rampant Delta variant is surging in younger people, including children.

Although the Pfizer vaccine has been given full approval for those 16 or older and emergency use authorization for those ages 12 to 15, no COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in children. Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said Monday that its vaccine has been safely tested for those ages 5 to 11 and it will seek authorization that could make it available to those in the age group as early as October.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said more than 5 million children in the United States have contracted the coronavirus and 460 have died.

In Morgan County, 26 new cases were confirmed between Friday and Monday  16 in people in their 30s or younger, including six teenagers and four children, according to a briefing from Morgan County Health Department, Jacksonville/Morgan County Emergency Management, Memorial Health System, Morgan County commissioners and the city of Jacksonville.

There were four active breakouts in the county as of Monday: four employees and four residents at Heritage Health; three people at the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired; two people at the Illinois School for the Deaf; and five people at Garrison School.

Since March 2020, Morgan County has recorded 5,002 COVID-19 cases and 117 deaths.

In Sangamon County, there were 209 new cases between Friday and Monday, as well as two additional deaths, one involving a woman in her 80s and one a woman in her 90s.

Since March 2020, there have been 24,472 coronavirus cases and 265 deaths in Sangamon County, according to the county health department.

Most other counties in west-central Illinois update their totals either mid-week or at the end of the week.

Total cases in west-central Illinois counties as of Monday, according to individual county health departments, and vaccination rates, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, were:

Brown County

1,012 total, 999 recovered, seven deaths

Fully vaccinated: 44.95%; 65 or older: 85.98%

Cass County

2,474 total, 2,352 recovered, 39 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 49.21%; 65 or older: 80.9%

Greene County

1,966 total, 1,831 recovered, 60 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 33.37%; 65 or older: 65.86%

Jersey County

3,123 total, 3,010 recovered, 52 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 45.94%; 65 or older: 86.41%

Macoupin County

6,618 total, 5,226 recovered, 125 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 45.75%; 65 or older: 86.4%

Morgan County

5,002 total, 117 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 46.28%; 65 or older: 83.1%

Pike County

2,510 total, 2,374 recovered, 64 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 33.79%; 65 or older: 74.72%

Sangamon County

24,472 total, 265 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 54.68%; 65 or older: 91.33%

Schuyler County

930 total, 898 recovered, 20 deaths

Fully vaccinated: 42.36%; 65 or older: 74.9%

Scott County

688 total, 670 recovered, five deaths

Fully vaccinated: 35.99%; 65 or older: 70.28%

Since March 2020, there have been 1,598,757 COVID-19 cases and 24,639 deaths in Illinois.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Republican political operative pardoned by President Donald Trump after his conviction in a 2012 bribery plot has been charged again with campaign-related crimes, this time involving a 2016 illegal campaign contribution scheme and a Russian national.

Jesse Benton, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky, was accused in an indictment unsealed Monday in federal court in Washington.

Trump pardoned Benton in December after his conviction in a case involving false records and campaign reports to the Federal Election Commission. Prosecutors said Benton and two others who were working on the 2012 presidential campaign of Ron Paul tried to hide $73,000 in payments to an Iowa state senator, Kent Sorenson, for his endorsement of Paul.

The most recent case is similar in nature to the 2012 charges. Benton, who was the former chief strategist for the pro-Trump Great America PAC, and Roy Douglas Doug Wead, who served as an adviser to multiple presidential campaigns and is a presidential historian and author, were accused of conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a Russian foreign national during the 2016 presidential election.

Both men appeared in court Monday. Bentons attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Wead attorney Jay Sekulow said Wead pleaded not guilty.

According to court papers, Wead, 75, of Bonita Springs, Florida, told a Russian foreign national that he could meet an unnamed presidential candidate at a political event in exchange for a contribution. It is illegal to solicit campaign contributions from foreigners.

The indictment does not specify which presidential candidate, but at the time of the event noted in the indictment, Sept. 22, 2016, there were only two major party candidates, Republican Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump had a fundraiser in Pittsburgh on Sept. 22.

Benton has long been involved in Republican politics. Wead is a conservative commentator and author who served in the White House of George H.W. Bush and wrote a book, Inside Trumps White House: The Real Story of His Presidency," that he described as an authorized history of the president's first years in office.

After the unnamed donor committed to transfer the funds, Benton arranged for the Russian national to attend a political fundraising event and get a photo in exchange for $100,000 in donations to a political consulting firm owned by Benton, the indictment says. The indictment said that the men later disguised the funds by creating a fake invoice.

According to the indictment, Benton then told two political committees affiliated with the candidate that he'd sent the promised contribution, eventually using a personal credit card to make a $25,000 donating and keeping the rest. Unknowingly, the political committees filed reports with the election commission that wrongly stated that Benton was the source of that donation, the indictment read.

Benton and Wead were both charged with conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effect a conduit contribution, and cause false records to be filed with the Federal Election Commission.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
Schuyler County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The property assessment equalization factor, or "multiplier," is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the states 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.

This year's multiplier is the same as last year's, when the county was also assessed a 1.0000 multiplier. The multiplier currently being assigned is for 2021 taxes, payable in 2022.

State law requires property in Illinois to be assessed at one-third of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland and farm buildings assessed according to standards based on productivity.

The equalization factor is determined annually for each county by comparing the sales price of individual properties sold over the past three years to the assessed value placed on those properties by the county supervisor of assessments/county assessor.

If this three-year average level of assessment is one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be one. If the average level of assessment is greater than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be less than one. And if the average level of assessment is less than one-third of market value, the equalization factor will be greater than one.

Assessments in Schuyler County are at 33.28 percent of market value, based on sales of properties in 2018, 2019 and 2020.



The tentative factor is subject to change if the County Board of Review takes actions that significantly affect the county assessments or if local officials or others can present data showing that the Department of Revenues estimates of the average level of assessments in the county should be adjusted. A public hearing on the tentative multiplier will be held between 20 and 30 days after the tentative factor is published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county.

A change in the equalization factor does not mean total property tax bills will increase or decrease. Tax bills are determined by local taxing bodies when they request money each year to provide services to local citizens. If the amount requested by local taxing districts is not greater than the amount received in the previous year, then total property taxes will not increase even if assessments may have increased.

The assessed value of an individual property determines what portion of the tax burden a specific taxpayer will assume. That individuals portion of tax responsibility is not changed by the multiplier.
DALLAS (AP)  A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law all but dared supporters of the state's near-total ban on the procedure to try making an early example of him by filing a lawsuit  and by Monday, two people obliged.

Former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed separate state lawsuits Monday against Dr. Alan Braid, who in a weekend Washington Post opinion column became the first Texas abortion provider to publicly reveal he violated the law that took effect on Sept. 1.

They both came in ahead of the state's largest anti-abortion group, which had said it had attorneys ready to bring lawsuits. Neither ex-lawyer who filed suit said they were anti-abortion. But both said courts should weigh in.

The Texas law prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, which is usually around six weeks and before some women even know they are pregnant. Prosecutors cannot take criminal action against Braid, because the law explicitly forbids that. The only way the ban can be enforced is through lawsuits brought by private citizens, who don't have to be from Texas and who are entitled to claim at least $10,000 in damages if successful.

Oscar Stilley, who described himself in court paperwork as a disgraced former lawyer who lost his law license after being convicted of tax fraud in 2010, said he is not opposed to abortion but sued to force a court review of Texas anti-abortion law, which he called an end-run.

I dont want doctors out there nervous and sitting there and quaking in their boots and saying, I cant do this because if this thing works out, then Im going to be bankrupt, Stilley, of Cedarville, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma border, told The Associated Press.

Felipe N. Gomez, of Chicago, asked a court in San Antonio in his lawsuit to declare the new law unconstitutional. In his view, the law is a form of government overreach. He said his lawsuit is a way to hold the Republicans who run Texas accountable, adding that their lax response to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic conflicts with their crack down on abortion rights.

If Republicans are going to say nobody can tell you to get a shot they shouldnt tell women what to do with their bodies either, Gomez said. I think they should be consistent.

Gomez said he wasn't aware he could claim up to $10,000 in damages if he won his lawsuit. If he received money, Gomez said, he would likely donate it to an abortion rights group or to the patients of the doctor he sued.

Legal experts say Braid's admission is likely to set up another test of whether the law can stand after the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect.

Being sued puts him in a position  that he will be able to defend the action against him by saying the law is unconstitutional, said Carol Sanger, a law professor at Columbia University in New York City.

Braid wrote that on Sept. 6, he provided an abortion to a woman who was still in her first trimester but beyond the states new limit.

I fully understood that there could be legal consequences  but I wanted to make sure that Texas didnt get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested, Braid wrote.

Two federal lawsuits were already making their way through the courts over the law, known as Senate Bill 8. In one, filed by abortion providers and others, the Supreme Court declined to block the law from taking effect while the case makes its way through the legal system. It's still proceeding in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the second case, the Justice Department is asking a federal judge to declare the law invalid, arguing it was enacted in open defiance of the Constitution.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the plaintiffs in the first federal lawsuit, is representing Braid.

The center's senior counsel, Marc Hearron, noted in a statement that the Texas law "says that 'any person can sue over a violation, and we are starting to see that happen, including by out-of-state claimants.

Braid could not immediately be reached for comment Monday. His clinic referred interview inquiries to the center.

Texas Right to Life, the states largest anti-abortion group, criticized both lawsuits and Braid's opinion column.

Neither of these lawsuits are valid attempts to save innocent human lives," the group said. We believe Braid published his op-ed intending to attract imprudent lawsuits, but none came from the Pro-Life movement."

Texas Right to Life launched a website to receive tips about suspected violations, though it is currently redirecting to the group's homepage. A spokeswoman for the group has noted that the website is mostly symbolic because anyone can report a violation and because abortion providers appeared to be complying with the law.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if a lawsuit against Braid reaches the Texas Supreme Court, that court could decide whether the Legislature exceeded its power by allowing anyone to sue.

The Texas Supreme Court will have the opportunity/obligation to say whether this approach  which would not be limited to abortion  is an acceptable way for the Legislature to pursue its goals, Grossman said.

Seth Chandler, a law professor at the University of Houston, said anyone suing would have to persuade a Texas court that they have standing despite not having personally suffered monetary or property damages.

Braid said in the Post column that he started his obstetrics and gynecology residency at a San Antonio hospital on July 1, 1972, when abortion was effectively illegal in Texas. That year, he saw three teens die from illegal abortions, he wrote.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade ruling, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, generally around 24 weeks.

I have daughters, granddaughters and nieces," Braid wrote. I believe abortion is an essential part of health care. I have spent the past 50 years treating and helping patients. I cant just sit back and watch us return to 1972.

___

Associated Press writers Jake Bleiberg and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The possibility of a 9/11-type attack has diminished over the last 20 years, but the Taliban victory in Afghanistan could embolden U.S.-based extremists at the same time that the FBI is confronting increasing threats from individuals motivated by racial and political grievances, top national security officials warned Tuesday.

Christine Abizaid, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the terrorism threat to the country is less acute than it was two decades ago, and that the danger posed in Afghanistan by groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State is at the moment primarily a regional threat.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said that though extremist groups have never stopped plotting attacks against the U.S., the FBI is better positioned to stop them.

Even so, the officials said, the collapse of the Afghanistan government and the potential ascendancy of foreign terror groups there could inspire Westerners to commit acts of violence. That's on top of a domestic terrorism caseload that Wray said has exploded" since the spring of 2020 from about 1,000 investigations to around 2,700.

We are concerned that, with developments in Afghanistan  among other things  that there will be more inspiration to the first bucket," Wray said of the international terrorism threat. So I think we anticipate, unfortunately, growth in both categories as we look ahead over the next couple of years.

U.S. officials say they're monitoring the situation in Afghanistan following the speedy Taliban blitz, particularly with an eye on how al-Qaida or the Islamic State group could rebuild to the point of being able to conduct an attack targeting the U.S. Even if the terror threat is now less acute than it once was, it is also becoming more ideologically diffuse and geographically diverse, Abizaid said.

In the wake of our withdrawal, the question is at what point does that regional threat build to a capability and intent that is focused externally, and particularly focused on the homeland, she said. I would say from an intelligence community perspective, that's one of our highest priorities, is just to monitor and assess the degree to which those groups actually present an external threat.

Officials also defended the vetting process they have in place to screen the backgrounds of Afghanistan refugees seeking entry into the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the number of refugees denied entry has been minimal because we have not found many people with derogatory information relative to those who qualify for admission to the United States by reason of their status.

The (screening) architecture that has been built over 20 years since 9/11 remains in place and has only strengthened, he said. We have a screening and vetting architecture. We have greater cooperation amongst the federal agencies in the counterterrorism, intelligence and law enforcement communities. We remain ever vigilant in that regard."

____

Associated Press writer Ben Fox contributed to this report.

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
What a shame that so many prominent figures summon the moxie to speak the truth when its too late to do anything about it.

So it went the other day, when George W. Bush used his 9/11 anniversary address to rightly denounce Trumps insurrectionists as the domestic equivalent of foreign jihadists.

(W)e have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within, Bush said at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Theres little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard of human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit, and it is our continuing duty to confront them.

Dubya got that right. In the two decades since 9/11, more Americans have been killed by right-wing domestic terrorists than by swarthy foreigners with purportedly funny names. Looking ahead, our top law enforcement officials have identified white supremacists as the biggest threat of all. Indeed, Bush said in an interview six months ago that the children of foul spirit who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 made him sick to his stomach.

But alas, Bushs wise words wont amount to a hill of beans in his crazy party, because it left him behind years ago.

Im not here to whitewash Bushs track record  he and his henchmen relentlessly stoked polarization after 9/11, equating dissent with aiding the terrorists (in 2002 they even said that Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, a vet who left his limbs in Nam, was somehow a stooge for Osama bin Laden)  but by the GOPs current standards, Bush was a Mother Theresa who welcomed immigrants of color to these shores. Plus, he warned way back in 2005 that If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late for prepare, which is the reverse of todays death cult party, which seems bent on killing as many people as possible.

Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections  with the sole exception of Bush in 2004. So it would be nice if Republicans and rabid rightists heeded his call to confront home-grown terrorists, to view it as their duty.

The problem is, Republicans tore down the House of Bush in 2016 when Trump terminated Jeb with extreme prejudice. Old-school establishment conservatism was push out of the party, replaced by populist demagoguery and Putin groupie worship. It has only metastasized since.

If George W. had stepped up in 2016 to save his party from MAGA insanity, perhaps he couldve helped stem the toxic tide, but well never know. Bush, whatever his many flaws, is at least a gentleman, but in the current iteration of the GOP, theres no room for gentlemen. As the latest national poll points out, 63 percent of Republicans still believe that Trump should be the partys leader.

So kudos to Bush for calling out Trumps goons as terrorists who defile democracy, but at this point Trumps cultists dont care a whit about democracy. Theyre already poised to dismiss all future Democratic victories as election fraud, starting with a Gavin Newsom victory in Tuesdays California gubernatorial recall.

Theyve also been eviscerating Bush. A spokesman for radio host Alex Jones wrote, Bush is part of the same globalist coven that supports BLM and Antifa.  I dont liken myself to extremists abroad but if Bushs definition of a child of foul spirit is someone who hates collectivism and refuses to get vaccinated, then yes, I am proudly a child of foul spirit.

Refuses to get vaccinated  dont get me started.

When you look at whats happened to the conservative movement, Bush now seems as antiquated as a videocassette recorder.

Indeed, when he confidently predicted back in March that Trumpism would begin to fritter over time, and that hes optimistic about democracy, I suspected that history had already erased the tape.

Dick Polman, a veteran national political columnist, writes at DickPolman.net. He can be reached at dickpolman7@gmail.com
I happen to believe vaccines are a good idea. Thats why I got one.

Everyone in my family is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, a lot of what I hear as justification for not getting vaccinated is nothing more than kooky talk, based neither in fact nor reality  from the DNA manipulation conspiracy theory to microchip implantation paranoia.

By the way, if the government wants to shoot a chip into me so I can be tracked, go right ahead. Youre likely to be disappointed by what my day-to-day routine reveals.

However, legitimate skepticism  and no, not all skepticism is fueled by whacky conspiracy theories  about vaccines is understandable, given the conflicting information weve received since the beginning of the pandemic. But anyone who dares express concern about the current policy is labeled a heretic.

I wrote a piece a few weeks ago in which I questioned the timing of booster vaccines which, as it turns out, was also questioned by infectious diseases experts and officials at the Food and Drug Administration, two of whom have since resigned. A reader emailed and insisted that by merely raising the issue, I will be responsible for future COVID-19 deaths among the unvaccinated.

This sort of either-you-agree-with-me-or-youre-a-murderer method of debate makes it a bit difficult to have a reasonable discussion. Worse, it only makes skeptics more skeptical. True, theres a certain portion of the population that is so dug in at this point that nothing anyone says or any evidence presented will change hearts and minds. But there are others who are legitimately conflicted and confused, due in no small part to what our public servants, elected officials and media have been telling them.

In his mostly awful and strangely angry speech on vaccine mandates, President Biden said, Were going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers. He had just said that vaccinated Americans face no health risk from the virus. Its this kind of muddled messaging that only gives more ammunition to the resistant. If Im one of the 80 million unvaccinated Americans listening to the president, Im less motivated to run out and get vaccinated than I was before he started talking.

A pandemic is a fluid situation. Most reasonable people understand that guidelines and recommendations can change based on updated information. But if the goal is really to motivate unvaccinated Americans to get a least one dose of a vaccine, portraying vaccine skeptics as potential killers or misguided morons is a curious strategy. And the media isnt helping.

Rolling Stone ran with, and other left-leaning media outlets shared, a story about Oklahoma hospitals being overrun by patients who overdosed on ivermectin, a drug commonly used to treat parasites in animals and, in some cases, in humans, according to the FDA. The drug has also been advocated by vaccine skeptics as a COVID-19 treatment. The problem with the story, which was originally reported by KFOR-TV in Oklahoma, is it wasnt true. The hospitals themselves refuted the report.

A story such as this only sees the light of day because it wasnt properly vetted and worse, because those who reported and shared it were predisposed to assume it was  and wanted it to be  true.

CNN host Don Lemon called unvaccinated people stupid and called on the vaccinated to start shaming them.

Americans generally distrust politicians and the media isnt far behind. Again, if the goal is to get the unvaccinated to join the rest of us, bogus news stories, divisive rhetoric and hot takes from bloviating pundits arent going to cut it.

Human experience tells us that attempting to legislate behavior only makes the reluctant less likely to cooperate. If you doubt this, try telling your teenage daughter she should dump her boyfriend. Youll be responsible for the most star-crossed love story since Edward the VIII first asked Wallis Simpson to join him for tea and scones.

About 74% of the U.S. population over 12 years of age has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Most experts agree that we need to get to around 80% to have some form of herd immunity.

If were going to get there anytime soon, more education and less scolding would be a good start. And we would do well to remember the Were all in this together pandemic mantra that was popular once upon a time.

It seems to me a much better approach than Get on board or else.

Rich Manieri is a journalist and author. He can be reached at manieri2@gmail.com.
US officials defend expulsion of Haitians from Texas town View Photo

DEL RIO, Texas (AP)  More than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants have been removed from an encampment at a Texas border town, U.S. officials said Monday as they defended a strong response that included immediately expelling migrants to their impoverished Caribbean country and faced criticism for using horse patrols to stop them from entering the town.

Calling it a challenging and heartbreaking situation, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a stark warning: If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life.

Isaac Isner, 30, and his wife Mirdege, took wet clothing off their 3-year-old daughter Isadora after crossing the Rio Grande to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, Monday afternoon. They had been in Del Rio, Texas, for seven days but decided to return to Mexico after a friend showed cellphone video of the U.S. expelling migrants.

They were putting people on a bus and sent them to Haiti just like that without signing anything, Isner said.

His family has an appointment this month with Mexicos asylum agency in the southern city of Tapachula, and they think they could be safe in Mexico.

Most migrants, however, still havent made up their minds.

We dont know what were going to do, said a second Haitian man, who declined to give his name but said he crossed into Mexico Monday for food, leaving his wife and child in Del Rio. The U.S. is deporting and now Mexico wont just sit back and do nothing. We dont know where to go.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexicos foreign minister, said about 15% of the Haitian migrants in Mexico have accepted refuge there. So far this year, about 19,000 Haitian migrants have requested asylum in Mexico.

Mexico does not have any problem with them being in our country as long as they respect Mexicos laws, he said.

Mexico was busing Haitian migrants from Ciudad Acuna Sunday evening, according to Luis Angel Urraza, president of the local chamber of commerce. Mexicos immigration agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But a federal official told The Associated Press on Sunday that the plan was to take the migrants to Monterrey, in northern Mexico, and Tapachula, in the south, with flights to Haiti from those cities to begin in coming days.

Mayorkas and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said they would look into agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips and their horses to push back migrants at the river between Ciudad Acuna and Del Rio, a city of about 35,000 people roughly 145 miles (230 kilometers) west of San Antonio where thousands of migrants remain camped around a bridge.

Both officials said during an afternoon news conference they saw nothing apparently wrong based on the widely seen photos and video. Mayorkas said agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses. Ortiz, the former chief of the Del Rio sector, said it can be confusing to distinguish between migrants and smugglers as people move back and forth near the river. The chief said he would investigate to make sure there was no unacceptable actions by the agents.

I dont think anyone seeing that footage would think it acceptable or appropriate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about the images at a nearly simultaneous briefing. She deemed the footage horrific and said the matter would be investigated.

Later Monday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement calling the footage extremely troubling and promising a full investigation that would define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken.

Mayorkas said 600 Homeland Security employees, including from the Coast Guard, have been brought to Del Rio. He said he has asked the Defense Department for help in what may be one of the swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants and refugees from the United States in decades.

He also said the U.S. would increase the pace and capacity of flights to Haiti and other countries in the hemisphere. The number of migrants at the bridge peaked at 14,872 on Saturday, said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union that represents agents.

When it was reported that were flights going back to Haiti, it got around almost immediately, he said. There has been talk that some of them are going to go back (to Mexico) but we have not seen very much movement.

The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows for migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum. President Joe Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the order but let the rest stand.

Any Haitians not expelled are subject to immigration laws, which include rights to seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection. Families are quickly released in the U.S. because the government cannot generally hold children.

More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. The U.S. plans to begin seven expulsion flights daily on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio but authorities may add El Paso, the official said.

The only obvious parallel for such an expulsion without an opportunity to seek asylum was in 1992 when the Coast Guard intercepted Haitian refugees at sea, said Yael Schacher, senior U.S. advocate at Refugees International whose doctoral studies focused on the history of U.S. asylum law.

Similarly large numbers of Mexicans have been sent home during peak years of immigration but over land and not so suddenly.

Central Americans have also crossed the border in comparable numbers without being subject to mass expulsion, although Mexico has agreed to accept them from the U.S. under pandemic-related authority in effect since March 2020. Mexico does not accept expelled Haitians or people of other nationalities outside of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

In Mexico, local authorities of border municipalities have asked for help from state and federal authorities. Claudio Bres, the mayor in Piedras Negras, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Ciudad Acuna, told local media that the official agreement is to turn back all the buses with migrants to prevent them from reaching the border. He said that last weekend around 70 buses passed through his town.

Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake. After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.

Some of the migrants at the Del Rio camp said the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise make them afraid to return to a country that seems more unstable than when they left.

In Haiti, there is no security, said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. The country is in a political crisis.

But Mayorkas defended his recent decision to grant Haitians temporary legal status due to political and civil strife in their homeland if they were in the United States on July 29, but not to those being sent back now.

We made an assessment based on the country conditions  that Haiti could in fact receive individuals safely, he said.

Six flights were scheduled to Haiti on Tuesday  three to Port-au-Prince and three to the northern city of Cap-Haitien, said Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, Haitis migration director.

Some migrants said they were planning to leave Haiti again as soon as possible. Valeria Ternission, 29, said she and her husband want to travel with their 4-year-old son back to Chile, where she worked as a bakerys cashier.

I am truly worried, especially for the child, she said. I cant do anything here.

___

Lozano and Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Evens Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, also contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

By JUAN A. LOZANO, ERIC GAY, ELLIOT SPAGAT and MARIA VERZA

Associated Press
hospitalizations from 9/1 to 9/18/21 by vaccination status from Adventist Health Sonora View Photo

Calaveras County Public Health reports four new deaths due to COVID-19, three men one in his 30s, one in his 60s, and one in his 70s, and one woman in her 80s. The county has 71 total deaths attributed to COVID-19. There are 38 new Covid cases since Fridays report, active cases decreased to 79 from last weeks highest number of active Covid cases, 125. The active cases include 4 current Covid hospitalizations. There are 13 new cases age 0-17 and 4 new cases in individuals age 65 years old or older. Since the pandemic began Calaveras has had 496 Covid-19 positive people who are 17 and under and 586 Covid-19 positive people 65 and over. Calaveras has vaccinated 52.1% of their eligible population.

Tuolumne Public Health reports 69 new COVID-19 cases since Fridays report. There are 188 active cases including 15 who are hospitalized. The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County is down to 46.3 per 100,000 population from 49.5 Friday. A total of 4,380 have been released from isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, there have been 99 deaths and 1,620 inmate cases, and 6,287 total cases with 55% of Tuolumnes eligible population vaccinated.

Todays newly reported cases include 15 cases age 17 or younger and 17 cases are age 60 and older. The gender and age breakdown is; 7 girls and 1 boy age 0-11, 5 girls and 2 boys age 12-17, 5 women and 7 men age 18-29, 8 women and 2 men age 30-39, 8 women age 40 to 49, 3 women and 4 men age 50-59, 5 women and 5 men age 60 -69, 1 woman and 4 men age 70 to 79, 1 woman age 80 to 89 and 1 woman age 90 or older.

Of the 69 new community cases, 58 were unvaccinated and 11 were vaccinated. The California Department of Corrections reports 4 active cases in the inmates the Sierra Conservation Center oversees which includes all of the Southern Conservation Fire Camps. There are six correctional facilities in the state managing more active inmate cases.

COVID-19 Testing The Tuolumne County state testing site located at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds added an additional testing lane Sunday to increase the number of appointments available. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID, schedule an appointment to get tested 5 days after exposure. If you are having any symptoms, please get tested right away. The State testing site is open 7 days a week beginning from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Appointments should be made rather than walking in. Appointments can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. Testing is also available through, some pharmacies, at Rapid Care or the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider.

COVID-19 Vaccines Vaccine appointments can be made at local pharmacies and through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255. Anyone 12 and older is eligible for a COVID vaccine, Pfizer is approved for anyone age 12 or over. As detailed here healthcare workers are required to be vaccinated by September 30. The Pfizer vaccine requires 3 weeks between doses and the Moderna requires 4 weeks. The J&J vaccine requires only one dose. Call or email with any questions you may have Tuolumne is available at (209) 533-7440 Health@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov, Mariposa at (209) 259-1332 or mariposacovid19@gmail.com more numbers are available on our COVID-19 vaccine page here.

County/Date

Tier Color Active

Cases New Cases

Total Cases COVID

Deaths Amador 9/19 125 37 2,949 50 Calaveras 9/20 79 38 3,283 71 Mariposa 9/17 71 7 967 12 Mono 9/20 68 13 1,284 5 Stanislaus 9/20 2,500 601 72,418 1,234 Tuolumne 9/20 188 69 6,287 99
Mi Wuk Village, CA  The CHP reports that a 19-year-old male from Sonora was killed in a solo vehicle rollover crash on Highway 108 near Mi Wuk Village last night.

It happened at around 8:35pm. The Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was driven by an unidentified 17-year-old male from Soulsbyville. He lost control going into a curve, struck an embankment, and overturned. The CHP reports that the 19-year-old passenger was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected. Life-saving measures were attempted, but he was pronounced dead by arriving first responders.

The 17-year-old teen driver suffered minor injuries and was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. An investigation determined that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. After being released from medical care he was arrested and taken to the Mother Lode Regional Juvenile Detention Facility. The name of the driver was not released because he is a minor. The name of the passenger who died is being withheld by authorities pending notification of family members.
Qatars ruler urges world leaders not to boycott Taliban View Photo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The ruling emir of Qatar, whose nation has played a pivotal role in Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal, urged world leaders gathered at the United Nations on Tuesday against turning their backs on the countrys Taliban rulers.

Speaking from the podium of the U.N. General Assembly, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stressed the necessity of continuing dialogue with Taliban because boycott only leads to polarization and reactions, whereas dialogue could bring in positive results.

His warning was directed at the many heads of state worried about engaging with the Taliban and recognizing their takeover of Afghanistan.

The Taliban say they want international recognition. The group challenged the credentials of Afghanistans former U.N. ambassador and are asking to speak at the U.N. General Assemblys high-level meeting of world leaders. They say it is the responsibility of the United Nations to recognize their government and for other countries to have diplomatic relations with them.

Senior State Department officials said they were aware of the Talibans request as the U.S. is a member of the U.N. credentials committee, but they would not predict how that panel might rule. However, one of the officials said the committee would take some time to deliberate, suggesting that the Talibans envoy would not be able to speak at the General Assembly at this session, at least during the high-level leaders week.

To date, no nation has yet formally recognized the Talibans ascension by force to power or its all-male Cabinet, which is stacked with senior figures who were previously detained in the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba or are on a United Nations sanctions list. The group has said this exclusively Taliban-run Cabinet is only interim, offering hope that a future government could be more inclusive.

In the spirit of diplomacy, Sheikh Tamim said Qatar agreed years ago to host the Talibans political leadership in exile because we were confident that war offers no solution and that there would be dialogue in the end.

Qatar is a close U.S ally and hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, but the tiny Gulf Arab state also has some sway with the Taliban. Because of its unique role, Qatar hosted direct U.S.-Taliban talks around the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and helped facilitate evacuations from Kabul.

Now, countries like the U.S. and Japan have relocated their diplomatic staff in Afghanistan to Qatar to continue diplomacy from there. Qatar is also assisting with the facilitation of needed humanitarian aid and with operations at Kabul airport.

Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday urged against repeating past mistakes in Afghanistan to impose a political system from outside.

Regardless of intentions, efforts made and money invested, this experience in Afghanistan has collapsed after 20 years, Sheikh Tamim said.

The 41-year-old leader said the international community must continue to support Afghanistan at this critical stage and to separate humanitarian aid from political differences. Afghanistan is among the worlds poorest countries and receives billions of dollars in foreign aid a year, though that could change with the U.S.-backed government out of power and the Taliban now in charge.

Uzbekistan, another neighboring country to Afghanistan, has resumed the supply of oil and electricity to the war-torn country, according to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It is impossible to isolate Afghanistan and leave it within the range of its problems, he said in remarks at the U.N. on Tuesday. He called for a permanent U.N. Committee on Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, Pakistans foreign minister told reporters at U.N. headquarters that Taliban rulers should understand that if they want recognition and assistance in rebuilding the war-battered country they have to be more sensitive and more receptive to international opinion and norms. The top leadership of the Taliban for years has operated out of Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan and is home to large numbers of Afghan refugees.

Despite their promises of an open and inclusive system, there have been numerous troubling signs that the Taliban are restricting womens rights and targeting activists and those they battled against as they settle into government after taking control of the capital of Kabul last month. During their previous rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, the Taliban had denied girls and women the right to education and barred them from public life.

Sheikh Tamim said it is up to the Afghan people to achieve a comprehensive political settlement and pave the way for stability. He touted Qatars outsized role in assisting with the chaotic U.S.-led evacuation of more than 100,000 Afghans and others from Kabul in August.

This was our humanitarian duty, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in New York contributed to this report.

___

Dubai-based Associated Press journalist Aya Batrawy covers the Gulf and wider Middle East. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ayaelb

By AYA BATRAWY

Associated Press
Survivors of Russian university shooting airlifted to Moscow View Photo

MOSCOW (AP)  Seven survivors of a shooting at a university in central Russia that left six people dead and 28 more wounded are to be airlifted to Moscow for medical treatment on Tuesday, according to a top education official.

Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said Tuesday that the shooting at the Perm State University on Monday was a grave tragedy and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Those who survived (I wish) the speediest recovery. Today seven kids will be transported to Moscow for treatment, Falkov said at a memorial ceremony in Perm, a city of 1 million residents located 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow.

The state news agency Tass reported the flight with the seven survivors on board has already departed for Moscow.

Falkov said later on Monday at a meeting with university principals that most of those hospitalized are on the mend.

A student opened fire at the university on Monday morning, leading other students and staff to lock themselves in rooms during the attack. Video on Russian news sites showed some students jumping out of second-story windows.

The Investigative Committee said six people were killed and 28 people were injured. The Health Ministry said 19 of them were shot; it was not clear how the others were injured. According to the committee, the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon. That could indicate he used a shotgun.

A traffic police unit was the first to reach the scene and the suspect opened fire on them, according to the Interior Ministry. He was wounded when police returned fire and then was disarmed. The gunman also had a knife, the ministry said.

Although firearms laws are strict in Russia, many people obtain permits for hunting. News reports cited officials as saying the suspect had a permit for a pump-action shotgun, although it was not clear if that was for the weapon used.

School shootings are infrequent in Russia, but the Perm attack was the third such shooting in recent years. In May, a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan, killing seven students and two teachers with a registered weapon. A student at a college in Russia-annexed Crimea killed 20 students and himself in 2018.

After the Kazan shooting, President Vladimir Putin called on the national guard to tighten gun regulations. Russia then passed a law raising the minimum gun purchase age from 18 to 21.

By DARIA LITVINOVA

Associated Press
Toyota scraps V8 in Tundra redesign, adds hybrid powertrain View Photo

DETROIT (AP)  Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines.

The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 or an optional gas-electric hybrid system with 437 horsepower.

The change is needed because of stronger U.S. fuel economy requirements that soon will be imposed under President Joe Biden, who is scrapping Donald Trumps rollback of the regulations.

The old V8 got only 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway. Toyota has not disclosed the estimated mileage for the new engines, but said theyll be more efficient and powerful than the outgoing V8.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which dominate the U.S. big pickup market, still offer V8 engines, which are often preferred for towing and hauling. Fords F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.

Toyota says the new Tundra can tow up to 12,000 pounds and haul 1,940 in its bed. The outgoing six-speed automatic transmission will be replaced with a more efficient 10-speed version.

The hybrid system will help get the truck started in city driving and will add power during towing. It has a 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery under the rear passenger seats.

The truck also gets new styling, a revamped interior, a new suspension and frame, and a weight-saving aluminum-reinforced composite bed.

The new pickup made its debut Tuesday at Motor Bella, an outdoor auto show in Pontiac, Michigan, that is replacing Detroits big North American International Auto Show.

Prices werent released. The redesigned truck, a 2022 model built in San Antonio, Texas, goes on sale later this year.
US sues to stop deal between American Airlines and JetBlue View Photo

The Justice Department and officials in six states have filed a lawsuit to block a partnership formed by American Airlines and JetBlue, claiming that it will reduce competition and lead to higher fares.

The Justice Department said Tuesday that the agreement will eliminate important competition in New York and Boston and reduce JetBlues incentive to compete against American in other parts of the country.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the lawsuit was about ensuring fair competition that lets Americans fly at affordable prices.

In an industry where just four airlines control more than 80% of domestic air travel, American Airlines alliance with JetBlue is, in fact, an unprecedented maneuver to further consolidate the industry, Garland said in a statement. It would result in higher fares, fewer choices, and lower quality service if allowed to continue.

American and JetBlue vowed to fight the lawsuit and to continue their alliance unless a court orders them to stop.

American and JetBlue announced their deal last year and have already started to coordinate flights in the Northeast. They argue that it is a pro-consumer arrangement that has already helped them start 58 new routes from four airports in New York and Boston, add flights on other routes, and plan new international destinations.

American CEO Doug Parker said that blocking the deal will take away consumer choice and inhibit competition, not encourage it. This is not a merger: American and JetBlue are  and will remain  independent airlines.

The lawsuit comes two months after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on government agencies to help consumers by increasing competition in the airline industry and other parts of the economy.

The Transportation Department approved the agreement, with certain conditions, in January during the final days of the Trump administration. The airlines gave up some takeoff and landing slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Reagan National Airport outside Washington, and they agreed not to cooperate on setting prices.

Instead of suing now, the (Justice Department) should have waited and monitored and held us accountable to the benefits that we said this would deliver, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in an interview.

Hayes disputed the Justice Departments belief that the deal will stop his airline from competing against American outside the Northeast. He noted that JetBlue this year started flying from New York to London and between Miami and Los Angeles, important routes for American.

Despite the green light from the Transportation Department, antitrust lawyers at the Justice Department began examining the deal more closely this spring and requested interviews and documents from the airlines, according to an airline lawyer involved in the case.

In the last three weeks it became apparent that the Justice Department was likely to file a lawsuit, said the attorney, who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions with the regulators were private.

The airlines call their partnership the Northeast Alliance or NEA. It lets American and JetBlue sell seats on each others flights and give customers reciprocal benefits in the separate frequent-flyer programs.

American and JetBlue argue that the deal is pro-consumer by making their combination a stronger competitor in the Northeast. Together, the airlines say, they controlled 16% of the regions air-travel market before the partnership, and that has grown to 24%.

The airlines argue that the Justice Department has no evidence that their agreement is leading to higher fares. Air-travel prices have been hurt by the pandemic, which continues to cut into travel demand and push fares lower.

American and JetBlue argue that nothing in their deal controls pricing, and that each airline will continue to set its own fares.

Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines filed formal complaints against the American-JetBlue alliance, however, arguing that  along with a similar deal on the West Coast between American and Alaska Airlines  it will make American too big.

The Justice Department lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Massachusetts. The department was joined by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arizona and the District of Columbia.

By DAVID KOENIG

AP Airlines Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Frances top diplomat declared Monday that there is a crisis of trust in the United States after a Pacific defense deal stung France and left Europe wondering about its longtime ally across the Atlantic.

France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and worked to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S. Speaking to reporters in New York, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said European countries wont let Washington leave them behind when shaping its foreign policy,

Le Drian reiterated complaints that his country was sandbagged by the submarine deal between the U.S., Britain and Australia, which led to France losing a contract to sell subs to Australia. Washington, London and Canberra say the deal bolsters their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and it has widely been seen as an effort to counter an increasingly assertive China.

But Le Drian, who is in New York to represent France at the U.N. General Assembly, said it was a brutal, unexpected and unexplained breach of a contract  and a relationship.

The U.S., Australia and Britain insisted that the diplomatic crisis wouldnt affect their longer-term relations with France, even after Paris recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia for the first time in history because of the deal.

There is a crisis of trust beyond the fact that the contract is being broken, as if Europe itself didnt have any interest to defend in that region, Le Drian said.

Arguing that the U.S. is refocusing its fundamental interests, step by step, with de facto confrontation with China, Le Drian noted pointedly that Europeans too have their own fundamental interests.

The Europeans fundamental interests need to be taken into account by the United States. which is our ally. And the Europeans shall not be left behind in the strategy chosen by the United States, he said.

He said European countries need to put together their own priorities and strategy and discuss it with the U.S.

Le Drian was meeting with foreign ministers from the other 26 European Union nations to discuss the consequences of the submarine deal and France's vision for a more strategically independent Europe.

European foreign ministers expressed solidarity with France after discussing the matter at a meeting Monday night, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

This announcement runs counter to calls for greater cooperation with the European Union, Borrell said after the meeting in New York. He said he met earlier in the day with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and stressed that the current challenges to stability in the region called for more cooperation and coordination among like-minded partners and less confrontation.

Earlier Monday, France won support from the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who told CNN that one of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. ... We want to know what happened and why.

While U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting the Australian and British leaders this week, he wont see French President Emmanuel Macron, whos not traveling to the U.N.

Instead, Biden plans a call with Macron in the coming days, where he will underscore the U.S. commitment to its alliance with France and lay out specific measures the two nations can take together in the Indo-Pacific, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning for the leaders call. The official said while the administration understands the French position on the issue, it did not share their view in terms of how this all developed.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said a disagreement about a single decision would not disrupt a relationship or harm the United States standing across Europe.

The submarine deal, known as AUKUS, will see Australia cancel a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and instead acquire nuclear-powered vessels from the U.S.

The French government appears to have been blindsided by the agreement, and feels its own strategic interests in the Pacific  thanks to its territories and military presence there  were ignored by major allies.

Le Drian said he canceled a meeting with his Australian counterpart in New York and has no meeting scheduled with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while he's at the U.N., but might pass him in the hallways."

Meanwhile France's defense minister canceled a meeting with her British counterpart this week.

Still, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that Britains relationship with France is ineradicable." Speaking on his way to New York, he said, AUKUS is not in any way meant to be zero-sum, its not meant to be exclusionary. Its not something that anybody needs to worry about and particularly not our French friends.

British officials have stressed the close military ties between the U.K. and France, including joint operations in Mali and Estonia.

In Australia, officials said Frances anger wouldn't derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal.

French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault denied media reports that France was lobbying the EU not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he would travel to Paris within weeks for trade negotiations and was very keen to touch base with my French counterpart."

I see no reason why those discussions wont continue," Tehan said.

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, said Monday they're analyzing the impact of the Australian submarine agreement.

Australia argues that the submarine deal was about protecting its strategic interests amid broad concern about China's growing assertiveness.

___

Associated Press journalists Aamer Madhani in Washington, Jonathan Lemire in New York, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
EL PASO, Canary Islands (AP)  As a new volcanic vent blew open and unstoppable rivers of molten rock flowed toward the sea, authorities on a Spanish island warned Tuesday that more dangers lie ahead for residents, including earthquakes, lava flows, toxic gases, volcanic ash and acid rain.

Several small earthquakes shook the island of La Palma in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa on Tuesday, keeping nerves on edge after a volcanic eruption on Sunday. The island, with a population of 85,000, is part of the Canary Islands archipelago, a key tourist destination for Europeans.

Authorities said the new fissure demonstrated that the area was unstable and unsafe, and kept people at least 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) away.

The rivers of lava, up to six meters (nearly 20 feet) high, rolled down hillsides, burning and crushing everything in their path, as they gradually closed in on the island's more densely populated coast. One was bearing down on Todoque, where more than 1,000 people live, and where emergency services were preparing evacuations.

So far, the eruption has destroyed around 190 houses and forced the evacuation of 6,000 people.

The truth is that its a tragedy to see people losing their properties, said municipal worker Fernando Diaz in the town of El Paso.

The lavas advance has slowed to about 120 meters (400 feet) an hour, according to the head of the Canary Island Volcanic Emergency Plan, Miguel Angel Morcuende, and wasn't expected to reach the Atlantic Ocean before Wednesday.

Canary Islands government chief Angel Victor Torres said when (the lava) reaches the sea, it will be a critical moment.

The meeting of the lava, whose temperature exceeds 1,000 degrees Celsius (more than 1,800 F), with a body of water could cause explosions and produce clouds of toxic gas. Torres asked locals to remember the island's last eruption in 1971, when one person died after inhaling the gas emitted as lava met the water.

A change in the wind direction blew the ashes from the volcano across a vast area on the western side of the island, with the black particles blanketing everything. Volcanic ash is an irritant for the eyes and lungs.

The volcano has also been spewing out between 8,000 and 10,500 tons of sulfur dioxide  which also affects the lungs  every day, the Volcanology Institute said.

Adding to the dangers, the emergence of new cracks in the earth spewing lava cannot be ruled out, said Nemesio Perez, head of the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, who noted there is important superficial seismic activity in the area."

The new fissure that appeared Monday night is 900 meters (3,000 feet) north of the Cumbre Vieja ridge, where the volcano first erupted Sunday after a week of thousands of small earthquakes. That earthquake swarm warned authorities that an eruption was likely and allowed many people to be evacuated, avoiding casualties.

The new fissure opened after what the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said was a 3.8-magnitude quake.

Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months.

Torres described the lava-hit region as a catastrophe zone and said he would request money to rebuild roads, water pipes and create temporary accommodations for families who have lost their homes as well as their farmland.

Spains King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are to visit the area on Thursday.

___

Barry Hatton contributed from Lisbon, Portugal.
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP)  FBI agents and police Monday searched the home of the boyfriend wanted for questioning in the death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, whose body was discovered over the weekend at a Wyoming national park months after the couple set out on a cross-country road trip.

The FBI gave no details on the search by at least a dozen law enforcement officers, but agents removed several boxes and towed away a car that neighbors said was typically used by 23-year-old Brian Laundries mother. Local media said Laundrie's parents were seen getting into a police vehicle.

Laundrie and Petito had been living with his parents at the North Port home before the road trip on which she died.

The young couple had set out in July in a converted van to visit national parks in the West. They got into a fight along the way, and Laundrie was alone when he returned in the van to his parents home on Sept. 1, police said.

In Wyoming, the FBI announced on Sunday that agents had discovered a body on the edge of Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. No details on the cause of death were released. An autopsy was set for Tuesday.

Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified, FBI agent Charles Jones said.

Laundrie has been named a person of interest in the case, but his whereabouts in recent days were unknown.

Petito's father, Joseph, posted on social media an image of a broken heart above a picture of his daughter, with the message: "She touched the world."

In an interview broadcast Monday on TV's Dr. Phil show, Joseph Petito said Laundrie and his daughter had dated for 2 1/2 years, and Laundrie was always respectful. During the interview, which was recorded before his daughter's body was found, Petito said the couple had taken a previous road trip to California in her car and there were no problems.

If there were, I would have discouraged going on the trip, Petito said.

Petito said his family began worrying after several days without hearing from their daughter.

We called Brian, we called the mom, we called the dad, we called the sister, we called every number that we could find, Petito said. No phone calls were picked up, no text messages were returned.

Petito said he wants Laundrie to be held accountable for whatever part he played in Gabbys disappearance, along with his family for protecting him.

I hope they get whats coming, and that includes his folks, Petito said. Because Ill tell you, right now, they are just as complicit, in my book.

The FBI said investigators are seeking information from anyone who may have seen the couple around Grand Teton.

Police looking for Laundrie searched a 24,000-acre Florida nature preserve over the weekend without success. Investigators had focused intently on the area after Laundries parents told police he may have gone there.

Petito and Laundrie were childhood sweethearts who met while growing up on New York's Long Island. His parents later moved to North Port, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Sarasota.

A man who saw Petito and Laundrie fighting in Moab, Utah, on Aug. 12 called 911 to report a domestic violence incident, according to a recording of the call obtained from the Grand County Sheriffs Office. The man said that he saw Laundrie slap Petito while walking through the town and proceeded to hit her before the two got in their van and drove off.

Video released by the Moab police showed that an officer pulled the couple's van over on the same day after it was seen speeding and hitting a curb near Arches National Park. The body-camera footage showed an upset Petito.

Laundrie said on the video that the couple had gotten into a scuffle after he climbed into the van with dirty feet. He said he did not want to pursue a domestic violence charge against Petito, who officers decided was the aggressor.

Moab police separated the couple for the night, with Laundrie checking into a motel and Petito remaining with the van.

In the footage, Gabby Petito cried as she told the officer that she and Laundrie had been arguing over her excessive cleaning of the van. She told the officer she has OCD  obsessive compulsive disorder.

On Dr. Phil, her father said that wasnt literally true. She just likes to keep her living area orderly and was using slang, he said.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin workers reinstalled two statues Tuesday on the state Capitol grounds that protesters ripped down during a demonstration last year in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Workers reinstalled a 9-foot-6-inch statue of Wisconsin abolitionist Col. Hans Christian Heg as well as a 7-foot statue of a woman symbolizing the state's Forward motto. Neither statue has any racist history associated with them, but protesters said they represented a false narrative that Wisconsin supports Black people and racial equity.

Protesters toppled both statues in June 2020, breaking off Heg's leg and head. The Forward statue was dented and one of its fingers broken off.

The demonstration was among several that shook downtown Madison in the days after Floyd's death in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Floyd, who was Black and handcuffed, died after white police Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes.

Heg was a Norwegian immigrant who became an outspoken abolitionist. He served in the 15th Wisconsin Regiment during the Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.

His statue, funded by the Norwegian Society of America, had stood outside the Capitol since 1926. Heg's descendants wanted the statue restored.

The Forward statue was a bronze replica of the one that represented Wisconsin at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced in December that the state had received $60,000 in federal grants to restore and reinstall both statues. State Department of Administration spokeswoman Tatyana Warrick said Tuesday that officials expect the final cost to be about $82,000. The Wisconsin Historical Society raised funds to cover the balance, she said.

Warrick added that the administration has submitted an insurance claim to cover at least some costs.

The reinstallations come as a task force works to erect a statue of Vel Phillips on the Capitol grounds. Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first female judge in Milwaukee County and the first Black judge in Wisconsin. She died in 2018.

Warrick said the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board, which oversees maintenance and decorations at the Capitol and the governor's mansion, is expected to vote on the Phillips statue's final design and placement in October.

___

Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1
PARIS (AP)  France's foreign minister on Saturday denounced what he called the duplicity, disdain and lies surrounding the sudden rupture of France's lucrative contract to make submarines for Australia in favor of a U.S. deal and declared that a crisis is at hand among the Western allies.

A day after France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pummeled what he suggested was a backroom deal that betrayed France.

The recalling of its ambassadors signifies the force of the crisis today between the French government and Washington and Canberra, he said in an interview on France 2 television. He said it was the first time ever that France, the United States' oldest ally, has recalled its ambassador to the U.S.

The announcement by President Joe Biden of the deal, alongside the leaders of Australia and Britain, for at least eight nuclear-powered submarines has set France in a fury. The French had signed a contract in 2016 for a dozen conventional diesel-electric submarines and the work to make them was already underway. The deal with French majority state-owned Naval Group was worth at least $66 billion.

Diplomatic niceties have gone out the window as French authorities seek to make their anger known.

Le Drian denied reports that there had been advance consultations with France ahead of the announcement, saying this isn't true.

Allies don't treat each other with such brutality, such unpredictability, a major partner like France ... So there really is a crisis, Le Drian said.

There are reasons for us to question the strength of our alliance, Le Drian said.

Earlier, France's ambassador to Australia also strayed from diplomatic language when describing what has been widely billed in France as the contract of the century.

This has been a huge mistake, a very, very bad handling of the partnership, French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said before flying home to France.

The arms agreement between France and Australia, signed in 2016, was supposed to be based on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity, a fuming Thebault said. I would like to be able to run into a time machine and be in a situation where we dont end up in such an incredible, clumsy, inadequate, un-Australian situation.

He said he found out about the canceled contract in the Australian press.

Le Drian said in a written statement Friday that the French decision to recall its ambassadors  at the request of President Emmanuel Macron  is justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made by Australia and the United States.

What French officials have called a complex, multi-layered contract was about more than submarines. It was the underpinning for France's vision of the critical Indo-Pacific region, where France has a presence and China is looking to bolster its influence.

The Naval Group said in a statement that consequences of the contract cancelation would be analyzed with Australia in the coming days. It noted that teams in France and Australia have been at work on the project for the past five years.

Australian employees working with Naval Group and their families have set up home in the Normandy port of Cherbourg. A union official, David Robin, told BFMTV that employees were informed there may be an option to keep them on.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Paynes office earlier had issued a statement responding to the diplomats recall and noting Canberras regret over its allys withdrawal of its representative.

Australia understands Frances deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests, the statement said. It added that Australia values its relationship with France and looked forward to future engagements together.

Payne and Defense Minister Peter Dutton are currently in the United States for annual talks with their U.S. counterparts and their first with Bidens administration.

After the U.S. deal was made public this week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he told Macron in June that there were very real issues about whether a conventional submarine capability would address Australias strategic security needs in the Indo-Pacific.

Morrison has not specifically referred to Chinas massive military buildup, which has gained pace in recent years.

Morrison was in Paris on his way home from a Group of Seven nations summit in Britain where he had talks with soon-to-be-alliance partners Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Thebault said he had also been at the meeting with Macron and Morrison.

Morrison mentioned there were changes in the regional situation, but gave no indication that Australia was considering changing to nuclear propulsion, Thebault said.

Everything was supposed to be done in full transparency between the two partners, he added.

Senior Australian opposition lawmaker Mark Dreyfus called on the Australian government to fix its relationship with France.

The impact on our relationship with France is a concern, particularly as a country with important interests in our region, Dreyfus said. The French were blindsided by this decision and Mr. Morrison should have done much more to protect the relationship."
Restaurants and other businesses have had to enforce mask rules across the country over the past year and a half. But at this Texas restaurant, one couple was asked to leave for wearing their masks.

Natalie Wester and her husband visited Hang Time Sports Grill & Bar in Rowlett, east of Dallas, to meet with friends, CBS DFW's Nicole Nielsen reports.

Wester said she and her husband were wearing masks when they came in and the hostess asked them to remove them. She assumed it was just for the ID check until a waitress came over to their table.

"About half an hour passes and our waitress comes, sits down next to me, and says 'Our manager sent me over because Im nicer than he is. And yes, this is political,'" Wester wrote on Facebook. "She then told me that masks are not allowed in their building, and they can make the rules because they are private business."

Wester and her husband were asked to leave when they didn't want to remove their masks. According to Wester's Facebook post, their 4-month-old son has cystic fibrosis so the couple has continued wearing masks while in public.

Hang Time's owner, identified as Tom, told CBS DFW he has the right to refuse service to anyone who wears a mask, which he considers against the restaurant's dress code.

I have spent my money on the business, my blood sweat and tears in this business, and I dont want masks in here, Tom said. I feel the overall reaction with masks is ridiculous in the United States right now."
Federal investigators early Monday swarmed the North Port, Fla. home of Brian Laundrie to execute a "court-authorized" search warrant one day after human remains believed to be those of his missing fiancee, Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito, were found in Wyoming.

Laundrie, 23, is considered a person of interest in the disappearance of Petito, 22. Laundrie has not been accused of a crime but refused to cooperate with investigators in the days after Petito's family reported her missing on Sept. 11.

Early Monday, Laundrie's parents were seen by local news crews being escorted out of the home briefly before returning inside. A Florida court issued a warrant for Laundrie's computer and external storage, WABC reported. Police have been scouring South Florida wetlands for Laundrie, who vanished last week after refusing to help find his fiancee.

Investigators over the weekend searched for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve, a roughly 25,000-acre prairie and wetlands habitat in southwest Florida's Sarasota County before suspending the effort Monday. Laundrie has not been seen since Sept. 14, police said.

A 911 recording released by the Grand County, Utah, Sheriff's Office included a caller reporting a fight between a couple with a white van that had a Florida license plate, according to audio obtained by Fox News.

"We drove by them, and the gentleman was slapping the girl," the caller said. "Then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off."

The caller mentioned that the "domestic dispute" occurred near a store where a police report said Petito and Laundrie had fought.

Petito's and then Laundrie's disappearances have captured national attention, particularly on YouTube and Instagram where the couple extensively documented their van-based travels. The engaged couple, originally from New York, departed Long Island in July with plans to camp at national parks across the country before arriving in Portland, Ore., by Halloween.

Laundrie returned from the trip on Sept. 1 without Petito. Her family said they last heard from her in late August when she contacted them via video call from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Laundrie's attorney, Steven Bertolino previously said he advised his client against speaking to police. He said Monday that there would be a news conference Tuesday afternoon on Long Island.

As Petito's disappearance stretched into weeks, her family issued public pleas for Laundrie and his parents to speak to them or aid the search for Petito.

"We ask you to put yourselves in our shoes," they said in a letter read by their lawyer, Richard Stafford, at a news conference last week. "We haven't been able to sleep or eat. And our lives are falling apart."

On Monday, North Port, Fla., police unfurled crime-scene tape around the Laundrie's home where unmarked vehicles were parked outside, according to live local news feeds from the busy scene. Interest in the case - as well as tips - have flooded in since Petito's disappearance and were heightened by her family's implication that Laundrie was hindering the investigation.

The couple had started to draw followers across social media as they chronicled their cross-country "van life journey." Petito's Instagram feed is filled with colorful, smiling updates from national parks that occasionally featured Laundrie.

Their story took a turn when video and police reports emerged that undercut the image of a happy couple on a romantic cross-country adventure. On Aug. 12, a witness called 911 to report a "domestic problem" after seeing the couple argue outside a Moab, Utah, store.

After Petito was reported missing, Utah police released body-camera footage of a traffic stop with the couple that occurred the same day as the 911 call. In it, Petito appears distraught and crying. Laundrie said the couple had a "minor scuffle" after Petito got angry at him for entering the van with dirty feet. Police determined Petito was the aggressor who was "slapping at him" and separated the couple for the night, directing Laundrie to a hotel while Petito stayed in the van.

Sunday's news that the human remains found in Wyoming matched Petito's description added a tragic new development to the story.

"Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified," FBI Supervisory Special Agent Charles Jones said Sunday.

An autopsy of the remains is expected Tuesday.
San Antonio ISD has found its interim leader in a veteran superintendent.

On Monday evening, the board of trustees selected Robert Jaklich, former superintendent of Harlandale ISD, to serve as the district's interim superintendent starting September 29 until a new superintendent is found.

Board members appointed Jaklich unanimously after hours of closed session discussion. Outgoing Superintendent Pedro Martinez will also transition to CEO of Chicago Public Schools the week of September 29 as well.

"We believe Dr. Jaklich is the right person to continue leading this district forward. He demonstrates the experience and wisdom to assess situations, resulting in sound decision-making," says SAISD Board President Christina Martinez in a statement on the district website.

A timeline for the superintendent search was not set that evening.

Jaklich also recently served as the superintendent of Victoria ISD, the San Antonio Express-News reports. His run at VISD came in 2012 after 15 years at Harlandale ISD, four of which were spent as superintendent.

Jaklich was widely supported by San Antonio leaders, which is why his departure was criticized by Julian Castro, who was mayor of San Antonio at the time. Castro blamed Jaklich's departure on pressure from the HISD school board.

Martinez was widely criticized by SAISD's teacher and staff advocacy group, the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel. The group wrote in a letter that Martinez leaves behind a hollow district, and called for a community-involved search for a new district leader.

San Antonio Alliance President Alejandra Lopez says she hopes the board engages everyone who's going to be impacted by the new superintendent. She says that includes district staff, parents, students and community members.

"We're encouraged to see the board appoint someone who has classroom experience," Lopez says. "It is very important for educators to know that the person at the top has worked in a school and can understand the day to day challenges that brings."
It's that time of the year again. Niche has released its lists of top public high schools in San Antonio, and one school continues to reign at the top.

Health Careers High School is once again the leading public high schools in 2022. The Northside ISD magnet school took the title with an A+ ranking.

Health Careers garnered high marks in academics, diversity and college prep.

Niche is a company that analyzes schools and neighborhoods for people looking to move. Schools are ranked using user input and data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities, extracurricular activity opportunities, and more.

Scroll down to see the top 10 public high schools in San Antonio.
The pet-boarding center was engulfed in smoke and flames by the time firefighters arrived late Saturday. They heard no barks or yelps.

"They were met with conditions that are worst possible scenario," John Sullivan, the Georgetown, Texas, fire chief, said at a Sunday news conference.

Seventy-five dogs were inside Ponderosa Pet Resort, about 30 miles north of Austin. All of them died, Sullivan said.

"I've been doing this for 29 years and this is the first incident that I've had where we've lost so many pets," he added.

The dogs probably died of smoke inhalation, the fire department said in a news release. While the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, Sullivan said, the incident has led to a newfound push to amend local fire codes, which do not require sprinkler systems in facilities like the pet hotel.

The blaze in Georgetown, a city with a population of about 80,000, is the latest fire this year that resulted in dozens of animal deaths. In April, 54 dogs died in a fire at a kennel in Bardstown, Ky. Fire officials determined it was an accident. A home in Sparta, Wis., caught on fire in May, killing 14 adult dogs, 12 puppies and two cats. Thirteen dogs and a feral cat died in August from a fire in a Chandler, Ariz., home that functioned as an animal shelter. It is unclear what caused the Wisconsin and Arizona incidents.

The Georgetown Fire Department began receiving several 911 calls just before 11 p.m. Saturday, Sullivan said. First responders arrived at Ponderosa Pet Resort within five minutes. Twenty-five firefighters worked to stop the blaze. They gained access to the building and opened up doors and windows for ventilation.

After consulting with the owner, the department learned that 75 dogs were inside the facility. No humans were present when the building went up in flames.

"It is extremely heart wrenching for us as first responders," Sullivan said Sunday. "My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly what location we were going to because, quite frankly, I view my personal pet as my closest confidant, friend and one that doesn't judge. My heart just breaks for the people today."

Authorities said 59 families lost pets in the fire. As of Monday afternoon, the department was working with the animal hotel's owner to reunite families with their dogs' remains.

"This is an emotionally wrought experience, and we're here to support them," Sullivan said in a video statement released Monday.

Phillip Paris, the owner of Ponderosa Pet Resort, said in a statement to KXAN that he is "emotionally overwhelmed" by the fire.

"Fifty-nine families are affected, and their best friends won't be coming home. As a dog owner, I feel their heartbreak intensely," he said. "We are working through the fog of our own grief, but we know each family is pained more than we are. It is soul-wrenching to lose a friend suddenly and without warning. I realize this, and grieve for each life lost, and the families disrupted by this tragedy."

Don and Pam Richard boarded their two puppies, Bunny and Clyde, last week in preparation for their wedding on Friday. They were supposed to pick up the dogs on Sunday.

"Yeah, we never thought this would happen," Don Richard told KXAN.

"Hopefully they were already asleep so they didn't panic," Pam Richard added.

Ponderosa Pet Resort did not have employees working overnight, a fact noted on the business's website. It is unclear if there was a sprinkler system, which is not required by local fire codes.

But the incident has instigated a push among community members and fire department leaders to update those rules. Sullivan noted the city follows state and federal codes, which "itself is silent when it talks to animal occupancies," he said in a video statement released Monday.

"We're looking at ways that we can try to encourage change, not only here locally, but across the country," Sullivan said. "We will be reviewing some amendments with our counsel later this fall."

Carl Wren, Georgetown's fire protection engineer, said the International Code Council, which drafts fire code guidelines every three years, happens to be meeting this week to vote on the 2024 edition. He plans to attend the meeting and advocate for updated rules involving animals.

"The codes have not historically dealt much with animals other than as business occupancies or agricultural animals," Wren said in the fire department's video statement. "This is, I think, is a very needed reexamination of that position."

The department, with the help of fire marshals, is investigating the blaze by going through a list of possible causes.

"We want answers and we want answers now, but we need to go through a process of identifying clearly what caused this fire so we can better learn from this and help prevent a future tragedy from occurring," Sullivan said.

The fire chief noted that he has been greatly impacted by the incident.

"I just wish I could go back in time and make it better," Sullivan said Sunday.
A San Antonio-based migrant and refugee advocacy group is now without a leader.

President and CEO Jonathan Ryan is no longer president and CEO of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), Chief Advocacy Officer Erika Andiola confirmed in a statement Tuesday.

RAICES' board will make a decision "very soon" on an interim leader, and then begin the national search for Ryan's successor.

"The Board very much appreciates his service over the years and wishes him the very best going forward," the statement says.

Andiola did not disclose why Ryan stepped down. Ryan started with RAICES in 2008 as executive director before becoming CEO in 2018.

RAICES provides legal and social services to thousands immigrants and refugees annually, and pairs direct client service with advocacy focused on changing the narrative around immigration in the U.S.

Ryan steps down as Texas attempts to expel about 12,000 Haitian asylum-seekers from Del Rio that have been camping under the International Bridge. Recent video and photos appeared online of Texas border patrol on horseback swinging their reins at Haitian migrants.
The fact that private equity contracts are costly to negotiate yet very much skewed toward the fund managers, aka general partners, is hardly news to those who have been paying attention. Yet it serves as the centerpiece of an important article, High-End Bargaining Problems, by William Clayton, which we have embedded at the end of this post. And thats because the law and economics movement has placed contract negotiation between sophisticated players on a pedestal, and has mistakenly fantasized that private equity negotiations are battles of titans and therefore must produce virtuous outcomes.

Claytons piece, as written, does a fine job of kneecapping the law and economics Panglossian celebration of the negotiation of contracts as ever and always producing the best outcomes. There are more deficiencies with these negotiations which we regard as important and will discuss in this post Clayton may have decided not to include them because theyd be more difficult to substantiate or might (correctly) depict the investors (the limited partners) in a negative light. Clayton would have reason to go easy on them to maintain access. Their cooperation was important for this paper; his survey of 70 investors is a key part of his evidence and has details that are likely new to those not actively involved in private equity. The biggest is that the investors spend most of their energies on trying to negotiate a better deal via individual side letters, rather than improving the terms of the limited partnership agreement.

They define it as maximizing the economic surplus that both parties can obtain, and then devising a suitable division of that pie. Clayton is particularly well suited to this task. He worked for Wachtell Lipton and Simpson Thatcher and was a member of the private funds practice.

For the benefit of those of you whove had limited contact with law and economics, well give a brief background first and then turn to the paper proper. Note that it cites our Document Trove of limited partnership agreements as an illustration of outsider unhappiness with poor disclosure in private equity, given that US public pension funds are its single biggest source of capital.

Background: How the Law and Economics Movement Gave Business the Upper Hand

Well hoist from ECONNED:

The third avenue for promoting and institutionalizing the free market ideology was inculcating judges. It was one of the most far-reaching actions the radical right wing could take. Precedents are powerful, and the bench turns over slowly. Success here would make the free markets revolution difficult to reverse. While conservative scholars like Richard Posner and Richard Epstein at the University of Chicago trained some of the initial right-leaning jurists, attorney Henry Manne gave the effort far greater reach. Manne established his law and economics courses for judges, which grew into the Law and Economics Center, which in 1980 moved from the University of Miami to Emory in Atlanta and eventually to George Mason University. Manne approached his effort not simply as education, but as a political movement. He would not accept law professors into his courses unless at least two came from a single school, so that they could support each other and push for others from the law and economics school of thought to be hired. The program expanded to include seminars for judges, training in legal issues for economists, and an economics institute for Congressional aides. A 1979 Fortune article on the program noted that the instructors almost to a man were from the free market school of economics.60 Through 1980, 137 federal district and circuit court judges had finished the basic program and 56 had taken

additional advanced one-week courses. It is hard to overstate the change this campaign produced, namely, a major shift in jurisprudence. As Steven Teles of the University of Maryland noted: In the beginning, the law and economics (with the partial exception of its application to antitrust) was so far out of the legal academic mainstream as to be reasonably characterized as off the wall. . . . Moving law and economics status from off the wall to controversial but respectable required a combination of celebrity and organizational entrepreneurship. . . . Mannes programs for federal judges helped erase law and economics stigma, since if judgesthe symbol of legal professional respectabilitytook the ideas seriously, they

could not be crazy and irresponsible. Now why was law and economics vantage seen as off the wall? Previously, as noted above, economic thinking had been limited to antitrust, which inherently involves economic concepts (various ways to measure the power of large companies in a market). So extending economic concepts further was at least novel, and novel could be tantamount to off the wall in some circles. But with hindsight, equally strong words like radical, activist, and revolutionary would apply. Why? The law and economics promoters sought to colonize legal minds. And, to a large extent they succeeded. For centuries (literally), jurisprudence had been a multifaceted subject aimed at ordering human affairs. The law and economics advocates wanted none of that. They wanted their narrow construct to play as prominent a role as possible. For instance, a notion that predates the legal practice is equity, that is, fairness. The law in its various forms including legislative, constitutional, private (i.e., contract), judicial, and administrative, is supposed to operate within broad, inherited concepts of equity. Another fundamental premise is the importance of due process, meaning adherence to procedures set by the state. By contrast, the free markets ideology focuses on efficiency and seeks aggressively to minimize the role of government. The two sets of assumptions are diametrically opposed.

The Misguided Idealization of Contract Negotiation and Private Equity Negotiations in Particular

Clayton throws down the gauntlet in his overview:

Traditional law and economics theory places great confidence in the ability of contracting parties to bargain for optimal contracts, and the law reflects this confidence in many important ways. In this Article, I question the wisdom of a formalistic faith in bargaining by uncovering significant flaws in the bargaining process at the high end of the market, where parties are sophisticated and have substantial resources to aid them in bargaining. My analysis focuses on the private equity fund industry, which is widely regarded as one of the most elite and sophisticated contracting spaces in the market. There are few industries where parties are better-positioned to bargain for optimal outcomes, but a careful review reveals many problems. Drawing on proprietary survey data and dozens of conversations with industry participants, this Article offers an in-depth analysis of problematic bargaining practices in private equity funds. These bargaining problems raise a difficult question for scholars and policymakers: If theory does not reflect reality in the high end of the market, what can be expected in other areas where parties are less sophisticated and have fewer resources? These findings call for greater skepticism of formalist assumptions about bargaining across the market more broadly, with important implications for contract law, the law of business organizations, and securities law.

Clayton explains why private equity has been assumed to represent the apotheosis of good negotiating outcomes:

The private equity fund industry has many characteristics that theoretically should make it an ideal contracting space. First, the investors in the industry generally must satisfy investor qualification standards that are higher than the baseline standard typically required for investing in private markets. As a result, this industry is dominated by institutional investors that should have sufficient resources to hire capable in-house lawyers and/or external lawyers. Second, because private equity funds are typically dissolved after about ten years and institutional investors tend to diversify their investments across managers, the in-house lawyers at many of these institutions participate in a high volume of fund investments each year, making them particularly experienced in these types of transactions. Third, the limited life of private equity funds also means that there are fewer potential contingencies for the contracting parties to account for than in most operating businesses, which typically have an indefinite life when they are formed. Finally, the limited life of private equity funds means that this is an industry built on repeat transactions, a factor that should give managers and investors strong reputational incentives and facilitate greater trust and reliance on the contracts entered into by the parties. For all of these reasons, the parties in this industry are unusually well-positioned to bargain for optimal outcomes.

Clayton then goes on to recount some of the issues weve covered long-form here over the years, starting with the results of the initial Dodd-Frank-mandated SEC examinations of private equity firms. SEC chair Mary Jo White and exam chief Andrew Bowden described how theyd found serious violations, including what amounted to embezzlement (the SEC was too cowed to say so in simple English) and that unlike other areas it oversaw, many of the abuses were perpetrated by the most prominent players in the industry. Recall that the SEC decided rather than take the industry on and keep riding herd on misconduct, it instead went after various marquees for one deal and nearly always one type of misconduct per firm, irrespective of the actual amount and value of underlying abuses. They generally consisted of violations of their own limited partnership agreements via charging fees not agreed to (as in the aforementioned embezzlement) like termination of monitoring fees and self-serving allocation of broken deal expenses.

The SEC tried to act as if all this cheating was the result of misunderstandings or sloppiness, and of course these big prestigious firms would now keep their hands out of the cookie jar, particularly since the SEC also presumed that the limited partners, now wiser, would ride herd on them. That didnt happen, as confirmed by our 2020 post: SEC Issues Devastating Risk Alert on Private Equity Abuses; Effectively Admits Failure of Last 5+ Years of Enforcement.

Clayton also mentioned another proof of the inability of limited partners to get satisfaction from general partners, which led 13 prominent public pension trustees to write the SEC asking for help (see our critique: Our Bloomberg OpEd on Public Pensions Failure to Stand Up to Private Equity Stealing and Other Abuses).

Clayton does dryly note, Formalist law and economics models would never anticipate that such a thing [an SEC examination unit] would be necessary in this high-end contracting space. But instead of relying over-much on the sorry history of this effort, Clayton describes how the results of private equity bargaining diverge from law and economics fantasy, with considerable backup:

Private equity fund contracting flies in the face of formalist expectations about bargaining in other ways as well. For example, law and economics scholars theorize that sophisticated parties will bargain for optimal non-price contract terms regardless of how the balance of bargaining power is distributed between them. The basic logicwhich is elegant in theoryis that sophisticated parties to any voluntary arrangement will agree to final terms that maximize the collective surplus generated by the transaction they are entering into, after which they will split that surplus through the price term.

Yves here. I need to interject. Ive repeatedly pointed out that in finance, every problem can be solved by price. But that does not mean it will be solved by price, as strong-form law and economics touts assert.

Back to Clayton:

However, in practice this is not how the private equity industry works at all. Across the industry, non-price terms relating to the governance of the fund vary greatly depending on the balance of bargaining power between managers and investors.14 More generally, many scholars over the years have criticized the substance of common private equity fund terms, arguing that they are one-sided and unlikely to maximize the joint welfare of all parties involved.

Yves again. One-sided while accurate, manages through its bloodlessmess to understate how unfavorable these agreements are. One of the worlds richest men, not all that long ago, hired a top M&A lawyer whod gone into solo practice to review a private equity limited partnership agreement. The lawyer was excited, since hed never read an LPA before and from his prior life, was sensitive to how transaction/investment contracts were tightly drafted, with literally every word mattering.

He emerged after a two day review and told a colleague People really sign these documents?

Back to Clayton:

In addition to these problems with substantive contract terms, there are also many problems with the process by which private equity fund agreements are bargained. The process is unusually time-consuming and costly, with most of the time being spent on the negotiation of individual side letters outside the primary fund documents. Moreover, bargaining incentives are distorted in private equity funds because fund investors typically pay nearly all of the managers legal fees for negotiation of the fund documents (in addition to their own legal fees). This makes investors particularly sensitive to legal costs associated with bargaining, and makes managers far more insensitive by comparison. Finally, information flows in the market are extremely restricted due to confidentiality provisions, which makes it difficult for investors to benchmark and compare contract terms across the market. Moreover, in addition to problems with the substance of private equity fund terms and the process by which contracts are formed, scholars have identified various ways in which private equity investors face perverse incentives. These include agency problems that arise when the interests of staff members within institutional investors deviate from the interests of the institutions beneficiaries, coordination problems that cause investors to bargain in sub-optimal ways, and perverse incentives to avoid liability under the federal securities laws. Finally, this Article also presents new survey data that reveals new problems with bargaining in private equity and also reinforces the relevance of many of the problems identified above. Drawing on a private dataset of survey responses from 70 institutional investors, this data shows that information flows are even more restricted in private equity funds than previously known, that the private equity fund bargaining environment is even more fractured than has been documented in the literature, and that the private equity industry deviates even more from the bargaining power irrelevance proposition than previously understood.

Needless to say, this evidence, particularly the detail from the investors themselves, is more than sufficient to prove Claytons thesis. But well provide some additional shortcomings with private equity bargaining below.

Why the General Partners Have the Upper Hand in Private Equity Negotiations

To keep this post to a manageable length, well limit ourselves to a few additional issues:

One-to-many negotiation. The law and economics battle of titans myth assumes one to one contract negotiation. Here you have one to many. No institutional investor wants to represent more than 10% of a private equity fund (unless it is a fund of one or a dedicated fund, but those are typically side vehicles that parallel a flagship fund).

Clayton acknowledges but does not stress this issue (he does point out that investors face a free rider problem: why should they do the heavy lifting to improve terms for everyone?) Limited partners do not band together to demand better terms. They often hide behind the excuse that doing so would constitute an anti-trust violation. Experts beg to differ. The bigger impediment is that even if investors were willing to sit down to try to hammer out a joint negotiating position, they arent likely to agree on much. Even supposedly similarly positioned public pension funds often have very different ideas as to which issues matter to them most.

Perception that private equity is a must have investment. Institutional investors follow the dictates of modern portfolio theory, if nothing else, to escape liability. Among other things, that requires investing in every available asset class so as to assure that the investor is on the efficient investment horizon. Private equity have been deemed to be an asset class even though it isnt. As CEM Benchmarking pointed out in a recent major paper, private equity returns are lagged, typically reported a quarter late. So year end public pension fund returns are usually as of June 30 for public market and hedge fund investments, but with private equity results as of March 31.

But as CEM showed, confirming the work of some academics, when the timing of returns is put on an apples to apples basis, private equity very closely correlates with public equity returns. That means its really simply levered equity and not a bona fide asset class.

But investment consultants like Wilshire still accept the inaccurate private equity timing as well as other distortions, such as smoothing or understating how low valuations are in bear markets. Those factors make private equity looks far more attractive than it is, and again makes it look like a must have. As weve explained, in reality, private equity has failed to deliver high enough returns to justify investing it for over a decade; Oxford professor Ludovic Phalippou found that private equity hasnt outdone public stocks since 2006.

So investors, particularly return-starved long term investors like pension funds and life insurers cant just say no to private equity. That greatly reduces their bargaining power.

General partner law firms cartelizing contract terms. Even though there differences in many terms across firms (for instance, few are as cheeky as Apollo in providing for indemnification of some types of criminal acts) the difference between the most general partner favorable and the least isnt all that great (the Japanese call this phenomenon a height competition among peanuts).

The law firms that represent general partners play a role in preventing one general partners terms from departing too much from industry norms. For instance, one established medium-large general partner wanted an additional disclosure requirement. Simpson Thatcher, arguably the top law firm in private equity, hotly opposed the change and backed down only when the head of the firm insisted on it.

In another case, a newbie general partner planned to engage an expert to advise him on how to structure the most limited partner-friendly contract. He had to abandon his idea when his law firm, a top international firm but not one of the leaders in private equity, flat out refused to draft such an agreement.

Anchoring. Many of the key provisions in limited partnership agreements were set in the 1980s, when public pension funds started investing in leveraged buyout funds. Typical returns were 30% to 40%. Investors werent about to quibble about contract terms to get such juicy returns. Even though Clayton points out that the stringency of various provisions ebbs and flows with the ease of fundraising, in reality these changes are around an unfavorable baseline and dont do much to change the basic nature of the deal, that the general partners call the shot and the limited partners have effectively no veto rights and poor disclosure.

While it is gratifying to see a promising academic join the ranks of private equity skeptics, the industry so far has proven to be immune to the considerable evidence that it is both on balance destructive to the real economy and not so hot for investors either. But there are far too many people feeding from the trough for this to change any time soon.
My position with Nashville Post has evolved since 2000 when I began work with the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister pub in 2008 (when I began some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have worked mainly with the Post since late 2011.

Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
Why Give to NATS?

Voice education and the art of singing is our priority. Whether you are a teacher, collaborative pianist, performer, voice specialist, choral director, composer, or patron of the arts, the National Association of Teachers of Singing represents you and your aspirations. Giving to NATS means that NATS can fund vocal arts and voice professionals the way they should be.

Current times call for the arts more than ever. And yet, this can be a challenging time for voice professionals. It is times like these when you can clearly see the need for NATS. Fortunately, NATS is here to support voice professionals within the studio, classroom, clinic, and performance venue. Your gift to NATS will position us for an even brighter future  one in which the NATS community forges ahead together toward the highest standards of the vocal art!

Give now

Support the NATS programs you love

An unrestricted gift to NATS allows us maximum flexibility. But you may also tailor your support with a gift directed to your favorite program or to a fund designed for a specific purpose. NATS has named funds and endowments that enhance student scholarships, competition prizes, and professional development. Many of these funds also honor the legacy of our leaders and donors.

A list of current endowments and restricted funds that you may contribute to is found here. If you wish to establish a new fund, please contact Development Director

bob [AT] nats.org

Naming Prizes and Awards

Honor loved ones and esteemed colleagues by funding a NATS prize or award for the National Student Auditions, the NATS Artist Awards, the National Musical Theatre Competition, or other programs. This can be done for a year, for a defined period, or in perpetuity.

Currently funded prizes and awards are found here. For more information, please contact Development Director

bob [AT] nats.org

Ways to give to NATS

Cash  This is the most common gift made, via check or credit card. It benefits NATS immediately. In return, your donation is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Securities  Stock that has appreciated in value is a great charitable gift. You may transfer stock to NATS electronically through your broker. Contact our Development Director, Bob Bryan, to request our client identification number with Ameriprise Financial Services.

IRA Assets - You may roll over up to $100,000 annually to qualified charities. If you file a joint return, your spouse can also make a gift from his/her IRA up to $100,000. A rollover gift is not tax deductible; however, the gift will reduce your taxable income because it will reduce the required minimum distribution you must take each year.

Bank and Brokerage Accounts  Most states allow you to designate a beneficiary for these accounts through a transfer-on-death (TOD) designation. (You may add or change beneficiary designations at any time.)

Life Insurance  Consider naming NATS as the beneficiary of a policy you no longer need. You could also donate the policy to us during your lifetime. If premiums are still owed, your payment of the premiums is considered a tax-deductible gift.

Real Estate  Give appreciated property directly to NATS during your lifetime. This qualifies you for a tax deduction for its fair market value and eliminates capital gains taxes if you have owned the property for more than one year.

Questions?

Please contact Development Director

bob [AT] nats.org

or call the NATS Executive Office at 904-992-9101.
(Natural News) Early in September, a massive earthquake swarm was reported around the volcanic island of La Palma in the Canary Islands of Spain.

According to the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN), these tremors could be caused by slowly rising magma in the area.

An earthquake swarm refers to a sequence of seismic events occurring in one area within a short period of time.

700 small earthquakes point to new magma rising in La Palma

INVOLCAN recorded more than 700 to at least 1,000 small earthquakes on La Palma near Cumbre Vieja volcano since last Saturday, Sept. 11. The largest rumble, which registered a 3.4 on the Richter scale, was reported by the Institute on Tuesday morning, Sept. 14.

Most quakes are shallow and happen five to 7.4 miles down, suggesting that new magma is rising in the area. (Related: Cascadia Big One will be more disastrous than the 2011 Japan earthquake, experts predict.)

INVOLCAN warned that the current seismic swarm hints at a significant change in the activity of the Cumbre Vieja volcano. The tremors may also be linked to a process of magmatic intrusion beneath the island of La Palma, cautioned the institute.

Yellow warning issued in La Palma

Because of the recorded tremors and the alarming increase in seismic activity, the Canary Islands Government initiated the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Attention to Volcanic Risk Emergencies (PEVOLCA) in La Palma or the Cumbre Vieja area.

The Spanish Ministry of Public Administrations, Justice and Security also reported that the decision was adopted by the Scientific Committee of PEVOLCA after it gathered members to evaluate the situation. The Alert Plan was activated for El Paso, Fuencaliente, Los Llanos de Aridane and Villa de Mazo, resulting in the change of the traffic light from green to yellow for the listed municipalities.

The yellow alert is the second of four levels and it was enforced in certain areas around the volcano. Under the yellow alert, civil protection officials must inform the public to take precautions ahead of a possible volcanic eruption, read the PEVOLCA emergency plan.

Citizens must stay alert, advise officials

According to officials, the highest levels of Helium-3 detected in 30 years in the volcanic ridge was a detonator.

Cumbre Vieja, which is Spanish for Old Summit, is an active but dormant volcanic ridge on the volcanic ocean island of La Palma located in the Canary Islands. Cumbre Vieja already erupted twice in the 20th century: First in 1949 and again in 1971.

In 1949, an eruption at the Cumbre Vieja volcano lasted 37 days from June 24 to July 30. Reports say that the eruption ejected ash and bombs at intervals from minutes to hours.

The maximum intensity of the entire eruption occurred around July 19, when lava fountains up to 30 meters high formed at Llano del Banco.

In 1971, an eruption began from vents south of Fuencaliente at a location where the strongest seismic precursors to the 1949 eruption from June to July occurred. Seismicity (the measure of the frequency of earthquakes in an area) preceding the 1971 eruption was strongest near Fuencaliente. The town was evacuated 10 days before the eruption.

Despite the hundreds of recorded tremors, experts claim that the chances of an eruption by La Palma harming locals in the area are slim.

Nemesio Perez, Director of INVOLCAN, said that citizens and vacationers still in the area could resume their everyday lives since in 80 percent of cases, the processes remain underground and dont cause a volcanic eruption.

Authorities are moving from a situation of normality to one of alert, he added. Perez noted that locals should monitor information issued by the authorities due to the possibility of volcanic activity.

Visit Preparedness.news for more articles on how you can prepare for a volcanic eruption in your area.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

Express.co.uk

RTE.ie

VolcanoLive.com
(Natural News) On Thursday, our newfound Dear Leader, Joe Biden, gave one of the most tyrannical speeches in American history. For 30 minutes, he declared that the federal government would be imposing one totalitarian action after another, entirely dismissing our Constitutional system in the process of announcing his edicts.

(Article by Jordan Schachtel republished from Dossier.Substack.com)

(Heres the clip of the speech, if you so choose to watch this monstrosity)

(Read the full White House plan here)

NOW  "Our patience is wearing thin," warns Biden the unvaccinated.pic.twitter.com/ODIylWPfOG  Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 9, 2021

JUST IN: Joe Biden set to impose new vaccine mandate. Employers with over 100 workers will need to require vaccinations or weekly COVID tests. Full story: https://t.co/BjcKvP6ApT pic.twitter.com/bDLMZBuq8d  Complex (@Complex) September 9, 2021

Sure, the outrage is being felt in every fiber of my being. Im ashamed that this White House is in charge right now. I am utterly disgusted by each and every word that was uttered by our ruthlessly unqualified cadaver-in-chief. This is the most authoritarian U.S. administration of my lifetime, and there is no close second. America is in a bad place right now, constantly flirting with a more advanced form of tyranny, and its genuinely difficult to humbly recognize the very unexceptional standing of our once-great Republic.

However.

More than anything, I sense a panicked regime, very unsure of its legitimacy with the people, and one that is desperately searching for a more permissible excuse for their failures.

https://twitter.com/eileeniorio/status/1434529172450385923

Policymakers within the Biden Administration have clearly seen the COVID-19 data out of Israel, the first country that went all in on population-wide mRNA shots. It shows that mRNA injection efficacy is waning, which is why Israel went full steam ahead with the 3rd booster shot. Its too early to tell exactly how that will pan out, but in the meantime, the Biden Administration needs to find a way to shimmy their way out of declaring victory over COVID just a couple months ago, given its clear resurgence throughout our nation among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

Instead of owning up to the reality that we cannot eliminate a submicroscopic infectious particle from existence, and perhaps admitting that government officials wildly oversold an innovative cure to the disease, theyre continuing with the dictatorial insanity.

With respiratory season just around the corner, the unvaccinated are going to be scapegoated for when our government has once again failed to achieve the impossible task of stopping an endemic virus from circulating among a massive population.

At first, they took a somewhat more diplomatic approach, blaming the Delta variant for their failures to deliver. But now, theyve shifted their wrath onto fellow Americans, specifically, the 25% of unvaccinated individuals in America who refuse to submit to the health demands of the regime. None of it makes scientific sense, but it doesnt have to, because its no longer about health or science, but in protecting the reputation of the White House.

The Biden Administration is losing its unwinnable War on COVID, and as its ratings go down in flames, it has backed itself into a corner. Instead of being honest about their failures with the American people, Biden officials are choosing to triple and quadruple down on these broken policy measures. Theyre purposely pitting Americans against each other, and labeling the unvaccinated as the ultimate scapegoat for their failures. Time will tell if they succeed, or if Americans decide to find the courage to reject the latest series of unconstitutional edicts.

Read more at: Dossier.Substack.com and Pandemic.news
(Natural News) About six months ago, I wrote an article here explaining that state preemptions of local government are a bad thingeven when Ron DeSantis does it. I vehemently stand by these principles. However, it is now time for Ron DeSantis to take that principle of decentralized control and run with itagainst the Biden administration. Just as it is acceptable to see local governments passing laws in defiance of their state, it is now time for the states to pass laws in defiance of the federal government. This is because on September 9, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that all employers with one hundredplus employees will be required to mandate vaccines or weekly negative covid tests.

(Article by Connor Mortell republished from Mises.org)

Never in my lifetime has something occurred that was so egregiously opposed to Misesian concepts of liberalism and freedom. In fact, this is directly in line with perhaps the most opposite ideology to liberalism: fascism. Benito Mussolini said himself that Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power. In todays political discourse, people abuse the word fascism and sometimes even cite this definition of corporatism while stretching it somewhat from the truth. However, the state requiring that businesses require the vaccine from one of three large corporations that were propped up by the state is undoubtedly the merger of state and corporate power that Mussolini dreamed of.

In my earlier-mentioned piece criticizing DeSantiss intervention remitting fines passed by local governments in regard to local covid regulations, I had two main issues with the order. First, was a preference for localism, citing the president of the Mises Institute, Jeff Deist, who claimed that Insisting on universal political arrangements is a huge tactical mistake for libertarians. This concern is even more true as it relates to Bidens newest announcement, as this is simply another universal political arrangement, now expanding to the national level. My other concern was that the a sweeping universal political arrangement like thiseven in the best-case scenario, when the decision is hypothetically good for everyone with no costsets a precedent that the central state now has authority over that issue.

Right now, take a moment to think of the issue that is by and far most important to you. We all have one. Then think of the politician that threatens that more than anything. Do you want that individual to have this precedent to rely on when he or she takes power one day?

Luckily, the solution to this was described by the great Tom Woods:

Nullification is the Jeffersonian idea that the states of the American Union must judge the constitutionality of the acts of their agent, the federal government, since no impartial arbiter between them exists.

Many businesses across the country will act in civil noncompliance, but that is simply not enough. If one wants to see this end, states across the country will have to undoubtedly reject this. I am not here to make any criticisms of the vaccine. I still stand by my initial piece that these bans on mom-and-pop shops wanting not to run the risk of interacting with unvaccinated individuals is a dangerous threat to liberty. However, Id argue that any act of nullification at this point has little or nothing to do with the vaccine or the pandemic. We are now facing one simple question: Will we accept or reject a precedent for the merger of state and corporate power? If we choose to reject it, then the governors of the free state of Florida as well as New York, the governors of Texas as well as California, all these governors alike must stand firm against this tragedy.

Read more at: Mises.org and JoeBiden.news
(Natural News) A new report authored by 18 former senior officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes the case against Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) booster shots.

According to these former officials, there is simply no need to inject more mRNA poison into people who are already fully vaccinated because more shots does not equal better protection.

In fact, getting any of the shots does not equal any protection, and is likely to make a person weaker, sicker and more prone to death. The same is true for people who already became damaged by the first two, and who certainly do not need a third or even fourth dose of poison.

Drs. Marion Gruber and Philip Krause were among the signatories of a letter calling on current FDA officials, the White House, and others in illegitimate power positions to immediately halt their intended rollout of a booster shot program.

The corresponding study, published in The Lancet, explains why there is no scientific justification for the boosters. Instead, the injections should be distributed elsewhere to people who have not yet gotten any vaccines, the authors contend.

Getting booster shots for covid is a fools game

Since he thinks he knows better, Resident Joe Biden of the White House nursing home is moving full-steam ahead with plans to start rolling out the China Virus boosters beginning on September 20.

Hunters dad is blaming the FDA and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for his decision, claiming that they are the ultimate deciders in who to inject and with how many injections. Whatever these fake public health agencies say goes, according to Biden.

Gruber and Krause, meanwhile, are both planning to step down from their posts in protest of the move, which they say completely defies all known science concerning Wuhan Flu injections.

Although the idea of further reducing the number of COVID-19 cases by enhancing immunity in vaccinated people is appealing, any decision to do so should be evidence-based and consider the benefits and risks for individuals and society, their study explains.

Most of the observational studies [claiming that covid vaccines are safe and effective] are  preliminary and difficult to interpret precisely due to potential confounding and selective reporting.

The government claims that the reason why people need to get regular booster shots is because the initial vaccines wane in effectiveness over time. The temporary fake immunity they provide simply does not last, in other words.

And because the jabs destroy a persons natural immunity, he or she then has no other choice but to keep getting booster shots forever in order to live. That will become more apparent over time as the unvaccinated live longer, healthier lives than their fully vaccinated counterparts.

Even if boosting were eventually shown to decrease the medium-term risk of serious disease, current vaccine supplies could save more lives if used in previously unvaccinated populations than if used as boosters in vaccinated populations, the study goes on to contend.

It is simply too risky to continue injecting people willy-nilly as a fear-based reaction to all the mainstream media headlines about new variants. Instead, officials should remain calm and use more common sense, including by encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles to support their God-given immunity.

There could be risks if boosters are widely introduced too soon, or too frequently, especially with vaccines that can have immune-mediated side-effects (such as myocarditis, which is more common after the second dose of some mRNA vaccines, or Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has been associated with adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccines), the report further warns about the dangers involved with all of these nonstop injections.

The latest news stories about Chinese Virus injection deception can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In his latest Health Ranger Report, Mike Adams speaks with Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers about how the Biden administration could control peoples bodies by implementing vaccine mandates.

Rodgers also wrote a petition to decertify the results of Arizonas election, which now has over 100,000 signatures.

Rogers petition gains momentum

Rogers petition to decertify the Arizona election already reached over 100,000 signatures or over 10 percent of its goal of one million to show the support of Arizona citizens for the decertification. She has been at the forefront of the efforts to secure election integrity in the state.

She called for the arrest of Maricopa County officials who refused to comply with lawful subpoenas from the senate that required the election routers to be turned over to auditors.

Rogers claims that upon doing a door-to-door canvass of Maricopa County, there had been lost votes and ghost votes  that is, there had been votes from nonexistent people, at the same time, there have been votes from actual people that have not been counted.

The state senator is now raising funds off the canvass report and sending out a request for donations within hours of the reports release.

Joe Bidens medical tyranny a distraction from audit outcomes

Another topic for Adams and Rogers includes President Joe Bidens tyrannical move regarding the vaccination mandates. Republican members of the congress and state governors were appalled by the news of the president forcing employers with over 100 workers to require COVID-19 vaccinations or test their employees weekly, saying that this move is unconstitutional.

The mandate will affect as many as 100 million Americans in various jobs, including healthcare. Whats more, it directly impacts the private sector. Representative Neal Dunn of Florida said on his Twitter account that mandates are not the answer and that getting a vaccine should be up to a person and his or her physician, not the federal government.

However, Rogers believes that Bidens overreaching, draconian edict and tyrannical move is simply a distraction to keep people away from talking about the election audit results, which should come out soon.

Biden won in the state of Arizona by only 10,000 votes, which means that if the audit shows a significantly high number of discrepancies in the votes, it can spur more calls for the decertification of the poll votes.

Rogers is calling for other states to file for decertification, as well, saying that there is a need to decertify the election results, and then take it one step at a time to find a constitutional solution. (Related: Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem exposes the National Association of Secretaries of State for plotting to halt forensic audits.)

Other states may also be launching their own forensic audits, such as Michigan, while Georgia has a court case situation due to discrepancies of Fulton Countys ballots, around 20,000 or 30,000 of which may be invalid. Wisconsin is pursuing its own audits as well.

During their conversation, Adams also brings up the disinterest of individuals regarding the elections  that is, without the election rigging scam of 2020, there never would have been an awakening regarding election integrity at a local level.

State legislators have the plenary power to oversee the U.S. presidential election per the Constitution, and it seems that the Democrats are trying to change that as a way to erode the lead of Republicans in red states. Rogers calls this pre-cheating  or cheating before the elections even began, by painting rhetoric that red states are turning purple.

Rogers also says that 2020 is the amalgamation of years of complacency and ineptitude of the government.

Listen to Mike Adamss conversation with Wendy Rogers on the Health Ranger Report, which airs Monday to Friday at 3:00 PM.

Read more about what is going on in American politics at Corruption.news.

Sources include:

WendyRogers.org

FoxNews.com
(Natural News) Governors from ten U.S. states recently called on the Biden administration to declare a drought disaster following the intense summer heat and record-breaking wildfires in the west.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data showed that the pasture and range conditions in the American West have been declining for some time, which is alarming considering that pasture is also important for harvesting livestock feed like hay and providing a range for animals to roam and graze.

Lesser quality pasture means less food for livestock and other animals, which could, in turn, lead to higher prices for meat and dairy products, or worse yet, a shortage of them.

The USDA ranks pasture conditions from excellent to very poor, with good indicating normal prospects. In the past two decades, there have only been small portions of U.S. pasture in excellent condition, but typically, around 75 percent is rated at least fair.

Conditions have continued to decline since 2015, with an increasing portion of pasture and range rated poor and very poor. (Related: APOCALYPTIC North American drought leading to massive crop failures.)

Higher meat and dairy prices

The cost of animal feeds has already been going up for farmers since pastures suffered in 2012. With the pandemic supply chain issues and higher fuel costs, costs continue to climb higher, with some areas reporting shortages among increased prices.

In central California, there is not enough water due to the continuous drought. This means farms are collapsing and failing, according to USDAs Rick Mueller, who manages tools that measure crop conditions and soil moisture.

Early planning may help keep feed prices low, and animal inventory management may be required if drought conditions persist; however, the trade-off between buying feed or liquidating animals is always tricky.

In Iowa, swathes of land are getting drier, with corn prices surging. Following this will be the hay prices. Hay yield is the largest factor that can move hay prices. The yield is positively correlated with range and pasture conditions. Iowa pastures rated in poor to very poor conditions, the worst start since June 2012.

The drought also continues to worsen in Minnesota, which is seeing exceptional drought ranges for the first time in recent history. While there was enough rain to grow corn during critical times in its development, soybean crops lack moisture around August and would need at least another inch of rain to get the chance to develop properly.

For the first time in 2021, parts of Minnesota reached exceptional drought levels, and more in extreme drought.

The major drought started in 2011, broke around 2018 and eventually came back again. Farmers need to be able to adapt and react to the climate around them.

The governors, in their letter, stated that there is little to no animal feed across much of the west, requiring farmers to import from out of state. Further, hay prices have skyrocketed, and ranchers are selling their livestock as well as their prime agricultural lands for development.

It also touched on the long-term impacts of drought on the food supply, wildlife and livelihood of Americans if these conditions continue.

As drought worsens, water restrictions on farms continue

State water regulators in August voted to enact a drastic emergency order that barred thousands of Californians from using stream and river water, which irrigation districts and others called a necessary step due to the severity of the droughts.

This order largely affected rights holders from using water for agricultural or irrigation purposes. Farmers may find it particularly difficult to comply with the order, but it was signaled ahead of time and anticipated. Most farmers have some ability to substitute water supplies, sometimes tapping groundwater or alternative supply, said Jeffrey Michael, an economic forecaster and director of the Center for Business and Policy Research at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau, said that many sectors of California agriculture may be able to get by this year, but there may be more challenges if it is still another dry year next year. I dont think its just agriculture thats going to need to worry next year if thats the case.

Learn more about how the current drought is affecting farms and ranches in Western U.S. at Science.news.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

Extension.IAState.edu

MantakoFreePress.com

LATimes.com
(Natural News) A drone operated by Fox News has found more than 11,000 illegal immigrants camped under a bridge in Texas.

Fox News discovered the mostly Haitian illegal immigrants under a bridge in the city of Del Rio, Texas, which is just across the border from Mexico.

The news outlets drone footage showed the migrants walking across a dam on the Rio Grande River. The migrants use this dam to make their way to the International Bridge  a border crossing that connects the country to Mexico.

On Wednesday, the illegal immigrants numbered around 4,000. By Thursday morning, their numbers had doubled to approximately 8,200. By Friday, their numbers had soared past 11,000.

Multiple sources that spoke with Fox News even believe that there may be tens of thousands more illegal immigrants on their way. Another source told Fox News that Customs and Border Patrol was so overwhelmed by the situation that they are concerned it might spiral out of control.

The sheer amount of people, its like getting hit by a two-by-four, said Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales during an interview on Thursday. You think youre in a third-world country, and this is the United States, this is Del Rio, Texas, and there is literally no border at all  its just been muddle over.

To feed these migrants, provide them three meals a day, would cost the city of Del Rio $1 million a week, said Gonzales. This is a small town that does not have any resources and yet they are literally having to come up with millions of dollars a week to handle this crisis. Its unfair to them.

The border crisis has escalated in recent days, raising concerns that the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden is not doing enough to protect Americans against the deluge of illegal immigrants into the United States. (Related: U.S. border has collapsed completely as Biden regime now busing COVID-infected migrants all across U.S.)

Bruno Lozano, mayor of Del Rio, has called on the administration to act quickly to solve the crisis.

This is just something that needs to be brought to light, that we need quick attention from the administration, he said. We need quick attention to this, we need a response in real time.

Federal government retaliates by banning drones from flying over the area

In retaliation for reporting the truth regarding the crisis in the countrys southern border, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday banned Fox News from flying drones over the bridge in Del Rio for two weeks.

Wed been using our drone to show everybody these remarkable pictures, said Fox News reporter Bill Melugin. But we just learned that the FAA has put out a temporary flight restriction, a TFR, in the area immediately around the port of entry where that bridge is.

All of a sudden, in the last 24 hours, we start showing these images at this bridge and a TFR goes up, we can no longer fly.

The FAA claimed the restriction on flying was requested by Border Patrol and that it was granted due to special security reasons.

The Border Patrol requested the temporary flight restriction due to drones interfering with law enforcement flights on the border, said the FAA in a statement. As with any temporary flight restriction, media is able to call the FAA to make requests to operate in the area.

Melugin pointed out that Fox News had already been operating at the border for the better part of seven months now.

Weve been using the drone the entire time. Its never been an issue, said Melugin. All of a sudden, the last 24 hours, we start showing these images at this bridge and a TFR goes up. We can no longer fly.

Learn more about how the Biden administration is ignoring the crisis at the southern border by reading the latest articles at OpenBorders.news.

Sources include:

BlacklistedNews.com

FoxNews.com

News.Yahoo.com

NYPost.com
(Natural News) How did an Indian state with more than 240 million residents beat the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19)? Simple. Its people took ivermectin.

Uttar Pradesh, located in northern India, has officially declared that all 33 of its districts are now covid-free thanks to a benevolent effort by the leaders there to provide everyone with horse dewormer.

The recovery rate for the Chinese Virus in Uttar Pradesh is a whopping 98.7 percent, which can be directly attributed to the large-scale prophylactic use of ivermectin.

According to the Western media and medical establishment, there is no evidence that ivermectin provides any benefits in the fight against Chinese Germs. According to real-life, on-the-ground proof in India, however, ivermectin really has been a miracle.

It was not too long ago that ivermectin was touted by the Journal of Antibiotics as a wonder drug for treating intestinal parasites. The inventors of ivermectin were also awarded a Nobel Prize for discovering the substance.

Now, however, ivermectin is being vilified as dangerous and high-risk by the media and the government. We are constantly being told that ivermectin is just for cattle or horses, even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for human use back in 1996.

Areas of India that chose vaccines instead of ivermectin seeing massive surge in new cases

Back in May and June 2020, ivermectin was widely administered to all respiratory care professionals working in the Uttar Pradesh district of Agra. At the time, this was an experiment to see how recipients fared.

It was observed, according to Dr. Anshul Pareek, that none of them developed Covid-19 despite being in daily contact with patients who had tested positive for the virus.

Following this successful trial, the state government decided to officially sanction the use of ivermectin as a Chinese Virus remedy, not only for medical workers but later for the general public.

Despite being the state with the largest population base and a high population density, we have maintained a relatively low positivity rate and cases per million of population, Pareek explained.

In August, officials in Uttar Pradesh issued a notification advising doctors there to take 12 mg tablets of ivermectin to contain the impact of the pandemic. This recommendation turned out to be a major success.

This medicine is quite effective in protecting from COVID-19, the government admitted. Therefore, we appeal each and every citizen to have this tablet.

In the tiny southern Indian state of Kerala, meanwhile, new cases of the Fauci Flu have been soaring. The reason is that instead of going with ivermectin, Kerala instead opted for vaccines, which are spreading more disease.

Kerala included ivermectin in the states COVID treatment guideline in April but restricted its use to severe cases or those with associated disease, meaning it was reserved as a late treatment, if used at all, WND reported.

Kerala abandoned ivermectin use altogether on Aug. 5.

Kerala is more the exception than the norm, though. Across India as a whole, the vaccination rate is currently around 5.8 percent, making it one of the least injected countries in the world.

Theres a claim that ivermectin is also effective against the common flu and many other viral infections, wrote one commenter at WND. If thats true, its no wonder big pharma wants to keep it suppressed.

Ivermectin is perfectly safe, but the government does not want you to know that, noted another. The drug has little side effects, has been prescribed millions of times, and is known to kill 21 different viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

Ivermectin has been safely used for years and is off-patent.

The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception and the crusade against ivermectin can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

WND.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) isolation and quarantine facility has been set up by Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state. And Inslee is now looking to hire people for the strike team that will run it.

NOTE: A few hours before this article was published, the listing was stealth edited to remove the term strike team, and the original URL which contained strike team was auto-forwarded to a new URL. This is all an obvious attempt by Washington government employees to deceive the public and obfuscate the true nature of the positions being advertised for hire. We had already captured the original files, however, and we reveal screen shots below that show you this listing before it was stealth edited.

According to shocking new reports, Inslees strike team will function similarly to the SS from World War II. Hired hands will provide services, security and management to the facility, we are being told. Those who voluntarily check in to the facility will not be allowed to leave without first notifying the strike team.

A hiring page at the Washington government jobs website explains that isolation & quarantine strike team consultants will be paid $3,294-$4,286 monthly for their services. (See screen shots below, revealing what the page said before it was stealth edited.)

The Isolation and Quarantine (I & Q) Section works to decompress hospitals by supporting local and state Isolation and Quarantine, Alternate Care Facility (ACF), and patient transport (EMS) by partnering with local governments (Tribes, Counties, Cities) and communities, state agencies, and other entities in the event of an emergency, the job announcement explains.

These positions are responsible for participating in program planning and evaluation of health service delivery products and identifying needs for personnel, supplies, and activities to support community and state response activities.

The listing goes on to explain that the strike teams will provide for the needs of travelers that stay at the facility, which is located in Centralia. The strike teams will also be tasked with responding to emergencies, training contractors and new staff, and providing guest support as needed.

Medical fascism is on the rise, thanks to the Branch Covidians

We have been warning about this kind of thing emerging in our country for many months now, only to be called conspiracy theorists for even making the suggestion.

Now, it is suddenly a conspiracy fact that at least in the far-left state of Washington, the government there is establishing Chinese Virus holding facilities that supposedly will house people who choose to go there until they receive a negative test result for Chinese Germs.

How long will it be until checking into one of these facilities becomes a requirement, much like it already is in Canada, Australia and elsewhere? If we start that slide down the slippery slope of setting these facilities up, what will stop it from sliding right into full-blown medical fascism?

One might argue that a holding facility like the one being set up in Centralia already is full-blown medical fascism, seeing as how the place will operate much like a prison with staff on site 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Staff may work any or all of the three shifts and may work overtime as needed to ensure adequate staffing of the facility, the job listing further reveals.

This is not the direction to go in if we ever hope to regain any semblance of freedom and liberty. But the Branch Covidians are cheering it all on, even after many of them protested fascism all last year in response to the death of George Floyd.

If I was to set up prison camps for some future need under someones nose without raising suspicion, I would give it a believable purpose, one Natural News commenter wrote.

Its a reach, but possibly this is for the internment of all the government traitors soon to be imprisoned for treason. It would be a darn clever plan. Probably wishful thinking though. It would be the ultimate in stealth thinking.

Others expressed suspicion about the camps, warning that they will be used to imprison free-thinkers and those who reject the Cult of Covidism.

The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) concentration camps can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

ActivistPost.com

GovernmentJobs.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Construction workers in the Melbourne Central Business District blocked traffic to peacefully protest the state governments latest restrictions for the industry.

Dozens of construction workers blocked the streets of Lonsdale and Elizabeth with chairs and tables during their breaks, stopping the trains, as shown in videos via social media.

The roads have since been cleared, with the construction workers packing up tables and chairs after their sit-in.

Independent journalist Rukshan Fernando reported that people from the worksites do have a mix of views and concerns, such as mandatory vaccination. However, unions do not necessarily publicly support them on the matter.

The silent protest came in a day after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that construction workers have to show evidence of vaccination to their employers  that they had at least the first dose of coronavirus vaccine by 11:59 PM on September 23. This means that construction workers have a week to go before getting the first dose.

Officials say that 13 percent of active cases in the state are linked to construction sites, which was why the government decided to call for a vaccination mandate.

Additionally, construction workers will not be able to cross the metropolitan-regional boundary for work. Tea rooms will also be shut, and any food or drink will now be consumed indoors at work.

According to Andrews, the governments decision followed the health advice, which aimed to keep the construction industry working at only 25 percent workforce cap. If they want to work and be part of that 25 percent, they need to be vaccinated with one dose by midnight next Thursday night. If theyre not, they wont be able to come on-site, he said.

John Setka, the secretary of Victorias construction union, CFMEU, said that the decision to close tea rooms is appalling and that the union will not support the use of mandatory vaccines.

However, when asked if the union would represent workers who are laid off because of their refusal to vaccinate, he said that they will take each case. He shared that they are trying to rotate people coming in and out of construction sites, but the industry is suffering pretty badly at the moment.

Jeroen Weimar, the COVID-19 commander in Victoria, defended the governments decision to place restrictions on the use of tea break rooms due to the significant risk of transmission in them. (Related: REVOLT: Australian truck drivers protest border restrictions, mandatory vaccinations as local authorities treat citizens like medical prisoners.)

Victoria recorded highest seven-day average of COVID-19 cases

Victoria recorded 510 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with a death of a woman in her 50s. The current seven-day average is at 458, up from 286 the previous week, with cases doubling every ten days.

Andrews has been closely involved in the drafting of the national plan to fighting the pandemic, and he said the state roadmap for spring would center around the 70 to 80 percent adult vaccination targets modeled in the Doherty Institute report.

There are about 208 COVID-19 patients in Victorian hospital wards, while 49 are admitted to the ICU.

Epidemiologists are concerned that the state will reopen before cases reach their peak. However, Melbourne University professor Tony Blakely that relaxation should only happen when daily case rates were trending down. He said that Melbourne has to turn the rates around so that they will have headroom to send children back to school without worrying too much about infections.

Responding to the protests, Weimar said it doesnt seem unreasonable to ask construction workers to eat outside if they prefer to eat together, rather than in a small space where transmission risk is higher.

I appeal to the industry and to the employees, so many sectors would love to be at work. So many of us would love to be working almost normally. If you cant sit next to your mates having a sandwich, that doesnt seem a huge burden to bear, he said.

Read more news and updates about the COVID-19 at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

AFR.com
(Natural News) Conservative attorney Lin Wood has filed a harassment campaign against the Catholic hospital, Amita Health Resurrection Medical Center, following the death of QAnon supporter Veronica Wolski.

Wolski died weeks after being admitted to the hospital for a COVID-19 infection.

While announcing her death, Wood accused the hospital of medical murder for refusing to treat Wolski with ivermectin, a potentially life-saving drug not officially approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a follow-up post, Wood also suggested that both the deaths of former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain and Greenville County Republican Party leader Pressley Stutts were also the result of malpractice.

Cain died of COVID-19 in late July after refusing to wear a mask in public. He learned that he contracted the virus only nine days after attending a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stutts, on the other hand, died of COVID-19 in August after speaking out against vaccine mandates.

Wood said that Cain, Stutts, and Wolski may all have died as a result of medical malpractice. He also said that he sometimes refers to such malpractices as murder, to be able to emphasize the egregious incidents.

He also said that such statements are protected under legal defense known as rhetorical hyperbole, or statements that are exaggerated and oftentimes confrontational to bring home a point.

Wood said, I certainly do not claim to know ALL things, but I know the law on medical malpractice and the lawful expression of speech under our First Amendment that allows a robust exchange of ideas in our country.

While Wolski was battling the virus, she and several leading QAnon figures called on followers to call the hospital and get Wolski treated with ivermectin, an anti-parasitic treatment that is used in both humans and livestock. (Related: Matrixxx Grooove: Hospitals KILL coronavirus patients by not treating them with ivermectin  Brighteon.TV.)

With over 800,000 followers on Telegram, Wood urged his followers to call the hospital to demand that they treat Wolski with ivermectin only hours before his death. The campaign led to the hospital receiving hundreds of calls for QAnon supporters, some of whom threatened the use of violence.

A video posted by Wood showed him demanding Wolskis release over the phone with a person holding her medical power of attorney.

Theres an ambulance waiting for her outside; theres a medical doctor waiting for her to treat her. If you do not release her, youre going to be guilty of murder. Do you understand what murder is? he asked.

Wolski reported being infected with COVID

Wolski died in the early hours of September 13 after being hospitalized for over a week with COVID-19.

Wolski was well-known for her political activism and initially gained attention in 2016 by standing on a pedestrian bridge over the Kennedy Expressway while showing her support for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

However, she switched her allegiance to the QAnon movement, with her Telegram channel showing disdain for masking, vaccines, and other mainstream approaches to treating or avoiding COVID-19.

Like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin is now gaining traction in circles like that of Woods and Wolksis as a cure for COVID-19, however, after saying that she was refused this medication, her friends urged supporters to protest outside the hospital, with Wood encouraging people to call facilities and demand physicians to agree to her request for ivermectin.

Following her death, an American flag was draped over the bridge she used to frequent. There were also balloons and bouquets of flowers on the site. A blue wristband that said stormisuponus was also left on the bridge as a reference to QAnon.

Read more about dangerous COVID-19 protocols, news, and updates at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

Newsweek.com

AJC.com

BlockClubChicago.org
(Natural News) Most people never heard about it because it got quickly buried in the news cycle, but a husband and wife were arrested back in 2018 for their alleged complicity in a secret mission involving virus.

Chad Chaddington covers the story in the video below, and we thought we would bring this to your attention.

Francho (Frank) Bradley, 59, and Adrianne Jennings, 40, were taken into police custody in Tewksbury, Mass., after it was discovered that they possessed a large cache of weaponry. Bradley, who owned a company called Ensyma Engineering, told police that he was on a secret mission for the government that involved a virus.

Ensyma Engineering is a real company, it turns out, and its website bore imagery and trademarks for numerous government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Energy (DOE), Medical Countermeasures Systems, and CERN.

Nowhere on the site does it really explain what the company does, but there are many links to government agencies that we now know are complicit in the Chinese Virus plandemic.

While at the time of his arrest he did not want the authorities to know what Ensyma does, Bradley, it was later revealed, sold communications devices to the military and other clients. He also worked for a secret government agency, he claimed.

Bradley worked with virus response teams and the FDA

Interestingly, a later WikiLeaks drop included Bradleys name in a list of government intelligence workers associated with the likes of Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Dow Chemical, as well as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Beyond this, Bradleys resume was found to include work in the field of disaster preparedness, which is interesting in light of all that has happened since then in response to the Wuhan Flu.

Bradley is said to have worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on various projects, as well as one virus response teams  interesting, would you not agree?

Bradleys resume goes way back with this type of stuff, as he even listed work helping companies try to prepare for the Y2K disaster that never actually came, but that the government tried to scare people about much like it is doing today with covid.

Other work that Bradleys company was involved with includes radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of nuclear power plants. Make of that revelation what you will.

According to WHOIS, Ensyma also owns a website where race issues are discussed, which is further interesting as the whole George Floyd saga happened right smack-dab in the middle of 2020 when the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) was really ramping up across the country.

There are four sections at the top. One is called Know Thyself/The Message and shares links that include a video about the history of black slavery in the United States, a video about the opening of a Smithsonian museum on African American history, and a story about Heather Heyer, who was killed in Charlottesville, reported Heavy at the time about this other websites content.

The Vigilance  SPLC section shares links to stories about white supremacists and right wing extremists in the United States (SPLC is short for Southern Poverty Law Center).

Was Ensyma in any way involved with the plandemic? Read more information about all that and then you can decide for yourself.

The latest news about covid and other bioweapons can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

Heavy.com
(Natural News) Pete Santilli and Deb Jordan talks about recent revelations by Dr. Bryan Ardis about the adverse effects of remdesivir to patients diagnosed on COVID-19. He discusses how remdesivir has a high mortality rate for patients who have used it in the past  and is a bigger danger than even COVID-19 itself.

Remdesivir is currently being used by hospitals to treat COVID-19  something that Santilli questions in his show considering that the drug is known to cause renal failure in 54 percent of those who have taken the drug.

Kidney damage from COVID-19

It is possible for COVID-19 patients to develop kidney issues, whether or not they have been treated with remdesivir, making the drug more dangerous.

Research suggests that more than half of people hospitalized with COVID-19 get an acute kidney injury. This can include sudden case of kidney damage, and in severe cases, even kidney failure that may happen within hours or days. Kidney injury can cause waste to build up in the blood, and can be deadly.

Some people dont show signs or symptoms of acute kidney injury, however, they may not be peein enough, are experiencing nausea or chest pressure.

If COVID-19 leads to kidney injury, doctors will need to treat both through dialysis, which cleans the blood through a machine when kidney cant do so naturally in the body.

WHO recommends against use of remdesivir

The World Health Organization has issued conditional recommendation against the use of remdesivir in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, regardless of the severity of the disease.

This is because there have been no evidence that remdesivir improves the survival and other outcomes in these patients. This recommendation was developed by an internationa development group that includes 28 clinical care experts, 4 patient-partners, and one ethicist. (Related: The dangers of remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients in hospitals  Brighteon.TV.)

Data collected from over 7,000 patients across four trials were considered, and evidence suggested that there is no patient-important outcomes that came with taking the drug, whether it be mortality, need for mechanical ventilation or time to clinical improvement.

The develoipment group also recognied that there is a need for more research to provide higher certainty of evidence for specific groups of patients.

Ventilators do more harm than good

Santilli also speaks about the negative effects of ventilators for COVID-19 patients  specifically, that they are causing more harm than good.

Many patients who use a ventilator die, while those who survive are likely to face breathing problems caused by either the machine or the virus. Unfortunately, it is a known fact that the longer people are kept on ventilation, the more likely they are to suffer complications related to machine-assisted breathing.

This is why some intensive care units delay putting patients on ventilators until the last possible moment. Earlier in the pandemic, there had been a tendency to put patients on ventilators early because they were deteriorating fast.

Experts believe that 40 to 50 percent of patients die after going on ventilation, and in some places like New York, reports show as many as 80 percent of infected patients die after being placed on ventilation.

Dr. Luciano Gattinoni and his colleagues in Milan described how they had to adjust their COVID-19 procedures in February. He said that by ventilating patients, all doctors are doing is buying time with additional damage.

Kevin Wilson, a professor of medicine from Boston University and a guideline director for the American Thoracic Society agreed that there is a need to exercise caution.

Instead of using ventilators, doctors are opting for less invasive methods like the use of nasal cannulas, breathing masks or simply placing the patients in their stomachs, which help them breathe easier.

Listen to more of what Pete Santilli has to say on his show, available on Thursdays at 10 AM on Brighteon.TV.

Learn more of whats happening with the Wuhan coronavirus around the globe at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

WebMD.com 1

WebMD.com 2

WHO.int

France24.com
(Natural News) Dr. Scott Lively tackles the LGBT coalitions intimidation of Christians on the Sept. 15 edition of his program Prophecy and Politics on Brighteon.TV. The pastor mentions that those who stand for the Bibles view on homosexuality experience are put through the lavender meat grinder for their opinions. Lively shares his firsthand experience and that of his friend Bill Whatcott at the hands of the LGBT mafia.

The pastor says people who espouse the beliefs of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement watch Brighteon.tv due to a shared outrage over the events transpiring in the U.S. Lively elaborates: Over half of America is outraged at what weve seen happen in our country. He cites the leftist movements use of dirty tricks, double standards, abuse of process in the judicial branch and relentless malicious propaganda against conservative Christians.

Lively compares how people who espouse a leftist political view get away with murder while those with a rightist view have their tiniest mistakes magnified to the furthest extreme. He compares conservatives standing up against leftism to the protesters who were arrested in relation to the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol.

However, Lively mentions that the relatively young MAGA movement is not the only group experiencing what he calls Marxist terrorism and tyranny. He cites the Tea Party movement from 2009 that has risen in response to former President Barack Obamas agenda to fundamentally transform the U.S. as another group subjected to the same oppression. Theres been a gradual awakening of the silent majority to all of these outrageous Marxist tactics and dirty tricks, the pastor adds.

According to Lively, the LGBT agenda has been the core constituency of the progressive movement since the beginning  even dating back to the Soviet Union during the early 1920s. He continues: [In] the U.S., they became more commonplace in recent decades [because] they were introduced and perfected by the radical leftist activists of the LGBT community. (Related: The tip of the spear of todays Marxism: The LGBT movement.)

Canadian activist Bill Whatcott now being tried for hate crimes

Lively then shares the story of Bill Whatcott, a Canadian activist standing up against the LGBT mafias immorality. The pastor cites Whatcotts email from 2016 asking if he could participate in street theater in Toronto. Whatcott tells Lively in the email that he plans to gather a group of people to dress up in zombie costumes.

While Lively could not commit to the engagement due to his busy schedule, Whatcott pushes through with his plan. The Canadian activist joins the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade wearing a green zombie costume and a rainbow tutu. Whatcott and his group then compile Gospel verses that outline the Bibles stance on homosexuality  which are packaged as safe sex kits.

Donning his costume, Whatcott gives out 3,000 kits while participating in the parade. When the organizers discover the activists actions, Lively says they went completely insane with rage. The parade organizers then file a $104 million suit against Whatcott. Organizers of the Pride Parade accuse him of distributing anti-gay material which promoted hatred toward the gay community in their lawsuit, the Toronto Sun reports.

Five years after his stunt, Whatcott then emails Lively asking for prayer as he will be going on trial for hate crimes in October 2021. The Christian activist has also posted a similar call in his blog, asking readers to pray for him, his family and his lawyer John Rosen. For just simply expressing his opinion at a Gay Pride Parade, he has been put through the meat grinder, Lively says. (Related: Canada now CRIMINALIZING Christianity; public demonstrations to be completely outlawed.)

The pastor continues that the Canadian government has put every resource that [it] can to ensure Whatcotts conviction. He adds: The entire government has been lined up in order to take down and punish Bill Whatcott for having made them look foolish and telling the truth to people that are dying of a lifestyle thats killing them.

The LGBT mafia accuses Lively of influencing Ugandas controversial bill

Lively remarks that his heart went out to Whatcott after reading the activists email. Getting this message from Bill Whatcott, I [kind of] had a lot of sympathy for him. I know what hes been going through  [and] what hes going to go through in this trial in Canada, the pastor says.

He then shares that he himself has faced legal action from the LGBT mafia and its leftist allies for six and a half years. The Manhattan-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which is the entity responsible for the federal lawsuit against Lively, accuses him of crimes against humanity for his anti-homosexuality preaching in Uganda in 2009.

The CCR also claims Livelys preaching has led to the Ugandan Parliament passing the so-called Kill The Gays Bill in 2014. The bill mandates capital punishment for aggravated homosexuality  another term for homosexual pedophilia. However, a five-magistrate panel on the Constitutional Court of Uganda overturn the measure in August 2014 over a technicality.

I had nothing to do with  creating that law, but I was accused of that. Even though its perfectly same as free speech  just simply my [Bible-based] opinion [with] no hate in it, no slurs, no nonsense [and] just straight truth  I end up in U.S. federal court, Lively recounts.

Watch the full Sept. 15 episode of Prophecy and Politics with Dr. Scott Lively here.

LeftCult.com has more stories about the LGBT mafia and their leftist allies oppressing Christians.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TorontoSun.com

BillWhatcott.Wordpress.com

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) More people than ever before are waking up to the scam of Western medicine, and we have the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic to thank for it.

An increasing number of Americans who used to trust the system are now saying to themselves, I will never trust another doctor again. Their reasons include the medical professions obvious shift away from science into a full-fledged death cult.

The covid agenda has really amplified this, showing that so-called doctors are now practicing medicine based on what the White House, Big Media and Big Pharma tell them to do. Science, meanwhile, has been tossed out the window.

In private conversations with people they trust, American citizens are heaping contempt on doctors for forcing a narrative on us that had no basis in science, writes Randi Pinkerton for American Thinker.

Many of us, perhaps even the majority, immediately recognized this virus for what it is: a common flu virus maybe engineered to be more contagious if not more fatal but hardly differing substantially from other influenza strains.

Deep down, most people, including those who on the surface seem to be buying into the plandemic hoax, probably know this. Since they foolishly went along with wearing a mask and getting jabbed, though, they are now too prideful and embarrassed to fess up to their mistake.

Some of them, however, are speaking up. Those who previously believed, or at least wanted to believe, what the television and social media were saying can now see that they were lied to  and they are not happy about it.

It seems that our doctors went along with the hoax to a large degree because it put them in the spotlight, Pinkerton further explains about why so many doctors went along with the ruse.

Amazingly, almost none of them questioned the lies. They abandoned everything theyd learned in Virology 101 and went full cry wolf. It worked out well for them. Suddenly, they were the focus of attention, and their words were hung on breathlessly.

The chickens are coming home to roost for the plandemic deceivers

The honeymoon would not last forever, though. After basking in all that attention and loving it, these same doctors are finally starting to get some pushback even from their loyal followers who trusted them.

As more evidence continues to emerge showing that face masks are unsafe and ineffective, and that the same is true about the vaccines, those who fell for these ritualistic behaviors wants answers.

Why did the medical profession as a whole capitulate to these lies when it was obvious to many right from the beginning that plandemic safety protocols were all contrived? Why were hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin restricted from being prescribed when they could have put a swift end to the lockdowns and other restrictions?

Every person who comes to the realization that he or she was lied to by what was supposed to be a trusted profession, medicine, now wants to know why do no harm was completely done away with in favor of full-scale medical fascism? And what happened to my body, my choice?

Does the medical community understand that it has sacrificed the trust of Americans, possibly forever? Pinkerton asks. Does it even acknowledge the self-inflicted wounds that will now affect the relationship between doctors and their patients going forward?

How do doctors and nurses reclaim the trust of patients? Is that even possible now? Because in the cold light of day, it looks as if they were either stupid or malevolent. Given that theyre supposed to be educated people, malevolent appears to be the more likely.

The latest news about public backlash against Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

AmericanThinker.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In lockstep with fake president Joe Bidens ongoing efforts to inject every last American with a Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine, officials in the District of Columbia are doing their part to try to get more needles into arms by roving local neighborhoods in search for the unvaccinated.

Elissa Silverman, a D.C. Council Member, spoke at a recent meeting about how she is personally very upset about the fact that not everyone in the area has agreed to roll up their sleeves for an Operation Warp Speed shot.

I want to understand our citys strategy regarding the unvaccinated because thats, like, the big deal here, Silverman whined. If Im looking at the data correctly, almost all of our unvaccinated residents 12 and older are insured by Medicaid. Thats like the entire universe.

Because Silverman feels as though everyone should be forced to get injected against their will  this is also known as medical fascism  she is calling on D.C. officials who are higher up on the food chain than herself to take swift and immediate action to get everyone jabbed.

Another council member by the name of Mary Cheh further complained about how she witnessed students at Wilson High School sitting close to one another at lunch  gasp! These same students were also not wearing face masks, which upset Cheh even more.

To try to get their way, these two women are attempting to launch a crusade against the unvaccinated and other non-compliant people, including public school students who refuse to wear a mask and stay socially distanced from one another at all times.

They are joined by Patrick Ashley of D.C. Health, who announced that his department has unleashed an outreach program that involves going door to door to get more needles into arms.

And as a reminder, we knock on doors until we actually get someone to talk to us, Ashley announced. And so, theyll go back to a house four or five, six times, if necessary, multiple times of the day.

To the Branch Covidians, what you do with your body is THEIR choice

Unlike the two women, Ashley stated that he agrees with the Constitution that Americans have the freedom and liberty to reject Fauci Flu shots if they so choose, which really upset Silverman.

The president is saying its not a choice anymore! Silverman interrupted and shouted at Ashley as he was stating that Wuhan Flu shots are a choice of theirs to make.

The biggest threat to our city right now is unvaccinated residents, Silverman further bellowed in a manner similar to Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory:

Needless to say, Silverman is a bad egg. Until she gets put in her place, however, Silverman will more than like continue to try to impose her Cult of Covidism religious beliefs on others by making other peoples bodies her choice.

Silverman brought up the recent move by the Los Angeles Board of Education that aims to force all public school students 12 years of age and older to be medically raped with Trump Vaccines as an example for D.C. public schools to follow.

Ashley responded to Silverman with a bit more dignity than she showed him by saying that he looks forward to any other suggestions she might have for how to make more strides in those communities where compliance with Operation Warp Speed is currently lacking.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, has decided to try to force all government employees in the district to take a Fauci Shot or three.

More related news about the Branch Covidians and their obsession with trying to medically rape America can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

WTOP.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The American media is suffering its lowest approval ratings in the history of our republic, but it is a loss of confidence that was earned and well-deserved, as this story proves once again.

Last week, special counsel John Durham, whom most Americans had forgotten about because his investigation into the origins of the Russian collusion hoax  which began early in 2020  had not produced any results, finally indicted someone: Michael Sussman, a former federal prosecutor who worked, at the time, for the law firm Perkins Coie.

That firm is responsible for funneling money from the 2016 Clinton campaign to former MI6 spook Christopher Steele, who came up with the infamous Russia dossier on the Trump campaign, a fake document containing a plethora of phony claims.

But it was another aspect of Durhams indictment that caught the attention of Georgetown constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley, namely that there is a mainstream media connection to all of this.

The indictment fills in a great number of gaps on one of the Russian collusion allegations pushed by the Clinton campaign: Alpha bank. Sussman and others reportedly pushed the implausible claim that the Russian bank served as a conduit for communications between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. The indictment removes the identity of key actors like a Tech Executive who used his connections with an Internet company to help the Clinton campaign (and said he was promised a top cyber security position in the widely anticipated Clinton Administration), Turley wrote on his website last week.

One of those figures however may have been identified: Reporter-2. Atlantic staff writer Franklin Foer wrote an article for Slate that seems to track the account of the indictment and, as such, raises questions over his role as a conduit for the Clinton campaigns effort to spread the false story, Turley added.

We already know that the mainstream media, which is in the pocket of the deep state and the Democrat Party it serves, was a conduit for a number of false stories regarding then-GOP nominee Donald Trump and his campaign, as well as President Trump and his administration. The Russian collusion lie was just the first, though it was perpetuated to the point where it was used as justification to launch a special counsel probe against Trump. (Not unheard of: Bill Clintons regime was dogged by Independent Counsel Ken Starr for years, but his probe was based on a legitimate instance of lawbreaking; Clinton was ultimately impeached  Trumps entire probe was based on a hoax.)

But as Turley suggests, Durhams indictment of Sussman paints the media not as unsuspecting dupes publishing information provided by intelligence sources on good faith but rather as willing participants to the hoaxes.

The indictment discusses how Fusion GPS pushed for the publication of the story, telling Foer that it was time to hurry on the story, Turley writes, quoting the passage:

The Investigative Firm Employees email stated, time to hurry suggesting that Reporter-2 should hurry to publish an article regarding the Russian Bank-1 allegations. In response, Reporter-2 emailed to the Investigative Firm Employee a draft article regarding the Russian Bank-1 allegations, along with the cover message: Heres the first 2500 words.

In other words, the reporter was colluding with a law firm  sending his story to them rather than clearing it with editors, meaning that editors for his publication either didnt know that was taking place or did, and had no issue with it.

Foer explained his dishonesty as though he was doing the country a favor (even though his information was BS).

Every article is an exercise in cost-benefit analysis; each act of publication entails a risk of getting it wrong, and sometimes events force journalists to assume greater risk than they would in other circumstances. Before I published the server story, I asked myself a fairly corny question: How would I sleep the next week if Donald Trump were elected president, knowing that I had sat on a potentially important piece of information? In the end, Trump was elected president, and I still slept badly, he said.

Turley, the professor, explained why that is unethical nonsense.

The cost behind this article is getting it wrong but relying too greatly on a biased source without independent research, he wrote.

In this case, Foer allegedly coordinated with investigators paid by the Clinton campaign to publish a story that had little or no basis. Even the researchers quoted in the indictment objected that the theory was unsupported and could bring public ridicule. Yet, the campaign continued to push the story and Foer ran it after allegedly sending an advance copy of his article to Fusion, Turley said.

Like our government and most of academia, our media institution is broken and corrupt, too.

Sources include:

JonathanTurley.org

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) Human rights group Live Action has experienced firsthand censorship from Google after the technology company took down its online advertisements. The groups ads promote abortion pill reversal (APR) using the safe pregnancy hormone progesterone. Googles move to censor Live Actions ads on its platform appears to cement Big Techs anti-life and pro-abortion stances.

Since May 10, 2021, the group has placed strategic ads on Google informing women of APR and the use of progesterone. However, the Big Tech firm disapproves all of Live Actions ads on Sept. 13. Google cites unreliable claims as a basis for its censorship of Live Actions APR ads despite approving them earlier. The pro-life group has spent more than $170,000 for the advertisements that direct thousands of women to the APR hotline.

However, Googles basis for shutting down the APR advertisements holds no water. APR involves the use of progesterone, a hormone being used as a standard treatment to prevent miscarriages. The APR treatment aims to overtake the effects of mifepristone  the so-called abortion pill  which blocks progesterone. With its 68 percent success rate, APR has saved more than 2,500 children in the womb.

Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose says in a Sept. 14 press release: Google has sided with extremist pro-abortion ideology, banning the pro-life counterpoint and life-saving information from being promoted on [its] platform. Googles censorship baldly reveals that the corporation is in the pocket of the abortion industry.

Rose also slams the Big Tech company for its clear double standards. By restricting scientific information related to [APR] and other life-saving options, while accepting paid ads promoting life-ending abortions, Google has chosen to operate by an outrageously dishonest and blatant double standards, she says.

The Live Action founder and president continues her tirade against Google on social media. She writes on Twitter: Google is permitting abortion facilities to advertise next-day abortions and abortion via mail. This is a blatant, political double standard: Google is OK with ads promoting life-ending drugs, but not life-saving treatments. Wheres the choice for women?

Anything pro-life gets the thumbs down from Big Tech

Rose concludes her statement by calling Googles decision to censor APR ads as anti-choice and morally wrong. She calls on the Big Tech firm to apply fairness and uniformity to its policy by allowing Live Action and its pro-life partners to advertise on its platform. (Related: Banned by Google for opposing infanticide.)

The tech monopolies that have so much control over our information consumption and our daily lives are so tied in with the radical left that they work to restrict informed consent and censor life-saving options in order to protect the billion-dollar abortion industry, Rose says in her Sept. 14 statement.

However, this is not the first time Big Tech has used its censorship powers against pro-life groups. A whistleblower reveals that image sharing website Pinterest has also censored pro-life messages from Live Action. Former Pinterest software engineer Eric Cochran, who is now with Project Veritas, reveals the extent of censorship pro-life groups face.

Following his 2019 termination from the company, Cochran tells LifeSiteNews in October 2020 that Pinterest focuses on banning Live Action from its platform. He claims Pinterest has included the group to a pornography blacklist to prevent people from posting links from the group. Cochran adds that Bible verses and Christian quotes are also subject to censorship. (Related: Former Pinterest employee exposes companys censorship of pro-life messages and bible verses.)

According to Cochran, the Big Tech establishment harbors a particular disdain for Americans with pro-life and conservative views. He explains: The pro-life position freaks out [Big Tech] the most because it is the essential part of life,  of what it means to be human [and] of humans having intrinsic value from their Creator.

The former Pinterest employee turned whistleblower points out that Big Tech censorship alongside its pro-abortion stance is the most dangerous thing for our country. He continues: Especially when it comes to the pro-life position, this is the battle for hundreds of millions of lives. Cochran warns: Ultimately, the establishment wants to destroy life. Were facing foces  [whose] end goal is destruction, not creation. It is destroying Gods image.

TechGiants.news has more articles about Big Techs censorship of pro-life messages.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com 1

LiveAction.org

Twitter.com

LifeSiteNews.com 2
(Natural News) Because Americans increasingly do not want to work for the pittance offered them by corporate America, some segments of the economy are having to significantly adjust their business practices.

Harris Teeter and Publix, two major southern grocery chains, are drastically cutting their hours of operation until further notice. Harris Teeter, which prided itself on being open 24 hours a day, will now only be open from 6am to 9pm. Publix has also announced that some of its locations will now be closing at either 9pm or 10pm.

Some speculate that the changes might be related to a widespread worker shortage while others say it is simply not attractive anymore to work an overnight shift for minimum wage. In any case, southerners will now need to buy their food and other supplies during a tighter time window moving forward.

WRAL in Raleigh spoke with Harris Teeter Communication Manager Danna Robinson about the changes, which she said are being done to focus on thorough cleaning, replenishment, staffing and the well-being of our valued associates.

We believe closing our stores earlier will allow our valued associates to: take their earned days off; efficiently process ExpressLane orders; manage labor in this difficult employment environment; ensure excellent closings to better prepare for the following day; and make certain that our stores are a clean, safe place to work and shop, Harris Teeter further added in a company statement.

We thank our shoppers and community members for continuing to show care, gratitude and kindness to our hard-working, valued associates as well as your fellow shoppers.

Some Chick-Fil-A locations also closing earlier due to covid

As for Publix, the company says it is shutting down its stores earlier throughout the Triangle area of central North Carolina in order to meet the needs of our customers.

Over the course of the pandemic, customer shopping habits have evolved, the company revealed in a statement.

Based on these evolutions, we have modified store hours at select locations to reflect our current state. If customer shopping patterns shift, we will re-evaluate our operating hours.

At least one Chick-Fil-A restaurant, located in the Raleigh suburb of Cary next to a Publix location that is closing earlier, is also shutting its dining room after lunch on Wednesdays and not reopening until the next day.

WRAL admitted that these shutdowns are probably related to both worker shortages and stock issues that prevent enough supply from getting on the shelf or into peoples food bags.

As we have been reporting lately, the problem is not isolated to just a few grocery stores and a fast-food chain. It is global in nature, and it has only just begun.

The supply issues we saw last year during the early days of the Chinese Virus lockdowns were only just a foreshadowing of the carnage that is currently building as the supply chain gets chopped to bits by all the tyranny.

We wish we could say that things are going to get better, but they most likely are not, especially for those heavily invested in the current world order. Is Mystery Babylon on its last legs? It would appear so, depending on your perspective.

For me, its not frustrating if you just set the expectation I know I need to be out here a little earlier, said one Raleigh local after hearing the news.

But when I think about the longer impact of things of all the stores in the area are starting to do the same thing, I think thats when it would start to become frustrating eventually.

To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19)-induced economic collapse, visit Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

WRAL.com

NaturalNews.com

ABC11.com
(Natural News) The most vaccinated regions around the world are suffering from a new spike in covid and associated illnesses. This new wave of sickness and death far exceeds previous waves of covid that were observed over the past two years. In the early days of the covid-19 lockdowns, case counts were extremely LOW in comparison to todays numbers. After a second round of lockdowns and forced mask policies were implemented, case counts and hospitalizations climbed yet again in the fall and winter of 2020/2021, dwarfing the initial wave.

After mass vaccination campaigns were deployed across developed nations, case counts initially fell. During this time, fewer people were required to take the covid-19 test because they were considered fully vaccinated and protected from severe disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had also stopped reporting covid in the vaccinated and even lowered the cycle threshold of the test, to strategically lower the covid case count in the vaccinated. However, as vaccinated people fell ill over 2021, covid testing ramped up and covid case counts and hospitalizations climbed yet again. Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States are now seeing their greatest surge in sickness since the plandemic began.

Leaky, non-sterilizing covid vaccines cause more sickness

Covid-19 case rates are increasing alongside vaccination rates, as artificial immunity wanes. The mRNA technology being deployed as vaccination is turning human cells into synthetic spike protein factories, forcing inflammatory auto-intoxication of the human body. These vaccines are a non- sterilizing intervention; the science puts selective pressure on the spike protein and drives new mutations in circulating coronaviruses. These leaky vaccines create vaccinated super spreaders, whose bodies are programmed to mass produce spike proteins that shed to others and harm the most vulnerable in a population. The vaccinated test subjects unknowingly colonize the virus and carry around high viral load as they become the asymptomatic super spreader that everyone was supposed to fear just a year and half ago.

Israel is the most shocking example of vaccine failure. Even with over 80 percent of their population fully vaccinated, herd immunity is still not realized. The nation is currently experiencing its fourth wave, and is responding to the crisis with more of the same  booster shots for all. Meanwhile, hospitalizations and deaths continue to mount.

The United Kingdom has successfully inoculated two thirds of its population, yet they are documenting another serious wave of covid.

Covid cases were a lot lower when everyone was unvaccinated

The United States is experiencing the same medical crisis. The Biden regime claims the country is suffering from a pandemic of the unvaccinated, yet a year ago, the covid case rate was approximately one fourth of what it is today. The case count was much lower when everyone was UNVACCINATED. There were 2.5 million cases per day by September of 2020, when no one was vaccinated. Today, the number of cases per day has reached 10 million, and thats with 55 percent of the population fully vaccinated, How will upcoming booster shots affect the covid case rates, hospitalizations and deaths?

Taking a closer look at the state of Washington, it becomes even more clear: vaccines are exacerbating covid case counts. As a matter of fact, the state has recently reached its highest case count  close to 5,000 per day. The most vulnerable population cohort (age 65 and up) are 89 percent fully vaccinated in Washington. Seventy-three percent of all people age 12 and up are fully vaccinated in Washington. However, the state is suffering its greatest covid wave yet.

In California, the case counts are rising along with the death rate, even though the state has some of the most tyrannical mask, lock down and vaccine policies in the nation. The seven-day average for covid deaths in September is higher in 2021, even though California has robust vaccine coverage. In 2020, covid cases and deaths were much lower even though everyone was unvaccinated. Something serious is going on in the U.S. and around the world. Predictably, these new vaccines appear to be vectors of disease, not public health solutions.

Keep up with the latest news and case numbers at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

BeckerNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Medrxiv.org [1]

Medrxiv.org [2]

Journals.Plos.org

JournalofInfection.com
(Natural News) Political talk show host Kim Iversen, on a segment of the Kim Iversen Show Wednesday, called the latest COVID data coming out of Israel alarming and shocking.

(Article republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org)

Iversen reminded viewers that Israel was nearly fully vaccinated by February, after striking a deal with Pfizer to make its citizens essentially  a giant study group.

They have very high vaccination rates in the country, Iversen said. Kids are still not vaccinated. There are some super ultra-Orthodox holdouts, but otherwise everybody in Israel banded together and they took the Pfizer vaccine  two doses.

But by summer, Iversen said, Israel health officials determined the vaccine had worn off. They saw skyrocketing numbers of cases, even after theyd hit this so-called herd immunity threshold of 70%.

At first, Iversen said, it looked as though the vaccines might at least be protecting against more severe symptoms, because for the most part, only the unvaccinated were having to be hospitalized.

But then as time went on  the hospitals started to fill up with fully vaccinated people, Iversen said, and they saw more and more cases among the fully vaccinated, and more and more of them becoming very severe to the point where the majority of their cases in the hospitals and in the ICU and those dying were fully vaccinated people.

Iversen has been tracking data in multiple countries besides Israel, including Iceland, Chile, Seychelles, Uruguay and others.

I have a whole list of countries that Ive been monitoring on this, she said. And it was really clear early on that the vaccine was not stopping the spread, but it did seem to keep people out of the hospital for a period of time.

But then Israel found the vaccine was wearing off  so they told everybody they would need a third, booster shot, in order to participate in society, Iversen said.

That seemed to work for awhile  but now cases are rising again.

I dont know what to make of that, Iversen said. And Im not going to speculate. Im just going to share the data and Im going to keep watching that data. And were going to see what happens. I mean, at this point, thats all we can do. All we can do is see what happens now.

Watch the segment here:

Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org and Truth.news
(Natural News) Privacy activists and experts are sounding the alarm over an emerging trend among law enforcement agencies to get Google to give up location data of hundreds or even thousands of people during investigations. This has the unfortunate effect of turning individuals into suspects in crimes they did not even commit.

In Jan. 2020, Zachary McCoy of Gainesville, Florida became a suspect of the citys police department. He received an email from Google alerting him that the police department was requesting his online data and that he had seven days to go to court and block the datas release.

McCoy later found out that he was being investigated for a burglary. His location data showed that he passed by the targeted home during a bike ride. The police obtained his location data through what is called a geofence warrant.

Geofence warrants or reverse location warrants as they are also known, identify people of interest who were near a geographic area at a certain time. Law enforcement agencies obtain this information by way of a court order demanding that Google turn over some of the vast amounts of location data in its servers. The big tech corporation keeps all this location data for its advertising details.

McCoy is just one of potentially thousands of innocent Americans who have been targeted by law enforcement agencies. In August, Google revealed for the first time that it received 11,554 warrants for geofence locations from law enforcement agencies in 2020.

In 2019, Google only received 8,396 warrants. In 2018, the company received less than a thousand. (Related: Thanks to Google, you are now guilty merely for being in the geographic area of a crime.)

A single geofence request could net law enforcement agencies data from hundreds or even thousands of people who happened to be in an area where a crime was committed. They could be people who live in the area, or people like McCoy who were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

As long as the data exists, all it takes is a creative law enforcement officer to say, Hey, we can get a warrant or we can send a subpoena for this particular subset of the data thats already being harvested,' said Caleb Kenyon, McCoys defense attorney.

Privacy experts argue geofence warrants too broad to be constitutional

Kenyon and many other lawyers and privacy experts believe geofence warrants are far too broad, and that they should be made illegal under the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Geofence warrants are unconstitutionally broad and invasive, and we look forward to the day they are outlawed completely, said Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a pro-privacy nongovernment organization.

Lets be clear, the number of geofence warrants should be zero, Cahn added.

Privacy advocates believe search warrants should be targeted and seek information about people who law enforcement agencies have probable cause to believe have committed certain crimes. Geofence warrants do not do this, they only give law enforcement a list of people to be investigated.

When reached for a statement, a spokesperson from Google claimed that it supports the privacy rights of its users. Yet it continues to give away the data of thousands of people.

We vigorously protect the privacy of our users while supporting the important work of law enforcement, said spokesperson Alex Krasov in a statement. We developed a process specifically for [geofencing warrants] that is designed to honor our legal obligations while narrowing the scope of data disclosed.

Even if Google was being upfront with its statement, Cahn believes geofence warrants still set a worrying president. Many other smaller tech companies hold very personal data from their users, and these companies may not have the same resources as tech giants like Google to withstand sweeping warrants from law enforcement agencies.

You could subpoena period tracker apps to provide any users who apparently became pregnant during a given time period, for example, said Cahn.

This information is flowing to so many different companies and vendors, even if you get one company trying to protect your location data you have so many more points of vulnerability in the commercial market than a decade ago, he added. All it takes is one company to give up that information without a fight or more often than not sell it.

There is some legislation in the works that would create safeguards so that law enforcement agencies would be unable to get hold of vast swaths of sensitive location data through geofence warrants. But these proposed laws are only on the local or state level, and there is currently no publicly known congressional attempt to rein in the ability of law enforcement to get a hold of private information.

For big tech companies, the only way they will no longer provide law enforcement agencies with sensitive data is if they stopped collecting it. Unfortunately, this kind of data is very important for their revenue streams because they regularly sell user data to advertisers.

It would be technically impossible to have this data available to advertisers in a way that police couldnt buy it, subpoena it or take it with a warrant, said Cahn.

Learn more about the different ways law enforcement agencies and tech companies cooperate to erode peoples privacy by reading the latest articles at PrivacyWatch.news.

Sources include:

TheGuardian.com

TechCrunch.com

Wired.com
(Natural News) A recent report by Public Health Scotland (PHS) finds that 80 percent of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) fatalities occur in vaccinated individuals. The Sept. 8 report reveals that people partly and fully vaccinated still catch COVID-19 cases even though they are no longer tested for the virus. Critics claim PHS cleverly presents its data to conceal the reality that more COVID-19 cases come from those who get the shot.

The Sept. 8 report breaks down the number of COVID-19 fatalities based on age and vaccination status. However, PHS does not present coronavirus deaths on a weekly basis and instead includes fatalities from Dec. 29, 2020. This gives the impressions that vaccines work in preventing COVID-19 deaths and that most fatalities occur in the vaccinated.

However, comparing the Sept. 8 report and an earlier report by PHS from Aug. 18 paints a different picture. The Aug. 18 report shows that 3,077 unvaccinated individuals, 273 who have received at least one shot and 206 fully vaccinated individuals have died of COVID-19 from Dec. 29, 2020 to Aug. 5, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Sept. 8 report also starts counting from Dec. 29 until Aug. 26, 2020. It shows that 3,102 unvaccinated individuals, 279 partially vaccinated individuals and 298 fully vaccinated individuals who die of COVID-19. At first glance, the figures show that injecting the COVID-19 vaccine reduces the risk of death.

But subtracting the Sept. 8 reports figures from those of its Aug. 18 counterpart reveal that more deaths have occurred in the fully vaccinated. Between Aug. 5 and Aug. 26  25 unvaccinated individuals, six partly vaccinated individuals and 92 fully vaccinated individuals die as a result of COVID-19. Putting it into perspective, about 80 percent of people who get the shot die of COVID-19 compared to only 20 percent of those who do not.

Another PHS report from Sept. 1 tracks statistics from Dec. 29 up to Aug. 19. It shows that 3,096 unvaccinated individuals, 277 partly vaccinated individuals and 264 fully vaccinated individuals have passed away from COVID-19. Subtracting these numbers from the ones in the Sept. 8 reveals the same result  that more vaccinated people comprise the diseases fatalities. Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 26, a total of 36 people who get the shot die of COVID-19 compared to only six unvaccinated people.

Vaccines are driving the recent waves of COVID-19 infections

Based on the PHS reports, the COVID-19 vaccines are ineffective in preventing infection or transmission. The figures also clearly show that the shots actually increase the risk of people being hospitalized or dying  contrary to what health authorities claim.

In the U.S., data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show a higher number of daily COVID-19 deaths following the development of a vaccine. National File has examined CDC data from the first 10 days of September 2020 and September 2021. The two periods correspond to the second wave of COVID-19 before vaccines and fourth wave of COVID-19, with mass vaccination occurring in the latter.

From Sept. 1 to Sept. 10, 2020, daily COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. do not go beyond 960. However, data from Sept. 1 to Sept. 10, 2021 show that daily COVID-19 deaths reach as high as 1,860. Based on these findings, the COVID-19 vaccine causes an almost two-fold increase to the risk of dying from the disease it aims to address. (Related: CDC: Fourth wave of COVID  despite vaccines  worse than second wave.)

However, doctors in different countries more effectively describe the vaccines failure and uptick in COVID-19 cases. One doctor in Israel, a country using the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine on its population, shares the situation on the ground.

Dr. Kobi Haviv, the director of Herzog Hospital in Israels capital of Jerusalem, mentions that vaccinated Israelis comprise a huge majority of the COVID-19 patients being treated in the country. He tells Channel 13 News: I understand that most of the patients are vaccinated, even severe patients. We are opening more and more [COVID-19] wards.

Haviv adds that vaccinated patients comprise 95 percent of the severe cases in hospitals. According to the physician, the breakthrough infections mean the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine is waning  which sets up a possible scenario for booster shots to become necessary. (Related: 95% of severe patients in Israeli hospitals are vaccinated, warns doctor.)

Findings by the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) appear to back up Havivs claims of the COVID-19 vaccines dwindling effectiveness. The ministrys July 2021 report states that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines effectiveness drops to 39 percent against the more infectious B16172 delta variant. It bases its findings on COVID-19 cases recorded from June 20 to July 17, during the delta variants spread throughout Israel.

In spite of the vaccines diminished protection, the MOH still insists that it is still 91 percent effective in preventing serious illness among individuals who receive two shots. But Havivs remarks tell a different story  with fully vaccinated people comprising almost all of the patients in Israeli medical facilities. Eighty-five to 90 percent of hospitalizations are in fully vaccinated people, he says.

VaccineDeaths.com has more articles about how the COVID-19 vaccine increases the risk of dying from a bout of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Sources include:

HumansAreFree.com

PublicHealthScotland.scot 1 [PDF]

PublicHealthScotland.scot 2 [PDF]

PublicHealthScotland.scot 3 [PDF]

NationalFile.com

Infowars.com

i24news.tv
(Natural News) When asked by the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA) how they would respond to a Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mandate, member officers overwhelmingly indicated that they plan to quit their jobs.

An astounding 65 percent of San Diego police officers say they will up and leave if a Chinese Virus injection mandate is forced on them, while 45 percent, or nearly half, said they would just wait to be fired.

The SDPOA, by the way, has 1,971 members. This means that if these figures are correct, more than 1,200 police officers and administrative staff will soon be off the force, leaving San Diego vulnerable to whatever comes after its law enforcement apparatus has mostly disintegrated.

If that half of the entire police department were to be fired for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate, the city of San Diego would be in a really sketchy place, reports The Conservative Treehouse (TCT), citing the San Diego Union-Tribune. The city has a deadline for compliance on November 2nd.

When asked how they feel about a vaccine mandate in general for the force, 90 percent of officers in San Diego said they oppose them. This means that even those officers who choose to get jabbed themselves do not support forcing their coworkers to do the same against their will.

We can imagine this same type of conversation is likely taking place in several cities and counties at the same time, adds Sundance from the TCT.

The police officers union was not present for the discussions with the Biden White House. The U.S. Postal Workers Union was present, and they were granted an exemption from the forced vaccine requirement.

Only employed contributors to society are being punished with Bidens jab mandates

Have you noticed yet that those being targeted most with Fauci Flu shot mandates are those who have gainful employment? This is especially true for those who work on the frontlines to maintain law and order (police), treat illness (health care workers), and keep your house from burning down (firefighters).

Everything that holds society together, in other words, is first on the chopping block for forced injection. Next are all the companies that employ 100 workers or more. Eventually, it will be everyone.

One silver lining is that many are resisting. All across the country, employed Americans including in key sectors are just saying no to both Trump Vaccines and Biden Boosters, even if it costs them their jobs.

This is a time for bravery and faith, it would seem. Making the tough decision to Just Say No to injectable drugs from the government and Big Pharma is certainly not easy, especially when you have a family to feed. If everyone does it together, though, then society can potentially put a stop to this madness.

Already, we are hearing stories of companies reversing their covid vaccine mandates because a bulk of their employees said they would quit or be fired. Recognizing that an exodus like this would kill a business, the executives in charge are backing off.

In Seattle which lost 200 officers last year, 300 have refused to take the jab or release their private media accounts like email and blogs to the city and face being fired, wrote a commenter at The Conservative Treehouse. The number is 20% of the remaining force. Let it burn.

Election fraud put Joe Biden in the White House, wrote another. Joe Biden is not your medical doctor. The experimental vaccine will kill many.

The latest news about how Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mandates are unraveling civil society as we know it can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheConservativeTreehouse.com

NaturalNews.com

Archive.is
(Natural News) Advocacy group Lawyers for Liberty has warned staff in schools across England that they could be held liable if they insist on vaccinating students against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) without parental consent.

Lawyers for Liberty, a self-funded, voluntary network of lawyers, accepts referrals from parents concerned that their children will be injected with a COVID-19 vaccine without their consent. The group then emails the schools concerned, advising them of the legal risks of their policy.

Holy Cross Catholic High School and Parklands High School in Chorley, a town in Lancashire, England are two of many schools across the country that have been contacted by Lawyers for Liberty. But Steve Mitchell, headteacher of Parklands High School, said they have been assured by legal advisors that they will not be liable because parents have been informed of and have agreed to their vaccination program.

Mitchell also said theyve had very few responses where parents said they did not consent to the program. However, he added that theyve yet to ask for consent from students parents since theyre still waiting for further instructions from the vaccination team from the National Health Service (NHS).

According to Sajid Javid, the secretary of state for health and social care, the decision to vaccinate children had been taken following expert advice from the United Kingdoms top scientists and vaccination experts.

Details about the governments vaccination program for students have yet to be released, but it is expected that school staff wont have a role in the program even though the vaccine will be offered in school settings.

One letter by Lawyers for Liberty, which has been sent to various schools, talked about parents right to exercise their parental responsibility during the decision-making process.

According to the letter, if a parent communicates that their child will not be included in the vaccination program or does not consent to have their child vaccinated, then that decision should be respected without any further consequences for the child, which may include direct or indirect discrimination and coercion.

Failure to respect that decision may lead to possible legal claims against both the school and its staff, according to the letter.

Parents concerns dismissed as misinformation

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said many of their members have been receiving letters from Lawyers for Liberty and other groups threatening schools and colleges with legal action if they took part in the COVID-19 vaccination program for students.

Barton also said the letters were extremely unhelpful and asked that the groups behind them stop attempting to exert pressure on schools and colleges in the country.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the trade union National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), added that the letters were misguided and that the decision to vaccinate children was the governments. (Related: Virginia bill would allow the state to vaccinate children without parental consent.)

However, he said that any parents with questions about important matters like consent should talk to the vaccination teams involved in the actual program.

Parents will still be asked to give their consent before their child is included in the program. But if a child doesnt agree with their parents decision, the child will have the final say.

The Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has already said that it is aware that certain letters and emails with misinformation about the vaccine program have been circulating among schools and colleges.

The agency said headteachers who believe that advocacy groups might stage protests outside their school should contact local law enforcement to help manage the situation.

Follow Immunization.news for more news related to coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

NewsPunch.com

LEP.co.uk
(Natural News) Anger and resentment continue to build in Texas as the state has been transformed into a gigantic way station for illegal aliens who are invading the country as never before.

When Joe Biden took office in January and immediately reversed all of President Donald Trumps border enforcement policies, the predictable happened: Hundreds of thousands of the worlds poor began flocking into America, overwhelming Border Patrol agents and triggering the largest drug-smuggling operation in the history of the Mexican cartels.

Federal immigration authorities almost overnight were transformed into babysitters, caretakers, delivery workers and taxi drivers as more and more agents were plucked off the front lines to care for an endless stream of illegal aliens, as the regime bussed and flew tens of thousands more all over the country.

The situation reached absurd levels last week as thousands of migrants from Haiti flocked into Texas near the city of Del Rio, most of whom congregated underneath a bridge and constructed a tent city almost overnight.

The National Sentinel reported on the worsening situation:

Our country is literally being invaded and the Biden regime is aiding and abetting it by refusing to do its job and protect[ing] the sovereignty of our borders.

Texas has been the hardest hit of all our southwest border states, which is contributing to Gov. Greg Abbotts and the GOP-led legislature to fund their own border wall and to increase law enforcement.

But theres only so much a state can do, since immigration is a federal responsibility.

Fox News Bill Melugin also documented the horrific conditions as well as the sheer size of the migrant city.

When [DHS] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas said, once again, that the border is closed, I can tell you that is a tough pill for border agents to swallow. They talk to us off the record, and they roll their eyes when they hear that, Melugin reported last week, quoting Border Patrol agents.

More migrants are arriving here in Del Rio, TX after crossing a dam in the Rio Grande and entering the United States illegally. There are now at least 10,500 migrants underneath the international bridge, with more coming by the hour. Intel is up to 10,000 more coming. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/0qjvq8Uqa7  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 17, 2021

Bill Melugin: When Secretary Mayorkas said, once again, that the border is closed, I can tell you that is a tough pill for border agents to swallow. They talk to us off the record, and they roll their eyes when they hear that. pic.twitter.com/SjxofALgly  The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 20, 2021

Fox Newss @BillFOXLA says of the border crisis in Del Rio, Texas: Its like another world down here  the conditions here are absolutely horrible.#BidenBorderCrisispic.twitter.com/S171llsPZb  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 20, 2021

Border Patrol calling in the cavalry, literally, at the international bridge here in Del Rio. Mounted units heading to the rivers edge to patrol for anymore migrants trying to cross illegally. Yesterday, they forced several migrants back into Mexico who tried to cross. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/GpbzHnV9V2  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 20, 2021

NEW: From our @FoxNews drone, a look at the migrant camp under the international bridge in Del Rio this morning, where thousands migrants remain after they crossed into the US illegally. pic.twitter.com/06sUY2XCi5  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 19, 2021

The mass illegal crossings were the last straw for Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who has begun to demand that GOP Gov. Greg Abbott simply disregard the Biden regime altogether since the president refuses to live up to his oath of office and the Constitution and enforce all laws, including those against illegal immigration.

Roy joined Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Thursday and ripped the current regime for failing to enforce laws and protect Americans.

This is happening right now, and this president does not care. Article four, section four guarantees us a republican form of government and that the president and the federal government is supposed to protect us from invasion, Roy said.

He is failing, and he is willfully disregarding his duty to enforce the laws of the United States and faithfully execute the laws of the United States, the Republican added.

Not only is it impeachable, but I believe that the governor of Texas ought to start disregarding this president and start taking into our own hands in Texas the need to secure the border of the United States for the welfare of the people.

Not just us, but the migrants getting abused in the name  in the false name of compassion by Democrats who like to pat themselves on the back, Roy added.

Sen. Ted Cruz, another Texas Republican, also went to the border to document the situation and to blast the regime for inaction.

I am on the ground in Del Rio, Texas tonight. As of this moment, there are 10,503 illegal aliens under the Del Rio International Bridge, he wrote. This manmade disaster was caused by Joe Biden.

I am on the ground in Del Rio, Texas tonight. As of this moment, there are 10,503 illegal aliens under the Del Rio International Bridge. This manmade disaster was caused by Joe Biden. #BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/VpzkrH1zyb  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 17, 2021

By Monday, the regime had been pressured into resuming repatriation flights of the migrants back to Haiti, but only because Biden was busted. Roy is right; if Texas and other border states want some security, theyre going to have to create their own and simply ignore this White House.

Sources include:

WesternJournal.com

OpenBorders.news
(Natural News) After publishing a fraudulent study claiming that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) could not have originated in a laboratory, The Lancet is suddenly shifting gears by calling for a new open and transparent debate about the subject.

Sixteen scientists published an alternative view in The Lancet challenging the earlier paper, which we now know was authored by compromised scientists with direct ties to Wuhan, China, where the Chinese Virus is believed to have been cooked up in a lab.

These 16 scientists who authored the new study say that there is an urgent need to evaluate all hypotheses on a rational basis, and to weigh their likelihood based on facts and evidence, devoid of speculation concerning possible political impacts. As it turns out, this has not yet happened.

Instead, the world has been spoon-fed plandemic lies and propaganda from the likes of Tony Fauci, whom we now know was fully complicit in sending American taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinas only known level-four biosafety lab.

According to these same scientists, there is also no direct support for the natural origin of SARS-CoV-2, and a laboratory-related accident is plausible.

To call it an accident is, of course, being generous. Chances are, this was planned all along to be released as a bioweapon that is now being actively spread by those who took the vaccines and are now walking spike protein factories.

The Lancets February 2020 statement, the new paper says, imparted a silencing effect on the wider scientific debate. Consequently, the truth has been shrouded in secrecy, deception and distraction.

Lets have a full investigation into the Wuhan Flu, shall we?

Real science embraces alternative hypotheses, the authors argue, along with contradictory arguments, verification, refutability, and controversy. It does not just congratulate China for its supposed transparency  a laughable concept.

There was never a proper investigation done into the WIV or any other Chinese entity tied to Fauci and his co-conspirators. In fact, the whole thing was pretty much swept under the rug by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other public health authorities.

China fiercely resisted a full and unrestricted probe into the origins of the outbreak by the World Health Organisation, resulting in what is widely considered to be a neutered investigation, reported the DailyMail Online.

The subsequent report, published in March, concluded the SARS-CoV-2 virus probably passed to humans from a bat via another unidentified species. It all but dismissed the theories that the virus was engineered in a laboratory, or was a natural virus that escaped from a lab.

Even WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus later admitted that his agencys report on the phone investigation was not extensive enough. And yet there still has not been a real investigation launched since.

It might seem small, but after 18 months of complete denial, the very act of [The] Lancet agreeing to publish this letter acknowledging the origins of Covid-19 remains an open verdict, is a very big deal, stated Prof. Nikolai Petrovsky, one of the signatories on the new paper.

For a leading medical journal like Lancet to agree to finally open its doors to a letter from scientists highlighting the ongoing uncertain origins of Covid-19, indicates how far we have come in 18 months in requesting an open scientific debate on the topic, but also indicates just how far we still have to go.

What many people still want to know is when the Chinese Virus is going to be isolated, purified, identified and certified as being novel. Since the tests were designed to find influenza, how do we know for sure that there was ever a novel bioweapon in circulation prior to the release of the vaccines?

The latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

Infowars.com

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) The government of Washington State has stealth edited a public jobs listing that called for hiring strike team consultants for an isolation and quarantine facility located in Centralia, WA (see link below). After news about the job listing went viral, the job listing was altered to remove the term strike team from the job title as well as the duties section of the job description.

The original URL of the job posting also contained the strike team term, but it was replaced by a new URL lacking the term. You can see the original URL in this link.

We are also showing screen shots of the original listing below.

As part of the stealth editing, the Washington government also removed strike team from the following duties description:

Maintaining the readiness of the isolation and quarantine strike team, facilities, and equipment.

After the job listing was edited, that duty description at first read:

Maintaining the readiness of the facilities and equipment.

Notice that this duty description removed the terms strike team as well as isolation and quarantine.

That duty description line was later edited yet again to include comments about doing laundry and making beds. So now they want us to believe that a job listing for strike teams actually means people who will make beds and do laundry.

Maintaining the readiness of the facility and equipment which includes ensuring contractors have cleaned the facility adequately. Staff may also be responsible for making beds, doing laundry, and restocking supplies.

Really? They want us to believe this? (Gee, I thought I was joining a kick-ass strike force assault team, and all they have me doing is the f##king laundry!)

See the original job listing screen shots below:

Strike team refers to an armed government assault force that uses violence to achieve its goals of medical kidnapping

When governments use the term strike team, they are of course referring to a heavily armed assault team that uses violence (or the threat of violence) to achieve its goals. In this case, their goal is obviously medical kidnapping.

The purpose of the strike team is to raid the homes of unvaccinated people and force them into quarantine / death camps at gunpoint, after which many will likely be exterminated. Their deaths, of course, will be blamed on covid.

Nowhere in the history of any government, anywhere in the world, have strike teams sat around folding laundry and making beds, which is the current (laughable) cover story now appearing in the edited job listing. Do they really think we will swallow that one? Hurry, go get more pillow cases send in the strike team!

The fact that government goons in Washington State first posted the job description as a strike team ad, and then later tried to surreptitiously remove the term from the listings in order to hide it, reveals a shocking level of deception.

The informed American people already know that governors like Inslee, by interfering with ivermectin and other lifesaving, low-cost medications that could be saving lives right now, are culpable in the deliberate mass deaths of covid victims, most of whom are actually victims of the spike protein bioweapons jabs that are falsely labeled vaccines.

Its clear that rogue governments in Australia, New Zealand, France, the UK and other countries are gearing up for the planned mass extermination of their own populations, with covid death camps under construction and being celebrated as a kind of final solution to the pandemic.

In Australia, covid quarantine camp prisoners are threatened with being gassed by the police enforcers there:

In the United States, the CDCs quarantine stations map reveals a nationwide network of death camps already in existence. The CDCs green zones document that describes the operating goals of such camps has no plans for any healthy person to leave such facilities while explaining the CDC plans to meet minimum humanitarian standards for the operations of such camps.

Its also clear from that same document that the CDC plans to separate families by force, using strike force teams to remove people from their homes, rip them from their families, and force them into covid death camps against their will.

Adding to the red alert situation for all this, fake president Joe Biden  an illegal imposter waging war against America  recently signed an executive order adding measles to the list of diseases for which a person can be medically kidnapped and thrown into a quarantine death camp.

This means, of course, that the criminal government plans to diagnose people with measles  no doubt using fraudulent PCR tests that can fake any infection  in order to kidnap them and throw them into quarantine death camps. Theres little question that political dissidents will suddenly be diagnosed with measles so that this can all be swept under the canopy of public health.

Washington Gov. Inslee is a war criminal waging war against the people of Washington, just like Fauci, Biden, Walensky and others are war criminals waging war against the entire population of the United States. Now all the signs are readily apparent that they are gearing up for mass medical arrests across the country, followed by mass executions and mass graves. Theres little doubt they will also attempt to target unvaccinated people, since those are the ones most likely to survive the spike protein culling attempt and very likely engage in resistance against the global government genocide agenda thats now under way.

Todays Situation Update podcast tells the whole story, via Brighteon.com:

Brighteon.com/e63ae2e0-624c-4438-a59f-3e94eca665cd

Discover new interviews and podcasts each day at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport
(Natural News) New figures suggest that nearly nine out of every 10 people in the United Kingdom between the ages of 16 and 24 already have antibodies to protect themselves against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

These estimates come from the U.K.s Office for National Statistics (ONS), which carried out blood tests on people between the ages of 16 and 24 in the countrys four main political subdivisions  Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

According to the estimates, 86.9 percent of young people in Wales have COVID-19 antibodies. In Northern Ireland, the number is 87.2 percent. In Scotland and England, this number increases slightly to 88.7 percent.

The presence of coronavirus antibodies among such a high percentage of young people all over the U.K. suggests that many have already been infected by COVID-19 and have recovered from it. It takes two to three weeks after infection for the body to make enough antibodies to fight off the virus if it tries to enter a persons body again.

The ONS also carried out blood tests on other age demographics. The government agency also found that artificial antibody levels among older age groups who were the first to get vaccinated in Dec. 2020 were falling very quickly.

The government agency also found that older age groups that have artificial antibody levels from being the first to get the COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020 and early 2021 were falling very rapidly.

The ONS and many British scientists even admitted that the so-called antibodies provided by the vaccines dip several weeks following injection, and they have also acknowledged that this means the supposed protection the inoculations give disappears over time.

Unfortunately, this data has not spurred on the British government to hold off on continuing the countrys unsuccessful mass vaccination program. Instead, government ministers are now pushing to provide booster doses to people over 50, people who are immunocompromised and healthcare workers.

The British government falsely believes that providing even more vaccines will help keep people from getting infected. (Related: Unvaccinated people have already achieved herd immunity, while the VACCINATED are now getting sick as their vaccines fail.)

If more people are not scared into getting vaccinated, the government is planning to coerce the British population by threatening to force people to wear masks in public and work from home. Worse yet, the government has not ruled out instituting another lockdown if the vaccination rate does not rise.

Many people around the world already have natural immunity to COVID-19

The U.K. is not the only country in the world with a high rate of natural immunity to COVID-19. In Mumbai, India, nearly 90 percent of the residents of the city already have COVID-19 antibodies, according to a survey that was just released on Friday.

The survey was conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the main civic body that governs Mumbai. The survey involved giving people blood serum tests between August and early September. This was done on 8,674 adult residents of Mumbai.

According to the results of the survey, 88.29 percent of women and 85.07 percent of men in Mumbai already have COVID-19 antibodies from natural immunity.

The survey also found that a slightly higher percentage of people living in crowded slum areas of Mumbai had COVID-19 antibodies. According to the survey, 87.02 percent of people in slum areas had COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 86.22 percent of people living in non-slum areas.

The previous survey conducted in March of this year found that around a third of the population of Mumbai already had natural immunity to COVID-19. The survey found that 41.6 percent of people in slums and 28.5 percent in non-slums already had COVID-19 antibodies.

Learn more about how natural immunity protects people from COVID-19 better than the supposed immunity provided by the vaccines by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheGuardian.com

EuroNews.com

IndianExpress.com
A dangerous fire ignited at a Williamson County pet resort on the 18th of September which was on Saturday, causing the death of around 75 animals.

Life-threatening Fire at Ponderosa Pet Resort

Chief John Sullivan from the Georgetown Fire Department confirmed Sunday that the dangerous fire took place on the 19th of Sept. at around 11:05 p.m. at Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown.

Sullivan says when crews got to the location, they saw massive fire and smoke - people were convinced the animals died from smoke inhalation. There were no humans inside amid the fire.

On Sunday, Sullivan said: "The building was not occupied by humans, but by no indication do I want to lead anyone to believe that that is any less tragic. It is extremely heart-wrenching for us as first responders. My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly the location we were going to."

Crews will make effort to retrieve the animals' remains to take them to families, GFD said.

Also Read: Homeless Man Risks Life to Rescue Animals at a Burning Shelter

Chicago Kennel Fire

Ponderosa offers services including grooming, training, and boarding. Owner Phillip Paris who is a dog trainer and former City of Georgetown police officer found the resort more than 10 years ago. On Sunday, the owner together with the department and expresses sympathy to families that lost their pets, GFD said.

Deadly fires at facilities that accommodate pets have taken place across the country in the past. Back in 2019, the Chicago kennel fire took the lives of 31 dogs and this made Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker approve a law that requires kennels to always have workers constantly and also remain equipped with fire alarms and sprinklers.

Earlier this 2021, a fire at a dog kennel in Bardstown, Kentucky, led to the death of about 50 dogs. The fire spared one female, who recently gave birth to six puppies who also lost their lives.

What Could Have Ignited the Fire?

A court case in 2017 in Washington D.C. was about a pet owner who took a boarding facility to court after another dog killed her teacup Yorkie. The owner of the dog claimed the facility was careless. The facility denied the claims of negligence and called the death a "freak accident."

GFD says it hasn't gotten to the point of discovering what led to the fire, but crews have established where it started. The department says it's making a lot of effort know what prompted the fire as quickly as possible.

Sullivan concluded on Sunday saying, "We encourage people not to minimize this. It's a big deal when you lose an extension of your family... My heart goes out - because it was unfair that I could go home last night and give my dog Rockford the biggest hug possible. He's my comfort, he's my confidante. And many of these family members have had that ripped out from them now."

Related Article: 100 Animals Dead: Overnight Fire Ravaged Indianapolis Pet Store

For more news, updates about wildfires and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Authorities announced on Monday that lava streaming from Spain's Canary Islands' first volcanic eruption in 50 years has forced the evacuation of 5,500 people and destroyed roughly 100 homes, but the streams are moving slower than expected.

A volcanic eruption on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma sent lava shooting into the air https://t.co/zHtAdff0Js  pic.twitter.com/2iaC1PfDey  Reuters (@Reuters) September 20, 2021

According to an authority, the molten rock flow will not reach the Atlantic Ocean on Monday evening as expected. However, experts predict that it will result in further explosions and hazardous gas clouds if and when it happens.

"Lava is moving considerably more slowly now than it was before... During the day, there hasn't been much progress, "Miguel Angel Morcuende, the local emergency coordinator, addressed a press conference on Monday evening. He estimated that the stream had reached roughly halfway to the coast.

A New Stream Erupted

Late Monday, a new stream of lava erupted from the volcano, requiring the evacuation of inhabitants in El Paso, according to the regional emergency service.

On Sunday, the volcano erupted, throwing lava hundreds of meters into the air, consuming forests, and dumping molten rock into the sea over a sparsely populated section of La Palma, the Canaries archipelago's northwesternmost island.

Drone footage recorded two tongues of black lava ripping a catastrophic gash through the landscape as they descended the volcano's western face towards the sea, although no fatalities or injuries have been reported.

According to a Reuters witness, the torrent of molten rock slowly ripped its way into a house in Los Campitos, burning the interior and spreading flames through the windows and onto the roof.

Residents are worrying

According to regional emergency administrator Jorge Parra, around 100 residences were impacted by the volcano's eruption, who added that locals should not be concerned about their health and safety if they follow the authorities' instructions.

Officials say six routes on the island were closed.

Related Article: After Weeks of Buildup, Volcano on a Spanish Island Near Morocco Erupted



Causing a Significant Damage

Angel Victor Torres, the regional leader, predicted that the damage would be significant. But, he continued, "It is still active and will be active for the next three days."

"It was horrific," Eva, a 53-year-old Austrian tourist, said. "We were awakened by an earthquake that began in the morning... Then, at three o'clock in the afternoon, a lady from our residence arrived and told us that we needed to pack everything and leave right away."

"We're glad to be going home now," she remarked as she boarded a flight back to the United States after cutting her stay short.

Tourism's Attempt to Mitigate the Situation

Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto described the eruption as a "great show" that would bring more people to the archipelago's tourism-dependent archipelago - statements that the opposition slammed at a time when many inhabitants have lost their homes.

Some of the tourists at the airport were not convinced by Maroto. Wienard, a 55-year-old social worker from Salzburg, stated, "We want to leave as soon as possible."

But there was one delighted guest.

Kabirly, a market researcher from Belgium, remarked, "I felt like a little child inside, very happy." "It was also my birthday just a few days ago, so it was a candle on the island cake!"

Following the eruption, about 360 visitors were evacuated from a resort in La Palma and transported by boat to the neighboring island of Tenerife early Monday, according to a representative for ferry operator Fred Olsen. Over 500 tourists were forced to abandon their lodgings.

Halting Maritime Activities

Maritime authorities halted ships to the west of the island on Monday due to limited visibility.

After thousands of earthquakes were registered in Cumbre Vieja over a week, La Palma was placed on high alert. Cumbre Vieja is part of a chain of volcanoes that last had a large eruption in 1971 and is one of the Canaries' most active volcanic zones.

On Monday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid a visit to some of the impacted districts and talked with officials, later praising the emergency personnel's response on Twitter.

After a local airline canceled four flights between islands, the Enaire civil aviation body stated airspace surrounding the Canaries remained open with no visibility issues.

Also Read: Satellite Images Show Europe's Most Active Volcano Mt. Etna as it Erupts for 50th Time This Year

For more news updates about what's happening to our environment, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Scientists believe that recent significant weather-related outages across the country and the potential of more highlight the urgent need to move to a flexible and distributed resources power system that eliminates the emissions that exacerbate the climate catastrophe.

"Many don't understand the true intricacies of grid reliability and expansion," said Mark Ahlstrom, vice president of renewable energy policy at NextEra Energy Resources and NextEra Analytics, and president of engineering think tank Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) , in an interview with Utility Dive.

Clean Electricity Goal

According to Ahlstrom, the Biden target of 100 percent clean electricity by 2035 necessitates quadrupling the current annual rate of renewables construction and maintaining it for 15 years, and "we usually overestimate how much can be done in the short term." "However, I am hopeful because we also underestimate how much can be accomplished in the long run."

Georgia Institute of Technology Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Emily Grubert agreed that the current power system's apparent stability will be transferred to a new system that "will eventually be just as reliable." However, overcoming the transition's issues, while neither the current nor the new system is fully operational, "will necessitate winning the trust of electricity customers by being transparent about what's going to happen."

Road to Net Zero

The Road to Net Zero, published by the Edison Electric Institute, and Net Zero America, published by Princeton University, contain lofty aspirations.

According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) May reliability assessment of North America's power system, there are already genuine risks of unserved power demand for system operators in California, Texas, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and New England moving toward those goals.

Related Article: Thousands of Environmental Scientists and Academics are Calling for a "Non-Proliferation Treaty" on Fossil Fuel



Important Deciding Factors

Potential costs and outages from introducing new solutions should be disclosed, according to various analysts, to minimize widespread and political backlash that could stymie the energy transition's success.

According to NERC, parts of North America are under "elevated risk of the energy crisis," and the late-summer wildfire season in the West will exacerbate the threat to power system resilience. NERC emphasized that power producers, regulators, system operators, and other organizations should maintain "the greatest vigilance."

According to power providers and analysts, a net-zero emissions power system will require new operational approaches, substantial expenses, and additional transmission and generation land.

Operations

According to John Simonelli, engineers are passionate about a successful power system transition, managing director of power sector consultant Flashover and a former ISO New England executive and NERC consultant. "With this change, good engineers can overcome the operational dependability challenges."

However, Simonelli claims that tight mandates and policy goals, varying reliability standards, regulatory lawsuits, and self-interested stakeholders "get in the way of engineers doing their job." "People may suffer or even die as a result of going too slowly, as they did in Texas in February."

Costs

New infrastructure and employment training expenditures should be recognized, but those costs can be shared, according to ESIG's Ahlstrom. There will also be advantages, such as lower electricity costs and increased work opportunities. "A national good because it is the essential infrastructure of a modern economy, and if taxpayers pay, we all come out ahead," he added of a national transmission system.

Land

Communities must understand why land near them is needed for renewables and transmission, according to Stenclik, Grubert, and others.

"A universal support system is crucial to success," she continued. Communities will enable the shift provided they understand and trust that their well-being is not jeopardized. "The better the transition will happen, the more we can do to secure their access to healthcare and jobs, as well as their quality of life."

Full Impact of Transitioning

To fully realize the energy transition, stakeholders and analysts agree that modifications must be made to include the demand side of the power system equation.

According to Georgia Tech's Grubert, the full impact of the transition is still unknown. "The focus is on denial, but what people are trying to defend is ignored. We can either endeavor to minimize harms or fail to do so, but if we want a just and clean energy system, we must be cautious in our transition."

Also Read: IPCC Report Blames Human Activity For Worsening Climate Disasters

For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
The Biden administration aims to protect workers and communities from severe heat following an extremely hot summer that incited an aggressive wildfire aggravated by drought which led to hundreds of deaths from the Pacific Northwest to hurricane-impacted Louisiana.

The Silent Killer

Under a plan publicized on Monday, the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services along with other federal agencies are beginning actions with the intention of reducing heat-related sickness and protect the health of people, including a suggested workplace heat standard.

Gina McCarthy, White House climate adviser referred to heat stress as a "silent killer" that extremely affects the poor, elderly and minority groups. The heat stress isn't as dramatic as hurricanes or wildfires, but it is a significant, actual threat that has lethal consequences, McCarthy said in an interview.

She said: "Many people don't recognize that heat stress is a real physical problem until it's too late for them.

An attempt to look into heat stress comes as President Joe Biden is partnering with leaders around the world to decide on the next steps against climate change that is rapidly getting worst.

Also Read: Extreme Heat is Blanketing US, Putting Over 81 Million Residents Under Heat Warning

Heat-related Illnesses and Deaths

On Friday the president publicized a pledge with the European Union to cut methane leaks that are destroying the climate, and he is supposed to address climate change when he visits the United Nations on Tuesday.

Pacific Northwest's June heatwave which was aggravated by climate change, prompted hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospital visitations for illnesses related to the heat.

In Louisiana, over a million people, including the whole New Orleans city, were without power when Hurricane Ida hit the region on the 29th of August. At least 12 of the 28 deaths caused by Ida in Louisiana were prompted by the heat, as per the Louisiana Health Department.

The Labor Department is starting off a program as part of the administration's plan to safeguard outdoor workers, including construction, agricultural, and delivery workers, and also those working indoors in factories, warehouses, and kitchens.

Outdoor workers at a very high risk of heat stroke and other problems are farm and construction workers, the White House said. But workers that lack climate-controlled environments also deal with risks.

The New Rule

Citing National Weather Service data that the primary weather-related killer now in America is extreme heat, Biden said: "Rising temperatures pose an imminent threat to millions of American workers exposed to the elements, to kids in schools without air conditioning, to seniors in nursing homes without cooling resources, and particularly to disadvantaged communities.''

Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is ready to issue a new rule concerning the prevention of heat sickness in outdoor and indoor work environments and will focus workplace inspections and interventions on periods when the heat index is more than 26.7 degrees Celsius (80 F).

Additionally, the administration will enlarge its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in order to improve programs to address the excessive heat, the White House said.

The administration is also making effort to expand the use of schools and other public structures as cooling centers, a program McCarthy referred to as life-saving.

Related Article: Millions of Poor Household in US Suffer More From Effects of Extreme Heat

For more news, updates about heat waves and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Norwich preacher pays ultimate price for mission

Tributes have been paid to a courageous Norwich Methodist preacher, who gave up everything and moved to Pakistan to follow Gods call to serve the poorest of the poor, and who has died suddenly. Keith Morris reports.

Four years ago Colin Gillett, a local preacher in the Norwich Methodist Circuit, upped sticks and moved from Norfolk to Lahore in Pakistan on a mission for life to work with orphans and street children.



Colin travelled to Pakistan in August 2017 where he dedicated his life to the poor, street children, orphans and the brick kiln communities of the slum areas of Lahore.



He married Christian Pakistani lawyer, Sunita Nayab, whose family were already supporting a local orphanage, and the couple started work on their personal mission. They opened a school for poor and orphaned children where high quality, non-religious education is provided for free.



Sunita said: Colin freed many brick kiln people from modern-day slavery, started a foodbank for poor and brick kiln communities and a shelter and food programme for strays or homeless dogs under the umbrella of One World Welfare Organisation (OWWM). He did lots of good deeds and the children and people loved him.



Colin suffered long-term from the debilitating Crohns Disease which flared up again recently and caused him to pass away from cardio-respiratory failure on September 7.



Colin was a wonderful husband, friend, teacher and, above all, a wonderful human who touched the lives of those around him and many other people as well, said Sunita. As a husband he was more than a family could ask for and I am lost without him.



Norwich Methodist minister, Rev Sharon Willimott, said: As a long-standing friend and fellow Methodist preacher, I admired Colins response to the call of God in his life to devote his time and energy to the poorest of the poor. He knew it would be a costly call and in the end he paid the ultimate price for it.



Norwich Methodist minister, Rev Nigel Fox, paid tribute, saying: "Colin has always been an inspiration. From our first conversation, when he told me of his call to preach and I was able to lead him in a prayer of commitment to Jesus, then through his baptism and his early work with Foodbank and in training to become a Local Preacher - all the while battling with acute pain of long-term Crohn's disease, he inspired.


Policy, Performance & Compliance Co-ordinator

YMCA Norfolk is looking for a Policy, Performance & Compliance Co-Ordinator to ensure compliance and consistency with regard to the implementation of our policies and procedures.

Position: Policy, Performance & Compliance Co-Ordinator

Pay: 12.26 per hour

Location: YMCA Norfolk Offices

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours per week: 22.5hr  30hr per week



Job Role:

To ensure compliance and consistency with regard to the implementation of our policies and procedures. To monitor quality of services and compliance with external quality standards.

Further information can be found at  YMCAN JD Policy Performance and Compliance Co-ordinator

The Organisation:

YMCA Norfolk is a great place to work, offering meaningful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of young people. Working at YMCA Norfolk is an opportunity to be a part of an organisation which is challenging, innovative, rewarding and fun! We place young people at the heart of all we do and are committed to building an organisation that is responsive to the needs of young people and our stakeholders. By supporting our staff and volunteers to develop their talent and ideas, together we can make a difference.



What youll get in return:

Health and wellbeing events and activities

Family friendly policies

In service training opportunities

Annual staff day and staff awards to celebrate our successes

Regular support

Staff discount at Stepping Stones Cafe

What to do next:

For more information on this role, please contact Beth Powell on on 01603 340852 or at beth.powell@ymcanorfolk.org



To apply, please complete an Application Form and a Survey Form and forward along with a copy of your CV to careers@ymcanorfolk.org



Closing date for applications: Thursday 14th October 2021 at 12pm



Interview date: TBC



This role may be closed earlier than the above date in the case of a large number of applications being received.



YMCA Norfolk is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.



Please note the successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced / Standard DBS check prior to starting employment.

www.ymcanorfolk.or








The Democratic speaker of the Oregon House on Monday rescinded a deal she made with Republicans to share power as lawmakers redraw political boundaries and add an additional U.S. House seat for the state.

The now defunct agreement made earlier this year had drawn national attention because Democrats, who have overwhelming majorities in the Legislature, had agreed to give up that redistricting advantage as they determine how voters will pick state representatives, state senators and members of Congress for the next five election cycles.

House Speaker Tina Kotek's about face means her Democratic Party will likely end up with five U.S. House seats to the GOP's one. Currently, Democrats control four of the five House seats in Oregon.

Republican lawmakers accused Democrats of gerrymandering  the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to win an unfair political advantage.

What has just occurred is shameful and lacks integrity," Rep. David Brock Smith, a Republican, said on the House floor. It shows the lack of ability to keep your word.

Representative Shelly Boshart Davis, who is now the sole Republican on the three-person House congressional redistricting committee that is tasked with creating and voting on the new map  described Kotek's decision as egregious."

The maps that we are looking at are unfair, and the only way they are going through is by cheating, Boshart said.

In a statement Kotek said she was disappointed that after many months of work, House Republicans did not engage constructively despite many attempts to address their concerns and lead to her decision to void the standing deal.

In April during the 2021 legislative session Kotek made the deal with Republicans that in exchange for the GOP to stop blocking bills with delaying tactics Kotek would evenly split the House Redistricting Committee  essentially granting veto power to the GOP.

The deal gave Republicans a weightier say over what the six congressional districts and the states 90 legislative districts will look like.

The Senate on Monday passed the Democrats' congressional redistricting bill by a vote of 18-11. The House will reconvene Tuesday morning.

Its unclear whether Koteks maneuver will work. Republicans could react to the breach of the earlier deal by walking away from the Capitol to deny Democrats a quorum.

The Democrats map proposes that new congressional District 6 should be south of Portland, Oregons biggest city, and west of Interstate 5. Republicans also put it south of Portland, but on the east side of the interstate.

If maps are not passed by Sept. 27, the task will fall to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a progressive Democrat who few Republicans would want to see in charge of that process.

Lawmakers have succeeded in passing redistricting plans just twice since 1911.

___

Cline, who reported from Portland, Oregon, is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
He pushed us and gave us advice and was our biggest cheerleader. There were several times when it go hard. He said, Hey, just keep going and its going to pay off one of these days, Katie Stewart said of her grandfather.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
There is no consensus on when to introduce cardioprotective treatment in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), and practice varies widely. A new study published in the Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases concludes that starting treatment with an ACE inhibitor as soon as cardiac function drops below the lower limit of the normal range reduces the risk of patients developing severe cardiomyopathy and heart failure, which are common outcomes in BMD.

The prevention of endstage heart failure, one of the most common causes of death in patients with BMD, is central in their management. BMD is a form of muscular dystrophy related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in that both result from a mutation in the dystrophin gene, but with a milder course in the case of BMD. The latest practice guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommend prescribing an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-i) for patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy when left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) falls below 40%. There is, however, no consensus on when to start treatment in patients with BMD.

While there is extensive literature showing a beneficial effect of cardioprotective treatments such as ACE inhibitors in DMD, thus far there was only limited evidence of a similar effect in BMD. As a result, there is no consensus to date among experts in the field of neuromuscular cardiomyopathies. And there remains a great variability regarding the use of ACE inhibitors in BMD from one country to another and from one center to another. Should this treatment be initiated when cardiac function is normal like in DMD? Or when overt cardiac failure is present (left ventricular ejection below 40%) as recommended in the general population? Or somewhere in between? We wanted to fill that gap." Karim Wahbi, MD, PhD, AP-HP, Lead Investigator, Myology Institute; Cochin Hospital; Universite de Paris; and Inserm, UMRS, Paris, France

The investigators sought to determine if starting treatment with an ACE inhibitor earlier than recommended by practice guidelines issued by professional societies improves the long-term cardiac outcomes of patients with BMD. They analyzed data retrospectively from 183 patients entered in a French multicenter registry of BMD between January 1990 and April 2019 using a complex statistical analysis called propensity score analysis. They found that the long-term cardiac outcome of patients with BMD was significantly better when treatment with an ACE inhibitor was introduced earlier than recommended in the current practice guidelines.

Among patients with early treatment (when LVEF was below 50%) versus conventional treatment (when LVEF was below 40%), fewer than 4% were hospitalized for management of heart failure compared to 11.8% who were treated conventionally, and 17.6% versus 29.4% had a decrease in LVEF below 35%.

The magnitude of benefit conferred by ACE inhibitors in this study of patients with BMD is similar to that observed in an earlier randomized study of patients with DMD, adding support to their high efficacy in the prevention of myocardial dysfunction, especially when introduced early in the course of the disease.

"This is the first study to show that treatment with an ACE inhibitor can be beneficial for long-term cardiac health in patients with BMD, reducing the risk of developing severe cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Furthermore, it provides important information on the best moment to start ACE inhibitors, as soon as cardiac function drops below the lower limit of the normal range," noted Dr. Wahbi. We hope these results will result in a larger and earlier use of ACE inhibitors for patients with BMD worldwide."
Exposure to neighborhood gun violence is associated with increased odds of mental health-related pediatric Emergency Department (ED) visits among children living within four to five blocks of a shooting, according to research by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study revealed a significant increase in pediatric mental-health related ED visits following incidents of neighborhood gun violence, most pronounced in the two weeks after the shooting, among children residing closest to where the violence occurred, and among children exposed to multiple shootings.

Gun violence affects the whole community, beyond the victims who are personally injured. Now that we have confirmed exposure to shootings negatively impacts the mental health of children, we can work to develop ways to provide preventive and responsive support for children and families exposed to neighborhood gun violence." Aditi Vasan, MD, MSHP, lead author, instructor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine and a pediatric hospitalist and health services researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Using data from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), researchers examined how many ED visits for children age 1.5 to 11.5 years old from 12 Philadelphia ZIP codes were primarily for mental health concerns, such as PTSD, depression, intentional ingestion of harmful substances, and other psychiatric emergencies. Then, they cross-referenced the Philadelphia Police Department's repository of shootings on the city's open data website to determine how many of these children were exposed to gun violence in the 60 days prior to the ED visit. A child was considered exposed to gun violence if they lived within a quarter mile (4-5 blocks) of the reported shooting. As a control, researchers also evaluated the cases of mental-health related ED visits in the 60 days prior to a shooting as well.

Of the 54,341 patients included in the study, 43,143 had one or more ED visits in the 60 days following a shooting, and 42,913 had one or more ED visits in the 60 days prior to a shooting. Of the 2,629 shooting incidents in the data set, 814 (31%) had one or more corresponding mental health-related ED visits in the 60 days following the shooting. Children residing within an eighth of a mile, or 2-3 blocks of an episode of gun violence, had greater odds of having a mental health-related ED visit.

"Symptoms of mental health distress in children appear within days of being exposed to a single shooting. What's more, in Philadelphia and other cities across the United States, gun violence disproportionately affects Black children and families, adding to existing health disparities," said senior author Eugenia South, MD, MSHP, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Faculty Director of the Penn Urban Health Lab. "This research underscores the need to develop public health interventions aimed at both reducing children's exposure to gun violence and mitigating the mental health symptoms associated with this exposure."

The authors recommend a number of interventions that can help reduce community violence and mitigate the health impacts of violence, such as safe storage of firearms and background check laws, as well as funding mental health services and violence prevention programs. Additionally, they suggest that health systems can partner with community-based organizations to provide preventive and responsive support for children and families exposed to neighborhood gun violence, such as proactively reaching out to families of children known to a health system who live close to a shooting in the days or weeks after that shooting, to offer mental health resources and support.
Using the internet during your retirement years can boost your cognitive function, a new study has found.

Researchers from Lancaster University Management School, the Norwegian University Science and Technology and Trinity College Dublin examined the cognitive function of more than 2,000 retired people from across Europe, and found that post-retirement internet usage is associated with substantially higher scores on tests.

The study, published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, uses data drawn from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) that collects information about the health, employment history and socio-economic status of older people.

Focusing on a sample of 2,105 older people from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland who have been retired since 2004, researchers examined retirees' cognitive function in both 2013 and 2015. They specifically focused on a word recall test, where individuals were asked to recall a list of 10 words immediately, and then again five minutes later.

Results found that, on average, people who used the internet after they retired were able to recall 1.22 extra words in the recall test compared to non-internet users. However, retirees who used the internet were also more likely to be male, younger, better educated, and have been retired for a shorter period. They also appear to be in better health  even though they drink and smoke more*.

Our results reveal that using the internet, post-retirement, leads to a marked reduction in the rate of cognitive decline. Interestingly, this protective effect was found to be most significant amongst women, with female retirees who regularly surfed the internet able to recall 2.37 more words compared to women who didn't go online. The results were also consistent among men, with retired internet users able to recall 0.94 more words than men with similar characteristics who didn't use the internet. We also found that retirees who used computers in their jobs before retirement were more likely to keep using computers once they retired, and hence had better cognitive function." Dr Vincent O'Sullivan, Co-Author, Lancaster University Management School

Researchers compared the cognitive function of retirees who used to work in jobs where computers were commonplace to retirees who worked in jobs where computers weren't often used. For example, among teachers, computers became common in the workplace much later than sectors such as financial services. Their results revealed that people with pre-retirement exposure to computers were more likely to continue to use them once they retired.

Among the overall results, the researchers also found a stark difference in the patterns of internet usage between European countries, with no more than 12% of retirees using the internet in Italy, compared to over 60% in Denmark.

"Research has shown that retirement from the workforce is a critical period for cognitive function, which declines with age and can be a predictor for a range of key health outcomes among older people," said co-author Likun Mao, formerly a PhD student at Lancaster but now at Trinity College Dublin. "Although there is a widespread belief that computer usage improves older people's cognitive function  such as memory, attention, spatial abilities and problem solving  there has been mixed evidence from previous studies.

"We were able to discern that pre-retirement computer usage does not directly influence post-retirement cognitive decline, and we ensured our results referred only to post-retirement internet usage."

Professor Colin Green, of the Norwegian University Science and Technology, added: "Within our study we estimated statistical models which controlled for individuals' ages, education levels, occupational skills and years since retirement, so we are confident that our results are robust and relate only to the use of the internet, post retirement.

"This sets it apart from other studies and raises the interesting question of what it is about internet use exactly, that drives this positive effect on cognitive function. Interacting with others online, finding out information in order to attend social activities or simple tasks like shopping online can all make life easier for retirees, but we are yet to understand which, if any, of these tasks actually go as far as improving cognitive performance."
Over the past 40 years, people in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer gained 14 million years of additional life thanks to the results of cancer clinical trials conducted by the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) publicly funded National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), according to an analysis to be reported September 20, 2021, at the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

The work, which analyzed the results and impact of 163 randomized, phase III studies published from 1980 through 2019, also found the published results of these NCTN studies have been cited more than 166,000 times, and that more than 80% of the studies influenced treatment guideline recommendations, demonstrating the profound scientific impact of these trials on cancer research and care over the decades.

The analysis was supported by the NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and was designed and led by the SWOG Cancer Research Network, which is part of the NCTN.

SWOG biostatistician and health services researcher Joseph Unger, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, led the analysis.

Our study illustrates the many ways in which federally sponsored trials have benefitted the lives of cancer patients and the scientific field. There are many, many new commonly used treatments available to patients that may never have come into practice without NCTN trials." Joseph Unger, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

SWOG Group Chair Dr. Charles Blanke is senior author on the abstract. "We have always known NCTN research profoundly benefited the lives of people affected by cancer," Blanke said. "Dr. Unger's work quantifies that benefit and demonstrates cooperative research is an incredibly low-cost, high-impact investment."

The NCTN comprises four groups that research cancers in adults (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, NRG Oncology, and SWOG Cancer Research Network) and one group that performs research into childhood cancers (Children's Oncology Group). These groups are the core of a network that runs clinical trials at more than 2,000 academic and community treatment sites across the U.S. and beyond, and they have conducted publicly funded research into effective new cancer treatments for more than half a century.

The current study looked at randomized, phase III treatment trials conducted by the adult NCTN groups. The authors identified 163 trials that had, from 1980 through 2019, reported statistically significant findings in favor of the experimental treatment for at least one clinical, time-dependent outcome. They then estimated life-year gains for the 128 trials that found either statistically significant improvement in overall survival time (91 trials) or a trend to improved overall survival (37 trials) for patients, and they mapped these gains onto the U.S. population of people with cancer. The analysis finds that through 2020 these trial results gave an additional 14.0 million years of life to people with cancer in the U.S.

"Dr Unger's findings are all the more important in this time of increasing costs of clinical research," said Peter J. O'Dwyer, MD, group co-chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and a co-author of the work. "The return to the American people of government-funded investment in better cancer care has been remarkably solid  a huge impact."

And benefits from these NCTN trials are expected to continue to accrue.

"When we project estimates into the future, the estimates get larger very quickly," Unger noted. In fact, the authors projected that by 2030, 23.4 million life years will have been gained based on the same set of trials.

"The results from these cancer clinical trials reflect the experience of participants from both community and academic sites and show a dramatic gain in years of life," said Dr. Meg Mooney, associate director of NCI's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program. "This work demonstrates the impact that cancer clinical trials conducted broadly on a national scale have on the field of cancer research and on people with cancer."

Results from most of the studies were published in either the New England Journal of Medicine (49 trials) or the Journal of Clinical Oncology (72 trials). Those published results have been cited 166,711 times in later publications, an average of 64 citations per year for each trial, influencing subsequent cancer research and guidelines for treating patients with cancer. In fact, more than 80% of the trials were cited in cancer treatment guidelines in favor of recommended treatments

"When we think about reinvigorating the infrastructure of the U.S.," Unger added, "it's important to remember that the NCTN provides critical infrastructure to help prolong the lives of cancer patients."
The long-awaited confirmation of the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cancer has arrived, on time to be disseminated to a global audience at the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO Congress 2021), the leading professional society for medical oncology. With a multitude of studies supporting similar conclusions still to be presented (tomorrow), new research revealed today that individuals with cancer have an appropriate, protective immune response to vaccination without experiencing any more side-effects than the general population. Indirect evidence suggests that a third "booster" shot could further increase the level of protection among this patient population.

As patients with cancer were excluded from the clinical trials conducted to develop the vaccines and support their authorisation for use, the questions of whether the vaccines are safe in this vulnerable population and whether they provide adequate protection against severe forms of COVID-19 to individuals whose immune system may be weakened by various anticancer medicines had until now been left open.

The ESMO annual congress, held for the second time in a virtual format this year in an extra effort to protect our colleagues, has devoted significan efforst to making COVID-19 a priority. The fact that we have received more than 90 abstracts on the topic, with excellent data, is a clear demonstration that this was the right thing to do." George Pentheroudakis, ESMO Chief Medical Officer

Patients with cancer protected regardless of current oncology treatment

To explore the potential impact of chemotherapy and immunotherapy on the protection afforded by vaccination against COVID-19, the VOICE study enrolled 791 patients from multiple hospitals in the Netherlands in four distinct study groups comprising individuals without cancer, cancer patients treated withimmunotherapy, patients treated with chemotherapy and finally patients treated with a chemo-immunotherapy combination, to measure their responses to Moderna's two-dose mRNA-1273 vaccine. At 28 days after administration of the second dose, adequate levels of antibodies to the virus in the blood were found in 84% of patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, 89% of patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy in combination and 93% of patients on immunotherapy alone.

According to ESMO Press Officer Dr. Antonio Passaro, lung cancer expert at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy, not involved in the study, these results compare favourably with the antibody responses seen in almost all (99.6%) of the group of individuals without cancer: "The high rates of efficacy of the vaccine observed across the trial population, regardless of the type of anticancer treatment, constitute a strong and reassuring message for patients and their doctors," he said.

Passaro further highlighted the importance of ensuring complete, two-dose vaccination for patients with cancer to develop enough protective antibodies against the virus, as the trial data also showed that only about one in three of those receiving chemotherapy on its own or in combination with immunotherapy had achieved a sufficient response after their first shot  half as many as in the group of individuals without cancer.

This observation was replicated in a study on the effects of tozinameran (Pfizer-BioNTech) among 232 patients with cancer and 261 control subjects in Israel: while less than a third of individuals with cancer (29%) developed antibodies after receiving the first dose, compared to 84% in the control group, this proportion increased to 86% following administration of the second dose. Further demonstrating the efficacy of the vaccine, only two cases of COVID-19 were reported during the study period, both of which occurred in patients who had not yet received their second shot.

Booster shot could increase efficacy for more patients

Data from the CAPTURE study presented today additionally shows that out of 585 patients with cancer having received two doses of either tozinameran or AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine in the UK, those who had previously contracted COVID-19 (31%) had higher levels of virus-neutralising antibodies, including against variants such as Delta, for which vaccination loses some of its effectiveness. This is separately corroborated by research showing that the antibody response to vaccination was significantly enhanced even after the first dose among patients with cancer who had recovered from COVID-19.

Dr. Luis Castelo-Branco, Medical Oncologist, ESMO Scientific and Medical Division, an expert with no ties to the studies, commented: "These findings lend additional support to the principle of offering the complete cycle, possibly including a third booster dose, to patients with cancer to improve their protection, because it suggests their immune system will respond to the extra stimulation."

A study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that a vaccination boost on people 60 years or older, after 5 months since completing their vaccination cycle, reduced the incidence of Covid-19 and severe illness.

"More data is needed to better understand for whom and when these vaccination boosts should be considered, but in general it would make sense to prioritise all patients with compromised immune function, including patients with cancer"

"Going forward, it will be important to continually reassess the vaccines' effectiveness against new variants of SARS-CoV-2 as they emerge," Castelo-Branco continued, emphasising that special consideration and additional protective measures should be provided to subgroups of patients such as those suffering from blood cancers, more than two thirds (69%) of whom were found in the CAPTURE study to have developed no neutralising antibodies at all against the currently dominant Delta variant following vaccination.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is safe for people with cancer

According to Castelo-Branco, these and other results presented at the ESMO Congress 2021, in reporting no new adverse events, offer conclusive evidence that while being largely effective, anti-COVID vaccination is just as safe for people with cancer as it is for the general population. This is notably demonstrated in a subgroup analysis of 3,813 participants with a history of past or active cancer in the Phase III randomised controlled trial of tozinameran, which shows that the most common side-effects of vaccination were the same  injection-site pain, fatigue, fever, chills, headache and muscle pain  overwhelmingly mild and occurred at a similar frequency as within the overall trial population (44,047 participants).

"Although this trial excluded people on immune-function suppressing anticancer treatment such as chemotherapy, and thus a significant proportion of patients with cancer, taken together with the plethora of complementary data presented it contributes to a comprehensive and positive overall picture of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety that the oncology community worldwide has good reason to rejoice over," said Castelo-Branco.

ESMO President Solange Peters concluded: "Since the very start of the pandemic outbreak, we at ESMO have made it a top priority to secure extra care for our patients: first by educating oncology colleagues throughout these unprecedented events, then by pushing for the prioritisation of COVID-19 vaccination for patients with cancer.The ESMO promise of 'Good Science. Better Medicine. Best Practice' is kept once again, as the wealth of valuable data being presented at ESMO2021 on the use of the anti-COVID vaccines in patients with cancer will allow us to provide practical guidance to the medical community  oncologists and other professionals alike  as well as inform decisions at the highest levels of health policy making."
New research shows that exposure to PFAS chemicals is linked with decreasing nutritional value of breast milk.

It's nearly impossible for people to avoid these harmful chemicals. Therefore, we must show what effects they have and get such toxic chemicals banned." Tuulia Hyotylainen, Professor of Chemistry, Orebro University

The orebro study is the first to show that the chemicals change the composition of breast milk.

"Several things are going on here. Breast milk is becoming less nutritious because chemical exposure causes changes in lipid composition - the fat in breast milk. There's also less fat in the breastmilk. And we also see the increase in saturated fats at the expense of the healthier unsaturated ones," says Tuulia Hyotylainen. The study was conducted together with MatejOresic, professor of medical sciences at orebro University, and with clinical researchers from the University of Helsinki.

Breast milk affects how a baby grows, including brain development, the immune system, and intestinal bacterial flora.

In the study, researchers analysed the mothers' blood and breast milk. They asked questions about what the women ate during their pregnancy. In addition, researchers collected stool samples from the children.

"Several previous epidemiological studies have shown that mothers with higher PFAS levels in their blood had a shortened duration of breastfeeding, but this hasn't been explained. On the other hand, animal studies have shown that PFAS affects the mammary glands, potentially making breastfeeding more difficult."

"We believe that the same thing occurs in humans and is perhaps why women who have higher PFAS levels don't breastfeed as long," says Tuulia Hyotylainen.

PFAS chemicals are transmitted from the mother to the baby during pregnancy and in breast milk. The orebro researchers could see that the chemicals affected the children's gut - they had a less developed bacterial flora.

"Women are advised to avoid certain foods during pregnancy, but they've already accumulated PFAS substances over many years. In other words, these chemicals are stored in the woman's body," says MatejOresic.

While it is difficult to avoid taking in these chemicals, the researchers advise avoiding fast food, as some of the harmful chemicals are found in the fast-food packaging.

"The chemicals are also prevalent in fish, shellfish, and meat, as the concentration of toxin increases in the food-chain. They're also found in food packaging in grocery stores as well as in fruit and vegetables," says Tuulia Hyotylainen.

Even though women cannot avoid these chemicals entirely, they should continue breastfeeding.

"Of course, mothers should continue breastfeeding their babies if they're able to. Breastmilk is the perfect food for newborns, as it's nutritionally adapted to our unique digestive and immune systems. We need to continue our efforts to ensure that these dangerous environmental toxins are banned and phase them out," says Tuulia Hyotylainen.

Researchers at orebro University will proceed with an expanded study of 380 women and their children.

PFAS chemicals

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances are a large class of synthetic chemicals. PFAS are very difficult to break down and are ingested by animals and absorbed by plants. They have been created to repel grease spots, dirt and water. They are common in frying pans, functional clothing, shoes, furniture fabrics, paper and food packaging, firefighting foam and cosmetics.

They are persistent, and many of them have been shown to have a negative impact on health. The EU has decided to ban some 200 PFAS substances beginning February 2023. The new ban is the result of an initiative from Sweden and Germany. Still, there are several thousand PFAS substances currently in circulation.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly across the globe, causing a worldwide health crisis and economic collapse.

As nations begin to recover, researchers from the National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica in Taipei have been looking to identify the changes the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underwent over the course of the pandemic in order to better understand why the disease showed such virulence.

Other coronaviruses have not caused such widespread effect; while there was global worry over both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, neither showed transmission rates as high as COVID-19. The other four coronaviruses that can infect humans only cause mild symptoms.

A preprint version of the groups study is available on the bioRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review.

The spike protein is key to the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 and the earlier SARS-CoV - the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S1 subunit binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which allows viral entry. At the same time, the N-terminal of the spike protein allows for membrane fusion.

Targeting the RBD is most common for vaccines, as it allows neutralizing antibodies to not only target the disease but also prevent it from entering cells. Antibodies generated from natural immunity will normally target these areas of the spike protein, or the nucleocapsid or envelope proteins. The reason vaccines rarely target the N-terminal domain is due to the rapid adaptions seen between variants - antibodies effective against the N-terminal domain of the original strain found in Wuhan, China, mostly lose functionality against the Delta strain.

It is widely thought that SARS-CoV-2 may be zoonotic in nature due to the high similarity from a coronavirus found in bats in the Yunnan Province of China. It is also known that the disease can infect several other species, including hamsters and mice.

Multiple mutations are necessary for such a virus to have such high transmission across several species, each capable of conferring an evolutionary advantage. In both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, these adaptations can clearly be seen in incremental stages prior to developing infectivity in humans. A vast majority of the adaptions seen in the initial SARS-CoV epidemic were seen in the spike protein. Analysis of MERS-CoV sequences revealed the same.

Site frequency spectra of SARS-CoV-2 during the early epidemic (2019/12-2020/2) in humans. (a) Site frequency spectra (SFSs) were inferred using RaTG13 as the outgroup. Significant deviation from neutral expectation under exponential population growth was found in both synonymous (p < 10-5) and nonsynonymous mutations (p < 10-5).

Unlike the previous two coronaviruses that caused severe disease in humans, SARS-CoV-2 does not show adaptive evolution but rather evolves through neutral or purifying selection - with several key exceptions, such as the D614G mutation that increases transmissibility, and the G142D and T951 mutations that help evade the host immune response.

Almost all mutations that affected SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility and immune evasion were spike protein mutations. The authors theorize the lack of adaptive mutations in SARS-CoV-2 is due to either a unique feature present within the disease or the pre-pandemic spread of a less pathogenic strain of SARS-CoV-2. To test these theories, they examined the spread of coronavirus in mink and analyzed nearly 28,000 genomes of SARS-CoV-2. If SARS-CoV-2 was adapted to cross-species transmission, no positive selection should be seen. If SARS-CoV-2 experienced adaptive evolution after crossing to humans, accelerated adaption should also be seen in minks.

(b) SFSs cross-referenced by the phylogeny and date of sampling (see main text for details). Neither synonymous nor nonsynonymous mutations deviate from the neutral expectation.

By aligning the sequences against a reference genome and constructing phylogenies, they could estimate the number of changes per site and examine the data for signatures of positive selection. It appeared that while transmission between humans and minks occurred multiple times, the vast majority of these events did not cause large-scale infection of minks with SARS-CoV-2. However, several newly emerged strains from the Netherlands showed clear-lasting infection and transmission, suggesting that the strain acquired novel mutations that allowed it to sustain pathogenicity in the new host. The spread of mutations also showed a clear pattern showing strong evidence of positive selection during the early epidemic, likely indicating that the virus circulated in humans prior to widespread notice of the pandemic.

The authors emphasize the importance of their study in highlighting the significance of the site of the outbreak as compared to the location of initial infection - as zoonotic diseases may circulate in humans before becoming dangerous, those local to the area where the disease initially jumped species may have some in-built immunity that could provide enough herd immunity to prevent further spread.

They also suggest that it is likely many of these zoonotic events occur - but with the wrong conditions, such as large populations of wild animals mixed with a mobile and crowded human population, the risk of those events escalating into a pandemic is far greater.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behaviour, or treated as established information
As of September 20, 2021, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected over 229 million individuals and caused over 4.69 million deaths globally. COVID-19 vaccinations across the world have rendered some protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions including lockdowns, physical/social distancing, closure of all public establishments, and the wearing of masks/shields have helped significantly from the start of the pandemic to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Policymakers and researchers are assessing the ability of these risk mitigation strategies to provide a safer and healthier space.

Study: Social Capital Dimensions are Differentially Associated with COVID-19 Vaccinations, Masks, and Physical Distancing. Image Credit: Zubada / Shutterstock.com

What is social capital?

In this context, assessing the social capital of a community reflects the value of a community structure. This approach is widely used to understand social determinants of public health.

Social capital is measured using different social elements from different aspects of the community. For example, social capital stemming from family support has been associated with better mental health, better mechanisms for coping with stress, and lower suicide rates.

To better reflect the nature of communities, social capital has further been defined as the quality of the relationship among community members, which is represented in trust and reciprocal aid that derive mutual benefits to all parties.

A new study

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* examines the relationship among public health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic including vaccination, face masking, and physical distancing, and social capital indices in counties in the United States. The researchers of this study found the social capital index and its subindices differentially correlate with different public health behaviors.

Despite the recommendations to be adopted during the pandemic to limit viral transmission and protect self and others, some communities found it difficult to isolate and eliminate social gatherings. Comparatively, other communities abided uniformly to the new recommendations and acted responsibly.

Because communities are structured in a way that impacts individuals ability to adopt new behaviors and follow public health recommendations, the researchers of the current study explored the association between different capital facets and public health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic at the county-level in the United States. Social capital in the U.S. is operationalized and measured on the county and the state levels.

The researchers used publicly available vaccination data as of June 2021, face masking data in July 2020, and mobility data from mobile phones movements from the end of March 2020. They conducted correlation analyses with county-level social capital index and its subindices, of which included family unity, community health, institutional health, and collective efficacy.

This information was obtained from the Social Capital Project by the United States Senate. According to the Social Capital Project, family unity considers the structure of families in terms of marriage and children, whereas community health considers participation in civic life such as involvement in volunteering and religious groups.

The third classification of institutional health considers confidence in media/corporations/schools, as well as participation in institutions such as elections and census. Finally, collective efficacy is the converse of social disorganization, operationalized via violent crime rates.

This study estimated the effects of social capital on public health behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic using a list of variables in the analysis with descriptive statistics. The variables included social capital, family unity, community health, institutional health, collective efficacy, full vaccination or hesitancy (as of June 2021), wearing masks or never (June 2020), mobility index (Week of 23 March 2020), retail and recreation, and residential. The researchers assessed the bivariate relationships between each social capital index and public health behavior using standardized linear regression.

Study results

Each public behavior affected by different social capital facets resembles a defensive layer against the spread of COVID-19, observed the researchers in the study.

The researchers found that vaccination mostly associates significantly with institutional health. To this end, counties with high institutional health exhibited an increased rate of vaccination. Thus, trusting institutions promote more vaccinations.

Most counties where individuals reported wearing masks were associated with community health.

A) Fully vaccinated population over time in counties with high and low institutional health. B) Estimated hesitant population in counties with high and low institutional health. (The highest and lowest 25% of counties are considered).

A) Population that wears masks in counties. B) Population that always wears masks in counties with high and low community health (The highest and lowest 25% of counties are considered).

Reduced mobility associates mostly with higher overall social capital and secondly with community health, while increased residential mobility associates mostly with higher family unity. Therefore, communities engaged in more civic life were more responsible and reduced their mobility.

Furthermore, stronger family ties were associated with an increased likelihood of people remaining home. Better social capital and institutional health also decreased recreational visits.

A) The change of recreation and residential mobility in counties. B) Mobility index in counties with high and low community health. C) Recreation and retail mobility in counties with high and low institutional health. D) Residential mobility with high and low family unity. (The highest and lowest 25% of counties are considered).

As such, our results suggest that differential facets of social capital imply a Swiss cheese model of pandemic control planning where, e.g., institutional health and community health, provide partially overlapping behavioral benefits.

Study takeaways

In conclusion, this study shows that facets of social capital are differently associated with behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results observed here emphasize that social capital and its subindices are essential in explaining differences in public

behaviors during health crises which may help determine policies in local communities. Notably, communities with lower social capital need more effort to help individuals adopt new protective behaviors.

A Swiss cheese model for social capital, with pentagons representing the five social capital indices impact on social behaviors.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
When Denise Williams' baby boy was 2 months old, she became alarmed by a rattling sound in his lungs and took him to the emergency room. While undergoing treatment, he spiraled into a disabling neurological disorder.

Now 2 years old, Markeano is attached to breathing and feeding tubes. He can't walk or move his arms.

"If I want him to sit up, I have to sit him up. If I want him to play with a car, I've got to put his hand on the car and move it back and forth," said Williams, 38, who lives with Markeano, her four other children and her husband, Marcus, in Adelanto, California, a small city in the High Desert region of San Bernardino County.

Markeano is enrolled in the Inland Empire Health Plan, a county-run managed-care insurer that provides coverage under Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes or disabilities. He also receives care through California Children's Services, which covers kids with serious conditions.

But Williams still finds it difficult to get her son the specialized care he needs. What's worse, neither his insurers nor his doctors take responsibility for managing his care, she said. "No one coordinates the care except for me."

Poor care coordination is one of the many shortcomings of Medi-Cal, which covers over a third of the state's population and nearly 40% of children under 18. Advocates, patients and even the state auditor say Medi-Cal has failed to hold accountable the managed-care health plans that cover almost 12 million of its nearly 14 million enrollees.

To remedy these failings, the state has begun an ambitious contracting process that aims to commit the health plans to better service. The state's exact strategy is unclear. But it is expected to result in new rules for Medi-Cal managed care. The nine commercial insurers, including giants Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, and Blue Shield of California, will have to bid for new contracts intended to set more rigorous care standards. While their members account for fewer than one-third of managed-care enrollees, the companies have made nearly $3 billion from Medi-Cal since 2014.

Non-commercial plans like the Inland Empire Health Plan, which are established by county authorities, won't have to submit bids, but they will be required to sign the new contracts.

"The state has had a lot of difficulty  because of skill and will  in managing and enforcing the terms of its existing contracts," said Alex Briscoe, head of the California Children's Trust and former director of Alameda County's Health Care Services Agency. "This represents an opportunity not only to redesign the contracts but also to reimagine the state's role in enforcing them."

It's also an opportunity for the state to make a statement in selecting plans.

"Some are doing worse than others, and that should be taken into account in terms of decisions as the plans bid," said Edwin Park, a California-based research professor at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

Jacey Cooper, California's Medicaid director, said the state's focus will be assuring that plans provide access to care and are committed to improving the outcomes of Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

The recontracting process is intertwined with an ambitious $6 billion experiment to move Medi-Cal beyond medicine into the realm of social services.

'Deficient oversight'

Data shows that Medi-Cal plans are failing enrollees in many ways. Patients often have long waits or travel times for medical appointments, and get fragmented services and poor information about their care. Some communities of color, as well as rural residents, receive lower-quality service than others.

Faulty treatment hits the 4.6 million kids in managed-care Medi-Cal particularly hard because children need a lot of routine care, and many are not getting it. In July, close to 500 advocacy and provider groups sent a letter to the Department of Health Care Services, which runs Medi-Cal, urging it to make the managed-care plans improve pediatric care. "The deficiencies in the Medi-Cal managed care program contribute to health disparities for children across the state that can last a lifetime," they wrote. The new contracts, the letter said, should require health plans to fix the problem.

Federal law provides significant protection for all children in Medi-Cal and other state Medicaid programs. It requires coverage for regular checkups, immunizations, and other preventive and diagnostic care.

But state data shows that Medi-Cal managed-care plans often fail to meet these requirements. Only about one-quarter of infants and toddlers in Medi-Cal get the recommended number of well-child visits and screenings for developmental delays. The plans fall short on immunizations as well.

A 2019 report by the California State Auditor ranked California 40th among state Medicaid programs in use of preventive services by children.

The report blamed the state's poor performance on "deficient oversight of the managed care plans" and an insufficient number of health care providers willing to accept Medi-Cal's low payment rates.

"I don't see how we can have a high-performing Medi-Cal system that doesn't do well on those basic services for kids," said Mike Odeh, health policy director at Children Now, an Oakland-based advocacy group.

To be fair, Medi-Cal has had its share of successes, too, including early and robust expansion of enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, extension of coverage to large numbers of immigrants without legal documents, and pioneering programs that address not only medical and mental health but also the social and environmental circumstances of enrollees.

Nonetheless, Medi-Cal managed-care plans often earn poor to mediocre marks for the quality of their care. Meanwhile, the largest commercial plans have profited handsomely from the program, especially since the expansion of Medicaid in 2014. That helps explain why the rebidding process is such a sensitive matter for them. Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, Molina Healthcare and Blue Shield of Californiaall declined to discuss their bidding strategies with KHN.

Collectively, the commercial plans have generated $2.9 billion in net profits from Medi-Cal since fiscal year 2014, according to data provided by the state. Health Net, the state's largest commercial Medi-Cal insurer, with around 2 million enrollees, accounted for $2.1 billion of that amount. Anthem Blue Cross, the second-largest commercial Medi-Cal plan, with 1.3 million enrollees, accounted for $873 million.

An Anthem Blue Cross spokesperson noted that Medi-Cal managed-care plans are required by law to spend at least 85 cents of every dollar on medical care or efforts to improve care. That, along with other factors, limits the health plans' profits, he said.

Kaiser Permanente, which is at or near the top of Medi-Cal quality scores, has lost money in the program every year since 2014  and before that, too.

Health Net and Anthem Blue Cross get poor to mediocre marks on key pediatric services in many counties, according to state data. Health Net Medi-Cal plans in Sacramento, Kern, Stanislaus and San Diego counties, for example, were at or near the bottom of the pack in timeliness of pediatric appointments.

A Health Net spokesperson said the company has improved over the past two years and now outperforms its competitors on state quality indicators in nine of the 13 counties where it operates.

The 2019 state audit, citing earlier concerns about incomplete and inaccurate reporting, noted that the integrity of the state's quality data can be hard to assess.

And non-commercial plans often have low scores, too. "Quality is stubbornly low across all plans in Medi-Cal. Nobody gets a pass here," said Cary Sanders, senior policy director at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.

The state rarely holds any of the plans fully to account, advocates and Medi-Cal experts say. The Department of Health Care Services started imposing financial penalties for poor quality only in 2017, and since then it has levied only two such fines: one against Health Net for $335,000 and one against the publicly run Health Plan of San Joaquin for $135,000.

The department does require subpar performers to devise so-called corrective action plans, but critics say they rarely produce significant improvement.

Even if enforcement were effective, the standards for Medi-Cal plans are too low, advocates say. Until 2019, insurers needed to be only in the 25th percentile of Medicaid plans nationally to avoid corrective action. The department raised the bar to the 50th percentile in 2019 but has not enforced it so far because of the covid-19 pandemic.

The department next year will begin penalizing any health plan that "fails to exceed, rather than just meet" the minimum performance level on any measure, said Cooper, the state's Medicaid chief. It will do so every year, rather than target only persistently poor performers, she said.

Pay for performance

In June, the Department of Health Care Services released preliminary details on the bidding process, outlining some of the new requirements. It expects to issue more details by year's end but won't announce plan selections until the end of 2022. The new contracts are slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.

But will the state lean hard enough on the plans? Based on the documents released so far, this could be a "potential missed opportunity," said Sanders. "There aren't enough teeth here to improve health plan accountability."

Other advocates cite what they say has been a cozy relationship between health plans and the state. "I just think the whole delivery system has historically been filled with a lot of politics, favoritism, good old boys," said Isabel Becerra, CEO of the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers, whose members provide Medi-Cal services in the county.

Some advocates and analysts say the best way for the state to hold the managed-care plans' feet to the fire is to tie the fixed monthly rates it pays them to their performance on a number of measures, including preventive services and health equity.

"If you want to change how they work, you have to change the incentives that drive them," said Briscoe, of the California Children's Trust.

Medicaid chief Cooper said her staff is working to link payment to quality and health equity.

Some advocates say the state should withhold payments from poorly performing plans. The plans, however, would prefer being rewarded for exceeding expectations to being dinged for failing to meet them.

A communication breakdown

The rebidding process is expected to reduce the number of insurance companies participating in Medi-Cal  and some experts say that's a good thing.

"The idea of competition is you're supposed to be competing on the basis of quality, but if there are too many choices beneficiaries aren't able to discern the differences," said Georgetown University's Park.

In some regions, the Medi-Cal health plans that contract directly with the state outsource care and administrative tasks to other plans or physician groups. L.A. Care, for example, farms out enrollees to subcontractors such as Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. The Department of Health Care Services says that in evaluating the bids it will look favorably on health plans that commit to keeping closer tabs on their subcontractors.

The state reports quality scores only for plans with which it contracts directly, and their data can be skewed by wide variation in the performance of the subcontractors.

Moreover, the divided responsibility between health plans and their subcontractors can confuse beneficiaries.

"The subcontractor says, 'No, call the plan'  and the plan says, 'Call the subcontractor,' and there's really no accountability," said Abigail Coursolle, a senior attorney at the National Health Law Program in Los Angeles.

Denise Williams faces a similar problem. She said the Inland Empire Health Plan does not communicate effectively  or at all  with California Children's Services or Markeano's doctors. As a result, she is saddled with hours of legwork to find care for her son, whether speech, swallowing and cognitive therapy or extra oxygen tanks to make sure he doesn't run out during long car trips to see his doctors.

"They tell me, 'Your pediatrician or neurologist should be doing this.' Then when I talk to the pediatrician and the neurologist, they say, 'Talk to your insurance,'" Williams said. "So it's like, 'I already talked to you guys. Can't you guys talk to each other  or can we get on a three-way? Because this is draining. I've got a kid that I need to take care of.'"

Inland Empire Health acknowledged the gaps in coordination among managed-care plans, California Children's Services and providers, saying it was "eager to embrace the care coordination improvements" that the state says it will require. The new contracts also will require plans to address some of the nonmedical problems that can compromise health, such as inadequate housing, unclean air and water, and food insecurity.

In addition to being predominantly poor, over two-thirds of Medi-Cal enrollees are from non-white communities that have historically been socially and economically marginalized  which is why the state says it will put a high priority on reducing health care inequities.

Denise Williams, who is Black, wonders if her travails are related to long-standing inequities.

"Sometimes I don't know if it's because of my color or what," she said. "I try to remain calm at all times, so that way it's not a stereotype of an angry Black lady or whatever. But at the same time, I'm my kid's only advocate, so if I never say nothing, my kid would just be lying in the bed all day."

California Healthline correspondent Angela Hart contributed to this report.

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Shortly after the mass vaccination program against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in the UK, news outlets began to report severe side effects in a minority of those vaccinated. One of the more serious conditions that occurred is known as cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT)  a blood clot in the brain's venous sinuses that can lead to swelling, hemorrhage and death.

Even more worrying, CVT in those who had recently been vaccinated showed a much higher mortality rate than CVT that had been triggered by alternate sources. Headache is the most common symptom following vaccination, and is also one of the most frequent symptoms of CVT.

Researchers from the Akershus University Hospital in Norway investigated 77 cases of CVT in vaccinated subjects to identify risks and warning signs to better predict these severe side effects. The group's findings can be found in the Journal of Headache and Pain.

It is worth noting that these symptoms only occurred in a very small minority of individuals, and authorities recommend that everyone eligible to become vaccinated does so.

The researchers searched through PubMed for all case studies and reported cases of CVT, as well as examining reports from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Medicines Data. They evaluated these gathered cases based on certain variables, including age, sex, use of contraceptives, use of hormone replacement therapy, presence of a headache, presence of additional symptoms, the interval between headache and first symptom, intracranial hemorrhage and death.

For a control group, they used reports of headaches following the vaccines from the United States Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. A search of 'headache' against coronavirus vaccines returns over 100,000 results.

To analyze the cases, univariate logistic regression was used, with a standard 0.05% confidence limit. In total, 4.2% of patients suffering CVT were between 60 and 69, 95.8% of patients were below sixty, and 46.5% were below 40. This is supported by previous studies from CVT in non-vaccinated patients, showing that individuals ~30 years old are at most risk. Women were more affected than men, and made up 89.7% of cases. Five patients used contraceptives, and one was receiving estrogen therapy.

It normally took over a week following the vaccination for the first symptom to present  in 50% of cases, this was a headache, with various systemic or neurological symptoms in the other 50%. In ~25% of cases, multiple location thrombosis was recorded. In 24.7% of cases, the patient died. The statistical analysis clearly showed that In patients with CVT, the presence of headache was associated with increased risk of hemorrhage  but not with increased risk of death.

While headache is a very common side effect, in the vast majority of cases, it is resolved harmlessly and quickly. In almost all of the cases of CVT in which the headache was described, the onset was delayed for a week or longer  a rarity in patients that did not suffer CVT. The headaches were also severe, became progressively more so, and did not respond well to treatment.

The authors highlight the value this early warning sign could provide, especially as most cases of CVT are not immediately diagnosed, and delayed treatment reduces patient prognosis significantly. They urge that physicians be informed of this warning sign. Informing recently vaccinated individuals could also increase survival rates  although it may easily increase vaccine hesitancy as well. CVT can be detected with computed tomography, which will could show warning signs such as hyperdense veins or sinus, venous infarcts, edema or intracranial hemorrhage. World Health Organization recommended treatment includes immunoglobulins and non-heparin-based anticoagulants.
A commentary published in the journal Cell summarizes international data on vaccine effectiveness against new severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. Evidence shows that the currently approved vaccines continue to be effective in preventing severe and symptomatic illness  even with the widely circulating Delta variant.

SARS-CoV-2 has mutated many times in the pandemic. As a result, it can accumulate new mutations quickly that may help increase transmission, escape neutralizing antibodies, or increase infection severity.

The scientists from the University of St Andrews, Yale School of Public Health, and Imperial College London say that SARS-CoV-2 will continue producing mutations promoting immune evasion, but vaccine-induced immunity could be the best way to counter this. Therefore, monitoring variants and the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will be crucial in addressing the pandemic.

Vaccine effectiveness against the Alpha variant

On several occasions, the Alpha variant has been shown to possess a mutation, allowing it to evade the immune system. However, evasion of vaccine-induced immunity is limited. Furthermore, real-world data suggest vaccines remain highly effective in reducing the spread of Alpha and preventing severe infection.

Against the Novavax vaccine, there was an 86% efficacy against Alpha. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 92% effective in preventing asymptomatic infection, 97% effective against symptomatic infection, and 97% against severe illness.

Research from Scotland showed that the administration of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine resulted in a 94% and 85% decrease in coronavirus-related hospital admissions, respectively.

Studies from Qatar showed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had an 89.5% protection from Alpha-induced infection. Additionally, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 97.4% effective against severe infection.

Vaccine effectiveness against the Beta variant

Research investigating vaccine effectiveness for the Pfizer-BioNTech full dose regimen occurred in South Africa, where the Beta variant is dominant. Early results suggested a high level of protection against symptomatic infection, and no COVID-19 cases were reported in the vaccine group.

In Qatar, the Beta reduced vaccine effectiveness after one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech. But receiving a second dose produced a 75% protection against Beta-induced infection and 97.4% protection against severe illness.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinical trials in South Africa showed a 65% to 66% protection against hospitalization. Similar to findings from the United States, the Johnson & Johnson shot was 91%-95% effective against COVID-19induced mortality.

The Beta variant did somewhat reduce vaccine effectiveness but not completely. The Novavax vaccine showed reduced protection against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 illness with the Beta variant.

The AstraZeneca vaccine decreased to 60% protection against mild and moderate COVID-19 infection. But the researchers point out that the result mentioned above came from a small phase 1/2a trial that more focused on safety than vaccine effectiveness. Therefore, AstraZenecas vaccine effectiveness against the Beta variant is still under investigation. Its also unknown whether delaying the second AstraZeneca shot provides a better antibody response against Beta.

Gamma variant versus vaccines

The Gamma variant was first reported in Brazil and has a mutation promoting immune evasion. Research into vaccine effectiveness from the Sinovac and the AstraZeneca vaccines shows similar protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

Vaccines continue to protect against dominant Delta variant

Real-world data in multiple countries suggests vaccines continue to protect against hospitalization and symptomatic infection.

With Delta rapidly circulating in England, researchers have observed that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are 96% and 92% protective against hospitalization.

The mRNA vaccines continue to show high protection as well. For example, despite Delta being the dominant SARS-CoV-2 in the New York area, there was a 91.9%-95.3% protection against hospitalization.

In England and Canada, one vaccine dose was less protective against the Delta variant than the Alpha variant. However, vaccine effectiveness increased after the second dose. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 85%-90% effective, and the AstraZeneca vaccine was 61%-72% effective.

Early data from Israels Ministry of Health drew concerns of vaccines being less effective against symptomatic Delta infection. However, the researchers note this data may have been unreliable. further preprint published research did not report effectiveness figures against symptomatic infection as symptoms reporting was not reliable in the national database. Vaccine effectiveness against infection is much harder to measure as these estimates are affected by various biases such as testing criteria, behavior, exposure risk, immunity status of the population, and community prevalence.

Later studies have shown a slight decline in vaccine-induced protection, but the researchers note the analyses did not account for infections already present in unvaccinated people.
Vaccinations help keep people out of the hospital, according to a new preprint medRxiv* study from researchers at the University of Amsterdam and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands.

The study results suggest full vaccination prevented about 95% of potential hospitalization when the Alpha and Delta variant was circulating widely. Moreover, vaccines were 97% effective in preventing ICU admission.

Among the unvaccinated population, the incidence of COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions is high, which, combined with the size of this population, could lead to a significant strain on health care in the coming months. A further increase in vaccination coverage is key to reduce the burden on health care, concluded the team.

As COVID-19 cases rise from the Delta variant, the results reinforce the need for vaccination in preventing severe COVID-19 infection.

Vaccination status during and after the investigation

From April 4, 2021, to August 29, 2021, the team enrolled 15,571 people hospitalized for COVID-19 infection into the study. In the Netherlands, Alpha was the dominant variant from April 4, 2021, to May 29, 2021. This position was taken over by Delta, which circulated from July 4, 2021, to August 29, 2021  the end of the study period.

The researchers defined someone as being fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose or 28 days after the first Johnson & Johnson dose. Partial vaccination was defined as 14 days after one vaccine dose.

Of the enrollees, only 5.7% were fully vaccinated. About 7.1% were partially vaccinated, and 87.2% were unvaccinated.

Approximately 7,406 of the 13,574 unvaccinated patients got vaccinated after being hospitalized.

A. 7-day moving average of the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations by vaccination status and age group, 4 April  29 August 2021. B. 7-day moving average of the incidence rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100.000 person-days by vaccination status and age group, 4 April  29 August 2021. The dashed line shows the overall incidence in the age-specific population. The light grey area shows the percentage of partly vaccinated persons in the population, the dark grey area the percentage of fully vaccinated persons.

Vaccinated people have a lower risk of hospitalization

A majority of hospitalizations were from unvaccinated patients. Results showed that the likelihood of being hospitalized is smaller among vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated people.

When fully vaccinated, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization was 94% when Alpha was the dominant variant. Meanwhile, vaccines were 95% effective when Delta was dominant.

Similar results were observed in the ICU as unvaccinated people made up a majority of ICU admissions. When fully vaccinated, vaccines were 93% effective in preventing ICU admissions during the Alpha period. For Delta, vaccines were 97% effective.

Only a tiny amount of the study participants was fully vaccinated, making it difficult to assess how the type of vaccine affected vaccine effectiveness. Regardless, vaccine effectiveness was high for people of all age groups and in all four vaccines  except for Modernas vaccine Spikevax. Although the researchers suggest the lower vaccine effectiveness from Spikevax may have been because the vaccine was primarily given to patients who were already at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

Please note that in the Netherlands, persons with a medical condition putting them at high risk of severe COVID-19 were specifically given the Spikevax vaccine. The Janssen vaccine is not allocated to elderly in the Netherlands; therefore no VE for 70 was estimated, explained the researchers.

Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization and ICU admission did not appear to decrease 20 weeks after full vaccination.

Study limitations

The researchers gathered data on COVID-19 vaccination status did not include patient information on comorbidities. Having a preexisting health condition increases your risk of developing severe infection and could also explain the low vaccine effectiveness from Spikevax since it was administered in high-priority groups.

Another study limitation was how patients were enrolled in the study. The registry included patients who did not enter the hospital for COVID-19 infection but rather people who later tested positive. The researchers suggest this could cause a bias in vaccine effectiveness estimates because it affects the severity of infection in some patients. Although, they note that misclassification is more likely to occur with vaccinated patients.

Lastly, the registry used to collect patient information had incomplete data. In the Netherlands, informed consent is needed to register as vaccinated in the system. Vaccinated patients who did not provide consent may have been mislabeled as unvaccinated, leading to potential overestimation of vaccine effectiveness.

The team assumed that if 7.3% of patients were miscategorized as unvaccinated, vaccine effectiveness estimates could be reduced by 1-2%.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that the antibody response to vaccination designed to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wanes substantially over time among patients receiving maintenance dialysis.

The teams study of more than 1,500 individuals found that antibody titers against the COVID-19 causative agent  severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)  rapidly dropped during the first six months following full vaccination.

Furthermore, the robustness of the initial response to vaccination appears to predict how quickly titers will wane.

Caroline Hsu from Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues say that additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines should be considered for this vulnerable population.

A pre-print version of the research paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review.

Maintenance dialysis patients have an attenuated response to other vaccines

The three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use in the United States have all exhibited high efficacy in preventing death and serious illness in the general population.

However, concerns about the robustness and durability of the vaccine-induced immune response among vulnerable populations prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend a third dose for immunocompromised patients.

Currently, the implications for patients receiving maintenance dialysis are unclear and their inclusion within this classification depends upon the medical judgment of the treating clinician.

Early studies have shown that these patients initially generate an appropriate seroresponse to COVID-19 vaccination, although at a lower rate than among the general population.

Given that maintenance dialysis patients have an attenuated response to other vaccines, with extensive data on additional or booster doses for hepatitis B vaccination, similar concerns exist that potential uremia-associated immunocompromise may impact the response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, writes Hsu and colleagues.

What did the researchers do?

The team conducted a retrospective multicenter study to assess the seroresponse among 1,898 maintenance dialysis patients who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SAb-IgG titers) were measured monthly and followed over time by prior history of COVID-19 and the type of vaccine received.

The spike protein mediates the initial stage of the infection process when its RBD binds to host cell receptors. This surface structure is a primary target of antibodies following natural SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination.

SAb-IgG titers vs months after date of full immunization, comparing by vaccine type. A) Patients without prior COVID-19 B) Patients with prior COVID-19 The tables of N show the number of titers for each month, by vaccine type. Data are not shown for groups with N < 10

SAb-IgG titers declined over time following vaccination

Among 1,567 patients with no previous history of COVID-19, SAb-IgG titers declined over time following vaccination.

Of 441 individuals who received the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, the median SAb-IgG titer declined from 20 U/L during the first month to 2.69 U/L by month 4 and 1.30 U/L by month 6.

For 779 recipients of Modernas mRNA-1273 product, the corresponding titers were 20, 20 and 6.20, while 347 recipients of Janssens Ad26.COV2.S vaccine had a median titer of less than 1 U/L across all time periods.

In a time-to-event analysis, recipients of the Janssen product had the shortest time to loss of seroresponse (SAb-IgG less than 1 U/L) and Moderna vaccines recipients had the shortest.

The maximum titer reached in the first two months following full vaccination was predictive of the durability of the seroresponse. Patients who had a maximum initial SAb-IgG titer between 1 and 19.99 U/L were more likely to experience loss of seroresponse than those with a titer of 20 U/L or more.

Additional doses of vaccine should be considered for this vulnerable population

The researchers say the data provide longitudinal evidence that vaccine-induced immunity wanes rapidly among patients receiving maintenance dialysis.

These data estimate that even following current vaccination standards, about half of maintenance dialysis patients will have suboptimal vaccine-induced protection in the fall of 2021, a time of projected high community prevalence of COVID-19, they write.

The team says the current CDC recommendation to provide a third vaccine dose to immunocompromised patients is an important consideration for the maintenance dialysis population.

Additional doses of vaccine should be considered for this vulnerable population, whether routinely or, with further investigation, potentially guided by protective correlates such as antibody response, concludes Hsu and colleagues.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Monoclonal antibodies have a multitude of uses  they can treat viral diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), be used in diagnostic tests such as lateral flow tests to detect the presence of disease, or past instances of it, and are commonly used for various research purposes. Normally, antibodies are created by immunizing an animal with the desired target and harvesting the antibodies from their sera.

However, this is not quick, reliable or always functional  especially as more and more researchers turn towards animal-free products. Unfortunately, generating antibodies in vitro has traditionally been less effective, with the antibodies showing lower functionality. Researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard looking to solve this problem have created a cell-free nanobody engineering platform that can produce antibodies effectively and quickly.

The group's findings can be found in the Nature Communications journal.

The binding of antibodies to antigens is determined by the variable domains of the heavy chain (VH) and light chain (VL/VK). However, certain camelids produce antibodies with no light chain that bind to antibodies through the use of a unique VHH domain. These are known as nanobodies, and as they are small and stable up to 90 C, they show enormous promise for future use.

While nanobody libraries have been effectively used, low transformation efficiencies make them cumbersome for use in cells. Cell-free approaches avoid this issue, making nanobody libraries prime candidates for both the needs of researchers, healthcare workers and production companies.

The platform, known as Cell-free VHH Identification using Clustering Analysis, or CeVICA for short, includes a synthetic nanobody library, ribosome display, and a computational binder prediction method. As one of the first tests of its abilities, the scientists attempted to create nanobodies to target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The spike protein is particularly important for SARS-CoV-2 and is responsible for a large part of the pathogenicity of the virus. The RBD of the S1 subunit binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), allowing viral entry to the cell, while the N-terminal domain is responsible for membrane fusion. Targeting the RBD is particularly valuable, as it not only allows the immune system to identify SARS-CoV-2, but also aids it in preventing the virus from entering cells.

First, the researchers designed nanobody libraries containing random complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) to use as an input for the platform. In order to design this, they analyzed the sequence characteristics of nearly 300 unique nanobodies. After identifying four frames showing high homology to human immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) genes, they used consensus sequences extracted from these to design the final nanobody DNA templates, including additional frames based on well-characterized nanobodies. This mixture could be used as templates for PCR reactions, and randomness could be induced with a 5' NNB sequence. Hairpin DNA nucleotides were used to block ligation of one end of the PCR product. CDRs longer than 13 amino acids are rare, so were not included. Following randomization of all CDR positions and anti-Myc selection, the platform was able to create 27.5% full-length sequences and 3.68x10^11 full-length sequences per g of library DNA.

In total, 862 clusters were identified. In order to determine which were true binders/neutralizers, 24 representative samples of these were cloned and purified, and then their effectivity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was assessed by ELISA and pseudovirus neutralization. Nineteen of these samples showed positive ELISA readings indicating strong binding abilities, and the other 5 showed 20% inhibition for at least one RBD variant. One sample, SR38, showed stronger inhibition of several pseudoviruses than previously tested nanobodies of animal origins. Following further testing, 30/38 nanobodies showed positive binding, showing a strong performance by this platform. With more affinity maturation, these nanobodies can be refined even further.

The authors highlight the promise of their cell-free platform in rapidly creating effective nanobodies against novel targets. As European regulations make it increasingly difficult to derive antibodies from animals, and scientists continue to warn of future pandemics, this is a highly valuable tool to combat disease. Increased thermal stability could allow nanobody-based treatments to travel further, with less expense, to more isolated areas.

More than simply stability, there was even evidence of precise refolding following complete thermal denaturation. As this technology is further automated, it could become the standard for rapid, scalable antibody generation  a sorely needed advance.
A team of US-based scientists has recently conducted a survey to determine the willingness of healthcare workers towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations. A detailed report on survey findings is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

Background

Mass vaccination is considered one of the primary measures to reduce the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a successful vaccination campaign depends on many factors, including rapid production and distribution of vaccines and public willingness to accept vaccinations. In general, vaccine acceptance can be influenced by several factors, including safety and efficacy profiles of vaccines, easy accessibility to vaccination centers, and extensive campaigning on the benefits of vaccination.

Similarly, vaccine hesitancy can be influenced largely by distrust of government policies, religious/philosophical beliefs, and uncertainties about vaccine safety. Surveys conducted in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that 14  17% of the general population are unwilling to receive COVID-19 vaccines, and 10  15% have refused to accept vaccines.

In the current study, the scientists have explored the levels of vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, or refusal among healthcare workers in the US. Moreover, they have investigated the factors that may influence vaccine uptake behaviors.

Study design

The scientists conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey on healthcare staff working at Riverside University Health System, California. A total of 2983 healthcare workers were provided with the survey questionnaire; of whom, 789 completed the survey. The main focus of the survey was to collect information on participant's demographic characteristics, preexisting health conditions, and experience with and knowledge of COVID-19.

By assessing participants' perceptions towards COVID-19 vaccination, the scientists divided them into three groups: vaccine acceptors, hesitant, and refusers. Depending on the responses, participants were further surveyed to identify potential factors that influence their vaccination decision.

Important observations

The survey findings revealed that women and socio-economically deprived participants are more likely to be hesitant or refusers. Moreover, a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy or refusal was observed among participants with lower educational backgrounds. Compared to administrative and non-clinical staff, who were mostly vaccine-hesitant, clinical staff, including nurses and medical assistants, exhibited a higher refusal rate. In contrast, vaccine acceptance behavior was mostly observed among physicians and related health professionals.

Among reported comorbidities, hypertension was found to be less prevalent among vaccine-hesitant and refusers. In contrast, a high prevalence of asthma was observed among vaccine-hesitant. Regarding vaccination of children against common childhood diseases, about 97% of acceptors, 86% of hesitant, and 52% of refusers provided a positive answer. A significantly lower percentage of refusers mentioned receiving an annual flu shot compared to acceptors and hesitant.

Although all participants were aware of COVID-19 and its symptoms, a significantly lower level of knowledge was observed among vaccine-hesitant compared to that among acceptors and refusers.

Factors influencing vaccination decisions

Several factors were found to independently correlate with vaccine hesitancy. These factors were gender, ethnicity, educational and socioeconomic levels, marital status, job category, weekly COVID-19 exposure, annual flu vaccination, willingness to child vaccinations, and COVID-19 related knowledge. In contrast, no correlation was observed between vaccine hesitancy and preexisting health conditions. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Asians exhibited significantly higher hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination. Similarly, a comparatively higher hesitancy was observed among immunocompromised patients.

Similar to vaccine hesitancy, several independent predictors of vaccine acceptance were identified, including age, gender, educational level, job category, body mass index (BMI), having a positive test result, hypertension, asthma, knowledge of COVID-19, annual flu vaccination, and willingness to childhood vaccinations.

Strong predictors of vaccination decisions

Gender, job category, educational level, and BMI were identified as significant independent predictors of vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal. Specifically, participants with higher educational backgrounds, male participants, and obese participants were less likely to be hesitant. In contrast, non-clinical staff were 2-times more likely to be hesitant than clinical staff.

The participants who accepted COVID-19 vaccinations mentioned that advice from healthcare professionals, encouragement from family members and friends, and individual trust on the safety and protective efficacy of vaccines are the major influencing factors for their decisions. Similarly, the majority of vaccine-hesitant reported uncertainty as to the primary influencing factor.

In contrast to acceptors and hesitant, most of the refusers mentioned that their decisions could not be influenced by any of the tested factors.

Overall, participants mentioned that their mental and physical health and wellbeing were affected by the pandemic, despite a supportive workplace environment and job-related protection. However, a comparatively lower impact on physical health was reported by refusers.

Study significance

The study identifies several factors that may potentially influence the decision of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccinations. As mentioned by the scientists, these factors should be addressed carefully to increase vaccination rates among high-risk frontline workers.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects patients 65 years and older. Age-related impaired host immunity has been implicated for severe outcomes of COVID-19. Researchers have performed a study on large data set to understand better the molecular basis of vulnerability in aged COVID-19 patients. They observed certain age-linked immunoinflammatory factors associated with severe COVID-19 and could potentially be targeted therapeutically to reduce morbidity and mortality in aged patients.

Study: Aging-related cell type-specific pathophysiologic immune responses that exacerbate disease severity in aged COVID-19 patients. Image Credit: Ann Kosolapova/ Shutterstock

Reports show that when compared to younger individuals (18-55 years), aged individuals with COVID-19 show disrupted adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2, in the form of reduced coordination of CD4-CD8 T cell response. Aged individuals have also been reported to produce a weaker type I interferon (IFN) response to Influenza virus infection, indicating disrupted innate immune antiviral defense. In addition, aberrant immunosenescence leading to hyper-inflammation in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) have also been implicated in age-mediated COVID-19 severity.

A preprint version of the study is available on the medRxiv* server while the article undergoes peer review.

Serious consequences in aged COVID-19 patients

The scientists assessed epidemiological data from March to December 2020 from U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 disease among different age groups. The nine-month data set analysis revealed that 80.5% of deaths occurred in aged patients, 19.5% in 18-64 years old (19.5%), and only 0.05% in the 0-17 years old age group.

Subsequently, the authors used odds ratio (OR) to measure the association between aging and COVID-19 outcomes. From the U.S. CDC datasets adjusted for the confounding factors of sex and race (OR Model-1), aged individuals showed a significantly increased likelihood of COVID-19-related hospitalization (OR = 9.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.99  9.15), ICU admission (OR = 9.24, 95% CI 9.01  9.48), and death (51.15, 95% CI 49.86  52.47).

OR Model-2 was tested in the COVID-19 registry data from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Florida, adjusted for sex, race, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, asthma, and emphysema to account for disease comorbidities and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aged individuals had significantly greater likelihood of COVID-19-related hospitalization (OR = 3.10, 95% CI 2.55  3.77), ICU admission (OR = 2.39, 95% CI 1.78  3.22), and death (OR = 40.35, 95% CI 19.80  82.24).

Elevated inflammatory markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines in aged COVID-19 patients

Analysis on the Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 registry dataset detected elevated levels of D-dimer, C reactive peptide (CRP) and Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), inflammatory markers associated with severity and death in COVID-19, in aged hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was elevated in both young and aged patients. Being a critical mediator of cytokine storm in COVID-19, IL-6 is a potential therapeutic target. However, a recent Phase III clinical trial failed to show reduced mortality in severe COVID-19 patients treated with the anti-IL-6R monoclonal antibody tocilizumab.

Furthermore, the hospitalized aged patients exhibited upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IL-27, the hospitalized younger patients exhibited the upregulation of IL-10 expression. These observations signify distinct inflammatory cytokine profiles between aged and younger COVID-19 patients, potentially mediating age-related hospitalization and ICU admission.

Declined naive CD8 T cell numbers and IFN deficiencies in aged severe COVID-19 patients

Deep immune profiling on T cell data revealed significantly fewer naive CD8 T cells in hospitalized aged patients. Naive CD8 T cell-mediated homeostasis is an important antiviral defense component, and a reduced abundance of naive CD8 T cells could dysregulate adaptive immunity. Further, single-cell RNA seq (scRNA-seq) data on CD8 T cells detected the upregulation of the apoptosis gene, cathepsin D27 (CTSD), in aged severe COVID-19 patients.

At the same time, interferon-stimulated genes IFITM3 and TRIM22, enriched in type I & II IFN signaling pathways, were downregulated. In addition, the transcription factor STAT1, an important downstream factor in type I & II IFN signaling pathways, was downregulated in CD8 naive T cells in aged COVID-19 patients. The team suggests that IFN deficiencies in CD8 naive T cells may contribute to the increased severity of COVID-19 disease in aged patients.

Age-related correlation between Interferon deficiencies and SARS-CoV-2 viral load

Expression levels of IFN genes (IFNA1, IFNA5, IFNA7 and IFNA8) and the IFN-stimulated antiviral genes IFIT1 and OAS1 (2'-5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase) were significantly down-regulated in aged patients with high viral load, as analyzed on bulk RNA-seq data from nasopharyngeal samples. IFN is a potent inhibitor of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 in viral infections, and so these findings corroborate with elevated plasma levels of IL-8 in aged COVID-19 patients.

Elevated expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry factors in aged patients

The team observed a reduced abundance of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) on secretory and ciliated cells in aged COVID-19 patients. However, the more recently identified SARS-CoV-2 docking receptor basigin (BSG or CD147) was expressed in 95% of secretory cells in aged patients with critical COVID-19, particularly in regulatory T cells (Treg) and CTLs. Treg and CTLs also showed increased levels of S-protein priming protease FURIN. The team suggests that elevated expression of two SARS-CoV-2 factors, BSG and FURIN, in Treg and CLT cells may contribute to the increased susceptibility of aged patients to COVID-19.

Increased immune-epithelial cell interactions in aged COVID-19 patients

Applying CellphoneDB, the team demonstrated elevated expression of TGF- genes (TGFB1, TGFB2, and TGFB3) and their receptors (TGFBR2 and TGFBR3) in both secretory Treg and non-resident macrophages (nrMa). TGF- regulates the chronic immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in severe COVID-19 patients. Thus Cheng and the team suggest that higher levels of TGF-  and their receptors may explain the long duration of hospitalization in aged COVID-19 patients.

In addition, secretory/ciliated  CTL cell interaction in aged patients showed much weaker IFNG  IFNGR interaction than young patients with COVID-19. The team suggests that immune-epithelial cell interactions are associated with critical COVID-19 in aged patients. In particular, reduced expression of IFNR signaling is associated with greater severity of COVID-19 in aged individuals.

Figure 6. Proposed mechanistic models for age-biased COVID-19 severity in aged individuals. Several age-related pathophysiologic immune responses are associated with disease susceptibility and severity in COVID-19: a) decreased lymphocyte count and elevated inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], D-dimer, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio); b) elevated pro-inflammation cytokines IL-8, IL-27 and IL-6 in aged COVID19 patients; c) reduced abundance of naive CD8 T cells with decreased expression of antiviral defense genes (i.e., IFITM3 and TRIM22) in aged individuals with severe COVID-19; d) type I interferon deficiency is associated with SARS-CoV-2 viral load in aged individuals; e) elevated expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry factors (BSG and FURIN) and reduced expression of antiviral defense genes (IFNAR1, OAS1, IFIT1) in the secretory cells of critical COVID-19 in aged individuals; f) strong TGF-beta mediated immune-epithelial cell interactions (i.e., secretory  T regulatory cells) in aged individuals with critical COVID-19.

Study limitations

Although the team inspected -omics data from multiple tissues, including PBMCs, plasma, and nasal tissues, they warrant additional analysis of other COVID-19 and aging pertinent tissues, such as lung and brain.

The current study findings are based on data generated from acute COVID-19 patients only. The team advises the need to study data on chronic COVID-19 patients.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Mothers who smoke are more likely to deliver smaller babies even after a full-term pregnancy, increasing the risks of birth defects and neurological disorders later in life, say researchers from McGill University. The team of researchers, which includes Assistant Professor Michael Dahan and Ido Feferkorn of the McGill University Health Care Center, examined the effects of smoking on more than nine million deliveries in the Unites States over 11 years, one of the largest studies to date.

Q&A with Michael Dahan and Ido Feferkorn

What question did you set out to answer?

Smoking is one of the most important modifiable risks factors for health. Although smoking during pregnancy is thought to increase the risk of a wide range of problems, most studies to date have been relatively small  looking at just around 5,000 smokers in most cases. Our study examined the delivery outcomes in 443,590 smokers and 8,653,198 non-smokers. We set out to study the effects of smoking in a large population, putting the findings of the smaller studies to the test.

What did you find?

We found that mothers who smoke had a 40% increased risk of premature birth and 50% increased risk of rupturing the amniotic sac surrounding the fetus before labor begins. More substantially, there was a 130% increased risk of having a baby that was too small for its developmental stage. Our findings confirmed the effects detected in other smaller studies. Surprisingly, we also discovered that smoking mildly decreased certain pregnancy risks including developing preeclampsia, which can lead to infections in the uterus and bleeding and require delivery by cesarean section. We believe that the smaller infant size induced by smoking may contribute to less bleeding and less need for cesarean sections.

What advice would you give?

The fact that smoking decreases some pregnancy risks does not mean pregnant women should start smoking. There are very substantial risks with delivering a small baby, which can have serious consequences on the long-term health of the infant. Babies with low birth weight often have increased rates of diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and even certain cancers later in life. In childhood, infants that are born too small are at increased risk of intestinal and urinary disorders, lung problems, and adverse neurological outcomes. Mothers who smoke can reduce these risks by quitting.
A small act of kindness can go a long way, especially say UBC Okanagan researchers, towards bolstering student health and wellness.

Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, associate professor in the School of Education and Dr. Sally Stewart, associate professor of teaching in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences recently published a study that explores how the inclusion of a kindness assignment in an undergraduate course impacted student perceptions of themselves, their peers and their campus.

While there have been several studies that have assessed the effects of kindness on wellbeing, there has been limited research into how university-aged students understand and enact kindness, says Dr. Binfet.

Thousands of university students returned to class across Canada in September, and Dr. Binfet notes that while living in the times of COVID-19 every act of kindness goes a long way.

We know being kind yields a number of wellbeing benefits, such as stress reduction, happiness and peer acceptance, and we know mental health impacts learning. The post-secondary environment is often the last training ground to prepare students for life so we want to understand how we can prepare students for optimal mental health as adults." Dr John-Tyler Binfet, Associate Professor, School of Education, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus

For the study, volunteer students provided self-reports to determine the extent they see themselves as kind in online and face-to-face interactions, and how connected they felt to their peers and the campus. The students were then asked to plan and complete five kind acts for one week.

The participants completed 353 kind acts with the main themes of helping others, giving, demonstrating appreciation and communicating. Students that completed at least three of the five planned acts of kindness self-reported significantly higher scores of in-person kindness and peer connectedness.

"This research can help students realize that there is evidence behind how and why people are kind, and that kindness does impact health and wellbeing," says Dr. Stewart. "It also has an incredible impact for teaching in higher education as it provides insight into where students are at with their practice and understanding of kindness in order to build the groundwork for inclusion of this topic within educational practices and course content areas."

While there are on-campus wellbeing resources available to students at most post-secondary schools, this research demonstrates that by including wellbeing initiatives into coursework, it's easier for more students to engage in those activities and receive benefits without added effort. The study also demonstrated that a curriculum-based kindness intervention would be well received by students.

"We found that the students loved the assignment," says Dr. Stewart. "For some, it helped them realize that kindness is a skill that they can learn to do better and that there are many ways to be kind. For others, it helped them realize that they already do kind things. It reinforced their desire and intention of doing more kind acts."

For years, Dr. Binfet's research has focused on elevating the discussion of kindness, and he has previously completed studies on how children and adolescents perceive and enact kindness.

"With this research, we now see alignment in how university students and school-age participants define kindness-;to them it means actions that can improve the lives of others. Often, it's simple things such as being polite and helping others," says Dr. Binfet.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought numerous issues of disparity to the forefront. Among them are the inequalities that exist in healthcare access.

A new preprint discusses how women felt during the pandemic as they struggled to gain access to safe vaccination for themselves and for their babies. Up to 40% said they experienced difficulty, though they were able to reschedule their immunization appointments.

A preprint version of the study is available on the medRxiv* server while the article undergoes peer review.

Background

Many routine immunizations for women and children have been affected by COVID-19. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) brought about changes in primary care and maternity services, putting pregnant women and children at the top of the list for routine immunization services. Nonetheless, the uptake of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine waned with the start of lockdowns.

Over the summer of 2020, childhood vaccine uptake continued to be low compared to prior years. Moreover, the pertussis vaccine that is advised for pregnant women between 16-32 weeks of pregnancy, registered a 4% drop in uptake after the first 2020 lockdown, plunging to the lowest level in five years.

The reason attributed to this drop is the advice to stay at home with healthcare utilization reduced to an as-necessary-only basis. Primary care services were less used, while the increased use of remote consultations over in-person visits may have made vaccinations less accessible to women.

The high-risk status of pregnancy may have contributed to the avoidance of vaccination as pregnant women became more hesitant to attend antenatal and vaccination appointments.

The current study aimed to evaluate the awareness of women after the pandemic, as well as their acceptance of and access to pertussis and childhood vaccines during this time.

What did the study show?

The majority of women (96%), including pregnant and postpartum women, knew of the recommendation for pertussis vaccination during pregnancy  often because they had already taken it during previous pregnancies. Of the small number who did not, they were more likely to have a household income below 25,000.

There was a distinct liking for information on vaccines from midwives and GPs, especially face to face. Women said they did not get opportunities to gain information about vaccines in pregnancy and other pregnancy-related issues compared to prior pregnancies.

About 72% of pregnant women, and 89% of new mothers, were vaccinated with the pertussis shot. Of the pregnant unvaccinated mothers, 84% were in the first or second trimester, and 87% were going to be vaccinated. Even among those who did not know about its necessity, three out of four said they favored it.

Almost every woman who had been vaccinated in an earlier pregnancy said she was vaccinated in the current pregnancy as well, with a vaccine refusal rate of 7%, but a change from unvaccinated to vaccinated status between the prior and current pregnancies in 30%.

Some reported feeling unsafe going to the hospital, while one referred to a racial disinformation theme around the vaccine.

Women who took the vaccine during pregnancy had certain common factors: they were more likely to be White, aged 30-34, and, among first-time mothers only, a household income below 25,000. Conversely, those in their third trimester without vaccination were likely to remain so, relative to the 3034-year group.

Those who remained unvaccinated were still more likely to be from an ethnic minority and with a lower household income. Access Issues

62% said they had a GP appointment shifted or canceled due to the pandemic, with most of them getting online or phone appointments instead. The change was more often from the GP's side.

About 40% of women with a vaccine appointment with a GP, but only 8% with a hospital vaccine appointment, said it was shifted or canceled. About 43% had other appointments changed.

As a result, women understood that they had to take the effort to get their routine vaccines, which proved difficult for first-time women.

Safety issues

About a fifth of women said they had lost access to pregnancy vaccines, but 45% said they felt exposed to danger during vaccine appointments. Physical access was lower and the perception of risk higher, among non-White minorities relative to Whites, and among women with a lower household income relative to those in the highest income bracket.

This was also true of women under the age of 25 years with respect to less vaccine access, though not safe. Some also reported a confusing and difficult process for booking pregnancy appointments and vaccine shots.

About half the women who had been vaccinated at the hospital during prior pregnancies now received their shots in a GP surgery. Vaccination uptake was higher in Wales and Northern Ireland, all outside of the hospital, but almost half of Scottish and a third of English women were vaccinated in the hospital.

Travel to their GPs or to hospitals or clinics had been by public transport prior to COVID-19, for 40% of the women. This dropped steeply to 6% during the pandemic.

A quarter of unvaccinated pregnant women claimed that the pandemic was responsible, supported by the fact that only 2% of postpartum unvaccinated women said they did not want the vaccine, but 20% said the pandemic prevented them from being vaccinated.

In contrast, 43% of postpartum unvaccinated women did not know about it.

Infant vaccinations

About 94% of women perceived infant vaccination as an important task even during COVID-19, and over three-quarters said it was a safe process. However, 45% reported physical difficulties in vaccinating their babies, especially those who reported the same with respect to their own pregnancy vaccines.

Those women most likely to report issues with access and safety, and lower importance for infant vaccination, were from non-White ethnicities. Conversely, younger women (<25 years) felt less safe, while low-income women put less importance on infant vaccination during this period.

What are the implications?

Women had an overall disruption of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. Previous knowledge about the need for the vaccine, and prior pregnancy experiences, were key to shaping current pregnancy vaccine experiences.

Changes in appointments, the need to request and follow up on vaccine appointments, and confusion surrounding the process, were reported in this study of pregnant women. They were less satisfied with the quality of antenatal care compared to pre-pandemic levels, especially the lack of face-to-face appointments, which prevented them from getting the information and advice they needed.

Ethnic minorities, as expected, had lower vaccination rates, were more likely to feel unsafe during vaccine appointments, and experienced physical issues with vaccine accessibility. The basis for their feeling of unsafeness is rooted, perhaps, in the fact that their community has suffered disproportionately from the pandemic, and that they are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19.

Women from poorer households were more likely to not know about the vaccine at all or to think infant vaccination during the pandemic was unimportant. Such women represented a higher proportion of unvaccinated postpartum mothers and mothers of unvaccinated children.

To counter this, low-income and ethnic-minority women should be specifically targeted for vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, as they are at increased risk for adverse outcomes, but are also less likely to be convinced about the need for the vaccine already.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In 2016, Isis Mabel, of Mexico, wanted to improve her English. On advice from an aunt, she enrolled with an au pair agency to come to the United States to live with a family and care for the children. The job typically pays about $200 a week on top of lodging and meals. She said she gave the agency $360 and was told that would cover costs like visa fees and health insurance.

It was all explained "super quick," she said, with no details on what the insurance would cover. When she arrived in the United States, she recalled, a representative of the au pair agency recommended she buy extra coverage for sports, because even an accident caused by jumping could be considered sports-related. Mabel opted to purchase the extra policy for an additional $180.

In August 2017, she had her birth control implant removed because it had expired, something she assumed would be covered by her insurance, given birth control coverage is part of Mexico's universal health care system. Instead, she said, she got a bill for about $4,500. Her insurance didn't cover contraception or other reproductive health care, she said.

According to the State Department, 14 au pair agencies operate in the U.S. These private companies are required to offer their au pairs basic health coverage under State Department regulations. But some of the plans amount to emergency or travel insurance, excluding many types of necessary care, according to Natalia Friedlander, a staff attorney at the Rhode Island Center for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law center. After an au pair she employed had problems with health coverage, Friedlander examined insurance offered by about half those agencies in 2020 and her center posted information online to help au pairs find comprehensive coverage.

She found that agencies might not mention that au pairs are eligible to enroll in comprehensive coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces or that many au pairs may qualify for subsidies to help pay their premiums. By failing to enroll, au pairs could wind up with huge medical bills if they need care.

A spokesperson for the State Department said those 14 agencies aresubject to the same regulations as other groups that sponsor exchange visitor programs and must require the au pairs to "have insurance in effect that covers the exchange visitors for sickness or accidents during the period of time that they participate in the sponsors exchange visitor program." The criteria laid out in the federal regulations include medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness, a deductible limit of $500 per accident or illness, and a maximum coinsurance limit of 25% of the cost of covered benefits  but they don't stipulate that the comprehensive coverage required for Americans must be provided.

Neither do the regulations suggest au pairs or other exchange visitors be informed about access to ACA marketplace plans. Mabel and two other former au pairs, whose time working in the program spanned 2014 to June of this year, told KHN that no one ever mentioned the ACA to them when they signed up for work or after they arrived in the U.S.

KHN reached out to each of the 14 au pair agencies under the purview of the State Department about the insurance plans they offer employees. Only one responded.

Terence Burke, a spokesperson for Cultural Care Au Pair, said the insurance offered to its au pairs exceeds regulations set up by the State Department to meet medical expenses and other travel coverage, and provides emergency evacuation from the country if needed, another State Department requirement.

Au pairs with Cultural Care are given detailed information on exactly what is and what is not covered in their insurance coverage. Knowing that information, au pairs are always free to supplement or add to the insurance coverage they must have in accordance with the U.S. State Department regulations and can choose to enroll in an ACA exchange to supplement their medical coverage, he wrote in an email.

At least two of the agencies with some of the longest-running programs in the U.S. are owned by companies that also offer insurance. Cultural Care provides insurance through Erika Insurance, and both companies are part of EF Education First, a Swedish company. Au Pair in America provides insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International, both part of the British company American Institute for Foreign Study.

Friedlander found that the insurance plans offered to many au pairs before they arrive exclude certain categories of care deemed essential under the ACA. Many didn't cover routine or preventive services, or care for preexisting conditions, mental health, and maternity and reproductive health, she said. Some plans are advertised as "comprehensive," "exceptional" or "worry free," although they do note the coverage exclusions.

In addition, she said, the insurance coverage summaries or orientation materials she reviewed did not mention ACA marketplace plans as an option.

Au pairs on J-1 visas are classified as foreign nationals living in the U.S. on non-immigrant visas, because they're not on a path to citizenship. The ACA covers such non-immigrants. According to a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees the ACA marketplaces, "We encourage organizations that facilitate the J-1 visa exchange programs to communicate the opportunity to enroll in quality, affordable healthcare through the Marketplace. J-1 visa holders are considered lawfully present and are therefore eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through the Marketplace, and for financial assistance, if otherwise eligible."

CMS noted, however, that anyone seeking subsidies to help cover the cost of premiums must plan to file a federal income tax return for that year.

If the insurance au pairs carry through their agencies doesn't meet the minimum coverage requirements under the ACA, Friedlander said, they are free to enroll.

But the enrollment window is strict: People have 60 days after arrival in the U.S. to sign up for ACA plans outside the annual open enrollment period.

Friedlander said that, when she first looked into insurance for her au pair, "I assumed she would have comprehensive coverage." She said she was surprised to see large limitations.

Having previously worked at a health insurance-related nonprofit, Friedlander first investigated whether the au pair could enroll in ACA coverage. It took effort because the ACA marketplace navigators weren't familiar with J-1 visa holders, but she managed to get her au pair enrolled. She has since signed up two of her other au pairs.

But for many au pairs, ACA coverage is not an obvious option. They are typically not native English speakers, very young and living with their employers, which leaves them dependent on their host families. "That's a situation where they really are reliant on the agencies to provide them information that they need to know while in the United States," Friedlander said.

For Mabel, her medical bills changed her experience in the U.S. What she owed the hospital and doctor, she noted, would have been enough to buy round-trip tickets to Mexico to have her implant removed there. To save the money to pay off her debt, she said, she stopped doing anything outside of working. "Basically, the purpose of the exchange, go traveling around, it stopped there, it finished, because I acquired this responsibility," she said. She was able to pay it off over the course of two years, she said.

"It was my biggest mistake, financially talking, of my whole life," she said.

Estefania Weinbach, of Colombia, said that in 2016, two years after coming to the U.S. to work as an au pair, she experienced a sharp pain in her abdomen that felt like being stabbed. At an emergency room, she was diagnosed with endometriosis and was told she needed surgery within weeks, she recalled.

She said she was told by a representative of her au pair agency that the surgery would be covered in her home country and was advised to fly back immediately. Weinbach refused. The agency told her the insurance would cover surgery expenses up to $7,000, she said, and she found a doctor willing to perform the operation for that payment. But it was a "very traumatic experience," one that made her feel "everything is against you."
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has awarded U of U Health funding to establish a new Utah-based Center of Excellence for Total Worker Health as part of its national initiative to improve workplace wellness and safety through innovative collaborative work. The five-year grant will provide $7 million for the creation and support of the Center and its research.

The Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER) reflects NIOSHs long commitment to examining and promoting workplace safety and wellness. Total Worker Health (TWH) centers such as U-POWER holistically examine work and the work environment to determine their impact on worker health and safety. U-POWER builds on that holistic approach by examining the role of power structures in work conditions.

The frameworks of Total Worker Health and the social determinants of health have led to a deeper understanding of how work influences health, safety and well-being in the workplace, at home and in communities. Rachael M. Jones, PhD, CIH, associate professor of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Health in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and PI of the grant

U-POWER builds on this understanding to explore how power is exercised through social, political and legal structures to create and sustain unequal access to safe, healthy work. We know this inequity exists because some workers experience high burdens of work-related illness and injuries, and some cannot provide for their needs and the needs of their loved ones because of low wages.

U-POWER aims to create a community of practice that includes investigators and community partners, as well as scholars and stakeholders at the University of Utah, the NIOSH TWH Program and Centers of Excellence, and others who share an interest in TWH. As Jones explains, Investigators in U-POWER are united by a vision of work and workplaces that are safe, healthy, and equitable, and we are eager to build a community through which to realize this vision.

The center consists of a Planning and Evaluation Core to support innovative research, an Outreach Core dedicated to outreach and community engagement, and a Pilot Project Research Program that will catalyze new research from junior investigators. The center will support two individual research projects dedicated to engaging workers and workplaces in the improvement of work safety as well as an examination of the role of power in work equity.

The grant also funds a subaward to Clemson University in South Carolina, with Angela Fraser, PhD, associate professor of Nutrition, acting as PI. Clemson will deploy a problem-based learning approach to improve environmental sanitation practices in long-term care facilities. We believe that if workers are involved in providing solutions, they are more likely to implement them, says Fraser.

With this award, Utah joins four other newly granted NIOSH TWH Centers of Excellence, raising the number of TWH centers across the country from six to ten. TWH Centers of Excellence are the premier mechanism of occupational health research, putting Utah at the cutting edge of work safety research.
(Newser)  "Most animals decline towards extinction," an ecology professor in Australia said, "they don't go for a single reason." That fits the koala's predicament; a host of factors have combined to shrink its population. Most of the koalas' natural habitats in Australia have been cleared and split up by roads and development. "Then youve got a lot of genetic problems and diseases, and then the ones that survive that get taken out by dogs and hit by cars," Corey Bradshaw said. "Add bushfires, and there's not a lot of long-term hope for that species in particular." New data reflect that, News.com.au reports.

story continues below

The koala population has dropped 30% over the past three years, the Australian Koala Foundation's numbers show. The organization says there were 46,000 to 82,000 koalas in the wild three years ago and 32,000 to 58,000 now. The government's numbers are higher, but the foundation says its figures are more accurate. "I've counted the dead bodies of koalas in Queensland," the organization's chair said. "Over seven years there's been something like 20,000 of them." Conservation groups want the koala listed as endangered; the government now calls it vulnerable, per ABC.net.au.

The 2019 bushfires are estimated to have killed 3 billion animals, including 60,000 koalas. Climate change is making their situation worse, Bradshaw said. "It's the frequency of extreme events that become the problem," he said. "It didn't give time for fragile wildlife to recover." The foundation wants to plant vegetation to reconnect sections of habitat with only small gaps between them. "Humans could walk under this trail of gum trees with koalas happily in the branches overhead," said the group's chair, Deborah Tabart. She hasn't given up on a future for the koala population"as long as we get on with it." (Read more koala stories.)
(Newser)  White House press secretary Jen Psaki says that images of federal agents apparently using whips on Haitian migrants at the border are "obviously horrific" and that the administration is trying to learn more about what happened. "I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don't have additional details," Psaki said Monday, per NBC. Disturbing images captured by photographer Paul Ratje on Sunday appeared to show Border Patrol agents on horseback swinging whips and charging at migrants.

story continues below

The El Paso Times reports that one agent "swung his whip menacingly" at migrants wading across the Rio Grande and shouted: "Let's go! Get out now! Back to Mexico!" Psaki said it is understandable that people are outraged by the images, per Politico. She said that if whips or similar objects were used against migrants, "of course they should never be able to do it again."

Homeland Security head Alejandro Mayorkas, however, said Monday that the facts haven't been determined. He said agents use long reins, not whips, to control their horses. US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, speaking at the same press conference, said that horse patrols are an important part of the government response to the border situation, but that the matter will be investigated to ensure "we do not have any activity that could be construed as a response to a law enforcement effort that is unacceptable," per Axios.

Officials say the number of migrants camped under a bridge in the border community of Del Rio, Texas, peaked at nearly 15,000 Saturday. Three planes carrying migrants back to Haiti left San Antonio on Sunday and officials say more than 6,000 people had been removed from the area as of Monday, the AP reports. Mayorkas, calling it a "challenging and heartbreaking situation," warned migrants not to come to the border. He said he has asked the Defense Department to assist the operation. (Read more US-Mexico border stories.)
(Newser)  COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic didapproximately 675,000. The US population a century ago was one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal tragedy in its own right, especially given the incredible advances in scientific knowledge since then and the failure to take maximum advantage of the vaccines available this time. "Big pockets of American societyand, worse, their leadershave thrown this away," said Dr. Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, the AP reports.

story continues below

Like the Spanish flu, the coronavirus may never entirely disappear from our midst. Instead, scientists hope it becomes a mild seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccination and repeated infection. That could take time. "We hope it will be like getting a cold, but there's no guarantee," said Emory University biologist Rustom Antia, who suggests an optimistic scenario in which this could happen over a few years. For now, the pandemic still has the US and other parts of the world firmly in its jaws.

While the delta-fueled surge in infections may have peaked, US deaths are still averaging more than 1,900 a day on average, the highest level since early March, and the country's overall toll topped 675,000 on Monday, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Experts believe the real number to be higher. Winter could bring a new surge, with the University of Washington's influential model projecting an additional 100,000 or so Americans will die of COVID-19 by Jan. 1, which would bring the overall US toll to 776,000.

The 1918-19 influenza pandemic killed 50 million people globally at a time when the world had one-quarter the population it does now. Global deaths from COVID-19 now stand at more than 4.6 million. The Spanish flu's US death toll is an estimate, given the incomplete records of the era and the poor scientific understanding of what caused the illness. The 675,000 figure comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before COVID-19, the 1918-19 flu was universally considered the worst pandemic disease in human history. No vaccine existed to slow it, and there were no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections. (One twin died in each of the pandemics.)
(Newser)  The Texas doctor who performed an abortion in defiance of the state's new "heartbeat law" said he wanted to make sure the law was tested in court. He's getting his wish. Two lawsuits have been filed against Dr. Alan Braid, the first tests of the legislation, the Wall Street Journal reports. Neither of the plaintiffs lives in Texas; they separately read Braid's op-ed about his act and filed civil complaints Monday in response. Both are representing themselves, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

story continues below

Oscar Stilley, a former Arkansas lawyer, says it was inevitable that someone was going to sue Braid and get $10,000 if the suit is successful, so it may as well be him. He says he is neither pro-choice nor anti-abortion and is not associated with any groups on either side, but that he believes the Texas law is attempting to get around established law and he wants to see it tested in court. He also says the Texas law states that anyone (even an out-of-state, disbarred ex-lawyer on home confinement after being convicted of tax fraud in 2010) can sue, not just Texas residents.

Felipe N. Gomez, who lives in Illinois, says he's pro-choice and thinks the law is illegal. His suit asks the court to strike it down and says he does not want any money. Gomez says he's also against mask and vaccine mandates for COVID-19, and that the GOP, which agrees with him on those things, is "inconsistent" in wanting to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. Interestingly, KSAT reports Gomez is also a former lawyer who was disbarred after allegations he sent harassing and threatening emails to other attorneys.

Meanwhile, the Texas Right to Life group hasn't sued Braid, because he didn't say in his op-ed whether he had checked for a heartbeat before performing the procedure, and it calls the two suits that were filed "self-serving legal stunts." Some anti-abortion activists had warned followers not to sue after Braid's op-ed because that's exactly what he wanted. The Center for Reproductive Rights, a national abortion-rights group, is representing Braid, who has not commented since the suits were filed, the Washington Post reports. (Read more Texas stories.)
(Newser)  The official line when police released bodycam footage of their encounter with Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie was that Petito admitted to hitting her fiance. The Moab Police Department did not classify the Aug. 12 incident as a domestic assault, and simply separated the couple for the night. But now the 911 call that sparked the traffic stop has been released, and it paints a different picture, People reports. "A gentleman was slapping the girl, the caller tells dispatchers, per KSL. "They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off." The dispatcher confirms with the caller that the man was slapping the woman. When police pulled over the couple, Petito did not accuse Laundrie of any violence, and a responding officer wrote in the report that it was more a "mental health crisis" than a domestic assault.

story continues below

Another officer did, however, write in the same report that "It wasn't clear, but I believe it was reported the male had been observed to have assaulted the female." An Arches National Park ranger tells the Deseret News that she was among those who responded to the incident, and that she warned Petito the relationship with Laundrie seemed "toxic." "I was imploring with her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life, she says. "She had a lot of anxiety about being away from him." Thirteen days later Petito posted on Instagram and spoke to her family via phone for the last time; she was reported missing when Laundrie returned home to Florida with the van but not Petito. A body believed to be hers was found Sunday near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and Laundrie, a person of interest in the case, has been missing for a week. More of the latest headlines:

A forensic psychiatrist tells Fox News of the bodycam footage, "They were both minimizing their argument. I think that's clear." But Petito, he notes, seems not just stressed but "scared" in the video while Laundrie appears calm.

Multiple people have come forward documenting encounters with one or both halves of the couple during their "van life" travels, including a travel blogger who may have helped authorities locate the remains. Another fellow traveler, a graphic designer who lives out of her Airstream, now tells the San Francisco Chronicle about encountering Laundrie and the van near Grand Teton on Aug. 26, "acting weird" and apparently without Petito.

Another woman and her boyfriend say they picked up Laundrie, who was hitchhiking alone at Grand Teton Aug. 29, and that he told them his fiancee was back at the van working on their website.

The case has taken over TikTok, and BuzzFeed and Yahoo News look at the phenomenon, including pointing out that some people with potentially important information are taking it to social media first rather than police.

After searching Laundrie's parents' Florida home Monday, police also visited his sister's home, Fox News reports. Later, a Laundrie family attorney canceled a press conference that had been scheduled for Tuesday after speaking with the FBI.

Also Monday, another "odd" text supposedly from Petito made headlines. On Aug. 27, two days after Petito's family last spoke to her by phone, her mother got a text from Petito's phone reading, "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Stan refers to Petito's grandfather, and her mother says the message is strange because Petito never referred to him by his first name, Yahoo News reports. Three days later, Petito's mother received the last text she would ever get from Petito's phone, and she has previously said she doesn't think Petito sent it.

(Read more Gabby Petito stories.)
(Newser)  Most people might expect to find old tchotchkes, photos, and letters when cleaning out the attic, but two letters found by Jack Epstein this summer while cleaning out his own attic weren't yellowed love notes or ancient report cardsthey were letters to him from Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber. Epstein, a travel writer and journalist with the San Francisco Chronicle, pens an essay for the paper on last month's discovery, which he says was prompted by his wife insisting he undertake a pandemic project to get rid of some of the files in their attic.

story continues below

Among the letters from readers Epstein had collected over the years, he found a pair from a "TJ Kaczynski," written in 1979, 17 years before Ted John Kaczynski was identified by the FBI as the man whose mail bombs killed three and injured nearly two dozen. Kaczynski had written the "formal and polite" notes to Epstein in search of off-the-grid travel advice, based on a budget travel book on Latin America that Epstein had written. "I thought, 'It can't be him, it can't be the Unabomber,'" Epstein tells CNN.

"I'm looking for a refuge in South America, where the closest person is five miles away," Kaczynski wrote in the first letter, dated May 24, 1979. "You seem to know South America well." He mentioned he was looking for a plot of land in the "wilderness," for him and his brother (ostensibly the brother who eventually turned him in), and that he hoped to avoid tropical jungles and areas near Andean glaciers, Epstein notes in the Chronicle. "I can only theorize that Kaczynski wrote me because he knew that one day he would need to flee US law enforcement for a South American haven," Epstein writes.

Epstein notes this letter was sent just two weeks after Kaczynski had left a mail bomb that injured a Northwestern University grad student. Kaczynski sent a handwritten follow-up thank-you letter to Epstein three months later. Epstein still is in disbelief he was contacted by the Unabomber, known as such "because universitiesthat's the U-Nand airlinesthe Awere the early targets of his bombs," per Newsweek. "I was ... thankful I hadn't been rude to him," Epstein writes in the Chronicle, adding he doesn't remember what advice he gave Kaczynski. More on his stunning find here. (Read more Unabomber stories.)
(Newser)  A CIA officer traveling in India with CIA Director Williams J. Burns reported symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome this month. It's unclear whether the officer was targeted because he was traveling with Burns, who's made it a top priority to investigate what the US government terms anomalous health incidents, or AHIs, which have affected Americans in numerous countries. But a targeted attack on Burns' entourage would represent a serious escalation and raise questions about how the perpetrator gained knowledge of the trip and its details, as Burns' schedule is "tightly held," per CNN.

story continues below

American officials have reported strange sensationsincluding nausea, dizziness, head pain, and more severe issuessince 2016, beginning at the US embassy in Cuba. Officials within the CIA, State Department, and Defense Department have been among those affected, with CIA officers representing nearly half of known cases, per the New York Times. CNN reports there are now more than 300 possible cases. A CNN source describes Burns as "fuming" at the latest incident, which came shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Vietnam was briefly delayed due to reports of Havana syndrome cases.

CNN notes at least two US officials in Vietnam had to be medevaced. The officer affected in India received immediate medical attention upon their return to the US, the outlet adds. A CIA spokesperson notes the government is "pursuing multiple lines of effort" to investigate Havana syndrome, while "increas[ing] our understanding of the possible mechanisms that could be causing AHIs." Earlier this summer, Burns handpicked an undercover officer involved in the hunt for Osama bin Laden to head the CIA's task force investigating Havana syndrome. (Read more Havana syndrome stories.)
(Newser)  Fifty-nine families are grieving the loss of furry family members after a fire at a Texas pet boarding facility killed at least 75 dogs. The fire swept through Ponderosa Pet Resort in Georgetown around 11pm Saturday. Fire Chief John Sullivan said firefighters found "the worst possible scenario" and "were unable to save even one life," per the Austin American-Statesman. The dogs are thought to have died from smoke inhalation. There were no people inside the building "but by no indication do I want to lead anyone to believe that that is any less tragic," Sullivan added, per KXAN. "My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly what location we were going to."

story continues below

Crews have established the fire's point of origin, per KXAN, which separately reports that the facility did not have a kennel permit. Police say its owner, former Georgetown police officer Phillip Paris, is cooperating with the investigation. "Fifty-nine families are affected, and their best friends won't be coming home," Paris said in a statement, per KXAN. "As a dog owner, I feel their heartbreak intensely." Don Richard, a newlywed due to pick up his two dogs on Sunday, is among those questioning why there wasn't someone monitoring the dogs at night, per KXAN. But a FAQ section of the facility's website says "we believe that pets sleep better at night when everything is dark, peaceful and quiet."

It's a further tragedy for the family of Georgetown Police Officer Michelle Gattey. Her dogs died inside the facility just days after Gattey herself died of COVID-19, KXAN reports. It's unclear if the 7,500-square-foot metal building had a sprinkler system, but Sullivan said it wasn't a requirement under federal, state, or local fire codes. Until the families get answers, eight artists are consoling them with portraits of their beloved petssome donated, others paid for with donations from a GoFundMe campaign, per KXAN. "It's more than I could ever ask for," says recipient Shay Hewa, who lost her 3-year-old dog, Cali. "Just the fact that someone's willing to do that out of the kindness of their hearts is so heartwarming." (Read more fire stories.)
(Newser)  US markets tanked on Monday, and those reading about the plunge would have learned that much of the blame was placed on a Chinese company called Evergrande. Which may have prompted many to wonder: What on earth is Evergrande and why did it dent my 401K? Coverage:

The company: Evergrande is massive real estate developer that owns more than 1,300 projects in nearly 300 Chinese cities, per the BBC. Businesses under the Evergrande Group umbrella encompass everything from wealth management to the manufacturing of food and drink to electric cars. But Evergrande also has huge debt that is coming due.

Evergrande is massive real estate developer that owns more than 1,300 projects in nearly 300 Chinese cities, per the BBC. Businesses under the Evergrande Group umbrella encompass everything from wealth management to the manufacturing of food and drink to electric cars. But Evergrande also has huge debt that is coming due. Interesting comparison: The "teetering" company "is the Chinese economy in miniature," writes James Mackintosh at the Wall Street Journal. "Both have operated for decades on the principle that it was worth borrowing to build, in Evergrandes case mostly housing, in Chinas case not just apartments, but roads, rail, airports and other infrastructure." The government, however, has begun policy shifts to curb rising debt, and Evergrande is paying the price, per the AP.

story continues below

The debt: The AP explainer says Evergrande was built on "borrowed money" and now has a staggering $310 billion of outstanding debt to banks, bondholders, building contractors, and the like. Credit agencies don't think Evergrande will be able to paythe first debt payment deadline is Thursdayraising the prospect that it will default and collapse, notes Fox Business.

The AP explainer says Evergrande was built on "borrowed money" and now has a staggering $310 billion of outstanding debt to banks, bondholders, building contractors, and the like. Credit agencies don't think Evergrande will be able to paythe first debt payment deadline is Thursdayraising the prospect that it will default and collapse, notes Fox Business. Lehman comparison: Many are calling this China's "Lehman's moment," referring to the collapse of Lehman Brothers at the start of the 2008 financial crisis. The idea is that an Evergrande failure would trigger "financial dominoes to fall in China's vast real estate market," per CBS News. However, a consensus seems to be building on Wall Street that the comparison isn't apt, per MarketWatch. "A true 'Lehman moment' is a crisis of a very different magnitude," says a Barclays analysis. "One would need to see a lenders strike across large parts of the financial system, a sharp increase in credit distress away from the real-estate sector, and banks being unwilling to face each other in the interbank funding market." So far, none of that is happening.

Many are calling this China's "Lehman's moment," referring to the collapse of Lehman Brothers at the start of the 2008 financial crisis. The idea is that an Evergrande failure would trigger "financial dominoes to fall in China's vast real estate market," per CBS News. However, a consensus seems to be building on Wall Street that the comparison isn't apt, per MarketWatch. "A true 'Lehman moment' is a crisis of a very different magnitude," says a Barclays analysis. "One would need to see a lenders strike across large parts of the financial system, a sharp increase in credit distress away from the real-estate sector, and banks being unwilling to face each other in the interbank funding market." So far, none of that is happening. Limited contagion? Most analysts quoted in coverage also seem to think Beijing will stem the damage and thus ward off sustained global trouble. "I suspect the Chinese government is on top of this, and I dont doubt they will deal with it severely, but I dont think it will have the global effects the market is suggesting (Monday) morning," says Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, per Fox. (US markets were in positive territory Tuesday.)

Most analysts quoted in coverage also seem to think Beijing will stem the damage and thus ward off sustained global trouble. "I suspect the Chinese government is on top of this, and I dont doubt they will deal with it severely, but I dont think it will have the global effects the market is suggesting (Monday) morning," says Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, per Fox. (US markets were in positive territory Tuesday.) Caution: It's never easy predicting how things will go in China, however. "The hard thing about particularly understanding China is that it is an opaque system and oftentimes you dont have answers until you get answers," Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed income at BlackRock, tells CNBC. For now, the best guess is that the government will engineer a restructuring of Evergrande rather than letting it go under.

It's never easy predicting how things will go in China, however. "The hard thing about particularly understanding China is that it is an opaque system and oftentimes you dont have answers until you get answers," Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed income at BlackRock, tells CNBC. For now, the best guess is that the government will engineer a restructuring of Evergrande rather than letting it go under. A warning: If Beijing is indeed serious about reining in "unsustainable debt-driven growth, it faces a series of tricky problems as it remakes its economy," writes Mackintosh at the Journal. "History suggests it is exceptionally hard to navigate such shifts without mistakes, and China is so big that the shifts will need to be global, not merely domestic. It could be a bumpy few years."

(Read more stock market stories.)
(Newser)  The very public search for Gabby Petito has one family urging a similar response to the disappearance of a 24-year-old man in Arizona. Daniel Robinson, a geologist who oversaw sites in the remote desert, has been missing for three months since he was last seen leaving a work site in Buckeye on June 23, per the Arizona Republic. A landowner found his badly damaged 2017 blue Jeep Renegade, with its airbags deployed, in a ravine about 4 miles southwest of the work site on July 19. It appeared to have rolled. Police said evidence suggested Robinson was wearing his seatbelt at the time. But while his wallet, phone, keys, and clothing were found at the site, there was no sign of Robinson himself.

story continues below

His family has suggested the crash site was staged. With donated funds, they hired a private investigator who reportedly found evidence that the vehicle was driven after it crashed. In a petition demanding action from the Buckeye Police Departmentwith more than 12,100 signatures as of this writingRobinson's father, David, who traveled to Arizona from South Carolina, says he's "done more to find my son than the law enforcement agency," which "has not gathered any evidence of their own" and is "unwilling to move beyond their theory which leads to non-action on their part." He claims to have performed seven searches that "recovered the remains of about six people."

A human skull found near Robinsons Jeep was determined not to be his. "No other human remains have been found, despite online reports claiming otherwise," police said in a Thursday statement, per the Republic. They say foul play isn't suspectedhence why this remains a missing person investigation rather than a criminal oneand authorities have used a helicopter, drone, and cadaver dogs to search 70 square miles for Robinson. They also obtained limited call records and "it did not appear that Daniel made any calls or texts after leaving the site," according to a July statement, per KSAZ. Robinson, a Black man easily identifiable as he doesn't have a right forearm or hand, is described as 5'8" with black hair and brown eyes. (Read more missing person stories.)
(Newser)  The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday blamed Russia for the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London in 2006 after drinking tea laced with a radioactive material. A former agent for the KGB and the successor agency FSB, Litvinenko defected from Russia in 2000 and fled to London, per the AP. While in Britain, Litvinenko became involved in exposing corruption and links to organized crime in the Russian intelligence service. He fell violently ill on Nov. 1, 2006, after drinking tea with two Russian men at a London hotel, and spent three weeks in the hospital before he died. His tea was found to have been laced with radioactive polonium-210.

story continues below

A British inquiry concluded in early 2016 that Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun had killed Litvinenko, and that President Vladimir Putin had probably approved the operation. Litvinenko's widow, Marina, took the case to the Strasbourg-based court. The European court, which is not a body of the European Union, backed the British conclusion in its verdict on Tuesday but rejected Marina Litvinenko's claim for punitive damages.

"The Court found in particular that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Lugovoi and Mr. Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State, it said. Both Lugovoi and Kovtun deny any involvement in the killing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brushed aside the European court's verdict. Were not ready to take such rulings on board, he told reporters. (Read more Alexander Litvinenko stories.)
(Newser)  A man in Oklahoma arrested last year on charges of performing an illegal surgery has been sentenced to two years in jail and 10 years in prison. Bob Lee Allen, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit unlicensed surgery, practicing medicine without a license, and attempted distribution of a psychedelic mushroom, the AP reports. The surgery in question was a castration, and the person on whom it was performed volunteered, the Oklahoman reports. Allen agreed to plead guilty after his husband, Thomas Evans Gates III, agreed to testify against him. The crime was discovered when the 28-year-old victim started to hemorrhage and they drove him to the hospital for bleeding after the botched surgery, the Detroit Free Press reports.

story continues below

The victim said he met Allen online, via a website he said was called "the Eunuch Maker and EM Crew." He flew from Virginia to Texas, and then was given a ride to a cabin in Oklahoma where the surgery was performed on a table. He said Allen told him he was a cannibal who planned to eat the body parts he removed, the Oklahoman reports. Police found the parts in a plastic bag in a freezer. Allen also reportedly told the victim he had six more patients booked for surgeries. Gates also pleaded guilty to some charges in exchange for having felony charges dropped and will have to pay about $2,000 in fines. (Read more weird crimes stories.)
(Newser)  The taste of your supermarket chicken hasn't changed, but its makeup has. That's according to a Humane League report out Monday that looked at the increasingly ubiquitous nature of "white striping" among the poultry sold in US stores. Bloomberg explains: Factory farming plumps chickens up on such an accelerated timeline that their own body weight becomes burdensome; to cope, the poultry muscle disease that results causes the birds to replace some of their muscle tissue with fat. The change is visible, at least when the resulting meat hits grocery-store shelves, with thin white stripes appearing on the meat's surface.

story continues below

The white striping jacks up the fat content by 224%, per the report, and lowers the amount of protein by 9%. As for the ubiquitous part, the non-profit looked at 16 major chains in 29 states and found 99% of chicken packages examined had at least one breast fillet affected by white striping disease, prodding a rep for the Humane League to say, "Consumers just really dont have a choice right now. ... If you wanted to avoid white-striped chicken, theyre just not offering it." CBS News notes that less than a decade ago, a study detected white striping in just 5% of chicken.

Among the chains whose poultry was analyzed: Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, and Wegman's, with a press release noting Walmart, BJ's, and Meijer had the "highest prevalence" of white striping disease. The report notes the birds' weight gain is partly due to the popularity of breast meat, which caused birds to be selectively bred for bigger breast muscle. CBS News says the National Chicken Council pooh-poohed the report and made a comparison between white striping and marbling in red meat. "White striping is not a disease. It is a quality factor in chicken breast meat caused by deposits of fat in the muscle during the bird's growth and development," said a rep. (Read more chicken stories.)
(Newser)  Germany has suffered what is believed to be its first death resulting from a verbal tussle over mask regulations. The New York Times reports a 49-year-old man tried to purchase two six-packs of beer around 7:45pm on Saturday from a gas station in southwestern Germany that he entered without a mask. The 20-year-old student manning the register at the Idar-Oberstein station refused, saying he needed to adhere to the masking regulations, which have applied to German shops since nearly the start of the pandemic.

story continues below

Police say the man returned to the store an hour later with a gun in his pocket, reports Deutsche Welle. ABC News reports the man was wearing a mask but pulled it down to speak with the clerk. The two exchanged words and then police say the man shot the younger man in the head. The suspect fled on foot and turned himself in the next day. The suspect allegedly said he opposed COVID restrictions and felt hugely stressed by the pandemic. Per Deutsche Welle, he "saw no other way out" than to "set an example."

He said he viewed the clerk as "responsible for the situation because he was enforcing the rules." The man is being held on suspicion of murder while police probe his electronics to determine whether they believe the killing was premeditated. Says the town's mayor: "Such a crime is unprecedented. It will take time to come to terms with it." (Read more face masks stories.)
(Newser)  Vice President Kamala Harris says she is "deeply troubled" by images and videos of mounted Border Patrol officers using their animals to try to force back migrants at the Rio Grande. "Human beings should never be treated that way," Harris said Tuesday. Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas say the incident will be investigated, the Washington Post reports. Witnesses reported seeing agents swing whips at the mostly Haitian migrants Sunday, though authorities say they were actually swinging their horses' long reins. The officers were seen chasing the migrants and one was heard shouting an obscenity at a child who jumped out of the way. Another mounted agent grabbed a man who was carrying bags of food. More:

"That is unacceptable." "One cannot weaponize a horse to aggressively attack a child, Mayorkas said. That is unacceptable. That is not what our policies and our training require. He says he was "profoundly" troubled by how the migrants were treated in videos he saw Monday.

story continues below

Haitians were "quite scared." Photographer Paul Ratje tells NPR that he's not sure what prompted an agent on horseback to grab a man by his shirt and swing him around. "I thought the Haitians were quite scared, and I think there was probably some panic, which resulted in them trying to run around the horses," he says.

Photographer Paul Ratje tells NPR that he's not sure what prompted an agent on horseback to grab a man by his shirt and swing him around. "I thought the Haitians were quite scared, and I think there was probably some panic, which resulted in them trying to run around the horses," he says. Expulsions have been stepped up. More than 6,000 migrants have now been removed from an encampment under a bridge in the border community of Del Rio, Texas, the AP reports. Officials say there were around 15,000 people there when numbers peaked on Saturday. The US has stepped up expulsion flights to Haiti and Mexico has started busing migrants away from its side of the border.

Abbott blames Biden administration . Texas Gov. Greg Abbott visited Del Rio Tuesday and blamed the crisis on the Biden administration, the El Paso Times "Because the Biden administration is doing nothing to secure our border, it has been the state of Texas that has had to step up and address this challenge," the Republican said. He said state and federal agencies will remain in the area until it is "fully restored to total control."

. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott visited Del Rio Tuesday and blamed the crisis on the Biden administration, the El Paso Times "Because the Biden administration is doing nothing to secure our border, it has been the state of Texas that has had to step up and address this challenge," the Republican said. He said state and federal agencies will remain in the area until it is "fully restored to total control." Del Rio residents speak out . The New York Times reports that the surge in migrants and the temporary closure of the bridge that connects the city to Mexico has been tough on Del Rio residents. Many in the city of 36,000 cross the border daily. " No one was prepared for this," says resident Jose Rodriguez, a 40-year-old warehouse worker. "We wont be the same after this is over." Authorities have been making dozens of arrests a day and local police and jails are overwhelmed.

. The New York Times reports that the surge in migrants and the temporary closure of the bridge that connects the city to Mexico has been tough on Del Rio residents. Many in the city of 36,000 cross the border daily. " No one was prepared for this," says resident Jose Rodriguez, a 40-year-old warehouse worker. "We wont be the same after this is over." Authorities have been making dozens of arrests a day and local police and jails are overwhelmed. Feds defend deportations. Mayorkas says the US has determined that Haiti can "receive individuals safely," though many say they are afraid to return after recent political strife. "Haiti has no president, no jobs, there is nothing. In the earthquake a lot of people died," one migrant tells the AP. "Its not right over there, Im going back to Mexico.

(Read more US-Mexico border stories.)
(Newser)  Around 30 years ago, George Holliday woke up after midnight to a ruckus outside his bedroom window, grabbed his brand new video camera, and caught four Los Angeles Police officers beating Rodney King. The next day, curious what had happened, he called the police to find out what happened, learned nothing, and called the local news station. Journalists at KTLA were shocked by the video and broadcast the footage. Later, when the officers were acquitted of assault charges on April 29, 1992, riots broke out, and Holliday said he got death threats for releasing the tape. Holliday died Sunday of COVID, KTLA reports. He was not vaccinated, and, still working as a plumber, was in and out of peoples houses all day. He spent his last few days on a ventilator. He was 61.

story continues below

Holliday once met the subject of his shocking footage, the Washington Post reports. They were at the same gas station about a year after the riots when King called out to him. Holliday said he didnt recognize him at first because he had recovered from most of his injuries at that point. King drowned in 2012 at the age of 47. Holliday had taped the beating partly because the video camera was new and he was trying it out, and partly because hed grown up in Argentina in a time when "people would get disappeared with no due process," he said. But, the grandson of a London police officer, he also said he had great respect for police. Last year, he tried to sell his Sony Handycam; its not clear whether he succeeded. He also had said he wanted to make a documentary about the King case, NPR reports. (Read more obituary stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Cabinet has affirmed His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas initiatives that support international efforts to uphold international security.

Marking yesterdays International Day of Peace, the Cabinet highlighted the Kingdom of Bahrains unwavering support for efforts to enhance global peace.

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.

It asserted the importance of strengthening the legal and legislative mechanisms that combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

In this regard, the Cabinet welcomed the Basel Anti-Money Laundering Indexs finding, which ranks Bahrain as the first in the Arab region.

The Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of the visit made by His Majesty King Hamad to Egypt, which included a meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

The meeting further strengthened bilateral relations and joint coordination on international issues and developments.

The Cabinet approved the following memorandums:

1. A memorandum by the Civil Service Council regarding the restructuring of several government agencies to improve efficiency and performance.

2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding three draft decree-laws that are part of a development package to improve legislation.

3. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs ratifying the Arab Customs Cooperation Agreement, which aims to enhance cooperation between Arab customs administrations and further strengthen coordination in the economic and trade fields.

4. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft law approving the legal system amending some provisions of the unified customs legal system for GCC countries.

5. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision to amend some provisions of the executive regulations of the Civil Service Law.

6. A memorandum by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the third periodic report of the Kingdom of Bahrain on the progress made in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be submitted to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Cabinet took note of ministerial reports including the outcome of the fifth meeting of GCC Ministerial Committee for Education, 21st meeting of GCC Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research (chaired by Bahrain), and 31st meeting of GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain condemned the attempted attack by the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia using two explosive-laden boats in Salif in the Red Sea.

The Foreign Ministry affirmed that the terrorist act reflects the Houthis adamant intent to threaten navigation and undermine regional stability and security.

It hailed the efficiency and vigilance of the Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen, which were able to intercept and destroy the boats.

It called upon the international community to shoulder its responsibility in condemning these acts, stressing the need for concerted international efforts to deter these terrorist militias and put an end to their violations.

Solidarity with Russia

Bahrain condemned the shooting at Perm University in Siberia in the Russian Federation, resulting in the death and injury of several people. The Foreign Ministry extended its condolences to the families of the victims and to the Russian people and government, wishing a speedy recovery to those injured as a result of this cowardly act.

It affirmed Bahrains solidarity with the Russian Federation in its efforts to confront violence, extremism, and terrorism. It reiterated the Kingdoms unwavering position in rejecting violence and extremism in all its forms and regardless of its motives.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains royal leadership has always been committed to achieving peace at home and abroad. This was emphasised by Bahrains top legislative leaders as the Kingdom marked the International Day of Peace, which was observed around the world yesterday under the theme Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.

Shura Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh said that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas ambitious initiatives and comprehensive visions seek to make the values and principles of peace a national and global way of life, boost human development in all fields, and ensure the progress and prosperity sought by all people.

In a statement on the occasion, Al Saleh praised HM King Hamads steady endeavours to support peace across the globe. He cited the establishment of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, the King Hamad Chair in Inter-Faith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence, and the launch of the King Hamad Medal for Peaceful Coexistence.

The Chairman noted the Honorary Doctorate from Moscow State University of International Relations, in recognition of His Majestys remarkable efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and consolidate dialogue between different religions and cultures. He also praised the efforts of the government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in implementing HMs directives and projects regarding peace and coexistence.

Compassion and coexistence

Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal lauded Bahrains strong commitment to peace, compassion and coexistence and the Kingdoms endeavours to deepen the principles of tolerance and moderation at home and abroad.

The Speaker attributed Bahrains commitment to the wise leadership of HM the King that has made the Kingdom a foundation for peace, a fertile environment for coexistence and tolerance among all religions, beliefs and sects, and a distinguished model for social harmony and concord.

She commended HM the Kings remarkable efforts to consolidate the policy of openness, coexistence and acceptance of the others. His Majestys initiatives represent a milestone in promoting the values of love and harmony, and concretising the directives to realise the lofty goals of peace and coexistence in a way that contributes to achieving the United Nations goals in sustainable development, she added.

Zainal hailed the great efforts made by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister by developing plans and strategies to enhance Bahrains status through noble principles endorsed by religions, charters and international covenants.

The Speaker affirmed that the Council of Representatives, in cooperation with the government, harnesses its efforts and capabilities to enhance national gains and achievements, in approving and implementing relevant global agreements and charters, especially those related to strengthening international security, stability and peace.

The Council is also committed to energising the role of parliamentary diplomacy to spread tolerance and coexistence and to contribute to establishing peace and accords within the international community, she said.

Zainal stressed that Bahrain is keen on making peace the strategic option to end conflicts and disputes in the region, support efforts to enhance security, stability, growth and prosperity around the world, intensify efforts towards development and opening up wider horizons for all, and intensifying and coordinating efforts to tackle the dangers and threats related to conflicts, armaments and violence.
Electronics retailer Best Buy will close its store in the lover level of the Meriden Mall at the end of next month, according to a spokesman for the Minnesota-based company.

Kevin Flanagan, a company spokesman, said the Meriden location at 470 Lewis Ave. will close Oct. 30. The lease on Best Buys mall location had come to an end and the company elected not to renew, according to Flanagan.

Were always looking at our network of stores and evaluating them as leases come up for renewal, he said. However, we dont speculate on our future store plans.

This will be the second Best Buy in Connecticut to close this year, Flanagan said. The company previously closed its Enfield location at the end of February, he said.

The closing of the Meriden store will leave Best Buy with 10 locations around the state, including stores in Orange, North Haven and Trumbull, as well as a warehouse in Wallingford.

Best Buy opened its Meriden store in 2004 at the same time as Dicks Sporting Goods opened in the mall. The two stores moved into space that had been used by Lord & Taylor.

The company had announced in 2014 that it would close the Meriden store, but reconsidered after Best Buy officials reached a new lease agreement with the malls then-owner, Westfield Properties.

David Cadden, a professor emeritus at Quinnipiac Universitys School of Business, said Best Buy has been focused on moving into small retail spaces for some time now and has been successful at it. Even with the Connecticut closings, Cadden said he expects Best Buy will remain a long-term survivor in the brick-and-mortar electronics retailing sector despite inroads made by online retailers in that category.

People are insecure about the electronics stuff and they want to be able to talk to someone in person, he said. They welcome the ability to follow up with someone because they are overwhelmed by the technology.

To facilitate that, Best Buy in 2002 acquired an small, independent company, The Geek Squad. Now operating as part of Best Buy, The Geek Squad handles assembly and installation of electronics as well as repair and technical support.

Youre not going to get that kind of help through Amazon, Cadden said.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
BROOKFIELD  A Board of Education meeting abruptly ended last week as at least one member of the public disrupted proceedings to go on a tirade against mask and vaccine mandates.

Its the latest instance locally and statewide of tensions over mask mandates spilling over during public forums.

The board was scheduled to welcome its new teachers and attend to regular business items like the progress on Candlewood Lake Elementary School and a budget calendar, but was unable to do so. A special meeting likely will take place to discuss the budget item some time next week.

The Sept. 15 regular meeting video cuts off at 21 minutes and 16 seconds after a woman approached the podium, grabbed the microphone, and turned around to address the audience with her back to the board members.

Meeting minutes state that the interruption occurred at 7:16 p.m., and was followed by a recess until 7:21 p.m. when the public disruption continued. Vice chairman Bob Belden ended the meeting at 7:22 p.m.

As the board was wrapping up the public comment section, a womans voice interrupted: No, Id like to speak, she said.

Belden responded in the negative, to which the woman said No, Im going to speak.

No, youre not, Belden responded again. The woman had not signed up to speak.

Yeah. I am, she said.

Belden asked for the microphone to be turned off as the woman, clad in a white T-shirt and black mask, turned to the audience. She then began to speak, with her back to the board, about her opposition to mask mandates and potential vaccine mandates.

Across the state, other intense disruptions have occurred, including one where Gov. Ned Lamont had to be escorted out of a back-to-school briefing in Cheshire after anti-mask protesters interrupted the proceedings. An August Board of Education meeting in Haddam was interrupted by anti-mask demonstrators with bullhorns and signs.

I think its important, first and foremost, to say we always want to hear from the public. That is part of our job. But we want to make sure that people understand that board meetings are not primarily for the publics participation, said chairman Rosa Fernandes who virtually attended the Sept. 15 meeting.

Fernandes said that it was unfortunate the new teachers witnessed the meetings dissolution.

We would have hoped that their first impression of the district would have been more civil, she said.

The board had implemented a 7 p.m. cutoff for public speaking sign-ups to combat some of the issues that have arisen during meetings.

Fernandes said she doesnt know if the vocal group that shows up to speak out against masks is reflective of the community at large.

I think a lot of parents maybe dont have an issue with masks, and they might not even care enough to speak about it, she said.

Public commentary

In recent months, Brookfields Board of Education has faced a barrage of criticism from parents and community members over wearing masks in schools, including hourlong public comment sessions often peppered with medical misinformation.

A board video was briefly taken down by YouTube in July after it was flagged for medical misinformation. The decision was subsequently reversed by the video-sharing platform after inquiries from Hearst Connecticut Media. A spokesperson said the company had reversed its decision due to policies that allow content that might otherwise violate our policies as long as it includes educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic (EDSA) context.

At the time, board members pointed to the public comment section as the likely source of misinformation.

During the Sept. 15 meeting, a local father received loud applause following a speech in which he referenced several right-wing conspiracy theories, stated that COVID-19 was a fraud, and that he would be pressing charges against the school board if a vaccine mandate was implemented.

Lamont stated earlier this month that he would be open to the idea of local districts imposing vaccine mandates for students. On Monday, Pfizer announced that vaccine trials for children ages five to 11 looked promising.

Fernandes called some of the comments and allegations made during this meeting troubling.

Im very aware of everyones struggles, but when it comes to more of the extreme views, it saddens me to think that some of these are coming before a board of education, she said.

Republican candidate for first selectman, Tara Carr, has spoken at a board meeting against mask mandates.

At a Sept. 1 board meeting, Carr wrongly claimed that mask-wearing depletes oxygen levels, affecting the wearers health. The World Health Organization, articles from the National Institutes of Health and the American Lung Association, among other top medical universities and medical studies, agree that mask-wearing does not deplete oxygen levels.

In an interview with Hearst Connecticut, Carr defended her statements.

We can all agree that no matter what information is out there, you can find it to fit your own beliefs and your own narratives, she said. The CDC is also a leading science institution and theyve been wrong plenty of times. So when we talk about leading science institutions, theyre not always right either.

The first selectman candidate has told Hearst Connecticut that she believes vaccination and masking should be a personal/parental choice, and earlier this year attended a rally against the elimination of religious exemptions for medical mandates in Hartford.

For now, the boards hands are tied, due to the state masking mandate that will possibly be extended before expiring on Sept. 30.

A lot of the concerns coming before us are really things that are out of our control at this point, unless parents are honestly suggesting we defy a state mandate, Fernandes said. We are obligated to follow a law and we have never made a decision on any of these things.
Oklahoma scheduled seven executions Monday in what would be the first lethal injections for the state since putting them on hold six years ago following a series of mishaps.

Among the men scheduled to die is Julius Darius Jones, even though the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board just last week recommended that his death sentence be commuted to life in prison. The case that drew national attention after it was featured in 2018 on the ABC television documentary series The Last Defense.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals scheduled six other executions  one a month from October through March, with two in January.

Oklahoma once had one of the busiest death chambers in the nation. Executions were put on hold following a botched lethal injection in 2014 that left an inmate writhing on the gurney, followed by drug mix-ups in 2015.

Its first execution since that is set for Oct. 28. The man scheduled to die  John Marion Grant, 60  was initially set to be executed in October 2018, but his lethal injection was among those delayed by the concerns over the execution drugs.

Grant was convicted of killing prison employee Gay Carter in 1998 while serving sentences for four armed robberies. According to evidence submitted at trial, Grant dragged Carter into a small closet and stabbed her 16 times with a homemade knife after she removed him from a job in the kitchen of Dick Conner Correction Center in Hominy.

Jones execution is set for Nov. 18. He was convicted in the 1999 slaying of Edmond businessman Paul Howell. Any commutation is ultimately up to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, who opposes the death penalty, said the state seemed to be in a rush to execute people after seven years.

We have an opportunity to support the God-given dignity of every human person, protect society, and seek justice for victims and their families by using other available means to hold criminals accountable, Coakley said.

The other men scheduled to die are:

-Bigler Stouffer on Dec. 9 for a 1985 attack on his girlfriends ex-husband in Oklahoma City that left the mans schoolteacher girlfriend, Linda Reaves, dead.

-Wade Greely Lay on Jan. 6 for shooting Tulsa bank teller Amber Rogers dead during a 2004 holdup.

-Donald Anthony Grant on Jan. 27 for the 2001 fatal shooting of the manager and desk clerk of a Del City motel where he had applied for a job the day before.

-Gilbert Ray Postelle on Feb. 17 for the 2005 revenge killings of four people at an Oklahoma City mobile home park, including one man he held responsible for hitting the motorcycle Postelles father was riding, leaving him incapacitated.

-James Allen Coddington on March 10 for the 1997 hammer killing in Choctaw of co-worker Albert Hale, who had refused to lend Coddington $50 to buy drugs.

Jones has perhaps the the highest-profile case. It has drawn the attention of reality television star Kim Kardashian West and numerous professional athletes with ties to Oklahoma, who have appealed for clemency.

Jones, 41, has consistently maintained that he is innocent of the killing and alleged that he was framed by the actual killer, a high school friend and former co-defendant who was a key witness against him.

District Attorney David Prater of Oklahoma County, where the killing occurred, and Oklahomas former attorney general, Mike Hunter, have said the evidence against Jones is overwhelming.

Information from trial transcripts shows that witnesses identified Jones as the shooter and placed him with Howells stolen vehicle. Investigators found the murder weapon and a bandanna with Jones DNA in an attic space above his bedroom, but Jones claims in his commutation filing that the gun and bandanna were planted there by the actual killer.

Given the setting of a November 18 execution date, it is our hope the Governor adopts the Boards recommendation and commutes Juliuss death sentence, Jones' attorney, Amanda Bass, said in a written statement. "Oklahoma must not allow an innocent man to be executed.

___

This story was first published on Sept. 20, 2021. It was updated on Sept. 21, 2021 to correct the name of the first inmate scheduled for execution in the state since 2015. He is John Marion Grant, not John David Marion.
The Federal Election Is Today

GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 20, 2021 /CNW/ -

Canadian electors are heading to the polls today.

Electors must vote at their assigned polling station. To find out where to vote, electors can check their voter information card, visit elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868.

Every poll across the country is open for 12 hours on election day. Voting hours are staggered so that most results are available at around the same time on election night.

Voting hours (local time):

Time zone Voting hours Newfoundland 8:30 a.m.8:30 p.m. Atlantic 8:30 a.m.8:30 p.m. Eastern 9:30 a.m.9:30 p.m. Central (except in Saskatchewan) 8:30 a.m.8:30 p.m. Mountain and Saskatchewan 7:30 a.m.7:30 p.m. Pacific 7:00 a.m.7:00 p.m.

To vote, electors must be registered. Those who are not registered can register at their polling place when they go to vote. Unregistered electors can enter their information online, print a pre-filled registration certificate and bring it with them for faster service at the polls.

To make the voting process easier, electors should bring their voter information card, along with accepted ID, when they go to their polling place.

Electors must prove their identity and address. They can visit elections.ca to see the list of identification documents accepted at the polls or call 1-800-463-6868 for more information.

To maintain a safe environment for electors and election workers, Elections Canada strongly encourages electors to wear a mask when they go to vote, even in places where masks are not required by the province, territory or region. We will require electors to wear a mask where one is required by the province, territory or region or by the landlord leasing the space to us. Electors who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons will not be required to wear one.

Electors will be required to practice physical distancing, which may mean they have to temporarily line up in hallways or outside the polling place.

If electors can, they should avoid peak times, such as the opening of the polls in the morning and dinnertime in the evening.

Electors who have concerns about voting in person should visit elections.ca to find out more about the measures being taken to make voting safe at their polling place. Electors who think they have COVID-19 should follow their local health authority's guidelines and stay home.

Electors who applied to vote by mail and who are required to return their completed special ballot to their local Elections Canada office can drop it off at their assigned polling place, or at any other polling place in their riding. To find their assigned polling place, electors can check their voter information card, visit elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868.

Preliminary results of the election will be published on elections.ca as soon as they become available.

Given the number of local special ballots we have received, we expect most of the country's 338 ridings to report the results of their local special ballot count on Tuesday, September 21 , and the vast majority to finish counting by Wednesday, September 22 . However, due to high volumes or logistical challenges, the full count may take up to four days in some ridings.

, and the vast majority to finish counting by . However, due to high volumes or logistical challenges, the full count may take up to four days in some ridings. Candidates may send representatives (scrutineers) to observe ballot counting at polling places, returning offices and other locations in their electoral district.

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament.

Subscribe to our news service at elections.ca.

SOURCE Elections Canada

For further information: Elections Canada Media Relations, 1-877-877-9515, elections.ca

Related Links

https://www.elections.ca/


MONTREAL, Sept. 19, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) strongly encourages members of the Black community to express their choice and vision for Canada's future by voting on September 20th.

"More than ever, black entrepreneurs and all Canadians of African descent must make their choice and voice heard. It's only by being an active political force that our views will be heard, considered and, more importantly, influence social and economic decisions. Go out and vote. Vote for yourself, vote for your community, and vote your country!"

Tiffany Callender , Chief Executive Officer FACE

A Historic Election

This election is of historical importance not only because of the current pandemic, but also because it will lead to the election of a government who will have to take crucial decisions, especially regarding economic recovery, reconciliation and support for minorities and marginalized communities.

FACE pledges to work with the next government by ensuring that the Black business community contribute to Canada's economic recovery and growth.

About FACE

The Federation of African Canadian Economics is a coalition of Black-led organizations dedicated to stimulating economic growth and creating generational wealth for Canadians of African Descent. In 2020 FACE was created to address the needs of Black business owners and entrepreneurs who were economically devastated during the pandemic.

The founding organizations included Africa Centre, Black Business Initiative, Black Business and Professional Association, Cote-des-Neiges Black Community Association Inc, and Groupe 3737.

FACE is anchored in the commitment of its founding organization which synthesizes over 100 years of experience diligently serving Black Canadians with respect, integrity and purpose.

SOURCE The Federation of African Canadian Economics

For further information: Media Contact, Yasmine Abdelfadel, (514) 804-6182, [email protected]
TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - First National Financial Corporation (TSX: FN) (TSX: FN.PR.A) (TSX: FN.PR.B) today announced its third quarter 2021 financial reporting schedule.

Third Quarter Release October 26, 2021 after market close Third Quarter Earnings Call/Webcast October 27, 2021 10:00 am ET Hosts Stephen Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jason Ellis, President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Inglis, Chief Financial Officer Conference Call (416) 764-8609 or (888) 390-0605 Webcast www.firstnational.ca

A taped rebroadcast of the conference call will be available until November 3, 2021 at midnight ET. To access the rebroadcast, please dial (416) 764-8677 or (888) 390-0541 and enter passcode 141337 followed by the number sign. The webcast is also archived at www.firstnational.ca for three months.

About First National Financial Corporation

First National Financial Corporation (TSX: FN,TSX:FN.PR.A,TSX:FN.PR.B) is the parent company of First National Financial LP, a Canadian-based originator, underwriter and servicer of predominantly prime residential (single-family and multi-unit) and commercial mortgages. With more than $121 billion in mortgages under administration, First National is one of Canada's largest non-bank originators and underwriters of mortgages and is among the top three in market share in the mortgage broker distribution channel. For more information, please visit www.firstnational.ca.

SOURCE First National Financial Corporation

For further information: Robert Inglis, Chief Financial Officer, First National Financial Corporation, Tel: 416 593 1100, Email: [email protected]; Ernie Stapleton, President Fundamental, Tel: 905 648 9354, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.firstnational.ca


The brand names were created and validated by Brand Institute, a Miami-based naming agency and the global leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare-related name development

MIAMI, Sept. 20, 2021 /CNW/ -- Brand Institute is proud to announce its role in naming all three COVID-19 vaccine brand names recently approved by Health Canada: Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech), Spikevax (Moderna), and Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca). In addition to approving the brand names, Health Canada announced full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which were previously authorized under an interim order. The full approval for Moderna's vaccine is the first by a regulatory agency.

"The entire Brand Institute and Drug Safety Institute Team congratulates Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca on the Health Canada approval of their COVID-19 vaccine brand names," said Brand Institute's Chairman and CEO, James L. Dettore. "Each vaccine brand name was carefully crafted to not only fulfill our client's strategic branding and naming objectives, but also the legal, linguistic and regulatory criteria that are essential to bring a new pharmaceutical brand name to market."

Brand Institute's methodology addresses the unique challenges of developing a global pharmaceutical brand name, including a robust name safety analysis that is fully compliant with each agency's regulatory requirements.

According to Scott Sawler, President of Canadian Regulatory Affairs for Brand Institute's wholly-owned subsidiary, Drug Safety Institute, "Health Canada evaluates brand name safety to ensure that proposed brands are not misleading or will not be confused with another product authorized for use in Canada with the aim of preventing medication errors. We are pleased to support our clients with their Canadian research and name submission needs."

About Brand Institute and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Drug Safety Institute

Brand Institute is the global leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare-related name development, with a portfolio of over 3,500 marketed healthcare names for nearly 1,000 clients. The company partners on over 75% of pharmaceutical brand and nonproprietary name approvals globally every year. Drug Safety Institute is comprised of former naming regulatory officials from global government health agencies, including FDA, EMA, Health Canada, American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO). These regulatory experts co-authored the name review guidelines while with their respective agencies, with many responsible for ultimately approving (or rejecting) brand name applications. Now working for a private company, these professionals provide Brand Institute's clients with industry-leading guidance pertaining to drug name safety (i.e., preventing medication errors), packaging, and labeling.

Contact: Scott Piergrossi

President, Creative

[email protected]

SOURCE Brand Institute, Inc.

Related Links

www.brandinstitute.com


GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Members of the media are invited to visit Elections Canada's distribution centre to take photos and shoot video of the count of special ballots from national, international, Canadian Forces and incarcerated electors. An Elections Canada representative will be available to explain how we count ballots and share results.

Date: Monday, September 20 Time: Media attendance starts at 8:00 p.m., followed by a photo-op Location: Elections Canada Distribution Centre

440 Coventry Road, Ottawa, Ontario

Important: Due to COVID-19 measures, we must strictly limit the number of people inside the building at any one time.

Visitor parking is available.

Security passes will be required. All members of the media who want to attend are asked to register in advance. If you have a preferred timeslot, please indicate it when you register. We will do our best to accommodate you.

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament.

Subscribe to our news service at elections.ca.

SOURCE Elections Canada

For further information: Information and registration: Elections Canada Media Relations, 1-877-877-9515, elections.ca

Related Links

https://www.elections.ca/


Former Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli stated in documents submitted to his party that Prime Minister Narendra Modis emissary S. Jaishankar warned against passing the constitution in 2015. The set of political documents was presented to the communist party of Nepal- standing UMLS committee on September 19. On Monday, the meeting was called to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Constitutions adoption.

The Indian diplomat who arrived as a special emissary of Indias Prime Minister threatened political party leaders not to promulgate the Constitution and that it would not be accepted if done against Indias suggestions, according to papers from Mr. Oils collection. The documents written in Nepali stated, he said the consequences would be negative.

The democratic constitution was adopted on September 20, 2015, but India has yet to welcome the development, instead stating that it has noted the Constitution. The adoption occurred shortly after Mr. Jaishankar, then Foreign Secretary, visited Kathmandu and met with leaders of various political parties, including Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.

The Indian government, which has been expressing dissatisfaction that its concern has not been addressed since the Constitutions drafting, has put pressure on the government not to adopt it. The Madhesis reacted angrily to the Constitution, launching a months-long agitation that resulted in a blockage of vehicular movement from India into Nepal, causing a shock to the Nepalese economy. Since the adoption of the Constitution, successive Nepalese governments have promised to make amendments to meet the demands of the Madhesis for greater representation in politics and state institutions. These amendments, however, have not yet been completed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will have the opportunity to talk about the broader threat of terrorism and situation in Afghanistan, said a senior Biden administration official, adding that they will discuss ways to work together to fight a common enemy of terrorism.

Prime Minister Modi and Biden will hold the first in-person bilateral meet on September 24 in the US. The meeting will take place before the first-in-person Quad Leaders meeting. In a briefing, the official said: This will be the first in-person meeting [of President Biden] with Prime Minister Modi on Friday, and it will be an opportunity to really go from strength to strength from the point of view of our global partnership with India, by working together to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific and our two countries were both vital in the global fight against COVID-19. And by taking conservative actions to address the climate crisis.

The official said that the discussion between Biden and PM Modi will give momentum to the Quad discussion.

In the bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi, the two leaders will have the opportunity to talk about the broader threat of counterterrorism, and the situation in Afghanistan and how we can work together to fight, a common enemy of terrorism, as well as to talk about a range of issues that development will have the opportunity to compare notes, the official said.

The official also sketched out how President Biden will use his speech at the United Nations on Tuesday to stress that ending the military engagement in Afghanistan will open a new chapter of intensive diplomacy.

President Biden will leave the White House on Monday afternoon to travel to New York. Biden is to meet U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres late on Monday afternoon, give his first speech as president to the U.N. General Assembly at mid-morning on Tuesday, meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison afterward in New York, then return to Washington to meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The president will essentially drive home the message that ending the war in Afghanistan closed a chapter focused on war and opens a chapter focused on  purposeful, effective, intensive American diplomacy, the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United States this week to attend the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit and address the UN general debate.

He will also have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden. This will be PM Modis second visit abroad since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. His first such visit was to Bangladesh earlier this year.

During the significant visit to the US, PM Modi would on September 24 participate in the Leaders Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington along with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts.

The bilateral meeting with the US President is also scheduled for the day. This is PM Modis first visit to the US since Joe Biden became the President.
Anand Giri, a disciple of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) President Mahant Narendra Giri has been detained for investigation in connection with the latters death, informed Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar on Monday.

While speaking to ANI, the UP ADG (Law and Order) said, Information was received that the President of ABAP, Mahant Narendra Giri died by suicide. The disciples told the police that around 3 to 4 pm, they broke the door which was locked from inside and found him hanging from a fan. Police reached there along with forensic and other teams. A suicide note was recovered in which the name of his disciples, Anand Giri and two others were mentioned. In the note, Mahant Narendra Giri had alleged that Anand Giri and others were responsible for his suicide. Anand Giri has been detained in Haridwar with the help of Uttarakhand Police, he added.

Inspector General (IG) of Prayagraj, KP Singh, said, Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. I appeal to all of you to maintain peace. We are investigating the matter. We will release the suicide note after forensic investigation of it.

Meanwhile, Anand Giri, Mahant Narendra Giris disciple, said, It is a big conspiracy by people who used to extort money from Guruji and wrote my name in the letter. It needs to be investigated as guru Ji has not written a letter in his life and could not do suicide. His handwriting needs to be probed.

Anand Giri, further appealed, I have spent my entire life over there and never took any money. Everything was good between me and Guru Ji. Hence I request the government to investigate the matter thoroughly.

The ABAP President was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Baghambari Math located residence on Monday.
Evergrande offered payment through properties as one of the options for clearing its debt.

Amid the increasing pressure over unpaid loans, Chinas property giant Evergrande Groups has started a repayment plan for its wealth management products through properties.

However, the debt-ridden property giants prospects of weathering the current liquidity crisis still remain gloomy, Global Times reported. According to the Chinese state media report, repayment through properties is one of the three options Evergrande offered on the overdue payment of its wealth management products after hundreds of investors headed to the companys headquarter in Shenzhen to demand the repayment of their investments.

For investors, apartments are not as liquid as cash, but they still have enough value, so the option may not be the best result, but not the worst either, Shen Meng, director of Beijing-based boutique investment bank Chanson & Co, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Chinas top developer firm Evergrande is under immense pressure as anxious investors recently protested at its Shenzhen headquarters and demanded repayment of loans and financial products. The Hong Kong-listed developer is sinking under a mountain of liabilities totalling more than USD 300 billion after years of borrowing to fund rapid growth, Channel News Asia reported.

Last week, Evergrande was downgraded by two credit rating agencies. Its shares have also tumbled their 2009 listing price. The development came recently as news reports speculated Evergrandes imminent collapse.

Anxious investors have been protested at the Shenzhen headquarters of cash-strapped developer China Evergrande Group. The investors crowded its lobby to demand repayment of loans and financial products.

Evergrande has said that its facing unprecedented difficulties but denied rumours that it is about to go under. Evergrande on Tuesday conceded that it is under tremendous pressure.

Last Tuesday, the companys shares fell nearly 9 per cent and are down almost 80 per cent since the start of the year. An estimate by Capital Economics said that that Evergrande has about 1.4 million properties that it has committed to complete  about 1.3 trillion yuan (US$200 billion) in pre-sale liabilities, as of the end of June, according to Channel News Asia.

Beijings crackdown on overextended property developers has led to a surge in loan losses. And it has also raised fears of contagion across the nations USD 50 trillion financial sector. In the first half of the year, the developers gained good returns compared to pre-pandemic profit levels.

However, now the tougher rules including curbs on borrowing leverages and land purchasing have drawn the system to a liquidity crisis and missed debt payments.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration said the U.S. would take in 125,000 refugees and their families next year, fulfilling an earlier pledge to raise a cap that had been cut to a historic low under his predecessor.

The White House set the proposed annual cap in a report to Congress, saying there was unprecedented number of displaced people around the world because of conflict, humanitarian crises and climate change. Administrations make an annual recommendation in consultation with lawmakers.

Officials had earlier announced their intention to raise it to 125,000 for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The United States is committed to leading efforts to provide protection and promote durable solutions to humanitarian crises, to include providing resettlement for the most vulnerable, the State Department said Monday in releasing the report.

In setting the target, the administration said it would focus on several key groups, including Central Americans, Afghans at risk due to their affiliation with the United States, LGBQT refugees and members of the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic group who are the targets of Chinese government campaign to eradicate their culture.

President Donald Trump capped the number of refugees at 15,000, the lowest since the 1980 Refugee Act took effect. President Joe Biden faced criticism when he was slow to raise it upon taking office, eventually setting at 62,500 under pressure.

Despite the recent evacuations from Afghanistan, the U.S. will fall short of that number by the time the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

I applaud the Biden Administration for setting a target of 125,000 refugee admissions in the next fiscal yeara target my colleagues and I have been advocating for since April," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. And while Im disappointed in the projected number of refugees to be admitted this fiscal year, I acknowledge the challenges the Biden Administration inherited with the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program due to the anti-immigrant actions of the previous Administration."
Two major California water agencies have settled a lawsuit that once threatened to derail a multi-state agreement to protect a river that serves millions of people in the U.S. West amid gripping drought.

The Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single recipient of Colorado River water, sued the Metropolitan Water District twice in the past two years. The agencies announced Monday they have reached a settlement that resolves both lawsuits.

Under the agreement, Imperial can store water in Lake Mead on the Arizona-Nevada border under Metropolitan's account. Imperial will contribute water under a regional drought contingency plan if California is called on to help stave off further water cuts.

Imperial spokesman Antonio Ortega said the agency is hopeful that its partners in California and across the Colorado River basin recognize the opportunities to work together. The river serves 40 million people in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico.

But also, he said, to make sure those environmental challenges like the ones we face every day here at the Salton Sea will be a part of the discussion to make sure it's being addressed, and IID's concerns are not ignored.

Imperial sued Metropolitan, alleging the water agency that serves Los Angeles violated a state environmental law when it sidestepped Imperial in the drought contingency talks. The Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled against Imperial, which appealed to the California Court of Appeals earlier this year.

Another complaint filed in 2020 accused Metropolitan of breaching a contract related to storing Colorado River water in Lake Mead. Metropolitan denied the allegations. A trial was scheduled for April 2022.

Those cases became moot with the agreement signed last week that also outlines regular talks between the agencies to respond to drought, according to court documents. Metropolitan said it will support Imperial's efforts to restore the Salton Sea and to secure more funding for the massive, briny lake southeast of Los Angeles.

Bill Hasencamp, Colorado River resources manager for Metropolitan, said Monday that Imperial's ability to store water under a sub account provides more flexibility in retrieving the water. But the capacity is less than what Imperial would have received under the drought contingency plan, and Imperial's voluntary contributions won't be as high either, he said.

The agreement marks the end of legal fights and a return to working together, he said. Already, water users in the West are talking about what will replace an existing set of guidelines for the Colorado River and the overlapping drought contingency plan that expire in 2026.

Imperial has rights to more than one-third of the water allocated to the three states in the river's lower basin and Mexico.

"They have to be at the table, Hasencamp said. They have to be a party.

Seven Western states finalized the drought plan in 2019 to keep the water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell  upstream on the Arizona-Utah border  from dropping substantially. Still, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation declared the first-ever shortage in water supply for 2022 that will impact Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.

The Imperial Irrigation District essentially was written out of California's part of the drought plan when Metropolitan pledged to contribute most of the state's voluntary cuts to avoid delays in implementing the plan. Imperial's support hinged on securing $200 million in federal funding to address environmental and health hazards at the Salton Sea, which it did not receive.

The inland sea formed in 1905 after the Colorado River breached a dike and flooded a basin has been shrinking, exposing a lakebed with microscopic wind-blown dust that contributes to poor air quality and asthma.

The state of California has budgeted an additional $40 million for restoration efforts at the Salton Sea, but its not enough, Ortega said.

We need additional support, and things seem to be moving in that direction, Ortega said. We would hope that it would move quicker.
BEIJING (AP)  The Beizhong International Travel Agency in the eastern city of Tianjin has had only one customer since coronavirus outbreaks that began in July prompted Chinese leaders to renew city lockdowns and travel controls.

Most of China is virus-free, but the abrupt, severe response to outbreaks has left would-be tourists jittery about traveling to places they might be barred from leaving. That has hit consumer spending, hindering efforts to keep the economic recovery on track.

China's zero tolerance strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission has helped keep the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of disease. But the public and businesses are paying a steep price.

Foreign athletes are due to compete in the Winter Olympics that start Feb. 4 in Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou, but the government has yet to say whether restrictions that prevent most foreigners from entering China will be relaxed to allow spectators in.

Two years ago, this was our busiest season, said the Beizhong agency manager, Wang Hui.

Now, customers tend to postpone their plans because of the outbreaks, Wang said. This year is worse than last year.

China is closed to most foreign visitors and discourages its own public from traveling.

The government has yet to give final details on anti-coronavirus measures for the Winter Games. Some 2,900 athletes are due to compete, plus 800 more in the Paralympic Winter Games on March 4-13.

China has reported 4,636 deaths  and none since February  out of 95,577 cases since early 2020. Its total is smaller than one-day new infection figures in the United States, India and some other countries.

Since July, outbreaks blamed on travelers bringing the more contagious delta variant into the country have occurred in Nanjing west of Shanghai, Putian and Xiamen in the southeast and Yunnan province in the southwest. But cases number in the dozens, not the tens of thousands of new daily infections seen in other countries.

The zero-tolerance policy has been highly effective in putting COVID under control, but the short-term cost is also extremely high, economists Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie said in a report.

China was the only major economy to grow last year after the ruling party declared the virus under control in March and allowed factories, shops and offices to reopen. Output in the United States, Europe and Japan contracted.

Economic output rose 1.3% over the previous quarter in the three months ending in June, better than 0.6% in January-March but among the past decades weakest quarters.

The International Monetary Fund and private sector forecasters have lowered economic growth forecasts but still expect output to rise by as much as 8.5% this year, up sharply from last years multi-decade low of 2.3% and well above the ruling party target of more than 6%.

Exports in August rose 25.6% over a year earlier, but retail spending growth slowed to 2.5% from Julys 8.5%.

People are clearly worried that they could get trapped in tourist destinations if Covid cases emerge," economist Iris Pang of ING said in a report.

Authorities on Sept. 12 suspended most access to Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province, after an outbreak that an official newspaper, Global Times, said might have begun with a resident who returned from Singapore. Cinemas, bars and other public facilities were closed. Supermarkets and restaurants were ordered to limit customer numbers.

Xiamen, a coastal business center in Fujian with 3.5 million people, closed off access to some neighborhoods after cases were detected there. Schools shut down.

An entrepreneur who sells shoes made in Putian online said the outbreak and anti-disease controls have shut down that local industry.

Customers are urging us to deliver goods, but factories have stopped working, said the merchant, Su Ye. She said September and October usually are busy, but disruptions in production and delivery will cause orders to drop a lot.

Many orders were canceled because of our slow delivery, Su said.

The Global Times said a man who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4 was suspected of spreading the virus to Putian.

The traveler, identified by the surname Lin, underwent a 14-day quarantine and nine nucleic acid and serologic tests, all of which were negative, the Global Times said. But he tested positive on Sept. 10.

Despite that, the screening and quarantine process is working properly, according to Yu Changping, a physician at the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Peoples Hospital of Wuhan University.

There is no special change in the situation, said Yu. "There is no need to adopt measures different from the past.

Some experts suggest China might need to adopt more flexible tactics because zero tolerance is too disruptive and new variants might be impossible to eradicate.

The bottom line is, I dont think they can keep the virus out, and they need to live with the reality," said Nicholas Thomas, a professor of health security at the City University of Hong Kong.

Chinese leaders have tried to squelch public discussion of such a possible change.

A prominent disease expert, Zhang Wenzhong, faced official criticism after he said on his widely read social media account the world needs to learn to coexist with the virus.

A former health minister rejected Zhang's suggestion in a commentary published by the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily. The university that awarded Zhang's PhD in 2000 announced an investigation of accusations of plagiarism but concluded his work met all the criteria for the degree.

For now, tourist arrivals from abroad are shut down. That has devastated high-end hotels and resorts.

Some engineers and other employees who were abroad when the government shut down travel in early 2020 have been allowed to return, but lawyers and others say they were turned away.

Authorities also are trying to keep Chinese from leaving the country. The government refuses to issue or renew passports without an important need to travel. Businesspeople have been told that doesnt include visiting customers or business partners.

The government announced last week it had vaccinated just over 1 billion people, or 71% of its population.

But while regulators have given emergency approval to nine coronavirus vaccines, most are made by local companies Sinopharm or Sinovac. China has yet to approve BioNTech, Moderna or other vaccines used abroad.

As far as the vaccine strategy is, its been very successful, the trouble is the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are not very efficacious against delta, Thomas said.

As is true elsewhere, online grocers and other e-commerce have reaped a windfall from shutdowns and lockdowns.

But a wave of bankruptcies has hit small shops, restaurants and other businesses.

Chinas populous domestic market means travel restrictions do not impact it as much as countries such as Thailand that depend heavily on tourism, said Trinh Nguyen of Natixis, a French financial firm, in an email.

In another blow to tourism, the government told students and teachers to avoid travel during Septembers Mid-Autumn Festival and the Oct. 1-7 National Day break.

There used to be a silver September and a golden October for travel, but now we have nothing, said Wang, the travel agency manager in Tianjin.

People suffering from cancer, heart disease and other chronic, potentially life-threatening conditions, meanwhile have struggled to get treatment as hospitals shut down other departments to focus on treating coronavirus patients or refused to accept cases deemed non-emergency.

___

Wu reported from Taipei. AP researchers Yu Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Shanghai contributed.
BOSTON (AP)  A former Massachusetts mayor, once a rising Democratic star after being elected at just 23 years old, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday after being convicted of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses that wanted to operate in his city.

Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia showed no emotion as the judge handed down his punishment after tossing several convictions stemming from allegations that the now 29-year-old swindled investors who backed a smartphone app he created.

U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock assailed Correia's actions as old-style corruption that eviscerates a community. Under Correia's watch, City Hall was for sale," said the judge, who also criticized his absolute lack of remorse.

If we cant trust each other, if we cant trust our government, where are we? the judge asked.

Correia, who has insisted that he's innocent and that the real truth" will eventually come out, did not make a statement during the hearing in Boston federal court because he's still challenging his remaining convictions.

The defense had sought three years, telling the judge that while there's no sugarcoating the case, Correia also did much good for Fall River.

None of that excuses what happened here, but I think it's required to have a fuller picture of the man and to understand how somebody might get derailed but still have hope to contribute in a future chapter of life, Attorney William Fick said.

Correia is expected to report to prison at a later date that has yet to be decided.

Correia was convicted in May of a slew of charges including fraud and extortion after a trial that shone a light on his meteoric rise to become mayor as a recent college graduate. Correia portrayed himself to voters as a successful entrepreneur who could breathe new life into the struggling, old mill city.

Prosecutors told jurors that in reality Corriea funded his lavish lifestyle with money he stole from investors who pumped cash into his app called SnoOwl," which was designed to help businesses connect with consumers. Prosecutors said Correia took nearly two-thirds of the almost $400,000 he got from investors and spent it on things like fancy hotels and a Mercedes and to pay down his student loans.

After becoming mayor in 2016, prosecutors say Correia started a pay-to-play scheme involving bribes from marijuana vendors in exchange for letters of approval from the city they needed in order to get a license. Prosecutors have called the corruption scheme particularly galling because much of it occurred when the former mayor knew he was already under investigation for the allegations of investor fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Hafer  who asked for 11 years behind bars  questioned how anything other than greed and hubris could explain Correia's actions, noting that the former politician had a supportive family and was making good money as mayor.

The cash in clipboards and in envelopes and sheds. ... Fall River under Jasiel Correia was like Atlantic City during Prohibition in terms of the crudeness of the corruption," Hafer said.

Correia told reporters outside the courthouse after his conviction that the justice system failed us and that he had turned down a plea deal because, he said: I'm not guilty. Both the prosecutor and Correia's trial attorney said Tuesday that Correia was never offered a plea agreement.

Correia was supposed to have been sentenced Monday, but the judge instead agreed with new lawyers hired by Correia after the trial to overturn the jury's guilty verdict on several counts they said the government failed to prove.

The judge agreed to toss six counts of wire fraud because of what he described as a lack of evidence about how the checks were processed. He also tossed two tax fraud counts because he said prosecutors didn't prove that Correia willfully filed false returns.

Correia remains convicted of several counts of wire fraud, extortion and extortion conspiracy. The jury acquitted him on three counts, including accusations that he forced his chief of staff to give him half of her salary in order to keep her city job.

For months after his arrest, Correia resisted calls to leave office and survived a bizarre election in March 2019 during which he was recalled by voters and reelected the same night. But after federal agents arrested him a second time  this time for the extortion scheme  he agreed in October 2019 to take a leave of absence. He was ousted by voters the next month.
NEW HAVEN  A city man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge stemming from the April 2015 attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant during which an employee was shot, according to federal and city authorities.

Tythrone Ford, 27, of New Haven, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, federal authorities said in a statement.

The incident occurred at about 11 p.m. on April 11, 2015, when Ford and two other men entered the Smokin Wings restaurant, located on Congress Avenue in New Haven, and demanded money at gunpoint, federal authorities said in the statement, citing court documents and statements made in court.

One of Fords associates subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach, federal authorities said in the statement. Ford and his associates then fled the restaurant. Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can, federal authorities said.

Further, about eight hours prior to the Smokin Wings robbery, two of Fords associates, armed with handguns, entered Sapiaos Market, on Lexington Avenue in Bridgeport, and demanded money, federal authorities said. During the attempted robbery, the owner of the market, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed. At the time, Ford was waiting in a car outside of the market.

Forensic analysis of the revolver found in the trash can in New Haven, and projectiles collected from the scene of both attempted robberies, revealed that the gun was used in both shootings, federal authorities said in the statement. DNA collected from the gun revealed that both Ford and one of his associates possessed the gun.

The charge Ford pleaded guilty to carries a maximum of up to 20 years in prison. Meyer scheduled sentencing for Dec.14, 2021, federal authorities said in the statement.

Ford has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 10, 2019. Authorities did not provide the names of the other suspects.

Ford, then 21, pleaded guilty in 2014 to a reduced charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault in exchange for a sentence of two years in prison in connection with a shooting in which a toddler was struck in the stomach as he sat on a porch on Kensington Street on Oct. 10, 2012. Authorities confirmed Ford was a person convicted in that case; Ford denied he was the shooter.

A second man in the case of the toddler shooting received a sentence of fours years in prison. Then-Mayor John DeStefano Jr. described the shooting as incredibly cold.

The cold case investigation in the Smokin Wings incident was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justices Departments Project Safe Neighborhoods program and Project Longevity, according to authorities.
Four Connecticut schools have been recognized for their students overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced Tuesday the 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The achievement is based on overall student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates.

The Connecticut schools named this year are: Thames River Magnet School in Groton, Andrew Avenue Elementary School in Naugatuck, Northwestern Regional High School in Winsteds Regional School District 07, and Frisbie Elementary School in Wolcott.

This years cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school leaders create vibrant, welcoming and affirming school cultures where rich teaching and learning can flourish, said Cardona.

The recognition considers nominees in two categories: first, the highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests; and second, the most successful schools in closing achievement gaps between student groups and all students.

The Connecticut State Department of Education congratulates all of the schools named Blue Ribbon Schools this year, said Charlene Russell-Tucker, the state education commissioner. These schools showcase the innovative practices underway in districts to ensure educational success and social-emotional well-being for all of their students.

Two of the Connecticut honorees were in New Haven County, one in Litchfield County and one in New London County.

Frisbie Elementary School in Wolcott and Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted  both Title I schools that receive federal funds to support low-income students  were recognized as high performing.

The schools served 268 and 699 students, respectively, at the time of nomination. About 80 percent and 10 percent of students at Frisbie are white and Hispanic, respectively, and 93 percent are white at the Winsted high school.

Andrew Avenue Elementary School in Naugatuck, also a Title I school, and Thames River Magnet School in Groton, an elementary school, were honored for closing achievement gaps.

Andrew Avenue serves a population that is just over half white and 35 percent Hispanic. A description of the school posted by the education department said it is a place where students direct their own learning.

At Thames River, less than half of students are white, a quarter are Hispanic and about 10 percent are Black or Asian. Administrators said the Groton magnet school approaches teaching and learning with a growth mindset.

Rather than just looking at who is on level and who is not, we meet kids where they are and help them continuously improve, they wrote.

In addition to the four Connecticut schools, Secretary Cardona recognized a total 325 National Blue Ribbon Schools, according to a press release. The program, which is in its 39th year, has given out 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better, said Cardona.

Connecticuts public school teachers are the best in the United States, and the tools they are providing our youngest residents will enable them to achieve success throughout their careers, said Gov. Ned Lamont. I congratulate these four Connecticut public schools on earning this national distinction and wish them continued success.
MADISON  Pete Leonetti is an unassuming lead custodian at Kathleen H. Ryerson Elementary School, but on Facebook he and his delectable daily dinners made by wife, Karen, are superstars viewed by hundreds or maybe even thousands of people each day.

It started on the popular Wooster Square Cooks Facebook group of nearly 30,000 members, but now the Leonettis have started their own Facebook group, Karen and Petes Wooster Street Family.

Their new group went up Sept. 5 and already they have more than 2.300 fans from all over the country and world. The Leonettis were such a force and presence that some left the Wooster Square Cooks. Others stayed members of both groups.

Its liberating. I should have done this all along. But Im 64 and not that tech savvy, Karen Leonetti said of creating her own group. For some reason, people like Karen and Pete. I want people to feel they can talk about whatever they want to talk about. People enjoy being in a happy place.

Contributed photo

Karen Leonetti contributed often to Wooster Square Cooks, sharing recipes and other expertise, stories from hers and Petes rich Italian heritage and Wooster Street connections. But she really found a niche in her postings several days a week of a smiling Pete sitting at the table behind a beautifully presented feast with the words, Tonight, my Pete, gets lobster, corn on the cob, fresh cucumber and tomato salad, cherries and cherry pie  or stuffed salmon in puff pastry, broccoli rabe, Bolognese lasagna with homemade lasagna noodles and Bechamel sauce.

Contributed photo

Or one of any number of mouth-watering main courses and side dishes.

Karen Leonetti since has changed the phrase My Pete to Our Pete at the suggestion of a fan, because after all, Pete in some way belongs to all of them now.

As basic as the Pete dinner posts are, they continue to engage the audience. Some ask ahead of time what Pete will be having for supper; wives tell Leonetti their husbands see Petes dinners and ask them to make the same; others write, Petes a lucky guy, and everyone wants to know how Pete stays trim. Moderation is the answer, she said.

Karen Leonetti feels theres a strong connection between love and food.

When you see someone enjoying food that someone else makes, I think thats the epitome of love, she said.

Contributed photo

The couple was going strong in Wooster Square Cooks  a wildly popular group focused on cooking and food but a disagreement arose about posting items, Karen Leonetti said.

Personally, Sonny Martone, an administrator of Wooster Square Cooks, said, Im so happy Karen and Pete started their own group, thats exactly what they needed to do. We wish them great success.

He said Wooster Square Cooks gets about 150 new members each week since it was started two years ago.

Karen and Pete fans are a plenty after they started the new group.

Contributed photo

MaryBeth Bernacchia of North Branford said she loves the new FB Facebook group - that its personal, full of stories of tradition.

I loved reading about what she was making for Her Pete for dinner every night and got a lot of great ideas for dinners for my Dennis who cant boil water, Bernacchia said. I love that they write about the old-time Italian foraging for mushrooms and dandelions just like my parents did. Their whole FB group brings me back to stuff my parents did like having a grape arbor in the yard, picking peaches and soaking them in wine.  Its very nostalgic for me.

She said a sister who lives in Los Angeles is in the group, too, and sometimes they get weepy reminiscing based on Karen Leonettis posts.

She said its also nice that the group sends good wishes and prayers up when a member is sick or has a tragedy in their family.

Contributed photo

Fan Sissy Izzo said she first encountered the Leonettis on Wooster Square Cooks, and that Karen has inspired many newbie cooks.

When Karen started the new site, I jumped at the chance. It is so refreshing to share recipes, trade stories, it almost like visiting friends over coffee, Izzo said. Many friends I have for over 50 years also joined and it was so good to catch-up. Karen is devoted to her Pete.

Dorian Sette Bauknecht, a longtime follower of Karen and Pete, said Karen Leonetti is an amazing cook and its clear her Pete enjoys eating the food.

Karen is quick to share her recipes with everyone. Karen and Pete are proud of their delicious recipes and traditions and enjoy sharing with others, Bauknecht said. She has posted pictures of them at the beach taking their Vespas for a spin or enjoying time with with their son, Pete Jr. Karen and her family truly enjoy life and enjoy sharing their adventures with us, her extended family on Facebook.

Romance Going Strong

Both Karen, whose maiden name is Rapuano, and Pete are of Italian descent. He was born in Italy and came here with his parents at 8 months old, as they were told the streets are paved with gold.

Contributed photo

He grew up in New Haven, she in North Haven.

They met in their early 20s while working at the old Whiskey River Saloon on Crown Street in New Haven where she was a bartender, he a bouncer.

There was instant chemistry and when he was injured after their first date she told her boss she had to go to the hospital because she was interested in Pete. At the same time, he had told a friend, If shes outside that door (at the hospital) then shes the girl for me.

He was just winding down a competitive bodybuilding period during which he earned the titles Mr. Teen USA (twice), Mr. Connecticut, Mr. Northeastern America and Mr. East Coast.

Contributed photo / Contributed photo

Karen Leonetti said Pete had the biggest legs in Connecticut and when he was visiting Golds Gym in California, Mr. Universe recognized him by his legs.

The couple now have two grown sons and she is a semi-retired X-ray technician, he is head custodian of at Ryerson.

She said Pete is such a nice guy that Ryerson dedicated the yearbook to him.

Every day is a date for us, she said. I always dress nice, fix my hair and makeup, fix supper. To me, every night is date night.

Cooking Early

Karen Leonetti, one of five children and always starving, said she developed an interest in cooking as a child and vowed that she would always cook nice meals for her family.

Judging by Petes publicly posted meals some five days a week, shes more than fulfilled that promise.

Contributed photo

Karen said her grandmother was her oasis and taught her to cook, then later she paid attention to Petes mother in the kitchen.

She said the iconic Wooster Street is held dear in her life because her great-grandmother had a farm of hundreds of acres in Branford and every day she drove the horse and wagon to Wooster Street to sell goods.

The Facebook Group

While her new group is highly food-focused, its also a place for personal sharing and has a have a broader mission. Mean comments wont be allowed and the goal is for members to be supportive of one another, she said.

My main focus is cooking, family, kids, grandkids, she said. I want my page to feel like community, like family. I want people to feel included, important and appreciated for who they are.

She also includes posts for good causes, including, so far, rescue dogs and mammograms.

Were forming a community of like minds that enjoy being together in our part of the world, she said.

Karen Leonetti has always had an interest in peoples stories and that played out in her job as an X-ray technician.

Contributed photo

I always said, when I bring a patient into the room after five minutes, I knew everything about their life, they knew everything about mine, she said. People have always fascinated me.

Shes so popular on Facebook that she gets a multitude of private messages from readers.

Some people confide about illness, financial problems  and one woman said she and her husband were filing for divorce, but decided to give the marriage another try because they were so inspired by the Karen and Pete love story they saw play out before their eyes.
MILFORD  A Republican school board candidate is crying election fraud after incorrect zip codes were used on absentee ballot application return envelopes mailed to thousands of residents.

William Legere III, who is running for the Board of Education in District 3, said he now questions the integrity of the Nov. 2 municipal election as return envelopes for absentee ballot applications have been mailed out with an incorrect zip code. The zip code on the return envelopes is 06450-9615, which is for the Meriden Post Office. The zip code to send mail to the City of Milford is 06460.

I want to know who is responsible for this error and the obvious attack directed toward the local Republican party in Milford, Legere said, adding that he is speaking for himself, not the Milford Republican Town Committee.

Messages requesting comment from Milford RTC officials were not immediately returned Monday.

Legere said he learned of the error while at an event and questioned why residents were not alerted immediately.

How much is this error costing Milford taxpayers? Legere asked. Whats going to be done to correct the problem, and how much will that cost? What other errors have occurred that point directly to potential fraud regarding the upcoming election biased toward Republicans? How can anyone at this point rely on the results and accuracy of the upcoming election?

City Clerk & Registrar of Vital Statistics Karen Fortunati said she learned of the error Friday. She said that postal officials in Milford and Meriden, and the vendor, Automated Mailing Services, have been working together to ensure that all return envelopes received at the Meriden Post Office are delivered to the Milford City Clerks Office.

The error had resulted in a delay of a day or two in applications arriving at their proper destination, Fortunati said.

Given the high volume of applications that have been delivered thus far, I have no concerns about the integrity of the process, she said.

Fortunati said she had been sent a proof of the return envelope by Automated Mailing Services before its mailing, and that proof had the correct zip code.

Fortunati also added that the issue is resolved as the vendor is re-sending return envelopes to all voters. In all, the vendor mailed out 39,000 absentee ballot applications. Fortunati said she planned to use grant funds to cover the cost of the mailings but her office is looking into recouping costs from the vendor.

For those residents who havent yet completed their applications, they can use the new envelope, Fortunati added.

Kimberly Hallas, Legeres campaign manager, said this was an attempt to deceive the public.

We will be making a big push for in-person voting, Hallas said, We have no faith in the integrity of the election with this current situation.

Justin Rosen, Mayor Ben Blakes chief of staff, said Legeres political tactics have no place in Milford.

Rosen said the election process is overseen jointly, in a bipartisan fashion, by the Republican and Democratic registrars of voters.

Milfords elections are open and honest, Rosen said. While its unfortunate that the mail vendor error occurred, necessary corrective actions were made to ensure every ballot application is received.

Rosen said Legeres unsubstantiated complaints do nothing but promote fear-mongering in an attempt to score cheap political points.

Fortunati said voters should use their new return envelopes to submit their absentee ballot applications. Those wishing to request an absentee ballot also can drop off their applications in one of three drop boxes located in the city - the Parsons Government Building, City Hall and the Milford Police Department. Residents can also drop off absentee ballots at the clerks office.

The city will begin mailing out absentee ballots on Oct. 1.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  The case of a city police officer charged in connection with a fatal crash in Las Vegas that claimed the life of a colleague was continued Tuesday, according to online records.

Robert Ferraro, 34, is charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving in connection with the crash early Friday.

According to online records, he appeared in court Tuesday, but a status check on the filing of a criminal complaint in the matter was delayed until Thursday to allow for confirmation of counsel.

The station, 8 News Now Las Vegas reported defense attorney Gabriel Grasso was to meet with Ferraros family after Tuesdays hearing.

A staffer at Grassos law office declined a request for comment Tuesday on Grassos behalf. Grasso had not been retained to take the case at this time, the staffer said.

Among other clients, Grasso previously represented O.J. Simpson in the infamous Palace Station Casino memorabilia case, according to his website.

Ferraro remained in custody after Tuesdays court appearance, according to court records.

While Ferraro had posted bond Friday, a staffer at the Clark County Detention Center said Monday that the process of fitting Ferraro for electronic monitoring had only begun. That process can take seven to 10 days, the staffer said.

Ferraro is required to stay out of trouble, avoid alcohol, abstain from driving and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet as part of the case, according to Nevada judicial records.

Authorities contend Ferraro was driving a 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan around 4 a.m. Friday when he allegedly entered an intersection at a high speed and began to lose control. He allegedly then drove off the side of the road, colliding with a 2021 Ford Mustang, utility poles, landscaping and a fire hydrant, authorities said.

The car turned onto its roof, ejecting fellow New Haven Officer Joshua Castellano from the vehicle. Castellano later died at the hospital, according to a release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

New Haven Officers Matthew Borges and John Truhart, as well as two women from San Antonio, Texas, also were in the vehicle and suffered minor injuries, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

New Haven Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said Saturday that Ferraro was placed on administrative leave with pay, per the departments policy, and that the Police Department will conduct its own investigation.

Borges and Truhart will not be placed on administrative leave, Dominguez said. She said the two officers have not yet returned to work, as theyre taking accrued time off. Both have returned to Connecticut, she said.

Castellano also returned home to Connecticut, with officers from multiple police departments standing in front of New Haven Police headquarters on Union Avenue to salute his casket.

Its a tradition in public safety to say goodbye to a fallen brother, said former city Police Chief Anthony Campbell. Its part of closure and a way for us to remember him.

Campbell, currently assistant chief of police at Yale University, said Castellano was a stellar human being, which really elevates the type of service and professionalism of a police officer.

To provide comfort to mourners, Yale, Groton and Middletown police brought therapy dogs to police headquarters Tuesday.

In a letter released Monday by New Haven police spokesman Officer Scott Shumway, Castellanos family said that amid their unimaginable heartbreak and grief over the tragic loss of Joshua, we are comforted by the overwhelming love and expressions of support from Joshuas Police Officer family, his friends and the Yale community.

Joshuas life was a gift, and we are grateful that he could share part of it with his colleagues at the New Haven Police Department and with the countless community members he encountered while proudly serving on the police force, the familys letter said. Joshua approached his life and work with unmatched passion and excitement, and his genuine love for people was infectious.

Further, the family wrote, We hope that others will honor Joshuas memory by following his excellent example of selfless service to the community. As we pray for strength during this dark time, we will celebrate Joshuas remarkable life and the light and joy he brought to our lives and the lives of so many.

Castellano will be be honored with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Church on Hillhouse Avenue, according to his obituary.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
NEW MILFORD  Bob Reiling began his trail of illness as a freshman at New Milford High School.

I had overlapping symptoms of Crohns (disease) and ulcerative disease, said Reiling, a lifelong New Milford resident who spent about four years in and out of the hospital as a teenager, with infections in his large intestine.

After Reilings intestine was removed at the age of 19, he went on to lead a healthy life and has recently created the Ostomy Awareness Foundation, an all-volunteer run nonprofit charity to spread awareness of the condition.

On Oct. 2, which is World Ostomy Day, there will be a New Milford River Run 5K and Kids Superhero Sprint as part of the towns RiverFest, with proceeds going to support the cause. To sign up for the race, click here. Walkers are welcome as well.

Bringing awareness

According to the foundations website, ostomyawarenessfoundation.org, an ostomy is the end result of a surgical process that diverts the normal path for waste to exit the body through a new opening. There are three main types of ostomy: Colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy.

When Reiling was 18, his physicians gave him three options.

I could try experimental medications, and that would give me a 25 percent chance of developing lymphoma cancer. I could do nothing and Id probably die of colon cancer by the age of 30. Or, I could have the surgery to remove the diseased area and walk out of the hospital with an (ileostomy) bag, said Reiling.

Though he initially had reservations, he chose the surgery.

Reiling, now 48, went on to lead a healthy, active life. He has four children ages 13 to 20 and works full time with the Ostomy Awareness Foundation.

It wasnt until 2018 when he was officially diagnosed as having Crohns disease. It was also at the same time that he decided to spread the word about ostomy.

He began searching Facebook groups on ostomy and learned of a 10-year-old boy who had a bag and was bullied so much at school that he took his own life.

My son was also 10 years old at the time, Reiling said. It couldnt have hit home any closer. That forced me to get out of my comfort zone of being in the shadows.

In the spring of 2020, Reiling began the process of establishing the foundation, which focuses on providing education, awareness and support to and for ostomates. The organizations mission, as stated on the website, is to advocate for ostomates and to educate and empower them to realize their full potential.

The startup portion of the foundation was out of pocket, which included filing fees and licensing.

In January, we took off, he said.

The first big kickoff event of the foundation was its participation in the Connecticut Community Foundations Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills 36-hour online giving campaign.

This summer, the foundation received a donation earmarked for a 5K fundraiser, so the organization immediately began planning for a 5K and connected with the New Milford RiverFest Committee to offer a 5K as part of RiverFests offerings, said New Milford resident Deborah Rose, vice president of public relations for the foundation.

The foundation serves clients of all ages and from all stages of illness. To date, it has raised about $10,000 through grants, donations and fundraising.

Rose said some people who have an ostomy may be misinformed about the care for their condition or not have full knowledge of it.

Some people are struggling. They think their life is over, she said. So, one of the goals that he really discovered was to change the mentality and be supportive to the people who are out there who have that negative viewpoint about this.

This involves education on pre-education and post-education, continuing care after surgery, and the handling of mental and emotional stresses and stigmas.

The pandemic has led to an increase of virtual support groups for the condition, Reiling said.

The foundation is hoping to find a well-known figure to serve as a success story and role model for those who have the condition.

Additionally, the foundation is working with regional hospitals and health agencies to be a resource for patients on an ongoing basis, Rose said.

We offer several programs, one of which is the Ostomates Wellness Care Program, Rose said. We will provide a gift duffle bag to ostomates that includes samples of products. The bags will be distributed to ostomates through the foundations established relationships with clinicians in the pre-op through post-op inpatient and outpatient departments at hospitals, as well as through health agencies and skilled care and rehabilitation centers.

Reiling said local hospitals have about 30 to 50 patients who have ostomy surgery each month. He added 90 percent of them are considered temporary, where they would only need a bag for a short period of time.

We really just want to raise awareness that anyone who has an ostomy is an average person and there are no limitations to it, Rose said.

sfox@milfordmirror.com
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  San Francisco is requiring all workers at San Francisco International Airport to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing if employees are exempt.

The mandate announced Tuesday applies to all on-site personnel, of which there are about 46,000. Mayor London Breed's office said the mandate, which goes into effect immediately, is the first for a U.S. airport.
YEMASSEE, S.C. (AP)  Police were searching for suspects after a shooting left one person dead and seven others injured  including several children  in the small town of Yemassee.

The shooting happened early Sunday morning, when an argument began and then escalated to gunfire, Police Chief Gregory Alexander said.

At least 20 shots were fired, striking eight people, including a 33-year-old man who died of his injuries, WTOC-TV reported. Others injured were a 31-year-old, a 22-year-old, two 14-year-olds, two 12-year-olds and an 8-year-old.

He said multiple fights broke out and then one person opened fire. That led to others starting to shoot as well, with three or four people shooting guns, Alexander said.

Three of the children wounded were caught in the crossfire because they were riding in the backseat of a vehicle that was shot multiple times, he said.

The victims were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, authorities said. Among the most seriously injured was the 12 year old, who underwent surgery at a hospital, Alexander said.

The police chief promised there won't be any rocks unturned" in the investigation, that that police will do what needs to be done to solve the crime.

Weve got to hunt them down, and were going to do just that," he vowed at a Monday news conference.

The folks that we think did the shooting do not live in town, he added.

The victims were not all from Yemassee, and some were from surrounding areas, Alexander said.

The shooting was a reminder to would-be criminals that once someone begins shooting, innocent victims can easily be hurt, he said.

You cant recall a bullet. When you pull that trigger out of foolishness, you cant recall that gun, Alexander said. You dont know where that bullet is going to, you dont know who it is going to injure, who it will kill.

Yemasee is a community of about 1,200 people about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Charleston.
WETHERSFIELD  Connecticut State Police continue to seek information on the driver allegedly involved in a double fatal hit-and-run over the weekend that killed to Massachusetts residents.

On Monday, state police identified those killed in Sundays fatal crash as Alberto Gonzalez Jr., 47, of Conrad Road in Marlborough, Mass., and Kariel Marie Torres, 25, of Oak Street in Clinton, Mass.

A 27-year-old Worcester, Mass., woman and a 22-year-old Webster, Mass., woman suffered what state police referred to as suspected minor injuries.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, troopers responded to Interstate 91 north near Exit 27 in Wethersfield for a report of a collision.

A vehicle, which was being driven by an unknown individual, was in the left of four lanes when they hit the four Massachusetts residents standing outside their vehicle in the area of the left lane. State police said the four individuals were outside their vehicle because of a previous crash.

State police described the vehicle that fled the crash scene as a 2002 to 2004 blue Honda CR-V with a spare tire on its rear trunk door. The vehicle sustained damage on its left side, including to the front left headlight and the front left wheel well. The left side lower rocker panel also saw damage.

The crash remains under investigation. Police urged any witnesses, or anyone with possible dashboard camera footage of the incident, to come forward to investigating troopers immediately.

Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper First Class John Wilson at Troop H at 860-534-1098.
MOSCOW (AP)  Seven survivors of a shooting at a university in central Russia that left six people dead and 28 more wounded are to be airlifted to Moscow for medical treatment on Tuesday, according to a top education official.

Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said Tuesday that the shooting at the Perm State University on Monday was a grave tragedy and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Those who survived (I wish) the speediest recovery. Today seven kids will be transported to Moscow for treatment, Falkov said at a memorial ceremony in Perm, a city of 1 million residents located 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow.

The state news agency Tass reported the flight with the seven survivors on board has already departed for Moscow.

Falkov said later on Monday at a meeting with university principals that most of those hospitalized are on the mend.

A student opened fire at the university on Monday morning, leading other students and staff to lock themselves in rooms during the attack. Video on Russian news sites showed some students jumping out of second-story windows.

The Investigative Committee said six people were killed and 28 people were injured. The Health Ministry said 19 of them were shot; it was not clear how the others were injured. According to the committee, the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon. That could indicate he used a shotgun.

A traffic police unit was the first to reach the scene and the suspect opened fire on them, according to the Interior Ministry. He was wounded when police returned fire and then was disarmed. The gunman also had a knife, the ministry said.

Although firearms laws are strict in Russia, many people obtain permits for hunting. News reports cited officials as saying the suspect had a permit for a pump-action shotgun, although it was not clear if that was for the weapon used.

School shootings are infrequent in Russia, but the Perm attack was the third such shooting in recent years. In May, a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan, killing seven students and two teachers with a registered weapon. A student at a college in Russia-annexed Crimea killed 20 students and himself in 2018.

After the Kazan shooting, President Vladimir Putin called on the national guard to tighten gun regulations. Russia then passed a law raising the minimum gun purchase age from 18 to 21.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Many leaders saying many things about many topics that matter to them, to their regions, to the world: That's what the U.N. General Assembly invariably produces each year.

And each year, certain voices dominate. Here, The Associated Press takes the opposite approach and spotlights some thoughts  delivered in pre-recorded speeches or from the rostrum at the United Nations after a yearlong pandemic break  from leaders who might have not captured the headlines and airtime on Tuesday, the first day of the 2021 debate.
BOSTON (AP)  A Native American tribe is calling on Boston University to change the name of a dorm that honors Myles Standish, the military leader of the Pilgrims.

The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag says Myles Standish Hall should be renamed Wituwamat Memorial Hall after a leading Native American figure massacred with other tribal members by Plymouth Colony settlers in 1623.

Long celebrated by many as a New England folk hero, Myles Standish is remembered by this lands first peoples for the extreme acts of violence he committed against their ancestors, says a recently launched online petition seeking the name change.

According to the tribes history, Standish and his men killed Wituwamat and other members of the Neponset Band of the Massachusett Tribe because Standish suspected Wituwamat of plotting against the fledgling English colony. Wituwamat was beheaded and his head displayed atop Plymouth Colonys meetinghouse as a warning.

The online petition also argues that Standish has no connection to the university or the stately Back Bay neighborhood where the dorm is located. Instead, the dorm takes its name from the building's origin as the Myles Standish Hotel.

Built in 1925, the elegant brick hotel was located steps from the Charles River and Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. It was purchased by the university in 1949 and converted into dorms.

University spokespeople didn't respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Travis Franks, a postdoctoral associate at the university, argues in a Tuesday op-ed for WBUR that changing the dorms name is the next logical step for BU, which has committed to making its campus a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community."

He says the university has made other laudable efforts, such as recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day as a university holiday, but notes that Native students, staff, and faculty remain drastically underrepresented on campus.

It is imperative, then, that the university partner with the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag and honor their wishes by making Wituwamat Memorial Hall a reality, Franks writes. As the first building many visitors to campus encounter, WMH would be a powerful symbol of the universitys commitment to continuously evolve to reflect its core values.
LONDON (AP)  British police said Tuesday they are charging a third Russian suspect, a member of the country's military intelligence service, in the 2018 nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England.

Prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence to charge Denis Sergeev, who went by the alias Sergey Fedotov, with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon, and causing grievous bodily harm, according to London's Metropolitan Police force.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were targeted in a nerve agent attack in March 2018 in the English city of Salisbury. British authorities say the poisoning had almost certainly been approved at a senior level of the Russian state." Moscow has vehemently denied the allegations.

The Skripals survived, but the attack later claimed the life of a British woman and left a man and a police officer seriously ill.

Police previously charged two other Russian military intelligence agents, known by the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, saying they traveled to the U.K. for the poisoning operation then flew back to Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the suspects were civilians, and the two suspects appeared on Russian television claiming they had visited Salisbury as tourists.

Police said Tuesday they have evidence that the third suspect, Sergeev, was also a member of the Russian military intelligence service known as the GRU.

Arrest warrants have been issued for all three men. Police said they will apply for Interpol notices for Sergeev on Tuesday, but British prosecutors said they will not apply to Russia for his extradition because the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that any formal extradition request is futile" while the suspects remain in Russia.

Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice," Home Secretary Priti Patel told Parliament members Tuesday.

Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer turned double agent for Britain, and his daughter, who was visiting him in England, spent weeks in critical condition after the attack.

Three months after the pair fell sick, two local residents who apparently picked up a discarded perfume vial that contained the nerve agent fell ill. One recovered, but the other died. A police officer who was investigating the case also fell ill; he recovered but later quit the force.

The case ignited a diplomatic confrontation in which hundreds of envoys were expelled by both Russia and Western nations.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Britain continued to use the Skripal case to fuel anti-Russian sentiment in British society.

We strongly condemn all attempts by London to hold Moscow responsible for what happened in Salisbury and insist on a professional, objective and impartial investigation of the incident, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Zakharova said Russia was prepared to cooperate with British law enforcement but London rejected the idea of a joint investigation.

A senior British counter-terrorism officer who has been leading the investigation, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, said investigators have pieced together evidence suggesting that all three suspects previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia."

All three of them are dangerous individuals, he said. They have tried to murder people here in the U.K, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the U.K. by means unknown."

Haydon appealed for anyone who saw the three Russians in the U.K. in March 2018 to come forward.

Online investigative website Bellingcat previously reported that Sergeev was a high-ranking GRU officer and a graduate of Russia's Military Diplomatic Academy. The website said he was suspected of involvement in the poisoning of an arms manufacturer, his son and a factory manager in Bulgaria in 2015.

Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist with Bellingcat, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Sergeev appeared to have played a coordinating, supervising role in the Salisbury poisoning.

Grozev called the Metropolitan Police forces announcement a validation of the groups findings about Sergeev.

___

Daria Litvinova and Daniel Kozin contributed to this report from Moscow.
ELM CREEK, Neb. (AP)  School district officials in central Nebraska plan to mark Elm Creek elementary school's 100th birthday next year by building its replacement.

Nearly 60% of voters supported an $11.9 million bond issue this month that will pay to build a new elementary. Plans call for students to begin attending the new school in August. 2023.

Elm Creek Superintendent Bret Schroder told the Kearney Hub he's relieved and excited that the bond issue passed. Once the new school is completed, the old one will be torn down to make more playground space.

The new school will have two classrooms per grade for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. There will be a multipurpose room and a new industrial arts lab for construction, welding and metals. The multipurpose room would be available for community groups to use.
WEST HAVEN  Noreen Adams has a cause: Its veterans.

Its also the elderly, animals and children.

As a Ms. Senior World pageant delegate, Adams is required to have a platform, but she said she wont limit herself to merely one group to advocate for and support.

I want to do everything I can, she said. We need so much help today.

Adams, a West Haven resident, will be Connecticuts delegate to the Ms. Senior World pageant in Biloxi, Miss., in November. Having reached the age of elegance, Adams wants to represent women with life experience and support her community.

She has told multiple West Haven officials, both locally and ones who represent the city in state government, that she is happy to make an appearance anywhere or emcee any event to support her community.

I want to be a model for all women. Women who normally would be afraid, I want to encourage them, she said.

The Ms. Senior World pageant is a nascent pageant organization for women between the ages of 50 and 79. The reigning Ms. Senior Senior World, Dreisa Sherrill of South Carolina, who was present this week to give Adams her crown and sash in front of West Haven City Hall, is also the inaugural queen.

Sherrill said the women who participate in the pageant are the women who want to say that we senior girls still got it going on.

Age is just a number. Its a fixation in our minds, she said.

Thus, Sherrill said the organization is one for women to support other women.

Our pageant is one that celebrates beauty both inside and out, pageant Executive Director Sherry Strother said on the events website.

Prior to representing Connecticut in the pageant, Adams has been a musician, a teacher, a political reporter, a model and an actor.

Right now, this is my job: to try to help spread the word about my hometown, she said. West Haven is important because our coastline is a diamond. People come from all over for our coastline, so its important to keep it clean.

Joining Adams at her crowning ceremony were about two-dozen family and friends.

You were our queen first, Nicki Vogel-Bonn told her friend after posing for a picture with Adams, adorned in tiara, sash and a silver and black ballgown.

Friend Christine Paris said Adams is a good person and a smart cookie, and Mary Alice McNutt said her friend Adams is a people person.

She works hard, and it shows that hard work pays off, McNutt said.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
ESSEX  Investigators are looking to identify one individual after a fight at a local gas station left two people with injuries from a stabbing Monday night, according to Connecticut State Police.

Troopers responded to the area of Main Street around 8:30 p.m. and met with victims of an assault. The victims reported that a physical altercation took place at the Bestway Sunoco gas station at 1 Saybrook Road.

First Selectman and state Sen. Norm Needleman said the victims drove about two miles away from the scene of the stabbing before crashing their car near the Griswold Inn in downtown Essex. The inn was hosting its Sea Chanteys Night, Needleman said, and several paramedics who happened to be in attendance were able to assist the victims before ambulances arrived.

Needleman said the gas station where the stabbing occurred has been the site of an incident or two, due to its proximity to the highway, but nothing like this.

The two individuals were taken to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries. State police said later Monday night that the victims conditions were being evaluated, with an update referring to the incident as a serious injury assault.

A clerk and the manager at the gas station declined to comment on the stabbing Tuesday morning, referring any questions to the police.

In downtown Essex Tuesday afternoon, store clerks and lunch-goers expressed curiosity about the incident, though few said they had been up the night before to witness it. Other than a few news crews, there were no signs of the disturbance.

Sharon Zeruk, of Tolland, was in town with her friend Debbie Grasso, of Plainville, to grab lunch at the Griswold Inn when she heard about the stabbing and crash. The historic riverfront town, with its Main Street lined with homes and shops dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, is an unexpected location for such an incident, she noted.

I think the reaction is mostly Essex? Why Essex? Zeruk said.

The Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad continues to investigate.

Authorities released an image of the alleged suspect in the double stabbing late Monday. They said the man was possibly in a dark-colored, newer model Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
Evicted BBNaija season 6 housemate, Saskay has given reason why she did not believe Cross genuinely liked her. Saskay said this on Monday du...





Evicted BBNaija season 6 housemate, Saskay has given reason why she did not believe Cross genuinely liked her.

Saskay said this on Monday during her interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on African Magic when asked about her connection with male housemates in the house.

According to her, she didnt know Cross liked her until Peace brought it to her attention.

Saskay noted that she didnt believe Cross because she felt she was not his type of girl.

Saskay said: I didnt believe Cross liked me. It was Peace who noticed it and brought it to my attention.

I didnt think Cross liked me because I felt his type of person wouldnt like someone like me.

Saskay went ahead to say she stayed close to both JayPaul and Cross sometime in the house because she didnt want to hurt their feelings.

I love attention but didnt want to hurt their feelings, thats why I didnt discard both of them at first.

I didnt want to play with JayPaul and Crosss feelings and at the same time make them happy.

I was trying to balance it but it wasnt working, she told Ebuka.

Cross and JayPaul took interest in Saskay while in the house. However, she finally chose JayPaul and shared kisses with him before her eviction.
Former Manchester United right-back Rafael da Silva has said he had nearly warned Cristiano Ronaldo against coming back to Manchester City. ...





Former Manchester United right-back Rafael da Silva has said he had nearly warned Cristiano Ronaldo against coming back to Manchester City.

Ronaldo returned to the Theatre of Dreams on deadline day, after leaving the club in 2009 for Real Madrid.

Rafael, a former Brazil international, spent seven years at United from 2008-15 but has now joined Botafogo, a club in his hometown after spells at Lyon and Istanbul Basaksehir.

The Brazilian said he wished he could have convinced the 36-year-old to join him at Botafogo, rather than see him move back to Manchester.

If I could choose one to play here, Id talk to Cristiano Ronaldo, tell him to come play here. Is there another one? Theres no way, he told Fogao Net.

Ex-Manchester United defender Rafael said he didnt want Cristiano Ronaldo to re-join the club.

Id tell him not to go to Manchester, and Im in love with Manchester United too, but Id tell him to come to Botafogo, come to a different team.

We have a group, hes not even there anymore, I played against him, I dont speak regularly. But if I could speak If I send a message he will reply.

Ronaldo has started his second spell at Man United on a bright note scoring 4 times in three appearances so far the Red Devils.

And most United fans are very optimistic their superstar will score more goals this season.
Security has been beefed up at the Abia State High Court located at Ikot Ekpene Road Umuahia, the state capital, as the suit filed by Mazi N...

Security has been beefed up at the Abia State High Court located at Ikot Ekpene Road Umuahia, the state capital, as the suit filed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, comes up for hearing today.

Recall that the secessionist, had through his special counsel, Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, sued the Federal Government of Nigeria over his extradition from Kenya few months ago.

The suit is demanding that Kanu be returned to Kenya where he was allegedly extradited from and subsequently to Britain where he was residing.

It also demanded N5 billion from the Federal Government over alleged gross violation of his fundamental rights.

More to follow
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for a second reading, a bill to amend the pension reform act to exclude the police from the...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for a second reading, a bill to amend the pension reform act to exclude the police from the contributory pension.

The bill seeks to remove the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force from the pension reforms Act.

It would be recalled that police retirees stormed the National Assembly early Tuesday morning to raise issues affecting their pension.

The bill, sponsored by Francis Waive from Delta State, was passed for a second reading by the House.

Leading the debate on the bill, Waive argued that the military and intelligence agencies who are not in the pension reform act are enjoying more pensions than the police.

On account of the above amongst many others, the Nigeria Police ought and should be exempted from the current pension scheme like their counterpart in the Military and the Intelligence agencies. For example, the highest retirement benefit of Deputy Superintendent of Police under this obnoxious pension scheme is N2.5m and that of Assistant Superintendent of Police is N1.5m while their equivalent in Army (captain) and DSS are paid N12.8m and N10.3m respectively.

Supporting the bill, Shehu Koko, a retired police officer said even a retired Inspector General of Police (IGP) earns about N200,000 monthly, adding that military pensioners earn more.

Speaking on the bill, Uzoma Abonta said the pension reform act should be reviewed instead of removing the police from the Act.

The bill was passed and referred to the relevant committee of the House
Instagram has confirmed that a multi-million-dollar fraudster Raymond Abass known as Hushpuppi is free to continue using his social media ...

Instagram has confirmed that a multi-million-dollar fraudster Raymond Abass known as Hushpuppi is free to continue using his social media account.

The social media platform said this was possible because the fraudster didnt violate any social media laws.

The companys global team told The National that Hushpuppi would be free to continue to use the site unless directed otherwise from law enforcement in the US, where he is awaiting sentencing.

Instagram said accounts are only usually closed if they represent dangerous organizations or individuals.

The social media platform added that despite pleading guilty to his crimes as revealed in court documents from April 2021, Abbas is yet to be imprisoned, so his account does not breach Instagram policies or community standards.

However, Hushpuppi has not posted on Instagram to his 2.5 million followers since June 2020.
Many parents have to weigh the chance of bringing the virus into their homes versus caring for their children alone. Wikimedia
I've been vaccinated, and I've never had COVID.

I've been vaccinated, and I have had COVID.

I've not been vaccinated, and I've never had COVID.

I've not been vaccinated, and I have had COVID.

Vote

View Results
How do I make this home mine without losing her? The heart-rending question came in an email from Bob Glockler, 83, of Leesburg, Florida. He recently lost his wife of 56 years.

Now, I have written books about clearing out the family home, about downsizing when you find a mate and blend two homes into one, and about what to do with all you own so you dont leave a mess when you die, but never this: What should bereaved spouses do with their late mates things?

We (now I) have a spacious 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom home, he wrote. What do I do with all her things and pictures? Obviously, I will not, do not want to, forget her, but my lifestyle now changes. How do I shift her stuff out of the big closet, and move in my stuff? Do I give up the king-size bed to make more room in the bedroom? (I do not know for what.) At this point, I am not thinking long term  she died only a month ago. But what if I do finally find a new companion?

Phew. Thats a lot to unpack. I needed to sit down, stick my nose in a can of strong ground coffee and take deep head-clearing breaths.

I thought my dilemma might make a good column, he added. But maybe I am in a demographic too old for your readers.

Ive got news for yall: While advanced age is a risk factor for death, none of us is immune. "Death do us part" can happen at any time.

I got Mr. Glockler on the phone. Im not sure I have the answers, I told him. But I will listen and try. He came across as in his email: kind, sensitive, honest and realistic.

He and Mary met in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 1964. He was a U.S. Navy officer. He went to open an account at the bank where she worked. He wore his officer whites, and that was it for her. They married the following year.

They settled in New Jersey, where he worked in pharmaceutical management. They never had children. They retired in Leesburg, where Mary had gone to high school. Two and a half years ago, they downsized from a 2,800-square-foot, lakefront house to an apartment across the lake in a senior community that offered housekeeping and nightly dinners. The decision was simple. It was time, he said.

Mary died peacefully at home, on Aug. 13, holding his hand. She was 84.

Now what?

We tackled the questions regarding his home one at a time, starting at the front door.

THE ENTRYWAY. When I walk up, I would like to feel this is my home, and not see a reminder of her. Yet I feel conflicted. I want to make this mine. Is that OK? Or is that the same as saying, I dont want her? I asked him what is there now. A small table with a doily and a ceramic statue of a troubadour, he said. Now I would not put a troubadour on a lace doily at the door, but I dont know what I would replace them with either. Its not really me. Its her.

SUGGESTION. Its not disrespectful to change decor that doesnt reflect you. Just go slowly. Remove everything, and see how you feel. Live with nothing there for a while. Then consider what you want to fill the absence. Perhaps a potted palm.

THE CHINA CABINET. Everything in the china hutch is from her family and is nothing I would pick. What do I do with it?

SUGGESTION. Thin it out. Display items that reflect you, but leave some empty space. You mention that someday you might have a new companion. If you do, when she comes into your home, she will be asking herself, consciously or unconsciously: Is there room for me in this persons life?

HER CLOSET. Our bedroom has a large walk-in closet, which she used. Im thinking all her clothes need to go to a thrift shop. When her closet is empty, I will move my clothes in, so theyre more accessible. That makes sense, but Im not sure its right.

SUGGESTION. Clothes are among the most difficult items to let go of as they trigger many memories and emotions. For now, consider using her walk-in closet as a way station for all the items youre transitioning out of the rest of the home: the troubadour, items from the china cabinet, her bathroom chair. Park those belongings in the closet and see how you and your house feel with the change. When youre ready, have a friend help you box them up to donate.

THE DRESSER. In our bedroom, she had a 5-foot-long dresser with an array of pictures on it, including a few of me. It was a very personal collection to Mary. Do I leave them?

SUGGESTION. You answered your question. It was a very personal collection to Mary. Put the photos away. Keep out the ones important to you. Then consider selling the dresser and replacing it with an item you will use.

THE BED. We have a king-size, sleep-number bed, the kind you can adjust, so its different on two sides. I do not want to sleep on her side, where she died, so I am only using half a bed. Do I give up the bed?

SUGGESTION. You do not need that reminder. Get a new bed.

As we wrapped up our call, Mr. Glockler said, You raised a good question. What is my style? My style has been shaped by our life together. Before that I was a kid, then an officer. I didnt have a style. Who am I separate from her?

I dont know either, but I believe Mr. Glockler is about to find out.

Join me next week when a professional organizer with expertise in helping seniors, and a widow herself, shares advice for making changes at home after youve lost a loved one.

Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including "What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want," "Downsizing the Family Home  What to Save, What to Let Go" and "Downsizing the Blended Home  When Two Households Become One." You may reach her at www.marnijameson.com.
Tank and the Bangas' Best of Selections!

Grammy nominated Tank and the Bangas had been entertaining local audiences for years with its unique mix of hip-hip, soul, jazz and spoken word before it splashed onto the national scene by winning an NPR Tiny Desk contest in 2017. The groups latest release is the EP Friend Goals, and the band is wrapping up work on a new release.

Favorite place to go after a show

Home

Where everybody knows our names!

DJ Set (Will find one in any state/city)

Favorite pothole

Lasalle St. Uptown. In front of First African Baptist Church and Ephesus SDA Church

Current favorite local musician/act

SaxKixAve, PJ Morton

Best bar to come out of a blackout at 3:27 a.m. on a Tuesday

Ill have to try it and let you know

Best person to bail you out

Tavia Osbey

Current favorite restaurant

Breads on Oak, The Joint, Flemings

Best place to buy irresistibly cute shoes that youll be carrying in your hand when you climb into an Uber at 2 a.m.

Somewhere expensive

Best song to play when an Entergy transformer blows in the middle of a set and the venue suddenly goes dark

Footsteps In the Dark by the Isley Brothers, on saxophone because it doesnt need power. Eat it, guitar players, not so cool during a blackout

Rhythm of Life or Boxes

Rollercoasters

Best billboard lawyer

Tony Clayton Google him, baby

Best of New Orleans 2021: Media

Best local TV news anchor

1 Karen Swensen (WWL)

2 Sheba Turk (WWL)

3 Randi Rousseau (WDSU)

Best local TV sportscaster

1 Fletcher Mackel (WDSU)

2 Doug Mouton (WWL)

3 Juan Kincaid (WVUE)

Best local TV station

1 WWL-TV CBS 4

2 WDSU NBC 6

3 WVUE FOX 8

Best local TV weathercaster

1 Margaret Orr (WDSU)

2 David Bernard (WVUE)

3 Shelby Latino (WVUE)

Best New Orleans-based podcast

1 Beyond Bourbon Street

1 Hottest Hell Presents

2 Louisiana Eats

3 New Orleans Unsolved

Best radio station

1 WWOZ 90.7 FM

2 WWNO 89.9 FM

3 WWL 870 AM



Best local investigative reporter

1 Lee Zurik (WVUE)

2 David Hammer (WWL)

3 Travers Mackel (WDSU)

Best local radio personality

1 Scott Scoot Paisant (WWL)

2 Newell Normand (WWL)

3 Bobby Hebert (WWL)
Yes. A new building will give the team a needed boost.

It's better to just renovate the Smoothie King Center.

No, save the money. The problems with the team run much deeper.

Only if the Pels raise the money with a bake sale.

Vote

View Results
When Hurricane Ida threatened to create a housing crunch in the New Orleans region, government officials arranged for a Carnival cruise ship to stay in port and house as many as 2,600 first responders, hospital staffers and other essential workers.

But by the time the mission ended last Friday, only 103 people had stayed on the Carnival Glory. Even so, the costs footed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency topped $4.8 million -- or about $46,600 per guest.

The few people who did take advantage of the ships space -- and power, which was in short supply after Ida decimated Entergys electrical grid -- worked for Ochsner Health System, the Red Cross or emergency departments in the New Orleans area, said Mike Steele, a spokesperson for the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Steele said officials had cut down the total number of available spots on the ship from close to 3,000 to about 1,500, because of COVID restrictions. Just 489 people requested reservations, and most of them didnt show up.

The costs to FEMA totaled $4.7 million for use of the ship for two weeks, including wrap-around services, and $140,000 for parking, FEMA spokesperson Debra Young said. FEMA didn't respond to further inquiries.

+2 With most of metro New Orleans' power restored, Entergy turns resources to worst hit areas Entergy executives said Friday that more linemen and other resources are being redeployed to the worst affected areas of southeast Louisiana n

Steele said FEMA is picking up the entire tab, after offering up the ship as a way to alleviate an anticipated housing shortage in the New Orleans area. He said the ship wasnt used as much as expected because the lights in the region came back on faster than predicted.

Our staff is almost certain the need decreased and the boardings decreased due to power coming on faster than the estimates initially reported to the locals, Steele said.

Carnival Cruise Line announced Sept. 7, eight days after the storm passed, that it had an agreement with the city of New Orleans and FEMA to provide the Glory for first responders through Sept. 18. By that time, the power was back on for most city residents, although more than 400,000 Louisiana households were still without electricity.

Carnival said then that food, water and materials were being set up to prepare for up to 2,600 hospital workers, first responders, city and utility workers and other emergency personnel.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

+2 A group of customers is suing Entergy for 'negligence' in Hurricane Ida blackout A group of Louisiana customers is suing Entergy alleging negligence that led to prolonged power outages in the southeastern part of the state 

Carnival spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said the company responded to a request for proposals from FEMA to provide emergency housing, and deferred other comments to FEMA.

A spokesperson for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in an email that housing for emergency personnel became a clear need among government agencies, hospitals and critical infrastructure organizations after Ida, because of the haziness around power restoration. The city asked for the accommodations for hospitals in the area, as well as city emergency workers and the Port of New Orleans.

Due to the timing of cruise ship availability and the relative speed of power restoration in much of the region, the housing need was largely diminished by the time the Carnival Glory opened for emergency personnel, the spokesperson said.

The nearly $5 million price tag for the Carnival Glory represents a small fraction of the money spent by federal, state and local officials in the wake of Hurricane Ida. As of last week, the state alone had tallied more than $160 million in expenditures for things like hotels for essential workers, generators, fuel tankers and more. As of Tuesday, that number had risen to about $219 million, according to figures provided by the Division of Administration.

The feds have spent far more: FEMA has already sent $457 million in grants to homeowners and renters for short-term housing needs like help with rent and basic home repairs, said FEMA spokesperson John Mills.

Plus, FEMA has paid hotels millions more to shelter 18,300 households after Ida; nearly half that number are still in hotels through that program. The Small Business Administration and the National Flood Insurance Program, which is underwritten by FEMA, have disbursed tens of millions more in Ida relief in Louisiana so far.

The feds will ultimately pick up at least 75% of the tab for many state and local government costs for Ida relief, like debris removal, and will foot a larger share of the bill for some of those expenditures.
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP)  In the faces of Afghans desperate to leave their country after U.S. forces withdrew, Thuy Do sees her own family, decades earlier and thousands of miles away.

A 39-year-old doctor in Seattle, Washington, Do remembers hearing how her parents sought to leave Saigon after Vietnam fell to communist rule in 1975 and the American military airlifted out allies in the final hours. It took years for her family to finally get out of the country, after several failed attempts, and make their way to the United States, carrying two sets of clothes a piece and a combined $300. When they finally arrived, she was 9 years old.

These stories and early memories drove Do and her husband Jesse Robbins to reach out to assist Afghans fleeing their country now. The couple has a vacant rental home and decided to offer it up to refugee resettlement groups, which furnished it for newly arriving Afghans in need of a place to stay.

"We were them 40 years ago," Do said. "With the fall of Saigon in 1975, this was us."

Television images of Afghans vying for spots on U.S. military flights out of Kabul evoked memories for many Vietnamese Americans of their own attempts to escape a falling Saigon more than four decades ago. The crisis in Afghanistan has reopened painful wounds for many of the country's 2 million Vietnamese Americans and driven some elders to open up about their harrowing departures to younger generations for the first time.

It has also spurred many Vietnamese Americans to donate money to refugee resettlement groups and raise their hands to help by providing housing, furniture and legal assistance to newly arriving Afghans. Less tangible but still essential, some also said they want to offer critical guidance they know refugees and new immigrants need: how to shop at a supermarket, enroll kids in school and drive a car in the United States.

Since the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have come to the United States, settling in communities from Louisiana to Virginia. Today, Vietnamese Americans are the sixth-largest immigrant group in the United States. Many settled in California's Orange County after arriving initially at the nearby Camp Pendleton military base and today have a strong voice in local politics.

"We lived through this and we can't help but feel that we are brethren in our common experience," Andrew Do, who fled Saigon with his family a day before it fell to communism and today chairs the county's board of supervisors, said during a recent press conference in the area known as "Little Saigon."

The U.S. had long announced plans to withdraw from Afghanistan after a 20-year war. But the final exit was much more frantic, with more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack on the Kabul airport.

In the last two weeks of August, the U.S. evacuated 31,000 people from Afghanistan, three-quarters of them Afghans who supported American military efforts during the extensive operations. But many Afghan allies were left behind with no clear way out of the landlocked nation under strict Taliban control.

Similarly, many Vietnamese Americans recall how they couldn't get out before the impending fall of Saigon to communism. They stayed behind and faced long spells in reeducation camps in retaliation for their allegiance to the Americans who had fought in their country. Once they were allowed to return to their families, many Vietnamese left and took small boats onto the seas, hoping to escape and survive.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

For some families, the journey took years and many failed attempts, which is why many Vietnamese Americans view the departure of the U.S. military from Afghanistan not as the end of the crisis, but the beginning.

"We have to remember now is the time to lay a foundation for a humanitarian crisis that may last long past the moment the last U.S. help leaves the Afghan space," said Thanh Tan, a Seattle filmmaker who started a group for Vietnamese Americans seeking to assist Afghans called Viets4Afghans. Her own family, she said, made the trip four years after the U.S. left Vietnam. "We have to be prepared because people will do whatever it takes to survive."

Afghans arriving in the United States may have a special status for those who supported U.S. military operations, or may have been sponsored to come by relatives already here. Others are expected to arrive as refuges or seek permission to travel to the United States under a process known as humanitarian parole and apply for asylum or other legal protection once they are here.

For parole, Afghans need the support of a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and some Vietnamese Americans have signed up to sponsor people they have never met, said Tuan inhJanelle, director of field at the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. He said a coalition of legal and community groups has secured sponsors for 2,000 Afghans seeking parole. His sister, Vy Dinh, said she's sponsoring a family of 10 including women in danger for working in medicine and teaching. "As soon as he called, I said, 'Yes, I am in,'" she said.

Other efforts have focused on fundraising for refugee resettlement groups. Vietnamese and Afghan American artists held a benefit concert this month in Southern California to raise money to assist Afghan refugees. The event titled "United for Love" was broadcast on Vietnamese language television and raised more than $160,000, according to Saigon Broadcasting Television Network.

It also aired on Afghan American satellite television, said Bilal Askaryar, an Afghan American advocate and spokesperson for the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign aimed at supporting asylum seekers. "They saw the need. They saw the parallels," Askaryar said. "It's really powerful to see that they saw that link of common humanity between the Afghan community and the Vietnamese community. We've been really touched and inspired."

Thi Do, an immigration attorney in Sacramento, California, said he is also doing what he can to help. He was a boy when Saigon fell and his father, who served in the South Vietnamese army, was sent to a reeducation camp. When he returned, the family set out by boat into the ocean, hoping to reach a country that would take them.

+6 'He was my hero': Family of 84-year-old Algiers man killed in hit-and-run seeks justice On his 84th birthday last May, Long Van Nguyen did pull-ups while his seven children and 20 grandchildren watched in awe. His children had urg

Do remembers how the boat bumped up against dead bodies floating on the water and how his father apologized for putting him and his siblings in danger before throwing overboard his ID and keys from Vietnam. "'He said, 'I would rather die here than go back there,'" Do said. They eventually reached Thailand and Malaysia, both countries that forced them back out to sea until they got to Indonesia and were processed at a refugee camp.

Decades later, Do said he has helped people fleeing persecution in his work as a lawyer, but until now nothing that has reminded him so much of Vietnam. He's working with Afghan families who are filing petitions to bring their relatives here, but what happens next is complicated with no U.S. embassy in Kabul to process the papers and no guarantee the relatives will make it to a third country to get them.

"I see a lot of myself in those children who were running on the tarmac at the airport," he said.
New Orleans Police are investigating two armed carjackings that took place around 9:40 p.m. Monday, less than a mile apart in New Orleans East. Detectives believe these carjackings are connected.

The first carjacking happened in the 4900 block of Brittany Court, a residential street. According to police, a group of four to six juveniles dressed in dark clothing pulled out a gun and stole the victim's black 2018 Toyota Tacoma. It has a Mississippi Disabled Veteran license plate, number 474VV, and a light around the trailer hitch.

While police were en route to investigate that carjacking, they were dispatched to another nearby carjacking  this one in the 5200 block of Michoud Boulevard. NOPD said three people driving a black pickup truck pulled out a gun and stole the victim's car, a black 2017 Honda Accord Touring with Louisiana license plate 310AIY. The rear windshield had a Xavier University decal.

Anyone with additional information can contact NOPD Seventh District detectives at 504-658-6070 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP.
When President Joe Biden visited southeast Louisiana the week after Hurricane Ida hit, he suggested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would broadly provide Ida survivors with financial support.

So far, we have provided, with the governors help as well, $100 million in critical assistance directly to people in Louisiana by putting $500 in their bank accounts once theyve contacted us, Biden said.

The president urged Louisiana residents to apply for this and other forms of FEMA aid no matter who you are, if you live in an affected area.

After Ida, FEMA rolled out its Critical Needs Assistance program, offering a one-time $500 payment per household intended to cover food, water, prescriptions, medical supplies and other life-saving and life-sustaining items, agency spokesperson Robert Howard wrote in an email.

The financial need following the hurricane is massive. In a September 17 letter to Louisianas Congressional delegation appealing for more federal disaster aid for the state, Gov. John Bel Edwards outlined an estimate of the damage Ida brought. It is a fairly safe assumption that unmet housing needs for Ida will be well over $2.5 billion based on historical damages for similar events, he wrote.

Did your FEMA claim after Hurricane Ida get denied? Here's what to know before you appeal. If you applied for FEMA assistance following Hurricane Ida but received a letter saying you don't qualify or your application was still under 

Edwards also said that FEMA currently estimates it will have over 803,000 registrants for assistance for Ida  nearly three times the number of registrations received for last years Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta combined. On Tuesday, Howard said that to date, FEMA has provided $212.7 million in Critical Needs Assistance to Hurricane Ida survivors in Louisiana

Officials, both federal and local, encouraged residents to apply for the $500, initially giving the impression that eligibility for the assistance was sweeping, and that anyone who resides in the 25 parishes under the federal disaster declaration could qualify. But as the application deadline nears on Wednesday, applicants experiences have varied widely, leaving many to wonder what actually makes someone eligible for the aid.

Brandy Giles of Gretna, lives in the affected area and believed she would be eligible for the aid. She applied for FEMA aid a few days after the storm, but has yet to get a firm response back from the agency.

On one of many calls she made seeking the status of her application, Giles got frustrated. We definitely need the Critical Needs Assistance, she recalled telling the FEMA employee. We dont have any food. The traffic lights are still out. Our power just came back on, but the more and more that its continued to rain, the power lines were low, so the power was flickering in and out.

Heres what to know about FEMA assistance South Louisianans are going to be cleaning up from Hurricane Ida for a while  and its going to cost money.

Messaging from the federal government on who qualifies for Ida-related aid has been inconsistent. FEMA officials initially said that only storm damage would qualify people for evacuation assistance. The agency then changed course, saying that extended power outages in the region were serious enough to warrant the aid. But even then, some residents reported trouble qualifying.

Similarly, on Sept. 2, one day before Bidens visit to Louisiana, a press briefing from the White House noted that the $500 Critical Needs Assistance was specifically intended for storm survivors who cannot live in their homes, and have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced.

Howard, the FEMA spokesperson, said in an email that individuals and households who have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling may be eligible for the Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) program, but The Lens and Southerly have spoken to applicants who never evacuated and still received the assistance.

I just dont really know what else to do, said Giles. Why am I going through this whole process, and still not having any success?

Im just kind of in limbo

Giles evacuated ahead of the storm with her mother and 12-year-old daughter and went to Orlando for a week. While they were away, Giles and her mother both applied for FEMA assistance, hoping to get funding to help pay for food, gas, Giles daughters asthma medication, and to cover over $700 in hotel bills.

The three returned to their apartment in Gretna  which had lost a few shingles but sustained little damage otherwise  on Labor Day, so Giles could report back to work at a nonprofit serving trauma survivors. She estimated that she called the FEMA helpline ten times trying to assess the status of her application, until one employee finally told her the process was likely stalled because Giles and her mother share an address, and only one person per household can receive benefits. Giles faxed her hotel receipts to FEMA, thinking that might solve the issue, since they were all in her name.

Stephanie Grace: Ida's long reach could help take the politics out of disaster aid Louisianans have faced enough natural disasters not to wish the experience on anyone else, not even the insensitive souls elsewhere who, each 

Soon, a FEMA inspector contacted Giles and came to the apartment, where she told Giles she could not go inside because of COVID. The inspector also told Giles she could not relay the status of her application.

Giles kept checking her FEMA status online. She saw that her documents had all loaded successfully. But then she got an email referring her to apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the Small Business Administration. More than two weeks after the storm, her status for Critical Needs Assistance  which appears under Miscellaneous Items on FEMAs applicant portal  still said pending.

Giles was confused.

Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up

Do I even qualify for the critical needs? she said. Im just kind of in limbo like everybody else who didnt receive the $500.

Dimitri Celis said he was denied Critical Needs Assistance at first, despite living in Orleans Parish, one of the 25 parishes where residents qualify for FEMA aid.

A part-time manager at Reginellis and an AmeriCorps member at a food justice nonprofit, Celis remained at his Uptown apartment through the storm and subsequent blackout. He estimated that he lost about $200 worth of food from his refrigerator while power was out, spent another $70 on gas driving around town to get ice and other supplies, and lost about $1,200 in wages while the restaurant was closed.

He applied for FEMA aid online a few days after the storm, and called several days later to check on the status of his application. An employee told him that he should expect a call from FEMA about damage to his apartment to assess if he qualified for housing assistance.

Thats not what I was interested in  just the $500 one to recoup for the food, Celis recalled telling the FEMA employee. She didnt really have any knowledge on how that one worked, he said.

A few days later, Celis received the housing call from a FEMA representative who told him an in-person inspection wasnt possible because of COVID. A few hours after their conversation, Celis checked his status online, and saw hed been denied for the housing assistance he hadnt been seeking.

He called the helpline again, asking about Critical Needs Assistance, and learned that FEMA had denied his application. He pressed on, asking why exactly he had been denied.

The lady from FEMA wouldnt tell me specifically what it was on my application that disqualified me, Celis said. But she told him that he could not appeal the decision, he said.

Celis began the process of applying for DSNAP, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, hoping to get funding to help restock his fridge. But the staggered rollout of the program, which requires residents to apply and set up interviews on designated days according to the first letter of their last name, meant it could be weeks before he got the money.

Then, something surprising happened. Celis checked his bank account, and the $500 payment from FEMA had been deposited. He hadnt sent in any new information to FEMA, he said, nor had he received any communication from FEMA telling him why his status had changed.

It just kind of popped up out of nowhere, he said. Celis ended up with just $166 for himself after splitting the $500 that FEMA gave his household with his two roommates.

Eligibility determined on case by case basis

Legal advocates aiding residents with FEMA applications are also trying to understand the apparent inconsistencies with how the aid has been administered. Last week, the volunteer group Emergency Legal Responders offered free legal information for people navigating disaster aid, and served about 90 people.

Weve also seen a lot of people being denied Critical Needs Assistance for no apparent reason, said Evian Mugrabi, legal director of the group. From the basic information that FEMA provided to the applicants, we couldnt clarify why there was a denial issue. Mugrabi added that if Emergency Legal Responders had the capacity and resources to call FEMA on behalf of applicants who were denied, they might have been able to get further clarification.

FEMA has attempted to quell rumors that the agency is giving everyone affected by Ida $500. But on its Rumor Control page, FEMA does not offer much more information about how someone qualifies for Critical Needs Assistance. The page reads, To be eligible, survivors need to be residents of a parish that was included in the federal disaster declaration, and need to first apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or by calling (800) 621-3362.

FEMA spokesperson Robert Howard said that eligibility for Critical Needs Assistance is determined on a case by case basis. He advised applicants who have not yet heard from FEMA to call the helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov to get a status update. He did not say how long applicants with urgent needs should expect to wait to receive assistance after applying.

Howard also said that a denial of Critical Needs Assistance is final, and cannot be appealed.

The deadline for Critical Needs Assistance was originally September 12, but FEMA extended it to Wednesday after members of the Louisiana Congressional delegation put pressure on the agency.

The deadline to apply for other forms of FEMA assistance is October 28.

This story was originally published by Southerly and The Lens.

Impacted by Hurricane Ida and have questions about federal assistance? Wed love to hear from you for future reporting. Email Carly Berlin, Southerly's Gulf Coast correspondent, at berlincarly@gmail.com.
Ahead of Tuesdays New Orleans City Council committee meeting concerning the citys sanitation crisis, Councilmember Kristin Palmer has unveiled a draft resolution calling for damages against embattled trash hauler Metro Service Group.

Metro has failed to keep up twice-weekly trash collections before and after Hurricane Ida, and its contract allows the city to collect damages for unsatisfactory performance. Palmer plans to introduce the nonbinding resolution at the next regular council meeting set for Thursday, and for now it appears unlikely to have any direct effect, since Mayor LaToya Cantrell has already said she opposes damages -- at least for the moment.

Cantrell said on Thursday she intends to eventually terminate and rebid the contract, but she would rather Metro pay its workers and subcontractors to resolve the immediate crisis, as opposed to liquidated damages.

I want the trash picked up. I am looking at a solution to the problem on the ground first, Cantrell said. That doesnt rule out anything else, but the priority right now is getting the trash picked up and picked up consistently. A fine will not do that.

+16 'Operation Mardi Gras' trash plan off to slow start due to bad weather, no-show equipment The stopgap measure of deploying New Orleans city employees to help pick up trash accumulating on city streets is moving slower than officials

The contract outlines a process for assessing and collecting damages but does not specify what they would amount to.

Cantrell and other administration officials -- along with Metros owner, Jimmie Woods -- have blamed national labor shortages for the companys failure to fulfill its contractual obligations, stopping short of criticizing the company itself.

Palmer, while acknowledging the difficult post-disaster operating environment for all waste haulers, has noted that the citys other primary contractor, Richard's Disposal, has for the most part restored regular service to its service area.

Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up

Metro collects solid waste in Lakeview and New Orleans East, as well as neighborhoods lakeside of Esplanade Avenue and downriver of the French Quarter. Richards services Uptown, Algiers and parts of Mid-City.

New Orleans City Council calls trash crisis 'abject failure' as residents aim ire at Metro As New Orleans city workers hit the streets Friday morning in the latest attempt to stem the spiraling sanitation crisis, City Council members

At a Friday joint meeting of the councils budget and public works committees, Palmer said Metros performance in recent months amounted to an abject failure.

There is only one trash contractor we are having a significant problem with, and thats Metro, Palmer said.

A request for comment to Metro was pending on Tuesday morning.

The joint committee will meet again Tuesday, and the agenda called for administration officials to discuss options for solving the problem. While administration officials at the meeting last week said they were working on options such as temporary transfer stations, which could cut down on the commute to the River Birch landfill, they offered few concrete details.

The citys infrastructure director, Ramsey Green, said in an interview Monday that he did not know if the administration would provide any additional information at the meeting Tuesday, but more would be forthcoming as the week progresses.
New Orleans homeowners are in line for an across-the-board tax break due to the extended outage after Hurricane Ida, in addition to the potential of larger reductions to their assessments due to storm damage, the Orleans Parish Assessors Office announced Monday.

Similar reductions for Ida-related damage is also available in Jefferson Parish, where officials expect they will also do a significant mass reduction for hard-hit areas outside the levee system and are considering their options for the more protected areas inside it.

The New Orleans cut would be an unusual use of a law passed after Hurricane Katrina that provides for property tax cuts to account for the devastation done by natural disasters. While that law has typically been invoked only to account for physical damage caused by hurricanes, it also allows for breaks when a property becomes temporarily unusable due to catastrophe.

That was, in essence, what happened when the entirety of Orleans Parish was left without power after Entergys transmission lines failed during Ida, leaving residents powerless in many cases for more than a week, said Devin Johnson, a spokesman for Orleans Parish Assessor Erroll Williams.

A property being non-operational or uninhabitable are two of the conditions that it specifies, and thats what the widespread blackouts did after the storm -- it rendered peoples domiciles after the storm uninhabitable, Johnson said.

The Orleans Parish cut comes as Williams faces three opponents in the fall election, which was pushed back to Nov. 13 due to Idas disruptions. It also comes about a year after Williams faced a backlash for giving commercial properties a tax break due to the fall-off in business during the pandemic.

The across the board break for Ida will only apply to residential properties, which will see the value of the improvements they contain reduced by 5%. Johnson said that figure was derived by assuming people were without power for about two and a half weeks, or 5% of the year. Thats longer than the vast majority of residents in New Orleans were in the dark  nearly all homes had power back within 11 days  but Johnson said they rounded up in an effort to treat everyone equally.

Residential land values will not be adjusted.

Exactly how much the break will cost New Orleans city government, the School Board or the other local entities that receive part of their budget from property taxes is not yet clear. Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration, which has frequently opposed efforts to reduce tax revenue, did not respond to requests for comment on Williams plan.

+2 A group of customers is suing Entergy for 'negligence' in Hurricane Ida blackout A group of Louisiana customers is suing Entergy alleging negligence that led to prolonged power outages in the southeastern part of the state 

It does not appear the law has ever been used by an assessor to reduce values after an extended outage. But Williams used the same law last year when he gave out the across-the-board commercial tax breaks. That led to a cut worth about 25% of the value of all the commercial property in the parish.

Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up

Lawrence Chehardy, who now serves as chair of the state Tax Commission and helped draft the post-Katrina law as the assessor of Jefferson Parish, said trimming assessments across the board due to an outage was in line with the law.

While its more typical to think in terms of physical damage, the law is actually more expansive and covers situations where the property is inoperable, Chehardy said.

The break comes in addition to more traditional ways to reduce property taxes after a storm.

In Orleans Parish, property owners can apply from Sept. 23 until 4 p.m. on Oct. 7 to have their assessment lowered to take into account damage from the storm. They can apply online for such breaks at www.nolaassessor.com, or they can go online or call 504-754-8811 to set up an in-person appointment to meet with the assessors staff.

Johnson said evidence of damage will be taken into account in that process, be it insurance claims, estimates from contractors or any other way property owners have of documenting the status of their properties.

We realize theres a massive bottleneck right now in terms of the availability of contractors' estimates, insurance claim turnaround; photos are fine, Johnson said. Send us photos, we will work with it and try to give a damage assessment that reflects the condition of the property following the storm.

Entergy typically asks customers to pay for hurricane damage. Could that change after Ida? After New Orleans was left in the dark for days following Hurricane Ida, City Council members are now searching for ways to force Entergy, rat

Johnson also noted the system the Assessors Office is using is typically used to contest a propertys value for more mundane reasons, so those applying should not feel that they have to fill out portions of the online form that are not relevant to their claim.

A similar process will play out in Jefferson Parish, where the rolls will be reopened from Sept. 29 to Oct. 13 for people to submit evidence of damage, Assessor Tom Cappella said.

+2 With most of metro New Orleans' power restored, Entergy turns resources to worst hit areas Entergy executives said Friday that more linemen and other resources are being redeployed to the worst affected areas of southeast Louisiana n

In the hardest-hit southern areas of the parish that are outside the levee system, including Grand Isle and Jean Lafitte, the office is planning to do a mass reduction because of the extensive damage to structures there, Cappella said. As for the rest of the parish, where many residents were left in the dark for longer than residents in New Orleans, Cappella said officials are evaluating the totality of circumstances to determine how to proceed.

Were figuring out what we can do to best help them, Cappella said. We dont want anybody to be out of pocket any money.
Microsoft has announced that Office 2021 will be released at the same time as Windows 11, and not just for its latest operating system. Office 2021 will be available without needing to pay a monthly subscription, too.

4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker

Microsoft has announced in a blog post that Windows 11 and Office 2021 will arrive simultaneously, with the company already the former's launch date for October 5. Apparently, Office 2021 is practically identical to Office LTSC 2021, a software suite that the company already distributes to business customers.

The company states that Office 2021 will be available in the following versions:

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021

Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021

Microsoft Visio Standard 2021

Microsoft Visio Professional 2021

Microsoft Project Standard 2021

Microsoft Project Professional 2021

Office 2021 will not be a Windows 11 exclusive, and will be available for macOS and Windows 11. Additionally, Microsoft will continue to offer 32-bit versions, should you need a 32-bit version of Office 2021. Microsoft's MSRP remains as it was for the 2019 edition too, so you need not purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription for the next version of Office.
Samsung has started rolling out One UI 3.1.1 to the Galaxy Tab S7 series. The OS update has already reached the Tab S7, Tab S7+ and Tab S7 FE in Europe, albeit as a 1.3 GB download.

4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker

Samsung has started to distribute One UI 3.1.1 to all Galaxy Tab S7 variants, including the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. The update is reaching 5G and Wi-Fi models, for reference. The rollout is already underway in Europe, so it should not take too long for it to reach other regions. Typically, new updates take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to reach all eligible countries.

T976BXXU2BUI1 arrives as a 1.37 GB download and contains the September 1st security patch. According to the changelog, Samsung has added the option to 'remaster' photos, another way of saying that the Galaxy Tab S7 series can automatically enhance images. Additionally, the update brings improved Edge panel usability by virtue of a new pin feature. Accordingly, you can now pin apps to the Edge panel, which should no longer blur the background screen when it is active.
Energy Systems Integration Newsletter: August 2021

In this edition, the latest report in NREL's Storage Futures Study estimates future behind-the-meter storage capacity, NREL to lead new effort in advancing research on grid-forming inverters, integrating hydrogen into low-carbon, high-value products, and more.

United States Could Reach 300 Times Today's Installed Behind-the-Meter Battery Storage Capacity by 2050

Households and businesses around the world are adopting increasing numbers of distributed energy resources (DERs) to lower energy bills and curb carbon emissions. Behind-the-meter battery storage is part of this energy evolution, with declining battery storage costs enticing customers to pair batteries with distributed DERs. With this expansion, the latest report in NREL's Storage Futures Study shows there is economic potential for behind-the-meter battery storage to reach 300 times today's installed capacity by 2050.

The study provides one of the first published estimates of distributed battery storage deployment. The results of the report, which used NREL's novel Distributed Generation Market Demand model and System Advisor Model, can help inform planning for technical grid infrastructure to capture the benefits and mitigate the challenges of growing distributed electricity generation.

Read more about the latest report in NREL's Storage Futures Study.

NREL Will Co-Lead New $35-Million Consortium on Grid-Forming Inverters

As the number of renewables continues to increase in power systems, the U.S. Department of Energy is launching a consortium to build industrywide consensus around leveraging power inverters for large-scale renewable integration. The Universal Interoperability for Grid-Forming Inverters Consortium will use the combined research capabilities of numerous partners across the world to validate advanced inverter controls and coordination strategies to support high-renewable systems. The multiyear collaboration will result in new standards, guidelines, training resources, and operational tools for a renewable energy future.

Read about the upcoming grid-forming inverter consortium.

Hydrogen Integration Process Reduces Costs for Renewable Pathway to Clean Fuels and Chemicals

Hydrogen could be key to decarbonizing future energy systems, but renewable hydrogen production costs are still high. However, an NREL team sees opportunity to integrate hydrogen into low-carbon, high-value products using reactions that also upcycle waste carbon dioxide. Its research has turned out several inventions that integrate hydrogen production via water electrolysis with downstream reactions, enabling significant cuts to electrolyzer capital costs.

Read the full story.

NREL Open-Source Modeling Approach Cracks the Code of Simulating Low-Inertia Power Systems

The United States has 37 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar capacity, with an additional 112 GW of capacity under development. With so much large-scale solar power already in place, renewable energy sources and battery energy storage systems appear to be major players in future power grids. But these new technologies bring additional complexities and challenges. A new article from NREL analysts and the University of California, Berkeley published in IEEE Electrification highlights an open-source modeling tool that is helping power system operators and policymakers understand the behavior of modernized grids and the way they can ensure continued reliability.

Read more about this novel scientific computing method for studying utility-scale renewable power systems.

Webinar Series Teaches the Building Blocks of Cybersecurity

The day after a breach is not the time to develop an incident response protocol. Utility companies in the early stages of cybersecurity development, and policymakers looking for guidance, are tuning in to a new NREL webinar series on defending digital and physical assets. Developed in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, each session covers a specific topic in distributed energy systems, security architecture, or international standards and policy, with actionable steps to mitigate cybersecurity risks and protect critical operations.

Read our story or register for the Sept. 22 webinar on implementing technical controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption.

Job Openings in Cybersecurity

NREL's cybersecurity research program is growing, with staff openings for leadership roles that will shape tomorrow's energy security. With a shared mission, dedicated leadership, and cutting-edge facilities and resources, our team is having a direct impact on how energy systems are developed, deployed, operated, and maintained. Hear from NREL leadership and cybersecurity staff in a recent video to learn more about how a career in cybersecurity at NREL can help lead the nation toward a clean and secure energy future.

NREL is hiring for these senior-level cybersecurity positions:

R7696 - Lead Engineer

R7413 - Network Architect/Engineer  Cyber

R7585 - Senior Researcher  Energy System Cybersecurity.

New Report Examines Economic Assessments and Resilience of Hybrid Microgrids

Microgrids have emerged as a promising avenue for improving grid resilience and reliability. However, current designs and assessments of microgrids have largely ignored component reliability, leading to notable errors in predicting a microgrid's performance while islanded. A recent technical report from NREL researchers published in Advances in Applied Energy, titled "Resilience and Economics of Microgrids With PV, Battery Storage, and Networked Diesel Generators," provides a new statistical methodology to calculate the impact of distributed energy reliability and variability on a microgrid's performance.

The paper uses NREL's REopt software to explore multiple cost savings and revenue streams, evaluating the impacts for microgrids in California, Maryland, and New Mexico. Results of the paper show that hybrid microgridsmicrogrids featuring photovoltaics, battery storage, and networked emergency diesel generatorscan provide higher system reliability when islanded and have a lower life cycle cost than traditional diesel generator-based systems.

Latest Episode of Grid Talk Podcast Highlights LA100 Study

Los Angeles is looking to achieve its goal of 100% renewable power by 2035. The latest episode in the Voices of Experience: Grid Talk podcast features a discussion with Lauren Faber O'Connor, chief sustainability officer for the City of Los Angeles, who highlights NREL's recent LA100 study and the city's efforts to achieve its goal.

Check out the full conversation with O'Connor.

NREL Study Shows a Bright Future for Energy Storage in South Asia

By 2022, India's wind and solar power generation capacity is targeted to reach 175 GW. Beyond next year's target, the Indian government is planning to continue rapidly scaling clean energy markets over the next several years to achieve 450 GW of wind and solar by 2030. This will mean a 20% year-over-year growth in the country's wind and solar capacity between 2022 and 2030.

However, to date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of cost-effective opportunities for bulk grid storage in South Asia. To address this gap, NREL performed a first-of-its-kind assessment of cost-effective opportunities for grid-scale energy storage in South Asia that demonstrates energy storage can play a significant role in the region's grid operations over the next three decades, especially in India.

Read the full story about energy storage in South Asia.

Publications Roundup

Stabilizing the Power System in 2035 and Beyond: Evolving from Grid-Following to Grid-Forming Distributed Inverter Controllers

With photovoltaics forecasted to provide more than 600 GW of generation by 2050, power electronic inverters will play a dominant role in future systems, and low-inertia stability must be insured to maintain system reliability. This technical report from NREL looks at the need to move from traditional grid-following controllers, where voltage and frequency are regulated by inertial sources, to grid-forming controllers, which actively regulate voltage and frequency. The report demonstrates that grid-forming controllers can improve power system stability, share load autonomously among multiple inverters, and are compatible with the existing electric grid.

Use of Traveling Wave Signatures in Medium-Voltage Distribution Systems for Fault Detection and Location

Protection systems are critical for the proper operation of electric grids. However, with more inverter-based PV being integrated into the grid, current protections schemes can often be too slow to accurately identify and locate faults, creating a need for protection approaches tailored to systems with high levels of inverter-based PV. This NREL technical report aims to develop protections schemes that detect faults faster and more accurately, specifically in distribution systems and/or microgrids with high penetrations of inverter-based PV.

Computational Framework for Behind-the-Meter DER Techno-Economic Modeling and Optimization: REopt Lite

The energy system is undergoing a major transformation, with distributed generation expected to play a significant role in the new energy system. This article published in Energy Systems provides a computational framework for NREL's open-sourced DER modeling software, REopt Lite, which allows users to evaluate the economic viability of DERs, identify system sizes and dispatch strategies to minimize energy costs, and estimate how long a system can sustain critical load during a grid outage. The framework can help accelerate the analysis of DERs to enable rapid planning and decision-making, thereby enabling greater renewable energy deployment.

USAID Energy Storage Decision Guide for Policymakers

Worldwide, ambitious power sector transformation strategies, along with continually falling costs of renewable energy technologies, are driving higher levels of grid-connected variable renewable energy. Because higher penetrations of variable renewable energy can drive an additional need for power system flexibility, decision makers are increasingly looking to emerging grid solutions, such as energy storage, to ensure reliable and cost-effective integration of variable renewable energy. This report from the USAID-NREL Greening the Grid platform arms relevant decision makers with the base layer of information they need to understand energy storage and make informed policy, regulatory, and investment decisions around grid-connected energy storage.

Behind-the-Meter to Front of the Line: Prioritizing Battery Storage Opportunities Across a Portfolio of Sites

In 2019, NREL assisted the United States Army in successfully deploying a behind-the-meter battery energy storage system at Fort Carson in Colorado. This fact sheet looks at this project and beyond, highlighting how NREL used a phased approach to efficiently identify the most cost-effective battery storage projects across 80 U.S. Army installations.
When the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom qualified for the ballot in April, Democrats scoffed. It was a futile piece of theater from the far right, they said. California is, after all, one of the bluest states in the country.

Then, abruptly and to Democrats alarm, the polls tightened. Keep and remove drew almost even. The party dispatched leaders as high as Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign with Mr. Newsom.

And now, with the election days away, we seem to have circled right back to where we started.

Mr. Newsom has opened a double-digit lead in recent polls, and it appears to be growing. A polling average compiled by FiveThirtyEight had keep at 55.7 percent and remove at 41.3 percent as of Friday afternoon, and an average compiled by RealClearPolitics showed an even bigger gap, 56.7 percent to 41 percent. The last time an individual poll in either of those averages showed remove ahead was in early August.

The most recent poll was released Friday by The Los Angeles Times and the University of California, Berkeley, and found keep ahead by more than 20 percentage points.
In addition, there are individual scenes here, and interviewees that were absent from The Lost Leonardo, which add spice to the narrative of how an ostensibly lost painting by a Renaissance master was restored, kicked around various markets of the mega-rich, and subsequently bought, it seems, by a Saudi royal.

One spicy new element is Loic Gouzer, the former co-chairman of postwar and contemporary art at Christies who put together the paintings final auction. He is portrayed as a brash and repellent character. Gouzers own social media accounts provide no small assist here; posts include a boastful video of him proclaiming, Well do an auction that will make the market great again.

Vitkine, however, can be sloppy; he names individual sections after certain power players (The Curator, The Expert) and deems two different people The Merchant. He then plays some dirty pool by showing a headline from The New York Times about the buyer of the painting, cropping out the byline of the correspondent David D. Kirkpatrick.

Scott Reyburn, a London-based freelance journalist who writes for the Times and is featured onscreen, allows that Kirkpatricks article was quite a scoop. You bet!

Savior for Sale: Da Vincis Lost Masterpiece?

Not rated. In English and French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
Anthony Johnson, an actor and comedian known for small but memorable roles in Friday, House Party and about two dozen other movies, died on Sept. 6. He was 55.

His death, in a hospital in Los Angeles County, Calif., was confirmed by his agent, LyNea Bell, and the county medical examiners office; neither specified a cause.

Mr. Johnson is perhaps best known for playing Ezal, a drug addict and thief who unintentionally interrupts a heist, in the 1995 movie Friday, starring Ice Cube. Mr. Johnsons other film credits, sometimes as A.J. Johnson, include House Party (1990), Menace II Society (1993) and B.A.P.S. (1997).

Mr. Johnson was born on Feb. 1, 1966, and grew up in Compton, Calif.

If you made it out of Compton, you can make it anywhere, he said in a 2018 interview with VladTV. You had to be really careful and watch yourself back in them days.
Irma Kalish, a television writer who tackled abortion, rape and other provocative issues in many of the biggest comedy hits of the 1960s and beyond as she helped usher women into the writers room, died on Sept. 3 in Woodland Hills, Calif. She was 96.

Her death, at the Motion Picture and Television Fund retirement home, was attributed to complications of pneumonia, her son, Bruce Kalish, a television producer, said.

Ms. Kalishs work in television comedy broke the mold for female writers. What women there were in the industry around midcentury had mostly been expected to write tear-jerking dramas, but beginning in the early 1960s Ms. Kalish made her mark in comedy, notably writing for Norman Lears caustic, socially conscious sitcoms All in the Family and its spinoff Maude in the 70s.

She did much of her writing in partnership with her husband, Austin Kalish. They shared offices at studios around Los Angeles, usually working at facing desks producing alternating drafts of scripts.
The Chair, a Netflix comic drama about academia starring Sandra Oh, turns on a particularly absurd and unfair cancellation. In the first episode Bill, a onetime superstar English professor whos falling apart after the death of his wife, is giving a lecture on modernism when, drawing a connection between fascism and absurdism, he gives a mock Nazi salute.

After some students capture the gesture on their phones, a campus meltdown ensues and  spoiler alert  Bill, played by Jay Duplass, gets railroaded out of his job. Bill has a very specific sort of irony-laden aging hipster sensibility, one that is in many ways my own. (The Joy Division T-shirt he wears in another scene is a nice touch, since Joy Division is both a quintessential Gen X band and one whose name, an arch reference to sex slaves in Nazi concentration camps, would never fly today.) He is far more sympathetic than the maliciously literal-minded students who mobilize against him and think, or at least pretend to think, that hes a genuine white supremacist.

I dont think Bills story really reflects whats happening on college campuses; few instances of real-life cancellations are so factually simple or ethically ridiculous. But it is a near-perfect reflection of the generational anxiety driving much discussion about cancel culture, one that causes otherwise sensible people to make wild historical analogies between todays intellectual climate and the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the U.S.S.R. or 17th-century theocracies.

A few weeks ago Anne Applebaum published a piece in The Atlantic titled The New Puritans, about people who have lost everything after breaking, or being accused of breaking social codes having to do with race, sex, personal behavior or even acceptable humor, which may not have existed five years ago or maybe five months ago. Around the same time, The Economist published a cover package about the illiberal left, warning that as graduates of elite American universities have moved into the workplace, they have brought along tactics to enforce ideological purity, by no-platforming their enemies and canceling allies who have transgressed.
So Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia will be responsible for putting together the Democratic climate plan. This is both understandable and terrifying. Its understandable because Democrats need the vote of every one of their senators, which means doing whatever it takes to get skeptics on board. Its terrifying because Manchin might end up gutting key proposals from President Biden, especially those aimed at drastically reducing the burning of fossil fuels.

The best-case scenario is that Manchin will intervene in ways that help coal miners and highlight his independence without doing too much damage to Bidens objectives. The worst-case scenario is that he will cripple the climate initiative and effectively doom the planet  because the presidents climate push is almost certainly our last chance to avoid disaster.

I have no idea which way Manchin will go. Nor do I have any good sense of how much he is being influenced by lobbyists and his personal financial interests, as opposed to a desire to do the right thing.

What I do know, and you should, too, is that if Manchin torpedoes Biden  and the planet  on climate policy, it wont be because hes serving the interests of his constituents. Coal mining has a proud history in West Virginia. Among other things, the coal miners union played a crucial role in the history of labor organizing, which in turn helped create the relatively equal society I grew up in. But coal is West Virginias past, not its present, and definitely not its future.
WASHINGTON  An intelligence officer traveling in India this month with the C.I.A. director reported symptoms consistent with the so-called Havana syndrome, signaling a possible escalation in the mysterious incidents that have affected American officials since 2016, current and former officials said.

The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated, and officials have not yet determined whether the C.I.A. officer was targeted because the officer was traveling with the director, William J. Burns, or for other reasons. If the incident was caused by an adversarial intelligence service, it may not have known the officer was traveling with Mr. Burns.

Officials have struggled to determine the cause of the symptoms. While some officials are convinced they are attacks and that one or more rival powers are responsible, intelligence agencies have yet to come to any firm conclusions.

Theories abound, including that the injuries are byproducts of surveillance technology or that they are deliberate attempts to inflict harm, but all remain unproven so far.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department urged the Supreme Court on Monday to reaffirm Roe v. Wade when it hears a case challenging Mississippis restrictive abortion law later this year, arguing that any other decision would uphold an unconstitutional law and undermine a doctrine that gives power to Supreme Court precedents.

The department also asked for permission to present oral arguments when the case is heard on Dec. 1, an indication of the significance of this particular legal fight in the larger effort to overturn Roe and enact abortion bans across the country.

The briefs, filed by the acting solicitor general, Brian H. Fletcher, are the latest step by the Biden Justice Department to try to protect the legal right to an abortion. They came just weeks after the department sued Texas over a law that prohibits nearly all abortions in the state and asked a federal district judge to temporarily block the statute until the courts determine whether it is constitutional.

The Justice Department was one of more than 40 parties to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Jackson Womens Health Organization, the only abortion provider in Mississippi. In all, more than 140 supporters and detractors of the Mississippi law have filed such briefs this year.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba  A Pentagon appeals panel on Monday threw out a ruling by an Army judge who found that evidence obtained during the torture of a defendant could be considered in determining pretrial matters in a death-penalty case at Guantanamo Bay.

The issue of admissibility of such evidence is not ripe or ready for judicial review, the Court of Military Commission Review ruled in a six-page decision that essentially left to another day the overarching issue of whether prosecutors can in some instances use evidence obtained through the torture of a prisoner.

Lawyers brought the appeal on behalf of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi man accused of plotting Al Qaedas bombing of the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole off Yemen in 2000, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. Mr. Nashiri was waterboarded by psychologists working for the C.I.A., and his trial has been mired in pretrial proceedings for a decade as the court that was set up after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, tries to deal with the legacy of the torture.

The Pentagon appeals panel issued the decision on Monday, the eve of the first pretrial hearings in the case since January 2020 following a lengthy closure of the court caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A military commission at Guantanamo is essentially a commuter court, with nearly everybody who takes part in the proceedings, aside from the prisoner, arriving on a charter flight from the Washington, D.C., area.
Justin Trudeau will remain Canadas prime minister following the vote in an early election on Monday, Canadian broadcasters projected.

Although many voters in some areas were still stuck in long voting lines, the broadcasters forecast that Mr. Trudeaus Liberal Party will only hold a minority of seats in the next Parliament.

The prime minister called the election last month, two years ahead of schedule, expecting that the boost in his popularity provided by his handling of the pandemic would give him the majority he was denied in 2019. But those promising numbers immediately fell as Canadians expressed dismay about the election being held while the Delta variant of the coronavirus was straining hospitals and prompting the authorities to restore restrictions in some areas. Preliminary results suggest that the final numbers will largely mirror those of the 2019 election.

While disgruntlement about the election call dominated the five-week campaign, the pandemic intensified as a campaign issue over the final days. Mr. Trudeau has proposed mandatory vaccination for some and championed vaccine passports. Erin OToole, the Conservative leader, rejected both.
CAIRO  When you live in downtown Cairo, a neighborhood of European-meets-Egyptian facades in various states of faded grandeur, roundabouts whizzing with traffic and storefronts patchworked in riotously mismatched signage, it helps to cultivate a certain tolerance for features like relentless honking, rundown real estate and geriatric elevators.

Hager Mohamed was willing to brave the first two. The last, not so much.

Over a few months living downtown earlier this year, Ms. Mohamed, 28, surrendered to an elevators whims more often than necessary for most inhabitants of the 21st century. Partly it was her phobia of antique elevators, with their cabs of gleaming wood and glass suspended from very visible cables in rib cages of metal grillwork; and partly it was the specimen in her apartment building: It went up, but refused to go down without some control-box fiddling. The residents failed to organize maintenance until it stopped working entirely; even once fixed, it would descend only as far as the second floor.

But the building was conveniently located. And, well, she lived on the fifth floor.
His installation, Nothing Is Solid. Nothing Can Be Held in My Hand for Long (the title taken from lyrics by Sonic Youth), will be shown in the vitrines outside of the recently renovated Theater Basel as part of Art Basels Parcours sector, which focuses on site-specific performances, sculptures and installations dotted around Basel, Switzerland, during the fair.

Parts of the installation had been shown in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2019 at the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. But when the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic made physical contact almost forbidden, Mr. Hernandez said, these fleeting moments of touch became more meaningful.

While Parcours, which means journey, is not new to the fair this year  this will be the 11th edition  it has taken on more resonance and urgency during the pandemic. In part, it is because of the renewed appreciation for space, the idea that people now think more about their proximity to others and about how comfortable  or uncomfortable  they feel about being in enclosed areas.

There is also a revitalized gratitude for the outdoors, and a rediscovery of cities and locales that before the pandemic were maybe not thought about or appreciated as much. Parcours presents an opportunity for all of this to be considered, with 20 artists from across the globe being featured in a variety of settings.
RHINEBECK, N.Y.  The art world has lately taken pains to put the spotlight on older artists who did not get a fair shake the first time around, but its not an effort that applies to Liliana Porter.

An Argentine by birth, Ms. Porter, 79, had an artistic reputation soon after she arrived in the New York area in 1964, becoming a founder of the influential New York Graphic Workshop.

She was never a household name  the demands of teaching art full time at Queens College for 15 years might have been a factor  but she did not struggle for recognition, either. There was a consistent market for her work, helped by her initial choice of an inexpensive, serial medium.

I always sold, because I was a printmaker in the beginning, said Ms. Porter, who was giving a tour of her packed studio, housed in an old barn here in the Hudson Valley.
Hand-stitched leather turtles, diminishing in size, are stacked in front of an abstract landscape painting. On the adjacent wall, an oversize figure that represents an adolescent consumer presents its back to the viewer, a disembodied glove pulling the fabric of its designer jacket. In the forefront, giant ash leaves spread across the floor.

Turtles All the Way Down, an installation by Min Yoon, the South Korean artist now based in Vienna, is one of 18 solo projects chosen for the Statements sector at this years Art Basel. The work by Mr. Yoon will be displayed by the Lars Friedrich Gallery of Berlin, which is participating in the fair for the first time.

The presentation is made up of three interconnected sculptures and paintings. While Mr. Yoon has included an individual turtle and single leaves in previous shows, he set out to push these motifs further and interweave them into a larger artistic statement.

Turtles All the Way Down was in my mind for a really long time already, Mr. Yoon, 35, said by phone from Vienna, but I was waiting for the moment. The most important for me was how to make all these individual works connected, but not in a very obvious way.
This Armory program arose from his desire to pair two song cycles, Beethovens An die ferne Geliebte and Bergs Altenberg Lieder  both of which, as he wrote in program notes, address ways of coping with unfulfilled wishes, with dreams that did not come true. To place these cycles in context, he performed selected songs by Schumann and Schubert that also grapple with loss and pain and offer coping mechanisms  including, as Appleby put it, numb nihilism.

Both cycles were historically momentous. Beethovens set of six songs, from 1816, offered a template for the 19th-century German song cycle. The poems, by Alois Jeitteles, present a protagonist thinking of his lost home, his distant beloved, his unfulfilled love. The songs flow from one to the next, giving the cycle the sense of a unified, if episodic, narrative. Appleby sang the tender pieces with warmth and heartache, and brought almost eerie vitality to moments of heady nostalgia. Hanick, a brilliant pianist more often heard in thorny contemporary scores, played with crispness, nuance and grace.

Bergs 1912 work, which sets five short texts by the German writer Peter Altenberg, was originally written for mezzo-soprano and lush orchestra. The public reaction when two of the songs were introduced at a concert in Vienna was so hostile that their aggrieved composer never had them performed again. But the work pointed the way to a new 20th-century musical language. Appleby and Hanick performed a version with a piano reduction that allowed the tenor  with a relatively lighter, lyric voice  to bring out subtleties in the vocal lines. And Hanicks playing was a revelation of clarity and bite.

There were lovely accounts of all the Schubert and Schumann works. I was especially gratified to hear these artists call attention to little-heard songs from Schumanns later years, like the dreamy An den Mond, which opened the wonderful program, and the autumnal, harmonically tart Abendlied, which ended it.

Paul Appleby and Conor Hanick

Repeats Wednesday at the Park Avenue Armory, Manhattan; armoryonpark.com.
Americans dont think about sex nearly enough  this occurred to me after reading The Right to Sex, Amia Srinivasans quietly dazzling new essay collection. Talk about it, yes; argue over it, most definitely. But Srinivasan, a professor of social and political theory at Oxford, wants us to think more fully about sex, as a personal experience with social implications: Sex, which we think of as the most private of acts, is in reality a public thing.

The notion that the personal is political was of course central to the second-wave feminists of the 1960s and 70s, whose critiques of sex Srinivasan takes inspiration from here, even if she doesnt always agree with them. (The subtitle of the books American edition is Feminism in the Twenty-First Century  curiously not included on the British edition, which appeared first.) That older generation talked unapologetically about morality and the patriarchy; since the 1980s, theres been a turn away from that approach, Srinivasan writes, yielding a feminism which does not moralize about womens sexual desires, and which insists that acting on those desires is morally constrained only by the boundaries of consent.

There were, Srinivasan concedes, good reasons for this shift. Moralizing has often been used as a way to exclude, to scold and to discipline, wrongly imposing our personal choices and ways of seeing onto others. Laws enacted in the name of vulnerable and marginalized groups were, in actual practice, used against them  harming sex workers, buttressing the states police power, outlawing porn produced by sexual minorities while leaving mainstream pornography untouched.

But by focusing so narrowly on the matter of consent, feminism may have lost its purchase on some other fundamental issues. Sex is no longer morally problematic or unproblematic: it is instead merely wanted or unwanted, Srinivasan writes. We want what we want because we want it  treating the norms of sex like the norms of capitalist free exchange. We ask only whether the parties involved agreed to the transaction; we neglect to ask about the forces that shape whatever they expected and desired in the first place.
Regarding the inevitable forms of tragedy with which this book is intent upon grappling  that loved ones die, that progress has its limits, that as a species we fail more often than we succeed  Bewilderment invites us to ponder not only our dominance of the planet and the ways that the unjust power of a few dominates the lives of others. It also insists we ponder this: At what cost do we allow our capacities for fear, jealousy and appetite to trounce other equally intrinsic capacities, like empathy, courage and forbearance? What if our worst enemy is not barricading himself in the White House or pelting our children with taunts on the playground? What if its right here, lighting up neural pathways inside our own skulls?

Lucille Cliftons work demands that in order for our species to recognize its proper place in the universe, we must collectively admit to the beauty and the inviolable sanctity  the essentialness  of Black life. The conscience animating Bewilderment lobbies for the essentialness of plants, animals and those of differing needs and abilities. This being 2021, Powers also seems committed to demonstrating an awareness of Black Lives Matter as a viable proposition. Two characters identified as Black play briefly but significantly into the narrative arc of Bewilderment. On the depth spectrum, Id say they occupy spots somewhere between extras and archetypes; their choices help Powers trip the switch on certain narrative inevitabilities, but, by and large, the bewilderment of the novels title is played out in white bodies and minds and in spaces where whiteness can be taken for granted.

Perhaps theres nothing surprising or unusual about that. Neither is there anything surprising or unusual about the kicking in of my readerly desire to bring my whole self, race included, to the pondering of this profound novel. Ill admit there was a tiny pang in discovering that the Blackness of those two characters was planted in the narrative only to be almost immediately retreated from. As is often the case, my corrective capacity rushed in to try to assure me that the white imagination may be a better setting than many for an exploration of the abysmal ends of power.

Indeed, the dynamic Powers calls out has implications in every context where the wishes of a powerful few claim priority over the needs of others. Coercion is often manifest as the reasonable-enough-seeming demands for compliance insisted upon by teachers, colleagues and even strangers in order to foster the comfort of others: Dont fight; dont procrastinate; dont carry a grudge; carry your own weight; dont make others uncomfortable; dont incite guilt; dont dare name the ends of powers zero-sum game. Arent these the demands with which calls for all manner of change are routinely deferred?

What is the bigger scheme of things, and how do we get  and stay  there? If any writer is capable of invoking such scale, and allowing us to linger there awhile, it is surely Powers, whose capacity for world-envisioning offers rapt readers moment after moment of captivating recalibration. The possible  like the real  is enormous. Like other intelligent life in the universe, the possible is everywhere and nowhere, hiding in plain sight.
Alameddines spectacular novel is rendered through the refreshingly honest lens of Dr. Mina. A trans woman, born the third son of a traditional Lebanese family, she leaves Beirut for Harvard, dragging bitter memories of an abusive mother and a father who advised: In private, eat according to your taste, but in public, behave according to the publics. Over the years she comes into her own as a skillful and empathetic physician. In her 50s, she travels to Lesbos to volunteer among the refugees who wash ashore; looking like aunts or cousins from back home, they carry garbage bags of broken treasures along with countless stories and unspeakable loss.

Image

[ Read our profile of Rabih Alameddine. ]

Dr. Mina is the storyteller the refugees deserve: respected by the Europeans, but steeped in their traditions and history. When a terminally ill mother arrives on shore, Dr. Mina cares for the womans family as they navigate the purgatory of the refugee camp. But her greater (and rarer) power is that she is able to observe what European volunteers cant.

This is the first novel Ive read that gives ample room to the ugliness of certain camp volunteers (the bored, the coddled, those battling pangs of uselessness) and the many humiliations some inflict on the displaced. But calling out anyone who gave up a vacation to meet boats seems ungrateful, so the refugees smile for their rescuers camera-phones and keep quiet.

Alameddines irreverent prose evokes the old master storytellers from my own Middle Eastern home, their observations toothy and full of wit, returning always to human absurdity. Here, a volunteer berates a group of refugees by telling them that theyre no longer in chaos and militiamen play at having recently shot someone. I never imagined Id come across doodool tala (golden penis, a Persian mothers adoring nickname for her son) in a literary novel. Again and again, Dr. Mina cracks open the strange, funny and cruel social mores of East and West. She shows us that acceptance and rejection exist across borders and often manifest in surprising ways. I will never forget a passage about a beloved Syrian village doctor, who, to evade ISIS strict rules on separation of the sexes, visits each house twice, once as a man and once in drag (a niqab) to treat the women.

Throughout the book, Dr. Mina addresses a blocked and disillusioned Lebanese writer who, having seen too much displacement and horror, finally breaks. I found this mysterious unnamed listener deeply poignant. In part, Alameddine is speaking to us storytellers, the ones who carry our peoples narratives westward, who shape how theyre seen (and used) by those in power. Literature today is an opiate, he warns, while memory is a wound.
Bidens new Covid action plan, announced this month, calls for an expansion of rapid testing, although it seems unlikely to be big enough to make rapid tests widely available. The recognition by the president that this is a tool we havent been using yet, and we should be using, is a massive step forward, Mina told me. But, he added, Its woefully inadequate.

Elizabeth Stuart, a vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, recently wrote: I am more and more convinced we need to dramatically increase access and affordability of at-home rapid antigen Covid-19 tests. Zoe McLaren, a health economist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, added: So many preventable deaths are on the line.

Several experts have called on Biden to issue an executive order reclassifying rapid tests as a public health tool rather than a medical device. If that happened, the companies selling many tests in Europe, like Abbott and Roche, would quickly flood the U.S. market, experts say. The tests would not be free but would likely be substantially cheaper than they are now.

White House officials told me that they expect rapid tests to become more widely available and less expensive soon. The administration awarded contracts on Monday that will lead to the delivery of 120 million at-home tests, starting next month. But the tests are not likely to become anywhere near as available as they are in much of Western Europe. The Biden administration wants to continue to defer to the F.D.A. about what kind of test is rigorous enough to offer the public.

France and Germany, for their part, will be ending universal free rapid testing this fall, in an attempt to encourage vaccination. People with symptoms will still receive free tests, but many others will have to pay.

A return to normal

Covid isnt disappearing anytime soon. So long as it continues to circulate and cause both serious illness and anxiety, rapid testing is arguably the only way society can return to something that resembles normal life.
The U.S. lifts its travel ban on vaccinated visitors

Foreign travelers who provide proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 can enter the U.S. starting in November, easing tensions with Europe and reopening the country to thousands of people, including many who have been separated from family during the pandemic.

Visitors to the U.S. will have to show proof of vaccination before traveling and a negative coronavirus test within three days of arriving. Unvaccinated Americans traveling home from overseas will be subject to stricter testing requirements, and unvaccinated foreigners will be broadly barred from visiting the U.S., even if they are coming from countries that did not previously face restrictions on travel to America.

The end to the 18-month ban on travel from 33 countries, including members of the E.U., China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil and India, could help rejuvenate the struggling tourism industry in the U.S., which suffered a $500 billion loss in travel expenditures in 2020.

Details: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will issue an order directing airlines to collect the phone numbers and email addresses of travelers for a new contact-tracing system.
Justin Trudeau remains Canadas prime minister, but his attempt to gain a majority by calling an early election appeared to fail, according to unofficial results of yesterdays vote. He is set to continue leading a minority government, with his partys seat count in Parliament little changed. Trudeaus move was intended to capitalize on high approval ratings for his handling of the pandemic, but many voters apparently saw political opportunism instead.

Shell sells off a big oil field. A $9.5 billion deal will transfer Shells 225,000-acre site in the Permian Basin, the biggest American field, to ConocoPhillips. Its the latest sign that Shell is accelerating its push toward producing cleaner energy, responding to concerns about climate change from investors and other stakeholders. Proceeds from the sale will be distributed to shareholders and will also help fund the companys energy transition, Shell said.

Investment firms in the U.S. fret about the fine print of the Democrats carried-interest plans. The tax break for private-equity managers and firms wasnt eliminated, as first proposed, by lawmakers as part of their $3.5 trillion spending package. But tweaks to the practice in the bill are more restrictive than the industry initially thought, especially on minimum holding periods before the tax break kicks in, Bloomberg reports.

Steven Mnuchin raises $2.5 billion for his new private equity firm. The former Treasury secretary in the Trump administration is getting some of the money from sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, where he traveled extensively while in government.

Image

Universal Music goes solo

Vivendi spun off Universal Music on the Amsterdam stock exchange today, and investors liked the sound of it: Shares jumped around 40 percent at the open, valuing the record label at more than $50 billion. Universal is by far the worlds largest music company, holding a 31 percent market share and boasting a roster of major stars, including Taylor Swift, Drake and Billie Eilish.

The successful debut of a player in a once unloved industry, defying a jittery market, could change the tune for others in the wider entertainment world.
What Mr. Xi did not say at the General Assembly was anything about Chinas coal plants at home. It is building the worlds largest fleet of coal-fired power plants within its borders, and most of its electricity still comes from coal.

Some observers urged China to build on Mr. Xis pledge by also curtailing coal-plant construction inside China. This announcement is a strong sign of coals global collapse, said Durand DSouza, a data scientist in London for Carbon Tracker, which monitors countries emissions policies. Now is the time for China to move away from being the largest coal power producer and continue its shift to lower-cost renewables.

Last year, China built more than three times more new coal power capacity than all other countries in the world combined, equal to more than one large coal plant per week, according to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Finland. Chinas latest five-year development plan, approved earlier this year, allows for expanded coal-power construction at home in the coming years. But Chinese experts calling for an earlier peak in the countrys carbon emissions have called for no more domestic coal power expansion.

Nor did Mr. Xi make any new announcements about Chinas plans to rein in emissions by 2030, beyond repeating his pledge to reach peak emissions before the end of this decade. That is nowhere near what is necessary to prevent global temperature from rising more that 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, a point beyond which the world faces a far greater likelihood of devastating climate consequences.

Still, Mr. Xis pledge, coming just weeks before the United Nations-led climate talks in Glasgow, sharpens the coal dilemma for large, emerging economies like India, South Africa and Turkey, all major consumers of coal. This is an important step by the worlds biggest provider of overseas coal finance, said Simon Stiell, the environment minister of the island nation of Grenada, which is among the worlds smallest countries and also among the most susceptible to the harm caused by climate change. We look forward to seeing commensurate action domestically.
President Biden said on Tuesday that his administration would seek to double aid aimed at helping developing nations address climate change, raising a pledge he made in April to about $11.4 billion a year by 2024.

The pledge is considered critical to the success of United Nations-led climate talks that are scheduled to take place in November in Glasgow, though whether and when the money will materialize depends on congressional approval.

Climate change is perhaps the most important subject at this years General Assembly meeting, with new scientific evidence showing a losing battle in what the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has called an existential struggle.

Many developing countries have repeatedly pointed out that rich countries have not delivered the $100 billion a year in aid that they promised under the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord. A tally by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found a nearly $20 billion shortfall.
Headliner

Jibs

With the vibe of a seafood shack but far grander, this outdoor newcomer to Hudson Yards, overlooking the river, seats 200 at a bar area with counters and high-tops, and on a dining deck with captains chairs and picnic tables. It will be a year-round affair, with a roof covering that retracts, removable side panels and heaters. The owners, Cobi Levy, Will Makris and Thatcher Shultz, hauled in a couple of shipping containers for the kitchen and bar, covered them with shingles and strung them with used buoys for which they spent months scavenging local shorefront dealers. The chef, David Ladner, who worked in Rhode Island and Cambridge, Mass., has an extensive menu of seafood specialties, including raw bar items, baked clams, steamed mussels, fish and chips, grilled black sea bass, grilled lobster, lobster rolls two ways, and lobster grilled cheese. A hot dog, cheeseburger, chicken fingers, salads, mac and cheese, and a number of vegetable preparations round out the choices. Theres a blueberry buckle for dessert and a full bar. All the seafood is listed with its geographic source. (Opens Thursday)

Then, coming to Hudson Yards in November is Kamasu by Kissaki for omakase lunches, dinners, and food to go from a window on the second level of 20 Hudson Yards, the shopping building. Also in November will be ANA at Hudson Yards, a restaurant, bar, market and wine shop by Anna Castellani of Foragers, DeKalb Market and the Hugh, with the chef Eyal Shani of Miznon. (It will replace Citarella on the second floor.) A branch of Mr. Shanis Miznon moved into the Belcampo space in the complex last year. Other restaurants open now are Mercado Little Spain, Milos and Milos Wine Bar, Peak and Peak Lounge, Queensyard and Queensyard Cafe, Wild Ink, the Tavern, Fuku, Shake Shack and Sweetgreen. Hudson Yards Grill opens Thursday.

Hudson Yards Plaza, 11th Avenue and 33rd Street, 212-581-7070, jibsny.com.

Opening

Jongro Gopchang

Given top billing at this new barbecue restaurant thats up on the fifth floor of a Koreatown building are names like gopchang (beef small intestine), daechang (large intestine) and makchang (beef entrails). These Korean delicacies can be had grilled, in casseroles or stews. Some of the preparations are well spiced, come in sweet-and-sour sauces, or can be ordered with additions like rice cakes and fried rice. Bulgogi, barbecued lamb chops, kalbi, bibimbap and kimchi stew are some non-offal offerings. Starters include mandoo dumplings, japchae and pajeon. (Thursday)

22 West 32nd Street, 646-850-0145, jongrogopchang.com.

Afternoon

Group KFF, based in Manhattans Koreatown, has something for everyone. In addition to its restaurants, Dons Bogam and Jongro BBQ, and quite the opposite of the new offal house, Jongro Gopchang (above), is this mini food hall in Brooklyn with four jazzy mass-market brands. Theres Jongro Rice Hotdog, with various fillings, often wrapped in fries or noodles, crisped in a rice batter and traced with sauces like Sriracha mayonnaise. Mochi Mochi Donut sells rosette-shaped rice flour confections with neon icings in several flavors. Croffle Haus serves croissants mashed in a waffle iron and served with toppings like cheese or sweet icing. EggLab has gooey scrambled egg sandwiches. In addition to those brands, theres also coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company. The company projects speedy expansion of Afternoon, with others coming next month to Flushing, Queens, the East Village in Manhattan and more locations in the works. (Thursday)

148 North Seventh Street (Berry Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, no phone, afternoonplace.com.
At Shukette, the line between dips and nondips can be a fine one. You may be lukewarm about the ginger-scented meatballs of fresh albacore but compelled by the stiff bed of yogurt under them, salty with preserved lemons.

You may decide that the grilled zucchini plates finest hour comes when the zucchini is gone and theres nothing left to do but plunge crusts of bread into the swirl of dressings left on the plate  tahini, shatta, olive oil and the juices of charred Sungold tomatoes, fragrant with sesame seeds and chopped pistachios.

For those crusts, Shukette has four kinds of bread, all baked or grilled or griddled to order. The whole-wheat pita arrives at the table puffed up with steam; the laffa is thickly spread with zaatar and olive oil; the Moroccan frena, something like a small focaccia studded with cloves of roasted garlic, can be so hot it burns your fingers.

Shukettes approach to Middle Eastern cooking  built around extremely fresh produce, laced with smoke, and profligate with herbs and spices  is overdue in New York. Zahav, now in its second decade, is a Philadelphia institution as firmly established as Johns Roast Pork. Before the pandemic, Bavel and Kismet ushered in a new era of flatbreads and kebabs in Los Angeles. And when dinner parties were still being given, it was rare to find a host in Manhattan who hadnt memorized at least one Yotam Ottolenghi recipe. The citys chefs, though, have been slow to take a modern approach to the cooking of the Mediterraneans eastern and southern rims.
The Biden administration plans to nominate John Nkengasong, a virologist and director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to lead the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, according to several sources familiar with the matter.

President Biden is expected to make the announcement in the coming days.

PEPFAR is a $7 billion operation that funds and sets goals for AIDS care in many nations, most of them in Africa. Dr. Nkengasong, who was born in Cameroon, is the first person of African origin to head the program, which is housed in the Department of State.

This is a huge leap forward for the U.S. government to name someone from the region where much of the PEPFAR work is, said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a nonprofit organization promoting H.I.V. treatment worldwide. It shows a commitment to truly listening to and learning from the people PEPFAR is meant to serve.

Dr. Nkengasong could not immediately be reached for comment.

The AIDS program was last led by Dr. Deborah Birx, who left in February 2020 to join the White House coronavirus task force. The Biden administration has come under severe criticism for leaving the program leaderless, especially at a time when the pandemic is setting back years of progress against H.I.V.
Yes, its time once again for the United Nations General Assembly.

As my colleague Rick Gladstone explains, more than 100 foreign leaders and other high-ranking representatives plan to give speeches at a gathering that will be distinctly different from last years all-virtual session. Pandemic concerns shaped the planning and will be a theme of some of the speeches: President Biden is expected to push for a global plan for vaccine-producing countries to channel more doses to nations that need them. White House officials hope that will bring fresh urgency to vaccine diplomacy at a time when Covax, the U.N.-backed vaccine program, is lagging.

The diplomats will not only talk about the pandemic, they will have to deal with it. Everyone entering the U.N. complex on First Avenue is supposed to wear a mask. And everyone is supposed to have been vaccinated or have had a recent Covid-19 test (with a negative result). Last week, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States said that the measures were aimed at guaranteeing that the General Assembly does not become a superspreader event.

But how the vaccine-or-test requirement will be enforced is an open question. U.N. officials had said that V.I.P.s will be on the honor system.

What will President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil say, assuming he arrives on schedule for the first speech on Tuesday? He is a vaccine skeptic who early in the pandemic made light of the coronavirus as a measly cold and was later reprimanded by a judge for not wearing a mask at outdoor events.

If Bolsonaro changed his mind about getting vaccinated  or just wanted a quick test  a city-run mobile testing truck will be stationed outside the U.N. It will have a supply of one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines onboard. But someone who gets a shot and then goes inside could still spread Covid-19, because it takes weeks for immunity to build.

As for the traffic, the police warned of street closings, detours and checkpoints on the East Side, from 42nd Street to 57th Street through the end of the month. But in a city where bikes are increasingly a part of the streetscape, bicycle access along First and Second Avenues will not be restricted.

Eighteen months into the pandemic, the notion of gridlock around the U.N. had a back-to-the-futurish quality, as if it were September 2019 again, the last time the General Assembly met in person. This time, the Mercedes-Maybachs and Cadillacs have been lining up outside the diplomatic missions near the U.N.  supersized limousines that whisked diplomats to meetings, lunches, cocktail parties and dinners.
Mr. Karim was held in an intake cell for 10 days, his lawyers and Ms. Huff Bullock said. He had scant access to food and was denied medication, they said. Jail and correctional health officials did not immediately respond to questions about the allegations.

Theyre not feeding us, Ms. Huff Bullock recalled him saying during a phone call. I dont know whats going on. They are treating us like animals; worse than animals.

At his preliminary hearing on the parole violation on Aug. 31, Ms. McEvilley said his lawyers asked for an early release, citing his deteriorating health. The hearing was cut short, she said, after Mr. Karim suffered an asthma attack. He was scheduled to return for an arraignment on Sept. 27.

But advocates for incarcerated people said Mr. Karim should never have been detained.

He should have been in the community with his family, friends and network, not in a jail plagued by an ongoing humanitarian crisis, said Tina Luongo, the attorney in charge of the Legal Aid Societys criminal defense practice. Technical violations  including marijuana use and failing to report, the noncriminal charges that led to Mr. Karims remand  should not amount to a death sentence.

In the days before his death, Mr. Karim had slipped and fallen in a shower and later complained of chest pain, Ms. Huff Bullock said other detainees told her. She said doctors had planned to perform an X-ray, but never did. By Sunday, Mr. Karim had complained that his chest pain had worsened, Ms. Huff Bullock said. He died in a medical clinic in the North Infirmary Command at 7:25 p.m.

They were really playing Russian roulette with him, Ms. Huff Bullock said through tears. They allowed him to die.

She blamed Mayor Bill de Blasio and jail officials for not doing more to save Mr. Karim and castigated correction officers, some of whom have been accused of calling in sick to avoid having to work. Nearly a third of the jail systems officers have been out sick or otherwise unable to work with detainees.
Hotels in New York City that have been left empty by the pandemic would be converted into supportive housing that provides assistance to people struggling with mental illness or substance abuse and to people leaving the prison system, under a plan proposed on Monday by Eric Adams, who is likely to be the citys next mayor.

More than 20 percent of the citys hotels are now closed, a trade association says. At the same time, the city faces a homelessness crisis, growing sentiment against warehousing homeless people in barrackslike shelters and a lot of severely mentally ill people living in the streets.

The combination of Covid-19, the economic downturn and the problems were having with housing is presenting us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mr. Adams, who won the June Democratic primary for mayor, said as he stood outside a boarded-up hotel in Brooklyns Sunset Park. Use these hotels not to be an eyesore, but a place where people can lay their eyes on good, affordable, quality housing.

Details of the plan were thin. Mr. Adams mentioned the possibility of 25,000 converted hotel rooms, but he said that he would focus on boroughs outside Manhattan, where the number of rooms in closed hotels is much smaller than that.
His son understands. I want to send him back where he is happy, he said. The two feel good that their bond has strengthened, that they have seen each others tears.

They are still waiting to hear an update on Ms. Htwes case. Sometimes it feels as if she has been forgotten. The Police Department declined to comment but said it was hoping the public would help find Mr. Robinson.

Mr. Sheins brother Min Liang, the New York police officer, said it is not unusual to have a suspect but no arrest. Mr. Liang, 45, works in evidence collection and has not been involved in Ms. Htwes case, but said he trusted the detectives who are handling it. Theres more than eight million people in New York City, he said. Theyre not going to find everybody.

The lack of resolution has made Mr. Hein and his father anxious that the same person will hurt someone else, that Ms. Htwes death will have changed nothing. They also worry about running into the suspect. Their fear of public places has only amplified.

But Mr. Hein has no plans to leave with his father. He has been enamored of America ever since he was a boy and relatives visited Myanmar in Nike sneakers and crisp Nautica shirts. Even the smell of their laundry detergent was so good, he remembered. He plans to graduate next spring and has seen for himself the vast difference in the quality of education and job opportunities available in his new home.

It is a broken adaptation of the success he had envisioned. Who could have foreseen such sorrow? Perhaps it will be a lonely, hollow existence.

But he cannot shake the feeling that a young man like him could still rise here, could still forge a future in which he supports his father from afar and pays tribute to his mothers hopes.
Given this picture of the ideological divide within parties, a casual observer might assume that in the struggle to move President Bidens agenda through Congress, the chief obstacle (beyond Republican opposition) is the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and its demands for bigger, more ambitious programs. Biden was, after all, not their first choice for president. Or their second. He won the Democratic presidential nomination over progressive opposition, and there was a sense on the left, throughout the campaign, that Biden was not (and would not be) ready to deal with the scale of challenges ahead of him or the country.

But that casual observer would be wrong. Progressives have been critical of Biden, especially on immigration and foreign affairs. On domestic policy, however, theyve been strong team players, partners in pushing the presidents priorities through Congress. The reconciliation bill, for instance, is as much the work of Bernie Sanders as it is of the White House. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders guided the initial budget resolution through the chamber, compromising on his priorities in order to build consensus with other Democrats in the Senate.

Progressive Democrats want the bill to pass, even if it isnt as large as they would like. They believe, correctly, that a win for Biden is a win for them. Moderate Democrats, however, seem to think that their success depends on their distance from the president and his progressive allies. Their obstruction might hurt Biden, but, they seem to believe, it wont hurt them.

This is nonsense. Democrats will either rise together in next years elections or theyll fall together. The best approach, given the strong relationship between presidential popularity and a partys midterm performance, is to put as much of Bidens agenda into law as possible by whatever means possible.

But this would demand a more unapologetically partisan approach, and that is where the real divide between moderates and progressives emerges. Moderate and centrist Democrats seem to value a bipartisan process more than they do any particular policy outcome or ideological goal.

The most charitable explanation is that they believe that their constituents value displays of bipartisanship more than any new law or benefit. A less charitable explanation is that they see bipartisanship as a way to clip the wings of Democratic Party ambition and save themselves from taking votes that might put them in conflict with either voters or donors.

What is true of both explanations is that they show the extent to which moderate Democrats have made a fetish of bipartisan displays and anti-partisan feeling. And in doing so, they reveal that they are most assuredly not the adults in the room of American politics.
Obviously, such regulation here needs to be done democratically, which favors the tech giants, since democracy is so slow-moving and disputatious. But, as I noted above, its inevitable, and China might be showing the path forward.

4 questions

My chat with the journalist John Carreyrou, whose reporting exposed the misdeeds of Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, whose trial began this month.

Be honest: Are you sick of covering Holmes? Or do you have a duty to the bitter end?

Both. Part of me is tired of this story; its gobbled up the past six years of my life. But I do feel I have a duty to cover it to the end. I opened this can of worms with my first Wall Street Journal story in October 2015. I feel like I owe it to myself and to everyone whos followed this saga to see it through to its conclusion.

OK, the bitter end it is! Rank her defense arguments from most persuasive to next stop: prison.

Most persuasive: How was this a fraud if its chief perpetrator didnt profit from it? As the defense attorney Lance Wade pointed out in his opening argument last week, Holmes never sold a single Theranos share.

Next most persuasive: The people who put money in Theranos were sophisticated investors who knew they were taking risks by investing in a private start-up.

Least persuasive: Sunny Balwani, Holmess ex-boyfriend and Theranoss former No. 2 executive, was her Svengali and held her in his psychological grip. But thats not what employees saw. According to the many employees of Theranos I talked to, this was a partnership of equals and if anyone had the last word, it was Holmes. Lets not forget: She was founder and chief executive and controlled 99.7 percent of the voting rights.

If you had to pick one hero in this story  not you  who would it be and why?

The biggest hero is the former Theranos lab director, who was my first and most important source. If he hadnt taken the risk to talk to me in early 2015, this scandal might never have been uncovered.
When I left my home state, Puebla, in 2010 to attend law school in Mexico City, I learned that first-trimester abortions were made legal in the capital of our country in 2007. From my feminist law professors, my fellow students and I learned, often for the first time, about the right to choose, a right our Constitution grants.

After Mexico City opened the door to legalization, states slowly followed. First came Oaxaca in 2019, and this year Hidalgo and Veracruz joined what feminists call the Marea Verde, or the Green Tide. But Mexico is a federation, made up of states. That means your rights depend on where you are standing, a legal system very similar to that of the United States.

This month the Mexican Supreme Court offered hope to all women and girls in our country. The justices said what has long been intuitive to feminist activists: that someone who is not yet born does not have the same protection as someone who already is alive.

The court stated that women and nonbinary people must not be prosecuted criminally for having an abortion. However, the decision does not translate into an immediate decriminalization of abortion in all states, since abortion is still a crime on the books in 28 local criminal codes. The decision means that no judge may send to prison or sanction women or nonbinary persons who exercise their right to choose to terminate a pregnancy. In other words, technically, a woman could still be taken before a judge and exposed before the community, though she would not see jail time.

We are early yet in the story of our rights in Mexico. Not being sent to jail does not mean abortion is accessible for everyone. Women living outside of Mexico City, Oaxaca, Veracruz or Hidalgo  the areas where abortion rights have progressed the farthest  still have to travel to have an abortion. That restriction disproportionately affects those who are economically vulnerable. And in Mexico, that is an enormous restriction. In my country, we say poverty has a female face; out of 65.5 million women, 50 million are in poverty or at risk of economic or social hardship.
The potential advantages of what experts call distributed manufacturing are plain: It would be much easier to quash variants like Delta if each region of the globe had its own modern vaccine manufacturing hub capable of responding quickly to local needs. This would also leave the world much better prepared for the next pandemic and the one after that. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said that regional facilities would make it possible to create shots within 100 days of dangerous diseases emerging and to stop outbreaks before they mushroom into pandemics. Public Citizen estimated that it would take $25 billion, and about six months, to establish a network of such hubs around the world and that if officials started today, the world could have billions more doses by this time next year.

The United States International Development Finance Corporation, a federal agency that funds and oversees private development projects in low-income countries, has offered at least $2 billion in incentives to companies in low-income countries to help spur vaccine development. But so far, the agency appears to have secured only fill-and-finish contracts, in which smaller companies finish and package the shots made by larger brand-name operations. The trouble with these contracts, critics say, is that the larger company retains control over the final product, including how much is made, where and when doses are shipped and at what price.

The barriers to increasing manufacturing capacity are legion. Factories have to be upgraded or built from scratch, and when it comes to novel mRNA vaccines, expertise is scant outside the worlds wealthiest nations. But the biggest hurdle, by far, appears to be the obstinacy of the worlds leading vaccine makers, which have largely refused to share their technology, even when it was developed with public money. For example, a technology transfer hub established in South Africa by the W.H.O. recently announced that it would aim to copy Modernas mRNA vaccine. But so far, the company has not agreed to share its technology or expertise with the hub, according to Reuters. The W.H.O. created a similar global technology transfer hub this year, but so far no companies or countries have agreed to join.

Industry leaders say that it will take years for outside companies or low-income nations to develop the infrastructure and expertise needed to make the shots themselves. Quality and safety would suffer, they argue. And so would innovation if they are forced to share their trade secrets with the world. But its hard not to see other motives. What most of the established players really want is to keep control of their profits, said Andrey Zarur, the C.E.O. of GreenLight Biosciences, a biotech company thats developing mRNA technology. They say, Well hold on to the technology, but we promise well be good citizens and make sure you get what you need. Africa has heard this a million times before, and theyre sick of it, because they know it never works out that way.

Its also true that vaccines are not easy to make. The mRNA shots, for example, require highly specialized equipment and hundreds of ingredients, most of which are not made in underresourced settings. For instance, a chemical capping agent that prevents the body from rejecting the vaccines mRNA is patent protected and is made by just one company. Even simpler vaccines tend to involve multiple companies and countries; almost no shot is made in just one place.

But these hurdles are not insurmountable. Russia, for example, managed to transfer its technology to scores of smaller companies, including in the global south, in a matter of months, as Nature recently reported. The countrys strategy was to not only license its intellectual property but also to send its experts to those companies to show them what to do.

Emerging technology promises to be simpler. Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, and his colleagues have developed whats called a recombinant protein vaccine. It can be grown efficiently in yeast cells, has no onerous storage requirements and should be easy to mass-produce anywhere. Univercells, a Belgian company, has built a vaccine manufacturing facility that can fit inside a shipping container and could theoretically be deployed almost anywhere in the world. (The Financial Times called it Ikea-style manufacturing for vaccines.)
For Ralph and Shamita Etienne-Cummings, the suburbs have long held a certain allure  especially since 2010, when their son, Blaze, was born and Mr. Etienne-Cummingss mother moved into their 1876 rowhouse in Washington, D.C.

Space became more of a premium, Ms. Etienne-Cummings said. Her husband, she explained, is from Seychelles; Im from India. Culturally, we always have family that lives with us.

But the benefits of living outside the city  having a big backyard and a bigger house  couldnt compete with convenience of their life in Washingtons Logan Circle neighborhood, on a blocklong street coveted for its historic homes and central location.

Image After their son, Blaze, was born, Ralph and Shamita Etienne-Cummings needed more space. But instead of leaving Washington for the suburbs, they bought the rowhouse next door and combined the two homes into a single residence. Credit... Jennifer Chase for The New York Times

Our son grew up walking everywhere with his grandmother, said Ms. Etienne-Cummings, 52, a lawyer. We really wanted to stay in our neighborhood, but definitely needed more space, and that was difficult to do in an area thats already filled up.
Pudendum isnt the only questionable term slinking around in the female pelvis. Pull out a map to this region and you face an array of unfamiliar landmarks: Alcocks canal, the pouch of Douglas, Bartholins glands, the fallopian tubes. These are all body parts named in honor of the people thought to have discovered them. They are relics from a time when the female body was considered terra incognita for great minds of medicine to explore, stake out and claim.

But such terms may be on their way out of medicine. Scientifically, anatomists frown on naming parts after people for several reasons. These terms are useless, offering little information about what any given body part actually does. Theyre confusing: Surnames sometimes vie for the same part (for example, the bodies of Arantius are also known as the nodules of Morgagni), and some surnames adorn multiple parts (Gabriele Falloppio lays claim to a tube, a canal, a muscle and a valve, not to mention a flowering buckwheat plant). Finally, they give the unfortunate, off-putting impression that medicine (and the female pelvis) is still an old boys club.

Such terms were officially banned from medicine in 1895. Unofficially, they are everywhere. A recent count found at least 700 in the human body, most of which take their names from men. (One of the few women on the bodys map is Raissa Nitabuch, a 19th-century Russian pathologist whose name is attached to a layer of the maturing placenta called the Nitabuch membrane.) They persist because they are memorable, recognizable and  for clinicians, at least  familiar. Heres a guide to some of the better-known ones in the female pelvis, and what you can call them instead.
I spend a lot of time lately thinking about a fungus called Pilobolus. It lives on dung, mostly from cows and horses, happily munching away, enriching the soil as it goes, until it starts to run out of dung to eat. Then something magical happens: The fungus stops eating and rearranges itself into a giant stalk with a ball of cells  a sporangium  on top.

This apparatus can detect sunlight. Osmosis swells the stalk until, when the pressure rises high enough, it essentially sneezes. The sporangium is launched with a force equivalent to 20,000 times the force of gravity, toward a nearby patch of grass, where another horse or cow is likely to graze.

Our fungus astronaut attaches itself to a stalk of grass. Once eaten, the sporangium passes through the animals digestive system and is excreted back out in a rich pile of dung, whereupon the cycle of consumption and escape starts anew.

This is spooky to me. How do the individual fungal cells know when to abandon their anarchy and engage together in purposeful action? Do the fungi know something collectively that none of them know by themselves  when and how to strike out for new territory, away from the worn-out dung?
In 2016, the pair asked hundreds of medical students and anatomists whether they had any concerns about the fact that the word pudendal stemmed from to be ashamed. Most did not. One anatomist added that its interesting where it comes from, but its established terminology now.

This blase attitude appalled Dr. Moxham. It wasnt just the inherent sexism of the term, he said: There is an element of that, theres no question about it. But it also, I think, is both scientifically and biologically inappropriate. As a general rule, anatomical terms are supposed to be informative and descriptive. Pudendum was neither. This is the only term which has a moral context to it, he said.

There are other terms that reflect antiquated notions about women. The word hymen, which persists in nearly all medical textbooks, shares the same root as Hymen, the Greek god of marriage. Nymphae, a slightly older term for the labia minora, comes from the Latin word for bride or beautiful young maiden. Even the word vagina, which translates into sheath, scabbard or close covering, suggests that this organs primary function is to house a penis, which is not accurate or scientifically neutral.

Dr. Moxham knew that even established terms could be changed, and thought they should be, as part of efforts to weed out racial and gender bias in medicine. He had just stepped down as president of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists, which was working to release the newest edition of the Terminologia Anatomica.

In 2016, Dr. Moxham proposed that the federations terminology group  which was, at the time, all male and mostly European  remove pudendum and related words from its upcoming dictionary. He couldnt tackle all of sexism within anatomy, but removing this one troublesome word seemed like an easy task. I couldnt see any problem at all, he said. I just couldnt have imagined.

Thats just not going to fly

The terminology group describes its mission as stewarding a vocabulary that is nimble and adaptive so as to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving world of medicine, biomedicine and health-related professions. But in practice, progress is slow. The guiding rule is to be conservative when considering changes to terminology and logical in implementing changes, Thomas Gest, an anatomist at the University of Houston and the former chair of the terminology group, said in an email.
This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. Here is a collection of past columns.

Facebook apps are popular almost everywhere in the world. But we might all be better off if they werent.

The companys most shameful human toll  its contribution to violence, human trafficking and abuses by authoritarian governments  has mostly happened in countries outside North America and Western Europe like India, Honduras, Myanmar, Ethiopia and the Philippines.

What would happen if Facebook retreated from many of the countries where its social network and its Instagram and WhatsApp apps have done profound harm, even as theyve given a voice to the voiceless?

Years of horrific headlines have not led Facebook to make consistent progress in addressing its problems. Maybe its time for the company simply to leave countries like Myanmar and Azerbaijan until it devotes the same level of money, attention and cultural competence to its presence in those places as it devotes to its presence in the U.S. and France. (And Facebook is far from perfect in rich countries.)
5. Conversations With His Late Father My father was the smartest person I knew  he went to college at 16, then went to medical school and became a psychiatrist. Hes been dead for six years, and I miss being able to use him as an intellectual and spiritual sounding board. I find myself talking, or posing questions, trying to talk to my brother about what my dad would have thought about this or that. I wish I could still get on the phone and talk to him, or just have him call me up and say Can we vent? Can I rant? Its not like we had this great relationship when I was younger, but we had this detente when he got older. Thats how life goes.

6. Being a Tourist in New York City I was living in an apartment in Times Square when I was doing A Soldiers Play, and I cant imagine how Id have lived if Id stayed in Manhattan during the pandemic. But Im looking forward to getting back for the Tonys. I love walking around Central Park, going downtown and doing some shopping, getting dressed up and getting some fancy food. I really love the Armory Art Show and wish I couldve been there for that. Its all the super-touristy things Ive been missing.

7. Slow and Low Sunday Meals Im by myself now while Im up here working, but still, on Sundays, its in my veins to put on a pot, low and slow. I do a seafood soup or stew, or chicken soup from scratch  it takes all day, just kind of gurgling on the stove. It fills the house with that smell thats just like, oh my God. My nephew, when he was really little, came over to my house for Christmas and I remember he got up early in the morning and said, Uncle Dave, your house smells good. [Laughs] If I were at home, itd be short ribs, or oxtail and cheesy polenta, anything that takes all day.

8. The Sermons of C.L. Franklin When Aretha Franklin came to see me on Broadway in Porgy & Bess, I remember telling her that I would listen to sermons that her dad gave in the 1950s. The cadence and rhythm of a Black preacher is in my bones, its in my soul  I love all of it. Its just like being in church. He goes first to the announcements, like We need this; we need that or Were trying to raise more money here and there. Then comes the sermon, the religious part. And hed end with a story  usually a biblical story  that was perfectly crafted and choreographed so by the time he left the pulpit, it was a rock concert.

9. Stetson Silverbelly Open Road Cowboy Hat Thats my favorite hat, man! The profile of this hat is an old white guy from the South in the 1960s. I never thought Id be wearing that, but I love it. Its an off-white, almost bone color because theres no dye  they dont treat the felt or the fur, so it really shows its wear, all the blemishes and sweat marks. I wear it as much as I can, and its broken in enough now that it feels just like an old pair of shoes.

10. Collecting Black Artists Ive been collecting for more than 20 years now. I really wanted to collect because I didnt think I was able to  to even walk into a gallery and say, Im interested in that painting. Its like the art world does everything it can to repel you.

I started collecting vintage movie posters, of all-Black cast movies, and from there I slowly moved into art  mostly emerging and midcareer Black American artists. Those were the artists I could afford, and they were the artists that represented and were painting the world in which I lived right now. I love finding new young artists. Ive been collecting Walter Price for the past two years. When I saw his images, I immediately loved them  the crude figures, his use of color. Usually, I buy a couple of pieces, and then that person gets hot and famous, and I cant afford them anymore.
But Majok is not using the fracturing of narrative, as Churchill and Payne do, to dramatize quantum possibility. By challenging the audience to assemble the story, she is instead forcing us into her characters heads as they piece together their lives under the pressure of constant emergency.

Sometimes this means returning to a fork in the road to cast an old choice in the light of new knowledge. Other times, Majok repeats small whorls of dialogue with slight variations to demonstrate how quickly ad hoc adaptations become rigid patterns. Whenever G has visible bruises, B helps her choose a believable excuse for skipping school: the flu, a cold, chickenpox, another cold. G rejects lice, though; even in deceit there is pride.

Keeping up with these spurts of story also forces you to match and thus become fully invested in the fast-twitch energy and impulsiveness of teenagers. It smartly follows that when B and G eventually face an adult crisis, the play switches gears and slows down.

That crisis comes in the form of an opportunity: Gs mother, we learn, has acquired her naturalization papers, meaning that G can now apply for a scholarship to college. As a citizen, she is also, quite suddenly and powerfully, in a position to help B achieve his own dreams, if only through a plan that may or may not be subterfuge.

As the implications of Gs offer play out over the course of three years, and in particular during a night in December 2006, the second half of Sanctuary City becomes a single, long, continuous scene. I wont say anything further about the story, which snaps with surprises, except that it involves a third character (Austin Smith) and some painful, interlocking choices.

This second half, with its seesawing sequence of arguments, is not as original or convincing as the kaleidoscopic first. (For one thing, it seems overly compacted by the clever structural conceit.) Even so, I have rarely seen a play that so effectively embodies the way external forces  in this case, immigration policies in the United States  distort the inner lives of actual humans. What love is, and can ever mean, is lost in the muddle between the heart and the law.
The meaning of the chime is one of those things that Ms. Bajkor might have missed had she been a typical tourist. Before the pandemic, most visitors to Montserrat floated in for maybe a day, anchoring their sailboats in the port or scurrying off the ferry for a hike before returning to nearby Antigua for the night.

Now in order for a tourist to even set foot on Montserrats black sand beaches, she must pass a rigorous background check and make at least $70,000 a year. Until recently, she also had to commit to sticking around for at least two months. In exchange, visitors get almost exclusive access not only to beaches, but also an alternate reality, roughly the size of Manhattan, where the coronavirus does not seem to exist.

Soon after the British territory detected its first few coronavirus cases in March 2020, it closed its borders to tourists. In April 2021, it cautiously reopened with the remote worker program, requiring both vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors to quarantine for two weeks and then take a coronavirus test before exploring the island. So far, 21 travelers from seven families have participated.

The island is certainly not alone in devising creative ways to lure visitors during the pandemic. Countries around the world have crafted and recrafted a vast array of systems to try to keep the money flowing in without endangering the local populations health. Malta bans unvaccinated tourists from more than 30 countries, but provides hotel vouchers to visitors deemed safe. As of Sept. 19, Israel began allowing tourists in, but only if they are vaccinated and traveling in groups of more than five people.
The shortage is partly because of the pandemic. Some centers went out of business after lockdowns early on. Because children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccines, many programs are enrolling fewer children to limit potential exposure. But the biggest reason for the shortages, child care providers across the country said, is they cant find people to hire.

Eight in 10 providers said they were experiencing a staffing problem, and half said hiring was harder than it had been before the pandemic, according to a survey over the summer of 7,500 of them by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Half said they were serving fewer children as a result of hiring problems, and a quarter had reduced their hours. The lack of child care is also contributing to other labor shortages, because many parents who cant find reliable child care cant return to work.

The only thing we havent done is sandwich boards and standing on the corner with a spinning sign, but Im not eliminating that yet, said Claire Miller, the director of children and youth services for Decatur, Ga., which has raised wages by $2, asked parents for referrals and offered college students internship credits.

The city is offering 600 slots for children, down from 800. Ms. Miller said it was an awful feeling, certainly, because we promised parents we had them covered.

Child care providers face challenges like those in many other service industries that are unable to find enough workers  low pay and little job stability. The median hourly pay is $12, and 98 percent of occupations pay more, according to data from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley. Turnover is high in early childhood education, and jobs caring for school-aged children are only a few hours a day and often end in the summer.
The Lanes describe the process of fighting their surprise bill as frustrating and Kafkaesque. They have spent hours on the phone, sent dozens of emails, and filed complaints with regulatory agencies in two states.

The letters mean Im constantly reliving the day, and that is such a hard space to be in, Ms. Lane said. I feel so frustrated that the hospital is making decisions about their own bottom line that influence our potential future, and the memory of our child.

This patient had no control over what was paid, and she has no control over whether it gets returned, said Susan Null, a medical billing expert with the firm Systemedic Inc. Sometimes things like this might be done to motivate the patient to contact the hospital, to get them to release the funds.

Americans are familiar with medical debt: About 18 percent of them have an outstanding bill from a hospital, doctor or other type of provider in the health system. But most do not expect to get collection notices for bills that were already paid by their health plan.

Courtney Jones, a senior case manager with the Patient Advocate Foundation, described working on cases in which patients have received similar collection notices for bills that the insurer, not the patient, was responsible for covering. It usually happens with large medical bills, as with the Lanes, in which the insurer and hospital both have more at stake.
J. & J.s booster bump

Over the last few weeks, millions of people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been in limbo as they wait for guidance about whether theyll need booster shots  and to learn what protection, if any, an extra dose might offer. Today, theyre finally getting some clarity.

Johnson & Johnson said this morning that a second dose of its vaccine substantially boosted protection against Covid-19. In a clinical trial, researchers found that two doses of the vaccine offered 94 percent efficacy against mild to severe Covid in the U.S., up from 74 percent with a single shot. And two shots showed 100 percent efficacy against severe disease (although that estimate had a wide range of uncertainty).

J. & J. vaccine recipients should also take heart in new data that suggest that one dose of the shot continues to offer strong protection over time.

The doses from Pfizer and Moderna offer high levels of initial protection that seem to diminish slightly over several months. But a recent study showed that up to five months after vaccination, the J. & J. vaccines effectiveness against hospitalization remained steady at about 81 percent.
Another proposal would address a problem that arose last November, when a Trump appointee running the General Services Administration refused to formally ascertain that Mr. Biden was the president-elect. That failure to take a previously routine step prevented Mr. Bidens transition staff from receiving briefings from agencies his new administration was about to take over, obstructing an orderly transition of power.

To prevent any recurrence, the bill says that if the head of the General Services Administration makes no decision by five days after the election, both campaigns can start transitions.

Mr. Schiff introduced a version of the bill in October 2020 to send a political message heading into the election. Democrats this time intend to pass the legislation and have spent months negotiating with the White House over elements that administration officials were concerned would intrude on traditional executive branch prerogatives.

House Democrats made some adjustments to the previous version in response to concerns raised by aides to Mr. Biden while leaving others in, according to people familiar with those negotiations.

The House dropped a proposal to require the White House to give Congress its internal communications with the president about pardons, which raised executive privilege concerns. But it kept another idea to which the administration is said to have objected, requiring the Justice Department to turn over its investigative files about clemency recipients.

Lawmakers also narrowed a proposal to make executive branch officials pay any court fines for defying subpoenas out of their own pockets. The revised bill will exclude cases in which presidents, in writing, had invoked executive privilege and instructed subordinates not to comply.

The administration is also said to have expressed concerns about a proposal to speed up court review of congressional lawsuits over subpoenas. Lawmakers added a provision requiring Congress to show a court, in such lawsuits, that it had made good-faith efforts to negotiate a compromise.
[explosion] In one of the final acts of its 20-year war in Afghanistan, the United States fired a missile from a drone at a car in Kabul. It was parked in the courtyard of a home, and the explosion killed 10 people, including 43-year-old Zemari Ahmadi and seven children, according to his family. The Pentagon claimed that Ahmadi was a facilitator for the Islamic State, and that his car was packed with explosives, posing an imminent threat to U.S. troops guarding the evacuation at the Kabul airport. The procedures were correctly followed, and it was a righteous strike. What the military apparently didnt know was that Ahmadi was a longtime aid worker, who colleagues and family members said spent the hours before he died running office errands, and ended his day by pulling up to his house. Soon after, his Toyota was hit with a 20-pound Hellfire missile. What was interpreted as the suspicious moves of a terrorist may have just been an average day in his life. And its possible that what the military saw Ahmadi loading into his car were water canisters he was bringing home to his family  not explosives. Using never-before seen security camera footage of Ahmadi, interviews with his family, co-workers and witnesses, we will piece together for the first time his movements in the hours before he was killed. Zemari Ahmadi was an electrical engineer by training. For 14 years, he had worked for the Kabul office of Nutrition and Education International. NEI established a total of 11 soybean processing plants in Afghanistan. Its a California based NGO that fights malnutrition. On most days, he drove one of the companys white Toyota corollas, taking his colleagues to and from work and distributing the NGOs food to Afghans displaced by the war. Only three days before Ahmadi was killed, 13 U.S. troops and more than 170 Afghan civilians died in an Islamic State suicide attack at the airport. The military had given lower-level commanders the authority to order airstrikes earlier in the evacuation, and they were bracing for what they feared was another imminent attack. To reconstruct Ahmadis movements on Aug. 29, in the hours before he was killed, The Times pieced together the security camera footage from his office, with interviews with more than a dozen of Ahmadis colleagues and family members. Ahmadi appears to have left his home around 9 a.m. He then picked up a colleague and his bosss laptop near his house. Its around this time that the U.S. military claimed it observed a white sedan leaving an alleged Islamic State safehouse, around five kilometers northwest of the airport. Thats why the U.S. military said they tracked Ahmadis Corolla that day. They also said they intercepted communications from the safehouse, instructing the car to make several stops. But every colleague who rode with Ahmadi that day said what the military interpreted as a series of suspicious moves was just a typical day in his life. After Ahmadi picked up another colleague, the three stopped to get breakfast, and at 9:35 a.m., they arrived at the N.G.O.s office. Later that morning, Ahmadi drove some of his co-workers to a Taliban-occupied police station to get permission for future food distribution at a new displacement camp. At around 2 p.m., Ahmadi and his colleagues returned to the office. The security camera footage we obtained from the office is crucial to understanding what happens next. The cameras timestamp is off, but we went to the office and verified the time. We also matched an exact scene from the footage with a timestamp satellite image to confirm it was accurate. A 2:35 p.m., Ahmadi pulls out a hose, and then he and a co-worker fill empty containers with water. Earlier that morning, we saw Ahmadi bring these same empty plastic containers to the office. There was a water shortage in his neighborhood, his family said, so he regularly brought water home from the office. At around 3:38 p.m., a colleague moves Ahmadis car further into the driveway. A senior U.S. official told us that at roughly the same time, the military saw Ahmadis car pull into an unknown compound 8 to 12 kilometers southwest of the airport. That overlaps with the location of the NGOs office, which we believe is what the military called an unknown compound. With the workday ending, an employee switched off the office generator and the feed from the camera ends. We dont have footage of the moments that followed. But its at this time, the military said that its drone feed showed four men gingerly loading wrapped packages into the car. Officials said they couldnt tell what was inside them. This footage from earlier in the day shows what the men said they were carrying  their laptops one in a plastic shopping bag. And the only things in the trunk, Ahmadis co-workers said, were the water containers. Ahmadi dropped each one of them off, then drove to his home in a dense neighborhood near the airport. He backed into the homes small courtyard. Children surrounded the car, according to his brother. A U.S. official said the military feared the car would leave again, and go into an even more crowded street or to the airport itself. The drone operators, who hadnt been watching Ahmadis home at all that day, quickly scanned the courtyard and said they saw only one adult male talking to the driver and no children. They decided this was the moment to strike. A U.S. official told us that the strike on Ahmadis car was conducted by an MQ-9 Reaper drone that fired a single Hellfire missile with a 20-pound warhead. We found remnants of the missile, which experts said matched a Hellfire at the scene of the attack. In the days after the attack, the Pentagon repeatedly claimed that the missile strike set off other explosions, and that these likely killed the civilians in the courtyard. Significant secondary explosions from the targeted vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material. Because there were secondary explosions, theres a reasonable conclusion to be made that there was explosives in that vehicle. But a senior military official later told us that it was only possible to probable that explosives in the car caused another blast. We gathered photos and videos of the scene taken by journalists and visited the courtyard multiple times. We shared the evidence with three weapons experts who said the damage was consistent with the impact of a Hellfire missile. They pointed to the small crater beneath Ahmadis car and the damage from the metal fragments of the warhead. This plastic melted as a result of a car fire triggered by the missile strike. All three experts also pointed out what was missing: any evidence of the large secondary explosions described by the Pentagon. No collapsed or blown-out walls, including next to the trunk with the alleged explosives. No sign that a second car parked in the courtyard was overturned by a large blast. No destroyed vegetation. All of this matches what eyewitnesses told us, that a single missile exploded and triggered a large fire. There is one final detail visible in the wreckage: containers identical to the ones that Ahmadi and his colleague filled with water and loaded into his trunk before heading home. Even though the military said the drone team watched the car for eight hours that day, a senior official also said they werent aware of any water containers. The Pentagon has not provided The Times with evidence of explosives in Ahmadis vehicle or shared what they say is the intelligence that linked him to the Islamic State. But the morning after the U.S. killed Ahmadi, the Islamic State did launch rockets at the airport from a residential area Ahmadi had driven through the previous day. And the vehicle they used   was a white Toyota. The U.S. military has so far acknowledged only three civilian deaths from its strike, and says there is an investigation underway. They have also admitted to knowing nothing about Ahmadi before killing him, leading them to interpret the work of an engineer at a U.S. NGO as that of an Islamic State terrorist. Four days before Ahmadi was killed, his employer had applied for his family to receive refugee resettlement in the United States. At the time of the strike, they were still awaiting approval. Looking to the U.S. for protection, they instead became some of the last victims in Americas longest war. Hi, Im Evan, one of the producers on this story. Our latest visual investigation began with word on social media of an explosion near Kabul airport. It turned out that this was a U.S. drone strike, one of the final acts in the 20-year war in Afghanistan. Our goal was to fill in the gaps in the Pentagons version of events. We analyzed exclusive security camera footage, and combined it with eyewitness accounts and expert analysis of the strike aftermath. You can see more of our investigations by signing up for our newsletter.
Right now, our state government is being run by conspiracy theorists who are more focused on political posturing than getting things done, and that needs to change, Ms. Hobbs said in her campaign announcement.

Shes running against a widening field of Republicans, most of whom go beyond lip service in their adherence to Trumpism. Its still early, of course, but the leader in at least one poll is Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor who has trafficked in debunked Covid theories and declared her campaign a fight against fake news.

Shes not alone in her right-wing pro-Trump flair. Kimberly Yee, the state treasurer, is an adamant Trump acolyte, and even Matt Salmon, a former congressman who was once a more conventional conservative, has picked up the MAGA banner. Yee is running on a platform of Arizona first, a clearly intentional echo of Mr. Trumps America first rallying cry.

Georgia

Like Mr. Ducey, Gov. Brian Kemp, who is not term limited, has spent the past several months warring against masks and in favor of voting restrictions. But he is also in Mr. Trumps cross hairs for refusing to overturn President Bidens victory in the state in 2020 (something that Mr. Kemp doesnt have the authority to do, a fact that doesnt seem to register with Mr. Trump and his followers).

Mr. Kemp faces an insurgent campaign in the primary from Vernon Jones, a former Democratic legislator who switched parties this year and is running on a promise to conduct a county-by-county ballot audit of the 2020 vote. Mr. Kemp has significantly more money than Mr. Jones, but Mr. Jones has a respectable 24 percent of Republican support, according to a poll by the Trafalgar Group, which also shows that an endorsement by Mr. Trump could rocket him past the incumbent. (Theres also talk that David Perdue, who lost his Senate race to Jon Ossoff in January, might enter the Republican primary.)

No Democrat has announced a campaign, but all eyes in the party are on Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost to Mr. Kemp in 2018 and has since built a national profile, and a significant war chest, around grass-roots organizing and voter enfranchisement.

The prospect of an Abrams candidacy creates an opportunity for Mr. Kemp: Mr. Jones may be more Trump-y (he is running on a Trump-inflected Georgia first line), but the incumbent can claim that hes better positioned to stave off Ms. Abrams, whom he and his Republican allies are already painting as a threat to Georgian livelihood just short of General Sherman.
I dont understand how I got mixed up in this, he said in a brief interview. Suex, which is registered in the Czech Republic, was mostly a failure and had conducted only a half dozen or so transactions since 2019, Mr. Zhabykin said, adding that he had three employees.

Russia is believed to be home to the most sophisticated ransomware groups, where they seem to operate with impunity. Other countries such as Iran and North Korea host the groups, cybersecurity experts say.

Over the past decade or so, key technologies came together in a tool kit for the ransomware industry: malware to scramble victims computers, routers that render communication anonymous and digital currencies for payments.

A weak point, according to a study of ransomware published in 2019 in The Journal of Cybersecurity, is exchanges: the businesses that convert digital currency into cash, where criminals lurking in the digital world eventually have to make an appearance to be paid.

Many exchanges have popped up in Russia in recent years, often leasing office space in Moscows financial district alongside banks. Russia pivoted from trying to ban digital currencies outright to enacting regulation this year allowing ownership.

The Treasury Departments action came three months after President Biden, meeting in Geneva with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, demanded a crackdown on ransomware operators suspected of working from Russian territory. Mr. Putin made no promises. Before the meeting, one attack had taken out Colonial Pipeline, which provides much of the East Coasts gasoline and jet fuel; another had penetrated JBS, a major U.S. meat supplier.

Attacks seemed to abate for a few months, and a major ransomware operator, DarkSide, appeared to have shut down.
Mr. Trump continues to falsely argue that the election was stolen from him, and in recent months Ms. Powell and Mr. Giuliani have stuck by their claims that the election was rife with fraud. A lawyer for Mr. Giuliani said in a court filing last month that at least some of his claims of election fraud were substantially true.

And as recently as three weeks ago, Ms. Powell told a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the 2020 election was essentially a bloodless coup where they took over the presidency of the United States without a single shot being fired.

It remains unclear how widely the memo was circulated among Trump campaign staff members. According to the court documents, Mr. Giuliani said in a deposition that he had not seen the memo before he gave his presentation in Washington, and he questioned the motives of those who had prepared it.

They wanted Trump to lose because they could raise more money, Mr. Giuliani was quoted as saying in the deposition.

But at the time that the internal report was prepared, Mr. Giuliani and Ms. Powell were both active supervisors, as he put it in his deposition, in the Trump campaigns broader plan to challenge the election results  an effort that eventually included more than 60 failed lawsuits filed across the country. While Ms. Powell soon went her own way in claiming that Dominion had conspired to steal the election, Mr. Giuliani continued working closely with Mr. Trump and his campaign, ultimately changing strategies and seeking to persuade state legislatures to overturn the popular vote.

The motion notes that the lines were blurred as to whom Ms. Powell was working for at the time: herself, her nonprofit organization or the Trump campaign. Almost immediately after she promoted the conspiracy theory about Dominion at the news conference in November, Mr. Trump sought to distance himself from her. But by December, as Mr. Trumps legal options narrowed, the former president considered bringing her back into the fold and discussed whether to appoint her as a special counsel overseeing an investigation of voter fraud.
Marc Hearron, senior counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights group that represents Dr. Braid, said the doctor performed an ultrasound that detected cardiac activity before performing an abortion, meaning the procedure did in fact violate the new state law.

The two lawsuits allow Dr. Braid, and those representing him, to assert the argument that the law is unconstitutional under both Roe v. Wade, which granted women the constitutional right to an abortion, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which upheld it. If that defense is accepted on appeal, legal experts said, the cases could yield precedents effectively invalidating the Texas law  a significant loss for the anti-abortion movement.

From the anti-abortion movements perspective, neither of the two men who filed suits this week is an ideal plaintiff. The Arkansas man, Oscar Stilley, who described himself in his suit as a disbarred and disgraced lawyer, said he was not pro-life and merely wanted to vindicate the law. The Illinois man, Felipe N. Gomez, described himself in his complaint as a pro-choice plaintiff.

Ms. Youman speculated that the lawsuits were plants, and she portrayed Dr. Braids opinion essay as an attempt to bait a frivolous suit that would challenge the laws constitutionality in court.

Mr. Gomez, 61, said in an interview that he had decided to file suit to challenge what he saw as government intrusion into private health care decisions. He described himself as pro-choice on a range of medical issues and wondered why some proponents of Texas new abortion restrictions supported mandates for pregnant women while also objecting to government mandates for vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic. (Mr. Gomez said he personally harbored a lifelong dislike of needles and did not support vaccine mandates.)

He also said he filed the suit as part of what he called a public interest law hobby that he hoped to pursue in his coming retirement. Mr. Gomez was suspended from practicing law in Illinois because of emails he had sent to other lawyers; he is currently in litigation over the matter, he said.
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil kicked off the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday by defending the use of ineffective drugs to treat the coronavirus and by pushing back on criticism of his governments environmental record.

Brazils far-right president said doctors should have had more leeway in administering untested medications for Covid-19, adding that he had been among those who recovered after off label treatment with an anti-malaria pill that studies have found ineffective to treat the disease.

History and science will hold everyone accountable, said Mr. Bolsonaro, whose handling of the pandemic in South Americas largest country has been widely criticized.

Mr. Bolsonaros decision to not get vaccinated against the coronavirus has loomed large over his first couple of days in New York. It made for an awkward moment during a meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who hailed the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed at Oxford University.
President Biden delivered his debut address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday amid strong new doubts about his ability to vault the United States back into a position of global leadership after his predecessors promotion of America First isolationism.

Speaking to a smaller than usual audience of his peers because of the still-raging Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Biden called for a new era of global unity against the coronavirus, climate change, emerging technological threats and the expanding influence of autocratic nations such as China and Russia.

No matter how challenging or how complex the problems were going to face, government by and for the people is still the best way to deliver for all of our people, he said, insisting that the United States and its Western allies would remain vital partners.

Our security, our prosperity and our very freedoms are interconnected, in my view as never before, Mr. Biden said.
Biden Pledges to Work Toward Peaceful, Prosperous Future For All Covid-19 and climate change dominated the start of the General Assembly gathering. The U.N. secretary general warned that an increasingly divided world was on the edge of an abyss. Follow the latest updates from the United Nations General Assembly.

In his U.N. debut, Biden calls for global unity against common threats. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 2:10 - 0:00 transcript Biden Urges Unity Against Common Threats in an Interconnected World President Biden called for an era of international cooperation in tackling global threats in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly as president. We stand, in my view, at an inflection point in history. And Im here today to share with you how the United States intends to work with partners and allies to answer these questions, and the commitment of my new administration help lead the world toward a more peaceful, prosperous future for all people. Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future. Ending this pandemic, addressing the climate crisis, managing the shifts in global power dynamics, shaping the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber and emerging technologies, and facing the threat of terrorism as it stands today. Weve ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan. And as we close this period of relentless war, were opening a new era of relentless diplomacy, of using the power of our development aid, to invest in new ways of lifting people up around the world, of renewing and defending democracy, of proving that no matter how challenging or how complex the problems youre going to face government by and for the people is still the best way to deliver for all of our people. And as the United States turns our focus to the priorities and the regions of the world like the Indo-Pacific that are most consequential today and tomorrow, well do so with our allies and partners through cooperation and multilateral institutions like the United Nations to amplify our collective strength and speed, our progress toward dealing with these global challenges. Our security, our prosperity and our very freedoms are interconnected, in my view, as never before, and so I believe we must work together as never before. President Biden called for an era of international cooperation in tackling global threats in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly as president. Credit Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times President Biden delivered his debut address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday amid strong new doubts about his ability to vault the United States back into a position of global leadership after his predecessors promotion of America First isolationism. Speaking to a smaller than usual audience of his peers because of the still-raging Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Biden called for a new era of global unity against the coronavirus, climate change, emerging technological threats and the expanding influence of autocratic nations such as China and Russia. No matter how challenging or how complex the problems were going to face, government by and for the people is still the best way to deliver for all of our people, he said, insisting that the United States and its Western allies would remain vital partners. Our security, our prosperity and our very freedoms are interconnected, in my view as never before, Mr. Biden said. Calling for the world to make the use of force our tool of last resort, not our first, he defended his decision to end the U.S. war in Afghanistan, a chaotic withdrawal of American troops that left allies blindsided. Today, many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed by the force of arms, he said. Bombs and bullets cannot defend against Covid-19 or its future variants. But Mr. Bidens efforts to move America past President Donald J. Trumps more confrontational policies come amid growing frustration among allies with his administrations diplomatic approach. His familiar refrain that the world must choose between democracy and autocracy looks different now that the Taliban are once again in control of Kabul, reversing many of the democratic gains of the past 20 years. Covid is resurging in much of the world. And the French just recalled their ambassador in outrage  not just over losing a $60 billion-plus submarine contract, but because it was made clear they are not in the inner circle of allies. Image Listening to Mr. Biden. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Mr. Biden and other leaders are gathering against a backdrop of disastrous climate change, polarized superpower relations and a devastating pandemic that has worsened the global rich-poor divide. The event is a major test of credibility for Mr. Biden, who was among the first to address the 193-member General Assembly. The last to speak in the morning session was President Xi Jinping of China, via prerecorded video, bookending with the competing views of the two most powerful countries in the world. Both leaders announced potentially significant steps to address climate change, a rare moment of common purpose: Mr. Biden said he intended to double the American financial contribution to developing countries efforts to tackle the climate crisis, and Mr. Xi said China would stop financing coal-fired power projects abroad, a major source of heat-trapping gases. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has openly fretted about the bitter rivalry between China and the United States, said he was encouraged by the leaders of the worlds two largest economies regarding their commitment to climate action. Still, a dominant theme of Mr. Bidens speech was what he described as the choice faced by the world between the democratic values espoused by the West and the disregard for them by China and other authoritarian governments. The future belongs to those who give their people the ability to breathe free, not those who seek to suffocate their people with an iron hand authoritarianism, he said. The authoritarians of the world, they seek to proclaim the end of the age of democracy, but theyre wrong. But the president vowed not to pursue a new era of sustained conflict with countries like China, saying that the United States would compete vigorously and lead with our values and our strength to stand up for our allies and our friends. Were not seeking  say it again, we are not seeking  a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs, he said. Climate change and the pandemic are also expected to dominate the week, and Mr. Biden planned to host a Covid summit on the sidelines to push other countries to increase capacity to manufacture vaccines for poor countries. This year has also brought widespread death and devastation from the borderless climate crisis, Mr. Biden said. Extreme weather events that weve seen in every part of the world  and you all know it and feel it  represent what the secretary general has rightly called Code Red for humanity. On Covid, Mr. Biden urged leaders to move more quickly to rein in a pandemic that has killed millions. We need a collective act of science and political will, he said. We need to act now to get shots in arms as fast as possible, and expand access to oxygen, tests, treatments, to save lives around the world. Michael D. Shear, David E. Sanger and

The Taliban nominate a U.N. envoy, complicating a quandary for the General Assembly. Image Suhail Shaheen was a Taliban spokesman and negotiator. Credit... Pool photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko The Taliban have nominated an ambassador to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, U.N. officials said Tuesday, injecting a new twist into what was already a delicate diplomatic quandary in the global organization. The nomination, submitted to Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday, sets up a showdown with the envoy of Afghanistans toppled government, Ghulam Isaczai, who has so far retained his post. The showdown may not be resolved soon. But it raised the startling prospect that the Taliban  the violent, extremist Islamic movement that retook power last month as the American-backed government collapsed  would occupy an ambassadors seat at the United Nations. Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Mr. Guterres, confirmed a Reuters report that the secretary general had been notified of the Taliban request in a letter signed by Amir Khan Muttaqi, identified as the movements foreign minister. The letter stated that the Talibans choice of U.N. ambassador was Suhail Shaheen, the movements spokesman based in Doha, Qatar. The letter further stated that Mr. Muttaqi wanted to speak at the General Assembly, which got underway on Tuesday and ends next Monday. On Wednesday, Bilal Karimi, an aide to the Talibans chief spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, confirmed that the Taliban had sent the letter. Mr. Dujarric said the Talibans request had been forwarded to the General Assemblys Credentials Committee, a nine-member group that includes the United States. It remained unclear on Tuesday when the committee might evaluate the request. Pakistans foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who knew about the Talibans request, said it raised a number of questions about Mr. Shaheen and those in the Taliban hierarchy who had picked him. Who is he representing? Mr. Qureshi said, responding to questions about the request during a session with reporters on Afghanistans future, held by the Foreign Press Association on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Who is he reporting to? What kind of communication can you have with a person at the U.N. who is not recognized? It is a complex and evolving situation. The Talibans triumphal return to control in Afghanistan is among the crises confronting the General Assembly this week, along with Myanmars brutal military coup early this year. Both events created a conundrum for the worlds biggest diplomatic gathering: Who is the rightful representative of each country? The Taliban remain subject to U.N. economic sanctions. Many countries, including the United States, have said that any Taliban request to replace Afghanistans envoy at the 193-member organization would need to undergo careful review. In Myanmar, the junta that seized power in February and has been widely condemned for a deadly crackdown on opponents also has sought to replace the U.N. ambassador of the deposed government with a junta loyalist. Image Soldiers on the street in Yangon, Myanmar, in February. Credit... The New York Times Envoys from all kinds of political systems, including parliamentary democracies, monarchies and dictatorships, have long worked at the United Nations, the one place in the world where even governments that reject one anothers ideologies enjoy some measure of equal standing. Still, there are standards to verify the legitimacy of both the envoys and the governments they represent. Normally a country has the right to nominate somebody, Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish statesman and the departing president of the General Assembly, told reporters at his farewell news conference this month. We cant say, I dont like this government, Mr. Bozkir said, when seeking to resolve United Nations disputes over who is  and is not  a countrys rightful envoy. A seat at the United Nations carries symbolic significance, a benchmark of a governments credibility and acceptance in the world community even if rivals oppose it. United Nations membership affords governments an opportunity not only to speak and be heard in the General Assembly, but also to participate in a range of other U.N. agencies like the World Health Organization and Human Rights Council. So the credentialing of a countrys ambassador to speak on its behalf is enormously important. Rick Gladstone and

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

China wont build more coal plants abroad, Xi Jinping says. Image A coal-fired power plant in western China. The countrys top leader vowed in an address aired Tuesday that China would stop building new coal-fired plants abroad. Credit... Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press President Xi Jinping of China told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that his country would stop promoting the growth of the worlds dirtiest fossil fuel overseas, in a major step to address climate change: China, he said, will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. Mr. Xis announcement, in prerecorded remarks, was a surprise move designed to lift his countrys standing on global efforts to rein in global greenhouse emissions. China currently produces the largest share of emissions. It is by far the biggest producer of coal domestically, and by far the largest financier of coal-fired power plants abroad, with an enormous 40 gigawatts of coal power planned. A hint of Chinas shift came earlier this year. For the first time in several years, China did not fund new coal projects as part of its global development undertaking, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, in the first six months of 2021. Chinese coal projects have faced considerable pushback in countries like Bangladesh, Kenya and Vietnam, mainly by civil society groups. The United States has repeatedly called out China for helping to build coal plants abroad. There was no immediate reaction from the White House on Tuesday. What Mr. Xi did not say at the General Assembly was anything about Chinas coal plants at home. It is building the largest fleet of coal-fired power plants within its borders, and most of its electricity still comes from coal. Nor did Mr. Xi make any new announcements about its plans to rein in emissions by 2030, beyond repeating his pledge to reach peak emissions before the end of this decade. That is nowhere near what is necessary to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, beyond which the world faces a far greater likelihood of devastating climate consequences. This is an important step by the worlds biggest provider of overseas coal finance, said Simon Steill, the environment minister of Grenada, which is among the worlds smallest countries most susceptible to the harm caused by climate change. We look forward to seeing commensurate action domestically on coal. Burning coal is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, and after a pandemic-year retreat, demand for coal is set to rise 4.5 percent this year, mainly to meet soaring electricity demand, according to the International Energy Agency. The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has called for a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in practically every global speech he has made on climate change, his signature issue. Globally, coal is at a crossroads. Spending on coal projects dropped to its lowest level in a decade in 2019. And over the last 20 years, more coal-fired power plants have been retired or shelved than commissioned. In some countries where new coal-fired power plants were only recently being built by the gigawatts, plans for new ones have been shelved (as in South Africa), reconsidered (as in Bangladesh) or facing funding troubles (as in Vietnam). In India, existing coal plants are running far below capacity and losing money. In the United States, they are being decommissioned quickly. Jake Schmidt, the senior strategic adviser for international climate issues at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a research and advocacy group, called Mr. Xis announcement a really big step. China has been under a lot of pressure, he said. If it wants to be a climate leader, it cant be the leading financier of overseas coal plants.

Irans new president delivers an angry rebuke of the U.S. and is vague on the threatened nuclear deal. Image Ebrahim Raisi, right, after being sworn in as Irans president last month. Credit... Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Irans new hard-line new president delivered one the most forceful and angry denunciations of the United States at the General Assembly on Tuesday, showing little sign of flexibility on talks over the threatened nuclear agreement and describing American power in the world as both evil and irrelevant. Today, the world doesnt care about America First or America is Back, the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, said in the prerecorded address, referring to the slogans of isolationism promoted by President Donald J. Trump and the international engagement espoused by President Biden. It was Mr. Raisis first speech to the world body, and he almost immediately plunged into a narrative that cast the United States as a scourge that had unsuccessfully sought to use economic sanctions to pressure its foes. Sanctions are the U.S.s new way of war with the nations of the world, he said. Mr. Raisi, who is on an American sanctions blacklist himself, said nothing about stalled negotiations aimed at rescuing the 2015 nuclear accord with big powers, which Mr. Trump renounced in 2018 and Mr. Biden has sought to restore. Iranian officials have said that all nuclear-related sanctions reimposed and expanded under Mr. Trump must be terminated before Iran resumes adhering to the accord. At the same time, Mr. Raisi did not appear to rule out a solution to the impasse. While decisively defending all its rights and the interests of its people, Iran is keen to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world, he said. I seek effective interaction with all the countries of the world, especially with our neighbors, and shake their hands warmly. In several portions of his speech, when talking about U.S. sanctions on Iran, Mr. Raisi raised his voice and practically shouted, a contrast to his predecessor, President Hassan Rouhani, who sought in his U.N. speeches to appear more moderate and accommodating. Mr. Raisi also criticized American policies on Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. He said the two lasting images of the past year were the Capitol riots of Jan. 6 and Afghans falling to their death after clinging to U.S. military jets evacuating Kabul. The Iranian leader was speaking against a backdrop of expectations of back-room diplomacy at the General Assembly on ways to salvage his countrys endangered nuclear agreement with big powers. His foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, is attending the General Assembly and has indicated a willingness to discuss rescuing the deal, which could provide Iran with enormous economic relief. A foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the accord would resume in the next few weeks, after being suspended for months. The agreement was intended to end many sanctions on Iran in return for verifiable pledges to severely curtail its supply of enriched uranium, which can fuel nuclear bombs. After Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the deal, Iran responded by gradually reneging on its pledges. The Biden administration has supported restoring the accord, but Mr. Raisi, who took office in August, is expected to want new concessions. The other countries that are part of the agreement  Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia  have all said they want to salvage it. Rick Gladstone and

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

Biden vows to double aid on climate change, one of the key issues facing leaders. Image A forest fire in Siberia, Russia. Credit... Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times President Biden said on Tuesday that his administration would seek to double aid aimed at helping developing nations address climate change, raising a pledge he made in April to about $11.4 billion a year by 2024. The pledge is considered critical to the success of United Nations-led climate talks that are scheduled to take place in November in Glasgow, though whether and when the money will materialize depends on congressional approval. Climate change is perhaps the most important subject at this years General Assembly meeting, with new scientific evidence showing a losing battle in what the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has called an existential struggle. Many developing countries have repeatedly pointed out that rich countries have not delivered the $100 billion a year in aid that they promised under the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord. A tally by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found a nearly $20 billion shortfall. Earlier in the year, Mr. Biden had pledged $5.7 billion, money that also requires approval from Congress. Mr. Guterres has warned that a failure to make good on such promises could jeopardize cooperation to rein in global greenhouse emissions and avert the worst effects of warming. This is a crucial question of trust, he said at a climate summit organized by the White House last week. Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who will host the Glasgow talks, led a preparatory meeting with Mr. Guterres on Monday. Mr. Johnson told reporters afterward that the November gathering would be a turning point for the world, and it is the moment when we have to grow up and take our responsibilities. The scientific consensus is that global temperature rise needs to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Beyond that threshold, there is a far greater likelihood of devastating consequences, like widespread crop failures and the collapse of the polar ice sheets. We are no longer on the wrong path  we are on the edge of the cliff, Abdulla Shahid, the foreign minister of the Maldives who is serving as president of the General Assembly, told the gathering on Tuesday. The low-lying Maldives is one of several nations at risk of devastating flooding because of rising sea levels. Altogether, nearly 200 countries have made pledges to reduce or slow down emissions of planet-warming gases under the Paris agreement. But still missing are new pledges from 70 countries, including China, which currently produces the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions, and India and Saudi Arabia, both large economies with a significant climate footprint. Brazil, Mexico and Russia have submitted new pledges that have weaker emissions targets than their previous ones. Mr. Bidens revised pledge would make the United States, the largest emitter of planet-warming gases since the start of the industrial era, among the largest global climate donors, though advocacy groups said it still fell short of Washingtons fair share. Its good to see President Biden is upping the amount that the U.S. is contributing, Mohamed Adow, the director of Power Shift Africa, said in a statement. However, the U.S. is still woefully short of what it owes. Tina Stege, the climate envoy of the Marshall Islands, said: Watching Bidens speech today, I thought  this is the announcement weve been waiting for. Now were looking to Congress to work with Biden to deliver, and to the rest of the G20 to follow suit. Somini Sengupta and

Protesters denounce the leaders of Brazil and Iran. Image Iranian Americans demonstrating against President Ebrahim Raisi outside the U.N. headquarters during the General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Credit... David Dee Delgado/Reuters With world leaders addressing the United Nations General Assembly about the most pressing issues, protesters took to the streets outside the New York City gathering on Tuesday to raise awareness over concerns that they say the leaders should be focused on changing. During the speech by President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, activists protested his environmental and economic policies, which critics say have contributed to devastation of the Amazon rainforest and widespread hunger in Brazil. Myriam Marques, 58, a nurse in Manhattan who is a member of the activist group Defend Democracy in Brazil, marched between police barricades with about 50 other people. She said they were demonstrating to oppose Mr. Bolsonaros speech and to stand up for the Indigenous people of Brazil. We are very thankful for our Indigenous peoples, because they are organizing, they want to save the forest, they want the rivers clean and they are fighting for that, she said. Earlier, campaigners had projected messages onto a building next to the Brooklyn Bridge that read, Bolsonaro will lie at the United Nations and Bolsonaro is burning your future. Around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, protesters holding Iranian flags and wearing #FreeIran shirts and hats held signs condemning a government they regard as criminal. Referring to Ebrahim Raisi, Irans former judiciary head who became the countrys president in August, they chanted, Prosecute Raisi now now now! A hard-line cleric who is a close ally of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mr. Raisi has been accused of playing a role in sending thousands of political prisoners to their deaths in the 1980s, and in lethal crackdowns on antigovernment protests in 2009 and 2019. Khalil Khani, 71, a former professor at the University of Tehran who now lives in Phoenix, said he had flown to New York to protest what human rights groups have described as the killing of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran in 1988. His group had brought signs and a large red book that Mr. Khani said was filled with 5,000 names of the killed political prisoners. The United Nations shouldnt be a place for an executionist, Mr. Khani said. Precious Fondren and

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

Duterte accuses rich countries of hoarding Covid vaccines while the poor wait for trickles. Image Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte speaks via a video link during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Credit... Spencer Platt/Getty Images With his country badly lagging in Covid vaccinations, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines railed against the worlds affluent countries at the United Nations on Tuesday, accusing them of hoarding vaccines while the poor wait for trickles. Reinforcing his reputation as blunt speaker, Mr. Duterte described the rich-poor divide over vaccination rates as scandalous. His remarks, delivered via prerecorded video to the 193-member General Assembly, were among the most forceful criticisms of the inequities that have been laid bare by the pandemic. Just 10 rich countries account for most of the 5.86 billion vaccine doses administered so far. There is a man-made drought of vaccines ravaging poor countries, Mr. Duterte said. Rich countries hoard lifesaving vaccines while poor nations wait for trickles. They now talk of booster shots, while developing countries consider half-doses just to get by. The disparity, he said, is shocking beyond belief and must be condemned for what it is  a selfish act that can neither be justified rationally nor morally. The Philippines has one of the lowest Covid vaccination rates in Asia, with just 16 percent of its population fully inoculated, and Delta variant infections have surged in recent months. The country also is among only a handful that have kept schools closed throughout the pandemic, which has put its 27 million school-age children at an increased disadvantage. Mr. Duterte has justified keeping elementary schools and high schools closed by arguing that students and their families need to be protected from contagion. But his policy has spawned a backlash among parents and students in a sprawling nation with endemic poverty. Many people, particularly in remote and rural areas, lack access to online learning.

Xi Jinping chastises the U.S., saying, Democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:27 - 0:00 transcript Xis General Assembly Remarks Reject U.S. Portrayal of China President Xi Jinping of China, in a prerecorded speech to the United Nations General Assembly, pushed back against U.S. criticism of his government as authoritarian, asserting that the world should embrace civilizations of various forms Translator: We must strengthen solidarity, and promote mutual respect and win-win cooperation in conducting international relations. A world of peace and development should embrace civilizations of various forms, and must accommodate diverse paths to modernization. Democracy is not a special right reserved to any individual country, but a right for the people of all countries to enjoy. Recent developments in the international situation show, once again, that military intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm. We need to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity and reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games. Differences and problems among countries  hardly avoidable  need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. One countrys success does not have to mean another countrys failure. And the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries. President Xi Jinping of China, in a prerecorded speech to the United Nations General Assembly, pushed back against U.S. criticism of his government as authoritarian, asserting that the world should embrace civilizations of various forms Credit Credit... Pool photo by Mary Altaffer President Xi Jinping of China used his General Assembly speech on Tuesday to reject the American portrayal of his government as authoritarian, predatory and expansionist, asserting that he supports peaceful development for all peoples and that democracy is not a special right reserved to an individual country. Mr. Xis prerecorded speech was broadcast hours after President Biden addressed the gathering in person at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the biggest diplomatic convocation since the pandemic began. Mr. Biden reinforced his view that the world faces a choice between democratic freedoms and the authoritarian model exemplified by China. The two leaders are engaged in a contentious rivalry that the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has described as a dysfunctional relationship between the two dominant powers in the world that could devolve into a new Cold War. While Mr. Xis language was restrained, he also alluded to Chinas anger over the Biden administrations announcement of a new security pact with Australia that will put U.S. nuclear-powered subs in the Australian arsenal. That deal upended an Australian contract for conventional French submarines, a shift that outraged France. It also represents a new military challenge to China as it asserts increased military muscularity in the Asia Pacific region. Without mentioning the United States or Australia by name, Mr. Xi said the world must reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games. Disputes between countries, Mr. Xi said, hardly avoidable, need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The competition between the United States and China for influence at the United Nations has intensified under the Biden administration, which has sought to strengthen Americas role in the global organization after four years of cutbacks undertaken by President Donald J. Trump. The United States and China are the leading providers of financial resources to the 193-member organization. In Mr. Xis 2020 General Assembly speech, he sought to distinguish China from the isolationist posture that Mr. Trump took. Mr. Xi described China as a responsible global citizen and champion of multilateralism that also gave a greater voice to the developing world. Correction : Sept. 23, 2021 An earlier version of this article misquoted the Chinese leader Xi Jinping's address at the United Nations General Assembly. He said international disputes must be handled "on the basis of equality and mutual respect," not "on the basis of quality and mutual respect."

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

In pictures: Scenes from the U.N. gathering. President Biden Doug Mills/The New York Times Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pool photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez A chair for a head of state Pool photo by Timothy A. Clary Xi Jinping, China's top leader United Nations Web TV, via Associated Press A protest against Iranian government Jason Decrow/Associated Press A closed portion of Second Avenue Jason Decrow/Associated Press The headquarters Ed Jones/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images As world leaders addressed the annual gathering of the 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, they vowed to make progress on issues of global importance.

A million viewers tuned into a U.N. livestream  to watch a Korean pop group. Video The seven members of the Korean pop group BTS used their speech to promote coronavirus vaccines and laud young people for their resiliency in the face of the pandemic and climate change. Credit Credit... Richard Drew/UNTV, via Associated Press The seven members of the Korean pop group BTS  a multibillion-dollar act known for its dynamic dance moves, catchy lyrics and frenzied fans  promoted coronavirus vaccines and lauded young people for their resilience during a nearly seven-minute speech at the U.N. headquarters on Monday. Accompanying President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who designated them as special presidential envoy for future generations and culture, the band then showed a video of their hit song Permission to Dance. The video showed the young crooners dancing in the empty aisles of the Assembly Hall  where presidents and autocrats have lobbed threats of annihilation and diplomats have staged walkouts  and later outside the complex. The bands legion of fans followed along intently on the U.N.s YouTube channel, flooding a live chat with gushing messages, many with purple heart emojis that have become a calling card. Ive heard that people in their teens and 20s today are being referred to as Covids lost generation, said Kim Nam-joon, the bands lead singer, who performs under the stage name RM (formerly Rap Monster). But I think its a stretch to say theyre lost just because the path they tread cant be seen by grown-up eyes. It was not the first time that the band, a dominant force in the Korean pop music space known as K-pop, had appeared at the United Nations. In 2018, BTS visited the United Nations to help UNICEF promote Generation Unlimited, a campaign dedicated to educating young people and providing them vocational training. On Monday, a livestream of the bands appearance on the U.N.s YouTube channel racked up about one million views. Later in the day, the view count surpassed six million.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

The U.N. secretary general urges nations to address a cascade of crises. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:28 - 0:00 transcript We Are on the Edge of an Abyss, U.N. Secretary General Says Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, pressed for increased cooperation in facing a global cascade of crises, including wars, the pandemic, climate change and a polarization of world powers during a speech at the General Assembly. Im here to sound the alarm. The world must wake up. We are on the edge of an abyss, and moving in the wrong direction. Our world has never been more threatened or more divided. We face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetimes. The Covid-19 pandemic has supersized glaring inequalities. The climate crisis is pummeling the planet, upheaval from Afghanistan to Ethiopia to Yemen and beyond. A thwarted peace. A surge of mistrust and misinformation is polarizing people and paralyzing societies. Human rights are in the fires and science is under assault, and the economic lifelines for the most vulnerable are coming too little and too late, if they come at all. Solidarity is missing in action just when we need it most. Excellencies, we face a moment of truth. Now is the time to deliver. Now is the time to restore trust, and now is the time to inspire hope. And I do have hope  the problems we have created are problems we can solve. Humanity has shown that we are capable of great things when we work together, and that is the raison detre of our United Nations. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, pressed for increased cooperation in facing a global cascade of crises, including wars, the pandemic, climate change and a polarization of world powers during a speech at the General Assembly. Credit Credit... Pool photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez Threatened by wars, climate change and a continuing pandemic, the world is becoming increasingly divided, the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, warned on Tuesday in a sobering speech that called on nations to act. I am here to sound the alarm: The world must wake up, Mr. Guterres said in the opening address of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, adding that the world faced the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetimes. Covid-19 has exposed glaring inequalities, he said, pointing to a surplus of vaccines in wealthier nations while poorer countries remain largely unvaccinated. A window for combating climate change, which has already been blamed for driving scorching temperatures and other disasters, was rapidly closing, he said. Peace remained a distant dream in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Mr. Guterres noted, adding that misinformation and mistrust in institutions had polarized people. And although he did not refer to the countries by name, he vocalized fears that a deepening competition between China and the United States, the worlds two largest economies, would further divide the world geopolitically  calling it far less predictable than the Cold War. Instead of the path of solidarity, Mr. Guterres said, we are on a dead end to destruction. The remarks were an indictment of the state of world affairs at the opening of a meeting meant to foster multilateralism and to demonstrate solidarity against global challenges. Mr. Guterres called on nations to create an agenda of peace and to institute climate-friendly fiscal and political overhauls. Countries, he added, also needed to protect rights for women, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and address power imbalances between genders. Nonetheless, hinting at hope for the future, Mr. Guterres, a Portuguese statesman who is serving his second term as secretary general, said: The problems we have created are problems we can solve.

Unvaccinated and defiant, Bolsonaro pushes back against criticism in his U.N. speech. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 0:46 - 0:00 transcript Brazilian President Says He Is Not Vaccinated During a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who hailed the AstraZeneca vaccine, Brazils president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he had not been inoculated against Covid-19. Boris. Mr. President, how are you? Very nice to see you. Well, welcome, welcome, welcome. [unclear] Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Hows that? How are you doing? OK. Very good. Thank you. Come here. AstraZeneca  its a great vaccine. I had AstraZeneca. Thanks, everybody. Get AstraZeneca vaccine. I had it twice. Not yet. [laughter] During a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who hailed the AstraZeneca vaccine, Brazils president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he had not been inoculated against Covid-19. Credit Credit... Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil kicked off the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday by defending the use of ineffective drugs to treat the coronavirus and by pushing back on criticism of his governments environmental record. Brazils far-right president said doctors should have had more leeway in administering untested medications for Covid-19, adding that he had been among those who recovered after off label treatment with an anti-malaria pill that studies have found ineffective to treat the disease. History and science will hold everyone accountable, said Mr. Bolsonaro, whose handling of the pandemic in South Americas largest country has been widely criticized. Mr. Bolsonaros decision to not get vaccinated against the coronavirus has loomed large over his first couple of days in New York. It made for an awkward moment during a meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who hailed the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed at Oxford University. Get AstraZeneca vaccines, Mr. Johnson said during his meeting with the Brazilian president. Ive had it twice. Mr. Bolsonaro pointed to himself and said: Not yet. Brazils president has led one of the worlds most criticized responses to the pandemic. Mr. Bolsonaro repeatedly downplayed the threat the virus posed, railed against quarantine measures and was fined for refusing to wear a mask in the capital. His government was slow to secure access to coronavirus vaccines even as the virus overwhelmed hospitals across the country. Covid-19 has killed more than 590,000 people in Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro, who had a mild case of Covid-19 in July of last year, has said he is in no hurry to get a shot. Earlier this year, the president said he was undecided about getting a vaccine. After the last Brazilian gets vaccinated, if theres a spare shot, I will decide whether or not I get vaccinated, he said in a televised video, adding, thats the example the boss must provide. His unvaccinated status has caused logistical problems when it comes to finding a place to eat in New York, where restaurants require that patrons show proof of inoculation for indoor seating. Mr. Bolsonaro and his traveling party have been taking the rule in stride. On Sunday, one of his ministers posted a photo on Twitter of the president and several top aides eating pizza standing up on the street. Jantar de luxo em NYC. @jairbolsonaro @gilsonmachadont @mqueiroga2 @andersongtorres pic.twitter.com/SVQuFZXHGY  Ministro Luiz Ramos (@MinLuizRamos) September 20, 2021 A luxurious dinner in NYC, joked the minister, Luiz Ramos. On Tuesday, Mr. Bolsonaro started his speech by telling the assembly that his nation was unfairly portrayed in the press. I came here to show a Brazil that is different from what is shown in the newspapers and on television, he said. Brazil has changed, and a lot, since we assumed office in January 2019. Mr. Bolsonaros government has weakened enforcement of environmental laws and hollowed out the agencies responsible for enforcing them. Yet on Tuesday he argued that Brazil should be applauded for how much of its forests remain intact and said the country could sustainably develop land in environmentally critical regions like the Amazon. The future of green jobs is in Brazil, he said.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

Female leaders are more prominent this year. Image President Zuzana Caputova of Slovakia during a video address to the United Nations General Assembly. Credit... United Nations Web TV, via Associated Press At last years General Assembly, which was held almost entirely virtually because of the pandemic, the first 51 leaders to speak were men, presenting optics that contradicted the organizations avowed commitment to gender parity. This year, the first woman to speak was No. 6 on the list. The speaker, President Zuzana Caputova of Slovakia, delivered her address via prerecorded video, following live addresses by the presidents of Brazil, the United States, the Maldives and Colombia and the emir of Qatar. Protocol for the General Assemblys speaker schedule is based partly on a first-come, first-served basis. But the glaring absence of prominent women last year raised concerns that gender should be taken into consideration. Ms. Caputova made a point of raising womens rights in her speech on Tuesday, including remarks on the threat to women created by the Talibans triumph in Afghanistan. She and other female leaders, including the prime ministers of Iceland and New Zealand, have organized a call to support Afghan women and girls, and she called on other countries to join forces to ensure this turns into concrete steps. The Slovak leader concluded her speech by emphasizing inclusiveness. We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable  the women, the girls, the minorities, she said. The silent pandemic of gender-based violence can prove lethal to the health of our societies.

A top European official calls for a pause and reset in the U.S. relationship. Image President Biden with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, at the Group of 7 summit in Britain in June. Credit... Pool photo by Leon Neal A top European Union official made a plea on Tuesday to pause and reset the relationship between the bloc and the United States as a diplomatic spat between France and the Biden administration has become a European issue. There is a growing feeling in Europe  and I say this with regret  that something is broken in our trans-Atlantic relations, Thierry Breton, the E.U. trade commissioner, said at a virtual event organized by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based research organization, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Trust is not a given, Mr. Breton said. And after the latest events, there is a strong perception that trust between the E.U. and U.S. has been eroded. Mr. Breton was the latest official from the bloc to question the Biden administrations commitment to a strong alliance with the European Union. Tensions have escalated in recent days after Australia scrapped a $66 billion agreement to buy French-built submarines in favor of U.S.-manufactured, nuclear-powered ones. France has reacted with anger to the security deal among the United States, Britain and Australia, and recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia last week. The submarine deal came after a chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan about which European leaders said they had not been consulted. Many officials who had welcomed the election of President Biden  and his pledge that America is back  are now expressing concerns. While the Biden administration has tried to play down the spat, European officials have sharpened their tone, although theyve stopped short of concrete action. What does it mean, America is back? Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, which represents the leaders of the blocs 27 members, told reporters in New York on Monday. Is America back in America or somewhere else? We dont know. The words of Mr. Breton and Mr. Michel have echoed the position of Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the European Unions executive arm, who on Monday told CNN that she would seek to know what happened and why before the bloc could keep on going with business as usual with the United States. But despite such rhetoric from France and E.U. officials, there is concern in some European capitals that the dispute could hurt the blocs wider interests. Though European countries have showed solidarity to France in public, in private some officials have called the clash a bilateral matter between France and the United States. A European diplomat said that President Emmanuel Macron of France had often taken a leading role in promoting more strategic autonomy for Europe, only to realize that not many E.U. members were following. And a lawmaker at the European Parliament took a nuanced view. Of course we cannot act as if nothing had happened, Reinhard Butikofer, the lawmaker, said on Monday. But how the E.U. will react is not decided unilaterally by Paris.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story

Who is speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, who isnt  and why did Brazil go first? Image The seats reserved for Israels delegation sat empty as President Biden addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday. Credit... Pool photo by Eduardo Munoz Several prominent leaders delivered in-person addresses at the U.N. General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, including President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, an avowed Covid skeptic whose mismanagement of the pandemic threatens his political future. Mr. Bolsonaro also created a stir by vowing to defy the meetings vaccination requirement. Many leaders are opting to use prerecorded video, as was done last year, or to have a lower-ranking representative speak in person, and the absence of a particular countrys leader this year can send a message. Perhaps the most prominent leader to skip a personal appearance at the General Assembly is President Xi Jinping of China, an increasingly important financial contributor to the United Nations and a rival with the United States for influence there, an underlying source of tension. Mr. Xi originally intended to have his deputy prime minister represent China, but in a last-minute change posted Monday by U.N. officials, Mr. Xi addressed the General Assembly by prerecorded video on Tuesday. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will not attend either, and his foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, will speak instead. In what may be another sign of Frances anger at the United States over a secret arms deal with Australia, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, abandoned the idea of speaking at the gathering even by video. Instead he tapped his foreign minister, Jean-Yves LeDrian, to speak, which now could happen on the final day. Irans new president, Ebrahim Raisi, also sent a prerecorded speech, skipping the opportunity for personal diplomacy that could help save Irans near-moribund nuclear agreement with major powers. Mr. Bolsonaro was the first head of state to address the gathering when speeches began on Tuesday morning. Brazil has spoken first since the mid-1950s, and U.N. protocol officials say that the tradition began because at the time no other countrys leader was willing to take on that role. That position is now considered a coveted slot that can help set the tone of the week. The order of speakers generally adheres to the principle that the leader of the host country goes second, followed by other heads of state, heads of government, vice presidents, crown princes, foreign ministers, then deputies and ambassadors. It is also determined by the date when each of the 193 members makes the request.

As the General Assembly returns to New York, so does the traffic. Image Security-related street closures are expected to turn Midtown Manhattan into a labyrinth as the General Assembly meets in person. Credit... Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images In another sign of New York Citys steady recovery from the pandemic, another fall tradition is returning to its streets: United Nations gridlock. Traffic jams and security-related street closures are expected to turn Midtown Manhattan into a labyrinth this week as the General Assembly meets in person again. World leaders, including President Biden, and their motorcades will be descending upon streets that were largely cleared of traffic at the height of the pandemic but have steadily grown more congested as regular life resumes. There will be multiple closures, detours and checkpoints around the Midtown area, Kim Y. Royster, the New York Police Departments chief of transportation, said at a news conference. Whereas last years gathering was held virtually, this week a large chunk of the east side of Midtown Manhattan, from 42nd Street to 57th Street and from First Avenue to Fifth Avenue, will be closed or restricted to traffic from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Chief Royster said. Other streets, including a stretch of the F.D.R. Drive, a major north-south artery through Manhattan, could also be closed at times through Sept. 30, according to a city transportation agency website. Chief Royster asked people to avoid driving or making deliveries in East Midtown during the U.N. meeting. Only vehicles that pass a checkpoint will be allowed in the area right around the United Nations, along 42nd Street between First and Second Avenues. City transportation officials have also issued gridlock alert days  an annual warning of the worst congestion  for this week, the first time they have done so since 2019. There are 19 gridlock alert days for 2021, including Sept. 20-24 and Sept. 27, plus around the holiday season in November and December. On Monday, a man was arrested and accused of threatening to kill the president of the Dominican Republic during his trip to New York. Beyond that, law enforcement officials said there were no credible threats against the U.N. meeting, though they were expecting widespread disruptions from crowds and dozens of protests. Our traffic agents will be deployed to intersections to make sure that the traffic is flowing and make sure that we provide safety to the pedestrians and bicyclists alike, Chief Royster said, adding: The city is opening up and we want to make sure the city continues to move and make sure everyone is safe.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story
But in private, some officials concede growing similarities. The American-British deal to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines is clearly an effort to reset the naval balance in the Pacific, as China expands its territorial claims and threatens Taiwan. The United States has also been attempting to block Chinese access to sophisticated technology and Western communications systems.

The future belongs to those who give their people the ability to breathe free, not those who seek to suffocate their people with an iron-hand authoritarianism, Mr. Biden said, leaving little doubt who he meant. The authoritarians of the world, they seek to proclaim the end of the age of democracy, but theyre wrong.

A few hours after Mr. Biden left the podium, Mr. Xi also addressed the General Assembly, in a prerecorded video, rejecting American portrayals of his government as repressive and expansionist, asserting that he supports peaceful development for all peoples.

Mr. Xis language was restrained, and like Mr. Biden he did not name his countrys chief rival, but he made a clear allusion to Chinas anger over the Australian submarine pact. The world must reject the practice of forming small circles or zero-sum games, he said, adding that international disputes need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

He also announced that his country would stop building new coal-fired power projects abroad, ending one of the dirtiest fossil-fuel programs. China is by far the largest financier of coal-fired power plants.

Mr. Bidens debut at the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York was muted by the pandemic. Many national leaders did not attend, and there were few of the big receptions and relentless traffic gridlock that have traditionally marked the September ritual.

He stayed only a few hours and met only one ally there: Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia. Later in the day, back in Washington, Mr. Biden met Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, the other partner in the submarine deal.
With his country badly lagging in Covid vaccinations, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines railed against the worlds affluent countries at the United Nations on Tuesday, accusing them of hoarding vaccines while the poor wait for trickles.

Reinforcing his reputation as blunt speaker, Mr. Duterte described the rich-poor divide over vaccination rates as scandalous. His remarks, delivered via prerecorded video to the 193-member General Assembly, were among the most forceful criticisms of the inequities that have been laid bare by the pandemic.

Just 10 rich countries account for most of the 5.86 billion vaccine doses administered so far.

There is a man-made drought of vaccines ravaging poor countries, Mr. Duterte said. Rich countries hoard lifesaving vaccines while poor nations wait for trickles. They now talk of booster shots, while developing countries consider half-doses just to get by.

The disparity, he said, is shocking beyond belief and must be condemned for what it is  a selfish act that can neither be justified rationally nor morally.
Ms. Lyons went on to remind the Security Council that the new government contains many of the same figures who were part of the Taliban leadership from 1996 to 2001.

What is of immediate and practical importance to those around this table is that of the 33 names presented, many are on the United Nations sanctions list, including the prime minister, the two deputy prime ministers, and the foreign minister, she continued, referring to the first 33 appointments, which included many of the most powerful positions.

Figures who are prominent on sanctions lists, or are designated as terrorists by the United States government, include the interim interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and the interim defense minister, Muhammad Yaqoub, the son of Mullah Omar, the Talibans founding leader.

Both those men as well as several others  among them, the head of the government, Mullah Muhammad Hassan, who was another founding member of the Taliban in 1994  are either from the first generation of Taliban or the children of that generation. The Haqqani familys network was not originally part of the Taliban, but became ever more central to the insurgency over years  Sirajuddin Haqqani was a deputy leader starting in 2015  even as they have competed for business and recognition in conservative jihadist circles.

Less visible and vocal so far have been those Taliban who were more central in talking to the United States and other foreign governments. Although Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was named deputy prime minister, he has not been a strong presence in these first weeks of Taliban rule. The United States had specifically urged his inclusion in the negotiations that led to the U.S. military withdrawal, which he led on the Taliban side.

So far no government has formally recognized the Taliban, although the subject is under debate as individual countries try to determine how to do business with Afghanistan and also consider sending humanitarian aid to a country falling into deep crisis. In the 1990s, when the Taliban were last in power, only three countries recognized them: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The sanctions against individual Taliban members who are now leaders of key ministries, as well as the freezing of the countrys funds in the United States, could make it difficult for the Afghan government to receive donor money from the World Bank or Asian Development Bank and through the United Nations.

It also makes it all but impossible for any country that does business with the United States to also do business with Afghanistan without running the risk of being hit by the United States secondary sanctions regime, which punishes those who give money or items of value to governments or individuals on U.S. sanctions list.
Construction workers in Melbourne, Australia, clashed violently with the police for the second day in a row on Tuesday in a dispute over mandatory vaccinations.

Up to 2,000 protesters descended into the citys central business district, the police said. Videos posted to social media showed workers hurling bottles at the police and setting off flares, while officers in riot gear fired rubber bullets and used pepper spray. One TV journalist said he had urine thrown in his face.

The protests began after the state government in Victoria, where Melbourne is the largest city, mandated vaccinations for workers as it struggles to contain a quickly growing outbreak of the Delta variant. The demonstrators have promised to keep protesting, chanting every day as they marched.
OTTAWA  Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus political gamble failed to pay off Monday when Canadian voters returned him to office but denied him the expanded bloc of power he had been seeking in Parliament.

Unofficial election results on Monday indicated that while he would remain as prime minister, it would again be as the head of a minority government.

In August, with his approval ratings high, Mr. Trudeau called a snap election, summoning voters to the polls two years before he had to. The goal, he said, was to obtain a strong mandate for his Liberal Party to lead the nation out of the pandemic and into recovery.

But many Canadians suspected that his true ambitions were mere political opportunism, and that he was trying to regain the parliamentary majority the Liberals had until they lost seats in the 2019 election.
OTTAWA  One day after an election Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a pivotal moment in his countrys history, Canada seems to have pivoted right back where it started.

Mr. Trudeau eked out a slim victory on Monday after voters turned out in record-low numbers, but his Liberal Partys share of power in Parliament remains virtually the same as it was during the last session of Parliament. So does every other partys.

That helps explain why some Canadians are calling it the election to nowhere.

And the winner may turn out to be the loser. Critics say the vote may have undermined Mr. Trudeaus credibility and reinforced the notion among many Canadians that he is a political opportunist.

His job is secure, but I still think he comes out diminished in the end from this, said Andrew McDougall, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.
British counterterrorism police announced criminal charges against a senior Russian military intelligence officer on Tuesday for the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy who was poisoned in England in 2018 with a deadly nerve agent.

Breaking with past practice, the police identified the officer by his real name, Denis Sergeev, instead of the alias he used to enter the United Kingdom on March 2, 2018. That was two days before the former Russian spy, Sergei V. Skripal, and his daughter Yulia collapsed on a park bench in the English town of Salisbury.

Mr. Sergeev is the third officer to be charged in the poisoning of Mr. Skripal. Months after the poisoning, British authorities charged two officers, identified by the aliases Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov, with carrying out the attack by applying the nerve agent, known as Novichok, to the doorknob at Mr. Skripals home in Salisbury. All three are members of Unit 29155, a division within Russias military intelligence agency, known as the G.R.U., that specializes in sabotage and assassination.

We will not let this go, Priti Patel, the British home secretary, said in a statement to Parliament on Tuesday, describing the poisoning as an appalling event that shook the entire country and united our allies in condemnation.
They call themselves conscientious objectors, a term coined by pacifists who refused military service. And like those who claimed a moral duty not to go to war, many doctors in Spain say performing abortions would violate their oath to do no harm  a pledge, they say, that extends to the fetus.

Its one thing if you think abortion is right or wrong; each person will have their own criteria, says Dr. Maria Jesus Barco, another gynecologist from Zaragoza who is an objector. Its another thing if I have to do it. Thats different.

Conscientious objection has gained ground in other countries, like Italy, where it was cited by doctors working in hospitals that largely do not perform abortions. And in Argentina, it has limited attempts to liberalize an abortion law passed there last year.

In five of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain  the equivalent of states  no public hospital offers abortions, according to the most recent government statistics. Women may still receive an abortion in a subsidized private clinic, but in many cases, they must travel across state lines to obtain one.

That was what Erika Espinosa, 34, had to do in 2015 when her gynecologist in the city of Logrono would not perform an abortion after she asked for one.

The doctors try to convince you that you dont love your child for wanting an abortion, said Ms. Espinosa, who went to the neighboring Navarra region to end her pregnancy. It felt like I was doing something clandestine.
You never expected that if they went to live in America, you wouldnt be able to get to them, she said. You never think in a million years things like this will happen, that the border would be closed.

Some people found ways  often expensive or arduous  around the ban, by traveling to a third country to circumvent the rule.

When his ex-wife died in Italy last June, Francesco Sacca, 44, an Italian entrepreneur who lives in Florida, immediately flew back to the country. But he and his children, who are 15 and 17, were caught up in the travel ban.

They managed to fly to Costa Rica, spend two weeks there, and then enter America, but in the following months Mr. Sacca had to travel repeatedly to Italy for paperwork related to the death. Every time, in order to return to America, he had to spend two weeks in Colombia or the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, at a total expense of 80,000 euros, or $93,000.

But what worried him most was leaving his children alone in Florida. Every morning, I think of my 15-year-old who goes to the bus stop alone with her bike in the dark, he said on the phone from Doha, the capital of Qatar. All because of this travel ban.

For most people, such an expensive workaround was not an option.

The search for news of when the ban would be lifted became a daily ritual for some.
Weber Shandwick has joined with Blackbird.AI, the disinformation platform, to offer clients tools to increase their media security by understanding the risks that may damage their businesses.

Chris Perry, chief innovation officer at the Interpublic unit, said the capability will help clients enhance decision-making abilities and build out deception detection as an essential practice.

The Blackbird.AI platform and the preemptive insights it officers is a category-defining innovation for such a high-stakes issue, according to Perry.

Blackbird.AI on Sept. 21 announced that it completed a Series A fundraising effort led by Dorilton Ventures.

Richard Clarke, former chief counter-terrorism advisor for the National Security Council, participated in the funding round for the New York-based company.

Disinformation and digital manipulation threats cost businesses and governments $78B in 2020, according to a report by the University of Baltimore and CHEQ Cybersecurity.
The City of Staunton is looking for a partner to develop a marketing and communications plan for a 300-acre property at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 64.
Jane Genova

Integrating ESG (Environmental Social Governance) principles into how corporations operate is scaring their general counsel. That is what the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford found.

Published on September 15, the Rock Center research documented the legal, regulatory, and reputational risks embedded in ESG. Sometimes ESG is referred to as the triple bottom line. That is, instead of the one-dimensional focus on the traditional bottom line, there is also accountability for the needs of people and planet earth.

Among the many understandings of ESG Investopedias is the simplest. Essentially, it classifies ESG as a set of criteria for measuring:

How a company performs as a steward of nature (Environmental)

How it manages its relationships with stakeholders ranging from employees to communities (Social), and

How it creates policies for the leadership, audits, internal controls and shareholder rights (Governance).

All isnt angst, though, for the general counsel. There is a sunny side. According to the study, 72 percent of general counsel recognize that investing in ESG does improve financial performance. Research on more than 2,000 studies of financial performance and ESG found either a positive relationship to financial performance or at least not a negative one. In addition, other research demonstrates that companies in the S&P 500 ranking in the top quintile for ESG factors did better than the bottom quintile by 25 percentage points.

That is the major reward part of the ESG development. The rest is what the general counsel perceive as risk. Big time. After all ESG is in a whole different box than the old-line corporate social responsibility which had been around for more than half a century. That primarily had entailed social issue marketing, employee volunteerism, and philanthropy. In contrast, ESG is relatively new. Advice is all over the place on how to do the triple bottom line effectively. But proven-out best practices have not yet solidified.

The Rock Center report abstract sums up the challenge this way:

General Counsel  harbor significant concern for the legal and regulatory risk of these activities. General Counsel also express notable concern about the potential liability from disclosure of ESG activities, and the reputational and productivity costs caused by CEO and employee-driven activism.

Yes, the general counsels major focus is on what the CEOs and the employee activists are up to.

As for the CEOs, the jitters are about what stances they might take on social justice and the policies which could be implemented.

As for employee activists, the most recent example of that is how Apples CEO Tim Cook was confronted with questions at an all-staff meeting. Those questions ranged from compensation to what Apple was doing about the Texas Abortion Law. The focus for the general counsel in that is how to classify and manage activism. Rock Center found that about half approached such a growing reality as a kind of standard workplace issue.

The key pressure points in ESG integration include:

Boosting the financial commitment to diversity and related issues

Assessing the social impact of corporate policies

Being green

Reviewing the wages paid to lower-level employees

Creating sustainability programs.

Along the way on these, of course, is the disclosure piece. Given that they are lawyers, it is expected that would require caution about the release of information. Currently only 27 percent of companies make public the EEOC statistics they report to the government. Will employees demand greater transparency?

Increasingly, the general counsel will have to turn to their outside law firms for how to identify, interpret and manage the risk. In April 2020, the Big Law firm Paul Weiss had been an early adopter in spotting the corporate need for this kind of specialized service. Its chairman, Brad Karp, created its Sustainability & Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Advisory Practice. This is how Paul Weiss describes the service:

Business leaders face greater pressure to increase their organizations resilience while simultaneously addressing social issues of importance to stakeholders. Our advisory practice helps companies navigate the legal, business and political ramifications of developing and implementing ESG initiatives. We advise on matters such as stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance.

Eighteen months later, no surprise, most large law firms have instituted some kind of ESG practice.

Obviously, law firms are entering what used to be primarily the territory of public relations firms. But because so much of ESG shapes branding there will be increased partnering between the two disciplineslaw and public relations. When it gets to litigation, as has recently happened with one-time ESG darling Allbirds, what plays out in the court of public opinion could be more important than the realities of the points of law. So, clearly, the general counsels ESG concerns can open new opportunities for public relations firms.

Jane Genova helps organizations market and sell. That could be their products, services, causes, or ESG cred (janegenova374@gmail.com). She covers ESG developments on her syndicated blog Law and More.
A charity shop in Tullamore is set to be 'taken over' for a unique event to raise funds to support five Offaly families.

On Friday, September 24, Glenveagh staff will take on a unique fundraising community challenge, when two teams will go head-to-head in a takeover of two of the Jack & Jill Charity Boutiques, with one team located in the Tullamore store and the other, in Newbridge. Glenveagh is a leading Irish homebuilder.

There are currently five children in Offaly under the care of Jack & Jill.

The Apprentice-style takeover will see the teams competing to achieve the highest sales on the day, all in aid of one of Glenveaghs charity partners for 2021, the Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation.

Jack & Jill provides specialist home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for very sick children up to the age of six in communities across Ireland.

The teams have been busy planning how they are going to make impact on the day in a bid to outdo each other to secure those all-important sales  and the bragging rights! From high value items such as pre-loved designer shoes and bags, to collectables such as signed jerseys and unique gifts; a trip to the Jack & Jill Charity Boutique at 3 O'Moore St, Tullamore, Co. Offaly on Friday, September 24 is a must for anyone looking for some fun and a bargain on the day.

Midlands 103 will broadcast Midlands Today (9am-12pm) and The Afternoon Show (12-3pm) from outside the boutique to add to the excitement on the day and there will be prizes and giveaways galore!

Carmel Doyle, CEO of Jack & Jill said: With less than 20 per cent of our funding coming from Government, we rely hugely on the support of the public and corporate partners for the continued provision of our critical service, which is a genuine lifeline for so many families. There are currently five children under our care across Offaly and this exciting fundraising event, in partnership with Glenveagh, will help drive our Donate Local, Support Local initiative. Were hugely proud of our partnership with Glenveagh and thank them for their enthusiasm, creativity and real sense of community.

Stephen Garvey, CEO Glenveagh Homes said: The Glenveagh team are delighted to be participating in this fun and innovative challenge as part of our Building Lasting Communities initiative. Our volunteers have worked hard over the last few weeks encouraging donations and promoting the Staff Volunteer Day at Jack & Jill with the aim of driving footfall to the store. We are hoping to raise some much-needed funds for the vital service that Jack & Jill provides across communities in Ireland.
PEOPLE who allegedly breached Covid-19 travel restrictions earlier this year and then failed to turn up in court for the resulting prosecutions are now facing arrest.

Last Wednesday alone Judge Catherine Staines issued bench warrants for seven people who were summonsed to appear before Tullamore District Court but did not do so.

The previous Monday there were nine summonses before the court for similar alleged offences.

I think it's important in these cases that the people would actually be in court. That's why I'm issuing warrants, said Judge Staines.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said when a summons was served on a man with a Mullingar address for an alleged breach of the restrictions on the Arden Road in Tullamore, he wrote a comment on the document saying he wouldn't be here.

A warrant was issued for him by Judge Staines.

Warrants were also issued for a man from Brosna, Birr, who was stopped by Garda Pat McGee on the Kinnitty Road in Kilcormac on January 29 last.

Another driver with an address in Roscrea did not appear in court either, having been summonsed for an alleged breach at the same location on the same date.

A motorist with an address in Derrinturn, Carbury, Co Kildare is accused of a similar offence at Fr Kearns Street in Edenderry on February 13, and three others, with addresses in Knocklyon, Dublin 16, are alleged to have breached the travel restrictions on the Arden Road in Tullamore on March 6.

Angel Iocuta, 41, Pound Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, appeared in court having been summonsed for a breach of the regulations on the N52 at Arden Road on March 6.

Garda Niamh Conroy said Mr Iocuta was stopped at a checkpoint and said he was travelling from Roscommon to Thurles but could offer no relevant reason for the journey.

After he entered a guilty plea, Judge Staines asked Mr Iocuta why he had committed the offence.

The accused said he had to go and pick up his brother but could not remember anything further.

Judge Staines imposed a 100 penalty and said it would have to be paid within four months.

You'll get a fine in the post, she told Mr Iocuta.
AN asylum seeker from Afghanistan told Tullamore District Court that it was normal to smoke cannabis in his country.

Aryan Habibi, 24, was living in the direct provision centre at Marian Hostel, High Street, Tullamore, on April 30 last where four deal bags of amphetamines were found.

The man was also found with 240 worth of cannabis resin at Offaly Street in Tullamore on March 25 last.

He pleaded guilty to both drugs charges and a further offence of a breach of the peace at Dolan's store, Clara Road on April 30.

Giving details of the offence at Offaly Street, Sergeant James O'Sullivan said when gardai were on patrol there they saw a male trying to throw something away.

During a search they found 240 of cannabis in a sealed bag on top of a gate divided into segments.

Mr Habibi was arrested and made admissions to possessing the drug for sale or supply.

Sergeant O'Sullivan also said that on April 30 the accused entered Dolan's Gala accompanied by a friend who was not wearing a mask.

When the owner approached and asked the second male to leave the store until he got a face mask, the defendant started to argue the point and swung at Mr Dolan in a threatening manner but didn't connect.

The accused's address at Marian Hostel was searched and 120 worth of amphetamine was found there.

Mr Farrelly said his client had no previous convictions. He had a difficult experience coming from his own country through Pakistan and then through France to Ireland.

He left his family behind him and some of his siblings were stuck in France. After arriving in Ireland he got a job for a short period in AES and then settled down following his turmoil and troubles.

Mr Habibi had entered his guilty pleas on a previous occasion and a restorative justice report was prepared for him in advance of sentencing.

Judge Staines said she had sympathy for the accused but he had committed some very serious offences in Ireland.

Though the man's English was said to be reasonable, he was assisted in court by an interpreter when Judge Staines asked him if he understood the seriousness of the offences.

Mr Habibi said smoking cannabis would be normal in his own country and the drugs found were for his own use.

Judge Staines said he had pleaded guilty to selling drugs and had them divided up into different bags.

Mr Farrelly said his client had taken a pragmatic approach by pleading guilty to having the drugs for sale or supply to deal with all the issues and put the matter behind him.

Having read the restorative justice report, Judge Staines said there had been a lot of problems making contact with the accused and the service intended contacting him by phone with a new appointment.

She told the accused it was very important for him to keep all his appointments because he could go to prison for two years.

She adjourned sentencing again to December 8 next and warned Mr Habibi that he must co-operate with the restorative justice service and keep all his appointments.
Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label.
Offer a personal message of sympathy...

By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account.
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Los Angeles-based private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP) closed its latest buyout fund, LLCP Lower Middle Market Fund III (LMM III), at its increased hard cap of $1.38 billion.

The oversubscribed fund had a fundraising target of $1 billion and an original hard cap of $1.25 billion, said a press release from the middle-market private equity firm.

LMM III received strong support from existing and new institutional investors across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, it said.

Matthew Frankel, the Managing Partner at LLCP, said, "We are pleased with LMM III's extraordinarily successful fundraise, which highlights the global investment community's interest in LLCP's proven strategy of partnering with entrepreneurial companies positioned for long-term growth. We are grateful for the trust of our limited partners, both returning and new."

Investors in the new fund include the $199.6 billion Florida State Board of Administration, Tallahassee.

According to the release, LMM III will invest primarily in U.S.-based lower middle market companies with less than $50 million of revenues. The fund will utilize LLCP's highly successful structured private equity strategy to invest in entrepreneur-led businesses, generating a combination of growth and income for investors.

LMM III will be led by the Partners of LLCP, with the support of the firm's established team of investment, origination, and other pr......................

To view our full article Click here
"Atlanta, GA (July 26, 2016)  RightPatient today launched an initiative to donate their cloud-based biometric patient identification software to Pediatric Cancer Centers across the country. The program is intended to strengthen patient safety by ensuring that patients are accurately identified prior to radiation or chemotherapy treatment. Time pressures, distractions, and complacency can cause patient identification errors before administering cancer treatments, an extremely dangerous scenario where outcomes could be lethal. Committed 
Girls Boss HQ is best academy for beauty courses in Manchester, UK. This industry that can take a woman from total beginner with no previous experience to aesthetics practitioner in just ONE WEEK! This course has been created by their leading nurse trainers in the industry which means women's are in safe hands when being taught how to safely and effectively carry out injectable treatments. Their high standards of education and fantastic 
The Indian Express reported Maoists are out to rebuild urban cadre in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Delhi and Kolkata; work for strengthening the cadre in other cities is underway. Maoists are eying prominent Indian universities like DU, JNU, Jadavpur University.

Weakened after the security forces' crackdown after the Bhima-Koregaon incident, Maoists are out to rebuild their urban cadre.

The Indian Express reported that Maoists have successfully rebuilt their cadres in some urban centres like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Delhi and Kolkata; the work to rebuild cadres in other cities is underway.

Following a heavy crackdown on their urban leadership during the Bhima-Koregaon strife in 2018, the Maoists have started rebuilding their urban networks and seven central committee members of the CPI (Maoist) have been deputed to implement the plan, The Indian Express quoted their sources.

It added, The Maoists have already reorganised their networks in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Delhi and Kolkata, among other cities. They have appointed organisers in urban areas and have been conducting regular Zoom meetings to discuss and implement the agenda.

What has worried the security agencies is the penetration of the Maoists in prominent Indian universities like Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University.

Maoists are trying to tap into the social and communal divide caused by politics of caste and religion. They are attempting to win the support of the members of the working class, Dalits and minorities, especially Muslims. The rebels want to radicalise youngsters and already have a strong network in premier universities of Delhi and Kolkata, The Indian Express quoted.

The Maoists are working on developing guerrilla cadres for the cities. What is alarming, however, is that they are planning to use guerrilla warfare tactics in a big way by developing an urban militia.

Maoists are also working to revive the networks in neighbouring countries, Nepal and Bangladesh. The other major Maoist plan is to put in place a coordination network among like-minded outfits in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They want to facilitate unhindered movement of left-wing extremists in these territories and exchange arms, ammunition and information.
Jammu Police recovered an IED weighing around 5-6 kgs from a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, foiling a major terror attack in the valley.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday (September 21) carried out searches at seven locations in Kashmir valley in connection with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) recovery in Jammu on June 27 this year, said sources.

Multiple teams of the NIA conducted the raids at specific locations in Anantnag, Baramulla, Srinagar, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning in connection with the case, an NIA official, privy to the case, told ANI.

The source said that the raids were conducted based on interrogation of some arrested Lashkar terrorists at the locations of suspected people.

Jammu Police on June 27 recovered an IED weighing around 5-6 kgs. It was recovered from a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative foiling a major terror attack in the valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh then said that "a major terror attack was averted in Jammu with the discovery of the IED".

This matter came to light when security agencies were busy in their probe into twin explosions inside an Indian Air Force (IAF) station at the Jammu airport, which took place on June 27.

Courtesy: ANI




26,115 New Cases reported in the last 24 hours, with Recovery Rate currently at 97.75%. India's Active Caseload (3,09,575) is 0.92% of Total Cases, Weekly Positivity Rate (2.08%) less than 3% for the last 88 days.

With the administration of 96,46,778 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 81.85 Cr (81,85,13,827) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 80,35,135 sessions.

The recovery of 34,469 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients (since the beginning of the pandemic) to 3,27,49,574. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 97.75%.

Sustained and collaborative efforts by the Centre and the States/UTs continue the trend of less than 50,000 Daily New Cases that is being reported for 86 consecutive days now. 26,115 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The Active Caseload is presently 3,09,575. Active cases presently constitute 0.92% of the country's total Positive Cases.

The testing capacity across the country continues to be expanded. The last 24 hours saw a total of 14,13,951 tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over 55.50 Cr (55,50,35,717) cumulative tests. While testing capacity has been enhanced across the country, Weekly Positivity Rate at 2.08% remains less than 3% for the last 88 days now. The Daily Positivity rate reported to be 1.85%. The daily Positivity rate has remained below 3% for the last 22 days and below 5% for 105 consecutive days.

Courtesy: PIB
Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control (LoC).

Baramulla: A search operation is underway in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir after the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday (September 22).

"Search operation is still underway in Uri," Army said in a statement.

The search operation is being conducted to ensure that nobody has crossed over the border.

Earlier, sources told ANI that an infiltration bid was foiled by the Indian Army in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control (LoC). "However, to make sure that nobody has crossed over, search operations are being carried out in that area," they said.

On the intervening night of September 18 and September 19, Army said a suspicious movement was detected along LoC in the Uri area of Baramulla district.

Courtesy: ANI








During the significant visit to the US, PM Modi would on September 24 participate in the Leaders' Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington along with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for the much-anticipated US visit on Wednesday (September 22) morning, where he will hold several bilateral meetings, including with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, confirmed Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Tuesday.

Addressing a special press briefing on PM Modi's visit, Shringla informed this would be the Prime Minister's first visit abroad beyond the neighbourhood since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

A high-level delegation consisting of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and senior officials, including Shringla, will accompany PM Modi.

"The main elements of the programme are bilateral meetings A high-level delegation consisting of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and senior officials will accompany PM ModiUS leaderships, participation at Quad leaders summit and address at the UN General Assembly," the foreign secretary said.

"One of the highlights of the visit is meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House. This will be the Prime Minister's first-in-person meeting with President Biden," he said.

"The bilateral engagement includes meeting with US Vice-President Kamala Harris. This will be PM Modi's first formal interaction with the vice president," he added.

During the significant visit to the US, PM Modi would on September 24 participate in the Leaders' Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington along with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts.

The bilateral meeting with the US President is also scheduled for the day.

Courtesy: ANI




Political parties and leaders who betrayed Hinduphobic sentiments earlier are now bending over backwards to display their loyalty to Hindu faith to stay relevant in politics

Hindutva as political ideology and saffron as the colour of politics ultimately got national acceptance. From ridiculing that Hindutva word, every political party is willingly embracing the Hindutva and the leaders of non-BJP parties projecting themselves as champions of Hindutva. Their electoral campaign in Uttar Pradesh confirms that Jai Sri Ram is no more a communal chant, Ram Rajya is an acceptable concept, saffron is a respected colour. Hindu way of life is universal and unquestionable. Those parties and leaders who questioned Hindutva ideology or challenged Hindu centric ideology, ridiculed the nationalistic perception of BJP are now in the competitive running to appropriate them and struggle to remain relevant in politics. From Congress to the regional parties and from Rahul Gandhi to Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati combination, everyone is projecting themselves as the champions of the Hindu cause, hoping the voters will forget and forgive their past anti- Hindu diatribe.

The recent entrant into the Uttar Pradesh election arena, the AAP had its Tiranga Yatra with tricolour flags fluttering and high decibel Vande Mataram slogans with promises of real nationalism and real Ram Rajya. But for the white caps wore by the cadre in the Yatra, it would have been considered a typical BJP procession. The behaviour and words uttered by the AAP leaders looks like a pre-planned imitation of the BJP. The leaders of AAP met the saffron-clad sadhus, hopped around the temples around Ayodhya and sought the blessings. The deputy CM of Delhi and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia has no hesitation in bringing Ram into their party political agenda. He said that Arvind Kejriwal is the only Chief Minister in the country who is running the government by adhering to the tenets of Lord Ram. AAP Government if formed in Uttar Pradesh, will adhere to the teachings of Ram is the promise. What surprises the observers is the change in the heart of AAP leaders who in Delhi always criticised others for not prioritising governance and development and accused other parties of talking about sectarian and communal issues shifting suddenly to newfound deep love to Ram and Ram Rajya. Even the other members of AAP, including its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, spoke about the promise of early completion of Ayodhya Ram Temple and harped on the alleged fraudulent temple land deals. Huda Zariwala, a spokesperson of AAP conceded that Ayodhya depicts the history and sentiments of people across the country, the very words BJP leaders were using for the last several years, and opposition parties, including AAP has rejected. So the change of heart on Nationalism, Ram temple, Ram Rajya are apparently linked to the elections and victory in few seats. Ideology, now AAP believe is not static but pragmatic.

What surprises the observers is the change in the heart of AAP leaders who in Delhi always criticised others for not prioritising governance and development and accused other parties of talking about sectarian and communal issues shifting suddenly to newfound deep love to Ram and Ram Rajya

The other party which suddenly found love for Hindutva is the BSP. Priests chanted Sanskrit mantras and blew conches while the crowd shouted Jai Shri Ram and Har har Mahadev at the BSP meeting in Lucknow. The party organised a Prabudh Jan Sammelan and party supremo addressed the meet with promises on the caste lines. The party managed to get Hindu priests from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. It allowed the chant of slogans like Hathi Nahi Ganesh Hai, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh Hai, Brahmin Shankh Bajayega, Hathi Chalta Jayega, the very slogans which Mayawati wouldnt have allowed earlier. This is a huge shift towards the resurrection of the party after a decade long wilderness through the Hindutva. Even BSP started talking about the early completion of Ram Temple as their priority and started demanding the details of funds collected in the name of Ram over three decades by the saffron brigade. The BSPs Brahmin face Satish Mishra offered prayers at Ramjanmabhoomi and worshipped the Saryu River with 125 litres of milk before the start of the conclave. This being the first time any BSP leader visited Ramjanmabhoomi or supported the Ram temple issue. In fact, Mayawati vehemently opposed the temple at Ayodhya then but now had a change of heart for political gains. The day may be not far away when Mayawati finally goes to Ayodhya for the darshan of Ram Lala.

Congress is a political chameleon capable of changing its colour as per the situation and depending on the local situation in a State. Political gain is the only target of that party. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suddenly found his Brahmin caste and Gotra and even exhibited his janeu on his sleeves to project himself as a true Hindu. His temple hopping in earlier elections in Gujarat and Karnataka and then suddenly taking the anti-Hindu stand as he entered the Kerala campaign made him a laughing stock. This time around the drama of projecting Congress as a BC party by using the Bhagel senior, father of current Congress Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, to utter anti-Brahmin statements and getting arrested, not in UP where he made such derogatory anti-Brahmin statements, in Chhattisgarh itself is a political gimmick for favourable projection. Since Congress has lost its relevance in UP politics and is far behind the regional parties, its chameleon politics may not lead to anywhere.

Not to be left behind in the race for proclaiming the new found love for Hindutva, the Samajwadi Party, which hitherto stuck to the dominant Muslim-Yadav combination formula, has started exhibiting his pro-soft-Hindutva shift. Akhilesh yadav promised a magnificent Vishnu temple in Chambal valley. He stated claiming his father as a devotee of Pavanputra Hanuman and himself as a devotee of Bhagwan Parasurama

Not to be left behind in the race for proclaiming the new found love for Hindutva, the Samajwadi Party, which hitherto stuck to the dominant Muslim-Yadav combination formula, has started exhibiting his pro-soft-Hindutva shift by organising his first political meet and workers conclave in Chitrakoot where Prabhu Ram spent large part of his exile. Akhilesh Yadav, a hereditary politician who publicly avoided Hindutva politics in the last two decades, is no longer shy of talking about temples and religious practices more so of Hindus. He often quotes his 5 Km long trekking made around Kamdagiri mountains in 2000 on his political entry to establish himself as Hindu at heart. He promised a magnificent Vishnu temple in Chambal valley. He stated claiming his father as a devotee of Pavanputra Hanuman and himself as a devotee of Bhagwan Parasurama. He claimed himself as a better Hindu than many BJP leaders. It is the same leader who once ridiculed the talk of Hindu Interests for the sake of Muslim appeasement has suddenly trying to project himself as Hindutvawadi. But surprisingly, he has not uttered a single word against the Brahmin bashing that Bhagel senior did while he immediately jumped to criticise the Abba Jaan remark of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanadh. From Mulayam Singhs, the founder of Samajwadi Party, no temple at Ayodhya to Samajwadi Party for temple at Ayodhya of Akhilesh Yadavs the turn-on Hindutva politics is complete.
MANISTEE  What started out as a routine siding job ended up offering a glimpse into the Old West.

As Jesse VanderBie, of Jack VanderBie Builder, LLC, was removing siding on a building located on 22nd Street last week, he began to uncover something special. As more siding was removed, the crew revealed a poster for Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World Show, which dates back to the 1800s.

"We're working on this building from the 1880s  1882 or something like that. We're stripping off old siding and putting new on," VanderBie said. "As we were working around, stripping siding back, we got to a point that didn't really quite look like the rest. We were like, 'Well, it kind of looks like it might be something.' We did a little more cutting and uncovered some more, and we found this Buffalo Bill poster."

VanderBie was surprised at how well the poster held up through the years.

"It was a poster that's pasted on the wall over the top of other posters and stuff," he said. "They must have put the siding on shortly after, because it's in fairly decent condition. The years have been very rough on it, but for something 120 years old, it's in pretty good shape."

William F. Cody, later nicknamed Buffalo Bill, was born in February 1846 in the Iowa Territory. Growing up he became employed by the Pony Express and later fought in the Civil War. After the war was over he contracted with the Union Pacific Railroad to hunt and kill buffalo to feed railroad crews. Cody supposedly slaughtered over 4,200 buffalo in eight months, earning him his nickname. Cody later was involved in numerous battles with Native Americans and his experiences in war along with his expert marksmanship made him a favorite subject for dime-store novelists.

In the early 1870s, Cody began acting in various productions about the Old West and in 1883 he organized his first Wild West show which he continued to perform around the world for many years.

VanderBie reached out to the Manistee County Historical Museum, and Executive Director Mark Fedder said the poster is a "significant find."

"Basically, Buffalo Bill went all across the country, even all across the world. He came to Michigan several times and he actually came to Manistee twice  once in July of 1898 and once in September of 1916," Fedder said. "Now, when exactly that poster was put on that building, I want to say maybe 1898, but I'm not 100% sure. I really haven't had a chance to go online and try to match up some of the posters to what's there. I haven't really been in touch with the builders there to get an idea if they can make a date out or not on that. ... Regardless of that, I think it's 1898.

"I actually put an email out to the people at the Buffalo Bill museum to see if they can shed any light on it."

VanderBie said last week was the first time he ever uncovered a piece of history on the job.

"It was a really shocking thing to find," he said. "It's not what you expect to find when you're working on a place anywhere, so it's kind of cool. I took some pictures and put it out on Facebook and now it's everywhere."

VanderBie said the building's owner also got a kick out of the discovery.

"He's been able to see it. He thinks it's pretty neat," VanderBie said. "We're working with the museum. We're going to try to see what we can do to preserve it. If we can get it off the building OK, we're going to try that. If we don't think it's going to come off, it'll just stay with the building and continue to be part of its history."

Unfortunately, Fedder said, preserving the poster is an extremely delicate process.

"There's probably people from some universities that could help out with that, or the State Historic Preservation Office might want to preserve that. As for us at the museum, I don't really have the capability to really do much in the way of preserving that," he said. "I would imagine as soon as you start taking those pieces of wood off, the poster could be more damaged or distorted. I don't know about that quite yet. I've got to give them a call yet to see what they're thinking about doing."

Buffalo Bill toured with his Wild West Show until 1906 and later died in 1917 at the age of 70.

SEE ALSO:

Buffalo Bill comes to Manistee
NEW YORK (AP)  An inmate died at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex, bringing the troubled facility's death toll to 11 this year, authorities said.

Isaabdul Karim, 42, died at a jail infirmary just before 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the Department of Correction said in a news release. The department initially gave his name as Karim Isaabdul, but a spokesperson said late Monday that Isaabdul Karim was the correct name.

Karim was taken to the infirmary after he reported that he was not feeling well, Department of Correction officials said. He was given CPR, but he was later pronounced dead.

The city medical examiners office will determine the inmate's cause of death. Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi said the death appears to be natural."

Karim's death came days after both Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans to improve conditions at Rikers Island, where longstanding problems have worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.

De Blasio's planned reforms include requiring absent jail guards to get a doctors note if theyre out for more than a day. Hochul signed a bill on Friday that largely eliminates the practice of incarcerating people for technical parole violations.

At least 11 Rikers inmates have died this year, several of them by suicide.

Shiraldi said that although Sunday's death appears to be natural, "there is nothing natural about what is happening in our jail system right now.

He said he was heartbroken that we have seen yet another death of a human being entrusted to our care."

Karim had been in custody since Aug. 18 and was being held on a state warrant for parole violation, the Department of Correction said.

Department records show that he was arrested on a drug charge, a violation of his parole after he served time on an earlier drug conviction.

De Blasio said Karim was not on a list to be transferred out of Rikers under the new state law. But we are investigating everything related to that tragedy, the mayor said. Its horrible. We want to know what happened here and why.

The Legal Aid Society said in a news release that Karim was being held solely on the basis of non-criminal, technical violations of parole  marijuana use and failing to make an office report.

The society said Karim had medical issues and used a wheelchair.

Adding to this, Mr. Karim contracted COVID-19 while mired in intake for ten days, and he was denied access to his medications and critical medical care, said Tina Luongo, head of the criminal defense practice at Legal Aid. He should have been in the community with his family, friends and network, not in a jail plagued by an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

City officials, who have blamed the crisis on absenteeism at the jail complex, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan state Supreme Court on Monday charging that the Correction Officers Benevolent Association and its leadership condoned a campaign of absenteeism among correction officers.

Union president Benny Boscio Jr. called the lawsuit meritless.

Speaking at his daily briefing on the pandemic, de Blasio said dozens of correction officers have been suspended for being absent without a valid excuse and more face possible suspension if they do not report for scheduled shifts.

___

This article has been corrected to show the inmate's name is Isaabdul Karim, not Karim Isaabdul as the Department of Correction initially said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In a major easing of pandemic travel restrictions, the U.S. said Monday it will allow foreigners to fly into the country this fall if they have vaccination proof and a negative COVID-19 test  changes replacing a hodgepodge of rules that had kept out many non-citizens and irritated allies in Europe and beyond where virus cases are lower.

The changes, to take effect in November, will allow families and others who have been separated by the travel restrictions for 18 months to plan for long-awaited reunifications and allow foreigners with work permits to get back to their jobs in the U.S.

Airlines, business groups and travelers cheered  though they also called the step long overdue.

Its a happy day. Big Apple, here I come! said French entrepreneur Stephane Le Breton, 45, finally able to book a trip to New York City that had been put on hold over the virus restrictions.

The new policy will replace a patchwork of travel bans first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by President Joe Biden that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the new policies, which still will require all foreign travelers flying to the U.S. to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight. Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

The tougher rules for unvaccinated Americans come as the White House has moved to impose sweeping vaccination-or-testing requirements affecting as many as 100 million people in an effort to encourage holdouts to get shots.

Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zients said.

There will be no immediate change to U.S. land border policies, which restrict much cross-border travel with Mexico and Canada.

The travel bans had become the source of growing geopolitical frustration, particularly among allies in the UK and EU. The easing comes ahead of Biden meeting with some European leaders on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so its a stronger system," Zients said.

The EU and UK had previously moved to allow vaccinated U.S. travelers in without quarantines, in an effort to boost business and tourism. But the EU recommended last month that some travel restrictions be reimposed on U.S. travelers to the bloc because of the rampant spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate tracing, Zients said.

The U.S. will accept full vaccination of travelers with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, the CDC said. The WHO is reviewing Russias Sputnik V vaccine but hasnt yet approved it.

Monday's announcement was met with applause by the air travel industry, which has lost significant revenue from declines in international travel.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said, "Science tells us that vaccinations coupled with testing is the safest way to re-open travel, and we are optimistic this important decision will allow for the continued economic recovery both in the U.S. and abroad and the reunification of families who have been separated for more than 18 months.

Worldwide, air travel is still down more than half from pre-pandemic levels, and the decline is much sharper for cross-border flying. By July, domestic travel had recovered to 84% of 2019 numbers, but international travel was just 26% of the same month two years ago, according to figures this month from the airline industrys main global trade group, the International Air Transport Association.

The numbers are similar but not quite as stark for the U.S., where international travel in August was 46% of that in August 2019, according to Airlines for America. Arrivals by non-U.S. citizens were only 36% of the 2019 level.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was delighted by the news. He said: Its a fantastic boost for business and trade, and great that family and friends on both sides of the pond can be reunited once again.

Airlines hailed the U.S. decision as a lifeline for the struggling industry. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines U.K. said it was a major breakthrough.

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said it was a major milestone. ... The U.K. will now be able to strengthen ties with our most important economic partner, the U.S., boosting trade and tourism as well as reuniting friends, families and business colleagues."

The travel bans were really behind the times, said Maka Hutson, counsel specializing in immigration issues at the law firm Akin Gump. She said they were very frustrating to European executives whod been vaccinated but still couldnt fly to the United States to conduct business.

The changes also drew praise from business groups, who have been contending with labor shortages as the economy bounces back with unexpected strength from last years coronavirus recession. U.S. employers have been posting job openings  a record 10.9 million in July  faster than applicants can fill them.

Myron Brilliant, head of international affairs for the U..S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement, Allowing vaccinated foreign nationals to travel freely to the United States will help foster a robust and durable recovery for the American economy.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Thomas Adamson-Koumbouzis in Paris, Paul Wiseman in Washington and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.

___

This story corrects he to she in 3rd paragraph from the end.
The owner of the old Holiday Inn building once again appeared in court to give an update on the building's demolition.

Jeff Kern appeared virtually in the Midland County Courthouse on Monday afternoon for a review hearing for an ongoing case with the condemned hotel property. The hearing reviewed how much of the building is torn down and how much of Kerns fines have been paid.

As of the previous review hearing on Aug. 16, one quarter of the building was torn down and $22,500 of Kerns $231,490 in fines and fees were paid.

How much of the building has been torn down, to date, differed between the defense and prosecution. City attorney Jim Branson said by the citys perspective, 55% of the building has been torn down; 98% of debris has been removed; and no work has been done on the parking lot.

Branson said there has been no activity for the last three weeks, and the last dump to the City of Midland landfill was made on Sept. 8.

There has been no activity on site, and it almost appears abandoned (for) the past three weeks, Branson said.

The city is worried about winter weather approaching. If all the concrete and asphalt are removed after Oct. 15, there will be no ability this season to do ground stabilization, Branson said.

Kerns lawyer, Richard Wolney, said he thought about 66% of the building was torn down as of Sept. 20. The sites demolition contractor Pat Battaglia said the building is more than 50% torn down.

Battaglia said the demolition is at the hot area of the building, where there is a large amount of asbestos. He said Kern filed applications to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) for this section, which was released last Friday. Now Battaglia is waiting on proof of funds from Kern.

The demolition is not very behind on the project, Battaglia said. He anticipates the abatement to be completed by the end of October.

Battaglia said he believes the building will be demolished before winter.

We can pull foundations and slabs on grade, even if it is snowing, unless we get some sort of hard freeze, which is very unlikely between now and the first of the year, Battaglia said.

Judge Michael Carpenter, of the 75th District Court, has not seen any movement on Kern paying his fines, not seeing any new payments made since the last court hearing. Wolney said there was a payment made in August, but said he is not privy to the amount paid.

Kerns virtual appearance went against Carpenters orders from the last hearing, when he told Kern that he had to appear in person. Kern wrote a letter to Wolney asking to be excused from being there in person due to anxiety. Carpenter did not grant him this.

The 142,500-square-foot property has sat condemned since 2018. The city filed a lawsuit against Kern in 2020 after a long period of little action from the owner to tear down the structure located at 1500 W. Wackerly St.

Kern was jailed for civil contempt by Carpenter on Aug. 2 due to not having two-thirds of the building torn down by the start of that days hearing. Kern initially could not leave Midland County following his release from jail, but he was allowed to return to his home state of California after an Aug. 16 hearing.

Kerns next hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18. Carpenter said if Kern does not appear in court in person again, he will once again find him in contempt of court. He also asked Battaglia to close fencing openings on the property.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP)  A judge set a March 8 trial for five men accused of planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker set the new date Monday after defense lawyers seeking more time to prepare asked him to postpone an October trial. Federal prosecutors didn't object last week.

The government said the five men were upset over coronavirus restrictions when they conspired to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat, even scouting her second home in northern Michigan. Theyve pleaded not guilty and claim to be victims of entrapment.

The five have been in custody for nearly a year.

A sixth man, Ty Garbin, pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to slightly more than six years in prison. Hes expected to be a major witness for the government at trial.
The Midland County Veterans Area Honor Guard will have a warm fall season, thanks to a grant agreement with a local charity.

The Midland Area Community Foundation recently encouraged the Midland County Veterans Area Honor Guard to apply for a $10,000 grant for new seasonal uniforms.

Now, $10,000 will be used to purchase jackets, gloves and ear protection against noise and cold weather.

This funding was approved during the Midland County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Also Tuesday, the Community Mental Health for Central Michigan (CMHCM) presented its annual update to commissioners, highlighting its impact throughout a challenging year.

Last year, 436 families regionally received home-based services from CMHCM. Thats according to the groups 2020 annual report.

CMHCM served 10,140 total residents of Midland, Gladwin, Isabella, Clare, Mecosta, Osceola counties in 2020.

Midland County residents made up the largest county receiving services the year prior, with just under 3,000 of individuals accessing mental health programs and services. Isabella County followed with just over 2,000 individuals.

Presenters, John Obermesik and Deana Mason with CMHCM, added that 2020 brought additional needs, citing a public health crisis and a local flooding event. Executive Director Obermesik said 2,870 crisis contacts were handled.

Thats a 55% increase over the prior year, which is an indication of the issues that people are wrestling with over the pandemic and also the (May 2020) flood.

CMHCM provides various mental health services to its six-countywide service area. Home-based services, like many of the services within the umbrella of mental health, are designed individually for each person or family.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners also approved an annual Tax Rate Request form with the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Form 1614, more commonly known as L-4029, is mandatory to file with the state  the county files this form to approve millages each year on or before the end of September. A version of this form was approved in June, which the state confirmed Midland County properly considered and levied summer tax statements.

The state-issued form reports the results of rollback calculations and serves as a certification of compliance. The board approved the form Tuesday that includes millages to be levied on the winter tax statements.

Commissioners also approved Midland County Township Officials' Association (MCTOA) appointment of Kevin Wray, who currently serves on the EMS board, to the Central Dispatch Authority Administrative Policy Board for a first term.

Wrays appointment will replace Richard Dougherty whos term has expired. It comes from a MCTOA meeting which took place on Thursday, Sept. 16, where Mark Trinklein was appointed to Central Dispatchs board as well.

Trinkleins appointment comes as a renewal, as he has been on the board for about 10 years.

According to a public letter, the Midland County Veterans Office will manage the Midland County Veterans Area Honor Guard grant monies from the Midland Area Community Foundation.

Home-based services, according to CMHCM, are provided at a family home or in a community setting for children and families.

The next county board meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5 in the County Services Building, located at 220 West Ellsworth St. in Midland.
DEL RIO, Texas (AP)  Many Haitian migrants camped in a small Texas border town are being released in the United States, two U.S. officials said Tuesday, undercutting the Biden administration's public statements that the thousands in the camp faced immediate expulsion.

Haitians have been freed on a very, very large scale in recent days, according to one U.S. official with direct knowledge of operations. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter and thus spoke on condition of anonymity, put the figure in the thousands.

Many have been released with notices to appear at an immigration office within 60 days, an outcome that requires less processing time from Border Patrol agents than ordering an appearance in immigration court and points to the speed at which authorities are moving, the official said.

The Homeland Security Department has been busing Haitians from Del Rio to El Paso, Laredo and Rio Grande Valley along the Texas border, and this week added flights to Tucson, Arizona, the official said. They are processed by the Border Patrol at those locations.

A second U.S. official, also with direct knowledge and speaking on the condition of anonymity, said large numbers of Haitians were being processed under immigration laws and not being placed on expulsion flights to Haiti that started Sunday. The official couldn't be more specific about how many.

U.S. authorities scrambled in recent days for buses to Tucson but resorted to flights when they couldnt find enough transportation contractors. Coast Guard planes took Haitians from Del Rio to El Paso.

The releases in the U.S. were occurring despite a massive effort to expel Haitians on flights to Haiti under pandemic-related authority that denies migrants an opportunity to seek asylum. A third U.S. official not authorized to discuss operations said there were seven daily flights to Haiti planned starting Wednesday.

Accounts of wide-scale releases - some observed at the Del Rio bus station by Associated Press journalists - are at odds with statements a day earlier by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who traveled to Del Rio to promise swift action.

If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned, your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life, he said at a Monday news conference.

Homeland Security, asked to comment on releases in the United States, said Wednesday that migrants who are not immediately expelled to Haiti may be detained or released with a notice to appear in immigration court or report to an immigration office, depending on available custody space. The department declined to say how many have been released.

The Biden Administration has reiterated that our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey, the department said in a statement. Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion. Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities and to the lives of migrants themselves, and should not be attempted.

The releases come amid a quick effort to empty the camp under a bridge that, according to some estimates, held more than 14,000 people over the weekend in a town of 35,000 people. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, during a visit Tuesday to Del Rio, said the countys top official told him the most recent tally at the camp was about 8,600 migrants.

The criteria for deciding who is flown to Haiti and who is released in the U.S. was unclear, but two U.S. officials said single adults were the priority for expulsion flights.

Meanwhile, Mexico has begun busing and flying Haitian migrants away from the U.S. border, authorities said Tuesday, signaling a new level of support for the United States as the camp presented President Joe Biden with a humanitarian and increasingly political challenge.

The White House is facing sharp bipartisan condemnation. Republicans say Biden administration policies led Haitians to believe they would get asylum. Democrats are expressing outrage after images went viral this week of Border Patrol agents on horseback using aggressive tactics against the migrants.

Mexico has helped at key moments before. It intensified patrols to stop unaccompanied Central American children from reaching the Texas border in 2014, allowed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration courts in 2019 and, just last month, began deporting Central American migrants to Guatemala after the Biden administration flew them to southern Mexico.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexicos foreign relations secretary, said Tuesday he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, about the Haitians situation. Ebrard said most of the Haitians already had refugee status in Chile or Brazil and werent seeking it in Mexico.

What they are asking for is to be allowed to pass freely through Mexico to the United States, Ebrard said.

Two Mexican federal officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed Mexico's actions.

One of the officials said three busloads of migrants left Acuna on Tuesday morning for Piedras Negras, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) down the border, where they boarded a flight to the southern city of Villahermosa in the state of Tabasco.

The other official said there was a flight Monday from the northern city of Monterrey to the southern city of Tapachula near the Guatemala border. Tapachula is home to the largest immigrant detention center in Latin America. The flight carried about 100 migrants who had been picked up around the bus station in Monterrey, a hub for various routes north to the U.S. border.

The second official said the plan was to move to Tapachula all Haitians who already solicited asylum in Mexico.

The Haitian migrants who are already in Mexicos detention centers and have not requested asylum will be the first to be flown directly to Haiti once Mexico begins those flights, according to the official.

Around Ciudad Acuna, Mexican authorities were stepping up efforts to move migrants away from the border. There were detentions overnight by immigration agents and raids on hotels known to house migrants.

All of a sudden they knocked on the door and (yelled) immigration, police, as if they were looking for drug traffickers, said Freddy Registre, a 37-year-old Venezuelan staying at one hotel with his Haitian wife, Vedette Dollard. The couple was surprised at midnight.

Authorities took four people plus others who were outside the hotel, he said. They took our telephones to investigate and took us to the immigration offices, took our photos, Registre said. They were held overnight but finally were given their phones back and released. Authorities gave them two options: leave Mexico or return to Tapachula.

On Tuesday afternoon, they decided to leave town. They bought tickets for a bus ride to the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, planning to continue to Tapachula where they had already applied for asylum.

Others left without being told. Small groups arrived at Ciudad Acunas bus station to buy tickets to Veracruz, Monterrey and Mexico City. The same bus lines prohibited from selling them tickets for rides north through Mexico, sold them tickets to head south without issue.

In Haiti, dozens of migrants upset about being deported from the U.S. tried to rush back into a plane that landed Tuesday afternoon in Port-au-Prince as they yelled at authorities. A security guard closed the plane door in time as some deportees began throwing rocks and shoes at the plane. Several of them lost their belongings in the scuffle as police arrived. The group was disembarking from one of three flights scheduled for the day.

___

Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson in Mexico City, Felix Marquez in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Evens Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Michael Balsamo in Washington, Michael R. Sisak in New York and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, also contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
As a teacher, Jason Milligan understands the education field is naturally more scrutinized than many other lines of work.

After all, every adult has attended school and has memories and expectations of what the school experience should be.

"Theres a relatability to school because everyone went through school. And theres expectations of what teachers should and shouldnt do," noted Milligan, who has taught mathematics for five years at Bullock Creek High School and nine years overall. "I dont think thats right or wrong, thats just how we are (as a society)."

Milligan, who teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, gets great satisfaction when students give him feedback about whether they are understanding a concept.

He said one of his students a couple of years ago served as a bellwether for the rest of the class. If this student couldn't grasp the material, it was quite apparent because he got frustrated and stopped trying.

"That was my cue. He was kind of my litmus test: 'Are we good or do we need to pause for a second?'" Milligan said. "So I really enjoy those moments where I get a good read on, 'Are we understanding (the subject)?'"

Along that line, every one of Milligan's students has a dry erase board and marker at the ready, something that seems to help both teacher and students.

"That gives me the opportunity to walk around the room and see what the students thinking processes are. Then I can go back up to the front and say, 'This is what I saw,'" he explained. "The kids love working with dry erase markers. They're so easy to wipe off."

His path to teaching

Milligan grew up in Plainfield, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, where several of his teachers encouraged him to go into education.

While studying at Purdue University, he had the opportunity to observe middle school math classes in the Chicago Public Schools before student teaching and serving as a long-term substitute at an alternative school, Options Charter School in Carmel, Indiana.

"These were kids (for whom) the public school wasnt working. It was the type of place where teachers, principals went by their first names," Milligan explained. "I was 'Jason,' not 'Mr. Milligan.' So when I got my first teaching job, going by Mr. Milligan was a little different."

Milligan met his wife, Stephanie, at Purdue, and after marrying in 2015, they moved to Midland, where she works as an engineer for Corteva Agriscience. Milligan taught at Saginaw High School for two years before being hired at Bullock Creek in 2017.

'Creating a classroom culture'

As every teacher knows, the first few weeks of a school year set the tone for the rest of the year.

"The first couple weeks are wild because all day Im spending an hour with people whose names I dont really know. They're essentially a bunch of strangers," Milligan noted. "We have to work towards creating a classroom culture where learning can happen. We're learning to trust each other with, 'Can I just call on you randomly with a question in class?' Can we create a classroom culture where we can be a little vulnerable and brave and put ourselves out there? ... There's no saying, 'Youre stupid' because you made a mistake."

By extension, the culture of the school at large also contributes greatly toward a good working environment, Milligan said.

"I think teaching is at the same time very rewarding and very challenging," he said. "I know that at times it can seem like maybe not the best work environment. But just like any job, once you find the right job with the right people, it can be a great place to work.

"We have a really good building culture (at Bullock Creek High School). Just like with any job, if you find a school with a good workplace culture, you'll probably enjoy working there."

In addition to teaching, Milligan serves as the freshman class co-advisor along with colleague Spencer Korson. They've been helping the students decorate the freshman hallway for homecoming, which is this coming weekend.

Milligan and his wife Stephanie have a 2-year-old son named Alec, and they are expecting a daughter in January.
A sometimes raucous group of speakers hurled invective and accusations at members of the Midland Public Schools Board of Education Monday night, as tempers flared over the district's mask mandate for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

"Your sins and these crimes will not go unpunished," said Wendy Brand, claiming that the mask policy is "unconstitutional" and "blatant child abuse." She even questioned whether the COVID virus really exists.

The three-hour meeting at Central Auditorium drew about 200 people.

Rob Johnston brought to the podium several masks and read their package disclaimers that they weren't intended to stop viruses, and stated a theme that would run through several speakers' comments.

"It should be the parents' choice," he said.

However, another speaker said her son was part of an outbreak at Adams Elementary School, and that only three of his classmates wore masks. She raised concerns about children with health vulnerabilities who might get COVID from unmasked fellow students.

Some speakers objected to COVID testing because of a particular problematic test that resulted in numerous false positives. MPS does not use that test, Superintendent Michael Sharrow said later in the meeting.

The board and Sharrow were accused by Mark Stewart of "a complete lack of transparency," while another speaker suggested that the board abandon its long-standing practice of receiving comments but not responding directly to speakers at board meetings.

However, Board Treasurer Jon Lauderbach said later that his understanding of the state's Open Meetings Act is that such give-and-take  essentially deliberation  would violate the law. Elected bodies such as school boards are required to post an agenda before a meeting, and taking up or acting on items not on the agenda would deprive those not in attendance of a voice in those matters.

There were 21 speakers during the public comment period, all but a handful of whom had anti-mask opinions. The school district's total enrollment is 7,798 students.

Mask mandates in public schools have been a hot topic all over the state. A statewide poll released Monday by the Detroit Regional Chamber found that about half of respondents believe a public entity such as state government or the local health department or school district should make the decision on masking in schools. Some 37.5% said parents should make the decision.

The public comment section came after a panel of four local physicians  all wearing masks  provided information and recommendations for protecting the health of children.

Pediatrician Adam Hamilton, of MidMichigan Health, noted that he and other local pediatricians are "responsible for the care of thousands of children in Midland County." He said the community should use "every tool at our disposal" to fight COVID-19, including vaccines, masks, social distancing and quarantining.

Paul Berg, president of MidMichigan Physicians Group, highlighted local COVID statistics, and said Midland County is currently in a "third wave" of the pandemic. He said there are about 30-40 new cases per day, and that the current wave is largely due to the more contagious delta variant of the virus.

Infectious disease specialist Courtney Pearson pointed out the deadly effect of the vast amount of misinformation and disinformation about COVID and masks.

"Misinformation ... is certainly proliferating in this pandemic  and costing lives," she said. "These clickbait articles are very difficult to interpret."

She said well-regarded U.S. medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend universal masking in schools as among the "safe and effective" ways to contain COVID.

Michael Elftman, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at Central Michigan University, explained how COVID vaccines work, adding that the vaccines "are both safe and effective."

As the panelists left the stage, some in the crowd started yelling and shouting, demanding that the doctors answer their questions. One audience member yelled about Elftman wearing a "face diaper," which prompted Treasurer Lauderbach to scold some audience members for their behavior.

In other business, MPS received the highest possible rating on its annual audit from accounting firm Yeo and Yeo. The firm's Jessica Rolfe said Yeo and Yeo's unmodified opinion was the "highest level of assurance" and that the district's accounting of revenues and expenditures for the year ended June 30 was "free from material misstatement."

Rolfe noted the district's fund balance grew to $28.9 million, up $4.4 million over the previous year, in part because of increased federal funding related to the COVID pandemic.

The board also voted to make a revision to the previously approved summer tax resolution that will mean a reduction in local taxes for some residents. Associate Superintendent Brian Brutyn explained the final version of the state education budget altered the long-established formula for how much localities can raise to augment state education funding through the "hold harmless" millage.

The City of Midland has yet to determine how those adjustments will be made, Brutyn said.

Also during Monday's meeting, Sharrow's monthly "Shining Star" award went to the MPS Transportation Department for its quick response to the tornado warning that was issued just as buses were leaving school on Sept. 7. Members of the department were praised for their "quick thinking, cool heads and empathetic hearts." All students made it home safely that day.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The retired conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice leading a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 presidential election released a video Monday threatening to subpoena election officials who don't comply and saying the intent was not to overturn President Joe Biden's narrow victory in the battleground state.

The unusual six-minute video from Michael Gableman comes after election clerks were confused by an email his office sent last week that was flagged in at multiple counties as junk, a possible security risk and not forwarded to municipal clerks as he wanted.

Gableman said Monday that if the state's 1,900-plus municipal and county election officials did not cooperate with his investigation, he would compel them to comply. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said he would sign subpoenas requested by Gableman as part of the investigation. Vos hired Gableman at a cost of nearly $680,000 in taxpayer money to conduct the investigation.

Vos declined to sign subpoenas sought by Rep. Janel Bandtjen, chair of the Assembly elections committee, seeking ballots, voting machines and other data in Milwaukee and Brown counties.

Gableman said local clerks who run elections in Wisconsin will be required to prove that voting was done legally.

The responsibility to demonstrate that our elections were conducted with fairness, inclusivity and accountability is on the government and on the private, for-profit interests that did work for the government, Gableman said. The burden is not on the people to show in advance of an investigation that public officials and their contractors behaved dishonestly.

Gableman, in his video where he appears to be standing in front of an image of the state Capitol, said his intent was not to challenge the results of the 2020 election that Biden won in Wisconsin by nearly 21,000 votes over former President Donald Trump. Some Republicans have called for a broader audit and said they believe there was widespread fraud, despite no evidence of that. Only two people out of about 3.3 million people who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud.

Those pushing for an audit similar to one done in Arizona's Maricopa County have pushed the false claim that the election was stolen from Trump.

Gableman addressed the call from former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Brandtjen and others for a forensic audit.

It's important to note that the term forensic audit is a confusing one, and its confusing because it has no commonly accepted definition, Gableman said. Rather, the definition of each forensic audit is created by those who control that audit. The Office of Special Counsel is conducting a full investigation in order to get to the truth of what happened in our 2020 election.

Gableman said that investigation may include a vigorous and comprehensive audit if the facts that are discovered justify such a course of action. He said his goal was to put everything I know and everything I learned before you, the citizen, so that you can make up your own mind. "

Gablaman told a group of Trump supporters in November that he thought the election was stolen. A former Trump official a ppears to be working on the investigation. Gableman has not said who he has hired or submitted any invoices seeking payment yet.

Gablemans investigation has already drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier, chair of the Senate elections committee, earlier this month, said there is not a reason to spread misinformation about this past election when we have all the evidence that shows otherwise.

Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, said in a statement that Vos and Gableman were wasting taxpayer funds to serve the political interests of a small group of Republican insiders who want to erode the freedom to vote. Its a sham, a waste of time and money, and its damaging our democracy.

A review by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau, ordered by Republicans, is also ongoing.

Gableman promised to provide updates in a logical and responsible method as appropriate, including additional videos.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin.

Wednesday, Sept. 15

11:41 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to speak with a 39-year-old female regarding her being harassed on Facebook Messenger. Deputies advised the female to block the other user so they can no longer message her.

11:02 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Larkin Township location regarding a traffic hazard. A reported blue heron was standing in the roadway and the caller was concerned the bird was injured. Deputies located the bird on the side of the roadway. The bird was uninjured and fled into the ditch when deputies approached it.

10:41 p.m.  Deputies responded to a report of a domestic assault at Black Creek campground between a 42-year-old male and a 50-year-old female. Deputies arrested the 42-year-old male for domestic assault, and a report was turned over the Midland Prosecuting Attorneys Office.

7:35 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Claremont Street by Birchwood Pointe Condos.

7:15 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of East Lyon Road and Jefferson Avenue.

7:07 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of Airfield Lane and Washington Street.

4:39 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to the area of West Isabella Road near South Coleman Road for the report of a white Chevrolet SUV being driven recklessly. The deputy checked the area, but the Chevrolet was not found.

2:54 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of North Saginaw Road and Wellness Drive.

2:43 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of North Saginaw Road and Wellness Drive.

1:43 p.m.  A deputy and Michigan State Police were sent to an Ingersoll Township location for a third-party report of a suicidal subject. Deputy was told by a Michigan State Police trooper that help was no longer needed. The trooper advised that the female was now in Coleman. Coleman Police Department then handled the call.

11:59 a.m.  A report was received of a stolen Dodge Durango at a Larkin Township residence. This was coming from Sirius XM. The address/area was checked, but the vehicle was not located.

9:52 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to an Ingersoll Township address. A repossession company called after a subject jumped into a vehicle the company was repossessing and refused to get out. Prior to the deputies' arrival, the subject exited the vehicle and the deputies were told by the repossession company that help was no longer needed.

9:25 a.m.  Southfield Police Department requested a deputy check an area in Larkin Township for a green 2021 Dodge Durango that was reported stolen on September 11, 2021. The deputy checked the area and spoke with a resident. The vehicle was not located.

8;39 a.m.  Officers responded to a vehicle crash on Jefferson Avenue.

1:33 a.m.  Deputies conducted a traffic stop at a Greendale Township location and talked to the 33-year-old male driver. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the male did not have a valid drivers license. The male was cited for DWLS and was given a warning for speed. A report is being sent to the Prosecuting Attorneys Office.

Tuesday, Sept. 14

11:46 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Larkin Township location regarding a 27-year-old male stating there was a rough section of road. Deputies checked the area, which was marked with traffic cones.

11:20 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township location regarding a vehicle parked in the roadway being a traffic hazard. Deputies located the traffic hazard and had the owner remove it from the roadway.

9:37 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to an Ingersoll Township adult foster care home regarding a 19-year-old male who was harming himself and threatening staff. Deputies contacted the male and transported him to MidMichigan Medical Center without incident. A mental health petition was completed by an AFC Home caretaker.

7:20 p.m.  Officers responded to vehicle crash on Eastman Avenue.

6:55 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lee Township location for reports of a reckless driver. The complainant, a 49-year-old Lee Township female, said her son, a 29-year-old Beaverton male, left her residence upset and drove erratically down the street, almost hitting two parked cars. The female advised her son left the area in an unknown direction.

4:58 p.m.  A vehicle's muffler was cut off of the vehicle while it was parked at a park-and-ride in Jerome Township. The muffler is valued at $400 to replace. There are no suspects at this time.

2:37 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 71-year-old Ingersoll Township female via telephone who wanted to report her garbage can was stolen. The female estimates the value of the garbage can at $65.

2:22 p.m.  A 30-year-old Saginaw female was cited for speeding and no insurance after a traffic stop in Lee Township. The female was able to obtain insurance and drove the vehicle away.

2:15 p.m.  Officers responded to a domestic assault on West Wackerly Street.

12:23 p.m.  A 42-year-old Flint man was cited for no insurance after a traffic stop in Lincoln Township for an expired plate. The driver was able to obtain insurance and drove the vehicle away from the scene.

12:16 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to the area of North Coleman Road near West Shearer Road for the report of a two-vehicle traffic crash.

12:07 p.m.  An 18-year-old Mount Pleasant female was found to be driving while unlicensed after a traffic stop in Greendale Township.

11:23 a.m.  Officers responded to a case of larceny on Laurel Lane.

11:12 a.m.  Sheriff's Office personnel assisted the Midland Police Department in looking for a male juvenile that had left a middle school. The male was not located at that time.

10:37 a.m.  A deputy spoke with a Larkin Township female who advised her landlord had turned off the power to the residence. The complainant was referred to the courts for further assistance with her civil complaint.

7:45 a.m.  Officers responded to a three-vehicle crash in the area of South Saginaw Road and East Patrick Road.

4:05 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Warren Township location regarding a verbal dispute between a 58-year-old male and a 23-year-old female. Deputies contacted the male, who stated he had been threatened by the unknown female in an alley. The male was very intoxicated and had trouble recalling the details of the complaint. The female advised that there was never an assault and no gun was brandished at the scene.
Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Authorities in Sudan have arrested dozens of senior army officers after an attempted coup failed on Tuesday, but the search is underway to nab more suspects and secure the military positions
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has discussed with the African Union Commission (AUC) the mechanism of payment of its overdue contributions to the continental organisation
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Najla al-Mangouch, on Monday participated in a consultative meeting convened by Kuwait for Arab foreign ministers participating in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, to coordinating their views during the work of this session of the world body
Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Monday described the rate of deaths in road accidents in the country as alarming and called on all road users to adhere to road traffic rules and regulations to ensure their safety and prevent death and injuries
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The United Kingdom (UK) government will on Wednesday launch the Skills for Prosperity Nigeria (S4P-N) programme aimed at equipping youths and vulnerable groups with skills that offer them a more attractive pathway to employment, an official source said here Tuesday
SCGP Announces Plans to Build New Packaging Paper Production Base in Northern Vietnam

Sept. 21, 2021 - Thailand-based SCGP announced that it is moving ahead with an expansion plan to build a new production complex in Vinh Phuc in northern Vietnam for the production of packaging paper.

The total investment amounts to 8,133 billion VND (approx. US$353,500.00).

In a press release, SCGP said, "In order to grow alongside other industries inside Vietnam and to meet increasing demands for packaging products, SCGP has decided to expand through Vina Kraft Paper by building a new major complex in Vinh Phuc  a strategically important area in the northern part of the country, as well as adding packaging paper production facilities to boost capacity by about 370,000 tons a year.

SCGP said the investment is currently under Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and expects the plan to be completed and commercial production to begin in early 2024.

SCGP noted that Vietnam has strong domestic consumption and is an important export base in the region, a big draw for multinational companies to invest their operations there, especially to the northern part of the country. The demand of packaging paper and related packaging products in Vietnam is expected to increase at approximately 6-7% per year during 2021-2024 (source: Frost & Sullivan).

Mr. Wichan Jitpukdee, Chief Executive Officer, SCGP, commented, "Driven by SCGP's existing business model in Vietnam that consists of broad horizontal offerings and deep vertical integration primarily located in the south of Vietnam, our new investment in this production complex will allow us to pursue growth opportunities in the north of Vietnam and the south of China. This new strategic complex will enable potential synergies among SCGP's various businesses in terms of production efficiency and development of integrated packaging solutions, and help us meet the increasing demands for packaging products in the region."

SOURCE: SCGP
Photo: (Photo : Photo by Spencer Davis from Pexels)

The concept of dual citizenship is alluring for Americans, and thousands look for a second passport every year. Italy is one of the most popular second passport destinations because it opens you up to immense benefits. You get access to one of the best healthcare and education systems in the world. Further, you can travel visa-free in the EU and relish a slice of the famous European culture. Even better, you pass on your citizenship to the next generations.

When everything about Italy as a future home for your family sounds exciting, you will want to know your immigration options. Fortunately, Italy offers different routes for aspiring immigrants. While a great informational page is provided by these Italian Citizenship Lawyers, knowing the facts briefly can give you a good start. We have a short guide on the various ways to apply for Italian dual citizenship. Here are the three popular routes you can explore.

Citizenship by descent

Citizenship by descent or Jure Sanguinis lets you claim the right by your bloodline. It is perhaps the fastest and easiest route to get in, making it ideal for people tracing their roots back in Italy. You can apply through your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and even great-great-grandparents. But before going ahead, you must understand your eligibility based on your ancestral lineage. The male bloodline can transfer citizenship to any number of generations from 17 March 1861. However, the female bloodline can transfer it only to children born after 1948. However, you can still claim through a female ancestor via a judicial process known as the 1948 Rule.

The Jure Sanguinis process requires you to obtain certified copies of documents that validate your ancestral connections in Italy. You need to locate them from the official records in the ancestor's hometown. Once you have the documents, you have to submit them along with an application to your local Italian consulate. The timelines of the process can extend from three months to three years. It depends on the waiting time at the consulate and the complexity of your case. Once you have your citizenship by descent, you can move to Italy with your family. The best thing is that the right automatically passes on to your next generations.

Citizenship by marriage

Another route that leads you to Italian citizenship is by marrying a citizen of the country. It automatically gives you the right to apply for citizenship by marriage. But you have to follow a timeline for eligibility. The qualifying periods vary depending on your current residence. Applicants residing in Italy can apply two years after marriage, while those living elsewhere have to wait for three years before applying. However, you can do it in half the time if you have biological or adopted children with your partner.

Apart from the time period, you also have to validate a B1 (intermediate) level of proficiency in Italian with a pass certificate from an accredited institution. A clean criminal record is also essential as an eligibility criterion. Further, your marriage must be viable throughout the application process. You need documentary evidence validating your marriage, criminal checks, and language tests to apply at your local consulate. Once the authorities review the documents, they grant you permission to enter Italy as a citizen.

Citizenship by naturalization

The longest route to obtain dual citizenship in Italy is by naturalization. But it is the only option you have if there are no ancestral roots or conjugal connection with the country. A non-EU citizen has to live in the country for at least ten years to be eligible for this route. Conversely, a citizen of an EU country can apply after four years of legal residency here. Someone with native-born parents or grandparents who renounced their citizenship in the past can apply after three years of residency.

If you plan to take this route to acquire Italian citizenship, the best bet is to enter the country via investment. The Golden Visa provides you with a legal residency by investing a minimum amount with an Italian business, startup, charitable institution, or government bonds. You get a two-year residency after the investment and can extend it until you reach the naturalization threshold. But remember that you will have to retain investment in the country as long as you want to reside here legally.

How can professional assistance make the journey easier?

While you can pick either of these routes to access Italian citizenship, things are more complicated than they sound. From determining your eligibility to gathering the paperwork and making it through the process, everything requires a good understanding of the law. Moreover, small details like your date of birth can make a difference to your eligibility. For example, the 1948 Rule hinges on the date your female ancestor gave birth as they cannot pass on the citizenship before the year.

It is best to get professional assistance to guide you through the entire steps of the journey. These experts ensure eligibility, completion of documents, the accuracy of details therein, and faster processing. Further, they can suggest the best route for you in case you qualify through two different routes. You can even rely on local experts to help you with the procurement of documents. They can be specifically helpful in obtaining dated documents from your ancestor's city. The best part is that you feel more confident about getting your second passport when you have an expert guiding you through the process.

Dual citizenship of Italy can be a golden ticket to a better life for your family. If you can secure this opportunity, you must do it sooner rather than later. Everything boils down to understanding your options and picking the one that works for you. You must have an expert showing you the way because they know all about the different routes and can suggest the one that works for you. They ensure you get your second passport without delays and hassles. While you have to pay for their services, the peace of mind they give is priceless.
Photo: (Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Small doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old have shown a safe and "robust" antibody response, according to new data released by the pharmaceutical company from its clinical trials.

Though the trial results have yet to undergo a peer review, Pfizer said it would soon file for an emergency use authorization (EUA) to get kids in this age group vaccinated finally. The drug company is confident that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will authorize the children's vaccine in a few weeks.

Scott Gottlieb, a member of the Pfizer board who once served as the head of the FDA, said that the vaccine could be available by end of October or early November as it will usually take the agency four to six weeks to review the results.

Read Also: Parents Fake Kids' Age for COVID-19 Vaccine Under 12 Years Old, Doctors Say It's Risky

Details of the Pfizer Vaccine Trial

Pfizer did a two-dose vaccination, spaced out for 21 days, among 2,268 participants aged 5 to 11. The doses were at 10 micrograms, smaller than the usual 30-microgram administered to the adults and kids above 12 years old.

According to the company's news release, a 10-microgram dose was determined to be safe and tolerable for the immunogenicity of the kids in the younger ages. The trial also compared the antibody levels in participants' blood to that of the control group for 16- to 25-year-old volunteers.

Pfizer said that the kids' results were comparable to the result among the adults, whose doses were slightly higher. The children in the trial developed a strong immune response one month after getting their second dose. The side effects were also "generally comparable" to the result of the older participants with no reports of myocarditis or heart inflammation, which has been linked to this type of COVID-19 vaccine.

The news comes as parents have been anxious to get their school-age kids vaccinated against the deadly virus as the Delta variant continues to affect school activities in the new school year. As of September 9, COVID cases in children have risen to 243,000, alarming even the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Eligibility for 28 Million Kids

In August, a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that more than a quarter of parents of younger kids are eager to have the vaccination right away, once it's authorized. However, despite the pressing need, health officials in the U.S. have been cautious about its risk to smaller and younger individuals. Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA said that nobody wants the children to develop adverse effects; thus, the trials have to be done right and properly reviewed.

Once approved, about 28 million children in the U.S. between 5 to 11 years old will be eligible for vaccination. This is about nine percent of the general population.

Currently, the age of eligibility for vaccination covers 85 percent of the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 63.8 percent have had their first doses, while 54.6 percent are fully vaccinated. From these numbers, 46 percent of adolescent kids (12 to 17 years old) are fully vaccinated.

Related Article: Cuba Approves COVID-19 Vaccinations for Toddlers; Chile Authorizes Sinovac for Ages 6 and Above
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
NOTE: Before starting our report, I wanted to point out that our category archives have been updated to now include the new category titled " Rumors from Ming-Chi Kuo." There are 13 reports in this category as of today and we'll separate Kuo's rumors going forward from our traditional "Supply Chain News and & Rumors" category.

Now that the iPhone 13 is on the market, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with some insights on iPhone 13 while looking ahead to 2022-2023.

Firstly, the pre-order performance of the iPhone 13 series is higher than that of the iPhone 12 series, but it is in line with market expectations.

According to analysts, the pre-order demand for iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max models is significantly better than the other two models, which is consistent with the behavior of Apple's core fans, high-end users, and those with gift-giving needs.

Guo Mingchi also stated that the duration of the iPhone 13 Pro/Max supply shortage may be shorter than that of the iPhone 12 Pro/Max. Last year, the iPhone 12 Pro series of telephoto cameras were short of supply, causing the waiting time for the two phones to exceed 3 months at most. Apple adjusted the supply proportion of the iPhone 13 Pro series to 45-50%, compared with 35-40% last year. This move is in line with market performance. It is expected that the supply of the two new phones will be stable.

For the iPhone 14, Kuo is of the belief that Apple will eliminate the TrueDepth camera notch with a punch-hole design with the Face ID cameras under the display. That move is still a big if, and we'll have to wait for more details leaking in 2022 to confirm if this is reality or a circular rumor.

Guo Mingchi is also predicted that the 2023 iPhone will support under-screen fingerprint technology.

Lastly, Kuo believes that Apple's first iPhone with a foldable display is expected to be launched in 2024. If true, that would be three years after Google's Pixel Fold (which is to be released this fall) and five years after Samsung's original Galaxy Z Fold.

Update 9/21/21 10: 59 a.m.: In the English report there seems to be an additional remark: " In respect to delaying both an under-display fingerprint sensor and a foldable iPhone, Kuo added that "We believe this will hurt iPhone shipments in 2022 and 2023."

Second Update. The English version added: "Hardware selling points for 2022 iPhones include 1) a new iPhone SE with 5G support (1H22), 2) a new and more affordable 6.7" iPhone (2H22), and 3) two new high-end models equipped with a punch- hole display (replacing the notch area design) and a 48MP wide camera (2H22)."
The MD of Bank of Africa, Kobby Andah, has said the implementation of a common currency and digitalizing trade will go a long way to make the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) a success.



Speaking at the 5th Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference under the theme, Facilitating Trade and Trade-Finance in AfCFTA; The Role of the Financial Services Sector, he said the financial sector has a key role to play in the effective and seamless implementation of AfCFTA.



He believed a common currency will help deal with the exchange rate differences in the member countries which will ultimately help reduce transaction costs for cross-border businesses.



The digitalization of trade will improve cash flow, reduce the cost in engaging in international trade, aid in bringing all business together without time barriers and allow businesses reach more customers across the continent with ease, he said.



Therefore, he said, AfCFTA should not only center on custom policies and procedures and the harmonization of tariffs.



Andah encouraged banks to provide funding to support local businesses to increase their production to be able to fully benefit from the AfCFTA. According to him, with enough funding, local businesses will have the capacity to increase and diversify production to compete across borders which will be a major boost for the African economy.



He further called for discussions to be held on the onboarding of the informal sector such as SMEs and marginalized groups such as women entrepreneurs into AfCFTA. These groups, when monitored and managed effectively, can help in the growth of the local economies through the payment of taxes and provision of job opportunities thereby reducing the unemployment rate on the continent.



Also present at the conference was the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who urged member states of the African Union to institute complementary measures for the successful implementation of AfCFTA.



He reiterated the governments commitment to the operationalization of AfCFTA and to fast-track massive transformation for inclusive economic growth and development.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
There has been a decline in daily COVID-19 infections and cumulative active cases in the country.

From over 8,000 cases at the height of the current wave, which started in mid-July, this year, active cases had reduced to 4,358 as of Friday, September 16, 2021.



Cumulatively, the country has recorded 124,404 cases of the virus, with 1,111 deaths.



Reacting to this development in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Friday, the Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, attributed the decline in new infections and the overall national burden to, among others, the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to some hotspot regions.



Some of the interventions put in place to control the virus, such as contact tracing, case management, surveillance and risk communication, adherence to the protocols, especially at the workplace, and the vaccination exercise were scaled-up.



We were doing well until the new Delta variant, which spreads faster, set in because our adherence to the protocols dropped to about five per cent, he said.



According to the minister, anytime there was a reduction in the number of cases, people usually let down their guard on adherence to the preventive protocols, thereby eroding the gains made.



Mr. Agyeman-Manu, therefore, appealed to the public, including those who had been vaccinated, to adhere strictly to the preventive protocols, such as face masking, social distancing and hand hygiene, at all times.



The government is looking forward to zero new infections on a daily basis for about six months. That is when those of us at the forefront will heave sighs of relief, he added.



Herd immunity



The minister said the countrys target of reaching at least a 60 per cent herd immunity by vaccinating 20 million of its population by the close of this year was on course.



He said overall, the country had received a little over 3.2 million vaccines since February 2021, adding: We have stocks close to two million yet to be deployed as we make the effort to scale up.



According to Mr. Agyeman-Manu, the use of vaccines had been identified as one of the major complementary measures to curb the spread of the virus.



He, however, said the vaccines would make the maximum impact if they were complemented with other approved safety protocols.



Background



Ghanas target is to reach herd immunity by vaccinating at least 20 million out of the current estimated 30 million people, as announced by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his 23rd and 24th presidential addresses to the nation on COVID-19.



In those addresses, he also assured the public that the vaccines that were being deployed in the country were effective and safe.



In line with that, the government began the vaccination exercise on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 as part of measures to stop the spread of the virus.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
At least eight people have been killed after a student opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm, according to the national Investigative Committee law enforcement agency.



The suspect was detained shortly after launching the attack on Monday morning at Perm State University, which is about 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) east of the capital, Moscow.



Russias Investigative Committee said the shooter had been identified as a student at the university. It has opened a murder probe into the incident.



Local media footage showed students fleeing the attack, with some seen jumping from first-floor windows to escape the university, landing heavily on the ground before running to safety.











Read Full Story .... aljazeera.com >>> :









Source: Aljazeera









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has called on Ghanaians to rise above partisan politics and seek the development of the nation as the country marks Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day today.



According to the party, entrenched partisanship in the governance architecture was leading Ghana nowhere and so it was time the nation first attitude was adopted to spur development.



In an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday on the significance of the day, the General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Jantuah, said Dr Nkrumah stood for development in unity, something the current generation of politicians and Ghanaians at large must learn from.



Big dream



Nana Jantuah said the first President had a big dream to fully industrialize the nation, but the forces of destruction truncated his administration.





She further indicated that it would be impossible for anybody to change the history of the nation, especially how it was founded.



Activities



The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and honour the countrys first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.



Today is a big day for the CPP, the party Dr Nkrumah founded in 1949.



A symposium to mark the day will be held at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Guest House in Accra on the theme: Relevance of Nkrumaism in addressing the socio-economic challenges of Ghana today.



Speakers at the symposium include Mr Kosi Dedey, the Chairman of CPP Research Committee; Mr Ekow Duncan, a leading member of the CPP, and Mr Bernard Mornah, former Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC).



Today is a statutory public holiday following the passage of the Public Holiday Amendment Bill into law in March 2019.



History



Dr Nkrumah became the leader of government business in 1951 after leading the CPP to victory to form a government, a process which eventually led the Gold Coast to independence from British rule in 1957.



He also played a key role in the formation of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU).



As the leader of the country, Dr Nkrumah led massive socio-economic development that resulted in a number of infrastructural projects, including the construction of the Akosombo Dam, the Tema Motorway, among other projects.



Profile



Dr Nkrumah was born at Nkroful in the Western Region on September 21, 1909.





He attended Achimota School and also trained as a teacher. He went to the United States in 1935 for advanced studies, receiving a B.A. degree from the Lincoln University in 1939.



He also received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1942, a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942 and a Master of Arts in Philosophy the following year.



While lecturing in Political Science at Lincoln, Dr Nkrumah was elected President of the African Students Organisation of America and Canada.



He continued his schooling in England, where he helped to organise the fifth Pan-African Congress in 1945.



He then founded the West African National Secretariat to work for the decolonization of Africa. Nkrumah also served as Vice-President of the West African Students Union (WASU).



During his lifetime, Nkrumah was awarded honorary doctorate degrees by the Lincoln University, the Moscow State University, the Cairo University, the Jagielloniaan University in Krakow, Poland and the Humboldt University in the former East Germany.



Formation of the CPP



On June 12, 1949, Dr Nkrumah led the formation of the CPP at Arena in Accra before a crowd of some 60,000.



He declared positive action on January 8, 1950 at a public meeting in Accra.



Three years imprisonment



Dr Nkrumah was arrested on January 21, 1950, tried for inciting an illegal strike and sedition for an article in the Cape Coast Daily Mail and sentenced to three years imprisonment.



Mr Gbedemah kept the party running and was in constant touch with Dr Nkrumah, who was held at the James Fort Prison, from where messages were smuggled out on toilet paper to the party headquarters.



While in prison, Dr Nkrumah led the CPP to achieve a stunning victory in the February 1951 election.



He was freed to form a government and he led the colony to independence in 1957.



As time passed, he was accused of being a dictator and also forming a one-party state in 1964, with himself as President for life, as well as actively promoting a cult of his own personality.



Overthrown by the military in 1966, he spent his last years in exile, dying in Bucharest, Romania, on April 27, 1972.

Source: graphic.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Local Government Minister, Dan Botwe together with the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah officially disclosed the long-awaited list of government nominees for the various Metro, Municipal, and District assemblies across the country.



The nomination of Mr. Philip Kwabena Boahen has however sparked the eulogizing of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by the youths in the Suaman-Dadieso district, for the credence imposed in Hon. Philip Kwabena Boahen, who is reckoned as a symbol of transformation and hope for the Suaman-Dadieso district.



Speaking on the nomination, a youth leader  Nicholas Mensah remarked, This appointment is accepted by all as the nominee has contributed consistently towards the development of the district. The nominee is competent and will serve the president and district well.



Recounting his track record, Hon. Philip Kwabena Boahen is said to have served the Suaman constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in varying capacities and also in other leadership portfolios, the Branch Organizer for GRASAG ILGS from 2014 - 2015. He was also a polling station Youth Organizer and the Constituency Treasurer in 2000-2004 and 2005-2009 respectively. In the 2012 parliamentary election, he contested as Parliamentary Candidate on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and furthered into the partys parliamentary primaries in 2014 but could not make a headway.



Despite his unsuccessful pursuits, Hon. Philip Kwabena Boahen is said to have remained resolved and committed to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), serving as the constituency's Director of Operations and Protocols for the 2020 general elections and Constituency Communication Officer from 2018 to date.



As a contribution to the customs of and traditions of Suaman, Hon. Philip continues to serve as a Counselor on the Suaman Traditional Council, providing his assistance to the advancement of the council's operations.



Hon. Philip Kwabena Boahen currently holds a Masters of Arts in Local Government Administration and Organization from the Institute of Local Government Studies. Additionally, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistic and Sociology from the prestigious University of Ghana, Legon. As a skilled business-minded person, he also holds a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Ghana Business School.



In an up-close with the nominee, Hon. Boahen expressed his unending gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for reposing such a level of confidence in him to extend his (the President's) transformational agenda to the Suaman-Dadieso district and to improve the lives of residents.



He said, when approved, will have three (3) key areas to focus on and improve. These he indicated will be the creation of employment opportunities, agriculture modernization, and the creation of a sustainable alternative livelihood besides cocoa farming.



Hon. Philip Kwabena Boahen further made a clarion call to all Assembly Members, Nananom, and other stakeholders to throw their weight behind him and join hands to put the Suaman district on a higher pedestal.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Classes have been suspended at the University of Liberia as a result of a strike by teaching staff.



They are locked in a dispute with management over salaries and other working conditions.



The crisis worsened on Monday when police tear-gassed students protesting against the absence of their teachers and poor sanitation.



The university's financial difficulties have worsened since President George Weah announced three years ago that tuition will be free.



But the government insists it has increased financial support to the university since then.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Mrs Nana Frimpomaa Akosua Sarpong Kumankumah, Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), has charged Ghanaian leaders to be committed to nation-building in every sphere they find themselves in.



She said every leadership position one occupied in the country had the potential in contributing to nation-building, adding that, each and every one of us should identify ourselves as a Nkrumah who is committed to nation-building in our dealings.



The CPP Chair made these remarks on the side-line of an event to commemorate the birthday of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanas first President.



The event organized by the CPP was on the theme Relevance of Nkrumahism in Addressing the Socio-Economic Challenges of Today.



Mrs Sarpong Kumankumah said leaders needed to reignite the spirit and zeal of selfless leadership towards the countrys socio-economic development.



She said the ideals of the former President dubbed Nkrumahism can only be materialized by the CPP, and not any other political party, not even those professing to be ideologically aligned to them.



She said they were committed to providing selfless leadership to meet the challenges of today, especially economic challenges and youth unemployment.



The CPP Chairperson reiterated that they were the only option to mitigate todays socio-economic and development challenges as they did in Ghanas first republic, from 1960 to 1966.



Professor Joshua Alabi, a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said they would support the CPP in uplifting the ideals of Nkrumah.



He said the NDC acknowledged the invaluable role the former President played in Ghanas independence struggle.



Prof. Alabi said the CPP needed to reposition itself to remain relevant and be a force to reckon with in the countrys contemporary political space.



Mr Bernard Mornah, former Chairperson of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), said Nkrumahism was more relevant today than it was yesteryears.



He said the current economic challenges pointed to the need for the ideals of Nkrumahism in meeting todays national development needs.



The Nkrumahism ideals include leadership of selflessness, unity and togetherness, and patriotism.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
NIGERIA: A prophetess, Edna Lovely Worleru, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment has died. She was sentenced last week Thursday, September 16, by a high court in Rivers State.



Two days after her sentence began, she died.

It was reported last week that Worleru, a prophetess with a church in Rumuche community in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers state, was sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing a "poisonous" substance for one Onyema Bright who asked her to make love potion for her to administer on a prophet name Isreal Georgewill who she had an interest in.



Unfortunately, Israel Georgewill, a prophet in another church in the community, died after the love potion was given to him.



The murder case was instituted in 2012 but Onyema Bright and Edna Worleru were sentenced to life imprisonment on September 16.



The state prosecution council, Chidi Ekeh, who confirmed the death of the prophetess on Monday, September 20, said she died last week Saturday, September 18, after a brief illness.



The lawyer added that the corpse of the deceased still remained the property of the Federal Government and may not be released to the family.

Source: LIB









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B) has admonished the teaming youth of the party to accept, respect and uphold the Presidents nominees for the positions of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).



Pursuant to article 243(1) of the 1992 constitution of the Republic, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday, 19th September, 2021, nominated, for the prior approval of members of the respective assemblies, qualified Ghanaians to occupy the MMDCE positions in the 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country.



The National Youth wing congratulates all the MMDCE nominees and consequently wish to admonish the youth of the NPP to unconditionally accept, respect and uphold the well-thought through choices of the President Nana B has said.



He added that admittedly, we may be disappointed that our preferred candidate was not nominated; however, we must be measured in expressing our disappointment and more-so desist from any protests or demonstrations that may compromise peace and security in our locality.



Nana B called on the unsuccessful MMDCE aspirants to resist the temptations to incite the youth to protest or support any form of protest against their unsuccessful bid, emphasizing that Its in their interest to discourage anyone from protesting whatsoever against the Presidents nominees.



Our tradition is built on the tenets of discipline, respect for authority, law and order, and violence is alien to our ideological orientation. Therefore, our actions and inactions must promote peace, unity and cohesion for the sustenance of our collective progress Nana B has asserted.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Constituency Chairmen in the Ashanti Region have expressed gratitude to the Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi for securing slots for them in the just-announced MMDCEs nominations.



Describing the development as a positive towards motivating the grassroots, the constituency chairmen say they are very much grateful to Chairman Wontumi for the intense lobbying which culminated in the selection of some of their members.



The Ashanti Regional Chairman reportedly led a crusade to get some competent and deserving constituency chairmen, who applied in their respective assemblies nominated for the positions.



After the official announcement by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development yesterday, seven constituency chairmen were nominated, and are expected to go through the process of confirmation by their various assemblies.



These included Isaac Kofi Marfo of Atwima Mponua, Samuel Oduro Frimpong of Ejisu, Alex K . Sarfo-Kantanka of Juaben, Hamidu Sulemana of Sekyere Afram Plains and Abraham Kwame Antwi of Oforikrom.



The rest are Osei Adiyiah of Effiduase Asokore and Opoku Agyeman of Kwabre East.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Professor Joseph Osafo has cautioned the MMDCE nominees against serving their own or partisan interest when finally appointed to their various offices.



The list of the MMDCEs is out and among 260 nominees are 222 males and 38 females.



The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe, speaking after the announcement of the MMDCE list, advised them saying the whole idea is service to the nation. So far, as I am concerned and all well-meaning Ghanaians know, you are aspiring to serve our motherland. If the opportunity has not been given to you to serve, there cannot be any reason for disturbances.



If truly you wanted to serve, then there is absolutely no basis for you to involve in disorderly conduct, he added.



Also sending a word to those who have made it to the MMDCEs' list, Prof. Joseph Osafo advised them to serve the nation.



Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', he asked; ''When someone is appointed, are we serving a political party or we're serving the nation?...Do we still have that feeling of citizenship or loyalty to a nation?...Who are we serving? Are we serving our personal interest?



He told the MMDCEs to engage in a self-introspection ensuring they execute their duties effectively.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
President Akufo-Addo left Accra last Friday, September 17, 2021 for New York, United States of America after travelling to Guinea same day to hold talks with the military junta that has taken over the country.



He is in New York to attend the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.



A statement from the presidency said he would hold bilateral engagements with some colleague Heads of State; NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, acclaimed Economist Jeffery Sachs, Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as well as other world figures.



He is also expected to hold engagements with sections of the Ghanaian and Business Community whilst there.



The President will also participate in the Second Sustainable Development Goals Moment of the Decade of Action, and witness the Signing Ceremony between Minister for Tourism, Ibrahim Awal Mohammed, and Developers of the Dubois Project.



He will address the UN General Assembly on September 22; participate in the Global COVID-19 Summit hosted By President Joe Biden, and hold several rounds of engagements and UN events on climate change, health and food security.



On September 23, President Akufo-Addo will attend a fundraising event for the National Cathedral.



In accordance with Article 60 (8) of the Constitution, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall act in his stead until the Presidents return on Monday, September 27, 2021.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Dan Botwe has served notice to the police to arrest persons who will cause mayhem or destruction to properties following the announcement of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).



According to him, any such group of trouble makers should be regarded as "lawless citizens".



Announcement



Dan Botwe, who is also the MP for Okere, on Sunday, released the full list of MMDCE nominees at a press conference in Accra.



The New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Ashanti Regional secretary, Sam Pyne, has been nominated as MCE for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) while a former Deputy Minister of Greater Accra, Elizabeth Sackey, replaces Mohammed Adjei Sowah as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) boss.



Key among the casualties are the chief executives of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah; the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La; the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Osei Assibey Antwi; the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Anthony Egyir Aikins, and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA), Mr Iddrisu Musah Superior.



Vandalizing Property & Protests



Some disgruntled NPP youth, prior to and after the announcement of the these MMDCEs, went on the rampage when they realized that their preferred candidate's name was missing.



Some youth in the Odododiodio Constituency embarked on a protest on Saturday, burning car tyres in the process. Police have announced the arrest of four persons said to be ringleaders of that disorder in Jamestown, so far.



At Chereponi in the North East Region, the NPP youth destroyed some structures after the nomination of Zuwera Mada Nashiru as the District Chief Executive was announced.



The aggrieved youth wanted their favourite candidate, S. K. Orlando, nominated, although he was not recommended for nomination.



The District Police command quickly moved to the scene to restore calm in the area.



Police Should Arrest Perpetrators of Violence



Speaking on Okay FM's Ade Akye Abia programme, Dan Botwe explained that the party will not entertain such rude behaviour and anything that seeks to undermine the peace and stability of the country.



"The president in his wisdom and in consultation with fellow party elders has nominated various MMDCEs so if you don't support the president's nominee, the best thing to do is to reach out to your party executives than resort to violence.



"I entreat the police to do their work and arrest perpetrators of violence or any group of persons that will want to take the law into their own hands and cause violence," he added.



Final Confirmation of MMDCEs



The nominated MMDCEs are expected to be subjected to voting by assembly members in their various MMDAs for approval before they will be issued with appointment letters.



Per Article 243 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, the chief executive for every MMDA shall be appointed by the President, with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the assembly present and voting at a meeting.





Watch video below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ashanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and now Kumasi mayor nominee has expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for his nomination.



The President though the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dan Kweku Botwe announced the list of nominees for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Executives (MMDCEs) positions in the country.



Sam Pyne was included in the list as the new Mayor of Kumasi. He will be taking over from Osei Assibey Antwi.



Reacting to this in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Sam Pyne called on all to help him succeed.



According to him, "my doors are opened to any positive suggestions or criticisms" adding, "I won't disappoint you . . . "but I need your help in discharging my duties".







Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Nominated Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly(KMA) Chief Executive, Samuel Pyne, has called for a united front to help him achieve in his new office.



Speaking to NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie, he said togetherness will be very keen in his new administration.



According to Samuel Pyne, he has already spoken to his other contenders to address all issues in the wake of finding the new KMA.



The move he said will bring unity among them to help develop Asanteman and also to make the president proud.



Sam Payne was nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the new Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
A coup attempt has been thwarted in Sudan and the situation is under control, the countrys military said on Tuesday, September 21 in a statement read on state TV.



According to the Sudanese Military spokesman, Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, interrogation of suspects involved in the attempted coup will begin immediately and the military would issue a statement shortly. An authorised source in the presidency of the council of ministers said that security and military authorities have thwarted a coup attempt at dawn today, the Sudan News Agency said via Twitter.



The situation is under control, and those involved in it [the coup attempt] have been arrested and investigations are underway, added the statement.



Sudan's democratic rule has been on a fragile state since the militarys ouster of the countrys longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, following four months of mass protests.



The country is now ruled by a joint civilian and military government that faces huge economic and security challenges.



According to Al Jazeera, information about the coup attempt was made available to the government on Monday evening, which helped thwart it quickly. Sudanese authorities reported that the military remains in control, while Sudans state-run television called on the public to counter the attempt but did not provide further details. All is under control. The revolution is victorious, Suleiman, a member of the ruling military-civilian council, wrote on Facebook. He also called on the Sudanese people to protect the transition. Another military official reportedly said an unspecified number of troops from the armoured corps were behind the attempt and that they tried to take over several government institutions but were stopped in their tracks.



The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media, said many troops, including high-ranking officers, have been arrested.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
A man who was portrayed in a film as a life-saving hero during the Rwandan genocide has been convicted of terrorism by a court in Rwanda.



Paul Rusesabagina, 67, was found guilty of backing a rebel group in a series of attacks, which killed nine civilians in 2018.

His family say he was taken to Rwanda, from exile, by force for the trial.



Rusesabagina's journey from celebrated figure to state enemy happened as his criticism of the government grew.

Initially he was hailed for his acts during the genocide 27 years ago, which prevented some people being killed.



Read Full Story .... HERE >>> :

















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Nigerian Afrobeats star Yemi Alade told the BBCs Africa Daily podcast that the African music scene is incredibly male-dominated and that people should give female artists "a chance".



"I would say to any female that is already a part of the Afrobeats industry trying to make her way to just continue. I dont think we should feel bad as much that it is male-dominated."



She said that the men are "miles ahead" of the women, as historically they were the group who were allowed to make music.



"Its only normal that their numbers are more than us for now.



"What we just need to do now is to make sure that we actually shine a light on the females - and stop snubbing them and stop overlooking them."



Yemi Alade's music videos have had millions of views online and she has worked with artists from the likes of Beyonce to Angelique Kidjo.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Newly re-elected New Democratic MP Richard Cannings is accompanied by campaign manager Tina Lee on Monday night on his way into the Barking Parrot Pub at the Penticton Lakeside Resort to meet a small group of supporters following his win in the federal riding of South Okanagan-West Kootenay.
POTTSTOWN  While the borough may be rich in historic architecture and industrial sites, one thing the five-square mile municipality lacks is a surplus of developable land. "We need inventory desperately," Peggy Lee-Clark, executive director of Pottstown Area Industrial Development, told a joint meeting of the borough council and the Pottstown School Board on Sept. 30. "I drive around the...




The geometry and suspension design of the alloy bikes match the carbon versions, and the frames share a lot of the same details including threaded bottom brackets, Enduro Max Bearings, room for a water bottle on the downtube and bosses for a tool holder under the top tube, plus SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger. The Sentinel is available in five sizes from Small to XXL, while the Scout is aimed at shorter riders, running from XS to Large.



Transition revamped the 29"-wheeled Sentinel and 27.5" Scout last year. In both cases they bumped up the travel and bumped up the entry price, as the bikes were available in carbon only. Plenty of commenters bemoaned the lack of an alloy version, which is exactly what Transition is launching today. The alloy Scout and Sentinel are available in two build options, NX and GX, plus a frame-only option. The NX build costs $3,899 USD, the GX goes for $4,999 USD, and the frame-only is $2,099.The geometry and suspension design of the alloy bikes match the carbon versions, and the frames share a lot of the same details including threaded bottom brackets, Enduro Max Bearings, room for a water bottle on the downtube and bosses for a tool holder under the top tube, plus SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger. The Sentinel is available in five sizes from Small to XXL, while the Scout is aimed at shorter riders, running from XS to Large. Alloy Sentinel and Scout frame Details

 Sentinel - 150mm/160mm, 29" wheels

 Scout - 140mm/150mm, 27.5" wheels

 Lifetime warranty

 SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger

 Enduro Max sealed bearings with bearing shields on main pivot

 Threaded BB

 Molded Rubber frame protection

 External rear brake hose routing

 Water bottle and tool caddy bosses

 NX: $3,899 USD, GX: $4,999 USD, Frame only: $2,099

 www.transitionbikes.com  Sentinel - 150mm/160mm, 29" wheels Scout - 140mm/150mm, 27.5" wheels Lifetime warranty SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger Enduro Max sealed bearings with bearing shields on main pivot Threaded BB Molded Rubber frame protection External rear brake hose routing Water bottle and tool caddy bosses NX: $3,899 USD, GX: $4,999 USD, Frame only: $2,099

Transition Scout NX Transition Sentinel NX

Weight

Build kits

According to Transition, the alloy frame is about 2 lbs (0.9 kg) heavier than the carbon version. Transition didn't have any full-production, painted alloy frames available to physically weigh when I asked about frame weights, but they calculated/estimated the frame weights as well as providing measured complete bike weights.MD Scout alloy frameset - 8.95lb / 4.06kg (calculated)MD Sentinel alloy frameset - 8.97lb / 4.07kg (calculated)MD Scout NX complete - 34.81lb / 15.79kg (actual weight)MD Sentinel NX complete - 35.78lb / 16.23kg (actual weight)All bikes use Fox suspension, with Performance Elite level dampers on GX builds (basically top-end suspension minus the Kashima coat) and Performance level on the NX build (which does without high-speed compression or high-speed rebound adjustment on the fork and without compression adjustment on the shock). The drivetrains are as the names suggest (with no hidden downgrades) and the GX builds use SRAM's Code RSC brakes while NX bikes get the Code R. One detail to note is the 29" Sentinel has larger rotors than the 27.5" Scout, offsetting the extra leverage of the bigger wheel. Perhaps some riders would prefer even bigger rotors, but Transition deserves credit for choosing the Code over the G2 brakes which are often spec'd at this travel range.Both models of both bikes come with Maxxis Assegai 3C EXO+ / Maxxis Minion DHRII 3C EXO+ tires, and a OneUP dropper post with up to 210mm of travel on size large and up.The Sentinel and Scout alloy are in stock and some will be with dealers by the time you read this.
Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop.

Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News

Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time.

Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up!

Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.
Spending money in Aiken on Thursday will help the United Way of Aiken County.

Businesses participating in the fundraising event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., include 3 Monkeys, Carolines Boutique, Downtown Dog, Epona, Lionel Smith Ltd., Pitter Patter, Plum Pudding, Ginger Bee Boutique and White Rose Eclectics.

Also taking part are the Little Red Fox Shop, Beyond Bijoux, Aiken Embroidery and Design, High Country, Cork and Cap, Cyndis Sweet Shoppe, Paisley Peacock, Rose Hill, Vampire Penguin and Woodchuckers.

The businesses will be donating a portion of their sales proceeds Thursday to the United Way.

Shop for United Way is part of the United Way of Aiken Countys 2021 fundraising campaign.

The organizations Community Business Division is the organizer of the event.

The United Way locally supports a network of 30 local agencies and 45 critical need programs.

In August, the United Way held its 2021 Campaign Kickoff and Agency Fair at the Aiken County Family YMCA in Graniteville.

The fundraising goal for the 2021 campaign is $2,301,373.

For more information about the United Way of Aiken County, call 803-648-8331 or visit uwaiken.org.
COLUMBIA  The long-under-fire director of the state Department of Juvenile Justice resigned following months of criticism and employee protests over what they said were unsafe working conditions.

Freddie Pough is leaving after five years at the agency's helm, Gov. Henry McMaster announced Sept. 21.

Pough's last day is officially Oct. 15, though he will be on personal leave until then, according to his resignation letter.

"I am proud of the work taking place at the agency," he wrote in the letter dated Sept. 20, citing positive changes such as fewer teens incarcerated at DJJ.

"At this time of great forward momentum, and the agency's assured ability to alter the juvenile justice landscape of this state, I believe it is the appropriate time to resign my position" he said.

His departure comes three months after the state Senate took a rare "no confidence" vote in an effort to pressure McMaster to fire him. The few senators who defended him said sending a message does nothing to improve a situation that's been deteriorating long before Pough's arrival.

As Poughs boss, the governor is the lone person who could force him out. But McMaster repeatedly declined, saying Pough had a rough job. And Pough repeatedly told senators he would not resign on his own.

"Better late than never," state Sen. Dick Harpootlian said about the resignation; the Columbia Democrat told Pough during Senate hearings in May and June that he should quit.

"The thousands of children who suffered intolerable conditions while Pough was head of DJJ can't be helped now," Harpootlian told The Post and Courier after news of the departure was announced. "But this is a huge and good move for the children who come into those facilities in the future."

Pough has been under intense scrutiny since a scathing report in April by the Legislative Audit Council. Its findings included that DJJ doesnt have enough security officers to keep the juveniles or staff safe, and the ones who are there have less experience, resulting in incidents more than doubling since Pough took over as acting director in January 2017.

McMaster appointed Pough as permanent director in 2018.

Harpootlian credited Sen. Katrina Shealy, who led the hearings and called for the "no confidence" vote, with forcing Pough out through increasing pressure.

The Lexington Republican "is truly a champion and hero to the children of this state," Harpootlian said of Shealy. "She's been relentless in looking for a change."

Her efforts included an unannounced visit to DJJ in late July. After demanding to be let inside to talk to the juveniles herself, she said, she was horrified to see children living in cells with no lighting, concrete beds and backed-up sewage, as well as bathrooms full of mold and bugs. The smell alone was horrendous, she said.

While some did very bad things to be where they are, they all deserve a chance and "certainly deserve humane treatment, which they are not getting," she said, adding that she talked to about 40 of the children inside. "They just want someone to care about them."

Shealy, who used to volunteer at DJJ, asked people over social media to donate toiletries, books and games for the locked-up teens, which she hopes to be able to deliver soon. She also reported what she saw to the U.S. Department of Justice during a virtual meeting in mid-August.

"Something had to eventually change," Shealy said. "I'm just glad it's changed now, before anything worse happened."

On June 4, more than two dozen workers walked off the job and gathered in the parking lot of DJJ's Broad River Road facility in Columbia in protest. Employees told senators why days later as they testified about being forced to work shifts of 24 hours or longer and fearing for their safety.

During the hourslong hearing, Pough attempted to defend himself amid blistering, bipartisan criticism. Senators applauded the bravery of employees who addressed their boss directly from the podium.

McMaster mentioned none of that in his announcement.

"I'm grateful for Mr. Pough's five years of leadership at the Department of Juvenile Justice and his passion for the work of rehabilitating the young people who come under the supervision of the agency," McMaster said in a released statement.

McMaster named Eden Hendrick, who became DJJ's senior deputy director last week, as acting director.

She was previously an attorney at the state Department of Administration, which McMaster tasked in May with assisting DJJ in making improvements.

Every aspect of running DJJ has seen changes, to include maintenance, cleaning contracts, technology and budgeting, Administration Director Marcia Adams told McMaster during a Cabinet meeting last week. But "by far most of our time at DJJ" has been spent on trying to recruit and retain employees, she said.

Those efforts have included a $1,500 bonus to officers hired before January, sign-on bonuses of up to $10,000 for new hires and referral bonuses of up to $1,000. The agency also signed a contract with a private company to supplement officer ranks with up to 40 unarmed security guards, according to a letter Pough sent to senators in June.

Hendrick will lead DJJ while McMaster searches for a permanent replacement for Pough.

"What we need to do now is find a director who will do the right thing for the children and move on from there, and build on the past and make it better and do what's right for the children," said Shealy, who sits on the Senate committee that will review whoever McMaster picks. "We haven't done that in a long time."

Hendrick's prior jobs included prosecuting juveniles in Richland County as part of the Family Court division of the 5th Circuit Solicitor's Office from January 2015 to May 2020. She's also been an attorney for the state Department of Social Services and for the Foster Care Review Board.
GRANITEVILLE  A S.C. House committee working on updated legislative and congressional boundaries was told several times Monday night that what is truly needed for equitable redistricting is an independent, impartial commission.

Aiken County residents who testified before the House Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee at Aiken Technical College said removing politics from the process would benefit all involved and would, ultimately, produce fairer districts.

In order for democracy to flourish, said Karin Sisk, an active member of the League of Women Voters, lines must be drawn by people, not by candidates. Ann Willbrand, the second vice chair of the Aiken County Democratic Party, made a similar request: I would like to see all districts, from municipal to congressional, drawn by a nonpartisan commission, as proposed in Senate 750 and House 4229, to provide the most fair representation for everyone.

Redistricting in the Palmetto State  a high-stakes decennial affair  intimately involves sitting lawmakers, raising the specter of stacked decks and other wheeling and dealing.

S.C. House and Senate have different guidelines for redistricting, with the only caveat that incumbents win, Michele Springsteen told the committee. We need major reform for this redistricting cycle.

Both the House and Senate will use 2020 Census data to craft updated lines for seven congressional districts and many more state-level districts. The hearing Monday was one of several initial steps in the process. The Senate hosted a similar input session in the same college auditorium in mid-August.

Rep. Wallace Jordan Jr., who chairs the House ad hoc committee, on Monday likened the public hearings to key ingredients in a recipe.

As the House undertakes the process of redrawing district lines, public input is indispensable to ensuring that our districts best represent the people of South Carolina, the Florence Republican said. The fundamental goal of this committee and the House is to adopt a plan that assures South Carolinas legislative districts provide for equal voting rights, traditionally referred to as the one-person-one-vote principle.

Five Republicans and three Democrats sit on the ad hoc committee.

Between 2010 and 2020, South Carolina gained some 490,000 people, a growth of nearly 11%.
North Augustas Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend against rezoning the Seven Gables and Flythe properties for the public safety headquarters during its meeting.

The highly contested zoning battle between concerned citizens and the city council has been going on for years.

You will notice that the future land use plan for that corridor going forward calls for mixed use going forward. The public use zoning district means that this is also a neighborhood preservation overlay district. The public use zoning will negate that restriction on the property, Interim Planning and Development director Thomas Paradise said.

City administrator Jim Clifford presented a first draft sketch of the proposed building on Georgia Avenue to the Planning Commission. The sketch included Georgian architectural elements, neighborhood options and a citizen proposed green space. A preliminary traffic study stated a steady flow of traffic in and out of the location would occur.

I share the concern of the blind curve, North Augusta resident Sharon Reed said. If it were just the employees working that would be a third of the size. This is a public facility and we are looking at turning something in the historic district by zoning it public, I think we are looking at making it a city complex and are looking to make it very large. If its attractive on the outside, great but thats too large to ever fit in with anything surrounding it no matter what you do on the outside.

Absolutely everyone agrees that a new public safety facility is an urgent requirement, North Augusta resident Fred Ilardi said. The need existed long before Riverside Village was even imagined, yet city officials did not give the priority it deserved. The need has continued to grow as our North Augusta population expands. We spent 60 million dollars and did not handle this problem yet.

The Planning Commissions role is to give a recommendation to the City Council, and the commissioners expressed similar concerns as citizens.

I think this whole project has been a sore eye for the city. I think it's not close to it, there's some good old boy decisions at the least and I am very disappointed, commissioner Larry Watts said. I think we are being subjected to making a decision that we should have never had to make.

Planning Commission Chairwoman Dr. Christine Crawford and Vice Chairwoman JoAnn McKie were not present during the meeting.

Other business:

Several tracts of land were recommended to be rezoned off of West Martintown Road near Knobcomb Avenue for mixed development, voted 4-1 by the commission. This is the most important piece of property we own, Robert McKie said. I want it done right, this is what my education is in, Ive spent my entire working career in these realms and this is going to be special.
The State Ports Authority is adding workers and hours to help ease the flow of cargo through the Charleston waterfront even as a glut of imports and weak links in the supply chain continue to create backlogs at its terminals.

The SPA has increased its workforce by 60 employees since the fiscal year started July 1, with another 90 to be hired in the coming months. Already, those extra hands have shaved seven minutes off the time truckers spend on the terminal waiting to pick up or drop off a container.

The maritime agency also added a 1 a.m. shift for vessels looking to begin work in the wee hours  an option that more than 140 ships have taken advantage of. The extra start time means no ship has to wait more than six hours to start loading and unloading cargo.

But despite the improvements, the port continues to be "victimized by the overall supply chain," said Jim Newsome, the SPA's president and CEO.

Fewer than one in five containerships arrived at the port on time in August and cargo boxes are spending an average of eight days on the terminal  double the normal average  because of a lack of truck chassis to move them and warehouses too full to take on more inventory, the SPA's board of directors were told during their Sept. 21 meeting.

"There's an incredible disruption in the global supply chain right now," Newsome said. "There's been a slowdown in velocity, and we're seeing that in every measure."

A record number of imports has flooded the U.S. as consumers shifted their pandemic buying habits to goods rather than services and as retailers started stocking up early for the holiday shopping season.

While West Coast ports have been hit the hardest by the ongoing import surge  more than 70 vessels were anchored off Los Angeles this week waiting for berth times  the East Coast hasn't been spared. A berthing bottleneck at the Port of Savannah has forced up to 20 ships to anchor off the Georgia coast in recent days. Logistics firm HMM Co. noted "serious problems" across the board in Savannah, from its terminal to the trucking and rail services that serve the facility.

"This has never happened before," Griff Lynch, executive director of the Georgia Ports Authority, told The Wall Street Journal.

A slowdown in Savannah can create scheduling nightmares in Charleston, because the Holy City's port is often the next stop on a shipping line's itinerary. Two days last week, for example, Charleston's port had just one ship at six available berths due to backups in Savannah.

The Port of Charleston hasn't had any problem with ships anchoring offshore, with HMM giving it and the Port of Virginia the best operational marks on the East Coast.

But a shortage of truckers and truck chassis is keeping containers on the terminal too long. An operational update by the Hamburg Sud shipping line noted "a continued shortage of available chassis in the Charleston market," with delays in container pickups, deliveries and movement to rail facilities.

The SPA has logged about $5.3 million in unplanned revenue over the past two months from fees charged to shipping lines when their containers don't leave the terminal within a week. That's been a boon to the bottom line, "but it has the reverse impact on productivity because it means your yard is not as fluid as you would want it to be," said Barbara Melvin, the SPA's chief operations officer.

Newsome said the problems created by a supply chain that can't adapt to swift change aren't likely to end soon.

"There are all kinds of task forces in the country today trying to solve this short term, but there's really no short-term fix," he said, adding he doesn't see a slowdown until at least the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. "We're fortunate that we don't have congestion  ships can get in when they want to get in. But we're impacted by the (other) ports."
COLUMBIA  A big player in the Charlotte restaurant scene is making its latest move into the Columbia market.

Showmars will open its first Richland County restaurant at 2089 N. Beltline Blvd. in Forest Acres, according to J.P. Scurry of Crosland Barnes Group, which has been marketing the site.

The location near Richland Mall recently belonged to the Golden Chick restaurant chain and for many years before that was a Wendy's.

No opening date has been announced.

Showmars opened its first Midlands location in Lexington at 5318 Sunset Blvd. in December 2020. The restaurant chain offers a quick-service menu that combines southern flavors with Greek food.

It feature pita sandwiches and pita burgers, along with other entrees such as flounder or chicken Santorini. The menu also includes desserts such as Greek baklava and the less traditional baklava cheesecake.

The restaurant chain has more than 30 locations focused on the greater Charlotte market, including restaurants in Fort Mill and Rock Hill.

Changeover in the Vista

The former Carolina Ale House in the Vista has a different financial plan now.

The restaurant location, which closed in 2020, will become the new home of Resource Financial Services.

The mortgage company paid $1.85 million for the property at 708 Lady St., according to Bruce Harper of Trinity Partners. The building will be subdivided to create the new business space.

The mortgage company is looking to move into the space in the first quarter of 2022 after conversion is complete.

"Weve loved our quiet building on Devine Street, but with the rapid growth weve seen over the past six years, we needed something much larger," Wade Douroux, CEO of Resource Financial Services, said in a statement.

"Moving into Columbias Historic Vista, right in the heart of things, is a perfect match for our fast-paced company," Douroux said.

The company will retain its current office location at 2717 Devine St. for future expansion.

Starbucks at Spears Creek Church

Another month, another opening of a Starbucks in the Midlands.

The new Starbucks with drive-through at the Spears Creek Church Road interchange with Interstate 20 opened on Sept. 11, according to the website starbuckseverywhere.net.

According to website's records, it's the sixth Starbucks cafe to open in the Midlands since last December.

Starbucks now has 22 freestanding cafes in Richland and Lexington counties, plus the booth locations inside other big retailers.

New on Forest Drive

The former CVS drugstore location at 2571 Forest Drive will become the first Midlands office for a large medical practice focused on seniors.

ChenMed, a Florida-headquartered senior primary care practice, is moving into the building with a target opening of March, according to William Mills of Trinity Partners.

The former CVS location is close to the MUSC Health Medical Center, formerly Providence Hospital.

Dining for the dogs

Good news for hungry hounds: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming is coming to Chapin.

A store location is being readied as 1221 Chapin Road and is expected to open in October, according to the retailer's Facebook page.

Woof Gang offers a full supply of pet food options plus grooming and specially baked goods for good dogs.

Make sure to get our weekly Columbia Business newsletter. Sign up here.

Have any Midlands business news to share in the column? Reach Mike Fitts at mfitts@postandcourier.com.
South Carolina school district officials are scrambling to find better ways of keeping parents abreast of the latest coronavirus information as the number of positive cases and quarantines rise.

Several of South Carolina's largest school districts now maintain COVID dashboards that update information about the virus's spread at least once a day. Charleston County, the state's second-largest school district, updates its twice a day.

Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. Its also the most expensive reporting we do. We cant do it without your support. Donate Now

Andrew Pruitt, a spokesman for Charleston County schools, said the district's dashboard is an "evolving process." The district used to update the dashboard once a day and recently decided to refresh the data more frequently.

"As the numbers spiked toward the start of the school year, we knew we had to get a better up-to-date count to give the community a better picture of what was happening," he said.

Since there is currently a high level of spread in Charleston County schools, the district plans to keep updating the dashboard twice a day for the foreseeable future.

Horry County also updates its schools COVID dashboard twice a day. The district began populating the dashboard daily when its school year started Aug. 17. Originally, the district only reported its positive cases, but by the end of August it started recording the number of quarantines. It decided to add to its dashboard two times a day on Sept. 7.

Greenville County, the largest district in the state, recently decided to update its dashboard daily. At the beginning of the year, the district was overwhelmed by the number of students getting quarantined. The dashboard had a notice posted Sept. 16 that said it was running behind "because our staff is unable to keep up with the number of reports being submitted for analysis on a daily basis."

In an email, district spokesman Tim Waller pointed out Greenville has nearly 77,000 students, and determining the close contacts of those who tested positive for COVID is "extremely time-consuming."

"We currently have nearly 30 people (full-time and part-time) working to process COVID reports before uploading the data to our dashboard," Waller wrote.

He said that, soon, the district expects to have a turnkey system in place that will address "almost every aspect of COVID."

While most of the largest school districts are scrambling to update their dashboards to keep the public informed about how the coronavirus is impacting students and staff, others have decided against creating COVID dashboards at all.

The Aiken County Public School District releases a weekly report on the number of student and staff infections and quarantines. Mike Rosier, a spokesman for the district, said this is because the district does not want to put any additional duties on its current staff. The district's priority is informing parents of the quarantined and the infected about what's happening through email and over the phone.

More Coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab.

"We are not a hospital or a public health organization, we're a school district," he said.

Beaufort County School District also decided against creating a dashboard.

Candace Bruder, a district spokeswoman, wrote in an email that last year people were confused by the discrepancies between the district's and the state health department's dashboards. She said that, starting the week of Sept. 20, the district will be reporting school cases and quarantines to DHEC using the agency's new intake form for their new dashboard.

"Parents and community members can view this dashboard once updated by DHEC later this week, providing one consistent source of information," she wrote in the email.
GREENVILLE  Upstate Forever has placed a conservation easement on about 300 acres of land owned by the South Carolina parks department on the east side of Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area in northern Greenville County.

The land is not yet publicly accessible. The easement, which the organization termed as "in perpetuity," ensures the property will remain undeveloped.

We are honored to help protect and steward this scenic land in northern Greenville and are grateful to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for entrusting the protection of its important natural resources to our land trust, said Scott Park, Glenn Hilliard director of Land Conservation for Upstate Forever, in a news release sent Sept. 21.

The property, located to the east of Jones Gap State Park and north of Gap Creek Road, is part of the Blue Ridge escarpment. Its woodlands contain headwaters of the Middle Saluda River.

Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, Caesars Head State Park and Jones Gap State Park centerpiece thousands of semi-contiguous acres of conserved land in northern Greenville County. The state parks department, Department of Natural Resources, Upstate Forever, Naturaland Trust and The Nature Conservancy, among other groups, have established ownership or set up easements to limit development and protect woodlands, watersheds and public access in the area.

"The protection of the White Tract property is coming at a time when outdoor space has never been more treasured, and outdoor recreation demand is at an all-time high, parks department Director Duane Parrish said in the release. "We are grateful to Upstate Forever for their partnership on this effort, and we look forward to welcoming visitors when public access is available."

Greenville-based Upstate Forever operates across 10 counties and its land trust has obtained voluntary conservation easements on nearly 28,000 acres since 1998.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Authorities identified the 47-year-old man who died on Sept. 18 while firing a gun in a quiet West Ashley neighborhood. The man was shot by a sheriffs deputy.

Jason Husted died at the hospital from a gunshot wound following an exchange of gunfire, according to the Charleston County Coroners Office. Husted lived in that neighborhood.

Husted fired a gun on Mona Avenue between Glendale Drive and Church Creek Drive, striking surrounding houses and vehicles, sheriff's spokesman Capt. Roger Antonio said. He shot the side mirror of an arriving deputys squad car before he was shot and incapacitated, Antonio said.

A firearm and several spent shell casings were found at Husteds residence at 2567 Mona Ave., according to a statement from the sheriffs office.

Neighbors reported hearing intermittent gunfire for about 10 to 15 minutes before deputies arrived. Antonio said no one else was injured.

State Law Enforcement Division has been called in to investigate the shooting. Neither SLED nor the sheriffs office have identified the deputy who shot Husted.

The deputy has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard sheriffs offices protocol, Antonio said.

Antonio said the mans wife was there during the shooting, but was not injured. Antonio confirmed deputies had previously been sent to the residence for a domestic disturbance call. Antonio did not provide details on the call.

SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby said in a news release the agencys goal is to conduct a thorough, timely and independent criminal investigation.

Information gathered at the scene will be summarized in a case file report and submitted to prosecutors to determine whether to file charges against the deputy.

The Sept. 18 shooting was the 29th time an officer shot a person in South Carolina this year, Crosby said. In 2020, there were 49 officer-involved shootings in the state, including three involving the sheriffs office.
Their strands of sweetgrass, palm fronds and pine needles intermingle. These woven baskets are symbols of togetherness and collaboration.

On Sept. 21  the United Nations' International Day of Peace  Verna Eggleston of Bloomberg Philanthropies joined the mayors and first ladies of Charleston and Mount Pleasant to promote this symbolism and celebrate a collaboration between women artisans of the Lowcountry and Rwanda.

The projects showpiece, a pair of baskets, will be installed at Charleston International Airport. But the initiatives purpose is both symbolic and practical, according to Eggleston and her civic partners: They want to promote peace and reconciliation, and they want to create new business opportunities for basket makers here and in Rwanda.

Two independent agendas have happily converged. Bloomberg Philanthropies Womens Economic Development Initiative, led by Eggleston, has been working in Congo, Sudan, Nigeria and Rwanda to empower more than 500,000 female entrepreneurs and artisans by including them in vocational training and marketing programs.

Eggleston said particular attention has been paid to women who work with their hands in the underground economy, adhering soles onto shoes, sewing buttons onto shirts and weaving baskets. Bloomberg Philanthropies partnered with the nonprofit Nest, which seeks to advance the artisan and maker economy.

Meanwhile, in Charleston, Mayor John Tecklenburg and his wife Sandy Tecklenburg have been looking for ways to promote racial reconciliation in the wake of the 2015 Emanuel AME Church shooting, and to protect and empower local basket makers whose supply of sweetgrass has been curtailed in recent years.

In 2017, Eggleston joined a gathering of Southern mayors in Charleston to explore how civil rights cities could work with local craftspeople and growers to create standards for home-based workers and the marketplace they might serve. She brought with her lessons learned in Rwanda.

Thats how Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Tecklenburg administration came to join forces.

The Hands to Heritage pilot initiative involved 20 women in Rwanda and 20 women in the Lowcountry. Each group contributed to the making of a peace basket. The Lowcountry basket features standard coils with the addition of a looped feature meant to signify connection, according to Andrea Cayetano-Jefferson, past president of the local Hands to Heritage Cooperative.

The Rwandan basket features Black and Brown female figures joining hands in solidarity, as if to deliver the message Together we can, Joy Ndungutse, CEO and founder of the hand-craft organization Gahaya Links, said via Zoom from Rwanda.

They will be displayed at the airport until a permanent home is found for them.

Eggleston said she was impressed by how Hutu and Tutsi women in Rwanda came together to weave baskets and tell each other stories about their lives, including their experiences during the 1994 genocide. It was an intimate part of a larger truth-and-reconciliation effort, and it showed how a shared activity, in this case basket weaving, can bring people together, she said.

Sandy Tecklenburg said local basket makers have been struggling to find materials.

Supplies are treacherously low, she said.

Sources of sweetgrass are increasingly inaccessible. Middlemen often do the picking, and prices are way up. So Tecklenburg wants to expand the basket initiative to improve supply and ease of access, she said.

A new apartment building soon under construction at the corner of Lee and Nassau streets will include street-level retail space and could serve as a business incubator for basket makers, she said.

Ideally, the Lowcountrys basket artisans can find stability, benefit from improved infrastructure and a proper supply chain and prepare a new generation of weavers for a more efficient and fair marketplace, Tecklenburg said.

Eggleston, who would not reveal how much Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested in the basket Hands to Heritage project, said her organization is considering ways to expand it, and to identify strategic allies in the corporate world and in hospitality.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie said the sweetgrass basket makers are central to the identity of his town and deserve to be celebrated and protected.

This program gives us a roadmap for the future, he said.
In its 351st year, Charleston finds itself pinioned between opposing forces on many sides: a surging sea that is making low-lying areas more dangerous; a massive influx of new arrivals from around the country; and those struggling to afford the Holy City, who don't want to see their way of life disappear.

All these factors are at play as the city embarks this year on an ambitious plan to remake how land is developed in the next decade. It has turned mainly to the concept that homes and businesses need to be concentrated in the highest possible areas, or an elevation-based zoning that could prove a national model for how to grow in the face of climate change.

The goal is that more buildings and infrastructure won't be in the way when sea level rise pushes the Atlantic Ocean higher in the coming years. The idea is incorporated into the City Plan, a comprehensive land-use document every South Carolina community must complete once a decade and that Charleston is refining this month after several months of research. City leaders have given the plan initial approval, but will meet to discuss it again this week.

The approach is novel in a city where breakneck development over decades put residents in the way of floods, culminating in several damaging episodes in the last few years. A nearly statewide flood in 2015 hit the city in two waves, as the initial deluge flooded the lowest spots, and then as water draining from the Midlands made rivers swell anew. In 2017, Irma, then the remnants of a powerful hurricane, again pushed tides over their banks and unleashed flooding messes, particularly around the city's most important hospitals. And a slew of intense downpours, juiced by a hotter atmosphere, swamp the city regularly each summer.

But as the contours of the new plan to focus on higher ground are sketched out, thorny tradeoffs have popped up, showing the real-world challenges to even the most common-sense resilience efforts.

First: As Charleston maps out what land holds homes, what land houses job centers and how the transportation system might accommodate all of it, it has to plan for growth. Not growing is not an option, planners say. Housing is too expensive already for the working-class people who make the city's service-based economy run.

Four-tenths of the city's residents pay more for their homes than they can afford right now, according to Charleston's own research. Thousands of below-market units are needed to close the gap.

Second: Some of the highest ground in the city, on the Cainhoy peninsula, is a place of rich history and cultural heritage. Longtime Black residents there are hoping to avoid the fates of other communities in the region, where settlements that date back to the end of slavery are enclosed on all sides by subdivisions, setting up conflicts between the needs of new and long-time denizens.

'I wouldn't mind living here'

West Ashley, a sprawling area of subdivisions and strip malls west of downtown, may be one of the best examples of where the flooding and affordability problems are crashing into each other.

Lauren Rogers moved there at the end of 2017, following her sister, who had been living in the Palmetto State for years. Rogers was retiring from a 35-year career with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Her sister had purchased a house at Bolton's Landing, a development at the edge of the suburbs west of the Ashley River. The Bluewater apartments were rising next door.

"They were just building this complex. I said, 'Wow, that's nice, I wouldn't mind living here,' you know? They had the pool done and everything."

But four years later, Rogers, 66, was shocked in July when her landlords said the rent on her two-bedroom apartment was rising by $250 a month. It sent her into a tailspin: How long could she afford the apartment on her pension if prices were rising this fast?

"I'm so scared I'm going to be homeless," Rogers said in an interview. "I can't afford to move back to Massachusetts."

Charleston has long had a problem with housing affordability. In research released in February, the city compared nine different metros around the Southeast and found Charleston was the second most expensive, cheaper only than Washington, D.C., where salaries are 28 percent higher.

The main driver of this expense: the cost of housing.

Part of the problem, said John Gaber, deputy chair of city planning and real estate development at Clemson University, is the "tourism bubble effect." Charleston went all-in on attracting visitors in the past few decades, marketing pastel-hued historic streetscapes and repeatedly landing on best-of destination lists.

Some of those visitors want to move to the Holy City for good, Gaber said. They bring, in many cases, higher incomes or accumulated wealth, and that pushes longtime residents out.

The housing pressure has also served to transform the region's racial makeup, making Charleston County one of the few places in the state that lost Black residents from 2010 to 2020, according to recently released Census data.

"I know the city of Charleston is working on this, but the problem is the pace," Gaber said. "They're obviously not keeping up with the pace of demand for development."

City officials know this, too. They have previously said that more than 16,000 new affordable units need to be erected in the next 10 years to keep up with housing demand. The largest number need to be located in West Ashley, where Rogers lives.

At the same time, West Ashley has been the site of some of the city's most pernicious flooding, and stands as an example of how poor development can endanger residents. For years, single-family homes were placed on lots raised with dirt around the Church Creek Basin, where the narrow creek drains thousands of acres into the Ashley River. All that building pushed floodwaters to older, lower houses, contributing to the flooding disasters of the last five years.

New drainage rules for builders have raised the standard for what can be put in the area, to the relief of nearby residents. But they also served to stymie some planned developments, depriving the market of new homes.

Meanwhile, prices continue to rise for buyers and renters alike there, including Rogers. A property manager told her the market value of her unit had jumped to $1,739, according to emails she provided, and her $250 increase in rent didn't even fully cover that gap.

Jonathan Merkel works for The Sterling Group, the owner of Rogers' complex. He said the company is constantly scrubbing data on apartment prices when it sets rents, and that rising rents at Bluewater only reached 80 percent of the market value Sterling calculated.

In West Ashley, he said in an August interview, apartment occupancy among similar complexes was at 96 percent. That's why prices across the market had jumped by almost a fifth in the past year.

"Its a very hot market. The demand is insane and the supply is minimal," he said.

Rogers still sought a solution and reached out to state representatives and Mayor John Tecklenburg's office. She was frustrated to learn that, unlike in the Northeast, there are no rent-control policies in South Carolina that would cap increases year by year.

Ultimately, the complex met Rogers in the middle, raising her rent by $125.

But even before the price hike, Rogers' home wasn't considered affordable. With water, sewer, trash and garage fees, she was paying more than $1,500 each month. Under the traditional definition of affordable housing, she should pay at most 30 percent of her income toward rent and utilities. In this case, that's $1,300 a month.

Rogers has other financial concerns  a marriage that turned sour sapped her savings, and she has significant credit card debt to pay down. She's trying to apply discipline, turning to financial self-help gurus like Dave Ramsey. It's still a struggle.

"It's like, do you pay bills or do you eat?" Rogers said. "That's where I'm at."

The next frontier

Charleston needs more housing. It also needs to make sure those homes don't flood in the future. The question, then, is where to put them?

Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. It's also the most expensive reporting we do. We can't do it without your support. Donate Now

The new City Plan tacitly acknowledges that the lowest lands in the city will someday be covered in water or migrating marsh if nothing is done to armor them. That fact has put the spotlight on the higher-elevation Cainhoy peninsula, with some of the largest inventories of undeveloped land found anywhere in Charleston.

The peninsula, north of Daniel Island, is still mostly rural. Towering longleaf pine forests spread over former plantation land. Nestled between the pines are communities like Jack Primus, where some of the formerly enslaved people settled down to determine their own destiny.

A cadre of locals, who have become amateur historians over many years of development fights, are dutifully recording the history of the area and trying to preserve it. Already, that's a challenge; there's a controversy over whether the developer of one new subdivision might be encroaching on the unmarked graves of Black people in a historic cemetery next door.

At Fred Lincoln's home, the Jack Primus community, builders haven't broken ground that closely yet.

The 300 acres of Black-owned land feels worlds apart from the planned community of Daniel Island to the south. Here, new-construction houses with multiple levels stand next to squat cinderblock homes that Lincoln remembers rising in his childhood. Then, the block houses were a sign the community had arrived, as they replaced rickety shacks.

This mix is crucial, Lincoln said, to making sure Jack Primus doesn't follow the path of other Black settlements, like the Phillips Community nestled inside Mount Pleasant. Development slowly grew around Phillips on all sides, and as traffic got worse, a plan was floated to mow through the community with an expanded four-lane road.

After months of organizing, Charleston County Council landed on a compromise plan in late August that will avoid that outcome.

Jack Primus is also trying to steer clear of that fate, in part, by encouraging a mix of housing that might scare some larger developers away. To avoid a similar incursion, "The zoning must allow mobile homes," Lincoln said. "That's the stabilizer."

Marie Delcioppo, the city councilwoman for the area, grew up learning to drive on weekends along then-empty Clements Ferry Road  the street that traces the elevated spine of Cainhoy. Now, Clements Ferry is a bustling thoroughfare filled with cars and large trucks headed to construction sites. She's pushed to make sure future development is centered along that spine and stays away from rural communities.

"I completely respect the fact of building on higher ground. ... I don't want to see us have to buy out homes like we've had to because of the flooding issues," she said. But for the Black residents who have passed their land down for generations, "They deserve better. They deserve us to respect their dedication to this area."

The city can state whatever intentions it wants in its land-use plans, but its ultimate control over Cainhoy is hamstrung. Much of the land there was already put into a special development plan in 2014. Developers have said there could be around 9,000 new homes at build-out.

Delcioppo hopes to negotiate with the builders. The nonprofit Coastal Conservation League, an environmental protection group, also proposed an alternate plan that limits almost all development to a narrow corridor around Clements Ferry.

Christopher Morgan, a planning manager for the city of Charleston, said the city's plan encourages that, too, but it's ultimately up to the developer how and where they build the thousands of units to which they have a legal claim.

Higher ground

As renters and homebuyers struggle to afford shelter, and as longtime residents of Cainhoy work to protect it, in the background, the sea is rising.

Charleston is still cleaning up the flooding messes of yesterday, with an estimated $3 billion price tag for all the water-management projects that have been identified so far.

In August, the city received grants to buy and demolish two repeatedly-swamped homes. Those were just the latest of 49 total residences that had been so damaged the federal government and city together paid more than $13 million to pull them down.

Dale Morris, Charleston's chief resiliency officer, said it's crucial to make sure that people are settling in safe places outside of flood risk. Most communities have resorted to other strategies, like making builders construct new homes higher than federal flood standards dictate (which Charleston has also done).

A few small towns in Maryland and Virginia have pursued the height-based zoning Charleston is considering. But many people are watching what happens in the Holy City as a potential model for resilience.

Morris is optimistic that the city could account for its newcomers and the water at the same time.

"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "This can be managed."

But even if the council approves a plan that bases development patterns on elevation, it will be an expensive one to implement, said Jason Crowley of the Coastal Conservation League.

"Is the city council ready to invest, and what is that going to cost to do?" Crowley said. "It's not easy or cheap to rewrite an entire zoning code."

That includes, he added, defending against landowners or developers who may be angry that the rules are changing for their properties. This has happened already, such as when the city passed stricter drainage rules for new construction in outer West Ashley and a handful of builders sued.

Morgan, of Charleston's planning department, said the zoning rewrite would easily take a year, and probably requires hiring an additional consultant to get it done.

That process will determine, in far more detail, where the city might be able to encourage the missing middle that Charleston lacks in new construction, or housing that's somewhere in between single-family homes with yards and towering luxury high-rises downtown. City planners, including Morgan, say that these townhouses, duplexes and triplexes help provide more housing options on the market.

Morgan was optimistic that some units might be built at aging retail sites along high ground on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in West Ashley, for example, where vast retail parking lots remain half-empty, even on busy days.

Charleston has made other efforts. The city recently started a program allowing homeowners to build small apartments on their lots for family or below-market renters, and raised the fees charged to large developers who don't put affordable units in their projects.

Baby steps are not a bad way to approach the housing problem, said Gaber, the Clemson professor.

"Once you start looking at the big picture, you get overwhelmed," he said. "Youve got to start somewhere, and usually it's easier to start with small steps."

All the while, Charleston is caught between two waves: of the people who won't stop coming and of the sea slowly advancing.
Insights

Lately, weve been hearing a lot about the unhappy fate of women and girls in Afghanistan now that the Taliban has again assumed power. The ed Read more
Junior Achievement Guam is kicking off a new year of its Company Program with a virtual ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 25.

That doesn't mean it's too late to join the competition, said Pinki Lujan, executive director for JA Guam. She said the program is looking for high school students  particularly freshmen  who want to learn how to start and run a business. Students have until Oct. 15 to register for the program.

So far, JA Guam's 2021-2022 year has teams from the Guam Community College DECA Marketing Program as well as Tiyan, Southern, John F. Kennedy, Simon Sanchez and Okkodo high schools.

Teams will be partnered with local companies, including United, The Guam Daily Post, Bank of Guam, Bank of Hawaii, Title Guaranty of Guam, GTA, Community First Credit Union and Graphic Center.

"JA Company Program empowers high school students to fill a need or solve a problem in their community, and teaches them practical skills required to conceptualize, capitalize and manage their own business venture," Lujan said.

Students can expect to commit about two to three hours a week for the program, Lujan said, and then there are the events that are held.

"(It's an) approximately 60-hour commitment for the entire program," she said, adding that some of the more competitive teams put in longer hours, so this is a rough estimate.

The program ends February 2022.

At the end of the day, the students learn useful skills, like building a budget, working with a team and budgeting.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

'A huge learning experience'

Lujan said even before the pandemic, the program was offering a blended learning environment, with a mix of in-person and virtual meetings.

"Last year, we successfully ran the entire program virtually  most teams did not meet in person until the awards ceremony," Lujan said. "The pandemic allowed teams to become creative in how to produce their products and the advisors were instrumental with ensuring that their ideas became a reality."

In a December 2020 JA Guam podcast, Lujan commended the students for facing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They're faced with so many challenges, from producing the products to selling the products, even having to get the products from point A to point B and into the customer's hands for some teams has been quite a challenge," she said.

And yet, the teams were exceeding some of their own goals, including one team that sold out early, and another that was in its third production run.

"The creativity, the ability to overcome this COVID-19 pandemic and not being able to meet in person, has been really a remarkable experience and you can really see the teams and students grow not just individually but as a team, as a company  it's such a huge learning experience," she said, noting how some of the challenges are very similar to what many businesses throughout the community were facing at the time.

"One of the things we realized ... is this program ... is an asset now more than ever, so we're super excited about next year and all the different programs we'll be presenting. So keep an eye on JA Guam because it's going to be phenomenal year next year."
The Archdiocese of Agana plans to convey the Chancery property and other real estate assets to a trust for the compensation of clergy sex abuse claimants, as part of ongoing mediation in its bankruptcy case, archdiocese attorney Ford Elsaesser said Tuesday.

This comes after the release of a financial report showing that just $2.4 million remains of the $7.03 million in net proceeds from the sale of two major archdiocese properties.

The net proceeds are among sources of funding for nearly 300 abuse claims, but most, or $4 million-plus, has been used already to pay legal fees for both sides in the now 32-month-old archdiocese bankruptcy case.

The Chancery property on San Ramon Hill, overlooking Guam's capital city of Hagatna, was estimated earlier to be worth $2.5 million.

Elsaesser, who's based in Idaho, said other sources of funding for the claims are payments from insurers, as well as contributions from parishes and others.

But at this point, details of the compensation plan remain under wraps because the archdiocese and the committee representing the abuse victims and other creditors are continuing their mediation, with U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Farris as the mediator, Elsaesser said.

Elsaesser said the archdiocese could not share how the current plan at this point compares to the initial $21 million compensation plan released in January 2020, but he said the church is working to improve the initial plan so that it will be agreeable to the creditors' committee.

The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2019 so it can settle the claims, reaching more than $1 billion, filed by those who said they were raped or molested by priests and other Guam clergy dating back to the 1950s.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

More than $10M owed to banks, SBA

In addition to the abuse claims, the archdiocese has obligations to First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Hawaii, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other financial institutions of "well over $10 million," Elsaesser said.

The archdiocese's goal is to compensate the claimants to right the wrongs of the past, while keeping Catholic schools and parishes open. The grassroots Concerned Catholics of Guam organization agrees.

"We do not want parishes or schools to be closed and sold as that will not benefit anyone, if our relationship with God is made secondary to wanting as much as possible without considering the consequences of such extreme possible actions," Concerned Catholics of Guam President David Sablan said. "I pray and hope the victims and their families direct these attorneys, instead of the other way around."

While there is "no archdiocese property officially for sale right now," Elsaesser said, the archdiocese anticipates that the Chancery and other real property will be conveyed to a trust to be used to compensate abuse claimants.

Tony Diaz, director of communications for the archdiocese, said the plan is to move the Chancery operations to the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica area.

Elsaesser also said the archdiocese is working to meet the federal court's order to submit its reorganization plan to solve its bankruptcy, by Nov. 29., and currently he sees no reason to make an extension request.
Yesterday the Hoover Institution posted Peter Robinsons Uncommon Knowledge episode A Lost War: A Conversation with Victor Davis Hanson and H. R. McMaster on Afghanistans Past, Present, and Future. Victor is the prominent classicist and military historian. He is also our friend. McMaster is a military historian in his own right, a retired Army lieutenant general who served in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most recently and most notably in this context, he also served as Trump National Security Advisor (2017-2018).

Hoover provides this tactful summary of the conversation:

In this frank, no-holds-barred conversation, they discuss the United States mission in Afghanistan: how it began, how it was conducted, and its ignominious end. McMaster and Hanson debate what worked and what failed, how social issues in the United States may have influenced our mission in Afghanistan and our decision to leave, and whether or not the United States should have continued to maintain a presence instead of leaving in a matter of weeks, abandoning thousands of Afghans loyal to the US mission there (as well as an unknown number of US citizens) after 20 years of military operations in the country.

McMaster almost willfully misconstrues one of Victors comments and sets McMaster off at about 28:00. The conversation takes an adversarial turn that heightens its interest. Although it becomes heated, it continues to shed light.

Victor defends our engagement in Afghanistan, but calls out a military that has become politicized among its most senior officers. See also his American Greatness column The Afghanistanization of America. Finally, Peter Robinson poses a question I have badly wanted to ask about the failure of senior officers to resign when we (I) might think resignation would be appropriate.
Unintentional killings of innocent civilians are an unfortunate but inevitable occurrence in sustained wars. The wars associated with our attempt to curb terrorism seem particularly prone to producing such killings by American forces.

I dont think theres any doubt that the wars fought under Presidents Bush (43) and Obama resulted in U.S. forces unintentionally killing innocent civilians. This might well have been the case under President Trump too, despite the scaled-back and changed nature of his war efforts.

However, the unintentional killing of innocents in that recent Afghanistan drone strike, as we were completing our evacuation of Americans and Afghans, is different in at least two respects. The first is that accidental killings under Bidens immediate predecessors were carried out as we were trying to win.

By contrast, Bidens killings occurred after we had given up. Our troops had already pulled out of Afghanistan and the evacuation of civilians, such as it was, had just about been completed. The victims of our attack, including seven children, probably are the last people to die at our hands in Afghanistan for our mistakes there (however one defines them).

This distinction isnt damning in itself, though. The target of our attack was thought to be on his way to inflict serious terrorist damage. That he actually wasnt means we made a mistake, but as I said, mistakes are inevitable in the war against terrorists at any stage.

But theres a second distinction. This particular attack might well have resulted from Joe Biden attempting to save a little face over our disastrous exit from Afghanistan and, in particular, the killing of American forces at the Kabul airport.

Charles Cooke makes that case:

[The killings] happened because Biden felt that it was politically necessary to hit someone in order to change the narrative, and so he hit someone in order to change the narrative. Presumably, it did not help matters that, by August 29, the United States had become reliant upon the Taliban for intelligence.

Cooke isnt saying that Biden deliberately decided to kill innocent people in order to change the narrative. I think hes suggesting  as I am  that Bidens political needs caused his team to be less discriminate than normal in picking and vetting a target.

These political needs included changing the narrative, as Cooke says. They also included being able to claim some measure of revenge for the terrorist killings of Americans at the Kabul airport.

In addition, this seems to have been an attempt to demonstrate to Americans that, even with our troops gone, we still have the over-the-horizon capability to kill terrorists (as we thought the target was) in Afghanistan. Biden had promised that, post-withdrawal, we would have counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on any direct threats.

After the drone attack that killed the innocents, Biden touted the strike as a successful example of his over-the-horizon strategy. Scott has observed that the claim that this was an over-the-horizon attack is highly dubious, but the point here is that Biden believed he could sell this attack as evidence of that capability.

The key question, then, is whether Bidens political need to kill suspected terrorists, and the militarys related desire to save some face and to impress the commander-in-chief, resulted in less care than normal in selecting this target and in going through with the attack. Theres good reason to suspect that it did, but suspicion is not proof.

Secretary of Defense Austin has ordered a high-level review of the attack. I have zero confidence in Austin or in any review he orders.

A finding of no departure from regular procedures wouldnt carry any weight with me. A finding of departures would leave open the question of why, but should reinforce the already strong suspicion that politics entered into the process.

If Republicans regain control of a chamber of Congress, they could conduct their own investigation. The Democrats would do so, Im pretty sure, if the shoe were on the other foot.

But that doesnt mean a congressional investigation is warranted. Maybe its best just to pay reparations and move on, with our suspicions intact.
There was never a time in my life when I would have dreamed of wearing blackface, but like a lot of other things, I dont see anything particularly wrong with it. A lot depends on context; I dont see any reason why it is necessarily racist.

But liberals disagree, or at least pretend to. Thus it is relevant that another blackface photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, locked in a tight battle for his political survival, has surfaced. This is, I believe, the third, so it likely wont shift a lot of votes. Still, as blackface photos go, this one is a doozie:

We can safely say that if Trudeau is re-elected despite that image, the blackface moment is over. Sort of like the me too moment when it became clear that pretty much all the perps were high-profile Democrats. So Governor Northam will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Earlier this year, Gov. Kristi Noem signed a pledge to bar action civics (mandatory political protests for course credit) and critical race theory (attacks on whiteness, Eurocentrism, etc.) from South Dakota schools. For doing so, she drew praise from conservatives, including Stanley Kurtz, a leader in the fight against action civics.

Stanley warned, however, that Noem had her work cut out for her in order to make good on the pledge. Even in a deep-dyed red state such as South Dakota, the threats that Noem has just pledged to battle have made shocking progress, he stated. We discussed Noems pledge and Stanleys warning here.

Has Noem done the hard work required to fulfill her pledge? Stanley finds that she has not. He writes:

Sad to say, Noem did not follow through. Instead, she allowed the existing standards revision process to continue on a track that placed it in direct opposition to the spirit and substance of her pledge. Just a couple of weeks after Noems pledge, Melinda Johnson, the social-studies specialist at the South Dakota Department of Education, signed a contract with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) for the services of a consultant who would facilitate revisions to the states social-studies standards. Beth Ratway, the consultant/facilitator/team leader provided by AIR, is a leading advocate of action civics and a proponent of teaching for social justice (in practice, leftist politics). Once Ratway was hired to guide South Dakotas social-studies revisions, the behind-the-scenes reality of Noems education policy could not have been more different from its public face.

(Emphasis added)

How bad is Ratway? This bad:

(Emphasis added)

It gets even worse:

[I]n an extraordinary video,* [Ratway] provides teachers with strategies for bringing social justice training into their classrooms, even when parents object. Ratways seminar in misdirection validates long-standing conservative concerns that bland-sounding language built into state education standards is cleverly designed to enable leftist political indoctrination. Grassroots conservatives get called conspiracy theorists for raising these concerns, but Ratways video is essentially a how to lesson for leftist educators looking to defuse legitimate parental concerns about indoctrination. The trick Ratway gives them is to reference ambiguous phrases from state standards as a defense. Drawing on language from the United Nations, Ratway defines social justice as fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth. Invoking authors like the Marxist educator Paulo Freire (an ed-school favorite), she adds material on questioning institutional knowledge so as not to reproduce power and privilege. Ratway tells the teachers watching her seminar to push these ideas indirectly, by framing them as questions like, What would a historian ask? She also suggests pushing social justice under the guise of exploring multiple perspectives. Yet Ratways goal is very evidently not a balanced and open exploration of multiple perspectives. On the contrary, she aims to promote a broadly leftist political vision under the decidedly misleading guise of open-mindedness.

(Emphasis added)

This is what Noem, through her inattention, may have unleashed on the students of South Dakota.

I say may have because, according to Stanley, the governor is belatedly trying to avoid this result. I hope she succeeds, but Noem should never have allowed things to deteriorate to where they are now.

The bottom line, says Stanley, is this:

Unless Noem throws out the current, hopelessly compromised draft social-studies standards, replaces the state education bureaucrats responsible for this fiasco, and puts thoughtful conservatives in charge of the standards revision process, South Dakotas schools are poised to become playthings of the Left.

And the same outcome is likely to occur in other Red States unless conservative officials and legislators understand the resistance they face in putting education back on the right track and are willing to do the hard work necessary to overcome that resistance.

*The video cannot be viewed at the link provided. Im told it has been scrubbed.
Przepraszamy!

Ogoszenie na stanowisku:

Executive Assistant



wygaso z dniem 2021-10-05



Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Thomson Reuters

Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to:

oferta zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszej bazy

firma zakonczya proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc osob

zleceniodawca zmodyfikowa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW

dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych

bedny adres WWW ogoszenia

Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Administracja biurowa, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Administracja biurowa

Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Executive Assistant, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Executive Assistant

Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Gdansk, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Gdansk



Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj.

Inne oferty, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan:
Yes, no matter what

Yes, but it depends on variety

No, for medical reasons, uncertainty

No, principle

Vote

View Results
Nigerian equities sank for the second day on the trot on Tuesday, with the benchmark index closing weaker by 0.08 per cent and the size of trade three per cent less, casting doubt on the chances of buoyancy returning to the market any moment soon.

Financial services stocks have been known to be the foremost driver of volume of the 155-stock strong bourse, but investors have been keeping them at arms length especially since Monday, with GTCO, Zenith as well as Access  all parts of Nigerias biggest banks commonly known by their initials FUGAZ  heading Tuesdays retreat.

However, the bright side of trade could be found in the market breadth which, closing positive on account of 15 gainers being recorded against 13 losers, means investor sentiment towards trade is broadly improving.

Following an improvement in sentiment, we expect a positive performance in the next trading session as investors take a position in attractive stocks, broker Afrinvest said in a note.

The all-share index lost 32.57 points at 38,873.85. Similarly, market capitalisation fell to N20.3 trillion at the end of trade.

Between January and now, the index has been down 3.47 per cent.

TOP FIVE GAINERS

MRS led the flock of gainers, appreciating by 9.75 per cent to close at N15.20. Veritas Kapital added up 9.52 per cent to end trade at N0.23.

ALSO READ: Nigerian stocks reverse fragile gains in muted trading

Regal Insurance went up by 6.82 per cent to N0.47. Unity Bank rose to N0.55, notching up 3.77 per cent in the process. Courteville completed the top 5, climbing by 3.23 per cent to N0.32.

TOP FIVE LOSERS

Neimeth declined 7.89 per cent to close at N1.75. Chams shed 4.35 per cent to close at N0.22.

Japaul fell to N0.47, losing 4.08 per cent. Sovereign Trust dipped to N0.24, recording 4 per cent depreciation. Wema Bank closed at N0.76, going down by 3.80 per cent.

TOP FIVE TRADES

Altogether, 184.4 million shares estimated at N2.3 billion were traded in 3,809 deals.

UBA was the most active stock trading 39 million shares worth N297.6 million in 233 deals. GTCOs 19 million shares, priced at N517.9 million exchanged hands in 253 transactions.

Zenith traded 14.2 million shares estimated at N326.7 million in 506 transactions. UCAP traded 12.9 million shares valued at N114.2 million in 221 deals. Access had 10.1 million shares valued at N90.2 million traded in 230 deals.
Edo State has recorded five COVID-19 deaths and 58 new cases in the last 72 hours, the state government said on Monday.

The Head of the Coronavirus Case Management Centre in the state, Ebomwonyi Osagie, who disclosed this in Benin, said those who died of the viral infection were unvaccinated.

Mr Osagie, a medical doctor, told reports that 52 victims got well and were discharged during the period in review.

A total of 492 samples were collected; we have 274 people in home care and 287 discharged, since the outbreak of the third wave of the virus.

For now, we have a total of 1,270 confirmed cases, 616 active cases, (and) 45 patients currently in our facilities with 65 deaths recorded, since the outbreak of the third wave, he said.

READ ALSO:

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Osamwonyi Irowa, said some Edo residents were making attempts to buy certificates of vaccination through the backdoor, without taking the vaccine.

This, he said, they were doing because of the governments stance of no vaccination card, no access to governments facilities.

Those buying the cards and insiders selling them will face the full wrath of the law, said Mr Irowa, a medical doctor.

(NAN)
In August, Sudans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, announced that the country would hand over all suspects charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes committed in Darfur from 2003 to 2004.

Former president Omar al-Bashir is among the ICC accused and has a long list of domestic and international charges to account for. He is currently serving a two-year sentence for corruption and faces criminal indictments for the 1989 coup in which he took power. Given the plethora of justice demands the transitional government must deal with, surrendering Mr al-Bashir to the ICC may be its best option.

Although the authorities didnt announce a timeline for the handover, this is the strongest commitment shown for the transfer of Mr al-Bashir and other Darfur accused to the ICCs seat in The Hague. To be enforced, the cabinet decision now requires approval from the ruling sovereign council made up of military and civilian members.

Pivotal and high-ranking military officials seem to be on board, with General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudans first vice-president, stating that Sudan is prepared to cooperate with the ICC.

While Mr al-Bashir was president, there was little to no chance of his surrender to the court. This was partly because some countries that had joined the ICCs Rome Statute refused to arrest him when he was in their territories. Another reason was that in Sudan, the president was immune from prosecution.

Now the tables have turned. Since Mr al-Bashirs ousting in 2019 and with a new transitional constitution, there is cautious optimism that the interim government will make good on its promise to hand him over to the ICC. But the critical question is why Sudan has now decided to hand Mr al-Bashir over rather than prosecuting him at home for his alleged crimes in Darfur?

The first likely reason is that although Sudan has legislation to try Mr al-Bashir and others for war crimes, Article 18 of the countrys penal code has never been used in any prosecution. A capacity gap in handling this offence and the political heft of the accused could lead to judicial missteps and compromise the prosecutions case.

The principle of complementarity in international criminal law requires that states first prosecute international crimes and that international courts are used as a last resort. But there must be a genuine willingness on the part of states to try such cases. Are Sudanese judicial authorities willing and able to try Mr al-Bashir for the crimes committed in Darfur?

Second and closely linked to this is the issue of funding a trial in Sudan. Even if it was prepared to prosecute international crimes, the country might not have the resources to do so. These prosecutions are expensive. The ICC, for example, budgeted approximately 2,500,000 for the Darfur situation in 2021 alone. Hence it may be more pragmatic for the ICC to handle these cases.

A domestic trial in Khartoum or Darfur is likely to cost less than one in The Hague. However, a cash-strapped transitional government will need to mobilise substantial funds to try a case of this magnitude and scale. Besides Mr al-Bashir, Sudan would have to consider prosecuting other suspects wanted by the ICC for Darfur crimes, such as Ahmed Haroun and Abdel Raheem Hussein, currently detained in Khartoum, as well as Abdallah Nourain, who is missing.

Sudans government would also have to negotiate a complex transfer of Ali Kushayb, currently detained by the ICC in The Hague, back to Sudan  an outcome that is highly unlikely.

The third possible reason for handing Mr al-Bashir to the ICC is that there is no national consensus around the Sudanese peoples justice and accountability needs. This is solely due to the sheer volume and scale of human rights abuses and violations committed by the former ruling government.

As it stands, different regions arguably have different justice needs. For example, the focus in Khartoum is on accountability for the June 3, 2019 massacre in which more than 128 people died during protests. In Darfur, the priorities are understandably different. The war in the countrys western region from 2003 to 2004 resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths and the displacement of over two million people.

Perceptions within Sudan are key, so balancing the various demands for justice without causing further marginalisation is a Herculean task for the transitional government. Already several states have called for secession. Dealing with this, along with the job of decentring politics and providing justice in Khartoum will have a major impact on the course of Sudans political transition.

The last reason is that the decision to surrender ICC suspects would improve Sudans standing with the international community. The removal of the country from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list and Sudans recent decision to join the Rome Statute show progress in this regard.

Khartoums decision to surrender those wanted by the ICC is a smart move as the transitional government positions itself as a defender of human rights. It signals the Sudanese authorities commitment to ensuring accountability for atrocity crimes and will have a deterrent effect on incumbent leaders.

The technicalities around when and where the Darfur crime suspects will stand trial are yet to be determined. There is still talk of a special court for Darfur. For now, Sudans decision serves as a reminder to those in power that impunity is never lasting. A change in domestic politics is all it takes to tip the scales in favour of justice and accountability.

Maram Mahdi, Research Officer and Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, Head of Special Projects, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).
The General Manager of Jamz 100.1 FM, Ibadan, Tony Awobode, on Tuesday, narrated how he was allegedly assaulted by the Iyaganku Divisional Police Officer and his men.

Mr Awobode, popularly called Don Tee, was riding a power bike along the Alesinloye area of Ibadan on Sunday when the DPO, Akintunde Oyeniran, allegedly claimed his bike hit his side mirror and descended heavily on him.

The DPO, whose sister station was about 200 metres away from the scene of the incident, asked for reinforcement of policemen who also continued the beating as they forcefully took the journalist away and detained him for hours in their facility.

The chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ademola Babalola, condemned the alleged assault in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday.

Mr Babalola called on the Police Commissioner in Oyo State, Ngozi Onadeko, to institute a probe into the matter with a view to getting justice for the assaulted journalist.

Narrating his ordeal to the NUJ chairman, Mr Awobode said Chairman, it was a case of arbitrary use of naked power.

On Sunday at about 8:30 a.m., I was coming from Ring-Road axis, Liberty Stadium to be precise, heading towards Eleiyele on a power bike.

There was heavy traffic congestion at Kilometre 110. However, I managed to get to the junction of Iyaganku. I was on the left side of cars because I was going to take the left turn.

In order to allow some of the commercial motorcycles to move so I could also have a passage, I tilted the power bikes steering wheel a bit. After the passage of two to three bikes, I tried to straighten the wheel back.

While trying to do that for balance, the clutch of the bike slightly tapped the side mirror of the car beside me, no damage done at all.

I apologised and explained that it was not an intentional act, but the man started raining insults with words like mad, stupid, crazy, foolish. I repeated, it wasnt intentional.

Before I knew it, he stretched his hand out of his car and held my jacket, while he continued the insults. I got pissed, so I used his exact words back at him. Then those in the car with him joined in the assault.

He then told them to come down and hold me, and started shouting call the police!!! Let them arrest this man! He eventually managed to come down of the car, and this time grabbed my neck.

I was shocked; really shocked at how the whole situation had so fast degenerated to the point where he had to grab me by the neck.

Keeping my cool, I told him he could call whosoever he wanted to call. I would not run away, but he should stop his choke-hold on me.

While that was happening, I noticed one of the guys with him went to the power bike, and took my phone from the bikes mount. So it was a dilemma. I told the guy to please return my phone, while I was telling the man to please leave my neck.

And because he wasnt going to let go of my neck, I told him I was going to count five. I did, he still didnt let go. Suddenly, the next thing I had was a punch right across my face.

As if that wasnt enough, he still yanked off the helmet and ran multiple blows across my face. The bike fell, that again leaving me with injury on my leg, which I tried avoiding  the reason I held on to the handlebar since the whole drama started.

Eventually, I was taken to Iyaganku police station with the bike, a stone throw from the junction where the whole drama took place.

It was there I got to know that he was a Divisional Police Officer, Iyanganku, which even got me more perplexed, he said.

The police spokesman in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, said the Commissioner of Police was already aware of the incident.

Mr Osifeso said investigation was currently ongoing on the matter. (NAN)
The authorities at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) have described as false and inaccurate the allegation of poor management of the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia, by the staffers of the facility.

The hospitals management exclusively confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday evening that Mr Mailafia died of coronavirus disease due to comorbidities.

This revelation was reluctantly made by the hospitals management, which had insisted that the confidentiality of its patients is sacrosanct.

According to the hospitals chief medical director, Bissallah Ekele, a professor, Mr Mailafia had been managed at two other hospitals where his COVID-19 status was confirmed positive before being referred to the UATHs isolation centre when his case had fast degenerated.

Allegations

On Sunday, Nigerians received with shock the news of the death of the financial expert and a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the 2019 general elections.

Mr Mailafias vociferous positions on national issues and sharp criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administrations alleged poor governance capacity may have informed the concerns and suspicions raised by some Nigerians on the cause of his death.

An ethno-regional group, the Middle Belts Forum, on Sunday, issued a statement accusing the hospital of misconduct in the treatment of the late 64-year-old.

The statement, which was signed by the groups national publicity secretary, Isuwa Dogo, claimed that the wife of the deceased was requested to make a deposit of N600,000 before proper treatment.

The statement also said when Mr Mailafia complained that he had breathing problems and pleaded with the doctors at the hospital to place him on a ventilator, he wasflatly refused.

The doctors in Gwagwalada refused all entreaties by the family members of Mailafia to follow the advice of the foreign consultants, insisting that they have already pronounced him dead and that even when the wife could feel the pulse of her husband, the doctor flatly declared that there was nothing they could do since they had already pronounced him dead, the statement claimed.

Meanwhile, other public commentators including a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, in a youtube video, said the death of Mr Mailafia was fishy and thus should be independently investigated.

Similarly, Deji Adeyanju, convener of a rights group- Concerned Nigerians- in a statement on Sunday, also sought inquest into the circumstances leading to the death of the former banker.

UATH reacts

In his reaction, Mr Ekele described all the allegations against the hospital as false, even as our reporter was conducted round the health facility on Monday.

He said: I can confirm in my honor that all the allegations circulating in the media are false. We never asked for any deposit before commencement of treatment. The doctor on duty that day was on ground and received the patient and he was never at any point refused oxygen. In fact, he was placed on a high-flow-oxygen to enable fast breathing.

Mr Ekele said the late Mailafia had COVID-19 with other comorbidities and that his situation was already severe before he was referred to the facility.

It was unfortunate that his health deteriorated rapidly despite all efforts to save his life, he explained.

The medical director also questioned the motive of those he said were spreading what he described as fake news. He said the leadership of the Middle Belts Forum never approached the hospital before issuing its statement.

The doctor, who was on duty at the hospitals infectious disease centre when Mr Mailafia was brought into the facility on Saturday, Usman Galadima, said he was surprised to read the allegations flying around on social media.

Mr Galadima, a member of the hospitals COVID-19 management team, noted that the hospital had been duly informed of the referral and was fully prepared to receive Mr Mailafia when he was eventually brought in.

He said: I was on duty between Saturday, September 18, and Sunday, 19. So when I resumed work in the morning, I was informed that we would be expecting a patient from CBN and I informed my staff -the nurses and a hygienist to prepare the VIP room and the general medical ward.

An ambulance from EHA clinics arrived in the afternoon. We adorned our PPE and rushed to meet the patient. He was already on the ambulance oxygen and from his oxygen consumption level, I noticed he was in a severe condition. We placed him on a highflow oxygen with no delay and wheeled him into the VIP section in a wheelchair.

Mr Galadima said based on the medical report he received and subsequent history from the patient and his wife, Mailafia, had been ill for about a week, and that he was first taken to the CBN health facility before he was transferred to EHA clinics from where he was eventually referred to the UATH infectious disease centre.

The doctor added: We are a tertiary referral centre for severe and moderate cases of such conditions. I discussed with the patient and the wife the kind of illness he has, the cause and treatment procedure before we started treatment.

The wife informed us that the CBN is fully behind the patients management and that we should give him the best and that is exactly what we did.

The patient got a bit uncomfortable later in the night so we attached an official to stay with him and monitor his vital signs because of the severity of his condition. We used about four cylinders of oxygen on him throughout the night.

In the early hours of the following day, we noticed he was deteriorating in spite of all the treatment procedures. He could no longer sustain breathing and we had to start resuscitation. Sadly, we couldnt save him.

He said he, alongside his colleagues, called the family and informed them of the development. The wife thanked us for the effort and prayed for us and then asked for a moment with him alone.

On foreign doctors intervention

Mr Galadima said as soon as the wife went to see the body, he also left for the office to document certain things while other staffers were on ground for monitoring.

About an hour later, a phone was brought for me to speak with the eldest son of the deceased who introduced himself as a lawyer and said he had with him a Belgian medical consultant. I narrated to them the sequence of events before the patient was pronounced dead.

The Belgian consultant insisted that I should do chest compression on the deceased but I told them I am a senior doctor who have been practicing for over 20 years and I already certified the patient dead more than an hour ago but she kept insisting on the chest compression which I find quite unprofessional.

I informed them that they should come down to the hospital if they want to make further investigations. The wife of the late Mailafia later called my attention to a sign showing in the monitor asking if it meant the man was still alive, I told her we already stopped resuscitation after the man died and that I am deeply sorry for the loss.

I now asked the nurse to go tidy up the corpse and when she went she saw that they were already doing the chest compressions. The wife later came and met me in the office and asked what is the next step now that the man is dead. I called the public health department and they put the body in the body bag. An ambulance took him to the mortuary for preparation for burial based on the protocol for such deaths.

On N600,00 deposit claim

Mr Galadima also reaffirmed that the facility never asked for a deposit before treatment, saying such was not a prerequisite for admission at the centre.

People that come here are mostly in dire situations. So we start treatment first. In his case, we started treatment even before a file was opened, he said.

Decision on ventilator

On the allegation that the patient was refused to be placed on a ventilator, Mr Galadima said due to the condition of the deceased when he was brought in, the risk of his health escalating if he was put on a ventilator outweighed the benefit. He said that was why he was managed in a highflow oxygen.

EHA Clinics speaks

On its part, the management of EHA Clinics, Abuja branch, where Mr Mailafia was transferred to UATH, said it did its best within its limit before making a case for the referral.

In an email as a response to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry on the issue, the hospital said the deceased was received at the facility on Friday, 17 September , following a referral by the CBN clinic after a prior discussion with our managing consultant.

The email, which was signed by the manager in charge of practice and quality assurance unit, Ifunanya Ilodibe, however, cautioned that the medical condition of any of its clients would not be disclosed to a third party except with the permission of the client or their next of kin.

The response reads in part: First and foremost, EHA Clinics would like to send its heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Obadiah Mailafia.

Dr. Mailafia in question was referred to us on Friday, September 17, 2021, by the CBN clinic after a prior discussion with our managing consultant. As per our centre protocols, the patient was immediately evaluated by the medical team, upon arrival to determine suitability for management at our centre. The patient was initially admitted and managed by our medical team using standard protocols for the management of his medical condition.

After close monitoring and careful review of this patients medical status by the managing consultant, it was determined that the patient would be better managed at a medical facility with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to the manager, EHA clinics is a level 2 centre that does not offer intensive care support, and so it usually refers patients requiring those services to tertiary facilities.

We appropriately communicated this decision to the medical team at the CBN clinic who also agreed with the decision. The family was counselled on the need for transfer and arrangements were made with the receiving facility and the patient was transferred promptly on Saturday, September 18, 2021.

Please note that it is against medical ethics to discuss the details of a clients diagnosis without the express permission of the client or their next of kin. EHA Clinics is a comprehensive health care facility that prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of each of our clients.

Contracting COVID-19

Another health official, who was privy to the condition of the deceased late politician but who does not want to be quoted, explained how Mr Mailafia contracted COVID-19.

He said the deceased was confirmed positive of the virus at the EHA, adding that late testing and underlying health conditions had rapidly worsened his condition.

The source said: The patient took ill on September 12, after he came back from Akure. At first, he was treated at home for malaria before he was later taken to the CBN health facility. He was later referred to EHA clinics where he tested positive.

The problem is that the condition was not detected earlier. We always advise early testing once the symptoms are similar to COVID-19 because if the disease is not detected earlier and the patient has other underlying conditions, the situation becomes severe and there could be little or nothing the doctors can do except a lung transplant.

If someone contracts COVID-19 and has underlying health conditions, it weakens the body immunity faster.

The UATH CMD also harped on early testing for the disease, saying: The earlier it is diagnosed, the higher the chances of the patient surviving.

Another problem is that some are diagnosed but they still live in denial. When you manage this condition with an underlying condition it becomes severe that is why early testing and treatment is highly recommended, he said.

One challenge we face is that some patients will go to four different hospitals before they are brought to the infectious disease centre and by that time the condition would have already become severe. And we dont reject patients even if its just an hour that is left for the patient; that is why we are here.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the wife of the deceased, Mrs Mailafia, on the matter were unsuccessful as she neither picked calls to her mobile lines nor responded to messages sent.

COVID-19 in Nigeria

Nigeria is currently battling the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic which has resulted in a spike in infections and deaths in recent weeks.

More than 201,000 infections have been reported from the disease with a total of 2,661 fatalities as of Monday, September 20.
The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Abdulwahab Eyitayo, says more than 8,000 Boko Haram terrorists have so far surrendered to troops.

He said the terrorists surrendered from their enclaves in Sambisa Forest, as well as other hideouts.

Mr Eyitayo, who is also the Commander, Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai, disclosed this during a visit by the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, and a team of Defence Correspondents from Abuja on Tuesday, in Maiduguri.

He said the surrender by the repentant terrorists was a welcome development, adding that, the overwhelming fire power of the troops was responsible.

According to him, one of the reasons they are surrendering in droves is the overwhelming fire power from the troops.

It is because every mans endeavour is motivated by his familys wellbeing, that is why they are coming out with their families. We started seeing the signs from June.

Our intensified operations had blocked their logistics routes and supplies, bombardments all over, that is why they started surrendering and diseases have overpowered many of them.

It was better because in the end, the troops will clear all of them and their sympathisers combined, he said.

The GOC warned that a time would come that the window of surrender would no longer be available, urging the sympathisers of the terrorists to encourage them to come out.

He added that whoever supported the enemies of the state would also be treated as an enemy by the state forces.

He said the military was more determined than ever to deal decisively with the terrorists and their supporters.

Modalities for surrender

On the handling of the surrendered terrorists, Mr Eyitayo disclosed that the Nigerian army was responsible for receiving, profiling or screening of the terrorists.

The GOC stated that afterwards, they would be handed over to the Borno government for further action.

ALSO READ: Surrendered Boko Haram terrorists urge colleagues to come out

He explained that a sizeable number of the surrendered, comprised wives and children of the terrorists, as well as those that were forcefully recruited into their folds.

Earlier, Mr Nwachukwu said the media tour was part of efforts to counter the wrong narratives and apprehensions generated by recent surrenders of the terrorists.

Mr Nwachukwu acknowledged and commended efforts of the troops in putting pressure on the terrorists to abandon their illicit activities.

The over a decade long insurgency in the North-east has led to the deaths of thousands of Nigerians and displacement of many more across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

The Boko Haram sect is seeking an independent Islamic state.

(NAN)
The lawyer for accused war criminal Gibril Massaquoi says he is confident of his client will be acquitted.

Speaking outside the court at the start of week two of the courts unexpected return to Liberia, Kaarle Gummerus did not accept this reporters invitation to make a full-throated claim of Massaquois innocence, but he insisted that the prosecution would not be able to prove his clients guilt to the high standard required by Finnish law.

Gibril Massaquoi told me that he hasnt done anything here in Liberia and, of course, because hes my client, I have to believe him, Gummerus said. But thats not the main point. It doesnt matter what I believe. The main point is what the prosecutor can do in the court.

Gummerus backed away from an explosive claim that he had made in Finland when the court heard testimony there in June. He had alleged that staff working with Global Justice Research Project, the Liberia-based justice organisation, had paid prosecution witnesses to lie.

But Gummerus said that he thought GJRP staff may have misled witnesses by starting the investigation potential witnesses if they knew anything about Angel Gabriel, Massaquois alleged war name.

He criticised the prosecution case that he said was built on leading testimony gathered by GJRP before Finnish police arrived to investigate.

This person who was working with GJRP in Liberia, hes not the police, Gummerus said. Its my opinion that this kind of person cannot make an investigation in this case.

He pointed to testimony from several witnesses who said they had spoken with GJRP about Massaquoi before they were interviewed with police investigators.

Several of them have given different statements in court. Dozens of witnesses reported seeing Angel Gabriel commit crimes at the Waterside market during the attacks by LURD.

Though most were uncertain of the dates, they were clearly referencing the LURD attacks which took place between June and August 2003.

READ ALSO:

The court returned to Liberia for a second time when it became clear that dozens of witnesses in the first hearing here in March were referring to battles that took place in 2003, outside the dates the indictment had originally listed for Massaquois alleged crimes.

Gummeruss claims come as the court heard from three more prosecution witnesses on Monday, on top of six who appeared last week, who insisted that Massaquoi was commanding troops in defense of then-President Charles Taylor in Monrovia during the height of the battles against the LURD rebel faction from June to August in 2003.

Gummerus said he had evidence in the form of a witness and a document from the Special Court for Sierra Leone that show that Massaquoi was under 24/7 guard in Freetown at the time and could not have been in Monrovia.

51-year-old Massaquoi is standing trial in Finland where he was living under an immunity deal with the Special Court for Sierra Leone when he was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity during Liberias second civil war.

The inconsistency of witnesss statements has been a major problem for the defense and prosecution cases. They continued in todays hearin

g.

The first witness, codenamed Y6 to protect him from reprisals, undermined his credibility from the outset by complaining that he had not been sufficiently paid for his appearance in the court.

A judge sternly corrected him, saying the court did not pay for testimony and he had been reimbursed only for travel and food. The judge urged him to leave without testifying if he was unhappy.

The witness decided to testify.

The 42-year-old witness said he originally fought with rebels in Lofa County. When they left the county he went to Monrovia and signed up with the governments Anti-Terrorist Unit. They sent him back to Lofa, and his assignment area was in Kolahun.

I saw our big man called Jimmy Massaquoi. He came with supply to us, Y6 told the court. This was an order given by General Mosquito [a top Taylor commander]. Massaquoi was on the scene in Popolahun but some children were burned in the mosque but I do not know who give the order. My assignment was changed to come back to Monrovia. When the war intensified on the new Bridge, I got wounded and was taken to JFK hospital.

Y6 said Massaquoi was a supply man between Sierra Leonean General Sam Bokari, with the Revolutionary United Front, and Taylor.

Another witness, codenamed Y8 said he joined the war in 2003 and worked as a cook and distributed food to the warfronts including Waterside market area in June to August 2003. Gummerus pushed this witness about inconsistencies in his testimony during cross examination.

Y8 said he could not remember ever being interviewed by any Liberians in the lead up to the trial. But Gummerus pointed out that in the Finnish polices investigation before the charges were announced, Y8 said both Liberians and Finns had interviewed him.

Y8s defense for his conflicting statements was that it had been so long, he did not remember clearly.

He also spoke about seeing Massaquoi at Waterside market where many of the witnesses alleged he committed murder and rape of civilians, including many who had been trying to get food from a store that had been broken open.

A jungle mortal fell in their midst and General Salami died on the spot along with some soldiers, said Y8. So when Angel Gabriel got back and found out that General Salami was dead, he got angry and ordered his men to bring the looters and kill all of them, because he said they were responsible for Salami dying. I was standing there, because usually when we finish cooking we used to come outside to watch some action.

The third prosecution witness, codenamed Y7, also confirmed he saw Massaquoi when the war came to Monrovia in 2003.

My brother told me to come to White Flower  Taylors house  for food and when we collected the food, so many cars came and many generals got down from their cars, he said.

Y7 said he saw all of the generals including Gibril Massaquoi, Roland Duo, Benjamin Yeaten and others, deciding how to fight the LURD rebels.

They already knew I was a soldier and was assigned to my brother, he told the court. So they said Roland and his men were going to be assigned to Stockton Creek, Massaquoi was going to Waterside. While we were at Massaquois command area, Yeaten called Massaquoi to meet him at Slipway Depot and there were some civilians looting food from the store, so we went along with him in the pickup. When we got there, Yeaten gave the order to kill everybody who was looting from the store, so Massaquoi opened suppressive fire and killed over twenty civilians. After that, I ran away and went towards Broad Street on my way to Sinkor. After that time, I never went back to the war front again with my brother because I had the fear in me. When 2003 was going to the end, I stopped seeing Massaquoi.

During cross examination, Gummerus told the court that in the police investigation Y7 has said on tape, that he did not see Massaquoi kill the people but he heard firing while driving that day and they told him it was Massaquoi who killed looters.

When asked why he changed his statement, Y7 said his head is not computer and could not remember everything.

The trial will continue on Tuesday.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of its West Africa Justice Reporting Project. We have permission to republish.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have arrested a self-acclaimed spiritualist, Mohammed Ibrahim and a co-suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, in Borno State, for allegedly defrauding a victim N16million.

The supposed victim of the alleged crime, Mohammed Gaji, is also a suspect in the case, according to a statement issued Tuesday by EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren.

Mr Uwujaren alleged said in the statement that the two other suspects defrauded Mr Gaji under the guise of conducting spiritual prayers to make him rich.

Explaining further, he said operatives arrested the suspects while investigating a petition accusing Mr Gaji of misappropriating N22.2million given to him by the petitioner to establish a cattle ranch business.

Rather than invest the money as planned, according to EFCC, Mr Gaji gave Mohammed Ibrahim, (the spiritualist) N16million of the N22.2million for prayers so he could get rich.

They were arrested at Sabon Bolori, behind Chad Basin, Borno State, the EFCC statement said.

Read EFCCs statement in full:

EFCC Press Release

EFCC Arrests Three Spiritualists for N16m Get-Rich-Quick Scheme in Borno

Operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a self-acclaimed spiritualist, Mohammed Ibrahim and his accomplice, Ibrahim Abubakar for allegedly defrauding one Mohammed Gaji of the sum of N16, 000,000.00 (Sixteen Million Naira) under the guise of conducting spiritual prayers to make him (Gaji) rich.

They were arrested at Sabon Bolori, behind Chad Basin, Borno State, in the course of investigation into a petition written against Mohammed Gaji, alleging that he misappropriated N22.2million given to him by the petitioner, Mohammed Alhaji Bukar to establish a cattle ranch business.

But rather than invest the money as planned, Gaji gave Mohammed Ibrahim, (the spiritualist) N16million of the N22.2million for prayers so he could get rich.

Upon Gajis arrest, he admitted squandering the money given to him for business and confessed giving N16million to the spiritualists who promised to make him rich.

During the raid, a large hole covered with animal skin with a centre table placed on it was discovered in the room, where Mohammeds accomplice, Abubakar used as a hiding place; pretending to be a genie.

Gaji claimed he was given a precious stone, a small iron box containing a white piece of cloth and some foreign currencies with instructions to fast for three months and one day before he could get rich.

Items recovered from the spiritualists include white pieces of clothes with Arabic inscriptions, calabashes, animal skins, animal horn, foreign currencies and two small iron boxes.

The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

21 September, 2021
The Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for putting together a broad-based board for the newly created Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited.

Mr Okechukwu, who gave the commendation in Abuja, noted that Mr Buhari demonstrated experience and institutional knowledge of the petroleum industry in appointing members of the board.

He specifically praised the president for obliging the Igbo ethnic nationality the slot of chairman, as well as the appointment of Margery Okadigbo, widow of former Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo, into the eight-member board.

Mr Okadigbo was Mr Buharis running mate in the 2003 presidential election.

Mr Okechukwu explained that the presidents action was in consonance with Section 53(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

The VON DG said the PIA requires the minister of petroleum resources to cause for the incorporation of the NNPC Limited within six months of commencement of the Act in consultation with the minister of finance on the nominal shares of the company.

The president has directed Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari, to take necessary steps to ensure that the incorporation of the NNPC Limited is consistent with the provisions of the PIA 2021, he said.

Mr Okechukwu commended Mr Buhari for his show of tremendous respect for the dictates of the law.

By the power vested on him under sections 59(2) of PIA 2021, Buhari approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the NNPC Limited, with effect from the date of incorporation of the company, he said.

For us the Buharists, who know that the president doesnt nurse any animosity against Ndigbo; it is a vindication that he has not forgotten Ndigbo as being bandied by his traducers.

READ ALSO:

Most importantly, one thanks Mr President immensely for these appointments in the hope that he will further work towards closing the chapter of Igbo marginalisation by supporting the election of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023, he said.

According to a statement by the Presidency, Ifeanyi Ararume, a former senator, is to chair the board, while Mele Kyari and Umar Ajiya are Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.

Other members of the board included Tajudeen Umar (North East), Lami Ahmed (North Central), Mohammed Lawal (North West), Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Constance Harry Marshal (South South), and Pius Akinyelure (South West).
The Jigawa State Government has banned the sale of fuel in containers and the movement of motorcycles between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The state government announced the measures following an upsurge in kidnapping in the state.

The regulations were contained in Executive Order NO 001 2021 signed by Governor Muhammad Badaru and seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

The government said the order is to be enforced across the state with immediate effect.

Now pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor of Jigawa State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I hereby order as follows:

All petrol stations in the state are prohibited from selling more than 60 litres of petrol (PMS) in any container, jerry can or vessel to any individual, except corporate bodies.

All hawkers of petrol, except licensed petrol stations are prohibited from having in their custody more than 60 litres of petrol (PMS), the governor ordered.

Motorcycles

The state government had earlier banned the movement of motorcycles between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. indefinitely.

The police spokesperson in Jigawa, Lawan Adam, said security arrangements have been made to enforce the measures across the state as directed by the state government.

All motorcycle riders in the state are advised to go about their activities within the provisions of the law as the police will not hesitate to clamp-down on any person who disobeys these directives, Mr Adam said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the governor warned leaders of Miyetti Allah in the state against harbouring bandits fleeing from Zamfara State.

Armed bandits are reportedly fleeing Zamfara to escape a military onslaught against them in the state. This has coincided with the upsurge in reported cases of violent crimes in Jigawa, a relatively peaceful state in the troubled North-west region of Nigeria as Zamfara.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed 1 November for a definite hearing in the legal battle between Rivers and Imo over the ownership of 17 oil wells.

The apex court fixed the date after the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st defendant and Imo State as 2nd defendant formally made appearances through their lawyers, Remi Olatubora, SAN and Olusola Oke, SAN respectively.

The suit was instituted by Rivers State against Imo State.

The judge, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, set the stage for determination of the suit shortly after identifying some of the processes so far filed for and against the legal action.

Mrs Kekere-Ekun, who led a panel of seven justices of the court, in a short ruling, ordered parties in the suit to file and exchange fully their respective processes between now and 1 November when the suit would be heard.

At the proceedings, Imo States lawyer, Mr Oke, informed the court that he had filed a motion on notice challenging the jurisdiction of the apex court to hear the suit as a court of first instance.

He said his motion was based on the fact that the suit was instituted against actions of some federal government agencies and not the federal government itself and as such, the place to hear the matter is a federal high court and not the Supreme Court.

However, counsel to the AGF said he had filed a counter affidavit against the writ of summons of Rivers State.

Lead counsel to Rivers, Joseph Daudu, SAN, in his response, demanded seven days to file reply on points of law to the motions of the two defendants.

The apex court had on 14 July granted an order of injunction stopping the federal government and its agencies from ceding the 17 disputed oil wells located at Akri and Mbede to Imo state.

The order of injunction was granted to stop an alleged implementation of the ceding of the 17 oil wells to Imo pending the determination of the suit brought before it by the Rivers State Government.

The Supreme Court had in a ruling on an ex-parte application by Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, restrained the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells till the ownership disputes surrounding them are resolved.

It also barred the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and the Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from approving, implementing, or giving effect in any manner to a letter from RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264 of July 1, 2021, which canceled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo states.

Rivers, through its attorney-general, had asked the Supreme Court to declare that the boundary between Rivers and Imo, as delineated on Nigeria administrative map , 10, 11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations are inaccurate, incorrect and do not represent the legitimate and lawful boundaries between the two states.

The state also sought the courts declaration as unlawful and void, Nigerias administrative map 10,11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations, as they relate to the boundaries between it and Imo.

It said the maps cannot be relied on to determine the extent of the territorial governmental jurisdiction of Rivers State and to determine the revenue accruing to it from the Federation Account, including the application of the principle of derivation and other revenue allocation principles as contained in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria.

It requested the court to declare that the correct instrument, maps and documents, to be relied on in determining the boundary between Rivers and Imo, are those used by the plaintiff in delineating the boundary line between the two states.

It also sought a declaration that all the oil wells within Akri and Mbede communities were wrongly attributed to Imo.

(NAN)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a retired Chief Superintendent of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Imam Aminu, over alleged forgery of academic certificates.

He was arraigned before a judge, A.O. Abong of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge.

Read ICPCs full statement:

A retired Chief Superintendent of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Imam Aminu, has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over alleged forgery of academic certificates.

The commission, in a four-count charge brought before Honourable Justice A.O. Abong of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 18, sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, averred that the accused person had forged a National Diploma Certificate in Public Administration from the Kaduna State Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from the University of Calabar.

ICPC counsel, Mashkur Salisu, informed the court of how the defendant had used the aforementioned forged certificates to enlist into NIS as well as advanced his career to the rank of a Chief Superintendent.

ICPC in a charge with number CR/821/2021 told the court that the former Immigration Officers action was contrary to Section 364 of the Penal Code, and if he is found guilty, he shall be liable to a prison term of not less than 14 years.

When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty to the four counts. The prosecution counsel thereafter asked for a date for hearing and for the accused to be remanded in Kuje prison pending hearing. Counsel to the defendant, however, moved the bail application in favour of the accused.

The trial court thereafter granted Mr Aminu bail in the sum of N500,000.00 and a surety in like sum who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court. He was also ordered him to deposit his travel documents at the courts registry.

The case has been adjourned to 9 November for commencement of trial.

Signed: Mrs Azuka Ogugua

Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the deployment of technology to tax all digital transactions carried out across the country.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the 17th General Assembly and 10th anniversary of the West Africa Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) in Abuja on Tuesday.

The assembly is a high-level policy dialogue on taxation of the digital economy, organised by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Mr Mustapha said the President gave the order to tax authority to ensure digital transactions were taxed digitally, and the goal of their efforts was to achieve seamless digital collection and remittance of tax revenue accrued from the digital economy.

He said the President had directed the deployment of technology to good effect in revenue collection and remittance as a matter of government policy.

The SGF said FIRS had been strengthened to carry out this mandate by the President and the Federal Executive Council (FRC), to digitise tax collection channels in particular and tax administration processes in general.

According to him, this is supported by the amendment to the tax laws and empowering the tax authority to deploy technology in tax.

Nigeria is putting in place measures to ensure that we keep up to date with these developments and answer the question of what to collect and how to collect it, as far as the digital economy is concerned.

Therefore, our definition of what to collect- whether we call it income tax, Digital Service Tax or Value Added Tax, must address the issue of redefining who a taxable person or entity is, to accommodate the fact that digital transactions side-track the ordinary and traditional understanding of jurisdiction, he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of FIRS, Mohammed Nami, said the importance of the role of WATAF could not be overemphasised because the reasons it was set up by the founding fathers, was to create the atmosphere for dialogue on collaborative efforts.

Mr Nami said the aim was not only still valid but growing in importance, hence stressed the need for more synergy.

He said the theme for 2021, The Taxation of the Digital Economy: Exploring Untapped Revenue Sources in Africa was as good an illustration that would make them to continue to work together as partners.

When you speak of taxing the digital economy, you are talking about an economy without physical borders, trade and commerce that transcends our natural geographical delineations.

In terms of tax administration, the only way that this can possibly be done with any accuracy and effectiveness is if it is done digitally, since the commercial activity itself is also done digitally.

Regulators and other industry stakeholders must therefore rise up to the challenge of being in a position to tap into the stream of opportunity that advancements in science and technology afford us, he stated. (NAN)
Nigerias digital currency, eNaira, is a legal tender just like the naira that must be accepted by all merchants and business outlets as a form of payment in the country, Musa Jimoh, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) director of payment system management, has said.

The CBN official disclosed this during an interview on Channels TVs Business Morning show on Monday.

Today, anywhere you present naira to pay, compulsorily it must be accepted because that is our fiat currency. So, the same way naira is accepted that you cant reject it, is the same way e-naira must be accepted, Mr Jimoh said.

The CBN on August 30 announced plans to launch its own digital currency on October 1 after instructing banks to close crypto-related accounts in February.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the e-Naira would operate as a wallet against which customers can hold existing funds in their bank account, and that the currency would accelerate financial inclusion which will enable cheaper and faster remittance inflows.

E-naira must be accepted

While urging Nigerians using android and iPhone mobile devices to download the e-Naira wallet from October 1 from the application stores respectively, Mr Jimoh said CBN will bear all liabilities of the digital currency.

The liability of the e-naira money is directly on CBN which is similar to the cash you hold. The liability of the cash you hold today rests with the CBN. So, it gives Nigerians the opportunity to bank with CBN, Mr Jimoh said.

Asked if Nigeria is ready for the e-naira implementation due to the technological challenges in the country, the official said that he does not expect it to pose any serious problem.

E-Naira is a journey. We dont expect that on October 1, all business merchants in Nigeria will accept it. We dont even expect that come October 1, all Nigerians will have e-naira. It is a journey. It will continue to grow, he said.

He said: Remember there was a time in this country when you had to practically beg business outlets, merchants and others to accept POS transactions. But we have come to a point where traders now beg for POS terminals.

Mr Jimoh noted that one of the benefits of the e-Naira is that it would save the cost of printing new naira notes, and that charges incurred while transferring funds would be lower for those using the e-naira.

Today the cost of producing the naira and coins is very high. It costs money to print naira in this country. Now, the minting of e-naira is electronic, so it reduces cost, he said.

Why we chose a foreign firm

Specifically, the apex bank official was asked why the CBN chose a foreign firm instead of a fintech company in Nigeria, Mr Jimoh said it had to do with capacity.

He said Bitt Inc., which will handle the project, had done similar projects for other countries and already had the capacity and experience, but that the company would be registered and managed in part by Nigerians while the technological aspect would be handled by the foreign arm.

The CBN digital currency is not what every country has implemented. We are blazing the trail in Africa. Nigeria is the only country in Africa that is doing it. And so many advanced countries are not doing it, Mr Jimoh said.

He said; You can only talk of China and the Bahamas that have tried to do something serious on central bank digital currency. So, the technology is not everywhere you need to be very sure. You cannot use Nigeria as a testing ground and say oh if it works, well, if it doesnt work. You have to use entities that have done it, that are sure of it.

The CBN director said: What we did is to partner with an entity that has done it, that has that experience because we know that eventually, the system is going to run in Nigeria.

So, we also want to domicile some responsibilities here. So, the arrangement is such that you are going to have a Nigerian incorporated company, Bitt Nigeria, which will be running the system, he added.
The Nigeria Editors Conference has received the backing of some corporate organisations and security agencies.

The conference, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), is scheduled to hold on October 21 and 22, 2021 in Abuja, with a focus on the current security challenges in the nation. It has as its theme Media In Times Of Crisis: Resolving Conflict, Achieving Consensus.

A release signed by the president, Mustapha Isah, and the general secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, said the conference has received support since its announcement.

The release listed the organisations that have given support so far to include Tony Elumelu Foundation, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Globacom, Air Peace, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, State Security Services and others.

This year conference is the 17th of its kind and it is aimed at achieving consensus among media owners, managers and senior editors on what role the media can play in helping to resolve the seemingly intractable conflict enveloping the nation today.

The annual conference also attracts our foreign partners: World Editors Forum (WEF), West African Editors Forum (WAEF), African Editors Forum (AEF), International Press Institute (IPI) and World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the statement said.

This year annual conference will attract top security officers, governors, lawmakers, academics, chief executive officers in private sector, members of the international community, leading non-governmental organisations and others.

The editors said the conference, which is designed to be intellectually engaging  with several experienced resource persons, will also feature an executive session with state governors and security chiefs.

The executive session will provide a huge opportunity for governors and security chiefs to share with owners of newspapers, radio/television stations and editors, the challenges of managing insecurity in their states and the progress they have made so far, the statement said.

Over 500 editors and media owners  both within and outside the country, are expected at this years conference.
The Federal Fire Service saved 166 lives, rescued about 82 persons and saved property worth over N15.1 trillion between April and June, the government has said.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this at the commissioning of fire-fighting trucks deployed by the federal government to complement firefighting in Taraba State.

The event held at the Government House Jalingo, the state capital on Tuesday, a statement by the ministry said.

It is noted that 2020 into 2021 has witness frightening fire incidents, ranging from markets to gas and pipeline fires around the country. Statistics at our disposal show that the FFS in the second quarter of 2021 received 638 fire calls from which regrettably, 27 lives were lost and property estimated at N3.017 trillion destroyed.

The good news however, is that the Service within the quarter under review also saved about 166 lives, rescued about 82 persons in distress due to fire and other related emergencies while saving property worth over N15.1 trillion, he said.

He said the equipment being commissioned is part of the N10.4 billion infrastructure upgrade approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on March 3, 2021.

The infrastructure includes 44 firefighting engines, 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines and 20 basic life support ambulances.

He encouraged the state government to invest in firefighting equipment for its own state fire service, because the Federal Fire Service was only complementary and firefighting services fall under the concurrent legislative list.

It is important, however, for State Governments to establish a robust fire service to complement what the Federal Fire Service is doing in their respective states. It is only when we have this complementary service that we can be rest assured that fire will not pose much threat to us in the preservation of lives and property.

We must therefore not restrict fire service requirements or needs to state capitals or urban centres alone. Provisions should be made for Local Governments and rural areas, which have been victims of fire incidents and other emergencies as well. Farms and valuable economic trees have also been destroyed by fires in rural areas.

I will urge the State Command to reciprocate the Federal Governments gesture to optimize and effectively use these assets to improve fire cover, enhance emergency response operations and complement State Fire Services operations while enhancing fire safety across the country, he concluded.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said 20 per cent of Nigerias fulltime workforce lost employment during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Both organisations said this in a new report released on Tuesday in Abuja titled The Impact of COVID-19 on Business Enterprises in Nigeria.

The report highlights the significant decline in revenue faced by enterprises and establishments across the country as a result of the pandemic.

It based its findings on in-depth interviews with almost 3,000 businesses from both the formal and informal sector across major industries of the economy.

The report said that 81 per cent of enterprises interviewed experienced a decline in revenue and 73 per cent stated that they faced liquidity challenges due to secondary impacts of COVID-19 in 2020.

It added that the median loss in revenue reported remained at 44 per cent, in comparison to 2019 revenues.

The report said that while there had been promising signs of recovery in 2021, COVID-19 has had an outsized socio-economic impact on Nigeria.

From disruptions in supply chains, to ongoing supply and demand shocks and a drop in consumer confidence, these challenges are expected to leave lasting impact on the businesses and enterprises that make up the backbone of the economy.

Close to 60 per cent of enterprises surveyed experienced an increase in operational costs with the price of raw materials and logistics being the top two contributors to this increase.

Other operational challenges included access to credit and capital, high expenditure on utilities and the lack of an adequate social safety net, especially for informal enterprises.

The report also showed that one in three business enterprises surveyed indicated that they knew of businesses that had permanently closed due to operational challenges resulting from the pandemic.

Data from the report suggests that businesses were likely to continue experiencing the impact of the pandemic even after the easing of public health measures.

It said that in spite of reduced restrictions at the time of the interviews, 74 per cent of enterprises still reported a decrease in production levels when compared to the same time in 2019.

According to the report, a small minority of businesses, however, reported positive gains during the pandemic.

It said that 19 per cent of enterprises reported increase in revenue with higher proportions of enterprises in the utilities, while financial and insurance and human and health services sectors registered revenue gains over the course of the pandemic, compared to 2019.

Mirroring broader global movement towards e-commerce and direct distribution to consumers to reduce health risks and overcome hurdles imposed by pandemic restrictions, 15 per cent of the enterprises expanded either products and services offered or their sales and distribution channels.

At the unveiling of the report, the Statistician- General of the Federation, Mr Simon Harry said the survey results were very important as they contain important information that could guide policy makers in their interventions to mitigate the negative socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in the country.

So, I consider it very important because all of us are aware of the noticeable havoc that COVID-19 has brought on our economy.

Thus understanding the extent of the impact of the pandemic of business enterprises became very necessary as a way of providing a veritable platform for decision-making process in Nigeria.

I wish to thank UNDP for collaborating with NBS on this important report and I urge other development partners to emulate this worthy endeavour by partnering with the bureau in matters relating to data generation in the country.

Mohamed Yahya, the Nigerian UNDP Resident Representative, said that the report findings highlight the complex challenges the economy continues to face because of COVID-19.

He said that it also raises awareness into the ramifications of the pandemic on the business environment in Nigeria, including its impact on production, sales, revenues and the labour force, with details that were far more granular than were normally available and offering critical insight into where interventions should be targeted.

The findings also present insight into avenues for resilience. The ability of several enterprises to leverage digital infrastructure emerged as a factor of resilience and they highlight the need for increased investment in bridging the digital divide among various communities in the country.

In spite of the complex challenges enterprises across the country continue to face, the report is also a testament to the strength, innovation and resilience of Nigerian enterprises as they adjust to this new normal.

As Nigeria mobilises to recover from the devastating health and socio-economic impact of the pandemic, this report will be a critical tool in informing targeted policy making and programme interventions for both medium and long-term planning as the country rebuilds. (NAN)
The senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, has said it is only fair that the All Progressives Congress (APC) zones its presidential ticket to the South-east ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He said though unwritten, there is an agreement in the party to rotate the position among different regions and the South-east appears to be next in line.

The lawmaker said this at a parley with journalists at the secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja on Monday.

The senator was asked to react to comments about the Igbos being marginalised in Nigeria and in governance generally.

It is true, Igbos are being marginalised but thats not what they should be talking about. We should be asking for opportunities, level playing ground, he replied.

READ ALSO:

The argument Igbos should make  they should present this in a lighter note. The South-west, the North and South-south have governed Nigeria and we have seen how the country is. Lets try an Igbo person. Its a softer way to make the argument.

There is no justification for the APC not to zone it to the South-east. I think it is just fair and understanding that the power should go to the South. I agree with the southern governors; they are absolutely right. That will bring peace because if you decide you want to zone it back to the north, that will polarise the party. It will begin to sound like it is a northern peoples party.

This statement comes barely a week after his counterpart from Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, described zoning as unconstitutional and suggested that the next presidential candidate in the party be picked based on merit.

When asked if he will run for the office of the president in 2023, Mr Okorocha, a three-time presidential aspirant, said he does not have a presidential ambition but has a vision for a united Nigeria.

Unpaid debts

Mr Okorocha, who is also a former governor of Imo State, said the state government still owes him money, up to N8 billion.

The lawmaker who boasted about his free education initiative in the state during his tenure, disclosed that he never accepted his security votes.

As governor, I sacrificed my security votes. Imo State Government still owes me. If Im to go by my 250 million, I have 8 billion now in Imo State. I was Rochas before becoming a governor.

The projects Ive done in Imo State, nobody can say he beats my record in the history of the state. I challenge anyone with a contrary view, Ill resign from politics if you do. The people who speak against me, in the next 20 years, cannot do what I have done.

Since I left Imo State Government, no single project has been built by my successors, except maintaining what I already built. Even thechamber that was commissioned by Buhari, I built it, he said.

With regards to the achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, he urged Nigerians to itemise and compare the achievements of past presidents with this president.
Nigerias minister of state for health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said an average of 20,000 cases of snake bites are recorded in Nigeria every year.

Mr Mamora disclosed this at a press briefing to mark the 2021 International Snakebite Awareness Day (ISBAD) in Abuja on Monday.

He said about 2,000 people die from snakebites annually and over 1,700 lose their legs or arms as a result of snake bite.

About ISBAD

Since 2018, International Snakebite Awareness Day is commemorated on September 19 every year, representing an opportunity to raise awareness of one of the worlds biggest hidden health crises.

Snake bite particularly affects the most vulnerable members of society  often those living in remote rural areas, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO said agricultural workers and people living in poorly constructed homes face the highest risk and often have limited access to education, health care, and even footwear.

Snake envenomation

Mr Mamora said snakebite poisoning, known as envenomation, has long been a public health problem in Nigeria, especially in rural areas.

He said there are three main types of snake species responsible for envenomation in Nigeria.

The Cobra or Naja nigricolis, the Puff Adder or Bitis arietans and the Carpet Viper or Echis ocellatus.

The Carpet Viper is the one responsible for most, about 90 per cent of bites and 60 per cent of snakebite deaths, he said.

READ ALSO:

He explained that snakebites in Nigeria occur at 497 cases per 100,000 people.

The snake bites cases increased recently as a result of excessive rainfall, leading to more morbidity and deaths connected with inadequate quantities of antisnake-venom.

States with the most cases of snakebite in Nigeria are Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi, Kebbi, Oyo, Benue, and Taraba, he said.

He also said Nigeria is among countries worst affected by snake bites, reaching epidemic proportions.

About 5 million people in the world are bitten by snakes every year and up to 2.5 million people suffer poisoning or envenomation.

At least 100,000 of them die from the bites and about 300,000 amputated or suffer other permanent disabilities caused by snake bites, he said.

In his remarks, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Mamman Mahmuda, noted that from January 2018 to December 2020, over 45,834 cases of snake bite and 1,793 deaths were reported in the country.

Mr Mahmuda said some cases still remain unreported due to the fact that they were not reported to the health facilities.

He said the figure underscores the governments determination to improve access to safe, effective and affordable anti-snake venom to treat victims.
A bill to amend the Reform Pension Act has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill, sponsored by Francis Waive (APC, Delta), seeks to amend Section 5, Sub-section 1 Paragraph (a) of the principal Act by removing police from the Act.

It was debated and passed for second reading on Tuesday during plenary.

The principal act exempted the Armed Forces, the intelligence and secret services of the Federation from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

If passed, the NPF will be exempted from the contributory pension scheme.

In his lead debate, Mr Waive said the Act has created a great disparity between the NPF and other security agencies.

The lawmaker said that Chile, which Nigeria copied the CPS from, exempted police from the scheme.

He noted that the police operating under the current pension scheme has been both unpalatable and regrettable for the retirees of the Nigerian Police Force.

The highest retirement benefit of Deputy Superintendent of Police under this obnoxious pension scheme is N2.5m and that of Assistant Superintendent of Police is N1.5m while their equivalent in Army (captain) and DSS are paid N12.8m and N10.3m respectively.

He added that the bill will ensure proper remuneration at retirement and also make room for improved welfare for serving police officers. This in turn will serve as a positive motivation for better service delivery. A well-motivated Police Force is likely to be an efficient and more productive Police force.

Speaking in support of the bill, the Deputy Majority Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC, Abia), described the current disparity as unacceptable.

It is unacceptable that a deputy superintendent of police would be getting N1.5 million as pension and his counterpart in the army like a captain will be getting N12.8 million in the same country. It is unacceptable no matter the way you look at it. It is one piece of legislation that we should have done like yesterday.

I do not want to believe that at this particular time that police will be treated differently. This is one piece of legislation that all of us should give urgent attention and I dont think we should be sentimental about this.

Shehu Koko, the Chairman House Committee on Air Force, who is a retired policeman, said an Inspector General of Police gets about N200,000 monthly after retirement.

Mr Speaker I urge you for the sake of God, for the sake of this country, for the sake of the security we are hearing every day, every hour, to assist police officers who have served this country diligently. I spoke with the IGP last two weeks, the former IG; he is collecting N200,000 pension. When we look at other service chiefs, I know they collect more.

Speaking against the bill, Uzoma Abonta (PDP, Abia), said the House should focus on reforming the pension scheme instead of removing the police from the scheme.

Despite the argument by Mr Abonta, the bill was passed unanimously when the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, put it to vote.

It was referred to the House Committee on Pension by the Speaker for more legislative action.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to expose those sponsoring terrorism in the country or admit being their associate.

The party, in a statement on Tuesday, dared the current administration following one of its officials comment saying Mr Buhari-led government is not interested in naming and shaming the persons fueling insecurity in the country.

A media aide to the President, Femi Adesina, said this in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, in reaction to a question on whether the presidency will make public names of the six Nigerians alleged by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as sponsors of terrorism in the country.

Nigeria is not interested in naming and shaming anybody. Rather, it wants to bring them to justice.

You see that the UAE had released some names and the AGF has responded saying that in due course, all these people will have their days in court. Rest assured that justice will have its way, Mr Adesina said.

Reacting to the presidential aide, the PDP spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement, said such stance from the presidency has justified his suspicion that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government has been providing official cover for terrorists and bandits pillaging the nation.

The main opposition described the government stance as unpatriotic and another of the administration growing record of its reluctance to take decisive steps on such a case.

The PDP holds that the decision of the APC-led government to cover the identity of sponsors of mindless mass killings, maiming, raping, kidnapping of our compatriots as well as the endless violent marauding of our communities under the APC watch, validates our stand that such individuals have connections with the APC.

This unpatriotic stance by the Buhari Presidency raises serious national anxieties of high-level complicity in the administration and further explains the reported compromising of our security system in the escalated killings and acts of terrorism in our country in the last six years under the APC.

Nigerians can see why the APC-led administration has failed to take decisive steps to tackle terrorism, why it prefers to negotiate with terrorists and even makes case for them, instead apprehending and prosecuting them, as witnessed in the beheading of rice farmers in Borno state, Mr Ologbondiyan alleged.

The PDP also highlighted the APC-led government decision to stand by its Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, when past audio recordings of his teachings, which suggested religious fanaticism, surfaced on social media.

The Presidency dismissed Mr Pantamis inciting statements as past mistakes.
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has arrived in Addis Ababa to begin his new role as AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa region.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, had on August 26 tapped Mr Obasanjo to help the organisations drive to promote peace, security, stability and political dialogue all over the Horn of Africa.

Specifically, the High Representative will intensify engagements with all relevant political actors and stakeholders in the region towards entrenching durable peace and stability within the Horn of Africa, a statement announcing the appointment had said.

But when PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Obasanjo Tuesday night to ask him when he would begin the assignment, the former president said he arrived in the Ethiopian capital on Sunday and met with AU and Ethiopian leaders on Monday and Tuesday.

He said he had also been holding consultations with leaders from some of the countries in the region.

My visits and consultations with leaders and parties in the region have started already, Mr Obasanjo said. I am now in Ethiopia. Tomorrow I leave for Sudan and then to South Sudan and so on. We are committed to entrenching peace in the Horn and in the whole of Africa. It is a responsibility I take seriously.

The Horn of Africa is considered the region that is home to eight countries  Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda. Most of the region is bedevilled by prolonged and widespread political and sectarian crises.

Dating back to the late 1970s, Mr Obasanjo, as Nigerias military ruler between 1976 and 1979, has a history of intense diplomatic shuttles aimed at resolving crises in the region.

The AU believes that in his current assignment, the former president will bring his very rich political experience, and impeccable credentials of keen commitment to the lofty ideals of Pan-Africanism and regional integration and cooperation, as well as a deep knowledge of the current situation in the Horn of Africa.
The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on Tuesday said marketers were unable to offtake the full 450,000MT of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) allocated to the Nigerian market by the company due to various factors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Austin Ogbogbo, marketing manager of the NLNG , said this while speaking to journalists in Lagos.

Mr Ogbogbo noted that NLNG was not responsible for the supply shortfall of LPG, also known as cooking gas and the consequent price hike across the country.

He said the 450,000MT allocated to the domestic market was the total volume of butane produced annually by the NLNG, adding that only about 375,000MT was procured by gas marketers in 2020.

According to him, the inability of the marketers to offtake the LPG was due to logistics and infrastructure challenges as well as other factors in the industry.

He said that this meant that the NLNG supplied over 80 per cent of its LPG sales (butane/cooking gas) to the Nigerian market and was therefore prioritising the domestic market.

Mr Ogbogbo said the NLNGs current maximum butane production can only meet about 40 per cent of the domestic market demand.

He said the balance was supplied by other domestic producers or via imports because NLNGs production alone was not sufficient.

ALSO READ: DPR seals eight illegal cooking gas plants in Lagos

Mr Ogbogbo, however, expressed optimism that NLNG would increase its production capacity by 35 per cent with completion of Train 7, which will in turn boost domestic supply.

He said NLNG was primarily an export company that produces 22 MTPA of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and five MTPA of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs).

Mr Ogbogbo said the company was also working to supply LNG to the domestic market from 2022 to boost power supply and industrial development across the country.

NAN reports that the price of 12.5kg of cooking gas has risen from N3,200 a few months back to about N7,000 in some parts of the country.(NAN)
True leadership is not opportunistic. But what electoral calculation inspired this misadventure? True, a political party, like a church, cannot refuse newcomers. They must welcome golddiggers, prostitutes and chameleons. But a ruling party must be wary of the message it transmits. While it must strive to win elections, it must maintain social distancing with the politically leprous. The president should have a moral cost-benefit analysis stayed away.

That picture sullied the president. All the president had to do was demand a letter of apology. Ask the man to denounce bigotry and fake news and announce his remorse and repentance. But no, even the president who isnt given to frivolities, the president who should have a grouse with peddlers of hate and fake news, embraced, without squirming, the poster child of bigotry and political pyromania.

Its beyond Fani-Kayode, the 60-year-old child. Cambridge University must have done its best. Moral toilet training should be taught at home. This is bigger than the voluble Osun chief. Those bandying forgiveness without accountability and moving on without direction are light-hearted charlatans themselves. Perhaps they plan to exploit the mans gift of shamelessness against their opponents.

But they need to find sobriety and reflect on the state of the nations politics. This nation has never been this divided. For six years, some politicians rejected all moral principles and devoted themselves to setting this country ablaze. They employed fake news. They hammered at our fault lines. They pumped poison into young hearts. They masqueraded as champions of human rights and did incalculable damage to national unity. The Federal Government abetted the anarchists with a litany of bad choices and poor judgements. The country is wounded. The president should recognise a political stain from a mile. Even if the president has no moral scruples, the Fani-Kayode embrace is confused messaging.

Fani-Kayode should have been made to sneak into the party through a backdoor. Fani-Kayode isnt another political defector. He isnt the everyday foul-mouthed politician with the instincts of a prostitute No former minister, no former presidential aide, has cast off decorum and worked himself to death like Fani-Kayode has done, trying to foment religious and ethnic strife in this country.

Any desperate ex-minister, claiming close kinship with Christ or Mohammed, lacking basic civility and decency, possessing a diabolical tongue, can harm this nation. Ordinary people tend to believe former government officials when they tell sensational lies against their political opponents. A credulousness that comes from the assumption that a former presidential spokesman would have contacts in the intestines of the Presidency. And must know truths hidden in its rectum. The president should know at least know the most conspicuous of black sheep. To lend any sort of credence to Fani-Kayode and his activities in the last five years is to legitimise the vilest of political chicanery.

And for what gain?

Our societys moral fabric is in tatters. Torn apart by corruption, greed and nepotism. But that fabric is virtually irreparable because of a pervasive culture of impunity. It cant be stitched by an endorsement of political opportunism or the enthronement of laissez-faire by the Presidency. Fani-Kayode should have been made to sneak into the party through a backdoor. Fani-Kayode isnt another political defector. He isnt the everyday foul-mouthed politician with the instincts of a prostitute. He isnt a playful chameleon or a vicious hyena. No former minister, no former presidential aide, has cast off decorum and worked himself to death like Fani-Kayode has done, trying to foment religious and ethnic strife in this country. At the peak of his infamy, he said the North-East and the North-West should no longer be part of this country. Youths listened to him and strayed into the marshland of malignant ethnic and religious chauvinism. To treat him to a banquet like a returning biblical prodigal is to blur moral boundaries and valorise political banditry. We must never belittle the role buffoons played in Rwanda. The president cannot create the impression that clowns are anything other than what they are  clowns.

The biblical prodigal son wasted his fortunes. He never tried to burn his fathers house. If the Presidency thinks Fani-Kayode is more of a circus clown than a reckless and devious schemer, it should say so. Saying so would tell the youths that the country bothers about good and evil, and second chances. The president should not help the youths come away with the impression that bigotry, hate speech, ethnic divisiveness, naked political opportunism arent stark and roundly objectionable. If the public conscience is deadened by these pictures coming out of Aso Rock, then the consequences wont just be political apathy. But desensitisation leading to a proliferation in yahoo-yahoo and other opportunistic crimes. A full-blown moral elasticity plague.

In 2020, the holy spirit asked Fani-Kayode to submit his head to a Zamfara Emir to be turbaned the Sadauki of Shinkafi Emirate. In 2021, the holy spirit ordered the Sadauki to cross over to the Almajiri Peoples Congress. The holy spirit asked him to do that neck-breaking somersault, so that he can help unite the country. Unclothed charlatanism.

In 2017, Fani-Kayode said the holy spirit told him Buhari was dead and that a corpse was ruling over the country. That spirit must have touched other people. The implicated spirit must have its roots in a distillery. Many of the politicians who had seen Buhari in the mortuary or had a copy of his death certificate have quietly moved onto other pursuits with their credibility and honour intact. In 2018, the holy spirit revealed to Fani-Kayode that Fulani herdsmen engaged in ritual bestiality with cows. And instructed him to alert Christian folks that the continued eating of Suya would be viewed sternly by God. In 2020, the holy spirit asked Fani-Kayode to submit his head to a Zamfara Emir to be turbaned the Sadauki of Shinkafi Emirate. In 2021, the holy spirit ordered the Sadauki to cross over to the Almajiri Peoples Congress. The holy spirit asked him to do that neck-breaking somersault, so that he can help unite the country. Unclothed charlatanism.

Fani-Kayodes invocation of the holy spirit to sell confabulations and half-truths is a national malady. It implicates a certain version of facile Pentecostalism. They attribute every hunch, every instinct to the Holy Spirit. And justify their bitterness with Bible verses. They are quick to find enemies and demons, but slow to preach love to the enemy. As such, one can blame Fani-Kayode for punctuating curses with verses of the Bible. Nobody can blame him for labelling Christians who preached love and moderation as bootlickers, slaves and traitors. For this reason, he cursed the vice president. The problem at hand is how to redeem the many subscribers to church WhatsApp groups that consumed Fani Kayodes poisoned political kulikuli and gravitated towards paranoid delusions and witchcraft. This redemption would have been easier if they heard their Saul of Tarsus weeping and reading a full-throated letter of repentance.

True leadership is not opportunistic. But what electoral calculation inspired this misadventure? True, a political party, like a church, cannot refuse newcomers. They must welcome golddiggers, prostitutes and chameleons. But a ruling party must be wary of the message it transmits. While it must strive to win elections, it must maintain social distancing with the politically leprous. The president should have a moral cost-benefit analysis stayed away. When an austere president like Buhari welcomes a man like Fani-Kayode into his sanctum with fanfare, then something is amiss. Then, definitely, all pretences are off, moral elasticity has set in.

Ugoji Egbujo is a member of the Board of Trustees of Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch.
Akeredolus boldness must be built upon to address the problems of competitiveness, low living standards, paucity of entrepreneurial capital and the stifling of capital in the South-West. There is no alternative than to do so. The region must encourage new forms of markets and embrace e-commerce, as well as innovative, data-driven logistics. This is the only way to tackle the burgeoning youth unemployment crises

As a response to the continued increase in the cost of food, goods and services, last week, the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu ordered the immediate ban of all associations and unions dealing in the food and market sector in the State. Akeredolu, who has his wits about him, is not oblivious of the need for profitable activities to go on, based on the principle of demand and supply and prevailing market forces. What is invigorating is that, once again Akeredolu has manfully foregone convenient political expediency in taking on a critical issue, which is central to the political economy of the South-West. The entrenchment of anti-consumer cartels acting in restraint-of-trade has not only distorted the raison detre for the operations of markets in Western Nigeria, it is now a model for strong arm tactics by political foot soldiers and most dangerous of all, the stifling of innovation.

The model in operation today needs reworking. It is the opposite of what the law of demand and supply is supposed to achieve. On the contrary, it is an attack on the rights of the consumer to use prevailing market conditions to bargain and get the best deal in their purchases. The wider stultifying effect of this is the erosion of the purchasing power parity of the region, as the living standards of consumers are perennially eroded by price gouging cartels and rigged markets. Ironically, this negates the gains made in the region from the early 1950s.

In Western Region, a five shillings minimum wage was set. That amount was double the two and a half shillings obtainable in the Eastern and Northern Regions. What the Western Region did was more than setting a minimum wage. In reality, it was a savvy move to attract investors to the Region. The other two competing Regions were outfoxed.

I have often wondered: Why are we always underperforming the 1950-1964 benchmarks? Across the regions in 1957, the minimum wage ordinances were passed. In Western Region, a five shillings minimum wage was set. That amount was double the two and a half shillings obtainable in the Eastern and Northern Regions. What the Western Region did was more than setting a minimum wage. In reality, it was a savvy move to attract investors to the Region. The other two competing Regions were outfoxed. Setting a higher minimum wage announced to investors that a critical pool of purchasing power was been created for them, if they located their manufacturing, logistics bases and other economic units in the zone. Such a statement to potential investors saved the Region loads of money that would have been spent on global junkets in looking for investors. The bait and other similar measures, which had preceded it, worked. It was an attractive bait for Guinness, Cadbury, Dunlop and scores of others. Not only that, it was a key factor in justifying loans by sceptical colonial controlled funding institutions to the emerging indigenous entrepreneurial class.

By taking on the cartels, Akeredolu is (subconsciously?) going back to a framework that gave the Western Region a lead. He should be applauded for doing so.

Akeredolus boldness must be built upon to address the problems of competitiveness, low living standards, paucity of entrepreneurial capital and the stifling of capital in the South-West. There is no alternative than to do so. The region must encourage new forms of markets and embrace e-commerce, as well as innovative, data-driven logistics. This is the only way to tackle the burgeoning youth unemployment crises and guarantee sustainable development. It will help to create a region-wide Development Finance company funded largely by the private sector, with minimum government participation and equity. Diaspora Bonds that are attractive to a very liquid diaspora must be creatively devised and marketed to the diaspora. If this is done, we will begin to make up for the loss of the Cooperative Bank, the Western Nigeria Development Corporation, Western Nigeria Finance Corporation, and so forth.

Akeredolu has taken the first step, other governors should follow suit and move away from a delusional economy based on low wages, low skills and the sort of antediluvian education curriculum which justifies it. Worthy of consideration is the establishment of a region-wide Cooperative Development Finance Corporation funded by the private sector, the diaspora (70 per cent) and governments (30 per cent).

Akeredolu has taken the first step, other governors should follow suit and move away from a delusional economy based on low wages, low skills and the sort of antediluvian education curriculum which justifies it. Worthy of consideration is the establishment of a region-wide Cooperative Development Finance Corporation funded by the private sector, the diaspora (70 per cent) and governments (30 per cent). This can be structured with the involvement of pension funds, development agencies such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), etc., to modernise the cooperatives, invest in the agro-industrial value chain, assist to develop Commodities Exchanges and establish agro-industrial processing parks across the region. Loads of sustainable high quality jobs will be created as a result, as well as the upgrading of skills.

While at it, the National Union of Road Transport Workers destructive restraint-of-trade in the transportation sector calls for attention. Without reining them in, whoever tries to upgrade the logistics framework is up and against a fascist gang acting as the stormtroopers of an entrenched political establishment. Politically, they are formidable to tackle, but they must be made to see the big picture and the greater good. Because of them, our urban conurbations are behind places like Nairobi, Johannesburg, etc. This is a vital sector for the economy, its efficiency and the propensity to create jobs depend on openness, innovation and modernisation.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, an advocate, strategist and political analyst writes this weekly column, Bamidele Upfront for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @BamideleUpfront; Facebook: facebook.com/Bamidele. BAO
But then you have left a wound in our hearts, those of us who have enjoyed the fecundity of your wisdom from a close distance. You have gone suddenly away from our midst, making us feel sharp and robust pains that leave untold emotional wreck in our minds. It was not easy for you to die, apparently, but trust me when I say that your pain was temporary and your agony was very brief compared to what we, whom you left behind, would feel

I spent over 20 years of my working life abroad as a university teacher, banker and international civil servant with an unblemished record. I have no criminal record  not even a parking ticket. Sadly, it is in my own fatherland that Im being subjected to criminal investigation and such extreme political persecution. Please, pray for me. I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger and that some powerful political forces want to silence me forever for speaking the truth. For speaking on behalf of the Holy Martyrs  of thousands of innocent children, women, elderly and youths that have been killed in our beloved country.  Dr Obadiah Mailafia, 2021.

Today, I have not come to bid farewell to a compatriot whose resolution to strengthen the political system of his homeland through revolutionising the minds of the people, continues to flog the political merchandisers in their weakest point. Instead, I have come to combine my lamentations with the grief of others who have accepted the deceased as the shining light in the darkness of leadership quagmire, which is the description that fits Nigeria. Justifiably so, I have reasons to lament because the agitations of a critical voice represented by Mr Obadiah Mailafia are a reminder that the country called Nigeria might have increased in age, but it remains a dwarf in the practices of federalism and democracy. Any country that cannot protect its minority members is a failure.

Apart from the insinuation that the sudden death of the deceased cannot be excused from the see-no-evil political elite of the country, as implicitly contained in his declaration quoted above, that sudden exit from the face of the earth is an affirmation that dysfunctional systems are not usually ineffective, as the general impression against them has indicated. However, these systems are effective in frustrating and then losing their best brains to different causes  death, migrations, desertion, among other things. Nigerian systems are not especially positively effective, not because they lack the requisite ability and materials to do so, but because they are paralysed by leaders who lack the needed goodwill to drive the people forward.

For all it is worth, Mailafias death was avoidable; however, its (un)avoidability is proportional to the intentions of leaders who control the countrys power. The power controllers of dysfunctional systems are usually impugning on the autonomous right of institutions, so that they could get results that align with their myopic visions. Such is the danger of having hind-sighted dummies in the theatre of power of a country, more so, of one that is supposed to be the most populous Black nation on earth. But when these self-serving individuals in the corridors of power pursue their selfish agenda in their bids to shut every critical voice, Sigmund Freuds psychoanalytic comment makes it apparent that what they are doing is called the activation of a defence mechanism. The relationship between the systematic silencing of a vibrant voice and a dysfunctional system is that instead of facing the bulk of responsibilities staring the countrys leaders in the face, they scare geniuses away from the corridors of representation and force them into accepting silence as the preferred mode of political participation. Leaders who are faced with the deficit of ideas pay more prominent attention to voices that raise contradictory opinions because their ignorance is usually drowned in the ocean of truth, which these voices speak all the time.

Please make no mistake, I have not alleged that the death of Mailafia came from any particular interest group, as far as Nigeria is concerned, but it is difficult to absolve the government of such indictment when it has successfully registered into the minds of individuals who are supposed to discharge their statutory duties without intimidation, that the government is particularly interested in how it handles its clients, be it from the bank to its customers, police to the citizens, court to the people, and even hospitals to their patients. This conclusion is inevitable given the agonising declaration of Obadiah Mailafia on a dying bed in one of the countrys most respected medical services arenas.

For the honourable man, the deceased, to have declared that, I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger and that some powerful political forces want to silence me forever for speaking the truth suggests that institutions cannot function effectively in a political geography in which the government is averse to opposition and perspectives that put them on their toes. Ironically, in a truthfully democratic setting, no government would function effectively without having a persistent voice calling it to order and charging it to undertake its statutory responsibilities.

Beyond the deep sore dug in the throat of your loved ones, Mailafia, because of your sudden and unforeseen demise, the memories you left behind are a scent of courage and hope because you showed that a geometric rise of people is possible, regardless of their economic and political backgrounds. Your life was a lesson that one can be generally successful without having to take the wrong routes. You rose from grass and definitely to grace.

Today, as I write, Mr Obadiah Mailafia, with whom I shared a communicative space some few weeks ago about raging issues and emerging concerns pertaining to Nigeria, exists no more  a victim of institutional decadence that follows nearly all postcolonial African countries. At the departure of the West in the Nigerian political landscape, we thought it would be the immediate euthanising of invirile leadership, bad governance, and insecure political elites whose sense of safety is ensured only when they victimise the defenceless masses. However, experiences in recent times have not only told us that we were too ambitious with our dreams; it has also revealed to us that we were hallucinating, in 1960, about a utopian future.

What does it matter if the picture of the person who occupies the highest political seat in the country is different when the safety of revolutionaries cannot be guaranteed immediately they decide to speak for the masses? Has colonialism not eroded the sense of postcolonial Nigerian leaders knowing that critical voices against their administrations, even when they have ulterior motives, help drive them to a direction where it would be easier to achieve greatness? Who would tell the Nigerian government, and maybe every society that is averse to truth-telling, that intellectual voices like Mailafia need to be preserved, for they serve as eyes to their people and the countrys future? Who?

If the statement attributed to the dead is factual, at what point would we collectively, as a people, understand that while you can silence the body that houses the voice of reason, no one can silence the voice itself, for it speaks using different body vessels? From the inception of human society, there have been people who would offer alternative perspectives to everything. In fact, these people are usually understood on the basis of the age of collective wisdom that their society has acquired. They consider them good or evil, according to what they define as good or bad, which has something to do with their evolutionary progress.

During his time in Rome, Aristotle saw differently from what the ancient Romans had seen and dared the system to improve its vision by considering, as fundamental principles of life, those things it had frozen. Ironically, he was tried before the law which he was trying to challenge. It was evident that Aristotle was against a war he would not materially win. He lost his life in the process, but his vision would eventually fire Rome to an enviable position in many aspects of life. Galileo, during his period, saw the world differently as an astrologer and a philosopher. The leaders were paranoid, and they crushed his life because they could not fathom his thoughts. Mailafia, with whom I communicated last month, became a sore in the throat of a particular political class, which derived benefits from the compromised values of a medical system to silence his voice forever.

Beyond the deep sore dug in the throat of your loved ones, Mailafia, because of your sudden and unforeseen demise, the memories you left behind are a scent of courage and hope because you showed that a geometric rise of people is possible, regardless of their economic and political backgrounds. Your life was a lesson that one can be generally successful without having to take the wrong routes. You rose from grass and definitely to grace. From zero, you became a hero, just because your determination to defy the gravity of poverty outweighed your zeal for all unnecessary distractions. Because you lived a life of purpose, you were an inspiration to a generation of Nigerians who never imagined arriving at the pinnacle of their careers due to the impression that the system is rigged to eternally frustrate and discourage them. This means that while you acknowledged the dysfunctionality of the system in which you found yourself, you never relented or showed a sign of defeat to nature. You made use of the materials available in your surroundings and transformed the life you were given. Today, your fans, starting with your immediate family members (children, wife, and even parents) to the admirers of the legacy you left behind, are proud to have associated with you in your lifetime.

But then you have left a wound in our hearts, those of us who have enjoyed the fecundity of your wisdom from a close distance. You have gone suddenly away from our midst, making us feel sharp and robust pains that leave untold emotional wreck in our minds. It was not easy for you to die, apparently, but trust me when I say that your pain was temporary and your agony was very brief compared to what we, whom you left behind, would feel anytime we remember the shining Soul that you were and the beautiful mind that you represented. Mailafia, the journey we have chosen to thread as public intellectuals is becoming lonelier, compounded by the cloudy future we face in this trajectory, where voices of freedom and reason are aggressively challenged because they speak a truth that is too deafening for tyrants all over the world to accommodate.

But would we now bow to their pressure and submit the future of innocent generations to their hand, Obadiah? Would we now lose focus and be distracted by those who window-dressed their cowardice and choose to lick the boot of political merchandisers as a way to augment their living and pretend everything is good, Mailafia? Would we now accede to the pressure of selfish leaders who wanted to run a government that does not entertain alternative perspectives, dear erudite one?

I ask all these rhetorical questions because of the prescience of your predictions about the country in recent years, and because I was struck by the unusualness of your exit from the face of the earth. In my last conversation with you, you expressed your concerns and mentioned how the welfare of the people in the country has been technically silenced by the emergence of curable security problems. I remember you saying that the future is in the gloom, as long as the political machinations in the country continue with such a level of questionable determination. You expressed your feelings about the countrys economy that has witnessed unprecedented deterioration in recent times because of poor policies and an unwillingness to ask for help, where and when it is needed. You decried the apparent political misdemeanour that has encouraged this predatory economic geography and explained to the international audience that surviving the current economic hardship that has bedevilled the country is like surfing an ocean without the necessary equipment and with no dependable knowledge of swimming. You never really imagined the courage you enhanced in the hearts of many who share from your optimism, provided the countrys boat is rightly paddled. Together, we recently discussed the expanding dangerous legacies that neocolonial African leaders make from the inheritance they get from their erstwhile imperialists and how it seems they are married to the ideas imposed on them for life.

Listening to the announcement of your demise came with a rude shock, the magnitude of which I struggled to contain with a powerful price. For a man of your zeal and bravado, of course, you cannot evade death, just as nobody will, but the, death happening to you at that age and stage is something of a generational loss to the country, even in its ignorance.

About Nigeria, Mailafia dialogued with me on the possibility of internal colonisation, which people at the helm of power seem to exploit continuously. The fact that peoples psychology has been complicated by various experiences of disappointment, discriminatory regulations, and marginalisation has further emboldened them to take a similar trajectory when they have opportunities to serve in any position of power. I remember vividly when Mailafia concluded that the rot has permeated nearly all institutions in the country, as it has moved confidently away from being domiciled by the government at the central level to every level where the administration of power is demonstrated. Everyone becomes a potential despot, seeking any available opportunity to unleash their mayhem on the innocent people of the country. In essence, seeking power has been considered a great desire to provide some immunity to the individual, away from the regulations naturally meant for the majority.

How could you have died, Obadiah, when you came up with lofty ideas about how the country can face the challenges of mismanagement and insecurity that have bedevilled it head-on? Were you not the one who said that fundamental changes will happen to the country the moment the citizens elect politicians of good political will? When I asked you how this is possible and ameliorative to the challenges we have identified in the country, you told me categorically that good political will paves ways for other transformational engagements of every country. I remember with keen interest how you demonstrably linked the political goodwill of a leader to their interests in taking active attention to areas that deserve urgent leadership involvement. You said that through this, all institutions landlocked in the geography of dysfunctionality would have the concentration that could immediately propel them into what naturally obtains in a democratic society. You mentioned that to strengthen the countrys government, the quest for equality, which can be promised by the installation of a decentralised system, would be possible only when there is political will by the commander-in-chief. You concluded, albeit hilariously, by reinforcing with a quoting of Psalm 11 vs 3 from the Holy Bible: If the foundations are destroyed  what do the righteous do?

Our belief that the countrys bureaucrats are firmly behind this disruption because they have vested economic interests that they seek to protect at all costs was strengthened by your educative insight when you explained the connection between them and government policy statements. We both lamented that whenever the country seemed to have made any modest progress in putting its challenging democratic experiences behind, they are usually overtaken by leaders who have no business in the corridors of power in the first place. Temptingly, this is where we almost shelved the blame of irresponsible leadership that has beleaguered the country to the West. While they are entirely absolved of this indictment because of the different interventionist engagements that sometimes have negative consequences on the people, there can be no excuse for the leaders who have made themselves willing tools for the facilitation of exploitation by the West. Nigerian leaders are vain. They are eternally married to selfish ambitions, as long as they have financial and economic privileges, notwithstanding the conditions of those underneath them.

Listening to the announcement of your demise came with a rude shock, the magnitude of which I struggled to contain with a powerful price. For a man of your zeal and bravado, of course, you cannot evade death, just as nobody will, but the, death happening to you at that age and stage is something of a generational loss to the country, even in its ignorance. Beyond what could be imagined, you placed the Middle Belt of the country within the proper frame of relevance, where national concentration on them became inevitable, and their travails and challenges have become an international discourse. It was because you strive to arrive at excellence that you won the opportunity to serve at the apex of your career, in which such has been systematically drawn away from your people for a protracted period. You have produced ideas and philosophies, made informed decisions at the national level, and have contributed significantly to the promotion of excellence in the country, while you had the opportunity to do so. Even when you left the public office, you continued to offer vital support to enhance the countrys progress.

Within the period of your existence, havent you challenged the stereotype by defying all the pressure from offensive camps? Unlike many revolutionaries, you never saw yourself lacking power, even when it was apparent you had no political one. You believed that your voice was strong enough to carve out the voltage of energy needed to electrify the world that appears very committed to selfish ambition and purposeless aggrandisement of wealth. You would not bow out for pressure, and because you were committed to the course of freedom and an egalitarian society, you have won for yourself a place that would continue to exist beyond your anticipation and which already is outliving you. Without minding whose ox is gored, you were brilliantly critical of political moves that flagrantly undermined the economic and security safety of people. Your voice was not shaky whenever you educated the world on the importance of alternative perspectives. When others speak with their tongues in their cheeks, you came boldly to face the power brokers who have no single trace of passion for the country they lead.

Saying adieu to you now that you have departed is in the correct order. Wishing that you face a joyous experience in your spiritual journey is the least that we can do. You have gone to a place where we believe you would face less pressure, yet it is a place we are not in a hurry to go. We would have been more content to have your presence amidst us so that we can continue to absorb the pressure of the unyielding African political leaders together. We would have loved more that we engaged them in the intellectual world where we arm the defenceless people with the power of the pen, to stand up for themselves and their exploitative leaders that are causing them all manners of pains. Undoubtedly, the fight started by generations before us, which obviously cannot disappear in our generation, would continue to have our contributions because nobody is free until everyone is free. Your voice has become immortal.

May the Almighty God give your family the strength to bear the irreparable loss and fortify them to move on in the right manner. Your departure has caused them some grief, certainly. But then, may they be consoled by the understanding that you led a fulfilled life while you were here.

Adieu, dear Obed!

Toyin Falola, a professor of History and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, is Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin.
Group General Manager in charge of shipping at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Inuwa Waya, has announced his decision to voluntarily retire from the corporation in December this year.

Although the retirement of the top management staff is yet to be officially confirmed by the NNPC, multiple sources at the NNPC Towers in Abuja told this newspaper on Friday that Mr Waya has already tendered his letter to proceed on voluntary retirement from the services of the Corporation.

One of the sources who requested that his name should not be revealed, as he was not competent to speak on the matter, said following the submission of the letter of his voluntary retirement, Mr Waya has already commenced his mandatory three months pre-retirement vacation, which began on September 10.

The source said Mr Waya personally broke the news of his decision to voluntarily exit the national oil company at a surprise birthday party organised in his honour by the staff of the Shipping Division of the corporation to mark his 58th birthday on Friday, September 10.

In a commemorative speech during the party, the source said Mr Waya informed the staff that after serving the Corporation for over 30 years, it was time for him to exit the door, by voluntarily retiring to pave the way for the younger generation to take over.

For over 30 years, I have worked and diligently served the NNPC in various capacities. Over the period, I believe I did my best to contribute my little quota towards helping the organization realize the corporate goals and objectives.

But I also believe every man and woman has his or her time and season for every of his or her activities, Mr Waya was quoted to have told the staff at the birthday party. There is a time to work; a time to play, and a time to stop work and take a deserved rest to focus on other personal dreams.

I believe my time to stop public work has come, to give way to my season of rest, and to find the space to focus on the private practice of my law profession as a qualified lawyer. That is what I have done.

Some of the staff members were said to have expressed surprise at Mr Wayas unexpected announcement, considering that he still has two years in his career at NNPC to reach the mandatory official retirement age of 60 years.

However, the source said Mr Waya explained to the concerned staff that it was his conviction to leave the stage not only when the ovation was loudest, but more importantly to create the opportunity for the younger generation coming behind him to take over and continue from where he has stopped, to contribute their quota to the continued development of the company.

The notice of voluntary retirement he submitted to the NNPC on September 10, Mr Waya explained, was to take care of the mandatory three months pre-retirement notification, scheduled to expire on December 11, for his final disengagement from Service to take effect.

Since the news of Mr Wayas submission of his resignation letter filtered out to the rest of the NNPC staff, the source said there have been speculations about his plans for the immediate future.

Although Mr Waya was said to have confided in some of his immediate staff during the birthday party that he would be exploring the prospects of going into farming and private law practice, unconfirmed sources close to the Kano State-born lawyer hinted he might be joining politics with a view to joining the governorship race in his native Kano ahead of the 2023 elections.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Waya confirmed he was retiring. He, however, declined further comments, saying it is too early to speak about his post-NNPC plans.

Inuwa Waya: A profile of excellent service

Mr Waya is a lawyer of many years standing. He began his public service career with the Kano State Ministry of Justice as state counsel in 1989. On August 26, 1991, Mr. Waya left the Kano State government to join the legal unit of the NNPC.

In his over 30 years of service to the NNPC, he served in various departments and capacities traversing several positions and offices.

Apart from serving as the Legal Officer in charge of Litigation, Property, Research and Corporate Law in the corporation, Mr Waya was also appointed the Technical Assistant to the Group General Manager, Legal Division, between 1998 and 1999.

In 1999, he was posted to Hyson Nigeria Limited, a joint venture between NNPC and Vitol S.A. as the Company Secretary and Legal Adviser.

Between 2009 and 2011, he served as the acting executive director, services, for Hyson Nigeria Limited before being redeployed to serve as the Senior Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC between 2011 and 2014. Mr. Waya was appointed General Manager of the Tenders, Contract Administration and Petroleum Upstream Department of the NNPC, and later Acting Corporation Secretary/Legal Adviser.

In August 2015, he was appointed Managing Director of Hyson Nigeria Limited and the President of Carlson Bermuda Limited, the offshore arm of the NNPC crude oil joint venture company.

In March 2016, Mr Waya was appointed Managing Director of NNPC Trading. During his tenure, he successfully spearheaded the reform, transformation and consolidation into one entity the NNPC multiple joint venture trading companies, comprising at that time, all the NNPC Crude Oil Trading Companies, (Napoil Limited, Carlson Bermuda Limited, Duke Oil Panama and its service companies in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and United Arab Emirate (UAE), Hyson Nigeria Limited and Nigermed.

In March 2020, Mr Waya was appointed the Group General Manager, NNPC Shipping Division, a position he occupied till his voluntary retirement on September 10.

Also, Mr. Waya served as the coordinator of the NNPC Shipping optimization programme, mandated to transform NNPC Shipping into a global brand capable of imbibing the culture of international best practice in its services.

His wide experience and expertise equally recommended him to be relied upon by the NNPC top management to execute a number of other concurrent assignments in line with the corporations growth agenda.

Currently, Mr Waya holds directorship of the following strategic business units, including the NNPC Retail Limited, NIDAS Marine Limited, NIDAS Shipping Service Limited (Cyprus), NIDAS Shipping Service Agency (UK) Limited and NIKORMA Shipping.

Mr Waya graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in March, 1989 (BL).

Between 1995 to 1997, he obtained his Masters Degree in laws (LLM) with Specialisation in Petroleum Law, Policy and Economics at the University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom.

In 2001/2002, he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in International Petroleum Management at the College of Petroleum Studies, Oxford, England.

An astute community leader, active grassroots mobilizer, organizer and team player, Mr Waya belongs to various national and international professional groups and associations.

Those who know him well say his over three decades experience in public service has distinguished him as a competent manager of men and material resources, to attract the greatest good to the greatest number of people.

Mr Waya is married with children.
A man said to be a leader of the proscribed Eastern Security Network (ESN) was on Monday lynched in Imo State, Nigerias South-east, while trying to enforce the sit-at-home order by IPOB.

ESN is a security arm of the pro-Biafra group, IPOB.

A police statement on the incident said the man was beaten to death, before police operatives arrived at the scene. His gang members had fled.

Police identified the slain man as 34-year-old Obinwanne Iwu, from Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of the state, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The police spokesperson in Imo, Mike Abattam, in the statement, narrated how the incident happened.

Obinwanne Iwu, 34, who is an escapee of Imo Correctional Centre, Owerri, went to the market with his gang, trying to enforce a sit-at-home order of the proscribed IPOB/ESN terror group.

They were shouting at the top of their voices that today is Monday and everybody must obey the sit-at-home order.

Mr Abattam, a chief superintendent of police, said the residents of the area got angry and resisted the gang, and grabbed Mr Iwu. The mob tied his hands behind his back and beat him to death, while others fled.

The police said nobody has been arrested over the incident.

The Biafra agitation, led by IPOB, has led to killings and destruction in the South-east

Imo is considered the hub of IPOBs operations in the South-east region.

(NAN)
The members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria in Ogun State on Monday stormed Unity Bank in Abeokuta over an alleged diversion of the associations investment fund to the tune of N134 million.

The civil servants were armed with placards bearing different inscriptions such as; Ole Ni Unity Bank, Funds Not Safe In Unity Bank, Unity Bank Stole Our Money, No Refund, No Retreat, No Surrender, others.

Trouble started when the association decided to move its investment fund from the bank to another commercial bank where they got a better deal.

The civil servants marched to the Ita-eko branch of the bank in Abeokuta, singing solidarity songs.

Speaking for the protesters, the state chairman of the Association, Olude Isa-Owolabi, said the association had instructed the bank to transfer its fund into another bank account but they refused to send the entire fund thereby creating a significant shortage of amount from their accounts.

Sometime last year, we heard from emergency call that Unity Bank, Abeokuta branch, is defrauding customers and because we are a union that is proactive since we have professionals in our midst, we rose to the occasion and instructed Unity Bank to transfer some amount of money from our Investment account to another account.

READ ALSO:

Unfortunately, Unity Bank transferred lesser the amount we are expecting and we have a shortage of significant amount from our account.

We have interacted with them many times, we have contacted them, we have written several letters, not less than six or seven, and Unity Bank did not respond.

Mr Isa-Owolabi said their problem with the bank started in February when the instruction was raised.

We cannot continue to wait for Unity Bank to be free, they have admitted that they have defrauded us, records are there to show that in our office, they admitted that the money is there and they will transfer as soon as possible, since then we have not heard anything from Unity Bank.

Mr Isa-Owolabi said the total investment fund at the bank was N134 million, while a total amount of N80 million has so far been transferred to the association, leaving a balance of about N54 million.

We ask Unity Bank to transfer the whole amount to another account for investment because investment depends on your negotiations with the bank or whoever you are investing with because you could have better bargaining elsewhere so we ask them to transfer to another bank account for better dealings.

A copy of an agreement, dated August 13 and jointly signed by the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), Savings Scheme, Makinde Bamidele, the Treasurer, Suliaman Ayodele Jamiu, the South-west Regional Manager of Unity Bank, Olanrewaju Olusegun, and Abeokuta branch Manager of the bank, Saka Adeleke, on the loss of fund belonging to the Association was obtained by our correspondent.

Phone calls to the given banks spokespersons line did not go through.

But an official, who preferred not to be named because he was not authorised to speak for the bank, said the Central Bank of Nigeria has waded into the matter.

He added that until the conclusion of the investigation on the matter by the CBN, the bank cannot make any further transfer as requested by the association.

The bank staffer, however, declined to state the nature of the investigation being undertaken by the apex bank.
Nigerias commercial bank, Unity Bank Plc, has denied claims by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) in Ogun State that it diverted the associations N134 million investment fund domiciled in the bank.

In a statement Tuesday, the bank said it had carried out all financial transactions with the association in line with the mandate of the group.

The attention of the Bank has been drawn to the action of Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN) in Abeokuta, the statement read.

Going by all available records regarding the ASCSN account and transactions, Unity Bank hereby states that theres completely no wrongdoing on the part of the Bank who acted professionally in the interest of the Association.

Members of the ASCSN had besieged the banks branch in Abeokuta on Monday protesting the latters alleged refusal to move their investment fund to another bank where they got a better deal.

According to Olude Isa-Owolabi, the ASCSN chairman in the state, the association had instructed Unity Bank to transfer its fund into another bank account but they refused to send the entire fund, thereby creating a significant shortage of amount from their accounts.

The banks position

In its response to the allegations, Unity Bank said throughout its dealings with ASCSN, it had carried out all financial transactions in line with the mandate, instructions, and authority of the association.

Until proven otherwise, the Bank can therefore not be held liable for any complaints of ASCSN since the instructions for the transfer of the sum of money, totalling N54.8m, were duly authorised by the association.

The Bank, in carrying out the transactions sent SMS notifications as well as rendered periodic account statements of the financial activity on the account.

The Bank wishes to advise members of ASCSN to await the outcome of the reconciliation to determine if the mandate upon which the Bank acted fails to tally with the authorised signatories submitted by the association.

The CBN is aware of the issues and we held (a) meeting with them last Friday but the people picketing the Bank are merely embarking on a needless smear campaign instead (of) awaiting (the) outcome of the reconciliation process.

Read full statement below:

ASCSN TRANSACTION: UNITY BANK ACTED WITH AUTHORITY OF CUSTOMER

The attention of the Bank has been drawn to the action of Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN) in Abeokuta. Going by all available records regarding the ASCSN account and transactions, Unity Bank hereby states that theres completely no wrong doing on the part of the Bank who acted professionally in the interest of the Association.

READ ALSO:

Till date, the Bank has thus carried out all financial transactions in line with the mandate, instructions and authority of the customer (ie the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria).

Until proven otherwise, the Bank can therefore not be held liable for any complaints of ASCSN since the instructions for the transfer of the sum of money totalling N54.8m were duly authorised by the association.

The Bank, in carrying out the transactions sent sms notifications as well as rendered periodic account statements of the financial activity on the account.

The Bank wishes to advise members of ASCSN to await the outcome of the reconciliation to determine if the mandate upon which the Bank acted fails to tally with the authorised signatories submitted by the association.

The CBN is aware of the issues and we held meeting with them last Friday but the people picketing the Bank are merely embarking on a needless smear campaign instead (of) awaiting (the) outcome of the reconciliation process.
A former Managing Director of Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), Babajide Odusolu, on Tuesday challenged the Ogun State government and the House of Assembly to come public with documents and evidence that showed that monies were missing from the corporations coffers during his tenure.

Mr Odusolu made this statement at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, in response to the impropriety allegations against him by the House of Assembly.

Last week, the House Committee on Public Account and Anti-Corruption, led by Musefiu Lamidi, a lawmaker from Ado-Odo/Igbesa constituency, asked Mr Odusolu to return the sum of N40 million which was unaccounted for during his tenure as the MD of OPIC.

The committee also called on anti-graft agencies to investigate Mr Odusolu and recover an unaccounted balance of N2.5 billion belonging to the state.

No missing money

Reacting to the allegations by the state House of Assembly, Mr Odusolu said he was taken aback by the media publication and the call for investigations by anti-corruption agencies as the allegations against him are false.

Mr Odusolu, a lawyer and a businessman, served as the MD of OPIC between 2013 and May 2019.

All issues raised in the publication had been addressed during my appearance before the House Committee on the 13th of October, 2020, following their invitation and in my capacity as the immediate past Managing Director of the Corporation for the period under review.

Also at this session were members of the then current management team of OPIC led by its Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), Director of Projects, the Internal Auditor, the Head of Allocations and other members of the OPIC finance team, who had apparently also been summoned by the committee.

During the course of the interaction with the said House Committee, I provided clarifications on all issues handled by me as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, while referring all technical audit and accounting queries to the DFA, who was present to address them, he said.

Mr Odusola said after he provided all the clarification sought by the House, the next day, he saw stories planted in the media that there were infractions against him and that about N3 billion was missing, which he subsequently gave a response to.

Mr Odusola said reading in the pages of newspapers again last Friday, made him realise that he was being victimised.

I am a victim of political vendetta that had nothing to do with me. I am not a career politician and unaware of how these things work, he said.

Mr Odusola said the accounts of OPIC are audited yearly by an auditor appointed by the office of the Auditor General of Ogun state, and none of the accounts or records of the corporation showed any money missing.

Until today, I dont have any letter or query from the Ogun State House of Assembly alleging me or asking for clarification on anything whatsoever that smells of impropriety, not a single one.

They made that allegation and boldly asserted that the investigative agencies should arrest me to account for the money and nothing is missing, there are audited accounts properly filed and certified by chartered accountants.

Unless you are saying that I colluded with accountants to defraud OPIC and hide it, how could you in 2021 claim that N2 billion was missing and nothing in any of the records of OPIC reflects it? It is because there is no money missing in OPIC.

I challenge the management of OPIC, I challenge the government of Ogun state, I challenge the Ogun State House of Assembly, if there is any money missing in OPIC to bring out the evidence and not only bring out the evidence but to also show that I, Babajide Odusolu or by extension my principal, Senator Ibikunle Amosu diverted that money, he said.

Mr Odusola further said that the House committee that looked into the audit reports of OPIC lacks accounting knowledge and audit experience, but allocated to itself a job that should be done by forensic auditors.

Speaking on the allegation that N2, 579,771,717.71 was unaccounted for, the former MD the allegation is false in its entirety.

No money is missing, and a formal forensic audit will confirm that fact, he said.

On the sum of N40 Million, which the house instructed Mr Odusola to return to the coffers of the state within six months, he said he had earlier explained that they were expenses incurred as part of the running costs for managing OPIC projects located in several satellite towns of the State.

We explained that these monies were used to provide cash stipends for staff and artisans working on those sites; provide basic site amenities and cover other ongoing site expenses. This imprest system allowed the men at site to work without undue delay. The DFA and Director of Projects subsequently provided the breakdown of the N40 Million expenditure which the committee chose to totally ignore in its report, he said.

Other Allegations

Speaking on the sales of the 8.2 hectares of land at Isheri, Mr Odusolu said it followed due procedures as executive approval was also obtained.

The land was offered to Persianas Group, the promoter of Shoprite to construct a Mall. The land is a marshy area and was offered at a discounted rate of approximately N20.5 Million per hectare as against the actual rate of N30m per hectare, he said.

He said the goal was to promote investment in the state as other companies also benefited from the policy.

The former MD further said the allegation about Marriott Hotel at Ikeja OPIC plaza shows the clear bias of the committee.

The funds in question had been invested prior to my assumption of office as Managing Director and the transaction predated the Senator Amosun led Administration. The documentation costs were simply carried forward on OPICs accounts and until the project is consummated and/or written off, it will continue to reflect in the records of OPIC, he said.

Mr Odusola said he was a real estate developer prior to joining the administration of Amosun-led government in 2013, and contributed his quota to improving the affairs of Ogun State in his area of specialisation.

The structure of OPIC and its clear accounting policies did not create any room for the sort of laxity or mischief being alleged by this Committee.

OPIC is a statutory corporation with legal personality, attempting to hold me liable without any proven infractions directly attributable to me or obfuscating facts is a deplorable act, a clear and brazen abuse of legislative privilege and by so doing, the Committee has done incalculable damage to my reputation and by extension de-marketing OPIC and Ogun State, he said.

Legal Action

Adetunji Adedoyin, the counsel to Mr Odusolu, said they will be challenging the matter in court.

We will be challenging in court by the procedure adopted by the Ogun State House of Assembly because we sincerely believe that our clients constitutional right to fair hearing has been grossly breached.

Till now, he has not been served with any report purportedly indicting him and he was not even called into the procedures where the resolution was passed.

We will definitely be approaching and if the court agrees with us, we will definitely be asking for colossal damage, Mr Adedoyin said.
The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security Civil and Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the death of one person in a collapsed building on Tuesday in the Fanibi area of Akure.

Hammed Abodunrin, the commandant of the Corps in the state, said some occupants of the storey building who were trapped had been rescued.

Mr Abodunrin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident occurred at about 3:00 a.m. while the occupants were asleep.

He said the remains of the deceased, a woman, had been retrieved and deposited at the hospital morgue.

The corps has taken it upon itself to sensitise members of public on the ways to protect themselves from such harm.

A building would not just collapse, there must have been some tangible signs before it collapses.

We want members of the public to be aware of the dangers to their lives and the basic things they should watch out for, not only banditry or kidnapping.

There are many other issues that can take our lives, so, we should be more vigilant.

Those who are constructing should know the kinds of structures to be built on some lands, he said.

(NAN)
As countries get back on their feet from COVID-19, trade and investment will be two important economic engines to boost growth and employment, says Dr. Vilawan Mangklatanakul, Director-General of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

Dr. Mangklatanakul notes that currently, there is a lack of coherence in the interpretation of the fair and equitable treatment (FET) standard as well as other principles used in investment treaties such as full protection and security or the right to regulate, all of which are public international law principles. The reason for such incoherence is that the interpretation has been left solely in the hands of arbitral tribunals for years. Given the ad hoc nature of the tribunals and varying levels of experience of arbitrators in public international law, it comes as no surprise that there exists a lack of uniformity of decisions and no systematic approach to the interpretation of the same protection standards.

Dr. Mangklatanakul is well aware of the fact that the issue of investment protection has been taken up by many other forums today. For instance, UNCTAD has produced policy options regarding the reform of the international investment regime.

She is also familiar with the work of UNCITRAL on the reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). However, due to limitations of its mandate, the focus of its work has been on the procedural aspects of dispute settlement such as a code of conduct for adjudicators and joint interpretation mechanism between treaty parties as well as setting up standing investment courts, stand-alone review or appellate mechanisms.

It is understood that many countries are quite familiar with ISDS  either as a treaty party to an investment agreement or as a respondent to an ISDS case or a combination of both. Currently, there are more than 2,500 international investment agreements in force. There has been at least 1,104 treaty-based ISDS cases with more than 120 countries being respondents.

Dr. Mangklatanakul sheds light to the idea that the international community as a whole will benefit from clarity in the interpretation of public international law principles used in international investment agreements, given the importance of economic activities.

To some extent, this problem of divergent interpretation has been recognised by the International Law Commission (ILC). In 2008, the ILC revisited the topic of Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) and in 2015 the ILC Study Group produced a report that provides a very useful guidance on the proper application of the rules of treaty interpretation for MFN provisions.

FET, which has been in the ILC long-term work programmed since 2011, is perhaps even more important than MFN given the greater frequency for which claims are brought under it. A number of States have taken a proactive approach to address the problem by drafting new international investment agreements to give greater clarity on what is and is not covered by the standard. However, this approach still has significant limitations. First, most ISDS cases are being brought under the old generation treaties; renegotiation of thousands of investment treaties is simply impractical. Second, new languages can also bring with them new interpretative problems.

Given the increasingly important role of investment for post-COVID recovery and foreseeable risks that come with it, Dr. Mangklatanakul strongly encourages the ILC to step in and bring clarity to the interpretation and application of FET clauses. The ILC could reach out to Member States to survey State practice, the requisite opinio juris of States and, as subsidiary sources, the decisions of international courts and tribunals as well as the writings of highly qualified scholars. Interactions of governments in the ILC's codification process can also contribute to the crystallisation of elements of the FET standard.

Dr. Mangklatanakul stresses that "We are at a critical juncture and need to be forward-looking. Considering factors mentioned, the ILC could be the only body to help safeguard against fragmentation of international investment law. The outcome of such work by the ILC would be of practical use to those involved both in respect of the drafting of investment treaties and in the interpretation and application of FET clauses in tribunal decisions. Clarity and certainty will also be beneficial to private investors, securing job stability and opening opportunities for those seeking jobs in various investment sectors. The outcome of the work of the ILC will go a long way for society and the international community as a whole."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1629604/S__58589368.jpg

SOURCE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand
DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "World's Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - 2021-2022 - Program Factsheets, Strategy Focus, Comparative SWOT Analysis, Latest Contracts & Developments and Market Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The transition of traditional world order towards multi-polarity, marked by the resurgence of great power competition and escalating geopolitical tensions, has effectively heralded a renaissance for the Global Aerospace & Defense industry over the recent years with defense spending clearly on the surge & upswing. The rapid build-up of military capabilities by China and resurgence of Russia on the world horizon have effectively spiraled up defense spending across most regions & parts of the world. The global defense spending reached the $1.98 trillion level for 2020 growing by over 2.6% year on year for 2020 & 3% for 2019 echoing the Cold war-era trend



Fighter jets have remained a traditional & core pivot of the fighting capabilities of Air Forces globally with their significant role & capabilities for conducting aerial combat, interdiction, penetration of enemy air defenses, ground attack and air dominance/superiority missions & roles. The surge in global defense spending over the recent years has driven a rapid recapitalization of legacy fighter jet aircraft programs as a key priority with the initiation of a bevy of next generation aircraft programs across most parts of the globe for build-up of capacity & military capabilities. The replacement of global in-service fleet of legacy F-18 Hornet program is being pursued actively across parts of Europe and North America along with upgrade & modernization of the sizeable, older F-16 fleet & variants globally.

Around 250+ in-service Tornado combat jets are also due for replacement with decisions likely over near term. Other parts of the world, too, are accelerating & scrambling for the retirement & replacement of their Cold-war era, Soviet-origin legacy fighter jet aircraft programs with latest & next generation capabilities through fast tracked procurement of in-production aircrafts supplemented by scratch-up, domestic aircraft development programs. India, for instance, operates a fleet of 100+ MiG-21s while seeking replacements for them & other ageing aircrafts under the MMRCA 2.0 program and supplementing the deficit with the procurement of the home grown Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program



In term of capabilities, 5th generation aircraft programs are already proving to be favorites to replace the 4/4.5 generation aircrafts with the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet program spearheading the charge & the generational shift. The 6th generation aircraft programs are also on the anvil geared towards the future with their potential EIS slated for late 2030s. Continental Europe is committing itself to the development of two such programs, namely, the Franco-German-Spanish consortium led FCAS program and the Tempest program being spearheaded by the triad of Great Britain-Italy-Sweden. In the U.S., the NGAD program collectively represents the efforts being made towards the development of 6th generation combat aircraft to be powered by the upcoming Adaptive Cycle Engine (ACE) program



Against this backdrop, the report provides a detailed, comprehensive analysis on the World's Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs, including

Detailed Program Factsheets, including, Technical Specifications, Production Numbers, Variants & Key Global Operators

Overarching Strategy Focus across OEMs for the Programs

Comprehensive Comparative SWOT Analysis with Direct, Competing Aircraft Programs of Commensurate Size & Class

Latest Contract Awards, Upcoming Aircraft Competitions & Developments for the Programs

Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs

The report categorizes the aircraft programs into Light, Medium & Heavy jets based on their Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) and compares them accordingly. Also, single-engine & twin-engine aircraft programs and the 4/4.5 generation & 5th generation aircraft programs have been treated & compared accordingly. This is the one of the rare reports providing a comprehensive, Comparative SWOT analysis at the program level backed by deep domain competence & acumen



Key Topics Covered:



Section - 1 Global Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Program Origins, Profile, Snapshot & Fact Files

1. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

2. Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

3. Lockheed Martn's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF

5. Dassault Rafale

6. Eurofighter Typhoon

7. Saab's JAS 39 Gripen E/F

8. Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker

9. MiG-35 Fulcrum

10. Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon

Coverage

Program Origins

Primary Role

Technical Specifications

Variants Developed

Program Timelines

Units Produced

Current Program Status, Upgrade Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs

Key Operators, Program Partners & Export Customers

Section - 2 Global Top 10 Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs - Specifications, Armaments, Performance & Comparative Overview

1. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

2. Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

3. Lockheed Martn's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II JSF

5. Dassault Rafale

6. Eurofighter Typhoon

7. Saab's JAS 39 Gripen E/F

8. Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker

9. MiG-35 Fulcrum

10. Chengdu's J-20 Mighty Dragon



Section - 3 SWOT Analysis - For the World's 10 Leading Combat Aircraft Programs

1. Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

2. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

3. Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Dassault Rafale

5. Eurofighter Typhoon

6. SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen

7. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

8. Sukhoi's Su-35

9. MiG-35

10. Chengdu's J-20



Section - 4 Programs Evolution, Progression & Current Strategy Focus across respective OEMs

1. Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet

2. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

3. Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Dassault Rafale

5. Eurofighter Typhoon

6. SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen

7. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

8. Sukhoi's Su-35

9. MiG-35

10. Chengdu's J-20



Section - 5 Comparative Analysis of Strengths

1. Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet

2. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

3. Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Dassault Rafale

5. Eurofighter Typhoon

6. SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen

7. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

8. Sukhoi's Su-35

9. MiG-35

10. Chengdu's J-20



Section - 6 Comparative Analysis of Weaknesses

1. Boeing's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet

2. Boeing's F-15EX Eagle II

3. Lockheed Martin's F-16V Fighting Falcon Block 70

4. Dassault Rafale

5. Eurofighter Typhoon

6. SAAB's JAS 39 Gripen

7. Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

8. Sukhoi's Su-35

9. MiG-35

10. Chengdu's J-20



Section - 7 Key Strategic Initiatives, Upgrades Horizon, Projected Developments & Outlook for the Programs - Key Contract Awards, Competitions and Technological Upgrade Plans



Section - 8 Global Fighter Jet Aircraft Market - Force Field Analysis - Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics

Driving Forces

Restraining Forces

Section - 9 Key Trends, Issues & Challenges and Growth Opportunities



Section - 10 Market Outlook & Scenario for Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs over Medium Term

Analysis of Emerging Market Scenario for Fighter Jet Aircrafts

Global Demand Outlook for Fighter Jet Aircrafts - Projections

Global Defense Budgetary Trend

Defense Spending Levels across Key Markets - Top 5 Nations

Key Upcoming Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs & Competitions

Emerging & Game changing Technologies and Sixth Generation Aircraft Programs - Round Up

Market Outlook

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1almqu

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


As part of the A2GO service, May Mobility will operate a fleet of five autonomous, shared, on-demand vehicles. Four hybrid-electric Lexus RX 450h vehicles (with three passenger capacity) and one Polaris GEM fully electric vehicle (with capacity for one wheelchair passenger) will operate in a 2.64 square-mile service area connecting Kerrytown with Downtown, the University of Michigan's Central and South campuses, Pulse Campus and the State Street corridor. The free service is available Monday through Friday from 8 am - 8 pm and riders will access the service via the May Mobility app, which is available through the Apple App store and Google Play.

"From the talented workforce to the proximity of strong private and municipal partnerships, Ann Arbor has played a critical role in May Mobility's success," said Edwin Olson, CEO of May Mobility. "We are proud to bring our autonomous shuttle service to not just our hometown, but the place where our technology was born."

Since originally announcing service in Ann Arbor, May Mobility has hired four full-time employees and will hire up to 20 autonomous vehicle operators to support the full A2GO deployment, with several open positions currently hiring. On October 12, 2021, May Mobility will host an official launch event in Ann Arbor offering demonstrations of its autonomous technology.

A2GO is May Mobility's eighth shuttle deployment since the company began operations. May Mobility is currently operating shuttles in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Arlington, Texas, Hiroshima, Japan, and Indianapolis, Indiana.

"The deployment of A2GO exemplifies Michigan's leadership and innovation in public-private partnerships to facilitate long lasting change within our mobility ecosystem," said Trevor Pawl, Michigan's Chief Mobility Officer. "We are excited to see the results of this pilot in the Ann Arbor community, as well as the next-generation solutions the team at May Mobility continues to bring to the state of Michigan."

In developing A2GO, May Mobility worked with community and strategic partners who shared the company's vision for equitable and sustainable public transportation solutions.

"Mcity is excited to be a partner in bringing A2GO to Ann Arbor," said Greg McGuire, Associate Director at Mcity. "If we want to build the safer, greener, more accessible world we're all striving for, learning by doing is essential. A2GO takes Mcity from an academic lab to a living lab, and will help us learn what we should be thinking about next."

The A2GO service demonstrates how communities can work together to incorporate transportation, safety, land use, and economic development into the mobility landscape. One of the community partners involved in A2GO is 4M, Ann Arbor's first co-living townhomes that offer co-working and mobility solutions to their members. A2GO's site operations are located at 4M's site, including garage parking for May Mobility's autonomous shuttles, material storage and offices for onsite staff that maintain daily operations, train autonomous vehicle operators (AVOs) and manage rider and AVO communications.

"Our partnership with May Mobility and the other A2GO team members is critical to our evaluation of future value-based housing and lifestyle solutions and our planning for upcoming real estate projects and developments," said Margaret Poscher, CEO at Prentice4M.

For !important Safety Technologies, a Montreal-based company with their US Headquarters in Ann Arbor, A2GO provides an opportunity to further advance their pedestrian safety technology, which communicates with nearby AVs to prevent collisions.

"!important is pleased to join the A2GO project as an opportunity to innovate with the population of Ann Arbor," said Bastien Beauchamp, CEO of !important Safety Technologies. "For the first time, the public will have a direct input in the detection from an autonomous vehicle via our Free Mobile App. The anonymous data collected will help the city identify the weak and less safe zones in order to better plan infrastructures."

The A2GO service also demonstrated the important role that Ann Arbor SPARK plays in advancing mobility in Ann Arbor and ensuring the community continues to be seen as a leader in the testing and adoption of AV technologies.

"Ann Arbor SPARK's mission is to identify what businesses in our community need to grow, and with May Mobility, it was access to an urban living lab where it could test, advance, and deploy its technology," said Paul Krutko, president and CEO, Ann Arbor SPARK. "It's exciting to see A2GO launch and know that autonomous vehicle innovation isn't just being developed here, but also enthusiastically welcomed as part of our region's mobility infrastructure. Having leading edge technology on the streets in Ann Arbor is a signal that companies pushing towards what's next will push forward here."

About May Mobility

May Mobility is a leader in autonomous vehicle technology development and deployment. With more than 285,000 autonomous rides to date, May Mobility is committed to delivering safe, efficient and sustainable shuttle solutions designed to complement today's public transportation options. The company's ultimate goal is to realize a world where self-driving systems make transportation more accessible and reliable, the roads safer, and encourage better land use in order to foster more green, vibrant, and livable spaces. For more information, visit maymobility.com .

About Mcity

Mcity at the University of Michigan is leading the transition to connected and automated vehicles. Home to world-renowned researchers, a one-of-a-kind test facility, and on-road deployments. Mcity brings together industry, government, and academia to improve transportation safety, sustainability, and accessibility for the benefit of society. For more information, visit https://mcity.umich.edu .

About Ann Arbor SPARK

Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org .

About Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME)

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) works to increase mobility investment, expand Michigan's smart infrastructure, enable the state's mobility workforce and accelerate electric vehicle adoption to reaffirm Michigan as the global leader in transportation. The Office brings together mobility and electrification efforts across Michigan's government, academic and private sector to create long-term economic opportunity and accelerate the development, deployment and adoption of advanced mobility technologies. It spans the existing foundation of successful state-led mobility initiatives through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy, among others. Visit www.michiganbusiness.org/OFME to learn more.

About 4M

Established in 2016, Prentice 4M is a premier Operator of Lifestyle Assets which are created through the alchemy of space, cost, style and convenience. Designed from the ground up as a platform that helps improve the lives of its guests, 4M provides flexibility and bespoke services to enhance living, working and socializing, creating a foundational sense of purpose based on the experiences 4M develops. Learn more at www.prentice4m.com .

About !important Safety Technologies

!important Safety Technologies is an Ann Arbor-based startup that developed the world's first ViDAR to complement vehicle cameras, radars, lidars, and sonars. !important's free mobile safety app safely and anonymously detects pedestrians, wheelchairs, e-scooters, bicyclists, and motorcyclists to protect them from vehicular collisions. Their technology can also alert the A2GO Autonomous Vehicle Supervisor to apply the vehicle's brakes when needed. To download !important's Safety app for free, please visit www.important.com .

SOURCE May Mobility

Related Links

maymobility.com


ATLANTA, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelerate360's Us Weekly today announced that it will hold a significant editorial and promotional presence at Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia, PA September 22-25. Us Weekly has long been a pop culture catalyst, bringing its audiences the latest news and information on trend-forward products in fashion, beauty, and wellness and is extending that commitment by establishing a content studio from the show floor of Expo East.

"The Us Weekly audience has turned to, and trusted, the editorial insights and expertise of the brand to bring them the people, places, and products they need to have on their radar so they can be in-the-know and well-informed," said Accelerate360 Chief Marketing Officer Brian Gordon. "This is a great start to a partnership with New Hope Network that we look forward to building on through Expo West in 2022 as we continue to explore and develop new platforms, partnerships, and opportunities for Us that further build on its incredible relationship with consumers and brands alike."

As Content Sharing Partner for Expo East, Us Weekly's Executive Editor and Host of the Glam Squad and Hot Hollywood podcasts Gwen Flamberg will be on-site scouring the show floor for the hottest new products in the beauty and wellness space. Throughout the show, Gwen will provide daily video reports showcasing new products and the personalities behind them including some of the winners of the coveted NEXTY Awards which recognize the most progressive, innovative, inspiring, and trustworthy products in the natural products industry.

"We are thrilled to bring increased visibility to our exhibiting brands through a popular media platform like US Weekly, and to help consumers find great natural and organic products via our events. Expo East and Expo West are the biggest launching pads for innovative brands in health and wellness, and this exciting partnership helps further our goal of bringing more health to more people," said Jessica Rubino, Executive Director, Content, Informa Markets' New Hope Network.

Us Weekly's coverage from Expo East kicks-off on Thursday, September 23 at usmagazine.com.

About Accelerate360:

Accelerate360 is an omnichannel distribution, data and media company that provides customized solutions for consumer product brands and retailers. They deliver consumer products to over 60,000 retail locations weekly and have a 100-year track record of growing brands through logistics, sales, media, sourcing, marketing and media. Accelerate360 specializes in the General Merchandise, Health, Beauty, and Wellness categories and develops and curates programs to cater to clients' objectives. As a data driven organization, Accelerate360 leverages first party and third-party data to customize impactful and efficient solutions for our clients. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, the company has offices and fulfillment centers strategically positioned around the United States and is proud to employ over 1,100 employees.

About New Hope Network:

New Hope Network is at the forefront of the healthy lifestyle products industry. With solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers, the network offers a robust portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services. Through its mission of growing healthy markets to bring more health to more people, New Hope Network helps businesses identify the people, products, partnerships and trends that create better opportunities and connections. For more information visit www.newhope.com.

About Informa Markets

Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. We provide marketplace participants around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. We connect buyers and sellers across more than a dozen global verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure. As the world's leading market-making company, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

SOURCE Accelerate360
EMPORIA, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Business owner and Virginia NASCAR legend Hermie Sadler had previously filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and the Virginia ABC in the Circuit Court for Greensville County, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from the Court to rule that SB 971 (banning skill games in Virginia), passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Northam this year, is unconstitutional; and, Sadler seeks to have the skill games turned back on in convenience stores like his across the Commonwealth. The skill games ban that went into effect in Virginia on July 1, 2021 has adversely affected hundreds of small business owners (as well as convenience stores, truck stops, restaurants and bars) throughout the Commonwealth.

Since the filing of Sadler's lawsuit, Mark Herring, the Attorney General of Virginia has engaged in a continuous pattern to delay and avoid answering the Sadler lawsuit, as well as refusing to engage in discovery in the case, and declining to provide information and documents to Sadler's attorneys as required by law.

In furtherance of his strategy to hide evidence and avoid engaging in the litigation, Herring had previously filed a Demurrer to Sadler's lawsuit rather than answering it, filed a motion to transfer the lawsuit to Richmond rather than let it be heard in Emporia, Virginia (where Sadler's businesses are located), and went so far as to file a motion to delay the discovery proceedings so he and his clients would not have to answer the important questions and provide crucial evidence and documents relevant to the case.

After an hour-long motions hearing, the Court denied all of Herring's motions. As a result of the Court's decisions: 1. the case will remain in Emporia; 2. the Commonwealth, the Attorney General, the Governor and the ABC must now respond to the lawful and relevant discovery requests made by Sadler's counsel within the next 21 days; and 3. the Court ordered that a further hearing be held on October 12th to dispose of Herring's Demurrer to Sadler's written Complaint.

Bill Stanley and Ryan McDougle, attorneys for Hermie Sadler and the Sadler Brothers Oil Company made the following statement: "Today, the Attorney General's attempt to avoid and delay this lawsuit, a lawsuit that merely seeks to protect Hermie's constitutional rights as a small business owner, is finally over. His attempt to move this case out of Emporia and send it to Richmond and delay the case further, has now failed. The Attorney General's further attempt to avoid providing evidence to Sadler that is both vital and relevant to the case as required by law, has now failed. And, when the government's lawyer suddenly pronounced at the hearing that they were now abandoning their main argument to dismiss Sadler's lawsuit -- that small businesses did not have a right of free speech in Virginia  this was a tacit admission from the AG's office that they simply cannot defend the indefensible."

"This lawsuit must move forward, and now after the Court's ruling today, it will move forward. Despite his continuous attempts to delay and avoid the truth, the Attorney General cannot stop Hermie Sadler's fight for justice to protect the fundamental rights of small businesses against the unconstitutional overreach by the state government. We fully expect that as we now move forward with all speed and deliberation in this lawsuit, that Sadler's rights, and the constitutional rights of all small businesses across the Commonwealth that have been affected by this erroneous skill games ban, will be both recognized and protected by the Virginia Courts in the very near future" Stanley and McDougle concluded.

Hermie Sadler made the following statement after today's hearing: "I am thankful that we are now one step closer to getting this case to trial to protect my business and other small businesses from government overreach. The last few months have been challenging for small business operators and this unlawful action by Virginia to ban skill games in local convenience stores like mine has galvanized all store owners as a group to now fight for what is right. I look forward to October 12th as being yet another step in correcting this wrong, and having Virginia finally make it right."



Over 50 small business and convenience store owners were present in Court today to support Sadler, and to listen to the Court hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, attorney Bill Stanley presented evidence outside the Courtroom to the packed audience demonstrating that since the unconstitutional skill game ban was put in place, a proliferation of illegal gaming has occurred in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Contact: Chad Monday, The Stanley Law Group

Phone: (540) 721-6028

Email: [email protected]

13508 Booker T Washington Hwy

Moneta, VA 24121

vastanleylawgroup.com

SOURCE The Stanley Law Group

Related Links

vastanleylawgroup.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today that it will release its third-quarter 2021 earnings after the NYSE closes on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.

The company will hold its conference call to discuss third-quarter 2021 results on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 9:00 a.m. ET. This call will be webcast and can be accessed through Albemarle Corporation's website at https://investors.albemarle.com/, via the webcast link below or by phone at the following number:

US Toll free: +1 844 347 1034 International direct: +1 209 905 5910 Passcode: 6875708 Webcast: Q3 Webcast Link

To avoid registration wait times, participants are encouraged to use the webcast link as the primary listening source. If a caller anticipates asking a question, please dial in 15 minutes before the start of the call to be placed in the queue early.

An online replay of this call will be available on Albemarle Corporation's website (for 12 months) and by phone at the following number (for 7 days):

US Toll free: +1 855 859 2056 International direct: +1 404 537 3406 Passcode: 6875708

About Albemarle Corporation

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We think beyond business as usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.

We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve 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" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE Albemarle Corporation

Related Links

http://www.albemarle.com


Earning the esteemed status as the number one ranked IGTV account holder globally makes Amanda a significant addition to the UTU social network. Cerny will continue to share her daily dose of humor and happiness, helping people feel their best through her own DAC (Decentralized Autonomous Community) made available exclusively through the UTU.ONE social app.

"I love how there is no way for fake accounts, bots, and therefore targeted bullying on UTU.ONE", shares Cerny. "I'm excited to join this positive and protected platform and community."

The platform is for real people only, and there is no collection of personal data, no passcode, or birth date required to join. Signing up is made easy through facial recognition, and because everyone's face is unique, every user on the UTU (User to User) platform is verified as a real person.

"I'm thrilled for my fans to join so we can begin enjoying UTU.ONE together... it gives me comfort knowing their personal data is protected through the first-ever social media platform built on blockchain".

UTU.ONE is the only platform that combines a tokenized economy with the power of social media. It is the next-generation social platform built on blockchain for real people. It offers unique features such as facial recognition sign-up and NFT rewards designed to benefit UTU members for interacting with the platform and other members.

Fans and Users can download the UTU.ONE app from both Apple and Google stores and join Amanda's DAC community for free by using her CERNY token: https://download.utu.one/amanda

The company has made a total commitment to privacy, security, and transparency by making a significant investment in the EOS blockchain to develop a scalable, reliable, eco-friendly, and secure platform. The UTU commitment that our User to User community (UTU) can expect from UTU.ONE. Together we will create unique user experiences designed to redefine social values for the benefit of everyone. UTU looks forward to welcoming users to the platform.

For all media inquiries, contact: [email protected]

About UTU Technology Inc.  The company was originated in both Australia and Canada with a group of experts in Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, with business executives from IBM, Alibaba, Apple, and Deakin University's Blockchain Innovation Lab. The company developed the world's first DAC app for iOS and Android on EOSIO and many other blockchain business solutions and decentralized applications. In 2020, UTU technology Inc. decided to establish its HQ in Toronto, Canada, to further the company's business expansions worldwide.

Information on the company can be found at: https://www.utu.one

SOURCE UTU Technology Inc

Related Links

www.utu.one


NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AmeriVet Securities, Inc., (AVI) announced today that the firm has raised an additional $1.5 million in equity to strengthen its balance sheet and support AVI's mission to recruit and hire veterans.

"It's important for us to continually strengthen our balance sheet," said Mercedes Elias, Co-CEO at AVI. "This allows us to consistently meet the needs of our clients and support the veteran community, which is integral to our business plan and our mission."

Joseph B. Anderson, Jr.

In addition, AVI announced that Joseph B. Anderson, Jr., Chairman and CEO of TAG Holdings, LLC, has joined the AVI Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Anderson is a native of Topeka, Kansas. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was one of four African American students in his class. He graduated in 1965 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After graduation, he commanded troops in the 82nd Airborne Division and served two tours with the 1st Calvary Division in Vietnam.

While leading the 1st Calvary Division, his 33-man platoon was followed by a French film crew while embedded in Vietnam. A documentary film was subsequently released in 1967 called "The Anderson Platoon." The film has won multiple awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1968.

"Joseph is an exceptional leader, mentor and friend with an unparalleled business sense and a deep understanding in the importance of supporting veterans," said Bob Jones, President of AVI, U.S. Air Force veteran and former Vietnam Prisoner of War. "We are honored to add his expertise to our board."

In addition to his military service, Mr. Anderson was selected as a White House Fellow, working as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce, Juanita Kreps.

Following his work with Secretary Kreps, he began a career with General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. After 13 years with the company, Mr. Anderson left to become President and CEO of Composite Energy Management Systems, Inc., and later acquired controlling interest in Chivas Products Limited, both of which are privately held companies. He is the majority owner, Chairman and CEO of TAG Holdings, LLC, which owns several manufacturing, service and technology-based companies based in North America.

"AmeriVet Securities is a unique firm with an unrivaled passion for veterans," said Mr. Anderson. "I'm excited to continue making an impact in the Diversity and Inclusion space, and proud to be part of a team that comes together every day to serve the veteran community."

Mr. Anderson currently resides in Michigan and serves on multiple boards throughout the area.

About AmeriVet Securities, Inc.

AmeriVet Securities, Inc., is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business broker-dealer that specializes in Capital Markets, Public Finance, Institutional Agency Trading, Loan Sales and Investment Banking. Established in 1994, AmeriVet is dedicated to providing the highest level of service in the industry, while providing meaningful employment opportunities to post 9/11 military veterans.

Contact

Jessica Borriello

[email protected]

SOURCE AmeriVet Securities, Inc.

Related Links

www.amerivetsecurities.com


Comparison between the last five years

thierry Ehrmann, CEO and founder of Artmarket.com and of its Artprice department:

"Artprice has registered the highest-ever number of successful Fine Art adjudications in the world, up +10.5% compared with H1 2019, which already set a historic record.

The absence of international fairs has clearly redirected some collectors to the auction houses (live or online), but the growth in the volume of transactions predates the health crisis and is basically just re-starting again."

High-end market vs. affordable market

After a chaotic year 2020, the art market's auction agenda essentially returned to normal, notably with the resumption of New York's spring sales. The sessions organized during week 19 (from 10 to 16 May 2021) totaled $1.5 billion in New York, equivalent to 21% of global art auction turnover in H1 2021.

However, our data for the H1 period suggests the art market is still relatively affordable: of the 302,100 lots auctioned around the world, 51% were acquired for less than $1,000, including buyers' fees. And, unlike the ultra high-end market, these affordable works have been offered and sold very evenly throughout the year. Online sales now even ensure a low level of art market activity during the months of July and August, which are usually marked by a complete standstill.

Fine Art lots sold at auction filtered by price range (H1 2021)

Hong Kong bucks the trend...

The former British colony is now playing a vital role in the international strategies of the auction majors like Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips and Bonhams, but also of China Guardian and Poly Auction, and together they have made Hong Kong the most luxurious art marketplace on the planet.

Only 3,200 Fine Art works were sold in Hong Kong in H1 2021, but they totaled nearly $1 billion ($962 million). In fact, the average price of an artwork in Hong Kong auctions during H1 2021 was $300,000! A price that sets Hong Kong apart from New York (average price $41,000), London ($32,000) and Paris ($10,600), and from the rest of China ($94,000).

In just six months, 18 lots fetched over $10 million in Hong Kong although none reached $50 million. Today, Hong Kong's ultra high-end market is as intense as London's, and nine times bigger than the Paris market (where two lots crossed the $10 million threshold in the same period). In mainland China, only eight lots sold for more than $10 million over the same period, but the $50 million threshold was once again breached (for an 18th century work by Xu Yang).

First "unlimited" sale

Sotheby's sale entitled "The Fungible Collection" was a perfect example of the creativity shown by the major auction houses in H1 2021. The international auction company acquired by Patrick Drahi in 2019 worked directly with the anonymous artist Pak and the web platform Nifty Gateway (without going through a gallery) to sell an unlimited series of NFTs.

Core to the collection was the Open Editions, which allowed collectors to purchase as many fungible cubes as they wished during the sale period for fixed prices. The duration of the sale was three times 15 minutes, spread over three days, and the price rose each day. It resulted in the sale of 23,598 digital cubes: 19,737 cubes at $500 on Day 1; 3,268 cubes at $1,000 on Day 2 and 593 cubes at $1,500 on Day 3. In addition to these small works, there were two unique lots (The Switch for $1.44 million, and The Pixel for $1.35 million) as well as several 'awards'. Some NFTs (potentially worth several million dollars) were awarded to the best buyers, as well as to anyone who managed to solve a puzzle invented by Pak.

This extraordinary session questioned not only the notion of a digital artwork and its 'ownership', but also the notion of value creation in the 'Art Market 2.0', in which the offer can be multiplied at a lower cost.

Images:

[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/09/image1-weekly-evolution-global-fine-art-auction-turnover-5-years-comparison.png]

[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/09/image2-fine-art-lots-at-auction-by-price-range-h1-2021.png]

Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com

Don't hesitate to contact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: [email protected]

for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo

Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription

About Artmarket:

Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF.

Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video

Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987.

See certified biography in Who's who :

https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/06/Biographie_nov2020_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf

Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists.

Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians.

Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code).

Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art.

Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021:

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020

Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department:

serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm

Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5 million followers)

twitter.com/artmarketdotcom

twitter.com/artpricedotcom

Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013

L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o

www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999

(4.4 million followers)

https://vimeo.com/124643720

Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department

Contact:

[email protected]

thierry Ehrmann

SOURCE Artmarket.com
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Semi-Retired MD (SRMD), a company founded by two doctors who teach other doctors how to invest in real estate, has opened its flagship course, Zero to Freedom Through Cashflowing Rentals for enrollment from September 20 - 29, 2021.

The course teaches physicians, high-income professionals, and their spouses the same step-by-step process that physician couple Letizia Alto, M.D. and Kenji Asakura, M.D. used to invest in real estate. Using their system, Drs. Alto and Asakura were able to replace their clinical incomes in less than five years.

According to a recent study by The Physicians Foundation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and wellbeing of physicians has been negative. Of the physicians surveyed, 57% responded that they have felt "inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety"; 61% experienced feelings of burnout "often" (in 2018, it was only 40% of physicians); and 20% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide during the pandemic.

"The pandemic exacerbated the problem of physician burnout to a significant degree," said Dr. Alto. "While there are many factors contributing to that, one of them is financial stress."The Physicians Foundation study reported that at least 49% of physicians reported a reduction in income over the last 18 months."

Dr. Alto said, "Thousands of doctors have found our course when looking for an alternate stream of income. Once they learn the steps to real estate investing, they realize that it can provide additional security for their familiesand freedom for them."

Dr. Asakura elaborated by explaining, "Our goal is to not to encourage physicians to leave the medical profession, but to free them up to practice medicine on their own terms. In turn, this alleviates physician burnout by allowing doctors to maintain a healthier work-life balance. Rather than working 80 hours a week, maybe they want to work 40. Investing in real estate allows you to do that successfully, by supplementing your clinical income."

The Zero to Freedom Through Cashflowing Rentals 7-week course is open for enrollment for the Fall 2021 course from September 20 - 29, 2021.

Zero to Freedom is a virtual 7-week course with video modules, live components, an interactive physician investor community, and virtual office hours for students to meet with experienced physician investors.

For more information on Semi-Retired MD's Zero to Freedom course, click here.

ABOUT SEMI-RETIRED MD

Semi-Retired MD (SRMD) was founded in 2018 by Letizia Alto M.D. and Kenji Asakura M.D. The physician couple began Semi-Retired MD as a blog to educate physicians about real estate investing. Today, Semi-Retired MD has grown into a multi-million-dollar company with a mission to serve the medical community offering proven courses and strategies that can help doctors achieve financial and time freedom and practice medicine on their own terms.

Their flagship online course, Zero to Freedom Through Cashflowing Rentals, teaches doctors and high-income earners a step-by-step process for investing in real estate. Since 2018 they have taught over 3,000 doctors and their families how to successfully invest in cashflowing rentals. For more information on Semi-Retired MD visit https://semiretiredmd.com/

Letizia Alto, M.D.

[email protected]

SOURCE Semi-Retired MD

Related Links

https://semiretiredmd.com/


HONG KONG, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America has introduced an enhanced set of capabilities to its Intelligent Receivables solution, allowing clients to process payments and remittance data from local payment instruments in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Thai language, in addition to English.

Launched globally in 2017, Intelligent Receivables is now available in all 12 markets1 where Bank of America operates across Asia Pacific, in addition to New Zealand2.

Intelligent Receivables is a comprehensive receivables matching service powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. It organizes incoming payment information and associated remittance details from various payment channels and sources, then matches these payments to open invoices. With nearly 100% data capture capability, the solution is able to send enriched payment information more frequently, allowing for more timely and accurate matching of payments and invoices for corporate clients.

"These latest enhancements to Intelligent Receivables are the natural evolution in the rapid migration towards a comprehensive technology-based solution that meets the unique needs of our clients who are operating in the diverse local markets across Asia Pacific," said Venkat ES, head of Asia Treasury Product, Global Transaction Services. "They provide for great accuracy, cost efficiencies and the ability to redirect precious resources towards revenue generating activities."

The development of the local-language and local channel recognition capabilities follow on from last year's data deduction enhancement. Utilizing machine learning and pattern recognition, Intelligent Deductions3 captures deduction data (partial payments or claims) from payments received. It then matches and validates this information, resulting in more precise and rapid resolutions of claims and increasing recovery of payments owed.

"In Asia, many large companies with complex operations are still faced with the challenge of manually reconciling payments with open invoices. This is both time consuming and inaccurate. With these enhancements, we are providing our clients tailored solutions to meet their needs, including local language capabilities, and the ability to process transactions from local payment instruments such as the electronic bankers' acceptance draft (eBAD) in China and promissory notes in Korea," said Babu Vaidyanathan, head of Asia Receivables, Global Transaction Services. "In short, we are enabling them to enjoy the benefits of a fully automated reconciliation process despite operating in a diverse set of markets."

The Intelligent Receivables solution also offers other benefits including:

A global footprint enabling companies to implement this solution internationally including 13 locations in Asia Pacific (including New Zealand ).

(including ). Fully integrated with Bank of America CashPro platform, allowing companies to access through a single sign-in.

Additional analytics module allowing companies to understand their customers' payment trends.

Bank agnostic features enabling companies to integrate it with their current platforms smoothly.

High security standards for data protection.

Intelligent Deductions module integrated within the solution and easily activated to provide a fully automated end-to-end reconciliation process.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, approximately 17,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 41 million active users, including approximately 32 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact:

Bellerina Yeo, Bank of America

Phone: 65.6678.3706

[email protected]

1 Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand

2 Offered via correspondent banks operating in New Zealand

3 Currently available in Australia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia and Taiwan.

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

Related Links

www.bankofamerica.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking Baylor University study of a Prison Fellowship International (PFI) in-prison program provides evidence that the faith-based course transforms prisoners  and leads to culture change in prisons.

"PFI is providing innovative prison programs that are quickly becoming one of the centerpieces of the emerging field of positive criminology," said Dr. Byron Johnson, founding director of the Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) at Baylor University.

Johnson leads the Baylor ISR research team conducting a longitudinal evaluation of PFI's "The Prisoner's Journey" (TPJ) course  which has already graduated more than 460,000 inmates worldwide. The research team conducted the first phase of the study in prisons in South Africa and Colombia during a 40-month period from January, 2018 to April, 2021. (They plan to continue the study and expand to more countries.)

Researchers are finding ample evidence to say empirically that participation in the TPJ course measurably increases prisoners' motivation for identity transformation (new meaning and purpose in life despite criminal past and incarceration) and growth of virtues. The program also reduces negative feelings and the risk of aggressive behaviors among participants. These changes in attitudes and beliefs are key indicators of a prisoner's successful rehabilitation.

"Our study of TPJ provides empirical evidence that prisoner rehabilitation needs more than risk management  specifically, a positive criminology approach to help prisoners achieve life goals of human flourishing, such as meaning and purpose; character and virtue; and emotional well-being," said Dr. Sung Joon Jang, research professor of criminology, co-director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior at ISR and co-author with Johnson of "The Restorative Prison," released this month.

"The Prisoner's Journey" (TPJ)

TPJ is an in-prison, structured course designed to "transform the lives of prisoners, from the inside out, by introducing them to restorative principles taught by Jesus, who was also a prisoner." It is centered on the book of Mark in the Bible, facilitated by trained inmates or volunteers.

Since its inception in 2014, more than 460,000 inmates worldwide have graduated from the eight-week TPJ course. More than 70% of these graduates have continued in a follow-on discipleship program. Currently, TPJ runs in 39 countries spanning the globe, including Africa, Asia Pacific, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Global Prison Ministry

Fifteen million people around the world are imprisoned annually. Problem-ridden correctional systems and high recidivism demonstrate that prisons alone are ill-equipped to rehabilitate inmates. The steadily growing rate of imprisonment and the massive impact imprisonment has on society form a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.

PFI's Bible-based prison course and unparalleled access to prisons worldwide  through indigenous ministry affiliates and partners  make it uniquely prepared for the challenge. Now, with the Baylor research that proves this program works, PFI is gearing up to continue expanding ministry activities that have carried on during the pandemic lockdowns and limitations on visitations by the empowering of Christian prisoners to run PFI courses.

"The Baylor research findings couldn't come at a better time," said David Van Patten, chief operating officer of PFI. "We are at the front end of a major push to engage 20% of the world's prison population with transformative programs like TPJ. We believe that at 20% we will trigger cultural change in prisons. This Baylor research is evidence that we are on the right track."

"We could not be more excited about the work (and the results) that this study represents," said Andrew Corley, president and chief executive officer of PFI. "Breaking cycles of crime and the restoring of lives for those who have been in prison is a complex issue. Ignoring the 'body, spirit, soul' tripartite nature of what is necessary for successful reintegration and rehabilitation will result in continued disappointing outcomes. But this study provides proof positive that better outcomes are possible."

"Programs like TPJ yield empirical validation of the reality that much of the truly innovative work being done in the name of prison reform is coming from faith-based programs operated by organizations like Prison Fellowship International," said Johnson. "These remarkable programs  led by faith-motivated volunteers -- are doing a lot to transform individuals and prisons across the world. I hate to think where we would be without these ministries that are dedicated to serving the least of these."

About Prison Fellowship International: Since 1979, PFI has helped prisoners experience transformation from the inside out through the healing power of the Gospel. Its mission is to transform the lives of prisoners, their families and victims through a global network of ministry partners.

Learn more at pfi.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Christine Moore

703- 554-8669, [email protected]

Gregg Wooding

972-567-7660, [email protected]

SOURCE Prison Fellowship International

Related Links

https://www.pfi.org


Footprint Project , a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization, has been in Louisiana since Sept. 3 with a fleet of solar trailers and scores of portable charging stations. The mobile microgrids have been deployed at sites throughout the area, including community centers, medical centers and fire stations. They are being used by volunteers to run refrigeration, ice makers, freezers and portable air conditioners, as well as to set up cooling and charging stations. Parking lots and street corners in high-need areas have also been provided with cellphone charging, medical and mobility devices, and battery shares.

"Since we cannot bring our people and money to New Orleans for Solar Power International as expected, we're proud to support the Footprint Project in its efforts to aid economic recovery and help affected communities build back greener in the face of climate-amplified disasters like Hurricane Ida," said Axel Veeser, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. USA LLC. "Its work demonstrates the value of renewable and resilient approaches in a region that has inadequate access to clean energy, suffers from vulnerable power-grid infrastructure, and traditionally has suffered environmental harm from the excesses of the conventional energy industries."

"BayWa r.e.'s generous donation will make it possible to bring on and mobilize more staff, ship in more solar and battery equipment, and operate more community sites," said Will Heegaard, operations director of the Footprint Project. "This will strengthen the partnerships we have with local groups on the ground and provide help to more communities across southeast Louisiana."

"The solar community has come together in a big way already to help the people of New Orleans and southern Louisiana in the aftermath of COVID-19 and Ida," said Misty Chioffe, Head of Marketing, Americas for BayWa r.e. USA LLC. "There is still more we can do. I strongly encourage others who were planning to attend SPI to consider giving to the community to help them build back greener. This is a powerful demonstration of how renewables can be a solution, in more than one way, to the climate crisis."

If you would like to support Footprint's work during #climateweek please consider donating to their active gofundme or directly on their website: www.footprintproject.org.

About BayWa r.e.

At BayWa r.e. we r.e. think energy  how it is produced, stored and can be best used to enable the global renewable energy transition that is essential to the future of our planet. We are a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor and solutions provider and have brought over 4 GW of energy online and manage over 10 GW of assets. We are also an Independent Power Producer with an expanding energy trading business. BayWa r.e. works with businesses worldwide to provide tailored renewable solutions. Operating 100% carbon neutral, we are also committed to our own sustainability journey. Every day, we are working hard to actively shape the future of energy in a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Our shareholders are BayWa AG, a $19.6 billion global business, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a leader in energy infrastructure investment. For more info on BayWa r.e. Americas, go to https://us.baywa-re.com/en

About Footprint Project

Footprint Project's mission is to help communities build back greener after environmental disasters. Footprint Project (www.footprintproject.org) has extensive experience designing, building and deploying solar trailers for emergency use, mobilizing pools of distributed clean energy assets to support disaster first responders and meet emergency power needs. We help relief groups integrate sustainable technologies into their missions through hands-on training, design, and deployment support. In 2019, FP deployed mobile solar stations to 5 environmental disasters, distributed over 1,200 solar panels, donated 2 solar trailers to first responders, and launched our Solar Energy Rapid Response Team (SERRT). Since January 2020, FP volunteers were some of the first to respond following the January earthquake in Puerto Rico, deploying ten mobile solar generators to power device recharging, medical equipment, and lighting. In Matamoros, Mexico, Footprint provided a solar tent and trailer for a field hospital to power Global Response Management's COVID-19 clinic, serving 2,500 asylum seekers in the encampment. In Tennessee and Iowa, where extreme weather left neighborhoods in the dark for days, Footprint provided direct clean energy access to over 2,000 citizens. Overall, providing direct access to emergency solar recharging for over 12,500 people during grid outages.

SOURCE BayWa r.e. USA LLC

Related Links

https://us.baywa-re.com/en/


OpenEye's Orion Software-as-a-Service platform will enable Black Diamond to perform rapid simulations and analysis of protein motion through Orion's powerful combination of a high-performance compute facility, scientific development environment, and browser-based analysis and collaboration tools. Black Diamond and OpenEye will collaborate to co-develop enhanced-sampling capabilities designed to deliver information on an accelerated time scale. With the increased capability to model large and complex systems, Black Diamond will enhance its ability to discover mutant selective MasterKey therapies that target families of oncogenic mutations.

"Our proprietary MAP drug discovery engine combines computational and experimental techniques to identify, validate, and aggregate oncogenic mutations, rendering them actionable by a single MasterKey inhibitor," said David M. Epstein, PhD, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Black Diamond Therapeutics. "Complementing our expertise in cancer genomics, protein function and medicinal chemistry, we believe our work with OpenEye will enable the expansion of Black Diamond's therapeutic pipeline by enhancing a molecular understanding of intact, full-length oncoproteins activated by a diverse array of driver mutations."

OpenEye's Orion molecular design platform integrated with Amazon Web Services' Cloud environment allows Black Diamond to pursue scalable and parallel analyses of the conformational states of families of mutant oncogenes. The deployment of these large-scale perturbations provides Black Diamond with detailed structural and dynamic information on target proteins to guide drug discovery efforts. The arrangement between OpenEye and Black Diamond involves upfront payment and potential downstream economics resulting from select Black Diamond products for OpenEye.



"We are beginning to see the marriage of computation and genomics not just through sequence analysis, but at the structural level," said Anthony Nicholls, CEO and Founder of OpenEye Scientific. "This shift is being hastened by the Cloud and its democratization of large-scale computation. We're very proud to be able to work with Black Diamond to combine molecular simulation on our cloud platform, Orion, with their MAP drug discovery engine to accelerate their search for novel cancer therapeutics."

About Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc.

Black Diamond Therapeutics is a precision oncology medicine company pioneering the discovery of small molecule, MasterKey therapies. Black Diamond targets undrugged mutations in patients with genetically defined cancers. Black Diamond is built upon a deep understanding of cancer genetics, protein structure and function, and medicinal chemistry. The Company's proprietary technology platform and drug discovery engine, the Mutation-Allostery-Pharmacology (MAP) platform, is designed to allow Black Diamond to analyze population-level genetic sequencing data to identify oncogenic mutations that promote cancer across tumor types, group these mutations into families, and develop a single small molecule therapy that targets a specific family of mutations, termed a MasterKey therapy. Black Diamond was founded by David M. Epstein, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Buck, Ph.D. For more information, please visit www.blackdiamondtherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits of the Company's partnership with OpenEye, including the Company's use of the Orion platform to identify additional MasterKey therapies. Any forward-looking statements in this statement are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: the success, cost, and timing of the Company's product candidate development activities and planned IND-enabling studies and clinical trials, the Company's ability to execute on its strategy, regulatory developments in the United States, the Company's ability to fund operations, and the impact that the current COVID-19 pandemic will have on the Company's clinical trials and pre-clinical studies, supply chain, and operations, as well as those risks and uncertainties set forth in its 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its other filings filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

About OpenEye Scientific



OpenEye Scientific is an industry leader in computational molecular design, based on decades of delivering rapid, robust, and scalable software, toolkits, and technology and design services. Our scientific, physics-based approach to molecular design historically focused on molecular shape and electrostatic potential to inform and guide molecular discovery and optimization. OpenEye now has integrated its applications and toolkits into Orion, the only cloud-native, fully integrated molecular design platform. Combining unlimited computation and storage with powerful tools for data sharing, visualization and analysis in an open development platform, Orion offers unprecedented capabilities for the advancement of pharmaceuticals, biologics, agrochemicals, and flavors and fragrances. Founded in 1997, OpenEye is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Fe, N.M., with offices in Boston, Mass.; Cologne, Germany; and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, go to www.openeye.inc .

Contacts:

For Black Diamond Therapeutics



For Investors:

Natalie Wildenradt

Black Diamond Therapeutics

[email protected]

For Media:

Kathy Vincent

(310) 403-8951

[email protected]

For OpenEye Scientific

Ryan Fitzgerald

Punch PR

[email protected]

SOURCE OpenEye Scientific

Related Links

www.eyesopen.com


LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM) (OTCQB: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM"), a multi-state operator focused on limited license markets, is pleased to report plans to enter the Michigan market with fully funded dispensary, cultivation and production facilities. BaM, through wholly owned subsidiaries, has leveraged its expertise of navigating licensing and approval processes gained with other state and local authorities, adding Michigan to its growing list of license successes.

Michigan is a lucrative cannabis market. In 2020, Michigan cannabis retail stores sold US$985 million of cannabis products with roughly one of five Michigan residents using cannabis.* Cannabis sales in Michigan for the month of August 2021 alone totaled over US$40 million for Medical cannabis and over US$125 Million for Adult-Use sales.**

"The billion-dollar Michigan market continues to break sales records on a consistent basis, and the decision to duplicate our successful vertically integrated model in such a thriving cannabis market was an easy one to make," said Michael Mills, CEO of Body and Mind. "Our team has been successful with securing locations for each facility and our license team has finalized local and state preapproval licenses for the dispensary, cultivation and production operations. We are fully funded for development and our strategy is to replicate our past successes in building shareholder value through securing licenses and rapidly and efficiently advancing each operation to cash flow positive as fast as possible. We continue to assess numerous opportunities to bring the Body and Mind brand, award winning product line and vertical expertise to the Michigan market and beyond."

Cultivation and Production Facilities

The Company has leased a commercial building in Manistee, MI with the intent of developing a cultivation facility with 50,000 square feet of canopy as well as a production facility. Architectural plans are complete for phase one which is planned for 20,000 square feet of canopy, 5,000 square feet of processing and 5,000 square feet of multi-use and office space. The second phase of development is planned for 30,000 square feet of canopy.

"Body and Mind has years of cultivation experience and strong genetics that we believe will be well received by the Michigan market. In addition, our cultivation team continues to develop new genetics that complement our award-winning flower and concentrates that we plan to introduce to the Michigan market," stated Trip Hoffman, COO of Body and Mind. "The building was selected in a location to optimize lease and operating costs, with access to ample power, allowing our development team to move quickly through the construction process. The wholly owned subsidiaries have received state pre-approval licenses for cultivation and production, and the Company intends to commence construction in the coming weeks."

Dispensary

Body and Mind, through a wholly owned Michigan subsidiary, has received local and state licensing for its first Michigan dispensary, located in Muskegon. This is a social equity license granted in a limited license jurisdiction. Architect plans are complete, the Company has received its building permit, and construction has started on the leased building. Body and Mind's dispensary is on a main thoroughfare street with exceptional parking.

"Body and Mind excels at building community, and we are highly confident that we can partner with the City of Muskegon to utilize its social equity program to build awareness and financial assistance to the disproportionately affected minority community and individuals," said Trip Hoffman, COO of Body and Mind.

In consideration for leases and rent abatement during development and construction, the Company has committed to issue shares based on milestone achievements for each project. A total of up to US$150,000 worth of shares will be issued in relation to the Muskegon dispensary with shares issued based on licensing milestones, of which the Company will be issuing 238,929 common shares at a deemed price of $0.3938 per share (US$75,000 worth of shares) based on the terms of the lease agreement. A total of up to US$1,000,000 worth of shares will be issued in relation to the Manistee Cultivation and Production operations with shares issued based on licensing and operational milestones, of which the Company will be issuing 1,304,601 common shares at a deemed price of $0.3912 per share (US$400,000 worth of shares) based on the terms of the lease agreements. The common shares being issued to the landlords will contain the required hold period under Canadian securities laws and contain the required restrictive legend under U.S. securities laws.

The Company is pleased to announce it intends to engage Stonegate Partners for a three-month term for US$ 5,000 per month commencing October 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2021. Stonegate partners will provide social media, client outreach and strategy for the Company.

_______________________

*statistics from Michigan Cannabis Marker Growth and Size by Anderson Economic Group commissioned by the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association **Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency Monthly Report August 1, 2021  August 31, 2021.

About Body and Mind Inc.

BaM is an operations focused multi-state operator investing in high quality medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production and retail. Our wholly owned Nevada subsidiary was awarded one of the first medical marijuana cultivation licenses and holds cultivation and production licenses. BaM products include dried flower, edibles, oils and extracts as well as GPEN Gio cartridges. BaM cannabis strains have won numerous awards including the 2019 Las Vegas Weekly Bud Bracket, Las Vegas Hempfest Cup 2016, High Times Top Ten, the NorCal Secret Cup and the Emerald Cup.

BaM continues to expand operations in Nevada, California, Arkansas, Ohio and Michigan and is dedicated to increasing shareholder value by focusing resources on improving operational efficiencies, facility expansions, state licensing opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Please visit www.bodyandmind.com for more information.

Instagram: @bodyandmindBaM

Twitter: @bodyandmindBaM

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating 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 should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such 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 be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or 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 contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release.

Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

SOURCE Body and Mind Inc.

Related Links

https://www.bodyandmind.com


Kate has launched several projects designed to inspire young people to take action for animals. When she was only 8 years old, she authored the book Let's Go On Safari! , which takes readers on a safari adventure and encourages children to speak up for animals who do not have a voice. She then founded Kids Can Save Animals to connect her generation with world-renowned conservation organizations, technologists, policy makers, and global leaders who work to save wildlife and wild spaces. She also launched Club 15 , a podcast so named because we lose one elephant from our planet every 15 minutes. Club 15 was created in partnership Microsoft, an extension of Microsoft's conservation initiative, Project 15. Each episode of Club 15 introduces young people to top scientists, technologists, and conservationists working to save animals from extinction. In June 2021, she released a song along with singer Jenn Hartmann Luck titled "Kids Can Save Animals," which features a catchy beat and inspirational lyrics that stress the role kids can play in safeguarding the natural world.

Says Angela Grimes, Born Free USA CEO, "We are very pleased to welcome Kate to the Born Free USA family as our first Youth Ambassador. Kate has worked hard to further the Born Free mission even before her appointment. She visited our primate sanctuary to interview Dr. Liz Tyson for Club 15, participated in our virtual event to support the sanctuary monkeys, and traveled to South Africa to go on a conservation safari, where she visited Shamwari, Born Free's big cat sanctuary. She also recently took part in the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where she discussed how innovative partnerships could be key to successful wildlife conservation efforts. With our new Youth Ambassador Program, Born Free USA hopes to forge precisely those kind of dynamic partnerships to bring our mission and message to the next generation of conservationists and animal welfare activists."

Kate says, "I was 7 years old when I went on safari in South Africa and learned about the threats facing wildlife. I knew I had to do something and got to work! I meet kids all the time who are as passionate about protecting animals as I am, but don't realize they have the power to take action and create change. That's why I founded Kids Can Save Animals and Club 15 and that's why I am so excited to be Born Free USA's first Youth Ambassador."

The Born Free USA Youth Ambassador Program will bring the Born Free vision and mission to younger generations, helping to advance wildlife protection into the future. Youth Ambassadors have the opportunity to speak out for wildlife to educate and empower other young people to become wildlife advocates.

Grimes continues, "We are facing a time of acute danger for the natural world  climate change, biodiversity loss, an extinction crisis that could lead to the disappearance of a million animal species in the coming decades, to name only a few challenges. Born Free USA's Youth Ambassador Program will amplify the voice of the generation whose future could be profoundly altered by the threats facing wildlife and natural habitats."

Kate continues, "Kids and teens are the ones who will have to live with the consequences of decisions made today. We can't sit back and wait  we have to do all we can now to protect the planet. We need to raise our voices and not let people make decisions that will negatively impact our future. I invite kids everywhere to join Born Free USA and learn how to save animals, protect the environment, and keep wildlife in the wild."

To learn more about Born Free USA's Youth Ambassador Program, please visit www.bornfreeusa.org/about-us/youth-ambassador/.

About Born Free USA

Born Free USA works to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs. We oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belongin the wild. Born Free USA's Primate Sanctuary is the largest in the United States and provides a permanent home for primates rehomed from laboratories or rescued from zoos and private ownership. We're social:

www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa, www.instagram.com/bornfreeusaorg.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Orange Orchard

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Born Free USA

Related Links

http://www.bornfreeusa.org


"Hartford is home to a growing number of world class information technology companies, and we're thrilled to welcome CGI to downtown Hartford," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "We're looking forward to having nearly two hundred employees based out of their new office over time, and businesses throughout the region will benefit from having another top IT company available to work with them."

"We are excited about our new location in downtown Hartford," said Scott Burghoff, Senior Vice-President of Consulting Services at CGI. "The location's proximity to our clients and innovative technology companies will provide more opportunities for direct collaboration."

CGI also announced it has established the CGI Diversity Scholarship at the University of Hartford available for students in the computer engineering, computer science, data analytics and data science programs of study. The scholarship reflects the company's vision to create opportunities for Hartford's next generation of technology professionals and is part of the company's commitment to enhance and increase diversity, equity and inclusion in academia and the technology workforce.

"The University of Hartford is proud to be a partner of the Hartford community and is committed to contributing to its success," said University EVP and COO Mark Boxer. "We are grateful for CGI's partnership as we prepare our diverse student body to meet the needs of the city's growing technology industry and innovation presence."

"This scholarship is another example of CGI's commitment to student success in the important and growing computing fields, to recruiting talented young technology professionals to learn, live, work and impact the Hartford community and to closing the equity gaps that keep talented students of color from entering these fields," said University of Hartford Provost Fred Sweitzer.

CGI's strong local presence deepens the connection with clients beyond the business relationship to the overall well-being of the shared communities. Through donations of time, resources and talent, CGI professionals often engage in volunteer, training and charitable activities involving education, youth, families, military veterans and people that are underrepresented in STEM fields, including women, minorities and the economically disadvantaged.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 78,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

SOURCE CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

www.cgi.com


Children from Around the Globe Implore World Leaders to Act More Like Children to Solve the World's Most Critical Issues of Climate Change, Education and Poverty

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 The first-ever international Children's General Assembly presented their ideas on creating a better future to the United Nation's General Assembly today, in a virtual meeting that took place between Billund, Denmark, the Capital of Children, and New York. The children's manifesto focused on climate change, education and poverty, and called on world leaders to invest more time and money in education rather than military, and invest more in green energy and technology than in monetary growth.

In their manifesto, the children point to serious issues facing their generation worldwide. "One billion children live in poverty and without access to basic necessities. 617 million children will never get a proper education. Children make up two thirds of the world's refugees. One in seven children experience mental health issues. And all children are affected by the consequences of climate change," said 15-year-old Mankgara Maime from South Africa, one of today's presenters.

The children argue for our leaders to look at the issues from a child's perspective: "We children are born creative and curious. We don't worry about rules. We play, experiment, and make up worlds that do not exist. So perhaps the leaders can learn from us and use creative and curious ways to ensure a better future for children all over the world?" added Mankgara.

The children's presentation to the UN can be seen here.

Earlier this year, children ages 10-17 from 49 different nationalities signed up to participate in the Children's General Assembly and 80 children were selected to represent countries around the globe. They spent many hours in intense, but fun, discussions and workshops online throughout the last six months aligning on world problems that matter most to them. The goal was to present to the UN as one united voice.

The children met in person in Billund, Denmark, September 19-21, 2021, concurrently with the United Nations General Assembly in New York. At 8:00 am EST today, they presented their final manifesto virtually to world leaders including former President of the UN General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft.

The manifesto was well received. "As adults, we often think about how to teach children democratic values and processes, but after listening to the children in Billund today, I think we can learn just as much from them as they can from us," said Mogens Lykketoft, former President of the UN General Assembly.

The children are just getting started. "We've called on the politicians to take action now and we will hold them accountable to their promises. Next year, when our Children's Assembly convenes, we will ask them, what have you accomplished?" said 13-year-old Anderson Wilkinson from Mt Dora, Florida, who also presented to the UN today.

For additional information, photos and video, please go to: capitalofchildren.com.

About Children's General Assembly:

The Children's General Assembly is developed in collaboration with the Capital of Children Panel, local organizations, and the organization Capital of Children. All children between 10-17 years old can attend the assembly regardless of gender, nationality, religion and disability. At the meeting, children of the world work together to create a manifesto to today's global problems, which they will subsequently deliver to the world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. The Children's General Assembly will take place in Billund, Denmark, between September 19-21, 2021.

About Capital of Children:

For almost a century, Billund has had a special focus on children and on the development of children's competencies. For a number of years, politicians, schools and nonprofit foundations have worked together with Billund's children to make Billund a city at child height. In 2020, Billund was recognized by UNICEF as Child-Friendly City and Municipality due to an extraordinary effort for children and children's rights. The ambition was - and is - to create the world's best place for children. And for the world.

SOURCE Capital of Children

Related Links

https://capitalofchildren.com/children-s-general-assembly/


DENVER, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Denver Police Officers Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emotional and financial support to active and retired Denver police officers, will host a luncheon for Denver business and community leaders to thank Denver police officers for their service today, and for maintaining the Department's mission and serving our community in the face of the extraordinary circumstances of last year. This event is open to the public.

What: Annual Denver Police Officers Foundation's Luncheon

Who: The Denver Police Officers Foundation

When: Wednesday, September 22, from 11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m

Where: Wellshire Event Center, 3333 South Colorado Blvd, Denver CO 80222

Why: Since its creation in 1998, the Denver Police Officers Foundation has devoted itself to supporting Denver police officers and immediate family members during difficult situations such as incidents of extensive injury while on duty, medical emergencies, long-term illness, and funeral expenses. With funding largely from donations and fundraising, the Denver Police Officers Foundation has helped more than 1,000 officers and their families since its inception. This event is a time to recognize Denver officers for their service and dedication during the trying times of the last year.

About the Denver Police Officers Foundation

The Denver Police Officers Foundation is a nonprofit organization that began in 1998 to provide support for families of Denver police officers injured or killed in the line of duty. By 2003, the foundation had begun to organize and extend its reach into other areas of public safety. To do this, the foundation divided into the Denver Police Foundation, whose mission sought to enhance and promote public safety, and the Denver Police Officers Foundation, which continued to embrace the original mission of providing support for officers and their families. For more information, visit https://denverpoliceofficersfoundation.com.

SOURCE Denver Police Officers Foundation
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New Valley Ventures, an investment vehicle managed by Douglas Elliman's parent company, Vector Group (NYSE: VGR), announced today a renter rewards program via strategic investment in Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program and co-brand credit card for renters. The investment comes as Douglas Elliman officially joins the Bilt Rewards Alliance, a network of more than 2 million rental units across the country where renters can enroll in the loyalty program to earn points on rent with no fees.

"We are proud to support and align ourselves with Bilt Rewards as its program fills a gap in the market to set renters up for financial success and encourage a path towards homeownership," says Scott Durkin, CEO of Douglas Elliman.

"New Valley Ventures is dedicated to investing in innovative tech-driven solutions for the greater real estate community," adds Dan Sachar, Managing Director of New Valley Ventures and Vice President of Enterprise Innovation for Vector Group.

The funding round, which also counts Mastercard, Wells Fargo and other leading real estate property owners including AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, GID, Lennar, The Moinian Group, Morgan Properties, Starwood Capital Group, and Related Group as investors, will propel Bilt Rewards to further expand its loyalty partner network, grow its organic distribution channels, and open the Bilt Rewards platform and Bilt Mastercard more widely to the public.

Launched this June by Kairos HQ, Bilt Rewards is the first-ever loyalty program and co-brand credit card for renters, enabling the country's 109 million renters to finally earn points on their largest monthly expense with no fees. By offering the Bilt Rewards program to tenants across Douglas Elliman's rental portfolio including new development projects, residents can now earn points with every on-time rent payment.

"Douglas Elliman is continuously looking for new ways to improve the renting experience and build long-lasting relationships with our residents," says Matthew Villetto, Executive Vice President of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, on the investment and partnership. "Bilt is unique in that it offers a true win-win platform for renters and property managers where everyone can benefit."

Additionally, Douglas Elliman residents will be among the first to receive an invitation for the Bilt Mastercard, the first credit card that allows users to pay their rent with no fee. With the card, Douglas Elliman residents can earn 1x points on every dollar of rent, 2x points on travel purchases, 3x points on dining, and 1x points on all other non-rent purchases, allowing them to maximize rewards potential, all with no annual fee.

Through Bilt, renters can redeem points for travel across over 100 major airlines and hotels, fitness classes at the country's top boutique studios, and can even use points towards rent credits or a future down payment on a home. When paying rent through the Bilt Rewards app, members can also have their rent payments reported to the credit bureaus at no cost, which can help build credit history for millions of young renters.

Bilt Rewards CEO and Founder Ankur Jain continues, "Our relationships with the country's top real estate owners, property technology investors, property managers, and brokerages, now including New Valley Ventures and Douglas Elliman, has helped us to develop the best value proposition for everyone involved in the renting equation. We are excited to work hand-in-hand in building a program that will transform the renting experience as we know it for millions of people across the country."

New Valley Ventures continues to invest in promising, next-generation technologies in order to propel the real estate industry into the future and further benefit the agent, renter and buyer experience. In doing so, New Valley Ventures utilizes its deep industry knowledge through Douglas Elliman to advise on meaningful digital development, tech solutions and financial software.

"We are excited to offer our residents access to this trailblazing program and to work with Bilt in growing this product," explains Hal D. Gavzie, Executive Manager of Leasing at Douglas Elliman. "This partnership underscores Douglas Elliman's commitment to fostering long-term relationships with our clientele, from renters to homeowners and landlords, in addition to generating creative solutions to ease the home seeking process."

For more information on Bilt Rewards, visit BiltRewards.com or download the Bilt Rewards app.

ABOUT VECTOR GROUP

Vector Group is a holding company for Liggett Group LLC, Vector Tobacco Inc., New Valley LLC and Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC. Additional information concerning the company is available on the Company's website, www.vectorgroupltd.com.

ABOUT DOUGLAS ELLIMAN

Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and one of the largest independent residential real estate brokerages in the United States. With approximately 7,000 agents, the company operates approximately 100 offices in New York City, Long Island, The Hamptons, Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 61 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, Douglas Elliman Property Management and Douglas Elliman Commercial. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit elliman.com.

ABOUT BILT REWARDS

Launched by Kairos HQ in June 2021, Bilt Rewards is the first-ever loyalty program that allows renters to earn points on rent with no fees and builds a path towards homeownership. Through a partnership with the nation's largest real estate owners including Avalon Bay Communities, Equity Residential, Related, Starwood Capital Group and more, Bilt Rewards enables renters in more than two million units across the country to earn points just by paying rent. Bilt Rewards boasts one of the highest value rewards programs on the market today, including one-to-one point transfers to 9 loyalty programs allowing travel across over 100 major airlines and hotel partners; fitness classes at the country's top boutique studios including SoulCycle, Rumble and Y7; limited-edition and exclusive collections of art and home decor through the Bilt Collection, and the ability to use Bilt points for rent credits or towards a future downpayment. Bilt has also partnered with Mastercard to create the Bilt Mastercard - the first and only credit card that can be used to pay rent with no fees. For more information, visit BiltRewards.com.

SOURCE Douglas Elliman

Related Links

http://www.elliman.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions,* a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), today announced the construction of the 207-megawatt (MW) Ledyard Windpower project in Kossuth County, Iowa. This will be the company's first renewable energy project in the state.

To support Verizon's net-zero goals, it has entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 180 MW of the wind energy generated by Ledyard Windpower.

"We're excited to enter into the Iowa market, a state that has valuable wind resources and is ranked second in wind energy generation," said Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. "Ledyard Windpower will not only add cleaner energy and economic value to Kossuth County, but it will also contribute to Duke Energy's goal of reaching 47,000 MW of renewable energy by 2050."

Once in operation, the Ledyard Windpower project will increase Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions' U.S. wind capacity to over 3,100 MW. The site will provide enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of more than 72,450 U.S. homes.

Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany wind project development, such as increased local spending in the service and construction industries, Ledyard Windpower, which is slated to be complete at the end of 2022, will create approximately 200 jobs during peak construction. Additionally, the 12,000 acre agriculture site, which will continue to be used by farmers, will have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing significant local tax revenues during assessment years of commercial operation to the county and local school districts, as well as meaningful payments to participating landowners.

Ledyard Windpower was co-developed by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions and Amshore Renewable Energy.

Full mobilization of construction for the project began in August 2021 by Wanzek Construction. Vestas will supply 46 Vestas V150 4.5-MW turbines for the project and Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions will perform the site's long-term maintenance and operations.

As one of the nation's top renewable energy providers, this year Duke Energy reached more than 10,000 MW of solar and wind energy, and the company has set a goal of reaching 16,000 MW of renewables by 2025 and 47,000 MW by 2050.

About Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK)  a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S.  headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower emissions, and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar, resilient backup power, and managed energy services to over 1,000 projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy. Visit Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions and follow on LinkedIn and YouTube for more information.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy grid for its customers and communities  with goals of at least a 50% carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable energy provider, on track to own or purchase 16,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2025. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com . The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook .

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes 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. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "will," "potential," "forecast," "target," "outlook," "guidance," and similar expressions. Various factors may cause actual results to be materially different than the suggested outcomes within forward-looking statements; accordingly, there is no assurance that such results will be realized. These risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Duke Energy's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available at the SEC's website at sec.gov . In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a different extent or at a different time than Duke Energy has described. Duke Energy expressly disclaims an obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

*Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy Corporation, which includes the following subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation that are registered to transact business in various states and may be branded as Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for marketing purposes: Duke Energy Commercial Enterprises, Inc.; Duke Energy One, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables Commercial, LLC; Duke Energy Renewable Services, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Solar, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Storage, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC; and REC Solar Commercial Corporation.

Contact: Jennifer Garber

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy

Related Links

www.duke-energy.com


In January 2021 Trussville Storage began its investigation of adding solar power to its facility on Gadsden Highway in Trussville. They partnered with Kathy Henderson of Eagle Solar & Light to design the proper system for this location. Several design sizes were considered and after consultation with the Jefferson County Development Services Building Division and Alabama Power a final design was developed and approved. Despite limited inventory of materials and a disrupted supply chain, installation proceeded on schedule. The system is now operational and undergoing a 30-day test period.

"Based on the project summary and analysis provided by Eagle Solar & Light, we expect to save $240,367 in energy costs over a 25-year period," say David Protiva and Mark Titshaw of Trussville Storage. "We expect to cover about 61% of our energy use with this installation and even can sell power back to Alabama Power at times."

Kathy Henderson with Eagle Solar & Light commented that "self-storage buildings are a great fit for solar because they have a consistent daily use of energy throughout the year. This allows them to maximize their savings and offset a good portion of their power demand with minimal cost. The owners and staff at Trussville Storage are ideal customers and we look forward to working with them for the life of the system and beyond."

Samuel Yates, CEO of Eagle Solar & Light added "commercial solar in Alabama not only generates exceptional financial returns, as we have utility rates well in excess of the national average, but is also the best step toward achieving corporate sustainability goals. Climate controlled self-storage facilities produce energy consumption profiles that fit daily and weekly solar energy generation parameters very well. The Trussville Storage solar installation represents the 2nd of 3 self-storage installations in progress in the Birmingham area for Eagle Solar & Light."

Trussville Storage manager, Kelly Epps, said, "The new owners have been working hard since November 2020 to make sure this facility remains the best self-storage facility in the area. Earlier this year, we completed our transition to all LED lighting and now with the solar power, the owners are showing again they want to be responsible corporate citizens."

About Trussville Storage

Trussville Storage is a self-storage facility located in Trussville, AL. The facility offers over 53,000 square feet of rentable storage space, both in climate-controlled units and in non climate-controlled units. The company is currently building an additional building which will offer over 13,000 additional square feet of climate-controlled storage space.

About Jefferson County

Jefferson County is County in U.S. state of Alabama. Its location includes the city of Birmingham and suburban areas. The population estimate was 658,000 in 2019.

Media: For more information, contact Kelly Epps of Trussville Storage at 205-655-8200 and [email protected].

Related Links

https://www.TrussvilleStorage.com

SOURCE Trussville Storage

Related Links

https://www.trussvillestorage.com


NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following Hurricane Ida making landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on Aug. 29, Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) announced today its utilities have restored power to approximately 932,000 customers, which is 98% of customers affected by the storm. Entergy is still making significant progress in the remaining hardest hit areas of southeast Louisiana. Crews have restored power to all affected Entergy customers in Mississippi.

In response to the extensive damage caused by the storm, Entergy deployed a workforce of approximately 27,000 workers from 41 states.

"We are grateful for the thousands of men and women who worked tirelessly to safely restore power for our customers," said Rod West, Entergy utility group president. "Hurricane Ida inflicted significant damage on Entergy's electric system that resulted in 948,000 outages at its peak. Our job is not yet complete and despite the extent of the damage, the teams have made significant progress. We anticipate that all remaining customers who can safely take power should be restored by Sept. 29."

Damage Assessment

Hurricane Ida's historic intensity brought a tremendous amount of damage to the Entergy distribution and transmission systems in southeast Louisiana. The storm's damage across Entergy's system included:

more than 30,500 distribution poles,

nearly 6,000 transformers,

nearly 36,500 spans of distribution wire,

approximately 500 transmission structures damaged or destroyed,

more than 225 substations, and

more than 210 transmission lines.

Over the past five years, Entergy's operating companies have invested $9.5 billion in transmission and distribution assets that met or exceeded then-current resiliency standards. Ida demonstrated the resiliency benefits of these investments. Along a transmission path originating in Port Fourchon, where Ida made landfall, only three out of the 387 newer, more resilient structures were destroyed. In contrast, a seven-mile transmission line with pre-1997 design structures along this same path was taken down by Ida, with more than half of the line's structures destroyed.

Hurricane Ida presented a severe wind-loading event that caused significant damage to the distribution system. With strong Category 4 strength winds upon landfall and sustained hurricane strength winds through New Orleans and beyond, Ida caused substantially more distribution pole damage than previous storms. On key lines in coastal areas, poles are being replaced with more resilient Class 1 grade distribution poles that can be configured to withstand winds of more than 130 miles per hour, which exceeds current requirements. To meet the intensity of future weather events, Entergy recognizes the need for accelerated system hardening, as well as continuing to advance its preventive maintenance programs including vegetation management and pole inspections.

As part of the recovery efforts, Entergy has worked to provide support for its communities while they recover from Ida. The company deployed 165 commercial scale generators to power critical community infrastructure such as medical facilities, gas stations, grocery stores, municipal water systems and community cooling centers in advance of their power being restored. Further, Entergy's shareholders committed $1.25 million in financial support to help affected communities rebuild and recover from the storm.

For additional information on Entergy's restoration efforts following Hurricane Ida, visit entergy.com/hurricaneida.

Financial Implications

Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of the electrical facilities damaged by Hurricane Ida are estimated to be in the range of $2.1 billion to $2.6 billion. Most of the storm costs were incurred by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans. The preliminary estimate for Entergy Louisiana is $2.0 billion to $2.4 billion, and the preliminary estimate for Entergy New Orleans is $120 million to $150 million.

Entergy also expects utility revenues in 2021 to be adversely affected, primarily due to power outages resulting from the hurricane. The company's initial estimate of lost non-fuel revenue is approximately $75 million to $85 million, with most of this impact occurring in Entergy Louisiana's and Entergy New Orleans's service areas, $65 million to $70 million and $10 million to $15 million, respectively. The financial impact of the lost revenue is expected to be partly offset by lower operation and maintenance expenses.

The company affirms its 2021 adjusted earnings per share guidance range of $5.80 to $6.10 and its 2022 and 2023 adjusted earnings per share outlooks of $6.15 to $6.45 and $6.55 to $6.85, respectively.

Entergy believes its liquidity is sufficient to meet its current obligations. As of Aug. 31, 2021, Entergy's liquidity of $4.2 billion consists of cash and cash equivalents ($1.0 billion), available revolver capacity ($4.1 billion), and storm escrows ($72 million), less commercial paper outstanding ($1.0 billion). The company plans to seek expedited recovery of its Hurricane Ida storm expenses using securitization financings. Assuming Entergy receives the proceeds from these securitization financings in 2022, the company expects to achieve key S&P Global Ratings' and Moody's Investors Services' credit metrics by the end of 2022 sufficient to maintain current credit ratings.

The company has a long history of working collaboratively with its regulators to recover storm costs. Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans are considering all available avenues to recover storm-related costs from Hurricane Ida in a manner that will minimize the effects on customers, including federal government assistance and securitization financing. There are well-established mechanisms for recovery of prudently incurred storm costs in accordance with applicable regulatory and legal principles. Further, Entergy has been coordinating with Governor Edwards and the Louisiana congressional delegation to seek Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funds and other funding options from the federal government. President Biden, who has been a vocal advocate of support for the recovery of the Gulf region, recently sent a $24 billion request to Congress for supplemental disaster appropriations, which includes $10 billion for Ida impacts nationwide. If approved, a portion of these funds could be allocated to Entergy to, in turn, reduce the customer burden dollar-for-dollar.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this news release, and from time to time, Entergy Corporation makes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding Entergy's 2021 earnings guidance; its current financial and operational outlooks; expectations around restoration timing, costs and recovery; and other statements of Entergy's plans, beliefs, or expectations included in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements, including (a) those factors discussed in this release and in Entergy's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Entergy's other reports and filings made under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (b) uncertainties associated with rate proceedings, formula rate plans and other cost recovery mechanisms, including the risk that costs may not be recoverable to the extent or on the timeline anticipated by the utilities; (c) uncertainties associated with efforts to remediate the effects of major storms and recover related restoration costs; (d) legislative and regulatory actions and risks and uncertainties associated with claims or litigation by or against Entergy and its subsidiaries; (e) effects of changes in federal, state or local laws and regulations and other governmental actions or policies, including changes in monetary, fiscal, tax, environmental or energy policies; (f) the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Entergy and its customers; and (g) the effect of technological change, including the cost, pace of development and commercialization of new and emerging technologies.

About Entergy Corporation

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.

SOURCE Entergy Corporation

Related Links

http://www.entergy.com


HOUSTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) will host a conference call and webcast to discuss third quarter 2021 results on Friday, November 5, 2021, at 9 a.m. Central time (10 a.m. Eastern time). Please visit the Investors/Events & Presentations page on the EOG website to access a live webcast of the conference call. If you are unable to listen to the live webcast, a replay will be available for one year.

If you have any questions, please contact Angie Lewis at 713-651-6722.

About EOG

EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE: EOG) is one of the largest crude oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States and Trinidad. To learn more visit www.eogresources.com .

Investor Contacts

David Streit 713-571-4902

Neel Panchal 713-571-4884

Media and Investor Contact

Kimberly Ehmer 713-571-4676

SOURCE EOG Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.eogresources.com


BALTIMORE, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Facet Wealth , one of the fastest-growing fintech firms in the U.S. providing clients with services tailored to meet individual needs and improve overall quality of life through a no-minimum, flat-fee model, today announced that it has named Shruti Joshi as its Chief Operating Officer. Joshi, a proven Fortune 15 executive with a track record of driving efficient, rapid growth across multiple B2C and B2B businesses, will leverage her experience to guide Facet Wealth through its next phase of growth, as it continues on its mission to empower people to live more enriched lives by delivering a new standard of financial advice.

Shruti Joshi, Facet Wealth Chief Operating Officer

In her new role as COO, Joshi will be responsible for continuing Facet Wealth's growth by overseeing its overall go-to market strategy, defining and leading its unique end-to-end client experience, and helping to define new revenue stream opportunities for the company.

"Most people have questions about their finances and have not had access to the kind of financial advice they need," said Shruti Joshi, COO of Facet Wealth. "We provide an essential service that removes the stress of money from a person's life, and gives people the power of understanding all their choices and knowing they are making the right decisions across their entire financial life. I am so proud to be a part of the Facet Wealth team and to bring our mission to life."

Joshi comes to Facet Wealth with years of experience working with well renowned businesses such as Verizon, where she was responsible for customer acquisition, bringing the FiOS service to market, and achieving desired acquisition and efficiency targets. Prior, she held the role of Equity Partner / Director at Altman Vilandrie & Company, now Altman Solon, the world's largest global strategy consulting firm focused on telecommunications, media, and technology. There, she advised the world's largest recurring revenue businesses on the generation of efficient growth through the use of advanced analytics, strategy, and digital media.

"From day one we have sought to deliver a world-class financial planning experience to the people that the traditional firms ignore, and Shruti has a proven track record of accelerating growth and architecting best-in-class client experiences," said Anders Jones, Facet Wealth co-founder and CEO. "We are excited to bring Shruti aboard to build upon the infrastructure and growth she has already driven."

Additionally, Joshi is a former consumer tech founder who launched Compell'd, a peer-to-peer recommendation sharing business. She is skilled at driving development, having consulted businesses across varying industries on strategy building and driving rapid, efficient growth. This includes Facet Wealth, where she was an early investor and advisor.

Previously in her career, Joshi, who holds an MBA from the Columbia Business School, sat on the Board of Directors for Syntactx, now part of NAMSA, a pioneer in the medical device testing industry and is currently on the Advisory Board for TVision Insights, a leader in television performance metrics.

Facet Wealth also announced today the new hire of long-time Joshi associate, Liz Shader, as its Director of Growth Marketing. Shader most recently served as Director of Product Management for a peer-to-peer recommendation platform. Prior to that, she used her deep background in analytics and product marketing to lead teams at major companies across the insurance and consulting industries.

ABOUT FACET WEALTH:

Facet Wealth is the only company providing comprehensive financial planning services to Americans who want to improve their quality of life, using a no-minimum, flat-fee model based on clients' needs, regardless of their net worth. Since entering the market in 2016, Facet Wealths focus is on developing long-term, fiduciary relationships between clients and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals 1:1, so individuals have continuous access to financial guidance throughout their lifetime as new challenges or planning needs arise. With 75 percent of its clients never having worked with an advisor before, Facet Wealth proves that its versatile model is able to deliver. In recognition of their innovative approach and high-quality experience, Facet Wealth was named NerdWallet's "Best Online Financial Planning Service" in 2020.

Facet Wealth is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). Their fair price, membership-based model delivers a premium, high-touch experience to all clients, regardless of net worth or assets under management (AUM). To date, Facet Wealth has raised $79 million in funding from Warburg Pincus, Slow Ventures, and others. Facet Wealth also provides a Financial Wellness offering for employers seeking to empower their employees with affordable, comprehensive financial guidance.

Facet Wealth is headquartered in Baltimore, Mayland with CFPs located across the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.facetwealth.com or find them on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Facet Wealth

Related Links

http://www.facetwealth.com


On the new www.fanniemay.com , consumers can build custom "Create Your Own" premium gift boxes and hand select from an assortment of chocolates to share directly with loved ones. Customers can also enjoy delicious seasonal creations, including the Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Spice Pixies, which feature the perfect combination of gourmet buttery caramel infused with pumpkin pie spice and roasted pecans that are covered in Fannie May's classic milk chocolate. The new Direct-to-Consumer website is available in the contiguous 48 states.

"For over 100 years, Fannie May Premium Chocolate has been delighting the Midwest with premium chocolate made with care and craftmanship," said Jennifer Peterson, Brand Director at Fannie May. "As the fastest growing premium chocolate brand, we are thrilled to share our American-inspired flavor profiles with the nation at large and look forward to anchoring celebrations and new traditions in generations to come."

Since acquiring Fannie May in 2017, Ferrero continues to make investments and recently renovated storefronts to reflect the American chocolate shops of the 1920s. In addition, the brand introduced new, vibrant packaging across its collection to celebrate the next century of masterfully crafted chocolate.

Fannie May favorites include Fannie May Trinidads, Carmarsh, Vanilla Buttercreams, Mint Meltaways, Caramel Pecan Pixies, Peanut Butter Buckeyes, S'mores Snack Mix, Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzels and an assortment of chocolate bars. Each chocolate product is sourced from the finest ingredients to deliver a taste experience that is second to none.

Visit www.fanniemay.com for more information. Follow Fannie May on Twitter (@fmchocolate), Instagram (@fanniemaychocolates) and Facebook (@FannieMayChocolates) for more updates on your favorite confectionery brand.

ABOUT FANNIE MAY

Founded by H. Teller Archibald in 1920, Fannie May has grown from a single retail store on Chicago's North LaSalle Street to become a maker of gourmet chocolates and other delicious confections enjoyed by millions. A century later, Fannie May Premium Chocolate remains committed to uniqueness of their recipes and the quality of their chocolates. Today, Fannie May Confections Brands, Inc. is a multi-faceted business comprised of Direct-to-Consumer retail stores and website, successful wholesale and fundraising business as well as an active business gift division. In March 2017, Fannie May proudly joined the Ferrero Group. To learn more about Fannie May, please visit FannieMay.com.

ABOUT FERRERO

For over 70 years, Ferrero has created products loved by generations. We've grown from a bakery in Alba, Italy into the third largest confectionery company in the world. Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and continues to spread joy with Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Fannie May chocolates. Ferrero Group expanded its portfolio in 2018 with the addition of Butterfinger, CRUNCH, Baby Ruth, 100Grand and other legendary chocolate brands.

We're proud to be a family-owned company with 3,000 employees in eight offices and ten plants and warehouses in North America, including a cocoa processing plant in Brantford, Ontario and a planned chocolate processing factory in Bloomington, Illinois. Instilled in every aspect of our business is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, and their passion for quality, creativity, and innovation. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and @FerreroNACorp on Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com.

Contact:

Kelsey McGeough

508-259-5656

[email protected]

SOURCE Ferrero North America
Mike Freeman , chief brand officer, McAlister's Deli

, chief brand officer, McAlister's Deli Danielle Porto Parra , senior vice president of marketing, Restaurant Category

, senior vice president of marketing, Restaurant Category Nicolle DuBose , vice president of marketing, Schlotzsky's

, vice president of marketing, Schlotzsky's Karyn Sarago , senior vice president of marketing, Specialty Category

"As a leading QSR company, we are focused on the growth and career development of our associates," said Jim Holthouser, CEO of Focus Brands. "We are fortunate to have tremendous talent driving brand relevance and best-in-class brand management, and we are always thrilled to see these strong and influential leaders continue to grow and lead our brands and categories with creative marketing strategies and unmatched brand management and culinary innovation."

Mike Freeman has been named chief brand officer of McAlister's Deli. He has been working with the brand for 13 years and most recently served as vice president of operations. Mike started as an assistant general manager at the McAlister's Deli in Bossier City, La. He has worked in various operations and training leadership roles. Mike has 25 years of experience in the food service industry ensuring dynamic brand development and consistent growth. He is known for advancing his team members and leveraging company restaurants to create strong community relationships. He has also held leadership positions in casual and fine dining concepts. Mike studied at Penn State University and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

The company also made two significant moves to bolster strategic marketing at both the restaurant and specialty categories. Karyn Sarago has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing for the Specialty Category and Danielle Porto Parra will be her counterpart as senior vice president of marketing for the Restaurant Category. For more than three years, Karyn served as vice president of marketing for Cinnabon and has more than 18 years of experience in the food and hotel space. Danielle recently served as vice president of marketing for McAlister's Deli and brings 20 years of experience as a chief marketing and digital officer in the retail and hospitality industries. Together, Karyn and Danielle will work with key leaders within the organization to enhance digital engagement, strategic initiatives, creative development and services across the Focus Brands categories and portfolio of brands.

Nicolle DuBose has been appointed to vice president of marketing for Schlotzsky's. She has built her career at Focus Brands for the past 12 years starting with Moe's Southwest Grill followed by the International Division predominantly supporting Cinnabon International. Most recently, she was the vice president of marketing for Carvel. She brings strong business acumen of the company's iconic brands and global business while also creating breakthrough marketing strategies and brand relevancy.

About Focus Brands

Atlanta-based Focus Brands is a leading developer of global multi-channel foodservice brands. Focus Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and over 50 foreign countries under the brand names Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, and Schlotzsky's, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.

Contact:

Angie Champsaur

Director of Corporate Communications, Focus Brands

[email protected]

SOURCE Focus Brands

Related Links

http://www.focusbrands.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkeley Research Group (BRG) announced today that Tom O'Neil has joined the firm as a Washington, DC-based managing director in its Health Analytics practice. He is a highly respected adviser and corporate director with broad private- and public-sector experience, including leadership roles in the boardrooms and C-suites of companies in the consumer, financial services and healthcare sectors. As a governance, compliance and risk management thought leader, he collaborates with financial sponsors, corporate boards and leadership teams to drive ethical and sustainable growth through disruptive innovation and fulfillment of stakeholder expectations.

"Over the past decade, I've had the pleasure of working with BRG professionals in a number of complex governance, compliance and regulatory enforcement matters," said O'Neil. "The firm provides a unique and powerful platform for advising clients on how best to navigate successfully those challenging situations, which often present enterprise reputational risks. BRG's extraordinary breadth of expertise, highly collaborative culture and deep commitment to superior client service made this a tremendous opportunity at this stage of my career. I'm excited to work with such a deep bench of world-class experts."

During a distinguished career spanning several decades, O'Neil has developed an exceptional record of accelerating cultural transformation and restoring trust with regulators, enforcement officials and investors. He has chaired the audit and risk oversight; ethics and compliance; and nominating and governance committees of corporate and mutual fund boards. In his most recent corporate role, he was the global chief compliance officer of Cigna Corporation, a leading health service company with over 70,000 employees and approximately $160 billion in top-line revenue. He has held a number of other positions in public companies, including executive vice chairman, general counsel and secretary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. and senior vice president and general counsel of the MCI Group. O'Neil also has been a partner at two global law firms: DLA Piper LLP (US) and Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells US LLP). During his tenure at DLA Piper, he was a joint global practice group leader and chaired the US Government Affairs practice group.

"We are delighted to have Tom join us," said BRG Principal Executive Officer and President Tri MacDonald. "Tom thrives in high-growth, turnaround, restructuring and crisis settings and is well positioned to advise clients navigating uncertain environments."

O'Neil was the founder and president of The Saranac Group LLC, a strategic consulting firm that provides healthcare governance and compliance advice to boards of directors, senior management teams and private equity firms, which is now affiliated with BRG. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant US Attorney in the District of Maryland, a law clerk to US District Judge Alexander Harvey II and a legislative assistant to former Congressman Stewart B. McKinney. He received his AB (magna cum laude) from Dartmouth College and his JD from Georgetown University.

As an adjunct professor of law, O'Neil has taught corporate governance at Georgetown University. He is a former member of the school's Board of Regents, the Board of Visitors of the Georgetown University Law Center and the Board of Trustees of the Walters Art Museum. He also served as co-chair of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown Corporate Counsel Institute.

About BRG

Berkeley Research Group, LLC (BRG) is a global consulting firm that helps leading organizations advance in three key areas: disputes and investigations, corporate finance, and performance improvement and advisory. Headquartered in California with offices around the world, we are an integrated group of experts, industry leaders, academics, data scientists and professionals working across borders and disciplines. We harness our collective expertise to deliver the inspired insights and practical strategies our clients need to stay ahead of what's next. Visit thinkbrg.com to learn more.

SOURCE Berkeley Research Group, LLC

Related Links

https://www.thinkbrg.com


Effective January 1, 2022, Patel will assume the role of sole CEO of VMFH and will continue to position VMFH as an innovative national leader in quality, safety and patient satisfaction and advance the health system's significant momentum for achieving growth and excellence.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Virginia Mason and our Puget Sound communities, and I'm deeply proud of the strong progress we have made in our first year as the new VMFH health system, including the systemwide launch of the Virginia Mason Production System," said Kaplan. "As we enter this new chapter, I'm confident that Ketul is the person best equipped to lead VMFH through the next years of growth and evolution."

"Gary has made a legendary impact on health care not only in our region, but across the country," said Patel, who also serves as the Pacific Northwest Division President for CommonSpirit Health. "We are deeply grateful for his leadership and his commitment to infusing the constant pursuit of quality and safety improvement into the fabric of who we are as VMFH."

In 2022, for one year, Kaplan will serve as a special adviser to Patel and a Senior Vice President at CommonSpirit Health focused on quality, safety and patient experience. Transitioning from the CEO role will create space for time with family after decades of contribution to the health care industry and will allow Kaplan to promote quality, safety and patient experience across CommonSpirit Health. He will continue to stay involved with the Virginia Mason Institute and to lead trips to Japan to train health care leaders in the Toyota Production System methods.

"CommonSpirit Health will benefit from Gary's extensive expertise, particularly in quality, safety and patient experience and reducing waste to improve costs of care," said Marvin O'Quinn, President and Chief Operating Officer at CommonSpirit Health. "We're proud of the progress underway at VMFH and look forward to the opportunity to continue to build on the success of Virginia Mason's proven quality management framework. Together, we can continue to raise the bar for high-quality care across our 21-state national network of mission-driven health care providers."

Kaplan and Patel have served as CEOs of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) since the health system was formed through the combination of Virginia Mason Health System and CHI Franciscan Health in January 2021. The partnership created an expansive health care network including 11 hospitals, 200 clinics, 5,000 physicians and providers and 18,000 team members. Embracing the Virginia Mason Production System quality principles and continuous improvement framework throughout VMFH has been a key accomplishment of the system's first nine months, and VMPS training is already underway across the organization with plans to fully train more than 600 leaders. Armed with VMPS principles, teams are already at work to improve clinical quality results, elevate the patient experience and reduce costs to deliver more affordable care to patients.

"Throughout our first year as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the system has benefited from the joint leadership of Ketul and Gary," said Dr. Uli Chi, VMFH Board Chair. "Their collaboration at the helm of our system has facilitated a smooth transition and empowered us all to learn from one another, share best practices, define our new culture together and advance our shared goal of providing exceptional service to our patients and communities."

Prior to the creation of VMFH, Kaplan served as CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) for 21 years. Under his leadership, VMMC was the inaugural recipient of the Leapfrog Hospital of the Decade Award in 2010, 10 years after the U.S. Institute of Medicine called for health care quality reform in its seminal report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. The system has also received many awards including America's 50 Best Hospitals Award from Healthgrades and the Top Hospitals in the United States from Leapfrog Group.

Kaplan's influence on the health care industry has extended beyond VMMC and VMFH in his capacity as a national and international thought leader including chairing the board of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the National Patient Safety Foundation, the IHI Lucian Leape Institute and the Medical Group Management Association. He has also chaired the Greater Metropolitan Seattle Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, Kaplan was elected to the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. He has served in numerous leadership and governance roles regionally in the Pacific Northwest. He was the recipient of the John Eisenberg Patient Safety Award and was honored with the inaugural Steven Schroeder Award for Outstanding Healthcare CEO in 2018 in recognition of his courageous and ethical leadership in addressing health care affordability and quality. Kaplan has been recognized numerous times in the top 100 leaders in health care and 15 times as one of Modern Healthcare's Most Influential Clinical Executives (most recently in 2020). Through the Virginia Mason Institute (VMI), the improvement model developed at Virginia Mason has successfully been shared with hundreds of health care organizations and leaders in the U.S. and internationally to foster innovation and excellence.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region of Washington state, offering access to some of the country's most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally known for superior quality. With a team of 18,000 team members, including nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers, we unite the brightest health care minds in the region to provide world-class clinical excellence at 11 hospitals and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area. We are proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research. We embrace our community's uniquely vibrant, active culture by providing holistic, personalized and patient-centered care. We are committed to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, including the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit  free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health was formed in 2021 by bringing together two leading health systems in Washington state. Our family of hospitals includes Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale and Bremerton; St. Anne Hospital, Burien; Rehabilitation Hospital, Tacoma; and Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital, Tacoma. Learn more at www.vmfh.org .

SOURCE Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Related Links

www.chifranciscan.org


Company Appoints Chief Medical Officer

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GenXys Health Care Systems (GenXys), the award-winning precision prescribing company, today announced a partnership with Helix, a leading population genomics company working at the intersection of clinical care, research, and genomics. Together, the companies will be working to ensure that "trial-and-error" prescribing becomes a thing of the past, by enabling providers to incorporate actionable personalized medicine across the healthcare continuum.

GenXys will provide Helix with a clinical decision support solution for their population health pharmacogenetics offering. GenXys will act as an interpretation engine for genetic results through its seamless integration into Helix's Clinical Platform. "We are excited to engage in this partnership with GenXys which will help make population genomics even more actionable for clinicians and health systems everywhere," says James Lu, CEO of Helix.

The interoperability of the GenXys platform will allow for a straightforward incorporation into Helix's health system partners' Electronic Health Record systems including EPIC and Cerner. Together, GenXys and Helix will offer a multi-factorial population health-focused pharmacogenetics solutions combining sophisticated genetic information with tangible, applicable results for health providers at the point of care.

"This partnership will benefit Helix customers as they leverage Helix's Sequence Once, Query Often model; the pharmacogenomics (PGx) query will have the ability to provide actionable insights every time a prescription is required throughout their patients' lives," says Karl Pringle, CEO of GenXys. "This relationship comes at an ideal time as we've appointed Dr. Bernard Esquivel as our Chief Medical Officer (CMO). His sophisticated knowledge base and understanding of clinical systems will support the advancement of our partnership with Helix and generate an incredible opportunity for our organization to make a lasting impact in the precision prescribing space as we realize our mission of increasing patient safety, improving population health, and reducing the cost of healthcare." Dr. Esquivel is a practicing physician-scientist, senior executive, and international leader with in-depth expertise developing new markets.

"This is an incredible time to join a cutting-edge organization like GenXys," says Dr. Esquivel. "As the company's new CMO, I'll bring my energy and expertise to working with all of our partners to advance precision health. We will work towards enabling real usability and utility of pharmacogenomics, which is urgently needed. The interoperability of GenXys's system bridges the connection between the promise and practicality of PGx."

Dr. Esquivel was most recently the CMO at OneOme and is skilled in devising compelling value propositions, go-to-market strategies, and launching programs to fulfill organizational goals and objectives in the healthcare space. Notably, he mobilized a local healthcare community to engage in the practice of precision medicine by founding and presiding over the Latin American Association of Personalized Medicine (ALAMP). This organization now includes more than 500 members from nine countries in Latin America.

About GenXys Health Care Systems

GenXys, with global headquarters in Vancouver, Canada, provides the world's most comprehensive precision prescribing solutions with embedded pharmacogenetics to solve one of healthcare's biggest challenges; inappropriate ("trial-and-error") prescribing. Their clinical decision support software suite is in use by major insurance providers, health systems and pharmacies across North America. Ongoing global clinical studies are paving the way into geographical markets to enable GenXys to realize its vision of powering every prescription with their software to increase patient safety, improve population health and reduce healthcare costs. genxys.com

SOURCE GenXys Health Care Systems
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global geosynthetics market size reached USD 9.44 Billion in 2020 and is expected to register a significantly robust revenue CAGR during the forecast period, according to latest analysis by Emergen Research.

Drivers:

Continual construction and expansion of road and railway networks in various countries across the globe, rapid urbanization in developing countries, as well as increasing usage of geosynthetics in such projects are key factors expected to continue to drive market revenue growth over the forecast period. Geosynthetics are widely utilized for filtration in road construction work in developed countries. Geosynthetics are currently also being used more extensively for erosion control, roadside draining, and soil stability beneath retaining walls. Sustained developments in both buildings and non-building construction activities and projects is also expected to continue to boost demand for geosynthetics in non-transportation construction activities since these can lower the cost of maintenance and extend the lifespan of facilities.

Restraints:

Cost and availability of raw materials are crucial factors that influence the price of geosynthetic products. Majority of geosynthetic raw materials including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC are vulnerable to crude oil price volatility. Cost of raw materials used in the production of geosynthetics is directly affected by the price of crude oil, which is expected to hamper market growth to some extent over the forecast period.

Click Here to Access Free sample PDF Copy of the [email protected] https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-sample/820

Growth Projections:

The global geosynthetics market revenue is expected to register a CAGR of 5.8% and market size to increase from USD 9.44 Billion in 2020 to USD 14.57 Billion in 2028. Robust market revenue growth is attributable to increased infrastructure investments and societal concerns about waste management enhancements and deployment of more effective materials and solutions. Increasing global population and rapid urbanization are also key factors expected to propel market growth further over the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis:

The global construction sector has been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with projects getting halted owing to lockdowns, resulting in a lack of workforce, limited availability of raw materials, supply disruptions, and temporary closures of construction projects. Businesses have reported a decline in demand for newer workspaces, stores, and other facilities, resulting in a revenue reduction. The construction industry in the United States was significantly affected by a shortage of raw materials, since imports from other countries, including China, were limited as a result of the pandemic.

Current Trends and Innovations:

As mining firms continue to realize the economical and technological benefits of using geosynthetics, usage of geosynthetics in mining operations continues to rise as more contractors shift to deploying this solution in various countries each year. Highly efficient barriers, space-saving, and stronger access roads have been made possible by deploying geosynthetics solutions. Increasing usage of geosynthetics in mining operations is expected to continue to boost market growth in the near future.

Make Payment [Buy your Exclusive copy]@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/select-license/820

Geographical Outlook:

Europe is expected to register steady revenue growth over the forecast period as a result of rising awareness about environmentally friendly construction. Infrastructural development in Europe is expected to be boosted by rising demand for more affordable homes, increasing housing projects, and need for expansion into urban areas. The need for infrastructure improvements has increased as environmental considerations and awareness of increasing carbon emissions have grown significantly in the recent past. Governments in various countries have taken steps to support green construction, which is expected to boost revenue growth of the market in Europe.

Strategic Initiatives:

Some major companies operating in the market include Berry Global, Inc., Agru America, Inc., Solmax International Inc., Officine Maccaferri SpA, NAUE GmbH & Co. KG, Contech Engineered Solutions LLC, Low & Bonar plc, Propex Operating Company LLC, Tensar International Corporation, and HUESKER Group

In April 2021 , Solmax International Inc. announced the expansion of its state-of-the-art production capabilities at its geosynthetics factory in Rechlin, Germany , to manufacture Interlock polyethylene, PolyLock, as well as extruded LL/HDPE concrete embedment strips that enable engineers and technicians to safely and reliably place and attach Solmax geomembranes to wet concrete.

Have a look at Report Description and Table of Contents of Market [email protected] https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/geosynthetics-market

Emergen Research has segmented the global geosynthetics on the basis of type, material, functions, application, and region:

Type Outlook (Volume Million Square Meter, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Geogrids



Geotextiles



Geonets



Geomembranes



Geofoam



Others

Material Outlook (Volume Million Square Meter, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Polyethylene



Polypropylene



Polyester



PVC



Others

Function Outlook (Volume Million Square Meter, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Separation



Filtration



Drainage



Reinforcement



Protection (Cushion)



Barrier/Containment



Erosion Control

Application Outlook (Volume Million Square Meter, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Water Management



Waste Management



Civil Construction



Transportation Infrastructure



Others

Avail Limited Time Discount on Geosynthetics Market [email protected] https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-discount/820

Regional Outlook (Volume Million Square Meter, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

North America

a. U.S.

b. Canada

c. Mexico

a. U.S. b. c.

Europe

a. Germany

b. France

c. U.K.

d. Italy

e. Spain

f. BENELUX

g. Rest of Europe

a. b. c. U.K. d. e. f. BENELUX g. Rest of

Asia Pacific

a. China

b. India

c. Japan

d. South Korea

e. Rest of APAC

a. b. c. d. e. Rest of APAC

Latin America

a. Brazil

b. Rest of LATAM

a. b. Rest of LATAM

Middle East & Africa

a. Saudi Arabia

b. UAE

c. South Africa

d. Turkey

e. Rest of MEA

Explore Similar Reports offered by Emergen Research:

The global insulating glass window market size reached USD 12.65 Billion in 2020 and is expected to register a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period. Market revenue growth is primarily driven by major initiatives and activities in the construction industry in developing countries.

The global Arms & Ammunition Market size was valued at USD 24.30 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to reach USD 35.63 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 4.8%.

The global Ammunition Market size was valued at USD 19.65 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to reach USD 28.81 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 4.8%.

The global Light Weapons Market size was valued at USD 11.86 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to reach USD 17.39 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 4.8%.

The global small arms market size is expected to reach USD 10.32 Billion in 2028 and register a CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period. Increase in terrorist activities and cross-border security threats and gun violence, as well as burglaries and house break-in incidences are some key factors market revenue growth.

The Global Industrial Control Systems Security Market size was valued at USD 15.24 Billion in 2019 and is anticipated to reach USD 25.12 Billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 6.9%. The industrial control systems security market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period due to the growing use of IoT and industrial automation technologies

About Emergen Research

Emergen Research is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Types, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Emergen Research has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors.

Contact Us:

Eric Lee

Corporate Sales Specialist

Emergen Research | Web: www.emergenresearch.com

Direct Line: +1 (604) 757-9756

E-mail: [email protected]

Explore Our Custom Intelligence services | Growth Consulting Services

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs

Read Full Press [email protected] https://www.emergenresearch.com/press-release/global-geosynthetics-market

SOURCE Emergen Research
ATLANTA, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gimme, whose technology helps food service and grocery store delivery operators automate merchandising, today announced its Co-Founders Cory Hewett & Evan Jarecki have been named winners in Automatic Merchandiser's Inaugural 40 Under 40 award.

This year, Automatic Merchandiser magazine, along with its sister brand, VendingMarketWatch.com, launched its inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards program, which recognizes young professionals who are making a difference in the convenience services industry. Both Hewett & Jarecki received this new and notable honor.

"The team at Automatic Merchandiser is proud to present this year's and first-ever 40 Under 40 honorees," said editor Nick Montano. "These individuals have shown a commitment to their companies, their customers and the industry at large. All of the nominees were in fact outstanding, so we look forward to continuing this esteemed recognition program next year."

"We have big shoes to fill as the influence of our generation grows, and it's needed now more than ever with the pace the world is changing," said Cory Hewett, CEO and Co-Founder of Gimme. "We are honored to be recognized by the industry we greatly respect and service every day. We will continue to do our best to deliver revolutionary technology and innovation to the vending, micro market and office coffee service industries in the future."

To be eligible for this award, candidates had to be 39 years old or younger as of June 30, 2021, and working in the vending, micro market, or office coffee service fields. Nominations were accepted from all industry segments, including operators, product and equipment distributors, brokers, machine manufacturers, technology and payment system providers, and CPG companies, among others.

More than 100 nominations for the first annual 40 Under 40 Awards were submitted. A selection panel consisting of Automatic Merchandiser's editorial and executive team studied the nominees and met to select the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021.

About Gimme

Gimme builds advanced hardware and software to help food service and grocery delivery operators automate merchandising. The company's technology provides management for operators of grocery, convenience, vending machines, micro markets, and office coffee, helping them deliver amazing customer experiences. Gimme's use of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning technologies impacts not only its own products and services, but also how the unattended retail industry operates. The technology provides machine status data to help operators focus on cash accountability and inventory tracking to reduce stockouts, accelerate warehousing and restocking, and streamline product planning. The company's hardware product, the Gimme Key, is now the #1 wireless DEX adapter for direct store delivery, using Bluetooth Low Energy technology and replacing previous outdated legacy handhelds. For more information, visit http://www.vending.ai or connect with Gimme on Twitter .

About Automatic Merchandiser

Automatic Merchandiser, a 50-year-old trade publication, and VendingMarketWatch.com are B2B media brands owned by Endeavor Business Media LLC. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, EBM was formed in late 2017 to acquire and operate trade publications, websites, events, and marketing solutions. The company targets U.S. B2B audiences in the accounting, aviation, dental, facilities maintenance and fire and public safety; along with design engineering, buildings and construction, energy, manufacturing, industrial and technology; as well as medical, securities, laser, lighting, oil and gas, public services, security, construction, vehicle repair, vending, and water and wastewater markets. For more information, visit endeavorbusinessmedia.com .

Media Contact:

Paulette Brown

Carabiner Communications

770.714.0678

[email protected]

SOURCE Gimme

Related Links

http://www.vending.ai


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Hysteroscopy Procedures Market 2021-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global hysteroscopy procedures market size is expected to reach USD 6.34 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 6.7%

Surge in prevalence of gynecological disorders, technological advancements, increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgeries, and favorable reimbursement policies are the key driving factors for the market. In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant on the market.



The pandemic has affected companies' ability to develop and commercialize new & advanced products. Almost all companies are affected by reduced procedure volumes due to the pandemic, as all hospital resources are being diverted to fight the disease. Furthermore, the restrictions and functioning of a limited number of government offices are expected to delay clinical trials of products, which is expected to result in delayed product launches by companies.



The increasing prevalence of uterine fibroids is a key factor driving the market. For instance, as per the research article published in Dove Press Ltd., the prevalence of uterine fibroid disease ranges from 5.4% to 23.6%, depending upon the age group.

Moreover, uterine fibroids can cause serious problems in 25% of women. Hysteroscopy is used to diagnose abnormalities, such as excessive bleeding, severe stomach cramps, recurrent miscarriages, or difficulties in conceiving. Thus, the presence of such a large patient pool leads to increased demand for hysteroscopy procedures.



Hysteroscopy Procedures Market Report Highlights

The hospitals end-use segment held the largest revenue share in 2020. The segment growth is credited to the high number of cases of gynecological disorders

Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period due to the presence of a large patient pool coupled with the rising aging population in the APAC region

is expected to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period due to the presence of a large patient pool coupled with the rising aging population in the APAC region Integrating hysteroscopy into office practice will provide a lucrative opportunity for key market players. Several players have launched office hysteroscopy and associated devices

For instance, Aveta System (office hysteroscopy), recently launched by Meditrina Inc. in March 2020 , is an all-in-one tissue removal solution for intrauterine pathology, which offers wide-angle HD hysteroscopy

, is an all-in-one tissue removal solution for intrauterine pathology, which offers wide-angle HD hysteroscopy Furthermore, in-office hysteroscopy is beneficial over traditional hysteroscopy procedures as it is efficient & clinically beneficial and offers a patient-centric approach

It is also a simple and quick tool for retrieving intrauterine devices. Thus, physicians will consider investing in equipment and adopting an in-office approach for hysteroscopy

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Research Methodology



Chapter 2 Objectives



Chapter 3 Executive Summary

3.1 Market Outlook

3.2 Segment Outlook

3.3 Competitive Insights

3.3.1 Market Segmentation

3.4 Market Snapshot



Chapter 4 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market Variables, Trends & Scope

4.1 Market Lineage Outlook

4.1.1 Parent market outlook

4.1.2 Ancillary Market

4.2 Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping

4.3 Market Dynamics

4.3.1 Market driver analysis

4.3.1.1 Increasing prevalence of gynecological disorders

4.3.1.2 Rising adoption of minimally invasive surgical procedures

4.3.1.3 Adoption of technological advanced devices for hysteroscopy procedures

4.3.2 Market restraint analysis

4.3.2.1 High cost of hysteroscopy procedures and systems

4.3.2.2 Concerns associated with product approval and commercialization

4.4 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market Analysis Tools

4.4.1 SWOT Analysis, by PEST

4.4.2 Porter's five forces analysis

4.5 Major Deals & Strategic Alliances Analysis

4.5.1 Geographical expansion

4.5.2 Product launches

4.6 COVID-19 Market Impact

4.6.1 Supply chain

4.6.2 Changing market trends

4.7 Market Entry Strategies

4.7.1 Tapping unmet needs



Chapter 5 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market: Segment Analysis, By End Use, 2016 - 2028 (USD Million)

5.1 Definitions & Scope

5.2 End Use Market Share Analysis, 2020 & 2028

5.3 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market, by End Use, 2015 to 2028

5.4 Market Size Forecasts and Trend Analysis

5.4.1 Hospitals

5.4.2 Clinics

5.4.3 Ambulatory Surgery Centers



Chapter 6 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market: Regional Market Analysis, By End Use, 2016 - 2028 (USD Million)

6.1 Definitions & Scope

6.2 Regional Market Share Analysis, 2020 & 2028

6.3 Regional Market Snapshot

6.4 Market Size Forecasts & Trend Analysis



Chapter 7 Hysteroscopy Procedures Market: Competitive Analysis

7.1 Company overview

7.2 Financial performance

7.3 Application benchmarking

7.4 Strategic initiatives

Medtronic

Stryker Corporation

Hologic, Inc.

KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG

& Co. KG Medical Devices Business Services, Inc. (Ethicon, Inc.)

Olympus Corporation

Delmont Imaging

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Richard Wolf GmbH

CooperCompanies

Maxer Endoscopy GmbH

Boston Scientific Corporation

MedGyn Products, Inc.

Lina Medical APS

Luminelle

Meditrina, Inc. (Aveta)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tyskuc

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Automation and Additive Manufacturing: Opportunities and Markets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been considered an essential part of the factory of the future since the concept first appeared. Until now, no publication has discussed precisely the role that AM will play in the factory of the future.

The report, "Automation, Additive Manufacturing and the Factory of the Future," provides the necessary raw data and analysis for marketers, product planners, general management, investors and users to take AM to the automated future.

For now, AM represents about one percent of the overall manufacturing and production landscape. Despite the well-publicized advantages of AM, there remain significant obstacles to AM's adoption: slow processes involving multiple steps, high costs to scaling, shortage of skilled workforce, difficulty in controlling quality across the supply chain, and the immaturity of standards to facilitate regulatory conformity. All these challenges - and their resolution - are discussed in this Analysis report.

This report also examines the AM supply chain and its digitalization in a number of critical industries including electronic instruments, medical devices, transportation, industrial machinery and process equipment. In addition, the report takes a look at the critical issue of automation both of local AM processes and distributed AM networks.

And while the report acknowledges the problems that arise in the context of bringing AM into the factory of the future, it also shows how AM will lead to lower fixed costs and smaller manufacturing footprints than traditional manufacturing. Two other areas that the report examines are design automation and post processing.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Plan and Methodology



Chapter Two: Automating the AM Workflow

2.1 Automation Trends in the Broad Manufacturing Ecosystem

2.2 Current Limitations of the 3D Printing Workflow are Limiting Growth

2.2.1 Design and File Processing

2.2.2 Part Selection and Management

2.2.3 Build Simulation

2.2.3.1 Process Optimization

2.2.3.2 Support Structures

2.2.4 Build Monitoring

2.2.5 Build Management

2.2.6 Post Processing and Inspection

2.3 Automating the Generation of Part Designs

2.4 Managing Digital Data will Become Increasingly Challenging

2.4.1 Stability of the AM Process and Technologies

2.4.2 Costs for Implementing End-to-End Solutions

2.4.3 Workforce that can Build, Interact and Leverage the Digital Thread

2.5 Production and Post Processing Need New and Augmented Solutions

2.7 Long-term Implications for Additive Manufacturing



Chapter Three: Acceleration of Factory of the Future

3.1 Overview

3.2 Current Supply Chain Structures

3.2.1 Complex Electronic Instruments and Medical Devices

3.2.2 Transportation Equipment and Industrial Machinery

3.2.3 Process Equipment

3.3 Factors Affecting Supply Chain Structure

3.4 Deployment of AM Across the Supply Chain and Its Digitization

3.5 Digitalization of AM Supply Chain

3.5.1 Advanced Planning and Scheduling Systems

3.5.2 Digital Procurement

3.5.3 Digital Twin - Virtual and Automated Verification and Validation



Chapter Four: Effects of Digitalization on AM Market Growth

4.1 Overview

4.2 Approach and Frameworks

4.2.1 Economic Growth Model

4.2.2 AM Digitalization Adoption Model

4.3 Productivity Improvements of AM Digitalization

4.3.1 Improvements from AM Network Digitalization

4.3.2 Improvements from AM Process Digitalization

4.4 Market Trends



Chapter Five: Automation in the Additive Manufacturing Sector - Company Overviews

5.1 Design and File Processing

5.1.1 Castor

5.1.2 nTopology

5.2 CAD Software Tools

5.2.1 Dassault Systemes (SolidWorks)

5.2.2 Onshape

5.2.3 PTC

5.2.4 Autodesk

5.2.5 Siemens NX

5.2.6 3YourMind

5.2.7 Authentise

5.2.8 Link3D

5.2.9 SAP

5.2.10 Materialise

5.2.11 Oqton

5.3 Build Simulation

5.3.1 ParaMatters

5.3.2 Ansys

5.4 Build Monitoring and Management

5.4.1 Additive Assurance

5.4.2 EOS

5.4.3 Renishaw

5.4.4 3D Systems

5.4.5 Addiguru

5.5 Quality Assurance

5.5.1 Senvol

5.5.2 Be Global Safety

5.5.3 Identify3D

5.5.4 Simba Chain

5.5.5 Granutools

5.6 Robotics and Post Processing

5.6.1 Aris Technology

5.6.2 PostProcess Technologies

5.6.3 DyeMansion

5.6.4 AMT

5.7 Equipment Manufacturers Using Automated Production

5.7.1 AREVO

5.7.2 Divergent 3D

5.7.3 EOS Shared Modules

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wbq9el

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


CLEVELAND, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired North American rights to distribute writer/director Anthony Catalano's Last Testament. The indie true crime drama was produced by Catalano and it stars Dominick Alesia, Anna Roemer, and Rima Sabal.

On October 19th, Gravitas will launch the film across all major VOD platforms, plus home video releases on DVD and Blu-Ray to follow. It is currently available to pre-order from Apple iTunes.

Last Testament poster Dominick Alesia ("Ricky Rodriguez") in Last Testament

Last Testament explores the shocking true story of Ricky Rodriguez and the Children Of God cult. Born into the infamous cult, Ricky (Dominick Alesia) was subjected to years of abuse while also being groomed to one day lead the cult. He was finally able to escape the cult with his wife, Elixcia (Anna Roemer), but he remained haunted by his past. Ricky reaches a breaking point and he vows to take down the cult and its leaders - including his mother - by any means necessary.

Anthony Catalano reflects: "As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and someone who struggles with mental illness, I became fascinated by the harrowing story of Ricky Rodriguez. His story isn't a happy one, it isn't easy or convenient, but it's one that needs to be known."

Last Testament was filmed in Northeast Wisconsin in May of 2020, just as statewide COVID restrictions were being lifted. Its world premiere was held at the 2021 Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival, where Anthony Catalano was nominated for Best Experimental Feature Filmmaker.

Gravitas Ventures Acquisitions Coordinator Megan Huggins negotiated with Alex Nohe, Co-Founder of BloodSweatHoney, on behalf of the filmmaker.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/573168027

About Anthony Catalano

Following graduating magna cum laude from Columbia College Chicago (BA Film & Video, 2011), Anthony Catalano started the full-service production company ADC-Video in his home state of Wisconsin. He rose to being the premier live event videographer in the region, but his goals were always focussed on feature filmmaking. His full-length screenplays were accepted into competition at the 2011 Ivy Film Festival and the 2013 Fright Night Film Fest. In 2021 he founded Dead Letter Productions and his first feature film, Last Testament, is slated to be released by Gravitas Ventures.

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America  over one billion homes worldwide. Recent releases include Our Friend directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and The Secret: Dare to Dream, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Katie Holmes. For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.

Contact:

Anthony Catalano

Dead Letter Productions

920-362-8663

[email protected]

www.DeadLetterProductions.com

SOURCE Gravitas Ventures

Related Links

https://gravitasventures.com/


OCALA, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HiBid.com facilitated the sale of well over half a million lots in last week's auctions. On Friday alone, the site shattered previous records for the highest number of lots available in a single day and the highest number of auctions listed on the site. In auctions running from September 13th through the 19th, an average of 1.48 million bids per day were placed in a combined total of 1,335 online-only and webcast auctions. In all, the auctions brought in nearly $44.9 million in gross auction proceeds.

Items up for bidding this week include high volumes of rare and collectible gold and silver coins, watches, jewelry, paintings, figurines, vehicles, and much more.

HiBid.com brings buyers and sellers together every day with a wide-ranging selection of items across hundreds of categories that appeal to bidders worldwide. HiBid is fully integrated with Auction Flex, providing auctioneers with a comprehensive auction management platform that supports internet-only auctions, webcast auctions, and absentee bidding.

September 13th-19th HiBid.com Highlights

Gross Auction Proceeds: $44,895,016

Gross Merchandise Volume: $76,888,766

Lots Sold: 507,062

Online-Only Auctions: 1,232

Webcast Auctions: 103

Average Bidders Per Day: 902,000

Average Bids Per Day: 1.48 million

Current Auctions

The following list includes a small sample from the hundreds of auctions currently open for bidding on HiBid.com. Site visitors can click the Find Auctions menu at the top of the page for links to the Featured and Hot auctions, such as those listed below, or use the search box to find auctions nearby.

Hollywood Lawyer Rare Coin Sale

Auction Type: Live Webcast

Dates: September 10th-25th

Seller: Gold Standard Auctions

View Auction Items

OC Estate Sale

Auction Type: Online-Only

Dates: September 19th-29th

Seller: Walker Auction House

View Auction Items

Huge Coin Collection

Auction Type: Live Webcast

Dates: September 12th-October 10th

Seller: Vandenbrook Galleries, LLC

View Auction Items

If you're looking to sell through HiBid.com, click here to describe what you wish to sell, and a local HiBid auctioneer will help you get started.

Interested in receiving updates from HiBid? Sign up to receive newsletter emails, and follow HiBid Auctions on Facebook and LinkedIn.

About HiBid and Auction Flex

HiBid is an online auction platform supporting webcast auctions, internet-only auctions, and internet absentee bidding. It is available as both a private-label solution and a portal. HiBid is integrated with Auction Flex, the market leader in auction software for live auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, and multi-parcel. HiBid and Auction Flex were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly. They are products of Sandhills Global, the technology company behind AuctionTime.com and numerous industry-focused brands.

Contact Us

352-414-1947

[email protected]

SOURCE HiBid & Auction Flex

Related Links

https://hibid.com


VALLEY VIEW, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Peak Nanosystems, LLC, a nano-layered polymer film company, announced today the addition of Major General John F. Wharton, U.S. Army (Ret), as a Senior Advisor for the company.

"John Wharton is a great addition to the Peak team and will add significant expertise in engaging with not only our government partners, but the many international partners and nations where he has relationships," said CEO, Jim Welsh. "He has extensive experience in leadership, technology, innovation and logistics, and will help Peak drive engagement in the military and government sectors leveraging his long history of success in those agencies."

"John will be a critical player for Peak to gain access to important military programs and suppliers for our Optics and Films businesses," said President, Chad Lewis. John's extensive knowledge of technology and supply chains will allow him to advocate and seek programs where Peak's technical products can have major impact to the future of military and government applications.

In his last military assignment, General Wharton served as Commanding General of the United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) now Combat Capabilities Development Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. There he led 13,800 scientists, engineers, and support personnel at more than 100 global locations controlling 75% of the Army's R&D budget. While there, he won and led five of the seven Presidents of the United States (POTUS) National Manufacturing Innovative Institutes, a program to stimulate the nation's economy by rapid technology development and transfer. He also ran the Science, Technology, Education Mathematics (STEM), Educational Outreach Programs (AEOP), HBCU, Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for the Army.

Internationally, General Wharton advises and develops strategies for countries to position them and assure their economic stability and future. He is widely known in the U.S. Department of State, USAID, and the United Nations for his work in technology solutions in support of humanitarian assistance and future sustainable development goals.

"I am very excited to join Peak Nanosystems. Peak's nanotechnology and one-of-a-kind foundry strengthens the U.S.'s technology and industrial capacity made in the United States under a trusted supply chain," said General Wharton.

About Peak Nanosystems LLC

Nano-layered film technology can push the performance of commercial products well beyond what conventional wisdom says is possible, but until Peak Nano, much of its potential was unrealized. We're a turnkey commercialization engine for breakthrough nano-layered films, making disruption real in multiple markets. Our Peak Nano system streamlines the entire process, from nanotechnology research and innovation to rapid prototyping, manufacturing, capital, executive leadership, and distribution. For more information, please visit peaknano.com.

News Media Contact

Wendy Hoenig

979-235-7154

[email protected]

SOURCE Peak Nanosystems LLC
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) today announced new data reinforcing the strong and long-lasting protection of its COVID-19 vaccine. New data also showed that protection against COVID-19 increases when a booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered. The safety profile of the vaccine remained consistent and was generally well-tolerated when administered as a booster.

"Our large real-world evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Additionally, our Phase 3 trial data further confirm protection against COVID-19-related death," said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson. "Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases."

"It is critical to prioritize protecting as many people as possible against hospitalization and death given the continued spread of COVID-19. A single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that is easy to use, distribute and administer, and that provides strong and long-lasting protection is crucial to vaccinating the global population," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson. "At the same time, we now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly."

The Company has provided available data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and plans to submit the data to other regulators, the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) worldwide to inform decision-making on local vaccine administration strategies, as needed.

The data are summarized below:

Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine showed strong and long-lasting protection in the real world

The largest real-world evidence study for a COVID-19 vaccine reported to date in the U.S. demonstrated stable vaccine effectiveness of 79 percent (CI, 77%-80%) for COVID-19-related infections and 81 percent (CI, 79%-84%) for COVID-19-related hospitalizations. There was no evidence of reduced effectiveness over the study duration, including when the Delta variant became dominant in the U.S. Sequencing data were not available for analysis. The study included 390,000 people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine versus approximately 1.52 million unvaccinated people matched on age, sex, time, three-digit zip code, and comorbidities and predictors for COVID-19 infection severity conducted from March to late July 2021.

These data were consistent with the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial, where strong protection against severe/critical disease and death was observed at least 28 days post-final vaccination:

75 percent overall efficacy (CI, 65%-82%) against severe/critical COVID-19, across all age cohorts and all countries included in the study.

74 percent efficacy in the U.S. against severe/critical COVID-19 (CI, 39%-91%); 89 percent against hospitalization (CI, 24%-100%); 83 percent against COVID-19-related death (CI, 41%-97%).

Booster shot at two months provided 94 percent protection against COVID-19 in the U.S.

The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 study showed that another shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine given 56 days after the first provided:

100 percent protection (CI, 33%-100%) against severe/critical COVID-19  at least 14 days post-final vaccination.

75 percent protection against symptomatic (moderate to severe/critical) COVID-19 globally (CI, 55%-87%).

94 percent protection against symptomatic (moderate to severe/critical) COVID-19 in the U.S. (CI, 58%-100%).

When a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was given two months after the first shot, antibody levels rose to four to six times higher than observed after the single shot.

Booster shot at six months provided 12-fold increase in antibodies

When a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was given six months after the single shot, antibody levels increased nine-fold one week after the booster and continued to climb to 12-fold higher four weeks after the booster. All rises were irrespective of age.

The Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, developed by its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States on February 27, 2021 and Conditional Marketing Authorization (CMA) by the European Commission on March 11. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued Emergency Use Listing on March 12, and the Company received an interim recommendation by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization for the WHO on March 17. Many more authorizations have been granted in countries worldwide, and regulatory submissions are ongoing.

- Additional Notes -

Real-World Evidence Study

In the largest real-world evidence Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) study of participants receiving the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. to date, the Janssen R&D Data Science team, Harvard University and Aetion utilized the HealthVerity database, which consisted of longitudinal de-identified patient-level information representative of the U.S. population. This study compared approximately 390,000 people who received the Company's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine versus approximately 1.52 million unvaccinated people matched on age, sex, time, three-digit zip code, and comorbidities and predictors for COVID-19 infection severity.

This study is a longitudinal cohort design, using robust propensity matching methods to create a comparator cohort to assess real-world VE. All analyses were performed using the Aetion Evidence Platform, which is a scientifically validated software that is also used by regulators, payers, and health technology assessment bodies to assess the safety, effectiveness, and value of medical technologies. All transformations of the raw data are preserved for full reproducibility and audit trails are available, including a quality check of the data ingestion process.

In the real-world U.S. data, the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine showed VE of 81 percent (CI, 79%-84%) for COVID-19-related hospitalizations and effectiveness of 79 percent (CI, 77%-80%) for COVID-19-related infections (VE was corrected to compensate for vaccination status misclassification due to under-recording of true vaccination status in health care claims data). Uncorrected VE was 69 percent (CI, 67%-71%) for COVID-19-related infections; VE of 73 percent (CI, 69%-76%) for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine showed VE against COVID-19-related hospitalizations at 86 percent (CI, 83%-89%) for participants younger than 60 years, and 78 percent (CI, 74%-81%) for those 60 years and older. VE against COVID-19 infections was 81 percent (CI, 79%-82%) for people younger than 60 years, and 75 percent (CI, 73%-78%) for those 60 years and older. These results are consistent with what was observed in the ENSEMBLE study.

ENSEMBLE 1 Study

The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single-dose vaccine versus placebo in adults 18 years old and older.

The ENSEMBLE study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate in protecting against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 disease, with assessment of efficacy as of day 14 and as of day 28 as co-primary endpoints.

In the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study, a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine offered strong and durable overall efficacy (75%; CI, 65%-82%; n=46 cases vaccine arm, n=176 cases placebo arm) against severe/critical COVID-19, across all age cohorts and all countries included in the study, after at least 28 days post-vaccination. While efficacy against severe/critical COVID-19 caused by the initial circulating SARS-COV-2 reference strain (Wuhan) remained high (93%; CI, 54%-99%; n=1 case vaccine arm, n=14 cases placebo arm), there was somewhat lower vaccine efficacy (72%; CI, 56%-82%; n=27 cases vaccine arm, n=93 cases placebo arm) against severe/critical disease caused by variants.

The single-dose regimen had 53 percent (CI, 47%-58%; n=433 cases vaccine arm, n=883 cases placebo arm) efficacy against moderate to severe/critical infection with 58 percent (CI, 35%-74%; n=30 cases vaccine arm, n=69 cases placebo arm) efficacy against the reference strain. Efficacy against hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in the ENSEMBLE trial was 76 percent (CI, 54%-88%; n=16 cases vaccine arm, n=64 cases placebo arm), and efficacy against COVID-19-related deaths was 83 percent (CI, 41%-97%; n=3 cases vaccine arm, n=17 cases placebo arm).

In the U.S., the ENSEMBLE trial demonstrated vaccine efficacy against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 infection of 70 percent 28-days post-vaccination (CI, 61%-77%; n=77 cases vaccine arm, n=239 cases placebo arm), 74 percent against severe/critical infection (CI, 39%-91%; n=7 cases vaccine arm, n=26 cases placebo arm) and 89 percent against hospitalization (CI, 24%-100%; n=1 case vaccine arm, n=9 cases placebo arm).

Median follow-up time in the ENSEMBLE study was four months, with 23 percent of the participants with follow-up of greater than six months.

The vaccine was generally well-tolerated by all participants, with fewer local and systemic reactions as compared with Phase 1/2 data.

ENSEMBLE was initiated in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Other Transaction Agreement HHSO100201700018C, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at HHS.

Full data will be submitted for publication in the coming months.

ENSEMBLE 2 Study

The Phase 3 ENSEMBLE 2 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a two-dose vaccine regimen, given at a 56-day interval, versus placebo in adults 18 years old and older with and without comorbidities associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19.

The study was designed to assess efficacy of the investigational vaccine after both the first and second dose to evaluate protection against the virus and potential incremental benefits for duration of protection with a second dose. In the ENSEMBLE 2 Phase 3 study solicited and unsolicited adverse events following this second dose are similar to those seen in single-dose studies.

Compared to the single-dose results, ENSEMBLE 2 also demonstrated increased efficacy of a two-dose schedule against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 of 75 percent (CI, 55%-87%; n=14 cases vaccine arm, n=52 cases placebo arm) and severe/critical COVID-19 of 100 percent (CI, 33%-100%; n=0 cases vaccine arm, n=8 cases placebo arm) at least 14 days following the second vaccination prior to unblinding. In the U.S., efficacy against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 was 94 percent (CI, 58%-100%; n=1 case vaccine arm, n=14 cases placebo arm).

Median follow-up time in the ENSEMBLE 2 study was 36 days since second vaccination, with 29 percent of participants having at least two months of follow-up after receipt of their second dose.

The vaccine, when given as a second dose or booster, remained generally well-tolerated.

Full data will be submitted for publication in the coming months.

For more information on the Company's multi-pronged approach to helping combat the pandemic, visit: www.jnj.com/covid-19.

Authorized Use

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for use in the U.S. under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 18 years of age and older.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WHAT SHOULD YOU MENTION TO YOUR VACCINATION PROVIDER BEFORE YOU GET THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE?

Tell the vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have any allergies

have a fever

have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner

are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant

are breastfeeding

have received another COVID-19 vaccine

have ever fainted in association with an injection

WHO SHOULD NOT GET THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE?

You should not get the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine if you:

had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient of this vaccine.

HOW IS THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE GIVEN?

The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine will be given to you as an injection into the muscle. The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine vaccination schedule is a single dose.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE?

Side effects that have been reported with the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine include:

Injection site reactions: pain, redness of the skin, and swelling.

General side effects: headache, feeling very tired, muscle aches, nausea, fever.

Swollen lymph nodes.

Unusual feeling in the skin (such as tingling or a crawling feeling) (paresthesia), decreased feeling or sensitivity, especially in the skin (hypoesthesia).

Persistent ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Diarrhea, vomiting.

Severe Allergic Reactions

There is a remote chance that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to stay at the place where you received your vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include:

Difficulty breathing

Swelling of your face and throat

A fast heartbeat

A bad rash all over your body

Dizziness and weakness

Blood Clots with Low Levels of Platelets

Blood clots involving blood vessels in the brain, lungs, abdomen, and legs along with low levels of platelets (blood cells that help your body stop bleeding), have occurred in some people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. In people who developed these blood clots and low levels of platelets, symptoms began approximately one to two-weeks following vaccination. Reporting of these blood clots and low levels of platelets has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. The chance of having this occur is remote. You should seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following symptoms after receiving Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine:

Shortness of breath,

Chest pain,

Leg swelling,

Persistent abdominal pain,

Severe or persistent headaches or blurred vision,

Easy bruising or tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the site of the injection.

These may not be all the possible side effects of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. Serious and unexpected effects may occur. The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is still being studied in clinical trials.

Guillain Barre Syndrome

Guillain Barre syndrome (a neurological disorder in which the body's immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis) has occurred in some people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. In most of these people, symptoms began within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. The chance of having this occur is very low. You should seek medical attention right away if you develop any of the following symptoms after receiving the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine:

Weakness or tingling sensations, especially in the legs or arms, that's worsening and spreading to other parts of the body

Difficulty walking

Difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing, or swallowing

Double vision or inability to move eyes

Difficulty with bladder control or bowel function

WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS?

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to the nearest hospital.

Call the vaccination provider or your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

Report vaccine side effects to FDA/CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1-800-822-7967 or report online to https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. Please include "Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine EUA" in the first line of box #18 of the report form. In addition, you can report side effects to Janssen Biotech Inc. at 1-800-565-4008.

Please read Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) including full EUA Prescribing Information available at www.JanssenCOVID19Vaccine.com/EUA-factsheet

About Johnson & Johnson

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenGlobal.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding development of a potential preventive vaccine for COVID-19. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson

Related Links

www.jnj.com


CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- We are honored to announce Kimberly Moore, President and Founder of KDM Engineering, one of the largest Black, woman-owned electrical engineering firms, as this year's recipient of the Society of Women Engineers' (SWE) Entrepreneur Award. Moore is recognized for her impact on the Society as well as the engineering community. The Entrepreneur Award honors an individual who chose to follow a different path than their colleagues in the corporate and academic worlds, and in doing so, serves as a role model.

"It is always humbling to receive recognition from industry organizations like SWE, that share my values and commitment to supporting women in engineering and increasing diversity in the field," said Kimberly Moore. "Making the transition from engineer to starting my own firm took a lot of grit and determination, but being able to impact the careers of other engineers, particularly women, and experience their success firsthand makes it all worthwhile."

With only 13 percent of engineers being women, it is as important as ever to highlight SWE's mission and lead by example, demonstrating that a career in engineering can be a fulfilling, rewarding pursuit for women of any background. Moore is doing just that with her nonprofit, Calculated Genius, Inc. This year, Calculated Genius awarded 17 high school girls pursuing engineering at the collegiate level a total of $46,000 in scholarships. Moore also boasts an incredibly diverse team at KDM, supporting women of all backgrounds in their engineering careers.

"Building a uniquely diverse team became a trademark of KDM, and I'm incredibly proud to support a staff of different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences," said Moore. "When we have a workforce that accurately represents the diversity in our communities, everyone benefits."

Moore will accept the Entrepreneur Award at SWE's annual conference, WE21, being held virtually from Oct. 21-23 in Indianapolis, Ind.

About KDM Engineering

KDM is one of the largest Black, woman-owned electrical engineering firms, focusing on power distribution design, gas distribution and telecommunications design. Headquartered in Chicago with branch offices on the east coast, KDM specializes in full-service engineering consulting and design, project management, utility coordination, drafting and permitting. An Engineer of Choice (EOC) for several large utilities, KDM is committed to re-engineering the future, together! Learn more at kdmengineering.com. Follow KDM on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE KDM Engineering

Related Links

http://www.kdmengineering.com


PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Koji Tanabe, Founder and CEO of I Peace, Inc. (https://www.ipeace.com ), has been selected by the judges of World Biz Magazine's annual awards to be a recipient of the "Top 100 Innovation CEO  2021" (https://www.worldbizmagazine.net/ ).

I Peace, Inc. is a Palo Alto-based biotech startup focusing on Nobel Prize-wining technology of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and has successfully developed a novel system to mass manufacture clinical-grade iPSCs for cell therapy in a palm-sized closed cassette. I Peace supports research institutions and pharmaceutical companies around the globe by providing clinical grade iPSCs conforming with regulatory standards both in the U.S. and Japan.

Koji earned his doctorate under Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, a Kyoto University researcher who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that adult somatic cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. Koji has been engaged in the iPSC research from the early stage, and was the second author of the research paper on the first successful generation of human iPSCs. He founded I Peace, Inc. in 2015, aiming to transform iPSCs as a research tool to an essential commodity of life. I Peace has focused on the development and further refinement of iPSC manufacturing technology since its inception in 2015. In 2019, the company began providing research grade iPSCs to research institutions and pharmaceutical companies. In 2020, the company successfully developed an iPSCs manufacturing technology in an automated closed, compact, and modular device, paving the way for mass manufacturing of iPSCs with drastic cost reduction. In 2020, I Peace cell manufacturing facility in Kyoto, Japan (Peace Engine Kyoto), obtained a permit by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare to manufacture specific cell-based products, and began providing clinical grade iPSCs. In the same year, the company also began providing personal clinical grade iPSC banking service. In 2021, the cell manufacturing facility Peace Engine Kyoto received a third-party certification as cGMP compliant.

Koji Tanabe, founder and CEO of I Peace, Inc. and all the members of I Peace are committed to continue with our efforts to bring further innovation to the process, business, and the industry as a whole.

Here is the link to the award winner interview.

https://www.worldbizmagazine.net/post/koji-tanabe-ceo-of-i-peace-inc-interview-with-wbm-top-100-innovation-ceo

About I Peace, Inc.

I Peace, Inc. was founded in 2015 at Palo Alto, California. I Peace's mission is to alleviate the suffering of diseased patients and help healthy people maintain a high quality of life. I Peace's proprietary manufacturing platform enables the fully-automated mass production of discrete iPSCs from multiple donors in a single room. Our goal is to give every individual the possibility of their own source of personalized stem cells for life through the creation of iPSCs.

Headquarters: Palo Alto, California

Website: https://www.ipeace.com/en/

Media contact: [email protected]

About Founder and CEO Dr. Koji Tanabe

Dr. Koji Tanabe obtained his Ph.D. from Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, working in the laboratory of Professor Shinya Yamanaka, 2012 Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology/Medicine. There, he spent eight years researching iPSCs starting in 2006  the early days of iPSC development  and became the second author of the scientific paper reporting the world's first successful generation of human iPSCs. After getting his Ph.D., Dr. Tanabe moved to the United States and joined the Dr. Marius Wernig Laboratory, part of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University Medical School, where the world's first successful direct reprogramming from skin cells to neural cells was achieved. Dr. Tanabe's post-doctoral work at Dr. Wernig's lab was on direct reprogramming of blood cells to neural cells and the iPSC reprogramming mechanism, where he also contributed to numerous scientific papers on iPSCs and on direct reprogramming to neural cells. After a period as a guest researcher at Stanford, Dr. Tanabe founded I Peace and has been serving as CEO ever since. He has been awarded an Overseas Research Fellowship by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

About THE TOP 100 INNOVATION CEO AWARDS

World Biz Magazine's Top 100 Innovation CEO Awards celebrates business leaders across the globe that are making major strides in their industries. It recognizes product, service, functional, strategic, and managerial innovation. It also recognizes individuals showing exceptional commercial insight and market integrity. Sustainability forms a key cornerstone of the awards and is an integral part of the selection criteria. This year over 40,000 leaders were shortlisted and following a stringent evaluation process, only 100 winners were selected. The awards are of the highest integrity, there is no cost to participate therefore winners are selected strictly based upon merit. www.worldbizmagazine.net/worldbizinnovationceoawards

About WORLD BIZ MAGAZINE

We produce an elite magazine for boardrooms globally. Our articles are world-class and meet the most rigorous standards that are set for us by our Editorial Board which consists of a mix of business journalists and business leaders. We pride ourselves on delivering a high quality readership experience - packed with intelligent articles combined with energizing CEO interviews. World Biz Magazine aims to provide C-Suite stake-holders with information that will drive their business success while serving as a forum for collaboration on innovation and social responsibility. www.worldbizmagazine.net

SOURCE I Peace, Inc.
LCMC Health provides $7 million in relief funds to employees in gratitude for dedication in the face of Hurricane Ida Tweet this

"Our employees are the heart of our organization, as they cared for our patients, community, and each other through the storm," said LCMC Health CEO Greg Feirn. "LCMC Health responded quickly, providing essentials like water, gasoline, housing, and now financial assistance to help our amazing, one-of-a-kind people respond, recover, and rebuild from the impacts of Hurricane Ida."

To date, more than 3,375 of LCMC Health's 12,000 employees have received assistance with a value currently reaching $2 million. The system anticipates providing approximately $4.3 million in this initial phase.

One such team member who immediately benefited from Operation Home is "Ms. Lynette" Hamilton, a long-time and much-beloved mailroom employee at Touro. Hurricane Ida caused severe damage to her home, preventing her from returning to the city without a place to stay. LCMC Health provided her with temporary housing in a local hotel and other forms of relief.

"My experience from the moment I called Human Resources was so wonderful and accommodating," said Lynette. "I was so relieved and could not have asked for better support from my hospital and LCMC Health."

LCMC Health is also developing a $2.5 million fund to provide additional financial support for employees who sustained catastrophic losses from the storm and will invite businesses and individuals to support the effort. Administration of this fund will be administered and managed by the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and have an application process. This fund will provide team members up to $5,000 for help in recovery and rebuilding from the storm due to devastating damage.

"The Greater New Orleans Foundation is proud to support LCMC Health's efforts to come to the aid of their employees who have suffered catastrophic losses from Hurricane Ida," said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the GNOF. "These are true healthcare heroes who have cared for our community and region, especially during the pandemic. To play a small role in their recovery is humbling."

LCMC Health offered additional support programs for its employees including:

Providing gasoline

LCMC Health has provided a way for team members to fill up their gas tank at a discounted rate on site at some of the hospitals. Also, working with the Retif Oil Chevron station to provide gasoline exclusively to healthcare workers in the area.

LCMC Health has provided a way for team members to fill up their gas tank at a discounted rate on site at some of the hospitals. Also, working with the Retif Oil Chevron station to provide gasoline exclusively to healthcare workers in the area. Housing at local hotels

LCMC Health has partnered with hotels across New Orleans  the Hotel Saint Vincent, the Windsor Court, and Sheraton New Orleans  to provide essential housing for team members with the most significant needs. LCMC Health staff worked to get the hotels up and running on generator power so that employees would have an immediate solution for housing close to work. To date some 300 hotel rooms have been secured for LCMC team members.

LCMC Health has partnered with hotels across  the Hotel Saint Vincent, the Windsor Court, and Sheraton New Orleans  to provide essential housing for team members with the most significant needs. LCMC Health staff worked to get the hotels up and running on generator power so that employees would have an immediate solution for housing close to work. To date some 300 hotel rooms have been secured for LCMC team members. Recovery essentials donation

LCMC Health secured donations of generators, gas cans, box fans, extension cords, and air conditioning units from Send Relief and Home Depot for team members in need. LCMC Health also provided ice, a critically needed item, to its employees after the storm.

LCMC Health employees can learn more about this relief program and more at www.lcmchealth.org/emergency-preparedness/resources/.

SOURCE LCMC Health

Related Links

lcmchealth.org


ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Levoit, the #1 selling air purifier brand in the US*, donated 603 air purifiers to the Susanville School District to support communities across Northern California currently suffering in the wake of California's raging wildfire season. Located in Lassen County, CA, Susanville is one of the five counties most greatly impacted by the Caldor Fire and Dixie Fire, which is said to be California's second-largest wildfire in modern history.

To ensure the students and faculty are met with clean air quality and a healthy environment, Levoit has donated 316 Vital 100 air purifiers and 287 LV-H134 air purifiers. These top-rated air purifiers trap 99.97% of airborne particles and pollutants, such as pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and dust, and feature a custom High-Efficiency Activated Carbon Filter to help neutralize smoke and fumes.

"Our public schools in Lassen County have been unduly impacted over the past three years by abnormal fire seasons," said Jason Waddell, Superintendent at Susanville School District. "Wildfires in the north state have brought about unsafe air quality that has jeopardized our ability to create a healthy learning environment in our classrooms. Levoit air purifiers are an invaluable tool to help our staff provide safe, healthy classrooms for optimized student learning."

The donation quantity and purifier type were determined by the school district's needs, with student safety and energy efficiency identified as top priorities. The Vital 100 has a low operating cost and can run twenty-four hours a day for only $1.66 a week, allowing teachers to keep their air purifiers operating throughout times of high pollution, such as wildfire season. The Vital 100 can clean the air in a 500 square-foot room in as little as 30 minutes and can operate at a low volume of 23 decibels, providing protection to students and school staff with no disruptions to their learning.

"School systems in Northern California are struggling to navigate a safe return to in-person learning as they face one of the worst wildfire seasons to date; this is on top of having to take measures to mitigate against the continued spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant challenging schools nationwide," said Grace Yang, Founder, Chairperson, CEO, and Executive Director of parent company VeSync. "We are committed to helping schools and communities at large to create a healthy, learning environment for children through access to clean air. The Levoit air purifiers will give peace of mind to both the students and faculty by providing clean air through the removal of harmful airborne pollutants, viruses, and bacteria."[1]

The LV-H134 purifier model Levoit also donated is ideal for larger classrooms as it can clean the air in a 1,170 square-foot room in as little as 30 minutes. Similar to the Vital 100, the LV-H134 is equipped with a three-stage HEPA filtration system and is energy-star certified with a low cost of operation. Additionally, the LV-H134 gives real-time readings of PM2 and automatically adjusts the fan speed to maintain the desired air quality at all times.

"These air purifiers will also sustain our efforts to fight the COVID-19 Delta variant throughout the school year, providing staff, students and parents an additional layer of security in keeping the air in our classrooms free of germs. As a community, we are extremely grateful for the partnership we've developed with Levoit," added Waddell.[2]

For additional information on Levoit and their other products, please visit levoit.com.

*Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, US unit sales, 12 months ending October 2020. Based on Amazon sales.

About Levoit:

Launched in 2016, Levoit connects homes with smart products to create clean and comfortable atmospheres. The brand's collection of air purifiers and humidifiers features industry-leading technologies and smart home applications. As part of the VeSync Family of Brands, Levoit has received worldwide recognition for its continued innovation in reliable, intuitive designs. To learn more, visit www.levoit.com.

Download Images Here

Images Courtesy of Levoit

Media Contact:

Jackie Dadas-Kraper, Director

347-206-5651

[email protected]



[1] Not tested for Sars-CoV-2 (Covid-19)

[2] According to CDC, portable HEPA filtration units that combine a HEPA filter with a powered fan system are effective at cleaning air within spaces to reduce the concentration of airborne particulates, including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral particles. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html#refphf; https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7027e1.htm. However, Levoit has not tested its air purifiers for effectiveness against Sars-CoV-2 and makes no claims that these air purifiers help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

SOURCE Levoit

Related Links

http://www.levoit.com


MONTREAL, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) ("Lion" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, today hosted the Company's first analysts and institutional investors' manufacturing site visit.

Marc Bedard, Lion's CEO-Founder, kicked off the event with a recap of the Company's activities, followed by other members of the senior management team who discussed Lion's business drivers and long-term growth initiatives. Analysts and institutional investors were also able to tour Lion's manufacturing plant near Montreal, Quebec, and to get a detailed review of both Lion's all-electric school buses and trucks.

"We were excited to host Lion's first analysts and institutional investors manufacturing site visit since we publicly listed on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange last May," commented Marc Bedard. "We took this opportunity to discuss our previously presented growth strategy, and to provide a deeper understanding of the way we have gained expertise in the field of batteries over 10 years of research and development in battery technology," he added.

A copy of the presentation is available at www.thelionelectric.com under the "Events and Presentation" page of the "Investors" section.

ABOUT LION ELECTRIC

Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles. The company creates, designs and manufactures all-electric class 5 to class 8 commercial urban trucks and all-electric buses and minibuses for the school, paratransit and mass transit segments. Lion is a North American leader in electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of its vehicles' components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies.

Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our society, environment and overall quality of life. Lion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LEV.

ABOUT LION ELECTRIC

Lion Electric is an innovative manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles. The company creates, designs and manufactures all-electric class 5 to class 8 commercial urban trucks and all-electric buses and minibuses for the school, paratransit and mass transit segments. Lion is a North American leader in electric transportation and designs, builds and assembles many of its vehicles' components, including chassis, battery packs, truck cabins and bus bodies.

Always actively seeking new and reliable technologies, Lion vehicles have unique features that are specifically adapted to its users and their everyday needs. Lion believes that transitioning to all-electric vehicles will lead to major improvements in our society, environment and overall quality of life. Lion shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol LEV.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Lion's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "may," "will," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "could," "plan," "project," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "target" or other similar expressions and any other statements that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words.

The company made a number of economic, market and operational estimates and assumptions in preparing and making certain forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Such estimates and assumptions are made by Lion in light of the experience of management and their perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors believed to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Lion believes that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the risks and uncertainties related to the businesses of Lion described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the company's final prospectus dated May 5, 2021 (the "Canadian Prospectus") filed with the Autorite des marches financiers (the "AMF") and the registration statement on Form F-1 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and declared effective on June 14, 2021 and other documents publicly filed with the AMF and the SEC. Many of these risks are beyond Lion's management's ability to control or predict. All forward-looking statements attributable to Lion or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained, and risk factors identified, in the Canadian Prospectus, the Registration Statement and other documents filed with the AMF and the SEC.

Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required under applicable securities laws, Lion undertakes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to update, revise or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Lion Electric

Related Links

https://thelionelectric.com/


NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Master Data Management market accounted for USD 29156.3 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 64435 Million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of around 9.8% between 2021 and 2028.

The master data management market has encountered various improvements in the last couple of years. With the beginning of the IoT (Internet of Things), the penetration of information technology all over different sectors has elevated. Various organizations have lifted their investments in IoT tech. The IoT technology provides a broad range of advantages to organizations in the industries of big data analytics, cloud computing, and global networks, thereby powering the master data management market.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis:

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting businesses across the world. Data management companies try to fight this pandemic by keeping their assets online and ensuring the privacy and security of knowledge across networks. The key professionals, business intelligence professionals, and professionals providing expertise in advanced analytics like AI and ML are involved in their expertise to assist executives to make business decisions on the way to answer the new business challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, MDM companies also are facing challenges associated with the info breaches issues. As an example, banking institutes across the world has implemented advanced agile methods to secure their data and ensure accurate data quality.

Get Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with Table of Content, Research Methodology and Graphs - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/master-data-management-market

Growth Factors

The master data management market companies are aiming at innovations in terms of tech improvements and to elevate sturdiness & safety. Mounting requirements for operational excellence and data quality are a number of the drivers that power the event of the master data management market. Current data ownership issues are often among the restrictions of the master data management market. The up-and-coming nations are likely to spice up the lucrative growth opportunities of the worldwide master data management market as compared to the developed nations with improved tech.

Segment Analysis Preview

The global master data management market is divided into applications, types, regions, and industries. The type section in the master data management market comprises consulting implementation, and training & support. In addition to this, based on application the master data management market is divided into customer data, product data, and supplier data.

Request for Customization on this Report as per your requirements - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/76

Government, BFSI, IT & telecom, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing among others are the sectors that are included in the classification of the master data management market. The healthcare vertical to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period, as the industry is undergoing extensive developments due to advancements in technologies that are enhancing the overall industry. It is a comprehensive sector that has to deal with diverse clinical, administrative, and financial data daily. The industry is highly regulated and needs channelized data insights, improved data quality, and accurate clinical information which is consolidated through the deployment of MDM solutions.

Regional Analysis Preview

Asia Pacific is expected to have highest market growth rate during the forecast period. With the rising awareness about the increase in business productivity, supplemented with competently designed MDM solutions offered by vendors present in this region, is leading to Asia Pacific becoming a highly potential market.

Inquire before Purchase of this Research Report - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/master-data-management-market

Key Market Players & Competitive Landscape

The major participants in the global master data management market include IBM Corporation, Tibco Software Inc, SAP AG, Oracle Corporation, SAS Institute Inc, Riversand Technologies, Informatica Corporation, SyncForce and, Orchestra Networks among Others.

The global Master Data Management Market is segmented as follows:

By Type

Implementation

Consulting

Training and Support

By Application

Product Data

Customer Data

Supplier Data

Others

By Industry

BFSI

Government

Retail

IT and Telecom

Manufacturing

Healthcare

Others

By Region

North America

The U.S.



Canada

Europe

France



The UK



Spain



Germany



Italy



Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China



Japan



India



South Korea



Southeast Asia



Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

& GCC



South Africa



Rest of Middle East & Africa

Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research

Cloud Based Data Management Services Market - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/cloud-based-data-management-services-market

IoT Data Management Market - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/iot-data-management-market

Cloud Storage Market - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/cloud-storage-market

Business Intelligence Market - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/business-intelligence-market

About Us:

Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.

Contact Us:

Zion Market Research

244 Fifth Avenue, Suite N202

New York, 10001, United States

Tel: +49-322 210 92714

USA/Canada Toll-Free No +1-855-465-4651

US OFFICE NO +1-386-310-3803

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Blog - https://zmrblog.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zion-market-research

SOURCE Zion Market Research
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth annual National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) (September 20-24, 2021) today celebrates the launch of the Policy Makers Symposium with newly added speakersincluding U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary Dave Turk, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT), Sue Biniaz, deputy to the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate at the U.S. Department of State, and Jigar Shah, director of the DOE Loan Programs Office. As the flagship event of NCEW, the Symposium, which runs September 21-23, consists of virtual programming convening policymakers, industry leaders and clean energy advocates to collaborate on America's future in clean energy.

"I am thrilled these impressive leaders from Congress and the Departments of Energy and State are joining an all-star line-up of public and private sector thought leaders for meaningful discussions about clean energy solutions," said Heather Reams, NCEW chair and executive director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). "These new speakers underscore the Policy Makers Symposium's commitment to providing participants the opportunity to connect with policymakers from both sides of the aisle. These experts are joined by top energy advocacy organizations and private-sector leaders who are committed to achieving a clean energy futureit's going to be a powerful Symposium."

A fireside chat featuring Ralph Izzo, chairman, president, and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), and Charles Hernick, vice president of policy and advocacy of CRES Forum, has also been added to the Symposium line-up. Previously announced speakers at this year's Symposium include U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), former Chair and current member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Jim Connaughton, CEO at Nautilus Data Technologies and former Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and lead climate negotiator for President George W. Bush, and George David Banks, fellow at CRES Forum and Bipartisan Policy Center and former international climate adviser to Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

Moderated discussions during the Symposium will be centered around three core themes: innovation, challenges, and the international landscape. Specific Symposium panels include:

Carbon-Free Technologies Needed for A Net-Zero Future

Policies Needed to Make Breakthrough Innovation Possible

Critical Minerals, Supply Chains, and Industry

Energy is Infrastructure

What to Expect at COP26 : Will it Be Enough?

: Will it Be Enough? Leveraging U.S. Policy to Reduce Global Emissions

A complete Symposium schedule is available here. Registration for the Symposium is still open. If you are a student with a valid .edu email, a government employee with a valid .gov email, or an active member of the press, you qualify for free registration. Register today!

Additional information about NCEWincluding in-person events and examples of how businesses and communities can show their supportis available at https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/.

National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), described by POLITICO as "a veritable who's who of the Clean Energy World," is an annual awareness week to recognize the value of clean energy including abundant job opportunities, economic growth, energy independence, consumer choice, lower energy prices, and a cleaner environment. Follow NCEW on Twitter (@NCEWConf) and Facebook (NationalCleanEnergyWeek) for event updates. www.nationalcleanenergyweek.org

SOURCE Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

Related Links

https://nationalcleanenergyweek.org/


NEW YORK and CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Palladium Equity Partners, LLC (along with its affiliates, "Palladium"), one of the nation's oldest minority-owned private equity firms with nearly $3 billion in assets under management, today announced that it has invested in Envoy Global, a mission-driven, tech-enabled global immigration services provider, alongside existing shareholders including Catalyst Investors and General Catalyst.

Envoy seeks to streamline the immigration process for employers and foreign nationals. It is one of the only workforce management platforms that combines proprietary technology and expert legal representation to make it possible for companies to hire and manage an international workforce. Envoy serves close to 1,000 customers in a broad range of industries, including the technology sector, with an emphasis on STEM workforce needs.

"We are excited to partner with Palladium as we continue on our mission to make it easier for people to work anywhere in the world," said Dick Burke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Envoy. "Over the past 23 years, companies have relied on Envoy to simplify the sponsorship and management of work visas and green cards globally. We believe there is a substantial opportunity to continue to introduce new customers to our offering as well as expand our solutions for companies and employees. Palladium will be a close strategic partner to us as we move forward."

Alex Funk, Principal at Palladium added, "Envoy's mission strongly overlaps with Palladium's heritage. Over Palladium's nearly 25-year history, we have demonstrated that our team's commitment to diversity is an important contributor to generating superior outcomes for all stakeholders. More than 70% of Palladium employees are minority or female, and many members of our team were born outside of the U.S. and personally recognize the impact of Envoy's solutions, having experience with the U.S. immigration process themselves. We are thrilled to be partnering with Envoy, whose immigration solutions are mission critical to companies and empower people to work anywhere in the world. We are incredibly impressed with the business that Dick and his team have built, and we look forward to supporting Envoy in their next chapter of growth."

Catalyst Investors and General Catalyst will both retain minority equity stakes in Envoy and continue to support the Company going forward.

David Orfao, Partner at General Catalyst said, "We have been very impressed with Envoy's growth over the past six years, realized through investments in technology, sales and buildout of a top-tier management team."

"Envoy is in the early innings of transforming an industry," said Susan Bihler, Partner at Catalyst Investors and continuing Envoy board member. "We are excited to continue to be a part of the Company's exciting growth story alongside Palladium."

Raymond James served as financial advisor to Envoy on the transaction. Latham & Watkins, LLP served as Envoy's legal advisor. Robert W. Baird & Co. served as the financial advisor for Palladium. O'Melveny & Myers served as the legal advisor and financing counsel for Palladium.

The transaction terms were not disclosed.

About Envoy

Founded in 1998, Envoy is a global immigration services provider with an international footprint, working across offices in APAC, EMEA and the Americas. Envoy offers the only immigration management platform that makes it seamless for companies to hire and manage an international workforce by combining expert legal representation  for both inbound and outbound immigration  and proprietary technology. Envoy empowers companies to acquire the best talent regardless of where they are in the world; helps mobilize employees around the world to take advantage of business opportunities; and enables the management of entire global workforces, providing a strategic, proactive view into workforce and financial forecasting and compliance. Envoy has managed more than 30,000 cases and served more than 2,000 customers in a broad range of industries.

Website, technology platform and administrative services are provided by Envoy Global Inc., a Delaware corporation. U.S. legal services are provided by two U.S. law firms -- Global Immigration Associates, PC and Corporate Immigration Partners, LLP. Global immigration services are provided by Envoy or Envoy's global immigration service providers. All U.S. legal and global immigration services are fully integrated with the Envoy Platform for a seamless customer experience. Please visit www.envoyglobal.com for more information.

About Palladium Equity Partners, LLC

Palladium is a middle market private equity firm with nearly $3 billion in assets under management. The firm seeks to acquire and grow companies in partnership with founders and experienced management teams by providing capital, strategic guidance and operational oversight. Since its founding in 1997, Palladium has made 38 platform investments and 141 add-on acquisitions.

Palladium is a signatory of the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is recognized as the leading global network for investors committed to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their investment decision making. For more information on Palladium, please visit www.palladiumequity.com .

About Catalyst Investors

Catalyst Investors is a growth equity firm based in New York. The firm's mission is to earn superior returns by helping entrepreneurs build great companies. Catalyst employs a rigorous top-down research focus that seeks to identify investment opportunities in companies and industries that will exhibit strong revenue growth. Over the past 20 years, Catalyst has invested in companies across the SaaS, tech enabled services and digital infrastructure sectors, and has established a successful track record of partnering with entrepreneurs and helping companies scale. Recent investments and exits include Weave, BrightFarms, ChowNow, EDB, Effectual, Insite Wireless, PresenceLearning and Xplornet. For more information, visit www.catalyst.com .

About General Catalyst

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm that invests in powerful, positive change that endures  for our entrepreneurs, our investors, our people, and society. We support founders with a long-term view who challenge the status quo, partnering with them from seed to growth stage and beyond to build companies that withstand the test of time. With offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York City, and Boston, the firm has helped support the growth of businesses such as: Airbnb, Deliveroo, Guild, Gusto, Hubspot, Livongo, Oscar, Samsara, Snap, Stripe, and Warby Parker. For more: www.generalcatalyst.com .

Media Contacts

Todd Fogarty or Jeffrey Taufield of Kekst CNC

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Palladium Equity Partners, LLC

Related Links

https://www.palladiumequity.com


Women Worth Watching recognizes women leading the way to excellence in the workplace, the marketplace, and the world. As one of the elite 106 women to receive the award, Arvielo joins more than 2,000 past Women Worth Watching award recipients as outstanding examples of leaders who demonstrate talent, courage, persistence, commitment, and generosity of spirit.

A first-generation Hispanic American, Arvielo, along with her husband Rick, built the company into a top independent mortgage lender. Today, the company has a servicing portfolio of 208,000+ loans for approximately $54.2 billion and a nationwide workforce of about 4,600 employees and 176 locations.

Under Patty's leadership, the company has taken historic steps to create opportunities for women and minorities, including in the C-suite. Currently, 59% of New American Funding's staff are women and 46% are minorities. The company recruits from a wide talent pool and cultivates key opportunities through personalized mentorship programs from Patty herself.

Patty also champions her company's Latino Focus and New American Dream initiatives, which seek to raise awareness and increase homeownership in the Hispanic and Black communities. Last year, 36% of the company's home purchase originations went to minorities vs. the national average of 25.5%, (2020 HMDA data).

"I'm deeply humbled to be recognized as one of the top Women Worth Watching," said Patty Arvielo, President of New American Funding. "I've dedicated my entire career to empowering women and minorities who bring their valued perspective to our leadership table, helping us thrive as one of the largest privately held retail lenders to Hispanics and Blacks."

To view the complete list of winners, click here.

About New American Funding

New American Funding is an independent mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 208,000 loans for approximately $54.2 billion, 176 nationwide locations, and about 4,600 employees. The company is a 2021 MPA 5-Star Retail Lender and has made Inc. 5000's list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America seven times. It offers state-of-the-art career training and provides its branch Loan Officers with innovative technologies to streamline the mortgage process.

SOURCE Patty Arvielo

Related Links

https://www.newamericanfunding.com


IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Petalfast Inc., the first-of-its-kind full spectrum sales and marketing agency for cannabis brands, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Dooley to its Board of Directors. With over a decade of experience building and positioning people-first brands in both the Cannabis and confection industries, Dooley, the Company's first independent director, will provide strategic guidance regarding potential new markets and overall brand strategy.

Previously, Dooley served as Chief Strategy Officer for Green Thumb Industries Inc., a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company, where she focused on brand identity, brand growth, and new markets. In addition, Dooley led Green Thumb's strategic business development, investor relations, communications, marketing, and information technology functions.

"Jennifer is highly regarded in the cannabis industry with a proven track record of team building and execution," said Petalfast CEO Jason Vegotsky. "We know Jennifer will be an amazing asset to our company and we are thrilled to have her join our Board as we continue to execute our growth strategy to attract new brands and market opportunities."

Prior to Green Thumb, Dooley led strategic brand development and innovation at Storck USA, a top 10 global confectioner, known for brands such as Werther's Original, Toffifay, Mamba, merci, and RIESEN. There, she brought to market dozens of new products, including the first non-confection product to come out of the century-old Werther's Original brand: a Caramel Popcorn that knocked out incumbents, earning the 2015 Snack Category Product of the Year. She also led brand experience operations for the Werther's Original Caramel Shoppe at Walt Disney World's Epcot.

"I am honored to join the Board of Directors of Petalfast, whose vision and track record of building cannabis brands through innovative consumer-led sales and marketing strategies has great potential to transform Americans' perception of cannabis as a viable alternative to opiates and alcohol," said Dooley. "The Petalfast team has deep experience in the cannabis industry and I look forward to making a positive impact on the team, brand partners, and communities as they navigate this exciting and rapidly growing consumer sector."

In 2021, Dooley was a finalist for IR Magazine's Rising Star Award and was named to Marijuana Venture's "40 Under 40" and High Times "Female 50" In 2019. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management with an emphasis in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. Dooley graduated summa cum laude from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing, and English while a member of The College's NCAA Division I Cross Country and Track + Field teams.

For more information, please visit https://www.petalfast.com/.

About Petalfast

Petalfast is the first-of-its-kind full spectrum sales and marketing agency for the cannabis industry. With decades of experience working with retailers and distributors in cannabis, food and beverage, wine and spirits, and CPG, Petalfast helps cannabis brands achieve rapid growth via its go-to-market accelerator program and incubator program in California, and through its full suite of agency services available to brands nationally. Notable cannabis brands already engaged in the Petalfast platform include Space Coyote, Wana, Smarty Plants, and Beezle. For additional information, please visit www.petalfast.com .

SOURCE Petalfast Inc.

Related Links

http://www.petalfast.com/


TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blockchain technology provider Polymath announced today that Polymesh, an institutional-grade permissioned blockchain built specifically for regulated assets, will be launched by the Polymesh Association on October 13, 2021. The mainnet launch follows the success of its Incentivized Testnet (ITN), which saw more than 4,300 unique verified users.

The network will launch with 14 financially regulated entities acting as operators running validator nodes, with plans to continue onboarding new operators, customer due diligence providers, and service providers. The global community of operators includes Entoro Capital, Tokenise, Marketlend, Oasis, Genesis Block, Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX), Scrypt, B89, Digivault, Saxon Advisors, Bloxxon AG, and Etana Custody. The requirement for operators to be permissioned, regulated entities is one of many unique characteristics of the Polymesh network and ensures industry-leading security, efficiency and transparency.

Most existing public blockchains were built for pseudonymity, censorship resistance, and transparency, and rely on probabilistic settlement. In contrast, Polymesh was purpose-built to incorporate identity, compliance, confidentiality, governance, and deterministic finality. Through key design principles built into the chain's core, Polymesh solves issues with public infrastructure and provides, for the first time, a chain built from the ground-up to be compatible with capital market needs.

In addition, Polymesh's native protocol token, POLYX, is a utility token under Swiss laws (based on guidance provided by the Swiss financial regulator FINMA). This marks a big step forward in regulatory understanding of blockchain technology and its potential beyond payments and securities.

"Polymath set out to build the world's first blockchain specifically for security tokens in 2019, and we've achieved that and more. We're excited to announce the Polymesh mainnet launch by the Polymesh Association, especially after the community's passionate response to the incentivized testnet with over 4,300 users," said Chris Housser, Interim CEO of Polymath.

The Polymesh blockchain will be deployed by the Polymesh Association, a not-for-profit association based in Switzerland whose mission is to promote and develop technologies and applications in the field of blockchain with a focus on the development of the Polymesh protocol and ecosystem. To fulfill its mission, the Association will be equipped with $8 million USD and 250 million POLYX to offer for grants and incentives.

As part of the launch process, the Polymesh Association will deploy a one-way 1:1 POLY:POLYX upgrade bridge for users to upgrade POLY to POLYX. Aside from the one-way bridge, there will be no newly minted supply except for rewards as part of the consensus validation process.

For more information about Polymesh, please visit https://polymesh.network.

About Polymath

Polymath makes it easy to create, issue, and manage security tokens on the blockchain. More than 220 tokens have been deployed using the Ethereum-based solution. Polymath developed the open-source code for Polymesh, an institutional-grade blockchain built specifically for regulated assets. It streamlines antiquated processes and opens the door to new financial instruments by solving the inherent challenges with public infrastructure around identity, compliance, confidentiality, governance, and settlement.

Watch this 2-minute demo to see the process of configuring a token using our TokenStudio application for Polymesh - a new purpose-built blockchain, or visit https://polymath.network to learn more.

Polymath is a blockchain technology provider. Polymath is not a broker-dealer, funding portal, trading platform or otherwise engaged in the business of trading in securities or providing advisory services regarding the issuance, buying or selling of securities. Polymath is not making any recommendation or giving any advice with respect to any company or proposal discussed in this communication.

Contact:

Zoe Poole

617-413-7841

[email protected]

SOURCE Polymath

Related Links

http://polymath.network/


LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 6th CELAC Summit, a regional forum held by the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States, took place over the weekend in Mexico. Established in 2010, the summit brings together the heads of 32 sovereign countries in the Americas to deepen integration while examining areas of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the Commonwealth of Dominica addressed the meeting where he discussed global issues amongst various heads of state. This included the climate crisis, COVID-19 and unemployment, amongst other key concerns that impact the region.

"I believe that among us in Latin America and the Caribbean, we can find solutions to the problems because we have the capacity," said PM Roosevelt Skerrit.

Despite being a small island, Dominica is no stranger to tackling some of the world's greatest challenges. International institutions like the IMF have commended its approach to the climate crisis. In 2017, Prime Minister Skerrit spoke at the United Nations, where he announced that Dominica would dedicate to becoming the world's first climate-resilient nation. This commitment has made significant headway over the past few years with the construction of weather-resistant housing, a geothermal plant and several eco-tourist developments.

One of the most effective tools in alleviating some of these challenges has been foreign direct investment amassed through Dominica's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. The initiative aims to support national development whilst also offering a trusted route to second citizenship for investors.

Since its inauguration in 1993, the programme has become the world's best offering for second citizenship and has been recognised by the annual CBI Index  a report conducted by the Financial Times' PWM magazine.

Those who become economic citizens of Dominica have much of the same rights as native citizens. This includes visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to 75 percent of the globe, the right to live, work and study in the nation, as well as lifelong citizenship that can be passed down for generations to come.

Contact:

+447867942505

[email protected]

www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Radialogica LLC and ScientificRT GmbH announced they are collaborating with IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center in Negrar, Verona, Italy, to define requirements and validate support for Elekta's Unity treatment machine in Radialogica's SciMoCa plan QA software. The collaboration centers around the pre-clinical testing and clinical implementation of SciMoCa for Monte Carlo-based secondary dose calculation and patient-specific quality assurance for radiotherapy treatments delivered by the Unity MR-Linac.

SciMoCa combines the accuracy of Monte Carlo and the precision of custom machine-specific beam models to enhance the robustness and reliability of independent dose calculation and plan QA across all major linear accelerators as well as Cyberknife and Tomotherapy machines. The clinical demands associated with real-time plan adaptation for Unity treatment  namely, fast calculation and reporting speeds; streamlined workflow to enable quality assurance while the patient is in treatment position; and the accurate simulation of the effect of the strong magnetic field on dose deposition  impose unique demands that are particularly well suited to SciMoCa.

"Real-time plan adaptation on the MR-Linac is a radically new and sophisticated method which challenges the tenets of conventional quality assurance," said Prof. Filippo Alongi, Head of the Advanced Radiation Oncology department at IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital and Associate Professor at the University of Brescia. "We need a tool that matches or even exceeds the accuracy of measurements, is capable of handling the magnetic field, fits into the time constraints of a real-time workflow, and looks deeper than a simple point dose comparison. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Radialogica and ScientificRT to evaluate SciMoCa against these requirements in a pre-clinical environment."

"Since our beginning with Unity in October 2019, we've been looking for an independent dose calculation engine for fast online dose recalculation that matches the accuracy of Monaco," said Ruggero Ruggieri, MSc, Head of Medical Physics department at IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center. "We hope this collaboration will soon make SciMoCa available for us and other Unity users".

While the application of Monte Carlo simulation techniques for volumetric dose calculation and comparison has transformed patient-specific QA for conventional linacs, the intense performance demands associated with real-time adaptive therapy have limited the use of such tools within the Unity workflow.

According to Dr. Markus Alber, Chief Executive Officer of ScientificRT, "Never before has the superiority of Monte Carlo as a dose computation method been more evident than for the Unity MR-Linac. The magnetic field distorts the paths of secondary electrons to an extent that cannot reasonably be modeled by any other dose calculation method. We therefore see the established SciMoCa algorithm as an ideal platform for a real-time QA solution for Unity."

"Support for Elekta Unity and other MR-Linacs represents a natural extension and evolution of SciMoCa's clinical capabilities," said Andrew Cowen, Chief Executive Officer of Radialogica. "We are delighted to partner with Prof. Alongi and his colleagues to validate this important new technology, and we look forward to supporting the broader Unity community in their goal to transform quality of care and outcomes for cancer patients."

IRCCS Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Cancer Care Center will perform pre-clinical testing of SciMoCa with a specific focus on validating dose calculation accuracy and workflow efficiency. The validation effort is expected to commence in early 2022 and the first commercial release of SciMoCa Unity support is targeted for summer 2022.

Radialogica, a privately held company based in St. Louis, is a healthcare analytics company focused on radiation oncology for cancer patients. They provide software tools and analytics services to healthcare providers, payers and clinical trials sponsors with the goal of enhancing quality of care, improving patient outcomes, and reducing the burden of cancer survivorship.

ScientificRT, a privately held company based in Munich, is a scientific consulting and software development company specialized in medical physics. It has worked with the majority of global players in radiotherapy to provide tailored leading-edge software solutions and consulting for dose computation and dose optimization and maintains strong international links to academia.

CONTACT:

Andrew Cowen

[email protected]

800-515-9132

SOURCE Radialogica LLC

Related Links

www.radialogica.com


OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The State of California recently signed a momentous budget that includes permanent funding for free school meals for all K-12 students throughout the state. Revolution Foods, a public benefit corporation transforming citywide wellness by providing healthy, dignified, culturally relevant and affordable meals for school and community feeding programs nationwide, urges lawmakers in other states to follow suit.

In the wake of skyrocketing food insecurity rates and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government made breakfast and lunch free for all K-12 students in all 50 states. This meal service waiver has been extended through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Recognizing the importance of school meals for all for the health and well-being of young people, California became the first state to permanently adopt free school meals, followed by Maine shortly thereafter. Kristin Groos Richmond, CEO and co-founder of Revolution Foods, calls this a big milestone in the fight against food insecurity.

"Schools have long been vital sources of healthy meals for children, and often the only available source of food for children of low-income families," explains Richmond. "COVID-19 has increased the already enormous number of American kids experiencing food insecurity, and we believe it is crucial for state and federal leaders to take action in ensuring all childrennot just those who meet income eligibility requirementshave access to nutritious food by funding permanent free school meal programs nationwide."

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the national food insecurity rate for children was at its lowest in more than 20 years (10.7 million). In 2020, that number rose to 15 million or 1 in 5 children. Emma Steinberg, MD, chef and former advisory board member for San Francisco Unified School District has seen the need for universal school meals firsthand in her clinical practice and community work. Steinberg insists it is up to the remaining 48 states to invest in school meal programs to give more children access to the nutrition they need to achieve their full potential.

"By following California's lead in partnership with local organizations like Revolution Foods, the nation can build on the success of the temporary meal program waivers to prioritize food security and children's health in the long term," said Steinberg.

Recently, many school districts have also been facing supply chain constraints driven by COVID-19 impacts and as a result, school menus have been shrinking due to labor and ingredient shortages. This is limiting a variety of meal options and may deter students from getting healthy meals at school. Revolution Foods understands the challenges school districts are facing in the new school year, and it is working diligently to ensure its partners are not faced with similar issues.

For more information about Revolution Foods, please visit RevolutionFoods.com .

About Revolution Foods

Founded in 2006, Revolution Foods is a public benefit corporation committed to transforming citywide wellness and making healthy, chef-crafted, culturally relevant meals accessible to all. The company's innovative approach began with serving freshly prepared, healthy meals to students in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since then, the company has designed, produced and delivered close to 500 million meals to various sites across 23 states, including community feeding programs, childhood education centers, districts, charter schools, senior programs, and afterschool youth programs. Committed to combating food insecurity, Revolution Foods remains a certified B Corporation  recognized by B Lab with the COVID-19 Impact Award  aiming to drive systems change and a brighter future for our nation. For more information, visit RevolutionFoods.com.

SOURCE Revolution Foods

Related Links

http://RevolutionFoods.com


US$750 million revolving credit facility to support operating cash flow needs and higher business volumes

revolving credit facility to support operating cash flow needs and higher business volumes US$295 million delayed-draw term loan, a portion of which may be used, in part, to fund the acquisition of Euro Auctions Limited, William Keys & Sons Holdings Limited, Equipment Sales Ltd and Equipment & Plant Services Ltd. and to refinance the outstanding CAD term loan at closing

delayed-draw term loan, a portion of which may be used, in part, to fund the acquisition of Euro Auctions Limited, & Sons Holdings Limited, Equipment Sales Ltd and Equipment & Plant Services Ltd. and to refinance the outstanding CAD term loan at closing Syndicate consists of 12 banks

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA) ("Ritchie Bros." and the "Company"), the world's largest industrial auctioneer and a leading equipment distributor, is pleased to announce the closing of an amendment and extension of its credit agreement totaling US$1.045 billion with a syndicate of lenders comprising:

Multicurrency revolving facilities of up to US$750 Million (the "Revolving Facilities"), and, A delayed-draw term loan facility of up to US$295 Million (the "Delayed-Draw Facility" and together with the Revolving Facilities, the "Facilities").

The maturity date of the Facilities has been extended from October 27, 2023 to September 21, 2026. Drawn amounts under the Delayed-Draw Facility will amortize in equal quarterly installments in an annual amount of 5%, with the balance payable at maturity. The Facilities continue to be secured by the assets of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries in the United States and Canada.

"We are very pleased with the interest the banks expressed in participating in the extension and upsize of our syndicated credit facilities," said Sharon Driscoll, Chief Financial Officer of Ritchie Bros. "The upsized debt arrangement provides us with increased financial flexibility relative to the previous debt arrangement and will help us achieve future growth initiatives, including our previously announced acquisition of Euro Auctions. Ritchie Bros.' strong cash flow profile will assist with de-levering of our balance sheet following the acquisition of Euro Auctions. We would like to thank our syndicate of banking partners for their support and demonstrating their confidence in our business, especially during these uncertain times."

BofA Securities, Inc. and RBC Capital Markets served as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners. Bank of America, N.A. served as Administrative Agent and the Royal Bank of Canada as Syndication Agent.



About Ritchie Bros.:

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Related Links

http://www.rbauction.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today announced that it is a Net Zero company across its full value chain and has achieved 100% renewable energy for its operations. Salesforce developed emissions reductions strategies across Scope 1, 2, and 3 in four key categorieswork from anywhere, infrastructure, business travel, and supply chain.

Salesforce is also unveiling Sustainability Cloud 2.0 to accelerate customers' path to Net Zero, empowering organizations to track and reduce their carbon emissions and become a sustainable business. New innovations include Slack-First Sustainability for better collaboration with suppliers, a carbon-offset ecosystem, and industry specific climate action plans.

"Climate change is one of the most pressing crises we face as a planet, and each one of us has a responsibility to help,'' said Marc Benioff, CEO and Chair, Salesforce. "I'm proud that Salesforce is one of the few companies to have achieved Net Zero and 100% renewable energy, but we can't stop until we embrace every solution and get every business on board. Together, we can sequester 100 gigatons of carbon by restoring, conserving or growing 1 trillion trees; energize an ecopreneur revolution to develop innovative climate solutions; and accelerate the Fortune 1000 to reach Net Zero."

"Climate change impacts everyone and everything, and it disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable, amplifying global inequality," said Suzanne DiBianca, Chief Impact Officer and EVP of Corporate Relations at Salesforce. "Sustainability Cloud supercharged our path to Net Zero, and we're empowering customers with the transformational tools and trusted data they need to reduce their carbon emissions and take climate action."

Sustainability is essential to becoming a trusted enterprise. Customers want to do business with companies that are fully committed to climate action. In fact, 58% of people are willing to spend more with businesses that fight climate change.

Salesforce Expands Net Zero to its Entire Value Chain (Scope 1, 2, and 3)

Salesforce is continuing to drive towards a 1.5C future by focusing on six sustainability priorities: emissions reduction, carbon removal, trillion trees & ecosystem restoration, education & mobilization, innovation, and regulation & policy.

Today, the company is releasing its Climate Action Plan to offer a blueprint for others to accelerate their journey to Net Zero.

"We need bold and urgent action if we are to deliver the promise of Paris and a healthier, cleaner, more resilient zero carbon world in time. Salesforce has shown significant leadership in climate action through their innovation, supply chain decarbonisation and policy advocacy work, and I encourage businesses around the world to step up now and join us in the Race to Zero emissions," said Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Champions for COP26.

Salesforce achieved Net Zero emissions by:

Committing publicly to the shared, global goal of achieving a just and equitable transition to Net Zero, in line with a 1.5C future.

Prioritizing reducing emissions as quickly as possible and aligning its own full value chain emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3) to the global trajectory of ~50% emissions reductions by 2030, and near-zero emissions by 2040. With Sustainability Cloud, Salesforce identified the most impactful opportunities to lower its carbon footprint.

Compensating for any remaining emissions by purchasing renewable energy and carbon credits of high credibility, impact, and co-benefits. In the long-term, using removal credits only and in the near term using a combination of avoidance and removal credits.

In 2021, Salesforce achieved 100% renewable energy, purchasing enough renewable energy to match all electricity it uses globally. Since first committing to this goal in 2013, Salesforce has been working to accelerate the global transition to clean and renewable sources of electricity with the aim for a future where renewable energy is powering the world around the clock.

To address climate change, businesses need to decrease emissions and increase carbon removals from the atmosphere. Salesforce is focused on deploying natural carbon removal tools, including trees and oceans, while scaling technology-based carbon removal solutions. From ecopreneurs to enterprisesinnovation is needed to expedite the path to decarbonization.

Sustainability Cloud 2.0 Accelerates Companies to Net Zero, Faster

More than 70% of people believe emissions reduction should factor into business operations, yet tracking a company's full value chain emissions is complex and time consuming. With Sustainability Cloud, Salesforce was able to reduce its carbon accounting process from more than six months to just six weeks.

Sustainability Cloud is designed to help customers track and reduce their emissions and take action through a full view of their environmental footprint with investor-grade data for customizable ESG reporting. This data is essential for third-party audits, financial filings, corporate reputation, and building trust with all stakeholders. Customers including Clif Bar & Company, ISDI, MillerKnoll, Uhuru, and XERO are already beginning to use Sustainability Cloud to track their carbon emissions and take action.

Today, Salesforce is introducing Sustainability Cloud 2.0 to help businesses accelerate to Net Zero by making progress on the six sustainability priorities and turning commitments into action. In the next generation of Sustainability Cloud, companies will see the following:

Suppliers are a significant part of the carbon reduction equation. Companies will get investor-grade scope 3 reporting with Slack-First Sustainability , allowing them to effortlessly connect and securely collaborate at scale with suppliers around science-based emission reduction targets through Slack Connect.

, allowing them to effortlessly connect and securely collaborate at scale with suppliers around science-based emission reduction targets through Slack Connect. Every industry has unique needs. Businesses will be able to visualize their fastest path to Net Zero with Climate Action Planning, which includes forecasting, scenario planning, and built-in decarbonization plans.

which includes forecasting, scenario planning, and built-in decarbonization plans. Climate action needs everyone to mobilize and collaborate. Salesforce is investing in building an Open Exchange Ecosystem, in which customers will be able to purchase and manage high-quality carbon credits from ecopreneurs, advocate for science-based climate policies, and democratize sustainability by educating teams.

"At Clif Bar, we are guided by our values, like striving to create a healthy and sustainable food system. We know that fostering collective climate action, in partnership with our suppliers, is key to our success," said Roma McCaig, Senior Vice President of Impact and Communications, Clif Bar & Company. "We've committed to creating a net positive impact on climate. That's why we're leveraging Salesforce's Sustainability Cloud to further enhance visibility into our carbon footprint while also helping our suppliers reduce their own."

Nature-Based Solutions Are Critical to Addressing the Climate Crisis

At Salesforce, the environment is a key stakeholder, and trees are one of the most effective solutions to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. That's why Salesforce is a founding partner of 1t.org, a movement to conserve, restore, and grow 1 trillion trees by 2030.

Through Dreamforce Gives, Salesforce is donating $1M to American Forests and One Tree Planted to advance tree equity and urban canopy in lower income communities and neighborhoods, and to reforest disaster-affected areas.

Dreamforce Gives : American Forests will focus its efforts in Dallas , Phoenix , and Rhode Island  areas that are grappling with extreme heat and have been identified by American Forests' Tree Equity Score as having high disparities in tree canopy  and plant more than 1,700 trees in underserved communities across these areas. One Tree Planted will plant trees globally to support urban reforestation and tree equity in lower income communities and neighborhoods.

: American Forests will focus its efforts in , , and  areas that are grappling with extreme heat and have been identified by American Forests' Tree Equity Score as having high disparities in tree canopy  and plant more than 1,700 trees in underserved communities across these areas. One Tree Planted will plant trees globally to support urban reforestation and tree equity in lower income communities and neighborhoods. Global Citizen : As part of the company's commitment to the planet, Salesforce is partnering with leaders and activists for Global Citizen, a movement to mobilize millions of people around the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Inspired by the actions of global citizens and as part of the Global Citizen Live event, taking place on September 25th , and in partnership with 1T.org, Salesforce will fund the restoration, conservation, and growth of an additional 30 million trees by this year driving forward its overall goal of 100M trees by the end of the decade.

: As part of the company's commitment to the planet, Salesforce is partnering with leaders and activists for Global Citizen, a movement to mobilize millions of people around the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Inspired by the actions of global citizens and as part of the Global Citizen Live event, taking place on , and in partnership with 1T.org, Salesforce will fund the restoration, conservation, and growth of an additional 30 million trees by this year driving forward its overall goal of trees by the end of the decade. Trees for Jane: Salesforce is also a proud supporter of Trees for Jane, a new campaign to protect and restore the world's trees and forests, inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall . Trees for Jane aims to stop deforestation while also empowering individuals to plant and care for their own tree or trees in their backyards, rooftops, or with local community groups.

The protection of our planet requires everyone  governments, investors, businesses, individuals  working together, today, to take climate action.

More Information:

Tune into Dreamforce today at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. BST

/ / Check out the Tableau & American Forests' Tree Equity Score Explorer dashboard

Learn more about the 2021 Salesforce Economy study

Learn more about Salesforce's commitment to climate action here

New Sustainability Cloud innovations are expected to be generally available in 2022

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to digitally transform and create a 360 view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit https://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

SOURCE Salesforce
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz County Bank www.sccountybank.com (OTCQX:SCZC), with assets over $1.6 billion, is a top-rated community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz County. Today the bank announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share. The dividend is payable on October 12, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 30, 2021.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2021, Santa Cruz County Bank reported a $5.3 million in net income, a 40% increase over the same period in 2020.

Return on average equity was 11.97% for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. The book value per share of Santa Cruz County Bank's common stock at June 30, 2021 was $46.15, an increase of $4.68 from the same period in 2020. Shareholders' equity grew to $178.6 million, a $18.9 million increase compared to the same period in 2020.

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK

Santa Cruz County Bank was founded in 2004. It is a top-rated, locally-owned and operated, full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The bank has branches located in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus and direct access to decision makers. The bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations. Santa Cruz County Bank stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX marketplace under the symbol SCZC. For more information about Santa Cruz County Bank, visit www.sccountybank.com.

This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties may include but are not necessarily limited to fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, government regulations and general economic conditions, and competition within the business areas in which the Bank is conducting its operations, including the real estate market in California and other factors beyond the Bank's control. Such risks and uncertainties could cause results for subsequent interim periods or for the entire year to differ materially from those indicated. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. The Bank undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Santa Cruz County Bank

Related Links

http://www.sccountybank.com


BRANCHBURG, N.J., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BioFort will be presenting a Late-Breaking study, "Potential therapeutic uses of ultraviolet radiation during the COVID-19 pandemic", as a poster presentation at the 2021 Radiation and Research Society Annual Meeting this October. BioFort collaborated with a global community of physicians, scientists, and decontamination professionals at ClorDiSys, to highlight how different wavebands of the ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation spectrum can distinctly provide solutions toward the COVID-19 Pandemic. Detailed is the application of UV-C in regards to environmental disinfection where it has the ability to reduce the ambient viral load (i.e., in air and on surfaces) that contributes to spread of disease. UV-C has been widely used for decades to inactivate viruses, and its use is becoming more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its effectiveness. Whereas UV-C waveband is used to disinfect the environment, UV-B has been proposed as an effective, safe and viable therapy for the inactivation of viruses in tissues of infected individuals.

With combined use of UV-C and UV-B, there is a potential for overall Global Viral Load Reduction (GVLR). Interpolating Coohill et al. 1990 data on the percent transmission of UV to the center of cells, researchers' calculations suggest that a 3-second exposure of narrow band (nb) UVB at a skin surface dose of 30 mJ/cm^2 can result in at least a 1-log reduction of SARS-CoV-2 in tissue up to a depth of 200 um. The study also discusses the safety of nbUVB use in tissues. Specifically, that the proposed 30 mJ/cm^2 dose is significantly lower than the nbUVB LD50 (401.8 mJ/cm2) of human oral mucosa cells and 30 mJ/cm^2 dose is one-tenth of the nbUVB fractional dose used/required to cure human papillomavirus in tissue. Unlike nbUVB irradiation, none of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies currently in use inactivate virus that has infected human tissues. Failure to adequately treat individuals that contribute to global SARS-CoV-2 viral load will further enable virus survival via seasonal oscillation within low UV environments and between the global hemispheres. In other words, SARS-CoV-2 will find a safe harbor in the shadows, which would also enable more variants to be produced, some of which may elude existing vaccines.

BioFort, headquartered in Puerto Rico, is a healthcare and research corporation (https://qrco.de/bcL43Z) researching and developing of proprietary BioDefense protocols and technology. ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc, headquartered in New Jersey, has been providing decontamination and sterilization equipment and services since 2001 utilizing both chlorine dioxide gas and UV-C light.

SOURCE ClorDiSys Solutions Inc

Related Links

https://www.clordisys.com


TORONTO and SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank Group and Envestnet | Yodlee today announced a data access agreement to address the needs of an increasingly digital customer base. This North American agreement signifies the alignment between TD and Envestnet | Yodlee about protocols to provide for the safe and secure access of TD customer financial data to support the customer's requests to share with the financial wellness apps and experiences of their choice. TD Bank becomes the 13th bank in North America to sign such a data access agreement with Envestnet |Yodlee.

Through this agreement, TD customers will be able to more reliably and effectively connect to and send their financial information to the more than 1,400 third-party applications powered by the Envestnet | Yodlee financial data aggregation platform. At the customer's request, TD will now transfer the customer's financial data to Envestnet | Yodlee through Application Program Interfaces (APIs) eliminating the need for customers to share their banking login ID or password.

"We are excited to announce our first data access agreement for API-based connectivity with a Canadian headquartered financial institution," said Chad A. Wiechers, Senior Vice President of Data Acquisition and Strategy, Envestnet | Yodlee. "Our relationship with TD is vital for empowering customers to make intelligent financial decisions, while also benefitting from greater connectivity and security across their accounts."

"We know that our customers are interacting with us through digital channels more than ever before and we are focused on helping meet their needs however they choose to bank," says Franklin Garrigues, VP, Digital Channels, TD. "This agreement supports our goal of offering our customers a secure and confident experience when they are accessing digital services that are outside their bank."

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the fifth largest bank in North America by assets and serves more than 26 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 15 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.7 trillion in assets on July 31, 2021. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

About Envestnet

Envestnet refers to the family of operating subsidiaries of the public holding company, Envestnet, Inc. (NYSE: ENV). Envestnet is transforming the way financial advice and wellness are delivered. Our mission is to empower advisors and financial service providers with innovative technology, solutions and intelligence to make financial wellness a reality for everyone. Nearly 108,000 advisors and more than 6,000 companies including: 17 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 46 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, over 500 of the largest RIAs and hundreds of FinTech companies, leverage Envestnet technology and services that help drive better outcomes for enterprises, advisors and their clients.

For more information on Envestnet | Yodlee, please visit www.yodlee.com, subscribe to our blog, and follow us on Twitter (@Yodlee) and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Envestnet | Yodlee
TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tequity, an M&A advisory firm specializing in global Enterprise B2B Cloud, SaaS, and IT companies, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Avaleris Inc., an Ottawa-based rm focused on Microsoft Identity, Security and Cloud services, in their acquisition by PwC Canada.

Avaleris Acquired by PwC Canada

Canadian organizations continue to accelerate their digital and data transformations using cloud solutions. Cloud transformations, when done sub-optimally, can signicantly expose organizations to increasing cyber threats. Cloud however also presents tremendous opportunities to rationalize, modernize and automate cybersecurity capabilities so organizations can innovate with speed and condence.

On working with Tequity, Ron Mac Donell, President and CEO, Avaleris Inc. said "Tequity provided us with a complete view of the market of potential strategic acquirers. They have the right key contacts and know this space well. Wilf and Diane ran a very efficient process that was concluded in 5 months - from getting ready, to market outreach, meetings, offers, negotiations, and due diligence - and resulted in a lot of interest and multiple offers for our consideration."

"Our team of talented and innovative cybersecurity professionals are thrilled to join the PwC team and take on new challenges and opportunities for growth," Ron added. "Given the strong alignment of our culture and values, PwC clients will continue to benet from the innovations and unparalleled capabilities they have come to expect."

PwC's cybersecurity practice has grown signicantly and is a trusted service provider to many large Canadian organizations from Strategy to Execution, as well as Operations using their Digital Resilience Centre. The skilled team at Avaleris joining PwC's experienced cybersecurity professionals provides clients with greater access to innovative assets, talent, and capabilities. The acquisition helps PwC build additional depth and breadth to enhance their service offerings required to meet the growing demand in the cybersecurity space.

"PwC is thrilled to welcome the Avaleris team to PwC. Their work has proven to build a strong reputation with clients, as well as a longstanding strategic partnership with Microsoft. The team's focus on people, delivery excellence and innovation are a great t with PwC culture and values," said Saj Nair, Partner & National Technology & Cloud Leader, PwC Canada. "Many of our clients are partnering with Microsoft for their digital and cloud transformations. We aim to help our joint clients to reimagine enterprise cybersecurity and securely accelerate digital and cloud transformation using next-gen capabilities powered by Microsoft solutions."

The acquisition welcomes over 30 highly experienced cybersecurity professionals to the PwC network.

PwC is fueled by its purpose to build trust in society and solve important problems. In a digital and data-driven world, one way they serve this purpose is through their cybersecurity practice which is focused on building a secure digital society. According to the 2021 PwC Canadian insights of the CEO survey, cybersecurity climbed to the top of the list of extreme threats, followed by the pandemic and other health crises. 87% of Canadian CEOs identied this as a top threat to growth. With an accelerated focus on digitization, there is an increased need to embed cybersecurity and privacy in all digital and data transformations.

About Avaleris

Avaleris Inc. is a recognized leader in helping enterprise and government organizations tackle challenging business problems related to the IT security of user identities and their secure access to networks and information. Avaleris provides value by offering strategic direction, deployment, adoption, and ongoing optimization for the identity, security, and mobility projects of some of Microsoft's largest clients. The company is recognized for its outstanding technical and domain expertise and focus on achieving client success.

About PwC Canada

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. More than 7,000 partners and staff in oces across the country are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, consulting and deals services. PwC Canada is a member of the PwC network of rms with more than 284,000 people in 155 countries. Find out more by visiting us at: www.pwc.com/ca.

PwC refers to the Canadian member rm and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member rm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

 2021 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.

About Tequity

Tequity assists Enterprise B2B SaaS, Cloud, and IT companies with business growth and exit strategies. Our mission is simple: Achieve the best outcome for our clients. With decades of combined experience as executives, consultants, and owners of software and technology companies, we leverage our deep industry knowledge across tech ecosystems and our relationships with strategic, growth-focused buyers around the globe to drive successful M&A transactions. For more information visit http://www.tequityadvisors.com/

Contact:

Diane Horton, Managing Partner

[email protected]

+1 (905) 581-7424

SOURCE Tequity

Related Links

http://www.tequityadvisors.com


ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army has received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support ongoing emergency response and long-term recovery for those affected by Hurricane Ida from Louisiana to New England and by wildfires across 10 western states. The additional support will be pivotal for the nation's largest private provider of social services as it meets the needs of communities affected by natural disasters while continuing a multi-year response to COVID-19.

"I have seen the impacts of recent hurricanes and wildfires firsthand, which has shown without any doubt that needs will continue long after initial responses are over," said Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, National Commander of The Salvation Army USA. "It's because of support from Lilly Endowment that The Salvation Army can provide essential services now and continue with long-term recovery services for those who lost their homes and livelihoods."

The grant will help thousands of families across more than a dozen states to get back into their homes and find stability. Emergency response has included meeting the urgent need for food, clean water, safe shelter and critical hygiene supplies. Long-term recovery will focus on various forms of financial assistance, continued distribution of critical supplies, and disaster case management.

The Salvation Army will continue providing emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders from response through recovery. All services are conducted with additional COVID-19 safety measures to ensure disaster workers and survivors are safe while entrusted to Salvation Army care.

In response to Hurricane Ida, The Salvation Army has deployed disaster leadership teams to Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York to lead emergency relief operations and mobilize more than 55 feeding units to provide food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care to affected communities.

The Salvation Army response to Hurricane Ida as of 9/17:

393,118 meals

204,736 drinks

104,732 snacks

10,128 cleanup kits

12,424 hygiene kits

3,327 PPE

34,962 hours of service

Emotional and spiritual care to 19,560 people

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and continues through November 30. Recent hurricane seasons have been busier than usual, which has required increased services from The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army Western Territory has responded to 27 wildfires across 10 states in 2021 with emergency assistance that includes provision of meals, food boxes, drinks, snacks, personal protection equipment, hygiene kits, cleanup kits, debit cards, medicine, and vouchers for clothing and furniture.

The Salvation Army response to Western Wildfires in 10 states as of 8/31:

82,728 meals

93,546 drinks

44,856 snacks

602 cleanup kits

7,529 PPE & hygiene kits

26,727 hours of service

Emotional and spiritual care to 611 people

The Western Wildfire Season lasts six to eight months each year, beginning in May and ending in December. The 2021 season's wildfires have ranged from small rural incidents that are fully contained within weeks, to some of California's largest wildfires in history, burning for months and threatening heavily populated locations.

The Salvation Army's presence in every zip code of the United Stateswith more than 7,600 centers of operationmakes it possible to help before, during, and after disaster events of all sizes.

"Lilly Endowment has a long history of supporting the disaster relief efforts of The Salvation Army," said Ronni Kloth, the Endowment's vice president for community development. "We are pleased to be able to help as The Salvation Army works to provide compassionate care and support in communities across the country that have been affected by devastating natural disasters."

For more than 70 years, Lilly Endowment has supported The Salvation Army's efforts to help people in need, most recently amid COVID-19 and natural disasters, and including work to help low-income families around the country break the cycle of poverty through the Pathway of Hope Program.

To learn more about The Salvation Army's ongoing relief efforts, or to make a donation, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. You may also donate by phone by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. During times of disaster, 100 percent of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts. In the first-ever listing of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders' wishes, it supports the causes of community development, education and religion. It funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, though it maintains a special commitment to its founders' hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Media Contact:

Joseph Cohen

(703) 299-5551

[email protected]

SOURCE The Salvation Army

Related Links

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org


On June 14, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed House Bill 2123 and the coinciding Senate Bill 1387, which made Virginia students meeting the state's Tuition Equity requirements also eligible for state financial aid beginning in the fall 2022.

SCHEV Operationalizes the Legislation

SCHEV, which makes higher education public policy recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly in such areas as enrollment projections, institutional operational needs, and student financial aid, served as the catalyst to operationalize the new legislation. The state agency researched the market for vendors with experience and a positive track record of delivering this functionality to statewide aid applications for undocumented students. Regent Education had delivered similar functionality on time and on budget in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and at individual institutions in Texas.

Regent Education Powers the Solution

Regent Access delivers an online state financial aid application experience that mirrors the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) experience, with an intuitive interview format, personalized skip logic, integrated help, and Spanish translations. This streamlined, automated solution makes it easy for undocumented students to apply for state aid and minimizes the time and resources required to process applications.

"This partnership is another example of ways in which Virginia is extending equitable access to qualified students. Making financial aid available to these students will lead to more students gaining the credentials they need to improve not only their lives but those of generations to come," said Peter Blake, Executive Director of SCHEV.

"Regent Education was proud to support the recent legislation and work with SCHEV to deliver a state financial aid process that mirrors the FAFSA experience. We're especially pleased to help enable Virginia's undocumented students to be one step closer to attaining a higher education degree," said Jim Hermens, CEO of Regent Education.

The Virginia Access solution is projected to go live this calendar year.

About The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the state's coordinating agency for higher education. With Pathways to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, SCHEV is dedicated to making Virginia the best state for education by 2030. For more on this statewide strategic plan, visit https://schev.edu/TheVirginiaPlan.

About Regent Education

Regent Education is a leading provider of SaaS solutions that simplify the financial aid process for higher education institutions offering traditional and nontraditional enrollment models. Regent offers a suite of solutions encompassing the automation of financial aid management, verification processes, student financial planning, and state financial aid applications. Regent's financial aid management solutions offer institutions an unprecedented ability to automate the financial aid process to increase efficiency, mitigate compliance risks, expand enrollment, improve the student experience, and enhance financial management and financial aid lifecycle visibility. For more information, visit https://regenteducation.com/.

Contact

Regent Education

Diane Eves, Marketing Director

(301) 662-5592 or [email protected]

SOURCE Regent Education

Related Links

http://regenteducation.com


AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TI Fluid Systems (TIFS), a leading global supplier of automotive fluid systems technology, has announced three executive level appointments as Hans Dieltjens assumes the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2021.

Hans will succeed William L. Kozyra, who will retire on 1 October 2021 and step down from the Board of Directors. Hans will assume this leadership role at a strategically important time for the Company as it is accelerating its electric vehicle strategy success and reinforcing its position as a leading provider of thermal solutions for the automotive industry.

Hans holds a master's degree in Electro/Mechanical Engineering with 25 years of automotive experience in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Hans joined TI Fluid Systems in 1996 where he gained broad commercial and operational experience through his divisional leadership positions. Among his successes, Hans led the Global Fuel Tank and Delivery Systems Division in developing and manufacturing products that enhance vehicle performance and safety while exceeding strict emissions regulations to preserve the environment. Earlier this year, Hans was appointed to the role of Chief Operating Officer in preparation for his ultimate succession to President and Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2021.

TI Fluid Systems is also further expanding its Executive Committee with the appointment of Stephanie Jett as Chief Commercial Officer, Johannes Helmich as Chief Technology Officer and Mark Sullivan as Chief Operating Officer.

Stephanie Jett will join the Company on 1 October 2021 in the role of Chief Commercial Officer and will be based at the Company's Corporate Headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Stephanie brings 20 years of automotive industry experience to the position and has worked in various senior level commercial roles at Valeo, Visteon, Metaldyne, and most recently as Global Senior Vice President of Sales for Autoliv. Stephanie will be responsible for sales and commercial activities, which include an increased focus on the Company's electric vehicle product portfolio.

Johannes Helmich joined the Company on 1 September 2021 as Chief Technology Officer and is based at the Company's leading technology center in Rastatt, Germany. Johannes will play a crucial role in the design and development of TI Fluid Systems' product portfolio, with a specific focus on accelerating the Company's electric vehicle product development as part of its Fluid Evolution strategy. Johannes has more than 25 years of engineering experience, having worked in various high-level executive positions at international Tier 1 automotive suppliers, such as Magna, Brose, Bosch, and Valeo.

Mark Sullivan is also based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, and joined the Company earlier this year from Plastic Omnium Group where he held various positions of increasing responsibility including Global President of their fuel tank business (Inergy) and their plastics exteriors business. During his more than 35 years in the automotive industry, Mark has lived and worked in the United States, France and Germany, bringing with him diverse international experience together with strong operational focus that supports long term business strategies.

"We welcome Stephanie, Johannes and Mark to the team and extend our warmest congratulations to Hans on his promotion to Chief Executive Officer at such an exciting time in our industry," said Manfred Wennemer, Chair of the Board of Directors. "These important additions to our executive team will further strengthen the Company's ability to execute our electric vehicle strategy, while also enabling us to deliver on our near-term objectives." Manfred continued, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish Bill Kozyra the very best for his retirement and thank him for his more than 13 years of exemplary service to the Company. As well as leading the Company through the global financial crisis into a decade of record performance, Bill was instrumental in developing our electric vehicle strategy. Bill, who will remain connected to the Company in an advisory capacity until the end of the year, has brought TI Fluid Systems to a strong position to continue delivering innovative technology to our automotive customer base, and we are excited for what is to come."

To find out more about TI Fluid Systems, visit www.tifluidsystems.com.

About TI Fluid Systems

TI Fluid Systems is a leading global manufacturer of fluid storage, carrying and delivery systems primarily for the light duty automotive market. With nearly 100 years of automotive fluid systems experience, TI Fluid Systems has manufacturing facilities in 107 locations across 28 countries serving all major global OEMs.

SOURCE TI Fluid Systems
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the philanthropy world on the precipice of revolutionary change due to the pending baby boomer wealth transfer, UCLA School of Law today announced the formation of the Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits, devoted to cutting-edge research, training and policy in this dynamic and evolving area of the law and society. It will reside within the law school's Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy (LMI). The new program builds on the vision of LMI founder and UCLA Law alumnus Lowell Milken, who has utilized his own legal background to inform his work as both a businessman and a philanthropist.

"We are immensely grateful to Lowell Milken for his visionary gift," said Jennifer Mnookin, Dean of the UCLA School of Law. "Our outstanding UCLA Law faculty, especially in tax law, nonprofit law and the governance of entities, positions us to be a national resource for scholarship and policy analysis of the nonprofit sector  and we can take a leadership role in the education of legal counsel, nonprofit directors and executives to meet the challenges that will shape nonprofits."

As baby boomers pass on, they are expected to transfer tens of trillions of dollars in wealth to younger generations, well-established nonprofits and/or family foundations. This massive financial shift is set to upend the processes of philanthropy and the governance of nonprofits. The rise of new ways of conducting philanthropy and changes in the role of nonprofits places this issue closer to the heart of the national political, legal and social conversation.

"We're undergoing a generational shift that promises to make some of the most significant changes to the universe of business law and policy in decades," said Milken. "There is a rare and important chance to make an impact on a national scale, and the talent and vision of the people at UCLA Law and LMI make this an exciting and irresistible opportunity."

Among the nation's most eminent businessmen, philanthropists and leaders in education reform, Milken has donated more than $20 million to the law school during the past decade, including the $10 million gift, then the largest in the school's history, that launched LMI in 2011. A new gift of $3.7 million has made the new Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits possible.

Since its founding in 2011, LMI has been home to UCLA Law's business law and tax law programs, both ranked in the top 10 nationally. The new program will serve UCLA Law students and all stakeholders in the nonprofit sector, convening practitioners, donors, regulators and those who run nonprofits. Initially, the program will focus on three main goals:

Become a research center that develops and shares scholarship and knowledge on issues relating to nonprofits with policymakers, regulators, lawyers and nonprofit senior managers. Develop and expand education at UCLA Law for students, lawyers, directors and nonprofit senior managers on issues central to nonprofit operations and governance. Support thought leadership on legal issues material to nonprofits, serving as an important resource for nonprofits and as a venue to bring together practitioners, scholars and regulators.

"Lowell Milken brought this new law and philanthropy program concept to us, showing incredible foresight about generational wealth transfer," said Joel Feuer, executive director of LMI. "Thanks to his investment in this idea, we are now ready to launch a pioneering effort that again has the potential to transform a field of law."

"The nonprofit sector is undergoing an epochal shift, and lawyers will be at the center of this transformation," said Professor Jill Horwitz, a renowned authority in the law of nonprofits and the program's inaugural faculty director. "UCLA Law and the Lowell Milken Institute now have the opportunity to lead the way in this especially relevant area."

Horwitz, who holds the David Sanders Professorship in Law and Medicine at UCLA Law, recently served as the reporter for the American Law Institute's Restatement of the Law, Charitable Nonprofit Organizations.

ABOUT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW

Founded in 1949, UCLA School of Law is one of the top-ranked law schools in the country. Its faculty are among the most influential scholars in business law, constitutional law, critical race studies, environmental law, evidence, immigration, public interest law, tax and other fields. UCLA Law's 18,000-plus alumni work in nearly every state and more than 50 countries as leaders in government, industry, social justice and the legal profession. Committed to the University of California's mission of teaching, research and service, the school offers students a strong foundation in the law as well as practical training through a robust experiential education program.

###

SOURCE UCLA School of Law

Related Links

https://law.ucla.edu/


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "US Hyperscale Data Center Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The US hyperscale data center market by investment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.30% during the period 2021-2026.



The US is witnessing massive growth in internet usage by people and businesses. The country is the largest market in terms of data center operations, and it is continuing to grow due to the higher consumption of data by end-users. The growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT) is a major driver for the U.S. hyperscale data center market, leading to additional facilities that can support exabytes of data generated by both business users and consumers.

The study considers the present scenario of the US hyperscale data center market and its market dynamics for the period 2021-2026. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market.



SNIPPETS

In 2020, the US was the major contributor in terms of investment to the hyperscale market.

The adoption of high-performance infrastructure supporting high-density workloads will rise during the forecast period.

The price of SSDs will continue to decline. The US will be the major market for high-capacity SSD solutions across the globe.

Submarine cable investments will improve in-land connectivity and reduce latency, thereby boosting the US hyperscale data center market growth.

In terms of electrical infrastructure, UPS systems are likely to dominate the hyperscale data center market with a market share of over 28%, followed by generators and transfer switches & switchgear with around 27% and 21%, respectively.

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

The US hyperscale data center market share by IT infrastructure will witness a growth of 3.86% during the forecast period. Enterprises are shifting businesses from small server rooms to data centers for high-performance and high-capacity infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic grew the infrastructure adoption among internet-related service providers such as e-commerce, online video streaming, and social media in Q1 and Q2 2020. In the IT infrastructure segment, most of the revenue is generated by server systems, followed by storage and network infrastructure.

The US data center market by server infrastructure is expected to reach USD 19.55 billion in 2026. The market for server infrastructure has witnessed growth in the past years. The increase in demand for server shipments will continue to grow moderately as enterprises are likely to move to the cloud or colocation platforms for their IT infrastructure operations.

in 2026. The market for server infrastructure has witnessed growth in the past years. The increase in demand for server shipments will continue to grow moderately as enterprises are likely to move to the cloud or colocation platforms for their IT infrastructure operations. The US hyperscale cooling market by cooling systems was valued at USD 1.82 billion in 2020. Cooling systems are adopted in data centers to reduce the heat generated by IT infrastructure. The adoption of cooling systems depends on cost and efficiency, which is likely to play a major role in selecting vendors.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

In the South-Eastern US, Virginia led the maximum data center investment in 2020, followed by Texas , Alabama , Oregon , and Ohio .

led the maximum data center investment in 2020, followed by , , , and . The major investors in Virginia were CyrusOne, COPT Data Center Solutions, Digital Realty, Aligned, Facebook, Microsoft, and QTS Realty Trust.

were CyrusOne, COPT Data Center Solutions, Digital Realty, Aligned, Facebook, Microsoft, and QTS Realty Trust. Virginia distributed over USD 100 million in tax exemptions in 2020, making it an investor-friendly destination for hyperscale data center investment in the US. Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest over USD 200 million to develop a data facility in Virginia to expand its footprint in the region.

distributed over in tax exemptions in 2020, making it an investor-friendly destination for hyperscale data center investment in the US. Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest over to develop a data facility in to expand its footprint in the region. In addition to self-built data centers, hyperscale operators are among the region's largest customers for colocation service providers.

The construction of new facilities in the region will offer new opportunities for Support and IT infrastructure vendors, which will contribute significantly to their revenue growth.

It is expected that the hyperscale investment will continue to grow in the region during the forecast period.

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

The US hyperscale data center market is witnessing growth in revenue from ODM server manufacturers such as Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT) (Quanta Computer) and Wiwynn (Wistron).

ODM server manufacturers will be significant competitors to other vendors such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell Technologies, IBM, Inspur, Lenovo, and Cisco Systems. Vendor offerings are concentrated on technologies such as cloud, big data, AI, and IoT-based application workloads.

Every major storage vendor is facing strong competition from all-flash storage offerings. The market for ODM storage systems is rising the demand for OCP design-based storage products used in hyperscale data centers.

Key IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

AccelStor

Atos

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

DataDirect Networks

Dell Technologies

Extreme Networks

Fujitsu

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Hitachi Vantara

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Intel Technologies

Infortrend Technology

Inspur

MiTAC Holdings

NetApp

Nimbus Data

Pivot3

Micron Technology

QNAP Systems

Quanta Cloud Technology

Samsung

Super Micro Computer

Synology

VIOLIN

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

Western Digital

Wiwynn (Wistron)

Key Support Infrastructure Vendors

ABB

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Asetek

Bloom Energy

Caterpillar

Condair Group

Cormant

Cummins

Cyber Power Systems

Data Aire

Delta Power Solutions

Eaton

FNT Software

Generac Power Systems

Green Revolution Cooling (GRC)

HITEC Power Protection

KOHLER

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Natron Energy

Nlyte Software

Rolls Royce Power Systems

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Rittal

Toshiba

Trane ( Ingersoll Rand )

) Tripp Lite

Vertiv Group

Yanmar

ZincFive

Key Construction Contractors

AECOM

Arup

Balfour Beatty US

BlueScope Construction

Corgan

Clune Construction

DPR Construction

Fortis Construction

Gensler

Gilbane Building Company

Fluor Corporation

HDR Architecture

Holder Construction Group

HITT Contracting

Hoffman Construction

Jacobs Engineering Group

JE Dunn Construction Group

Linesight

M+W Group (Exyte)

Morrison Hershfield

Mortenson

Rogers-O'Brien Construction

Structure Tone (STO Building Group)

Syska Hennessy Group

The Walsh Group

Turner Construction Company

Key Data Center Investors

Apple

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Aligned

Compass Datacenters

CyrusOne

COPT Data Center Solutions

CoreSite Realty

DataBank

Digital Realty

EdgeCore Internet Real Estate

Equinix

Facebook

Flexential

fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty

GIGA Data Centers

Google

H5 Data Centers

Microsoft

NTT Global Data Centers

Iron Mountain

QTS Realty Trust

Switch

Stack Infrastructure

Vantage Data Centers

New Entrants

Cirrus Data Services

Novva

PointOne

Quantum Loophole

Yondr

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope of the Study

4.4 Market Segments



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at a Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Internet & Data Growth

7.2 Electricity Pricing in US

7.3 Data Center Site Selection Criteria



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Deployment of Microgrids in Hyperscale Data Centers

8.2 Innovative Data Center Technologies

8.3 AI Boosts Liquid Immersion & Direct-To-Chip Cooling Adoption

8.4 Innovative UPS Battery Technologies

8.5 Rising Procurement of Renewable Energy for Hyperscale Data Centers

8.6 Adoption of Hyperconverged & Converged Infrastructure Platforms



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 COVID-19 on Hyperscale Data Center Market

9.2 5G Deployment & Hyperscale Data Centers

9.3 Rising Investment in Hyperscale Data Centers

9.4 Cloud & Connectivity Drive Demand for Hyperscale Data Centers

9.5 IoT & Big Data Drive Demand for Hyperscale Data Centers

9.6 M&As to Fuel Hyperscale Data Center Growth

9.7 Tax Incentives to Boost Hyperscale Investment



10 Market Restraints

10.1 Location Constraints for Hyperscale Data Center Construction

10.2 Data Center Security Challenges

10.3 Dearth of Skilled Workforce

10.4 Increased Carbon Emissions from Data Centers

10.5 Increasing Water Consumption by Hyperscale Operators



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Investment: Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Area: Market Size & Forecast

11.4 Power Capacity: Market Size & Forecast

11.5 IT Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

11.6 Support Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

11.7 Five Forces Analysis



12 Infrastructure

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 IT Infrastructure

12.3 Electrical Infrastructure

12.4 Mechanical Infrastructure

12.5 General Construction



13 IT Infrastructure

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Server Infrastructure

13.3 Storage Infrastructure

13.4 Network Infrastructure



14 Electrical Infrastructure

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 UPS Systems

14.3 Generators

14.4 Transfer Switches & Switchgear

14.5 Power Distribution Units

14.6 Other Electrical Infrastructure



15 Mechanical Infrastructure

15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

15.2 Cooling Systems

15.3 Racks

15.4 Other Infrastructure



16 Cooling Systems

16.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

16.2 CRAC & CRAH Units

16.3 Chiller Units

16.4 Cooling Towers, Condensers & Dry Coolers

16.5 Economizers & Evaporative Coolers

16.6 Other Cooling Units



17 Cooling Technique

17.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

17.2 Air-Based Cooling Techniques

17.3 Liquid-Based Cooling Techniques



18 General Construction

18.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

18.2 Core & Shell Development

18.3 Installation & Commissioning Services

18.4 Building & Engineering Design

18.5 Physical Security

18.6 DCIM/BMS Solutions

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/n18lz3

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Front , a strategic investment platform and companion app to Robinhood, Coinbase, Stash, and more that helps guide better investment decisions for new investors, today announced the launch of their new app, with funding from Will Smith's Dreamers VC and other notable investors totaling $4 million to date. Front is leading the next wave of strategic investing technology to help people navigate the risky waters of stock and crypto investing by giving away better insights, like the newly revealed Front Score, for free.

The Front Score delivers powerful stock and portfolio analysis with a single, simple number. Over 70,000 people trust Front with more than $500 million worth of assets connected to the app via existing brokerage accounts. The Front app is used by millennial and Gen Z retail investors, most of whom already use trading apps and are searching for better investment advice. Company investors include Will Smith's Dreamers VC, Facebook Co-Founder, Eduardo Saverin's B Capital Group, Motivate VC, Alumni Venture Group, DCVC Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Matt Ocko, Kevin Mahaffey's SNR.vc, and other notable angel investors, to change the retail investing scene.

"Young and new investors alike have gotten swept up in the recent retail investing boom, but are staggeringly unprepared," said Bam Azizi, CEO & Co-Founder at Front. "High-risk, high-reward investing antics from questionable sources are being sensationalized and, without better tools to help discern the good from the bad, people can lose their shot at financial stability. Front is the app that every investor needs to navigate the overwhelming sea of investing choices and informationto protect their financial futures."

Front revealed a new version of its free app to arm investors with insights that rival those of Wall Street. It's powered by Front Score technologya proprietary AI algorithm fed by company financial, stock performance, ESG, and news sentiment data, and personalized for people's portfolios. The new app also features an intuitive design and a social community that brings the human element into the investment decision-making process.

The announcement of Front's backing by Will Smith follows the naming of a former executive of Soros Fund Management and the former SVP of Ellie Mae to its advisory board. Front was founded in 2020 and launched its first generation app in early 2021. The new Front app is still free and now available for iOS and Android, empowering new investors to invest better together.

About Front

Front is leading the next wave of strategic investing technology with the ultimate investment platform and Front Score technology. As a companion app to Robinhood, Coinbase, Stash, and more, Front guides investors with better investing insights. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Front was founded in 2020 to help people build stronger financial futures. Front is a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) with the SEC. Investors include Will Smith's Dreamers VC and Facebook Co-Founder's B Capital Group. Advisors include leaders from Google, Microsoft, Visa, and Target. Get the free Front app for iOS and Android. Learn more at GetFront.com .

CONTACT:

Lauren Weatherall

[email protected]

(415) 322-3015

SOURCE Front Finance
FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 16; Released: September 2021 Executive Pool: 6710 Companies: 215 - Players covered include Fujifilm Holding Corp.; GSI Technology, LLC; Interlink Electronics, Inc.; ISORG; KWJ Engineering Inc.; Peratech Holdco Ltd.; PST Sensors; T-Ink, Inc.; Tekscan; Thin Film Electronics ASA and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Type (Biosensors, Capacitive, Piezoelectric, Piezoresistive, Other Types) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry



ABSTRACT-



Global Printed and Flexible Sensors Market to Reach US$11.6 Billion by the Year 2026

Printed flexible sensors, i.e., those manufactured by depositing functional solutions or inks on flexible substrates such as plastics, paper and rubber-like polymers, rendering them thinner and lighter and featuring high mechanical flexibility. In recent years, printed and flexible sensors with the ability of efficiently detecting various stimuli related to specific biological or environmental species have been gaining widespread attention of researchers owing to their significant potential for wearable electronics and IoT applications. The applicability of stretchable and flexible electronics in device-engineering technologies has resulted in the creation of foldable, stretchable, lightweight, and slender sensors. Enabling technologies, such as ultra-thin chip technology, is likely to address existing bottlenecks in microelectronics, such as 3D integration, thus opening up new opportunities of growth for the printed and flexible sensor market. Technology developments, reduction in costs and availability in smaller and light weight form factors have been driving rapid integration of printed and flexible sensors in a range of new applications. Moreover, increased consumer demand for thin, flexible, and energy-efficient electronics products is augmenting growth in the market.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Printed and Flexible Sensors estimated at US$7.7 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$11.6 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% over the analysis period. Biosensors, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 6.3% CAGR to reach US$7.5 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Capacitive segment is readjusted to a revised 8% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 3.8% share of the global Printed and Flexible Sensors market. Printed biosensors bring in superior capabilities than biosensors made by traditional technologies and therefore are rising in prominence in healthcare segment. A major application of printed biosensors comes from blood glucose level detection strips, the self-diagnosis tool used by diabetics for detecting and monitoring blood glucose level. Besides glucose monitoring strips, other medical application areas where printed biosensors are finding demand are in detection and monitoring of heart, cancer and kidney diseases. Capacitive sensing is the underlying principle of a wide range of sensors, including sensors that detect and measure humidity, displacement/position, acceleration, fluid level and proximity.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $2.5 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.7 Billion by 2026

The Printed and Flexible Sensors market in the U.S. is estimated at US$2.5 Billion in the year 2021. The country currently accounts for a 29.87% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$1.7 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 8.2% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 6% and 6.1% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 6% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$1.8 Billion by the end of the analysis period.

Piezoelectric Segment to Reach $346.9 Million by 2026

Piezoelectric sensor is a device which uses the piezoelectric effect for measuring changes in acceleration, pressure, temperature, force, or strain by converting them to electrical charge. In the global Piezoelectric segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 5.4% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$212 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$310.3 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$23 Million by the year 2026. With robust growth in economy, growing demand for consumer electronics, robust automotive production, increasing healthcare spending, Asia-Pacific has been witnessing increased adoption of printed electronics, thereby driving demand for printed and flexible sensors. More



MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.

Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.

CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

LINKS

Join Our Expert Panel

https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp

Connect With Us on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./

Follow Us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/marketbytes

Journalists & Media

[email protected]

SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.strategyr.com


Woodruff Sawyer's 2019 Looking Ahead Guide forecasted the rise of D&O premiumsthe first increase in nearly 10 yearsand predicted it would continue into 2020 and beyond. While pricing challenges remain for D&O buyers, new capacity and new competition are finally on the way with a dozen new entrants to the D&O insurance market. On the other hand, the D&O insurance market for SPACs is facing increasing difficulty. Unprecedented demand for D&O insurance combined with a surge in SPAC litigation and a surfeit of SPACs still looking to identify a merger partner have led to D&O premium increases of four to five times over 2020, a trend the Guide suggests will last through 2022.

The Guide also includes Woodruff Sawyer's 5th annual Underwriters Weigh In survey. Composed of the world's top D&O carriers, the survey is the only one of its kind with underwriters queried about the current D&O risk environment, risk appetite and future pricing expectations. Unsurprisingly, underwriters continue to be concerned that their insureds are not fully aware of the high cost of litigation. Seventy-four percent (74%) of underwriters believe that companies underestimate the current risk and cost of litigation. In addition, in a major change in insurance carrier sentiment, the survey notes that eighty-two percent (82%) of underwriters feel that the governmental regulatory environment is getting more difficult for public companies - not great news for directors and officers facing government scrutiny for issues such as cyber security, ESG or SPACs.

There may be a hope for more moderated D&O insurance premiums in the future, however. Priya Huskins, Senior Vice President, Management Liability and editor of the "D&O Notebook" blog series notes, "A significant cause of the high price of D&O insurance has been duplicative federal and state court Section 11 suits filed against IPO companies. Woodruff Sawyer organized the funding for the successful Sciabacucchi vs. Salzburg appeal. That decision has been a game changer for IPO companies, resulting in the dismissal of state-filed IPO cases. As a result, duplicative filings are down dramatically in 2021, from 52% of total Section 11 IPO filings in 2020 to 18% in 2021 so far. The elimination of duplicative state court suits means the elimination of the type of extortionary settlements some plaintiffs were able to achieve due to quirky differences between the procedural rules of state and federal courts. This is a win not just for D&O insurance carriers; it's also a win for corporate America. "

Sign up to attend Woodruff Sawyer's 2022 D&O Looking Ahead Guide Webinar on September 29, 2021 from 10 AM-11 AM PDT.

About Woodruff Sawyer

As one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, Woodruff Sawyer protects the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. We provide expert counsel and fierce advocacy to protect clients against their most critical risks in property and casualty, management liability, cyber liability, employee benefits, and personal wealth management. An active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network, we provide expertise and customized solutions where clients need it, with headquarters in San Francisco, offices throughout the US, and global reach on six continents. For more information, call 844.972.6326, or visit woodruffsawyer.com .

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Woodruff Sawyer

Related Links

woodruffsawyer.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This Zero Emissions Day, more than 100 beauty and wellness brands are using their dynamic influence to mobilize communities towards advocating for key climate policy from lawmakers through CodeRed4Climate.

The collective brands, whose online footprints exceed 40 million followers, are hitting pause on their social media platforms on Tuesday, September 21 in order to advocate for solutions to the growing climate crisis. The call to action directs consumers to join brands in calling their representatives to urge for new climate policy in key areas. A number of the participating companies, including Versed, Youth To The People and Tower 28 Beauty, are also shutting down their ecommerce sites for the day. The marketing blackout is accompanied by an open letter to Congress indicating the business leaders' support for lawmaker action on climate, in addition to a pledge of continued climate action signed by many of the brands.

CodeRed4Climate is aimed at closing the troubling gap between climate attitude and action. While polling shows that the majority of both Democrats and Republicans are concerned about global warming and think the government should be doing more to reduce the impacts of it, Congress has only passed one major energy bill in the last 14 years.

"It's not enough to care. Humankind must actand to avoid disastrous consequences for generations to come, we must act together," states Melanie Bender, leader of CodeRed4Climate and Founding President of Versed, a Climate Neutral Certified skincare brand. "Beauty is an industry of trendmakers. We want to use that influence to kickstart a movement of climate responsibility and actionbefore it's too late."

The 100+ CodeRed4Climate participants range from small and medium-sized independent brands to publicly listed companies, and represent all sectors of the $500 billion beauty industry:

Skincare (e.g., Youth To The People, Peach & Lily, good light, KLUR)

Makeup (e.g., e.l.f. Cosmetics, UOMA Beauty, Milk Makeup, Kjaer Weis )

) Hair (e.g., Briogeo Hair Care, OUAI, Prose, Rizos Curls )

) Personal care (e.g., Necessaire, Black Girl Sunscreen, frank body, Sol de Janeiro )

) Fragrance (e.g., Phlur)

Supplements (e.g., Ritual, 8Greens, Peak and Valley, Moon Juice)

Retail (e.g., IPSY, Follain, BoxyCharm)

Additional participating brands include: Versed, Act+Acre, Alpyn Beauty, Axiology, Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics, Beautycounter, BeautyUnited, Belle en Argent, Beneath Your Mask, BFA Industries, Biossance, Bliss, Bloomeffects, BYBI, Ciate London, CLOVE + HALLOW, Cocokind, Common Heir, Crown Affair, Dae, Dear Brightly, Dieux, EADEM, Ellis Brooklyn, Fable & Mane, Farmacy, FEKKAI, Freck Beauty, Glow Recipe, Hanahana Beauty, Herbivore Botanicals, Hero Cosmetics, ILIA, INSERT NAME HERE, Iris&Romeo, Josie Maran, Keys Soulcare, Kinfield, KINSHIP, Kopari Beauty, Kosas, Krave Beauty, Lottie London, LYS Beauty, Mad Hippie, MAKE, MARA, maude, Minori, MOB Beauty, Naturium, Ode to Self Skincare, Odele, OffCourt, OSEA, Pacifica Beauty, Petite 'n Pretty, PLUS, Refreshments, Saie, SAINT JANE, Selfless by Hyram, SELFMADE, sk*p, Skin Proud, Summer Fridays, Susteau, Sweet Chef, Tenoverten, The Earthling Co., The INKEY List, Then I Met You, Topicals, Tower 28 Beauty, True Botanicals, Vamigas, Vintner's Daughter, Vive Cosmetics, WLL PEOPLE, Winky Lux, WLDKAT, Womaness, Yes To, Inc., Youthforia, ZitSticka, and 54 Thrones.

The initiative was developed by Versed in partnership with Youth To The People and Call4Climate , a project of nonprofit media lab, Fossil Free Media, that creates an easy way for everyone in the country to call their representatives in support of climate action. The CodeRed4Climate platform urges lawmakers to support climate policy in four key areas:

Clean Electricity Payment Program that cuts emissions and modernizes our grid

Directing 40% of funding to frontline communities

Ending subsidies for fossil fuel corporations

Formation of a Civilian Climate Corps that puts people to work

CodeRed4Climate was formalized in the 45 days since the release of the latest UN IPCC report, which heralds the climate crisis as a 'code red for humanity.' Rather than a one-time campaign, CodeRed4Climate will roll into Planet A, a movement of continued collaboration and action among the brands and offers a blueprint for climate action within other industries.

"If you've been waiting for a sign to get involved, this is it," says Bender.

For more information, visit CodeRed4Climate.org.

About CodeRed4Climate

CodeRed4Climate is a collective action of more than 100 beauty and wellness brands, using the space our industry occupies to mobilize critical climate solutions. CodeRed4Climate is a project of Versed and Fossil Free Media, and will roll into Planet A, a movement of brands and people committed to making real progress towards a cool climate future - before it's too late.

About Versed

Versed is vegan, clean, Climate Neutral Certified skincare here to bring you results that warrant restocking. Based in science and driven by community, our mission is simple: make good skin and clean products for all.

About Fossil Free Media

Fossil Free Media is a nonprofit media lab that supports the movement to end fossil fuels and address the climate emergency through creative communications.

Press Contacts:

ScienceMagic.Inc at [email protected]

SOURCE Versed

Related Links

http://CodeRed4Climate.org


This $2 million announcement represents BANF's first round of funding, which will be awarded by the end of 2021 to eligible applicants across nine counties in the Greater Houston region, including Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties. BANF is currently a $12.4 million initiative that will provide funding over five years to BIPOC arts communities.

Houston's BIPOC Arts Community: Part of America's Cultural Treasures

BANF was created to provide resources and networks that support the vibrant Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and other communities of color of Greater Houston in fully displaying their power, values and traditions. Its goals are achieved through grant funding, advocacy, and community-building networking initiatives that revolutionize the local funding landscape, break down silos within the arts ecosystem, and welcome everyone to support and learn from BIPOC arts communities.

This groundbreaking effort was born out of the Ford Foundation's America's Cultural Treasures initiative , which in September 2020 committed an unprecedented $156 million to support BIPOC arts communities across the country in response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The regional grantmaking initiative invested $35 million across seven regions, including Greater Houston, and invited local philanthropic partners to match funding in support of multi-year grant programs for cultural groups of color with exceptional regional or local significance.

Houston Endowment and the Ford Foundation led the way for BANF's creation, equally donating $5 million, with additional generous contributions from The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Cullen Foundation, Kinder Foundation and The Powell Foundation.

BANF's grant opportunity is open to BIPOC founded and led nonprofit organizations with arts and cultural programming, as well as fiscally-sponsored artist collectives who have a proven track record of work that benefits BIPOC communities. Applications will be accepted from September 21, 2021 through October 22, 2021 at 5 p.m. CST.

A website hosting the grant opportunity guidelines, including the specific set of eligibility requirements, as well as a link to the application submission portal, can be found at www.houstonbanf.org . Virtual grant information sessions will be hosted on September 29 at 12 p.m. CST and October 7 at 9:30 a.m. CST. Interested applicants should register to attend at this link: https://bit.ly/3AbVmVB .

"This historic first round of funding is the beginning of a new story and a new way of how we recognize BIPOC arts communities in Greater Houston," said Sixto Wagan, project director, BANF. "Our BIPOC arts communities have demonstrated decades of leadership with work that has shaped this country's culture and history despite being excluded from resources, funding streams, recognition and representation. In the face of that, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern arts organizations and artists have thrived through systemic oppression and still stand in their power contributing as they always have to this country's arts and culture narrative."

Future BANF funding opportunities will be informed by direct community input from BIPOC arts organizations and artists.

Global and Local Disasters Create Urgency to Distribute Funds

According to "Lost art: Measuring COVID-19's devastating impact on America's creative economy," a report by the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, Houston lost 42,500 creative industry jobs and $1.6 billion in sales in four months last year. The report also shows Texas and Houston are among the most devastated.

The Greater Houston Area Arts Relief Fund, established by a collective of education, government and nonprofit organizations in 2020, reiterated how much communities of color are impacted when global and local disasters strike. Seventy-two percent of grant applicants were from BIPOC communities. Almost 56 percent were Black and Latinx.

"BIPOC arts organizations and artists are more vulnerable to climate, public health and economic disruptions due to our historical exclusion from funding," said Wagan. "The grants we distribute, the networks we build to bring us closer together as a BIPOC community, the programs we design in partnership with our arts organizations and the artists they support, will ensure that our Greater Houston arts ecosystem will be stronger and more resilient after the pandemic and far beyond."

Founded by the Community, for the Community

Wagan leads BANF along with a seven-member Steering Committee and a nine-member Accountability and Advisory Council made up of a diverse group of artists, curators, scholars, organizational leaders and foundation partners, who guide goals and priorities.

Before joining BANF, Wagan was the inaugural director for the Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) at the University of Houston. He also led the contemporary art center, DiverseWorks, serving a multitude of capacities including artistic director, co-executive director and performing arts curator.

The BANF Steering Committee includes:

Patra Brannon-Isaac , Director of Education and Community Projects, Kinder Foundation

, Director of Education and Community Projects, Kinder Foundation Bao-Long Chu , Senior Program Officer, Houston Endowment

, Senior Program Officer, Tony Diaz , Writer, Activist and Political Analyst

, Writer, Activist and Political Analyst Adan Medrano, Chef, Food Writer and Filmmaker

Deidre Thomas , Senior Advisor, Mattison Advisors

, Senior Advisor, Frances Valdez , Executive Director, Houston In Action

, Executive Director, Action Kheli Willetts , Director of Professional Development, Mid- America Arts Alliance

The BANF Accountability and Advisory Council includes:

Sebastien Boncy , Photographer and Educator

, Photographer and Educator Janice Bond , Cultural Architect, Art Advisor, Interdisciplinary Artist

, Cultural Architect, Art Advisor, Interdisciplinary Artist Candice D'Meza, Actor, Writer, Filmmaker and Multidisciplinary artist

Julie DeVries , Artist and Educator

, Artist and Educator Eureka Gilkey, Executive Director, Project Row Houses

Eleisha Nelson-Reed , Executive Director, Powell Foundation

, Executive Director, Powell Foundation Mari Carmen Ramirez , Wortham Curator of Latin American Art and Director of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas, Museum of Fine Art, Houston

, Wortham Curator of Latin American Art and Director of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas, Museum of Fine Art, Houston Shayna Schlosberg , Arts Administrator and Community Organizer

, Arts Administrator and Community Organizer Roberto Tejada , Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor, University of Houston

BANF is currently seeking public nominations for Community Reviewers who will join the organization's Accountability and Advisory Council to engage in a peer review process to consider grant applications. Community Reviewers may include independent artists, educators, patrons, community leaders and organizers. Nominations may be submitted at www.houstonbanf.org .

About BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF)

The BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF) is a multi-year initiative dedicated to providing resources that support the vibrant BIPOC arts community of Greater Houston in fully displaying their power, values and traditions. Established in 2021 as a collaborative community effort, BANF is guided by the very artists, nonprofit organizations and local leaders it seeks to serve through its grant funding, advocacy, and community-building networking initiatives. BANF works to revolutionize the local funding landscape by changing cultural value systems, breaking down silos that separate communities in the arts ecosystem, and welcoming everyone to participate, support and learn from BIPOC arts communities.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Rolando Rodriguez

[email protected]

404-310-8755

Nicole Valadez

[email protected]

832-480-3793

SOURCE BIPOC Arts Network and Fund
A hand-crafted limited-production 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be available at launch. Each 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be adorned exclusively in a stunning Long Beach Blue Pearl paint with Orchid Milano leather interior, both colors shared with the electrified 600-horsepower NSX Type S supercar. With production limited to just 200 units, it will be Acura's most exclusive PMC Edition yet.

"RDX has been an incredible success for Acura, with more than half a million sold since it was first introduced in 2006," said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales. "The new 2022 RDX is the best it has ever been and further proof of Acura's commitment to deliver exciting premium performance products based on our unique DNA."

RDX's turbocharged 272-horsepower 2.0-liter VTEC 4-cylinder is one of the most powerful standard engines in its class. It's paired with a smooth and responsive 10-speed automatic with standard Sequential SportShift paddle shifters. Acura's signature Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) with true torque vectoring is available on all RDX grades and standard on the Advance Package and PMC Edition.

2022 RDX Pricing & EPA Data

2022 Acura RDX Drivetrain MSRP MSRP EPA MPG Rating Incl. D&H City/Hwy/Combined RDX FWD TBA TBA 22 / 28 / 24 RDX with Technology Package FWD TBA TBA 22 / 28 / 24 RDX A-Spec with Technology Package FWD TBA TBA 22 / 27 / 24 RDX SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 27 / 23 RDX with Technology Package SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 27 / 23 RDX A-Spec with Technology Package SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 26 / 23 RDX with Advance Package SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 27 / 23 RDX A-Spec with Advance Package SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 26 / 23 RDX PMC Edition SH-AWD TBA TBA 21 / 26 / 23

What's New:

New sporty and dynamic exterior design inspired by MDX flagship SUV

RDX A-Spec now available with the Advance Package

Extensive refinement updates, including an enhanced Active Sound Control (ASC) system, reduce road noise and increase cabin quietness on all RDX models

New tech features include standard Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and Amazon Alexa Built-In, and available Qi-compatible Wireless Charging

Acura IconicDrive, part of the Technology Package, offers 27 unique interior lighting color combinations including 24 inspired by iconic driving destinations around the world

Updated Integrated Dynamics System delivers more distinct driving feel between its four driving modes

Retuned available Adaptive Damper System delivers more response in Sport mode, more comfortable ride in Comfort mode

Flat bottom sport steering wheel now included on RDX A-Spec

Advance Package models gain Power-Folding Side Mirrors

New RDX PMC Edition features Long Beach Blue Pearl paint from the NSX Type S, Orchid interior and exclusivity with production limited to just 200 units

AcuraWatch now includes enhanced blind spot information with Acura-first Lane Change Assist, Rear Seatbelt Reminder and Front and Rear Low Speed Braking Control

Refined New Exterior Design

Drawing inspiration from the fourth-generation Acura MDX, the Diamond Pentagon front grille of the 2022 RDX features a new thinner, more sophisticated chrome surround. With broad aggressive forms and a larger air intake, its new front fascia also is similar to MDX and makes the RDX appear wider and more powerful. LED fog lights, which are standard on A-Spec and Advance Package models, as well as the PMC Edition, are highlighted by a new chrome trim.

For a more distinct appearance from the rear, the 2022 RDX receives a reshaped rear fascia with cutouts for the new sophisticated rectangular dual exhaust finishers. The RDX A-Spec continues to standout with large-diameter round exhaust finishers in a gloss black finish.

All RDX models come with either 19-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels. RDX features a 19-inch 10-spoke design standard, while RDX with Technology Package wears similar wheels with a machined face and Pewter Gray accents. The RDX with Advance Package features a sporty new 5-spoke machined finish 19-inch wheel design. RDX A-Spec models are equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels with Shark Gray finish. On the RDX A-Spec with Technology Package, a Shark Gray split-five-spoke design is used, while the new for RDX A-Spec with Advance Package features an all-new 15-spoke wheel design.

All 2022 RDX models are available in a new Liquid Carbon Metallic, while Phantom Violet Pearl is offered on RDX models equipped with the Technology and Advance Packages. Also new for the Advance Package equipped models are power-folding exterior mirrors.

Most Premium RDX Cabin Ever

For a more premium experience, the 2022 RDX receives extensive updates to reduce road noise in the cabin. A new front fender liner reduces road noise and the Active Sound Control (ASC) system has been enhanced to further cancel exterior sounds from polluting the interior ambiance. The engine's cold idle speed also has been reduced from 1100 rpm to 950 rpm, and two-wheel drive models adopt a new lower torque rod to quell engine vibrations.

Included with the Technology Package is a new, thicker carpet padding. The front doors receive a new sound insulator, plus acoustic glass to further reduce road and wind noise. A new and thicker noise insulation pad in the dash reduces engine noise further, and a new insulator in the D pillar further reduces road noise.

Advance Package models feature the quietest cabin in RDX history. This is achieved with an additional sound insulator in the ceiling, and even more sound insulation added to the dash, under the hood and over the drivetrain tunnel. The rear doors also receive an insulator and acoustic glass. In the cargo area, the cargo bins now feature sound insulation, and the rear hatch inner covering has additional sound deadening materials.

Genuine aluminum trim on the doors, dash and center console is standard on RDX. New for 2022 is an upscale and unique bronze finish applied to the aluminum, available exclusively on RDX models equipped with the Saddle Brown interior. Advance Package models feature open-pore real wood trim in these areas.

More Standard Tech

For 2022, RDX adds an impressive list of leading-edge connectivity features to its standard equipment list including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a USB-C charging port, and Amazon Alexa Built-In. With Alexa Built-In, drivers can ask Alexa to navigate to a specific address or point of interest, play music, make calls, listen to audiobooks, check the weather, control smart home devices, find parking and more. Additionally, the RDX's 7-inch full color instrument display now includes a digital speedometer.

Also new for 2022, is a Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging and IconicDrive LED ambient lighting as part of the Technology Package. First offered on the 2021 TLX, Acura's IconicDrive system allows the vehicle owner to select between one of 27 distinct ambient lighting color combinations, including 24 inspired by the world's great destinations and racetracks. A rear camera washer is also now included as part of the Technology Package.

The line-topping Advance Package models gain power-folding side mirrors and remote engine start function with expanded range and 2-way LED feedback on the all-new key fob. In-vehicle charging is further improved with the addition of a 12-volt power outlet in the cargo area on Advance Package models.

Sporty RDX A-Spec Expands Up the Lineup

With its sporty design and additional visual attitude, A-Spec is the most popular grade with RDX buyers under age 45. For 2022, RDX customers can now spec the A-Spec sport appearance package with either the feature rich Technology Package or the line-topping premium features of the Advance Package, further expanding the RDX's appeal upmarket.

All RDX A-Spec models feature a gunmetal finish on the Diamond Pentagon grille and fog-light trim, a gloss-black grille surround, lower intake, door, window and headlight trim. A-Spec badges adorn the front fenders and liftgate.

In the rear, there's gloss black taillight trim and a more aggressive fascia with a diffuser-style design and cutouts for the large round gloss-black exhaust finishers. The A-Spec with Advance Package also features a new elaborate 15-spoke 20-inch wheel design finished in Shark Gray.

Inside, A-Spec models are distinguished by a new flat bottom steering wheel and metallic trim with a "Dark Y" pattern on the dash, doors and center console. Contrast stitching has been added to the Ultrasuede insert on the passenger side dash, and the door panels now feature new Ultrasuede inserts. When equipped with the Red interior option, the door and center console arm rests are now keyed to the rest of the interior color. Also new for 2022 is an Orchid leather interior option, available exclusively on the A-Spec with Advance Package.

Improved Driving Experience

Refinements to RDX's standard Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) noticeably improve the driving experience and allow the driver to better customize the SUV's dynamics to match a wider range of conditions. The updated system now features four more distinct drive modes (Normal, Comfort, Sport and Snow) which are selected by turning the Dynamic Mode Dial prominently mounted in the center of the dash.

Each mode now features more distinct programming of the Electronic Power Steering (EPS), throttle and Active Sound Control (ASC). With the available Technology Package, the Integrated Dynamics System also changes the color of the IconicDrive LED ambient lighting. In addition, Acura has improved the 2022 RDX's brake pedal feel by retuning its Electronic Brake Booster (EBB).

Advance Package models also feature an updated Adaptive Damper System (ADS) with more recognizable ride and handling characteristics across the four modes, improving both ride quality and response throughout the range.

Normal Mode  In the default Normal mode, drivers experience an ideal balance between the ride comfort and isolation of Comfort mode and the responsive and sporty handling of Sport mode. Normal mode features a default white interior ambient lighting scheme.

Comfort Mode  Retuned for a more relaxed driving experience, Comfort mode lightens the feel of the Electronic Power Steering and adjusts the throttle for smooth starts. The Active Sound Control minimizes engine sounds, and the ambient interior lighting defaults to a soothing blue. The ADS on Advance Package is tuned softer than before for a more comfortable and isolated ride without sacrificing body control.

Sport Mode  The most aggressive setting, Sport mode tunes the EPS and throttle for more immediate response. For an even more thrilling driving experience, the ASC also has been retuned for a sportier engine sound, and the ambient interior lighting defaults to a sporty red. To improve handling, the RDX with Advance Package has been given new more aggressive ADS tuning, while the A-Spec with Advance Package features its own unique ADS tuning to better match and maximize the performance of its 20-inch tires.

Snow Mode  Snow mode uses a gentle throttle profile to help maintain traction in slippery conditions, and the softer suspension profile from Comfort mode.

New Long Beach Blue PMC Edition

The fifth Acura model to be built at Acura's Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC), the new 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be offered exclusively in vibrant Long Beach Blue Pearl paint. Shared only with the NSX supercar, the striking color salutes North America's most iconic street race  the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Hand-crafted alongside the 600 hp Acura NSX Type S at the PMC in Ohio, it will be Acura's most exclusive PMC edition yet  limited to just 200 hand assembled units. Each 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be individually numbered with a serial plaque on the center console denoting the special edition.

The RDX PMC Edition also stands out with a body-color grille surround and a gloss-black Diamond Pentagon grille. The door handles, outside mirrors, roof and roof antenna also are gloss-black, along with the A-Spec badges on the front fenders and the Acura, RDX and A-Spec badges on the tailgate. The PMC Edition rolls on Berlina Black 20-inch wheels with an elaborate 15-spoke design, and its large round exhaust outlets are finished in a unique dark chrome.

Inside, all 2022 RDX PMC Editions feature the new Orchid interior color with blue contrast stitching to reflect the exclusive exterior color. Premium PMC Edition floor mats also are included. PMC Editions are contented with all available Advance Package premium features including the Head-Up Display (HUD), Surround View Camera, Rear Outboard Heated Seats, and 16-way power front seats with adjustable side bolsters.

The assembly process of every RDX PMC Edition begins with the delivery of the body-in-white from the East Liberty Auto Plant which produces RDX. Once the five-day paint process is finished, the Acura's most skilled master technicians hand assemble each PMC Edition, which then undergo the same quality control process as the NSX before being wrapped in a specially designed car cover and transported to a dealer via an enclosed car carrier.

Advanced Safety & Driver Assistive Features

Safety performance remains an RDX hallmark for 2022, with updates to safety technology and additional structure to improve crash performance to meet future standards.

For 2022, blind spot information (BSI) driver assist system is standard on RDX and has been enhanced with the addition of a Lane Change Assist feature. The new system's detection range extends to nearly 100 feet (29.5 m) behind the vehicle, more than four times as far as before.

Standard parking sensors on RDX with Technology Package are now utilized to integrate a new front and rear low-speed braking system. When the vehicle is driving forward or reversing between 1 and 6 mph, the system can detect objects in front of or behind the vehicle and assess if there is danger of a collision. Examples of detected objects include vehicles, utility poles, walls and even glass (such as storefront window). If an object is detected, the system provides visual and audible alerts, and applies throttle control and braking.

Standard on every RDX, the AcuraWatch suite of safety and driver assistive technologies also gets an update. A new Traffic Sign Recognition system uses a camera, rather than GPS location, for more accurate speed limit information displayed on the 7-inch digital instrument screen and on the Head-Up Display (HUD) on Advance Package models. Additionally, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) has been updated with Pedestrian AEB, which operates at speeds above 6 mph.

Also standard on RDX for 2022 is a new rear seatbelt reminder system, which uses visual and audible cues to notify the driver if rear seat occupants have buckled their seatbelts.

Targeting future crash safety targets, the 2022 RDX also features multiple new collision technologies. Rear passengers are now better protected in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) moderate overlap test thanks to new outboard seatbelts with pre-tensioning and load-limiting technology. Additional structure in the doors improves side impact collision performance, meeting the new SICE60 protocol.

Design Engineering and Manufacturing

Designed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, and developed in Raymond, Ohio, the third-generation Acura RDX marked the first time RDX was designed and developed in America. Like its predecessor, the 2022 RDX is manufactured in East Liberty, Ohio. The RDX's 2.0-liter VTEC turbo engine is produced at the company's Anna, Ohio engine plant, while its new SH-AWD system is manufactured at the company's Russels Point, Ohio transmission plant, and the 10-speed automatic transmission is manufactured in the company's Tallapoosa, Georgia plant.

About Acura

Acura is a leading automotive nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance  a commitment to expressive styling, high-performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models  the ILX and TLX sport sedans, the RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles, high-performance Type S variants and the electrified NSX supercar. All 2021 and newer Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.

SOURCE Acura

Related Links

http://www.acura.com


NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the U.S. welcomes tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Afghanistan, 32 major companies -- including Amazon, Facebook, Pfizer, and Tyson Foods --- today announced that they will join the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees , pledging to help create economic opportunities for Afghans as they start their new lives in America.

The new coalition is spearheaded by the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a network of over 180 global businesses integrating refugees. As part of this new commitment, some of America's biggest employers will create job opportunities, provide training and other resources to help Afghans better integrate into the American economy -- a fundamental component for Afghans' successful resettlement in the U.S.

"America is at a critical juncture, and every part of our society must play its part to welcome our Afghan brothers and sisters. They have stood by our side, and we must stand by theirs," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani and Founder of the Tent Partnership for Refugees. "I am so proud of the businesses stepping up today -- and hope that many more will join our coalition. I've said this before and I'll say it again -- the moment a refugee gets a job, it's the moment they stop being a refugee. It's the moment they can stand on their own two feet; it's the moment they can make new friends; it's the moment they can start a new life."

The 32 companies span sectors from tech to retail, and from food service to consulting -- showing the broad swath of support for Afghan refugees among the business community, and the diversity of job opportunities that will be offered. They include: Accenture, the Adecco Group, Amazon, APCO, Bain & Company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Chobani, Coursera, Deloitte, Facebook, Gap Inc., General Assembly, Henry Schein, Inc., Hilton, HP, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Jacobs, Kleen-Tech, Mastercard, Panda Express, Pfizer, Rejuvenation  a Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand, ServiceNow, Sitel Group, Sodexo, Tripadvisor, Tyson Foods, Uber, UPS, US Xpress, Wayfair, and Western Union.

Amazon has already undertaken remarkable efforts to include refugees in its U.S. workforce, hiring refugees from all nationalities at its fulfilment and transportation centers, and training and placing high-skilled refugees in corporate roles across different business teams. Amazon jobs in fulfillment and transportation offer an average starting wage of more than $18 per hour, comprehensive benefits for full time employees starting on the first day on the job, and access to Amazon's Career Choice program through which the company will fund full college tuition, high school completion, or English as a Second Language proficiency certification. In addition, Amazon provides skills training opportunities to refugees through AWS re/Start, a free full-time, 12-week program that prepares unemployed or underemployed individuals for careers in cloud computing and connects more than 90% of graduates with job interview opportunities as part of the company's pledge to invest $1.2 billion in skills training programs by 2025.

"As part of our diverse workforce, Amazon continually hires immigrants and refugees across the company, and we're proud to partner with Tent to extend our reach," said Beth Galetti, Amazon's Senior Vice President of People eXperience and Technology. "We are committed to expanding and improving on these efforts and providing employment support for the refugee population, including the imminent need for Afghan refugees."

Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, said: "At Pfizer, we recognize the critical needs of people all around the world, and we firmly believe that every individual should be heard, seen, and cared for. This is why we are proud to join the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees, and will be undertaking a number of projects in support of Afghan refugees and Special Immigrants  from hiring them into our workforce, to mentoring Afghan refugees and preparing them for their new workplaces."

Supporting at-risk Afghans is an issue Americans agree upon; a recent poll found that an overwhelming majority -- 81% -- feel the U.S. should support Afghans who worked with our troops. In addition, a bipartisan group of governors, from Utah, to Arkansas, to Colorado, have been outspoken about welcoming Afghans into their communities.

As part of the whole nation's effort in support of Afghan refugees, the Tent Coalition for Afghan Refugees partners with Welcome.US, a national initiative to engage and mobilize all Americans to welcome and support Afghan refugees. The Coalition also supports the U.S. Government's long-term vision of economic and social integration.

For media enquiries, please contact:

[email protected]



About the Tent Partnership for Refugees

With more and more refugees displaced for longer periods of time, businesses have a critical role to play in helping refugees integrate economically in their new host communities. The Tent Partnership for Refugees mobilizes the global business community to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 30 million refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. Founded by Chobani's founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya in 2016, we are a network of over 180 major companies committed to including refugees. Tent believes that companies can most sustainably support refugees by leveraging their core business operations  by engaging refugees as potential employees, entrepreneurs and consumers. The full list of Tent members can be found here. Find out more at www.tent.org.

SOURCE Tent Partnership for Refugees

Related Links

https://www.tent.org


Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NTFB team has worked tirelessly to provide healthy food to neighbors in need. Texas leads the nation in the highest projected number of people (not rates) who may experience food insecurity in 2021 with 4.8 million overall and 1.7 million children, according to new Feeding America projections. Thanks to the support of a generous community, NTFB was able to double their food output to help feed their community. However, thousands of people continue to face hunger in 2021 despite the historic response by the North Texas Food Bank and their partners to the unprecedented public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

"As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 in 6 people in North Texas may face hunger," said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. "We are proud to work with Populus Financial Group toward our shared goals of addressing the root causes of hunger."

The Give A Little Campaign is a national in-store fundraiser that supports charities chosen by ACE employees. The charities selected are those focused on helping children, supporting education, and promoting financial literacy. By supporting the North Texas Food Bank, ACE can help provide nutritious meals to those experiencing hunger in North Texas.

"We are proud to support the North Texas Food Bank," said Eric Norrington, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Populus Financial Group. "Thanks to the generosity from our customers and employees, we are able to help support the communities where we live and work."

Nationally, the 2021 Give A Little Campaign raised more than $188,000 for the local chapters of charities across the country including AdoptAClassroom.org, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Autism Speaks, Back on My Feet, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feeding America's Local Food Banks, Homes For Our Troops, Humane Society of the United States, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Save the Children, and Triumph Over Kid Cancer. This fundraiser is a part of the ACE Community Fund, ACE's charitable-giving program, which has donated more than $15 million since its inception in 2004 to organizations in communities where ACE operates.

About Populus Financial Group

Populus Financial Group provides financial services through its family of brands including ACE Cash Express, ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card, ACE Flare Account by MetaBank and Porte. Populus Financial Group delivers a broad range of financial products and services including short-term consumer loans, card services, check cashing, money transfers, bill payments and money orders. Visit PopulusFinancial.com for more information.

About North Texas Food Bank

Founded in 1982, the North Texas Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated and purchased foods through a network of more than 200 Partner Agencies in 13 countries. For more information about the North Texas Food Bank please visit ntfb.org

SOURCE Populus Financial Group Inc.

Related Links

https://populusfinancial.com


GETTYSBURG, Pa., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 5th, 2021 at 2:00 pm ET, OPEN MINDS will host a webinar, Achieving Organizational Excellence With Technology, available free of charge courtesy of ContinuumCloud. This event will showcase data from the 2021 ContinuumCloud Work Tech Report and explore the trends and priorities shaping the future of the nonprofit landscape.

Workforce technology is essential for nonprofit organizations to operate effectively, improve the employee experience, and achieve their mission. Yet, results from the Work Tech Report reveal that the technology that human services organizations and other nonprofits use continues to be a major pain point for employees.

Join Mark Belles, Chief Executive Officer of ContinuumCloud, as he dives deeper into the role technology plays in these trends and how it influences organizational outcomes. Don't miss this valuable presentation, Achieving Organizational Excellence With Technology on October 5th, 2021 at 2:00 pm ET. During this event, we will:

Explore workforce trends and priorities at human services organizations, highlighting key statistics from ContinuumCloud's 2021 Work Tech Report.

Identify current pain points in the technology used at nonprofit organizations and examine solutions to address core challenges.

Drill down into what nonprofit organizations need most from their workforce technology to address their complex organizational structure and better achieve their mission.

"Technology is the key to transforming the behavioral health and human services industry by optimizing operations and improving care delivery," says Mark. "I'm looking forward to sharing some data on the relationship between technology and the employee and client experiences  and how organizations can better use technology as a strategic advantage."

With more than 25 years of experience growing and scaling operations, Mark brings extensive expertise to ContinuumCloud as he leads efforts to provide a cloud-based suite of solutions intentionally designed for behavioral health and human services organizations. Mark is also a board member for Inside Higher Ed, where he previously served as CEO, and is passionate about leadership, mental wellbeing, and quality education for all.

This webinar is available free of charge thanks to the generous sponsorship of ContinuumCloud. However, attendees must register in advance.

About ContinuumCloud

ContinuumCloud offers a spectrum of cloud-based software solutions intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of the behavioral health and human services industry. These solutions include an EHR platform, powered by Welligent, and an HCM system, powered by DATIS HR Cloud. Through these offerings, ContinuumCloud empowers organizations to provide high-quality care and deliver on their mission.

ABOUT OPEN MINDS

OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence and strategic advisory firm focused on the sectors of the health and human service field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs. Founded in 1987 and based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the 175+ associates provide market insights and innovative management solutions designed to improve operational and strategic performance. Learn more at www.openminds.com

SOURCE OPEN MINDS

Related Links

www.openminds.com


Acclimate to the rehab environment

Build endurance to work up to 3 hours/day

Form relationships with other Physical, Occupational and Recreational Therapists to support their treatment plans with patients

Peru has met and exceeded her goals and is excitedly welcomed as an official team member among her fellow rehabilitation colleagues.

"In my role, I address concerns with patients around mood, changes in cognition, and pain that can be barriers to recovery," states Dr. Tropiano. "Peru is a positive distraction to defuse these barriers, creating a safe space for them to open up and be more communicative. She enables me to better assess and treat patients, makes it enjoyable for patients and encourages creativity and collaboration for the treatment team to do the meaningful work they do as well."

A recent patient experienced a motor vehicle collision and suffered multiple spinal and sternal fractures. After consistently working with the facility dog, the patient was asked how Peru had helped to which the patient stated, "not only did Peru help me to not focus on my pain, but she made me focus on what I could do despite it. Her involvement in games and exercises made me push myself to move more, focus, and try harder. Before I knew it, I was standing confidently without having to hold on to my walker."

Facility dogs engage in extensive and focused training to learn more than 40 commands so they can work with individuals toward specific treatment goals. Facility dogs differ from therapy dogs because they are working dogs, making them an active part of treatment. They must also return for follow-up assessments and receive special certification through a national standardized test. Handlers must complete a two-week, full-time training course as well.

Heading into Peru's second year of employment, Dr. Tropiano has set goals to quantify and measure success with patients through research to better understand how patients excel beyond psychological and physical barriers from their work with Peru.

For over 46 years, Canine Companions has been enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by training and placing more than 7,000 assistance dogs with program graduates, including more than 385 dogs with military veterans and more than 2,600 active teams nationwide.

About Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation

Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation is a faith-based network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and outpatient rehabilitation clinics that span Montgomery County, Maryland. Our team of premier providers and certified medical experts provide one-on-one and team-based care that helps people reclaim their lives following illness, injury, or chronic conditions. Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation inpatient hospitals are fully accredited by The Joint Commission, with Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accredited specialty programs for amputations, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke. For more information visit AdventistHealthCare.com.

About Canine Companions

Canine Companions provides expertly-trained service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities at no charge. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country. The largest non-profit provider of service dogs, Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. For more information, visit http://www.canine.org or call 1-800-572-BARK.

Media Contact

Kathy Ruxton, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, 240-864-6122, [email protected]

SOURCE Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Analytics Vidhya (analyticsvidhya.com), the world's largest analytics and data science community of a million registered users, announced today that it has secured $5.5 million investment from Fractal (fractal.ai), as it forges ahead in bringing industry co-created, application-oriented learning programs in data science, machine learning and data engineering.

"We are super excited about our partnership with Fractal. This investment helps us scale our offerings, bring high-quality industry-oriented content, and offer superior value to our community. The partnership propels us further in our mission to create next generation data professionals across the globe. Together with Fractal, we aim to train half a million full-stack AI professionals in 5 years," said Kunal Jain, Founder & CEO of Analytics Vidhya.

Globally, there has been a sharp rise in demand for AI and Engineering professionals, especially in the areas of machine learning and data engineering. According to the Dice 2020 Tech Job Report, data engineering was the fastest-growing career option in technology in 2019.

"Covid-19 and the associated sharp increase in the need for AI-led digital transformation has exacerbated the existing talent scarcity in machine learning, data science and analytical problem solving," said Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-Founder, Group Chief Executive and Vice Chairman, Fractal. "Kunal and the team at Analytics Vidhya have built an active, engaged community of data science professionals and enthusiasts. Our partnership will meet the world's demand for high-quality industry-ready AI talent."

"Companies are facing a severe shortage of industry-ready talent who can solve real-world AI problems. In partnership with Analytics Vidhya, we are building a new talent supply-chain for Fractal and for the broader AI community," said Natwar Mall, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Fractal.

About Analytics Vidhya

Analytics Vidhya is India's largest Analytics and Data Science community. With a million registered users, they offer industry-focused training programs and conduct hackathons to help their client companies recruit top data science and engineering talent from their community. For more information, visit analyticsvidhya.com

About Fractal

Fractal is one of the most prominent players in the Artificial Intelligence space. Fractal's mission is to power every human decision in the enterprise and brings AI, engineering, and design to help the world's most admired Fortune 500 companies.

Fractal's products include Qure.ai to assist radiologists in making better diagnostic decisions, Crux Intelligence to assists CEOs, and senior executives make better tactical and strategic decisions, Theremin.ai to improve investment decisions, and Eugenie.ai to find anomalies in high-velocity data & Samya.ai to drive next generation Enterprise Revenue Growth Management.

Fractal has more than 3,000 employees across 16 global locations, including the United States, UK, Ukraine, India, Singapore, and Australia. Fractal has consistently been rated as India's best companies to work for, by The Great Place to Work Institute, featured as a leader in Customer Analytics Service Providers Wave 2021, Computer Vision Consultancies Wave 2020 & Specialized Insights Service Providers Wave 2020 by Forrester Research, and recognized as an "Honorable Vendor" in 2021 Magic Quadrant for data & analytics by Gartner. For more information visit fractal.ai

SOURCE Fractal
NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ARDX is excited to announce StartGrowBiz.norfolk.gov is now live which is a new online tool designed, developed, and hosted by ARDX on behalf of the City of Norfolk. This "one-stop-shop" tool guides entrepreneurs through the steps of planning, launching, managing, and growing their business and is the only one of its kind offered in Hampton Roads.

"Being keenly aware that economics is a major determinant of health, ARDX is proud to partner with the City of Norfolk to launch this much needed entrepreneur resource in Hampton Roads," stated Dr. Angela Reddix, CEO, Founder and President of ARDX. "And the timing couldn't be better  small businesses are the backbone of our economy, so establishing and building small businesses has to be a part of our economic recovery strategy."

StartGrowBiz is a successful outcome of ARDX's journey with the City of Norfolk which started in 2018 with the STARTUP-IN-RESIDENCE (STiR) Program. STiR is a national initiative that brings innovative technology companies like ARDX together with government agencies through a challenge-based approach to procurement.

"Our team came together to design and develop a system that would be user-friendly to the midnight entrepreneur who may be maintaining a regular 9 to 5 job while pursuing a small business," said Nedra Commodore, Project Manager. "One of the most significant features of the system is an interactive "Guided Tour" that guides the user through Conducting Market Research, Developing the Business Plan, Calculating Start-Up Costs, and Funding the Business."

Among other features, the site includes planning tools, appointment scheduling for business owners to meet with the City of Norfolk Economic Development Team, and information to connect with other city leaders. Visit StartGrowBiz.norfolk.gov to learn more.

About ARDX

ARDX has a long-standing history of providing customizable and efficient solutions focused on Population Health, Payment Reform, and Patient-Centered Care & Outcomes for the nation's evolving healthcare environment. Creating process-driven policies and being committed to delivering quality the first time, every time, have earned ARDX a CMMI Level 5 appraisal rating and its Quality Management System conforms to the ISO 9001:2015 standard as certified by Intertek. Founded in 2006, ARDX is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. To learn more about ARDX, visit www.ardx.net.

SOURCE ARDX

Related Links

https://ardx.net/


ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Bastrop, La.-based Files Agribusiness, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2010, Files Agribusiness is a retail insurance agency that specializes in offering Federal Crop Insurance, agribusiness property/casualty and agricultural aviation coverages to clients primarily in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. John Files and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Bumpy Triche, head of Gallagher's Mid-South region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

"The Files Agribusiness team will strengthen our agribusiness capabilities and expand our geographic reach in the Federal Crop Insurance space," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "We are very pleased to welcome John and his associates to our growing company."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 57 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP - Investor Relations VP- Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

http://www.ajg.com


LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Drone Market in terms of revenue was worth of USD 18.28 Billion in 2020 and is Projected to reach USD 40.90 Billion in 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.27% from 2021 to 2027.

Drones are commonly known as unmanned aerial vehicles. It is an aircraft without any human pilot, passengers, or crew on board. The flight of drone may use under remote control by a human hand with different degrees of autonomy, such as autopilot assistance, up to completely independent aircraft that have no obligation for human involvement. Drones are considered pilotless platforms that can be remotely monitored by a human worker or piloted independently by a predetermined onboard computer. Drones offer the immense potential to convert urban and rural infrastructure and improve agricultural productivity in emerging countries. These can be as huge as an aircraft or as small as the hand's palm. Drones are usually used in conditions where operated flight is deemed very risky or complicated. They offer troops along with an "eye in the sky" seven days a week, 24-hour. Initially established for military and aerospace activities, drones have discovered their route into the mainstream due to the improved levels of security and effectiveness they bring. Various drones are available of traveling differing heights and distances.

Get Sample Copy of This Premium [email protected] https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/27

The study provides a crucial view of the global drone market by segmenting the market based on type, application and region & country level. Based upon the type, global drone market is segmented into Fixed-Wing Drone, Multi-Rotor Drone, and Others (Helirotor & Hybrid). Based upon application, the market is segmented into Military, Commercial and Consumer.

Rising demand for drones in military applications, advanced development in drones, and its growing applications in various sectors are some of the major factors driving the growth of the global drone market. Drones have been used by military forces of several countries for more than a decade. Military spending for drone technology is anticipated to flourish as a complete percentage of military budgets, presenting growth opportunities to particular drone manufacturers and software developers. For instance; there were demands for at least 3,447 additional unmanned ground, air, and sea systems in 2019, that is, a triple rise in the orders of 2018. Roughly 95 countries throughout the world previously have military drones. Many countries such as India, China, Germany, and Azerbaijan make use of remotely piloted drones designed for transporting munitions for dense forces.

Drones are usually utilized to collect data concerning ongoing and life-threatening military missions with the aid of their surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance capabilities on a real-time basis. Owing to the many advantages of drones in military sectors, the demand for them is gradually increasing all over the globe. In addition, increasing number of product offerings in the market is also fueling the growth of the drone market growth all over the globe during the forecast period. For instance; DJI introduced its Phantom 4 RTK drone, for assessing and mapping, at the European Drone Summit in Frankfurt, in October 2018 in Germany. Also, in April 2018, DroneDeploy Inc. launched its construction solution that permits users to instinctively develop photo flights, spontaneously capture corner images, instantly generate a visual timeline of a job site, and produce a replicable weekly improvement report. These various advancements have stemmed in constant demand for drones from the construction sector. However, various technological constraints such as SWaP challenges, limited endurance, and the presence of non-uniform laws and regulations may hinder the market growth. Despite this, ongoing technological advancements in this field may offer lucrative opportunities for the further growth of market.

The type of segment of the Global Drone Market is dominated by Fixed-Wing Drone drive with the largest market share of 54.85% in 2020. The application segment of the Global Drone Market is dominated by Military drive with the largest market share of 56.74% in 2020.

The global Drone market research reports segments as follows:

Global Drone Market: By Type

Fixed-Wing Drone

Multi-Rotor Drone

Others (Helirotor & Hybrid)

Global Drone Market: By Application

Military

Commercial

Consumer

Get Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/27

On a geographic basis, North America is expected to dominate the drone market during the forecast period owing to the increasing use of combat drones, the adoption of drones in the military, and other application and high investment in research & development in this region. For instance; the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a kidney, which was shortly provided by drone in April 2019. This observed the first delivery of such kind in the United States and the reach to donor organ pool and access to transplantation delivery of organs like kidneys, heart, and livers, among others.

Additionally, in October 2019, Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) signed an agreement with Air Canada and the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) to release the world's first airport-based drone delivery center. Edmonton Regional Airports Authority and DDC develop flight paths from EIA utilizing DroneSpot takeoff and arriving zones and started the processes by 2020. More, by the end of 2020, around 20 more routes included building a drone logistics network focused on EIA. This deal was a project to execute, organize, and market drone delivery facilities in Canadian-controlled airspace.

The Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market for the drones owing to several government regulations & schemes, the increasing number product launches and as well as increasing use of drones in the region. For instance; Coal India utilized drones to test illegal mining and pilferage, a scheme that it had previously tested in a pilot plan in November 2019. Also, Indian Railways is using drones for examination and 3D mapping to bring to life its concept of a devoted freight corridor with a 3,360 km network. Likewise, in China, there were about 558 thousand number of registered drone operators in 2020. The use of drones is noticeably increasing in the region.

Market Trends of Drone Market:

An aircraft without any human pilot, crew or passengers on board is nothing but the A drone which is also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). These Drones or unmanned flying systems are capable to carry different devices or sensors based on the type of their missions such as photographic, sound, chemical and biological devices. Drones can be clustered into categories such as fixed-wing, tilt-rotor, flapping wing, rotary-wing, helicopter, ducted fan, ornithopter and unconventional types.

Some of the major trends of Global Drone Market are such as:

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Eachine E520S DJI Mini 2 Ryze Tello DJI Mavic Air Autel EVO II DJI Inspire 2 PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard DJI Air 2 Flyability Elios DJI FPV senseFly eBee X Emax Tinyhawk 2 DJI Phantom 4 RTK MQ-5B Hunter TAI Anka

Get Full Access of all Trends: https://brandessenceresearch.com/technology-media/global-drone-market-2018-2024

Related Reports:

Drone Analytics Market: Historical And Forecasts By Type (On-Premises And On-Demand), By Industry (Agriculture & Forestry, Construction, Insurance, Mining & Quarrying, Utility, Telecommunication, Oil & Gas, Transportation, Scientific Research And Others), By Application (Thermal Detection, Geolocation Tagging, Aerial Monitoring, Ground Exploration, Volumetric Calculations, 3D Modelling And Others), By Solution (End To End Solutions And Point Solutions): Global Industry Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, to 2027

At 6.3% CAGR, Personalized Medicine Market Revenue to Cross USD 751 Bn by 2027, Says Brandessence Market Research

The UCaaS Market Size Will Reach USD 32.28 Bn by 2027

Smart Electric Meter Market size is expected to reach USD 15.29 Billion By 2025

The Aircraft MRO Market Size is Projected to USD 105.02 Billion in 2025 Says Brandessence Market Research

Global Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Market is valued at USD 12.67 Billion in 2020 and expected to reach USD 48.96 Billion by 2027 with the CAGR of 21.3% over the forecast period

Global Autonomous Mobile Robots Market is valued around USD 1941.7 Million in 2020 and expected to reach USD 6772.9 Million by 2027 with the CAGR of 19.54% over the forecast period.

About Brandessence Market Research & Consulting Pvt ltd.

Brandessence market research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations, and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in Pune, India and our sales office is in London.

Website: https://brandessenceresearch.com

Media contact:

Mr. Vishal Sawant

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

Corporate Sales: +44-2038074155

Asia Office: +917447409162



SOURCE Brandessence Market Research And Consulting Private Limited
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Autonomous Weapons Market by Product (Missiles, Munitions, Guided Rockets, Guided Projectiles, Hypersonic Weapons, and Others), Platform (Land, Airborne, and Naval), and Type (Semi-Autonomous and Autonomous): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030." According to the report, the global autonomous weapons industry generated $11.56 billion in 2020, and is estimated to reach $30.16 billion in 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 10.4% from 2021 to 2030.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Rise in number of autonomous defense vehicles, drones, and robots and increase in investments in R&D activities drive the growth of the global autonomous weapons market. However, issues related to accountability and misuse of such technology by unauthorized people hinder the market growth. On the other hand, adoption of autonomous technologies to lower down operational costs and increase efficiency creates new opportunities in the coming years.

Download Report (291 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13497

Covid-19 Scenario:

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, autonomous weapons production was affected considerably. Disruption in the supply chain of raw materials, challenges regarding logistics, lowered spending in the defense sector by various countries, and others posed restraints in manufacturing with full capacity.

The lockdown measures implemented in many countries forced the defense systems manufacturers to halt the production partially or completely. Moreover, service providers needed to stall expansion plants and reduce R&D investments to cope up with the reduced revenue streams

Governments of many countries slashed the budgets allocated to the defense sector. This, in turn, led to reduced purchase orders and affected the autonomous weapons market.

Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/13497

The missiles segment to offer lucrative opportunities

Based on product, the missiles segment held the highest share in 2020, accounting for nearly one-third of the global autonomous weapons market, and is estimated to continue its leadership status during the forecast period. Moreover, this segment is expected to witness the largest CAGR of 12.5% from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to high demand for a number of precise, long- and short-range missile systems to protect the national assets by defense forces worldwide. The research also analyzes the segments including munitions, guided rockets, guided projectiles, hypersonic weapons, and others.

The semi-autonomous segment to continue its lead position during the forecast period

Based on type, the semi-autonomous segment contributed to the largest share in 2020, holding nearly two-thirds of the global autonomous weapons market, and is estimated to continue its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to high demand for semi-autonomous weapons as they encompass artificial and human intelligence capabilities. However, the autonomous segment is projected to register the largest CAGR of 11.9% from 2021 to 2030, owing to excellent capabilities of autonomous weapons in handling attacks.

Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/13497

North America to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period

Based on region, North America is expected to portray the fastest CAGR of 11.5% during the forecast period, owing to surge in adoption of autonomous weapons, huge spending in the defense sector, and the presence of major defense equipment manufacturers. However, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in 2020, contributing to more than one-third of the global autonomous weapons market, and is estimated to continue its dominance in terms of revenue by 2030. This is due to rise in conflicts among various nations in the region and the consequent increase in demand for autonomous weapons to protect against unexpected attacks.

Leading Market Players

BAE Systems plc

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.

Kongsberg Gruppen ASA

Lockheed Martin Corporation

MBDA

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Rheinmetall AG

Thales Group

Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts to Find Solution for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/13497

Similar Reports We Have on Military & Defense Industry:

Smart Weapons Market by Type (Air-to-ground missiles, Surface-to-air missiles, Smart bombs, Sensor fused weapons, Directed energy weapons, Precision artillery munitions, Electromagnetic pulse weapons, Smart bullets), Geography - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2030.

Directed Energy Weapons Market by Application (Homeland Security, Defense), Technology (High Energy Laser, High Power Microwave, Particle Beam), High Energy Laser System (Chemical Laser, Fiber Laser, Free Electron Laser, Solid -State Laser) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014  2030.

Shoulder Fixed Weapons Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2030.

Remote Weapon Station Market by Component (Payload, Sensors, Human Machine Interface (HMI), Fire Control Station and Others), Platform (Ground, Sea, and Air), Mobility (Fixed and Moving), Fit (Line-Fit and Retrofit), Technology (Remote-Controlled Gun Systems, Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS), and Others), Payload (Machine Gun, Grenade Launcher, and Non-Lethal Weapons, and Others), and End-User (Army, Marine, Air Force, and Homeland Security): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030.

Automatic Weapons Market by Type (Fully Automatic and Semi-automatic), Product (Automatic Rifle, Machine Gun, Automatic Launchers, Automatic Cannon, and Gatling Gun), Caliber (Small Caliber, Medium Caliber and Large Caliber), and End Use (Airborne, Land and Naval): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Fully Automatic Weapons Market by Product (Automatic Rifle, Machine Gun, Automatic Launchers, Automatic Cannon, and Gatling Gun), Caliber (Small Caliber, Medium Caliber Large Caliber), and End Use (Airborne, Land, and Naval): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Semi-Automatic Weapons Market by Product (Automatic Rifle, Machine Gun, Automatic Launchers, Automatic Cannon, and Gatling Gun), by Caliber (Small Caliber, Medium Caliber, and Large Caliber), and End Use (Airborne, Land, and Naval): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Non-Lethal Weapons Market by Technology (Chemical Non-Lethal Weapons, Acoustic Non-Lethal Weapons, Electromagnetic Non-Lethal Weapons, Mechanical and Kinetic Non-Lethal Weapons), Application (Law Enforcement Agencies, Military, Personal Application) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014  2030.

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.

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. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. 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

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

USA/Canada (Toll Free):

+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1(855)550-5975

[email protected]

Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com

Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com

Follow Us on | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn |

SOURCE Allied Market Research
Emmy-award winning comedian Dana Carvey, was the Master of Ceremonies and received a standing ovation for his live performance, his first in 20 months. And, Pop Rocks featuring Mark McGrath delivered an outstanding show that got everyone dancing.

A leading U.S. expert on COVID-19 Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco presented insights and research related to the similarities between COVID-19 and Lyme disease, including the difficulties in diagnosing each disease.

Attendees rallied to support the research efforts initiated by the late Neil Spector, MD, of Duke University to identify effective diagnostics and therapeutics for multiple stages of Lyme disease, based on learnings from his renowned oncology research and with funding from Bay Area Lyme Foundation. Wendy Adams, Research Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation presented information about this study, which is currently led by Timothy Haystead, PhD of Duke and involves Monica E. Embers, PhD of Tulane University.

"You could feel the energy from attendees. Everyone is excited about the progress that is being made  and thrilled to be in person to exchange ideas, hear updates on the research and enjoy each other's company," remarked Linda Giampa, executive director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation of this year's LymeAid. The event was held outside at a private residence with a number of COVID precautions put in place, and many also attended virtually.

The event honored the immense contributions of Laure Woods for her work encouraging Lyme research and education. Woods is one of the founders of Bay Area Lyme Foundation and founder of the LaureL Foundation which covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs.

George Dempsey, MD, was presented with this year's Courage Award for his work in assisting with the initiation of Bay Area Lyme Foundation's Lyme Disease Biobank. The past courage award winners are Nicole Malachowski and Dana Parish. This year, signed copy of Dana's book, Chronic, co-authored with Steven Phillips, MD, were handed out to attendees.

During the event, the Bay Area Lyme Foundation also honored the recipients of the 2021 Emerging Leader Awards (ELA), grants designed to be a catalyst for future research: Michael P. Rout, PhD of The Rockefeller University, who was awarded a $250,000 grant for his work with nanobodies to develop a sensitive point-of-care diagnostic; and Brandon Jutras, PhD of Virginia Tech, who was awarded $100,000 toward the development of a novel direct-detection diagnostic approach for Lyme disease.

Several other researchers attended the event including Bay Area Lyme Foundation Scientific Advisory Board members Charles Chiu, MD, PhD of UCSF, Monica Embers, PhD of Tulane University, Christine Greene, MD, Dan Salkeld, PhD of Colorado State University, and Sunjya K. Schweig, MD. 2020 ELA grant award Artem Rogovskyy, DVM, PhD of Texas A&M University also attended.

Carolyn Margiotti, Kathleen O'Rourke, Julia Shaw, Kirsten Stein, and Laure Woods are the chairs of LymeAid 2021.

Honorary hosts included: Wendy Adams, Phyllis and Scott Bedford, Chris Buja, Bonnie Crater, Malcolm and Emily Fairbairn, Linda and Nick Giampa, Ally Hilfiger, Arlene Inch, Jane and Bert Inch, Scott Johnson, Lucy and Davorn Kuchan, Gretchen and Jim Mair, Eileen and Gary Morgenthaler, Susan and Gib Myers, Dana Parish, Project Lyme, Richard Redelfs, Pete Rukavina, The Sheridan Family, Jennie Savage and Josh Stein.

Platinum event sponsors were Quidel Corporation and Salesforce; Gold event sponsors included The Phoenix Collection, Whittier Trust; and Silver event sponsors included TickTock Naturals, Sawyer, LymeTV, Tepozan Tequila, GPS Connections, Thor Audio Solutions, Wyld Renaissance

About Lyme Disease

The most common vector-borne infectious disease in the country, Lyme disease is a potentially disabling infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets. If caught early, most cases of Lyme disease can be effectively treated, but it is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of awareness and unreliable diagnostic tests. There are nearly 500,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, according to the most recent CDC statistics. As a result of the difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, more than two million Americans may be suffering from the impact of its debilitating long-term symptoms and complications, according to Bay Area Lyme Foundation estimates.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Foundation , a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is the leading public not-for-profit sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US. A 501c3 non-profit organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme Foundation collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL Foundation covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.

SOURCE Bay Area Lyme Foundation
The BD Veritor Plus system is a portable, rapid and easy-to-use point-of-care antigen test that detects SARS-CoV-2  the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19  and provides results in just 15 minutes with a clear and easy-to-read "positive" or "negative" readout on its digital display. The digital display eliminates human subjectivity of manually read tests. Schools throughout Washington state can use the BD Veritor Plus system free of charge through a partnership with the Washington Department of Health and The Health Commons Project "Learn to Return" school testing program.

Schools that choose to use the BD Veritor Plus system also have a full-service option where Premier Medical Group (PMG), a third-party testing company, plans and executes the school's testing program so teachers and administrators can focus on teaching, not testing. In this option, PMG will prepare a turn-key solution that includes testing protocol, administration of the tests to students and completion of all required results-reporting to individuals and schools, as well as local, state and federal health officials. This will be the only rapid (same day results) testing option with staffing support for Washington schools.

"Using these testing services, schools can benefit from BD's diagnostic testing technologies together with the ease of implementation and execution from a known testing service provider that has experience in implementing on-site testing programs in over 500 schools nationwide," said Dr. Scott Miscovich, president and CEO, PMG. "Knowing testing results in 15 minutes is critical in school environments in order to remain open and to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Students can be immediately quarantined if they test positive, instead of waiting for 24 to 48 hours or more for a lab-based test result to return. The ease of use and rapid results are also ideal for sports and extracurricular activities where testing is required or recommended to keep participants safe and reduce the potential for large outbreaks across a team that can lead to games or entire seasons being canceled."

Rapid antigen testing with the BD Veritor Plus System meets the needs of Washington schools who are implementing symptomatic testing, screening programs and/or extracurricular-only testing. School officials in Washington interested in using the BD Veritor Plus system should contact https://learntoreturn.org/menu-of-tests/.

About the BD Veritor Plus System

This product has not been FDA cleared or approved; but has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories; This product has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS- CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens; and, This product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C.  360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the declaration is terminated or authorization is revoked sooner. Testing is limited to laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), 42 U.S.C 263a, that meet the requirements to perform moderate, high or waived complexity tests. This test is authorized for use at the Point of Care (POC), i.e., in patient care settings operating under a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, Certificate of Compliance, or Certificate of Accreditation. For more information, please see bdveritor.com.

About BD

BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo.

Contacts:





Media : Investors : Troy Kirkpatrick Kristen M. Stewart, CFA VP, Public Relations SVP, Strategy & Investor Relations 858.617.2361 201.847.5378 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)

Related Links

http://www.bd.com


The Note Touch reference design includes a small fabric sensing array (16x16 nodes) and a software toolkit to experiment with touch interfaces on any curved or flat surface and rapidly bring new ideas to market. Using gestures such as taps, swipes, and multi-touch, the Note Touch reference design replaces traditional buttons, knobs, and switches, with sleek improved aesthetics and a programmable interface.

Manufacturers can incorporate the Note Touch into existing or future products, from medical and fitness devices, seating, protective equipment, toys and consumer electronics, home automation, and more.

"For OEM's, this means enhancing their products' usability and aesthetics by removing traditional interaction controls and replacing them with customizable smart fabric sensors - resulting in a much cleaner and sleeker appearance and next gen human interaction, not to mention accelerating time to market, shortening development cycles, and lowering costs," said Jerry Kurtze, Vice President, Business Development & Marketing at BeBop Sensors.

BeBop's highly customizable reference design offers a device and software toolkit to experience and build with BeBop's patented Intelligent Sensing Technology (IST).

Download the Note Touch reference design sheet here .

"Our goal with Note Touch is to push the innovation envelope by inspiring technical teams and managers with endless possibilities, which could lead to possible market disruption," Kurtze said. "These intelligent sensing technologies will revolutionize human interaction and the way people interact with their devices."

About BeBop Sensors

BeBop is a leader in providing state-of-the-art customizable intelligent sensing technologies for OEMs for existing and emerging markets for next generation human interactions, robotics, health and wellness, AR/VR solutions and more.

BeBop's sensors comprehend force, location, size, weight, bend, twist, and presence and combine that with intelligent algorithms to turn data into meaningful insights or next generation smart interfaces. Our intelligent sensing technologies are revolutionizing human and device interaction by allowing integration into many form factors such as flat or curved surfaces, gaming/TV controls, earbuds, armrests, headrests, furniture, automobile controls, toys, helmets, exercise mats, insoles, robotic skin, and more.

BeBop - which provides highly customizable intelligent sensing solutions to a cross section of industries and Fortune 500 companies - has received numerous accolades, including the Red Herring Award, TIME Magazine Best Inventions Award, IDTechEx Wearable Award, Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award, and Gartner Cool Vendor Award.

For more information, visit http:// www.bebopsensors.com .

Contact:

Neal Leavitt

760-639-2900

[email protected]

SOURCE BeBop Sensors
British fashion house Self-Portrait has today revealed looks from its Spring/Summer 2022 Collection with a series of images of Bella Hadid, previewed on the last day of London Fashion Week.

Captured by British photographer Harley Weir, the images document the different sides to Bella Hadid and showcase the many facets of the Self-Portrait woman.

Collaborating with stylist Haley Wollens, hair stylist Jawara Wauchope and make-up artist Sam Visser, Bella was transformed into different sides of her character for the preview of Self-Portrait's new collection.

For Spring Summer 2022, Self-Portrait's Founder and Creative Director Han Chong was inspired by the transition into life in the outside world, and his latest collection features rich colours, new silhouettes and a blend of softened textures. New shapes in pastels and strong colour tones are designed to be worn effortlessly, embracing the free-spirited and relaxed ease of a new modern way of dressing.

Han Chong, Self-Portrait Founder and Creative Director, said:

"After what feels like a lifetime spent indoors. I was inspired to design a modern approach to dressing - strong, feminine styles but always soft and relaxed at the same time. This collection is a love letter to the Self-Portrait woman - one who is free to face the world, feel like herself in all her different guises and have fun again."

Harley Weir has also captured Bella Hadid for the brand's Spring/Summer campaign which will be released in full in January 2022, in line with the collection being available online at self-portrait-studio.com, in Self-Portrait stores globally and through an international network of select retailers.

Established in 2013 by Han Chong, Self-Portrait has become synonymous with empowering the modern woman through functional dressing for day and night. The brand is also strongly committed to supporting creative British talent through a number of initiatives including a scholarship program with Central Saint Martins.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Spring Summer 2022 Team

Creative Director: Han Chong

Art Director: Lina Kutsovskaya

Model: Bella Hadid

Photographer: Harley Weir

Stylist: Haley Wollens

Hair: Jawara Wauchope

Make up: Sam Visser

Previewing the SS22 Collection

Styles: Cut out dresses, tiered dresses, wrap dresses, gathered dresses, off-shoulder dresses, halter dresses, knit dresses, wrap skirts, gathered skirts, knit skirts, pleated trousers, cut out tops, off-shoulder tops, halter tops, peplum tops, cropped tops, knit tops, knit jumpers, oversized cardigans, cropped jackets, pleated jackets, tailored blazers, and the Azaelea dress.

Fabrics: Boucle, metallic boucle, cashmere, cotton, organic cotton poplin, broderie cotton, bonded crepe, stretch crepe, chiffon, recycled polyester chiffon, flock chiffon, denim, georgette, guipure lace, abstract guipure lace, macrame lace, jersey, ribbed knit, viscose knit, inserted lace knit, shirred dot mesh, power mesh, plisse, taffeta, cotton tape yarn, contrast yarn, wool

Colours: Deep blue, navy blue, tropical blue, light blue, lavender, lilac, dusty pink, fuchsia, red, canary yellow, pastel yellow, spearmint, lime, green, slate, khaki, taupe, caramel, ivory, white, black

Han Chong, Self-Portrait Founder and Creative Director said: "This season I was really inspired to shift gears into the future and present a collection into what women might want to wear after what feels like a lifetime spent indoors. I wanted to show a modern approach to occasion dressing - strong, feminine styles but in soft and relaxed silhouettes. This collection is a love letter to the Self-Portrait woman - one who is ready to face the world, be truly herself and have fun again."

About Self-Portrait

Established in the UK in 2013 by Han Chong , Self-Portrait is a modern fashion house based in London which has become synonymous with modern occasionwear for day and night and prides itself on its deep understanding of structure and materials

, Self-Portrait is a modern fashion house based in which has become synonymous with modern occasionwear for day and night and prides itself on its deep understanding of structure and materials Self-Portrait is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact by using responsibly sourced fibres and in 2019 started to introduce organic cotton and recycled chiffon and polyester across its collections. In 2020, the brand introduced recycled viscose

Self-Portrait is available online at self-portrait-studio.com and in stores globally including its flagships in London , Bangkok , Beijing , Shanghai , Chengdu , Shenzhen and Taipei . Self-Portrait is also sold through a network of select retailers around the world

About Han Chong

Born in Penang, Malaysia , Han studied Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins in London

, Han studied Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins in Fuelled by his own training at Central Saint Martins, Han is committed to supporting the next generation of creative talent and in 2018, established a five-year scholarship program with Central Saint Martins offering financial backing for five students to complete their MA degree as well as offering mentorship on navigating the realities of operating a fashion business

Images cannot be further cropped or used full bleed on a cover magazine without permission and written consent . All images must then be credited as follows:

 Self-Portrait/ Harley Weir at Art Partner

SOURCE Self-Portrait
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bilt Rewards today announces a growth funding round of $60 million, with investment from Wells Fargo, Mastercard, and a group of the nation's largest real estate owners including Blackstone, AvalonBay Communities, Douglas Elliman, New Valley Ventures, Equity Residential, GID, LEN, The Moinian Group; Morgan Properties, Related Group, and Starwood Capital Group among others.

Launched in June 2021 by Kairos HQ, Bilt Rewards is the first-ever loyalty program and co-brand credit card for renters, enabling the country's 109 million renters to finally earn points on their largest monthly expense with no fees. The free Bilt Rewards loyalty program is available to renters living within the Bilt Rewards Alliance, a network of more than 2 million rental units across the country, or by using the Bilt Mastercard, the first credit card that can be used to pay rent with no fees at any rental unit in the U.S.

The announcement of Bilt Rewards' initial funding round coincides with the unveiling of added loyalty benefits for rewards members and cardholders. Starting today, Bilt's newly introduced 0-1-2-3 point earning structure will allow Bilt Mastercard cardholders to earn even more points on categories that mean the most to them, all with no fees, making the Bilt Mastercard one of the most competitive and high-value credit cards on the market.

The 0-1-2-3 structure breaks down as follows:

$0 annual card fee

annual card fee 1x on rent payments

on rent payments 2x points on travel

points on travel 3x points on dining

...plus...

points on dining ...plus... +1x points on all other purchases

Bilt Rewards is also introducing added benefits to loyalty members of the program, including:

Interest on Points

A first-of-its-kind offering, Bilt will pay members interest, based on the FDIC published national savings rate, on their monthly points accumulation.

Bilt's Homeownership Concierge

Members who choose to redeem Bilt Points towards their home down payment can utilize the help of a dedicated concierge that will walk members through the home buying process step-by-step.

Bonus Points on New Leases or Renewals

Bilt will deposit up to 50% bonus points on top of points issued by landlords to Bilt Rewards members for signing new tenant leases and lease renewals.

Additionally, Bilt Rewards members will now have the ability to earn up to 50,000 points on rent per year, and can continue to earn unlimited points through Bilt Mastercard transactions. When paying rent through the Bilt Rewards app, members can also have their rent payments reported to the credit bureaus at no cost, which can help build credit history for millions of young renters.

"The concept of Bilt is simple," says Bilt CEO and founder Ankur Jain. "And the support from our partners in this early funding round validates that we are serving a real need for both consumers and businesses. In the same way airlines and hotels have created loyalists through their rewards programs over the last several decades, Bilt has introduced a new way to turn renting into an enjoyable experience that benefits everyone, and can even build a path towards homeownership. We are continuing to add enhanced benefits and new partners to build the best program possible, and we're only just getting started."

Through its unparalleled loyalty program, Bilt Points can today be redeemed for travel across over 100 major airlines and hotels via 1:1 transfer partnerships with American Airlines AAdvantage, Emirates Skywards, KLM-Air France FlyingBlue, World of Hyatt loyalty program and IHG Rewards. Bilt Points can also be used for fitness classes at the country's top boutique studios including SoulCycle, Rumble and Y7; limited-edition and exclusive collections of art and home decor through the Bilt Collection, and can even be used for rent credits or towards a future down payment on a home.

Bilt Rewards has been rolling out through a network of more 2 million rental units nationwide since launch in June 2021, with real estate partners including Blackstone, Related Companies, Related Group, Equity Residential, AvalonBay Communities, Inc., Camden Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield, Trammell Crow Residential, Highmark Residential, AMLI Residential, Morgan Properties, SL Green Realty Corp., Starwood Capital Group, GID, The Moinian Group, Veritas Investments, and Artemis Real Estate Partners. Following launch Douglas Elliman, LeFrak, and Rudin Management properties among others have joined the Bilt Rewards Alliance, expanding Bilt's footprint even more widely across the country.

The new funding round will be used to further expand Bilt's real estate and loyalty partner network, grow organic distribution channels, and open the Bilt Rewards platform and Bilt Mastercard more widely to the public.

For more information, visit BiltRewards.com or download the Bilt Rewards app.

About Bilt Rewards

Launched by Kairos HQ in June 2021, Bilt Rewards is the first-ever loyalty program that allows renters to earn points on rent with no fees and builds a path towards homeownership. Through a partnership with the country's largest owners including AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, Related, Starwood Capital Group and more, Bilt Rewards enables renters in more than two million units across the country to earn points just by paying rent. Bilt Rewards boasts one of the highest value rewards programs on the market today, including one-to-one point transfers to 9 loyalty programs allowing travel across over 100 major airlines and hotel partners; fitness classes at the country's top boutique studios including SoulCycle, Rumble and Y7; limited-edition and exclusive collections of art and home decor through the Bilt Collection, and the ability to use Bilt points for rent credits or towards a future downpayment. Bilt has also partnered with Mastercard to create the Bilt Mastercard - the first and only credit card that can be used to pay rent with no fees. Bilt is a Kairos company. For more information, visit BiltRewards.com.

Media Contacts:

Lauren Doyle

Bilt Rewards

[email protected]

SOURCE Kairos HQ

Related Links

kairoshq.com


CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Bioinformatics Market by Product & Service (Knowledge Management Tools, Data Analysis Platforms, Structural Analysis, Functional Analysis, Services), Applications (Genomics, Proteomics), & Sector (Medical, Animal, Agricultural) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Bioinformatics Market is projected to reach USD 21.8 billion by 2026 from USD 10.7 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 15.2%.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Bioinformatics Market"

221  Tables

32  Figures

220  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=39

The Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology for the management and analysis of biological data. It includes storage, analysis, and dissemination of biological data. Bioinformatics uses computer programs for a variety of applications, including determining gene & protein functions, establishing evolutionary relationships, and predicting the three-dimensional shapes of proteins.

The Bioinformatics has always had huge potential when it comes to providing essential support to many areas of scientific research. The COVID-19 pandemic was a real-life test for bioinformatics. One of the major focus areas for every country during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to study and understand how to halt the progress of the virus. Next-generation sequencing is the fundamental method for investigating SARS-CoV-2 genomes, which offers basic information about the virus. Bioinformatics pipelines and biological & host-virus interaction databases are the critical tools for calculating such data and furthering comprehension of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, various studies are being undertaken to understand the genetic combination of the virus; these studies are driven by bioinformatics. In this context, the outsourcing of bioinformatics has increased during the pandemic. Due to the evolved and upgraded bioinformatics capabilities of service providers, scientists have been able to uncover numerous secrets of SARS-CoV-2, ranging from its identification to its origin (including its functioning and spread), in a short time span.

Bioinformatics services to register the highest growth in the type market

Based on products & services, the Bioinformatics platforms market is segmented into knowledge management services, bioinformatics platform, and bioinformatics services. Financial support from the government and private bodies for NGS-based projects, advancements in NGS, decreased sequencing costs, and the need for high-throughput analysis of a large amount of data generated during sequencing are the major factors driving this segment's growth. The knowledge management tools segment is expected to account for the largest share of 39.1% of the bioinformatics market in 2020. Knowledge management tools are used by researchers to handle large volumes of heterogeneous information. This information includes the data from experiments and the data retrieved from available repositories. Functions of knowledge management tools include data management, data warehousing, data mining, and information retrieval. These functions help in understanding the structure of genes and proteins alongside the effects of mutations by comparing them with available databases.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=39

Medical biotechnology to hold the largest segment of the Bioinformatics platforms market

Based on the application, the market is segmented into medical biotechnology, animal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, forensic biotechnology, another sector. The medical biotechnology segment accounted for the largest share of 50.3% of the bioinformatics market in 2020. The development of new databases for drug discovery, the use of bioinformatics for clinical diagnostics, and the increased funding for the development of bioinformatics solutions for clinical diagnostics are primarily driving the use of bioinformatics in clinical diagnostics and contributing to the growth of the medical biotechnology segment in the market.

North American bioinformatics market to dominate the market during the forecast period

North America dominated the Bioinformatics platforms market in 2020 and is expected to grow at a 14.7% CAGR during the forecast period. The large share of North America in the global bioinformatics market can be attributed to factors such as government support for genomic research, presence of leading bioinformatics providers, decreased cost of sequencing, increased awareness of bioinformatics services, and increased number of genomic research activities (and the corresponding adoption of bioinformatics) in the region are driving the growth of the market in North America. North America has a favorable funding scenario for research activities. This regional market is characterized by increased government initiatives for the reimbursement of genomic testing and favorable funding scenario for research activities involving the use of bioinformatics technologies.

Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=39

Some of the prominent players operating in the bioinformatics market are Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), QIAGEN N.V. (Netherlands), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), and Illumina, Inc. (US), Waters Corporation (US), DNASTAR (US), NeoGenomics Laboratories (US), Perkin Elmer, Inc. (US), GENEWIZ (US) and BGI Group (China) Waters Corporation (US), DNASTAR (US), NeoGenomics Laboratories (US), Perkin Elmer, Inc. (US), GENEWIZ (US) and BGI Group (China), Fios Genomics (UK), Partek Incorporated (US), SOPHiA Genetics (Switzerland), Source BioScience (UK), and Biomax Informatics AG (Germany) among others.

Browse Adjacent Markets: Healthcare IT Market Research Reports & Consulting

Browse Related Reports:

Proteomics Market by Product (Spectroscopy, Chromatography, Electrophoresis, X-ray Crystallography), Reagent, Service (Core Proteomics, Bioinformatics), Application (Diagnostic, Drug Discovery), End User (Hospital, Labs, Biopharma) - Global Forecast to 2026

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/proteomics-market-731.html

Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) Market by Product & Service (Consumables, Platforms, Services, Bioinformatics), Technology (SBS, SMRT), Application (Diagnostic, Drug Discovery, Agriculture), End User (Pharma, Biotech, Academic) - Global Forecast to 2026

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-technologies-market-546.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/bioinformatics-market.asp

Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/bioinformatics-market.asp

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bi.org proudly announced their 25th anniversary celebration in tandem with the annual Bi-Pride Month, and Bi-Visibility Day set for September 23. With over 1.3 million page-likes on Facebook as well as substantial Twitter and Instagram followings, Bi.org maintains its position as the largest online resource for Bi information and news. Originally founded in the 1990s as a research project for the American Institute of Bisexuality and The Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (KSOG), Bi.org continues to serve a population that is as diverse as it is inclusive.

AIB and bi.org founder Fritz Klein Bi Pride Month

"We're happy that our founder's work, psychiatrist Fritz Klein, is still going strong," said Talia Squires, Director of Bi.org. "He originally created Bi.org as an online community to post news, host forums and dating profiles, and create an inclusive global hub for the underserved Bi population. People who, like many in the LGBT community, often had to live their lives in the shadows. But Klein lived his life proudly, out, and wanted the rest of the world to have the same freedom. Thankfully, times have changed, and over the years, acceptance has allowed Bi social media groups and dating sites to thrive. So while Bi.org maintains a thriving community, it also continues to publish important informative articles and resources, inspiring profiles of famous Bi people, and Bi character profiles to help fill everyday Bi folks with hope. Our core message is still the same  you are not alone."

For important Bi-related news and content, visit Bi.org online. And keep an eye out for the Spanish Bi.org newsletter, set to launch in 2022. Follow Bi.org on social media @BiDotOrg: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

About Bi.org

Originally founded in 1996 by sex researcher and psychiatrist Fritz Klein, Bi.org (formerly bisexual.org) began with the simple goal of letting Bi people know they were not alone. When first launched, there were almost no online resources for the Bi community, or those resources were hard to find, highly sexualized, and/or catered to niche audiences. Since those early years, Bi.org has evolved to serve an increasingly diverse, global community.

Over two decades later, Bi.org continues its mission to connect Bi people around the world; providing accessible and scientifically accurate information about (bi)sexuality. Whether visitors need to learn about (bi)sexuality to better understand themselves, loved ones, peers, or conduct research  Bi.org will continue to offer valuable resources. Learn more about the global Bi community at: www.Bi.org.

Media Contact:

Talia Squires, Director of Bi.org

1-541-326-9563

[email protected]

SOURCE Bi.org
CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) Market by Offering (Tools and Services), Application (Supply Chain Management, Smart Contracts, Identity Management, GRC Management), Organization Size, End User (FMCG, Healthcare), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global post-COVID-19 BaaS market size to grow from USD 632 million in 2020 to USD 11,519 million by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 62.2% during the forecast period.

Increasing demand for BaaS due to COVID-19 outbreak, growing need for supply chain transparency across verticals, and rising demand for enhanced security are major growth factors for the market. Increasing integration of blockchain and IoT, and rising government initiatives would provide lucrative opportunities for vendors in the BaaS market.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Blockchain as a Service Market"

267  Tables

52  Figures

271  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=246499192

By offering, Tools segment to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

BaaS tools are expected to observe a wide adoption during the forecast period as an increasing number of enterprises of all sizes are realizing the benefits offered by these tools. In this study, tools refer to a standalone BaaS platform that cannot be further segmented. BaaS tools in the market enable customers to set up private, public, and consortium-based blockchain environments and provide them with capabilities to develop their own blockchain applications and solutions. These tools enable people, products, applications, and services to interoperate across the blockchain network. The growing emphasis on compliance as well as government regulations across the insurance sector also fuels the adoption of BaaS solutions, especially in highly regulated regions, such as North America and Europe. Emerging regulations, such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Global Cryptocurrency Regulation, are expected to further propel the demand for BaaS solutions during the forecast period. In addition to the strict governance and compliance policies, these tools further help enterprises avert risks through fraud and risk management applications and optimize their daily operations, leading to reduced operational costs.

In application, smart contracts to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

In a traditional environment, transactions and agreements between companies, clients, and co-workers, in most cases, must be monitored and verified by a central third-party system. In such cases, each party involved in the transaction is dependent on the central third-party, which increases the liability of the centralized third-party system, and could result in losses if the central system is compromised. Smart contracts eliminate such risks by storing, verifying, and executing contractual rules utilizing blockchain technology, decentralizing the responsibility and accountability of the contracts. Allowing all parties to access and view executed contracts eliminates the risks of fraud and data loss, increasing the reliability of the system, and therefore, reducing the operational time and cost.

Request Sample: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=246499192

North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

North American banks such as the Royal Bank of Canada, JPMorgan, and Bank of America, and other financial service institutions are adopting blockchain technology and rolling out full-scale commercial blockchain technology-based products. Also, retailers in this region have realized the blockchain technology's potential in the delivery of enhanced customer experience and efficient supply chain systems; hence, the region is witnessing increased adoption of BaaS to develop effective business applications. These factors are expected to fuel the demand for BaaS in the region.

Major vendors in the global Blockchain as a Service Market include IBM (US), Microsoft (US), SAP SE (Germany), Amazon Web Services (AWS) (US), R3 (US), Oracle (US), Huawei (China), HPE (US), Accenture (Ireland), Wipro (India), Infosys (India), BitFury (Netherlands), Factom (US), LeewayHertz (US), Altoros (US), VeChain Foundation (China), Salesforce (US), OpenXcell (US), Oodles Technologies (India), BLOCKO (South Korea), Dragonchain (US), Kaleido (US), Bloq (US), Chainstack (Singapore), Cryptowerk (US), Morpheus Labs (Singapore), Shipchain (South Carolina), Crypto APIs (Bulgaria) etc.

Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Blockchain Supply Chain Market by Offering (Platform, Services), Type (Public, Private, and Hybrid and Consortium), Provider, Application (Asset Tracking, Smart Contracts), Enterprise Size, Vertical (FMGC, Healthcare), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/blockchain-supply-chain-market-90851499.html

Blockchain In Insurance Market by Provider, Application (GRC Management, Death & Claims Management, Identity Management & Fraud Detection, Payments, and Smart Contracts), Organization Size (Large Enterprises and SMEs), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/blockchain-in-insurance-market-9714723.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/blockchain-as-a-service-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/blockchain-as-a-service.asp

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
The company welcomes two new strategic investors to its series A to accelerate international expansion:

Singapore -based global investor, EDBI

Alma Mundi Insurtech Fund, Spain

SINGAPORE, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- bolttech, one of the fastest growing international insurtech unicorns, today announced the extension of its recently-announced US$180 million series A funding round led by Activant Capital Group, bringing the series total to US$210 million. The largest ever Series A round for an insurtech now adds two new strategic investors in bolttech, Singapore-based global investor EDBI ("EDBI") and Alma Mundi Insurtech Fund, Spain ("Mundi Ventures").

With a full suite of digital and data-driven capabilities, bolttech powers connections between insurers, distributors, and customers to make it easier and more efficient to buy and sell insurance and protection products. bolttech has built a global footprint that serves more than 7.7 million customers in 26 markets across 3 continents  North America, Asia, and Europe.

The additional capital will help bolttech further enable its partners and customers with enhanced technology and digital capabilities. Bringing on these new strategic investors will also help strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia, Europe, and its other existing markets, as the business accelerates its international growth strategy.

Rob Schimek, bolttech's Group Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are thrilled to welcome such high calibre strategic investors. They bring an extensive network and deep expertise in their respective markets which will help propel our growth and support our innovation for our partners and customers around the world. Together with their partnership, we look forward to accelerating our international growth and realising our vision to connect more people around the world with ways to protect the things they value."

Ms. Chu Swee Yeok, CEO and President of EDBI, said "With an extensive technology-enabled insurance exchange and distribution network, bolttech is poised to lead the digital transformation of Southeast Asia's insurance sector. EDBI looks forward to partnering Rob and his team to strengthen their innovation hub in Singapore and support the growth of their businesses in the region."

Javier Santiso, Mundi Ventures' CEO and General Partner, said, "We value investment partners such as bolttech that are willing to disrupt the insurance industry with new technologies and product innovation, and particularly new, game-changing distribution models. We look forward to working with Rob and his world-class team as they build-out their presence and partnerships here in Europe."

About bolttech

bolttech is an international insurtech with a mission to build the world's leading, technology-enabled ecosystem for protection and insurance. bolttech serves customers in 26 markets across North America, Asia and Europe.

With a full suite of digital and data-driven capabilities, bolttech powers connections between insurers, distributors, and customers to make it easier and more efficient to buy and sell insurance and protection products.

For more information, please visit www.bolttech.io.

About EDBI

Investing since 1991, EDBI is a Singapore-based global investor in select high growth technology sectors ranging from Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Emerging Technology (ET), Healthcare (HC) and promising Singapore SMEs in strategic industries. As a value-creating investor, EDBI assists companies achieve their ambitious goals by leveraging our broad network, resources and expertise. With our growth capital, EDBI supports companies seeking to grow in Asia and globally through Singapore.

For more information, visit https://www.edbi.com

About Mundi Ventures

Mundi Ventures is a 200 million Venture Capital firm focused in Insurtech and technological companies. The fund is headquartered in Madrid and has operational presence in Barcelona, London and Tel Aviv. Preeminently an insurtech investor in Europe, backed by leading insurers and by a proven and experienced investment team that invested previously in European unicorns such as Farfetch, Auto1, Skyscanner, among others. The portfolio is currently invested in Wefox, the largest insurtech in Europe, and includes investments in Paris, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Madrid, Barcelona, Palo Alto and New York.

Media contacts:

bolttech media enquiries:

James Jarman, FTI Consulting

[email protected]

+65 8202 3725



EDBI media enquiries:

Mark Teo, EDB Investments

[email protected]



Mundi Ventures media enquiries:

Yago Montenegro, Mundi Ventures

[email protected]



bolttech investor relations enquiries:

[email protected]

SOURCE bolttech

Related Links

http://www.bolttech.io


CANTON, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, a national provider of insurance solutions for individuals and at the workplace, was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a top charitable contributor for the third consecutive year. The Corporate Citizenship Award is given to companies that have donated at least $100,000 to Massachusetts-based charitable organizations in fiscal year 2020. Boston Mutual ranked 85th on the list.

Canton-based Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company donated more than $257,000 last year to various national and regional organizations, including contributions dedicated to supporting coronavirus relief efforts. The company also offered employees virtual volunteer opportunities to support worthy causes through its Making An Impact program, in lieu of in-person activities due to the pandemic. This year marks the third anniversary of the company's program, which is dedicated to charitable giving.

"We are honored to be recognized among other Massachusetts-based companies that share our passion for giving back." Tweet this

"We are honored to be recognized for our charitable contributions among other Massachusetts-based companies that share our same passion for giving back, especially over this past year when it is needed more than ever," said Paul A. Quaranto, Jr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. "Boston Mutual values corporate citizenship very highly, and the events of 2020 further reinforced our commitment to supporting worthy causes and helping those in a time of need. I am proud to see the efforts of our employees highlighted through our Making An Impact program and look forward to continuing to make a difference within the communities in which we serve."

This year's honorees were recently recognized in a virtual celebration at the Boston Business Journal's 16th Annual Corporate Citizenship Awards on September 9, 2021. To see the full list of honorees, please visit this link.

To learn more about Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, please visit https://www.bostonmutual.com/. For more on the company's corporate citizenship program, Making An Impact, visit https://www.bostonmutual.com/about-us/making-an-impact/.

About Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Founded as a progressive life insurance company in 1891, Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company is a national carrier that provides insurance solutions designed for working Americans and their families, as well as enrollment and billing options at the workplace. With its home office based in Canton, Massachusetts, as a mutual company, Boston Mutual Life is dedicated to acting in the best interests of its policyholders, producers, employees, and its communities. For more information, please visit www.bostonmutual.com or contact your Boston Mutual Life representative. Follow the company on Facebook (/BostonMutualLifeIns) or LinkedIn (/company/boston-mutual-life-insurance).

Media Contact:

Meredith D'Agostino

Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

[email protected]

(800) 669-2668 x276

SOURCE Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company

Related Links

www.bostonmutual.com


STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When William B. Meyer started his company in 1915, he provided moving services with one truck from a small office in Bridgeport, Connecticut. While the company remains family-owned and operated four generations later, its operations have expanded to include multiple locations from Massachusetts to Delaware and services from logistics and relocation to storage and workplace solutions.

Newly-branded Meyer vans

To honor this expansion and prepare for its next chapter of growth, William B. Meyer announced today that it has shortened its brand name to Meyer and developed an entirely new brand and visual identity.

"For over 100 years, Meyer has been on a journey to this moment. Along the way, we've grown, expanded, and upgraded, but this year, we took a step back to reflect on what we stand for and the business we're in," shared Meyer President Tom Gillon, Jr.

"Today, with our shorter name, new brand, and expanded suite of services, we're acknowledging who we are committed to becoming," added CEO Mike Racette. "Meyer empowers our customers to become stronger through transition and change, and our new tagline Shaping Futures conveys the lasting value we deliver every day."

The new Meyer brand and services are highlighted on the company's new website at www.MeyerInc.com and will be highly visible on Meyer's vehicles, equipment and facilities across the region.

About Meyer

Headquartered in Stratford, CT and serving customers across the Northeast with key locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Delaware, Meyer is a logistics, relocation and storage solutions company for organizations that require smart transformation of their spaces and assets. More information is available at www.MeyerInc.com.

Media Contact:

Ted Kennedy

203-383-6100

[email protected]

SOURCE Meyer
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Burn Boot Camp, a leading boutique fitness franchise, celebrated its most successful and engaging Annual Summit to date. The national franchise continues to meet milestones with record breaking growth  a common theme woven into this year's keynote speeches and seminars at the brand's highly anticipated convention. Franchise partners, trainers and members of leadership turned out in record numbers for the event recently held in Charlotte.

As the brand continues to expand across the country, having recently cut its 300th ribbon and entered its 39th state, Burn Boot Camp is in the midst of executing an aggressive growth strategy  one that will help the brand break into its 40th state and close in on its goal of reaching 400 gyms open and in development by year end.

Part of this expansion plan includes awarding the franchise opportunity to successful existing franchise partners. This summer, Burn Boot Camp's annual Summit hosted a 'Build Your Own Empire Lounge' and was flooded with requests from franchise partners to expand their business. Additional franchise agreements were signed on-site to develop in Acworth, GA; Burlington, WI; Covington GA; Douglasville, GA; St. Johns, FL; Tallahassee, FL; and Zionsville, IN. Franchise partners that elected to sign for additional units at the Summit received various incentives to help them expand, providing an incredible investment opportunity for some of the brand's most talented and successful operators.

"This year's Summit was surreal  when we gather our network of hundreds of franchise partners, I'm immediately reminded of how far we've come," shared Devan Kline, Founder and CEO of Burn Boot Camp. "Just as we've created a name for ourselves by catering to the entire member  mind, body and emotional wellness  we take the same approach when we bring on franchise partners. While we have a streamlined approach, allowing them to seamlessly run their business with our SOPs, we realize that some of our franchise partners want more. Holding the 'Build Your Own Empire Lounge' is one way we're able to customize that experience and help them pursue their personal entrepreneurial dreams  whatever those may be."

Even after of one of the most challenging years the fitness industry has faced, Burn Boot Camp continues to experience incredible growth, with international expansion into Canada on the agenda along with a number of other brand initiatives before 2021 ends. And, the franchise's impressive performance hasn't gone unnoticed, as the brand made the 2021 Inc. 5000 for the second consecutive year, after debuting in 2020 at No. 410. Burn Boot Camp also appeared in the top 100 on Entrepreneur's highly sought-after Franchise 500  the two prestigious lists track the growth of the best and most innovative brands.

To become a part of the ever-growing #burnnation community, interested individuals can expect a total investment ranging from $181.8K-$447.9K with discounts available for military veterans and multi-unit signings.

For more information about Burn Boot Camp, visit: burnbootcamp.com

About Burn Boot Camp

Founded in 2012 by husband wife duo Devan and Morgan Kline, Burn Boot Camp is a national fitness concept where like-minded men and women can come together, build confidence and inspire one another through fitness. The national franchise started as a female-focused boutique gym franchise with a mission and passion for empowering communities. Recently, Burn Boot Camp has cultivated a following from both men and women alike, giving an opportunity to families to work out together while taking advantage of Childwatch services that are provided exclusively to members. Burn Boot Camp offers 45-minute circuit style workout camps through highly innovative daily programs crafted by certified personal trainers. For more information, visit burnbootcamp.com

SOURCE Burn Boot Camp

Related Links

http://www.burnbootcamp.com


RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CameraMatics, the Ireland-based leading IoT fleet and vehicle safety technology specialist, has reengaged in the US market, hiring key industry veterans across the United States. The company just launched a new website specifically designed for decision-makers of American trucking fleets and business-vehicle operators to help them improve safety, efficiency, and compliance.

CameraMatics has grown steadily since its launch in 2016, and now boasts over 1,000 customers globally, including some of the sector's leading mid-to-large-sized fleet operators. The company's solutions are currently operating live in tens of thousands of vehicles worldwide. CameraMatics has seen an impressive 300% growth in its customer subscription base since January 2020.

In January, 2021, CameraMatics successfully closed a Series A funding round. The funds are being used to support expansion of the US branch of the business where a rapidly expanding team is being built covering sales, customer success and technical services specific to the US market. CameraMatics is also using the recent investment to drive forward the recent entry into the mainland European and Middle Eastern markets and expects to create more than 50 jobs over the next two to three years in the UK and Ireland.

"CameraMatics has cemented its position as a market-leader in Ireland and the UK, and we're excited to bring our technology and continue our mission to drive new standards in vehicle and driver safety across the US and the world," said CameraMatics Co-founder and Director, Simon Murray. "Launching our dedicated US website and strengthening our presence in this market is an important milestone for the business. We're extremely excited about the response we received in the US around our solution and look forward to helping all our customers drive new safety standards across their fleet operations and keeping drivers and other road users safe and protected in North America. The future looks very bright."

The CameraMatics SaaS solution is a modular and highly configurable software platform based on connected camera technology, vision systems, AI, machine learning and telematics, combined with fleet safety modules. It is a complete solution, helping fleet operators to drive new safety standards across their fleet and drivers. By reducing accidents, improving operational efficiencies, and managing compliance, CameraMatics gives complete visibility and peace of mind for today's challenges in fleet operations.

To manage overall fleet management, safety, driver behavior, and compliance, many fleet operators use multiple systems, but those systems are generally not built to work together. CameraMatics is in-house developed and designed as a comprehensive, one-stop-shop, intelligent solution that helps address the challenges fleet operators face, and is ideal for all kinds of fleet types, sizes, and industry sectors.

"Operating commercial vehicles has become a risky business," said Michael Menolascino, Head of Sales, US. "Whether operating a large fleet or a handful of light trucks, fleet operators are responsible for the safety and security of vehicle assets and drivers, in addition to ensuring compliance, controlling costs, and operating as efficiently as possible. With insurance premiums soaring and nuclear and large-scale court verdicts increasing, US fleets need an intelligent, easy-to-use solution like CameraMatics. I'm excited to bring our cutting-edge technology to US customers."

CameraMatics is a member of the American Trucking Associations, Virginia Manufacturers Association, and the Virginia Trucking Association.

Notes to Editors - CameraMatics was established in Ireland in 2016 by fleet experts Mervyn O'Callaghan and Simon Murray who identified a gap in the data and solutions used by fleet managers, vehicle manufacturers and insurance companies, leaving them open to a variety of risks.

CameraMatics is complete technology for Fleet and Driver Risk Management and is a Full Stack IoT Company. The software platform is modular based on Connected Camera Technology, Vision Systems, AI, Machine Learning and Telematics, combined with Fleet Safety modules that help fleet operators to drive new safety standards across their fleet and drivers. By reducing accidents, improving operational efficiencies, managing compliance, it gives complete visibility and peace of mind for today's challenges in fleet operations. CameraMatics is based in Dublin and Waterford (Ireland), London (UK), Richmond VA (USA) and has recently made an entry into the markets in mainland Europe and the Middle East.

Media Contact: Wayne Henninger, [email protected]

SOURCE CameraMatics

Related Links

www.cameramatics.com


"I had felt so alone, but being at these rallies and seeing the vast number of people standing together in love and unity has encouraged my heart," said Stephania Christian, a mom and activist who along with approximately 3,000 other protesters attended a rally in Foley Square in New York. "Together we have cried, held hands, helped one another and our numbers are growing daily. Fear not, you are not alone."

"Parents and individuals should be able to make their own decisions when it comes to their health..."

Participants and organizers, encouraged by the outpouring of support, are already planning for another walk-out protest to take place soon, more information on upcoming events can be found at WalkOutWeek.org

The protests were organized by Children's Health Defense, an organization which objects to the immoral and unconstitutional medical mandates forced upon American citizens, a sentiment echoed this week by US judges around the country.

As a part of the Walk Out Week demonstration in Foley Square Del Bigtree, Mary Holland, Trisha Lindsay and Rita Palma spoke to the crowd about these mandates as a violation of American freedoms and civil liberties.

Similar rallies took place in Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Oregon.

"The resistance against government health mandates forcing COVID-19 vaccination on children and adults is growing daily, even people who opted to take the injection are standing in solidarity against mandates," said Stephanie Locricchio, Advocacy Liaison with Children's Health Defense.

"We need to remind the powers that be that parents and individuals should be able to make their own decisions when it comes to their health and well-being," said Aimee Villella McBride Advocacy Liaison, Children's Health Defense.

While US residents were walking out of their schools and offices, the US judicial system was concluding that such mandates violate the rights of individuals. In Florida, Judge K. Michael Moore upheld an executive order issued by Rep. Gov. Ron DeSantis which allows parents--not the government--to decide whether their children wear masks. Likewise, on Wednesday in New York, Judge David Hurd ordered a halt to Covid mandates forcing healthcare workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine or lose their jobs. Hours later, New York State court judge Laurence L. Love followed suit, temporarily prohibiting these mandates from being imposed on educators.

For more information on these efforts o future protests please contact:

Rita Shreffler 202-599-1461

Children's Health Defense  is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its mission is to end childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and to establish safeguards to prevent future harm.

SOURCE The Children's Health Defense
"With Americans rediscovering domestic destinations and the continued return to travel, as well as the trend of work from anywhere, guests are increasingly turning to Ascend and Cambria, thanks to their uniquely local experience and upscale amenities that allow for exploration. As a result, our upscale brands are outperforming the local competition at record levels," said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. "In addition to the brands' performance strength compared to the competition, both Ascend and Cambria have continued to expand. Recently, we've added several waterfront and mountain retreats to Ascend  from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the scenic mountains in the southeast corner of New Mexico. Plus, Cambria has welcomed hotels in Washington D.C., Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Napa Valley so far this year and expects to open several additional properties before the end of the year, including in Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Louisville, Kentucky."

Choice's upscale brands experienced several notable achievements in the first half of the year, including:

Ascend Hotel Collection outperformed the upscale segment in RevPAR change by nearly 26 percentage points in the second quarter compared to 2019, while achieving RevPAR share gains of 12 percentage points against local competitors compared to the first half of 2019. In addition, July RevPAR increased 17.7%, driven by an increase in average daily rate of 20.7% as compared to 2019. At the same time, the industry's first and largest soft brand continues to grow, with nearly 390 hotels open globally.

outperformed the upscale segment in RevPAR change by nearly 26 percentage points in the second quarter compared to 2019, while achieving RevPAR share gains of 12 percentage points against local competitors compared to the first half of 2019. In addition, July RevPAR increased 17.7%, driven by an increase in average daily rate of 20.7% as compared to 2019. At the same time, the industry's first and largest soft brand continues to grow, with nearly 390 hotels open globally. Cambria Hotels achieved its strongest RevPAR Index in the brands' history with a gain of nearly 15 percentage points against local competitors in the first half of the year, compared to 2019. Through June, the brand's RevPAR Index change exceeded local competitors in 14 of the previous 15 months. In addition, the brand grew its unit portfolio size by 14% to 58 hotels, and there were 17 projects under active construction at the end of June.

Both Ascend and Cambria led its local competitors in occupancy and average daily rate in the first half of the year. Combined, these brands set a record for upscale domestic openings in the first half of the year, including 22 properties added as part of the company's strategic alliance with Penn National Gaming.

"Our results in the first half of the year are proof that our upscale brands offer an attractive value proposition for current and prospective owners," said Mark Shalala, senior vice president of development, upscale brands, Choice Hotels. "While Ascend affords franchisees the opportunity to convert an existing asset and tap into our industry-leading tools and resources, Cambria allows developers to build new-construction or adaptive reuse hotels in major markets. Further, with guests enjoying the brands as much as they do, developers recognize their value and return-on-investment potential."

For more information about Choice's upscale development opportunities, visit https://choicehotelsdevelopment.com.

About Choice Hotels 

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing over 600,000 rooms, in nearly 40 countries and territories as of June 30, 2021, the Choice family of hotel brands provides business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This communication includes "forward-looking statements" about future events, including anticipated hotel openings. Such statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including construction delays, availability and cost of financing and the other "Risk Factors" described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, any of which could cause actual results to be materially different from our expectations.

Addendum

This is not an offering. No offer or sale of a franchise will be made except by a Franchise Disclosure Document first filed and registered with applicable state authorities. A copy of the Franchise Disclosure Document can be obtained through contacting Choice Hotels International at 1 Choice Hotels Circle, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850, [email protected].

 2021 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International 'Oscars of the Tech Industry,' The Cloud Awards, celebrates its ten-year anniversary this fall.

To commemorate the occasion, judges are looking for an innovator of the decade in this year's honors, alongside dozens of new categories.

The Cloud Awards: Celebrating 10 Years

James Williams, Cloud Awards Head of Operations, said: "This year the Cloud Awards celebrates an entire decade of seeking out the brightest I.T. business leaders, the best organizations to work for and the most cutting-edge innovations in cloud computing.

"We've always aimed to promote both agile start-ups and established blue-chip businesses. This year commemorates ten years of the Cloud Awards, and our 'Cloud Innovator of the Decade' award will identify the organization which has most consistently innovated between the time we first started in 2011 and now."

"We've got many other new categories for 2021, including 'Best Place to Work in the Cloud,' 'Cloud Disruptor of the Year' and 'Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in Cloud Computing,' as well as splitting some existing categories into those aimed at either small or large end-user organizations."

Entrants should submit applications to the Cloud Awards program ahead of the deadline: October 22, 2021.

For more information, please visit the cloud computing awards website: https://www.cloud-awards.com/cloud-computing-awards/

Cloud Awards Categories:

Best Software as a Service - USA (Enterprise)

(Enterprise) Best Software as a Service - USA (SMB)

(SMB) Best Software as a Service - outside USA

Best Cloud Infrastructure

Best Platform as a Service / Cloud Middleware

Most Innovative Use of Data in the Cloud

Best Cloud Data Management Solution

"Best in Mobile" Cloud Solution

Best Hybrid Cloud Solution

Cloud CRM Solution of the Year

Best Cloud HR / HRMS Solution

Best Cloud ERP / Payroll Solution

Best Cloud Automation Solution

Cloud Management Solution of the Year

Best Cloud Migration or Systems Integration Solution

Best Use of the Cloud in a Multicloud Environment

Best Open Source Cloud Solution

Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in Cloud Computing

B2B Customer Strategy

Security Innovation of the Year (Enterprise)

Security Innovation of the Year (SMB)

Best Cloud Consultancy or MSP

Best Cloud Payment, Finance or Billing Solution

Best Cloud Business Intelligence or Analytics Solution

Most Promising Start-Up

Cloud Innovator of the Year

Best Cloud DR / Business Continuity Solution

Cloud Development Innovation of the Year

Cloud Project of the Year

Best Use of Telephony / Unified Communications in Cloud Computing

Best Environmental or 'Green' Use of the Cloud

Best Use of the Cloud in the Internet of Things (IoT)

Cloud Disruptor of the Year

Best Geospatial / Aviation Cloud Solution

Best Place to Work in the Cloud

Best Cloud-Native Project / Solution

Cloud Awards' Cloud Innovator of the Decade (2011-2021)

Contact:

James Williams

(212) 574-8117

[email protected]

SOURCE The Cloud Awards
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place To Work and Fortune magazine have honored ComForCare/At Your Side Home Care as one of the 2021 Best Workplaces for Women . Earning a place on this prestigious list highlights the positive and inclusive workplace culture cultivated by ComForCare/At Your Side's franchisees, as well as the brand's emphasis on helping others live their best lives possible.

The Best Workplaces for Women award is based on an analysis of survey responses from more than 5.6 million current employees. In that survey, 90% of ComForCare's employees said that ComForCare is a great place to work. This number is 31% higher than that of the average U.S. company.

"It's an immense honor to be ranked on the 2021 Best Workplaces for Women list," said J.J. Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, parent company to ComForCare/At Your Side. "Our mission at ComForCare/At Your Side is to help people live their best lives possible, and that includes ensuring our employees, which consists primarily of women, feel valued in the workplace. We are proud of our franchisees who have cultivated an environment where the voices of female caregivers and employees are heard and respected."

The Best Workplaces for Women list is highly competitive. Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture, selected the list using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies were only considered if they are a Great Place To Work-certified organization.

"These companies have made a commitment to fostering equity in the workplace. With the data about gender inequity in mind, the Best Workplaces for Women braved the task of combating gender inequity by ensuring their women employees feel safe, heard, challenged and valued," says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work.

Learn more about careers at ComForCare/At Your Side Home Care today, or refer someone to join this important field.

About ComForCare Home Care:

As the premier franchised provider of in-home caregiving services, ComForCare helps people live their best lives possible. ComForCare's compassionate caregivers and innovative programs support older adults in aging gracefully and continuing to do the things they love. Among its many awards, ComForCare most recently has been honored on the 2021 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list, the 2021 Entrepreneur Top Global Franchise list, the 2021 Best Workplaces for Millennials, Best Workplaces for Women and Best Workplaces in Aging Services lists. Founded in 1996, ComForCare has more than 215 independently-owned and operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and operates as At Your Side Home Care in Houston. ComForCare was acquired by private equity firm The Riverside Company in 2017 and is now part of Best Life Brands, a parent company that oversees service brands in the aging adult care industry. For more information, visit http://www.comforcare.com/ .

About the Best Workplaces in Aging Services

Great Place to Work selected the Best Workplaces in Aging Services by gathering and analyzing confidential survey responses from more than 220,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. Company rankings are derived from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index survey . Read the full methodology.

To get on this list next year, start here.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a Great Place To Work for all.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

SOURCE ComForCare Home Care
"I am thrilled to welcome Samuel to the team," said Jennifer Porter, Chief Operating Officer for Commonwealth Hotels. "We look forward to his strong leadership of the property's executive team."

Prior to joining the Radisson, King also worked with the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Normal, Illinois as well as the Country Inn and Suites in Springfield, Illinois. In addition to his strong operations, communication, and customer service skills, he also holds multiple hospitality certifications. Samuel holds a Bachelor of Business Management from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

About Commonwealth Hotels, LLC

Commonwealth Hotels, LLC was founded in 1986 and is a proven partner in providing hotel management services with superior financial results. The company has extensive experience managing premium branded full service and select service hotels. Commonwealth Hotels currently manages 50 properties with nearly 6,000 rooms. Additional information may be found at www.commonwealthhotels.com.

Contact

Barbara E. Willen

Commonwealth Hotels, LLC

[email protected]

859.392-2254

SOURCE Commonwealth Hotels, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.commonwealthhotels.com


DETROIT, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday of this week, a hearse wrapped in anti-menthol messages will pull up to the Belt in downtown Detroit, carrying Mike "Menthol" Wilson in a casket that looks like a cigarette box. His life will be eulogized by Rev. "No Mo Smokes," supported by a full choir. Then Mike "Menthol" Wilson will be sent home with a New Orleans-style second line band.

Organized by the Making It Count Community Development Corporation (MIC), this satiric memorial service will be held Friday September 24, from 6p to 10p at the Belt located at 1274 Library St. (Alley) (behind 1234 Library St) in Downtown Detroit where roughly 100 people will gather to bid menthol farewell. There will be three services, each lasting one hour.

The service will kick-off an aggressive statewide campaign designed to heighten awareness of the health risks and social inequities related to menthol and other flavored tobacco products. The in-your-face campaign will target southeast Michigan along with urban communities across the state, raising awareness of how the tobacco industry has targeted Black and Brown communities with the most addictive product on the market. The campaign kicks off in Detroit, and will feature billboard, television, radio, and digital ads that will span the state.

"It's no coincidence that Black and Brown communities smoke menthol and flavored tobacco products almost exclusively," said Minou Jones, CEO of MIC. "It's also no coincidence that more than 72,000 African Americans are diagnosed with tobacco-related cancers each year, and nearly 45,000 African Americans die from smoking related diseases each year."

Jones said that while the harmful impacts of menthol on Black and Brown communities is no laughing matter, she believes that the levity of this event will help people to understand, and then take action to protect their communities.

Menthol will be eulogized by the Rev. No Mo' Smokes also known as actor/comedian Michael McDaniel. A gospel choir will celebrate Menthol's life with tobacco-themed songs and The Gabriel Brass Band, a New Orleans-style second line band, will perform slow drags in remembrance of Menthol at 7 p.m. The service will be repeated at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

"We were saddened by the news that Mike "Menthol" Wilson took his last breath after several hard gasps and puffs," said Rev. No Mo' Smokes. "He died the way he lived. With a cigarette dangling out of the left side of his mouth. So, let's celebrate his life by saying we won't be fooled by Big Tobacco No Mo'!"

Tobacco use is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among African Americansheart disease, cancer, and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For decades, Big Tobacco marketed menthol cigarettes to African Americans by giving them away in neighborhoods, at festivals and other events. While the use of tobacco products is about equal among Blacks and Whites, African Americans are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes, inhaling the smoke deeper into their lungs and making it more difficult to quit," said N. Charles Anderson, President of the Detroit Urban League.

"African Americans are the largest users of menthol products in the nation," Anderson said. "We want people to understand the 'why' of this and how Big Tobacco intentionally targeted the Black community."

The public is welcome to express their condolences to those who loved Menthol and remember the loved ones who died or are chronically ill from tobacco-related diseases.

Media Contact:

Damon Autry

313-717-4089

[email protected]

SOURCE Making It Count Community Development Corporation (MIC)
CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of 257 prominent family lawyers across the country confirms predictions that the restrictions of life during the pandemic and the closing of family law courts last year increased pent-up demand for divorce. That pent-up demand is now being expressed in an increased number of cases for family lawyers. The survey was conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a group of 1600 Fellows who are family lawyers located in every one of the 50 states.

"The responses to the survey suggest that, as expected, cases are up," comments Elizabeth Lindsey, a family lawyer practicing in Atlanta and currently president of the AAML. "Many of our Fellows are also reporting that clients are stressed out by the pandemic and all its effects and are having difficulties arriving at reasonable settlements."

Sixty-three percent of the lawyers who responded to the survey said that the pandemic had caused an increase in the number of their cases or clients. Forty-five percent of those who answered the questions indicated that they believed the main reason for the upswing in their case numbers was their clients' enforced isolation with a spouse during the pandemic.

Forty-nine percent of the respondents said they were also experiencing increased litigation over custody issues. Seventy percent of the lawyers' comments relating to shared-custody problems involved pandemic-related issues: conflicts over masks, social distancing, and vaccinations for children, and disagreements about in-class versus virtual learning.

Perhaps the most interesting responses occurred in answer to a survey question about what issues lawyers were seeing that they had never seen before. Many of these responses referenced how unreasonable and impatient clients were, not even willing to wait 24 hours for a response from the lawyer, not taking the lawyer's advice, and refusing to bend at all in negotiations.

One of the reasons for all of this tension was stated clearly by a respondent: "People's employment status is changing." The lives of many have been turned upside down by lost or radically changed employment. Also, as the pandemic has been prolonged beyond the hoped-for end point, everyone's patience is wearing thin.

Among all the expected issues, one lawyer struck a different, somewhat startling note. "Our first cryptocurrency cases are starting to arrive," she said.

SOURCE American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DaiLeaf, an online platform for cannabis shopping, offers customers the ability to source marijuana products from dispensaries in their area and have them delivered directly to their door. Offering daily service, DaiLeaf helps to pair customers both experienced and new to cannabis with products that they will love! Recently, DaiLeaf launched a new website to enhance the user experience and make shopping for cannabis even more convenient.

This website was redesigned with a consumer centric focus, intended to help everyone find high quality cannabis in their area from dispensaries they can trust. The new DaiLeaf experience is significantly more visual appealing as well, making shopping a more pleasant experience. Overall, here is a list of changes that DaiLeaf incorporated:

A restructured search feature allowing customers the ability to find products easier.

Shop by category, price, dispensary, recency, or by feeling.

All products list feelings so that you can see exactly what you'll experience as you enjoy that product.

An enhanced mobile feature that provides responsiveness and better speed than our previous site.

Geo-location at that allows you to see dispensaries in your delivery area.

These changes and many more allow for a better user experience and interface. DaiLeaf is committed to working towards improving the organization so that customers have the information, access, and convenience they look for in cannabis shopping.

About DaiLeaf

The founders of California based DaiLeaf, a father-daughter team, searched for the perfect solution to introduce consumers to the best dispensaries with discretion and ease. DaiLeaf is a platform for customers to connect with dispensaries and discover what they have to offer. Our mission is to support dispensaries and the Cannabis Community in Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

Media Contact: David Troy

[email protected]



SOURCE DaiLeaf

Related Links

https://www.daileaf.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland, & NoVa (PPADMV) presents a virtual town hall on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. (ET) with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson to discuss the movement for DC statehood and the urgent threats to reproductive and voting rights. Emceed by PPADMV Co-Executive Director Dr. Laura Meyers, Mayor Bowser and President Johnson will dig into the connections between statehood, access to reproductive health care, voter suppression, and the fight for racial justice.

Statement from Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Washington, DC

"The time is now for DC statehood. The disenfranchisement of 700,000 Americans living in Washington, DC is a civil rights issue, a voting rights issue, a racial justice issue, and yes, a reproductive health issue. Generations of Washingtonians have been denied the right to participate in our democracy  to have our voices and votes heard in Congress, to help shape the future of our nation, and to have a say on Supreme Court justices. It is time to right this historic wrong so that DC values have a vote in the U.S. House and representation in the U.S. Senate."

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

"It's past time that the values, voices, and votes of the 700,000 residents of the District are reflected in Congress. With the vast majority of those who are disenfranchised by the lack of statehood being Black and Latinx residents, it is clear that the fight for DC statehood is a fight for racial justice and equitable access to health care, including sexual and reproductive health care. DC's residents deserve a say in the policies that determine their health outcomes, shape their lives, and inform their futures. I look forward to being in conversation with Dr. Laura Meyers and Mayor Muriel Bowser about the long fight for DC statehood and the urgent need to transform our democracy into one that represents all of us."

Statement from Laura Meyers, Co-CEO, Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland & NoVa

"PPADMV has witnessed firsthand how congressional interference in local issues adversely affects the ability of DC's residents to safely access vital health care services. Without statehood, those who call DC home are vulnerable to the types of abortion restrictions that have passed across the country. Congress already forbids DC from using its local dollars to cover abortion for patients on Medicaid. And, even though DC residents consistently elect pro-reproductive health leaders, without statehood Congress could impose restrictions preventing the District from implementing pro-reproductive health laws it passes locally. If we're going to ensure abortion access, voting rights, and racial justice for the people of DC, statehood is essential."

The interactive virtual event occurs on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. and will be streamed over Zoom and Facebook LIVE with a Q & A following the presentations. Register for the Zoom here . Register for the Facebook LIVE here .

Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland & NoVa (PPADMV) is Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC's and Planned Parenthood of Maryland's shared 501(c)(4) advocacy organization. PPADMV advocates legislatively, politically and electorally in Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia for priorities that are part of Planned Parenthood's mission, which includes fighting for people to be able to make their own reproductive choices.

Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland & NoVa fights to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and build local power to influence and promote accountability among state and local policy makers.

SOURCE Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Related Links

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-metropolitan-washington-dc


UFD's lit services provide customers cost-effective 10G to 100G optical wavelength options delivered over its diversely built long-haul fiber backbone that links the Greater New York City metro area to Northern Virginia, with future capabilities of up to 600G wavelengths.

UFD's optical wavelength services complement its existing unique fiber network that sidesteps the bottlenecks and single points of failure along the highly-trafficked I-95 corridor. The company's critical diverse path offers high-bandwidth, low latency connectivity designed to prevent costly downtime in the event of network disruption on a primary fiber path.

"Deutsche Telekom was looking for a scalable solution that could be easily deployed as we expand our geographic diversity and bandwidth capacity within our network footprint in the northeastern United States, where we are expanding our services into 165 Halsey Street in Newark, NJ," said Norbert Laux, CTO & VP of Network Infrastructure at Deutsche Telekom North America. "The new Halsey Network PoP (Point of Presence) gives our customers an additional location to connect to our service portfolio including IP Transport, Peering and Transit, Cloud Access and Voice & Mobile services. UFD's reliable, secure and diverse network is, therefore, the perfect fit to meet our demands."

With UFD's unique fiber route, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier is able to provide competitive and scalable connectivity that allows additional flexibility from the more established routes in the region. The proximity of the new Halsey PoP to the CLS (Cable Landing Stations) on Long Island and New Jersey provides customers with diverse low-latency access into Deutsche Telekom's European footprint for all its services including local access in Central and Eastern Europe.

"UFD's fully managed optical wavelength services along our unique and diverse route give our customers greater flexibility to manage their data control, security, speed, and increasing capacity demands over time," said Christopher Lodge, COO and Interim CEO of UFD. "Our innovative, diverse regional connectivity between key markets meets the evolving network needs of customers with UFD's robust, first-class fiber infrastructure and optical networking solutions."

For more information on UFD's optical wavelength services, please click here to contact the UFD team.

About United Fiber & Data, LLC

United Fiber & Data is a privately held telecommunications company focused on providing high-capacity, low latency, geographically diverse fiber optic network solutions in the northeastern United States. UFD provides high-capacity pathway diversity and data storage redundancy far from the congestion and single points of failure associated with the I-95 corridor. UFD's diverse dark fiber network includes a metro ring with more than 375 buildings on net in New York City, optical wavelength services to the cable landing stations in Wall Township, NJ, and a long-haul fiber route of more than 400 miles connecting New York City and Ashburn, Virginia.

For more information about UFD's network and services, visit www.UFD.com . For the latest updates, please follow UFD on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

About Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier

Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier is the international wholesale division of Deutsche Telekom. We offer a comprehensive portfolio for all the needs of a rapidly transforming telco industry. One that is continually updated to provide fast, innovative solutions for future technologies and challenges. As one of the world's leading carriers, we are able to satisfy the requirements of Deutsche Telekom Group's international affiliates and more than 900 external customers worldwide. With more than 25 years of experience in the international wholesale communication market, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier offers next-generation platforms, extensive networks, a global backbone, 360 degrees of security, tailor-made solutions, worldwide connectivity, and much more.

globalcarrier.telekom.

About Deutsche Telekom: https://www.telekom.com/companyprofile

SOURCE United Fiber & Data

Related Links

http://www.UFD.com


HAMILTON, Mont., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 21, 2021, the office of Dr. Surajit Khanna's Post Incarceration Juvenile Justice Reformation Act Initiative, also known as his ReturningYouth Initiative, announced they have a solution to the systemic problem of post incarcerated individuals having very limited career and living options upon release.

Dr. Khanna's ReturningYouth Initiative

A press conference has been organized at Ravalli County Commissioner's Office at Hamilton, Montana where Commissioners Dan Huls and Greg Chilcott will be unveiling the implementation plan of Returning Youth Initiative nationwide. This press conference will be held at 5pm EST and will be telecast live in various social media platforms of returningyouth.

Dr. Surajit Khanna's Returning Youth Initiative works to positively impact young adults recently released from jails through restoration, education, stability, and counseling.

Individuals released from incarceration have limited career and living opportunities. Homelessness among post incarcerated Individuals contributes to recidivism. As a results Dr. Khanna has implemented a working solution with a success story started in the state of Montana. Returning Youth Initiative has successfully operated a "Safe Haven" community center in Ravalli County, Montana, where young adults gather and get all types of networking, life and trade skill training, and career and entrepreneurship development. Also, the initiative opened a new optical business named Marvel Vision Center of Hamilton for a post incarcerated individual who has been certified as a licensed optician for last 5 years and when released she had hope and dreams to own an optical business. With the help of Dr. Khanna's Returning Youth Initiative, the post incarcerated individual is now the owner of the Marvel Vision Center. The initiative is planning to start other businesses in Ravalli and Missoula County in Montana by the end of September and October. Also, in the process of establishing another optical business in Houston, TX; Washington DC and Wilmington, DE by November 2021.

About Dr. Khanna's Returning Youth Initiative: Dr. Surajit Khanna, a youth advocate, launched "Returning Youth" to provide post-incarceration juveniles a pathway to ensure that when they are released from prison, they have the ability to create a self-sustaining productive life for themselves. The initiative is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization incorporated in the state of New York and also in the state of Montana.

ReturningYouth.com

Media Contact:

Gary Scarano, Vice President, Public Relations

267-699-6339

[email protected]

SOURCE Dr. Surajit Khanna
"We are very excited to become a FRSTeam franchisee, expanding our offerings" said Ken Sandy Managing Partner of Dryy Garment Care. "With the knowledge and professionalism, FRSTeam will allow us to better service our community and provide them with peace of mind. We want to be our customers' trusted source for restoration needs during times of distress and FRSTeam will allow us to gain that credibility."

The original operation, Total Cleaners, Inc. was founded in 2002 as a dry-cleaning valet solution by Seoha Woo. After experiencing double digit growth by 2016, Woo joined forces with Ken Sandy who was having great success with his own laundry locker program. Together, they rebranded the operation to Dryy Garment Care, launching a multichannel service platform by combining technology and retail for a reimagined experience. To date they partner in over 500 multifamily communities, with 5 retail locations, in addition to owning a centralized 15,000 sq ft eco-friendly processing facility.

"FRSTeam was the clear choice for Dryy as we searched for the next level of our success. As a hyperlocal business, Dryy is honored to expand by including restoration services to our multi-service channel," said Woo. "We are proud to launch FRSTeam Dryy NOVA to our textile and electronics restoration division. Because our core values here at Dryy align perfectly with those of FRSTeam, I am confident our shared commitment to consistency, professionalism, and dependability will continue to enrich the communities we serve."

FRSTeam is happy to welcome a team that understands and values the details. This follows through to their management style resulting in minimal staff turnover. Dryy is proud that their current employees have over nine years tenure, allowing them the opportunity to continue to expand their knowledge. FRSTeam by Dryy NOVA is poised to hit the ground running leveraging current relationships with property managers and construction companies that use Dryy now for assistance with cleaning.

"Their passion and drive to ensure a high level of satisfaction and growth is what attracted us to this opportunity with Ken and Seoha," said Holly Murry, President of FRSTeam LLC. "It was a great cultural fit from the start with our shared vision of helping others and are excited to see them succeed with FRSTeam."

FRSTeam is a close-knit community of hand-chosen professionals committed to restoring personal itemsfrom clothing to computersand helping families get their lives back on track. Over the last 30 years in business, the brand has seen steady growth in their franchises, even during recessions and a pandemic. As they grow, they maintain a close-knit feel by continuing to support new and existing franchises and ensuring that franchises operate in exclusive territories. To learn more about franchising opportunities FRSTeam, please visit: frsteam.com/about-us/franchising/

About FRSTeam

Founded in 1988, FRSTeam has long been a leader in the restoration of fabrics and electronics, helping families and businesses recover from disasters such as smoke, fire, water, and mold by bringing a personalized and efficient service to everyone involved in the claims process. Many of FRSTeam's franchise operators have 20 or 30 years of experience in the fabric and electronics restoration industry. Today, the FRSTeam franchise system extends nationwide with over 40 franchise territories and 10 company operated locations. FRSTeam will manage over 13,000 jobs through its local referral sources and national agreements with major insurance providers. This is done through FRSTeam operators in all 48 continental states and Ontario, Canada.

Contact: Catrina Weiss, Franchise Elevator PR, (720) 224-7470, [email protected]

SOURCE FRSTeam

Related Links

https://frsteam.com/


WOBURN, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of the inaugural Telehealth Awareness Week, EarlySense the market leader in contact-free continuous monitoring solutions, today announced the availability of a new podcast series and resource library for healthcare providers and industry professionals who are navigating the challenges of implementing virtual care and remote patient monitoring (RPM) models.

The podcast series, titled "Vital Insights", was designed to highlight the organizations that are driving change in the virtual care space as well as within the broader healthcare technology industry  and how those are positively impacting patient care and outcomes. The new series provides insight through in-depth interviews with thought leaders across the technology sectors of health and patient care.

"As we look at ways to address the most challenging issues in the healthcare space, one of the most powerful tools at our disposal is the sharing of information," said Matt Johnson, CEO of EarlySense. "Examining the changes taking place across our industry and how those are reshaping the ways we take care of patients gives us clarity into what the future holds."

Using Teleheath Awareness Week as its launch point, the first two Vital Insights podcast interviews which preview the new series this week focus on infrastructure challenges and opportunities, as well as highlight a case study in success among vulnerable patient populations. Upcoming episodes will incorporate deep dives into topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), pandemic effects in the industry, [email protected] and clinical validation.

In addition to the podcast series, the company also launched a new resource library, with an overall emphasis on clinical intelligence, healthcare technology and remote monitoring. Designed to help providers and stakeholders navigate the unique challenges surrounding health IT, the resource section provides expert insight, publications and scientific validation studies on topics such as:

digital health and virtual care;

infrastructure and interoperability;

remote patient management;

patient compliance; and

reimbursement and policy changes.

Both the podcast and resource library were launched this week as part of Telehealth Awareness Week, which includes a schedule of events underscoring the growing acceptance of virtual care in U.S. healthcare as well as a series of informational resources to support broader access to telehealth services for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.

About EarlySense:

EarlySense is the global leader in 100-percent contact-free, continuous monitoring solutions. Used worldwide in hospitals, post-acute care facilities and throughout the care continuum, EarlySense patented technology delivers reliable and comprehensive multi-vital, motion and sleep data The company's technology and predictive data science applications empower providers, clinicians and patients with continuous multi-vital data and actionable insights that improve quality of life and patient outcomes, across the care continuum.The company has partnered with leading global technology companies including Samsung, Welch Allyn, iFit and Beurer. EarlySense is based in Ramat Gan, Israel and Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.earlysense.com.

SOURCE EarlySense

Related Links

http://www.earlysense.com


Jurgen Eckhardt, head of Leaps by Bayer, says, "Leaps by Bayer invests in climate-smart solutions that are bringing a fresh perspective and breakthrough technologies to agriculture and allows farmers to contribute to solving global problems."

With a soil-first focus, EarthOptics aims to transform soil measurement and analysis approaches to give farmers the most accurate view of soil health, compaction and carbon content. This will provide farmers with greater return on investment, promote more active participation in the growing carbon market and increase their abilities to generate a climate-positive impact.

"Scientists estimate that farm soils could store over 60 billion tons of additional carbon," explains EarthOptics CEO Lars Dyrud. "EarthOptics' machine-learning technologies will be at the center of helping farmers gain control over returning carbon to the soil by accurately mapping both soil carbon and agricultural practices like tillage. We need to know what's working and where it's working for sustainability efforts to be successful at scale. Using the combination of GroundOwl and C-Mapper, we can dramatically reduce the number of costly lab-tested soil samples necessary for verifying carbon credits."

The view into the soil starts with soil sampling using the company's GroundOwl sensor suite that greatly minimizes the required number of manual samples. The tool can be mounted on a UTV and deploys ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetic induction sensors with no soil contact or speed limitation. Then, using machine learning in its mapping applications TillMapper and C-Mapper, EarthOptics converts that gathered data into a series of maps that provide farmers with unparalleled detail for more accurate, efficient decision-making. These innovations serve as the foundation for the SoilCloud EarthOptics is building, which will lead to fewer and fewer samples needing to be collected over time.

TillMapper's three-dimensional view of soil compaction helps farmers decide if, when, where and how deep to apply tillage. The tillage prescription can be exported as a variable-depth tillage or a binary till/no-till. By tilling only where needed, farmers realize cost-savings in fuel, equipment and labor, as well as limit the amount of carbon released from the soil through tillage. C-Mapper gives producers critical verification at a fraction of the cost of traditional soil core methods so they can market carbon credits via agriculture's newest commodity market.

"We are excited to partner with EarthOptics as it builds the first-of-its-kind soil-mapping technology that provides the accuracy of traditional soil samples at a lower cost and effort," says Cristina Rohr, principal of investments at S2G Ventures. "With EarthOptics' technology, farmers can measure and verify carbon sequestration, and optimize water and fertilizer usage. We look forward to partnering with this exceptional team as they scale commercially and give more farmers insights to achieve their sustainability goals."

EarthOptics continues to research more diverse applications for its technology. The company is exploring soil moisture mapping and soil nutrient fertility mapping, which will provide farmers with a single source for multiple levels of field data. In addition, trials are being completed on a new StabilityMapper program, which will target the construction industry. In effect, it will provide site developers, construction managers, municipalities and contractors with information outlining soil stability and density before final site selection, undercutting, laying a foundation or forming a roadbed.

About EarthOptics

At EarthOptics, we see soil. Differently. GroundTruth Ag, Inc., dba EarthOptics, was founded in 2018 and has offices in Raleigh, NC; Arlington and Blacksburg, VA; Minneapolis, MN; and Fayetteville, AR. EarthOptics is an agricultural technology company developing next-generation soil-sensing technologies that give growers revolutionary insights into the physical characteristics of their soil. EarthOptics beat out three finalists and more than 100 international agtech startup entries to win the AGCO Innovation Challenge Award during the 2021 World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit. We believe that below-ground precision and innovation in the soil space is long overdue. Our ultimate goal is to deliver point-of-care soil health insights  related to physical, chemical and biological attributes of soil  in real time. To achieve this goal, we've assembled a team with diverse backgrounds in engineering, software development, geospatial analytics, data science, machine learning, and logistics and operations. To learn more, visit www.earthoptics.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/earthoptics/ .

Media Contacts

Agricultural Media:

Katie Klaas

[email protected]

Business/Finance/Tech Media:

Priscilla Li

[email protected]

C-Mapper, GroundOwl, SoilCloud, StabilityMapper and TillMapper are trademarks of GroundTruth Ag, Inc. (dba EarthOptics).

SOURCE EarthOptics

Related Links

https://earthoptics.com/


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- El Camino Health is using its Community Benefit Program to provide foundational support for local health initiatives by investing $3.5 million in grants and sponsorships in fiscal year 2022.

"We are pleased to provide continued support to our Community Benefit grantees who have weathered unique challenges as the pandemic continues," said Dan Woods, chief executive officer of El Camino Health, "We have strong connections to the communities we serve, and the programs and services provided by the grantees are more important now than ever before."

As El Camino Health celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is continuing to act on the belief that a healthy community benefits all. Each fiscal year, the Community Benefit Program allocates crucial funding to healthcare services outside of El Camino Health with the mission to expand healthcare access across barriers of age, education and income levels through grants and sponsorships. Since 2007, El Camino Health has contributed nearly $823 million in community benefit, which also includes financial assistance and subsidized health services.

"El Camino Health's critical grant supports our multilingual  English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and Vietnamese  medical assistant (MA) and patient navigator (PN) roles at our San Jose clinics," said Sarita Kohli, president and CEO of Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), one of El Camino Health's 44 grant partners. "These important team members provide services in patients' native languages, serving as the first point of contact for the safe and timely clinical care that we deliver to low-income individuals and families."

AACI is an example of the critical grant partners supported by El Camino Health's Community Benefit Program. AACI's Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) provides primary care and integrated behavioral health services to low-income and/or immigrant individuals and families across Santa Clara County at two clinic sites in San Jose. 72 percent of AACI's patients also have limited to no English proficiency and are best served in a language other than English.

Every three years, El Camino Health collaborates with other local not-for-profit hospitals and health systems to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This informs the implementation strategy and grant making process. The most recent assessment illustrated the need to prioritize programs addressing issues such as healthcare access and delivery, diabetes and obesity, behavioral health, cognitive decline, domestic violence, oral health, and economic and housing stability.

The El Camino Hospital Board of Directors approved funding for 44 programs to support in fiscal year 2022, which include school districts, nonprofit organizations, safety-net clinics and community service agencies. Each of the selected programs is dedicated to addressing the health needs of underserved and vulnerable community members in Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga.

The fiscal year 2022 Community Benefit grant partner snapshot may be viewed online.

For more information on the El Camino Health Community Benefit Program, visit www.elcaminohealth.org/about-us/community-benefit.

About El Camino Health

El Camino Health provides a personalized healthcare experience at two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View and at primary care, multi-specialty care, and urgent care locations across Santa Clara County. For nearly sixty years, the organization has grown to meet the needs of individuals and communities it serves. Bringing together the best in new technology and advanced medicine, the network of nationally recognized physicians and care teams deliver high quality, compassionate care. Key service lines include behavioral health, cancer, heart and vascular, mother-baby, neurology, orthopedics, spine, urology and women's health. The hospitals have earned numerous awards for clinical excellence, including being named a top 100 hospital in the nation by Fortune/IBM Watson Health and Newsweek, Best Maternity Care Hospital for Los Gatos hospital by Newsweek, and earning a 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). El Camino Health has earned four consecutive American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognitions for nursing excellence and quality patient care.

Media Contact

Priscilla Luong, senior external communications specialist, El Camino Health

[email protected]

650-988-7452

SOURCE El Camino Health
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors has approved $7.8 million in funding to support local health initiatives in El Camino Healthcare District cities for fiscal year 2022 through its Community Benefit program. The El Camino Healthcare District cities include most of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, a large portion of Sunnyvale and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Palo Alto.

"As the pandemic continues, many within the District continue to have challenges associated with health and wellness," said Julia Miller, chair of the El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors. "The District Board remains committed to our Community Benefit program and funding grantees who will make a difference in the lives of our District's residents and especially those who are underserved."

This year's 57 grants will be distributed to school districts, nonprofit organizations, safety-net clinics and community service agencies which address the unmet health needs of individuals who live, work or go to school in the District. Programs and organizations such as Sunnyvale Community Services' Homebound Case Management (HCM) Program and LifeMoves will receive funding this year, as the El Camino Healthcare District dedicates its resources to reach members of underserved and vulnerable communities.

"We are incredibly grateful for the El Camino Healthcare District's funds for critical emergency assistance for low-income Sunnyvale residents with unmet medical needs, many of whom face increased struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Marie Bernard, executive director of Sunnyvale Community Services. "This essential assistance also supports comprehensive social work case management and services for homebound clients, providing vital support to our community's most vulnerable individuals."

In 2020, the HCM Program used grant funding to address barriers from COVID-19 and assist residents who experienced prolonged food and income insecurity in Sunnyvale with life-saving resources.

"The El Camino Healthcare District's funding allows us to offer critical nursing and mental health counseling services at our new Mountain View interim housing community," said LifeMoves CEO Aubrey Merriman. "By offering a private unit for each household while providing intensive case management and support services, we are returning people to stability."

The El Camino Healthcare District's grant to LifeMoves provides critical services at the first year-round shelter in Mountain View. The District's grant funds a licensed vocational nurse in addition to behavioral health services.

Each program that is awarded a grant fulfills a critical need identified through a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which is conducted every three years by El Camino Health and other local not-for-profit hospitals and health systems. The grant funding supports effective programs which serve the community's most vulnerable individuals.

The fiscal year 2022 Community Benefit grant partner snapshot may be viewed online.

To learn more about the El Camino Healthcare District's grant program, visit www.elcaminohealthcaredistrict.org/community-benefit/grant-program.

About the El Camino Healthcare District

The El Camino Hospital District was established by voter approval in 1956 in accordance with California Local Hospital District Law. The purpose of the District is to establish, maintain and operate or provide assistance in the operation of health facilities and other health care services provider, groups and organizations that are necessary for the maintenance of good physical and mental health in the communities served by the District. The District, now known as El Camino Healthcare District, encompasses most of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills; a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto. The publicly elected El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors approves tax dollar expenditures, including expenditures for the award-winning Community Benefit program. Community Benefit funds are granted each year to local nonprofits, schools and government programs that provide critical health services to the underserved. All District Board meetings are publicly noticed, open to the public, and available for viewing on the District website.

Media Contact

Priscilla Luong, senior external communications specialist, El Camino Health

[email protected]

650-988-7452

SOURCE El Camino Healthcare District

Related Links

https://www.elcaminohealthcaredistrict.org/


NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As children and families prepared to go back to school, EmblemHealth, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurers, joined with local elected leaders and community organizations to host back to school events throughout the City, where thousands of school resources and supplies were donated to families and community members.

"Helping our teachers and students get back to school is exciting," said Beth Leonard, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at EmblemHealth. "Our goal is to build off that excitement and support their learning and growth."

"Education is not just a key to open the door of opportunity but a sledgehammer to knock that door down. So, the dual goals of our back-to-school event is to first, help parents get some of the needed supplies to start the school year. But also, to help students get excited about education and learning. I'm thankful to EmblemHealth, who has been a generous and willing partner of our communities' educational endeavors."- Kevin Parker, New York State Senator (NY-21)

Through more than a dozen events over the last two months, EmblemHealth provided thousands of supplies and resources, including:

4,000 backpacks

4,000 back-to-school kits

2,000 school-supply drawstring bags

The events, part of a 'Healthy Food and Back to School' series, were organized by EmblemHealth and held in partnership with the community, partnering with community-based organizations and elected officials, including:

Elected Officials:

Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson

Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Roxanne Persaud

Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson

New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislators Inc.

Community-Based Organizations

Betances Health Center

The Carl Lezama Archive and Caribbean Cultural Center

Catholic Charities

Dadish

Grandma's hands

Moving Mountains

Government Agencies

New York City Department of Education

Community Affairs Unit of the NYPD

All events followed CDC and state and city guidelines to ensure the community's safety. Elected officials, and staff were provided masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer as well as attendees, while also maintaining social distancing.

About EmblemHealth

EmblemHealth is one of the nation's largest nonprofit health insurers, with 3.2 million members and an 80-year legacy of serving New York's communities. The company offers a full range of commercial and government-sponsored health plans to employers, individuals, and families, as well as convenient community resources. As a market leader in value-based care, EmblemHealth partners with top doctors and hospitals to deliver quality, affordable care. For more information, visit emblemhealth.com.

SOURCE EmblemHealth

Related Links

https://www.emblemhealth.com/


ALAMEDA, Calif., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- September 20, 2021 Emery Pharma filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA requesting the agency to recall all over-the-counter "mega dose" Vitamin B6, due to the risk of severe and potentially irreversible neurotoxicity. Emery Pharma also requests the agency to include a warning on the drug label regarding the danger of neurotoxicity for all Vitamin B6 products sold in the United States.

Vitamin B6 is extensively promoted as a food supplement for health maintenance and wellness. According to the NIH, 28-36% of the US population uses supplements that contain Vitamin B6. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous unsubstantiated reports of Vitamin B6 reducing infection severity. When taken in excess, Vitamin B6 can cause symptoms of peripheral neuropathy such as tingling, burning, and numbness of the hands and feet. "Mega doses", ranging from 50-500 mg per day are widely available online, as well as at all major pharmacies and grocery stores as an over-the-counter (OTC) product.

Regulatory agencies of the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia have established an upper limit of 10 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg per day, respectively. At Emery Pharma, we believe there is significant evidence to conclude that doses greater than 10 mg daily should not be available over-the-counter, due to the potential for irreversible nerve damage. It is crucial to allow a safety margin between doses that are readily available without a prescription, and doses where neurotoxicity is seen. More importantly, consumer education around the topic is crucial, hence, we request a warning label on all Vitamin B6 products.

Emery Pharma urges the Food and Drug Administration to implement safe guidelines for the use of this widely used and abused vitamin. We request that the commissioner implement the below recommendations:

1) Ask manufacturers of Vitamin B6 or B-Complexes to include labeling regarding the potential toxicity of Vitamin B6. Labeling should include a warning to consumers to discontinue B6 supplementation if they experience signs or symptoms of toxicity.

a. Suggested labeling: "Warning: This medication may be dangerous when used in large amounts or for a long time. Stop taking this medication if you experience tingling, burning, or numbness and see your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible.

2) Reclassify doses greater than 10 mg as "behind the counter", and available by prescription only, under the supervision of a physician with proper blood test monitoring.

"Americans have increased their vitamin and supplement use during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the percentage of supplement users to approximately two-thirds of the population. But there is a false belief that vitamins and supplements have been deemed safe by the FDA. Furthermore, many patients don't report supplement usage to their doctors. So it's likely that numerous cases of Vitamin B6 toxicity have gone undetected. When considering the potential for harm, we hope the FDA will take immediate action to implement our recommendation."  Dr. Ron Najafi, CEO, Emery Pharma.

About Emery Pharma:

Emery Pharma is a contract research and development laboratory, specializing in analytical chemistry, microbiology, and cell biology services, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), LC-MS/MS, HPLC, UPLC, and much more. The facility is located in Alameda, CA, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Emery Pharma's mission is to help "Save Lives and Save the Environment." Emery Pharma is FDA registered and inspected, DEA licensed, and GLP/cGMP compliant. Emery Pharma's previous citizen petition was about NDMA, a known carcinogen and its presence in Ranitidine, sold under many different brands including Zantac, which resulted in the recall of Ranitidine (Zantac) from the US market.

SOURCE Emery Pharma

Related Links

https://emerypharma.com/chemistry/


BOSTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' is celebrating National Coffee Day in a big way by sharing the loyalty love with a special coffee offer. All day on National Coffee Day, Wednesday, September 29, DD Perks members can get a FREE medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase*.

The free medium hot or iced coffee includes Dunkin's Original Blend or Dunkin's Limited Batch Series coffees, 100% Guatemalan Hot Coffee or Dunkin' Midnight Hot Coffee. Dunkin' loyalty members can pair their free coffee perk with a purchase of one of the latest fall favorites, including a Pumpkin Donut or MUNCHKINS Donut Hole Treats, a Pumpkin Muffin or an Apple Cider Donut, as well as the rest of the Dunkin' beverage and menu items available.

100% Guatemalan Coffee, the latest addition to Dunkin's Limited Batch Series, is a single-origin hot coffee that is smooth and rich with chocolate notes. It has less acidity and sharpness than other roasts which makes it approachable and easy to drink. 10 cents of every cup of 100% Guatemalan Coffee sold at Dunkin' restaurants now through October 12 will benefit One Tree Planted to support reforestation efforts in Guatemala**.

For anyone not already a DD Perks member, they can receive their first perk as soon as the simple signup is complete. New Dunkin' loyalty members can quickly create an account on the Dunkin' app or online at DDPerks.com, and get one free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase by scanning their loyalty ID at checkout, ordering ahead on the Dunkin' app or paying with an enrolled Dunkin' card on September 29.

"We love our loyal DD Perks members, and what better way to say thank you than with a free coffee offer for National Coffee Day?" said Joanna Bonder, Director, Dunkin' Loyalty. "Be sure to sign up for DD Perks so you can enjoy this perk, and all of the amazing offers we provide our loyal members 365 days a year."

DD Perks members are reaping the benefits of the program with exclusive Dunkin' offers and promotions. Members earn five points for every dollar they spend at Dunkin' on qualifying purchases, and once 200 points are accrued, they receive a free beverage reward that can be used to get a free drink at participating Dunkin' restaurants.

To learn more about Dunkin', visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or subscribe to the Dunkin' blog to receive notifications at https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog.

*Coffee excludes Nitro Cold Brew and Cold Brew. Excludes gift card purchases. Offer valid 9/29/2021. Limit one free coffee per member. Offer not available on delivery platforms or through guest orders on the Dunkin' app.

**For more information on One Tree Planted, visit onetreeplanted.org. Maximum donation of $250,000. 9/15/21-10/12/21. Price and participation may vary.

About Dunkin'

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced regular/decaf/flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin' has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 15 years running. The company has more than 12,600 franchised restaurants in 40 countries worldwide. Dunkin' is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

Media Contact:

Michelle King

[email protected]

SOURCE Dunkin'

Related Links

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en


NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) announced today that it is preparing to respond to the New Orleans City Council with four preliminary options for the future operation and ownership of its subsidiary, Entergy New Orleans, LLC. These preliminary options are in response to the Sept. 14 announcement by Helena Moreno, president of the Council of the City of New Orleans and chairperson of its Utility Committee, that she intends to propose a resolution to study the future ownership of the electric and gas operations in the City of New Orleans, including municipalization, or a city-owned and managed utility.

"Despite a comprehensive and dedicated restoration effort that saw the overwhelming majority of New Orleans customers' power restored within a week after the strongest hurricane ever to hit our region, several members of the council have expressed their intent to introduce and support a process that could potentially have another entity own and operate electric and gas service in the city," said Rod West, utility group president of Entergy Corporation. "We are positioned to support the City Council as they evaluate various options and prepared to move forward with whatever path the council chooses."

Entergy New Orleans, including its predecessor New Orleans Public Service Inc., has been part of Entergy Corporation and the fabric of the New Orleans community for more than 100 years. New Orleans was one of the first U.S. cities to have a public gas and electric light system for its residents. Entergy New Orleans' geographic footprint is defined by the New Orleans city limits and its regulating body is the New Orleans City Council. New Orleans is also home to the corporate headquarters of Entergy Corporation.

Entergy New Orleans currently services 207,000 electric customers and 108,000 gas customers in the City of New Orleans, representing $633.8 million or approximately 6% of Entergy Corporation's total operating revenues, for fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2020. The subsidiary owns more than 1,800 miles of electric distribution lines, 144 miles of transmission lines and approximately 640 megawatts of power generation. The company also owns 36 miles of natural gas transmission lines and more than 1,700 miles of natural gas distribution lines.

Preliminary options for consideration fall into four broad categories:

Merger with Entergy Louisiana  A merger of Entergy New Orleans with Entergy Louisiana, a separate subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, to establish one company for all Louisiana customers and regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. A merger would bring lower rates to New Orleans residents, create a larger company with stronger financial strength for investments and spread the risk of storm costs across a larger customer base.

customers and regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. A merger would bring lower rates to residents, create a larger company with stronger financial strength for investments and spread the risk of storm costs across a larger customer base. Sale of Entergy New Orleans  A sale or merger of Entergy New Orleans with another public utility or private entity. This would allow the City Council to retain regulatory authority over ratemaking and regulatory policy. If a willing buyer with sufficient financial strength is identified, such a transaction could lead to benefits or drawbacks depending on the specific circumstances regarding the transaction.

Standalone Company  A spinoff to establish a standalone company without Entergy Corporation's ownership. This would allow the City Council to retain regulatory authority over ratemaking and regulatory policy and retain the headquarters of a smaller-scale company. Contrastingly, it would likely create significant credit risk, which in turn would raise financing costs and could challenge the ability to fund ongoing business operations and secure funds for storm restoration. Even as part of Entergy Corporation, Entergy New Orleans has been downgraded twice in the last twelve months by rating agencies due to its storm risk and weakening financial performance.

City of New Orleans Run Utility  A municipalization of Entergy's assets by the City of New Orleans so the city can assume direct management of the electric and gas systems for customers. This would allow the city to have maximum control over customer rates and business operations, the elimination of a rate of return requirement, and access to potential reimbursements afforded under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. However, it could result in higher financing costs and additional operational expenses.

"It is obvious that we have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with the City Council," said West. "While we believe that the actions of Entergy New Orleans have always been in the best interest of our New Orleans customers, some members of the council have publicly expressed a different opinion. Certain proposed actions would prohibit ENO from recovering critical storm restoration costs and freeze funding mechanisms previously approved by the council, thus inflicting further financial decline on ENO and adversely impacting ENO's ability to provide quality service to its customers.

"The New Orleans City Council and ENO have a long history of working together to find common ground on solutions for customers that solve complex problems and achieve important objectives to a sustainable energy future for New Orleans," said West. "The council's expected resolution will require it to make an important choice: will the city continue with Entergy as its energy partner or pursue another alternative?"

Among the initiatives and programs Entergy New Orleans created in partnership with the City Council are:

Established a mutually beneficial operational framework in 2006 that guaranteed the continued service for customers and the financial solvency of the business in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating natural disaster in the city's 300-year history.

The expected addition of 90 MW of cost-effective solar projects for everyone, including the New Orleans Solar Station, a 20 MW solar plant in New Orleans .

. The ReNEWable Orleans Residential Rooftop Solar Program, which gives low-income customers the opportunity to have solar panels installed on their rooftop at no cost to the customer. The program has installed panels on more than 100 New Orleans homes.

The Entergy Energy Smart Program, which provides energy efficiency tools and services to all New Orleans residents. The program was recently awarded the ENERGY STAR partner of the year recognition by the U.S. Department of Energy for its commitment and dedication to energy efficiency.

residents. The program was recently awarded the ENERGY STAR partner of the year recognition by the U.S. Department of Energy for its commitment and dedication to energy efficiency. Total Power, which helps LIHEAP eligible households with monthly energy subsidies and energy efficiency education services.

The installation of Advanced Meters, which helps customers better manage their energy usage and provides quicker response times during an outage.

The Commercial Rooftop Solar Program, which has already installed more than 5 MW of distributed-scale solar resources on rooftops of New Orleans businesses. The largest installation of this kind in Louisiana resides in New Orleans East at 2.4 MW.

businesses. The largest installation of this kind in resides in New Orleans East at 2.4 MW. The New Orleans Power Station, which is a 128-MW power station located inside the city limits and designed to support the delivery of reliable power to customers more efficiently with less environmental impact. This facility was critical to providing the first lights to New Orleans customers in the wake of Hurricane Ida's damaging, near Category 5 winds.

The City Council's Utility Committee is expected to pass its resolution initiating an ownership study on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans, LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana's Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 200,000 customers and natural gas to more than 108,000 customers. Entergy New Orleans, LLC is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.

SOURCE Entergy Corporation

Related Links

http://www.entergy.com


LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fastmarkets, the industry-leading cross-commodity price reporting agency (PRA), is delighted to announce the successful completion of an independent assurance review of 34 key metals benchmarks.

The external review carried out by professional services firm BDO confirmed that Fastmarkets' governance and controls framework, policies and editorial practices align with the standards defined by the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) within the Principles for Oil Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs).

The review process, covering a pricing period of up to 12 months, is comprehensive, examining all relevant documentation and processes to ensure their quality, integrity and adherence to stated methodologies and to the PRA principles.

''We remain committed to growing our list of audited prices and providing our users the highest possible level of confidence in the reliability of our benchmarks. The completion of an external audit of our process demonstrates our commitment to provide reliable, impartial, representative and transparent benchmarks,'' Fastmarkets' CEO Raju Daswani said.

As per guidance by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), annual assurance reviews by an independent external auditor are sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Benchmarks Regulation (BMR) for commodity benchmarks (paragraph 18 of Annex II). Some of the audited prices are also subject to BMR.

This year's review covered 34 benchmarks from our list of prices in the aluminium, alumina, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, iron ore, flat steel and steel scrap markets. It involved six new prices, which received the Type 1 IOSCO accreditation including:

Aluminium pressure diecasting ingot DIN226/A380, delivered Europe , /tonne

, /tonne Aluminium alloy A380.1, delivered Midwest c/lb $/tonne

Cobalt hydroxide index 30% Co min, cif China , $/Ib

, $/Ib Steel cold-rolled coil, fob mill US, $/cwt

Steel hot-dipped galvanized (base) steel coil, fob mill US, $/cwt

Steel cut-to-length plate carbon grade, fob mill US, $/cwt

To obtain a copy of the independent assurance report, please click here.

Fastmarkets has invested significantly in resources and technology to ensure its price-assessment process aligns with IOSCO principles. View details here.

To view Fastmarkets' metals price methodology/specifications, please click here.

ABOUT FASTMARKETS

Fastmarkets is the industry-leading Price Reporting Agency (PRA) for global commodities, providing price data, news, analytics, and events for the metals and mining, forest products, and agriculture markets. Fastmarkets' data is critical for customers seeking to understand and predict dynamic, sometimes opaque markets, enabling trading and risk management. Fastmarkets is a global business with a 130-year history built on trust and deep market knowledge. Its team of more than 450 people are located in global offices including London, Helsinki, Boston, New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Brussels and Sao Paulo. Fastmarkets is part of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (LSE:ERM), a listed company on the London Stock Exchange. Euromoney is a leading international business-to-business information group focused primarily on the global commodities, banking and asset management markets.

SOURCE Fastmarkets

Related Links

https://www.fastmarkets.com/


DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- F&G, part of the FNF family of companies and a leading provider of annuities and life insurance, recently announced its second funding agreement backed note (FABN) with a $1.15 billion issuance by F&G Global Funding (FGGF), an unaffiliated Delaware trust.

This issuance has propelled sales from F&G's new institutional channel to over $2 billion including an FABN issuance in the second quarter and recent pension risk transfer (PRT) transactions.

"The significant and rapid growth into these new markets is a key pillar of F&G's market diversification strategy," said Scott Cochran, President of Institutional and New Markets at F&G. "The Institutional business leverages our existing spread-based capabilities and our strategic partnership with Blackstone. Already we are seeing these new lines of business contribute a sizeable portion of F&G's sales which complements our rapidly growing retail business. We expect forward momentum as the team's deep institutional market experience continues to deliver relevant solutions."

With this second FABN issuance, there are now over 80 investors in FGGF's platform. FGGF's primary assets are funding agreements issued by Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company and reported as deposit-type contracts. The notes from FGGF carry ratings of A- (Stable outlook) from S&P and Fitch which are in line with Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company's financial strength ratings.

"The FABN market continues to be attractive, and F&G's highly aligned business strategy provides a material contribution to our spread lending platform," said Matt Trosper, VP, New Markets at F&G. "We've attracted a strong group of sophisticated institutional investors which includes a high level of repeat investors from our June issuance. We look forward to carrying this momentum into 2022."

During the third quarter, F&G has also closed multiple PRT transactions representing $375 million in pension obligations and over 11,000 participants who will receive their lifetime pension payments from F&G.

"Throughout the past year, F&G has assembled a best-in-class team to support the PRT needs of pension sponsors, participants, fiduciaries and consultants," said Jay Dinunzio, VP, PRT Business Development at F&G. "We are excited to enter the competitive and growing PRT marketplace and continue our work to acquire, prudently manage and service defined benefit pension annuities."

Proceeds from the PRT and FABN transactions will be managed by the experienced asset management team at Blackstone Insurance Solutions who seek to source and manage appropriate, high-quality assets that are well matched to F&G's liabilities.

About F&G

F&G is part of the FNF family of companies. F&G is committed to helping Americans turn their aspirations into reality. F&G is a leading provider of annuity and life insurance products and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, please visit fglife.com.

"F&G" is the marketing name for Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company issuing insurance in the United States outside of New York. Life insurance and annuities issued by Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company, Des Moines, IA.

Media Contact:

Karen Pevenstein

[email protected]

617.312.3922

SOURCE Fidelity & Guaranty Life; Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Related Links

https://home.fglife.com


Start your free trial now to get insights into a wide range of industries

Market segmentation:

The critical incident monitoring UAV market has been segmented by geography into the following regions:

North America

APAC

Europe

MEA

South America

North America, with a share of 44%, will lead the critical incident monitoring UAV market by geography during the forecast period, with the US being the key country.

By end-user, the market has been segmented into the following:

Military

Civilian

To learn about other market segments, request a free sample!

Factors impacting the market:

The benefits offered by UAVs for public safety applications are supporting the growth of the market. However, challenges such as government regulations regarding UAVs can restrict market growth.

To learn about additional drivers, trends, and challenges impacting the market in the forecast years, check out our free sample.

Other reports related to Industrials:

Counter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Defense System Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Commercial Drones Market by Product, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by End-user

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Analysis

Appendix

Customized reports

Are you looking for a personalized report? Get expert analysis based on your requirements

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
Mr. Widmann joins Komainu from Nomura, where he served as Vice President of the Wholesale Digital Office and was the first hire of its digital assets division. In 2015, he contributed to a research paper that discussed the factors hindering the expansion of distributed ledger technology into the traditional finance landscape. The insight gained from his research enabled Mr. Widmann to stay at the forefront of the digital asset industry and advance Nomura's involvement in the space.

Commenting on the news, Henson Orser, President and Acting CEO of Komainu, stated, "After expanding our team with a new C-level hire and the opening of the UK office, Sebastian is the latest addition to our rapidly growing organization. We are looking forward to Sebastian leveraging his experience from working in Nomura's Wholesale Digital Office to assist in the expansion of our existing offerings and the development of new ones. I am excited for Sebastian to join and further establish Komainu as the key partner for institutions looking to move into the digital asset industry."

Mr. Widmann joins Komainu at a key point in its evolution, with the Company reaching a milestone of $5bn in Assets Under Custody (AUC) earlier this year. He will leverage his expertise in the digital asset ecosystem and extensive experience operating within the space to support Komainu's continued development. Mr. Widmann will be called upon frequently to assist in the Company's expansion into the digital asset prime brokerage space and further provide institutions with the security and transparency needed for them to comfortably invest in digital assets.

"I look forward to closely working with our stellar team and clients with the support of our strategic partners and investors," said Mr. Widmann. "I have closely followed the digital asset space throughout the last three market cycles, and whilst we are now seeing increased institutional and regulatory participation in the industry, I firmly believe that we are only at the beginning of the most transformative change the financial services industry has ever witnessed."

About Komainu

Komainu is the first hybrid custodian for institutional digital asset investors created by the Japanese investment bank, Nomura, digital asset manager, CoinShares and digital asset security company, Ledger. Komainu is solving the problem of decentralized and secure digital asset custody by providing a single application-based solution to institutions allowing multi-asset support benefits, regulatory compliance and insurance. Headquartered in Jersey, Komainu merges best in class financial services with the highest security standards for the next generation of institutional custody.

For more information, please visit https://www.komainu.com

Media Contact

Peter Padovano

M Group Strategic Communications (for Komainu)

+1 646 859 5953

[email protected]

SOURCE Komainu

Related Links

https://www.komainu.com


Starting Tuesday, Sept. 21 and running through Monday, Sept. 27, consumers can enter the Full Moon Pup-O'-Lantern Sweepstakes for a chance to win by posting a picture of their dog on Instagram, tagging @FullMoonPet and using the hashtags #FullMoonPetPumpkin and #sweepstakes. 100 lucky winners will receive a prize pack featuring a custom stencil of their dog, 12 oz. package of Full Moon Chicken Jerky and 14 oz. package of Full Moon Organic Beef Jerky .

"Halloween has always been a special holiday for us at Full Moon. Not only will this year mark our eighth annual Howl at The Moon Instagram costume contest, but this year's first ever Pup-O'-Lantern Sweepstakes will help light up homes around the country with the faces of happy dogs," said Ryan Perdue, founder of Full Moon Pet. "We know how much owners care for their dogs and want to celebrate their pet. That's why each Full Moon treat is 100% human gradefrom USDA-approved, farm-raised meats to the other natural ingredients you'd eat yourself like celery or vinegarwhich results in a product that dogs love and you can feel good about feeding them."

The Full Moon Pup-O'-Lantern Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states & D.C., 18 & older, who possess a web-enabled mobile device as of Sept. 20, 2021 and have a public Instagram account. Full sweepstakes rules can be found on the Full Moon Pet Instagram and at fullmoonpet.dja.com. Learn more about Full Moon and its products at www.FullMoonPet.com.

About Full Moon

Established in 2011 by founder and devoted dog dad Ryan Perdue, we believe that our dogs deserve food that is just as good as the food we make for ourselves. This commitment drives our choices every step of the way, from how we raise our animals, to the ingredients we choose, to the kitchens we cook in. Full Moon treats are proudly made in the United States using regionally-sourced, 100 percent human-grade ingredients: from the USDA-approved, farm-raised meats to the other natural ingredients you'd feed yourself. More importantly, we never use artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and our products are all free from corn, wheat, soy, glycerin and other fillers. Learn more at fullmoonpet.com.

About Perdue Farms

We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE brand, Niman Ranch, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats, Coleman Natural, and Yummy, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms and Full Moon, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores, and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.

Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.

Now in our company's second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms
RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) (Genworth) today announced that it has successfully retired in full the outstanding balance on its Promissory Note with AXA, S.A. (AXA) of approximately $296 million. Following the full repayment of the Promissory Note, AXA has released its 19.9% security interest in the outstanding common stock of Enact Holdings, Inc.

Genworth's settlement agreement with AXA is related to losses incurred from mis-selling complaints for Payment Protection Insurance written by a business that Genworth sold to AXA in 2015. As part of the agreement, Genworth will also pay a portion of all future mis-selling losses incurred by AXA, to be invoiced quarterly by AXA. As of June 30, Genworth's estimated portion of those remaining potential future mis-selling losses was approximately $52 million. Genworth will update the estimated portion of remaining mis-selling losses with its upcoming results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.

"We are very pleased to be able to retire the balance of our Promissory Note to AXA, more than a year ahead of our originally scheduled maturity date," said Tom McInerney, Genworth President and CEO. "We are executing against our plan to improve Genworth's financial position and as a result, Genworth is now well-positioned to meet its ongoing financial obligations and chart a path to growth. Further debt reduction remains a top priority moving forward as we seek to maximize shareholder value."

About Genworth Financial

Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "will" or words of similar meaning & include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for future business and financial performance of Genworth Financial, Inc. (Genworth) and its consolidated subsidiaries. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements the company makes relating to the repayment of the promissory note with AXA, S.A. and future reductions of debt. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially due to global political, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors and risks, including those discussed at the end of this presentation, as well as in the risk factor section of Genworth's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2021. Genworth undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE Genworth Financial, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.genworth.com


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Allergy Treatment Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The allergy treatment market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.66% during the period 2020-2026.



The increasing risk of environmental allergies, especially in the urban population, is fueling the growth of the allergy treatment industry. Indulging in indoor activities is increasing the incidence of allergies in children.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, almost 40% of the global population is sensitized to at least one type of allergen. The global allergy treatment market by type is segmented as Medication, Immunotherapy, and Emergency epinephrine. The medication segment contributed the most, acquiring a 75.46% share of the allergy treatment market.

The study considers the allergy treatment market's present scenario and its market dynamics for the period 2020-2026. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market.

GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS

North America is the biggest segment in the global allergy treatment market by geography.

The rapid development in industrial growth and urbanization in North America is growing the risk of allergies heavily. There is a high awareness of allergy diseases in the North American population, contributing a high share to this industry across the region. Europe is the second-largest market for allergy treatment products.

One of the crucial factors for the growth of allergy treatment is the growing number of companies providing immunotherapies across the region. Europe, almost 45% of the population from the age group 20-45 years old, is prevalent for allergic rhinitis, and the advancements in allergy treatment boost the growth.

INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

The competition in the allergy treatment industry is based on the product type. Holding such situations as exceptional, the medications segment is highly competitive.

The immunotherapy market is dominated by Allergy Therapeutics and ALK-Abello, with their new and innovative products. The vendors in the segment are focused on introducing newer products that are distinct and innovative to get an edge over competitors.

The immunotherapy industry is growing rapidly, with the number of approvals increasing in the US. The key vendors focusing on innovations and clinical research are the leading drivers for the segment.

SNIPPETS

Europe and APAC are two of the most rapidly growing regions in the allergy treatment market share, with a CAGR of 7.80% and 8.14%, respectively.

and APAC are two of the most rapidly growing regions in the allergy treatment market share, with a CAGR of 7.80% and 8.14%, respectively. There is a high awareness of allergy diseases in the North American population. The allergy treatment industry in North America will grow at a CAGR of 5.77% during the forecast period.

will grow at a CAGR of 5.77% during the forecast period. The immunotherapy segment is expected to grow faster with a CAGR of 9.46% during the forecast period.

The global allergy treatment market by oral is expected to reach USD 16.72 billion by 2026.

by 2026. The global skin allergy treatment market acquired a 14.39% share in 2020.

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

In 2020 the global allergy treatment market by medications was valued at USD 21.76 billion . The medications segment mainly dominates allergy treatment. Medications provide relief instant due to which is propelling the demand for allergy medication.

. The medications segment mainly dominates allergy treatment. Medications provide relief instant due to which is propelling the demand for allergy medication. The global food allergy market size is expected to reach USD 9.62 billion by 2026. According to the World Allergy Organization, almost 2.5% of the general population is allergic to at least one type of food. Another common food allergy is the peanut allergy, which is increasing rapidly in the global population. According to recent studies in the US population, peanut allergies have almost tripled in the last 20 years.

by 2026. According to the World Allergy Organization, almost 2.5% of the general population is allergic to at least one type of food. Another common food allergy is the peanut allergy, which is increasing rapidly in the global population. According to recent studies in the US population, peanut allergies have almost tripled in the last 20 years. The global allergy treatment market by nasal will grow at a CAGR of 6.81% in the upcoming years. Decongestants along with histamines and corticosteroids are commonly prescribed as a nasal formulation. The rising of nasal allergic diseases is propelling the demand for the treatment of allergies.

Retail pharmacies acquired a 59.50% market share of the global allergy treatment market. The direct interaction with the customers, thus having higher customer satisfaction. Outpatient care is another driver for the retail pharmacy. Outpatient care is getting more popular as people are getting more and more aware of their own health.

Prominent Vendors

Sanofi

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Dermapharm Holding SE

Johnson & Johnson

ALK-Abello A/S

Allergy Therapeutics

F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Other Prominent Vendors

Stallergenes Greer

Aimmune Therapeutics

Bayer AG

Perrigo Company plc

Alcon

AstraZeneca AB

LES Labs

Viatris Inc

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd

Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Kaleo Inc

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope of the Study



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at a Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Overview



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Developments in Allergy Immunotherapy

8.2 On-Demand Pharmacy

8.3 Technological Advances in Medical Devices for Allergy Treatment



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Anxiety Related to Food Allergies

9.2 Increasing Risk of Environmental Allergies

9.3 Atopic March

9.4 Genetic Factors in Allergy Diseases



10 Market Restraints

10.1 Improper Use of Medical Devices During Self-Administration

10.2 Non-Compliance of Treatment Regime



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Five Forces Analysis



12 Product

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Medications

12.4 Antihistamines

12.5 Decongestants

12.6 Corticosteroids

12.7 Mast Cell Stabilizers

12.8 Immunotherapy

12.9 Emergency Epinephrine



13 Indication

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Market Overview

13.3 Rhinitis

13.4 Food Allergy

13.5 Pollen Allergy

13.6 Skin Allergy

13.7 Anaphylaxis

13.8 Others



14 Dosage Form

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 Market Overview

14.3 Oral

14.4 Nasal

14.5 Others



15 Distribution Channel

15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

15.2 Market Overview

15.3 Retail Pharmacy

15.4 Hospital Pharmacy

15.5 Online Sales



16 Geography

16.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

16.2 Geographic Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xmgvxz

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 7; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 986 Companies: 279 - Players covered include AKE Knebel GmbH & Co. KG; DoAll Company; Freud America Inc.; Kinkelder B.V. Ledermann GmbH & Co. KG; Leuco Tool Corporation; Pilana Knives A.S.; Simonds International L.L.C. (BGR Saws Inc.); Stanley Black & Decker Inc.; The M K Morse Company; and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Segment (Hand Saw Blades) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry

ABSTRACT-



Global Hand Saw Blades Market to Reach $599.9 Million by 2026

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Hand Saw Blades estimated at US$434.5 Million in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$599.9 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $121.6 Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $126.4 Million by 2026

The Hand Saw Blades market in the U.S. is estimated at US$121.6 Million in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$126.4 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 9% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 3% and 4.4% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 3.9% CAGR. More

MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.

Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.

CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

LINKS

Join Our Expert Panel

https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp



Connect With Us on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./



Follow Us on Twitter

https://twitter.com/marketbytes



Journalists & Media

[email protected]

SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.strategyr.com


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Recreational Boat Market by Boat Type (Sailboats, PWC, Inflatables), Size (<_0>50 Feet), Engine Placement (Outboards, Inboards), Engine (ICE, Electric), Material (Aluminium, Fiberglass), Activity Type, Power Source & Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global recreational boat market size is projected to grow from USD 16.4 Billion in 2021 to USD 23.6 Billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.2%.

Factors such as growing tourism industry and increasing disposable income levels of people will boost the market. Developments in autonomous marine technology will further increase the demand for recreational boating, increasing demand for less skilled recreational boaters. The presence of a large number of manufacturers in this well integrated and fragmented industry ensures a stable supply for the demand of recreational boats around the world.

Outboards are estimated to account for the largest market size during the forecast period.

The outboard boat segment is currently the largest segment in the recreational boat market around the world. it will continue to be the largest segment during the forecast period due to high demand across US and Europe. This is because these boats have better speed, are easier to dock and cost much less to maintain compared to other variants. They also have a lower chance of catching fire due to the engine being located outside the boat. This leads to outboard boats being the most popular boat for boating enthusiasts.

North America is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The recreational boat market in North America is expected to be the largest and fastest-growing across the world due to high demand for leisure boating and water-sports in the region. US is expected to be a fast-growing market in the region with the government helping grow the recreational boat market over the years. However, Emission regulations could limit the growth rate of the market in both these countries by reducing recreational boating demand in the coming years. Canada also has a high demand due to recreational boating being a traditional pastime in the region. Mexico is also a fast-growing market with recreational boating gradually finding its place in the country.

Aluminum to be the top boat building material during the forecasted period.

The aluminum boats segment is currently the largest boat segment in the recreational boat market around the world. Due to its strong usability and low cost, these boats are mostly used for small-sized boats for recreational boating. Personal boats are mostly made of aluminum due to their lower costs, less servicing and maintenance requirements and ease of use for general boating operations. These boats are easy to manufacture and are the most easily available recreational boats in the market. North America will be the largest market for aluminum boats followed by Europe, Asia Oceania and the rest of the world. This is due to the high demand of these boats as private boats for people in the North American and European regions.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

3.1 COVID-19 Impact on the Recreational Boat Market, 2021-2027

4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Recreational Boat Market

4.2 Recreational Boat Market Growth Rate, by Region

4.3 Recreational Boat Market, by Boat Type

4.4 Recreational Boat Market, by Activity Type

4.5 Recreational Boat Market, by Engine Location

4.6 Recreational Boat Market, by Power Source

4.7 Recreational Boat Market, by Boat Size

4.8 Recreational Boat Market, by Engine Type

4.9 Recreational Boat Market, by Material Type

4.10 Recreational Boat Market, by Power Range

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Rising Disposable Income of People Around the World

5.2.1.2 Growing Tourism Industry

5.2.1.3 Increasing Number of Boat Shows Around the World

5.2.1.4 Integration of the Latest Technologies in Boats

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Strict Pollution Norms for Recreational Boats

5.2.2.2 Setting Up of Zero-Emission Zones

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Online Market for the Industry Can Boost Sales in Untapped Markets

5.2.3.2 Expansion of Recreational Boat Manufacturers in Other Parts of the World

5.2.3.3 New Business Opportunities for Locally Servicing Recreational Boats

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Fluctuating Demand in the Industry Over the Years

5.2.4.2 Presence of Trade Barriers in the Boating Industry

5.3 Porter's Five Forces

5.4 Recreational Boat Market Ecosystem

5.4.1 Marine Component Manufacturers

5.4.2 Marine Engine Manufacturers

5.4.3 OEMs

5.5 Value Chain Analysis

5.6 Recreational Boat Market - Pricing Analysis

5.7 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Buyers in the Recreational Boat Market

5.8 Technology Analysis

5.9 Patent Analysis

5.10 Case Study

5.11 Regulatory Overview

5.12 Trade Data

5.13 COVID-19 Impact Analysis

5.14 Recreational Boat Market, Scenarios (2021-2027)

6 Recreational Boat Market, by Boat Type

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Yachts are Estimated to Lead the Market Both by Value and Volume

6.2 Operational Data

6.2.1 Assumptions

6.3 Research Methodology

6.4 Yachts

6.4.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Yacht Market by Volume and Value

6.5 Sailboats

6.5.1 Europe is Estimated to Lead the Sailboat Market by Volume

6.6 Personal Watercraft Boats

6.6.1 North America and Asia Oceania are Expected to Lead the Personal Watercraft Market

6.7 Inflatable Boats

6.7.1 Asia Oceania is Expected to Lead the Inflatable Boat Market, by Volume and Value

6.8 Others

6.8.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Others Boat Market, by Volume and Value

6.9 Key Industry Insights

7 Recreational Boat Market, by Activity Type

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Cruising + Watersports Segment is Expected to Grow at a Faster Rate Both by Volume and Value

7.2 Operational Data

7.2.1 Assumptions

7.3 Research Methodology

7.4 Cruising + Watersports

7.4.1 North America is Expected to be the Largest Market for Cruising + Watersports Activities

7.5 Fishing

7.5.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Fishing Boat Market in Terms of Volume

7.6 Key Industry Insights

8 Recreational Boat Market, by Boat Size

8.1 Introduction

8.1.1 30-50 Feet Segment is Expected to Grow at a Faster Rate by Volume

8.2 Operational Data

8.2.1 Assumptions

8.3 Research Methodology

8.4 <_0 feet="feet" />8.4.1 North America is Expected to be the Fastest Growing Market for <_0 feet="feet" boats="boats" by="by" />8.5 30-50 Feet Boats

8.5.1 North America is Expected to Lead the 30-50 Ft Boats Market in Terms of Volume

8.6 >50 Feet Boats

8.6.1 >50 Feet Boat to Lead the Market in Terms of Value

8.7 Key Industry Insights

9 Recreational Boat Market, by Material Type

9.1 Introduction

9.1.1 Aluminum Boats are Estimated to Lead the Market

9.2 Operational Data

9.2.1 Assumptions

9.3 Research Methodology

9.4 Aluminum

9.4.1 Aluminum Boats to be the Largest Segment due to Lower Cost and High Applicability in Smaller Sized Boats

9.5 Steel Boats

9.5.1 North America is Estimated to Lead the Steel Boats Market by Volume

9.6 Fiberglass Boats

9.6.1 Fiberglass Boats to Grow in Demand due to Higher Sailing Stability and More Complex Hull Designs

9.7 Others

9.7.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Market, by Volume and Value

9.8 Key Industry Insights

10 Recreational Boat Market, by Engine Location

10.1 Introduction

10.1.1 Outboard Boats are Estimated to Lead the Market Both by Value and Volume

10.2 Operational Data

10.2.1 Assumptions

10.3 Research Methodology

10.4 Outboard Engine Boats

10.4.1 North America and Asia Oceania Will Lead the Outboard Market

10.5 Inboard Engine Boats

10.5.1 North America Will be the Fastest Growing Region for the Inboard Segment

10.6 Others

10.6.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Market by Volume

10.7 Key Industry Insights

11 Recreational Boat Market, by Engine Type

11.1 Introduction

11.1.1 Electric Engine Segment is Expected to Grow at a Faster Rate Both by Volume and Value

11.2 Operational Data

11.2.1 Assumptions

11.3 Research Methodology

11.4 Ice

11.4.1 North America is the Largest Market for Ice Engine Boats by Volume

11.5 Electric

11.5.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Market in Terms of Volume

11.6 Key Industry Insights

12 Recreational Boat Market, by Power Source

12.1 Introduction

12.1.1 Engine-Powered Boat Segment is Expected to Lead the Market Globally by Volume and Value

12.2 Operational Data

12.2.1 Assumptions

12.3 Research Methodology

12.4 Engine-Powered Boats

12.4.1 North America and Asia Oceania to Lead the Engine-Powered Boat Market by Volume

12.5 Sail-Powered Boats

12.5.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Sail-Powered Boat Market in Terms of Volume and Value

12.6 Human-Powered Boats

12.6.1 North America is Expected to Lead the Human-Powered Recreational Boat Market by Value

12.7 Key Industry Insights

13 Recreational Boat Market, by Power Range

13.1 Introduction

13.1.1 Up to 100 Kw Segment is Estimated to Lead the Market by Value

13.2 Operational Data

13.2.1 Assumptions

13.3 Research Methodology

13.4 Up to 100 Kw

13.5 100 Kw-200 Kw

13.6 Above 200 Kw

13.7 Key Industry Insights

14 Recreational Boat Market, by Distribution Channel

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Boat Dealership

14.3 Boat Shows

14.4 Online Boat Sales

15 Recreational Boat Market, by Region

16 Competitive Landscape

17 Company Profiles

17.1 Key Players

17.1.1 Brunswick Corporation

17.1.2 Groupe Beneteau

17.1.3 Mastercraft Boat Company

17.1.4 Malibu Boats

17.1.5 Polaris Inc.

17.1.6 Azimut Benetti Group

17.1.7 Sunseeker International

17.1.8 Bombardier Recreational Products

17.1.9 Ferretti Group

17.1.10 Bass Pro Group

17.1.11 Marine Products Corporation

17.1.12 Bryton Marine Group

17.2 Other Players

17.2.1 Yamaha Motor Company

17.2.2 Mahindra and Mahindra

17.2.3 Catalina Yachts

17.2.4 Zodiac Marine (Zodiac Nautic)

17.2.5 Island Packet Yachts

17.2.6 Hallberg-Rassy

17.2.7 Oyster Yachts

17.2.8 Winnebago Industries

17.2.9 Monterey Boats

17.2.10 S2 Yachts

17.2.11 Smoker Craft

17.2.12 Marquis-Larson Boat Group

17.2.13 Ocean Alexander

18 Analyst's Recommendations

19 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/keq9h6

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GovOS, a leading provider of solutions for every step of a local government's digital transformation journey, announced today it will provide short-term rental compliance, registration and licensing services to Park City, Utah and support property tax compliance in Summit County, Utah. The city and county join more than 80 other jurisdictions currently deploying the company's Short-Term Rental Solution (formerly known as LODGINGRevs).

The RFP issued by Park City outlined the area's fast-growing short-term rental market and the need for advanced technology that can effectively regulate short-term rentals on behalf of the city and county. The GovOS solution will support the long-term goal of identifying and monitoring short-term rental operators to ensure they remain in compliance with local regulations.

"Short-term rentals present a range of opportunities, and challenges, which are compounded exponentially when a community experiences substantial growth in rental numbers," said Erin Neer, Chief Strategy Officer at GovOS. "Our mission is to provide the local governments in these communities with a unified solution that can help them better engage with citizens and businesses to improve customer service, while elevating enforcement consistent with individual state laws to ensure compliance with local ordinances. We look forward to working with Park City and Summit County to provide a custom-tailored solution that can handle all of their unique business needs."

To complement the compliance and monitoring services provided by GovOS, the company will also offer Park City residents access to a 24/7 bilingual complaint hotline hosted by GovOS. Residents can submit concerns to hotline agents who will contact the property's emergency contact to report the complaint and begin the resolution process.

In addition to supporting ongoing identification and compliance efforts, GovOS will also host a Nightly Rental License Portal for Park City and administer additional permitting applications for the city, including:

General Business License

For Hire Ground Transportation License

Convention Sales License

Solicitation License

Liquor License

Special Event Temp Liquor License

This partnership is the first since the MUNIRevs | LODGINGRevs brand and platform was integrated with GovOS. The fully aligned suite of software products gives local governments tools they can use at every phase of their digital transformation journey, from records to citizen engagement to community insights.

To learn more about the GovOS Short-Term Rental Solution, go to kofile.com/govos/engagement/short-term-rentals/

About GovOS

GovOS is the leading government digital transformation platform, offering a secure and integrated suite of cloud-based solutions that enable local governments to automate and streamline operations, provide seamless access to resources and information, and deliver cutting-edge digital services to businesses, residents and agencies.

For more information, visit GovOS.com

Contact:

Karl Pawlewicz

[email protected]

SOURCE GovOS
New 18-month credit facilities with Asahi and Samsung underpin the company's working capital position to execute on growth objectives

TSX: GPR | NYSE American: GPL

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Great Panther Mining Limited (TSX: GPR) (NYSE-A: GPL) ("Great Panther" or the "Company"), a growing gold and silver producer focused on the Americas, announces that it has entered into a $20 million gold dore prepayment agreement (the "Dore Agreement") with Asahi Refining Canada Ltd. ("Asahi"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Holdings, Inc., as well as a $5 million lead concentrate prepayment agreement (the "Concentrate Agreement") with Samsung C&T U.K. Ltd. ("Samsung"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung C&T Corporation.

"The new credit facilities contribute an additional $25 million in working capital funding, providing us with increased financial strength and flexibility to execute on our objectives of replacing resources, extending mine life, and unlocking the regional potential of the Tucano Gold Mine," stated Sandra Daycock, Great Panther's Chief Financial Officer. "We thank our lenders for their continued support and endorsement of the long-term potential of our assets."

Rob Henderson, President and CEO of Great Panther, added: "We have long-standing and highly valued relationships with both Asahi and Samsung and these transactions further solidify those partnerships. Our goal is to grow the Company with the objective of safely, sustainably and profitably producing gold and silver for the benefit of all our stakeholders. This year has not been without its challenges; however, we remain committed to generating shared value through our operations and these new funding facilities are a testament to our lenders' support of and belief in this mission."

Under the Dore Agreement, Asahi has agreed to advance a $20 million prepayment (the "Asahi Advance") to Great Panther in consideration for the equivalent value in gold ("the Prepaid Dore"), to be delivered over a 12-month period in installments of equal value commencing in April 2022. The Prepaid Dore will be sold at a 0.5% discount to the spot price of gold at the time of delivery and will be used to offset repayments of the Asahi Advance. The Asahi Advance will bear interest at an annual rate of 1-month USD LIBOR plus 4.75% and is secured by a pledge of all equity interests in Great Panther's Brazilian subsidiary, Mina Tucano Ltda, which owns the Tucano Gold Mine. Great Panther has a full option for early repayment of the Asahi Advance, subject to a 3% penalty applied to the outstanding balance at the time of repayment. The Dore Agreement also provides exclusivity on refining and gold sales for 100% of the remaining production of the Tucano Gold Mine during the term of the agreement.

Under the Concentrate Agreement, Samsung has agreed to advance a $5 million prepayment (the "Samsung Advance") to Great Panther's Mexican subsidiary, Minera Mexicana El Rosario S.A. de C.V. ("MMR") in consideration for exclusive offtake of the lead concentrate production from the Topia Mine ("the Concentrate"), up to a maximum contract quantity of 5400 DMT representing approximately 21 months of production from the mine. The Concentrate Agreement also gives Samsung a right of first offer on an additional 12 months of concentrate. The Samsung Advance has an 18-month term and will be repaid in equal monthly instalments commencing in April 2022. It will bear interest at an annual rate of 3-month USD LIBOR plus 6.5% and will be secured by a pledge of all equity interests in MMR. MMR has a full option for early repayment of the Advance, subject to a 3% penalty applied to the outstanding balance. The remaining balance of $3.2 million on the Company's existing gold dore agreement with Samsung has been repaid in full and cancelled and the pledge of shares to Samsung of the Company's shares in Mina Tucano Ltda has been released. Samsung's right of offer for concentrates produced from the Company's Coricancha Mine project in certain circumstances remains in effect.

ABOUT GREAT PANTHER

Great Panther is a growing gold and silver producer focused on the Americas. The Company owns a diversified portfolio of assets in Brazil, Mexico and Peru that includes three operating gold and silver mines, an advanced development project and a large land package with district-scale potential. Great Panther is focused on creating long-term stakeholder value through safe and sustainable production, reinvesting into exploration and pursuing acquisition opportunities to complement its existing portfolio. Great Panther trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding (i) the Company's ability to execute on its objectives of replacing resources, extending mine life, and unlocking the regional potential at the Tucano Gold Mine, and (ii) the Company's ability to achieve its long-term growth objectives

These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: continued operations and exploration work, including plans to complete infill drilling at Tucano, in 2021 occur without significant interruption due to COVID-19 or any other reason; the accuracy of the Company's geological modeling at Tucano and the assumptions upon which they are based, ore grades and recoveries; prices for gold, silver, and base metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for the Company's operations and exploration work are received in a timely manner on favourable terms, Tucano will be able to continue to use cyanide in its operations; the Company will not be required to further impair Tucano as the current open pit mineral reserves are depleted through mining; the ability to procure equipment and operating supplies without interruption and that there are no material unanticipated variations in the cost of energy or supplies; operations not being disrupted by issues such as pit-wall failures or instability, mechanical failures, labour disturbances and workforce shortages, illegal occupations or mining, seismic events, and adverse weather conditions; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to: the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's ability to operate and conduct exploration work, including drilling plans, as anticipated, and the risk of an unplanned partial or full shutdown of the Company's mines and processing plants, whether voluntary or imposed, which would adversely impact the Company's revenues, financial condition and ability to meet its production and cost guidance and fund its capital programs and repay its indebtedness; the inherent risk that estimates of Mineral Reserves and Resources may not be accurate and accordingly that mine production will not be as estimated or predicted; planned exploration activities, including plans for further infill drilling at TAP C, may not result in the discovery of new Mineral Resources/definition of Mineral Resources and readers are cautioned that Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves have no defined economic viability; there is no certainty that the Company will be able to define a mineral resource for the TAP C deposits and the Company is not treating the AMC historical estimate as a current mineral resource estimate; open pit mining operations at Tucano have a limited established mine life and the Company may not be able to extend the mine life for Tucano open pit operations beyond 2023 as anticipated; gold, silver and base metal prices may decline or may be less than forecasted; fluctuations in currency exchange rates (including the U.S. dollar to Brazilian real exchange rate) may increase costs of operations; operational and physical risks inherent in mining operations (including pit wall collapses, tailings storage facility failures, environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather) may result in unforeseen costs, shut downs, delays in production and drilling and exposure to liability; potential political and social risks involving Great Panther's operations in a foreign jurisdiction; the potential for unexpected costs and expenses or overruns; shortages in the ability to procure equipment and operating supplies without interruption; employee and contractor relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities; the Company's ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner on favourable terms; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates; legal restrictions related to mining; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the Company's inability to meet its production forecasts or to generate the anticipated cash flows from operations could result in the Company's inability to meet its scheduled debt payments when due or to meet financial covenants to which the Company is subject or to fund its exploration programs as planned; ability to maintain and renew agreements with local communities to support continued operations; there is no assurance that the Company will be able to identify or complete acquisition opportunities of, if completed, that such acquisitions will be accretive to the Company; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in respect of Great Panther, in its most recent annual information form and material change reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov .

There is no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove accurate or that actual results will not vary materially from these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's current views of our near- and longer-term prospects and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not intend, nor does it assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

SOURCE Great Panther Mining Limited

Related Links

https://www.greatpanther.com/


DELAWARE, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today it has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance), a global non-profit organization consisting of over 50 companies committed to ending plastic waste in the environment and protecting the planet.

"As a leader in industrial packaging, we recognize the responsibility we have to reduce the environmental impact of our products and operations and contribute towards a more circular economy," said Ole Rosgaard, Greif's Chief Operating Officer. "We are excited to join other like-minded companies as a member of the Alliance. Through open collaboration and leadership provided by the Alliance, we can advance the need for more sustainable packaging and tackle some of the world's most pressing issues. I look forward to working closely with other Alliance members to advance our shared ambitions and contribute to more sustainable outcomes."

The Alliance consists of member companies and supporters representing companies and organizations from across the plastic value chain. They partner with government, environmental and non-governmental organizations around the world to address the challenge of ending plastic waste in the environment. Through programs and partnerships, the Alliance focuses on solutions in four strategic areas: infrastructure, innovation, education and engagement, as well as environmental clean-up.

Jacob Duer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance said: "As the issue of plastic waste moves up in the global sustainability agenda, our mission to develop, deploy and scale solutions to end plastic waste in the environment is more relevant than ever before. Strengthening participation across the plastics value chain with members like Greif will help accelerate our collective efforts. Together, we can work towards helping to create a more sustainable future and I look forward to a fruitful partnership."

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services and is pursuing its vision: In industrial packaging, be the best performing customer service company in the world. The Company produces steel, plastic and fibre drums, intermediate bulk containers, reconditioned containers, flexible products, containerboard, uncoated recycled paperboard, coated recycled paperboard, tubes and cores and a diverse mix of specialty products. The Company also manufactures packaging accessories and provides filling, packaging and other services for a wide range of industries. In addition, Greif manages timber properties in the southeastern United States. The Company is strategically positioned in over 40 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the Company's website at www.greif.com.

Contact:

Matt Eichmann

740-549-6067

[email protected]

SOURCE Greif, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.greif.com


BOSTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Plannuh , a SaaS company automating core marketing leadership processes including planning, financial management, and optimization of business outcomes, today announced it closed a $4.1 million equity round led by Ripple Ventures . Existing investors Glasswing Ventures , an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the next generation of intelligent enterprise and frontier tech startups and Gradient Ventures , Google's AI-focused venture fund, participated in the round, which comes as Plannuh sees significant growth amid expanded product offerings.

Plannuh, which helps businesses prove and improve the value of their marketing by consolidating all marketing plans, budgets, and metrics into a single cloud-based system for full visibility and collaboration, has increased its annual recurring revenue more than six times in the last 12 months and added more than 50 customers. The company also added several key capabilities to the Plannuh application, including a sophisticated new metrics tracking system and enhanced ROI measurement, new integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, and a major AI-driven expense ingestion technology release to automate expense capture and reconcile with financial systems. Plannuh will use the funds to accelerate the development of automated planning and budgeting workflows, including incremental integrations and AI-based forecasting and recommendations.

"We have seen a huge wave of interest in our platform from leading marketers who value our agile approach to planning and executing their marketing agenda as a strategic advantage," said Peter Mahoney, founder and CEO of Plannuh. "The investment from Ripple Ventures, and our long-time investors Glasswing and Gradient will allow us to further accelerate customer acquisition and continue to enhance our product platform, with particular focus on additional integrations and automation."

"It is well known that finance and marketing teams often do not see eye to eye," said Matt Cohen, Managing Partner, Ripple Ventures. "This largely stems from the fact that finance teams are numbers-driven, and historically marketing teams have struggled to demonstrate the value that advertising campaigns have on revenue. Another major issue for marketing teams is that most of their planning, budgeting, and expense tracking is done manually, either on paper or in Excel. Plannuh is on a mission to solve these inefficiencies and help quantify the effectiveness of marketing spend, thus reducing the friction between marketing and finance departments, and helping marketing teams get better results. This is what makes us so excited to lead this investment round in Plannuh alongside an amazing group of investors."

"Plannuh's AI-driven marketing automation platform is a game-changing solution to marketing's planning crisis, effectively putting a stop to marketing budget waste," said Rudina Seseri, Founder and Managing Partner, Glasswing Ventures. "From pre-seed to today, we have seen how Plannuh's exceptional team led by Peter Mahoney and Scott Todaro, has been able to execute on their plan to deliver a single source of truth for budgeting, planning, and execution, and realize incredibly strong customer traction. Plannuh is an indispensable tool for every marketing organization, increasing alignment, and productivity while improving marketing ROI, and top-line growth. We are excited to continue to invest in Plannuh, alongside co-investors Gradient Ventures and Ripple Ventures."

"Plannuh provides a powerful automation platform combining real-time financial data with marketing and sales outcomes, delivering unique data and insights daily," said Zach Bratun-Glennon, Partner at Gradient Ventures. "Marketing and sales teams have increasing demand for Plannuh in order to prove the value of their investments, optimize and reposition spend, and drive growth with continuous, accurate feedback."

In addition to Plannuh's record growth, the company has also launched:

The Operational Marketing Index for measuring planning and budget effectiveness

for measuring planning and budget effectiveness The second edition of its book, " The Next CMO: A Guide to Operational Marketing Excellence "

" The Next CMO Community , an online community of 10,000 members dedicated to current and aspiring CMOs, with exclusive content on improving strategic and operational marketing

, an online community of 10,000 members dedicated to current and aspiring CMOs, with exclusive content on improving strategic and operational marketing The Plannuh Customer Advisory Board

About Ripple

Ripple Ventures is an early-stage venture firm specializing in seed funding for the next generation of B2B SaaS companies. Based in Toronto, Ripple identifies and invests in the founders of tomorrow by creating a community focused on inclusivity, education, and personal growth. For more information, visit www.rippleventures.com.

About Glasswing

Glasswing Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to investing in enterprise, platform and security startups that harness the power of AI and frontier technologies to transform markets and revolutionize industries. Glasswing partners with founders to help them assemble powerhouse teams, acquire first customers, and secure the right foundation to launch and accelerate their startups to their full potential. For more information about the firm, visit www.glasswing.vc.

About Gradient

Gradient Ventures is Google's AI-focused venture fund  investing in and connecting early-stage startups with resources, innovation, and technical leadership in artificial intelligence. The fund focuses on helping founders navigate the challenges in developing new technology products, using the latest best practices in recruiting, marketing, design, and engineering so that great ideas can come to life. Gradient was founded in 2017 and is based in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit www.gradient.com.

About Plannuh

Marketers looking to prove and improve the business value of their marketing use Plannuh, the first cloud-based Marketing Leadership Platform, to quickly and easily create winning plans, maximize budget impact, and measure true performance. Unlike disconnected, static spreadsheets and disparate tactical marketing systems, only Plannuh offers a unified, collaborative platform that delivers AI-driven process automation for achieving agility, efficiency, and industry-leading marketing performance. To learn more, visit www.plannuh.com .

Media Contact

Kourtney Evans

Bospar for Plannuh Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE Plannuh, Inc.

Related Links

www.plannuh.com


DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Halmax, in partnership with Sinch, has launched their LinkinSMS cloud SMS service for national and global enterprises to improve the effectiveness of their mission-critical business processes.



LinkInSMS delivers up to 16MB of formatted rich content to any smart phone in the world. Other communications technologies are being introduced by other providers to address the character and formatting limitations of SMS. However, those solutions require their specific technology be used by both the recipient and the sender. LinkInSMS requires only that the sender and recipient use universally available SMS on a smartphone.

LinkInSMS automatically creates and hosts a Web Page of up to 16mb from the message content. The message content can be from a common email; or can be initiated from the LinkInSMS Customer Portal; or initiated through the LinkInSMS API. The URL of the web page is automatically inserted into an SMS message and delivered to any smart phone having SMS capabilities.

Each SMS has the option of security, which can be tailored by the sender and easily accessed but ONLY by the intended recipient.

"Combining the landing page security offered by LinkinSMS with Sinch's Tier 1 Super Network (https://sinch.com) allows brands to safely transmit messages with secure landing pages to any mobile in the world. Sinch is excited to partner with Halmax to bring this to market and look forward to powering it into the future," says Hugh Haley, Sinch's Regional Director for Oceania.



Some applications: An appliance service department sends an SMS to a service agent for their next appointment with the pages from the appliance manual in the link within the SMS. A broker sends an SMS with a link showing the buy (highlighted blue) and sell (highlighted red) recommendations to a client for approval.

A free 30-day trial is available providing full production capabilities for testing purposes.

LinkInSMS is positioned for the corporate environment with a robust Customer Portal and enterprise communications features. The customer can easily customize the company's business communications by creating lists of preset recipients, setting predefined headings and footers including logos, message templates, and much more.

Halmax Pty Ltd

LinkInSMS is a service provided and wholly owned by Halmax Pty Ltd. Halmax is an Australian company focusing on innovative communication products and services, with office in Australia, USA, and France. LinkInSMS provides communication services for organizations across all industries throughout the world.

Contact:

John Hoffman

Halmax Pty Ltd, provider of LinkInSMS

e: [email protected]

p: +1 972 460 6070 (USA cell phone), +61 8 8121 6020 (Australia landline)

https://linkinsms.com/

SOURCE Halmax Pty Ltd
After hearing from fans around the U.S., HARIBO has added its own spin on gummi worms with the new, highly-anticipated Rainbow Worms. Each worm has a unique five-color rainbow effect in a fun worm shape and features three tasty flavors: Black Currant, Lemon and Strawberry. Building on the popularity of the current Z!NG varieties, including Sour Streamers and Sour S'ghetti, the new Z!NG Sour Kicks boast the classic punch of HARIBO Z!NG with an undusted sour experience. The sneaker-shaped gummies will be in five popular sour flavors: Orange, Grape, Raspberry, Strawberry and Lemon.

"We're thrilled to spark joy for gummi fans by introducing Rainbow Worms and Z!NG Sour Kicks, the perfect treats for those looking for exciting new flavors, shapes and textures," said Rick LaBerge, Chief Operating Officer, HARIBO America. "We're honored that our fans continue to share their love of our gummies with us, and the happiness they bring when it's needed most, so we're continuing to bring our core favorites and exciting incremental innovations to delight our consumers and retailers around the U.S."

These two new treats join HARIBO's more than 25 crowd-pleasing varieties, including fan favorites such as the original Goldbears, Starmix, Twin Snakes, Sour Goldbears, and Happy Cola, as well as the most-recently launched limited-time only Summer-Edition Goldbears. HARIBO's Rainbow Worms and Z!NG Sour Kicks and are available now in small, medium and large peg sizes at major U.S retailers including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and grocery locations.

For more than a century, HARIBO has inspired moments of joy in over 100 countries worldwide with its playful, sweet treats. For more information about HARIBO of America, follow on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.haribo.com/en-us.

ABOUT HARIBO

HARIBO is the world's leading manufacturer of gummi products, most famous for our classic Goldbears. Globally, the business employs nearly 7,000 Associates and operates 16 production sites in 10 countries. A family-owned business with a century long heritage, our founder, Hans Riegel, built HARIBO on a foundation of quality and delivering moments of childlike happiness through our products. Established in 1920, HARIBO is the acronym that comprises our founder's name and the city in which the company was born (Bonn, Germany): HAns RIegel BOnn. We pride ourselves on making playful gummies that are meant be shared so our inner-child can always experience joy through sweet treats. HARIBO global headquarters is in Grafschaft, Germany and its U.S. headquarters operates out of Rosemont, Ill. For more information, visit www.haribo.com.

SOURCE HARIBO

Related Links

http://www.haribo.com


The Pink Champagne Retreat will empower women to overcome the challenges of an uncertain economy, raising a family, personal setbacks, and mental health. Women can expect to break free from negative mindsets, self-sabotaging behaviors, and unproductive habits that are holding them back from a fulfilling life.

"My goal is to give women peace of mind with action steps to achieve their goals," states event host, Helena Paschal. "Women can expect to learn stress reducing meditation techniques, goal setting strategies, and financial planning tools to take control of their time, thoughts, and finances."

Guests can anticipate a sacred experience with advanced yoga teacher and reiki practitioner, Ronda Thornton, founder of True North Wellness (TNTW) from Atlanta, Georgia. The personal development training sessions will be delivered by Houston based business owners with topics including:

Stress Reduction and Relaxation Techniques

How to Manifest to Create the Life You Want

How to Bounce Back from Setbacks

How to Make Your Business Idea a Reality

Financial Planning and Investment Strategies

The networking activities include a Paint and Sip Networking Party and an All-Black Dinner Party. Helena Paschal will release her new book, "Pink Champagne: Release the Pain and Pressure to Change Your Life," at the Sunday Pink Champagne Brunch with live music, inspirational speakers, and prizes. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen Houston to increase awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection.

To get tickets for the retreat or brunch, visit www.pinkchampagneretreat.com. To learn more about the event host, visit www.helenapaschal.com. To become a sponsor, call 404-386-4831.

Helena Paschal PR Events, a public relations firm dedicated to help entrepreneurs start, promote, and develop their business brand with the community and media to increase their exposure.



CONTACT: Helena Paschal, +14043864831



SOURCE Helena Paschal PR Events

Related Links

https://helenapaschal.com


LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Twin Science & Robotics is launching a new online school that will bring all children with an internet connection Ivy League-quality coding and artificial intelligence education. To celebrate, they are giving out 10,000 subscriptions to their coding classes and sending out 1,000 STEM kits to educators attending their launch event. They are also giving a Twin School scholarship to a child coming from disadvantaged echelons of society for every new subscription, hence the name 'twin'.

"Our school's full name is Twin School: Tech4Good," says Asude Altintas Guray, CEO and Co-founder. "We don't just want to teach children the know-how, we want to impart humanitarian values to them, too. To this day, we have had over 500,000 children use our STEM kits and STEM apps or attend our STEM workshops, and we have seen them use their know-how to invent earthquake detectors, reforestation robots, or ocean cleaning ships. To make sure not just a select few but all children have access to the skills and the mindset to actualize their dreams, we have come up with Twin School where all children have access to quality education at their fingertips."

Twin is an extraordinary organization which has recently won World Economic Forum's Smart Toy AI Awards, Bett 2020 Awards, the Play for Change Awards, and was featured on BBC. Their employees consist of award-winning researchers in the areas of AI and education, which is why they build their products after extensive R&D processes. Twin School was shaped upon one such process which led to the simple but crucial realization that our current education system is failing to prepare children for the future.

World Economic Forum's 2020 report "Jobs of Tomorrow" shows that the roles with the highest rate of growth within high-volume jobs include Artificial Intelligence Specialists, Data Scientists, and Full Stack Engineers. There is a rising demand for certain skill sets, yet children from disadvantaged areas do not have access to these skills. Twin School makes sure all children have access to both core skills (like Leadership, Communication, Negotiation, Creativity and Problem-Solving) and disruptive tech (i.e., Data Science, Natural Language Processing, Automation, Robotics, Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity) skills by bringing role model tutors together with children through gamified lessons and live sessions. Children can ask their questions to the tutors during "office hours," socialize with their peers on Twin app in a safe and moderated environment or try their hand at one of the hundreds of DIY projects and share their projects on the app: Twin offers an online campus environment that makes learning fun again.

"Our tutors and educational experts are graduates from institutions like Brown University and University of Pennsylvania, and our programs are prepared under the guidance of University College London academics. We have designed the perfect online campus experience for children aged 8 to 11 where they can socialize with each other over shared interests, compete in fun games of trivia, attend live shows with tech role models, upload and watch STEM experiments, and so much more. This is high quality education that used to be reserved for only the students of the most expensive of educational institutions. Today, we make it accessible for all," says Chief Content Officer and co-founder Cemil Cihan Ozalevli, who is one of the MIT Under 35 Innovators of the Year.

There are three packages of Twin School: Starter, Premium, and Premium Plus. The (free) Starter pack includes access to all the basics for a fun time on Twin app, like the DIY project library and the trivia hub. The Premium pack includes access to weekly coding & AI classes as well as office hours with tutors, monthly insight reports outlining the child's progress, and fun STEM adventures in addition to Starter features. The Premium Plus pack is a hybrid pack including all the Premium features, and in addition, a STEM kit (Coding Kit, Autonomous Vehicle Kit, and so much more) is sent to the child's home every two months.

"The idea for a virtual launch event dates to when Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE, our strategic advisor, suggested we host an event to talk about how the heart and the mind should come together for true scientific progress. We have been wanting to host 'The Heart of Science Talks' for a long time, and we could not think of any occasion that is more fitting than the launch of Twin School: Tech4Good to begin these talks. Therefore, this will not be an ordinary event, but a coming together of esteemed educators to discuss ways in which we can transform education for good," says CGO and co-founder Omer Gorgulu. "The fact that any educator who attends the event and joins in the conversation is gifted a STEM kit and 10 Premium subscriptions is in line with our quest to make tech for all, tech for good."

To sign up for the event, educators and education enthusiasts are urged to visit www.twinscience.com/launch.

About Twin

Twin Science & Robotics is a new-generation edtech startup that empowers children with 21st-century skills and provides STEM education with a humanitarian perspective through its physical and digital products. The company started within the scope of YGA's World Science Movement, a social responsibility project that organized science workshops throughout Anatolia. Twin was incorporated in October 2017 and raised $2.5M seed-round investment to-date. Staying loyal to its NGO roots, Twin donates part of its revenue to social responsibility projects. For more information, visit www.twinscience.com.

Contact Information

Cagla Buyukkoc Sutluoglu

+90 531 746 62 90

[email protected]

SOURCE Twin Science & Robotics
HELENA, Mont., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Indian Law Resource Center was named as a finalist in the Racial Equity 2030 Challenge by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Indian Law Resource Center and the nine other finalists were each awarded a grant of $1 million to further develop their proposals as they compete for three grants of $20 million and two grants of $10 million to be awarded next year.

The Center will work with two major Indian organizations in South America to design and build an Indigenous-led institution that provides essential technical and legal assistance to help Indigenous peoples secure ownership of their lands and speed up and improve Indigenous land titling processes in Mexico and Central and South America.

The Indian Law Resource Center is an American Indian non-profit organization that has provided free legal assistance to Indian peoples in North, Central and South America since 1978. The Center will carry out its proposed project with its partners, the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon and the Interethnic Association of Development of the Peruvian Amazon.

"On behalf of the Indian Law Resource Center and our partner organizations we are honored to be included in this diverse group of finalists," said Robert T. Coulter, Executive Director of the Indian Law Resource Center and project lead. "The opportunity to be a part of the Racial Equity 2030 Challenge is a major step in assisting Indigenous communities in Mexico, Central, and South America to secure their lands and their futures."

In their proposed project, the Center and its partner organizations will address inequality by securing land ownership for Indigenous communities on a large scale in Mexico, and in Central and South American countries. This project will create an independent agency that will provide expert technical and legal assistance without charge to Indigenous communities seeking to gain legal control and ownership of their lands and resources. Secure ownership of their lands and resources will have an enormous impact on the poverty, powerlessness, discrimination, killings, and other human rights violations experienced by nearly all Indigenous communities. Helping Indigenous communities to protect their lands is now recognized as one of the most effective means to protect the environment, reduce deforestation, and mitigate climate change. The project will make available a network of experts from many fields to assist Indigenous communities in overcoming the pervasive impediments to gaining ownership and protecting their lands.

This announcement is the final step by the Racial Equity 2030 Challenge prior to its selection of grant awardees that will receive a total of $90 million in funding for projects as part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's celebration of its 90th Anniversary.

For ILRC and its partners, the initial $1 million in their proposed grant project will facilitate building a body of experts who will train and help hundreds of Indigenous communities with the necessary processes to secure full, collective ownership of their lands. ILRC estimates that the project will secure and advance Indigenous ownership rights to four million acres or more over six to ten years with continued funding.

"There is recent widespread awareness that lands in Indigenous control are the best protected and can thus mitigate climate change and loss of biodiversity. Strengthening the way Indigenous lands are legally held will reduce discrimination and ensure more equitable treatment of these communities and their children," said Coulter.

For more information about the Indian Law Resource Center visit https://indianlaw.org/ or to learn more about the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity 2030 Challenge visit https://www.racialequity2030.org/about.

About the Indian Law Resource Center

Founded in 1978, the Center provides legal assistance to Indigenous peoples of the Americas to combat racism and oppression, to protect their lands and environment, to protect their cultures and ways of life, to achieve sustainable economic development and genuine self-government, and to realize their other human rights. The Center is an indigenous organization with headquarters in Helena, Montana and offices in Washington, D.C.

About Racial Equity 2030

Racial Equity 2030 is a global challenge in honor of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's 90th anniversary. It is a call for bold solutions to drive an equitable future for children, their families and communities. This $90 million challenge seeks ideas from anywhere in the world and will scale them over the next decade to transform the systems and institutions that uphold inequity. Solutions may tackle the social, economic, political or institutional inequities we see today.

For Interview Inquiries Contact:

Harper Estey, [email protected], 202-455-6426

SOURCE Indian Law Resource Center
BENGALURU, India, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced its collaboration with ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people, to provide enterprise-level service management for customers in manufacturing industries. Through this collaboration, Infosys will leverage its industry cloud blueprints, part of Infosys Cobalt, and deploy ServiceNow Operations Technology Management (OTM), to support manufacturing industries as they digitize their factories, floors, and plant operations.

As part of this collaboration, Infosys will harness its Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Cafe, built on the Now Platform, along with ServiceNow OTM, to improve resilience and availability of critical OT systems across the manufacturing landscape. This collaboration will also be extended to address the OTM, factory and operations digitization needs of customers across CPG, energy, and retail sectors.

Recently, Infosys and ServiceNow collaborated with Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions, to help them achieve their goal in spinning-off from their parent company UTC. Infosys Cobalt's ESM Cafe helped transform Carrier's IT, HR service desk, and security operations in the established time frame. Carrier selected Infosys for its expertise in transforming legacy environments with the Now Platform, speed of execution, and ability to fast track large-scale implementations beyond IT.

Polly Fabry, Senior Director, Digital, Carrier said, "Today, manufacturing industries are looking to explore how latest cloud technologies can be used to accelerate digital transformation, optimize supply chains, improve factory performance, accelerate product innovation, and enhance service offerings. Infosys' expertise in harnessing the full potential of ServiceNow's platform, through its Cobalt portfolio, made them our partner of choice. We believe that the collaboration between Infosys and ServiceNow will enable us to find faster, more innovative ways to respond to changing markets and drive business resilience."

Narsimha Rao Mannepalli, Executive Vice-President, Head of Cloud & Infrastructure Solutions and Infosys Validation Solutions, Infosys said, "Digital transformation in manufacturing industry has never been more critical than now. Given the current scenario, there is an increased need to drive business innovation at speed to be future-ready while also optimizing existing operations and reducing costs across the value chain. With the power of Infosys Cobalt and our elite collaboration with ServiceNow, we will help bring multi-fold business benefits for our clients."

Binoy Gosalia , Global Head of Industry Partnerships, ServiceNow said, "Speed and agility are critical for maintaining OT security. Infosys Cobalt's Enterprise Service Management Cafe accelerates its manufacturing clients' ServiceNow journey with an AI-powered plug-and-play deployment solution. We look forward to our continued collaboration enabling manufacturers to navigate and succeed in today's rapidly changing environment."

Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, "We are delighted to deepen our longstanding relationship with ServiceNow through this collaboration. Building on our deep manufacturing industry expertise, we will help maximize OT asset visibility and cybersecurity which are crucial capabilities for adopting smart manufacturing. ESM Cafe will fundamentally change how organizations harness technology to augment their production processes and transform them into factories of the future."

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE,NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys
"Emerging talent of color have faced unparalleled obstacles  from COVID-19, to school interruption and economic disparities. Despite these barriers, INROADS is seeing increases in enthusiasm among our youth to prepare now to become the problem solvers of tomorrow. BBVA, ConocoPhillips and Dollar General, have stepped up to provide students in Birmingham, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee, with access to our program designed to meet their desires for leadership development," said Forest T. Harper, Jr., president and CEO, INROADS, Inc.

Market expansion in Nashville, Tennessee, is being led by Dollar General, which recently partnered with INROADS to promote civic leadership to youth talent. Expansion to Birmingham, Alabama, is being led by BBVA USA (now a part of PNC). Its involvement focuses on the implementation of curricula that prepares students for success in the financial services industry. In Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips aims to give early preparation to the next generation of STEM professionals and engineers.

INROADS College Links Launch event will be held virtually on September 22 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. At this event, students, parents and community outreach partners will meet corporate and civic leaders from Birmingham, Houston and Nashville, to connect and share the program in their respective communities. Carter Womble, an INROADS College Links-Houston scholar, will be the student emcee for this event. He will share his story as a senior in high school and how INROADS gave him the skills to become confident in coding.

"The expansion is designed to meet a growing demand for the program," said Harper. "We have just confirmed our next emerging cities in San Antonio, Texas, with the support of USAA, and Charleston, West Virginia. It's always the right time to invest in the talent of tomorrow."

The INROADS College Links Program is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 year. To apply, visit INROADS.org/college-links .

RSVP for the launch event at INROADS.org/college-links-expansion .

About INROADS

INROADS is the world's largest nonprofit organization committed to developing the leadership of talented and underrepresented youth. With more than 30,000 alumni worldwide, INROADS has contributed to increases in the number of C-suite executives in corporate America. Founded in 1970, INROADS' record of impact extends more than 50 years. For more information, visit INROADS.org.

SOURCE INROADS Inc.

Related Links

http://www.inroads.org


NEW YORK and ISTANBUL, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Intenseye, the AI-powered employee health and safety (EHS) company, announced a $25 million Series A investment led by New York-based global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners. Existing Seed investors Point Nine and Air Street Capital invested significantly in the round and were joined by Alex Dalyac, CEO of insurance computer vision unicorn, Tractable.

With the funding, Intenseye will further expand its go-to-market strategy and build on its existing customer base of international manufacturers. At the time of the investment, Intenseye's product is currently deployed across more than 40 cities around the world for leading global industrial groups and Fortune 500 companies in the US, Europe and Asia.

Intenseye's software captures workplace safety incidents, such as unsafe acts and near misses, in real-time without compromising the worker's anonymity and privacy. The system can be remotely deployed by integrating into existing cameras within customer facilities. By making use of computer vision models and millions of hours of real-world customer data, Intenseye processes live video streams to rapidly identify over 35 unsafe act types. Then, if incidents occur, EHS professionals receive real-time alerts through the platform, by email, or SMS messages to allow for an efficient and effective response. As physical environments change and new risks emerge, Intenseye's AI-powered system learns to adapt and keep workers safe.

Sercan Esen, CEO of Intenseye says:

"The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that one worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2019. Our mission at Intenseye is to provide an anonymous solution that will help significantly decrease the death and injury rates in the workplace until they both reach zero. We want to continue bringing awareness to the safety of workers in the workplace, create a safer work environment for everyone, and be the eyes of what could have been previously unseen."

Until now, EHS teams have relied upon manual, employee-led procedures to identify safe and unsafe acts happening in the workplace. This involves individuals taking time away from their current roles to walk the shop floor in an attempt to identify unsafe acts as they happen. Instead of these manual inspections, Intenseye introduces a new software-driven paradigm for EHS professionals in which their work is augmented by privacy-preserving computer vision running on existing facility cameras that are configured to run 24/7 EHS inspections.

Teddie Wardi, Managing Director at Insight Partners says:

"At Insight, we have a strong track record of investing in innovative, data-driven software companies who harness the power of data and AI to improve physical, real-world outcomes. This is exactly what Sercan and his team at Intenseye are doing. We're thrilled play a role in the company's ScaleUp journey and couldn't be more excited for what's to come for this young, impressive company."

Serhat Cillidag, CTO of Intenseye says:

"Our platform is constantly improving to meet the highest expectations of our customers. Intenseye productizes the very best from modern computer vision research into an intuitive end-to-end workflow solution that EHS teams rely on to keep their workforces safe. We are able to launch new features in weeks, whether it's a new AI model for unsafe act type or expanding on our EHS workflows, we maintain our position to be agile and adapt to our customer's workplace safety needs."

To learn how you can create a safer work environment for your employees with Intenseye, please visit our website at www.intenseye.com or contact us at [email protected] .

About Intenseye

Intenseye is a New York City and Istanbul-based AI-powered employee health and safety (EHS) software platform that helps the world's largest enterprises to scale employee health and safety across their facility footprints. Using the latest breakthroughs in computer vision, Intenseye empowers health and safety teams to monitor their facilities 24/7, receive real-time violation notifications, and operationalize their rapid response procedures. Since its founding in 2018, Intenseye's software is today protecting over 30,000 employees across over 30 cities around the world for leading global industrial groups and Fortune 500 companies. Learn more about Intenseye on our website .

About Insight Partners:

Insight Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight Partners has invested in more than 400 companies worldwide and has raised through a series of funds more than $30 billion in capital commitments. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight encourages a culture around a belief that ScaleUp companies and growth create opportunity for all. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners.

About Point Nine:

Point Nine is a Berlin-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage internet investments. Since its founding in 2011, Point Nine has invested in SaaS startups such as Algolia, Loom, Contentful, and Typeform, as well as online marketplaces like Brainly, DocPlanner, and StarOfService. Before starting Point Nine, the firm's founding partners, Pawel Chudzinski and Christoph Janz, were among the earliest backers of companies like Delivery Hero, Westwing and Zendesk. In September 2020, Point Nine announced the closing of a new 100M million fund, Point Nine Capital Fund V.

About Air Street Capital

Air Street Capital is a venture capital firm investing in AI-first technology and life science companies. We're a team of experienced investors, founders, and senior leadership from companies including Google, Niantic, Lyft, Facebook, Apple, and DeepMind. We work with entrepreneurs across Europe and the US from the very beginning of their company building journey. Our portfolio includes Allcyte, Anagenex, Graphcore, Intenseye, LabGenius, Mission Barns, and V7 Labs, and ZOE. Learn more with our monthly industry analysis newsletter, your guide to AI , and our annual State of AI Report .

SOURCE Intenseye
MIAMI, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chelsea Design is an interior design firm based out of Miami Florida that helps their clients cultivate the right look for their space.

Chelsea Design

Since they were founded in 2006, Co-Owners Samantha McKenna and Regina Agro have been helping property owners and commercial businesses create more welcoming and productive spaces. When asked what the motivation behind forming their interior design business was, Samantha and Regina replied, "We both wanted to design timeless interiors that everyone will love and can enjoy." They added, "We know that no two clients are alike, and that's what we love about what we do. Each and every space presents different challenges and opportunities that really make our work fun and rewarding. I couldn't imagine doing anything else!"

Chelsea Design interior design projects are completely unique from one interior to the next. However, there are some common themes that can be found in Samantha and Regina's work. They love implementing lots of natural light, simplifying, refining, and creatively using textures. For some of their more popular designs, you can view their various works for yourself on the Portfolio page of their website.

Though Chelsea Design is an interior design firm, they provide a start-to-finish service. They employ a network of architects, general contractors, subcontractors, and other industry professionals all in an effort to create a more seamless experience. They pride themselves on being hands-on with contractors and clients alike. They aim to create a design vision that suits the client's needs, then stay with you as that design is executed and brought to fruition.

Throughout its years of service, Chelsea Design has accumulated a number of accolades for its interior design services. Since 2006, Chelsea Design has earned various awards such as:

AAUD Best Interior Design Firm in 2009

Best of Florida Home Design & Planning in 2012

DCOTA Stars on the Rise in 2017

Hall of Fame Best of South Florida Interior Design & Planning on Six Occasions

Their many designs can be found throughout homes and businesses all through Miami as well as the Bahamas.

About Chelsea Design:

Chelsea Design was founded in Miami Florida in 2006 by Co-Owners Samantha McKenna and Regina Agro. Regina Agro and Samantha McKenna both spent time working for a large South Florida interior design firm that completed projects all throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Together, they have created a successful interior design firm that earns more than 90% of its business from repeat clients and/or client referrals. You can learn more about Chelsea Design by visiting ChelseaDesignMiami.com.

SOURCE Chelsea Design
MIAMI, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- isolved Connect -- The number-one technology employees feel they are missing at work to do their job most effectively is "a single system for all work functions" according to isolved's latest Voice of the Workforce research. One of the most powerful aspects of isolved People Cloud is that it is an intelligently connected human capital management (HCM) platform that centralizes all HR processes. The launch of isolved Expense Management extends this by providing an effortless approach for reimbursements and reporting from within the same platform employers already use for onboarding, benefits, payroll, time management, performance reviews, communication, employee engagement and more.

By having a rich expense management tool within isolved People Cloud, employees can easily file their expenses and get reimbursed faster since expenses and payroll are in one connected platform. Employers are then able to offer a single sign-on for all HR-related tasks, connect the entire employee journey and get funds in their employees' hands faster. Businesses also get centralized reporting and tax management while reducing their cybersecurity risk with a single, secure system.

"Expense management is an important part of any employee experience and keeping it simple and accessible is critical," said Geoff Webb, VP of product marketing and strategy at isolved. "isolved Expense Management eliminates the need to sign into a different system which means employees have a consistent, easy-to-navigate experience available from any device. So now employees and employers have access to everything they need to manage expenses, get the reports they want, and even more importantly, get back to the business of doing their jobs sooner."

isolved Expense Management, an app within isolved People Cloud, allows for:

Adaptive Expense Management: Leveraging isolved's Adaptive Employee Experience, employees can take photos of and upload receipts and file claims, regardless of Internet connectivity while supervisors can quickly approve claims from any device.

Leveraging isolved's Adaptive Employee Experience, employees can take photos of and upload receipts and file claims, regardless of Internet connectivity while supervisors can quickly approve claims from any device. At-a-Glance Employee Dashboard: Each employee can see their expense status (entered/approved/denied/returned/paid), expense pay history and any documents needed for their personal tax statements.

Each employee can see their expense status (entered/approved/denied/returned/paid), expense pay history and any documents needed for their personal tax statements. Intelligently Connected Admin Dashboard: With a single view for approval workflows, reporting and more, administrators get what they need quickly to ensure accurate processing.

With a single view for approval workflows, reporting and more, administrators get what they need quickly to ensure accurate processing. Company-Wide Reporting: Benefiting from a single system of record, admins can track expenses by business category, purpose, subcategories, departments and other drill-down reporting including full integration into their finance general ledger.

Benefiting from a single system of record, admins can track expenses by business category, purpose, subcategories, departments and other drill-down reporting including full integration into their finance general ledger. Advanced Protection: Hackers look for third-party systems with potential weak spots as entrances into a company. By bringing expense management into a company's single HR system of record versus yet another a third-party application, isolved customers benefit from the highest security and compliance standards of Microsoft Azure and isolved People Cloud.

isolved Expense Management is expected to be available for order during the fourth calendar quarter of 2021. Request a demo here.

About isolved

isolved is an employee experience leader, providing intuitive, people-first HCM technology. Our solutions are delivered directly or through our HRO partner network to more than five million employees and 145,000 employers across all 50 States  who use them every day to boost performance, increase productivity, and accelerate results while reducing risk. Our HCM platform, isolved People Cloud, intelligently connects and manages the employee journey across talent acquisition, HR & payroll, benefits, workforce management and talent management functions. No matter the industry, we help high-growth organizations employ, enable and empower their workforce by transforming employee experience for a better today and a better tomorrow.



Media Contact

Amberly Dressler

Director of Brand and Content

[email protected]

704.313.1735

SOURCE isolved

Related Links

https://www.isolvedhcm.com/


Pay-per-mile insurance technology company Just Insure raises $8 million in funding. Tweet this

"We are the only auto insurer that's using telematics to rewrite the rules of what's possible in auto insurance," said Robert Smithson, founder and CEO of Just Insure. "People are simply driving less as a result of increased work-from-home rates, and this isn't changing anytime soon. Our approach enables us to offer customers rates that are truly reflective of their driving, which in turn rewards drivers, removes rate bias, and ultimately makes the road a safer place for everyone. We're eager to continue developing our telematics capabilities and growing our team with these new funds."

This funding comes as Just enters a phase of rapid growth, issuing more than 1,000 new policies in the second quarter of 2021, up ten-fold from the same period in 2020. The company has also reported a 1,400% increase in revenue in this same period.

Similar to a prepaid phone card, Just customers load up their account for as little as $30. As customers drive, their balance declines, and every 30 days, the company changes each customer's price as more information is gathered about the customer's driving habits.

"We were initially attracted to Just Insure as the team is taking an approach to auto insurance that we've never seen before," said Matt Kinley, co-founder and managing partner at ManchesterStory. "It is more fair, affordable, and customized across the board, and unique because the company offers customers rates that are actually reflective of their driving, which rewards safe drivers with lower insurance premiums."

Just is currently available in Arizona, with plans to expand to additional US markets such as Texas, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and more. For more information, visit https://www.just.insure/.

About Just Insure

Just Insure is a pay-per-mile insurance technology company that uses telematics to reward safe drivers and reduce insurer bias. The company dramatically improves road safety by rewarding safe drivers with lower rates, making car insurance more fair and affordable. Just customers save an average of 40% on car insurance. Founded in 2019, Just Insure is a subsidiary of SF Insuretech Inc., and is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in London. The company has raised a total of $15.3 million from CrossCut Ventures, ManchesterStory and Western Technology Investments. For more information, visit https://www.just.insure.

Contact: Brenda Manea

BAM for Just Insure

[email protected]

SOURCE Just Insure

Related Links

http://www.just.insure/


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, K12 Climate Action, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, released the K12 Climate Action Plan. K12 Climate Action commissioners will tour net-zero school Alice West Fleet Elementary in Arlington, VA and ride on a Lion electric school bus. The action plan aims to unlock the power of the K-12 public education sector to be a force for climate action, solutions, and environmental justice to help prepare children and youth to advance a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable society.

Co-chaired by John B. King Jr., president of The Education Trust and 10th U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, and Christine Todd Whitman, president of the Whitman Strategy Group and former Governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, K12 Climate Action launched in September 2020 to mobilize the education sector in the fight against climate change.

Secretary King and Governor Whitman will be joined at the school by K12 Climate Action commissioners Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers; Pedro Rivera, President of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology; Debra Duardo, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools; Valerie Rockefeller Board Chair, Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Vic Barrett, Network Organizer, Power Shift; Kiera O'Brien, Founder, Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends; Nikki Pitre, Executive Director, Center for Native American Youth; Naina Agrawal-Hardin, Climate Activist; and Arlington school leaders Francisco Duran, Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools and Francis LeGagneur, Principal, Alice West Fleet Elementary School for a tour of the net-zero school and a discussion of the just-released K12 Climate Action plan.

"We are witnessing the impacts of climate change every day from wildfires in the West to flooding in our backyards. We must all take action," said King. "Our action plan aims to mobilize the education sector to address climate change. By supporting the education sector in advancing climate solutions, we can build lasting change to a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable society."

The action plan offers recommendations to ensure that our nearly 100,000 public schools, which operate 480,000 school buses, serve 7 billion school meals, and sit on over 2 million acres of land are models for climate solutions and support the over 50 million children and youth enrolled in schools today are prepared to address climate change in the future.

"Students today are asking us all to take action on climate change," said Whitman. "Policymakers at every level--federal, state, and local--have the opportunity to show students they are listening. They can help our schools become models of sustainability and empower students to succeed in the clean economy, live healthy lives, and develop agency to make a difference."

K12 Climate Action consists of 22 commissioners and over 40 coalition members. The action plan released today outlines steps for the public K-12 education sector in moving toward climate action, solutions, and environmental justice. For more information and to view the full plan, visit k12climateaction.org and join the conversation by following K12 Climate Action on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

SOURCE K12 Climate Action

Related Links

http://www.k12climateaction.org


PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Keep Music Alive, a national music education advocacy organization, today announced that Bassist, Author and 5 time Grammy Winner Victor Wooten will serve as the official spokesperson for the 6th Annual Kids Music Day. Victor was named Bass Player of the Year three times by Bass Player Magazine while Rolling Stone included him in their Top 10 Bassists of All Time List. Victor is a champion for Music Education, having founded Victor Wooten's Center for Music & Nature, a music education camp where he and other top musicians lead a variety of classes featuring all instruments each summer. Victor's latest book, "The Spirit of Music: The Lesson Continues," is an inspiring parable of music's importance and the many threats it faces in today's world.

Keep Music Alive is giving away $100 Music & Arts Gift Card and a month of FREE lessons with two runner-ups receiving a Kala Brand soprano ukulele Victor Wooten signs on as the Official Spokesperson for the 6th Annual Kids Music Day

The 6th Annual "Kids Music Day" will be celebrated on Friday October 1st, 2021. Each year, Keep Music Alive partners with music schools, music stores and other music organizations around the world to hold special events that benefit and celebrate kids playing music. The goal is to highlight the importance of including music in children's education. Events held by participating locations include open houses, instrument petting zoos, free music lessons, student music performances, community/family jams, instrument donation drives, kids open mics and more. The Music & Arts retail chain will host two free group music lessons at 180+ lesson locations nationwide:

Sat 10/2 - Group Piano Class with a brass & woodwind showcase from instructors

RSVP - https://www.musicarts.com/cms/lessons-showcase/lesson-showcase-october-2

Sat 10/9 - Group Guitar Class with an orchestral strings showcase from instructors

RSVP - https://www.musicarts.com/cms/lessons-showcase/lesson-showcase-october-9

All group lesson attendees can register for a free trial lesson with an instructor of their choice, and if they sign-up to become a lessons student, they will receive FREE registration (additional $30 value). Keep Music Alive will also host a Music & Arts Giveaway at KeepMusicAlive.org with a $100 Gift Card prize and a full month of free lessons.

In addition to Victor Wooten, there are over a dozen celebrity artists showing their support for Music Education by lending their name as Kids Music Day Ambassadors including:

Matthew Morrison, Julie Andrews, Jack Black, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Michael Feinstein, Kenny Loggins, Richie Sambora, Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Williams, Victor Wooten, Todd Rundgren, Philip Lawrence, Bernie Williams, Damien Escobar and Mandy Harvey

Kids Music Day is also supported by numerous music industry brands including Alfred Music, CASIO EMI, Conn-Selmer, D'Addario Foundation, Kala Brand Music, Hungry for Music, Les Paul Foundation, Music & Sound Retailer, Music Nomad Equipment Care, Remo Percussion, Rock Out Loud LIVE, Spirit of Harmony and Taylor Guitars. Keep Music Alive is honored to welcome these partners helping to share the Kids Music Day message, inspiring more kids to begin their own musical journey.

Kids Music Day is one of two international music holidays founded by Keep Music Alive. In March 2021, Keep Music Alive partnered with over 750 music school and music retail locations in 15 countries to offer free lessons to new students (children & adults) as part of the 7th Annual Teach Music Week. Some of the largest music chains in the nation participate in Kids Music Day & Teach Music Week with many of their locations including Music & Arts, Guitar Center, Kindermusik, Music Together, Gymboree, Long & McQuade, Bach to Rock and the legendary School of Rock.

Keep Music Alive is a national 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting the value of music. Our goal is to inspire more kids and adults to reap the educational, therapeutic and social benefits of playing music. For more information please call (610) 874-6312 or visit www.KeepMusicAlive.org and www.KidsMusicDay.org .

Media Contact:

Vincent James

[email protected]

(610) 874-6312

SOURCE Keep Music Alive
VALENCIA, Spain, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Network Intelligence and Automation company Kenmei Technologies is pleased to announce that it has been referenced in the 2021 Gartner report "CSP Hyperautomation Insight: How to Differentiate a Go-to-Market Strategy" as for a "Niche Automation Solutions" that mainly focus on AI-based engines to address automation requirements for CSPs.

The report states that "operational automation initiatives have grown and investment continues in communications service providers (CSPs)" being part of their key findings in the report. The problem identified by Gartner is that "very few vendors adopt a broad and coherent approach, which is needed in such environments."[1] In that sense, we consider that Kenmei Technologies provides a clear strategy for the companies for investing in a modular and scalable solution including a Data Management entity and advanced Telco AI-based Use Cases.

"We are very proud and pleased to see how Gartner, Inc. which delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams, has recognized Kenmei Technologies in this report where we believe is being addressed the need of defining a long-term and consistent strategy to make real a market transformation thanks to the hyperautomation of the networks" said Vicent Soler, Co-founder and CEO of Kenmei Technologies. "We don't settle for simply provide a platform that can manage heterogenous data sources, but instead, we are fully convinced that existing CSP's data lakes are a goldmine that must be exploited by means of advanced software processing and AI algorithms for the CSPs to get most of the value from their data."

Kenmei's Big Data-native platform ADELE (which stands for Autonomous Decisions and Learning) allows multiple operational tasks to be performed automatically, enabling network technical teams to gain process and configuration agility while ensuring customer satisfaction.

Sources (available to Gartner subscribers):

[1]Gartner, "CSP Hyperautomation Insight: How to Differentiate a Go-to-Market Strategy", Amresh Nandan, Peter Liu, 16 April 2021

Disclaimer: GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Kenmei Technologies

Kenmei Technologies is a Spanish company based in Valencia founded by telecoms and software experts, focused on providing data intelligence through machine-based decision-making methods, automating network operations and customer assurance, all designed to help operators deal with increasing network complexities.

For further information, please visit http://www.kenmei.ai.

SOURCE Kenmei Technologies
Kensington and Wallbox filed a proxy statement/prospectus (the "Proxy Statement") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and began mailing it to stockholders on September 20, 2021. The Proxy Statement is available on the SEC Filings section of Kensington's website www.autospac.com , as well as www.sec.gov . Kensington stockholders are encouraged to read the proxy materials, including, among other things, the reasons for Kensington's Board of Directors' unanimous recommendation that stockholders vote "FOR" the business combination and the other stockholder proposals set forth in the proxy materials as well as the background of the process that led to the pending business combination with Wallbox.

Kensington stockholders who need assistance in completing the proxy card, need additional copies of the proxy materials, or have questions regarding the Special Meeting may contact Kensington's proxy solicitor, D.F. King & Co., Inc., by telephone at (888) 542-7446 or by email at [email protected] or [email protected].

About Wallbox

Wallbox is a global technology company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy. Wallbox creates advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine users' relationship to the grid. Wallbox goes beyond electric vehicle charging to give users the power to control their consumption, save money, and live more sustainably. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 80 countries.

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Barcelona, the company now employs over 700 people in its offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

For additional information, please visit www.wallbox.com.

About Kensington

Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: KCAC) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock purchase or similar business combination with a business in the automotive and automotive-related sector. The company is sponsored by Kensington Capital Partners ("KCP") and the management team of Justin Mirro, Bob Remenar, Simon Boag and Dan Huber. The company is also supported by a board of independent directors including Tom LaSorda, Nicole Nason, Anders Pettersson, Mitch Quain, Don Runkle and Matt Simoncini. The Kensington team has completed over 70 automotive transactions and has over 300 years of combined experience leading some of the largest automotive companies in the world.

For additional information, please visit www.autospac.com.

Caution About Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding Kensington's proposed business combination with Wallbox, Kensington's ability to consummate the transaction, the development and performance of Wallbox's products (including the timeframe for development of such products), the benefits of the transaction and the combined company's future financial performance, as well as the combined company's strategy, future operations, estimated financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "are designed to," "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Wallbox disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Wallbox cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of either Kensington or Wallbox. In addition, Wallbox cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to the following uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Wallbox's and Kensington's future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements herein: Wallbox's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of Wallbox to grow and manage growth profitably following the business combination; risks relating to the outcome and timing of the Company's development of its charging and energy management technology and related manufacturing processes; intense competition in the electric vehicle charging space; risks related to health pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that Wallbox may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the possibility that the expected timeframe for, and other expectations regarding the development and performance of, Wallbox products will differ from current assumptions; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Kensington or Wallbox, the combined company or others following the announcement of the business combination; the inability to complete the business combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Kensington or to satisfy other conditions to closing; changes to the proposed structure of the business combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations; the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the business combination; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations of Kensington or Wallbox as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; costs related to the business combination; changes in applicable laws or regulations; and underlying assumptions with respect to shareholder redemptions. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could different materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in Kensington's periodic filings with the SEC, and the proxy statement/prospectus of Wallbox B.V. in the registration statement on Form F-4 filed with the SEC. Kensington's and Wallbox B.V.'s SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Additional Information

This communication is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving Wallbox Chargers, S.L. ("Wallbox"), Wallbox B.V. and Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II ("Kensington"). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. In connection with the proposed transaction, Wallbox B.V. has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a registration statement on Form F-4 that includes a proxy statement of Kensington in connection with Kensington's solicitation of proxies for the vote by Kensington's shareholders with respect to the proposed transaction and other matters as may be described in the registration statement. Wallbox and Kensington also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction and a proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to holders of shares of Kensington's Class A ordinary shares. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE FORM F-4 AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Wallbox and Kensington are available without charge at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, from Wallbox's website at www.wallbox.com. Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus can be obtained, without charge, from Kensington's website at www.autospac.com.

Participants in the Solicitations

Wallbox, Wallbox B.V., Kensington and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Kensington's shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. You can find more information about Kensington's directors and executive officers in Kensington's final prospectus dated February 25, 2021 and filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests is included in the proxy statement/prospectus. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom.

Contacts

Investor Contact:

D.F. King & Co., Inc.

Geoffrey Weinberg

(888) 542-7446

(Banks and Brokers: (212) 269-5550)

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II

Related Links

http://www.wallbox.com

https://www.autospac.com


BAINBRIDGE, Ga., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Ewing, President, and CEO of First Port City Bank is pleased to announce that Kyle Staples has joined the First Port City Bank lending team as Vice President/Commercial Lender. A graduate of The Stafford School of Business at ABAC in Tifton, Georgia, Kyle will be working out of the Main Branch of First Port City Bank in Bainbridge, where he will be handling all aspects of commercial lending. Kyle comes to Bainbridge from Forsyth, Georgia, where he has been in banking and finance for 6 years.

When ask about his move to Bainbridge and his employment at First Port City Bank, Kyle says, "It is great to be near family and have this tremendous opportunity with First Port City Bank. Bainbridge is an amazing town to raise a family and First Port City Bank is the ideal community bank. I am thankful for the chance to grow and learn from the best in the business and do my part to help in the bank's continued growth."

"Kyle really exemplifies our core values and is a great addition to the First Port City Bank family. His desire to exceed the expectations of his customers, and to also serve within this community, is a great compliment to what we do each day as a company." Mr. Ewing says as he welcomes Kyle to First Port City Bank. Kyle is available immediately to help with all your commercial lending needs.

Founded in 1974, First Port City Bank is approximately a $356 Million community bank offering a full line of financial services and solutions thru 5 full-service banking offices in Bainbridge and Donalsonville, Georgia, and Yulee and Fernandina Beach, Florida. First Port City Bank is consistently ranked as one of the top community banks in the nation and has been voted "Best Bank" in Decatur County for 9 Years. For more information, visit www.firstportcity.com. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Follow FPCB on Twitter @portcity_bank, Instagram #firstportcitybank, Facebook @firstportcity, LinkedIn @First Port City Bank,

SOURCE First Port City Bank

Related Links

firstportcity.com


NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Levine Lee LLP is pleased to announce that it has elected Chad P. Albert to the partnership, effective October 1, 2021. Levine Lee LLP is a prominent litigation boutique based in New York City.

"Chad Albert is an exceptional lawyer who has distinguished himself in complex civil litigation, securities litigation, corporate investigations, and white collar and securities enforcement defense matters," said Kenneth E. Lee, a partner of the firm, adding: "He brings to his clients an intense level of dedication and effectiveness in obtaining successful results on their behalf." Seth L. Levine, a partner of the firm, noted: "Chad has demonstrated through creative and persistent advocacy that he will carry on in the finest traditions of the firm in representing the firm's clients. He is an incredibly versatile lawyer, having proven himself capable of handling any kind of litigation challenge, ranging from securities litigation to white collar matters to high-stakes business disputes, for both plaintiffs and defendants."

Chad Albert has represented corporations and individuals in a wide range of high-profile matters. He has played a significant leadership role in the firm's securities litigation practice, representing financial institutions and media companies in the defense of federal securities class actions. He has also handled complex civil litigation matters involving novel issues of securities and corporate law in federal and state courts, both at the trial and appellate level. Mr. Albert has also been active in the firm's corporate investigations practice, including representing a Special Committee of the Board of Xerox Corporation in connection with internal investigations, shareholder demands, and derivative actions.

Mr. Albert clerked for the Hon. Deborah L. Cook on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He joined Levine Lee from Covington & Burling LLP, where he was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Albert graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and was a Margaret B. and William H. Hingher Scholar, and received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University, magna cum laude.

ABOUT LEVINE LEE:

Levine Lee is one of the premier litigation boutique firms in New York, focused on handling the most challenging litigation matters faced by companies and individuals. The firm's combination of experience in complex civil litigation and white collar criminal matters means that it is frequently called upon to handle matters of substantial sensitivity and potential exposure involving government investigations, internal investigations and business disputes for both plaintiffs and defendants, and on behalf of corporations, hedge funds, Boards, Special Committees, Trustees, officers, and individuals.

SOURCE Levine Lee LLP

Related Links

https://www.levinelee.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced it will host the PaSh project. PaSh is a system for automatically parallelizing POSIX shell scripts that optimizes programs and speeds up execution times, leading to faster results for data scientists, engineers, biologists, economists, administrators, and programmers.

The project is supported by MIT, Rice University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania and governed by a Technical Steering Committee that includes Nikos Vasilakis, research scientist at MIT; Michael Greenberg, assistant professor at Stevens Institute of Technology; and Konstantinos Kallas, Ph.D. student at University of Pennsylvania.

"The Linux Foundation offers the technical governance infrastructure and services that PaSh has come to require as it has become more mature," said Nikos Vasilakis, Technical Steering Committee chair for the PaSh Project. "We created the project to improve upon and accelerate the execution of shell scripts in the face of new web crawling, indexing and natural language processing changes."

Konstantinos Kallas, Technical Steering Committee member for the PaSh project, adds "PaSh has received significant attention from the academic community and has the potential for an outsized impact in industry today, due to several synergistic trends. This is the right move at the right time."

The techniques underpinning the project have gathered several awards, including a best paper award at the 16th edition of the EuroSys conference and a graduate research award for Konstantinos by the Association of Computing Machinery.

From succinct data wrangling and everyday processing to system orchestration and administration, shell scriptingthe ever-present glue holding commands developed in different languages togetherforms the backbone of today's computing userspace. PaSh parallelizes shell scripts, achieving significant performance improvements. On modern multiprocessor computers, PaSh can execute tasks like web crawling and indexing, COVID19-related analyses, natural-language processing, and other workloads in a fraction of their original time with minimal-to-zero developer effort.

"Shell scripts have been used pervasively for half a century, and recent trends towards 'containerization' have only increased their importance," said Michael Greenberg, Technical Steering Committee member for the PaSh Project. "The correct and automated parallelization of shell scripts has been an issue for several decades. PaSh promises a speed boost to shell users of all stripes."

To accelerate shell scripts, PaSh provides a source-to-source parallelizing compiler, a program that takes as input a programmer's shell script and returns a new program that is significantly faster than the original program. Since PaSh is source-to-source, it allows the optimized shell script to be inspected and executed using the same tools, in the same environment, and with the same data as the original script. A small runtime library and associated annotations on programs commonly used in shell scripts complete the picture, providing the PaSh compiler with high-performance primitives and supporting its key functions.

"The PaSh Project represents innovation in computer science and open source software," said Mike Dolan, general manager and senior vice president of Projects at the Linux Foundation. "As software development evolves to address machine learning, containerization, artificial intelligence and more, PaSh shows up to support developers and data scientists who need more out of their scripting tools. We're happy to be able to host this important work at Linux Foundation, a natural home for a project like this."

To learn more and to get involved in the PaSh project, please visit http://binpa.sh/

About the Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and is the world's leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Linux Foundation's projects are critical to the world's infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more. The Linux Foundation's methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org .

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage . Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Jennifer Cloer

Story Changes Culture

503-867-2304

[email protected]

SOURCE The Linux Foundation

Related Links

www.linuxfoundation.org


"David Harris is a staunch supporter of a transatlantic partnership, goes to great lengths to remind the world of the dangers of rehabilitating totalitarian regimes, and is also an active campaigner for human rights and democratic freedoms," said Nauseda.

"Under David Harris's leadership, American Jewish Committee (AJC) actively supported democratic changes in Eastern and Central European countries," the President continued. "AJC was the first American Jewish organization to advocate for the recognition of Lithuania's independence on August 27,1991, and addressed then-President George H.W. Bush in a letter calling for the recognition of the independence of the Baltic States as soon as possible."

AJC Central Europe, another Harris initiative, opened in Warsaw in 2017 and enables the global advocacy organization "to maintain an Eastern European presence to cultivate better relations with the governments of the Baltic and Visegrad countries, as well as their Jewish communities," he said.

AJC energetically supported the successful expansion of NATO membership to include the Baltic states and welcomed the entry of the three countries into the EU in 2004.

Harris, a frequent visitor to Lithuania over the past 30 years, thanked President Nauseda for the award, which is given to foreign nationals and Lithuanians "for special merits to Lithuania, fostering and development of interstate relations" and other fields.

"Lithuania is a special country in many ways, and its link with the Jewish people is longstanding, complex, and deeply rooted," said Harris. "Moreover, given my lifelong opposition to communism, including the Soviet occupation of the three Baltic states, it was essential for me to seize a once-in-a-lifetime moment and stand up for the integration of Lithuania, as well Estonia and Latvia, into the Euro-Atlantic architecture."

Described by the late Israeli President Shimon Peres as the "foreign minister of the Jewish people," Harris has been decorated by foreign governments more than any other Jewish organizational leader in American history. In addition to Lithuania, he has also been honored, in some cases multiple times, by the governments of Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine for his international efforts in defense of human rights, advancement of the transatlantic partnership, and dedication to the Jewish people.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


Wellness technology startup based in Los Angeles, Three Good, announces its SEED round of funding this week. Tweet this

Three Good is an enterprise SaaS platform designed to do one thing; reduce employee burnout. Burnout is an early-spectrum mental disorder caused by work. And it's a massive problem affecting businesses across the globe. A recent study published August 2021 by Visier reported that a staggering "89% of employees report experiencing burnout" over the past year, and "70% said they would leave their organization for one offering resources to reduce burnout." Three Good has designed an easy-to-deploy solution that utilizes AI and best practices in cognitive behavioral therapy to combat burnout and attrition. The platform affords employees access to clinician-approved content in a stigma-free environment while providing robust sentiment reporting and tools to help Human Resources departments identify ways to mitigate employee burnout. In addition, a point system readily engages users with rewards that boost engagement while fostering healthy habits to promote employee well-being.

About Three Good

Three Good is changing the way companies combat employee burnout. As a SaaS employee well-being benefits platform that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI), Psychology, and ESG  Three Good helps organizations identify and mitigate early signs of employee stress, anxiety, and burnout. Three Good addresses the three most overlooked areas in employee wellness by providing direct and compounding value to organizations with insights and analytics designed to empower employees with the tools to promote better well-being while reducing burnout. As a proud member of 1% for the Planet, Three Good gives a generous 12% of all profits to fight to end the global water crisis. For more information about Three Good, visit threegood.com.

Media Contact:

Mel Jensen

Chief Product Officer | Three Good

[email protected]

@threegoodr, threegood.com

SOURCE Three Good

Related Links

threegood.com


COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- COVID-19 was a test like no other for global businesses. Some failed. But many others persevered, adapted  and thrived.

In the midst of it all, the Center for Global Business (CGB) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business organized Maryland Business Adapts to celebrate five Maryland-based exporting companies for their resilience in the pandemic. This virtual networking and learning event included special guests Ben Cardin, U.S. senator for Maryland, and Kelly Schulz, Maryland state secretary of commerce, and Anthony Roche, McCormick vice president for Human Resources  Global Functions. Now, with the pandemic still disrupting global trade, CGB is organizing another event, aimed at recognizing even more Maryland businesses who have found ways to adapt  and who are willing to share those discoveries with others.

The Maryland Business Adapts 21/22 initiative seeks to celebrate the adjustments during the pandemic of Maryland companies in international business, while providing insights for topics like minimizing business risk of their global operations or preparation for sudden operational changes.

"Even during turbulent times, Maryland's global businesses have demonstrated remarkable resilience. They understand how to respond rapidly to volatile conditions and how to manage international risk," says Rebecca Bellinger, executive director of the Center for Global Business. "We're inviting them to share their insights and their stories, so that their stories can serve as valuable lessons for other companies  and for our students as they progress into global careers."

The center is collecting nominations through Nov. 19 for five companies to be recognized in the second annual Maryland Adapts Business Roundtable event, to take place in spring 2022. During the event, the companies will be further recognized with a certificate and an opportunity to share in-depth their strategies and takeaways.

And their insights will continue to inform and instruct others beyond the roundtable talk. CGB will produce open-source case studies for classroom use that highlight these companies' practices during the pandemic.

"This is a great opportunity for companies to participate in a collaborative process where people can share ideas and be celebrated for their innovative strategies," Bellinger says.

She encourages everyone to nominate companies that they believe deserve recognition for their work during the pandemic and hopes this is the start of a new yearly collaboration. "Every year there are going to be trends, events and challenges that companies have to adapt to," Bellinger says. "This initiative can help bring people and companies together to share some of the best strategies to move forward."

Key partners of the initiative include the U.S. Commercial Service Baltimore, the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland/DC District Export Council, and Maryland Smith's Office of Career Services and Office of Executive Education.

For more information about Maryland Business Adapts 21/22 or to submit a nomination, visit the event webpage.

This event is supported in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

About the Center for Global Business

The Center for Global Business at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business connects the diverse members of the Maryland Smith community (students, faculty, staff, alumni) to the world and the world to the Smith School, to provide these members and partners with opportunities to gain a global mindset and build international business skills, and to serve as a Maryland resource center for companies seeking to take their goods and services into the global marketplace.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected].

SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The sixth annual SDG impact report from the GSMA shows the mobile industry increased its contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2020. Despite the significant challenges posed by the global pandemic, the sector is halfway to maximising its potential impact on the SDGs. However, progress cannot be taken for granted, as there are less than 10 years to achieve the 2030 SDG targets.

Click here to download: 2021 Mobile Industry Impact Report: Sustainable Development Goals.

"As heads of state gather for the UN General Assembly, we call on world leaders, and the public and private sectors, to work together to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. The pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in many ways, so keeping the commitment to the SDGs has never been more important for governments and industries. Yet, we know that it will not be possible to attain the 2030 Agenda without mobile connectivity. It is our responsibility to collaborate in new ways that will maximise the industry's potential," said GSMA's Director General, Mats Granryd.

The mobile industry's SDG contributions

Despite rising mobile data traffic, mobile networks delivered a 33% improvement in download speeds in 2020 due to increasing 4G adoption and 5G take-up. These improvements enhance the mobile industry's SDG impact, as it enables mobile to be at the heart of a broad range of services designed to address society's global challenges.

Last year, a staggering 3.3 billion people used mobile to make video calls, aiding several online activities, including e-learning, telehealth, and remote working. 1.6 billion people are now using mobile internet to improve or monitor their health; 2 billion people use mobile internet to access education for themselves or their children.

2.3 billion people (45% of mobile subscribers) used their phones to purchase goods and services, representing an increase of 300 million since 2019. During the pandemic, more people used mobile to purchase food and other essential products and services as they became less comfortable handling cash. This activity supports the mobile industry's contribution to SDG3: Good Health; SDG4: Quality Education; SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

2.6 billion people used mobile financial services, such as mobile banking and mobile money, an increase of 270 million people since 2019. Using mobile financial services helps create employment opportunities, raise productivity and formalise the economy, contributing to SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Other gains are included in the report.

Key facts include:

In 2020, the mobile industry increased its impact for each of the 17 SDGs, achieving an average SDG impact score of 50

This means the industry is achieving 50% of its potential contribution to the SDGs  up from 48% in 2019 and 33% in 2015

Despite the economic recession, mobile adoption continued to increase in 2020, supporting the industry's contribution to multiple SDGs.

By the end of 2020, 5.2 billion people (67% of the global population) were using a mobile phone, representing an increase of 90 million people since 2019.

And, 4 billion people (51% of the global population) were also using the mobile internet, which is an increase of 220 million since 2019.

Net Zero by 2050

The mobile industry is making continued progress on disclosing climate data and setting targets for emissions reductions.

At the end of 2020, 69% of operators by connections and 80% by revenue disclosed their climate impacts, while 31% of operators by connections and 36% by revenue had set carbon reduction targets to be net zero by 2050.

About GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Africa, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the M360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

Media Contacts:

GSMA Press Office

[email protected]

SOURCE GSMA

Related Links

http://www.gsma.com


"The Residences at Tiki Island is the first condominium property on Tiki Island and the first new construction development for the area in over a decade," said Nancy Almodovar, CEO of Nan and Company Properties. "Galveston has seen an incredible surge in interest from buyers all over the country. With our recent expansion to Galveston, coupled with the expertise of our Developer Services team, we are excited to showcase this property to buyers locally and throughout our expansive CHRISTIE'S International Real Estate network."

Nan Properties Developer Services provides developers a comprehensive and a strategic approach to program development, market launch, and to sustaining sales for a project. This specialized service was created to fill a need in the market for a turnkey approach to working with developers at every stage of the project. As one of the few firms in the country that offer this dedicated service, Nan and Company Properties leverages their local market expertise, as well as their international Christie's affiliate network.

With a dedicated core team of experts led by real estate veteran, Betty M. Harbourt, services are focused on fully supporting the project brand, the developer, and their goals. The team is comprised of dedicated real estate professionals who are assigned a single property to sell. They are highly trained on the fundamentals of selling from floor-plans and early option purchases through a customized sales platform. The team collaborates with the architects to ensure the product offering matches that of the designated target market and oversees and orchestrates the marketing programs and operational needs of the project.

"We are so excited to announce the project and bring this new offering to buyers that are drawn to the area for a second home or boating experience," said Betty Harbourt, Developer Services Division Executive Vice President. "The developers are planning a very unique lifestyle that will provide a new restaurant, boat storage and the lock and leave opportunity of condominium living."

Developed by Austin-based Legend Communities, The Residences at Tiki Island will be the premier Texas Coastal development bringing together luxurious resort amenities into a private residential community. Located just North of the inter-coastal waterway leading into Galveston, the Village of Tiki Island is the perfect oasis for boat lovers, fishing enthusiasts, and beach-goers alike.

The Residences at Tiki Island offers condominiums starting in the $800's and villas starting in the low $1M's. The two-, three-, and four-bedroom condominiums will be available for purchase later this year with the completion planned for late Spring of 2024.

In May of this year, Nan and Company Properties announced the opening of their new office in Galveston. Located in the Diamond Beach Condominium's second floor, the office's founding members consist of Anastasia Gaido, whose family has been a fixture in the Galveston restaurant scene for over 100 years, Courtney Sapio and Ashley Hirsch, who also have strong ties to Galveston Island.

About Nan and Company Properties

Nan and Company Properties, founded by Nancy Almodovar in 2014, is a digital-driven real estate firm with supreme market awareness and focus on customer service. Their services include representing residential buyers and sellers, developer services, builder services, and relocation through their exclusive partnership with LeadingRE.

The company has skyrocketed to the top as Houston's premier luxury real estate firm. In 2019, Nan and Company Properties was named global Affiliate of the Year among Christie's International Real Estate Affiliate network, as well as Best Brokerage Website for 2020 by Houston Agent Magazine. The company was also awarded Houston's Best Realtor Team for the Nan New Home Specialist Team by The Greater Houston Builder's Association, Houston's Best Places to Work by Houston Business Journal, and 2019 Largest Houston-Area Residential Brokerages by Sales Volume by Houston Business Journal. These continuous awards and recognitions allow the firm to further connect buyers and sellers to the world's most exclusive properties. For more information, please call 713.714.6454 or visit www.nanproperties.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information on The Residences at Tiki Island and to register on the buyer's wait list and receive information as it becomes available: http://www.residencesattikiisland.com/

For more information on Nan and Company Developer Services: https://www.nanproperties.com/developer-services/team

SOURCE Nan and Company Properties

Related Links

http://www.nanproperties.com


PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neural Propulsion Systems (NPS) , a pioneer in autonomous sensing platforms, today announced the appointment of Dr. Arogyaswami Paulraj, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, to its new Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Paulraj is joining to help the team at NPS realize the goal of Zero Autonomous Driving Accidents.

Dr. Paulraj is joining existing board members Dr. Dariush Divsalar, a Fellow at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, information theory pioneer, and recipient of the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell award and Dr. Mani Chandy, Simon Ramo Professor of Computer Science Emeritus at the California Institute of Technology, a leader in parallel computer architecture and recipient of the IEEE Charles Babbage award. The Board is working closely with the NPS team to advance the world's first all-in-one deeply integrated multi-modal sensor system, powered by a new class of algorithms, to deliver Level 4/5 autonomy.

"To help achieve our Zero Autonomous Driving Accidents vision, we have assembled a distinguished group of technology dignitaries," said Dr. Behrooz Rezvani, Founder and CEO of NPS. "This prestigious team of scientific thought leaders will provide us with innovative and relevant counsel in the coming months and years, as we continue to develop and enhance the world's first highly integrated sensor system for Level 4/5 autonomous driving."

While a professor at Stanford, Dr. Paulraj worked with NPS Chief Technologist and Co-Founder Dr. Babak Hassibi researching computational theories and statistical systems. Dr. Paulraj is a co-inventor of ESPRIT, a widely used algorithm in radar signal processing. In 1992 he invented the technology to exploit multiple antennas at both ends of a wireless link (MIMO) that lies at the heart of the current high-speed WiFi, 4G and 5G mobile networks. This technology revolutionized high-speed wireless services for billions of people. Dr. Paulraj is the author of over 400 research papers, two textbooks and a co-inventor in 80 U.S. patents. In 1999, Dr. Paulraj founded Iospan Wireless Inc., which was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2003. In 2004, he co-founded Beceem Communications Inc., which was acquired by Broadcom Corp. in 2010. In 2014, he founded Rasa Networks, which was acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2016. Dr. Paulraj received a B.E. at the Naval College of Engineering, Lonavala, India, and a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India.

"NPS is on the verge of transforming autonomous driving with major advances in safety, performance and cost," said Dr. Paulraj. "It's great to be part of such a world class team with a truly radical vision. The company has made significant progress and I'm very pleased to contribute to the science necessary to help the company meet its goal of reaching Zero Autonomous Driving Accidents."

The team will be working to advance a new class of estimation and detection algorithms, called Quantum Grid Processing Algorithms (QGPA), based on the Atomic Norm (AN), a recently discovered mathematical framework with roots in Caltech and MIT in 2014. QGPA has shown groundbreaking performance advantage in excess of 50X over the current state-of-the-art to reliably detect many targets of interest at the same time. In autonomous driving, QGPA-powered sensor fusion will be able to detect pedestrians in bad weather conditions or cluttered environments much earlier and more accurately than current technology, and thereby will be able to avoid potential accidents.

About Neural Propulsion Systems (NPS)

NPS develops AI Technology for Zero Autonomous Driving Accidents (ZADA). Founded in 2017 by Silicon Valley luminaries, including entrepreneur Behrooz Rezvani, former Ikanos and Quantenna founder and CEO. NPS is delivering the world's first all-in-one deeply integrated multi-mode sensor system for Level 4/5 autonomy for large volume deployment at an affordable cost. Its flagship product NPS 500 fuses data from the NPS revolutionary solid-state MIMO LiDARTM, super resolution SWAMTM radar and cameras to deliver consistent and accurate 360 high resolution data. The densely integrated deep sensor-fusion system gives vehicles the ability to see around corners and over 500 meters away, making it 10X more reliable than competitors. Find NPS on the web , Twitter and LinkedIn .

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

Media Contact:

Gary Bird

FortyThree, Inc.

831.621.5661

[email protected]

SOURCE Neural Propulsion Systems

Related Links

https://nps.ai


OMAHA, Neb., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeffrey M. Lyons knows a thing or two about loyalty, hard work and commitment. The former Marine-turned-insurance defense attorney is looking forward to fighting on behalf of Sodoro + Mooney + Lenaghan 's clients. Lyons' extensive experience in workers' compensation defense, coupled with his do-whatever-it-takes attitude makes him a strong addition to the firm that serves Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota.

Originally from Arizona, the Southwesterner is happy to call Nebraska home, now. Lyons received his undergraduate degree from Grand Canyon University and went on to get his Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law. He gained valuable experience in motion practice while working for a civil litigation firm in Nebraska.

According to Patrick Sodoro, Managing Partner at SML, "Jeff had quite a career in the military and in management prior to deciding to concentrate his talents on the practice of law. The various successes he has achieved throughout his life, and the wisdom that comes along with those experiences provide a unique lens through which Jeff analyzes cases and defends his clients."

The unique lens Sodoro is referring to includes stints in the automotive industry, emergency medicine and private security. This wide breadth of knowledge, along with his military background, gives Lyons an edge in the litigation process.

Outside of the office, the dedicated attorney enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his family and their dog, Drogo.

Sodoro + Mooney + Lenaghan is a full-service law firm answering to the legal needs of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota.

For more information, or to contact the team at Sodoro + Mooney + Lenaghan, go to smllawoffice.com or email Kelsey Sievers at (402) 504-9346 / [email protected].

SOURCE Sodoro + Mooney + Lenaghan
With COVID and its variants, people want to manage their own health and wellness. Because the neutralizing antibody test is ordered directly by consumers online it is usually not covered by health insurance. Employees with a flexible spending account (FSA) or a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) can use that money to pay for the test.

The test kit is ordered online and delivered directly to your home. The package contains an easy-to-use finger stick and swab along with a prepaid envelope to send your results back to the lab. In 24-48 hours you will know your antibody level which will tell you if your vaccine is still effective.

Since the pandemic's early days, Epitome Risk experts have had their eye on neutralizing antibodies, which can attach to the spike protein of the virus and block them from entering cells. Neutralizing antibodies can recognize the coronavirus and fight off the coronavirus infections. Levels of these neutralizing antibodies appear after vaccination and correspond with COVID protection.

When Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke recently at a White House briefing about the need for COVID-19 booster shots, present in his slide show of charts and data points was a little-noticed scientific paper that offers evidence for a reliable way to predict how much protection a COVID-19 vaccine offers. Fauci explained, the paper showed that higher levels of these neutralizing antibodies are associated with higher levels of vaccine efficacy .

By now it's obvious that neutralizing antibody numbers correspond with protectionthe more neutralizing antibodies someone has, the more likely it is that they're safe from disease. Know your results; know your risk.

Neutralizing antibodies recognize the coronavirus and block it. Your body makes the COVID-blocking neutralizing antibodies after you get your Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine or had COVID.

"Vaccine makers announced that the number of COVID-blocking neutralizing antibodies goes down about six months after you got the vaccine," said Wilson. "The White House is not offering booster shots to the general public until eight months after the vaccine. How do you know if your vaccine is still protecting you from COVID without knowing how many neutralizing antibodies you have?"

About Epitome Risk and FourthWall Testing

Epitome Risk and FourthWall Testing have come together to provide a protocol so you can find out if you're still protected from COVID from the comfort of your own home. Especially if you're traveling, visiting immune compromised people or heading into the office. Know your numbers, know your risk. Know if you're putting the people you love at risk too.

SOURCE Epitome Risk
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from New York and New Jersey will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 24, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, and Mark Vande Hei will answer prerecorded video questions submitted by students from six schools in two states. The schools expect the downlink to reach more than 4,350 predominantly Black and Hispanic students and more than 400 educators.

The event is a collaborative effort between the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies' Climate Change Research Initiative, and educators from the following schools:

Community School for Social Justice, Bronx, New York .

. Fusion Academy, Brooklyn, New York .

. Kingsbridge International High School, Bronx, New York .

. Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy International High School, Bronx, New York .

. Martin Van Buren High School , Queens, New York .

, . North Bergen High School, North Bergen, New Jersey .

The event will be held virtually. Media interested in covering the event should contact Jared Keshishian at 201-295-2835 or [email protected].

Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Network's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.

For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked on the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through Artemis, the agency will return astronauts to the Moon, with eventual human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers  the Artemis Generation  ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

Follow NASA astronauts on social media at:

https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts

See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new, Non-Fungible Token (NFT) charity auction will be conducted this week on the Hedera network to demonstrate how the recently launched Hedera Token Service (HTS) and auction platform can be used for social good initiatives. The auction is now live and will close September 23rd at 11:59pm PDT. All code for the auction is open sourced under an Apache 2.0 license and available on GitHub. The decentralized auction will be hosted by seven validators, composed of Hedera and members of the community: DOVU , Fluent Finance , Gomint.me , IvyX , ProvenDB , and SEUNwater . To view all instances of the site visit www.hedera.auction .

A total of eight items are to be auctioned, these include a combination of physical items with a corresponding NFT from Hedera's co-founders Mance Harmon and Leemon Baird as well as digital creations from the Hedera community. All proceeds from these auctions will go towards Hopeful Solutions , a women's homeless shelter in Dallas.

Christian Hasker, CMO of Hedera Hashgraph, said, "The NFT auction, in support of this worthy cause, demonstrates the immense power of tokenization to combine philanthropy, sustainability, and innovation for social good initiatives. The ability to be at the forefront of trends in tokenization, while also supporting worthwhile work both in the local community and globally, is unique and something the Hedera community can take immense pride in."

The auction will demonstrate how projects can build high performance, secure, and sustainable applications on the Hedera network, which recently launched at scale into an ecosystem of over 60 initial supporting partners . HTS removes the need for smart contract deployment, enabling the instant and secure transfer of value without the need for an intermediary, thereby enabling more efficient tokenization. Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) will also be leveraged to synchronize the state of the auction between its validators with an unmatched degree of sustainability.

The Hedera network can also support up and coming e-commerce trends, such as social commerce through celebrity endorsements and personalized customer experiences. The Hedera platform offers the responsible management of data, which can facilitate these trends.

About Hedera Hashgraph

Hedera Hashgraph is the most used, sustainable, enterprise-grade public network for the decentralized economy. The platform is governed by a council of the world's leading organizations, including Avery Dennison, Boeing, Chainlink Labs, Dentons, Deutsche Telekom, DLA Piper, EDF (Electricite de France), eftpos, FIS (WorldPay), Google, IBM, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), LG Electronics, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Magalu, Nomura Holdings, Shinhan Bank, Standard Bank Group, Swirlds, Tata Communications, University College London (UCL), Wipro, and Zain Group.

For more information, visit www.hedera.com, or follow us on Twitter at @hedera, Telegram at t.me/hederahashgraph, or Discord at www.hedera.com/discord. The Hedera whitepaper can be found at www.hedera.com/papers .

For Media Enquiries

Zenobia Godschalk

E: [email protected]

Emily Kielthy

Wachsman

E: [email protected]

T: +353 87 097 2754

SOURCE Hedera Hashgraph

Related Links

https://hedera.com/


CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded North Park University a $413,066 grant to support student success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math majors (STEM), with a focus on the university's diverse student population.

North Park is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and this work supports NSF's commitment to developing a more diverse and capable workforce within STEM.

North Park's initiative  "HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Advancing the Reach and Scope of Supplemental Instruction"  will study, adapt, and replicate the evidence-based practice of Supplemental Instruction to increase student success in entry-level courses required for STEM majors.

Supplemental Instruction is an advanced form of tutoring using collaboration and group study to help students succeed in traditionally difficult academic courses. Supplemental Instruction Leaders  peer students who have already succeeded in those courses  are trained to assist current students.

"The NSF-HSI grant will fund the expansion of our Supplemental Instruction programming across the Division of Sciences," said Dr. Lindsey Alexander, assistant professor of biology at North Park and Primary Investigator on the project team. "North Park faculty will engage in cutting-edge pedagogical research in an effort to validate the efficacy of our proposed intervention. We are very excited about the potential for these resources to enhance the North Park student experience."

The project will adapt Supplemental Instruction to online learning; improve students' understanding of their own learning and thought processes; and increase positive attitudes toward STEM education and STEM careers among underrepresented students who are enrolled in entry-level STEM courses or employed as Supplemental Instruction Leaders.

The experience of students serving as Supplemental Instruction Leaders will be enhanced through training in innovative teaching methods, and close collaboration with faculty and staff, in face-to-face and virtual classroom settings.

"We are striving for excellent, equitable outcomes as we live into our intercultural distinctive," North Park University President Mary K. Surridge said. "And those are exactly the outcomes that these NSF-HSI federal grant dollars will fund on our campus, and help our bright students to achieve. NSF has awarded North Park more than one million dollars over the past two years, and we will continue to pursue these strategic and essential funds."

ABOUT NORTH PARK

North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

SOURCE North Park University

Related Links

www.northpark.edu


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) announced today that its board of directors has approved the construction of a new melt shop at one of the Company's existing bar mills in the Western United States. The new $100 million melt shop will have the capacity to produce 600,000 tons annually and create approximately 140 new full-time jobs, with start-up expected in 2024.

"The new melt shop will help us maintain our market leading position in steel bar production and help us meet anticipated growth for bar products from our customers in the Western United States," said Dan Needham, Executive Vice President of Bar and Rebar Fabrication Products for Nucor Corporation.

Nucor has 15 bar mills strategically located across the United States that manufacture a broad range of steel products, including concrete reinforcing bars, hot-rolled bars, rounds, light shapes, structural angles, channels, wire rod and highway products in carbon and alloy steels. Four of the bar mills have a significant focus on manufacturing SBQ and wire rod products. Steel produced by Nucor bar mills serves numerous end markets, including the agricultural, automotive, construction, energy, furniture, machinery, metal building, railroad, recreational equipment, shipbuilding, heavy truck and trailer market segments. Nucor's bar steel production capacity is estimated at approximately 9.5 million tons per year.

About Nucor

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "project," "may," "will," "should," "could" and similar expressions are intended to identify those forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's best judgment based on current information, and, although we base these statements on circumstances that we believe to be reasonable when made, there can be no assurance that future events will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking information. As such, the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may vary materially from the projected results and expectations discussed in this news release. Factors that might cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) competitive pressure on sales and pricing, including pressure from imports and substitute materials; (2) U.S. and foreign trade policies affecting steel imports or exports; (3) the sensitivity of the results of our operations to prevailing market steel prices and changes in the supply and cost of raw materials, including pig iron, iron ore and scrap steel; (4) the availability and cost of electricity and natural gas, which could negatively affect our cost of steel production or result in a delay or cancellation of existing or future drilling within our natural gas drilling programs; (5) critical equipment failures and business interruptions; (6) market demand for steel products, which, in the case of many of our products, is driven by the level of nonresidential construction activity in the United States; (7) impairment in the recorded value of inventory, equity investments, fixed assets, goodwill or other long-lived assets; (8) uncertainties surrounding the global economy, including excess world capacity for steel production; (9) fluctuations in currency conversion rates; (10) significant changes in laws or government regulations affecting environmental compliance, including legislation and regulations that result in greater regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that could increase our energy costs, capital expenditures and operating costs or cause one or more of our permits to be revoked or make it more difficult to obtain permit modifications; (11) the cyclical nature of the steel industry; (12) capital investments and their impact on our performance; (13) our safety performance; and (14) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any variants of the virus. These and other factors are discussed in Nucor's regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of Nucor's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of this date, and Nucor does not assume any obligation to update them, except as may be required by applicable law.

SOURCE Nucor Corporation

Related Links

http://www.nucor.com


Address: 75 King Street S, Waterloo, ON , exterior of Waterloo Town Square

, exterior of Waterloo Town Square Soft opening: September 29

Bestsellers: Crispy ChickUn (6.99), Famous Burger (6.99), Wingalings (7.99), Pretenders (7.99), Fries Supreme (5.99), Onion Rings (4.89)

For additional press images visit https://oddburger.com/pages/press-1)

"The Kitchener-Waterloo area always has a huge appetite for our plant-based fast food whenever our food truck visits," said James McInnes, Odd Burger co-founder and CEO. "With our first brick-and-mortar location here, our guilt-free fast food will be available to everyone."

Odd Burger locations operate as compact smart kitchens for streamlined, easy takeout and delivery. Their advanced restaurant design uses the most modern on-demand cooking technology for a consistent food experience, quick service, low costs, and simplified employee training.

The vegan fast-food concept pioneer opened its first location in London, Ontario in 2016, and currently has four locations with 16 additional locations planned for the next year. Odd Burger recently initiated its west coast expansion through a franchise in Calgary, Alberta and is beginning its U.S. expansion by seeking a location in Manhattan.

Odd Burger manufactures 30 plant-based products used exclusively by its restaurant chain, allowing the company to keep costs down, while having complete control over product innovation.

About Odd Burger

Odd Burger Corporation (formerly Globally Local) is a chain of company-owned and franchised fast-food restaurants as well as a food technology company that manufactures and distributes a proprietary line of plant-based protein and dairy alternatives to its locations. Odd Burger restaurants operate as smart kitchens, which use state-of-the art cooking technology and automation solutions to deliver a delicious food experience to customers craving healthier and more sustainable fast food. With small store footprints optimized for delivery and takeout, advanced cooking technology, competitive pricing, a vertically integrated supply chain along with healthier ingredients, Odd Burger is revolutionizing the fast-food industry. Odd Burger Corporation, based in Toronto, is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ODD. For more information visit https://www.oddburger.com/.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements that relate to among other things, the Company's strategies, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" and words and expressions of similar import. Although the Company 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 on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions (including but not limited to currency rates); changes in laws and regulations; legal and regulatory proceedings; and the ability to execute strategic plans. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Odd Burger Corporation

Related Links

https://oddburger.com/


PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm, filed a lawsuit on September 13, 2021, against Koninklijke Philips N.V., and subsidiaries, in United States District Court, District of Massachusetts. The lawsuit, claiming failure to warn, design defect and breach of warranty, was filed on behalf of Juilette McKinney, of Midway, West Virginia, alleges that Ms. McKinney developed lung cancer as a direct result of her daily use of Philips' continuous positive airway pressure ("CPAP") devices: a System One RemStar Auto CPAP and a DreamStation Auto CPAP.

Ms. McKinney's physician prescribed the devices for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a breathing disorder that can result in snoring, fatigue, and cardiovascular conditions. CPAP devices deliver filtered, pressurized air through a mask, holding a patient's airway open.

On June 14, 2021, Philips announced a recall of millions of CPAP devices, including the two devices used by Ms. McKinney for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). On July 29, 2021, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, the most serious recall classification which involves the potential for the risk of serious injury or death. Since 2009, Philips has used a polyester-based polyurethane ("PE-PUR") foam in the recalled devices.

In announcing the recall, Philips admitted that the PE-PUR foam potentially exposes users to critical safety risks, including "possible toxic and carcinogenic effects," when the foam degrades. The lawsuit maintains that Philips knew or should have known about the risks from PE-PUR foam degradation long before it notified the public in 2021. An adverse event report in the FDA database shows a patient complaining of "black dust" as early as 2011 and OSA patients regularly reported the presence of black particles in the tubes of their devices on message boards.

The lawsuit seeks damages for Ms. McKinney's severe injuries, as well as punitive damages.

Jerrold S. Parker, founding partner of Parker Waichman LLP, noted that "Philips chose to rush devices to market, without adequately investigating, and disregarded numerous warnings. Ms. McKinney now faces lung cancer. It's time for Philips to answer for its actions."

Filing a CPAP Lawsuit

Parker Waichman has represented clients in injury lawsuits for decades. If you or someone you know is interested in filing a CPAP lawsuit, please call 1-800-YOUR LAWYER or visit the firm's website at https://www.yourlawyer.com

SOURCE Parker Waichman LLP

Related Links

http://www.yourlawyer.com


"The ABCMR ruling is just the beginning of our fight for these soldiers,"- Mr. Hughes co-founder of Patriots Law Group. Tweet this

"The ABCMR ruling is just the beginning of our fight for these soldiers," says Patrick Hughes co-founder of Patriots Law Group, a law firm founded by Air Force JAG veterans to serve the unique needs of the military community. Mr. Hughes continued, "The ABCMR established the actions were wrong, but the Army has not committed to finding every honorably serving soldier who had their lives turned upside down, who faced threats of punishment, and who live with debts that will take years to repay. The Gulley lawsuit is about holding the Army accountable for the Army's gross negligence and forcing the service to make every soldier affected whole."

Schedule a consultation with Patriots Law Group if you believe you were affected. Contact us at 301-952-9000 or through our website: https://www.patriotslawgroup.com/practice-areas/bah-lawsuit/.

Patriots Law Group is a veteran owned general practice law firm that provides legal services to the military and veteran communities. PLG was formed by attorneys who served in the military and understand the unique circumstances that service members and their families face when a legal issue arises. The attorneys at PLG have service in their DNA and have forged their values through years of military training and experience. PLG has attorneys experienced in military justice, family law, criminal defense, federal litigation, courts-martial, and more.

Learn more about Patriots Law Group at www.patriotslawgroup.com.

Contact: Patriots Law Group of Lyons & Hughes, P.C.

Phone: (301) 952-9000

SOURCE Patriots Law Group

Related Links

https://www.patriotslawgroup.com/


MIAMI, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pipe , creators of the world's first trading platform for recurring revenues, today announced a global expansion with the launch of its first international market in the UK. To support the expansion and further accelerate growth, Pipe also announced that it has hired two heavy-hitting tech veterans from B2B and fintech leaders HubSpot and Stripe.

2021 has been a breakout year for Pipe, raising $300 million of equity financing in the last year from investors including Shopify, Slack, Okta, HubSpot, Next47, Marc Benioff's TIME Ventures, Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six, Chamath Palihapitiya, MaC Ventures, Fin VC, Greenspring Associates, Counterpoint Global (Morgan Stanley) and more.

In the first nine months of the year, Pipe's trading platform has seen rapid adoption from U.S.-based companies with recurring revenue streams looking to fund their growth without debt or dilution. Over 8,000 companies have signed up on the Pipe trading platform with over 50% of the trading volume coming from non-SaaS vertical markets including direct-to-consumer (D2C) subscription, property management, streaming services and service-based businesses such as gyms and pest control.

The launch of the Pipe trading platform in the UK is a logical extension of the company's business and a significant opportunity for any UK-based company looking to grow without taking on restrictive debt or dilution. US and UK customers have similar needs when it comes to Pipe's product offerings, which made the UK a natural second market for Pipe to grow into.

"I left the UK for the United States seven years ago as it provided the best funding environment to build my first technology company, and it is enormously gratifying to bring those same opportunities to the burgeoning ecosystem of technology companies in the UK," said Harry Hurst, co-founder and co-CEO of Pipe. "If Pipe existed a decade ago and offered company friendly financing options, I might never have left the UK."

There is already a tremendous amount of interest in Pipe among UK-based companies, with a number of these companies already trading revenue on the Pipe platform today.

"Portify shares Pipe's vision of using breakthrough fintech approaches to offer a clear achievable path to better financial standing," said Sho Alexander Sugihara, co-founder and CEO, Portify, a London-based company that provides a simple way to build your credit score through a single membership fee. "The Pipe platform provides Portify with the access to dilution-free financing that we require to maintain our growth and rapid pace of innovation, and it will be an integral part of our strategy in the future."

Pipe's remote-first culture has allowed the company to build a dynamic team of talent from around the world. With its launch into the UK market, Pipe has added two senior tech veterans to help drive the company's growth and international launch.

Brad Coffey has joined as Pipe's Chief Customer Officer, where he will be responsible for driving continued growth and expansion of verticals beyond Pipe's initial launch market of SaaS. Brad was previously the Chief Strategy Officer at HubSpot, where he led the company's long-term strategy on products, packaging and pricing, and oversaw its partnerships, ventures, and corporate development teams. Brad was one of HubSpot's first employees, and in his 13 years with the company, HubSpot grew from a startup to a publicly traded company with $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. Brad met Pipe when he led HubSpot's investment into the company in March's $50 million strategic funding round.

"Pipe has a rare opportunity to fundamentally change the way companies fund their growth, and to help shape the fintech market," said Coffey. "In my 13 years at HubSpot, I had the opportunity to help take the company from startup to market leader by connecting innovation, product delivery and customer value. I am excited to bring this experience to Pipe to help extend the value it provides in funding the ideas and innovations of founders all over the world."

Pipe has also added Sid Orlando, now former Editor-in-Chief of fintech leader Stripe, and before that, Manager of Curation and Content at Kickstarter. With her unmatched experience developing content strategies, Sid will play a pivotal role at Pipe heading up content and building one of the world's largest repositories of entrepreneur and founder focused content and dramatically increasing global awareness on the impact of alternative finance.

"Pipe has already become a compelling brand in fintech in little over a year since its launch," said Orlando. "I'm inspired by the possibilities Pipe offers founders, and looking forward to working with the Pipe team to further educate the market - from early-stage startups to public companies - on how to scale without unnecessary dilution or restrictive debt."

About Pipe

Pipe is a trading platform that enables entrepreneurs to grow their businesses on their terms. By treating recurring revenue streams as an asset, Pipe allows companies to transform their recurring revenue into upfront capital, instantly. For entrepreneurs, that means more cash flow for scaling their business without debt or dilution. For investors, Pipe has unlocked the largest untapped asset class, revenue. Whether you're an entrepreneur or an investor - Pipe is growth on your terms. To learn more visit www.pipe.com or follow us on Twitter @pipe.

Contact

Merrill Freund

[email protected]

415-577-8637

Yasmin Moaven

[email protected]

720-937-1779

SOURCE Pipe Technologies Inc.

Related Links

http://pipe.com


MARTIN, Slovakia, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After several years of preparations, thanks to this unique moment, the realization of a modern medical centre in the heart of Slovakia is taking a more realistic shape. It happened at the Holy Mass in Sastin-Straze on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, which was served by Pope Francis in the presence of the highest state officials, including the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger.

"Blessing of the cornerstone of the new university hospital in Martin by Pope Francis is a great honour for us and at the same time a commitment to further work. For the region of Central Slovakia, Saint Martin's University Hospital will represent a significant investment", stated MUDr. Dusan Krkoska, PhD., MBA, general director of University Hospital in Martin.

The Holy Mass was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger who perceives the act of blessing as follows: "I see this ceremony as the beginning of a journey to meet my government's ambitious goals in the sphere of health care. The construction project of Saint Martin's University Hospital in Martin will be implemented in the timeframe of several years and has the potential to be one of the first materializations of the Recovery and Resilience Plan results".

Saint Martin's University Hospital  the first candidate for funding from the Recovery Plan

Slovakia submitted the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic as one of the first EU countries. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Slovakia to present the official evaluation. After being positively evaluated by the European Commission and described as an ambitious document with a pro-reform charge, it was approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in June this year. For healthcare, significant resources of more than 1.5 billion EUR are planned from the recovery plan, while almost 1 billion EUR are available for the construction and reconstruction of hospitals.

Project

Construction of the new university hospital represents a radical innovation in the conditions of Slovakia's health care, which significantly transforms the "old system" and creates space for high-quality and modern health services. Expected investment costs for the project are totalling 307 million EUR. The main focus of the new hospital is to be internal medicine (mainly focused on cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, nervous system), woman-mother-child treatment, personalized medicine and oncology. In a complementary way, these will be both horizontally and vertically linked to a wide range of diagnostic procedures, interventional and surgical disciplines, urgent and specialized out-patient and in-patient health care, screening activities, patient prevention and education, training, research, and development.

Basic parameters of the new university hospital:

Number of beds: 660 Number of operating rooms: 19 Total floor area: 126,803 sqm Total area of the project: 68,000 sqm Estimated construction time: 30 - 36 months Estimated start of construction: 2Q/2023 Estimated construction completion: 2Q/2026

University Hospital Martin:

Kollarova 2, 036 01 Martin

www.unm.sk

PR agency: PRime time:

Viedenska cesta 5, 851 01 Bratislava

www.primetime.sk

SOURCE University Hospital Martin
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will join Global Citizen Live on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City on September 25 to continue their work with world leaders in pursuit of global vaccine equity, announced international advocacy organization Global Citizen. Also appearing as part of the global broadcast event are United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley, Education Cannot Wait Director Yasmine Sherif, Vivek Maru CEO of Namati, Rotary President-elect Jennifer Jones, SDG Champion and Advocate Eddie Ndopu, President of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker, President of the Paris Peace Forum Steering Committee Trisha Shetty, Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., U.N. Next Generation fellow Valeria Colunga, advocate Eunice Akoth and more.

Global Citizen Live is part of the once-in-a-generation day of unity across seven continents, to be broadcast over 24 hours around the world on Apple Music, Apple TV App, YouTube and Twitter. Global Citizen Live will also air on ABC, ABC News Live, iHeartRadio, Hulu, The Roku Channel, FX and TIME in the United States, BBC in the United Kingdom, Caracol in Colombia, Channel 9 in Australia, MagentaTV and MagentaMusik 360 in Germany, Mediacorp in Singapore, Multichoice in Africa, Multishow & Bis in Brazil , S3 on SABC in South Africa, AIM Group in Nigeria, Sky & TV8 in Italy, TF1/TMC in France and TV Azteca in Mexico, and more to come. Details about where and when to watch can be found at www.globalcitizenlive.org .

The once-in-a-generation day of global unity will call for:

The G7 and EU to share at least one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses immediately with those most in need, support the proposal to waive IP around the production of COVID-19 vaccines and other medical tools  backed by over 100 countries  and for Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to share mRNA technology with the new WHO-backed mRNA technology transfer hub based in South Africa .

. Wealthiest nations to deliver on their promise to give $100 billion annually to address the climate needs of developing countries. Only Germany , Norway and Sweden have been paying their fair share. The greatest shortfall in absolute terms is the US, which provides less funding than France , Germany , Japan or the United Kingdom  though its economy is larger than all of them combined.

annually to address the climate needs of developing countries. Only , and have been paying their fair share. The greatest shortfall in absolute terms is the US, which provides less funding than , , or the  though its economy is larger than all of them combined. US citizens to contact their representatives pressing for the passage of the largest climate protection bill in American history in order to set the US on track to at least halve emissions by 2030. Congress plans to vote on the bill the week of September 27th .

. Businesses to help curb emissions through joining the Race to Zero and pledging 1 billion additional trees by 2022 in support of the 1t.org ambition to conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees this decade.

The G7 and the world's billionaires to end the hunger crisis by contributing at least $6 billion for the urgent provision of millions of meals for the 41 Million People on the brink of starvation.

Global Citizen Live is supported by a corporate coalition, including Global Partners: Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners Hilton, WW International, and World Wide Technology who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign's policy objectives. Access Bank is a Global Citizen Live campaign partner in Nigeria.

Campaign co-chairs include: Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco; Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi; James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company; Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines; Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google; Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation; Marc Pritchard, CBO of P&G; Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce; Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon; and Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW International.

Executive Producers of the Global Citizen Live campaign include: Michele Anthony for UMG, Francine Katsoudas, Tina Kennedy, Eric Ortner, Guy Oseary, Michael Rapino for Live Nation, Brian N. Sheth, Wassim "Sal" Slaiby and Chris Stadler.

The program will be executive produced by Jane Y. Mun, with producing partners Deviants Media, Diversified Production Services, Done and Dusted Productions, Ken Ehrlich Productions, Live Nation, Livewire Pictures, TMPL Motion Pictures, and U-Live (a UMG Nigeria company).

Global Citizen is grateful for the support from incredible organizations advocating for impact, including: 1t.org, American Forests, The Asia Society, Ban Ki Moon Center, Center for Environmental Peacebuilding, Climate Neutral, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, Conservation International, COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, Education Cannot Wait, Fundacion Azteca, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, Global Solidarity Fund, Green Climate Fund, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Rescue Committee, LISC, Namati, Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), One Acre Fund, Outright Action International, Paris Peace Forum, The Pathfinders, Re:Wild, Rotary International, Seadream Family Foundation, Sheth Sangreal Foundation, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), Slum2School Africa, South African Education Project, The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, The Global Fund (to Fight TB, AIDS, Malaria), UNICEF, UNICEF Australia, UNITAID, UNFPA, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), World Food Programme, World Health Organization, World Health Organization Foundation.

Global Citizen Live has received in-kind support from leading media companies, including: AIM Group, Bandsintown, BellaNaija, Branded Cities, Brut Media, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor, Curb Media, Digital Mobile Media, Evergreen Trading, Forbes, GSTV, iHeartRadio, Interstate Outdoor, Jack Agency, JCDecaux Nigeria, Mass Media, Newscentral TV, Nigeria Info, Outfront Media, Penske Media, Seen Media, Six Flags Theme Parks, The New York Times, Vanguard Media, Wazobia FM, and Wazobia Max TV.

To learn more about the Global Citizen Live events on September 25 and to view health & safety information, please go to GlobalCitizenLive.org . *All Global Citizen Live events comply with, and often exceed, the latest COVID-19 protocols.

For more information about Global Citizen Live, visit www.globalcitizen.org , and follow @glblctzn on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and YouTube.

CONTACT:

Global Citizen Inquiries: [email protected]

Media Inquiries: Sunshine Sachs on behalf of Global Citizen, [email protected]

SOURCE Global Citizen

Related Links

http://www.globalcitizenlive.org


Company Settles Additional Debt & Issues Shares to Upstryve Shareholders

COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - ProBility Media Corp. ("ProBility" or the "Company") (OTCPK: PBYA), an education company building the first online full-service training and career advancement brand for the skilled trades, today provides several corporate updates.

The Company continues to confirm that it is in compliance with OTC Markets and SEC rule 15c2-11 by being up to date with its filing obligations.

On August 31, 2021 ProBility closed on its acquisition of Upstryve Inc, a leading resource for tradespeople nationwide. The transaction included the issuance of 692,500,000 shares of restricted common stock to the shareholders of Upstryve. The Company strategically did not affect a reverse split of its common stock in connection with the acquisition and has continued to remain compliant with its SEC reporting obligations.

The Company is also continuing to settle convertible debt in exchange for the issuance of shares. The debt being settled was issued in 2017 and 2018. The settlement of debt has been a previously disclosed as a long term strategy to clean up the Company's balance sheet.

Since June 2021 the Company announced a number of successful initiatives and contracts including;

Filing its 2021 Year End Financials which included reducing corporate debt by $8.1 million since 2018, eliminating a accumulated operating loss of $12.9 million in 2018, turning an operating profit in 2020 and 2021

since 2018, eliminating a accumulated operating loss of in 2018, turning an operating profit in 2020 and 2021 Compliance with SEC rule 15c2-11 as a limited reporting company

Acquisition of Upstryve Inc, the global leader in online tutoring for the vocation industry, including announcing that the Company will not effectuate a reverse split for the transaction

The Company's announcement of renaming the Company's name from ProBility Media Corp to Upstryve which will be completed in the near future

Partnership Agreement with CM Labs and the Company's subsidiary North American Crane Bureau (NACB) for the opportunity to sell CM Lab Simulators to its clients

North American Crane Bureau celebrating its 35-year anniversary

Partnership with Bizfluence Inc, an alternative social media platform for professionals, with Upstryve for its Enterprise direct messaging and community groups features for its clients.

New Customer Contracts for North American Crane Bureau including Ford, Tesla, BAE Systems, Dominion Energy and other Fortune 500 companies

New International partnerships in South America for NACB including four companies in Peru

for NACB including four companies in Appointment of new corporate officers including a COO, CFO, CIO, CMO and CLO

Hiring of 154 Agency, a leading marketing and branding company, to manage the digital marketing, branding and social experience for the Company.

STEM Initiative with CPS Energy by Disco Learning Media, a Company subsidiary

Continued Expansion of partnership with Itron Inc with Company subsidiary, Disco Learning Media through 2024

Launch of a Pre-Apprenticeship Program for the trades through Upstryve

Published testing materials for electricians including wholesale sales to companies such as Wesco, Platt Electric, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, City Electric Supply, Rexel and Graybar

Increase of over 500% growth for One Exam Prep in its online learning and virtual programs as a result of Covid-19.

"We are proud of our recent accomplishments at the Company. Each and every team member has contributed towards the successful expansion and growth of the company." Stated Noah Davis, President of ProBility Media Corp. "We have positioned the Company to be a leader in the virtual online learning, tutoring, training and test preparation in the vocational sector, a large untapped industry that has been slow to adopt virtual learning and technology."

"Management and many of the Company's employees have a vested interest in the success of the Company. The employee group has over a combined 1 billion shares of common stock which is restricted. Our investors have shown overwhelming support for our mission, path and successes. We are extremely grateful for this support."

"We feel we are in the right place at the right time, investors are investing significant capital in online education and tutoring companies. We are a large niche that none of the other companies in the space are addressing the way ProBility and Upstrye are executing." Continued Mr. Davis.

The Company plans to announce its First Quarter financial results on or before October 15, 2021 in continued compliance with OTC Markets.

About Upstryve Inc.

Upstryve is the only tutoring platform dedicated to providing aspiring professionals an affordable all-encompassing learning experience. Upstryve provides 1 on 1 contractor license exam preparation for professionals to confidently pass their state or national exams and obtain their contractor license. Its platform links aspiring trade professionals with expert trade tutors and instructors who have years of experience in the field. Students work with tutors who guide them through typical struggles and help them gain the confidence they need before exam day. Its instructors specialize in exam preparation for all construction and trades, National Trade Association Exams, Contractors, Electricians, Plumbing, HVAC, Engineering, Healthcare, Utilities and more. Upstryve offers existing industry experts to earn from three sources, hourly tutoring at their desired hourly rate, affiliated sales of study materials and the ability to publish study materials, test questions and specialized courses through its publishing platform. For more information, visit www.upstryve.com.

About ProBility Media Corp.

ProBility Media Corp. is an industrial education and training technology company headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida, offering education online and in person programs including training in a variety of vocational industries. ProBility is executing a disruptive strategy of defragmenting the education and training marketplace by offering high quality training courses and materials to prepare the workforce for excellence. ProBility services customers from the individual to the small business to the enterprise level corporation. For more information, visit www.ProBilityMedia.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect the Company's current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise in the event of any change, addition or alteration to the information included in this Press Release including such forward-looking statements, except as required by federal securities laws.

SOURCE Probility Media Corp.

Related Links

http://www.ProBilityMedia.com


"I'm thrilled to join this distinguished team at such an exciting time," said Jack Rossi . "The travel industry has faced significant challenges over the past year, but Propeller has continued to lead and expand. I look forward to helping the company continue this impressive growth, at Paine Field and beyond."

Rossi comes to Propeller with extensive experience in aviation regulatory law, airport affairs, and a broad spectrum of aviation-related business transactions, including real property leasing and acquisition, design and construction, project finance, concessions, and environmental matters. Previously, he served as Associate General Counsel at Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air, where he was principal regulatory attorney and lead counsel on airports and real estate for five years. Before joining Alaska, Jack served for ten years in various roles in the Legal Department of JetBlue Airways.

"Jack is a leader in his practice," said Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports. "His background combines expertise in aviation law with in-depth knowledge of business operations and management. We're excited to have him join us."

In addition to his role with Propeller, Rossi serves as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. He is a veteran of overseas service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He holds a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. in International Political Economy & Development from Fordham University.

About Propeller Airports

Based in Everett, WA, Propeller identifies untapped potential for commercial air travel by working with local communities and government to maximize airport assets. Propeller Airports is focused on opportunities to invest, develop and manage both general aviation and commercial service airports throughout the U.S. Propeller Airports, in partnership with Global Infrastructure Partners, is focused on bringing best in class practices to Paine Field for the benefit of travelers throughout the Puget Sound region. For more information please visit www.flypainefield.com, www.propellerairports.com and www.global-infra.com/.

SOURCE Propeller Airports

Related Links

http://www.propellerairports.com


TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American medicine faces many challenges, especially the ever-increasing dominance of medical practice by multiple external forces that are usurping the physician's professional prerogatives, writes Paul Martin Kempen, M.D., Ph.D., in the fall issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Kempen is a practicing anesthesiologist who serves as president of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).

According to some estimates, clerical tasks mandated by insurers or government consume more than 80 percent of medical professional time. There is no numeric shortage of physicians in the U.S., compared with other countries, Dr. Kempen writes. The U.S. has more physicians per 100,000 people than other advanced medical systems, such as in Germany or the UK, where other "providers" and mountains of electronic billing "paperwork" are not commonplace.

The overwhelming documentation requirements are one reason for the widespread introduction of "physician extenders," including nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Such practitioners may now be making medical decisions at the highest levels as "providers," and even practicing independently," Dr. Kempen writes.

"Even more compromising to quality patient care is the way insurance corporations limit care by requiring pre-authorizations, specific referrals, corporate formulary restrictions, and specific locations of care delivery by 'in-network providers,' and 'preferred provider care' specifically by non-physiciansnaturally, to limit corporate costs."

The continuing personal patient-physician relationship has been severely damaged over these past decades, especially during these months of COVID-19 quarantine, leading to a major degradation in the quality of care, Dr. Kempen states. In the system of "providers" and "health care networks," physicians in the distant background may never actually meet a patient, even during life-threatening hospitalizations.

Increasingly, he writes, care is limited to single-issue treatments in urgent-care facilities. Advocacy, the essential component of quality care, is missing. Advocacy by family members has also been greatly restricted by COVID-19 requirements. As he learned during a hospitalization for heart surgery in a regional center of excellence, "even a physician patient can have difficulty asserting rights and insuring optimal care."

The most concerning facets of the past COVID-19 year included multiple wrong directives and information provided by governments and its chosen experts, including economic shutdowns, media fearmongering, and the promise that vaccination could definitively eliminate the disease. "Political dogma has been imposed as medical dogma," Dr. Kempen writes.

Physicians need to unite for professional, personal, and patient protections, Dr. Kempen concludes. "This is especially important now that multiple forces, immune from oversight, are usurping physician leadership."

The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.

SOURCE Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)

Related Links

http://www.aapsonline.org


NBC News highlights REX as the real estate player standing up for consumers and taking big real estate head on. Tweet this

NBC News national correspondent Vicky Nguyen investigated home buying in Dallas, TX, and the NAR's segregation rule which Zillow agreed to apply to its websites in January. Zillow's segregated display puts homes sold by legacy brokers into its main feed and cordons off homes sold by innovative brokers like REX into a "hidden" tab. This hurts consumers because the legacy homes on Zillow's main tab have commissions ranging from 5 to 6 percent while homes buried in the hidden tab have much lower commissions.

"Consumers are not seeing these homes. American home buyers deserve better. American home sellers deserve more choice," said Rex General Counsel Michael Toth during the piece.



"I'm not surprised that a little tweak has had such a big impact," said Benjamin Keys, Professor of Real Estate at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.



Zillow's response to the NBC inquiry pointed the finger at NAR and "outdated rules required Zillow to change the way listings appear."

NAR pointed the finger back at Zillow saying, "how Zillow displays listings is between Zillow and each Multiple Listing Service."



NAR further misrepresented the facts during the NBC Now interview saying "the court says Rex is not likely to prevail in its lawsuit" despite that on September 2, U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly greenlit REX's lawsuit and in August the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to correct previous misrepresentations of facts by the National Association of Realtors.

Last week, the National Association of Realtors ran a public relations campaign misleading the media about a "lawsuit" against the U.S. Department of Justice. Despite national headlines, the NAR filing was not a lawsuit but a motion to evade a federal investigation into nearly two-dozen inquiries into anti-competitive practices, including the segregation rule and potential illegal antitrust activities.



Michael Toth, Rex General Counsel responded to the Zillow and NAR commentary stating, "This case is becoming must watch tv for real estate consumers and legal scholars. Consumers and the law are clearly on Rex's side. That's why NAR and Zillow are pointing fingers at each other and why NAR has to engage in misinformation campaigns to hide its outdated ways. Today, NAR is not only fighting an anti-trust challenge from REX but is also staring down the barrel of an unprecedented federal investigation into its business practices."

Timeline: Rex v. Zillow

On March 9 , REX, the pro-consumer digital platform and full-service real estate brokerage, filed a federal antitrust complaint against Zillow, Trulia, and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

, REX, the pro-consumer digital platform and full-service real estate brokerage, filed a federal antitrust complaint against Zillow, Trulia, and the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On August 10 , U.S. Department of Justice files brief in the REX/Zillow-NAR Segregation Rule case "to prevent the drawing of unwarranted inferences from a now-expired 2008 consent decree" and to stop the National Association of Realtors from using " the 2008 consent decree to shield conduct."

, U.S. Department of Justice files brief in the REX/Zillow-NAR Segregation Rule case "to prevent the drawing of unwarranted inferences from a now-expired 2008 consent decree" and to stop the National Association of Realtors from using " On September 2 , U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Zilly denied motions by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Zillow to dismiss REX's antitrust and consumer protection law challenge to the NAR segregation rule. The Court held that REX sufficiently alleged that NAR and Zillow conspired to restrain trade and to harm consumers stating, "plaintiff has plausibly alleged that Zillow agreed to use the MLS rules to restrain trade."

Timeline: Recent Biden Administration Actions into Real Estate

On July 1 , the Department of Justice (DOJ) nixed a proposed Trump Administration settlement with NAR. The unprecedented action sided with REX's position in a February comment letter which called on the DOJ to back out of the settlement and take further action including a broader investigation into the association and its member companies' anticompetitive practices.

, the Department of Justice (DOJ) nixed a proposed Trump Administration settlement with NAR. The unprecedented action sided with REX's position in a February comment letter which called on the DOJ to back out of the settlement and take further action including a broader investigation into the association and its member companies' anticompetitive practices. On July 6 , DOJ issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to NAR as part of an antitrust investigation into "residential real estate brokerage services in metropolitan areas throughout the United States ."

, DOJ issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) to NAR as part of an antitrust investigation into "residential real estate brokerage services in metropolitan areas throughout ." On July 9 , President Biden's executive order directed the FTC to address real estate competition. This painted a bull's eye on the broken broker practices REX was born to replace.

, President Biden's executive order directed the FTC to address real estate competition. This painted a bull's eye on the broken broker practices REX was born to replace. On September 13 , NAR challenges the US DOJ CID and in doing so makes public the full scope of the July 6 CID.

About the Federal Investigation into the National Association of Realtors

The July 6 CID signals an expansive DOJ antitrust investigation into over 20 separate NAR and MLS policies, practices, and rules.

CID signals an expansive DOJ antitrust investigation into over 20 separate NAR and MLS policies, practices, and rules. The CID is focused on the mandatory offer of compensation to brokers, an existential threat to NAR.

The CID targets the NAR segregation rule, with major potential implications for Zillow. REX is challenging Zillow's adoption of the segregation rule, and the CID demonstrates a clear interest by DOJ while the federal judge in the REX case greenlighted the case for discovery.

The full CID can be read here.

Contact:

Colin Maynard

[email protected]

SOURCE REX

Related Links

www.rexhomes.com


STILWELL, Okla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Redbird Bioscience , an Oklahoma-based licensed medical cannabis operator that produces pharmaceutical-grade products for patients, today announced the completion of the Company's 7,890 sq ft extraction and processing facility and the hiring of Marcus Moates as Director of Product Development. As one of Oklahoma's largest processing facilities by production capacity, the new facility is adequately designed for utilizing all major extraction techniques to accommodate the rapid demand in the state.

The new, state-of-the art extraction and processing facility and key new hire Marcus Moates will guide Redbird's strategic developments in private labeling, toll processing, and flex manufacturing for its own and additional key brands in the state. This extraction capacity also opens the door to the possibility of producing distillate for licensed third parties through partnerships or joint ventures which could add a substantial revenue stream for Redbird.

"With the opening of the facility, Redbird will showcase the power of our growing portfolio and continue to position us to retain the lion's share of retail sales as the Oklahoma market grows," said Bill Thurman, CEO of Redbird Ventures LLC. "Marcus Moates expertise will be valuable in expanding Redbird's product offerings while never wavering from delivering safe products in accordance with our high quality and purity standards."

Moates' previous experience as CEO and Founder of Nature's Lab Extracts has given him an extensive background in extraction. Moates has also consulted for publicly traded cannabis companies such as MedMen and Flower 1. In his new role, Moates will oversee the Processing facilities staffing and operations, set the facility up for METRC ahead of its implementation in the State, and bring in the proper genetics/strains to allow Redbird to address the needs of the patients of Oklahoma. His brand, Nature's Lab, will now operate under the Redbird Bioscience license in Oklahoma.

"Redbird has created a distribution network in Oklahoma that positions itself to meet the demands of patients across the state of a quality product at an affordable price," stated Moates. "I am excited to be a part of the Company's expansion and Redbird's mission in ensuring the highest-quality and safest cannabis products for patients."

The new extraction and manufacturing facility is currently offering solventless extracted concentrates such as cured and live rosins, ethanol extracted vape carts, bulk distillate, and pre-rolled cannabis products. The offerings will continue to expand throughout 4Q to include at minimum four new product SKUs from butane hash oil (BHO) extracted concentrates and solventless extraction processes. As Redbird continues to unlock its processing potential, the operator will add new CPGs such as gel-caps using its TechnoPhar encapsulating technology.

About Redbird Bioscience

Redbird Bioscience, along with Redbird Growers, are licensed Oklahoma medical marijuana operators with an emphasis on large-scale cultivation and processing as the cornerstone of building out distribution and brands in the legal cannabis industry. The Redbird companies provide cultivation, extraction, and processing to provide pharmaceutical grade cannabis in the state of Oklahoma, which is accessible to patients in neighboring states. For more information, please visit: www.redbirdmmj.com.

SOURCE Redbird Bioscience

Related Links

http://redbirdmmj.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Revelation Partners, a healthcare investment firm that provides flexible capital solutions, announced today it is expanding its team with the appointments of Dr. Doug Fisher, as Partner and Liz Staley, as Chief Compliance Officer. With over $900 million of capital under management, a rapidly growing investment portfolio, and $350 million of new capital to invest, these additions to the team will both expand the firm's technical expertise and strengthen the firm's foundation.

Both Dr. Fisher and Ms. Staley have been integral members of the team. In Dr. Fisher's case, he has long standing relationships with each of the Managing Partners and has served the firm as a Venture Partner for more than a year. As for Ms. Staley, she has managed Revelation Partners' compliance program since September 2014 through her prior roles at Leerink Capital Partners and Silicon Valley Bank. With these appointments, Revelation Partners will continue to create customized solutions, which provide liquidity, align shareholders, and support the growth of privately held healthcare companies.

"Doug and Liz have already distinguished themselves as exemplary members of the Revelation Partners team, and we're thrilled to leverage their extensive experience to continue expanding our team and accelerating our unique investment model during this exciting time in healthcare investments," said Scott Halsted, Founder and Managing Partner at Revelation Partners.

Dr. Fisher brings a wealth of healthcare investment experience to Revelation Partners. Prior to joining the firm, he spent 15 years at New Leaf Ventures and InterWest Partners focusing on biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics investments. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with honors and distinction, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with distinction from Stanford, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Fisher earned a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and received an MBA from Wharton, where he graduated with honors as a Siebel Scholar and Palmer Scholar.

As the firm's newly appointed Chief Compliance Officer, Revelation Partners will bring "in-house" the compliance program services Ms. Staley has provided the firm since 2014 through her prior employers. Ms. Staley has over 20 years of financial services experience with more than 16 years in a compliance role. Prior to joining Leerink, Ms. Staley's roles included: Senior Compliance Officer at Hermes Fund Managers, Compliance Officer at Summit Partners, Fund Administrator at Summit Partners, and Portfolio Assistant at Eaton Vance Management. Ms. Staley holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Emmanuel College and holds the Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) designation.

-----

Revelation Partners

Revelation Partners provides flexible capital solutions to the healthcare ecosystem. These customized solutions provide liquidity, align shareholders and support the growth of privately-held healthcare companies. The firm's long-term approach allows it to address the issues faced by a wide range of counterparties, including founders, company management teams, institutional investors (including general partners), and limited partners.

With decades of investing experience, deep sector expertise, an extensive industry network and over $900 million of committed capital, Revelation Partners is a trusted partner to healthcare companies, investors, founders, and funds. For more information, please visit: www.revelation-partners.com.

Media Contacts:

Revelation Partners

Fred Lee

415-308-3896

[email protected]

SOURCE Revelation Partners

Related Links

https://www.revelation-partners.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Safar Partners, a seed- to growth-stage venture fund investing in technology companies, announced today that its portfolio company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) achieved a historic breakthrough in clean energy generation through commercial fusion. CFS, in partnership with MIT, successfully tested the world's strongest high-temperature superconducting fusion magnet.

"Safar Partners congratulates the entire team at Commonwealth Fusion Systems for the extraordinary milestone achieved with the first-of-its-kind superconducting magnets," said Nader Motamedy, a Safar Managing Partner. "Fusion energy will provide a truly limitless opportunity for the future of our world. We are proud to be one of the first investors in CFS. We're excited to continue our collaboration and financial support as the company meets future milestones."

The historic test was conducted on September 5th at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center. The findings established that the novel CFS magnets can create a powerful enough magnetic field to achieve net positive energy from fusion within a compact device known as a tokamak. Tokamaks use magnets to confine plasma within a donut-shaped device and have been built and tested worldwide. Using new commercially available high temperature superconductors (HTS) to build high field magnets will enable the company to build smaller, more cost-effective tokamaks to deliver the fastest path to commercial fusion energy.

"Commonwealth Fusion was the first of Safar's many investments in MIT ventures and spinout companies, and as such holds a very special place in our portfolio," said Arunas Chesonis, also a Safar Managing Partner. "Safar Partners' exposure to innovation initiatives within MIT range from artificial intelligence and advanced materials to life sciences and clean energy technologies. Safar is excited to be so active in the Boston entrepreneurial ecosystem."

The early investment in CFS from Safar Partners includes a significant position held by Hostplus  one of Australia's largest pension funds with $68 billion in AUM, and an anchor investor in Safar Partners.

CFS CEO Bob Mumgaard explained that the record-breaking magnet was the product of three years of research, design, manufacturing and testing to perfect the highly efficient technology. The September 5th test at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center demonstrated that, using a tiny fraction of the energy required in similar previous tests (30 watts as opposed to 200,000,000 watts), the CFS HTS magnet can generate intense magnetic fields capable of producing net positive energy from fusion reactions.

"There is now a clear path to fusion power and global clean energy for the first time," Mumgaard said. "The world needs a fundamentally new technology that will support efforts to decarbonize on a timeline that can mitigate climate change. This test of our magnet proves we have that technology, and we're on our way to producing clean, limitless energy for the entire world. It has been great to work with Safar and Hostplus who understand the power of technology to transform the world and have the wherewithal to enable the highest impact companies to grow to their full potential."

CFS' HTS magnet technology will next be used in "SPARC," a compact fusion device which is under construction in Devens, Massachusetts and is on track to demonstrate net positive energy from fusion by 2025. SPARC will pave the way for the first commercially viable fusion power plant.

"One of the best examples of our commitment to sustainability has been the partnership between Hostplus and Safar regarding our investment in Commonwealth Fusion Systems," said David Elia, CEO of Hostplus. "Fusion energy on the scale required to significantly decarbonize our planet is why Hostplus will continue to support CFS and MIT."

About Safar Partners

Safar Partners is a seed- to growth-stage venture fund investing primarily in technology companies out of MIT, Harvard, and the University of Rochester. Safar takes advantage of the principles of private equity to create value as our companies scale beyond initial prototypes. We accelerate the scaling of our portfolio companies through the formation of spinouts or joint ventures to address additional markets, industries, or geographies. For more about Safar Partners, visit https://www.safar.partners.

About CFS

CFS is on track to bring fusion energy technology to market. CFS was spun out of MIT and combines the decades of research experience of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center with the innovation and speed of the private sector. Supported by the world's leading investors in breakthrough energy technologies, CFS is uniquely positioned to deliver the fastest path to commercial fusion energy. For more about CFS, visit http://www.cfs.energy.

SOURCE Safar Partners

Related Links

http://www.safar.partners


Janveja is director of finance & strategy at MSB Holdings Inc., a health technology company based in Austin. He has 17 years of advisory experience that includes M&A, capital markets and corporate finance. He has worked at investment firms in Chicago and New York, and began his investment banking career in the Global Mergers & Acquisitions group at Banc of America Securities LLC in New York.

"Sagar's extensive background in middle-market HRM and technology transactions is a good match for Capital Alliance, as we expand our team in these two active sectors for M&A," said Bryan Livingston, managing director and CEO of Oaklins Capital Alliance. "Sagar brings strategic advisory expertise to our HRM and technology clients."

Janveja's transaction experience includes the sale of Staff One HR to Oasis Outsourcing, Inc., the second largest PEO in the U.S.; the sale of Action Labor to Waterfield Private Equity; the acquisition of Total HR by CoAdvantage; and the sale of WorkLogic HR to Vensure Employer Services.

He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan and an MBA degree concentrating in finance and international business from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

About Oaklins Capital Alliance Corp. ( www.cadallas.com )

Based in Dallas, Oaklins Member Firm Capital Alliance Corp. is a global mid-market investment banking firm, providing consulting services for mergers and acquisitions principally to founder-led companies. The company represents clients in selected markets, including human capital management, energy infrastructure and assets, information technology infrastructure, construction and engineering, and food production. Since its founding in 1976, the privately held firm has completed more than 230 transactions with an aggregate transaction value exceeding $3 billion. For three decades, Capital Alliance has been a member firm of Oaklins International, formerly M&A International, a membership organization of investment banking firms operating in the major economies of the world.

SOURCE Capital Alliance Corp.

Related Links

https://www.cadallas.com/


DENTON, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As beauty enthusiasts look for ways to express themselves, Sally Beauty continues its mission to be the go-to destination for all things DIY. Sally Beauty first solidified its spot as the leading omni-channel hair color retailer by offering consumers the widest assortment, with over 1,200 shades in professional, vibrant brights, and root touch-up hair color. This summer, Sally Beauty continued its DIY expansion by also focusing on the nail category.

"With self-expression and innovation at the forefront of everything we do, we want consumers to have the ability to try any color, nail effect, or style," said Pam Kohn, Chief Merchandising Officer, Sally Beauty. "By further expanding our lineup, we are a one-stop destination where DIY hair color and nail enthusiasts can find a vast collection of shades, technology, and tools from top brands and exclusive brands that can only be found at Sally Beauty."

The retailer has a pulse on the latest trends and is always looking for new brands, innovation, and categories to offer consumers the products they need now. Dip powder manicures are currently the hottest trend and Sally Beauty is ready with an industry-leading assortment of over 95 dip powder shades available in-store and online. Consumers have access to a vast assortment of professional-quality products and brands like Gelish Xpress Dip Powder along with dip powder from exclusive brands like Beauty Secrets and ASP.

"Dip powder manicures are the latest nail trend, but it can be difficult to find all of the products needed to accomplish this look. We make sure our assortment includes the products consumers need to master this technique at home by stocking all-in-one starter kits, top coats, base coats, and of course our industry-leading assortment of dip powder shades. We provide avid DIYers with the tools they need to replicate salon-style manicures at home," shared Kohn.

When it comes to nail polish, Sally Beauty has an extensive range of shades from coveted brands like OPI and China Glaze. Building upon this strong foundation, Sally Beauty is expanding its assortment by adding over 200 new shades from top brands like Nails Inc., Sally Hansen, ASP, and Morgan Taylor, increasing its offering to nearly 800 shades. Tools from Japonesque, the ever-popular Baby Foot Exfoliating Foot Peel, and nail extensions from Patti Yankee, a 2021 Cultivate Program winner, round out the new nail brands available at Sally Beauty. It doesn't stop there; Sally Beauty's nail portfolio will continue to grow with new shades, innovation, and technology being introduced this year.

In addition to an unmatched assortment of shades and innovation for consumers to experiment with and express themselves, Sally Beauty is a leading innovator when it comes to DIY education. DIY University by Sally Beauty , the retailer's education platform, provides hands-on tutorials on a wide range of topics from the latest trends in hair styling, hair color, and of course, nails.

For more information about Sally Beauty's full breadth of nail collections and to find all the tools and resources to master DIY nails, visit SallyBeauty.com/Nails.

About Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SBH), as the leader in professional hair color, sells and distributes professional beauty supplies globally through its Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group businesses. The Company operates approximately 5,000 stores, including 142 franchised locations. Sally Beauty Supply stores offer up to 8,000 products for hair color, hair care, skin care, and nails through proprietary brands such as Ion, Generic Value Products, Beyond the Zone and Silk Elements as well as professional lines such as Wella, Clairol, OPI, Conair and Hot Shot Tools. Beauty Systems Group stores, branded as CosmoProf or Armstrong McCall stores, along with its outside sales consultants, sell up to 10,500 professionally branded products including Paul Mitchell, Wella, Matrix, Schwarzkopf, Kenra, Goldwell, Joico and CHI, intended for use in salons and for resale by salons to retail consumers. For more information about Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., please visit https://www.sallybeautyholdings.com/.

SOURCE Sally Beauty Supply LLC

Related Links

http://www.sallybeauty.com/


LISSES, France and PARIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sebia, a world leader in diagnostics in the fields of multiple myeloma and chronic diseases, and Metafora biosystems ("Metafora") today announced a strategic partnership to develop a portfolio of in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) solutions based on Metafora's technology platform. Metafora leverages a single-cell AI-powered diagnostic platform for the detection of cellular metabolism anomalies. In conjunction with the agreement, Sphinx, Sebia's parent company, has acquired a minority share in Metafora.

Jean-Marc Chermette, Chairman and CEO of Sebia, said: "We are excited to partner with Metafora biosystems, and to apply their innovative technology to make significant strides in the field of cancer and metabolic disease diagnostics. Our initial focus will be on applications in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, where Sebia is the world leader, and we then expect to work together in other therapeutic areas."

Vincent Petit, co-founder and CEO of Metafora, said: "Sebia's commitment, both strategically and financially, is a key milestone in Metafora's development and highlights and validates the potential of our platform. Sebia's investment enables us to accelerate our R&D programs and prepare for commercial launches between now and 2023. We look forward to collaborating with Sebia's team and learning from their wealth of expertise in diagnostics to accelerate our development."

The partnership between Sebia and Metafora focuses on the development of new analytical methods, in particular in hematology. Hemato-oncology still suffers from a lack of robust diagnostic tests on which to base informed therapeutic decisions and the two partners aim to tackle these unmet needs.

Pierre Sonigo, Chief Scientific Officer of the Sebia Group, said "Metafora's technology achieves the equivalent of a PET-Scan, the reference technology for cancer imaging, on "liquid biopsies", i.e., from a simple blood sample. The resolution of this analysis, which is based on flow cytometry, is the highest achievable since the sample is analyzed at a single cell level. This partnership expands the range of Sebia's electrophoresis and mass spectrometry technologies, optimizing the diagnosis and monitoring of cancers and chronic diseases".

About Sebia

Founded in 1967, Sebia is the world's leading supplier of equipment and reagents for clinical protein electrophoresis, a technology used for the screening and follow-up diagnosis of various pathologies, mainly in oncology (Multiple Myeloma) and also metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hemoglobinopathies and some rare diseases. The company is headquartered in Lisses, France, and is present in more than 120 countries.

Sebia is owned by CVC Capital Partners, Tethys Invest and the Caisse des Depots et Placements du Quebec.

www.sebia.com

About Metafora

METAFORA biosystems is developing an innovative technology, capable of assessing the nutrient requirements of cells in a simple and rapid manner, and thus of evaluating and detecting anomalies in their energy needs. Proprietary reagents and state-of-the-art algorithms are at the heart of the technology platform and allow the detection of "metabolic reprogramming" induced during many disease processes.

The company plans to launch in Europe in 2022 its first diagnostic test, METAglut1, dedicated to the early diagnosis of De Vivo disease, a neurometabolic disorder. The company is actively developing its IVD platform for oncology applications. Beyond IVD, the company has two other pillars: AI software to support the deployment of flow cytometry assays, and a solution to increase the clinical efficacy of cell therapies and reduce production costs.

www.metafora-biosystems.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630762/Sebia_Metafora_biosystems_Logo.jpg

Contact Media

Guillaume Camard

[email protected]

SOURCE Sebia; Metafora biosystems

Related Links

www.sebia.com


DENVER, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Urgent Care Solutions is pleased to announce that COO Shay Kerman is one of this year's winners of the Denver Business Journal's C-Suite Awards, which are given to C-suite executives who have made outstanding contributions to the Denver area.

These awards from the Denver Business Journal are presented to senior executives who best help their fellow C-level executives attain their visions. Winners have shown extraordinary resilience, fortitude, agility, and thought leadership during the past year, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and related issues. There is no set number of winners of this award.

In order to be eligible for an award, a nominee must be a C-level executive and predominantly work in the Denver area. The nominee's company must also have a significant presence here.

Nominees were scored according to their impacts at their organizations, within their industries, and within the Denver-area community. This year, 34 C-suite executives received awards.

Kevin Pitts, Publisher at the Denver Business Journal (DBJ), notes that the paper has an "ongoing theme of transformation" during 2021. "This theme, connecting all of our signature awards programs, is a reflection of a nearly two-year period of historic change in the way people live and companies do business as the Covid-19 pandemic continues."

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Urgent Care Solutions, Shay Kerman is able to take direct action on her belief that healthcare is a human right. Urgent Care Solutions provides a bridge between primary care providers and emergency rooms.

"As the pandemic started, many health care facilities closed completely. Our entire team at Urgent Care Solutions found ways to continue to allow community members to exercise their right to healthcare. We offered drive-up services, telemedicine, and other solutions right away."

"I'm very happy to have found a way that helps all of the people in the Denver area," Shay Kerman said. "Everyone should have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare no matter where they live. I am grateful that the importance of my contribution, not only to Urgent Care but to the area in general, has been recognized with this award."

Kerman and the other winners of the 2021 Denver Business Journal's C-Suite Awards were announced to the public at an awards luncheon held at Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House.

About Urgent Care Solutions

Urgent Care Solutions was founded to be a bridge between primary care offices and emergency rooms. Our outpatient centers can treat any injuries and non-acute/non-life threatening health conditions. We also offer a variety of peripheral services, such as physicals, to help with your job or school requirements.

SOURCE Urgent Care Solutions
TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shimadzu Medical Systems USA, a leading manufacturer of advanced medical X-ray imaging systems, has announced that the Trinias unity edition product line has been awarded a contract from Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest health care performance improvement company, effective September 1, 2021.The agreement for Trinias unity edition product line, which consists of the Cardiac and Vascular Interventional digital angiography systems, offers enhanced savings to Vizient members.

The Trinias unity edition is available in several configurations with both Floor and Ceiling mounted C-Arms to meet both Cardiac and Vascular requirements with a range of flat panel detectors, including 8",12" and 16" sizes. Bi-Plane configurations for 8" and 12" are also available for Cardiac and Neurology. "Shimadzu intraoperative x-ray systems have some unique features that improve both operator efficiency and workflow as well as patient comfort and safety," says Tim Stevener, Shimadzu's Director of the IXR product line. Stevener goes on to say, "exclusive features like reciprocal space mapping-digital angiography system provides incredible images even if the patient unexpectantly moves, while STENTVIEW, using artificial intelligence, allows the physician to visualize even the smallest wires and stents used."

Shimadzu currently has general diagnostic X-ray imaging equipment on contract with Vizient and available for purchase, and has been awarded a new agreement for these products that is effective on Oct 1, 2021, offering the following systems:

RADspeed PRO radiographic systems series featuring POWERGLIDE

MobileDaRt MX8 DR mobiles with Canon or Konica FPD's

SONIALVISION G4LX - Advanced Universal RF system

FLUOROspeed X1 - Patient-side RF Table System

Tom Kloetzly, Vice President of National Sales and Marketing states, "With the contract for the Trinias unity edition, Shimadzu's complete X-ray product portfolio is available to Vizient members nationally at contracted pricing."

Vizient is the largest member-driven performance improvement company in the country. Vizient's diverse membership and customer base includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers. Vizient membership represents more than $110 billion in annual purchasing volume.

About Shimadzu Medical Systems USA

Shimadzu Corporation, founded in 1875 in Kyoto, Japan, and the parent of Shimadzu Medical Systems USA (SMS), is a global provider of medical diagnostic equipment including conventional, interventional, and digital X-ray systems. Shimadzu Medical Systems USA is headquartered in Torrance, California, with sales and service offices located throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Canada. Its sales and marketing office is in Cleveland, Ohio, and has direct operations in Dallas, Texas and Kenmore, Washington. Visit Shimadzu Medical Systems USA at www.shimadzu-usa.com or call: (800) 228-1429.

To learn more about Shimadzu's advanced X-ray imaging systems and innovative technologies, please register for access to our new virtual Healthcare Center: https://www.shimadzuhealthcaresolutions.com/dollhouse-view/

For information, Contact: Frank Serrao

[email protected]

SOURCE Shimadzu Medical Systems USA

Related Links

www.ssi.shimadzu.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C. and NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Barings BDC, Inc. (NYSE: BBDC) ("Barings BDC") and Sierra Income Corporation ("Sierra") announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Sierra will merge with and into Barings BDC (the "Transaction"). The combined company, which will remain externally managed by Barings LLC, is expected to have approximately $2.2 billion of investments on a pro forma basis. The boards of directors of both companies, the Sierra Special Committee, which is comprised of all of the independent directors of Sierra, and the independent directors of Barings BDC have unanimously approved the Transaction, which is currently expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Sierra stockholders will receive aggregate consideration in the form of cash and stock consideration valued at approximately $623.7 million based on Barings BDC's June 30, 2021 net asset value ("NAV") of $11.39 per share and representing total book value consideration of $6.10 per fully diluted Sierra share. On a market value basis, based on the closing price of Barings BDC common stock on September 20, 2021, the Transaction represents total consideration for Sierra stockholders of approximately $588.6 million or approximately $5.76 per Sierra share, representing a premium of 6.1% to Sierra's NAV as of June 30, 2021.

Sierra's stockholders will receive 0.44973 shares of Barings BDC common stock for each share of Sierra common stock, resulting in approximately 46.0 million newly issued Barings BDC shares, having a total value of approximately $523.7 million, or $5.12 per fully diluted Sierra share, based on Barings BDC's June 30, 2021 NAV of $11.39 per share. In addition, Barings LLC will pay $100 million in cash, or approximately $0.98 per share, directly to Sierra stockholders at closing. Following the Transaction, Barings BDC's pro forma equity base is expected to be approximately $1.3 billion and Barings BDC stockholders and Sierra stockholders are expected to own approximately 58.7% and 41.3%, respectively, of the combined company.

In addition, Barings LLC will enter into a credit support agreement ("CSA") with Barings BDC, for the benefit of the combined company, to protect against net cumulative unrealized and realized losses of up to $100.0 million on the acquired Sierra investment portfolio over the next 10 years.

Additionally, Barings LLC will amend its current investment advisory agreement with Barings BDC to raise the incentive fee hurdle rate from 8.0% to 8.25%, effective as of closing.

Barings BDC will also provide up to $30.0 million in secondary-market support via accretive share repurchases over a 12-month period in the event the combined company's shares trade below a specific level of NAV per share following the completion of the first quarterly period ended after the consummation of the Transaction, subject to covenant and regulatory constraints (including Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).

Barings BDC has agreed that, on the closing date, it will increase the size of its board of directors and cause two current independent members of the board of directors of Sierra to be selected by Barings BDC to be appointed to the Barings BDC board of directors as Class II directors.

In connection with the closing of the proposed Transaction, Sierra will repay all outstanding amounts under its existing credit facility and any remaining obligations thereunder will be terminated.

Barings BDC believes that the increased size and scale of the combined company will create many strategic and financial benefits to shareholders and will position the combined company to capitalize on favorable market conditions. Including the financial support provided by Barings LLC, it is anticipated that the combination will provide the following benefits:

NII and NAV Accretion: Barings BDC estimates net investment income per share to be $0.24 in the first full quarter post-closing compared to $0.22 per share during the second quarter of 2021. This would represent a net investment income yield of 8.25% on pro forma NAV. Barings BDC further estimates short-term NAV accretion of approximately 4% and additional long-term accretion to NAV as assets acquired are realized and repositioned into Barings BDC's directly originated investments;

Barings BDC estimates net investment income per share to be in the first full quarter post-closing compared to per share during the second quarter of 2021. This would represent a net investment income yield of 8.25% on pro forma NAV. Barings BDC further estimates short-term NAV accretion of approximately 4% and additional long-term accretion to NAV as assets acquired are realized and repositioned into Barings BDC's directly originated investments; Barings BDC Share Liquidity: Barings BDC's pro forma trading liquidity profile after closing as implied by the public BDC peer set suggests an approximate 80% increase in Barings BDC's current 3-month average daily trading volume;

Barings BDC's pro forma trading liquidity profile after closing as implied by the public BDC peer set suggests an approximate 80% increase in Barings BDC's current 3-month average daily trading volume; Diversification: The combined portfolio will have 245 portfolio companies with top 10 companies representing approximately 17% of the portfolio on a pro forma basis;

The combined portfolio will have 245 portfolio companies with top 10 companies representing approximately 17% of the portfolio on a pro forma basis; Business Resilience and Financial Flexibility: The combined entity will achieve greater business resilience and financial flexibility through increased access to the institutional, index-eligible investment grade debt capital markets at a lower cost of capital;

The combined entity will achieve greater business resilience and financial flexibility through increased access to the institutional, index-eligible investment grade debt capital markets at a lower cost of capital; Cost Synergy: Approximately $8.1 million of identified expense synergies associated with the combination driven by redundant general & administrative expenses across two platforms; and

Approximately of identified expense synergies associated with the combination driven by redundant general & administrative expenses across two platforms; and Best-in-Class Shareholder Alignment: Through an increased incentive fee hurdle rate from 8.0% to 8.25%, a $100 million credit support agreement, and up to $30 million in share repurchases.

"We are very excited to announce that we have entered into an agreement to purchase Sierra Income Corporation. This combination will create a scaled top-10 BDC with enhanced earnings profile, portfolio diversification, and best-in-class shareholder alignment," said Eric Lloyd, Chairman of the Barings BDC Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Barings BDC.

"We believe the transaction provides significant immediate and long-term value for all shareholders and further distinguishes Barings as a leader in shareholder alignment. We would like to thank the Sierra Special Committee for their trust and diligent work on this transaction," said Jonathan Bock, Chief Financial Officer of Barings BDC.

"Following a robust strategic alternatives process conducted by the Special Committee, our Board unanimously determined that the merger with Barings BDC is the best outcome to maximize Sierra stockholder value and interests. The transaction provides our stockholders with liquidity and immediate cash value along with an immediately accruing strong dividend, a best-in-class fee structure as well as the opportunity to benefit from ownership in a larger and more diversified global investment platform with a track record of generating stable and consistent returns," said Stephen Byers, Independent Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sierra and Chair of the Sierra Special Committee.

Consummation of the Transaction is subject to Barings BDC and Sierra stockholder approval, customary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Wells Fargo Securities served as sole financial advisor and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Barings BDC. Broadhaven Capital Partners served as financial advisor and Sullivan & Worcester LLP served as legal counsel to Sierra.

Conference Call to Discuss the Transaction

Barings BDC has scheduled a conference call to discuss the Transaction for Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. ET.

To listen to the call, please dial 877-407-8831 or 201-493-6736 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A taped replay will be made available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and will remain available until October 6, 2021. To access the replay, please dial 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 and enter conference ID 13723050.

This conference call will also be available via a live webcast on the investor relations section of Barings BDC's website at https://ir.barings.com/ir-calendar. Access the website 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to download and install any necessary audio software. An archived webcast replay will be available on Barings BDC's website until October 6, 2021.

A copy of the presentation that will be discussed during the call is available on the investor relations section of Barings BDC's website at https://ir.barings.com/presentations.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains, and statements made on the webcast/conference call will contain, "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical facts, are not guarantees of future performance or results of Barings BDC, Sierra, or, following the Transaction, the combined company, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the completion of the proposed Transaction. Such forward-looking statements may include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "may," "might," "will," "intend," "should," "could," "can," "would," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "plan" or similar words. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in filings made by Barings BDC or Sierra with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those contained in the Proxy Statement (as defined below), when such documents become available. Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected, including the uncertainties associated with (i) the timing or likelihood of the Transaction closing, (ii) the expected synergies and savings associated with the Transaction, (iii) the expected elimination of certain expenses and costs due to the Transaction, (iv) the percentage of Sierra's stockholders voting in favor of the Transaction, (v) estimates of the combined company's net investment income or NAV accretion , (vi) the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals for Sierra will be made; (vii) the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the Transaction may not be satisfied or waived; (viii) risks related to diverting the attention of Barings BDC's management or Sierra's management from ongoing business operations, (ix) the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the Transaction may result in significant costs of defense and liability, (x) the future operating results of the combined company or Barings BDC's, Sierra's or the combined company's portfolio companies, (xi) regulatory approvals and other factors, (xii) changes in regional or national economic conditions, including but not limited to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their impact on the industries in which Barings BDC and Sierra invest, (xiii) changes to the form and amounts of Sierra's tax obligations, (xiv) fluctuations in the market price of Barings BDC's common stock, (xv) the Transaction's effect on the relationships of Barings BDC or Sierra with their respective investors, portfolio companies, lenders and service providers, whether or not the Transaction is completed, (xvi) the reduction in Barings BDC's stockholders' and Sierra's stockholders' percentage ownership and voting power in the combined company, (xvii) the challenges and costs presented by the integration of Barings BDC and Sierra, (xviii) the uncertainty of third-party approvals, (xix) the significant Transaction costs, (xx) the restrictions on Barings BDC's and Sierra's conduct of business set forth in the definitive merger agreement and (xxi) other changes in the conditions of the industries in which Barings BDC and Sierra invest and other factors enumerated in Barings BDC's and Sierra's filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are and will be based upon Barings BDC management's and Sierra management's respective then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance, and speak only as of the date any such statement is made. Neither Barings BDC nor Sierra undertakes any duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication relates to a proposed business combination involving Barings BDC and Sierra, along with related proposals for which stockholder approval will be sought (collectively, the "Proposals"). In connection with the proposed Transaction, Barings BDC and Sierra plan to file with the SEC and mail to their respective stockholders a joint proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the "Proxy Statement"), and Barings BDC plans to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form N-14 (the "Registration Statement") that will include the Proxy Statement and a prospectus of Barings BDC. The Proxy Statement and the Registration Statement will each contain important information about Barings BDC, Sierra, the proposed Transaction and related matters. STOCKHOLDERS OF EACH OF BARINGS BDC AND SIERRA ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT AND THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BARINGS BDC, SIERRA, THE TRANSACTION AND THE PROPOSALS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov and, for documents filed by Barings BDC, from the Barings BDC website at http://www.baringsbdc.com or for documents filed by Sierra, from the Sierra website at http://www.sierraincomecorp.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

Barings BDC and Sierra and their respective directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of Barings LLC, SIC Advisors LLC and their respective affiliates, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Barings BDC and Sierra in connection with the Proposals. Information about the directors and executive officers of Barings BDC is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2021. Information about the directors and executive officers of Sierra is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 28, 2021. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of Barings BDC's and Sierra's stockholders in connection with the Proposals will be contained in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when such documents become available. Investors should read the Proxy Statement and Registration Statement carefully and in their entirety when they become available before making any voting or investment decisions. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, a prospectus or an advertisement and the communication of this press release is not, and under no circumstances is it to be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities in Barings BDC, Sierra or in any fund or other investment vehicle. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933.

About Barings BDC

Barings BDC, Inc. (NYSE: BBDC) is a publicly traded, externally managed investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Barings BDC seeks to invest primarily in senior secured loans in middle-market companies that operate across a wide range of industries. Barings BDC's investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Barings LLC, a leading global asset manager based in Charlotte, NC with $382+ billion* of AUM firm-wide.

About Sierra Income Corporation

Sierra is a non-traded business development company that invests primarily in first lien senior secured debt, second lien secured debt and, to a lesser extent, subordinated debt of middle market companies in a broad range of industries with annual revenue between $50 million and $1 billion. Sierra's investment objective is to generate current income, and to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. Sierra is externally managed by SIC Advisors LLC, which is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. For additional information, please visit Sierra Income Corporation at www.sierraincomecorp.com.

About Barings LLC

Barings is a $382+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of June 30, 2021

Barings BDC Contacts:

Media Contact:

Cheryl Krauss, Media Relations, Barings, 980-417-5858, [email protected]

Investor Relations:

[email protected], 888-401-1088

Sierra Contact:

Investor Relations and Media Contact:

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

Andy Brimmer

212-355-4449

SOURCE Barings BDC, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.baringsbdc.com


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SKUx, an innovative fintech company redefining the way consumer offers are delivered, redeemed, settled and reported, today announced the appointment of Jack Lord, a highly accomplished growth leader, as senior vice president of sales. Lord, who comes to SKUx from Blackhawk Network, has an exceptional track record of driving growth and business relationships for innovative payments and marketing services companies serving consumer goods and retail companies.

Lord joins SKUx as the company pioneers a new fintech category of payment-based offers, called SKUPay. SKUPay is set to replace today's outdated world and process of coupons, rebates, promotional offers, and settlement, solving long-term industry challenges for retailers, consumer brands, and marketing agencies and unlocking billions of dollars in value currently being lost to fraud and inefficiency. SKUx delivers a powerful end-to-end payments-based system across offer delivery, redemption, settlement and reporting that requires no special integration by retailers or brands.

"Jack is the right executive to help us move the industry beyond an old archaic system to a new world of payment-based offers and settlement while he drives our revenue and business development efforts forward," Jim Sampey, SKUx Co-Founder and CEO. "SKUx and the SKUPay category deliver breakthrough benefits for consumers, retailers and brand marketers alike. We're excited that Jack is joining the SKUx team."

Lord held several senior leadership roles at Blackhawk, including group vice president of sales and services. He managed a sales, services and channel organization of 300 people and helped grow Blackhawk sales to $11.5 billion, achieving a cumulative annual growth rate of plus-25 percent. SKUx and Blackhawk are strategic partners. Previously, Lord served as senior vice president of sales for Advantage Sales and Marketing, a global leader in outsourced sales and marketing solutions to consumer goods companies and retailers.

"SKUx is uniquely positioned to transform and turbocharge offers and settlement for the consumer products and retail industries," said Lord. "By virtually eliminating fraud and turning settlements into a daily occurrence for retailers, SKUPay creates massive value for our industry and its consumers. Brands will gain rapid insights into their promotional campaigns and unmatched flexibility and reach into the retail channels they serve and the consumers they engage. I'm excited to be part of this payments transformation for our industry."

The "Powered by SKUx" Difference:

SKUx-powered payment-based offers reinvent and simplify the world of consumer offers to bring previously unachievable consumer engagement, trust, transparency, immediacy and control to consumer brands, marketers and retailers. SKUPay works like currency, not an IOU like coupons. Key advantages include:

Powers virtually any channel of consumer engagement anywhere you choose to deliver your offer, from store shelves, email, social media, mobile, on-pack, display media, and more.

anywhere you choose to deliver your offer, from store shelves, email, social media, mobile, on-pack, display media, and more.

Eliminates fraud and misredemption replaces coupons, rebates, and promotional offers with trusted single-use, serialized offers that can be targeted down to the product SKU or UPC and automatically redeemed and processed without time-consuming and often inaccurate checkout clerk approvals.

replaces coupons, rebates, and promotional offers with trusted single-use, serialized offers that can be targeted down to the product SKU or UPC and automatically redeemed and processed without time-consuming and often inaccurate checkout clerk approvals.

Daily processing and settlement retailers are reimbursed daily, not in weeks or months.

retailers are reimbursed daily, not in weeks or months.

Unparalleled and immediate data visibility and control marketers can optimize campaign results and stay within predetermined budgets.

marketers can optimize campaign results and stay within predetermined budgets.

Intuitive and easy to use SKUPay is redeemable wherever mobile payments are accepted.

About SKUx

A leading fintech innovator, SKUx gives brands and retailers the power to deliver secure, intuitive digital offers anywhere, anytime, at the speed of today's consumer. SKUx transforms virtually any coupon, rebate, or promotional offer into payment-based offer for the world's leading retailers, brands, and marketing agencies. The company's patent-pending Smart Incentives platform as a service combines offer details, serialization, funding, and settlement to increase customer loyalty and create new opportunities for consumer engagement. The result  new incremental revenue, improved efficiency, and laser sharp transparency for all industry stakeholders. For more information, visit www.skux.io.

Media Contact:

Kevin Sugarman

[email protected]com

408.677.5311

SOURCE SKUx

Related Links

https://skux.io/


Skyscanner Reveals Surge In Interest For US Trips Following Travel Announcement

- Travelers in the UK and Germany leapt at the chance to plan US trips, with the visitors on Skyscanner's UK site rising by 74%, and Skyscanner.de traffic increasing by 28% immediately following the announcement

- The news also drove confidence for US travelers, with visitors to the US Skyscanner platforms 20% higher compared with Monday 13th

- The US is currently the 7th most searched destination globally on Skyscanner in terms of volume (20th September), and we expect that to increase significantly as the announcement has now been confirmed.*

- The top searched destinations for UK tourists over the last month in order of popularity are New York, Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas

- The US has kept its place as second most popular destination. In a new Skyscanner poll (2000 UK respondents) United States was the second most requested destination for easing of travel restrictions, topped only by Spain.** This is unchanged from pre-pandemic times.

- Since the start of August, UK travelers have been searching to travel in November with the week of Thanksgiving being the most popular.
CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SomerCor, a Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified Development Company (CDC), announces the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors. The new board members span across the financial services industry, bringing new sector perspectives and expertise to the organization. These board members were recruited to help SomerCor expand their small business lending footprint, strengthen its commitment to diversity and inclusion, and help enhance economic development in under-resourced communities throughout Illinois.

"SomerCor has been serving small businesses and SBA 504 lending partners for more than 29 years. We know how critical it is for entrepreneurs to have access to capital to grow and create more jobs in our communities, especially in under-resourced urban neighborhoods and rural areas of Illinois," said Manuel Flores, President and CEO of SomerCor. "These Board appointments reflect our readiness to increase our lending and community development impact as a mission-based SBA lender."

James Bruno is Vice President, Area Manager for Business Banking at JPMorgan Chase. His team provides financial and banking services to businesses with revenues of $1-20 million. He has extensive commercial lending experience including SBA 7(a) and 504 financing.

Erica King is the President at Greenwood Archer Capital (GAC), a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). GAC provides technical assistance and loans up to $200,000 to minority owned businesses in Chicago and greater Cook County, Illinois.

Michael Martino is the head of Chicago Business Banking and Emerging Middle Market Banking at Fifth Third Bank. With nearly 20 years in the industry, he oversees Fifth Third's commercial business banking activities, including SBA lending throughout the Chicago region.

Julie Winterbauer is Vice President, Bank and Partner Relations at the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA). Based in Springfield, IL, she has been with the IBA for almost 20 years, leading member recruitment, partner relations, and networking events.

Simon Yohanan is Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Middle Market Banking at Commercial Banking at First Bank Chicago. He has over 20 years of community banking experience delivering financial solutions to middle market business and non-profits.

"I am proud to welcome these new members to the SomerCor Board and look forward to serving with them," said Jon Winick, SomerCor Board Chair. "Their professional experience and expertise enable us to provide SomerCor with more diverse, strategic guidance and strong, corporate governance."

The new members join Jon Winick (Clark Street Capital) and Manuel Flores (SomerCor) on the Board, whose members also include; Dean Avdalas (Byline Bank), Brian Burke (First Midwest Bank), Jeffrey Bronswick (Bronswick Benjamin P.C.), Lynn Dubajic (DLK, LLC), Thomas Huffman (Village Bank & Trust  A Wintrust Community Bank), Santiago Martinez (Gold Coast Bank), Michael Plumb (Lee & Associates of Illinois, LLC), Margy Sweeney (Akrete), and William W. Towns (Gorman & Company).

About SomerCor

SomerCor is a non-profit lender, certified by the Small Business Administration, that specializes in originating and servicing SBA 504 loans. Since its founding in 1992, SomerCor has funded over 2300 loans with a total volume of $1.44 billion. SomerCor also administers the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) and Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) grants for the city of Chicago.

Based in Chicago, the SomerCor mission is to grow businesses, create jobs, and increase impactful investment through access to capital. For more information visit www.somercor.com.

Contact:

Kim Brisky,

[email protected]

SOURCE SomerCor

Related Links

somercor.com


"Summer 2020 was a season of learning for Southwest Airlines in many ways; it heightened our awareness of social injustice and initiated an increased focus on our own diversity and inclusion efforts. We started with evolving our existing Company Values around how we show up individually, how we treat each other, and how we work as a Team," said Bob Jordan , Executive Vice and incoming CEO at Southwest Airlines. "We identified that the first step toward accomplishing these goals was concentrating on key areas such as diversifying Senior Leadership, enhancing diversity in hiring, providing mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, improving the retention and upward mobility of diverse talent, and training Leaders and Employees. In the past year, we have taken tangible steps to update the required infrastructure, processes, and practices to meet these objectives."

Today, the carrier is making steady progress in its processes to increase racial and gender diversity in Leadership. The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Department formed an Executive Steering Committee to support the strategic direction of this progress. Additional strides include evolving the Company's talent acquisition processes by requiring diverse candidate pools, inclusion training for all hiring Leaders, and the creation of a Diversity Recruiting Center of Excellence (COE). Southwest Airlines is currently working with more than 188 community partners in support of its efforts to continue developing diverse and inclusive talent pipelines and expanding recruiting efforts. Southwest also recently launched a formal Sponsorship and Mentorship Program and is enhancing its existing Supplier Diversity Program.

Southwest launched a DEI Employee resource website, created an Allyship Guide, and introduced the ability for Employees to develop diversity-focused groups. The purpose of these initiatives is to empower Employees to explore, educate, and further connect in the DEI space.

In 2021, the airline received numerous DEI-focused awards including:

Forbes, America's Best Employers for Diversity, 2021

Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, 2021

Latino Leaders Magazine, 25 Best Companies for Latinos to Work, 2021

Disability:IN Disability Equality Index, Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion, 2021

50 Women on 50 Boards, Accelerating Women to Corporate Boards, 2021

Viqtory Military Friendly, Military Friendly Employer-Gold; Military Friendly Supplier Diversity; Military Friendly Spouse Employer, 2021

National Diversity Council, Power 50 Award honoring Linda Rutherford , Executive Vice President People & Communications, 2021

"We recognize that our work is not done. Our goal is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive experience for all to thrive," Jordan stated. "We will continue to fuel this ongoing momentum as we strive for sustainable and systemic change through consistent progress."

Future Vision

In addition to evolving its current initiatives, the DEI Department is partnering with the Corporate Strategy Team on a five-year plan to build a DEI enterprise strategy. Southwest's motivation is to continue being a healthy organization where Employees thrive, feel appreciated, valued, and have an authentic sense of belonging. The goal is to provide regular progress updates on the Company's commitments, share a plan of action, and announce a long-standing DEI vision later this year.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 51st year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 54,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million Passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of point-to-point service with a strong presence across top leisure and business markets. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. In 2020, the carrier added service to Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami; Palm Springs, Calif.; Steamboat Springs; and Montrose (Telluride), Colo. Thus far in 2021, Southwest has initiated service to Chicago (O'Hare) and Sarasota/Bradenton both on Feb. 14; Savannah/Hilton Head and Colorado Springs both on March 11; Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara, Calif. both on April 12; Fresno, Calif. on April 25; Destin/Fort Walton Beach on May 6; Myrtle Beach, S.C. on May 23; Bozeman, Mont. on May 27; Jackson, Miss. on June 6; and Eugene, Ore. on Aug. 29. Southwest will begin service to Bellingham, Wash. on Nov. 7; and Syracuse on Nov. 14.

The carrier issued its Southwest Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees well-being and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, along with a federal mandate requiring every person to wear a mask at all times throughout each flight. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are available at Southwest.com/Promise.

Southwest coined Transfarency to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances). Southwest does not charge change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

Related Links

http://www.southwest.com


ST. LOUIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartech, a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastics and custom packaging solutions, is pleased to announce it will be attending the 2021 PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Nevada) and Healthcare Packaging EXPO, September 27-29. The event, produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is the only comprehensive packaging and processing trade show in the world this year and will be attended by over 1,500 exhibitors and more than 20,000 packaging and processing professionals.

"This is the one event that will reunite the entire industry this year and we look forward to participating in this internationally recognized gathering," said Spartech CEO John Inks. "We're also excited to showcase our PreservaPak food packaging options for use with refrigerated products and PreservaPak ULTRA for customized barrier solutions that meet specific shelf-life requirements."

Inks added that PreservaPak rollstock options are available for a wide array of food processing conditions from aseptic and modified atmosphere processing to hot, cold, and ambient form-fill-and-seal. All these solutions also include an option for recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

"With so many solutions on display and access to the top exhibitors and industry experts, attendees in Las Vegas can accomplish more in three days than a year's worth of research," said PMMI Vice President, Trade Shows, Laura Thompson. "So often we hear from past attendees who discovered technologies that solved challenges they didn't even know existed."

This year's event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Spartech Booth #6913).

About PMMI

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, represents more than 900 North American manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials as well as providers of related equipment and services to the packaging and processing industry. The company works to advance a variety of industries by connecting consumer goods companies with manufacturing solutions through the world-class PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, leading trade media and a wide range of resources to empower association members. For more information, visit www.pmmi.org

About Spartech

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri with a unique innovation center and 14 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, Spartech is a leading plastics manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic materials and specialty packaging products. Meeting exact standards for everything from food packaging to aerospace and automotive applications, Spartech continues to make a world of difference with sustainable, diverse, reliable and innovative products including UltraTuf, Royalite, Korad, PreservaPak, and Polycast. https://spartech.com

Media Contact:

For Spartech

Sheldon Ripson

[email protected]

636-751-5733

SOURCE Spartech
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) will be filing yet another FINRA arbitration claim against a brokerage firm for unsuitably recommending Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) products to a customer.

This time, the broker-dealer that we are pursuing for damages is Raymond James Financial Services. One of the firm's financial advisors unsuitably marketed and sold this off-shore entity's annuities through the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU).

UNFCU is an American credit union. Its members include United Nations employees, consultants, retirees, and their family members. Our client, who is a foreign national and a UNFCU member, entrusted Raymond James to help properly invest and protect their funds.

To be clear, there is usually nothing wrong with recommending off-shore annuities to investors. However, for investors looking for stability, Northstar (Bermuda) annuities were too risky from the start. Some customers even had their brokerage accounts overconcentrated with these products.

Now, Northstar (Bermuda) is in liquidation after filing for bankruptcy. Its owner, billionaire Greg Lindberg, is behind bars for committing wire fraud and bribery.

SSEK Law Firm is already pursuing many FINRA arbitration claims against the broker-dealers that sold Northstar (Bermuda) products; Bankoh Investment Services and SunTrust Investment Services are just two of these firms. A number of our clients are foreign nationals who live in Central America, South America, and Asia. They had looked to the United States as a safe haven for their funds.

Instead, what they've experienced is huge losses, even as the brokerage firms who sold Northstar (Bermuda) investment products earned high commissions, fees, and other incentives from these sales.

Even after Lindberg was indicted in 2019, many brokerage firms continued to sell Northstar Financial (Bermuda) investments. These included Global VIP Elite, Global Index Product, Global Advantage Plus Series, Global Interest Accumulator, and Global Advantage Select.

If you were sold Northstar (Bermuda) investments by a Raymond James broker, or any other financial advisor, contact us today. Our lawyers offer a free, no-obligation case consultation.

Contact:

Kirk Smith: [email protected]

US Toll Free: (800) 259-9010

International via WhatsApp  Text Only: (713) 227-2400

Our FAQs on Northstar (Bermuda) below:

Northstar Bermuda FAQs

Northstar Bermuda 

Northstar Bermuda Preguntas Frecuentes



SOURCE Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP

Related Links

http://www.investorlawyers.com


MIAMI, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Care Angel, the leader in AI and voice-enabled nurse assistant technology, today announced that Steven Penn has joined the healthcare organization as chief financial officer and chief operations officer. His appointment follows the news that Mike Hahn recently joined the company as vice president of business development, Patrick Byrne was named chairman of the board, and Bud Flagstad will serve as the company's CEO moving forward.

Mr. Penn comes to the role at a pivotal time for the organization, as Care Angel works to not only extend its offering to address evolving population health scenarios presented during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to solidify its position as the next-generation solution for improving health engagement and well-being management at the enterprise level. As the true potential of the company's advanced voice-enabled technology continues to be realized, Mr. Penn will play a collaborative role in helping to shape the roadmap for growth while taking primary responsibility for planning, implementing and managing the organization's financial functions.

"We are thrilled to welcome Steven to the Care Angel executive management team at such a critical inflection point for our company," said Bud Flagstad, Care Angel CEO. "As a healthcare organization, we've already come so far in terms of managing population health, and at scale, with our on demand nurse assistants, but we are really only scratching the surface when it comes to realizing the full potential of AI and voice technology. We look forward to drawing from Steven's extensive financial and operational experience as we continue to evolve our offering to improve medical outcomes at the lowest cost."

Prior to joining Care Angel Mr. Penn served as the senior vice president of finance, technology and operations at U.S. Bank where he provided technology and operational organizations with financial planning, forecasting, budgeting and vendor partnership support. From a healthcare perspective, Mr. Penn brings to the position eight years with UnitedHealth Group where he was senior vice president of Operations - Innovation Research and Development and a member of the innovation senior leadership team that was responsible for planning, reporting, and metrics designed to help their team pursue innovative solutions in a rapid and flexible manner.

"Throughout the course of my career, I've always sought out financial roles that had a component of innovation involved, which is what made this opportunity with Care Angel so incredibly attractive," said Steven Penn. "This includes their game changing approach to population management, fueled by data and analytics to scale patient care at the enterprise level. I look forward to working in collaboration with Bud (Flagstad, CEO) and the rest of the executive management team as we continue to revolutionize the healthcare experience for our clients, partners, members and patients. This includes leveraging the powerful combination of AI, voice, telehealth and other digital services and tools to deliver an exceptional member experience."

About Care Angel

Care Angel is the industry leader in automation and exponentially scalable solutions for continuous engagement, management, surveillance, triage, navigation and care of millions. ANGEL, the world's first voice-enabled, AI-Nurse Assistant comes to life through the company's award-winning SmartCare Platform. ANGEL enables the most effective, efficient and scalable way to engage, monitor and manage large, at-risk populations with complex and chronic conditions at the lowest cost, starting with a simple phone call or text-based care conversation. Care Angel's AI solutions give care teams the ability to conversationally collect accurate patient data, consistently and continuously, receiving regular updates on vitals and well-being to inform and manage real-time interventions and avoid missed care opportunities.

Contact

Kelly Gregorakis

VP of Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE Care Angel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nitin Michael and Hasnaa Descuns, co-Founders of SynProNize, a Dubai-based content distribution and production company, announced that they acquired four top-rated dramas from GMA Network, the Philippines' leading broadcaster and distributor of Filipino dramas for distribution into Africa.

L-R: SynProNize co-Founders -- Hasnaa Descuns, Director of Business Development & Nitin Michael, Managing Director Top left to right: "Heart and Soul" and "A Place In Your Heart" bottom left to right: "Way to Your Heart" and "Legally Blind"

The four drama series are:

- A Place in your Heart: Sean hits rock bottom when his wife, Katharine left him for another man, but Audrey helps him pick up the pieces. Eventually, they fall in love. Sean files for annulment of his marriage with Katherine so he can marry Audrey. But his scheming wife suddenly returns with one agenda  to assert her right as his legal wife and to claim her share of his wealth. .

- Heart and Soul: Crisanta and Criselda are fraternal twins. Because of a rare disease, Criselda dies but remains a spirit that only appears to her twin sister. Their bond as sisters falls apart when they both fall in love with Diego. Longing to live again, Criselda possesses the body of a girl to take Diego away from Crisanta.

- Legally Blind: Grace is kidnapped and raped on the night she celebrates her passing of the bar exam. She manages to escape her assailant but accidentally crashes into a glass panel which permanently blinds her. Soon after, she meets Edward, a kind lawyer who helps her investigate her kidnapping and rape. Eventually, they fall in love and get engaged. As Edward uncovers the rapist's identity, he discovers that it is his brother, William who raped Grace. Torn between his love for his fiance and his brother, whose side will Edward take?

- The Way to Your Heart: Natalie is a stubborn young lady who cannot accept that she is the daughter of Onay, a little person with achondroplastic dwarfism. Their life is going well until Onay is raped. Later on, Onay finds out she is pregnant with her second child, Maila. Because the baby is the result of her horrifying experience, she finds it difficult to accept Maila even if she grows up to be a loving and caring daughter. So goes the story of a mother longing for her first daughter's acceptance, while her other daughter yearns for her love.

Nitin Michael stated: "The demand for Filipino dramas is swiftly on the rise and as SynProNize we wanted to ensure that our clients have the best content from GMA to choose from for their channels/platforms. We have grown our reputation to become known as the go-to company to take the best global programming into Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and we will source the precise broadcasters to give the best visibility and respect to these GMA titles."

Roxanne J. Barcelona, Vice President, Worldwide of GMA Network said, "GMA is very pleased that SynProNize is taking four of our top drama series into Africa. All four programs: A Place in Your Heart, Heart and Soul, Legally Blind, and The Way to Your Heart have performed extremely well in other parts of the world and we are confident they will resonate well with African viewers.

About SynProNize

Launched in early 2020 and based in Dubai (UAE), this creative film and television production and distribution agency is partnering with the best digital platforms and linear broadcasters in South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Led by experienced media industry professionals with a successful track record of partnering with content producers and rights owners, SynProNize aims to demonstrate what the next generation distribution and production company can become. www.SynProNize.com

SynProNize Media Contact:

MJ Sorenson, MJ Global Communications LLC , [email protected], 646-225-6590

SOURCE SynProNize

Related Links

https://synpronize.com/


PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tabulera (www.tabulera.com), a platform for automating the connection, reconciliation and payments of employee benefit programs, announced today that it has named Josh Beckett as a Vice President of Operations. Josh will lead Tabulera's next stage of customer growth and succeeds Lisa Crosby who is retiring.

"I could not be more thrilled at handing over the reins of client implementations and ongoing product support to Josh with his deep domain expertise, can-do attitude and excellent customer service leadership skills", said Lisa Crosby.

"With more than 15 years in the insurance industry, customer support and product development in the employer and carrier markets, I know the difficulty employers face when it comes to back office benefits administration. Disparate systems, broken processes, and big write-offs that could be avoided with the right tools. Seeing the Tabulera platform and the management team assembled convinced me of their software and vision" said Josh Beckett.

Most recently, Josh was a Director at Benefitfocus, where he was responsible for overseeing service relationships with employers, health plans, brokers and vendors on the Benefitfocus platform.

"We thank Lisa for her contributions and incredible efforts in helping launch Tabulera and providing a solid foundation for Josh. We are fortunate to have an experienced professional of Josh's caliber on Tabulera's team," said Doug Devlin, CEO. "He brings a high level of operational experience and industry background to challenge the status quo and help grow Tabulera. Tabulera is committed to transforming the industry that remains primarily dominated by manual operations in spreadsheets for billing, reconciliation and payments of benefit plans."

About Tabulera

Employer benefits administration is overly complicated and gets in the way of growing your business. Thousands of employees, dozens of plans and carriers, all on disparate systems. No wonder bad data, headaches, and millions in leakage are the status quo. You need to go beyond the daily details. Get the freedom to focus on your business with Tabulera, a platform that automates and aggregates benefits administration so you don't have to.

Finally, all your billing, reconciliation and payments in one place, and see your benefits costs clearly  down to the penny.

Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Tabulera is online at tabulera.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Tabulera, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.tabulera.com


RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TAKE YOUR SEAT, the professional networking community committed to building diverse boardrooms, today announced that Barry Lawson Williams will deliver the keynote for Part I of The Inclusive Leadership Series on Tuesday, October 5.

TAKE YOUR SEAT announced that Barry Lawson Williams will deliver the keynote for Part I of The Inclusive Leadership Series on Tuesday, October 5. TAKE YOUR SEAT

Held virtually once per month, The Inclusive Leadership Program is a six-part series based on the impactful insights of Deloitte's Six Traits of Inclusive Leadership. The series will kick off on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 11AM PT / 2PM ET with Barry Lawson Williams presenting "The Black Corporate Directors Time Capsule Project: How we move forward from here."

Jerusha Stewart, CEO and Co-founder of TAKE YOUR SEAT said, "The number of public and private mandates requiring diverse corporate boards is increasing every day  the time is now for all companies to intentionally embrace inclusivity in corporate governance, and I can't think of a better person than Barry Lawson Williams to impart the roadmap to systemic change."

Part I will consist of three tracks:

COMMITMENT: Aligning Personal and Corporate Values COGNIZANCE OF BIAS: Identifying Blind Spots COURAGE: Promoting Change Agents in the Boardroom

Barry Lawson Williams said "While I am not a mandate person -- in fact, shame on us for getting to the point we need to mandate for this to happen -- I am honored to partner with TAKE YOUR SEAT on the Inclusive Leadership Series."

Inclusive Leadership Series attendees will learn how boards can diversify to build the inclusive boardroom of the future. TAKE YOUR SEAT is proud to offer this new series to assist companies in achieving their board diversify objectives.

About Barry Lawson Williams

Barry Lawson Williams is the retired Managing General Partner of the investment and consulting company that he founded in 1987. Williams Pacific Ventures (WPV). Williams attended Harvard University where he received a B.A. degree in government in 1966 and M.B.A and J.D. degrees in 1971. From 1971 to 1978 he was a management consultant at McKinsey and Company in the United States and several Latin American countries. From 1979 to 1987 he served finally as managing principal of Bechtel Investments, Inc. He assisted in the acquisition and sellback of Dillon Read & Company and served on its board of directors. Since founding WPV in 1987, Williams has served on 14 public company boards. He was, during late 2000-2001, the interim President and CEO of the American Management Association Inc. He has also taught an entrepreneurship course at the Haas (U.C. Berkeley) Graduate School of Business for six years; been a senior environmental mediator with JAMS for six years; and an environmental site trustee for two years. Within WPV, he has been the owner operator of 4 businesses.

About TAKE YOUR SEAT

TAKE YOUR SEAT is a for-profit social venture company and professional networking community whose members and partners believe equity turbocharges business. TAKEYOURSEAT.CO helps candidates, board leaders and boards achieve boardroom diversity success in the near term for the long term. As the nation's leading online hub for board relationship building, TAKE YOUR SEAT provides education, mentorship, access, and opportunity, while creating an unprecedented, frictionless and cost-effective way for public, private, and non-profit boards to fulfill their promises for equitable leadership. TAKE YOUR SEAT is committed to helping organizations and candidates make the boardrooms of America better reflect America, one seat at a time. For more information, visit www.takeyourseat.co

Contact:

Irina Woelfle, IWPR Group

[email protected]

(203) 832-6773

SOURCE TAKE YOUR SEAT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), a leading advocate for more than 1,800 union contractor firms in the construction and maintenance sector, and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), which represents more than three million skilled craftworkers across the U.S. and Canada, jointly urge construction professionals to follow COVID-19 jobsite safety protocols amid the rise in breakthrough COVID-19 cases and the spread of the Delta variant.

The ongoing pandemic  and an overarching concern for the well-being of the men and women who maintain our country's critical infrastructure  prompted both national organizations to take this important and unprecedented step.

In a joint letter to union craftworkers and employees of TAUC member contractors, TAUC and NABTU expressed support for a "layered approach" to addressing the pandemic. "At the jobsite, testing and tracing, adequate ventilation, physical distancing, and masking and respiratory protection will protect members," the two groups wrote. "To assist with that, we are asking you to consider getting vaccinated if you haven't already. It's one of the best ways to protect you and others from COVID-19 and the Delta variant."

"The bond between union contractors and the men and women of the building trades has always been strong," said Daniel Hogan, CEO of TAUC. "Since the pandemic began, that bond has only grown stronger as we worked side-by-side to keep the country running under extremely difficult circumstances. Through good times and bad, we always look out for one another and make safety our top priority. That's why TAUC is proud to partner with NABTU in encouraging all construction professionals to follow and take seriously COVID-related safety protocols on the jobsite  and also to consider getting vaccinated. At the end of the day, our industry is nothing without our people."

"We appreciate the collaboration and communication with TAUC to put the safety of workers first," said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. "As we do our part to lower the rate of infection in our communities amid the Delta variant surge, we urge everyone who is eligible and able to get vaccinated. Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines, combined with health and safety protocols, are the best tools available to protect each other on the jobsite. From issuing our national disease control standard to advancing infection control and prevention measures and negotiating mandates and testing on worksites, worker safety remains forefront for NABTU, and we will continue doing whatever it takes to protect our members, contractors, and everyone in the construction industry."

You can view the TAUC-NABTU letter here.

ABOUT TAUC: The Association of Union Constructors is the premier national trade association for the 21st century union construction industry. Our more than 1,800 member firms include union contractor companies, local union contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction field. We demonstrate that union construction is the best option because it is safer and more productive and provides a higher quality and cost-competitive product. For more information, log on to www.tauc.org.

ABOUT NABTU: North America's Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry that collectively represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and signatory contractor partners invest almost $2 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the world's safest, most highly trained and productive skilled craft workers. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color and military veterans in the construction industry. For more information, please visit www.nabtu.org, and to learn more about the building trades' efforts during this pandemic, please follow the hashtag #buildingtradeswhateverittakes.

SOURCE The Association Of Union Constructors

Related Links

http://www.tauc.org


LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tempur Sealy International, Inc. (NYSE: TPX, "Tempur Sealy" or "Company") today announced that it intends to offer, subject to market and other considerations, $800 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2031 (the "Notes"). The offering will be made to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act.

The Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company guaranteed by the same entities that guarantee its obligations under its existing credit facility. The terms of the Notes will be determined by negotiations between Tempur Sealy and the initial purchasers.

Tempur Sealy intends to use the net proceeds from this offering partly to repay in full the outstanding balances under its Revolving Credit Facility and Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility and to use the balance for general corporate purposes.

This announcement is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Notes will not be or have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

About the Company

Tempur Sealy is committed to improving the sleep of more people, every night, all around the world. As a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of bedding products, we know how crucial a good night of sleep is to overall health and wellness. Utilizing over a century of knowledge and industry-leading innovation, we deliver award-winning products that provide breakthrough sleep solutions to consumers in over 100 countries.

Our highly recognized brands include Tempur-Pedic, Sealy and Stearns & Foster and our non-branded offerings include value-focused private label and OEM products. Our distinct brands allow for complementary merchandising strategies and are sold through third-party retailers, our Company-owned stores and e-commerce channels. This omni-channel strategy ensures our products are offered where ever and how ever customers want to shop.

Lastly, we accept our global responsibility to serve all stakeholders, our community and environment. We have and are implementing programs consistent with our responsibilities.

Investor Relations Contact

Aubrey Moore

Investor Relations

Tempur Sealy International, Inc.

800-805-3635

[email protected]

SOURCE Tempur Sealy International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tempursealy.com


BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced 10 finalists for the Racial Equity 2030 challenge, an open call for bold solutions to drive an equitable future for children, families and communities across the globe. The Challenge is awarding $90 million to help build and scale actionable ideas for transformative change in the systems and institutions that uphold racial inequities.

"The overwhelming response of this Challenge has demonstrated the urgency of racial equity in nearly every corner of the world," said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. "Each of these visionary finalists embodies a deep commitment to community and local leadership. We're proud to partner with them as they unveil their bold and game changing solutions to advance racial equity in the next decade."

With this Challenge, the Kellogg Foundation is seeking to partner with communities and build momentum around critical issues and areas of work. The finalists are advancing racial equity with unique approaches  from building networks of legal aid for Indigenous land ownership to ending migrant worker exploitation and supporting culturally-grounded restorative justice for youth, among others.

The 10 finalists' projects are listed below in alphabetical order:

574+ Strong: Creating Regenerative Food Economies in Indian Country : The Intertribal Agriculture Council and partners will address poverty and food insecurity in Native communities through programmatic and policy solutions that build regenerative and just food economies.

: The Intertribal Agriculture Council and partners will address poverty and food insecurity in Native communities through programmatic and policy solutions that build regenerative and just food economies. 50,000 Pastoralist Women: Agents for Change, Transforming Communities : Pastoral Women's Council, Ujamaa Community Resource Team, and Engishon Microfinance Ltd., will support pastoralist women in Tanzania to address root causes of oppression, thereby transforming society to achieve social and economic justice for all.

: Pastoral Women's Council, Ujamaa Community Resource Team, and Engishon Microfinance Ltd., will support pastoralist women in to address root causes of oppression, thereby transforming society to achieve social and economic justice for all. Building a Bigger Table for Latinos in the South : The Latino Community Development Center and Latino Community Credit Union will ensure a seat at the table for Latinos in the New South by leveraging this model of financial inclusion, civic engagement and cultural pride.

: The Latino Community Development Center and Latino Community Credit Union will ensure a seat at the table for Latinos in the New South by leveraging this model of financial inclusion, civic engagement and cultural pride. Building an Anti-Racist Public Education System in Brazil : ActionAid, the Brazilian National Campaign on the Right to Education, CONAQ, UneAFRO Brasil, Geledes, and Acao Educativa will work together to transform the Brazilian school network into the world's first anti-racist education system harnessing youth, education and black movements and triggering a national healing process.

: ActionAid, the Brazilian National Campaign on the Right to Education, CONAQ, UneAFRO Brasil, Geledes, and Acao Educativa will work together to transform the Brazilian school network into the world's first anti-racist education system harnessing youth, education and black movements and triggering a national healing process. Ending Systemic Labor Exploitation : This project will enable migrant worker-led community-building, advocacy and activism to end migrant worker exploitation and achieve greater racial equity.

: This project will enable migrant worker-led community-building, advocacy and activism to end migrant worker exploitation and achieve greater racial equity. Healing Through Justice: A Community-Led Breakthrough Strategy for Healing-Centered Communities in Illinois , U.S.A.: Communities United and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago will bring to scale "Healing through Justice," a youth-led movement for healing to make breakthroughs in supporting and sustaining community-led approaches to healing-centered communities.

Communities United and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of will bring to scale "Healing through Justice," a youth-led movement for healing to make breakthroughs in supporting and sustaining community-led approaches to healing-centered communities. High Road Kitchens for Racial Equity and One Fair Wage in the U.S. : One Fair Wage will expand its High Road Kitchens program to provide restaurants with subsidies if they commit to its Racial Equity Toolkit & Training Program, which trains restaurants to desegregate their staff racially and raise wages for workers of color. The team will work with the U.S. Department of Labor to make this a federal program, supporting thousands of restaurants to increase wages and racial equity for hundreds of thousands of workers.

: will expand its High Road Kitchens program to provide restaurants with subsidies if they commit to its Racial Equity Toolkit & Training Program, which trains restaurants to desegregate their staff racially and raise wages for workers of color. The team will work with the U.S. Department of Labor to make this a federal program, supporting thousands of restaurants to increase wages and racial equity for hundreds of thousands of workers. Indigenous Lands Initiative: Securing Land Ownership Rights for Indigenous Communities in Mexico and Central and South America : The Indian Law Resource Center, the Interethnic Association of the Development of the Peruvian Amazon, and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon will design and build an indigenous-led institution that provides essential technical and legal assistance to help Indigenous peoples secure ownership of their lands and works to speed up and improve Indigenous land titling processes in Mexico and Central and South America .

: The Indian Law Resource Center, the Interethnic Association of the Development of the Peruvian Amazon, and the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon will design and build an indigenous-led institution that provides essential technical and legal assistance to help Indigenous peoples secure ownership of their lands and works to speed up and improve Indigenous land titling processes in and Central and . Kawailoa: A Transformative Indigenous Model to End Youth Incarceration in Hawai'i and Beyond : Partners In Development Foundation and partners (Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center, UCLA Asian American Studies Center, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, Kamehameha Schools, Lili'uokalani Trust) will replace youth incarceration with a Native Hawaiian restorative system that trains youth and empowers community.

: Partners In Development Foundation and partners (Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center, UCLA Asian American Studies Center, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, Kamehameha Schools, Lili'uokalani Trust) will replace youth incarceration with a Native Hawaiian restorative system that trains youth and empowers community. Overcoming Environmental Racism by Knowing, Using, and Shaping Law in Kenya , India , Sierra Leone and the U.S.: Namati, its partners, and members of the Legal Empowerment Network equip frontline communities with the power of law, so they can protect their own well-being and, ultimately, make systems of environmental governance more equitable.

The work of the 10 finalists' projects reflects the complexity of achieving racial equity and the structural changes that are needed to achieve meaningful, long-term change, including access to economic opportunity, improved governance and justice, and social well-being.

The Racial Equity 2030 Challenge is being managed by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that helps donors find and fund solutions to the world's greatest challenges, including racial and gender inequity, economic opportunity and climate change.

"The finalists of the Racial Equity 2030 Challenge have proposed inspiring ideas to redress one of the most pressing issues of our time," said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. "By partnering with like-minded applicants, these teams have the potential to build on each other's work and achieve transformative change in the world. We are looking forward to following their progress as a cohort, across communities, borders and continents."

The Challenge received submissions from 72 countries. Applications were evaluated during a five-month review process  involving peer applicants and multi-disciplined experts from across the world  based on four criteria: whether they were game changing, equitable, bold and achievable.

The dynamic and multi-layered work proposed by the 10 finalists will challenge and change norms, address root causes of racialized outcomes, and create sustained conditions in which children, families and communities can thrive. Most importantly, local and proximate leaders from each of the target communities are a key part of decisionmaking processes, taking the lead on defining success.

Each of the 10 finalist teams will receive a one-year $1 million planning grant, which includes nine months of capacity-building support to further develop their project and strengthen their application.

Among the finalists, five awards totaling $80 million will be announced in the summer of 2022. Three Awardees will each receive a $20 million grant and two Awardees will each receive a $10 million grant. Grants will be paid out over eight years to coincide with W.K. Kellogg Foundation's 100th anniversary in 2030.

More information about the Racial Equity 2030 Challenge and the finalists can be found at https://racialequity2030.org.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. To learn more about WKKF, visit www.wkkf.org or follow WKKF on Twitter at @wk_kellogg_fdn.

Lever for Change

Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, helps donors to find and fund solutions to the world's greatest challenges, ranging from racial and gender equity to economic development and climate change. Building on the success of the MacArthur Foundation's $100 million competition, 100&Change, Lever for Change customizes and manages open and transparent competitions for donors. In addition, the organization matches donors with nonprofits and social enterprises in its Bold Solutions Network, which includes solutions to significant social challenges that were highly ranked after rigorous evaluation in one of Lever for Change's competitions. The organization has developed and managed nine competitions, ranging in size from $10 million to $100 million, unlocking $790 million in funding for high-impact solutions and strengthening dozens of top organizations. For more information, visit www.leverforchange.org.

SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The increase in the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market can be attributed to MedTech companies increasing their R&D to manufacture advanced cardiopulmonary products and launch better products and also because of the increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, decrease in heart muscle elasticity, change in lifestyles leading to rising in the burden of cardiovascular diseases, and increasing geriatric population.

DelveInsight has recently published " Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Insight, Competitive Landscape & Forecast  2026 ," report that covers key areas transforming the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market landscape. The Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market report delivers an in-depth understanding of the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment, their usage, forecasted epidemiology from 2018 to 2026, historical and forecasted Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market trends.

The report also covers the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market drivers, market barriers and unmet medical in the market domain to curate the best of the opportunities in the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market.

Interested in knowing how the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market will be growing by 2026? Get the snapshot: Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market

This report provides an in-depth market understanding for cardiopulmonary bypass equipment which will further benefit the competitors or stakeholders operating in the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market arena.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Overview

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a heart-lung machine or pump, is a machine that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during any bloodless surgery. It maintains the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the patient's body and is operated by perfusionists. The CPB is a form of extracorporeal circulation and is required during surgeries that require the opening of the chambers of the heart such as cardiac valve repair and/or replacement (aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonic valve), coronary artery bypass surgery, and repair of large septal defects (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect), among others. The machine pumps the blood and, using an oxygenator, allows red blood cells to pick up oxygen, as well as allowing carbon dioxide levels to decrease, mimicking heart and lung function.

Know more about the technique and recent advancements @ Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Analysis

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Insights

Over the years, Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipments have helped in making significant advances in the management of severe respiratory failure as well as in the field of cardiac surgeries. The increasing number of cardiology disorders in an increasing population is anticipated to lead to a rise in demand for the equipment, thereby pushing the growth of the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market size.

Geography-wise Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Share Analysis

Geographically, the global Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment analysis is done for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. In terms of revenue share North America currently leads the global market and is expected to remain constant during the forecast period. However, the supremacy of North America will be evidently challenged by the Asia-Pacific market. This domination is due to the growing demand because of the growing number of surgeries, and demand for advanced technologies in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment in the region. There are great opportunities for Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market penetration for the countries like India, and China to the major companies already having a grip in developed regions.

Request for a sample report to learn more about the change trends in specific geographies at Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Share

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market

The demand for Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment is primarily motivated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The elective surgeries were delayed in order to curb the infection, but as the hospitals are re-opening and most cardiac surgical patients present in a more urgent manner which elevates the critical nature for intervention, which may make the surgical decision inevitable. Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment assists in extracorporeal circulation and physiologic gas exchange of the patient's blood for more than 6 hours. Hence, as a preventive measure, governments across the world have promoted the manufacturing of better and efficient CPB devices. This is expected to drive the cardiopulmonary bypass equipment market in the forecasted years.

As per the recent survey (2019), approximately 200,000 coronary artery bypass graft surgeries take place each year in the US, requiring cardiopulmonary bypass equipment, such as heart-lung machines and oxygenators. It has been estimated that 1.5 million people in Britain suffer from faulty mitral heart valves, requiring heart surgery. Thus, all these factors are projected to drive the growth of the market for cardiopulmonary bypass equipment.

Discuss more the short/long-term impact of COVID-10 at Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Share Analysis and Forecast

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Segmentation

The report proffers Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market segmentation as follows:

By Product

HeartLung Machines



Oxygenators



Autotransfusion Systems



Others

By Application

Cardiovascular



Respiratory



Hemodialysis



Others

By End-User

Hospitals



Specialty Clinics



Dialysis Centers



Ambulatory Surgery Centers

By Geography

North America



Europe



Asia-Pacific



Rest of World

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Report Scope

Study Period: 2018-2026

2018-2026 Key Companies: Medtronic PLC, LivaNova PLC, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG., Terumo Corporation, Braile Biomedica Ltda, Tianjin Medical, Senko Medical Instrument Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and others.

Medtronic PLC, LivaNova PLC, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG., Terumo Corporation, Braile Biomedica Ltda, Tianjin Medical, Senko Medical Instrument Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and others. Segmentation: By Product, By Application, By End-User, and By Geography

By Product, By Application, By End-User, and By Geography Geography Covered: North America, Europe , Asia-Pacific , Rest of the World ( Middle East , Africa , and South America )

North America, , , Rest of the World ( , , and ) Analysis: The Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.13% and will reach USD 389.14 million by 2026.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Report: Table of Contents

1 Report Introduction 2 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Executive summary 2.1 Scope of the Study 2.2 Market at Glance 2.3 Competitive Assessment 2.4 Financial Benchmarking 3 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Regulatory and Patent Analysis The United States Europe 1. Germany 2. France 3. Italy 4. Spain 5. The U.K. 3. Japan 4 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Key factors analysis 4.1 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Drivers 1. Increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases 4.1.2. Increasing number of surgical procedures 3. Rising burden of cardiovascular diseases 4. Rising geriatric population 2. Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Restraints and Challenges 1. High cost of cardiac surgery and risk of failure during the surgery 2. Strict regulations by regulatory bodies 3. Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market Opportunities Growing demand for minimally invasive surgery Growing demand for Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment in non-hospital settings 5 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market 7 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Market layout 7.1 By Product 7.2 By Application 7.3 By End-User 7.4 By Geography 8 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Global Company Share Analysis 9 Cardiopulmonary Bypass Equipment Company and Product Profiles 9.1 Medtronic Plc 9.1.1. Company Overview 9.1.2. Company Snapshot 9.1.3. Financial Overview 9.1.4 Product Listing 9.1.5. Entropy 9.2 LivaNova PLC 9.3 MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG. 9.4 ABIOMED 9.5 Braile Biomedica Ltda 9.6 Tianjin Medical 9.7 Terumo Corp 9.8 Senko Medical Instrument Manufacturing Co.,Ltd. 9.9 Technowood Corp 9.10 Sorin 9.11 MicroPort Scientific Corporation 9.12 Xenios AG 9.13 Nipro Corporation 9.14 OriGen Biomedical 9.15 Thoratec Corporation 11 KOL Views 12 DelveInsight Capabilities 13 Disclaimer 14 About DelveInsight

Related Reports

Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Market

DelveInsight's 'Diagnostic Imaging Equipment Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report offers a key analysis of the market domain, therapies and key companies including GE Healthcare, Canon Medical Systems Corporation, FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Hologic Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens Healthineers, and others.

Pulse Oximeter Market

DelveInsight's 'Pulse Oximeter Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report offers a key analysis of the market domain, therapies and key companies including Medtronic, Nonin Medical Inc., Lepu Medical Technology, TytoCare Ltd., VYAIRE, OMRON Corporation, and others.

Neurostimulation Devices Market

DelveInsight's 'Neurostimulation Devices Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report offers a key analysis of the market domain, therapies and key companies including Medtronic PLC, Cyberonics, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, Aleva neurotherapeutics SA, and others.

Neuromodulation Devices Market

DelveInsight's 'Neuromodulation Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report offers a key analysis of the market domain, therapies and key companies including Medtronic, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott, LivaNova, NeuroSigma, and others.

Pain Management Devices Market

DelveInsight's 'Pulse Oximeter Market Insights, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2026' report offers a key analysis of the market domain, therapies and key companies including Smiths Medical, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter, Boston Scientific Corp., Colfax Corp., and others.

Related Posts

MedTech Industry and Artificial Intelligence

Chronic Pain Associated With Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Market and Medically Advanced Treatment Options

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Devices Market

Discover how DelveInsight helped US-based pharmaceutical companies advance in the Biosimilar Market landscape in Europe through its Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Market Due Diligence Services and Go-to-market strategies.

About DelveInsight

DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve .

For more insights, visit Pharma, Healthcare, and Biotech News

Contact Us

Shruti Thakur

[email protected]

+1(919)321-6187

www.delveinsight.com

SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP
ORRVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) (the "Company") today announced the pricing of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.125% notes due 2032 (the "2032 Notes") and $300 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due 2041 (the "2041 Notes" and, together with the 2032 Notes, the "Notes").

The sale of the Notes is expected to close on September 24, 2021, and is pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated September 21, 2021 between the Company and BofA Securities, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the underwriters.

The expected net proceeds from the offering of the Notes will be approximately $792.1 million, after deducting the underwriting discount but before deducting the Company's expenses related to the offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes to repay, redeem or refinance $750.0 million in principal amount of its unsecured senior notes due October 15, 2021, which bear interest at 3.50%, together with accrued and unpaid interest, and for general corporate purposes, which could include, but are not limited to, repayments of other outstanding debt (including the repayment of commercial paper outstanding), capital expenditures or working capital.

The Company has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (including a prospectus) (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission for this offering. Before investing, investors should read the prospectus in the Registration Statement and the prospectus supplement and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for more complete information about the Company and the offering. These documents may be obtained for free by visiting EDGAR on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website. Alternatively, a copy of the prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the Notes can be obtained from BofA Securities, Inc. at 200 North College Street, NC1-004-03-43, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department, toll-free at (800) 294-1322, or by email at [email protected]; or from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, or by telephone collect at 1-212-834-4533.

About The J.M. Smucker Co.

Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a diverse portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets and is found in nearly 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers, Jif and Milk-Bone and new favorites like Cafe Bustelo, Smucker's Uncrustables and Rachael Ray Nutrish. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer preferences and acting responsibly, we will continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on society.

The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein except for Rachael Ray, a registered trademark of Ray Marks II LLC, which is used under license.

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.

Related Links

http://www.jmsmucker.com


Conference call and webcast scheduled for 8:30 a.m. EDT

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters (NYSE, TSX: TRI) announced today its third-quarter 2021 earnings will be issued via news release on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Steve Hasker, president and chief executive officer, and Mike Eastwood, chief financial officer, will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast that morning at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Discussions may include forward-looking information.

You can access the webcast by visiting the "Investor Relations" section of the Thomson Reuters website. Registration for the webcast is now open. Additionally, an archive of the webcast will be available following the presentation.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is a leading provider of business information services. Our products include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the world's most global news service  Reuters. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com.

CONTACTS



MEDIA Andrew Green Senior Director, Corporate Affairs +1 332 219 1511 [email protected] INVESTORS Frank J. Golden Head of Investor Relations +1 332 219 1111 [email protected]

SOURCE Thomson Reuters
BOSTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thrasio today announced an additional $650 million in commitments to its senior credit facility, bringing the total amount of capital raised to more than $2 billion. The $650 million in credit facility commitments is in addition to the commitment of nearly $500 million previously announced , as well as more than $1.2 billion in equity financing. The funds give Thrasio additional flexibility and liquidity as it acquires larger brands across the globe.

Thrasio has increased the pace and size of acquisitions in recent months, as it evolves from a house of brands into a next-generation CPG company. By evaluating and acquiring well-loved brands and expanding their reach through a robust omnichannel strategy and global network, Thrasio is helping more consumers discover high-quality, exceptional-value products in Amazon's marketplace and beyond. The additional funds will support this growth and enable entrepreneurs to benefit through lucrative exits.

"The last three years have been incredible, and our growth has been beyond what I ever imagined," said Carlos Cashman, CEO of Thrasio. "This capital will let us continue to support sellers and the seller community, buy and enhance brands that consumers love, and take our proven business model into more geographies and channels. It's not often that a company with more than $2.3 billion in funding can say they're 'just getting started,' but we truly are just getting started."

The round is the latest in a stretch of exciting news from Thrasio. Less than two weeks ago, the firm announced its three largest acquisitions ever as deal size more than doubled year over year. Thrasio has also made major strides in Asia, holding a number of large events with the tech and entrepreneur communities, and signing many letters of intent with sellers in China and Japan. Its investments and team expansion in Europe are also supporting the company's growth, with the recent acquisition of one of the UK's leading cosmetics brands adding to the firm's robust European portfolio. In total, Thrasio has completed more than 150 acquisitions spanning more than 200 brands and tens of thousands of products across categories including pet care, fitness, home goods, kitchenware and much more.

"Thrasio's success has inspired a whole industry of firms looking to replicate their model and follow in their very successful footsteps," said Dan Worrell, managing director at BlackRock. "It's not an easy business, but Thrasio has hit on a successful formula. We're excited to invest in Thrasio's future, and we're confident they have the expertise and team in place to continue on their impressive trajectory as they become the next great CPG company."

About Thrasio

Thrasio is the consumer goods company reimagining omnichannel commerce and consumer products and boasts an innovation engine that brings high-quality products to market across digital marketplaces, channels, and retailers globally. With the experience of evaluating 6,000 ecommerce businesses, data on consumer preferences from more than 200 brands, and the operational scale of more than 22,000 products, Thrasio is the largest acquirer of Amazon FBA brands, which include Angry Orange pet deodorizers and stain removers , SafeRest mattress protectors and ThisWorx car cleaning and detailing products . These brands compete with top household names, offering consumers more choice and exceptional value. Thrasio was founded in 2018 by Carlos Cashman and Joshua Silberstein. For more information, visit https://thrasio.com .

SOURCE Thrasio

Related Links

thras.io


BALTIMORE, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tiderock Companies, Inc. ("we", "our", or the "Company"), (OTC: TDRK) is pleased to announce that is has signed a Letter of Intent with Port One Companies of Boston, MA ("Port One" or the "Developer") to co-develop a proposed 410 residential unit senior living facility located on a 48-acre parcel in Boston, Massachusetts.

As Co-Developer, Tiderock Companies, will provide operational support and oversight including but not limited to project management, marketing, budgeting, product mix, review of and negotiations for limited partner equity and debt. The estimated budget for this project is $190 million, of which includes an industry standard 3% development fee of which Tiderock as co-developer will receive 25%. In addition, Tiderock will receive 10% as a co-developer promote from any profits on this project. The developer has entered into contract to purchase the 48 acre parcel for $19.065 million.

Tiderock CEO, Thomas Fore stated, "We are excited about this opportunity to provide support to the Developer in connection with this project and look forward to building long-term working relationship with them. This engagement builds on the portfolio of projects Tiderock is currently managing, including the previously announced projects, Cabin Branch and Waldorf B4."

Execution of definitive documents between the Company and Port One concerning the Holbrook, MA senior living facility project is subject to successful completion of traditional project due diligence and execution of definitive agreements between Port One and the Company. As part of due diligence, developer is required to provide the following items to the co-developer within 10 days of execution of this agreement.

(a) copies of all work product and information in Developer's possession addressing design, survey, soil, geological or the environmental condition of the Property;

(b) copies of all contracts, permits, pleadings related to litigation or other agreements in Seller's possession affecting or otherwise encumbering the Property, including any and all permits and bids for the demolition of the buildings on the site;

(c) copies of all the real estate tax bills for the real property which comprise the Property for 2019, 2020 and 2021 (if received by Seller);

(d) evidence of development entitlements and approvals applicable to the Property from the appropriate governmental authorities.

The Company will announce material developments concerning the Boston, MA project in real time to ensure Company shareholders remain fully informed of the Company's progress at all times.

About Port One Companies, LLC:

Port One Companies is a Boston-based opportunistic investment firm with architectural, interior design, and commercial real estate development capabilities. We offer full-spectrum design, development, and investment services that can be selected individually or combined to create custom single-source service packages. Collectively, the various divisions of Port One Companies are responsible for more than 2.1 million square feet of architectural design and planning efforts, $750 million in real estate development opportunities, and $18.5 million in assets under management.

About Tiderock Companies, Inc.:

We are a Real Estate company focused on high value "develop to own" projects through its subsidiary, Sora Ventures. The company also offers Real Estate Advisory Services via its subsidiary, Tiderock Development. Tiderock Companies, Inc. (OTC PINK: TDRK) is headquartered in Baltimore, MD., and can be contacted at www.tiderockcompanies.com or by phone at (800) 791-8433. We intend to update our shareholders and the investing public in real time with respect to material developments concerning our plans and projects in real time.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate.

For more information:

Tiderock Companies, Inc.

Thomas B. Fore, CEO

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (800) 791-8433

SOURCE Tiderock Companies, Inc.
KITCHENER, ON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Tulip, a leader in cloud-based retail mobile solutions, is excited to announce that it has implemented an innovative set of new workplace benefits to provide employees with unparalleled flexibilityall while accelerating company growth.

Tulip has adopted the guiding principle that there will be almost no restrictions on work flexibility, as long as the needs of the business are supported. While many workplaces are transitioning back to more rigid requirements, Tulip is taking the opposite approach and focusing on letting each employee work the way that's best for them in order to drive the best results across the board.

One of the most visible measures has given employees control over the length of their workweek. Currently in pilot stage, Tulip lets employees work a 4 or 4.5-day week based on recent studies out of Iceland demonstrating resultant increases in productivity and satisfaction.

The intention of the reduced workweek is to give employees the freedom to find the right work-life balance for them. Along the same lines is Tulip's new 'work-cation' benefit, which lets employees work reduced hours in order to extend vacation time.

Tulip conducted a number of surveys to better understand employee attitudes toward benefits and expectations. Employees embraced new measures but also had clear ideas about transitioning back into office, which weighed heavily into policy decisions.

More than 4/5 employees expressed they'd like to continue working from home the majority of time, but nearly the same number said they would like to get together for an in-person event at least once a quarter.

To facilitate this, Tulip will maintain its Kitchener, ON office, and explore the possibility of opening a Toronto, ON office in 2022 given that a large percentage of the Tulip team is already located there. Tulip is also adopting a "Hub Cities" concept, with the intention of opening offices wherever else large groups of employees are located.

Beyond that, Tulip will support employees' desire to relocate internationally but it also won't enforce in-office attendance no matter where the employee is located. The company has made investments to support a remote work culture including software to help remote employees build connections and tools to help team members avoid burnout.

"Based on the results of our employee survey, it was clear that a hybrid model is the best approach for Tulip," says Marco Osso, VP, Employee Success at Tulip. "We saw that we needed to do something different, so we introduced innovative approaches, such as work-cation, that we haven't seen before. We're excited to launch these new benefits and we're confident that these flexible work options will help us better meet our employees' needs, both now and in the future."

About Tulip

Tulip is a cloud-based software provider focused on omnichannel mobile solutions for retail stores. Partnered with Apple, Tulip's mission is to harness the power of the world's most advanced mobile technology to deliver simple-to-use apps for store associates to look up products, manage customer information, check out shoppers, and communicate with clients. Leading retailers like Mulberry, Saks Fifth Avenue, Kendra Scott, Kate Spade, COACH, and Michael Kors use Tulip in their stores to elevate the shopping experience, increase sales and improve customer service. Visit https://www.tulip.com/about to learn more.

SOURCE Tulip.io Inc.
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Junk Kouture, the world's largest sustainable fashion competition for youth, announces its entry into the U.S. market as part of its global expansion this year. As the fifth international market, America joins Junk Kouture's list as the latest addition to its growing roster of fashion capitals, which includes London, Abu Dhabi, Milan, and Paris in 2021, and 13 cities across 5 continents in 2022. This acclaimed programming for expression and sustainability launched on September 20th in conjunction with 'Climate Week NYC' with a variety of events held in New York City.

Junk Kouture at Edge NYC

Junk Kouture is a unique program developed to empower young creatives to be at the forefront of change in the sustainable fashion industry. Students between the ages of 13-18 who participate in this year-round free academic program learn about sustainability through a hands-on experience that applies an educational curriculum focused on the issues of climate change and sustainability while empowering students' creativity through the inception and creation of runway worthy designs. Participants are challenged to design, create, and model their wearable haute couture styled from waste and recycled materials with the ultimate achievement of qualifying for a spot at the Junk Kouture World Final , taking place in September 2022, judged by a team of technical and celebrity judges.

Junk Kouture not only develops student's life skills such as their confidence, problem solving and teamwork, but also offers them a chance to be showcased on the world stage. "We at Junk Kouture have taken on the task of empowering the lives of young people through taking action creatively against a real threat to our planet: climate change, through a unique fashion show with pieces made from everyday objects or trash," said Troy Armour, founder, and chief executive of Junk Kouture. "We are helping create circular engineers who are the future leaders and innovators of our world, and we look forward to seeing the creativity soar with our launch in the United States this year."

The global World Final scheduled for September 2022 in a city to be announced soon. Find out more about Junk Kouture at www.junkkouture.com or on Instagram , Twitter , and YouTube .

SOURCE Junk Kouture

Related Links

http://www.junkkouture.com


ST. LOUIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Twain Financial Partners announced the successful financing of ground lease capital in connection with the renovation and conversion of a hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Twain's funding will provide state-of-the-art improvements to the hotel, which will be rebranded to a Sheraton by Marriott. Upon completion, the hotel will feature 246 updated guest rooms, a new 200-seat restaurant and lounge, a 75-seat pool bar, indoor/outdoor pool, indoor jacuzzi and 20,780 square feet of meeting space. Additionally, the hotel will offer shuttle services to the nearby Gerald R. Ford International Airport and have the second largest conference and meeting space in Grand Rapids.

HDDA serves as developer and asset manager on this project. HDDA is a hotel development and disposition advisory firm with a current portfolio mix of hotels and loans.

"We are excited to invest in Grand Rapids and renovate the hotel to best fit the demands of the market," said Rob Rothschild, President at HDDA. "The sale-leaseback structure provides us with a non-recourse financing option to capitalize the renovation, while at the same time allowing us to maintain flexibility to execute on the business plan. Of all the options we evaluated, Twain best understood our needs and was able to craft creative solutions that worked for our capital."

"Twain is proud to be a part of this transaction," said Erik Lintvedt, Business Development Officer at Twain. "The renovation of the old Crowne Plaza is long overdue and promises to unlock significant value for an important asset to the Grand Rapids community. Moreover, the project showcases HDDA's and Twain's effectiveness in financing hospitality assets in a challenging environment. We appreciate the partnership with HDDA and look forward to our next opportunity with them."

Twain Financial Partners is an investment management firm located in St. Louis, Missouri with over $4 billion in assets under management within the public-private partnership sector. The firm works with a wide variety of investment types, specializing in tax credit, structured debt, and real estate transactions. Twain works closely with financial institutions and corporations to structure and manage investments that offer both attractive economic return and social benefits.

SOURCE Twain Financial Partners

Related Links

http://www.twainfinancial.com


CHICAGO, Sep. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by The Harris Poll and Fyllo, the leader in digital marketing and compliance solutions for cannabis and other highly regulated industries, reveals that nearly two-thirds (63%) of companies see compliance issues as a critical barrier to growth.

The study titled, "Leading With Compliance: The Key To Growth In Highly Regulated Industries" , which surveyed 305 compliance leaders at companies in highly regulated industries including cannabis, healthcare, financial services, alcohol and pharmaceuticals, revealed surprising commonalities: all struggle with a complex web of federal and local legislation and an outdated compliance approach that impedes growth.

Despite the fact that more than three-quarters (82%) of companies in highly regulated industries currently accept that compliance is a cost of doing business, over the past five years, these companies have been cited on average 12.6 times for noncompliance. This results in extensive operational, reputational, and financial risks. Moreover, the majority of compliance leaders admit that they are often uncertain as to whether or not that the organization is compliant due the dynamic nature of the regulatory environment.

When asked if their company could adapt quickly to sudden changes in its regulatory or compliance environment, 61% did not believe their company could, with 28% pointing to outdated technology as the cause.

"In the face of fast-paced regulatory demands, outdated processes can't keep up and that derails growth." said Chad Bronstein, CEO and founder of Fyllo. "This survey revealed that companies want to utilize technology to understand regulatory updates, whether new laws or even just local legislative conversations."

The study revealed hidden impacts of compliance problems:

Higher Costs: Nearly 50% said non-compliance results in higher costs to attract new investors and win new customers.

Diminished Growth: The vast majority (82%) report that adhering to regulations saps resources that would otherwise drive expansion into new markets (43%), new products/services (43%) , and innovation (38%).

Lost Revenue: 25% said problems led to a loss of customers; 20% said it led to employee turnover.

Damaged Trust: 73% of companies say compliance issues damage trust among consumers, regulators, and employees.

Interestingly, while Pharmaceutical and Financial Services were cited as the gold standards for compliance models, more than a quarter of companies in highly regulated markets said they look to the cannabis industry as a model for compliance best practices.

Commenting on this finding, Bronstein said, "Cannabis professionals are operating in a regulatory environment that changes daily across federal, state and local levels. As such, cannabis businesses have been quick to embrace tech solutions that streamline compliance processes to free up resources for growth, with the industry becoming the benchmark for effective management of compliance processes at scale."

A full copy of The Harris Poll/Fyllo study can be downloaded here .

About Fyllo:

The Fyllo Compliance Cloud is a suite of software and services built to overcome the complexities of highly regulated industries. We deliver data, media, retail and regulatory solutions that enable organizations to streamline compliance, increase efficiencies, and scale with speed. Mainstream brands also seek out Fyllo's Data Marketplace to target previously inaccessible cannabis and CBD consumers.

About The Harris Poll:

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963. It is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible.

SOURCE Fyllo
Michael Vincent named CEO of United Bank Tweet this

"I'm honored to assume this role," Vincent said, "and sincerely appreciate the trust the board has placed in me. The bank's management team today is the same one that has been working together for many years. Our strategies and goals remain the same, our application and execution will remain the same and we anticipate the same success going forward."

David D. Swift, Sr. joined United Bank's board in 1994 and has served as its chairman since 1997. He was elected chairman of United Bancorporation in 2013. Swift was elected to serve as interim Chief Executive Officer of United Bank, United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc., and Town Country National Bank.

Swift said, "We have great confidence in Mike and our entire leadership team at United. A search committee has conducted an exhaustive search process and determined that Mike Vincent is uniquely qualified to lead United Bank continuing the outstanding growth and progress we have been experiencing. The Board of Directors as well as the entire United Bank team looks forward to working with Mike to achieve new heights. We believe this is a very positive step forward for our customers, our employees, our company and the communities we serve."

About United Bank: United Bank is a $1,000,000,000 financial institution that has enjoyed 117 years of continuous service to Atmore, Alabama and surrounding communities. United Bank has offices in Atmore, Brewton, East Brewton, Flomaton, Monroeville, Frisco City, Bay Minette, Daphne, Foley, Lillian, Loxley, Magnolia Springs, Semmes, Silverhill, Spanish Fort and Summerdale in Alabama. United Bank serves Santa Rosa County, Florida in Jay, Milton and Pace. For more information about United Bank please visit our website at www.unitedbank.com. Member FDIC.

Contact:

Tina Brooks

Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary

[email protected]

251-446-6001

SOURCE United Bancorporation

Related Links

http://www.unitedbank.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on workplace health and safety issues and demonstrated the critical role worker wellbeing plays in our nation's ability to be resilient in the face of crisis. The importance of protecting and promoting employee health, however, is not unique to our current circumstances. Some employers have long realized that investing in workplace health promotion and wellbeing programs can help organizations achieve sustainable business results even in the best of times.

For more than a quarter century, a non-profit known as The Health Project has been awarding annual prizes to organizations with proven health improvement programs through its prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award. Today, The Health Project announced the University of Michigan (U-M) as its 2021 award winner.

The University's MHealthy program supports the health and wellbeing of U-M faculty and staff, as well as their families, U-M patients, retirees, community members, and K-12 students. MHealthy delivers effective, evidence-based health and wellbeing programs and services that improve people's lives and support a culture of health at the University. Broadly, programs address the following health behavior areas: physical activity/movement, tobacco cessation, alcohol use, nutrition and weight concerns, mental and emotional wellbeing, and sleep, as well as services for occupational health and ergonomics.

In examining data between 2016 and 2019, program participants were found to have lower medical and pharmaceutical claims costs, illness-related absenteeism, and turnover rates compared to non-participants. Moreover, U-M performed better than several national benchmarks on various measures, including illness-related absenteeism, turnover, and organizational health scores.

Since its inception in 2016, the program has remained nimble to meet the varying challenges faced by its employees, including those arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, MHealthy introduced new initiatives to address unique pandemic-related issues such as caregiving, social isolation, and financial wellbeing.

"The C. Everett Koop Award recognizes organizations with comprehensive, evidence-based programs designed to improve health and wellbeing," said Ron Goetzel, PhD, President and CEO of The Health Project. "The Health Project is honored to add the University of Michigan to its list of award-winning organizations and hope U-M's exemplary workplace health promotion program encourages others to strengthen their efforts at a time when employee health and wellbeing is critical to the health of the nation."

Because of the rigorous standards required for documenting health improvements and cost savings, fewer than 70 organizations have been honored with this prestigious award since The Health Project was established, with the late Dr. C. Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General of the United States, as its honorary chairperson.

In addition to the 2021 award winner, Union Bank & Trust (UBT) received honorable mention recognition, earning this designation for the second time in a row. UBT offers numerous programs, educational opportunities, and support services to engage in its mission of fostering an organizational culture that encourages healthy behavior and empowers healthy decision making. The awards will be presented on October 14, 2021 at the annual Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) Forum, which is taking place virtually this year, due to the pandemic. More information about the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and award-winning health promotion programs is available at http://thehealthproject.com.

The Health Project, Inc. (The Health Project, "THP"), is a tax-exempt not-for-profit corporation formed to bring about critical attitudinal and behavioral changes in addressing the health and well-being of Americans. THP's mission is to seek out, evaluate, promote and disseminate the lessons learned from exemplary health promotion and disease prevention programs with demonstrated effectiveness in improving employee population health and related business outcomes. The C. Everett Koop National Health Awards are given each year to worksite, community or provider programs that are well-integrated into the organization's infrastructure and have yielded significant improvement in population health and noteworthy business results.

SOURCE The Health Project

Related Links

http://www.TheHealthProject.com


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A spike in US travel has coincided with rapidly spreading coronavirus variants.

Pent up demand for travel - combined with rescheduled trips and historically busy summer months - led to the highest number of American travelers in recent history. Travel insurance comparison site, squaremouth.com, reported record sales in August, with an increase of over 120% from 2019.

By September, at least two new major variants had already impacted countries across the world. That same month, Squaremouth reported 40% of its travelers were heading to Europe, the location that currently leads the world in Delta variant cases.

The parallel may have travelers wondering what to do if history repeats itself. Squaremouth answers travelers' top questions about insurance coverage as Covid variants evolve.

Can I buy coverage for new coronavirus variants?

Travel insurance can still be purchased to cover concerns surrounding Delta, Mu, and other variants of the coronavirus

Most travel insurance policies on squaremouth.com provide cancellation and medical benefits for contracting Covid-19, including all variants

What if I no longer want to travel because of the new variants?

Not wanting to travel due to a concern of getting sick is not a covered reason to cancel a trip under the standard Trip Cancellation benefit

Travelers who want this flexibility must have purchased a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy

policy Travelers who haven't booked yet, or who have booked a trip within the past 2 weeks, may be eligible for this upgrade. Trips booked several weeks or months ago are likely ineligible for CFAR

What if the new variants cause my destination to close its border?

Border closures are not covered under standard Trip Cancellation coverage

The Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is also the best option for travelers who want cancellation coverage should their destination close their border to US tourists

What if I contract Covid-19 while traveling?

Most travel insurance policies on squaremouth.com provide medical benefits for contracting Covid-19, including any of its variants

Most policies can also provide additional travel-related benefits for travelers who are quarantined and unable to return home as scheduled

Notes to editors

Available Topic Expert: Megan Moncrief, Chief Marketing Officer, is available for comment and interview. [email protected]

Squaremouth maintains a list of country insurance requirements here: https://www.squaremouth.com/destinations

Other Relevant Research:

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH

Squaremouth.com, and their multi-award winning customer service team, has helped over 2 million travelers save time and money to find the best travel insurance policy for their trip.

Leveraging decades of travel expertise, and industry-leading technology, Squaremouth.com hosts the most intuitive travel insurance quoting and comparison engine on the market today.

Coupled with verified customer reviews and the largest portfolio of products, Squaremouth allows travelers to instantly purchase a travel insurance policy from every major provider in the US.

SOURCE Squaremouth

Related Links

http://www.squaremouth.com


MIAMISBURG, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Verso Corporation (NYSE: VRS) ("Verso" or "the Company") today announced that it has entered into a Confidentiality Agreement (the "Agreement") with Atlas FRM LLC (d/b/a Atlas Holdings LLC) ("Atlas"). The special committee (the "Special Committee") of the Board of Directors of Verso previously communicated to Atlas its determination, made in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, that Atlas' previously disclosed $20.00 per share all-cash offer to acquire Verso was insufficient and that the Special Committee would only consider a potential transaction if Atlas meaningfully increased its offer from $20.00. The two parties agreed to exchange additional information under the terms of the Agreement to facilitate ongoing discussions regarding a potential transaction with Atlas on mutually acceptable terms.

There can be no assurance that any negotiations between Verso and Atlas will take place following the exchange of additional information, and if such negotiations do take place, there can be no assurance that any transaction with Atlas (or any other party) will occur or be consummated. Verso does not intend to comment on or disclose further developments regarding the Special Committee's evaluation unless and until it deems further disclosure is appropriate or required.

Verso stockholders do not need to take any action at this time.

Rothschild & Co is acting as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to the Special Committee.

About Verso Corporation

Verso Corporation is a leading American owned and operated producer of graphic, specialty and packaging paper and market pulp, with a long-standing reputation for quality and reliability. Verso's graphic paper products are designed primarily for commercial printing, advertising and marketing applications, including direct mail, catalogs, corporate collateral, books and magazines. Verso's specialty paper products include release liner papers and label face stock for pressure sensitive, glue-applied and laminate applications. Verso produces packaging paper used in higher-end packaging and printing applications such as greeting cards, book covers, folders, labels and point-of-purchase displays. Verso also makes market pulp used in printing, writing, specialty and packaging papers, facial and toilet tissue, and paper towels. For more information, visit us online at versoco.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release, all statements that are not purely historical facts 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. Forward-looking statements include information regarding the unsolicited acquisition proposal and the response thereto, and other forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "plan," "estimate," "intend," "potential" and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available business, economic, financial, and other information and reflect management's current beliefs, expectations, and views with respect to future developments and their potential effects on Verso. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties that may affect Verso and its business. Verso's actual actions and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by these statements due to a variety of factors, including uncertainties as to whether an agreement relating to any possible transaction will be negotiated and executed, uncertainties as to whether any possible transaction will be completed and the other risks and uncertainties listed in Verso's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on August 6, 2021, and Verso's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021, as such risks and uncertainties may be updated from time to time in Verso's other filings with the SEC. Verso assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances or actual outcomes.

SOURCE Verso Corporation

Related Links

http://versoco.com


The new point-to-multipoint AMI network, which will support 17,000 meters, replaces Oak Lawn's legacy AMR walk-by meter reading system. Among its many benefits, the RF network will enable the city to optimize the performance of its water distribution network and achieve its goal of improving the frequency and accuracy of meter reading and billing.

"This is a milestone project for Oak Lawn. The implementation of Aclara's AMI network will help us streamline our operations and equip us with the tools to improve and grow our infrastructure and deliver water more efficiently," said Jeff Sebek, Director of Public Works, Oak Lawn.

In addition to improving billing, Oak Lawn is taking steps to reduce non-revenue water loss by leveraging the fixed AMI network with Aclara's leak-detection solution to locate underground leaks in its distribution system. When completed, this solution will be the largest such deployment in the Western Hemisphere, employing 825 acoustic correlating loggers to discover leaks that are not obvious but that contribute to non-revenue water loss.

"Non-revenue water, which is water loss through distribution network leakage, is of paramount importance for Oak Lawn to reduce. We expect that the Aclara solution will be a game-changer for the Village of Oak Lawn to bring both our apparent and real water losses number down," Sebek noted.

Data collected by the Aclara RF AMI network will be managed and analyzed via the AclaraONE software platform, allowing the city to identify usage patterns and alert customers to anomalies. These capabilities help facilitate consumption reporting for customers. Through the AclaraONE platform, Oak Lawn will receive daily reports covering not only the amount of water used but also the amount sold to the towns that rely on the city for their water supply. Home to approximately 57,000 residents, the city purchases water from the city of Chicago and resells it to 12 towns in the surrounding area.

Oak Lawn joins a growing number of municipalities that have embraced the Aclara RF point-to-multipoint network technology to future-proof their networks. Aclara also deploys its Aclara RF AMI communications networks in by such water utilities as Austin Water, which services over 1 million people across more than 548 square miles in the Austin, Texas metropolitan area; the City of Dothan, Alabama; and the City of Elmhurst, Illinois.

For more information, visit www.aclara.com.

About Aclara

Aclara, a division of Hubbell Utility Solutions, is a world-class supplier of smart infrastructure solutions (SIS) and services to more than 1,000 water, gas, and electric utilities globally. Aclara SIS offerings include smart meters and other field devices, advanced metering infrastructure and software and services that enable utilities to predict and respond to conditions, leverage their distribution networks effectively, and engage with their customers. Aclara was recently recognized for its vision and end-to-end solution strategy by Navigant Research, won a Global Smart Energy Networks Enabling Technology Leadership Award as well as a North American New Product Innovation Award from Frost & Sullivan, and was named a finalist in three categories of the Platts Global Energy Awards. Visit us at Aclara.com, follow us on Twitter @AclaraSolutions, or subscribe to our blog.

Media Inquiries Only:

Nancy Talley

Aclara

440-528-7287

[email protected]

SOURCE Aclara

Related Links

http://www.aclara.com


The Comerica Bank Women's Business Symposium brings together women in business from across the country to take part in a program filled with conversations designed to "Power Up Your Potential." For over 15 years, these events have provided women in business an opportunity to learn from inspiring speakers, connect with like-minded individuals and grow their personal development.

The event will also focus on empowering nonprofits supporting girls and women, with proceeds benefitting Comerica community partners Alternatives For Girls (Detroit); Genesis Women's Shelter & Support (Dallas); Girls Inc. of Orange County; and Houston Area Women's Center.

Comerica Bank Women's Business Symposium emcee Chef Jamie Gwen will once again serve in her familiar role. Gwen, a celebrity chef, syndicated radio host and cookbook author, will serve to spice up the presentation that includes an all-star lineup of speakers featuring:

Liz Jenkins : Jenkins has served to empower women in her role at Hello Sunshine, a media brand and content company founded by Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon that is dedicated to female authorship and storytelling across all platforms. She joined Hello Sunshine in 2018 as the company's chief financial officer. During her time at Hello Sunshine, she has been responsible for establishing and overseeing finance, business affairs, physical production and operations, as well as facilitating the growth of the company's business, including its Scripted, Unscripted and Kids & Animation studios and Reese's Book Club  all of which put women or girls at the center of each narrative.

Jenkins has served to empower women in her role at Hello Sunshine, a media brand and content company founded by Oscar-winning actress that is dedicated to female authorship and storytelling across all platforms. She joined Hello Sunshine in 2018 as the company's chief financial officer. During her time at Hello Sunshine, she has been responsible for establishing and overseeing finance, business affairs, physical production and operations, as well as facilitating the growth of the company's business, including its Scripted, Unscripted and Kids & Animation studios and Reese's Book Club  all of which put women or girls at the center of each narrative. Col. Nicole Malachowski , USAF (Ret.): Colonel Malachowski is a leader, combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, a White House Fellow, an inductee into both the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, and an indomitable spirit. Drawing on stories from her career and personal life, she inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face every day.

Colonel Malachowski is a leader, combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, a White House Fellow, an inductee into both the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, and an indomitable spirit. Drawing on stories from her career and personal life, she inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face every day. Natalie Nixon , Ph.D.: Nixon is a creativity strategist, global keynote speaker and author of the award-winning "The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work ." As president of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC, she advises leaders on transformation by applying wonder and rigor to amplify growth and business value. She was named one of the top 40 women keynote speakers of 2020 by Real Leaders and has been featured in Forbes and Fast Company.

Nixon is a creativity strategist, global keynote speaker and author of the award-winning "The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work As president of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC, she advises leaders on transformation by applying wonder and rigor to amplify growth and business value. She was named one of the top 40 women keynote speakers of 2020 by Real Leaders and has been featured in Forbes and Fast Company. Cassey Ho : As the founder and CEO of Blogilates, Ho is on a mission to spread the joy of fitness. An award-winning instructor, she has inspired millions of young women to get into the best shape of their lives  mentally and physically. Her genuine passion for bringing happiness into all facets of healthy living is what led her to launch POPFLEX, a now beloved cult activewear brand that is sold at Target stores nationwide.

The Comerica Bank Women's Business Symposium has continued to serve women business owners, executives and professionals the opportunity to Learn, Connect, Grow and Celebrate. Since its inception, the program has successfully engaged thousands of attendees across Comerica's markets with a variety of speakers and conversations.

About Comerica

Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $88.4 billion as of June 30, 2021.

SOURCE Comerica Bank

Related Links

http://www.comerica.com


AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitori Health, a tech-enabled health plan provider, today announced the appointment of Tim O'Brien as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. O'Brien brings over 25 years of health and insurance experience by developing and implementing growth strategies and managing large scale operations, sales, and IT functions. Throughout his career he has created solutions that coordinate care, lower costs and improve outcomes.

Vitori Health is part of the portfolio of BV Investment Partners, a private equity firm focused on the tech-enabled business services, software and IT services sectors, to deliver an exceptional technology enabled health care benefits experience for employees and their families while reducing the longstanding challenge of healthcare costs. The company offers multiple health plan options and stands behind claims savings with a unique guarantee model.

Vikrant Raina, CEO and Managing Partner of BV Investment Partners, said, "Tim has been instrumental in expanding the businesses he has overseen given his experience in a number of business segments, including insurance, operations, finance, sales, product management and development, and marketing. We are excited to have him join the Vitori team to help lead the company's growth and expansion and we look forward to working with him."

Prior to joining Vitori Health, Mr. O'Brien was with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (BlueKC), the largest locally-based health insurance provider, where he served as the Officer in charge of care delivery and strategic investments. Prior to joining BlueKC, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for Nueterra Companies, an integrated healthcare and capital management company where he had oversight over global operations. Prior to Nueterra, Mr. O'Brien was the Vice President of Sales for DST Systems, Inc., (now SS&C Technologies). He has served on a number of local and national boards, including not-for-profit organizations.

The Vitori development team has experience in removing over $100M of excess health care costs for businesses while creating better value. Successes with these companies have made it clear that real results mean doing things outside the traditional insurance system. Designed from the ground up, Vitori combines tailor-made features, including concierge member support, unique medical payment controls, preferred surgical arrangements, optimized pharmacy sourcing and pricing, and open employer contracting.

About Vitori Health

Vitori Health is a health benefits solutions; health plan strategy, procurement, and administration; and management consulting provider for employer-sponsored health plans and corporate clients. For more information, visit www.vitorihealth.com.

Contact: Chris Tofalli

Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC

914-834-4334

SOURCE Vitori Health

Related Links

https://vitorihealth.com


HILVERSUM, Netherlands, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

ADVERTISEMENT. This announcement is an advertisement for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation") relating to Universal Music Group N.V.'s ("Company") admission to trading and official listing of its shares on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam ("Admission"). This announcement does not constitute or form part of a prospectus within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation and has not been reviewed nor approved by any regulatory or supervisory authority in any jurisdiction, including any member state of the European Economic Area (each, an "EEA Member"), the United Kingdom and the United States. This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer by or invitation by or on behalf of, the Company, Vivendi SE ("Vivendi") or any of their advisors or any representative of the Company, Vivendi or any of their advisors, to purchase any securities or an offer to sell or issue, or the solicitation to buy securities by any person in any jurisdiction, including any EEA Member, the United Kingdom or the United States. The approval of the prospectus in connection with the Admission ("Prospectus") by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiele Markten, the "AFM") should not be understood as an endorsement of the quality of the Company or its shares.

In connection with the announced intended distribution by Vivendi of up to 60% of the outstanding share capital of the Company to Vivendi's shareholders by way of a distribution in kind (the "Distribution"), Vivendi has announced on September 21, 2021 that the Distribution will be paid as planned on the basis of one Company share for every one eligible Vivendi share. Settlement of the Distribution will occur on September 23, 2021. The Vivendi press release is available on the corporate website of Vivendi (www.vivendi.com).

Additionally, the technical reference price for the shares in the Company to be traded on Euronext Amsterdam (the "Reference Price") was confirmed by way of a notice issued by Euronext Amsterdam on September 20, 2021, which Reference Price is EUR 18.50 per share. The relevant Euronext Amsterdam notice is available on the website of Euronext at https://live.euronext.com.

Risk Factors

Investing in the Company involves certain risks. A description of these risks, which include risks relating to the Company as well as risks relating to the Distribution and the shares in the Company is included in the Prospectus. Any investment decision in respect of the Company should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the Prospectus.

Earlier announcements related to the Distribution by Vivendi

On June 22, 2021, Vivendi announced that its general meeting of shareholders approved, inter alia, the Distribution. On August 20, 2021 and on August 25, 2021, Vivendi further announced that the capital markets day in respect of the Company, ahead of the Distribution and the Admission, was to be held on August 25, 2021. On September 14, 2021 Vivendi announced that the Prospectus had been approved by the AFM and made a further announcement confirming that the management board of Vivendi have decided to combine the special dividend in kind of EUR 5.3 billion approved by Vivendi shareholders on June 22, 2021 with an interim dividend in kind to be paid out of the June 30, 2021 earnings, which combination enables the Distribution. These press releases are available on the corporate website of Vivendi (www.vivendi.com).

Home Member State Declaration

Pursuant to applicable Dutch law, issuers of securities admitted to trading on a regulated market within the European Union are obligated to publicly disclose their "home member state" for the purposes of their disclosure obligations under Directive 2004/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 on the harmonisation of transparency requirements in relation to information about issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market and amending Directive 2001/34/EC (the EU Transparency Directive).

The Company hereby discloses that its home member state is the Netherlands.

This press release is also available on the corporate website of the Company (www.umusic.nl), subject to applicable securities laws.

DISCLAIMER

This announcement does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 14, 2017 (the "Prospectus Regulation"), and shares in Universal Music Group N.V. will be distributed in circumstances that do not constitute "an offer to the public" within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. This announcement is not intended for distribution in jurisdictions that require prior regulatory review and authorization to distribute an announcement of this nature.

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which it is released, published or distributed, should inform themselves about, and observe, such restrictions.

This announcement is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation. With respect to the member states of the European Economic Area, no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the securities referred to herein requiring a publication of a prospectus in any relevant member state. As a result, the securities may not and will not be offered in any relevant member state except pursuant to a prospectus approved by the relevant market authorities in that member state or in accordance with the exemptions set forth in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Regulation, if they have been implemented in that relevant member state, or under any other circumstances which do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation and/or to applicable regulations of that relevant member state.

This announcement is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer by or invitation by or on behalf of the Company, Vivendi or any of its advisors or any representative of the Company, Vivendi or any of their advisors, to purchase any securities or an offer to sell or issue, or the solicitation to buy securities by any person in any jurisdiction, including any member state of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or the United States.

The securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company and Vivendi do not intend to register all or any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States of America or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States of America.

This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities to the public in the United Kingdom. This announcement is being distributed to and is directed only at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) persons who are investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") and (iii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). Any investment activity to which this announcement relates will only be available to and will only be engaged with, Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

The price and value of securities may go up as well as down. Persons needing advice should contact a professional adviser. Information in this announcement or any of the documents relating to the Admission and the Distribution cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance.

Vivendi may decide not to go ahead with the Distribution and there is therefore no guarantee that the Admission and the Distribution will occur. You should not base your financial decision on this announcement. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested.

Media

James Murtagh-Hopkins

+31 35 799 4204

[email protected]

Investors

Erika Begun

+31 35 799 4200

[email protected]

SOURCE Universal Music Group N.V.

Related Links

https://www.universalmusic.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand, the leader in integrated virtual care and navigation, today announced a solution designed to help remove barriers to care for the Black community. Developed using insights from an innovation coalition of Global and Fortune 500 companies, the product will be the first dedicated care concierge and healthcare navigation platform focused on improving the healthcare experience and advancing health equity for Black Americans. The Black Community Innovation Coalition is comprised of EHIR members Accenture, Best Buy, Genentech, Medtronic, State Farm, Target, and Walmart.

"Health disparities in the Black community have been a known problem for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the inequities around access and advocacy that have been driven by a pattern of structural and interpersonal discrimination. The time is now to deliver solutions that drive meaningful change," said Dr. Ian Tong, Chief Medical Officer of Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand and executive leader of the Coalition. "We are proud to have built the capabilities to help under-resourced populations over the past decade into a solution tailored for Black Americans. The community has long deserved resources that provide agency over care direction, advocacy, and access to improve trust, care experiences, and outcomes."

The Black Community Innovation Coalition will work closely together to inform the product through a combination of targeted market research studies, employee-led focus groups, population health analyses, and product design workshops. The Coalition's early exploration in this area has already identified potential zones of impact including maternal fetal health, cardiometabolic disease, primary care access, behavioral health, and more. These insights will help further tailor the robust care navigation, physician quality, and coordinated care support that Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand deliver to members.

"We're proud to be on the leading edge with Grand Rounds Health, Doctor On Demand, and other employers in developing a resource to help improve access to quality healthcare for the Black and African American community," said Lisa Woods, Walmart Vice President, Physical and Emotional Well-being. "The effort aligns with Walmart's commitment to address disparities in healthcare access, engagement and outcomes. Together, through collaboration and innovation, we will make it easier to find good doctors and make quality healthcare attainable for underserved populations."

Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand is committed to providing advocacy and culturally concordant care through its solutions and provider network. The company has collectively created the market's leading navigation solutions over the past 10 years, developing highly effective engagement strategies that address the needs of under-resourced populations. It has also built a culturally concordant care team that is the most diverse virtual care network in the country; 43% of doctors are BIPOC, more than 60% women, 20% of behavioral health providers are LGBTQ+, and 21% are Black, a number that represents 4x the national average.

The program's focus groups will provide a deeper understanding of the local access and care challenges for national employers than what is available on the market today. The Included Health coalition work will culminate with the full market launch of the product designed for the Black community in early 2022.

About Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand

Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand merged in 2021 to form a first of its kind integrated virtual care company to raise the standard of healthcare. The same year, we acquired Included Health, the leader in healthcare navigation for the LGBTQ+ community and underserved populations. Our personalized, longitudinal clinical care services include virtual primary care, integrated behavioral health, everyday and urgent care, chronic condition management and prevention, specialty care, and 24/7 triage. We get members to the right care, at the right time with ongoing clinical navigation, expert medical opinions, and care coordination.

Partnering with leading employers and health plans, we deliver unparalleled, end-to-end care. Our combined nationwide practice of dedicated clinicians and innovative data science and technology platforms provide better care experiences, better member satisfaction, and better outcomes and cost savings for our nearly 100 million covered lives across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the combined company has been recognized several times in the past yearincluding Best Workplaces by Inc. magazine, Best Workplaces in Healthcare and Biopharma by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Best Overall Digital Health Company by MedTech Breakthrough Awards, and Best Employer Wellness Company by UCSF Digital Health Awards. Learn more at www.grandrounds.com and www.doctorondemand.com.

Media Contact

Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand

[email protected]

SOURCE Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand

Related Links

http://www.grandrounds.com


LONDON and VALLETTA, Malta, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech startup wamo has integrated Apple Pay into its mobile app to expedite its customers' capability to perform contactless transactions.

From now on, all customers, including small and medium-sized businesses, will be able to use Apple's payments technology to receive payments.

The corporation, which is incorporated in the UK, is already operating vigorously in European countries and especially in Malta, thus maturing as a new pioneer in the digital banking market in the region.

As the company's CEO, Yanki Onen, describes, "It is part of our purpose to develop unique functionalities and facilitate the financial lives of customers and micro-businesses in a way that is speedy, timely, reliable, and secure."

As of summer 2020, Apple's payments service had more than 220 million users, 85 percent outside the United States. These are consumers who move $10 billion a year in financial transactions.

In Malta, where the company has an important part of its operations, Apple Pay was only launched at the end of 2019. However, during the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent health emergency situation, digital banking soared significantly.

wamo's technology, which natively uses QR codes to accept payments, allows small companies to operate without having to have a POS device.

Business can rely on a QR code, which permits its clients to execute transfers and card payments in a second.

wamo is a digital native fintech targeting small and medium-sized businesses, is incorporated in the UK, and has offices in London and Malta.

With technology and innovation at its gist, the corporation strives to compete with traditional financial methods in delivering financial services.

The fintech institution uses innovative technology to streamline all aspects of day-to-day financial management processes, enabling both businesses and consumers to do it all from a single app.

This year, wamo raised a 1 million investment from a group of angel investors, bringing the total amount raised to more than 1.9 million and securing funding for its expansion plan in Europe.

wamo has partnered with Railsbank to improve the security of transactions and secure customers' money. PayrNet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Railsbank, issues electronic money and provides payment services to wamo.

The company has received backing from investors in the UK, Malta, Turkey and Canada.

Registered in the UK and EEA, it is working to become the solution of choice for over 10,000 European SME and retail customers seeking convenient and cost-effective solutions for their day-to-day financial management needs.

With a potential market of 25.1 million small businesses in Europe, wamo is looking to become the first choice in the post-pandemic era of fintech.

PayrNet Limited grants e-money issuing and payment services. With each transaction, PayrNet holds a sum equivalent to the money in wamo's current accounts in a safeguarded account, which offers customers protection against insolvency.

wamo, as a financial technology company, has been actively adjusting for this transformation for the past four years with a technical solution that has been finely crafted to step in and take SMEs and their customers forward effortlessly.

To join wamo as a client, click on the link www.wamo.io

Read wamo's post on the integration of Apple Pay: https://wamo.io/en/newscenter/wamo-apple-pay

SOURCE wamo
Experienced business transformation specialist and President of Cloud at SAP will help portfolio companies accelerate innovation and digital transformation

LONDON and CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Warburg Pincus, a leading global growth investor, today announced the appointment of Brian Duffy as a Senior Adviser in its Technology group. In his role, Brian will work with Warburg Pincus and its portfolio companies to accelerate innovation and digital transformation and to identify and evaluate new investment opportunities in the global technology industry.

Brian brings more than 15 years of international experience in the technology industry to the firm, holding several senior leadership positions across a variety of business functions at SAP. Currently, Brian serves as President of Cloud, and focuses on accelerating customer adoption of RISE with SAP, the company's business transformation as a service offering.

Prior to this, Brian served as President of Northern Europe for SAP and was responsible for overseeing the region's industry go-to-market, sales strategies and customer experience. Prior to his sales leadership roles, Brian simultaneously served as Chief of Staff to an SAP Executive Board Member and Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Initiatives. Brian is a qualified lawyer and he has previously held various positions in SAP's legal department, including Assistant General Counsel in the United States, Japan and China. Additionally, Brian is a member of SAP's global sustainability council and he serves as global executive sponsor for Diversity and Inclusion.

Flavio Porciani, Managing Director at Warburg Pincus, said, ''At Warburg Pincus, we have always recognized the importance of leveraging industry expertise to strengthen and grow the businesses in which we invest and to provide our current and prospective portfolio companies and their management teams with access to industry leaders and deep sector expertise. Brian's track record of helping businesses accelerate innovation and digital transformation is perfectly aligned with our long history of investing in and successfully scaling tech enabled businesses. We look forward to working closely with Brian.''

Brian Duffy, President of Cloud at SAP said, ''Warburg Pincus has a five-decade history of successfully investing in technology businesses and an exceptional reputation for identifying future market leaders. I'm excited to partner with the global technology team and its portfolio companies as we work together to identify opportunities that enhance innovation, create value and inspire people for the greater good.''

Warburg Pincus has been a long-time, active investor in the technology industry. Since the firm was founded in 1966, it has invested more than $24 billion in technology businesses, with investments including Quantexa, Personetics, Inmarsat, CrowdStrike, Avalara and Avaloq.

Media Contact

Jenna Ward, Europe Communications Director

T: +44 20 7306 3805 / +44 7570 844338

E: [email protected]

About Warburg Pincus

Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global growth investor. The firm has more than $64 billion in private equity assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 205 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 19 private equity funds, which have invested more than $94 billion in over 940 companies in more than 40 countries. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information please visit www.warburgpincus.com .

SOURCE Warburg Pincus

Related Links

http://www.warburgpincus.com


FRISCO, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 40 years, Warner Pacific has been the most trusted partner of brokers in the health insurance industry in several states, now including Texas since 2019. The company is setting its sights on growth through a dedicated team that is currently expanding and the company's high-tech, high-touch approach to service that sets it apart.

The Texas team currently includes:

John Kurath , Senior Vice President of Sales

, Senior Vice President of Sales Trei Wild , Regional Vice President of Sales

, Regional Vice President of Sales Danny Koch, Senior Sales Executive

Matthew Sarchet , Sales Consultant, Technology and Market Development

, Sales Consultant, Technology and Market Development Eric Scher , Sales Executive

, Sales Executive Eva Boucher , Sales Executive

, Sales Executive Rachele Posey , Sales Executive

, Sales Executive Mark Robertson , Sales Executive

, Sales Executive Rick Krout , Sales Executive  Ancillary/Work Site

, Sales Executive  Ancillary/Work Site Teresa Ramirez , Broker Service Representative

While this team is "the face of Warner Pacific" in Texas, providing insurance agents with comprehensive pre- and post-sales assistance, they're backed by technology and operations experts working behind the scenes to seamlessly deliver technology solutions and back-office support. It's everything these agents need to grow their businesses in a rapidly changing marketplaceall at no cost to them.

Another important differentiator is this team's cutting-edge expertise in the level funded arena. "We study the product and take courses to stay on top of it so that we can educate the brokers and their clients," says Trei. "We have fully insured products and Individual, Medicare, etc. expertise, but level funded is 10 times more complicated, and it gives employers the ability to actually get money back if they run well, or even close to well."

Learn more about Warner Pacific and how it's been the most trusted partner of brokers in the health insurance industry for decades here .

About Warner Pacific

Warner Pacific provides insurance agents in Texas, California and Colorado with sales assistance, innovative technology and back-office supportthe tools they need to grow their business in a rapidly changing marketplace. With strong leadership and a focus on building and deepening relationships, Warner Pacific has become a top-producing general agency for many of the nation's largest insurance carriers. Learn more about the company here .

SOURCE Warner Pacific

Related Links

https://www.warnerpacific.com


MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 21 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wealth Enhancement Group, an independent wealth management firm, today announced that it has joined forces with Walnut Creek Wealth Management, a hybrid RIA headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., with three financial advisors that collectively oversee nearly $1 billion in total client assets. Walnut Creek is Wealth Enhancement Group's 12th transaction announced in 2021 and drives the firm's total client assets to more than $46 billion.*

Founded in 1992, Walnut Creek is led by CEO and Principal Bernard Smit and includes Principals Damien Couture and Debbie Pursey, as well as five additional employees. The firm specializes in financial planning, wealth management and asset management for corporate executives; single, divorced and widowed women; physicians; and business owners. Additionally, it offers qualified retirement plan support for small- and medium-size businesses.

Walnut Creek's office is Wealth Enhancement Group's fourth location in California, following its June acquisition of Pillar Pacific Capital Management, with offices in San Marino and Pacifica, and its July acquisition of Los Angeles-based Oakwood Capital Management.

Jeff Dekko, Chief Executive Officer of Wealth Enhancement Group, said, "The West Coast is a prime focus for us as we continue to expand our financial-planning based approach to client service, which is undergirded by the strategic investments we have made in process and technology, as well as the scale we have built on both local and national levels. We are thrilled to bring aboard a team with the level of experience and knowledge that Bernie Smit, Damien Couture and Debbie Pursey possess, and we look forward to helping them achieve new levels of growth and efficiency in their business. I have no doubt that we will achieve great things together."

Jim Cahn, Wealth Enhancement Group's Chief Investments & Business Development Officer, said, "Bernie Smit and his team offer a rare combination of sophisticated financial planning, wealth management and asset management experience with an uncanny ability to build long-lasting, trusted client relationships. They are outstanding additions to the Wealth Enhancement Group family, and we are pleased to have them on board."

After the Sept. 15 close of the transaction, Walnut Creek is doing business as the Walnut Creek Team at Wealth Enhancement Group. Mr. Smit, Mr. Couture and Ms. Pursey serve as Senior Vice Presidents and Financial Advisors. As part of the transaction, the practice will transition its brokerage assets to LPL Financial.

Mr. Smit said, "This is a momentous time in our firm's history, marking a new chapter for our business. Partnering with Wealth Enhancement Group  with its comprehensive scale, resources and support  will unlock new capabilities for our practice, while also enhancing our ability to provide our clients the attentive, independent advice they have come to expect from us. We believe it's a win for our team and for those we have the privilege to serve."

David Selig of Advice Dynamics Partners served as Walnut Creek's M&A advisor and Chris Frieden of Alston & Bird served as counsel. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Wealth Enhancement Group

Wealth Enhancement Group is a Greater Minneapolis-based independent wealth management firm offering comprehensive and customized financial planning and investment management services. Founded in 1997, Wealth Enhancement Group serves clients nationwide. Wealth Enhancement Group specializes in providing retail clients with the team-based knowledge and resources they need to simplify their financial life. For more information, please visit www.wealthenhancement.com.

Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC (WEAS), a registered investment advisor. Certain, but not all, investment advisor representatives (IARs) of WEAS are also registered representatives of and offer securities through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Wealth Enhancement Group and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services are separate entities from LPL Financial. Wealth Enhancement Group is a registered trademark of Wealth Enhancement Group, LLC.

*Wealth Enhancement Group and its Registered Investment Advisor, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, had $38.8 billion in client brokerage and advisory assets as of 7/31/2021. Walnut Creek Wealth Management has $966 million in client assets as of 6/30/2021. With the addition of previously announced acquisitions that closed in August and are expected to close in October and November, plus and the acquisition of Walnut Creek Wealth Management, Wealth Enhancement Group will have $46.42 billion in client brokerage, advisory and trust assets as of November 2021.

Media Contacts

Joseph Kuo / Chris Clemens

Haven Tower Group

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4854

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Wealth Enhancement Group

Related Links

http://www.wealthenhancement.com


MOSCOW, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't expect life to be the same as it was before the pandemic for several years. "Most likely, we'll have a new normal, with periodic shocks in one form or another and 2022 will be indicative of this," said astrologer and author Tatiana Borsch.

Borsch is a popular Russian astrologer known for her accurate predictions. She accurately predicted the current global economic crisis and sudden events of 2020 in a 2019 SWAAY Magazine article.

Complete Horoscope 2022 gives readers insights into what lies ahead in the upcoming year. Since 1992, Tatiana Borsch has been writing the annual Complete Horoscope book series in Russian. Complete Horoscope 2022 is her fourth English edition. For more than 30 years, Tatiana Borsch has been a renowned Russian astrologer, writer, and award-winning documentary film producer.

Her recent book Complete Horoscope 2022 gives readers insights into what lies ahead in the upcoming year. Since 1992, she has been writing the annual Complete Horoscope book series in Russian. Complete Horoscope 2022 is her fourth English edition.

According to her 2022 forecast, the upcoming year is divided into two distinct periods - a very favorable time during the first half of the year and a more troubling second half.

"Jupiter and Neptune will dominate this period, and nearly all year long, they will have very strong energy in Pisces. In Pisces, they rule medicine, oil and gas, arts, space, virtual reality and the sea. We can expect a lot of developments in these areas," said Borsch.

Neptune also rules the arts. We could see incredible films, music productions, and paintings, and many art pieces will also have a space or maritime theme. Neptune also rules everything related to drugs and alcohol, so legalizing drugs might be a trend.

"With Jupiter's powerful influence, we might see increased production and more interest in elite wine brands," said Borsch.

Next year, climate change will continue to cause havoc around the globe as Jupiter and Neptune bring major floods, worse than we've ever seen. Volcanic activity and major earthquakes will also increase.

Glaciers will continue to melt, and there's no way to stop it. People living along coastal regions should consider taking extra precautions to prepare for spring floods. During the first half of 2022, the political climate of our turbulent world is looking relatively quiet, and the U.S. is looking more peaceful.

In May, Jupiter shifts from neutral Pisces to belligerent Aries and remains there until October.

"Expect more fires to break out around the world, causing major ecological and human losses," said Borsch.

Beginning in August, things suddenly take a dark turn. Confrontation from Mars is the theme for the second half of the year, which leads to negativity, crises, and wars.

"During this time, we might also see the emergence of new types of diseases or further mutations of coronavirus," said Borsch.

It's also a difficult time because Uranus has been in Taurus since 2018 and will remain there until April 26, 2026. This event happens every 84 years. From an astrologer's point of view, it has triggered wars, including the Crimean War and World War II.

"We've already witnessed escalated military tensions. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of what's to come. Clashes in hotspots will increase during the second half of 2022, weakening NATO countries," said Borsch.

The second half of 2022 also becomes more turbulent with the release of certain secrets and Republicans become more powerful. The influence of former president, Donald Trump, will grow, leading to serious struggles and clashes within democratic institutions.

Countries suffering from economic instability will see changes in government, if not outright political chaos. China and Russia will grow stronger, which could continue into 2023 or 2024. Many countries will experience protests and unrest, and people will resist authorities moving closer to revolution.

"Many countries, including the U.S. and China, will rebuild their economies, and China could become the global leader. During the first half of the year, we could also see the growth of new and existing cryptocurrencies," said Borsch.

Meet Astrologer & Author Tatiana Borsch

For more than 30 years, Tatiana Borsch has been a renowned Russian astrologer, writer, and award-winning documentary film producer.

Tatiana has an outstanding track record as a professional astrologer and has made guest appearances on many popular television shows. She is the author of more than 40 books, including An Astrologer's Notes: Real-life stories on how the stars shape our lives.

Tatiana is also the founder of the AstraArt production company, which has created more than 150 documentary films since 2002. She has received numerous awards for films broadcasted across Russia and other countries.

Tatiana offers free weekly social media horoscopes on Instagram and Facebook. Complete Horoscope 2022 is available on Amazon and her website.

Website: http://www.tatianaborsch.com/

Moscow, Russia

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +35797837153

Social media weekly horoscopes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatiana_borsch/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tatiana-Borsch-1855585614490721

SOURCE Tatiana Borsch

Related Links

https://www.tatianaborsch.com/


The AGM100 provides clinicians with a full picture of patient blood oxygen and gas exchange levels right at the bedside without requiring any blood draws or needle sticks, which helps prevent problems like infection in low resource settings. This provides substantial improvements in patient safety and care, since clinicians can objectively understand what's exactly happening in the lungs and blood without any time delays or logistical complications.

The WHO compendium report's purpose is to acknowledge new medical technologies with significant global potential and to bring awareness for better implementation and uptake, especially in low resource settings. The WHO panel of international experts participated in the selection and evaluation project, including influential physicians, biomedical engineers, and regulatory experts from 37 countries. In the end, they selected the top 24 technologies out of hundreds considered; MediPines is one of only 15 highlighted technologies which is available commercially.

"Our product has proven very beneficial in the assessment of COVID-19 patients," said Steve Lee, MediPines CEO and co-inventor of the AGM100. "We are honored to be recognized by the World Health Organization. MediPines remains committed to working hand-in-hand with healthcare professionals and policy makers seeking to combat COVID-19 and other deadly respiratory diseases."

MediPines AGM100

MediPines AGM100 is the world's first non-invasive gas exchange analyzer. It is a respiratory monitoring system used to rapidly assess a patient's respiratory status. The device is FDA cleared and approved by Health Canada for COVID-19 Emergency Use.

About MediPines

MediPines Corporation, based in California, is a market leader in respiratory assessment and monitoring of pulmonary gas exchange. The company mission is to advance respiratory medicine by providing physiology-based respiratory devices that enhance clinical effectiveness and achieve better patient outcomes. www.medipines.com

Contact:

Luan Price

949-398-4670

[email protected]



SOURCE MediPines

Related Links

http://www.medipines.com


DUBLIN, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Forecast by Technology, Product, Channel and Country: Assay Volumes and Market Size Outlook to 2025 - Updated to Include 2020 Actuals" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A new dynamic market is emerging for COVID-19-based diagnostics. Testing is moving into physicians' offices and even into the home.

Saliva tests? Handheld multiplex testers? Home based testing sticks? And what about the workplace market where safety is paramount? And what happens to the large laboratory capacity that was built up to handle a pandemic now in decline? Learn all about these changing markets in our latest report.

Revenue, testing volumes, technology, products and channels - they are all looked at in this complete report that provides detailed breakdowns by country and regions. Get on top of the situation quickly with market guides and situation analysis.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Market Guides

1.1 COVID-19. Strategic Situation Analysis

1.2 COVID-19. Guidance for Executives

1.3 COVID-19. Guidance for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors

2 Introduction and Market Definition

2.1 What are Pandemics?

2.2 The Role of Zoonosis

2.3 Market Definition

2.3.1 Assay Volumes

2.3.2 PCR

2.3.3 PCR Multiplex

2.3.4 SEQ

2.3.5 Antigen

2.3.6 Antibodies

2.3.7 Instruments

2.3.8 Reagents and Kits

2.3.9 Extract

2.3.10 Collect

2.3.11 Public

2.3.12 Hospital

2.3.13 Clinic

2.3.14 Workplace

2.3.15 DTC/OTC

2.3.16 Wastewater

2.4 Methodology

2.4.1 Authors

2.4.2 Sources

2.5 Historical Perspective on Pandemics

2.5.1 HIV/AIDS Pandemic 2005-2012

2.5.2 Flu Pandemic 1968

2.5.3 Asian Flu 1956-1958

2.5.4 Spanish Flu 1918

2.5.5 Sixth Cholera Pandemic 1910-1911

2.5.6 Flu Pandemic 1889-1890

2.5.7 The Black Death 1346-1353

3 The Pandemic Overview

3.1 What is a Virus?

3.1.1 Is a Virus Alive?

3.1.2 Viral Structure

3.1.3 The Viral Genome

3.1.4 Viral Mutation

3.2 The Coronavirus

3.2.1 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

3.2.2 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)

3.2.3 COVID-19. The SARS CoV 2 Virus

3.2.3.1 Signs and symptoms

3.2.3.2 Transmission

3.2.3.3 Diagnosis

3.2.3.4 Prevention

3.2.3.5 Management

3.2.3.6 Prognosis

3.2.3.7 A Note on Global Statistics Reporting

3.3 Pandemic Diagnostics

3.3.1 Risk Management - Spark and Spread

3.3.2 Dx Technology - Nucleic Acid Based

3.3.3 Dx Technology - Immunoassay

3.3.4 Time to Market and Preparedness Issues

4 Diagnostic Company Profiles

4.1 Abacus Diagnostica

4.2 Abbott Diagnostics

4.3 Accelerate Diagnostics

4.4 Acces Bio

4.5 Advanced Biological Laboratories

4.6 Agena Bioscience, Inc

4.7 Agilent/Dako

4.8 Altona Diagnostics

4.9 Alveo Technologies

4.10 Anatolia Geneworks

4.11 Applied BioCode

4.12 Applied DNA Sciences

4.13 Assurance Scientific Laboratories

4.14 Aus Diagnostics

4.15 Autobio Diagnostics

4.16 Beckman Coulter Diagnostics

4.17 Becton, Dickinson and Company

4.18 BGI Genomics Co. Ltd

4.19 BillionToOne

4.20 Binx Health

4.21 Biocartis

4.22 Biodesix Inc

4.23 BioFire Diagnostics (bioMerieux)

4.24 Biolidics Ltd

4.25 bioMerieux Diagnostics

4.26 Bioneer Corporation

4.27 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc

4.28 Bio-Reference Laboratories

4.29 Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH

4.30 Cepheid (Danaher)

4.31 Chembio

4.32 Co Diagnostics

4.33 Color Genomics

4.34 Cue Health

4.35 Curetis N.V. / Curetis GmbH

4.36 Diagenode Diagnostics

4.37 Diasorin S.p.A

4.38 Ellume

4.39 Enzo Life Sciences, Inc

4.40 Everywell

4.41 Fluxergy

4.42 Fulgent Genetics

4.43 Fusion Genomics

4.44 Genedrive

4.45 Genetic Signatures

4.46 GenMark Dx (Roche)

4.47 Gold Standard Diagnostics

4.48 Hologic

4.49 Illumina

4.50 Immunexpress

4.51 Inflammatix

4.52 Janssen Diagnostics

4.53 Karius

4.54 Laboratory Corporation of America

4.55 Letsgetchecked

4.56 Lexagene

4.57 Luminex Corp

4.58 LumiraDx

4.59 Mammoth Biosciences

4.60 Mayo Clinic Laboratories

4.61 Mbio Diagnostics

4.62 Meridian Bioscience

4.63 Mesa Biotech (Thermo Fisher)

4.64 Mobidiag (Hologic)

4.65 Nanomix

4.66 Novacyt

4.67 Orasure

4.68 Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

4.69 Oxford Nanopore Technologies

4.70 Perkin Elmer

4.71 Primerdesign (Novacyt)

4.72 Prominex

4.73 Qiagen Gmbh

4.74 quantumdx.com

4.75 Quest Diagnostics

4.76 Quidel

4.77 Randox Toxicology

4.78 Roche Molecular Diagnostics

4.79 SD Biosensor

4.80 Seegene

4.81 Sherlock Biosciences

4.82 Siemens Healthineers

4.83 Sona Nanotech

4.84 SpeeDx

4.85 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc

4.86 Veredus Laboratories

4.87 Vircell

4.88 Visby Medical

4.89 YD Diagnostics

4.90 Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech

5 COVID-19 Diagnostics Recent Developments

5.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section

5.1.1 Importance of These Developments

5.1.2 How to Use This Section

5.2 LetsGetChecked Closes $150M Funding Round

5.3 Novacyt Gets CE Mark for Multigene SARS-CoV-2 Test, Launches RUO Variant Assay

5.4 Abbott Sees Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Test Revenue

5.5 Phosphorus Diagnostics Gets EUA for DTC C19 Test, Sample Collection Kit

5.6 NY Times Explores Multiplex Testing

5.7 Hologic Banking on MDx Acquisitions

5.8 Demand for Cepheid SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Tests to Continue Through 2022

5.9 DiaSorin Acquires Luminex to Broaden MDx Portfolio, Expand US Presence

5.10 LumiraDx to Go Public Through SPAC

5.11 Eurofins Test Helps to ID Mutations

5.12 Roche Sees Growing Opportunities for Diagnostics

5.13 Roche to Acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8B

5.14 Fulgent Genetics is to Use COVID-19 Testing Gains to Grow Clinical Sequencing

5.15 LexaGene Syndromic Panel Platform Lets Labs Customize Targets

5.16 FDA Grants EUAs for DTC Sample Collection Kit, Two Molecular Tests

5.17 At-Home Infectious Disease Test Developer Lucira Health Goes Public

6 The Global Market for COVID-19 Diagnostics

6.1 Global Market Overview by Country

6.1.1 Table - Global Market by Country

6.1.2 Chart - Global Market by Country

6.1.3 Table - Global Market by Country - Assay Volumes

6.2 Global Market by Technology - Overview

6.2.1 Table - Global Market by Technology

6.2.2 Chart - Global Market by Technology - Base/Final Year Comparison

6.2.3 Chart - Global Market by Technology - Base Year

6.2.4 Chart - Global Market by Technology - End Year

6.2.5 Chart - Global Market by Technology - Share by Year

6.2.6 Chart - Global Market by Technology - Segments Growth

6.3 Global Market by Product - Overview

6.3.1 Table - Global Market by Product

6.3.2 Chart - Global Market by Product - Base/Final Year Comparison

6.3.3 Chart - Global Market by Product - Base Year

6.3.4 Chart - Global Market by Product - End Year

6.3.5 Chart - Global Market by Product - Share by Year

6.3.6 Chart - Global Market by Product - Segments Growth

6.4 Global Market by Channel - Overview

6.4.1 Table - Global Market by Channel

6.4.2 Chart - Global Market by Channel - Base/Final Year Comparison

6.4.3 Chart - Global Market by Channel - Base Year

6.4.4 Chart - Global Market by Channel - End Year

6.4.5 Chart - Global Market by Channel - Share by Year

6.4.6 Chart - Global Market by Channel - Segments Growth

7 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Technology

7.1 PCR

7.1.1 Table PCR - by Country

7.1.2 Chart - PCR Growth

7.2 PCR Multiplex

7.2.1 Table PCR Multiplex - by Country

7.2.2 Chart - PCR Multiplex Growth

7.3 Sequencing

7.3.1 Table Sequencing - by Country

7.3.2 Chart - Sequencing Growth

7.4 Antibody

7.4.1 Table Antibody - by Country

7.4.2 Chart - Antibody Growth

7.5 Antigen

7.5.1 Table Antigen - by Country

7.5.2 Chart - Antigen Growth

8 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Product

8.1 Instruments

8.1.1 Table Instruments - by Country

8.1.2 Chart - Instruments Growth

8.2 Reagents & Kits

8.2.1 Table Reagents & Kits - by Country

8.2.2 Chart - Reagents & Kits Growth

8.3 Extraction

8.3.1 Table Extraction - by Country

8.3.2 Chart - Extraction Growth

8.4 Collection

8.4.1 Table Collection - by Country

8.4.2 Chart - Collection Growth

9 Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Channel

9.1 Public

9.1.1 Table Public - by Country

9.1.2 Chart - Public Growth

9.2 Hospital

9.2.1 Table Hospital - by Country

9.2.2 Chart - Hospital Growth

9.3 Clinic

9.3.1 Table Clinic - by Country

9.3.2 Chart - Clinic Growth

9.4 Workplace

9.4.1 Table Workplace - by Country

9.4.2 Chart - Workplace Growth

9.5 DTC/OTC

9.5.1 Table DTC/OTC - by Country

9.5.2 Chart - DTC/OTC Growth

9.6 Wastewater

9.6.1 Table Wastewater - by Country

9.6.2 Chart - Wastewater Growth

10 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9qb3j2

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To help students ring in the new school year, Dwayne Johnson and Dave Rienzi of ZOA Energy announced the launch of their first-ever social media contest, #BigCanOnCampus, in search of the college with the most school spirit.

ZOA launches #BigCanOnCampus social media contest in search of the college with the most school spirit

Many college students are returning to campus for the first time in a year and a half, and ZOA energy wants to help them make the most of it. From face paint to tailgates to late-night study sessions at the library, students and alumni nationwide are challenged to show off what school spirit means to them on TikTok and Instagram. The prize? The notoriety of the #BigCanOnCampus title from none other than University of Miami alum, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The ZOA founding team will hand-pick the winning school and give each student a can of ZOA and an unforgettable on-campus ZOA-sponsored event.

The #BigCanOnCampus campaign is more than just a contest. As students enter yet another school year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ZOA and its co-founders want to spread positivity and unite college students across the country, whether they are returning to school in person or virtually.

Throughout the campaign, ZOA will highlight the most spirited school videos on their channels. Students and alumni can enter by submitting videos that show off their college pridehighlighting things like, "why their college is best" or "what makes returning to campus so exciting"to TikTok or Instagram with the hashtags #BigCanOnCampus and #Contest as well as tagging @zoaenergy.*

"The time has come for students to return to school and it's a pivotal moment in their lives after the countless challenges this past year presented," said Johnson. "As they officially kick off their school year it's our honor at ZOA to watch them come to campus, in person or virtually, with such positivity and high energy. We look forward to checking out everyone's submissions for #BigCanOnCampus and delivering an amazing ZOA experience to the winning school."

For more information about the Big Can on Campus social media contest, please visit ZOA's blog page. For more information about ZOA, please visit https://zoaenergy.com/.

About ZOA Energy:

ZOA is the healthy energy drink created and developed by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman to bring more positive energy to everyday life. Created as a convenient, healthy solution for the unique challenges of today, ZOA was made to sustain with vitamins C for immunity, and vitamin B and natural caffeine for clean, enhanced energy. Follow the brand online at zoaenergy.com.

*BigCanOnCampus is not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram or Tik Tok. Terms and Conditions apply. Please visit our Official Rules Page for more details.

Media Contact:

Kristina Avena | Konnect Agency

[email protected]

646.453.7167

SOURCE ZOA Energy

Related Links

https://zoaenergy.com/


Bamako, Sep 21 : France will maintain its military presence in Mali, visiting French Defence Minister Florence Parly said here on Monday, following a meeting with her Malian counterpart, Colonel Sadio Camara.

"France will not leave Mali and remains determined in the fight against terrorism," she said, referring to her visit as part of the move to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

"For the past eight years, France has chosen, at the request of the Malian authorities, to accompany Mali in the fight against armed terrorist groups. France has chosen to suffer and unite its partners around a common vision with and for Mali," said Parly.

It is time to "evolve the system by increasing cooperation" to help the restructuring of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), she said, adding that it is "imperative today to reinsure FAMa of the air support provided from France and its partners." Her visit came at a time of great controversy about a possible contract between Mali and the Russian group Wagner which stipulates that 1,000 Russian mercenaries should soon be deployed in the country.

France and Germany have warned that a deployment of paramilitaries of the Russian group would call into question their military engagement in Mali.

Since 2012, Mali has been facing a severe crisis in terms of security, politics and economy. The independence uprisings, the jihadist incursions and the inter-communal violence have caused thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced, despite the presence of the UN, French and European task forces.
Kabul, Sep 21 : Afghanistan's central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), has allowed merchants and owners of private companies to withdraw $25,000 from their bank accounts once in a month, a local TV channel reported.

Following the latest decision and announcement of DAB, the Afghan entrepreneurs could receive $25,000 or its afghani equivalent once in a month from their accounts from all banks across Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency quoted TOLO News as saying on Monday.

Reports of freezing Afghanistan's bank assets by the US as well as a halt of funds by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have recently fuelled concerns among Afghans.

On August 28, the DBA issued an order to all banks in the country, setting a temporary limit of withdrawals of $200 or 20,000 afghani for one customer every week.

Thousands of customers had waited in long lines to withdraw their savings since the Taliban's takeover of the country in August.

Meantime, local businessmen and members of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce told TOLO News that the cash allowed to be withdrawn was insufficient and they could do less with the amount.

They said in order to run their business they need enough money to withdraw from government-run and private banks.
Washington, Sep 21 : US House Democrats will incorporate a suspension of the debt limit into a short-term government spending bill, a move unlikely to gain support from Republicans, it was announced.

The legislation to avoid a government shutdown will include a suspension of the debt limit through December 2022 "to once again meet our obligations and protect the full faith and credit of the US", House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement released on Monday.

The statement came after weeks of impasse over the debt ceiling issue, as Republican lawmakers have threatened to oppose a measure to suspend or raise the federal debt limit, arguing that Democrats should do that on their own, since they control both chambers of Congress and the White House, and complaining about a lack of bipartisanship in crafting President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion spending plan.

"Let me make it perfectly clear. The country must never default. The debt ceiling will need to be raised. But who does that depends on who the American people elect," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently told Punchbowl News.

Pelosi and Schumer, meanwhile, noted that raising the debt limit does not authorise new federal spending, but it allows the Treasury Department to borrow additional funds to cover expenditures that have already been approved by Congress, including the bipartisan $908 billion Covid-19 relief bill, which was authored by Republican senators.

"As the Administration warned last week, a reckless Republican-forced default could plunge the country into a recession," the Democratic leaders said in Monday's statement.

By combing the debt limit suspension with the short-term government funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, Democratic leaders are pressuring Republicans to support the debt limit increase, or risk a government shutdown in just a few days.

McConnell, however, said on Monday that Senate Republicans would support a "clean" continuing resolution that included appropriate disaster relief and targeted Afghan assistance, but "will not" support legislation that raises the debt limit.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday warned that the country's economic recovery would reverse into recession if Congress fails to swiftly raise the federal debt limit.

The debt limit, commonly called the debt ceiling, is the total amount of money that the government is authorised to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including social security and medicare benefits, interest on the national debt, and other payments.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : After the Congress appointed a Dalit as the Chief Minister of Punjab, the party has planned six rallies in Uttar Pradesh to be addressed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The rallies have been planned for the Meerut and Agra divisions in Western Uttar Pradesh; and Varanasi, Azamgarh, Prayagraj and Deoria in the eastern part of the state.

The party is also planning a rally in Gorakhpur to take the fight directly to the chief minister's fort.

The source said that the date and venues of the rallies have not been finalised yet, but the party is working on them.

The party has also said that the Punjab and Chhattisgarh Chief Ministers are likely to share the stage with Priyanka, as Bhupesh Baghel belongs to the Kurmi OBC community, which has a sizeable population in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress is trying to give a message to the Dalit community that it is the party which has made a Dalit Chief Minister.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also be visiting Lucknow soon to give a final shape to the "Pratigya Yatra" programme to be launched by the party unit ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next year.

She will have scheduled meetings with the manifesto committee and with the election committee to assess the party's poll preparedness in the state, sources said.

Priyanka is likely to participate in one of the training programmes being organised by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh will take out a 'Congress Pratigya Yatra' with the tagline -- 'Hum Vachan Nibhayenge', ahead of the Assembly elections, due early next year.

Priyanka has said that the yatra would cover a distance of 12,000 kilometres and will pass through all major villages and towns.

The date of the yatra is yet undecided, though sources said that it was likely to begin on the Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.
Washington, Sep 21 : US President Joe Biden is seeking to hold a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in an effort to reduce tensions caused by a controversial submarine deal, according to officials in Washington.

A diplomatic rift emerged between Washington and Paris over the announcement that the US and the UK will support Australia to develop nuclear-powered submarines, depriving France of a contract to provide conventional submarines to Canberra, reports Xinhua news agency.

Outraged by the abrupt move without notice, France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia for consultations on September 17.

"President Biden has asked to be able to speak with President Macron to talk about the way forward, to talk about his deep commitment to the US alliance with France," a senior administration official told reporters at a briefing on Monday.

"We understand the French position, we don't share their view in terms of how this all developed," said the official.

"We think that will be an important moment and opportunity for the two leaders to speak directly with one another." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in another briefing later Monday that the call would take place "in the coming days", while noting officials are still working on scheduling it.

Under the new security partnership unveiled on September 15 between Australia, the UK, and the US, known as AUKUS, Canberra will build nuclear-powered submarines with American and British technology.

A day later, Australia announced it would scrap the deal with France signed in 2016 to purchase 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian has called the trilateral move a "stab in the back".

"We had established a relationship of trust with Australia. This trust has been betrayed," he said.

"The American behaviour worries me; this unilateral and brutal decision is very similar to what Mr. (Donald) Trump was doing," he added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Washington, Sep 21 : Covid-19 vaccines for younger children and booster shots for at least those over 65 years old are being prepared in accordance with a tight schedule in the US, as the Americans stagger into the 19th month of their fierce battle against the pandemic.

A lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, one-third the amount given to adults and teens, is safe and triggered a robust immune response in children as young as five years old, the drug companies announced in a news release on Monday morning.

"The finding, eagerly anticipated by many parents and paediatricians, is a crucial step toward the two-shot coronavirus vaccine regimen becoming available for younger school-aged children, perhaps close to Halloween," Xinhua news agency quoted The Washington Post as saying on Monday.

However, the companies must prepare and submit the data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a process they expect to complete by the end of September.

Then, the data, not yet published or peer reviewed, will be scrutinised by regulators to ascertain that the vaccine is safe and effective.

This could take weeks, or up to a month.

According to the companies, the two-dose shot was found to be safe and well tolerated among the children in the study, with the vaccine generating levels of antibodies that were similar to those of younger adults, which met the study's measurements of success.

Meanwhile, Pfizer and BioNTech said that they had not yet determined vaccine efficacy, or how well it protects against Covid-19 for children in the age group.

"We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children," Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.

The FDA is likely to authorize Pfizer booster shots this week for many Americans at high risk of falling seriously ill from the coronavirus, now that a key advisory committee has voted to recommend the measure, reported NYT on Monday.

On September 17, a panel of experts endorsed offering Pfizer booster shots for those aged 65 and older, and people 16 and over who are at high risk of getting severe Covid-19 or who work in settings that make them more likely to get infected.

The agency, which often follows the committee's advice but is not required to, is expected to decide early this week.

An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss booster shots before that agency, which sets vaccine policy, issues its recommendations.

Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor and an adviser to the White House, asked Americans to be patient and not to get a booster shot until they were eligible.

That includes people aged 65 and over who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Last month, President Joe Biden's administration proposed a plan that would have made all vaccinated Americans eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second shot, or their first in the case of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

In the meantime, the expert panel concluded that boosters were not necessary for most younger, healthier Americans, unless their jobs put them at special risk for infection.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Panaji, Sep 21 : Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has dared Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to contest from his Assembly constituency of Sanquelim in North Goa.

Speaking to reporters late on Monday, after attending a series of political meetings chaired by former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP's Goa in-charge Devendra Fadnavis for the 2022 Assembly polls, Sawant also said that mining activity would be restarted in Goa within three months.

Sawant made the Kejriwal reference, after he was asked by reporters about an announcement made by Puti Gaonkar, who heads the Goa Mining People's Front, that he would be contesting against Sawant due to the latter's failure to restart the mining in Goa, which has been shut down since 2018.

"It is a good thing. I would suggest that he (Puti Gaonkar) should contest in my constituency. I welcome it. He should contest in Sanquelim... Let Kejriwal also contest," Sawant said.

Incidentally, Kejriwal arrived in Goa on Monday on a two-day visit to the poll-bound state to campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party in the run up to the 2022 polls. The Sanquelim Assembly constituency is located in the heart of the state's mining belt.

Speaking on the mining front, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that his government was sincere about restarting the mining industry in Goa.

"We have formed a mining corporation. We are very serious about it... I am re-assuring that mining activity will resume in a full-fledged manner within three months. I have been seriously making efforts to start mining. People in the mining belt know me," Sawant said.

Mining activity in Goa was banned by the apex court first in 2012, following the unearthing of a Rs 35,000 crore scam by a judicial commission appointed by the Central government. The Supreme Court allowed the resumption of mining in 2014, it was, however, banned again in 2018, after the apex court pointed to irregularities in the Goa government's lease renewal processes.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Prayagraj, Sep 21 : The post mortem of Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad chief, Mahant Narendra Giri, will be done on Tuesday afternoon after which his mortal remains will be kept in the Baghambari Mutt to enable people to pay their last respect.

According to Mutt sources, the saint will be given 'samadhi' within the Mutt complex in the evening.

Official sources said that the post mortem would be done by a panel of doctors and the entire process would be video recorded.

An FIR was lodged at the George Town police station and it mentioned the name of his disciple Anand Giri blaming him for abetment to suicide. The FIR has been lodged under Section 306.

Anand Giri, who was taken into custody on Monday night in Haridwar, is being brought by the police to Prayagraj.
Prayagraj : , Sep 21 (IANS) A Government Railway Police (GRP) head constable committed suicide allegedly by shooting himself with his service weapon in the toilet of the GRP Prayagraj police line here, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday. The constable identified as Chintamani Yadav, 35, was posted at GRP Kanpur and had come to Prayagraj on escort duty on the Ajmer-Sealdah Express train.

No suicide note was recovered from him. The reason behind the deceased taking the extreme step is still unknown.

The body has been sent for post mortem, police said.

The police said some policemen in the GRP police line had heard two gunshots and on reaching there, they saw the head constable lying in a pool of blood. They rushed him to a hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead.

Deputy SP (GRP) Amit Srivastava said, "The deceased head constable, posted at GRP Kanpur, had come to Prayagraj on Sunday as he was assigned escort duty in the Ajmer-Sealdah Express train. He had to return to Kanpur on Monday on escort duty in the same train. He was staying in barrack number two of the GRP Prayagraj police line." Police said that Yadav had joined the police force in 2005 as a constable.
Berlin, Sep 21 : Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has entered the country's election week as the frontrunner, after its Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz won a final TV debate between candidates from the three biggest parties.

Scholz, the incumbent Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor, was able to convince most potential voters of his merits during the debate on the private TV broadcasters ProSieben and Sat1 on Sunday, Xinhua news agency quoted a snap poll by Forsa released on Monday.

The SPD wants to provide tax relief to the middle class and those with very low incomes, Scholz said, so that "someone who earns as much as I do as a federal minister, for example, will then have to pay a little more tax".

Forty-two per cent of those polled on Sunday said Scholz had won the 90-minute debate.

Meanwhile 27 per cent thought Armin Laschet, candidate of the conservative CDU/CSU union, had come out on top, while for 25 per cent it was the Green Party candidate Annalena Baerbock.

The latest polls suggest that the race between the SPD and CDU/CSU is getting closer.

According to a poll by INSA issued on Monday, the SPD currently is three percentage points ahead with 25 per cent, while CDU/CSU was polled at 22 per cent, up 1.5 percentage points on last week.

The federal election is scheduled to be held on September 26 to elect the members of the 20th Bundestag or Parliament.

On the same day, state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will also take place.

Incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel will leave politics after 16 years in the post.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Delhi airport customs officials have arrested two persons for allegedly smuggling gold worth over Rs 20 lakh, officials said here on Tuesday.

They said the duo was intercepted by the customs officials after they arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on September 13 from Riyadh via Dubai.

"They had crossed the green channel and on detailed personal and baggage search, one biscuit of gold and two gold tola bars weighing 483 gms was recovered," the official said.

It was officially learnt that the recovered gold had a tariff value of Rs 20,78,248.

The recovered gold has been seized under section 110 of the Customs Act 1962 and the accused duo has been placed under arrest.

"Further probe is on," the official added.
September 21 : Hours after Raj Kundra was granted bail in the pornography case, Shilpa Shetty shared a message on her Instagram stories about beautiful things that can happen after a bad storm.

A Mumbai magistrate court on Monday granted bail to businessman Raj Kundra, who is an accused in a pornographic films case, in which he was arrested on July 19. Raj Kundras associate, Ryan Thorpe, who was arrested along with him, was also granted bail on Monday.

A few hours after her husband Raj Kundra was granted bail, Shilpa took to her Instagram stories and shared a positive quote, sending out a message about good things that can happen after a bad phase. Rainbows exist to prove that beautiful things can happen after a bad storm, the quote by Roger Lee reads.

Image Source: Instagram/theshilpashetty Shilpa Shetty shares message on beautiful things that happen after a bad storm after Raj Kundra gets bail

The Mumbai magistrate court allowed Kundras bail application on the basis of a bond of 50,000. Kundra was arrested along with 11 others on charges related to a pornographic films case.

Recently, Shilpa paid a visit to Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir to seek blessings, on the same day when Mumbai Police crime branch filed a supplementary chargesheet against her husband Raj Kundra. the Mumbai Police crime branch filed a 1,467 page supplementary chargesheet in the pornography racket case against Kundra, Ryan Thorpe, IT head of his company Viaan Industries, and two other accused. Reportedly, porn clips have been retrieved from the office of Raj Kundras Viaan Industries. Police reportedly said that deleted pornographic content from the companys database was also retrieved. According to the police, Whatsapp chats and emails also show that Raj Kundra was running the day-to-day operations regarding uploading pornographic content.

Shilpa Shetty has also been named as one of the witnesses in the case. Earlier, it was reported that the actress said that she was not aware of her husbands operations. I am not aware about the Hotshots or Bollyfame apps. I was too busy with my own work and hence, not aware about what Kundra was up to, she had said.

After Raj Kundra was arrested, Shilpa stayed away from her work for some time. Later she resumed work and returned to her reality show Super Dancer 4 after a few weeks.
Gaza, Sep 21 : A senior Palestinian government official said that the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip has kicked off and it needs $3 billion to be completed.

"We need $1 billion to rebuild the damage left during the latest wave of tension in May and the previous Israeli wars waged on the Gaza Strip," Xinhua news agency quoted Naji Sarhan, undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, as saying.

"We need another $2 billion to revive Gaza and bring it back to life," he added.

Several countries have provided grants to start the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip, including Qatar and Egypt.

The two countries announced that they contributed $500 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sarhan added that Qatar and Egypt presented a vision related to distributing their grants to various sectors in Gaza, including housing, infrastructure, health, education, economy, and agriculture.

On May 10, Israel waged an intensive military offensive on the Gaza Strip that went on for 11 days.

The offensive, that killed 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, ended after Egypt brokered a truce between the Jewish state and the Hamas.

Sarhan said that during the last wave of tension between Israel and Hamas, around 1,500 housing units were completely destroyed.

He added that 880 housing units were severely damaged and 56,000 housing units were slightly damaged.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jaipur, Sep 21 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan began a two-day brainstorming meeting 'Chintan Shivir' from Tuesday to discuss the strategy for the 2023 Assembly elections in the state.

Party's state president Satish Poonia said, "This time, our special focus will be on the mission 2023 which focuses on the forthcoming Assembly elections. We shall decide the future course of action in this meeting." The meeting is being held in Kumbhalgarh and the session has also been organised to discuss how to strengthen booths and mandals. Also strategies will be chalked out to discuss how to connect with masses socially and politically, he added.

"Since the Jan Sangh days, leaders of our organisation have focussed on the thought process, training and practice sessions to come out successfully. We have been reviewing our organisation's action plan and preparing future plans and this is what this meeting aims at," Poonia said.

The meeting will be chaired by BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh, and party's state office bearers and core group members will attend the meeting, said the party.
Tehran, Sep 21 : Mohammad Eslami, President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said, that the time has come for the US to revise its flawed policies and remove all sanctions imposed on Tehran in a practical and verifiable manner.

In an address to the 65th regular session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which kicked off in the Austrian capital Vienna on Monday, Eslami on Monday noted that Washington's "maximum pressure" policy against Iran, introduced and pursued by former US President Donald Trump, has ended in failure, reports Xinhua news agency.

He added that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed between Iran and the P5+1 in 2015, is a clear example of Tehran's goodwill, regretting the US not only refrained from complying with the agreement, but also withdrew from the treaty.

Eslami also said Iran has always cooperated with the IAEA, calling on the agency to refrain from politicizing the Islamic Republic's peaceful nuclear program and maintain its independence, impartiality and professionalism.

Last week, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Tehran and held talks with the AEOI chief.

Eslami described the negotiations centering on technical issues as "constructive" and said "confidence-building" is what matters for Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog.

After six rounds of talks in Vienna since April aiming to restore the JCPOA and return the US to it, the parties said serious differences remain between Tehran and the Washington for the revival of the deal.

The sixth round ended on June 20, with the negotiations currently on hiatus.

In May 2018, Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

In response, Tehran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.
Patna, Sep 21 : Cases of Covid-19 can rise again in Bihar, officials fear after 30 fresh cases were detected in north Bihar's Madhubani district.

The district administration carried out Covid testing drives at the Madhubani railway station and bus stand on Monday. Thirty passengers arriving from Delhi aboard the Swatantrata Senani express train tested positive, an official said.

"There were 152 passengers who came on the Swatantrata Senani express on Monday. All of them underwent Covid-19 test and 30 of them were detected positive in Rapid Antigen Test," said Sunil Kumar Jha, civil surgeon of Madhubani district.

The super fast express runs between New Delhi and Jay Nagar in Madhubani district. A number of passengers also de-boarded at Chapra, Sonpur, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Darbhanga and Sakri railway stations of Bihar.

Jha said that the Covid test drive was started on the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who expressed his view to start tests at railway station, bus stand and airport ahead of festival sessions coming up in October and November. A large number of migrant workers return to Bihar to celebrate Dushahra, Diwali and Chatth Puja.

"We have been regularly conducting Covid-19 tests at railway stations and bus stands. The officials are directed to stay on alert mode as cases could surge in coming days. On September 18, eight persons were detected positive and 35 passengers appeared positive on September 19. The total number of positive cases in the district has reached 73," Jha said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Rome, Sep 21 : Italy has started administering the third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, after the booster shots received the official green light from the country's Medicines Agency (AIFA).

As the Health Ministry announced earlier this month, third doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines will be offered to people with fragile immune systems, reports Xinhua news agency.

This includes not only immuno-compromised people, but also elderly people and residents in care homes.

Based on guidelines issued by AIFA, healthcare workers will also receive the booster shot.

The third dose will be offered as an option, since vaccination against coronavirus is strongly recommended but not mandatory in Italy.

AIFA has recommended that the third shot should be available at least 28 days after the previous dose for immuno-compromised people.

For those over 80, people living in care homes, and healthcare professionals, the third dose would be considered as a "booster to maintain an effective immune response", and should be administered at least 6 months after their last dose.

Overall, AIFA and the Health Ministry have stressed that the national priority should remain to ensure that a majority of the population is vaccinated.

Till date, some 76 per cent of the target population (those aged over 12) has been fully immunised, while 82 per cent have received at least one dose, according to data from the Health Ministry.

Since the pandemic broke out in Italy in February 2020, the country has registered 4,638,516 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 130,354 fatalities and 4.4 million recoveries.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Manoranjan Byapari, who educated himself while in prison for participating in a tribal movement against feudal landlords, once worked as a rickshaw-puller and as a cook, is today the award-winning author of a dozen books and hundreds of short stories and is a member of the West Bengal Assembly.

One of the most prominent writers of Dalit literature in Bengali, the English translation of his searing exploration of day-to-day living in the Bengali novel "Chhera Chhera Jibon" has just been published by Eka/Westland as "Imaan".

The protagonist, Imaan, enters Central Jail as an infant -- in the arms of Zahura Bibi, his mother, who is charged with the murder of his father. He leaves 20 years later, having spent his time thus far shuttling between a juvenile home and prison. With no home to return to, Imaan ends up at the Jadavpur railway station, becoming a ragpicker on the advice of a consummate pickpocket.

The folk of the railside -- rickshaw-pullers, scrap dealers, tea-still owners, those who sell corpses for a little bit of money -- welcome him into their fold, but the world of the free still baffles him. Life on the platform is disillusioning, and far more frightening than the jail he knew so well. This free world too is a prison, like the one he came from, only disconcertingly large. But no one went hungry in jail -- and everyone had a roof over their heads.

Unable to cope in this odd world, Imaan wishes to return to the security of a prison cell. He is told that while there is only one door out of prison, there are a thousand through which to return. Is Imaan -- whose name means honesty and conscience -- up to the task? It's a novel written in Byapari's inimitable style, translated by Arunava Sinha, where irony and wry humour are never too far from bitter truths.

Byapari was born in the mid-fifties in Barishal, in the former East Pakistan that is now Bangladesh. His family migrated to West Bengal when he was three. They were resettled in Bankura at the Shiromanipur Refugee Camp and later were forced to shift to the Gholadoltala Refugee Camp in the 24 Parganas, where they lived till 1969.

However, Byapari had to leave home at the age of 14 to do odd jobs. In his early 20s, he came into contact with the Maoists and with the famous labour activist Shankar Guha Niyogi, founder of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha at the Dalli Rajhara Mines, who was leading a revolution to reclaim lands of the tribals from feudal lords who had captured them by unfair means.

Byapari was sent to jail during this time, where he taught himself to read and write. Later, while working as a rickshaw-puller in Kolkata, Byapari had a chance meeting with the renowned Bengali writer Mahasweta Devi, who urged him to write for her journal Bartika. He has published 12 novels and over a hundred short stories since. Some of his important works include "Ittibrite Chandal Jibon" (memoir), the "Chandal Jibon" trilogy (novels) and "Motua Ek Mukti Senar Naam".

Until 2018, he was working as a cook at the Hellen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Blind in West Bengal. In 2014, Byapari was given the Suprabha Majumdar Prize, awarded by the Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi. He also received the Sharmila Ghosh Smriti Literary Prize in 2015. In 2018, the English translation of his memoir, "Ittibrite Chandal Jibon" (Interrogating My Chandal Life), received the Hindu Prize for nonfiction. In 2019, he was awarded the Gateway Lit Fest Writer of the Year Prize.

The English translation of his novel "Batashe Baruder Gandha" (There's Gunpowder in the Air) was shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Literature 2019, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019, the Crossword Book Award for Best Translation 2019 and the Mathrubhumi Book of the Year Prize 2020.

He was appointed chairman of the newly-instituted Dalit Sahitya Akademi in Bengal in 2020. Several of his books will be appearing in Bengali, English, Hindi and Malayalam this year. Two of his novels will be published in the US by the independent publisher AntiBooks Club in the spring of 2022. Byapari was elected a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly on a Trinamool Congress ticket in May 2021.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP (DTTILLP) unveiled wave 22, the latest 30-day analysis of its Global State of the Consumer Tracker, indicating a consumption revival in India, with consumers showing positive spending intent and a brighter outlook towards the future.

Decreasing number of Covid-19 cases as well as an aggressive vaccination drive have brought in a new wave of confidence amongst Indian consumers.

Latest findings reflect that the Indian consumer is ready to spend more on discretionary items, feels safe about returning to work place, wants to spend on travel and is less hesitant about in-person events and activities-all of which are positive trends for India's economic revival.

A clear indication for all these is that only 34 per cent Indian respondents to the survey, show anxiety while 84 per cent consumers feel safe to return to workplace. Also, 60 per cent consumers have shown willingness to attend in-person events, 59 per cent consumers feel safe taking a flight while 30 per cent consumers show willingness to use public transport.

However, the Deloitte analysis has brought about the fact that the concerns among people about physical well-being still prevail as 76 per cent of Indian consumers still show concerns about their physical well-being due to their ngkingbrun of the pandemic. A sizeable portion, 79 per cent, are concerned about the health of their family.

Financial confidence also seems to gain momentum as the Deloitte tracker shows Indian consumers' intent in making large purchases.

Porus Doctor, Partner and Consumer Industry leader, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP said, "The easing of COVID-19 related restrictions across the country along with an accelerated vaccination drive has fueled positive consumer sentiments. Our latest survey insights indicate higher levels of consumer spends and a decline in anxiety levels will boost India's economic revival albeit with a touch of caution." The key trend emerging from the survey include that Indians are slowly making their way back to the office but the employees are expected to be in office on a need-basis and with utmost precautions, keeping strong safety protocols in place.

Another interesting trend from the survey is that spending intent to f consumers is shifting towards more discretionary items. Consumers are seen actively spending on 12 per cent alcohol, 36 per cent cable TV, 36 per cent clothing / footwear, 33 per cent electronics, 25 per cent furnishings and 22 per cent on restaurants.

International leisure travel is also gaining momentum as anxiety levels goes down. The survey indicated that 57 per cent Indians are planning international travel for leisure in the next three months.

The pandemic has also inculcated saving habit among people with more and more doing this to be better prepared for entry eventuality. The analysis shows that savings are up by 4 per cent (50 per cent in the current wave compared with 46 per cent in the previous wave. This could be in preparation of future purchases and seasonal deals during the festive season.

The survey also found that only 30 per cent of the respondents were concerned about physically interacting with a salesperson, showing increasing customer confidence. With offices and other daily activities gradually resuming, Indian respondents are seen to have reduced anxiety on mobility though 70 per cent respondents plan to limit the use of public transportation in the current wave, which is a slight dip when compared with 73 per cent in the previous wave.

Additionally, 67 per cent of Indian respondents plan to limit their use of ride hailing servicesover the next 3 months as compared with 70 per cent in the previous wave.

Travel has also resumed with 57 per cent of Indian respondents right now feel safe staying in a hotel. Additionally, 19 per cent Indian respondents intend to spend on travel during the current wave compared with 11 per cent in the previous wave.

Indian consumer has transformed to be a socially conscious shopper, the survey indicated. Accordingly, 68 per cent respondents indicated their preference for locally sourced items and 74 per cent purchased from brands that responded well to the crisis.
Gaza, Sep 21 : The Palestinian Islamic Hamas Movement has announced that it proposed through mediators a roadmap for reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Israel.

Zaher Jabarin, a member of the movement's politburo, said in a statement that Hamas is waiting for an Israeli answer to the proposed roadmap, reports Xinhua news agency.

Jabarin added that Israel has repeatedly tried to link the hard-living situation in the Gaza Strip and accelerating the reconstruction process in the enclave with the issue of its captives in group's grip.

"Hamas and the leadership of the Palestinian resistance had repeatedly rejected the Israeli attempts and informed the mediators that it is impossible to link between the two separate issues," he said.

In 2017, Hamas militants announced that it held four Israelis, without saying if they are dead or alive.

The last Egypt-brokered prisoner exchange between the two sides in 2011 centred on Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in return for whom Israel released 1,028 Palestinian prisoners.
Istanbul, Sep 21 : Turkish security forces have detained 19 illegal Afghan immigrants in country's biggest city Istanbul, local media reported.

Istanbul municipal police units on Monday stopped a van on suspicion in the Sultangazi district on the European side of the city, according to report by the Demiroren news agency.

The teams found the immigrants jammed inside the vehicle and informed police forces, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

These immigrants have reportedly tried to go to the northwestern border province of Edirne, some 240 km away from Istanbul, to cross into Greece.

Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been increasingly witnessing an influx of Afghan refugees fleeing the country following last month's takeover by the Taliban.

The country hosts more than 4 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrians, within its borders, mostly in Istanbul.
Lucknow, Sep 21 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday assured that those responsible for the death of Mahant Narendra Giri would not be spared at any cost.

The chief minister reached the Bagambhari Mutt and offered floral tributes to the departed saint.

Yogi Adityanath said that "Several pieces of evidence have been collected regarding the incident. A team of senior police officials is investing the case." Several leaders, saints and eminent citizens from all walks of life are reaching Prayagraj to pay respects to the departed saint.

Meanwhile, the police have filed an FIR against Anand Giri, who was Narendra Giri's protege and closest aide until they fell out in May. Caught by the police in Uttarakhand last evening, he has been accused of harassing the seer.

Anand Giri was allegedly expelled by the seer over allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement. There was an apparent patch-up a few days later, with a video showing Anand Giri seeking forgiveness at the feet of his mentor, but the police suspect it was short-lived.

The two other disciples detained for questioning are Sandeep Tiwari and Aadya Tiwari, who stayed with Narendra Giri.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot met Rahul Gandhi over the weekend, sources said and discussed the issue of Rajasthan and also impending cabinet reshuffle and organisational rejig in the state.

However, neither Pilot nor State In-charge Ajay Maken spoke anything about the meeting but the two did meet and held discussions on Rajasthan politics, sources say adding that Rahul Gandhi has assured Sachin Pilot about an amicable settlement after talking to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot who is likely to travel to Delhi after he gets well.

While Pilot and Maken did not respond to messages and calls about the meeting, the office of Rahul Gandhi also did not.

Congress General Secretary In charge of Rajasthan Ajay Maken last week at a press conference in Delhi had said that roadmap is ready for cabinet expansion and organisational rejig in the state.

"If Ashok Gehlot had not fallen ill we would have done cabinet expansion and the roadmap is ready for appointment at board corporations and district presidents," Maken had said on Thursday.

The Congress leader said that Gehlot is still unwell and doing his work from home and as he gets well this will be done.

When asked about Sachin Pilot, he said, "At the state level, we are discussing all issues but if something is given at the AICC level it's beyond my purview." Sources say around five from the Pilot camp will be accommodated in the Gehlot cabinet, and also the appointments to the posts of chairman of boards and corporations have also been finalised.

While sources say that Gehlot is keen on cabinet expansion, the high command wants a cabinet reshuffle.

Friction between the two Congress groups in Rajasthan, led by Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, continues as the Pilot camp insists that the issues raised by him last year have not yet been resolved in the party.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Patna, Sep 21 : The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Bihar conducted raids early on Tuesday morning at 9 places of Narendra Kumar Dhiraj, a retired police officer and the state police men's association president.

Teams of EOW conducted simultaneous raids in Bhojpur, Patna and Arwal districts. An official of the EOW said that Dhiraj and his relatives have accumulated movable and immovable properties worth several crores of rupees in these three districts. An FIR under sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Disproportionate Assets Act, 1988 has been registered in EOW police station of Patna.

"The assets worth crores of rupees were earned while staying in public service and the value of the assets are much bigger than the known sources of earning of Dhiraj and his relatives," said an official of EOW Patna who requested anonymity.

The raids are currently underway at Dhiraj's house in Mahaveer colony Patna, house in village Muzaffarpur under Sahar police station in Bhojpur, residence of Dhiraj's brother Ashok Kumar in Arwal city, two houses of Dhiraj's another brother Surendra Kumar Singh in Bhilai locality of Arrah, one house of Vijendra Kumar Vimal (brother) in Krishna Nagar locality in Arrah, a mall cum residential complex belonging to Shyam Bihari Singh (brother) in Narayanpur locality in Arrah, a shop of Dharmedra Kumar Singh (nephew) named Ashutosh traders in Anaith locality in Arrah, a shop of building material belonging to Surendra Kumar Singh (brother) in Narayanpur Arrah.

--IANS
Agra, Sep 21 : Heavy showers lashed Agra Tuesday afternoon, flooding many parts of the city. Angry citizens blame the local administration and the municipal corporation for mess, as the whole city has been dug up for various projects -- from Metro to sewer lines.

"In the morning it was all clear, but around 11 a.m., dark clouds began hovering threatening to unleash a heavy downpour. Before people could scurry to safe places, the sky opened up.

"For more than hour, it rained c ats and dogs," said senior citizen Sudhir Gupta, who had gone to the LIC office at Sanjay Place.

Most crossings on the busy MG Road, lifeline of the city, were deluged. Vehicles got stranded and the city's transport system grounded to a halt.

At the Taj Mahal, tourists got drenched, as most did not carry umbrellas or raincoats, said tourist guide Ved Gautam.

The busy Yamuna Kinara road was under water as vehicles got stuck in huge potholes, created by a new pipeline being laid to supply Ganga Jal to the Taj Ganj area.

The rains are considered to be beneficial for the Kharif crop, though there w ere reports of water logging and traffic jams on most roads in the hinterland.

The month of September has seen several good spells of rain after the dry August.

Agra receives around 650 mm of rain annually. The current spell of rain will not only make up for the deficit but exceed the annual average in coming days, according to weathermen.
Lucknow, Sep 21 : Controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som has termed Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav as a 'seasonal Hindu' Sangeet Som has also claimed that his party will 'build temples at all those places in India where temples were razed to build mosques'.

Som, who is the MLA from the Sardhana seat, is known for making controversial statements.

In an informal chat with the media persons on Monday evening, Som described Akhilesh Yadav as a 'seasonal Hindu' and dared the latter to say that 'a mosque was built in Mathura after demolishing a temple'.

The mosque at Mathura and Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque were identified by the Sangh Parivar to have been built over temples.

"Akhilesh Yadav is a seasonal Hindu. This will not work, in India where everyone is a Hindu, a Muslim is a Hindu, a Hindu is a Hindu and Hindustan belongs to Hindus," he said.

He further said, "People like Akhilesh Yadav are saying they will build a Vishwakarma temple. These are the same people who got bullets sprayed on Ram Bhakts, who ordered lathi charge on Sadhus in Banaras? These people are now asking for forgiveness with folded hands. The people will not forgive them." Som was responding to Akhilesh Yadav's recent statement on the Uttar Pradesh government abolishing the holiday on Vishwakarma Puja.

The Samajwadi Party chief has also announced that he will get a temple built for the deity if elected to power in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Paris, Sep 21 : French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the nuclear submarine deal between the US, the UK and Australia, known as AUKUS, represents a "crisis of trust" between allies that requires explanations.

"It's not so much about breaking a contract... It is of course having a negative impact on France. But of course, first and foremost, this is a matter of breaking the trust between allies. And it brings about some heavy reflections on behalf of we, the Europeans, as to the way we see our alliances and partnerships," Le Drian told reporters in New York on Monday.

"What matters now is, first of all, the breach of trust between partners. Because trust, partners and alliance mean transparency, predictability. It requires explanations. It's about talking to one another, not hiding from one another, in particular on matters of importance. And all of that did not happen.

"We need to talk about it: why was all that missing, why was all that hidden, and made public without telling us ahead of time?" he queried.

Le Drian, who is in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, said he did not intend to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Of course I may see him here or there in the corridor," said Le Drian.

Under the new security partnership unveiled on September 15, Canberra will build nuclear-powered submarines with American and British technology.

The new trilateral partnership has angered France after Australia pulled out of a 56-billion-euro ($65.6 billion) contract.

Back in 2016, Australia signed a contract with France for the purchase of 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.

On September 16, Australia announced that it planned to acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK.

Outraged by the abrupt move without notice, France recalled its Ambassadors to the US and Australia.

Le Drian had initially called the deal "a stab in the back".
New Delhi, Sep 21 : The US-based company Amazon Inc's India operations has spent a staggering over $1.2 billion in legal expenses in the last two years to maintain its presence and relevance in one the largest markets globally.

As per the official data from the public account filings made by the company in India, all of Amazon's India focused companies together have spent Rs 8,546 crore as legal fees in the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20. This is almost a fifth or 20 per cent of its two-year revenue of Rs 42,085 crore.

"Despite India moving high on ease of doing business, it continues to be a highly regulated market and compliance to regulations has its own costs. But Amazon is not the only one having high legal expenses, it's competitors Flipkart may be having similar level of expenses and so are several large corporations," said an industry expert asking not to be named due to his association with e-commerce companies.

A legal expert also pointed out that most of the expenses shown as legal fees may not actually be going towards compliance and litigations but also towards facilitating operations in the country.

An Amazon India spokesperson did not offer any comments on the issue. "We do not have any comments to offer on this as of now," an email from the company said.

A report by Morning Context has said that Amazon has launched a probe after a whistleblower raised a complaint of the company's legal representative having a role in bribing Indian officials. While the company has not commented on this specific allegation, it has said that action is taken promptly for all improper actions.

While the role of the legal representatives has been highlighted in the report, the focus has come back on vast expenses Amazon makes as legal fees.

Amongst the highest legal fees reported are two entities of e-commerce player's Indian companies -- Amazon India Ltd (holding company) and Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd. -- the two together spent close to Rs 8,000 crore as legal fees in the past two financial years (FY19 and FY20).

The other entities of Amazon in India -- Amazon Retail India, Amazon Transportation Services, Amazon Wholesale and Amazon Internet Services -- also have high levels of legal charges commensurate with their size.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Budget airline SpiceJet has received shareholders' nod to raise Rs 2,500 crore through issuance of shares under a QIP.

In financial parlance, eligible securities are issued through a Qualified Institutions Placement or QIP to raise funds.

Besides, shareholders gave their assent to transfer the company's cargo and logistics services business to its subsidiary, "SpiceXpress and Logistics Private Limited" (SpiceXpress) as a going concern, on slump sale basis valued at Rs 2,555.77 crore.

Accordingly, the consideration for the slump sale shall be discharged by SpiceXpress by issuance of its shares in favour of SpiceJet.

The transfer of the logistics business will result in a one-time gain of Rs 2,555.77 crore for SpiceJet wiping out a substantial portion of the company's negative net worth.

As of June 30, 2021, SpiceJet had a negative net worth of Rs 3,300 crore.

Furthermore, the company said that the proposed transfer, with separate and enhanced management focus, will provide greater opportunity and flexibility in pursuing long-term growth plans and strategies for SpiceXpress business.

"The transfer of the logistics business to SpiceXpress will reduce SpiceJet's negative net worth by Rs 2,555.77 crore and strengthen our balance sheet significantly," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

"Post the transfer of the logistics business, the new company will be able to raise capital independently of SpiceJet to fund its growth. We have also received shareholder approval to raise funds through a QIP ensuring our long term growth plans remain intact."
Chennai, Sep 21 : Even as the Tamil Nadu government has been working overtime to vaccinate maximum number of people, in many districts, the Covid protocols, including safe distancing and wearing of masks are not being followed by people.

In Kallakuruchi district for instance, several people were seen travelling in the Tamil Nadu State Road Transport buses without masks. Youngsters even travel on footboards on the bus in full public view without wearing masks. Most of the commuters in the state-run buses, including women are not seen wearing masks.

Selvaraj.M, a 46-year-old government employee in Kallakuruchi told IANS: "I am a regular commuter of state-run buses and I fear that I will get the disease as most of my co-passengers are not wearing any mask. In peak hours, the buses are full and there are high possibilities of people getting the pandemic if authorities continue to remain blind eyed on this. I do agree that the government is working overtime for vaccinating people but preventing such slip-ups is also needed." In Kanyakumari district also a similar situations prevail.

Manikantan Kumaran, who works in a private shop in Kanyakumari, told IANS: "Most of the people who commute in the buses are not seen wearing any masks and the buses are always full. I don't have an option and I come to the shop where I work on a bus and return home in a similar manner. I have taken both doses of vaccine but,I don't want the people to behave this casually and callously while the possibility of a third wave is staring at your face." While policemen are flagging down two-wheeler travellers who are not wearing masks, the commuters on buses are spared.

In urban centres like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Erode and Salem things are much better and people are adhering to the Covid protocol.

A senior health department official told IANS: "This is indeed unfortunate. If people are not cooperating curtailing a pandemic is next to impossible. It should be a joint effort and people's responsibility and serious participation is very very important. I will look into what happened in these districts." Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that strict action would be taken against those who are violating the Covid-19 protocol. The minister told IANS: "The government is taking all measures to end the pandemic and we need the support of the people of the state for this. I have already directed the concerned district officers to act on this violation of protocol.
Prayagraj : , Sep 21 (IANS) Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has demanded that a sitting judge of the high court should be asked to probe the mysterious death of Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri.

Akhilesh reached Prayagraj on Tuesday to pay his respects to the departed saint, who allegedly died by suicide on Monday evening.

"If the truth has to come out, then a probe should be ordered by a sitting high court judge," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the autopsy of the Mahant will now be held on Wednesday, instead of Tuesday afternoon.

Sources said that this has been done to allow his followers to pay their respects and have a last glimpse of the saint.
Canberra, Sep 21 : Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Andrew Barr on Tuesday announced increased support for mental health services amid the region's ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

Barr said the ACT government would invest an additional A$14 million ($10 million) to support mental health, alcohol and drug services in the area of capital Canberra, reports Xinhua news agency.

He described Canberra's coronavirus lockdown, which began on August 12 and is now set to end on October 15, as one of the most challenging periods in the city's history.

"It's okay to not be okay at the moment, and support is available," Barr told reporters.

On top of the funding from the ACT government, the federal government committed A$2.5 million to support Canberra mental health clinic Head to Health.

"Many Australians, particularly our young, are doing it really tough," Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement.

"The current outbreak and lockdowns are creating immense pressure and distress, and it is vital that we continue to support people's mental and emotional wellbeing throughout these challenging times," Hunt added.

It comes as the ACT reported 16 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, up from seven on Monday.

Australia reported 1,641 new confirmed cases nationwide on Tuesday morning, which took the overall infection tally to 87,101, while the death toll stood at 1,167.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Sep 21: Rattled by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, several neighbouring countries have joined hands to kickstart joint anti-terrorism military exercises to maintain regional stability and also check the readiness of their forces.

While the Peace Mission-2021 multilateral exercise of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries is being held at the Donguz training ground in the Orenburg region of South West Russia, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states have also announced a series of large-scale exercises on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

Meanwhile, in the faraway suburbs of Ulanbaatar, the annual joint Russian-Mongolian military exercise Selenga-2021 kicked off at the Doityn Am training ground today.

The CSTO members Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan announced last week that Exercise Search-2021, Echelon-2021, Interaction-2021 and Cobalt-2021 will be held according to a single plan - to jointly counter the security threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan.

Moscow announced today that the first military echelon with military equipment and servicemen of the motorized rifle unit of the Eastern Military District stationed in the Republic of Buryatia crossed the state border of Russia and Mongolia at the railway checkpoint of the village of Naushki to participate in Selenga-2021.

"The Selenga exercise is aimed at combating international terrorism. During the exercise, the military personnel of the two countries, using various tactical techniques of modern combat, eliminate mock illegal armed formations," said the country's defence ministry.

In total, around 1500 servicemen from Russia and the armed forces of Mongolia will take part in the event which will continue till October 5.

In Orenburg, the joint military anti-terrorist command and staff exercise between the SCO member states will continue till September 25. It is being attended by representatives of eight countries - India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Just around the same time, the crews of the missile formation of the tank army of Russia's Western Military District, equipped with Iskander operational and tactical missile systems, are returning to their permanent deployment point after successful missile launches during the joint strategic Russian-Belarusian exercise Zapad-2021.

Besides units and divisions of Russia's Western Military District, military contingents of Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, as well as a representative of the military delegation of Sri Lanka, had attended Zapad-2021 exercise held at the Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

"The Zapad-2021 exercise showed that we can create powerful interspecific groups in a short time, plan military operations in any direction, stop any aggression, bring any enemy to reason and sober up with a decisive blow," said Lieutenant General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Russia's Deputy Defence Minister.

About 200 thousand people, more than 80 planes and helicopters, up to 760 units of military equipment, including more than 290 tanks, more than 240 guns, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 15 ships were involved in Zapad-2021.

The recently-held, ongoing and future military exercises makes it amply clear that this time around, leaders of Asia agree that the current security situation in Afghanistan seriously undermines security and stability in the region and the world.

"I would like to emphasise once again that the escalation of violence and conflict in Afghanistan in the 1990s could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and worsen the lives of its people, as well as to the fact that this country remains a centre of international terrorism," said Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon while addressing media with Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi in Dushanbe last week.

There is certainly a lot more to come in the coming days.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Film: Jungle Cruise (Showing in Theatres) Duration: 127 minutes

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Veronica Falcon, Dani Rovira and Quim Gutierrez.

IANS Rating: ***Depending on your absorption power, the narrative of director Jaume Collet-Sera's 'Jungle Cruise' is as simulated as the riverboat amusement ride in Disneyland.

The set-up is promising. It lures you in to take a back seat, to witness the adventure trip into the jungles of the Amazon. Staged in the early 1900s, in a typical Indiana Jones style, Dr Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), an eccentric, adventurous, and honorable botanist steals an artefact that would lead her to the 'Lagrimas de Cristal' tree, which is also known as - "Tears of the Moon." She does so with the hope of harnessing its power for modern medicine.

The legend says that one petal from the tree will heal anything. It can cure any illness or break any curse.

Lily travels to Brazil along with her prissy brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), where she meets Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), the friendly tour guide-cum-captain of the barely sea-worthy steamboat who reluctantly ferries them on their quest.

The first half of the narrative coasts on the charms of the lead pair and their light-footed visual misadventures. The screwball banter between the duo promises some exciting moments ahead. But alas, with the overtly complicated backstory and poorly executed visuals, the plot crumbles like an over-buttered cookie.

The narrative gets disappointing especially after Lily gets nightmares of Prince Joachim, an ambitious German royal who is chasing them with the same motive. Following this, with metal cranking and squeaking in the rough waters at the "Butter Churn" rapids, Frank dramatically navigates their boat. Instead of excitement, you feel a little jaded as the entire exercise seems staid, mechanical, and disappointing.

After that, the film hits nadir with the convoluted storyline, histrionics, and overtly ambitious visual effects especially with digital snakes slithering, bees, and vines capturing the pursuing Spaniards, dragging them back into the jungle. The supernatural elements and curses feel superfluous and tacked on.

At times, it also appears to have a hangover of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise. Also, while reflecting on the film, you realize that at an early stage, we are told - Dr Lily can't swim, but later, in an underwater sequence with Frank, she swims gracefully. This only goes to show that the writers have underrated their audience.

Dwayne Johnson delivers a charming performance as the gimmicky, loveable trickster who offers cut-rate jungle cruises embellished with faked dangers and corny puns. He is aptly paired with Emily Blunt as the agile-footed Dr Lily, whom he fondly calls- "Pants," because she wears one all the time.

Jack Whitehall delivers a strong performance as the pampered dandy MacGregor, who thinks it is not dinner unless you are wearing a dinner jacket. He does draw in a few laughs, but they seem lost in the narrative.

Edgar Ramirez as the conquistador Aguirre who betrayed the indigenous guardians of the tree, and Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim with his large submarine, both as villains lack lustre.

Overall, 'Jungle Cruise' is a fun, crowd-pleasing, farfetched fantasy that lacks originality.

(Troy Ribeiro can be contacted at troy.r@ians.in)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
September 21 : Businessman Raj Kundra and husband of actor Shilpa Shetty, was released from the Arthur Road jail today. On Monday, a magistrate court in Mumbai granted Kundra bail in a pornography case on the basis of a bond of 50,000.

Straight from jail, Kundra reached home. The 45-year-old businessman visibly looked weak as he lost weight. As he came out of the jail, he was surrounded by a huge crowd. Kundra was arrested on July 19 by the Mumbai Police and was in the jail two months.

Reportedly, he changed to a fresh pair of clothes, put a red teeka and then stepped out of jail. The businessman looked emotional and was in tears as he stepped out of the jail gate and inside his red Mercedes car. He was somehow pushed inside the car to avoid the media frenzy and the photographers who were waiting for him since morning.

In the pornography case, Raj Kundra has been named as the key conspirator, and was questioned for his connection to Hotshots app, which was used to stream the adult content.

Meanwhile, Shilpa Shetty took to her Instagram and shared a picture of her in a yoga pose. Along with the photo, she wrote, Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.

The actress further wrote, There are always going to be moments that push you to the ground. In times like these, I truly believe that if you fall seven times, make yourself strong enough to be able to stand back up eight times, she wrote.

This rise will demand a lot of courage, grit, will-power, and strength during some of your most difficult moments. But, these qualities will only make you more resilient and robust in this journey called life. Every time that you rise back up, you will come back with renewed determination and motivation to make even the impossible possible, she added.

Hours after Raj Kundra was granted bail in the pornography case on Monday, Shilpa shared a message on her Instagram stories about beautiful things that can happen after a bad storm. Shilpa shared a positive quote, that read as, Rainbows exist to prove that beautiful things can happen after a bad storm, the quote by Roger Lee reads.

Recently, Shilpa paid a visit to Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir to seek blessings, on the same day when Mumbai Police crime branch filed a 1,467 page supplementary chargesheet in the pornography racket case against Kundra, Ryan Thorpe, IT head of his company Viaan Industries, and two other accused.
Panaji, Sep 21 : Accusing the BJP-led coalition government of "duplicating" initiatives of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said the people of Goa should elect the "original" AAP, instead of the BJP, which merely duplicates its policies.

"(Chief Minister Pramod) Sawant said that water will be free in Goa. I was very happy. We did it four years ago in Delhi. I have heard that they have started doorstep delivery of services. We started it in Delhi three years ago," Kejriwal told a press conference in Mapusa town in North Goa.

"I believe that whatever is happening in Delhi, he (Sawant) is copying it in Goa. When the original is available, why do you need a duplicate? When the people of Goa can vote for the original, why do you need a duplicate? The duplicate person will end up doing 'gadbad' (confusion)," Kejriwal said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Goa have been engaged in a war of words and pre-poll announcements over the last few months ahead of the state Assembly polls, which are due in the coastal state in early 2022.

After the AAP announced free power to the tune of 300 units to domestic households in the state, the BJP-led coalition government has announced 16,000 free litres of water in every household.

The AAP on Tuesday also promised 80 per cent reservations for domiciled Goans and also made promises to allot doles to the tune of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 to unemployed youth and households, whose livelihoods were linked to the flagging tourism and defunct mining industry with no assured earnings.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Panaji, Sep 21 : The three-party Maharashta Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is an unnatural alliance which cannot last, Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said here on Tuesday, endorsing Shiv Sena leader and former Union Minister Anant Geete's criticism of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's leadership and the formation of the three-party ruling alliance.

"What can I say about that? He (Geete) is saying on the basis of a realisation in their party," Fadnavis told reporters, during his ongoing visit to Goa.

Geete in an interview on Tuesday had said that Pawar, who is one of the key political players who forged the MVA alliance between the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress in Maharashtra, could not be construed as a "guru" as far as the Shiv Sena is concerned, while describing the MVA alliance as a mere political adjustment.

Fadnavis said that he concurred with the comments made by Geete.

"At the root of it, I have been saying right from the outset that the alliance in Maharashtra between the three parties is unnatural. Such an alliance cannot last. There is nothing natural about it. An unnatural alliance cannot last," Fadnavis said.

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister also said that municipal polls in Maharashtra should be held only with reservations of seats for the Other Backward Classes.
Bengaluru, Sep 21 : Former Minister and BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekar has demanded action against Christian missionaries operating in the Hosadurga Assembly constituency for allegedly carrying out rampant religious conversions. He further said Christian missionaries have even got his mother converted to Christianity.

Speaking on the floor of the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, he said, "Christian missionaries are indulging in rampant religious conversions in Hosadurga constituency. They have got as many as 18 to 20,000 people converted to Christianity from the Hindu religion. The Christian missionaries have converted my mother and she has been told not to wear 'kumkum' (Vermillion) on forehead.

"The ring tone of my mother's cell phone has also been changed to Christian prayers. We are finding it difficult to perform 'puja' (worship) at home. It has been very difficult for us. If we try to tell her anything she says that she will end her life," Goolihatti Shekar said.

He further explained that the Christian Missionaries operating in the region called his mother for prayers telling that she would feel better and got her trapped. Now, she does not like the photos of Hindu gods at home and even things kept in the worship room for 'puja', he said.

The Christian missionaries are even managing to lodge false atrocity cases and rape cases on those who questioned them through those converted from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. The government should take action in this regard, he urged.

Taking objection to the use of the word 'Church' while talking about conversions, senior Congress leader K.J. George said it is not fair to generalise and accuse all churches for the mistake of few. Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri supported K.J. George and asked Goolihatti Shekar not to generalise the allegations.

Responding to the charges, the Home Minister Araga Jnanendra explained that luring people for religious conversions is a punishable offence. The religious conversions are happening through a well established network in the state and across the country. The state government will initiate legal action regarding the issue, he added.

The state government will also study the law enactments regarding religious conversions of other states to deal with the menace effectively, he stated.
New Delhi, Sep 21: Over 5 lakh employees of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir have finally lost their infinite liberty to not only play politics and observe shutdown over the militants calls but also to demand the Union Territorys secession from the Union of India.

In the last 13 months, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has invoked a slew of laws and rules and introduced new orders, making it difficult for the government employees to continue to draw their salaries from the State exchequer while promoting the separatists' and the militants' narratives. Highly placed bureaucratic sources insist that it was mainly because of the restrictions imposed on the liberties of the public servants that "over 90 percent" of the social media campaign to promote the azaadi narrative and to demonise India had vanished in the last 3 months.

"The vehicles of so-called azaadi are now different from what they were in 1990-99. In our exhaustive exercises, we noticed that social media had surfaced as the biggest vehicle of separatism and most of its drivers were themselves employees of the government taking salaries from the Indian exchequer. As soon as we tightened the noose on this lethal combination of the government employees and the unbridled social media, we got the desired results", said a senior bureaucratic source.

Senior officials maintained that most of the azaadi-promoting government employees had either terminated their accounts-on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms-or deleted their objectionable Facebook posts and tweets. "Many of them still continue with their accounts. They access the Kashmir-related traffic on the internet but contrary to their past practices they avoid making objectionable and incriminating comments, trolling, abusing and threatening the nationalists and others who refuse to toe Pakistan's line", one of the officers asserted.

LG Sinha's administration has drastically modified the rules and eased the process of the dismissal of the government employees. Passports are no longer issued to the government employees reported as pro-militant by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Now the Police have been directed not to issue clearance to anybody facing charges of corruption or possessing assets disproportionate to their legal sources of income.

"It was a free-for-all for about 30 years. Many of the top ranking terrorists had also managed to get the Indian Passports in the 1990s. They used to travel to the whole world. Now multiple checks and balances are in place and it is usually impossible for such elements to obtain an Indian Passport through fraudulent means", said an officer. "Many of them were those who took home hefty salaries without attending a day of duty. Many of them were known to be moon-shining as mediapersons, NGO operators, human rights activists and what not".

According to senior Police officers dealing with counterterrorism and counterintelligence, thousands of the government employees worked as active militants, OWGs (over-ground workers) of the militants and the separatists while retaining their government jobs and taking home monthly salaries, particularly from 1990 to 2010. Many of them were allegedly involved in serious crimes including murder. Some were killed. Some surrendered. Some were arrested. But few of them faced trial for their alleged crimes and hardly anybody was convicted by a court of law. Those dismissed from service in the last 32 years are believed to be around 1000-1200, mostly in the Police Department.

A number of the employees with known militant backgrounds are still in the government services-some holding middle ranking positions. A common belief is that the government shut their eyes on them on account of their overt or covert support to the Police and security forces in counterinsurgency operations.

However, mediapersons and militancy analysts believe that mainstream politicians in successive governments often played a significant role in failing legal and administrative actions against the public servants involved in subversive and anti-national activities. Of late, one of the government officers arrested for alleged militant connections and subversive activities was holding a senior administrative position in Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

A Naib Tehsildar, terminated in the current year, had allegedly stored Improved Explosive Devices (IEDs) under his shopping complex in Pulwama.

Even as the total number of the government employees, who have been declared as 'deadwood' or 'persons of doubtful integrity' and dismissed from public service in LG Sinha's tenure since August 2020, is still less than 20, the terminations have sent a strong message of action.

When separatists launched the All-party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in 1993, giving senior positions to seven prominent organisations and accommodating 26 groups of their support structure in the general council, an alliance of the associations of the government employees was also incorporated as a member. For 10 years in the APHC and thereafter separately for many years, these associations demanded Jammu and Kashmir's separation from India. They would publicly call it 'freedom' without any fear of action from the government.

The government employees, who received monthly salaries and grade promotions even without attending duty, emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the 2,200 days of hartals. For years, they were the first to observe and enforce a shutdown called by militants or separatists.

Some ex-militants, some officers of the Kashmir Administrative Service and some from other services, who played key roles in sustaining the azaadi narrative, later jumped into politics. They got the positions of MLAs, MLCs and Ministers.

A robust ecosystem of politicians, mediapersons, human rights activists and academics from Srinagar to Europe to America, known for its support to militants and separatists, has been critical of the government's recent measures to curb the liberties of the 'dissenting employees'. But the government has gone whole hog to, what it calls "disciplining our employees".

"No one will be allowed to mess with the unity and sovereignty of the country. We want peace but won't hesitate to deal sternly with the elements involved in anti-national and creating hurdles in the path of peace", Sinha asserted at a peace promotion event in Srinagar on Sunday.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Bengaluru, Sep 21 : Sending out a strong message in connection with a moral policing case reported in Bengaluru, the Karnataka police have taken action against two accused persons for allegedly attacking a Hindu man for giving a lift to a Muslim female colleague who worked with him in a private company.

The Sadduguntepalya police have booked the accused persons under six IPC sections, including the charge of spreading communal disharmony, which attracts imprisonment of up to five years, police sources said.

The accused duo Suhail and Nayaz are being booked under IPC sections 153 (A) for promoting disharmony between different groups on grounds of religion and indulging in acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.

The duo have been booked under IPC section 506 for causing criminal intimidation, Section 341 for wrongful restraint, Section 34 for criminal act done in furtherance of common intention, Section 504 for intentional insult and thereby giving provocation to intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause him/her to break public peace and Section 354 for assaulting and using criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his government will deal with such incidents with an iron hand while announcing the arrest of the accused persons on social media.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has said such incidents should not take place and the police have taken action swiftly in the case. The case drew sharp reactions from across the state after being uploaded on social media platforms.

The accused followed a bike on which the victim, a married Muslim woman was being dropped by a Hindu colleague to her house as it was quite late in the evening. The accused then stopped the bike and thrashed the Hindu man.

The accused forced the woman to get down from the bike and snatched away her mobile phone, called up her husband and scolded him for allowing his wife to be dropped off by a person belonging to a different religion.

The woman in her complaint said the accused had continuously put a mobile torch on her and asked her to take off her burqa and walk wherever she wanted.

The accused had uploaded the video on social media platforms. The incident had taken place in the evening on September 18. When the video went viral, the accused had deleted the video and had absconded.

However, the police was able to track the woman and get details of the accused and lodged a complaint against them in Sadduguntepalya police station. The accused duo were nabbed within 12 hours on Saturday.

The accused told police that they wanted to gain publicity from their moral policing act. They maintained many such videos are being uploaded on social media platforms and they got very good response for such videos.

Encouraged by the massive response, they were into moral policing and it gave them publicity, police sources said.

The accused told the police that they expected to get appreciation for their act this time as well and they thought it would make them popular without landing in jail.
Chandigarh, Sep 21 : A day after assuming the charge, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who said his government was a representative of the poor as he himself pulled a rickshaw in his early life, on Tuesday opted a special chartered jet to reach Delhi from here to meet party leaders.

Channi along with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and state party President Navjot Sidhu travelled in the plane.

In a photo shared by Sidhu on his twitter handle, he wrote, "In line of duty!!" Responding to the development, opposition party Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) questioned the need to hire the chartered aircraft.

"After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 km from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used? Or is this chest thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi family's Delhi Darbar culture?" SAD said in a tweet.

Chief Minister Channi, the first Dalit who is at the helm, on Monday said his government is of 'aam aadmi' (the common man), honest, free from sand mafias and a representative of the poor.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, Sep 21 : The newly-established Taliban caretaker government in Afghanistan has named the remaining Ministers and members, the group's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday.

"The newly introduced members of the cabinet are professional personalities including doctors and highly educated persons, also from minorities," Mujahid told reporters at a press conference.

The newly introduced cabinet members have been appointed in line with the decree of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, Mujahid said.

The spokesman said that a veteran businessman, Hajji Nurudin Azizi, has been appointed as acting minister for commerce, and Qalandar Ebad as the acting minister for public health.

Mujahid also expressed hope that the international community would give recognition to the Islamic Emirate.

At the press conference, he rejected the presence of the Islamic State, Al Qaeda or any other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying the Islamic Emirate is capable enough to smash any extremist organisation and won't allow any Afghanistan soil to be used against any country.

The spokesman also announced that the inauguration ceremony for the new government has been cancelled due to their focus on providing service to the people at this point, TOLO News reported.

Regarding the country's economic situation, he said that the domestic revenues might be enough for basic needs.

"We are using all diplomatic channels to unfreeze the Afghan assets." When asked about the women's affairs ministry and girls' education, Mujahid said the caretaker cabinet is working to address women's demands for work and education.

"We are working to complete the procedures so that girls can resume their education," he said.
Mumbai, Sep 21 : Actress Prreit Kamal is a known name in the Punjabi film industry and she has been part of several music videos like 'Beat Crazy' and more. Prreit made her acting debut alongside Ammy Virk in the film 'Saab Bahadar' and she is on cloud nine as she has two Punjabi films lined up for release.

She has 'Fer Mamlaa Gadbad Hai' with actor Ninja and 'Marjaney' with actor Sippy Gill. While 'Marjaney' is set to release on November 12 this year and 'Fer Mamlaa Gadbad Hai' in the first half of 2022.

Prreit talks about the same and says: "As we know the audience have been lapping up Punjabi movies ever since theatres reopened and I hope they give us the same love." She adds about her working experience with Ninja and Sippy Gill. "The great thing about both Sippy and Ninja is how humble they are. They both are highly talented and have a huge fan base, but yet you feel so warm and comfortable around them on the sets. They are both so dedicated and focused on their characters that it pushed me to do my part even better." The shooting for the movies happened in Chandigarh and she opens up about the experience. "I feel you don't get the real essence of a Punjabi premise in a film unless you actually shoot in Punjab. The people, the colors, they all add up to the way the movie feels. Chandigarh, I feel is the perfect blend of an urban lifestyle and a small-city vibe and that's why a lot of people easily connect watching it on-screen," she shares.

Prreit is also learning Bhangra and Gidda for her upcoming Punjabi film projects as these dance forms are eternal parts of Punjabi cinema as she adds: "To be honest, the Bhangra and Gidda dance forms are eternal parts of Punjabi cinema. I believe that it is important to actually know a skill perfectly for it to come out good on screen." "Though I've been dancing since I was very young and was also a professional choreographer for a short time, these dance forms are something I feel I can even try to perfect further. I've been working very hard on them and hopefully my effort will show on screen," she concludes.
Bengaluru, Sep 21 : The Karnataka police have arrested a youth on charges of uploading vulgar photos, including of two minors, on Instagram and trolling them. The Cyber Crime police investigating the case have nabbed the accused from Kalburgi district, DCP South East Srinath Mahadev Joshi said on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as Avinash aka Abhilash (23). The police have launched a hunt for another accused in connection with the case. The accused had got in touch with the minor girl through Instagram and became friends with her mother and brother also. The mother had shared the pictures of her children with him.

The accused had confessed to the mother that he had fallen in love with her daughter and wanted to marry her. When his proposal was rejected outrightly, he edited the photos of the girl, boy and their mother in a vulgar way and uploaded them on his social media account.

The accused threatened the mother that he will upload a few more vulgar videos on the birthday of the minor girl. The mother then lodged a complaint with the Cyber Economics and Narcotics police station in Bengaluru on September 13.

The accused had studied at an ITI and worked as an electrician in Bengaluru for two years. He had gone back to his native Kalburgi during the lockdown period. Without a job, he had made trolling a habit. He made friends with the admin of the 'goodboy_badtroll' troll page and started trolling all through the day.

Abhilash had created a WhatsApp group of admins of troll pages and discussed only about trolling there.
Panaji, Sep 21 : Is West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee looking to make a political splash in 2022 Goa assembly polls? Amid reports that the West Bengal-based party's scouts have reached out to several politicians across party lines ahead of the assembly polls, a former Congress MLA Agnelo Fernandes on Tuesday said that he had received feelers from the TMC over the last few days.

"I have been with the Congress through thick and thin. Feelers have been sent to us, saying Congress wants to take (Ports Minister Michael Lobo) Michael, why are you with the Congress? But I refused to participate in such a conversation," Fernandes told IANS on Tuesday.

Fernandes and Lobo, a BJP MLA, are political rivals vis a vis the Calangute assembly constituency in North Goa. However, with Lobo repeatedly questioning the leadership of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, speculation is rife about him looking to switch political party in the months leading to the polls.

Reports about the Trinamool Congress' possible foray in the Goa polls come at a time when a several member-strong team of I-PAC, a political lobbying agency headed by political strategist Prashant Kishor has been in Goa for the last couple of weeks to assess the political ground reality in the poll-bound state.

The team has been meeting politicians, journalists, social activists, businessmen and a cross section of the state's population.

A section of the local media has mentioned the name of former two-time Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, as one of the potential targets for Mamata Banerjee's party. Responding to the reports, Faleiro told IANS: "Lot of people are doing surveys. They are meeting all the leaders".

If the Trinamool Congress does make a political play in Goa, it would not be its first. The party made its first venture into state politics in the 2012 state assembly polls, when the party's Goa unit was headed by former Chief Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza.
Bengaluru, Sep 21 : Miscreants on Tuesday hacked the Twitter handle of Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Murugesh R. Nirani.

"My Twitter handle @NiraniMurugesh has been hacked from an unknown foreign location today. We do not know the exact origin and identity of the culprit," Nirani said.

"I urge everyone not to fall prey to any fraudulent messages posted by hackers and ignore any derogatory and unparliamentary messages on my account," he said.

"We have lodged a complaint with Twitter and will soon lodge a complaint with the cyber cell in Bengaluru as well," he stated.

Recently, miscreants had created a fake account of Nirani on Facebook and demanded money from his friends and followers. The minister had then appealed to the people to ignore the requests from the fake account.
Chennai, Sep 21 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has called upon the union government to export vaccines to other countries only after making sure that the entire population of India is given at least one dose of the vaccine.

He was speaking to reporters on Tuesday after inaugurating a simulation centre at Apollo Super specialty hospital.

The state health minister was responding to the Union Health Minister's statement that the country would resume export of vaccines from October.

The state health minister said that the country needs a minimum of 115 crore doses of vaccine to expand inoculation to the 12-18 age group also.

India has a population of 139 crore and 70 per cent of the population is above 18 years of age. This would mean that around 97.30 crore people would be eligible for vaccination and two doses of vaccines means a total of 194.60 crore doses of vaccines will be required to inoculate the country fully, the Tamil Nadu state health minister said.

He said, "According to the data available with the Government of India, 80 crore people were vaccinated, and of this 61 crore have received only the first dose. This means that only one-third have received the first dose and the country requires 115 crore doses more." The Tamil Nadu health minister said that several countries have commenced vaccination in the 12-18 age group and if India is also going for such a step then the doses of vaccines required would be much more than 115 crore. Ma Subramanian while speaking to reporters said, "How is it possible to export vaccines while more than 115 crore doses of vaccines are required to inoculate the people above 18 years of age." Tamil Nadu requires 12.12 crore doses of vaccine to inoculate the eligible population of 6.06 crore persons. Minister said that the state has already administered 4.37 crore doses of vaccines and requires more than 7.5 crore doses to inoculate the entire eligible population fully.

Ma Subramanian called upon the Prime Minister and the Union Health Minister to postpone the proposed export of vaccines and instead take steps to vaccinate the entire eligible population of the country. He also said that the issue of vaccination must not be approached from a profit angle.
Washington, Sep 21 : Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has pledged $1 billion towards improving conservation efforts, with a target of protecting 30 per cent of the Earth's land and sea by 2030, media reports said.

The fund is part of the Bezos Earth Fund, which Bezos launched in 2020 to execute his $10 billion commitment to fight climate change.

The group intends to begin disbursing the money this year, prioritising regions "where there is significant need and opportunity, as well as where there is a strong political commitment to nature", the Washington Post reported.

According to the Earth Fund statement, Bezos specifically targeted conserving 30 per cent of land and sea because it could protect up to 80 per cent of plant and animal species, secure 60 per cent of necessary carbon stocks, and sustain two-thirds of clean water.

The grants will be used to "create, expand, manage and monitor protected and conserved areas". It added that the philanthropy will focus on the Congo Basin, the tropical Andes and the tropical Pacific Ocean, the report said.

"The natural world is not better today than it was 500 years ago, when we enjoyed unspoiled forests, clean rivers and the pristine air of the pre-industrial age," CNBC quoted Bezos as saying in a statement. "We can and must reverse this anomaly." It is not yet known which organisations will receive the grants. The grant will be prioritised in areas where local communities and Indigenous peoples are a main focus of conservation programs, among other considerations, the Bezos Earth Fund said.

Earlier this month, the fund said it would give away $203.7 million by the end of the year to organisations advancing climate justice, among other causes. That's after it awarded $791 million in grants last year to 16 organisations, including the World Wildlife Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Nature Conservancy, the report said.
Begusarai SP said that the AK 47 rifle belongs to BJP MLAs cousin brother, And a picture of accused Manjesh alias Bunty alias Bade. Image Source: IANS News

Begusarai SP said that the AK 47 rifle belongs to BJP MLAs cousin brother, And a picture of accused Manjesh alias Bunty alias Bade. Image Source: IANS News

Patna, Sep 21 : The AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and 188 live cartridges recovered from three criminals in Bihar's Begusarai allegedly belong to a relative of the present local BJP MLA, police said on Tuesday.

Begusarai's Superintendent of Police, Awakash Kumar said that one of the accused, Manjesh alias Bunty alias Bade, revealed during interrogation that the weapons were given to them by Nandan Singh Chaudhary, the cousin of Begusarai Sadar MLA Kundan Singh.

"As per the revelation of Manjesh, the arms and ammunition belongs to Nandan Chaudhary. He had given the weapons to Manjesh a year ago. Nandan Chaudhary is absconding now," he said.

Kundan Singh is son of Begusarai Mayor Upendra Chaudhary.

"Main accused Nandan Chaudhary is on the run. We have constituted a dedicated team to nab him. Following his arrest, the picture will be clear about how he obtained the sophisticated weapon," the SP said.

The name of a BJP MLA cropping up led to political temperatures rising.

Contacted for his response, Kundan Singh denied the allegations, saying he has no relations with Nandan Chaudhary or any other criminals.

"I have not watched the statement of Begusarai SP Awakash Kumar. Still I would say that I have no connection with any alleged person. Law will take its own course," he added.

Begusarai police on Sunday raided Kapasia locality in Barauni town in the district and arrested three persons including Manjesh. The arms and ammunition were recovered from his possession.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : A Kyrgyz woman and her son, both nationals of the Central Asian country, were found dead with stab wounds at a flat here on Tuesday, police said.

According to sources, preliminary investigation has revealed that the woman, identified as Myskal Zhumabaeva, had an argument with her husband Vinay Chauhan on Monday night at their residence in Greater Kailash. Soon after the argument, Chauhan left the house to meet a friend.

As Myskal was not feeling well, she called her friend Matluba Madusmonova, an Uzbek national living in Kalkaji, for help and was taken to a hospital.

Sources said that later Myskal was brought back to Matluba's residence where both Myskal and her infant son were found dead in the morning.

Preliminary investigation revealed that there were stab wounds on the victims' bodies.

Police have sealed the flat for the investigation while the dead bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.

The police said a case under relevant sections has been registered and further probe is on.
Kolkata, Sep 21 : Embarrassing the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP leader Rajib Banerjee said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will win with a huge margin and it would have been better if the party had not fielded any candidate against her.

"The people gave her a mandate and she has come back to power with 213 seats. She is contesting from Bhabanipur and the Congress has decided not to put up any candidate against her. We cannot or should not ignore the people's verdict and the people want her to be the chief minister of the state. She is going to win by a huge margin in Bhabanipur. It would have been the right gesture if the BJP had also stayed away from the election. They should not have fielded any candidate against her," the former Trinamool Congress minister who switched over to the BJP just before the assembly polls said.

Banerjee who lost in this election to the Trinamool Congress was also critical about Suvendu Adhikari's approach towards the chief minister. Speaking to the media, Banerjee said, "People brought her back to power with 213 seats and so it is not decent to speak foul about that person. To make comments like 'Fufu', 'Kahlu', 'Begum' has created a wrong impression about us. One should be careful when speaking about a leader of her stature." Banerjee was speaking about the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who accused Mamata Banerjee of divisive and partisan politics.

Speaking on an issue like religious division, the BJP leader said, "I have occasionally warned the party not to follow religious lines because religious divisive politics will not work in West Bengal but the party has not paid any heed. The party has suffered for that." Rajib Banerjee was a member of the earlier West Bengal cabinet. But just before the assembly elections he joined the BJP and contested from Domjur assembly constituency, where he was the MLA earlier, but was defeated. Soon after his defeat, he became a rebel and started making anti-party statements and avoiding party meetings.

Banerjee was accused of meeting Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several Trinamool leaders and he was show-caused for that. According to a senior BJP leader Rajib Banerjee was show-caused twice for his anti-party activities but he did not reply.
Agartala, Sep 21 : After the BJP government twice denied permission to the Trinamool Congress to hold a mega rally led by the party's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Agartala, the Tripura High Court on Tuesday upheld the West Tripura District Magistrates order banning any kind of public rally by any political party in two areas under the Sadar Police Sub-Division till November 4.

Following the court ruling, Trinamool leader and West Bengal MP Santanu Sen said that they are yet to get Tuesday's court order and the party would go forward with the legal matter in a legal way.

"The BJP government fears the Trinamool and Abhishek Banerjee a lot. The people of Tripura are with the party whole-heartedly despite the BJP government's conspiracies against Trinamool Congress," he told the media.

Sen, accompanied by Trinamool leaders Sushmita Dev and Subal Bhowmik, said that the party's next course of action after Tuesday's development would be announced soon.

West Tripura's acting District Magistrate (DM) and Collector Rajib Datta in his order on Monday quoting the letter of district Superintendent of Police had said that he is satisfied that allowing any kind of meeting, procession, public gathering by any political party at present may deteriorate the law and order situation in the areas under the East Agartala and West Agartala police stations and the situation may worsen if not controlled right now.

Following a petition by Bhowmik, Tripura High Court Judge Arindam Lodh upheld the DM's order on Tuesday.

Bhowmik had earlier sought direction to the police to allow the Trinamool to hold the mega rally led by Banerjee in Agartala on Wednesday.

Bhowmik, Sen and Dev vehemently criticised the BJP government for not allowing the 'peaceful' rally though the other parties, including the BJP, had recently organised political processions in the state.

The Tripura police last week twice disallowed the mega rally planned by the Trinamool, first on September 15 and then on September 16.

Anirban Das, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Sadar, first disallowed the Trinamool rally saying that permission for organising a mass rally in Agartala has already been granted to another political party on the same date and time.

When the Trinamool sought permission to hold the mega 'padyatra' (protest march) on September 16, the SDPO in his letter to Bhowmik said that it is not possible to permit the rally on Thursday since there will be law and order commitment of the police in view of the Viswakarma Puja on September 17.

The Trinamool leaders said that several top BJP and RSS leaders had visited West Bengal for campaigning during the Assembly elections and the administration or the law enforcement agencies did not stop them.

Congress-turned-Trinamool leader Sushmita Dev said on Tuesday that on September 8, large scale political violence was perpetrated across the state in which media offices were also attacked, but no one has been arrested so far despite photographs and videos showing the attackers appearing on social media.

"We wanted to organise a peaceful rally in Agartala. But the government did not give us the permission. We have also the responsibility to abide by the law just as the government has the duty to enforce the law," Dev told the media.

Eyeing the Assembly polls in Tripura scheduled in 2023, Trinamool leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, three Bengal ministers and over 12 MPs are frequently visiting the state since July 25 to build the organisation and garner support in the BJP-ruled state.

A series of violent incidents involving Trinamool leaders from West Bengal and Tripura have been reported from the state. Many leaders were also arrested by the Tripura police.
Washington, Sep 21 : Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday announced that its booster shot, given two months after the first shot, provided 94 per cent protection against Covid-19 in the US.

When given two months after the first shot, the antibody levels rose four to six times higher than observed after the single shot, the company said in a statement.

A booster shot post six months after the first increased antibody levels nine-to 12-fold four weeks after the booster, regardless of age.

"We now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against Covid-19 and is expected to extend the duration ofAprotection significantly," said Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson, in the statement.

While the 94 per cent efficacy rate for the J&J booster shot is for the US, globally, a booster shot given about two months after the first dose is 75 per cent effective against symptomatic infection, according to the company. It also demonstrated 100 per cent effectiveness against severe and critical disease, it said.

The company has provided the available data to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and plans to submit the data to other regulators, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) worldwide to inform decision-makingAon local vaccine administration strategies, as needed.

The company also released data from a real-world study that compared 390,000 people who received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine versus 1.52 million unvaccinated people. The findings showed that a single dose of J&J vaccine provided strong and long-lasting protection against Covid-related hospitalisations, demonstrating 81 per cent effectiveness after several months.

"A single-shot Covid-19 vaccine that is easy to use, distribute and administer, and that provides strong and long-lasting protection is crucial to vaccinating the global population," Stoffels said.

Last week, Pfizer showed that its Covid booster can prevent both infections and severe illness in elderly, shortly after the injection, in a new study conducted in Israel.

The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that 12 days after the booster dose, the rate of infection was eleven-fold lower and of severe disease nearly twenty-fold lower in those who received a booster compared with those who had received only two doses.

However, it was rejected by a US FDA panel for broader use among people aged 16 and above. However, the panel has approved a booster shot of Pfizer's Covid vaccine to people aged 65 and above.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Himachal Pradesh Urban Development and Cooperation Minister Suresh Bhardwaj called on Union Minister of Home Affair Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday. Image Source: IANS News

Himachal Pradesh Urban Development and Cooperation Minister Suresh Bhardwaj called on Union Minister of Home Affair Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday. Image Source: IANS News

Himachal Pradesh Urban Development and Cooperation Minister Suresh Bhardwaj called on Union Minister of Home Affair Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 21 : Himachal Pradesh Urban Development and Cooperation Minister Suresh Bhardwaj on Tuesday called Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah here and sought extension of scope of scheme for coverage of farmer produce organisations as cooperative societies up to the block level.

Bhardwaj said that the Himachal is formulating a policy to promote farmer produce organisations in the cooperative sector in the state. The state has set a target of registering 100 such organisations in one year and reaching out to a minimum of 10, 000 farmers through them.

The farmer produce organisations will strengthen the post-harvest management infrastructure.

Bhardwaj also requested for earmarking funds for trainings of management committee members as distinguished from the training of secretaries.

He also discussed issues pertaining to the Ministry of Cooperation with the Union minister, an official statement said.

Bhardwaj apprised Shah that the state government has initiated the process of computerisation of cooperative societies in collaboration with NABARD and has got Rs 5 crore for computerisation of 300 societies.

He demanded the Centre-state partnership scheme in the ratio of 80:20 or 90:10 so that all societies could be covered.

The minister also requested to extend interest subvention to Primary Agriculture Credit Societies, cooperatives working in health and education, MSMEs and the eco-tourism sector.

Bhardwaj also sought provision of collateral-free loans up to Rs 20 lakh for cooperative societies so that many more societies can avail benefit of schemes like Integrated Cooperative Development Project.

Shah assured of all possible assistance to the state, added the statement.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : The Congress launched an attack on the government over the seizure of drugs at Mundra port, alleging that it must be the largest illegal drug haul in the world. The Congress questioned the silence of the government and the measures it is taking to deal with it, particularly drugs from Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday Pawan Khera, Congress Spokesperson, said, "The latest raid and seizure of almost 3 tonnes, should be the largest illegal drug haul in the world, not just India. But how did it come to this? What has the Government and Narcotics Control Bureau been doing all this while?" He alleged that the smuggling of drugs into India has increased substantially over the past few months, and this has been going on for a few years now which can destroy the youth of the country.

Khera asked whether the Gujarat coast has become the most preferred route to smuggle drugs and said these revelations are just the tip of the iceberg. He said there has been a pattern of drugs being smuggled into India through the ports of Gujarat. "Why have the Government and NCB failed at taking corrective and proactive measures", he asked.

The Congress spokesperson questioned, "How is such a drug syndicate operating in India under the nose of the Government of India, Government of Gujarat and the Narcotics Control Bureau? Why has it not been exposed yet? Who are these operators, importers and individuals/syndicate running the procurement and distribution network of drugs in this country?" He said the position of a full-time Narcotics Control Bureau Chief has been lying vacant for 18 months now. And, the Government thinks it is not significant enough to appoint a full time Chief of the NCB for over 18 months.

"It would lead to the almost three tonnes of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crore in the international market which as per Indian Government estimates is worth Rs 9000 crore reaching the Mundra Port - a privately owned port of the Adani Group in Gujarat," said Khera.

He said that over the last few years, the Gujarat coast has become the favourite route for smuggling drugs into India from Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan.

"Let us understand the chronology of events from the recent past. In July 2017 an Indian Coast Guard vessel had seized approximately 1,500 kgs of heroin valued at about Rs 3,500 crore from a merchant vessel off the coast of Gujarat. In January 2020, five Pakistani nationals on a fishing boat were apprehended mid-sea off the coast of Gujarat while they were attempting to smuggle drugs worth Rs 175 crore into the state and country." "In April 2021, eight Pakistani nationals onboard a boat were apprehended with heroin worth Rs 150 crore off the coast of Gujarat. On September 17, 2021, three tonnes of heroin was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) during an operation where two containers were seized at the Mundra Port, a privately owned port by the Adani Group in Bhuj in Gujarat. The value of the heroin is estimated to be around Rs 21,000 crore." On September 18, 2021, the Coast Guard and the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Gujarat Police in a joint operation against an Iranian boat found 30 kg heroin worth more than Rs 150 crore off the coast of Gujarat, Khera said.

It is suspected that this heroin was originally sourced from Afghanistan and was smuggled through Iran's Bandar Abbas Port, Khera said.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Uncertainty looms over the new role of former union ministers, who were dropped from the Modi Cabinet in July, as they have yet to get any responsibility in the BJP so far.

After the cabinet reshuffle there was speculation within the BJP that few of them would be accommodated in the organisational structure or may be given key responsibilities.

Recently, the saffron party has made a few important appointments at centre including two national vice presidents and election in-charge or co-incharge in the poll bound states.

In the on-going organisational appointment, these former ministers have not been given any new responsibility so far. On Monday, BJP chief J.P. Nadda appointed Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh and former governor of Uttarakhand Baby Rani Maurya as new national vice presidents of the party while Lok Sabha member Dr Sukanta Majumdar was appointed West Bengal BJP president replacing Ghosh.

Earlier this month, while appointing election in-charge and co-incharge for poll bound Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, party did not assign any role to these former union ministers.

A party leader said that it was believed that two or three would be made office bearers but after Monday's appointment of national vice presidents, it seems that they are not going to get any key responsibilities in near future.

On July 7, as many as 12 ministers were dropped from the council of ministers. Those who resigned from the Narendra Modi cabinet were -- D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Dr Harsh Vardhan, Prakash Javadekar, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Babul Supriyo, Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao, Rattan Lal Kataria, Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Debasree Chaudhuri.

Thaawarchand Gehlot had also resigned from the union cabinet and was later appointed governor of Karnataka. Last week, Supriyo joined the Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC).

During that reshuffle, three BJP national office bearers were made ministers in the union cabinet. BJP national general secretary, Bhupender Yadav has been made cabinet minister whereas party national vice president Annapurna Devi was appointed as minister along with BJP national secretary, Bisweshwar Tudu.

A senior functionary said that performance was a reason for showing doors to these leaders from the union cabinet then it is unlikely that they will be given any key responsibilities.
Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 : One of the five persons arrested on charges of leaking classified information of DRDO's Integrated Testing Range (ITR) in Chandipur received money from Dubai, the Odisha police said on Tuesday.

Additional Director General (ADG) of Odisha Police (Crime Branch), Sanjeeb Panda, said that one of the five accused persons had received a cash transfer of around Rs 38,000 from a bank account in Dubai. The money was transferred to the account of the arrested accused in two instalments, he said.

"We have seized the mobile phones of all the five accused. We are verifying their bank account details and social networking sites like Facebook and Instagram. Till now, we have found that one of the accused received Rs 38,000 is two trances from Dubai. The bank account details of the other four persons are being examined," Panda said.

The police have also found that an unknown woman operative introduced herself by several names and trapped people on Facebook, he said.

"The woman also interacted with the accused persons over Facebook and WhatsApp. During investigation, we found that she was using a UK SIM," Panda said.

The ADG further informed that a team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) had also interrogated the accused in the past two days while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is yet to interrogate the arrested persons presently on remand of Odisha Crime Branch.

Asked about the next course of action, Panda said all the social media accounts of the accused will be thoroughly checked and examined. The mobile phones will be sent for cyber forensic examination.

"We will also try to ascertain if the accused received any other benefit through any other means," he added.

It is suspected that the woman honey-trapped the five former contractual staff of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Balasore district.

On September 14, the Balasore police had arrested the five former DRDO contractual employees on charges of sharing classified defence information with unknown foreign agents, who were suspected to be from Pakistan.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : India will reciprocate the same discriminatory protocols for the UK nationals if the British government fails to recognize the Indian Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, the sources said on Tuesday.

The non-recognition of the Covishield vaccine has impacted the Indians, especially students travelling to the UK.

This issue was flagged during the meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday in Washington DC.

Truss has assured India that the UK government will review its policy against Covishield in a day or two. If the situation remains the same, India will be forced to apply the same discriminatory protocols for their citizens, a top source in the External Affairs Ministry said.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla while addressing the media on Tuesday asserted that non-recognition of Covishield was a discriminating policy and "it impacts our citizens travelling to the UK. The EAM has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved." The vaccine, Covishield, is a licensed product of the UK manufacturer and about five million doses have been supplied at the request of the UK Government as part of the National Health System.

On September 20, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India will resume the export of Covid-19 vaccines under Vaccine Maitri initiative in October.

Noting that the vaccination of its own citizens remains the top most priority of the government, he also said that the decision to resume vaccine exports has been taken "in order to fulfil the commitment of India towards COVAX, in line with our motto Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family.

As part of the Vaccine Maitri initiative earlier this year, India had supplied over 66 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to more than 70 countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria and the UK.
Washington, Sep 21 : US intelligence agencies should be tasked with investigating emerging public health threats overseas to combat future disease outbreaks, a former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner has said.

The public has lost trust in US health agencies and called for more funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Scott Gottlieb was quoted as saying by CNBC on Monday.

He said identifying problematic viruses abroad and equipping the CDC with better crisis mitigation resources would improve the nation's ability to counter any new contagions that arise.

"I think going forward, we're not going to just be able to depend on countries voluntarily sharing information," Gottlieb told CNBC's "Squawk Box".

"We're going to have to go in and have the capacity to collect it and to monitor for these things, and that means getting our foreign intelligence services much more engaged in the public health mission globally," he added.

Gottlieb stated that countries today are less forthcoming with disease details because they fear being isolated. He noted that the US has avoided bringing intelligence agencies into international public health issues because the CDC worried that "anyone wearing a white coat overseas would be perceived to be a spy", the report said.

Meanwhile, the US intelligence community, tasked with probing the origins of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, failed to reach a consensus.

They, however, ruled out the possibility that China developed the virus as a biological weapon, according to the report delivered to President Joe Biden last month.

Biden had, in May, ordered the country's intelligence community "redouble their efforts" and report the origins of the pandemic within 90 days.

More than a year into the pandemic, the debate whether Covid-19 originated naturally or was leaked from a lab continues.

The global coronavirus caseload topped 229 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.69 million, according to the latest update on Tuesday by Johns Hopkins University. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 42,286,531 and 676,059, respectively, according to the data.

--IANS rvt/vd

AA

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Condemning the new UK travel policy that considers fully vaccinated Indians as unvaccinated and prescribes 10 days quarantine, Dr MC Mishra, Ex AIIMS director, said that people should boycott travelling to the UK as long as the new rule exists.

He said that all countries should come forward and severely criticize the new travel restrictions imposed by the UK government.

According to the new UK rules, Indian travellers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo 10-day quarantine.

Dr Mishra said that the whole world is reeling under the pandemic which has telling impact on the economies across the world. He asked why should one spend money for 10 days in UK's hotels in such a situation? Talking to IANS, Dr Mishra said that this travel restriction is baseless and illogical. "How a vaccine can be effective in the UK and non effective in other nations," he asked.

The UK government's recent order which has triggered controversy says that person vaccinated in countries like the UAE, India, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Russia, or the continents of Africa and South America, will be considered as unvaccinated and will have to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine upon their arrival. Mishra said that the Indian government should take cognizance and criticize the new rules.

The new UK travel rule further adds that only people who have got both shots of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna or the single shot of Janssen vaccine "under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK" will be considered fully vaccinated.

India's mass vaccination program is being run with mainly two vaccines Covishield and Covaxin. The Covishield was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and pharma giant AstraZeneca. Covaxin was developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
Jammu, Sep 21 : Indian army veterans have created a world record of having the largest team of people with disabilities to scale the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, a defence statement said.

"Team CLAW, a team of Special Forces Veterans of Indian Armed Forces, created a World Record having the largest team of people with disabilities to scale the world's highest battlefield (Siachen Glacier) successfully.

"The summit commenced on September 7, 2021 and concluded on September 18, 2021. The team was flagged by Dr Virendra Kumar, (Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment) from Delhi on August 15, 2021.

"The team will be flagged in at Delhi on September 24-25, 2021 tentatively.

"The team was supported by the Indian Army and particularly Headquarters Northern Command and Headquarters 14 Corps, making it a grand success.

"The team after successfully scaling the expedition reached Udhampur and was felicitated by General Officer Commanding in Chief, Northern Command.

"He commended the efforts of the team and lauded their spirit and unflinching grit during the expedition.

"The team was led by two ex-officers from Special Forces, it had two ladies, who were 100% blind, three upper limb amputees, three individuals who were 100% blind, two ex-Parachute Regiment Officers, four ex-servicemen from Special Forces, and three civilians, including a doctor", the statement said.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined interim relief to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife, who sought quashing of summonses, issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and his wife Rujira Banerjee, have challenged the September 10 summonses.

Justice Yogesh Khanna said: "Let me be very clear. I am not granting any stay. I am issuing notice." He added that the court will issue notice and then the parties can file their reply in the matter. The high court asked the ED to respond on Banerjee's and his wife's plea within three days and scheduled the matter for further hearing on September 27.

Abhishek Banerjee and his wife were asked by the ED to appear before it in Delhi on Tuesday. The couple has contended that they are residents of Kolkata and should not be compelled to join the probe here.

The ED submitted before the court that money laundering has national and trans-national ramifications and its investigation is not restricted to any police station or area.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, submitted if they have any apprehensions, they can take appropriate remedy.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the couple, contended since the high court is seized of the matter, the agency should not proceed against them.

"We have given the documents to the agency, but we are not appearing in person. I hope no coercive action will be taken," he submitted. He added that they can do the questioning in West Bengal.

However, the court declined to grant any interim protection.

Citing that Banerjee had already appeared before the agency several times, Sibal vehemently argued that the ED was entitled to investigate but it should not harass his client.

"All this is in West Bengal. The woman has to be interrogated at her house. They are most welcome to interrogate us in the jurisdiction of West Bengal," he argued.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, also representing the ED, contended under the PMLA, there is no territorial jurisdiction for carrying out investigation and there are no territorial limits unlike under the CrPC. He added that Banerjee attends the Parliament regularly and the agency also has proof to show that the date when his wife replied that she is in Patna and cannot come to Delhi for questioning, she was in a beauty parlour in Delhi.

The ED lodged a case on basis of the CBI's FIR lodged in November 2020 in the alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam connected to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : India on Tuesday said that the trilateral military treaty among Australia-UK-US or AUKUS was not very relevant from its perspective and also does not have an impact on the functioning of the QUAD.

Addressing a media briefing here, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that QUAD and AUKUS were not groupings of a similar nature.

"The QUAD is plurilateral grouping - a group of countries having a shared vision of their attributes and values QUAD is designed to cater to requirements of the Indo-Pacific region", he said.

QUAD is a grouping of US, Australia, Japan and India.

He said that AUKUS was a military alliance of the three nations and India was not a party to this alliance. From our perspective, it was neither relevant nor will it have any impact on its functioning, he added.

Informing about the QUAD's initiatives, Shringla said, "It has adopted a positive pro-active agenda that has wide array of initiatives at the global level to address some of the issues of the day, this includes dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, including supply of vaccines to Indo-Pacific region. It includes working on new emerging technologies, it includes working on issues like climate change, infrastructure, maritime security, education and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)." As per the newly signed trilateral alliance, the AUKUS grouping would assist Australia in procuring nuclear-powered submarines and deal with China's military assertiveness in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

QUAD is a grouping of nations of the Indo-Pacific region, which China observes as a block to contain its influence in the region. This grouping vouches for a free, open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on international law and order.

Informing about the itinerary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, the Foreign Secretary said PM Modi will be leaving on September 22 and after his arrival in the US, he will first attend the Covid-19 Summit.

On September 24, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden. He will also hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Australia and Japan.

On the same day, the heads of QUAD member nations will meet to discuss the Indo-Pacific region among other issues.

On September 25, the Prime Minister will address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and will likely take up the issues of cross border terrorism, the current situation in Afghanistan, climate change, emerging technologies.
Mumbai, Sep 21 : Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale met actress Payal Ghosh here on Tuesday. He said he had gone to take stock of the situation after she claimed on social media that she had been attacked by masked men on Monday night as she was entering a medical store.

Ghosh has been a member of Athawale's Republic Party of India faction since October 2020. She is the vice-president of the party's women's wing. Another actress, Rakhi Sawant, held the same position in 2014.

Athawale took to Twitter to demand that Ghosh be provided police protection. His tweet in Hindi read: "We condemn the attack on actress Payal Ghosh by unidentified men. She should be given police protection. Today, I met Payal Ghosh and took stock of the situation." In an interview with IANS earlier in the day, Ghosh recounted the incident and said: "They hit me on my head with an iron rod. I panicked and I shouted and the rod fell on my hand. They apparently had acid in a bottle. I can't get out of it, it's like a mental trauma. Thank God, it was a public place and I shouted and these masked guys got scared." The actress, who has been a part of a couple of southern film projects and is remembered for her role in the Hindi film 'Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi' (2017), had created a stir when in 2013 she accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexually harassing her on Mumbai's Yari Road.

Kashyap, however, was able to prove to the court that he was shooting in Sri Lanka during the time period mentioned by Ghosh.
Kochi, Sep 21 : Union Minister for State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash on Tuesday said despite the global slowdown on account of Covid, the country's merchandise exports are showing an increasing trend.

"The Ministry of Commerce has been taking various steps to facilitate agricultural exports, and initiatives have been taken to achieve merchandise exports worth $400 billion in financial year 2021-22," he said, while inaugurating the Vanijya Utsav in Kochi virtually.

Vanijya Utsav is being organised in hybrid mode here as part of the Vanijya Saptah programme of the Ministry to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav - the celebration of 75 years of India's independence.

The Union Government is celebrating 'Vanijya Saptah' from September 20-26 in every state and Union Territory to highlight India's potential for trade and exports.

Prakash said that Kerala holds immense potential for further growth in the commerce and industrial sector due to good connectivity and communication network, availability of skilled and well-educated human resource in addition to the availability of spices.

Besides, it has well-developed tourism and hospitality, and health care sectors which are a model for the rest of the country.

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said the synergy between commerce and external affairs verticals of India as well as line departments of state governments are significant aspects for enhancing India's export prospects, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve an export target of $400 bn merchandise exports.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : The Allahabad High Court has suggested to the Supreme Court that in serious and grave offences, a "victim impact assessment" report should be obtained after consulting the victim and taking into account his or her family rights, before granting bail to an accused.

The high court's registry, in an affidavit, has given its suggestions following a top court order asking it to help in laying down "broad parameters" to regulate bail applications matter, during the pendency of the appeals of convicted persons.

It suggested that victim impact assessment report should record concerns of the victim along with vital information on physical, mental, and social impact of the crime and the impact of bail to the accused. "The rights of the victim and his family should be considered before granting of bail," it added.

The high court, as a measure to tackle the huge pendency of cases, suggested that dedicated benches should be constituted for hearing long-pending criminal appeals.

"The high court is facing immense pressure on account of the huge pendency of cases. Therefore, the accused may not be given benefit thereof in a mechanical manner unless special benches dedicated for deciding appeals early are constituted," it said.

It further suggested that different yardsticks will have to be evolved for grant of bail to more serious crimes like white collar crimes and organised crimes against the state and its citizens. "... since the criminals involved here are habitual and hardened criminals who commit crimes in a planned and sophisticated manner," it said.

The high court further added that life sentence in cases means "entire life", the same should be taken as it is. It added that priority should be given to hearing those criminal appeals where the accused has undergone more than half sentence.

The top court is hearing 18 criminal appeals of persons convicted in heinous offences, seeking bail on the ground that they have spent seven or more years in jail. The appeals against the convictions have not been listed for regular hearing in the high court due to pendency.

The top court had noted that before it gives its authoritative approval to any suggestion given by the Uttar Pradesh government, it would be appropriate if the high court itself examines it and makes suggestions.

The matter is listed on Wednesday before a bench headed by Justice S.K. Kaul and it is likely to take up this affidavit.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Adani Group has issued a statement on the "malicious" social media campaign against the group on the seizure of illegal drugs at Mundra Port.

As per the statement, on September 16, a joint operation by the DRI and Customs unearthed a large cache of contraband heroin from two containers from Afghanistan that had arrived at the Mundra International Container Terminal (MICT), Mundra Port.

"We thank and congratulate the DRI & Customs teams for seizing the illegal drugs and apprehending the accused. The law empowers the Government of India's competent authorities such as the Customs and the DRI to open, examine and seize unlawful cargo. No port operator across the country can examine a container. Their role is limited to running the port," Adani Group said.

"We sincerely hope that this statement will put to rest the motivated, malicious and false propaganda being run on social media against the Adani Group. APSEZ is a port operator providing services to shipping lines. We have no policing authority over the containers or the millions of tonnes of cargo that pass through the terminals in Mundra or any of our ports," it added.
Kolkata, Sep 21 : After a trial lasting five years the Purulia district and session court awarded the death sentence to Mangala, the mother of a three-and a half-year girl and her paramour Sanatan Thakur for killing the child by piercing her body with seven needles. Terming the murder as a 'rarest of the rare' case and as it demands exemplary punishment the judge Ramesh Kumar Pradhan passed the death sentence on the duo.

The incident happened at Nadiapara village under Mofossol police station in Purulia. It came to light in July 2016 when the little girl was admitted to Deben Mahato Sadar Hospital in Purulia with cough and cold. Examining the child, the doctors came to know that needles were pierced into different parts of her body including her genitals. The child was immediately shifted to SSKM hospital where she died.

Investigations revealed that Sanatan who was an exorcist used the child as a sex toy and practised black magic on her. Mangala who didn't like the child left her husband and stayed with Sanatan with the girl. She helped Sanatan in practising black magic. Mangala and Sanatan had fled to Uttar Pradesh from where they were arrested by the police.

Awarding the punishment, the judge said that the mother's lap is considered the safest place for a child but here the mother had failed to protect the child. As a mother, Mangala failed to protect her child and the girl was sexually abused and so this deserves exemplary punishment.

Sanatan was charged with rape under section 37, section 327 of the 2012 POCSO Act for physically and mentally abusing the child and under IPC section 302 for murder and under section 306 for attempt to murder.
New Delhi, Sep 21 : Five people were detained on Tuesday allegedly vandalising the Delhi house of AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi, police said.

The incident happened at around 4 p.m. when members of Hindu Sena were staging a protest outside Owaisi's house, located adjacent to the Election Commission headquarters on the Ashoka Road.

DCP, New Delhi, Deepak Yadav told IANS that they have detained five people and an FIR is being registered against them.

The protesters shattered a lamp atop the main gate and the nameplate of the parliamentarian. The white pieces of the lamp could be seen strewn across the road.

Hindu Sena national President Vishnu Gupta told IANS that he was not aware of the incident and came to know about it through multiple media reports and other sources. He confirmed that some workers of his outfit went to protest there "Asaduddin Owaisi has been constantly making anti-Hindu statements and workers might have been feeling agitated due to this," Gupta said adding, however, one should not adopt unlawful ways to register their protest.
United Nations, Sep 21 : US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the Quad alliance of India, the US, Japan and Australia has been "elevated", as he declared that Washington will stand up for its allies and friends.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly Summit, Biden said, "We elevated the Quad partnership among Australia, India, Japan and the United States to take on challenges ranging from health security to climate to emerging technologies, engaging with regional institutions." Biden's statement came ahead of his first Quad summit on Friday with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India, Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia.

"Make no mistake, the United States will continue to defend itself, its allies and its interests against attacks, including terrorist threats," he declared.

He also made a resolute commitment to fight terrorism.

"We know the bitter string of terrorism, which is real," Biden said, as he referred to the terrorist attack in Afghanistan last month that killed "13 American heroes and almost 200 innocent Afghan civilians".

"Those who commit acts of terrorism will continue to find a determined enemy in the United States," he said.

Biden also offered US cooperation to partners on emerging technologies and scientific breakthroughs.

"As new technologies continue to evolve, we'll work together with our democratic partners to ensure that new advances in areas of biotechnology, quantum computing, 5G (telecommunications), artificial intelligence and more are used to lift people up to solve their problems," he said.

In a message to China without taking its name, Biden said the US "will stand up for our allies and our friends, and oppose attempts by stronger countries to dominate the weaker ones and bring changes to territory by force, economic coercion, technical exploitation or misinformation".

At the same time, he said, "We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs." "The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up to pursue peaceful resolution of shared challenges even if we have intense disagreement in other areas, because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure to come together," he said.

Biden, who has made fighting climate change a pillar of his domestic and foreign policies, echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' warning about the imminent dangers of global warming, which he called "Code Red".

He said that every nation has to bring "their highest possible ambitions" for fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the table at the UN climate change conference in November in Glasgow".

The US has set an ambitious new goal under the Paris Agreement on climate change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent to 52 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2030 and a clean energy economy with net zero emissions by 2050, he said.

Biden came to the UN facing a credibility gap with the US allies and partners after the disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the dispute with France over the plan to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia undercutting a major defence deal between Paris and Canberra.

France has withdrawn its envoy from Washington and French President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled his US speech that was scheduled for Tuesday.

In a bid to reassure US' European allies, Biden said, "I prioritise rebuilding our alliance, revitalising our partnership and recognising that they are central and essential to America's enduring security and prosperity." "We have reaffirmed our sacred NATO alliance," he said, adding, "We're working with our allies for the new strategic concept that will help our alliance better take on the evolving threats of today and tomorrow." He did not dwell on the Afghanistan fiasco beyond saying that "we have ended 20 years of conflict" there "and as we close this period of relentless war, we're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy, of using the power of our development aid, invest in new ways of lifting people up around the world".

Biden also said that the US is committed to provide the world with Covid-19 vaccines, adding that Washington would make more commitments in the fight against the pandemic at the summit on Wednesday.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Kohima, Sep 21 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the former General Manager of state-owned NHIDCL at Mokokchung in northern Nagaland for possession of alleged disproportionate assets to the tune of around Rs 96.69 lakh and conducted searches at the premises of the accused and others, official sources said on Tuesday.

CBI sources said that it was alleged that the accused General Manager of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), Bhagwan Das Jangade, during the period between April 1, 2015 and April 16 this year had acquired huge quantities of assets, including movable and immovable properties.

Das' assets amounted to around Rs 1,76,05,422, including three separate bank accounts -- Rs 1,13,49,019 in Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 42,61,392 in Nagaland and Rs 3,27,621 in New Delhi -- which were disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of around Rs 96,68,971.

The CBI conducted searches at the premises of Das and others, including in Bilaspur (Chhatisgarh), leading to the recovery of cash worth Rs 5 lakh and other incriminating documents.

Further probe is on, the investigating agency said.

The NHIDCL, under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has been executing various infrastructure projects in different northeastern states.
Patna, Sep 21 : The Bihar government on Tuesday extended the suspension of two IPS officers, allegedly involved in corruption and having links with the sand mafia, till next year.

The Home Ministry, in a fresh notification, extended, till January 22, 2022, the suspensions of former Superintendents of Police Rakesh Kumar Dubey (Bhojpur), and Sudhir Kumar Porika, (Aurangabad). They were suspended on July 27 for 60 days till September 24.

Dubey and Porika are facing serious corruption charges and obtaining crores of rupees during their tenure in Bhojpur and Aurangabad, respectively, due to their links with the sand mafia there. Both of them were arrested on charges under Prevention of Corruption Act and the Disproportionate Assets Act.

Both officers have not filed the reply in the given time period of 30 days from their suspension.

The Bihar Police's Economic Offence Wing had raided four premises of Dubey on September 16 and detected movable and immovable assets to the tune of Rs 2.65 crore.

The raids were conducted simultaneously in Dubey's residence in SK Puri and Sudama palace in Jalalpur localities in Patna, and Simaria village and Sachin residency hotel in Jharkhand's Jasidih district. Sources have said that Dubey also invested crores of Rs in prominent real estate companies of Bihar, Delhi, and Noida.

Porika is a 2010 batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre and Dubey is a promoted IPS officer.
Hyderabad, Sep 21 : The Supreme Court-appointed three-member inquiry commission, probing the alleged encounter killing of four suspects in the Disha rape and murder case, on Tuesday examined two of the tehsildars who had conducted the inquest.

Tehsildars of Farooq Nagar, Kondurg, Kothur, and Keshampet had conducted the inquest of the bodies of four accused.

The commission, which had already examined the tehsildar of Farooq Nagar, on Tuesday examined the tehsildars of Kondurg and Kothur. The panel asked them if they followed the set guidelines while conducting the inquest, and they explained the steps taken by them while conducting the 'panchnama'.

The three-member panel headed by ex-SC judge V.S. Sirpurkar is scheduled to continue the hearing till September 25. It will examine Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat, who headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the alleged encounter.

The commission on Tuesday began the fourth schedule of witness examination. It so far examined 14 witnesses in three schedules since August 21. They included Principal Secretary, Home, Ravi Gupta and the victim's sister. The panel twice quizzed investigating officer J. Surender Reddy.

Headmasters of government schools where the victims studied were also examined by the panel. They were asked about credibility of entries in school admission records, based on which bona fide certificates were issued. Citing school records, families of the two had claimed that they were minors at the time of the alleged encounter.

The panel was set up on December 12, 2019 to inquire into the circumstances leading to the killing of four accused in the case in an alleged encounter with police on December 6, 2019.

The four accused were shot dead on at Chatanpally on National Highway-44 near Hyderabad, the same highway where the charred body of a 27-year-old Disha (as the victim is referred to by the investigators) was found.

According to police, Disha was kidnapped and sexually assaulted near the Outer Ring Road on the outskirts of Hyderabad on the night of November 27, 2019. After the sexual assault, the accused murdered her, took the body to Chatanpally, and set it afire.

The Supreme Court constituted the panel while hearing petitions raising doubts that the police killed the accused in their custody and projected it as encounter.
Kohima/Guwahati, Sep 21 : Hours after his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday rushed to Dimapur and held meetings with the NSCN (IM) leaders, his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio, leaders of various political parties, Naga groups and senior government officials to take forward the much-debated Naga peace talks.

Officials said that Sarma, who is also the Convener of the pro-BJP front North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), held meetings with former special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central government representative A.K. Mishra and the General Secretary of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, Thuingaleng Muivah.

Image Source: IANS News

After the important meeting, the Assam Chief Minister tweeted: "PM Shri Narendra Modi and HM Shri Amit Shah are committed to ensure ever-lasting peace in the Northeast. At Dimapur today, we held a discussions with NSCN (IM) representatives in the presence of Nagaland CM Shri Neiphiu Rio about the ongoing peace talks with GoI." "We are all keen that the ongoing peace talks fructify into concrete results soon. I also discussed the political scenario in Nagaland with the CM (Rio) as well the upcoming Nagaland Assembly elections, and NEDA's role in it," Sarma said in another tweet.

For the first time in the Naga peace talks, the Assam Chief Minister has been involved in the discussions.

The opposition Congress on Tuesday raised questions over the Assam Chief Minister's involvement in the Naga peace talks and said that the state's interest may be compromised in the long run.

Demanding the publication of the Naga Framework Agreement (NFA), signed between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM in 2015, Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah asked the Centre to make public at what capacity is the Assam CM involved in the peace talks in Nagaland.

"As a Chief Minister of Assam, can he (Sarma) hold talks with the NSCN (IM) without discussions in the state Assembly and without taking the Cabinet into confidence? The NSCN (IM) has been demanding for 'Greater Nagalim' (integration of Naga dominated areas of neighbouring states) and for all we know, it is supposed to include parts of Assam. The Congress is committed to keeping its state intact and under no circumstances will it allow any part of its land into Greater Nagalim," the Assam Congress chief told the media.

The Central government has been separately holding peace talks with the NSCN-IM and eight other outfits, which came together a few years ago under the banner of NNPGs. The NSCN-IM and the other outfits had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India in 1997.

After over a year, crucial meetings between the Government of India's envoy and the Naga insurgent outfits began in Kohima on Monday to settle the long-pending Naga political issue, involving various bodies, including the NSCN (IM).

Officials in Kohima said that Central government representative A.K. Mishra and the NSCN (IM) leadership led by Thuingaleng Muivah held a meeting at the police complex in Chumoukedima on Monday.

Both Mishra and other NSCN-IM leaders remained tight-lipped about the details of the discussions held in Monday's crucial meeting, which took place for the first time after the Union government on September 9 transferred Nagaland Governor Ravindra Narayan Ravi to Tamil Nadu.

Ravi was the Centre's interlocutor in the Naga peace talks for many years.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Guwahati, Sep 21 : In a bid to wipe out corruption, the Assam Police, in simultaneous raids across the state, arrested 520 "land brokers" during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said that the highest number of 52 land brokers were arrested in Kamrup district followed by 41 in Barpeta, 35 in Assam's main city of Guwahati, 33 in Biswanath,31 in Nalbari and 26 in Hojai district.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: "Continuing raids by Assam Police is our concerted pledge to end 'Dalal Raj'. This notorious practice of brokers and dalals in revenue offices harassing commoners must end. Our fight against nefarious activities will go on relentlessly." Talking to the media earlier, he urged the people not to give money to the middlemen to get official work done.

"I have also asked government employees from top to bottom to not give any access to the middlemen to the government offices. We want to eliminate the system of 'Dalal Raj' or middlemen. If such menace existed in the administration then Assam can never make any development," he said.

Sarma said that over 750 land brokers and middlemen were identified across Assam and the police already arrested the majority of them and the remaining would be caught soon.

At a recent state-level conference of circle officers, he had directed the officials to remove the practice of middlemen to enable people to get their land-related work done without any hassles.

Assam's Special Director General of Police, G.P. Singh tweeted: "In line with directions of the Chief Minister the teams of Assam police have arrested more than 450 persons last night indulging in unlawful activities involving land sale, purchase and holding." "The action shall continue. We strive to identify the black sheep amongst Government personnel involved along with ascertaining unlawful backward and forward linkages of the persons arrested and take further action thereafter," he added.

The drive against middlemen comes amid the Assam government's fight against drugs and human trafficking.
United Nations, Sep 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday held discussions on the Indo-Pacific with leaders of France, whose relations with the United States is fraying over Washington's actions in the region.

Modi tweeted after his virtual interaction with French President Emmanuel Macron that they discussed "closer collaboration between India and France in the Indo-Pacific".

"We place great value on our strategic partnership with France, including in the UNSC (Security Council)," he said.

Macron responded in an effusive tweet, "Thank you for reaffirming the importance of our strategic partnership. India and France are strongly committed to making the Indo-Pacific an area of cooperation and shared values. We will continue to build on this." He prefaced it by writing in Hindi, "Namaste priya saathi, priya mitra (Namaste dear comrade, dear friend)." In New York, Jaishankar began his round of diplomacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High Level Week on Tuesday by meeting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrian.

He called Paris a "strategic partner" and said at the Security Council the two countries are "solid partners".

Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting that they had a comprehensive discussion "on Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific and other contemporary issues".

He later met with Quad partner and Australia Foreign Minister Marise Payne and tweeted that they "took forward the strategic conversations" from their last meeting.

He added that he "was apprised of the recent developments in the Indo-Pacific".

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in a Quad summit with US President Joe Biden and Prime Ministers Yohihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia, the allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

India, which has strong defence ties with France that sells it advanced aircraft, is caught in the middle of the dispute between its Quad partners, the US and Australia, and France.

France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra protesting against the manner in which Biden's administration worked out a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines undermining a contract worth more than $50 billion for France to supply submarines to Australia.

LeDrian has called it a "back-stabbing" and said that Biden's "brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision" reminded him of former President Donald Trump's "America First" policies.

France has to ensure that India, one of its biggest defence clients, is not wooed away through its close Quad ties.

Underlining France's concerns over India and the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar and LeDrian held a phone conversation last Saturday.

Closer in the Indo-Pacific region, Jaishankar met with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, whom he described in a tweet as "a key ASEAN partner".

He said that they discussed regional developments and added, "Shared interests and common perspectives drive our strong cooperation." Jaishankar also met with Foreign Ministers Hossein Amirabdollahian of Iran and Sameh Shoukry of Egypt in a morning of whirlwind diplomacy.

Iran is a direct neighbour of Afghanistan and developments there impact it as it does India.

The "meeting reaffirmed our convergence on regional issues", Jaishankar tweeted.

India has routed aid to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port it is developing in Iran.

Besides agreeing to build on bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar tweeted that he and Shoukry exchanged views on Afghanistan and the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam).

Egypt and Sudan are locked in a dispute with Ethiopia over a dam project, which they say can disrupt the Nile on which they depend for their water.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Sep 21 : The government has, for the first time, decided to invite the family members of paramilitary martyrs on the National Police Memorial Day on October 21, an official said on Tuesday.

Around two hundred members from the families of martyrs of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and police organisations will be invited to the function this year, a security force official told IANS.

He also said that this year, the event will continue for ten days from October 21 to 30, and for the first time, the martyrs' clips of three to five minute, pictures and write up will be displayed at the National Police Memorial threatre.

The families will offer floral tributes to the martyrs at the central sculpture and will be taken to the Wall of Valour for floral tributes too. There they will be taken to the place where the names of martyrs are engraved and allowed to click photographs or take selfies after the main function on October 21.

The respective CAPFs will arrange the accommodation and transport facility for these families and also appoint liaison officers (one for 25 to 30 members) for their convenience.

The Home Affairs Ministry has asked the all CAPFs to appoint a nodal officer from each force to identify the families of the for this occasion.

Every year, the National Police Memorial Day commemorates the 34,844 police personnel from all of the central and state police forces in India who have died in the line of duty since the nation's Independence in 1947. These police personnel made the supreme sacrifice while fighting against terrorism, militancy and insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Maoist-affected regions in India. The memorial also commemorates the large number of police lives which were lost in prevention of crime and in maintenance of law and order.

This year, the Day will be dedicated to 'Covid warriors', commemorating their service during the pandemic.
Hyderabad, Sep 22 : The Telangana police on Tuesday arrested a man for brutally assaulting his three-year-old daughter.

The Medak district police swung into action after a video of the man thrashing his daughter went viral on social media.

District Superintendent of Police, Chandana Deepti, spoke to the girl and her mother. The girl has been sent to a government shelter home.

The accused, M. Nagaraju, 32, who was absconding after the video went viral, was arrested on Tuesday.

The police had suo moto registered a case on Monday under Section 324 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC and Section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act after the video had gone viral.

In the video, Nagaraju, a municipal worker, is seen flogging his daughter with a rope for refusing to have food. Nagaraju's wife Vennala, said to be his second wife, was seen smiling. Nagaraju also lifted the girl by her neck and slammed her to the floor.

The incident took place on the night of September 19 and it came to light after Nagaraju's neighbour secretly filmed the incident and posted it on social media.

The Women and Child Welfare Department said on Tuesday that the girl has been rescued and shifted to a safer place.

The disturbing video triggered outrage as many citizens called for stringent punishment for the man. Some also called for publicly flogging him.
Dhaka, Sep 22 : The Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Tuesday fixed Thursday for passing an order on the bail petition of Jhumon Das in a case filed under him under the Digital Security Act for an "objectionable" post on social media against a Hefazat-e-Islam leader.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice K.M. Zahid Sarwar fixed the date after hearing on the petition.

Das's lawyer, advocate Debangshu Shekhar Das told IANS that those accused of vandalising the Hindu community's houses are on bail but his client is in jail for six months, and his family is in dire straits as he is the only earning member.

On March 15, Hefazat-e-Islam's then leaders Junaid Babunagari and Mamunul Haque spoke at a rally in Sunamganj's Derai upazila to protest Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Hefazat activists alleged Das, from Noagaon village under Habibpur union parishad of Shalla upazila, had posting an "objectionable" Facebook status against Mamunul Haque. Arrested on March 16, Das was produced on the next day before a court, which sent him to jail.

Meanwhile, over a hundred Hefazat activists attacked the Hindu community in Noagaon village over the Facebook post on March 17, vandalising and looting around 90 houses and temples.

A case was filed with Shalla police station over the attack while a case under the Digital Security Act was filed against Das at the same police station.

Das's wife Sweety Rani Das said: "Those who were arrested for attacking our village were freed but my husband is still languishing in jail." His lawyer said: "Jhumon's bail petition is now awaiting hearing at the High Court. He has the right to get bail even on humanitarian ground. Bail petitions have been submitted on seven occasions to date." Advocates Z.I. Khan Panna, Nahid Sultana. and Ashraf Ali stood for Jhumon Das while assistant attorney general Mohammad Mizanur Rahman represented the state.

Das' son Soumya was six months old when his father landed in jail. He turned one on September 12 and he is yet to recognise his father, though playing with his photograph. His aunts threw a small party on Soumya's first birthday. A small cake was cut and some children from nearby houses were invited.

Meanwhile, Das's elder brother, 27-year-old Nupur Das said: "Managing bread and butter is a big challenge for us. We now have to spend money on the case of my brother. I don't know how long this will continue." Das' wife is struggling to manage the family in her husband's absence. She is also worried about her admission fees for her graduation. The family hope that Das would be released on bail soon.
New York, Sep 22 : The US Defence Department has revealed that India cooperated with the US in the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the evacuation of its citizens and others after the Taliban took over the country on August 15, and has agreed to help those at risk there, according to a US spokesperson.

The disclosure came out in a readout on Tuesday by department spokesperson John Kirby of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin's phone conversation with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Austin "thanked India for its cooperation throughout the evacuation process and retrograde mission in Afghanistan", the readout of the Monday phone conversation said.

"Both the leaders committed to continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan," Kirby said.

Their conversation came ahead of the Quad summit convened by US President Joe Biden with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India, Yoshihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia on Friday.

India has apparently had an understated role in the chaotic US departure from Afghanistan, unlike some other countries like Qatar which cooperated overtly.

Kirby did not expand in his readout on the precise role of India.

The US evacuated over 120,000 people from Afghanistan, including its citizens and permanent residents as well as those who had worked with US organisations in the war-torn nation and others facing danger from the Taliban.

None of the evacuation flights was known to have gone to India.

Rajnath Singh, who tweeted about the conversation, did not mention the cooperation in the evacuation or troop withdrawal (for which Kirby used the military euphemism, 'retrograde mission').

His tweet said that they discussed bilateral defence cooperation and regional matters, including Afghanistan.

Kirby said that Singh and Austin "reiterated their commitment to ensure the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open".

Austin told Singh that he looked forward to hosting him for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue of the heads of foreign affairs and defence of the two countries, expected to be held later this year, Kirby added.

Austin had visited India in March and has been in constant touch with Singh.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Visakhapatnam, Sep 22 : The Jana Sena Party (JSP) has warned that it would soon get into action mode in the agitation against the disinvestment of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Stating that the time is right for taking the next step in the agitation, JSP leader Nadendla Manohar said on Tuesday that party president Pawan Kalyan will meet with workers' unions next month.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Manohar said that Pawan Kalyan has conveyed the party's stand on the issue to the BJP leadership in Delhi. The JSP is optimistic that its ally will act positively to secure the employment opportunities of the people of the state.

The Central government's moves on disinvestment in the Visakhpatnam Steel Plant have been met with opposition from all quarters in Andhra Pradesh, with the employees continuously holding protests on the issue.

Pointing out that the JSP has been patient for so long, Manohar said the party will now get into direct action mode.

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for his alleged non-confrontational approach with the Central government over the issue, Manohar said that JSP leader Kalyan has no need to compromise.
Hyderabad, Sep 22 : BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday slammed Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his 'family rule' in the state.

The former central minister alleged that the state government is a government of KCR, his, son, daughter and son-in-law.

"It is not the government of people," he said while addressing a public meeting in Kamareddy district as part of the ongoing 'Praja Sangrama Yatra' of state BJP chief Bandi Sanjay.

Javadekar alleged that the Chief Minister never steps out of his house and goes to secretariat.

"He calls the secretariat to his house," the BJP leader claimed.

He said in 2023 polls, BJP's contest will be with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and exuded confidence that the saffron party will come to power.

Javadekar also said he is confident that BJP will win the ensuing by-election in Huzurabad constituency.

The BJP leader alleged that KCR failed to fulfill his promise of a job to every household.

"Where are the jobs," he asked and claimed that the government has not filled one lakh vacancies, which arose during the last seven years due to retirement of employees in various departments.

Stating that there are 1.45 lakh vacancies, Javadekar said only few were filled.

He further alleged that it was not proper on part of the state government to blame the Centre for everything and claim credit for all the schemes including even those being implemented with the central funds.

The BJP leader said that the Modi government at the Centre was giving priority to development of highways. He pointed out that several highways in Telangana were developed during the last seven years.

Bandi Sanjay on Tuesday completed 300 km as part of his walkathon.

Addressing public meetings during the padyatra, he is highlighting the TRS government's 'failures' on various fronts.
Gurugram, Sep 22 : The Gurugram police have arrested a man on the charge of cheating a city resident by forging a vehicle insurance certificate in the name of a leading private insurance firm, the police said.

The police said on Tuesday that the accused, Shivnath Pathak alias Abhishek Pal, resident of Bihar's Sitamarhi district, was apprehended from Sector-43 area of Gurugram with the help of technical surveillance.

The police have also recovered a tab which was used in the crime.

During the probe, the accused, disclosed that he used to call people and offers them lucrative insurance policies.

"When the people show interest in his offer, he gets his client's old policy through WhatsApp and converts it into an editable format in the online converter and return them fake policy by changing the date amount etc along with fake payment invoices," Subhash Boken, spokesperson of the Gurugram police said.

In connection with the incident, a complaint was filed by Kabir Jain, a resident of DLF Phase-1 Gurugram on June 2021, who was duped by the accused by fraudulently issuing his vehicle insurance policy worth Rs 51,218.

A case under various sections of the IPC was registered against the accused at the Cyber Crime Police station in Gurugram. He is on four days police custody for future proceedings, Boken said.
New Delhi, Sep 22 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh on Tuesday met Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala and proposed Integrated Aroma Dairy Entrepreneurship for Jammu & Kashmir to augment the income of farmers.

"Jammu & Kashmir has abundant stock of animal husbandry and dairy resources and the same can be effectively integrated with Aroma Mission, which has already been launched in J&K by CSIR under the aegis of Union Ministry of Science & Technology," Singh informed Rupala.

This will pave the way for integrated Aroma Dairy Entrepreneurship, ensuring sustainable growth, increased income, and fresh avenues of livelihood for farmers, Singh said, adding, "The Aroma Mission, also popularly referred as 'Lavender or Purple Revolution', was started from J&K and transformed the lives of farmers who are able to grow lavender, make lucrative profit and improve their lives." The Minister also lauded the efforts of CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) at Jammu, as the institute has introduced the crop native to Europe in the districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri in J&K, a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

Under the Aroma Mission, apart from providing planting material, distillation units are also provided, and farmers are trained in extraction.

Apart from Lavender, many high value aromatic and medicinal cash crops have been introduced by CSIR in J&K.

It is now being expanded as Aroma Mission Phase II and also floriculture mission has been recently launched.
United Nations, Sep 22 : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday that his country does not trust the promises made by the US government, while noting that he seeks effective interaction with all the countries of the world.

"We don't trust the promises made by the US government," Raisi said at the General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, which kicked off Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Today, the whole world including the Americans themselves have admitted that the project of countering the Iranian people, which manifested itself in the form of violating the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, referring to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal) and was followed by the 'maximum pressure' and arbitrary withdrawal from an internationally recognised agreement, has totally failed," said Raisi.

Noting that the policy of "maximum oppression" is still on, the Iranian president said that "we want nothing more than what is rightfully ours. We demand the implementation of international rules." "All parties must stay true to the nuclear deal and the UN Resolution in practice," he added.

"Fifteen reports released by the IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency) have attested to the adherence of Iran to its commitments," he said.

"However, the US has not yet discharged its obligation, which is lifting sanctions. It has encroached upon the agreement, withdrawn from it and levied even more sanctions on my people." "The United States mistakenly believed it would render us desperate and devastated, but our perseverance has yielded results and will always do, for the smart and dynamic resistance of the Islamic Republic of Iran comes from our strategic rationality," said the Iranian president.

"While decisively defending all its rights and the interests of its people, Iran is keen to have large-scale political and economic cooperation and convergence with the rest of the world," said Raisi.

"I seek effective interaction with all the countries of the world especially with our neighbors and shake their hands warmly," he added.
CAITEE is an exciting opportunity to bring together STRs expertise in deployed autonomous systems, multi-agent collaboration and state-of-the-art reinforcement learning technologies to greatly enhance national defense capabilities in this area,

STR, a national security focused technology company, was awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to rapidly integrate, develop and test transformational networked, collaborative, and autonomous, platform technologies for future warfighters in support of the U.S. Air Forces Golden Horde Vanguard initiative.

The mission of DIU is fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military. STR creates cutting-edge technology and research in reinforcement learning agents, collaborative autonomy, and decision-making. Under this effort, STR will leverage its technology to deliver collaborative autonomy for groups of long-range, high-speed aerial platforms operating in contested environments. Deep Reinforcement Learning enables robust agents capable of collaborative mission execution.

With increasingly globalized access to advanced technologies for targeting, guidance, and aerospace platforms, the U.S. military must now expect operational areas to be contested or held at risk. A promising new approach to achieving a U.S. commanders intent even in the face of these emerging challenges is to leverage uncrewed air platforms equipped with autonomy capabilities, artificial intelligence, and networking.

STRs Collaborative Artificial Intelligence Task Execution Engine (CAITEE) improves both the efficacy and efficiency of such air platforms. CAITEE will compete in a series of constructive challenges in Johns Hopkins Advanced Physics Labs Colosseum virtual environment to evaluate and compare different technical approaches.

CAITEE is an exciting opportunity to bring together STRs expertise in deployed autonomous systems, multi-agent collaboration and state-of-the-art reinforcement learning technologies to greatly enhance national defense capabilities in this area, said Ben Smith, STRs Principal Investigator for CAITEE.

Potential peer adversaries continue to challenge how the United States has deterred conflict and waged war over the past thirty years as they advance their own integrated air defenses. By leveraging networked, collaborating, and autonomous air platforms within contested airspace, we can maintain tighter decision cycles than our opponent and impose significant cost on the adversary. With this technology, the Joint force can achieve convergent multi-domain effect at the time of its choosing  a key to deter and de-escalate potential conflicts, said James Reeve, STRs Program Manager for CAITEE.

STRs approach also follows principles of ethical application of artificial intelligence. When successful, CAITEE will ensure that the Air Force has a mature foundation of autonomy algorithms to support future development of air systems, reducing the costs and time required to bring these capabilities to the warfighter.

About STR:

STR is a rapidly growing technology company focused on achieving impact in national security applications for the era ahead, with offices in Arlington, VA, Dayton, OH, Woburn, MA, Melbourne, FL and San Diego, CA. STR applies advanced analytics and artificial intelligence toolsets to challenging problems in decision systems and complex datasets. STR also provides software-defined and distributed sensing solutions, including radiofrequency and sonar systems, and delivers automated solutions for cyber security. STR strives for nimble execution even within high security environments.
AdvanceCT announced today that Board of Directors Co-Chairs, Indra Nooyi and James Smith, are stepping down as co-chairs after nearly three years of serving the state of Connecticut by leading AdvanceCT. Nooyi and Smith will remain directors.

Stepping into the co-chair roles are Margaret Keane, Executive Chair of the Board of Directors and former CEO of Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF), and Jeff Sonnenfeld, Senior Dean for Leadership Studies at the Yale School of Management.

Governor Lamont commented on the leadership transition, "Jim Smith and Indra Nooyi have stepped up to help usher in a new era of prosperity in Connecticut. Our state is fortunate to have them as friends who only want to see our residents, businesses, and communities succeed. From assisting the state with the challenge of reopening from the COVID-19 crisis, to helping the state develop an economic development plan for the future, their work has made a difference and helped bring new corporate investment to our cities and towns. Indra and Jim have been champions for Connecticut, and they brought that passion with them as they led AdvanceCT. Their service and leadership serve as a great example of how we can engage the private sector to move Connecticut forward.

Jim Smith and Indra Nooyi have served Connecticut tirelessly over the past several years, said Peter Denious, President and CEO of AdvanceCT. Their leadership, counsel and hands-on engagement have been invaluable and an inspiration to all of us. Their continued service on the Board will allow for a seamless leadership transition.

Highlights of Smith and Nooyis tenure include repurposing, reorganizing and strengthening AdvanceCT to realize Gov. Lamonts vision of a private, market-facing business development organization working in partnership with the state to actively engage, retain, expand and attract businesses to Connecticut.

They have worked closely with me to articulate Connecticuts strengths and aggressively market the state, to identify initiatives to improve the business climate, and to engage actively with the Governors Workforce Council to deliver the workforce that innovative businesses need. They also played a key leadership role in Gov. Lamonts efforts to reopen the state during COVID, continued Denious. Ms. Nooyi contributed countless hours as co-chair of the Reopen Connecticut COVID task force, of which Mr. Smith was also a member.

Mr. Smith and Ms. Nooyi also helped to craft the Economic Action Plan developed in partnership with David Lehman and Glendowlyn Thames of the Department of Economic and Community Development, along with representatives of more than 50 statewide private sector organizations. The plan, with its emphasis on inclusive economic growth, eventually became a central component of the Governors American Rescue Plan Act spending plan.

The outgoing Co-Chairs wrote to the AdvanceCT board in a joint statement, We have been privileged to contribute our time and energy to moving Connecticut forward in partnership with all of you, the statewide business community, Governor Ned Lamont and the Department of Economic and Community Development. We are proud of what we have accomplished together. AdvanceCT has contributed meaningfully to the Connecticut comeback story.

We are also confident in the leadership of Margaret Keane and Jeff Sonnenfeld, who will continue to propel AdvanceCT  and Connecticut  forward. And, we will continue to support them in our ongoing Board roles.

Margaret Keane is a trailblazer in the financial services industry as one of just four women in the United States to lead a major financial institution. From April 2011 to April 2021, Ms. Keane was CEO of Stamford based Synchrony, a leading consumer finance company and the nations largest provider of private label credit cards. Ms. Keane oversaw Synchronys initial public offering in 2014, and subsequent separation from GE, while leading the company through a decade of dramatic growth. Earlier this year, Ms. Keane was named Executive Chair of Synchronys Board of Directors.

A leading authority on corporate governance and corporate leadership, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is currently the Senior Associate Dean of Leadership Programs and the Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management. Mr. Sonnenfeld is also founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance. Mr. Sonnenfeld is on the boards of Ellis Island Honor Society and Connecticut Innovations.

AdvanceCT also announces that on September 17, 2021, Judy Marks, President & CEO, Otis Worldwide Corporation and Deepak Mishra, President, Americas Region, Philip Morris International, were elected as members and directors on AdvanceCTs Board of Directors.

Indra Nooyi is a former chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, where she directed the companys global strategy for more than a decade. James Smith is the former CEO and Chairman of Webster Bank, where he now serves as Chairman Emeritus.

About AdvanceCT

AdvanceCT is a nonprofit organization that works to engage, retain, and recruit businesses and advance the overall economic competitiveness of Connecticut. AdvanceCT works in close collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), as well as the private sector and other statewide economic development organizations to implement high impact and inclusive economic development solutions. Our team advocates for and promotes Connecticut as a location for companies to compete and grow. http://www.advancect.org
The goal of the Project is to create a visual representation of AWC distribution that will aid ACR and other conservationist groups in monitoring the species population.

Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. (ACR) is commencing a project to map African wildcat (Felis lybica) sightings throughout Africa and surrounding countries. The African Wildcat Project will collect data from individuals visiting and living in these areas via ACRs Facebook group (facebook.com/ACRAWCProject) and online report form. Those reporting sightings will provide details including the sighting date, location, and notable physical characteristics of the wildcats.

The goal of the African Wildcat Project is to create a visual representation of AWC distribution that will aid ACR and other conservationist groups in monitoring the species population, which has been labeled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as in decline. AWCs are becoming rarer due in part to habitat loss and hunting, but the most significant threat to the survival of their species in hybridization through breeding with free-roaming domestic cats.

Alley Cat Rescue has been involved with preserving the AWC South African subspecies, Felis l. cafra, for many years. Through their African Wildcat Conservation Action Plan, ACR works with South African organizations, game rangers, and resorts and lodges to implement focused trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts for domestic cats living along game preserve borders, thereby maintaining populations of genetically pure African wildcats in the region.

ACR President, Louise Holton is a native of South Africa and passionate about this iconic species. We need to preserve this beautiful small wildcat as she has given us our amazing housecats that have given people so much companionship over a long period of time living with a small tiger in your home!, says Holton. Cats make great companions but we do need to control their numbers, using humane nonlethal methods, which work more effectively than killing.

To date, ACR has TNRd close to 3,000 domestic cats in towns bordering Kruger National Park.

The African Wildcat Project expands ACRs focus efforts geographically from South Africa to any territory Felis lybica inhabits. Crowd-sourced data on AWC sightings is a novel venture made possible by the popularity of social media. Alley Cat Rescue encourages anyone who has personally seen an AWC to report the sighting to them via their Facebook page or survey at surveymonkey.com/r/AWCReport.

For more information about African Wildcats and ACRs conservation projects, visit http://www.saveacat.org/african-wildcats.html.

Alley Cat Rescue is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, feral, and small wildcat species. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. For more information about ACR, visit their website http://www.saveacat.org.
Kingsley Gate Partners, the leading firm in retained executive search that helps ensure a lasting fit between its clients and placed candidates, today announced Andy Davies as senior partner. He will be based in the firms London office.

With more than 25 years of leadership and executive search experience working across a range of publicly quoted, private equity backed and privately owned businesses, Andy has worked primarily at the board level within the sectors of Engineering & Manufacturing, Financial Services and Technology.

Andy is also a trusted board advisor and has been running the UK's pre-eminent development programs (for prospective FTSE Directors) for over 10 years, in conjunction with three world-class partner firms.

We are thrilled to have Andy join our team. Our continued global growth into this key market strengthens our ability to deliver above and beyond the expectations of our international clients, stated Nancy Albertini, Senior Partner and Office of the CEO, Kingsley Gate Partners. Andy is an extraordinary executive search leader, recognized throughout the industry for his ability to connect organizations with game-changing Board executives.

Prior to joining Kingsley Gate Partners, Andy was the Managing Partner & Head of the CEO & Board Practice at other leading executive search firms. He has expertise in all leadership functions, including Chair and NED, Financial, Legal and Company Secretariat, as well as CEO and CIO.

I have been working with the boards of some of the worlds most innovative and disruptive companies for most of my career and have been questioning, for a while now, why my own industry was so resistant to change and creating world-class, proprietary technology, Andy added. Finally, I have found a firm that has dedicated itself to transforming the executive search industry, whilst promoting the core values that shape company culture and provide our clients with exceptional service.

About Kingsley Gate Partners

Transforming the world of retained executive search, Kingsley Gate Partners leverages the scientific interviewing approach of its Synchronous Fit framework, deep industry insights of a world-class cadre of consultants, and state-of-the-art technology to deliver greater accountability, accuracy, velocity, and transparency that ensures a lasting strategic fit between executives and clients. Headquartered in Dallas, the partnership employs search consultants worldwide with expertise in private equity, life sciences and healthcare, financial services, technology, retail, hospitality & leisure, manufacturing, and professional services. The firm works with best of breed organizations in over 30 countries. For more information, go to http://www.KingsleyGate.com.
Aramsco, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Penn Valley Chemical Company (Penn Valley Chemical). Based in Lansdale, PA, Penn Valley Chemical is a leading regional distributor of janitorial supplies and equipment to customers in the Northeast.

We are thrilled the Penn Valley Chemical team is joining the Aramsco family of companies. They are dedicated to the success of their customers, and with the additional products and services available through Aramsco, we have a winning combination that will enhance their customers experience, said Richard Orr, Regional Vice President at Aramsco.

The Penn Valley Chemical family is excited to join with a company that is aligned with us in our approach to customer service. Their large product selection, training programs, and breadth of services make them the perfect partner, said Geoff OBrien, Owner of Penn Valley Chemical.

We are delighted to welcome the Penn Valley Chemical team to the Aramsco family. We look forward to building on their success together and continuing to find ways to better serve our customers and supplier partners, added Chris Kim, VP of Business Development at Aramsco.

About Aramsco

For over 50 years, Aramsco and its family of companies have been serving the needs of specialty contractors and other customers in diverse commercial markets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The Aramsco family of companies, which include Interlink Supply, Aztec Financial, and Safety Express, share a common vision of providing exceptional services to customers that enable them to succeed. Visit http://www.aramsco.com for more information on Aramsco.

About Penn Valley Chemical

Founded in 1970, Penn Valley Chemical is a full-line distributor of janitorial and sanitary maintenance supplies. Penn Valley Chemicals Lansdale, PA facility provides services to clients throughout the state of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland and New Jersey. With 50 years of industry knowledge to draw on, the Penn Valley Chemical family welcomes you to experience the personal touch that customers have come to rely on. Visit http://www.pennvalley.com for more information on Penn Valley Chemical.
Denise McDonald, a copywriter, blogger, and freelance writer, has completed her new book An Advanced Degree in Murder: a thrilling novel that follows psychology professor and pop culture junkie Ashley McKennitt as she unexpectedly becomes intertwined in a complex murder investigation. As she slowly starts to piece together the cryptic clues left behind at the murder scenes, she is determined to use her encyclopedic knowledge of music to help Detective Malone catch a killer.

Author Denise McDonald begins her novel, writing, I was speaking to a lecture hall full of new freshmen when the homicide detective called. Back in my office after my Psychology 101 class, I checked voicemail to find a message from my college roommates younger brother. I knew said brother had become a cop, but last Id heard, he was working burglary and theft. It seemed that little bro had earned his gold shield and graduated to Robbery-Homicide. Good for him. But why on earth did he want to talk to me? I picked up the phone and was starting to punch in his number when a student knocked on my open door.

Published by Page Publishing, Denise McDonalds heart-pounding tale intensifies as Detective Malone and his partner work frantically to find the killer and stop the rising body count. Meanwhile, the killer starts a new game: stalking Ashley.

Readers who wish to experience this electrifying work can http://www.pagepublishing.com/books/?book=an-advanced-degree-in-murderhttp://www.pagepublishing.com/books/?book=an-advanced-degree-in-murder [purchase An Advanced Degree in Murder at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Buro Alton Road All our spaces are busy again which is great to see.

Buro Group, a leading provider of shared office space in South Florida, has opened its seventh location and second in Miami Beach.

The new 12,000 square foot space is located on the top floor of a recently completed boutique retail and office building at 929 Alton Road in South Beach. The space features over 40 private offices of different sizes for teams of 1-10 people as well as stylishly designed common areas and meeting rooms.

According to Buro Founder and CEO Michael Feinstein, demand for workspace in South Florida - especially on more flexible terms like those offered by Buro - has increased steadily in recent months. All our spaces are busy again which is great to see, said Feinstein. And we are very excited about our new Alton Road location. The building itself is a gem and we love the restaurants, cafes and neighborhood amenities in that section of the Beach.

Charles Bonney-Ache, the Development Manager and Landlord Representative for 929 Alton, believes that Buros chic and flexible workspace offering is a perfect fit for his property and the immediate neighborhood. There is definitely a shortage of high quality, turnkey office space in Miami Beach. Post-Covid the demand for this type of workspace will only accelerate, so we are delighted to have Buro in the building to address the opportunity. In addition to the 5th floor office space occupied by Buro, the Leed-Certified building also features three levels of parking and retail spaces which are now available for lease.

Buro's growing membership base now includes roughly 500 companies across its seven South Florida locations. In addition to housing local startups, professional firms and creative agencies, Buro has served as the regional HQ for multinationals like Airbnb, Lyft, Virgin, and Doordash. According to Feinstein over 25 local companies have already moved into Buros Alton Road space since its opening this summer. Membership pricing at Buro ranges from $250 per month for an open desk to $4,000 per month for a large 10-person Suite.

For additional information about Buro Alton Road, please visit http://www.buromiami.com or email Marcia Duprat at marcia@buromiami.com. High-res images of are available upon request.
Canela.TV is a great destination for anyone looking for inspiring stories of Latinos defying expectations and overcoming challenges

Canela.TV, one of the first AVOD streaming services for U.S. Hispanics, today announced its new programming lineup in partnership with Hyundai, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Stories of Inspiration for the month of September. Audiences will enjoy a diverse selection of programming from September 15th to October 15th, including the Journey to Success Series as well as a curated selection of cultural programming under its "My Latin Roots" category.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a great opportunity for us to go back to our roots and feature content that puts a spotlight on inspirational Latinos as well as the stories that showcase what it means to be a part of the Hispanic community, said Isabel Rafferty, CEO and Founder of Canela Media. Thanks to our exclusive partnership with Hyundai, Canela.TV viewers will have access to a wide variety of amazing content to sample and be inspired by.

The Journey to Success Series will highlight the real stories of today's Hispanic heroes and explore a day in their lives to know how they built their own journey to success. Stories will highlight standout achievements, leadership and innovations from the U.S. Latino community. The Series will feature Kiki Melendez, La Marisoul and Edoardo Chavarin.

In the My Latin Roots section on Canela.TV, viewers may enjoy films from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (1933-1961) when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its films and gained recognition internationally. Among the featured titles are: Dos Tipos de Cuidado, Rio Escondido, Ahi Esta el Detalle and El Martir del Calvario. These films include iconic leads such as Pedro Infante, Maria Felix, Jorge Negrete and Mario Moreno "Cantinflas".

We are pleased to have the opportunity to support the Hispanic community and bring awareness to conversations that move Latinos forward, said Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America. Canela.TV is a great destination for anyone looking for inspiring stories of Latinos defying expectations and overcoming challenges.

For additional information on Canela.TV please visit: https://www.canela.tv/

About Canela Media

Canela Media is a leading digital media technology company offering brands a complete ecosystem to connect with multicultural audiences starting with its free streaming service, Canela.TV, which enriches the new generation of U.S. Latinos with free access to unique, culturally relevant content. Additionally, Canela Media reaches more than 22 million unique Hispanics across its 180+ premium Spanish-language sites and influencer database. Combined with the company's proprietary data, Canela Media possesses in-depth knowledge and understanding of how to establish meaningful and culturally relevant connections with the new mainstream  U.S. Hispanics. Headquartered in New York, Canela Media is ranked as the fourth largest Hispanic ad-focused company and the only female- and minority-owned certified digital company. For more information please visit http://www.CanelaMedia.com.

About Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on Progress for Humanity and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 620,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2020, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit http://www.HyundaiNews.com.
ASNC Test substitution policies can lead to patients receiving the wrong test, unnecessary testing, and care delays. Insurers push to use a single first-line test in all patients with chest pain is not supported by evidence and may undermine a patients confidence in their treatment plan.

Test selection should be a shared decision between patient and physician rather than directed by insurers test substitution policies, according to a statement now published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The statement summarizes the proceedings of a recent summit convened by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) where six leading cardiovascular imaging organizations discussed challenges associated with test substitution.

The principles outlined in the statement were endorsed by the leadership of the American College of Cardiology Imaging Council, American Society of Echocardiography, ASNC, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Test substitution policies  defined as policies enacted by private insurers or their radiology benefits managers that require the substitution of one diagnostic test for another  have become a troublesome trend in recent years, according to new statement. The paper focuses on the potential impacts of test substitution on coronary artery disease assessment. The authors note that the few randomized trials comparing the various imaging modalities have generally described benefits and limitations with each modality and that guidelines and appropriate use criteria include individualized risk assessment as a necessary prerequisite to deciding whether or not a test is needed, as well as test selection.

Cardiovascular test selection is highly nuanced and needs to reflect numerous variables, including individual patient factors, local expertise and access, and technology-related details, says Sharmila Dorbala, MD, MPH, MASNC, senior author of the statement and ASNC immediate past president. Test substitution policies can lead to patients receiving the wrong test, unnecessary testing, and care delays. Insurers push to use a single first-line test in all patients with chest pain is not supported by evidence and may undermine a patients confidence in, and adherence to, their treatment plan.

The authors call for more research on the impact of test substitution policies on cardiovascular outcomes, including the potential for subsequent additional testing and increased cost. They outline five consensus principles important for a patient centric and personalized approach to chest pain imaging, noting that the key issue is the overall impact on health, taking into account patient preferences and the long-term cost-effectiveness of the strategy. The principles are as follows:



Optimal patient care should be the priority for physicians and insurance providers.

Given equivalent diagnostic accuracy and appropriate use criteria, there is no clear justification for routinely and indiscriminately recommending one diagnostic strategy over another.

Test substitution driven by short-term costs savings should not be endorsed.

In alignment with the principles of patient-centered medicine, a personalized approach to testing based on clinical information is better than one test for all patients.

Physicians are willing to accept guideline-directed management, relieving insurance providers of liability and reducing administrative burdens and cost.

It is significant that representatives from all of the major cardiovascular imaging societies came together on this statement pointing out the problems with test substitution by insurance companies, says Randall C. Thompson, MD, FASNC, the statements first author and ASNCs current president. While individual cardiologists may disagree on the optimal testing approach for an individual patient, there is strong consensus that these decisions are nuanced and should be made by expert physicians in the context of appropriate use and in collaboration with the patient  not by insurers algorithms. This statement points to the unmeasured harm that may be caused by overly assertive managed care and test substitution and calls for more research in this area.

A Policy Statement on Cardiovascular Test Substitution and Authorization: Principles of Patient-Centered Noninvasive Testing (J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 Sep,78[13]:1385-9) echoes key points from ASNCs 2011 position statement on the role of radiology benefits managers and private insurers in the physician-patient relationships. These documents underscore the ASNCs long commitment to #PatientFirst clinical decision-making and test selection. Drs. Dorbala and Thompson are available for interviews.

###

About the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology

For over 25 years, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and its more than 4,000 members have been improving cardiovascular outcomes through image-guided patient management. As the only society dedicated solely to the field of nuclear cardiology, ASNC establishes standards for excellence in cardiovascular imaging through the development of clinical guidelines, professional medical education, advocacy and research development. ASNC provides peer-reviewed original articles through its official publication Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and operates the nation's first noninvasive cardiac imaging registry, ImageGuide Registry, to benchmark quality and improve patient care. For more information, visit http://www.asnc.org.
Overwhelming Challenges but Success at Last: The Life of My Beautiful and Lovely Mother: a fascinating exploration of one womans resilience when faced with unexpected strife. Overwhelming Challenges but Success at Last: The Life of My Beautiful and Lovely Mother is the creation of published author Caroline Anamina, who was born in Niamtougou, in northern Togo, West Africa. Anamina is a loving wife and mother of three, having one biological and two adoptive children. She and her family live in Columbia, South Carolina.

Anamina shares, This book is a story about my mother, who got pregnant at a relatively young age while she was still a student. It describes the challenges she faced as a young female living in an African society (Togo) with a culture heavily founded on patriarchal norms, values, and traditions. As if this male-dominated society was not enough, my mother also suffered from abandonment from her mother (my grandmother), who was disappointed in her for her untimely pregnancy. Needless to say, that my mother fought and continues to fight countless struggles, all through which she comes out victorious because Christ always strengthens her.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Caroline Anaminas new book is a powerful exploration of a womans role within traditional cultures.

Anamina shares deeply personal family stories to provide readers with a firsthand look into unique cultural and familial experiences.

Consumers can purchase Overwhelming Challenges but Success at Last: The Life of My Beautiful and Lovely Mother at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Overwhelming Challenges but Success at Last: The Life of My Beautiful and Lovely Mother, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Datawiza Supports Microsoft Conditional Access APIs Microsoft is committed to helping organizations adopt Zero Trust Architecture and comply with evolving privacy regulations. Were working with companies like Datawiza that are closely following Microsofts focus on end-to-end security and Zero Trust strategy.

Datawiza, a pioneer in cloud-delivered Access Management as a Service (AMaaS), today announced support for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Conditional Access in its Access Management platform, making it easier and faster for joint customers to achieve a Zero Trust Architecture. Datawiza also announced co-sell ready status in the Azure Marketplace, making it even easier for customers around the world to take advantage of the application migration benefits of Datawiza.

Faced with growing concerns around protecting private information, organizations need to quickly align with intelligent strategies to regulate who can access sensitive information, and under what circumstances, said Dr. Canming Jiang, Co-Founder & CEO of Datawiza. The combination of Microsoft Azure AD and our Datawiza Access Management Platform gives customers automated, error-reducing migration tools so they can quickly protect all apps -- cloud or on-premises -- within the Azure AD environment. With Conditional Access available in Microsoft 365 premium subscriptions, Microsoft has demonstrated an exceptional vision, enabling virtually any company to achieve Zero Trust, and we look forward to continuing to support their innovations.



Support for Microsoft Conditional Access APIs

Conditional Access capabilities enable businesses to define the conditions that allow users to access specific data, apps or resources. For example, some employees may require visibility into Social Security numbers, while other employees do not. Many companies also feel that protecting their on-premises data with VPN-level access is insufficient, so they need to add protections after users log in via a VPN.

With support for Conditional Access APIs, Datawiza now enables businesses to immediately configure Conditional Access when taking advantage of Datawizas one-click application migrations to Azure AD using the cloud-delivered Datawiza AMaaS. This helps companies accelerate their journey to a Zero Trust Architecture by automating key application migration steps while reducing the possibility of errors. Conditional Access offers scale and identity protection, including real-time, granular, policy-defined access controls based on group, role, location, device, IP, or browser. With Datawiza, companies can also implement URL-level access controls.

Microsoft is committed to helping organizations adopt Zero Trust Architecture and comply with evolving privacy regulations, said Sue Bohn, vice president of program management, Microsoft Identity and Network Access. Were working with companies like Datawiza that are closely following Microsofts focus on end-to-end security and Zero Trust strategy, and are rapidly implementing the capabilities enterprises need to maximize the value of the Microsoft solutions they already own, including Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Co-sell ready

Co-sell ready status means Datawiza can work directly with Microsoft sales teams and Microsoft partners on joint selling opportunities, making it even easier for customers around the world to take advantage of the application migration benefits of Datawiza. To earn co-sell ready status, a partner solution must be available in the Azure Marketplace, which means it is certified by Microsoft and optimized to run on Azure.

Available on the Azure Marketplace, cloud-delivered Datawiza Access Management Platform makes it easy for companies to migrate their applications to Azure AD and implement Zero Trust Architecture by providing a no-code/low-code solution that supports policy-defined, URL-level access controls based on detailed user and device attributes, such as group, role, IP, or browser.

About Datawiza

The cloud-delivered Datawiza Access Management Platform is an Access Management as a Service (AMaaS) solution that secures applications and APIs based on the Zero Trust architecture, providing consolidated and continuous risk and trust assessment. Unlike other access management products (e.g., legacy web access managers) that are complex and siloed in hybrid environments, Datawiza offers large enterprises and SMBs a comprehensive, centralized and easy-to-deploy solution that allows every company to simplify access management, save time and increase security. Datawiza was founded in 2018 by security expert Dr. Canming Jiang, a veteran of Shape Security, now part of F5, and cloud expert Cunhao (Alex) Gao, a veteran of Google and Amazon. For more information or a free trial, visit http://www.Datawiza.com.


Society is facing a paradigm shift in consciousness. Many people experience a transcendent feeling, but they can't put their finger on or explain why they are experiencing these feelings, or why society is heading down this path

Tony Biasi marks his first publishing foray with the release of Becoming a Merkaba Entrepreneur: Master of Your Reality (published by Balboa Press AU), a book designed to educate, enlighten and empower those who are at the crossroads of their spiritual awakening, who want to have a better understanding of their existence and who want to achieve clarity in their lifes purpose.

Becoming a Merkaba Entrepreneur: Master of Your Reality is a self-help guide focusing on personal and spiritual development offering readers the tools and knowledge to create a life they truly desire. This perspective of creating a new reality will be facilitated by ancient knowledge applied to modern life. Using personal experience as a narrative, Biasi introduces the Merkaba Mysticism  how to activate it and harness this unlimited supply of universal energy to achieve material success, spiritual growth and development. Readers will also be made aware of the forces that have suppressed this knowledge, and the reasons why they do not want humanity to reach their full potential.

Society is facing a paradigm shift in consciousness. Many people experience a transcendent feeling, but they can't put their finger on or explain why they are experiencing these feelings, or why society is heading down this path, the author states. This book will help explain, and then guide them through this process, whilst they navigate the crossroads of change.

For those looking for a compelling and complete guide to transforming ones life and living up to ones potential, Becoming a Merkaba Entrepreneur: Master of Your Reality is an absolute must-read. Visit https://www.balboapress.com/en-au/bookstore/bookdetails/829114-becoming-a-merkaba-entrepreneur to get a copy.

Becoming a Merkaba Entrepreneur: Master of Your Reality

By Tony Biasi

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 256 pages | ISBN 9781982291563

E-Book | 256 pages | ISBN 9781982291570

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Tony Biasi was born on Dec. 1, 1970, to Italian immigrant parents, the middle child of five children. The family moved around Sydney quite often due to his fathers business ventures, until they settled in the lovely Northern Beaches of Sydney. Biasi has been blissfully married to his teenage sweetheart, Lucia, for 30 years and has five gorgeous children. He has become a well-known identity on Sydneys Northern Beaches, where he operates a third-generation family business. He prides himself on his strong community ties and is held in high regard for his contribution in all aspects of the community. Biasi attributes most of his success to learning from his life experiences and life lessons. Being born with a unique gift (which has been passed to him through his mothers lineage), he has learnt to embrace it rather than fear it and has spent the last decade mastering those insights to bring balance to the mind, body and spirit. By developing a thorough understanding of the universal laws of nature and the importance of living a principle centered life, he is able to pass on that knowledge to anyone who is in a position to receive it, and empower the reader to discover their lifes purpose and true potential. Self-mastery is an ongoing process with the endless potential for personal growth. By applying the Merkaba model to everyday life, he has been able to understand and harness the power of that creative universal energy to achieve not only his material success but also his spiritual growth and development.

Balboa Press Australia is a division of Hay House, Inc., a leading provider in publishing products that specialise in self-help and the mind, body and spirit genre. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the Author Solutions self-publishing model. For more information or to start publishing today, visit balboapress.com.au or call 1-800-844-925.
Were extremely excited for the next stage in the evolution of the business and look forward to enhanced opportunities in partnership with Doxim -- DTI President David Jacobson

Doxim (http://www.doxim.com), the leading customer communications management (CCM) and engagement technology provider serving financial and regulated markets, today announced that it has acquired Direct Technologies, Inc. (DTI), a leading provider of high visibility customer documents in the healthcare, insurance and financial services sectors.

The acquisition is aligned with Doxims strategic plan to deliver a complete range of customer communication solutions in the financial services, insurance, healthcare, government, and utility sectors. The companys portfolio of products and solutions address the entire scope and complexity associated with regulated documents and communications  from data processing to creation and omnichannel delivery.

DTI has a solid reputation in the market for responsiveness, flexibility and sophistication in its technology-based solutions. said Doxim President and CEO Mike Rogalski. Were pleased to have the DTI team join the Doxim family and continue this legacy of success.

DTI operates two facilities providing time-sensitive composition and distribution solutions to over 100 clients in the USA, enabling the delivery of millions of user-friendly documents, quickly and reliably.

David Jacobson, President at DTI, said, Over the past 27 years, the DTI team has been dedicated to building long-term relationships with our clients by combining unmatched quality with unparalleled customer service. Were extremely excited for the next stage in the evolution of the business and look forward to enhanced opportunities in partnership with Doxim.

About DTI

DTI is a leading provider of technology-driven solutions enabling the composition and distribution of customer communication in the healthcare and financial services sectors. DTI delivers millions of time-sensitive, user-friendly documents on behalf of financial services, insurance, and healthcare clients. Learn more at http://www.dirtech.com

About Doxim

Doxim is the customer communications management and engagement technology leader serving financial and regulated markets, providing omnichannel document solutions and transforming experiences to strengthen engagement throughout the entire lifecycle. The Doxim Platform helps clients communicate reliably and effectively, improve cross-sell and upsell opportunities, and drive increased loyalty and wallet share through personalized communications. The platform addresses key digitization, operational efficiency, and customer experience challenges through our suite of plug-and-play, integrated, SaaS software and technology solutions. Learn more at http://www.doxim.com.


This is our first investment as a firm, and we are excited to welcome these four businesses to Dry Line and are ready to get to work, said Michael Girdley, Partner at Dry Line.

Dry Line Partners LLC (Dry Line) and Porthcawl Holdings LLC (Porthcawl) today announced it supported Jungle Disk, the leading cybersecurity suite for main street, in its acquisition of the KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync assets from J2 Global, Inc (J2).

KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync, which comprised J2s B2B Cloud Backup businesses, serve thousands of enterprise and SMB clients across four continents. With todays announcement, Jungle Disk adds these three scaled offerings to its notable portfolio of cybersecurity software solutions.

The addition of KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync to our suite of offerings enables Jungle Disk to better serve our existing customers, expands our geographic and product footprints and drastically enhances our scale, said Bret Piatt, CEO of Jungle Disk and Partner at Dry Line. We are thrilled to welcome the customers, employees and partners of these excellent businesses to the Jungle Disk family, and we firmly believe that adding these businesses to Jungle Disk will greatly enhance the customer experience and provide employees and investors with critical mass and greater resources for future growth.

KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync boost and complement Jungle Disks robust software suite by providing a broader offering of trusted data backup and disaster recovery offerings for midmarket and enterprise customers. Customers from heavily regulated industries like healthcare, information technology and financial services have trusted KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync as a key data protection provider for many years.

In addition, the acquisition provides Jungle Disk with additional proprietary software, while also expanding third party software offerings for customers with diverse needs.

This is our first investment as a firm, and we are excited to welcome these four businesses to Dry Line and are ready to get to work, said Michael Girdley, Partner at Dry Line. This is a quintessential Dry Line investment, and we are looking forward to welcoming these businesses to San Antonio. Dry Line, a private equity firm based in San Antonio and Austin, plans to acquire additional recurring revenue technology businesses in the future.

"Under Porthcawl ownership Jungle Disk has laid a foundation that has created value for its customers, employees and investors. We are thrilled to take Jungle Disk to the next level with the addition of these three complementary businesses," said Huw Edwards, Partner and Co-Founder of Porthcawl. Porthcawl acquired Jungle Disk from Rackspace in 2016 and moved it to the emerging tech district in downtown San Antonio. The combined business will be headquartered in San Antonio.

DH Capital, LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to J2 on the transaction and K&L Gates LLP served as primary legal counsel.

Queen Saenz + Schutz served as legal counsel to Porthcawl Holdings and Jungle Disk on the reorganization and debt financing for the transaction.

About Jungle Disk

Jungle Disk, the cybersecurity suite for main street, provides data backup, cloud storage, password management, email archiving and security awareness training to protect critical data from system failure, human error and cyberattacks. Headquartered in San Antonio, TX, the Jungle Disk team serves customers across the globe with data centers in North America and Europe. For more information, visit http://www.jungledisk.com.

About KeepItSafe, LiveVault and OffsiteDataSync

KeepItSafe is a premium, white-glove service for online backup, disaster recovery and business continuity  and one of the only global recovery providers awarded IS0 27001 certification for information security management.

LiveVault founded in 1996, delivers fully automated, turnkey, backup over the Internet or a private network connection for uninterrupted remote data protection. LiveVault provides automated and continuous backup, with protection intervals as low as every fifteen minutes, to ensure data is protected as it is created.

OffSiteDataSync is a global provider of highly available and secure cloud data protection solutions, including Infrastructure (IaaS), Disaster Recovery (DRaaS) and Backup (BaaS). We deliver best in class data protection and availability solutions built on market leading technology from Veeam, Zerto, VMware, and Cisco. Its global footprint spans across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand meeting its diverse customer compliance needs, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS and HIPAA.

About Dry Line Partners LLC

Dry Line Partners, founded and advised by industry executives and investors, is a private equity firm based in San Antonio and Austin focused on acquiring B2B recurring revenue technology businesses.

About Porthcawl Holdings LLC

Porthcawl Holdings, founded on the belief in a technology-powered future of the world, is a private equity firm based in San Antonio with investments in cybersecurity, IT services. and insurance. For more information, visit https://www.porthcawlholdings.com.
Comprehensive coverage is one of the most useful policies someone can buy. Drivers who live in dangerous areas affected by severe weather events should consider buying comprehensive insurance, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how comprehensive car insurance can help drivers save money.

For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/how-to-save-money-with-comprehensive-insurance/

Car insurance companies are offering many types of coverage that can protect their customers in various situations. One of the most popular policies is comprehensive coverage. Usually, owners of brand-new vehicles are purchasing this coverage. However, policyholders who are leasing or financing their vehicles will be required by the banks or lenders to purchase comprehensive coverage.

Although many drivers consider it to be expensive, comprehensive coverage can help policyholders save money in the following events:



Stolen vehicle. Drivers who consider that they can't support the financial loss caused by the theft of their vehicles should consider purchasing comprehensive insurance. In most cases, the policyholder will be reimbursed if the car is missing for more than 30 days. However, the policyholder will be paid with the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time it got stolen, and not with the value of a brand-new car. Also, the policyholder will have to pay for the deductible.

Bad weather damage. There are many weather events that can damage a vehicle. Events like hurricanes, tornadoes, hail storms, and others can damage vehicles so badly, that in some cases they can be considered totaled.

Animal collision. Hitting a large animal is not uncommon in the US. The results of a collision with a large animal like a horse, moose, deer, or even a cow can be quite severe for a vehicle. Cracked windshields and dented hoods are some of the most common damages that result after hitting an animal with a car.

Fire damage. Car fires are always a scary situation for any car owner. They can do a lot of damage to a vehicle and they can occur in different ways such as arson, garage fires, engine fires, or after a car accident. No matter what caused the fire to the insured vehicle, comprehensive coverage will reimburse the policyholder.

Vandalism and riots. Drivers who park their cars in bad neighborhoods will risk having their cars vandalized. Common acts of vandalism include keyed cars, broken windows, smashed headlights, and deflated tires. Also, cars can suffer major damages when peaceful protests turn into riots.

Damage caused by falling objects. Cars can be damaged by all sorts of falling objects such as rocks, trees, objects that got dislodged during a storm, debris from buildings, and others. Comprehensive car insurance will reimburse the policyholders the cost to repair their vehicles after an object fell on their cars.

For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.
New type of artificial heart implanted in female for the first time. For the other half of the worlds population, completion of this procedure by the Jewish Hospital team brings new hope for extended life."

A cardiothoracic surgical team with UofL Health  Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville has performed the worlds first Aeson bioprosthetic total artificial heart implantation in a female patient. The investigational device, currently intended as a bridge to heart transplant, is part of an Early Feasibility Study (EFS) sponsored by CARMAT, a French medical device company, in partnership with UofL, UofL Health  Jewish Hospital and the UofL Health  Trager Transplant Center.

Led by cardiothoracic surgeons Mark Slaughter, M.D., and Siddharth Pahwa, M.D., both of UofL Health - UofL Physicians and the UofL School of Medicine, the team performed the implant of the device on Sept. 14, 2021 at UofL Health  Jewish Hospital. The same team completed the nations second implantation in a male patient last month, also at Jewish Hospital.

For the other half of the worlds population, completion of this procedure by the Jewish Hospital team brings new hope for extended life, said Slaughter, UofL Health surgical director of heart transplant and professor and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery in the UofL School of Medicine. Size limitations can make it harder to implant artificial hearts in women, but the Aeson artificial heart is compact enough to fit inside the smaller chest cavities more frequently found in women, which gives hope to a wider variety of men and women waiting for a heart transplant and increases the chances for success.

More than 3,500 individuals are awaiting a heart transplant in the U.S. and 900 of them are women. There are few treatment options for patients with biventricular heart disease, meaning both the left and right sides of the heart are not pumping blood adequately. The Aeson device is designed to solve the limitations of current left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD), which pump blood in just one chamber, by pumping blood in both heart chambers. Aeson also contains pressure sensors that estimate the patients blood pressure and automatically adapts cardiac output according to the sensor information. It is fully implanted as a heart replacement and powered by a portable external power supply.

During this procedure, the Aeson total artificial heart was implanted into a 57-year-old Kentucky woman with severe biventricular heart failure during an eight-hour surgery. The recipient, whose identity is being withheld upon request, was referred to the Advanced Heart Failure Therapies Program at Jewish Hospital earlier this year with end-stage heart failure and had undergone cardiac surgery years before. The patient is recovering well in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). Jewish Hospital is just one of four programs in the nation approved to perform this clinical trial procedure.

The varying pumping ability of the Aeson device increases its viability among more patients, said Pahwa, UofL Physicians cardiothoracic surgeon and assistant professor in the UofL Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. While other devices are set at a fixed rate or create a continuous flow, CARMAT has developed the Aeson to automatically adjust the flow, creating an improved performance to meet the bodys changing blood flow needs.

Currently, the Aeson artificial heart is tested as a bridge to transplant for patients with end-stage biventricular heart failure, allowing more time for the patient to receive a permanent heart organ transplant. The device already has been approved for such use in Europe, where approximately 20 devices have been implanted. It currently is being tested in the U.S. as part of a feasibility study approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The first Aeson artificial heart in North America was implanted in a male patient in July at Duke University Medical Center. The second implantation, also in a male patient, was performed at Jewish Hospital in August. This third North American implantation is the first to involve a female patient.

Even as we have fought this deadly pandemic, our researchers and health care providers have also been on the front lines of improving care and quality of life for not only Kentuckians, but for people around the world, said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. I am proud that UofL, Jewish Hospital and their doctors are leading the world in implanting this promising and innovative device that could offer hope and time to thousands of people, including our wives, mothers and other loved ones, in coming years.

Stephane Piat, chief executive officer of CARMAT, said, This third implant in the U.S. was a landmark event not only because it allowed us to finalize the enrollment of the first cohort of patients of the EFS, but very importantly because it is the first time ever that our device has helped a woman suffering from heart failure. This achievement confirms that the size limitations for adults are minimal, which makes us very confident in Aesons potential to become a therapy of choice for a broad patient population.

Preclinical research for CARMATs artificial heart began at UofL more than five years ago. Researchers at UofLs Cardiovascular Innovation Institute (CII) tested Aesons autoregulation capability, which allows the device to adapt its flows according to the patients needs by detecting changes of pressure in the device. UofL researchers have conducted preclinical testing of artificial heart components and mechanical assist devices at CII for many years, testing some portion of nearly every mechanical assist device that is commercially available today.

Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville share a storied history in advancing heart care. Highlights include:



Aug. 24, 1984: Kentuckys first heart transplant performed at Jewish Hospital by UofL physicians

July 2, 2001: The worlds first AbioCor artificial heart was implanted at Jewish Hospital by UofL physicians, led by cardiothoracic surgeon Laman Gray, M.D.

Dec. 21, 2011: Kentuckys first transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) performed at Jewish Hospital by UofL physicians

Jan. 18, 2015: Kentuckys first HeartMate 3TM left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted at Jewish Hospital by UofL physicians

Feb. 21, 2018: UofL Health - Trager Transplant Centers 500th heart transplant performed at Jewish Hospital

June 14, 2019: The first EvaHeart2 LVAD implanted as bridge to transplant at UofL Health - Trager Transplant Center

April 22, 2021: UofL Health - Trager Transplant Centers 1000th TAVR performed at Jewish Hospital

This world-first artificial heart implant into a female patient is another demonstration of UofL Healths commitment to provide both the world-class care of today and develop the world-class standards of tomorrow, said John Walsh, chief administrative officer of Jewish Hospital. We celebrate this first as a milestone and recognize the hard work of Drs. Slaughter and Pahwa and the entire team. The true impact of their work will be measured in the dozens, hundreds and thousands of lives improved in the years to come.

The patient who received the nations second Aeson implant, on Aug. 20, 2021, continues to improve at Jewish Hospital. An update is expected in the coming weeks.

###
ReSource Pro has been named to Inc. magazines Inc. 5000 list, a prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies, for the 13th consecutive year. ReSource Pro is among only 0.32 percent of companies who have successfully made the list 13 times.

The past year has been one of remarkable challenge and opportunity for countless businesses, so ReSource Pros recognition on the Inc. 5000 list is a particular point of pride for everyone on our team, said ReSource Pro CEO Dan Epstein. Our employees worked to consistently anticipate, meet and exceed the needs of our clients in an everchanging environment influenced by COVID-19. I thank our amazing managers and employees for keeping our clients priorities front and center. And of course, I thank our clients who continue to put their trust in us to improve their business operations every day.

The 2021 Inc. 5000 companies achieved a three-year growth average of more than 500 percent with an aggregate revenue of $11.1 million. The companies on the list have added more than 1 million jobs over the past three years and have grown sixfold since 2017.

The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis weve lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people.

ReSource Pro has been a leader in insurance operations efficiency and business process solutions in the insurance industry since its launch in 2003. The company currently supports a global operations network of more than 5,000 employees.

About ReSource Pro

ReSource Pro brings integrated operational solutions to insurance organizations to improve agility, resilience and profitability. Headquartered in New York, ReSource Pro's global service centers address client operational needs around the clock. Recognized as an industry thought leader and listed as one of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies annually since 2009, the company is renowned for its focus on innovation, service excellence and trusted partnerships, and its unique productivity platform for insurance operations. More than 5,000 ReSource Pro employees provide dedicated support to hundreds of insurance organizations, consistently achieving a +97% client retention rate over a decade http://www.resourcepro.com.

About Inc. 5000 Methodology

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year's Inc. 5000. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
Fremont County joins the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Fremont County invites all potential vendors to register online.

Fremont County has officially joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, one of bidnet directs regional e-procurement solutions, providing vendors throughout Colorado and Wyoming easy online access to its upcoming solicitations. Fremont County invites all vendors to register online at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado.

The regional purchasing group connects local governments with vendors looking to do business with public agencies. On the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, vendors seeking business with 325 participating agencies can register online to gain access to a single point of entry for opportunities throughout Colorado and Wyoming. By posting upcoming bids and RFPs on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, Fremont County ensures an entire community of vendors can view their solicitations, download documents, and receive notification of addenda. The vendors self-register and ensure their contact information is up to date.

Because we arent the only agency posting and distributing bids, the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System provides Fremont County more vendor competition, which we hope will help cut costs," said Lucas Teigen, Project Engineer for Fremont County when asked why their department decided to join the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. We also like that it can help our current vendors expand their business opportunities," he continued.

Fremont County invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs from 324 other public agencies participating on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Registered vendors have the option to upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, notification of term contract expiration, and notification of a real-time addendum.

About Fremont County:

Fremont County encompasses 1,534 square miles with an estimated population of 48,939. The county seat is Canon City, which is located in the Royal Gorge Region. Fremont County was established in 1861 and named after western explorer and presidential candidate John C. Fremont. Fremont County shares a history of Native American habitation, agriculture, mining, and railroads with other Colorado Counties, but Fremont Countys history of oil extraction and correctional facilities has uniquely shaped its past and present.

About bidnet direct:

bidnet direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. bidnet direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers
I would like my readers to understand and appreciate that America is a very complex, ugly, and beautiful country all at the same time.

Christopher Chris Nuels shares a historical tale of the trials and tribulations of characters of color as they transition from a lifetime of slavery to men, and finally to leaders in his new novel All Men Are Created  An American Story: Sparta Territory: The Beginning (published by Archway Publishing)

It is 1865 in a war-torn America as battles between the North and South rage throughout the land. The story details the journey of three former slaves  Amra, Fieldhand, and Fessa  and their journey from slavery to men and Americans. They join the fight for freedom as part of a special unit comprised of former black slaves and a white prisoners. Each sets out on a journey to find freedom in a country where their enemies are determined to keep them in servitude. All Men Are Created  An American Story gives insight into the problems blacks facing white leadership in dealing with black soldiers and other minorities during that time and the same issues whites had to deal with other whites as it relates to relationships with Negroes.

I would like my readers to understand and appreciate that America is a very complex, ugly, and beautiful country all at the same time. We need to embrace and understand all aspects of our history so that we learn and grow as a country, which is what we should be doing as a country, learning and growing, Nuels says. I would like my readers to feel something for the American characters, minus color, and to wish them well as they learn and grow.

All Men Are Created  An American Story is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/All-Men-Created-American-Story-ebook/dp/B09FPNZHJG.

All Men Are Created  An American Story

By Christopher Chris Nuels

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 388 pages | ISBN 9781665710930

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 388 pages | ISBN 9781665710954

E-Book | 388 pages | ISBN 9781665710947

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Christopher Chris Nuels is a former major in the United States Army and Bronze Star recipient. Since his transition from the military, he has been a bank and non-profit executive and is currently a strategic advisor for Air Force Civil Engineering Center Installations. Nuels is also the founder of a nonprofit, A&Bs Please, that assists youth in attending college tuition-free. He is the father of three and resides with his wife in San Antonio, Texas.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.
Having the opportunity to share what Ive learned with an audience of such respected business professionals across the world is a huge milestone for GuideCX and our positive trajectory as we continue to advance to new heights.

Peter Ord, founder and CEO of GuideCX, the premier client onboarding platform, will speak at the SaaStr Annual 2021 Conference on Tuesday, September 28 in San Mateo, California. Ords presentation, The Real Costs of Implementation: How to Measure and How to Minimize, will mark his first-ever at SaaStr Annual.

This year, the worlds largest nonvendor B2B software conference, will bring together more than 25,000 attendees in a hybrid experience. During Ord's interactive engagement, he will discuss the measurable costs of the implementation process as well as reveal tools to help companies reduce churn, reduce time to value and recognize their revenue faster. As a top SaaS onboarding software for business professionals around the world, having a presence at SaaStr will only continue to strengthen overall brand recognition of GuideCX.

Having the opportunity to share what Ive learned with an audience of such respected business professionals across the world is a huge milestone for GuideCX and our positive trajectory as we continue to advance to new heights, said Ord. We look forward to having a presence at this years event and being able to bring new awareness to how people everywhere can optimize their client implementation process.

During his presentation, Ord will highlight three main takeaways: how to identify bottlenecks, optimization for self-serving controls and the accurate measuring of time and cost to value. He also hopes to instill one of his top lessons in participants: You cant optimize what you cant measure. In addition to his speech, those at SaaStr can meet Ord and the GuideCX team at their booth set up inside the San Mateo County Conference Center with a free expo pass. The client onboarding software is also a Super Gold Sponsor of the event.

SaaStr Annual 2021 will take place September 2729, 2021, with Ords presentation on new client onboarding solutions to be held at 5 p.m. MDT on September 28. For more information on his speaking engagement and this years conference, visit saastrannual2021.com/agenda-speakers.

ABOUT GUIDECX

GuideCX is a client onboarding and project management platform that keeps your clients at the center of every project by providing complete visibility into the work. Invite everyone to the project  internal resources, customer teams and third-party vendors. Guide each step and stay on track with automated tasks, reminders and updates. Engage teams by enabling them to interact with the project in the way they prefer. They can complete tasks, view status, send updates, make notes and more  through the portal, the mobile app or email. GuideCX helps you deliver projects faster with fewer issues and accelerate time to value for your customers. For more information, visit GuideCX.com.

ABOUT SaaStr

SaaStr is the worlds largest community of SaaS executives, founders and entrepreneurs. Our mission is to share the best learnings, insights and practices around building and scaling SaaS and cloud businesses. Founded in 2012 by serial enterprise entrepreneur Jason M. Lemkin, SaaStr has grown into a social community of more than 500,000 SaaS founders and executives with over 3,000,000 monthly views and two major industry conferences. SaaStrs goal is to help every SaaS entrepreneur get from $0 to $100M ARR with less stress. Learn more at SaaStr.com.
Standard Fendt guidance packages now include NovAtel's SMART7. "We have been working with NovAtel for years and their support and willingness to adapt to meet our needs makes them the key GNSS supplier for our Fendt Guide guidance system," said Dr. Bernhard Schmitz, director, FendtONE Market Readiness and Agronomy EME.

Hexagon | NovAtel is proud to announce that Fendt machines in North America, Europe and the Middle East equipped with Fendt GuideTM guidance systems powered by Fuse Smart Farming now come with NovAtel's SMART7 GNSS receiver as the default configuration choice. Precision guidance systems are integral to advancing precision agriculture globally and the SMART7 from NovAtel is future-ready and offers the performance and reliability that farmers require.

High-quality, on-time delivery and exceptional support are the defining factors of a reliable component supplier. NovAtel is proud of its performance in these areas with industry-leading quality and a robust support network for its OEM partners. "We have been working with NovAtel for years, and their support and willingness to adapt to meet our needs makes them the key GNSS receiver supplier for our Fendt Guide guidance system," said Dr. Bernhard Schmitz, Director, FendtONE Market Readiness and Agronomy EME. "They are easy to work with and have high-quality products that integrate seamlessly into our machines."

The SMART7 combines the most powerful GNSS receiver available today with a precision antenna in a durable, all-in-one enclosure specifically designed to stand up to the vibration, weather and temperature demands of harsh agricultural environments. Delivering exceptional positioning, the SMART7 is optimized to succeed in demanding agriculture and off-road applications.

The SMART7 uses multi L-Band tracking to access TerraStar Correction Services globally  bringing repeatable centimetre-level accuracy to any application, anywhere in the world. Access to multi-frequency GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS signals provides better satellite availability, fuelling the positioning solution - even in challenging environments. Resiliency to radio frequency interference is engrained in NovAtel's hardware designs and the Interference Toolkit firmware suite provides detection and additional protection from any potential intentional or unintentional interference.

Powered by industry-leading NovAtel GNSS+INS technology, the SMART7 uses an optional integrated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to provide continuous 3D positioning, velocity and roll/pitch/azimuth for deeper integration with vehicle guidance and steering systems. Additional optional features on the SMART7 include Wi-Fi and Ethernet for remote connectivity and monitoring.

"We are dedicated to providing high-quality, industry-leading positioning and autonomy solutions to agriculture industry OEMs and integrators," said Eric Wuestefeld, Executive Vice President, Agriculture at Hexagon | NovAtel. "This means being THE partner of choice for precision guidance solutions and helping our customers meet their challenges and goals head-on."

For more information on the SMART7 or other agriculture-related NovAtel products, visit: http://www.novatel.com/agriculture
Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM, FACOG, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) We are thrilled that Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew's remarkable leadership and the extraordinary impact she has had on the health and well-being of so many is being appropriately honored by Modern Healthcare. - Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO, AHN

Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM, FACOG, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network(AHN), has been selected by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the nations 2021 Top Diversity Leaders.

Modern Healthcares annual Top Diversity Leaders recognition a distinguished group of executives and organizations that are identified by an expert panel to be the heath care industrys trailblazers in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These leaders and organizations influence policy and health care delivery models across the country, while also nurturing and enhancing the industrys diversity and equity standards. This years awardees include executives from health care institutions, education, and government, as well as entire companies.

The 2021 class of Top Diversity Leaders lead the pack in health care, said Modern Healthcare editor, Aurora Aguilar. These are people and companies that exemplify walking the walk."

Profiles of the Top Diversity Leaders will be published online at ModernHealthcare.com/top-diversity-leaders and in the Sept. 20 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.

When Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew came to AHN in 2020, we knew we were getting one of the countrys most respected diversity champions  someone who would advocate for equity and inclusion not just within our organization, but also for the millions of patients and customers who rely on us for world-class care and expect us to distribute it fairly and equitably, said Cynthia Hundorfean, President and CEO of Allegheny Health Network.

We are thrilled that her remarkable leadership, her lifetime of dedication to helping marginalized communities, and the extraordinary impact she has had on the health and well- being of so many throughout her career is being appropriately honored by Modern Healthcare.

An internationally recognized expert in cultural humility within the health care field, and an obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew has spent her career engaging marginalized communities and building programs that focus on promoting access and outcomes equity for vulnerable patients and mitigating socio-economic barriers to care.

At Highmark Health, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew and the AHN Equitable Health Institute  which she established  are advancing a comprehensive internal and external strategy designed to promote a culture of equity and inclusion across every component of the health and wellness enterprise - from the organizations recruitment, employment and professional development practices and standards, to the quality of care and service it provides to every patient, customer and community.

The Institute has also led AHNs and Highmark Healths efforts to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are delivered equitably to marginalized populations, and to educate those living in marginalized communities about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew joined AHN last year from University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, where she served as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chair of Clinical Diversity and Inclusion and Assistant Dean of Students. She founded and served as CEO of University Hospitals WONDOOR (Women and Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunity, Research) global health program; and in 2014, she was named the Universitys Chair of Clinical Excellence and Diversity, an endowed position established to promote diversity of academic faculty.

Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew earned a bachelors degree in nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, a masters degree in education from California State University, a masters degree in public policy from the University of Pittsburgh and her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She served in the U.S. Navy for 16 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander and completing an OBGYN internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. She completed a residency at Magee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, and practiced at Magee for 15 years, while also serving as Magees Director of Global Health Programs.

###

About the Allegheny Health Network:

Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, womens health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About Highmark Health

Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA-based enterprise that employs more than 37,000 people who serve millions of Americans across the country, is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, and HM Health Solutions. Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to more than 6 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York as well as dental insurance, and related health products through a national network of diversified businesses. Allegheny Health Network is an integrated delivery network comprised of thirteen hospitals, more than 2,500 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization, and health and wellness pavilions in western Pennsylvania. HM Health Solutions is focused on meeting the information technology platform and other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business processes, expert knowledge, and integrated cloud-based platforms. Lumevity, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highmark Health, helps companies transform in ways that drive direct financial benefits while improving quality and increasing employee engagement. To learn more, visit http://www.highmarkhealth.org
Now more than ever, its critical that cyber professionals share their knowledge and rethink how we approach cybersecuritys biggest challenges. Infosec is proud to be part of these individuals journeys and can't wait to see what they achieve going forward.

Infosec Institute, a leading cybersecurity education company, today announced four new 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees. Established in 2020 to recognize and celebrate the professional successes and industry leadership of Infosec alumni, the Infosec Hall of Fame committees selects top candidates from hundreds of nominations each year.

"We're excited to recognize Infosec alumni who have gone above and beyond to advance the industry and help others along the way," said Jack Koziol, CEO and founder of Infosec. "Now more than ever, its critical that cyber professionals share their knowledge and rethink how we approach cybersecuritys biggest challenges. Infosec is proud to be part of these individuals journeys and can't wait to see what they achieve going forward."

Hall of Fame inductees were selected based on their career successes and contributions to the cybersecurity industry, as well as their future career goals. The 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees are:



Sal Salisbury, Federal Modern Work Solutions Specialist, Microsoft

Lili-Ann Mitchell, Global Head of Security, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and President, Consultation Lili-Ann Mitchell Inc.

Jayce Hill, Principal Software Engineer, Microsoft

Josh Hamit, CIO, Altra Federal Credit Union

Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during the Infosec Inspire Awards ceremony held on October 19, 2021, during the virtual Infosec Inspire User Conference. The only event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security  equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Learn more about Infosec Inspire here.

Profiles on each 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees will be released over the coming months and featured on the Infosec website. To follow their stories and receive other Infosec news,subscribe to the Infosec newsletter.

About Infosec

Infosec is the leading cybersecurity education company helping IT and security professionals advance their careers and empowering employees to be cyber-safe at work and home. Its mission is to equip individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills to confidently outsmart cybercrime. More than 70% of the Fortune 500 have relied on Infosec Skills to develop their security talent and teams, and more than 5 million learners worldwide are more cyber-resilient from Infosec IQs security awareness and phishing training. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Infosecs Resources Blog for the latest news, or visit infosecinstitute.com for more information.
Make the Vision Plain: The Lord Showed Me Donald Trump-Others: an engaging discussion of prophetic visions as experienced by the author. Make the Vision Plain: The Lord Showed Me Donald Trump-Others is the creation of published author Julius Williams, who was brought up in the Shiloh Apostolic Church in Manchester, Jamaica.

Williams shares, Do you often dream? Do you have visions, and wonder if they were really true? How do you know the difference when God speaks or the enemy? Will you be willing to speak truth and cause it what it may? In John 10:27, Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Jesus spoke in the Hebrew tongue to Saul, known as Paul as he was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? He answered, Who are thou, Lord? Jesus said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes (Acts 9:45). Rise and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou has seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto you (Acts 26:16). Your steps to a brighter future begins with you reading this book. Try and develop a healthy self-image. You will enlarge your vision I assume, by this vision which is made abundantly clear. May the Lord open the eyes of your heart.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Julius Williamss new book is a fascinating example of faith.

Williams writes in hopes of encouraging and inspiring others to seek a stronger relationship with God.

Consumers can purchase Make the Vision Plain: The Lord Showed Me Donald Trump-Others at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Make the Vision Plain: The Lord Showed Me Donald Trump-Others, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Kerr Economic Development Corporation (KerrEDC) received four awards from the SEDC, honoring KerrEDCs outstanding creativity, leadership and marketing strategies. (Courtesy of KerrEDC.) Being awarded these honors is a tremendous achievement for KerrEDC because it places a well-deserved spotlight on our marketing initiatives, Gilberto Salinas, KerrEDC's executive director, said.

The Kerr Economic Development Corporation (KerrEDC), a private nonprofit that works to ensure diversified economic growth for new and existing businesses in Kerr County, Texas, announced today that it has received four top communication awards from the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC). The awards recognize KerrEDCs outstanding creativity, leadership and marketing strategies.

It is an enormous honor to be recognized alongside some of the countrys top economic development agencies in the South, said Gilberto Salinas, KerrEDCs executive director. Being awarded these honors is a tremendous achievement for KerrEDC because it places a well-deserved spotlight on our marketing initiatives.

KerrEDC was singled out for showing artistry as well as solid messaging and effectiveness at reaching its targeted audience. Their branded package Economic Dialogue by KerrEDC took Best in Class, Small Division while their direct-mail piece KerrEDC  Branded Note Card and Envelope won Special Judges Award for Branding, Concept, and Execution. In addition, they received a Certificate of Superior for KerrEDC Top Forty branding, and a Certificate of Excellent for KerrEDC  Social Media Templates.

These annual communication awards recognize and showcase the leading marketing work done by economic development professionals throughout the South, said SEDC President Gene Stinson after the ceremony. KerrEDC hit the mark this year with these communication pieces.

The SEDC Communication Awards are given out during the councils annual conference  held last month in Tampa, Florida. Members marketing work is submitted in over 20 categories and is evaluated within four award divisions. Judges criteria include graphic appeal, clarity of message, quality of information, positioning/differentiation, and format.

"I'm thrilled that the hard work KerrEDC is doing is being celebrated, said Mike Wittler, a KerrEDC board member. Hill Country is one of the fastest growing economic markets in Texas, and awards like these give a push toward our goal of building and sustaining businesses in our community."

The judges are comprised of industry professionals from the southern United States. Theyve worked with businesses to develop growth strategies in their own communities, and understand the role economic development organizations play in reaching prospective clients through marketing.

Our communitys marketing campaigns and materials were selected as winners by top economic development, site selection and design professionals, said Maggie Megee, of Kerrvilles Economic Improvement Corporation (EIC) and a KerrEDC Board Member. Its an honor to represent the EIC on the KerrEDC Board, and to see the city, and our area, recognized for its continued excellent work.

The SEDC Annual Conference is the councils main educational event of the year. Typically, more than 400 professionals from the private and public spheres spend several days networking and learning about recent economic development trends and strategies.

About Kerr Economic Development Corporation

The Kerr EDC is an economic and business league located in the heart of the Hill Country and part of the San Antonio-Austin business corridor. The Kerr EDC implements strategies for business and corporate growth in an array of sectors which are tied to the 2050 Your Voice-Your City comprehensive plan. The focus of the organization is to foster the communitys growth through corporate recruitment, workforce development and maintaining the cultural vibrancy of the Texas Hill Country. For more information, visit http://www.kerredc.com/.

About SEDC

SEDC is the oldest and largest regional economic development association in North America, with more than 860 members representing a variety of backgrounds. From local, regional, and state economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, business and industry, utilities, transportation, finance, and education, members share a common interest: the promotion and enhancement of the economic development profession. For more about SEDC, visit http://www.sedc.org.
MixR is a simple to use SaaS platform, available on all devices, that enables employees to join, create and manage interest-based communities in a safe and private environment. In June, the company closed a $2.5 million funding round in preparation for Series A which will take place later this year. Founded by technology industry veterans Cecile Moulard & Dominique Lejade, MixR is on a mission to scale trust & belonging at work - a $2.5 trillion* business problem.

In a workplace characterized by high rates of disengagement, turnover and employee burnout, countless studies have shown that the solution lies in creating communities at work. When this happens, people are healthier, more creative and less likely to quit.

MixRs powerful community building platform is geared towards organizations that are ready to transform their cultures and provide a superior Employee Experience for their people. Members have the ability to form lasting and meaningful relationships around shared-interests - developing a culture of trust and well-being across the board. Powerful analytics and dashboards allow organizations to directly measure the impact of these communities.

MixR is solving one of the biggest challenges that organizations are facing today: building Belonging and Trust (B&T) in the workplace. These are by far the most important elements of Employee Experience. The need to restore B&T is greater than ever as we wrestle with the uncertainty of returning to the office and hybrid work environments, said Mark Levy, Pioneer of Employee Experience at Airbnb and Member of MixRs Board of Advisors.

As we move toward the future of work, and businesses plan their back to the office strategies, prioritizing well-being has become a business imperative rather than a Human Resources nice to have. MixR is the perfect tool to propel virtual and hybrid teams and reclaim human connection at work. Doing so can foster a sense of belonging, empathy and inclusion that addresses many of todays hottest workplace issues.

At MixR, weve made it our mission to help organizations scale trust and belonging at work. We truly believe that when people are expected to achieve something together, they are most effective at doing so when they know and trust each other. Businesses are eager to find the right solutions to transform their people and culture strategies for todays changing climate, and were taking a different approach. Unlike traditional productivity tools, that are team centric and task oriented, MixR is focused on community and shared experiences. Were all about going beyond teams and providing employees with a dedicated safe space to forge meaningful relationships that will foster trust & belonging in the long run, said Cecile Moulard, Co-Founder & Servant CEO, MixR.

MixR is a subscription-based service, structured around four different pricing plans that vary based on an organizations needs. There is also a sixty percent discount for universities and non-profits.

About MixR

MixR is a SaaS platform that enhances trust, belonging & psychological safety in the workplace. MixR empowers members to join, create and manage vibrant interest-centric communities, and gives organizations the ability to measure their growth and impact. For more information, visit https://www.mixr.net/. Contact: Margaux Elias, margaux.elias@mixr.net.

Investors include: Tartavull Ventures

*Cigna Loneliness in America & Gallup State of the Workplace Report 2021
Terrestrial lidar was utilized to create BIM modeling depicting MARTAs Armour Yard Maintenance Facility. MARTA has continued to work toward its goal to implement projects and enhancements that will improve connectivity, increase ridership and fuel economic development throughout the region.

Woolpert has been contracted by the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) to provide traditional and geospatial survey services for design, construction and facility enhancement projects in support of its capital investment program. Services will include terrestrial lidar and mobile mapping, photogrammetry, unmanned aircraft system data and imagery collection, building information modeling, subsurface utility engineering and hydrographic surveying. The three-year contract has a two-year option and a total value of $5 million.

Woolpert has worked with MARTA on multiple 3D design and geospatial survey contracts, including the previous iteration of this contract. Surveyor Mike Zarlengo, who works in Woolperts Atlanta office, said it is gratifying to continue to support MARTAs efforts and its $2.7 billion capital investment program, More MARTA Atlanta.

Before and during the challenges presented by the pandemic, when routes were adjusted to prioritize evolving needs, MARTA has continued to work toward its goal to implement projects and enhancements that will improve connectivity, increase ridership and fuel economic development throughout the region, Zarlengo said. Were excited to provide the services needed to help MARTA achieve its goal to improve the safety, convenience and availability for commuters in and around Atlanta.

Derrick Barnhill, Woolpert geospatial project manager, said this contract will build on the initial foundation set forth by MARTA and supported by voters, who agreed to fund improvements through a half-penny transit sales tax in 2016. Barnhill said the firms experience in the transportation geospatial space was a key factor in its reselection.

Were fortunate to have several decades of experience working with departments of transportation across the country, applying a wide range of engineering and geospatial equipment and technology to best address each project and need, Barnhill said. Under this contract, we will continue to broaden the application of our design and geospatial technologies specific to the rail industry.

Woolpert Roads and Bridges Practice Leader Tom Ruschkewicz said this contract is not only an example of how transportation projects and initiatives can benefit from integrated architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) capabilities but how the alignment of core values can elevate a partnership to improve each deliverable.

This contract with MARTA supports the advancement of multimodal transportation in underserved communities and, by extension, supports growth, inclusion and diversity in growing communities, Ruschkewicz said. It is extremely important to us as a firm to promote better lives through advanced technologies around the world, and we will continue to make that a priority through the public and private agencies we serve every day.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its sixth-straight Great Place to Work certification and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been Americas fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has roughly 1,700 employees and 57 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
Client needs drive our growth as well as our directions for growth.

McNeely Technology Solutions today announced expansion of their database services. Db2 LUW is part of the Db2 family of database products designed to run on many popular operating systems including Linux, IBM AIX, and most Windows systems. In response to a client request for support for Db2 LUW McNeely Tech piloted this service successfully, and now they are offering this added service to all customers. Db2 LUW service includes installation, upgrades, patching, tuning, health checks, and incident resolution. To accommodate this additional product line, the company increased personnel, training, and resources. Db2 LUW adds to the company product line of Oracle and SQL Server database administration services.

President Mary Elizabeth McNeely explained, the market is diverse, and clients need support for the database flavors they are running. We have expanded our services as clients ask us to take on additional database products. Client needs drive our growth as well as our directions for growth.

Database administration remains McNeely Technologys flagship offering. Their target customers mid-sized companiesoften run multiple database brands in their environments. McNeely added, now its easy to say yes to our clients short-term or long-term needs.

About McNeely Technology Solutions

McNeely Technology Solutions offers Oracle, SQL Server, and Db2 LUW database administration and development, serving clients ranging from single-location enterprises with only one or two databases to publicly traded nationwide corporations with complex technical issues, but focused mainly on mid-sized clients in fast-paced environments with complex technical needs. McNeely Technology Solutions, Inc. is a Texas corporation, based in Dallas, and a certified Womens Business Enterprise/Historically Underutilized Business. For more information http://www.mcneelytech.com
Rencore Governance bridges that gap between making sound governance decisions, and the ability to manage and enforce those decisions proactively.

Rencore, the provider of award-winning software essential for governing Microsoft 365, announced their partnership with Microsoft technology consultants Yoko:10. The partnership encompasses a cloud governance strategy with Rencores best-in-class governance software and Yoko:10s leading-edge consulting for all types of organizations operating on the Microsoft 365 platform.

For many organizations, a dynamic governance approach that mirrors how cloud users operate is an IT goal. However, transitioning from a static governance approach to acting in real-time and nurturing business collaboration is a cloud governance challenge. A modern governance strategy must enable administrators to identify, assess, and act on information swiftly. Consequently, this fosters a flexible environment for business users to operate in to reach their individual needs. Strategies such as blanket permission restrictions and reducing user access commonly associated with the on-premises governance approach have no place in a modern cloud governance strategy.

"Yoko:10 is a prime example of first-class governance consulting," said Matthias Einig, CEO and co-founder at Rencore. "Microsoft 365 governance must account for the many governance crossovers and stakeholders. You need to not only act on issues internally and externally but pass the information on to those with whom you have shared responsibility and accountability. Yoko:10 deliver this for their clients perfectly.

Yoko:10 incorporates Rencore technology at the early stage of Microsoft 365 service deployment, such as Teams, to implement a cloud-first governance approach that scales and aligns with the modern needs of the business user. Rencore technology helps Yoko:10 transition their clients from a static governance approach to acting in real-time, nurturing business collaboration, and helping IT staying in control of the ever-growing cloud.

Rencore Governance bridges that gap between making sound governance decisions, and the ability to manage and enforce those decisions proactively, said Alex Eggar, CEO at Yoko:10. Now we have Rencore, were able to complete our standard Microsoft 365 governance planning process, whilst also provide our customers with a way to monitor whether the agreed governance is being followed. Rencores extensive Microsoft 365 inventory reporting also simplifies the employee offboarding process, and general lifecycle management, for internal IT departments. For us, Rencore is a no-brainer for any organization serious about Microsoft 365 governance, or simply looking to simplify the overall monitoring and management of Microsoft 365 services and identities.

Rencore Governance connects to a Microsoft 365 tenant allowing organizations to choose which services they would like to monitor. Upon receiving an inventory of data, organizations can set up governance checks that meet their specific needs. By continuous monitoring, Rencore Governance assesses any violations against running checks. When a violation is discovered, the tool allows you to automate notifications, reports, and even actions to resolve the issue.

If you would like to see how Yoko:10 successfully utilizes Rencore Governance, please attend the upcoming webinar.

Alternatively, please click the following links for more information on Rencore Governance and Yoko:10.

For further comments or information please contact Rencore today.
Straightforward and concise, Miguel Rosados short guide The Creation of Gods and Religions: A Simple Explanation (published by Archway Publishing) examines the history of various world religions, their development and change over time, and their effects of people.

Many people accept their religion to be the one true religion with the real God without inquiring about how they came to that decision, according to the author. He also talks about how todays religions were different or non-existent two thousand years ago. The Creation of Gods and Religions takes readers into the journey of the creations of gods and religions to help reader analyze their beliefs and make a more informed decision.

Rosado hopes his book inspires readers to Question everything about your religious belief.

The Creation of Gods and Religions is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Creation-Gods-Religions-Simple-Explanation-ebook/dp/B09DKY1F5C.

The Creation of Gods and Religions

By Miguel Rosado

Hardcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 26 pages | ISBN 9781665706902

Softcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 26 pages | ISBN 9781665706896

E-Book | 26 pages | ISBN 9781665706919

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Miguel A Rosado is the average person struggling with the big questions about God and religions. The Creation of Gods and Religions book is a summary of the vast amount of information that helped him to be at peace with those questions. His 22 years military career exposed him to many people and cultures which allowed him to gain a broader perspective on the subject.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.
The Insurance industry Charitable Foundation, a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, today released the key takeaways and learnings from the 2021 IICF Inclusion in Insurance Forum. The findings were detailed in a white paper titled Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Insurance: Advancing Ideas into Action. These learnings set the tone for how the insurance industry can progress DEI, innovation and wellness initiatives for a more productive, healthier and inclusive workplace.

The white paper defines and discusses actionable items from the sessions around the conferences themes of: Diversity, equity and inclusion; wellness and the future of work.

Identified in the report is a commonality among industry professionals that all voices must be heard, and all people must be encouraged to contribute to a successful future. A broad range of views from across industries, specialties and geographies are represented and highlighted in this white paper, including chief diversity, inclusion and accessibility professionals, top insurance industry executives and wellness experts from the US, UK, France and more. These leaders share ideas around advancing diversity and inclusion during a time of renewed focus, on creating space to concentrate on mental health and wellness, as well as on looking to the current workforce to understand the future of work.

In a year known for its trials and challenges related to COVID-19, natural disasters, social unrest and more, it was more important than ever to convene the insurance industry to discuss critical topics and identify actionable steps to continue to move the industry forward, said IICF Vice President, Chief Program Officer and Executive Director, Northeast Division, Elizabeth Myatt. This report showcases the progress that has been made and more expansive definition of diversity and delivers the next steps individuals and companies can and should consider to continue advancing ideas into action.

Other important takeaways and learnings highlighted in the report, include the following:



To be successful and intentional, DEI must be interwoven into everything an organization does.

The industry is at an inflection point; employers must recognize the importance of investing in human capital and championing DEI.

On average, companies with diverse management teams experienced a 19 percent increase in revenue compared to less diverse companies.

Todays employees are looking for companies to share their passions and values and promote work-life balance.

To view the full white paper please click here.

Registration will open shortly for IICFs 2022 IICF Inclusion in Insurance Regional Forums in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and London, where the exploration of critical life and work issues including DEI, innovation, leadership, wellness and the future of inclusive work will continue. Registration and information regarding these events to be available soon here,

About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing $42 million in community grants along with 300,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact. IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at http://www.iicf.org or follow us on social media: @doubleicf.
Immunologist Jessica Shepard and narcotics detective Alain Raynaud investigate a murder at a castle in Ireland, but secretive locals and ghosts of the past hinder their search in Carol Baums new mystery novel: Murder at the Castle Wakes Up the Dead: A Jessica Shepard Mystery (published by Archway Publishing).

Dr. Jessica Shepard, an immunologist and amateur detective of mysterious murders, travels to a coastal Irish hostelry to meet a television producer and a screenwriter interested in her past exploits. A death occurred at Castle Ryan in Victorian times and one happens during Jessicas stay there. With the help of her frequent partner in investigation, Inspector Alain Raynaud, Jessica must learn how the two deaths are related in order to solve them.

The book has a romantic setting, interesting mysteries, and colorful characters whose deepest feelings about love, death, career, and relationships are explored during the solving of two mysterious deathsone from long ago, one currentand considers how literary aspirations of female writers have evolved over time and how they have remained the same, Baum says about her book.

Murder at the Castle Wakes Up the Dead is available online for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or from Archway Publishing at: https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/827727-murder-at-the-castle-wakes-up-the-dead.

Murder at the Castle Wakes Up the Dead

By Carol Baum

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 224 pages | ISBN 9781665708968

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 224 pages | ISBN 9781665708951

E-Book | 224 pages | ISBN 9781665708944

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Carol Baum is an allergist/immunologist who practiced for 30 years before segueing into writing fiction. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and enjoys visiting her son, traveling, and writing. She is also author of Murder on the Mountaintop Leads the Way, Murder at the Art Fair Raises the Stakes and Murder at the Museum Paints a Picture. Learn more at http://www.carolbaumbooks.com.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.
Breg, Inc. introduces new B2B online store based on Intershop Intershop helps us achieve our goal by providing a platform that is feature-rich and customer-centric, giving our customers individualized, transparent and flexible solutions while delivering the highest quality.

Intershop Communications, Inc., a leading, independent provider of innovative omni-channel commerce solutions, provides the new, modernized online store for Breg, Inc., a company that provides orthopedic bracing, cold therapy and DMEPOS management services globally. Headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, the company is partner to 2,500 clinics, more than 6,000 orthopedic surgeons, and 1,500 Integrated Delivery Networks, providing DMEPOS products to more than five million patients annually. With the go-live of Bregs new e-commerce cloud platform based on Intershop, Breg digitalizes and improves the user experience for customers and employees with an innovative, state-of-the-art customer portal. Intershop was selected as the desired platform partner due to its extensive, rapidly available B2B functionalities as well as the flexibility and customizability of the platform.

The new online store enables Breg to process orders transparently and with maximum efficiency. Now training documents and product usage instructions are easily accessible and available 24/7. DSS Partners Intershop Accelerator Store (DIAS) also enables Breg to provide their key customers with their own sales portal featuring individual branding and simplified billing. After logging in via single sign-on (SSO), sales reps and customers can process multiple orders quickly, and easily switch between different locations using a dropdown menu to see client-specific information. By implementing an additional invoice management portal based on DIAS, billing information can quickly be retrieved from Bregs ERP to compile all important information in a central customer view. The loosely coupled, real-time integration of the Intershop Commerce Platform with Bregs ERP provides customers and staff with real-time inventory information such as availability and prices, simplifying the management and maintenance of product details. Breg provides their customers a bulk ordering feature so they can quickly purchase multiple variants of the same product. As a manufacturer of orthopedic products, its critical for Breg to provide its customers with the highest standards and deliver its premium products as quickly and efficiently as possible, allowing patients to begin their healing.

Our goal at Breg is to provide support at every step of the orthopedic journey for our customers and their patients, said Taylor Fitzpatrick, Bregs Customer Experience Manager. Intershop helps us achieve that goal by providing a platform that is feature-rich and customer-centric, giving our customers individualized, transparent and flexible solutions while delivering the highest quality. It also helps us comply with the specific requirements and regulations demanded in our industry, Fitzpatrick added.

The implementation of the project has been executed by Intershops long-standing Platinum PartnerDSS Partners.

Andy Stanis, Managing Director, Americas at Intershop: Together with DSS Partners, we were able to define Bregs specific needs and leverage the full potential of our Intershop Commerce Platform for a customer-centric buying experience. With Breg, we have gained a dynamic and innovative customer that we are fortunate enough to support with our products and services. We are proud to bring our platform to the important distribution of orthopedic products.

About Breg

Breg makes orthopedic bracing and devices, but more than that, the company makes durable medical equipment programs easier for our customers every step of the way, from hurt to healthy. Breg is committed to supporting practitioners through comprehensive partnerships, supporting patients with high-quality products and services, and delivering seamless support to facilities navigating the complexities of modern healthcare.

As the largest U.S. provider of cold therapy devices and second largest domestic provider of orthopedic bracing, Breg provides products to millions of patients annually. Founded in 1989, Breg is based in Carlsbad, CA, and is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. Visit http://www.breg.com.

About Intershop

Intershop (founded in Germany 1992; Prime Standard: ISHA) enables the worlds leading manufacturers and wholesalers to digitalize, transform, and boost their businesses. Our e-commerce platform and cloud-based technology give B2B companies the power to establish and expand their digital presence, improve customer experience, and increase online revenue. With more than 25 years experience and a global presence, we help our 300+ clients turn products into profits, customers into business partners, and transactions into lasting relationships.

Intershop is built to boost your business. Learn more at http://www.intershop.com.
OWLs marketplace now meets the requirements of buyers and suppliers in Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific Countries (APAC), Latin America, Canada, & U.S. with new locations added daily. We are extremely happy to announce the expansion of our OWL technology for the temporary housing industry worldwide. It offers direct, quick, and effortless connections to hundreds of suppliers around the world, said Alex Shahabe, President Past News Releases RSS OWL Releases White Paper Reflecting...

OWL, a collaborative marketplace for the sourcing and procurement of temporary housing, is pleased to announce the upgrade of its current technology to offer its services globally. With more than 14,000 requests sourced in just over a year, OWL now meets the requirements of buyers and suppliers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific Countries (APAC), Latin America, Canada, and the United States, with new locations added daily.

Initially, OWL provided its sourcing and procurement marketplace for the 50 U.S. States and nine Canadian Provinces. However, continued demand for the breakthrough automated technology in the industry drove the OWL executive team to take on the daunting challenge of providing global coverage for relocation management companies, suppliers, and serviced apartments providers.

"We are extremely happy to announce the expansion of our OWL technology for the temporary housing industry worldwide. It offers direct, quick, and effortless connections to hundreds of suppliers around the world. Now, companies can both offer and provide global options for their clients," said Alex Shahabe, President of OWL. "Based on our current clients' experiences and the requirements of the international market, we worked very hard to adapt each detail for the global version of our technology. As a result, we are certain it will increase OWL members profitability and contribute even more to their growth and success."

The global upgrades made in this innovative marketplace focus on the temporary housing industry making it easy for international suppliers to communicate between foreign markets. OWL members now benefit from the marketplaces current connection features and a unique global user dashboard based on the web browser's location. In addition, OWL customizes each user's experience to the specified date format, time zone, miles/kilometers, and currency of the location.

According to AFAR, the world's largest travel media brand, companies are offering employees more opportunities to work remotely, largely due in part to the ripple effects of the pandemic. As a result, countries around the world are seeing an increase in digital nomads.

"OWL continues to be one of the mobility industries leading thought leaders providing innovative technology that responds to the mobility markets' changing needs," said Kim Krollman, EVP Strategic Solutions of OWL. "We invite temporary housing industry companies worldwide to join OWL and be a part of our marketplace. With OWL as your ally, you can easily connect with new business opportunities worldwide."

For more information and to get started on OWL, visit https://owlmarketplace.com or request more details at info@owlmarketplace.com.

About OWL

Founded in 2020 by Alex Shahabe, San Diego-headquartered OWL provides a marketplace for providers to both source and be sourced for long and short-term temporary housing. OWL launched to facilitate a new level of convenience by offering all temporary housing providers complimentary access to fill vacancies and bid on housing requests that best fit their companies' inventory style. For more information, visit https://owlmarketplace.com or email info@owlmarketplace.com.
Built to last for maximum reliability and operational efficiency, Quintus HPP systems are designed with an economical smaller footprint for fast installation, ease of use, and streamlined maintenance. The new generation of Quintus HPP systems will help processors continue the innovation stream of high-margin, value-added products while maintaining production efficiencies through high system availability and controlled service costs. --Jan Soderstrom, CEO and President of Quintus Technologies

Pioneering and leading the advancement of high pressure technologies for nearly three-quarters of a century, Quintus Technologies today announces its re-entry into food and beverage high pressure processing (HPP) applications through innovative new HPP equipment and customized service solutions.

Quintus Technologies has identified a need in the food industry market for improved options for HPP systems and services. As the former manufacturing and engineering arm of Avure Technologies, and with our core competency and rich history in high pressure applications, it is natural that we once again bring our expertise to this arena, says Jan Soderstrom, CEO and President of Quintus Technologies.

High Pressure Processing is recognized globally as the premium minimal-processing technique that enables the production of safer, preservative-free refrigerated foods and beverages with superior nutritional benefits and taste. Surging from novel to mainstream technology in less than a decade, HPP has become an ideal method for processors to protect their brands against recalls, develop new products, extend shelf life, enhance quality, and boost profitability.

Quintus press offerings are accompanied by comprehensive application know-how and best-in-class after-market technical and application support. The food science experts at the companys HPP Application Centers in the U.S., Sweden, and China will be available to advise processors on everything from ingredient choices to optimizing processing parameters for maximum ROI. They provide product development support and in-house validation services, allowing customers to make comprehensive evaluations of new recipes, packaging, regulatory requirements, and more.

The unique mechanical and digital solutions incorporated in the new Quintus presses, such as the wire-wound frame and cylinder for safety and lighter weight, reflect the companys legacy as the high pressure pioneer. Built to last for maximum reliability and operational efficiency, Quintus HPP systems are designed with an economical smaller footprint for fast installation and ease of operation and maintenance.

The Quintus press was the world's first high pressure press, a design that was used to manufacture synthetic diamonds and other products, notes Ed Williams, General Manager  Americas, Quintus Technologies. A very large percentage of our systems installed 30+ years ago are still operational today.

As befits our undisputed leadership position, Mr. Williams continues, we are also introducing the industrys best HPP service program, Quintus Care, whose commitments will be met by veteran field service engineers with many years of experience in high pressure presses.

Quintus Care includes prioritized 24/7 technical support, guaranteed access to spare parts, on-site assistance within 24 hours, and site visits including operator and maintenance training. The program also includes extensive application support, ensuring that customers can take full advantage of the HPP technology. Periodic maintenance and annual inspections assure customers that their HPP equipment stays in prime working condition to meet productivity expectations and reduce the risk of unplanned stops.

The range of products benefitting from high pressure processing has expanded exponentially from the first commercialized product, preservative-free guacamole, to todays large variety of food products, Mr. Soderstrom observes.

Processors now are looking not only to continue the innovation stream of high-margin, value-added products, but to maintain production efficiencies through high system availability and controlled service costs. The new generation of Quintus HPP systems will help them accomplish these goals, he concludes.

About Quintus Technologies

Quintus Technologies is the global leader in high pressure technology. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high pressure systems in three main areas: densification of advanced materials; sheet metal forming; and high pressure processing for food and beverage innovation, safety, and shelf life. Quintus has delivered over 1,900 systems to customers within industries such as energy, medical implants, space, aerospace, automotive, and food processing. The company is headquartered in Vasteras, Sweden, with a presence in 45 countries worldwide. For more information, visit https://quintustechnologies.com/
Beginning March 2022, Jessica will begin an 18-month journey across 5 continents, traveling around the world on a motorcycle with her German Shepherd, Moxie, riding on the back. "I'm tackling this journey to inspire girls around the world to dream big and persist in reaching their goals, commented Stone.

RUFFLY has announced the Go RUFFLY Around the World fundraising event, where founder Jessica Stone will embark on a motorcycle journey with her German shepherd, Moxie, to raise funds for Girl Up  a gender equality initiative to advance girls skills, rights, and opportunities to be leaders. The year-and-a-half adventure begins on March 5, 2022, to raise $100k for Girl Up and RUFFLY is donating 10% of all dog gear sales during the fundraiser.

"I'm tackling this journey to inspire girls around the world to dream big and persist in reaching their goals, commented Stone. Becoming a motorcycle rider has helped me build self-confidence, set goals, and find my grit. I hope that girls see me tackling this challenging journey and are inspired to try something new, or something that scares them, so they can grow and gain confidence.

Upon completing the 18-month trip, Stone will be the first woman to ride a motorcycle across 5 continents with a German shepherd on the back. Stone will begin her journey from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, and will ride through North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Along her trip, Stone will be visiting Girl Up Clubs around the world and sharing stories about the impact of their work.

Stones empowering story does not end when her trip begins; She will face ongoing challenges such as harsh climates, rough road conditions, language barriers, and security concerns. German shepherd Moxie will travel safely, however, in RUFFLYs custom-made K9 Moto Cockpit alongside her owner.

"What I'm most afraid of is riding off-road, said Stone. Riding through dirt, sand, mud, and river crossings all with Moxie on the back. But the only way around is through.

Each week RUFFLY will post a new episode of the on 2 Wheels + 4 Paws travel series for supporters to follow Stone on the adventure. To find out more about the journey, donate, or partner, visit here.

About RUFFLY

Based in Los Angeles, CA, RUFFLY builds ethical outdoor dog gear to help you live extraordinary together with your dog every day. The gear is made by indigenous women artisans in Guatemala, and pairs naturally dyed textiles with top-quality hardware. RUFFLY prides itself on sustainability, ethical practices, and paying living wages.

About Girl Up

Girl Up is a movement to advance girls skills, rights, and opportunities to be leaders  working toward a world where girls can reach their fullest potential. With 4,500 Clubs in more than 125 countries and all 50 U.S. states, Girl Up has impacted the lives of more than 97,000 girls. Through leadership development training, Girl Up gives girls the resources and platform to start a movement for social change wherever they are. For those who stand with us in this movement, there is no rest until we achieve equal rights for every girl. Because when girls rise, we all rise.

Girl Up was founded by the United Nations Foundation in 2010, and continues to work across a global community of partners to achieve gender equality worldwide.
SEOblog.com, a fast-growing website providing the latest SEO news, tips and resources and helping business owners connect with leading digital marketing and SEO agencies, has released its exclusive 2021 ratings naming the best Philadelphia SEO companies in the United States.

SEOblog analysts determined the 16 best Philadelphia SEO companies based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each digital marketing agencys website, social media experience, market presence, client list, portfolio, expert certifications and authorship, among other factors in its ranking system.

SEOblog has provided an in-depth view of companies in a particular city or focus area on various directory pages to help business owners find the expert help they need to grow. This was a new, free offer added by SEOblog in 2019.

The U.S. boasts several top Philadelphia SEO agencies that contribute to a highly competitive digital marketing landscape.

SEOblog.com rankings are updated regularly as the market shifts and new players emerge. SEOblog.com has published more than 2,300 agency listings, with more added every day. There is no fee to participate, and the website welcomes all qualified agencies to apply.

SEOblog.coms 16 Best Philadelphia SEO Companies in 2021:

WebFX, Renaissance, Momentum Digital, SEO Locale, 215 Marketing, Seer Interactive, Direct Line Development, Vici Media, NuStream, Majux Marketing, Creative MMS, DMi Partners, Total Web Company, IntuitSolutions, SEO Digital Group and Power Marketing International.

Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/philadelphia/

About SEOblog.com

SEOblog.com is a leading thought leadership site with a rich history of publishing educational and informative articles about SEO and digital marketing topics. In early 2019, SEOblog.com answered the call from buyers of digital marketing services that lacked unbiased, informative online resources and launched a comprehensive directory to highlight the best SEO companies in the United States -- https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/.

SEOblogs mission is to connect businesses with qualified digital marketing agencies while also offering further SEO education, best practices and industry trends.

SEOblog.com is a one-stop shop for educational SEO and digital marketing content, research, ratings and reviews for the best agencies in each local market across the United States. The website will be increasing its coverage of U.S. SEO agencies and accepting more guest blog posts in the coming months. Contact SEOblog if youre interested in getting involved.
Billy Menamin is a native of Northern Ireland who was a teenager when The Troubles intensified there in 1969. He wanted to show how the lives of people who did not participate in the Northern Ireland Troubles were still affected by the violence and from rigid traditional mindsets. It is for this reason he has written Mary Whyte Was Right Pedro (published by AuthorHouse UK), a tale of several teenagers living in Northern Ireland during troubled times as they mature, face challenges and realize the power of one encounter.

It is October 1969 in Northern Ireland as violence has erupted, threatening the peace of the land and its people. Before heading out on the town for the night, four boys  all named Billy  decide to give each other nicknames. As the Billys, now named Pedro, Pablo, Cochise and Rodin, arrive at the Flamingo Ballroom, Rodin spots three girls he has never seen before. One of the girls is Mary Whyte, a Roman Catholic from Rasharkin, a village outside Ballymoney. Her companions are her sister, Bronagh, and their cousin, Niamh.

After spending some time together, Mary completely captures Rodins mind and heart. When they all bid each other farewell, no one realizes the impact that the encounter will have on all of them, but especially Rodin. As the chain of events unfolds over the years, their lives take unusual turns that lead to an unfortunate estrangement, an eventual reunion and a monumental dying wish.

This story is told from the point of view of the majority of people in Northern Ireland at that time; keep away from violence. Keep your head down, take sensible precautions and live the best life you can in the circumstances, Menamin says. When asked what he wants readers to take away from the book, he answers, That sectarianism/racism need to be challenged, if not verbally, then by living contrary to these dictats. Fundamental conservative mindsets are a blight in every area of life. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en-gb/bookstore/bookdetails/830798-mary-whyte-was-right-pedro

Mary Whyte Was Right Pedro

By Billy Menamin

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 84 pages | ISBN 9781665590075

E-Book | 84 pages | ISBN 9781665590068

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Billy Menamin is a former accountant. He has been married for more than 40 years. This is his first book.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8641.
Skyllful, a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use mobile apps and devices more efficiently and effectively, today announced a new partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and its UTDesign Capstone program that connects engineering and computer science students with local companies in a collaborative effort to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Skyllfuls partnership will connect UTD graduating seniors with the companys work developing enhancements and new features for its technology platform that provides on-device, on-demand training to frontline workers through scenario-based simulations. Three student teams will work specifically on innovation projects to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), big data and expanded Learning Management System (LMS) support into Skyllfuls existing platform functionality.

We look forward to working with UTDs talented computer science and engineering students, said Ben Bishop, vice president of digital experience and technology at Skyllful. Gaining work experience in a real-world setting is so valuable for students looking to kickstart their careers and well greatly benefit from their fresh perspectives on a variety of innovative projects over the next few months.

The UTDesign Capstone program joins senior engineering and computer science students with companies looking to undertake and complete various innovative projects over a several-month program. Previous program sponsors include Cisco, Texas Instruments, Raytheon Technologies, and many more. To date, 3,811 students have completed UTD Capstone projects through 786 sponsored projects. Projects created with various companies throughout this program have won nine national first-place awards since 2014.

We are excited to team up with Skyllful to provide a group of our students with the opportunity to work with a local technology company like Skyllful thats at the forefront of innovation, said Rod Wetterskog, assistant dean, Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at UTD. Throughout the history of our UTDesign Capstone program, we have seen great success with our students who have developed several award-winning projects with various companies in a variety of industries. We look forward to seeing the fruits of our partnership with Skyllful.

Skyllfuls platform is the first and only digital adoption platform built expressly for mobile workers. It supports both new digital deployments and onboarding of new hires and is designed for project managers, change management leaders and IT leaders, proven to increase productivity and maximize investments in technology. Skyllfuls platform has been recognized this year with three major industry awards for its innovation and excellence: a 2021 SaaS Award for Best SaaS Product for Learning Management or Training; a Gold prize for Best Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution at the 19th Annual American Business Awards; and a 2021 BIG Innovation Award from Business Intelligence Group.

About Skyllful

Skyllful is a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use enterprise mobile apps more efficiently and effectively in their delivery of essential products and services. With deep expertise in leading mobile technology and best practice field deployments as well as a leadership team with decades of experience working with large mobile workforces and applications, Skyllful provides on-device, on-demand training through scenario-based simulations. Whether a company is deploying a new mission-critical workforce app or seeking to improve its workforce engagement with existing apps, the Skyllful platform is easy to use, intuitively designed and proven to increase productivity and deliver greater returns on investment in technology. Skyllful is based in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas. For more information, visit https://www.skyllful.com and follow on Twitter @Skyllfulco.
Stellar MLS, the nation's third-largest MLS, announced today its plans to launch a new platform to streamline access to its products and services. In partnership with Remine and MoxiWorks, Stellar MLS will co-develop a platform that alleviates the pain points of today's real estate professionals as they move through their real estate journey.

"We serve and support a wide range of professionals at all stages of their real estate career," said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS. "We also work with technology providers across the real estate ecosystem to deliver best-in-class technology to our customers. While going through the ideation process, we felt it was important to develop and configure a platform that makes it easy to customize individual experiences for Stellar customers."

Stellar MLS serves over 70,000 real estate professionals across Florida and Puerto Rico. The organization provides a suite of over 24 products included in its membership. Each year the company produces a technology track that continuously guides its investments based on data analysis and customer feedback.

MoxiWorks, who powers the technology for 800 brokerages and 400,000 agents across the U.S. and Canada, will power this new platform through their innovative technology.

"MoxiWorks believes in a future where we remove the barriers and competition between brokerages and MLSs," said York Baur, CEO of Moxiworks. "The innovation we're designing and building for StellarMLS takes the data-first best practices of our open platform  the MoxiCloud  and combines them with a revitalized experience to create a streamlined digital environment for Stellar MLS members."

As all three organizations continue to collaborate through the development process, Remine will spearhead the platform's single sign-on experience to simplify the login process for Stellar customers.

"To remain successful and at the top of their game, busy agents and brokers need powerful tools at their fingertips. This partnership sets a new industry standard of innovation between brokers and MLS technology and echoes our mission to modernize the digital real estate journey. Remine's modular approach and Stellar's commitment to providing customers with easy access to best-in-class resources creates a dynamic foundation to power the businesses of today's real estate professionals," said Tim Dain, VP and GM of MLS at Remine.

With aggressive expansion goals, Stellar MLS remains focused on achieving a broker and agent-centric service model. The collaboration between all three organizations aims to set an innovation standard to help scale MLS operations and deliver a world-class user experience to MLS customers in early 2022.

About Stellar MLS

Stellar MLS invests in people and technology to give brokers and agents the access they deserve to trusted, standardized data. With over 70,000 customers and a dynamic vision, Stellar MLS is poised to help brokers and their agents thrive in tomorrow's competitive real estate market with a comprehensive suite of the industry's best products and world-class customer service. Today, Stellar MLS makes the market work for real estate agents and brokers in 19 REALTOR Associations throughout Central and Southwest Florida and in Puerto Rico. Learn more at StellarMLS.com.

About MoxiWorks

MoxiWorks is a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages that serves over 800 brokerages and more than 400,000 agents nationwide that account for more than 20% of the transactions in the U.S. Their integrated tools are centered on sphere methodology that increases agents repeat and referral business by 54%, while lowering overall technology, training, and support costs for the brokerage. The open platform known as the MoxiCloud has tools from more than 100 partners that integrate to create unique brokerage solutions. Find more information at moxiworks.com.

About Remine

Remine is transforming MLS software solutions. We offer a complete MLS 2.0 operating system for MLSs, including Remine Pro (a full front-end operating system), Add/Edit, Database, and RESO Platinum API solutions. In addition, Remine offers SSO Dashboard, Docs+ Transaction Management, and MLS Website. The organization is headquartered in Northern Virginia with remote employees across the US and in Canada. Remine is ISO 27001 Certified. For more information, visit info.remine.com.
Monster Tails: a delightful tale of faith and the mischievous antics of a beloved cat. Monster Tails is the creation of published author Susan Serena Marie, a proud and loving mother and grandmother who was born in 1971 and became a Christian in 2015.

Marie shares, Monster Tails is about a Siamese cat named Monster that gets adopted by a Christian family. As the kitten grows, he becomes an integral member of this family. So, as the family studies their Bible, Monster overhears their conversation. Not quite understanding their conversation, Monster goes outside and sees his friend Spock. Together the two kitties discuss the pros and cons of surrendering their hearts to Jesus. Not finding any downside to the proposition, Monster prays with Spock the prayer of salvation.

Monster Tails is the first book in a series of seven childrens books. It chronicles the tales and adventures of a Siamese cat, who learns to trust in the love of Jesus. In these adventures, Monster is repeatedly shown Gods love and mercy. Overtime, Monster becomes an avid follower of Christ as well as a passionate advocate of the Great Commission. The author modeled the characters after her own family pets, and used stories from her own life to color them. Every book then closes with different Bible verses about Gods overwhelming love and providence.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Susan Serena Maries new book is a charming opportunity to discuss accepting Jesus into ones life.

With a fun and lighthearted narrative paired with entertaining imagery, the author presents an inspiring, faith-based childrens tale.

View a synopsis of Monster Tails on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Monster Tails at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Monster Tails, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
The HeroZona Foundation is excited to announce a special panel of the Bridge Forum, Young Voices Leading the Change, during which a panel of young Arizona law enforcement and community leaders will discuss best practices for improving community initiatives and relations. The event will take place Monday, Sept. 27 from 8 to 10 a.m. at The Saguaro Scottsdale (4000 N. Drinkwater Blvd). The invitation-only event is supported by the NAACP East Valley Branch, Greater Phoenix Urban League, Black Chamber of Arizona, African American Christian Clergy Association, 100 Black Men of Phoenix and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Phoenix. The forum will also be livestreamed to the public at Facebook.com/HeroZonaOrg/Live.

Event panelists include Mesa Police Department Officers Richard Ensinas and Anthony Stockton, Scottsdale Police Department Officers Derick Fluellen and Margaret Diaz, Tempe Police Department Officers Lindsey Fernandez and Steve Carbajal, NAACP East Valley Branch Representative Kiana Sears, Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals Representative Jerry McPherson, Black Chamber of Arizona President and CEO Robin Reed, African American Christian Clergy Association Representative John Talley III, 100 Black Men of Phoenix Representative Rabbanni FurQaan and NCBW 100 Phoenix Metropolitan Chapter Representative Donna Williams.

We are excited to hear from young law enforcement officers and start a dialogue about how we can better support them in keeping our communities safe, says Alan AP Powell, Chairman of AP & Associates - Strategic Alliances and U.S. Army Desert-Storm Veteran. By putting their thoughts, ideas and experiences front and center, we can learn more about what their generation needs to be successful in this important line of work.

The event will be moderated by the President & CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, National Director of the Million Man March, and Assistant to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Dr. Chavis first received international recognition in 1971 as the leader of the Wilmington Ten, when he was wrongfully convicted of committing arson and received the longest sentence before winning his appeal in 1980.

Special guests of the event include U.S. Representative for Arizona's 6th Congressional District David Schweikert and Maricopa County District 2 Supervisor Steve Chucri.

The event is sponsored by Maricopa County, City of Scottsdale, APS, Mega 104.3, 101.1 The Bounce, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Andrew & Amy Cohn, Loyalty Restaurant & Lounge and the Saguaro Scottsdale.

In January 2018, the Scottsdale Police Department implemented 29 new initiatives from the 2017 Scottsdale Bridge Forum, which included establishing sufficient resources for police personnel dealing with trauma, establishing dialogue opportunities with under-served communities, enhancing engagement with the communitys youth and identifying ways to address the needs of the community related to behavioral health.

For more information about the Bridge Forum and to stream its upcoming event on Monday, Sept. 27, visit Facebook.com/HeroZonaOrg.

About the HeroZona Foundation

The HeroZona Foundation is a non-profit organization that empowers Heroes in the community through entrepreneurship, employment, and education. The group works with veterans, first responders and those that bring social good to future generations and under-served communities. The foundations mission is to create opportunities for the brave men and women who serve their country, and community, every day. For more information, please visit HeroZona.org.
Personal Injury & Elder Abuse Attorney Brian Murphy handles Nursing Home Cases of Neglect and Abuse

Providing client representation for nursing home abuse and neglect in the Philadelphia area, all of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the state of New Jersey has given Brian Murphy an inside look into what families and loved ones use as selection criteria. One of the most heavily relied upon sources is the star rating system. This system, created 12 years ago by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide an easy metric for the public to choose a nursing home, utilizes data reported from the nursing homes themselves. Higher rankings translate to more business and, particularly for the 70 percent of for-profit American nursing homes, to higher profits: According to a NY Times publication, five-star homes make about $2,000 per bed, whereas low-ranked homes operate at a loss.

An eye-opening revelation and one that will be upsetting to the many loved ones who rely on these ratings, this data is rarely audited despite the incentive presented by these circumstances for homes to manipulate their ratings with false reports. Unfortunately, when comparing actual data with that submitted to CMS by nursing homes, the NY Times found that incorrect data was frequently reported, almost always inflating a homes image regarding safety, staffing, and quality of care. This could possibly explain the overwhelming number of nursing home abuse and neglect cases that are discovered by loved ones each year and brought to The Law Firm of Brian P. Murphy, PC, for consideration. If families had accurate data to review, many of these nursing homes would have been ruled out when it came to choosing a nursing home.

As a recap, the NYT report outlined how nursing homes manipulated information or attempted to cheat the system in order to increase ranking. For instance, nursing homes were often tipped off about impending inspections in order to mask in advance any wrongdoingand even when inspections did reveal instances of abuse and neglect at five-star facilities, these findings rarely impacted CMS ratings.

The investigation also revealed how some nursing homes inflated staffing levels to suggest a greaterand saferratio of staff to residents than actually exists. Staffing issues are often behind such prevalent instances of nursing home neglect as malnutrition, nursing home falls, and bed sores. Another common practice to achieve boosted ranking includes the tendency of nursing homes to underreport injuries like falls and bedsores.

Bed sores, also called pressure ulcers, develop when residents are left too long in a single position. Ignored bedsores can quickly progress into acute wounds that invite dangerous infections and, in severe cases, can result in death. According to the NY Times, those 5-star nursing homes that concealed grave shortcomings had some patients whose pressure sores (aka, pressure ulcers) had progressed to the point that bones were exposed, while others with severe pressure injuries lost mobility.

Research cited by the article indicates that half of deadly bedsore occurrences go unreported by nursing homes. The statistics regarding underreported falls are similarly grim: Forty percent of residents hospitalized by serious falls are not reported to Medicare. In those circumstances where nursing home residents are hospitalized due to potential abuse and neglect, only 16 percent of incidents are reported.

The sobering consequence of nursing homes efforts to conceal their shortcomings and improve their ratings is the total undermining of a system intended to help the public find the best and safest nursing homes possible for their loved ones. According to the findings, not much difference exists between 1-star and 5-star homes in matters of safety, staffing, and quality of care. And once the pandemic struck, it was these deficiencies that contributed to the rampant spread of the coronavirus, irrespective of the star rating.

About The Law Firm of Brian P. Murphy, PC

For over 15 years, Brian P. Murphy, Esq., has devoted his practice to fighting for the rights of nursing home residents. In 2015, he established The Law Firm of Brian P. Murphy, PC, with the intent of helping nursing home abuse victims in NJ and PA. Mr. Murphy is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is dedicated to holding accountable New Jersey and Philadelphia/Pennsylvania nursing homes responsible for nursing home neglect, abuse, and fraud. Mr. Murphy has litigated hundreds of nursing home cases involving bed sores, falls, malnutrition, dehydration, physical/sexual abuse, and wrongful death. He has authored various articles and lectured locally and nationally to fellow attorneys about effective strategies for holding nursing homes responsible for neglect and abuse of their residents. For more information please contact Brian P. Murphy directly at (215) 579-8500, or visit http://www.thenursinghomeattorneys.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders.
We are incredibly proud of the achievements of all three of these individuals, and the passionate spirit that they bring to our teams in driving the development of novel materials and continued enhancements for semiconductor fabrication.

DuPont Electronics & Industrial today announced that three of its scientists in its Semiconductor Technologies business group have recently been honored with industry recognitions for their work in developing materials for advanced semiconductor fabrication.

In July 2021, Emad Aqad, Ph.D., was recognized with the 2020-2021 Asian American Most Promising Engineer of the Year Award. The Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (AAEOY) program is a recognition established to honor the most distinguished US-based professionals for their leadership, technical achievements and public service. The AAEOY program is hosted by the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA (CIE/USA).

Dr. Aqad is a principal investigator based at the DuPont Electronics & Industrial site in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Dr. Aqad was nominated by his peers for his outstanding scientific contributions in developing sophisticated lithographic materials for semiconductor fabrication, including photoresists for advanced patterning technologies such as KrF, ArF and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. His expertise also extends to the design and development of spin-on carbon platforms, as well as directed self-assembly and other materials for pattern miniaturization. Numerous materials developed by Dr. Aqad have been successfully commercialized, including innovations which have been established as the process-of-record for leading integrated circuit fabricators at advanced technology nodes.

In August 2021, Alaaeddin Alsbaiee, Ph.D., was named to the 2021 Chemical & Engineering News' (C&EN) Talented 12. The C&EN Talented 12 program recognizes early career scientists who are making their mark on industry and global challenges. As part of this recognition, Dr. Alsbaiee has been invited to speak at the C&EN Talented 12 Symposium on September 28, where he will present a talk titled, "Imagination Sparks Creativity in Polymer Science."

Dr. Alsbaiee is a research investigator based at the DuPont Electronics & Industrial site in Newark, Delaware. Dr. Alsbaiee is part of a team developing novel polishing pad technology for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processes. Continued innovations in CMP pads allow customers to meet diverse application and performance requirements for all technology nodes.

Most recently, Jae Hwan Sim, Ph.D., was named an International Fellow of the Industrial & Engineering Chemistry (I&EC) Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The I&EC Division of ACS has a focus on helping individuals convert science into commercially relevant products. I&EC Fellowships recognize scientists and engineers who have made a significant contribution to the chemical industry.

Dr. Sim is a principal investigator in the Litho Technologies business, based at the DuPont Korea Technology Center in Hwaseong, Korea. Dr. Sim was recognized for his work in developing a wide array of advanced technologies including novel gap-filling, bottom antireflective coating (BARC), and EUV lithography underlayer materials to enable complex, high-resolution lithographic processes. He is a named inventor on over 15 granted patents and has contributed to the successful commercialization of over 10 new product offerings for the fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices.

These prestigious third-party recognitions are a true testament to the caliber of our talent globally and their wide-reaching industry impact, said Cathie Markham, vice president of R&D, DuPont Electronics & Industrial. We are incredibly proud of the achievements of all three of these individuals, and the passionate spirit that they bring to our teams in driving the development of novel materials and continued enhancements for semiconductor fabrication.

About DuPont Electronics & Industrial

DuPont Electronics & Industrial is a global supplier of new technologies and performance materials serving the semiconductor, circuit board, display, digital and flexographic printing, healthcare, aerospace, industrial and transportation industries. From advanced technology centers worldwide, teams of talented research scientists and application experts work closely with customers, providing solutions, products and technical service to enable next-generation technologies.

About DuPont

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at http://www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com.

# # #

09/21/21

DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ,  or  are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.


Diverse customer payloads from 1U up to 50U can be hosted on Xplores XLEO service. | Credit: Xplore Inc. "We appreciate this investment in Xplore and are proud to be a trusted non-traditional defense contractor for NSIC" -- Lisa Rich, Founder & COO

Xplore Inc., a commercial space company providing Space as a Service, today announced it has received a $2M contract from National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) of the Department of Defense (DoD). This funding will accelerate the development of the Xcraft spacecraft platform, culminating with launch in 2023.

Lisa Rich, Founder and COO of Xplore said, "The significant funding NSIC has provided ensures U.S. government and commercial customers will have speedy access to our affordable Xcraft platform. This $2M award will expedite component acquisitions and accelerate our flight program. We appreciate this investment in Xplore and are proud to be a trusted non-traditional defense contractor for NSIC."

Xplore's standard Xcraft high-performance, high reliability ESPA-class platform provides hosting and other services for a wide variety of customers and payloads. The Xcraft was purposefully designed for use in low Earth orbit, cislunar space and beyond, to destinations including Venus, Mars and the asteroids. The company's first Xcraft LEO (XLEO) mission in 2023 will directly benefit from NSIC funding.

Xplore invites payload customers to discover hosting opportunities on its XLEO missions. The XLEO service is designed to host a wide variety of customer payloads - from as small as 1U to as large as 50U or more. This service allows customers to focus on their primary business goals without the added time and expense of procuring, launching and operating dedicated satellites. Xplore currently has a Memorandum of Understanding with Accion Systems for XLEO to host TILE, Accion's next generation ion thruster.

Other impacts of this funding will be evidenced by the company's recent collaboration with W. M. Keck Observatory, enabling Xplore to accelerate its timeline for the Xplore Space Telescope (XST) missions. These operations will begin soon after the XLEO launches. The Xcraft platform will form the basis for the family of XSTs with missions planned in LEO and the cislunar space region. Commercial space-based telescopes will offer the astronomical community many more options to perform their observations than currently available, and these services will reach market sooner due to the support NSIC has provided to Xplore.

In addition to accelerating the Xcraft, this award is notable for the accelerated pace at which the contract was negotiated. Lisa Rich said, "We were thrilled to negotiate this contract from start to finish in just 21 days. NSIC is clearly committed to Xplore's success; we are impressed with their ability to expedite and operate at the speed of business."

About Xplore

Xplore is a commercial space company offering Space as a Service. Xplore provides hosted payloads, communication relay services and exclusive datasets to its customers via solutions provided by its Xcraft and LightCraft multi-mission platforms. Xplore's mission is to expand robotic exploration via commercial missions at and beyond Earth, to the Moon, Mars, Venus, Lagrange points and near-Earth asteroids, for commercial companies, national space agencies, national security agencies, sovereign space agencies and non-profit entities.

Visit: https://www.xplore.com

Xplore's team is rapidly moving toward flight programs and is currently recruiting space professionals. Employees at Xplore enjoy competitive benefits and a friendly work environment. Openings at their 22,000 square foot Redmond campus include operations and engineering roles. Applicants may visit Xplore's career page for details.

Visit: https://www.xplore.com/careers.html

Companies are welcome to email payload_hosting@xplore.com for more information on payload accommodations on the Xcraft's LEO mission.

About NSIC

Housed within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) is a new Department of Defense (DoD) initiative that provides funding to early-stage hardware startups commercializing dual-use technologies critical to national security and economic competitiveness. NSIC enables such startups to advance key milestones in their product development plans by addressing the shortfall of private investment from trusted sources.

Media Contacts:

Xplore

Allie Hannigan

media@xplore.com

(206) 414-9651

NSIC

media@diu.mil
The original proponents of trigger warnings on campus argued that they would empower students suffering from trauma to delve into difficult material. The point is not to enable  let alone encourage  students to skip readings or our subsequent class discussion, the philosopher Kate Manne wrote in The New York Times. Its about enabling everyones rational engagement.

Now, about a decade after trigger warnings arrived on college campuses, its clear that an avoidance rationale is officiallycompeting with the original lean-in logic.

A recent Inside Higher Ed piece by Michael Bugeja, an Iowa State journalism professor, is emblematic of this shift. In light of the tumultuous times (a mental-health pandemic, ongoing sexual violence and racism, the anxiety of returning to in-person instruction), Bugeja says that trigger warnings are needed now more than ever. All faculty members should follow his lead, he argues, and include detailed trigger warnings on their syllabi accompanied by the following note: You dont have to attend class if the content elicits an uncomfortable emotional response.



When debates about trigger warnings first erupted, there was little-to-no research on their effectiveness. Today we have an emerging body of peer-reviewed research to consult.

The consensus, based on 17 studies using a range of media, including literature passages, photographs, and film clips: Trigger warnings do not alleviate emotional distress. They do not significantly reduce negative affect or minimize intrusive thoughts, two hallmarks of PTSD. Notably, these findings hold for individuals with and without a history of trauma. (For a review of the relevant research, see the 2020 Clinical Psychological Science article Helping or Harming? The Effect of Trigger Warnings on Individuals With Trauma Histories by Payton J. Jones, Benjamin W. Bellet, and Richard J. McNally.)



Read the whole story: The Chronicle of Higher Education
When former Crown publisher Molly Stern started her own publishing house, Zando, last fall, she said that one of the publisher's goals was to bring in high-profile publishing partners who could develop their own imprints or lists. Stern has now announced the first two partners in the effort: author Gillian Flynn and screenwriter, producer, and actress Lena Waithe.

Both Flynn and Waithe have committed to publishing four to six books each under their own imprints over a three-year span. Flynns titles will be released under the Gillian Flynn Books banner, while Waithes titles will be published under the Hillman Grad Books imprint. (Hillman Grad is the name of Waithes production company.)

In explaining the publishing partner concept, Stern said that the Zando team will work with Flynn and Waithe to identify the types of books they are most interested in publishing, while Zando's editors will make recommendations from the submissions they have received. Publishing partners are also free to choose their own authors. From there, Flynn and Waithe will provide editorial guidance to the authors and help promote the books after they are released.

Stern stressed that Zando's publishing partners must commit to using their contacts and influence to promote each title, and she is confident they will do so. This will be more than one tweet, she said. She explained that, under Zando's partnership agreements, the better the book sells, the more money the partners will make. In announcing the two agreements, Zando said Flynn and Waithe are both interested in working to discover "fresh, underrepresented" voices.

In an interview with PW, Flynn said that she appreciated the way Stern took a chance on someone who was a relatively unknown author with a manuscript that did not easily fit into one of publishing's typical categories. (Stern was the publisher of Flynns 2017 breakout hit Gone Girl, a novel that is credited with spurring the creation of the psychological thriller category.) Asked if she would like to discover the next Gillian Flynn, she said she would rather find the next un-Gillian Flynn. She added that she has a deep interest in nonfiction, and would like to find authors with original insights in that arena; she would also love to find a womans take on a western. Flynn, who is working on her next novel for Penguin Random House, said she is already reading three manuscripts.

Stern hopes to publish the first title in each imprint in late 2022, but acknowledged that the first books may not come until spring 2023. The first titles from Zando itself are expected to be published in spring 2022. Stern said she expects Zando to do a total of about 30 titles annually, and promised not to "over-publish." The Zando team now stands at 10, and the publisher will soon move into new offices on Crosby Street in New York City.
Several Christian publishing houses have plunged into the crowded childrens book market for the first time this year. Each seeks to offer something unique to kidsand the grown-ups who shop for themin challenging times. PW talked with several editors and publishers about their new mission and the titles they have planned.

IVP Kids

InterVarsity Press announced the creation of the IVP Kids imprint in February, but the decision was years in the making, says IVP managing editor Elissa Schauer who heads IVP Kids. We thought for a long time about what would it mean to do childrens books, like IVP books for adults but for kids. What would be unique to the IVP mission and vision? We thought of what we do and do well  justice, diversity, spiritual formation, discipleship.

Then, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, associate publisher and editorial director Cindy Bunch brought in a manuscript about a little boy freighted with fear and anxiety who discovers that Jesus lightens his load. That manuscript-with-a-messageLearn to trust God with all our cares, all the things that worry and weigh on us, says Schauerprompted a full team effort to launch an imprint with a green light from editorial, production, marketing, and sales, she notes.

Now, that book, Isaiah and the Worry Pack, by Ruth Goring with illustrations by Pamela C. Rice, will be the third title in the in IVP Kids' debut list. It is due out on November 9. Two October titles precede it: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver on the spiritual meaning of giving to others, by writer/illustrator Ned Bustard, and The Celebration Place on the values of community, justice, and unity, by Dorena Williamson, co-founder of a multiracial church, with illustrations by Erin Bennett Banks.

IVP Kids author list for 2022 includes some writers aiming at a younger audience for the first time. Bestselling author and professor Esau McCaulley (Reading While Black) wrote about a little girl learning to celebrate the differences in Gods creation in Josey Johnsons Hair and the Holy Spirit (May), illustrated by LaTonya R. Jackson.

The last page of every book is a note from the author to the adult reader, the parent or caregiver, that gives a little bit more information and suggestions for engaging a younger reader in a conversation about the topic. Each book relates to a theme or topic we value, says Schauer.

Good & True Media

Good Will Publishers, led by the fourth generation of the Gallagher family known for their specialty Bibles and Catholic titles under Saint Benedict Press, is moving aggressively into the childrens market. Their new imprint, Good & True Media, will feature 10 to 20 titles a year, including five to be written by publisher Brian Gallagher and several by one of his brothers, Kevin, v-p of production.

Brians Virtue Adventures series, launched in August, features A Christian kind of Magic Treehouse approach, highlighting virtues, Brian says. The first title, Justice on the Acropolis, features a child who goes back in time with a guardian angel and meets the philosophers of ancient Greece. He adds: If kids feel like they are being preached to, they will turn off. Instead, build a fun, adventurous story with all the emotions that a well-crafted story should build. And in October BriN will begin Poetic Primers, a series with nursery rhyme versions of classic books beginning with his adaptation of Homers The Odyssey. Each of these primers will feature a QR code linking to a free accompanying video.

Other scheduled titles are often by mom-bloggers and online influencers such as Sarah Monitor, author of I Grew with You (Oct.) a poetic lullaby about a mothers spiritual and emotional growth during pregnancy, illustrated by Anastasia Sivura with images that reflect different races and ethnicities. The publisher says they are reaching out to new authors and illustrators from diverse backgrounds, from Bulgaria to Brazil, to create books designed for every child to know that the story is for them.

FatCat

The new childrens imprint for Lexham Press, primarily a Bible and theology texts publisher, is all about doctrine delivered in child-friendly-but-theologically-correct manner. FatCat editor Todd Hains, who is also academic editor for Lexham, says that while other Christian publishers may retell biblical stories or create original stories, our focus is on reclaiming the fundamentals of Christian belief, practice, and liturgy across generations and traditions. The press will launch the imprint, announced in August, with The Apostles Creed: For All Gods Children, (Feb.), with the creed accompanied by reflections from theologian Ben Myers and illustrated by Natasha Kennedy.

The imprints logo, FatCat, is a plump feline, and its image appears in some form in every page of The Apostles Creed for a reason. Hains explains: FatCat stands for cat as in the catechism that is fat with challenge and comfort for all ages. Coming next: The Lords Prayer, in fall 2022 by the same team.

More titles are planned on key Christian texts. Each book will include a list of relevant Scriptures, a guided family prayer to aid childrens education and devotion, and a presentation of Psalm 100:5, telling of Gods faithfulness to his people, designed, Hains says, so children wedge this psalm into their heads and into their little hearts.

Chalice

The pandemic had a role in prompting Chalice, a progressive Christian publishing house, into adding childrens books to its offerings, beginning with a title on grief. Remember Me When: Creating Memories to Last a Lifetime, (out now) written by Todd Williams, a hospice chaplain, and illustrated by Ciara Compton, addresses talking with children about death by guiding them to recall precious moments with those they lost.

The second title, coming in February, will be Wonder Awaits! by Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, a pastor. But unlike most childrens books, Wonder Awaits! is not illustrated with drawings. Its a photo book of real kids of all sizes, colors, and abilities, exploring the world around them. President and publisher Brad Lyons says this title is a Chalice choice because these multiple families represent diversity in the way Chalice has always stood for.

However, Chalice, which is aiming for two childrens books a year, is not launching a childrens book imprint. We think the Chalice Press brand works for the whole family and this is a natural extension of that, he says. On his company blog in August, Lyons wrote how, after years of books aimed at parents shaping childrens faith, these will be specifically meant for childrens eyes and curiosity.
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, who became the first female and first Black minister at the progressive, multi-cultural Middle Collegiate Church in New York City in 2004, has hosted conversations about theology, culture, and divisive current events on MSNBC and PBS. Now, in her new book Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World (Nov. 9, Harmony), she reflects on experiences with childhood trauma, racism, and her career in the church to build a case for how love can heal the profound discord she sees in the world.

What is fierce love?

Sometimes love gets a bad rap for being tepid and squishy and co-dependent. Fierce love is the kind of love that acknowledges that we're inextricably connected to each other. It's the kind of love that made people wade into the water during Katrina and risk their own bodies to save other people's lives. It is the kind of love that made a man run into the fire on 9/11 knowing he might not come out. I believe fierce love is hardwired into our DNA. If we can remember it, I think we can heal the world.

Why do you believe telling our life stories, as you do in the book, is so important, both for yourself and for others?

There's lots of ways to think about identity, but the stories that shape us actually tell us about our relationships, our experiences. If we can mine our own stories, be experts on our own stories, we can find nuggets that will help us all turn toward a better future.

What makes you think divisions in America can be overcome by anything, much less by love?

My mom and dad are from Jim Crow Mississippi. How do Black Southern Christians experience racial discrimination and then raise kids to love everybody? I see it all the timecommunities like Middle Church, where we are multi-all-the-things, race, gender, age, abilities, who fiercely love each other and love the world. There's nothing more beautiful and difficult, frankly, than these places that remind us that our differences are gifts from God, and so is our relationship to each other.

You describe racial justice as a spiritual practice that involves choosing fairness and equality every day. What does that look like?

Every day, turn the lens on yourself. Turn the lens outside. What do I want the world to look like? What do I want myself to look like? What's the best me I can find? Let's make that our religion. Let's make that our spiritual discipline. Every day, choose the loving thing. Ask, what would love have me do right now?
Beijings relentless drive to transform itself into a global power places it in direct competition with the U.S. That has affected both nations relations with regional powers, such as Russia and Turkey, and those effects will continue to ripple across Europe. Along the borderlands, from the Baltics to the Balkans, friction with China will only increase.

The China Problem

Chinas economic diplomacy is the most astringent irritant in great power politics. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing established the 17+1 (now 16+1 since Lithuania pulled out in May) cooperation mechanism with Central and Eastern European countries stretching between the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Adriatic. Chinese investment has focused mainly on infrastructure such as the transportation, energy, and telecommunications sectors.

From 2009-2019, the arrangement has generated financial flows estimated at around $13.5 billion (two-thirds of this in the last five years). This figure includes not just foreign direct investment, but also development loans, grants, mergers, and acquisitions of local assets or through long-term concession agreements.

The flood of Chinese cash has done more to raise red flags than GDP. Most recently, Montenegro became a posterchild for the debt-trap problem a country can face after taking up a large loan from China without necessarily considering a cost-benefit analysis of holding massive, unsustainable public debt. Today, Montenegro owes Beijing over a $1 billiona debt that is one-fifth the size of the nations economy. Other countries in the region, such as Bosnia Herzegovina, have also taken Chinese loans translating into significant national debt. These practices not only expand Chinese economic influence in Europe, they undermine fiscal prudence and good governance practices.

Because Chinas presence is managed through intergovernmental agreements, there are no large Chinese companies visible. Chinese firms control less than one percent of the total economic turnover under the 17+1 arrangements. This is fertile soil for corruption. In addition to receiving direct support from the Chinese government, private Chinese investors also get preferential treatment in public procurement tenders, finding themselves as sole bidders for infrastructure projects. For Beijing, this corruption becomes the competitive advantage for Chinese firms.

In Europe, China is dealing with weakened democracies. Its way of doing business undermines free-market competition with the West. Yet its a way of penetrating these markets is more sophisticated than the bullying, threats, and less subtle criminal aggression employed by Putin. Thus while Moscow shares Beijings antipathy toward Washington, Chinas expanding influence in Europe presents challenges as well. Rather than welcoming China as a partner, Moscow has to worry about being marginalized in its own backyard.

Russian-Chinese antipathy wont help the West. After all, both powers share a common cause in wanting to diminish American power and European independence. Even if jealousy and mistrust prevents them from collaborating closely, they are both moving in the same strategic direction.

Crossroads of Confrontation

Meanwhile, as China advances and Russia redoubles its efforts to shape Europe to its liking, Turkey sits at the crossroads of all challenges. Much of the collision of their interests is reflected in the Caucasus, the intersection of Europe and Asia, and between Eurasia and the Middle East and Asia.

Turkey and China developed better relations during 2020. Chinas central bank, for example, transferred $1 billion to Turkey as part of a currency swap, giving a short-term boost to the countrys dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Turkey sorely needs financial stability, and a partner like China could be highly interested in providing it. However, their relations depend on how they intend to project influence in the Balkans and beyond. China has long promised investments in the region  and has done little to keep those promises.

With Russian socio-economics in trouble, Moscows priority is to keep the economy afloat and thus stave off social unrest. But as always, Moscow also needs to maintain a buffer zone between Russia and Western Europe. This is why countries like Ukraine, Belarus, or Moldova remain essential for Russia. Moscow aims to pull them out of the Western sphere of influence and back, once more, into its orbit.

Meanwhile, Western Europe has been more bystander than a serious player and the level of effort one might expect from the U.S. in the future remains uncertain. The new U.S. administration has been publicly supportive of the Three Seas Initiative, but beyond that, there has been little else. Meanwhile, Washington is distracted by the fallout from the Afghanistan withdrawal and domestic political fights.

The response in most of Central and Eastern Europe has been to try to deepen engagement with the U.S. and Europe to counterbalance the pull from other parts. Romania is a good example. The Romanians continue to significantly upgrade their armed forces and military-basing options to support NATO operations on the Eastern Flank, should action become necessary.

Fixing the Firewall

The reality is that the U.S. can both counter malicious Chinese and Russian activity and balance and accommodate Turkish interests with a modicum of hard power offset. With a stable security situation in Central and Eastern Europe, the democracies will work through the economic and gray zone challenges, mostly on their own. They realize that, in the end, broad economic and political engagement with the U.S. and Western Europe as the best way not to become a suburb of Beijing or Moscow. Security relationships, however, need to be updated and enhanced in order to allow the buildup and maintenance of the arc of stability and cooperation encompassing the Black Sea from East to West.

NATO is debating its future concept as its allies realities are changing. With the new containment line between the Baltic and the Black Sea, Alliance members need to address the specific challenges in the region. In the Black Sea region, Turkey has been the key NATO ally and the key U.S. ally. Even if it is accommodating at times to Russia, it is historically a Russian competitor. This has begun to change as the U.S. has established good relations with Romania, as part of its strategy to establish a new Intermarium in Eastern Europe. While Romania cant replace Turkey, considering its strategic location in the Middle East, Romania does give NATO and the U.S. an important posture, considering the role Constanta is playing in the Alliances infrastructure. At the same time, as China is increasing its game in the Balkans to include Turkey, things may begin to change even further for NATO.

The U.S. needs to remain engaged and to keep NATO and the EU engaged in Eastern Europe. In the Black Sea region, in particular, the U.S. needs to monitor how relations between Turkey and China evolve.

James Jay Carafano is a vice president for foreign policy at The Heritage Foundation. Silviu Nate is the Director of the Global Studies Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania. Oana-Antonia Colibasanu is a Senior Analyst at Geopolitical Futures and Lecturer at SNSPA.

This article appeared originally at 1945.
Since Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall on August 29, south Louisiana has been working tirelessly on recovery efforts as communities across several parishes experienced severe devastation. In the week following Ida, hundreds of thousands of citizens were without electricity, water, phone and internet services. While we were fighting for survival, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee found it befitting to hold a markup meeting to discuss and amend a $3.5 trillion budget package which quite frankly is another blow to South Louisiana in the form of crippling our energy economy.

HNR Committee Chairman Grijalva held this untimely meeting on September 2, only four days after Hurricane Ida came ashore, with no regard to the situation in South Louisiana where their fellow Americans were assessing storm damage and deciding how they would put back the pieces of their lives. In the meantime, Grijalva and the Committee Democrats were considering oil and natural gas policies that are all cost and no benefit. In fact, as the Administration is looking to foreign nations to boost energy production, HNR democrats are proposing policies to reduce U.S. energy development by levying punitive, targeted measures against U.S. oil and natural gas to lower domestic production. The bill would inundate producers with new taxes and fees to create a defacto development ban on federal lands, including the offshore Gulf of Mexico.

The Committees proposals would harm the environment, weaken the economy, and jeopardize Americas national security. In Louisiana, a robust offshore oil and gas industry is the backbone of our coastal economies and provides much needed high wage jobs for our citizens. In addition, offshore oil and gas revenues fund critical coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects that protect our environment, build our precious wetlands, and sustain our unique cultural heritage for many generations to come. Prior to Bidens offshore leasing ban, Louisiana estimated they will receive $389 million over the next three years from offshore revenues to fund the States coastal restoration projects. Has the committee even considered the economic or social impacts of shutting down our offshore oil and gas industry?

If the committee was serious about achieving real climate solutions, they would recognize that crude oil sourced from the Gulf of Mexico has the lowest carbon intensity per barrel of crude than anywhere else in the world, when you consider the transportation impacts from foreign countries. In fact, a 2016 Obama-era report determined that carbon emissions from production in the Gulf of Mexico are less, per barrel of oil, than overseas production. Banning American offshore development could actually result in an increase of global carbon emissions.

The proposal to reduce leasing on federal lands would severely cripple our offshore industry and at the same time would increase emissions by driving oil and gas production to other parts of the world with less stringent environmental standards.

The decision to hold the House Natural Resources Committee hearing last week and proposing anti-American energy proposals demonstrates the insensitivity to Louisianans whose primary focus is the ongoing recovery efforts. Instead of looking to help their fellow Americans in Louisiana during these challenging times, the HNR Committee Democrats took advantage of the opportunity to adopt policies that will punish energy states like Louisiana and ultimately, our country.

Lori LeBlanc is interim president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and former deputy secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
Confidence in elections is essential to democracy. Losing candidates and their supporters must believe that a free and fair election accurately reflects the preferences of the voters.

States have myriad post-election checks designed to ensure the accuracy of results, from the canvass (the official tally of votes) to recounts. Some of these processes are audits  but not like the audit were seeing in Arizona, which suggests a process designed to undermine the results rather than instill confidence in them. Fairness requires legislation in advance of crisis, not novel responses after a crisis.

The word audit is something of a chameleon. Loosely used, it might refer to any of the processes during the canvass to ensure that the early, unofficial Election Day tallies are accurate. Those processes might include balancing the books, verifying that the number of ballots cast matches the number of people who took part in voting. It ensures paper ballot figures match any electronically reported results.

In Iowas 2nd Congressional District election in 2020, for instance, the canvass caught two errors in Jasper and Lucas counties. Those errors were immediately corrected. The same kind of mistake happened in Antrim County, Mich., as a clerk found an error shortly after the election. Each mistake was found during the canvassing process just days after the election, a process designed to catch mistakes and confirm the results.

However, audit usually doesnt refer to the ordinary canvass process. Instead, it might mean a spot check of precincts. Missouri, for instance, requires that a randomly chosen 5% of precincts perform a hand count of ballots.

Audits can also target precincts with a known problem. The secretary of state in Iowa ordered administrative audits  hand counts  of single precincts in Jasper and Lucas counties. Michigan ordered a hand audit of Antrim County, yielding a net difference of 12 votes among 15,718 cast.

An increasingly popular option is a risk-limiting audit, which uses a statistical technique to determine how many ballots should be audited: The narrower the margin, the more ballots that should be examined to ensure confidence in the outcome. In 2020, Georgia performed a statewide risk-limiting audit in the presidential election, and it confirmed that Joe Biden had won the state. The audit revealed that most counties had a variation of less than 0.05%  thats five in 10,000. (Georgia would go on to conduct an actual recount, which confirmed again that Biden had won.)

Each of these audits were conducted with bipartisan oversight. They occurred quickly, under a timeline fixed by statute. They took place pursuant to preexisting statutory guidance that the legislature had put in place, which offered consistency and transparency.

By contrast, what Arizonas state Senate has called an audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County isnt anything like the audits described above. It has no bipartisan oversight. It is taking place without statutory guidance. Rules are being developed by the state Senate as it goes along. Its press releases describe the scope of work in abstract terms, without any of the clarity or guidance offered in a statute.

Its a contrast with how the state and the county have reviewed election results pursuant to the laws enacted by the legislature. In 2020, Maricopa County performed a spot-check audit of several precincts, pursuant to state law, and found no discrepancies.

But after the 2020 election, Republican challengers alleged irregularities and sued for a hand count. A trial court let the challengers review 1,626 of 27,869 ballots that had been duplicated  ballots in which election officials copy the results of damaged or defective ballots so that they could be counted in a machine. Of the 1,626 ballots examined, 1,617 were accurate, and the error rate was not enough to come close to changing the outcome. Expert review of 100 envelope signatures for mail-in ballots revealed no forgeries. The trial court rejected additional ballot inspection. The Arizona Supreme Court unanimously agreed.

Dissatisfied with the laws the Arizona legislature had put in place to confirm the results of an election, the state Senate has struck out on its own. The audit is a legislative investigation; it has spiraled out of control, like any other unfortunate and sprawling government project. In April 2021, it was scheduled to take two months and cost $150,000. Private fundraising, however, has pulled in more than $5 million to sustain the effort. And its been more than five months since the effort began. Without a fixed timeline or a set of rules, its no surprise to see the effort linger on.

Similar efforts are afoot in states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. One might ask: Whats the harm in double-checking election results, as Arizona is doing? The harm is this: If we develop new rules after the election that call into question the results, we are changing the rules that we all agreed would determine the winner and loser. The legislature set those rules before the election. The executive followed those rules. Disputes over those rules were litigated in the courts. Once the election results are certified, its time to move on to the next election, to ensure that the best rules are in place for that eventuality.

Consider conservative complaints about the Florida presidential election in 2000 (albeit in the context of a recount, not a legislative investigation). The charge was that local officials and state judges were developing new rules after the election  rules that the legislature had rejected, or rules that were inconsistent, ad hoc determinations by local officials. The Supreme Court ultimately agreed that these rules were inappropriate.

Legislative investigations differ from election audits. Legislatures look to gather facts and gain information that they might use for future lawmaking. It is, of course, entirely appropriate for the legislature to gather such information and determine what laws it might enact to improve future elections. But these investigations are not audits. They cannot suggest that the past outcome of the election was rightly or wrongly decided. They can merely investigate.

The more that a legislative investigation styles itself as a do-over of the Election Night tally, the further it deviates from the rule of law. It undermines the terms that were agreed to before the contest. And it invites future legislatures around the country to meddle with outcomes well after an election is over  something no lawmaker should advocate.
Good morning, its Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, the last day of a long, hot summer with dangerous weather from California to the Caribbean. Although attention is focused this week on how Biden administration immigration policies have led to chaos along the southern U.S. border, it was an earthquake and devastating hurricane that sent thousands of Haitians fleeing their country for South America -- and now the relative, if temporary, safety of Texas.

Although it seems unlikely that the arrival of autumn will improve U.S. politics -- or race relations, for that matter -- it should at least provide a respite from extreme weather events.

Speaking of race, five years ago this week, the National Museum of African American History & Culture opened its doors. It did so with great fanfare. Our countrys first African American president helped dedicate the museum, which swiftly became a stunning success.

Its exhibits and narratives remind us that social progress rarely comes quickly and does not move forward in a straight line. Im thinking this morning of a little-known American hero whom I wrote about five years ago today. It was on this date in 1832, at a meeting of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, that a 29-year-old black woman made history just by taking the dais to speak publicly at Bostons Franklin Hall. Her name was Maria W. Stewart, and Ill have more about her in a moment.

First, Id direct you to our front page, which aggregates, as it does each day, an array of columns and stories spanning the political spectrum. We also offer a complement of original material from RCPs reporters and contributors, including the following:

* * *

Arizona Election Audit Undermines Protocols -- and Confidence. Derek T. Muller compares the reexamination of ballots in Maricopa County with those conducted elsewhere.

Stain of Afghanistan Will Stick to Biden. Charles Lipson explains why the chaotic withdrawal and its aftermath likely have staying power.

We Need to Save Lebanon. At RealClearWorld, Sen. Bill Cassidy and Marc Malek warn that the deepening economic crisis, if not addressed, will have threaten American interests and security across the region.

How the Empty Quarter Became Americas Success Story. At RealClearPolicy, Jeremy Carl examines the causes for growth in sparsely populated Western states.

Hidden Costs of Anti-Plastics Campaigns. Also at RCPolicy, Angela Logomasini spotlights life-cycle assessments, which calculate each products environmental impact from cradle (production) to grave (disposal).

Assessing the Human Infrastructure Retirement Proposal. At RealClearMarkets, Mark Warshawsky considers requirements placed on virtually all private-sector employers under the plan.

Vivek Ramaswamys Woke Inc. Also at RCMarkets, Russell Greene reviews the biotech entrepreneurs new book.

* * *

Maria W. Stewart was born Maria Miller in 1803, in Connecticut. Her parents were free blacks, meaning that Maria was never a slave. She was orphaned at age 5, however, and placed as a domestic in the home of a New England clergyman. There, she was taught to read and write. She also learned her Bible, and learned it well.

At 15, she hired out as a domestic servant. At 23, she wed a black shipping agent named James W. Stewart. Stewart was a combat veteran of the War of 1812 who had spent time as a prisoner of war in Great Britain. Although she was half Stewarts age, it seems to have been a marriage of love: She even took his middle initial as her own. The couple assumed their place in Bostons emerging black middle class; inspired by prominent African American abolitionist David Walker, both became active in the anti-slavery movement. But Marias husband died in 1829. Six months later, Walker died too.

In her grief, Maria could have folded her tent, especially after the machinations of the legal system denied her the widows pension she was entitled to because of her husbands military service. Instead, she went back to work while reconnecting with the old-time religion of her childhood. All those hours spent learning to read -- learning to read by poring over the Bible -- bore fruit.

Her new religious awakening dovetailed with her evolving political activism. Convinced that she was called to become a foot soldier for God and for freedom, she reached out to crusading abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who published her writings in his paper.

On Sept. 21, 1832, when Maria Stewart rose to speak at Franklin Hall, it one of the first times in this country that any woman, white or black, had spoken to a mixed-gender audience about politics. The lecture she gave that day -- titled Why Sit Ye Here and Die? -- was not intended to make her audience comfortable.

She challenged the sexism that existed even within the liberation community. She chastised New England abolitionists for their smugness about Southern slavery, comparing the latter to the virtual economic servitude of black laborers in the North. And she dismissed the back-to-Africa movement then popular among certain radicals as misguided. In its place she was offering something else, a kind of African American Exceptionalism.

She spoke publicly for three years before abdicating her pulpit. And the long arc of her own career took a turn late in life. In 1878, while living in Washington, D.C., her widows pension from her husbands service in the U.S. Navy was finally awarded to her. It wasnt a lot of money -- $8 a month, plus some back pay -- but she used it to republish some of her old writings, along with other reminiscences, in a volume titled Meditations From the Pen of Mrs. Maria W. Stewart.

Carl M. Cannon

Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics

@CarlCannon (Twitter)

ccannon@realclearpolitics.com
The Fugees are launching a new tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album The Score.

ADVERTISEMENT

The new venture will reunite the hip-hop group, composed of Lauryn Hill Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, for its first tour in 25 years and first shows in 15 years.

The Fugees will kick off the tour Wednesday at an undisclosed location in New York. The show will be filmed for Global Citizen Live, a virtual 24-hour event airing Saturday on ABC, BBC, FX, YouTube and other networks and steaming services.

In addition, The Fugees' charitable fund will partner with Global Citizen on philanthropic initiatives around the tour.

Following Global Citizen Live, the tour will resume Nov. 2 in Chicago and end Dec. 18 in Ghana. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

"The Fugees hae a complex but impactful history. I wasn't even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention," Hill said in a statement. "I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world."

The Fugees released The Score in February 1996. The album features the singles "Fu-Gee-La," "Killing Me Softly," "Ready or Not" and "No Woman, No Cry."
Porterville, CA (93257)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 79F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear this evening. Becoming mostly cloudy with showers developing after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
The Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, or CLASE was founded in 2003, and its work is designed to serve the teachers of first and second-generation students who are predominantly Latino.
Fungi pottery on display at Brattleboro Claywork as organizers get ready for the inaugural Fungi Fest that starts on Oct. 8 and runs to Oct. 30.
You are the owner of this article.
GREENWICH  Police are still receiving reports of thefts involving unlocked vehicles.

The latest: A Toyota SUV was stolen over the weekend, according to police Capt. Mark Zuccerella, and other cars have been ransacked in recent days.

We have been spotting, attempting to stop, and deterring many would-be car thieves who come to Greenwich from other cities in Connecticut, as well as New Jersey. However, we cannot stop all of them. Removing keys and locking the car doors is the best defense for this activity, Zuccerella said.

Thieves have been searching for valuables, as well as ignition devices, when they gain entry to unlocked vehicles, he said.

The thieves will look for open doors and if open, then search for the key or fob. If the key or fob is not in the vehicle, anything of value in the car will be stolen, he said.

A total of 127 cars were stolen in 2020, setting a record for Greenwich, police said. The first half of 2021 saw 25 reported stolen vehicles in Greenwich, according to police statistics.
HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston police officer was killed and another was wounded Monday morning during a shooting that also killed a 31-year-old man whom the officers were attempting to arrest on drug charges, authorities said.

The veteran officers were each shot multiple times while attempting to serve an arrest warrant at an apartment complex on the city's northeast side, Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a news conference.
STAUNTON, Va. (AP)  Authorities in western Virginia are searching for a 3-year-old girl who has been unaccounted for since February.

Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith said that Khaleesi Cuthriell was in the care of Candi Royer from October until January of this year, but hasnt been seen since, news outlets reported.
FARMINGVILLE, N.Y. (AP)  A Long Island man was arraigned Monday on hate crime charges after authorities said he targeted three Hispanic men for attacks.

Christopher Cella, 19, of Selden, New York, was arrested after police said he separately picked up two Hispanic men on Friday at sites where day laborers gather and drove them to different locations where he assaulted them. Cella is also accused of picking up another Hispanic man on Saturday who managed to get out of the car.
DENVER (AP)  Investigators allege that a Colorado man charged with killing his missing wife decided to hunt and control her like an animal after she insisted on leaving him and later changed his statements as evidence in the case developed, according to a court document released Monday.

A judge allowed the release of the arrest affidavit laying out investigators' case against Barry Morphew after ruling last week that there was enough evidence for him to stand trial for murder in the presumed death of Suzanne Morphew. Barry Morphew has pleaded not guilty and was released from jail Monday after posting a $500,000 cash bond. Television footage showed him walking out of jail with his two daughters with Suzanne Morphew.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  A grief-stricken elementary school in eastern Kentucky suffered its third COVID-19 death among its staff since the school term began when a beloved counselor died from the coronavirus, the district's superintendent said Tuesday.

Lee County Elementary counselor Rhonda Estes died Monday, Superintendent Sarah Wasson said. Estes was a fixture in the tight-knit community, working 35 years for the school system. A custodian and an instructional aide at the same school also died from the virus in recent weeks.

Its just really hard, Wasson said in a phone interview. Were really grieving the loss.

Gov. Andy Beshear was among those expressing condolences.

The pandemic continued to hit Kentucky hard Tuesday, with the governor reporting 3,391 new COVID-19 cases and 31 more virus-related deaths, fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant. The statewide death toll from the virus reached at least 8,370. More than 2,280 virus patients were hospitalized in Kentucky, including 664 in intensive care units and 445 on ventilators.

Meanwhile, the Lee County school system was mourning its latest pandemic-related death. Estes was remembered for helping shape students lives over the decades.

She just was a calming force," Wasson said. She had a positive outlook, regardless of the circumstance that she was in. She encouraged other people and inspired them. She did little things behind the scenes to help others in anything that they did.

Counselors were being brought in for students and staff, she said.

Lee County Elementary custodian Bill Bailey died of COVID-19 earlier this month. Instructional aide Heather Antle died from the virus in late August.

The Lee County school board voted last week to keep its universal masking policy in schools for the time being. With a few exceptions, school boards across Kentucky voted to keep masks on students and staffs while at school as the delta variant continues to drive up COVID-19 infections and deaths.

The states Republican-led legislature recently shifted masking decisions to local school leaders.

___

Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.
BANGKOK (AP)  U.S. journalist Danny Fenster, imprisoned in Myanmar for almost four months while awaiting trial, appeared disheartened during a court hearing Monday, his lawyer said.

Fenster has been charged with incitement  spreading inflammatory information  an offense for which he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The charge does not specify what he is accused of doing.

The military-installed government that took power in February has sought to curb independent news media by canceling their licenses and arresting dozens of journalists.

Fenster is being detained in Yangons Insein Prison, an overcrowded facility which for decades has housed political prisoners.

Lawyer Than Zaw Aung said Fenster seemed demoralized when he spoke with him in a video conference during Mondays court hearing, his first opportunity to do so in more than a month. Hearings are conducted by video at a township court instead of in a special courtroom at the prison because of the coronavirus, which in the past few months has severely impacted Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

His hair grew longer. He seemed disappointed and he told me in a frustrated tone that I have nothing to say, the lawyer said. I asked him if he had been vaccinated by the prison authorities, and he said no. His words showed that he is not feeling well. He didnt request anything.

Fenster said in mid-July that he believed he had contracted COVID-19 and was not given medicine he had requested. Prison authorities denied he was infected.

Fenster was detained at Yangon International Airport on May 24 as he was trying to board a flight to go to the Detroit area in the United States to see his family. He is the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, an independent online news outlet based in Yangon, Myanmars biggest city.

We are very concerned about Dannys physical and mental health, particularly given his demeanor at todays hearing, said Thomas Kean, editor-in-chief of Frontier. Its totally understandable that he would be frustrated and disappointed  he should never have been detained in the first place. Danny is now approaching four months in Insein Prison and there is no reason for the authorities to hold him a single day longer. He should be released immediately so he can go home to his family.

Mondays hearing was held to extend Fensters pretrial detention, and set Oct. 4 for his next appearance. It was not clear if it could include allowing an application for release on bail.

Press associations and free speech organizations around the world have called for Fensters release, as has the U.S. government.

We remain deeply concerned over the continued detention of U.S. citizen Danny Fenster who was working as a journalist in Burma, State Department spokesman Ned Price said earlier this month after Fenster marked his 100th day in detention. The United States refers to Myanmar as Burma, its name before a military government changed it in 1989.

Journalism is not a crime. The detention of Daniel Fenster and other journalists constitutes an unacceptable attack on freedom of expression in Burma, Price said. We continue to press Burmas military regime to release Danny immediately. We will do so until he safely returns home to his family."
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A coalition of Native American communities has proposed redrawing New Mexico's political map to boost Indigenous voters' influence in elections.

The proposed changes from New Mexicos 19 Native American pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, outlined Monday, would reshape a congressional swing district where Republicans regained control in 2020. They would also bolster Native American majorities among eligible voters in six state House and three Senate districts in northwestern New Mexico.

Through the proposed boundary changes, we worked hard to maintain tribal voting power, develop new voting districts with Native American influence, and to bring New Mexico closer to parity after a century of voter disenfranchisement and suppression, contributors to the proposals wrote.

The proposals were submitted to a committee that will provide recommendations to the Legislature at the end of October. The Democrat-led Legislature can draw its own lines. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham must approve the redistricting, and court challenges are possible.

New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized tribes, whose growing political clout is reflected in the election of Laguna Pueblo tribal member Deb Haaland to Congress in 2016 and her promotion this year to Secretary of the Interior.

The share of New Mexicans who identify themselves as Indigenous by race or by combined ancestry is 12.4%. Alaska is the most predominantly Native American state, followed by Oklahoma and then New Mexico.

Four Indigenous tribes have joined together for the first time to form a stronger voting bloc within one Senate district that might unite Acoma, Laguna, Isleta and Zuni pueblos.

Other proposed changes would split the Mescalero Apache reservation between two congressional district  in hopes of expanding that tribe's voice in Congress.
WINSTED  Northwestern Regional 7 High School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

The recognition is based on a schools overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups, according to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

The honor includes 325 schools around the country, including four in Connecticut. Region 7 is joined by Thames River Magnet School in Groton; Andrew Avenue Elementary School in Naugatuck; and Frisbie Elementary School in Wolcott.

Cardona made the announcement Tuesday.

This years cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school leaders create vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school cultures where rich teaching and learning can flourish, Cardona said. I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better.

Region 7 Superintendent of Schools Judy Palmer was excited to receive the designation.

This is the highest recognition in public education, and a tremendous credit to our faculty, staff, students, and families, she said. Our exceptional teachers and support staff consistently work with our students to help them reach their full potential.

In a statement, Palmer explained why Region 7 was chosen for the award.

Northwestern takes a proactive approach to easing the transition for students and building community through Link Crew, a student leadership program, before the school year begins, the statement said. Supporting each other and the broader community are core values at Northwestern. In 2015, the district implemented a program called Kindness in Motion. This unique program has been recognized by InspirEd, Facebook, and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Kindness in Motion is a mini-grant program that empowers students and staff to design and implement projects that spread kindness within and beyond their community.

The school district has also shown improvement across key indicators, Palmer said. Overall performance has earned the school placement in Category 1, the highest grouping in the system, the last time accountability reports were issued. Northwestern is one of only nine high schools in Category 1 and one of six to be identified as a School of Distinction.

She thanked the districts Board of Education members and the elected officials in the towns of Barkhamsted, Colebrook, New Hartford and Norfolk, for their support, as well as faculty and staff. We also share this award with students and families from Winchester and Torrington who attend Northwesterns Agricultural Education program, Palmer said.

Principal Gary Franklin said he was proud and humbled.

Northwestern is a special place due to our consistent approach to building positive relationships with our students and families as well as our partnership with our school community. This has, and always will be, the foundation of our success and has contributed to our recognition today as one of the nations most high-performing schools, he said.
Pictures and a cassette tape containing a 51 year-old interview of John Lennon are being auctioned this month in Denmark for up to 30.000 ($35,181).

The materials were made over half a century ago by four Danish teenagers for their school paper during a trip Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono took to the region of Thy.

A cassette tape with a 33-minute audio recording of the chat, which also includes an apparently unpublished song by the late Beatle, will be auctioned in Denmark later this month.

The 16-year-olds were not star-struck when they did the interview in northern Denmark on Jan. 5, 1970.

At the height of the Vietnam War and the Cold War, Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono had "a message of peace, and that was what was important to us," recalled Karsten Hoejen, who made the recording on a tape recorder borrowed from the local hi-fi shop.

The tape chiefly consists of Lennon and Ono speaking about being in Denmark and world peace, Hoejen said.

Alternative societies mushroomed in Denmark from the late 1960s, attracting people from abroad, and music festivals were organised inspired by those on the Isle of Wight and Woodstock.

Lennon and Ono were in the Danish region of Thy where Ono's ex-husband had moved to and brought Kyoko, the couple's then five-year-old daughter with him.

They stayed for about a month and tried to lie low  which worked for about a week.

Then a local newspaper reported their presence and the press rushed to interview them.

The four 16-year-olds wanted to interview Lennon for their school magazine but turned up late for the official press conference.

The items  the tape, 23 still photos and a copy of the school paper  have been estimated to be worth at least 200,000 kroner (nearly $31,800).

It was recorded on an old-fashioned tape recorder," said Alexa Bruun Rasmussen of Denmark's main auction house Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneer that will auction the items on Sept. 28.

IMAGE: AP

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Saudi Arabias Ambassador to India Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. The meeting was held in person at Education Ministers office today. The agenda of the meeting was to talk about higher education. Both leaders had discussions on strengthening our bilateral cooperation in higher education, digital learning, and skill development. The Education Minister took to Twitter to share information about the same and to share the highlights and outcomes of the discussion. He tweeted, Happy to meet HE Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati, Saudi Arabias Ambassador to India, in my office today. We had meaningful discussions on strengthening our bilateral cooperation in higher education, digital learning, and skill development.

Happy to meet HE Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati, Saudi Arabias Ambassador to India, in my office today. We had meaningful discussions on strengthening our bilateral cooperation in higher education, digital learning, and skill development. @IndianEmbRiyadh @KSAembassyIND pic.twitter.com/63q7quhaxi  Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) September 21, 2021

Education Minister Met Finnish Ambassador To India on Monday

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Finnish Ambassador to India Ritva Koukku-Ronde on Monday, September 20, held a meeting on intensifying multi-faceted bilateral cooperation, especially in digital learning, innovation & other priority areas in the education sector. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote, "Glad to meet HE Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Finnish Amb. to India and EU Gender Champion. We had productive discussions on intensifying our multi-faceted bilateral cooperation, especially in digital learning, innovation & other priority areas in the education sector. @AmbKoukkuRonde."

Both leaders also talked on ways to work together to work in areas of vocational education. He further tweeted, "We also agreed to exchange best practices and work together to build capacities in the areas of vocational education, skill development, K-12, curriculum & pedagogy frameworks, teacher training and ICTs."

Glad to meet HE Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Finnish Amb. to India and EU Gender Champion. We had productive discussions on intensifying our multi-faceted bilateral cooperation, especially in digital learning, innovation & other priority areas in the education sector. @AmbKoukkuRonde pic.twitter.com/y3haAXm7s0  Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) September 20, 2021
In a key development, Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff has been announced as the succeeding Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. The incumbent Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is set to retire from services on September 30, the Ministry of Defence stated.

As Indian Air Force is set to see a change at the top soon as the 27th Chief of Air Staff is being inducted by September-end, it is imperative to understand the Government's decision to appoint him.

Here is all you need to know about Air Marshal VR Chaudhari

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on July 1, 2021, while Lieutenant Governor Sanjeev Kumar Sharma assumed office as Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (strategy). An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, prior to serving as Vice Chief of Indian Air Force, he was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Western Air Command. While he had succeeded Vice Chief of Air Staff HS Arora, Air Marshal VR Chaudhari is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington too.

Air Marshal VR Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Air Force on December 29, 1982, and possesses a flying experience of over 3800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft including MiG-21, MiG-23MF, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI, a statement by Indian Air Force said. He has held various Command, Staff and instructional appointments at various levels including commanding a MiG-29 Squadron and the current office as Vice Chief.

Indian Air Force felicitations to Air Marshal VR Chaudhari

Furthermore, the Air Officer is decorated with Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) which is awarded in recognition of peace-time service of the most exceptional order; Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) which is a military award in the country felicitated to recognise 'distinguished service of an exceptional order' and Vayusena Medal which is awarded in peacetime for service well done in the Indian Air Force.

Air Marshal Chaudhari has served as an instructor at DSSC Wellington as well as DSCSC at Lusaka, Zambia. He held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Air Force Station in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir as well.
The Bombay HC on September 20 prompted the Maharashtra government over deaths of children owing to undernourishment and malnutrition in the tribal areas of the state. Pulling up CM Uddhav Thackeray-led government, the Bombay HC directed authorities to aim to prevent such losses of lives. The Bombay HC stated that it intends to evaluate measures taken to curb malnutrition deaths on a fortnightly basis.

Furthermore, the Bombay HC condemned the state government's incompetence to curtail deaths due to malnourishment and denounced the practice of roping 'tantriks' (astrologers) who take hold of such treatments amongst tribal communities.

Maharashtra govt directed to curb deaths due to malnutrition in tribal areas

A Division Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni, heard a batch of Public Interests Litigation (PILs) regarding children's death due to malnutrition in the tribal areas including Palghar's tribal area like Mokhada, Wada, Vikramgad. The batch of pleas includes a PIL filed by activist Bandu Sampatrao Sane and that of Dr Rajendra Burma.

The Division Bench said, "We do not want any more children dying due to malnutrition."

In the PILs, the petitioners brought to attention that nothing concrete has been done to prevent losses of lives due to undernourishment and to redress the grievances of tribal communities in the villages of Maharashtra.

PIL seeks to prevent malnutrition deaths of children in Maharashtra tribal areas

Besides the lack of substantial measures on this front, the Bombay High court remarked on schemes undertaken by the state government. Referring to the state government's scheme in 2019 which brought more children suffering from malnutrition, pregnant and lactating mothers to hospitals. The scheme was to rope in 'tantriks' to support the state's fight against malnutrition.

The Maharashtra government submitted, "Tribal people still go to 'tantriks' instead of hospitals and that is why it was necessary to include them into this scheme and the government came up with a scheme to pay 'tantriks' for sending those who go to them to the nearby hospital. In 2019, the government said that the tantriks will be paid Rs 100 for sending one person to a hospital."

Subsequently, the Division Bench warned the CM Uddhav Thackeray-led government that Bombay HC doesn't want any more malnutrition deaths. Notably, the court said that the government cannot leave people to go to 'tantriks' and it has to work on bringing them to the hospitals.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted multiple issues faced by state authorities while addressing the issue of malnutrition deaths including 'early marriage' amongst tribal people, an 'orthodox way to life'. He also brought to light that a major chunk of tribal people do not have access to hospitals during the delivery of a child and preferring the process of giving birth at home, thus leading to a low birth rate.

Adjourning the matter, the bench said, "We would like you (Maharashtra government) to first focus on how deaths can be stopped. Once they stop, you need to bring them to the mainstream in regards to addressing healthcare. They cannot be left to go to tantriks for ailments. Even in the Andaman Islands, people from the Jarawa community are now coming to hospitals and mixing with people."

(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)
India has urged the developed countries before the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26), to follow through with their pledge of USD 100 billion annually which they have made in the 2009 Paris Agreement for providing a boost to the transmission of low-cost green technological equipment.

The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is going to represent India at the United Nations (UN) Secretary General's virtual meeting, emphasised the importance of adhering to the purpose of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process in order to achieve a positive outcome in any climate change agreements which also includes in the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow from October 31.

Environment Minister's remarks on Climate Change

The Minister has highlighted that under the Paris Agreement, the effective combating climate policy done by the developing nations is dependent on proactive cooperation from developed countries. According to the official statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, COP26 should concentrate on climate financing in terms of scope, scale, and speed, as well as the low-cost transfer of green technology.

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has even noted that the tangible climate steps have been taken by India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership which comprises 450 GW of Renewable Energy by 2030. He further added that as per the latest results of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the current UNFCCC Synthesis Report, the developed countries have jointly emitted far beyond their projected carbon emission allowances in the period 2008-2020.

Yadav further stated that the developed countries must take greater mitigation strategies to control the emission to reduce global warming as well as provide financial assistance to developing countries. According to the official statement, Yadav indicated that even at the UNFCCC, there should be a consideration for the adaptation as well as discussion on the matter of whether the quantity of resources is appropriate with the number of developing nations' demands.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted a discussion with a select group of leaders on climate change on Monday. Critical climate initiatives on financing, reduction, and adaptation that are necessary to address the climate catastrophe were discussed during the meeting.

(Image: ANI/ PTI)
On the special occasion of World Peace Day on September 21, the founder of The Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, sat down for an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. The spiritual leader also talked about the situation in war-ravaged Afghanistan which was taken over by the Taliban on August 15, a development that has clouded the future of both Afghanistan and the region.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the mentality of Taliban brutality

Speaking on Afghanistan and the Taliban, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, "It is a very big challenge that the nations have failed at in the past. To address the mindset (of Taliban) is the most important thing. Maybe through dialogues, maybe even the religious people who can explain to them what they are doing is against humanity. Causing suffering to somebody is against the basic ethos of human society."

He focused on the need for 'peace education'. He stated, "We will have to do peace education. In fact, the amount of money the nations spend on defence, if a fraction of that they'd spent on peace education, educating youth, children about compassion, belongingness, togetherness... It can make a very big difference."

"But this has not been done. Young people have been misled. They've been made to think that by pursuing the path of violence, they can achieve something, which is not true. This type of orientation in terms of peace education is needed. A comprehensive education wherein they understand the entire globe, different philosophies on the planet can all help them see beyond their perceived beliefs," Gurudev added.

He continued, "Radicalisation is also part of the peace process. We've done some experiments on de-radicalisation in Kashmir, in the Philippines. The government of the Philippines had invited our people to de-radicalise a group there. Broadening the vision of young people and taking them beyond their concept of what is true and real, what they think is an absolute boon to them. Maybe here or in heaven, these concepts have to be dismantled. This is what I would say is de-radicalisation as a part of the peace process. We need to kindle the flame of compassion."

On responding to a question of de-radicalising entire groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda or even an entire country that has been held hostage, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar answered, "It may not be an easy task but, nevertheless, it is not impossible. What is also important is whom they are recruiting. These young people they are recruiting can definitely be radicalised. When the population is de-radicalised, they won't have any takers to such extreme thought processes."

He also put forth, "These people were not exposed to diverse wisdom. They've been a part of such a narrow and limited mindset. The same was the case with Columbia - those who believed that Communism was their Bible. But you try to make them understand, I think there is a possibility. I've seen in our own country, the sort of mindset... After all, they are all human beings - that somewhere there is something gone wrong."

Speaking on peace education even in the context of hardened criminals and terrorists, he said "when they are in a prison, it's easier to reform them. I have seen hardcore criminals and terrorists in prisons around the world reform. But it takes a lot of effort, smartness and skills. Without skills, you cannot do this." He even put forth that he'd be ready to speak to the Taliban if it helps, adding, "I am definitely willing to sit and talk to them. But I won't be foolish, I would take my precautions. I would definitely like to sit across the table and talk to them."

Image: Republic World
National General Secretary of the BJP and the outfit's Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam on Tuesday said that former state Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has a voice of his own and he will be the one who will decide for himself whether he desires to join the BJP following his 'humiliation' by the Congress, which lately appointed a new Chief Minister, ahead of the Legislative Assembly polls in the state scheduled to be held early next year.

Singh's resignation from the top post in Punjab has led to a series of postulations, even that he might join the saffron party. And, now putting a halt to conjectures on the fate of Captain Amarinder Singh's political journey, the BJP in-charge of Punjab Dushyant Singh made it clear that the former Punjab CM will decide if he wants to join the party or not as he has a voice of his own.

'Captain has his own voice, he will decide what he has to do'

Replying to a query over the former Punjab CM's future with the BJP, Gautam said, "I will not be able to answer at this point, as I don't hold the authority to make such a decision. This will be the party high command's decision. Moreover, Captain has his own voice, he will decide what he has to do and what not to do."

'Amarinder cannot oppose the nation': Dushyant Gautam

Taking a fresh dig at the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Navjoy Singh Sidhu over Amarinder Singh's allegations of Sidhu having a connection with Pakistan and his belief in patriotism, the BJP leader said,

"I am not raising any question on the national devotion of Captain Amarinder Singh. I have seen them (Captain and Sidhu) very closely, it is a different matter that they did not meet the expectations of the people, and could not fulfil the promises of the Public. But when we talk about the matter of Pakistan and India and the border area, I sincerely believe in Amarinder Singh and that he cannot oppose the nation."

Amarinder censures Sidhu connection with Pakistan

Notably, hours after his resignation from the post, Singh had made it clear that he will be opposing any move to make Navjot Singh Sidhu the Chief Ministerial face of the party citing national security reasons. Singh had said that Sidhu will be a disaster for the state and that he has connections with Pakistani heavyweights. The former Punjab CM had termed Sidhu as 'incompetent'. He had said that Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is Sidhu's 'friend'.

"He is friends with Imran Khan and General Bajwa. Daily so many drones, weapons, explosives, grenades, pistols, rifles, AK47s, RDX, heroines are coming (in Punjab). Where is all this coming from, from Pakistan... When he knows the bigwigs from Pakistan and we share a 600 km border with Pakistan, it is a matter of national security," Amarinder Singh had said.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will hold approximately 15 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21 (local time) including the ones with Iran, Australia, Egypt and Indonesia. Jaishankar, who is presently visiting the United States, for the high-level segment of the UNGA is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (local time) in New York. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday morning to address the UNGAs 76th session and participate in the first-ever in-person summit of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders.

The theme of this years general debate is Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID19, rebuild sustainably, respond to planet's needs, respect people's rights and revitalise UN. Leaders from across the globe have started arriving in New York for the UNGA high-level debate week. Notably, this year, the UNGA meeting will be conducted in a hybrid format, with some in-person attendees along with some who will join virtually. However, a large number of leaders are expected to be in the United States.

Jaishankar kickstarts UNGA meetings

On September 21, EAM Jaishankar started his UNGA meetings with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide ahead of PM Modis UNGA address. He also met with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and wrote on Twitter that he was pleased to meet with the British official. EAM also said that he and Truss talked about the progress of Roadmap 2030. Jaishankar and Truss also talked about Afghanistan and the present situation in Indo-Pacific.

Apart from the UK and Norwegian Foreign Ministers, Jaishankar also met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein and exchanged views on historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages. He described the meeting with Hussein as cordial. Further, official sources have told ANI that Jaishankar will be participating in the G4 foreign ministers meet on September 22 and is also expected to take part at the SAARC meeting on September 26. However, the meeting is not yet confirmed. G4 nations consist of Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.

Began my #UNGA meetings with

FM Ine Eriksen Sreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council.



A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach. pic.twitter.com/94fryeJSn4  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 20, 2021

Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz.



Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side.



Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.



Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/pc49NS7zcw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

A cordial meeting with FM Fuad Hussein of Iraq.



Discussed our historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages.



Exchanged views on regional and global issues. pic.twitter.com/U55uMfJBEg  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

With inputs from PTI

IMAGE: PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the United States comes at a time when concerns over regional security and stability due to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has rocked the global community. Amid the Afghan crisis, PM Modi will travel to the US to attend the first-ever in-person summit of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad leaders, hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 24. The Prime Minister will also address the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in New York on September 25.

As per news agency ANI, PM Modi is likely to discuss Afghanistan, COVID-19, climate change, the Indo-Pacific, terrorism to other issues with US President especially when the changing political situation in Afghanistan is threatening the regional stability. The upcoming US visit of the Prime Minister is also the first one since Biden took over the office in January. Notably, one of the most important agendas presently is the changing geopolitics amid the Taliban rule in the South Asian country.

Both India and the United States have invested heftily in Afghanistan and the US with help of NATO allies helped the war-torn country to rebuild with major development projects such as roads, connectivity, agriculture, education. India has also constructed the parliament building and a dam in Afghanistan. However, the country was engulfed in a fresh crisis after the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan on August 15 after two decades while the last of foreign troops left the country by August 30.

Notably, just four days before the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Taliban declared the restoration of their Islamic Emirate and named a new government. On September 20, while the White House confirmed Biden-Modi bilateral summit, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and discussed Afghanistan.

PM Modis US visit to have far-reaching impacts

The report stated that Prime Ministers visit to the United States will have far-reaching effects in the region as Russia and China abstained from voting when Resolution 2593 was passed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) under Indias presidency on August 30. The UNSC resolution had demanded that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any other nation or to pump money into terrorist acts.

Additionally, the Taliban has also put conditions on the international community that it would respect human rights only if they are recognised as the new caretaker government of Afghanistan. Meanwhile, India has called on the world leaders at various forums to adopt a unified approach while dealing with the Talibans leadership.

For the same, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has been holding a range of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting ahead of PM Modis scheduled visit to the United States.

Even during his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Outreach Summit on Afghanistan, PM Modi drew attention to the issues related to the situation unfolding in Afghanistan. He noted that the power change in the country is not inclusive and has taken place in the absence of negotiations.

PM Modi had also stated that the recent developments in Afghanistan will have a massive impact on neighbouring nations such as India, and called for a regional focus and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the UN also asked for a unified approach from the world. The UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that the Talibans wish for recognition is UNSCs only leverage to call for an inclusive government and respect the rights of citizens especially women and girls.

IMAGE: ANI/AP
Telegram, the London-based messaging application has come up with a new update that includes new chat themes, interactive emojis, read receipts in groups and other features. The update was announced through an official blog post published on September 19, 2021, by Telegram Team. Telegram's user base is on the rise and the developers are constantly adding new features to improve the user experience.

Previously, Telegram had added the ability to add up to 1,000 viewers on a video call, improved video messages 2.0 and video playback speed controls. Another minor update launched on August 31, 2021, which brought the feature of live streams to groups and channels with unlimited viewers, flexible forwarding and trending stickers to the application.

Telegram update brings new chat themes and more

New Chat Themes

The latest update brings "coordination and decoration" for the new Telegram Chat Themes. The application has come up with eight new themes that can be applied to private chats. The new theme features colourful gradient message bubbles, animated backgrounds and unique design patterns. The themes are available in colours including blue, green, pink and with a lower contrast ratio to be used in the night. Both the sender and the receiver can set the tone of a chat according to them and it would help users to differentiate between personal and professional chats. Additionally, these themes will also follow the device's default night mode settings.

Interactive Emoji

Emojis are used heavily across all forms of social media platforms, Telegram included. While animated emojis are fun to send and receive, interactive emoji improves the user experience with a more immersive full-screen effect on selected emojis. Once these emojis are sent to a private chat, the receiver can click on them to see a quick animation effect that also vibrates the phone. If the chat is open on both the sender's and receiver's smartphones, then both of them will see the effect together.

Read Receipts in Small Groups

A WhatsApp-like feature, the read receipts for small groups will allow users in a group chat to see whether their message has been read by other members or not. To indicate the same, a double tick will be displayed along the messages and users can also see who in the group has read or seen the text.

Record Live Streams and Video Chats

According to the official blog post by the company, "Telegram hosts millions of communities that can create live events for unlimited viewers. Whether it's a once-in-a-lifetime concert or an everyday algebra class, admins can now record Live Streams and Video Chats to publish them for those who missed the live version. Admins can start a recording right from the Live Stream or Video Chat menu  with options to record Video and Audio or Only Audio. To record a video, choose an orientation for the final video file, Portrait or Landscape. After you finish recording or end the broadcast, the file is instantly uploaded to your Saved Messages."

(Image: Telegram.org)
The Defense Ministry of Cameroon informed on Monday that fifteen Cameroon soldiers as well as many people have been killed in the two attacks in Cameroon's western English-speaking districts. According to the ministry statement released on Monday, a convoy of special rapid intervention soldiers was attacked by highly armed militants in Bamessing, Northwest Area of Cameroon, on September 16. The ministry statement further reports that the militants stopped the cars which were part of the convoy, with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and an anti-tank missile launcher. Later, they then started open firing towards the soldiers.

On September 12, another IED struck a military convoy near Kumbo, again in the same location. According to the Defense Ministry, there are connections as well as transferring of advanced weapons among separatists terrorists and other terrorist groups functioning beyond borders which even comprises extremist terrorist organisations.

The conflict in Cameron began more than four-year when the militant demanded independence of the two principally English-speaking regions from the nation's majority Francophone administration. As a result, hundreds of armed separatist organisations were established to fight for Ambazonia, an autonomous country.

Remarks of the UN on the attacks in Cameroon

According to a United Nations (UN) report, over 700,000 civilians have left their houses. Nearly 4,000 people have perished as a result of the fighting. Human rights organisations have accused the nation's security services apart from the terrorist of abusing civilians. As per local and international NGOs, government troops have attacked communities, destroyed houses and unjustly detained and executing several residents.

As per a report of the Insider Voice, the UN has stated that armed groups have constricted the capital of the northwest region, Bamenda, by seizing the power of almost all of the city's important road access.

Another incident of assault on Cameroon soldiers

Previously, according to the Africanews website, in the month of June, nearly ten Cameroon soldiers were killed in an attack by rebels. The website further reports that police stations were stormed in separate places in southwest Cameroon, this happened only days after the Cameroonian army finished the 'Bui Clean' mission. The mission, which began on May 15, was designed at putting an end to separatist activity in the region. The 5th Joint Military Region, which consists of roughly 300 troops, commanded the mission.

(Image: AP)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday, September 20, said that 134 illegal migrants were rescued off the western coast of Libya, reported Xinhua. Taking to Twitter, UNHCR Libya stated that after being rescued or intercepted, the 134 persons were disembarked at Azzawiya Oil Refinery. The United Nations Refugee Agency further reiterated that Libya was not a safe port to return refugees and migrants.

UNHCR rescues illegal migrants

The UNHCR Libya mentioned on their official social media handle that the refugee agency and the International Rescue Committee were present during the disembarkation to assist survivors. The UNHCR Libya in a tweet said, "Last night, 134 persons were disembarked at Azzawiya Oil Refinery after being rescued/intercepted at sea". It said, "UNHCR & IRC were present at the disembarkation to provide urgent assistance to survivors. We reiterate that Libya is not a safe port to return refugees & migrants to."

 Last night, 134 persons were disembarked at Azzawiya Oil Refinery after being rescued/intercepted at sea.



UNHCR & IRC were present at the disembarkation to provide urgent assistance to survivors.



We reiterate that Libya is not a safe port to return refugees & migrants to. pic.twitter.com/aykWVMRpng  UNHCR Libya (@UNHCRLibya) September 20, 2021

Earlier on September 16, the UN Refugee Agency said that they had rescued 345 illegal migrants. They disembarked 32 persons at Azzawiya Refinery point while 313 others were returned to Tripoli after being rescued at sea. The UNHCR Libya mentioned that the refugee agency and the International Rescue Committee were present during both the disembarkations. The UN Refugee Agency in a tweet said, "32 persons were disembarked today at Azzawiya Refinery point (western Libya) and 313 others were returned to Tripoli last night after being rescued/intercepted at sea". It said, "during both disembarkations, UNHCR and IRC were present to provide urgent medical help and humanitarian assistance to all survivors".

 32 persons were disembarked today at Azzawiya Refinery point & 313 others were returned to Tripoli last night after being rescued/intercepted at sea.



UNHCR & IRC were present during both disembarkations to provide urgent medical aid & humanitarian assistance to all survivors. pic.twitter.com/inkB1ogtQt  UNHCR Libya (@UNHCRLibya) September 15, 2021

More than 22000 illegal migrants rescued

More than 22000 illegal migrants have been rescued so far this year, while hundreds more have died or gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, news agency ANI cited the International Organisation for migrants. Rescued migrants end up being in crowded centres across Libya. Since the assassination of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the North African country has been plagued by insecurity and chaos, making it a popular region for illegal migrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European coastlines.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: Twitter/@UNHCRLibya
On Tuesday, almost 40 officers were arrested for their role in a failed coup attempt in Sudan. According to Sputnik, quoting Al Jazeera, a Sudanese government officer told about the arrest of the 40 policemen in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. The Sudanese army thwarted the coup attempt by using tanks to block several roads leading to the parliament building.

According to al-Mayadeen, tanks blocked roads to Khartoum's Omdurman Bridge, near the parliament building. A military coup was attempted, and military intelligence tracked those who attempted the coup on Tuesday. They had been watched for a long time and were apprehended as soon as they took their first real steps toward staging a coup citing a high-ranking military source, Sputnik reported.

Arrest of high-ranking commanders

Over three dozen troops, including high-ranking commanders, have been arrested, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to brief the media. He did not provide any additional information, only stating that a military statement would be released soon. Footage of troops and armoured vehicles stationed to major highways and crossroads in Khartoum had gone viral on the internet. The military headquarters and other government buildings in the city have also been beefed up in terms of security. A member of the sovereign council, Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, described the effort as a 'foolish and poor option.'

The coup attempt was blamed on remnants of the al-Bashir government, according to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who described it as an attempt to sabotage Sudan's democratic transition. He said that the effort underscored the necessity for a comprehensive, clear and transparent examination of the transition during an emergency Cabinet meeting televised on state-run television.

Sudan's shaky path to democracy

Sudan has been on a shaky path to democracy since Al-Bashir was deposed by the military in April 2019, after four months of widespread demonstrations. Al-Bashir's administration, which was associated with Islamists for decades, has tried to stifle ideologues in the military and other security services for decades. In 1989, an Islamist-backed military coup brought Al-Bashir to power. A combined civilian-military government presently governs the country. As it attempts to rebuild the country's shattered economy, attract much-needed international help and provide the democracy it promised, the transitional government has been under growing pressure to stop conflicts with rebel groups.

(Inputs from ANI/ AP News)

(Image: Twitter/@abdu9511)
Researchers have identified the closest relative of SARS-CoV-2 in bat caves in Laos, thereby further substantiating the claim that Coronavirus infection has natural origins. In a pre-print study, scientists from the French institute Pasteur along with their counterparts from the University of Laos contested viruses that infected Laotian bats were shared a similar part with the SARS-CoV-2- the Receptor Binding Domain that allows the pathogen to bind and infect the human cell. It is worth mentioning that the two most popular theories of COVID origin are natural  infection originated in bats before jumping to humans and the Lab Leak-the virus were synthetically created in Chinese labs.

How was the study conducted?

For the purpose of the study, researchers studied Coronavirus pathogens found in bats in four different limestone caves between July 2020 and January 2021. From their analysis, they concluded that the pathogens found in the bats were incredibly similar to the virus causing COVID-19 in humans. In addendum, they also warned that the viruses could, like the COVID pathogen, also prove lethal to humankind in the near future.

Sequences very close to those of the early strains of Sars-CoV-2 responsible for the pandemic exist in nature, and are found in several Rhinolophus bat species, the authors wrote in the paper. These viruses may have contributed to Sars-CoV-2s origin and may intrinsically pose a future risk of direct transmission to humans, they added.

Was COVID-19 created in labs?

While this study buttresses the stance that COVID originated in the bats, explosive documents have revealed that China discussed the weaponization of Coronavirus as far back as 2015. As per the document, People's Liberation Army (PLA) commanders had predicted that World War 3 would be fought with biological weapons, and on similar lines, the Chinese military scientists had discussed the weaponization of SARS coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic originated and spread to various parts of the world. Outlining their ideas, top scientists predicted that these coronaviruses could be used to fight the third world war. The paper obtained by the US officials was reportedly written by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015, The Australian reported, adding that it was a part of their own investigation into the origins of COVID-19. The new details once again raise questions over China's role in the spread of coronavirus with major concerns about China's transparency on the origins of COVID-19.

(Image: Unsplash)
Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, has been praised by many for her pragmatic leadership in a turbulent world and celebrated by some as a feminist icon. But a look at her track record over her 16 years at Germany's helm reveals missed opportunities for fighting gender inequality at home.

Named "The World's Most Powerful Woman" by Forbes magazine for the last 10 years in a row, Merkel has been cast as a powerful defender of liberal values in the West. She has easily stood her ground at male-dominated summits with leaders such as former U.S. President Donald Trump or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Millions of women admire the 67-year-old for breaking through the glass ceiling of male dominance in politics, and she's been lauded as an impressive role model for girls. On trips to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Merkel has often made a point of visiting women's rights projects. She has always stressed that giving women in poor countries better access to education and work is key to those nations' development. But when it comes to the situation of women in Germany, Merkel  who said in 2018 that she wouldn't seek reelection in this Sunday's general election - has been criticized for not using her position enough to push for more gender equality.

"One thing is clear: a woman has demonstrated that women can do it," said Alice Schwarzer, Germany's most famous feminist. "However, one female chancellor alone doesn't make for emancipation."

Schwarzer, the 78-year-old women's rights activist, is the most prominent founding member of the German women's liberation movement, both loved and loathed in the country. "She's the first one who made it all the way to the top," added Schwarzer, who has met Merkel for several one-on-one dinners over the years. "But has she done anything for women's policy aside from her sheer presence? Honestly, not a lot."

German women have even seen some setbacks during Merkel's reign. Before Merkel took office in 2005, 23% of federal lawmakers for her center-right Union bloc were women. Today, the figure is 19.9%. Only the far-right Alternative for Germany party, with 10.9%, has fewer female lawmakers. Germany also lags behind other European countries when it comes to equal political representation.

In 2020, the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and governments was 31.4% in Germany, well below Sweden's 49.6%, Belgium's 43.3% or Spain's 42.2%, according to the European Union statistics agency Eurostat. Women also remain second-class citizens in Germany's working world. Last year, only 14.6% of top-level managers in big listed German companies were women. Germany also has one of the biggest gender pay gaps in the EU, with women earning 18% less than men in 2020, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Some experts say Merkel has pressed for more power for women in indirect ways.

"Angela Merkel did not take up her job with the claim to use her role as chancellor for the support of women or making gender equality her vested interest," said Julia Reuschenbach, a political analyst at the University of Bonn. "However, she did very much engage in promoting other women in politics."

Ursula von der Leyen, a Merkel Cabinet stalwart, became the European Commission's first female president in 2019. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer succeeded Merkel as leader of her CDU in 2018, though she failed to impose her authority on the party and stepped down earlier this year.

In 2007, von der Leyen, who was then family minister in Merkel's Cabinet, pushed through a progressive reform of the country's child-raising allowance which encouraged fathers to take some parental leave after the birth of a child. However, it was one of few legal changes during the chancellor's tenure that actively sought to improve the situation of women. One reason for Merkel's reluctance to fight more openly for feminist issues in Germany may be her own struggle to get to the top of German politics, Schwarzer said.

"Merkel got a lot of pushback as a woman," especially early in her political career, she said. "She didn't expect that, so that may be a reason she didn't pick out the fact that she is a woman as her central topic."

Influential men in her conservative, traditionally West German and Catholic-dominated party didn't exactly welcome the Protestant former East German physicist with open arms, and male politicians from other parties initially did not treat her respectfully, Schwarzer said.

German journalists' comments on Merkel's appearance were often openly sexist, particularly in the beginning. German media first dubbed her "Kohl's girl," because Merkel was initially promoted by then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and later called her "Mutti," or "mommy," even though Merkel has no children. Leonie Pouw, a 24-year-old election campaign manager in Berlin, was eight years old when Merkel came to power, so she says it was the most normal thing for her to have a female chancellor.

"It was only in school, when I started to have political awareness, that I realized how much it meant, especially for the older generation, that a woman is leading Germany," said Pouw, who grew up in southwestern Germany. "When I understood that, it made me proud, too."

Nonetheless, Pouw thinks that Merkel could have done more for women's rights and noted that none of Merkel's Cabinets throughout her four terms achieved gender parity. "I wish that in the future there will be as many women as men representing us," Pouw said. When Merkel herself was asked in 2017 whether she was a feminist, she answered evasively, saying: "I don't want to embellish myself with a title I don't have."

Only in the last few years did Merkel take up the topic proactively and speak out for more gender equality in Germany. In 2018, as Germany marked the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, she said in a speech in Berlin to the loud applause of mostly female listeners that there was a lot still to do to achieve gender equality.

"The goal needs to be equality, equality everywhere," she said. "I hope it becomes natural for women and men to split up work, raising the children and doing the household equally ... and I hope it's not going to take another 100 years to get there."

Merkel has talked little about her experiences of discrimination or her personal life and her husband, quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, has kept a low public profile. In the last few weeks, Merkel took a noteworthy step in further embracing women's rights, declaring at a discussion with women in Duesseldorf: "I'm a feminist." "Yes, we should all be feminists," she added.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
An opening ceremony for international military drills was held in western Ukraine on Monday, as forces from fifteen countries gathered for joint military exercises. U.S. serviceman David Cornigen said the drill involved a brigade combat team of the Washington National Guard, which has been deployed in Ukraine since April.

In addition, about 150 more representatives from the U.S. Armed Forces will join the exercises.About 6,000 troops are expected to participate in the drills.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The prime minister of Denmark says the country will contribute more than one percent of the 100 billion dollars per year called for in the Paris Agreement from world governments to combat climate change.

Mette Frederiksen, Danish Prime Minister, promised the United Nations in New York on Monday.

She was one of 40 world leaders who participated in a private session on climate change Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The one billion dollars annually by 2023 is double what the country contributed in 2019, representatives for the government said Monday.

Frederiksen says 60 percent of Denmark's grant-based climate finance will go to climate adaptation efforts in vulnerable countries.

World leaders are in New York this week for the annual United Nations General Assembly General Debate.

Under the Paris Agreement, wealthy nations are committed to spend $100 billion a year to help poorer nations deal with climate change.

This week's focus on climate change comes at the end of another summer of disasters related to extreme weather, including devastating wildfires in the western United States, deadly flooding in the U.S., China and Europe, a drumbeat of killer tropical cyclones worldwide and unprecedented heat waves everywhere.

Achieving some kind of success in emission-cut pledges or financial help during the week of U.N. sessions would ease the path to an agreement in Glasgow, just as early announcements of pollution curbs did in 2015, especially those from China and the United States, experts said. Now those two nations are key again.

Guterres is pushing for rich nations to fulfill their longtime pledges of $100 billion a year in climate aid to poor nations, with at least half of that going to help them cope with the impacts of global warming. So far, the world is falling about $75 billion short through 2025, according to a new study by Oxfam. Funding to cope with climate change's impacts fell 25% last year for vulnerable small island nations, according to the U.N.

Under the Paris agreement, every five years the nations of the world must come up with even more stringent emission cuts and more funding for the poorer nations to develop cleaner energy systems and adapt to climate change.

Pressure keeps building on increasingly anxious world leaders to ratchet up efforts to fight climate change.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) pact will not meet Iranian lawmakers at the United States General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss revival of the stalled nuclear deal, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. It was previously reported that the signatories were planning to hold ministerial-level talks on the sidelines of the UNGA, however, Borrell debunked the claims saying that it was not on the agenda.

Some years it happens, some years it doesnt happen. Its not in the agenda, said Borrell, who acts as coordinator for the nuclear deal.

Despite denying the possibilities of holding a meeting, the top EU negotiator said that it was the will of the involved parties to resume negotiations that was pivotal. Notably, Borrell is scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday. Just a day ago, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had expressed optimism on the now cancelled meeting saying that it could build momentum towards kick starting months of fraught talks on the deal.

The deal, signed in 2015 between Iran and other major world powers, including the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany (P5+1), saw Washington lifting economic sanctions against Tehran and in return, the Islamic Republic agreed to bring down its uranium enrichment programme. However, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the pact in 2018, calling the structure of the deal "rotten". The Islamic Republic then retaliated by nixing its compliance with the deal. As of now, six talks have been held in an attempt to revive the controversial nuclear pact, but despite US President Joe Biden vowing to resume the pact at the earliest, negotiations continue to be in a limbo.

Tehran's fear

Earlier this year, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said that that President Biden has very clearly asserted his stance to rejoin if Iran comes back into full compliance with its obligations under the deal. However, Tehran which fears that America would not issue sanction relief even after compliance has called on Washington to take the first step. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Javed Zarif had asked the US administration to revoke sanction on its oil exports which would help the administration to pull the oil-dependent country out of the pandemic induced crisis.

Image: AP
With an eye towards fighting terrorism, France has decided to continue its military presence in Mali. The announcement was made by French Defence Minister Florence Parly after a close-door meeting with her Malian counterpart Colonel Sadio Camara, Xinhua News Agency reported. As per reports, the leaders met to discuss controversial military developments relating to the Malian deal with Russian group Wagner.

France has deployed troops in the West African country for the past eight years at the request of Mali authorities. Stressing on the "common vision" to fight terrorism, Minister Parly asserted that "France has chosen...to accompany Mali in the fight against armed terrorist groups." She added that France has "chosen to suffer" with the aim of uniting its partners around a "common vision" with and for Mali.

According to reports, the leaders discussed the need to "evolve the (defence) system," owing to the deteriorating situation in the West African nation. Parly also suggested restructuring of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). "It is imperative today to reinsure FAMa of air support provided from France and its partners," Parly mentioned.

The unprecedented meeting with Colonel Sadio came amidst the news of a new contract between Russia's Wagner group and Mali. According to the controversial deal, Russia could engage in the paramilitary deployment of about 1,000 mercenaries in Mali's Sahel conflict zone. However, the possible pact has met with strong criticism and warnings from France and Germany. "If Malian authorities enter into a contract with Wagner, it would be extremely boring and contradictory, incoherent with everything that we have done for years and we intend to do to support the countries of the Sahel region," Defence Minister Parly said in a parliamentary commission. As per reports by Al Jazeera, Mali has engaged in talks with nations to "diversify" defence forces in order to "ensure the security of the country." However, it is yet to make permanent decisions on defence service deals.

Earlier in June, France suspended joint operations with the Mali Forces to send a "strong message" to the Malian junta leader. The French Military directed the coup leader to comply with the international demands and restore civilian rule, a Defence military personnel told AP under conditions of anonymity. However, the suspension was announced for one particular operation in the region.

The Malian Conflict

According to the Sipri organisation, the "multidimensional" Malian crisis began after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in Libya. The incident led Islamist-led jihadi groups to launch incursions and inter-communal violence. The dissatisfaction continued since 2012 has led the fragile economic, social and political condition to plummet into more critical challenges like deaths, displacement of citizens and growing poverty rate.

(With inputs from AP)

(Representative Image: AP)
Irate French President Emmanuel Macron will obliterate the EU trade deal with Australia as Paris is contentious of the trilateral Aukus security pact between US, Australia and UK that France called a stab in the back. Australia unilaterally abandoned the multi-billion dollars diesel-electric submarines contract with France that was struck in 2016, and in a fit of resentment now, the French leader has indicated that Canberra can ascertain that pursuing any future negotiations with Paris is now "unthinkable" as he has recalled his ambassadors from Washington, US and Canberra.



French President Macron also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last weekend in Athens to discuss the Aukus pact. The EU, however, declined to be transparent about the repercussions of the trilateral deal on its ties with the post-Brexit UK and Australia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, however, declared in the press that the alliance wasnt just a Franco-Australian affair, but a rupture of trust in alliances across Europe.

EU 'will collapse' 3-year free trade agreement with Australia

France's European affairs secretary, Clement Beaune, on Monday told Politico that the EU will collapse the three-year agreement for free trade with Canberra, scrapping nearly 11 rounds of dialogues over Prime Minister Scott Morrisons breach of trust in a retaliatory move. Australia had hoped to conclude the accord before the end of the year, the newspaper reported. Macron has vowed to sink the Brussels and Canberra talks and run aground the agreement to be reached by Eurocrats this year. In response to Frances fury over the AUKUS alliance, Brussels appeared to rethink multilateral relations with Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, casting doubts on the next round of its trade negotiations with Australia.

"We are analysing the impact that the AUKUS announcement would have on the schedule of the trade talks between the EU and Australia", said Eric Mamer, the European Commission's chief spokesperson told a press briefing. Mamer acknowledged Frances angst for Canberras ditching of the 56-billion-euro [$65.6 billion] defence deal for the purchase of 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. "This agreement between the UK, Australia, and the US relates in particular to military cooperation, which didn't involve the European Union directly, but it did involve a member state. We don't necessarily have all the information at hand, and that's why the president is consulting closely," Mamer stressed.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State for European Affairs of France, Clement Beaune told Politico that Europe could hardly think of continuing trade talks with Australia after a member state was humiliated. "Keeping one's word is the condition of trust between democracies and between allies," he said. "So it is unthinkable to move forward on trade negotiations as if nothing had happened with a country in which we no longer trust, the EU secretary of state for France said in his official statement to the newspaper. The diplomat indicated that it would be impossible for the EU to strike deals with Canberra in face of the French protest.

The paper has also confirmed with sources that Paris appears to be highly defensive about the trade agreements with major agricultural exporters and with Australia snubbing a major defence deal, France has pursued the European Commission to not grant the Australian farmers preferential market access for their beef and dairy products.

German MEP Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee, confirmed in his statement that the EU-Canberra trade deal was in trouble, adding that the willingness to compromise, on the European side, has now certainly decreased, according to his remarks made to Politico. He emphasized that Canberra's controversial move of striking a deal with the US sends industrial policy signals against the EU, and is likely to affect the new pact with German company Atlas Elektronik.

Australian minister confident Aukus won't derail EU talks

On Monday, 20 September, Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said that he was confident that the Aukus pact row with France would not spill over and impact trade with the EU. He quickly added that he will seek to hold a meeting with French President Macron when he arrives in Paris for an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development meeting in October. I will be very keen to touch base with my French counterpart while Im in France, Tehan told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio in his broadcast statement. Australian and EU officials were expected to hold negotiations on a trade deal on 12 October.
A week after Warsaw imposed a state of emergency, four people were found dead near the Poland-Belarus border. Following the incident, the Polish lawmakers accused Belarus and Russia of the significant increase in asylum seekers and mass movements across the border. "We are dealing with mass organised, well-directed action from Minsk and Moscow," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters on September 20, Monday.

In a horrifying incident, as many as four migrants were found dead by the Polish Border guards on Monday. Additionally, eight others were retrieved exhausted and parched after they were found stuck in marshy terrain along the border. Seven out of them were immediately hospitalised, Al Jazeera reported. Thousand of migrants have been trying to enter Poland and other EU member countries namely- Latvia and Lithuania in recent weeks.

EU suspects influx of immigrants fuelled by Minsk & Belarus

Over 7000 refugees were spotted on the Poland-Belarus border since August, PM Morawiecki stated. Echoing his statement, EU country leaders also suspected that Belarus is backed by Russian allies "with great determination" to move "tens of thousands" of migrants from the Middle East and Africa. As reported by Al Jazeera, according to Morawiecki, the huge wave of asylum seekers was pushed towards the EU countries to assert "pressure of illegal immigration to the EU's external borders" and as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's retaliation for sanctions on his regime.

The border crisis also prompted Emergency measures from Poland. Earlier this month, Poland declared a 30-days state of emergency to curtail the ongoing migrant crisis. As per the order, the country banned non-residents and media from the border areas. The current developments also attracted severe jibe from Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. On Monday, the leader hinted that Minsk is "using the migrants" to "seek revenge" against Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland for supporting Belarusian democratic forces. She also slammed the Belarus President's regime as "irresponsible and inhumane."

Image: AP
Multinational Ukrainian-American military exercise Rapid Trident 2021 kicked off in the Lviv region on Monday, September 20. The opening ceremony of the Rapid Trident 2021 was attended by representatives of the Command of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Operational Command "East", representatives of the US Armed Forces and partner countries, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The military personnel from 15 countries will participate in this year's exercise.

The opening ceremony of the multinational Ukrainian-American military drills was held in western Ukraine on Monday, September 20, according to the Associated Press. Around 6,000 military personnel from 15 countries are participating in the military exercise between September 20 and October 1. Alongside the forces of the countries of Ukraine and the US, the military personnel from other countries like Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Jordan, Moldova, Pakistan, and Poland. In addition, the personnel of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade will take part in the Rapid Trident 2021 exercise, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Ukrainian-American military exercise

In a tweet, the Information Agency of the Ministry of Defense wrote, "Ukrainian-American exercises Rapid Trident - 2021 started in Lviv region[sic]."

   -  Rapid Trident  2021 :https://t.co/iuXoD5uCva pic.twitter.com/esgzUpVOdn  I i iInform (@armyinformcomua) September 20, 2021

US serviceman David Cornigen stated that a brigade combat team of the Washington National Guard, which has been deployed in Ukraine since April was involved in the drill. Ukrainian Army Brigadier General and head of exercises Rapid Trident 2021 stated that exercises are an "important step towards Ukraine's European integration," according to the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. He added that through these exercises, the operational capabilities of the troops will be strengthened, and the level of interoperability between units and headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the United States and NATO partners will be improved. He thanked all the participants and international partners for their contribution to strengthening the capability of the Ukrainian forces.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP/RepresentativeImage)
A Rome court has rejected a request by Venezuela to extradite its former oil czar to face corruption charges, citing the countrys record in violating human rights, his Italian lawyer said Monday.

Rafael Ramirez, the longtime head of Venezuelas PDVSA state oil company, fled to Italy after falling out with President Nicolas Maduro and resigning as Venezuelas U.N. ambassador in 2017. Soon thereafter, Venezuelas chief prosecutor ordered his arrest on charges of bankrupting the countrys primary source of income.

Ramirez has called the Venezuelan probe retaliation for his decision to break with Maduro, who he has accused of running Venezuelas once-thriving oil industry into the ground and abandoning the socialist ideals of the country's previous late leader, Hugo Chavez.

On Monday, Romes Court of Appeals, which hears extradition requests, rejected Venezuelas extradition bid, said Ramirezs Rome-based lawyer, Roberto De Vita.

The court found that Ramirez deserved international protection given the violation of human rights in Venezuela, De Vita said in a statement.

While the Venezuelan government could appeal to Italys highest Court of Cassation, Ramirezs lawyers noted that the Italian prosecutors representing Venezuelas case had changed their initially favorable opinion to consider extradition and asked the court to reject it at a hearing earlier this month.

No one answered the phone at Venezuela's embassy late Monday.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbs in Kosovo suffered "one of the most difficult days" and that the situation at Kosovo's border with Serbia was "very serious."

"We will know how to protect our country, there is no doubt about it," Vucic told reporters at a news conference in Belgrade, indicating that the response would be "economic and political" and not by force.

Tensions soared earlier in the day at the Jarinje crossing as Kosovo deployed riot police while Serbs protested a move by Kosovo authorities to start removing Serbian license plates from cars entering the country.

Kosovo special police with armoured vehicles were sent to the border as hundreds of Kosovo Serbs drove to the boundary in their cars and trucks, blocking roads leading to the the crossing points.

Serbia doesn't recognise its former province of Kosovo as a separate state and considers the mutual border only as an "administrative" temporary boundary.

Vuvic urged the international community to persuade the Kosovo government to back down.

"I appeal to members of the international community to reason with the unreasonable, to lead them to a better knowledge of the law, and to encourage them to behave in civilized way," he said.

Thousands of people were killed and over one million were left homeless after a 1998-1999 bloody crackdown by Serbian troops against Kosovo Albanian separatists.

The war ended only after NATO intervened.

Kosovo then declared independence in 2008. It has been recognized by the United States and other Western nations, but not by Serbia or its allies Russia and China.

IMAGE: AP

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The high-level segment of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) began in New York. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Abdulla Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said that he was honoured to welcome everyone to the opening of the General Debate. He further added that he was pleased to welcome everyone in an in-person General Assembly session.

UNGA high-level segment begins

Abdulla Shahid in his tweet said, "I am honoured to welcome you all to the opening of the General Debate as we kick off the High-Level Week of the 76th session of the #UNGA". He added, "I am even more pleased to welcome you back to an in-person session of the General Assembly".

In another tweet, the UNGA President said that they will tackle climate change, vaccinate the world, protect human rights and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In another tweet, he said that he was humbled to be at the great podium on behalf of the people. Shahid expressed gratitude to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and all the people of his country.

A year and a half we have suffered in silence and anxiety....we have worried, we have grieved, we have waited. Let us wait no more.



Under a #PresidencyofHope we will tackle #climatechange, #vaccinate the world, recover from #COVID19, protect human rights, & strengthen the @UN pic.twitter.com/QW0hqjdAJ8  UN GA President (@UN_PGA) September 21, 2021

I am honoured to welcome you all to the opening of the General Debate as we kick off the High-Level Week of the 76th session of the #UNGA



I am even more pleased to welcome you back to an in-person session of the General Assembly. pic.twitter.com/508BDqTXpY  UN GA President (@UN_PGA) September 21, 2021

I am truly humbled & deeply proud to stand as a small islander at this great podium on behalf of our people. Our country may be small, but today we are mighty; today we stand with giants.



Thank you to President @ibusolih & all Maldivians for your support pic.twitter.com/G5MArodZaS  Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) September 21, 2021

The theme of this years General Debate is 'Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people and revitalise the United Nations.'

Leaders from across the globe have started arriving in New York for the UNGA high-level debate week, according to ANI. Notably, the UNGA meeting this year is conducted in a hybrid format, with some in-person attendees and others who will join virtually. However, a large number of leaders are expected to be in the United States.

Today we begin the #UNGA General Debate. This years theme focuses on: "Building resilience through hope  to,



recover from COVID-19,

rebuild sustainably,

respond to the needs of the planet,

respect the rights of people, &

revitalize the United Nations pic.twitter.com/y5NmalC5pY  UN GA President (@UN_PGA) September 21, 2021

Ahead of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has arrived in New York for UNGA high-level week. Dr Jaishankar would be holding around 15 bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, according to ANI.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday morning to address UNGAs 76th session and participate in the first-ever in-person summit of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders.

Image: Twitter/@Abdulla_Shahid

Inputs from ANI
President of the 76th session of the high-level UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid addressed the gathering. During his speech, he warned the world leaders that they are at a turning point and can choose a path of isolationism and mutual destruction or a sustainable and resilient path.

Shahid said that he intends to pursue 'five rays of hope' that will direct the efforts of the 193-member General Assembly this year.

Shahid opening remarks at the 76th UNGA; choose isolationism or pave a new path

In his address to the opening of the 76th General Debate said that challenges of climate change and the pandemic kept people awake at night and fueled collective anxiety and worry that things are getting worse. Shahid stressed that fragility, conflict, COVID-19 and climate change are the challenges confronting the world right now. He said,

"The world wants peace of mind. The people want solutions to the challenges we collectively face. And challenges are not in short supply."

Shahid added, "There are moments in time that are turning points. This is one such moment. We can choose a path of isolationism, of mutual destruction, of a slow retreat of the human experiment, or we can forge together a new path, a sustainable and resilient path that changes the future of our planet."

While noting the plenty of challenges confronting the world, Shahid said that there is a reason to pause for a moment and celebrate what has been achieved in the past two years.

On Vaccines

Shahid mentioned that humanity had developed multiple viable vaccines for COVID- 19 in record time. He remarked on the fact that scientists and researchers from dozens of countries collaborated on a remarkable feat of human ingenuity. Shahid said, "Even though the largest vaccine roll-out in the history of humankind currently underway is certainly not without flaws, it is monumental in its undertaking".

He added, "On COVID-19, we have the vaccine, the know-how, the capacity for distribution, we lack only the political support."

He reiterated his support for the need to ensure vaccine equity and vaccination, saying he intends to host a high-level meeting on the issue, to address the practical obstacles that have emerged around supply, storage and distribution.

On COVID

The Maldives Foreign Minister Shahid, who took the oath of office as the President of the 76th session of the General Assembly last week, said that people are not wrong when they worry that world leaders are not doing enough to solve the problems facing the world. On the long-term recovery from COVID-19, Shahid said that they will push for a strong recovery.

Climate change

Shahid also underlined the need to return the world's attention to the climate crisis, which had taken a backseat due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated,

"On climate change, we have incredible innovations in renewable energy, in adaptive technologies, and in transitioning away from fossil fuels. We lack, again, only the political support and the related financing." "We are no longer on the wrong path. We are on the edge of a cliff."

The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is being described as a code red for humanity.

Events concerning climate change

Shahid said that he will host a series of events on climate action. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow will help in building ambition and ensure that action is very much on the agenda, he said.

"We must bridge the capacities needed to actually deliver on climate promises. It is one thing to have innovative renewable technologies, it is an entirely different thing if a country or community cannot absorb that technology. I believe we can close this gap," Shahid added.

The Maldives Foreign Minister mentioned that another event will acknowledge other major environmental efforts underway on ocean, desertification and biodiversity, and will aim to address these interlocking issues.

On human rights

President of the 76th session of the high-level UNGA Abdulla Shahid stressed the fact that nations must uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights above everything, particularly during moments of conflict or strife, as recently seen, adding that he is determined to have a cross-cutting gender approach to his presidency, advocating for a build back better approach to COVID-19 that prioritises gender-sensitive policies and initiatives.

Final ray of hope - UN reform and revitalisation must continue.

Speaking on the UN reform and revitalisation, Shahid mentioned that this was not about a balance of power, but was rather about efficiency.

"Every organ of the UN must be at its peak and must be able to deliver as it was intended. For the 7+ billion constituents around the world, this is what they see when they think of the United Nations iconic world leaders standing before a marble green backdrop debating, not whether to help, but how to help. Let us not let them down," Shahid said.

With inputs from PTI

Image Credits - Twitter (Abdulla Shahid)
Irans newly appointed defence minister has dismissed Israeli threats and warned the Zionist regime of a crushing response. For decades, both countries have been engaged in psychological warfare and have often accused each other of destruction and terrorism. On Monday, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani asserted that any stupid measure from Israel could cost them heavily.

"Any unwise and stupid measure will trigger a crushing response from Iran that would inflict heavy costs on the aggressors," Ashtiani was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that Jerusalem and Washington have jointly conceived a high-level team to combat Irans expanding nuclear programme. Addressing media, Bennett reckoned that his American counterpart was very clear that he wont accept Iran going nuclear ever. While Biden has vowed to revive the 2015 Nuclear deal with Iran, he had recently warned of other measures if negotiations failed.

Commenting on the same, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said that his country has made it very clear that its advance defence power is solely for the purpose of defending its borders and sovereignty. However, he cautioned that it was also capable of dealing with any potential threat or act of aggression. It is imperative to note that earlier this month, UN Nuclear Watchdog IAEA said it didnt expect Iran to return to JCPOA compliance before talks with the US had yielded a path to both nations returning to the deal as a whole.

No talks on the revival of nuclear deal

Signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) pact will not meet Iranian lawmakers at the United States General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss the revival of the stalled nuclear deal, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. It was previously reported that the signatories were planning to hold ministerial-level talks on the sidelines of the UNGA, however, Borrell debunked the claims saying that it was not on the agenda.

Some years it happens, some years it doesnt happen. Its not in the agenda, said Borrell, who acts as a coordinator for the nuclear deal. Just a day ago, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had expressed optimism on the now cancelled meeting saying that it could build momentum towards kick-starting months of fraught talks on the deal.

Image: AP
The military said that Philippine troops killed six rebels in separate confrontations in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, Xinhua reported. According to the military report, five New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed in the first battle in Bukidnon province around 6:45 am local time on September 20. And, at around 3:00 pm on September 21, another rebel was killed in a fight in Agusan del Norte province. According to the report, troops recovered AK47, M16, and M653 assault rifles from the battle sites. In both encounters, no soldiers were injured or killed.

When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016, he reopened talks to end the decades-long rebellion, but the talks stalled. Since 1969, the NPA has been battling the government. They target rural areas for their attacks. The NPA's estimated strength is 3,000, which is much lower than its 1980s peak.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Image: AP
At least seven survivors of the mass shooting at a university in central Russia that left six dead and 28 injured, were airlifted to Moscow for medical treatment on September 21. Following the deadly incident at Perm State University in Russia, Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov called the incident a "grave tragedy" and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

As per the Associated Press, Falkov, at a memorial ceremony in Perm, which is also a city of 1 million residents, located 1,100 kilometres (700 miles) east of Moscow, said, "Those who survived (I wish) the speediest recovery. Today seven kids will be transported to Moscow for treatment." Previously, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that the flight with the seven survivors on board departed for Moscow.

Falkov also said on Monday at a meeting with university principals that most of the hospitalised victims of the mass shooting "are on the mend." A student on Monday morning, opened fire at university, prompting others to either lock themselves or jump out from the second-story windows. The Investigative Committee said that six people were killed and 28 were injured. The Health Ministry said that 19 of them were shot but it remained unclear how many were injured.

Gunman used smoothbore hunting weapon

The committee also said that the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon, which indicates that he used a shotgun to carry out the attack. Perm University in Russia lies 700 miles east of the capital, Moscow. As per a report by the Independent, the fire was started by the gunman after entering building number 8.

Just after 12 PM (local time) on Monday, the police authorities announced that they had killed the gunman. As per local media reports, the man is identified as 18-year-old Timur Bekmansurov, who is a first-year student at the same university.

Notably, in a social media post that was published just before the attack, Bekmansurov explained the entire process of obtaining a licence for shooting and weapons. Media reports have stated that the man appeared to be in a distressed state of mind. The text in his post states, "However long Ive known myself, Ive always thought of death."

IMAGE: AP
In a significant finding, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) research team in collaboration with the Cambodia Ministry of Environment has found eight hatchlings of the critically endangered species of Siamese crocodiles in northern Mondulkiri province. The researchers have claimed that this is the first time in over a decade that this type of species has been discovered. The latest discovery has opened doors to the possibility of more new species living in the wild. According to a report published by Xinhua, the Siamese crocodile was found earlier this month at one of the search sites where footprints and dung of the rare species were found. In an official statement, the researchers said the reptiles were safe under strict enclosures and were protected by the rangers of the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary. Meanwhile, Cambodia's Environment Ministry said this discovery could become a milestone as this opportunity could be used to reverse biodiversity loss for the restoration of globally significant wildlife.

The discovery of the Siamese crocodile has opened new possibilities for the wildlife in Cambodia as the ministry said that they are looking for this opportunity to promote the wildlife of Cambodia and protect the "extremely rare crocodile" and other important species. Cambodia's Environmental Minister Say Samal said his ministry is ready to work with all international non-governmental organizations, community groups, and other partners to protect and preserve Cambodia's natural forests and wildlife for future generations.

Speaking about the rare discovery, Samal said the researchers carried out routine field monitoring, and for this particular trip, they even spent four nights scouting the crocodile habitat locations from 7:00 pm to 2: 00 am observing the animal. Then, the exciting moment came when one of our team first spotted the eye-shine of crocodile hatchlings, reported Xinhua.

Meanwhile, the WWF's biodiversity research and monitoring manager, Milou Groenenberg, said this is a breakthrough moment in the study world where different species are observed closely. Groenenberg said that the team was not sure if there were more Siamese crocodiles, but this discovery opened a new door for conservation of the rare and higher chances of more rare species being present in Cambodia and globally. As per reports, the Siamese crocodile was once a common species across Southeast Asia but suddenly disappeared during the early 1990s. Notably, Cambodia is home to some of the world's rarest species, and the biggest threats these species face are habitat loss and degradation, along with illegal poaching and wildlife trade.



Image: Twitter/@WWFCambodia
In a major embarrassment for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Taliban, whom he considers his friend, have started unfurling their true colours. In the latest development coming from Afghanistan's Torkham, a border city between both countries, the terrorist group removed a flag from a truck carrying aid supplies and tore it apart.

According to a video widely shared on social media platforms, Taliban terrorists can be seen taking down the Pakistan flag from a truck carrying Pakistan aid to the war-torn nation.

After removing it, the extremists tore apart the flag and chanted "Nara e Takbeer, Allahu Akbar" (God is great) slogans. Reportedly, one of the Taliban terrorists also said that the flag should be burnt.

On Sunday, Pakistan started dispatching humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing and sent 13 trucks filled with food items including flour, cooking oil, sugar, pulses and rice. "Another four trucks of humanitarian assistance would also be crossing through Torkham soon," according to officials, reported PTI.

After the Taliban takeover, the war-ravaged country is in a humanitarian crisis. Several western countries, India, and international organisations including United Nations have promised to provide aid.

Taliban scorns Imran Khan's call for an inclusive Afghanistan government

Taliban on Monday schooled Pakistan after it asked the terrorists to establish an inclusive government. "We dont give anyone the right to call for an inclusive government," Taliban leader Mohammad Mobeen said, adding that Afghanistan has freedom.

His reaction came after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he held meetings with "Afghanistan's neighbour". After promising an inclusive government, the Taliban on September 7 declared an all-male interim cabinet. The government is led by Taliban's Rehbari Shura Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund.
Berlin, Sep 20 (AP) Youth activists are hoping to turn up the heat on governments Friday with the first large-scale international protest against climate change in six months.

Greta Thunberg and fellow activists said Monday they plan to stage demonstrations in cities around the world, weeks before leaders gather for a UN summit in Glasgow.

It has been a very, very strange year and a half with this pandemic, but of course, the climate crisis has not disappeared, Thunberg told reporters. It's the opposite, it's even more urgent now than it was before. Recent scientific reports paint a dire picture of the international effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and the UN warned this week that more needs to be done if the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord are to remain within reach.

Vanessa Nakate, a campaigner from Uganda, said the protest on Friday would focus on climate justice, highlighting how those countries that have historically contributed the least to global warming are seeing some of the most brutal impacts, from droughts to floods and famine.

Referring to the upcoming UN climate meeting known as COP26, Nakate said we expect that leaders are going to give talks, speeches and sweet nothings. She urged governments that have pledged to sharply reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to follow through by not building new fossil fuel infrastructure such as coal-fired power plants or oil pipelines.

Germany is expected to see some of the biggest protests, two days before the country goes to the polls to elect a new parliament. Many voters have cited climate change as the main issue in Sunday's election, though the environmentalist Green party isn't currently forecast to win.

The real scandal of this election is that in the year 2021, in the midst of the escalating climate crisis, no single party dares to speak up about what needs to be done, said German campaigner Luisa Neubauer.

A small group of activists staging a hunger strike outside the chancellery for the past three weeks have threatened that they will stop consuming liquids, too, unless the three leading candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor agree to meet them by Thursday evening.

Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, expressed concern for the activists' health Monday and said the government considers climate change to be the central issue of our time, but declined to say whether Germany's long-time leader planned to intervene.

Thunberg said whichever party wins elections in Germany or elsewhere, climate activists would keep pressing their demands.

Democracy is not just on election day, she said. We also have to be active democratic citizens and go and go out on the streets and demand action. (AP) SCY SCY

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
To strengthen Indias diplomatic ties with Bhutan further, India has announced the allocation of Rs. 45 Billon for Bhutans development in its 12th Five-year plan. In the latest support plan, the Indian government has pledged Rs. 45 billion for different development projects and Rs. 4 billion for the Transitional Trade Support Facility.

According to a press release, in the 12th Five year plan for Bhutans development, the Indian government has asserted the support for various new projects of the Royal government, including COVID-19 Response Project, Water Flagship Project, Development of Motanga Industrial Park and the Stray Dog and Waste Management Project.

India commits Rs.45 billion for Bhutans development for 12th five-year plan

Third India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks were held earlier on 28 June 2021 in a virtual mode, and the signing ceremony was held today on September 21. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary of Bhutan, Dasho Kinga Singye and Ambassador of India to Bhutan, Ruchira Kamboj signed the Minutes of Third Bhutan - India Development Cooperation Talks.

After the signing ceremony, Indian Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said, "The Development Assistance model between India and Bhutan is unique, in that it is based off mutual trust and mutual understanding and always off the wishes, aspirations and priorities of the Bhutanese people."



New Projects like Covid-19 Response, #Water Flagship Project, Motanga Industrial Park & Waste Management Project to be supported in line with the wishes and priorities of #Bhutan! https://t.co/IwxKzofLo6 pic.twitter.com/kZ6MZ00PwI  India in Bhutan (@Indiainbhutan) September 21, 2021

Apart from this, Bhutan's Foreign Secretary praised India's contribution to the country's socio-economic development and emphasised the impact of its projects on the ground. He also praised India for its initiative to prioritise the release of funds for various initiatives in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Under the plan, 77 large and intermediate projects, as well as 524 Small Development Projects (SDPs) and High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), are at various phases of implementation. On Tuesday, the two nations evaluated the overall development of the continuing Project Tied Assistance (PTA) projects, as well as the SDPS/HICDPs.



The Bilateral Development Cooperation Talks are an important platform for India and Bhutan to evaluate their whole development collaboration. Bhutan's 11th Five-Year Plan had a budget of Nu. 213 billion, with the main goals being self-sufficiency and inclusive green socio-economic development. The Indian government has promised to contribute Rs. 28 billion to Bhutan's 11th Five-Year Plan, with Rs. 45 billion in Project Ties Assistance (PTA), Rs. 8.5 billion in Small Development Projects (SDP), and Rs. 8.5 billion in Programme Grant / Development Subsidy.

Image: Twitter
The extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly roadside bombs targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan, raising the specter of wider conflict between the country's new Taliban rulers and their long-time rivals.

A string of explosions struck Taliban vehicles in Afghanistan's provincial city of Jalalabad over the weekend, killing eight people, among them Taliban fighters.

On Monday, three more explosions were heard in the city, an IS stronghold, with unconfirmed reports of additional Taliban casualties.

The Taliban are under pressure to contain IS militants, in part to make good on a promise to the international community that they will prevent the staging of terror attacks from Afghan soil.

There is also a widely held expectation among conflict-weary Afghans that  despite fears and misgivings about the Taliban  the new rulers will at least restore a measure of public safety.

"We were expecting that with the Taliban government we will have peace and stability, but now we see there is no peace, there is not stability, only explosions," said Feda Mohammad, the brother of an 18-year-old rickshaw driver who was killed in one of Sunday's blasts.

Their 10-year-old cousin also died in the explosion.

The latest IS bombings come as the Taliban face the daunting task of governing a country shredded by four decades of war.

The economy is in free fall, the health system on the verge of collapse and thousands of members of the country's educated elite have fled. International aid groups predict worsening drought, hunger and poverty.

The weekend bomb blasts served as a reminder of the threat that the militants pose.

Just weeks ago, as American and foreign troops completed their withdrawal and frantic airlift from the country, IS suicide bombers targeted US evacuation efforts outside Kabul international airport in one of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in years.

The blast killed 169 Afghans and 13 US service members.

The events have bolstered fears of more violence, as IS militants exploit the vulnerability of an overstretched Taliban government facing massive security challenges and an economic meltdown.

Zarif Khan, IS bombing victim's father, said the new wave of bombings has raised fears among ordinary Afghans that a new war could be about to erupt, this time between the Taliban and IS militants.

The aims of the IS affiliate in Afghanistan are different from those of the Taliban, who seized control of the country days before the US troop pullout last month.

While the Taliban have fought to gain ground in Afghanistan, the IS chapter seeks to incorporate swathes of the country into a broader self-styled caliphate, or Islamic empire, across the Middle East.

The franchise, largely made up of Pakistani militants pushed across the border by military operations, first embraced the IS call for a worldwide jihad against non-Muslims in the months after the group's core fighters swept through Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014.

While they share enmity toward American forces and a harsh interpretation of Sunni Islam, the Taliban and IS are sworn enemies.

Just as the Taliban battled US coalition troops in the long Afghan war, the group also waged a successful offensive to drive IS militants from their enclaves in the country's north and east  at times assisted by the US and US-backed Afghan government.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The new cabinet formed by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati was supported by 85 confidence votes. The decision came on Monday in the session held in Beirut's UNESCO Palace amidst powercut. 117 members of parliament (MP) were present at the makeshift parliament building.

According to reports, Lebanese PM Mikati's win was secured after he vowed to resume bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He also pledged to devise a host of reforms to restore the worst economic meltdown in the country followed by the Beirut Port blast last year and subsequent airstrikes between Israel and Lebanon. Although some 85 parliamentarians voted for PM Mikati's cabinet, 15 reportedly stood against the billionaire PM.

It is to be noted that Mikhati has been able to establish a full-fledged government in Lebanon after 13 months of severe political crisis. Just ahead of the final decisions on Monday, the billionaire PM also introduced his 9-page policy statement to the parliamentarians. As per the plans, around 24 ministers will be engaged in infrastructure and economic restructural reforms. They will also enact a host of other improvements to combat power outages, food, fuel, and medicine shortages issue and rampant corruption, and wasteful government spending, Al Jazeera reported.

"We will start with the IMF... This is not a choice, it is something we have to go through," Mikati said before the voting began.

As per Al Jazeera, the 9-page reform policy statement came after United Nations raised concerns about the catastrophic deterioration in the living conditions of the citizens since 2019. Additionally, Lebanon is also one of the top three countries with its economy on the brink of collapse, as per a World Bank report. Talking highly about the planned improvements, Mikati said in the Parliament, "abe government amounts to light a candle in this deep darkness and spark a torch of hope and determination that we are able to combine our sincerest efforts for this beloved country."

Fixes and Modifications

It is noteworthy that Lebanon needs a solid policy to restore its collapsing economy, which Mikati's failed to deliver. Also, the same is considered to be the gateway to initiate talks for IMF sanctions, The National News reported. Meanwhile, the newly formed government also faces a hugely disrupted balance due to the Iran-backed Hezbollah stronghold that successfully purchased a shipment of Iranian fuel to restore the electricity supply shortage in the country.

Image: AP (representative)
On Monday, September 20, the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Zabihullah Mujahid said that Islamic State (Daesh) are not a threat to the country and the newly formed government is capable enough to restrain them. Speaking to Tolo News, he said that Daesh do not pose any threat and the Taliban know how to neutralize their techniques. Some political analysts believe the group is still active in Afghanistan, based on recent strikes in Nangarhar and Kabul. Meanwhile, Mujahid claimed that two groups were apprehended in connection with the recent explosion in Nangarhar province, reported Tolo News. The United States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and others in the international community have repeatedly expressed their concerns about Al Qaeda and Daesh operations in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have maintained that no insurgent group will be allowed to operate from Afghanistan.

Tolo News stated that Daesh claimed responsibility for a number of strikes in Kabul and Nangarhar province during the last one month. On Sunday, September 19, an explosion occurred in Nangarhar province, killing a child and injuring two individuals, one of them was a Taliban forces member. Two people were injured in a blast in Kabul on Saturday, September 18, and two additional blasts hit a Taliban truck in Nangarhar the same day, injuring roughly 20 people. Notably, insurgent group Daesh claimed responsibility for these attacks, according to Tolo News. Nangarhar is one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, located in the eastern part of the country bordering Pakistan and Osama bin Laden had a significant presence in Nangarhar in the late 1990s, the report stated.

NATO warns of terrorism-related issues in Afghanistan

Last week Admiral Rob Bauer, chief of NATO Military Committee, stated that Afghanistan might confront terrorism-related issues in the near future. Speaking at a meeting in Greece, he claimed that NATO has not yet stepped up against terrorism in the war-torn country; however, if the challenge intensifies, the military will respond quickly, reported The Associated Press (AP). The NATO military commanders' summit in Athens also made it clear that preventing a resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan is the alliance's top priority. Meanwhile, the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported earlier this month that after the United States ended its 20-year engagement in Afghanistan, NATO is back to square one in dealing with the country's crisis.

Image: AP/ANI
Wildlife researchers in Cambodia say they have found six hatchlings from one of the world's rarest crocodile species, raising hopes for its continuing survival in the wild. A team came across the baby Siamese crocodiles in a river in the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area in the east of Cambodia, earlier in September.

They found them after spending four days scouring habitat sites where months earlier they had discovered footprints and dung. The species was once widespread across Southeast Asia but is now listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

It had all but disappeared across its range by the 1990s due to a combination of factors including poaching, habitat destruction and cross-breeding with other crocodile species. The government and the wildlife organization WWF have jointly been searching for photographic evidence of a breeding population in the Srepok sanctuary without success for more than a decade, WWF said in a statement.

Cambodia's Environment Minister Say Samal hailed the discovery as "such rewarding news" while Milou Groenenberg, from WWF, called it "a significant finding for the species in Cambodia and globally." The statement said the area is now being guarded by Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary rangers.

It's believed only about 400 Siamese crocodiles remain in the wild, with most of them in Cambodia. In 2017, wildlife researchers found six eggs in Sre Ambel District in the southern province of Koh Kong as they were exploring for tracks, signs and dung of the reptile.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A UN expert on Monday, 20 September, underscored the need for "renewed multilateralism" in order to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While presenting a report to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Livingstone Sewanyana, UN independent expert on the promotion of an equitable international order, stated that the very concept of multilateralism was under significant threat in this time of great upheaval. He stressed that the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe can protect the health of the people around the world.

In his report Sewanyana said, "The equitable global distribution of vaccines, as the prime means to protect global public health, ought to be the most profound manifestation of the spirit and raison detre of multilateralism", as per a statement issued by the United Nations. The UN expert further lauded the efforts of all the people who worked under the "Access to the COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) scheme".

In Geneva, Switzerland this week to present my annual report 2021 to the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council. @unhrcpr pic.twitter.com/KjblrnnvoZ  Dr. L. Sewanyana (@LSewanyana) September 20, 2021

"In this time of great upheaval, where the very concept of multilateralism was under significant threat and with a virus that kept mutating and did not stop at borders," he said.

In his report, Sewanyana stated that coronavirus kept mutating and did not stop at borders, adding that renewed multilateralism must be embraced, with a "more effective and more inclusive approach". He also warned against the exacerbated effect of unilateral coercive measures in the context of the pandemic, in particular on the health and well-being of women, children, persons with disabilities and other people in vulnerable situations.

The expert stated that he believed that, "unilateral coercive measures, endured first and foremost by the civilian population of the targeted countries, ran contrary to the essence of multilateralism". Speaking about the "two-track pandemic", he said that the high-income countries had access to COVID vaccine doses, while the low-income nations were having limited or no access to vaccines. Sewanyana stated that the high-income nations now had begun relaxing safety measures as they have vaccinated their population in large numbers. He highlighted that the low-income countries were facing a "very precarious situation" as they had limited or no access to vaccine doses that would protect them against COVID-19.

Image: Twitter/@LSewanyana/Pixabay
Education Minister Meets Saudi Arabias Ambassador To Discuss Digital Learning

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Saudi Arabias Ambassador to India Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. The meeting was held in person at Education Ministers office today. The agenda of the meeting was to talk about higher education. Both leaders had discussions on strengthening our bilateral cooperation in higher education, digital learning, and skill development. The Education Minister took to Twitter to share information about the same and to share the highlights and outcomes of the discussion.

Read Full Story Here

'UK's Discriminating Vaccine Policy Impacting Indians; Matter Raised By EAM': FS Shringla

The non-recognition of India's COVID-19 vaccine Covishield is a discriminating policy and it impacts our citizens travelling to the United Kingdom, said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday. He informed that the issue has been raised strongly by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, during his meeting with UK's new foreign secretary earlier today. Shringla added that certain assurances have been given that the issue will be resolved.

Read Full Story Here

Taliban Expands Caretaker Cabinet Amid Growing Calls For 'inclusive Govt'; Women Left Out

Amid the growing demand for the formation of an "inclusive" government, the Taliban announced a list of more ministers in the caretaker Afghanistan Cabinet. Addressing a press briefing in Kabul on Tuesday, Afghanistan Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the new appointees are professionals and will help improve the functioning of the government. While women did not find a place on the list, the Taliban spokesman hinted at the possibility of including them at a later stage. According to him, the Cabinet expansion had paved the way for the inclusion of ethnic minorities such as Hazaras.

Read Full Story Here

J&K: 2 Indian Army Pilots Succumb To Injuries In Helicopter Crash-land Near Patnitop

In a shocking development, two pilots of an Indian Army aviation helicopter on Tuesday crash-landed near the Patnitop area of Jammu and Kashmir. As per Army's official statement, the two pilots were critically injured in the crash-landing and they were evacuated to the hospital. However, both the pilots Major Rohit Kumar and Major Anuj Rajput succumbed to their injuries.

Read Full Story Here

PM Modi Likely To Talk On Regional Security, Stability During US Visit Amid Afghan Crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the United States comes at a time when concerns over regional security and stability due to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has rocked the global community. Amid the Afghan crisis, PM Modi will travel to the US to attend the first-ever in-person summit of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad leaders, hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 24. The Prime Minister will also address the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in New York on September 25.

Read Full Story Here

Bharat Biotech Completes Phase 2/3 Trials Of Covaxin For Children Under 18yrs

In a significant development, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech completed Phase 2/3 trials of its COVID-19 vaccine- 'Covaxin' for use in the pediatric population of the country. Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Krishna Ella stated that the data analysis for the Phase 2/3 trials was currently going on. All data pertaining to the use of Covaxin for children under 18 years of age will be submitted to the DGCI by next week, as per the company. The number of subjects in the phase 2/3 trials was over 1000, Dr Ella said.

Read Full Story Here

'Capt Amarinder Has His Own Voice': BJP's Dushyant Gautam On Talks Of Ex-CM Changing Sides

National General Secretary of the BJP and the outfit's Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam on Tuesday said that former state Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has a voice of his own and he will be the one who will decide for himself whether he desires to join the BJP following his 'humiliation' by the Congress, which lately appointed a new Chief Minister, ahead of the Legislative Assembly polls in the state scheduled to be held early next year.

Read Full Story Here

Quad Leaders To Make Announcements On COVID, Clean Energy, Climate Issues: US Official

Ahead of the first in-person Quad Summit, a senior official from the US administration confirmed that Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders will discuss various international issues and make announcements relating to climate change, COVID-19, clean energy, among others. The Quad Summit is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 24, in Washington. The Quad Leaders Summit is being hosted by the US, and countries like Australia, India, and Japan will participate in the Summit.

Read Full Story Here

Mahant Narendra Giri's Death Case: Anand Giri Detained With Two Others From Haridwar

In a recent update to the Mahant Narendra Giri's death case, the ADG of Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar, informed that Anand Giri is arrested in Haridwar and two others are also detained. A suicide note has been recovered where Anand Giri's name was mentioned along with two others. Currently, the forensic team is working on the investigation.

Read Full Story Here

Afghanistan: 40 Arrested In Connection With Explosions That Rocked Jalalabad City

At least 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad over the weekend, Ariana News reported citing Nangarhar Provinces intelligence directorate. Three civilians, including one child and one member of the Taliban were killed in a series of three explosions that rocked the countrys fifth largest city. In addition to the fatalities, 21 people sustained severe injuries in the blast.

Read Full Story Here

Image: Republicworld
Amid the growing demand for the formation of an "inclusive" government, the Taliban announced a list of more ministers in the caretaker Afghanistan Cabinet. Addressing a press briefing in Kabul on Tuesday, Afghanistan Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the new appointees are professionals and will help improve the functioning of the government. While women did not find a place on the list, the Taliban spokesman hinted at the possibility of including them at a later stage. According to him, the Cabinet expansion had paved the way for the inclusion of ethnic minorities such as Hazaras.

Here is a list of new ministers:

Haji Nooruddin Azizi (a businessman from Panjshir province)- Acting Minister of Commerce

Haji Mohammad Bashir (a businessman from Baghlan province)- Deputy Minister of Commerce

Haji Mohammad Azim Sultanzada (a businessman from Sar-e-Pul province)- Second Deputy Minister of Commerce

Dr Qalandar Ibad- Acting Minister of Health

Dr Abdul Bari Omar- Deputy Minister of Health

Dr Mohammad Hassan Ghiasi- Second Deputy Minister of Health

Haji Gul Mohammad- Deputy Minister of Borders

Gul Zarin Kochi- Second Deputy Minister of Borders

Mullah Mohammad Ibrahim- Deputy Minister of Interior Security.

Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir- Deputy Minister of Defense

Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Omar- Deputy Minister of Power and Energy

Commander Arsala Kharoti- Deputy Minister of Refugees

Dr Lutfullah Khairkhwa- Deputy Minister of Higher Education

Haji Ghulam Ghaus- Deputy Minister of Disaster Management

Other appointments announced by the Taliban:

Nazar Mohammad Muttamin- Acting head of the National Olympic Committee

Dr Mohammad Faqir- Acting Head of Central Statistics Office

Engineer Najibullah- Head of Atomic Energy

Taliban forms government

On August 31, the Taliban gained control of the Kabul airport after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan. Though the Taliban promised to form an "inclusive" government to run Afghanistan, it announced a 33-member caretaker Cabinet which neither has women nor mainstream politicians from previous regimes. While Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the chief of the Taliban's Rehbari Shura, is the new Prime Minister, he has two deputies in Mullah Baradar and Mawlavi Hanafi. Another terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani is the Interior Minister whereas Taliban founder Mullah Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob has been named as the Defence Minister.

As per reports, Baradar is unhappy with the huge representation of the Haqqani Network in the new Cabinet and its non-inclusive composition. Led by Afghanistan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Haqqani Network is primarily based in Pakistan and was one of the most dangerous factions fighting the Afghan and NATO forces. Most governments in the world have ruled out recognising the new government unless the Taliban gives representation to all the ethnic groups, minorities and women in its Cabinet.
Security will be tight in New York this week as over 100 heads of states and governments and other leaders arrive for the annual U.N. General Assembly.

The challenges on the global agenda are daunting, from an escalating climate crisis and vaccine inequities to Afghanistan's uncertain future under its new Taliban rulers and worsening conflicts in Ethiopia's Tigray region and Myanmar.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres keeps repeating that the world is at "a pivotal moment" and can't continue business as usual. He says it must shift gears to "a greener and safer world."

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The brutal execution of nine men by Houthi rebels has drawn severe condemnation from leaders across the UK, US, and UN. The critical remarks came after a firing squad shot dead 9 civilians in Sanaa's central Tahrir Square. The killed Yemenis were allegedly accused of the targeted killing of Saleh al-Sammad, a senior Houthi leader, in April 2018.

Among the executed was a 9-year-old boy, who was also allegedly involved in the Saudi-led airstrike that hit the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast. The killings were carried out despite repeated calls for retrial by civil rights groups and lawyers. As per Associated Press reports, the documents retrieved from the court also convicted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and ex-US President Donald Trump in absentia.

Earlier, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed the trial as a "sham" and questioned the credibility of the trials conducted in the Houthi-led courts. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric also "deeply regretted the executions" and called out the unfair "judicial proceedings" that did not seem to abide by international law. The outcry was followed by the UK embassy in Sanaa.

"UK condemns the brutal execution of nine individuals, 1 reported being a juvenile. It demonstrates indifference to human dignity and legend disregard for fair trial and due process. Sadly it is not the first time. Those responsible must change and comply with international law," the British Embassy in Sanaa wrote on Twitter.

Calling the death penalty "cruel and inhumane," European Union (EU) highlighted stances of irregularities in the judicial proceedings and alleged mistreatments.

"The outrageous action is another example of Houthi indifference to basic human rights," US charge d'affaires Cathy Westly said in a statement.

UN Chief concerned about escalated tensions in Yemen

The situation in Yemen has continued to take violent turns since 2015 after Houthi militants seized control of large territories in Yemen. The event was followed by the death of over 1,30,000 civilians when the Saudi-led coalition launched an operation to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi's regime. The ongoing conflict has led over five million people to the edge of plummeting into famine and enhanced humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, airstrikes in Shabwa province carried out by the coalition reportedly killed a family of six members.

Following the current developments, UN Chief Guterres urged all parties to adopt a moratorium on the carrying out of the death penalties. He also appealed to the Yemeni authorities to engage with the UN to "reinvigorate political dialogue" for peaceful negotiations. He asked them to determine the demands and aspirations of the Yemenis to ensure de-escalation of tensions.

With inputs from ANI

Image: AP
On Monday, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez swore in new cabinet members at a ceremony inside Government House's Bicentennial Museum. The leaving ministers were praised for their work and Fernandez stated that the cabinet renewal intends to react to a segment of the Argentine population that has been affected by the COVID pandemic and has not recovered.

Juan Manzur, the governor of northwest Tucuman province was named Cabinet chairman, with Santiago Cafiero stepping down to become Minister of International Affairs. In addition, the President named Anibal Fernandez as Security Minister, Julian Dominguez as Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister and Jaime Perzyck as Education Minister. Daniel Filmus has been named Minister of Science and Technology, while Juan Ross has been named Secretary of Communication and the Press.

Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called for an overhaul of the cabinet

The event came just eight days after the Peronist alliance suffered a crushing defeat in the PASO primaries, with the Frente de Todos receiving only 31 per cent of the vote countrywide and ceding 17 provinces to the opposition, as per Buenos Aires Times. The reshuffle comes only a day after Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called for an overhaul of the cabinet in an open letter that blamed Fernandez for the election's dismal outcome.

The vice president, who picked Fernandez to head their Peronist alliance in the 2019 presidential elections, described the midterm primaries as a "political catastrophe" brought on by his economic policy. She chastised him for his lack of social expenditure, putting more pressure on Fernandez as he tries to renegotiate a US $45 billion loan with the IMF. According to the newspaper, she claimed in the letter that she had suggested Juan Manzur for the Cabinet head job to Fernandez in a face-to-face meeting earlier in the week.

The president spent the weekend in Chilecito

After spending the weekend in Chilecito, the place where his foster father was born, as well as visiting with a number of local and national leaders, Fernandez returned to Buenos Aires on Monday. As per the newspaper, this week the administration is set to introduce a slew of new economic policies targeted at helping low-wage employees, retirees and pensions. The political turmoil that engulfed the administration last week caused them to be postponed.

(Inputs from ANI)

(Image: AP)
After alleged violence between YouTuber Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie just weeks before she vanished, the Moab City Police Department in Utah released body camera footage on September 14.

Officers respond to a 911 call reporting an alleged domestic incident between the two on August 12 in Utah, according to the hour-long body camera footage. The childhood sweethearts were on a cross-country road trip and planned to arrive in Oregon by October, according to their social media posts.

As per an audiotape of the emergency call obtained on September 20, an unknown 911 caller, who reported a 'domestic dispute' between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in downtown Moab, Utah, on August 12 was heard telling a dispatcher that 'the gentleman was slapping the girl' and pushing her, reported Sputnik.

A male voice can be heard on the recording telling the operator that he saw a 'domestic conflict' event on the street near a white vehicle with Florida licence plates while riding by.

"Was the man slapping her?" the dispatcher inquired, to which the witness said, "Yes, and then we stopped."

Although 'it was reported the guy had been witnessed to have assaulted the female,' the audio of the alleged 911 call appeared to contradict an earlier police report, which said that 'no one reported that the male struck the girl'.

An officer responding to the incident outside Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab allegedly noted in the police report that the van's male driver "had some sort of disagreement with the girl, Gabbie," noting exchanges with Petito, Laundrie, and the witness.

According to the officer, Petito was "sobbing uncontrollably" in the passenger seat when police approached the van, as seen on the bodycam video published last week, Sputnik reported.

The altercation between Petito and her 23-year-old fiance was described by one of the responding officers as a "mental/emotional health "break." Petito and Laundrie both declined to press charges, telling the authorities that they were in love and planning to marry.

Last week, the mother of the missing woman said that she thought the event was 'irrelevant' to the case, noting that the fight was most likely caused by exhaustion from the trip as well as constant proximity, reported Sputnik.

Forensic Psychiatrist suggests bodycam footage adds to the story

Dr Ziv Ezra Cohen, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Cornell University's Weill Cornell Medical College and a staff member of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, is reported by Sputniks article as saying, "We really don't know how extensive the fight was. What we know is that she was agitated when the cops pulled them over, and they both tried to downplay their fight. That, I believe, is apparent as he mentions his muddy shoes, and she appears to blame it on her OCD. She also claims to be under a great deal of stress."

In the bodycam footage, Petito appears upset and remorseful, while Laundrie appears calm after what they describe as a frantic morning. Laundrie states in the video that Petito is to blame for the scratches on his cheek. Police separated the two throughout their interrogation.

"Such an emotional imbalance" between the lovers "raises a warning flag," according to the doctor because the young woman "doesn't just appear like someone who's having a panic attack or who's anxious."

Petito claimed OCD was the cause of the conflict, but Cohen stressed that the disease is not "a risk factor for violence."

Given that the young individuals were in situations where they may "tend to consume chemicals that can cause them to have an altered mental state," the psychiatrist believed that the couple was drunk in some way.

Investigators uncovered a body at a campsite in the Teton-Bridger National Forest in Moose, Wyoming, where travellers discovered Petito's van in late August. On August 25, the woman was last seen alive there.

Five days later, her mother received a single text message informing her that there was no service in Yosemite, leading family members to assume Gabby Petito was not the sender.

Meanwhile, Laundrie drove back to North Port, Florida, where they were apparently living with his parents on September 1, and authorities discovered the van at his family's home on September 11, the day Gabby went missing.

The North Port Police Department designated him as a person of interest in the inquiry last week, and he has declared through his lawyer that he will not cooperate with the authorities.

Laundrie's family in denial of son's involvement in crime

Laundrie's parents say they last saw him on September 14 and have been in touch with him via their attorney as of September 20. The man is still being sought by the police.

Cohen theorised that the family is in denial about their son's involvement in a crime and the potential that he committed one.

FBI officials arrived at Laundrie parents' home on September 20 and took them away for the time being. The authorities carried out a search warrant but did not immediately disclose any information about the results.

(With inputs from Sputnik)

(Image: Instagram/@Gabspetito)
Washington, Sep 20 (PTI) President Joe Biden would host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on September 24 to further cement the close relationship between the two countries, a senior US official said on Monday.

US Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Prime Minister Modi on September 23, the official told PTI here.

President Biden will host his first in-person meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the White House on September 24, the official said.

"The Biden-Harris Administration has enhanced our global partnership with India by working together to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, leading efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and taking concerted action to address the climate crisis," the official said.

The leaders will be focused on strengthening the deep ties between their people and shared democratic values that have underpinned the special bond between the United States and India for more than seven decades, he said.

Earlier, the president's weekly schedule released by the White House on Monday said, "The President will participate in a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India." Both leaders have spoken virtually on multiple occasions after Biden, a Democrat, became US president in January. The last telephone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Biden took place on April 26.

Vice President Harris and Prime Minister Modi held a telephone conversation on June 3. Harris is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President.

The last time Prime Minister Modi visited the US was in September 2019 when he and then US president Donald Trump, a Republican, addressed the high-profile Howdy-Modi event in Houston.

Biden will also meet Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the White House said on the president's engagements on Friday.

Later on September 24, Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit at the White House with Modi, Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, according to the US president's weekly schedule.

The four leaders will review progress made since their first virtual Summit on 12 March this year and discuss regional issues of shared interest, the Ministry of External Affairs said last week in New Delhi.

"As part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, they will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year," it said.

They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, climate change and education.

"The Summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," the MEA statement said.

The evolving situation in the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region in the wake of China's aggressive muscle-flexing has become a major talking point among leading global powers.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years. Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In the East China Sea, China has territorial disputes with Japan.

Both maritime areas in the South and East China seas are rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. The South China Sea is also a vital commercial gateway for a substantial portion of the world's merchant shipping. Thus it is a vital economic and strategic sub-region of the Indo-Pacific region.

President Biden is scheduled to leave for New York later on Monday to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. It will be Biden's maiden address to the world body.

In New York, Biden is scheduled to meet Australian Prime Minister Morrison. On his return from New York, the White House said, Biden will host a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday.

The visit to the US will be Modi's first foreign visit in nearly six months and his second since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, Modi travelled to Bangladesh to attend events organised to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of the War of Liberation of that country. PTI LKJ SCY AKJ AKJ

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Biden administration might adopt the "mix and match" strategy for administering the different types of vaccines for COVID-19 booster shots, and the idea will be discussed in the coming weeks, Americas top physician-scientists and immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci said on Monday. It may be safe and even preferable to boost one manufacturers product with a jab from another vaccine maker, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden said in a televised interview with McClatchy. Furthermore, he cited the ongoing scientific studies to back the strategy for COIVD-19 booster dosage for the elderly population aged over 65.

We are in the process of doing those studies right now, Fauci said. We already have the data that was recently published actually of using Moderna as the boost for any of the other three vaccines  Moderna against Moderna, Moderna against Pfizer, and Moderna against J&J.

Countries back 'mix and match' booster approach

Some countries such as Malaysia are already considering to jab population with booster jabs using the "mix and match" approach. Health experts have suggested that different brands of COVID-19 vaccine for the third dose, especially among Sinovac recipients may be administered for higher efficacy, according to local press reports. Malaysia is considering administering Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca as the most appropriate option for booster shots, a strategy being dubbed as heterologous prime-boost vaccination. Malaysian health experts have argued that mix and match vaccines will result in longer-lasting immunity against the virus and new variants.

Fauci on Monday supported the strategy, as he said in a television interview that within the next few weeks, the US is expected to get promising data on the J&J boosting as well as on the Pfizer boosting. We have not abandoned that concept, because we realize there will be situations for one reason or another where a person may not have the availability to be boosted with the same product that they were originally vaccinated with, Fauci said.

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel had earlier rejected the widespread administration of the COVID-19 booster shots. It gave approval to Pfizer for inoculating only those over the age of 65, who were co-morbid and most vulnerable to Coronavirus. FDA endorsed the emergency approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster shot at least six months after the second dose.

Image: PTI/AP
'Opening doors to diplomacy,' United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that America will continue to defend itself and its allies from terrorism, but asserted that using military will be the last resort. Days after ending the 20-year-war in Afghanistan, the President stated that the US is not the same country that was attacked on 9/11, 2001, but 'more equipped and more resilient, countering propaganda'.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Biden said, "We are facing the threat of terrorism today, we have ended 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan and as we close this war, we are opening doors of diplomacy... No matter how challenging problems we face, the US will deliver the best.""

Remembering 13 American troops who lost their lives in a suicide attack at Kabul airport, Biden stressed that the US knows the bitter sting of terrorism. "Those who commit acts of terrorism against us will find a determined enemy in the United States," he said.

Amid growing tensions with China, Biden said that he is also against a 'new cold war' where the world is divided and affirmed that the United States is ready to work with any nation that ensures peaceful resolution, stating that all of us has suffered consequences of failures.

UNGA: Biden on climate change

The US President also put major weight on the climate crisis. He emphasised the urgent need to act to counter the climate crisis and informed that his administration has pledged to double financial investment to help developing countries tackle the climate crisis.

"Today, I'm proud to announce that we will work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts, to make the United States the leader of public climate finance," Biden said.

UNGA: US President on COVID-19

Speaking on COVID-19, the POTUS said that arms cannot defeat coronavirus or its mutants but collective science and political will can. "We need to act now, expand access to treatment to save lives around the world. For future, we need need to create a new mechanism to finance global health security," he said.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday will host a virtual COVID-19 summit, where he will announce additional commitments and push for more vaccines for poor nations.
United States President Joe Biden on Monday evening (local time) met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reaffirmed the strong partnership between Washington and the peacemaking body. According to the official readout of the meeting released by the White House on September 20, Guterres and Biden stressed that the US and UN partnership is based on common values that include respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and international law. UN chief and US President discussed the importance of multilateralism and the defence of democracy and international order based on rules.

As I said during tonights meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: global challenges require global solutions. We believe in the United Nations and its value. And at this moment, our bond  based on common values and principles  is more important than ever. pic.twitter.com/H7G1GAXopQ  President Biden (@POTUS) September 21, 2021

Specifically, the White House stated that Guterres and Biden spoke of the urgency to cooperate with other UN members to end the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare the international community for future health security threats. Among other issues that the duo discussed included climate change, strengthening food systems and food security, acknowledging humanitarian needs, preventing and mitigating conflict, and promoting and defending human rights globally. Biden and Guterres met on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The statement added, The President reaffirmed that complex, global challenges can only be addressed by genuinely global solutions, an approach reflected in the Presidents vision of building back better, and he emphasized the unique role of the United Nations in delivering prosperity, peace and security for everyone. Meanwhile, at the press briefing, Biden also noted that at this moment, those bonds are more important than ever.

US President said, "America is back. We believe in the United Nations and its value. Because of the challenges we face today in ending COVID-19 and dealing with the gravest threat to humanity we've ever seen, which is the whole climate crisis we're undergoing that can only be met with global solutions, no one country can -- no ten countries can do it.

And the Secretary-General and I share a strong commitment to the principles of human freedom and human dignity on which the UN was founded," added Biden.

Guterres stressed on US cooperation with the UN

UN chief said that he is delighted to have the opportunity to meet Biden and noted the US reaffirming a strong commitment to the United Nations and to multilateralism. Guterres said, as you have clearly affirmed the strong commitment of the United States to the UN and to multilateralism - a multilateralism that we also want to see reformed, more effective, and more in line with the need to solve the dramatic problems of this world." The UN Secretary-General also stressed the importance of cooperation between the US and the UN and called it a fundamental pillar for the peacemaking bodys work.

In the joint briefing with Biden, Guterres said, "The United States, with its strong commitment to human rights; its strong commitment to peace and security in the world; its strong commitment to development, cooperation; and now, with your leadership, a very strong commitment on climate change, the United States represents a fundamental pillar of our activity.

"And you can be absolutely sure that we share the same values, the same concerns, and the same commitment to the people of this world, especially to the most vulnerable and to those that have been more than dramatically impacted both by the COVID, the climate, and other challenges that we face together," added UN chief.

Image: @POTUS/Twitter
A federal judge on Monday tossed out several convictions against the Massachusetts mayor elected at just 23 years old who was found guilty by jurors of bilking investors and extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses.

U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock overturned eight counts of the jurys guilty verdict against against ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia that the judge said prosecutors failed to prove during trial.

Corriea, who maintains he is innocent, remains convicted of multiple counts of wire fraud, extortion conspiracy and extortion, but the trimming of his convictions will undoubtedly impact the punishment he receives.

Correia, now 29, was expected to be sentenced on Monday, but the judge said he was unpersuaded that there was enough evidence to back up several fraud counts against him stemming from allegations that Correia misused money he got from investors who backed his smartphone app called SnoOwl on lavish purchases for himself and his then-girlfriend.

The judge said that prosecutors failed to prove six wire fraud counts by showing that wires  or electronic communications  were used to process the checks Correia got from the investors. The judge also ruled that prosecutors failed to prove two counts of filing false tax returns.

Before the judge acquitted Correia on several counts, prosecutors had asked for 11 years in prison, pointing to what they described as Correias continued defiance. His lawyers had asked for three years behind bars.

This case evokes the legend of Icarus. Mr. Correia flew early, high, and fast. The verdict points to a hubristic loss of moral compass and, now, a crash into the sea. But Mr. Correias story need not end there, Correia's defense attorneys wrote in court papers.

The charges against Correia in 2018 marked a stunning collapse for the politician who was elected on a promise to rejuvenate the struggling mill city and was once seen as a rising Democratic star.

Prosecutors alleged that Correia looted a bank account of funds investors gave him for his smartphone app to buy things for himself and shower his girlfriend in expensive gifts. Prosecutors said he spent investor funds on dinners at high-end restaurants, luxury hotels, casino trips and such lavish items as a Mercedes, a helicopter tour of Newport, Rhode Island, and a $700 pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.

Throughout his trial, prosecutors depicted him as a greedy liar who misled those who pumped money into his app the same way they say he deceived voters to get elected by portraying himself as a successful entrepreneur. Investors told jurors that they had been impressed with Correia and trusted him to use their cash to build up the business and make them more money.

After becoming mayor in 2016, prosecutors say Correia began soliciting bribes from marijuana vendors in exchange for letters of approval from the city they needed in order to get a license. During the trial, prosecutors had one vendor use fake money to show jurors how he said he stuffed $75,000 in cash in a metal box clipboard before handing it to Correia in the mayors city-issued vehicle.

Correia was found guilty in May of extortion, extortion conspiracy, wire fraud and filing false tax returns after 23 hours of jury deliberations over four days. The jury acquitted him on three counts, including accusations that he forced his chief of staff to give him half of her salary in order to keep her city job.

For months after his arrest, Correia resisted calls to leave office and survived a bizarre election in March 2019 during which he was recalled by voters and reelected the same night. But after federal agents arrested him a second time  this time for the extortion scheme  he agreed in October 2019 to take a leave of absence. He was ousted by voters the next month.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A pilot has been arrested in connection with brutal attacks on women in Southern California where he allegedly choked them into unconsciousness and assaulted them in bushes off of a running trail, prosecutors announced Monday.

Robert Yucas, 51, faces life in prison if convicted in the case filed in Orange County. Prosecutors said he raped one victim and tried to sexually assault the other two women in Aliso Viejo, a city about 50 miles (81 kilometers) south of Los Angeles.

Officials believe there may be other victims in the U.S. and abroad because of his job as an international commercial cargo pilot, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Monday during a news briefing to announce the arrest.

Yucas is being held in Alaska after he was arrested in Anchorage on Thursday when he landed there following a return flight from China. His extradition to California is pending. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Yucas is also a suspect in San Diego and Riverside counties in other crimes, Barnes said.

(Editors note: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.)

The women were indiscriminately snatched" off an Aliso Viejo running trail in 2020 and 2021 as they were skateboarding, running and walking, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. Yucas allegedly put the women in chokeholds and dragged them into brush off the trail, prosecutors said.

These crimes are what nightmares are made of," Spitzer said Monday.

Investigators identified Yucas after an anonymous tipster said officials in San Diego County obtained his DNA in a separate crime, Barnes said. The sheriff did not give specifics of the San Diego County incident but said that DNA matched samples collected during two of the Orange County attacks.

In the first reported attack in Aliso Viejo, on Jan. 20, 2020, prosecutors said Yucas asked a 24-year-old woman who was skateboarding for directions. She pulled out her cellphone and Yucas attacked her, authorities said.

Prosecutors said she lost consciousness and woke up after he had raped her.

In the second reported attack in Aliso Viejo, a 32-year-old woman was out running on April 2, 2020, when Yucas grabbed her from behind and put her into a chokehold but she managed to fight him off, prosecutors said.

Last month, Yucas allegedly grabbed a 41-year-old woman as she was walking on the trail and choked her, prosecutors said. She also lost consciousness and woke up in the bushes with her pants pulled down.

The three victims were doing simple things, enjoying life in the city of Aliso Viejo: skateboarding, running and walking on a trail," Barnes said. What happened to these women will change their lives forever.

Officials said Yucas was previously a pilot in the Army but investigators do not yet have his military record. He faces charges of kidnapping, forcible rape, attempted forcible rape and assault.

Pete Sanderlin, chief operating officer at Kalitta Air, told The Associated Press that Yucas has worked for the cargo airline for about two years. Sanderlin said Yucas had passed a required background check and his name has never come up before for problems with the company.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Four people whose bodies were found in an abandoned SUV in western Wisconsin were killed in St. Paul, Minnesota, where three of the victims lived, police said Monday.

Investigators with the Saint Paul Police Departments homicide unit said in a statement that they would be assuming the lead role in the investigation into the deaths of Matthew Pettus, 26, and half-sister Jasmine Sturm, 30, and Sturms boyfriend, 35-year-old Loyace Foreman III, all of St. Paul; and 30-year-old Nitosha Flug-Presley, of Stillwater, Minnesota, a close friend of Sturm.

The victims' bodies were found by a farmer in a cornfield on Sept. 12 just outside of the Town of Sheridan in Dunn County, roughly 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of St. Paul. Authorities said all four had been shot.

After gathering evidence and information about what happened before and after the bodies were discovered, investigators determined the killings occurred in Minnesota, specifically St. Paul, the police statement said.

The Dunn County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin originally took the lead in the investigation. Police haven't said what investigators believe motivated the crime.

Last Wednesday, Saint Paul police officers arrested Darren McWright, 56, who also goes by the last name Osborne, in connection to the deaths. Hes currently being held in the Ramsey County Jail on four counts of hiding a corpse.

Two days later, Antoine Suggs , 38, turned himself in to Gilbert, Arizona, police after investigators announced he was wanted for questioning. He remains jailed in Arizona, awaiting extradition.

Authorities said in court documents that Suggs was seen at a St. Paul bar with victim Nitosha Flug-Presley and two of her friends hours before they were found dead along with a fourth victim in Wisconsin.

A complaint said Flug-Presleys aunt stated that her niece had a thing with Suggs and he would fly in from Arizona to see her.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
White House Press Secretary says the situation along the southern border is challenging, but defended the administration's immigration policy.

"Our immigraiton policy is not about one country," said Psak during White House Press briefing on Monday.

"Or discriminates one country over another. We want to end that and hopefully put an end to what we saw over the last four years."

This comes as U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the beginning of what could be one of Americas swiftest, large-scale expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades.

More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected Tuesday. In all, U.S. authorities moved to expel many of the more than 12,000 migrants camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after crossing from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.

Similarly large numbers of Mexicans have been sent home during peak years of immigration but over land and not so suddenly.

Central Americans have also crossed the border in comparable numbers without being subject to mass expulsion, although Mexico has agreed to accept them from the U.S. under pandemic-related authority in effect since March 2020.

Mexico does not accept expelled Haitians or people of other nationalities outside of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake. After jobs dried up from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous trek by foot, bus and car to the U.S. border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.

Psaki also answered questions about easing virus restrictions for foreign flights to America.

The U.S. said Monday it will ease airline restrictions this fall on travel to the country for people who have vaccination proof and a negative COVID-19 test, replacing a hodgepodge of rules that had kept out many non-citizens and irritated allies in Europe and beyond where virus cases are far lower.

The changes, to take effect in November, will allow families and others who have been separated by the travel restrictions for 18 months to plan for long-awaited reunifications and allow foreigners with work permits to get back to their jobs in the U.S.

The new policy will replace a patchwork of travel bans first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by President Joe Biden that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa.

IMAGE: AP

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A Qatar Airways flight carrying 21 American citizens and 48 lawful permanent residents departed from Kabul International Airport on Sunday, September 19. The US State Department, in a statement, confirmed the departure of the flight from Kabul Airport with US citizens and lawful permanent residents. After the US troops left the war-ravaged nation at the end of August, the Qatar Airways charter flight was the first flight to take off from the Kabul airport on September 9.

In a press statement, the United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed the departure of Qatar Airport flight with 21 American citizens and 48 lawful permanent residents on board. He expressed gratitude to the Qatari authorities, who coordinated these flights with the Taliban. Price, in the statement, added that they would continue their efforts to help American citizens, lawful permanent residents and Afghans affiliated with the US administration in leaving the war-torn nation. He also welcomed the effort of everyone who was involved in facilitating the flights that departed from Afghanistan.

"We can confirm that a Qatar Airways flight departed from Kabul on Sunday, September 19th with 21 US citizens and 48 lawful permanent residents on board. We are thankful to Qatari authorities, who continue to coordinate these flights with the Taliban", Ned Price said in a statement. "As we have stated before, we will continue to help U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and Afghans affiliated with the U.S. government to depart Afghanistan. We welcome continued cooperation by all involved with facilitating these flights, Price added.

Earlier on September 18, the United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price informed that a Qatar Airways flight with 28 US citizens and seven lawful permanent residents onboard flew off from Kabul. US spokesman Ned Price acknowledged the Taliban cooperation and expressed gratitude to Qatari authorities for facilitating flights out of the war-torn nation. He added that they would continue their efforts to help US citizens and Afghans "affiliated" with the US government in leaving Afghanistan.

The Talibans takeover of Afghanistan prompted an effort by the US and other countries to get their citizens and vulnerable Afghans out of the country. Adhering to its August 31 deadline, the US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, August 30. On September 9, Qatar Airways flight flew out of Kabul, marking the first large-scale departure since US forces retreated on August 30.

Image: AP/RepresentativeImage
A United States governments senior official said that President Joe Biden has made the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) cooperation a priority. As per news agency ANI, the senior US official has said that Biden hosting the Quad leaders including Prime Ministers of India, Japan and Australia was a fundamental demonstration of the importance Washington has attached to engagement in the Indo-pacific region. Reportedly, the official further said that the cooperation among the Quad nations would be through multilateral configurations which are designed to focus on challenges of the 21st century.

His remarks came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is readying to visit the United States to participate in the first-ever in-person Quad leaders summit on September 24 alongside Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison. PM Modi will also participate in a bilateral summit with US President Joe Biden.

"President Joe Biden has made the Quad a priority, as we all saw through the first Quad leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this summit, which will be in person," a US administration official said in a statement, as per ANI.

The official also indicated that following the Quad summits, there will be announcements on COVID-19. As per ANI, the official said, So the main areas where you will see both consultations and then some announcements will be on COVID-19. And, you know, in March, there was a commitment to producing a billion vaccines through the Quad, by the end of 2022. And there'll be some announcements about moving that forward, as well as other forms of COVID-19 assistance.

"In addressing the climate crisis -- and there will be clean energy and climate-related announcements coming out of the Quad," the official said.

Designed to focus on 21st-century challenges

The official also noted that hosting the Quad leaders "fundamentally is a demonstration of the priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations designed to focus on 21st-century challenges...Partnering on emerging technologies in cyberspace, promoting high-standards infrastructure, and, of course, an overarching commitment at the core of the Quad to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Prime Minister will also address the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in New York on September 25. As per news agency ANI, PM Modi is likely to discuss Afghanistan, COVID-19, climate change, the Indo-Pacific, terrorism and other issues with US President especially when the changing political situation in Afghanistan is threatening the regional stability. The upcoming US visit of the Prime Minister is also the first one since Biden took over the office in January. Notably, one of the most important agendas presently is the changing geopolitics amid the Taliban rule in the South Asian country.

IMAGE: AP/PTI
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis address at the UNGA on 25 September, Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held bilateral talks with his Norway, Iraq, and UK counterparts as he arrived in New York for the 76th session of the UN General Assembly [UNGA]. MEA Jaishankar met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, and the newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, as well as Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, he wrote on Twitter, adding that the two countries discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. He stressed that the two countries exchanged views on the Afghanistan crisis and situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Furthermore, EAM Jaishankar met with his Iraqi counterpart Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and discussed historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages. The two also held discussions about leading regional and global issues. "Began my UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach," tweeted Jaishankar as he met with Norwegian counterpart Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide.

Began my #UNGA meetings with

FM Ine Eriksen Sreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council.



A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach. pic.twitter.com/94fryeJSn4  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 20, 2021

A cordial meeting with FM Fuad Hussein of Iraq.



Discussed our historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages.



Exchanged views on regional and global issues. pic.twitter.com/U55uMfJBEg  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz.



Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side.



Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.



Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/pc49NS7zcw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

India to hold series of bilateral and multilateral meetings

On the sidelines of the UNGA, EAM Jaishankar will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with foreign ministers and will also participate in the G4 foreign ministers meet on 22 September, sources told ANI. However, it is yet unconfirmed if the MEA will be attending the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation's (SAARC) meeting scheduled for 29 September. India is also likely to participate in a meeting to be hosted by Qatar on Afghanistan.

UNGAs high-level debate week is expected to begin today and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Debate of the High-Level Segment of 76th Session of UNGA, the MEA informed in a statement. His name appeared on the provisional list of speakers published by the UN along with other world leaders who have already started to converge at the United Nations headquarters. US President Joe Biden will also address the UNGA where he is expected to lay emphasis on ending the military engagement in Afghanistan, and the United States new chapter of "intensive diplomacy," an official administrative source told agencies.
An academic living in Thailand who was told last week by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen you will be shot over a political analysis he posted on Facebook received a reprieve on Monday, when the strongman called the work reasonable and acceptable and cancelled an arrest warrant for the scholar.

In a Facebook post Monday, Hun Sen said a Cambodia Daily interview with Bangkok-based professor Seng Sary had clarified that a July Facebook post about forming a national reconciliation government was hypothetical, and not a call to form a rival power center.

I appeal to the court to consider cancelling the arrest warrant for Dr. Seng Sary. In the meantime, I encourage Dr. Seng Sary to continue to perform social issues analysis for the study and research benefits of the social science. I also appeal to Dr. Seng Sarys wife, children and parents to stop worrying about this, Hun Sen said.

On Friday Hun Sen had ordered Seng Sary arrested for writing the Facebook comment in which he described forces that could lead to change in the political landscape in Cambodia, which has been ruled by Hun Sen since 1985.

The alignment of the six forcesopposition party supporters, voters and victims of social injustice, youth, internal issues in the ruling party, the support of the armed forces, and the support of the international communitycould bring about a national reconciliation government, Seng Sary wrote.

There is an arrest warrant for Dr. Seng Sary because you support six conditions to establish a shadow government overseas, an angry Hun Sen said Friday, likening the idea to the National Unity Government that has risen in Myanmar to counter the military regime that took power in a February coup.

The court has already issued the warrant. I am telling you if you are involved with an armed force, or overseas government, you must be arrested, he said and urged Seng Sary to remove the post.

We need to ask him about the six points to establish an overseas government. You have encouraged people to form it. You will be jailed. Not only will you be jailed for this so-called rebel movement, you will be shot. If they see you, you will be shot, Hun Sen said.

Seng Sary. who had clarified that he does not support forming a government in exile but merely laid out hypothetical conditions for one, told RFAs Khmer Service Monday it was a good sign that Hun Sen is listening to the opinions of analysts and intellectuals, but he did not feel completely safe yet.





I have not seen the court drop my case yet, so it is difficult for me to decide whether I should return to Cambodia, because it has to do with my safety, Seng Sary said.

I hope I can get my charges dropped soon, he said.

Seng Sary said he was fortunate to be in Thailand when Hun Sen ordered his arrest. Otherwise, he would never have been able to escape or explain to Hun Sen the meaning of his analysis.

I hope that in the future, the head of government will more carefully consider posts on social media Let the government have a high understanding of contradictory views or political views that people want express.

Political analyst Kim Sok, who lives in exile in Finland, said that Seng Sary is right to remain in Thailand and act with caution about anything Hun Sen says.

He did request that the court revoke Seng Sarys arrest warrant, but who knows? When Seng Sary returns to Cambodia and if he is arrested, Hun Sen could say he only made the request to cancel the arrest order, but it is up to the court because the court is independent. So be careful with this game, Kim Sok said.

RFA was unable to reach Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin for comment on Hun Sen's stance. The spokesman for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Plang Sophal was also not available.

Chak Sopheap, the Executive Director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, welcomed the suspension of the arrest warrant and urged the government to be more open to intellectuals and political analysts.

There must be a guarantee of full freedom of expression, and there should be no indictment or arrest just because citizens are expressing their opinions, she said.

Some Facebook users wrote in support of Hun Sens change of heart, while others pointed out that the Cambodian leader has broken promises to activists in exile, saying they could return to the country without fear of arrest, but arresting them anyway.

The exchange with Seng Sary came a little than a week after Hun Sen Hun Sen crashed a Zoom strategy session of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, which Hun Sen had banned in 2017.

I wanted to send a clear message to the rebels that there are people of Hun Sen everywhere, the prime minister said of his intervention in the Zoom call.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
#MeToo activist and journalist Sophia Huang had been due to begin a degree at the University of Sussex after being awarded a Chevening Scholarship.

Sophia Huang, a journalist and #MeToo activist, is shown in an undated photo.

Feminist journalist Sophia Huang and fellow activist Wang Jianbing are incommunicado, believed detained, ahead of Huang's planned departure to study overseas, the Chinese rights group Weiquanwang reported on Tuesday.

Huang had planned to leave China via Hong Kong on Sept. 20 for the U.K., where she planned to take a master's degree in development with a prestigious Chevening Scholarship, the Weiquanwang report said.

Wang, who is a labor and healthcare rights activist, had planned to see her off on her journey, it said.

"According to people familiar with the matter, Wang Jianbing may have been detained under investigation for incitement to subvert state power, mainly due to the daily gatherings of friends at his home," Weiquanwang said, adding that both activists had been incommunicado since Sept. 19.

Repeated calls and messages to Huang's cell phone went unanswered on Tuesday.

Sources told RFA the pair had likely been detained by police in their home district of Haizhu.

An officer who answered the phone at the Haizhu district police department in Guangzhou declined to confirm the report.

"Who? I've never heard of those people," the officer said. "If you believe they are being dealt with, then the relatives need to wait for notification."

"The case officers will only contact [the family]."

Veteran political journalist Gao Yu said Huang's detention may be short-lived, and only intended to prevent her from leaving for the U.K.

"The kind of persecution that his happening now is worse than at any other time ... even when they were going after the 'rightists' they didn't just arrest people on a whim," she said.

"It's unbelievable right now ... they regard these young journalists and non-government organizations as the enemy," she said. "The methods they are using are persecutory and despicable, and without any basis in law."

U.S.-based legal scholar Teng Biao said "disappearances" are increasingly being used by the CCP to suppress any form of dissent or rights activism.

"They keep lowering the threshold for the kinds of people they will persecute," Teng said. "There is now no longer room for activities that may have been tolerated in the past."

Survey of harassment, assaults

Before being targeted by the authorities in 2019, Huang had been an outspoken member of the country's #MeToo movement, and had carried out a survey of sexual harassment and assault cases among Chinese women working in journalism.

Huang was present at a million-strong protest in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019 against plans to allow extradition to mainland China, and was detained for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" in October 2019, before being released on bail in January 2020, a status that often involves ongoing surveillance and restrictions on a person's activities.

Her travel documents were also confiscated after her return, preventing her from beginning a law degree in Hong Kong the fall of 2019.

Huang had previously assisted in the investigation and reporting of a number of high-profile sexual harassment allegations against professors at Peking University, Wuhan University of Technology, Henan University and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.

Wang started to work in rural development after graduating in 2005, before joining the Guangzhou Gongmin NGO in 2014 and director and coordinator for youth work.

In 2018, he started advocacy and legal support work on behalf of workers with occupational diseases, and was a vocal supporter of China's #MeToo movement.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The group says it has already begun 'voluntary liquidation,' the latest in a line of civil society groups to dissolve after political denunciation and police investigation.

A protester from Hong Kong's China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group holds placards showing lawyers missing or detained in China in a file photo.

A Hong Kong group that once campaigned for China's embattled human rights lawyers announced on Tuesday it would disband after being investigated by national security police under a city-wide crackdown on public dissent and peaceful opposition.

The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) said in a statement on its website that it had received a letter of enquiry from the Hong Kong Police dated Aug. 25, 2021.

"The CHRLCG has decided to dissolve in September 2021 and has already activated the voluntary liquidation procedure," the statement said.

"Directors of the CHRLCG are going to resign from their directorships soon."

The group is the latest in string of civil society groups to disband following investigation by national security police.

The pro-democracy Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) will vote on Oct. 3 on whether to disband after being denounced in the Beijing-backed media, a typical precursor to investigation under the national security law.

The denunciations usually focus on accusations that a given activist group or non-government organization has done something that could be in breach of the law imposed on Hong Kong by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020.

Several organizations, including protest march organizers the Civil Human Rights Front, the Professional Teachers' Union, and Wall-fare, a prison support group for those in custody because of the 2019 protest movement, have disbanded following similar articles, or after being criticized by Hong Kong's leaders.

And the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said it had recently received a letter from the Registry of Trade Unions alleging that its funds were used for "political purposes."

Three are denied bail

The CHRLCG's decision to disband came as three activists linked to the Hong Kong activist group Student Politicism were denied bail on Tuesday following their arrest on subversion charges under a draconian national security law.

West Kowloon Court principal magistrate Don So rejected bail applications from lawyers acting for group convenor Wong Yat-chin, 20, and former members Chan Chi-sum, 20 and Jessica Chu, 18.

The trio embraced each other and cried in court when they heard bail had been denied, with the case adjourned until November following a request from the prosecution.

Judge So said he didn't believe the defendants would refrain from further actions "endangering national security" if they were released, meaning that the trio will now spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in jail instead of with their families.

Wong and Chan said they would reapply every eight days, while Chu waived her right to further bail hearings.

Their supporters also hugged each other, or wiped away tears when the decision was announced, while others chanted "release political prisoners!" and "Inhumane!"

Wong said in a message posted to social media by his lawyer that his fate was perhaps the result of the times Hongkongers are now living through.

"I hope we can all live bravely and openly, so we can face this together," Wong said. "[Let's] face fear, challenge fear, and conquer fear."

He also told people to "take care of themselves" and enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival.

According to the indictment, Wong, Chan, and Chu conspired with others in Hong Kong to "organize, plan, implement or participate in acts of force, or the threat to use force, or other illegal means to subvert state power, namely, to overthrow or undermine the current political system of the People's Republic of China ... and overthrow the central government or the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government."

Their alleged actions dated from Oct. 25, 2020 to June 16, 2021, it said.

'Subversive acts'

Police had early alleged the trio had carried out "subversive acts" including warning people not to use the government's LeaveHomeSafe COVID-19 tracking app, and "inciting hatred of the government" via street booths.

Meanwhile, the host of an English-language talk show for government broadcaster RTHK was reportedly pulled from the show following an episode focusing on the ongoing crackdown on civil society groups under the national security law.

"Backchat" co-host Hugh Chiverton confirmed to Stand News on Tuesday that he was still at the station, but hasn't been heard on air since the civil society episode, which hasn't yet been uploaded to the archive section of the RTHK website.

The episode had featured former City University politics lecturer and pro-democracy activist Joseph Cheng.

Chiverton referred all queries about the show to RTHK's communications team, who told the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) that it wouldn't comment on "internal editorial matters of individual programmes."

"RTHK reviews the programme content from time to time to ensure compliance with RTHK Charter, the Producers' Guidelines and the Communications Authority's Codes of Practice," it said in a statement posted to Twitter by HKFP.

Chiverton and Koh had earlier interviewed Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam about the national security crackdown, during which Lam warned Koh that she was "treading on dangerous lines" after the host asked her about the government's failure to communicate with protesters during the 2019 anti-extradition movement.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Indonesia shares a dilemma with other governments of maritime Southeast Asia  how to respond to Chinas assertion of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Three weeks ago, a Chinese survey ship sailed uninvited into Indonesias exclusive economic zone. It began criss-crossing a small stretch of the North Natuna Sea in a lawn-mowing pattern typical for maritime survey vessels. It remained there Tuesday, amid unanswered questions about what exactly it is doing there.



Indonesian authorities have deployed several naval vessels to the area but have nevertheless played down the presence of the 3,400-ton Chinese ship, the Haiyang Dizhi 10. They face a dilemma that has become familiar for the governments of maritime Southeast Asia  how to respond to Chinas assertion of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.



This is the exact same playbook we saw Beijing use against Vietnam in late 2019 and Malaysia in early 2020, said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., referring to past incidents where Chinese survey vessels have loitered in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of neighboring countries, where oil and gas exploration was underway.



A Vietnamese researcher has been monitoring the Haiyang Dizhi 10 since day one.

Duan Dang told BenarNews that he spotted the Chinese ship approaching Vietnamese EEZ on Aug. 29 near an installation in the Dai Nguyet oil field.

But in the morning (of) Aug. 31, its AIS (automatic identification system) signals showed the Haiyang Dizhi 10 was moving slowly southwards into Indonesian waters and entered the Tuna Block, near where the Noble Clyde Boudreaux rig was, he said.

The rig was commissioned to drill two wells there until mid-November, according to energy industry sources.

At one point, it was just 10 nautical miles from the rig, said Duan.

He started updating almost daily on the Chinese ships operation in the area, which lies within Indonesias EEZ but overlaps with the so-called nine-dash line that China draws to claim most of the South China Sea. Those Chinese claims are disputed by several neighboring countries and not recognized by international law.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) requires governments to seek permission in advance for marine scientific research in another states EEZ, a requirement China often ignores.

Media and public attention on the presence of the Haiyang Dizhi and Chinese Coast Guard vessels reported to be in the North Natuna Sea has led to Indonesia sending some naval ships to the area. A maritime air patrol has also been conducted.

The Chinese survey ship Haiyang Dizhi 10 on a visit to Pakistan for hydrocarbon research and geological mapping in February 2019. Credit: Pakistan Navy Lawn-mowing pattern

However, when asked, a spokesman for the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency, also known as Bakamla, brushed aside the concerns about the Haiyang Dizhi, saying that there had been no violation of shipping rules.

It was probably a normal passage, said Wisnu Pramandita.

Analysts say the Chinese vessels movement in a grid pattern shows that it is clearly engaged in research activities.

H.I. Sutton, a prominent defense analyst, said that the Haiyang Dizhi 10 appears to be conducting a detailed survey of the sea floor.

From the data we have seen, this may be a seismic survey which uses a special sonar to see beneath the sea floor. The most likely use for this would be in relation to hydrocarbon exploitation, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Tuna Block, where Haiyang Dizhi has been operating, is an important oil and gas field. U.K.-based Harbour Energy and its partner, Russias Zarubezhneft, are drilling two appraisal wells there using the semi-submersible rig Noble Clyde Boudreaux, according to the publication Energy Voice and Russias Interfax news agency.

The area lies about 90 nautical miles north of Indonesias Natuna Islands. The Indonesian government awarded Premier Oil, which merged into Harbour Energy Plc earlier this year, the right to explore the block in 2007. The Russian operator joined the exploration earlier this year. Tuna has estimated reserves of 100 million barrels of oil, Zarubezhneft officials told the Russian news agency Interfax in June.

According to AMTIs Poling, China follows a playbook to challenge resource exploration in disputed waters that it considers to be under its jurisdiction.

First the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) harasses foreign oil and gas operations in the hopes of coercing the neighboring state to halt the work. Then, if that fails, China deploys a state-owned survey vessel protected by CCG and militia boats to conduct an illegal survey of its own in the offending states waters, he said.

In this case, it is especially damning because the Haiyang Dizhi 10 surveyed right up to the edge of the nine-dash line but not beyond. This offers clear evidence that Beijing continues to view the line as some kind of national boundary, Poling said.

Sutton, the defense analyst, agreed: Countries will naturally be concerned at the level and locations of the Chinese survey efforts as those surveys tend to respect the notional nine-dash line which roughly outlines China's own territorial claim over virtually the entire South China Sea.

Chinas historic rights

But not all researchers see it that way.

Mark Hoskin, an independent researcher and lecturer on Chinas maritime history and law, said official protests against Chinas claim to historic rights were rare before this century.

While surveys of this nature may be seen as an annoyance by the coastal state, if they are performed in areas that are not militarily sensitive, the benefits to the coastal state outweigh any perceived costs, he argued.

He said that in the case of the Philippines, such surveys have led to joint development projects, in which China has the most practical experience of all states in the region.

Vietnam, another claimant in the South China Sea and perhaps the country under the heaviest pressure from China to cease oil exploration off its southern coast, doesnt seem keen on the joint development suggestions from Beijing.

In 2019, when the Haiyang Dizhi 8 operated inside Vietnams EEZ for three months, Hanoi repeatedly denounced what it called a violation of Vietnams sovereignty and jurisdiction and demanded that China withdraw its survey ship, which it finally did, saying its survey mission was completed.

But Indonesias reaction now, and Malaysias response a year earlier when the Chinese Haiyang Dizhi 8 operated in Malaysian waters for a whole month until a Malaysian-contracted drillship had vacated the area, has been much more restrained.

Despite public pressure to defend national interests, the Indonesian government has yet to issue an official response and regional experts say Jakarta seems to be prioritizing a diplomatic approach to the issue.

It boils down to political decisions by coastal states, argued Hoskin.

In the past, Britain, the Netherlands, and the U.S. would perform surveys without interference in these same waters [in the South China Sea]. Protests against PRC (China) vessels performing such activities are solely political in nature, and do not form a reasoned approach to scientific exploration of the seas, he said.

Largest survey fleet

According to Sutton, however, the Chinese survey ships would always be viewed with suspicion, such as doing surveys for reasons which are not in other countries interests.

An AMTI report in 2020 suggests that maritime research can serve both civilian and military purposes.

Oceanographic data is crucial for undersea operations Research vessels purportedly involved in scientific research can also use their instruments for naval reconnaissance, gathering intelligence on foreign military facilities and vessels, it said.

China operates by far the largest fleet of government research vessels in the region.

According to the database of the International Maritime Organization, there are 64 registered Chinese survey vessels built in or after 1990, surpassing the U.S.'s 44 and Japan's 23.

During 2019-2020, China deployed 25 government vessels in waters beyond its recognized national jurisdiction in the Indo-Pacific, compared to 10 from the U.S., according to the AMTI.

On morning, another large Chinese survey ship - the 4,600-ton Dai Yang Hao - was spotted near Fiery Cross Reef, a feature in the Spratly Islands, which is under Chinas control but also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Vietnamese ship watcher Duan Dang told RFA hes following it with interest.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Detained Chinese rights lawyer Chang Weiping, who is currently under investigation for "subversion of state power" after he attended a gathering of dissidents in the southeastern city of Xiamen, has been tortured again, an overseas rights group said.



Chang, who is currently being held under "residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL)," was forced to sit in a "tiger chair" for six days straight, as well as being subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation and round-the-clock interrogations, the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network said in a statement on its website.



Authorities in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi formally arrested Chang on suspicion of "subversion of state power" in May.



Chang had been redetained in after he spoke out about being tortured following an earlier detention in connection with a dinner gathering of human rights lawyers, dissidents, and rights activists in the southeastern port city of Xiamen in .



The charge against him was changed from "incitement to subvert state power," which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years, to the more serious charge of "subversion of state power," which has no upper limit on length of custodial sentence.



He has been held since October with no access to a lawyer until Sept. 14, 2021, when his attorney visited him.



Chang told his lawyer that he had been subjected to the "tiger chair," including one sting of six days and nights, the statement said.



"He was subjected to psychological torment, which he found most difficult to handle. Police frequently lied to him, threatened him, gave him hope and then dashed [it]," it said.



Chang's wife Chen Zijuan confirmed the report.



"They are still putting him in the tiger chair; the longest time was six days and nights," she said. "He had pressure sores on his behind and lost feeling in his fingertips."



"He gets just one mantou per meal, and they're not letting him sleep or go to the bathroom," Chen said. "They won't give him water either."



Five showers in five months

She said Chang is being held in a room roughly nine square meters in size, sharing it with state security police officers (guobao).



Chang was allowed to shower just five times during his time in RSDL, which on Sept. 14 amounted to five months and 16 days, and is under round-the-clock video surveillance, Chen said.



"They haven't cut his toenails or fingernails for the entire time, and they wouldn't let him clean his teeth for the first month he was in there," she said. "He felt it wasn't worth being alive in there."



"They are trying to break him; to torture him into behaving like an obedient dog," she said.



She said Chang has been forced to make more than 40 statements, all of which are an attempt by state security police to force him to "confess" to the charges against him.



"They want him to use their exact wording; they want to dictate every word to him, and then when he has the lines rehearsed, they will film [the confession]," she said. "That's the only way they are going to allow him to eat and sleep properly."



Chen said Chang was in solitary confinement for the first two weeks of RSDL.



"His health has been affected by his time in detention," she said. "He has blood in his stool and chronic malnutrition because of the lack of fruit and vegetables; he has had mouth sores this whole time."



During one interrogation on Sept. 8, Chang was warned to be careful what he said to his lawyer, or "suffer the consequences," according to CHRD's acccount.



Chen told RFA in an interview in July that the authorities had been using complaints to get rid of lawyers hired by his family, in a bid to have him accept government-appointed lawyers instead.



"I have hired four lawyers so far, and all of them have been subject to malicious complaints against them [and quit]," Chen said. "They said they would cancel the lawyers' licenses if they didn't go back to where they came from."



"I didn't want to keep changing lawyers; they were persecuted and prevented from acting in the case," she said.



Chen has also been warned by her employer not to speak out about her husband's case on pain of dismissal.



CHRD research and advocacy coordinator William Nee said the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) -- which bans torture and inhumane treatment on paper -- should have carried out an investigation into Chang's initial allegations, rather than repeating the torture.



"Chang Weiping bravely told the world on Youtube about his experiences being tortured in RSDL," Nee said. "The Chinese government should have conducted an impartial investigation into the grave allegations, but instead, predictably, they again put him in secret detention and tortured him."



"This barbaric act flies in the face of Chinas international obligations under the Convention against Torture, and the Chinese government must be held to account," he said.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Residents of a region of Vietnam that borders the southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi have cut through a barbed wire fence recently constructed by the Chinese authorities along the 1,000-km (620-mile) border, RFA has learned.



Police from Vietnam's border defense department watched and shot video as local people removed sections of the border fence near the No. 57 border marker, according to a video of the incident uploaded to Chinese social media.



As the operation continued, a man shouted at them in Mandarin from the Chinese side of the border.



"I'm telling you again, stop doing this," the man shouts. "Your actions are in violation of the regulations."



"You aren't respecting the regulations [agreed by] both of our countries," he shouts.



A scholar from Guangxi's Dongxing city who gave only the surname Wu said the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had recently built the fence along the border to stop people crossing over without passing through official checkpoints.



He said it had an electrical current passing through it.



"The barbed wire they put there could electrocute animals and definitely people," Wu told RFA on . "China doesn't want its people leaving the country; it seems that there has been a lot of sneaking across the border."



"People are desperate to leave given the worsening situation recently," he said.



"The fence with Vietnam is electrified, while they have buried landmines along the border with Myanmar," he said.



People on the Vietnamese side of the Sino-Vietnam border rally near the No. 57 border marker, Sept. 15, 2021. Credit: Citizen journalist vi RFA Vietnam and Myanmar borders

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son spoke on the phone with Lu Xinshe, CCP secretary of Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Sept. 14, the English-language Vietnam News reported.



Son thanked Guangxi for its gift of 800,000 doses of SinoPharm vaccine, medical equipment and supplies in support of Vietnams pandemic prevention and control efforts.



But he also called for increased information sharing and coordination in border areas and for "the construction of border gate infrastructure connectivity" to be accelerated, and for "upgrades" to border gates, so both sides could handle problems promptly, the paper reported, without giving specific details of the proposed upgrades.



China shares a 1,000-km (620-mile) border with Vietnam and a 2,000-km (1,240-mile) border with northern Myanmar, and has been busy building barbed-wire fences complete with monitoring systems and spotlights along both borders.



A businessman familiar with the area who gave only the surname Zhang said Vietnamese opposition stems from the dangers posed by the fence to both human lives and those of wild animals.



"They are worried that anyone who comes into contact with the fence could be electrocuted, including wild animals," Zhang said. "This has caused a lot of dissatisfaction in Vietnam, which is why they are demolishing it."



He said the fences will disrupt the communal lives of ethnic groups with members on both sides of the border.



"There are a large number of ethnic groups living on both sides of the border in Vietnam and Guangxi, and in Yunnan and Myanmar," Zhang said. "So half of their population might live in Vietnam and the other half in China."



"They are used to walking across from one country to another through the fields for business, or to visit friends and relatives," he said. "They've been doing this for many years."



"Now that [China] has built an electrified border fence, it has shut off these family visits," he said.

He said many people living in the border region can't afford to go through an official checkpoint every time they want to seem their families.



"Chinese border residents have a blue ID book, and every time they enter or leave the country, this book gets stamped, and it costs money to apply for a new book when it gets full," Zhang said.



"It wouldn't matter if it was just a card."



He said the Chinese authorities aren't keen to allow anyone to leave China across the southwestern border now, while arrivals are under tight restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.



RFA reported in August that China has stopped issuing new passports to its citizens and has imposed entry and exit controls on its population, citing the recent surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19, although commentators said Beijing is using the pandemic as a pretext to curb freedom of movement.



Chinese nationals living in mainland China have told RFA in recent months that the authorities have gradually stopped issuing new passports and exit visas -- a police-approved travel permit that adds another layer to a slew of hurdles Chinese nationals must clear in order to be allowed to leave.



The Chinese Entry and Exit Bureau recently confirmed publicly that the rules are in place, saying exit permits will only be issued for "essential" travel.



Some Chinese nationals living in the United States have also been stranded in China after they combined a trip home with plans to renew their soon-to-expire passports at the same time.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Freedom House ranked China last for the seventh year in a row, calling it 'the worlds worst abuser of internet freedom.'

A woman uses her mobile phone to check Facebook in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on March 16, 2021.

Internet freedom dropped sharply in Myanmar after the military coup that ousted the countrys democratically elected government on Feb. 1, with Myanmars new military rulers cutting off online access and blocking social media platforms to contain opposition, Freedom House said in an annual report on Tuesday.

Myanmars ranking in the rights groups Freedom on the Net 2021 fell by 14 points, dropping in one year from 31 to 17, the steepest decline recorded in one year in Freedom House reporting, the Washington D.C.-based group said in its report.

As part of its attempt to crush dissent and maintain power, the military junta shut down internet service, blocked social media platforms and websites, seized control of the telecommunications infrastructure, and ramped up intrusive surveillance, Freedom House said.

In an effort to contain spreading opposition to its overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD)-led civilian government, Myanmars Military Council moved quickly after Feb. 1 to block online comment urging resistance to its rule, the rights group said in its report.

Internet connectivity was cut off every night from then until April, and mobile services were suspended entirely beginning in March, leaving only fixed-line and wireless broadband services available to users during the day.

The junta also blocked social media accounts and forced service providers to hand over personal data, Freedom House said, adding that journalists, activists, and ordinary users have been detained and sometimes sent to prison for their online activity.

Physical violence and torture have become widespread in detention, and disappearances of or public attacks on prominent social medial users served as additional deterrents to the expression of dissent online.

Nevertheless, opponents of Myanmars military government continue to use digital tools to express their views and organize resistance to the ruling junta in whatever ways they can, Freedom House said.

'World's worst abuser'

In China, harsh prison terms for online dissent and independent reporting combined to place China, for the seventh year in a row, at the bottom of Freedom Houses rankings, the rights group said, calling the country the worlds worst abuser of internet freedom.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains one of the most heavily censored topics, Freedom House said, noting the 18-year prison term imposed on Ren Zhiqiang, a real estate businessman whose online criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinpings handling of the pandemic had circulated widely.

State media outlets, official social media accounts, and other actors with suspected government affiliations flooded the information space with false claims about the danger of US vaccines and the geographical origin of the virus, according to the report.

Many in China also faced legal action for sharing news stories, speaking about their religious beliefs, or discussing politically sensitive matters with family members outside China, Freedom House said, adding that some users nevertheless continued to test the boundaries of the states internet controls.

Also receiving low rankings in the Freedom House report were Cambodia, rated Partly Free at 43 in the list, and Vietnam, rated Not Free at 22, where around two dozen citizens have been convicted and jailed for political offenses over social media posts since the beginning of this year.

Among those serving sentences for Facebook posts are journalists, bloggers, and ordinary citizens who posted complaints about coronavirus policies.
Pastor Cung Biak Hum, 31, was shot and killed when he ran to put out fires set by government soldiers during an attack in Chin states Thantlang town.

A Baptist group in western Myanmars Chin state has condemned the killing of a local pastor by government troops during a clash between Myanmars military and local defense forces over the weekend in a conflict that has seen thousands driven from their homes.

Pastor Cung Biak Hum, 31, was shot and killed when he and several others ran to put out fires set by government soldiers during an attack on their position in Chin states Thantlang town, the scene of recent fighting with civilian militias that oppose the February military takeover of the country, a local witness told RFA.

The pastor and four or five young people came to the scene on their motorbikes to help, and when the soldiers fired on them, he was shot and died on the spot, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Because of the constant gunfire and shelling by artillery, no one could retrieve his body, but when volunteers later cleaned his body at his mothers home it was found that his ring finger had been cut off and his wedding ring stolen, he said.

Pastor of the Thantlan Century Baptist Church, Cung Biak Hum is survived by two sons and his pregnant wife, sources said.

Speaking to RFA, Lod Harlinrelsecretary of the Chin Baptist Conventioncalled the actions of Myanmar troops fighting local defense forces in Chin state barbaric and unacceptable and likely to produce a wider conflict.

When firing their guns, the military should carefully distinguish between their enemies and civilians. They should not just randomly fire their weapons, he said. Besides that, the militarys reckless and barbaric actions we have seen in the towns and urban areas should all have been avoided.

If they continue this way, this fighting could grow into a larger ethno-religious conflict. Thats why we condemn these actions strongly, he said.

Hkalam Samson, president of the Kachin Baptist Convention in northern Myanmars Kachin state, said his group supported the statement issued on Sunday by the Baptist Convention in Chin, which condemned the killing of the pastor, the stationing of Myanmar troops in Christian churches, the destruction of Bibles and other religious texts, and the firing of artillery at church buildings.

As the servants of God, we have to stand with the people. This could lead to opposition to our rulers, but we will stand with justice, no matter what, Hkalam Samson said.

Pastor Cung Biak Hums killing should not lead to religious conflict in Myanmar, as the countrys military does not discriminate between Christians and Buddhists, said Ashin Magawa, a Buddhist monk living in Chin states Mindat township.

They would destroy both Christian churches and Buddhist monasteries as they see fit, if they see them as their enemies, he said. I want our Christian brothers to understand this, and I urge us all not to see each other as enemies divided by race or religion.

This was a very bad action by the [junta] army, he said.

Army retaliates against civilians

Combined forces of the Chin National Front (CNF) and Chin Defense Force (CDF) launched an assault on Myanmar troop positions in Thantlang town on Sept. 18, but withdrew when government troops lashed out with heavy artillery in retaliation against local civilians, a CNF spokesperson said.

At least 18 houses and a hotel were burned down in the barrage, said Salai Htet Ni, an information officer for the Chin National Front, a nationalist political organization that advocates for Myanmars Chin ethnic minority.

We heard they lost 15 soldiers, but we retreated because they were harming civilian lives and property, Salai Htet Ni said.

Fighting alongside the CNF, the Chin Defense Force (CDF) was formed by citizens who took up arms following the Feb. 1 military coup that ousted the democratically elected government of Myanmars national leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy.

Only around a thousand people still live in Thantlan town, as most of the towns more than 10,000 former residents have fled their homes for shelter in Mizoram in India, or in Chin states capital Hakha, sources said.

Between the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and early July, troops loyal to the junta killed 81 ethnic Chins, including two infants and a 15-year-old rape victim, the Institute of Chin Affairs said in a survey at the time.

Requests for comment from Major General Zaw Min Htun, spokesperson for Myanmars ruling Military Council, received no reply.

In the seven months since the Feb. 1 coup, security forces have killed 1,114 civilians and arrested at least 6,637 according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)many during crackdowns on anti-junta protests.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Her statement follows rumors she disapproved of a declaration of war by the shadow government.

Detained ex-State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi will not stand in the way of an armed rebellion against Myanmars junta, her legal team said Monday, as her trial on nearly a dozen charges resumed in the capital Naypyidaw.

The former head of state, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) government was deposed by the military in a Feb. 1 coup detat, declared that she will never oppose the will of the people when asked about a declaration of war against the junta made by the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) earlier this month, lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said in a statement.

The team told her about the rumours of her expressing dissent on some current deeds of the people and she said she never turns against the wishes of the people, the statement said.

Khin Maung Zaw and his team had met with Aung San Suu Kyi for around half an hour before her trial hearing at the Special Court in Naypyidaws Zambuthiri township and asked her about reports since Sept. 17 that she did not approve of the armed resistance by NUG, Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militia groups and Parliaments Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Committee of Representatives (CRPH).

On Sept. 7, Duwa Lashi La, interim president of the five-month-old NUG, declared a nationwide state of emergency and called for open rebellion against junta rule, prompting an escalation of attacks on military targets by various allied pro-democracy militias and ethnic armed groups.

He called on the numerous branches of the PDF militias and armed ethnic groups to target the military and their support pillars to take control of their regions, while also urging all levels of local administrators to stop working immediately.

PDF militias have destroyed dozens of towers operated by military-run telecom Mytel Telecommunications Co. in a bid to decrease company revenue they say the regime will use to buy weapons to wield against the population, while several bombings have taken place across the country.

Agence France-Presse reported Monday that Aung San Suu Kyi had denied the rumors of her disapproval and refused to comment on the NUGs announcement.

Repeated attempts by RFAs Myanmar Service to reach her lawyers for clarification went unanswered Monday, but Khin Maung Zaw wrote via text message that he had not refused to comment to the media about the subject.

Daw Suu told us that she would never say things that could damped the peoples spirit, he added, using an honorific for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who led the country from 2016 until she was deposed and detained, along with Myanmar President Win Myint, by the military in February.

Multitude of charges

In the more than seven months since the coup, security forces have killed 1,114 civilians and arrested at least 6,637, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)mostly during crackdowns on anti-junta protests.

The junta says it had to unseat Aung San Suu Kyis NLD government because the party engineered a landslide victory in Myanmars November 2020 election through widespread voter fraud. It has yet to present evidence of its claims and public unrest is at an all-time high.

Aung San Suu Kyis trial in a junta court on charges widely regarded as politically motivated was suspended for two months amid an outbreak in the country of COVID-19 and was set to resume on Sept. 13, but was postponed when she complained of dizzy spells. She attended court the following day and hearings in her trial are now held weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, had been in good health during the last two months, and had experienced difficulties only on Monday, her lawyers told RFA. She had previously been under the care of a family doctor, but after being taken into custody was assigned a doctor by the junta.

Aung San Suu Kyi now faces up to 11 different charges filed by the military against her, and if found guilty in all cases could face a maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison.

The Mandalay Region High Court will begin hearing four corruption cases against her in a special court in Naypyidaw on Oct. 1 and proceedings are expected to take place weekly on Fridays.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur Congress, poses at a United States-backed Uyghur photo exhibit of dozens of people who are missing or alleged to be held in Chinese-run camps in Xinjiang, China in front of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 16, 2021.

Dolkun Isa, the president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress exile group, has been turned away at the airport in the Turkish capital Ankara and flown back to Germany Monday, two weeks after he learned that a travel ban against him had been lifted, he and his lawyer said.

The Ankara Administrative Court on Sept. 1 delivered a judgement lifting a travel ban on Isa that kept him from visiting Turkey since 2008, a decision that Turkish immigration authorities accepted and relayed to Isas lawyer, Ilyas Dogan, on Sept. 6, Dogun said.

Dolkun Isa came to Turkey to visit Erkin Alptekin, the former president of the World Uyghur Congress, who is currently in hospital in Ankara. Unfortunately, passport check police at the airport in Ankara did not allow him to enter Turkey. Mr. Isa was returned to Germany, he told reporters at the capitals Ankara Esenboga Airport.

Dogun, a law professor at Hac Bayram University in Ankara, said that just days after the previous ban was lifted, the Turkish Interior Ministry imposed a second blacklist notice on Isas name on Sept. 6.

The Turkish government has acted shamefully. From this, we can see that the decisions made by the courts in Turkey have no effect. The ban on Mr. Isa is against Turkish law and illegal, so we will sue the Turkish government, he said.

In a statement issued by the WUC, Isa said he is deeply disheartened to see that the Turkish authorities are still refusing me entry, despite my ban being lifted by the Ankara Administrative Court.

I have once again been unjustly denied entry by the Turkish authorities for something I have never done, added Isa, who had earned a masters degree in political science in Turkey in the mid-1990s before getting political asylum in Germany.

Since 2008, Mr. Isa has been denied entry to Turkey on allegations of threats against national security, the WUC said.

He had been denied entry to Turkey in August 2008 and October 2011, and was under a Red Notice issued by INTERPOL at the request of the Chinese government from 1997-2018, the group said.

Mr. Isa has been falsely accused of posing threats against national security in Turkey," said the WUC.

The WUC reiterates once again that Turkey and the international community diligently scrutinize political requests sent by the Chinese government instead of accepting them without any due process of law or evidence, it said.

Turkey is home to an estimated 50,000 Uyghurs, who share linguistic and cultural ties with the Mediterranean country.

Last week, Isa opened a Wall of the Disappeared exhibition outside the U.N. in Geneva with images of Uyghurs who are missing and believed to be held in internment camps in Xinjiang.

We at the World Uyghur Congress aim to counter Chinas propaganda and disinformation campaign at the U.N. by hosting our own exhibitions with facts and truth of Chinese atrocities, said Isa, whose mother died at 78 in a Xinjiang internment camp in May 2018 after serving a year for religious extremism.

Reported and translated by Alim Seytoff and Mamatjan Juma for RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
British police have filed charges against a third person in the Novichok assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal, the former Russian double agent who was poisoned in 2018.

Scotland Yard said on September 21 that enough evidence has been gathered against a man known as Sergei Fedotov to charge him with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon, and causing grievous bodily harm.

"Police enquiries uncovered evidence to show that Sergei Fedotov is an alias for Denis Sergeyev and that he is a member of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU," a police statement said.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in March 2018 with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia, part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok.

The two, who were found unconscious in the British city of Salisbury, survived the near-fatal attack.

Britain has already accused two other GRU officers -- who traveled to the U.K. under the names Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov -- of carrying out the attack. The investigative site Bellingcat later identified Boshirov as Anatoly Chepiga and Petrov as Aleksander Mishkin, both GRU officers.

British police said they would not seek the three mens extradition because the Russian Constitution does not permit the extradition of its own nationals.



We have, however, obtained a European Arrest Warrant which means that if either man travels to a country where an EAW is valid, they will be arrested and face extradition on these charges for which there is no statute of limitations, they added.



Speaking to the British parliament, Home Secretary Priti Patel said Russia had carried out a shameless and deliberate attack."



Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice," she said.



Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, a senior counterterrorism officer, said investigators have pieced together evidence suggesting that all three suspects previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia," and there had been discussions with Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.



All three of them are dangerous individuals, he said. They have tried to murder people here in the U.K, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the U.K. by means unknown."



In April 2021, the Czech authorities said they were searching for Mishkin and Chepiga in connection with an ammunition depot explosion in 2014 which killed two people, an attack which had been aimed at a shipment to a Bulgarian arms dealer who was poisoned in 2015.

The police announcement comes on the same day that the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia was responsible for the "assassination of former Russian security officer Aleksandr Litvinenko in London in 2006.

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on November 1, 2006, after he drank tea that was poisoned with polonium-210, a rare, highly radioactive isotope.



A British inquiry concluded in 2016 that Putin probably approved a Russian intelligence operation to murder Litvinenko.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he will meet with his new Iranian counterpart on September 21 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, but Borrell said no ministerial meeting of the parties to the 2015 nuclear deal is on the agenda.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said earlier that the ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia would meet with a representative of Iran at the United Nations this week to push for a restart of stalled talks over reviving the nuclear deal.

"Some years it happens, some years it doesn't happen. It's not in the agenda," said Borrell, who acts as coordinator for the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"But the important thing is not this ministerial meeting, but the will of all parties to resume negotiations in Vienna," he said, adding that he would meet with Hossein Amirabdollahian.

Speaking earlier on September 20, Le Drian said negotiations must restart.

"Time is playing against a potential accord. We need to take advantage of this week to restart these talks.

Le Drian added that Iran must accept a return to the talks as quickly as possible by appointing its representatives for the negotiations.

Talks between Iran and world powers over limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief have been idle since June when Iran elected hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. Raisi took office in early August.

Under the Iran nuclear agreement, Tehran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

But in 2018 then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal, reintroducing painful economic sanctions. Iran responded as of 2019 by breaching many of the deal's core restrictions, like enriching uranium to a higher purity, closer to that suitable for use in nuclear weapons.

The European Union is mediating efforts between Iran and world powers to revive the deal, which has been deteriorating since the United States withdrew.

Negotiations to try to work out how Tehran and Washington can return to compliance with the nuclear pact began in April in Vienna.

Britain and the United States have expressed frustration over the stalled talks.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss issued a statement ahead of a meeting with her Iranian counterpart Amir Abdollahian in New York on September 20.

"The U.K., U.S., and our international partners are fully committed to a nuclear deal, but every day that Iran continues to delay talks whilst escalating its own nuclear program means there is less space for diplomacy, Truss said.

Earlier this month the United States warned that time is running out for a "strict return" to the nuclear deal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinkens comment came after a confidential quarterly report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused Iran of blocking inspectors access to some of its nuclear sites. The report also said Tehran continues to boost its stocks of uranium enriched above the percentage allowed in the accord.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
France's defense minister has warned her Malian counterpart against hiring Russian private security firm Vagner to fight Islamic militants in the Sahel.

"Such a choice would be one of isolation," French Defense Minister Florence Parly told reporters on September 20 after meeting Defense Minister Colonel Sadio Camara during a visit to Mali.

A Malian Defense Ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity that Camara assured Parly that no decision had been made.

Paris is planning to reduce troop numbers across the Sahel by early 2022, and the Malian Defense Ministry official said that France's "abandonment" of Mali meant "everything had to be considered to secure the country." The official said that Parly denied that France is abandoning Mali.

Vagner is believed to be controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

France last week cautioned the West African nation against a deal with Vagner after unconfirmed reports the junta is close to hiring its paramilitaries to train its armed forces and protect officials.

Germany also has warned it will reconsider its deployment in Mali should the government strike a deal with Vagner.

Mali's ruling junta on September 19 dismissed the warnings, saying it will not allow any state to make its choices."

The poor and landlocked nation slid into political turmoil last year, culminating in a military coup in August 2020 against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Under the threat of sanctions, the military then appointed an interim civilian government tasked with steering the country back to democratic rule.

But army strongman Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew that government in May and was later declared interim president. Goita has pledged to respect a February 2022 deadline for civilian elections.

Based on reporting by AFP
Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo have continued to block a road that leads to the Jarinje border crossing with Serbia. They've stopped traffic to protest against new regulations banning the entry of vehicles bearing Serbian license plates. The same rule has been in force in Serbia for vehicles arriving from Kosovo since the former Serbian province declared independence in 2008. Kosovar authorities say a 2016 deal reached in European Union-mediated talks had expired and only proper Kosovo plates are now valid.
Dozens of Russians have gathered at the edge of the campus of Perm State University to mourn the victims of a shooting spree a day earlier that left six people dead and more than 20 others injured.

Russia's Investigative Committee on September 21 continued its investigation into the rampage as mourners left flowers and lit candles at memorials just outside police cordons at the school.

The shooter, 18-year-old Timur Bekmansurov, a student at the school, remains in hospital after being seriously wounded during his apprehension.

The shooting is the second major attack by a gunman at a school in Russia in four months and underscores a rise in such attacks, which were once considered extremely rare in Russia.

Police said they still do not know why Bekmansurov, dressed in black tactical gear, walked onto the campus around 11:00 a.m. local time and entered a building before opening fire on his fellow classmates, some of whom jumped from second-story windows to escape.

One man and five women aged between 18 and 66 were killed in the shooting spree.

The university said about 3,000 people were on the campus at the time of the shooting.

Russian Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov, who also laid flowers at an impromptu memorial at the main entrance to the university, said the condition of many of the injured is improving, while seven have been flown to Moscow, about 1,200 kilometers west of Perm, for further treatment.

Perm regional officials have declared September 21 as a day of mourning for the victims.

With reporting by TASS and AFP
Tension remains high at two border crossings between northern Kosovo and Serbia, where ethnic Serbs from Kosovo have blocked traffic for a second day on September 21 amid a spat between the two neighbors over reciprocal recognition of license plates in the context of a wider dispute over sovereignty.

The previous day, hundreds of Kosovo Serbs drove to the border in their cars and trucks to block the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings to protest against a move by Kosovar authorities to temporarily replace Serbian license plates from cars while they drive in Kosovo.

Kosovo police fired tear gas at the protesters, but they continued to keep the roads leading to the border crossings blocked.

Small groups of protesters spent the night there in tents.

Concern rose again when Kosovar authorities deployed special police with armored vehicles to the border to impose the new policy described by Pristina as a "reciprocity" action.

Serbian police have for years been taking off registration plates from Kosovo-registered cars entering Serbia.

Kosovar authorities say a 2016 deal reached in European Union-mediated talks had expired and only proper Kosovo symbols are now valid.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic convened a session of the national-security council on September 21 to discuss the measures that Belgrade will take "if Kosovo does not change its decision."

Vucic said that the measures would primarily be economic.

Kosovos Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that as long as Serbia changes the license plates of Kosovo cars when entering there, the same would be applied to Serbian cars entering Kosovo.

The EU and United States urged Kosovo and Serbia to exercise restraint immediately, without any delay, and refrain from unilateral actions.

With reporting by AP
Former Russian security agent-turned-Kremlin critic Aleksandr Litvinenko died in London on November 23, 2006, after being poisoned with highly radioactive polonium-210. He had fled to Britain in 2000 after publicly accusing the Federal Security Service (FSB) of plotting to kill oligarch Boris Berezovsky. He later co-authored a book blaming the FSB for the 1999 apartment bombings.The British investigation found Litvinenko drank tea laced with polonium during a meeting in a London hotel several weeks earlier with two Russians, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. Moscow has refused to extradite them. In January 2017, the United States blacklisted both under the Magnitsky Act.In a ruling issued on September 21, 2021, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights said it had established " beyond reasonable doubt " that the killing had been carried out by Lugovoi and Kovtun, and that "there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Lugovoi and Mr. Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian state."Here's a look at the Litvinenko case in photos.
Earlier this year, Sergei Rimsky resigned as a police officer in the city of Ivanovo, a depressed former industrial textile town of 400,000 northeast of Moscow.



The reason? He was disgusted by the brutal police crackdown on protesters supporting anti-corruption crusader and Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny. He decided to channel his frustration and run for public office -- as a candidate for the national parliament's lower house, the State Duma.



Days before the September 17-19 vote, Rimsky's campaign, on the ticket of the liberal Yabloko party, got a boost when he, along with scores of candidates nationwide, was endorsed by Navalny's high-tech voter-guide strategy, dubbed Smart Voting. The strategy aimed to erode the chokehold that the ruling party, United Russia, has on domestic politics.



he result for Rimsky? A distant fourth place, with the United Russia candidate winning handily.

Rimsky says he bears no grudge against Smart Voting but that it seems to work better in more plugged-in, tech-savvy, politically active regions like Moscow and St. Petersburg -- and less so in more rural, remote, or less developed regions like his.



"Smart Voting primarily has an effect where there is good access to information resources, people who are active users of the Internet, and where there are serious sympathies for a protest [vote]," he told RFE/RL. "In the Ivanovo region, there's none of that."



Full preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission on September 20 showed that United Russia, the political party tied at the hip to the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin, retained its supermajority in the Duma and was set to hold 324 of the chamber's 450 seats.



Prior to the vote, there was some question about whether the party, shackled with the worst approval ratings of its two-decade existence, would have to settle for a simple majority rather than the two-thirds majority needed to approve constitutional amendments without help from other parties.

Wishful Thinking



That ended up being wishful thinking for a number of reasons, including widespread fraud, which, according to opposition activists, plagued the vote, which had no credible international monitors and an opaque electronic-voting system in several regions.



The suspense now appears to lie in the effectiveness and the fate of Navalny's Smart Voting initiative, which many liberal Russian and opposition figures had bet would be a tool to thwart United Russia.



Navalny, who is sitting in a harsh prison about 200 kilometers southwest of Ivanovo on charges he contends are politically motivated, hailed the Smart Voting initiative and accused authorities of blunting its impact through fraud.



"Technically, we see the huge success of Smart Voting. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, so generally a triumph," said a statement posted to his Instagram account, which is run by his associates.



"And now we have united, focused and, with the help of [Smart Voting], simply smashed the opponents in the match," the statement said. "But they have the scoreboard. And they drew themselves a victory again."

So what about Smart Voting? How much of a factor was it?



"I have no doubt that the 'smart vote' influenced electoral results in a visible numerical way this campaign, as it did in the course of [the] St. Petersburg local election and in Russian subnational elections in 2020," Mikhail Turchenko, a political scientist at the European University of St. Petersburg, told RFE/RL.



But he cautioned that until more data was available, it was still too early to say for sure.



Navalny made a name for himself with an acerbic wit, a dogged anti-corruption campaign, and a prominent place in 2011-12 protests that were sparked by anger over Duma-vote fraud and dismay at Putin's return to the presidency. He then tried his hand at electoral politics in 2013, running in the Moscow mayoral race.



He lost to the Kremlin's anointed candidate, but he garnered enough of the vote to show that a genuine independent contender could attract genuine support.

In 2018, after he was barred from challenging Putin for the presidency, he and his allies conceived of Smart Voting -- a way to focus the fractious political opposition and also combat the government's moves to keep many potential opposition candidates off the ballots.



The idea aims to identify, and endorse, candidates who have the best chance at beating United Russia candidates -- at the national and local levels.



More importantly, those candidates may be from what's known as the "systemic opposition" -- the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and others that are nominally in the opposition but in reality rarely vote against United Russia or Kremlin initiatives.



For some liberal Russians who recoil at the idea of voting for the Communists, or the nationalist Liberal Democrats, or any party blessed by the Kremlin, it's voting for the "least-worst option."

High-Water Mark



The high-water mark for Smart Voting so far may have come in 2019, where the strategy was utilized in the election for the Moscow City Duma, the city legislature.



In that race, 20 candidates who were endorsed by Navalny's team won, a victory that cut the number of United Russia members in the 45-seat legislature to 25, from 38.



According to one research paper, the strategy, on average, improved the results of opposition candidates by 5.6 percent.



In regional and local election campaigns in September 2020, the Smart Voting effect was most significant in regional capitals and other major cities, according to another research paper co-authored by Turchenko. United Russia lost its majority in legislatures in the Siberian cities of Novosibirsk, Tambov, and Tomsk in that vote.



Part of the success, the paper found, was attributable to mobilizing opposition voters who had not voted before, either out of apathy or out of confusion with ballot choices.

This was all before Smart Voting went fully high-tech this year, with a downloadable app and user-friendly interface that made it easy for anyone, anywhere across Russia's 11 time zones to punch in their district and quickly pull up an alternative to United Russia candidates.



Half of the Duma's 450 deputies are chosen in single-mandate districts in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even if it's far from a majority. he other half are chosen through nationwide voting for party lists.



The Smart Voting endorsements, published by Navalny's associates on September 15, included its 1,234 recommendations for national and regional votes in all. For the Duma, it recommended 137 Communist Party nominees, 48 candidates from the A Just Russia party, 20 Liberal Democrats, and 10 from the liberal Yabloko party. A handful of candidates for other parties were also recommended.

An unofficial tally by RFE/RL, based on preliminary results, showed that 13 of those endorsed in the single-mandate districts won their elections. In at least two races, a candidate endorsed by Smart Voting lost his or her race -- but so did the United Russia candidate.



"Navalny's team will likely claim as successes for 'Smart Voting' those candidates they picked who were victorious, but that is to be expected," said Ben Noble, an assistant professor of Russian politics at University College London. "As social scientists, however, we should be more cautious -- and pay attention to the growing support for [the Communist Party] over recent months, which likely reflected dynamics independent of Navalny and his associates' activities."



Questions about Smart Voting's effectiveness are muddled not only by the campaign that Russian authorities took to sideline Navalny and his organization, but also its efforts to prevent people from downloading the Smart Voting app -- or even from reading the Smart Voting lists that circulated online.



Tech giants Google and Apple, and messaging app Telegram, bowed to Russian arguments that the Smart Voting app should be deleted due to the designation of Navalny's and his organization as "extremist."

In Rimsky's district in Ivanovo, the electorate and the technical infrastructure made it a difficult place for Smart Voting to take hold.

Electronic Voting



In Moscow, where it was likely to be most effective, it was further thwarted by electronic voting, which election officials pushed widely as an easy, safe way for people to vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic.



Kremlin opponents said the online voting is a major avenue for fraud because it makes it harder for outside observers to access and analyze raw voting data to check for manipulation.



And when several Moscow races flipped abruptly in favor of United Russia when the e-voting results were announced following long delays, the ruling party's foes cried foul.



"It isimpossible to recognize the results of the voting in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was dirtier and worse than even 2011," top Navalny aide Leonid Volkov said in a post to Twitter. "In St. Petersburg, the opposition's victory was stolen by force. In Moscow -- by electronic scam."

The Communist Party pledged it wouldn't recognize the Moscow results and called for a series of protests and an investigation.



Smart Voting "worked the way we described it in the article. It gave a small but tangible uptick of votes that was completely visible in Moscow," said Grigory Golosov, a political scientist who co-authored the analysis of the 2020 vote with Turchenko. "It may have occurred in other regions, too, but it's too early to say."



"Smart Voting can provide only a small boost to a candidate, but in the context of free and fair elections, this small boost can be decisive," he told RFE/RL.



However, free and fair is what Kremlin critics contend these elections were absolutely not, particularly in Moscow.



Andrei Kolesnikov, a political analyst and senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said that Smart Voting provided an alternative, and that helped motivate apathetic voters.



But by endorsing so many Communists, he argued in an opinion article in the Financial Times, Navalny essentially set up a race between Communists and the "Chekists" -- a nickname often used to describe current and former Russian spies, security officers, and intelligence agents like Putin and many of the people he has brought into top posts.



"This does nothing to alter the disempowered mood among the public, nor the political vector," he wrote.
An investigation by RFE/RL's Tajik Service suggests that top managers of Tajikistan's debt-plagued national airline, Tajik Air, have been orchestrating the firm's downfall to the benefit of the family of President Emomali Rahmon.

The collapse of Tajik Air would leave Tajikistan's air-transportation sector dominated by Somon Air -- a private company linked to Rahmon's family, which controls almost all of Tajikistan's major businesses.

The Tajik Finance Ministry said in August that with Tajik Air now facing imminent bankruptcy, the government will no longer provide funds to prop up the firm. The ministry also said the fate of Tajik Air will be decided at "higher government levels."

In Tajikistan, such decisions are ultimately made by Rahmon, who wields enormous clout in the authoritarian former Soviet republic.

Numerous insiders and other knowledgeable sources have told RFE/RL that Tajik Air is being deliberately pushed out of business in order to benefit the airline owned by Rahmon's family.

The Finance Ministry first warned about the risk of Tajik Air going bankrupt in 2016, noting that the airline's revenues had plunged by 1,118 percent from the previous year.

Since then, there have been multiple opportunities to save Tajik Air. But every top manager has brought the airline closer to destruction instead of saving it.

Three former managers since 2006 have faced separate criminal investigations in recent years. But no serious legal actions were brought against them. Some have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs with multimillion-dollar portfolios.

Four sources at different levels of the company's management, as well as one government official, have told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the former managers intentionally ran the company into bankruptcy in order to eliminate Somon Air's only domestic rival.

Somon Air is owned by Rahmon's brother-in-law, Hasan Asadullozoda. His ownership was confirmed by a court in London in a case involving the Tajik aluminum plant Talco.

Meanwhile, a U.S. diplomatic cable from 2009 that was published by WikiLeaks suggests Somon Air is directly controlled by Rahmon. The U.S. diplomatic cable says, "Somon Air seems to be in the process of replacing state-owned Tajik Air, which would presumably go out of business when Somon Air becomes large enough to take over its traffic."

Since 2015, Tajikistan's government has written off more than $2.6 million of Tajik Air's debts. But Tajik Air is still owes about $40 million to the tax authorities, various banks, airports, and service providers.

A court in Vilnius has ordered Tajik Air to pay more than $20 million to the Lithuania-based company Skyroad Leasing. Skyroad has threatened to take the Tajik government to an international court if Tajik Air fails to pay.

In August 2019, the Moscow Arbitration Court ordered Tajik Air to pay the Russian federal air transport regulator about $555,000 in debt and fines. The court also supported the Skyroad claim.

Courts in Russia also have agreed to hear more than two dozen other cases against Tajik Air, with claims totaling about $1.5 million.

Tajik Air temporarily halted all of its scheduled flights in early 2019 and Somon Air took over the national carrier's routes. The majority of Tajik Air's 520 employees were sent home on unpaid leave -- a financially crippling situation for them, as they were already owed about a year's worth of unpaid back wages. Several of Tajik Air's most experienced pilots were also hired by Somon Air.

The suspension of Tajik Air's operations left Somon Air with an effective monopoly on the domestic market. It immediately raised its passenger ticket prices.

'Unhealthy Competition'

Launched in 2008, Somon Air quickly took over Tajikistan's most lucrative flight routes. It presented a serious challenge to Tajik Air, which was operating with 16 Soviet-era aircraft at the time.

However, Tajik Air was a conglomerate with control of several airports, a fuel business, Tajikistan's air-traffic-control system, an airline food business, and ticket offices. That helped the company withstand competition from the new player in the market. Tajik Air's debts at the time were about $1.3 million, a sum the company could easily pay off with its sizeable revenues.

But it has never been fair competition between the two companies.

Shortly after Somon Air was launched, the government divided Tajik Air's holdings into eight separate entities. Airports in Dushanbe and major cities like Khujand, Bokhtar, and Kulob were given the status of international airports and were taken away from Tajik Air. Smaller airports across the country were placed under the control of local governments.

Other businesses that provided airline services have always been separate from Tajik Air. Some have since been privatized. RFE/RL's investigation found that the new managers of some of these companies have links to Somon Air.

The company TZK, for example, was appointed as the exclusive fuel provider for aircraft. TZK has been linked to Rahmon's brother-in-law, Asadullozoda. It is run through a British offshore company, Menford Holdings LTD.

Using its monopoly of the market, TZK raised the fuel price -- making it 40 percent more expensive than in neighboring Kyrgyzstan.

Likewise, the sale of the airline's tickets has been monopolized by Rahmon's family. Control of that service was handed over to an offshore company called Air Service Agency without any tender or public announcement.

Air Service Agency is controlled by Rahmon's daughter, Tahmina Rahmonova, and her husband, Zarifbek Davlatov. According to reports in several publications, Air Service Agency was given exclusive rights to sell Tajik Air tickets and received 14 percent of the revenues.

Fergana.ru reported in 2019 that nearly all the managers who run the businesses that were once part of the Tajik Air conglomerate have had links to Asadullozoda. Ferghana.ru has also quoted sources saying their ultimate aim was to "destroy Tajik Air."

Valery Sharifov, former deputy head of Tajik Air, said in 2018 that subsidiary companies providing services for Tajik Air had tripled their prices, a move that buried the airline in debt.

Meanwhile, Somon Air continued to take over more lucrative routes from the national carrier.

In 2014, the head of Tajik Air, Firuz Hamroev, complained about what he described as "unhealthy competition" between the two airlines. But the criticism cost Hamroev his job. He was fired in July 2014 after two years as Tajik Air's top manager.

Somon Air left Tajik Air far behind in the number of flights and passengers just six years after it had been launched, and the trend continued in the following years.

Rahmon flies with Somon Air for all his official trips. Somon is the name of Rahmon's youngest son, although it's not known whether that is a coincidence or not.

Thus, Tajikistan's oldest airline has fallen deeper into crisis while the newly established one was able to take its place in less than six years. In fact, Tajik Air operated all flights to and from Tajikistan until 2008 -- despite facing intense pressure from Russian companies.

Slap On The Wrist

Tensions between Tajik Air's management and Rahmon surfaced during a government meeting on January 21, 2019, when Rahmon harshly criticized the head of the company at the time, Khairullo Rahimov. Rahmon demanded that Rahimov leave the meeting and ordered a probe into his work as the head of the company.

Shortly after that, Rahimov was detained and charged with embezzlement and abuse of office. But Rahimov's case never reached court. Despite being accused of misappropriating $374,000, among other crimes, Rahimov was released after paying $200,000.

Instead, the authorities arrested Azizullo Safarov, who worked as Rahimov's driver and as the company's steward. Safarov was charged with misappropriation of about $256,000 -- an accusation he now describes as baseless "slander." Safarov, who has since left Tajikistan, says he was made a scapegoat.

"Tajik Air officials and investigators from the prosecution told me to plead guilty," Safarov told RFE/RL. "They promised that they would repay the money on my behalf and set me free from prison."

Safarov was released in September 2020 after six months in prison. Authorities said he was pardoned after repaying the funds he embezzled. "They paid the money on my brothers' behalf," Safarov said.

RFE/RL contacted Rahimov, but he declined to comment on the case. He said that Tajik Air's troubles occurred before his tenure began in January 2016.

What Happened Before?

A source at Tajik Air confirmed Rahimov's claim that the crisis at the company began much earlier. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that although Tajik Air flights were suspended during Rahimov's tenure, the company was facing major problems when his predecessor, Rustam Kholiqov, was in charge.

Kholiqov, the head of Dushanbe International Airport, was appointed as manager of Tajik Air in 2014 after Hamroev's departure. His appointment came as Tajik Air was being merged with the capital's airport.

However, the authorities prohibited using the airport's funds to resolve Tajik Air's financial woes. Tajik Air was more than $1.4 million in debt at the time, according to Kholiqov.

Less than six months later, Kholiqov announced that Tajik Air had repaid all its debts. He also announced plans to obtain modern aircraft and open new flight routes.

But in January 2016, Kholiqov was dismissed. No reason was given publicly for Kholiqov's removal. The plans to merge Tajik Air with Dushanbe International Airport were also abandoned.

Court Battles

In April 2018, a court in Vilnius ordered Tajik Air to pay more than $20 million to Skyroad Leasing after the airline failed to pay fees for two aircraft it had leased from the Lithuania-based company. The ruling was issued due to inactivity on the part of Zafar Hafizov, the head of the legal affairs department in Tajikistan's Transport Ministry.

Hafizov was in Europe to represent Tajik Air at the trial and pay the court fees of more than $9,000. It's not known why Hafizov failed to pay the court fines. RFE/RL investigations showed that Hafizov has since been living in Europe.

Tajikistan's anti-fraud agency opened an investigation into Hafizov, but the case was eventually dropped.

In a report to the government, seen by RFE/RL, the anti-fraud agency concluded that "negligence" by the leadership of Tajik Air was the main reason the company lost the court case in Lithuania. The agency also found that all of the top managers of Tajik Air since 2008 were responsible for the airline's growing troubles.

In 2019, Skyroad Leasing took Tajik Air to the Economic Crimes Court in Dushanbe to demand the airline pay the $20 million as ordered by the Lithuanian court. The court in Dushanbe ruled that the contract between Tajik Air and Skyroad Leasing breached Tajik law. Therefore, the Dushanbe court ruled, the Lithuanian company had no right to demand any payment.

Skyroad Leasing then took the matter to Tajikistan's Supreme Economic Court, which in August 2019 overturned the lower court's ruling and ordered it to review the case. Two separate sources familiar with the situation told RFE/RL that the Supreme Economic Court's ruling was secured with the meddling of top managers at Tajik Air.

The sources at the court said the managers were not happy with the lower court's decision, even though it ruled in Tajik Air's favor and effectively saved the airline from having to pay a massive debt. Some of the managers are known to be associates of Ozoda Rahmon, the president's daughter and chief of staff, the sources said.

They requested that the Supreme Economic Court annul the lower court's ruling on Ozoda Rahmon's behalf, the sources told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. RFE/RL contacted Tajik Air for comment on this claim. They denied it as a "complete lie."

'Bad Contract'

Tajik Air signed a contract with Skyroad Leasing in 2009 to lease two aging Boeing airplanes from the company.

The Prosecutor-General's Office, the anti-fraud agency, and the Transport Ministry accused Tajik Air of negligence and failing to secure a proper contract that protects the company's interests. For example, they claim that the price of the aircraft stated in the contract is far too high for old planes.

They say Tajik Air didn't even use the planes much, but didn't make any effort to return the aircraft or make amendments to the contract. Instead, it just stopped paying the rental fees.

Lithuanian law firm Magnusson, which represented Tajik Air in the court case, described the ruling as unfair. It said in 2018 that the amount of money the airline was ordered to pay was unreasonably high. In a document seen by RFE/RL, Magnusson advised Tajik Air to counter-sue Skyroad Leasing. But Tajik Air decided not to take legal action.

According to the contract, Tajik Air would pay Skyroad Leasing $17 million over 60 months. Tajik Air could then become the owner of the two planes by paying another $4 million.

Paulius Docka, a lawyer and representative of Skyroad Leasing said that his company contacted Tajik Air when it stopped paying the rental fees in 2013. However, Tajik Air didn't respond to Skyroad Leasing's multiple attempts to resolve the issue, Docka said. Skyroad Leasing was left with no choice but take legal action, according to its representative.

Several sources, including legal experts with knowledge of the situation, told RFE/RL that the managers of Tajik Air had "certain interests" in the company's failure. Otherwise, they would have relatively easily resolved the problem in its early stages, the sources told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity.

Tajik Air managers didn't explain why they failed to pay the lease or return the aircraft. They also didn't say why the company didn't respond to Skyroad Leasing's attempts to contact them, or why they didn't want to challenge the Vilnius court's ruling.

In another unexplained move in 2014, Tajik Air paid the FL Technics company -- a partner of Skyroad Leasing -- nearly $500,000 more than it was ordered to pay in a separate court case. FL Technics took Tajik Air to court for failing to pay for its services. The court ordered Tajik Air to pay $1.2 million in unpaid fees. Instead, Tajik Air paid the Lithuania-based company $1.65 million -- $453,000 more than the amount ordered by the court.

Tajik Air officials have not publicly explained the decision. Kholiqov, who was the head of the company at the time, didn't respond to RFE/RL's requests for comment.

The Curious Case Of Kholiqov

Kholiqov was detained by the security services in August 2019, as he was about to board an Istanbul-bound flight at Dushanbe's airport. The authorities announced that Kholiqov was banned from leaving the country, pending a criminal probe into alleged embezzlement at Tajik Air.

In January 2016, the Tajik independent publication Nigoh reported that Kholiqov had caused Tajik Air to suffer more than $19.2 million in damages in just one year.

Nigoh's investigative report was published two weeks before Kholiqov's dismissal. There was no comment from either Kholiqov or the authorities regarding the publication's revelations.

In an open letter published by the Prague-based Akhbor news agency in 2019, Tajik Air employees demanded that their former boss return millions of dollars they said he had illegally taken from the company.

A look at Kholiqov's activities in recent years shows that Kholiqov was an entrepreneur at the same time he held government jobs. Tajik law prohibits government officials from being involved in private business while in office.

In 2015, the president's official website posted a report showing President Rahmon "officially opening" a special storage facility owned by Sitabr-Agro, a company founded and run by Kholiqov in the Hisor district outside Dushanbe. Although Kholiqov was the head of Tajik Air at the time, the report described him as a private entrepreneur.

In September 2020, a report on state television showed Rahmon "officially launching" a food production company that was also owned by Sitabr-Agro. That report suggested Kholiqov had "created the company with the president's instructions."

Sitabr-Agro was established in 2008, when Kholiqov was the head of the Dushanbe airport.

Asadullozoda's 'People'

Sources told RFE/RL that many of those who facilitated Tajik Air's demise were linked to Asadullozoda and his circle.

For example, Rahimov had worked as the deputy head of Somon Air before becoming the chief of Tajik Air.

Tajik Air keeps all its official bank accounts at OrienBank, which is owned and run by Asadullozoda. The brother of Dilshod Ismatullozoda, the current head of Tajik Air, is Asadullozoda's deputy at OrienBank.

Akbar Sharifov, Tajik Air's chief financial officer and one of the main negotiators with Skyroad Leasing, is now employed by Asadullozoda's TalCO subsidiary.

Asadullozoda attends most meetings of a special government task force that is meant to save Tajik Air. It's not clear if the task force was created as just a smokescreen or if the government is genuinely trying to salvage the flag carrier.
MOSCOW  Jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has accused the Kremlin of using "intimidation and repression" to steal parliamentary elections that saw the ruling United Russia party retain its constitutional majority amid widespread reports of voting irregularities and ballot tampering.



Writing in an Instagram message from prison, Navalny said on September 21 that his tactical voting system was "a huge success," weakening the party of President Vladimir Putin's choice, only to have the results "redrawn in the most primitive way."



"The crooks twisted the results on the scoreboard to make their winnings look more convincing," he said in the post.



"A fake result is lit on the scoreboard. Our observers were dragged from the polling stations. Intimidation and repression have robbed many of their will, and people are simply afraid to take to the streets," he added.



Hours earlier, the release of full preliminary voting results showed the Kremlin-backed United Russia party maintained its constitutional majority in the lower house of parliament in an election denounced by the West and described by an independent monitoring agency as "one of the dirtiest" in Russian history.

The Central Election Commission announced on September 21 that with all of the votes counted United Russia won 49.82 percent of the vote -- marking a drop of 6 percentage points in support from the previous elections in 2016.

According to preliminary final results of the three-day elections, which were marred by the lack of a significant opposition presence, United Russia candidates took 112 seats in the State Duma, along with 198 single-mandate constituencies across the country.

That gives the party a comfortable two-thirds majority in the Duma's 450 seats needed to make changes to the constitution.

United Russia's closest rival, the Communist Party, received 18.93 percent of the vote -- nearly 6 percentage points higher than in the previous elections.

Three other parties cleared the 5 percent hurdle required for representation in the State Duma: the Liberal Democratic Party with 7.55 percent of the vote, A Just Russia with 7.46 percent, and a newcomer party, New People, received 5.32 percent.

Turnout was reported at 51.6 percent.

Final results are to be announced on September 24.

The elections, held over the weekend alongside votes for regional governors and local legislative assemblies, are widely seen as an important part of Putins efforts to cement his grip on power ahead of a possible run in the 2024 presidential vote, making control of the State Duma key.

The vote was also criticized by the West, with the European Union denouncing "an atmosphere of intimidation of all the critical independent voices" in the run-up to the voting.

Many critics say the Kremlin carefully managed from the start, with the opposition largely barred from running and a crackdown on government opponents that shows no sign of abating.

The vote was a major event for Navalny, the jailed corruption crusader whose allies had invested heavily in their Smart Voting strategy, aimed at eroding United Russias stranglehold on politics.



As the vote kicked off on September 17, Navalnys election-guide app disappeared from the Apple and Google online stores in what his associates slammed as censorship and bowing to pressure, and Telegram removed the Smart Voting bot after the company announced it would "limit the functioning of bots associated with election campaigns."

Navalny has languished in prison since February on what he and the West call politically motivated charges. All of his top aides have fled the country since his network was declared an extremist organization and outlawed by the government in June.

For the first time since 1993, election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were not present due to limitations imposed by Russian authorities.

A co-chairman of the independent election-monitoring group Golos said 78,000 more electronic votes had appeared in the officials' Moscow tally than were issued, highlighting what they called a "shame" and "one of the dirtiest" elections in Russian history.

Navalny, who is the Kremlins most potent domestic critic, tried to end his Instagram post on a more positive note, urging his supporters to fight on in the battle for democracy.



"We have one country no matter where we live," the 45-year-old said on his Instagram account which is being run by his team.



"And the fight for it is not a sprint but a long and hard marathon."

Several hundred Communist demonstrators turned out in protest against the results in Moscows Pushkin Square in the evening on September 20 as police looked on.

Iron fences and police vans could be seen near the central square on the morning of September 21 ahead of the possibilities of more protests.

Across the country, there were reports of ballot-box stuffing and carousel voting -- where voters are bussed into multiple polling stations as an organized group.

With reporting by TASS
IIT TO SET ENGINEERING COLLEGE IN KARGIL

New Delhi: A professional team of IIT directors visited the site on Monday to examine the suitability of establishing an Engineering college in the district of Ladakh, Kargil. The team was of members including the directors IIT-Delhi, Prof V Ramgopal Rao, IIT-Bombay Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri, and IIT-Kanpur Prof Abhay Karandikar.

Advertisement







The respected team interacted with the officials and the students. They wanted to survey the sociability and the opportunity for the students of the Union Territory in various IITs, also reported the sources. The Computer Science and Engineering Department of the IIT-Delhi, Professor M.Balakrishnan spoke about the challenges being faced by the students in distant places and emphasized more that the students should move of their comfort zone and gain exposure even in studies.



Directing the meeting, Rao said Lieutenant Governor Ladakh R K Mathur during his recent visit to the IIT-Delhi examined the probability of setting up an engineering college in Kargil. The purpose of the visit of the team is to know the ground reality about the feasibility for establishment of an engineering college in the district and to assess the students interest in the field of engineering, he said.

Advertisement







The team of directors later also visited the Government Degree College, Kargil, where the vice-principal instructed them about the altogether functioning and the different courses that were being imparted at the college. He also talked about the 2,000 students which are presently enrolled in the college while 30 permanent and 23 contractual teaching assistants are providing their teaching services in the college. The officials also said that the IITs are partnering with the Department of Higher Education, Ladakh to evaluate the various prospects of technical education to increase the opportunities for the youths of the Union Territory on employment and entrepreneurship.



While addressing the questions from the students, the IIT-Bombay director spoke about the different branches of engineering and the career prospects in that respect. Prof Karandikar spoke about the annual fellowship program in IITs, incubation, and innovation program, an internship with the IITs for the students of Ladakh.

Advertisement







Kargils chief education officer advised the team of the enrolment of school students in the district. He said that 32,000 students were studying in various schools in the district, out of which 3,000 are pursuing their studies in the science stream. The CEO also said there are at present 22 government and two private higher secondary schools functioning in the district.



The partnership is directed at exploring different ways to promote innovation and entrepreneurship determined on the local ecosystem, skill development for intensifying the employment opportunities, enhancing the quality of education for increasing higher education opportunities, and also for setting up a quality engineering institution in Ladakh, they said.
BABA SAHIB AMBEDKAR STATUE

Chandigarh: Following the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, the Punjab Police has arrested a person who had tried to cause damage to the statue of Bharat Ratna Baba Sahib Dr. BR Ambedkar in Phillaur town of Jalandhar district on Monday midnight.

Advertisement



The accused has been identified as Bhiku Meena, 25 years of age from a resident of Jawania village in district Husan Nijra of Madhya Pradesh. Bhiku Meena had tried to damage the statue by throwing a stone and a flower pot.

On being notified of the event, the Chief Minister described it as a very unfortunate and tragic incident that has bruised the psyche of people who respect Baba Sahib Ambedkar, the Chief Architect of the Indian constitution. Urging the people to exercise restraint, he said that exemplary action will be ensured against the culprit indulging in these types of vicious acts.





Charanjit Singh Channi clearly said that no one will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace in the state adding that he has already directed the Director-General of Police (DGP) to imply stress on the inspection in every nook and corner of the state.

The Chief Minister said that being a border state the situation in the state always remains sensitive but the state government is fully observant to deal with it and crush the criminal designs of anti-social and anti-national elements who try to create unrest in Punjab.

Advertisement



He said that exemplary action will be taken against any person who tries to disturb the law and order situation in the state through such acts. Soliciting fulsome support and cooperation of the people, Channi requested them to play a proactive role in cementing the ethos of communal harmony, peace, and brotherhood to make Punjab the most peaceful and communally harmonious state.
A deal was signed between the two countries during an official visit by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the communist island, the government said.

The agreement concerns an initial 5 million doses, but Vietnam has already authorised the purchase of 10 million doses in total, Cuban media reported.

On Saturday, Vietnam became the first foreign country to approve the emergency use of Abdala, which Cuba is already using along with Soberana 02, another locally developed vaccine.

Venezuela has signed a contract to acquire 12 million Abdala doses, while Iran is producing Soberana 02 under agreement.

Argentina and Mexico have also expressed interest in the Cuban vaccines.


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.
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Tuesday, Sept. 21, and the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shows strong immune response in children ages 5 to 11. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

A growing sector of private troubleshooters are being deployed in California to defend specific properties in advance of wildfires. These specialists dont fight fires head-on, but instead work around the edges of a conflagration to reduce the likelihood of certain homes and businesses burning. Though such contractors have been assisting the U.S. Forest Service for 35 years, they represent a thickening layer of defense against Californias increasingly powerful megafires.

The contractors include retired Cal Fire battalion chief Jeff Lannon. After protecting homes from the Dixie Fire in Susanville in August, he was sent to the 2,000-acre Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort near South Lake Tahoe, threatened by the Caldor Fire  the first time Lannon had heard of a pre-incident crew being assigned to a ski area.

Were becoming more accepted by professional firefighting organizations because we have tools they dont have, Lannon said.

Read more from Gregory Thomas.

 Winds expected to push KNP Complex blaze deeper into Giant Forest.

 Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe is set to reopen today for all motorists.

 Bay Area Spare the Air alert issued for Tuesday, but not for wildfire smoke. Here's what's going on.

A major conference returns

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

The giant tech conference Dreamforce returns in-person Sept. 21-23, but it will be significantly scaled down due to the pandemic.

In 2019, the Salesforce tech extravaganza sold out with 171,000 attendees. This year, just 1,000 will be able to attend, and it will be one of the first in-person conferences since the beginning of the pandemic. Also, attendees will have to be vaccinated, wear masks and take daily coronavirus tests.

Read more from Roland Li about what to expect at this year's event.

 The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is safe and highly effective in young children ages 5 to 11 years, the companies announced Monday.

 One of the largest school districts in the Bay Area delayed a vote this week on a proposal for a school vaccine mandate.

 One Bay Area county is approaching 100% of eligible residents with at least one COVID vaccine dose.

Around the Bay

Amber Baesler/Associated Press

 Gabby Petito case: What one witness saw near the Tetons may help the FBI unravel this mystery.

 Violence against Asians: Fifth & Mission podcast host Cecilia Lei reports from Oakland Chinatown about how residents, merchants and activists think the neighborhood should respond to the increased violence of the past year.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

 Real estate: These cities have the Bay Areas hottest ZIP codes for prospective home buyers.

 Open Forum: In a Chronicle opinion piece, fair housing experts write that some Southern California cities are sabotaging a state housing law, and fear Bay Area NIMBYs will follow suit. Also: Oakland mayor pledges to house 1,500 homeless residents and build 132 new units of permanent affordable housing in 16 months.

 Anticipated restaurant reopening: Longtime San Francisco restaurant Boulevard is reopening with a new look and menu. Also: A new concept by the owners of acclaimed pasta destination Flour + Water is on the horizon.

Zodiac author speaks

Gary Fong/The Chronicle 1977

For a fairly famous guy, author Robert Graysmith doesnt get out much. He hasnt been heard from in public for about a decade, and he rarely leaves his San Francisco home.

The 78-year-old has been busy crafting dozens of books, ranging from childrens tales to true crime. Hes also illustrating them, which is not a huge stretch, since he was a professional artist and cartoonist in the 1960s and 70s at The Chronicle. Thats when he famously began diving into the mystery of the serial killer known as the Zodiac, which led to his books Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked  and the 2007 movie inspired by them.

The first in Graysmiths voluminous new string landed on online sites like Amazon at the end of August, the 383-page Shooting Zodiac, which documents the planning that went into making the movie. Graysmith broke his long silence to talk with The Chronicles Kevin Fagan  who has himself covered the Zodiac mystery for 25 years  about his upcoming slew of books and why he has no intention of kicking back on a couch. Ever.

Bay Briefing is written by Kellie Hwang and Anna Buchmann and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com.
Californians are falling well short of the governors call for 15% water-savings, even as state officials warn of yet another year of crippling water shortages ahead.

In new water-use data released Tuesday for July, when Gov. Gavin Newsom began asking residents to voluntarily cut back because of the two-year drought, urban water consumption across the state dropped just 1.8%, compared with the same month last year.

Southern Californias unrelenting thirst drove the disappointing numbers. Los Angeles, San Diego and their surrounding communities, which make up a bulk of the states population, conserved hardly any water in July, recording a cumulative 0.1% decline over the same month in 2020.

The states North Coast, by contrast, reduced water use by 16.7%, the most savings of any of Californias 10 designated hydrologic regions. The Bay Area cut back 8.4%.

While Newsoms plea for conservation came one week into July, meaning residents didnt have the full month to reach the goal, the figures released by the State Water Resources Control Board show that communities have been slow to start saving and have a long way to go to meet the governors target.

Thankfully, not an increase, said Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the state water board, after reviewing the numbers, which are self-reported by hundreds of water agencies. Its clear that we need to do a lot more.

More for you San Francisco, agriculture suppliers want their water, sue state over drought restrictions

Two years of little rain and snow have left reservoirs across the state at some of their lowest levels in history. Cities and towns dependent on this surface water, as a result, have seen declining supplies and increasing uncertainty about where theyll get more in the future.

While the level of conservation varies widely across the state, communities that have been experiencing more drastic water shortages have generally been best about paring back.

The city of Healdsburg, which is seeking 40% savings through mandatory local cuts because of the dry Russian River, led Californias water-reduction efforts. The Sonoma County community reported a whopping 54% cutback in July compared with the same month in 2020.

Nearby Cloverdale recorded the second-best savings, a 37% reduction. Several other communities reliant on the Russian River also exceeded the governors conservation target, including Windsor, Petaluma and Santa Rosa.

The areas reporting the biggest hikes in water use in July included the rural San Joaquin Valley cities of Exeter in Tulare County and Chowchilla in Madera County, with 128% and 35% increases respectively. Riverside Countys Desert Water Agency, to the south, reported an 81% increase. Water officials both in Exeter and at the Desert Water Agency said Tuesday there might be errors in their reporting and they may revise their numbers.

The giant Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which serves 3.9 million people, meanwhile, documented a 1% increase in water use in July as did the city of San Diego, which serves 1.4 million people.

Many water agencies in Southern California noted that its more difficult for their customers to conserve since per-capita water use is lower there than almost anywhere else in the state. Since the beginning of last decades 5-year drought, water use across California is already down 16% because of the lasting water savings.

Newsom has so far resisted calls for mandatory statewide water restrictions for the current drought. Hes contended that local communities know their water situations best and should be able to call the shots accordingly.

California has more than 3,000 water suppliers, each with different portfolios of water sources and customers. Many, though, are dependent on the waning supplies of big reservoirs.

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the states second largest reservoir, has never been emptier. Its just 22% full, containing about 35% of the water it normally holds at this point in the year. Californias largest reservoir, Shasta Lake, which had its lowest inflow ever this year, has only 40% of the water it usually holds.

Amid these shortages, Newsom asked Californians on July 8 to reduce consumption by 15%, compared with last year. The reduction was voluntary, though the governor has often underscored the severity of the drought, hoping people would rise to the occasion.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Newsom has said at least a handful of times that if residents dont conserve, and the drought worsens, he would consider mandatory restrictions.

The governors office told The Chronicle on Tuesday that it was still reviewing the July water-savings numbers and deciding how to move forward.

State leaders will continue to track progress in coordination with local water agencies, said Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for the administration. Together, we are urging Californians to once again step up and help the state meet the challenges of severe drought.

On Tuesday, the heads of the state and federal water projects in California, the two biggest suppliers in the state, told the state water board that they didnt expect major storms to increase their reserves anytime before December. Both expect to continue limiting water deliveries in 2022.

We are planning for a third, consecutive dry year, said Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, which oversees the State Water Project.

Nemeth blamed the warming climate for sucking more water out of the system and compelling the agencys decision to withhold supplies next year from the numerous agencies that contract for water.

Even though its difficult and challenging, she said, were all better off (knowing now).

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Drivers for food-delivery companies like Grubhub can seek potentially huge penalties against the companies for refusing to treat them as employees before passage of a ballot measure last November that allowed them to be classified as independent contractors, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

The ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco appears to apply equally to ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft, which spent over $200 million to win voter approval of Proposition 22 in November. The courts action adds to the uncertainty over the impact of Prop. 22, even if state courts overrule an Alameda County judges decision last month that found the ballot measure to be in violation of the California Constitution.

Mondays ruling should mean that drivers and the state can recover massive penalties that Grubhub incurred violating state law for many years, said Shannon Liss-Riordan, lawyer for the former Grubhub driver who filed the suit in 2016.

Under the states Private Attorneys General Act, Liss-Riordan said, a company found to have violated the employment law must pay penalties of at least $100 a week per driver, with the drivers collecting 25% of the funds and the rest going to the state.

In a separate case, drivers for Uber, Lyft and other companies are suing to recover benefits they were denied before last November, including minimum wages, overtime and payment of work expenses, because the companies treated them as contractors rather than employees. Other courts have concluded that the drivers should have been classified as employees, under standards the state Supreme Court set in 2018, because they performed the companies business and worked under the companies control.

Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Grubhub, noted that U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of San Francisco had previously held a non-jury trial in the case and ruled that the drivers should be classified as contractors. She predicted a similar ruling in the future by Corley, who was told to reconsider the case Monday under the legal standards set by the appeals court.

Drivers who use the Grubhub app are, and should be allowed to continue working as, independent contractors, Evangelis said, reflecting the companies argument that their drivers prefer contractor status.

Raef Lawson of Los Angeles had delivered groceries for Grubhub for less than four months when the company dismissed him in February 2016. His suit accused Grubhub of violating state laws that entitle employees to time-and-a-half pay for overtime and compensation for business expenses.

Corley ruled in the companys favor before the state Supreme Courts pro-employee decision in 2018, and before passage of Prop. 22. In urging the appeals court to uphold the magistrates ruling, Grubhub argued that the ballot measure nullified any rights a driver had held under previous laws, unless the driver had already won a court judgment  an award of damages or penalties.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The appeals court disagreed.

Unpaid wages are vested rights that survive a change in the law, Judge William Fletcher said in the 3-0 ruling.

Like Uber and Lyft, which have contended they are technology platforms rather than passenger companies, Grubhub argued that it is an online take-out marketplace and not a food delivery service. Fletcher noted that Corley had already rejected that argument  finding that food delivery was part of Grubhubs regular business  but said the magistrate could re-examine the issue in the next round of the case.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Four men connected to the far-right Boogaloo Bois movement have pleaded guilty to conspiring to destroy evidence in the fatal shooting of a security guard outside a federal building in Oakland last year.

The guard, David Patrick Underwood, 53, of Pinole, a federal contractor working at the Ronald V. Dellums building, was killed by shots fired from a motor vehicle in May 2020.

Federal prosecutors have charged Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Carrillo with Underwoods murder and the attempted murder of a second guard, who was wounded. They said Carrillo, a Boogaloo member, used a local protest against the recent police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis as cover for the attacks.

Carrillo is also charged with murdering a Santa Cruz County sheriffs deputy and wounding five others in the town of Ben Lomond a week later. He was captured after those shootings and has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors announced the guilty pleas in San Francisco federal court Monday of four men who admitted conspiring to destroy records related to the Oakland shootings. They are Jessie Rush, 29, of Turlock; Robert Blancas, 33, a transient resident of the Bay Area; Simon Ybarra, 23, of Los Gatos; and Kenny Miksch, 21, of San Lorenzo.

All acknowledged in their plea agreements that they were members of a Boogaloo-affiliated armed militia called the Grizzly Scouts, with Rush as their commander, prosecutors said.

Although not charged with acts of violence, all four admitted that they held meetings in May and June 2020 where they labeled law enforcement officers as enemy forces and discussed plans to wage war against the government and kill police, prosecutors said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

They said Rush admitted that Carrillo, also a Grizzly Scouts member, had contacted the group after the Oakland shooting and that Rush told Carrillo to delete data on his cell phone. Prosecutors said Blancas admitted destroying Dropbox records of the militias organization, and all four admitted deleting other records of the groups structure and Carrillos involvement.

In a separate case, Blancas pleaded guilty last month to inducing a 15-year-old girl to send him pornographic photos of herself. He is to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in December, and the others face sentencing at later dates before U.S. District Judge James Donato.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
When Chanthon Bun walked out of San Quentin State Prison, he had $200, a devastating case of COVID-19 and a gnawing fear of being deported to an unfamiliar country.

Buns fever rose to 105 degrees that July day in 2020, and he recalled feeling disoriented and delirious after prison officials dropped him off at a transit station in San Rafael. He tried making a collect call to his lawyer from a pay phone. Unable to get through, he boarded a bus to San Francisco.

In one sense, Buns story is exceptional. Weeks before his release, federal immigration authorities had said they planned to meet him at the prison gates and load him into a van, the same way they seize custody of many immigrant parolees who are permanent residents, visa holders or undocumented. Evidently, COVID threw that plan off course.

Yet in other ways, his departure from San Quentin amid a humanitarian crisis illustrated preexisting gaps in Californias prison system, ones that widened with the pandemic.

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation found itself unable to manage two parallel challenges: a virus that tore through its prisons, and the accelerated release of inmates to help mitigate the health crisis. Moreover, COVID left no clear path for many immigrant prisoners, whose fate is shaped by complex, conflicting policies of multiple agencies.

Unlike so many formerly incarcerated people born outside the U.S., Bun has not been picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the 42-year-old knows immigration agents could knock on the door anytime.

Every day I get up in the morning, sit outside on the porch, and tell myself, Im free, he said. But any day they could knock on the door and get me, watch me from the street and pull me over, or stop me and just arrest me.

Less than a month before Buns release, health experts from UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco had warned prison medical officials that they needed to cut the population of San Quentin in half to avoid a devastating outbreak  one that would quickly engulf the prisons open-tiered housing units and potentially inundate other parts of the Bay Area.

By that point, San Quentin was grappling with a surge of cases following the transfer of 121 prisoners from the California Institution for Men in Chino, a facility besieged by COVID-19. Prison officials did not heed health experts warnings, and the virus spread rapidly. As of Sept. 20, 28 incarcerated people have died from COVID in San Quentin, roughly one-eighth of the 240 deaths recorded in the state prison system. San Quentin logged 2,258 cases during the pandemic, and 43 of those people were released after testing positive.

In some senses, San Quentin was hamstrung. The cellblocks are poorly ventilated, and cells have bars rather than doors, which can allow pathogens to spread through the air. Once the coronavirus swept the institution, officials appeared to be flailing. They offered tests to every incarcerated person, yet testing remained voluntary under rules dictated by California Correctional Health Care Services. Last May, the state set up a program called Project Hope, which provided hotel rooms for people to quarantine after their release. That, too, was voluntary.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

As you know, we cant hold anyone past their scheduled release date, so we cannot hold someone regardless of their COVID-19 status, Dana Simas, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told The Chronicle.

Although officials gave Bun the option to quarantine through Project Hope, he said they didnt explain the program in detail and that, by that point, the Department of Corrections had fumbled so many aspects of the pandemic that he didnt trust any of its initiatives.

Until his release on the morning of July 1, 2020, advocates from the Asian Prisoner Support Committee feared Bun would be turned over to ICE and placed in a crowded detention facility, where he wouldnt be guaranteed proper medical care. Supporters who rallied outside San Quentin that morning were surprised to hear later that Bun had been dropped off at the San Rafael transit center.

Anoop Prasad, an attorney with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, learned of Buns release when his client borrowed a cell phone from a fellow bus passenger and called him. Hours later, Prasad found Bun, dizzy with fever and lying on a bench outside the Salesforce Transit Center in SoMa.

He was exhausted, said Prasad, who loaded Bun into his car and drove him to a church, where he stayed for weeks. He had to be hospitalized twice.

Even so, it was better than being deported to Cambodia.

Lingering scars

Bun has little connection to the country that he and his family fled when he was 6 years old. He was born in a Khmer Rouge camp in Battambang, Cambodia. When he was 3, the regime forced his family to another camp on the border of Thailand, where they lived in a hut with few belongings. He and his great aunt sold fruit from bowls by the side of the road, and Bun subsisted mostly on rice. When his stomach swelled from malnutrition, a healer gave him medicine made from roots and burned his stomach with incense to chase out the evil spirits. He still has scars from the treatment.

There were bandits running in and out of the camps, he recalled, remembering how they pillaged his familys home, stealing pots and pans if they couldnt find anything more valuable.

In 1985, when Bun was 6, he and his family immigrated to the U.S., resettling in Los Angeles. As Bun entered adolescence, he became involved with gangs and had his first brushes with law enforcement. Police arrested him for assault and riding in stolen cars when he was a teenager.

Three months after Bun turned 18, he was arrested for serving as the lookout in an armed robbery of a computer store. Although no one was injured, the judge sentenced him to 49 years and 8 months  a term that reflected the tough-on-crime mentality of the 1990s. Still on the cusp of adulthood, Bun had to leave a young family behind: He had one infant son and one on the way.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Within a month of his incarceration at Wasco State Prison in Kern County in 1997, representatives from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service interviewed him and issued a detainer, directing the state Department of Corrections to transfer Bun to immigration officials on the day he received parole. Under the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, legal immigrants, including a 36-year green card holder such as Bun, could be deported for a wide variety of crimes, some of them nonviolent.

So from the beginning of my time, I have this detainer looming over my head, Bun said.

But two things happened that shifted the trajectory of Buns life. First, the state Legislature passed a string of bills to loosen extreme sentences for people who were young at the time of their convictions. Ideas on punishment had evolved, and so had neurological science: Researchers found that adolescent and young adult brains are still developing, and that people who commit crimes at those ages are capable of rehabilitation.

Collectively, the laws extended parole eligibility to people who were incarcerated at age 25 or younger, which gave Bun a shot at freedom after 23 years behind bars.

Then, COVID swamped the state prison system, and officials struggled to contain it.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

They gave us masks, but the masks were made out of womens underwear, David Gantt said of Folsom State Prison, where he was being held in a minimum security camp after the pandemic began to intensify. Gantt is Buns current roommate in Oakland. And Gantt said Folsom guards seldom enforced masks in common areas unless a senior official came in.

Simas rejected the underwear allegation, calling it categorically false. She said the state provided cloth masks to all incarcerated people beginning in April 2020. When Folsom reported an outbreak that August and September, prisoners were given N95 masks, Simas said, and staff were required to wear them. To this day, she added, staff wear surgical masks  which are less effective than N95s  on prison grounds.

While many of these apparent safety lapses are anecdotal, the Department of Corrections still faced significant legal and political fallout. Regulators from the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined the Department of Corrections more than $400,000 in February, citing nine violations at San Quentin  six of them serious. Three months later, a Marin County Superior Court judge held evidentiary hearings on more than 300 habeas corpus petitions filed over San Quentins handling of COVID-19.

An uncertain future

COVID had one unforeseen effect on Buns release: It seemed to inhibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A month before Bun was freed, when nearly everyone on his cellblock had fallen ill, he said, an agent from ICE arrived and informed him that he would return on July 1.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

ICE was supposed to pick me up, Bun said. But I think they were scared of COVID. To the best of my knowledge, I still have a detainer.

Ultimately, COVID changed Buns fortunes in ways that may seem counterintuitive. A year since his release, Bun lives with roommates in an Oakland duplex with hardwood floors and a backyard where he is trying to grow sugar cane. He has a paid fellowship at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

On a crisp August evening, Bun sat at the head of his dining room table. He was flanked on one side by Gantt and on the other by Kate Chatfield, who co-founded the Oakland house for people coming out of prison and manages it as a volunteer. Chatfield is also the senior director of legislation and policy for the San Francisco District Attorneys Office.

The house  its ceilings low, its floorboards sloped, its backyard fence festooned in pink bougainvillea  was a safe cocoon. A sign is taped to the front door: This is a sanctuary house.

When I think about releasing someone who is sick onto a city bus  in my mind, this is exactly what people across the country were saying about COVID in prisons, Chatfield said, noting how a lack of planning and quarantine options caused the infections at San Quentin to spill into the prisons urban surroundings.

Had immigration officials met Bun on the day he walked out of San Quentin, they would have transported him to an immigration detention center, potentially in another state, Prasad said. Such facilities have been vulnerable to COVID outbreaks, owing to crowded conditions and inconsistent medical treatment. People often sit in the centers for long periods while agencies negotiate the terms of their deportation.

These discussions are particularly complex between the U.S. and Cambodia, where political leaders have long been reluctant to accept people who left the country as children, insisting  correctly, Prasad said  that they are now American citizens. Over the years the U.S. ramped up diplomatic pressure on the country to repatriate these deportees, increasing sanctions under the Trump administration.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Prasad has traveled to Cambodia twice and interviewed a number of formerly incarcerated people who were deported there from the U.S. Normally they are rounded up from jails and taken to a detention center where representatives of the Cambodian government fly in to interview them. Then U.S. immigration officials herd them onto a series of charter flights, where they are often shackled for days and deprived of food and cant use the bathroom for long periods, Prasad said.

Once they arrive in Cambodia, most are left to go it alone. Many dont speak Khmer, the official language of Cambodia, and have no surviving family members. Bun said most of his extended family members, including his father, were killed in the genocide of the 1980s. Conditions for deportees are often arduous, Prasad said, noting that many wind up homeless, take their own lives or die of illnesses that are easy to treat in the U.S.

During the pandemic, however, Cambodia has refused deportation flights from the U.S., fearing they will accelerate the spread of COVID-19.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

This year Bun completed parole and settled into a peaceful routine at the Asian Law Caucus, where he campaigned for the Vision Act, a state Assembly bill that would prevent the Department of Corrections from cooperating with ICE to detain people after they complete their prison sentences. Advocates have been trying to pass versions of the bill for a decade, but after the California Police Chiefs Association lobbied against the bill, several lawmakers withdrew their support, leading the Legislature to punt it until next year.

Since it hasnt passed, I cant even plan for the future, Bun said. The weight is still on me.

He studied mechanical trades in San Quentin, hoping to land a job as a machinist or electrician when he got out. But most of those positions require criminal background checks, so Bun instead drew on the connections he had made doing activism and radio behind bars. He became a frequent guest on radio programs, providing vital information about the outbreaks at San Quentin.

These days when Bun finishes work he often rides an electric scooter to the Port of Oakland, where hell sit at a pier, dangling a fishing line. The sky is deep gray, the bay a rumpled blue carpet, the flat spire of the Salesforce Tower gleaming in the distance.

If Bun catches a fish, he reels it in as it thrashes desperately on the line. But then he tosses it back to be free.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com
All workers at San Francisco International Airport are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to an announcement Tuesday from Mayor London Breed.

The mandate takes effect immediately and requires all tenants or contractors to require their on-site employees to be fully vaccinated or to be tested weekly if exempted from getting the shots.

Breeds office described the mandate as the first of its kind for an airport in the U.S.

This new requirement supports our aggressive measures to protect the health and safety of our region and our continued economic recovery, Breed said in a statement.

The Unite Here Local 2 union represents many of the food and beverage staff at the airport. In an emailed statement President Anand Singh said: Airport food service workers are proud to support SFOs vaccination requirement. Our Union is working with employers to ensure fair implementation because vaccines are critical to keeping workers safe and building a recovery where everyone comes back stronger.

The announcement comes as the Biden Administration announced a national vaccine mandate that has yet to take effect that would force tens of millions of Americans to get vaccinated or face weekly testing.

San Francisco already required city workers to get the shots earlier this year. Many airport workers are employed by private outside companies.

As SFO prepares for the upcoming holiday travel season, and the return of pre-pandemic passenger levels, we have an obligation to provide a safe airport facility for the traveling public and our on-site employees, Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said in a statement.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Along with the requirements, employers also must submit status reports on their workforces until all of their employees physically working at the airport are vaccinated, or face potential fines.

The airport currently offers free vaccines at the SFO Medical Clinic and administers rapid tests to an average of 500 travelers a day at locations throughout the facility.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
DETROIT (AP)  Toyota is dumping the big V8 engine in the latest redesign of its Tundra full-size pickup truck, a bold move in a market that likes big, powerful engines.

The 381 horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a base 389 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 or an optional gas-electric hybrid system with 437 horsepower.

The change is needed because of stronger U.S. fuel economy requirements that soon will be imposed under President Joe Biden, who is scrapping Donald Trump's rollback of the regulations.

The old V8 got only 13 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway. Toyota has not disclosed the estimated mileage for the new engines, but said they'll be more efficient and powerful than the outgoing V8.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which dominate the U.S. big pickup market, still offer V8 engines, which are often preferred for towing and hauling. Ford's F-Series pickup is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.

Toyota says the new Tundra can tow up to 12,000 pounds and haul 1,940 in its bed. The outgoing six-speed automatic transmission will be replaced with a more efficient 10-speed version.

The hybrid system will help get the truck started in city driving and will add power during towing. It has a 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery under the rear passenger seats.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The truck also gets new styling, a revamped interior, a new suspension and frame, and a weight-saving aluminum-reinforced composite bed.

The new pickup made its debut Tuesday at Motor Bella, an outdoor auto show in Pontiac, Michigan, that is replacing Detroit's big North American International Auto Show.

Prices weren't released. The redesigned truck, a 2022 model built in San Antonio, Texas, goes on sale later this year.
The Chronicle

A 17-year-old swimmer went missing Monday at Laguna Creek State Beach  the third person swept into the surf off the Santa Cruz coast in the last two weeks.

Authorities responded to reports of a missing swimmer at the beach near Davenport on Monday at about 5:55 p.m., said Gabe McKenna, public safety superintendent for the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The boy, identified as Cash Ebright, was last seen wearing black swim trunks and bodysurfing in the area with a friend, McKenna said. The friend was not injured.
A Berkeley hills couple who said they lost $500,000 in jewelry and family heirlooms when thieves took a safe from their home have announced a $40,000 reward for the return of the safe and all its contents.

On Aug. 3, the 78-year-old husband said, he had briefly stepped out of his home on Alvarado Road with his wife, 74, to run errands and get lunch. When they returned, he said, they realized that their downstairs door had been broken into, and that the 300-pound safe they kept concealed upstairs was gone.

The couple asked to remain anonymous out of safety concerns, and The Chronicle is honoring that request in accordance with its anonymous source policy.

The homeowners, who are working with a local investigator, think the burglars used their antique quilt, which was also stolen, to carry the safe down two flights of stairs and out of the house. The husband, who first spoke with Berkeleyside, said they had kept historic pieces inside the keypad-locked safe, and had the items appraised several years ago.

The collection included a family engagement ring, South Sea pearls, family pocket watches collected over three generations, Byzantine brooches and family baby rings  tiny gold bands  from the 1800s, he said.

Since (the burglary), a lot of the initial disbelief, shock and hurt has subsided, but every time you think about heirlooms  and just things that you love that youll never see again  it hurts, the husband said. These were things that we had intended to pass down to our grandchildren, and that were part of our family heritage.

The homeowners said they spoke to several neighbors who were robbed of their jewelry collections in the last few months, and two homeowners who were robbed on that same day.

Berkeley Police Officer Byron White told The Chronicle that the department is still investigating whether other burglaries on that day were related. He added that the departments Property Crimes Unit has more than 700 open cases, including all types of property crime dating back to 2011.

The Chronicle spoke to the family and their private investigator, and reviewed the police report and security camera video from the house.

Courtesy photo

The video shows a hooded and masked burglar approach the house from the driveway and disable the camera at about 2:22 p.m., nearly an hour and a half after the couple left for their errands. The thief went upstairs to the master bedroom, leaving laptops and iPads on the first floor office untouched, they said.

The family believes that the thief called for backup, because a neighbor told them that around that time, a white SUV backed into the driveway. The family is speculating that  due to the heavy weight of the safe  the driver joined the burglar on the second floor to transport the safe down the stairs. The homeowner said there were dings in the hardwood floor, a sign the thieves attempted to drag the safe before using the quilt as a sling.

When the couple returned home around 3 p.m., the burglars were gone and it was clear their home had been broken into.

Shortly after reporting the burglary to police, the couple enlisted the help of the private firm Immendorf Investigations, based in San Francisco. General Manager Jack Immendorf said he is working with Berkeley police Detective Zackary Nash, who did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.

Immendorf said he told police the family was pursuing a reward, and that the couple would allow the thieves  if the contents are returned  to stay anonymous, while the police work on their own criminal investigation.

The family just wants their possessions back, and in order to get it, theyre offering a reward, said Immendorf. Were not interested in going after the people that did it. Were not the police.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

White confirmed police were made aware of the reward.

Its (every private citizens) choice, and I can understand, said White. It would be nice to figure out who did it, but ultimately (people) want their stuff back, especially when it has personal meaning.

Immendorf and his team have opened up a tip line  415-961-0980  for anyone who may have information about the case, but he said that so far, nothing significant has come of it.

Its just amazing how they did it, Immendorf, in a phone interview, said of the burglary. The safe is not an ordinary safe. Its an exceptionally difficult safe to open.

The couple are hoping the reward will entice the culprits to return the safe and the stolen items.

It had to be big enough to get that kind of attention and make it worth someones while, said the homeowner.

Berkeley police said anyone with information can call 510-981-5737.

Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain
Berkeley will open the citys first RV safe parking program for homeless residents at the end of the month  nearly two years after the city initially proposed banning overnight parking for vehicles because of complaints about the unhoused.

The new site is expected to open Sept. 30 and is located outside the citys first 24-hour indoor shelter in West Berkeley, officials said. The site will offer 24-hour parking for up to 40 vehicles for one year. The program will cost about $410,000.

The Bay Area has been grappling with an increase of RV dwellers, and in response, some cities have either opened or are in the process of launching safe parking sites. In 2019, Oakland opened the regions first 24-hour RV parking site for homeless residents. Last week, San Francisco introduced a plan to open a parking site for 150 RVs and cars. Richmond recently tried to open a safe RV park, but efforts stalled due to resident opposition.

Berkeleys move comes nearly two years after the city initially proposed an overnight parking ban. In 2019, Berkeleys council passed an overnight parking ban that angered neighboring cities, including Oakland, which said the restriction would push RV dwellers onto their streets.

However, Berkeley never implemented the parking ban. In 2020, the city then considered letting 25 RVs park in city-owned lots during non-business hours, but never moved forward with the proposal.

It really has been quite a journey to get to this point, said Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani, who represents part of West Berkeley and proposed the 2020 measure to let RVs park in city-owned lots. I am really excited to see us try this.

Advocates for homeless people applauded the citys efforts to open the new parking program, but expressed concern that the site doesnt have enough room for all the residents living in RVs, leaving them vulnerable to heightened parking enforcement.

Its a great step that theyre trying this out, said Ian Cordova Morales, the president of Where Do We Go Berkeley, a homeless advocacy group. My concern is that because (the city is) doing this, they are going to be increasing policing and towing of all the RVs in town.

City officials will try to move about 32 RV dwellers who currently live in a cluster north of Gilman Street and west of San Pablo Avenue to the safe site. After people move from that area, the city plans to restrict parking in that area to four hours at a time. The remaining spaces will be offered to other RV dwellers in the city, city staff said.

The most recent point-in-time count in 2019 showed that nearly one-third of Berkeleys homeless population live in vehicles  161 in RVs and 157 in cars or vans. In an unofficial count about two weeks ago, city staff counted about 120 RVs with people living in them on the streets.

Berkeley officials have long advocated for an RV parking site, but said theres not a lot of space to house such a program. In 2019, Mayor Jesse Arreguin said he had reached out to neighboring cities like Oakland in hopes of partnering on a parking program. Still, none came to fruition.

Paul Buddenhagen, the deputy city manager, said when Berkeley secured a site to open the first 24-hour shelter, they hoped they could use the big parking area on the property to create a safe parking program.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

I am really glad that we will be able to get some RVs off of streets and onto a safe parking place, he said.

Anyone over the age of 18 can park at the new site. If an RV is inoperable, the city may be able to tow the vehicle onto the site.

Pets are welcome. No curfews are in place. There will be a fence for security, fresh water and portable toilets. The city is exploring a voucher program for residents who want to use their own septic systems so they can dump their wastewater at a nearby station.

The site wont offer electricity, but Buddenhagen said people can use generators.

Staff on site will provide case management and housing or rental assistance, and help residents with minor vehicle repairs.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
After a more than year-long pause, a beloved San Francisco dessert has made a comeback. Sam Zanze, the 88-year-old founder of Ocean Avenue institution Zanzes Cheesecake, is now selling his unfussy, wildly popular creations at a handful of locations in the city.

Zanze announced plans to close his 41-year-old retail space last year and planned to focus on wholesale operations starting in August 2020. But as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on, Zanze felt it was best to take a break and decided to spend time with his family on the East Coast.

It wasnt until July 2021 that Zanze returned to the kitchen, he said. At first, he started making cakes for the Mollie Stones Tower Market outpost on Portola Drive. There, his light, European-style cheesecakes are typically sold in the frozen aisle and sell out fast, he said.

But he started baking in earnest again in August, and now, his cheesecake is on the menu at several places: seafood restaurant Pacific Cafe, in the Outer Richmond; Italian spot Firenze, in North Beach; and Spiazzo in West Portal.

There are plans to sell them at more places in the future, but hes taking it a day at a time right now, he said. Aside from Spiazzo, which serves the cheesecake alongside some garnishes, all the other establishments serve Zanzes plain; its a delicate creation made of cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar and lemon juice.

Darryl Bush/The Chronicle

Zanze makes 70-80 cheesecakes per week, and there are no plans to increase that number yet as its just him and his wife, Joyce, working in the kitchen. The couple are working out of their longtime retail space on Ocean Avenue, but its not going to open to the public anytime soon.

These are extraordinary times we are living in at the moment, said Zanze. We just have to see how things unfold. Life is a dance for all of us.

The baker debuted his eponymous shop in the late 1970s. Hed spent time working in his dads restaurant in Santa Cruz prior to that, and when his father retired, decided to open his own space. The decision to focus on cheesecake also came from his father, who for years tinkered with recipes to develop the kind of cheesecake he wanted.

At Zanzes, the focus is European-style cheesecakes, meaning its devoid of the flour and graham cracker crust that make a New York-style cheesecake, which is the more prevalent style in the U.S. The retail space drew loyal fans for years, with many driving hours to get the creations and others transporting them to cities as far away as Tokyo and Shanghai.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Heres a list of places where Zanzes cheesecakes are available right now:

Mollie Stones Tower Market, 635 Portola Dr., San Francisco

Pacific Cafe, 7000 Geary Blvd., San Francisco

Firenze by Night, 429 Stockton St., San Francisco

Spiazzo Ristorante, 33 W Portal Ave., San Francisco

Tanay Warerkar is the San Francisco Chronicles assistant food & wine editor. Email: tanay.warerkar@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @TanayWarerkar
Take this list of nearly 20 restaurants that are opening this fall as an optimistic sign that the Bay Area restaurant scene is alive and growing in exciting ways, despite the enormous setbacks of the pandemic.

Several of the falls most anticipated openings are chefs first solo projects. Theres Joodooboo in Oakland, a modern Korean deli from Steve Joo. Hes a former co-chef of pop-up Nokni, who approaches banchan with a Californian sensibility. In San Francisco, two popular pop-ups are going full time: former Lazy Bear chef Matthew Kirk is turning his pop-up Automat into a full-service restaurant, and Kristina Liedags Compton and Rachel Sillcocks will serve breakfast all day at their new North Beach restaurant, Hilda and Jesse.

Other openings, meanwhile, promise exciting new ideas from big-name chefs. Corey Lee is finally opening San Ho Won, his Korean restaurant in the Mission, and the team behind Flour + Water is planning a new neighborhood restaurant focused on affordable, homey Italian fare. Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue fame is gearing up to open his first spin-off restaurant in Oakland with a focus on fried chicken.

Its difficult to make any broad generalizations about this group of fall newcomers. They represent a mix of cuisines, price points and regions. Diners looking for the regions next great fine dining destination or a new go-to takeout spot are likely to find something appealing.

There were even more restaurants that didnt make the list or are experiencing delays, pushing their opening timelines to this winter or early 2022. But for now, here are 17 restaurant openings to look out for this fall, listed by geographic region.

Provided by Flour + Water Hospitality Group

SAN FRANCISCO

Automat

Former Lazy Bear chef Matthew Kirk is turning his pop-up Automat, known for its unusual breads and fried chicken sandwiches, into an all-day restaurant in partnership with Lazy Bear owner David Barzelay. Itll serve coffee and pastries in the morning, followed by counter-service lunch and dinner. The goal is to give San Francisco a laid-back, family-friendly option where parents can still be excited by the food.  J.B.

Projected opening: fall. 1801 McAllister St., San Francisco. automatsf.com

Birch & Rye

Chef-owner Anya El-Wattar is gearing up to bring Bay Area twists on Russian food to Noe Valley. Think pelmeni made from fresh-milled grains, vegan borscht topped with a dollop of house-made sour cream and meats cooked in a wood-burning oven. Amiran Tskhvaradze, formerly of Georgian hit Bevri in Palo Alto, will be Birch & Ryes executive sous-chef, and the newly announced chef de cuisine is KiShae Qetlah, whos cooked at San Francisco restaurants including Commonwealth, Greens and Rich Table.  E.K.

Projected opening: November. 1320 Castro St., San Francisco. birchandryesf.com

Hilda and Jesse

Courtesy Timofei Osipenko

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for Kristina Liedags Compton and Rachel Sillcocks, whose Hilda and Jesse brunch pop-up is finally graduating to an all-day restaurant in North Beach. The two longtime chefs have drawn a following for their playful but composed breakfast creations. That includes dishes like thick buttermilk pancakes topped with grilled strawberries mixed with maple syrup, and hashbrowns topped with local seaweed and fermented green garlic mayonnaise. Critic Soleil Ho named Hilda and Jesse one of the best pop-ups of 2019. The dining room, where customers will be able to order breakfast for dinner, will evoke retro diner vibes.  E.K.

Projected opening: fall. 1665 Powell St., San Francisco. hildaandjessesf.com

Osito

Courtesy Rob Schanz

This 100% live-fire restaurant, where everything is cooked over a wood-burning hearth, promises an indulgent, ambitious meal. A $295 tasting menu that changes daily will feature more than 20 dishes, drawing on fresh produce from local farms. Whole animals will be carved table-side. The meal will end with dessert, cheeses, brandy and schnapps. Osito is the first solo project for chef and owner Seth Stowaway, who previously worked at Bar Agricole Group and Mister Jius. Dinners will be ticketed with two seatings per night, but diners who dont snag a seat can head to Ositos cocktail bar, Liliana, for drinks and Tex-Mex snacks.  E.K.

Opening Oct. 29. 2875 18th St., San Francisco. ositosf.co

Penny Roma

The chefs behind San Francisco pasta destination Flour + Water are turning their attention to classic Italian pastas for their upcoming restaurant, Penny Roma. Taking over the former Central Kitchen space in the Mission District, Penny Roma aims to be a laid-back neighborhood restaurant with reasonably priced, simple, fresh pasta dishes. Think cacio e pepe, not spaghetti with meatballs. Crudos, antipasti and wood-fired meats will round out the menu.  J.B.

Projected opening: mid-October. 3000 20th St., San Francisco.

San Ho Won

Provided by San Ho Won

Anticipation for chef Corey Lees Korean restaurant has been building for years, even more so during the pandemic when he previewed dishes for takeout. San Ho Won will serve an a la carte menu with charcoal-grilled meats (no table grilling here, though), banchan, stews and rice dishes. The restaurant team wants to straddle the line between tradition and modernity, with classics like short rib, or double-cut galbi, but also a kimchi pozole inspired by San Ho Wons location in the Mission District and the restaurants longtime butcher, Luis Perez, who often makes Mexican pozole for staff meals. San Ho Won is the newest project for Lee, chef-owner of three Michelin-starred Benu, Monsieur Benjamin and recently closed In Situ in San Francisco.  E.K.

Projected opening: October. 2170 Bryant St., San Francisco. sanhowon.com

Shuggies Trash Pie + Natural Wine

The team behind Shuggies say their natural wine bar is going to be unlike anything else in San Francisco. Thats partially because the upcoming Mission District spot is the citys first restaurant to open with a mission to reduce food waste, just like owners Kayla Abe and David Murphy do with their other company, Ugly Pickle Co. But its also because of the extreme maximalist decor with disco balls, cheetah print and glitter vinyl. To eat, there will be shareable small plates and lots of pizza featuring lesser-used toppings like pork jowl and smelt.  J.B.

Projected opening: November. 3349 23rd St., San Francisco. instagram.com/shuggiespizza

EAST BAY

Calabash

This unusual collaboration between Nigel Jones (Kingston 11), Azalina Eusope (Mahila, Azalinas) and Hanif Sadr (Komaaj) has been years in the making, and construction is finally wrapping up on the Oakland space. Its a restaurant and market  with indoor and outdoor seating, takeout and delivery  featuring three underrepresented cuisines: Afro-Caribbean, Malaysian and northern Iranian. It will also likely be the first place to reliably eat Eusopes food after she closed Mahila and Azalinas during the pandemic.  J.B.

Projected opening: November. 2302 Valdez St., Oakland.

Daytrip

Courtesy Daytrip

Oaklands Temescal has become known for attracting hip, instantly popular restaurants  and Daytrip seems likely to become the next one. Billed as a soft disco drunken dinner party, the restaurant promises fermentation-heavy, vegetable-centric small plates in a funky setting. There will also be a small wine shop stocked with bottles by women and people of color, plus pastries like tres leches croissants on the weekends.  J.B.

Projected opening: October. 4316 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. instagram.com/this.is.daytrip

Joodooboo

Courtesy Allan Wan

Joodooboo promises to bring something new to the East Bay: a modern Korean deli where pillowy, delicate tofu is the star. The effort comes from Steve Joo, a former co-chef of pop-up Nokni who approaches banchan with a Californian sensibility. Think local, seasonal produce for items like kimchi and soy-marinated pickles. Those small dishes will be available by the pound or as a dinner set alongside rice and a simple protein, such as grilled pork or that special tofu.  J.B.

Projected opening: November. 4201 Market St., Oakland. instagram.com/joodooboo

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Kowbird

Justin Phillips/ The Chronicle

Matt Horns first spin-off concept, Kowbird, will be a temple to fried chicken. The Horn Barbecue chef teased the restaurant at a 2020 pop-up just before the pandemic hit, serving three sandwiches: buttermilk fried chicken, a spicy Nashville hot chicken version and a sweeter one with smoked honey. Kowbird will really focus on maintaining the feel and vibe of a Southern chicken joint, Horn said in a previous interview.

Projected opening: fall. 1733 Peralta St., Oakland. kowbird.com

PENINSULA

Restaurants at State Street Market

Provided by State Street Market

The most exciting restaurants at new Los Altos food hall State Street Market are all projected to open this fall. First up is Bao Bei, a Taiwanese-Korean stand from the former chefs of the Michelin-starred Maum in Palo Alto. There, Meichih and Michael Kim combine their respective backgrounds through dishes like gua bao (the fluffy Taiwanese buns), noodles and banchan. One gua bao is filled with shrimp mousse and an aioli made with Taiwanese black vinegar and then deep-fried whole, inspired by a Korean fried shrimp toast dish called menbosha.

Little Blue Door is fine-dining chef Srijith Gopinathans first fast-casual concept. It will replicate his inventive Cal-Indian food at Taj Campton Place in San Francisco and Ettan in Palo Alto, but at a more affordable price point. The restaurants menu will include vada pav, the Indian street food sandwich typically featuring potato, with cauliflower instead; Ettans popular smoked butter chicken; and a kulfreddo, his mashup of the frozen Indian dessert kulfi and Italian semifreddo, among other dishes.

Later this fall, Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniere in San Francisco will open El Alto, a Mexican restaurant focused on seasonality and live-fire cooking. Think a lighter mole made from local apricots and almonds, and whole fish cooked on the grill. For El Altos chef, Des Jardins brought in Robert Hurtado, who led the kitchen at Des Jardins now-closed San Francisco restaurant Arguello. El Alto also boasts its own downstairs cocktail bar; an opening date hasnt been announced yet.  E.K.

Projected openings: mid-late September (Bao Bei), November (Little Blue Door), fall (El Alto). 170 State St., Los Altos. statestreetmarket.com

NORTH BAY

The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina

Courtesy Brian Addison

Famed chef Michael Mina and hospitality veteran Brent Bolthouse are teaming up to bring the Bungalow Kitchen to Tiburon. (The first location is in Long Beach.) The new spot will serve comfort food like a short rib pop tart, crinkle-cut duck fat fries and lobster saffron spaghetti. The two-story waterfront restaurant is being billed as a clubhouse with a bar on the first floor, an upstairs billiard room and a plant-filled terrace overlooking the bay.  E.K.

Projected opening: fall. 5 Main. St., Tiburon. bungalowkitchen.com

Little Saint

There are a lot of things to get excited about with Little Saint. First off, the food will come from the chefs behind Healdsburgs three Michelin-starred SingleThread. The restaurant is also going to be more casual  read: affordable  and focused on meat-free dishes. And its taking over the 10,000-square-foot former Shed space, with ambitious plans to combine art, music, food and wine. Plus renowned designer Ken Fulk is in the mix. Enough said.  J.B.

Projected opening: late November. 25 North St., Healdsburg. instagram.com/littlesainthealdsburg

Truss Restaurant + Bar

Napa Valleys next splashy fine dining opening is Truss, part of the new Four Seasons hotel in Calistoga. Itll feature food rooted in French techniques from an all-star crew of chefs known for their previous work at Michelin-starred restaurants, including executive chef Erik Anderson, formerly of Coi, and pastry chef Josh Gaulin, previously of Quince. As with many other Wine Country restaurants, expect Truss to source from local farmers, such as quail from Wolfe Ranch in Vacaville. The luxe indoor-outdoor setting is likely to be a draw alone, with tables overlooking vineyards and mountains.  J.B.

Projected opening: fall. 400 Silverado Trail, Calistoga. trussrestaurantandbar.com

Elena Kadvany and Janelle Bitker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com, janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com
California has recently distinguished itself as the state with the lowest coronavirus case rate in the U.S.  but data this week shows the Bay Area is performing even better.

Since last week, California has been the lone state in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions orange substantial level of coronavirus community transmission, with the rest of the nation in the red high level, based on case rates and positive test rates.

But the Bay Areas numbers are lower than the states, and certain counties in the region are doing particularly well, despite the highly transmissible delta variant. According to state data, the Bay Areas 7-day average daily case rate per 100,000 was 13 as of Sept. 20, compared to Californias case rate of 22.

San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties were below the regional average with a case rate of 11 per 100,000, and Marin Countys rate was even lower at 10. Alameda, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties all had rates in the low to mid-teens. The Bay Area counties with the highest case rates were Napa, at 18.5 per 100,000, and Solano, with 20.5 per 100,000  still below the state average.

Given the Bay Areas record throughout the pandemic, such relatively low numbers were to be expected, according to Bay Area experts.

It does not surprise me, said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, in an email. We have done it before and we will continue to do this in the future.

Nina Riggio/The Chronicle

He said the Bay Areas low case rates can be attributed to high vaccination rates plus the extras, which include mask-wearing and high coronavirus testing rates. The Bay Areas counties, with the exception of Solano, are at the top of the rankings for vaccination rates statewide, and the same eight counties have indoor mask mandates for all, regardless of vaccination status.

The Bay Area is the golden child of COVID mitigation, Chin-Hong said. Our people are public health savvy. They align politics with science given our history of the AIDS epidemic, our vaccination rates are the highest in the country including adolescents, and we have made deep inroads into vulnerable populations so that all groups have high testing and vaccination rates in general.

A comparison of the other metric determining community transmission levels  positive test rates  shows most Bay Area counties are also recording lower numbers than the state. Californias 7-day positive test rate was 2.9% as of Sept. 20. Here are the rates for each Bay Area county, according to state data:

 Alameda: 2%

 Contra Costa: 2.9%

 Marin: 1.9%

 Napa: 2.7%

 San Francisco: 1.9%

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

 San Mateo: 1.7%

 Santa Clara: 1.5%

 Sonoma: 2.3%

 Solano: 3.3%

Only Solano County exceeded the states positive test rate at 3.3%, and Contra Costa County matched it.

Chin-Hong said he anticipates a continuing general decline in case rates over the next few weeks, but said he wouldnt be surprised by a sawtooth pattern with minor ups and downs.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang
A report by Pfizer and BioNTech that their vaccine is safe and highly effective in young children ages 5 to 11 could help ease months of anxiety among parents and teachers. Booster shots are expected to coincide with authorization of the COVID vaccine for young kids and seasonal flu shots. Public health authorities say theyre ready. Solano County remains the least vaccinated of the Bay Areas nine counties, and masking is still anything but universal. One of the largest school districts in the Bay Area delayed a vote scheduled for this week on a proposal to require COVID-19 vaccination for staff and eligible students.

Resources on COVID-19 and Californias reopening: For detailed maps and new city-by-city Bay Area data, check out The Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.

Latest updates:

Bay Area surpasses Californias best-in-U.S. status on virus rates: The Bay Area is performing even better on low coronavirus rates than the broader state of California, which has recently distinguished itself as the only U.S. state not in the CDCs high transmission category. State data show the Bay Areas 7-day average daily case rate per 100,000 was 13 as of Sunday, compared to Californias rate of 22. San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties were below the regional average with a case rate of 11 per 100,000, and Marin Countys was even lower at 10. Read the full story here.

Positive test rate in California drops to lowest since early July: The states average 7-day rate of coronavirus infection tests coming back positive has dropped to 2.9%, the lowest since July 9, according to Tuesdays report by the California health department. The positivity rate had been as low as 0.7% in early June but, fueled by unvaccinated holdouts combined with the rise of the delta variant, climbed to 7.2% by Aug. 3 before starting to drop again. During the winter surge, it had climbed as high as 17.1% in early January before vaccinations started taking hold and drove the infection rates down. Allo Bay Area counties except Solano  its rate was 3.3%  did better than the state, with rates at or lower than 2.9%.

Ad Council hopes Family Guy can reach vaccine holdouts: As part of the Ad Councils Its Up to You COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, Seth MacFarlane and the producers of the animated Family Guy TV series have created a three-minute educational video. It features Stewie and Brian Griffin explaining how the COVID-19 vaccine works, to a vaccine-hesitant Peter Griffin, with a combination of facts and humor. The hope, perhaps, is to sway anyone who received medical advice from Nicki Minajs cousins friend.

Infected inmates story lays bare gaps in state prison system: The case of a San Quentin inmate released with a devastating case of COVID-19 and a fear of being deported during the global health crisis reveals preexisting gaps in Californias prison system, ones that widened with the pandemic. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation found itself unable to manage the parallel challenges of a virus tearing through prisons and the accelerated release of inmates to help mitigate the health crisis. Moreover, COVID left no clear path for many immigrant prisoners, whose fate is shaped by complex, conflicting policies of multiple agencies. Read the full story by The Chronicles Rachel Swan.

Vaccinated can spread virus, second CDC study confirms: A new study of Texas prison inmates provides more evidence that coronavirus can spread even in groups where most people are vaccinated, the Associated Press reports. A COVID-19 outbreak at a federal prison in July and August infected 172 inmates in two prison housing units, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 80% of inmates in the units had been vaccinated. More than 90% of the unvaccinated were infected, along with 70% of the fully vaccinated prisoners. Severe illness, however, was more common among the unvaccinated. The hospitalization rate was almost 10 times higher for them compared with those who had received the shots.

India says U.K. vaccine policy discriminates: India on Tuesday criticized the British governments decision not to recognize coronavirus vaccine certificates issued by Indian authorities, calling it a discriminatory policy impacting Indian travelers to the U.K. Indias foreign secretary said the rules taking effect next month, could force India to impose reciprocal measures if the matter isnt resolved. The new rules require Indians visiting the U.K. to self-quarantine for 10 days and undergo COVID-19 tests even if they are fully vaccinated with Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine.

Unvaccinated COVID deceased in Contra Costa County are 13 years younger than vaccinated who die: In Contra Costa County, unvaccinated people dying from COVID are 13 years younger, on average, than vaccinated people dying from COVID, Health Services Director Anna Roth told county supervisors in Tuesdays COVID update. Deaths overall have declined in the county since the winter surge, dropping into single digits or zero each day, with 53 deaths so far this month, according to The Chronicles tracking.

Delta surge a different kind of exhausting for East Bay hospital: This wave is different, Dr. Sergio Urcuyo, hospital medical director of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, said Tuesday during a COVID update to county supervisors. We watch patients suffer and die all the while knowing we have the tools to prevent it, he said referring to COVID-19 vaccination. This is a different kind of exhausting. Since July 1, 86% of COVID deaths and COVID hospitalizations in the county have been among unvaccinated residents. There are currently 135 people hospitalized with COVID, including 54 in the ICU.

SFO workers must get vaccinated: All workers at San Francisco International Airport are now required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday. The mandate takes effect immediately and requires all tenants or contractors to require their onsite employees to be fully vaccinated or to be tested weekly if exempted from getting the shots. Breeds office described the mandate as the first of its kind for an airport in the U.S. Read the story here.

Alameda County official says worst of surge is over, but fall uptick looms: The seven-day average of daily coronavirus cases in Alameda County  12.2 per 100,000 residents as of Tuesday  is now less than half of what it was during the peak of the summer delta COVID surge in late August (30 per 100,000 residents). The county is clearly through the worst of this summer wave, Dr. Nicholas Moss, the countys health director, said Tuesday at a Board of Supervisors meeting. But he cautioned plenty of people remain hospitalized, and relaxed attitudes around the virus could well stall progress: Because some peoples behaviors are different, it could be a little different this time around. We may not see levels drop to low levels with this surge. Moss also said some projections show that despite high vaccination rates, California could see a repeat of last winters surge if restrictions, such as masking, are pulled back. I dont think were done with this, he said. I dont think that was at the last wave.

New state rules for mega events go into effect: As of Tuesday, California requires attendees of indoor events with 1,000 or more people to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated or have received a negative coronavirus test. For outdoor events with 10,000 or more people, the same is recommended. The rules remain in effect through Nov. 1 and the California Department of Public Health will review the measures by Oct. 15. An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the proof is required for outdoor events. Its recommended.

Move faster against COVID, Biden tells world leaders: President Biden on Tuesday stressed the urgent need to move fast and together globally against COVID-19. To fight this pandemic, we need a collective act of science and political will, he told the U.N. General Assembly. We need to act now to get shots in arms as fast as possible. Expand access to oxygen, tests, treatments, to save lives around the world. And for the future, we need to create a new mechanism to finance global health security. He added that the U.S. has donated 160 million vaccine doses to 100 other countries.

Pelosi visits COVID memorial on National Mall: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday visited a public art installation on the National Mall commemorating the American lives lost to COVID-19. The installation by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, which opened on Sept. 17, includes 660,000 white flags planted on the mall. The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is now approaching 677,000.

Bermuda, Barbuda, Antigua (but not Kokomo) added to do not travel list: The latest COVID-19 advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department advises Americans against traveling to Antigua, Barbuda, Bermuda and Guyana due to heightened risk. The tropical destinations were added to the agencys Level 4: COVID-19 Very High list on Monday. The State Department on Tuesday also added the destinations to its Level 4: Do Not Travel destinations due to COVID-19, in addition to New Caledonia, Sao Tome and Principe, Kuwait, Colombia, Cambodia, Bonaire, and Zambia.

Biden tells U.N. globe needs unity on COVID-19: President Bidens maiden address to the U.N. General Assembly included a call Tuesday for global unity on quickly addressing issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses. Before a smaller than usual audience because of the pandemic, he said, Today, many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed by the force of arms. Bombs and bullets cannot defend against Covid-19 or its future variants. Biden will host a virtual COVID-19 summit of leaders on Wednesday that will deal with stepping up vaccine-sharing commitments and addressing other global pandemic issues.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Fifth & Mission podcast  Maskless Mayor Breed: Chronicle senior arts and entertainment editor Mariecar Mendoza meant to capture video of an impromptu Tony! Toni! Tone! reunion performance at the Black Cat in the Tenderloin last week. She knew shed also caught Mayor London Breed happily singing and dancing along with the music, but only later did it dawn on her that the video showed Breed breaking her own health departments mask rules for indoor venues. After all, Mendoza was maskless at the time too. On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, Mendoza talks to host Cecilia Lei about how her video was not intended as a gotcha political piece, and about Breed referring to her indirectly as the fun police. Also on the episode, City Hall columnist and Total SF podcast co-host Heather Knight joins Lei to talk about the possible political consequences for Mayor Breed. Listen to the podcast here.

Johnson & Johnson says second vaccine dose offers added protection against COVID: The company said Tuesday that a second dose of its COVID-19 vaccine was 94% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID in the U.S., according to the results of a clinical trial. Thats up from the 74% efficacy rates associated with a single J&J shot. In San Francisco, city-run clinics started providing an mRNA booster shot as an option for recipients of J&Js single-dose vaccine after research showed that J&J recipients might need a booster. Mayor London Breed and other high-profile politicians, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, are among those who were vaccinated with J&Js single shot.

One Bay Area county is approaching 100% of eligible residents with one COVID vaccine dose: Marin County has marked a new pandemic-fighting milestone, with more than 90% of its eligible population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to county data, 90.7% of residents 12 and older were fully vaccinated as of Monday. A whopping 97.3% of Marins eligible population has received at least one vaccine dose. Read the story here.

Dreamforce tech extravaganza returns to S.F. with daily COVID tests, masks and the Foo Fighters: San Franciscos Howard Street has been transformed once again into a high-tech summer camp, as Dreamforce returns after a year of being virtual due to the pandemic. Read the story here.

A huge relief for Bay Area parents as Pfizer says COVID vaccine is safe for kids 5 to 11: The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is safe and highly effective in young children ages 5 to 11 years, the companies announced Monday. The report could help ease months of anxiety among parents and teachers about when children, and their close contacts, might be able to get protection from the coronavirus. Read the story here.

Nearly 1 million children infected in past month: There were 225,978 child COVID-19 cases reported in the United States for the week ending Sept. 16, according to data published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatricians. The number represents a 9% increase over two weeks in the cumulated number of child COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. It amounts to close to 1 million cases over the past four weeks. Children represented 25.7% of the overall weekly reported cases in the nation. In the states reporting, children ranged from 1.6%-4.2% of their total cumulated hospitalizations.

Official action expected this week on Pfizer booster: Following the recommendation of its key advisory committee on Friday, the FDA is likely to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots this week for many Americans at high risk of falling seriously ill from the coronavirus, the New York Times reported. The agency, which often follows the committees advice but is not required to, is expected to decide early this week. An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday to discuss booster shots before that agency  which sets vaccine policy  issues its recommendations

Napa County cases jumped 27% in a week: The Bay Area may be seeing the impact of Labor Day activities as coronavirus case rates that had been dropping have once again started to level off in places like San Francisco, or creep back up in other regions. Napa County, site of the BottleRock Napa Valley Festival over the three-day holiday weekend, on Monday reported a 27% increase in COVID-19 infections Sept. 10-16. County data shows 247 new cases reported during that time, with the average age of those infected dropping from 41 to 37 years old. Those under 18 represented the largest proportion of new cases (25%), followed by those in their 30s (21%). About half of those infected identified as white. Neighboring Sonoma County also saw a rise in active cases, going from 2,875 on Sept. 6, the Thursday before Labor Day, to 3,111 on Sept. 11, the most recent reporting date on the county dashboard. Napas average weekly case count per 100,000 people declined over the weekend, according to The Chronicles tracker.

East Bay school district cancels meeting to vote on vaccine mandate: The superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District canceled a special Tuesday board meeting that was to feature a vote on whether to require COVID-19 vaccination for eligible staff and students. He cited the need for more time to work out specifics. Read the story here.

California again the only state to escape federal high transmission category: A map of the United States, updated daily, shows that California is the only state that is not recording high rates of COVID transmission, according to the CDC. Transmission in the state is substantial, meaning that California is orange in a sea of worse red. Numbers change daily; California has previously fallen out of the red zone in the delta age, only to climb back in a day or two later. This article explains why the state has the nations lowest COVID case rate.

Vacaville requires masks in city facilities: People in Vacaville, including those who are vaccinated, now are required to wear face masks in any indoor city facility and when participating in city programs or events outdoors where it is not possible to maintain a distance of six feet from every other person. The City Council last week ratified the city managers emergency order imposing the requirement. Elsewhere in Solano County, the cities of Benicia and Vallejo both have enacted mask mandates for everyone in all indoor public spaces.
Marin County has marked a new pandemic-fighting milestone, with more than 90% of its eligible population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to county data, 90.7% of residents 12 and older were fully vaccinated as of Monday. A whopping 97.3% of Marins eligible population has received at least one vaccine dose.

Among its total population, Marins rate of completed vaccinations is 78%, with 84% partially vaccinated. Marin has the highest overall vaccination rate of all counties in California and is among the top 10 most highly vaccinated counties in the U.S.

The county this weekend tweeted about surpassing the 90% milestone for vaccinations among those eligible, thanking residents for choosing to be vaccinated for the health of our community,

Marin County health officer Matt Willis said that means the community is better protected, which is measured by lives saved.

Its gratifying to see the impact, he said. There is a clear correlation between communities with high vaccination rates and low case rates.

Marins average daily cases over the past week is just over 10 per 100,000 residents  the lowest figure in the Bay Area and less than half of the figure in California, the state with the lowest case rate in the nation.

Willis said a number of benefits and privileges in Marin County have helped it achieve high vaccination rates, driven by a strong belief in science and strong demand for vaccines. Willis said the county is a more highly educated, higher-income community, and is also older, with a median age of 47.3, the highest in the Bay Area.

With data showing disparities in vaccination rates broken down along political lines in the U.S.  with rates lower for Republicans than for Democrats  he noted that the county is liberal-leaning, with 61% identifying as Democrats and 13% as Republicans.

Willis also attributed Marins vaccination success to the tight-knit nature of the county, contributions from both the public and private sectors, and the county emergency operations centers coordination efforts.

The Bay Area in general has boasted high vaccination rates, especially when compared to the rest of the state and country. According to the Los Angeles Times vaccine tracker, the Bay Areas counties with the exception of Solano are at the top of the rankings for vaccination rates statewide.

San Mateo County has the next highest vaccination rate after Marin, with 84% of the eligible population fully vaccinated. Solano County has the lowest vaccination rate in the Bay Area, with 65% of eligible residents fully vaccinated.

Marin County data by age category shows the highest vaccination rate is in the 65 and older group with 93% of eligible residents fully vaccinated. The next highest age group is 18- to 34-year-olds at 88%, while the least vaccinated age group is 12- to 17-year-olds at 82%.

According to the U.S. Census, 46% of Marin County residents are 50 or older, 32% is 20 to 49, and 23% is 0 to 19. By comparison, in Solano, the Bay Areas lowest vaccinated county, 36% of residents are 50 or older, 40% are 20 to 49, and 25% are 0 to 19.

County data shows that among racial and ethnic groups in Marin, Asians have the highest rate at 89% of eligible residents fully vaccinated, followed by Hispanic or Latino residents at 86% and white residents at 83%. Black and African American residents are the lowest vaccinated group in the county at 78%. (The county notes that these percentages may be underreported by five to 10 percentage points because of missing race and ethnicity data in state vaccination records.)

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Willis said similar to many places across the country, Some members of historically marginalized groups have well-founded reasons to mistrust what they might see as a medical establishment, especially in the countys Black and African American communities, which Willis said is not something that can be solved overnight.

Alvin A.H. Jornada/Special to The Chronicle

But the strong overall demand for vaccines allowed the county to focus its outreach on marginalized groups, Willis said, by working with trusted leaders in the Black and African American communities, particularly in Marin City and Novato. He said the effort, which has included deploying mobile teams there, has resulted in a recent increase in vaccinations.

Willis also said the county has had a reputation of being a bastion of anti-vaccine sentiment historically, that is a small but very vocal group of mostly affluent white residents.

Our strategy is really not to waste too much time trying to fight that battle with people who have basically made that decision decades ago as part of a fixed belief, he said. Despite the fact they may be vocal, they are a relatively small subset of the population and our numbers show that.

He said at this point he is fairly confident that those who are not vaccinated are by choice and not for lack of opportunity, and believes the county did what it could to remove any barriers related to geography or access.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The European Unions top court on Monday ordered Poland to pay a daily fine of 500,000 euros ($586,000) until it complies with an earlier ruling to shut down a lignite mine near the border with the Czech Republic and Germany.

The Court of Justice of the European Union said the daily fine was necessary to get Poland to comply with the courts temporary injunction in May that called for the immediate closure of the Turow mine, in the southwest.
POPLARVILLE, Miss. (AP)  Law officers are searching for two inmates who remain on the loose after 4 men escaped from jail, a sheriff in south Mississippi said.

The jail break happened in the early morning hours Sunday at the Lenoir-Rowell Criminal Justice Center in Pearl River County, The Pearl River County Sheriffs Department said.
LEBANON, Maine (AP)  Residents of this southern Maine town are going to vote whether to recall several town leaders in a flap that grew out of the select board chairman's decision to take a farmer's pot plants.

Farmer Eric Kelley accused Select Board Chairman Charles Russell Jr. and board member Ernest Butch Lizotte Jr. of swiping $100,000 worth of plants, knowing that the farmer was in jail. In addition, local animal control officers took his livestock.

District Attorney Kathryn Slattery confirmed there was an investigation that focused on possible theft. But there was not enough evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, she told The Associated Press.

Anger over the marijuana episode apparently served as a tipping point for a recall effort targeting Russell, Lizotte and another person who went to the farm that night. The recall also targets a third selectman who's accused of missing half of this year's meetings.

Russell, who grows medicinal marijuana for household use, consulted for a local pot business and helped draft town marijuana ordinances, acknowledged to the Boston Globe that he pilfered Kelley's marijuana plants. But he said he did it because he didn't want the plants getting into the hands of the wrong people while Kelley was in jail. He called it a public safety" matter.

Michael Walsworth, a leader of the recall effort and member of the towns Budget Committee, said that the marijuana incident was bad but hes worried about other things that are below the radar.

You cant make this stuff up, he told the newspaper.

The town of Lebanon disbanded its police force in 1991. The case was investigated by the state police. Trooper Patrick Hall wrote that Russell acknowledged he had no legal authority to take the the plants, and he noted that his livestock seemed to be just fine, the newspaper reported.
The U.S. drone strike of Aug. 29 was as horrific a mistake as tactical blunders can produce. Its aftermath did nothing but deepen the pain. The 10 people killed in Kabul were an extended family that included seven children, among them a child of 2. For two weeks afterward the U.S. insisted the familys slain leader was a militant linked to ISIS. That assertion exposed his survivors to reprisals by ISIS foe, the Taliban, and it was false. Then the Pentagon corrected its error and said the man actually worked for a U.S. aid agency. That was true, but it was a connection his survivors would have liked to conceal from the new Taliban regime.

Such punishment of innocents has special poignancy when it is so completely avoidable, and its understandable that this bloodbath sparked outrage. Whats harder to understand is why it was a surprise. For that we need to look at how fiercely the government has sought to keep secret the facts of its murderous, error-prone, decades-long drone wars.

That secrecy was challenged, briefly, during the summer at the little-noticed sentencing of Daniel Hale, a former Air Force intelligence analyst. Hale had confessed to violating the Espionage Act by making public documents that exploded the more comforting myths weve been fed about the drone wars, in which thousands of people identified as enemies have been obliterated over the past two decades by advanced U.S. weaponry.

Hale is 33, reputedly a descendant of Nathan Hale, the American patriot the British hanged as a spy in 1776. His disclosures led to a blistering eight-part series in the Intercept, the online investigative journalism site, published in 2015, which lay bare the normalization of assassination as a central component of U.S. counterterrorism policy.

Hales prosecution drew little mainstream media attention. That was alarming since his disclosures exposed the realities of a program that remains one of the most enduring and least covered legacies of the post-9/11 war on terror.

Among the findings that the Intercept reported were that the government masks the true number of civilians killed in drone strikes by categorizing unidentified people killed in a strike as enemies, even if they were not the intended targets.

The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism has estimated deaths from drone strikes and other covert operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia at between 8,858 and 16,901 since 2004, a number that includes as many as 2,200 civilians and 454 children. That doesnt include the latest deaths.

The Intercepts data, presumably from Hale, was even more alarming. During one 13-month campaign in eastern Afghanistan ending in February 2013, airstrikes killed more than 200 people, only 35 of whom were the intended targets. During one five-month period, 90% of the dead were not the intended targets.

Operations in Yemen and Somalia relied heavily on intelligence gathered by airborne relays of piloted and robotic aircraft that flew great distances to reach the targeted areas, and couldnt stay long. On-the-ground intelligence was scant, and the U.S. often relied on denunciations from local worthies whose reliability was unsure and who might have been settling scores of their own.

Thats not the story we were getting. Since the 2003 Iraq invasion, when the U.S. public was introduced to smart bombs, weve been told that our munitions, like our policies, are decent and discerning. The drone wars have largely escaped scrutiny because theyre conducted in deep shadows. We know them mainly as a movie cliche: heroes in flight suits in dark rooms frowning at their screens waiting for last-second confirmation, then with a keystroke annihilating the target in a soundless and, near as we can see, bloodless burst of pixels.

Although the drones deliver payloads of immense explosive force, we understand that with the regrettable exception of the occasional wedding party (Bride and Boom! as an especially tasteless New York Post headline put it), the strikes are targeted with arthroscopic precision and do no more damage than a sniper round.

We have no idea how the people selected for death are chosen, how their deservingness to die is determined, whether there exists an actual case against them that is made somewhere  with someone arguing their side  whether the most elemental demands of justice are met, whether the incriminating evidence is true, and whether anyone has to show that the targeted people pose a threat to us, since, in the final analysis, keeping us safe is the only thing that might justify killing them.

Hale was moved to make drone data public by the account he heard in 2013 from a Yemeni man at a peace conference. He told of relatives who had been encouraging young men to leave al Qaeda and who were killed in a drone strike. Hale said he realized he had actually watched that hit while he was stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, and it was celebrated by his comrades as a win.

In July, Hale pleaded guilty to one count of espionage, and in a graphically detailed, handwritten letter, told the judge: Not a day goes by that I dont question the justification for my actions. By the rules of engagement, it may have been permissible for me to have helped to kill those men  whose language I did not speak, customs I did not understand, and crimes I could not identify  in the gruesome manner that I did.

With incendiary rhetoric likening Hale to a heroin trafficker who chose to place his ego above his oaths, Bidens prosecutors pushed for a harsh, nine-year sentence. On July 13, Hale got 45 months, just under four years.

Six weeks later, 10 more Afghan civilians were dead. Nobodys going to prison for that.

Edward Wasserman is professor and former dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
WASHINGTON  Billions of dollars that could cover the loss of burned vines and smoke-tainted wine grapes. Hundreds of millions to help with drought, and hundreds of millions more for hazardous fuels management.

The House on Tuesday passed a nearly $30 billion disaster relief package that could be a godsend to Northern Californias wildfire-ravaged and drought-stricken communities. But in classic Washington fashion, theres a catch  the money is tied up in a partisan game of chicken.

With funding set to run out next Thursday, Democrats drafted a bill to keep the federal government open for another year. That bill is paired with a $28.6 billion supplement for disaster relief, including recent wildfires, drought, hurricanes and floods, and $6.3 billion to support Afghan evacuees. While its unclear exactly how much California would get of the overall disaster package, it is expected to cover the $7.7 billion that the states U.S. senators have requested based on estimates of Californias need.

Those provisions are largely uncontroversial and have bipartisan backing. But their fate is intertwined, for now, with Democrats efforts to raise the debt limit  a cap on federal borrowing that Congress regularly has to raise in order to prevent the U.S. from defaulting.

Though Republicans regularly voted to raise the debt limit under former President Donald Trump and approved the spending that has brought the nation to the brink of default once more, GOP members of Congress are now refusing to vote on another debt limit expansion before the deadline in mid-October. The bill passed the House 220-211 without a single Republican vote.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that Democrats should raise the limit on their own, using a budgeting procedural quirk that allows the majority to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold required to advance legislation in the 100-member Senate. The Democrats are preparing to use that trick to pass their $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, but have declined to attach the debt limit to that, saying it should be a bipartisan responsibility.

In a statement, Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, whose Butte County district has been repeatedly devastated by wildfires, explained why he voted against disaster funding by calling the bill a Democrat-manufactured crisis which puts the full faith and credit of the United States at risk to shield vulnerable Democrats from having to vote in favor of unlimited spending.

Democrats meanwhile fired back, with No. 2 House Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland calling Republicans objections phony demagoguery.

Passage of the bill kicks off the showdown in the Senate. The disaster relief is a key piece of the pressure campaign daring Republicans to vote against money for Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic states, including Louisiana and Pennsylvania, that were recently hit hard by Hurricane Ida.

Along for the ride are billions that could help Californians reeling from another brutal wildfire season and dangerous drought, especially in Northern California.

The bill includes a $10 billion pot of money available to help cover losses of crops harmed by natural disasters, which the bill explicitly states would cover smoke tainted wine grapes ... including a quality loss.

Theres another $2.6 billion for fixing disaster-damaged roads and bridges, and $5 billion for long-term recovery from 2020 and 2021 disasters, supporting things like housing and economic rebuilding.

There are other wildfire- or drought-specific allocations, including $20 million for research to improve fire detection and forecasting, $200 million to respond to the drought in the West, $10 million for remediation and firefighting, more than $225 million for hazardous fuels management and nearly that amount for rehabilitating burned areas. The bill also lifts the pay cap for federal firefighters for this year and forgives some outstanding FEMA disaster loans.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, praised the bill in a speech on the House floor before its passage.

California is experiencing the climate emergency firsthand, Lee said. We have lost so many homes and lives and entire towns to wildfires over the last few years. Its a fact that climate change is driving these fires and extreme weather events. This bill includes $28.6 billion to directly address the rising cost of climate change.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju is suing San Francisco Superior Court, alleging that hundreds of people are illegally being denied speedy trials and are languishing in jail for months under the pretext of COVID restrictions.

A lawsuit was filed in San Francisco Superior Court on behalf of family members of people who have endured lengthy trial delays, naming the court, its presiding judge and its CEO as defendants. The suit contends that the court has violated the rights of nearly 400 people by failing to hold jury trails within 60 days as required by law  even as COVID restrictions have eased, public events have resumed and restaurants and gyms have reopened.

Raju announced the suit at a noon rally Tuesday on the steps of the Hall of Justice. He said the failure to expedite criminal jury trials, which began during the COVID lockdown, has created a huge backlog that keeps growing as the courts fail to reopen closed courtrooms.

At the rate at which the court is currently assigning cases to trial, the backlog of San Franciscans waiting for their trials in custody will never be cleared and will only increase, the lawsuit says.

The San Francisco Superior Court continues to give criminal trials the highest priority, said court spokesperson Ken Garcia. We will respond to the complaint in court.

The U.S. and California constitutions guarantee people accused of a crime the right to a speedy trial, which state law defines as starting within 60 days after arraignment. But since COVID shutdowns hit San Francisco in March 2020, delayed trials have become the norm, the lawsuit says, with just 34 trials reaching a verdict in the ensuing 18 months.

Before COVID, 12 courtrooms were regularly available for criminal jury trails, the suit says. All were shut down on March 16, 2020, and criminal jury trials were automatically continued for 90 days.

In June 2020, four courtrooms were reopened for criminal trials until another shutdown was ordered in December as the virus surged. Four courtrooms reopened in January, and in July and August just seven courtrooms were open for felony trials.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The backlog of cases  and jailed people awaiting trial  continued to grow. By Aug. 30, the suit says, the court had 388 cases still awaiting trial past the 60-day legal deadline, including 156 being held in San Francisco jails, many of them for nine months or more.

Throughout the pandemic, the jail has imposed harsh, solitary-like conditions on its inmates. Even now, most are not allowed to leave their cell for more than one hour per day, the suit said. The jails are filled with pre-trial detainees, who are preemptively innocent of the charges against them.

The suit seeks expedited trials, precedence for criminal over civil trials, and a plan to eliminate the backlog.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
San Franciscos Howard Street has been transformed once again into a high-tech summer camp, as Dreamforce returns after a year of being virtual due to the pandemic.

The giant tech conference that brings together the greater Salesforce community runs Tuesday through Thursday and will be much smaller this year, with only around 1,000 attendees, down sharply from the 171,000-person sellout crowd of 2019. Its one of the first in-person conferences since the pandemic started, and an economic lift for a local economy thats recovering slowly, particularly in the tourism industry.

Dreamforce is keeping its nature theme from previous years, with artificial grass, rocks and tents being constructed on Monday. Flowers were attracting butterflies, as workers constructed booths for Salesforce partners like Amazon and Mercedes-Benz.

We want you to be transported into a national park, which gives you the feeling of going on an adventure with your family and friends, and a vacation and just being immersed in nature, said Sarah Franklin, Salesforces chief marketing officer.

But just as vacations have been turned upside down, attending the conference will be substantially different this year.

Attendees not only have to be masked while indoors and vaccinated, per city guidelines, but theyll also have to take daily COVID-19 tests. The daily testing adds a significant cost, reaching six figures, said Chris Meyer, CEO of George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Dreamforces event planner.

Everybody is dealing with change. With change, you always have to be thinking and innovating and not let anything get you down, Franklin said.

The Foo Fighters will perform on Tuesday evening, and Metallica, a Salesforce customer, will also make an appearance, along with actors Will Smith and Jane Fonda.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Meyer said the conference setup shifted significantly. The event shrank in size, with around 1,000 event staff and vendors, down from around 2,500 in pre-pandemic years. Theres also higher focus on the online broadcast. The event will have over 100 hours of live and on-demand video streams.

Now we have to think of Dreamforce as a studio, more of a television show, he said. That requires a different level of talent.

Downstairs in Moscone South, the previous site of keynote speeches, the floor was bare and trailers full of audio and video equipment were being tested on Monday. One trailer used by the Foo Fighters featured an audio mixing board from 1977.

The conferences main stage has been shifted outdoors, with artificial rock formations and a tree trunk emblazoned with Dreamforce International Park.

Dreamforce will be one of only two major in-person tech conferences this fall, along with Amazon Re:Invent in Las Vegas later this year. Most companies are staying virtual  for instance, Apples product launch event last week, which it called California Streaming, had no crowd.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Meyer said that San Francisco has seen price discounts, such as at hotels, during the pandemic, which could help it lure more events in the future. Tech companies are also flush with cash to hold events. Salesforces revenue in the last fiscal year leaped 24% to $21.2 billion, a record high.

San Francisco still has an advantage because of the proximity to audiences, Meyer said. A lot of big brands are based here in the Bay Area.

Salesforce is donating $1 million to help the citys small businesses and $1 million to American Forests and One Tree Planted, environmental nonprofits. The company is also donating $19 million to five school districts this year, including San Francisco and Oakland.

As crews labored to set up the conference in downtown San Francisco on Monday, though they were all wearing masks, their presence marked another shift from pandemic quiet to bustling activity in the citys epicenter, which became a ghost town during lockdown orders and remote work.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
Marin County could face critically low water supplies next summer, with its reservoirs depleted, if California sees another dry winter amid already dire drought conditions.

To prepare for the worst, Marin Municipal Water District is exploring leasing or purchasing desalination plants, said Emma Detwiler, a spokesperson for the agency.

In its search for equipment, the district is reportedly competing with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The prince is also on the hunt for a desalination plant for his $500 billion mega-city Neom, which is currently under construction, the Marin Independent Journal first reported.

When Neom is completed on Saudi Arabias Red Sea coastline, the city is expected to be about the size of the state of Maryland, and it will be dependent on water pulled from the sea.

Marin Water estimates desalination plants could provide 5.4 million gallons of water per day to supplement its existing supplies.

"The cost is estimated to be $35 million, and would be covered through a combination of financing and grants," said Detwailer, noting the cost estimate is for renting.

The district has reached out to three companies  Suez in France, Osmoflo in Australia and Seven Seas in Florida  regarding availability and delivery timelines.

Paul Sellier, the water districts operations director, told the Independent Journal that bin Salman is also talking to Osmoflo.

Its kind of an interesting angle to this whole story, Sellier said.

Marin Water is also considering increasing its water supplies with a pipeline that would be built across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and carry water purchased from agricultural producers in the Sacramento Valley to the county.

Detwailer said this option is preferred over the desalination plants as its "cost to supply relationship is better," but the district also wanted to explore other options.

The first major water district in the Bay Area to declare a water shortage emergency, Marin Municipal Water District serves about 20,000 residents. It started imposing restrictions on customers in April.

As of Tuesday, the district's reservoirs were at 35% capacity. "This time last year, we had 67% capacity and the average for this date is 71%," Detwailer noted. "If we have another very dry winter, our supplies could be critically low by next summer. Conserving water helps to extend our limited supply and we are encouraging our customers to do all they can do save water."

Neom didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.
SAN FRANCISCO - Ray Givaudan has driven for Lyft, Uber and even briefly Instacart to supplement his retirement over the last few years.

At first, the 55-year-old was loyal to Lyft. But then Uber introduced a long pickup fee to pay more if he goes out of his way to pick up a passenger. In addition, he could see what a customer paid for a trip, helping him understand if he was getting a fair share. Instacart provided more opportunities for work during the pandemic.

"The first couple of years with Lyft, you seemed to be a decent company and transparent," the Roanoke-based driver recently wrote in a letter to Lyft co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer. "The last couple of years, not so much." He cited the disappearance of surge-priced pay, lagging driver rewards and the removal of helpful features such as a live phone help line for drivers.

Lyft has spent years trying to win over drivers and passengers with fun branding, an emphasis on social justice and charitable causes, and in-app tipping. The perks gave it a reputational edge in a marketplace where rival Uber was criticized for its treatment of drivers and corporate scandals, and where food and grocery delivery was a budding and uncertain sector of the gig economy, often with lower pay.

But the pandemic and related labor shortage has dramatically shifted that landscape over the past couple years. At Lyft, which remained focused on ride hailing, ridership was down by as much as 75 percent last year.

Drivers aren't bound to one company, and can easily switch between apps. In the interim, many drivers chose to work for rival food delivery services, which experienced a boom in deliveries and offered additional transparency into earnings, along with advantages like negating the risk of interacting with passengers. Companies like DoorDash and Shipt added driver incentives, such as cash bonuses last winter in an effort to meet surging demand.

And while Uber experienced similar ridership declines to Lyft at the height of the pandemic, it doubled down with its Eats food delivery business.

Now demand for rides is returning, fueling a driver shortage. And as other companies have offered steadier work and more transparency, some drivers say they are frustrated with Lyft.

Lyft has fallen behind the gig work market in several areas, more than a half-dozen drivers, analysts and researchers say. Lyft's take-home pay also tends to be lower than its biggest rival, Uber, owing to a combination of stiff competition and algorithms less sensitive to surges in demand.

"I think Lyft is floundering," Givaudan said.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

Lyft spokeswoman Julie Wood said the company places a priority on the driver experience. She said quoted wait times for riders on Lyft were lower than on Uber in 24 of the 30 largest markets over a recent period, according to company data points and visualizations that were shared with The Washington Post. That meant there was little indication drivers were choosing Uber over Lyft. And drivers in some cities were earning more than $35 an hour, well beyond what they would typically collect, the company said recently.

"We continue to invest in making the Lyft experience a great one for drivers," Wood said in a statement. "We know we're making progress because of the increased number of drivers on the platform, and the fact that they're earning more than ever before."

But the lack of transparency can lead some drivers to feel they're not receiving a fair share. One driver shared screenshots with The Post showing a passenger paid more than $43 for a trip from Northwest Washington to Reagan National Airport, but he took home just over $16. The driver, a music instructor who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want his students to know he was driving for Lyft, had to ask the passenger to see how much they paid for the ride.

Wood said many of the features mentioned in this story are available on the Lyft app, either through pilot programs or unlockable driver rewards. Lyft has a long pickup bonus in six markets, for example. And drivers can earn the ability to see passenger destinations through their driver rewards, she said. Lyft is also experimenting with upfront pay in two markets, allowing drivers to see the earnings and trip details on the screen before accepting a ride.

Uber spokesman Matthew Wing acknowledged the company has had to make improvements in the face of outside pressure and calls for change.

"Being the market leader comes with more scrutiny, as it should," Wing said. "Drivers have a lot of choices and actions, not branding, are what you need to earn their trust."

Instacart spokeswoman Natalia Montalvo said the firm met a March 2020 goal to add 300,000 shoppers, and there are stable numbers of shoppers across North America.

DoorDash declined to comment. Amazon and Shipt did not immediately return requests for comment. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Drivers say they've watched a shift at Lyft from its beginnings, when it was the first ride-hailing app to implement a default tipping feature and has allowed customers to tip since its debut nearly a decade ago. Lyft also was first to let drivers pocket their earnings right away through a feature called "Express Pay," with instant deposits for a transfer fee, it said.

In California, estimated to be the largest U.S. market for gig work with more than 1 million workers, a 2019 law that mandated companies treat gig workers as employees helped drive some changes in driver treatment. Some companies - particularly Uber - added a number of perks for drivers, including more control over fares and transparency into earnings even before a driver took on a ride. The initiatives tried to prove drivers were independent.

Lyft didn't adopt new features, as it pursued a different legal strategy. Analysts said that company likely benefited from the fact that Uber drivers were turning down trips, and the changes Uber made to its app were costly from a research, development and operational standpoint.

A judge last month ruled that a ballot proposition called Prop 22 that usurped that law's requirement for gig workers was unconstitutional. Although it faces a promised appeal, the ruling has once again put drivers' issues in the spotlight - particularly as gig work companies try to replicate Prop 22 with new legislation across the country.

Still, some of Uber's changes were short lived. It uncoupled driver earnings from passenger fares earlier this year as it no longer needed to prove drivers were independent operators in a supply-and-demand-based marketplace, sparking outrage among some drivers.

That led to cases where passengers found themselves paying astronomical fares while drivers collected meager bonuses. Meanwhile, some riders trying to take a Lyft were shown reasonable prices, but there weren't drivers to accept the fares.

Ride-hailing apps are highly dependent on their matching algorithms to pair customers with nearby drivers for a reasonable fare, at a rate that ensures gig workers are willing to make the trip.

Lyft's algorithm is less sensitive, analysts said, meaning prices don't spike as easily and driver bonuses can be lower and less frequent. Wood pointed to the wait time data as evidence that there is an ample supply of drivers, however.

But the differing algorithms can lead to headaches. For example, when customers pouring from an event are all demanding rides at once, they might find the price of an Uber has spiked while Lyft is comparably cheaper. In that case, Uber's algorithm has detected a surge in demand and raises the price accordingly so customers can secure a ride with the limited supply of drivers.

Changing an algorithm in an app can cost tens or millions of dollars, said Brad Erickson, an equity analyst with RBC Capital Markets. "That is not a trivial change, product-wise," he added.

While gig companies are known for luring drivers with high earnings potential and slowly whittling it away, there has been something of a mini perk war among those duking it out for drivers.

DoorDash provides all drivers a guaranteed rate of pay upfront, and visibility into how far drivers' trips will take them, critical insights for drivers determining whether deliveries are worth their while. Instacart, meanwhile, began letting drivers connect with a company agent by phone in under two minutes, chat directly within the app or schedule a call with an agent.

Delivery service Shipt offered surprise "recognition" bonuses for shoppers following the busy holiday season, awarding between $50 and $500 to workers who took on a range of order amounts.

At the ride-hailing companies, bonuses constitute a large chunk of driver earnings, as Uber drivers pursue "Quest" goals that pay out hundreds of dollars for hitting certain milestones, such as 60 or 70 trips over a weekend. Lyft drivers operate under a similar system, though experienced drivers who spoke with The Post said the bonuses are fewer and farther between for all but the newest contractors.

"Lyft historically is known to have less drastic surge pricing and price fluctuation," said Ippei Takahashi, founder of RideGuru, a website that provides fare comparisons for the ride-hailing apps. "Many historical [studies] have stated that Lyft takes a larger portion of each ride - at least in aggregate," he added.

It's a phenomenon gig driver Timothy Bullock experienced directly during an East Coast snowstorm in February. Bullock shared screenshots of the surge map - a map of all bonuses available to drivers - for both apps taken one minute apart.

"Uber was offering surge rewards to drivers in excess of $40 a ride, yet Lyft was offering nothing," Bullock said. "The result was that there were no available drivers, even though a standard Lyft ride was significantly cheaper."

Lower customer fares and longer wait times are possible amid the driver shortage, but they follow a pattern that typically benefits drivers, said Lyft spokeswoman Wood.

"When rider prices are lower, that generally helps to stimulate rider demand. More rider demand means more rides for drivers," she said. "Drivers understand that the busier they are, the more they make."

Lyft continues to promote its brand of social appeal, extending it to drivers. Just this month, Lyft announced it would cover drivers' legal costs under Texas's restrictive abortion law, which bans abortions as early as six weeks and lets anyone file a lawsuit against another person who has helped someone obtain an abortion.

Ben Valdez, a Los Angeles-based volunteer organizer with the group Rideshare Drivers United who drives for both companies, said a friend recently called him to ask for a ride because he had been waiting more than an hour on the ride-hailing apps. He'd been promised a $60 Lyft, after finding the comparable Uber ride would have cost $100.

"Uber was surging during bar rush; they wanted $100 for a 15-mile ride," Valdez said. The friend instead embarked on an extended wait for a Lyft.

With Lyft, Valdez said, "It's literally, 'You get what you pay for.' "
NEW YORK (AP)  FedEx is getting hurt by the tight job market.

The package delivery company said Tuesday that its costs are up $450 million in the most recent quarter, as it paid higher wages as it got harder to find new workers and demand for shipping increased. FedEx also cut its outlook for the year, saying earnings will be lower than it previously expected, partly due to the increased costs related to the tight labor market.

Shares of FedEx Corp. fell 4% in after-hours trading.

Competition for hourly workers has become fierce, and many companies are offering higher pay, sign-on bonuses and other incentives. It may get worse during the holidays as companies seek help getting gifts and online orders to shoppers. Online shopping giant Amazon is looking to hire 125,000 people; delivery company UPS is seeking 100,000; and FedEx wans to hire 90,000.

Overall, FedEx said its fiscal first-quarter expenses rose 16% to $20.6 billion. Its profit fell 11% to $1.11 billion in the three months ended Aug. 31.

On a per-share basis, the Memphis, Tennessee-based company said adjusted earnings came to $4.37 per share, missing Wall Street expectations by 59 cents, according to Zacks Investment Research.

Revenue rose 14% to $22 billion in the period, beating expectations.

FedEx expects full-year earnings in the range of $19.75 to $21 per share, down from its previous forecast of $20.50 to $21.50 per share.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  Three students suffered gunshot wounds during a lunchtime shooting Tuesday outside a Wichita high school and three other teenagers have been arrested, police said.

Police responded to citizen 911 calls of a disturbance that unfolded on a sidewalk about 200 yards (182.88 meters) from East High School, said police Capt. Kevin Kochenderfer.

First responders initially located two male students, ages 15 and 16, who were taken with minor gunshot wounds to a local hospital, where they were treated and released. Police said that another 15-year-old male student who was grazed by a bullet while standing in front of the school later reported his injury to a school nurse.

None of the injuries are considered life-threatening.

Police said in a news release that their investigation revealed three teenagers pulled into an alley near the school in a gray Volkswagen Passat. They exited the vehicle and approached the initial two victims. Multiple shots were fired, striking them and the school building. The two victims then ran across the street to a parked food truck, where officers contacted them. The suspects fled in the Passat.

With the help of witnesses, officers obtained a description and a license plate number of the suspect vehicle and were able to track it using the city's traffic camera system. Officers located a handgun and other evidence related to the shooting in the vehicle.

Three male suspects, a 17-year-old and two 16-year-olds, are in custody, according to the release. The investigation is ongoing and the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said the shooting appears to stem from an ongoing dispute.

The school building was struck twice by gunfire, with both shots ricocheting off windows without penetrating it, police said.

Numerous students were outside at the time of the shooting.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  State troopers have arrested three suspects in an armed robbery at a Best Buy in Carson City.

The troopers stopped the suspects' car in Reno near U.S. Interstate 580 on Monday just eight minutes after the robbery was reported in Carson City, the Nevada Highway Patrol said Tuesday.
Never once mentioning missiles, South Korean President Moon Jae-in again pushed for peace and reconciliation with North Korea at the United Nations on Tuesday, a week after recent missile testing on both ends of the peninsula renewed tensions between the two rivals.

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly in person in New York on Tuesday, Moon reiterated his push for a denuclearized coexistence and co-prosperity for the two countries that ended the three-year Korean War in a 1953 armistice that halted the fighting but never led to a formal declaration of peace.

North Korea, for its part, must brace for changes that benefit the era of global community, Moon said in his address at the largest gathering of world leaders. I expect that the international community ... remain always ready and willing to reach out to North Korea in a cooperative spirit.

A week ago, both countries tested ballistic missiles hours apart, underscoring rising tensions. South Koreas tests included its first of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, which came after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said North Korea had fired two ballistic missiles into the sea.

As Moon claimed South Koreas growing missile capabilities will serve as a sure deterrence against North Korean provocations, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned of a complete destruction of bilateral relations if Moon continued with what she described as slander of North Korea.

The back and forth unfolded as North Korea made waves this month with nuclear-capable missiles hidden in trains that can be launched anywhere along a railway, a new cruise missile resembling the U.S. Tomahawk that can be potentially topped with atomic warheads and the apparent resumption of fuel production for potential nuclear bombs.

But on Tuesday, Moon made no note of missiles testing before the General Assembly, instead focusing on the fact that this years gathering marked the 30th anniversary of both countries being admitted to the United Nations.

With the joint accession to the U.N., the two Koreas both recognized that they were two separate nations, different in systems and ideologies, Moon said. However, such was never meant to perpetuate the division. For when we acknowledged and respected each other, only then could we set out on a path to exchange, reconciliation and unification.

Moon also repeated some of the same pleas from his speech last year, including pushing for a formal end-of-war declaration. He suggested the region would be better positioned to handle the COVID-19 pandemic if the North would join the Moon-proposed Northeast Asia Cooperation for Health Security.

North Korea is scheduled to speak Monday, the final day of the General Assembly leaders' meeting.

____

Follow Sally Ho on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_sallyho
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  An alleged member of a California right-wing militia group pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a federal guard in Oakland more than a year ago.

Kenny Miksch, 21, became the fourth member of the so-called Grizzly Scouts to plead guilty to conspiring to obstruct justice, KTVU-TV reported. He faces 20 years in prison when sentenced.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  California has the lowest coronavirus transmission rate of any state following a sharp decline in cases and hospitalizations after a summer surge.

The nation's most populous state is the only one experiencing substantial" coronavirus transmission, the second-highest level on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's color-coded map. So is Puerto Rico. In all other U.S. states, virus transmission is labeled as high," defined as 100 or more cases per 100,000 people in the last week.

California's rate is 94 cases per 100,000. By comparison, Texas is 386 and Florida is 296.

State health experts say relatively high vaccination rates in California ahead of the arrival of the delta variant made a difference, and additional measures, such as masking, also helped stem the surge. Nearly 70% of eligible Californians are fully vaccinated, and another 8% have received their first shot, state data shows.

The overall secret to California has been the vaccination rates were high enough that we started off in an OK place," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a professor of epidemiology at University of California, San Francisco's medical school. We just never reached the height we saw in Florida, for example, because it's against the backdrop of fairly high vaccination rates.

On Monday, a state mandate went into effect requiring attendees at indoor events with 1,000 or more people show proof of full vaccination or a negative test. Patrons previously were allowed to just attest they were vaccinated or had a negative test.

California has seen coronavirus cases and hospitalizations decline following a summer increase in cases with the arrival of the delta variant. In the past two weeks daily new cases are down by more than 4,000, a decrease of 32%, while hospitalizations have dropped by 22% to just over 6,000.

The summer surge occurred after California lifted many limits on businesses in June. It followed a much more severe winter surge when officials shuttered shops and schools in the state of nearly 40 million. During that time, sick patients packed many hospitals, and thousands died every week.

California's death toll is now more than 68,000, tops in the nation, but the per-capita rate is lower than more than the half the states.

The severity of last winter may have helped temper this most recent surge in California, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at University of California, Irvine.

It's a combination of immunity from vaccination and from the huge winter wave that we had, he said.

Los Angeles County, which is home to one in four of the state's residents and has some of the state's strictest virus mandates, reported a 1.2% positivity rate on Monday.

Barbara Ferrer, LA County's director of public health, said safety measures that encourage masks and limit places where large numbers of unvaccinated people gather are needed to head off a continual cycle of surges fueled by new variants of concern.

In neighboring Orange County, which has looser restrictions than LA, coronavirus cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations also have declined in recent weeks, said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the countys deputy health director. She said she believes vaccinations made a difference, noting the recent surge was initially detected in the county's coastal areas and other places with lower vaccination rates.

In terms of case rates and hospitalizations, everything is downward trending, she said, adding the county's positivity rate has fallen to 3.7% from 6.8% in late August. We are starting to get out of this surge, which is good.
DENVER (AP)  Criminal charges have been dropped in connection with the death of a spiritual leader whose mummified body was found in what appeared to be a shrine in a southern Colorado home, according to court officials.

The body of Amy Carlson, 45, the leader of the Love Has Won group, was found decorated with Christmas lights and glitter in the tiny, rural town of Moffat in April, according to previously released arrest affidavits. Seven people were charged with tampering with or abusing her corpse as well as child abuse, presumably because there were two children living in the home.
PARIS (AP)  France's Defense Ministry used Twitter to offer a robust defense of the country's submarine-making capabilities and to criticize Australias decision to choose the United States as a partner in a major defense deal.

Defense Ministry spokesman Herve Grandjean devoted a series of tweets to tearing into the deal, which also includes Britain. Some say Australia's announcement last week pulled the diplomatic rug from under Frances feet.

France has built more than 250 submarines over 120 years, Grandjean said, and the feedback in terms of engineering and know-how is considerable.

Australia plans to cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. The French government has suggested it was betrayed by the Indo-Pacific security deal.

Grandjean charged that Australia's decision was bad news for Australians. He said the new AUKUS partnership will mean the country is likely to get the submarines a decade later than planned. Instead of 2030, (now) it will be more like 2040, he tweeted.

Thats a long time, when you see how fast China is militarizing, Grandjean warned.

He also addressed criticism that French submarines may not have been quiet enough to do the job. Grandjean said the conventional submarines offered by France were likely quieter than nuclear ones, as a conventional submarine does not have a permanent cooling system for its reactor in operation.

He also explained why Australia's change of heart stung France so badly. He said on the same day as the unexpected AUKUS announcement, the Australians wrote to France to say that they were satisfied with the submarines achievable performance and with the progress of the program.

The U.S., Australia and Britain have insisted the diplomatic crisis wouldnt affect their longer-term relations with France, even after Paris recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia for the first time in history because of the deal.

Speaking Tuesday in France's Parliament, Defense Minister Florence Parly stepped up the rhetoric, calling the about-turn a breach of trust between allies and a strategic turning point where Australia decides to entrust completely its future to the United States faced with the Chinese threat.

Parly noted that France is present in the Indo-Pacific because the increased aggressiveness of China is the source of great difficulties and we must we able to offer an alternative.

She said hiding behind all these issues is the fact that the US may want to increase the escalation, confrontation with China, adding potentially a military dimension.
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP)  An inmate died from an apparent suicide Tuesday morning at a Florida Keys jail, officials said.

Robert Blair Schminky, 63, was found unresponsive by a detention deputy doing his rounds at Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Schminky appeared to have hanged himself with a bedsheet, officials said. Deputies attempted first aid, and Schminky was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Schminky was waiting for a new trial for two counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer, the Miami Herald reported. He was previously sentenced to life in prison for a 2015 police chase and shootout that left a Monroe County deputy and a Florida state trooper injured.

The sentence was reversed by an appeals court last year because of problems with the jury instructions.
A doctor who was fired after Houston-area public health officials accused him of stealing vials of COVID-19 vaccine to administer to family and friends sued the county Tuesday, accusing it of discriminating against South Asians and issuing disinformation about him.

The lawsuit filed on Dr. Hasan Gokals behalf seeks unspecified damages.

Gokal said his supervisor in the Harris County Public Health department and a representative from the department's human resources office accused him of giving the vaccine to too many people of South Asian origin or descent late the first night of the Moderna vaccine rollout in a north Harris County parking lot last December. All those present had been vaccinated, and there were 10 doses left.

None of the volunteers and police at the rollout wanted them, Gokal said, so he made late-night calls to people he knew, and even his wife, who were eligible to receive the doses. So that evening, I actually went around making sure all those 10 doses were given out, he said.

There wasnt one single person who was turned down (for vaccination) who was at risk that he could have given it to instead, said Michael Killingsworth, Gokals attorney.

Gokal said he routinely reported and documented what he did. He said he was told, Oh, you admit it? So, you're fired.

It was stated in no uncertain terms, Gokal said in a video interview from his Houston attorney's office Tuesday. The conversation specifically was, as I was being told I did the wrong things, Well, you didnt give it out equitably.' I asked him, Equitably? What do you mean equitably? Are you saying theres too many Indian names in the group?' He looks at me and says, Exactly."

The department charged him with misdemeanor theft, which a judge dismissed, and reported him to the state's medical licensing board. County officials still presented the theft case to the grand jury, however, a process that took six months before the jury finally cleared him.

The medical licensing board had cleared him long before then, and he was able to resume practicing emergency medicine at Houston-area hospitals.

A spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office referred requests for a response to the county attorney's office, which did not immediately return a message.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias cancellation of a French submarine contract will complicate and delay negotiations on an Australian-European Union free trade deal, a European trade official said Tuesday.

Australias decision to end the 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) deal was kind of an attack against European interests," said Bernd Lange, a German lawmaker and the chairman of the European Parliaments Committee on International Trade.

It is more complicated, Lange told Australian Broadcasting Corp. of the negotiations following the French snub.

The question of trust is now occurring and some members could ask for more safety nets and more safeguards in such an agreement, so I guess the dialogue and the negotiation will take more time, Lange added.

He said the deal would not be signed before French elections are held in May next year.

It is a question of how serious and how reliable Australia is. Therefore theres a discussion how to deal now with the trade agreement, but I guess there is no clear commitment to stop the negotiation, Lange said.

Now the trust is missing, he added.

Last week, President Joe Biden announced a new alliance involving Britain that would deliver Australia at least eight nuclear-powered submarines to replace the 12 conventional diesel-electric models the French were to build.

France responded by recalling its ambassadors from the United States and Australia.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared on Monday that there was a crisis of trust in the United States.

French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault on Monday denied media reports that France was lobbying the other 26 European Union countries not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he could see no reason why those discussions wont continue.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison continued to deny French claims that they only became aware of the nuclear submarine deal the day it was announced.

It would be naive to think that a decision of this nature was not going to cause disappointment, obviously, to the French. We understand that. We totally acknowledge that, Morrison told reporters in New York City ahead of a meeting with Biden and the leaders of India and Japan who make up the Quad security forum.

It was not possible for us to be able to discuss such secure issues in relation to our dealings with other countries at that time. We have made it very clear, I had made it very clear, that a conventional submarine would no longer be meeting our strategic interests and what we needed those boats to do. That had been communicated very clearly many months ago, Morrison added.
LONDON (AP)  The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday backed the conclusion of a British inquiry that Russia was responsible for the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who died in London in 2006 after drinking tea laced with a radioactive material.

A former agent for the KGB spy agency and its post-Soviet successor agency FSB, Litvinenko defected from Russia in 2000 and fled to London. While in Britain, Litvinenko became involved in exposing corruption and links to organized crime in the Russian intelligence service.

He fell violently ill on Nov. 1, 2006, after drinking tea with two Russian men at a London hotel, and spent three weeks in the hospital before he died. His tea was found to have been laced with radioactive polonium-210.

The British inquiry concluded in early 2016 that Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun had killed Litvinenko, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had probably approved the operation. Both Lugovoi and Kovtun have denied any involvement in the killing.

Litvinenko's widow, Marina, took the case to the Strasbourg-based court, vowing to get justice for her husband. Both Britain and Russia are members of the Council of Europe, which was founded in 1949 to uphold human rights on the continent in the aftermath of World War II. One of its main responsibilities is to oversee the work of the European Court of Human Rights, which seeks to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Court found in particular that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Lugovoi and Mr. Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State, it said in its judgment.

It also noted that the Russian government had failed to provide any other satisfactory and convincing explanation of the events or counter the findings of the U.K. inquiry.

The European court rejected Marina Litvinenko's claim for punitive damages, though it did order Russia to pay her 100,000 euros ($117,000) in damages and 22,500 euros ($26,400) in costs.

Marina Litvinenko welcomed the court's ruling that the Russian state was responsible for her husband's death and said it highlighted the undemocratic regime" in Moscow.

This case helps other people not give up and try to change what might happen in Russia. One day Russia (could) become a better country to everybody, she told Sky News.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brushed aside Tuesday's court judgment.

Were not ready to take such rulings on board, he told reporters.

Lugovoi, who is now a lawmaker in the Russian parliament, called the ruling idiotic and said it undermined the reputation of the court.

"After such a ruling, such an institution as the European Court simply does not exist for me," he told the Govorit Moskva radio station. "I believe this is absolutely politically biased ruling that has nothing to do with lawfulness.

___

Daria Litvinova in Moscow contributed to this report.
HONOLULU (AP)  Hawaii officials are facing pressure to increase COVID-19 testing for travelers as the islands deal with a record surge of new infections, hospitalization and deaths. The calls come as federal guidelines change to require negative virus tests from both vaccinated and unvaccinated people coming to the U.S.

Despite evidence that more COVID-19 testing would help reduce the spread of disease, especially in an isolated destination like Hawaii, state leaders have resisted the implementation of a two-test policy for arriving travelers.

Earlier this summer, the state removed all testing requirements for vaccinated people.

And even with a single pre-flight test for unvaccinated travelers, experts say infected passengers can easily slip through the cracks.

Because of the incubation and latency periods of COVID-19, using just one test to prevent spread among tens of thousands of daily visitors is akin to using a chain link fence to keep out mosquitos, said Dr. Darragh OCarroll, an emergency and disaster physician in Honolulu.

There are a lot of holes," O'Carroll said. The science has been fairly conclusive since probably June of 2020 that a single-test system was no more effective than 30 to 40% in catching a population of infected people.

New federal rules announced Monday require all foreign travelers flying to the U.S. to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Unvaccinated American citizens will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

O'Carroll and a number of his colleagues have been pushing state leaders to do the same, he said.

Nobody really seemed to listen," he said. "No matter what we said and how conclusive the science looked.

After months of mandatory quarantines, business closures and virtually no tourists, Hawaii had among the lowest infection rates in the nation. Then, in October 2020, the state allowed travelers to skip quarantine with a single pre-flight test.

Infection rates increased, but they remained low compared with other states. Some of that has been attributed to a severely crippled tourism industry and a lack of participation in leisure travel. And some believe visitors do not see the incentive to test after arrival when facing quarantine away from home.

But when travel numbers increased this summer, so did infection rates.

In July, Hawaii lifted its quarantine and testing requirements for vaccinated travelers. A month later, the state was in the throes of a record surge of delta variant cases that were filling hospitals and leaving more people dead than at any other time in the pandemic.

Before July, Hawaii reported a seven-day average of 46 daily cases. In the first week of September, that number was up to nearly 900. Case rates have slowly begun to decline since, but experts say it's unclear if that will hold.

Much of that was community spread fueled by the delta variant, which was introduced through travel.

Scientists say implementing additional testing measures could help.

A study published in March in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that the risk to an overall population is reduced by only 36% through a single pre-flight test. But a two-test system coupled with a short quarantine period catches a much higher rate, in excess of 70% of infected travelers, according to the study.

Lee Altenberg, an adjunct full professor in the mathematics department at the University of Hawaii, wrote that the paper is one of very few studies available to inform policy makers in Hawaii.

But, he said, the research was mischaracterized as proof that Hawaiis single-test system was highly effective at preventing spread. State officials said the study proved their single-test system would catch 88% of all infected travelers.

The public had the wrong impression about how much protection we were getting from the Safe Travels pretest program, and you cant make good policy if you dont have accurate information, Altenberg said.

We need to get absolutely serious about our travel protocols, Altenberg added. And if were laboring under the misimpression that (Safe Travels) is preventing 90% of infections, were not going to get serious about those protocols.

Altenberg submitted contributions to the Lancet study last week.

The authors of the study said that the 88% figure represents the percentage of contagious people that would be detected on the day of travel, not the overall reduction of risk to a destination population.

The difference between infected and infectious is important, said one of the study's co-authors.

There obviously are people that ... will develop an infection but are not yet infectious, said Dr. Nathan Lo, faculty fellow in infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. And those people will not be detected necessarily.

Gov. David Ige did not respond to an interview request, but the state did announce Monday that 1 million free rapid tests are being provided for routine testing of Oahu residents.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press that decisions about testing are ultimately up to the governor, but noted that Hawaiis single test policy is more than other states in the U.S. have done, helping keep the islands safe.

If the mayors want to do additional testing, I absolutely support that," Green said. "Offering voluntary take-home antigen tests upon arrival for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers could offer additional protection given the delta variants highly infectious nature.

Green said only Alaska had implemented a similar system among U.S. states. Alaska is also dealing with a record surge of new infections and hospitalizations.

"Weve done more than everyone else, weve done a better job than everyone else, Green said.

Dr. Mathew Kiang, an epidemiologist and professor at Stanford University, was the lead author on the Lancet study. He worries about the lack of routine travel testing as well as so-called breakthrough infections for those who are vaccinated. Experts say the shots help reduce the severity of the illness, but people who get infected could spread it to others.

Theres a lot we still arent quite sure about for ... breakthrough infections, especially in terms of asymptomatic spread," Kiang said. But "we know delta is one of many variants of concern and this is going to keep evolving over time.

Kiang said additional testing allows you to bring in more visitors and it allows you to ramp up the economy."
MIAMI (AP)  The disappearance and death of Gabby Petito and the police hunt for her boyfriend have generated a whirlwind online, with a multitude of armchair detectives and others sharing tips, possible sightings and theories by way of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Whether the frenzy of attention and internet sleuthing has helped the investigation is not clear, but it has illuminated the intersection between social media and the public's fascination with true-crime stories.

Months before her disappearance drew more than a half-billion views on TikTok, Petito, 22, and 23-year-old boyfriend Brian Laundrie set out on a cross-country road trip over the summer in a van she decorated boho-chic style.

They documented their adventure on video and invited social media users to follow along on the journey, sharing scenes of a seemingly happy couple cartwheeling on a beach, hiking on mountain trails and camping in the Utah desert.

But they quarreled along the way, and Laundrie returned home alone to Florida in the van in September.

Over the weekend, a body believed to be Petito's was discovered at the edge of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The FBI announced Tuesday that a coroner determined the body was Petito's and her death was a homicide, but officials didn't disclose details pending final autopsy results. Investigators are seeking Laundrie as a person of interest in the case, focusing on a swampy Florida preserve where he is believed to have gone with a backpack last week.

Social media users have been fascinated by the case and have been poring over the wealth of online video and photos for clues.

A lot of it has to do with the cross-country journey they were documenting, going on social media on this grand adventure," said Joseph Scott Morgan, a Jacksonville State University professor of forensics and an authority on high-profile murder cases. And he added: They are young, they are attractive people.

Another source of fascination: a police bodycam video, released last week, showing the couple after they were pulled over in August in Moab, Utah, where the van was seen speeding and hitting a curb. They had gotten into a fight, and Petito was in tears, with Laundrie saying tension had been building between them because they had been traveling together for months.

Theories and observations picked up steam on Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter.

Users have delved into Petitos Spotify music playlists, Laundries reading habits and the couples digitally bookmarked trails. A TikTok user reported having picked up Laundrie hitchhiking.

And a couple who document their bus travels on YouTube said they went through some of their video footage from near Grand Teton and spotted what they said was the couple's white van. They posted an image of it with a big red arrow pointing to it and the words, We found Gabby Petito's van. They said that was what led investigators to the area where the body was found.

The FBI has not specified what led to the discovery or said whether other tips from internet sleuths have helped.

Michael Alcazar, a retired New York City detective and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that Petitos Instagram account gave investigators places to start and that social media became a rich source of tips.

Instagram is kind of like the photo on the milk carton, except it reaches so many people quickly, he said.

On the other hand, some users have spread misinformation, reporting potential sightings of Petito and Laundrie that turned out to be wrong.

Hannah Matthews, a TikTok user from Salt Lake City, admitted becoming obsessed with the case, saying she identified with Petito and felt that could have been her. She has made 14 short videos detailing theories of what could have gone wrong and providing updates on the case. One of them suggests Petito did not write one of her Instagram posts. It has gotten nearly 2 million views.

"It just seemed like an odd case from the beginning and after doing more research and (collaborating) with other people on social media, the case just kept growing and having twists and turns," she said.

As of Tuesday, the hashtag #gabbypetito had received more than 650 million views on TikTok. By way of comparison, #FreeBritney posts about pop star Britney Spears bid to end her conservatorship had gotten 1.9 billion views.

Theres a lot of different complicated reasons that people are drawn to it, and its not all sinister or malicious or creepy, said Kelli Boling, a professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who has studied audience reception to true-crime podcasts.

She said those fascinated by such cases are sometimes domestic-violence victims who find that such material can help them deal with their own experiences.

Some people are really drawn to it from a place of healing, or from a place of wanting to find justice for the young lady," Boling said.

While expressing sympathy for Petito, some have detected what they see as a racial double standard, complaining that the media and online sleuths are heavily invested in this case because she is young and white.

There are a lot of women of color, and especially immigrants, this happens to all the time, and we never hear about it, said Alex Piquero, a criminologist at the University of Miami.

In the same state where Petito was found, at least 710 Native Americans were reported missing between 2011 and late 2020.

Also, a same-sex couple who lived in a van were reported missing and later found shot to death at a campsite near Moab, not long after Petito and her boyfriend were stopped by police there. The deaths of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner generated some media coverage but nothing like the Petito case.

The case also came at a time when interest in cross-country travel, especially in vans or recreational vehicles, is at a high, perhaps as a reaction to the isolation forced on people by the COVID-19 outbreak. The couples plans sounded like something out of a romantic movie gone terribly awry, Piquero said.

It has this whole air of intrigue," he said. People have a real fantasy about being able to solve crimes.

___

Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writers Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP)  A Grand Forks company has been awarded a $17 million Navy contract to build a ground support station to control unmanned aircraft and sensor system.

The work by Ideal Aerosmith will enable mission planners to access classified and non-classified information from one place, including data from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, operations, like those flown out of the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
SEATTLE (AP)  A Northwest immigrant rights activist who had been facing deportation said Tuesday she can now remain in the U.S., after the Department of Homeland Security agreed to drop her case.

Maru Mora Villalpando, a Mexico City native, has been in the U.S. since overstaying a visa in 1996. An immigration judge last week approved the decision to drop deportation proceedings against her and granted her legal permanent resident status, amid the Biden administration's re-evaluation of immigration enforcement priorities.

Mora Villalpando argued that the Trump administration targeted her for deportation in 2017 because she advocates on behalf of detained immigrants at the privately run Northwest detention center in Tacoma.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement documents showed that she first came to the attention of officials when she discussed her unlawful immigration status in a news interview  and that officials were aware of her extensive involvement with anti-ICE protests and Latino advocacy programs.

ICE denied targeting her or any other immigrant for political reasons, and immigration judge Brett Parchert rejected her arguments on those grounds.

But in June, the Department of Homeland Security issued new guidance in line with President Joe Biden's effort to dismantle former President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies. The guidance stressed that DHS should focus its deportation efforts on noncitizens who present risks to national security, border security or public safety.

Immigration judges should be prepared to inquire, on the record, of the parties appearing before them at scheduled hearings as to whether the case remains a removal priority for ICE and whether ICE intends to exercise some form of prosecutorial discretion, the department said.

Texas sued to block the guidance from taking effect, but a federal appeals court last week said the new policy could remain in force.

Mora Villalpando had no criminal record and her case posed no such security issues. She and her attorney, Devin Theriot-Orr, requested that the agency use its prosecutorial discretion to drop her case, and the agency agreed, she said.

ICE representatives did not immediately return emails seeking comment.

I can't get used to it  I'm not undocumented any more, Mora Villalpando said Tuesday. I can actually get a green card now.

Her daughter, a U.S. citizen, had already petitioned for legal permanent resident status on Mora Villalpando's behalf. It was only the deportation proceedings pending against her that had blocked her from receiving it, she said.

Mora Villalpando continues to advocate for the detainees, such as by promoting those engaging in hunger strikes to protest conditions at the facility, including recent COVID-19 cases inside.

The organization she founded, La Resistencia, has sought to shut down the Northwest detention center. The group's advocacy helped lead to the passage this year of a law that would ban for-profit detention centers in Washington state by 2025.

The GEO Group, which runs the immigration jail, has sued to block the law.
ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia election investigators found that U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walkers wife did not commit any residency violation by voting in Georgia in the 2020 general election after requesting an absentee ballot be sent to Texas.

The secretary of state's office last month opened an investigation into Julie Blanchard after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that records showed that at the time of last year's election she was living in Texas. An investigator on Tuesday told the State Election Board that no violation was found, and the board voted unanimously to dismiss the case.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  An organization run by rapper Jay-Z has filed a petition seeking records from the Kansas City, Kansas, police department related to what it calls a history of officer misconduct within the department.

The request was filed Monday in Wyandotte County District Court by Team Roc, which is the criminal justice division of Jay-Z's entertainment organization, Roc Nation.

The filling said the department has failed for decades to hold officers accountable for misconduct, including planting evidence, fabricating witnesses and soliciting sex from victims and witnesses, The Kansas City Star reported.

And, thanks to the blue veil of silence and apparent failure to investigate serious allegations, little of it has come to light, according to the petition.

The petition alleges that department officials refused to provide Team Roc with complaints filed against the department's investigative division, reports or internal investigations against an officer who has a history of abuse allegations and policies relating to supervising detectives.

The department responded in a statement that it has given hundreds of pages of documents to Team Roc but the Kansas Open Records Act does not require the release of personnel records and criminal investigation files.

In response, Roc Nation has filed a 28-page petition stating there is a special interest in disclosing all records so the public can seek justice. Once the petition has been thoroughly reviewed, the Unified Government will follow-up by filing a response, the statement said.

Roc Nation alleges the city has refused on three separate occasions to release documents. It is asking the court to override the state's public records law and make the documents public.

The state law includes a provision that allows a plaintiff to file a motion asking a judge to review a request for records and require that they be released.

The petition names several officers who face criminal charges for allegations of misconduct, particularly former detective Roger Golubski, who has been accused of sexually abusing mostly minority and poor women and framing people for crimes they did not commit.

Last year, a coalition of Kansas lawmakers, religious leaders and racial justice advocates requested an investigation into Golubski and other members of the department who were involved in allegation of misconduct and abuse.

Golubski and others have been sued by Lamonte McIntyre, who was freed from prison when his sentence was vacated in 2017 after he had served 23 years in prison. McIntyre alleged Golubski targeted him for arrest after his mother refused the detectives sexual demands.

Cheryl Pilate and Lindsay Runnels, the attorneys who represented McIntyre and his mother Rose McIntyre said, in a written statement they were pleased that legal action has been filed.

Their lawsuit seeking public records and information is in the publics interest and should help bring much-needed transparency and accountability," according to the statement.

Attorneys for the ROC Nation said releasing the documents is a public interest and would not interfere with any ongoing investigation, reveal the identity of confidential sources or undercover officers or expose any confidential investigative techniques or procedures.
DITTMER, Mo. (AP)  Authorities in eastern Missouri are investigating the death of a 40-year-old theft suspect killed by an arrow shot by a juvenile, who said the man came at him menacingly.

Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak on Tuesday announced details of the incident that happened Friday near the town of Dittmer. The man killed was identified as Michael Stotts of Dittmer.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Legislators asked the New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday to limit Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's authority over more than $1 billion in federal relief.

The lawsuit from the Republican Party's top-ranked Senator and a Democratic colleague accuses Lujan Grisham of overstepping her constitutional authority.

No one is above the law and no one person should ever have the power to decide, unilaterally, how much people are taxed or how public money is spent, Democratic State Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque said in a statement.

The lawsuit, also was brought by Senate Republican minority floor leader Gregory Baca of Belen, says that the governor has taken over the Legislature's authority by appropriating more than $600 million in federal funds provided under relief legislation signed by President Biden in March.

It says another $1 billion is at stake and that the governor has pressured most lawmakers into ceding to her authority.

"The court must now act to rebalance the scales of power and protect the Legislatures important yet fragile power over the purse strings of state government," the lawsuit states.

Lujan Grisham has tapped the disputed relief funds to replenish the state unemployment insurance trust and underwrite millions of dollars in sweepstakes prizes for people who got vaccinated.

Lujan Grisham said through a spokeswoman that appropriation of the federal relief funds is the responsibility of the executive branch, not the Legislature.
Two local officials responded positively to Pfizer's announcement Monday morning that its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older, according to the Associated Press. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.

The companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators, according to the Associated Press.

Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow told the Daily News that the potential authorization of the vaccine for ages 5-11 is "exciting news" for the school district, which had COVID outbreaks at multiple schools earlier this month but was down to 20 current positive cases among students and staff as of Friday, Sept. 17.

"Exciting news on the vaccinations being (potentially) available for ages 5 to 11. Vaccination availability to all students and staff is the key to school districts allowing parent choice and lowering risk in schools," Sharrow wrote in an email reply to the Daily News.

Ages 5 to 11 generally equates to students in preschool or kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade.

Midland County Medical Director Catherine Bodnar was also encouraged by the news that the vaccine could become authorized for younger ages.

"I'm looking forward to having this vaccine available for that age group, and I think it will greatly help our efforts to combat COVID-19," Bodnar told the Daily News. "It will offer protection for this age group once they are fully vaccinated. If they are a close contact, they won't have to quarantine. We know that fully vaccinated people can have breakthrough infections, but in general, they are milder and shorter-lasting."

Bodnar did caution, though, that it will take some time for the vaccine to be approved for the new age group.

"I don't think it's going to get rushed through. I think the safety data is going to be looked at very carefully by the FDA," Bodnar said. "With the (authorization for the) 12-15 age group, the company submitted the data in March (2021) and it didn't get approved until May (2021). If they approve (the vaccine for ages 5-11), it could be approved between October and December."

Provided the FDA gives its approval, then a committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would also meet and give a recommendation to the CDC director, who would in turn make a final decision.

In the meantime, pending the approval of the vaccine for ages 5-11, Bodnar recommends that parents of children in that age group get vaccinated if they have not already done so.

"I still think it's really important for adults in those households to be vaccinated to protect their kids, because we're not going to have this vaccine (for ages 5-11) for a couple more months."

For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose  a third of the amount thats in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.

Many Western countries so far have vaccinated no younger than age 12, awaiting evidence of what's the right dose and that it works safely, according to the Associated Press. Cuba last week began immunizing children as young as 2 with its homegrown vaccines and Chinese regulators have cleared two of its brands down to age 3.

While kids are at lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Cases in children have risen as the delta variant swept through the country, the Associated Press reports.

Pfizer said it studied the lower dose in 2,268 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids, according to the Associated Press. The FDA required what is called an immune bridging" study: evidence that the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults. That's what Pfizer reported Monday in a press release, not a scientific publication. The study still is ongoing, and there haven't yet been enough COVID-19 cases to compare rates between the vaccinated and those given a placebo  something that might offer additional evidence.

The Associated Press reports the study isnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men. The FDAs Marks said the pediatric studies should be large enough to rule out any higher risk to young children. Pfizers Gruber said once the vaccine is authorized for younger children, theyll be carefully monitored for rare risks just like everyone else.

A second U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Pfizer and Moderna are studying even younger tots as well, down to 6-month-olds, according to the Associated Press. Results are expected later in the year.
UTICA, N.Y. (AP)  Former Republican U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, who represented upstate New York for 24 years, died at age 84, according to a statement from former staff members.

The Utica-area resident died late Monday at a local hospice after a brief illness, according to the statement. He served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007.

Boehlert was chairman of the House Science Committee from 2001 through 2006. And he was a leader of a small moderate Republican faction in Congress that clashed with President George W. Bush over such issues as global warming and spending for social programs.

Boehlert was remembered Tuesday by elected officials in both major parties for his work on behalf of his central New York constituents and for environmental issues.

Sherrys rich legacy, his support of science, his commitment to combating climate change, and his deep love for the Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley will live on for generations to come, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a prepared statement.

On Twitter, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said Boehlert was a true public servant  he didnt serve based on political party, but based on what was the right thing to do."

Boehlert was elected Oneida County Executive in 1979 and held the position until successfully running for Congress a few years later.

He served in the U.S. Army and graduated from Utica College in 1961.

He is survived by his wife, Marianne, and four children among other relatives and friends.

Funeral arrangements were pending.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Authorities say a Louisiana middle school will be closed Tuesday as crews repair damage from a fire.

Mondays fire was sparked by a transformer at Westdale Middle School in Baton Rouge, WBRZ-TV reported.

The blaze cut classes short when it started Monday morning, and the campus will remain closed through Tuesday.

When the transformer blew, sparks caused a fire to erupt inside a self-contained energy closet in the schools gymnasium, the East Baton Rouge school system said. That caused a power outage and prompted Mondays early dismissal.

Power crews were expected to work on the issue Tuesday.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  A public Maine university will use the largest monetary gift in its history to build a home for its school of music.

Philanthropist D. Suzi Osher has given the $10 million gift to University of Southern Maine. USM President Glenn Cummings told the Portland Press Herald that the gift will make possible a plan that the university has had for decades.
WHITTEMORE, Mich. (AP)  A northern Michigan man said he placed pipe bombs outside two phone stores because he was upset with immoral content on phones and cable TV, according to the FBI.

Authorities filed charges Tuesday against John D. Allen of Whittemore, less than a week after explosives and notes threatening Verizon and AT&T were found at phone stores in Sault Ste. Marie and Cheboygan.

The boxes also contained handcuffs. HJ and Handcuff Johnny were written on the boxes, apparently references to Allen, the FBI said. No one was hurt.

Allen, 75, was confronted by agents Monday and said he acted alone.

Allen stated that he created and placed the letters and bombs because he became dissatisfied with all of the immoral content, including pornography, on phones and cable television, the FBI said in a court filing.

Allen also is accused of writing letters found last month at communication towers across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The letters made threats and claimed to be from the Coalition for Moral Telecommunications.

Allen appeared in court on charges of extortion and attempted destruction of buildings. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney.

Photos from the Mackinac Bridge and video from the phone stores greatly helped agents.

Allen used a California license plate at one point but said he realized that he had made a mistake when he noticed the emblem for the auto dealership on the rear of the vehicle could not be removed, according to the FBI.

Indeed, agents got information about Allen, the owner of the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander, after visiting a dealer in Standish.
BOSTON (AP)  Students, faculty and staff at all 15 Massachusetts state community colleges will be required to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by January, the schools' presidents said.

While a significant number of students, faculty, and staff are already vaccinated or are in the process of becoming vaccinated, the 15 colleges are seeking to increase the health and safety of the learning and working environment in light of the ongoing public health concerns and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," they said in a statement released Monday.

The schools will continue to offer a wide range of virtual learning opportunities to ensure vaccination status is not a barrier to an education, they said.

Students enrolled in classes without an in-person component, or who do not plan to visit campus during the spring semester, will not be required to provide documentation of vaccination.

The schools have a total of about 135,000 students.

The Massachusetts State Universities and the University of Massachusetts systems also require student vaccinations.

___

VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS

The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 increased by nearly 1,300 Tuesday while the number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 25.

The new numbers pushed the states confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 18,094 since the start of the pandemic, while its confirmed caseload rose to nearly 744,000.

There were about 640 people reported hospitalized Tuesday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 170 in intensive care units.

The average age of those who have died from COVID-19 was 75.

The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick.

More than 4.5 million people in Massachusetts have been fully immunized against COVID-19.

___

BREAKTHROUGH CASES

The number of fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in Massachusetts continues to climb.

In the past week  from Sept. 11 to Sept. 18  the number of breakthrough cases of the virus jumped by more than 4,500  from 27,777 to 32,345.

The breakthrough cases still amount to less than 1% of fully vaccinated individuals, and health officials say the vaccine offers strong protection against getting infected and decreases the chances of hospitalization and death.

Of the recorded breakthrough infections in Massachusetts since the start of the pandemic, about 1,000 resulted in hospitalization and 217 resulted in death, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Thats a small fraction of the more than 18,000 deaths in the state since the start of the pandemic.

COVID-19 cases in vaccinated people are counted as those who test positive more than 14 days after the final dose of a vaccine.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Some of the hundreds of men who sued Ohio State over its failure to stop sexual abuse by a team doctor are seeking the recusal of the federal judge overseeing the remaining unsettled cases after he disclosed this month that his wifes business has ties with the university.

The attorneys involved already knew U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson is an adjunct professor for OSU's law school, and over the past three years they hadn't objected to his handling the cases related to decades-old misconduct by the late Dr. Richard Strauss.

But information about the judge's wife's business prompted lawyers for some of the men to request a recusal and ask that the cases be moved to Cincinnati, noting that other federal judges in Columbus also have connections to the university.

They said the financial connection raises questions about the judge's impartiality and could at least give the appearance he's partial to Ohio State.

"But whether the conflict is real or apparent, the fact is that these plaintiffs, who were abused as teenage boys by the combined power of OSU and its team doctor, will never get justice in Columbus," attorneys for one set of plaintiffs argued in one of the filings.

Another filing noted that the judge and his wife participated in the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer fundraiser for OSU's cancer center and said that also could raise questions about whether he's perceived as impartial.

Ohio State responded with its own filings saying recusal is unwarranted, and alleging an improper eleventh-hour attempt at forum shopping based on business dealings unrelated to the litigation.

Watson's wife owns a flag business that has long been licensed to sell Ohio State merchandise and pays a 12% royalty to use its trademarks. The Flag Ladys Flag Store also is one of about 34,000 vendors from which Ohio State purchases products and services, and the university spent less than $16,000 at the store in fiscal year 2021, school spokesperson Benjamin Johnson said.

Johnson said the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer is an independent entity.

Watson pointed out the licensing tie to attorneys in the Strauss cases after an NBC News Digital reporter asked the court about it, according to a court transcript. Watson told them he and his wife don't have financial interests in the university that would require his recusal under the code of conduct for federal judges, but that he wanted to give the lawyers a chance to address it if they felt his impartiality was compromised.

The recusal issue arises just as the parties involved were anticipating the judge would finally rule this month on whether to dismiss the remaining lawsuits based on legal time limits for bringing such cases. Now, oral arguments on that matter have been delayed.

Watson hasn't said how soon he will decide on the recusal requests.

More than 400 alumni have sued the university over its failure to stop Strauss despite students raising concerns with school employees as early as 1979. Many of the men say they were groped during exams.

Ohio State has apologized publicly to anyone harmed by Strauss, who died in 2005. It has reached nearly $47 million in settlements for 185 plaintiffs and offered an individual settlement program to plaintiffs in certain remaining lawsuits.

Several men in those cases recently notified the court they were taking individual settlements. But others contending the university hasn't dealt fairly with them say they aren't backing down.
BERLIN (AP)  Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to boost struggling would-be successor Armin Laschet on Tuesday in the tight race to become Germany's next leader, telling a rally in her longtime electoral district that he will look out for jobs and security.

Merkel touted her government's record in bringing down unemployment and Germany's debt, decrying plans by Laschet's rivals to raise taxes. She also suggested there was a danger of a left-wing German government being overly generous in giving financial help to more indebted European countries.

There is a lot at stake on Sunday, she told the crowd on a wet evening in Stralsund, in Germany's northeastern corner. It's about whether ... we give people who want to create jobs, companies that want to contribute something to Germany's prosperity, the chance, the freedom" to do so.

The alternative, she added, is a policy of only thinking of redistributing, but not creating wealth.

I know Armin Laschet, as governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, fights for every single job in his state, and he would also do that as chancellor of Germany, Merkel said.

As Merkel's center-right Union bloc has sagged in polls over recent weeks, Laschet and other leaders have issued constant warnings that the center-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, their rivals to put forth Germany's next leader, would form a coalition with the hard-left Left Party.

Whether that is realistic is questionable, in view of those two parties' deep differences with the Left Party on foreign policy in particular, though neither Social Democrat candidate Olaf Scholz nor Green candidate Annalena Baerbock have ruled it out.

With five days to go, polls show Merkel's Union bloc slightly behind the Social Democrats, who have benefited from the relative popularity of Scholz  Germany's finance minister and their candidate to succeed Merkel  to pull out of a longtime poll slump.

They show support for the Union a little above 20% after divisions over who would run for chancellor, as well as missteps by Laschet. They put the Greens in third place.

Laschet joined Merkel in the district that she has represented in parliament since the 1990 election that followed German reunification, paying tribute to her record as chancellor. Merkel, he said, has led us well through four major crises in her 16-year tenure.

Merkel announced in 2018 that she wouldn't seek a fifth four-year term. She is making few campaign appearances this time, though Tuesday's was the first of three in the final week. The chancellor remains personally popular and has long been a draw for centrist voters.

The joint appearances are important to get their own party to the ballot box," said Andrea Roemmele, a political science professor at the Hertie School in Berlin. If the Union loses this weekend, that will be in large part because their own people didn't go vote.

___

Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A man with a history of pretending to be a law enforcement officer was arrested in Minnesota after a TikTok user alerted a woman he was dating that he was faking it again.

Authorities said in a complaint filed Friday that Reyel Devon Simmons, 52, of Dodge Center, Minnesota, used the name Rey Reeves and regularly held himself out as a federal agent on social media. He is charged in federal court in Minneapolis with impersonating a federal officer.

Simmons profile photo on TikTok showed him wearing law enforcement gear. He made several posts displaying police equipment, badges, and firearms and referred explicitly and implicitly to himself as a federal agent, authorities said. He had more than 10,000 followers on TikTok, including one woman from Georgia who began a romantic relationship with him.

The woman, who dated Simmons for about eight months, eventually went to the FBI after a TikTok user posted about Simmons impersonating a police officer again and later shared information with her about his true identity and previous arrests. Simmons was charged with two counts of impersonating an officer in Colorado, both in 2004.

Federal authorities discovered that Simmons has been married since 2015 and has been working as a temporary employee at Shutterfly in a Minneapolis suburb.

The woman told investigators that Simmons regularly carried a handgun in a holster on his hip, carried a badge and law enforcement credentials and wore law enforcement attire, including a Homeland Security Investigations t-shirt and backpack that he called his go bag. She said when she came to visit they would stay in a hotel in Minneapolis Simmons said was courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security because he was working undercover in the area.

Simmons drove an Ford F-150 pickup equipped with a police radio inside and a light bar package on the front bumper, the woman told authorities. He regularly talked on the radio with other people she believed to be federal agents

Authorities say Simmons' criminal record includes convictions in 2007 for felony menacing and misdemeanor assault and in 20015 for two felony soliciting prostitution charges, all in Colorado.

A detention hearing for Simmons is scheduled Wednesday in Minneapolis federal court. A federal public defender could not be reached for comment Monday night.
HERSHEY, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvanias network of vaccine providers is ready to deliver booster shots of the coronavirus vaccine as soon as federal authorities sign off, the states top health official said Tuesday.

More than 2,000 providers have COVID-19 vaccine inventory and will be able to administer the extra doses to people who are eligible, while continuing to offer initial vaccinations against the coronavirus, according to the state Health Department.

Vaccine providers are well prepared to start administering booster shoots as soon as the CDC gives final approval and issues guidance later this week, Alison Beam, the acting health secretary, said Tuesday at a pharmacy in Hershey.

A panel of outside experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration has recommended extra Pfizer vaccine doses for people aged 65 or older and those who are at heightened risk from COVID-19. The FDA still has to weigh in, as does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Anticipating approvals, Beam ordered providers to offer online vaccination appointments as well as live telephone support, serve walk-ins where possible and work with agencies to help get boosters to people who cant leave their homes.

In Pennsylvania, more than 1 million people aged 65 and over are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer shot, according to CDC data.

Moderna also has asked the FDA to allow a booster dose of its vaccine. And on Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson said a booster of its vaccine enhanced protection against COVID-19. The results of its study have not been published.

The Biden administration had proposed giving extra Pfizer shots to all Americans eight months after they get their second dose, but the FDA advisory panel rejected that plan, citing a lack of safety data and questioning the need for extra doses across the board.

The preparations for booster shots come as Pennsylvania tries to coax more people to get vaccinated. Nearly 66% of the state's 12-and-older population are considered fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Dr. Denise Johnson, the state's acting physician general, cited the daily coronavirus statistics in pushing Pennsylvanians to get the shot: Nearly 5,000 new, confirmed infections, nearly 2,400 people in the hospital, and 68 preventable deaths attributed to COVID-19.

"Millions of Pennsylvanians who are eligible have not yet taken that step to get themselves vaccinated," Johnson said at the news conference in Hershey. And that is what is causing our current surge."
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Nearly all of the classes being taught currently on University of Wisconsin campuses are in person, bouncing back from last year when nearly all went remote as COVID-19 spread across the state, interim UW System President Tommy Thompson said on Tuesday.

Thompson in February set a goal of having 75% of classes taught in person starting this fall, after the COVID-19 vaccine was widely available. Two weeks into the fall semester, 85% of classes across the system are in person, including 93% at the flagship Madison campus.

If you walk around and talk to the students on campus, as I do, theyre very excited, very, very appreciative of being back and having their classes in person, Thompson said.

Every four-year campus except UW-Superior had at least 75% of classes taught in person. Superiors was at 65%, but that is because a large number of that campuses classes were online by design prior to the pandemic and remain so, the university said. Every class at Superior that had been teaching in person, but went remote last year, is now back in person.

UW-La Crosse had the highest percentage in person at 94%, followed by 93% at Madison and Platteville. The others ranged between 75% and 87%.

Of the 85% taught in person, 80% were fully in person while 5% were hybrid, according to the university.

I know a lot of people up in the Capitol are very happy with that, but didnt think we would reach it, Thompson said referring to the Legislature which sets UWs budget. I knew we could. I wasnt sure we would, but I knew we could. And we did.

Thompson had made teaching classes in person a priority as he implemented masking and testing protocols across the system in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Students have been encouraged, but not required, to get the vaccination.

Data released last week by the university showed that 91% of students on the Madison campus were vaccinated, but rates varied widely across campuses. They dropped as low as 38% at UW-Parkside.

Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Wisconsin due to the more contagious delta variant, straining hospitals and leading to renewed calls for people to get vaccinated. The seven-day average of new cases as of Monday was 2,967, the highest it's been since mid-December. There were 1,099 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 as of Monday, the highest since early January.

An unvaccinated person in Wisconsin is four times more likely to test positive, nearly nine times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die from the virus than someone who has been vaccinated, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Mary Altaffer/AP

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte criticized rich nations at the U.N. General Assembly for hoarding COVID-19 vaccines while much of the developing world continues to suffer shortages.

The picture is bleak. It is a man-made drought of vaccines ravaging the poor countries, Duterte said in a video message. Rich countries hoard life-saving vaccines while poor nations wait for trickles. They now talk of booster shots, while developing countries consider half doses just to get by."
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP)  Police in northern Virginia are warning the community about a potentially fatal batch of cocaine laced with fentanyl after six people overdosed early Tuesday morning.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the six adults, ranging in age from 23 to 35, were hospitalized after police responded to an apartment on Seminary Road in Falls Church.
ESSEX, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut police were searching Tuesday for a man wanted in connection with the stabbing of two people during a fight at an Essex gas station.

Troopers responded to the Bestway Sunoco station at about 8:30 p.m. Monday. Two people were taken to hospitals. Their conditions have not been released.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  A man charged Tuesday in a series of Indianapolis rapes allegedly targeted older women who lived alone and would spend hours assaulting them inside their homes, authorities said.

Darrell Goodlow, 37, would often blindfold and threaten to kill the women as he sexually assaulted them after breaking into their homes while posing as a utility or service worker, officials allege.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  A woman has died and a man is recovering from critical injuries in a shooting in northeastern Kansas City, police there said.

The shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. Monday near Anderson Avenue and Lawn Avenue, police said in a news release. Officers called to the scene found the woman and man with gunshot wounds, and both were rushed to a hospital, where the woman died.
JERUSALEM (AP)  A new poll has found that nearly 80% of Palestinians want President Mahmoud Abbas to resign, reflecting widespread anger over the death of an activist in security forces' custody and a crackdown on protests over the summer.

The survey released Tuesday found support for Abbas' Hamas rivals remained high months after the 11-day Gaza war in May, when the Islamic militant group was widely seen by Palestinians as having scored a victory against a far more powerful Israel while the Western-backed Abbas was sidelined.

The latest poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 45% of Palestinians believe Hamas should lead and represent them, while only 19% said Abbas' secular Fatah deserved that role, showing only a slight shift in favor of Fatah over the last three months.

This is the worst polling weve ever seen for the president," said Khalil Shikaki, the head of the center, who has been surveying Palestinian public opinion for more than two decades. "He has never been in as bad a position as today.

Despite his plummeting popularity and refusal to hold elections, the international community still views the 85-year-old Abbas as the leader of the Palestinian cause and a crucial partner in the peace process with Israel, which ground to a halt more than a decade ago.

His Palestinian Authority administers parts of the occupied West Bank under interim agreements signed with Israel at the height of the peace process in the 1990s. Hamas drove Abbas' forces out of Gaza when it seized power there in 2007, a year after winning parliamentary elections.

Abbas' latest woes began in April, when he called off the first Palestinian elections in 15 years as Fatah appeared to be headed for another embarrassing loss. Hamas' popularity soared the following month amid protests in Jerusalem and the Gaza war, as many Palestinians accused the PA of doing nothing to aid their struggle against Israeli occupation.

The death of Nizar Banat, a harsh critic of the PA who died after being beaten by Palestinian security forces during a late-night arrest in June, ignited protests in the occupied West Bank calling on Abbas to resign. His security forces launched a crackdown in response, beating and arresting several demonstrators.

The poll found that 78% of Palestinians want Abbas to resign and just 19% think he should remain in office.

It found that 63% of Palestinians think Banat was killed on the orders of PA political or security leaders, with only 22% believing it was a mistake. The PA recently announced that 14 security officials who took part in the arrest will stand trial. Sixty-nine percent of those polled felt that was an insufficient response.

Sixty-three percent of Palestinians support the demonstrations that broke out after Banat's death, and 74% believe the PA's arrest of demonstrators was a violation of liberties and civil rights, the poll found.

The PCPSR says it surveyed 1,270 Palestinians face-to-face in the West Bank and Gaza, with a margin of error of three percentage points.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration is rolling out new international travel policies affecting Americans and noncitizens alike who want to fly into the U.S. The goal is to restore more normal air travel after 18 months of disruption caused by COVID-19.

The across-the-board rules, which will take effect in November, will replace a hodgepodge of confusioning restrictions. Some details of the plan announced Monday are being worked out, but here are some questions and answers about what to expect:

WHAT IS THE NEW POLICY IN A NUTSHELL?

All adult foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. will be required to be fully vaccinated before boarding their flight. This is in addition to the current requirement that travelers show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure to the U.S.

Once the vaccination requirement is put in place, the White House will ease all the country-specific restrictions on international travel that have prevented noncitizens who have been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa in the prior 14 days from entering the U.S.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT AMERICANS?

Fully vaccinated Americans will only need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure to the U.S.

WHAT ABOUT UNVACCINATED AMERICANS?

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not fully vaccinated will still be able to fly to the U.S., but they will see tougher testing and contact tracing protocols. They will need to be tested within 24 hours of boarding a flight to the U.S., as well as undergo testing upon return to the country. It remains to be seen, though, how the federal government will enforce the testing requirement upon return.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT CHILDREN?

The new U.S. policy only requires adult foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated in order to enter the U.S. The White House did not immediately say whether unvaccinated children will face different testing protocols when flying into the country.

WHICH VACCINES ARE ACCEPTABLE?

The CDC says the U.S. will accept full vaccination of travelers with any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, including those from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson used in the U.S. Other vaccines are also approved by the WHO and used widely around the world, including from AstraZeneca and Chinas Sinovac, with varying degrees of effectiveness against COVID-19 and its more transmissible delta variant. The WHO is reviewing Russias Sputnik V vaccine but hasnt approved it.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT AIR FARES?

Adit Damodaran, economist for the travel-research firm Hopper, predicted that growing demand is likely to cause higher airfares on flights from Europe, although the rush to book flights could be slowed by the delta variant and high COVID-19 rates in the U.S. If fares rise, it would mark a turnaround in prices since the start of the pandemic.

WILL AIRLINES COLLECT DATA ON PASSENGERS?

The CDC will require airlines to collect information about passengers and provide it to the health agency if it needs to conduct contact tracing. The airlines had resisted a similar change last year, when it was proposed by the CDC and eventually blocked by the Trump administration.

WHAT ABOUT TRAVEL OVER LAND BORDERS?

The administration's restrictions on crossing land borders from Mexico and Canada into the U.S. are to remain unchanged for now. That means that in some cases fully vaccinated people from the two American neighbors will soon be able fly to the U.S., but may not be able to make the same journey by car.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY?

Analysts and industry officials think it will help. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said lifting the current restrictions on international travelers will contribute to a durable recovery for the U.S. economy. Before Monday, the U.S. was on pace to lose $175 billion in export income from international visitors this year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

HOW HAVE THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL?

They have made it easier for Americans to visit Europe than the other way around. U.S. international travel in August was down 54% compared with two years ago, and arrivals by non-U.S. citizens were off 74%, according to Airlines for America.

HOW WILL THE CHANGES AFFECT BUSINESS TRAVEL?

There is pent-up demand among business travelers from Europe. Foreign executives who have been vaccinated will no longer have to prove that their travel to the United States serves the U.S. national interest  a time-consuming process.

___

Koenig reported from Dallas. Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.
GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. (AP)  Deputies in north Florida are investigating reports of two school buses being shot with a BB gun on Tuesday morning.

The Clay County Sheriffs Office said on social media that no one was injured in the shooting.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  In their first public opportunity to voice concerns on a proposal to let tech companies that meet certain requirements create semi-autonomous jurisdictions called Innovation Zones, officials from Storey County dressed down the idea in a line-by-line fashion.

They called into question the motives of the company that wants to break away from its control.

While Im sure many would prefer to have no independent government oversight, we dont make laws based on what is convenient for just one party, Storey County Commissioner Clay Mitchell told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Mitchell and other county representatives oppose a proposal backed by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak that would allow companies that promise a $1.25 billion investment and possess at least 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) of land to apply to form the Innovation Zones.

On Tuesday, they framed Storey County as among the most development-friendly jurisdictions in the United States. They made clear that they supported a proposal from Blockchains  the primary backer of the Innovation Zones proposal that's also the county's largest landholder  to develop parts of the empty desert within their borders. But they didn't understand the company's claims it couldn't do so without forming its own jurisdiction.

For almost a year, Blockchains and lobbyists from one of Nevada's most well-connected firms have advocated for the Innovation Zones. The zones would be governed by three county commission-like board members  two of whom would at first be nominated by the company. They would operate outside the jurisdiction of pre-existing local government and eventually could create court systems, impose taxes and make zoning decisions.

The company's proposal has been met with opposition from skeptics of overly powerful tech companies, environmentalists and local officials. The resistance led Sisolak and legislative leaders to water the proposal down to a study last spring. The Legislature's study committee convened for its second meeting on Tuesday and has until the end of the year to submit a report on whether to keep the idea under consideration.

Blockchains and its lobbyists argued Tuesday that the company had the transformative potential to become the internet of the 21st century. The company says it wants to make Nevada a global leader in advancing new applications of its technology. It has yet to introduce a product, but blockchain is a digital ledger that can record nearly any transaction and is best known for facilitating cryptocurrency transactions.

Standing in the way, company representatives said, is that local officials from Nevada's third least-populous county don't have the expertise to oversee their plans and couldn't do so without retrofitting their systems in place.

On Tuesday, Storey County rebutted that claim and pointed to their experience approving successful developments including Tesla's northern Nevada battery factory and a 1.3 million square-foot (121,000 square-meter) data center owned by Switch, a global technology company. They said they had repeatedly told Blockchains they were capable and willing to approve new development and wouldn't need new processes to do so.

Storey County lobbyist Mary Walker repeatedly called the idea The Berns Innovation Zone legislation on Tuesday, in a reference to Blockchains CEO Jeff Berns. She honed in on the company's claim that it needed Innovation Zones to attract the investment required to build their smart city and told lawmakers it wasn't the government's job to help a business find investors.

Walker also addressed the company comparing its proposal to the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was established to create Disneyworld. Disney at one point told Florida lawmakers it planned to build a city, but it ultimately scrapped its plans.

Virginia Township Justice of the Peace Eileen Herrington told lawmakers that she had qualms about the proposal's plan to let the new zones create courts because she didn't think the public could be confident in their ability to administer justice.

While the zone's eventual takeover may be acceptable for many facets of a persons life, its a completely different matter when it comes to the administration of justice, which is a essential part of the just society. An effective legal process not only protects suspects and defendants, it gives victims the confidence that justice will be done, she said.

___

Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
THREE RIVERS, Calif. (AP)  The ancient massive trees of Sequoia National Parks famed Giant Forest were unscathed Tuesday even though a wildfire has been burning near them on the western side of Californias Sierra Nevada for nearly two weeks.

As of right now we dont have any damage to any of our trees, said fire information officer Mark Garrett.

The KNP Complex, two lightning-sparked fires that merged, has spread over more than 39 square miles (101 square kilometers), feeding on other types of trees that also live on the high-elevation slopes of the mountain range.

Giant Forest is home to about 2,000 sequoias, including the General Sherman Tree, which is considered the worlds largest by volume and is a must-see for visitors to the national park.

The fire recently entered the perimeter of Giant Forest near a cluster of huge trees called the Four Guardsmen but their bases had been wrapped in fire-resistant material and crews had raked and cleared vegetation that could help spread the fire, Garrett said.

Firefighting crews monitored as what was described as a low-intensity fire passed through and made sure it did not affect the sequoias, he said.

For decades, Giant Forest has been subjected to prescribed fires that are carefully set and controlled to burn away vegetation that could otherwise become fuel for a fire like the KNP Complex and allow it to become established.

The next-closest sequoia grove is Redwood Canyon, but it is at least 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) away and the fire would have to travel up and down terrain to get there, Garrett said.

But like Giant Forest, that one has also seen prescribed burn treatments for several decades since the late 60s so that grove is also well-equipped to transform a high-intensity fire into low-intensity fire, he said.

To the south, another forest fire in sequoia country was showing minimal movement.

The Windy Fire in the Giant Sequoia National Monument area of Sequoia National Forest and on the Tule River Indian Reservation covered more than 42 square miles (108 square kilometers) and was 5% contained.

The fire behavior is not as extreme as it was a couple of days ago, said Thanh Nguyen, a fire information officer.

On the Trail of 100 Giants, one tree known as the natural bench sequoia because of the shape of its base was confirmed to have sustained some burning.

Several sequoia groves have been impacted by the Windy Fire but its not clear whether any other sequoia trees have been burned.

Nguyen said fire can move through a grove by burning other types of trees and vegetation rather than sequoias and assessments will come later.

The largest trees on the Trail of 100 Giants are on average 220 feet (67 meters) tall, 20 feet (6.1 meters) in diameter and 1,500 years old, Nguyen said.

Those trees are beloved, he said.

Firefighters have been hand-digging control lines and spraying water to protect the trees and have worked to protect several evacuated communities. The only structure lost so far was the Mule Peak fire lookout structure, which burned in the early stages of the fire even though it was wrapped in fire-resistant material.

More than 7,500 wildfires have scorched about 3,600 square miles (9,324 square kilometers) in California so far this year.

Nearly half of that land  1,505 square miles (3,898 square kilometers)  was burned by the Dixie Fire across five counties in the northern Sierra and southern Cascades region. It is the second-largest fire on record in California and was 90% contained after destroying 1,329 homes, businesses and other structures since July 13.

South of Lake Tahoe, the 342-square-mile (886-square-kilometer) Caldor Fire is three-quarters contained after destroying 800 homes and commercial properties. Highway 50, the main route between the San Francisco Bay Area and the south end of the alpine resort lake, reopened to the public on Tuesday for the first time in weeks.

Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi sheriff's department said Tuesday that it has identified the skeletal remains of a woman found nearly 44 years ago, and investigators believe she was a victim of the now-deceased Samuel Little, the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.

Hunters found the woman's remains in December 1977 in the small community of Escatawpa in coastal Jackson County, Mississippi, and investigators had referred to her since then as Escatawpa Jane Doe. An autopsy determined that the woman, who had a distinctive gold tooth, had been dead about three or four months before her remains were found.
FLAT ROCK, Mich. (AP)  Some residents in a southeastern Michigan community were told Monday they could return to their homes, about three weeks after gasoline from a Ford Motor factory was reported in the sewer system.

The area in Flat Rock, known as Zone 2, has 635 homes. An evacuation was not recommended by health authorities, but some residents had left temporarily while the impact was investigated.
BOSTON (AP)  A 17-year-old girl attending a private party at an upscale Boston hotel last February was shot in the head and killed when she swatted the hand of a man holding a gun, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The suspect, Messiah Leggett, 21, of Boston, was arraigned Monday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm in the death of Nalijah Andrade, of New Bedford.

Not guilty pleas were entered on Leggett's behalf and bail was set at $25,000.

His attorney, Meg Stanley, said the investigation is ongoing.

It is too early for me to comment as it is a pending matter. Please keep an open mind until all the evidence is presented to the court as the case gets underway," she wrote in an email Tuesday.

Andrade was among four juvenile girls who attended the party at the Hyatt Regency on Feb. 4, according to a statement from the office of Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins.

The partygoers were drinking and taking selfies" with the 9mm semi-automatic pistol, authorities said.

Mr. Leggett was handling the gun in a playful manner when Ms. Andrade swatted at his hand, causing him to accidentally discharge a single round of ammunition," prosecutors said.

Another man who allegedly handled the gun at the party also faces charges and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 5.
Two weeks after the 2020 election, a team of lawyers closely allied with President Donald Trump held a widely watched news conference at the Republican Partys headquarters in Washington. At the event, they laid out a bizarre conspiracy theory claiming that a voting machine company had worked with an election software firm, financier George Soros and Venezuela to steal the presidential contest from Trump.

But there was a problem for the Trump team, according to court documents released Monday evening.

By the time the news conference occurred Nov. 19, Trumps campaign had already prepared an internal memo on many of the outlandish claims about the company, Dominion Voting Systems, and the separate software company, Smartmatic. The memo had determined that those allegations were untrue.

The court papers, which were initially filed late last week as a motion in a defamation lawsuit brought against the campaign and others by a former Dominion employee, Eric Coomer, contain evidence that officials in the Trump campaign were aware early on that many of the claims against the companies were baseless.

The documents also suggest that the campaign sat on its findings about Dominion even as Sidney Powell and other lawyers attacked the company in the conservative media and ultimately filed four federal lawsuits accusing it of a vast conspiracy to rig the election against Trump.

According to emails contained in the documents, Zach Parkinson, then the campaigns deputy director of communications, reached out to subordinates on Nov. 13 asking them to substantiate or debunk several matters concerning Dominion. The next day, the emails show, Parkinson received a copy of a memo cobbled together by his staff from what largely appear to be news articles and public fact-checking services.

Even though the memo was hastily assembled, it rebutted a series of allegations that Powell and others were making in public. It found:

 That Dominion did not use voting technology from the software company, Smartmatic, in the 2020 election.

 That Dominion had no direct ties to Venezuela or to Soros.

 And that there was no evidence that Dominions leadership had connections to left-wing antifa activists, as Powell and others had claimed.

As Coomers attorneys wrote in their motion in the defamation suit, The memo produced by the Trump campaign shows that, at least internally, the Trump campaign found there was no evidence to support the conspiracy theories regarding Dominion and Coomer.

Even at the time, many political observers and voters, Democratic and Republican alike, dismissed the efforts by Powell and other pro-Trump lawyers like Rudy Giuliani as a wild, last-ditch attempt to appease a defeated president in denial of his loss. But the false theories they spread quickly gained currency in the conservative media and endure nearly a year later.

It is unclear if Trump knew about or saw the memo. Still, the documents suggest that his campaigns communications staff remained silent about what it knew of the claims against Dominion at a moment when the allegations were circulating freely.

The Trump campaign continued to allow its agents, the motion says, to advance debunked conspiracy theories and defame Coomer, apparently without providing them with their own research debunking those theories.

Coomer, Dominions onetime director of product strategy and security, sued Powell, Giuliani, the Trump campaign and others last year in state district court in Denver. He has said that after the election, he was wrongly accused by a right-wing podcast host of hacking his companys systems to ensure Trumps defeat and of then telling left-wing activists that he had done so.

Soon after the host, Joe Oltmann, made these accusations, they were seized upon and amplified by Powell and Giuliani, who were part of a self-described elite strike force of lawyers leading the charge in challenging Joe Bidens victory.

On Nov. 19, for example, Powell and Giuliani appeared together at the news conference at the Republican National Committees headquarters and placed Coomer at the center of a plot to hijack the election by hacking Dominions voting machines. By Powells account that day, the conspiracy included Smartmatic, Venezuelan officials, people connected to Soros and a massive influence of communist money.

Powell and Giuliani did not respond to messages seeking comment on the documents. Representatives for Trump also did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Trump continues to falsely argue that the election was stolen from him, and in recent months Powell and Giuliani have stuck by their claims that the election was rife with fraud. An attorney for Giuliani said in a court filing last month that at least some of his claims of election fraud were substantially true.

And as recently as three weeks ago, Powell told a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the 2020 election was essentially a bloodless coup where they took over the presidency of the United States without a single shot being fired.

It remains unclear how widely the memo was circulated among Trump campaign staff members. According to the court documents, Giuliani said in a deposition that he had not seen the memo before he gave his presentation in Washington, and he questioned the motives of those who had prepared it.

They wanted Trump to lose because they could raise more money, Giuliani was quoted as saying in the deposition.

But at the time that the internal report was prepared, Giuliani and Powell were both active supervisors, as he put it in his deposition, in the Trump campaigns broader plan to challenge the election results  an effort that eventually included more than 60 failed lawsuits filed across the country. While Powell soon went her own way in claiming that Dominion had conspired to steal the election, Giuliani continued working closely with Trump and his campaign, ultimately changing strategies and seeking to persuade state legislatures to overturn the popular vote.

The motion notes that the lines were blurred as to whom Powell was working for at the time: herself, her nonprofit organization or the Trump campaign. Almost immediately after she promoted the conspiracy theory about Dominion at the news conference in November, Trump sought to distance himself from her. But by December, as Trumps legal options narrowed, the former president considered bringing her back into the fold and discussed whether to appoint her as a special counsel overseeing an investigation of voter fraud.

The release of the documents was only the latest legal trouble for Giuliani and Powell, both of whom have been sued directly by Dominion for defamation. Dominion has also brought a defamation suit against Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, for amplifying false election claims. Last month, a federal judge in Washington ruled that the cases could continue moving toward trial.

About the same time, a federal judge in Detroit ordered penalties to be levied against Powell and eight other pro-Trump lawyers  Giuliani was not among them  who filed a lawsuit that sought to overturn the election results in Michigan using the false claims about Dominion.

This case was never about fraud, Judge Linda V. Parker wrote in her decision. It was about undermining the peoples faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so.

In June, a New York court suspended Giulianis law license, ruling that he had made demonstrably false and misleading statements while fighting the results of last years election for Trump.

Even recently, the new court documents say, former Trump campaign officials have continued to cling to the baseless notion that the election was marred by fraud.

When attorneys for Coomer asked Sean Dollman, a representative of the Trump campaign, in a deposition if the campaign still believed that the election was fraudulent, he answered, Yes, sir.

The lawyers then asked, What is that opinion based on?

According to the court documents, Dollman gave a less than certain answer.

We have no underlying definite facts that it wasnt, he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  Tunisias president has announced plans to draft a new electoral code and appoint a transitional leadership  and to hang on to the exceptional powers that he seized in July, throwing the countrys young democracy into question.

In a speech Monday night, President Kais Saied promised that the new initiatives would respect Tunisians hard-fought rights and freedoms and democratic constitution.

Saied's actions have sidelined Tunisia's long-governing Islamist party, which accuses him of a coup, and worried Islamist groups around the region. While many Tunisians welcome his moves, human rights groups and some others are concerned about the future of the only country to emerge from the turbulent Arab Spring uprisings with a new democratic system.

Saied spoke to supporters in the impoverished town of Sidi Bouzid, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, where many people are disillusioned with the countrys failure to solve economic and social problems since overthrowing its repressive leaders a decade ago.

He defended his July 25 decision to suspend parliament, fire the prime minister and seize executive powers, which he said was needed to save the country amid unrest over financial troubles and the government's handling of Tunisias coronavirus crisis.

He invoked a special constitutional article allowing such measures in the event of imminent danger to the nation, and said they would be in place for 30 days. But they have been extended until further notice.

Danger still hangs over the country and I cannot leave it like a puppet in the hands of those who act in the shadows, and of corrupt people, Saied said Monday. He accused unidentified players of conspiring to cause chaos and confusion in Tunisia, and said, There is no question of going back.

He promised a new electoral code to hold lawmakers more accountable to constituents, and transitional arrangements to run the country before he names a new prime minister. He did not detail them.

Several lawmakers and prominent figures have been jailed since his power grab.

In the face of criticism from international human rights groups, he insisted that rights and freedoms will be respected, and that no one is being jailed for political views.

The North African nation was widely seen as a model for budding democracies but has failed to cure chronic unemployment and other social ills, especially in neglected provinces.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Energy officials from Qatar and Turkey, long-standing foes of the United Arab Emirates, descended on Dubai along with hundreds of other executives on Tuesday, flocking to the world's largest gas expo and the industrys first in-person conference since the pandemic began.

In a scene that would have been unthinkable just a year ago, the Emirati oil minister held forth from a crowded conference room beside the Qatari minister of state for energy, the first such visit since the UAE and three other Arab states imposed an embargo on Qatar in 2017.

Also present was the deputy energy minister from Turkey, similarly at odds with the UAE over the Turkish governments support for Islamist groups in the Middle East.

But there was no mention of those long-simmering political differences at Tuesdays event. Instead, the carpeted halls buzzed with cheery talk of the importance of natural gas in the world's looming energy transition. The exhibition came as world leaders prepare for a crucial U.N. climate summit, in Glasgow in November.

We think gas is definitely going to be part of the solution ... I think we need to join hands to make sure that this mammoth task that we're embarking on can be practically achieved," declared Saad al-Kaabi, minister of state for energy affairs in Qatar, home to some of the worlds largest gas reserves.

When asked by a crush of reporters about the economic yield of improved relations with the UAE, al-Kaabi kept it brief.

Our relationship is good with the UAE and any business dealings were doing ... will not be discussed, he said.

The officials refrained from shaking hands or bumping elbows but the group photo alone revealed a foreign policy shift, as the UAE seeks to bury the hatchet with its regional rivals. Last month, the influential Emirati national security advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, before flying to Qatar for talks with its ruling emir.

The flurry of diplomacy aims to mend ties that frayed over Turkey and Qatars support for the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings that empowered Islamists across the region. The rift between Turkey and Qatar on one side and Gulf Arab powerhouses on the other has fueled wars from Libya to Syria as well as the ultimately unsuccessful boycott of Qatar, which ended earlier this year.

The backdrop for the detente was fitting, with each energy-dependent country increasingly preoccupied with how to fuel a post-pandemic economic recovery. The officials discussed a crunch in natural gas supply that has led prices to surge and scores of tankers to line up off Qatar's coast. They expressed skepticism about the frenzied push to eliminate carbon emissions when fossil fuels remain key to supplying the world's electricity.

I think we have to be realistic, but unfortunately there is a drive now for being emotional about net zero and its pace," said Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei.

Turkey, which has sparred with neighbors over drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean in its push to become an energy hub, has similarly sought to cool tensions with long-time rivals like Egypt.

Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkey's deputy energy minister, told reporters he hoped the country's gas discoveries and projects would help us to solve some of the regional conflicts, our conflicts between neighbors.

The modest optimism even extended to the prospect of more Iranian oil coming on the market in the future after years of U.S. sanctions throttling Iranian oil sales.

(Iran) looks forward to coming back to the market to play their constructive role, said OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo.

But negotiations between Iran and world powers on reviving their nuclear deal have stalled for months, and Barkindo admitted he could offer no timeline for Iran's return.

"We have to take everything step by step," he said.
The Justice Department and officials in six states have filed a lawsuit to block a partnership formed by American Airlines and JetBlue, claiming that it will reduce competition and lead to higher fares.

The Justice Department said Tuesday that the agreement will eliminate important competition in New York and Boston and reduce JetBlue's incentive to compete against American in other parts of the country.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the lawsuit was about ensuring fair competition that lets Americans fly at affordable prices.

In an industry where just four airlines control more than 80% of domestic air travel, American Airlines alliance with JetBlue is, in fact, an unprecedented maneuver to further consolidate the industry," Garland said in a statement. It would result in higher fares, fewer choices, and lower quality service if allowed to continue.

American and JetBlue vowed to fight the lawsuit and to continue their alliance unless a court orders them to stop.

American and JetBlue announced their deal last year and have already started to coordinate flights in the Northeast. They argue that it is a pro-consumer arrangement that has already helped them start 58 new routes from four airports in New York and Boston, add flights on other routes, and plan new international destinations.

American CEO Doug Parker said that blocking the deal will take away consumer choice and inhibit competition, not encourage it. This is not a merger: American and JetBlue are  and will remain  independent airlines.

The lawsuit comes two months after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on government agencies to help consumers by increasing competition in the airline industry and other parts of the economy.

The Transportation Department approved the agreement, with certain conditions, in January during the final days of the Trump administration. The airlines gave up some takeoff and landing slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Reagan National Airport outside Washington, and they agreed not to cooperate on setting prices.

Instead of suing now, the (Justice Department) should have waited and monitored and held us accountable to the benefits that we said this would deliver, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in an interview.

Hayes disputed the Justice Department's belief that the deal will stop his airline from competing against American outside the Northeast. He noted that JetBlue this year started flying from New York to London and between Miami and Los Angeles, important routes for American.

Despite the green light from the Transportation Department, antitrust lawyers at the Justice Department began examining the deal more closely this spring and requested interviews and documents from the airlines, according to an airline lawyer involved in the case.

In the last three weeks it became apparent that the Justice Department was likely to file a lawsuit, said the attorney, who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions with the regulators were private.

The airlines call their partnership the Northeast Alliance or NEA. It lets American and JetBlue sell seats on each other's flights and give customers reciprocal benefits in the separate frequent-flyer programs.

American and JetBlue argue that the deal is pro-consumer by making their combination a stronger competitor in the Northeast. Together, the airlines say, they controlled 16% of the regions air-travel market before the partnership, and that has grown to 24%.

The airlines argue that the Justice Department has no evidence that their agreement is leading to higher fares. Air-travel prices have been hurt by the pandemic, which continues to cut into travel demand and push fares lower.

American and JetBlue argue that nothing in their deal controls pricing, and that each airline will continue to set its own fares.

Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines filed formal complaints against the American-JetBlue alliance, however, arguing that  along with a similar deal on the West Coast between American and Alaska Airlines  it will make American too big.

The Justice Department lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Massachusetts. The department was joined by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arizona and the District of Columbia.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin state Sen. Andre Jacque was discharged Tuesday after a five-week hospital stay that included being intubated and placed on a ventilator due to pneumonia after contracting COVID-19.

Sen. Jacque is doing much better, his spokesman Matt Tompach said in a statement Tuesday. He is in touch with his staff on legislative and district issues, and he is reaching out to his friends and colleagues.

Jacque, a Republican and one of the Legislature's most conservative members who fought vaccine and mask mandates, was hospitalized Aug. 16 after testing positive for the virus and testifying at a packed Capitol hearing. Jacque did not wear a mask at the hearing.

Jacque was intubated and placed on a ventilator Aug. 23. His office did not say how long he was ventilated. Placing COVID-19 patients on a ventilator is often the last option of treatment when a patient is struggling to breathe. Some patients who are placed on ventilators do recover.

Jacque is continuing respiratory and occupational therapy, Tompach said.

He is feeling good mentally, breathing well, and making substantial progress toward regaining his health, Tompach said.

Jacque, 40, is from De Pere and has six children, including an infant. His wife, Renee Jacque, said that five of their eight family members tested positive for COVID-19. She said that of the three fully vaccinated family members, one person contracted the virus with mild symptoms.

Jacque has been outspoken against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including sponsoring bills that would prevent government officials or business owners from requiring proof of vaccination. He, like other Republicans, opposed the statewide mask mandate that the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down in March.

Jacque was first elected to the state Assembly in 2010 and served four terms before being elected to the Senate in 2018. Jacque serves the 1st Senate District, which covers all of Door and Kewaunee Counties, as well as portions of Brown, Calumet and Manitowoc counties.
BERKELEY (BCN)

Berkeley police are involved in a police action in the area of Ninth Street between Virginia and Delaware streets.

Police advise avoiding the area. No additional information was included in a 3:11 a.m. news release from the Berkeley Police Department.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
PACIFICA (BCN)

The public has an opportunity to chat with law enforcement officers over coffee Tuesday morning in Pacifica.

Officers from the Pacifica Police Department and the California Highway Patrol's San Francisco office will host a "Coffee With a Cop" event from 7:30-11 a.m. at Starbucks, 500 Linda Mar Blvd. in the Linda Mar Shopping Center, according to a police retweet of a post by the CHP.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico education officials say they are demanding additional oversight of a narrow slice of federal funding awarded to Albuquerque Public Schools following a criminal probe into a former employee.

District officials reported the alleged fraud this summer after staff first noticed irregularities in contracts in the career and technical education department in 2018. That led to a criminal investigation regarding about $5 million in questionable contracts.
Like many other San Francisco tech companies, Google has yet to return to its offices. With its campus on Embarcadero going largely unused, conceptual artist Danielle Baskin got to thinking about what type of business might swoop in on that kind of vacant real estate.

Given that Oct. 31 is just a little over a month away, the answer was obvious: Spirit Halloween, the costume store that moves into strip malls every year in the months proceeding the holiday.

Baskin, best known for her viral fake website Blue Check Homes or her app that connects strangers for phone conversations, happens to own a commercial-size printer from a previous sign-making business. So she put it to use by printing out a 10-foot vinyl replica of the Spirit Halloween logo, then ironed it onto fabric purchased from Mission Fabric Outlet. There wasn't vector art of the logo online, Baskin said, so she hand-rendered it.

Courtesy of Danielle Baskin

Then with the help of a few friends, she installed the banner over Google's logo at the company's San Francisco office. The group also put up official-looking construction signage and other Spirit Halloween ephemera, such as job flyers. It was largely done for a laugh, but the prank does have broader significance.

"Right before the pandemic, I had a studio space on Market Street and we got kicked out because they were changing ownership of the building," Baskin told SFGATE over the phone from outside the Google office. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about unused real estate in San Francisco. So many people wish they had a wood shop, or space to make things. And there's just so many empty weird lobbies with chairs that no one sits in, and offices where the employees don't even come to work because they're welcome to work from home anytime."

Courtesy of Danielle Baskin

Once they had installed the sign, Baskin and her crew of 10 pretended to be Spirit Halloween staffers. Dressed in construction uniforms, they carried around boxes and pretended to argue about their manager, hoping to have some silly interactions with pedestrians.

"We thought we would be doing a lot of interaction with people who work in the area, but it is a ghost town here. Which is actually where Spirit Halloween comes in. It's like the grim reaper of dying industries," said Baskin.

After about two hours, Google finally caught wind of the prank and a security team arrived ... in the middle of our phone interview.

"Oh ... someone with a walkie-talkie is approaching the sign," said Baskin, while standing next to a dolly and stack of boxes. "OK great, I get to watch this unfold in real time. I wonder if they'll come up to me and think that I did it. We should probably leave. OK, we've got a lot of security coming. I'm going to get off the premises, just casually."

Courtesy of Danielle Baskin

Corresponding later via direct message, Baskin said that Google took down the sign and reported the incident but took no further action. She tried to convince the eight security guards on the scene to let her keep the sign to repurpose it, but as of time of publication, the location of the sign is unknown. Although the sign may be lost for good, the prank lasted longer than Baskin expected.

"It's just a joke to point out all the empty space that sits here," Baskin wrote. "It's in a beautiful location too, this building overlooks the bridge and its such a beautiful area, but it's totally unused. No one's even in this courtyard, because I don't think people feel welcome to hang out at Google headquarters."

Courtesy of Danielle Baskin

As for the actual Halloween holiday, Baskin isn't yet sure how she'll celebrate it, but the experience at Google was a nice teaser for Oct. 31.

"I feel like I got to dress up with friends and pretend to do a load-in. So, that was like a mini Halloween," she said.
Just across the street from one of Pacificas most popular coastal hiking trails sits a little red caboose thats been turned into a cafe. This in itself is not unique  in this shopping plaza alone, theres a barbecue spot in a converted railcar as well as an old train station thats been transformed into a steakhouse.

P-Town Coffee and Tea, though, serves not only your standard coffee and bagels, but also boba  some of the best Ive ever had. And Im saying this as a former resident of Berkeley, boba mecca of the Bay Area.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

After tackling the fairly short but sometimes treacherous Mori Point Loop Trail, I knew I deserved a reward. Id endured narrow stretches of rocky trail nail-bitingly close to the edge of a cliff, had my face mauled by the relentless wind and was out of breath after ascending the steep Bootleggers Steps. Sure, it was all incredibly beautiful, but it was lunchtime, and Id had enough sand pelted at my face  I needed to be somewhere less windy, preferably with snacks.

Maybe its my vegetarianism that made me beeline for P-Town Coffee and Tea instead of the two meatier options near the trailhead, but Im glad I did. At first, the large block-lettered COFFEE sign on top of the caboose was what beckoned me, but another sign below announcing boba tea, as well as a waving mannequin in overalls and a pug flag flapping in the wind (more on the pug theme later), sealed the deal.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Inside, I was immediately overwhelmed by a long and eclectic boba menu, from Nutella milk tea to chipotle pineapple and mango. P-Town seemingly had everything: bagel sandwiches, pastries, a drool-worthy chocolate macadamia nut latte and even cute earrings for sale.

The person in front of me ordered the Rainbow Railroad, a very Instagrammable pastel pink and blue beverage made with butterfly pea flower tea, watermelon and cotton candy. I was intrigued but settled on something a little less sugar-bomby: the strawberry mango mojito with green tea, as recommended to me by very friendly co-owner Jeremy-Tristahn Bascara Jr.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

As it turns out, my drink was on the secret menu, a reference that took me straight back to my short-lived days as a Jamba Juice employee. This secret menu, however, wasnt so secret  it was written in chalk on a small blackboard beneath the main menu at the front counter.

Its too hard to fit everything on the menu, so this adds a little bit of allure to it, a little bit of novelty like, Ooh, what's the secret menu? explained Bascara.

The first sip of my mojito boba, which was nonalcoholic, was heaven after a day spent breaking a sweat outside. Refreshingly fruity and not too sweet, the pile of fresh mint made it feel a little sophisticated. Basking in the sun on the coffee shops homey outdoor seating area, I think I downed it in five minutes flat.

---

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

This charming caboose lived many lives before becoming P-Town Coffee and Tea  most recently as another coffee shop, and before that as a jewelry store. A placard inside the train car dates it back to 1935, when the previous owners believed it was part of the historic Pacific Coast Railway, which ran from 1882 to 1941 on Californias Central Coast.

Owners Bascara and Ashlee Shelton, a long-time Peets Coffee barista, stumbled across the caboose on Craigslist after deciding they wanted to open their first business together. Unfortunately, their opening day happened to be March 1, 2020.

We didn't have any idea what was going to happen 11 days later, said Shelton. ... The first two weeks were great, and then it was really slow for two or three months.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

They used the downtime for research and development on new boba and coffee concoctions, and eventually, business picked back up. A year and a half into the pandemic later, they said they feel fortunate to still be standing.

Its one of my favorite places, so I was really happy that we found the place in Pacifica, said Shelton. I've always wanted to live there.

When the couple first began dating in 2018, Shelton was living in San Jose, working two jobs while also going to school, and Bascara was living in San Francisco, working 70-hour weeks as a power line worker. The idea to open a business together came in part from the simple desire to spend more time together (Why did I want to own a coffee shop? The answer, much like myself, is not very complex at all  I did it for my girlfriend, because it was cheaper than a wedding ring, jokes Bascara on the coffee shops website).

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

We would have one day every week where wed be able to get together, explained Bascara. ... As much life that we sacrificed the 10 years that we were working six days a week and 14-hour days, with all the money that we saved up, we could start something on our own and spend more time together. Unfortunately, we opened in a crazy time, but luckily we've been able to survive.

Now, the couple has moved to Pacifica together with their four pugs, who are celebrated with an array of pug paraphernalia in the shop (even in their logo, if you look closely). They now spend six days a week together working in the snug 200-square-foot caboose  a complete 180 from how little time they used to have together..

We run into each other a lot. During the weekend, it gets super busy  it's like an art form, it's like a dance, said Bascara. It took us a while to get used to each other and figure out how each of us like to work, but after a while, it's kind of like second nature.

---

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

While Shelton and Bascara inherited much of the bagel and coffee menu from the previous coffee shop, the addition of boba was all them. There werent many other boba shops in Pacifica, so it felt like a smart business decision  plus, boba makes for a nice reward after you go hiking or surfing, said Bascara.

They started out with the basics, but then began experimenting with more unique flavors they liked, inspired by everything from Bascaras love of Nutella to Sheltons love of mojitos.

When we first started dating, we would frequent Dutch Bros a lot, explained Bascara. So our place is like an homage to Dutch Bros and a boba tea shop in San Jose that we liked to go to a lot.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

While the cabooses quirky setting and diverse boba flavors are tempting enough, its the owners warm personalities that make P-Town Coffee worth the trip out to foggy Pacifica.

One person told me that they could get a frappuccino anywhere, but they come here for the friendly service, said Shelton.

Where else can you get boba and coffee and earrings and pastries and bagels in one place? added Bascara. Its everything that we love. Its basically our personalities in the store ... maybe it's a bit overwhelming, but were just doing our thing.
Istanbul municipal police units on Monday stopped a van on suspicion in the Sultangazi district on the European side of the city, according to report by the Demiroren news agency.

The teams found the immigrants jammed inside the vehicle and informed police forces, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

These immigrants have reportedly tried to go to the northwestern border province of Edirne, some 240 km away from Istanbul, to cross into Greece.

Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been increasingly witnessing an influx of Afghan refugees fleeing the country following last month's takeover by the Taliban.

The country hosts more than 4 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrians, within its borders, mostly in Istanbul.

--IANS

ksk/
These topics are expected to dominate Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's speech at the opening session, according to a UN source familiar with his thinking.

Climate change with the UN climate change conference in Glasgow scheduled for November, the Covid-19 pandemic and Afghanistan are expected to be among the top items on the agenda for the meetings billed as the High-Level Week.

He will sound a "five-alarm" warning on the dangerously deteriorating global situation in these and other areas, the source said.

The source said that Guterres is also expected warn about the risks from tensions between the US and China.

By tradition, Brazil is scheduled to be first national speaker at the session under the leadership of Assembly President Abdulla Shahid, the Foreign Minister of Maldives.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is to be in person at the Assembly on Tuesday followed by US President Joe Biden.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the Assembly in person on Saturday at the start of the day's session at 9 a.m. New York time (6.30 p.m. Indian Standard Time) after his visit to Washington for the QUAD summit.

Ahead of his speech, which is expected to highlight India's contribution of vaccines in the global war on the pandemic, New Delhi has announced that it will resume exports vaccines that many countries desperately need.

Global security and terrorism have been the mainstays of his UN speeches and the topics take on urgency after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in New York on Monday for diplomacy on the sidelines of the Assembly.

He will represent India at several of the meetings held alongside the Assembly sessions and also hold bilateral talks with many leaders starting with British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss who took over the post last week.

The side events dealing with specific topics started off on Monday with an informal roundtable of some heads of state and government on climate change that was convened by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Guterres.

A virtual Covid-19 summit convened by Biden on Wednesday will be one of the major events on the sidelines of the Assembly and his Spokesperson Jen Psaki said it will be an effort for "expanding and enhancing our shared efforts to defeat" the pandemic.

Amid fears that the UN event could become a Covid super-spreader, the participation has been pared down and 54 of the speakers will address the Assembly virtually.

The others will come with smaller delegations.

China and Russia are listed among those sending in pre-recorded statements.

Russia's virtual representation has been downgraded with only Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov scheduled to speak on Saturday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is engaged in a diplomatic tiff with the US over the submarine deal, cancelled his virtual speech scheduled for Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to speak later in the week.

The two countries are at odds over the breach of Australia's contract to buy submarines after the US offered Canberra nuclear-powered submarines.

Beijing was originally scheduled to be represented by a Deputy Prime Minister on Saturday afternoon, but on Monday there was a late switch and President Xi Jinping is now scheduled to speak virtually on September 27 at the end of the morning session.

According to sources at the UN, Xi asked for the change so he could respond to any possible critical statements by Biden and highlight his country's contributions to fighting climate change and the Covid pandemic and avoid being overshadowed by Biden.

Although Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was marked on the roster as speaking in person on Thursday, sources at the UN said that he will instead send a pre-recorded statement.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, however, arrived here on Monday evening to promote his country's causes in person, especially after its ally Taliban overran Afghanistan.

Khan's standard outbursts against India and the BJP that has consumed the bulk of his previous addresses can be expected to be repeated again.

As in previous years, a junior diplomat from India's UN mission may respond to him.

Although the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan and announced its government, Ghulam Isaczi, who was appointed Permanent Representative by the former President Ashraf Ghani, continues to represent his country at the UN.

He is to be the last speaker of the High Level Week and is expected to attack the Taliban's usurpation of power and its regressive policies while asking countries not to recognise the regime.

Myanmar's Permanent Representative Kyaw Moe Tun, who was appointed by the democratically elected government that was overthrown by the military will also speak for his country, also on September 27.

They will continue to represent their countries until the Assembly's Credentials Committee meets to decide who should be recognised as their envoys.

The issue of Afghanistan's representation may scuttle the Foreign Minister's meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which is usually held on the sidelines of the Assembly session but has not been scheduled.

Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will not be coming to the UN.

In his speech on Tuesday, Biden will focus on fighting Covid and climate change, the State Department's senior official for international organisations, Erica Bark-Ruggles, said.

"As defeating Covid-19 is the highest priority for the US, it is also a top priority of ours during the UN General Assembly," she said.

He will ask all countries to do more to deal with the Covid pandemic and with the climate crisis, Bark-Ruggles said, adding that the President will also voice support for "the rules-based international system", a term that refers to China's aggressive expansionist policies.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)

--IANS

al/ksk/
"We need $1 billion to rebuild the damage left during the latest wave of tension in May and the previous Israeli wars waged on the Gaza Strip," Xinhua news agency quoted Naji Sarhan, undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, as saying.

Gaza, Sep 21 (IANS) A senior Palestinian government official said that the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip has kicked off and it needs $3 billion to be completed.

"We need another $2 billion to revive Gaza and bring it back to life," he added.

Several countries have provided grants to start the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip, including Qatar and Egypt.

The two countries announced that they contributed $500 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sarhan added that Qatar and Egypt presented a vision related to distributing their grants to various sectors in Gaza, including housing, infrastructure, health, education, economy, and agriculture.

On May 10, Israel waged an intensive military offensive on the Gaza Strip that went on for 11 days.

The offensive, that killed 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, ended after Egypt brokered a truce between the Jewish state and the Hamas.

Sarhan said that during the last wave of tension between Israel and Hamas, around 1,500 housing units were completely destroyed.

He added that 880 housing units were severely damaged and 56,000 housing units were slightly damaged.

--IANS

ksk/
The non-recognition of the Covishield vaccine has impacted the Indians, especially students travelling to the UK.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) India will reciprocate the same discriminatory protocols for the UK nationals if the British government fails to recognize the Indian Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, the sources said on Tuesday.

This issue was flagged during the meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday in Washington DC.

Truss has assured India that the UK government will review its policy against Covishield in a day or two. If the situation remains the same, India will be forced to apply the same discriminatory protocols for their citizens, a top source in the External Affairs Ministry said.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla while addressing the media on Tuesday asserted that non-recognition of Covishield was a discriminating policy and "it impacts our citizens travelling to the UK. The EAM has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved."

The vaccine, Covishield, is a licensed product of the UK manufacturer and about five million doses have been supplied at the request of the UK Government as part of the National Health System.

On September 20, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India will resume the export of Covid-19 vaccines under Vaccine Maitri initiative in October.

Noting that the vaccination of its own citizens remains the top most priority of the government, he also said that the decision to resume vaccine exports has been taken "in order to fulfil the commitment of India towards COVAX, in line with our motto Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family.

As part of the Vaccine Maitri initiative earlier this year, India had supplied over 66 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to more than 70 countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mexico, DR Congo, Nigeria and the UK.

--IANS

ams/skp/
Macron responded in an effusive tweet, "Thank you for reaffirming the importance of our strategic partnership. India and France are strongly committed to making the Indo-Pacific an area of cooperation and shared values. We will continue to build on this."

"We place great value on our strategic partnership with France, including in the UNSC (Security Council)," he said.

Modi tweeted after his virtual interaction with French President Emmanuel Macron that they discussed "closer collaboration between India and France in the Indo-Pacific".

He prefaced it by writing in Hindi, "Namaste priya saathi, priya mitra (Namaste dear comrade, dear friend)."

In New York, Jaishankar began his round of diplomacy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High Level Week on Tuesday by meeting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves LeDrian.

He called Paris a "strategic partner" and said at the Security Council the two countries are "solid partners".

Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting that they had a comprehensive discussion "on Afghanistan, Indo-Pacific and other contemporary issues".

He later met with Quad partner and Australia Foreign Minister Marise Payne and tweeted that they "took forward the strategic conversations" from their last meeting.

He added that he "was apprised of the recent developments in the Indo-Pacific".

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in a Quad summit with US President Joe Biden and Prime Ministers Yohihide Suga of Japan and Scott Morrison of Australia, the allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

India, which has strong defence ties with France that sells it advanced aircraft, is caught in the middle of the dispute between its Quad partners, the US and Australia, and France.

France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra protesting against the manner in which Biden's administration worked out a plan to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines undermining a contract worth more than $50 billion for France to supply submarines to Australia.

LeDrian has called it a "back-stabbing" and said that Biden's "brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision" reminded him of former President Donald Trump's "America First" policies.

France has to ensure that India, one of its biggest defence clients, is not wooed away through its close Quad ties.

Underlining France's concerns over India and the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar and LeDrian held a phone conversation last Saturday.

Closer in the Indo-Pacific region, Jaishankar met with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, whom he described in a tweet as "a key ASEAN partner".

He said that they discussed regional developments and added, "Shared interests and common perspectives drive our strong cooperation."

Jaishankar also met with Foreign Ministers Hossein Amirabdollahian of Iran and Sameh Shoukry of Egypt in a morning of whirlwind diplomacy.

Iran is a direct neighbour of Afghanistan and developments there impact it as it does India.

The "meeting reaffirmed our convergence on regional issues", Jaishankar tweeted.

India has routed aid to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port it is developing in Iran.

Besides agreeing to build on bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar tweeted that he and Shoukry exchanged views on Afghanistan and the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam).

Egypt and Sudan are locked in a dispute with Ethiopia over a dam project, which they say can disrupt the Nile on which they depend for their water.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

--IANS

al/arm
Das's lawyer, advocate Debangshu Shekhar Das told IANS that those accused of vandalising the Hindu community's houses are on bail but his client is in jail for six months, and his family is in dire straits as he is the only earning member.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice K.M. Zahid Sarwar fixed the date after hearing on the petition.

On March 15, Hefazat-e-Islam's then leaders Junaid Babunagari and Mamunul Haque spoke at a rally in Sunamganj's Derai upazila to protest Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Hefazat activists alleged Das, from Noagaon village under Habibpur union parishad of Shalla upazila, had posting an "objectionable" Facebook status against Mamunul Haque. Arrested on March 16, Das was produced on the next day before a court, which sent him to jail.

Meanwhile, over a hundred Hefazat activists attacked the Hindu community in Noagaon village over the Facebook post on March 17, vandalising and looting around 90 houses and temples.

A case was filed with Shalla police station over the attack while a case under the Digital Security Act was filed against Das at the same police station.

Das's wife Sweety Rani Das said: "Those who were arrested for attacking our village were freed but my husband is still languishing in jail."

His lawyer said: "Jhumon's bail petition is now awaiting hearing at the High Court. He has the right to get bail even on humanitarian ground. Bail petitions have been submitted on seven occasions to date."

Advocates Z.I. Khan Panna, Nahid Sultana. and Ashraf Ali stood for Jhumon Das while assistant attorney general Mohammad Mizanur Rahman represented the state.

Das' son Soumya was six months old when his father landed in jail. He turned one on September 12 and he is yet to recognise his father, though playing with his photograph. His aunts threw a small party on Soumya's first birthday. A small cake was cut and some children from nearby houses were invited.

Meanwhile, Das's elder brother, 27-year-old Nupur Das said: "Managing bread and butter is a big challenge for us. We now have to spend money on the case of my brother. I don't know how long this will continue."

Das' wife is struggling to manage the family in her husband's absence. She is also worried about her admission fees for her graduation. The family hope that Das would be released on bail soon.

--IANS

sumi/vd
"We do not see the positive statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan as interference in the internal matters of Afghanistan," said the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabiullah Mujahid, at a news conference in Kabul.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) The Taliban said on Tuesday that they admire Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's efforts for peace, stability and an inclusive government in Afghanistan, the Express Tribune reported.

The spokesperson added that Pakistan, Qatar and China are playing an active role for stability in Afghanistan.

"We will welcome the role of the countries which are interested to work with good intent for peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added, the report said.

"We are heading towards an inclusive government. More people from different ethnicities, including Hazaras, technocrats and educated people, have been inducted in the interim cabinet. The cabinet formation is not complete yet and more people will be included in it," Mujahid said.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson expressed confidence that economic activities would soon resume in the country.

Ahead of talks on Afghanistan at the UN General Assembly, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the most urgent priority is averting an even deeper economic collapse of the neighbouring nation that could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe.

On September 3, the Taliban had heaped praise on Pakistan for its longstanding contributions towards the people of Afghanistan.

--IANS

san/arm
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott says the majority of Australian businesses are hopelessly unprepared for cyberattacks, a mounting threat as the digitisation of society gains pace and criminals exploit vulnerabilities during COVID-19.

Mr Elliott said Australian businesses lost about $850 million from cyber-related scams and attacks last year and warned small-to-medium sized businesses were exposed to mounting costs if they failed to build adequate protection.

ANZs chief executive Shayne Elliott says Australian businesses are unprepared for cyber attacks. Credit:Arsineh Houspain

Australian businesses are nowhere near well enough prepared for this. I would describe the position as woeful actually, Mr Elliott said.

Mr Elliott, speaking at a Trans-Tasman Business Circle event on Tuesday, said scams had increased by about 75 per cent last year as Australians work and interact digitally during lockdowns to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The head of outdoors retailer Kathmandu is hoping a bout of revenge spending will improve the companys fortunes ahead of the Christmas rush, as shipping issues and lockdowns weigh on sales.

Michael Daly, Kathmandus recently appointed chief executive, told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald he was still positive on the outlook for the rest of the calendar year despite a weak start to the new financial year for the companys eponymous brand and its surfwear division Rip Curl.

Kathmandu is hopeful for a rebound in sales ahead of the Christmas period.

As weve seen historically, with other lockdowns easing there are all sorts of revenge spending [that occurs], he said.

I think there will be strong results that will arise in all parts of the world, particularly Australia, New Zealand, as we come out of a lockdown, but its just a question of when and how.
The designer said in April 2014 that he and Buckley had gotten married in the US. Fourteen months later, a Supreme Court ruling would make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. Tom has seen me through so much, from throat cancer to my brother and mother dying 48 hours apart, to more bouts of pneumonia than I can count, Buckley told the New York Times in 2019, noting that Ford had sewn him turtleneck wool dickeys with keyhole slits for his tracheotomy tube and a black silk scarf with slits to wear at formal events. Ford wrote about their relationship in an essay for the Love Issue of Out magazine in 2011. One of the things that always amuses me  amuses isnt even the right word, because it doesnt amuse me  but often, Ford said in the essay, Im at dinner parties with very close friends, straight, and they realise that Richard and I have been together 24 years, and the response is often, Wow, you guys have been together 24 years! Thats so amazing. I dont think of gay men being together that long. And Im, like, Why? What are you talking about? Some of the longest relationships I know of are same-sex couples. He added, Richard and I are bound together, and I think thats what that recognition is when you look someone in the eyes and you feel like youve known them forever. It is a kind of coming home.

By Tuesday morning, people from the fashion industry and those with ties to Los Angeles had shared personal stories about Buckley and their condolences on social media. Friends of Buckley described him as a man known for his curiosity, kindness, wit and style. In his condolences on Instagram, Cameron Silver, owner of vintage store Decades on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, wrote about how he met Buckley in 1997 shortly after Decades opened. He purchased a neon and black swirl 60s dress on eyelash fabric, Silver wrote. Richard asked me lots of questions and was generally keen about why I had opened a vintage clothing store. Within a few days, Tom Ford had popped in and then Lisa Eisner. All explained that Richard had told them about this new vintage store on Melrose Avenue and the youngish guy who had opened it. Over the next few years, when I flew to Paris to shop for vintage or go to the flea markets, Richard would often accompany me. Silver went on to mention Buckleys inquisitive nature and his spot-on design tastes. I remember asking Richard about the furniture of Jacques Adnet and a desk Id seen as I was naive to the value of the design, he wrote. Richard said, Buy it and the desk now resides in the upstairs dressing room at Decades. Designer Rachel Zoe posted her condolences as well on Instagram, including a photo of Ford kissing Buckleys cheek.

We have lost such a beautiful and special soul, a gentleman of the greatest kind, Richard Buckley, Zoe wrote. To know him was an honor, to have had deep meaningful conversations with Richard was a gift I will hold tight forever. He was brilliant, witty, unapologetically honest and so very elegant. What was most extraordinary about Richard was his true love and dedication to Tom and as a father to his son Jack. I will miss you so very much Richard. May you Rest In Peace and with the angels friend Costume designer Arianne Phillips, who worked with Ford on his two feature films, A Single Man (2009), his directorial debut, and Nocturnal Animals (2016), posted a short message on Instagram, including the photo of Ford kissing Buckley: a love like this rest easy beautiful elegant friend #RichardBuckley Loading In an Instagram post, designer Zac Posen described Buckley as a class act in the old school way. He had a keen eye, an excellent sense of humor, and was whip smart. He was the most loving and supportive partner to Tom, Posen wrote. It was such a beautiful thing to witness. I always felt a huge sense of relief over the past 20 years when I would see Richard and Tom. He loved and appreciated real glamour, style and class. He always checked in with me about my career, life and, of course, who I was going to be dressing for the Oscars. His honesty, perspective and care was a real rarity. I will miss Richard a lot. My deepest condolences to Tom and family.
Victorian upper house MP Bernie Finn has come under fire from his colleagues again, after he berated the states police force as the modern incarnation of the Despots militia on social media.

Mr Finn said on Facebook: I have always been a staunch supporter of the men and women of Victoria Police.

I cant extend that support to the modern incarnation of the Despots militia. It horrifies me!

Liberal spokesperson for police, Brad Battin, commented on the post, saying that was not the view of the party. The police are delivering on bad laws by a terrible Government, Mr Battin said.

The front line cant choose which laws to follow. There are ways to fix this, we need to get rid of Daniel Andrews.

As a former police officer I understand what it is like to face protesters - it is not great.

Despot is an apparent reference to Andrews.

James Newbury joined in the criticism of Mr Finn, saying Victoria Police cant pick and choose what laws to enforce.

Your comments do not reflect the views of the Liberal Party and you should withdraw them immediately and apologise, he said.

Earlier this year, Victorian Liberal Party members said former leader Michael OBriens political standing was being damaged by his continued refusal to rebuke upper house Mr Finn after his controversial comments about riots at the US Capitol.

Meantime on Wednesday, federal Veterans Affairs Minister Andrew Gee rebuked the protesters, calling their take-over of the Shine of Remembrance disgraceful and saying those who participated in it are to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

They should be ashamed of themselves, he said.

The Shrine of Remembrance is one of our countrys most significant memorials and holy places.

It is a place of solemnity and quiet reflection. To use it as a protest site violates this sanctity and denigrates and disrespects the memory of those who have served and sacrificed so much for our nation.

There can be no justification for this outrage.
NSW has reported 1022 new local coronavirus cases, as it was announced stay-at-home restrictions would be reintroduced for three regional councils.

Meanwhile, some western Sydney councils now have first-dose vaccination rates of above 95 per cent, as people continue to come forward for shots ahead of NSWs planned reopening next month.

Lockdown measures will be reintroduced in the Byron, Kempsey and Tweed council areas in northern NSW from 5pm on Tuesday for one week.

Unfortunately, weve had some cases in the northern part of the state, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said at Tuesday mornings coronavirus update.
Joyce suggests that Porter would have a bit of time on (his) hands now that he is on the backbench  just like Mr Joyce himself had for three years there. If this is true, why are we paying full pay for all those other parliamentarians on the backbenches? - Beth Hansen, Alstonville Lucky for Porter that a cabinet minister is not held to the same lofty standards of behaviour and integrity as NRL players. Perhaps ministers are not seen as role models. - Tony Judge, Woolgoolga French pique is understandable Richard Ogier is correct (Weve trashed a relationship with a strategic ally, September 21). In effect, we have slapped the French twice across the face, firstly in trashing the relationship and secondly in the loutish and inconsiderate way that the message was delivered. The French both value and expect good manners from each other and their allies; and consideration of and respect for the feelings of others is one of the glues that holds French culture and civilisation together. The appalling behaviour of our government towards the French will have negative consequences for Australians for many years to come. Yet another example of this Prime Ministers all tactics and no strategy approach. - Pauline Croxon, Undercliffe France has withdrawn its ambassador and complained of Australias lies, duplicity and betrayal. The French are plainly furious. But within hours Scott Morrisons spin doctors had sent out the talking points to all ministers and backbenchers. France, the PM assured us, was merely disappointed, not angry. Disappointed is how I feel when a barista gives me a flat white instead of a latte. Its not how I feel when I am ripped off by a mate. The fact that Morrison is so good at the message and so hopeless at things that require skill and sustained effort (like diplomacy) is further proof that he is all sizzle and no sausage. - Mike Reddy, Vincentia

David Salter points out that as yet no specific evidence of any military threat to which nuclear powered submarines might be a necessary response has been shown (Letters, September 21). However, if, as Neil Ormerod suggests, the fallout from the AUKUS agreement thrusts Australia into a position where we are forced to take real and decisive action against the proven threat of looming catastrophic climate change, then it will have been worth it. - Meredith Williams, Northmead Isnt it ironic that with AUKUS and the nuclear subs deal, Morrison spruiks the high-tech benefits of collaboration in AI, quantum technology, cybersecurity and missile technology while at the same time his government denudes the university sector. Where does he think the Aussie collaborators will be educated? - Pierre Mars, Vaucluse Ive heard and read a number of people dismissing French complaints about abandoned submarine contracts as tough luck to those who did atomic testing at Mururoa Atoll. Ironically, there is no mention of the tests conducted on Australian soil at Maralinga by one of our new partners in a submarine contract. - Mary Schultz, Willoughby Bang goes my holiday in New Caledonia. - Patricia Slidziunas, Woonona Its a race, but its also a gamble

The odds are short that 5000 (and possibly up to 15,000) well-dressed and fully or partly vaccinated racegoers will gather at the prestigious Everest race next month (Everest capped at 5000 people if jab target hit, September 21). I can purchase my ticket online already. The odds are much longer that I will finally be allowed to visit my 98-year-old relative who languishes with dementia in a nice aged care facility, being denied a single social visit for many months because my local area still has some COVID-19 cases. Will she last long enough to outlive the odds? If only Peter Vlandys could advocate for the aged care industry as well. - Carey Buls, Saratoga Racing NSW is no stranger to controversy when it comes to The Everest, with the 2018 stoush over the Opera House sails creating a stir. Lets hope the risky notion of allowing thousands of punters to be at the race is as unlikely to succeed as allowing thousands of climbers on the real Everest. - Joan Brown, Orange A betting person might like to wager that NSW will lift lockdown on Friday, October 15. Strangely enough, there will be a horse race on the next day. - Nola Tucker, Kiama So thousands of people can attend The Everest and, still, we arent allowed to play lawn bowls. I am disgusted with some of the decisions being made during this emergency. Apparently, the lawn bowling community doesnt have enough influence where it counts. Money talks in NSW. - Jan Waddington, Mona Vale Caught in spin cycle

Apparently, its the Labor Party, languishing in opposition for the past decade or so, that must address rising levels of economic inequality, feelings of powerlessness and underprivilege and resentment at Sydneys divisions (Letters, September 21). The Coalition is adept at deflecting responsibility for its own failures of governance but being able to persuade a gullible electorate to blame an opposition is nothing short of diabolically brilliant. Those who reward this deception will only have themselves to blame when wages continue to flatline, home ownership and job security remain the preserve of the wealthy, hospitals and schools overflow and unrestrained pork barrelling and patronage go stratospheric. - Alison Stewart, Riverview Anyone who believes that miners, tradies, construction workers and engineers are still Labors blue-collar base is seriously misguided. These workers are todays aspirational upper-middle class and associate themselves as small business people. Todays Labor base are those mainly in caring professions such as teachers, healthcare workers, aged and disability care, those in precarious employment situations and students. The majority being female. It is time that Labor wakes up to its real base and fully focuses on progressive policies that support and address their needs. - Mark Berg, Caringbah South No, gender and racial issues are the very reasons people struggle to pay the rent and put food on the table (Letters, September 21). - Trina Supit, Stanmore The current Labor Party dilemma was first identified by Kim Beazley snr at a state conference in the early 70s when he thundered: When will you middle-class perverts stop using the Labor Party as a cultural spittoon? - Mike Kenneally, Manly Road rage

Have I understood this correctly? The NSW government has sold the remainder of the WestConnex motorway to Transurban for $11.1 billion; $5 billion of which will be splashed around in the western suburbs as an election sweetener, with no mention of social housing (Western suburbs to get $5b cash boost, September 21). So, once people are allowed out of their LGAs of concern, they will pay more to drive to work in other suburbs. So glad the latte divide is just a figment. - Jenny Forster, Manly Little wonder were confused about saving the planet when motorways become the state governments cash cow. Under my own suburb, in the heart of the Premiers electorate, the proposed Beaches Link is set to destroy hundreds of mature trees and pollute Middle Harbour, while nearby smokestacks will overshadow nine major schools. The government that proudly promotes its green power credentials flatly refuses to listen to compelling alternatives to tollways. Ah, come to think of it, its not confusing at all. - Peter Farmer, Northbridge Hooray. The NSW government says it is ploughing $5 billion into western Sydney. I and 5 million other people look forward to the day when we read: Parramattas unique Roxy Theatre now rescued, restored, refurbished and reopened in its original 2000-seat art deco design. - Paul Brennan, Woollahra Trust deficit About 40 years ago, I sat in a restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, getting introduced to distant second cousins, when the father of one said to his sons: Keep your voice down. That person over there looks suspicious. As a young Australian at the time, I found it difficult to comprehend what I was hearing. Scared of talking openly? But such was life in the era of Romanias president Nicolae Ceausescu. This came to mind when I read Saman Shads article (Shaming lockdown sinners has to stop, September 21). The trust that normally exists between neighbours and friends in Sydney has been eroded since David Elliott, the NSW Police Minister, asked members of the public who saw people breaking health restrictions to contact police. As a result, we saw the shaming of a former Liberal prime minister, Tony Abbott, who was fined for not wearing a mask after a member of the public took his photo. I am sure Elliott could not have foreseen what his comments could have led to. However, it is a good example of being careful of what you wish for. - David Vale, Cremorne Point
The City of Sydney has cancelled this years New Years Eve family fireworks display despite the states scheduled reopening in the coming weeks, saying the move is necessary to keep the event resilient amid the uncertainty of COVID-19.

Asked about the decision, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said, while safety had to be a priority, it was pre-emptive to pull the plug on the family fireworks when NYE was still 100 days away.

Last years NYE fireworks were a scaled back affair at midnight only. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

A leaked email from the City of Sydney to stakeholders, seen by the Herald, said the council will in effect copy last years NYE format and cancel the traditional 9pm fireworks, the harbour of light parade and the lord mayors picnic.

The midnight fireworks display will go ahead but will be centred around Circular Quay and the inner harbour only, while crowd arrangements are still being decided.
NSWs peak legal body is calling for a significant review into the states compulsory acquisition laws to even the stakes between the government and landowners, who say theyve been squeezed by officials buying lots for major infrastructure projects.

The NSW Law Society says the government should show the basis for the offer it initially puts forward instead of dissatisfied landowners having to counter it with their own professional valuations before the government shows its hand.

The site of the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, the destination of a future $11 billion metro line. Credit:James Brickwood

The society also says the six-month negotiation period between the acquiring authority and landowners should begin when the offer is received, not when the latter is first told of government plans to take the land.

It comes as there are mounting questions from within the government about the adequacy of land acquisition laws as residents say they have been unjustly dealt with over landmark projects such as the Western Sydney Airport and Sydney Metro line.
A cohort of international students enrolled at the Queensland University of Technology have spent much of the pandemic at home, attending classes via Zoom.

But they are still forced to pay full on-campus fees, without any financial support or the Australian university experience they were promised.

QUT has come under fire for its lack of support to international students stranded overseas. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The situation has led to calls from international students, and the national body that represents them, for more assistance for the exiled cohort.

Business masters student Sirisha Veera, who is studying at QUT from her Singapore base, said she had looked forward to the diversity and cultural exposure the university promised every student. Instead, she felt alone, dispensable, and emotionally and financially exhausted by learning from home.
Dr Lydeamore: The health system will be very stretched, but it is within capacity. Dont forget those are cumulative over a six-month period, so there wont be 7611 people in ICU at once, theyre spread out. For states with no cases, well have to wait and see but probably the 80% optimal scenarios would be a good starting place. Q. The Dohertys scenarios generally only run for six months. Why is this? Can we assume peak effects will occur within those first six months? A. Dr Lydeamore: We only showed plots of scenarios to six months out because the future is very uncertain. Its highly likely that states will change their policies reactively to case numbers to keep in check, and these havent been included in the modelling. Almost all of the scenarios peak within six months, and for those that dont, we have run them for longer for the purposes of reporting clinical outcomes like hospitalisation and mortality.

Twelve-year-old Eve, accompanied by her mum Narelle, having his first coronavirus vaccination at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital Credit:Eddie Jim Q. The Doherty report talks about 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination thresholds for the 16+ population. Seventy per cent of the adult population represents about 56 per cent of the whole population. How big a difference does vaccinating kids make to the modelled outcomes? A. Professor Nick Golding, Telethon Kids Institute and Curtin University: This is the thing that surprised us about COVID when it first emerged: it is surprisingly unable to transmit among kids. They can transmit it, but the numbers are much lower. Also, when you vaccinate the parents of those kids because they are not particularly able to transmit to one another  you dont get that much transmission in schools, or sustained transmission. A lot of kids we see getting infected are getting infected by their parents at home.

Professor Jodie McVernon, Director of Doherty Epidemiology, Doherty Institute: When we looked at adding 12 to 15-year-olds over and above that target, at the whole population level, they made a relatively smaller contribution [to reducing transmission]. At this point in time, if we had vaccination rates tracking with the 16-plus population at target percentages, anything else is a bonus. Q. Do the Dohertys modelled scenarios assume vaccination rates stop at 70 or 80 per cent, or do they continue to rise after reopening? A. Professor McVernon: In our simulation, vaccination coverage continues past 80 per cent to about 90 per cent. And thats obviously really important in the final control of disease. Q. Many of the Dohertys modelled scenarios assume either optimal or partial test, trace, isolate and quarantine-system (known as TTIQ) effectiveness. Given were going to open up and allow large numbers of infections, how realistic is this? Could these systems break down? Liam: The modellers are very bullish we could maintain partial TTIQ, although optimal TTIQ is unlikely under high case loads. As states get better at contact tracing, especially getting better at contact tracing during large epidemics, the TTIQ improves. They emphasise its not a heroic assumption, but based on real-world performance data.

A. Dr Freya Shearer, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne: Weve seen, even in the last few months, states that have had higher caseloads have been adapting, changing their strategies, trying to find efficiencies in the way they do TTIQ. There are probably ways we can achieve similar levels in reductions of infectiousness with different strategies that are more efficient. COVID-zero - no longer the goal in NSW or Victoria. Credit:Getty Q. When the report was published, in August, case levels were low. Now, NSW and Victoria have both abandoned their COVID-zero strategies in the face of Delta outbreaks. How big a difference does this make to the findings of the report? A. Professor McVernon: We undertook a sensitivity analysis (presented to the national cabinet on Friday and published here) where we seeded our outbreaks at 70 and 80 per cent [vaccine coverage] with hundreds, or thousands, of cases. Overall, our conclusions were robust. However, there was one important distinction. At the 70 per cent threshold, starting off with thousands of cases meant - because in all our simulations vaccine coverage was ongoing - in this window between 70 and 80 per cent, when the system was more robust, we did see there was the opportunity for cases to grow more rapidly. And that led to overshoot - the ultimate size of the epidemic was bigger. The logical conclusion was jurisdictions should look at the situation they are in, they should look at how their infections are being controlled, and those who are coming into the 70 per cent mark with thousands of infections should aim to keep case numbers as low as possible by continuing to suppress epidemic growth. We showed how medium restrictions were able to do that, until they got to the 80 per cent threshold.

Liam: At 70 per cent there are predicted to be 977,638 cases, 38,301 hospitalisations, 9143 ICU admissions and 7043 deaths Australia-wide. Also worth noting in this model, vaccination rates continue to rise to about 90 per cent. Professor James McCaw, Professor in Mathematical Biology, University of Melbourne: NSW is not having a complete open-up freedom day. We dont recommend that, and I dont see any evidence thats how states are approaching this. All the discussions in NSW and Victorian road maps are about a staged step-down of restrictions. Thats compatible with the work weve got. Q. Will we still need to wear masks once we pass the 80 per cent vaccination threshold? A. Dr Lydeamore: I think masks are probably here to stay, even indoors. And I think the reason for that is they are a relatively low-cost impost that reduces transmission by some amount.

Q.Is the NSW epidemic curve bending? Is that linked to vaccination? Given Victoria is only a couple of weeks behind on its vaccine journey, is the state likely to see the same effect? A. Professor McCaw: You can see a slow and steady decline in transmission potential (the modelled ability of the virus to spread, based on population behaviour, restrictions, and vaccination level) in NSW, and thats almost entirely due to the vaccine rollout. There has been some small changes in behaviour and mixing within NSW. But its mainly a vaccine effect. Were seeing the transmission potential reduce in Victoria as well, due to the vaccine - its just a little bit higher. The vaccine is a little behind in Victoria compared to NSW. And there are some slight differences in Victorians mixing behaviours compared to NSW. But I would anticipate, over the coming weeks, Victorias transmission potential would get very close to 1, if not drop under 1. And with that, it makes control that much easier. On herd immunity... Professor McVernon: What we showed was, even at very high levels of vaccine coverage, we wont stop COVID in its tracks. We were seeing back in July many countries opening back up with freedom days and seeing escalating case counts. On the economic effects of lockdowns ...

Professor McVernon: The first piece of work we did was in partnership with Treasury. It was the joint position of health and Treasury that keeping case numbers low was good for health and for the economy. Treasury gave the example of the US, where they didnt want to have restrictions for the sake of the economy, but at high caseloads people were too afraid to go outside. Q. There are different models, showing different outcomes. How should we make sense of these differences? A. Professor McCaw: Whats important to consider  over a period beyond about a month, epidemiological modelling is really giving you a list of possibilities and scenarios, as opposed to predictive forecasts, in the sense of like a weather forecast. You need to look at all the assumptions, and say if this happened, and if this, and if this. But the national plan, and the way the states have responded throughout this pandemic, is responsive and adaptive. If restrictions are eased, and cases started to grow faster than we expected, we would be measuring it and advising, and I would hope governments would respond. We need to keep measuring and monitoring the situation, particularly at a sub-regional level. That is to me by far the most important part of this, rather than is this compatible with some abstract scenario or not?.
On Monday, those feelings exploded into action. Their frustration was directed not at the state government but at the union itself. A crowd marched off city construction sites to the unions Elizabeth Street office, smashing windows, hurling abuse and projectiles at Mr Setka, who, they chanted, was Dan Andrews bitch. The mayhem continued on Tuesday, initially in front of the union office, and later with protesters ranging widely around the city, blocking traffic and setting off flares. The Age has spoken to half-a-dozen union people with strong links to and knowledge of the CFMEU, none of whom would comment publicly, fearing retribution or for their jobs. They say that while the CFMEU construction division is publicly regarded as a militant left-wing union, over the past 15 years its politics and practices have morphed. Under Mr Setka, the CFMEU has left behind the strong class-based stance of its former leaders John Cummins and Martin Kingham and the Builders Labourers Federations Maoist leader, Norm Gallagher.

Long-time left-wing activists complain that Mr Setka has surrounded himself instead with a patronage network of shop stewards who are often related to him or, like him, from the Croatian community. Many are, in fact, fiercely anti-communist and right-wing, with their families having fled Titos Yugoslavia. One Setka supporter attended a stewards meeting last year with a sticker on his car of a Croatian army division which fought alongside the Nazis in the 1940s. And among these groups, anti-vax sentiment is rife. A logo of a pro-Nazi Croatian militia. Over months, Mr Setka has been forced to play a delicate game, supporting vaccines publicly while some of his members, and strongest supporters, wanted to fight any push to make the jab mandatory.

He was also under intense pressure on another front after his estranged wife, Emma Walters, provided a sworn statement to police in late August that Mr Setka had assaulted her. He had been previously convicted of harassing her and breaching court orders in 2019 and ever since has been on the warpath against opponents in the labour movement who want him to quit. An investigation into the alleged assault remains ongoing, police have confirmed. At the same time, conditions in the construction industry were imploding. Three major Melbourne sites had significant COVID-19 outbreaks. Loading That industry was one of the few that had stayed largely open throughout Victorias 200-plus days of lockdown. Now, suddenly, there was pressure for it to shut down. When Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton ordered last week that lunchrooms must close and vaccines would be mandatory from September 24 for those who wanted to continue working, the frustrations came into full public view.

Last Friday, workers downed tools and closed city streets to use tram lines and roads as their lunchrooms. Some even wheeled out barbecues. It was a classic building worker protest  an up yours to the bosses and the government. Many who know Mr Setka suspect he helped orchestrate it, or at least encouraged it. Loading Mr Setka denied it was even a protest  the blokes just needed somewhere to eat. The public reaction, however, was mostly negative. Many others, they noted, were suffering through the pandemic and were unable to work. What did construction workers have to complain about?

Inside the union, some observed what a blunt instrument the governments directives were. The closure of lunchrooms was significant in a hazardous industry while the mandatory vaccination order did not account for the bubbling tension within the sector. For some workers, it fed an ever-present sense of victimhood. For others, it pointed to the CFMEUs lack of influence and input under a leader isolated from much of the labour movement. Then on Monday came the trigger. Workers hated a proposal pushed by the union for no rest breaks and workers being paid eight hours for six hours work. Most construction contractors rejected the push as well. People walked off their city building sites in their hundreds. Senior CFMEU figures say far-right activists and anti-vaxxers exploited the situation, but it was wrong to say, as Mr Setka did on Tuesday, that there was a small minority of construction workers at Mondays melee who had quickly walked away because of the violence of professional protesters.

People inside the CFMEU office fend off protesters with fire extinguishers on Monday. Credit:Justin McManus Senior figures estimated that about 80 to 90 per cent of the protesters were construction workers. Others said they knew many of the people at Mondays rally as union delegates and members. Not all were opposed to vaccinations or were right-wing. Some were annoyed at the union caving in on safety and workers rights. But by the end of the day, the union office was under such serious attack that officials turned fire hoses on protesters. In the end, they were bailed out by police, long the enemy of the CFMEU. The government promptly shut down the industry for a fortnight. The blowback has been swift. Some rally attendees have already been sacked by their employers, industry sources say. Publicly, the union movement and supporters dismissed the protesters as far-right ring-ins and Nazis; Mr Setka colourfully called them fascist un-Australian morons. But a separate message from four of Victorias building unions, including the CFMEU, seemed to mix that message: they had warned the government against making vaccines mandatory, they said, because it would cause anger and discontent in the industry.
COVID-19 vaccination for children aged under 12 is unlikely to happen in Australia before Christmas, experts say, but preliminary studies indicate youngsters have a strong immune response to the jab.

American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced on Monday its vaccine is safe for children aged five to 11, and it will seek US authorisation for this age group. It marks a crucial step toward beginning vaccinations for younger children.

Children aged 12 to 15 are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Credit:Eddie Jim

Infectious diseases expert from the University of Sydney Professor Robert Booy said this initial study indicates a very strong antibody response against the virus, for this cohort.

He said data also indicates children aged 12 to 15 respond well to the immunisation and for many, one dose may be enough, noting for teenagers the rare risk of myocarditis is higher with a second shot, and more common in boys.
Anti-lockdown protests turned violent in Melbourne at the weekend when police clashed with more than 700 protesters on the streets of Richmond in the inner city.

More than 230 people were arrested and ten police officers injured as the initially peaceful march devolved into violent clashes, with projectiles thrown at officers and OC spray deployed.

But as the situation turned, it wasnt just protesters caught up in the melee; working journalists and photographers were also injured by police in the clash.

Footage from the incident shows a police officer rushing and knocking into a photographer who was filming the incident as the photographer repeatedly yelled media.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has written to the head of Pfizer Australia asking the pharmaceutical company to provide data on the effectiveness of its vaccine in young children as soon as possible as some health experts say they should be vaccinated as a matter of priority.

On Monday evening Australian time, Pfizer announced trials of its vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 showed it was effective and safe, with minimal side effects. That trial data is yet to be published, but Pfizer said it would be applying for emergency approval from the US medical regulator before making similar applications in Europe.

Twelve-year-old Eve, accompanied by her mum Narelle, having her first coronavirus vaccination in Melbourne last week. Credit:Eddie Jim

Mr Hunt told the managing director of Pfizer Australia Anne Harris in his letter that should the vaccine be approved for under 12s by Australian regulators, the younger cohort would receive vaccines as a priority.

I note the announcement that Pfizer International is now intending to apply for regulatory approval of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 12. I encourage and invite Pfizer to submit a parallel application to the TGA for Australian regulatory approval at the earliest possible time, Mr Hunt said.
Sydneys construction sites will be back at full capacity from Monday, two months after the NSW governments snap decision to close the $10 billion industry in a bid to halt ballooning case numbers in the Delta outbreak.

The government updated its position on Tuesday after crisis cabinet agreed to scrap the 50 per cent capacity rule, which had been in place for Greater Sydney from August after the initial two-week closure.

The government has scrapped the 50 per cent capacity limit on construction sites from Monday. Credit:Kate Geraghty

From Monday, all construction sites throughout NSW can operate with one person per 4 square metres.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the sector was crucial to the economy, and it was important to get it back to full throttle as quickly and as safely as possible.
Police were expecting protesters to again flock to the city on Wednesday after rioters, including construction workers and aggressive activists, demonstrated against Victorias lockdown, mandatory vaccines and the construction shutdown on Monday and Tuesday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy joined the chorus of politicians and public figures condemning the riots, which Mr Morrison described as highly distressing. Chief Commissioner Shane Patton and Premier Daniel Andrews speak to media on Wednesday. Credit:Wayne Taylor None of us are above the law, Mr Morrison said. These are measures that we have seen in other states and when it comes to the construction sector and the outbreak. Similar arrangements were put in place in NSW and I think it is very important that we exercise that patience, and we get through what is a very difficult time. The Prime Minister, who is in the United States, said he had been in text message contact with Mr Andrews, prompted by the Victorian earthquake on Wednesday.

Mr Guy said the protesters should go home and described their behaviour as ridiculous and embarrassing. Loading Their actions are bringing scorn upon themselves, Mr Guy said. I dont care who they are or where they are from  I see others trying to pigeonhole these people and it doesnt matter. These people are breaking the laws. Theyre assaulting police, they should go home and their actions are worthy of being condemned. Mr Andrews reiterated his governments commitment to mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for the construction sector, saying there were more coronavirus cases in construction than in aged care in Victoria. There are 350 cases in construction, over 150 different sites during August and September. This is real. Unless we took this action, and unless we see compliance higher, then well continue to see the spread of this virus and that puts everything at risk, he said.

Im gutted to have to shut down this industry. We have all worked so hard to keep it open for the whole duration of this pandemic event, but I cant just see cases ticking up and up and up, people not wearing their masks, no compliance ... you cant ignore that. In my job over many years, I have met hundreds and thousands of builders, hundreds and thousands of tradies who build this state ... theyre fine people, hard-working people, and what we saw yesterday is an insult to the vast majority of tradies or people in the building industry who are not about wrecking. Riot police on standby at the Shrine of Remembrance. Credit:Eddie Jim Mr Andrews said he had not spoken with union bosses about the protests, but he insisted that while construction workers were involved, there were others who were not from the building industry among the 2000 demonstrators who took to the streets on Tuesday. It was the first time Mr Andrews had fronted the media following Tuesdays violent rally, which brought the city to a standstill. Defending his decision not to address the media earlier, Mr Andrews said he had other matters to deal with.

I think if you were to check the record, there will be no politician in this country that has done more media, more regularly, than me, he said. Loading More than 500 police officers were mobilised to respond to the violent rally on Tuesday, which started at the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Unions city headquarters, before travelling through the CBD to Parliament House and stopping traffic on the West Gate Bridge. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said police would do everything in their power to stop the illegal gatherings, pledging there would be no cat and mouse games. Deputy Premier James Merlino labelled protesters thugs and vowed justice would be done.

Make no mistake: this is thuggery, this is criminal behaviour, and will be responded to accordingly by Victoria Police who are doing an exceptional job, Mr Merlino said. Mr Patton said Tuesdays protest included people from the construction industry and people tied up with the so-called Freedom Rallies that have taken to the streets to protest the lockdowns. We know from what we have been monitoring that people are being encouraged to put on high-vis gear, to put on workwear, to come in under the cover of a crowd and not necessarily tradespeople, Mr Patton said. Protesters on the West Gate Bridge on Tuesday. Credit:Jason South

Police Minister Lisa Neville thanked the police and described the protesters as thugs who have sought to cause harm, cause injury. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson condemned the protests, but said she wanted to raise serious concerns about the Andrews governments decision to shut down the construction sector. I condemn these violent protests, but I understand why so many workers are turning against the [Andrews] government, Ms Henderson posted on Twitter. The overnight shutdown of the construction sector is punishing 320,000 hard-working Victorians. Draconian restrictions must end. She called for the lockdown in Geelong and Surf Coast to end immediately.
Loading Premier Daniel Andrews, who did not front a press conference, released a statement in the evening condemning the terrible behaviour. Acts of violence and disruption wont result in one less case of [COVID-19]  in fact it only helps the virus to spread, he said. CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka, the target of Mondays demonstration, distanced his union from the crowd, saying they were drunken morons. Many appear to be construction workers, but a number of other groups flags were seen. The protesters have vowed to stage actions daily until worksites reopen. Tuesdays march began at the construction unions Elizabeth Street headquarters at 10am before police dressed in full riot gear and brandishing crowd-control weapons moved them on. Lighting flares, the protesters then snaked past state Parliament and Flinders Street Station before they evaded police lines and ascended the West Gate Bridge by mid-afternoon. Traffic from the city was brought to a standstill as men hitched rides on the back of utes.

The march followed a violent confrontation at the union headquarters on Monday, hours before the state government announced it was closing construction sites statewide. The proposed shutdown had been debated between Andrews government ministers and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton for several days before the decision was taken. Fundamental disagreements remain between the industry and government and there is no certainty that the industry will reopen in two weeks as planned. Protesters walk towards the West Gate Bridge. Credit:Jason South Responding to growing concerns over non-compliance leading to new infections at worksites, Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan and Industry Support Minister Martin Pakula spent last week working with industry to keep workers on the job. Professor Sutton and the governments senior cabinet agreed on a series of tighter regulations as a last resort, including a vaccine mandate and a ban on tea rooms.

The Chief Health Officer admitted a shutdown of the industry had been a live question before the decision on Monday and said after almost two weeks of warnings, it would give the industry the shock it needed to stick to the rules. In the same way that you dont wear a hard hat on your elbow  you wear it on your head  masks on chins does not do the job in construction and transmission was occurring, Professor Sutton said. The government announced that 337 of the states 6000 active cases were linked to construction sites. Mr Pallas said on Tuesday he was confident that both the large majority of construction workers wanted to get vaccinated and that two weeks would be enough time for the sector to recalibrate, led by the vaccine mandate and ongoing random compliance checks.

Loading A fear of apprehension drives behaviour in most cases, he said, admitting the closure would cost the states economy more than $1 billion a week. Master Builders Victoria chief executive Rebecca Casson said she understood health officials needed to act quickly, but what weve seen over the last few days is potentially a result of the intricacies of the industry not being understood by some people. Business Council of Australia chief Jennifer Westacott accused the Andrews government of putting Victorias economic recovery at risk through its snap shutdown. Praising the NSW governments decision on Tuesday to reopen the construction industry at full capacity, Ms Westacott said the Berejiklian government had taken a sensible, risk-based approach to unwinding restrictions and letting people get on with their lives. NSW has demonstrated that a best-practice model ... throughout this outbreak, NSW has worked closely with industry to problem solve and develop solutions in partnership, she said.

CFMEU national construction secretary Dave Noonan insisted the Melbourne protests were an attempt to co-opt the union and that most of the attendees are far-right and neo-Nazi groups. Mr Noonan dismissed reports that at least half of the protesters opposing mandatory vaccination and the shutdown of Victorias construction sector were genuine construction workers, instead claiming they were anti-vaccination extremists. Protesters outside State Parliament on Spring Street. Credit:Chris Hopkins In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Victorian nurses demanded the Melbourne protesters stop fighting for the right to overwhelm our health system. The Victorian branch secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Lisa Fitzpatrick, called on the protesters to stop thinking only of themselves, stop the violence and put the health and welfare of the Victorian community first.

Loading Firefighters union chief Peter Marshall said that professional firefighters had continued to respond to emergencies throughout the pandemic and its an insult to their work, and to the efforts of every frontline worker, to see these protesters so selfishly ignore the rules. However, Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy called for the heavy-handed construction industry shutdown to be reversed and rapid antigen testing to be implemented. Federal Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash also seized on the violent protests to attack the Labor Party, calling on them to stop taking donations from the CFMEU, even though they were the targets of violence, not the instigators. Todays violence from a number of their members shows that [Labor leader] Anthony Albanese needs to cut off the CFMEU once and for all, said Senator Cash, who is also the Attorney-General. Professor Sutton said construction workers regularly travelled over 20 kilometres to get to work, potentially spreading the virus long distances. That was demonstrated by 49 regional Victorian residents contracting COVID-19 at a worksite in Melbourne, he said.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Nairobi: In parts of Ethiopias Tigray region, people now eat only green leaves for days. At a health centre last week, a mother and her newborn weighing just 770 grams died from hunger. In every district of the more than 20 where one aid group works, residents have starved to death. For months, the United Nations has warned of famine. Now internal documents and witness accounts reveal the first starvation deaths since Ethiopias government in June imposed what the UN calls a de facto humanitarian aid blockade. In this photo provided anonymously, a severely malnourished child is treated in an intensive care unit at the Ayder Referral Hospital, where medicines have almost run out and hospital staffers havent been paid since June, in Mekele, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia in Sept. Credit:UGC/AP Forced starvation is the latest chapter in a conflict where ethnic Tigrayans have been massacred, gang-raped and expelled. Months after crops were burned and communities were stripped bare, a new death has set in. The UN calls it the worlds worst hunger crisis in a decade. You are killing people, Hayelom Kebede, the former director of Tigrays flagship Ayder Referral Hospital, recalled telling Ethiopias health ministry in a phone call this month. They said, Yeah, OK, well forward it to the prime minister. What can I do? I just cry. Hayelom shared with The Associated Press photos of a few of the 50 children receiving very intensive care because of malnutrition, some of the first images to emerge from Tigray in months. In one, a small child stares straight into the camera, a feeding tube in his nose, a protective amulet lying in the pronounced hollow of his throat. The blockade marks a new phase in the 10-month war between Tigray forces and the Ethiopian government, along with its allies. Now the United States has issued an ultimatum: Take steps to stop the fighting and let aid flow freely, or new sanctions could come within weeks.

Advertisement

The war began as a political dispute between the prime minister, 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed, and the Tigrayans who had long dominated Ethiopias repressive national government. In June, the Tigray forces fighters retook the region of 6 million people, and Ethiopias government declared a ceasefire, citing humanitarian grounds. Instead, it has sealed off the region tighter than ever. UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Joseph Senesie screens children for malnutrition in Adikeh, in the Wajirat district. Credit:UNICEF/AP More than 350,000 tonnes of food aid are positioned in Ethiopia, but almost none of it can get into Tigray. The government is so wary of supplies reaching the Tigray forces that humanitarian workers boarding rare flights to the region have been given an unusual list of items they cannot bring: Dental flossers. Can openers. Multivitamins. Medicines, even personal ones. The list, obtained by the AP, also banned means of documenting the crisis such as hard drives and flash drives. Tigray has returned to darkness, with no telecommunications, no internet, no banking services and very little aid. Ethiopias prime minister and other senior officials have denied there is hunger in Tigray. The government blames the Tigray forces and insecurity for troubles with aid delivery and says it has reduced the number of checkpoints that slowed convoys. It also has accused humanitarian groups of supporting the Tigray fighters. The prime ministers spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, did not say when the government would allow basic services to the region. The government has opened access to aid routes by cutting the number of checkpoints from seven to two and creating air bridges for humanitarian flights, she said in a statement. However, medical supplies on the first European Union air bridge flight were removed during government inspection.

Advertisement

In the most extensive account yet of the blockades toll, a humanitarian worker told the AP that deaths from starvation are reported in every single district of the more than 20 in Tigray where one aid group operates. The group had run out of food aid and fuel. The worker, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Currently, there are devastating reports coming from every corner, the aid group wrote to a donor in August, according to documents shared with the AP. In April, the group wrote that 22 people in one sub-district had starved to death. In August, another staffer visited a community in central Tigray and wrote that some people are eating only green leaves for days. One aid worker who recently visited Tigray described the effects of the deprivation: Some toilets in crowded camps for the displaced are overflowing without the cash to pay for their cleaning, leaving thousands of people vulnerable to outbreaks of disease. People who ate three meals a day now eat only one. Camp residents rely on the charity of host communities who often struggle to feed themselves. Its worse than subsistence, the aid worker said.

Advertisement

At least 150 people starved to death in August, including in camps for displaced people, the Tigray External Affairs Office has alleged. The International Organisation for Migration, the UN agency which supports the camps, said: We unfortunately are not able to speak on this topic. Food security experts months ago estimated that 400,000 people in Tigray face famine conditions, more than the rest of the world combined. But the blockade means experts cannot collect needed data to make a formal declaration of famine. Such a declaration would be deeply embarrassing for Ethiopia, which in the 1980s seized the worlds attention with a famine so severe, also driven by conflict and government neglect, that some 1 million people died. A severely malnourished child at the Ayder Referral Hospital in Mekele. Credit:UGC/AP Now malnutrition rates are near 30 per cent for children under 5, the UN World Food Program said on Wednesday, and near 80 per cent for pregnant and breastfeeding women. As the war spreads, so might the hunger. Tigray forces have entered the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar in recent weeks, and some residents accuse them of carrying out acts of retaliation, including closing off supply routes. The Tigray forces deny it, saying they aim to pressure Ethiopias government to lift the blockade. There is little help coming. The UN says at least 100 trucks of aid must reach Tigray every day. But as of September 8, less than 500 had arrived since July. No medical supplies or fuel have been delivered to Tigray in more than a month, the US says, blaming government harassment, not the fighting.

Advertisement
North Port: The FBI says a county coroner has confirmed that human remains found in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park are those of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who disappeared while on a cross-country road trip with a boyfriend who is now being sought by authorities in Florida.

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue determined her manner of death was homicide, but did not disclose a cause of death pending final autopsy results. Petitos body was found on Sunday (Monday AEST) near an undeveloped camping area thats surrounded by woodlands and brush, located about 48 kilometres north-east of Jackson, Wyoming.

A still taken from a police camera video shows Gabrielle Gabby Petito talking to a police officer after the van she was travelling in with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie was pulled over near Arches National Park on August 12, 2021. Credit:The Moab Police Department via AP

The FBI also requested for anyone with information about boyfriend Brian Laundries role in Petitos death to contact the agency.

Authorities are searching a swampy preserve area near Laundries home in North Port, Florida.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel on Monday said the statement by the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) about raising the rent of its tenants feels like there is more to the story than the foundation is saying and questioned governments role.

SMHDF General Director Helen Salomons informed the media that the World Bank (WB) Trust Fund Steering Committee has denied SMHDFs request for the US $45 million in funding. She said that the rejection is for reasons unknown. According to Salomons, the World Bank decision means that SMHDF can no longer finance and subsidize low rent rates and will not be able to construct affordable social housing for thousands of St. Maarten residents on the social housing waiting list.

MP Emmanuel said Salomons statement that she doesnt know why the foundation was rejected was strange considering that Trust Fund projects are by consensus and only the governments non-support could lead to an outright rejection of such an important project. The Minister of VOMI and Housing would definitely know the reason and inform the Steering Committee of the Trust Fund accordingly.

The question is, did the government and specifically the Minister of VROMI and Housing back the project proposal? And if the government did not, what would the reason be for not supporting a US $45 million projects to fix and construct homes for people, MP Emmanuel said.

He continued: It is no secret that the housing foundation is a complete operational mess and it is past time that the board and management are dismissed. I would not be surprised if the government and the Trust Fund were not comfortable putting US $45 in the hands of that foundation. However, we are talking about the possibility of rent being raised on people in very hard times. So now the ball is in the governments court. What will the government do now?

The MP suggested that a new board and management be put in place and the proposals re-evaluated, or place the funding with an established entity such as the St. Maarten Development Fund. But first, the government needs to explain why the funding was rejected. The issue is too important to just accept a rejection and move on. What can be done to get a positive response to the US $45 million proposals? That is the only concern now, the MP concluded.
SHERMAN  A body was found in the debris from a fire Sunday evening at a Route 55 home in town. The identity of the victim is not being released at this time, officials said in a news release issued Monday evening by the Sherman fire chiefs office.

First Selectman Don Lowe said, Losing a community member in a fire is sad and it adds extra gravity to emergency situations.

The release pertained to a 9-1-1 call made at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, when the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department, along with mutual aid from Gaylordsville, Water Witch Hose Company, Kent, New Fairfield, Pawling and Dover, N.Y. fire departments, responded to a residential structure fire on Route 55 West St. in Sherman, the release said.

According to the release, there was a party trapped in the basement of the home. Two occupants inside the residence were able to escape, but one party was unaccounted for.

When the fire department arrived on the scene, they observed the basement to be fully involved and fire was spreading throughout the structure. The fire was eventually extinguished but the structure sustained catastrophic damage and collapsed, the release said.

The Sherman Fire Marshals Office responded to the scene and conducted an initial investigation as to the origin and cause of the fire before requesting assistance from the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, according to the release.

Detectives from several area units including the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Squad assisted with the investigation, the release said.

Heavy equipment was used to assist investigators who searched for the missing person, according to the release. A body was eventually located in the debris and taken by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington where an autopsy will be conducted, the release said.

The fire remains under investigation by the Sherman Fire Marshals Office, the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit and the Western District Major Crime Squad, according to the release.

The release said there is no indication of any criminal aspect to the fire.

Sherman Fire Marshal David Lathrop said 19 dogs had to be removed from the site.

The American Red Cross on Monday said it sent personnel to the Sherman home to help four adults displaced by the fire.

Property records for the home indicate the four-bedroom residence was built in 2005. Records show the 1,520-square-foot home sits on a lot of more than 8 acres.
STAMFORD  State police said an tow operator pulled a man from a burning vehicle on an interstate earlier this month, saving his life.

After asking for the publics help identifying him, state police said Tuesday they have learned the identity of the tow operator. His name has not been released publicly.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 4 on Interstate 95 near Exit 9, according to state police.

The car, a 2004 Jeep, was traveling north in the left lane when it swerved to the right, hopped the curb and struck a tree in the wood line of the right shoulder, the accident summary from the incident states.

The operator was trapped inside until the tow truck operator removed the man and saved his life, state police said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 5:25 a.m.

The accident summary makes no mention of the tow operator, and its unclear exactly when he arrived on scene to assist the driver.

The driver, a 34-year-old, was given a verbal warning for driving without a license and failing to drive in the proper lane. The driver was taken to Stamford Hospital by Stamford EMS with non-life-threatening injures, according to the report.

The tow operator and the company he works for have not been identified. State police are asking anyone who recognizes the man to reach out.

Anyone who recognizes the man pictured is asked to contact Sgt. Roman Gray at roman.gray@ct.gov or Troop G at 203-696-2500.
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP)  Longtime Arizona Rep. Frank Pratt has died following a long illness. He was 79.

Speaker Rusty Bowers announced Pratt's death on Tuesday, calling the Casa Grande Republican an irreplaceable figure in the Arizona state Legislature.

Pratt was a farmer and rancher before forming a swimming pool construction business in 1986, according to his biography in a legislative guide published by the parent company of the Arizona Capitol Times.

On Christmas Day in 2010, Pratt was tied up and beaten at his business, found hours later by his worried wife, Janice Pratt. The assailant stole his Rolex watch and vehicle, and Pratt was hospitalized.

Pratt had served in the Legislature since 2009, first in the House, then in the Senate before returning to the House at the beginning of the year. He was a quiet legislator who rarely spoke on the House and Senate floor.

Although he was not vocal, when he spoke, his words carried weight, said Rep. Reginald Bolding, the top Democrat in the House.

Pratt was among a handful of Republican legislators who joined all Democrats and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in 2013 in a coalition to expand Medicaid, a key part of then-President Barack Obama's health care law. The expansion was vehemently opposed by the GOP House and Senate leaders, who blocked votes in the Legislature for weeks until Pratt and other expansion supporters forced them to cave.

More recently, he missed many legislative days this year as he battled an illness.

He was a trailblazer not just in Pinal County politics but also in life, said Sen. T.J. Shope, a Republican who represents the same district as Pratt. While most knew him to be a quiet type who played his cards close to the vest, I knew him as somebody of deep conviction and a firm belief in right & wrong.

Pratt's 8th Legislative District includes parts of Pinal and Gila counties. Republican precinct committeemen will choose three candidates to replace him, and county supervisors will select a winner, who must be a Republican. The Legislature is not scheduled to be in session until January.

Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday in honor of Pratt.
Head on over to the state Judicial Department website and youll likely see a warning, emblazoned in bright, red text: No cannabis (marijuana) is allowed in a courthouse.

A similar notice is prominently displayed in all Connecticut state courthouses.

That notice is the result, judicial branch spokesperson Rhonda Hebert confirmed, of the states legalization of recreational cannabis use.

It is related to the recreational legalization of marijuana, she said.

As of July 1, possession of 1.5 ounces of cannabis for recreational use is legal in the state, Gov. Ned Lamont signing a bill legalizing cannabis into law earlier this year.

Hebert said the notice went up soon after legalization.

There were a few incidents in the beginning when people didnt know they couldnt bring it into a courthouse, she said. Those incidents, however, have tapered off.

Cannabis may be legal to possess in the state  1.5 ounces openly and another 5 ounces in a locked container -- but that doesnt necessarily mean you can carry or smoke pot anywhere in the state.

The law does place some limits on where cannabis can be used. Residents are not, for example, allowed to consume cannabis in public buildings, most workplaces and stores and state parks, among other locations.

The bottom line is, anyplace that smoking tobacco is illegal, either smoking or vaping cannabis will also be illegal, state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, said earlier this year.

The law does not specifically limit the possession of cannabis in state courthouses, but the judicial branch has put in place a rule preventing possession inside courthouses.

The judicial branch decided to treat marijuana like it would alcohol, according to a July statement  not illegal, but not permitted. Anyone found to be in possession of cannabis will be informed that it is not allowed.

While possession of specified amounts of cannabis is now lawful in Connecticut, possession of cannabis products in a courthouse will be treated in the same way as possession of alcohol in a courthouse is treated, the statement said. As such, possession of cannabis will not be allowed in Judicial Branch facilities - the same as alcohol is not allowed.

As such, though there were incidents that resulted in notices in courthouses and on the website, there were no arrests made, Hebert said.

People were just told they couldnt bring it in, she said.
AP

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP)  U.S. Rep. Bob Latta became the second member of Congress from Ohio to test positive this week for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated against the virus.

The Republican lawmaker from the 5th Congressional District announced Tuesday he contracted the virus after he was exposed to someone who also tested positive.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Republicans appear set for another decade of controlling Indianas Senate under a GOP-drawn redistricting plan released Tuesday.

The proposal for the new Senate election districts comes as the Republican-dominated Legislature intends to give final approval by the end of next week for new maps covering all of Indianas congressional and legislative seats through the 2030 elections.

The redistricting, based on population shifts from last years census, creates one new likely Democratic Senate seat in Indianapolis as most rural counties across the state lost population and Indianapolis and its surrounding counties saw about three-quarters of Indianas population growth.

But no significant political shifts look likely from the current 39-11 Republican supermajority in the state Senate, which allows Republicans to approve proposals without any Democrats being present. Republicans have had majority control of the Senate since the 1978 elections and a supermajority since the 2010 elections.

Republican Senate leaders said it was a priority to keep more counties and cities in a single district, protecting what they called communities of interest.

While the proposed maps add a likely Democratic seat in Indianapolis, more than a half dozen Republican-held districts either extend from Marion County into GOP-leaning suburban areas or reach from predominantly rural districts into the city or suburbs to add population.

With the movement of the population, again, left rural areas, moved toward more urban and suburban areas, said Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray of Martinsville. And so a lot of the population flowed toward Indianapolis and the doughnut counties and pulled those Senate districts down there as well.

An Indiana House committee on Monday endorsed along party lines Republican plans for new congressional and Indiana House districts that political analysts say protect GOP dominance that has given them a 7-2 majority of the states U.S. House seats and 71-29 command of the Indiana House.

Longtime Democratic Sen. Tim Lanane of Anderson is one apparent target for Republicans as the new map takes Democratic-leaning Muncie from his district and puts both him and GOP Sen. Mike Gaskill of Pendleton in a new district with a more Republican tilt.

Lanane, a senator since 1997, said it was telling that in the 2011 redistricting Republicans considered it important to create a district with the traditional factory towns of Anderson and Muncie together but not anymore.

I guess you can create anything and call it a community of interest, Lanane said.

The new Republican map also draws two Democratic senators  Frank Mrvan of Hammond and Lonnie Randolph of East Chicago  into the same district, while creating an open district in a more suburban and GOP-friendly section of northwestern Indianas Lake County.

The redistricting plan also splits Fort Wayne, which has had Democratic mayors since 2000, among four Republican-held Senate districts, three of which extend outside Allen County to take in substantial rural areas. The plan also places the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette into separate Senate districts that also have large rural areas, rather than keeping together the cities that have elected two Democratic Indiana House members.

Lanane said he saw such moves as diluting the influence of Democratic voters by either packing them into overwhelming Democratic districts or cracking them up into multiple districts.

They crack areas so that they can create safe Republican districts, Lanane said. Thats part of the pattern weve seen in the past.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  The leader of South Carolina's juvenile justice agency announced Tuesday he is quitting about three months after officers and teachers walked off the job leading to a no confidence vote from state senators.

Freddie Pough's resignation letter mentioned none of the turmoil of a scathing audit this year that found increasing violence and inadequate security or employees complaining of poor pay and bad management.

Instead, the one-page letter Pough sent to the governor said he was proud of his four years with the Department of Juvenile Justice, citing fewer children in state prison and a drop in the number of children who return behind bars.

At this time of great forward momentum, and the agencys assured ability to alter the juvenile justice landscape of this state, I believe it is the appropriate time to resign my position, wrote Pough, who will step down Oct. 15.

State Sen. Katrina Shealy, who has made improving the lives all all children one of her priorities and drove from her Lexington home to stand by the workers who walked out in June, said she is glad Pough left, but he stayed way too long.

He's not a bad man, but boy did he do a bad job, the Republican senator from Lexington said. I guess he messed it up as bad as he could and he decided it was time to go.

The agency's interim director after Pough leaves will be Eden Hendrick. She was named senior deputy director at the juvenile agency last week, according to the governor's office.

Hendrick was assistant general counsel at the state Department of Administration and has spent time as a lawyer for the Department of Social Service and running the Family Court Division in the Richland County prosecutor's office.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he will begin looking for Pough's replacement immediately. The governor stood by Pough even as criticism grew, echoing the director's explanations that he inherited a bunch of problems and just needed more money, staff and time to turn things around.

Im grateful for Mr. Poughs five years of leadership at the Department of Juvenile Justice and his passion for the work of rehabilitating the young people who come under the supervision of the agency," the governor said in a statement.

The governor's appointment must be approved by the state Senate, which voted 34-4 in June on a no confidence resolution for Pough's leadership. It was the first renunciation of an agency director since 2014.

Shealy said whomever McMaster picks will be scrutinized.

It will be a very serious vetting process. We want to find someone who cares about the best interests of the children, she said.

Pough's time leading the juvenile justice agency included a 2020 report from federal investigators who found the agency was violating the civil rights of children in its prison from failing to train staff to using punitive, prolonged isolation units that left youths confined to small, dark cells for 23 hours a day.

Then in April, the Legislative Audit Council released its report which found a significant increase in violence, problems getting timely medical care and excessive use of isolation as punishment, with some students even missing testing to get high school diplomas because they were locked up by themselves.

That led to hearings by lawmakers, and in June about two dozen officers and teachers walked out of the state's juvenile prison because of low morale and low pay. They said violence between inmates and against staff continued to increase and staffing levels were so low that employees sometimes had to work 24- to 36-hour shifts without breaks due to the fact that so many of their coworkers had already quit.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.
Private schools occupied all 10 spots on Niche's 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings for Connecticut high schools.

The education website released its annual rankings on the best schools in each state, as well as on a national level.

The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville was named as the number one best high school in Connecticut with an A+ overall rating. The school was also named as the second best private high school and second best boarding high school nationally.

Niche gathers data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau and FBI in order to put together its yearly report. After Niche's data team processes all the data, all schools are then ranked using six categories: academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity, college prep and sports. Each category is given an alphabetical grading.

Scroll below to see which schools made the list.
STAMFORD  The case against a 21-year-old Stamford man accused of murder will go to a jury trial, after a judge found probable cause Monday morning.

A lot of these testimonies line up with one another, said Judge Gary White, after two days of witnesses being called to the stand.

The states key witness testified Monday, placing two men at the scene of the crime.

She told prosecutors that she picked up two friends  Isaias Delacruz and Jonathan Montero-Delossantos  on a night in September and drove them to a location near RPM Raceway. Her female friend, who testified last Thursday, was also inside the car, sitting in the passenger seat.

Delacruz faces charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Montero-Delossantos, who goes by the nickname John Gotti, after the famed New York City mobster, was also charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. His attorney waived his clients right to a hearing of probable cause.

During a probable cause hearing, the state presents its evidence in a given case and a judge is called upon to decide if there is enough to justify a murder charge.

Local defense attorneys often do not request probable cause hearings, because the evidence presented during the hearing goes on to the record and is permanently preserved even if a witness dies or is not able to testify at the trial.

On Monday, a 21-year-old Stamford woman testified that she and her friend were driving around that night when they spotted Delossantos on Pacific Street in the South End, and then later ran into Delacruz in the same area.

Eventually, the two men got into the backseat of the womans car, and asked if she could give them a ride. She agreed, and they guided her to a Waterside location near RPM, the Stamford resident testified.

Once they arrived, the two men got out, and the driver stayed in her car with her friend. The men eventually returned, but did not talk about where they had gone or what they had done, the witness said. The 21-year-old said she didnt notice anything suspicious about them when they got back in the car.

But on Monday, she identified her own car, a white Honda Civic, and Montero-Delossantos and Delacruz in surveillance footage.

In court, she said she was able to identify the two men, who she has known for many years, by the way they walked and the height difference between the two of them.

The videos showed two men walking along Betts Avenue and onto the property of Southwood Square Complex, also known as the Village, where one of the men is shown shooting a firearm several times.

Marcus Hall, a 16-year-old Westhill High School student, was killed in the shooting.

Attorney Dennis Bradley, representing Delacruz, attempted to poke holes in the witness story, asking how she could identify his client and Montero-Delossantos in the grainy video footage.

Who else would it be? she answered, referring to the other videos showing her car, and the fact that she drove to that location with two men who resembled the men in the videos.

In his closing remarks, Bradley claimed the woman had been instructed by prosecutors to answer questions in a specific way.

All of this is extremely, extremely, extremely suspicious for me, he said.

State attorney Michelle Manning responded by calling Bradleys allegations insulting.

Bradley called the states argument into question by saying the car in the surveillance footage could not be properly identified through a license plate number from the video. Further, while there is video of two men walking, and then later running, they are never shown entering or exiting a vehicle, and are too far away from the camera to be identified from the tapes.

We dont know where they came from, Bradley said, adding that the area is heavily populated.

Police believe the man who fired the gun is Delacruz.

Hall, a Westhill High School student and aspiring skateboarder, was shot multiple times in the area of 62 Pequot Lane.

The investigation into the crime hinged on identifying the vehicle in the surveillance footage. Stamford Police officer Angel Gonzalez said that when he analyzed the videos, he noticed that the gas cap door on the car was black.

In November of 2018, Gonzalez said he spotted a white car with a similar gas door in Stamford and took down the cars license plate. When he ran the registration, he came up with the name of a woman, who police later interviewed and who testified Monday.

The tentative start date for Delacruzs trial is Nov. 17.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com


This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (187)
Approximately 115,800 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with over 32,100 means of transportation (of which 13,200 trucks) have carried out control formalities through the border crossings nationwide in the last 24 hours, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs on Tuesday.

Approximately 54,400 people were at the entry point with 14,600 means of transportation, and for the exit point there were 61,400 people with 17,500 means of transportation, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES.

The Hungarian border was crossed by approximately 28,100 people and 14,000 means of transportation (6,500 trucks), of whom for the exit point there were approximately 16,000 people with 9,200 means of transportation.Regarding specific activities, in competence areas - crossing points and the "green frontier" - the border police have identified 44 illegal acts (35 infractions and 9 misdemeanors) committed by Romanian and foreign citizens.Undeclared goods (to be smuggled into the country) were discovered, independently or in collaboration with other institutions, which exceeded the customs ceiling allowed or suspected to be counterfeited, totalling approximately 224,700 lei.The amount of the fines imposed amounts to more than 17,400 lei.Also, 19 foreign citizens, who did not meet the legal conditions, were denied entry in the last 24 hours, as well as 11 Romanian citizens were denied to leave the country because of various legal reasons. AGERPRES
A number of 300,000 doses of Janssen vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company Johnson&Johnson will arrive, on Wednesday, at the "Unifarm" National Company, informs the Romania's National COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV).

The transport is provided by the manufacturing company, and the vaccine doses will be brought to Bucharest by land, CNCAV specified on Tuesday.

The doses will be stored at the "Unifarm" National Company, and in the following period they will be distributed in the existing regional centres at national level.To date, 1,081,300 Janssen doses have been received and 693.967 have already been used to immunise the population against COVID-19. AGERPRES
The delegation of the National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF) carried out the first economic mission abroad, in the Republic of Cyprus, between September 14-15, in order to promote women's entrepreneurship, the Romanian investment environment and to contributes to the development of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

According to a CONAF release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, during the meeting with the Minister of Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus, Natasa Pilides, with the director of trade service, Panayiota Patsali, and the permanent secretary, Marios Panayide, it was agreed to negotiate and sign, until November this year, a Memorandum of Cooperation to lay the foundations for strengthening economic and trade cooperation in areas of common interest.

"We envisage the need to intensify bilateral, economic and trade relations between the two states, given that the Republic of Cyprus is the 4th largest investor in our country. We have identified economic areas of common interest that can stimulate investment growth. (...) The Romanian-Cypriot relations are very good, enhanced by cooperation within the EU, economic cooperation, as well as the existence of a large Romanian community in the Republic of Cyprus," said CONAF President Cristina Chiriac.The program of actions of the CONAF delegation also included meetings with the Minister with the Permanent Secretary / Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kornelios Korneliou, but also with representatives of the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus.The delegation also participated in a round table meeting with Mary Papadopulou, President of BPW Cyprus (Federation of Business Professional Women Cyprus), a counterpart of CONAF. The delegation's program also included a documentary visit to the Alambra factory, the largest halloumi cheese factory, which owns 35% of the market.Romania's ambassador to Cyprus, Dan Mihalache, said that Romania ranks in the top 10 worldwide with the highest percentage of business owned by women, according to the annual study conducted by the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs.According to the quoted source, the delegation also had discussions with the Special Representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on issues related to gender equality and equal opportunities, given the prioritization in the foreign policy strategy of Cyprus of this issue and the projects carried out by the Republic of Cyprus in implementation of UN CS 1325 Resolution for Women, Peace and Security.Last but not least, the discussions with the Minister of Tourism of Cyprus focused on the development strategy in the field, implemented projects and the stimulation of local tourism in the pandemic period, as a model of good practices for Romania. Since May 2021, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus has financed a program through which 35% of the cost of hotel accommodation for Cypriot citizens is borne by the state as a measure to stimulate the sector, according to CONAF representatives.
The coordinator of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, doctor Valeriu Gheorghita, announced on Tuesday that approximately 2.5 million doses of vaccine will be delivered to Romania in September, respectively over 1.9 million doses of Pfizer and nearly 500,000 doses from Johnson&Johnson, agerpres reports.

"In September, we will receive approximately 1,955,000 doses from BioNTech-Pfizer, and, also from Pfizer, in October, we will receive approximately 1.47 million doses, and in November, December - the same tranches. From Modern, we will not receive anything in September, but we will receive about 1.7 million doses in October, and the same in November and December. AstraZeneca deliveries are suspended, while the Johnson&Johnson vaccine will be delivered to us in September, 494,000 doses, and in October, November and December, about 2.3 million doses are expected to be delivered in each of these month," said the military doctor.
Only 2.5% of the total number of Romanian students and pupils work during their studies, while the European average of pupils and students who have a job during their studies is 18%, the president of the Federation of the Hotel Industry in Romania (FIHR), Calin Ile, said on Tuesday in the context of the crisis of employees that affects the HoReCa industry.

"I met some young pupils who want to organize a conference on hospitality and we want to support them. And this can be an answer [to the labour crisis in HoReCa], because in Romania only 2.5% of students and pupils work, while the European average is around 18%, not to mention a country like the Netherlands, which is close to 50% of students and pupils who, during their studies, have a job," said Calin Ile during the National Conference of the Hospitality Industry.

The FIHR leader mentioned that HoReCa entrepreneurs must support the import of workforce from abroad."It is clear that for every operator the problem of workforce is today the most serious problem they face after a year and a half of trying to keep people (...). We must fight to support the import of labor, for that it is a mix of solutions, which, put together, could alleviate us and not cure this great problem we face ", Calin Ile said during the event organized by the Employers' Organization of Hotels and Restaurants in Romania (HORA).The President of the Romanian Hotel Industry Federation appreciated that the only scenario through which HoReCa employers can increase salaries in the field would be a program of fiscal facilities for the field."We believe that without some form of tax relief on this industry for a period of time, it will be almost impossible to become more attractive,"uio added Calin Ile. AGERPRES
Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York Dorian Branea told AGERPRES, in an interview, that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the institution's activity in the online environment, and this meant the identification of new ways to promote the Romanian values on the New York cultural market, but also a greater visibility, in all corners of the world.

"The online environment has allowed us to compete more confidently in this market, it has had a somewhat leveling effect, keeping the proportions, but we have been able to create events with a very high visibility and that can be distinguished even in such a busting environment as the one in New York. Suddenly, from a physical institute in New York, operating on the New York market, but also in North America, the United States and Canada at large, we found ourselves a global institute," says Dorian Branea.

He talks in the interview about the way the COVID-19 pandemic has affected cultural life and that of the ICR New York, but also about the process of modernizing the institution or future plans, which include the reorganization of a library with over 20,000 volumes.The director of ICR New York also talks about the first event organized after the resumption of cultural activities, in the context of the pandemic. Among the future projects of ICR New York is an exhibition by artist Dumitru Gorzo, but also a larger event dedicated to writer Norman Manea.AGERPRES: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world. How were the effects of this pandemic felt at the ICR New York level?Dorian Branea: It is obviously an enormously difficult and even tragic period for all humankind. The sudden, untimely, overwhelming outbreak created a shock for everyone, at the level of states, major institutions and came as a tsunami, as a very devastating avalanche for everything that means cultural life, artistic life, affecting us as well.On the other hand, paradoxically, it was also a great opportunity and we took it as such, because it allowed us to accelerate a process that we had begun, namely, the transition to a digital or hybrid cultural diplomacy, carried out in physical spaces, on physical stages, but also in the online environment. It was a process that we had started, we were working on the development of this neo-media ecosystem - a high-performance site, which would allow many functions, attracting an ever-renewing American public, accounts on social platforms, an active database. The onset of the pandemic, which caused the entire artistic and cultural world of New York to end its activity, pushed us into the virtual environment, but it helped us to develop an approach which had not been previously so intense or, in any case, less frequented. And it was a huge chance, we all learned a lot during this time of more than a year and a half. We managed to intensify our activity at a pace that we could not even have imagined before. We were able to experience new ways of promoting Romanian culture, given the ferocity of the New York cultural market, the difficulties of access, the difficulties of partnership, the fierce competition of this avalanche of events produced by New York cultural organizations, some of them the most famous and frequented worldwide.The online environment has allowed us to compete more confidently in this market, it had a somewhat leveling effect, keeping the proportions, but we were able to create events with a very high visibility and that could be distinguished even in such a bustling environment as the one in New York. Suddenly, from a physical institute located in New York, operating on the New York market, but also in North America, in the USA and Canada at large, we found ourselves to be a global institute, because the online environment means international addressability, beyond of all borders. It was a difficult time that left its mark on our lives. As the director of this institute, I say that the greatest achievement of this period is the fact that the whole team came out healthy out of the most difficult moments of the pandemic, I say in a very good tone. There were no illnesses, medical, physical or psychological problems. There have been some opportunities harnessed, first of all, this expansion in the online environment. This very fierce activity in the virtual area has brought us closer to the ideal of a hybrid action in the physical and online space, which will become the norm of our promotional action from now on.In addition to this exclusively online activity, we had the opportunity to carry out extensive renovations, rearrangement of the headquarters, optimization of our space - they had not been done for some time. With the support of the MAE [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] headquarters, we managed, on the basis of very well-drawn plans, to approach what we would call the transformation of an office space according to the stylistics of the international architecture of the '60s into a truly multipurpose center of cultural diplomacy, Romanian cultural projects. We consider, and we are very aware of this, that Romania, the Romanian culture, has a strategic advantage by the fact that we have this space in the heart of Manhattan, in the heart of New York. This space has a lot of potential, it was capitalized on this occasion, but there are a few other things that, once achieved, and we hope to be able to achieve in the coming years, will lead to the creation of a Romanian cultural scene, a Romanian cultural space that will allow the realization of the entire repertoire of formats of cultural diplomacy - concerts, shows, exhibitions, debates, dialogues, various presentations, almost everything that means international promotion. About 70 percent of our plans to create this multi-purpose cultural center of Romania in New York have been realized.The most important thing in this effort to rearrange, renovate, reorganize the space is the creation of the Romanian art gallery that we called "Constantin Brancusi", not only because the great Brancusi is the tutelary figure of Romanian art, one of the great artists of world, but because it is one of the bridge figures between Romania and the USA. He is a much-loved artist in the United States, has very large collections, the largest in the world at the Guggenheim Museum, MOMA, the Philadelphia Museum, and important collections, so our choice was a natural one. This exhibition space, which endows the institute after more than seven years with such a gallery with the possibility of exhibiting, will be dedicated to the promotion of Romanian and Romanian-American artists on a very expensive visual arts market that is difficult to penetrate, in which the costs for organizing an exhibition can escalate to frightening amounts, or, having this exhibition space is, I think, a great advantage for the promotion of Romanian and Romanian-American artists. Our entire space, this entire multipurpose Romanian cultural space in the heart of New York, is designed to offer a permanent season of the Romanian culture in New York, that expresses the full diversity of forms, ideas, approaches of the diverse Romanian culture and we have a lot of things to show as long as we have a clear curatorial idea.AGERPRES: The pandemic caught you in the middle of this process of repositioning and relaunching the Institute. Did you say that you managed to complete 70 percent of this process, what does the remaining 30 percent mean?Dorian Branea: The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York has as a precursor the Romanian library in New York, founded in 1969. Basically, this institute was originally a library and the program extension of this library, then it became a cultural center and then a cultural institute. From the point of view of physical space itself, it operates in the same place. These changes have led to a different approach, as cultural diplomacy has evolved as a vision, techniques, resources invested. Our next major intervention, which we want very much and which we have planned quite thoroughly and we hope to solve next year, is the reorganization of this Romanian library, which has over 20,000 volumes. A laborious reorganization, which involves several components, from the withdrawal of the books and the restoration of the book fund, so that it can be used as an initiation in the most important aspects of the Romanian humanist culture, from history, literature, language Romanian, grammar, visual arts, cultural history, biography, children's books, up to various interventions in the physical space of renovation, rearrangement and creation of a search engine as efficient as possible, based on a reconstruction in the sense of the most modern library techniques. We want this library to be built according to the latest library standards. We hope it will bring us closer to this ideal of creating this multipurpose cultural center, which will include, in addition to the small performance hall, film screenings, an art gallery and a book library and an information-documentation center as well. so that, upon entering the Cultural Institute of New York, you can experience the whole variety of Romanian culture in all its forms of manifestation.AGERPRES: What public can ICR New York now host after the rearrangement?Dorian Branea: We try to host as many people as possible in this space, which is not very big. Apart from the restrictions given by the pandemic, our studio hall, our main event hall, can accommodate around 90 seated people and the entire space around 130-140 people standing, using the Brancusi gallery, as well. It is not a very large space, but there are many things that can be done and it is a space comparable to many cultural spaces in Manhattan, if we consider that Off-Off-Broadway theaters can accommodate under 250 people - and they are actually very well known and prestigious institutions - or various other reading spaces, poetry or dialogues with intellectual and cultural personalities, which have around 100-150 seats. I think that we can be competitive, relevant, interesting with this space, it is true, of more modest dimensions, but enormously precious, so an enormous strategic advantage for the Romanian state and the Romanian culture, which must become this showcase of the Romanian cultural diversity.AGERPRES: Not long ago, cultural activities with the public were opened. Recently, you organized an event to relaunch this space with a retrospective of photographer Viorel Florescu - double Pulitzer Prize winner. What new projects are you preparing?Dorian Branea: On September 17, we organized a triple celebration. Namely: the return to the physical spaces, the projects with the public we had missed for a long time and that no technology can replace, a second celebration was the presentation of our renewed space and the opening of the Brancusi gallery and the organization of the first retrospective of an exceptional photojournalist. Unfortunately, very little known in the country - Viorel Florescu, but a personality of documentary photography in New York. We organized the event with great caution, because we have to strictly apply the sanitary regulations imposed by the American authorities. We could only admit the vaccinated public, we kept the legal distancing as much as possible, we asked the public to wear masks throughout the whole event.We also had a very important exhibition with our colleagues from the EUNIC association in New York. A project that started as an online initiative and has now developed can also be expressed in physical form and we are pleased to open this exhibition accomplished artists located on both sides of the Atlantic, in the EU and New York, developed during the pandemic between people who do not know each other, between some transatlantic artistic couples, and now the fruit of this online activity is presented. The opening will take place this week. The exhibition is hosted by colleagues from the Austrian Cultural Forum, but events will also take place at the Romanian Cultural Institute.We are preparing a concert in October, an exhibition in November of the artist Dumitru Gorzo, a very well-known Romanian artist with long stays in the United States.We will also have a composite event, in which we present a photography exhibition with images from the life of the great Romanian-American writer Norman Manea. He turns 85 this year, but it is not an anniversary project. Talking to Norman Manea, I promised him that we would not use this word because he is still a writer in full swing, he is preparing the release of a book, so he is not thinking about anniversaries, but a regular activity, however, we thought that it is important to honor the talent and presence of this important civic consciousness, not only Romanian, through a composite event that is a photo exhibition, but it is also an event to evoke his work and personality, which we realize together with the Romanian Embassy in Washington. As for the retrospect part, there will be an introductory speech by the Romanian Ambassador to the USA, Mr. Andrei Muraru, a lecture on the work and life of Norman Manea, delivered by probably one of the most competent experts in the work of the famous writer, Professor Claudiu Turcus from the University Babes Bolyai from Cluj, as well as other memories offered by Romanian and American friends.AGERPRES: When would this event take place?Dorian Branea: At the end of October, on October 29.AGERPRES: What are the conditions for organizing cultural events in the context of the pandemic?Dorian Branea: It is mandatory for public admission to cultural and sporting events to present proof of vaccination. Wearing a mask is mandatory, and social distancing is again something to keep in mind.AGERPRES: Is the allocated budget enough for a cultural institution?Dorian Branea: People of culture and cultural institutions always complain about budgets and it would be a stereotypical answer that I could give. I can't give it, I know it sounds completely and completely unusual. Obviously you want more and more is needed. I would say that with the set up of this team in New York - we are all part of a team that started in the summer of 2018 - I think we managed to endow the institute with a satisfactory budget. I repeat, each budget must be adequate for a certain period of a cultural institution, or we have gone through an accelerated period of development, expansion, reinvention, repositioning of the institute and in each of these years we have had some concrete needs. I could not say, however, that we could not achieve, with perhaps certain exceptions, almost everything we set out to do, including operationally, so with the projects carried out also in terms of physical infrastructure. Of course, now we are entering a different period, once the pandemic has subsided, it will have been defeated, in which budgetary needs will increase, but so far we have felt a great receptivity from the ICR and MAE, our tutelary institutions that ensure the administrative budget, respectively the operational budget. There is always room for more and better, but I think that if you present some very clear plans, if the strategy behind them is obvious, if it makes sense and if you have shown that you can successfully carry out these projects, no one has an interest in underfunding an ambitious institution that, in the last resort, highlights the Romanian culture and strengthens this cultural-educational component that exists in the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, which represents our permanent reference in terms of cultural promotion action.AGERPRES: Is New York becoming again, as it is known, "the city that never sleeps"?Dorian Branea: Yes, for some time now it has been a city that is back with all the engines running, not only to the economic, social life, but also on the cultural scene. Recently, on Friday, Broadway opened after a year and a half of dimly lit awnings and posters removed from windows. New York has become again a very lively, very dynamic city. It has not completely returned to its pre-pandemic existence for a very simple reason, namely that international tourism is not yet possible in the United States. To this city, which used to attract millions of tourists and which doubled its population annually, if we add tourists, the only element it lacks is this mass tourism. Otherwise, little by little, the whole cultural world returns to a kind of normalcy. The dynamism inherent in this city has the floor again and we are getting reintegrated into the dynamism of this city, trying to be not only a cultural promoter, operating in the field of cultural diplomacy for an official public, or quasi-official or only with our diplomatic colleagues, but trying to be a true multipurpose cultural center, a showcase of Romanian culture on the real, proper cultural market of New York. AGERPRES
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, will host in New York the 10th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, agerpres reports.

According to the MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the conference will take place in a hybrid system, and the head of Romanian diplomacy will be joined in New York by Thomas E. Garrett, secretary general of the Community of Democracies.

Also present at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, and the President of the United States National Fund for Democracy, Damon Wilson, are among the guests who will speak at the Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies.The 10th Ministerial Conference will bring together Ministers of Foreign Affairs and senior officials of Community governments, representatives of civil society, as well as young people and other stakeholders, in order to discuss current challenges and opportunities for democracy, according to the the theme "Democracy and resilience: common goals."The agenda of the ministerial meeting will include the adoption of a Ministerial Declaration on Democracy and Resilience.The meeting will also provide an opportunity for an exchange of views on ways and means of upholding, strengthening and defending the common values and principles enshrined in the Warsaw Declaration and preventing regression in democratic institutions and practices.The ministerial meeting in New York follows the high-level anniversary conference of the Community of Democracies, hosted on June 26, 2020, by Minister Bogdan Aurescu, in online format, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was attended by former US Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, founder of the Community of Democracies, as a keynote speaker.At the same time, during the anniversary conference of 2020, the Bucharest Declaration of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies was adopted, which marked two decades since the adoption of the Warsaw Declaration, reaffirming the topicality of the principles adopted at the establishment of the community.The last ministerial meeting of the Community of Democracies in physical format took place in 2017, in Washington D.C., during the US Presidency of the CoD.
Prime Minister Florin Citu announced on Tuesday that he will ask for an investigation, as quickly as possible, regarding the way the Ministry of Health prepared the fourth wave of the pandemic.

"I will request an investigation, an analysis, because I want to know how the fourth wave was prepared. We knew the fourth wave was coming, I said so all year long, after the third wave was over, that I do not want the number of beds to go down in the ICU units for COVID. I clearly said that I want our response capacity to be intact and to respond quickly. I would like to know how the Ministry of Health prepared for the fourth wave, to see if it took into consideration what I said and if what I said was not taken into consideration, the ones who didn't take into consideration will be held responsible," Citu said, during a visit in the county of Prahova.

The PM specified that he will talk with sanitary authorities and hospital managers regarding the situation of the ICUs, because there is also a need to deploy staff, not just to supplement the number of beds, highlighting that in the following period the number of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients will go up to 1,600."We have a number of ICU beds, we must transform from non-COVID into COVID, this is what we are doing now, but we must also deploy staff and I would like to see this plan put into motion as quickly as possible. I repeat, it is not normal and someone must be responsible for this, if the fourth wave was not prepared, even though I have spoken about this all summer. We will have all the solid data, because they change everyday. The last figure I have is 1,024 COVID ICU beds. You know very well that when I took over the Ministry of Health again, appointing Minister Cseke, I believe there were around 600 beds, although I always said that we must remain at 1,600 beds. The Minister understood my message, immediately added 400 beds and will add up to 1,600 beds as quickly as possible, but that is not the only challenge. The challenge is to have staff deployed in these COVID sections," the head of the Executive said.Prime Minister Florin Citu took part on Tuesday in the signing ceremony for the financing contract of the Sinaia City Hospital. AGERPRES
The lockdown didn't help at all, only delayed things, believes Prime Minister Florin Citu, who says that the best solution to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic is vaccination.

"What I want to see is increase in vaccination, because it's the only solution by which we can overcome the pandemic. Lockdown didn't help at all, it only delays things. In order to overcome the pandemic, we must get vaccinated. It's the only solution. We have vaccine doses, we have what we need, we only have to vaccinate and at the same time I said we must maintain the economy open. That's why I took these measures, the green certificate measure, to ensure that Romanians can conduct their activities safely, whether they want to go to the restaurant, cinema, or to the office, they must be safe," said on Tuesday Florin Citu.

Referring to the obligation to test children, the Prime Minister said he will consult with healthcare specialists, stating that the regulation may be amended."I would like Romanians to go on with their lives, but in as safe as possible conditions, that's the most important thing and then, if we can find measures to improve the measures already taken, I will agree to amend, of course," said Citu, during a visit to Prahova County. AGERPRES
Prime Minister Florin Citu criticized, on Tuesday, the attitude of the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) who've allied with the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) to submit the censure motion, stating that the former coalition partners "are trading the health of Romanians."

"We are in a full pandemic. There is a party in Romania, AUR - which has an anti-vaccine activity present everywhere. I look at their current colleagues or associates, their coalition partners, USR, who are saying nothing of the campaign. We see them attacking me, attacking President Iohannis, but say nothing of their new partners. (...) If someone tacitly furthers and accepts the actions of those in AUR, they must understand they're responsible. I will not shut up, the people in AUR need to be isolated. I recall in spring when they'd go to hospitals and have protests outside hospitals. Such actions don't have a purpose in Romania, and those tacitly or implicitly supporting them, because they need their votes, are trading Romanians' health for Parliament votes," Citu mentioned.

The Prime Minister mentioned that he desires a talk with the former governing partners, but only after the USR PLUS representatives withdraw the censure motion they submitted together with AUR, mentioning that is exactly why he made no appointment to the positions occupied up to now by former coalition members. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis is heading the Romanian delegation at the high-level segment of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76), Tuesday to Thursday, taking place in New York, the United States of America.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu is also present alongside the Romanian head of state.

The theme of the 76th session of the General Assembly is "Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations."The high-level General Debate segment begins on Tuesday, being the most important annual international event in multilateral diplomacy.On the first day of the high-level General Debate, President Klaus Iohannis will deliver the National Intervention in the plenary of the General Assembly."The participation of the President of Romania in this session will be an opportunity to highlight our country's position on the current global challenges, which require common solutions, solidarity and cooperation, based on sound democratic principles and respect for international law. President Klaus Iohannis will stress the importance rules-based internationalization, as well as effective and equitable multilateralism, for the benefit of all citizens of UN member states," the Presidential Administration said.On Wednesday, the head of state will participate in the informal "High Level Event on Transformative Action for Nature and People".Also, the head of state will take part, at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, in the Global COVID-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better Health Security to Prepare for the Next, organized by the latter.The Presidential Administration shows that President Klaus Iohannis will convey a message highlighting our country's efforts to combat the pandemic, as well as supporting the construction of a resilient global health security architecture that allows for the proper management of unforeseen crises.President Iohannis' program also includes a series of formal events on the agenda of each high-level segment of the UN General Assembly.On the sidelines of participation in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, the head of state will have a meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).At this year's session of the UN General Assembly, for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proceedings of the event are taking place with physical presence of the Heads of State or Government of the UN member states. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of the first General Assembly of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) organized in Romania, showing that, currently, over one million Romanian students are studying French, while the Romanian universities offer more than 100 Francophone courses, in Romania, agerpres reports.

"The French language has represented, for about two centuries, and in a very particular way for Romanians, a valuable vehicle of humanism, democracy, freedom, diplomacy and culture. The French language has contributed to a significant extent to the development of the Romanian language, but especially it facilitated in a decisive way the penetration in the Romanian society of the ideas, concepts, notions and scientific theories that led to the modernization of our society. More than a million pupils study French language in Romania today, while the Romanian universities offers more than 100 Francophone courses, in very diverse fields of study, which annually attract young people from the entire Francophone community," Iohannis showed in his message presented by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor at the 18th meeting of the General Assembly of AUF, the first organized in Romania.

The head of state considers that the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) represents "a point of reference" when it comes to the cooperation of the Romanian universities with those from the Francophone space, including regarding the mobility of the members of the academic communities."Romania sets a remarkable example in this field through the "Eugen Ionescu" scholarship programme - a tool for the development of excellent scientific research and an investment in the knowledge of French-speaking young people as an expression of the dialogue between cultures. I also note with satisfaction the activity of the Regional Centre for Advanced Research in Social Sciences established in Bucharest, which increases the visibility of the community of high level of expertise in social and human sciences in the Francophone space," Iohannis added.He also showed in his message that Romania represents "a real beacon" of the university Francophonie."I will continue to support the involvement of our country in the development of scientific Francophonie and I will also encourage the organization in Romania of new events of great scope and importance for the future of the largest university network in the world. Let it be that here, in Bucharest, the launch of the White Paper on Scientific Francophonie, as well as the works of the General Assembly, crown your outstanding results and create the framework for the successful implementation of the new 2021-2025 AUF strategy," the President mentioned.
The situation in Afghanistan constituted the main topic of discussions during the informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of EU member-states, where Romania was represented by Minister Bogdan Aurescu, meeting that took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

According to a release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), sent on Tuesday to AGERPRES, the Foreign Affairs Ministers discussed the situation in Afghanistan, placing emphasis on the recent developments regarding the internal and security situation, regional cooperation, as well as the recent development in the Sahel and the Indo-Pacific region.

The opinion exchange regarding Afghanistan took place as a follow-up to the informal meeting in Gymnich Format (Slovenia, September 2-3), where the European ministers convened to start demarches for the creation of an EU platform for cooperation with the neighbors of Afghanistan (Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) in order to manage the multiple consequences of the crisis in this country. The New York meeting offered the occasion to approach concrete aspects regarding this initiative, MAE mentions.Aurescu also hailed the recent adoption of the Conclusions of the Council of the European Union regarding the situation in Afghanistan, which offer guidance and additional details regarding the future action of the EU in what regards this country. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the commitment and unity of the EU in what regards the efforts to stabilize the country and support the Afghan population, especially women and children, as well as that part of the population that shares western values, given the constant deterioration of the internal situation. In what regards the deterioration of the economic situation, he proposed the consultation by the EU of international financial institutions.The head of Romanian diplomacy expressed support for the objectives of the regional cooperation platform for countries neighboring Afghanistan, namely stability and security, the prevention of the spread of terrorism and criminality, migration control, border protection, and humanitarian assistance. The Foreign Affairs Minister emphasized that EU support in this framework must include an economic dimension of a nature to allow regional development. He also evaluated that the cooperation format must be flexible and adaptable in regards to objectives and development, including by the invitation, in a later stage, of other relevant states. In order to ensure the efficiency of EU actions as part of the platform, Aurescu appreciated that it is necessary to adapt the level of ambition depending on the position of each partner, as well as the coherence of already existing initiatives, MAE indicates.Beside stimulating regional cooperation, the Romanian official emphasized the need to continue coordination with the UN, NATO, the USA and other relevant partners, special attention being necessary in what regards strategic communication and combating misinformation, MAE mentions.The Ministers also approached the situation in Sahel and the Indo-Pacific, in the context of recent developments in the two regions.In what regards the situation in Mali, Minister Bogdan Aurescu expressed concern regarding the deterioration of the security situation in this country and its potential to expand instability in other regions. He shared the concern expressed by France regarding the involvement of the Wagner group in Mali, as well as other African states.Furthermore, Aurescu reiterated the firm commitment of Romania towards the stability and security of the region, together with European partners. The Minister of Foreign Affairs recalled that Mali remains suspended from the Community of Democracies (CoD), as was decided in the extraordinary meeting of the Governing Council of the CoD of June 11, in the context in which Romania was the holder of the Presidency of the Community of Democracies.The head of Romanian democracy hailed the publishing, on September 16, of the EU Strategy for the Indo-Pacific, a very important framework document to orient the relations of the European Union with the respective region, MAE shows. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of discussing openly, without breaks, with EU partners all aspects of a nature to create divergence or tensions, in order to avoid the creation of divisions in the transatlantic relation, as well as to allow the adequate implementation of the EU strategy for the Indo-Pacific, which implies cooperation with the USA and regional partners. Aurescu also mentioned that any development of the EU's profile in the realm of security and defence must be done in complementarity with NATO. AGERPRES
Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
TAMPA, FL & AUSTIN, TX, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vector Solutions, the leading provider of industry-focused software solutions for training, workforce management, and risk communications, has acquired CareSafely, a software and content platform purpose-built to enable senior living and long-term care providers to strengthen their Quality, Safety, and Compliance (QSC) programs. The addition of CareSafely to Vector Solutions supports Vectors mission to serve everyday heroes by delivering intelligent software solutions that empower them to make safer, smarter, and better decisions, and also introduces a new fast-growing vertical for Vector as the senior care industry employs more than three million frontlines workers in life-critical settings where safety and compliance challenges are faced every day.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, CareSafely serves customers in senior living, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice settings. The CareSafely platform automates compliance workflows, and includes expert-developed, ready-to-use risk assessments, digital action plans, and competency checks, providing operators with 100% of the intelligence they need to analyze and take action on identified risk areas.

Our nations three million frontline senior care workers face safety and compliance challenges every day in life-critical settings, particularly now during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Vector Solutions CEO Marc Scheipe. With the acquisition of CareSafely, Vector is proud to support these everyday heroes with easy and quick access to additional solutions, resources, and knowledge to help them close their quality and safety gaps, improve overall staff performance, and build trust with patients, residents, and families, as they continue providing critical care for our seniors and most vulnerable communities.

Quality, Safety, and Compliance management is more critical than ever for senior care, said CareSafely Founder and former CEO Raj Shah, who is now the Chief Product Officer at Vector Solutions. Combining forces with the powerful Vector Solutions platform will enable us to leverage Vectors world-class content and technology to improve employee safety and training, so that caregivers can deliver quality care safely.

CareSafely will become part of Vector Solutions and its compliance platform will be offered under Vectors product portfolio. Clients of both Vector and CareSafely can expect to receive the same level of outstanding products and customer service they are accustomed to.

About Vector Solutions

Vector Solutions is the leading provider of award-winning, intelligent SaaS solutions that help organizations and individuals operate at the highest level and prepare for more challenging workplaces and environments. Providing industry-focused solutions that connect information and technology, its unique product set includes training management, continuing education (CE), compliance training, workforce scheduling, safety management, and more. Its extensive online and mobile training library features carefully curated world-class content to meet the unique needs of professionals in the industrial, engineering, education, senior care, and public safety industries. Reaching approximately 31 million users and more than 34 thousand clients worldwide, Vector's mission is to serve everyday heroes by delivering intelligent software solutions that empower them to make safer, smarter, better decisions. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information, visit www.vectorsolutions.com. Follow us on Twitter @VectorPerform and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VectorPerformance.

About CareSafely

CareSafely enables senior living and long-term care providers to strengthen their Quality, Safety, and Compliance (QSC) programs. Purpose-built for senior care, the CareSafely software and content platform ensures that all QSC activities like risk assessments, corrective actions, staff competencies, and audits are proactively managed with 50% less effort.

Attachment

Kara Schafer Vector Solutions 8138642664 kara.schafer@vectorsolutions.com

Source: Vector Solutions
BURNABY, BC, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - White Wolf Capital Canada Inc., and its affiliates, (collectively "White Wolf") are pleased to announce the acquisition of British Columbia, Canada-based Weatherhaven Global Resources Ltd. In acquiring Weatherhaven, White Wolf is partnering with industry veteran Ray Castelli who will continue in his role as CEO of the company.

"We are excited about what the future holds as part of the White Wolf family of investments," said CEO Ray Castelli. "They've demonstrated an ability to grow companies, particularly in the US market, and we expect their extensive industry contacts will help take Weatherhaven to its next level of growth."

"White Wolf is very excited about the potential to work with the current management team to grow Weatherhaven as part of our portfolio of innovative companies," commented Eli Nohra, Managing Director of White Wolf Capital Canada, Inc. "This company's innovative next generation portable infrastructure solutions, leading global market position and strong management team, is precisely the kind of opportunity we feel we can help take to the next level," he added.

Elie Azar, CEO and Managing Director of White Wolf added, "We look forward to working with Ray and his talented team to help the company execute on its US expansion plans and beyond. This acquisition is White Wolf's second acquisition in Canada and demonstrates our strong commitment to expanding investments in the Canadian market."

About WeatherhavenWeatherhaven Global Resources Ltd. is a Canadian company headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia. Weatherhaven is recognized as one of the world's leading suppliers of rapid and redeployable mobile infrastructure - from military operations in the desert to climate research stations in ultra-cold Antarctica to sophisticated medical, humanitarian and disaster relief solutions. For 40 years we've provided our customers with rapid and effective responses to challenges, overcoming every terrain and climate imaginable across 95 countries and all seven continents. Please visit: www.weatherhaven.com.

About White Wolf White Wolf is a private investment firm that began operations in late 2011 and is focused on management buyouts, recapitalizations and investments in leading middle market companies. White Wolf seeks both private equity and private credit investment opportunities in companies that are headquartered in North America with $20 million to $200 million in revenues and up to $20 million in EBITDA (smaller for add-ons). Preferred industries include manufacturing, business services, information technology, security, aerospace and defense. For further information, please visit: www.whitewolfcapital.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weatherhaven-acquired-by-white-wolf-capital-301380244.html

SOURCE Weatherhaven
TICKERS: GTCH; GGLDF

Source: Streetwise Reports (9/21/21)

Assays from Getchell Golds first drill hole of 2021 support the companys high expectations for its Fondaway Canyon gold project.



Promising assays from the first hole of the 2021 drill program at its flagship Fondaway Canyon project in Nevada confirm Getchell Gold Corp.s (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) hypothesis of a significant gold mineralization system.

The first drill hole, FCG21-07 was drilled to establish the lateral continuity of the Colorado SW Extension zone. It intersected a higher-grade gold interval than the neighboring drill holes, grading 3.0 g/t Au over 33.0m of uninterrupted mineralization including an interval grading 7.8 g/t Au over 4.6m. This is the sixth consecutive drill hole to intersect a substantive interval of gold mineralization at the Central Area of Fondaway Canyon.

FC21-08, drilled from the same pad, was designed to further define the Colorado SW Extension zone and to test the extent of the mineralization along strike to the northwest in a previously undrilled area.

According to Getchell, there is a likelihood that these mineralized intercepts join with the high-grade Juniper zone encountered in holes FCG20-02 and FCG20-03. The pending results from theFCG21-08 will assist with the modelling.

The continued confirmation of gold grade and continuity of the thick zones of mineralization support our high expectation for the Fondaway Canyon project and the balance of the drill program through to the end of the year, Getchell President Mike Sieb said in a June 1 news release.

Building on 2021 Drill Program

Five of the six holes drilled in 2020, all returning gold intercepts, were within the Central Area:

FCG20-02: 9 g/t Au over 43.5 m including 4.2 g/t Au over 14.9 m; and 1.1 g/t Au over 12.3 m

9 g/t Au over 43.5 m including 4.2 g/t Au over 14.9 m; and 1.1 g/t Au over 12.3 m FCG20-03: 3 g/t Au over 21.1 m including 8.7 g/t Au over 9.4 m and including 14.6 g/t Au over 3.4 m; and 2.0 g/t Au over 49.0 m (188.3 to 237.3m)

3 g/t Au over 21.1 m including 8.7 g/t Au over 9.4 m and including 14.6 g/t Au over 3.4 m; and 2.0 g/t Au over 49.0 m (188.3 to 237.3m) FCG20-04: 6 g/t Au over 9.8 m (main Half Moon Shear vein); 2.7 g/t Au over 20.5 m; and 6.3 g/t Au over 3.3 m

6 g/t Au over 9.8 m (main Half Moon Shear vein); 2.7 g/t Au over 20.5 m; and 6.3 g/t Au over 3.3 m FGC20-05: 8 g/t Au over 90.0 m including 3.0 g/t Au over 45.3 m and including 4.4 g/t Au over 11.1 m; 6.3 g/t Au over 3.3 m; and 0.6 g/t Au over 28.0 m

8 g/t Au over 90.0 m including 3.0 g/t Au over 45.3 m and including 4.4 g/t Au over 11.1 m; 6.3 g/t Au over 3.3 m; and 0.6 g/t Au over 28.0 m FGC20-06:5 g/t Au over 37.7 meters including 2.1 g/t Au over 19.2 meters; and 1.1 g/t Au over 38.3 meters including 2.5 g/t Au over 10.6 meters

The remaining hole, FCG20-01, drilled 2.3 km to the west at the Pediment target area, was lost within a fault zone before reaching the target depth.

The stellar results from the 2020 drill program blew the potential of Fondaway Canyon wide open, Sieb said. The revised geological interpretation represents more than a doubling in the projected downdip extent of the gold mineralization from previous geological models and has provided ample target areas for the 2021 drill program to further delineate and expand upon our recent discoveries.

About Fondaway Canyon

Fondaway Canyon, acquired by Getchell in January 2020, is an advanced-stage gold project comprising 170 unpatented lode claims in Churchill County, Nevada. The project area covers 12 known veins, including five mineralized areas: Colorado, Halfmoon, Paperweight, Silica Ridge and Hamburger Hill. The property was the subject of multiple exploration campaigns in the late 1980s and early 1990s, resulting in 591 holes totaling nearly 50,000 meters.

A 2017 technical report showed an estimated 409,000 oz of indicated gold resources grading 6.18 g/t Au and 660,000 oz inferred grading 6.4 g/t Au  for a combined 1.1 million oz. As much as 80% of these ounces are within Colorado, Paperweight, and Halfmoon.

Mineralization is contained in a series of steeply dipping en-echelon quartz-sulfide shears outcropping at surface and extending laterally over 1,200 meters. There are drill-proven depth extensions to more than 400 meters.

2021 Drill Program and New Permits

The companys goals in 2021 are to increase confidence in the geological model to support an updated resource estimate and to continue stepping out from known gold intercepts to expand the geological model.

The drill program comprises a series of holes targeting the North Fork Zone. It started with drill hole FCG21-09, which is nearing completion, and will circle back to expand on the Juniper and Colorado SW Extension gold mineralized zones. FCG21-07 and FCG21-08 were drilled southwest from the Colorado Pit to expand on the high-grade gold Juniper zone and the thick Colorado SW Extension zone intersected by holes FCG20-02 and FCG20-03. Both functioned as a step-out to the high-grade Juniper zone and reached their targeted depths.

Getchell has obtained permits to add three drill pads at Fondaway. This would allow the company to obtain full drill coverage to define the Central target area and to have an additional drill hole at the Pediment target area.

The permitted Central target area hosts a sizable historic resource and is where the 100-metre-thick Colorado SW Extension and the North Fork zones were discovered in 2020. Some 4,000 meters of infill and step-out drilling is slated for the Central target area, where the objective is to delineate and expand on the mineralization discovered in 2020.

The newly permitted Pediment target area is the site of two historic drill holes that each intercepted broad gold-bearing intervals in 2002 and has yet to be properly characterized.

As the drill campaign progresses, additional drill pads and access roads will be permitted as required, Getchell said.

Conclusion

The 2021 drill program at Fondaway Canyon could be a transformative step in achieving Getchells goals. The first hole has intersected substantive gold mineralization, marking the companys sixth consecutive hit.

With more drilling to be completed, Getchell shareholders can look forward to more pleasant surprises from this advanced stage project this year.

Meanwhile, the company is planning a maiden drill program at its high-grade Star copper-gold-silver project, located north of Fondaway. This should begin after it completes the planned series of holes in the Central and Pediment target areas. Following the Star drill program, which is currently slated for early October, the Getchell team will return to Fondaway Canyon for more drilling.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Diane Fraser compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor/employee. He/she or members of his/her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. He/she or members of his/her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. His/her company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None.

2) As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Getchell Gold Corp. Please click here for more information. An affiliate of Streetwise Reports is conducting a digital media marketing campaign for this article on behalf of Getchell Gold Corp. Please click here for more information. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

3) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

4) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Getchell Gold Corp., a company mentioned in this article.
In this Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 file photo, Afghans inspect damage of Ahmadi family house after U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Pentagon retreated from its defense of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month, announcing Friday, Sept. 17, that a review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed. (Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi/AP)

WASHINGTON  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a senior Air Force general be assigned to review the U.S. Central Command investigation into the drone strike that killed 10 civilians in Kabul, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

Lt. Gen. Sami Said, the Air Force inspector general, has been assigned to conduct the review to assess the investigation that determined the Aug. 29 strike killed a local worker for a U.S.-based aid company and up to 10 nearby civilians, including seven children. U.S. military leaders had earlier claimed the strike killed an Islamic State fighter.

Part of that review will be to examine the investigation itself  the thoroughness of the investigation  to study the degree to which any policies, procedures, or targeting mechanisms may need to be altered going forward, if any, Kirby said.

The review will also determine what levels of accountability might be appropriate for the strike, and if so, at what level," he said.

Austin on Friday ordered the review be completed by a three-star general or higher and should last no longer than 45 days after one is appointed, Kirby said. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall selected Said to conduct the review.

Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said is the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)

The strike was the last known U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan before the last American troops left Kabul just before midnight Aug. 31. Defense officials originally said it had disrupted an imminent suicide attack against Hamid Karzai International Airport, where 13 U.S. service members were killed in an ISIS attack three days earlier as they helped evacuate Americans and their allies from the country after the Taliban takeover Aug. 15.

On Friday, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of CENTCOM, called the Reaper drone strike a tragic mistake.

I offer my profound condolences to the family and friends of those who are killed, McKenzie said Friday. This strike was taken in earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our forces and the evacuees at the airport, but it was a mistake. And I offer my sincere apology. As the combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike in this tragic outcome.

Kirby said Monday that Austin "would absolutely support [it] if the family wanted to leave Afghanistan and come to the United States" after they were outed as having a family member who worked for the U.S. government. However, he had no information about whether efforts to evacuate the family are underway.
Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said is the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)

The Secretary of the Air Force has directed the services inspector general to review last months disastrous airstrike in Kabul, officials said Tuesday, after the Pentagon concluded numerous mistakes and misreads of intelligence led to the deaths of 10 civilians, including seven children.

Lt. Gen. Sami Said, the Air Forces chief independent investigator, will oversee the probe, which comes after the Pentagon acknowledged last week that on Aug. 29, military commanders misidentified an Afghan aid worker hauling water cans in his car for an Islamic State militant plotting to attack U.S. forces.

Said will have 45 days to report the facts and circumstances of the drone strike, said Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who described the airstrike as a horrible mistake targeting an innocent man, directed the review, Stefanek said.

The investigation will analyze a report already completed by U.S. Central Command, which oversaw operations in Afghanistan during the waning U.S. presence there, determine whether anyone should be held accountable for the errant strike, and evaluate whether policies, procedures or targeting mechanisms may need to be altered going forward, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.

Analysts and human rights advocates met the reviews announcement with a measure of skepticism, describing the effort as a self-evaluation rather than a truly independent assessment.

Brian Castner, the senior crisis adviser for Amnesty International, said the U.S. military has a spotty record of investigating airstrikes and ensuring accountability when it makes mistakes, pointing to the 2015 attack on a hospital in northern Afghanistan that left at least 30 people dead after a string of failures by U.S. commanders. The Pentagon eventually found mistakes were unintentional and not war crimes.

This investigation must be transparent and impartial, and anyone suspected of criminal responsibility should be prosecuted in a fair trial, Castner said. Most significantly, the families of victims should be kept informed of the progress of the investigation and have access to compensation and redress.

U.S. officials have said they are exploring whether the government will make ex gratia payments to compensate the victims families.

One long-standing issue for the Defense Department is understanding this and other errant airstrikes and what they may have in common, Larry Lewis, a former State Department official and expert on civilian casualties who last worked in Afghanistan in 2017, said on Twitter.

In some cases, signature strikes are ordered on people who exhibit what drone operators and commanders sifting through raw intelligence perceive to be threatening behavior. In the case of the Kabul strike, the aid worker, Zamarai Ahmadi, was observed driving through the capital and loading heavy items into his car that analysts perceived to be explosives.

Commanders also suspected a white Toyota Corolla in the area would attack U.S. troops during the ongoing evacuation effort at the airport, days after an attack that killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops. Ahmadi drove such a car, one of the most common in Kabul. Those miscues precipitated the order to destroy the vehicle.

A knowledge of past incidents and patterns would have kept them from making that mistake, Lewis said. And thats one of the tragic mistakes made in this strike.

Said, the inspector general tasked with evaluating the airstrike, is a fighter pilot by training but has some experience in Afghanistan, including a 2013 assignment in Kabul alongside the State Department.

The probe and acknowledgments of mistakes comes after three news organizations, including The Washington Post, published investigations of the incident that each cast doubt on the Pentagons initial claim its strike was justified.
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber arrives at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, on Aug. 23, 2021. Three stealth bombers spent an extended deployment at the Iceland base. (Victoria Hommel/U.S. Air Force)

A B-2 bomber mission marked a first for the stealth aircraft with a recent extended deployment in Iceland, where a strategic base is rediscovering its significance to facilitate military missions across the broader Arctic.

In a statement Monday, the Air Force said Keflavik Air Base had served as a new launch point for short-notice bomber task force missions to Europe.

In 2019, the B-2 completed a stop-and-go hot pit refueling at Keflavik, but this is the first time the B-2 has operated continuously from Iceland, Lt. Col. Matthew Howard, the commander of the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, said in a statement.

The U.S. military has invested millions of dollars to improve infrastructure at Keflavik, which was prominent in allied operations during the Cold War but faded in importance in subsequent years.

But concerns about Russias military resurgence and aggressiveness have prompted the U.S. to boost activity at the base, with more fighter rotations and Navy reconnaissance aircraft tracking submarine movements.

A B-2 Spirit assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., departs from Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Victoria Hommel/U.S. Air Force) A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber rolls down the runway at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, on Aug. 23, 2021. (Victoria Hommel/U.S. Air Force)

In 2020, the U.S. military awarded $38 million in contracts to improve the airfield at Keflavik to allow for expanded missions.

Having the B-2s in theater in Iceland allows us to respond to any potential crisis or challenge across the globe, Howard said. Also, conducting sorties with our allies and partners demonstrates and strengthens our shared commitment to global security and stability.

The Air Forces B-2 Spirit bombers operate out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The long-range heavy bomber is known for its ability to fly undetected and penetrate sophisticated enemy air defenses, making it a key part of the Pentagons nuclear strategy.

Three of the bombers returned to Whiteman on Sept. 11 after wrapping up efforts at their mission at Keflavik.

While in Europe, the aircraft operated alongside British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons, American F-15 Eagles and Norwegian F-35 fighters.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Tribune News Service)  After a series of legal motions, a judge agreed last week to dismiss portions of a class action lawsuit alleging poor management of Fort Bragg housing against four defendants, but left intact the legal actions against two others.

The defendants are Corvias Group LLC; Bragg Communities LLC; Corvias Management-Army LLC; Bragg-Picerne Partners LLC; Corvias Military Living LLC; and Corvias Construction LLC.

In his Sept. 13 order, U.S. District Judge James Dever ruled Bragg Communities and Corvias Management are the only landlords under the Residential Rental Agreements Act, because they are the only two named in the Residential Responsibility Guide for providing maintenance services to residents.

Devers wrote that the plaintiffs did not cite specific allegations implicating Bragg-Picerne Partners LLC; Corvias Military Living LLC; and Corvias Construction LLC. Crossing. He agreed to dismiss Residential Rental Agreements Act claims against those defendants, leaving intact the lawsuit against Bragg Communities and Corvias Management.

He also ruled that the plaintiffs allegation of a breach of contract could be dismissed against all the defendants except Bragg Communities.

Devers wrote that even though Corvias Management was listed as an agent in a resident occupancy agreement, the reference does not make Corvias Management a party to the agreement or liable for Bragg Communities alleged breach.

Four Fort Bragg families filed the lawsuit in June 2020. The soldiers and their spouses are Staff Sgt. Shane Page and Brittany; Spc. Spenser Ganske and Emily; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Wilkes and Ashley; and Cpl. Timothy Murphy and Katelyn.

The complaint alleges the defendants conspired to conceal harmful environmental and structural housing defects from unsuspecting service members and their families and failed to comply with applicable building and housing codes and that they knowingly leased substandard homes while charging grossly excessive rents swallowing up the whole of service members basic allowance for housing.

Attorneys for Corvias and its affiliates have sought to have the case dismissed, stating in legal motions that determining individual claims would require the court to look at the issues at each home to determine what maintenance issues existed, what caused the issues, how long the issues existed, whether the issues affected the homes habitability if repair work fixed the issues and whether each class member suffered any damages.

The Pages started living at a Fort Bragg home on Spear Drive in August 2016 and moved to another home on Baltic Circle in May 2020.

The Ganskes started living at a Fort Bragg home on Castle Drive in September 2018.

The Wilkes family moved into a home in March 2017 on Hirsch Circle and in July 2020 moved to a home off of Viking Court .

The Murphys lived at a home on Galaxy Street from February 2019 to October 2019, before moving off post.

On Oct. 30, 2020, lawyers for the defendants asked the court to strike the allegations in the complaint, stating it does not meet the requirements for class certification.

The defense response states that a class-action complaint would require inquiries of tenants of more than 6,000 homes on Fort Bragg.

Plaintiffs claims all arise out of these individual allegations, and not from any general conduct directed toward the class as a whole, the response states.

Attorneys filed a Jan. 20 motion on behalf of the defendants seeking to dismiss the case based on requirements for class certification Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which requires the plaintiffs to show that the defendants refused to act on grounds that apply generally to the class so that final relief is appropriate respecting the class as a whole.

Devers Sept. 13 order states that courts generally do not strike class allegations at the pleadings stage and instead allow for discovery before making a certification decision.

The court has reviewed the amended complaint, the arguments, and the governing law, and the court denies defendants motion to strike plaintiffs class allegation, he wrote.

Among the claims, the complaint alleges the defendants leased homes with known problems that caused a lack of effective moisture and air barriers between exterior cladding and wall cavities in all homes.

The problems allegedly caused mold, wood rot and other conditions that threatened the health and safety of the plaintiffs, as workers were allegedly instructed to conceal the defects from tenants, the complaint states.

The complaint alleges that when Corvias entered into its lease with Fort Bragg in 2003, its representatives were aware of an environmental baseline survey of lead paint in 1993.

The information about lead-based paint and its hazards was not provided to residents, the complaint alleges.

The complaint alleges the defendants breached contract obligations, made shoddy repairs, kept misleading records and tenants were threatened with punitive damages if they refused to sign new leases.

The complaint alleges the defendants collected many millions in fees for construction, development and management of the homes, with maintenance expenses covered by renters base housing allowance.

Documents will show that defendants received iron-clad assurances of profit while class plaintiffs lived in slum-like conditions, the complaint alleges.

The complaint says Page first noticed water damage to his home in September 2016, with Corvias workers allegedly painting over the damage instead of repairing its cause.

In the months following, the home was infested with ants, cracks appeared in walls, the heating and air conditioning ventilation system failed, and most calls for repairs were tardy and insufficient, the complaint states.

The complaint alleges mold was found in the home by 2018.

The latest court documents filed Sept. 13 state that the defendants eventually relocated the Pages, classifying the move as rank eligibility move rather than one caused by the homes maintenance problems.

When moving into their home on Castle Drive, squirrels were living in the attic of Ganskes home, with urine soaking through the living room ceiling, the complaint says.

Water intrusion caused mold to grow in the window frame of their daughters bedroom.

There was a large crack in the ceiling that extended down the wall, dirty carpet with nails underneath and electrical outlets in the bathroom not working, the complaint states.

The family stated they submitted work orders but did not receive a response for months, until Corvias representatives told them in April 2019 that their work orders were deleted.

Ganskes wife found the heating and ventilation system was leaking and covered in mold, with water in the closet and a repairman using a vacuum to remove the water, the complaint alleges.

With more mold found in the house, Ganske filed a formal complaint with his command.

Corvias sent a contractor to remove the mold, who showed Ganskes wife the attic soaked in water and allegedly told her hed seen similar problems in other homes and was not allowed to tell residents mold was present, the complaint states.

When Wilkes and his family moved into their home, they noticed cracked bricks on the exterior, a sagging floor inside and plumbing problems.

The complaint notes a canceled work order for roof repairs, improper work and a leaking bathroom toilet causing more damage to an already sagging bathroom floor.

In December 2019, the roof and inside ceiling collapsed, as one worker fell through.

The complaint alleges maintenance workers told Wilkes they couldnt promise another home wouldnt have similar maintenance problems.

He has filed 33 work orders with Corvias.

The latest legal document states that the defendants eventually relocated the Wilkes family and that theyve had water damage, potential lead-based paint contamination and numerous problems at their new location on Viking Court.

Court documents state that like the other families, the Murphys noticed water damage, wood rot, mold and had issues with appliances.

It also alleges there was carbon monoxide contamination in the Murphy home, lead-based paint and that certain repair requests for the home were deleted, or unqualified personnel were sent for repair work.

Corvias attorneys wrote that the plaintiffs are making a series of claims for diverse and distinct maintenance issues, which attorneys said cannot be answered without individual inquiries of the unique circumstance at each of houses when the plaintiffs lived there

Proving that one plaintiffs house had a particular maintenance issue does not prove that the same issue occurred at any other plaintiffs house during the course of any other plaintiffs tenancy, the attorneys wrote.

Attorneys said though each of the plaintiffs claimed they experienced issues with mold or moisture intrusion, each cited different causes for the issue, with the Wilkes family attributing it to delayed roof repairs after Hurricane Florence and the Ganskes claiming moisture damage after a heating and ventilation system leak.

Proving that mold existed at one house, during one plaintiffs tenancy, will do nothing to answer whether mold existed at the next plaintiffs house, or even in the same house at a different time, attorneys wrote.

The attorneys denied claims that the plaintiffs engaged in deceptive conduct by allegedly counseling or deleting maintenance records and said the plaintiffs would have to prove how they were damaged as a result of the allegations.

Responding to claims that vendors were told not to use the word mold around residents when making house repairs, attorneys said in the Jan. 18 motion that claim is an inflammatory allegation that would require the court to conduct a fact-extensive inquiry to determine whether each class member relied on the alleged statements to his or her detriment.

In the latest motion filed earlier this year, Corvias attorneys continued to seek , dismissal of the case because they believe Fort Bragg is a federal enclave.

Federal enclaves are territories  such as military installations  where the state gives jurisdiction to the federal government.

Devers order states that the court does not need to address the federal enclave doctrine, because the parties residential occupancy agreements contain a choice-of-law provision.  The agreement states that it will be governed by the laws of the state which the home is located and that the courts of such state have jurisdiction over the name.

The plain text of this unqualified phrase means that the parties intended that North Carolina laws generally applicable to leased premises would also apply to the leased premises at issue here, Dever wrote.

The military families allege that under North Carolina law, Corvias and its affiliates violated the North Carolina Residential Rental Agreements Act, North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992.

Dever denied the defendants motion to dismiss the lead paint claim, stating that the 1992 act requires lessors to disclose to lessees any known lead-based paint, or any known lead-based paint hazards, and that Environmental Protection Agency regulations also require the disclosure.

The defendants argued that the residential occupancy agreements contained the disclosures, but the military families alleged the defendants failed to disclose the presence of the lead-based paint and its hazards before the agreements were signed.

Dever wrote that the 1992 act and disclosure rule requires lessors to affirmatively to disclose the presence of any known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in homes built before 1978, not merely to make reports and records regarding those homes available to lessees.

Dever denied the defendants motion to dismiss the military families Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act claim.

Citing prior case law, he wrote that the plaintiff does not have to show fraud, bad faith, deliberate or knowing acts of deception, or actual deception, but must show that the acts complained of possessed the tendency or capacity to mislead, or created the likelihood of deception.

Dever wrote that the plaintiffs alleged the defendants used deceptive marketing practices to entice customers, manipulated customer survey and service and repair records and misrepresented what repairs were needed to properly fix problems and whether they had made those repairs.

Taken as true, this misrepresentation is especially unscrupulous and deceptive, Dever wrote, adding that the defendants allegedly never showed one of the plaintiffs the home until after a lease was signed.

Dever also dismissed the defendants motion to dismiss the military families nuisance and negligence claims.

The test for gross negligence, he wrote, is purposeful conduct and disregard for the safety of others and the military families plausibly alleged the defendants conduct was intentional and disregarded plaintiffs safety...

Despite the defendants arguing that a tenant cannot make a nuisance against his or her landlord and that a private nuisance claim exists when a resident makes improper use of his or her property in a way that injures their neighbor, Dever wrote that in North Carolina, a tenants possessory interest is a sufficient property interest to maintain a claim in nuisance..

Moreover, nuisance claims are not limited to nuisances created by ones neighbors, he wrote.

In a Sept. 15 motion filed on behalf of the Corvias defendants, an attorney for the housing provider requested to extend the time to Oct. 27 to respond to the amended complaint



(c)2021 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)

Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC .
Four Marines injured in the attack by an Islamic State suicide bomber at the Kabul airport are still being treated for their wounds at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center nearly a month later (U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON  Four Marines injured in the attack by an Islamic State suicide bomber at the Kabul airport are still being treated for their wounds at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center nearly a month later, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Johnny Henderson said Tuesday.

One of the Marines is in very serious but stable condition, while three others are in serious but stable condition, Henderson said. The service did not provide further details on their injuries or the names of those injured, which is Marine Corps policy to protect their privacy.

The numbers are down from Sept. 7 when 15 wounded Marines were being treated at Walter Reed, one of whom was in critical condition, three were in serious condition and 11 were in stable condition, Henderson said at the time.

The injured Marines are among the survivors of the ISIS-K attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26 during the final days of the U.S. militarys withdrawal from Afghanistan. Thirteen troops were killed and more than 20 others were injured when an ISIS-K terrorist detonated an explosive vest and gunmen fired into the crowds near the airports Abbey gate.

ISIS-K, an abbreviation for ISIS-Khorasan, is the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State terrorist group.

Seventeen Marines were wounded in the attack, and all the troops killed were awarded Purple Hearts and approved this month for combat action ribbons, according to the Marine Corps.

The service members were screening hopeful evacuees at the airports entrance when the attack happened after nearly two weeks of an evacuation mission to remove Americans and allies, including Afghans, from the country after it fell to the Taliban on Aug. 15.

More than 124,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan before the last U.S. troops left Kabul on Aug. 30.
A parachute and other items remain outside an Ole Donut where one pilot landed after ejecting from a military training jet before it crashed Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Lake Worth, Texas. The jet crashed Sunday in a neighborhood near Fort Worth, Texas, injuring the two pilots and damaging three homes but not seriously hurting anyone on the ground, authorities said. (Amanda McCoy, The Star-Telegram/TNS)

FORT WORTH, Texas (Tribune News Service)  The trainer pilot who was injured in a military plane crash Sunday in Lake Worth was released Monday from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, according to a tweet from Naval Air Training Command.

The instructor, who was not identified, ejected from a T-45C Goshawk training jet Sunday morning along with a student, who was still in serious condition Monday and receiving treatment for his injuries at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. One of the pilots, not yet identified by the Navy, struck power lines while descending with a parachute from the aircraft and caught fire.

The two ejected from the plane before it crashed into the back yard of a Lake Worth home in the area of Tejas Trail and Telephone Road, seriously damaging three homes and leaving three residents with minor injuries, sending at least one to the hospital, Lake Worth police said.

The neighborhood is near the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, in an area that the military has identified as a potential accident zone, because of its proximity to where planes take off and land, police said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

A statement on the Chief of Naval Air Training Facebook page said it was a Navy T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft assigned to Training Air Wing 2 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, that crashed in Lake Worth, about two miles north of Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.

The Navy is investigating the cause of the crash and conducting cleanup efforts.

___

(c)2021 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Visit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force updated his Facebook cover photo with the newly revealed rank insignia for the enlisted side of the force. (Facebook/Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force)

The Space Force this week unveiled its enlisted rank designs and a prototype service dress uniform as the newest military service looks to set itself apart from the Air Force while drawing on its heritage.

The services top officer, Gen. John W. Raymond, appeared alongside two service members wearing the new uniform Tuesday at the Air Force Associations Space Force Air, Space and Cyber Conference.

The service billed it in a Twitter post as modern, distinctive, professional. Some users reacted to similarities between the uniform coat and the costumes used in various science fiction series set in space, such as Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. It features a standing collar and an angular overlapping front flap that buttons up the right side.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman revealed the ranks for specialist through chief master sergeant in a social media post Monday that included graphics and information sheets explaining the symbolism of the designs.

All of the ranks feature a foundational Delta, the triangular shape reminiscent of Star Trek. The shape was adopted as the Space Force emblem last year, drawing on its use in military emblems related to space since 1961, years before the science fiction show first aired.

As service members progress up the ranks, they move from earth into orbit, at least symbolically. Three junior ranks feature horizontal stripes representing terra firma on which the service is built, and the three senior-most ranks feature curving chevrons named after increasingly higher strata of orbit.

Unlike the Star Fleet of television and the silver screen, however, Space Force troops are still earthbound.

The first enlisted rank, specialist 1, features only the delta inside a hexagonal border, the number of sides representing the service as the militarys sixth. For each of the next three ranks, specialists 2 through 4, a horizontal Vandenberg Stripe is added across the delta.

The Space Force has revealed its rank insignia for the enlisted side of the force. (Facebook/Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force) The Space Force has revealed its rank insignia for the enlisted side of the force. (Joe Chignola) The U.S. Space Force unveiled the Guardian Service Dress prototype uniforms Sept. 21, 2021, during the Air Force Association's 2021 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in Maryland. (Twitter/U.S. Space Force)

The stripes are a nod to a design Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg proposed for the Air Force ranks, but which was never used, the service said. The namesake of Vandenberg Space Force Base was the second chief of staff of the Air Force.

Sergeants and up will see those stripes transformed into upward bent chevrons, representing them as upholding and serving those they are charged with caring for under their leadership.

A globe and an orbital path are also added above the chevrons  something the service calls the Delta, Globe and Orbit, in a moniker reminiscent of the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor. This formation represents the values, people and mission upheld by the chevrons, a service fact sheet says.

At the three most senior ranks, the Delta departs the Globe and rises above it onto chevrons arcing over top of the Globe and Orbit. Each of the three arcs is named to correspond to a higher altitude above Earth as Guardians progress to master sergeant, senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant.

"The placement of the Delta above the Globe further signifies the higher level of responsibility while the Delta breaking through the orbits shows their willingness to explore and innovate, the information sheet explains.

The overall look with downward pointing chevrons and arcing orbits gives an appearance something like Navy chief ranks, rather than those of the Air Force, where the upper chevrons culminate in points. Last year, many had unsuccessfully argued for the service to adopt Navy rank names, including Star Trek star William Shatner, who played Capt. James Kirk.

Since its founding in late 2019, the service has been focused on establishing its own culture and identity. It crowdsourced ideas for what it would call its members, settling on Guardians last year. It adopted a Latin motto Semper Supra, meaning always above, at the recommendation of an airman at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The reaction to Towbermans post on Facebook unveiling the rank insignia appeared to be largely positive Tuesday.

I was ready to be underwhelmed, wrote commenter Aaron Warren in a Facebook post. I think you guys did a good job. A good amount of difference, but not so much that I cant get behind it. Well done.
A Boeing employee demonstrates a touch screen control display in the cockpit of a Boeing Co. 737-9 aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on July 28, 2021. (Al Drago/Bloomberg)

After being thrust into crisis by the coronavirus, the aviation industry faces yet more trouble as the world emerges from the worst of the pandemic to find theres now likely to be a shortage of pilots after thousands were laid off or decided to retire.

Government policies such as mandatory vaccinations for trainee pilots and travel curbs have also kept a new batch of potential aviators away, according to Bhanu Choudhrie, CEO of Alpha Aviation Group, which runs flying schools in the United Arab Emirates and the biggest one in Southeast Asias training hub, the Philippines. Theyve trained more than 2,500 pilots for carriers including Philippine Airlines, AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific and Air Arabia.

Modern, longer-distance narrow-body aircraft like the Airbus A321 XLR jets  due to be delivered from 2023  will require more pilots than earlier models, compounding the shortage, Choudhrie said in an interview from London.

Airlines are going to continue to buy, modernize their fleets, and as they do that, they are going to require pilots, he said. The market is getting interesting again and were starting to see that upward trend, were starting to see airlines come to us and say -- look this is my delivery schedule, can you have pilots ready for me in two years time?

Many airlines are aggressively trying to rehire pilots as well as cabin crew and ground staff, but thats not been a simple process and some jobs are left unfilled. Careers in the industry no longer look as secure as before.

It takes 18-24 months to train a pilot, according to Choudhrie, which means carriers must work on getting them ready way ahead of the delivery of new aircraft, including narrow-body jets, like the A321 XLR, that can fly longer. Airlines typically order aircraft years in advance given the limited production capacity of plane manufacturers.

The crew ratio  or number of pilots assigned to a plane  could be as high as 18 for the A321 XLR compared with 10 or 12 for older models in the same family, said Choudhrie, who also heads U.K.-based private equity firm C&C Alpha Group and was an early investor in Air Deccan, a pioneer of Indias low-cost flying boom.

Boeing estimates that the world will need more than 600,000 new pilots in the next two decades, during which airlines will take 43,600 new aircraft deliveries. Demand for new planes will soar in markets where carriers are looking to replace their old fleet, and in countries like India, home to IndiGo, the biggest customer for Airbuss best-selling narrow-body jets.

Thats why Alpha Aviation is setting up a new flight training center in India, with an initial investment of $15 million, and has plans to expand and invest as much as $100 million, Choudhrie said. He declined to elaborate ahead of a formal announcement.
Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan L. Crosby, assigned to Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic in Virginia Beach, Va., died Sept. 19 due to complications related to COVID-19 at a hospital in Norfolk. (U.S. Navy)

A Navy petty officer based in Virginia died Sunday of complications related to the coronavirus at a Norfolk hospital, the service said.

Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan L. Crosby, a gas turbine system technician, is the 13th sailor to die of causes related to COVID-19. The 39-year-old was assigned to the Navys Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic in Virginia Beach.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and coworkers of Petty Officer Crosby during this extremely difficult time, Marine Col. Christopher Browning, the group commander, said in a statement.

A colleague described Crosby on Facebook as someone whose commitment to his wife and daughters was a model most could follow for a happy family.

Crosby received a positive test result for COVID-19 on Aug. 26, said Lt. Cmdr. Laura K. Stegherr, a spokeswoman for Carrier Strike Group Four. He was admitted to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth on Sept. 8 and transferred the following day to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he died.

The sailors death comes a little over a week after three Navy civilian employees died of complications related to the disease.

A civilian employee with Naval Air Station Oceana and Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach died Sept. 10. Two others died Sept. 12  one with the Navy Information Warfare Center, Atlantic in Charleston, S.C., and another with Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

At least 90 Navy civilians, 36 contractors and two dependents have died since the pandemic began, the service said in an updated tally last week.

Crosby trained crews of the Landing Craft Air Cushion. The hovercraft is used in amphibious operations to transport gear and Marines.

He joined the service in February 2002, according to data Stegherr provided. A native of the Cincinnati, Ohio area, he spent much of his career assigned to Assault Craft Unit Four in Virginia Beach.

He was close to retirement, wrote a Facebook commenter, who described themselves as a fellow LCAC crew instructor. Crosby had a reassuringly calm demeanor when they would fly together on the craft where they spent countless hours, the commenter wrote.

Others in public Facebook comments reacted with disbelief at Crosbys death.

This whole thing is just so damn surreal, wrote Brian Wemmerus, whose Facebook page says hes a former senior chief petty officer who served with Assault Craft Unit Four. I keep thinking hes going to pop onto someones feed with a smartass comment or jab.

Among Crosbys awards and decorations were a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, a Humanitarian Service Medal, and surface and aviation warfare specialist badges.

Citing privacy laws, Stegherr declined to say whether Crosby was vaccinated. His positive test came just days before Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro issued an order Aug. 30 requiring all sailors and Marines to be fully vaccinated.

All Navy COVID deaths have been individuals not immunized (one individual was partially vaccinated), the Navy said in an Aug. 31 administrative message implementing the vaccination order.
Cpl. Nakealon Keunte Mosley, 24, was arrested and originally charged with aggravated assault of a family member with a deadly weapon for the late-night shooting, according to the Killeen Police Department. The Bell County District Attorneys Office began reviewing the possibility of enhanced charges in the wake of Martinezs death, according to police. (Bell County Jail)

A Fort Hood soldier died from a bullet wound to her head after another soldier who is the father of her child shot her following an altercation at a nightclub in Killeen, Texas, according to police and base officials.

Sgt. Francine Martinez, 24, was shot Sept. 4 and spent the last two weeks in the hospital. She died Thursday, officials said.

Cpl. Nakealon Keunte Mosley, 24, was arrested and originally charged with aggravated assault of a family member with a deadly weapon for the late-night shooting, according to the Killeen Police Department. The Bell County District Attorneys Office began reviewing the possibility of enhanced charges in the wake of Martinezs death, according to police.

Martinez and Mosley ran into each other Sept. 4 while out with friends at a nightclub, and a fight led to Mosley following Martinez after she left the club and shooting her in the head, according to a court affidavit for Mosleys arrest.

Mosley, who is assigned to Fort Hood, was arrested and charged Sept. 5, and he has been held at Bell County Jail with bond set at $505,000, according to jail records.

Witnesses told police that the two soldiers had previously dated and had a child together, according to the court document. After seeing each other inside the nightclub, Mosley followed Martinez outside, and they argued in the parking lot, according to court documents.

Martinez left in a red Dodge, and Mosley got into a white Chrysler. He pulled the car alongside the Dodge and fired shots inside at about 1:54 a.m. on Elms Road just east of Fort Hood Street, according to the court document.

Martinez was struck in the head with a bullet and driven to Seton Medical Center in Harker Heights, according to the court document. She was then airlifted to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. She died at about 10:25 p.m. Thursday, police said.

Police did not say where Martinez was sitting in the vehicle or who drove her to the hospital. By retracing the vehicles route to the hospital, police located multiple 9mm shell casings and shattered glass.

Officers inspected the red Dodge at the hospital and observed it to have several apparent bullet holes in the hood and passenger side of the vehicle. Officers also observed fresh body damage on the passenger side with white paint transfer, according to the court document.

Police said they identified Mosley as a suspect the following day and interviewed him at the Killen Police Department. He conceded he had been at the nightclub and had argued with Martinez, according to the court document. He denied shooting at her but admitted he had a gun in his car.

He drove the white Chrysler to the interview, and police said the vehicle had damage and missing paint on the drivers side bumper. Police also said they could see a handgun on the floorboard.

Fort Hood officials confirmed Monday that Martinez and Mosley were assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division.

Martinez joined the Army in April 2018 as a cannoneer, according to base officials. She attended basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Okla. Her first duty assignment was with 4th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colo.

She was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in December 2019 and was promoted to sergeant in June, according to the base.

During her time in service, she completed one nine-month combat tour in Afghanistan where she earned an Army Commendation medal with "C" device and the NATO medal. She also earned the National Defense Service medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service medal, an Army Good Conduct medal and a second Army Commendation medal.

Mosley has served as an automated logistical specialist with divisions 3rd Brigade Combat Team since April.
The sauna room in the bus is made from Todo fir wood from the town of Toma, Hokkaido, Japan. (Japan News-Yomiuri)

A manufacturing company in Hokkaido has converted a recreational vehicle into a sauna, in a bid to help a local town revitalize itself amid the boom in teleworking and camping.

The town of Toma, Hokkaido, is aiming to give itself a boost by promoting health and leisure through saunas, which are popular among both men and women. It devised a sauna bus project and gained the cooperation of Touma Electronics Industry Co., a manufacturer of recreational vehicles and other products.

The company converted an RV into a sedan bus at its own expense, spending about $46,000 (5 million yen).

To help promote the sauna bus, Toma will offer its rental as a return gift under the furusato nozei system of tax-deductible donations to peoples hometowns.

Toma aims to develop an auto site where the sauna bus can park at the towns campground, and to update the aging sauna facilities at the towns bathhouse adjacent to the campground.

The RVs living room was converted into a sauna room. The interior is made of Todo fir grown in the town and supplied by Tomas forest cooperative. In this authentic Finnish-type sauna, the temperature can be heated up to 190 F (90 C) and water is poured over the sauna stove to create steam called loyly. The bus also has showers and a resting area.

The sauna bus can be driven with certain regular licenses.

Company President Norihisa Tadano said, I hope people will park along the river, and enjoy a dip in the water along with relaxing in the sauna.

In recent years, saunas have been featured in manga and TV dramas and become a booming business. Toma is also home to Mt. Toma, where people can enjoy snowshoeing in winter in addition to camping. After warming up in the sauna, people can dive into the snow in winter instead of taking a cold water bath.
The fast-attack submarine USS Seawolf transits the Pacific Ocean on June 22, 2021. (Olympia McCoy/U.S. Navy)

TOKYO  Some Southeast Asian nations are concerned a new security agreement between the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom could lead to an arms race and more aggression in the region.

The three allies announced the AUKUS alliance last week to help Australia build its first nuclear-powered submarines with assistance from the United States and Britain. The deal provoked an angry response from China, widely seen as the threat that the nations are focused on, but leaders in Indonesia and Malaysia have also expressed concerns.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, in a statement Friday, called on Australia to continue meeting nuclear non-proliferation obligations. It said Indonesia "is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region."

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday that "AUKUS could potentially provoke other powers to act more aggressively, especially within the South China Sea region," Japans NHK broadcaster reported Monday.

Some Southeast Asian nations, including Thailand and Vietnam, didnt immediately comment on AUKUS. Singapore, however, issued an upbeat statement Thursday, detailing a phone call that day between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Morrison.

Loong told Morrison that he hoped the new deal would contribute constructively to the peace and stability of the region and complement the regional architecture, according to the statement.

Philippine National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a call with Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Friday acknowledged Australias right to improve its submarine defense and noted that the Philippines is also building capability to protect its territories, according to a statement from the Philippines Department of National Defense.

China has occupied and built military facilities on South China Sea islands claimed by its neighbors, including the Philippines  acts deemed a violation of international law by a United Nations tribunal.

However, Lorenzana told Dutton that Manila wants good bilateral defense relations with all countries in the region, according to the statement.

The U.S. military believes the agreement with the Australians and the British will add to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters during a briefing Monday.

It'll improve the Australian navy's reach and their warfighting capability, their defensive capability, he said. And that's all to be welcomed in that particular part of the world. Given the dynamic, intense security environment that exists.

Paul Buchanan, an American security analyst based in Auckland, New Zealand, said Southeast Asian nations are worried about an arms race involving big-ticket items such as aircraft carriers and the potential for nuclear proliferation, since the new Australian submarines will likely involve weapons-grade enriched uranium.

It is doubtful that the Australians would go that route given their commitment to a nuclear weapons free South Pacific, he said in an email Tuesday. But just having a constant nuclear presence in and around the South China Sea, Malaccan Straits, Malay Archipelago, Solomon, Bismarck and Coral Seas will raise concerns that others may follow suit with a move to nuke-propelled platforms.

India already has a nuclear-powered submarine and South Korea may also be interested in developing the technology, Buchanan wrote.

The concern is not just about an arms race but an arms race that may progress into acquisition of nuclear-powered platforms by current non-nuclear States, he said, listing Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea as examples.

Such a move could lead to nuclear weapons acquisition if tensions continue to increase, regardless of U.S. security guarantees, Buchanan added.

All of that could lead to  increased chances of conflict as China tries to maintain its strategic gains in the Indo-Pacific but is forced to increase its presence in the face of containment strategies focused against it, he said.
Airmen assigned to the 86th Medical Group administer the mumps, measles and rubella, and chickenpox vaccines to an Afghan evacuee at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 18, 2021.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants evacuees inoculated against measles recently at U.S. military bases overseas to wait three weeks before traveling to the U.S., the agency said. (Kiaundra Miller/U.S. Air Force)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants thousands of Afghan evacuees who were just inoculated against measles at U.S. military bases overseas to delay travel to the United States and be quarantined for three weeks.

In an advisory issued Monday to medical personnel caring for evacuees, the CDC said it had requested the quarantine period to allow the vaccine to take effect. That guidance includes evacuees at both domestic and overseas U.S. bases.

More than 9,000 evacuees are temporarily housed at Ramstein Air Base and Rhine Ordnance Barracks while they wait for evacuation flights to the United States. Those flights were halted more than a week ago after four measles cases were discovered among U.S. arrivals from overseas bases.

Officials from the 86th Airlift Wing and a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin said they had no updates on the timing for resumption of evacuation flights to the United States.

Well continue to follow CDC guidance and public health expert guidance during this temporary CDC pause, Sandra Archer, a spokeswoman for the wing, said Tuesday in a statement to Stars and Stripes.

About 20 people at the two German installations declined the vaccines, the wing said. Its uncertain where they will be relocated once flights resume.

All actions will be taken consistent with U.S. law and our treaty obligations, including the protections against returning individuals to locations where it is more likely than not they will be tortured, the embassy spokesman said in a statement. At this point, we are not removing individuals to Afghanistan.

As of Monday, the CDC said it knows of 16 confirmed cases of measles and four cases of mumps among Afghan nationals and U.S. citizens recently arriving from Afghanistan. One case of measles was confirmed last week among the evacuee population at Ramstein and ROB, the Air Force said.

More than 8,800 evacuees at Ramstein and ROB have been inoculated against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, according to the 86th Airlift Wing. The vaccinations happened over three days and were completed Sunday.

Afghan evacuees and Americans who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power last month are required to either receive the MMR and chickenpox inoculations or show proof of prior vaccinations to enter the United States, U.S. officials have said.

The CDC says MMR vaccines should not be administered to women known to be pregnant or attempting to become pregnant.

Pregnancy tests were optional for those between the ages of 12 and 50 prior to inoculation at Ramstein and ROB, Archer said. Pregnant women did not receive the vaccine, she said.

Immunity to measles usually develops within 10 to 14 days after the first dose, according to the Mayo Clinic. Studies have found that 93% of recipients receive full immunity with the first dose, the clinic says.

The CDC said that besides measles and mumps, its aware of cases of varicella, tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, hepatitis A and COVID-19 among evacuees.

The number of coronavirus infections, however, has been notably low among the evacuee population, the agency said.

Wahidullah Fahim, 47, said he and his family were happy to get vaccinated for the first time against measles on Sunday at ROB.

But Fahim, a driver for an international law and advocacy organization in Afghanistan for 10 years, said they are weary of being homeless. They were in Qatar for 16 days and have been at ROB for 15 days, he said Monday.

Every day I ask, When is our flight? he said. Theres no information. My children are so tired; my wife is so tired.
LONDON  Britains defense ministry is investigating a data breach that disclosed the emails of dozens of Afghan interpreters who worked with British forces and were looking for a way out since the Taliban takeover.

Many are still in hiding in Afghanistan and hoping to get to Britain, the BBC reported.

The ministry apologized on Tuesday for what Defense Secretary Ben Wallace described as an unacceptable breach.

We apologize to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again, a spokeswoman for the ministry said in response to questions from The Washington Post, confirming the investigation.

An email from the ministry open-copied more than 250 Afghans who need help to relocate by accident, reportedly showing their names, email addresses and some of their pictures to all recipients.

Many  though it remains unclear how many  did not make it out in a massive military operation marked by violence and harrowing images last month, when U.S. forces and their allies evacuated tens of thousands of foreigners and Afghans. Some Afghans who remained have feared reprisal for working with Western forces during 20 years of conflict or for their human rights work.

While British jets airlifted some 15,000 people in a little over two weeks, the armed forces minister said on Monday it would take some time for the dust to settle on exactly who is out and who is not, but that the government was still working to help them.

The mass email under scrutiny came from the team running relocations from Afghanistan, which was in touch with the interpreters after the Taliban seized control of the country last month.

It warned the interpreters not to move if it was not safe to do so and promised to help them, the BBC report said. In a second email half an hour later, the defense ministry asked recipients to urgently delete the last message and recommended the interpreters change their email addresses.

The ministry did not comment on the content of the emails and has advised the people involved on what to do about the potential risks.

But lawmakers in Britain urged the government on Tuesday to bring the Afghans to safety.

We told the Afghans who helped our British forces that we would keep them safe, but this data breach has needlessly put lives at risk, said John Healey, an lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party and shadow defense secretary.

The chaotic evacuations out of Afghanistan led to sharp criticism of British government officials  chief among them Dominic Raab, the former foreign secretary who was vacationing on a Greek island when the militants marched on Kabul. He also faced questions when British embassy workers fleeing the capital left behind documents identifying the names of Afghan staffers, who were later flown out of the country.

Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer accused the Home Office of a criminally negligent performance in its treatment of British allies left behind in Afghanistan.

Another Conservative member of Parliament, Tobias Ellwood, who welcomed Tuesdays probe into the email gaffe, also called for a fast-track plan to get the allies out in any way possible. Each day they remain in the country the risk of the Taliban catching up with them increases, he said.
The scene outside the U.S. Capitol after Trump supporters breached the complex on Jan. 6. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

Epik long has been the favorite Internet company of the far-right, providing domain services to QAnon theorists, Proud Boys and other instigators of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol  allowing them to broadcast hateful messages from behind a veil of anonymity.

But that veil abruptly vanished last week when a huge breach by the hacker group Anonymous dumped into public view more than 150 gigabytes of previously private data  including user names, passwords and other identifying information of Epiks customers.

Extremism researchers and political opponents have treated the leak as a Rosetta Stone to the far-right, helping them to decode who has been doing what with whom over several years. Initial revelations have spilled out steadily across Twitter since news of the hack broke last week, often under the hashtag #epikfail, but those studying the material say they will need months and perhaps years to dig through all of it.

Its massive. It may be the biggest domain-style leak Ive seen and, as an extremism researcher, its certainly the most interesting, said Megan Squire, a computer science professor at Elon University who studies right-wing extremism. Its an embarrassment of riches  stress on the embarrassment.

Epik, based in the Seattle suburb of Sammamish, has made its name in the Internet world by providing critical Web services to sites that have run afoul of other companies policies against hate speech, misinformation and advocating violence. Its client list is a roll-call of sites known for permitting extreme posts and that have been rejected by other companies for their failure to moderate what their users post.

Online records show those sites have included 8chan, which was dropped by its providers after hosting the manifesto of a gunman who killed 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019; Gab, which was dropped for hosting the anti-Semitic rants of a gunman who killed 11 in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018; and Parler, which was dropped due to lax moderation related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Epik also provides services to a network of sites devoted to extremist QAnon conspiracy theories. Epik briefly hosted the neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer in 2019 after acquiring a cybersecurity company that had provided it with hosting services, but Epik soon canceled that contract, according to news reports. Epik also stopped supporting 8chan after a short period of time, the company has said.

Earlier this month, Epik also briefly provided service to the antiabortion group Texas Right to Life, whose website, ProLifeWhistleblower.com, was removed by the hosting service GoDaddy because it solicited accusations about which medical providers might be violating a state abortion ban.

An Epik attorney said the company stopped working with the site because it violated company rules against collecting peoples private information. Online records show Epik was still the sites domain registrar as of last week, though the digital tip line is no longer available, and the site now redirects to the groups homepage.

Epik founder Robert Monsters willingness to provide technical support to online sanctuaries of the far-right have made him a regular target of anti-extremism advocates, who criticized him for using Epiks tools to republish the Christchurch gunmans manifesto and live-streamed video the killer had made of the slaughter.

Monster also used the moment as a marketing opportunity, saying the files were now effectively uncensorable, according to screenshots of his tweets and Gab posts from the time. Monster also urged Epik employees to watch the video, which he said would convince them it was faked, Bloomberg News reported.

Monster has defended his work as critical to keeping the Internet uncensored and free, aligning himself with conservative critics who argue that leading technology companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and YouTube have gone too far in policing content they deem inappropriate.

Monster did not respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post. But he said in an email to customers two days after hackers announced the breach that the company had suffered an alleged security incident and asked customers to report back any unusual account activity.

You are in our prayers today, Monster wrote last week, as news of the hack spread. When situations arise where individuals might not have honorable intentions, I pray for them. I believe that what the enemy intends for evil, God invariably transforms into good. Blessings to you all.

Since the hack, Epiks security protocols have been the target of ridicule among researchers, whove marveled at the sites apparent failure to take basic security precautions such as routine encryption that could have protected data about its customers from becoming public.

The files include years of website purchase records, internal company emails and customer account credentials revealing who administers some of the biggest far-right websites. The data includes client names, home addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and passwords left in plain, readable text. The hack even exposed the personal records from Anonymize, a privacy service Epik offered to customers wanting to conceal their identity.

Similar failings by other hacked companies have drawn scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, which has probed companies such as dating site Ashley Madison for failing to protect their customers private data from hackers. FTC investigations have resulted in settlements imposing financial penalties and more rigorous privacy standards.

Given Epiks boasts about security, and the scope of its web hosting, I would think it would be an FTC target, especially if the company was warned but failed to take protective action, said David Vladeck, a former head of the FTCs consumer protection bureau, now at Georgetown University Law Center. I would add that the FTC wouldnt care about the content - right wing or left wing; the questions would be the possible magnitude and impact of the breach and the representations ... the company may have made about security.

The FTC declined to comment.

Researchers poring through the trove say the most crucial findings concern the identities of people hosting various extremist sites and the key role Epik played in keeping material online that might otherwise have vanished from the Internet  or at least the parts of the Internet that are easily stumbled upon by ordinary users.

The company played such a major role in keeping far-right terrorist cesspools alive, said Rita Katz, executive director of SITE Intelligence Group, which studies online extremism. Without Epik, many extremist communities  from QAnon and white nationalists to accelerationist neo-Nazis  would have had far less oxygen to spread harm, whether that be building toward the January 6 Capitol riots or sowing the misinformation and conspiracy theories chipping away at democracy.

The breach, first reported by the freelance journalist Steven Monacelli, was made publicly available for download last week alongside a note from Anonymous hackers saying it would help researchers trace the ownership and management of the worst trash the Internet has to offer.

After the hackers announcement, Epik initially said it was not aware of any breach. But in a rambling, three-hour live stream last week, Monster acknowledged there had been a hijack of data that should not have been hijacked and called on people not to use the data for negative purposes.

If you have a negative intent to use that data, its not going to work out for you. Im just telling you, he said. If the demon tells you to do it, the demon is not your friend.

Several domains in the leak are associated with the far-right Proud Boys group, which is known for violent street brawls and involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and was banned by Facebook in 2018 as a hate group.

A Twitter account, @epikfailsnippet, that is posting unverified revelations from the leaked data, included a thread purporting to expose administrators of the Proud Boys sites. One man who was identified by name as administrator of a local Proud Boys forum was said to be an employee of Drexel University; the university said he hasnt worked at Drexel since November 2020.

Technology news site the Daily Dot reported that Ali Alexander, a conservative political activist who played a key role in spreading false voter fraud claims about the 2020 presidential election, took steps after the Jan. 6 siege to obscure his ownership of more than 100 domains registered to Epik. Nearly half reportedly used variations of the Stop the Steal slogan pushed by Alexander and others. Alexander did not reply to requests for comment from the Daily Dot or, on Tuesday, from The Post.

Extremism researchers urge careful fact-checking to protect credibility, but the data remains tantalizing for its potential to unmask extremists in public-facing jobs.

Emma Best, co-founder of Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit whistleblower group, said some researchers call the Epik hack the Panama Papers of hate groups, a comparison to the leak of more than 11 million documents that exposed a rogue offshore finance industry. And, like the Panama Papers, scouring the files is labor intensive, with payoffs that could be months away.

A lot of research begins with naming names, Best said. Theres a lot of optimism and feeling of being overwhelmed, and people knowing theyre in for the long haul with some of this data.
NASA is reorganizing to put a new emphasis on deep space, including setting up a new directorate to develop the technologies needed to pursue what would be some of the most ambitious missions NASA has ever attempted, including building a permanent presence on the moon and eventually Mars (shown above). (NASA)

With SpaceX now responsible for flying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, NASA is reorganizing to put a new emphasis on deep space, including setting up a new directorate to develop the technologies needed to pursue what would be some of the most ambitious missions NASA has ever attempted, including building a permanent presence on the moon and eventually Mars.

In an interview with The Washington Post, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the new directorate, known as Exploration Systems Development, will oversee the development of new tools, from habitats to rovers and propulsion systems, to help NASA push new frontiers.

The success of the agencys partnership with a growing commercial space industry allows NASA to get out of low Earth orbit and go explore, Nelson said.

NASA is scheduled to announce the creation of the new directorate at a noon town hall meeting with agency employees. Jim Free, a former associate NASA administrator, will run the new directorate. Kathy Lueders, who leads the agencys current Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, will run a second new directorate, to be known as Space Operations. It will oversee programs once they transition out of development, such the space station, the commercialization of low Earth orbit, and in the years to come, operations on the moon, NASA said in a statement.

A reorientation of NASA operations has been anticipated, hastened by the success of SpaceX, which has been delivering cargo and supplies to the space station for years. Then last year, SpaceX flew the first mission of NASA astronauts to the space station, demonstrating that NASA no longer was the only player in getting astronauts to low Earth orbit. That reality was cemented last week, when SpaceX, the venture founded by Elon Musk, successfully flew four civilians on a three-day mission orbiting the Earth without any NASA involvement.

In addition to SpaceX, Northrop Grumman flies cargo to the station. And Boeing is under contract to fly astronauts there, though it has stumbled badly with the development of its Starliner spacecraft and is years behind schedule.

The ability to depend on commercial enterprises for low-Earth undertakings frees NASA to devote more attention to more ambitious missions.

If you look out over the next two decades, what we have is a string of programs, Deputy NASA Administrator Pam Melroy said in an interview. Were talking habitats, transportation systems like rovers. Were talking infrastructure like power, communications, resource extraction. . . . The scope of what we have stretching out ahead of us, its very different than what weve done in the past.

Nelson said the changes were made because the enterprise, from flying astronauts to the space station, to its Artemis program to get astronauts to the moon and then eventually to Mars, got too big. One person cant do it all.

The two directorates will work together, he said, but Frees job will be looking ahead to future missions and harnessing the technology that would make them happen, from new forms of propulsion to in-space manufacturing and mining.

Theres so much new technology that has to be developed for the moon and Mars, as well as cultivating the international partnerships that are going to be with us, Nelson said.

The change is unlikely to be greeted enthusiastically by all, especially in an enterprise where mistakes can be deadly. Critics are likely to say that the move creates another level of bureaucracy, requiring a separate budget and new channels to lawmakers, industry leaders and international partners, as well as the potential for competition between the two directorates.

Nelson said the changes are not a diminishment of Luederss responsibilities but rather an enhancement of the tremendous success that shes already achieved.

Lueders oversaw the contract to build a spacecraft capable of landing astronauts on the moon that NASA awarded to SpaceX earlier this year. Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin, which had bid $6 billion or twice as much as SpaceX and lost out on the contract, has alleged the procurement was badly flawed. It protested the decision to the Government Accountability Office, lost, and has since filed a lawsuit in the Court of Federal Claims. (Bezos owns The Post.)

The litigation has forced NASA to stop work on the contract.

The Artemis moon program has already seen several delays and getting astronauts to the surface by 2024, NASAs goal, is not likely to happen. But Nelson said that the first mission of the program, known as Artemis I, is on track to launch the Orion spacecraft, without any astronauts on board, that would orbit the moon later this year or early next. The mission would be the first flight of NASAs massive Space Launch System, which also has suffered years of delays.

The second flight, Artemis II, would be a crewed mission around the moon by the end of 2023, or early 2024, he said. But he was less confident about the timeline for landing astronauts on the surface.

Obviously there have been delays, Nelson said. Were in the middle of a legal cat fight right now. And who knows whats going to happen after the federal judge rules. So, am I still holding 2024 as a goal? Yes. Oh, but Im also realistic to know that there are a lot of things beyond our control.
A U.S. Forest Service vehicle drives past the Sequoia National Park historic park entrance sign wrapped in fire resistant foil along Generals Highway during a media tour of the KNP Complex fire in the Sequoia National Park near Three Rivers, Calif., on Sept. 18, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon, AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  When wildfire raced toward Sequoia National Parks largest concentration of giant sequoias, officials sprang into action.

Crews raked vegetation from the trees enormous bases. Hotshot personnel lighted low-intensity fires to burn off duff and litter. Firefighters wrapped protective foil around the trunks of some monarchs  a tactic that is typically used to guard buildings against flames.

And there were other measures already in place: Controlled burns and mechanical thinning performed in the Giant Forest years ago would enable crews to extinguish spot fires as the flame front approached, said Mike Theune, regional fire information officer for the National Park Service.

So, when the KNP Complex fire hit the edge of the 489-acre Sherman prescribed burn completed in 2019, its forward advance into the area actually stopped, Theune said.

Thats really, really good news, he said. It shows the effectiveness, and why its so important that we come together as we look to protect these giant sequoias for each generation.

By Monday, it appeared the trees had escaped major damage, although there was still concern about groves that did not have a recent burn history, such as Muir Grove and Lost Grove on the parks north side, Theune said.

The frenzied rescue efforts speak to new worries over the fate of Californias towering trees. Many are concerned that the states new breed of faster, hotter and larger wildfires could upend the delicate ecological balance that has allowed the giants to thrive for centuries. Giant sequoias are one of the most fire-adapted species on Earth, but climate change is lowering their defenses and making them more vulnerable to flames than ever before.

Last years Castle fire changed what experts thought they knew about the trees relationship with flames. It burned so intensely that it killed an estimated 10% to 14% of the worlds natural population, leaving a graveyard of charred trunks and scorched crowns.

Thats not the typical way that large old giant sequoia trees interact with fire, said Robert York, an extension specialist with UC Berkeley, who has been studying giant sequoias for 18 years and is performing research in the burn area. The trees have thick bark, huge crowns that tower high above the ground and cones that release seeds in response to bursts of heat, he said.

Still, if a fire burns intensely enough, as the Castle fire did in some areas, it can destroy their crowns and kill the seeds they release, eliminating both the old trees and the possibility of new growth, York said.

And with the giant sequoia growing only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California, there is little room for the species to absorb loss.

This fire is really a call to action for all of us, said Savannah Boiano, executive director of the parks nonprofit partner, the Sequoia Parks Conservancy. And for millions of Americans and people around the world, the call to action is personal when its in a place that you love.

The Giant Forest is of such great cultural value that a specialized task force was assembled to defend it when the KNP Complex fire approached, said Ana Beatriz Cholo, incident spokeswoman.

The task force is composed of about 35 National Park Service personnel and firefighters who are specially trained to protect the sequoias. Assisting that task force were air tankers dropping fire retardant from above and sprinkler systems at the nearby Giant Forest Museum, which have been running nonstop for days, Cholo said.

The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park wrapped in aluminum. (Southern Area Blue Incident Management Team)

The forest is home to thousands of sequoias, including General Sherman, known as the largest tree in the world by volume.

Some giant sequoias are thousands of years old, and they once benefited from low- and mixed-intensity fires that burned more frequently through the Sierra Nevada. But starting about 100 years ago, Indigenous burning practices gave way to aggressive suppression policies.

When we started having this practice of fire exclusion and full fire suppression, we changed the dynamics of the forest, Theune said.

Dead and downed plant material have built up while tree stands have become denser, creating more competition for resources such as light, nutrients and water, York said. Climate change has exacerbated matters by altering precipitation patterns and causing longer droughts and heat waves that prime forests to burn more easily.

The current state of many of the regions forests is cause to be very concerned, said Ron Goode, tribal chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe and a practitioner of cultural burning. Fire, he said, is not only healthy for the landscape, but necessary.

If a forest is in a healthy state, wildfire should just be able to burn through along the floor and not scorch the tops of trees, he said. But if youre waiting for the wildfire, the wildfire is going to get up on top.

The exclusion of low- and mixed-severity fire from sequoia groves has harmed the species in other ways, York said. Because the trees depend on fire to release seeds, they are suffering from a failure to regenerate in its absence, he said.

Eventually, thats not going to be sustainable, he said.

And although the Giant Forest emerged relatively unscathed Monday, other sequoia groves may not be so lucky. The Windy fire, burning just south of the KNP Complex, has crept into Long Meadow Grove, home to some 1,500-year-old sequoias along the Trail of 100 Giants.

The fire was lapping at the trunks of some sequoias, officials said, and already on Sunday, it had reached the crown of at least one towering tree.

Wildfire has also reached some other, more remote groves, including the Peyrone Grove and the Red Hill Grove, Windy fire incident spokeswoman Amanda Munsey said.

We dont know that those are destroyed, she said, but the fire has completely surrounded those two groves.

Much of this years wildfire activity has been erratic and unpredictable. Though crews feel confident about General Sherman and the rest of the Giant Forest, the KNP Complex is still 0% contained, and firefighters are heading into another stretch of long, hot days with the potential for gusty wind.

One concern is that the fundamentally altered nature of wildfires will cause parts of the mixed-conifer forests, where the sequoia live, to permanently change into shrub or grasslands. That can happen when a fire burns at such high intensity and over a large enough area that it kills all the trees and wind-dispersed seeds are unable to reach it, York said.

Wind dispersal only carries seeds so far  maybe 200, 300 feet  so if you have a 1,000-acre patch where all the trees died, theres a very low probability the trees have a chance of coming back, he said. Shrubs have the advantage because they have adapted to high-severity fire much more than the tree species we have here.

Multiple groups are working to avoid that fate, including the Giant Sequoia Land Coalition of federal and state agencies, universities, tribes and conservationists.

The challenge is performing the kind of work thats needed on a scale sufficient to address the problem, experts say.

Climate change has increased the window of time each year in which conditions are ripe for high-severity fire. That also means that there is less time during which controlled burns can be set due to weather conditions and the fact that crews are busy fighting fires.

The Sequoia Parks Conservancy recently launched the KNP Complex Recovery Fund to support things like hiring staff to survey and document damage to cultural and historic resources, rebuilding trails and potentially replanting, Boiano said.

Donations have been coming in from all over the world. Boiano attributes the outpouring to the emotional attachment people have to the giant sequoias. The nonprofit recently changed its fundraising portal to include a place where people can share their memories of the trees.

People have become citizens of the United States there, people have gotten engaged, theyve spread the ashes of loved ones, Boiano said. Generations and generations of memories are tied up in these parks.

2021 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com .

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This graphic shows three locations in Washington, D.C., where organizers of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation prefer for a new memorial honoring post-9/11 veterans. An effort to pass legislation that would allow for the construction of a Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall was blocked Monday out of concern that its passage would be unfair and create a bad precedent for any future memorials. (Contributed by the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation)

WASHINGTON  An effort to pass legislation that would allow for the construction of a Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall was blocked Monday out of concern that its passage would be unfair and create a bad precedent for any future memorials.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, asked on the Senate floor Monday evening that her colleagues approve the bill under unanimous consent, meaning the chamber could pass the legislation unless someone stood to object. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., blocked the vote.

The bill seeks to exempt the Global War on Terrorism Memorial from a 2003 law that prohibits any more development on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

This legislation would override this provision, Manchin said. This precedent would reopen fights to locate other memorials on the National Mall, create conflict, and ultimately delay the construction of this memorial.

Organizers behind the effort to establish the memorial are renewing their push for it to be located on the National Mall following the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August.

They held a news conference Tuesday in front of the U.S. Capitol, urging Congress to consider the bill.

Were at a significant moment in the history of the Global War on Terrorism, said Marina Jackman, an Army veteran and the president of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. Service members and their families are asking themselves what their service means. Now more than ever, the service member and veteran community needs a place to gather, reflect and heal.

Ernst, along with Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act last year, but it failed to make it through Congress. They reintroduced the bill earlier this year and expressed frustration Tuesday about its slow progress in the Senate.

The Senate subcommittee on national parks, which is part of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, held a hearing on the issue in June. The bill has not yet been considered by the full committee.

Manchin, who is chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, promised on the Senate floor Monday to schedule a hearing to discuss the bill.

Were holding him to that, Ernst said Tuesday. Wed love to see that progress made.

She said she would continue to go to the Senate floor and call for unanimous consent on the bill until Manchin moves forward with the bill in his committee.

The Commemorative Works Act, which prohibits more development on the National Mall, was approved in 2003 because of the concern over a loss of open space. Between 1980 and 2000, seven new memorials were established in the area.

Little did we know in 2003 that these wars would go on for decades, Hassan said. This is Americas longest war. The notion that a memorial to it wouldnt be built on the National Mall is just mind-boggling.

In the time since the law was passed, organizers behind the World War I Memorial and the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial have sought locations on the National Mall. The World War I Memorial, which opened earlier this year, was instead placed in Pershing Park, east of the White House.

Construction has not yet begun on the Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial. It was approved for a location north of the Lincoln Memorial. Though its near the other war memorials on the National Mall, its outside of the border thats restricted by the Commemorative Works Act.

There have been several proposals to waive the prohibition for new memorials and museums, including the World War I and Desert Storm/Desert Shield memorials, Manchin said. Ultimately, these were located in other high-profile areas in compliance with the Commemorative Works Act.

Jane Horton, whose husband was killed in Afghanistan, said she and other Gold Star family members would accept no less than the National Mall for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. Horton spoke Tuesday about the urgency she and other families feel about the creation of a memorial that would honor their deceased loved ones.

Hortons husband, Spc. Christopher Horton, deployed to Afghanistan with the Oklahoma National Guard in 2011. He was killed by small arms fire on Sept. 9, 2011.

There is no better place, no more appropriate place, than the National Mall to honor them, Horton said of her husband and other service members killed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is where school children will go and future generations will learn about those who gave their lives for our country. This is where well teach the history of Americas longest war and an all-volunteer force.
Tim Welbaum, an Army veteran who owns Visiting Angels Senior Homecare Agency in Adrian, Mich., and has PTSD, is the leader of the veteran marching group. (Tim Welbaum)

ADRIAN, Mich. (Tribune News Service)  A group of veterans from the area are getting together once again, Friday, Sept. 24, to march to raise money for the Alzheimers Association.

The group did the march carrying military ruck sacks weighing sometimes more than 40 pounds in 2018 and 2019. Last year, they did not have the event due to COVID-19, so this year they have a goal of raising $100,000.

Here are a few statistics about Alzheimers disease from the Alzheimers Association:

 One in three seniors will develop and die with Alzheimers disease or some form of dementia.

 Alzheimers kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined each year.

 More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimers, and by 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 14 million.

 Every 65 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops the disease.

 Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury are two to four times more likely to develop Alzheimers or other forms of dementia.

Tim Welbaum, an Army veteran who owns Visiting Angels Senior Homecare Agency in Adrian and has PTSD, is the leader of the veteran marching group.

Welbaum said he does not want his children to have to face the difficulties that come along with caring for a parent or loved one with Alzheimers or other forms of dementia.

They call this a family disease because everybody has to be involved. Everyone has to care for that individual. Everyone ends up being impacted by it, Welbaum said. The more that Ive seen being the owner of a home care company, due to many of my clients coming to us for Alzheimers or different forms of dementia, I now worry about my family, my kids. I dont want my kids having to go through that with Mom and Dad. Theres nothing that scares me more as Alzheimers and dementia as we get older.

The Vets March to End Alzheimers Campaign is an annual 34.5-mile military style ruck march that Scott Doney, Welbaums office manager at Visiting Angels, and Welbaum have conducted under the Alzheimers Associations Walk to End Alzheimers major fundraising event, with 2021 being the third vets march event.

In 2018, the vets had more than 30 sponsors and more than 1,000 individual donors who helped the march raise $68,404.

In 2019, there were 40-plus sponsors and thousands of individual donors, helping the march to raise over $70,600, totaling over $139,000 the first two years.

Unfortunately, 2020 brought challenges due to COVID, and we did not fundraise or conduct our march in 2020. So thats why this year will be our biggest, most successful march yet, Welbaum said. Our goal, which I hope to crush, is set for 2021 at $100,000. Im definitely going to need some assistance with accomplishing it.

Since being introduced to the Alzheimers Association, Welbaum has spoken to business leaders and legislators at the state and federal levels and has been invited to state and national capitol buildings to educate leaders.

Ive been a very outspoken and influential member of our local and state communities. Ive even been a guest speaker at our state and national level summit conferences for the Alzheimers Association. People are taking notice of the seriousness of this disease, and theyre also seeing that it is even more scary for our veteran population who have PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, Welbaum said.

His Visiting Angels agency provides personal care, light housekeeping, transportation, meal prep, companionship and many other services to help seniors remain living at home safely, while helping them regain their independence so they do not have to move into an assisted living or nursing home facility.

The marchers will start at 2:30 a.m. at the Alzheimers Association office in Ann Arbor, head past Michigan Stadium, then head southwest, arriving at Visiting Angels, 3300 N. Adrian Highway, at about 4 p.m.

There will then be a homecoming party to celebrate accomplishing this feat and to raise more money. There will be a food truck, doughnuts, cider, ice cream and a bounce house. Welbaum is also hoping to have a fire truck and police car for kids to see. Radio station Q-95 is hosting the homecoming from 4 to 7 p.m.

Welbaum urges anyone who can spend a $1, $5, $100  whatever they can afford  to open their wallets and purses and visit act.alz.org/goto/TimTheVet to donate or show up between 4 and 7 p.m. Friday at the parking lot of Visiting Angels Friday to make their donations there and celebrate with the group.

(c)2021 The Daily Telegram, Adrian, Mich.

Visit The Daily Telegram, Adrian, Mich. at www.lenconnect.com
Operation Jersey Cares, a nonprofit based in Raritan Borough, saw water rise about 4 feet in its 4,500-square-foot headquarters site at the Raritan Mall. (Facebook)

(Tribune News Service)  An organization supporting active members of the military, veterans and their families that was heavily impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida is looking for donations.

Operation Jersey Cares , a nonprofit based in Raritan Borough, saw water rise about 4 feet in its 4,500-square-foot headquarters site at the Raritan Mall, said Dana Gooditis, the groups secretary who also runs its fundraising efforts.

When the water receded, debris was scattered across the building and mud was splayed across the floor. The group salvaged some metal tables they could clean off with water, but everything else was ruined and they were forced to evacuate, Gooditis said.

We are basically devastated, she told NJ Advance Media. We have nothing.

The storm also knocked down a refrigerator, which floated to a new location in the building, and destroyed the groups products, Gooditis said, which is used in care packages for the military.

Since Ida wiped out the organizations collected donations, Gooditis said they are raising funds to replace items, along with accepting monetary donations. People can donate money online at their website , donate through the app Venmo, send a check by mail, or call with their credit card information.

The group is accepting physical donations, including baby wipes, shampoo, body wash, feminine hygiene products, and other hygiene items. Medicinal products are also being collected, including Tylenol, Advil, sunscreen, bug spray, foot powder, baby powder, and band aids.

Snacks are also accepted, including protein powders, peanut butter, jelly, and other canned or shelf-stable goods. The nonprofit doesnt collect any perishable donations, Gooditis said.

Operation Jersey Cares not only sends care packages and needed items to active members of the military, but it also helps support veterans who return after deployment.

If theres a need that comes in, we find a way to fill it, she said.

Gooditis said she estimates the group has lost tens of thousands of dollars in donations and damaged property, but since the nonprofit doesnt own the building or pay rent, shes not sure if they are entitled to any recovery funds.

As of right now, the group is working out of a small barn in nearby Hillsborough, until they find a new permanent location. Donations can be arranged to be picked up at peoples homes or the former headquarters.

Our organization is enormous and if we stop, we have a problem, she said.

2021 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit nj.com .
The University of Waikato is taking up the mantle of hosting the 4th Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals Summit in 2023.

This two-day event will be held in Hamilton and Tauranga and will bring together academics, policy experts, iwi, Government officials and community leaders to accelerate work being done to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the 17 goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Universities have a vital role to play in achieving the goals through both their teaching and research.

The Summit event, with the first one held in 2018, is all about collaboration and driving meaningful change for New Zealand.

The 2020 / 2021 Summit, co-hosted by Canterbury and Lincoln universities, was forced to shift to a virtual event last week, attracting 440 participants.

The University of Waikato has made a strong and swift commitment to the challenge set down and was the first New Zealand university to sign a declaration, signalling its intention to work collaboratively to achieve the goals.

The University also recently appointed Professor Lynda Johnston to a new role of Assistant Vice-Chancellor Sustainability to provide strategic leadership in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.

"Were delighted to be hosting the 4th Summit. While the details are still to be decided, matauranga Maori and Pacific knowledge will almost certainly be at the heart of the event and add vital perspectives to our Summit korero," says Professor Johnston.

"The Sustainable Development Goals guide and shape our actions as a university and the way in which we work with our communities. In large part, they reflect the challenges that have inspired the teaching and research that has been happening in our academic community for some time. The difference now is there is real momentum for positive and systematic change, doing more of what matters most, and being collaborative and transparent as we go out about it."

Harvey Brookes, Executive Director of the Waikato Wellbeing Project and a Summit event co-host, was encouraged to hear that the next Summit event will be within our rohe. He will be involved in its planning alongside Professor Johnston and other partners.

"This is an opportunity for us to really keep the Waikato region at the forefront of wellbeing and SDGs in Aotearoa New Zealand," says Brookes.

"At the Waikato Wellness Project, we live and breathe the Sustainable Development Goals every day - they form the framework for our mahi. The Summit event is a great way of keeping the momentum and inspiring new ways of thinking and living."
A $13.3 million grant will help researchers assess New Zealands preparedness and resilience to nearshore volcano hazards in the Bay of Plenty, according to the programme's lead scientist.

GNS Science have been granted the funds through this years successful research programme applicants for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employments Endeavour Fund.

The project was one of 69 successful applicants announced by Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Megan Woods earlier this month.

The project, led by geophysicist Dr Craig Miller, will aim to identify the potential hazards posed by both Whakaari/White Island and Tuhua/Mayor Island.

We are really looking forward to this project, says Craig.

We have been trying to get the funding for a while so it is good to get it across the line finally.

The destructive nature of Whakaari was made clear in December 2019 when an eruption on the island ended in the loss of 22 lives.

However, Craig says that the hazards for Tuhua are not yet fully understood and more research is still necessary on the risks posed by Whakaari.

What we are really trying to get out of all this research is a better understanding of the hazards across many different forms, says Craig.

Not only are eruptions considered a risk, but volcanic activity from these off shore volcanoes could potentially pose a tsunami and ashfall risk to mainland New Zealand, Craig explains.

Understanding what these two volcanoes are capable of, and the potential impact for the East Coast and the Bay of Plenty, are key reasons behind the research.

For Whakaari, we know a pretty good amount of noise but mostly only really from the top 300 metres of the volcano itself, Craig explains.

Theres another five or so hundred metres down to the seafloor we dont know much about.

There has really been very little study done on Tuhua. Therefore, there is just a bunch of fundamental basic knowledge we dont know.

Compared to what we know about on-land volcanoes in the North Island we dont have that kind of knowledge of the deeper part of the volcano in the offshore ones.

Ash from a previous eruption of Tuhua has been found in the Auckland region. Photo. File Image.

Much of the funding will go toward fundamental exploration work such as submarinal mapping, including under the seabed into the earths crust.

Craig explains that NIWAs RV Tangaroa deep-water research vessel will be used to help gain this information, as well as knowledge about the hydrothermal, magmatic and geological systems related to the volcanoes.

Craig says GNS Science is also looking at ways to modernise how the results of this research might be distributed into the public domain.

With the University of Canterbury, we are going to look at a project with gaming technologies to try and communicate science information and hazard information to a different demographic, he says.

We are sort of modernising the way we get this information across.

As for the amount of money being granted, a hefty $13.3 million, Craig highlights how the cost-benefit analysis stacks up when considering the potential human and economic cost of a major event from either volcano for the Bay of Plenty, and the wider North Island.

A lot of New Zealands GDP is concentrated in the Bay of Plenty, he says, highlighting the Port of Tauranga and the horticultural and tourism industries in the region.

We also know there is ash from Tuhua, from eruptions around five to six thousand years ago, found in the Auckland region, so you can extend that risk to the Auckland area.

The benefits of understanding whether those hazards are likely to occur again adds up pretty quickly.

You are talking millions and billions of dollars of economic activity as well as people living there.
Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription.

Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service.
Advice about drug smuggling on ships

There have been a number of cases of drug smugglers concealing drugs on merchant vessels, leading to difficulties to seafarers. Security consultancy Dryad Global shares their advice.

Illicit drug producers continue to develop complex trafficking patterns, targeting commercial vessels and their crew to transit their supply through multiple stopover and transit points. Despite the existence of IMO frameworks to protect crew when under investigation, unknowing seafarers and masters have been detained for extended periods of time in relation to drug trafficking incidents. The areas under highest risk are in West Africa (Cape Verde and Nigeria); India, Pakistan and Myanmar; and many countries in central and south America - Mexico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. But also, the globalised nature of drug-smuggling operations makes vessels possible targets across Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, operating out of areas which may not be directly affiliated with drug production. Choosing a target Targeting methodology by drug traffickers has become increasingly complex. A methodology common in Latin America is to attach drug-filled containers to the bottom of ship hulls with rope, commonly referred to as the torpedo method. Methodologies in Europe and MENA countries are largely concealment within legitimate cargo and the container structures themselves. Common methodologies globally usually involve the use of crew and port staff facilitating trafficking operations, as seen through incidents involving container ships MSC Gayane, MSC Carlotta and (general cargo ship) MV ESER. Drug traffickers have disguised themselves as port officials and stevedores to bring packages on board, marking cargo containers as checked with replicated official seals. Then they store the packages in engine rooms, or restricted areas of a vessel which are unlikely to be checked. Other reported but less common methods involve concealing drugs in water inlets, rudder trunks, rudder/propeller stern frames and fuel tanks of commercial vessels. Before port calls Before port calls, crew and personnel should be aware that drug cartels may establish communication in an attempt to befriend or achieve a level of cooperation in drug smuggling operations. The risks involved in establishing/continuing communication with these groups are extensive, but put at risk the safety and wellbeing of all those on board. All crew should be briefed and reminded of the risks involved with engaging in these groups operations, highlighting the risks to their personal safety and well-being. Vessel search plans should be prepared in advance, modified and reviewed as required, in preparation for full vessel searches after leaving port and cargo operations have completed. Mitigation in port Single entry points onto the vessel should be strictly enforced, limiting vessel access to essential personnel only. Pre-arranged logbooks should be kept at the single point of entry/exit, and all external persons must record their appropriate details and paperwork, verified by crew before boarding. The Master or Chief Officer should be informed if the watch is uncertain as to whether an individual has legitimate reasons to be onboard. Partial restrictions to movement aboard the vessel by external persons should be enforced, restricting movement in engine rooms, holds, stores and other areas of vulnerability. A crew member or watchman should be present where visiting personnel/stevedores are aboard the vessel, keeping areas of activity under surveillance and reporting any suspicious behaviour to the Master or Chief Officer. Watchmen should be aware of all approaching smaller vessels in the vicinity of the docked vessel, particularly after-hours under darkness. Surrounding waters should be well lit, recognising smugglers may target the hull and rudder of a docked vessel to store and transport drugs. Floodlights should be considered to supplement to primary illumination systems, particularly if there is concern over a suspicious vessel or individual. During cargo operations During cargo operations, partial vessel searches should be performed, with a full vessel search conducted when operations are completed. To ensure effectiveness, vessel searches should be divided between crew and cross checked, rotated randomly by the ship security officer. While movement aboard the vessel should be restricted at port, personnel should assume visiting persons have unrestricted access to the vessel when searching. Some circumstances may prompt a reactive search, particularly unauthorised personnel on board, personnel carrying parcels, entry points temporarily unmonitored, evidence of disturbed stowage, missing keys, or evidence of tampering with tank tops, boat covers and unlocked restricted areas. Once cargo operations are completed, the crew should perform a full search of the vessel. In addition to looking for illegal substances, the crew should be on the lookout for stowaways. If there are any suspicions that drugs may have been placed onboard, the Master should request a comprehensive vessel inspection, including inspection of the vessels hull below the waterline, before departure. When leaving port, inflatables and skiffs may approach a vessel to retrieve drugs attached to the external hull to avoid detection from coast guard and police forces patrolling the immediate coast. If you find drugs IMO outlines the following information under Resolution FAL.9(34), the Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Drugs. Another person must witness the position of a suspicious package or bag before taking any action. If possible, take photographs of the package or bag as it was found. Handle as little as possible and remember there may be fingerprint evidence on the package or bag. Where necessary, remove the goods to a safe place under lock and key. Guard if necessary. If at sea, record any discovery in the ships log. Include as much detail as possible. Do not disclose the find, and limit information to persons who need to know. Notify the competent authorities at the next port of call before entering territorial waters. Failure to do so could result in charges of drug trafficking. Do not allow crew members to disembark before being interviewed by the competent authorities.




How BSM manages vessel performance

Managing vessel performance for a large fleet involves developing the right management systems, not just getting an understanding of individual vessels. We spoke to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) about it.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) manages a fleet of 600 vessels, including over 170 chemical, product and crude tankers of all sizes. For BSM, managing vessel performance is not just about understanding individual vessels, it is about managing the whole fleet. We spoke to Frank Paleokrassas, head of Data Governance & Analytics with BSM, to find out how this works. BSM has established a centre of excellence / expertise for vessel performance, which focusses on building tools and systems, staffed by vessel performance specialists. But the actual responsibility and accountability for vessel performance is taken by the people who make day to day decisions about how they are operated. Such as the technical superintendents and other members of the fleet teams. It means that the focus of the vessel performance specialists is on building tools which can empower decision-making and allow the fleet teams can use to manage the performance of the ships by themselves, Mr Paleokrassas says. In addition, the company has a network of 12 performance leaders, each supporting the performance of 36 ships in their offices. The performance leaders are a network of experts that act as a channel for communication. These people also gather feedback from the fleet team members who are using the tools, so they can be continuously improved. The tools are continuously refined, to gradually increase the amount of explainability and interpretability they provide, to people who are not performance professionals. Many large shipowners have taken a different approach, taking performance management responsibility away from the day-to-day fleet management team, and making it the responsibility of a centralised performance team. This is against our principal way of thinking, against our overall strategy, he says. Measuring performance The company developed KPIs which could be used as an objective description of performance. We are able to get a single number representing the performance of each ship, Mr Paleokrassas says. It produces a pyramid of KPIs, which ultimately roll up to a single number for the ship, and then a single number for the fleet. This gives the whole company visibility as to whether the situation is improving, and how fast. The superintendents themselves can be given a vessel performance score based on the vessels they are looking after. Over time, BSM may wish to adjust the weightings that the various components contribute to the final score, as different areas may become more important. Further dimensions are being added to the system. The digital twins built for every ship in BSMs fleet was used as a basis for calculating the vessels EEXI (Energy Efficiency of Existing Ships Index). The company already produced preliminary EEXI figures for its entire fleet back in January and now awaits the regulation to be finalised in June. EEXI only covers the vessel design itself (basically, its fuel consumption per ton miles, under reference conditions). Aspects of the operation, such as routing, are not covered. EEXI is everyone's headache right now, he says. There's a looming deadline, 2023. The CII (IMOs Carbon Intensity Index) is also coming into play at the same time, (a requirement to report the carbon emissions per unit of transport work). BSMs fleet operational data will be used for CII reporting, pending finalisation of the exact regulatory requirements. Data reporting and analytics The primary source of data input is still manual reporting, such as in the noon day report. Automated data collection / telemetry, where available, is in addition, adding a level of granularity. There is a wide diversity between vessels in the companys fleet, of what sensors and other equipment they have onboard. The fleet includes ships with different sizes, types, propulsion arrangements, machinery arrangements, and now some with dual fuel, adding to the complexity. We have to account for every single ship in our fleet irrespective of its age and type, he says. Presentation of the data is also very important. For me, everything that we do here must drive decision making in the most objective manner possible. In order to do this, the information presented must be simple and clear. One way to simplify is to set a benchmark, or point of reference, and then people can see if they are ahead or behind it. Or to show things as simple percentages. BSM has reached a point where it can make a static comparison of a ships performance with what would be expected, based on its digital twin. Unless you embed explainability into technical analytics, you always need time and functional knowledge to understand what you're looking at Is it positive, is it negative? Data quality is critical to all of this. It has been my personal quest to improve our data quality over the last few years, he said. We do implement further and further measures to improve. It needs an understanding that data is never completely perfect, so if your operation data quality is low there is a level of uncertainty and risk in any decision made using it. Sharing data BSM is exploring ways to make data transparent and readily available to customers (shipowners), which they can pass on to their own customers (charterers). There are often hurdles or complications which come up in discussions about doing this, but I think this will be the way going forward, he says. Shipowners and charterers often spend large amounts of time in discussion about the amount of fuel used by a vessel in the voyage, and charterers make claims when they believe it has been overconsuming. But this discussion ultimately achieves very little in the goal of decarbonisation and achieving better operations, he says. Some owners and charterers are asking for more granular data about vessel performance than daily (noon day report). Shipowners can also use the data to help make decisions about spending on energy saving devices, sensors and other equipment for the ship. As a third party shipmanager, BSM does not make such decisions itself, instead proposing expert recommendations to its customers The data can also show shipowners how their vessel ranks with other similar vessels in the fleet. Digital technology All of BSMs performance data is managed in a single software system. The software separates data about voyage performance (such as hull and propeller maintenance) and machinery performance (operation of the main and auxiliary engines, power management, lubricants), rolling the data up to make a KPI for each. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement maintains digital models, or digital twins of all of the ships in its management, which also include information about how each vessel is expected to perform. So far this data is drawn from the ship's dimensions, machinery characteristics, shop tests, model tests, sea trials and hydrostatic data. The scope is continuously expanding. BSMs sister company, MariApps, has developed its own corporate resources planning system, SmartPAL, described as a complete ship management software. In 2019, BSM embarked on a joint venture with a Finnish company called Navidium, to build technology to help gather data from vessels, acting as BSMs preferred vendor. It has installed telemetry systems on 50 ships so far. The vessel data is provided on a minute by minute basis. BSM is also building its own weather routing and voyage optimisation system as part of its joint venture with Navidium. There is a big focus on developing predictive and prescriptive analytics tools, to try to predict what will happen and how problems can be avoided. BSM expects to be focussing in 2021 on edge analytics, doing analytics processing onboard the vessel, rather than taking all the data to a central data centre for processing. This means that the results of the processing can be made available directly to the crew, rather than communicated to the crew by the superintendent. With shore processing, the superintendent has to go back to the ship to advise them on what needs to happen. This introduces a degree of delay. We are moving towards doing all of this analysis onboard. Basically we're going to use the same algorithms, with some small computers. It will give up to the minute advice to the people that are able to affect optimisation, i.e. our crews. Market incentives In terms of the market incentives for the efforts, Mr Paleokrassas says that for ship managers, there are rarely any carrots (rewards for achieving higher performance than is required). Normally it is just sticks (complaints about targets not met). Many schemes, including the Poseidon Principles, are ultimately only about ensuring that the vessels comply with regulations, such as the decarbonisation trajectory required by IMO, he says. This means that when the company considers a decarbonisation project which may take a large investment, there are no clear ways to recoup this, such as from shipowners or charterers. There have always been discussions [about market rewards], I have never so far seen them materialise.




Svanehj acquires Wartsila Tank Control Systems

With its second acquisition in less than a year, Svanehj expands its OEM activities and adds new skills to its rapidly growing service department for gas tankers.

Gas is a crucial part of the sustainable energy system of the future, and Svanehj must be a significant player in the value chain that ensures the supply of gas at a global level. This is the vision of the Danish gas pump specialist, which is now putting its words into action through the acquisition of Wartsila Tank Control Systems (TCS), which employs more than 50 people in the UK, Singapore, and France. The acquisition of Wartsila TCS, historically known as Whessoe, brings Svanehj unique skills in the production, sale, and service of high-end measurement systems for gas tanks on LNG ships and land-based LNG facilities. Gas is one of the biggest driving forces in the green transition. Liquefied natural gasses such as LNG and LPG are already cleaner alternatives to oil and coal today. And with Power-to-X, we will see green electricity from solar power and wind converted into climate-friendly fuel for aircraft, ships, lorries and industry in a few years. The acquisition of Wartsila TCS is an expression of our desire to make Svanehj a globally leading specialist in producing and servicing equipment for handling all types of liquefied gas  natural gas, biogas and not least the Power-to-X-based fuel of the future, says CEO of Svanehj, Sren Kringelholt Nielsen. Access to 500 LNG ships The acquisition of Wartsila TCS opens new, exciting opportunities for Svanehjs rapidly growing service business, which has almost tripled its revenue since 2018. Svanehj is already a leading provider of cargo system service for LPG vessels, and the intention is to use the acquisition to achieve a similar position within the larger LNG ship segment. With this acquisition, Svanehj will now be the preferred service provider for about 500 LNG vessels with tank measurement systems from Wartsila TCS. Once on board, it will be attractive for many customers to consolidate their service jobs and make use of our competencies within servicing pumps, compressors, valves, and instrumentation, says Morten Christian Larsen, Director, Service & Aftersales, at Svanehj. With the acquisition, he will lead a service department with more than 70 employees and activities in Denmark, UK, China, and Singapore. With an expected increase in activity of initially 30-40%, the plan is to employ additional staff to support the offices in Denmark and Singapore. New land-based division based in France As part of the acquisition of Wartsila TCS, a new independent business for land-based activities will be established. The business will be based in Calais, France, from where Wartsila TCS currently produces measurement systems for land-based LNG systems. Land-based business has not been a focus area at Svanehj up until this point. But it is a strong complement to our existing business as it supports our purpose of contributing to a cleaner world. And there is no doubt that the need for gas systems and solutions will increase both on land and at sea in the coming years," says Sren Kringelholt Nielsen. The acquisition of Wartsila TCS is Svanehjs second in less than a year. In November last year, Svanehj took over the service specialist FORCE Technology Marine Equipment Service. Following the most recent acquisition, Svanehj Denmark employs approximately 230 people and has activities in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, China, and Japan. Closing of the transaction is subject to fulfilment of closing conditions.




Shamegz BHPian

Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Mangalore Posts: 82 Thanked: 168 Times

The IAA Mobility Auto Show, 2021







Few highlights of the IAA MOBILITY 2021 :

IAA is held from September 7th to 12th September IAA focuses on digital and climate-neutral mobility of the future IAA is getting overhaul with show not just displaying concept CAR but will feature electric scooters and bicycles, as well as trams, buses and autonomous vehicles The show is the first major trade show in Germany to throw open its gates to the public since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a new beginning for the IAA itself as it is held in Munich. More than 40 new car models will be released at IAA Mobility this week. This could be last public appearance of Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel who made great contribution to German auto industry. There are some climate activist groups opposing the show and plan peaceful protests. Can you not be there physically? No problem - with the Virtual Summit and the Virtual Open Space you can follow all content live and on demand from anywhere. Tickets for the physical and virtual visit can be found in the ticket shop at www.iaa.de.

This year IAA brings the new Concept :

The motor show is being organized both on the exhibition grounds, where product presentations and trade conferences will be held, and at popular squares in downtown Munich. The two parts are connected by a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) Blue Lane, which doubles up as a lane for test drives.

Many of the famous city landmarks are transformed for the show.

Checkout the famous BMW tours lit up to the future :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODCvHh0HtqY



Participants :

The German manufacturers VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz along with Hyundai/KIA are major participants.

This year Toyota, Volvo, Ferrari ,Rolls-Royce and GM are not participating.

Tesla has never been to an IAA. The Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors (GWM) is preparing its European launch at the IAA MOBILITY.

There are E-bike startups participating with innovative products and many more smart mobility concepts.



Showstoppers :



Mercedes : Mercedes-Benz introduced a slew of electric vehicles , including its first AMG-branded high-performance EV, a sedan and a G-Class SUV concept.

Concept Mercedes Maybach EQS





Mercedes Concept EQG



Mercedes-Benz EQB

Mercedes-Benz EQE350

Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+



Audi :

Audi will be presenting its newest concept car Audi grand sphere concept





Porsche :

Mission R. The all-electric concept racecar.





BMW :

BMW iX Hydrogen will showcase its hydrogen fuel cell drive.

e-cargo bike and e-scooter

BMW i Vision Circular





Hyundai :

IONIQ6

A robo-taxi with state-of-the-art sensor technology and autonomous driving level 4.

Hyundai Mobis presents its concept car M.Vision X , a fully electric and autonomous shuttle that is controlled entirely via artificial intelligence.



KIA:

Kia EV6 is the brand's first exclusively battery-powered vehicle.

Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, a variant of the SUV has been designed specifically for the European market.



Stay tuned for more updates as the action unfolds.

Watch the The Grand Opening Ceremony on :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3AwvbZOP-A Tomorrow the International Automobil Ausstellung (IAA MOBILITY 2021) will open its doors with an all-new concept "What will move us next?" .The motor show is being organized both on the exhibition grounds, where product presentations and trade conferences will be held, and at popular squares in downtown Munich. The two parts are connected by a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) Blue Lane, which doubles up as a lane for test drives.Many of the famous city landmarks are transformed for the show.Checkout the famous BMW tours lit up to the future :The German manufacturers VW, BMW and Mercedes-Benz along with Hyundai/KIA are major participants.This year Toyota, Volvo, Ferrari ,Rolls-Royce and GM are not participating.Tesla has never been to an IAA. The Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors (GWM) is preparing its European launch at the IAA MOBILITY.There are E-bike startups participating with innovative products and many more smart mobility concepts.: Mercedes-Benz introduced a slew of electric vehicles , including its first AMG-branded high-performance EV, a sedan and a G-Class SUV concept.Concept Mercedes Maybach EQSMercedes Concept EQGMercedes-Benz EQBMercedes-Benz EQE350Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+Audi will be presenting its newest concept car Audi grand sphere conceptMission R. The all-electric concept racecar.BMW iX Hydrogen will showcase its hydrogen fuel cell drive.e-cargo bike and e-scooterBMW i Vision CircularIONIQ6A robo-taxi with state-of-the-art sensor technology and autonomous driving level 4.Hyundai Mobis presents its concept car M.Vision X , a fully electric and autonomous shuttle that is controlled entirely via artificial intelligence.Kia EV6 is the brand's first exclusively battery-powered vehicle.Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, a variant of the SUV has been designed specifically for the European market.Stay tuned for more updates as the action unfolds.Watch the The Grand Opening Ceremony on :
buzzy_boy Newbie

Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Chennai Posts: 10 Thanked: 25 Times

Re: Unhappy with my Ford Aspire, want a nice handling car. Which one for me? Quote: d3mon Originally Posted by None of these will give you the "no understeer" part. All of them are FWD platforms with 60+% of weight on the front axle. Understeer is a given with all such cars, with only small differences in the max cornering grip generated.



My benchmark is the 2010 Figo 1.4 Duratorq, and nothing more fancier! I still travel the same roads, and where I could reasonably stay closer to the centre of the road with the Figo, I'd find myself closer to the edges with my Aspire - at the same speeds. It could've been the tiers, suspension geometry, brakes, or engine characteristics (given that WD would roughly be the same btwn the two cars) - I don't know!!



I TD'd the Freestyle 1.2 Petrol recently, and I liked its handing - though the engine was poor. Then came the Ford announcement putting a full-stop there.



I thought of changing the tyres/suspension of my Aspire to see if it'd help, but decided against spending more money on the car due to its other faults.



Quote: d3mon Originally Posted by To ensure that's not the case, I'd highly recommend test driving a reasonably sporty car like the 330i even if it's out of your budget to set the benchmark of grip and then decide whether you want to get one of these cars new, or try to get something sportier from the pre-owned market in your 15L budget. These are excellent points.My benchmark is the 2010 Figo 1.4 Duratorq, and nothing more fancier!I still travel the same roads, and where I could reasonably stay closer to the centre of the road with the Figo, I'd find myself closer to the edges with my Aspire - at the same speeds. It could've been the tiers, suspension geometry, brakes, or engine characteristics (given that WD would roughly be the same btwn the two cars) - I don't know!!I TD'd the Freestyle 1.2 Petrol recently, and I liked its handing - though the engine was poor. Then came the Ford announcement putting a full-stop there.I thought of changing the tyres/suspension of my Aspire to see if it'd help, but decided against spending more money on the car due to its other faults.Haha! I'm tempted to take a TD of the 330i, but I think I shall take a pass on that - just to avert a motoring life full of misery, yearning for something that makes no financial sense for me! Last edited by aah78 : 20th September 2021 at 17:55 . Reason: Quotes trimmed.
Something to look forward to: As Microsoft prepares to talk about new Surface products later this week, some of that information has started to leak from different sources. Test documentation filed at the FCC accounts for many details about the incoming Surface Duo 2, which has been improved in several aspects compared to its predecessor.

The FCC released on September 17 documents related to a new "portable handset" codenamed C3K1995, though the device has been confirmed to be the soon-to-be-revealed Surface Duo 2. Although most of the data comprises test results, it sheds light on several of the product's characteristics, confirming previous leaks, like a camera upgrade or the Snapdragon 888 SoC. We've now come to learn many more details about how the second generation of Microsoft's dual-screen device will differ from the original.

Information in the FCC filing confirms features such as Wi-Fi 6, multi-band 5G, NFC and ultra-wideband (UBW) possibly for accessories and rapid file transfers.

There's also mention of "Wireless Power Transfer," though it's not fully clear if this should translate to Qi wireless charging for the device itself. Another possibility is recharge capability for a Surface Pen when in contact with the Surface Duo 2. You can check other "confirmed" specs in the table below:

OS Android 11 Display 5.8-inch each, High-Refresh Rate, 2754 x 1896 pixels (opened) SoC Snapdragon 888 Memory 8GB RAM Storage 128GB, 256GB Expandable Storage No Rear Camera Wide (12MP), Telephoto (12MP), Ultrawide (16MP) Front Camera 12MP Security Fingerprint Reader Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC Ports 1x USB-C Audio Stereo Speakers Battery 4,400mAh Dimensions Unknown Weight Unknown Colors White, Black

In addition to having more processing power and connectivity features than the first Surface Duo, Microsoft's next dual-screen device is expected to get an OS update to Android 12 on the first half of 2022.

Microsoft will livestream the Surface event two days from today on September 22 at 11am ET, and the Surface Duo 2 surely will not be alone. Other product reveals expected include the Surface Go 3, Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro X and Surface Book 4.

Image credit: Jonas Daehnert
Elon Musk and Tesla have not yet decided on a location of a fourth gigafactory, as he confirmed via social media that Giga Russia is not yet a venture that the company is planning. However, the doors are not yet closed, and the possibility of a new Gigafactory is not yet over for the clean energy company, particularly as electric vehicles are getting more popular.



Tesla is considered by fans and several enthusiasts that it is the most American car out there, and with that, these fans want more of the EV's production to be happening inside the country.

The company is now focusing its ventures on the FSD, especially now that it is in Beta 10, which was said to be the version that would be close to the final product.

Tesla Gigafactory Not to Open in Russia

Elon Musk has answered the question and speculations that talked about an upcoming new location for the Gigafactory, or the massive plants where the production of electric vehicles and their components would happen. In the CEO's statement via Twitter (@elonmusk), he has clarified that the company has "not yet decided" on the plant's fourth location.

Several users via Twitter have presented that Tesla has already selected Russia as its next location for the plant, something which the CEO disagreed with. It was also said that a report by a Russian website called "argument" had discussed the plant's possible location in a city called Korolev, which is in Moscow.

Tesla has not yet decided on a fourth Gigafactory location  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 20, 2021



Korolev is also known as the "cradle" of Russian space exploration; somewhere a Tesla Gigafactory would fit in. Unfortunately, all these speculations were put out by Musk. It is now official that there would be no fourth location yet on the Gigafactory, but the venture for it is not yet over.

Read Also: Tesla Referral Program That Gives Awards to Existing Users Ends on All Products, Except One

Tesla Gigafactory Count

Several users in the thread of Musk's confirmation that no Russian plant would erect has sparked the argument of the Gigafactories which Tesla owned. Some have said there are already five, while some have argued that there are six plants in total.

However, several fans have argued that it is only the fourth Gigafactory that would soon be built.

Are there only 4?

The only Gigafactories that were built from the ground up would be the Tesla Giga Shanghai in China, Tesla Giga Nevada in the United States, and Tesla Giga Berlin in Germany. Other Gigafactories were only assumed by Tesla and not built from scratch.

This may be what the CEO was about, especially as the Gigafactories, which captures everything Tesla has not all been from the company. The Fremont and New York plant was only acquisitions, something which the company took over and used as their EV production centers.

Related Article: Tesla Autonomous Driving Not Safe? NTSB Head Says It Needs to Improve on Basic Safety Features for its FSD

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
OnePlus 9T, the upcoming device of the Chinese phone maker, has been canceled for 2021. It comes as the tech giant unveiled its smartphone lineup after the Oppo merger.

Instead, OnePlus revealed its new entry-level flagship Android smartphone lineup, the R series.

OnePlus Smartphone Portfolio after Oppo Merger

On top of that, OnePlus is also releasing the OnePlus Flagship series, the premium and ultra-premium smartphones of the phone maker, according to GizmoChina.

As such, there will now be two flagship series for the Chinese tech giant, the OnePlus Flagship, and the R series, with the latter as the entry-level variant.

Given that two line ups are the flagship series of OnePlus, the price range is to the tune of $500. With the price tag, the phone under this lineup is touted to sport the latest top-tier tech, such as the processor, cameras, and other fancy features.

In addition, the Nord series will serve as the premium mid-range device of the Chinese tech giant.

The mid-range tier of OnePlus also has an entry-level series known as the Nord CE. Both lineups will carry a price tag range of $300-$500.

The Nord and Nord CE smartphones have not been released in the United States, but both the European and Indian markets have them.

Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord N series will be the cheapest smartphone of the Chinese tech giant that recently merged with Oppo. The price of the devices under this lineup is only in the affordable range of $100-$300.

It is to note that the latest Nord N series was only released in North America.

OnePlus 9T Cancelled

And that's it, the smartphone portfolio of OnePlus did not include any T series, which used to be another flagship lineup for the Chinese phone maker.

It turns out that the post-Oppo merger smartphone portfolio of OnePlus is canceling the T-series of the OnePlus 9, at least for this year, as per FirstPost.

It is worth noting that the OnePlus T series used to follow the flagship launch of the tech giant after six months.

During its release, the smartphone under the T lineup serves as an upgrade for the flagship device of the phone maker.

However, for 2021 OnePlus decided to skip this upgrade habit for their flagships.

Read Also: OPPO, OnePlus Merging Teams Sees 20% Staff Cut for Software and Hardware Teams

OnePlus R Series

The OnePlus 9R was released last April 14, but the flagship smartphone was only available in select regions, such as India and China, GSMArena reported.

That said, the upcoming device under the R series, which now serves as the entry-level flagship line-up, the OnePlus 9 RT is still expected to follow the same route of exclusively rolling out in the same previous markets.

Related Article: OnePlus 9 Hasselblad XPan Camera Software Update Allows You To Capture Cinematic, Wide Aspect Ratio Photos

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk vowed a SpaceX toilet, WiFi, and oven upgrade after the experience of the first all-civilian space flight, the Inspiration4, including trouble with the space toilet.

SpaceX Toilet and Inspiration4

As per Space.com, the crew of the Inspiration4 likely appreciates the toilet on their home planet, Earth, even more after the issue in the SpaceX spacecraft.

The Inspiration4 marks the milestone of the first space flight that did not include any professional astronaut on board.

All of the passengers of the SpaceX mission that launched last Sept. 15 are civilians.

The all-civilian crew is composed of Jared Isaacman, a billionaire and the founder of Shift4 Payments; Haley Arceneaux, an assistant physician at the St. Jude Children Research Hospital, as well as Sian Protocor, and Chris Sembroksi, who were both selected from a global contest before the flight.

The pioneering all-civilian space flight to the orbit of the Earth splashed down on Saturday, Sept. 18.

It is worth noting that the Inspiration4 flight concluded without any hiccups, but the minor issue was on the toilet of the Dragon spacecraft.

During the post-fight press conference of the Inspiration4, the head of human spaceflights on SpaceX, Beji Reed, noted that they "had a couple of issues that we worked, we did work something on the Waste Management System."

Reed further mentioned that the hiccup with the toilet has something to do with the suction fan of the spacecraft, which is responsible for discarding waste.

Although there were not many details about the space toilet incident during the Inspiration4 mission, SpaceX founder, Musk, still assured that it is getting an upgrade for the next flight.

Space.com further noted in the same report that previous crews stayed a shorter time than the all-civilian crew.

The previous mission on the Dragon only transported astronauts in the International Space Station or the ISS. So, the crew only had to be inside the spacecraft for 24 hours or even less.

On the other hand, the Inspiration4 stayed in the Dragon capsule for almost three days.

Read Also: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Adds $50M to Inspiration4's Donation to St. Jude Children Research Hospital

SpaceX Toilet, WiFi, Oven Upgrade

According to Business Insider, the SpaceX founder and CEO unveiled the upcoming upgrades from the spacecraft of his space exploration firm after meeting with the non-astronaut crew on Monday, Sept. 20.

Musk went on to respond to one of the users on Twitter, assuring that the next flight will be getting "upgraded toilets."

The billionaire further noted that they "had some challenges with it this flight."

On top of that, Musk also revealed that the next flight will also be featuring a WiFi connection from Starlink, the SpaceX internet project, which will launch its open beta phase in October.

What's more, another SpaceX upgrade will be an oven to avoid another incident of eating a sad, cold pizza that the Inspiration4 experienced.

Related Article: Elon Musk Wants the US and China's Cooperation on Space Missions, Would It Be a Collab for SpaceX, CNSA?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The University of Liverpool's researchers developed a new AI that could identify materials that are not recorded yet. Thanks to its advanced features, the machine learning technology already discovered four new substances.

These include a new type of solid-state material, which conducts lithium: an essential substance that creates solid-state batteries. This is a great innovation since the United States and other countries are trying to find better energy sources that various electric vehicles could rely on.

"There have been a surge of machine learning (ML) studies that aim to extract the underlying patterns of chemistry available from ICSD," said involved researchers.

The new study titled "Element selection for crystalline inorganic solid discovery guided by unsupervised machine learning of experimentally explored chemistry" was published in the Nature Communications Journal this Sept. 21.

University of Liverpool's New AI

According to PhysOrg's latest report, the new technology has capabilities comparable to the knowledge of human scientists.

Also Read: NVIDIA CEO Gets Included in TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential List

However, involved experts claimed that the new artificial intelligence could prioritize the unexplored part of chemical space better and faster than human researchers.

If this is true, the new AI could identify new kinds of undiscovered materials used in various integrations in different innovations.

Professor Matt Rosseinsky led this machine learning tool's development. Aside from the material-identifying AI, the Danish health startup Radiobotics' AI-driven knee algorithm received FDA clearance.

Meanwhile, Biden Administration confirmed it would focus on AI-related problems in the United States.

How Does It Work?

The University of Liverpool's researchers explained that their new AI works by observing and studying the relationships between known materials.

This tool can do this at a scale, which could not be achieved by humans alone. The machine learning tech also uses numerically rank combinations of elements, which could lead to new materials.

On the other hand, these rankings also guide experts to explore the large unknown chemical space in a focused area of a study. Thanks to the new tool, the conducted material experiment would be more efficient.

For more news updates about the new material-identifying AI and other similar technologies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: SEE Robotics Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for the First Robot for Vloggers

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The United States Treasury Department has filed the first U.S. sanction against the rising cryptocurrency exchange. This detail was confirmed this Tuesday, Sept. 21.

The U.S. Treasury Department explained that the sanction was released because authorities claimed that hackers use digital currency transactions to conduct ransomware attacks.

As of the moment, cryptocurrency is still an unregulated market. Cryptos across the globe still have freedom from various governments in different countries. Because of this, many individuals are now investing their money in the market.

However, since it is still unregulated online, attackers use this opportunity to do malicious activities. Right now, cybersecurity firms explained that ransomware attackers usually ask for crypto, such as BTC, before they return their victims' stolen data.

First US Sanction Against Crypto

According to CNBC's latest report, the U.S. Treasury Department reiterated that almost all cryptocurrencies are legal. However, government authorities explained that online actors are still using these digital currencies for exploitation.

Also Read: Crypto Watch: $XRP Now Following $DOGE in Bearish Trend Over Last 30 Days as $BNB Follows

Right now, crypto transactions are still decentralized. Because of this process, security experts find these online activities harder to track compared to regular banking transactions.

This is one of the main reasons why hackers prefer receiving crypto payments instead of actual cash. Aside from the U.S. Treasury Department, ECB President Christine Lagarde also finds digital currencies unreliable, saying that cryptocurrency isn't a real currency.

On the other hand, South Korea announced it would suspend over 60 crypto exchanges. This just shows that various big names are now concerned about the risk that crypto poses, especially since hackers and other cyber attackers are now becoming more rampant.

Rumors Claim Crypto Regulation Could Arrive

Based on the recent Entrepreneur report, it seems like some critics claim that crypto business regulation could really happen.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced that it wants to sue Coinbase, one of the largest crypto exchange platforms in the United States.

The case is being hinted at after authorities discovered that the platform offers investing interests, which are not regulated.

On the other hand, various speculations said that the decision of the SEC is a sign that the U.S. wants to regulate the rising digital currencies in the country.

For more news updates about crypto and other similar topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Cardano Price Prediction | Will This Crypto Asset be as Big as Ethereum and Can It Beat Ethereum 2.0?

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google's New York investment is still ongoing. The search engine giant company announced its play in the city recently, with an investment plan of around $250 million before 2021 ends.

However, it seems like Google would spend more than just millions of dollars. The giant tech manufacturer said that it would purchase the St. John's Terminal site, located at 550 Washington St. The infrastructure acquisition is expected to cost $2.1 billion dollars, which was confirmed this Tuesday, Sept. 21. Google said that it is already leasing the venue, saying that it would exercise an option to buy the terminal building. In its blog post, the search engine provider explained that the upcoming acquisition would serve as the anchor of its business in New York City. Google To Re-Open NYC's St. John's Terminal According to CNBC's latest report, Google's upcoming St. John's Terminal building acquisition would allow the area to reopen. However, New Yorkers would still have to wait for around 2023.

Also Read: Google TV Adds Crunchyroll's Anime Library | Finally Fully Integrated

Some critics explained that this is an excellent innovation from Google, especially since the ongoing pandemic is still affecting its own business and those of other companies.

As of the moment, Google is not planning to allow its employees to go back to offices until January. The company's CEO Sundar Pichai said that he expects 20% of his staff t continue conducting remote work and telecommuting.

This means that less than half of Google's overall employees would still work in their houses. Aside from its NYC sector, Google is also improving some of its products.

These include the new Google 3,900-miles Grace Hopper Subsea Cable. On the other hand, it is also expected to release the latest Google Pixel 6 Pro.

Other Projects of Google

Aside from its New York investment, Forbes also reported that Google is considering relying on legal hackers to improve its system and other products.

This is quite similar to Apple since Google also announced that its new Bug Bounty Program would also offer cash rewards for individuals who can discover alarming bugs and other vulnerabilities.

Facebook also joins the giant search engine in spreading the campaign "Hacking is NOT a Crime."

For more news updates about Google and its latest inventions, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google Pay Adds International New Banks in 9 Countries and User-to-User Transfers in Singapore

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission denied a proposed development and pushed back another amid pressure from residents worried about flooding.

But the council did advance six projects located completely or partially within areas deemed high-risk for flooding, the last to make it into the approval process before new, tougher drainage standards take effect.

The projects considered during the Monday meeting were the latest in a wave of proposed developments in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas that began after local leaders began discussing the temporary drainage rules for developers after flooding in May, which Metro Council passed earlier this month.

Baton Rouge will create tougher development rules to stop flooding after Metro Council vote New construction will soon have to meet stricter drainage rules in East Baton Rouge after a unanimous vote by Metro Council Wednesday.

The number of such projects submitted to the commission more than doubled over the four months the council considered the regulations, according to commission records.

Mondays batch are exempt from the new regulations because they were submitted to the commission before the ordinance took effect on Saturday.

Dozens of projects in Baton Rouge flood zones proposed amid push for tougher development rules At least a dozen different developments in the East Baton Rouge flood plain will be considered by the city-parish Planning Commission Monday, 

The commission denied a rezoning of a property along Burbank Drive to residential. The development would have been located entirely within the floodplain on top of wetlands.

The commission received 24 public comments in opposition, and a handful of residents that spoke out against the project at the meeting.

The math is very clear that flooding is becoming more and more frequent, said Benjamin OConnor, the homeowners association president for University Villas, which is located near the property. This continued development of these wetlands is just making it worse.

MR Engineering & Surveying LLC owner Mickey Robertson, who represented the project, called the residents concerns valid and said the developers would work to mitigate the development's impacts.

But Commissioners Jayme Ellender and Kelvin Hill moved to deny the project.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Until we get the flooding situation in Baton Rouge under control, this is an area that Im not willing to support additional development right now, Ellender said.

Devastating 2016 floods, which damaged more than 36,000 homes in the parish, launched a debate about development in areas with a high risk of flooding. That debate was reignited in May when more than 1,000 homes in the parish flooded.

Neighboring parishes, including Ascension, West Feliciana and parts of Iberville, halted all major new construction after the latest flood, a move that some residents called for in East Baton Rouge Parish. After months of consideration, local leaders rejected that approach, instead favoring a special moratorium that raised the drainage requirements developers have to meet but still allows for new projects.

Homeowners, developers split over Baton Rouge's 'special moratorium': 'It's certainly not perfect' When East Baton Rouge passed stricter flood protection rules for developers, Councilman Dwight Hudson remarked how the move was unlikely to ma

Several developers who spoke about the new regulations, including Robertson, who represented several projects that came before the commission on Monday.

A proposed major subdivision in the floodplain along Staring Lane at Dawson Creek was deferred for one month to resolve issues with the Department of Public Works that Robertson said were raised when the developers offered to improve the propertys drainage standards to meet the new ordinance  despite being exempt from it.

Even though those ordinances do not apply to this subdivision, we have taken it upon ourselves to go ahead and increase to meet those new requirements that were approved, said Robertson, the engineer for the project.

The rain runoff from the site will be limited and the water retention will be increased, Robertson said. But those changes still need to be finalized with DPW. Commissioners voted to defer the item to allow those changes to be approved.

Flooding concerns dominated the meeting so much that even representatives projects outside of floodplains talked about it.

Attorney Charles Landry, who was representing Engquist Development on a proposed residential development along Nicholson Drive near the parishs southern border with Iberville Parish, said it was "remarkable" that his clients found a 284-acre property that didn't include any part of the floodplain.

With the new drainage rules applying to all new project proposals before the commission from this point on, Chair Rossie Washington, Jr., said the commission has its work cut out for it.

The moratorium is a very recent development so were trying to figure out how were going to navigate that, how its going to inform our decision making and try to remain fair, Washington said.
The Louisiana Municipal Association recently recognized Walkers administrative team with the associations top state award for outstanding accomplishments during the past year. Showing their individual recognition plaques, from left, are council members Gary Clark and Scarlett Major, John Gallagher of the LMA who presented the awards, Mayor Jimmy Watson, and council members Eric Cook and Gary Griffin. Walker won the award for cities in the 3,000-10,000 population range.
An arrest in a weekend killing at an Erwinville bar led authorities to book a different man in a separate case  the April shooting of a pregnant 19-year-old woman in Plaquemine.

Police accuse Ronald Campbell, 17, of fatally shooting 21-year-old Trey Allen in the parking lot of Raxx bar on Saturday.

By Tuesday morning, authorities had booked Campbell into West Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Officials said Allen was trying to break up a fight outside the bar when gunfire broke out.

WBRSO spokesman Zach Simmers said the Raxx shooting investigation led officers to the suspect in an unrelated shooting months earlier.

Simmers said when investigators looked for Campbell at his mother's house, they happened upon 17-year-old Deondra Lagarde, a suspect in the April 9 shooting of a 19-year-old pregnant woman in Plaquemine.

Lagarde was at Raxx with Campbell on the night Allen was killed, Simmers said.

After the Raxx shooting, West Baton Rouge District Attorney Tony Clayton asked State Alcohol Tobacco Control Commissioner Ernest Legier to suspend operations at the bar because it was apparently serving alcohol to minors.

Legier revoked the bars alcohol permit, citing public safety concerns after the incident. RAXX is scheduled for a hearing with ATC in early October, as law requires a hearing within 10 days of pulling the permit.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Simmers said the shooting investigation is ongoing, and he expects to make related arrests.

On Monday, Clayton said both juveniles will be tried as adults.

Authorities brought them to Alabama over the weekend, as there were no state facilities that could accommodate them.

Now that theyre being tried as adults, officials say both are being brought back to Louisiana.

Simmer said Lagarde was booked at the Iberville Parish Jail Tuesday morning for attempted second-degree murder.

These young folks at 17 years of age arming themselves with guns and sucking the life out of folks aren't acting like kids, Clayton said. They are acting like adults.

Clayton said he is convening a grand jury to hear the case.
The 2022 financial outlook for colleges and universities is "pretty good" amid a massive influx of federal aid, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne told the Louisiana Board of Regents Tuesday.

"We think we are going to be performing pretty well," Dardenne said during the first day of budget hearings for spending that will be mapped out next year.

State aid for colleges and universities rose by about $175 million earlier this year, a rarity after 13 years of budget cuts or standstill budgets.

Dardenne, who is Gov. John Bel Edwards' chief financial lieutenant, said colleges can expect the governor will recommend money for mandated costs next year and "hopefully" a hike in state aid for operations.

He said it is too soon to tell whether pay raises for faculty will be part of Edwards 2022 budget recommendations.

Dardenne also said Edwards will continue to advocate for using onetime surplus dollars on deferred maintenance at college campuses.

The hearings Tuesday were the start of a process in which the Board of Regents reviews funding requests from LSU, Southern University, the University of Louisiana and others.

Those recommendations are then reviewed by Regents and the Edwards administration before budget proposals are debated by the Legislature.

The 2022 regular legislative session begins March 14, 2022.

Dardenne and Greg Albrecht, the Legislature's chief economist, credited the massive amounts of federal aid to combat the coronavirus pandemic with keeping higher education and other services on solid footing.

LSU, other colleges set to get $268 million from coronavirus relief bill LSU and other public colleges and universities are set to get $268 million from the latest federal stimulus bill, up 82% from what schools got

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Dardenne said the three rounds of federal aid are unprecedented since President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s to help overcome the Great Depression.

"They are putting money in our treasury," he said of federal officials.

Colleges and universities collected $723 million from the three rounds of federal aid, including $55 million for LSU and $101 million for Southern University.

Historically Black colleges and universities were targeted for special assistance during the pandemic.

Albrecht said the state lost the equivalent of $6.8 billion in wages and salaries in 2020 but collected $31.5 billion in federal aid.

"That is why we have done so well," he said.

Albrecht said the two highest paying wage sectors  mining and manufacturing  have lost 2,200 jobs and 4,800 jobs respectively since April 2020.

He said manufacturing will stabilize at around 30,000 jobs compared to about 50,000 before the pandemic began 18 months ago.

"We have some pluses, but we have some negatives in really important sectors," Albrecht said.

Dardenne said the surplus from the financial year that ended June 30 could total nearly $700 million.

About $200 million of that amount would have to be put in Louisiana's Rainy Day Fund, with the rest available next year for capital outlay and related spending.
The trade union watchdog has launched an investigation into the Maritime Union of Australia to probe whether union cars were sold for below-market rates to relatives without following proper processes.

The Registered Organisations Commission, a government-funded independent regulator for unions and employer associations, has started the investigation after receiving a whistleblower complaint, according to sources.

The Maritime Union of Australia is under investigation for allegedly selling union cars for discounted rates to family and friends. Credit:Nine News

The commission declined to comment but pointed to a compliance fact sheet sent to all trade unions last year calling for federally registered organisations to review current practices, policies and governance procedures around vehicle sales to employees.

The ROC will continue to investigate whistleblower disclosures made to it involving the below-value sale, transfer or disposal of motor vehicles by registered organisations to their employees and officials which may be to the detriment of registered organisations and their members, the statement said.
BIOGRAPHY

Edward Said

Timothy Brennan

Bloomsbury, $49.99

Edward Said was the quintessential outsider  an American to Palestinians and an Arab to Americans. He was an academic to radicals, an activist to scholars, a Marxist to Islamists, a devoted critic of the Western canon and a passionate champion of Arab culture, a cultural elitist with a penchant for TV sitcoms, a self-indulgent amateur pianist to musicologists. He was Commentary magazines professor of terror and had his books banned in the occupied territories by Yasser Arafat.

Let me declare my interest. Having endured a few bleak years in Britain and the rigours of the famous Terry Eagleton seminar (and the remarkably intellectually intimidating students in attendance), in 1977 I made my way to Saids office in Philosophy Hall at Columbia University to ask him to supervise my thesis. We found common ground discussing the Middle East. I wanted to write about the category of reflection in Marxist aesthetics and the work of the Hungarian critic and philosopher Georg Lukacs.

Edward Said argued that generations of Orientalists provided the logic for colonisation. Credit:Stuart Conway.

He thought that was a terrific idea but would take me 40 years to complete so suggested I write on Michel Foucault instead. A generous mentor, he appointed me as his teaching assistant for the next three years. Charisma incarnate, it was no surprise that the womens toilets were covered with graffiti by legions of adoring fans.
The number of people and small businesses receiving financial hardship assistance from banks during the latest lockdowns in NSW and Victoria has rocketed.

New figures from the Australian Banking Association (ABA) show more than 57,000 customers are receiving assistance, including more than 30,000 repayment deferrals on home and business loans.

An empty street in Canterbury, NSW. Some people are working reduced hours or have been stood down during the latest lockdowns. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The number of individuals and business owners receiving assistance, which includes deferring credit card payments and waiving fees and charges, more than doubled during August, compared with July.

Home loan deferrals grew to more than 27,000 in August, up from about 14,500 in July, while deferred business loans soared to more than 3500, from just over 600, in the same period.
We need to be careful that applying the rule with a guillotine [on September 30] wont cause major disruption to healthcare and closure of services, particularly in the regions, he said. Healthcare workers are coming out to get vaccinated, but there is still a way to go. We need to keep improving access in small towns and be careful putting a drop-dead date on vaccination when it still may be difficult to get a booking. Brett Holmes, general secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, said regional areas were already under strain from long-term healthcare staffing shortages. Even one less nurse or midwife from a ward or unit will have an impact, Mr Holmes said While some Sydney councils have recorded first-dose vaccination rates of above 95 per cent, in Byron Shire the figure across residents aged 16 and over has just passed 60 per cent.

Numbers are particularly low in the 2481, 2482 and 2483 postcodes  taking in Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads  where 50 to 59 per cent of people have received a first dose and 30 to 39 per cent are fully vaccinated. The Northern Rivers is known for having the lowest childhood vaccination rates in the state. In June, 89.8 per cent of five-year-olds in Northern NSW Local Health District had received their vaccinations, below the statewide average of 95 per cent. The rate in Byron Shire specifically was 70.7 per cent. On Tuesday, Health Minister Brad Hazzard suggested the regions lower vaccination rate was part of the reason why a single case of COVID-19 had resulted in a snap lockdown. Theres a degree of hesitancy, obviously, in the northern area but also some genuine concerns that the vaccine availability has not been what it could have been, he said, encouraging locals to take advantage of doses of the Moderna vaccine available in pharmacies from this week.

But Byron Bay Mayor Michael Lyon said the councils comparatively low vaccination rates were 100 per cent a question of supply. Hesitancy is an issue across the state and certainly in Byron Shire. But that is not the reason we are lagging behind, he said. Weve been getting, by far, less doses than any other north coast LGA in the state. There are still long, long waits to get a booking for Pfizer  weve had supply redirected on a couple of occasions and despite all of this were at over 60 per cent first dose. Theres a lot of people in that under 60 age bracket who are on the waiting list and have an appointment in November and December. When we can fast track those people you will see our rates exceed a lot of our neighbours.

Over the past three weeks, about one in eight Byron Shire residents aged 15 and over have come forward for their first vaccination. More than 600 Pfizer vaccinations were administered at Bay Centre Medicals Byron Bay and Suffolk Park sites last week. Appointments are booked out until mid-October and its dose allocation is set to double later this month due to the demand. But practice manager Karina Masterson said locals were choosy about their brand of vaccine and their rollout had been hampered significantly by only having Pfizer available since last Monday. And now I keep hearing Im waiting for Novavax, she added. Ms Masterson said, although supply had been an issue, anti-vaccination attitudes were still prevalent and some people had accepted they would not work when mandates were introduced.

Theyre thinking a linen shirt is going to protect them from COVID ... Im a bit over it, she said. The federal governments vaccine booking website only shows active Pfizer appointments at four clinics across Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby: one had available appointments for October 26 at the earliest, two did not have bookings until early November, and one did not have any listed. AstraZeneca shots were available this week through at least two pharmacies in Byron Bay. The closest vaccination hubs are in Tweed Heads, which has bookings available, and Lismore, which does not. Cr Lyon said plenty of people had travelled across the region or into Queensland for an appointment. But its not realistic for a lot of people, he said. Rod Palmer, operator of the Altitude 261 rainforest retreat outside Mullumbimby, is one local who resorted to driving 50 kilometres to Tweed Heads. He has written to the local health district and local public health network Healthy North Coast to express concern about supply.

The vaccination rate in the Hills [in Sydney] is 95 per cent, but you can get a vaccine in Castle Hill within two days. Around here the next appointment isnt until October 12, he said. Mr Palmer acknowledged hesitancy meant the ceiling of coverage we can get to will always be lower, but believed numbers so far were more to do with prioritising vaccines in areas which currently have high cases, such as western Sydney. Rod Palmer drove 50 kilometres to Tweed Heads to get his vaccine. Credit:Danielle Smith As a tourism operator, he was concerned for when Sydneysiders flood businesses in October, despite the area being unlikely to have a full vaccination rate much above 50 per cent. There has been so much focus on where the fire has been, there is no focus on where it will go next, he said. Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ryan said Byron was the states most sought-after holiday destination. Its such a good opportunity to capture all of that Sydney tourism  why arent we prepared?
Queensland Health has identified five new close contact exposure sites at Brisbanes domestic airport after two infected travellers flew from NSW, including one who spent four hours in the terminal in transit between Newcastle and the Northern Territory.

The new exposure sites for Friday, September 17, come one week after the last locations were linked to a cluster in the southern Brisbane suburb of Sunnybank and a number of infected truck drivers.

A public health alert was issued on Tuesday for 10 new sites of varying risk at Brisbanes domestic airport. Credit:Dan Peled

Tuesdays public health alert for 10 new sites of varying risk came after contact tracing details filtered through for the travellers, whose cases were announced on Monday.

One arrived on Qantas flight QF516 from Sydney to Brisbane between 10.06am and 11.12am on Friday. Although that flight has been deemed a close contact site, authorities expressed little concern as the man was fully vaccinated and headed straight to hotel quarantine.
The Melbourne local government area with the highest rate of active COVID-19 cases has recorded the biggest proportional increase in first doses administered last week, health department data shows.

The data also shows that more than one in six Victorians aged between 12 and 15 received their first vaccine dose last week after becoming eligible for Pfizer from last Monday.

In Hume, in Melbournes north, 64.5 per cent of those aged 15 and above have received their first vaccine dose, up from 55 per cent last Monday. That translates to just over 17,000 Hume residents getting their first dose over the past seven days.

You can see the percentage of people aged 15+ who have received their first dose in your local area using the maps below:
This pandemic has been incredibly tough on all Victorian workers. But we can be proud of the way we are working together to keep our workplaces and our communities safe.

If you go on a construction site, you need a hard hat.

Hard hats and hi-vis are already worn in the construction industry. Credit:

If you work in the rail corridor, you need hi-vis.

If you work in food manufacturing, you need a hairnet and gloves.
An unarmed man shot dead by police inside his parents Beechboro home in 2018 was killed after officers kicked down his bedroom door during a domestic violence call-out, a coronial inquest has heard.

Ly Ming Tong, 38, was shot three times after screaming and running out of the bedroom as he was confronted by two officers shouting police.

Ly Tong died in 2018 after he was shot dead by a police officer inside his parents Beechboro home.

Earlier, Mr Tong had argued with his parents about the TV remote and being refused access to drive his fathers car. The incidents involved Mr Tong pushing his parents and being verbally abusive.

His father left the house and attended Mr Tongs sisters address, intending to go to Midland Police Station and ask for help to get his son into a drug rehabilitation program.
A clear majority of Australians want the federal government to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, lifting support for the target to 60 per cent as Prime Minister Scott Morrison faces pressure from world leaders to take more action on climate change.

A more ambitious target for 2030 also has slim majority support, with 52 per cent of people saying the federal government should deepen its emission cuts over the next decade, a crucial timeframe for a United Nations climate summit in November.

Australians back a net zero emissions target by 2050, according to the Resolve Political Monitor.

But Australians are divided on phasing out coal, with 49 per cent backing calls to close coal-fired power stations within a decade but 44 per cent saying the country should continue to mine and export coal for as long as buyers want it.

The majority support for greater ambition on net zero crosses party lines, with a new survey showing 57 per cent of Coalition voters and 67 per cent of Labor voters want the 2050 target.
Federal ministers have seized on Mondays violent attack on the construction unions Melbourne office by a crowd that included some union members to blame the CFMEU for the two-week industry suspension in Victoria and argue Labor should refuse its donations.

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash lashed the violence outside the CFMEUs Melbourne office, which trashed the entrance after bottles and other projectiles were thrown by an angry crowd, saying it was unacceptable thuggery that had no place in the construction sector.

Police moved in on Monday afternoon to quell protests near the CFMEUs Melbourne office. Credit:Justin McManus

Todays violence from a number of their members shows that Anthony Albanese needs to cut off the CFMEU once and for all, said Senator Cash, who is also industrial relations minister. Given their millions of dollars in donations to the ALP, it is imperative that Mr Albanese stops accepting their donations today.

Housing minister Michael Sukkar said 320,000 Victorian construction workers are seemingly being punished for the actions of a violent minority of CFMEU protesters yesterday in the form of the industrys suspension. He called the decision, announced by the Andrews government late on Monday night, chaotic and said it would hurt the industry.
An inquiry into Caboolture Hospital will consider all calls seriously, according to Queensland Health, but it has not changed its terms of reference that restrict investigations to cases in 2020 or later.

On Monday night, Queensland Health said it would consider any cases brought to its attention concerning patient care at Caboolture Hospital but it has not allowed the inquiry to consider historical cases.

An inquiry into surgeries at Caboolture Hospital is currently under way. Credit:Google Street View

It issued a statement that read: All feedback, from any timeframe, is reviewed and taken seriously and those with concerns are encouraged to call the hotline.

Earlier, Caboolture Hospital patient Olivia Keating told how she had been left with a football of organs outside her body after 11 operations when a caesarean went wrong in 2018.
There is no obvious replacement for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Over the 16 years that she has run the worlds fourth largest economy, Dr Merkel has become the linchpin of the European Union, able to unite the blocs quarrelling leaders on the 21st centurys most divisive themes: immigration, climate change, economic crises and, for her final lap, the coronavirus pandemic.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Donald Trump with other world leaders at the G7 summit in Quebec in 2018. Credit:German Federal Government/AP

She has seen off seven Australian prime ministers, five British ones and four US presidents. While she had an easy rapport with Barack Obama, her global reputation has been burnished by her dealings with more difficult sparring partners. Self-styled macho men Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin both had to reckon with Dr Merkel, their antithesis, a process-driven details-oriented former scientist who has never been one for stump speeches.

The famous photo of her leaning in, so to speak, across the desk from then-president Trump at the 2018 G7 summit speaks volumes of her willingness to take on the tough jobs. She fought Mr Trump on trade, on defence, on migration and finally on the virus, decrying the limits of populism in thinly veiled trans-Atlantic swipes.
Paris: One of Europes most senior leaders has reminded Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the need for transparency and loyalty during an awkward encounter in New York, as more countries openly criticise the new AUKUS defence pact.

European Council President Charles Michel issued the rare rebuke during a meeting with Morrison on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

European Council President Charles Michel and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, pictured during the G7 summit in Cornwall in June. Credit:Getty Images

In comments that confirm anger over the AUKUS announcement has expanded far beyond France, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also described the agreement between Australia, the United States and United Kingdom as unsettling.

The partnership has enraged Paris because it triggered the termination of a $90 billion contract for the French to design and part-build 12 new submarines for the Australian Defence Force.
I have always admired the Gene Frankel Theatre, that outpost of off-off-Broadway hiding between overpriced sushi restaurants and Anderson Cooper's Equinox, deep in the heart of NoHo. Like that older tenant in your building who secured a rent-controlled apartment in 1969, it nobly survives in a thoroughly gentrified city that no longer seems to want it. That makes it the ideal venue for Case Closed: The Dorian Corey Story, a gripping portrait of a group of similarly unwanted New Yorkers who nevertheless persist, and manage to change the culture of the city (and America) in the process.

Playwright Jeffrey S. Jones finds his inspiration in the life of Dorian Corey, the veteran drag performer who played the role of our world-weary tour guide in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, about ball culture in Harlem. "I was going to be the first female impersonator to break into the mainstream," Corey says as she applies makeup and peers into her vanity. While that honor (and the fabulous wealth of the Drag Race empire) ultimately went to RuPaul, Corey ended her days in the AIDS ward of Columbia Presbyterian, leaving behind only a closet full of gowns  and one skeleton.

That would be Robert Worley, a troubled ex-convict whose earthly remains were discovered in a green-plaid garment bag in Corey's apartment following her death. The mystery of how they got there is still open (explored at length in the 1994 New York Magazine article "The Drag Queen Had a Mummy in Her Closet"). Jones presents his own theory of how events played out in this family drama dressed up in true crime drag.

Jake Thomas plays Detective Dombrowski, and Isaac Dean plays Velma in Case Closed: The Dorian Corey Story.

( Nick Starichenko)

The first act takes place in an NYPD interrogation room circa 1994, where Detective Dombrowski (an ultra-butch Jake Thomas) questions Velma (Isaac Dean), an elderly drag queen who lived with Corey (Scott Weston) for over a decade. The scene oscillates between this interview and Corey's dressing room, where she dispenses wisdom directly to the audience, as if we were all first-time drag princesses fresh off the bus from Tuscaloosa.

Act 2 flashes back to 1967 and takes us inside the fifth-floor Harlem apartment Corey transformed into a "gay finishing school" by sheltering all manner of misfits, from the teenage runaway Regina (a sweet-as-pie Grant Hale) to middle-aged alcoholic Willie (an appropriately pickled Frank Muni). This fragile ecosystem is compromised by the arrival of Bobby (Matt Braddak), Corey's handsome and troubled on-again-off-again boyfriend. By the conclusion of this two-and-a-half-hour drama, Jones provides a clear answer to his subtitle Who Killed Robert Worley?  one that you can probably guess on your own.

Isaac Dean, Marlon Alexander, Scott Weston, Frank Muni, and Spencer Gonzales appear in Case Closed: The Dorian Corey Story.

( Nick Starichenko)

The production values in Case Closed are about what one would expect from an off-off-Broadway show unattached to an institutional theater, written and produced by the same person: Peta McKenna's set is a showroom of crooked doors and peeling paint (although this works well for Act 2). Costumers Dominique N. Mercado and Scott Stewart spin couture out of the flimsiest of fabrics (again, an authentic look for a group of people who likely dumpster dive in the west 30s). While director Laurence C. Schwartz hasn't come up with any clever staging techniques to overcome the material deficiencies of the production (the transitions are particularly deadly) he compensates by leading his cast to some of the best performances I've seen all year.

Weston is perfect as Corey, channeling the legendary queen and her distinctively blase mid-Atlantic dialect, which makes her sound like she was raised by Bette Davis and Vincent Price (and in a way, she was). He exudes motherly warmth with foundling children like go-go dancer Manny (a fiery and vulnerable Marlon Alexander) and hippie law student Joseph (an adorable Spencer Gonzalez). As Bobby, Braddak plays the dead-beat daddy of the house, at once seductive and destructive. While his biker-Viking look doesn't adhere to the historical reality of Robert Worley (who was short, Black, and bespectacled), they easily serve to distinguish him as an outsider and a threat (an insert in the program makes it clear that Braddak is a last-minute replacement in the role of Bobby, one who has more than stepped up to the task).

Isaac Dean plays Velma, and Matt Braddack plays Bobby in Case Closed: The Dorian Corey Story.

( Nick Starichenko)

The standout performance of the evening comes from Dean, who plays an older, jollier version of Velma in Act 1 before reverse-aging to her pricklier youth in Act 2. Dean delivers each line as a precision strike, throwing the kind of shade that would cause most flowers to instantly wilt. His banter with Weston could be a drag act on its own, and his scenes with Braddak are so scorching, they threaten to burn down the fire trap of a set. In his performance as Velma, Dean embodies the struggle between war and peace, community and individuality, fear and love, that governs the everyday life of a marginalized person in an unforgiving city.

In an age when 13-year-olds on TikTok parrot the lingo and dance moves pioneered by queer kids in Harlem four decades ago, we should recognize and honor the rich legacy people like Velma and Dorian created in a world that didn't want them, and gave them nothing. Case Closed does that, and more.
From Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann Attorneys at Law

When Carl Benz conceived the first lightweight car powered by a gasoline engine in the closing years of the 19th century, he could never have imagined the challenges faced by those in the 21st century, where cars that drive themselves are fast becoming a commonplace reality.

With big names like Tesla, Google, Uber, and Waymo betting their money on self-driving cars, its clear that this form of transportation will be part of the future. However, the utopia associated with self-driving cars is starting to give way to reality as engineers realize that driverless vehicles present new challenges that need novel solutions.

One of the biggest challenges associated with self-driving cars comes about when the vehicle causes a fatality. This results in a vital question: Is it still wrongful death if the car is driving itself?

To answer the question above, we will need to start by defining the idea of a self-driving car and wrongful death in general. We will then look at specific car accident cases where self-driving cars have killed people, leading to lawsuits. This should provide an idea of the arguments made by experts in this area regarding the question above.

As you read this article, its vital to remember that any information provided here is not intended as and does not constitute legal advice.

Self Driving Car Accident Statistics

Here are some numbers summarizing the situation with regards to self-driving cars and the fatalities they have caused.

You may be surprised to learn that self-driving cars cause more accidents (9.1 accidents per million miles driven) than vehicles involving a human driver (4.1 accidents per million miles driven)

To date, the number of deaths linked to Teslas where the Autopilot was engaged is six.

The 2019 traffic fatality rate was 1.1 fatalities per 100 million miles driven (including both human-driven cars and vehicles with self-driving capabilities).

Estimates indicate that Tesla Autopilot has driven about 3.3 billion miles. This implies that driving a Tesla on Autopilot (about one fatality in 550 million miles driven) is safer than human driving (about 1.1 fatalities per 100 million miles driven).

Brad Templeton writes for Forbes.com and suggests that its vital to look at the numbers above with caution. He points out several challenges with the math. For instance, when we count the fatality rate of Teslas with Autopilot, do we include deaths where its claimed that Autopilot was engaged even though that claim has not been verified? Is it possible to generate estimations of human driver fatalities based on highway information only?

Understanding Self-Driving Cars

The concept of a self-driving car denotes a vehicle endowed with numerous sensors that provide it with the capability to sense its environment in order to navigate safely whether it is driving itself or a human driver is in control. Other terms used interchangeably with self-driving cars include driverless cars, autonomous vehicles, and robo-cars.

Dr. Lance Eliot, an expert on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), explains the various categories of self-driving cars. He starts by noting that True self-driving cars are ones that the AI drives the car entirely on its own and there isnt any human assistance during the driving task.

According to Dr. Eliot, when a car entirely relies on AI to accomplish the entire driving task, it belongs in Level 4 or Level 5. On the other hand, cars that need coordination between the human driver and AI are usually placed in Level 2 or 3. He adds that cars that co-share the driving task are described as being semi-autonomous, and typically contain a variety of automated add-ons that are referred to as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems).

The move toward self-driving cars, in general, is based on the assumption that most accidents on roadways can be attributed to human error. For instance, a paper published by the Accident Analysis & Prevention journal identifies inexperience, lack of skill, and risk-taking behaviors as the main factors contributing to road accidents.

When self-driving cars designed to reduce road carnage start to cause fatal accidents, concerns are raised regarding their safety and the issues of liability. Determining liability can be a sizable challenge, especially when you consider that many individuals and entities could play a role in an accident: the driver, car maker, technology provider, government, and local authorities.

Defining Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is when a person dies because of the intentional or accidental wrongful act of another party. When there is a possibility that the car accident that led to the death of an individual constitutes wrongful death, members of the deceased persons family can institute a lawsuit to get compensation for loss and pain associated with the death of the person in question.

Therefore, when we ask whether it is still wrongful death if the car is driving itself, we are trying to understand whom the wrongful death claim should be made against. Some people argue that the manufacturer of the car and the technology in it should be held liable.

On the other hand, there is a lobby that argues that there is always someone responsible for the car at any time. Therefore, that person has full responsibility for the car and should be held legally answerable for controlling the vehicle.

Who Can Sue For Wrongful Death?

When claiming wrongful death in car accidents involving self-driving cars, laws can differ depending on the jurisdiction. However, in most cases, the immediate family, life partners, spouses, and others who were dependent on the deceased individual can sue for wrongful death. Some jurisdictions also allow for anyone that can show proof that they have suffered financially to sue.

Who Can Be Sued?

In the case of road accidents involving self-driving cars, several individuals and entities can be sued:In the case of road accidents involving self-driving cars, several individuals and entities can be sued:

Drivers

All drivers are allowed to use public roads based on the assumption that they will observe the duty to care for other road users like cyclists, other drivers, and pedestrians. Where there is proof that a drivers negligence caused a fatality, a wrongful death lawsuit can be brought to court.

Common examples of driver negligence include drinking and driving, speeding, and texting while driving.

Government

The government plays a profound role in ensuring that drivers are safe. For instance, the government is responsible for making sure that manufacturers of cars and technologies used by such cars meet established safety standards.

The government is also responsible for ensuring that the surfaces on which these self-driving cars move do not have hazards that could result in fatalities. Also, self-driving cars rely on properly functioning road signage and traffic signals. In most cases, local governments are responsible for maintaining such infrastructure and ensuring that drivers observe the law.

Technology Providers

The companies that provide technologies to manufacturers of self-driving cars have a significant role in ensuring that their technology functions as it is supposed to. Therefore, if a car relying on such technology is involved in an accident that results in a fatality, its vital to consider whether there was negligence on the part of the technology supplier.

Vehicle Manufacturers

As has been seen in several lawsuits involving Tesla, the vehicle manufacturer is often the first port of call for families alleging wrongful death from self-driving cars.

In 2019, Tesla was sued by the family of a driver (Jeremy Beren Banner) who died in a car crash while using the Autopilot advanced driver assistance system.

In a report about the 2019 case published by TheVerge.com, Sean OKane writes, Banner is the fourth known person to die while using Autopilot, and his family is the second to sue Tesla over a fatal crash involving the technology. OKane adds that In May [2019], Tesla was sued by the family of 38-year-old Wei Huang, who died in 2018 after his Model X crashed into an off-ramp divider with Autopilot engaged.

Vehicle manufacturers also face a higher level of scrutiny than other entities that may contribute to wrongful death in self-driving cars. For instance, Yahoo Finance senior columnist Rick Newman produced an article entitled Its time to notice Teslas Autopilot death toll. In that article, he seems to lay most of the blame for Tesla self-driving vehicle fatalities on the car makers doorstep.

Newman illustrates the challenge of determining responsibility when he writes, Tesla is proving something other automakers dare not attempt: New technology + foolish drivers = death. He continues, Tesla promotes Autopilot as if its the worlds most advanced self-driving system. Its not. Its his view that the specific use of the term Autopilot could confuse drivers into a false sense of security that could result in risky behavior.

Who Is Liable For The Fatality?

In an attempt to work out who is responsible when a self-driving car causes a fatality, Ron Schmelzer, Managing Partner & Principal Analyst at AI Focused Research and Advisory firm Cognilytica and a contributor at Forbes.com, resorts to the 2018 Uber AV fatality. The Uber vehicle struck pedestrian Elaine Herzberg as she crossed a road in Arizona. She died from the injuries sustained in the crash.

In his attempt to determine who could have been liable for the fatality, Schmelzer analyzes the role of everyone involved.

Schmelzer starts by looking at the two humans involved in the accident: the person supervising the car and the deceased. The deceased is reported to have been walking a bike and not using a crosswalk. Suppose this means that the pedestrian was at fault. In that case, the next question is why the person supervising the vehicle did not take any action to stop the car or swerve.

Schmelzer then considers the technology and the vehicle as the potential main culprits in the fatal accident. He asks several questions related to the AI technologies ability to handle all the possible road scenarios in the real world and whether the sensors were confused because the pedestrian was walking a bike.

Schmelzer concludes that Maybe its not such a good idea to pin the fault on just one person or one factor. This is a view based on the assumption that The totality of the circumstances may add up to the reality that fault lies with many parties.

The BBC later reported that the Uber backup driver, Rafael Vasquez, had been streaming an episode of the television show The Voice at the time of the accident. Vasquez was later charged with negligent homicide.

Uber did not face any criminal charges because prosecutors ruled that the company was not criminally liable for Herzbergs death.

A Complex Web

The views expressed by Schmelzer above are vindicated by a decision made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) following the 2018 Uber crash. The Columbia Universitys engineering division reports that the NTSB split the blame among Uber, the companys autonomous vehicle (AV), the safety driver in the vehicle, the victim, and the state of Arizona.

Its clear from the NTSB decision that determining liability is complicated. This is because often, an accident is not a result of the wrongful action of a single person or factor.

Is It Still Wrongful Death?

From the views expressed above, we can conclude that whether a car is driving itself or is being controlled by a human driver, a wrongful death claim can still result if the fatality is caused by any intentional or accidental wrongful act of another party.

While its clear that a fatality caused by a wrongful act should be considered a wrongful death, the challenge comes about when we attempt to determine who is liable. For those who want precedents regarding liability, its unfortunate that big companies like Uber have resorted to out-of-court settlements. Consequently, there is limited guidance from court rulings regarding the issue.

There are still only a small number of cases that have gone to court and only limited court rulings that could provide an idea of how the courts look at issues of liability in varying cases. As such, its safe to say that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the issues of self-driving cars and liability for accidents. Circumstances will always differ. Laws in different jurisdictions may also differ.

Contact a Wrongful Death Car Accident Attorney

As you can see, wrongful death car accident claims can be complex and difficult to navigate, especially when there are elements like self-driving cars involved. If you or a loved one were injured or affected by a wrongful death, you may need the services of an experienced attorney who can sort out liability, damages, and other legal issues.

At Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann, our attorneys have the track record to handle multi-faceted litigation. We can help you obtain the legal remedy needed to get your life back on track. Contact us today at (205) 386-2243 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your claim.

Originally Published By Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann Attorney'
WANT TO WIN YOURSELF SOME COOL STUFF?
13-Year-Old Boy Home Alone With 4 Younger Sisters Saves Siblings After House Catches Fire

A Wisconsin family have their teenage son to thank for getting his four little sisters outside when their house caught fire earlier this month.

The young hero, 13-year-old Briar Omar, and his siblings smelled smoke minutes after their parents left for the grocery store to pick up dinner Sept. 5.

Me and my sisters smelled smoke, and I looked behind me and the playpen was on fire, Briar told The Epoch Times.

Kelly Omar, 35, and her husband Jay, 34, were at Fourwinds Market getting items for the grill when she got a call from her son.

It was Briar, and he said to call 911, that the house was on fire, Kelly, a recovery advocate, told the newspaper. So, me and my husband immediately ran out of the store.

And when I got home, my whole house was in flames.

On returning home, the parents found their kids were safe in the bar across the street from their house; Briar had acted quickly and whisked his sisters, including a 6-month-old, out in timethough he was unable to save the house.

I gathered up all my sisters and I got them out of the door, and then I ran back in and I got the fire extinguisher from under the sink, Briar recounted.

Then I tried to put it out, and I got it out for about 3 or 5 seconds, then it lit up in even bigger flames.

It was just too smokey, to the point where I couldnt breathe, I couldnt see, he added. Thats when I felt my dog rub against me, I grabbed her, and she led me out the door.

Although no one was hurt in the blaze, the Omars lost pretty much everythingall their belongings.

I lost my Xbox, I lost my stuffed animal I had since I was a baby, I lost a lot of my action figures, and my friends memory cup who passed when I was 5, said Briar.

The familys photos, including those of Kellys father when he was in the military, were all gone.

The same night, my dad had a heart attack and was airlifted, Kelly added. We had gotten a call shortly after the house fire.

And thats when reality hit, that everything I had of him was in the house, so I was just devastated.

Fire marshals are still determining the cause of the blaze, though its believed to have been caused by an electrical outlet, the mom said.

The family are faced with rebuilding their lives and are currently seeking housing.

Fortunately, the community have donated goods, and one local neighbor offered them a trailer house to stay in for the time being.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9, 2016. (John Locher/AP Photo)

2 GOP Operatives Charged With Funneling $25,000 From Russian National Into 2016 Presidential Election Campaign

Two Republican political operatives have been charged with allegedly funneling $25,000 from an unnamed Russian national into a 2016 Presidential election campaign.

Jesse Benton, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky, previously worked as an aide to Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), while Roy Douglas Doug Wead, 75, of Bonita Springs, Florida, previously served as an adviser to multiple presidential campaigns.

Former President Donald Trump pardoned Benton in 2020 after he was convicted and faced federal campaign finance charges in a case involving $73,000 in payments to Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson so that he would endorse Ron Paul instead of Michelle Bachman in the 2012 presidential GOP primary.

According to an indictment released by the Department of Justice on Sept. 20, both Benton and Wead allegedly conspired together to solicit a political contribution from a wealthy unnamed Russian foreign national during the 2016 presidential election.

As per the indictment, Wead told the Russian national that they could meet the unnamed presidential candidate in exchange for payment, to which they agreed. Under federal law, it is illegal to solicit campaign contributions from foreigners.

Soon after the anonymous Russian had transferred the funds, Benton arranged for the Russian national to attend a political fundraising event and get a photograph with the political candidate in exchange for a contribution of $100,000 in donations to a political consulting firm owned by Benton, the indictment says.

Both Benton and Wead allegedly conspired together to disguise the true purpose of both the transfer and funds by creating a fake invoice for consulting services and invented a cover story.

Wead and the unnamed Russian attended the political fundraising event for the political candidate, along with a translator, and all three had photos taken with the candidate.

After the event, Benton allegedly told political committees affiliated with with the candidate that he had sent the promised contribution for the event, but instead used a personal credit card to make a $25,000 donation and kept the remaining $75,000.

Because he had allegedly falsely claimed to have given the contribution himself, three political committees filed reports with the Federal Election Commission that wrongly stated that Benton was the source of that donation, rather than the Russian national, the indictment read.

Benton and Wead have both charged with one count of conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effect a conduit contribution, and cause false records to be filed with the FEC, one count of contribution by a foreign national, one count of contribution in the name of another and three counts of making false entries in an official record.

If convicted, both men face between 5 to 20 years in prison, per count.

While the indictment does not disclose the name of the the specific presidential candidate, in 2016 the two biggest party candidates were Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. There is no indication that the presidential candidate or their aids were aware that the donation came from a Russian national.
AG Ken Paxton: Texas Will Defend Constitutional Rights Against Federal Overreach on Vaccines, Abortion, & Election Integrity

Texas is in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice, which recently filed a lawsuit against their anti-abortion bill and has also been trying to challenge the new Texas election reform bill that closes loopholes in the election system. And now, as President Joe Biden is looking to implement new vaccine mandates across the United States, Texas is positioning itself as a major legal contender against these policies. To learn more about this, we sat down for an interview with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Were being heavily censored by Big Tech. Our solution? Create our own independent platform free of censorship.

Join us today on EpochTV. Weve got a country to save: http://epochtv.com/Crossroads



Follow EpochTV on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus

Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV

Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv

Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV

Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV

Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV
University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital in March 2019. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times/ Google Maps)

Alabama Health Care Group Halts COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate on Staff

An Alabama health care group suspended its plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for its staff, saying it must follow the law and wait for detailed federal guidance.

Facing the threat of a lawsuit, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System announced that it stopped requiring health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

President [Joe] Biden issued an executive order Sept. 9 indicating that federal rules and regulations will be issued in the coming weeks that will require COVID vaccines for workers at health care facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid dollars. Because UAB Health System must follow federal law, UAB Health System will remove its vaccine policy at this time, Sarah Nafziger, M.D., senior vice president of UAB Medicine, said in a statement issued on Sept. 17.

UAB Health System will wait for the detailed federal guidance to develop a replacement vaccine policy in order to ensure full compliance with federal law, Nafziger added.

In August, Nafziger announced that UAB Health System employees and people working in its hospital and clinics would be required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 12.

As one of Alabamas largest employers, UAB Health System directly employs over 20,000 individuals, full-time and part-time combined.

A conservative public-interest firm, Alabama Center for Law and Liberty (ACLL), demanded the health care group stop the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and threatened to bring a lawsuit if it did not do so.

As the Supreme Court of Alabama has recognized, UAB Hospital is a state-run hospital. Consequently, UAB Hospital may not require its employees to disclose whether they have been vaccinated or not, ACLL president Matthew Clark said in a letter (pdf) sent to UAB Health System on Sept. 10, saying Alabamas new law prohibits state entities from mandating the vaccine.

In May, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 267 (pdf) into law, prohibiting state entities from requiring vaccination or proof of vaccination as a condition for receiving any government service or for entry into a government building.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs a bill into law to ban vaccine passports on May 24, 2021. (Courtesy of Gov. Kay Iveys Office)

If UAB Hospital continues this course of action, then ACLL will file a suit for injunctive relief before the September 21 deadline, Clark continued.

Early this month, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall warned health care providers in the state to immediately cease using the state immunization registry, known as ImmPRINT, to determine employees vaccination status.

Failure to do so may result in criminal prosecution, Marshall said in a statement.

On Sept. 16, Marshall joined 23 other attorneys general, officially demanding Biden to drop his proposed vaccine mandate or face a lawsuit.

Biden announced on Sept. 9 that he planned to direct the Department of Labor to develop a rule, forcing companies with more than 100 employees to require vaccinations or once-per-week testing for their workers.

Clark commended UAB Health System after it rescinded the mandate.

We recognize that COVID-19 is dangerous and do not wish to discourage UAB and its affiliates from taking reasonable steps to keep people safe, Clark said in a statement. But since the long-term effects of the vaccines are still unknown, the State of Alabama has decided that using the power of government to force people to get vaccines against their will is not a legitimate option.
Alumni Donate $200,000 to Schools Bringing Hope During Pandemic

Colleen and William Mullin have donated $200,000 to three Philadelphia-area Catholic schools. They hope their money can help with students tuition as needed to support their finishing school.

After selling their company two months ago, the Mullin couple decided to give back to the institutions that have influenced them most in their lives.

On Sept. 16, William Mullin shared his story with The Epoch Times as he donated $50,000 dollars to St. Laurence School in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1982.

There [are] a lot of people and families that are suffering right now, Mullin said. And so we thought wed be able to give back through tuition assistance, and allow families that maybe [are] suffering and [cant] afford tuition right now  we can ensure that their kids [can] finish out the school year and start a new school year.

Mullin is senior vice president and financial advisor of Wealth Enhancement Group and has raised three children with his wife. Two are in college and one is in high school.

The money will go into a pool that the school uses to give students financial aid. Depending on how much their families earn and how much they need, the students can get a discount on tuition.

Mullin is grateful for the spiritual and religious education he received at the Catholic school. And this school has made an impact on my life, my familys life, and it made me the person I am today.

He said, I hope these kids get the great experience that I had. And that was the purpose of the gift.

Almost 40 years after he graduated from St. Laurence, Mullin still remembers one story. When he was in first grade and had a surgery, Sister Virginia Patrice called his home at 7 p.m. when he just came back from the hospital.

Williams mom told him that his first grade teacher was checking on you to see how you are.

Mullin said, Normally, when a priest or a nun from your school calls the home, its bad news. But Ill never forget that, you know. It was after school and she made an effort.

Mullin also mentioned that he was fortunate to meet two of his best lifetime friends at St. Laurence school.

The Mullins hopes their donation will spur more attention, spur additional donations, and more community involvement with the school.

People can make the bigger difference when times are tough, Mullin said, I think during these tough times, those of us that are fortunate enough to have the opportunity, its a great time to give back, make a difference, and get back to your roots. And so thats my goal.

With Mullin at the school were St. Laurence pastor,Father Thomas or Tom Whittingham, and St. Laurence school principal, Sister Regina Matulka. Both were highly appreciative of Mullins generous donation to help with student tuition.

Just before I walked in the room, I was on the phone with a mother whos heard the tuition goes up every year and she was working an extra job the year before in order to help pay for tuition. And with the coronavirus shutdown, that other job disappeared, Father Tom said. So shes struggling to make the payments already. She was asking if theres any additional money for help. The need is always there.

Father Tom moved to the school three months ago. He said: Some have knowledge, some have ability, some have wealth to share, but everything we have is given to us by God to be shared with others.

Father Tom said that when students attend a Catholic school, their parents tend to be more involved and invested. They often have parents that are willing to sacrifice. You can send your child to public school for free. Basically, to go to Catholic school, you usually have to pay at least something. And so the parents are invested in education, they think its valuable, and they want their children to succeed. So often, that translates down the road into less drugs, other vices, other problems.

Sister Regina was pleasantly surprised by the large donation from the schools alumni. She transferred to St. Laurence in August.

In my past principalship, I did not receive a donation as generous and as big as this one, she said. So yes, it was a surprise, a very happy surprise. St. Laurence school opened in 1919. It currently has 208 students in grades pre-K through eighth.

Thanks to the Mullin family. That means a great deal, Sister Regina said at the ceremony. They said family and community was a big part of their upbringing and growing up, and we want that to continue, to be a family, whether its [those] present in the school or our extended family in our graduates as well.

Besides St. Laurence, Mullins donated $100,000 to his high school Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill, where his father-in-law, Joe Sherry, also studied.

Mullin also donated $50,000 to Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School because he knows members on the board, including the president, from who he learnt that some students work during the week to pay their tuition.

My wife and I want to give to someone maybe we dont have a direct connection with, but make a difference in other peoples lives, Mullin said.

Mullin expressed they will continue to give to all three schools: So this wasnt just a one-time donation. Well continue to give money and time.

May Lin contributed to this report.
Royal Australian Navy guided-missile frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH 154) (L) sails with U.S. Navy Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) in the South China Sea, on April 18, 2020. (Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Huynh/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters)

An Intensifying Arms Race in Asia

Analysts warn that Asia may be sliding into an accelerating arms race as countries react to the Chinese regimes military growth.

The following is a list of the defense systems several Asian countries have bought or are looking to acquire.

Australia

The country said on Sept. 16 it would build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines under an Indo-Pacific security partnership with the United States and Britain.

Australia will also enhance its long-range strike capability with Tomahawk cruise missiles deployed on naval destroyers and air-to-surface missiles for its F/A-18 Hornet and F-35A Lightning II jets, that can hit targets at a range of 559 miles.

Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) will be deployed on its F/A-18F Super Hornet jets, while precision strike guided missiles capable of destroying targets from over 250 miles are planned for its land forces.

It will also collaborate with the United States to develop hypersonic missiles under the trilateral security deal, dubbed AUKUS.

Separately, the U.S. State Department approved in June the potential sale of 29 Boeing Co AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to Australia in a deal worth up to $3.5 billion.

Taiwan

Taiwan announced a plan on Friday to spend $8.69 billion over the next five years to upgrade its weapons capabilitiesa program that is likely to include long-range missiles and existing cruise missiles.

The program will include a new missile, which Taiwanese media say could have a range of up to 760 miles and is an upgraded version of the Hsiung Sheng cruise missile.

In 2020, the U.S. government approved the potential sale of 100 Boeing-made Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems, three weapons systems including missiles, sensors and artillery, and four sophisticated aerial drones to Taiwan. They are worth about $5 billion in total.

Last month, Washington approved the potential sale of 40 howitzer systems to Taiwan in a deal valued at up to $750 million.

South Korea

The government successfully tested a conventional submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Sept. 15, becoming the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a system.

The missile is believed to be a variant of the countrys ground-based Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile, with a flight range of about 310 miles.

Last year, it developed the Hyunmoo-4 missile, which has a 500-mile range and can mount a 2-ton payload.

South Korea unveiled other new missiles, including a supersonic cruise missile to be deployed soon.

It has been striving to develop solid-fuel rocket engines as part of a plan to launch a spy satellite by the late 2020s, and successfully carried out a test firing in July.

Its defense ministry, in a midterm plan released in 2020, detailed a proposal to build three submarines. Officials have said two of themwith a displacement of 3,000 tons and 3,600 tonswill be based on diesel engines, but declined to specify how the largest one, at 4,000 tons, would be powered.

Building a nuclear submarine has been among President Moon Jae-ins election pledges, but he has never officially announced a plan since taking office in 2017.

North Korea

In July 2019 North Korean state media showed leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a large, newly built, submarine. While it did not describe the submarines weapons, analysts said the apparent size of the vessel indicated it was designed to carry ballistic missiles.

Later that year, nuclear-armed North Korea said it had successfully test-fired a new SLBM from the sea, and in January showcased a new SLBM design during a military parade in Pyongyang.

Its state media said this month the country tested its first railway-based missile launching system.

China

The Chinese regime is mass-producing its DF-26, a multipurpose weapon that can be fitted with nuclear warheads and has a range of up to 2,485 miles.

At a 2019 parade, the Chinese communist regime also unveiled new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and showcased its advancing intercontinental and hypersonic missiles, designed to attack the aircraft carriers and bases that undergird U.S. military strength in Asia.

Its hypersonic missile, known as the DF-17, can theoretically maneuver at many times the speed of sound, making it more difficult to counter.

China also has DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles, the backbone of its nuclear deterrent, which are capable of reaching the United States with multiple warheads.

Japan

Japan has spent millions of dollars on long-range air-launched weapons, and is developing a new version of a truck-mounted anti-ship missile, the Type 12, with an expected range of 620 miles.

In 2020, the U.S. State Department authorized a deal for Japan to buy 105 Lockheed F-35 fighter jets at an estimated cost of $23 billion.

By Hyonhee Shin, John Mair and Ben Blanchard
A sign warning vaccinated people not to enter at the store in Adelaide, South Australia. (Supplied)

Australian Business Owner Sets up Sign Banning Vaccinated Customers

An Australian signage and display store director has declared his shop a COVID-19 vaccine free zone after becoming upset with Australias current COVID-19 health restrictions.

Peter King, the director of Gigantic Signs in Adelaide, South Australia, told The Epoch Times in an email he hoped his sign, which reads Do not enter if you have been COVID-19 vaxxed would help people will start to wake up.

King described the current COVID-19 restrictions as a crime against humanity.

It has been allowed to fester into a global sprawling, chaotic mess of human misery and financial desperation, he said.

A sign warning vaccinated people not to enter at Gigantic Signs in Adelaide, South Australia. (Supplied)

Despite putting up the sign, King said he is not a so-called anti-vaxxer and did not intend to ban people from entering based on their vaccination status.

I was simply making a statement, he said. If it is good enough for businesses to allow only vaxxed patrons to enter their business premises, then I should support the unvaxxed with the opposite stance.

King was referring to a local winery in Adelaide, Bird in the Hand, which recently decided to ban the non-vaxxed public from entering.

What I am truly anti about is the government mandating an unproven, untested injection that by definition is not a vaccine but an injection of multiple materials that have not gone through any long term human trials to tests for its safety and efficacy.

Australia is currently implementing lockdowns in major cities, with Melbourne looking to break the world record for most prolonged COVID-19 lockdown, as well as rolling out vaccine passports in states.

In South Australia, the state government has also launched a new quarantine app that requires users to check in with geolocation and live facial recognition.

As a result, anti-lockdown protests have broken out in major cities around Australia to resist the restrictions and vaccine mandates.

A sign warning vaccinated people not to enter at Gigantic Signs in Adelaide, South Australia. (Supplied)

King said while he has received both positive and negative feedback about his sign, he was overwhelmed by the incredibly positive response from around Australia.

I never thought there were so many sensible [people] out there with similar thoughts to mine, he said. I am sure we remain the silent majority, who will (and must) become more vocal as this evil is driven further into the very heart of society by our elected leaders.

King told The Epoch Times that he might consider taking down the sign, but he would not be coerced into the action.

Freedom of speech is still available in Australia, he said.

There is also no legal action that can be taken against him, a legal expert explained.

They can do whatever they like in terms of discrimination law because there are no grounds of discrimination based on vaccination status, Professor Rick Sarre told Channel 7.
A NSW ambulance is seen departing a housing tower on Morehead Street in Redfern, Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Australian Paramedic Suspended After Taking Vaccine Mandate to Court

A New South Wales (NSW) paramedic who launched a legal challenge against the state government over vaccine mandates has been suspended from work immediately.

John Larter, a veteran paramedic and deputy mayor of the Snowy Valleys Council, filed a lawsuit against the NSW State Health Minister Brad Hazzard challenging a public health order mandating health workers receive the first dose of the vaccine by Sept. 30, and the second dose by Nov. 30.

In a video posted on his Telegram account, Larter revealed that he was called in to meet with the Paramedicine Council of NSW on Sept. 17, the same day a judge first heard the lawsuit.

He said he was trying to move the hearing date to prepare, but this was not allowed.

So, I effectively went in there without any legal representation. Two and a half hours later, and after being grilled by them, I received a letter from them today advising Ive been suspended immediately as a paramedic, he said.

I hope these people are very proud of themselves. I hope that theyre very satisfied with the fact that theyre just taken one more paramedic with a great deal of experience off the road, he said.

Thats a very good outcome. Its a very good outcome for the community and Brad Hazzard, and [NSW Premier] Gladys Berejiklian.

New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant speak during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on July 1, 2020. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

It is just an absolute disgrace what is happening. I just cannot believe that this is happening in NSW. No wonder these nurses, doctors, other health professionals, and police wont speak out, look what happens! You get suspended.

Larter has vowed to fight the suspension.

The Paramedicine Council of NSW confirmed to The Epoch Times that Larter had been suspended as of Sept. 20, noting that he could appeal the decision at any time, upon which the Council would reassess his circumstances.

The Councils paramount obligation is to protect the public by ensuring paramedics practice safely and in accordance with professional standards expected of them by the community, a spokesperson said.

The Council told The Epoch Times under the confidentiality provisions in the law, it could not disclose its reasons for the suspension.

Under Section 150 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) (the Law), it does have the authority to suspend or impose conditions on a health practitioners registration for the protection of the health or safety of the public.

The countrys peak accreditation body for health practitioners, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), has previously confirmed to The Epoch Times that it had received complaints about medical professionals failing to meet their Code of Conduct obligations, as well as breaching COVID-19 medical health guidelines.

AHPRA said it received complaints regarding health practitioners advocating views contrary to public health advice (without evidence to back those views); prescribing non-evidence-based treatments without proper disclosure around risks or benefits; and breaching public health orders (and being fined) for not social distancing, wearing masks, or abiding by health restrictions.

Health workers take out stretchers from an ambulance at the Hardi Aged Care Nursing Home Facility in Summers Hill suburb of Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 2, 2021 (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Experience tells us that most practitioners, when concerns are raised directly with them, modify their behaviour to become compliant, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

In a small number of cases, national boards are likely to take action to ensure the actions of the practitioner do not place the public at risk of harm.

Larters case follows the suspension of Sydney-based anaesthetist Dr. Paul Oosterhuis, who, in early September, found himself suspended over complaints about his social media activity.

In the social media posts for which I face a medical board hearing, I discussed issues such as early treatment and prophylaxis against COVID-19, evidence for government measures such as lockdowns and PCR tests, and evidence regarding risk-benefit analyses of COVID-19 vaccines, he wrote in a petition on Doctors for COVID Ethics.

Oosterhuis will appeal his suspension.

Meanwhile, Larters vaccine mandate legal action comprises the third wave of legal action directed at NSW health authorities challenging the states response to COVID-19, including vaccine mandates and health restrictions.

An online fundraiser launched by Larter to cover his legal costs has already raised $104,228 as of Sept. 21.

I am fighting for this as I strongly believe no person should be discriminated against due to their medical status, and under no circumstances should they be excluded from the workplace due to that medical status, his GoFundMe page stated.
Australian PM Arrives in New York for Quad Leader Meetings

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has touched down in New York as he prepares for a series of high-profile visits, including with U.S. President Joe Biden and fellow leaders of Quad nations India and Japan.

The meeting comes amid the backdrop of last weeks AUKUS announcement which saw the U.S. and UK governments commit to assisting Australia with the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, a move designed to counter further aggression from Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.

Morrisons RAAF jet landed at John F Kennedy international airport around 8 a.m. Australian time on Sept. 21, after travelling from Sydney via Hawaii for most of Monday.

Im very pleased to be here in the United States, he told reporters on the airport tarmac. We have great friends and partners and allies all around the world and over the course of this week I will have the opportunity to pursue those shared goals, based on shared values.

When questioned on the possibility of meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Morrison said it was unlikely.

It was not possible for us to be able to discuss such secure issues in relation to our dealing with other countries at that time, he said.

We had made it very clear; I had made it very clear, that a conventional submarine would no longer be meeting our strategic interests and what we needed those boats to do.

The formation of AUKUS saw Australia cancel its $90 billion Future Submarine program with French defence contractor, Naval Group. The cancellation, and perception that Australia, U.S., and UK leaders had been planning AUKUS in the background while meeting with French government representatives, has contributed to an angry response from France at the deal.

On Sept. 17, France withdrew its ambassadors from the United States and Australia in protest.

Meanwhile, the Quad leaders will likely discuss cooperation around COVID-19 vaccine production, climate change, and critical and emerging technologies.

Beijing will likely figure in the discussions as well, including the implications of AUKUSwhich has been welcomed by India.

Morrison will also address the United Nations General Assembly via a pre-recorded virtual speech.

He will also meet with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Washington D.C.
President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Banks Oppose Bidens New Proposal on IRS Reporting

A trade group calls the attempt an overreach, saying it would make U.S. banks police force for the IRS

WASHINGTONOpposition is growing to a new proposal aimed at curbing tax evasion that would be part of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package under consideration by Congress.

The proposal, which is being pushed by the Biden administration, would require banks and other financial institutions to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) any deposits or withdrawals totaling more than $600 to or from all business and personal accounts.

The American Bankers Association (ABA), along with over 40 business and financial groups, sent a letter on Sept. 17 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) objecting to the ill-advised reporting proposal.

While the stated goal of this vast data collection is to uncover tax dodging by the wealthy, this proposal is not remotely targeted to that purpose or that population, the letter stated.

In addition to the significant privacy concerns, it would create tremendous liability for all affected parties by requiring the collection of financial information for nearly every American without proper explanation of how the IRS will store, protect, and use this enormous trove of personal financial information.

The Biden administration has been pushing Democrats to include the proposal in the $3.5 trillion spending bill in an effort to address tax evasion, mainly by wealthy people.

With the new reporting rule, the wealthy can no longer hide what theyre making, President Joe Biden said on Sept. 16 during a speech on the economy.

That isnt about raising their taxes, Biden added. Its about the super-wealthy finally beginning to pay what they owe.

The reporting regime aims to close the tax gap, according to the Treasury Department, which is the difference between taxes owed to the government and whats actually paid.

A report released by the Treasury in May stated that the new reporting rule would help raise $460 billion over the next decade.

Almost every banking transaction and even transfers between ones accounts would be aggregated and reported to the IRS, according to Paul Merski, group executive vice president at the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), which represents nearly 5,000 community banks in the United States.

Its a dragnet, its a collection of data in the scale that weve never seen before in the financial sector, Merski told The Epoch Times.

ICBA is among the financial groups that strongly oppose Bidens proposal, calling it an overreach by the federal government.

Banks already report a tremendous amount of data to the IRS. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, more than 3.5 billion information returns were received by the IRS for tax year 2018. A large number of these come from banks, ABA says. These include reporting interest paid on bank accounts, dividend income, brokerage transactions, mortgage interest, and more.

Under the Bank Secrecy Act, U.S. financial institutions also report to the government all wire transfers over $10,000 as well as suspicious cash transactions to prevent criminal activities such as money laundering.

Banks are already reporting billions of pieces of information and youre getting to the point where the banks are becoming the police force for the IRS, Merski said.

I dont think people, small business owners know about this profiling that the IRS wants to put together, he added. So, its basically a profiling; they want to see your transactions and create a profile on you, and if they dont like what they see, then they can go after you.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) last week, asking Democrats to include a sufficiently comprehensive reporting provision in the bill so that tax evaders are not able to structure financial accounts to avoid it.

It is unclear whether some version of the proposal will make it into the final bill, but the Ways and Means Committee left out the administrations proposal in the legislation approved by the committee due to the growing backlash.

Neal, however, indicated that the committee is in discussions with the administration on various proposals to increase reporting requirements.

According to Merski, the provision could be added back to the budget reconciliation bill at any stage in the process, especially at the last minute. The bill only needs a simple majority to pass in the Senate.

Our fear is that this is so onerous that theyre waiting to the last second to put this in, but theyre dead serious about putting this proposal in, he said.

An ICBA poll conducted by Morning Consult found that 67 percent of voters oppose the new IRS reporting proposal.

The provision is a violation of Americans privacy rights and would be a crushing burden on community banks and credit unions struggling in the midst of the pandemic, John Berlau, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told The Epoch Times.

The IRS already gets plenty of data on taxpayers through forms such as 1099s, and does not need instant access to these small transactions to go after tax cheats, he said.

According to the Treasury Department, Bidens proposal is integral to addressing evasion.

The tax gap disproportionately benefits wealthy people because their income mainly comes from non-labor sources where misreporting is common, the Treasury report stated.

The tax gap totaled nearly $600 billion in 2019 and will rise to about $7 trillion over the course of the next decade if left unaddressed.
Investors look at a screen showing stock market movements at a securities company in Hangzhou city in China's eastern Zhejiang Province on Feb. 3, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Stock Exchange Sets Investor Capital Requirements

Chinas third, upcoming stock exchange will require minimum capital requirements on certain investors. Individual investors must have 500,000 yuan ($77,400) of assets in their accounts to trade on the Beijing Stock Exchange, the planned exchange announced on Friday.

China will set up a third stock exchange in Beijing, which will be a primary platform for innovative small and medium-sized businesses, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Sept. 2.

Before qualifying to trade, individuals must have the minimum capital amount in their accounts on average throughout the 20 trading sessions, while institutional investors will not be subjected to the limitation, online regulations stated on Sept. 17.

Furthermore, individual investors need at least 24 months of trading experience.

Although Chinas securities regulator has stated that the planned Beijing Stock Exchange will be based on the citys existing New Third Board and complement the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, some fear a rivalry for listing resources is inevitable.

After all, it diverts capital away from Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, noted Rock Jin, economist and CEO of investment adviser PopEton.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Watch next:

US Capital Is the Lifeline of the Chinese Communist Party

Interview with Roger Robinson, senior director of International Economic Affairs at the National Security Council during the Reagan administration who later served as chairman of the Congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
A car approaches one of the few lanes open at the Peace Arch border crossing into the U.S. in Blaine, Wash., on June 8, 2021. (Elaine Thompson/AP Photo)

Biden Admin Extends Travel Restriction at Canada, Mexico Borders

The Biden administration announced Monday it will extend the non-essential travel restriction for another month at the land borders with Canada and Mexico.

The land borders would keep closed for non-essential travels through Oct. 21, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters on Monday.

Today, the administrations announcing a move to a safer and more harmonized global approach to international, inbound air travel, Zients responded when asked about the land border, saying the United States would ease travel restrictions on COVID-19-vaccinated foreign visitors arriving by flight.

We do not have any updates to the land border policies, Zients added.

The land border restrictions were enacted in March 2020 to deter COVID-19 spread and renewed month by month afterward. American citizens or permanent residents returning to the United States and other activities such as traveling for medical reasons or to attend educational institutions are deemed essential traveling. They wont be affected by the restriction.

TRAVEL ALERT: The temporary restriction on non-essential travel at US land border ports of entry remains in effect. Essential travel and trade continue unimpeded. Essential travel includes, but is not limited to: pic.twitter.com/CiXYeuO3L3  CBP (@CBP) September 19, 2021

On Aug. 9, Canada announced that U.S. tourists could visit the country if they were fully vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The closures also dont affect illegal immigration, which has skyrocketed under President Joe Biden, or tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees, not all of whom are being tested for COVID-19.

Republicans and some Democrats have repeatedly criticized the Biden administration over the border crisis.

Thousands of illegal immigrants gather near the international bridge after crossing the Rio Grande, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

During Mondays briefing, the White House press secretary Jen Psaki refused to acknowledge that the extension was partly due to the southern border crisis.

Well, this is an ongoing process, right? Title 19 is what is in place, of course, at land borders, Psaki said, referring to the search and arrest authority granted to the customs officers. We dont have any updates or predictions at this point in time, but obviously were continuing to consider, as is evident by our announcement today, how we can return to a place of travel and people being able to move from country to country, including at our land borders.

Lawmakers, Republican and Democratic, have criticized the latest extension.

On the same day the Biden Administration announced it will start to ease foreign travel restrictions with several countries, including China and Iran, President Biden still refuses to even establish a clear plan for reopening the northern border, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in a statement. Its past time for this administration to do its job, so members of the North Country can be reunited with families, tourism can resume, and small businesses no longer have to suffer from this administrations failure. This prolonged closure has been devastating for our region, and New York deserves better.

Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), who serves as Chair of the Northern Border Caucus and the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, also criticized the extension as completely unnecessary and unexplained.

It is welcome news that the White House is making progress on reciprocating international public health measures to protect air travelers. Yet it is inexplicable that no announcement on easing travel restrictions at land ports of entry is being made today since the livelihoods of communities across the Northern Border depend on cross-border commerce, Higgins said in a statement.

On Sept. 9, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the Delta variant delayed the border openings.

We had hoped that by now, we would have opened up travel through the ports of entry, but regrettably because of the Delta variant, weve been delayed in doing so, Mayorkas responded to a question from The Buffalo News.

We have the ability, of course, to ease it or eliminate it sooner if the data suggests we should, Mayorkas added.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Afghan refugees line up for food in a dining hall at Fort Bliss' Dona Ana Village, New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2021. (David Goldman/AP Photo)

Biden Admin to Double Annual Refugee Cap to 125,000

The Biden administration said on Monday it will double the refugee admissions cap to 125,000 in fiscal year 2022 from the current cap of 62,500.

Fiscal Year 2022 begins on Oct. 1. The State Department announced that it has sent a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that recommends the refugee cap increase to address needs generated by humanitarian crises around the globe.

The report is produced by the Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. It said the Biden administration seeks to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) through strengthening its global infrastructure to welcome significantly greater numbers of refugees as well as making the program responsive to future changes.

In particular, the new admissions target plans to focus on certain populations and programs, including: expanded resettlement of Central Americans; enhanced access to the USRAP for Afghans at risk due to their affiliation with the United States; increased resettlement of LGBTQI+ refugees; priority access for at-risk Uyghurs, Hong Kong refugees, and Burmese dissidents; and resettlement of Burmese Rohingya.

The report lays out the new refugee caps by region: 40,000 refugees from Africa; 15,000 from East Asia; 10,000 from Europe and Central Asia; 15,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean; 35,000 from the Near East and South Asia; and 10,000 in unallocated reserve to be used if needed in any region.

Former President Donald Trump had set a refugee cap of 15,000 before the Biden administration more than quadrupled that figure in May. Biden said at the time that Trumps cap did not reflect Americas values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees.

The Biden administration said in its report that it expects arrivals in the current fiscal year to fall far short of the 62,500 target. In FY 2021, 7,637 asylum seekers were found to meet the criteria for being admitted as a refugee into the country as of the end of August. The administration said it will redouble efforts in FY 2022  to meet the longer-term global objectives.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that the latest move is reaffirming our commitment to refugee resettlement in line with our long tradition of providing a safe haven and opportunity to individuals fleeing persecution.

With the world facing unprecedented global displacement and humanitarian needs, the United States is committed to leading efforts to provide protection and promote durable solutions to humanitarian crises, to include providing resettlement for the most vulnerable, the statement reads.

A robust refugee admissions program is critical to U.S. foreign policy interests and national security objectives, and is a reflection of core American values, Price said in the statement. The United States has long been a global leader in refugee resettlement.

Some members of Congress have voiced their support for the administration over the measure.

We are greatly encouraged by President Bidens announcement today affirming his commitment to admit up to 125,000 refugees in the coming fiscal year and to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said in a statement. As multiple humanitarian crises continue to unfold around the world, the Presidents action could not come at a more important time.

They added, We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to restore this life saving program and our reputation as a leader in providing refuge to those fleeing persecution around the globe.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also praised the Biden administration, saying he had been advocating for the high refugee cap since April.

Facing the greatest refugee crisis in our time, I know the Biden Administration is working to restore the United States longstanding bipartisan tradition of providing safety to the worlds most vulnerable refugeesincluding Afghan refugees, Durbin said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, communities facing the border crisis at the south are grappling with the worst border numbers in history, driven by Bidens policies that have, so far, allowed a large portion of illegal immigrants to stay in the United States.

However, the rather sudden surge of immigrants has prompted a large-scale response from the federal government, including moving some 6,500 immigrants from Del Rio to other parts of the border to ease the burden on the overtaxed agents.

In recent weeks, thousands of illegal immigrants have amassed near the Texas border but are now leaving the United States, returning to Mexico to pick up supplies or to avoid being deported back to their home countries.

BREAKING: Haitians and others flooding back across the border to Acuna, Mexico, from under the international bridge in Del Rio. Grabbing taxis, walking, anything to get across somewhere else and avoid deportation from the US. pic.twitter.com/1WlYYKCA56  Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) September 20, 2021

Haitians and others were witnessed on Sept. 20 crossing the Rio Grande to enter Acuna, Mexico, preempting a U.S. crackdown on an illegal immigrant camp under the International Bridge at Del Rio.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 21, 2021. (Eduardo Munoz-Pool/Getty Images)

Biden Gives First Address to UN General Assembly as Some US Alliances Face Tensions

President Joe Biden delivered his first address at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 21, declaring that the United States is back at the table.

Were back at the table in international forums, especially the United Nations, to focus attention and to spur global action on shared challenges, he told the assembly, emphasizing alliances within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and others.

Much of his speech was dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants, Biden said, claiming that science and political will are necessary to end the pandemic. Some experts, including the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, have said in recent days that the virus will likely become endemic and that treatment regimens, not vaccines, are the way to combat the virus.

The United States, Biden said, is reengaged at the World Health Organization and working in close partnership with Covax to deliver life-saving vaccines around the world. We rejoined the Paris climate agreement, and were running to retake a seat in the Human Rights Council next year at the U.N.

At one point, Biden appeared to make reference to his administrations decision to pull U.S. military forces out of Afghanistan.

Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources into the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future, Biden said. Ending this pandemic,  managing the shifts in global power dynamics, shaping the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber and emerging technologies, and facing the threat of terrorism as it stands today.

The president said the United States has contributed more than $15 billion toward the COVID-19 pandemic response and has shipped more than 160 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to other nations. That includes about 130 million doses of the U.S. vaccine supply, he said.

President Joe Biden addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 21, 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

But Bidens speech to the U.N. comes at a diplomatically precarious time for his administration.

His administration received significant criticism from several allies, including the UK, over the rushed and chaotic withdrawal and evacuation from Afghanistan in August. Questions were raised about whether the United States would be able to properly provide military support to its allies, and at one point the UK Parliament held Biden in contempt over the pullout.

Weeks later, Biden and leaders with the UK and Australia announced a joint deal to provide Australia with nuclear submarine technology, undoing an agreement Australia had with France that would allow Paris to sell its submarine technology to Canberra. In response, Frances Foreign Ministry angrily reacted by withdrawing its ambassadors to the United States and Australia.

Before that, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian accused Biden of choosing to exclude a European ally and partner such as France from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region before claiming Bidens announcement was akin to former President Donald Trumps foreign policy.
President Joe Biden participates in a conference call with the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Biden to Take COVID-19 Booster Jab on Camera: White House

President Joe Biden will take a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on camera, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

Psaki was responding to a question about how soon Biden, 78, would get his booster shot, which would be the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA-based vaccine.

He will do so, and he will do so on camera. I dont have a date for you exactly, she said at a press briefing at the White House.

Its important to notejust to take a slight step backthat there are still a couple of additional steps in the process, Psaki added.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration s vaccine advisory panel voted on Sept. 17 to endorse the Pfizer booster for individuals who are aged 65 and older and for those who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

That vote came after the same advisory panel on the same day voted 163 to recommend against boosters for everyone over the age of 16, saying that data is required to determine whether booster doses are safe and effective.

The FDA has yet to follow through with the recommendation. It is not obliged to follow the guidance of an advisory panel, but it usually does.

The role of the FDA is to approve or authorize vaccines, whereas the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is to recommend whether and how the vaccines are used.

Psaki said that ACIP is now planning to meet. The meeting about how to distribute boosters across the country is scheduled next week.

Based on their recommendation, were, of course, prepared to operationalize on the plan, Psaki said. And that includes having the president get his booster shot as well.

The president and First Lady Jill Biden received their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 21, 2020, and their second doses on Jan. 11.

Biden administration officials had in mid-August announced in a joint statement that boosters would likely be available by Sept. 20. At the time, Biden said that the plan was for every adult to get a booster shot eight months after they received their second shot.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Sept. 19 that fully vaccinated Americans should not get a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine if they are not over 65 or not at high risk, and to wait until they are in a category that is recommended to take the shot.

He said in an interview with CNN that there is always a theoretical risk if people go ahead and take the shot without following government guidance because the studies have not been done to look at the safety and the immunogenicity of doing that right now for everyone.

Theoretically, if you look at things, it is very unlikely that theres going to be a risk there, but scientifically you dont want to go by unlikely. You want to have some scientific proof, Fauci said. And thats the reason why right now we recommend that people go by the guidelines, according to the FDA approval and the CDC recommendations.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 21, 2021. (Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP)

Biden Uses First UN Address to Call for Global Community to Seize Opportunities in Tackling Crises

President Joe Biden called for deep global engagement and a shared future in his first address since taking office before the United Nations Tuesday at the UNs 76th General Assembly at its headquarters in New York City.

Biden told the room full of leaders the world is at an inflection point in history and nations must work together like never before. He called this a decisive decade for our world that will quite literally determine our futures.

We will choose to build a better futurewe, you and I, said Biden near the close of his roughly 30-minute address. We have the will and capacity to make it better, but ladies and gentlemen we cant afford to waste any more time.

Biden spoke to several global issues like climate change, the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, terrorism, and advancements in new technology.

In the evening prior to the speech, Biden had met for the first time in a one-on-one sit-down with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who, in an interview with AP on Saturday, urged the United States and China to fix their completely dysfunctional relationship.

We need to avoid at all cost a Cold War that would be different from the past one, and probably more dangerous and more difficult to manage, said Guterres.

In his speech, Biden did not name the Chinese regime directly, but said the United States will compete and compete vigorously, later adding, but we are not seeking, say it again, not seeking a new Cold War, or a world divided into rigid blocks.

The speech came days after Beijing responded to a newly announced trilateral defense agreement between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia by accusing the United States of aggravating an arms race and perpetuating an outdated Cold War mentality. Chinese officials also accused Australia of being a running dog of the United States and that it should prepare for the worst.

While the Biden administration insists the new defense pact, called AUKUS, is not aimed or about any one country, many view it as a response to increasingly assertive actions taken by Chinese vessels in the South China Sea and the major expansion of Chinas nuclear missile silo fields.

The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas, said Biden in his speech. Because we will all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19, climate change, or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation.

Biden called for nations to bring their highest ambitions to the table ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) planned at Glasgow, Scotland, in November and reiterated a pledge he made in April to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

Bidens domestic climate agenda has been working its way through Congress in the form of a $1 trillion infrastructure plan and a $3.5 trillion budget-reconciliation plan. In the speech, he said those measures, along with the support of private investment, will include $100 billion meant to take climate-related action in developing nations.

On the CCP virus, Biden mourned the more than 4.5 million reported dead from the virus worldwide and urged the global community to take steps to prepare for future pandemics through the creation of both a new funding mechanism for global health security and a new global health threat council. He also noted the more than $15 billion the United States has spent on its global COVID-19 response and the more than 160 million doses of vaccine it has sent to 100 other countries.

A dose of hope directly from the American people, said Biden. And, importantly, no strings attached.

Biden says he will announce more virus-related commitments from the United States at a virtual Global COVID-19 Summit planned for Wednesday. For that meeting, the White House states the goal of producing and distributing billions of doses of vaccine to inoculate the world against the virus.

Demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccine mandates have been held in countries around the world, including recent protests that have led to violent exchanges with police officers in Melbourne, Australia.

Bidens speech also focused on global terrorism, noting the recent withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation, and the suicide bombing attack last month that claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and over 160 Afghan civilians during the evacuation of American citizens and allies at the Kabul airport.

Biden said U.S. military power should be the tool of last resort but added those who continue to commit acts of terrorism against us will continue to find a determined enemy in the United States. He says the United States is now better equipped to combat terrorism than it was during the 9/11 attacks.

We know how to build effective partnerships to dismantle terrorist networks by targeting their finances and support systems, countering their propaganda, preventing their travel as well as disrupting imminent attacks, he said.

The Pentagon admitted Friday an Aug. 29 drone strike launched in response to the Kabul attacks was a tragic mistake that killed no terrorists, but left 10 civilians, including as many as seven children, dead.

Biden assured world leaders the United States is back at the table in international forums, citing NATO, the European Union, the Quad, ASEAN, African Union, and the Paris Climate Agreement.
President Joe Biden speaks about combatting the coronavirus pandemic in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 9, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Biden Vows to Get Border Under Control Amid Illegal Immigration Surge in Del Rio

President Joe Biden said his administration will work to get the U.S.-Mexico border crisis under control as thousands of illegal immigrants from Haiti have amassed near a bridge in Del Rio, Texas.

We will get it under control, Biden said twice in response to questions regarding the border crisis, where more than 14,000 illegal immigrants are camping near the bridge. The president didnt elaborate.

Biden made the comment to a reporter after speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday morning. The president was walking through a press area when the question was asked, and Biden responded while walking into another room.

It comes as more than 6,000 Haitians and other illegal aliens had been removed from an encampment at Del Rio, Texas, U.S. officials said Monday. Those officials said they are immediately expelling some illegal aliens back to Haiti, as some Mexican authorities were detaining some illegals on the Mexico side of the border, according to The Associated Press journalists on the scene.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other administration officials urged illegal immigrants not to try and enter the United States.

If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned. Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your familys life, Mayorkas said.

The burgeoning immigration crisis along the border could prove costly for Biden and Democrats. Republicans have pointed to dozens of executive orders signed by the president since he took office in January, including an attempt to overturn the remain in Mexico policy that was later reversed by a judge earlier this summer as well as suspending construction of the border wall.

During a Senate hearing on Tuesday morning, the DHS secretary was pressed about the Biden administrations response to the crisis. In an exchange with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Mayorkas responded to a question about whether the borders are closed, in which he stressed that they were.

But Johnson, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told Mayorkas that we were serious about border security until your administration took office and that Mayorkas had stood before this committee and said you would enforce the laws. You have not done that.

Every time you come before this committee, you always say its going to get better, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said during the hearing of illegal border crossings during the Biden administration.

He added: And then every time you leave, it gets worse and worse. This is a humanitarian crisis in Del Rio. You can spin it whichever way that you want, but  we should not minimize the humanitarian conditions for which, frankly, youre responsible.  tens of thousands of people living in conditions that are startling, startling, brought here because of your policies.

AP contributed to this report.
Demonstrators gather outside the Massachusetts State House to protest COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates in Boston on Sept. 17, 2021. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens Vaccine Mandate Is a Very Bad Idea

Commentary

President Joe Biden recently ordered that all larger businesses force their workers to be vaccinated or else be tested once a week. The new emergency rule, to be promulgated by the Department of Labor, may be well-meaning. But that doesnt mean its wise.

Resistance to this government coercion is already mounting. Twenty-five state Republican attorneys general have threatened to sue. Meanwhile, some Republican governors are enacting policies prohibiting vaccine mandates. We could soon see the surreal situation in which businesses are simultaneously required legally to mandate vaccines and banned from doing so.

How have we come to such a chaotic pass? Policy failures have many chefs. Public health communication has been badly muddled. Government officials have looked down their noses at the vaccine-hesitant, forgetting that disdain doesnt sell.

Social media companies have censored heterodox voiceseven eminent scientistsgiving rise to a paranoic sense among some that the truth is being suppressed. Perhaps worst of all, the media turned legitimate COVID public policy debates into political wedge issues that exacerbated the countrys bitter tribal divisions. What a mess.

The mandate will only make things worse. Not only is the rule constitutionally dubious, but even without getting into those thick legal weeds, there are abundant common-sense reasons why Bidens vaccine policy is a very bad idea.

The Science Keeps Changing: Remember when we were told that masks didnt protect, that we could get infected from touching stairway banisters, and that the inoculated were virtually safe from all infection? We now know that these follow the science assertionsthought to be factual at the time they were madearent true.

Our best understanding today is that the vaccinated have a significantly lower risk of serious disease than the unvaccinated. But they can become infected. They can also die from COVIDrarely, to be sureas a vaccinated friend of mine did recently. Still, when the vaccinated are infectious, it generally is for a shorter period of time.

But. The Pfizer vaccine, once thought to be an invincible COVID stopper, appears to lose some efficacy against hospitalization over time. Booster shots may be needed. Still, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel just refused to approve them except for those most at risk. If that decision changesas it well couldwould Biden want boosters mandated too? If so, how many? Once we start down Mandate Road, there could be no end.

The truth is that we dont know enough about COVID to know what the future holds. Mandates ignore that reality by imposing a uniform policy on everyone that seems right today, but may prove wrong tomorrow.

Vaccines Arent Risk-Free: Whats that you say, there is little health peril from the vaccines, so why not just make everyone take it anyway? But the risk is not nonexistent. For example, a small number of young people have experienced myocarditis and pericarditis, potentially serious conditions that cause chest pain, shortness of breath, heartbeat fluttering, and so on, after taking the vaccine.

Such side effects may be unusual, but so too is serious COVID illness among the young. That being so, shouldnt the patient have the right to make the ultimate risk-versus-benefit decision instead of being forced into the governments choice?

In a Free Society, Moral Objections Matter: Millions of us have moral objections to the vaccine. For example, a significant minority of religiously motivated pro-lifers object to taking medications that were developed withor tested uponfetal cell lines derived from an abortion, as these vaccines were (and almost all medications are).

Should our governmentwhich, remember, cant legally force religiously motivated pacifists into the military during wartimecompel these religious dissenters to be inoculated? No! Thats not the American way.

People With Natural Immunity May Not Need Vaccines: There is significant evidence that people who recovered from COVID have sufficiently robust natural resistance and may not benefit from the vaccine. Should they be compelled to take it anyway? Where is the science in that?

Previewing the turmoil to come if blunt mandates are imposed, lawsuits have already been filed to protect those with natural antibodies from employer-ordered vaccine directives. Once Bidens national policy goes into effect, such litigation will proliferate.

The No Mandate for Illegal Immigrants Hypocrisy: Hundreds of thousands of migrants are pouring across our southern border and being released throughout the country unvaccinated. Apparently, the mandate doesnt apply to them. People forced to receive the shot against their will wont put up with such rank hypocrisy when the touted public health benefit is so badly undermined by Bidens open-border policies.

Mandates May Backfire: Resistance isnt futile. Many employeesincluding some nurses and other health care workerswill give up their jobs rather than be forced to inject a substance into their bodies that they dont want. This could cause serious dislocations. For example, an upstate New York hospital is suspending live births because so many maternity ward personnel quit rather than comply with the facilitys mandate.

Meanwhile, some teachers unions are also fighting mandatory vaccinationopening the potential for an acute teacher shortage. Now, multiply these early indications of stiff resistance across the country, and serious turmoil becomes a real possibility.

Basta! It doesnt have to be this way. We neednt be at COVID war with each other. Persuasion and humilityrather than coercion and hubrisshould be the policy watchwords of the day.

What would such a governmental approach look like? Urge people to take the vaccine, sure. Explain repeatedly why its a good idea (which it is). Marshal the best arguments that can be found, while welcoming reasonable dissenting opinions so that people believe they have had a chance to hear all sides. Be honest about what we dont know and when our understandings shift, be candid about what changed and why.

In short, treat us like free Americans. Not only will that reduce the rancor, it will also make it more likely that people will accept the shot.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Body Found in Wyoming Is Gabby Petitos, Manner of Death Is Homicide: FBI

Teton County, Wyoming, Coroner Dr. Brent Blue on Tuesday confirmed that the body found over the weekend in Bridger-Teton National Forest is missing woman Gabby Petito, according to the womans family and the FBI.

The FBI said in a statement that Blue ruled her death a homicide in his preliminary findings. Petito family lawyer Richard Stafford also confirmed the remains belonged to the 22-year-old woman, originally from Long Island and who disappeared in a cross-country trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie.

The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results, the FBI said, adding Laundrie is a person of interest. This week, officials in North Port, Florida, searched the Laundrie family home and a wildlife preserve miles from the home but to no avail.

Anyone with information concerning Mr. Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI, Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider also told news outlets on Tuesday.

Weeks ago, Laundrie returned to his Florida home without Petito. On Sept. 11, the womans family reported her missing, while police said that Laundrie was uncooperative.

Petitos family, after the coroner confirmed her death, said via their attorney that they need time to mourn.

We will be making a statement when Gabby is home, Stafford said in a statement obtained by Utah-based station KSL.

Law enforcement officials investigate the home of Brian Laundrie, who is wanted for questioning in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, in North Port, Fla., on Sept. 20, 2021. (Curt Anderson/AP Photo)

In this screenshot from a police camera video, Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Gabby Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

And in North Port, officials wrote that a weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25-thousand-acre preserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on. Officials in Okaloosa County, Florida, told the New York Post that they are investigating footage of a man who looks like Laundrie being seen on a deer camera in Baker, located about 500 miles away from North Port.

We are aware and are actively checking it out, Okaloosa County Sheriffs spokeswoman Michele Nicholson told the newspaper and added that at this point, there is no confirmation.

In an interview broadcast Monday on TVs Dr. Phil show, Joseph Petito said Laundrie and his daughter had dated for 2 1/2 years, and Laundrie was always respectful. During the interview, which was recorded before his daughters body was found, Petito said the couple had taken a previous road trip to California in her car and there were no problems.

Gabrielle Petito, 22, poses for a photo with Brian Laundrie in this undated handout photo. (North Port/Florida Police/Handout via Reuters)

Joseph Petito said the family began worrying after several days without hearing from their daughter. We called Brian, we called the mom, we called the dad, we called the sister, we called every number that we could find, Joseph Petito said. No phone calls were picked up, no text messages were returned.

Joseph Petito said he wants Laundrie to be held accountable for whatever part he played in his daughters disappearance, along with his family for protecting him.

I hope they get whats coming, and that includes his folks, Joseph Petito said. Because Ill tell you, right now, they are just as complicit, in my book.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Law enforcement officials conduct a search for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Fla., on Sept. 18, 2021. (North Port Police Department via AP)

Brian Laundrie Possibly Spotted on Deer Camera in Florida, Officials Actively Investigating

Brian Laundrie, a person of interest sought by police in the disappearance of missing woman Gabby Petito, was possibly spotted on a deer camera in an area in Flordia and police are investigating.

Sam Bass said he spotted the man with a backpack at 6:17 a.m. in Baker, located on the western end of the Florida Panhandle, and about 500 miles away from Laundries home in North Port, Florida.

Im not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie, Bass wrote on Facebook. Authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area be on the look out.

The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office confirmed told the New York Post on Tuesday they were looking into the possible sighting of the person of interest.

We are aware and are actively checking it out, sheriffs spokeswoman Michele Nicholson said to the newspaper and added that at this point, there is no confirmation.

Earlier in the week, Laundries parents, who live in North Port, told officials that he may have left to go on a hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, where he allegedly abandoned his vehicle.

On Sunday, authorities may have discovered the body of Petito, who was engaged to Laundrie, thousands of miles away in a remote wilderness area in Wyoming. An autopsy for the body is pending.

The cause of death for the woman who was found has not yet been determined.

Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100 percent that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified, FBI agent Charles Jones told news outlets over the weekend after the discovery.

The FBI on Monday said that it executed a search warrant of Laundries parents home, where both Laundrie and Petito had stayed before their trip across the country.

Later Monday, officials released a 911 call recorded last month when a witness told a dispatcher that he saw Petito and Laundrie allegedly involved in a domestic disturbance in Moab, Utah.

Were driving by and Id like to report a domestic dispute, the male caller told the 911 dispatcher, adding that we drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl.

In an interview broadcast Monday on TVs Dr. Phil show, Joseph Petito said Laundrie and his daughter had dated for 2 1/2 years, and Laundrie was always respectful. During the interview, which was recorded before his daughters body was found, Petito said the couple had taken a previous road trip to California in her car and there were no problems.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Buscaino to Step Down as Council President Pro Tem Due to Candidacy for Mayor

LOS ANGELESLos Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino said Tuesday he will step down as president pro tem of the City Council because he is running for mayor.

As is the long-held tradition of giving up council leadership when running for another office, today I will be stepping down from my ceremonial position of Council President Pro Tem and will be supporting my good friend Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson to replace me, Buscaino said in a statement.

Buscainoa former police officer who represents the 15th Council Districtannounced his run for mayor on March 15. He said he will focus his campaign on quality of life through improving public safety, addressing homelessness, and bringing back jobs lost amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
French President Emmanuel Macron listens to U.S. President Joe Biden (on screen) speak during a virtual Earth Day Climate Summit, video conference call, at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 22, 2021. (Ian Langsdon/AFP via Getty Images)

Call Being Planned Between Biden and Macron to Reaffirm Partnership: White House

The White House says it is planning a call with French President Emmanuel Macron to, among other things, reaffirm the U.S. commitment to working with one its oldest allies, press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.

This comes amid fallout from a new trilateral defense partnership between the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia. The deal announced last week includes plans to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian military and comes after Australia and France had already struck a $66 billion deal in 2016 for submarines.

French officials say they were made aware of the new arrangement only hours before it was announced last Wednesday by U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. France has since withdrawn its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington D.C. and has threatened to block trade discussions between the European Union and Australia.

Frances foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called the situation a crisis, denouncing what he called the duplicity, disdain and lies.

Frances European Affairs Secretary Clement Beaune told Politico that keeping ones word is the condition of trust between democracies and between allies.

So it is unthinkable to move forward on trade negotiations as if nothing had happened with a country in which we no longer trust, Beaune said of Australia.

At Mondays press briefing, Psaki told reporters the French government has committed to a call between Macron and Biden, and scheduling is still being worked out.

What I expect the president will do on that call is reaffirm our commitment to working with one of our oldest and closest partners on a range of challenges that the global community is facing, said Psaki. And he, of course, will discuss recent developments and our ongoing work together on a range of issues, certainly our shared interest in the Indo-Pacific, but also a range of global challenges and issues.

When the trilateral agreement, known by the acronym AUUKUS, was announced last week, Biden acknowledged Frances substantial Indo-Pacific presence, and called the country a key partner and ally in strengthening the security and prosperity of the region.

The abandoned deal between French and Australia was with majority French state-owned Naval Group for conventional submarines. That group put out a statement saying it had been working on the project for five years with teams in both France Australia. The statement reads: The analysis of the consequences of this sovereign Australian decision will be conducted with the Commonwealth of Australia in the coming days.

Psaki said she is not aware of any plans to offer France any recompense for any economic loss but acknowledged reports saying a couple of hundred French jobs are anticipated to be lost from the deal.
Preston Manning, founder of the Manning Centre, listens during the Manning Networking Conference in Ottawa on March 22, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Canadians Should Vote for Party With Most Balanced Approach to Public Issues: Preston Manning

In this election, Canadians should take a moment to ask themselves which federal leader, party, and candidate is offering the most balanced approach to public issues, Preston Manning says.

In a recent op-ed in C2C Journal, the founder of the Reform Party said Canadians generally opt for balanced over extreme measures in resolving public issues. He said this raises the question of whether there might be a more balanced approach than that offered by the Trudeau government for managing issues such as the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, environmental protection, and health-care reform.

On the issue of balance between the economy and environment, for example, Manning said environmental assessments of major development projects are needed, but economic impact assessments should also be done simultaneously to gauge the negative economic effects of measures such as introducing carbon pricing schemes or joining the Paris Accord.

We are in grave danger of simply oscillating between two extremesfrom the historical situation in which economic development proceeded with scarce regard for its environmental impacts, to the current situation where the single-minded focus on environmental protection often proceeds with scarce regard for economic consequences and the damage this can do to Canadians, he wrote.

On the COVID-19 response, Manning said the federal and provincial governments have charged ahead with designing and implementing health protection measures, while failing to deliver assessments aimed at understanding the impacts of those measures on the economy, on protecting Charter-guaranteed freedoms, and on providing health care for people waiting to be treated for non-COVID-19-related illnesses.

The result of this approach has been the introduction of public health protection measures that dismantled hundreds of thousands of jobs and businesses, violated numerous Charter rights and freedoms, and added more Canadians to the ever-lengthening health-care waiting lines and a spike in the numbers of those who have died waiting for treatments.

Manning also said that the federal governments unilateral and repeated interventions in areas of provincial or joint jurisdiction have caused serious federal-provincial tensions and imbalances threatening national unity.

He said to better balance federal-provincial relations, Canada needs a constitutional amendment aimed at prohibiting the federal government from legislating, spending, taxing, or making treaties in areas of provincial jurisdiction, such as natural resources, or joint jurisdiction, such as health or environmental protection.

Manning also suggests the federal government avoid giving special recognition or attention to any particular region of the country, as it creates an imbalance and strains federal-provincial relations.

When the distinctive concerns and aspirations of only one provincesuch as Quebecare given official recognition and special attention by the federal government, this imbalance is not only resented by the people of the other provinces, it can do material harm to those other regions, and it puts major strains on federal-provincial relations, he wrote.

When the distinctive concerns and aspirations of the several western provinces are consistently and systematically ignored by the federal government and the rest of Canada, this imbalance also threatens the unity of the federation itself.

Unity Politics Over Identity Politics

Manning noted that Canadian politics is increasingly being fractured along half-a-dozen fault lines defined and accentuated by so-called identity politics, which makes it more difficult to achieve the national consensus needed to carry out major policy positions introduced by the federal leaders and their parties.

He explains that state-supported identity politics can be recognized when a group of voters whose political support a political party wishes to court is identified by some fundamental personal characteristic such as ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual orientation.

The political party, often the one in power, would promise certain rights or benefits to members of the identity groups in return for their political support, and withdraw the promise should the members turn to support another party.

In critiquing Identity Politics it is of course essential to recognize that there are various Canadians who by virtue of some characteristic are or have been marginalized, victimized, and prejudicially treated by the majority of Canadians with the concurrence of the state, Manning wrote, among them women and children, indigenous people, and immigrants, and more recently, people of faith.

Justice and compassion demand that such wrongs be recognized and rectified, he wrote. The challenge, however, is to do so by ways and means that foster acceptance of members of such groups at the most fundamental level: as human beings deserving of respect and fair treatment regardless of their distinguishing personal characteristics rather than because of them.

Manning said the danger of the state-supported identity politics now practised by the Liberal government is that it divides the population and electorate into an increasing number of minority groups distinguished mainly by their differences rather than their commonalities, which will only make the reconciliation of conflicting interests and the achievement of a national consensus on anything increasingly difficult to attain.

To achieve national consensus on key issues, Manning believes Canada must replace identity politics with what he calls Unity Politics, which focuses on the values or aspirations that the vast majority of Canadians sharesuch as the desire for acceptance, freedom, safety, and opportunityand by advocating policies that strengthen the bonds that unite Canadians.
Afghans board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22, 2021. (U.S. Air Force via Reuters)

CDC: Afghans Arriving in US Infected With Measles, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

Health agency mandates measles vaccines and quarantines for refugees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that Afghans being brought into the United States are carrying viruses including malaria, measles, and tuberculosis, as well as COVID-19.

The health agency said that the Afghans will have to receive vaccines for measles and undergo quarantining. Since last month, the Biden administration has brought in thousands of Afghan nationals after their government collapsed amid a Taliban takeover.

As of Monday, the agency has been notified by public health departments of 16 measles cases among the evacuees. All patients confirmed to have measles have been isolated and provided care, said the CDC, and their contacts have been quarantined. Contacts who were not immune were given the MMR vaccine or, if not vaccine-eligible, immunoglobulin. MMR refers to the measles, mumps, and rubella shot.

Evacuees who are in the United States are required to be vaccinated with MMR and complete a 21-day quarantine from the time of vaccination at U.S. Safe Haven designated locations, such as military bases, the CDC wrote.

Afghan refugees line up for food in a dining hall at Fort Bliss Dona Ana Village, New Mexico, on Sept. 10, 2021. (David Goldman/AP Photo)

Other than measles, tuberculosis, and malaria, the CDC said that there are concerns about evacuees having an increased likelihood of shigellosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, hepatitis A, rotavirus, and viral diarrheal diseases.

The CDC, according to the release, is also aware of some cases of varicella, mumps, tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, hepatitis A, and COVID-19 among evacuees. Although COVID incidence in this population has been notably low, COVID immunization and testing is being provided for all evacuees.

The military bases where the Afghans are being housed include Fort Pickett in Virginia, Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Dix in New Jersey, and Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

Starting last month, the U.S. military led a chaotic and rushed evacuation as the Taliban took over the country following the U.S. forces pullout. While a few thousand Americans are believed to have been evacuated, far more Afghans were flown out of the country on military flights.

On Tuesday, the Taliban started naming more officials to the countrys interim government.

Main Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir will be deputy defense minister, while Sadr Ibrahim was named deputy minister for the interior. Both men had been expected to take major positions in the new government but neither was named in the main list of ministers announced this month.

Reuters contributed to this report.
CDC Says Its Investigating Mysterious Salmonella Outbreak in 25 States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a salmonella outbreak in about 25 states that hasnt yet been linked to any food source or product.

So far, 127 people have become sickened and 18 hospitalized in the outbreak of the Salmonella oranienburg strain. The agency, however, warned that the actual number could be far higher.

Many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella, the CDC said in the notice on its website on Sept 17. No deaths have been reported.

Most of the cases have been reported in Texas and Minnesota, according to a map provided by the agency. The first outbreak started in early August and the last reported illness was on Sept. 1, according to a news release.

The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, the agency said in a news release.

It added: Sick people range in age from less than 1 year to 82 years, with a median age of 33, and 59 percent are female.

The Food and Drug Administration confirmed to news outlets that it also analyzing records collected from restaurant locations where sick people may have dined.

Authorities said theyre are not sure whats causing the outbreak.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick, the agency said in its news release. CDC is analyzing the data and has not identified a specific food item as a potential source of this outbreak.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, and dehydration. Those symptoms can start between six hours and a week after being exposed to the bacteria, according to the health agency. Most recover after four to seven days without treatment.

The CDC recommends people practice food safety measures including cleaning utensils, hands, and foods, as well as separating different foods. People should also make sure all food is cooked at a high enough temperature.

About 862,000 pounds of uncured antipasto products were recalled in August for possible salmonella contamination that sickened people across 17 different states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Chileans Respond to COVID-19 Vaccine Use on Children as Young as 6 Years Old

Parents in Chile have expressed mixed feelings about inoculating children as young as 6 years old with the Chinese developed Sinovac vaccine, despite assurances of the vaccines safety from the nations Ministry of Health.

The Chilean Ministry of Health approved the Chinese vaccine for use in children as young as 6 years old on Sept. 13. Though immunization is voluntary, Undersecretary of Public Health Paula Daza claimed, Vaccination is essential to avoid infections.

COVID-19 vaccines for youths under 12 years of age have not been approved in the United States, which has created concern for some Chilean parents.

I dont know how they expect us to inject our children with something that hasnt been approved in the U.S., Vina del Mar resident Adriana Diaz, 32, told The Epoch Times. I really dont care what other parents do. Im waiting until the U.S. starts vaccinating younger children, and I want the same one theyre using. My kids arent lab rats.

China approved the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine for emergency use in children ages 317 beginning on May 28. Indonesia greenlighted Sinovac for emergency use in minors ages 1217 in June.

My son is about to turn seven and Id prefer to get him Pfizer once its safe, Valdivia resident Benjamin Munoz, 29, told The Epoch Times. No one in my family got Sinovac either. I feel like this problem came from China, and they havent been very open about the details, so how can we trust their solution?

According to the World Health Organization, Chile has suffered 37,359 deaths from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, making it the sixth-worst affected country in Latin America. Comparatively, Chile has the second-highest vaccination rate in Latin America, with 30,673,101 doses administered as of Sept. 17, according to the World Health Organization.

Santiago resident Carmen Rojas, 35, told The Epoch Times she has questions about the vaccines efficacy.

It does make me wonder. Why do we continue having such dramatic case spikes? We have one of the highest vaccination rates. We started vaccinating last year. Rojas said, Id rather wait until theres more information. Then Ill think about getting my youngest vaccinated.

When asked if she got the COVID-19 vaccine herself, Rojas responded, Yes, but I got the Pfizer. Overall, I have more faith in the ones being used in places like the U.S., UK, and Europe.

According to an epidemiologist study of Chiles pandemic response published on Aug. 26, vaccination alone isnt enough to prevent spikes in new cases. Chile began its vaccination program in December 2020 and had 35.2 percent of its population fully vaccinated against the CCP virus by April of this year. Comparative data from the World Health Organization shows the country suffered a significant new case spike that topped out with 49,044 new cases reported on Apr. 5. Similar peaks in new cases were reported in May and early June of this year.

Pucon resident Adrian Silva, 41, told The Epoch Times hes eager to get his young children vaccinated.

My girls need to be protected, Silva said. Part of the reason weve been able to get this under control here is the governments vaccination program. Weve been waiting for months to get the shot for our youngest and it [the vaccine] has been tested. Some people arent comfortable with it [Sinovac-CoronaVac], but its been used in other countries. My youngest is eight and has asthma, she needs this vaccine.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Undersecretary of Public Health Paula Daza and the Ministry of Health for comment but did not receive a response.
Chinese Authorities Conceal Reports of Deaths Following Homegrown COVID-19 Vaccines

Several families in Chinas southwest Chongqing city are being silenced by local authorities after speaking out about the recent deaths of their loved ones, which they claim were linked to adverse reactions caused by homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, sources told The Epoch Times.

The data on the efficacy and safety of Chinese-made vaccines are heavily censored by the Chinese regime, while its propaganda apparatus praises them. State-run media Global Times reported on May 28 that Chinas first published report on COVID-19 vaccines shows extremely rare adverse reactions; experts hail remarkable safety.

However, The Epoch Times had previously obtained local government documents that revealed the harmful effects of Chinese-made vaccines.

Surveillance by the Police

Cai Hua, a 65-year-old woman, was left unconscious 10 minutes after being vaccinated on July 13. She died on Aug. 6 after being treated at the hospital for three weeks. She was a resident of Shapingba district in Chongqing.

Her sister, Cai Bangying, went on a mission to find the cause of her sisters death. She shared her story with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Sept. 2.

At first, she explained the incident to the municipal health commission on the morning of Aug. 12, and called the mayors office in the afternoon.

Later that day, Bangying went to the local police station to check the footage from the surveillance video at the community health service center where her sister got vaccinated.

Bangying said that the video showed Hua waiting in line on July 13 and went in at 7:01 p.m. She was vaccinated at 7:06 p.m. and sat in the designated area for observation. At 7:15 p.m., Hua suddenly fell from her seat when she was about to leave and many people around her, including the medical staff, saw the incident. At 7:37 p.m., Hua was carried away on a stretcher by two staff members and sent to the ER. Soon after, the family was notified.

Bangying also obtained Huas medical records from the hospital. She said that Hua had a history of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, but they were under control.

Bangying believes that her sister died from adverse side effects caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.

It is a matter of life and death. The death was caused by the vaccination. The government should be held accountable, she said.

On Aug. 14, Bangqying received a call from the district police. The police told her not to post her sisters death on the internet.

Bangqying said, The person is dead, but the facts are there. This is not a society under the rule of law, and people cant tell the truth. Who is responsible for the lost life?

On the eve of Aug. 16, the police and a group of people went to Bangqyings house, but she did not answer the door.

Huas family has filled out a report with the local government office, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine may have caused her death, but so far there has been no response, Bangqying said.

Leaking State Secrets

An insider source from Chongqing told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times, What I know is that there are at least four or five people in Chongqing who may have died from vaccinations. The mobile phones of their family members are monitored and tracked by state security police. They cant talk about it, and are worried that their relatives and friends will be implicated.

The insider gave an example. Xiao Shou, a citizen of Yuzhong district, was vaccinated on July 14. He was treated at a local hospital after experiencing adverse reactions. He died on July 16.

His son, Xiao Fubin, posted on social media that his father died 32 hours after being vaccinated, and [he] hopes that the relevant state departments will be held accountable.

The insider said, After the news broke out that the death of Xiaos father was linked to the vaccine, Xiao was summoned by the state security police. He was told that hed been suspected of leaking state secrets.

The Chongqing Municipal Health Commission could not be reached for comment.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping applauds at the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 10, 2021. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Chinese State Media Cites Execution of A Red Army Hero to Warn Communist Cadres

Since the beginning of this month, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) state-run media have run editorials one after another that advocate struggle and encourage communist cadres to stick to principles and dare to struggle. Then, on Sept. 13, the CCPs military outlet re-emphasized Party discipline, and even cited the execution of a communist cadre 80 years ago to give a vivid example of Party discipline.

The first batch of struggle articles were based on Xis Sept. 1 speech at the Central Party School, in which he emphasized that young communist cadres must be loyal to the CCP, adhere to principles, and dare to fight.

Subsequently, Peoples Daily ran an editorial on Sept. 13 which quoted Xis speech extensively, stating that yes man philosophy must definitively be denounced and that struggle is the right path, because, as the old saying goes, it is always the brave one who wins.

In Chinese language, yes man or nice guy is a derogatory term, referring to those who always try to make peace or please others, without considering if something is ethically right or wrong.

On the same day, Chinas military outlet published a 4,300-word article to emphasize strict Party governance and disciplines. It declared that the Chinese army must listen to the Party and follow the Party, and quoted Mao Zedongs words, it is the Party that commands the gun, not the reverse.

The article also mentioned the punishment of four former military tycoons: Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Fang Fenghui, and Zhang Yang. In addition, it cited the execution of Xiao Yubi in the 1940s when issuing the stern warning of strict Party discipline.

Guo and Xu are former Vice Chairs of the Central Military Commission, Fang is the former Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission, and Zhang is the former Director of the Political Department of the commission.

Most notable was the mention of Xiao Yubin, a low-level communist cadre who was executed 80 years ago.

A peasants son born into poverty, Xiao joined the Red Army in 1933 and was once acclaimed as a hero, because he was a brave soldier and had 87 gunshot scars on his body from the battles the Red Army fought against the Kuomintang army. He was promoted to director of a county tax bureau in Shaanxi Province. Xiao took advantage of his position to embezzle funds, accept bribes, and made money by secretly selling locally produced food and oil to the Kuomintang army. After he was arrested, he wrote a letter to Mao Zedong, stressing his contributions in the past to seek a pardon. However, Mao gave a verbal instruction to the local court, saying that he agreed with the court decision on Xiaos case: death penalty. Xiao was executed at the end of 1941.

CCP Top Echelon Infighting

Professor Jiang Youlu, 85, a well-known Chinese dissident living in France and a retired engineer of the Chinese Academy of Metrology, believes that the CCPs series of article are a manifestation of Beijings high-level infighting. On the one hand, Xi Jinping must defeat his political enemies; on the other hand, he cant afford to let the general public figure out that infighting is going on.

These articles that advocate struggles are meant to put pressure on the Jiang Zemin faction, Jiang Youlu said. The trouble for Xi Jinping is that he has many enemies within the CCP, especially inside the military. Xi has to find ways to buttress his power.

Some commentators noted that Xi is following the old path of Maoism. Jiang says he disagrees.

According to Jiang, Mao indeed had absolute authority and prestige in his time, but nowadays Mao has no place in the hearts of most Chinese people. Xi simply wants to become a new Mao Zedong, in that he hopes to strengthen his rule.

On Sept. 9, the 45th anniversary of Mao Zedongs death, the CCP did not organize any commemorative activities, nor did the Partys mouthpieces publish any commemorative articles. Analysts who are familiar with Chinas political environment believe this is an indication that Xis real purpose is to not bring back Maos ideology.

Winnie Han Follow Winnie Han is currently engaged in reporting Chinese news for The Epoch Times.
In this file photo, a bomb squad car is seen in Los Angeles on April 16, 2013. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

City Council Seeks $5 Million to Help South LA Recover from Bomb Squad Blast

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles City Council Tuesday passed a motion introduced by Councilman Curren Price to identify $5 million in fundingsome of which would come from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) budgetto help a South Los Angeles neighborhood recover from a massive explosion set off by an LAPD bomb squad error that injured 17 people and forced many residents from their homes.

The June 30 detonation of a large cache of fireworks on East 27th Street, near San Pedro Street, sent 17 residents and first responders to hospitals, destroyed a bomb squad truck, and damaged 22 residences, 13 businesses, and 37 vehicles.

Emergency Management Department General Manager Carol Parks told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday that 88 people are still displaced from their homes awaiting repairs.

The motion, which was seconded by Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Mark Ridley-Thomas, instructed the chief legislative analyst and the city administrative officer to identify $5 million to the recovery effort and establish a Neighborhood Recovery Center with additional services to support residents needs, including infrastructure improvements, mental health services, job and workforce development, access to childrens services, and business grants.

Prices motion requests that some of the funding for the relief effort come from the LAPDs $1.76 billion budget.

According to Michael Hoffman, special agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Los Angeles office, the LAPDs containment vessel was designed to handle repeated detonations of 19 pounds of TNT equivalent at a time or a single detonation of 33 pounds of explosives before being returned to its manufacturer for analysis.

But the LAPD bomb squad miscalculated the amount of fireworks placed into a containment vessel, resulting in a massive explosion that damaged several residences in South Los Angeles.

Officers had loaded the truck with 39.85 pounds of explosives, Hoffman said. LAPD personnel visually estimated the weight of the explosives to be about 16 pounds.

Following the blast, Price provided relief to displaced and impacted residents through a $1 million emergency relief fund using dollars from his council office.

The city has received about 200 claims for damages from community members, Parks told the Police Commission on Tuesday.

Twenty-six claims have been paid, and about 25 are pending payment.

The City Attorneys Office is waiting for more information before processing 128 of the claims.

Residents last Thursday protested in front of their boarded-up homes, which remained unrepaired by the city, to demand the city accelerate the timeline for the repairs.
Protesters hold a sign that reads 'You cannot comply your way out of tyranny' during demonstrations against mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Australian Construction Workers Take to the Streets For 2nd Day of Protests Against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Australian protesters dressed in hi-viz gear and work boots have taken to the streets of Melbourne for a second day of demonstrations to protest mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for construction workers.

As they marched, the protesters chanted slogans such as, every day, freedom, [expletive] the jab, and [expletive] Dan Andrews, referring to the states leader, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews.

The crowd first gathered in the morning at the intersection of Elizabeth and Victoria streets in Melbournes CBD but were blocked from accessing the headquarters of construction union CFMMEU by a line of Victoria Police officers, who were lambasted by the protestors.

A line of police then followed the crowd from a distance as they moved through the city towards the state Parliament, where more police met them in riot gear, along with mounted police at approximately midday.

It is estimated that the crowd swelled to thousands in the time between when it first started in the morning and when they reached the Parliament building. A further up to 55 thousand watched live online via Real Rukshan on Facebook.

During the march towards the state Parliament, orange smoke was seen, and firecrackers were set off intermittently as the protesters walked through the streets.

Construction workers are seen at a protest at Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) headquarters in Melbourne, on Sept. 21, 2021. (AAP Image/James Ross)

People in hi-viz gear and work books attend a protest against COVID-19 regulations in the construction industry in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 21, 2021. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

The second day of protest comes as the Victorian state government announced that the entire construction industry would be shut down from Tuesday for two weeks in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, and Mitchell Shire.

CFMEU boss John Setka blamed professional protesters for the violent scenes outside the Victorian CFMEU offices the day before, where water bottles were thrown, and the offices windows were smashed.

There was a small minority of construction workers, some of them when it all got violent just walked away from it. It was hijacked by the professional protesters, Setka told ABC Radio on Sept. 21.

Australian federal MP Bill Shorten also alleged that some of the protesters on Sept. 20 were fake tradies and labelled some of them man-baby Nazis.

Theyve been down to the Reject Shop and got themselves a $2 hi-viz hoodie, he told Nines Today show on Sept. 21.

The protesters moved away from the state Parliament building and made their way along Swanston Street to the Flinders Street intersection.

Members of Victoria Police stand on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Here, at approximately 1.45 p.m., they were again met by mounted police while a line of officers stood guarding the entrance to the iconic Flinders St Station, according to footage live streamed by Real Rukshan.

A few in the crowd threw water bottles at the police before organisers redirected the crowd of thousands down Flinders Street towards the Docklandsmany cheered for Rukshan in support of his work as an independent journalist as they streamed past.

At about 2 p.m., the protesters moved through South Melbourne and entered the freeway, blocking traffic.

The protesters then continued to march, never staying in one location for too long.

Victorian Greens leader, MP Samantha Ratnam said she was disturbed by the protest scenes across the city.

We have seen the far-right rise over the last few years and it is now escalating to the next level, she wrote on Twitter.

People should have the right to protest but it should be peaceful. These people seem hellbent on causing chaos and are putting all of us at risk with their misinformation and defiance.

Video shared on Twitter showed a can of V energy drink was thrown at a Seven News reporter, striking his head during a live cross.

Construction workers protest along the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Protesters marched westbound across the West Gate Bridge, an eight-lane bridge that peaks at 58 metres (190 ft) above water level, and twice the size of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at about 2.5km (1.5 miles). Then returned towards the city where they were met by riot police near the city end of the bridge at approximately 3.45 p.m.

Protesters jumped the barricade and dispersed into oncoming traffic that had ground to a halt to avoid the police, who began to fire tear gas and other projectiles at the crowd, according to Real Rukshans livestream.

Most of the protesters got by police and continued to move back towards the city as of 4 p.m. local time.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, video showed police cars rushing to back away from protesters who began to throw objects and attempt to break the vehicles windows and side mirrors.
A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Illustration)

Cybercrime Against Australians Rapidly Worsening

Cybercrime incidents are up 13 percent in one year with a new attack reported every 8 minutes, according to a new report by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASCS).

Operated by digital spy agency Australian Signals Directorate, the ACSC noted that a higher proportion of cyber security incidents were being categorised as substantial in their impact.

Government agencies at all levels, large organisations, critical infrastructure providers, small to medium enterprises, families and individuals were all targeted over the reporting periodpredominantly by criminals or state actors, the report reads.

Over $33 billion was lost due to self-reported cyber-crime in 2020-21 alone, as criminals and spies exploit increased dependency on the internet during the pandemic.

Malicious cyber actors have pivoted to exploit the COVID19 pandemic and are actively targeting vulnerable Australians and health services to conduct espionage, and steal money and sensitive data, said Assistant Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie when releasing the report.

Hastie warned that the health sector was especially at risk, having seen the second highest number of ransomware incidents, as malicious actors exploit peoples desire for COVID-19 information and services to obtain personal data.

While many perpetrators are criminals seeking profit, the report noted that attacks by state actors were being conducted, motivated by access to intellectual property or sensitive information about Australias response to COVID.

Health services were among the one quarter of all 67,500 cybercrime incidents during 2021-21 relating to Australias critical infrastructure. Food distribution and energy are also being targeted, with the ACSC warning that this may cause significant disruption in essential services, lost revenue and the potential of harm or loss of life.

Government services remain the primary victim, accounting for 35 percent of all reported incidents, though this could also indicate under-reporting in areas of the private sector.

This follows a major incident last year where Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the nation was experiencing a sophisticated state-based cyber-attack, widely believed to be from China. Regrettably this activity is not new, but the frequency has been increasing, he said at the time.

Reacting to the ACSC report, cyber security expert Rylan Painter urged people to be active and vigilant, including through rapid patching, maintaining a response plan for ransomware attacks, and ensuring cybersecurity remains a strategic priority for themselves and their businesses.

Hastie is encouraging any Australian business, organisation or family to report cybercrime through ReportCyber or become a Partner of the ACSC.
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 4, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool/Getty Images)

Democratic Continuing Resolution Contains Billions in New Spending for Disasters, Afghans

On Tuesday, Democrats in the House Committee on Appropriations unveiled the text of their continuing resolution to fund the government until December as Republicans remain hesitant to raise the debt ceiling. Though the highest priority of Democrats is to avert a government shutdown or U.S. default, the bill also authorizes billions in new spending for disaster relief and the Afghanistan refugee crisis.

The bill opens with the highest priority funding, allowing funds to continue to flow to government agencies and initiatives at current rates. These include appropriations for agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs facilities, and previous U.S. government research agreements.

These allocations would simply maintain the status quo until December, giving lawmakers much-needed time to negotiate on the budget and try to come to an agreement with Republicans who have threatened to shoot down a debt ceiling increase.

Disaster Relief Focuses on Both Prevention And Response

The next section of the bill provides for funding to disaster relief and relevant agencies to help assist with such relief. Much of the funding in this section is devoted toward the prevention of future disasters rather than purely emergency aid.

The first appropriation in this section, totaling $10 billion, goes to the Department of Agriculture. This funding, the bill says, is delegated for necessary expenses related to losses of crops  trees, bushes, and vines, as a consequence of droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze, including a polar vortex, smoke exposure, quality losses of crops, and excessive moisture.

The bill would also devote approximately $93 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for necessary expenses related to the consequences of hurricanes and of wildfires in calendar years 2020 and 2021.

Still, only $4.7 million of this appropriation is dedicated to repairs of NOAA equipment; the rest is dedicated to the development of new technologies and methods to better predict and prevent future disasters.

Around a third of this funding, $35 million, is ordered to be used to improve hurricane intensity and track forecasting  and precipitation and flood prediction, forecasting, and mitigation capabilities. Another $20 million is dedicated to improving wildfire research, including prediction, detection, forecasting, monitoring, data management, and communication and engagement initiatives.

Another provision appropriates $200 million to fisheries. This funding is also meant to be used for the prevention of future damages, with the bill ordering that the funds be used for necessary expenses associated with the mitigation of fishery disasters.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, is also set to receive disaster funds under the continuing resolution. NASA, headquartered in Texas, is delegated $321.4 million for repair at [NASA] facilities damaged by Hurricanes Zeta and Ida.

The continuing resolution also grants the Department of Defense $565 million for naval repairs needed as a result of hurricanes and other disasters. An additional $330 million in this provision goes to the Air Force for similar repairs. The Army Corps of Engineers receives $100 million under the bill to reduce risk from future flood and hurricanes.

$3 billion is devoted to infrastructure development of at-risk areas to help prevent future damage from floods and major storms. Any project undertaken with this funding, the bill stipulates, must be determined to be technically feasible, economically justified, and environmentally acceptable. Fully half of this $3 billion must go directly to states that declared a major disaster as a result of Hurricane Ida.

To address the needs of small businesses affected by natural disasters, the bill grants the Small Business Administration (SBA) around $1.2 billion. The legislation orders the SBA to appropriate this funding as direct loans to small businesses.

The bill devotes comparatively little to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, to directly assist people affected by wildfires or Hurricane Ida. In total, FEMA only receives $50 million under the continuing resolution.

Funding for Afghanistan, Resettlement of Evacuees

The resolution also provides funding to help resettle the thousands of Afghans pouring into the United States as a result of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban terrorist organization.

The bill allocates $50 million to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for investigative activities associated with Afghan resettlement operations. This funding comes as many Republicans have expressed concerns over the vetting of these migrants, warning that the U.S. might let terrorists into its borders if vetting is not handled appropriately.

An additional $21.5 million is directed to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to aid in the mass resettlement effort. The bill explains that the funds are for medical support, screening, and other related public health activities related to Afghan arrivals and refugees.

Another $1.68 billion goes to the Administration for Children and Families, one of the largest allocations in the bill for resettlement.

This funding has a wide array of uses under the legislation, including providing grants and contracts to nonprofit groups to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services. These services include housing assistance, medical assistance, legal assistance, and case management assistance, to be handled through long-term intervention and help from these qualified nonprofits.

For assistance to migrants beyond these services, the bill allocates approximately $1.08 billion more.

The section does not limit funding to domestic concerns over Afghanistan however. A further $2.2 billion in the bill is devoted to overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid. This funding will go to Afghanistan, where many have expressed concerns of a fast-approaching humanitarian disaster in the wake of the sudden regime change.

Some Republicans have expressed concerns over these kinds of allocations. In a Senate hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) warned that this kind of humanitarian aid is often wasted, ending up in the hands of warlords. Paul warned that the Taliban were likely to take control of any such aid sent by the United States, thus making this aid little more than a tool in aiding the Taliban cause.

Around $800 million more goes toward much the same end, humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, though some of this humanitarian funding is allocated towards continuing to help former Afghan allies still trapped in the country escape. This section does not mention the more than 100 Americans still trapped in the country, or address solutions to rescuing those who wish to leave but have been unable to.
A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian illegal alien from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images)

DHS Investigating After Images Show Agents on Horseback Apprehending Illegal Immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it is investigating a video that appeared to show Border Patrol agents corralling illegal immigrants who crossed into the United States near the Mexican border.

DHS does not tolerate the abuse of migrants in our custody and we take these allegations very seriously, the department said in a statement on Twitter, adding that it reviewed the video footage. We are committed to processing migrants in a safe, orderly, and humane way. We can and must do this in a way that ensures the safety and dignity of migrants.

Videos taken by Al Jazeera and Reuters appear to show Border Patrol officials on horseback chasing several illegal aliens who are believed to be from Haiti after they crossed the border near Del Rio, Texas. A video published by Reuters shows the agents twirling long reins for the horses near the illegal aliens.

I dont know what the circumstances would be. Its obviously horrific, the footage. I dont have any more information on it, so let me venture to do that and well see if theres more to convey, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, meanwhile, defended the agents use of horse patrols around the border but said his department would investigate.

Mayorkas and Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz suggested that claims the agents used the reins on illegal immigrants were false, saying that the reins are used to control the horse.

We are going to investigate the facts to ensure that the situation is as we understand it to be, and if its anything different we will respond accordingly, Mayorkas said Monday during a news conference near Del Rio.

Ortiz said that the video was captured in the midst of a chaotic situation, where illegal aliens were traveling between the Mexico and U.S. side of the border.

We do not know who are the smugglers or who are the migrants, so its important that those Border Patrol agents maintain a level of security for both themselves and for the migrant population, Ortiz said, adding that he has ridden on horses for years and noted the difficulty of controlling a horse around a river.

Both Psaki and Mayorkas both reiterated that the U.S.-Mexico border is not open, namely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 10,000 Haitian illegal immigrants in recent days have streamed across the border and made makeshift camps underneath a bridge in Del Rio, sparking concerns that it could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

On Monday, DHS officials said that some 6,000 illegal aliens were removed from the camp and sent back to Haiti.
A woman feeds a baby who suffers from kidney stones after drinking tainted milk powder at the Chengdu Children's Hospital on September 22, 2008 in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, China. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Distrust Continues to Undercut Chinas Domestic Milk Powder Brands, Russia Sees Opening

China imported nearly a quarter of global milk powder exports in 2020

Chinese citizens, impacted by continuous findings of contamination in domestic brands of milk powder, hold a steady dependence on foreign brands. Russias Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation stated on Sept. 14 that China imported nearly a quarter of global whole milk powder exports in 2020.

And Chinas demand for imported milk powder has continued to soar in 2021. Chinas imports of milk powder in the first two quarters of 2021 increased by 34 percent compared to the same period in 2020, and over 90 percent of the volume was supplied from New Zealand, the Russian ministrys report said.

The report also mentioned that, for global exports of milk powder, butter, and cheese, China imported respectively 13 percent, 9 percent, and 4 percent in 2020.

As early as Aug. 7, 2020, Russia and China have been negotiating exports of Russian dairy products and milk powder to China.

Dry powder could become a top priority in terms of Russian dairy exports to China, said Artem Belov, director of the Russian Union of dairy producers Soyuzmoloko, shortly before the negotiations, according to Dairy Global.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese demand for dairy products has dramatically increased, due to belief in their immunity-boosting qualities,reported South China Morning Post.

China imported 1.31 million tons of milk powder in 2020 to a tune of $8.356 billion, according to data from Chinas General Administration of Customs.

Trust Driving Demand and Price

After 22 Chinese companies were found to have added melaminea chemical product toxic to human health that helped artificially boost protein levels in nutrition teststo their infant milk formula, now linked to the poisoning of 300,000 children and six baby deaths, foreign brands of milk powder are considered way more trustworthy, Dan Wang, China analyst for the Economic Intelligence Unit, told South China Morning Post.

The scandal in 2008 saw many infants who consumed milk powder produced by state-owned dairy company Sanlu Group, based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, develop kidney stones, triggering the investigations that found melamine or melanic acid in Sanlu Groups milk powder.

Melamine and cyanuric acid absorbed into the bloodstream are known to cause kidney malfunction. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, daily intake of melamine should be lower than 0.063 mg per kilogram of body mass.

Sanlu Group had said that the contaminated milk powder was a problem for only one batch of which about 700 tons was on the market. But after investigation, multiple batches from 22 of Chinas 109 dairy companies were found to contain differing amounts of melamine.

According to data from Chinas Ministry of Health, 296,000 children were ill for consuming the contaminated milk powder, and 52,898 had been hospitalized as of the end of December 2008.

The Sanlu Group in 2007 had been described by Chinas state media CCTV as Chinas benchmark enterprise for infant milk powder, and in January 2008, before the scandal broke, the CCPs State Council awarded the Sanlu Group the National Science and Technology Progress Award for its highly-rated infant milk powder product.

With the reputation of the state-backed company in tatters, the Chinese lost their trust in domestic brands from then on.

The Sanlu incident cast a shadow on China-made products. Many parents still want their children to consume milk powder that is imported from abroad even though its been 13 years since the scandal, Yang Yi (a pseudonym), manager of a dairy company in Xian, Shaanxi Province, told The Epoch Times.

In recent years, demand for infant milk formula has been flat, while for adult formula and special formula, markets have been growing steadily year after year, reported Chinese finance news outlet East Money.

On May 11, Chinas National Bureau of Statistics released the results of its seventh census, reporting that 18.7 percent of the population are aged 60 or above, and 12 million babies were born in 2020. The numbers revealed a shrinking labor force and rapidly aging population, with fertility rates falling to the lowest in seven decades.

Yang said that despite low birth rates, the demands for imported milk powder is still expected to increase, driven by preferences of China-based consumers.

Melamine Scandal Preceded by Other Quality Issues

Sanlu Group was not the only China-based company to suffer reputation damage over health problems related to domestic milk powder production.

Early in 2003, an outbreak of big-headed infants was first reported in Fuyang, Anhui Province. These babies generally had big heads and small bodies, weakness, delayed reactions, skin ulcers, and swollen internal organs after consuming substandard milk powder. Another 229 infants were malnourished, of which 12 died of malnutrition, according to pro-Beijing media Wen Wei Po.

In 2015, three milk producers in Shaanxi province were found to have excessive nitrate levels in some of their powdered milk, the BBC reported at the time.

In May 2020, five parents in Yongxing county of Chenzhou city, Hunan Province, found their children to be suffering from eczema and severe weight loss after consuming a special medical milk powder that a doctor had recommended for children who are allergic to milk, reported Hunan Economic TV.
Driver Fatally Stabbed by Passenger in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif.A driver was stabbed to death by a passenger inside a car in Long Beach today.

Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officers were dispatched at about 12:15 p.m. to the intersection of East Louise Street and Linden Avenue on reports of a traffic collision and found the wounded man lying in the driveway of a residence, according to a department statement.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released, though police said he was in his 40s to 50s.

Officers responded about 40 minutes later to an alleyway in the 200 block of East 56th Street, between Atlantic and Dairy avenues, and found an abandoned sedan, about a half-mile from where the man was found, police said.

Investigators examined the sedan and found evidence suggesting the stabbing occurred inside the car.

The preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving the suspect in a car on Linden Avenue when the suspect launched an attack on the victim, the LBPD said in a statement. The victim exited the car and walked up the nearest driveway before collapsing.

The stabber entered the driver seat of the car and drove it to the alleyway in the 200 block of East 56th Street before abandoning it and fleeing in an unknown direction, police said.

A motive for the stabbing was not immediately known.

Anyone with information was last to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Adrian Garcia, Juan Carlos Reyes, or Jose Rodriguez at 562-570-7244.

Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Travelers exit through the International Arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport in London, England, on Aug. 7, 2021. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

Europeans Vaccinated With AstraZeneca Should Be Able to Enter US, Says EU

People who have received two doses of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine should be able to travel to the United States once restrictions are eased, even though the vaccine hasnt been approved yet by U.S. regulators, the European Commission (EC) said on Tuesday.

From our point of view, obviously it would make sense for people who have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca to be able to travel, Eric Mamer, a spokesperson for the EC, said during a press briefing.

We believe the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, Mamer added, although he also noted that the final decision remains with American authorities.

The Biden administration confirmed on Sept. 20 that it will ease travel restrictions on COVID-19-vaccinated foreign visitors from November. It hasnt been confirmed yet which vaccines will be accepted under the new requirement, or whether vaccines that havent been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be accepted.

The FDA has so far authorized COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, but is still reviewing the AstraZeneca shot.

Thierry Breton, the European Union (EU) commissioner for the internal market, told AFP that he had a conversation on the matter with White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, who sounded positive and optimistic, though Zients also noted that for the other vaccines, for AstraZeneca in particular, their health agency would decide.

EU commissioner for internal market and consumer protection, industry, research, and energy Thierry Breton speaks during a press conference following a college meeting to introduce draft legislation on a common EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 17, 2021. (John Thys/Pool via Reuters)

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) makes the final decision on which COVID-19 vaccines will be authorized for use in the country.

AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine, developed in the United Kingdom by Oxford University, is approved for use in 27 EU countries, where about 70 million shots have been administered cumulatively, according to public data.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he is delighted the Biden administration reinstating transatlantic travel so fully vaccinated British nationals are able to visit the United States once again.

Its a fantastic boost for business and trade, and great that family and friends on both sides of the pond can be reunited once again, Johnson said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, in New York, on Sept. 20, 2021. (David Dee Delgado/Reuters)

About 18 months ago, the Trump administration announced that the United States would restrict flights from China, much of Europe, the UK, Brazil, and other countries in the nascent phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Those restrictions were intact when Biden took office in January 2021, and the White House announced in July that it would maintain the restrictions due to the Delta variant.

For months, airlines and airline groups have been pushing the Biden administration to rescind the restrictions, as European and UK officials have eased entry rules for U.S. travelers.

Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
The halted under-construction Evergrande Cultural Tourism City in Suzhou city, in China's eastern Jiangsu Province, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Jessica Yang/AFP via Getty Images)

Evergrande Chairman Gives Pep Talk Despite Global Fears Over Default

The chairman of Evergrande Group showcased his faith in the company to get out of its darkest moment as soon as possible.

The company will fulfill its promise to deliver under-construction projects to home buyers, Chairman Hui Ka Yan said in a letter to employees on the day of Chinas Mid-Autumn festival.

Evergrande announced on Saturday it had started repaying investors in its wealth management products with real estate.

Growing fears of Evergrandes default rattled global markets on Monday with its Hong Kong-listed shares plummeting 10 percent, hitting HK$2.28 ($0.29) per share.

Its Hong Kong-listed shares have tumbled 84 percent so far this year.

[Evergrandes] stock will continue to fall, because theres not yet a solution that appears to be helping the company to ease its liquidity stress, said Kington Lin, managing director of Asset Management Department at Canfield Securities Ltd.

Lin said Evergrandes shares could fall to below HK$1 if it is forced to sell most of its assets in a restructuring. Yet analysts expect a low recovery ratio for investors.

Late last month, Evergrande said some projects had been suspended due to deteriorating cash flow. Anxious home buyers recently flowed into the sales office on construction sites while hundreds of investors crowded into its headquarters seeking repayments.

Meanwhile, a major test is coming, as Evergrande is due to pay $83.5 million in interest relating to its March 2022 bond on Thursday.

The cash-strapped developer has another $47.5 million payment due on Sept. 29 for March 2024 notes.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Extremely Heart-Wrenching: 75 Dogs Killed in Fire at Texas Pet-Boarding Center

Seventy five dogs were killed in a blaze at a Texas pet-boarding company on Saturday night, officials said.

Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan told reporters in a press briefing on Sunday that by the time fire crews responses to 911 calls, the smoke at the Ponderosa Pet Resort had made it impossible for any animals to be rescued.

It was a quick response, Sullivan said. Unfortunately, they were met with conditions that are our worst possible scenario and that was heavy smoke and fire involvement.

This was not occupied by any humans but nonetheless it was by 75 pets and by no indication do I want to lead anyone to believe that that is any less tragic, it is extremely heart-wrenching for us as first responders, he continued.

Sullivan said that the cause of the blaze is currently under investigation, noting that he believes many of the dogs likely died from smoke inhalation.

My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly what location we were going to because, quite frankly, I view my personal pet as my closest confidant, friend and the one that doesnt judge, Sullivan said. My heart just breaks for the people today.

This is a big deal, he added. I just wish I could go back in time and make it better.

Phillip Paris, the owner of Georgetowns Ponderosa Pet Resort, said in a statement on Monday that he is emotionally overwhelmed.

Fifty-nine families are affected, and their best friends wont be coming home. As a dog owner, I feel their heartbreak intensely, he said according to NBC affiliate KXAN of Austin.

The Georgetown Fire Department said that sprinklers are not required at a business of that size in the city, but that the fire code could be changed following Saturday nights blaze.

A memorial was held on Sunday night for the 75 dogs, with passers by and pet owners leaving photos and flowers at the gates of the Ponderosa Pet Resort.

[A dog loves] you for every flaw that you have and it doesnt matter to them. They love without judgement, Sheridan Doerr, who stopped by the memorial, told FOX 7 Austin.

Two of the dogs killed in the fire belonged to Georgetown Police Officer Michelle Gattey, who died from COVID-19 complications last week, Sullivan told KVUE.
Facts Matter (Sept. 20): Why the FDA Panel Voted Against Recommending Pfizer Booster Shots to General Public

On Friday, the FDAs vaccine advisory panel met, debated, and ultimately voted against approving vaccine booster shots for the general public.

However, according to statements from the White House, as well as other government officials, it sounds like they might not listen to this advisory panel, and roll out booster shots anyway.

Meanwhile, Pfizer announced that they will release the clinic data that they have been collecting on children between the ages of 6 months and 11 years old. This will be done in order to allow the FDA to look at the data and potentially approve the vaccine for children.

Lastly, in North Carolina, two judges, both of whom are Democrats, have just struck down a state law requiring voters to show photo IDbecause they claim that this requirement is racist.

Resources:

Sekur (promo code: Roman): https://ept.ms/3yW0Wul

 North Carolina:

https://ept.ms/3knMyGK

 FDA Vote:

https://ept.ms/3EymkJA

https://ept.ms/3zmaQVT

 Vaccine for Kids:

https://ept.ms/39tVBiR

 Indiana:

https://ept.ms/3Cv9IRz

 Massachusetts:

https://ept.ms/2Zl8evb

Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events.

Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube.

Follow Roman on Instagram: @epoch.times.roman

Follow EpochTV on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus
FBI Director: Ban Encryption to Counter Domestic Extremism

FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Sept. 21 that restrictions on encrypted chat services are needed to combat domestic terrorisma claim that has been disputed by a wide array of tech companies, industry associations, and privacy groups, as well as other government agencies.

Wray made the remarks during the Senate Committee on Homeland Securitys counterterrorism hearing.

I cant overstate the impact of default encryption and the role its playing, including on terrorism, Wray said in response to a question from Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) about what tools Congress can give law enforcement to counter domestic extremism.

The information that will allow us to separate the wheat from the chaff, in terms of social media, is being able towith lawful processget access to those communications, where most of the meaningful discussions of the violence is occurring.

Wrays remarks were the latest in what tech companies, industry groups, and civil rights organizations have criticized as an anti-encryption campaign by law enforcement.

In May 2020, then-Attorney General William Barr and Wray criticized Apple for not helping investigators who were attempting to gain access to two iPhones used by Mohammed Alshamrani, who launched a terror attack at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida in December 2019.

In June 2020, Barr endorsed the now-dormant Lawful Access to Encrypted Data (LAED) Act, which would have required companies with more than 1 million customers to annually redesign their systems to make their data decryptable.

Wray continued his anti-encryption efforts in March, when he told the Senate Judiciary Committee that encryption was stifling his agents from investigating domestic extremism.

Like Alshamrani, the plotters who sought to kidnap the governor of Michigan late last year used end-to-end encrypted apps to hide their communications from law enforcement. Their plot was only disrupted by well-timed human source reporting and the resulting undercover operation, Wray said at the time.

Subjects of our investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol siege used end-to-end encrypted communications as well.

According to Wray and other law enforcers, tech companies should be able to build backdoors into their encryption that preserves privacy, while allowing for access when necessary. That, they say, strikes the proper balance between data security and national security.

Industry Response

However, numerous tech experts, civil libertarians, and others say that its impossible to build a backdoor that cant be exploited by hackers. They also say that by banning encryption, the United States would be following in the footsteps of authoritarian countries such as China, which recently blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal.

It is important to understand that any kind of back door (or front door) access for the good guys can also be exploited by the bad guys,' the pro-industry Information Technology & Innovation Foundation stated in a July 2020 report, in the midst of the Apple-Barr controversy.

For example, key escrow systems would introduce new attack vectors that could allow attackers to gain access to encrypted information, such as by compromising the system that maintains copies of the keys.

Encryption is one of the few issues of agreement between tech companies and nonprofit organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

For instance, when Wray attacked Facebooks plans to encrypt its messaging system in October 2019, a coalition of more than 100 organizations wrote a letter supporting Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Given the remarkable reach of Facebooks messaging services, ensuring default end-to-end security will provide a substantial boon to worldwide communications freedom, to public safety, and to democratic values, and we urge you to proceed with your plans to encrypt messaging through Facebook products and services, the letter reads.

We encourage you to resist calls to create so-called backdoors or exceptional access to the content of users messages, which will fundamentally weaken encryption and the privacy and security of all users.

Some government agencies are pro-encryption. New York Attorney General Letitia James and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) both initiated enforcement actions against Zoom in 2020 for falsely claiming that its chats were encrypted. The FTC and New York state settlements required Zoom to upgrade its security practices.

What Companies Are Doing

Zoom responded to regulatory actions by purchasing the encryption firm Keybase and expanding its encryption services to all users.

Facebooks general messaging system remains unencrypted, but its subsidiary WhatsApp increased its encryption efforts in early September. While WhatsApp messages have always been encrypted, the backups stored in the cloud havent.

Facebook said on Sept. 10 that its rectifying the situation.

People can already back up their WhatsApp message history via cloud-based services like Google Drive and iCloud. WhatsApp does not have access to these backups, and they are secured by the individual cloud-based storage services, Facebook stated.

But now, if people choose to enable end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) backups once available, neither WhatsApp nor the backup service provider will be able to access their backup or their backup encryption key.

However, Apple seems to be moving in the opposite direction. The company announced in August that it plans to incorporate tools in its products that can scan data for child pornography and other illicit materialsmuch to the dismay of privacy advocates.

To say that we are disappointed by Apples plans is an understatement. Apple has historically been a champion of end-to-end encryption, for all of the same reasons that EFF has articulated time and time again, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) stated in response to the announcement.

Apples compromise on end-to-end encryption may appease government agencies in the U.S. and abroad, but it is a shocking about-face for users who have relied on the companys leadership in privacy and security.

Privacy experts have contended that law enforcement can still investigate child pornography by tracking metadata. If a grown man is messaging numerous children, law enforcers can and should monitor that person closely, they say.

Apple said in early September that its delaying the rollout amid heavy criticism and will take more time to make improvements before releasing the child safety features.

However, EFF said the only route that the company should take is keeping Apple data fully encrypted.

Apple can explain at length how its technical implementation will preserve privacy and security in its proposed backdoor, but at the end of the day, even a thoroughly documented, carefully thought-out, and narrowly scoped backdoor is still a backdoor.
Following a mandate hospital staff to be vaccinated, a group protesters gather outside of New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on Sept. 1, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Federal Judge May Rule Soon on Maine Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

The legal team seeking an emergency injunction to prevent Maine from enforcing a new CCP virus vaccine mandate that requires healthcare workers to get the jab or lose their jobs is optimistic that a federal judge will rule against the state because the mandate does not allow religious exemptions.

The case comes after a federal judge on Sept. 14 granted an emergency injunction blocking the state of New York from enforcing a new virus vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, as The Epoch Times previously reported.

Seventeen medical health professionals had asked the court to enjoin enforcement of New Yorks mandate that then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Aug. 16. The mandate required staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, adult care facilities, and other congregate care settings, be vaccinated for COVID-19 to continue to be employed.

The plaintiffs in the New York case, including doctors, nurses, a medical technician, and a physicians liaison, were facing termination, loss of hospital admitting privileges, and the destruction of their careers unless they consented to receive vaccines in contradiction of their religious beliefs, the lawsuit argued.

We are confident that the law is on our side, Roger Gannam of the public interest law firm Liberty Counsel told The Epoch Times in an interview after a court hearing in the Maine case late Sept. 20. The plaintiffs are arguing that the mandate violates the First Amendment and federal civil rights laws.

If the plaintiffs lose, they will appeal the ruling all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The judge who heard arguments Monday, Obama appointee Jon D. Levy of the U.S. District Court in Maine, previously denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the mandate Aug. 26, finding the plaintiffs had not met the notice requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

During the roughly two-hour telephonic hearing Sept. 20, the judge in a very methodical way, went through all of the issues, gave everyone time to speak on the issues, and then told us at the end that he would endeavor to issue a decision quickly so that the employees who were waiting to find out whether they can get an exemption before theyre fired, will be able to do so, Gannam said.

Were also asking the court to enjoin private employers from continuing to deny any process at all for seeking a religious accommodation from this vaccine mandate, he added.

At the hearing, Levy heard arguments against a mandate Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, announced Aug. 12 that will force healthcare workers to receive one of the three currently available COVID-19 shots in order to keep their jobs in the healthcare sector. The mandate allows medical exemptions but provides no exemption for sincerely held religious objections to taking the vaccines.

The governor originally said the healthcare workers must receive a COVID-19 injection by Oct. 1 but she later extended the deadline for compliance to Oct. 29.

Mills defended the mandate in a Sept. 15 brief filed with the court.

Most healthcare facility outbreaks are the result of healthcare workers who bring COVID-19 into the facility, the brief stated, adding that 5,723 self-identified healthcare workers in Maine had contracted the disease as of Sept. 9.

The plaintiffs arguments on their Free Exercise claim are a hodgepodge of constitutional and statutory claims, the document continued, relying heavily on a 116-year-old Supreme Court precedent known as Jacobson v. Massachusetts. Mandatory vaccination laws that provide only medical exemptionsnot religious exemptions are constitutional under Jacobson and its progeny.

In the case, after Cambridge, Massachusetts, experienced an outbreak of smallpox, it enacted a regulation in 1902 requiring that all inhabitants, including adults and children, be vaccinated under threat of criminal penalties. Numerous courts subsequently have affirmed the principle that mandatory vaccination laws do not violate free exercise rights, the brief argues.

As the mandates effective date draws nearer, Gannam said healthcare employees in Maine are facing a terrible decision of either upholding their religious beliefs or feeding their families.

And its not like theres just one employer involved because all of the healthcare employers in the state are subject to this rule, he told The Epoch Times.

The employees have nowhere else to go if they cant keep their current jobs, he said.

So this is really a situation where First Amendment, Free Exercise rights and Title VII [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964] rights are being burdened in an unprecedented way. And we surely hope that the judge will see that and issue an order that will keep these employees at work, even if its only temporary, to allow us to complete the litigation.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, a Democrat who represents the state in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to requests from The Epoch Times for comment.
Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who has been named as Florida's new surgeon general. (Courtesy of UCLA Health)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Names New Surgeon General

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced he is naming Dr. Joseph Ladapo from UCLA Health as Floridas new surgeon general, replacing Dr. Scott Rivkees, whose contract expired last month.

I want to set an example for other states, throughout the country and beyond, Ladapo, an associate professor at UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine, said at the press conference on Tuesday.

Ladapo said he was tackling his new endeavor with a positive three-prong approach.

First, we will reject fear, he said referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it has been a centerpiece and the expiration date is now, its done.

The doctor stated that he and others have seen a lot of fear associated with the disease, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, and that while it should be acknowledged it shouldnt scare people.

He also said he would make sure that when reporting data the science is separated from opinion.

Science has been misrepresented, he said, noting that some have been taking misrepresenting the science based on their own opinions and agendas and he wants to make sure this stops at his level of the administration.

And thirdly, I want to make sure public health is not a single item, noting that the news cycle and all aspects of public health have been dominated by the pandemic.

Ladapo a graduate of Harvard Medical School, said that people should have autonomy over their lives and are the best judge of what is best for them when it comes to their health, and he is not a fan of lockdowns.

I read a recent study that said that after the lockdown the mortality increased, he said. Lockdowns are bad.

Ladapo graduated from Wake Forest University and received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD in Health Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He completed his clinical training in internal medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States at the age of 5.

Along with his duties as the states new surgeon general, Ladapo will be teaching at the University of Florida.

We have two boys, he said of his family who are still in California. Whenever they start giving me a hard time about moving, I remind them that we are moving where Disney World is and then theyre alright.
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) berries have long been used by Native Americans for its nutritional, diuretic, sedative, aphrodisiac, and cough-reducing properties.

Open Borders and Early Picking Disrupting Floridas Saw Palmetto Berry Industry

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Among Floridas pine flat woods and oak woodlands there lies a native pesky plantthe saw palmettowhich has become one of the biggest agricultural industries in the state. However, harvesters say the industry is being ruined by open borders, ushering in hundreds of poaching crews that pick the berries too early.

With open borders the influence of large poaching crews has drastically increased property damage and theft of this product, Michael Baker from Saw Palmetto of South Florida said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis in July said that according to law enforcement he sent to the border, at least 70 percent of illegal border crossers are coming to Florida. Baker said that if true, Theyre not coming here to pick oranges and grapefruit out of season. It has to be the berries. There are no crops this time of year to be harvested other than saw palmetto berries, he said.

The berries grow in clusters hidden among the spiky fronds of the saw palmetto that become ripe for harvest at this time of year, and, according to Baker, draw a plethora of sack-carrying migrant pickers who scathe the landscape of Floridas highways, railways, and ranches across the Florida landscape for filler income while waiting on other crops to harvest.

However, a field buyer of the berries, Al Curry, disagrees.

These are migrants mostly from Guatemala and Mexico, Curry said. I see the same faces year after year; I know open borders are a problem, but I havent seen the problems that Michael (Baker) has seen.

What Curry sees is that these people are picking the berries way too early. He said the saw palmetto berrys optimum ripeness is the month of September.

Curry, a seventh generation Floridian who has farmed most of his life, says that the volume of berries is definitely low.

Baker agreed saying that the berries are picked early because there is a market for low-grade oil the unripened berries have that conflicts with the higher quality berries.

Welcome to capitalism, he said. Supply and demand control the market. The price point is such that it promotes the early activity. Some are willing to harvest for less.

Occasionally one will see a hand-painted sign on the side of Florida roads that reads: Se Compra Bolita, Spanish for ball is purchased. These middlemen buy the berries from the pickers and sell to people like Baker and Curry for a higher price.

Saw palmetto berries are a filler crop, Baker said. There is not much farm work in August and the illegals come in and pick until other crops are ready. But they are picking the berries early when they are not ripe.

Curry said that the berries resemble green peas and then when they are at their peak of ripeness, they will swell to the size of an olive.

After the berries are purchased from the pickers and sold to co-ops, they are put on conveyor belts, washed, and then dried and turned into a powder, which is put into capsules, tablets, and extract forms. Curry said most of his buyers are from the European market because over there you have to have a prescription from a doctor to get this product.

Saw palmetto was first introduced into Western medicine in the 1870s. However, it has been used by Native Americans for generations as they saw the benefit in the berries for medicinal purposes. Most used the berries for general nutrition, and used it as a diuretic, a sedative, an aphrodisiac, and for reducing a pesky cough. The Mayans crushed the berries and drank the juice as a tonic; the Seminole Indians used them as an antiseptic.

However, the money is not in the picking of the berries, but rather the processing. Saw palmetto processing is big business. The price of harvested berries fluctuates between $1.60 and $3.00 per pound in Florida. Numerous companies like Baker and Currys process the raw berries into powder and sell it for upwards of $38.00 per pound. Extract sells for over $10.00 per ounce and packaged capsules sell for various prices in the vitamin section of many retailers.

In the United States, saw palmetto is the hottest thing in mens health and can be found on the shelves of grocery stores, pharmacies, and online through Amazon. In order to get them into the bottle, they have to be picked, but if you pick the berries without a permit in Florida, it could cost a trip to jail and a first-degree misdemeanor charge.

In July 2018, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Endangered Plant Advisory Council added saw palmetto to a list of commercially exploited plants. New rules were implemented on how the berries can be harvested.

The plant itself, which blankets the landscape of Florida, grow white and yellowish flowers in the spring that attract bees that produce high-grade saw palmetto honey. The flowers will then give way to small berries that will eventually turn black and ripen from August to October. Saw palmetto usually grow anywhere from 5 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 10 feet wide.

Though the plant grows in Many Floridians yards, homeowners are forbidden from picking them due to their endangered status. The Florida Department of Agriculture has an online permit process that is free. Anyone selling the berries is required to have copies of the pickers permits at the time of sale. The pickers sometimes wander onto state lands, which is illegal, or trespass onto privately owned lands in search of berries, sometimes even cutting through fences to gain access.

So far this 2021 season, The Office of Agriculture Law Enforcement (OALE) Bureau of Investigative Services has made three arrests related to palmetto berries. Individual counties and municipalities are enforcing the law as well.

Recently, two Collier County men fled from deputies in separate vehicles after a Collier County Sheriffs Office Aviation unit on a routine patrol observed multiple people harvesting palmetto berries on privately owned land in the area and alerted deputies on the ground, according to arrest reports. Officers confiscated approximately 4,500 pounds of illegally picked berries.

In Indian River County last month 11 people were arrested for illegally picking the berries and were arrested. Another seven people were arrested in Citrus County with 1,400 pounds of the berries. Charlotte County authorities arrested four people who were caught picking the berries. No one arrested had the permit.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in a press release recently praised law enforcement efforts in making sure the plant stays protected.

I am grateful for our departments law enforcement investigators who are working diligently every day to safeguard our state, including protection landowner and our natural resources from illegal harvesting, she said. With recent arrests of those illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries, we are sending a strong message that you either follow the rules and obtain an FDACS permit or there will be serious consequences.

Meanwhile, environmentalists have complained that the berries are a primary source of food for Floridas black bears. Without the berries around, the bears are forced to roam, putting them in danger of encroaching on human populations. The Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife says this time of year is when bears are looking to bulk up for the winter months and that saw palmetto berries play an important role in their food supply.
Protesters clash with members of Victoria Police on Barkers Road in Hawthorn in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Freedom: What Was So Hard to Gain, Is Now at Risk

Commentary

In April, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Australians that Australias period of time spent in Afghanistan was worth it, because freedom is always worth it.

But despite this comment, Australians are currently experiencing the most restrictions on their freedoms ever. We are currently imprisoned three times over; in our houses, in our respective states, and in our own country.

In Sydney, the defence forces are being used against civilians to enforce house arrest. In Melbourne, unarmed citizens who took to the streets believing freedom was worth fighting for were shot at indiscriminately with non-lethal bullets and pepper-sprayed by riot police.

All Australians, no matter the position in society they currently occupy, must be reminded that each and every one of us is a direct beneficiary of hard-won freedoms.

In the fledgling days of the penal colony, Captain Arthur Philip envisioned that if a future colony were to become a successful society, it would enjoy British-style freedoms.

Over the course of two hundred years, Australians fought tooth and nail to be free people who were able to take control over their own lives and govern themselves.

They fought for the freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of speech. They fought for freedom to move, freedom to protest, and protection from state tyranny and governmental overreachwhich was primarily achieved thanks to the Magna Carta of 1215.

In 1854, Peter Lalor led the men and women on the goldfields of Eureka against exorbitantly priced mining licenses, which the then-government responded to by sending troopsmany of whom were taken out of prison and put into uniformto ensure compliance. They took the oath and meant it, We swear by the Southern Cross, to stand truly by each other, and fight to defend our rights and liberties.

In the 20th century, thousands of Australians volunteered to give up their lives for these freedoms in two world wars. They understood the grave threat facing democratic countries around the world and were prepared to die defending them. They are immortalised in the Byzantine dome of the Australian War Memorial, which was designed to evoke the renewal of lifes forces and celebrates the immortality of those who believed in freedom and ultimately died to defend it.

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, on April 25, 2020. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)

Just 75 years later, we have arrived at a time in the history of this country when Australians who value freedom have found themselves in the strange position of having to justify why freedom is good.

Worse still, those who believe in freedom are demonised by politicians, the media, and their fellow citizens as enemies of the state.

The speed with which many Australians have trustingly handed over their freedoms to the state has been astonishing, and the willingness of citizens to report on others, even more so.

Australia is a country in which the majority of the population do what they are told. As a result, Australians have assumed that the government has their best interests at heart and have enormous trust in the democratic institution.

This makes sense because, by and large, Australia has been governed reasonably well.

However, in the last 18 months, Australians now have excellent reasons to mistrust our state and federal governments, as they have exhibited the same tendency towards Australians.

We know, for example, that there is little trust in the populace to the point that now phones can be used to track and monitor whether individuals are dumping rubbish illegally.

The problem now is that having lost trust in the government, every Australian citizen has to decide what action to take. If they choose to exercise their democratic right to protest, they risk being arrested or shot with non-lethal bullets.

As such, the only way we will restore our freedoms is to use one of the few democratic institutions we have left, democracy itself, to elect politicians who will give us our freedoms back.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A city view shows the French flag above the skyline of the French capital as the Eiffel Tower and roof tops are seen in Paris, France, on March 30, 2016. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

French Senate Delegation to Visit Taiwan, Despite Chinese Regimes Opposition

A French Senate delegation led by the chairman of the Senates Taiwan Friendship Group has scheduled to visit Taiwan in early October, despite pressure from the Chinese communist regime.

According to French media La Lettre A, the French Senates Taiwan Friendship Group has scheduled its visit to Taiwan from Oct. 4 to 11. The delegation will be led by Sen. Alain Richard, whos the head of the group, including Sens. Max Brisson and Andre Vallini, both vice presidents of the group, and the groups secretary Sen. Olivier Cadic.

In March 2021, after the senators plan to visit Taiwan was announced, the Chinese regimes Ambassador to France Lu Shaye wrote a public letter to Richard published on the Chinese embassys website, saying China is strongly opposed to the trip, and demanding that he cancel the visit to Taiwan. This move caused an uproar in the French political and academic circles.

Richard, the former Minister of National Defense, publicly responded to Lu, saying that he would not change the plan, and the purpose of the visit was to see how Taiwan effectively dealt with COVID-19.

Frances foreign ministry also responded to Lus letter, stating in a statement that French parliamentarians are free to make decisions about their own travel plans and contacts.

Meanwhile, more than 20 French senators jointly proposed a resolution, which was passed at the end of May, supporting Taiwans participation in international institutions as an observer, such as the International Criminal Police Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the World Health Organization.

The French delegations visit to Taiwan has also attracted the attention of the European Parliament. Many EU members, including French member Nathalie Loiseau, urged the establishment of a Taiwanese parliamentary mission. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament also passed a report by the Swedish MP Charlie Weimers in early September, calling on the EU to strengthen its relations with Taiwan. This has met strong opposition from the Chinese regime, which claimed that it seriously violates the one China principle.

Richard told French media Marianne in March, Our relations with Taiwan do not need any approval from Beijing. Taiwan has a representation in France in the form of an Office, as in all large countries, we should have a quasi-diplomatic status with reciprocal representation of France in Taiwan.

Richard told Taiwanese media that despite the pressure from the CCP, he would continue to promote France-Taiwan relations, because we have common interests, such as continuing innovation exchange, and to cooperate in the fields of humanities, academics, culture, and technology.

Richard led French Senate delegations to visit Taiwan in 2015 and 2018.
Gab CEO Andrew Torba Says He Refuses to Comply With Draconian German Network Enforcement Act

Andrew Torba, the founder and CEO of Gab, has said he will not be complying with the German Network Enforcement Act, despite mounting legal fines from authorities.

In a blog post published on Sept. 20, Tora said he had received a huge packet of documents with fines and legal threats from the nation state of Germany this week but that Gab is refusing, and has refused for many years, to comply with the German Network Enforcement Act.

The German Network Enforcement Act went into force in Germany on June 28, 2021, in the hopes of combating online hate speech and fake news. Also known as NetzDG, it applies to social media networks that have 2 million or more registered users in Germany and obligates them to remove content that is clearly illegal within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from a user.

Social media networks that do not comply can be fined up to 50 million euros (about US$59.2 million) by the German government for noncompliance.

Gab is a U.S. company that was founded in 2016. The social networking site champions free speech, individual liberty and the free flow of information online and is a competitor to larger companies such as Twitter and Facebook, along with upstarts such as Parler.

In Mondays blog post, Torba referred to the Network Enforcement Act as a draconian German law aimed at combatting fake news on social networking websites, adding that fake news is of course, whatever the German Government says it is.

Gab is a US company and as such we are under zero obligation to obey foreign laws from tyrannical governments, the CEO wrote.

A message on the social media website Gab is displayed on a phone in New York on Oct. 29, 2018. (Jenny Kane/AP Photo)

Because of Gabs unwillingness to participate in State-mandated censorship of free speech, the German government is now coming after our bootstrapped tech startup with heavy fines and other legal action, he continued.

The CEO noted that Gab is not a lawless website and that staff work diligently to prevent any illegal activity, including criminal activity, from taking place on the platform while a number of foreign countries respect the social network sites stance on free speech.

The German government isnt concerned about any actual criminal activity, they are concerned with Thought Criminals who dare to dissent against their globalist regime, Torba wrote.

Torba noted that he has three options in dealing with the actions from the German government; obey the censorship laws and start censoring content that it doesnt likesomething he said the company will not do; disobey the laws and pick a fight with the government; or temporarily block German IPs from accessing the website.

I hate everything about these choices, which is why we went public with this information to gather feedback and consensus from our community on the topic, he wrote, before stating that Gabs lawyers also suggest option three would be the best one, although it doesnt sit right with him.

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally to mark the 5th anniversary of opposition politician Boris Nemtsovs murder and to protest against proposed amendments to the countrys constitution, in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 29, 2020. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

Why should we block an entire country from accessing Gab because their government is sending us fines we wont pay and veiled legal threats that mean nothing to Gab as a US corporation?  The reality is the German government has zero authority or jurisdiction over how we operate Gab. We have no corporate entity in Germany, we have no employees in Germany, and we are not German citizens. We are Americans, Torba wrote.

While the CEO will not be obliging with the German Network Enforcement Act and the authorities subsequent legal threats, Torba noted that he will still cooperate with German police forces in matters pertaining to serious crime.

Im not sure what will come of this decision, but I will not make an important choice like this from a position of fear. I leave the outcomes of this decision in the hands of God Almighty and I pray that the German people will take back their country and freedoms very soon, he added.

Torbas announcement comes shortly after Apple and Google removed a voting app from its online store that was linked to Kremlin critic and jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, just as polls opened across Russia for three days of voting in a parliamentary election.

The move was prompted after Russian authorities put pressure on the U.S. tech giants to remove the app from their stores, noting that Russia designates Navallys antics as extremist and saying a refusal to remove the app would be treated as meddling in its parliamentary election while also threatening the companies with fines.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen look at the view during the 8th MED7 Mediterranean countries summit at the Stavros Niarchos cultural center in Athens, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images)

Germany Warns of Lost US Trust Over Australia Deal as France Wins EU Support

BRUSSELSGermany joined France on Tuesday in berating the United States for negotiating a security pact in secret with Australia and Britain that cost Paris a lucrative defence deal, while the EUs top official said such behaviour was unacceptable.

In a concrete signal of the blocs outrage, EU ambassadors postponed preparations for an inaugural trade and technology council on Sept. 29 with the United States, a gathering that was trumpeted as a major advance in the transatlantic alliance.

One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable, so we need to know what happened and why, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in defence of France.

Her EU executive asked for the preparatory EU discussions for the U.S. trade and technology council to be taken off Wednesdays agenda, two EU diplomats told Reuters.

France said it was assessing all options in response to Australias scrapping of a $40 billion submarine contract last week, while its biggest EU ally, Germany, rallied behind it, saying Washington and Canberra had damaged trust between allies that would be difficult to rebuild.

We cannot exclusively rely on others but must cooperate, and we have to overcome our differences (within the EU) and speak with one voice, German European affairs minister Michael Roth told reporters at a meeting with his counterparts in Brussels.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on May 5, 2021. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

We all need to sit down at a table; lost trust has to be rebuiltand this will obviously not be easy. But we want to make a constructive contribution, he added.

The dispute follows what NATOs European allies say was Washingtons failure to communicate and consult during the chaotic Western withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Australia says the United States offer of access to U.S. nuclear technology to build nuclear-propelled submarines was too good to refuse. It will be only the second country after Britain in 1958 to be given such technology that allows Canberra to help Washington prevent China from gaining military supremacy.

Australia said it would cancel its order for conventional submarines from France, which were conventional, diesel-electric powered, and British technology under a new security partnership named AUKUS.

Britain is also looking for a global role after its decision to leave the EU.

Brexit, Australia Trade Talks

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he wants to know why his country, which has a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific, was left completely in the dark. The EUs top diplomat was also not consulted, despite close historical, cultural, economic and security ties between Europe, Australia and the United States.

The spat has also put in doubt free-trade talks between the EU, the worlds biggest trading bloc, and Australia. They are currently under negotiation and the next round is due in October. It is not clear if they will go ahead.

French European affairs minister Clement Beaune described relations with Australia now as very difficult.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L) and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Sept. 15, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

We cannot act as if nothing happened. We need to look into all options, he told reporters in Brussels. EU foreign ministers, meeting in New York, also expressed solidarity with France.

Beaune welcomed the EU support, stressing that this was a European matter, not just a French problem, and the bloc should be more assertive in defending its interests, although it was unclear what steps the bloc could take quickly.

Beaune said this marked a further erosion of trust in Britain post-Brexit. Britain, he said, was also not properly applying the fisheries part of the EU-UK trade deal or the protocol governing the trading position of Northern Ireland.

You cannot say that you will uphold the things that suit you and drop those that do not suit the British. So trust, consistency, respect of accords are, I think, essential, he said.

By Philip Blenkinsop and Robin Emmott
A rendering of St. Johns Terminal, which is currently under construction and expected to open in mid-2023. (Courtesy of COOKFOX Architects)

Google to Make Highest-Priced Purchase Since Pandemic for Office Space in Manhattan

Google is set to purchase an office building in Manhattan for $2.1 billion, despite remote work having been applied on a large scale due to the pandemic.

The building is the former High Line terminal. Its currently under construction and expected to open in mid-2023.

As Google moves toward a more flexible hybrid approach to work, coming together in person to collaborate and build community will remain an important part of our future. It is why we continue investing in our offices around the world, Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said.

Its the most expensive purchase of a single office building since the start of the pandemic, reported the Wall Street Journal. It is also one of the most high-priced in U.S. history.

The tech giant was previously leasing the space located in the Hudson Square area.

St. Johns Terminals construction site, Manhattan, New York on Sept. 21, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

Google plans to buy the building, named St. Johns Terminal, in the first quarter of 2022.

The St. Johns Terminal site at 550 Washington Street, which we currently lease and expect to open by mid-2023, will be one part of the already sizable investment weve made in New YorkGoogles largest office outside California, Porat added.

Weve made substantial progress in building out our 1.7 million-square-foot Hudson Square campus that will serve as the New York headquarters for our Global Business Organization, which includes our sales and partnership teams. The St. Johns Terminal transaction will close in the first quarter of 2022.

Their workforce is estimated to grow to more than 14,000 people.

New York City is the place for world-class talent and Googles acquisition of 550 Washington Street in Manhattan for its workforce demonstrates that, said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

Googles director of public policy and government affairs, said that their employees need to collaborate in order to really be happy and productive, and that they have been investing more in office space for that reason, reported Wall Street Journal.

The building first opened as a freight terminal in 1934 and was later decommissioned in 1960, later turning into commercial space. It was bought by its current owner, Oxford Properties, in 2018.

The tech giants largest workforce outside California is in New York, where it has about 12,000 employees.
Logos of the Big Tech giants are displayed on a tablet on Oct. 1, 2019. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images)

Group of 30 US State Attorneys General Urge Lawmakers to Tighten Antitrust Laws

A bipartisan group of 30 U.S. state attorneys general have come together to urge lawmakers to pass a number of bills that tighten antitrust laws aimed at Big Tech companies.

In a letter sent to leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives (pdf), the group urged them to continue making improvements to the antitrust laws via a range of six bills that passed the House Judiciary Committee in June.

These include the Ending Platform Monopolies Act, the American Choice and Innovation Online Act, the Platform Competition and Opportunity Act, the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, and the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act.

Four of the bills directly address Big Techs platform powers while two others empower enforcers.

The attorneys general also recommended the addition of provisions that would further protect consumers from unlawful and irresponsible mergers and business practices, and to facilitate competition and innovation.

As state attorneys general, we are very supportive of Congress efforts to modernize federal antitrust laws. As the antitrust bills move forward from the House Committee on the Judiciary for consideration by the full House of Representatives and, eventually, the Senate, we encourage Congress to continue making improvements to these important measures, the attorneys general wrote.

These include provisions to further enhance consumer protections from unlawful and irresponsible mergers and business practices as well as necessary improvements to ensure that competition and innovation are not stifled.

In addition, the group urged Congress to include a provision in the legislation that confirms that the states are sovereigns that stand on equal footing with federal enforcers under federal antitrust law, including with regard to the timing of challenging anticompetitive mergers and other practices.

The group noted that it would happily discussions with Congress where it can offer suggestions to address the critical considerations and improve any of the proposed laws.

The letter was signed by Attorneys General Phil Weiser of Colorado, Douglas Peterson of Nebraska, Letitia James of New York, and Herbert H. Slatery III of Tennessee. They were joined by California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The full House has not voted on the full package of antitrust measures, but if they are signed into law they would be the largest expansion of U.S. antitrust powers in generations.

However, 12 former top U.S. national security officials, including former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, have urged Congress to hold off on the bills, arguing that imposing severe restrictions solely on U.S. giants could give China the edge in gaining dominance in the tech landscape, Axios reported.
Harvards Legal Fees Exceed $40 Million in Defending Race-Conscious Admissions Policy

An ongoing lawsuit challenging Harvard Universitys race-conscious admissions policy has resulted in at least $40 million in legal fees, and the Ivy League school is suing a secondary insurer that allegedly refused to cover some of those costs.

Harvard has at least two insurance companies that cover potential legal costs, according to student newspaper The Harvard Crimson. As the university continues to defend its use of race-based admissions, it had gone past the $25 million limit through its primary liability insurance policy with AIG, which allegedly triggered a secondary insurance policy it has with Zurich, which is unwilling to pay for the remaining $15 million.

Zurich has denied responsibility for Harvards legal fees incurred from the admissions lawsuit, claiming that the school failed to provide sufficient prior notice, according to Harvards brief filed on Sept. 17 in a Boston federal court reviewed by the Crimson. Harvards attorneys contended that claim, arguing that Zurich had knowledge of the case because of widespread media coverage.

The dispute over Harvards admissions policy was first raised in 2014 by advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), on behalf of a coalition of students who claimed to have been rejected from Harvard because of their Asian ancestry. In 2020, the Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit upheld a lower court decision that it is not discriminatory when Harvard considers an applicants race as one factor in its admissions process, prompting the SFFA to take the legal battle to the highest court.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court called on the Biden administration to weigh in on whether to take up the case. In an unsigned order, the high court requested the acting solicitor general, Elizabeth Prelogar, to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.

The U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration backed the suing students. It also filed a separate lawsuit against Yale University over alleged discrimination against white and Asian-American applicants in its admissions process, but dropped the suit shortly after the Biden administration took office.

Harvard in May requested that the Supreme Court not revisit the lower court ruling. The university accused the SFFA of trying to undermine its efforts to make its student population racially diverse, arguing that a race-neutral admissions policy would hurt the already underrepresented black and Hispanic students.

If Harvard were to abandon race-conscious admissions, African-American and Hispanic representation would decline by nearly half, the court filing (pdf) reads. Such declines would seriously undermine Harvards educational goals, and even SFFAs expert agreed such declines would be unacceptable.
Illegal immigrants cross the Rio Grande River near a temporary migrant camp under the international bridge on Sept. 18, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. (Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)

Homeland Security Asks for Military Help to Move Illegal Immigrants From Del Rio

The Department of Homeland security requested the assistance of the U.S. military to transport illegal immigrants, many of Haitian origin, from a crowded holding area under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas.

The Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed the request during a press briefing on Monday.

Under this request, the department would provide contracted air transportation for Customs and Border Patrol on a reimbursable basis, DOD press secretary John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon.

The requested support would end on Oct. 20 and can be given with minimal risk to current military operations, Kirby said before declining to offer further details because the request really has just come in.

Were doing the same thing we would do with any Request for Assistance. Were examining, reviewing, and determining the best way forward, Kirby said.

Some of the thousands of illegal immigrants who have amassed in Del Rio began returning to Mexico on Monday to pick up supplies or to avoid being deported back to their home countries.

Haitians and others were witnessed on Monday crossing the Rio Grande to enter Acuna, Mexico, as they consider their options following a U.S. crackdown on the illegal immigrant camp under the International Bridge just north of the border in Del Rio, Texas.

Thousands of illegal immigrants gather near the international bridge after crossing the Rio Grande, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The Del Rio area has become the epicenter of the Biden administrations border crisis. The congregation of nearly 10,000 illegal aliens next to and under the bridge became a visual symbol for the more than 1.2 million illegal aliens apprehended at the border this year.

President Joe Biden revoked or altered dozens of tough Trump-era immigration policies upon taking office in January.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Del Rio on Monday to get an on-the-ground operational update and see firsthand the huge, litter-ridden camp that has sprung up under the International Bridge.

Mayorkas said the surge in immigrants was rather sudden and rather dramatic, prompting a large-scale DHS response that has included moving some 6,500 immigrants to other parts of the border to ease the burden on the overtaxed agents in the Del Rio Border sector. Some 400 agents and officers were sent to the sector, in some cases at the expense of leaving other highly trafficked sections of the border unprotected.

The Department of Homeland Security conducted three repatriation flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from Del Rio on Sunday, returning 327 Haitian nationals to their home country. DHS expects to conduct one to three such flights per day for a while and is attempting to secure additional planes to carry out more flights.

Charlotte Cuthbertson and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Hotel Rwanda Hero Sentenced to 25 Years on Terror Charges

KIGALI, RwandaThe man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda for saving hundreds of his countrymen from genocide was convicted of terrorism offenses Monday and sentenced to 25 years at a trial that human rights watchdogs and other critics of Rwandas repressive government have described as an act of retaliation.

Paul Rusesabagina, credited with sheltering ethnic Tutsis during Rwandas 1994 genocide and a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, boycotted the announcement of the verdict after calling the trial a sham.

The U.S. resident and Belgian citizen was convicted on eight charges including membership in a terrorist group, murder, and abduction. He was charged along with 20 other people.

The circumstances surrounding Rusesabaginas arrest last year, his limited access to an independent legal team and his reported worsening health have drawn international concern for the 67-year-old who left Rwanda in 1996.

Rusesabagina, who remains in custody, has asserted that his arrest was in response to his criticism of longtime Rwandan President Paul Kagame over alleged human rights abuses. Kagames government has repeatedly denied targeting dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings.

Paul Rusesabagina (L) speaks to lawyers as he attends a court hearing in Kigali, Rwanda, on Feb. 26, 2021. (Muhizi Olivier/AP Photo)

Mondays ruling comes more than a year after Rusesabagina disappeared during a visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs, accused of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change.

The armed group claimed some responsibility for attacks in 2018 and 2019 in southern Rwanda in which nine Rwandans died. Rusesabagina testified at trial that he helped to form the armed group to help refugees but said he never supported violenceand sought to distance himself from its deadly attacks.

Throughout, Rusesabagina has maintained that he is not guilty of the charges against him but said he didnt expect to get justice.

We knew from the day he was kidnapped that the verdict would be guilty on some or all of the false charges. We are happy that the charade of the trial is ending, Rusesabaginas family said in a statement.

A member of his legal team, Kate Gibson, added that the only thing that has been surprising in watching this horror show unfold over the last year has been the brazenness and openness with which the Rwandan authorities have been willing to systematically violate all of the fair trial rights to which Paul was entitled.

Government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo wrote on Twitter shortly after the sentencing that the evidence against Rusesabagina was indisputable.

Rwandans will feel safer now justice has been delivered, Makolo wrote.

Rusesabaginas family alleges he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. But the court ruled that he wasnt kidnapped when he was tricked into boarding a chartered flight. Rwandas government asserted that at the time he was going to Burundi to coordinate with armed groups based there and in Congo.

Rusesabagina said he was gagged and tortured before he was jailed, but Rwandan authorities denied that. His attorney, Felix Rudakemwa, has asserted that Rusesabaginas legal papers were confiscated by prison authorities. His family has feared he might die from poor health behind bars.

Amnesty International criticized the proceedings, noting that Rusesabagina was initially denied the right to choose his own lawyer. It added that Kagames comments that Rusesabagina had done something terribly wrong, committed a crime, may have prejudiced the defendants right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the reported lack of fair trial guarantees calls into question the fairness of the verdict, and he urged Rwandas government to examine shortcomings in the case, including Rusesabaginas reported lack of confidential, unimpeded access to his lawyers and case documents.

Belgiums foreign minister, Sophie Wilmes, said that despite repeated appeals from Belgium, it must be concluded that Mr. Rusesabagina has not been given a fair and equitable trial. She said Belgium remained in close contact with him.

Rusesabagina is credited with saving more than 1,000 people by sheltering them at the hotel he managed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which more than 800,000 Tutsi and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed.

By Ignatius Ssuuna
Police investigate a shooting at the Timber Ridge Apartments in Houston on Sept. 20, 2021. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Houston Officer Killed, Another Wounded While Serving Warrant

HOUSTONA Houston police officer was killed and another was wounded Monday morning during a shooting that also killed a 31-year-old man whom the officers were attempting to arrest on drug charges, authorities said.

The veteran officers were each shot multiple times while attempting to serve an arrest warrant at an apartment complex on the citys northeast side, Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a news conference.

This has been a tragic day today, Turner said. It is another reminder that police work is inherently dangerous.

Senior Officer William Jeffrey, who joined the Houston Police Department in 1990, was pronounced dead at a hospital following the shooting, authorities said. He was 54. Sgt. Charles Vance, who joined the department in 1998, was in stable condition, according to police Chief Troy Finner. Vance is 49.

Police investigate a shooting at the Timber Ridge Apartments in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Police officers gather at the hospital where two Houston police officers were sent to after being shot while serving an arrest warrant, at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The officers arrived at the apartment around 7:30 a.m., knocked on the door and spoke with a woman who answered it, Finner said. He said the man then came out and began shooting at the officers.

Youve got a suspect with a female girlfriend with small kids in that apartment complex and he still fired upon our officers, Finner said. He said police returned fire and that the man died on the scene.

Authorities didnt identify the man the officers were attempting to arrest. The Harris County Sheriffs Office is investigating the shooting.
Huawei Eyes Lead in 6G Technology Race

Leaders and politicians from around the world are calling for action against Beijings human rights abuses, as Chinas practice of organ harvesting from non-consenting donors has been largely ignored for years.

A major U.S. film studio is looking toward Chinas checkbook. Universal Studios largest resort sees its grand opening in Beijing, despite deteriorating U.S.-China relations.

China, the United States, and other nations around the world are facing off over next-gen technology. Theyre competing for first place in developing 6G telecom networks, and a Chinese tech giant is eyeing the lead.

Beijing is hoping to join a major Pacific trade pact. But not everyone is on board.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
An Afghan man works on a poppy field in Jalalabad Province on April 17, 2014. (Parwiz/Reuters)

India Seizes $2.7 Billion Afghan Heroin Haul Amid Kabul Takeover Chaos

AHMEDABADIndian officials said on Tuesday they had seized nearly three tons of heroin originating from Afghanistan worth an estimated 200 billion rupees ($2.72 billion) amid the chaos following last months takeover of the country by the Taliban.

Afghanistan is the worlds biggest illicit opiate supplier, but since taking power, the Islamist Taliban have said they plan to ban the drug trade, without giving details on how.

Two people had been arrested in connection with the haul and investigations were ongoing, an official in Gujarat said, declining to be named as he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Indias top anti-smuggling agency, seized two containers at western Gujarats Mundra Port on Sept. 15 after receiving intelligence they contained narcotics, the official said.

The containers had been imported by a firm in the southern coastal city of Vijayawada, the official added.

Investigation conducted so far has also revealed the involvement of Afghan nationals, who are under investigation.

DRI officials declined to comment.

The narcotics were headed to Delhi and the two arrested people had sought an importexport licence based on a house address in Vijayawada, police in Vijayawada said in a statement on Monday.

The containers had been declared as containing semi-processed talc stones from Afghanistan and had been shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Gujarat Mundra port, the Gujarat official said, adding that forensic tests confirmed the presence of heroin.

More than 2,988 kg (6,587 lbs) of heroin was recovered in one of Indias biggest such hauls to date.

By Sumit Khanna and Zeba Siddiqui
Introducing RealClearInvestigations Jan. 6-BLM Riots Dataset

Many in the political and media establishment have cast the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as one of the darkest episodes in American history, comparing an episode in which one person was slain (a protester shot by police) to 9/11, Pearl Harbor, the Civil War, and the British sacking of the capital city in 1814. Seizing on the gravity of a mob trying to interfere with the process of recording Electoral College votes after a presidential election, Democrats impeached Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 breach and put him on trial in the Senate. Democrats have also spearheaded a congressional investigationone focused on the former presidentthat will likely stretch into next election season.

Republicans, Trump supporters, and others see a double standard at play in Democrats emphasis on Jan. 6. They note that many Democrats cheered nationwide protests and some even put up bail after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officerprolonged unrest that generated far more death and destruction. They argue that groups associated with the summers violence, such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, themselves aim to subvert democracy, and acted accordingly in targeting cops, public offices, and private businesses.

The electorate itself is divided, but doesnt necessarily view this issue as an either/or choice. Polling shows that a large majority of Americans support the idea of examining the causes of both the 2020 summer riots in Americas cities and the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

It is clear, then, that many Americans see two sides to this story. In keeping with its mission to fill gaps in press coverage, RealClearInvestigations is launching a running compendium of data, with hyperlinked sourcing, comparing the damage done on Jan. 6, and the subsequent treatment of those accused of perpetrating it, with two other recent events: the summer 2020 riots andin some ways a closer analogythe all-but-forgotten riot in Washington on Inauguration Day 2017, as protesters challenged Donald Trumps election and legitimacy much as Jan. 6 rioters challenged Joe Bidens.

RealClearInvestigations has found that:

The summer 2020 riots resulted in some 15 times more injured police officers, 30 times as many arrests, and estimated damages in dollar terms up to 1,300 times more costly than those of the Capitol riot. George Floyd rioters were found to have used more sophisticated and dangerous tactics than did the Capitol rioters, and in some cases weapons of greater lethality.

Authorities have pursued the largely Trump-supporting Capitol rioters with substantially more vigor than suspected wrongdoers in the earlier two cases. Many accused Capitol rioters, unlike accused participants in the other riots, have been held in pretrial detention for monthswith one defendant serving more time than the maximum sentence for the charge to which he pleaded guilty. Some allegedly endured solitary confinement and other mistreatment.

With authorities applying lenient prosecutorial standards in many major cities torn by the summer riots, the vast majority of charges last year were dismissed, as were charges in the Inauguration 2017 unrest. Charges have to date been dropped in only a single Capitol riot case.

You can access the database here.

This article was written by the editors of RealClearInvestigations.
Afghan drivers and passengers stuck in a traffic jam look at Taliban fighters riding in the back of a pickup truck in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

ISIS Bomb Attacks on Taliban Raise Specter of Wider Conflict

DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesThe ISIS terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly roadside bombs targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan, raising the specter of wider conflict between the countrys new Taliban rulers and their long-time rivals.

A string of explosions struck Taliban vehicles in Afghanistans provincial city of Jalalabad over the weekend, killing eight people, among them Taliban fighters. On Monday, three more explosions were heard in the city, an ISIS stronghold, with unconfirmed reports of additional Taliban casualties.

The Taliban are under pressure to contain ISIS terrorists, in part to make good on a promise to the international community that they will prevent the staging of terror attacks from Afghan soil. There is also a widely held expectation among conflict-weary Afghans that, despite fears and misgivings about the Taliban, the new rulers will at least restore a measure of public safety.

We thought that since the Taliban have come, peace will come, said Feda Mohammad, a brother of an 18-year-old rickshaw driver who was killed in one of Sundays blasts, along with a 10-year-old cousin.

But theres no peace, no security. You cant hear anything except the news of bomb blasts killing this one or that, Mohammad said, speaking at the family home where relatives and neighbors gathered for a memorial ceremony, drinking black tea and reciting verses from the Quran.

The latest ISIS bombings come as the Taliban face the daunting task of governing a country shredded by four decades of war. The economy is in free fall, the health system on the verge of collapse, and thousands of members of the countrys educated elite have fled. International aid groups predict worsening drought, hunger, and poverty.

Our misery has reached its peak, Abdullah, a shopkeeper in Jalalabad, said Monday, a day after ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings that rocked the city the two days before.

People have no jobs, people sell their carpets to buy flour  still there are explosions and (ISIS) claims the attacks, said Abdullah, who, like many Afghans, goes by one name.

The weekend bomb blasts served as a reminder of the threat the terrorists pose. Just weeks ago, as American and foreign troops completed their withdrawal and frantic airlift from the country, ISIS suicide bombers targeted U.S. evacuation efforts outside Kabul international airport in one of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in years. The blast killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.

The events have bolstered fears of more violence, as ISIS terrorists exploit the vulnerability of an overstretched Taliban government facing massive security challenges and an economic meltdown.

Theyre making a very dramatic comeback, Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis Group consultant and an independent research analyst said of ISIS. There could be a long-term struggle between the groups.

For now, the Afghan affiliate of ISIS has shied away from attacks against the West and maintained a local focus, but that could potentially change, Bahiss said.

The aims of the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan are different from those of the Taliban, who seized control of the country days before the U.S. troop pullout last month. While the Taliban have fought to gain ground in Afghanistan, the ISIS chapter seeks to incorporate swaths of the country into a broader self-styled caliphate, or Islamic empire, across the Middle East.

The franchise, largely made up of Pakistani terrorists pushed across the border by military operations, first embraced the ISIS call for a worldwide jihad against non-Muslims in the months after the groups core fighters swept through Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014.

While they share enmity toward American forces and a harsh interpretation of Sunni Islam, the Taliban and ISIS are sworn enemies. Just as the Taliban battled U.S. coalition troops in the long Afghan war, the group also waged a successful offensive to drive ISIS terrorists from their enclaves in the countrys north and eastat times assisted by the United States and U.S.-backed Afghan government.

Despite years of U.S. airstrikes and other military setbacks that shrank ISIS ranks, the United Nations reported this year the group remains active and dangerous, a threat to Afghanistan and the wider region. The affiliate has mounted some of the countrys most brutal attacks in recent years on schools, mosques, and even a maternity hospital, mainly targeting the Shiite Muslim minority.

The affiliate has increasingly drawn hard-line Taliban defectors and foreign fighters disillusioned with what they see as the Talibans overly moderate ways. The New York-based Soufan Center said in an analysis on Monday that the franchise poses one of the most serious risks to future splintering of the Taliban  at a time when the group is seeking to gather strength and play a major spoiler role in Afghanistan. As a power struggle between pragmatists and ideologues in the Taliban leadership intensifies, the ISIS branch has ramped up recruiting efforts.

For now, Taliban forces far outnumber ISIS militants and experts doubt the extremist group poses an existential threat to Afghanistans new rulers. But if the bombings continue, said Franz Marty, a Kabul-based fellow at the Swiss Institute for Global Affairs, it could become a large problem.

Its impacting peoples perceptions. If the Taliban cant make good on their promise on securing the country, that could turn the tide of public sentiment against them in the east, he said.

Despite the residents concerns in Jalalabad, there had been a marked improvement in pubic safety elsewhere, including the capital of Kabul. Before the Taliban takeover, Kabul had been plagued by a sharp increase in crime, and many residents feared to leave their homes after dark.

But in Jalalabad, the grief-stricken father of the 10-year-old boy killed in Sundays blast described the recent attacks as an ominous portent.

We live in poverty and we dont have security, either, said Zarif Khan. Today, my son lost his life, tomorrow others sons will lose their lives.

By Isabel Debre And Rahim Faiez
A sign informing patients that they must be screened before admittance at an emergency room is seen at a health clinic in Kansas City, Kans., on March 26, 2020. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Kansas Hospitals to Receive Financial Support to Retain Nursing Staff

The state of Kansas is making $50 million available for hospitals in an effort to boost the retention of nursing staff and support personnel across the state.

We were extremely pleased to hear the SPARK committee approval of $50 million for a hospital employee retention plan, Cindy Samuelson, senior vice president of member and public relations at Kansas Hospital Association, told The Center Square. This is an important tool for hospitals to retain health care workers in these times when hospital staffing is a critical concern.

Though there are enough beds in the state to handle the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, there are not enough nurses to attend to those beds. The stress is so great that many nurses have chosen early retirement or opted out of acute care entirely.

Many of our nurses are risking their lives every day to save Kansans from COVID-19and the immense strain on our hospitals is causing them to be exhausted and disheartened, Gov. Laura Kelly said in a release. Theyre taking on extra shifts and caring for more patients than they can handleand its our responsibility to give them the support they need. Frontline nurses need this funding to continue battling the COVID-19 surge here at home.

Samuelson said hospitals that are eligible for the program include those that have an emergency department and are defined as general or critical access under KSA 65-425. The hospital allocation will be based upon the total licensed and ICU beds, and will factor in a staffing component. The funding can be utilized for either premium pay as defined by ARPA or for funding a program designed by the hospital. Eligible hospitals may be able to use these funds to retain existing clinical staff (nurses and other frontline care employees), re-hire retirees, and recently graduated nursing students.

The program will be administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. A specific date has not yet been confirmed as to when the funds will be made available.

By Kimberly James
Laguna Beach to Consider Banning Sales of Vapes, Tobacco Products

The City of Laguna Beach will consider an ordinance at their Sept. 21 council meeting that could restrict the sale of vape and tobacco products.

Brought forward by Councilmember George Weiss, the resolution, if voted for by the majority of council members would direct city staff to research and analyze the issue, draft an ordinance for the ban, and then reviewed by the council at a future meeting.

According to the agenda item, there are a list of benefits as a result of the ban, including decreasing the likelihood of teens starting to vape or smoke, lessening the impact of secondhand smoke, reducing cigarette butts along beaches, streets, and trails, lessening fire risk, and making Laguna Beach a healthier community.

This is not the first time the city has made efforts against smoking products before. Smoking in public areas was banned in 2017. In 2019, they considered banning all flavored vape and tobacco products in response to flavored products becoming more popular with teenagers compared to standard tobacco.

The agenda also lists Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics about tobacco, citing more than 16 million Americans live with a disease caused by smoking, at least 30 million Americans live with a serious smoking-related illness, and that second-hand smoke, which many people are involuntarily exposed to in public, contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which hundreds are toxic and 70 of them can cause cancer.

If passed, the smoking ban would be one of the strictest in Southern California, although Weiss suggested there would be exceptions for vape and tobacco sales within hotels, with other exemptions to be considered as well.
Lawmakers Aim to Stiffen Penalty for Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Violators

More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year. Now Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee members are proposing a move to more quickly bring toll violators into compliance to help the debt-ridden turnpike.

Currently, toll violators are subject to a suspended vehicle registration if they have at least six unpaid tolls, or total unpaid tolls of at least $500, with a three-year statute of limitations. The suspension continues until a violators outstanding tolls are fully paid.

A new rule would lower the threshold triggering a registration suspension from six violations of unpaid tolls to four violations, or from $500 in total unpaid tolls to $250. The statute of limitations would increase from three years to five years.

The proposal was recently announced by Republican State Rep. Tim Hennessey, majority chairman of the House Transportation Committee and Democrat Rep. Mike Carroll, minority chairman. Neither responded to a call for comment on Monday.

Serious About Collecting

The Pennsylvania Turnpike collected $1.3 billion in toll revenue in fiscal year 2019. That was before COVID-19.

In fiscal year 2021, which ended in May, it collected $1.2 billion, Carl DeFebo, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman told The Epoch Times in a phone interview.

Tolling has changed in the last year. In March of 2020, when the pandemic struck, the Turnpike Commission began operating without toll collectors. By June, the commission accelerated its plan to permanently replace human toll takers with all-electronic, cashless tollinga move planned for late 2021. Nearly 500 toll collectors lost their jobs.

Now, all vehicles passing through tolling areas are scanned with an electronic eye. Drivers with EZPass make up 85 percent of the Pennsylvania Turnpikes customers. They pay automatically as the system bills their bank account.

The electronic eye also takes photos of license plates on vehicles without EZPass. A bill is mailed to the vehicle owner.

It used to be a violation to drive through an EZPass lane without an EZPass transponder; now it is just a bill. This is where most nonpayments happen.

Some drivers ignore the bill, some license plates are obscured by snow, the vehicle owner may have moved to a new address, or there could be clerical errors while sending the bill.

The turnpike has an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to look up the address on license plates. It also works with all other state departments of transportation for initial toll billing.

Vehicle owners are sent an initial bill, then a 30-day notice. If they dont pay, the bill goes to a collection agency.

If that is unsuccessful, PennDOT will suspend the vehicle registration, assuming it is a Pennsylvania plate. Currently, it is the only state where PennDOT has the authority to suspend vehicle registration.

We dont have the authority to do that for other states, DeFebo said. We do have a reciprocal agreement with Delaware, but weve not begun to go after Delaware just yet. Delaware is still finalizing details on its side.

Each state has different consequences for ignoring tolling bills, DeFebo said. Some impose fines, some suspend vehicle registrations and others suspend drivers licenses.

The commission is talking with other states, such as New York, to create more reciprocal agreements that will hold out-of-state drivers accountable.

Collection doesnt end with suspended registrations. Some trucking companies owing large fines are taken to court. And now the Pennsylvania Turnpike is working with some district attorneys to press felony theft of services charges to those owing more than $2,000 in tolls.

We collect 93 percent of what we are owed, DeFebo said. That is industry standard.

But it is not enough to cover the Turnpikes $14 billion debt.

How Your Toll Money Is Spent

In 2007, there was talk of making Interstate 80 a toll road to pay for transportation infrastructure. Instead, Governor Ed Rendell signed Act 44, requiring the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to provide PennDOT with $450 million a year to supplement funding for highways, bridges, and public transit. In 2013, Act 89 modified the payments to dedicate the full amount to public transit.

To meet the Act 44 payment obligations, the turnpike borrowed money. The turnpike paid $450 million a year 2008 through 2021. Starting in 2022, the payment drops to $50 million a year and continues until 2057.

The turnpike owes around $8 billion for Act 44 loans, DeFebo said. It also borrowed for capital improvement projects. In 1985, Act 61 directed the Turnpike Commission to build two toll expansion highways. A 13-mile highway near Pittsburgh will open later this year, DeFebo said. The legislature has provided some funding for the project, but this also adds to the $14 billion debt.
(L-R) Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Okieriete Onaodowan, Phillipa Soo, Jon Kamen, Thomas Kail, Dave Sirulnick, and Jonathan Groff, winners of the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) award for 'Hamilton,' pose in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 19, 2021. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Los Angeles County Defends Emmys, Says Mask Exceptions Are Fine for Television Productions

Los Angeles County responded to criticism that the Emmy Awards, in which mostly maskless celebrities attended, did not follow proper COVID-19 protocols and didnt abide by the countys mask mandate.

The Emmys, it said, are a television production, which exempts the event from county rules around masks.

The Emmy Award Show is a television production, and persons appearing on the show are considered performers, the statement said. All persons appearing on or in the audience of the Emmy Award Show were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

County officials said that the organizers of the awards banquet for television had reached out to Public Health in advance to share their safety protocols, which exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions before adding that careful planning before large events is essential to assure that all health and safety requirements are adequately addressed.

Los Angeles County this summer re-imposed its mask mandates and claimed it was to stop the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant. And earlier this month, the county announced it would implement a vaccine passport mandate on many indoor events.

The Los Angeles County Public Health website (pdf) currently stipulates that EVERYONE, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask at all indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and public and private businesses in Los Angeles County. The website makes no mention of film and television productions.

Scenes captured from the Emmys, which was held inside a large tent, showed actors, musicians, athletes, and other celebrities without masks on while Emmy staff members and reporters had to wear them. The incident drew significant criticism on Twitter, with some complaining that celebrities are creating a double standard.

Actor Seth Rogen, a presenter at the show, offered negative feedback. Let me start by saying there is way too many of us in this little room! What are we doing? Rogen said. They said this was outdoors! Its not! They lied to us.

Emmys host Cedric the Entertainer later said during the show that attendees had to be vaccinated to attend.

A similar scenario unfolded earlier this month during the Met Gala in New York City, where fashion designers, models, and some elected officials attended without masks while staffers and media members had to have them on.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
Men Trapped in Addiction Are Led to Restoration in Baja California

They were literally shooting up gutter water on the streets of Tijuana, Pastor Robert Lortz told The Epoch Times.

They are people [who] are dying, and we are excited to bring them back with us if thats a decision that they want to make.

Its a sunny day in the small northern Baja California town of La Mision, Mexico, where the onshore sea breeze of the Pacific Ocean picks up dust and brings some measure of coolness to the acre-and-a-half property of Rancho Libertad, where Lortz and his team provide a place for men to rehabilitate from addictions.

But we do not call this a rehabilitation program, Lortz said.

Its restoration. We provide these guys a chance to connect with the Lord if they would like to stick around here with us. We want them to rebuild their lives.

Rancho Libertad is a privately financed residential recovery program that features bunk style housing and medical services for the many men who voluntarily check in. Many of these men are unaware of their own health issues because of intoxication from the drugs that keep the homeless on the streets of Tijuana.

We got guys coming in that were living along the Tijuana Riverbed that have literal gangrene on their bodies. We had another guy recently that had one of his eyes almost falling out. These are souls that we start to take care of and minister to here.

Rob Lortz looks upon the property of Ranch Libertad on Sept. 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Rebirth of a Leader

Lortz, who started experimenting with drugs and alcohol at the of age 14, while growing up in Southern California, struggled with addiction and prison stints up until the age of 30. It was within the confines of a prison cell that he began his walk with God after opening a Bible and landing on the Book of Romans, Chapter 13.

It was talking about submitting to the authorities, not being afraid, and doing what is right because of who God is. I had never even opened a Bible at that point in my life, and I begin to read that over and over.

I know now that the Holy Spirit was saying to me that youre not here because of the cops and not because somebody snitched on you. Youre here because you screwed up, and God is judging you for your sins for your lifestyle.

That was enough to get my attention to where when I got out, I walked into a church for the first time in my life, and I was sober.

Soon after leaving prison, Lortz walked into Calvary Chapel in Hemet, California, and had his first church experience.

I dont remember any amazing lights going off or anything like that on that day, but what I do remember is the love that a few individuals showed after taking an interest in my life.

After attending church and Bible study the next four weeks, Lortz listened to his pastor preach about the context of heaven at a Sunday service, and he accepted the call to welcome God into his life.

I did not know what it meant to be saved at that point and I did not even know what the gospel [was], but I knew that these people seemed happy, and Im not going back where I just came from.

The streets of Tijuana, Mexico, on Sept. 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

On a Mission

With Lortzs background in construction, he jumped in to help wherever he could at his church and used his skills when opportunities opened up. It was during this ministry work when a contact at church led him to serve with a rehabilitation outreach.

He had a little program where he had five to 10 guys at a time and they lived in a couple of little mobile homes. I thought, Wow, how cool is this?

I wish I had a place like that we when I was down in my life!

As Lortz continued to surround his life with the church, opportunities to serve would eventually lead him to use his skills in Haiti, the Philippines, and Mexico.

When Lortz noticed his construction business taking off, he purchased a two-and-a-half-acre property in Hemet with the goal of creating a location for Calvary Chapel ministries. Later, after the pastor of his church left the ministry, Lortz discovered a new path of leadership and was ordained as a minister.

I was planning on going to the Philippines to go on the mission field, and have  a little house in the back while he was going to run the ministry on the property, Lortz said.

Well, everything changed. I ended up with an empty property that was all prepared for ministry, and I remember that my wife and I were literally in our house that we had builtempty with a bunch of different buildings, and were praying to the Lord on how to handle this.

Immediately after their prayer, the couple heard a knock on their door that would shape their ministry direction.

It turned out to be one of the guys from our outreach who was drunk and lost. He asked us for help and we said, All right, man, come on in.

From there, more men soon followed. Lortz then understood that he was being led to serve his former selfmen lost in addiction who needed hope.

A sign points the way to Rancho Libertad in La Mision, Mex., on Sept. 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Rancho Libertad

While Lortz became familiar with Northern Baja on previous mission trips into Mexico, he felt encouraged to expand and build an area for men in need of addiction recovery there when a friend of his offered some land he owned in La Mision, Mexico.

Foundations were built whenever concrete came their way, and the buildings were constructed by volunteers from Calvary Chapel.

We build with whatever was needed for each project when there was materials and the money to do it, and whenever there was a team that was willing to help.

The first three projects were a 36-man bunk house, a cafeteria, and a chapel area. A mission house was then built for volunteer teams coming down from the United States to help with additional building projects and outreach work. A home was also built for Lortz and Eddie Yalah, a former patron of the program who is now a member of the staff at Rancho Libertad and leads worship music with his wife at the Calvary Chapel church on site.

I started this program seven years ago, and I started with necessity, Yalah told The Epoch Times.

I was on the streets before this program, and thats how I got to the Lord; I asked for help and He got me to Rancho Libertad.

After accepting an invitation onto Rancho Libertads bus, Yalah notes that he felt blessed from the beginning since arriving on the property, and he shared with The Epoch Times what life in the program was like.

Mornings at Rancho Libertad start with the men reading sections of the Book of Proverbs. At noon, the men read a Bible devotion together, and at night, a pastor will preach to them from a book in the Bible.

We get to hear about Jesus all day, Yalah said. Thats our program.

Since the start of the program, La Misions local community has witnessed the effect of its new neighbors, even before any major building began on site. The transformation of the men who decide to stay in the program was even noted by local government officials and police officers.

The officials and the people that are in this community know that this church and this group of people love them and want to serve them in every way, Lortz said with a smile.

Thats a good thing, right?
Haitians who were deported from the U.S. border with Mexico are attended by members of the IOM UN Migration organization before they get tested for COVID-19 at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sept. 20, 2021. (Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo)

Mexico Cracks Down on Migrants Amid Haitian Surge

ACUNA, MexicoAuthorities in Mexico have started blocking buses of migrants from reaching communities on the U.S.Mexico border and plan to start deporting Haitians back to their home country.

The Mexican government planned to start deporting migrants, primarily Haitians, on Sept. 21, Piedras Negras Mayor Claudio Bres told Mexican news outlet Zocalo on Sept. 20.

Bres and other officials were slated to meet Sept. 21 with counterparts from Eagle Pass, Texas, which sits just across the border from their city, as the U.S. scrambles to deal with an immigration crisis that shows no signs of slowing down.

More than 10,000 illegal immigrants had amassed in Del Rio, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass, in recent days. Most hail from Haiti.

Over 6,500 have been removed from the area by U.S. border authorities, while others have moved across the Rio Grande to Acuna, Mexico, to consider their options.

Illegal immigrants bathe and play on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, the international boundary with Mexico, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Mexican authorities also decided over the weekend that all foreign buses carrying migrants will be turned around if theyre trying to head to Piedras Negras or Acuna, Bres told a news conference on Sept. 19. Fines of up to $1,000 are being imposed on anyone who attempts to help the migrants.

Capt. Carlos Solis of the Salvation Army told The Epoch Times in Acuna on Sept. 20 that he was on a mission to see what the group could do, since they cant operate at this time in Piedras Negras. He said officials made migrants on about 200 buses disembark and walk on Sept. 19, though none were being deported, as he understood.

This is a complete crisis. These are people that have left everything behind, he said, estimating it would take about a week to deploy resources to feed about 500 migrants per day.

Bres said 71 foreign buses full of migrants went through Piedras Negras on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18. In one case, migrants exited a vehicle and became aggressive with border inspectors and other law enforcement officers. They were all arrested, including the driver.

The goal is that this waveall because its a big wave of foreign transports, and we counted them in the hundredsdoesnt reach the border, he said.

Illegal immigrants who made it to Del Rio told The Epoch Times that they took buses on at least part of their journey.

Bres later said the bus order stemmed from the flood of migrants that have traveled through Mexico to the United States since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January and dramatically altered immigration enforcement rules.

There have been some situations that many of us here in Mexico may not understand in regard to what the U.S. Congress has considered and the White House has implemented, he told Zocalo.

I dont want to get into details. But after that, there was a big exodus of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border, he added.

Other countries along the trek to the United States have also signaled displeasure with the current state of affairs. Erika Mouynes, Panamas foreign minister, told a regional meeting on Sept. 18 that a few months ago, just 800 migrants were passing through the country towards the United States. That has ballooned to over 20,000.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador didnt mention either deal at a press conference in Mexico City on Sept. 20, but did say he had penned a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden asking his counterpart to revamp efforts on immigration.

Biden has presided over what is on track to be the worst border crisis in recorded history, in terms of the number of immigrants who have entered the United States illegally and have been encountered by U.S. agents and officers. The number topped 200,000 in both July and August.

A migrant seeking asylum in the U.S. shows his smartphone with instructions on how to get to the U.S., in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Go Nakamura/Reuters)

Illegal immigrants bring supplies from Acuna, Mexico, into the United States across the Rio Grande, the international boundary with Mexico, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Lopez Obrador told Biden that the United States should invest immediately in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvadorthree countries from which many immigrants begin their journeysasserting that a U.S. investment would be assisting 330,000 people in less than six months who would see this joint action as a hope, according to AFP. While the Mexican president has previously ordered Mexicos National Guard to break up some migrant caravans, he has done little to stop the surge pressing toward the United States.

A Mexican government official told The Associated Press that deportation flights would be leaving this week from towns near the U.S. border, as well as near the countrys southern border with Guatemala. The flights would return Haitian nationals to their home country, the official said.

Migrant officials in Haiti told the outlet that six deportation flights were scheduled to land in the country on Sept. 21, including three in Port-au-Prince, where U.S. officials have deported at least three planeloads of Haitians.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Del Rio on Sept. 20 that the Biden administration is working with source and transit countries in the region to accept individuals who previously resided in those countries. He added that the White House has directed appropriate U.S. agencies to work with the Haitian and other regional governments to provide assistance and support to the deportees.

U.S. officials continue to claim the border isnt open, even as the United States sees high levels of illegal immigration. Some of the illegal immigrants are expelled per federal law or the pandemic-era Title 42 powers, while others are allowed to stay with an order to appear in court down the road.

The United States granted temporary protected status to Haitian nationals who were in the United States before July 29, but that status doesnt apply to any of the immigrants who have flooded Del Rio.

Ileana Alescio contributed to this report.

Charlotte Cuthbertson Senior Reporter Follow Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis. charlottecuthbo
Mark and Patricia McCloskey stand in front of their house holding firearms as protesters walk through the gated neighborhood in the Central West End of St. Louis, Mo., on June 28, 2020. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Missouri Official Asks Supreme Court to Suspend Mark and Patricia McCloskeys Law Licenses

A Missouri official last week asked the state Supreme Court to suspend the law licenses of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who were seen wielding guns last year to defend their home from Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists who walked through their private, gated neighborhood.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, both personal injury lawyers, pleaded not guilty in October 2020 to felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering. No shots were fired during the incident at their home.

More recently, Mark, 64, pleaded guilty to a Class C misdemeanor of fourth-degree assault, while Patricia, 62, pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor of second-degree harassment. They were required to pay maximum fines of $750 and $2,000, respectively. At the time, they did not lose their law licenses.

Both were both pardoned by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in July.

But last week, Alan Pratzel, the state Supreme Courts chief disciplinary officer, filed a motion in court to have both Mark and Patricias licences suspended, according to KCUR-FM.

Pratzel said both crimes showed indifference to public safety and involved moral turpitude, warranting discipline of the pair.

The Supreme Courts chief cited a number of other Missouri cases in which lawyers were disciplined for crimes involving moral turpitude and recommended the Supreme Court suspend the McCloskeys licenses indefinitely.

While both McCloskeys were pardoned by Republican Gov. Mike Parson on July 30, Pretzel noted that although the pardon takes away a persons conviction, the persons guilt remains.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey leave following a court hearing in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 14, 2020. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

In this screenshot from the RNCs livestream of the 2020 Republican National Convention, Patricia and Mark McCloskey, a couple from St. Louis who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters, addresses the virtual convention in a pre-recorded video broadcast on Aug. 24, 2020. (Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

Both McCloskeys were admitted to the Missouri bar in 1986 and practice together as the McCloskey Law Center where they focus on personal injury, medical malpractice, and defective products cases.

Their charges relate to a June 28 incident when they brandished guns outside their home in what they said was self-defense as BLM protesters entered their gated neighborhood while walking to the nearby home of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson to protest George Floyds death in Minneapolis.

The couple said in a statement that their actions were borne solely of fear and apprehension and said the group was trespassing on a private street.

Nine Black Lives Matter protesters who were involved in the incident were initially arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing, but on Sept. 29 the city counselors office dropped the charges.

In last weeks court filings, Pretzel also noted that Mark McCloskey told the media that he would commit the same act against if under the same circumstances.

Respondents public statements aggravate because they indicate his refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing and demonstrate his lack of respect for the judicial process that he had recently participated in, the motion states.

In August, Mark McCloskey filed a lawsuit in St. Louis City Circuit Court to have the guns returned and to have fines the couple paid returned to them.

The politically-motivated charges that were used to seize our guns were dropped and now the Governor has granted both Patty and me pardons, Mark said in a statement. I filed a lawsuit today to demand that the Circuit Attorney return our guns immediately.

Mark McCloskey is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.
North Carolina Hospital System Suspends Hundreds of Employees After COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

A North Carolina health care system said it suspended hundreds of its employees after the firm implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, adding that workers who refuse to get vaccinated after five days will be fired.

Beginning this week, approximately 375 team membersacross 15 hospitals, 800 clinics and hundreds of outpatient facilitieshave been confirmed to be non-compliant and are not able to report to work, stated a press release from Novant Health, which is based in North Carolina but operates in other states.

They will have an opportunity to comply over a five day, unpaid suspension period, the release said. If a team member remains non-compliant after this suspension period, he or she will have their employment with Novant Health terminated.

The firm then claimed that about 98.5 percent of its workforce are compliant with the policy, meaning they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Workers who started a two-dose vaccine series have until Oct. 15 to get the second shot, Novant said.

Employees who have an exemption are required to get weekly COVID-19 testing, as well as wear N95 masks and eye protection, it added.

In a similar move, 125 workers with Indiana University Health, the biggest hospital system in the state, parted ways with the company, according to a news release issued last week. Those workers, it said, did not comply with the firms vaccine mandate.

Indiana University Health has put the safety and well-being of patients and team members first by requiring employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 1, the company said in a Sept. 16 statement. After a two-week unpaid suspension period ending Sept. 14, a total of 125 employees, the equivalent of 61 full-time employees, chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and have left the organization.

It comes as President Joe Biden on Sept. 9 announced he would direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to penalize companies with 100 or more employees if they do not comply with his administrations COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Under the mandate, details of which have not been released, private-sector workers would have to either get the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.

The president also said he would mandate that all health care workers who are employed at facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding get vaccinated.

Republican leaders, as well as some union bosses, have criticized Biden for the announcement and said its tantamount to federal overreach. Some governors and state attorneys general have threatened to file lawsuits against the mandate.
NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Sept. 21)

Authorities are clearing the encampment under the Del Rio Bridge in Texas, President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City Tuesday, and Democrats and Republicans in Congress are debating the details to avoid an economic catastrophe.
New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio presents a proclamation at the 46th Precincts National Night Out in the Bronx borough of New York City on Aug. 3, 2021. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

NYC Restores Weekly COVID-19 Testing for Unvaccinated Public School Students

Amid pressure from the teachers union, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced that public school students will undergo more frequent testing for COVID-19.

Under the new rule, every school will randomly test students each week, instead of every two weeks. However, only a random 10 percent of unvaccinated students whose parents have submitted consent for testing will be tested.

We will now go to weekly testing. Well be testing in elementary, middle, and high school each school every week, de Blasio said at a press briefing. That will allow more kids to safely remain in the classrooms.

In addition, unvaccinated students who wear masks and follow the 3-foot physical distancing rule will no longer have to quarantine if a classmate is tested positive for COVID-19. De Blasio said this is in alignment with public health guidance from the federal government.

We will change the quarantine approach and will align to the CDC guidance on that, he explained. When there is a positive test in a classroom, the unvaccinated students in the classroom will not have to quarantine, if they are masked and three-feet distanced.

The changes will go into effect on Sept. 27, which is also the deadline for every New York City employee who works in a school to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The mayors announcement comes a day after United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew argued that the city should increase testing for children younger than 12 years old, who arent yet eligible to be vaccinated.

I am concerned that this years reduced frequency of COVID testing means that thousands of children will spend days in classrooms without the early warning system that last year made our schools among the safest places in the community, Mulgrew wrote in a letter to de Blasio.

Mulgrew noted that fewer than half of the citys more than 1,800 schools and sites were tested in the first week of class, and that 663 classrooms have been fully or partially closed. He said that number would likely be even higher if the city had a thorough and rigorous weekly testing protocol.

New York City on Sept. 13 reopened its classroom doors to nearly 1 million students, many of whom were returning for the first time since March 2020, when the pandemic prompted the nations largest public school system to close.

Roughly 40 percent of New York Citys public school students went back into their classrooms this past spring, after city officials allowed families to opt between remote or in-person learning. In a change of course, however, de Blasio announced that the remote option would no longer be available in the fall and that all students would attend school in-person, with few exemptions for those with certain medical conditions.
Julius Jones is seen in a Feb. 5, 2018, file photograph. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP)

Oklahoma Schedules First Executions Since 2015

The first executions since 2015 in Oklahoma were scheduled Monday. Theyre slated to start on Oct. 28.

Oklahoma officials say the seven inmates scheduled to be executed have exhausted all of the appeals and that no further legal impediments to their executions remain, state judges said.

Additionally, the inmates last month who had joined a lawsuit challenging the states lethal injection protocols were dropped because they did not designate an alternative method of execution to the three-drug combination that the state plans on using.

Based upon a thorough review of the record before this Court, we find that the setting of execution dates in these cases is now appropriate and required due to state law, Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Scott Rowland, Robert Judson, Gary Lumpkin, and David Lewis wrote in the scheduling order.

John Marion Grant, convicted of first-degree murder for killing Gay Carter, a food service supervisor at a correctional center in Hominy, in 1998, is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 28.

Julius Darius Jones, convicted of capital murder in the 1999 shooting death of businessman Paul Howell in Edmond, is set for execution on Nov. 18.

Bigler Jobe Stouffer, convicted in the 1985 murder of teacher Linda Reaves and attempted murder of Doug Ivens, is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 9.

Wade Green Lay, convicted in the 2004 murder of security guard Kenney Anderson, is set to be executed on Jan. 6, 2022.

Donald Anthony Grant, Gilbert Ray Postelle, and James Allen Coddington are also scheduled for execution next year.

Oklahoma Attorney General John OConner had asked in August for the court to schedule the executions.

The seven inmates to be scheduled for execution were convicted of heinous crimes. They either didnt challenge the protocol or offer an alternative method of execution, OConnor said in a statement at the time. In 2016, two-thirds of Oklahomans voted to insert capital punishment into the constitution. My job as the states chief law enforcement officer is to enforce the laws of the state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma voters passed a ballot measure that disallowed state courts from declaring the death penalty against the states Constitution.

Amanda Bass, a lawyer for Jones, said in a statement to news outlets that he is innocent and that she hopes Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, adopts the recommendation from the states Pardon and Parole Board to commute the death sentence.

Stitt and other state officials announced last year plans to resume execution by lethal injection after halting executions due to issues with drugs used. State officials said they found a reliable supply of drugs needed for their updated protocol.

It is important that the state is implementing our death penalty law with a procedure that is humane and swift for those convicted of the most heinous of crimes, Stitt said at the time.
RMIT graduates gather at the Melbourne Tesltra Dome for their graduation ceremony at Melbourne's CBD in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 17, 2008. (Luis Enrique Ascui / Getty Images )

One of Australias Most Prestigious Universities is Alleged to Have Withheld $17 Million in Wage Payments

One of Australias most prestigious universities, RMIT University in Melbourne, has been accused of significant and systemic wage theft by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). The union alleged hundreds of casual academic staff were affected over several years.

In a media release on Sept. 20, the NTEO said according to its calculations, RMIT allegedly underpaid hundreds of academic casual staff over $17 million (US$12.36 million), and noted it had requested that Wage Inspectorate Victoria investigate whether RMITs alleged underpayment of staff amounted to criminal wage theft under Victorias new wage theft legislation.

Victorias new wage theft law states that employers who deliberately and dishonestly underpay employees could face a fine of up to $218,088 (US$158,000) or up to 10 years in jail for individuals and a fine of up to $1.1 million (US$800,000) for companies.

An RMIT spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the university is committed to ensuring that employees receive their full entitlements and is continuing to review details of the evidence provided.

However, the university refused to give further comment on NTEUs allegations.

If ever RMIT is provided with evidence to suggest that any employee may not have been correctly paid, it will investigate the matter, the spokesperson said.

In instances when an error may have inadvertently occurred, RMIT would, of course, rectify the error.

The unions latest legal action against RMIT comes after it took the university to the Fair Work Commission in 2020 over new marking rates, which limited tutors to 10 minutes to grade an assessment, half of the previous time allocation.

The accusations of wage theft followed in June 2021 when the NTEU alleged the entirety of RMITs 16 academic schools failed to pay the correct marking rate for academic judgment to casual academic employees.

In July, the union provided an evidence brief consisting of materials implicating 10 of RMITs schools in academic judgment wage theft to the university.

According to a report by The Age, RMITs enterprise agreement in 2018 and 2014 stated casual staff must be paid an extra 25 percent, where academic judgment is exercised in marking assessments, employees payslips showed that the university paid casual staff the standard marking rate, which was $10 to $20 an hour less than the academic judgment rate required.

In an update to members on Sep. 3, NTEU said RMIT had initially refused to meet with the rank-and-file and only consented to 10 members attending the meeting between the two parties.

The union also noted that after hearing the accounts of casual staff who were affected by the underpayments, RMIT said it was not in a position to have further discussions on the issue until they had conferred with the Fair Work Ombudsman, which had been in contact with the university about the wage theft allegations.

NTEU has proposed a resolution that calls for RMIT to pay back wages for affected staff, correct policies regarding casual marking rates, and apologise to casual academic employees.

Since the beginning of the unions campaign, a number of individual members have won thousands of dollars in back pay.

In June, RMIT Chief People Officer Megan Marshall stated that she would be shocked and very disappointed if such behaviours were to actually arise, adding that the university treated the allegations as a very serious matter.

NTEU Victorian Assistant Secretary Sarah Roberts said the case at RMIT was unfortunately not an isolated incident.

Weve seen similar instances now at the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University here in Victoria, as well as a recent case involving millions of dollars and hundreds of casual staff at the University of Sydney, she said.

Wage theft in our universities is not a one-off scandal, but an ingrained crisis. And its most powerful ingredient is the insecure work inflicted on university workers through short-term contracts and casual employment.

According to a report by the ABC on Aug. 18, 10 of Australias 39 public universities are repaying wages, conducting audits, or are in dispute with casual academic employees over underpayments.

The list includes the University of Melbourne, UNSW, Macquarie University, UTS, University of Sydney, and Monash University.

The root cause of wage theft is insecure casual and contract employment, said NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes.

This creates a completely lopsided power dynamic. Managers feel confident to squeeze employees. And employees are intimidatedthey think if they enforce their rights, itll limit their career prospects. Insecure employment creates wage theft.

RMIT suffered the greatest deficit among Australian universities last year, reporting that it was $55.93 million in the red.
It might be painful to imagine that anything good can come from death. But there are lessons that only death can teach us. (Stock-Asso/Shutterstock)

Perspective on Death Is a Good Thing to Gain

Working with terminally ill patients provides unique lessons on deathand life

If youve ever suffered the throes of grief, the idea of anything good coming from death seems cruel. Entertaining the idea feels impossible. Thats normal. It takes time and distance to get a broader, more accurate perspective. Its worth the trouble to gain it because getting a fresh perspective on this loss can help you endure it and live a more meaningful life.

As a doctor who serves the terminally ill, Ive witnessed patients receive a grim diagnosis and then fight a brave but losing battle against illness.

Ive seen loved ones huddle in hospital emergency rooms following an accident to wait nervously for good news that would never come.

Ive sat with patients, couples, and entire families as they wrestled with end-of-life decisions.

I have also worked with sick patients in Rwanda, a country torn apart by genocide and affected deeply by the impact of the early AIDS crisis.

Your perspective on death changes through these experiences.

Lesson 1: Nobility

The first time I cared for a patient who died was traumatic for me as a young doctor. I can still picture the medical ward in which he lay. He had been placed somewhat close to the nurses station, positioned centrally in the ward because he was a special case who required special care.

As I cared for him that first month, his shrinking body took up less and less of the bed. Each morning, I would make my first set of rounds alone, walking from bed to bed, taking notes as I went. When I would reach his bed, I would gently touch his bony shoulder to rouse him from sleep. He would always have a greeting. He was a generous man, kind and ingratiating even as he suffered a slow death.

When he looked worse than usual one day, I asked my resident if we could do a lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis. When the answer was yes, my heart skipped a beat. I had never done one.

Please dont let me hurt him, I whispered to myself as I gathered materials from the supply closet. He watched as I prepared. With medication, his fever had dipped, and his eyes were a little brighter. He looked at me and said, I trust you.

The mans quiet strength humbled me, shamed my selfish thoughts, and ultimately changed me. He taught me that no matter what, I have to choose my patients over myself, every single time. He was showing and teaching me what true nobility looks like.

Lesson 2: Humility and Empathy

The procedure went without incident, but later that day his fever returned, and he began to have difficulty breathing. The last thing I did before the end of my shift was to walk alongside him as we moved him to the intensive care unit. A swarm of ICU nurses and doctors took over, and I watched in fear, not for myself but for this tiny slip of a man who had taught me so much.

The next morning, I rose earlier than normal. Upon arriving at the hospital, I went straight to the ICU. Peeking into my patients room, I saw a freshly made bed. The room was empty and still, free from all of the chaos that had been swirling there only a few hours before.

He didnt make it. My first death  my first death! Sorrow overwhelmed me. I failed him. I failed! What could I have done differently or faster? Was I somehow responsible? Was there any good in that procedure?

I learned through him that serving someone with humility and empathy is its own reward, and the only bulwark against the pain and guilt that weighs on the heart after someone departs.

Lesson 3: Death

That patients death affected me in profound ways. He taught me important lessons that made me a better doctor and human. Since then, Ive accumulated more lessons on death and dying.

I learned through working with the terminally ill that patients usually die the same way people go bankruptgradually, then suddenly.

I learned that physical touch with compassion and empathy matters deeply.

I learned through working with AIDS patients that shame should never be attached to a disease.

I learned that strength of the soul matters more than strength of the body.

I learned that the only way to avoid deaths from weighing on my heart, some with the spectacular weight of monuments to failure, is to know that I cared for that individual with all my heart, soul, and mindI mean, really cared.

Id like to think that my first patient somehow knows the enormous impact he had on me as a young doctorand the ripple effect his life has had on so many others Ive cared for. Because he was a generous man, knowing this would make him break into a big smile.

And thats the biggest lesson of all.

When were fortunate enough to live through someones death, were able to glimpse the truth that things arent merely what they seem in any given moment. Where once we assumed that at death, the story and power of a life was over, perspective helps us see that its not. Not by a long shot.
Photos Show Sheriffs Deputies Folding American Flag Saved From Barbwire Fence After Hurricane Ida

After Hurricane Ida left hundreds of thousands of Louisianans without power, and rendered over 10,000 homeless, one dad from Old Mandeville witnessed a site for sore eyes, offering some comfort.

Businessman Shane Mutter, 42, was driving with his kids along Florida Street in St. Tammany Parish, en route to check on their home, when he spotted two local sheriffs deputies on the side of the road.

He saw that they were retrieving an American flag that had fallen from its pole onto a barbed wire fence and decided to photograph the sight for posterity.

Mutter said he felt uplifted by the deputies show of respect and patriotism, particularly in these deplorable times, as he said, where people are looking for unity.

The dad pointed out the officers example to his kids for them to learn from.

This was a teaching moment, he told The Epoch Times. We must be good stewards to our children and community as they are the future leaders and should understand these lessons in life.

They watched as the deputies stretched the fabric taut and began to fold the flag.

I was overwhelmed by their actions and felt a real sense of pride to not only be a U.S. citizen but a citizen of St. Tammany Parish, Mutter said, before praising the communitys leadership and calling the deputies under local Sheriff Randy Smith amazing.

As for the photos, Mutter posted them on Facebook, where they attracted media attentionas the dad, grasping the magnitude of the situation, thought they might.

I had a feeling that it would be something of significance, he said. I was appreciative of peoples reactions, and [they] made me feel blessed that I had the opportunity to take this photo and share it for the world to see.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 20, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Psaki Defends Not Requiring Negative COVID-19 Tests, Vaccine Proof From Immigrants

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday defended the Biden administrations decision not to require negative COVID-19 test results or proof of vaccination from people illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Psaki, responding to a question from a reporter on whether border patrol officials ask to see proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or negative test results if somebody walks into the country, right across the river, said illegal immigration is not comparable to foreign nationals who arrive by airplane to the United States.

The question was prompted by the White House announcement on Monday that all foreign visitors need to be vaccinated and present proof of their vaccination before boarding a U.S.-bound flight. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said at a press conference that individuals also must show a negative COVID-19 test at least 72 hours before flying.

As individuals come across the border, they are both assessed for whether they have any symptoms. If they have symptoms, the intention is for them to have to be quarantined, Psaki said, referring to individuals illegally entering from the southern border. That is our process.

Psaki said that both situations are not comparable.

Theyre not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time. I dont think its the same thing, she added.

President Joe Biden has presided over what is on track to be the worst border crisis in U.S. history in terms of the number of illegal immigrants that U.S. agents and officers have encountered. The number topped 200,000 in both July and August.

Counties along the southern border have found COVID-19 positivity rates of up to 40 percent in illegal immigrants, sparking concerns over their being sent by federal authorities to communities across the United States when potentially COVID-19 positive.

The city of Laredo, Texas, sued the federal government recently to block the transport and release of illegal immigrants into the city after local NGOs became overwhelmed with the volume of untested illegal immigrants. The city subsequently withdrew the lawsuit after reaching an agreement with federal authorities.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott engaged in a back-and-forth with Attorney General Merrick Garland after issuing an executive order that restricted the transportation of illegal aliens into Texas due to COVID-19. Abbotts order was blocked by a federal judge.

We are expelling individuals based on Title 42 specifically because of COVID because we want to prevent a scenario where large numbers of people are gathering posing a threat to the community and also to the migrants themselves, Psaki added.

ACUNA, Mexico: Haitians Ive spoken to so far think everyone is going to be deported. Some are bringing their belongings back to the Mexican side to decide what to do. All have lived in Chile or Brazil for at least 2 years. All say going back to Haiti is not an option. pic.twitter.com/f7HJG0eF9l  Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) September 20, 2021

The White House press secretarys comments come as over 10,000 illegal immigrants have amassed in Del Rio, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass, in recent daysthe majority from Haiti.

U.S. border authorities have so far removed over 6,500 from the area.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
Retired State Senator in New Battle Against Domestic Communism

Richard Hayden Black says communism is spreading at 'breakneck pace,' seizing power by creating divisions

A Vietnam War veteran and former Virginia state senator is at the center of a new battle: pushing back on domestic communism in the United States.

After 16 years in the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate, Sen. Richard Hayden Black withdrew from the office in 2020, but not the community. On June 22, he spoke at a school board meeting in his county of residence, Loudoun County.

The county is west of Washington, D.C., where liberal-leaning northern Virginia and the more conservative parts of the state meet. It has become ground zero for the fight against critical race theory (CRT), a variation of Marxism that interprets society through the lens of racial class struggle and sees inherent racism in the foundations of Western societies.

Blacks self-introduction caused a stir in the crowd. A sense of respect and anticipation arose in the air. People knew him and burst into louder and louder cheers as he criticized school board members for suppressing freedom of speech by encouraging an enemies list to punish CRT opponents.

He moved on to condemn the proposed transgender policies, which allow boys who self-identify as girls to use girls bathrooms and locker rooms. The crowd cheered more, and many stood up to express their agreement.

Immediately, the school board members voted to end the public comment period and retreated from the dais, making Black the approximately 50th and effectively the last speaker out of 289 total registered. As he was walking toward the exit of the boardroom, many approached him to thank him and shake hands with him.

Defending freedom isnt new for Black. He spent 32 years altogether in the U.S. Marine Corps (rising to the rank of colonel) and the U.S. Army JAG Corps, the legal arm of the U.S. Army. He holds three Legions of Merit, the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with V for Valor, the Combat Action Ribbon, and two Presidential Unit Citations.

Face-to-Face With Communism

The last time he was face-to-face with communism was in Vietnam. Lord, if this is it, Im ready. But if not, I wont forget, Black said his shortest prayer ever in a rice paddy near Hoi An, Vietnam, in 1967. Mortar shells whistled by, landing closer and closer to where he took cover in the mud. One more would have hit him.

He survived, and he didnt forget.

Black points to a photo taken on May 8, 1967, when he and his radioman chose to go on a rescue mission; at the time they were awaiting the next flight home. Ten minutes after the photo was taken, everyone in the photo was wounded or killed. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

In 1966, on a flight to bring in supplies to a South Vietnamese encampment, Black flew over a village. All of the people in the village had been beheaded. The mothers, the fathers, everybody, their heads were on poles. There was just enormous brutality and cruelty. Its not that the United States didnt make mistakes in Vietnam, but anyone who thought that we were on the wrong side does not understand the evil of the people who took over there.

Many years later, in 2012, Black met with generals and senior officials of the government of South Vietnam; all of them had been imprisoned in concentration camps after the communists took over. They spent a large part of their lives in those camps, anywhere from 13 to 26 years. They said about a third of all the people in the camps died there.

In some camps, the men would just be stripped naked and sent to the jungle to forage for grubs, insects, and earthworms. And if their wives knew they were in that camp, the wives would want to bring them food. The only way they were ever allowed to bring food was if they would submit to rape by the camp guards. So, you can imagine what that put the wives through. The choice of watching their husband starve to death or submitting to rape is just so fundamentally evil, said Black.

One official from a Catholic village recalled that, after Saigons fall, the communists tracked down the parish priest and took him to the center of the village. They forced all of the people from the village to come and watch. Then, they lit the priest on fire. They burned him to death as a way of saying, if youre a Christian, this is what happens to you. Youre next.

In Blacks view, communism became a religion, and thats why it excluded all other faiths.

A Changed America

Black returned to the United States in 1967 and saw America going through disturbing changes. He had worked in the reptile industry in Florida before leaving for Vietnam. While enjoying the solitude of the swamps as he used to do, he saw teenage girls hitchhiking down the road after midnight.

It symbolized the coming collapse of American culture, said Black, adding that although he saw it in Florida, it was happening across the nation. It was sort of this free love, drugs, and sex era that came out of the Vietnam times. And so that was the first that I started seeing the unraveling of America, Americas culture. Its not necessarily the only one. For me, I was 22 when I came back from Vietnam, and I found it troubling.

Black studied at the University of FloridaGainesville, where he found that the Soviet Union had infiltrated the anti-war movement and was using it for its own ends. Eric Dittis, a fellow student and head of the Student Mobilization to End the War, mobilized thousands of people and sent them to Washington to protest.

Black said he and Dittis shared an odd friendship as they were both ideology-driven, albeit very different ideologies. He asked Dittis where he got the money to organize such big demonstrations. Dittis shared that his organization was almost entirely funded by the Soviet Union.

Black said Karl Marx, the original author of communism, anticipated uniting peasants against landowners and capitalists. However, when communism was implemented in Russia, communists discovered that workers were easier to organize. Every culture has this friction over fault lines that communists seek to exploit, said Black. During the days of the Soviet Union, they always recognized that race was a dividing point.

The cultural changes, the moral changes, are sort of the underpinnings for everything. Its the foundation. But what Im seeing is that were taking away the foundations of a stable country and that I am watching communism spreading at a breakneck pace because communism always attempts to seize power by creating divisions.

Richard Hayden Black at his residence in Virginia. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

The Battle Continues

It has reached an incredibly dangerous point at this time, where we honestly risk the fragmentation and disintegration of our culture. I cant tell you that Im sure that the United States will exist as a cohesive nation 20 years from now. I cant say that, said Black.

We are in a situation today where the communists back when I was in college realized that the fissure in American society was a racial one. And theyve worked very hard to exploit that. And at the same time, they recognize that to collapse society and bring about a communist revolution, they have to also take out all of the moral underpinnings of society. And this is what we see being done.

His speech at the June 22 Loudoun County School Board meeting was one of his efforts in pushing back domestic communism. At the age of 77, Black is still fighting. If I doubt that America is going to hang together for 20 more years, and my grandchildren are going to be young men and women 20 years from now, theyve got to live. I want something left of this country. That makes it worthwhile.
The grave of murdered ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko is seen at Highgate Cemetery in London on Jan. 21, 2016. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Russia Responsible for Killing Ex-KGB Spy Litvinenko in UK, European Court Rules

Russia was responsible for the 2006 assassination of ex-KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found.

Former Russian spy Litvinenko, who had become an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and had defected to Britain, died after being poisoned with a rare radioactive substance in London in 2006.

A public inquiry in the UK found in 2016 that two Russian menAndrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtunhad deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death.

The British inquiry, led by the former high court judge Sir Robert Owen, concluded that the murder had probably been carried out with Putins approval.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the European court said it had found that there was a strong prima facie case that, in poisoning Mr. Litvinenko, Mr. Lugovoy and Mr. Kovtun had been acting as agents of the Russian State.

The court noted that the Russian government had failed to provide any other satisfactory and convincing explanation of the events or counter the findings of the UK inquiry.

The court found no evidence that either man had any personal reason to kill Litvinenko and would not have had access to the substance if acting on their own behalf. State involvement is the only remaining plausible explanation, the findings said.

The Russian authorities have always denied any involvement in Litvinenkos death. And Britain has been unable to pursue criminal proceedings because Russia has refused to hand over the suspects.

Litvinenkos widow Marina, who took the case to the ECHR, said after the ruling that it was a very important day as the findings highlighted Russias brutal regime.

Marina Litvinenko holds a copy of a report at a press conference in her lawyers office after receiving the results of the inquiry into the death of her husband Alexander Litvinenko, in London on Jan. 21, 2016. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

Its important that Russia takes responsibility, she told Sky News, adding, We must not give up the fight against this anti-democratic regime in Russia.

A Russian judge sitting on the ECHR panel, Dmitry Dedov, disagreed with his six colleagues on the courts main finding.

I found many deficiencies in the analysis by the British inquiry and by the Court which raise reasonable doubts as to the involvement of the suspects in the poisoning and whether they were acting as agents of the State, he said.

The court ordered Russia to pay Marina Litvinenko 100,000 euros ($117,000) in damages and 22,500 euros in costs.

Marina Litvinenko said she did not know whether she would be paid the money, but that she still hopes to bring the people responsible for her husbands death to justice in the UK.

PA and Reuters contributed to this report.
In this screenshot from a police camera video, Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Gabby Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

Search for Gabby Petitos Fiance Resumes in Florida Preserve: Officials

The search for the missing fiance of Gabby Petito resumed at a Florida wildlife preserve on Tuesday morning, said police in an announcement, coming two days after authorities discovered the body of a woman believed to be Petito in Wyoming.

The North Port Police Department wrote on Twitter that the search for Brian Laundrie, who is considered a person of interest in the investigation, will begin again in Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre area located near Laundrie family home. Laundrie has not been charged with a crime in the disappearance of Petito, although he had refused to speak to police.

We join the FBI in asking for continued public assistance by sharing any information through the tip lines, said the North Port Police Department in a statement. The department on Monday called off a search of the area.

Hours later on Monday, the FBI confirmed it executed a search warrant of the Laundrie family home. Reporters on the scene captured video footage and images of agents taking his parents out of the house, as North Port Police officers confirmed the home is a crime scene.

Before embarking on a road trip across the country, Laundrie and Petito were living with the mans parents in North Port. They had left in a converted van to visit national parks in the western United States and got in a fight along the way.

Law enforcement officials conduct a search for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Fla., on Sept. 18, 2021. (North Port Police Department via AP)

Police told media outlets that Laundrie was alone when he returned back to Florida. Family members reported Petito missing earlier this month.

On Sunday, FBI agents in Wyoming said they discovered a body near Grand Teton National Park. An autopsy to determine the cause of death and identity is scheduled for this week.

Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100 percent that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified, FBI agent Charles Jones told The Associated Press.

Later on Monday, officials released a 911 call in Moab, Utah, revealing that Petito and Laundrie were apparently fighting before a witness called authorities to report the incident.

The caller, a male bystander, told a police dispatcher: Hi, Im calling. Im right on the corner of Main Street by Moonflower. And were driving by and Id like to report a domestic dispute to Florida with a white that Florida license plate. White Van, gentlemen. 56 Beard.

When pressed further, the caller said, We drove by him a gentleman was slapping the girl. The caller then stopped his vehicle, he said, They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her  hops in the car. And they drove off.
Leon Black is seen in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 1, 2018. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

Second Woman Accuses Leon Black of Rape; Blacks Rep Calls Claim Complete Fiction

NEW YORKA second woman has accused former Apollo Global Management Inc Chief Executive Leon Black of rape, saying he attacked her in the late financier Jeffrey Epsteins mansion in Manhattan in 2002.

The claim, by a woman identified as Jane Doe, was included in a proposed amended civil lawsuit filed on Monday night by Guzel Ganieva, who has accused the 70-year-old Black of rape and other sexual abuse and is seeking unspecified damages.

This claim is complete fiction and has no basis in fact or law, a representative for Black said on Tuesday. It is telling that it is asserted anonymously and concerns events that allegedly occurred some 20 years ago.

It is abundantly clear that the only goal here is to publicly destroy Mr. Blacks personal and professional reputation and to defame him by perpetrating a baseless smear campaign, the representative added.

In earlier court filings, Black had forcefully denied Ganievas claims, including that he tried to arrange for her to have sex with Epstein in 2008.

According to Mondays filing with a New York state court in Manhattan, Doe was a struggling single mother and former model from New Jersey who had already given Epstein massages when he arranged for her to massage Black.

The filing said that after giving Doe $300, Black violently assaulted her and caused her tearing pain in the massage room in Epsteins mansion.

Black paid Doe $5,000 when they later met in Manhattans St. Regis Hotel, after she allowed herself to be convinced to see him, the filing said.

She did not report the alleged rape at the time because a friend told her no one would believe her, the filing added.

Jeanne Christensen, a lawyer for Ganieva, said in an email that Doe cannot sue Black because the statute of limitations had run out.

As to her identity, it is hard enough for women to come forward when they have civil claimswhen they are in real fear of the person that already physically violated them, she added.

It is unclear whether a judge will let Ganieva formally file the amended lawsuit.

Black, who is married, has said he paid Ganieva $100,000 a month for several years not to discuss their consensual 6-1/2-year relationship after she tried to extort him of $100 million.

Those payments stopped after Ganieva, a former model, tweeted about Black in March.

Black stepped down from Apollo this year after an outside independent review found he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning. The review also said Black was not involved in Epsteins criminal activities.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Black has publicly regretted his involvement with Epstein.

By Jonathan Stempe
Residents queue to undergo nucleic acid testing for the novel coronavirus in Xiamen city, in China's eastern Fujian Province, on Sept. 14, 2021. (STR/AFP)

Southeastern China Outbreak Worse Than Officially Reported, Locals Say

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on southeastern China. Putian, Xiamen, and Quanzhou are the three hardest-hit cities in Fujian Province. Local residents have been locked inside their homes, the nucleic acid test sites are crowded, and clashes happen often due to understaffing.

According to local official reports, between Sept. 10 and Sept. 20, confirmed cases numbered 195, 183, and 24, for Putian, Xiamen, and Quanzhou, respectively.

The Chinese regime has consistently covered up and underreported COVID-19 infection and death figures, thus the true number of confirmed cases in Fujian Province remains unknown.

On Sept. 20, the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times interviewed several residents in the affected areas to learn their situation during the pandemic. All interviewees were not named for fear of reprisal from the regime.

Epidemic More Serious Than Reported: Xiamen Resident

The most severely affected area in Xiamen is the Tongan District. The areas Xiamen Third Hospital suspended general outpatient and emergency medical services on Sept. 18.

A villager in Tongan District told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that Tongan District is the hardest hit area in Xiamen, and the confirmed cases are far worse than the official figures. Its just that the outside world doesnt know. The residents of an entire building were taken away in some villages, and its happening every day. he said.

No confirmed cases were reported in Pantu Village where he resides; but the villagers were unable to leave the village, and all factories in the village were closed.

He said that nucleic acid testing in Tongan District is quite chaotic because of chronic understaffing and a slow process. In some places, locals and non-locals were tested separately, peoples patience is worn out, and a lot of physical conflicts occurred.

Xinmin is the most severely affected town in Tongan District. A local resident told The Epoch Times, There are many confirmed cases, almost every day. One was confirmed yesterday (Sept. 19) in Bazaipu Township, and the entire building was vacated and everyone was subject to quarantine; a 6th grader in Xinmin Central Primary School was confirmed today.

A villager from Xike Township, Tongan District, was queuing for a nucleic acid test when the reporter called. He said, Everything has stopped since yesterday [Sept. 19]. He mentioned the situation at the test center, We are all packed together, there are too many people.

Another resident of Xiamen said that all restaurants and diners are closed. His diner will be closed for at least another two weeks.

He mentioned that the two major hospitals in the area, Zhongshan Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, suspended outpatient and emergency medical services.

No Outside Pandemic Information: Putian Resident

Xiuyu District is the area where three confirmed cases were reported in Putian City on Sept. 19, including a nurse and a staff member of the Xiuyu District Hospital.

The hospital has been closed since then.

A local resident near the hospital told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that an ambulance driver was the staff member who was confirmed to have the infection.

She said, No one can come in this area. We are all staying at home, not allowed to go out. No idea when we can resume the activities.

The reporter called the Xiuyu District Hospital, but the call was not answered.

The reporter learned from a resident on Daying Road in Xiuyu District that all shops have been closed and residents are forbidden to go out. He said, Dont know anything about the pandemic situation now.

Epidemic Spreads to Quanzhou

The newly confirmed cases in Quanzhou on Sept. 19 were said to be related to cases in Xiamen and Putian.

A woman from Fengze District, Quanzhou City, said that several buildings were locked down. She said, People from Putian visited relatives here. Several buildings surrounding the relatives apartment were sealed off.

She said residential lockdowns have been in effect since Sept. 19, and shops were closed, We have done the first round of nucleic acid testing. Ready to do the second round.

According to a notice from Fengze District office, residents of the lockdown area must follow Stay at home, enter but no exit.

Hong Ning Follow
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 1, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Supreme Court Sides with State, Stays Retrial Order in Death-Penalty Case

The Supreme Court sided with Ohio in putting on hold an appeals court ruling from June that threw out a conviction and death sentence imposed on prisoner August Cassano, who complained that a trial court denied him his Sixth Amendment right to represent himself.

An execution date had not yet been scheduled.

Late on Sept. 20, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ordered that the June 17 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit was stayed, giving Cassanos jailer time to file a petition for certiorari, or review, of the appeals court decision with the Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh did not provide reasons explaining his decision.

The Supreme Court case is Shoop v. Cassano, court file 21A34. Tim Shoop is a prison warden.

The case goes back 24 years when Cassano was serving a prison sentence at Mansfield Correctional Institution in Ohio for a 1976 murder conviction. On Oct. 17, 1997, Walter Hardy was moved into Cassanos cell. This made Cassano, who described Hardy as a snitch, very upset. When another inmate mentioned that Cassano had a new cellmate, Cassano replied, Not for long. Cassano told another inmate that Hardy was driving him nuts, and that if Hardy was not removed from his cell, he would take action himself to remove him, according to the 6th Circuit opinion.

Four days after Hardy was moved into Cassanos cell, the two got into a fight. Correctional officers ordered them to stop but Cassano stabbed his roommate with a makeshift knife about 75 times. Hardy was removed to a hospital where he died roughly an hour later.

During his trial, Cassano expressed a lack of confidence in his counsel, saying he rarely visited him, failed to provide him with updates on the case, and frequently lied to him. Cassano stated that he wished to represent himself. The trial judge was unmoved and insisted that it would not be in his best interests to represent himself.

In its 2-1 decision, the 6th Circuit held that Cassanos constitutional rights under Faretta v. California, a 1975 Supreme Court ruling, were violated and reversed his conviction, ordering Ohio to retry him within six months.

The majority opinion was written by Judge Eric L. Clay and was joined by Judge Bernice Donald. Judge Eugene Edward Siler Jr. dissented.

After Cassano waived his right to counsel, he was entitled to a so-called Faretta hearing at which the judge would take evidence and decide whether the accused person should be allowed to represent himself. At such a hearing, the judge must make sure the person is waiving his right to counsel knowingly, intelligently, voluntarily, and with awareness of the general dangers of self-representation.

Because the trial court denied Cassanos May 14, 1998 Waiver of Counsel without holding a Faretta hearing, Cassanos conviction cannot stand, the appeals court stated. Accordingly, Cassanos habeas petition must be granted.

Cassanos conviction also cannot stand because on April 23, 1999, the trial court denied his invocation of his Sixth Amendment right to self-representation.

In his dissenting opinion, Judge Siler stated that Cassano had never made it unambiguously clear that he was waiving his right to counsel.

He added he agreed with the majority that the trial court never conducted a Faretta-compliant hearing, but argued no such hearing was needed.

No clearly established Supreme Court precedent required it. Siler wrote.

The Epoch Times reached out for comment to counsel of record on both sides, Ohio Solicitor General Benjamin M. Flowers, and federal public defender Erin Gallagher Barnhart, but had not received a reply from either as of press time.
(L) Antoine Darnique Suggs (R) Darren Lee McWright in the book photos released by the Dunn County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 16, 2021. (Dunn County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Suspect in Deaths of 4 Found in SUV Surrenders in Arizona

MENOMONIE, Wis.A suspect in the shooting deaths of four Minnesotans who were found in an abandoned SUV in Wisconsin surrendered to authorities in Arizona on Friday.

Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd said in a statement that Antoine Darnique Suggs, 38, turned himself into police in Gilbert, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb. He said Suggs had been living in the Phoenix area recently before traveling to Minnesota in the last couple of weeks.

Bygd said investigators dont know how Suggs traveled back to Arizona. He said they have not interviewed Suggs, so they had no new information to release on a potential motive. The sheriff said Suggs will be held in the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix while awaiting extradition to Wisconsin.

Authorities said Thursday that Suggs was spotted meeting with one of the victims at a Minnesota bar the night before their bodies were found.

The other suspect, Darren Lee McWright, 56, from St. Paul, Minnesota, was being held in the Ramsey County Jail in St. Paul.

A complaint filed Thursday against McWright, whos charged in Dunn County with four counts of hiding a corpse, said witnesses told police they saw Suggs late Saturday evening in the White Squirrel Bar in St. Paul with one of the victims, Nitosha Lee Flug-Presley, 30, of Stillwater, Minnesota.

A farmer discovered the bodies of Flug-Presley and three St. Paul residents with connections to her on Sunday in his Dunn County cornfield, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) to the east. All four had suffered gunshot wounds, authorities said.

McWright is the biological father of Suggs brother, according to the complaint.
A Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion bag is seen during a news conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, on Aug. 19, 2021. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Tennessee Follows Federal Guidance, Recommends Vaccinated Dont Get Monoclonal Antibodies

Tennessee health officials are now recommending only people who arent vaccinated get monoclonal antibody treatments as states see lower numbers of doses because of federal government rationing.

Our recommendation to monoclonal antibody providers or individual facilities across the state is if they need to prioritize distribution of the treatment, the NIH guidelines are the recommended approach for that prioritization, including prioritizing those who are most likely to be hospitalized, Bill Christian, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Health, told The Epoch Times via email.

Ultimately, this comes down to providers clinical judgment to ensure those most at risk are receiving this treatment, he added.

The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in early September recommended prioritizing people who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated if a shortage of monoclonals cropped up.

Because vaccinated people are less likely to require hospitalization after getting COVID-19, healthcare providers should consider prioritizing unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people who are at high risk of getting severe cases of the disease, Meredith Chuk, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official, told state officials in a call last week. Another population that should be prioritized over individuals predicted to have an adequate immune response is those who are vaccinated but have weak immune systems.

Additionally, providers should make sure to prioritize using monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 over using them on people who have been exposed to the disease but who have not yet tested positive for it.

This is in the hands of the provider but NIH provides some considerations when there are logistical constraints, Chuk said.

The federal government recently seized distribution of the treatments, which experts say are highly effective at keeping people out of hospitals if given soon after a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure. State and federal officials have said the seizure resulted from concerns about supply. HHS is now strictly controlling how many doses each state gets in weekly shipments. The doses are administered under emergency use authorization (EUA).

The crunch has already led to some states not having enough doses to serve everybody who wants one, with others projecting a possible shortfall. That triggered the new recommendation in Tennessee.

The EUA is only for people with these conditions, and thats been the same since day one, Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey told The Tennessean. The new thing is the NIH criteria of, well, even if you have those conditions, but youre vaccinated, you dont get it now.

Many of those seeking monoclonal treatments are fully vaccinated, according to data from Florida.

Providers across Tennessee are still receiving doses, Christian said, adding that the federal government has not yet given an update on allocation this week.

Similar guidance was offered in Orange County, California, late last week. Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the countys deputy health officer, advised providers to follow the NIH guidance.

No other counties or states appear to have issued similar recommendations, even though officials across the country confirmed to The Epoch Times they expect to have more demand than doses available in the coming weeks.

In Alabama, where at least one site ran out of the treatment last week, health officials are advising providers to prioritize patients based on their risk of progression to severe COVID-19 disease, Nancy Bishop, the states pharmacy director, told The Epoch Times in an email.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, speaking to a press conference on Monday, said sites would request a certain number of doses by the end of Monday each week and state officials would see how many doses they receive from the federal government before deciding on how many to send where.

What that means is we will meet the legislative intent of having at least one provider in each of the area development districts, he said. But theres not going to be enough anywhereanywhere. Theres going to be too few everywhere, and were already seeing hospitals and other providers run out before the end of each week.

Officials in Kentucky, Alabama, and other states are encouraging people to get vaccinated amid the shortage.
A Nebraska State Trooper (C) assists Border Patrol in detaining illegal immigrants while deployed to Texas, in Kinney County, Texas, on July 21, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Texas Border Patrol Agents Discover Hotel Room Packed With Illegal Immigrants Waiting to Be Smuggled Into US

Texas Border Patrol agents last week discovered 16 illegal immigrants in a hotel room who claimed they were waiting to be smuggled further into the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents received a tip-off on Sept. 17 that a hotel in Edinburg was being used to harbor illegal immigrants.

Officers responded to the scene at approximately 1 p.m. and found two people entering the room carrying water and groceries. After surveilling the two individuals further, the Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office conducted a welfare check.

Officials found more than 10 people in the room, 10 of whom were from Honduras, five from El Salvador, and one from Mexico.

The illegal aliens told officers that they had been waiting to be transported further into the United States for nearly 30 days.

The following morning, McAllen Border Patrol Station agents in Hidalgo discovered several more illegal immigrants using a storm drain to enter the United States illegally.

McAllen agents and Hidalgo Police Department officers apprehended three people that exited the drain, as well as other three immigrants an hour later, including one unaccompanied child. All of the immigrants are citizens of Honduras and Mexico.

Later that same day, several more people were observed using the storm drain to enter the United States, and within two hours officers had apprehended four more people who are also citizens of Mexico and Honduras.

All of the illegal immigrants that were apprehended at the hotel room and using the storm drain are being processed accordingly, CBP said.

Located just north of Mexico City, Hidalgo is about 20 miles south of Edinburg and close to the U.S.Mexico border.

The discovery of the illegal immigrants comes as over 10,000 illegal immigrants amassed in Del Rio, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass, in recent days. Most of them hail from Haiti and have left Border Patrol agents overwhelmed.

Over 6,500 have been removed from the area by U.S. border authorities. Others have moved across the Rio Grande River to Acuna, where they will decide what to do next.

Over the weekend, Mexican authorities also decided on an agreement that all foreign buses carrying migrants will be turned around if theyre trying to head to Piedras Negras or Acuna, Piedras Negras Mayor Claudio Bres told a news conference on Sunday. Fines of $500 to $1,000 are being imposed on anybody who attempts to help migrants.

Charlotte Cuthbertson and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
An exam room is seen at the Planned Parenthood South Austin Health Center in Austin, Texas, on June 27, 2016. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/Reuters)

Texas Doctor Who Allegedly Violated Abortion Ban Sued by Disbarred Lawyers

A Texas doctor who says he intentionally violated a new law that bans most abortions was sued twice this week.

Texas Senate Bill 8, which took effect on Sept. 1, bars doctors from performing abortions without first trying to detect a fetal heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, it prohibits abortions unless the doctor finds a medical emergency exists.

Dr. Alan Braid, who operates in several cities in Texas, wrote in an op-ed over the weekend that he provided an abortion that violated the state law because the fetus was old enough to have a heartbeat.

I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care, he wrote. I fully understood that there could be legal consequencesbut I wanted to make sure that Texas didnt get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested.

That admission, which appeared to be the first of its kind, triggered two suits, both filed in Bexar County.

Neither of the men who filed the suits live in Texas. Oscar Stilley lives in Arkansas. Felipe Gomez resides in Illinois. Both are pro-choice. Both oppose the new Texas law. And both hope their suits undercut it.

Its going to get matted down in about a week, Stilley, who describes himself as a libertarian, told The Epoch Times.

The disbarred lawyer, who is currently on home confinement for a tax evasion charge, is seeking $100,000 in his suit, which notes that Braid acknowledged violating Senate Bill 8.

Gomez, another disbarred lawyer, believes the law is an example of government overreach and unfair, illegal regulations.

The measure does not let state officials to enforce it. Instead, it allows private citizens to bring suits against doctors who allegedly perform illegal abortions or other individuals who allegedly aid and abet them.

Gomez wants to reach a settlement with Braid in which he and the doctor agree that Braid did nothing wrong. If such a settlement were approved, it would prevent others from suing the doctor, said Gomez, who says hes an old school Democrat.

Gomez worries that if Senate Bill 8 is not struck down, it will lead to Democrats passing laws that enable forced vaccination.

The Department of Justice and a group of abortion providers are engaged in separate legal battles over the law. Courts declined to block the law in either case but have yet to ultimately decide whether the law is constitutional. Opponents argue it violates precedent set with the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision.

Braids office directed The Epoch Times to the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has been representing abortion providers, including Braid, in their suit against the state. The center did not return a request for comment.

Texas Right to Life, a pro-life group that advocated for the law, said the new suits are self-serving legal stunts, abusing the cause of action created in the Texas Heartbeat Act for their own purposes.

Neither of these lawsuits are valid attempts to save innocent human lives, the group said in a statement.

Stilley said he tried reaching out to Texas Right to Life and would incorporate any arguments against the law they think should be used.
Texas Gov. Abbott Signs New Law Further Restricting Abortions in the State

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed a bill, which adds more limits and raises criminal penalties for the use of abortion-inducing medication, that goes into effect in three months.

The signing of the measureSenate Bill 4comes a few weeks after Abbott, a Republican, signed a bill to implement Senate Bill 8, which prohibits abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected. State records show that Abbott, who did not issue a public statement, signed Senate Bill 4 into law on Monday.

Under Senate Bill 4, the charges for intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly violating the laws provisions would result in a felony with fines of up to $10,000 and between six months and two years in prison.

Last month, a House co-sponsor of the legislation, Republican Rep. Will Metcalf, wrote on Twitter that the bill would crack down on unsafe mail order abortions and increase the reporting requirements for complications resulting from all types of abortion. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick said that out-of-state medical providers who perform abortions could be subject to an extradition process, according to the Dallas News.

Earlier this month, Senate Bill 8, which also incentivizes individuals to file lawsuits against anyone suspected of helping a woman get an abortion in Texas, went into law. Days later, the Supreme Court rejected an emergency request from abortion providers to block the law from going into effect.

Both bills have been decried by pro-abortion groups and some Democrats, although Senate Bill 4 was authored by Democrat Rep. Eddie Lucio Jr. NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) Pro-Choice America spokeswoman Adrienne Kimmell told the Dallas News on Monday that lawmakers who supported the bill have made their intentions abundantly clear, and they will stop at nothing to strip away reproductive freedom.

In early August, Lucio said that the measure was designed to protect pregnant women from harm should they take drugs to induce an abortion.

Doctors need to be present when patients receive these drugs so the patient knows what to expect from normal side effects and what needs to be addressed quickly before it turns into a serious issue, Lucio said as he was describing his bill during a Senate committee hearing in August.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxon told The Epoch Times Crossroads program this week that his office is prepared to ward off any lawsuits against the previous abortion bill. It came after the Department of Justice last week asked a judge to issue an emergency injunction against the law.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Abbotts office for comment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, with state and local officials, speaks about the border crisis under the international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Texas Governor Urges Biden to Declare Federal Emergency Due to Illegal Immigrant Surge

President Joe Biden should declare a federal emergency for the state of Texas because of the unprecedented surge of illegal immigrants, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says.

Abbott, a Republican, declared a state of emergency for counties across the states border with Mexico earlier this year, but that didnt stop thousands of illegal aliens from entering the United States in Del Rio in recent days.

If you look at what the financial strain and the healthcare strain and other strains that Val Verde County is dealing with, as well as the additional counties around this area, there is a need for a presidential disaster declaration, Abbott told reporters in Del Rio on Tuesday.

Abbott sent a letter (pdf) on Monday to Biden making the request but he has not heard back yet.

Abbott said a dam on federal property is letting immigrants easily traverse the Rio Grande River and that the surge shows no signs of slowing while posing life-threatening problems for area residents and overwhelming law enforcement and healthcare resources.

Some 16,000 immigrants entered the area between Sept. 15 and Sept. 18, according to Texas officials. Thats nearly half the small citys population, which is around 35,000.

Families, including infants and children, need food, water, and medical supplies that the local government cannot supply. Thousands of families are immobilized in 100-degree heat as their numbers continue to swell as they wait to be processed by the approximately 64 federal agents in the area. Individuals are camping in squalid conditions and bathing in muddy river water, causing great health concerns, Abbott said.

The White House did not respond to a inquiry on the request. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday that the situation in Del Rio is challenging, adding that its devastating to watch video footage of whats happening there.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told senators in Washington on Tuesday that the administration is executing its plan, which involves deporting many of the Haitians who are in Del Rio.

And Biden told reporters in New York that his administration will get it under control, referring to the crisis, which has exploded since he took office in January and reversed key Trump-era immigration policies.

But despite a surge in federal resources to Del Rio, and flights taking hundreds of Haitians to their home country, some 8,300 immigrants remain under the bridge in the city, its mayor, Bruno Lozano, told The Epoch Times.

Abbott said he was promised by Mayorkas as well as others in the Biden administration as early as February that they would provide resources to prevent situations like what has unfolded in Del Rio from happening.

All those promises were never fulfilled, he said.

Illegal immigrants cross the Rio Grande between Del Rio (far side) and Acuna, Mexico. Some are crossing back to Mexico to avoid deportation from the United States, in Acuna, Mexico, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Thats prompted Texas to send state law enforcement to the border, direct the arrest of illegal immigrants for trespassing, and take other measures.

In Washington, Mayorkas was questioned sharply by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who expressed incredulity at his claims.

Do you honestly believe that the border is not open? Johnson asked.

I do, Mayorkas responded.

The official said that there has been a drop in encounters with illegal aliens at the U.S.Mexico border over the last several weeks, after encounters topped 200,000 in both July and August.

Hawley pointed to the Del Rio situation and wondered when the administrations plan, which has involved dismantling programs the Department of Homeland Security said helped staunch illegal immigration, would start working.

We are not finished in the execution of our plan and I never suggested otherwise. We continue to do the work that we are required to do to secure our border. That is an ongoing process and, indeed, we are executing it, Mayorkas said.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the launch of an antitrust investigation into large tech companies outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on Sept. 9, 2019.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Transgender Worker Right Guidance

The state of Texas sued the Biden administration on Sept. 20 over guidance issued this summer requiring employers to make certain exceptions for transgender workers.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit (pdf) against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the commissions chair Charlotte Burrows, and Attorney General Merrick Garland. Paxton argues that the guidance issued by the EEOC on June 15 this year misstates the law and that Burrows did not even have authority to issue it.

Texas and its constituent agencies, including the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), have the sovereign right to set their own policies on bathroom usage, dress codes, and pronoun usage within their workplaces, the lawsuit states. The June 15 Guidance is invalid on its face.

The EEOC and the Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.

On June 15, the EEOC issued a guidance document related to the recent Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. The Supreme Court ruled that the protections against sexual discrimination in the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to people with subjective gender identities.

Title VII applies to all private employers with 15 employees or more. The EEOCs guidance went beyond the language in Title VII and staked a position on issues, including transgender access to bathrooms and that repeatedly using the wrong name and pronouns to refer to a transgender employee amounts to harassment.

States should be able to choose protection of privacy for their employers over subjective views of gender, and this illegal guidance puts many women and children at risk, Paxton said in a statement.

If the Biden Administration thinks they can force states to comply with their political agenda, my office will fight against their radical attempt at social change. These backdoor attempts to force businesses, including the State of Texas, to align with their beliefs is unacceptable.

The lawsuit argues that the EEOCs guidance is arbitrary and capricious while violating the First and Eleventh Amendments as well as Title VII itself. The plaintiffs further allege that the commission violated its own rules and failed to follow proper procedures before issuing it.

Paxton is asking the court to declare the guidance unlawful, block the defendants from enforcing it, and award the state of Texas attorneys fees.

A group of 20 state attorneys general sued the Biden administration in August over the issuance of interpretations of the Bostock v. Clayton County decision. The plaintiffs, led by Tennessee, argued that the EEOC and the Department of Education flouted procedural requirements in their rush to overreach, issued interpretations of federal antidiscrimination law far beyond what the statutory text, regulatory requirements, judicial precedent, and the Constitution permit, according to the lawsuit (pdf).
A police officer during a street protest in Hong Kong on Sept. 19, 2021. The protestors were demonstrating against an election committee that will vote for the citys leader. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo)

Beijing Manipulates Hong Kongs Democracy

China used Hong Kongs property tycoons, then dumped them

Analysis

News of a sham election in Hong Kong indicates the deterioration of democracy in the worlds fragrant harbor, and Chinas dumping of pro-tycoon candidates that it no longer needs.

Beijing used to use the tycoons as a counterbalance against pro-democracy candidates, but now that it rejiggered elections in its favor, all but one of the elected candidates are pro-Beijing, and there is no more need for the CCP-tycoon coalition. This illustrates a pattern in Chinese Communist Party tactics, that use businesses when convenient, but then discards them when power is acquired. The West and allies should take note, as similar tactics are being used against them in cities as diverse as Washington, Brussels, London, Delhi, and Tokyo.

Beijing is trying to spin the leadership selection process in Hong Kong as democratic. A spokesman of Beijings Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said on Monday that the election implemented the principle of patriots governing Hong Kong. He said that the polling fully demonstrates the new phenomenon and the new hope that Hong Kong is emerging from chaos and becoming orderly and prosperous. He added that the new election committee was better balanced, more representative, and enhancing the quality of the democracy.

According to the spokesman, From the election results, members of the final election committee come from all walks of life, all sectors and all aspects of Hong Kong society. It lays a good foundation for the upcoming elections of the city parliament and the chief executive.

Pro-democracy activists protest outside the venue of the Hong Kong chief executive election in Hong Kong on March 26, 2017. (Jayne Russell/AFP/Getty Images)

Hong Kongs election system constrains the ability of interest groups to self-identify by forcing the election of individuals for particular subsectors such as community groups, professions, and associations, including those representing ancestral place of origin on the mainland.

The CCPs constraints, channeling, and molding of the elections to fit its goals of greater centralized control, under the justification of greater equality, should be seen as parallel to its global tactics and strategy to acquire ever more power through economic and political influence, melded with propaganda and military might.

The CCP seeks to transition the world from a collection of messy democracies, to ordered control from Beijing and less real input from national, business, and identity groups. Among the dangers from this authoritarian model are more groupthink, and fewer opportunities for escape from government maladministration. In China, tens of millions died from such misguided communist policies, which led to massive famine from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, a triple genocide against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong, and military conflicts or threats of war in nearly every decade of the existence of the Peoples Republic.

The near total destruction of democracy in Hong Kong, which had been nurtured during the transition process from British rule to Hong Kongs autonomy under the one country, two systems agreement, came when Beijing radically violated its treaty with Britain and the Basic Law, to reformulate Hong Kongs governance, including its electoral system.

The most recent violation expanded the Election Committee from 300 to 1,500 seats and empowered it not only to choose a chief executive, as previously, but to nominate Legislative Council (LegCo) candidates, and pick 40 of its own ministers of parliament (MPs), including from those within its own ranks. There are a total of 90 MPs in Hong Kong, so picking 40 of them without any pretense of election is an egregious violation of democratic principle.

On Sunday, Beijing only allowed 364 members of the 1,500 on the committee to be elected, by fewer than 4,900 mostly pro-Beijing Hongkongers who cast ballots. In 2016, many more had the right to vote, numbering 246,440 who cast ballots.

Voters on Sunday were mostly pro-Beijing elites. The poll was for an Election Committee, which selects Hong Kongs chief executive and most of its lawmakers. Carrie Lam currently holds the post of chief executive. In March, the new chief executive will be chosen, which could again be Lam. Typically, Beijing makes known its preferred candidate to guide the voting and it is hard to say no.

One protester holds up a sign that says Carrie Lam Step Down in a march in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on Aug. 3, 2019. (Song Bilong/The Epoch Times)

Sundays election selected 600 legislators prior to ballots being cast and eliminated all but one centrist candidate, who was likely allowed to take his seat as a token opposition candidate. This candidate, Tik Chi-yuen, quit the Democratic Party to form his centrist party, called Third Side. Only two opposition candidates had run, neither of whom was strongly pro-democracy. The other opposition candidate was Francis Chau, who ran as an independent and competed in the social welfare sector. He only garnered 37 votes and lost.

The Times quoted Tik as saying that his election showed there is at least some room for us  It doesnt matter whether its one or two voices. Its worth taking part as long as we can represent how some Hongkongers think deep down, he said.

But Tiks election will also help Beijing sell the process to the naive as a real election. A Beijing loyalist who serves as a Hong Kong delegate to the national parliament, said that Tiks election showed that your political affiliation wont guarantee you victory, or that you must be rejected, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

While Beijing seeks to present the Hong Kong elections as a real example of non-messy democracy, this is clearly false. One pro-Beijing candidate told the Financial Times that he was unable to name his own constituency. Many did not bother to disclose their platforms in nomination paperwork. According to the SCMP, at least 121 candidates left their manifestos blank when filing their nominations. Dozens of candidates wrote vague slogans such as patriots ruling Hong Kong and create a better future. This political vagueness in Hong Kong, according to the SCMP, is a new phenomenon that pro-establishment analysis characterises as playing safe in the citys new landscape of elite politics.

Ironically, some of the main criticism of these vague pro-Beijing candidates comes from mainland China, where an academic criticized them for having undermined the legitimacy of the revamped electoral system.

The academic, who is an adviser to the central government on Hong Kong affairs, criticized the candidates as lazy. He had previously written that Beijing did not want loyal garbage or yes men running Hong Kong.

The academic attempted to deflect blame for this pro-Beijing laziness on opposition candidates who decided to stay away from the polls, thereby not providing the pro-Beijing candidates with the foil they supposedly needed to express their thoughts to the public. The real reason they stayed away, of course, is the vetting of candidates to ensure their patriotism, and the threat of jail time for anyone who loudly supports true forms of democracy.

One commenter in the SCMP article laughed at the assertion that Hong Kongs election legitimacy was undermined, when there was no legitimacy to begin with. '[U]ndermined the legitimacy of the revamped electoral system? What a joke indeed! How can one expect such a pre-arranged caged democracyjust 364 seats out of 1,500 seats could be competed by only 412 candidates  The whole process was just a farce, to speak the trutha big regress of our once democratic political system which was promised to move forwards gradually towards a universal suffrage of our election of the chief executive in the Basic Law.

Beijing seeks to promote itself in Hong Kong as the great democratic equalizer, standing against both the property tycoons, and the chaos of the pro-democracy legislators, who the CCP equates with the police riots of 2019. This is obviously false, given that the CCP allied with the tycoons to extinguish tycoon power, and instigated the violence of 2019 through their control over the Hong Kong police, albeit mediated by Carrie Lam.

The CCP will claim to release more land to produce more housing and thus lower housing costs, while it could have done this all along. In any case, as more mainlanders move to Hong Kong, they will take most of the additional housing supply, leaving the cost of housing largely unchanged, all else equal.

Contrary to the mainland academic who is critical of lazy pro-Beijing loyalists, the real goal of the rigged Hong Kong election on Sunday was to produce a rubber-stamp chief executive and LegCo that does the unimaginable: follows Beijings lead even more than was previously the case.

Pro-democracy protests in 2019 increased to the point of almost 2 million nonviolent protesters in the street, with some admitted police rioting at the fringes that garnered most of the media attention. Tycoons invariably took a pro-Beijing position against the protests, in an attempt to protect their property.

Students attend a school boycott rally in opposition to a controversial extradition bill, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Sept. 2, 2019. The protests morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the citys elections. (Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images)

Hong Kong police responded with excessive force, leading to broken limbs, deaths, and partial blindness from bean-bag rounds shot at faces at close range. Police targeted nonviolent protesters and reporters alike. Most prominent pro-democracy politicians and media personalities either fled, or landed in jail.

The tycoons were rewarded for their loyalty to the CCP by a removal of their power. According to the Financial Times, Pro-Beijing politicians said the central government was also keen to temper the influence of the citys property tycoonswho have long held sway over local politicsto help push through more aggressive affordable housing policies. China in part blames housing issues in one of the worlds most expensive property markets for the 2019 unrest.

Beijing knows you need to make changes by undermining the influence of the big families, one politician with knowledge of Beijings official thinking said. Then there will be less obstacles to formulate policies.

These are CCP talking points that blame Hong Kong property tycoons for the government policy of not releasing more land into the residential market. But it is undeniable that Beijing used the tycoons while they were useful, and not a moment more.

Ivan Choy, a university lecturer in Hong Kong, told the Financial Times that there were previously three camps on the election committee, those associated with democrats, tycoons, and Beijing. Now that Beijing has re-rigged the voting and eliminated the democrats entirely, they no longer need the tycoons.

In the past Beijing needed to compromise with the tycoons in order to get more than half of the seats in the election committee, Choy said. Now Beijing has a strong will to exercise change to the land and the housing supply in Hong Kong.

The West and its allies in Japan, India, and elsewhere must take note. The CCP will use our businesspeople, and reward them handsomely in the process, until that process no longer needs them. Then private industry, and the democracy that supports it, will be gone.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
There Were No Winners in This Election

Commentary

The biggest losers in the 2021 federal election are Canadians. At a cost of over $600 million and the disruption of our lives for over a month, we find ourselves nearly exactly where we began.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of holding an election about nothing, and the results are reflecting that.

We are tired, divided, and dejected, and it all appears to have served no purpose. It is astounding how similar the 2021 election results are to the 2019 outcome.

While he remains holding a minority government, Trudeau will not need to fear losing a confidence vote any time soon. Even though he wasnt given a clear mandate to govern, Canadians will not put up with being sent to the polls again in the immediate future.

Trudeau is going to have to consolidate his leadership, though, and quickly. While the Liberal Party remains in power, insiders cant be happy with the failure to grab a majority government in this election. The blame will fall upon Trudeau, and many party members will not want to give him another kick at the electoral cat. While another election may not be immediately imminent, it likely will come within two years. Those in the Liberal Party who want a new leader are going to act to unseat him sooner rather than later. Trudeau will have his hands full keeping them at bay.

Regionally, the nation is as divided as ever. While this election campaign didnt have as much inter-regional vitriol that past ones have had, the outcome shows a clear regional split within Canada. The Prairies went almost entirely Conservative, while the rest of the country went predominantly Liberal. The Bloc Quebecois remains strong within Quebec, and interior B.C. shunned the Liberals.

Conservative Leader Erin OToole held his ground but alienated much of his base as he took on a campaign of compromise in hopes of making a breakthrough in central Canada that never materialized.

Small-c conservatives are going to want to move the party back to traditional conservative values, while OTooles supporters will want the party to hold the line. Many will be asking what the point of pragmatism was if it didnt move the dial.

As with every other party, the seat count for Jagmeet Singhs NDP didnt change much. NDP supporters hoping for a return to the heyday of Jack Laytons time are surely disappointed, but the party held its own. The federal NDP isnt as inclined to tearing out its own leaders as conservative parties tend to be. Singh may choose to move on, or may keep leading. Unlike other leaders, the choice will likely be his.

The Peoples Party failed to win a seat and this will make their survival difficult in years to come. They impacted the results but didnt garner enough votes to be fully blamed for the Liberal victory. They established a solid base of support and surprised the country with their momentum. That said, its tough to stay in the spotlight without a seat in Parliament. The PPCs support is based predominantly on the movement to resist COVID-19 restrictions, and they will need to broaden their appeal beyond that or that support level will become a hard ceiling for them. They made inroads, yet still may not endure as a party. Time will tell.

Annamie Paul of the Green Party failed to win her own seat. I suspect she will step down as leader soon. She was treated terribly by her own party and wont have the anchor of a seat to secure her position. With a couple of seats in Parliament and an established brand, the Green Party will endure with a new leader and maintain its niche in politics. Elizabeth May won her seat, and she has been less than supportive of Paul.

Nobody can look at the 2021 election and say that it was a good thing for Canada. There truly was no winner. Every leader is now in a tenuous position within his or her party. No new visions were put forth in the campaign to be embraced or rejected by Canadians. We dont feel a sense of renewal or new directionwe only feel exhaustion and frustration, and it all appears to have been for nothing.

The 2021 election will go down as the $600 million stalemate. What a colossal waste of resources, both fiscal and emotional.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Denis Sergeev, who used the alias Sergey Fedotov while in the UK, in an undated police handout photo. (Metropolitan Police)

UK Charges 3rd Russian Over Nerve Agent Attack in Salisbury

British police said on Tuesday a third Russian had been charged in connection with the 2018 Novichok attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious, slumped on a public bench in Salisbury in March 2018. They and police officer Nick Bailey, who went to his house, were left critically ill in hospital from exposure to the military-grade nerve agent.

A woman later also died from Novichok poisoning after her partner found a counterfeit perfume bottle that police believe had been used to smuggle the poison into the country.

Two Russian citizensAlexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepigawere charged in September 2018 with conspiracy to murder Skripal and the attempted murder of Yulia and Bailey.

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, who have been accused of attempting to murder former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, in an image handed out by police in London on Sept. 5, 2018. (Metropolitan Police handout via Reuters/File Photo)

Britains counter terrorism police confirmed on Tuesday that a third RussianDenis Sergeev, who used the alias Sergey Fedotov while in the UKhad been charged in connection to the case.

UK police said they found that Sergeev, like the two previous suspects, is a member of the Russian military intelligence service GRU.

Addressing the House of Commons, Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the appalling attack, which she said shook the entire country and united our allies in condemnation.

Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice, she said.

Patel said the UK Parliament has profound differences with Russia over a host of issues such as the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Although attacks like this are uncommon, it is not the first time Russia has committed a brazen attack in the UK, she said.

Also on Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found that the Russian state was responsible for the 2006 poisoning of ex-KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Litvinenko, who had become an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and had defected to the UK, died after his drink was spiked with polonium-210, a rare radioactive substance.

Patel said the UK government will continue to take robust steps to counter the threat posed by the Russian state.

Talking to Sky News after the charges were announced, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he believed all the suspects should be handed over for justice.

He said Russia has already paid a heavy price over the poisoning, which resulted in the expulsion of Russian diplomats from multiple Western countries.

They should recognise that our sense of justice must be done is not abated, he said.

PA and Reuters contributed to this report.
UK Defence Ministry Investigates Afghan Interpreters Data Breach

The UKs Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Monday that it had launched an investigation following a data breach that could compromise the safety of more than 250 Afghan interpreters waiting to move to the UK.

The MoD also apologised for the incident after it was reported in media outlets.

An investigation has been launched into a data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations Assistance Policy [(ARAP)] team, An MoD spokeswoman said.

We apologise to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it does not happen again, she added.

The spokeswoman said the MoD takes its information and data handling responsibilities very seriously.

The MoD didnt specify the nature and the scope of the data breach, but according to the BBC, more than 250 Afghans who are applicants of the ARAP schemedesigned to relocate Afghans who are at risk of Taliban retaliation for their work with British military or government and their familieswere mistakenly copied into an email from the MoD, meaning their email addresses and profile photos (if any), could be seen by all recipients.

Some of the recipients are reportedly in hiding from the Taliban.

The broadcaster also quoted one of the recipients, saying some people who didnt realise the mistake had replied to all, explaining their personal situation.

The report said the MoD sent another urgent email 30 minutes later asking the recipients to delete the previous email and advising them to change their email addresses.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ordered the investigation.

The Epoch Times couldnt independently verify this information.

This is the third time British government officials have mishandled Afghan-related information and the second MoD investigation into such data breaches.

In June, a member of the public gave the BBC a soggy heap of documents they found at a bus stop in Kent, including information such as the likely reaction of the Russians to the passage of the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender through waters off the coast of Crimea and to the UK military presence in Afghanistan.

An investigation into the incident concluded that the papers had not been compromised by the UKs adversaries, and the individual who made the mistake had been removed from sensitive work and has already had their security clearance suspended pending a full review.

During a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan in August, a journalist from The Times of London found documents lying on the ground in the abandoned British Embassy compound in Kabul, showing contact information of some Afghans who worked for British authorities.

Labour shadow defence secretary John Healey said that the breach has needlessly put lives at risk.

The priority now is to urgently step up efforts to get these Afghans safely to the UK, Healey said.

This is the second major data breach from the MoD this year, after sensitive documents were discovered at a bus stop in Kent in June.

Healey said the defence secretary clearly needs to get his house in order.

The MoD said it would take all necessary steps under the UKs General Data Protection Regulation.

Simon Veasey contributed to this report.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, speaking during a press conference at Cheshire, England, on July 6, 2021. (Peter Byrne/PA)

UK Government Rules out Bailout for Badly Run Energy Firms

The British government has said it has no intention to bail out energy firms that are struggling amid rising wholesale gas prices.

Wholesale gas prices have increased by 250 percent since January, with a 70 percent rise since August alone, leading to the demise of some smaller energy firms.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Tuesday he does not want to spend taxpayers money on failing energy companies.

I dont believe that taxpayers money should be funnelled into companies that have been badly run, he told Times Radio. The way that markets work is the badly-run companies often go out of business, thats a natural process.

The government is considering providing support to large energy companies which will be taking on customers from firms that have collapsed, but Kwarteng said it will not be a blank cheque.

Any support for those larger companies will be in terms of working capital, will be a loan, it wont be just a grant, it wont be just a blank cheque, he told BBC Breakfast. If we do have this policy, they will be expected to pay back the loans.

Addressing the House of Commons on Monday, Kwarteng said there needed to be an acceptance that gas prices could be high for longer than people anticipate. But he said: There is absolutely no question of the lights going out or people being unable to heat their homes.

The government and the UKs energy regulator Ofgem have emphasised that energy supply is not an issue.

We want to be clear that this is not an issue of supplythe United Kingdom benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources with capacity that can more than meet demand, Kwarteng and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said in a joint statement on Monday.

There have been calls from the industry that the energy price cap should be scrapped. But the government and Ofgem said they had taken a unified position to keep the price ceiling to protect consumers.

Some energy companies have called for green levies, which fund renewable energy subsidy schemes, to be dropped to ease pressure in the industry. But Kwarteng said he had not considered doing away with the scheme.

I think the green levies is pretty much in its infancy and, actually, weve been very successful at moving away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of power, and thats a British success story, he told Sky News.

PA contributed to this report.
Fresh meat is displayed for sale in a butchers meat counter in Great Yarmouth, Britain, on March 21, 2018. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

UK Meat Industry Warns of Imminent Supply Threat From CO2 Crisis

LONDONBritains meat processors will start running out of carbon dioxide (CO2) within five days, forcing them to halt production and impacting supplies to retailers, the industrys lobby group warned on Monday.

A jump in gas prices has forced several domestic energy suppliers out of business and has shut fertilizer plants that also make CO2 as a by-product of their production process.

The CO2 gas is used to stun animals before slaughter, in the vacuum packing of food products to extend their shelf life, and to put the fizz into beer, cider, and soft drinks. CO2s solid form is dry ice, which is used in food deliveries.

The CO2 crisis has compounded an acute shortage of truck drivers in the UK, which has been blamed on the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit.

My members are saying anything between 5, 10, and 15 days supply (remain), Nick Allen of the British Meat Processors Association told Sky News.

With no CO2, a meat processor cannot operate, he said.

The animals have to stay on farm. Theyll cause farmers on the farm huge animal welfare problems and British pork and British poultry will disappear off the shelves, Allen said.

Were two weeks away from seeing some real impacts on the shelves, he said, adding that poultry could start disappearing from shops even sooner.

Allen said the government was working to try and resolve the issue and might be able to persuade fertilizer producer CF Industries to restart its UK plants.

Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said he met CF Industries CEO Tony Will on Sunday to explore ways to secure CO2 supplies.

Work is ongoing  to ensure that those sectors which are impacted by this  have appropriate contingency plans in place to ensure that there is minimal disruption, he told parliament.

Meanwhile, the British Soft Drinks Association warned some manufacturers had only a few days of CO2 left.

Unhappy Christmas?

Some in the poultry industry fear a Christmas crisis.

Ranjit Singh Boparan, owner of 2 Sisters Food Group and Bernard Matthews, said the CO2 issue was a massive body blow, noting that the supply of turkeys this Christmas was already compromised by labor shortages.

Shares in processor Cranswick, whose products include fresh pork and chicken and gourmet sausages, fell 4 percent after it said production could be halted.

The crisis is also having a more immediate impact.

Online supermarket group Ocado said it had temporarily reduced the number of lines it is able to deliver from its frozen range. Dry ice is used to keep items frozen during delivery. Ocado shares fell 1.6 percent.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents retailers including the major supermarket groups, said the CO2 shortage had compounded existing pressures on production and distribution.

 it is vital that government takes immediate action to prioritize suppliers and avoid significant disruption to food supplies, said Andrew Opie, the BRCs director of food and sustainability.

Britains National Farmers Union said it was concerned about the shortages of fertilizer and CO2.

Were aware of the added strain this puts on a food supply chain already under significant pressure due to lack of labor, NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw said.

Britains big four supermarket groupsmarket leader Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, and Morrisons declined to comment.

By James Davey
A coloured lithograph from a series depicting a Mary, Queen of Scots-themed mask ball held in France, dated 1829, in an undated handout photo. (National Library of Scotland/PA)

UK Police Arrest Man Over Theft of Mary Queen of Scotss Rosary Beads

LONDONBritish police arrested a man on Tuesday in connection with the theft of gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots to her execution in 1587, among items worth more than 1 million ($1.37 million) stolen from a castle in the south of England.

Mary, a Roman Catholic, was ousted from the Scottish throne then imprisoned, accused of treason, and executed on the orders of her Protestant cousin Elizabeth I of England, a series of events that loom large in the British imagination.

Several other historic treasures including coronation cups as well as gold and silver items were among the loot taken from a display cabinet at Arundel Castle in the county of West Sussex in May.

A display cabinet at Arundel Castle in West Sussex from which a set of irreplaceable gold rosary beads carried by Mary Queen of Scots to her execution in 1587 were taken, along with other historic treasures worth more than 1 million, in an undated police handout file photo. (Arundel Castle/Sussex Police/PA)

Sussex Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary on Tuesday in Eckington, Worcestershire, central England. The man remains in custody for questioning.

Our investigation into the Arundel Castle burglary remains live and this action marks a significant step in our enquiries, said Detective Inspector Alan Pack of Sussex Police.

Six other men were arrested for crimes unrelated to the castle burglary.

Mary was briefly queen of France. She was later driven out of Scotland by rebellious aristocrats and fled south in 1568 at the age of 25, throwing herself on the mercy of her cousin Elizabeth.

A coloured lithograph from a series depicting a Mary, Queen of Scots-themed mask ball held in France, dated 1829, in an undated handout photo. (National Library of Scotland/PA)

But with many Catholics throughout Europe convinced that she had a better claim to the English throne than the Protestant Elizabeth, Mary was an unwelcome visitor.

She was confined in various English castles and prisons, convicted of plotting against the English queen, condemned to death for treason on charges she denied and finally beheaded.

In June, Sussex Police released photos of two ladders used during the burglary. The police said the ladders were used to access the dining room area, where a window was forced open to gain entry to the castle.

By Andrew MacAskill
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, in New York, on Sept. 20, 2021. (David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters)

UKs Johnson Discussed Taxation With Amazons Bezos

LONDONBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the issue of taxation when he met Amazons founder Jeff Bezos in New York, Downing Street said.

The prime minister raised the issue of taxation, and hoped progress could be [made] in implementing the G7 agreement on tax, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a readout of the meeting.

Bezos pledged on Monday to give away $1 billion in grants this year to focus on efforts around conservation.

Jeff Bezos speaks at the National Press Club in Washington on Sept. 19, 2019. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo)

The pledge is a part of his previously announced Bezos Earth Fund, which the Amazon founder started last year to execute his $10 billion commitment to fund scientists, activists and non-profit organizations in the fight against climate change.

The prime minister welcomed the Bezos Earth Funds commitment, announced tonight, to give $1 billion to protect forests and remove carbon from the air, Downing Street said.

The prime minister and Mr Bezos agreed to work together to see what more could be done in the run up to and at COP26.
Frank Kendall, who was then-Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, addresses guests during the United Kingdom F-35 Lightning II Delivery Ceremony at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 19, 2012. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

US Air Force Secretary Warns of Chinas Military Ambitions in Space

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Sept. 20 warned about Chinas increasing military threats, including those from space.

While America is still the dominant military power on the planet today, we are being more effectively challenged militarily than at any other time in our history, he said during a speech at the Air Force Associations Air, Space & Cyber Conference, according to the U.S. Air Force.

Kendall became the 26th secretary of the Air Force in July after getting confirmation from the Senate. He replaced John Roth, who was the acting secretary of the Air Force since Jan. 20.

So what are my intentions now that I have this job? At a breakfast on Capitol Hill shortly after I was sworn in, I was asked by Sen. Jon Tester what my priorities were. My answer was that I had three: China, China, and China, Kendall said.

Kendall expressed concerns about how China has quickened its pace in modernizing its military.

He explained, I have had the opportunity to catch up on the intelligence about Chinas modernization programs. If anything, China has accelerated its pace of modernization, and taken it in some disturbing directions.

According to SpaceNews, Kendall said Chinas modernization effort involves hypersonic missiles, long-range precision-guided munitions, and space and cyber weapons.

Additionally, he said there was strong evidence that Beijing was looking to develop silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and satellite-guided munitions to hit targets on Earth and in space, according to SpaceNews.

Kendall also hinted that China could pursue an old concept called fractional orbital bombardment system to advance its space weapons, SpaceNews reported.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed the system of launching missiles with nuclear warheads into low Earth orbits before flying them to hit targets in the United States.

Brandon Weichert, author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, previously told The Epoch Times sister media NTD about how China would want to knock out or blind our satellite in a space war with the United States.

Weichert pointed to two Chinese space technologies that could cripple U.S. satellites. First, he said a giant robotic arm10 meters in length, which can lift objects weighing up to 20 tons, according to Chinese state-run mediais attached to the Chinese space station and poses a serious threat.

The second Chinese technology that poses a threat to U.S. satellites is lasers, according to Weichert.

He explained, Now, they [China] say in peacetime, the laser would be used to clear orbital debris. But, in wartime, that laser could potentially be used to blind sensitive American satellites in orbit.

Other U.S. officials have also been voicing concerns about Chinas build-up of nuclear weapons. In early August, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Beijing has sharply deviated from its decades-old nuclear strategy based on minimum deterrence with its rapid growth of nuclear arsenal.

On Aug. 12, Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said during a symposium that Chinas nuclear capabilities would allow Beijing to execute any plausible nuclear employment strategy.

The Federation of American Scientists and the California-based James Martin Center recently uncovered how Beijing is building more than 200 nuclear silos at two separate fields in western China.

To compete militarily against China, Kendall said, we have to respond with a sense of urgency, but we also have to take the time necessary to make smart choices about our future and our investments.
Vatican Will Require COVID-19 Health Pass for Residents, Tourists

The Vatican will require visitors and personnel to be in possession of a Green Pass or foreign health certificate as proof of vaccination from the CCP virus starting next month.

A decree issued on Sept. 18 says Vatican City State residents and workers, along with people visiting the Roman city-state, are required to carry the Green Pass in order to be granted entry. The new vaccine requirement will go into effect starting on Oct. 1.

An exception will be made for those attending liturgical celebrations, although only for the time strictly necessary for the performance of the rite.

People will also be able to enter if they show a negative molecular or antigenic test for the SARS-COV-2 virus, commonly referred to as the novel coronavirus.

VATICANThe Vatican has just issued a decree that starting 1 Oct 2021, all visitors must have COVID Green Pass. I have requested clarification from @HolySeePress to if this includes visiting St. Peters Basilica, etc. My working English translation: pic.twitter.com/REVpsUp9dA  Bree A Dail (@breeadail) September 20, 2021

The measure was issued just days after the Italian government announced that it is readying a mandate that will make it required for all workers to have a COVID-19 green pass in the country.

The Green Passoriginally conceived to ease travel among European Union statesshows that someone has been vaccinated, has tested negative, or has recently recovered from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The move is designed to spur more vaccinations in Italy, asserted Health Minister Robert Spinoza this week during an interview, according to Italian media. Italian officials have said they want to vaccinate everyone aged 12 and older by the end of the month.

Italian workers who dont have such a document are faced with a possible suspension without pay or be forced to pay a fine of up to roughly $1,800. Should Italy go through with the mandate, it would be the first country in Europe to do so.

A bar owner uses the VerifyC19 mobile phone application to scan a Green Pass in central Rome, on Aug. 6, 2021. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images)

Several European countries such as France or Switzerland have vaccine passport requirements in place at venues such as gyms, restaurants, bars, and similar businesses, as well as for long-distance travel. However, none yet have made it mandatory for private-sector employees.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced that he will direct the federal government to enforce a rule that some 80 million private employees in the United States either get the vaccine or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.

According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Resource Center, Vatican City State has reported just 27 cases of COVID-19 and no deaths throughout the pandemic. It also has not reported any case of the CCP virus in months.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

From NTD News
WHO Repeatedly Ignored Evidence of Possible Earlier Start of Outbreak | Truth Over News

On Sept. 12, 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Virologys database of viral sequences was suddenly taken offline in the middle of the night.

The deleted database included a huge collection of bat virus sequences. The database has never been publicly recovered.

The database, which contained 22,000 unpublished samples and sequences of bat and rodent viruses, could be crucial to determining the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, there have been no known requests from public health officials to reinstate or examine the database.

None of the major health officials involved in the pandemic response, such as Anthony Fauci, Jeremey Farrar, and Francis Collins, have publicly acknowledged the databases existence.

Welcome to Truth over News with Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke.

Follow EpochTV on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus

Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV

Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv

Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV

Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV

Parler: https://parler.com/#/user/EpochTV
Journalists walk past a screen showing video footage of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during a visit to the Museum of the Communist Party of China, near the Birds Nest national stadium in Beijing on June 25, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

With Fresh Purges in Chinas Security Agencies, Xi Takes on Rival Factions

News analysis

On Sept. 10, Chinese former police official Deng Huilin stood trial in the northern city of Baoding. Accused of accepting bribes, the former head of public security in Chongqing, a southwestern megalopolis of 23 million people, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his actions.

Deng was one among thousands of other security officials taken down in Chinese leader Xi Jinpings anti-corruption campaign, which had seen the expulsion of retired internet censorship boss Peng Bo from the Communist Party on Aug. 17, following a months long investigation.

The recent purges of Deng, Peng, and others appear as a continuation of Xis protracted struggle to eliminate or reduce the influence of factions that have undermined his authority since he assumed office in 2012.

The day before Dengs trial, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC) secretary-general Chen Yixin exhorted branches of the powerful Party organization to look out for eight shortcomings and weaknesses within their ranks.

One point Chen stressed was the need to thoroughly purge the poisonous influence of disgraced Chinese Communist Party (CCP) security bosses, including former vice police ministers Sun Lijun and Meng Hongwei, as well as the infamous former central PLAC head Zhou Yongkang.

Chongqing, where Deng also served as deputy mayor, is the city run by former CCP Politburo member Bo Xilai from 2007 until his downfall in 2012.

Bos trial and sentencing in 2013 kicked off Beijings anti-corruption campaign, which, within a few years, saw the arrests and trials of multiple high-ranking CCP members, including Zhou. His life imprisonment in June 2015 marked the first time a member of the Politburo Standing Committeethe handful of men who run the Communist Partywas officially investigated and sentenced.

Education and Rectification

On Sept. 11, the Ministry of Public Securitys CCP branch announced the creation of a leading group for retired police officials so as to further strengthen and improve the unity and cohesion of former cadres from the Ministry.

Two days later, Chens PLAC colleague, Guo Shengkun, stressed that the organizations work units and leading officials shoulder major political responsibility in the ongoing education and rectification campaign.

The campaign, which includes the eight shortcomings and weaknesses stressed by Chen on Sept. 9, was launched in July 2020, weeks after the investigation of Deng Huilin.

That year also saw the investigation of former vice-public security chief Sun Lijun, as well as the sentencing of Meng Hongwei, who had held the same position. Meng had been serving as Interpol chief when he was abruptly arrested in September 2018.

Peng Bo, the deputy director of Chinas secret state police, in a photo released by Peking University. Bo has been dismissed and is now under investigation in Beijing, the Chinese regime announced. (Screenshot/Peking University)

Peng Bo, the deputy head of the cyberspace administration, which oversees Chinas internet, was investigated in March. The CCPs disciplinary authorities claimed that his ideals and beliefs had collapsed, that he lost his political principles, and that he had deviated from Party Centrals decisions. Additionally, Peng took bribes and frequently visited nightclubs.

On Sept. 14, an internet personality using the name Shang Xian Lao Hou published a circular on Chinas NetEase platform claiming links between Deng Huilin and former Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Bureau police official Luo Wenjin, who was also investigated in March.

According to the blogger, Deng and Luo, both from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, had illicit dealings with each other, with Luo using his influence to form a judicial mafia in Jiangsu, a city in eastern China.

Additionally, the two had improper discussions of Party Centrals major policies, and insulted key national leaders.

The circular further noted that Luos former superior had interactions with Wang Lijun, a former police chief in Chongqing who in February 2012 attempted to defect to the American consulate in Chengdu after a falling-out with his boss Bo Xilai.

China watchers believe the Wang Lijun incident alerted Beijing to an attempt by Bo, Zhou Yongkang, and other powerful officials to subvert Xis rise in power.

Bo Xilai, former Chongqing party chief, in March of 2010. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

Political Struggle

A common thread between most of the security officials purged by Xi Jinping is their links to former CCP leader Jiang Zemin.

According to a Feb. 16 Wall Street Journal report, Many of Mr. Jiangs allies have been purged in Mr. Xis anti-corruption campaign. But he remains a force behind the scenes.

Notably, Zhou Yongkang, Sun Lijun, and Peng Bo were all leading cadres of the 610 Office, a powerful extralegal agency created by Jiang to coordinate police and propaganda assets in the persecution of Falun Gong and other faith groups.

In the case of Peng, his status as deputy head of the central 610 Office between 2015 and 2017 was only made public in the notice in March announcing his investigation. Prior to serving in the 610 Office, Peng was deputy director of the Cyberspace Security Administration (CAC). Lu Wei, head of the CAC during Pengs stint there and another official associated with the Jiang faction, was investigated in 2017 and sentenced in 2019.

Ming Chu-cheng, emeritus professor of political science at National Taiwan University, noted in the local television program Era Money that the influence of Zhou Yongkang and his allies was a threat to Xi and his predecessor Hu Jintao, who long struggled with Jiang for authority in the CCP.

When Hu Jintao struggled against Bo Xilai, he went after Zhou Yongkang. Why? Because Zhou was head of the PLAC, which had the power to deploy Armed Police.

Ming said that the PLAC was empowered to deploy thousands of Armed Policeinternal security troops with equipment comparable to the regular Chinese army without first notifying Beijing.

Ming, who makes frequent appearances in Taiwanese media, has highlighted the long-term threats Xi faces to his power, including those from the Jiang faction, disgruntled civil and military officials impacted by the anti-corruption campaign and force restructuring, and the financial community.

Another source of resentment of Xi, as Ming noted on the Era Money program on Sept. 9, are the princelings or children of founding CCP leaders, a group that Xi himself belongs to.

All this increases the challenges to Xi as he prepares to take a third term at an upcoming leadership reshuffle of the CCP, to be held in late 2022.

Next year theyre holding the 20th Party Congress, so factional struggle will increase steadily and come to the fore, Ming said.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
YouTube Demonetizes Popular Australian Fishing Channel for Animal Abuse

A YouTube channel featuring recreational fishing videos has been demonetised by the video-sharing giant over supposed content featuring animal abuse.

The Australian-based content creator for Gidos Fishing Adventures said his channel had been demonetised for a month and that he was waiting for a response from Google-owned YouTube.

(YouTubes notice) says I need to make adjustments to my content, and its to do with animal abuse apparently, he said on his latest YouTube video. You can actually read in there that what Im doing is fine because Im not abusing animals for shock, or whatever, which is what theyre againstwhich is fair enough, Id be against it tooIm just catching fish. 

Gido said he received an email from YouTube notifying him that a significant portion of his content was against its policies. However, he noted that he had been uploading similar videos for an extended period.

Notification to Gidos Fishing Adventures that their channel was demonetised (Screenshot provided to The Epoch Times)

Ive also got my 100,000-subscriber plaque in the mail, he said, in reference to the Silver Creator Award that gets delivered to YouTube channels with over 100,000 subscribers.

I asked for it two weeks ago, and they check over your content, and they check your channel before they send itand they didand they sent it out to me and said everything was good.

Im confused; I dont know whats happening, he said. This is a major problem for me because the bulk of my income comes from YouTube these days. And Im not getting paid anything.

YouTube has yet to respond to Gido and to inquiries from The Epoch Times.

Rob Nicholls, associate professor of regulation and governance at the University of New South Wales, described Youtubes demonetisation program as an intermediate step in its content moderation process.

It is likely that this content was demonetised as part of an artificial intelligence analysis, he told The Epoch Times. To some extent, there is a parallel with the take-down of a chess channel on YouTube earlier in the year. In that case, expressions such as a brutal attack by White on Black was a description of a chess match and not the race hate that the machine analysis found it to be.

For all social media, but especially video, there is a balance between allowing potentially harmful content to remain available to be distributed and taken down, he added, noting that YouTube had reversed instances of accidental demonetisation.

In recent years, YouTubes content moderation has received criticism from conservative-leaning media channels, including OAN and Sky News Australia, complaining that its policies are applied inconsistently.

In August, YouTube suspended Sky News channel for one week for allegedly posting COVID-19 misinformation while at the same time issuing a first strike against the 24-hour news channela warning under its three strikes policy.

Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker said the video-sharing giants review policies lacked transparency and were incapable of compliance.

Unlike other publishers policies, YouTubes process for review and removal of content lacks transparency and a clearly articulated process which affords channel operators the opportunity to address concerns or to challenge an assessment prior to a suspension occurring, he said.

With no transparency provided, Sky News took the proactive approach of removing a batch of videos all published during 2020 from online platforms to ensure ongoing compliance with YouTubes arbitrary editorial guidelines, Whittaker said.

He also noted it was not an admission of failure to comply with YouTubes regulations, but merely an attempt to navigate opaque policies.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  The top leader of Nebraska's Legislature warned Tuesday that he will end the special session convened to draw new congressional and legislative maps if lawmakers fail to advance both measures by Saturday, a move that would likely delay the state's May 2022 primary election.

Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers said he'd prefer to approve all of the redistricting maps in the current special session, but the Republican senator added that he's not going to continue if lawmakers keep failing to reach an agreement.

Lawmakers remained at an impasse on Tuesday over how to redraw Nebraska's congressional and legislative maps to adjust for population losses in rural areas and gains around Omaha and Lincoln.

Republicans hold a majority in the one-house, nonpartisan Legislature, but don't have enough votes to overcome a filibuster led by Democrats and a few moderate Republicans, who argue that the maps are drawn to make it harder for them to win. Both measures have stalled in recent days, forcing lawmakers to start the process again.

Hilgers said he doesn't want to waste the time of senators or the public if no one can compromise. The situation is unprecedented, he said, given the late release of population data from the U.S. Census Bureau because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the fact that lawmakers have less time to reach a deal on district maps than they would in a regular session.

I certainly want to get it done now, but I also want to get it right, Hilgers said. If we have one delayed election to get these right for the next ten years, then that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said delaying the once-a-decade ritual would force county election officials to wait longer before they could start drawing precinct-level maps to fit within the new political boundaries. Aspiring candidates who want to run for office would encounter delays as well, because the window for them to file would get pushed back beyond its Jan. 5 opening.

Evnen, a Republican, said it would be far better for the state if lawmakers completed their work this week.

Lawmakers did give first-round approval Tuesday to new district maps for Nebraska's Supreme Court justices and members of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. But Hilgers said he'll still end the session unless all of the maps pending before lawmakers have advanced through a first-round vote on Saturday.

Ending the special session without any new maps would delay the decision until the 2022 session, which starts in January. Hilgers said it would almost certainly delay the state's May primary election for U.S. House, legislative and local races. The next presidential and U.S. Senate primaries won't be until 2024.

The Nebraska Supreme Court and Public Service Commission maps advanced fairly easily on Tuesday, although some rural senators raised concerns about the growing physical size of rural districts. They said they were particularly worried about the five-member commission, which regulates industries including broadband  a major priority in remote areas with poor service.

I am concerned that without fair representation on the Public Service Commission across the state, we will continue to lose out on opportunities to grow Nebraska," said Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont.

Former Speaker Mike Flood said some rural commission members may have the hardest job in Nebraska politics, because they represent the interests of such a huge area.

Under the maps that advanced on Tuesday, two members would represent 82 of Nebraska's 93 counties, while the remaining three would cover the other 11, including the Omaha and Lincoln areas. Flood said he'd like to see the commission expanded, from five members to seven.

For the state Supreme Court, lawmakers approved a map that would give one justice more than half of the state. Six of the court's seven justices represent specific areas of the state, while the court's chief justice serves as an at-large member.

___

Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte
NORWALK  The city has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by a Stratford man who was injured when a Norwalk police cruiser he was in collided with another car in 2018.

Nathan Polite was in the rear passenger seat of officer Matthew Nyquists cruiser when Nyquist made a U-turn, colliding with the left side of a vehicle traveling on that side of the road, according to court records.

Following the incident, Polite filed lawsuits against the city, Nyquist, Norwalk Police Department and the driver of the other vehicle, John Polman, in 2019, according to court records. The police department was later dropped from the lawsuit.

The Common Council approved a move to settle the claim with Polite for an undisclosed amount during its Sept. 14 meeting. Subsequently, Polite withdrew his claim against all three defendants on Sept. 16, according to court records.

The incident occurred on West Avenue on Feb. 3, 2018, around 12:30 a.m. Court records do not indicate why Polite was in the back of Nyquists police vehicle nor why Nyquist performed the U-turn.

Polites complaint describes Nyquist as having, suddenly and without warning turned his vehicle to the left so as to make a U-turn from the right Northbound lane of West Avenue into the Southbound lane of West Avenue when, in so doing, he caused his vehicle to collide with the left side of the vehicle proceeding north in the left lane of West Avenue.

As a result of the collision, Polite suffered herniations, acute disk protrusions compressions of his cervical and lumbar spines, spinal cord compression, neurological decline and severe neck and back pain, among other injuries, according to the records. Some or all of the injuries may result in permanent damage.

Due to the injuries, Polite is unable to fully engage in lifes activities, according to the records. Polite was asking for upward of $15,000 from the city for damages incurred in the accident.

In filing the lawsuit, Polite claimed Nyquist, Polman and the city all acted negligently, resulting in the car crash. Polites attorney, Robert Sousa of Shelton-based law firm Sousa and Minogue, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Polite found both drivers at fault, claiming Nyquist neglected to turn on his emergency lights or sirens prior to turning, while Polman failed to honk, alerting Nyquist to am impending accident, or observe the right of way of emergency vehicles, according to the records.

In turn, the city filed a lawsuit against Polman, a Watertown resident, in 2020 for failing to prevent the accident, according to court records. Following the Sept. 14 council meeting and approval of a settlement, the city withdrew its lawsuit against Polman on Monday.

Prior to the February 2018 accident, Nyquist was named one of the citys three officers of the year in 2016 for his work with a knife-wielding suspect earlier that year.

As of 2020, Nyquist is still employed with the Norwalk Police Department, according to the departments 2020 annual report. Nyquist did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
EATONTON, Ga. (AP)  The trial of Georgia inmate facing the death penalty for the slayings of two prison guards opened Monday with a prosecutor saying the inmate was the mastermind of a deadly escape plan, while a defense attorney insisted his client had no clue a fellow prisoner would kill the officers.

Donnie Rowe is charged with murder in the June 2017 killings of Sgt. Christopher Monica and Sgt. Curtis Billue aboard a prison transport bus southeast of Atlanta. He escaped along with inmate Ricky Dubose. Both men were arrested in Tennessee days later and charged in the slayings.

Prosecutor Dawn Baskins told jurors in an opening statement Monday that evidence will show Rowe plotted the escape, WGXA-TV reported. She said Rowe noticed a gate separating the two guards on the bus from the inmates was unlocked.

Baskins said jurors will view security video from the bus showing Rowe and Dubose approaching the gate after one of the guards, Monica, fell asleep. She said Rowe used his chains to strike Monica, then seven gunshots rang out.

The evidence will show (Monica) was alive," Baskins said. "The evidence will show but for those last two shots, he would have lived. He would have lived, but for the abandoned and malignant heart of Donnie Rowe.

Defense attorney Frank Hogue didn't dispute Rowe's involvement in the crime. But he said the gunshots were all fired by Dubose after he got into boxes holding the guards' weapons.

Hogue told jurors they will be able to hear on the video Dubose tell Rowe he isnt going to kill the officers, and that Rowe responded either good or cool.

"You will hear no such evidence that Donnie Rowe knew, while disabling Officer Monica, Dubose would kill them, said Hogue.

Jury selection in the case took about three weeks. Because of pretrial publicity, jurors were selected from rural Grady County in south Georgia. They were bused about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north to Putnam County, where jurors are staying in a hotel for the duration of the trial.

Dubose also faces the death penalty and will be tried separately.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Two United Nations agencies requested access Tuesday to asylum-seekers stranded at Belarus's border with Poland and Lithuania, after four migrants were found dead in the area.

The International Organization for Migration and the U.N. Refugee Agency called on the governments involved to be guided primarily by human rights and international law as they try to stop people from illegally entering the European Union from Belarus.

In a joint statement, the U.N. agencies called for an investigation of the four deaths and asked for immediate access" to other refugees and migrants "in order to provide lifesaving medical help, food, water and shelter, especially in light of the approaching winter.

The governments of Poland and Lithuania introduced states of emergency that deny entry to certain border areas to anyone except border guards and security services. They also are building razor wire fences along their border with Belarus.

Polands authorities said three people who were found dead Sunday close to the Belarusian border died from hypothermia and exhaustion. Polish border guards also saw the body of a woman close to the border, on the Belarus side.

The U.N. agencies, both based in Geneva, said the nationalities of the people who died has not been confirmed, but two of the victims who died of hypothermia were believed to be from Iraq.

The agencies said they were following with growing concern, reports of pushbacks of people at these borders. Groups of people have become stranded for weeks, unable to access any form of assistance, asylum or basic services. Many were left in dire situations, exposed to the elements, suffering from hypothermia. Some were rescued from swamps."

Refusing to allow asylum-seekers to seek protection if considered a violation of international law.

EU members Poland and Lithuania received an unusual number of migrants and refugees from Belarus in recent months. They allege that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkos government is trying to destabilize the 27-nation EU.

The border pressure began after Western countries introduced sanctions on Lukashenkos government over the country's disputed August 2020 presidential election and a crackdown on the opposition.

___

Follow AP's coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
EDWARDSVILLE  Madison County officials last week wasted little tie in setting up a long-term household hazardous waste facility after approving an agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

The county board voted to set up the site at Wednesdays meeting.

Starting in November the county will offer a drop-off site twice a month at 249 N. Old St. Road, Wood River. Drop-offs will be by appointment only between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the first Saturday and third Friday of each month.

I think this is an incredible thing for the public, Chairman Kurt Prenzler said. They will have a permanent place to get rid of all their harmful waste.

Madison County Building and Zoning Director Chris Doucleff said that, in the past, his department hosted two free hazardous waste collections per year for county residents.

The new permanent site will increase the opportunity for residents to drop off their hazardous waste from two collections a year, to two collections a month  totaling 24 collections a year, Doucleff said. The facility is unique in the fact that it will be one of the few hazardous waste collection sites in Illinois, and the only one south of Chicago.

Prenzler said the county is able to fund the program through its landfill tipping fees, while the state of Illinois will pay for the waste disposal.

Its a win-win for county residents, he said.

Officials said the collection site would ensure proper and environmentally safe disposal of items such as lead-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, and lawn care products among other hazardous waste starting Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.

A registration page for appointments will be online in the coming weeks at https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/planning_and_development/index.php.

The board also acted on a number of zoning requests, concurring with the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building & Zoning Committee in approving six and denying one.

Denied was a request by Aaron Wells, on behalf of SW Properties, had requested a special use permit to have a private recreational area at 1211 Clifton Street that would include dirt tracks for personal recreational vehicles.

The area is zoned R-2 single-family residential.

The ZBA and Building & Zoning Committee unanimously voted not to recommend the request. A number of residents had complained about the proposal.

Six other requests were approved, including:

 Nathan and Wilhelmina Roney, owners of property at 6345 Makayla Brooke Lane, Maryville, requested a minor bulk variance to construct an accessory structure 45 feet from a property line rather than the required 50 feet. The area is in an A agricultural district.

 James Holmes Sr., owner of property at 5178 Nameoki Road, Granite City, requested a special use permit to place a mobile home on the site, which is located in a single-family residential district.

 Craig Engeling, owner of property at 5360 Illinois 162, Glen Carbon, requested a setback variance to allow a new accessory structure to be 28 feet from a property line instead of the required 50 feet. The property is in an agricultural district.

 Craig and Lauren Watson, owners of property at 6005 Old Poag Road, Edwardsville, requested the rezoning of 1.8 acres from dual-zoned M-1 limited manufacturing to R-3 single-family residential.

 Bill Branz, on behalf of the Charles D. and Ann L. Moore Family Revocable Trust, owners of property at 8720 Old Moro Road, Dorsey, requested a setback variance to allow the construction of an attached garage to a single-family house 44 feet from a property line instead of the required 50 feet. The property is zoned agricultural.

 Mary Jo Guinn, applying on behalf of Agape Farms LLC, owner of property at 8176 Lebanon Road, Troy, requested a special use permit to allow public stables and horse boarding on the property. It is located in agriculturally-zoned property.

The board also took action on a number of grants-related items, including a substantial amendment to the 2021 Community Development Action Plan.

The overall plan calls for the spending of approximately $4 million, including $3 million in Community Development Block Grants, and $1 million for the HOME program. Both are increases in what was expected this year.

Alton and Granite City receive set amounts; $723,869.60 and $563,356.80 respectively. Six $100,000 competitive grants have been awarded to other communities.

The programs are geared toward helping low- to moderate-income residents. That includes projects to eliminate slums and blight, or to deal with issues posing serious and immediate threats to the health and welfare of the community.

High priority projects include infrastructure improvements, fire station or equipment improvements, housing rehabilitation, accessibility ramps and public services.

This years HOME budget is just over $1 million.

The board also approved submitting 2021 low-income home water assistance program grant applications. The county is seeking $838,687. Also approved were bids for the 2022 weatherization HVAC, plumbing and electrician contracts and bids for weatherization materials.

A resolution authorizing local colleges to serve as vendors for a short-term supply chain/logistics training program through Madison County Employment and Training was approved. SIUE, LCCC, SWIC and Kaskaskia Community College will each receive $50,000 for participating.

The County Board, acting as the Madison County Board of Health, also approved the purchase of vaccines through several vendors at a cost of up to $240,000.
There have been several phases in the efforts to combat the deadly coronavirus.

First it was "stay at home," then it was "get the vaccine" (two shots depending on which one you got), soon it will be "get your booster," and quite possibly not far around the corner is "get your kids vaccinated."

Pfizer announced Monday that its vaccine is safe for children ages 5 to 11. But how do parents feel about it?

We asked "Will you vaccinate your kids?" to readers on the Facebook pages for The Telegraph, Edwardsville Intelligencer and Jacksonville Journal-Courier. There were many answers, some very direct, others rather passionate.

"Yes, in the same manner they already receive vaccines for flu, chicken pox, measles, hepatitis, etc.," Tierny Bierkamp Boyd told The Telegraph. "Its absolutely no different."

Margie Martin Robbins feels differently.

"Nope! They haven't been studied enough and vaccinated people can still get it and spread it," she wrote. "There are no guarantees. Just adverse side effects!"

"Absolutely. Over 600,000 people have died from this virus in this country alone. If I can protect my child even further than mask mandates and distancing, I'll absolutely do it," Libby Crk said to the Edwardsville Intelligencer. "Plus it adds another layer of protection for my kid who's under 5. The only way this pandemic is ever going to end is if people start thinking beyond themselves and take the necessary precautions."

William Dean Woods gave a straight forward response.

"Hell no!!! The same reason why I wont get it," he wrote. "Will use our immune system to protect us and if we get it, will let it run its course."

Jess Stambaugh commented to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, "I got it for myself but not sure if I want to for my children. Especially my one who is epileptic. Definitely going to be having long discussions with his neurologist and pediatrician on their thoughts."

Raymond Schelm simply posted a GIF of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch holding signs that read, "How about No."

Needless to say, the hundreds of comments received voiced many opinions. A lot of what readers had to say didn't seem to boast much of a gray area. Parents were either emphatically for the vaccine or against it.

"Yes. Life has to move forward. Covid has been a thief. Grandma needs to see her great-grandkids. I listen to her daily declining over the phone. My 5-year-old's world expanded as she started public school and I cannot take her into her great grandmas facility," Venessa Duckett told The Telegraph. "It would be irresponsible. The means to an end sucks for us all. I trust science now just like I did with the other vaccines my child had to have for school manufactured by the same makers."

"Maybe after more research is done but not until then .. everything is to rushed and we are still finding things out about the vaccine and it's side effects," Gina Sjouwke wrote.
Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis personal injury attorney and a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Roy Blunt, faces a suspension of his law license after pleading guilty earlier this year to misdemeanor assault.

The case was filed Thursday by the state Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel with the Missouri Supreme Court. Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel, in charge of attorney discipline in Missouri, wrote that both McCloskey and his wife Patricia McCloskey, also an attorney and facing a similar suspension case, "admitted committing a criminal act that shows indifference to public safety and involved moral turpitude."

Both McCloskeys were convicted in June of fourth-degree assault connected to the couple waving guns at racial justice protestors last summer. No shots were fired as the protestors walked past the McCloskeys' house to demonstrate at the home of a former St. Louis mayor. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the couple on July 30.

The suspension of McCloskey's law license would last for up to six months, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Pratzel cited previous disciplinary cases in which the court took action against attorneys for drunken driving, assault and misdemeanor stealing.

"When (McCloskey) pled guilty, he admitted the purposeful criminal conduct of placing others in apprehension of physical harm by waving his automatic rifle in their direction," Pratzel wrote to the state Supreme Court.

"Finally, by pleading guilty, (McCloskey) admitted that his purposeful conduct was not justified," the request continued.

Pratzel wrote in his motion that McCloskey "admitted guilt in court and remains guilty," despite the governor's pardon.

McCloskey told members of the news media that he would commit the same crime under similar circumstances, the motion notes, which Pratzel says should be a factor in the decision.

"Respondents public statements aggravate because they indicate his refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing and demonstrate his lack of respect for the judicial process that he had recently participated in," Pratzel wrote in the motion.

The McCloskeys sued to recover the two guns they surrendered to authorities as well as the fines they paid to the state after entering guilty pleas upon pardoning.

Mark McCloskey plead guilty on June 17 and was ordered to pay a fine of $750. Patricia McCloskey entered a guilty plea on the same day to misdemeanor harassment and was ordered to pay $2,000, per NPR.

Pratzel recommended that the Supreme Court indefinitely suspend the McCloskey' licenses with no leave to reapply for reinstatement after six months.

Both McCloskeys were admitted to the Missouri bar in 1986. The couple practice together as the McCloskey Law Center in St. Louis and focus on personal injury, medical malpractice and defective products cases.

Even after pleading guilty to the charge, Mark McCloskey was unapologetic. As Pratzel noted in his motion, McCloskey publicly declared, "The prosecutor dropped every charge except for alleging that I purposely placed other people in imminent risk of physical injury; right, and I sure as heck did. Thats what the guns were there for and Id do it again any time the mob approaches me, Ill do what I can to place them in imminent threat of physical injury because thats what kept them from destroying my house and my family."
Alternative vaccination strategy approved by Anutin

BANGKOK: Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has approved an alternative COVID-19 vaccination method in an attempt to both enhance immunity levels and vaccine supplies.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 09:31AM

Anutin has given the new, unconventional vaccination approach the green light. Photo: NNT

Doctors throughout the country can now administer vaccine booster shots under a patients skin as opposed to into muscles, as was previously the case. Anutin confirmed the method is to be used at the discretion of doctors on the proviso it is supported by evidence.

Each intramuscular dose can be divided among five people using this method, said Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) assistant spokeswoman Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan to therefore maximise the number of supplies.

Phukets Vachira Hospital will begin implementing the new strategy from Friday (Sept 24), with hospital director Chalermpong Sukonthaphon stating trials showed the technique triggered a similar immune response to the regular method.

Phuket, which back in April was among the first provinces in Thailand to administer vaccines, has received 72,500 booster doses of AstraZeneca from the Disease Control Department. These booster shots will be used via the technique to complement the two doses of Sinovac that many of the islands population have already received.

According to NNT, Phuket has vaccinated just over 50% of 80,000 registered fully vaccinated locals since September 12th. The province plans to roll out booster doses to target groups and state officers in the province between September 19th and 25th. The general public, foreigners and migrants workers will receive jabs between September 26th and 30th.

The decision to adopt unconventional vaccination techniques is largely down to problems with supplies. Official figures state that so far only 21% of the estimated 72 million population have been fully vaccinated.

A similar unconventional approach was recently announced whereby Sinovac will be administered to patients as the initial shot, followed by a second dose of AstraZeneca. This is an approach that has not been adopted anywhere else thus far.

Since the break of the pandemic last year, Thailand has seen 1,500,105 COVID-19 cases, with 1,352,838 complete recoveries so far and 15,518 deaths.
First 2,000 schoolchildren vaccinated with Sinopharm

BANGKOK: The Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) began its campaign to inoculate schoolchildren in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces with the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine yesterday (Sept 20), ahead of the planned reopening of classes.

ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 09:02AM

A Satriwithaya School student receives a dose of Sinopharm vaccine provided by Chulabhorn Royal Academy at the National Telecom head office yesterday (Sept 20). Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb

Staff from the academy vaccinated 2,000 students aged 10-18 years from Satriwithaya School, Roong Aroon Learning Centre and Santisuk School, with the approval of their parents.

The doses were administered at the National Telecom head office building, reports the Bangkok Post.

The CRA plans to jab 180,000 students from 132 schools in Greater Bangkok who have applied to the academy for vaccination. There is no charge.

Sinopharm has not been approved for use on schoolchildren by the Food and Drug Administration, which endorsed only the use of the Pfizer vaccine for students.

CRA secretary-general Nithi Mahanonda said Sinophram was safe for young people. The Chinese-made vaccine used inactivated virus and had already beem given to young people in China, Chile, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.

The campaign would continue until all schoolchildren who registered had been vaccinated, Dr Nithi said. He expected it would end in mid-October.

The academy would monitor their condition three times - on the second day, one week and one month after vaccination, he said.

The drive to vaccinate young people was announced last month, following the example of China.

The ministry plans Pfizer shots for students aged 12-18 nationwide from Oct 4, starting with 29 provinces, including Bangkok, hit the hardest by the pandemic.

All schools must talk with students parents and get their approval, and send the list to education offices supervising their area by Sept 25.

The ministry plans to reopen all schools after students are inoculated.
New Phuket anti-COVID campaign in full swing

PHUKET: Nine teams of medical staff under the newly formed Phuket Comprehensive COVID-19 Response Team (Phuket CCR) began their intensive screening of communities across Phuket today (Sept 21) with the goal of testing 25,000 people within three days.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourism

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 02:25PM

The third-dose booster vaccination injection campaign has already served more than 66,000 people in Phuket. Image: PPHO

The breakdown of patients and hospital beds available as of yesterday (Sept 20). Image: PPHO

The Aunjai Clinic has been set up at the conference hall at the site new Provincial Hall complex (building on the right)). Photo: Thanaphat Muthidakul

The teams have been deployed under the new strategy to curtail the rising number of infections across the island, which have risen from 1,186 on Aug 1 to 9,004 as of yesterday (Sept 20).

Before today, the Phuket CCR teams had already set up in Patong, providing assistance to people in the Nanai Rd area over the weekend, and another team arrived at the sea gypsy village in Rawai yesterday.

At the sea gypsy village the team members, comprising staff from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), Chalong Hospital, Vachira Phuket Hospital and Rawai Municipality, conducted COVID tests, administered vaccination injections and gave advice about self-care with COVID-19 and how to prevent contracting the disease. Officers from the Surat Thani Provincial Public Health Office also joined the efforts.

Phuket Governor unveiled the new strategy to battle the rising number of COVID infections last Wednesday, with Pitakpol Boonyamalik, Inspector General of the Ministry of Public Health District 11 office, explaining the new three-prong campaign.

As Chief of the Ministry of Public Health District 11 office, Mr Pitakpol is the leading Ministry of Public Health official responsible for the seven Upper Southern Thailand provinces, including Phuket. Of note, medical officers and staff from the Region 11 office have been assigned to support the Phuket CCR teams conduct the mass testing.

Phuket has had more than 200 new cases a day for weeks, Dr Pitakpol admitted when announcing the new strategy. However, he added, Although there have been many new infected cases, more than 85% have been asymptomatic or green patients.

The patients in the red group with severe symptoms have been very few, and the mortality rate has been very low, because most people in Phuket have received two doses of vaccine and are in the middle of the third booster dose, he said.

Regardless, Phuket this month has suffered its worst number of COVID deaths since the outbreak began. The PPHO yesterday reported five new deaths attributed to COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in Phuket attributed to COVID-19 since Apr 3 to 58. Of those, 38 deaths occurred this month, with 19 deaths in the past week alone.

Also vital to the new strategy is the opening of the Aunjai Clinic at the conference hall at the still-incomplete Phuket Provincial Hall complex on Tha Kraeng Rd, on the south side of Phuket Town (see map below).

The clinic, named with aunjai in Thai meaning peace of mind, has 20 lines open that local residents can call for advice on what to do if they test positive for COVID after using an antigen test kit (ATK) independently, not as part of a mass screening campaign.

With Mr Pitak last week confirming that 85% of new infections being asymptomatic, many people are now allowed to self-isolate at home instead of occupying much-needed hospital beds.

Of note, immediately after the announcement by Dr Pitak, the PPHO in its daily COVID situation report for the island marked that the number of patients designated as Green had fallen overnight by 310, from 711 to 401. No public statement from Phuket officials marked the notable fall in the number of patients designated green, but the daily report for that day (Sept 16) also marked the total number of hospital beds actually occupied by COVID patients in Phuket had also fallen, by 381, from 2,266 to 1,885.

As of today, the PPHO has reported that 1,269 remain in quarantine at COVID-19 Care Centres set up across the island.

There are 4,074 currently under medical care or supervision, but only 49 in intensive care units, of which 35 are designated Red patients - with 14 beds still available.

A further 418 patients remain in hospital isolation units. Of those, 347 patients are designated Yellow patients  with 71 beds still available.

In total 1,787 people are under care at field hospitals and hospitels. Field hospitals in Phuket currently have 370 patients, with 96 beds still spare, and hospitels have 1,181 people in care, with 140 beds still available.

Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, yesterday noted, The important thing is that when an infected person is found, they must be brought into the treatment system immediately.

Dr Chalermpong described the Aunjai Clinic as a comprehensive management center for COVID-19 patients.

The clinic has been set up as a multi-agency effort, with the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) providing B1.2 million towards setting up the facilities. It has not been reported how much funding the Phuket Provincial Government has put towards the project, but the phone services have been provided by TOT Public Company Limited and the Phuket Provincial office of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) have provided the computing services.

The objective is to manage the number of infected people in the community, including expanding opportunities for all infected people to access fast and convenient services that appropriately appraise the severity of symptoms and risk factors, Dr Chalermpong said.

The centre includes facilities such as a centre where infected people can wait until appropriate quarantine accommodation can be provided. The clinic also provides a single point of contact for services where people can call with enquiries and have their needs coordinated. The centre includes a One stop service call center with 20 lines available, at 076-254200, he added.

Those with positive ATK results can have their test results confirmed, they can undergo medical examination and diagnosis, including chest x-rays, and receive basic treatment by medical personnel, Dr Chalermpong explained.

In cases that can be quarantined at home, in the community isolation centres, at hotels [or hospitels], there will be a team to help treat initial symptoms. This includes giving patients medication such as Favipiravir in necessary cases, along with monitoring symptoms and giving advice every day, he said.

The third prong in the new strategy is the deployment of third-dose booster vaccination injections, which began in earnest last week. As of today (Sept 21), 66,383 people in Phuket had received their third-dose booster shot.

Meanwhile, also as of today, 426,387 people have received just one vaccination injection, while 389,163 have received two vaccination injections.

The PPHO in its detailed report available online marks its target population in Phuket to be vaccinated as 547,584, not 466.587 as promoted by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department.
Personal details of 106mn visitors to Thailand exposed online for 10 years

THAILAND: Research by a leading cyber security firm has revealed that a database containing the personal information of 106 million international visitors to Thailand was left exposed online for a period of 10 years.

immigrationtourism

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 02:26PM

A screenshot of some of the exposed data. Image: Comparitech

The unsecured database containing international travel records was left exposed on the web without a password, researchers from Comparitech confirmed. Dates on the records ranged from 2011 to the present day.

Personal information of travellers included date of arrival in Thailand, full name, sex, passport number, residency status, visa type and Thai arrival card number.

Bob Diachenko, who leads Comparitechs cybersecurity research, discovered the database on Aug 22, 2021 and immediately alerted the Thai authorities, who acknowledged the incident and secured the data the following day.

Diachenko surmises that any foreigner who traveled to Thailand in the last decade might have had their information exposed in the incident. He even confirmed the database contained his own name and entries to Thailand.

The database was indexed by search engine Censys on Aug 20 with Diachenko discovering the unprotected data two days later. He immediately took steps to verify and alert the owner in accordance with the companys responsible disclosure policy. Thai authorities acknowledged the incident on Aug 23 and swiftly secured the data in due course.

Notably, the IP address of the database is still public but, at time of press, the database itself has been replaced with a honeypot. Anyone who attempts access at that address now receives the message, This is honeypot, all access were logged. [sic]

Thai authorities responded quickly to Diachenkos disclosure and maintain the data was not accessed by any unauthorised parties. However it is unknown how long the data was exposed prior to being indexed. Honeypot experiments conducted by Comparitech show attackers can find and access unsecured databases in a matter of hours.

Any foreigner who traveled to Thailand in the last decade or so probably has a record in the database, said Comparitechs tech writer Paul Bischoff. There are many people who would prefer their travel history and residency status not be publicized, so for them there are obvious privacy issues.

None of the information exposed poses a direct financial threat to the majority of data subjects as no financial or contact information was included, said Bischoff.

Although passport numbers are unique to individuals, they are assigned sequentially and are not particularly sensitive. For example, a passport number cant be used to open bank accounts or travel in another persons name on its own, he said.
Telephone cable thief arrested

PHUKET: A Phang Nga man has been arrested and brought to Phuket to face charges for stealing telephone and communications cables across the island and selling them for scrap near his home in Thai Muang District in Phang Nga.

crimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 09:30AM

Chaturong Bhumlamnao was arrested in Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga, yesterday (Sept 20). Photo: Wichit Police

Chaturong Bhumlamnao was arrested at a house in Moo 6, in Tambon Lampi, Thai Mueang District, at 1:15pm yesterday (Sept 20), police reported.

Present to make the arrest were officers from the Wichit Police and the Crime Suppression Region 5 branch, as well as representatives of TOT public company limited.

The arrest followed TOT filing a formal complaint that its cables were being stolen at various locations across Phuket.

Wichit Police confirmed through their investigation that two perpetrators were carrying out such thefts in the Wichit area, police reported yesterday.

Phuket Provincial Court last Friday (Sept 17) issued arrest warrant No. 263/264, empowering officers to arrest the thieves, and further investigation led the officers to locate Chaturong in Phang Nga.

Chaturong now faces the charge of committing theft together with other persons by using a vehicle, as listed on the arrest warrant.

Chaturong told police that he and a friend worked together to steal the cables. They burnt the insulation off at a rubber plantation in Phang Nga and sold the copper wire to a scrap shop in Phang Nga Province.

Chaturong was brought to Wichit Police Station yesterday to face the charge against him.

The police report made no mention of his accomplice.
US to end travel bans for vaccinated passengers early November

WASHINGTON: The United States announced yesterday (Sept 20) it will lift COVID travel bans on all air passengers in November if they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing.

ChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19tourismVaccinepolitics

By AFP

Tuesday 21 September 2021, 10:33AM

Currently only US citizens, residents and foreigners with special visas are allowed to enter the United States from most European countries. Photo: AFP

Jeffrey Zients, coronavirus response coordinator for President Joe Biden, told reporters the new consistent approach would take effect early November.

The easing of travel restrictions, imposed 18 months ago by Donald Trump as the COVID-19 pandemic first erupted, marks a significant shift by Biden and answers a major demand from European allies at a time of strained diplomatic relations.

Numerous safeguards will remain in place to suppress the spread of the virus, which has already killed more than 670,000 Americans and is resurgent after what many had hoped was a lasting dip earlier this year.

Most importantly, foreign nationals flying to the US will be required to be fully vaccinated, Zients said.

It wasnt immediately clear if the new rule only applied to US-approved vaccines or if other brands, such as those produced in China or Russia would also qualify. Zients said that would be determined by the US Centers for Disease Control.

Restrictions on vehicle movement from Canada and Mexico will remain in place. We do not have any updates on the land border policies, Zients said.

Zients said passengers will need to show they were fully vaccinated before boarding planes to the United States, as well as providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days.

Americans not fully vaccinated will still be able to enter but only on testing negative within a day of travel.

Masks will be obligatory on US-bound flights and airlines will provide the US health authorities with contact tracing information.

This new international travel system follows the science to keep Americans international air travel safe, Zients said.

Science or politics?

The announcement was quickly welcomed by the trade group Airlines For Europe, which said this decision will give a much-needed boost to trans-Atlantic traffic & tourism and will reunite families and friends.

But while it had been widely expected that Biden would reopen borders to the European Union and Britain, the announcement covers the globe.

This applies to all international travel, Zients said.

Currently only US citizens, residents and foreigners with special visas are allowed to enter the United States from most European countries.

The restriction has deeply irked EU and British authorities. Yesterday, the European Union recommended that member states reimpose restrictions on American travelers who had earlier been free to enter if vaccinated.

Bidens move comes on the eve of his speech to the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where the pandemic is due to be the headline issue.

It also comes as Washington and Paris spar bitterly over Australias sudden announcement that it will acquire US-built nuclear submarines as part of a new defense alliance, ditching a previous French contract for conventionally powered submarines.

France has recalled its ambassador from Washington and accused the Biden administration of stabbing it in the back.

However, US officials denied that the White Houses travel decision was an attempt to smooth ruffled French feathers.

This is really driven by the science, a State Department official said.
Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Emma Leeuwenburgh at news@thesunchronicle.com.
Paul Heroux

Age: 45

Address: 444 Newport Ave.

Employment: Mayor

Education: Masters in public administration, Harvard School of Government; masters in international relations, London School of Economics; masters in criminology, University of Pennsylvania; bachelors in psychology and neuroscience, University of Southern California

Previous work experience: Four years as mayor; five years as state representative; four years in prison administration; three years in Saudi Arabia and for Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies; seven years at the Attleboro YMCA

Family: Not married

Sun Chronicle: What do you want the voters of Attleboro to know about you and why should they elect you mayor?

Heroux: Im the only candidate running for mayor who has the necessary management experience to do this job. Im the only candidate who has political experience, and Im the only candidate who has experience being a mayor.

SC: What are the most pressing issues facing the city and what are your plans to address them?

Heroux: The most pressing issues are the ones that we have been addressing over the last four years. I hope that voters will recognize the many advances we have made as a city. COVID-19 is possibly first and foremost on everyones mind. In my role, I notified the public over 500 times on social media about updates concerning COVID-19.

SC: Do you think the pandemic will negatively influence the development of downtown because now it appears there are far fewer commuters, or do you think things will slowly get back to normal?

Heroux: I think that as more people get vaccinated and we get a better hold of the pandemic, things will become a new normal. Fewer people will be working in Boston or large cities ... We are preparing for that new normal by looking to provide people with a downtown experience they cannot buy online and to incorporate some of what they would have found in the big cities.

SC: Where do you see Attleboro in five years with regard to development and business in general?

Heroux: In five years, Attleboros downtown is going to look different than it did five years ago. This is not a hypothetical or empty promise; money is exchanging hands, old buildings are under new ownership and under construction, projects are being designed, and permits are being pulled. If one were to drive through Park Street, one would find only one or two vacancies, which is a drastic shift from the past.
EDWARDSVILLE  Kindermusik with Ellen Singh has been named a Top Program by Kindermusik International.

Singh is an early childhood music specialist at Kindermusik with Ellen Singh. The Kindermusik Top Program award recognizes excellence in building an expansive program and reaching many families in the community with the renowned music and movement program that promotes early childhood education.

This award is meaningful to me because it confirms my passion and goal of offering the magic of the Kindermusik experience at a high level of excellence and to as many children and families as possible who can most benefit from this music education, Singh said.

Kindermusik is a music program for children, founded by Dan Pratt, who, while studying in Cologne, Germany, discovered a curriculum that empowered young children to learn through music. Determined to bring this educational approach to families around the world, he introduced the first Kindermusik classes in 1978. Steeped in educational theory, Kindermusiks research-based curricula is designed to recognize every childs potential and set a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Kindermusik International Inc. has been the worlds leading provider of music and movement programs for young children for over 40 years, and is used by thousands of licensed educators, schools, and other organizations in over 60 countries. With a full spectrum of classes for children age newborn to 7, plus award-winning books, albums, and more, Kindermusik promotes whole-child development and nurtures a lifelong love of learning through the joy of music.

Kindermusik programs have a mission: helping children become better learners and helping parents understand how to help them reach their highest potential, said Scott Kinsey, CEO at Kindermusik International.

Kindermusik with Ellen Singh joins the 200 Top Programs identified as the top educators in the world who teach Kindermusik. Singh began providing Kindermusik in 2004. Over the years, her program has reached hundreds of families.

Singh officially became a part of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty about 15 years ago, offering summer playdates every year since she joined the SIUE Music Department, under the direction of its Suzuki Program, of which all four of Singhs children have been or are a part. The Suzuki Program is for children, starting at 3 years old, in string development typically starting with the violin, but also can include cello, bass, etc.

That program is steeped in the idea of the Suzuki method, where children learn to hear and play music before reading and writing music, Singh explained. Then, around the time you start reading in school, children start reading and writing music, as a piece of the program.

The Ellen Singh with Kindermusik program is tiered, offering a foundational class, called Village, for infant to approximately 1 and a half years old; then Level 1, Sing & Play, and Level 2, Our Time, for 1 and a half years old to age 3; and, Level 3, Laugh & Learn, for for 1 and a half years old to age 4.

Ive always focused on preschool, primarily birth to 5 years old, Singh said. The curriculum is designed by music and child development experts, tapping into all these different things going on developmentally. Ive had classes with as young as 8 weeks old.

Singhs own blog at www.kindermusikwithellensingh.blogspot.com describes Kindermusik with Ellen Singh as a music and movement program with curriculum for children age birth through 7 years old. Classes provide a holistic musical and learning experience in the critical first years of young children and their families. This developmental program, guided by a proven methodology, she said, combines music and childhood development, providing opportunities to nurture child/parent relationships and gain a lifelong love of music and learning by a licensed educator.

In every Kindermusik class, youre welcomed into a playful and nurturing environment where your child will experience music of varying styles, genres and cultures, Singh said. Theyll interact with other children and engage in movement, rhythm and vocal activities that develop far more than just music skills.

Our approach to early childhood education and award-winning, research-based and developmentally appropriate curricula prime children for success in school and in life.

Musically, she has her foundations in many years of piano and flute lessons, as well as having taught herself to play electric bass guitar. She has performed in various groups throughout high school and college. Additionally, she has enjoyed the opportunities of performing as a flutist in her church and various community orchestras throughout the country, as well as teaching flute lessons.

Singhs lifelong passion and joy has been her work experience in the music field alongside young children and their families, she noted. A graduate of both the University of Evansville, with a bachelors in sociology and interpersonal communications, and the University of Illinois, with a masters in social work with Licensed Master Social Worker licensure, Singh has a broad spectrum of educational and clinical experiences, including child development, group dynamics and relationship building, which are essential in teaching music to children and their families.

Singh taught the SIUE Suzuki Program Pre-Reading Music Theory class from 2005-2011. Currently, she is an adjunct professor for both SIUE and Lewis and Clark Community College, where she teaches a class titled Music for the Preschool Teacher.

Another element of my SIUE work, for the last two years, and I absolutely love, is through its huge Head Start program in St. Clair County in East St. Louis, Singh said. Ive had the privilege of going into all of their seven sites, and the East St. Louis school district. I fell in love, I love it, and absolutely hoping to do it again.

Singh, who has been licensed with Kindermusik since 2004, is offering her Kindermusik with Ellen Singh program through SIUE and through her Move & Groove classes at LCCC Music Preparatory School in Godfrey, with registration and enrollment through the LCCC Music Department at 618-468-4731.

For more information about Singhs program, email her at desingh@juno.com, call 618-792-6190, or visit www.siue.edu/kindermusik or www.lc.edu/kindermusik.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, COVID-19 has become the most deadly pandemic in recent American history, with more than 676,000 deaths as of Monday in the country, surpassing estimates from the 1918 influenza pandemic. Deaths continue to rise at a pace of about 1,900 deaths per day in the U.S. due to COVID-19.

The U.S. is currently experiencing another wave of new infections due to the faster-spreading delta variant. According to CNBC, the U.S. is worse off now than it was a year ago as a large portion of the nations population remains unvaccinated.

The 1918 flu killed an estimated 675,000 people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It had been considered the most lethal pandemic and serious outbreak.

However, the 1918 flu killed about 1 in every 150 Americans compared with 1 in 500 who have died from COVID-19 so far.

The coronavirus can be more severe for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions but the 1918 flu killed more young Americans.

The 1918 flu killed more people globally, an estimated 20 to 50 million, according to the World Health Organization. COVID-19 has killed around 4.7 million people internationally so far, according to Johns Hopkins.

I think we are now pretty well done with historical comparisons, Dr. Howard Markel, a physician and medical historian at the University of Michigan, told CNBC. This is the pandemic I will be studying and teaching to the next generation of doctors and public-health students.

In Illinois, there have been 24,639 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 and 2,636 probable deaths due to the virus, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 572 deaths in Madison County and 95 in Morgan.

From the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis until 2021, more than 700,000 people died of HIV-related illness, according to KFF, a non-profit organization in California. However, the World Health Organization lists HIV/AIDS as an epidemic, not a pandemic. An epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population or region. A pandemic is an epidemic spread over multiple countries or continents and affecting more people.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic congressional leaders backed by the White House announced Monday they would push ahead with a vote to fund the government and suspend the debt limit, all but daring Republicans who say they will vote against it despite the risk of a fiscal crisis.

Congress is rushing headlong into an all-too-familiar stalemate: The federal government faces a shutdown if funding stops at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. At the same time, the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if the borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.

All this while Democratic lawmakers are laboring to shoulder President Joe Bidens massive $3.5 trillion build back better agenda through the House and Senate with stark opposition from Republicans.

The American people expect our Republican colleagues to live up to their responsibilities and make good on the debts they proudly helped incur, wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a joint statement.

From the White House, the president backed the congressional leaders plan to hold the votes.

This is a bipartisan responsibility, just as it was under my predecessor, Biden said in a tweet. Blocking it would be inexcusable.

The magnitude of the challenges ahead and the speed required to accomplish the job are like nothing Congress has faced in recent memory, situating Bidens entire domestic agenda and the political fate of his Democratic party at a crucial moment.

As Democrats charge ahead, the Republicans as the minority party in Congress hoping to regain control in the next election in 2022 plan to sit back, watching and waiting to see if Biden and his allies can succeed against the odds  or spectacularly fail.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said hes not about to help pay off past debts when Biden is about to pile on more with a reckless tax and spending package.

Since Democrats decided to go it alone, they will not get Senate Republicans help with raising the debt limit. Ive explained this clearly and consistently for over two months, McConnell said Monday on the Senate floor.

The vote this week on funding to keep the government running past Sept. 30 and allow more borrowing will force the political stalemate into the open.

The Treasury Department warned that it will soon run out of cash-on-hand, and have to rely on incoming receipts to pay its obligations, now at $28.4 trillion. That could force the Treasury to delay or miss payments, a devastating situation.

Doing so would likely precipitate a historic financial crisis, wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the Wall Street Journal.

Stocks on Wall Street closed sharply lower Monday, handing the S&P 500 index its biggest drop in four months as worries about heavily indebted Chinese real estate developers rippled across markets and investors have concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve could signal that its planning to pull back some of the support measures its been giving markets and the economy.

Once a routine matter, lifting the debt ceiling has become a political weapon of choice for Republicans in Washington ever since the 2011 arrival of tea party lawmakers who refused to allow it. At the time, they argued against more spending and the standoff triggered a fiscal crisis.

Echoing that strategy, McConnell is refusing to provide Republican votes, even though some GOP senators might have a tough time voting no.

The package is expected to keep most spending at its current levels on a stopgap basis through the end of the year and include supplemental funds for the aftermath of Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, as well as money to help defray the evacuations from Afghanistan. Tacking on legislative language to allow more borrowing would cover the nations debt payments through 2022.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, whose state was battered by the hurricane and who is up for election next year, said he will likely vote for it if the disaster relief portion is acceptable. He added, Because my people desperately need the help.

When McConnell was in control of the Senate he relied on Democratic votes to help raise the debt ceiling during the past administration and the Democrats said they expect the same from him now. It typically takes 60 votes to advance bills in what's now a divided 50-50 Senate, meaning at least 10 GOP senators would be needed.

By withholding votes, Schumer said, what Republicans are doing is nothing short of a dine-and-dash of historic proportions.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Democrats are negotiating among themselves over Biden's big $3.5 trillion package as the price tag likely slips to win over skeptical centrist lawmakers who view it as too much.

The size and scope of Biden's Build Back Better initiative cannot be overstated. It touches almost all aspects of Americans' lives.

Biden's plan aims to not just rebuild the country after the COVID-19 crisis and economic fallout, but begin to change longstanding federal spending patterns in ways that provide more services to more Americans, and attempt to level the growing income inequality that permeates the economy.

The proposal would impose tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans earning beyond $400,000 a year and plow that money back into federal programs for young and old. It would increase and expand government health, education and family support programs for households, children and seniors, and boost environmental infrastructure programs to fight climate change.

With Republicans opposed in lockstep to Biden's sweeping vision, Democrats have no votes to spare in the Senate, and just a few votes' margin in the House.

Pelosi has promised a Sept. 27 vote on a companion bill, a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill of public works projects that enjoys widespread support from both parties in the Senate, though House Republicans mostly oppose it.

Even though that bipartisan bill should be an easy legislative lift, it too faces a political obstacle course. Dozens of lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus are expected to vote against it if it comes ahead of the broader Biden package. But centrists won't vote for the broader package unless they are assured the bipartisan bill will also be included.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Dozens of migrants upset about being deported to Haiti from the U.S. clashed with authorities while trying to rush back into a plane that landed Tuesday afternoon in Port-au-Prince.

A security guard closed the plane door just in time as some deportees began throwing shoes at the plane, yelling, This is abuse!" and How is this possible?!

The group that included men and women had disembarked from the second of four flights that arrived on Tuesday, with some temporarily losing their belongings in the scuffle as police arrived. Among those trying to get back on the plane was Maxine Orelien, who blamed Haiti's prime minister for the situation.

What can we provide for our family?" he said. We can't do anything for our family here. There is nothing in this country.

Orelien is among the hundreds of migrants whom the U.S. began deporting to Haiti starting Sunday, with several more flights scheduled in upcoming days. Many of them left their country after the devastating 2010 earthquake and now worry about how they will find jobs and housing and provide for their families in a country of more than 11 million people where about 60% earn less than $2 a day.

Haiti also is struggling to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti's southern region in mid-August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes.

Those deported with young children are especially worried about the recent spike in violence in Port-au-Prince, with gangs controlling roughly one-third of the capital. Kidnappings have become increasingly common, with targets ranging from young schoolchildren to nuns to impoverished families.

Partners in Health, a Boston-based nonprofit, said in a statement Tuesday that it was outraged by what it called the U.S. government's inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants and asylum seekers. It also called for an immediate halt to all Haiti-bound flights.

During a challenging and dangerous period for Haiti, it is unthinkably cruel to send men, women and children back to what many of them do not even call home anymore, the group said.

Haiti's ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection also said it was concerned about the fate of the migrants, especially women and children, and asked for a moratorium on flights as it criticized Haitian leaders for the state of the country.

One of the causes of this situation, considered a tragedy, remains the bad governance that has gripped the country for several decades, it said. And today, we are witnessing a deterioration in living conditions due to the irresponsibility of the current authorities in the protection and implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.

Meanwhile, the future of thousands of migrants who remain along the Mexico-Texas border is in limbo. U.S. expulsion flights are expected to continue while Mexico was flying and busing some of the migrants away from the border. So far, more than 6,000 Haitians and other migrants had been removed from an encampment at Del Rio, Texas.

The rapid expulsions were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former U.S. President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows for migrants to be immediately removed from the country without an opportunity to seek asylum. U.S. President Joe Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the order but let the rest stand.

___

AP writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed to this report.
SPRINGFIELD  A leading Latino civil rights group alleges the legislative maps Illinois Democrats enacted this spring were malapportioned and the revised maps Democrats sent the governor earlier this month arent any better.

The Democratic supermajority in the Illinois General Assembly passed new legislative boundaries in late May before the final data for such purposes was released by the U.S. Census. Final Census data was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawsuits against the maps were filed, saying the maps were based on estimates, not the block-level data.

After the U.S. Census released the final data in August, Democrats called a special session to revise the maps. As they did in the spring, they didnt get any support from Republicans while various civic groups urged legislators to slow down.

Those revised maps have now been sent to the governor, despite pending litigation.

Ernest Herrera, a staff attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, said they filed in support of a legal challenge in federal court last week because the Democrats map hurts the political strength of the states growing Latino population.

When everyone else has grown to a lesser degree or even shrank in population, Latinos are actually having their ability to elect candidates of their choice, that ability is being reduced, Herrera said.

MALDEF also filed in court against the maps in June. The revised maps arent any better.

Latino voter eligible population districts that are a majority, above 50 percent, have gone down from the map that was in place in the last decade to the map that was just approved in August, Herrera said.

Just as they did in the spring, Democrats this summer voted for the revised legislative maps hours after revealing the proposed lines, and thats a problem.

Normal people cannot have seen what these maps look like in a days notice to be able to give their input on the maps, he said.

Herrera said Illinois leading the nation in putting new maps in place is a red flag.

So being first out the gate in this sense, is not necessarily good and in fact, it is part of why there was a potential violation of the voting rights act in the August maps, Herrera said.

Its unclear when a federal panel of judges will rule on a motion for summary judgment.
WOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP)  Police are searching for a woman after beachgoers at a Georgia beach reported that an injured puppy was being thrown into the ocean earlier this month.

Tybee Island police officers encountered the dogs owner Sept. 12 and retrieved the puppy, the agency said in a statement. Police say she told officers her dog had been injured a week earlier, and she did not have the money to seek medical treatment.

Officers cited Candy Selena Marban with violating a city cruelty to animals ordinance and allowed her to go, police said.

The original call was that she was throwing the dog into the water," Tybee Island police Lt. Emory Randolph told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Some witnesses were very upset about that."

I believe when the officers got there on scene, he was laying in the sand and covered in sand," Randolph said. He just laid there in a ball."

One of the dog's legs was severely injured, said Randolph, adding that he was not certain exactly how the leg had been hurt.

There was no attempt to obtain professional medical treatment," he said.

Officers took the puppy in for emergency medical treatment in Savannah. After a veterinarian decided the puppy would have to be euthanized because its injuries were so severe, detectives secured a warrant for a more serious felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, police said.

Police circulated a wanted poster with a picture of Marban and her dog. They say she has ties to Gainesville, Georgia, and they have been in contact with law officers in the Gainesville area in hopes of finding her.

New information suggests that she may be in the Savannah area, but she could be anywhere, police said in an update on the case.

Right now we're open to any leads," Randolph said.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Staunton man has been charged with arson after allegedly setting a fire that destroyed several hundred tires.

Cole M. Palmer, 25, of Staunton, was charged Sept. 20 with arson, a Class 2 felony.

The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department.

According to court documents, on Sept. 17 Palmer allegedly deliberately set a fire in the 8300 block of E. Frontage Road that damaged property belonging to Olive Township, specifically a utility pole and 200 to 300 tires.

Bail was set at $75,000.

Other felony charges filed Sept. 20 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Alleyah J. Tuggle, 19, of Alton, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On Sept. 20 Tuggle allegedly was found to be carrying a Taurus G2C 9 mm handgun in a vehicle without a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card. Bail was set at $10,000.

 Makya C. Montgomery, 38, of East St. Louis, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapons and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Madison Police Department. On Sept. 18 Montgomery allegedly was found to be in possession of a stun gun in a motor vehicle without a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card, and was also in possession of less than 15 grams of ecstasy. Bail was set at $25,000.

 Zachariah W. Hobson, 39, of Hillsboro, Missouri, and Ashley R. Harlow, 29, of Union, Missouri, were each charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, both Class 2 felonies; and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, both Class 3 felonies. The cases were presented by the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force. On Sept. 17 the two allegedly were found to be in possession of a stolen 2003 Ford F-250; and less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $83,000 each.

 Ronald C. Feldpausch, 41, of Collinsville, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Sept. 19 Feldpausch allegedly was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Sara A. Baker, 44, and Jeremy E. Jarman, 43, both listed as homeless, were each charged with criminal damage to property over $500, both Class 4 felonies. The cases were presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On Sept. 18 the two allegedly damaged a door, locks and handles to an apartment in the 400 block of Livingston in Livingston. Bail was set at $25,000 each.
The Latest on the U.N. General Assembly (all times local):

___

UNITED NATIONS -- Pakistans foreign minister says Afghanistans new Taliban rulers should understand that if they want recognition and assistance in rebuilding the war-battered country they have to be more sensitive and more receptive to international opinion and norms.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Monday evening that countries are watching to see how things evolve in Afghanistan before considering recognition. He says, I dont think anyone is in a rush to recognize at this stage.

The Pakistani minister says his countrys objective is peace and stability in Afghanistan and to achieve that we would suggest to Afghans that they should have an inclusive government. He says their initial statements indicate they arent averse to the idea, so lets see.

Qureshi expresses hope the Taliban live up to their promise that girls and women would be allowed to go to school, college and university.

Qureshi strongly urges the United States and other countries that have frozen money from the former Afghan government to release it because thats Afghan money that should be spent on Afghan people.

___

UNITED NATIONS -- The top European Union official is criticizing the United States for a lack of transparency and loyalty towards its trans-Atlantic partners, as evidenced by Americas unilateral decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and its new Pacific defense pact that left France out in the cold.

EU Council President Charles Michel told a small group of reporters Monday that these U.S. decisions showed a clear lack of transparency and loyalty, loyalty and loyalty, despite President Joe Bidens announcement earlier this year that America is back after four years of former president Donald Trumps America First policies.

Michel repeated that the trans-Atlantic alliance is a paramount alliance for us in the EU.

Im not putting in question this alliance," he added, but Im asking: Is there a doubt in the United States about the importance of this alliance with Europe?

He said the announcement of the new U.S.-UK-Australia alliance and Washingtons decision, with the UK, to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in a move that killed a pre-existing deal between France and Australia, has consequences.

Michel said there is the need for a debate on what does it mean for us in Europe. He said a discussion on the EUs future relationship with China was already on the agenda of an upcoming informal dinner.

___

NEW YORK  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the importance of coronavirus vaccines during a meeting with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who says he has not been inoculated.

The two men met Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. As journalists were ushered out of the room at the start of the bilateral meeting, Johnson said: Thanks everybody, get AstraZeneca vaccines.

Johnson told Bolsonaro: Ive had it twice, referring to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed at Oxford University.

The Brazilian leader pointed at himself and said not yet, then laughed.

In a statement after the meeting, Johnsons office said the prime minister had underlined the importance of vaccines as our best tool to fight the virus and save lives around the world, and emphasised the important role the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played in the U.K, Brazil and elsewhere.

____

NEW YORK  Leaders, government ministers and other dignitaries from more than 120 countries and international organizations headed to ground zero Monday for a U.N. commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

The U.N. said more than 300 people went to the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum for the ceremony. Memorial President Alice Greenwald called it a powerful demonstration of global solidarity with terror victims.

The visitors included Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen; Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades; Guyanese President Irfaan Ali; Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda; Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Zeljko Komsic, the Croat representative in Bosnias multiethnic presidency.

They are in New York for this weeks big meeting at the U.N. General Assembly, about four miles (6.5 km) from the site where two hijacked planes plowed into the World Trade Centers twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Ultimately, nearly 3,000 people from more than 90 countries were killed at the trade center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares urged those gathered at Mondays tribute to restate our commitment towards our common collaboration to fight against terrorism and in favor of the victims as he and the U.N.s top counterterrorism official, Vladimir Voronkov, laid wreaths.
Lorraine K. Cerato, 81, of Scranton, died Friday afternoon at home.

Born Aug. 24, 1940, in Scranton, daughter of the late Frank and Ruth Boyson Cerato, she was a graduate of Scranton Technical High School class of 1958. She was a member of the Mary, Mother of God Parish. Prior to retirement, she was a food service manager at Chartwell.

Lorraine was a member of various local clubs. She enjoyed her many trips to Jamaica.

Surviving are a daughter, Joy Sensi, of Scranton; sons, Christopher Sensi and his wife, Susan, of Roaring Brook Twp.; and Mark Sensi and his wife, Theresa, of Scranton; a brother, Michael Cerato, of Scranton; a grandson, Daniel Sensi; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by sisters, Artemice and Leaura.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. in the Mary, Mother of God Parish at Holy Rosary Church, 316 William St., Scranton. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.

Friends may call from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass.

Arrangements have been entrusted to and are under the care and direction of Vanston and James Funeral Home, 1401 Ash St., Scranton. For directions, to share a memory or to leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.vanstonandjames.com.
MEG BEAL, Westerly volleyball, senior: Beal had 13 aces and 28 assists in three Westerly victories. Beal also contributed 15 digs for the Bulldogs.

ZOOT BOSCHWITZ, Chariho football, senior: Boschwitz completed 14 of 16 passes for 176 yards in the Chargers 42-6 win over Central Falls/Blacksone Valley Prep. Boschwitz threw three touchdown passes.

MADDIE PERKINS, Wheeler girls soccer, senior: Perkins scored two goals and assisted on another in the Lions 3-0 victory against Tourtellotte.

WILL SAWIN, Stonington boys soccer, senior: Sawin, a senior, scored four goals and assisted on three others in a pair of Stonington victories. For the season, Sawin has 11 goals and 10 assists for the Bears.

Vote

View Results
British fintech Wise has launched an investment feature that allows its customers to invest in stocks across multiple currencies.

From today, retail and business banking customers based in the UK will be able to use 'Wise Assets' to invest in Blackrock's iShares World Equity Index Fund, a portfolio of stocks which includes Apple, Amazon and Google.

Users will also be able to instantly spend up to 97 per cent of the invested money in their accounts with a Wise card, or send funds overseas.

Wise said it is holding back 3 per cent of the invested cash as a buffer for market volatility.

Wise co-founder and chief executive Kristo Kaarmann

'People all over the world are holding billions in their Wise and Wise Business accounts for the long-term.

'But holding money in various currencies can be hard to manage efficiently,' said chief executive and co-founder Kristo Kaarmann.

'Assets is seeking to solve that problem, by providing an opportunity for customers to earn a return on their money with us, in a host of different currencies, in all one place.'

Wise, formerly Transferwise, started life as a platform offering cheap currency exchange, but it has since expanded its products to include multi-currency accounts linked to a debit card and now holds 4.3billion in balances from customers globally.

Its foray into investments comes after a surge in retail investors using commission-free trading platforms to buy stocks.

Wise chairman and co-founder Taavet Hinrikus and technology boss Harsh Sinha also recently invested in Lightyear, a new commission-free stock trading app launched by their former colleagues.

The new offering also pits it against Revolut, which began offering its customers access to multi-currency accounts and stock investing in 2019.

Kaarmann said: 'It's not a standard current account, or a savings account, or a stock picking investment platform.

'It's something new we've built to give our customers a balance between the convenience, reliability, and potential returns of all three.'

Assets will charge a 0.55 per cent service fee to Wise and a 0.15 per cent fund fee on the value of a user's assets, which is taken monthly in arrears.

It plans to add more funds as it rolls out across Europe.

The launch comes after a period of beta testing with customers after Wise was granted new licences by the Financial Conduct Authority in June 2020, which allowed it to carry out regulated investment activities without a full banking licence.

'People are increasingly turning to a single app to manage their financial lives and improve their wellbeing.

'Offerings, such as Assets from Wise, are bringing financial services into the digital age and in line with consumers' expectations,' said Joe Parkin, head of banks and digitals at Blackrock UK.

'Providing people with investments alongside other financial products is critical to helping them achieve their long term goals.'

Assets is the first major product launch since Wise went public in London earlier this year, debuting at a valuation of nearly 9billion.
The chairman of Meggitt is on course for a multi-million-pound payday after shareholders backed plans to sell the defence giant to an American rival for 6.3bn.

Sir Nigel Rudd stands to receive 2million after 99.8 per cent of shareholders supported the takeover by Parker Hannifin yesterday.

Another payday: Sir Nigel Rudd stands to receive 2m when Meggitt's takeover by Parker Hannifin goes through next year

It is the latest example of Rudd presiding over the foreign takeover of a company he chairs  leading to his nickname the man who sold Britain.

The 74-year-old also oversaw the sales of Pilkington Glass, Alliance Boots, engineer Invensys and Signature Aviation.

He owns 250,000 shares in Meggitt and has been chairman since 2015. That puts him in line for 2million under Parkers 8 a share offer.

This is on top of 2.1million that he has earned during his six years at the company.

Meggitt makes parts for several aircraft, including military planes such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35.

It has annual revenues of around 1.7billion and employs more than 9,000 staff.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has not ordered an investigation into whether the takeover would harm UK national security.

Parker chairman Tom Williams said: The legally-binding commitments we offered alongside our recommended offer underline our intention to be a responsible steward of Meggitt, and we are engaged with the Government to finalise the commitments.

Meggitt had a higher offer from US rival Transdigm whose interest later fizzled out
Timing can be everything in banking. If JP Morgan had launched Chase in Britain just two weeks earlier, it would have had an advertising and brand awareness campaign its executives could have only dreamt of.

That's because it is one of the main sponsors of the US Open  and the almost 10million Britons who tuned in to watch Emma Raducanu win the final in New York would have seen its logo plastered all around the court, creating a fantastic, but missed, advertising opportunity.

Nonetheless, the bank will hope that it can serve up an ace of its own with its new UK current account, which was demoed to This is Money last week.

Ace account? Chase will be hoping Britons will be impressed with its current account - pictured, Emma Raducanu in the US Open final with its logo behind

Instead of offering cash bribes to attract customers like the big banking boys it'll be hoping to emulate, it is pinning its hopes on cashback and savings round-ups.

Unlike nu-wave challengers, Chase will have some serious muscle behind it from the start.

JP Morgan's consumer brand already serves 60million households in the US and its parent firm is a colossus, with trillions of dollars in assets.

However, unlike the other side of the pond where it has branches, this will be a digital-only offering.

And it is clear from the demo that it has cherry-picked some of the best bits of the digital-only banks like Monzo and Starling, and combined that with some nifty features of its own.

The account has officially launched today, but those who are interested will have to register on its waiting list for now as it rolls out.

It says it is accepting people daily and those who sign-up should be able to become a customer within days, as it looks to take a 'controlled approach' so it can manage demand.

Account management: Customers can open sub-accounts with its own sort-code and account number - and can then pick which account the debit card is linked to at any given moment

Aiming for real customers

It says it is aiming for customers who will use this as their primary account  a part of banking that some of the nu-waves have struggled with, especially from launch, with a large chunk of Britons loyal to their bank or not wanting the hassle of moving away.

The 'big four'  Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest control seven in ten personal current accounts in Britain, despite all the hype of challengers and an easy switching service.

Chase says it can do this by offering 1 per cent cashback on all purchases, rather than offering in-balance interest which can often see customers simply open accounts and park cash.

This will run for 12 months on all purchases in shops, online and abroad, with exceptions on big ticket items such as buying a car and gambling.

This, it hopes, will encourage people to spend from their account and thus use it as their go-to one.

The account comes without fees and the uncapped cashback pot can be transferred into a customer's main account straightaway.

On 1,000 of spending, it'll mean 10 cashback.

Chase will also be offering 5 per cent interest on round-up savings  a feature that has been popular at the digital-only banks.

When customers spend, they can round up purchases to the nearest 1 using a simple setting that can be switched on and off with the app.

This pot then earns the interest.

What is Chase? The bank can chase its history back to 1799 when it was called the Bank of The Manhattan Company (New York). It merged with Chase National Bank in 1955  which existed separately from 1877 to 1954 - to be called The Chase Manhattan Bank. It was bought by JP Morgan in 2000 and has seen a number of acquisitions since. It has 4,700 branches and 16,000 cash machines, and it is one of the 'Big Four' consumer banks in the US.

It is also offering fee-free use abroad, with a clear exchange fee set by Mastercard which can be illustrated simply in the app, and this includes cash withdrawals at ATMs.

A quirky feature is a numberless debit card, with details stored behind its secure log-in on the app.

This means a smaller risk if the physical card is lost and a new card number can be generated straightaway, meaning a customer can continue to use the card digitally.

It's also simple to customise new current accounts, with personalised sort codes and account numbers  and again, with a simple tap on the app, customers can choose where the spending comes from.

So, for example, customers can have a separate account for supermarket spend.

Using a toggle, they can switch the debit card to be used from that account, rather than their main account.

The account comes without an overdraft, but it says this will be coming next year.

Numberless: The debit card doesn't have a number - and a new one can be generated instantly

A 24/7 call centre and chat feature

Chase says accounts can be opened within minutes via its app. One of the nifty features is a chat button option which has a Whatsapp style function to speak to staff, or you can tap to call someone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Those that opt to this will be taken through without security steps, as customer services will see that the call has been made via the app, authenticated either by fingerprint, face recognition or a six digit passcode, with 250 staff in Edinburgh and also an outsourced centre in the Philippines.

Sanoke Viswanathan, chief executive of the bank, said: 'We're offering people in the UK the opportunity to experience Chase for the first time with a current account that's based on simplicity, a fuss free rewards programme and exceptional customer service.

'Having spoken extensively to consumers across the UK, we know that people want good value combined with an excellent experience, from a trusted bank.

'With cashback on everyday debit card spend and an interest boost on round-ups, we can help customers save while they spend on items they already buy every day.'

It's incredibly hard to crack the UK current account market but Chase is well backed to do it  if it can get its proposition right. James Blower - Savings Guru

Chase says it won't be part of the current account switching service until next year.

It also says that it plans to introduce more products in the future, including investment and savings accounts.

That makes sense given the fact earlier in the year it snapped up online wealth management firm Nutmeg earlier in the summer.

Three years ago Goldman Sachs-backed Marcus Bank shook-up the easy-access savings market, and Chase will be hoping for a similar impact with its current account.

Viswanathan has also hinted that it will be hoping to become a financial services 'super app' in the future, bolting on extra businesses quickly. He has also added that further acquisitions will be part of the mix.

It is likely rewards will form part of the offering in the future too. In the US, where it has both branches and an online presence, it has recently gobbled up a loyalty firm offering travel benefits and rewards to credit card customers who spend.

The launch also comes at a time where two supermarket banks  M&S and Tesco  have called time on their current accounts, with it being no secret that cross-selling other products is where banks can boost profits.

James Blower, founder of Savings Guru, says: 'Chase seems to be launching in stages and is going about things differently to many of the newer banks we've seen enter the market over the past decade.

'It's focusing on the current account market and I believe they've decided to focus entirely on that and then add savings, loans and cards in later stages, rather than trying to do everything well straight away.

'There's two things that will be fascinating to see  can Chase attract the numbers of customers it needs to take a real chunk of the market and can it do so and be profitable?

'Monzo has done incredibly well at attracting customers but isn't profitable and RBS spent a rumoured 100m on Bo but only got 1,500 customers.

'It's incredibly hard to crack the UK current account market but Chase is well backed to do it  if it can get its proposition right.'

The project by Chase to launch in Britain has taken the best part of three years, suggesting it has taken its time to research to pitch the account right.

This will be key in a country where banking competition is fierce and especially crucial to persuade people to open an account as their main one, especially without a branch network.
Seven people have died in flash flooding that hit the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa after torrential rains, officials said on Wednesday.

Images from the capital showed firefighters wading through brown water to inspect flooded houses and in one instance walking through sludge with a stretcher to remove a body.

Houses and cars were submerged by the waters after the downpour which pelted several neighbourhoods of Addis Ababa on Tuesday, causing chaos.

Mayor Adanech Abiebie said on Twitter after visiting affected areas that there had been heavy damage caused by the flooding, without elaborating.

I urge our residents to take the necessary precautions in the area as heavy rains are expected in the coming days, and we will intensify our efforts to increase protection, Adanech added.

The Addis Ababa Fire and Emergency Prevention and Rescue Commission said seven people had died and that others were receiving treatment in hospital, according to state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

SOURCE: AFP
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Frances top diplomat declared Monday that there is a crisis of trust in the United States after a Pacific defense deal stung France and left Europe wondering about its longtime ally across the Atlantic.

France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and worked to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S. Speaking to reporters in New York, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said European countries wont let Washington leave them behind when shaping its foreign policy,

Le Drian reiterated complaints that his country was sandbagged by the submarine deal between the U.S., Britain and Australia, which led to France losing a contract to sell subs to Australia. Washington, London and Canberra say the deal bolsters their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and it has widely been seen as an effort to counter an increasingly assertive China.

But Le Drian, who is in New York to represent France at the U.N. General Assembly, said it was a brutal, unexpected and unexplained breach of a contract  and a relationship.

The U.S., Australia and Britain insisted that the diplomatic crisis wouldnt affect their longer-term relations with France, even after Paris recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia for the first time in history because of the deal.

There is a crisis of trust beyond the fact that the contract is being broken, as if Europe itself didnt have any interest to defend in that region, Le Drian said.

Arguing that the U.S. is refocusing its fundamental interests, step by step, with de facto confrontation with China, Le Drian noted pointedly that Europeans too have their own fundamental interests.

The Europeans fundamental interests need to be taken into account by the United States. which is our ally. And the Europeans shall not be left behind in the strategy chosen by the United States, he said.

He said European countries need to put together their own priorities and strategy and discuss it with the U.S.

Le Drian was meeting with foreign ministers from the other 26 European Union nations to discuss the consequences of the submarine deal and France's vision for a more strategically independent Europe.

European foreign ministers expressed solidarity with France after discussing the matter at a meeting Monday night, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

This announcement runs counter to calls for greater cooperation with the European Union, Borrell said after the meeting in New York. He said he met earlier in the day with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and stressed that the current challenges to stability in the region called for more cooperation and coordination among like-minded partners and less confrontation.

Earlier Monday, France won support from the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who told CNN that one of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. ... We want to know what happened and why.

While U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting the Australian and British leaders this week, he wont see French President Emmanuel Macron, whos not traveling to the U.N.

Instead, Biden plans a call with Macron in the coming days, where he will underscore the U.S. commitment to its alliance with France and lay out specific measures the two nations can take together in the Indo-Pacific, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning for the leaders call. The official said while the administration understands the French position on the issue, it did not share their view in terms of how this all developed.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said a disagreement about a single decision would not disrupt a relationship or harm the United States standing across Europe.

The submarine deal, known as AUKUS, will see Australia cancel a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and instead acquire nuclear-powered vessels from the U.S.

The French government appears to have been blindsided by the agreement, and feels its own strategic interests in the Pacific  thanks to its territories and military presence there  were ignored by major allies.

Le Drian said he canceled a meeting with his Australian counterpart in New York and has no meeting scheduled with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while he's at the U.N., but might pass him in the hallways."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Meanwhile France's defense minister canceled a meeting with her British counterpart this week.

Still, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that Britains relationship with France is ineradicable." Speaking on his way to New York, he said, AUKUS is not in any way meant to be zero-sum, its not meant to be exclusionary. Its not something that anybody needs to worry about and particularly not our French friends.

British officials have stressed the close military ties between the U.K. and France, including joint operations in Mali and Estonia.

In Australia, officials said Frances anger wouldn't derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal.

French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault denied media reports that France was lobbying the EU not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018.

Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he would travel to Paris within weeks for trade negotiations and was very keen to touch base with my French counterpart."

I see no reason why those discussions wont continue," Tehan said.

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, said Monday they're analyzing the impact of the Australian submarine agreement.

Australia argues that the submarine deal was about protecting its strategic interests amid broad concern about China's growing assertiveness.

___

Associated Press journalists Aamer Madhani in Washington, Jonathan Lemire in New York, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
ALBANY  In recent Facebook campaign ads, Elise Stefanik claims that offering a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would doom her Republican Party.

"Radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION," reads one recent ad from the North Country congresswoman. "Their plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington."

There's a LOT TO UNPACK THERE. (Hey, if she gets do the all-caps thing, why can't I?)

And to some eyes, the words sound like replacement theory, which posits that western elites are deliberately attempting to replace white voters with supposedly more pliable groups from other parts of the world. It's ugly stuff, for sure, and popular with racists  or fear-mongering politicians who want to frighten voters into mailing a check.

Similar arguments, though, are sometimes dressed up as political analysis.

"The immigration proposal pending in Congress would transform the nations political landscape for a generation or more," declares a recent article in Politico, before going on to say that, if current trends hold, 11 million new Latino voters "would produce an electoral bonanza for Democrats and cripple Republican prospects in many states they now win easily."

But there are reasons to doubt that's true, including the results of the 2020 presidential election.

According to exit polls, Republican Donald Trump won as much as 35 percent of the Latino vote, surprising many Democrats who figured the former president's sometimes harsh rhetoric about immigrants would win them a more lopsided majority. Former President George W. Bush won as much as 44 percent of the Latino vote, according to polling.

Yes, exit poll data is often disputed, but maybe Democrats shouldn't have been surprised by the numbers. As University at Albany political science professor Jose Cruz notes, segments of the Latino vote are deeply religious and socially conservative, pushing them toward the Republican Party.

Indeed, one polling firm found Latino voters were the only ethnic subgroup with majority support for banning abortion in most or all cases. Support for abortion was especially low among Latinos born outside of the country, the Public Religion Research Institute found.

"When Hispanic voters realize the Democratic Party doesn't represent their values, they will vote Republican," predicted Mairen Torres, chairwoman of the New York chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. ("Hispanic" typically refers to people who are Spanish-speaking, while "Latino" refers to anyone who descends from a Latin American nation, regardless of what language they speak). "It's a matter of education."

When I went to college in Texas in the 1990s, Democrats confidently assumed "demographic destiny" and a growing number of Latino and Latina voters would turn that mammoth state blue. Decades later, that hasn't happened.

In a recent Texas Monthly article examining why those predictions have fallen short, the writers (two anthropologists and a sociologist) found "Latinos often dont identify in strongly partisan ways, even when they consistently vote for one party."

Many Latinos, the authors added, "hold ideologically mixed views on policy issues, from abortion to gun control to immigration, which can overlap with the positions of both parties."

In other words, Latino voters are diverse and are unlikely to become a monolith. Why should that surprise anybody?

Of course, if you want to unify a group of voters against you, treating its members like a threat or a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION is a way to do it. Which is why the rhetoric from Stefanik and some others is as .. all caps! ... SELF-DEFEATING AS IT IS SHAMEFUL.

If the GOP instead welcomed and aggressively courted Latino voters, as Torres would like it do to, it might find itself with the "multiethnic, multiracial, working-class coalition" that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, has touted as the party's future.

In the meantime, here's guessing the fear-mongering from Stefanik and others will someday seem as daft as the rhetoric from past politicians decrying Irish, Italian and Jewish newcomers. Those groups, too, were treated as monoliths to be feared. (History really does repeat itself.)

"The melting pot has proved to be a myth," declared U.S. Rep. Grant Hudson of Michigan as Congress debated immigration restrictions in 1890. "They perpetuate their racial mindedness, their racial character, and their racial habits. Here they speak their own tongue, read their own newspapers, maintain their separate educational system."

Hudson was wrong, of course. Prior immigrant groups changed the country  improved it  yet assimilated. That's the beauty of America, generation after generation, and that lovely beat goes on.

"It's a two-way street," said Cruz from UAlbany. "Latinos are changing the culture, but the culture changes them."

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
Editor's Note: This article references racial slurs and offensive language.

In New Paltz High School, history teacher Albert Cook, 47, asks his class to open to a fresh page in their notebooks and write out a single word: the N-word. They can write it however they want. Some space out the letters to avoid the nasty slur, others cant seem to move their pencil.

Cook, who is Black, wants his students to confront the word and feel discomfort. For the past 13 years, he has taught a Black history course and most years, this activity on the etymology of the word receives the most public pushback. He called the lesson crazy, but knows that it leaves a positive mark on administrators and students alike.

I need you to understand that your Black colleagues have gone way past this level of discomfort, Cook said. Were dealing with the reality of the word, not just seeing it. Because whats happening for most of the time for a white person is the confrontation of the ugliness of racism, which they can just ignore, because they dont have to experience it  By the time that youre a 15-year-old Black kid, you have to eat that [racism] for breakfast.

Outside of the classroom, Cook embarked on a 10-episode series with Jimmy Buff on Radio Kingston in 2020 titled Black History and the History of Racism in America, in which he discussed multi-layered issues of racism in music, the economy and sports.

One topic that did not come up? The act of removing controversial books from class curricula, an act of censorship that the Sept. 26-Oct. 2 Banned Books Week campaign by the American Library Association (ALA) seeks to raise awareness of through special national programming.

Cook is passionate on the subject and considers the practice of banning books a method to stifle societal growth.

Banning books, I think, is usually a sign of the unwillingness of a community to address an issue that needs progress and reform, Cook said. I think thats one of the more cowardly approaches. What needs to be done is we need to really equip teachers and schools with the safety and the ability to have hard discussions.

Teaching books targeted for censorship

Betsy Gomez, coordinator for the ALA Banned Books Week Coalition, said that censoring books in schools and public libraries is still an active part of todays society. In 2020, there were 273 challenges filed, meaning that a person formally or informally complained about a book to a teacher or librarian with the hopes of getting it removed through a review process.

Putnam County recently made headlines after parents challenged Angie Thomass award-winning book, The Hate U Give, being on the 9th grade summer reading list, citing its anti-police message. Gomez said content featuring LGBTQ characters or people of color is often the most challenged, as exhibited by the ALAs Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020 list, which includes Thomass book.

Parents are understandably worried about whats happening with their kids and the media theyre encountering, Gomez said. And a parent has a right to make that decision for their own child. But some parents take it a step further and try to ban the material entirely, which takes the right to make decisions away from other parents.

MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

The Hate U Give made the list in 2017 and 2018 as well. Also on the latest list was Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Some of these books were challenged for their use of the N-word, and Cook said all have either been taught or are currently used in the curriculum at New Paltz High School.

When it comes to literature containing this slur, Cook said it is vital to discuss a book in a critical and analytical sense, understanding that older titles like Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn came out at a time when such usage of the N-word was not considered a problematic approach to identifying a class of people, Cook said.

Cook recognizes that teaching such books can be divisive. Pushback from community members is expected, he said, but the school districts should be supportive of the teachers navigating these difficult topics head-on.

Its why he said having a diverse slate of teachers is essential to handling some of the race topics entering the classroom, whether driven by curriculum or current events. He suggested that districts should implement professional development training geared towards teaching historically relevant literature to build teachers confidence around talking about race and racism.

If you have a supportive district that wants their students to be able to grapple with these difficult issues and topics, then I think you can make teachers feel a little more confident in trying to align their lessons with the values of the district, Cook said.

Cook and Gomez agreed that schools are the optimal settings to have the difficult conversations about mature themes and language use. Art is supposed to challenge us, its supposed to make us confront our demons, he said.

A resource and a role model

As a Black history teacher, one of Cooks goals was to be available to Black and marginalized students seeking a resource with whom to have difficult race conversations  something he says he didnt have during his own high school years.

When Cook attended Highland High School in Kingston, he was one of a handful of Black students in his grade. He said history teachers looked to him to answer issues of race and racism, or they avoided the topics completely. Instead of being in the classroom to learn, Cook said teachers put him in the position to answer other students questions about race because he was Black.

At New Paltz High School, which is 6 percent Black according to U.S. News & World Report, Cook wanted to remove that burden from students and foster honest discussions about the student experience. After 10 years of teaching, Cook said former principal Barbara Clinton asked if he wanted to lead a course on Black history as part of her vision to have veteran teachers offer more specialized curricula in their areas of expertise. He was immediately interested and began to develop a series of lessons.

In the time since, Cook has cultivated the classroom into a space where no question is off-limits. However, he has learned that sometimes the most important conversations are not voiced, but written. At the end of particularly sensitive lessons in his Black history course, Cook designates 20 minutes for students to write a stream-of-consciousness journal entry.

When you have everybody writing quietly in the room, you get a much more diverse conversation, he said. Oftentimes, he will mention these reflections in the next lesson without using names to further flesh out the ideas.

Courtesy Albert Cook

Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter.

Cook said the class is meant to equip students with the time to think about these issues and a new vocabulary to be anti-racist. New Paltz High School is not immune to racism, as students have reported seeing swastikas and the N-word written on schoolgrounds, but Cook has observed firsthand that his own students have the proper arsenal to speak up when their friends say something harmful.

One of the questions he says he receives year after year from skeptical students is Why are you making this about me when I didnt have anything to do with [slavery]? Cook relishes in the challenge of these questions to help students understand the value of learning history and applying it to present-day matters. While he plans on incorporating current events  such as the Black Lives Matter movement and police violence against the Black community  into his lesson plans, he stressed the importance of using history to contextualize these events.

Teaching history is about informing the current American citizenry about the legacy that the people before us have left for us to deal with, he said.

Redefining the N-word

At around the same time that Cook was grappling with the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic and shifting his Black history course online, video surfaced showing an officer kneeling on George Floyds neck as he was pinned to the ground. Floyds death brought 2,000 protesters out on the streets of Kingston, including Cook, who delivered an impassioned speech at Academy Green Park.

One of Cooks former students, Eli Duncan-Gilmour, recorded the speech and posted it on the Facebook page of the political organization he founded: OurVote USA. In a short time, the clip went viral, receiving 12,000 views to date. Cook began receiving calls for interviews, events and teaching gigs. Then, Radio Kingston called and asked if he wanted to do a series of Black history lessons.

With total control to customize his airtime, Cook brought a version of his classroom lessons to the masses, including his longest episode, a technical dive into the N-word. Going to its etymological roots, Cook concludes it means actor or person who is nothing, and broke down why Black men and women still use it today with an entirely new meaning.

He said the word is a tool to dehumanize and degrade a person, but as a psychological response, Black people began to redefine it, using it as a simile for brother or sister. Since they couldnt get rid of the word, Cook said, they built their own framework inside of it.

It's amazing to me, he said, that I could look at a friend of mine, and take this hot, incendiary bullet of a word, and somehow, when I say it, theres no pain or anger or feeling of negativity. Its just love. To me, thats amazing. But its not something thats a deconstructive tool. Its a survival tool.

Towards the end of this episode, Cook says that if systemic and institutionalized racism diminishes, the N-word could fade away too. Cook said that point of view was less of a hypothesis than a statement backed up by historical precedent.

In studying the Jim Crow era, Cook learned of the existence of the term octoroon, or, a person who was one-eighth Black. If any grandparent was discovered to be Black, they were labeled an octoroon. It was used to define someones racial status and see if the rigid Black Codes were applicable.

As a result, Cook said people defended their whiteness because lives could change for the worse if someone was accused of being an octoroon or quadroon. But when Jim Crow laws were abolished with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the word fell out of use and became irrelevant. Cook believes that at some point, the same may happen with the N-word.

Until then, Cook will be teaching, speaking out and challenging people with uncomfortable but necessary conversations about racism in America.

The fact that I can still be treated like an N-word by the police, meaning they could shoot me while Im sleeping  tells me theyre still treating me out here like an N-word, Cook said. Therefore, I still need the word, I still need it, and if the power of the racist use of it still exists on one hand, then the need for me to manipulate it still exists.

--

Christopher Cicchiello is a former editorial intern who is currently pursuing a degree in journalism from Syracuse University. You can reach him at cmchearst@gmail.com.
RHINEBECK  Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro on Tuesday officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, kicking off his campaign at a public event at Kesicke Farm in Rhinebeck.

Do we have the courage, capacity and character to create the vision of our state and country for which weve longed? Ive made my decision: Ive decided to dedicate myself to the people of New York and seek to represent you in Congress, he said today.

Molinaro, 45, a Republican and well-known public figure in the mid-Hudson Valley, will vie for a highly competitive 19th Congressional District seat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, who is serving his second term. The seat was formerly held by Republican John Faso. Molinaro filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday.

Ive earned the trust of New Yorkers by giving life to big ideas, to bring about a greater good for the people Ive served, Molinaro said today. Ive done it in the Hudson Valley. Ive done it in Albany. I will do it again in Washington.

Molinaro was joined by state senators Fred Akshar and Sue Serino, in addition to New York Assemblyman Chris Tague, East Fishkill Supervisor Nick DAlessandro, Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner and candidate for Dutchess County comptroller, Ola Nesheiwat Hawatmeh.

Before Tuesdays announcement, Molinaro hinted at his candidacy on social media, using the hashtag #MarcForUs and asking people to sign up to join him on his next chapter.

He responded on Twitter to a Times Union tweet on Sept. 18 announcing the filing of his election paperwork: Ive got no desire for nor like of those interested in power. As the re-elected executive of a blue county, I want all to do better.

In past campaigns, Molinaro has fashioned himself as a moderate Republican who has kept former President Donald Trump and his political movement at arm's length. Molinaro has held political office in the mid-Hudson Valley region for decades, serving as county executive since 2012 and previously in the New York Assembly. He was elected to the village of Tivolis Board of Trustees at the age of 18 and one year later became the youngest mayor in the United States when he won the first of five terms in Tivoli.

He considered making a second run for governor in 2022 but decided not to enter the race.

Last week, the New York Independent Redistricting Commission released two potential maps for how they will redraw congressional lines before the upcoming election. The contours of New Yorks 19th district, where Molinaro and Delgado could square off, are likely to change based on the proposals; a Molinaro win over incumbent Delgado could help lead to a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter.

As promised, Antonio Delgado has fought for our region day in and day out and achieved meaningful results, Delgados campaign spokesperson told the Times Union last week. He has held 63 town halls and crisscrossed all 11 counties in our upstate district many times over. He has had 12 bills signed into law under Democratic and Republican administrations and secured over $400 million in direct support for our counties, towns and villages.

Dutchess County Democratic Chair Elisa Sumner, along with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, responded to Molinaros candidacy by describing him as a pay-to-play politician.

Molinaro has shown time and again that his top priority is enriching his donors, not helping the people of Dutchess County, Sumner said in a press release. He receives thousands of dollars in donations from companies who have been awarded multi-million-dollar county contracts. This is corruption. Plain and simple.

In 2018, Molinaro called for a state law banning campaign contributions to state political candidates from individuals or businesses that have or may be pursuing state government contracts. However, in Dutchess County, where Molinaro has raised such funds for his own campaigns, he opposed a similar bill that same year that would apply to him as the incumbent county executive. The Times Union found that roughly a quarter of Molinaros $1.4 million in campaign fundraising for his county executive campaigns has come from people or entities that have gotten payments from the county government he runs, records show.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic congressional leaders backed by the White House announced Monday they would push ahead with a vote to fund the government and suspend the debt limit, all but daring Republicans who say they will vote against it despite the risk of a fiscal crisis.

Congress is rushing headlong into an all-too-familiar stalemate: The federal government faces a shutdown if funding stops at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. At the same time, the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if the borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.

All this while Democratic lawmakers are laboring to shoulder President Joe Bidens massive $3.5 trillion build back better agenda through the House and Senate with stark opposition from Republicans.

The American people expect our Republican colleagues to live up to their responsibilities and make good on the debts they proudly helped incur, wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a joint statement.

From the White House, the president backed the congressional leaders plan to hold the votes.

This is a bipartisan responsibility, just as it was under my predecessor, Biden said in a tweet. Blocking it would be inexcusable.

The magnitude of the challenges ahead and the speed required to accomplish the job are like nothing Congress has faced in recent memory, situating Bidens entire domestic agenda and the political fate of his Democratic party at a crucial moment.

As Democrats charge ahead, the Republicans as the minority party in Congress hoping to regain control in the next election in 2022 plan to sit back, watching and waiting to see if Biden and his allies can succeed against the odds  or spectacularly fail.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said hes not about to help pay off past debts when Biden is about to pile on more with a reckless tax and spending package.

Since Democrats decided to go it alone, they will not get Senate Republicans help with raising the debt limit. Ive explained this clearly and consistently for over two months, McConnell said Monday on the Senate floor.

The vote this week on funding to keep the government running past Sept. 30 and allow more borrowing will force the political stalemate into the open.

The Treasury Department warned that it will soon run out of cash-on-hand, and have to rely on incoming receipts to pay its obligations, now at $28.4 trillion. That could force the Treasury to delay or miss payments, a devastating situation.

Doing so would likely precipitate a historic financial crisis, wrote Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the Wall Street Journal.

Stocks on Wall Street closed sharply lower Monday, handing the S&P 500 index its biggest drop in four months as worries about heavily indebted Chinese real estate developers rippled across markets and investors have concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve could signal that its planning to pull back some of the support measures its been giving markets and the economy.

Once a routine matter, lifting the debt ceiling has become a political weapon of choice for Republicans in Washington ever since the 2011 arrival of tea party lawmakers who refused to allow it. At the time, they argued against more spending and the standoff triggered a fiscal crisis.

Echoing that strategy, McConnell is refusing to provide Republican votes, even though some GOP senators might have a tough time voting no.

The package is expected to keep most spending at its current levels on a stopgap basis through the end of the year and include supplemental funds for the aftermath of Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, as well as money to help defray the evacuations from Afghanistan. Tacking on legislative language to allow more borrowing would cover the nations debt payments through 2022.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, whose state was battered by the hurricane and who is up for election next year, said he will likely vote for it if the disaster relief portion is acceptable. He added, Because my people desperately need the help.

When McConnell was in control of the Senate he relied on Democratic votes to help raise the debt ceiling during the past administration and the Democrats said they expect the same from him now. It typically takes 60 votes to advance bills in what's now a divided 50-50 Senate, meaning at least 10 GOP senators would be needed.

By withholding votes, Schumer said, what Republicans are doing is nothing short of a dine-and-dash of historic proportions.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Democrats are negotiating among themselves over Biden's big $3.5 trillion package as the price tag likely slips to win over skeptical centrist lawmakers who view it as too much.

The size and scope of Biden's Build Back Better initiative cannot be overstated. It touches almost all aspects of Americans' lives.

Biden's plan aims to not just rebuild the country after the COVID-19 crisis and economic fallout, but begin to change longstanding federal spending patterns in ways that provide more services to more Americans, and attempt to level the growing income inequality that permeates the economy.

The proposal would impose tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans earning beyond $400,000 a year and plow that money back into federal programs for young and old. It would increase and expand government health, education and family support programs for households, children and seniors, and boost environmental infrastructure programs to fight climate change.

With Republicans opposed in lockstep to Biden's sweeping vision, Democrats have no votes to spare in the Senate, and just a few votes' margin in the House.

Pelosi has promised a Sept. 27 vote on a companion bill, a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill of public works projects that enjoys widespread support from both parties in the Senate, though House Republicans mostly oppose it.

Even though that bipartisan bill should be an easy legislative lift, it too faces a political obstacle course. Dozens of lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus are expected to vote against it if it comes ahead of the broader Biden package. But centrists won't vote for the broader package unless they are assured the bipartisan bill will also be included.
Times Union

ALBANY  A former state Department of Labor employee pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to using her position to fraudulently reap $314,168 in unemployment insurance benefits intended to help out-of-work New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tramaine Pope, 33, of the Bronx, submitted and approved 20 false unemployment insurance applications. She admitted she received a list of names and personal information from another person, then used her access in the labor department to fulfill the fraud, according to federal prosecutors in Albany.
SARATOGA SPRINGS  As four more Black Lives Matter activists awaited arraignment in city court Tuesday, the regional director of the New York Civil Liberties Union said her organization is monitoring the activities of city police, which she accused of acting as a "racist organization."

On Monday, the day before the arraignments of the four, Regional Director Melanie Trimble said that the police are clearly targeting the minority community with tactics that are escalating problems.

Trimble said the arrest of 11 earlier this month in connection with a July 14 rally demonstrates that the police are acting in an over-the-top manner to punish activists who blocked and stalled traffic on Broadway. All 11 are charged with disorderly conduct, and some face an additional charge of unlawful imprisonment.

While the charges are low level charges--disorderly conduct is a ticketing violation, and unlawful imprisonment is a misdemeanor--many of the activists were either pulled off the street outside City Hall during a protest, or pulled over while in their cars and taken into custody. The activists said they were held in jail for hours, one overnight, with some arraigned in shackles.

We do believe these charges are way over the top and unusually punitive and quite frankly retaliatory and political, Trimble said. We are going to monitor that situation as closely as we can.  There are a group of citizens who are outraged by the police reaction to Black Lives Matter protesters and singling them out and quite frankly discriminating against a large part of the population in Saratoga.

Lexis Figuereo, the leader of Saratoga BLM, said on Tuesday four protesters were arraigned. Each face disorderly conduct charges, with one having the additional charge of unlawful imprisonment, he said.

The Times Union reached out to Saratoga Springs police Chief Shane Crooks and Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton on Monday to seek comment on NYCLUs assertions. The Times Union had not heard back by Tuesday afternoon.

However, Lt. Robert Jillson, spokesman for the police, said earlier that the police sought warrants, that were signed by a city judge, because the chief was concerned with balancing public safety and civil rights after a man called 911 when he couldnt move his car for several minutes while the protesters were in the street. The man, who was recorded speaking to police while in his car, wanted to get home to take his heart medication, thus the charges.

"These arrests are based on actions conducted by the people we are charging, Jillson said earlier this month. It has nothing to do with suppressing their civil rights or suppressing their right to protest peacefully. It's to hold them accountable for actions that violated the law."

Trimble argues the arrests were especially troubling in light of Assistant Police Chief John Catones comments in June when he said he would pull out every single connection my family has made over the last 130 years and I will stop your narrative that the city is hateful and the police department is racist.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

He clearly is targeting a minority community who is out there to get people to wake up and listen to how discriminatory the department has been, Trimble said. We are watching and very worried that the police department is only escalating problems instead of listening to the public. They are supposed to be protecting people in the community, not harassing them.

She also said that the actions of police are scaring people. At a BLM rally last year, police dispersed protesters by spraying them with pepper pellets. Police, wearing riot gear, also deployed a large tactical vehicle.

People are worried and afraid because the police are there to arrest and harass them and to interfere with their ability to express their views, she said. Thats a terrible thing to happen in America. They feel they cant show up to a public meeting.

Trimble said that NYCLU has those in the community who are watching the situation closely and that the NYCLU is consulting with defense attorneys for those who have been arrested.

Police departments, in the past, have been understanding of protests, Trimble said. Its all been very peaceful. But this crackdown is particular to Saratoga and we find it quite interesting that the backlash by police is in direct reaction to Black Lives Matter movements. No other protests, marches or rallies that have gone on in any other political fields, only when it is Black Lives Matter, do police issue warrants and make arrests.
ALBANY  Four College of Saint Rose music professors who were terminated in the college's most recent round of layoffs are suing the college and Saint Rose President Marcia White for breach of contract.

Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough, Robert Hansbrough, Bruce Roter, and Sherwood Wise were all long-serving, tenured faculty members in the colleges music department, which is among the 100-year-old colleges oldest programs.

In a complaint filed Sept. 16, the faculty members claim their terminations were not conducted in accordance with the colleges own regulations and procedures.

In December 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Saint Rose announced it was eliminating 25 degree programs to address a growing structural deficit. The college also made approximately $8 million in administrative budget cuts as part of a multi-year financial plan to balance the budget by 2023.

The cuts were most deeply felt in the college's acclaimed music and arts programs. Some 41 faculty members lost their jobs.

The plaintiffs contend that "well-known" tension between members of the music department faculty and some music industry professors  who complained of lack of diversity in music courses and the professors who taught them  was factored into the decision-making process.

Ahead of the cuts, a joint working group made up of administration and faculty representatives solicited proposals to reduce costs in each department.

Wise, who chairs the music department, submitted a plan that included $560,000 in reductions, noted revenue

brought in by music department offerings, and suggested additional sources of revenue.

But a group of professors who taught music industry surreptitiously formed a separate group and belatedly submitted their own proposal, one that would eliminate the entire music program with the exception of music industryan act that would terminate all members of the music department except themselves, the lawsuit claims.

The plan also eliminated the core curriculum classes taught by Wise and the other petitioners, rebranding the classes as music industry courses.

Saint Rose political science professor Angela Ledford, who represented faculty in the discussions, wrote in a statement to the Faculty Review Committee that tension between Music and MI [Music Industry] was high for years, and centering whiteness was one of the core issues.

"We do not know precisely what prompted the submission of this proposal," Ledford wrote. "What we know is that Music Industry had, for many years, worked to broaden the curriculum to allow for a more contemporary perspective, and to welcome students with less formal training than previously expected."

Of four undergraduate music programs, only the bachelor's in music industry survived. Junior instructors in the music industry section were spared at the expense of more senior faculty members, a violation of the faculty manual, according to the court filings.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

In its announcement of the cuts, the joint working group "cited the music industry counterproposal as a redesigned program that would reduce expenses, despite the fact that the Music Industry counterproposal offered little financial analysis, and no breakdown of data showing how it would reduce expenses," the court filings state.

The college got around the faculty contract's seniority clause by treating music industry as a separate from the music program, according to the lawsuit. The filings note that 43 percent of courses in the music industry concentration are taught by petitioners and other terminated professors.

In May, the four professors behind the complaint appealed their terminations internally to the Faculty Review Committee (FRC). The committee ruled in their favor, finding that the colleges retrenchment process was flawed and recommending that the faculty members be reinstated.

White rejected the FRCs recommendation and affirmed the terminations.

College officials maintain that the 2020 cuts were necessary to move the college into a position of sustainability.

Enrollment in the music department was down 15 percent in the last five years. The highly lauded music education program had an enrollment decline of 43 percent in 10 years. The music industry program, the most popular of the four music degrees at Saint Rose, is larger than the other three majors combined with an enrollment of 100 students.

The layoff process was in compliance with the faculty manual and decisions were made in collaboration with faculty representatives, school officials said in a statement.

"The loss of treasured academic programs and valued faculty members is profoundly painful and an acknowledged loss to the College and community," a statement reads. "We look forward to presenting in court our defense of the litigation brought by four laid off faculty members."
SCHENECTADY  Two young social and racial justice activists who are facing a warrant for their arrest stemming from an encounter last month with police at an outdoor community function are expected to voluntarily turn themselves in to police Thursday.

On Tuesday, one of them, Mikayla Foster, confirmed the warrants but declined to discuss the charges or what brought them on.

Theyve (police) shared no information with us, theyve only sent out a courtesy letter to me and one other person, said Foster, adding that the paperwork listed the offenses, noted that arrests could be made at any time and gave them until Monday to surrender to police.

Patrolman Patrick Irwin, a city police spokesman said Tuesday that Foster, 22, and 29-year-old Shaquenna Charles, both city residents, are charged with at least one count each of disorderly conduct, a violation, and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

Irwin said the charges stem from an Aug. 26 local community event in the parking lot of a bank where Charles and Foster allegedly cursed out police while broadcasting it live on Facebook.

He said that the charges were filed following an investigation by the police departments detective division, which led to a filing with the court of an arrest warrant, which was sent out for the two suspects on Sept. 13.

A warrant is a document issued by a court or government official authorizing the police or some other law enforcement entity to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action related to the administration of justice, according to information online.

Police Chief Eric Clifford, Mayor Gary McCarthy and School Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. were among those in attendance at the event in the parking lot of the Trustco Bank at State Street and Brandywine Avenue.

Bike helmets and child safety identifications were being handed out for free, so the event attracted a lot of families with school-age children.

On Thursday, Clifford said via text that the charges and the video both speak for themselves. McCarthy did not return a call seeking comment.

Foster said they plan to surrender at 8 a.m. Thursday with a press conference and a speak out to discuss the matter slated for 11 a.m. Foster and others asserted law enforcement is targeting activists tied to Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups.

This is political, its deeply racialized, it is shrouded in white supremacy and privilege, Foster said. "This is them asserting their power and dominance, the same thing is happening in Saratoga County. Foster is a member of Black Abolitionists Directive, a regional coalition and network of different organizers based in Schenectady.

The charges in Schenectady come on the heels of the arrests of several BLM activists in Saratoga Springs.

Jamaica Miles, who is in her first term on the Schenectady school board, was among those who had charges brought against them by the Saratoga Springs police, where in recent weeks close to a dozen people accused of blocking and stalling traffic face disorderly conduct and unlawful imprisonment charges.

Miles, co-founder of the group, All of Us, condemned the latest arrests.

I do absolutely believe, as I stated in Saratoga, that there is a coordinated effort by City Council members, law enforcement and other agencies and individuals that have the power to try to silence those who have grievances with the government here in the Capital District, and they are using their power and privilege to try to intimidate activists, advocates, and organizers, she said. I have every reason to believe that its about freedom of speech, you cannot pick and choose how to apply freedom of speech, but thats what theyre trying to do.

Foster accused Schenectady, Saratoga and Albany of actively targeting Black activists, Black organizers, Black community members who happen to show up at protests, even non-Black people who show up to protests.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

In June, Foster and another defendant had one count of third-degree criminal tampering against them adjourned in contemplation of dismissal for allegedly using chalk to write on the wall of the police station in the summer of 2020. At the time, Foster questioned the charge, saying the chalk was water-soluble and was removed from the building within eight minutes after it was written.

The terms of that deal stipulated that the pair not get arrested in the next six months and the misdemeanor will be dismissed and the records sealed in early December. It's unclear how these new charges may affect the disposition of that case.

Besides the chalking, the glass panel on the front door at the Schenectady police station was broken.

Messages included "We wont forget, Stop killing us and Blood is on your hands.

Police reacted to the incident by adding fencing around the front entrance of the station, leaving a walkway for people to enter.

The Schenectady protests, as well as the one in Albany that started the next day, erupted over the police shooting death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old unarmed Black man, in Minnesota.

On Tuesday, Melanie Trimble, regional director of the New York Civil Liberties Union in the Capital Region, said she has an attorney looking into the matter and that the agency stands ready to work jointly with any other on the case to "ensure First Amendment issues are addressed."

"The NYCLU is very concerned that these are charges that do not rise to the level of disorderly conduct in any way, but we will suspend our doubts until we see the facts in the case, but we are also seriously concerned that if these individuals had not been associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, that the police would never have issued warrants for their arrest," said Trimble.

She contends that the disturbing pattern of "overpolicing" is a statewide issue.

"There are other municipalities across the state in which police departments are becoming overly aggressive in monitoring Black Lives Matter protests," Trimble added.
The Latest on the U.N. General Assembly:

___

The chair of Bosnia and Herzegovinas presidency called upon the United Nations to uphold its commitment to human rights, citing ethnic inequality within his own country.

Zeljko Komsic is the Croat member of the western Balkan countrys presidency, which is shared between the countrys Croats, Bozniak Muslims and Serbs.

Komsic on Wednesday hailed bilateral and regional cooperation during the pandemic, saying neighbors provided aid before multilateral institutions did. But later in his speech, he spoke of neighbors intentions to annex parts of his country by fomenting ethnic tensions within.

Bosnia was the site of a bloody civil war in the 1990s that ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement. Komsic says the international agreement created complex institutions that make it difficult for the country to come to a political consensus that would allow it to move toward a functioning state.

He lambasted conditions that have created political, electoral and social inequality within his own country on ethnic and religious lines. In an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Croatias president also called for electoral reform in Bosnia, saying its Croats were marginalized.

Komsic bemoaned population outflows, saying a substantial segment of the population, including those of working age and with young families, have left Bosnia for better business and human rights opportunities. At the same time, Bosnia has received economic migrants from elsewhere. He says this combination has created additional social problems.

___

The presidents of Argentina and Colombia warned the U.N. General Assembly that increasingly strapped emerging markets could default on their foreign debts, and called on multilateral lenders to push for changes that ease conditions.

Argentinas Alberto Fernandez said in a video message there is clearly risk of a generalized debacle of foreign debts for developing nations, and said there should be a reconfiguration of global financial architecture.

Hours earlier, his Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque told diplomats assembled in New York that governments increased their indebtedness and fiscal deficits to cope with COVID-19, but credit ratings agencies still evaluate them with pre-pandemic eyes. He called on multilateral lenders to create a new consensus on acceptable minimum risk criteria that reflect the post-pandemic reboot period.

Otherwise, in the short term, in the face of demand for debt and generalized increase in the cost of capital, it could precipitate a debt crisis, Duque said.

He also proposed excluding all expenses and investments directed toward climate change from the assessment of fiscal deficits.

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poors cut Colombias sovereign bond rating to junk in May, and Fitch Ratings did the same in July. Duque didnt make explicit reference to his countrys downgrades.

Fernandez, for his part, called Argentinas indebtedness to the International Monetary Fund toxic and irresponsible. His predecessor, Mauricio Macri, arranged a $57 billion loan that Fernandez has previously said was unpayable. His country has received $45 billion of the total, and the president refused to accept the remainder.

___

NEW YORK  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised the very different mood in Washington about the urgency of dealing with climate change since President Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump.

Johnson, who is due to meet Biden at the White House on Tuesday, said the U.S. government was passionately committed to fixing climate change.

Johnson is due to host a United Nations climate conference in Glasgow in November, and has been using a visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week to urge nations to contribute more to help poor countries tackle the crisis.

Britain welcomed Bidens announcement Tuesday that the U.S. would double its contribution.

Johnson downplayed the likelihood of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal being struck soon, saying this week that Biden had a lot of fish to fry.

Johnson, a long-time backer of Brexit, has often cited the chance of a deal with the U.S. as one of the key benefits of leaving the European Union. But talks have stalled, and the U.S. has warned there will be no trade deal unless Britain resolves post-Brexit tensions with the EU over Northern Ireland that some fear could undermine the peace process there.

I have plenty of reason to be optimistic about (a trade deal), Johnson said during interviews in New York on Tuesday with British broadcasters. But the Americans do negotiate very hard.

___

NEW YORK  President Joe Biden is meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, several days after unveiling a new partnership that would enable Australia to acquire at least 8 U.S. nuclear submarines led to a diplomatic blowup with France.

The new deal that also included the United Kingdom led Australia to cancel previous submarine acquisitions from France, which then recalled its U.S. ambassador. The deal has widely been seen as an effort by the U.S., Britain and Australia to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The pair are meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Morrison did not address the submarines issue directly, but thanked Biden for his leadership in the region. Biden says their goal is a free and open Pacific region and emphasizes that the U.S. has no closer or more reliable ally than Australia.

Biden says that their conversation will continue Friday in a meeting with Japan and India, the other two members of a separate partnership known as the quad.

___

UNITED NATIONS  Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih called hope a highly desirable commodity in these difficult times in his address at the U.N. General Assembly.

Solihs foreign minister, Abdulla Shahid, is presiding over the U.N. General Assembly. Addressing him, Solih said Tuesday that it was apt his tenure is called the Presidency of Hope. But he cautioned that hope without action is ineffective.

The Maldives is highly reliant on tourism for its economy, and was accordingly devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. While its borders have reopened, Solih said the virus remains a threat as long as it's not defeated everywhere. He touted vaccines, saying 85% of all Maldivians are vaccinated.

Climate change threatens to wipe out the small Indian Ocean island nation, and Solih brought with him pleas written by young children to protect their home. He said that 56 years since Maldives made haste to seek U.N. membership, he still believes the world body is the best hope for humanity.

___

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

UNITED NATIONS  President Joe Biden is appealing to delegates to the U.N. General Assembly for action on climate change. He says the situation is at a code red for humanity.

Biden says the world is fast approaching a point of no return with regard to extreme weather events that are taking lives and costing billions of dollars in damage. He says every nation must bring their highest possible ambitions to an upcoming global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, that he plans to attend.

Biden says hes working with the U.S. Congress on climate investments and encouraged other leaders to work with their governments, too, saying it will help create good-paying jobs for their citizens.

The address is Bidens first to the U.N. General Assembly.

Biden says the U.S. is looking forward after recently turning the page on 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

___

UNITED NATIONS  President Joe Biden is delivering his first address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Biden opened by addressing the challenge and loss facing the world from COVID-19 and he appealed to delegates to address climate change.

Biden is delivering the speech at a difficult time in his still new presidency after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a new deal with Australia and the United Kingdom that has angered France, one of Americas oldest European allies.

Biden told delegates he will outline how the U.S. intends to work with partners and allies to help lead the world toward a more prosperous future for all people.

To deliver for our own people, we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world. he said.

___

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations chief is warning global leaders that the world has never been more threatened and divided and we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his annual state of the world speech at Tuesdays opening of the U.N. General Assemblys annual high-level meeting for leaders of its 193 member nations.

We are on the edge of an abyss  and moving in the wrong direction, he said.

Guterres pointed to supersized glaring inequalities sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate alarm bells ringing at fever pitch, upheavals from Afghanistan to Ethiopia and Yemen thwarting global peace, a surge of mistrust and misinformation polarizing people and paralyzing societies and human rights under fire.

The secretary-general said the solidarity of nations to tackle these and other crises is missing in action -- just when we need it most.

And he lamented that instead of humility in the face of these epic challenges, we see hubris.

Guterres said people may lose faith not only in their governments and institutions but in basic values when they see rights curtailed, corruption, the reality of their harsh lives, no future for their children -- and when they see billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on earth.

Despite all these crises and challenges, the U.N. chief said he has hope.

Guterres urged world leaders to bridge divides to promote peace, restore trust between the richer north and developing south on tackling global warming, reduce the gap between rich and poor, promote gender equality, ensure that the half of humanity that has no access to the Internet is connected by 2030, and tackle the generation divide by giving young people a seat at the table.

Last year, no leader showed up in person because of COVID-19, but this year despite the pandemic still raging over 100 heads of state and government and several dozen ministers are slated to speak from the General Assembly podium during the high-level meeting which ends Sept. 27.
TORONTO (AP)  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won his third straight election but failed to get the majority in Parliament he wanted, an outcome that threatened his Conservative rival with loss of his job after moving his party to the center and alienating its base.

Trudeau bet Canadians didnt want a Conservative government during a pandemic and voiced the concerns of Canadians who are increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated.

That helped propel Trudeau to victory in the election Monday, and while the gamble to win a majority of Parliament seats didn't pay off, Trudeau now leads a strong minority government that won't be toppled by the opposition any time soon.

The results nearly mirrored those of two years ago. The Liberal Party secured or was leading in 158 seats  one more than it won in 2019, and 12 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives were leading or elected in 119 seats, two less than in 2019. The leftist New Democrats were leading or elected in 25, while the Bloc Quebecois were poised to win 34 and the Greens were down to two.

Hours after the results came in, Trudeau greeted commuters and posed for photos Tuesday morning at a subway stop in his district in Montreal  a post-election tradition for the prime minister.

I hear you when you say you just want to get back to the things you love and not worry about this pandemic or an election," Trudeau said in his post-victory speech hours earlier.

At a news conference Tuesday, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole said he had initiated a post-election review to examine what went wrong for his party.

We are building towards victory next time, OToole said, adding that an election could occur within 18 months. We are all disappointed by the results and as leader no one more than me."

Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, blamed OTooles move toward the center, calling it a source of contention within the party.

Conservative campaign co-chair Walied Soliman said before the votes were counted Monday that holding Trudeau to a minority government would be a win. But Jenni Byrne, campaign manager and deputy chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told The Associated Press she was stunned by Solimans comments and later said OToole gave a tone-deaf concession speech in which he acted as if hed won.

OToole said he was more determined than ever to continue, but his party might dump him as it did his predecessor, who failed to beat Trudeau in 2019.

People should reflect more on where improvements can be made to the campaign rather than tearing down the leader," said Rick Roth, a former top Conservative Party staff member in the Harper government. This trend cant continue or well be in the wilderness for a decade.

Whether O'Toole remains Conservative leader has big implications for the conservative movement in Canada. If hes removed, the party could swing back right.

A politician who narrowly lost the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2017 and who now leads a far-right party that opposes vaccines and lockdowns bled support from OTooles Conservatives and helped the Liberals retain power. Maxime Bernier and the Peoples Party of Canada didnt win any seats in Parliament but support for his party led to some Conservative party losses.

Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said the Peoples Party of Canada cost the Conservative Party about 10 seats in the election.

OToole advertised himself a year ago as a true-blue Conservative. He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to take back Canada, but immediately started working to push the party toward the political center.

OTooles strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his partys base on climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than its southern neighbor.

Whether moderate Canadians believed OToole is the progressive conservative he claims to be and whether he alienated traditional Conservatives became central questions of the campaign.

OToole failed to win more seats in and around vote-rich liberal Toronto, Canadas largest city.

Trudeau argued that the Conservatives approach on the pandemic, which has been more skeptical of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, would be dangerous. And he played up his own partys successes. Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and Trudeaus government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose.

And Trudeau pointed out that Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government, is in crisis. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days. Kenney is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions.

OToole, meanwhile, didnt require his partys candidates to be vaccinated and would not say how many were not. OToole described vaccination as a personal health decision.

The debate on vaccination and Trudeau taking on the anti-vaccination crowd helped the Liberals to salvage a campaign that didnt start well for the party, Beland said.

Wiseman said the Conservatives were hurt by the situation in Alberta.

The explosion of the pandemic in Alberta in the past 10 days ... reinforced Trudeaus argument for mandatory vaccinations, he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden called Trudeau on Tuesday to congratulate him.

The 49-year-old Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015 and has led his party to the top finish in two elections since.

Still, failing to win a majority again may well spell his demise in the future, analysts said.

This may have been Trudeaus last election," Wiseman said. He may decide that the next election will be even more difficult to win and he does not want to go out as a loser.

The reality is that elections, like the one we just had, are usually referendums on the government and its leader," Wiseman added.

Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto, said OToole might retain his leadership of the Conservative Party if he argues theyll never win if they dont move to the center.

Trudeaus prospects are better than OTooles, Bothwell said. OToole may well be in trouble.
Bravo for the strong editorial calling for urgent U.S. action to cut carbon emissions ("How soon is now?" Sept. 8). The call for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a stiff carbon tax and an import tax on the carbon impact of manufactured products would all help prevent this years climate chaos from escalating further.

Heres another policy change for the list: let replacing the war in Afghanistan with diplomacy be the first step in reducing the enormous climate cost of Americas military footprint. The Pentagon is the worlds largest institutional consumer of oil. Keeping one soldier in Afghanistan required 22 gallons of fuel a day. A B-52 bomber burns 55 gallons of fuel a minute, some 61 percent of U.S. discretionary spending currently goes to the Pentagon and its global network of more than 800 bases.
ALBANY  Former U.S. Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert has died at 84. His death announced Tuesday was marked by mourning from lawmakers across the political aisle who remembered the Mohawk Valley Republican as a dedicated public servant.

"He will be greatly missed and remembered fondly. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Marianne, his children and his family and friends who are grieving this loss," state Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-Rome, said in a statement announcing the death of Boehlert.

Boehlert was viewed as a moderate by the end of his 24-year-term in Congress in 2007. In 2016, Boehlert signed a letter with 30 ex-Republican lawmakers that opposed the candidacy of then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

He was the chairman of the House Science Committee from 2001 to 2006.

"Im saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend, former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said in a statement.

Schumer recalled their 15 years together in the House of Representatives, which included sharing a locker at the House gym, but also the congressman's commitment to the environment.

"The rewards of Sherrys dedication to his district can be seen today: whether at the former Griffiss Air Force base following the revitalization he spearheaded or as the Adirondacks teem with fish and loons thanks in no small part his work on acid rain," Schumer said. "Sherrys rich legacy, his support of science, his commitment to combating climate change, and his deep love for the Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley will live on for generations to come."

Born in Utica, Boehlert served two years in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958. He later was elected as Oneida County Executive and then was elected to Congress in 1982.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Fred McKinney/Times Union Historic Images

"As a kid, I always respected him as our representative, even before I knew what the job of a congressman entailed. He lived by a now-relic-notion that put people over party," former U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi, a Utica native, said in a statement. "He was a bipartisan leader and achieved much because of that mantra. Years later, when I was elected to Congress, I worked to be a similar kind of representative for our area  largely due to his example."

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr., in a statement, called his friend Boehlert the "epitome of what an elected official should be: dedicated, hardworking, effective and always willing to reach a hand across the aisle."

Boehlert and former U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy wrote in a 2012 editorial in the Times Union that the state needed to enact meaningful election reform that would shift campaign funding to small contributions from individuals, rather than special interests. "Public funding of elections is the key reform needed to create a 'New Albany,'" Boehlert and Murphy wrote.
This modified Toyota Sienna is Toyotas first mass-produced Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) prototype, which has a unique interface to work with third party autonomous driving systems. Its also the self-driving passenger car Aurora plans to deploy on ride-hailing networks in late 2024.
Officials: Many Haitian migrants are being released in US

U.S. officials say many Haitian migrants camped in a small Texas border town are being released in the United States, undercutting the Biden administrations public statements that Haitians who enter the country illegally face immediate expulsion
Vermont State U. to be weighed as new name for 3 schools

The trustees of the Vermont State Colleges are going to consider renaming three schools in the system Vermont State University
[September 21, 2021] Access to College Just Got Easier: Stride Taps into Acadeum's Dual Enrollment Consortium

A new dual enrollment program is poised to give thousands of eligible high school students access to more than 500 online college-level courses from a growing network of higher education institutions. K12 Private Academy, a private school for grades K-12, and Acadeum, a company helping colleges and universities share courses, are working together to remove barriers to college-level curriculum for eligible high school students. As the national student debt crisis climbs toward $1.7 trillion, dual enrollment has boomed in recent years, with more than one million high school students currently enrolled in college courses. Unfortunately, a 2018 Government Accountability Office report found significant disparities in access to dual enrollment, with fewer courses offered at low income and smaller schools. Now, with 60% of parents reporting concerns about their children going to school amid the ongoing pandemic, there's a pressing need to make online dual enrollment options universally accessible.



"Access to higher education has been out of reach for too many students for far too long. Just as online learning has leveled the education playing field for students worldwide, we can change lives by improving access to college," said Tony Bennett, Senior Vice President of School Management at Stride, Inc. "By introducing more K12 Private Academy students to Acadeum's consortium, we are bringing higher education's promise to all those who are ready for it." High school students enrolled in K12 Private Academy can apply credits from successfully completed college courses toward their GPA and graduation requirements at any participating higher education institution or transfer them to thousands of colleges and universities across the country. These students can curate their education by selecting classes from a growing number of institutions participating in the Acadeum dual enrollment consortium. Beginning in fall of 2022, eligible high school sophomores can start pursuing 20 associate degree pathways aligned to high-growth careers in fields including computer science, cybersecurity, and health sciences.

"K12 Private Academy is an established leader in online education," said Josh Pierce, co-founder and CEO of Acadeum. "We're excited to work alongside an organization that is committed to preparing middle and high school students for the rigors of university education and their careers." K12 Private Academy offers multiple start dates throughout the school year for full-time and part-time students. Learn more at www.k12privateacademy.com. About K12 Private Academy

K12 Private Academy is a private online college preparatory school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. K12 Private Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) and is recognized as a diploma-granting institution by the Virginia Council for Private Education. In addition to accreditation, many of the school's courses meet NCAA requirements. Credentialed teachers deliver a personalized education experience using the online classroom platform provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN). Multiple enrollment start dates are available throughout the year for full-time and part-time students. Learn more at www.k12privateacademy.com. About Acadeum

Acadeum helps colleges and universities create academic partnerships with like-minded institutions to support student progress and equitable access. Today, more than 380 higher-ed institutions use Acadeum's course-sharing network to place students in online courses they need to stay on track for timely graduation. Institutions gain new revenue from courses they offer through the network, by sharing tuition dollars from courses taken by their students, and by keeping at-risk students enrolled. To learn more about Acadeum, please visit www.acadeum.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005366/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Bayer Fund Awards $3.5 Million in Grants throughout the United States

Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of life sciences company Bayer, awarded $3.5 million in grants to 175 charities and non-profit organizations throughout the United States. As part of Bayer's broader vision, Health for All, Hunger for None, each grant provided by Bayer Fund will go toward a program that will help tackle some of the biggest challenges faced in the country - combatting malnutrition and food insecurity, support services for patients and families managing cardiovascular disease and cancer and enhancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in school systems. "Throughout the years, grants provided by Bayer Fund have provided the tools and resources to help build stronger communities across the United States," said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. "As needs continue to evolve and grow, we're proud to support these organizations that are making a positive impact at the local level." Food insecurity and access to nutritious food continues to be an area of need. Organizations awarded a grant in the food and nutrition category develop high-impact programs that use comprehensive, sustainable approaches to increase access to food for children and families living in under-served and rural communities. The Community Foodbank of N.J. and St. Louis Area Foodbank both received grants to expand their nutrition programs for children. Community Foodbank of N.J. received a grant for $200,000 for their Kids Cafe, which provides emergency food services year-round and their Family Pack Program that makes grab and go summer meals. Both programs will serve 4,800 children who live in high need communities. The St. Louis Area Foodbank was awarded a grant for $100,000 for their School Food Markets program that helps combat food insecurity in local school districts. Their grant will extend the program to seven additional schools and serve more than 4,000 students. "We are grateful for our partnership with Bayer Fund, along with our school district partners across eastern Missouri and southern Illinois," said Meredith Knopp, St. Louis Area Foodbank President and CEO. "By giving students access to nutritious foods a these School Markets, we remove a barrier to learning. It will improve class attendance and allow students to focus on learning instead of the implications of hunger that can land them in the school nurse's office. This generous gift will help ensure that children in our community have healthier futures."



Bayer Fund's second focus area is STEM education. Science, technology, and innovation continue to drive the economy and it's critical for students to have access to a quality education in these fields. Grants awarded provide in-school, technical and academic programs to underserved students grades K-12. National PTA, the nation's oldest and largest child advocacy association devoted to making every child's potential a reality, received a grant for $150,000. This grant will provide 40 high need, under-resourced PTA-affiliated schools in the greater St. Louis, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Berkeley, Calif. regions with the resources to host a Bayer Fund Science Festival. These festivals will impact more than 5,000 students and families in the local areas.

"National PTA and Bayer Fund share a commitment to making science more accessible and less intimidating to students and their families, which is essential to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals and help close the STEM gap," said Anna King, President of National PTA. "We are grateful to Bayer Fund for their long-standing support of our association's efforts to provide hands-on STEM experiences for families, particularly in communities where such opportunities might not otherwise be readily available." Bayer Fund's third area of focus is health and wellness. Grants awarded are dedicated to educating and providing support services to patients, caregivers, and at-risk populations. American Cancer Society received a grant for $175,000 that will go towards their Hope Lodge program. Each Hope Lodge offers patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their treatment may be in another city. These lodges provide a home-like environment where guests can retreat, connect with others, and learn more about their treatment. The grant provided by Bayer Fund will be used for cleaning supplies, furniture, and staff for each lodge. "The American Cancer Society is grateful for Bayer's Fund generous support of the Hope Lodge network. The funds will help remove barriers for cancer patients across the country to receive treatment far from home, without the worry of additional financial burden," said Howard Heino, the Vice President, Hope Lodge Operations & Facilities Management at the American Cancer Society. In addition to grant donations, Bayer Fund offers a matching gifts program to all Bayer employees in the United States. This program allows employees to donate up to $2,500 a year to a qualified local charity or multiple charities of their choice, and Bayer Fund will match 100% of the employee's donation. In 2020, the Fund awarded $17 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in food and nutrition, STEM education and community development. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the United States have received more than $80 million from Bayer Fund. About Bayer Fund Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects. For more information, visit www.fund.bayer.us. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005713/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Commonwealth Boosts RIA Services with Dedicated Compliance Officer

Commonwealth Financial Network, a national firm dedicated to providing advisor-focused business solutions, announces the hiring of Alexander W. Hansen, J.D., AIF, as SVP, RIA compliance. The role will be integral to shoring up Commonwealth's enhanced support services for fee-only advisors and RIAs as the firm pursues strategic growth. "Our industry and the regulatory landscape are changing rapidly, and so are our advisors' business models. This is why Commonwealth is investing resources into supporting our existing and incoming RIAs, as well as helping advisors transition into the fee-only world. To these advisors, compliance represents a challenge that we happen to view as a tremendous opportunity," said Paul Tolley, Commonwealth's managing principal, compliance. "Alex's strategic vision for RIA compliance support, his deep understanding of compliance technology solutions, and consultative approach will help us accelerate our RIA recruitment and position our valued advisors for success." In lockstep with senior leadership and Commonwealth's Compliance teams, Hansen will be responsible for supervising and managing all aspects of RIA compliance-including designing, implementing, and updating policies, systems, and processes-and responding to the evolving needs of Commonwealth, its staff, and its community of advisors. Prior to joining Commonwealth, Hansen served as SVP, chief compliance officer at Dynasty Financial Prtners, where he was the subject matter expert on compliance aspects of transitioning advisor teams to independent RIA firms and assisting them with their ongoing regulatory obligations. Hansen also held high-level compliance roles at Citigroup Global Markets and Raymond James. Hansen graduated from Marist College and earned his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. He earned an AIF designation and currently holds his FINRA Series 7, 24, and 66 securities registrations.



"Commonwealth has been on my radar for years as a service-centric organization focused on the needs of its advisors. Helping independent advisors run effective, efficient, and (most importantly) compliant practices is what gets me excited about my job, so it feels like a perfect fit," said Hansen. "I'm looking forward to guiding the continuing evolution of our compliance consulting services and support we provide to fee-only advisors." Hansen will report to Tolley, who oversees Commonwealth's Compliance department and teams.

About Commonwealth Financial Network Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser, provides a suite of business solutions that empowers more than 2,000 independent financial advisors nationwide. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth "#1 in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, Eight Times in a Row." Privately held since 1979, the firm has headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. Learn more about Commonwealth by visiting www.commonwealth.com. Commonwealth received the highest score in the independent advisor segment of the J.D. Power 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies of customers' satisfaction among financial advisors. Visit jdpower.com/awards. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005076/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Enigmai, a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Golden Star Enterprises Ltd., Investigating the Growing Need for Workforce Management in Hospitals

Claymont, DE, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Golden Star Enterprises Ltd., (OTCPink: GSPT) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Enigmai, has determined to assign a team to investigate the benefits of implementing its Enigmai Business Suite (EBS) workforce management system (WFM) in hospitals.

Golden Star Enterprises CEO, Eliav Kling, commented, Hospital schedules are complex. You must have the right staff in every shift in order to operate the hospital in an efficient manner and also provide and maintain a high level of service. Mr. Tim Cadeau, one of our new additions to our recently formed Advisory Board, has been managing some of Canadas largest hospital unions for the last 10 years. Mr. Cadeaus experience in this sector suggests that approximately 90% of the conflicts between hospitals and the unions in Ontario are driven by scheduling issues. Mr. Kling further added, Our research suggests that issues arise when a hospital is in need of additional staffing to meet its needs, but the scheduling team in charge of the fulfilment of the workforce support, is unaware of the terms of the various contract requirements between the hospital and the unions. Mr. Cadeaus direct experience with this issue has informed Enigmai that union workers who should be called based on seniority to fill overflow needs may be overlooked by the workforce management team, who often schedule employees based on other criteria, such as personal relationships. This situation is costly for both the hospitals and the unions. If the discrepancy results in a complaint, the hospital is required to pay both the employee that was called for the shift and the employee that should have been called based on union contract terms, resulting in high labor costs to the hospitals. Costs do not end with the compensation paid to the employee with seniority. A breach in the union contract term requires arbitration between the hospital and the union to reach satisfactory settlement terms, another costly process that may result in charges of up to $10,000 to each party (the hospital and the union).



Enigmais EBS can resolve these types of scheduling conflicts by implementing straightforward, rule-based scheduling for hospital staff. With a click of a button, the hospital can schedule staff based on the terms of the contracts in place with the unions and avoid costly contract violations. After reviewing Enigmais WFM solution, I am certain that we can help resolve many of the conflicts we see today between the hospitals and the unions. The Enigmai WFM has the bonus of offering real benefits to both hospitals and unions, making the solution a very attractive option. I believe that the return on investment will be very short once hospitals adopt the solution Enigmai can offer, said Mr. Cadeau.

The Enigmai team will be working along with Mr. Cadeau to better understand the needs hospitals in the modern world have, along with the unions workforce requirements. Mr. Cadeau has agreed to introduce Enigmais EBS to some of the largest hospitals in Canada in the coming months as a solution to its current scheduling challenges. Ms. Muskal, VP of Strategy and Business Development added, We are excited to work on a solution that will help both hospitals and unions. I am confident that Enigmai can bring significant value in a cost-effective format to the healthcare vertical. This is another excellent opportunity for Enigmai as they implement their mandate, helping organizations manage their staff in a better way. About Enigmai Enigmai was founded in Israel in 2009. As an Israeli tech company, Enigmai developed a unique and advanced solution to address the challenges large contact centers face with workforce management. Our solution supports the entire workflow cycle, from managing shifts and employee breaks to forecasting every days HR needs. Our system offers numerous advantages like integration with other organization systems in use, real-time information update, easy access reports, and a web-based solution. Leading financial and insurance companies in Israel currently use our system, supporting the operation of hundreds of employees daily. Email: info@enigmai.com www.enigmai.com About Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. (GSPT) is a publicly-traded holding and acquisition company interested in taking technology start-ups and growing them to the next level. We actively search for exceptional investment opportunities in the technology vertical. We leverage managements extensive experience in the marketplace and tech industry connections to create opportunities for companies in our portfolio. Email: info@goldenstarenterprisesltd.com www.goldenstarenterprisesltd.com This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "will," "will be," "anticipate," "predict," expect "continue," "future," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause views and expectations to change. The Company assumes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Forsta Names Brian Bhuta as Chief Product Officer

NEW YORK, OSLO, Norway and LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Forsta, the leading Customer Experience and Research Technology company created earlier this year by the merger of Confirmit and FocusVision, today announced Brian Bhuta as Chief Product Officer. Bhuta will oversee Forsta's product development, spearheading innovation and evolving the architecture of the global company's expansive product suite, which encompasses CX insights, enterprise feedback management, VoC (Voice of the Customer), VoE (Voice of the Employee), qualitative research, quantitative research, data visualization and more. "There is incredible market potential for Forsta's comprehensive suite of technology products. The company's state-o-the-art research and insights solutions are world-class. Combine this with the incredibly smart, talented and passionate team at Forsta, and it makes for a one-of-a-kind company poised to drive value for our customers," said Bhuta. "I'm thrilled to join this innovative, leading-edge company at such an exciting time in its growth trajectory."



Bhuta joins Forsta with more than 15 years of product, technology and executive leadership experience across both start-ups and large global organizations. Previously, Bhuta was Chief Product Officer at Signify Health, the market leader in delivering value-based care enablement, a role he assumed just as the company was formed via merger. Bhuta has also held the position of Vice President of Product Management at athenahealth, and various executive and leadership roles at EMC (acquired by Dell in 2016), NaviNet (acquired by Lumeris in 2012) and Phoenix Data Systems (acquired by BioClinica in 2008). "Brian's arrival marks another exciting step forward for Forsta, as we continue to define and expand our position in the market," said Kyle Ferguson, CEO of Forsta. "Brian's vision, leadership and energy will be instrumental in continuing to move the company forward as we transform the research and insights technology industry."

About Forsta

Forsta is the new frontier of Customer Experience and Market Research Technology. Formed in 2021 via the merger of industry leaders Confirmit and FocusVision, our global company powers the richest and most comprehensive set of research and insights solutions, spanning CX, enterprise feedback management, VoC, VoE, Qual, Quant, Data Visualization and more. Forsta's extensive set of market-leading tools, including the award-winning Dapresy data visualization and reporting suite, combined with the expert guidance of our seasoned data and insights professionals, empower decision-makers to drive business impact based on truly deeper customer understandings. Founded in the Nordics, Forsta means "to understand" in Swedish. Visit Forsta.com for more information. Media Contact

Sara Beth Fahey

Matter Communications

Forsta@matternow.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forsta-names-brian-bhuta-as-chief-product-officer-301381220.html SOURCE Forsta; Confirmit

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] GBT Launches Long Distance Testing Phase For its Long-Range Radio system

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GBT Technologies Inc. ( OTC PINK: GTCH ) ("GBT or the Company), launches long distance testing phase for its Infinia radio system. The testing will be done for voice and digital data communications, nationwide. This phase of testing is to evaluate dead zones coverage using fixed coordinate repeater units. Infinia (Internal projects code name) is a data and voice communication system, that operates via HF (High Frequency) radio waves. The system communicates through ionospheric propagation environment to reach very long distances. A skip zone, also called dead zone, is the distance between the point where a radio signal was transmitted and the point where it was received, after refracted back by the ionosphere, in such areas transmissions may not be received. Infinia includes a solution for dead zones coverage which is a repeaters static geo-referenced system, to always ensure continuous communication. The repeater system operates as a relay and will automatically switch frequencies according to ionospheric conditions, ensuring steady communication between mobile and base units. The system will be tested using various antenna types, among them are Whip, NVIS and loop antennas. Since ionospheric conditions play a major role in governing skip zones, vigorous testing will be conducted throughout terrains and various weather conditions. The system aimed to be used for wide variety of civil and military applications, among them are remote location telemedicine, emergency response and internet services.

"We are launching a long-range testing phase for our Infinia radio system, after initial short and medium distance testing produced successful results. This phase targets coverage and nationwide communication. We will be testing voice and data communication between all system units with the focus on signal reliability and stability. Since the Infinia system is working through skywaves the main challenge will be to ensure dead zone communication coverage. As with every HF radio system another major obstacle is to maintain a continuous communication throughout the day and weather conditions. These dead zones are the regions between atransmission send and receive points, after refracting from the ionosphere. The Infinia system includes repeaters which aim to cover dead zones by automatically switching to proper frequencies according to the ionospheric conditions, always maintaining continuous communication. For example, a communication from Los Angeles to Denver Colorado may be established through a repeater unit in Seattle Washington. We will also evaluate the system with various antenna types, positions, and landscape conditions. The Infinia system aims to provide data and voice communication for wide range of civil and military applications among them are remote telemedicine, emergency response, and modern internet services, said Danny Rittman the Companys CTO.



There is no guarantee that the Company will be successful in researching, developing or implementing this system. In order to successfully implement this concept, the Company will need to raise adequate capital to support its research and, if successfully researched, developed and granted regulatory approval, the Company would need to enter into a strategic relationship with a third party that has experience in manufacturing, selling and distributing this product. There is no guarantee that the Company will be successful in any or all of these critical steps. About Us

GBT Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) (GBT) ( http://gbtti.com ) is a development stage company which considers itself a native of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Enabled Mobile Technology Platforms used to increase IC performance. GBT has assembled a team with extensive technology expertise and is building an intellectual property portfolio consisting of many patents. GBTs mission, to license the technology and IP to synergetic partners in the areas of hardware and software. Once commercialized, it is GBTs goal to have a suite of products including smart microchips, AI, encryption, Blockchain, IC design, mobile security applications, database management protocols, with tracking and supporting cloud software (without the need for GPS). GBT envisions this system as a creation of a global mesh network using advanced nodes and super performing new generation IC technology. The core of the system will be its advanced microchip technology; technology that can be installed in any mobile or fixed device worldwide. GBTs vision is to produce this system as a low cost, secure, private-mesh-network between any and all enabled devices. Thus, providing shared processing, advanced mobile database management and sharing while using these enhanced mobile features as an alternative to traditional carrier services. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at their website ( http://www.sec.gov ). In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, governmental and public policy changes, the Companys ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all, the Companys successful development of its products and the integration into its existing products and the commercial acceptance of the Companys products. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. Contact: Dr. Danny Rittman, CTO

press@gopherprotocol.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Government of Canada Selects Ceridian to Deliver the Next Generation HR and Pay Pilot

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceridian (NYSE: CDAY; TSX: CDAY), a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, today announced it has been selected to deliver the design and experimentation phase of the Next Generation Human Resources and Pay pilot by the Government of Canada. Ceridian will work with the Government of Canada to co-design and deliver intelligent HR and pay solutions for the federal public service.

With our global leadership in human capital management, complemented by our deep and longstanding commitment to Canada, we are in a unique position to support Canadas digital-first vision for modern, mobile, and accessible HR and pay processes, said David Ossip, Chairman and CEO, Ceridian. We look forward to continuing our work with the Government of Canada, unions, and employees by providing our intelligent HR and payroll solutions to our hard-working federal public servants. Driven by an intelligent approach to HCM, Ceridian will help the Government of Canada deliver accurate, compliant, and always-on HR and pay solutions for public service employees. The flexibility of the Dayforce platform will help federal departments and agencies adapt to complex, changing legislative requirements while implementing their own unique organizational policies around HR and pay. Todays announceent builds on our tremendous momentum in the Public Sector, and reflects our proven ability to deliver scalable technologies that reduce compliance complexities and risk, while creating engaging employee experiences, said Ossip.



About Ceridian

Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better. Ceridian is a global human capital management software company. Dayforce, our flagship cloud HCM platform, provides human resources, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management functionality. Our platform is used to optimize management of the entire employee lifecycle, including attracting, engaging, paying, deploying, and developing people. Ceridian has solutions for organizations of all sizes. Visit Ceridian.com or follow us @Ceridian.

Forward-Looking Statement and Risk Factors This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, and our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to the future and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release should be read in conjunction with the risks detailed in the Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information, Forward-Looking Statement, Risk Factors and other sections of Ceridians Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Media Contact:

Teri Murphy

Teri.Murphy@Ceridian.com

647-417-2117



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Integrity BioChem Appoints First Director of Sustainability

Integrity Bio-Chemicals, LLC (IBC), a technology-driven company developing next-generation biopolymers, announced the appointment of Laura Kuri Benavides as its first Director of Sustainability. Benavides will lead IBC's sustainability initiatives and help advance the company's stewardship toward more sustainable solutions. This inaugural position reflects customer demand for more environmentally friendly products and practices. As Director of Sustainability, Benavides will implement and document IBC's sustainable processes; publish environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports; draft environmental policy; and act as a liaison between IBC's departments to highlight their sustainable practices. Additionally, Benavides will provide guidance on emerging technological advances in sustainability. "The creation of Laura's role shows our current and prospective customers, business partners and the industry how serious we are about prioritizing sustainability in all we do," said Jimmy Jett, CEO of IBC. "With her experience and knowledge, Laura is highly qualified to be IBC's first-ever Director of Sustainability. As the voice of our company's sustainability mission, Laura will share our groundbreaking, environmentally friendly and affordable products with the world."



The Director of Sustainability role was created with Benavides' expertise in mind, allowing her to harness her proficiency in technology, field work, research and development to actively promote sustainability. Before joining IBC, Benavides served as Technical Sales Manager at IBC, Sales Representative for Latin America at Halliburton, and Quality Control and Laboratory Manager at Cebo Holland B.V. in the Netherlands. "My international experiences across a wide range of industries helped me understand what the world values and why it's so important to take care of our planet," said Benavides. "I firmly believe IBC's biopolymer technology has the power to revolutionize the energy, mining, industrial, and household and personal care markets, and I couldn't be more passionate about how our products help bring sustainable science to the whole world."

In addition to the Director of Sustainability role, Benavides is maintaining her current position as the Vice President of Technology for Integrity Mining and Industrial (IMI), where she is responsible for product development, project management and customer interface. Benavides has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. To learn more about IBC's sustainability initiatives, please visit www.integritybiochem.com/sustainability. About Integrity Bio-Chemicals Founded in 2017, Integrity Bio-Chemicals, LLC (IBC) is a technology-driven company with a deep bench of industry experts producing next-generation modified biopolymers for the energy, mining, industrial, and household and personal care markets using renewable and sustainable practices. IBC is first to market with a new category of patent-pending, high-performance surfactants, created with natural sources and capable of faster production cycles at larger scales and lower costs. Our commitment to transparency and innovation brings world-class service to our customers worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005855/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 20, 2021] JETRO Partners with Premier US Accelerators to Promote Rising Japanese Startups in the Global Market

The Japan External Trade Organization ( JETRO (News - Alert) ) will host an online acceleration program in partnership with the Cabinet Office of Japan from October 2021 to March 2022. In this program, JETRO will collaborate with 6 major accelerators to cultivate the growth of Japanese startup ecosystems - serving as an entry for Japanese startups within the global market. Startups will receive firsthand mentorship, matching opportunities with foreign investors, and new business partnerships. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210920005968/en/ This year JETRO will select 100 top startups from innovation hubs across Japan. JETRO will support their global expansion by providing specific courses in specialized areas such as B2B, bio-healthcare, Climate/Cleantech, and University-based deep tech. Each course will be administered by a top accelerator which specializes in each area. Techstars, Alchemist, Cambridge Innovation Center, Plug and Play, Berkeley SkyDeck, and World Innovation Lab will all support startups of various growth stages via these courses. An introductory boot camp followed by weeks of in-depth sessions will be culminated in a demo day when each startup showcases what they have built to a global audience of investors. General Cohort - This cohort will be sector agnostic and will feature a wide range of startups from various verticals and stages. This cohort will be run by Techstars. Cleantech Cohort - This cohort will be comprised of startups engaging in the verticals relating to Climate Tech, Cleantech, energy, green-tech, materials, and sustainability. This cohort will also be run by Techstars, who have been focusing on Cleantech and sustainability with their own new programs and initiatives. About Techstars: Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas - entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Techstars has invested in more than 2,300 companies and has a portfolio valued at more than $185B. www.techstars.com Bio/Healthcare Cohort - This cohort will consist of startups focusing on primarily health and biotech in verticals such as digital health, medical devices, healthcare services, life sciences and pharmaceuticals. Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) will run this course with their extensive knowledge of the US medical and bio landscape. About CIC: Founded in 1999 in Cambridge, MA, CIC has supported over 7,500 startup and technology companies, and over $13.5 billion has beeninvested in companies that began within CIC spaces. At CIC, we believe in the power of innovation to build a better world. More info at cic.com.



Enterprise Business (B2B) Cohort - This cohort will consist of startups that solely focus on business-to-business (B2B) models. These sectors include B2B, B2B2C, and SaaS (News - Alert) (software-as-a-service), as well as any other service type businesses. This course will be run by Alchemist Accelerator, an industry leader in supporting B2B startups. About Alchemist:

Alchemist is a venture-backed accelerator focused on the development of seed-stage ventures that monetize from enterprises (not consumers). CB Insights rated Alchemist the top accelerator based on median funding rates of its grads. Learn more at www.alchemistaccelerator.com or email bizdev@alchemistaccelerator.com. Global Preparation Cohort - This cohort will consist of various startups of all stages and will be industry agnostic. The purpose of this cohort is to target Japanese startups who are very early in thinking about global expansion. This will be the largest cohort and will be handled by two Silicon Valley and Tokyo based accelerators equally. These are WiL (World Innovation Lab) and Plug-and-Play, both of whom have extensive experience supporting Japanese startups in particular and have a vast native Japanese staff of business experts. About WiL: World Innovation Lab (WiL) is a US & Japan-based VC with capital from governments and leading global corporations in Japan and throughout Asia. WiL helps US startups expand to Japan and Asia, and Japanese startups expand worldwide. The firm also works with its corporate investors on evolving their own innovation capabilities through new business creation, partnerships with leading startups, and organizational culture change. For more information, visit https://wilab.com/. About Plug and Play: Plug and Play is a leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is present in 40+ locations across five continents. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/. University/Deep Tech Cohort: This cohort will consist of startups or spinouts from top Universities in Japan. These universities are eager to monetize their fascinating deep tech which cover various sectors and solve tough challenges. They are looking to develop programs similar to top US Universities which produce competitive startups originating from researchers and students. This course will be run by Berkeley SkyDeck, which is a world leader in startups originating from universities. About Berkeley SkyDeck: Named in Forbes as a top five U.S. university accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university. SkyDeck is the only accelerator that provides funding for its startups via a public-private partnership, providing returns directly back to UC Berkeley from the SkyDeck Fund. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu. About JETRO: Japan's history of innovation has set industry standards. JETRO is the Japanese government agency responsible for promoting trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. JETRO provides support and assistance to American companies entering the Japanese market and to Japanese companies expanding overseas. JETRO has more than 70 offices around the world, including six in the US. JETRO provides a wide range of services, including market intelligence, business development support, and business seminars, all designed to encourage business partnerships between American companies and Japan. For more information, visit: jetro.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210920005968/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Kenmei Technologies referenced as "Niche Automation Solution Provider" in 2021 Gartner report

VALENCIA, Spain, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Network Intelligence and Automation company Kenmei Technologies is pleased to announce that it has been referenced in the 2021 Gartner report "CSP Hyperautomation Insight: How to Differentiate a Go-to-Market Strategy" as for a "Niche Automation Solutions" that mainly focus on AI-based engines to address automation requirements for CSPs. The report states that "operational automation initiatives have grown and investment continues in communications service providers (CSPs)" being part of their key findings in the report. The problem identified by Gartner is that "very few vendors adopt a broad and coherent approach, which is needed in such environments."[1] In that sense, we consider that Kenmei Technologies provides a clear strategy for the companies for investing in a modular and scalable solution including a Data Management entity and advanced Telco AI-based Use Cases. "We are very proud and pleased to see how Gartner, Inc. which delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams, has recognized Kenmei Technologies in this report where we believe is being addressed the need of defining a long-ter and consistent strategy to make real a market transformation thanks to the hyperautomation of the networks" said Vicent Soler, Co-founder and CEO of Kenmei Technologies. "We don't settle for simply provide a platform that can manage heterogenous data sources, but instead, we are fully convinced that existing CSP's data lakes are a goldmine that must be exploited by means of advanced software processing and AI algorithms for the CSPs to get most of the value from their data."



Kenmei's Big Data-native platform ADELE (which stands for Autonomous Decisions and Learning) allows multiple operational tasks to be performed automatically, enabling network technical teams to gain process and configuration agility while ensuring customer satisfaction. Sources (available to Gartner subscribers):

[1]Gartner, "CSP Hyperautomation Insight: How to Differentiate a Go-to-Market Strategy", Amresh Nandan, Peter Liu, 16 April 2021 Disclaimer: GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Kenmei Technologies Kenmei Technologies is a Spanish company based in Valencia founded by telecoms and software experts, focused on providing data intelligence through machine-based decision-making methods, automating network operations and customer assurance, all designed to help operators deal with increasing network complexities. For further information, please visit http://www.kenmei.ai.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] LendingPoint Named Atlanta Inno Fire Award Recipient for Second Year

LendingPoint, the financial AI and technology platform, was recently named to the 2021 Atlanta Inno Fire Award list, a ranking showcasing the top tech startups and organizations setting Atlanta's ecosystem ablaze. LendingPoint, which also made the Fire Awards list in 2019, was honored in the financial technology sector. Atlanta Inno's annual award recognizes the top 50 organizations helping to establish Atlanta as an emerging tech hub and showcases the breadth of industries within the local tech scene. The primary organizations were recognized for releasing new products, experiencing high revenue growth, raising funding rounds, making acquisitions, expanding teams, and representing the unique potential to disrupt their sectors with their innovations. LendingPoint has experienced significant growth during the past several years, which its leaders attribute to Atlanta's thriving fintech environment. LendingPoint has grown its full-time employee base by 40% in just the first half of 2021. "We're grateful for the rich opportunity the city of Atlanta offers for local businesss, especially in our thriving fintech sector. We've been able to build our platform to serve hundreds of thousands of consumers and merchant partners thanks to the remarkable talent the city has fostered," said Tom Burnside, CEO of LendingPoint.



In May, veteran risk executive Ashish Gupta (News - Alert) joined LendingPoint as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and Chris Johnson recently joined the team as Head of Capital Markets. The addition of Gupta marks an important milestone in the company's evolution and growth, as LendingPoint continues to execute on its mission of using AI data science and credit technology to create financial opportunities across the credit spectrum. Looking ahead, LendingPoint plans to continue growing its team in its new regional offices in San Mateo, California, and Dallas, Texas, and expanding its offerings to further simplify access to financial services for consumers, merchants, sellers, and other banking institutions. For more information on how to work with LendingPoint, please visit https://www.lendingpoint.com/careers/.

About LendingPoint LendingPoint is a financial AI and technology platform that provides financing origination solutions to consumers, for ecommerce and point of sale partners, and lending institutions. The company's fraud prevention, risk and asset management algorithms are used to create financing opportunities across the credit spectrum. Its LendingPoint Merchant Solutions platform provides ecommerce platforms, merchants, and other service providers fully integrated, one-stop financing solutions to convert more customers. For three consecutive years, LendingPoint has been named on Inc. 5000's list of fastest-growing private companies, ranking 17th in 2019. LendingPoint ranked on Deloitte's (News - Alert) Technology Fast 500 list in 2019 and 2020 and was honored as one of the top 40 fastest growing companies in Atlanta by the ACG in 2019, 2020, and 2021. LendingPoint was named one of the 2021 Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. LendingPoint is a privately held company headquartered in Metro Atlanta, with offices in San Francisco and New York. LendingPoint, LLC owns and operates the LendingPoint platform. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005268/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Mirion Announces Nominees for the Board of Directors of Post-Combination Company

Mirion Technologies, Inc. ("Mirion"), a leading provider of detection, measurement, analysis and monitoring solutions to the nuclear, defense, medical and research end markets, today announced the nominees for election to the Board of Directors following its proposed business combination with GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II ("GSAH"). Each nominee is a leader within his or her respective field and brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise. The nominees are Thomas D. Logan, Lawrence D. Kingsley, Jyothsna (Jo) Natauri, Christopher Warren, Steven Etzel, Kenneth C. Bockhorst Robert A. Cascella, John Wei-Ching Kuo and Jody A. Markopoulos. Thomas D. Logan currently serves, and has served, as Mirion's founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2005, and he has served as a member of Miron's board of directors since 2005. Prior to joining Mirion, Mr. Logan served as Chief Executive Officer for Global Dosimetry Solutions, a radiation dosimetry provider, from 2004. Mr. Logan has more than 30 years of energy industry experience, as well as extensive experience within the contract manufacturing and consumer products industries. Mr. Logan received a M.B.A. and a B.S. from Cornell University. Lawrence D. Kingsley currently serves as the independent Non-Executive Board Chair of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., a public company, since November 2019 and as an Advisory Director to Berkshire Partners LLC, an investment company, since May 2016. Mr. Kingsley also currently serves as a Director of Polaris Industries Inc., a public company, since January 2016 and as a Director of Rockwell Automation (News - Alert) , Inc., a public company, since April 2013. Prior to joining IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Mr. Kingsley served as Chairman of Pall Corporation from October 2013 to August 2015 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pall Corporation from October 2011 to August 2015 until Danaher Corporation (News - Alert) , a public company, acquired Pall Corporation in August 2015. Before his experience at Pall Corporation, Mr. Kingsley served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of IDEX Corporation, a public company specializing in the development, design and manufacture of fluid and metering technologies, health and science technologies and fire, safety and other diversified products, from March 2005 to August 2011 and the Chief Operating Officer of IDEX Corporation from August 2004 to March 2005. Mr. Kingsley previously served as a Director of Pall Corporation from October 2011 to August 2015, Cooper Industries plc (formerly Cooper Industries Ltd.), a public company, from 2007 to 2012 and IDEX Corporation from 2005 to 2011. Mr. Kingsley served in various positions of increasing responsibility at Danaher Corporation, including Corporate Vice President and Group Executive from March 2004 to August 2004, President of Industrial Controls Group from April 2002 to July 2004 and President of Motion Group, Special Purpose Systems from January 2001 to March 2002. Mr. Kingsley also previously held management positions of increasing responsibility at Kollmorgen Corporation and Weidmuller Incorporated. Mr. Kingsley received an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Clarkson University and an M.B.A. from the College of William and Mary. Jyothsna (Jo) Natauri is a Partner of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and has served as the Global Head of Private Healthcare Investing within Goldman Sachs Asset Management since May 2018. Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Natauri was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs for 12 years, where she led coverage of large cap companies in healthcare and other industries. She was named managing director in 2008 and partner in 2012. Ms. Natauri has served as a director on the board of Flywire Corporation since November 2020, and also serves on the boards of MyEyeDr, Sita Foundation and Safe Horizon. She previously served on the board of Avantor from November 2018 to May 2021. Ms. Natauri received a B.A. from the University of Virginia in Economics and Biology. Christopher Warren currently serves, and has served, as a partner at Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP since he joined in 2013. Prior to joining Charterhouse, Mr. Warren served as a partner at ECI Partners, a private equity group, from 2003 to 2013. He also served as Associate at BC Partners, an international investment firm, and as Consultant at COBA, a UK-based strategy consulting firm. Mr. Warren received a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD. Steven W. Etzel has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rockwell Automation, Inc., a company focused on industrial automation and information, from November 2020 to February 2021, and subsequently as Senior Vice President, Finance of Rockwell until his retirement in April 2021. Mr. Etzel served in various positions, including Vice President and Treasurer from 2007 to 2020 and Vice President, Finance from October 2020 to November 2020 after joining Rockwell in 1989. Mr. Etzel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Kenneth C. Bockhorst currently serves as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Badger Meter, Inc., a company that develops tools that water utilities, municipalities and commercial and industrial customers use for flow measurement and control. Mr. Bockhorst joined Badger Meter as Chief Operating Officer in October 2017 and was promoted to President in April 2018, Chief Executive Officer in 2019 and Chairman of the Board in 2020. Prior to Badger Meter, he served six years at Actuant Corporation, a diversified industrial company (now named Enerpac Tool Group), most recently as Executive Vice President of the Energy segment. Prior to Actuant, he held product management and operational leadership roles at IDEX and Eaton (News - Alert) . Mr. Bockhorst received an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a B.A. from Marian University in Operations Management, Marketing and Human Resources. Robert A. Cascella currently serves as Strategic Business Development Leader for Royal Philips, a public Dutch healthcare company and has held this position since May 2020. From April 2015 to April 2020, he served as Executive Vice Presidet and Chief Business Leader of Philips' Diagnosis and Treatment and Precision Diagnosis businesses. He also served on Philip's Executive Committee from January 2016 to April 2021. Prior to Philips, Mr. Cascella served at Hologic, Inc., a public medical device and diagnostics company, from February 2003 to December 2013 as its president and later CEO. He has also held senior leadership positions at CFG Capital, NeoVision Corporation and Fischer Imaging Corporation. Mr. Cascella has served as the chair of the board of Neuronetics, Inc. since April 2021, on the board of Metabolon, Inc. since September 2020 and on the board of Celestica Inc. since April 2019, where he has also served as chair of the compensation committee since July 2021. He previously served on the board of Tegra Medical and acted as chair of the boards of Dysis Medical and Miranda Medical. Mr. Cascella received a B.A. in accounting from Fairfield University.



John W. Kuo is the Chief Legal Officer of Visby Medical, a privately-held molecular diagnostic company, and has held such position since September 2021. Previously, he was the EVP, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Charles River Laboratories, a NYSE-listed, Fortune 1000 global contract drug research and development company, from May 2020 to September 2020. Before that, Mr. Kuo was the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Varian Medical Systems, a NYSE-listed, Fortune 1000 global cancer therapy/radiation therapy company, from July 2005 to May 2020. Mr. Kuo received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his B.A. in Biology & Society from Cornell University. Jody A. Markopoulos has served as Chief Operating Officer of Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc., a producer of low-cost battery storage solutions for the electric utility industry, since March 2021. She founded JA Markopoulos Consulting in February 2020 to assist companies in operations and supply chain matters. Prior to that, Ms. Markopoulos spent 26 years in multiple operating leadership roles at General Electric and Baker Hughes. She served as the Chief Supply Officer at Baker Hughes, a GE company responsible for supply chain operations, from 2017 to 2018, and then as Chief Transition Officer from 2018 to 2020 responsible for executing the orderly transition from GE. At General Electric, she served as Chief Operations Officer at GE Oil & Gas from 2015 to 2017, President and CEO of GE Intelligent Platforms (News - Alert) from 2011 to 2014 and as Vice President of Sourcing at GE Energy from 2005 to 2011. Ms. Markopoulos received a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Engineering and Management from Clarkson University.

Mirion expects to complete its business combination with GSAH and become a publicly listed company in the second half of 2021, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, including certain regulatory approvals. About Mirion Mirion Technologies is a leading provider of detection, measurement, analysis and monitoring solutions to the nuclear, defense, medical and research end markets. The organization aims to harness its unrivaled knowledge of ionizing radiation for the greater good of humanity. Many of the company's end markets are characterized by the need to meet rigorous regulatory standards, design qualifications and operating requirements. Headquartered in Atlanta (GA - USA), Mirion employs around 2,500 people and operates in 13 countries. For more information, and for the latest news and content from Mirion, visit Mirion.com. Mirion is currently a portfolio company of Charterhouse Capital Partners, LLP. About GSAH GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II (NYSE: GSAH) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting merger, stock purchase or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company is sponsored by an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. In June 2020, GSAH completed its initial public offering, raising $750 million from investors. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Mirion board of directors, estimated future financial performance, financial position and financial impacts of the potential transaction, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the potential transaction and the private placement, the level of redemptions by GSAH's public stockholders and purchase price adjustments in connection with the potential transaction, the timing of the completion of the potential transaction, the anticipated pro forma enterprise value and Adjusted EBITDA of the combined company following the potential transaction, anticipated ownership percentages of the combined company's stockholders following the potential transaction, and the business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including as they relate to the potential transaction. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as "pro forma," "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "strive," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When GSAH or Mirion discusses its strategies or plans, including as they relate to the potential transaction, it is making projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, GSAH's or Mirion's management. These forward-looking statements involve significant risk and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside GSAH's and Mirion's control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) GSAH's ability to complete the potential transaction or, if GSAH does not complete the potential transaction, any other initial business combination; (2) satisfaction or waiver (if applicable) of the conditions to the potential transaction, including with respect to the approval of the stockholders of GSAH; (3) the ability to maintain the listing of the combined company's securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (4) the inability to complete the private placement; (5) the risk that the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations of GSAH or Mirion as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transaction described herein; (6) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (7) costs related to the proposed transaction; (8) changes in applicable laws or regulations and delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the potential transaction; (9) the possibility that GSAH and Mirion may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (10) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against GSAH, Mirion or any of their respective directors or officers, following the announcement of the potential transaction; (11) the failure to realize anticipated pro forma results or projections and underlying assumptions, including with respect to estimated stockholder redemptions, purchase price and other adjustments; (12) future global, regional or local political, market and social conditions, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (13) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the preliminary proxy statement of GSAH, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and other documents filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") by GSAH. Forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date of this release. Neither GSAH nor Mirion undertakes any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in GSAH's reports filed with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed business combination, a registration statement on Form S-4 was filed by GSAH with the SEC. The Form S-4 includes a proxy statement to be distributed to holders of GSAH's common stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the vote by GSAH's stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination and other matters as described in the Form S-4, as well as a prospectus of Mirion relating to the offer of the securities to be issued in connection with the completion of the proposed business combination. GSAH and Mirion urge investors, stockholders and other interested persons to read the Form S-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other documents filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination, as these materials will contain important information about GSAH, Mirion and the proposed business combination. After the Form S-4 has been declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to GSAH's stockholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. GSAH's stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of such documents, without charge, once available, at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: IR-GSPCS@gs.com Participants in the Solicitation GSAH and Mirion, and their respective directors and officers, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of GSAH stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination. GSAH's stockholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of GSAH in GSAH's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on May 17, 2021. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to GSAH's stockholders in connection with the proposed business combination and other matters to be voted upon at the special meeting is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed business combination is included in the proxy statement/prospectus that GSAH has filed with the SEC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005454/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Molekule's PECO Air Purification Technology Effectively Captures and Destroys SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus, New Study Shows

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Molekule , the global leader in reinventing air purification, today announced test results in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, which demonstrate its PECO air purification technology's success in removing 99.98% of the COVID-19 virus SARS-CoV-2 from the air, and total destruction rates exceeding 99%. These results are from a multiple pass chamber test and swatch level test, respectively. The multiple pass chamber test utilized an Air Mini device in a small chamber with a single injection of virus aerosol, and the swatch level test used PECO filter media. These results build on other peer-reviewed and published validation of Molekule's proprietary PECO technology from the University of Minnesota, in which the company demonstrated the inactivation of coronavirus strains (bovine and porcine) and the H1N1 flu virus. "My team's testing focused on determining Molekule's ability to capture and destroy SARS-CoV-2, specifically the strain isolated from Wisconsin," said Dr. Siddappa Byrareddy, a Professor and Vice-Chair of Research in the Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and the lead researcher on this study. PECO technology, which stands for Photo Electrochemical Oxidation, utilizes free radicals to destroy organic material in the air at a molecular level, such as viruses, bacteria, mold, chemicals (VOCs) and more. It has been tested and validated by a multitude of third party labs, all of which can be reviewed on Molekule's website here . Most recently, the company also announced the FDA clearance of its Air Pro device for medical use for the destruction of viruses, bacteria and mold, following previous FDA clearance for Air Mini, Air Mini+, and Ar Pro RX for medical use for the destruction of viruses and bacteria.*



"As we face a new wave of the COVID-19 crisis, it's become increasingly clear that cleaner indoor air is a central concern during the pandemic," says Jonathan Harris, CEO of Molekule. "Air purification technology has provided an extra layer of protection, and the testing results from the University of Nebraska demonstrate just how effective Molekule's PECO technology is at both capturing and destroying coronaviruses at a molecular level. Much like our recent FDA clearances for several of our devices, this testing only further validates our work to help provide clean indoor air to our customers." *Although the FDA clearances do not apply specifically to SARS-CoV-2, Molekule's devices satisfy the criteria established in the FDA's non-enforcement guidance for air purifier use in connection with SARS-CoV-2.

About the University of Nebraska Medical Center Research

Recently, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, tested Molekule's PECO technology using an Air Mini device. Methods developed for the research allowed measurement and characterization of airborne virus detection and inactivation by air purification technologies. About Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD

Dr. Siddappa Byrareddy is a Professor and the Vice-Chair of Research at the Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience at the Nebraska Medical Center. He is a leading viral expert, having spent his career studying HIV, Zika, and SARS-CoV-2 transmissions. About Molekule

Molekule is on a mission to provide clean indoor air to everyone, everywhere. Based on 25 years of research and development, the company's patented photo electrochemical oxidation (PECO) technology destroys the widest range of pollutants, including VOCs, mold, bacteria, viruses, and allergens, when compared to conventional filters. Molekule's range of air purification solutions have been reviewed and validated by third-party laboratories, as well as continual internal testing, and its medical-grade products have been granted medical device clearance by the FDA. Today, Molekule is available at www.Molekule.com , Amazon , and other retailers. It is also sold internationally in India, Japan, South Korea, and Canada. For more information and customer reviews , visit https://Molekule.com . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/molekules-peco-air-purification-technology-effectively-captures-and-destroys-sars-cov-2-the-covid-19-virus-new-study-shows-301381462.html SOURCE Molekule

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Motient Supports Newman Regional Health During Delta Variant COVID-19 Surge

EMPORIA, Kan., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases related to the spread of the Delta variant, Motient, a pioneer in patient movement solutions, remains committed to providing its technological capabilities to assist its healthcare provider partners, including Newman Regional Health. The Kansas-based critical access hospital has endured the most recent surge of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with patient admissions nearing the record peaks seen last year at the height of the pandemic. In August, Motient saw a tremendous increase in patients needing a bed in the state of Kansas. Some patients have to travel 10 hours to find the closest hospital with bed availability. With Newman Regional Health running at 110% of its pre-COVID inpatient acute care capacity, it has been challenging to find an open bed in its own hospital, and made worse by the lack of beds in larger facilities nearby, where patients are routinely sent to receive specialized care. Motient's Mission Control solution has been a critical resource for Newman Regional Health throughout the pandemic and especially through he latest surge in cases, offering timely transport options and data capabilities to assess how to get patients the care they need.



Given the immense stress carried by frontline workers during the pandemic, Mission Control has doubled as a bed finder for Newman Regional Health, reaching out to numerous hospitals and lifting the burden off frontline workers. "The pressure relief valve that Mission Control has offered us during this latest surge of the pandemic has been monumental," said Dr. Alana (Fearey) Longwell, Chief Medical Officer of Newman Regional Health. "My hospitalists, resource nurses, and bedside nurses love Mission Control because the more resources they have available means they do not have to be on the phone finding beds. This time back is essential for my clinicians to be able to provide the critical care that is so needed right now. Every hour, every minute is indispensable."

Given how time-consuming the patient transfer process is for hospitals and health systems, Dr. Longwell said having solutions like Mission Control available has a cascading effect of improving working conditions for staff across Newman Regional Health. The patient movement platform also helps Newman Regional Health collaborate with other providers in Kansas and focus on combatting COVID-19 as a unified, strong entity. "Collaboration is the bedrock of success in healthcare, and Mission Control enables Newman Regional Health to communicate with hospitals across the state so that transfers can be conducted in a smooth and timely manner," added Dr. Longwell. "We have been through so much over the past 18 months, and just knowing that there is another resource, another partner to go to across county lines with specialties and knowledge that can benefit our patients, is heartening to no end." "We continue to be impressed by the work Newman Regional Health delivers for the communities of central and eastern Kansas during this time of prolonged crisis," said Dallan Huff, president of Motient. "We know that the pandemic is far from over, and we're fortunate to be able to support Newman Regional Health and other health systems with Mission Control's capabilities as they handle yet another surge of COVID-19. We remain steadfast to our commitment to ensuring that our provider partners have patient transfer resources at their disposal in order to spend time where they are needed, and that's providing vital patient care." To learn more about Motient, visit motient.io. About Motient: Motient, a pioneer in patient movement solutions, equips hospitals, hospital systems, healthcare networks, and ACOs with the tools and data required to ensure quality care and value in patient transfers. Led by seasoned healthcare experts and emergency physicians, our team understands the patient transfer pain points, enabling Motient to transform information into relevant insights, actionable data, and enhanced workflows. For more information, visit motient.io. Follow us on LinkedIn. Media contact: Katlyn Nesvold, knesvold@acmarketingpr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/motient-supports-newman-regional-health-during-delta-variant-covid-19-surge-301381223.html SOURCE Motient

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] NewB.Farm: Making yield farming simple and easy

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The world of decentralized finance is ever-evolving with the massive potentials it brings to millions of users. DeFi enables the deployment of traditional finance products like lending, staking and borrowing using smart contracts that are permissionless and trustless.

Thousands of crypto enthusiasts have taken advantage of these opportunities to multiply their capital and earn massive profits. However, the DeFi sector is still in its early stages, and most DeFi platforms are difficult to use by newbies or beginners. This means that thousands of potential yield farmers are excluded from these earning opportunities. As a result, a new breed of next-generation DeFi platforms is springing up that seeks to bridge the gap and NewB.Farm is leading this trend. Lets explore this fast-growing DeFi protocol and look at its features. A user-friendly yield farming platform NewB.Farm is an innovative yield farming protocol that is built on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Binance Smart Chain is one of the fastest and highly scalable blockchains with low transaction fees making it an ideal platform for NewB.Farm. NewB.Farm offers an intuitive, user-friendly platform that makes it easy for anyone without technical knowledge to participate in DeFi. In addition, the yield farming protocol is designed so that users can explore yield farming opportunities in a fair, secure and transparent environment. New.B uses yield optimizers and other mechanisms to ensure that users get the very best yields for their capital. Unlike traditional finance platforms like Banks that offer 3% annually for fixed deposits, NewB offers 71% annual returns on yields. This means that you get more value for staking their assets on NewB than on other platforms. Staking assets on NewB.Farm is pretty easy, and all that is required is to visit the farming dApp , connect a wallet and stake on supported pools. NewB has strict security policies and has not suffered any hack attacks since launching earlier in May 2021.



Its smart contract codes have been successfully verified by two renowned auditing firms Noneage, and Knownsec NewB also has a safety assessment score of 95 on DeFibox, which is higher than the PancakeSwap and Mdex. Fast-growing ecosystem

NewB.Farm has experienced rapid growth since its launch in May 2021 and has more than 15 communities located across the world. Yield farmers have also adopted the platform with more than $20 million locked in its staking pools while there are more than 23,000 token holders. NewB,Farm has also expanded organically to 8 more countries, including the United States, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Spain, Malaysia. The massive growth of its ecosystem has also affected the value of its native token NewB, which has experienced an exponential rise. The utility token has increased from $90 at launch to a record high of $300, representing a growth factor of 233% within four months. These metrics are impressive given that NewB is less than six months in operation. NewB has also revealed solid partnerships with other DeFi platforms, including Apeswap, Coinhub and PancakeSwap. NewB token is also listed in Coinmarketcap, Coingecko, Dappradar and Coinsniper. These collaborations show the growing influence that NewB is gaining within the DeFi sector. NewB.Farm has also launched an affiliate campaign called Share N Thrive that incentivizes community members that actively promote the yield farming platform. = Future developments on NewB.Farm NewB.Farm continues to grow and pave the way in yield farming with unique offerings backed by a forward-thinking team led by Adam and the NewB farming Godfather Miguel. The NewB team has already stated its aim to build more products to ensure that the price of NewB token hits $1000 before the end of January 2022. Some of the developments in the works include a dedicated NFT marketplace where NFT lovers can mint, list and auction NFTs. NewB.Farm will also introduce new vaults and staking pools for liquidity providers to maximize their capital. The yield farming protocol will also list NewB token on more exchanges and expand its ecosystem to more countries globally. To learn more about NewB.Farm visit the following links. NewB.Farm Landing Page: www.newb.finance

NewB.Farm Official website: www.newb.farm

NewB.Farm Official link tree https:// https://linktr.ee/newbfarm

NewB.Farm Official gitbook: https://newb.gitbook.io/newbfarm/

NewB.Farm Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewBFarm Media Contact -

CEO - Adam

Email - media@newb.farm

Company - NewB Farm Source Link



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Nextech AR Provides Company Update to Shareholders

Nextech AR Solutions Corp. ("Nextech" or the "Company") (OTCQB: NEXCF) (NEO: NTAR) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29), a diversified leading provider of augmented reality ("AR") experience technologies and services is providing an update to shareholders and invites its shareholders to a Proactive Livestream event today at 1pm EST. Livestream Details

Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e7aUdaW6T0uoK9FNlH_APw To the Shareholders of Nextech AR Solutions: Introduction Nextech AR Solutions is in the midst of an important period of growth and transition. With increasing attention from big tech, media and investors around the rapidly emerging augmented reality industry, which we anticipated with Nextech's formation in 2018, the opportunity before us is greater than ever. In this letter we will review and clarify the strategic initiatives Nextech is taking in order to maintain and advance our leadership within this new frontier and capture market share with our entire suite of increasingly interconnected products. As we move to Q4 and into 2022, we are focused on our development and release of multiple first to market SaaS (News - Alert) platforms for Augmented Reality: We are very excited that our AR for Ecommerce SaaS platform is launching in the next few weeks as we are seeing this market rapidly gain momentum. We are also working on the following SaaS platforms: Education Technology (Q4-2021)

CAD to POLY (Q2-2022)

Spatial Mapping/Metaverse (Q2-2022)

holoX - Human Holograms (Q4-2021)

Ad Network - 3D AR (Q1-2022)

Virtual/Hybrid Events (Q4-2021)

WebAR/Threedy.ai for ecommerce (Q4-2021) First Half 2021 Financial Recap I will first provide you with a brief update on our second quarter 2021 financial results, which were announced in August. For the six months ended June 30th, 2021 revenue increased 130% to $13.8 million, compared to the same six months period last year, while gross profit increased 59% to $5.6 million over the same period.

Revenue for the three months ended June 30th, 2021 was $6.1 million an increase of over 73% compared to the three months ended June 30th, 2020 of $3.5 million

Gross profit for the three months ended June 30th, 2021 was $2.3 million an increase of over 6% compared to the three months ended June 30th, 2020 of $2.2 million

Nextech cash on hand as of June 30th, 2021 was $15.4 million I would like to make mention of the two transformative acquisitions we have made in 2021:







1) On June 25, 2021, we acquired 100% of the shares of Threedy.ai Inc, an AI-based end-to-end platform used to produce 3D augmented reality models, accelerating our delivery time to customers - in an all-stock transaction valued at US$9,500,000. 2) On August 26th, we finalized our acquisition of ARway in an all stock transition. With our acquisition of ARway, we have hired key founders Baran Korkmaz and Nikhil Sawlani. I will provide more detail on both of these acquisitions, and what they mean to our long-term strategy in this letter.

With respect to headcount, this year we have streamlined our staff, which we previously announced would result in $6 million in annual savings. I'm pleased to report that we are on track for this initiative. We made these adjustments with complete focus on forming a professional team aligned with our long-term strategic focus, that will strengthen our ability to execute and grow revenue across our business lines. On the executive team, through our Threedy.ai acquisition, Nima Sarshar has been appointed as Nextech's CTO of Visual Computing and Artificial Intelligence, and Max Huang has been appointed as our Senior Vice President of Engineering. Nima and Max bring with them a track record of innovation and deep understanding of AR solutions for ecommerce, that is already proving to be beneficial to Nextech's product and solutions strategy roadmap. Innovative and product-applicable AI has always been Nextech's competitive advantage as a provider of AR solutions. With the appointments of Nima and Max, we are reinforcing this competitive advantage. Long-Term Strategic Initiatives Nextech's long-term strategic initiatives are focused on advancing and garnering greater industry leadership in the augmented reality space. While the attention around the virtual events space during the COVID pandemic, and particularly in 2020 has certainly given Augmented Reality and Nextech a welcome tailwind - we never considered this thematic boost to our business to be permanent, and we have always had our eye on the bigger prize. In contrast with the COVID wave, the emerging Augmented Reality wave driven by Big Tech adoption is here to stay and will be a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar per year wave. Mass adoption of AR is merely in its nascent stage. Big tech is building the AR ecosystem that Nextech eats and breathes in, and we feel strongly that Nextech's realization of market share capture within this burgeoning new industry is at our fingertips. Again, throughout 2021 we have made several advancements and announcements which have positioned us with a differentiated AR offering, and are important to the strategic direction of the company, including: our acquisition of ARway, providing our solutions a pathway to the Metaverse

our acquisition of Threedy.ai and integration of 3D for ecommerce, enabling us to weave SaaS and self-serve across our product offering with tremendous implications for greater scale

our appointment of Nima Sashar as CTO and Max Huang as VP of Engineering

our Partnership with Google (News - Alert) for 3D search indexing

Our introduction of CAD to Poly capability, opening up an enormous new market opportunity for Nextech to address the ubiquitous use of CAD files across all industries which engage in product engineering and product manufacturing

Our expanding partnership with Ryerson University where we were awarded Funds from the Ontario Government, for the creation and delivery of AR learning experiences for use within post-secondary education - creating the largest portfolio of AR labs for higher education with 85 labs!

Approval of a Microsoft (News - Alert) co-sell partnership for our EdTechX, serving higher education customers and built on Microsoft Azure - has achieved Co-sell Ready status, allowing the Company to work with Microsoft sales teams to actively fulfill customer needs across a global marketplace. I would like to better define how these announcements fit together, as one cohesive and overlaying strategy that will uniquely position Nextech to attract more customers, grow revenue and succeed in this emerging, multi-billion dollar market. The Metaverse With our acquisition of ARway, we have laid an important new foundation necessary to merge our augmented reality solutions with the Metaverse. While Big Tech, analysts, and industry pundits have championed the Metaverse as "the future of the internet and computing", they have yet to agree on a universal definition of exactly what the Metaverse is. Nextech's proven suite of AR solutions combined with ARway's cloud and 3D mapping technologies, opens a unique, addressable market within the Metaverse. The "mini-metaverse" will become an available application for malls, university campuses, theme parks, stores, corporate headquarters, and other concise locations that lend themselves to geolocation mapping for improved user experience. Once 3D maps are created, Nextech's AR experiences such as wayfinding, human holograms, ads, products and more can populate the "mini-metaverse" at scale and provide immersive, engaging experiences for consumers. By scaling the creation of 3D maps to support geo-location-based AR experiences, Nextech's vision of "mini-metaverses" becomes a reality. Nextech will be the leader to market in the "mini-metaverse", an opportunity we believe to be as large as the Metaverse itself. ARway AR cloud and 3D mapping technologies have opened the door to the Metaverse, and no company has a better line of solutions prepared to populate the mini-metaverse than Nextech. Supported by Nextech's global sales and marketing machine, our AR ecommerce, AR advertising, holoX Human Holograms and AR Portals are ready to populate mini-metaverses and will lead the market in their respective product categories. The Path to SaaS and Self-Serve I would now like to highlight the importance of Nextech's acquisition of Threedy.ai in June of this year. Because of Threedy, the SaaS and self-service models are already available for 2D to 3D ecommerce sites and CAD to POLY for manufacturers and will become available across our entire solutions portfolio in the coming months. SaaS and self-service integration with our product line has enormous implications for the scalability of our product suite, and Nextech's future revenue growth. With SaaS, Nextech will move away from managed solutions and toward monthly recurring revenue (MRR), business scalability, and low to no touch. This has already begun and we currently have over 30 accounts and growing contracts for $2 million in annual contracts representing about $150K in MRR across our platforms. Nextech has spent the past three years, individually validating market acceptance for each of our product categories - AR for ecommerce with 3D/AR product visualization using WebAR, AR for advertising with 3D ads, AR for human holograms with holoX, AR for higher education with Ryerson Labs and ARitize for bespoke immersive AR experiences and AR Portals for 360 video visualization. To be an early developer of any emerging market individual solutions sales and white glove product creation are both required and are time consuming. However the process has proven successful with customer demand for Nextechs AR suite from blue-chip customers such as Ryerson University, Carnegie Mellon, Broad MIT Harvard, Kohls, Pier1, Kmart Australia, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Verizon (News - Alert) and many more. We have put in the work, and are integrating Threedy's disruptive AI and computer vision technology with Nextech's AR platform. Large customers who require scale for ecommerce and product manufacturing can eliminate the time consuming and expensive 2D to 3D process and convert images and CAD files to 3D/AR within just seconds, totally disrupting the multi billion dollar CAD and AR industry. For example, in recent weeks we have announced self-serve availability for our 3D ecommerce solutions, as well as the imminent availability of SaaS for our recently announced CAD to POLY, a technology that will greatly reduce the cost and accelerate the CAD conversion process which we believe will disrupt industries. ??Our August announcement of an early access partnership with Google, for their 3D AR Search Program further underscores the breadth of the market opportunity before us. Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. Nextech AR is building solutions that connect our customers to billions of people around the world. Google's platform is now turning more towards indexing higher in search 3D assets which puts a huge tailwind behind anything that is on the web in 3D. We believe that we have the ONLY platform that can meet the enormous global demand that is coming for 3D product conversions from 2D to gain better search results on Google. Nextech AR has granted exclusive early access of the 3D search program to its current Threedy.ai customers, which include some of the world's largest furniture retailers: Pier 1, Lighting Plus and Kmart Australia. With Nextech 3D generated models showing up in Google's 3D AR Search Program, brands that hire Nextech can now expect to see their products indexed higher as organic search results on Google. Looking Forward The most exciting thing happening today is that all objects are being turned into 3D on the Web with no app required. All objects refer not only to ecommerce but everything that is manufactured; apparel, automotive, electronics, aerospace, oil and gas, real estate etc. The reason why that's so exciting is for two reasons: One, it's ubiquitous. The Web dial tone is everywhere. And anything that's ubiquitous gets interesting. Two, I think we have figured out a way to own it. What's so compelling about creating and owning all these 3D assets is there's going to be a lot more innovation in AR and that will be foundational for the emerging Metaverse. If I stand up and look at the other AR startups around me, we don't fit into that group, as they are all point solutions. Where I see us fitting in is with the tech giants, who essentially own a market. Apple owns your phone, Google owns your search engine, Amazon owns your shopping, Facebook (News - Alert) , SNAP or TikTok own your social media. As the owners of 3D model creation (and the models themselves), Nextech's position at this table will become increasingly important to the development of an agnostic platform for edTech, ecommerce, and advertising, providing an ever growing revenue stream. We currently have many customers that use our 3D modeling technology, including some of the biggest brands, but we are still just getting started. It feels like all our hard work is about to pay off as we are entering the 1st inning of our transformation to a self-service SaaS business model which will allow us to populate the world with 3D models and AR visualizations. Sincerely, On behalf of the Board of Directors, Nextech AR Solutions Corp.

Evan Gappelberg CEO and Director To learn more, please follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.Nextechar.com. Forward-looking Statements The CSE and the NEO have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as 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. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005338/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Nimbus Therapeutics Appoints Ian Sanderson, MBA, as Chief Financial Officer

Nimbus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company designing breakthrough medicines through structure-based drug discovery and development, today announced the appointment of Ian Sanderson, MBA, as Chief Financial Officer. He succeeds Holly Whittemore, CPA, who will transition to the newly created role of Chief Accounting Officer, reporting to Mr. Sanderson. "Ian brings to Nimbus a wealth of experience in financial management, capital markets and strategic transactions, and we are excited to strengthen our leadership team by bringing him on board. We're also very pleased that Holly will continue Nimbus' financial operations in her new role. She has been an integral part of our success over the past 12 years, including serving as the architect of our innovative LLC business model," said Jeb Keiper, M.S., MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus. "These changes help position Nimbus for long-term growth to support our maturing pipline and key milestones ahead."



Mr. Sanderson joins Nimbus from Boston Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer at Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company's re-positioning initiative and successful IPO. Before joining the biopharma industry, Mr. Sanderson held a number of leadership roles in investment banking, including 20 years with Cowen and Company, where he was a senior equity research analyst covering the pharmaceuticals and specialty pharmaceuticals sectors. Mr. Sanderson holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in political economy from Williams College. "Nimbus has established a highly successful track record of discovering and developing innovative new therapeutics. Now, with multiple clinical trials on the near horizon, the company has even greater potential to transform patients' lives," said Mr. Sanderson. "I look forward to working with Jeb and the talented team to leverage the Nimbus discovery platform to develop truly breakthrough medicines for patients."

About Nimbus Therapeutics Nimbus Therapeutics designs breakthrough medicines. Utilizing its powerful structure-based drug discovery engine, Nimbus designs potent and selective small molecule compounds targeting proteins that are known to be fundamental drivers of pathology in highly prevalent human diseases and which have proven difficult for other drug makers to tackle. The company's LLC/subsidiary architecture enables diverse and synergistic partnerships to deliver breakthrough medicines. Nimbus is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. www.nimbustx.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005247/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] NOCD Raises $33 Million to Address Global OCD Crisis; Series B Financing to Support People Struggling with OCD, Fuel Growth

NOCD, the world's leading provider of obsessive compulsive-disorder (OCD) treatment, today announced the closing of a $33 million Series B funding round to continue its efforts to address the global OCD crisis, establishing a new behavioral health market category called "Community-Driven Therapy". The funds will be used to expand NOCD's community, reach people earlier in their treatment journey, and offer additional services to assist with their long-term health. The investment was led by F-Prime Capital, with Eight Roads Ventures, and Kaiser Permanente Ventures participating along with existing investors including 7wireVentures, Health Enterprise Partners (HEP), and Chicago Ventures. "The behavioral health treatment system needs a new digital front door that meets the needs of consumers with severe conditions on their terms, where they are. Telehealth is an important solution for people that do not feel comfortable seeking treatment for stigmatized issues outside of their home. NOCD offers a frictionless, effective therapy experience that addresses their unmet needs and helps them regain hope in life," said Stephen Smith, Chief Executive Officer and founder of NOCD. "NOCD, for the first time, offers an accessible and effective solution for one of the most prevalent and stigmatized behavioral health populations - people with OCD. Our unique approach has also enabled us to establish a new category in the behavioral health field called Community-Driven Therapy. We look forward to working with our investors who participated in this financing to accelerate our mission to improve the lives of people with OCD and support our significant growth." Community-Driven Therapy leverages condition-specific peer communities to identify consumers in need of help, encourage them to begin treatment, and serve them in a highly personalized way. In the case of NOCD, many people are motivated to start treatment after hearing from others in the NOCD community who have overcome similar, difficult challenges. Additionally, the compelling community data drives NOCD's clinical leadership team to deliver evidence-based treatment services to community members in highly personalized ways. Data show that the Community-Driven Therapy market is poised to successfully address many severe and costly needs within behavioral health, starting with OCD. With over 18 consecutive months of rapid growth and demonstrated, measurable, and sustainable improved outcomes, NOCD has solidified its position as the global leader in OCD treatment and in Community-Driven Therapy. The company has not only built the world's largest OCD patient online community - bringing to light a massive, underserved behavioral health population - it has also scaled a widely used online therapy service for its community. Inside the NOCD platform, members can receive ongoing, face-to-face telehealth sessions from licensed NOCD therapists that specifically specialize in OCD treatment. Additionally, members have access to always-on support when their therapist is unavailable, including personalized peer groups an self-help tools. NOCD's use of sophisticated technology allows it to deliver a high touch personalized treatment, which turns out to be a perfect fit for a chronic yet manageable condition like OCD. NOCD's comprehensive treatment model has proven to be a more effective, affordable and convenient treatment than the current standard of care.



The company is now delivering more than 12,000 live telehealth visits per month through the only nationwide network of exposure and response prevention (ERP) specialty-trained providers, with outcomes showing 40% improvement in a patient's health within as few as 90 days. To make ERP, a once historically unaffordable treatment, more accessible, NOCD has partnered with the nation's leading health insurance companies, offering more than a third of Americans access to NOCD therapy as a covered benefit. "F-Prime is excited to partner with the world-class team at NOCD as they continue to experience significant growth and build upon their ongoing reputation of clinical success," said Jon Lim, partner at F-Prime Capital. "We believe NOCD has developed a highly differentiated and proven solution that is transforming the treatment landscape for communities and patients suffering from OCD."

The opportunity to transform lives of people with OCD is also why Kaiser Permanente Ventures partnered with NOCD. "NOCD's unique and scalable approach meets individuals suffering from OCD where they express their distress and offers them an online community where they can anonymously share their experiences with each other, get diagnosed, and receive holistic virtual care from specialized therapists," said Daniel van den Bergh, Director at Kaiser Permanente Ventures. "We're excited to support NOCD as the platform scales to address the needs of millions suffering from OCD." While NOCD has built a salient presence in the US market, in recent months the platform is also experiencing increasing traction from international markets. Eight Roads Ventures, with its global platform across Europe, India, China and Japan, and over 50 years of investment experience in healthcare and technology, will help NOCD to further support international customers. NOCD is committed to ensuring that even some of the most complex OCD community members can receive excellent care to match their clinical needs. To accomplish this, the company is broadening its extensive clinical training programs to address conditions such as Hoarding Disorder and Body-focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) as well as other anxiety and mood disorders that often are comorbid to OCD. Further, NOCD is launching virtual partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and psychiatric treatment services, to enhance the company's ability to offer its most severe community members additional help if needed. Together, these offerings will position the company to lead the Community-Driven Therapy category long-term. About NOCD NOCD (https://www.nocd.com) is the #1 telehealth provider for the treatment of obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) and the leading Community-Driven Therapy company. The company helps people reclaim their lives with clinically proven OCD treatment by removing barriers to care, and by reducing the stigma associated with OCD. Inside the NOCD platform, members can quickly access a national network of licensed therapists that specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the "gold standard" for OCD treatment. Working together with our therapists, patients, health plans, providers, and employers, we are improving the lives of people with OCD. Please visit our website for more information about NOCD. About F-Prime Capital F-Prime Capital is a global venture capital firm investing in healthcare and technology. For the past 50 years, our independent venture capital group has had the privilege of backing great entrepreneurs building groundbreaking companies. With over $2 billion dollars under management and a global portfolio of more than 200 companies, we champion those dedicated to creating positive change in the world. In healthcare, we focus on therapeutics, medtech and health IT & services in a stage-agnostic fashion. Our healthcare fund has created or co-created 23 companies including Denali, Beam, Innovent, Orchard and Sana and has helped build many others including Blueprint Medicines, Iora Health, PatientPing, Devoted and Ultragenyx. F-Prime portfolio companies have seen more than 28 products and drugs approved by regulatory agencies worldwide. Our team of investors, engineers, doctors and scientists is committed to bringing the insight, domain expertise and relationships required to help our companies make a transformational impact. F-Prime is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with offices in London, UK and San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) . About Eight Roads Ventures: Eight Roads Ventures is a global investment firm backed by Fidelity. Eight Roads Ventures manages $8bn of assets across its offices in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan and UK. Our 50- year history of investing includes partnerships with over 300 companies such as Alibaba, AppsFlyer, BlackDuck, Chewy, Delta Health, Flywire, Icertis, iPipeline, Kensho, Laurus Labs, Letgo, Made.com, Neo4j, Nuance (News - Alert) , Paidy, Ping Identity, Pony.ai, PharmEasy, Proximie, Shadowfax, Wallapop, WuXi PharmaTech, and Xoom. Further information: https://eightroads.com About Kaiser Permanente Ventures Kaiser Permanente Ventures, a venture capital arm of Kaiser Permanente, is dedicated to partnering with entrepreneurs to advance clinical quality, service, and affordability. The firm invests in the health care sector primarily in the United States with a focus on health information technology, digital health, health care services, medical devices, diagnostics, and precision medicine. It has over 20 years of venture capital investing experience, with more than $500 million under management. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005817/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Nokia launches fifth generation routing silicon, sets new benchmarks for IP network security and energy efficiency

Press Release Nokia launches fifth generation routing silicon, sets new benchmarks for IP network security and energy efficiency Nokia FP5 network processing silicon delivers a generational leap in IP network capacity and power efficiency while introducing new capabilities for protecting network traffic from security threats

FP5 is the industrys first high performance routing silicon delivering integrated line rate encryption for L2, L2.5 and L3 network services at speeds up to 1.6Tbps

Nokias fully programmable network processor is the first to bring 800GE routing interfaces for service provider applications to market while retaining the agility to adapt to new applications

FP5 sets a new benchmark for sustainability in IP routing with a 75% reduction in power consumption over previous generations 21 September 2021 Espoo, Finland  Nokia today announced the launch of FP5, its fifth generation of high-performance IP routing silicon. As the new heart of Nokias IP service routing platforms, FP5 will enable service providers to address todays unrelenting requirements to efficiently scale network capacity, enable new higher speed IP services, and provide unmatched protection against escalating network security threats. Building upon four generations of industry-leading network processors, Nokia is raising the bar by adding support for high density 800GE routing interfaces, a 75% reduction in power consumption and new embedded line rate, flow-based encryption capabilities. As cloud architectures, 5G and Industry 4.0 continue to drive network transformation, service providers require mission critical IP networks to be increasingly secure, agile and sustainable. IP networks must provide guaranteed high performance and integrity in the face of growing threats from network-level attacks and security breaches. They must also be able to adapt to address unforeseen changes and to support service evolution over the lifespan of the network. In addition, IP networking equipment must become increasingly power efficient to minimize impact on the environment. With the introduction of Nokias fifth generation FP5 network processing silicon, Nokia brings a new suite of IP routing solutions to market to help service providers transform mission critical IP networks to address these new and evolving requirements. Nokia has long been at the forefront of providing an embedded approach to IP network security. With FP4, the company transformed volumetric DDoS defense with router-based detection and mitigation. FP5 brings an additional layer of network protection with the introduction of ANYsec - a new line rate, flow-based encryption capability integrated directly into the chipset. ANYsec supports the delivery of secure IP services including MPLS and segment routing, on-demand and at scale without impacting performance or power efficiency. Service providers can now ensure the integrity and confidentiality of all data flowing through their networks. With FP5, Nokia brings a generational leap in router network capacity to market. Nokia service router platforms are the first to support high-density 800GE and 1.6 Tb/s clear channel routing interfaces for applications including mobile transport, IP core, peering, BNG and provider edge. New FP5-based line cards will support 14.4 Tb/s (19.2 Tb/s with Nokias intelligent aggregation capablity.) A new series of fixed form factor 7750 Service Router-1 platforms enable the benefits of FP5 to also be realized in smaller network locations.



Nokias FP5 network processors drive down power consumption per bit by 75%. As FP5 is backwards compatible with FP4 and fully integrated into the latest versions of Nokias Service Router Operating System (SR OS), all existing features are supported from day one on the new hardware. Through this aligned hardware and software evolution strategy, Nokia delivers unmatched and sustainable investment protection to its customers. As a fully programmable network processor, FP5 enables the agility required to evolve the network as standards and applications change. Its deterministic performance combined with rich telemetry insight ensure network operators can drive a maintainable and serviceable IP network both today and into the future.

Neil McRae, Managing Director and Chief Architect, BT, said: BT has a long-standing relationship with Nokia, and we are pleased to see that with FP5, Nokia continues to innovate to ensure IP networks have the scale, flexibility and features to help us stay ahead of escalating demand from our residential, mobile and business customers. In particular, we are very happy to see the focus on power optimization as we grow our network, with both BT and Nokia committing to significant reduction in carbon footprint. In the past 18 months, our lives have been turned upside down, and our reliance on networks has been dramatically increased and reliability for customers is crucially important. With security being ever more important for our customers, seeing Nokias approach to building more security features into the platform is fantastic. Hiroyuki Oto, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Core Network Development Department, NTT DOCOMO, INC., said: Our network needs to continue to evolve to meet the demands from our consumers, communities, and businesses. With Nokias latest generation of silicon innovation and their careful attention to ensuring investment protection with the flexibility to adapt to new requirements, we believe Nokia is delivering the right foundation to ensure IP networks can efficiently scale and transform to stay ahead of ever shifting market demands. Christian Gacon, Vice President, Broadband Networks, Orange France, said: We have had a long relationship with Nokia from the very first silicon processor release. As our network continues to evolve to meet the demands of our customers, innovations such as Nokias FP5 silicon will enable us to balance capacity, maintainability and security to deliver the best customer experience. Introducing this exciting innovation into existing platforms will ensure that we can gracefully evolve our networks as we look to manage both planned and unexpected demands in a sustainable way. Ray Mota, CEO and Principal Analyst, ACG Research, said: Nokia does it again and shows its understanding and commitment to service providers, which has been key in its #1 momentum gain in the overall $12 billion service provider market. With the introduction of its fifth generation FP5 routing silicon, we believe Nokia is well-positioned to continue as a vendor of choice for service providers seeking to evolve their IP networks to become more agile, efficient, and secure all the while providing investment protection.

Federico Guillen, President of Network Infrastructure, Nokia, said: Of all the things that are surprising about human beings, perhaps the most surprising is our ability to be surprised. Our customers require their networks to be robust, agile and adaptable enough to handle everything life throws at them  from disruptive security threats to a global pandemic. FP5 is a significant step forward in performance, security and efficiency and  in combination with our software excellence and investment in network automation and tools  it opens the next chapter in Nokias long-standing leadership in IP networking and IP silicon innovation. Nokia FP5-based platforms will be available starting in the first half of 2022. Resources Webpage: Nokia FP5



Nokia FP5 Video: Master the unexpected with Nokias new FP5 silicon



Master the unexpected with Nokias new FP5 silicon eBook: Master the unexpected with Nokia FP5



Master the unexpected with Nokia FP5 App Note: Nokia FP5 silicon innovation



Nokia FP5 silicon innovation Webpage: IP Network security



IP Network security Media Library: Nokia FP5 image

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world. Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Phone: +358 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Nomi Health Pays Off Medical Debt Valued at More than $225 Million for Americans Burdened by Surprise Billing and High Healthcare Costs

Nomi Health, the direct healthcare company rewiring how healthcare is paid for and delivered, today announced it has partnered with RIP Medical Debt to eradicate more than $225 million in overdue medical bills. Nomi's near $2 million contribution to purchase the outstanding debt relieves more than 176,000 Americans across Utah, Florida, Colorado and Nebraska of their debt loads. The money owed had accumulated from surprise billing and high healthcare costs before the pandemic-and for some has led to wage garnishment, liens, and other burdensome debt collection tactics. The debt Nomi absolved is for individuals who meet RIP's criteria of living at two times or below the poverty line, or those whose debts are 5 percent or more of their annual income. "We founded Nomi on the belief that healthcare needs to work better for all of us, yet so often it functions best for those who are well-resourced instead of those who need it most. Serving over 10 million Americans and 40,000+ patients a day through the pandemic, there is no doubt that COVID-19 will only exacerbate this national crisis of growing medical debt, burdening everyday American families," said Mark Newman, CEO and co-founder, Nomi Health. "Our mission at Nomi is to simplify healthcare purchasing, delivery and lower costs. The great work that RIP Medical Debt is doing aligns strongly with our mission, and is only the beginning of our work to alleviate medical cost burdens and limited access to care that people need. It is also just one way we can say thank you to the millions of Americans who entrust the Nomi team with their COVID testing, vaccination and care." The debt relief from Nomi Health is RIP Medical Debt's largest corporate gift since the organization's founding in 2014, totaling nearly $2 million to relieve $225 million in medical debt. From the very beginning of the pandemic, Nomi applied its direct healthcare model to deploy COVID-19 vaccine and testing directly to peple in hard-to-reach communities across Utah, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, Iowa and Texas -- from rural towns and agricultural farms to public housing facilities and prisons.



Nomi's debt relief payments serve: Florida - Over $118 million of healthcare debt will be forgiven for nearly 100,000 state residents;

- Over $118 million of healthcare debt will be forgiven for nearly 100,000 state residents; Utah - Over $100 million in healthcare debt will be relieved for more than 73,000 residents, focused on rural and socio-economically impacted communities;

- Over $100 million in healthcare debt will be relieved for more than 73,000 residents, focused on rural and socio-economically impacted communities; Colorado - Over $5 million dollars in healthcare debt -- RIP Medical Debt's entire current state portfolio -- will be abolished for over 5,500 state residents; and

- Over $5 million dollars in healthcare debt -- RIP Medical Debt's entire current state portfolio -- will be abolished for over 5,500 state residents; and Nebraska- Nearly $75,000 in healthcare debt -- RIP Medical Debt's entire current state portfolio -- will be wiped out for the entire state. "Beyond our work abolishing medical debts, RIP is increasingly interested in coalition building with like minded organizations to envision a better system of financing healthcare," shares RIP Medical Debt's executive director Allison Sesso. "Nomi is a valued partner whose contribution will ease the burden of pre-existing debts for thousands of people and is also working to make the system itself more equitable, a goal we can get behind."

Today, nearly one fifth of all Americans struggle to afford healthcare services, according to a recent Gallup study. Additionally, recent JAMA research found that unpaid medical bills are the largest source of debt with collection agencies for Americans. Patients benefiting from Nomi's contribution will receive branded RIP letters in the mail confirming their debt pay off starting October. About Nomi Health Nomi Health is a direct healthcare company focused on making healthcare actually work for those who buy it for their states, organizations and constituents. We're a team of over 2,000--each actively working to connect buyers and healthcare providers directly to lower costs, deliver care solutions to all and rewire the health system to run in real time. From the front lines of COVID testing and vaccination serving over 10 million Americans and more than 40,000 patients each day, to building new ecosystems of buyers such as States and Counties without middlemen, Nomi delivers a solution for our nation's leaders seeking to widen access to care while lowering cost of care. Visit us @NomiHealth and www.nomihealth.com. About RIP Medical Debt Since being founded in 2014 by two former debt collectors, RIP Medical Debt has acquired - and abolished - more than $5 billion of burdensome medical debt, helping over 2.8 million families and addressing a major social determinant of health. RIP partners with individuals, faith-based organizations, foundations, and corporations and empowers donors by converting every dollar contributed into $100 of medical debt relief. RIP partners with hospitals and health systems and physician groups to acquire medical debt for abolishment. RIP rose to national prominence on an episode of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver in which RIP facilitated the abolishment of $15M in medical debt. In December of 2020, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $50 million to RIP to help uplift struggling communities. To learn more, visit www.RIPMedicalDebt.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005463/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Nureva releases Voice Amplification Mode for classrooms and training spaces

Previously in beta, new mode for Nureva HDL300 and Dual HDL300 systems supports voice amplification and full-room microphone pickup simultaneously CALGARY, AB, Sept. 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Nureva Inc., an innovator in advanced audio conferencing solutions, announces the full release of Voice Amplification Mode for its HDL300 and Dual HDL300 audio conferencing systems. The feature has been in public beta since June. Voice Amplification Mode solves the difficult problem of supporting in-room amplification of the instructor or presenter's voice while simultaneously providing full-room microphone pickup of in-room voices so that everyone can be heard by remote participants. Positive customer feedback during the beta period highlights the immediate value of having a multifunction audio solution that easily and reliably covers both the in-class and remote scenarios  especially with a growing need for flexible, future-proofed systems that can adapt to support hybrid learning models. Teachers at Gilbert Public School in Arizona commented that Voice Amplification Mode works really well, and they are excited that their voices can now be heard clearly both in the classroom and by remote students. This unique capability is made possible by Nureva's patented Microphone Mist technology, which fills a room with thousands of virtual microphones. Voice Amplification Mode is now fully available to all HDL300 and Dual HDL300 customers through Nureva Console by updating their firmware and selecting enable voice amplification in Nureva Console cloud. Once enabled, instructors or presenters use their wireless headset microphone to amplify their voice through the HDL300 speakers so that in-room students or meeting participants can clearly hear. At the same time, their voice is picked up for remote participants via their UC&C client, like Microsoft Teams, for which the HDL300 system is certified. According to the CDC, about 15% of children aged 6 to 19 have some degree of hearing loss that can affect their learning. Students with normal hearing sitting near the back of a noisy K12 or postsecondary classroom can also miss important details. In workplaces, a growing number of organizations are looking to provide better in-room audio for their staff in large spaces used for training, town hall meetings and other scenarios. Voice Amplification Mode is designed to work in typical classrooms and meeting spaces up to 25' x 25' using the HDL300 system or the Dual HDL300 system in rooms up to 30' x 50' (9.1 x 15.2 m). There is a clear need for a multifunction solution that delivers a combination of full-room microphone pickup and in-room voice amplification. Unlike other audio products, Nureva delivers all of this in a single system that is installed in under an hour without any special technical expertise, automatically adjusts to changes in room configurations and is easily managed from anywhere using Nureva Console.



"We are very pleased with our experience with Voice Amplification Mode  it's easy to set up and even easier to use," said Adam Sergeant, Emporia State University's information technology support specialist. "The feature provides the perfect blend of vocals for face-to-face participants while still providing high-quality voice playback for use with a recording or live streaming from a classroom, conference room or other meeting space." "We are pleased with the positive feedback from school districts, postsecondary institutions and other organizations using the public beta," said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva's CEO. "The addition of Voice Amplification Mode to Nureva audio systems has given customers elevated audio functionality in an easy-to-use multifunction audio system that reliably covers both the in-room and remote scenarios."

Pricing and availability

Voice Amplification Mode is available to all HDL300 and Dual HDL300 customers at no additional cost. The feature works with most brands of wireless headsets (supplied by the customer or their reseller). To enable Voice Amplification Mode through Nureva Console cloud, customers will need to update their firmware to version 2.4.67. Video

Watch a video with Nancy Knowlton discussing Voice Amplification Mode. Images

Download images of the HDL300 audio conferencing systems in use with voice amplification. Blog post

Read more about the Voice Amplification Mode feature in this blog post. About Nureva audio solutions

Nureva's line of audio conferencing systems solve the frustrating and persistent problem of poor audio performance in meeting and learning spaces from large to small. Nureva's patented Microphone Mist technology places thousands of virtual microphones throughout a space to pick up sound from any location, ensuring that everyone is clearly heard regardless of where they are in the room or the direction they are facing. The systems use sophisticated algorithms to simultaneously process sound from all virtual microphones to provide remote participants with a clear, reliable listening experience. Broad deployment of multiple Nureva systems is supported by Nureva Console, a cloud-based platform that makes it easy for organizations and education institutions to manage their systems across multiple locations from a single, secure dashboard. For more information, visit the Nureva website. About Nureva

Nureva Inc. is a technology-rich, multiple award-winning private company that imagines and builds audio conferencing solutions that solve the frustrating and persistent problem of poor audio performance in meeting and learning spaces. At the core of every system is the company's patented Microphone Mist technology, which places thousands of virtual microphones throughout a space to pick up sound from anywhere in the room and deliver clear, reliable audio to remote participants. A passion for achieving simplicity through deep user understanding drives the company's product roadmap and the value it creates for its customers. For more information, visit Nureva's website and follow?@NurevaInc.  2021 Nureva Inc. All rights reserved. Nureva, Microphone Mist and the Nureva logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nureva Inc. in the United States, Canada and other countries. All third-party product and company names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nureva-releases-voice-amplification-mode-for-classrooms-and-training-spaces-301379770.html SOURCE Nureva Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] OmniSci to Showcase Power of Massively-Accelerated Geospatial Analytics at GEOINT 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniSci, the accelerated analytics platform, today announced its activities at GEOINT Symposium 2021 , America's largest annual gathering of geospatial intelligence professionals, October 5-8, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to exhibiting at the event, Dr. Mike Flaxman, OmniSci's Product Lead, will speak at two sessions about the power of GPU-accelerated geospatial analytics as the key to effective real-time decision-making for U.S. defense agencies. OmniSci is the only visual analytics platform capable of querying and visualizing billions of rows of data milliseconds. At these speedsthe scale of modern dataU.S. defense agencies can achieve the seamless geospatial interactivity and usability of their massive volumes of data. The platform provides lightning-fast mapping of user queries, enabling even non-technical users to interrogate data at the speed of their natural curiosity. OmniSci will be showcasing its platform at the event, emphasizing new applications that meet the priorities of users in the federal government as well as academia and geospatial indusry. In addition, Dr. Flaxman will speak on the latest analytics topics at the following sessions:



Innovation HubLightning Talks/Session 4, Wednesday October 6 , 3:00PM "Geo-Enrichment of Multi-Billion Feature Datasets" (Talks begin at 2:45PM )

"Geo-Enrichment of Multi-Billion Feature Datasets" (Talks begin at ) Morning Training Session, Friday October 8 , 7:30AM (Room 120) "From 0 to Hero with GeoSQL and No-Code Dashboards" "The world has been beset with unprecedented and historic challenges in the past year. The need for instant, intuitive, accurate and highly insightful geospatial analysis has never been greater," stated Ray Falcione Jr., VP of Federal, OmniSci. "Attendees at GEOINT 2021 will have the opportunity to see how OmniSci's accelerated analytics platform can provide critical geospatial understanding unlike any other solution on the market today." At OmniSci's GEOINT 2021 exhibit, Booth 1214, attendees will be able to experience GPU-accelerated analytics firsthand. Demonstrations will include AIS shipping, wildfire risk mitigation, 5G planning, cybersecurity, and public demos of ships, tweet mapping, COVID-19 spread and more.

USGIF GEOINT Symposium 2021 will be held at the America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis. To register to meet with OmniSci at GEOINT, go to https://www2.omnisci.com/events-geoint-symposium/lp . About OmniSci:

OmniSci is the accelerated analytics platform. The OmniSci platform is used in business and government to find insights in data beyond the limits of mainstream analytics tools. Harnessing the massive parallelism of modern CPU and GPU hardware, the platform is available in the cloud and on-premise. OmniSci originated from research at Harvard and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). OmniSci is funded by GV, In-Q-Tel, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), NVIDIA, Tiger Global Management, Vanedge Capital and Verizon Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more about OmniSci at www.omnisci.com . MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Dardinger

Next PR

574/286-5629

adardinger@nextpr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omnisci-to-showcase-power-of-massively-accelerated-geospatial-analytics-at-geoint-2021-301381451.html SOURCE OmniSci

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Panopto Expands Meeting Intelligence with Microsoft Teams Meeting Recording Integration

SEATTLE, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panopto, the leader in video management systems, today announced the expansion of its meeting intelligence solution for enterprises and higher education through a new integration with Microsoft Teams. The integration allows institutions to securely and automatically transfer Teams meeting recordings into their Panopto on-demand video library, where they become searchable and shareable at scale, both inside businesses and across virtual and physical campuses. Panoptos exclusive Smart Chapters feature automatically generates a table of contents and a visual index of the class or meeting, making it faster than ever to find key meeting moments.

Meeting Recordings Are Here to Stay and Bring New Challenges

The dramatic increase in institutional video use over the past year continues to accelerate as organizations embrace the new normal for in-person and remote attendees. Organizations are recording their meetings and classes for employees or students who could not attend, or for later reference by participants, from anywhere on any device. This rapid growth in recording presents numerous challenges for system administrators and end users. Large organizations have to secure millions of meeting recordings across their systems, prevent unauthorized downloads, and protect intellectual property. This is further complicated when working across multiple video conferencing providers. Employees and students must be able to quickly sift through hours of meetings to find the moments that matter and securely share them with colleagues. Meeting Recordings Become Useful at Scale In a Secure Library

Panoptos video management system centralizes, secures, and organizes these meeting recordings at scale. Administrators have a wide variety of controls to determine which recordings automatically route to Panopto. Once in Panopto, innovative AI helps institutions make the most of their intellectual property. Panoptos Smart Chapters automatically creates a table of contents inside each video, including visualthumbnails, for easy navigation. It also sends an email that contains the transcript of every word spoken in the meeting, along with a snapshot of key moments from the meeting. With Panoptos Smart Search, meetings become searchable by the appropriate employees and students, right to the moment inside each video when the word was spoken or written in over 20 different languages.



Using Panopto, meetings are discoverable via mobile or desktop, wherever employees and students already go to find information, including the most popular learning management systems and collaboration tools. An analytics dashboard provides administrators and faculty with detailed information on who is watching which videos, how long theyve watched, and how they interacted with the video. This serves as an audit log for administrators and helps meeting hosts identify impactful moments that may require further follow up. A recent report by Wainhouse Research found that meeting recordings and video collaboration will remain a permanent fixture in the workplace. Some 88% of those using video conferencing daily agree that the ability to record video meetings for later reference can help a company operate more efficiently. The report also found that video management systems serve as the bridge that enables video meeting content to be distributed at scale--whether live or on-demand.

The worlds rapid shift to remote and hybrid work makes it imperative for employees to access searchable meeting recordings, for students to easily find and watch moments in lectures and video course materials, and for administrators to measure how recordings are used, said Eric Burns, Panopto CEO. Panopto is excited to offer automatic, secure, and searchable recordings of Microsoft Teams meetings as part of our ongoing work to build seamless video workflows between both products. Microsoft Teams is how higher education and business professionals stay connected and organized, said Steven Abrahams, principal product manager, Microsoft Teams Ecosystem. With Panoptos Teams integration, customers have a single, secure video library that spans their entire organization and that allows them to easily access and search their Teams videos anytime, anywhere. Customers receive Teams integration as part of their Panopto Enterprise subscription at no additional cost. To learn more, visit www.panopto.com/teams . To read the Wainhouse report Unlocking the Hidden Value of Business Video--The Hunt for Meeting Intelligence click here . About Panopto Panopto is how professionals share knowledge. Since 2007, the company has been a pioneer in video capture software, video content management systems, and inside-video search technology. Today, Panoptos video platform is the largest repository of expert learning videos in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Pittsburgh, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney, Panopto has received industry recognition for its innovation, rapid growth and company culture. For more information, visit www.panopto.com. Contact Codeword for Panopto panopto@codewordagency.com 415-370-0716



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] RedIRIS taps ADVA and SIA to upgrade national research network

ADVA (News - Alert) (FSE: ADV) and SIA, Indra's cybersecurity company, today announced that RedIRIS is deploying ADVA's technology to create a robust, high-capacity research and education network (NREN). The new long-haul backbone infrastructure connects universities and research facilities across Spain, enabling educators and scientists to share huge data sets and harness bandwidth-intensive applications. Built on the ADVA FSP 3000 and monitored by the ADVA ALM fiber assurance solution, the network carries services at speeds up to 200Gbit/s. Featuring ADVA's ROADM (News - Alert) technology and QuadFlex line cards, the open solution has given RedIRIS an easy way to migrate from legacy technology to flexible, high-performance connectivity. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005058/en/ ADVA is helping RedIRIS create a long-haul research and education network that stretches throughout Spain (Photo: Business Wire) "Our new transport system empowers Spain's scientists and academics to work together on national and international projects under optimum conditions. With flexible coherent wavelengths up to 200Gbit/s, it provides secure, highly reliable access to everything from video conferencing tools to high-performance remote computing facilities," said Esther Robles, head of communications networks, RedIRIS. "ADVA's open FSP 3000 technology enabled a smooth and painless transition from our existing transport infrastructure. With its modular design, it also provides massive scale, giving us the freedom to easily expand and evolve our network to meet future needs." Connecting more than 80 points of presence and over 500 institutions, RedIRIS's new backbone network includes long-haul single-span submarine links to Spain's Balearic Islands and the city of Melilla, as well as connections to the Canary Islands, the Canarian Institute of Astrophysics and its observatories. For flexibility and high spectral efficiency, the solution features ADVA's flexgrid multi-degree ROADMs, enabling high-speed coherent and high-baud-rate transport. Through ADVA's MicroMux technology, the new infrastructure also supports a seamless mix of 10Gbit/s and 100Gbit/s Ethernet client ports without any footprint increase. This optimizes space efficiency and ensures no stranded bandwidth. The network upgrade also involved the deployment of a solid and thorough migration plan by SIA, a leading Indra company in cybersecurity and ADVA's Select partner.



"RedIRIS's long-haul infrastructure is now one of Europe's most advanced NRENs. It will enable researchers and teachers in Spain to leverage a new breed of data-intensive applications and collaborate in new ways using innovative video conferencing and augmented reality tools," commented Hartmut Muller-Leitloff, SVP, sales, EMEA, ADVA. "Our open and scalable technology efficiently bridges the gap between the legacy needs and the future demand of RedIRIS's users. Its unique client port flexibility supports a mix of 10Gbit/s and 100Gbit/s Ethernet services without the need for additional hardware. With our open optical layer, RedIRIS is also free to tackle rising demands in the future by expanding to higher baud rates and more complex modulation schemes." "For the design and deployment of a complex project like this, it has been key to walk hand in hand with our client RedIRIS, to perfectly understand its requirements and choose the right professionals with the knowledge and capacity to migrate to a new network that meets the organization's present and future needs for a wide range of services. The project allows RedIRIS to carry encoded critical services that assure a greater level of cybersecurity with no latency," stated Alejandro Diez, director, digital risk, SIA. "This deployment gives RedIRIS's users in the research and scientific community an extremely powerful tool for high-quality collaboration and global connectivity. It also prepares Spain's NREN for the key challenges of the future as it looks to connect more schools, universities, research centers, global libraries, smart cities and IoT. RedIRIS will operate as a critical infrastructure and will assure an immediate communication service with any other geographic point of the network, with robust processes and higher cybersecurity."

About ADVA ADVA is a company founded on innovation and focused on helping our customers succeed. Our technology forms the building blocks of a shared digital future and empowers networks across the globe. We're continually developing breakthrough hardware and software that leads the networking industry and creates new business opportunities. It's these open connectivity solutions that enable our customers to deliver the cloud and mobile services that are vital to today's society and for imagining new tomorrows. Together, we're building a truly connected and sustainable future. For more information on how we can help you, please visit us at www.adva.com. About Indra Indra is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers world-wide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defense markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2020 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of 3.043 billion, near 48,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries. www.indracompany.com About SIA SIA is the Indra company leading the cybersecurity sector in Spain and Portugal, both in terms of turnover and expert talent, with more than 1,200 specialists. Its value proposition is based on the specific responses it offers organizations to meet the challenges and threats posed by the four forces of digitalization: regulatory pressure, connected infrastructures, the transformation of IT architectures and the growing digital interaction of people; responses articulated through a set of specific measures and plans to minimize risk and maximize the protection of their businesses. Being a member of the Indra Group, one of the leading global technology and consultancy companies with business operations in 140 countries, provides SIA with a profound knowledge of the industries as well as a solid worldwide presence. Further information at www.sia.es. About RedIRIS RedIRIS is the Spanish academic and research network that provides advanced communication services to the scientific community and national universities. It is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and is included in the Ministry's map of Special Scientific and Technological Facilities (ICTS). It is managed by the Public Corporate Entity Red.es, which reports to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. RedIRIS has over 500 affiliated institutions, mainly universities and public research centres, which join this community by signing an affiliation agreement. www.rediris.es Published by:

ADVA Optical Networking (News - Alert) SE, Munich, Germany

www.adva.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005058/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Solving the Age-Old Question: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Cascade Virtual Academy (CVA) and Insight School of Oregon - Painted Hills (ISOR-PH), are expanding their Career Prep options early in the new school year. Students in middle school will be offered career explorations where they can find out first-hand what it's like to have a career in fields such as teaching, business, government, hospitality, health science, IT, and more! This will give them valuable insight into how it all works and potentially setting them on a path towards their future. In addition, students on track in high school can also take expanded Career Prep courses in both CVA and ISOR to match what is already available for students at their sister school, Destinations Career Academy of Oregon (ORDCA). ORDCA provides students with exposure to skills in Business and Management, Health Services, and Arts, Information, and Communication. In addition o career focused courses, students who attend all three Oregon schools can earn college credits while still in high school. Eligible students are able to enroll in a combined number of high school and college courses per semester, giving them a head start in their state and potentially saving them thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.



"Never be afraid to fail. Don't just wonder what you want to do when you grow up, try it out," said Melissa Hausmann, Head of School. "Explore all your options and find your path. Experiment. Learn something new. And do it all while you're still in school." For more information on how to start your child's future today, please visit www.ordca.k12.com.

About Destinations Career Academy of Oregon Destinations Career Academy of Oregon (ORDCA) is a full-time online public charter school authorized by Mitchell School District that serves students in grades 9-12 statewide. ORDCA combines traditional high school academics with industry-relevant, career-focused electives-giving students a jump-start on their college and career goals. As part of the Oregon public school system, ORDCA is tuition-free and provides families the choice to access the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build skills for their future. For more information about ORDCA, visit https://ordca.k12.com/. About Insight School of Oregon-Painted Hills Insight School of Oregon-Painted Hills (ISOR-PH) is a full-time online public charter school serving Oregon students in grades 7-12 and focuses on credit recovery for students who have fallen behind in high school credit, or need more academic support. As part of the Oregon public school system, ISOR-PH is tuition-free, and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about ISOR-PH, visit or-ph.insightschools.net. About Cascade Virtual Academy Cascade Virtual Academy (CVA) is an online public charter school authorized by Mitchell School District that serves students in K-12th grade throughout the state of Oregon. As part of the Oregon public school system, CVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information on CVA, visit http://cva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005014/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Southeastern Grocers supports Gulf Coast community with more than $566,400 in Hurricane Ida Relief Efforts

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is supporting the Gulf Coast community to help neighbors and associates recover and rebuild. This month, the grocer has held a mobile food pantry to provide much needed food assistance, partnered with local organizations to aid the community and raised funds in support of neighbors and associates who have been severely impacted, donating a total of $566,420 to date back into the local community to assist with recovery efforts. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005239/en/ Southeastern Grocers and the SEG Gives Foundation, in partnership with generous customers, announce a donation of more than $176,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Ida relief.(pictured from left to right: Southeastern Grocers President and CEO Anthony Hucker; Winn-Dixie District Manager Gary Crowe; American Red Cross Regional Executive Officer Joel Sullivan; and Winn-Dixie Regional Vice President Joey Medina). (Photo: Business Wire) Anthony Hucker, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, "The devastating impact of Hurricane Ida has left a lasting imprint on the lives of many of our associates, customers and neighbors. It is truly heartbreaking to watch the communities we care about struggle to move forward from overwhelming destruction. As we strive to pick up the pieces together, Southeastern Grocers is dedicated to supporting the Gulf Coast with the necessary resources to rebuild, recover and remain resilient. We have weathered many storms, and as with others, we are confident that we will once again emerge stronger together." To immediately help Gulf Coast neighbors in need, SEG distributed more than 184,656 water bottles and 6,000 bags of ice within days of the storm to provide residents with safe drinking water. The grocer also partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to quickly distribute more than $54,000 in food, diapers and cleaning supplies to residents in need. Additionally, SEG set-up a Mobile Pharmacy in the parkng lot of its Gramercy Winn-Dixie store to help existing Winn-Dixie Pharmacy customers gain access to prescription refills and offer prescription transfers for new customers and over-the-counter medications.



SEG and Winn-Dixie associates partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank on Sept. 18 to host a mobile pantry providing much needed recovery relief and supplemental support by offering shelf staple food items, water, ice and cleaning supplies to 1,000 individuals and families in the River Parishes, one of the most devastated areas impacted in Southeast Louisiana. The grocer also donated $25,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank in recognition of Hunger Action Month and to help support the drastic increase in food insecurity escalated by COVID-19 and the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Since its devastating landfall on Aug. 29, Hurricane Ida has left mass destruction throughout communities in Southeast Louisiana, leaving many individuals and families without a place to call home. To help the community rebuild, SEG, in partnership with the SEG Gives Foundation, and its generous customers, is donating more than $176,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to support Hurricane Ida recovery efforts. SEG has a longstanding partnership with the American Red Cross and has aided the organization in countless disaster relief missions. In June, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation, donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in anticipation of an active Hurricane season.

Additionally, to provide immediate assistance to associates impacted by Hurricane Ida, the grocer has set-up a GoFundMe fundraiser through its SEG Cares foundation, an internal nonprofit platform that allows associates to help fellow associates in times of need. In the first week, more than $100,000 was donated in support of associates by associates and generous vendor partners. Currently, the grocer has raised more than $186,000 for associates, the heart and soul of the company, and SEG will match the donations with an additional $100,000 contribution. The GoFundMe fundraiser will continue through the end of September, when funds will be distributed to help the more than 175 associates who have been severely impacted, many of whom have lost everything. SEG has a strong history in the Gulf Coast and is dedicated to supporting the associates, customers and the community in its greatest times of need. The grocer will continue to partner with organizations like American Red Cross and Feeding America affiliate food banks that are also passionate about providing essential support to neighbors in need. About Southeastern Grocers Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. SEG grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serve communities throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and caring associates and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com. About SEG Gives Foundation SEG Gives Foundation is the charitable arm of Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company of Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores. The SEG Gives Foundation aligns giving with causes that are priorities to the communities SEG serves, including the fight against hunger, support for military service members and their families, relief to those affected by extreme weather and natural disasters and quality educational opportunities for students. Southeastern Grocers strives to be ingrained in its communities and, through the SEG Gives Foundation, better the lives of its customers and neighbors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005239/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation Announces Medical Cannabis Discount for Qualifying Military and First Responders

Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TOCC), Texas' leading medical cannabis provider, announced it will offer a 20 percent discount on its medicine to military and first responders on the heels of this month's expansion of the Texas Compassionate Use Program (CUP). On Sept. 1, 2021, Texas increased access to medical cannabis under House Bill 1535 to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition veterans and first responders may experience from their service. Under the new law, TOCC provides its full suite of high-quality medical cannabis products to PTSD patients, including the state's first fast-acting gummies as well as TOCC's tinctures and lozenges-medicine that eases PTSD patient symptoms such as anxiety and sleep issues. "I was happy to become a patient in the Texas Compassionate Use Program on Sept. 1. It was a great feeling to pick up my medicine at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation," said David Bass, a new TOCC patient, United States Army veteran and founder of Texas Veterans for Medical Marijuana. "The gummies work for me. What I like is that every gummy has the same dose and the effects are fast-acting, smooth and predictable. Many veterans in Texas deal with PTSD. Now they have the opportunity to be legal patients and try medical cannabis instead of psychotropic medications. Veterans in Texas appreciate the opportunity to use cannabis under the care of a physicia as part of a long-term care plan. We look forward to advocating for further improvements in the program."



TOCC's 20 percent discount is available to military and first responders who show valid identification when picking up their prescriptions. "Since day one, our products have been designed, developed and distributed purposely in Texas, by Texans and for Texans," said Morris Denton, CEO of TOCC. "Our patients and the wider medical community demand high-quality products that yield a consistent outcome. Our gummies and extended portfolio of products are delivering that outcome and helping deserving patients like David Bass experience crucial relief. We thank our military and first responder patients for their dedicated service to our country and local communities in Texas, and are honored to provide the symptom relief they are searching for."

In addition to its military and first responder discount, TOCC also offers a one-time, new patient discount: 20 percent off of first orders, and buy-one-get-one 50 percent off the patient's second order. TOCC's gummies, tincture and lozenge products are available for statewide delivery at www.texasoriginal.com, at their dispensary in Austin, Texas, and through the company's convenient patient pick up locations in North Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. To learn whether you or a loved one qualify for medical cannabis, visit www.texasoriginal.com/patients. About Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TOCC) is the leading licensed medical marijuana producer in Texas, working alongside physicians to provide the highest quality cannabis medicine to patients and families seeking relief across the state. As fellow Texans, we are dedicated to representing the integrity of this great state with our commitment to quality, consistency and purity in every product we produce. We remain committed to advancing safe, legal access to this powerful medicine. TOCC is headquartered in Austin, with delivery throughout the entire state. For more information, visit www.texasoriginal.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005339/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Unqork's Enterprise No-Code Platform to be Incorporated in Kennesaw State University's FinTech Curriculum

NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Unqork , the leading enterprise no-code platform, announced it has entered into an agreement with Kennesaw State University (KSU) to use Unqork's no-code platform in the classroom as part of KSU's FinTech program which is part of the Georgia Fintech Academy diversity workforce initiative. By adding Unqork to the curriculum, KSU students will have the opportunity to learn through experimentation, allowing them to conceptualize and then create enterprise-grade software solutions -- all without writing a single line of code. To start, the Unqork platform will be incorporated into the curriculum for one of the core courses in the FinTech minor, Digital Payments Security, which is also taught to students throughout the University System of Georgia. Students will get to experience every stage of the enterprise-software development lifecycle, taking their ideas from a concept all the way to production. Over time, KSU plans to increasingly include the Unqork platform into a wider curriculum across FinTech courses. This approach is a natural fit for KSU, which has built a FinTech program that values experiential learning opportunities throughout its curriculum and delivers the Digital Payments courses for the Georgia Fintech Academy. KSU students are able to work alongside industry leaders and partners like the Georgia Fintech Academy to gain real-world experience. "The Georgia Fintech Academy is excited to launch four digital payments courses instructed by Kennesaw State University," said Tommy Marshall, Executive Director at the Georgia Fintech Academy of the University System of Georgia. "The opportunity students have to engage the Unqork platform to create payment prototypes is unique and powerful." By removing coding as a barrier to software development, Unqork helps expand the pool of individuals who can be involved in the software development process. KSU has already seen the positive impact this can have - enrollment for this fall's Digital Payments Security course has broadened beyond Computer Science majors, to include students from a wide variety of majors. Unqork was designed specifically for highly-egulated industries like financial services, where it helps customers get to market faster while enhancing quality and lowering costs for development and maintenance. As enterprises face increasing pressure to digitize, more and more enterprises are turning to no-code for their software development. Gartner estimates that by 2024, low-code and no-code software will be responsible for more than 65% of application development activity. For the next generation of software developers, knowing how to use a platform like Unqork is an essential skill that will offer them a competitive edge in the job market.



"Kennesaw State University values student success, which is visible in our commitment to enhancing applied learning opportunities for our students," said Dr. Khawaja Saeed, Chair of the Department of Information Systems and Security at KSU. "The partnership with Unqork enables us to integrate innovative fintech curriculum offered through the Department of Information Systems and Security at the Coles College of Business with hands-on experience on the leading enterprise no-code platform. Unqork's platform democratizes application development which aligns with our objectives of making the fintech space accessible to students with diverse interests and backgrounds. We are excited that through this collaboration, students will not only design and develop innovative solutions, but also test them in a real world environment." "This collaboration offers various career opportunities for our students, which at the end of the day is a major source of motivation for us as an institution," said Humayun Zafar, Fintech Program Coordinator and Professor of Information Security and Assurance at KSU.

"Knowing how to use Unqork's no-code platform opens so many doors for young graduates," said Rabih Ramadi, Head of Financial Services and Insurance, Unqork. "We highly admire Kennesaw State University's innovative approach to experiential learning. We are excited to partner with them on this new initiative, and help arm their students with the knowledge and skills that will help them excel in the world of software development." About Unqork Unqork is the industry pioneer no-code enterprise application platform that helps large companies build, deploy, and manage complex applications without writing a single line of code. Organizations like Goldman Sachs, Liberty Mutual, the Cities of New York, Chicago and Washington, DC and Maimonides Medical Center are using Unqork's drag-and-drop interface to build enterprise applications faster, with higher quality, and lower costs than conventional approaches. To learn more, please visit: https://www.unqork.com . About Kennesaw State University A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu . About the Georgia Fintech Academy of the University System of Georgia

The Georgia Fintech Academy is a diversity workforce initiative for the fintech industry. Over 2800 students have engaged in Fintech Academy courses and programs. 30% of these students are women and 71% are from underrepresented groups. Over 300 students are placed into fintech internships and full-time jobs through involvement with the Georgia Fintech Academy. https://www.georgiafintechacademy.org/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unqorks-enterprise-no-code-platform-to-be-incorporated-in-kennesaw-state-universitys-fintech-curriculum-301381007.html SOURCE Unqork

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. To Deploy the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection & Data Collection System from Asurio, Inc.

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asurio, Inc. (www.asurio.com), developers of the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection & Data Collection System, today announced it has been commissioned to deploy the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection System for Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. Wayne Fire has grown to become one of the largest fire protection companies in the Southeast United States. With a staff of more than 500 fire life safety professionals, Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. maintains offices in six locations: Ocoee, Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Deerfield Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as Concord, North Carolina.

The BirdDog Inspection System is powerful, configurable, life safety inspection software thats designed for industries & organizations that need to conduct inspections for fire life safety, government requirements & more. Configurable for national, regional & local fire safety inspection standards, the BirdDog Inspection System automates & streamlines the facility inspection process, and also manages, shares & reports on inspection data & inspection results. Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers is one of the most successful fire rotection companies in North America, noted Asurio General Manager Jack Coffelt. Wayne Fire already is a shining example of a well-run, well-rounded, fire protection company. We at Asurio look forward to putting our powerful inspection software to work to help streamline their life safety inspection process, enhance safety, and reduce risk.



We choose Asurios BirdDog Life Safety Inspection System due in large part to their professional staff, industry knowledge and involvement, and ability to help us manage the risk involved with life safety inspections, said Wayne Automatics Director of Fire Protection Services Scott Holland. About Asurio, Inc. & BirdDog Life Safety Inspection Software

Asurio, Inc. is a USA-based software company that offers the BirdDog Life Safety Inspection & Data Collection System. BirdDog is one of the more powerful & versatile inspection & data collection systems on the market today. Asurio has a special expertise in fire-life safety inspections for commercial buildings, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and more. However, the BirdDog system can be configured to inspect and/or collect data for virtually any industry. In addition, Asurio, Inc. is a Microsoft partner, and hosts its cloud-based BirdDog inspection software on the Microsoft Azure cloud computing solution, resulting in world-class 24/7 reliability and security. Asurio, Inc. can be reached at: www.asurio.com, or 877.444.1488.

Media Contact: Courtney DeWinter, DeWinter Marketing & PR  Denver

303.572.8180, www.DeWinterMarketingPR.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 20, 2021] DaiLeaf Launches Customer Focused Website

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DaiLeaf, an online platform for cannabis shopping, offers customers the ability to source marijuana products from dispensaries in their area and have them delivered directly to their door. Offering daily service, DaiLeaf helps to pair customers both experienced and new to cannabis with products that they will love! Recently, DaiLeaf launched a new website to enhance the user experience and make shopping for cannabis even more convenient. This website was redesigned with a consumer centric focus, intended to help everyone find high quality cannabis in their area from dispensaries they can trust. The new DaiLeaf experience is significantly more visual appealing as well, making shopping a more pleasant experiece. Overall, here is a list of changes that DaiLeaf incorporated:



A restructured search feature allowing customers the ability to find products easier.

Shop by category, price, dispensary, recency, or by feeling.

All products list feelings so that you can see exactly what you'll experience as you enjoy that product.

An enhanced mobile feature that provides responsiveness and better speed than our previous site.

Geo-location at that allows you to see dispensaries in your delivery area. These changes and many more allow for a better user experience and interface. DaiLeaf is committed to working towards improving the organization so that customers have the information, access, and convenience they look for in cannabis shopping. About DaiLeaf

The founders of California based DaiLeaf, a father-daughter team, searched for the perfect solution to introduce consumers to the best dispensaries with discretion and ease. DaiLeaf is a platform for customers to connect with dispensaries and discover what they have to offer. Our mission is to support dispensaries and the Cannabis Community in Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. Media Contact: David Troy

dtroy@daileaf.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daileaf-launches-customer-focused-website-301380940.html SOURCE DaiLeaf

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 20, 2021] Second Industry Body Updates Guidance for Use of PSMA PET Imaging

MELBOURNE, Australia and INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) has today welcomed the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) updated Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

The updated AUC, developed following a critical review of evidence by leading experts to guide referring and imaging physicians on the appropriate use of imaging agents, recognise a widespread use of PSMA PET in men with prostate cancer including that PSMA PET-based imaging has a higher accuracy in the initial staging evaluation of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer than conventional imaging (bone scan and CT). The AUC are based on scientific evidence and were developed collaboratively between SNMMI, the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), the American Urological Association (AUA), the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for the appropriate use of PSMA PET, specifically for the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. It follows updated guidance from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)1, which recognises the increased sensitivity and specificity of PSMA PET tracers, compared to conventional imaging for detecting micrometastatic disease, at both initial staging and biochemical recurrence. The systematic review2 also noted: PSMA PET may have additional use in selecting patients for PSMA directed therapy and assessing response to therapies.

PSMA PET radiotracers, similar to other radiopharmaceuticals, have an excellent safety profile, given the sub-pharmacological mass dose and high specific activity administered.

Although there may be small differences between each PSMA PET radiopharmaceutical currently approved or being evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration, there is no vidence to date that one specific radiopharmaceutical has improved diagnostic characteristics compared with another.

Integration of AUC into clinical decision support tools may lead to a more efficient reimbursement approval process for advanced diagnostic imaging procedures, including radiology and nuclear medicine procedures, by allowing healthcare providers to track comparisons between the AUC model and the payers reimbursement strategy.



Dr. Jeremie Calais, Director of the UCLA Theranostics Program added, Along with updated NCCN Guidelines and Medicare coverage, this is great news for patients. Private insurers should follow soon. Access to PSMA PET will be widely available and this game-changer technology will ultimately become part of the routine staging of prostate cancer patients. Like doing a PSA test, I anticipate in a near future that physicians will routinely require a PSMA PET scan before making a treatment plan.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in Belgium, Japan, and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit www.telixpharma.com and follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn. Telixs lead investigational product, Illuccix (TLX591-CDx) for prostate cancer imaging, has been accepted for filing by the U.S. FDA,3 and is under priority evaluation by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).4 Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for Illuccix in the European Union5 and Canada.6 None of Telixs products have received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction. Telix Media Contact Dr. Stewart Holmstrom

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Director Corporate Communications

Email: stewart.holmstrom@telixpharma.com 1 https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/category_1

2 https://www.snmmi.org/ClinicalPractice/content.aspx?ItemNumber=38657

3 ASX disclosure 24/11/20.

4 ASX disclosure 14/04/21.

5 ASX disclosure 1/05/20.

6 ASX disclosure 16/12/20.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 20, 2021] TerraPay partners with MOVii to pave the way for seamless cross-border payments for Colombian residents and diaspora across the world

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Embarking on the first step to enter the Colombian region for enabling cross-border digital payments, TerraPay,a global payments infrastructure company today announced a strategic partnership with MOVii, a leading mobile wallet service that allow both banked and unbanked Colombians to do financial transactions from their mobile phone, with ease, convenience and security. This collaboration is envisioned in phases with an aligned objective to transform the way Colombian residents and diaspora across the world send and receive money digitally. The first array of the partnership would enable Colombian diaspora residing in countries such as North America, Europe, including a whole suite of TerraPay's 153 send partner countries, to transfer instant payments to their family and friends in Colombia through MOVii mobile wallet payouts. This opens up an incremental opportunity to connect TerraPay's 500Mn+ mobile wallet partner customers globally, with MOVii's mobile wallets in the region. Following up with the next milestone in the coming months, TerraPay would be bringing together a similar interoperability platform to enable Colombian residents to receive instant money transfers from their family and friends residing globally, into bank account payouts. The strategic partnership plans are in the process. To further empower Colombian residents to feel independent and resilient, the third phase builds the outbound money transfer channels to TerraPay's well entrenched 79 receive partner countries. Committed to achieving key SDG goals in alignment to both the company's investor - IFC's vision to 'End extreme poverty by 2030', and 'Boosting shared prosperity', this parnership drives financial inclusion, independence and resilience for MOVii's 1.7 million Colombian users - both residents and diaspora globally.



Speaking on the launch of the partnership, Ricardo Madronero, Regional Manager LATAM region, TerraPay stated, "Our partnership with MOVii is the starting means to accelerate the growing opportunity for inbound remittances from Colombian diaspora globally. TerraPay's industry benchmarked interoperability engine will seamlessly connect an impressive count of over 1.7 million MOVii mobile wallet users to receive instant funds, with credibility. An exciting path ahead with many more such collaborations to enhance and deepen multi payment channel connections and usage, globally." "We are proud to partner with TerraPay, in further empowering our existing mobile wallet users to do more than just transact digitally. Now, they can also receive instant cross-border money transfers from their family residing at any of TerraPay's extensive global partner network send countries. For diaspora, the partnership facilitates them to be connected to their family back home, with a simple and cost effective means of sending money home, " said Hernando Rubio, CEO and Co-founder, MOVii.

TerraPay has established itself as a global Partner to leading banks, money Transfer operators, mobile Wallet Operators and financial Institutions to facilitate digital transactions without borders. As a B2B company, TerraPay partners with other businesses and helps them leverage its agile, secure, and scalable technology platform to enhance their customer proposition for remittances, payments, and cross border spends. TerraPay is regulated in over 15 countries around the world. Some of the company's key markets include; GCC; North, South and Central Africa; Europe and SE Asia; Central, North and South Americas. About TerraPay TerraPay is a licensed digital payments infrastructure and solutions provider, paving the global payments highway. The company's robust foundation and innovative platform technology serve as the digital interoperability engine enabling customers and businesses globally to send and receive payments on a secure, transparent, efficient, and real-time basis. The agile network supports diverse payment instruments and types of payments while adhering to complex regulations and compliance standards in different markets. For more information, please visit terrapay.com Press Contact:

Anwesha Mukherjee,

+91-971-724-1606 About MOVii MOVii is the most amazing challenger bank in Colombia, focused on changing the banking category, by improving the financial inclusion of those who have never been on the system and giving them the opportunity to manage their money as they wish to through an app and card. MOVii is moving forward with a disruptive, hassle-free value proposal that connects with people, with their financial needs and responds to their lack of access to banking. With this model, MOVii is projected to grow up to 3MM users during 2021 leading digital banking in Colombia. For more information, please visit www.movii.com.co Press Contact:

Natalia Garcia Campo

natalia.garcia@moviired.co SOURCE TerraPay

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 20, 2021]

GobizKOREA, proceeds with the 2021 GobizWEEKPromotion for global buyers

Free gifts and big discount by 70% provided from 17th Sep. to 30th Sep.

SOUEL, South Korea, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Online B2B Market Place, GobizKOREA will hold 2021 GobizWEEK Promotion 17th Sep to 30th Sep for 2 weeks.This time, GobizWEEK's prepared in order to publicize the superior goods of Korean small and medium-sized businesses and complete a business deal for export as the large-scale promotion show featuring a variety of benefits and participative events. The buyer, who registers inquiries during the promotion period, can purchase more than 150 Korean distinguish consumer goods by GobizKOREA at 70% discounted price maximum.

(*Industrial goods are expected to be prepared in mid-October.)

In addition, the participative events will be held, where the participants who join in a survey are offered up to 7 kinds of samples for free. If the buyer participating in the events makes a transaction within this year after receiving the sample, you can get 10% discount benefit and also receive giveaways such as an Amazon gift card, etc. through a lottery.

The GobizKOREA director said, "I hope that this event, which can publicize the excellence of Korean products to the world, will be of great help to provide a growth foothold for the domestic companies.

Meanwhile, GobizKOREA, B2B online marketplace operated by the Korea SMSs and Startups Agency, is providing a reliable trade support service free of charge for the purpose of offering the high-quality Korean products promptly. In particular, the BMS (Business Matching Service), where trade specialists discover and introduce a suitable product if only information on a product wanted is provided, is gaining popularity.

For more information on GobizWEEK Promotion, see the link below.

<2021 GobizWEEK PROMOTION>

Contact: help@gobizkorea.com

SOURCE GobizKOREA
[September 20, 2021] SWIRL raises $250,000 for its Live Video Commerce platform to help sales driven businesses succeed online

VADODARA, India, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Live Commerce SaaS platform Swirl has raised USD 250,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by global strategic investors and angels based in the US, Singapore, Middle-East and Europe. Investors include Asheesh Khaneja - Ex WW Executive IBM, Siddarth Razdan - Founder Indianivesh FirstBridge Fund, Vineet Sharma - VP Brandscope (Dentsu), Nirmal Shah - Prism Advisory, Gaurav Agarwal - Freedom Financial Network, and others. The funds will be used to support the company's growth in India, and optimize its multi-cloud video commerce technology platform that enables retailers to empower their in-store associates to provide an immersive video shopping experience for a global audience. Swirl has over 100+ clients in India such as Fabelle by ITC, Unlimited Fashion by Arvind, GIVA, Zariin, and ecently also signed up a Finnish fashion brand Ivana Helsinki.



"Wherever the end consumer is involved, Live Commerce will play a major role in enabling sales by bridging the online-offline divide. Right now it may be eCommerce, but if other industries such as Financial services Real-Estate, Automobile, Travel and Hospitality, etc adapt, then we are potentially looking at $1Trillion opportunity at play here which means video led sales engagement models will occupy 10-15% of global eCommerce market share by 2025," said Kaizad Hansotia, Founder and CEO. The company witnessed a 300% QOQ growth this year and will soon begin to raise an institutional round for ramping up its growth and expand to multiple categories beyond eCommerce as it aims to officially enter the US and European markets by early 2022, with a goal to become one of the top 5 players worldwide who are pushing the boundaries of technology with experiential commerce.

"I believe the Swirl Live Video Shopping solution is ready for global adoption. Its diverse use-cases across multiple verticals such as fashion, beauty, lifestyle, jewellery, luxury and beyond, have an immediate topline impact and increased conversion rates. The ROI is just amazing for both SMB's and large enterprises that are building their direct-to-consumer channels," said Asheesh Khaneja. Founded in 2017, by Kaizad Hansotia and Bheshaj Joshi, Swirl helps brands convert 3X more customers using Shoppable Videos, Livestream shopping and 1:1 Virtual Shopping. The technology is state-of-the-art, infinitely scalable and contains a proprietary layer on top of video using Text, Chat, WhatsApp, SMS, and Voice to make the entire shopping experience human-like. Swirl offers businesses full control over the customer data and allows them to get real-time engagement analytics and post-show data points to optimise campaigns for future sales. Plus it easily integrates with any website be it on Shopify, WooCommerce, or any other custom eCommerce / CRM platforms without writing a single line of code. "I think video social interactive commerce is an idea whose time has come and 5G will only accelerate this trend. Happy to be a part of Swirl's journey to becoming a global leader in this space," said Siddarth Razdan. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1630122/Swirl_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] McAfee Enterprise and IBM Security Simplify Security Operations for TD SYNNEX Customers

Today, McAfee Enterprise announced that it has collaborated with IBM (News - Alert) Security to develop an integrated solution for TD SYNNEX customers that provides visibility, investigation, remediation and control to protect the global workforce. The TD SYNNEX security solution is available to its customers through TD SYNNEX's IT distribution network and is based on integrations between McAfee (News - Alert) Enterprise MVISION and IBM Security QRadar products. This is the first solution jointly developed by two vendors collaborating in the TD SYNNEX Cyber Range, a virtual program to prepare security professionals to respond to threats. By integrating QRadar with the MVISION Device-to-Cloud Platform, TD SYNNEX (News - Alert) is able to deliver to its customers increased protections for the global workforce, powered by connected architecture, analytics, prioritization of resources, automation and threat detection and event correlation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to go online, the additional protections provided through this collaboration are critical to protecting against the growing number of cloud and endpoint threats facing the distributed workforce. "All businesses deserve vendor-agnostic security that will protect all of their data, no matter where it lives across the IT environment," said Kathleen Curry, senior vice president of Global Enterprise Channels, McAfee Enterprise. "We cultivate relationships with industry leaders like IBM and TD SYNNEX to ensure we're providing cutting-edge security for our customers and developing important offerings for our distribution partners." TD SYNNEX customers will benefit from the MVISION with QRadar integration in the following ways: Visibility: See organizational threats and analytics while providing a more robust security posture

See organizational threats and analytics while providing a more robust security posture Control: Identify and respond to threats quickly to reduce dwell time while working within organizational security operational procedure compliance

Identify and respond to threats quickly to reduce dwell time while working within organizational security operational procedure compliance Investigation & Remediation: Streamlined approach within the Security Operations Center (SOC) to begin investigations and more easily understand outcomes

Streamlined approach within the Security Operations Center (SOC) to begin investigations and more easily understand outcomes Simplicity: The SOC is enabled to break down complexities and silos within the organization "We launched the TD SYNNEX Cyber Range to arm new and seasoned cybersecurity professionals in the partner channel and the end-user community with the best security education and response procedures," said Reyna Thompson, senior vice president, Security and Networking at TD SYNNEX. "We're thrilled to see our partners at McAfee Enterprise and IBM Security support our efforts in collaborating to create the first joint security solution available to our customers." MVISION, Cloud-Delivered Security The MVISION portfolio of device-to-cloud security suites offer users a single point of visibility and control across the entire network, as well as deliver industry recognized endpoint and cloud security to protect data where it lives. MVISION is the first cloud-based product family that protects data and stops threats in the cloud across Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-service and Infrastructure-as-a-Service deployments, from a single, cloud-native enforcement point. With TD SYNNEX's new solution, QRadar, a leading SIEM platform that provides comprehensive insights to quickly detect, investigate and respond to threat, seamlessly integrates with MVISION so users benefit, bi-directionally, from both solutions.



IBM Security is a member of the McAfee Enterprise Security Innovation Alliance, McAfee Enterprise's program for partners to build fully certified security solutions based on industry-leading products from McAfee Enterprise. This solution is also the first solution McAfee Enterprise-certified solution developed in the TD SYNNEX Cyber Range. TD SYNNEX's global customers can experience the full power of MVISION with QRadar beginning now by contacting IBM-McAfee-Security@techdata.com.

Additional Resources: McAfee Enterprise Device-to-Cloud Suites Landing Page About McAfee Enterprise McAfee Enterprise is a pure play enterprise cybersecurity company. Positioned to solve enterprise customers' changing security needs with a world-class solution leading portfolio, McAfee Enterprise delivers on the needs of modern businesses, organizations and governments around the world. For more information, please visit www.mcafee.com/enterprise. About TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We're an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX' 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Copyright 2021 TD SYNNEX Corporation. All rights reserved. TD SYNNEX, the TD SYNNEX Logo, and all other TD SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of TD SYNNEX Corporation. TD SYNNEX and the TD SYNNEX Logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners. About IBM Security IBM Security offers one of the most advanced and integrated portfolios of enterprise security products and services. The portfolio, supported by world-renowned IBM Security X-Force research, enables organizations to effectively manage risk and defend against emerging threats. IBM operates one of the world's broadest security research, development and delivery organizations, monitors 150 billion+ security events per day in more than 130 countries, and has been granted more than 10,000 security patents worldwide. For more information, please check www.ibm.com/security, follow @IBMSecurity on Twitter (News - Alert) or visit the IBM Security Intelligence blog. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210920005859/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Hyloris Announces Further Extension of Maxigesic IV Footprint

Regulatory approvals in South Korea, the fourth largest pharma market in Asia, and Panama



Maxigesic IV provides a non-opioid, dual mode-of-action pain management alternative to traditional analgesics Liege, Belgium  21 September 2021  Hyloris Pharmaceuticals SA (Euronext Brussels: HYL), a specialty biopharma company committed to addressing unmet medical needs through reinventing existing medications, today announces further extension of the global footprint of Maxigesic IV, a novel, unique combination of 1000mg paracetamol and 300mg ibuprofen solution for infusion, for the treatment of post-operative pain.

Maxigesic IV has now obtained regulatory approvals in South Korea, the fourth largest pharmaceutical market in Asia, and Panama, thereby increasing the number of countries in which Hyloris partner AFT Pharmaceuticals obtained regulatory approval for Maxigesic IV to 26 countries, from 24 countries at the end of March 2021. Kyongbo Pharmaceuticals Co., the licensee for the South Korean market, is now gearing up to commence sales in early 2022. The licensee for Panama, Pharma Bavaria International, which has a license agreement for Maxigesic IV in 17 countries in Latin, Central America, and the Caribbean, is planning to launch the product later this year in Panama. The commercial rollouts represent the first launches of Maxigesic IV in Asia and Latin America. Stijn Van Rompay, Chief Executive Officer of Hyloris, commented: Maxigesic IV is a breakthrough non-opioid post-operative pain treatment, offering clinicians a well-tolerated and effective alternative to highly addictive opioids. We are very pleased that Maxigesic IV is gaining further international momentum with additional regulatory approvals in key markets. Meanwhile, we and our partners are also making good progress with the /em>regulatory submission process in the U.S., and we look forward to updating the market on further achievements over the next period.



Maxigesic IV has been developed under the collaboration agreement signed in 2012 between Hyloris and AFT Pharmaceuticals. The product is currently licensed in over 100 countries across the globe, has been registered in 26 countries and is now launched in 5 countries. Maxigesic IV is protected by several granted patents and pending patent applications. About Hyloris Pharmaceuticals

Hyloris is a specialty biopharma company focused on innovating, reinventing, and optimising existing medications to address important healthcare needs and deliver relevant improvements for patients, healthcare professionals and payors. Hyloris has built a broad, patented portfolio of 13 reformulated and repurposed value-added products that have the potential to offer significant advantages over currently available alternatives. Two products are currently commercialised with partners: Sotalol IV for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, and Maxigesic IV, a non-opioid post-operative pain treatment. The Companys development strategy primarily focuses on the FDAs 505(b)2 regulatory pathway, which is specifically designed for pharmaceuticals for which safety and efficacy of the molecule have already been established. This pathway can reduce the clinical burden required to bring a product to market, and significantly shorten the development timelines and reduce costs and risks. Hyloris is based in Liege, Belgium. For more information, visit www.hyloris.com and follow-us on LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact Hyloris Pharmaceuticals:

Marieke Vermeersch

VP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

M: +32 (0)479 490 603

investorrelations@hyloris.com





Disclaimer and forward-looking statements

Hyloris means high yield, lower risk, which relates to the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for product approval on which the Issuer focuses, but in no way relates or applies to an investment in the Shares.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified using forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. These statements relate to future events or the Companys future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control, that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. Attachment 210921 Hyloris Press Release Maxigesic International Momentum_ENG



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Purple Quarter Facilitates Urban Company's Search for VP of Engineering; Closes on Flipkart Techie, Ananda Matthur

BANGALORE, India, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Purple Quarter, the leading tech leadership search firm, has closed yet another Tech Head role for Urban Company, closing their mandate for Vice President of Engineering. This is Purple Quarter's second appointment for Asia's largest home services provider. The Bespoke CTO Search firm had previously closed Rishabhdhwaj Singh as VP of Engineering for their Supply vertical, who joined in May this year. Ananda Matthur joined Urban Company's marketplace vertical as the VP of Engineering on 15th September. In his new role, Ananda is responsible for ensuring the best match experience for customers and the firm's partners. Right from pairing a customer request to a suitable partner, to ensuring a smooth fulfilment experience, Ananda's role involves complex technical decision-making, scaling for a strong tech platform and ensuring the products are designed with maximum flexibility



"I welcome Ananda as VP Engineering. I am confident that his rich experience will prove incredibly valuable in doubling our marketplace experience and aid the team's growth efforts. I'd like to also thank Purple Quarter for their continued partnership in finding the right leadership for us," said Raghav Chandra, Urban Company Co-Founder & CPTO. Prior to joining Urban Company, Ananda was the Director of Engineering at Flipkart. With around 15 years of experience, of which 10 were at Flipkart, Ananda believes in crafting highly scalable, intelligent systems and has an affinity towards machine learning. A graduate of Columbia University, his previous stint was at Bloomberg in New York, and ClearTax in Bangalore.

Purple Quarter worked hand-in-hand with the Urban Company team to map out a search strategy based on the specific Tech Leader profiling to close Ananda for the role. Speaking on his Purple Quarter experience, Ananda shared, "Purple Quarter has been an amazing partner. Over the course of the process, they built a great relationship with me, elevating the experience of finding a suitable role to a real partnership." Purple Quarter's unmatched tech network and comprehensive end-to-end search process have been instrumental in securing multiple key tech leadership positions for the likes of Swiggy, Upstox, PharmEasy, Licious, Vedantu, Urban Company, LendingKart, hike, ACKO and more. About Purple Quarter Purple Quarter is a Bespoke CTO Search firm based out of Bangalore. In less than four years, it has mapped over 4000+ leaders across the globe. Its singular approach to tech leadership hiring has given Purple Quarter a detailed acumen into the Tech Leadership hiring space, especially in the startup ecosystem. Its robust clientele includes early stage to mature startups such as Inmobi, Swiggy, ACKO, PharmEasy, hike, Urban Company and many more. For Tech Leadership requirements, write to us at interact@purplequarter.com or visit: https://purplequarter.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1599524/Purple_Quarter_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Juniper Networks to Provide Industry-Leading Networking for Fujitsu's Data-Driven Enterprise Approach

Juniper High-Performance Switches to Complement Fujitsu's Leading Data Center Portfolio of Servers, Storage and Integrated Systems LONDON, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced that it has signed a new partnership agreement with Fujitsu for the supply of high-performance ethernet switches for Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY, Fujitsu Storage ETERNUS and Fujitsu Integrated System PRIMEFLEX portfolio across the EMEA region. Fujitsu and its partner ecosystem is delivering all sales, deployment, service and a single point of contact to its customers for select Juniper switches. General availability (GA) of the Juniper-enabled solution started March 26, 2021 in EMEA. Fujitsu is very successful in helping enterprises overcome the ongoing dynamic challenges of exponential data growth (encompassing data acquisition, data preprocessing and data transmission) within IT infrastructure. To drive this even further, Fujitsu cooperates with technology partners to stay ahead of the marketplace's evolving demands and made its choice based on the breadth and depth of Juniper's experience-first portfolio, as well as the complementary fit with its own. As a leader in cloud and data center networking, automated operations and AI, Juniper will support Fujitsu and its customers to overcome network challenges around network agility, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Edge Computing. Juniper Networks' strategy is the right fit to complement Fujitsu's data-drien ambitions: leveraging Juniper's ability to create data-driven networks that deliver intelligence and actionable insight with closed-loop assurance Fujitsu can focus on its own portfolio to deliver high-performance servers, storage and integrated system platforms that offer the optimal experience for its customers.



Fujitsu's solutions will be primarily underpinned by the Juniper Networks QFX Series, specifically the QFX5120, a cost-effective, flexible and compact-yet-powerful product that delivers next-generation capabilities such as network virtualization within large, high-density IP fabrics. The Juniper Networks EX Series Ethernet Switches will also be used by Fujitsu within its solution to provide switching for small-scale data center environments. Supporting Quotes

"Building the right architectural foundation is the key to creating a successful data-driven enterprise. It involves efficient data management across edge, core and cloud. Juniper Networks is demonstrably one of the top players in all of these areas, thus their switching portfolio was a natural choice. This is only a start, as we see much more potential in their overall enterprise portfolio (notably with Juniper's recent acquisition of Apstra in mind) and we expect more synergies between us in the future." - Olivier Delachapelle, EMEA Head of Product Line Management, Fujitsu "Many enterprises are now moving their IT workloads and applications to a multicloud environment to ensure agile, scalable and cost-effective business operations. This migration calls for simplified, open and secure data center connectivity that enables easily-managed, unified compute, storage and network infrastructure. Fujitsu and Juniper have a shared vision to deliver flexible and consumable end-to-end solutions in support of this need." - Thomas Desrues, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Juniper Networks Additional Resources Juniper named a Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant Data Center & Cloud Networking and in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks is dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the world's greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability and equality. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on?Twitter,?LinkedIn?and?Facebook. Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1156979/Juniper_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Ogury Donates Over 1 million U.S. Dollars of Ad Space to Non-Profit Organizations

NEW YORK and PARIS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ogury, the Personified Advertising company, recently announced that it has donated more than 1 million in U.S. dollars of advertising space to non-profit organizations so far this year. Following a first quarter launch, the company supported several charities to acquire premium inventory on its new mobile web offering on top of its exclusive brand demand. Examples of these charities included Institut de la Vision, Epic Foundation, Accion Contra el Hambre, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Dynamo Camp.



"The past year has been hard on many and it's now more important than ever to give back and support non-profit organizations that are making a difference in the world," said Thomas Pasquet, CEO, Ogury. "I'm proud that we were able to do this in the form of donated media, generating brand awareness for some amazing charities and generating more revenues for media companies and publishers."

The campaigns reached more than 11 million mobile users in the U.S. and across Europe via the company's exclusive Thumbnail Ad, an elegant ad format released by Ogury last year in-app, and now available on mobile web. With this creative format, video ads appear in a precise location of the web page delivering an effective advertising experience without compromising the consumer's user experience. The unit is draggable, expandable, and skippable by the consumer, which is proven to be less intrusive than traditional ad formats. Thumbnail Ad delivers ads in a picture-in-picture format enabling them to consume the content whilst continuing to navigate the web page. "We are very happy to have worked alongside Ogury to further increase awareness of Institut de la Vision. In total, we were able to reach more than 1.5 million mobile users in France and the UK in a non-intrusive and user-friendly manner," said Arnaud Bricout, Head of Fundraising at Institut de la Vision. "Ogury's Thumbnail Ad unit performed extremely well, with higher than average click-through and view-through rates." "When we began working closely with Ogury, our ultimate goal was to enhance overall brand awareness for our organization and mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and youth around the world," said Alexandre Mars, Founder & CEO of Epic Foundation. "With the help of Ogury and its innovative Thumbnail Ad unit, we were able to generate more than 12 million impressions in less than a month -- a truly spectacular digital campaign that translated to more donations and ultimately, more lives changed." About Ogury: Ogury, the Personified Advertising company, has created a breakthrough advertising engine that delivers precision, sustainability and privacy protection within one technology stack, built and optimized for mobile. Advertisers working with Ogury benefit from fully visible impactful ads, future-proof targeting and unwavering protection. Publishers enjoy the rewards of a respectful user-experience, incremental revenues and premium demand with Ogury's solutions. Founded in 2014, Ogury is a global organization with 350+ employees, including 100 engineers across 11 countries. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ogury-donates-over-1-million-us-dollars-of-ad-space-to-non-profit-organizations-301380497.html SOURCE Ogury LTD

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021]

BeBop Sensors Releases Patented Intelligent Sensing Technologies

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BeBop Sensors , a leader in providing state-of-the-art customizable intelligent sensing technologies for OEM's, has announced a new smart fabric sensor designed for next gen human interaction.

The Note Touch reference design includes a small fabric sensing array (16x16 nodes) and a software toolkit to experiment with touch interfaces on any curved or flat surface and rapidly bring new ideas to market. Using gestures such as taps, swipes, and multi-touch, the Note Touch reference design replaces traditional buttons, knobs, and switches, with sleek improved aesthetics and a programmable interface.

Manufacturers can incorporate the Note Touch into existing or future products, from medical and fitness devices, seating, protective equipment, toys and consumer electronics, home automation, and more.

"For OEM's, this means enhancing their products' usability and aesthetics by removing traditional interaction controls and replacing them with customizabe smart fabric sensors - resulting in a much cleaner and sleeker appearance and next gen human interaction, not to mention accelerating time to market, shortening development cycles, and lowering costs," said Jerry Kurtze, Vice President, Business Development & Marketing at BeBop Sensors.







BeBop's highly customizable reference design offers a device and software toolkit to experience and build with BeBop's patented Intelligent Sensing Technology (IST).

Download the Note Touch reference design sheet here .

"Our goal with Note Touch is to push the innovation envelope by inspiring technical teams and managers with endless possibilities, which could lead to possible market disruption," Kurtze said. "These intelligent sensing technologies will revolutionize human interaction and the way people interact with their devices."

About BeBop Sensors

BeBop is a leader in providing state-of-the-art customizable intelligent sensing technologies for OEMs for existing and emerging markets for next generation human interactions, robotics, health and wellness, AR/VR solutions and more.

BeBop's sensors comprehend force, location, size, weight, bend, twist, and presence and combine that with intelligent algorithms to turn data into meaningful insights or next generation smart interfaces. Our intelligent sensing technologies are revolutionizing human and device interaction by allowing integration into many form factors such as flat or curved surfaces, gaming/TV controls, earbuds, armrests, headrests, furniture, automobile controls, toys, helmets, exercise mats, insoles, robotic skin, and more.

BeBop - which provides highly customizable intelligent sensing solutions to a cross section of industries and Fortune 500 companies - has received numerous accolades, including the Red Herring Award, TIME Magazine Best Inventions Award, IDTechEx Wearable Award, Frost & Sullivan North American Technology Innovation Award, and Gartner Cool Vendor Award.

For more information, visit http:// www.bebopsensors.com .

Contact:

Neal Leavitt

760-639-2900

neal@leavcom.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bebop-sensors-releases-patented-intelligent-sensing-technologies-301380970.html

SOURCE BeBop Sensors
[September 21, 2021] Driivz and Hubject Join Forces to Deliver Seamless Plug & Charge EV Experience

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Driivz , the leading end-to-end EV charging and smart energy management software platform, today announced a cooperation with Hubject , the world's largest eRoaming provider, to deliver a seamless Plug & Charge EV experience based on ISO 15118. The impetus for this collaboration came from Mer, a leading European EV charging company providing innovative and sustainable solutions, who recently chose Driivz to power its global EV charging infrastructure and will be the first to benefit from this collaboration. Hubject will serve as the Certificate Authority, providing private/public key pairs to secure and validate the digital communication underlying the instant authorization, payment and charging transaction. Driivz advanced EV charging management end-to-end platform is certified to support ISO 15118. It is an international standard that defines the communications protocol between the charging station and the electric vehicle. The protocol enables Plug & Charge, where the EV driver plugs the vehicle into the charge point. Then, using the ISO 15118 interface, the EV identifies itself to the charging station, allowing for instant authorization and the initiation of charging. The Plug & Charge standard allows drivers to plug in at a public station and start charging without any need to swipe a credit card or tap a touchscreen. This is necessary for the industry to become a mass market, when charging becomes as easy and seamless as possible. The ISO 15118-compliant EV charging management solution from Driivz ensures Mer and other clients can deliver these capabilities to their customers: Seamless charging experience: Authenticating and authorizing the vehicle to be charged without any action on the part of the driver

Security: Providing a mechanism by which communication between the vehicle and the charging infrastructure can happen securely

Smart EV charging

By complying with ISO 15118, eMobility providers can future proof their networks to create smooth, seamless experiences for their customers while ensuring operational excellence, optimized energy management and stronger security, said Doron Frenkel, founder and CEO of Driivz. As a forerunner of innovative charging technologies, Hubject is thrilled to have global EV charging management leader Driivz and the top-notch charging infrastructure provider Mer on board. We support its commitment to support drivers to switch to a more sustainable mobility future, said Christian Hahn, CEO of Hubject. At Hubject, we truly believe in innovtion to further improve the customer experience of charging. Therefore, we are thrilled to partner with leading innovators Driivz and Mer, supporting a seamless, secure and open charging ecosystem to enable a sustainable mobility future.



"We see ISO 15118 as an important component to provide the easiest and best possible charging experience for our customers. The collaboration is the perfect example of our ambition to become the most customer-focused EV charging company in Europe. Because even if the hardware is heterogeneous, we can still offer the same user experience." said Anton Achatz, Managing Director of Mer Germany GmbH. Hubject is hosting the Intercharge Network Conference on September 22nd and 23rd, 2021 in Berlin. Doron Frenkel, founder and CEO at Driivz, will be participating as a keynote speaker. Learn more at https://www.intercharge-network-conference.com .

About Driivz

Driivz is the leading global software supplier to EV operators and service providers, accelerating the plug-in EV industry's dynamic and continuous transformation. The company's intelligent, cloud-based platform spans EV charging operations, energy management, advanced billing capabilities and driver self-service tools. Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, Driivz's team of EV experts serve customers in more than 20 countries, including global industry players such as Volvo Group, EVgo, Gilbarco Veeder-Root, ElaadNL, ESB, and Centrica. Driivz's platform manages tens of thousands of EV chargers in North America, Europe, and APAC, used by more than 800,000 EV drivers. For more information, please visit http://www.driivz.com . About Hubject

Hubject simplifies the charging of electric vehicles. Through its eRoaming platform intercharge, the eMobility specialist connects Charge Point Operators or CPOs and eMobility Service Providers or EMPs, thus providing standardised access to charging infrastructure independent of the network. With over 400,000 connected charging points and more than 920 B2B partners across 52 countries and four continents, Hubject has established the worlds largest cross-provider charging network for electric vehicles by connecting CPO networks. In addition, Hubject is a trusted consulting partner in the eMobility market, advising automotive manufacturers, charging providers, and other EV-related businesses looking to launch eMobility services or implement Plug&Charge using ISO 15118. In essence, Hubject promotes eMobility and its advancement worldwide. Founded in 2012, Hubject is a joint venture of the BMW Group, Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, EnBW, Enel X, Innogy, Siemens and the Volkswagen Group. Hubjects headquarters can be found in Berlin, with subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Shanghai.

HUBJECT Heading for the future. About Mer

Mer is a European EV charging company owned by Statkraft  Europes largest producer of renewable energy. Mer blends deep knowledge of the business of EV charging with genuine ambition  bringing expertise and scale to truly power the European shift towards electric mobility. Mer has over 10 years experience in the field with footprint in Norway, Germany, Sweden and in the UK, and offers charging solutions at home, along the road, to businesses and local authorities, to fleets in addition to eCarsharing.

Mers mission is to make sustainable electric mobility easy and accessible to everyone!

For more information, please visit www.mer.eco.



Media Contacts:

Montner Tech PR

Deb Montner and Angela Surrusco

dmontner@montner.com

asurrusco@montner.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Jacobs Secures Positions on Transport for London's Engineering Consultancy Framework

DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has secured 13 positions on Transport for London's (TfL) Engineering Consultancy Framework, maintaining Jacobs' position as a key provider of professional services to London's Integrated Transport Authority. Jacobs' awards include key Framework Lots of Multi-Disciplinary Engineering and Rail Services, Transport and non-Transport Architecture and Cyber Security Engineering. TfL estimates the framework will operate for a maximum four-year period and enables the entire TfL organization and London's Borough Authorities to access a broad range of multi-disciplinary design and consultancy services. "TfL plays a key role in helping to shape London's green economic recovery  creating a healthier, cleaner, more inclusive and better-connected city," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Europe & Digital Strategies Senior Vice President Donald Morrison. "Through this framework, we look forward to supporting that vision and delivering innovative solutions to complex engineering, architectural and transportation-based challenges across the TfL network." Jacobs already provides wide-ranging support to TfL's diverse and high-profile major projects and engineering portfolio, including program leadership for the delivery of Crossrail and planning and design services for the Piccadilly Line Upgrade. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge maufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.



Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence and spread of variants of COVID-19, and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 2, 2021, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jacobs-secures-positions-on-transport-for-londons-engineering-consultancy-framework-301379210.html SOURCE Jacobs

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] MergerDomo Facilitates Fundraising for Healthfood and Wellness Startups

The two startups will utilise the capital for business growth including strategic expansion, product development, R&D and technology investments NEW DELHI, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diabetic superfoods startup Keeros and digital wellness startup AyuRythm have secured funding through the MergerDomo fundraising and startup advisory platform. MergerDomo also provided the two companies with investor connects and analyst support for deal preparation and execution. Keeros, a Lucknow-based company, offers healthier alternatives that provide wholesome nutrition to over 12 crore Indians suffering from diabetes as well as weight-watchers and health-conscious consumers. Launched in 2018, the startup aims to become a household name with diabetic-friendly products under foods categories, such as SuperSnacks, SuperDrinks, SuperMeals, and SuperFoods. AyuRythm provides a mobile app-based mind-body balance assessment, tracking of vital health parameters, personalised recommendations, and curated content to improve holistic wellness based on the traditional science of Ayurveda. The end-to-end digital solution uses a smartphone camera to record an individual's pulse and a questionnaire with 30 questions to capture key health indicators, following which its algorithm generates a wellness index. Hormazd Charna, Founder and CEO, MergerDomo, says, "We're delighted to be playing a part in the growth of Keeros and AyuRythm with our strategic guidance and investor connect for fundraising. We are democratising the fundraise process and contributing to the success of innovative busineses by getting startups investor-ready and providing them access to investors."



Sachin Sahni, Founder and CEO, Keeros, says, "One of the essential requirements of a growing startup like us is to tap new market opportunities quickly and effectively. However, finding an investor who is the right fit for your business can be a long, complex, and often frustrating process. MergerDomo made that simple for us." Aside from e-commerce expansion, Keeros will utilise the funds for influencer marketing, deeper retail penetration, technology advancement and greater customer engagement. Currently, Keeros products are available in over 350 outlets in Delhi and seven north Indian cities, and e-commerce portals.

Abhilesh Gupta, Founder and CEO, AyuRythm, says, "There is a lack of digital platforms that offer services around traditional systems of wellness like Ayurveda. Our endeavour is to bridge this gap by merging cutting-edge digital technologies and the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and redefining the way personalised holistic wellness services are delivered. The MergerDomo platform enabled us to connect with investors who believe in our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals." Founded by Mr.Gupta, Ramanath Padmanabhan and Sandeep Acharya, the startup will utilise the funds for product development, technology, R&D, marketing, patents and team expansion. The company aims to assist 10 million people to achieve their holistic wellness goals and improve quality of life by 2025. About MergerDomo: Launched in 2020, MergerDomo is a tech-based, online investment banking (deal sourcing & consulting) platform for startups, corporations, investors, investment bankers, and financial/non-financial consultants. The company has 1,110+ members on its platform and aims to catalyse the growth of the startup and SME ecosystems through a suite of solutions in fundraising, M&As, joint ventures, technology sourcing, and consulting. As of June 2021, MergerDomo has helped 6 startups raise funds through its network of angels, high net worth individuals (HNIs), and family offices. MergerDomo engages startups and SMEs with investors (angels, HNIs, venture capitalists, private equity firms and family offices), investment bankers, and consultants (in sectoral strategy, marketing, turnaround management and digitisation, among others). The company is actively developing the startup ecosystem through partnerships with incubators and accelerators. The current member base comprises 390+ startups, 90+ SMEs and corporations, 220+ investors, 200+ investment bankers and 100+ consultants covering 52 startup sectors. The MergerDomo team is backed by experts in various domains like automotive, pharma, ESDM, retail, and FMCG. Contact: Gaurav K Punjabi

Gaurav@mergerdomo.in

www.mergerdomo.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Route to Help Fuel the First $1 Trillion Dollar-Year for US Ecommerce

Route, the leading post-purchase technology for modern ecommerce, announced today the launch of its "Route for Merchants" platform creating the world's first fully integrated post-purchase network connecting the best direct-to-consumer brands with the more than two billion online shoppers around the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005524/en/ Route for Merchants provides online merchants with a full suite of Amazon-level customer experience tools tailored to improve post-purchase practices, including multi-channel package tracking, premium buyer protection, instant order resolution, and seamless customer re-engagement features. The platform, free to all Route merchants, boosts online buying satisfaction and loyalty, decreases customer support costs, and increases bottom-line profits. (Graphic: Business Wire) US ecommerce is on track to break the $1 trillion mark in 2022 according to research from Adobe (News - Alert) , and consumer experience expectations are soaring as well. Consumers are demanding near-perfect customer experiences, and the battle for online brand loyalty has become crucial to every merchant. Route for Merchants provides online merchants wit a full suite of Amazon-level customer experience tools tailored to improve post-purchase practices, including multi-channel package tracking, premium buyer protection, instant order resolution, and seamless customer re-engagement features. The platform, free to all Route merchants, boosts online buying satisfaction and loyalty, decreases customer support costs, and increases bottom-line profits.



"The post-purchase experience has been overlooked since the birth of online retail. Today's consumers expect seamless online buying experiences." said Evan Walker, Founder and CEO of Route, and ecommerce entrepreneur for over two decades. "US ecommerce grew more than a staggering 40% in 2020, with 85% of shoppers preferring home delivery. It's a colossal feat for merchants to consistently deliver positive experiences. Route helps provide transparency, communication, and reassurance- the cornerstones of successful consumer experiences- and consumers are proving faithful to the brands that can deliver reliable, hassle-free buying experiences." In just two years, Route has built one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world- powering modern post-purchase experiences for over 10,000 merchants, including top brands like APL, Alo Yoga, Solo Stove, Cotopaxi, the Utah Jazz, Cuts Clothing, and Organifi. Every day, dozens of merchants and over 50,000 shoppers join the Route network.

"Route has the same mission that we have, which is to create the best customer experience possible and to connect brands and shops with the customer," said Erin Foster, Co-founder of Favorite Daughter. Co-founder Sara Foster added, "We need repeat customers for Favorite Daughter, so we're trying to align ourselves with all the little pieces that make that happen. Hence why we wanted to align with Route. It's all about the customer experience and that is number one for us." With this launch, For Merchants expands Route's product and technology footprint across more ecommerce platforms, more shipping carriers, and more technology partners than any other solution on the market. The expansion makes Route the dominant tracking software in the world, and combined with best-in-class buyer protection, order resolution, and seamless re-engagement tools, solidifies Route as the most powerful post-purchase solution today. "Bottom line, we can't see ourselves doing business without Route moving forward," said Parker Bushnell, Director of Purchasing and Analytics at the Utah Jazz. "Making sure that the customer is happy is the best thing that you can provide." To learn more about Route and Route For Merchants, visit https://route.com/. About Route Route is the leading post-purchase experience platform for ecommerce businesses. From package tracking to buyer protection and claim resolution, Route provides solutions for the entire post-purchase journey. With over 10K merchants in its network serving over 30 million consumers, Route's technology is the fastest-growing and farthest-reaching in the space. Route is backed by Album VC, Banner Ventures, Craft Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, Pattern, and Upfront Ventures. To learn more, visit www.route.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005524/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] beqom Study Uncovers How Compensation and Benefits are Impacting Talent Shortages

More than one in four (27%) Americans believe employers should provide pay transparency in job postings, and 61% are more likely to apply to a job that shares a salary in the job posting, according to a new survey by beqom, a leading cloud-based compensation software provider. The pandemic has upended the way Americans think about work, increasing employee expectations of transparency and flexibility. In fact, 80% of Americans expect their employers to allow them to work remotely multiple days a week and 82% expect flexibility in their hours. These findings are according to beqom's Employee Expectations in Hiring Report: Rethinking Compensation Strategies to Attract Talent in the 2021 Job Market that reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted employees' views of compensation, benefits, salary transparency and more, and what employees expect from their future employers in this candidate's market. The report further indicates employees are zeroing in o safety and activism, both in the organization and externally. More than three-quarters (76%) of Americans feel a company's response to the pandemic is a factor in applying and accepting a job. Furthermore, two-thirds (66%) of Americans do more research into a company's CSR (News - Alert) efforts than prior to the pandemic.



"The last 18 months have greatly changed the way we work, the way we value work as a part of our lives and what employees need from a future employer," said Tanya Jansen, co-founder of beqom. "With millions of open jobs available, and labor shortages creating a candidate's market, it's critical for employers to understand employee needs when it comes to compensation and benefits. As employers navigate through this shift, it's crucial for companies to utilize data and employee input to implement a flexible rewards policy that ensures relevant benefits for each individual." Additional findings from the report include:

Americans Prioritize Pay but Are Willing to Work for Less in Exchange for Flexibility More than half (52%) of Americans expect their salary will be higher in a new role due to the pandemic - this is particularly true for Gen Xers (58%) and Millennials (56%), compared to Gen Zers (43%) and Baby Boomers (30%).

Respondents named some benefits for which they might be willing to take a salary that is lower than the market average, and these included: flexible working hours (77%), remote work options (71%), and a higher number of PTO days (70%). Meeting the Market Salary Rate Isn't Everything When Employers Offer the Right Benefits Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans are aware of the current industry benchmark for their desired role.

However, the majority (77%) of Americans would take a salary lower than market average if they had flexibility in working hours.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans are willing to take a pay cut to work remotely. Compensation Transparency is Desired by Employees in Their Next Role More than half (55%) of Americans have been pressured by an employer not to disclose their pay to coworkers.

Additionally, more than two-thirds (67%) of Americans think companies should disclose their CEO-to-employee pay ratios and 70% believe companies should disclose their overall pay gaps. To learn more about beqom's 2021 Hiring Spree report and view additional findings, download the full report. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005521/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Infosys Collaborates with ServiceNow to Provide Enterprise-Level Service Management for Manufacturing Customers

BENGALURU, India, Sept. 21, 2021 /CNW/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced its collaboration with ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company that makes work, work better for people, to provide enterprise-level service management for customers in manufacturing industries. Through this collaboration, Infosys will leverage its industry cloud blueprints, part of Infosys Cobalt, and deploy ServiceNow Operations Technology Management (OTM), to support manufacturing industries as they digitize their factories, floors, and plant operations. As part of this collaboration, Infosys will harness its Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Cafe, built on the Now Platform, along with ServiceNow OTM, to improve resilience and availability of critical OT systems across the manufacturing landscape. This collaboration will also be extended to address the OTM, factory and operations digitization needs of customers across CPG, energy, and retail sectors. Recently, Infosys and ServiceNow collaborated with Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions, to help them achieve their goal in spinning-off from their parent company UTC. Infosys Cobalt's ESM Cafe helped transform Carrier's IT, HR service desk, and security operations in the established time frame. Carrier selected Infosys for its expertise in transforming legacy environments with the Now Platform, speed of execution, and ability to fast track large-scale implementations beyond IT. Polly Fabry, Senior Director, Digital, Carrier said, "Today, manufacturing industries are looking to explore how latest cloud technologies can be used to accelerate digital transformation, optimize supply chains improve factory performance, accelerate product innovation, and enhance service offerings. Infosys' expertise in harnessing the full potential of ServiceNow's platform, through its Cobalt portfolio, made them our partner of choice. We believe that the collaboration between Infosys and ServiceNow will enable us to find faster, more innovative ways to respond to changing markets and drive business resilience."



Narsimha Rao Mannepalli, Executive Vice-President, Head of Cloud & Infrastructure Solutions and Infosys Validation Solutions, Infosys said, "Digital transformation in manufacturing industry has never been more critical than now. Given the current scenario, there is an increased need to drive business innovation at speed to be future-ready while also optimizing existing operations and reducing costs across the value chain. With the power of Infosys Cobalt and our elite collaboration with ServiceNow, we will help bring multi-fold business benefits for our clients." Binoy Gosalia , Global Head of Industry Partnerships, ServiceNow said, "Speed and agility are critical for maintaining OT security. Infosys Cobalt's Enterprise Service Management Cafe accelerates its manufacturing clients' ServiceNow journey with an AI-powered plug-and-play deployment solution. We look forward to our continued collaboration enabling manufacturers to navigate and succeed in today's rapidly changing environment."

Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said, "We are delighted to deepen our longstanding relationship with ServiceNow through this collaboration. Building on our deep manufacturing industry expertise, we will help maximize OT asset visibility and cybersecurity which are crucial capabilities for adopting smart manufacturing. ESM Cafe will fundamentally change how organizations harness technology to augment their production processes and transform them into factories of the future." About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infosys-collaborates-with-servicenow-to-provide-enterprise-level-service-management-for-manufacturing-customers-301381250.html SOURCE Infosys

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] AIM ImmunoTech Announces Positive Progress on Requested FDA Meeting for Proposed Ampligen Clinical Trial in Post-COVID-19 Cognitive Dysfunction

OCALA, Fla., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) today announced positive progress with the companys meeting request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning a Phase 2 clinical study of Ampligen as an infusion therapy for Post-COVID-19 Cognitive Dysfunction (PCCD). The meeting request has been deemed sufficient for transfer to the FDAs Division of Neurology by the FDAs Covid Scientific Technical Triage Team.

We are pleased with this next step  the referral to the FDAs Division of Neurology  as our focus is on the brain-related symptoms of Long COVID, said AIM CEO Thomas K. Equels. The planned Phase 2, two-arm, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicenter study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ampligen in patients experiencing PCCD. Eighty subjects will be randomized 1:1 to receive twice weekly infusions of Ampligen or placebo for a period of 12 weeks. Amarex Clinical Research, an NSF International company, will manage the clinical trial. Dr. Kazem Kazempour, Amarex Clinical Research CEO, added, We requested the FDA meeting to consult on the regulatory strategy for this treatment as a central nervous system product. FDA alignment with the strategy illustrates a positive step forward in finding a treatment for PCCD. Moreover, it is both exciting and gratifying to be working on this product for AIM. This is a new and serious COVID-induced disease indication for which there is currently no treatment. For additional information on the brain-related effects of Long COVID, go here: National Geographic

The Economist

The New York Times





About AIM ImmunoTech AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders, and viral diseases, including COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the PSLRA). Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Many of these forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among other things, for those statements, the Company claims the protection of safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the PSLRA. The granting of the Companys meeting request concerning the use of Ampligen as a therapy for PCCD to the FDAs Division of Neurology is an initial step, and no assurance can be given that a meeting will ultimately lead to an approved trial. No assurances can be given as to whether any studies will be successful or yield favorable data. Studies and trials are subject to many factors including lack of regulatory approval(s), lack of study drug, or a change in priorities at the institutions sponsoring other trials. Significant additional testing and trials will be required to determine whether Ampligen will be effective in the treatment of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, as an intranasal therapy or otherwise, and no assurance can be given that this will be the case. There is the potential for delays in clinical trial enrollment and reporting because of the COVID-19 medical emergency. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Contacts: Crescendo Communications, LLC

Phone: 212-671-1021

Email: aim@crescendo-ir.com AIM ImmunoTech Inc

Phone: 800-778-4042

Email: IR@aimimmuno.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Space DC-DC Converter Market worth $52 million by 2026 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets

CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Space DC-DC Converter Market by Application, Type (Isolated, Non-Isolated), Form Factor (Chassis Mount, Enclosed, Brick, Discrete), Input Voltage (<12V, 12-40V, 40-75V, >75V), Output Voltage, Output Power, Platform, Type, and Region - Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Space DC-DC Converter market size is projected to grow from USD 35 million in 2021 to USD 52 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2021 to 2026. The market is driven by various factors, such as increasing satellite constellation, the emergence of digital power management and control, and increased demand for high-performance and cost-effective systems. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=159918662 The space DC-DC converter market includes major players STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), Texas Instruments Incorporated (US), Crane Co. (US), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), and Vicor Corporation (US). These players have spread their business across various countries includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. COVID-19 has impacted their businesses as well. Industry experts believe that COVID-19 has affected space DC-DC converter production and services globally in 2020. Increasing number of satellite constellations will drive the demand for DC-DC converters The major factor driving the space DC-DC converters market is the increasing number of constellation satellites. In 2016, the world's biggest satellite constellation program was announced. This program, known as "OneWeb Satellite Constellations", is aimed at making the internet accessible to everyone in the world. Under this program, around 648 satellites and spares, for a total of about 900 satellites, were launched in 2019. Airbus Defence and Space (Netherlands) has been selected by OneWeb Ltd. (UK) as its industrial partner for the design and manufacturing of its fleet of satellites. The first 10 satellites will be manufactured at Airbus's France facility, while the remaining 890 satellites are expected to be built at the US facility. This program is expected to act as one of the most important driving factors in the space DC-DC converters market. The increasing adoption of small satellites by countries, such as the US, is also expected to drive the growth of the market. This provides a growth opportunity for the space DC-DC converters market, as the increasing usage of small satellites will increase the demand for space DC-DC converters. Modular Devices Inc. provides DC-DC converters, such as Series 3699 and Series 3845, for small satellites. The isolated DC-DC converter is projected to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period Based on type, the isolated type DC-DC converter are projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. Isolated DC-DC converters provide isolation between the input and output sections of the device. A transformer is used for providing isolation; it provides isolation between the input and output sides to prevent the output side of the converter from harmful current surges. Isolated DC-DC converters are designed for high-power rugged scenarios where isolation between supply line and subsystem is preferred for preventing any damage. The enclosed form factor is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on the form factor, the enclosed DC-DC converter is projected to grow at the highest CAGR for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. Enclosed converters are designed to operate at higher teperatures. DC-DC converters with enclosed form factors can provide up to the 10:1 input range. Rad-Hard POL converter from STMicroelectronics (Switzerland) is an enclosed DC-DC converter used in the attitude and orbit control subsystem (AOCS).



Power 10-29W output power DC-DC converter projected to witness highest CAGR during the forecast period The 10-29W output power segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. DC-DC converters with output power 10-29W offer various features, such as synchronized input, radiation-tolerant, remote sense capability, indefinite short circuit protection, and fully isolated. These features make the DC-DC converters suitable for critical space applications. VPT, Inc. (US) offers the SVRHF2800S DC-DC converter, which is a 15W space DC-DC converter that provides very low output noise and is suitable for space applications.

The 5V output voltage DC-DC converter is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on output voltage, the 5v output voltage segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. A 5 volts DC supply is required in various satellite subsystems. The tracking system used in satellites works on 5 volts DC supply. 3DPM0289 from 3D Plus (France) is one of the space DC-DC converters with variable output up to 5Vdc. Other than that, companies like AJ's Power Source (US) and Tame Power (France) also provide customized products for 5 volts rad-hard DC-DC converters. These converters are also used to supply power to memory devices in satellites. The <12V input voltage DC-DC converter is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on input voltage, the <12v input voltage segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. DC-DC converters with input voltages below 12 volts are compact and provide a single output. They are used to power the controllers used in satellites. Such converters are mostly non-isolated converters and provide a regulated output voltage with minimum 0.8V, values above 0.8V, and output 85% of the input. GHP2805D from Infineon Technologies (Germany) is one of the space DC-DC converters with 0.6 to 5.5 V input. The rovers/spacecraft landers segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on the platform, the rovers/spacecraft landers are projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. A rover (or planetary rover) is a planetary surface exploration device designed to move across the solid surface on a planet or other planetary mass celestial bodies. Some rovers have been designed as land vehicles to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others are partially or fully autonomous robots. The electric power subsystems segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on the application, the electric power subsystems are projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. An electric power subsystem is a network of electrical components deployed to transfer, supply, and use electrical power. The EPS consists of a battery, solar panels, distribution units, and power conditioning. There are two solar panels of size 0.81m x 0.72 m in the roll direction of the satellite. There are four DC/DC converters that provide the required secondary voltages for the payloads and bus subsystems. Browse in-depth TOC on "Space DC-DC Converter Market"

252  Tables

43  Figures

242  Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=159918662

The North American market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026 North America is projected to be the largest regional share of the global space DC-DC converter market during the forecast period. Major companies such as Advanced Energy, Vicor Corp., Texas Instruments, Crane Co., XP Power, and Astronics, and small-scale private companies such as VPT, SYNQOR, and AJ's Power Source are based in the US. These players continuously invest in the R&D of new & improved designs of space DC-DC converters. The space DC-DC converters market in North America is driven by the increase in space programs and the launch of new satellites. Space DC-DC converters are power modules used in spacecraft and satellites to provide continuous power supply to the space power management systems. Recent technological developments in satellite manufacturing through electric propulsion systems increased the demand for more efficient space DC-DC power products in the market. Related Reports: Automotive DC-DC Converters Market by Vehicle Type (Commercial, Passenger), Propulsion Type (BEV, FCEV, PHEV), Product Type (Isolated, Non-Isolated), Input Voltage, Output Voltage, Output Power, Region - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Research Insight : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/dc-dc-converter-market.asp

Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/dc-dc-converter.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Assembly surpasses $1B valuation; announces strategic investment led by Advent International

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Assembly, a leading eCommerce software and data platform, today announces a significant capital injection led by Advent International ("Advent"), one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies, also participated in the round. This round, which has boosted Assembly's valuation to north of $1 billion, will be used to continue fueling its growth plans and mission to provide the best software, content and communities that support eCommerce merchants. "What aggregators have done for brands, we have been doing for software," says Sandeep Kella, Co-founder and CEO of Assembly. "We are singularly focused on helping eCommerce merchants grow better by bringing together software tools and combining them with valuable content. Our mission is to meet our customers' needs at every stage of their growth." In the last two years, Assembly acquired five companies, successfully launched 30+ new products to support users, and helped its customers scale revenue more than 125% in aggregate. This results in record growth for Assembly with a 260% increase in ARR since 2019, 230% increase in paying customers, and more than $55B in gross merchandise value directly connected to its applications. Navigating the complexities of today's eCommerce market, however, cannot rely solely on software. Education and community are crucial to help sellers thrive. As such, Assembly has created thousands of hours of up-to-date content to help merchants stay ahead and get the most from their software. Today, their community has grown stronger than ever with more than 350,000 active members collaborating in private groups and more than one million podcast downloads across all properties. With this new capital, Assembly plans to add new industry-first capabilities, expand existing capabilities into new eCommerce platforms, acquire more companies to expedite its product roadmap, and hire more than 200 new employees in the next year. The company aims to offer best-in-class solutions regardless of where an eCommerce merchant is selling, whether that be marketplaces, direct-to-consumer websites, or, more recently, social networks. "There are millions of eCommerce merchants globally that need world-class software to operate more profitably in an increasngly complex multi-channel world," said Eric Wei, a Managing Director on Advent's technology team in Palo Alto. "Assembly is a clear SaaS leader in terms of market intelligence data, user community, and merchant relationships. With Advent's capital, we believe Assembly will become the industry platform to enable all merchants to thrive."



"We're incredibly proud of the growth the Assembly team has achieved to date and the exciting path the company is on as it aims to serve as a one-stop-shop for e-commerce merchants," said Matt Stone, Managing Director at PSG. "We thank Sandeep and the entire Assembly team for their dedication and hard work, and we're excited to continue our partnership to support the next phase of Assembly's evolution." Today, there are nearly 80 different software categories within the eCommerce ecosystem, forcing merchants to navigate over 6,000 solutions. With an established track record of success and an industry-leading team, Assembly continues to be at the forefront for equipping today's merchants with the right software solutions at the right time, with the right education.

About Assembly Assembly is a next-gen e-commerce software and data platform founded in 2019. Through its five main brands, the Company offers a suite of solutions to help merchants optimize and track marketplace performance, social performance, and other performance analytics as well as resources in the form of market insights, content and education. To date, Assembly has served over a million merchants in over 125 countries. For more information, visit: Website: www.withassembly.com LinkedIn: www.linked.com/company/withassembly About Advent International Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in over 380 private equity investments across 42 countries, and as of March 31, 2021, had $75 billion in assets under management. With 14 offices in 11 countries, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 245 private equity investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; health care; industrial; retail, consumer and leisure; and technology. After 35 years dedicated to international investing, Advent remains committed to partnering with management teams to deliver sustained revenue and earnings growth for its portfolio companies. For more information, visit Website: www.adventinternational.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/advent-international About PSG

PSG is a growth equity firm that partners with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities and build strong teams. Having backed more than 80 companies and facilitated over 325 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, Kansas City and London. To learn more about PSG, visit www.psgequity.com. Media Contacts

Assembly

Brynn Whitfield

Assembly PR

brynn@withassembly.com Kelly Anderson

SHIFT Communications

assembly@shiftcomm.com Advent International

Sophia Templin

Finsbury Glover Hering

Adventinternational-US@finsbury.com PSG

Jackie Schofield

Prosek Partners (on behalf of PSG)

jschofield@prosek.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/assembly-surpasses-1b-valuation-announces-strategic-investment-led-by-advent-international-301381217.html SOURCE Assembly

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Amolyt Pharma to Present Phase 1 Clinical Trial Data for Lead Product Candidate AZP-3601 at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 Annual Meeting

LYON, France and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amolyt Pharma, a global company specialized in developing therapeutic peptides for rare endocrine and related diseases, today announced that the company will present a poster at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 Annual Meeting, October 1-4, 2021, in San Diego, CA.

The poster will review data from the single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) healthy volunteer cohorts of the companys Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead product candidate, AZP-3601. AZP-3601 is being developed as a potential treatment for hypoparathyroidism. Details are as follows: ASBMR Annual Meeting

Title: Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics following Single and Multiple Administration of AZP-3601, a Novel Long-Acting PTH Analog, to Healthy Adults Day/time: The poster will be available to meeting participants beginning at 8:00am PT on Friday, October 1, 2021. Additional details can be found on the ASBMR website, and a copy of the poster will be available on the Amolyt website once the presentation concludes. Investor Webinar

Amolyt will host a key opinion leader (KOL) webinar to discuss the Phase 1 results in more detail on Friday, October 1, 2021, at 10:00am ET. Interested parties can register for the webinar here.



About AZP-3601

AZP-3601 is an investigational therapeutic peptide designed to target a specific conformation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor in order to safely produce sustained levels of calcium in the blood and thereby manage the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism. AZP-3601 is designed to be selectively active through this distinct conformation of the PTH receptor and to limit urine calcium excretion by restoring calcium reabsorption by the kidney, with the goal of consequently preventing chronic kidney disease. In addition, AZP-3601 is designed to have a unique receptor profile and short half-life, which would have the potential to preserve bone integrity, an important potential benefit since the majority of patients with hypoparathyroidism are peri- and menopausal women who are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. About Amolyt Pharma

Amolyt Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, is building on its teams established expertise in therapeutic peptides to deliver life-changing treatments to patients suffering from rare endocrine and related diseases. Its portfolio includes AZP-3601, a long-acting PTH analog as a potential treatment of hypoparathyroidism, AZP-3813, a peptide growth hormone receptor antagonist for the potential treatment of acromegaly, and AZP-3404, which is undergoing indication selection work. Amolyt Pharma aims to further expand and develop its portfolio by leveraging its global network in the field of endocrinology and with support from a strong syndicate of international investors. To learn more, visit https://amolytpharma.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @AmolytPharma.

Media:

Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D.

LifeSci Communications

ccecchini@lifescicomms.com

+1.646.876.5196 Investors:

Ashley Robinson

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

arr@lifesciadvisors.com

+1.617.430.7577



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Ehave Appoints Board-Certified Gastroenterologist And Licensed Physician Dr. Rahul Dixit To Its Medical Advisory Board

MIAMI, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ehave, Inc., (OTC Pink: EHVVF) (the Company), a provider of digital therapeutics for the psychedelic and mental health sectors, announced today Dr. Rahul Dixit has agreed to join the Company's Medical Advisory Board. As a member of Ehaves Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Dixits primary responsibilities will be to assist and advise the Company on human trials for its cognitive and psychedelic opportunities, as well as assist and advise the Company on mental health analytical platforms.

Rahul Dixit, MD Dr. Rahul Dixit, MD is a Gastroenterology Specialist with over 17 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine; he completed his residency in Internal Medicine, and a double fellowship in Gastroenterology, at the University of Miami and Hepatology/Liver Transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital. As a student, Rahul Dixit accumulated numerous honors, including the Distinguished Medical Student Service Award. He graduated in the top 1 percent of his undergraduate class and received the Phi Beta Kappa Award. Thanks to his outstanding academic achievements, he is one of the most sought out providers in the medical field. Dr. Dixit is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. He has been widely published in numerous medical journals. Recently, Dr. Dixit was awarded "Top Doc" in LA Magazine 2020. For the past decade, Dr. Dixit has accelerated his business interests as an avid angel investor in biotech pharma and health supplement space. He is a healthcare advisor for many companies including BirlaDK Capital Advisors, G-Plans, Uniquely You, and DNA Analytical Services. He also co-founded Manas Ventures, a highly successful herbal and cannabis focused Biotech venture fund. Dr. Dixit has continued to research and write papers that not only improve his skills and ability to treat patients but, also, adds to the information available to gastroenterologists around the world. Dr. Rahul Dixit said, Im very excited to be a part of Ehave and add to what they have quickly and greatly accomplished in such short time. We know that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and gut has its own nervous system called the enteric system which is made up of trillions of organisms. Dr. Dixit continued, Anywhere from 10-15% of the worldwide population suffers fro irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as other functional diseases which are significantly affected by underlying mental health diseases like depression. Im looking forward to helping patients all around the world with Ehave get closer to understanding the positive effects psychedelic compounds could have on their gastrointestinal ailments and overall health.



Ben Kaplan, CEO of Ehave, Inc. said, Ehave is very fortunate to include such an esteemed medical professional as Dr. Dixit as a member of our Medical Advisory Board. His credentials and experience make him a perfect fit for Ehave. We look forward to Dr. Dixit's expert as we expand our mental health analytical platform and enter clinical trials." About Ehave, Inc.

Ehave, Inc. is a provider of digital therapeutics delivering evidence-based therapeutic interventions to patients. Our primary focus is on improving the standard care in therapeutics to prevent or treat brain disorders or diseases through the use of digital therapeutics, psychedelics, independently or together, with medications, devices, and other therapies to optimize patient care and health outcomes meeting privacy and HIPAA & GDPR Compliant. Our main product is the Ehave Dashboard which is a mental health informatics platform that allows clinicians to make objective and intelligent decisions through data insight using Blockchain technology. The Ehave dashboard offers Offline Encrypted Digital Records Empowering Healthcare providers and patients and it's a powerful machine learning and artificial intelligence platform using artificial intelligence to extract deep insights from audio, video and text to improve research with a growing set of advanced tools and applications developed by Ehave and its leading partners. This empowers patients, healthcare providers, and payers to address a wide range of conditions through high quality, safe, and effective data-driven involvement with intelligent and accessible tools. Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be preceded by the words intends, may, will, plans, expects, anticipates, projects, predicts, estimates, aims, believes, hopes, potential or similar words. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: (i) the initiation, timing, progress and results of the Companys research, manufacturing and other development efforts; (ii) the Companys ability to advance its products to successfully complete development and commercialization; (iii) the manufacturing, development, commercialization, and market acceptance of the Companys products; (iv) the lack of sufficient funding to finance the product development and business operations; (v) competitive companies and technologies within the Companys industry and introduction of competing products; (vi) the Companys ability to establish and maintain corporate collaborations; (vii) loss of key management personnel; (viii) the scope of protection the Company is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering its products and its ability to operate its business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; (ix) potential failure to comply with applicable health information privacy and security laws and other state and federal privacy and security laws; and (x) the difficulty of predicting actions of the USA FDA and its regulations. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement unless required by law. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in Ehave, Inc.s Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 24, 2015, as amended, which is available on the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov. For Investors Relations, please contact: Gabe Rodriguez Phone: (623) 261-9046 Email: ir@ehave.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Zoho Positioned as the Technology Leader in the 2021 SPARK Matrix for Low Code Application Development (LCAD) Platform by Quadrant Knowledge Solutions

MIDDLETON, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quadrant Knowledge Solutions announced today that it has named Zoho as a Technology Leader in the 2021 SPARK Matrix analysis of the global Low Code Application Development (LCAD) platform market for its LCAD platform, Zoho Creator . The Quadrant Knowledge Solutions SPARK Matrix includes a detailed analysis of the global market dynamics, major trends, vendor landscape, and competitive positioning. The study provides competitive analysis and ranking of the leading LCAD platform vendors to help users evaluate vendor capabilities, competitive differentiation, and market position. The market demand for LCAD platforms has grown steadily over the years. The increased adoption of digital transformation by organisations and customers in recent times has further caused an uptick in market traction across industry verticals and various geographical regions. The advancements in LCAD platforms have enabled IT teams to deliver rapid and significant business value. Such advancements mainly include low-code robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), API integration, workflow platforms, intelligent document processing (IDP), case management, analytics, pre-built services, and decision rules. The provisions help developers create, test, maintain, and deploy applications faster, thereby automating the end-to-end business operations. For instance, the in-built analytics features like 'application health dashboard' helps monitor performance of deployed applications, notify developers of any security alerts, and provide real-time intelligence for design improvements. "Zoho Creator, with its comprehensive end-to-end capabilities, allows developers to build scalable and secure custom web and mobile apps that can be extended and integrated with a host of third-party applications. The company has received strong ratings across the parameters of technology excellence and customer impact and has also been positioned amongst the technology leaders in the 2021 SPARK Matrix of the Low Code Application Development (LCAD) platform market," said Sofia Ali, Analyst at Quadrant Knowledge Solutions. "Further, Zoho Creator offers a unified low-code application development platform which incorporates unified data models to patch solutions together fom disparate applications, multi-persona development platforms, and AI capabilities, such that these functions can be directly accessed through both the drag-and-drop builder and a guided IDE that uses Deluge, a proprietary development language from Zoho. Thus, with its robust technology platform, comprehensive functional capabilities, and compelling product strategy and roadmap, Zoho Creator is well-positioned to expand its market share in the global Low Code Application Development (LCAD) platform market," said Ali.



"With Zoho Creator, our vision is to empower everyone to build powerful applications easily. To facilitate this, our feature set continues to get richer, allowing our users to build mission-critical core applications and also support their RPA, AI, complex integration needs, and more. The Creator platform currently supports the digital transformation needs of 13,000+ organizations across the globe, with more than 6 million apps being built on the platform. We're happy that our efforts are being recognized with this leader position in the SPARK Matrix for the second consecutive time," said Bharathkumar B, Head - Customer Experience and Marketing, Zoho Creator. Some of the key differentiators for Zoho's LCAD platform, Creator, include a unified data model to patch solutions together from disparate applications, systems, and technology stacks to make the system work seamlessly. Additionally, the MultiPersona App Development platform offers the developers better user experience and scalability for a range of skill sets, from pro-code to low-code to no-code. Zoho's LCAD platform also appeals to the broadest user base of any LCAD platform in the market.

Zoho also provides an ecosystem of apps that enables application development across sales, marketing, enterprise operations, and finance functions amongst others. The company has implemented a number of AI services such as prediction, keyword extraction, sentiment analysis, OCR, and object detection, amongst others, at the application level. Zoho Creator's AI capabilities can also be accessed through both the drag-and-drop builder and through programming custom Deluge tasks. Finally, full spectrum development allows applications to be built for a number of different devices like web, native mobile for iOS and Android as well as a PWA with an option of device-specific customization, which again stands out as a differentiating feature for the company's LCAD offering. For the complete report, please click here . About Zoho With 50+ apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back-office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world's most prolific software companies. Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 9,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Chennai, India. Additional offices are in the United States, India, Japan, China, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. More than 60 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho every day to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. For more information, please visit www.zoho.com . About Quadrant Knowledge Solutions Quadrant Knowledge Solutions is a global advisory and consulting firm, which mainly focuses on helping clients, and allows them to achieve business transformation goals with Strategic Business and Growth advisory services. At Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, our vision is to become an integral part of our client's business as a strategic knowledge partner. Our research and consulting deliverables are designed to provide comprehensive information and strategic insights for helping clients formulate growth strategies to survive and thrive in ever-changing business environments. For more available research, please visit https://quadrant-solutions.com/market-research/ Media Contacts Riya Mehar, rmehar@quadrant-solutions.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zoho-positioned-as-the-technology-leader-in-the-2021-spark-matrix-for-low-code-application-development-lcad-platform-by-quadrant-knowledge-solutions-301381474.html SOURCE Quadrant Knowledge Solutions

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] AXIM Biotechnologies Appoints Joseph Tauber, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of its Medical Advisory Board

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AXIM Biotechnologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AXIM) (AXIM Biotech, or the Company), an international healthcare solutions company targeting oncological, COVID-19 and dry eye disease (DED) diagnostics, today announced that it has appointed Joseph Tauber, MD as Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of its Medical Advisory Board.

With over 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Tauber is an internationally recognized authority in the field of ocular surface diseases including dry eye and meibomitis management. He is an entrepreneurial private practice ophthalmologist with extensive experience as a clinical trials researcher and business consultant to global health product companies and institutional investors. Dr. Tauber has served on numerous scientific advisory boards and as the Ophthalmology representative at institutional investor-focused conferences. Dr. Tauber is arguably among the worlds leading authorities on dry eye and ocular surface disease, including researching the causes, treating, and diagnosing patients with dry eye disease, said John W. Huemoeller II, AXIM Biotech Chief Executive Officer. Our goal is to build a powerful diagnostic company, which begins with assisting doctors to diagnose DED faster and more efficiently than alternative methods. We are honored and excited to have such a distinguished ophthalmic DED professional to help guide our strategy and future innovations to capture a larger share of the growing Dry Eye Disease market. Joseph Tauber, MD Summary Bio

Dr. Tauber is the founder and CEO of Tauber Eye Center, a practice focused on corneal disease, uveitis and ocular immunology and complex corneal surgical procedures as well as Medical Director of Saving Sight, the US third largest eye bank. Dr. Tauber has been centrally involved in virtually every significant dry eye development project during the past 25 years. He has served as a Principal Investigator in over 140 multicenter clinical trials including those that led to the approval of all four medications currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of dry eye  Restasis, Xiidra, Cequa and Eyesuvis. He has been avidly involved in research for nearly three decades, and a principal investigator in over 140 research studies across a broad range of eye conditions, including high-risk corneal transplantation, inflammation and allergic eye diseases, corneal infectious diseases and numerous ocular surface conditions. Dr. Tauber received his doctorate from Harvard Medical School, residency training in internal medicine at Beth Israel Hospital and in ophthalmology at Tufts-New England Medical Center, and fellowship training in Ocular Immunology and in Corneal Diseases and Surgery at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, all in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Tauber has also written eight book chapters and over 80 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of ocular surface and immunologic disease for prestigious medical journals as Ophthalmology, Investigaive Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and Cornea. He has been awarded the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellowship Award and a National Eye Institute Individual NRSA Award.



Dry Eye Disease Market

Recent estimates of the prevalence of dry eye disease are that over 26 million people in the United States and over 300 million globally suffer with dry eye disease. The prevalence is growing in both young and old adults, making it more urgent that clinicians are better able to diagnose and treat DED. As many as two-thirds of patients with symptoms of dry eye have never been diagnosed by their physician. Diagnosing DED is a challenge because of the multifactorial nature of the disease, with symptoms similar to other ocular surface conditions. It is well known that there is often a discordance between signs and symptoms, highlighting the need for more sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools. About AXIM Biotechnologies

Founded in 2014, AXIM Biotechnologies, Inc. (AXIM) is a vertically integrated research and development company focused on changing the landscape of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), dry eye disease (DED) and Oncological indications. AXIMs COVID-19 neutralizing antibody test is the first rapid diagnostic test measuring levels of functional neutralizing antibodies that are believed to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from entering the host cells. Additionally, the Company is developing rapid diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer and ophthalmological conditions such as DED. For more information, please visit www.AXIMBiotech.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements made by Axim Biotechnologies Inc., in this press release may be forward-looking in nature within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe Axims future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Axim Biotechnologies, Inc. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to there being no assurance that our diagnostic candidate will be successfully shown to detect SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, that the diagnostic candidate will be approved for use by the U.S. FDA or any equivalent foreign regulatory agency, that the diagnostic candidate can be manufactured in large quantities or that third parties with an established presence in blood collection clinics, vaccine development, employer or individual use will enter into agreements or purchase from the Company, and even if the Companys diagnostic candidate is successful, it may generate only limited revenue and profits for the Company, including whether any of Axims diagnostic products will receive clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies to sell its products and whether and when, if at all, they will receive final approval from the U.S. FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, the fact that there has never been a commercial diagnostic test utilizing neutralizing antibodies approved for use and various other factors detailed from time to time in Axims SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on April 15, 2021 and other reports we file with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov . Axim Biotechnologies, Inc., undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law. CONTACTS



Public Relations Contact:

Kathryn Brown

Account Director

CMW Media

P. 858-264-6600

kathryn@cmwmedia.com

www.cmwmedia.com AXIM Corporate Contact Info:

6191 Cornerstone Ct., Ste. 114

San Diego, CA 92121, USA

P. 858-923-4422 Investor Relations Contact:

investors@aximbiotech.com

888-759-0844 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bff9a8be-44f6-4762-9f2d-969b8163cca2



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] EnTribe Partners with Butler University and The University of Tulsa to Engage Students During Return to Campus with User Generated Content

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnTribe, the CRM for User Generated Content, today announced partnerships with two Division I schools - Butler University and The University of Tulsa  to amplify back to campus activities through robust user generated content (UGC) initiatives. With the start of the Fall Semester and a return to in-classroom learning following the pandemic, colleges and universities are seeking novel and fun ways to connect with new and returning students as they arrive on campus to begin the academic year. At Butler University, the first activation with EnTribe will be during Weekend of Welcome/Move-in, where dormitory doorknob hangers will include QR codes that will direct students to a content uploader to share pictures of their newly decorated rooms. Welcome Week is always an exciting time, especially for first-year students coming to campus. These students are immediately building new relationships and forging their first campus experiences, which provides us with a great opportunity to showcase their school spirit, said Michael Kaltenmark, Director of External Relations, Butler University. There is no better way for us to demonstrate what makes our university great than through the eyes of our own students, which is why we believe UGC is a powerful tool for us moving forward. The University of Tulsa will take a similar approach with QR codes, placing flyers and other physical materials around its campus to engage with incoming freshmen and encourage them to share photos of their first experiences as college students. Most students already document their daily life on social media to share with their friends and family, so we are thrilled that we have a new way to encourage them to share that same content with their fellow students and beyond, said Mona Chamberlin, TU director of marketing and communications. UGC is a terrific way for us to connect with past, present and future students and highlight all of the unique things that make our university distinctive. EnTribes platform connects colleges and universitis directly with current and incoming students through automated communications tools integrated into the platform. These tools help marketing teams provide direction on the type of content theyre looking for and where creators can upload the content  whether it be posted on a social media platform using a specific hashtag or uploaded directly to a unique web portal  as well as reward creators once their photos or videos have been received. The content then populates on their EnTribe dashboard where marketing teams can select material using advanced filters, multi-keyword searches, AI hashtag recommendations, and automatically verify the ownership and location of images. Through securing rights to uploaded content, EnTribe also tracks custom clearances in a proprietary CMS. Overall, EnTribe makes it easy for colleges and universities to better control the content their communities are sharing and use authentic student experiences at the center of their marketing initiatives to engage with target audiences more effectively.



Colleges and universities can benefit greatly from user generated content by showcasing different student activities on social media and digital channels, repurposing content for more authentic marketing materials, and finding new ways to connect with students, applicants, faculty, and alumni, said Adam Dornbusch, CEO and founder of EnTribe, Our goal with the platform is to equip higher education institutions with tools to more easily curate content, connect with and manage their communities, as well as measure key success metrics at scale. As college enrollment continues to decline due to uncertainty around the pandemic, colleges and universities are scrambling to find fresh and exciting ways to engage with current and prospective students, as well as successful alumni, to boost interest and enrollment. EnTribes partnerships with Butler University and The University of Tulsa aims to help the universities activate their communities and generate authentic, quality content to rejuvenate marketing initiatives, with the end goal of driving excitement about and participation in college life among prospective and incoming students.

About EnTribe EnTribe is one of the first SaaS platforms that helps build a community of creators for your brand. We go beyond UGC management by making it easier for you to search, acquire and connect with your community. To meet these goals, we empower you with collaborative tools, interactive features, and easy-to-track performance charts. Overall, EnTribe lets you access fresh content by connecting you with all the active members of your community. It also boosts customer engagement by bridging the gap between what you want and what they share. This, in turn, leads to effective and authentic marketing campaigns. About Butler University Butler University is a nationally recognized comprehensive university encompassing six colleges: Arts, Business, Communication, Education, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Approximately 4,600 undergraduate and 800 graduate students are enrolled at Butler, representing 45 states and 30 countries. More than 75 percent of Butler students will participate in some form of internship, and Butler students have had significant success after graduation, as demonstrated by the Universitys 97 percent placement rate within one year of graduation. The University was recently listed as the No. 1 regional university in the Midwest, according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, in addition to being included in The Princeton Reviews annual best colleges guidebook. About The University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa is a private, doctoral degree-granting institution that fosters a rich, diverse experience for students through mutual respect and cultural appreciation. With 4,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students from 60 countries, TU is a Top 100 private university and Oklahomas best value. Research opportunities start the moment students step on campus. Innovation and entrepreneurship are emphasized in equal measure with foundational coursework and design-thinking exercises. Through collaboration and commitment, the TU community generates prosperity, cultivates justice and serves others. Real-world experience is plentiful, and domestic alumni report exceptional placement rates and high earnings potential.

Media Contact: Samantha Breccia FischTank PR samantha@fischtankpr.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Spaceflight Inc.'s New Launch Contracts Bolster Growth of Space Infrastructure

Spaceflight Inc., the global launch services provider, announced it has recently signed several new launch agreements with a wide range of organizations that are expanding space infrastructure. The satellite constellations provide communications networks, device connectivity, weather forecasts, Earth observation, analytics networks, spacecraft collision avoidance, propellant depots, and more. Spaceflight is actively planning several Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) missions to support these efforts in low Earth orbit (LEO), Geosynchronous Equatorial orbit (GEO) and other cislunar destinations. Notably, Spaceflight has signed new launch deals with Astrocast, Canon (News - Alert) Electronics, Capella Space, GeoJump, HawkEye 360, Orbit Fab, Loft Orbital, NASA, NearSpace Launch Inc. / Inter-Modal Holding LLC, Portland State Aerospace Society, Space Products and Innovation (SPiN), Spacemanic, University of Toronto Aerospace Team, Xona Space Systems, and several undisclosed U.S. government organizations. The list represents a combination of first-time flyers and repeat customers of Spaceflight, along with several spacecraft that were originally scheduled to launch on a different vehicle. However, when those launches were delayed indefinitely, Spaceflight stepped in to remanifest the affected customers to ensure their spacecraft could get on orbit as quickly as possible. "We're seeing a significant rise in organizations, both commercial and government, moving beyond their initial pathfinder missions to pursue fully-operational space infrastructure missions and constellations," said Grant Bonin, SVP of business development at Spaceflight Inc. "Whether it's connecting IoT devices, monitoring weather, communications for emergency o consumer purposes, or fueling and tracking other satellites in space, these organizations are trailblazers, creating infrastructure to drive positive results that can improve our way of life. We're pleased to offer proven launch and in-space transportation solutions to a wide range of destinations, from low Earth orbit to far-reaching orbits to satisfy their mission needs and expand these critical building blocks."



One customer that continues to launch satellites at a rapid pace is Astrocast, a company building a nanosatellite IoT network to tackle challenges in industries such as agriculture and livestock, oil, gas and mining, maritime, environmental, connected vehicles, and IoT devices with a comprehensive direct-to-orbit service. Astrocast's growing constellation helps organizations track assets by operating a sustainable and advanced nanosatellite network. A long-time customer of Spaceflight, Astrocast has launched 12 satellites with the launch services provider and has plans to launch a total of 100 nanosatellites. In order to do this, Astrocast needs timely, regular, reliable, and cost-effective launches, which Spaceflight offers through its portfolio of launch vehicle partners and range of launch services.

"Launch flexibility and reliability is critical to the success of our constellation," said Kjell Karlsen, CFO of Astrocast. "Through its variety of launches and launch services, Spaceflight offers a significant amount of flexibility with reliable vehicles which is unique and incredibly valuable in this industry. We have worked with Spaceflight in the past to reschedule launches and have been able to minimize delays as a result. Spaceflight understands our objectives and needs and that is what we need from our launch provider." Spaceflight recently reported 100% mission success from its SXRS-5 mission onboard SpaceX's (News - Alert) Transporter-2 mission in June, which successfully deployed 36 spacecraft. It marked the first flight of two Sherpa OTVs including Sherpa-LTE1, the industry's first electric propulsion OTV. In addition to many traditional rideshare and dedicated missions, Spaceflight is preparing for multiple Sherpa missions, including the inaugural flight of Sherpa-LTC1, its chemical propulsion OTV, and Sherpa-ES, a new propulsive transfer vehicle, designed to execute missions to trans-lunar orbit, low-lunar orbit and beyond to geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO). About Spaceflight Inc. As the premier global launch services provider, Spaceflight is revolutionizing the business of space transportation through its comprehensive suite of launch services and Sherpa orbital transfer vehicles. The company provides unprecedented launch flexibility to ensure customers' smallsats get to orbit exactly when and where they want through a combination of long-standing relationships with a diverse portfolio of launch partners, innovative satellite integration capabilities, including flight and ground support hardware, licensing and logistics management, and extensive mission management expertise. Based in Seattle, Spaceflight has successfully launched hundreds of satellites and is a part of the Mitsui & Co., Ltd. portfolio, operating as an independent, U.S.-based company. For more information, visit http://www.spaceflight.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005297/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] MeridianLink's TazWorks Expands Employment Verification Capabilities with Partner MeasureOne

MeridianLink, Inc. (NYSE: MLNK) today announced TazWorks, its leading technology platform for independent background screening professionals, has expanded employment verification offerings with data provider MeasureOne. MeasureOne's consumer-permissioned data platform-as-a-service is a comprehensive, automated system for accessing, acquiring, parsing, and delivering education, employment, income, and other consumer data solutions. "We appreciate the opportunity to expand our partnership with MeridianLink, TazWorks, and their background screening community," said Yaron Oren, chief revenue officer, MeasureOne. "We've seen a lot of success collaborating with TazWorks to deliver our innovative, alternative approach to verifying educational data. We look forward to bringing the same benefits of our consumer-permissioned approach to verification of employment, such as speed, cost-efficiency, accuracy, and transparency." This partnership enables TazWorks to offer employment verification that provides expansive coverage, with broader data access than previously avaiable. The solution also offers flexible deployment options for seamless integrations.



"The addition of MeasureOne's employment verification is a great win for TazWorks clients," said Amy Daniels, senior vice president, Partner Marketplace, MeridianLink. "This product offers applicant-permissioned data to businesses where only the necessary information is extracted and shared. We see this as an important advancement as applicant privacy, which is a top priority for all parties involved." To learn more about MeasureOne verification services, visit https://tazworks.com/support or contact TazWorks support at (801) 572-7401.

About MeridianLink MeridianLink (NYSE: MLNK) is a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, specialty lending providers and consumer reporting agencies. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, MeridianLink provides services to more than 1,900 customers, including a majority of the financial institutions on Forbes' 2020 lists of America's Best Credit Unions and Banks. Further information can be found at www.meridianlink.com. About MeasureOne MeasureOne, the leading consumer-permissioned data exchange platform, transforms the way in which businesses access and use consumer data. MeasureOne empowers organizations to access a wide range of trusted consumer data while prioritizing privacy and consent. Through MeasureOne's platform, businesses can confidently and reliably integrate and verify consumer information such as income, employment, education and student enrollment. MeasureOne offers flexible implementation options for businesses to easily leverage consumer-permissioned data, from a developer-friendly API to third party integrations. MeasureOne is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information about MeasureOne, visit www.measureone.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005025/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Intrommune Therapeutics Appoints Gerard Kugel, D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intrommune Therapeutics, a New York-based, clinical stage biotechnology company developing a patient-friendly treatment platform for peanut and other food allergies, announced the appointment of Gerard Kugel, D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D. to serve on its scientific advisory board.

The Companys oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) platform is based on the well-accepted principles of allergy immunotherapy. The companys initial product, INT301, is an immunotherapy treatment for peanut allergy delivered via a specially-formulated toothpaste designed to optimize exposure of allergenic proteins to a patients immune system while also cleaning their teeth. Intrommune is currently enrolling patients into its INT301 Phase 1 clinical trial. Considering that our lead product will be delivered via an innovative toothpaste, our relationship with Dr. Kugel will prove extremely valuable, said Michael Nelson, CEO, Intrommune Therapeutics. Receiving input from the dental community in the development and use of our product is vitally important and we look forward to the Dr. Kugels knowledge, guidance and expertise as we move towards commercialization. INT301 immunotherapy will be a toothpaste replacement, providing a simple daily administration which supports long term use and adherence. INT301 delivers peanut protein to the entire interior of mouth including areas with high concentrations of oral immune cells. As a toothpaste, swallowing is limited, reducing contact with stomach and esophagus. By limiting the ingestion of allergens, the associated adverse events are expected to be rare and side effects minor. Intrommunes OMIT technology is a very elegant immunotherapy platform for the treatment of peanut allergy  its easy to use and has the potential to transform millions of lives, said Gerard Kugel, D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D., Trinity Dental Boston, Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and the Academy of Dental Materials. Treatment regimens that are too complicated suffer from lack of adherence, especially in a pediatric patient population. A toothpaste makes adherence so easy -- resulting in a much higher compliance rate. In addition to holding four patents in the field of dental technology, Dr. Kugel also maintains a group practice at Trinity Dental Boston -- one of Bostons largest and most reputable dental offices. Beyond his work in private practice, Dr. Kugels career path spans more than 35 years of service in several academic organizations focused on esthetics and operative dentistry. Dr. Kugel has earned numerous dental educational and professional training certificates and is a diplomat of the American Board of Aesthetic Dentistry and the recipient of The Thomas Hinma Dental Meeting Medallion for Contributions to Dental Continuing Education.



Dr. Kugels leadership in the field of restorative dentistry is also illustrated through his editorial advisory board positions at Inside Dentistry, Clinical Dentistry and Research, Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry and Compendium. He belongs to scores of professional societies and has written and contributed to hundreds of scientific and clinical publications. More than 220 million people globally suffer from food allergies. If approved, INT301 has the potential to be the first oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) allergy treatment that easily integrates into a persons daily routine as both first-line and long-term maintenance therapy for peanut allergy.

The OMIT platform is expected to improve allergy immunotherapy by increasing the precision of treatment delivery and promoting treatment adherence. OMIT delivers immunotherapy to the oral mucosa, which has the highest likelihood of initiating allergy desensitization. Targeted delivery of medication is expected to decrease the rate of side effects linked to swallowing food allergy proteins, including eosinophilic esophagitis, gastrointestinal discomfort and potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis that requires the use of emergency epinephrine. About Peanut and Other Food Allergies

Food allergies affect more than 220 million people, including approximately 32 million people in the U.S. Management of food allergies currently focuses on avoidance of exposure to triggering foods, though often such foods, including peanuts, are common ingredients in food products and therefore difficult to avoid. Many people with peanut allergy are accidentally exposed and experience potentially life-threatening reactions, including anaphylaxis, each year. Unfortunately, food allergy remains an area of tremendous unmet medical need. About Oral Mucosal Immunotherapy

Oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) uses a specially formulated toothpaste to stabilize and deliver allergenic proteins to immunologically active areas of the oral cavity with the greatest potential for allergy desensitization. Success with allergy immunotherapy hinges on consistent exposure of a patients immune system to gradually desensitize the patient to the specific allergy trigger over time. OMIT promises advantages over other approaches to allergy immunotherapy due to its targeted delivery, simplified administration, and support of reliable, long-term adherence. About Intrommune Therapeutics

Intrommune, dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of people with food allergy, is developing the revolutionary oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT) treatment platform for food allergies. OMIT is a long-term, patient-friendly, disease-modifying solution for the greater than 220 million people, including 32 million people in the U.S., who suffer from life-altering food allergies. Intrommunes lead product, INT301, has entered phase 1 clinical trials and is expected to be a safe, effective and convenient therapy for patients who suffer from peanut allergy. For more information on Intrommune Therapeutics, please visit http://www.intrommune.com Contact:

John F. Kouten

JFK Communications, Inc.

609-241-7352

jfkouten@jfkhealth.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release may contain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are identified by certain words or phrases such as "may," "will," "aim," "will likely result," "believe," "expect," "will continue," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "contemplate," "seek to," "future," "objective," "goal," "project," "should," "will pursue" and similar expressions or variations of such expressions. These forward- looking statements reflect the company's current expectations about its future plans and performance. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates which could be inaccurate and which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from those anticipated or expressed in any forward-looking statement made by the company. The company disclaims any obligation or intent to update the forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. This release does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] 'Maryland Business Adapts' Event Announces Call for Nominations

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- COVID-19 was a test like no other for global businesses. Some failed. But many others persevered, adapted  and thrived. In the midst of it all, the Center for Global Business (CGB) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business organized Maryland Business Adapts to celebrate five Maryland-based exporting companies for their resilience in the pandemic. This virtual networking and learning event included special guests Ben Cardin, U.S. senator for Maryland, and Kelly Schulz, Maryland state secretary of commerce, and Anthony Roche, McCormick vice president for Human Resources  Global Functions. Now, with the pandemic still disrupting global trade, CGB is organizing another event, aimed at recognizing even more Maryland businesses who have found ways to adapt  and who are willing to share those discoveries with others. The Maryland Business Adapts 21/22 initiative seeks to celebrate the adjustments during the pandemic of Maryland companies in international business, while providing insights for topics like minimizing business risk of their global operations or preparation for sudden operational changes. "Even during turbulent times, Maryland's global businesses have demonstrated remarkable resilience. They understand how to respond rapidly to volatile conditions and how to manage international risk," says Rebecca Bellinger, executive director of the Center for Global Business. "We're inviting them to share their insights and their stories, so that their stories can serve as valuable lessons for other companies  and for our students as they progress into global carers."



The center is collecting nominations through Nov. 19 for five companies to be recognized in the second annual Maryland Adapts Business Roundtable event, to take place in spring 2022. During the event, the companies will be further recognized with a certificate and an opportunity to share in-depth their strategies and takeaways. And their insights will continue to inform and instruct others beyond the roundtable talk. CGB will produce open-source case studies for classroom use that highlight these companies' practices during the pandemic.

"This is a great opportunity for companies to participate in a collaborative process where people can share ideas and be celebrated for their innovative strategies," Bellinger says. She encourages everyone to nominate companies that they believe deserve recognition for their work during the pandemic and hopes this is the start of a new yearly collaboration. "Every year there are going to be trends, events and challenges that companies have to adapt to," Bellinger says. "This initiative can help bring people and companies together to share some of the best strategies to move forward." Key partners of the initiative include the U.S. Commercial Service Baltimore, the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland/DC District Export Council, and Maryland Smith's Office of Career Services and Office of Executive Education. For more information about Maryland Business Adapts 21/22 or to submit a nomination, visit the event webpage. This event is supported in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant administered by the U.S. Department of Education. About the Center for Global Business

The Center for Global Business at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business connects the diverse members of the Maryland Smith community (students, faculty, staff, alumni) to the world and the world to the Smith School, to provide these members and partners with opportunities to gain a global mindset and build international business skills, and to serve as a Maryland resource center for companies seeking to take their goods and services into the global marketplace. About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. Contact: Greg Muraski at gmuraski@umd.edu. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/maryland-business-adapts-event-announces-call-for-nominations-301381599.html SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Jeongah Seo Joins Odgers Berndtson as Head of People Analytics & Talent Insights

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Odgers Berndtson, the world's sixth largest global executive search firm, is pleased to announce Jeongah Seo has joined the firm as Head of People Analytics & Talent insights, responsible for driving the firm's data, analytics, and intelligence business and strategy. Jeongah, or "J," joins Odgers Berndtson after more than four years with another tier one search firm where she was Director of Global Analytics & Commercial Network Operations, driving the firm's global analytics strategy and vision. When it comes to driving strategy through talent, leadership and organization, pressure is mounting for companies around the globe. As organizations are being tasked with rebalancing board makeup , developing and executing diversity and inclusion strategies, and more  clients are looking for insights to translate, connect and synchronize their corporate and human capital strategies now more than ever. J Seo will further instate Odgers Berndtson as the firm that is innovating, reimagining, and building integrated data, product and service capabilities  bringing to our clients' unique value and insight-driven solutions. "I am looking forward to bringing my experience leading companies through uncertainty, transformation, and revitalization to achieve business goals aligning and architecting cohesive paths forward, maximizing margin and imact" said Seo. "Joining a team that is focused on collaboration, and experienced working through the changing needs of clients, is an exciting opportunity."



Kennon Kincaid, Chief Operating Officer of Odgers Berndtson US, echoes Seo's priorities: "We are delighted to welcome J to the firm. All of our clients are riding the wave of change as they compete to lead their industries. In order to accomplish their goals, they need new and fresh access to talent, which we provide our clients in the form of world class executive search and through our dynamic research and people analytics. With her strong focus on bringing commercial and business value through analytics, J is uniquely qualified to optimize and elevate our proprietary data analytics." Says Odgers Berndtson U.S. CEO Steve Potter, "J has spent most of her career focused on change management, process optimization, operations, and commercial growth strategy, and she brings keen analytics and insights that will help deliver unique digital solutions to our clients. She is a resourceful data analytics leader who is passionate about shaping the future of talent, and able to push the status quo to deploy data and technology process in novel ways. Her background will be a real benefit to Odgers Berndtson U.S. as we help our clients identify and build teams of highly qualified, diverse, and inclusive executives with the ability to lead their companies and organizations into the future."

As Head of People Analytics & Talent Insights, Seo will be responsible for accelerating commercialization of data and IP through creative solutions for Odgers Berndtson, which includes scaling of proprietary technology and data offerings such as OBDynamics and IdenX. Says Seo. "I look forward to bringing my experience operating at the intersection of operational excellence, technology, and products, in order to bring creative and impactful solutions to Odgers Berndtson and the clients we serve." About Odgers Berndtson

For more than 50 years, Odgers Berndtson has delivered executive search, leadership assessment, and development strategies to the world's biggest and best organizations. Odgers Berndtson's 250+ partners cover more than 50 sectors and operate out of more than 30 countries. The U.S. wing of the firm launched in 2011 and is one of the fastest growing search firms in the Americas. Odgers Berndtson currently has U.S. offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. CONTACT

Stacy Buchanan

stacy.buchanan@odgersberndtson.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jeongah-seo-joins-odgers-berndtson-as-head-of-people-analytics--talent-insights-301380612.html SOURCE Odgers Berndtson

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Plexo Capital Launches Education Platform For Emerging Fund Managers

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Plexo Capital, led by Founding Managing Partner Lo Toney, today announced the launch of their new GPx program for emerging fund managers. GPx is an open-source educational community supporting great investors to become great fund managers through video content modules taught by world class leaders from the venture capital ecosystem. GPx is an open-source educational community supporting great investors to become great fund managers. "The GPx program is free of charge and helps emerging managers solve the problem of understanding all the nuances of fund management. There is so much to learn about transitioning from an investor to fund manager, and new emerging managers often do not know what they do not know," said Toney. The educational content is split into three pillars that educate and empower emerging fund managers: 1/ Forming a Fund, 2/ Raising a Fund and 3/ Managing a Fund. The GPx learning platform is comprised of educational modules from leading technology executives and leaders providing their insights on the above topics, including: Lindel Eakman, Partner at the Foundry Group, Erin Harkless Moore, Investments Director at Pivotal Ventures, Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, Elizabeth 'Beezer' Clarkson, Managing Partner at Sapphire Partners, Braughm Ricke, Founder of Aduro Advisors, Brian Patterson, Partner & Business Attorney at Gunderson Dettmer LLP, Jeff Bloom, Counsel at Gunderson Dettmer LLP, Sunil Pai, Partner at AngelList, Chris Douvos, Founder of Ahoy Capital, Claire Van Dyk, Venture Partner at Broom Ventures, Jess Brooking, Chief Operating Officer at Aduro Advisors, Michael Seibel, Managing Director & Group Partner at Y Combinator, Jihan Bowes-Little, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Bracket Capital,Keon Holmes, Investment Managing Director at Cambridge Associates, Jeremiah Gordon, General Counsel at CapitalG, Michael Rewkiewicz, Audit & Advisory Partner at Frank, Rimerman, + Co. LLP, Tanya Soman, Managing Partner at 24 Carrot VC, Daniel Blake, Managing Director at University Impact, Richard Kerby, General Partner at Equal Ventures, and Michael Kim, Founder of Cendana Capital.



Elizabeth 'Beezer' Clarkson, Partner at Sapphire Partners, shares why she chose to participate and provide insights for the GPx cohort, "Providing my expertise on the topic of Minimum Viable Fund Size and connecting with the cohort of emerging fund managers is a wonderful way to give back to the venture community. Knowing that the cohort is comprised of women and people of color makes it even more valuable as the next generation of investors will create a more equitable future, and I am glad to be part of that through GPx." The first GPx cohort of diverse emerging fund managers includes: Mac Conwell, Rarebreed Ventures, Tessa Flippin, Capitalize VC, Sean Mendy, Concrete Rose Capital, Allison Stillman, Serena Ventures, Jennifer Hopp, ATO Ventures, David Kumaran, Aether, Marcos Fernandez, Fiat Ventures, Cee Cee Schnugg, Boom Capital, Andre Charoo, Maple VC, Molly Fowler, Dorm Room Fund, Nait Jones, Andreesen Horowitz (TxO), Maya Horgan Famodu, Ingressive Capital.

"The thing about GPx that's been amazing for us at RareBreed Ventures has been the community of other emerging managers that we've been able to work with and now even co-invest. The learnings and teachings from industry leaders has been invaluable," exclaims Mac Conwell, GP at Rarebreed Ventures. "When I was a founder, I went through several accelerators, and as a Black man, I recognized early on one of the things I lacked was network and community. Accelerators were an easy way for me to gain that as an entrepreneur. Now, as an investor, I feel the same sense of community and network being at GPx. I'm super excited and couldn't be happier to be in partnership with Plexo Capital, as they truly care about the emerging managers they support." The GPs in the first GPx cohort had an opportunity to present to prospective limited partners (investors in venture capital funds) during the Plexo Capital Summit to raise capital for the GPs' funds. Additionally, the GPx live sessions allow for real-time insights from top venture capitalists and peer-learning within the GPx cohort and community. Sponsors of the program include: Alphabet, City National Bank, Practical VC and Gunderson Dettmer. Learn more about the GPx program here. About Plexo Capital Plexo Capital is an institutional investor focused on investing in venture capital funds led by general partners creating the next generation of leading franchises and private companies led by entrepreneurs building the future. Portfolio companies include: Clover Health (exit), Humane, Nearby, Blavity, and Wonderschool. Contact:

Kate Talbot

kate@plexocap.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plexo-capital-launches-education-platform-for-emerging-fund-managers-301381102.html SOURCE Plexo Capital LP

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of BF&M Limited and Its Subsidiaries

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a" (Excellent) of BF&M Life Insurance Company Limited (BF&M Life), BF&M General Insurance Company Limited (BF&M General) and Island Heritage Insurance Company, Ltd. (Island Heritage) (Cayman Islands). AM Best also has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of "bbb" (Good) of the parent company, BF&M Limited (BF&M). All companies are domiciled in Hamilton, Bermuda, unless otherwise stated. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect BF&M's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. BF&M's ratings and outlooks are underpinned by the strongest assessment, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). BF&M has a history of maintaining levels of capitalization more than sufficient to cover the underwriting and investment risks. BF&M's financial results in 2020 were strong and primarily driven by the lower utilization rates driven by shelter-in-place measures directed by the Bermuda government in the first half of the year, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly affected the island. The company's business profile is reflective of the solid market share it garners in its domestic market of Bermuda and geographic diversification of business throughout the Caribbean through its Island Heritage subsidiary, where it adds primarily property/casualty (P/C) premium. BF&M is focused on profitable growth, and in 2020, divested its majority ownership of Insurance Corporation of Barbados Ltd (ICBL), as ICBL's financial results were not meeting BF&M's expectations. Premium growth from BF&M's health line of business has been stagnant since the local government moved to fund its largest health provider and its authority, the Bermuda Hospital Bard, with a block grant annually in 2019. This was considered phase one in what was expected to be a lengthy process toward a national plan, which has been delayed due to COVID-19 and general uncertainty of the longevity of the pandemic. AM Best will continue to monitor the developments of the Ministry of Health's future market reform plans and how BF&M adapts to them.



BF&M's significant catastrophe reinsurance protection and overall risk management philosophy are central to the organization's efforts to mitigate negative financial impacts to the group. However, in 2020, there was minimal impact to the P/C operations from catastrophe loss. The main headwind for Caribbean insurers was the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting containment measures, social distancing requirements, border closures, and declines in external demand that led to one of the worst economic contractions in the region's history. Despite this, P/C results remained resilient because of the group's strict underwriting guidelines and its ability to transition easily to a remote environment. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005770/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] itel Opens Customer Experience Center In Midwestern USA

Purpose-built for luxury retail brand JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- itel, an award-winning international customer experience partner based in the Caribbean, has announced plans to open a 34,000 sq. ft. contact center in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Launching October 1st, 2021, the facility represents itel's first physical footprint in the USA, adding to the company's established nationwide network of work-at-home agents. The new Southern Indiana customer experience center will immediately create 150 jobs in the area this fall, with plans to expand to upwards of 300 employees in 2022. From this site, itel will handle customer care calls, chat and email support for a Fortune 500 luxury fashion retail brand. The site, formerly owned by another contact center, will be retrofitted in the 'itel way' to meet the contact center needs for its high-end retail client, which will offer above-average hourly rates for personaized customer experience delivery. Jeffersonville, Indiana is an ideal setting for itel's contact center, being a small vibrant town just one mile north of Louisville, Kentucky.



The announcement is part of a larger trend of contact center outsourcing moving closer to home  a trend that was greatly accelerated by the pandemic. Nearshore destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America (LACA) rebounded quickly after the initial downturn brought on by COVID, and have continued to see clients shift business from more traditional offshoring destinations in an effort to maximize on cost, culture and quality benefits through enhanced geo-diversity. Certain brands, itel's experience has shown, are committed to onshoring with specialized expertise delivered stateside. "Having an enjoyable customer journey has become increasingly important to customers and is essential for companies that want to remain competitive," says Yoni Epstein, Founding Chairman and CEO of itel (formerly itelbpo).

"Our nearshore centers are fully equipped to enhance the customer journey at incredible cost-savings, yet some clients want to be onshore - no matter the price. Since expanding to the USA with our work-at-home operations in 2018, we have been eager as a company to officially land in America with a physical customer experience center." "Now, with the onboarding of one of the highest grossing luxury retailers in the business, the opportunity has presented itself and the timing couldn't be better. We look forward to working with the people of Southern Indiana and creating careers that will support the local economy of Jeffersonville." To learn more about itel, visit www.itelinternational.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itel-opens-customer-experience-center-in-midwestern-usa-301380986.html SOURCE itel

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Carnegie Learning Announces New Literacy Advisory Board

Carnegie Learning, a leader in artificial intelligence for education and formative assessment, announced today that it has formed a new Literacy Advisory Board (LAB) to address the top issues in literacy education. The LAB brings together a diverse group of thinkers representing the fields of neuroscience, cognitive science, and education. It will operate as a think tank, working towards innovative, cross-disciplinary solutions to address some of the most critical literacy problems facing educators and students alike. From reading and writing proficiency to culturally responsive teaching and the science of learning, these thought leaders will partner with Carnegie Learning to help usher in a new era of what is possible in the educational sphere. Barry Malkin, CEO of Carnegie Learning, says, "Our roots in research run deep, and the goal here is to deeply embed research-based thought into developing new literacy products and services. Each of our Board members has dedicated their careers to solving problems in literacy, but rarely does such a diverse group gather to collectively consider the problems together. We are thrilled and inspired to host this team." The Carnegie Learning LAB is proud to welcome the following members: Bill Jenkins Dr. Bill Jenkins is an expert in learning-based brain plasticity, behavioral algorithms, and psychophysical methods. He was previously Chief Technology Officer at Sally Ride Science (now part of UC San Diego) and co-founded Scientific Learning Corporation, where he worked to optimize product design through his leadership of diverse teams for ideation, design, project management, technology and content. Dr. Jenkins has co-authored 13 successful digital products for K-12 students in the areas of foundational cognitive skills, language and reading development, and acceleration of learning. He also helped develop one of the first patented data reporting tools (ProgressTracker) that provided detailed data on student learning to parents, teachers and administrators in real-time. Dr. Jenkins was recognized by Discovery Magazine in its annual Awards for Technology Innovations and received the Year 2000 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award. Danielle McNamara Dr. Danielle McNamara, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University. She develops educational technologies and conducts research to better understand cognitive processes of comprehension, learning, comprehension strategies, text coherence, and individual differences. Over the years, Danielle and her team have developed a number of educational technologies (e.g., iSTART, iSTART-ME, Coh-Metrix, and Writing-Pal). With nearly three decades of experience as a senior researcher in cognitive psychology, Danielle has solidified herself as one of the world's premier researchers in her field. She is particularly interested in how the effects of educational technologies interact with individual differences and can be optimized for individual learners. She has published hundreds of works including journal articles, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Most recently, Dr. McNamara received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award by the Society for Text & Discourse in recognition of her achievements. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is Associate Professor in the Joint Program in English and Education at the University of Michigan's School of Education. Previously, she was Associate Professor in the Literacy, Culture, and International Education Division at Penn GSE. A former Detroit Public Schools teacher and National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, she serves as co-editor of Research in the Teaching of English. In additon to her work on books for young readers, she has published widely on race, discourse, and interaction in classrooms and digital environments. Currently, she is a co-principal investigator on a major James S. McDonnell Foundation Teachers as Learners grant, the Digital Discourse Project (DDP), a longitudinal collaborative inquiry into how partnering teacher consultants studied their own discourse practices with data and platforms as they facilitated online discussions during and after the COVID-19 era.



Fumiko Hoeft Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Psychological Sciences, Mathematics, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience at the University of Connecticut (UConn), and of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She is also the Director of UConn's Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) and Co-Founder of the Haskins Global Literacy Hub. Dr. Hoeft is a neuroscientist who has been conducting research on learning-particularly reading acquisition, dyslexia, resilience and emotional well-being-for the past 18 years. She currently has more than 30 million dollars in funding, primarily from NIH, to conduct her research. Fumiko received research training at Harvard, UCLA, Caltech and Stanford, and has held faculty positions at Stanford, UCSF and UConn. Honors include awards from the International Dyslexia Association ( IDA (News - Alert) ; 2014), Learning & the Brain Foundation (2015), International Mind Brain & Education Society (IMBES; 2018), Society for Neuroscience (SfN; 2018), Northern CA (News - Alert) Branch of the IDA (2018), and Eye to Eye (2019), with many of these on science education and translation of neuroscience to the public. She has published more than 160 articles, reviews, and book chapters, and has delivered more than 250 keynotes, talks and workshops at venues such as local schools, international conferences, TEDx and the White House. Her work has been widely covered in media such as The New York Times, NPR (News - Alert) , CNN, the New Yorker, and Scientific American.

Gloria Ladson-Billings Gloria Ladson-Billings is Professor Emerita and former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and was Faculty Affiliate in the Departments of Educational Policy Studies, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and Afro American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the current President of the National Academy of Education and served as the 2005-2006 president of the American Educational Research Association. Her research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. She also investigates critical race theory applications to education. She is the author of three critically acclaimed books and more than 100 journal articles and book chapters, as well as the recipient of numerous education awards, including the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the Literacy Research Association, the Brock International Prize in education, and the American Educational Research Association's Social Justice in Education Award. Judy Willis Dr. Judy Willis combined her 15 years as a practicing neurologist with ten subsequent years as a classroom teacher to become a leading authority in the neuroscience of learning. With her unique background in both neuroscience and education, she has written nine books and more than 200 articles about applying neuroscience research to classroom teaching strategies. Dr. Willis is on the adjunct faculty of Williams College and travels nationally and internationally giving presentations, workshops, and consulting about learning and the brain. She has been interviewed by USA Today, Euronews, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News Education Nation, ABC Australia Radio, Lateline Australia, Popular Mechanics, Neurology Today, USA Today, Education Week, Medscope Neurology, and Parenting Magazine, among others. She has been selected by Edutopia as one of their "Big Thinkers on Education" and is a staff expert blogger for NBC News Education Nation, Psychology Today, and The Guardian. Paula Tallal Paula Tallal received her Ph.D. from Cambridge University in 1974 and is a Board of Governor's Professor of Neuroscience Emeritus at Rutgers University and Adjunct Professor at The Salk Institute of Biological Sciences. She has led NIH- and NSF-funded multidisciplinary research teams for more than 30 years, studying auditory processing, speech, language and reading development and disorders. She has published more than 200 scientific papers and holds 50 patents. In 1996, she co-founded the Scientific Learning Corporation, a neuroscience company dedicated to developing neuroplasticity-based training programs. In 2012, she was named the Thomas Alva Edison Inventor of the Year for her research leading to the development of the Fast ForWord series of neuroeducational training programs. Steve Graham Steve Graham is a Regents and the Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in Teachers College. For 42 years, he has studied how writing develops, how to teach it effectively, and how writing can be used to support reading and learning. In recent years, he has been involved in the development and testing of digital tools for supporting writing and reading through a series of grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences and the Office of Special Education Programs in the US Department of Education. His research involves typically developing writers and students with special needs in both elementary and secondary schools, with much occurring in classrooms in urban schools. He is the author of three influential Carnegie Corporation reports and co-author of six books. Graham has served as an advisor to a variety of organizations, including UNESCO, National Institute of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Zuckerberg Initiative, National Writing Project, Institute of Educational Sciences, College Board, and What Works Clearinghouse. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame for 2018. ABOUT CARNEGIE LEARNING, INC. Carnegie Learning is shaping the future of education. Born from more than 30 years of learning science research at Carnegie Mellon University, the company has become a recognized leader in the ed tech space, using artificial intelligence, formative assessment, and adaptive learning to deliver groundbreaking solutions to education's toughest challenges. With the highest quality offerings for K-12 math, ELA, literacy, world languages, professional learning and more, Carnegie Learning is changing the way we think about education and creating powerful results for teachers and students alike. For more information, please visit: www.carnegielearning.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005780/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] JPMorgan Chase Acquires Frank, the Leading College Financial Planning Platform for Students

JPMorgan Chase & Co today announced that it has acquired Frank, the fastest growing college financial planning platform, to help millions of students and their families navigate their financial journey to college and beyond. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005169/en/ The firm will acquire Frank's entire business, including its Easy FAFSA, Classfinder College Course Marketplace, Scholarships & Employment tools, and Financial Education and Careers content. "We want to build lifelong relationships with our customers," said Jennifer Piepszak, co-CEO of Chase. "Frank offers a unique opportunity for deeper engagement with students. Together, we'll be able to expand our capabilities for students and their families, helping them financially prepare for college and other major moments in their future." Frank currently serves more than five million students at over 6,000 higher education institutions across the country. Their simple online portal lets students apply for financial aid in minutes and enroll in Frank's catalogue of affordable online college courses. Frank's solutions uniquely cater to 17-24-year-old students, 24+ year-old adult learners, parents and guardians, and households of a low-to-moderae income. Their platform includes:



A streamlined FAFSA application process that reduces time from hours to minutes

Advice to students appealing and negotiating financial aid packages

Curated scholarships

ClassFinder, a marketplace of discounted college-level courses for transferable credit The deal is expected to accelerate Chase's strong foundation with students including products, content, and guidance for students of all ages, with branches and ATMs on or in close proximity to over 300 college campuses across the country. These branches offer financial health resources and advice for students and their families like budget building, starting a savings plan or opening their first checking account. The Frank brand will continue to be led by Frank Founder and CEO Charlie Javice. She will join the firm as Head of Student Solutions on the Digital Products team.

"We launched Frank to make college more accessible for students and their families, and have already helped millions across the nation," said Charlie Javice, Frank Founder and CEO. "We look forward to joining the Chase family to further this mission. Together, we can multiply our impact to help more students and their families achieve their financial goals and education dreams." Ms. Piepszak added, "We are excited to welcome Charlie and Frank to JPMorgan Chase, and look forward to working together to empower students and their families to build a stronger financial future." About Frank Frank was founded in 2017 by then 24-year-old female founder Charlie Javice to make college more affordable for millions of Americans and help them achieve financial wellness in their lives. More than five million students have benefited from Frank's services on their path to higher education. The Frank platform includes an easy to navigate FAFSA application form, ClassFinder marketplace for shopping for online courses, and resources to help students navigate a variety of financial situations. Investors included: Chegg (NYSE: CHGG); Aleph, the U.S.-Israeli investment fund that also funded Lemonade; Silicon Valley Bank; and Marc Rowan, the co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. About Chase Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.7 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves more than 60 million American households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans, and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: More than 4,800 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, 16,000 ATMs, mobile, online, and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005169/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Gnani.ai Launches armour365 Voice Biometrics Software Based on Patented Tech

Gnani.ai, a frontrunner in Conversational AI and voice security domain, today announced the launch of its home-grown Voice Biometrics software. Christened armour365, the biometric solution boasts of path-breaking features to cater to new and emerging risks in fraud prevention and information security. armour365 Voice Biometrics works on 300 plus proprietary audio features and comes with out-of-the-box integrations to multiple contact center software providers and messaging apps. The solution is equipped with top-of-the-line features like "anti-spoof layer," "replay attack detection" and "one enrollment" to offer unparalleled security and CX for industries such as Contact Centers, Banks, Defence, Healthcare, etc. for applications ranging from omnichannel customer authentication to secured access to sensitive devices. Ganesh Gopalan, Co-founder and CEO, Gnani.ai, said, "Voice Biometrics can be a blessing in disguise for Contact Center and Infosec leaders battling fraud and data theft through various communication channels. With a response time of less than 500 milliseconds, armour365 has been engineered to help IT and security teams to replace error-prone and legacy authentication methods like PINs and passwords to realize the potential of Voice Biometrics being truly contactless.



armour365 can be implemented and integrated into any CRM for seamless authentication without the need for coding or a device interface. Commenting on the launch, Ananth Nagaraj, Co-founder and CTO, Gnani.ai, said, "We are thrilled to launch armour365 with industry-leading accuracy and thankful to our Engineering and Product teams to have pulled this off indigenously. We're confident our customers will benefit immensely with this 'low-cost and no-code solution' built to offer reliable voice security."

Gnani.ai plans to host the offering on major cloud marketplace platforms for customers and developers to take advantage of competitive pricing and ease of accessing the solutions through APIs. Visit https://voicebiometrics.ai/ to experience the demo live on Web, WhatsApp, and IVR. About Gnani.ai Gnani.ai, a Samsung (News - Alert) Ventures funded company, is a leader in the voice-led conversational AI automation space. Gnani.ai offers no-code multi-modal and multi-channel bot automation platforms. With partners like Avaya, Nvidia, and Intel (News - Alert) , Gnani.ai is leading the Conversational AI revolution. Product Website: https://voicebiometrics.ai/

Corporate Website: https://www.gnani.ai/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005797/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Defense Metals Drills 215 Metres Carbonatite in First Hole At Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Deposit

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to provide an update with respect to its ongoing Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) deposit resource expansion and delineation diamond drill program. The first drill hole of the 2021 campaign testing the North Zone of the Wicheeda REE Deposit has intersected a 215-metre core interval of visually REE mineralized carbonatite, the longest carbonatite interval ever drilled on the Project (Figure 1). The program is progressing on schedule and is currently on the 4th drill hole, with over 750 metres drilled to date. The road accessible Wicheeda REE Property is located close to infrastructure approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia (BC). The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO[1]. Figure 1. REE Mineralized Carbonatite from WI21-33 (47-55 metres downhole)







___________________ 1 Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo.) is available under Defense Metals Corp.'s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com)

Drill hole WI21-33 (350az/-80o) was designed to test the North Zone of the Wicheeda REE Deposit, which remains open to expansion, and collared into visually REE mineralized carbonatite, and remained in carbonatite to a depth of 220 metres downhole. Significantly the intercept extends 120 metres vertically below the bottom of nearest mineralized drill hole (WI19-32) and 70 metres and below the base of the current resource pit shell, reinforcing that the north end of the Wicheeda REE Deposit is open to expansion (Figure 2). The drill hole was designed to follow-up and expand to depth mineralization in nearby 2019 drill holes that yielded some of the highest REE grades to date including hole WI19-31 that intersected 4.43% LREO over 83 metres; including 5.47% LREO over 33 metres; and WI19-32 the final hole of the 2019 campaign that returned 4.01% LREO over 58 metres[2] (see Defense Metals News Release Dated December 12, 2019). The 2021 Wicheeda diamond drill program is designed to build on the successes of the 2019 campaign in support of future advanced economic studies. The 2021 drill program will focus on expanding the zone REE mineralized dolomite-carbonatite to the north, in addition to further delineating existing inferred resources within the central and northwestern areas of the deposit Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated: "Defense Metals is extremely pleased to not only be making steady progress in completing our 2021 resource expansion and delineation drill program, but to have out first hole exceed our expectation in terms of visual indications of REE mineralization and being the longest carbonatite interval drilled to date on the Project. This reaffirms our believe in the significant expansion potential of the Wicheeda REE Deposit." About the Wicheeda REE Property The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways. Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein. __________________ 2 The true width of REE mineralization is estimated to be 70-100% of the drilled interval. Figure 2. Wicheeda REE Deposit Long Section Looking West About Defense Metals Corp. Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D". 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. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to the ongoing optimization test work and the expected outcomes, operation of a future hydrometallurgical pilot plant, plans for its Wicheeda Property, the advancement and development of the Wicheeda Property, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/defense-metals-drills-215-metres-carbonatite-in-first-hole-at-wicheeda-rare-earth-element-deposit-301381673.html SOURCE Defense Metals Corp.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] exocad's ChairsideCAD Recognized as a 2021 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award Winner

ChairsideCAD receives a Cellerant Technology Award for third consecutive year DARMSTADT, Germany, Sept. 21, 2021 /CNW/ -- exocad GmbH (exocad), an Align Technology, Inc. company and a leading dental CAD software provider, announced today that ChairsideCAD, its open-architecture CAD software for single-visit dentistry, received a 2021 Best of Class Technology Award from Cellerant Consulting Group. This is the third consecutive year that ChairsideCAD has been recognized for this award. "We are honored to receive this prestigious industry award from dental industry leaders once again for our best-in-class software solution, and we're excited to share the power of ChairsideCAD with clinicians. This software can enhance the chairside design process, making it faster and more accurate," said Larry Bodony, president of exocad America, Inc. "The intuitive desig workflow of ChairsideCAD, plus the freedom to use any open hardware, makes this a fantastic tool to streamline even the most challenging cases."



exocad stands as the software of choice for leading manufacturers of dental CAD/CAM systems because it is flexible, reliable and intuitive. Dental professionals consistently turn to exocad software to streamline their workflows for a broad range of indications. Based on exocad's renowned lab software DentalCAD, ChairsideCAD is the first complete open-architecture CAD software platform for single-visit dentistry. The software includes a step-by-step guide through the design process, simple integrations with a broad spectrum of devices and the ability to seamlessly share information between clinicians and labs. Since the inaugural presentation in 2009, the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards have grown to occupy a unique space in dentistry by creating awareness in the community of manufacturers who are driving the discussion in how practices operate now and in the future. The 2021 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award was decided on by a panel of prominent technology leaders in dentistry.

Additional information is available at:

www.exocad.com/chairsidecad

www.cellerantconsulting.com/best-of-class-2021 About exocad GmbH exocad GmbH, an Align Technology, Inc. company, is a leading dental CAD software provider. exocad vigorously pushes the boundaries of digital dentistry, providing flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use CAD/CAM software for dental labs and dental practices worldwide. More than 45,000 valued customers plan implants and create functional and refined restorations with exocad's DentalCAD, ChairsideCAD and exoplan software. For more information and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit exocad.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/exocads-chairsidecad-recognized-as-a-2021-cellerant-best-of-class-technology-award-winner-301381675.html SOURCE exocad GmbH

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Oryzon Announces $1 Million Grant From Kabuki Syndrome Philanthropists to Support a Precision Medicine Phase I/II Trial With Vafidemstat

HOPE will be the first clinical trial in precision medicine with vafidemstat in neurodevelopmental diseases





Multicentric study to assess the efficacy of vafidemstat in Kabuki syndrome patients





Expected to start in early 2022





In collaboration with the Kennedy-Krieger Institute MADRID, Spain and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oryzon Genomics, S.A. (ISIN Code: ES0167733015, ORY), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging epigenetics to develop therapies in diseases with strong unmet medical need, announced today that it has received a one million USD grant to support a new clinical trial with our Phase II LSD1 inhibitor vafidemstat in patients with Kabuki syndrome (KS). The grant was awarded by a patient family whose other philanthropic endeavors include founding the Roya Kabuki clinic at Boston Childrens Hospital and sitting on the board of the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation (KSF). The company expects to start a Phase I/II trial, named HOPE, which will be a multicenter, multi-arm, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial to explore the safety and efficacy of vafidemstat in improving several impairments described in KS patients. The trial will be performed in children older than 12 years and in young adults. The company is finalizing the protocol design for this new trial with researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), key opinion leaders, regulatory experts in rare diseases and other stakeholders. We expect to start this clinical trial in the first half of 2022 in several hospitals and sites in the United States and, possibly, in Europe. Considering the FDA and EMA precedents in rare diseases and CNS disorders, we believe that if the HOPE trial demonstrates relevant clinical improvements, it may potentially serve as the basis for accelerated approval in the EU and the United States. Janet Lee, Executive Director of the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation, has commented: This investment is an extraordinary opportunity to support a ground-breaking therapeutic candidate for Kabuki syndrome, to improve the quality of life of children and families around the globe. The Kabuki Syndrome Foundation is proud to partner with Oryzon and key opinion leaders to further our mission of advocating for the advancement of research and therapeutic treatments. We look forward to working with global patient advocacy groups and the broader Kabuki syndrome community on efforts that support clinical trial readiness and enrollment opportunities to ensure the patient voice is at the center of this clinical study. Dr. Carlos Buesa, President and CEO of Oryzon, said: We are enormously grateful to this patients family for their generous support to this trial and excited to work with the KSF and the scientists from the KKI and the rest of the research community. The scientific literature has shown that LSD1 inhibition may compensate the effects of a number of genetic failures happening in KS and other CNS disorders. HOPE is the first step in a set of innovative personalized medicine trials we are planning with vafidemstat that may bring hope to very much in need patients, in this case KS kids. There is a strong molecular rationale for LSD1 inhibition as a possible therapy in KS. In type I KS, the loss of one allele of the KMT2D gene produces a hypomethylated status in the chromatin of neuronal cells and an aberrant transcriptional program. LSD1 inhibition can compensate this effect, and apparently many others downstream as a consequence. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, using a KS mouse model with a mutated KMT2D allele, have shown that the number of histone methyl-marks in the hippocampus is significantly diminished in these KS animals, but when treated with a LSD1 inhibitor, the hippocampus histone methyl-marks recovered to almost normal levels. Remarkably, this normalization of the methyl-marks in the hippocampus also correlated with morphological and functional effects. Neurogenesis deficiency in the hippocampus was rescued and the elongation and branching defects of hippocampal neurons were also restored. Finally, the correlate at morphological level had also a translation in functional readouts like the recovery on the visuospatial learning and memory deficits and the rescue of the immunological impairments in these KMT2D (+/-) KS animals1. Vafidemstat is currently in Phase IIb trials in borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, and has shown a positive safety and tolerability profile in more than 300 subjects dosed up to now, some of them up to 2 years. About Oryzon





About Vafidemstat

Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is a first-in-class, oral, CNS optimized LSD1 inhibitor. The molecule acts on several levels: it reduces cognitive impairment, including memory loss and neuroinflammation, and at the same time has neuroprotective effects. In animal studies vafidemstat not only restores memory but also reduces the exacerbated aggressiveness of SAMP8 mice, a model for accelerated aging and Alzheimers disease (AD), to normal levels and also reduces social avoidance and enhances sociability in murine models. In addition, vafidemstat exhibits fast, strong and durable protective anti-autoimmune efficacy in several preclinical models of multiple sclerosis (MS). In two Phase IIa clinical trials in aggressiveness in patients with different psychiatric disorders (REIMAGINE) and in aggressive/agitated patients with moderate or severe AD (REIMAGINE-AD), vafidemstat has shown positive preliminary clinical results. Additional finalized Phase IIa clinical trials with vafidemstat include the ETHERAL trial in patients with Mild to Moderate AD, where a significant reduction of the CSF inflammatory biomarker YKL40 has been observed after 6 months of treatment, and the pilot, small scale SATEEN trial in Relapse-Remitting and Secondary Progressive MS. Vafidemstat has also been tested in a Phase II in severe Covid-19 patients (ESCAPE) assessing the capability of the drug to prevent ARDS, one of the most severe complications of the viral infection, where it showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in severe Covid-19 patients. Currently, vafidemstat is in two Phase IIb trials in borderline personality disorder (PORTICO) and in schizophrenia patients (EVOLUTION). The company is also deploying a CNS precision medicine approach with vafidemstat in genetically-defined patient subpopulations of certain CNS disorders.

About Kabuki Syndrome

Kabuki Syndrome (KS) is an autosomal monogenic disorder characterized by congenital abnormalities that affect the development and function of multiple bodily systems, often manifesting as impaired mental and physical growth and craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. Patients may also have cardiac malformations and around 30% of patients develop immunological impairments. KS is caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in either of two genes with complementary functions: KMT2D on human chromosome 12 (for KS type I, representing more than 70% of all KS patients) or lysine-specific demethylase 6A. Both genes facilitate the opening of chromatin and promote gene expression. KS occurs in 1/30,000 births. This represents a prevalence of 3,000 and 3,500 patients in the United States and the EU, respectively, who are younger than 25 and are affected by this syndrome. There is currently no approved treatment for this condition. About Kabuki Syndrome Foundation

Founded in 2017, the Kabuki Syndrome Foundation (https://www.kabukisyndromefoundation.org/) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to drive research efforts that show promise to treat, prevent or cure Kabuki Syndrome through fundraising, knowledge-sharing and collaborating with researchers around the world. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication contains, or may contain, forward-looking information and statements about Oryzon, including financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, capital expenditures, synergies, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally identified by the words expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates and similar expressions. Although Oryzon believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors and holders of Oryzon shares are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Oryzon that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the documents sent by Oryzon to the Spanish Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), which are accessible to the public. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and have not been reviewed by the auditors of Oryzon. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Oryzon or any of its members, directors, officers, employees or any persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above. All forward-looking statements included herein are based on information available to Oryzon on the date hereof. Except as required by applicable law, Oryzon does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Oryzons securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Any public offering of Oryzons securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Oryzon or the selling security holder, as applicable, that will contain detailed information about Oryzon and management, as well as financial statements. IR, US IR & Media, Europe Spain Oryzon Ashley R. Robinson Sandya von der Weid Patricia Cobo Emili Torrell LifeSci Advisors, LLC LifeSci Advisors, LLC / Carlos C. Ungria BD Director +1 617 430 7577 +41 78 680 05 38 +34 91 564 07 25 +34 93 515 13 13 arr@lifesciadvisors.com svonderweid@lifesciadvisors.com pcobo@atrevia.com

cungria@atrevia.com etorrell@oryzon.com 1 Li Zhang, et al., Inhibition of KDM1A activity restores adult neurogenesis and improves hippocampal memory in a mouse model of Kabuki syndrome Molecular Therapy - Methods & Clinical Development Volume 20, p779-791, March 12, 2021 doi:10.1016/j.omtm.2021.02.011



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021]

Freeit Data Solutions Offers Security and Data Recovery Solutions with New Texas DIR Contract

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeit Data Solutions has been awarded a new cooperative purchasing contract, DIR-CPO-4795, from the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) for Software as a Service (SaaS) products and solutions focusing on security, data management, and data recovery. This contract allows Freeit to provide leading technology solutions to government entities and educational institutions under the bulk buying power of the State of Texas. DIR's Cooperative Contracts Program allows eligible customers to procure technology at aggressive discounts, while meeting purchasing requirements and reducing lengthy procurement processes.

Products and services available on this contract are:

Cohesity

CyberArk

Darktrace

Freeit Data Solutions

Netwrix Corporation

Qumulo

Rubrik

Sophos

Varonis

Zerto







Freeit Data Solutions is also a prime contractor with DIR's Cooperative Contracts Program on three additional contracts for the following products and services:

Data Storage, Data Communication & Networking Equipment, DIR-TSO-4229.

Law Enforcement, Surveillance & Security Monitoring, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Recovery, DIR-CPO-4696.

Mobile Digital Video Recording Systems, Accessories and Related Services, DIR-TSO-4198.

To learn more about all Freeit's DIR contracts and available products visit: https://www.freeitdata.com/dir/

About Freeit Data Solutions:

Freeit Data Solutions is an Austin-based IT services and solutions company that designs and deploys data center solutions for mid to large-sized companies, enabling them to better manage and protect their data. For more information visit: www.freeitdata.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freeit-data-solutions-offers-security-and-data-recovery-solutions-with-new-texas-dir-contract-301379782.html

SOURCE Freeit Data Solutions
[September 21, 2021] Brands and sellers drive 20% greater ROAS on average with Perpetua's Walmart ads software

SAN FRANCISCO and TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perpetua , a leader in eCommerce advertising and intelligence software today launched new software specifically built to help brands grow their sales on Walmart. As retail media grows in importance, Walmart continues to grow its influence and attract the attention of brands and sellers looking to reach customers on its site.

Each week, approximately 220 million customers and members visit 10,500 stores and clubs under 48 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites (source: Walmart ), making Walmart increasingly attractive for brands to include in their advertising plans. Leveraging this traffic is a huge advantage for advertisers and Perpetua's most recent software release expands support for brands looking to capitalize on reaching customers at product discovery stage or shoppers at point of sale on Walmart.com . Designed to maximize ad efficiency and unlock scalable growth, Perpetua's Walmart advertising software helps brands and agencies launch and optimize Sponsored Product Ads. "Channel expansion is more important than ever and smart sellers and brands understand the rising importance of multi-channel integration, including Walmart," says Adam Epstein, VP Growth, Perpetua. "For a lot of sellers and brands, achieving profitable sales growth on Walmart.com is an important step toward driving long-term market share gains online. Our new Walmart-specific product is designed to drive better commerce outcomes, grow discoverability and drive incremental growth for brands on Walmart.com to ultimately increase the value of their advertising investment." Create, optimize an measure Walmart ads with greater efficiency



Perpetua provides a variety of advanced features that Walmart advertisers will now be able to leverage, including access to bid shading, share-of-voice reporting and keyword harvesting. Not all marketplaces are created equal, and it is imperative that brands and sellers have the right plan in place for each eCommerce and retail media site they advertise on, including Walmart. Advertisers using Perpetua's Walmart software to implement their marketing plans have a strategic advantage to reach and exceed their growth goals. First-price auction technology : There is a risk in overpaying for keywords in a first-price auction. Perpetua's ad engine executes tactics such as automatic bid shading to ensure brands are being as efficient as possible with their ad spend, and focus on higher-level strategies and objectives instead.

: There is a risk in overpaying for keywords in a first-price auction. Perpetua's ad engine executes tactics such as automatic bid shading to ensure brands are being as efficient as possible with their ad spend, and focus on higher-level strategies and objectives instead. Keyword harvesting tool : Perpetua helps marketers and sellers identify key keywords that would be most successful for their campaigns based on advertising data. Perpetua's keyword research tool automatically culls keywords that can be customized based on search term conversions limits set by the advertisers. Additionally, suggested keywords can be added to a brand's Walmart campaign with just one click.

: Perpetua helps marketers and sellers identify key keywords that would be most successful for their campaigns based on advertising data. Perpetua's keyword research tool automatically culls keywords that can be customized based on search term conversions limits set by the advertisers. Additionally, suggested keywords can be added to a brand's Walmart campaign with just one click. Increase organic rank : Unlike some marketplaces, Walmart does not allow for manual campaigns to bid on keywords unless a brand has organic rank. To help brands and marketers achieve organic rank Perpetua's software launches automatic campaigns to gain rank and spend in other premium placements such as Buy Box, Stock Up and Homepage ads.

Marketplace advertising is critical for any brand seeking to maximize product sales, grow market share, and continues to be an important part of a holistic omnichannel strategy for marketers and sellers. With Perpetua's advertising software, agencies and brands have a solution to manage the complexity of eCommerce advertising across marketplaces including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Instacart, to name a few. To date, thousands of advertisers use Perpetua to manage hundreds of millions of dollars in annualized ad spend across retail media.

About Perpetua Perpetua is building the growth infrastructure for eCommerce which includes optimization and reporting technology for the world's smartest eCommerce businesses. Through the platform, advertisers create goals based on strategy and leverage Perpetua's best in class, AI-powered advertising engine to execute tactically. Integrations with Amazon, Instacart and Google ensure brands achieve optimal reach and engagement across the full shopper journey, and provide unified performance intelligence for maximum visibility. Perpetua is an Ascential company and has offices in San Francisco, Toronto, London and Tokyo. To learn more, visit perpetua.io Contact:

Wendy Bairos

416-831-9820

wendy@drapaer.ai A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5da0ea68-7449-4ebf-bdb1-3e8c4a91b679 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e74775bb-ad02-4e2d-88f3-4442fd8079d0



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] HITEC Names Latina CEO Lili Gil Valletta to Prestigious 2022 Top 100 List for Developing Innovative AI-Powered Research Platform CulturIntel

DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HITEC, the premier global leadership organization for senior business and IT technology executives, has named Lili Gil Valletta, Co-founder and CEO of CIEN+ to the 2022 HITEC 100 List of the most influential and notable Hispanic professionals in the technology industry. Valletta was selected for her firm's innovative development of the AI-powered platform called CulturIntel, which uses artificial intelligence, natural language processing, machine learning and other big data tools to harvest public domain online conversations to understand what people think and feel about any topic - and why - without having to ask them any questions, across gender, ethnicity, and geographies. The HITEC 100 list is a compilation of the top Hispanic professionals in the technology industry from across the United States and celebrates their leadership and achievements in all sectors of the industry. Awardees are evaluated on their accomplishments in the ever-changing global landscape of technology and for their mentoring and professional development activities. Individuals included on the list were selected by the 2021 Awards Committee. Nominations are solicited from HITEC members and the general public. "HITEC's vision is to connect, inspire and grow influential Hispanic technology executives while developing the next generation of leaders," said Omar Duque , HITEC President. "These 100 leaders represent the very best in our community. Their stories reflect the drive and innovative spirit of the Hispanic community in general and we're proud to recognize them." "It is my honor and privilege to be networked with such an amazing group of technology leaders," said HITEC Chairman Guillermo Diaz Jr . "The HITEC 100 are not only leading transformation and growth for their respective businesses, but are true examples for the next generation of 'I can be, what I can see.'"



"A key part of HITEC's push up / pull up mission is the recognition of key Hispanic technology leaders. Recognition brings visibility to those seeking inspiration and to those searching for colleagues to drive forward transformation," said Lucia Soares , HITEC Board Member and Chair of the Awards Committee. "In the last year, technology has played an ever-increasing importance in business resilience and innovation. These 100 leaders were pivotal to their business' success and we are incredibly proud to recognize these outstanding women and men who inspire us every day with their business impact, community engagement and impact on technology. Together, we are building the next generation of Hispanic technology leaders," Soares said.

"It's a great honor to be recognized as part of the HITEC 100 list for developing technology that taps into the human insights that brands and other organizations need to better serve today's fast changing and diverse world", said Lili Gil Valletta, Co-founder and CEO of CIEN+ and CulturIntel. "Awards like this motivate us to keep on disrupting and globalizing how we better understand people's needs with agility and scale, worldwide using our tech." For more than a decade, HITEC has honored Hispanic professionals on the HITEC 100 list as part of the organization's mission to increase Hispanic representation and build stronger technology and executive leaders in the diversity-challenged technology industry. This mission aligns with CIEN+'s value proposition and belief that culture, creativity and data-driven insights strengthen inclusive business performance.Powered by it's Culturintel technology, CIEN+ is positioned to Unlock the Power of Cultural Intelligence. The awardees on the HITEC 100 list will be recognized virtually during the HITEC 100 Awards Celebration on December 9, 2021. To view the full list of the HITEC 100, please visit https://hitecglobal.org/page/HITEC-100-2022 . To learn more about CIEN+ please visit www.cien.plus . About HITEC

HITEC is a premier global executive leadership organization of senior business and IT technology executives who have built outstanding careers in information technology. HITEC's premier network spans the Americas and is focused on building stronger technology and executive leaders, leadership teams, corporations, and role models in a rapidly changing, flatter, and information technology centric world. These global leaders include executives leading Global 1000 corporations while others lead some of the largest Hispanic-owned technology firms across the Americas. About CIEN+ & CULTURINTEL

CIEN+ believes in the power of culture as a driver for impact and growth. The award-winning cultural intelligence firm offers proprietary AI-powered market research with CulturIntel, business strategy and creative marketing solutions designed to reach today's diverse and fast-changing market. Headquartered in Dallas, TX with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Denver, Minneapolis and Colombia, CIEN+'s roster of clients include some of the world's most iconic companies, including American Express, CVS, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Merck, Nestle, Optum, PepsiCo, Prudential and UnitedHealth Group, among others. The agency is proudly a minority-owned and woman-owned business, founded by immigrants and former corporate executives Lili Gil Valletta and Enrique Arbelaez, who dared to create the company they wished to hire during their corporate careers: one driven by data and inspired by culture. For more information visit: www.cien.plus and www.culturintel.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hitec-names-latina-ceo-lili-gil-valletta-to-prestigious-2022-top-100-list-for-developing-innovative-ai-powered-research-platform-culturintel-301381756.html SOURCE Cien Plus

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] AI-led eCommerce Platform, Intelligence Node, Records Unprecedented Growth Amidst Post-Pandemic eCommerce Explosion

Intelligence Node, a leader in AI-driven retail intelligence and competitive analytics, experienced unprecedented sales velocity since inception with an open sales pipeline that is 4.7x the pre-pandemic volumes. The company also announced the launch of new products to capitalize on the growing eCommerce market - PriceIntelligence AI, a new price optimization app for Shopify customers and Digital Shelf Analytics, a capability to understand and improve search, content, and user review sentiment around a specific product or category. 2020 saw tremendous eCommerce growth with $2 trillion being spent globally online during the year. The pandemic coaxed both enterprise and SMB retailers to pivot to selling online - rapidly increasing the adoption rate of retail enablement platforms like Shopify. As compared to 2019, the Shopify eCommerce platform grew 86% in 2020 to $2.9 billion in revenue and serves over 1,700,000 retail businesses today. Intelligence Node responded by expanding its advanced analytics offering, battle-tested by Fortune 500 clients, to the SMB market with the soft launch of its PriceIntelligence AI app on the Shopify ecosystem. In addition, the Company has launched a new solution, Digital Shelf Analytics, to complement its pricing and assortment soutions for the enterprise retail segment. The new offering is a strategic addition to address the evolving needs of the eCommerce ecosystem which is forecasted to reach $4 trillion by 2024.



"We've seen hyper-growth and accelerated sales velocity since the start of 2021. We are closing larger deals at a faster pace, acquiring new enterprise customers every week, including Fortune 500 customers and category leaders like Nestle, Lenovo (News - Alert) , LVMH, Prada, and Schwarz Gruppe," said CEO, Sanjeev Sularia. "Launching our Digital Shelf Analytics solution positions us to offer a broad suite of capabilities to retailers and brands - everything from competitive pricing to content audits and customer review sentiment." To better align its offerings with the evolving eCommerce market, Intelligence Node has also completed an extensive rebranding effort. In addition to a new, contemporary brand identity and customer centric website design, Intelligence Node has also refreshed its product names, segmented to better serve brands and retailers.

"Our rebranding aims to amplify our mission and align our messaging to speak to the needs of our core audience, forward-thinking brands and retailers," explains Leela Gill, Global VP of Marketing and Design at Intelligence Node. "In addition, retailers and brands will now find our unique product solutions packaged under one product name that speaks to their segment. We believe this new alignment will help further accelerate our revenue growth." The new product names, features, and design are just part of Intelligence Node's overall mission to democratize retail by offering fast, accurate, and reliable eCommerce data to its customers so they can offer shoppers the best choices. In an environment surrounded by uncertainty with the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, Intelligence Node remains bullish on its growth trajectory. As retailers and brands embrace the criticality of digital transformation and eCommerce leadership, Intelligence Node is uniquely positioned to be the partner of choice for large global players and the competitive SMB market. About Intelligence Node Intelligence Node's mission is to provide the most comprehensive data-rich eCommerce perspective of the consumer buying journey to retailers and brands so they can thrive in the Age of Amazon. We offer a real-time retail eCommerce intelligence platform that empowers businesses to drive product level profitability and grow margins using data-driven competitive insights, AI-driven pricing, MAP monitoring and more. Intelligence Node has the world's largest product and pricing dataset with unmatched accuracy, at 99%, which feeds the growth of more than $600 billion in retail revenue globally. Our proprietary patented algorithms are delivered via SaaS (News - Alert) portal, file feed, or APIs, providing rapid plug & play accessibility. We are the platform of choice for global retailers and brands, including category leaders like Nestle, Lenovo, LIDL, Prada, and many others. Learn more about the company at www.IntelligenceNode.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005883/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] CrowdStreet and Juniper Square Partner to Usher in the Next Chapter of Digital Transformation for the Commercial Real Estate Industry

Juniper Square, the leading provider of investment management solutions for commercial real estate (CRE), today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with CrowdStreet, the leader in online capital raising for CRE sponsors, to provide an industry-first integration that will streamline investment management by synchronizing offering, investor and distribution information between the CrowdStreet Marketplace and Juniper Square. To-date, CrowdStreet has raised $2.2 billion in equity capital from thousands of individual accredited investors for more than 530 real estate investments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005867/en/ Joint customers will benefit from the ability to manage investor information associated with capital raised through the CrowdStreet Marketplace via a seamless, end-to-end workflow within Juniper Square. New offerings and investor subscriptions will be shared between both systems, and sponsors will be able to originate investor materials such as distributions, notices and performance data in Juniper Square for publishing in the CrowdStreet Marketplace. "The integration of our two platforms provides a best-in-class solution for both online fundraising and investor management," said Tore Steen, CEO of CrowdStreet. "A successful online capital raise with CrowdStreet often brings hundreds of new investors to a sponsor. Sponsors need a simple and effective way to ensure those investors get the best possible post-investment experience, and the Juniper Square team has built an advanced platform to manage investment data, documents and automated distributions. The relationship between our two companies and platforms means investors will also have a more robust experience as they track their investments and performance." CrowdStreet has also selected Juniper Square as its strategic partner to provide its sponsors with nvestment management software and services. Current CrowdStreet Connect customers will be seamlessly migrated to the Juniper Square platform as CrowdStreet sunsets its current investment management software by late 2022.



"We're witnessing a democratization of private real estate ownership with the rapid rise of crowdfunding," said Alex Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Juniper Square. "Interest in crowdfunding from our 1,200+ GPs has rapidly accelerated as crowdfunding becomes mainstream, and we are excited to partner with the industry leader in CrowdStreet to provide a better experience for our mutual customers." The partnership has been designed to support the needs of joint customers who already rely on CrowdStreet and Juniper Square today, including Spaulding & Slye, Trion Properties and JOSS Realty Partners.

"We chose Juniper Square for its leading administrative ease-of-use and reporting offerings, which enabled us to meet heightened investor expectations and increase participation by 20%, exceeding our fundraising goal," said Samantha Adam, VP of communications, Spaulding & Slye. "During a particularly difficult economic period, CrowdStreet also allowed us to build our reputation and engagement with new investors, and we're excited to see this partnership deliver even greater investor management efficiency, which will be invaluable for future fundraising goals." About Juniper Square Founded in 2014, Juniper Square is transforming the private funds industry with solutions that deliver a more modern, efficient and effective approach to managing private partnerships. Designed to provide real-time information and workflow for sponsors and their investors, Juniper Square enables forward-thinking GPs to lower administrative costs, increase investor satisfaction, and raise more capital. Trusted by over 1,200 GPs to manage more than 200,000 investors and $1.5 trillion in assets, Juniper Square has quickly become the leading provider of investment management solutions for commercial real estate. The company was recognized as an Inc. 5000 2021 Fastest-Growing Company in America, a Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Company, and was named one of Forbes' Best Startup Employers. Learn more at www.junipersquare.com. About CrowdStreet CrowdStreet operates an award-winning online commercial real estate investment marketplace that gives accredited investors access to institutional-quality offerings and allows sponsors to raise capital and manage their investors, all online. To date, thousands of individual investors have committed over $2 billion across more than 530 projects, receiving more than $270 million in distributions from over 260 sponsors. CrowdStreet is helping to create a community where individual investors and CRE firms can work together to build wealth through commercial real estate. For more information, please visit www.crowdstreet.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005867/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] CameraMatics Refocuses on US Market

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CameraMatics, the Ireland-based leading IoT fleet and vehicle safety technology specialist, has reengaged in the US market, hiring key industry veterans across the United States. The company just launched a new website specifically designed for decision-makers of American trucking fleets and business-vehicle operators to help them improve safety, efficiency, and compliance. CameraMatics has grown steadily since its launch in 2016, and now boasts over 1,000 customers globally, including some of the sector's leading mid-to-large-sized fleet operators. The company's solutions are currently operating live in tens of thousands of vehicles worldwide. CameraMatics has seen an impressive 300% growth in its customer subscription base since January 2020. In January, 2021, CameraMatics successfully closed a Series A funding round. The funds are being used to support expansion of the US branch of the busines where a rapidly expanding team is being built covering sales, customer success and technical services specific to the US market. CameraMatics is also using the recent investment to drive forward the recent entry into the mainland European and Middle Eastern markets and expects to create more than 50 jobs over the next two to three years in the UK and Ireland.



"CameraMatics has cemented its position as a market-leader in Ireland and the UK, and we're excited to bring our technology and continue our mission to drive new standards in vehicle and driver safety across the US and the world," said CameraMatics Co-founder and Director, Simon Murray. "Launching our dedicated US website and strengthening our presence in this market is an important milestone for the business. We're extremely excited about the response we received in the US around our solution and look forward to helping all our customers drive new safety standards across their fleet operations and keeping drivers and other road users safe and protected in North America. The future looks very bright." The CameraMatics SaaS solution is a modular and highly configurable software platform based on connected camera technology, vision systems, AI, machine learning and telematics, combined with fleet safety modules. It is a complete solution, helping fleet operators to drive new safety standards across their fleet and drivers. By reducing accidents, improving operational efficiencies, and managing compliance, CameraMatics gives complete visibility and peace of mind for today's challenges in fleet operations.

To manage overall fleet management, safety, driver behavior, and compliance, many fleet operators use multiple systems, but those systems are generally not built to work together. CameraMatics is in-house developed and designed as a comprehensive, one-stop-shop, intelligent solution that helps address the challenges fleet operators face, and is ideal for all kinds of fleet types, sizes, and industry sectors. "Operating commercial vehicles has become a risky business," said Michael Menolascino, Head of Sales, US. "Whether operating a large fleet or a handful of light trucks, fleet operators are responsible for the safety and security of vehicle assets and drivers, in addition to ensuring compliance, controlling costs, and operating as efficiently as possible. With insurance premiums soaring and nuclear and large-scale court verdicts increasing, US fleets need an intelligent, easy-to-use solution like CameraMatics. I'm excited to bring our cutting-edge technology to US customers." CameraMatics is a member of the American Trucking Associations, Virginia Manufacturers Association, and the Virginia Trucking Association. Notes to Editors - CameraMatics? was established in Ireland in 2016 by?fleet experts?Mervyn O'Callaghan and Simon Murray?who identified a gap in the data and solutions used by fleet managers,?vehicle?manufacturers and insurance companies, leaving them open to a variety of risks.???? CameraMatics?is complete technology for Fleet and Driver Risk Management and is a?Full?Stack IoT Company.?The?software platform is modular based on Connected Camera Technology, Vision Systems, AI, Machine Learning and Telematics, combined with Fleet Safety modules that help fleet operators to drive new safety standards across their fleet and drivers. By reducing accidents, improving operational efficiencies, managing compliance, it gives complete visibility and peace of mind for today's challenges in fleet operations.?CameraMatics?is based in Dublin and Waterford (Ireland), London (UK), Richmond VA (USA) and has recently made an entry into the markets in mainland Europe and the Middle East.?? Media Contact: Wayne Henninger, wayne@waynehenninger.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cameramatics-refocuses-on-us-market-301381830.html SOURCE CameraMatics

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Sanborn Wins Major Mapping Contract with USGS

The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) has been selected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for a multiple-award indefinite delivery contract with a ceiling of $850 million. The Geospatial Product and Services Contract (GPSC 4) is a successor to the GPSC 3 contract that Sanborn was previously awarded. The Geospatial Product and Services Contract allows the agency to negotiate task orders with Sanborn for the next five years. The USGS's GPSC is a suite of contracts used by federal, state, and municipal governments, as well as non-profits, tribes, and private entities partnering with the USGS to fulfill their geospatial data requirements. The USGS has already accomplished the burden of negotiating terms and conditions along with other contractual elements, providing USGS partners with expedited procurement, prequalified vendors, and technical support to enable one-stop shopping for the professional geospatial services they require. Through this contract, clients can access Sanborn's state-of-the-art topographic surveys, hydrographic/bathyetric surveys, geophysical surveys, remote sensing, and other related geospatial technologies. Sanborn specializes in integrating these technologies to support a wide range of environmental and infrastructure related use cases including, but not limited to, energy/renewable energy exploration and dissemination, infrastructure monitoring and engineering, floodplain management, landslide mitigation, precision agriculture, water resource conservation, erosion/coastal management, natural resource planning, emergency response and national security.



Sanborn has supported USGS mapping initiatives for over 25 years. "Only a handful of firms are awarded a GPSC contract," says Jason Caldwell, Vice President of Business Development and Sales at Sanborn. "We are honored that the USGS selected Sanborn to provide professional services under this multi-year agreement that is an AE qualification-based award." ABOUT THE SANBORN MAP COMPANY, INC.

Sanborn is a preeminent innovator in the geospatial industry, delivering state-of-the-art mapping, visualization, WebGIS and 3-D solutions to customers worldwide. The firm, which celebrates its storied 150th anniversary in 2016, currently operates a fleet of 14 aircraft located strategically across the United States. Embracing cutting-edge technology, Sanborn specializes in oblique aerial imagery, aerial and mobile light detection and ranging (Lidar) mapping, aerial orthophotography, 3-D modeling and visualization software and services, indoor mapping with its proprietary SPIN robot, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sales, services and image processing, and a host of geospatial software products. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005356/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Los Angeles Based Startup Offering a New Approach to Employee Well-Being Through Artificial Intelligence and Psychology Announces Its SEED Round

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new employee wellness technology startup based in Los Angeles, Three Good, announces its SEED round of funding this week. The employee well-being platform leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and traditional Psychology best practices to beat employee burnout. Notable pre-seed investors and partners include impact investor Pete De Mare and Guitar Hero founder Charles Huang and industry leaders from Cisco, Dell, Riot Games, and HTC. Wellness technology startup based in Los Angeles , Three Good, announces its SEED round of funding this week. The early-stage startup is raising $2.5 million to bolster the early traction the platform has secured since its launch in early spring 2020. While in BETA, the platform now has over 8,000 users consisting of employees across 30 businesses. In January 2021, Three Good was approved as a health and wellness application within the SLACK Marketplace and has garnered notable subscribers, including Milliman's Financial Risk Management Division, Bitso, and UC Berkeley's Suitcase Clinic.



Three Good is an enterprise SaaS platform designed to do one thing; reduce employee burnout. Burnout is an early-spectrum mental disorder caused by work. And it's a massive problem affecting businesses across the globe. A recent study published August 2021 by Visier reported that a staggering "89% of employees report experiencing burnout" over the past year, and "70% said they would leave their organization for one offering resources to reduce burnout." Three Good has designed an easy-to-deploy solution that utilizes AI and best practices in cognitive behavioral therapy to combat burnout and attrition. The platform affords employees access to clinician-approved content in a stigma-free environment while providing robust sentiment reporting and tools to help Human Resources departments identify ways to mitigate employee burnout. In addition, a point system readily engages users with rewards that boost engagement while fostering healthy habits to promote employee well-being. About Three Good

Three Good is changing the way companies combat employee burnout. As a SaaS employee well-being benefits platform that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI), Psychology, and ESG  Three Good helps organizations identify and mitigate early signs of employee stress, anxiety, and burnout. Three Good addresses the three most overlooked areas in employee wellness by providing direct and compounding value to organizations with insights and analytics designed to empower employees with the tools to promote better well-being while reducing burnout. As a proud member of 1% for the Planet, Three Good gives a generous 12% of all profits to fight to end the global water crisis. For more information about Three Good, visit threegood.com. Media Contact:

Mel Jensen

Chief Product Officer | Three Good

mel@threegood.com

@threegoodr, threegood.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/los-angeles-based-startup-offering-a-new-approach-to-employee-well-being-through-artificial-intelligence-and-psychology-announces-its-seed-round-301381861.html SOURCE Three Good

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] INVESTOR ALERT: Kirby McInerney LLP Reminds Investors That a Securities Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed on Behalf of Annovis Bio, Inc. (ANVS) Investors and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm Before October 18, 2021

The law firm of Kirby McInerney LLP reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of those who acquired Annovis Bio, Inc. ("Annovis" or the "Company") (NYSE: ANVS) securities from May 21, 2021 through July 28, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors have until October 18, 2021 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Annovis is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company that is developing therapies addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease ("AD"), Parkinson's disease ("PD"), and Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome ("AD-DS"). Its lead compound is ANVS401 (Posiphen), an orally administrated drug which purportedly inhibited the synthesis of neurotoxic proteins that are the main cause of neurodegeneration. On July 28, 2021, after the market closed, Annovis reported interim clinical data from its Phase 2a trial. Among other things, the Company reported that AD patients, 25 days after treatment, failed to show statistically significant improvement compared to the placebo. Annovis also reported that, although patients showed cognitive improvements in certain areas, the results were not statisically significant. On this news, the Company's share price declined by $65.94 per share, or approximately 60.25%, from $109.44 per share to close at $43.50 per share on July 29, 2021.



The lawsuit alleges throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Annovis' ANVS401 did not show statistically significant results across two patient populations as to factors such as orientation, judgement, and problem solving; and (2) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked reasonable basis at all relevant times. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Annovis securities, have information, or would like to learn more about these claims, please contact Thomas W. Elrod of Kirby McInerney LLP at 212-371-6600, by email at investigations@kmllp.com, or by filling out this contact form, to discuss your rights or interests with respect to these matters without any cost to you.

Kirby McInerney LLP is a New York-based plaintiffs' law firm concentrating in securities, antitrust, whistleblower, and consumer litigation. The firm's efforts on behalf of shareholders in securities litigation have resulted in recoveries totaling billions of dollars. Additional information about the firm can be found at Kirby McInerney LLP's website: http://www.kmllp.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921006045/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] 20 years of connecting the nation: a national conversation on the Digital Divide

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Connected Nation (CN) is marking 20 years of service in 2021 by hosting a one-of-kind, live event that will air nationally from three US cities on Wednesday, November 17 from 11am to 3pm (eastern). Registration for the live event is free at cn20.org. Together, we can create lasting and positive change for every child, family, and community in the US "We have been focused on closing the Digital Divide for more than two decades, and as we move through 2021, we recognize that this is a critical time. For that reason, we decided to bring together industry insiders, broadband experts, and those most directly impacted by the need for better connectivity," said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, Connected Nation. "By hosting a natonal conversation that addresses where we've been and what we've learned, how the pandemic changed the way we view and approach digital equity, and what's next when it comes to access in America, we are saying that, together, we can create lasting and positive change for every child, family, and community in the US."



This one-time event entitled "20 years of connecting the nation: a national conversation on the Digital Divide" will feature live, expert panel discussions from RFD-TV and American Farm Bureau studios in Washington, DC; Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugar Land, Texas (just outside Houston); and KGW8-TV in Portland, Oregon. You'll also hear stories from business owners and farmers working in rural communities; teachers and students impacted by remote learning; doctors and mental health practitioners advocating for the expansion of telehealth; and others. You'll walk away with a real-world understanding of how internet connectivity directly impacts our lives and what can be done to expand access to all.

Registration is free and the event can be viewed from anywhere in the world virtually. You can find the list of panel topics and descriptions here. Connected Nation will reveal the list expert panelists in early October. About Connected Nation: The national nonprofit, based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is celebrating 20 years of service in 2021. Our mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation. To learn more head to www.connectednation.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/20-years-of-connecting-the-nation-a-national-conversation-on-the-digital-divide-301381999.html SOURCE Cite-Center for Info Technology Enterprises, Inc

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] Mastercard Completes Planned Board Leadership Transition: Ajay Banga to Retire December 31, 2021 and Merit Janow Named Independent Chair of the Board

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) today announced that Ajay Banga, Executive Chairman, will retire on December 31, 2021. The Board unanimously elected Merit Janow, currently Lead Independent Director, to serve as non-executive Independent Chair of the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2022. "With Merit as Chair and the strong foundation Michael Miebach has established as CEO, Mastercard is in incredible hands for the next phase of growth and innovation," said Banga. "I am grateful for the role I have been able to play in Mastercard's evolution and I look forward to where Merit and Michael will lead it next." This milestone completes a thoughtful and intentional executive transition announced in February 2020. When Miebach was announced as CEO-elect, the Board created a pathway for him to deepen his engagement with clients and partners and across every aspect of the business. Banga remained as Executive Chairman to support the transition, alongside Janow as Lead Independent Director. Janow contributes an extensive global perspective as a dean and professor of international economic law and international affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, especially with respect to the Asia Pacific region. Her university career, public board service and other initiatives provide significant insight on technology, innovation, digital matters, cybersecurity and sustainability. She joined the Board in 2014 and also serves as the Chair of the Nominting & Corporate Governance Committee.



"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Ajay for his outstanding leadership and commitment to Mastercard for more than a decade," Janow said. "His strategic and cultural vision transformed the company into what it is today - a leading payments technology company renowned for the strength of its management, extensive partnerships with organizations of all kinds, and an inclusive mindset and innovative approach to everything." Following a successful decade as CEO, Banga transitioned to the Executive Chairman role at the beginning of this year. Among his responsibilities during the transition were serving as a counselor to the CEO and facilitating a smooth transition of key external relationships - including customers and regulators - to Miebach.

"For the two decades I've known Ajay, he's been a tremendous inspiration, mentor and friend. His vision and passion for what Mastercard could accomplish and what we could become is well known. I am incredibly thankful that we had the opportunity to partner and create such a thoughtful transition plan," said Miebach. "Michael has continued to exemplify our values and customer-centric approach to the business over the past year, building on his pivotal role in the company's evolution. The Board has full confidence in his vision, leadership and capabilities and we look forward to working with him to build on the extraordinary foundation built over the last 55 years," added Janow. About Mastercard (NYSE: MA) Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921006068/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[September 21, 2021] CGI celebrates new location in Hartford, Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new office in downtown Hartford. The ceremony, attended by local leaders including David Steuber, Chief of Staff for the City of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; Glendowlyn Thames, Deputy Commissioner and CFO/COO at CT Department of Economic and Community Development; and Mark Boxer, University of Hartford EVP and COO; marked the establishment of the global IT company's presence in downtown where nearly 200 highly-skilled IT professionals will be based. "Hartford is home to a growing number of world class information technology companies, and we're thrilled to welcome CGI to downtown Hartford," said Mayor Luke Bonin. "We're looking forward to having nearly two hundred employees based out of their new office over time, and businesses throughout the region will benefit from having another top IT company available to work with them."



"We are excited about our new location in downtown Hartford," said Scott Burghoff, Senior Vice-President of Consulting Services at CGI. "The location's proximity to our clients and innovative technology companies will provide more opportunities for direct collaboration." CGI also announced it has established the CGI Diversity Scholarship at the University of Hartford available for students in the computer engineering, computer science, data analytics and data science programs of study. The scholarship reflects the company's vision to create opportunities for Hartford's next generation of technology professionals and is part of the company's commitment to enhance and increase diversity, equity and inclusion in academia and the technology workforce.

"The University of Hartford is proud to be a partner of the Hartford community and is committed to contributing to its success," said University EVP and COO Mark Boxer. "We are grateful for CGI's partnership as we prepare our diverse student body to meet the needs of the city's growing technology industry and innovation presence." "This scholarship is another example of CGI's commitment to student success in the important and growing computing fields, to recruiting talented young technology professionals to learn, live, work and impact the Hartford community and to closing the equity gaps that keep talented students of color from entering these fields," said University of Hartford Provost Fred Sweitzer. CGI's strong local presence deepens the connection with clients beyond the business relationship to the overall well-being of the shared communities. Through donations of time, resources and talent, CGI professionals often engage in volunteer, training and charitable activities involving education, youth, families, military veterans and people that are underrepresented in STEM fields, including women, minorities and the economically disadvantaged. About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 78,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgi-celebrates-new-location-in-hartford-connecticut-301382007.html SOURCE CGI Technologies and Solutions, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
IDC Future of Work Survey Data Shows That Hybrid Work Models Are Still Evolving Amid Ongoing Uncertainty and Efforts to Achieve Employee Experience Parity

The global pandemic forced IT teams and business leaders to dramatically rethink where and how their employees work. With the post-pandemic recovery underway but challenged by the Delta variant and uneven vaccination rates, many organizations are still trying to determine what their future hybrid work model will look like. Recent survey data from International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that stability and geography will define the balance of future work strategies.

On a global basis, physical office sites are still expected to be the dominant location for work as organizations find themselves in a more stable and "steady state" environment. However, the mix of office-based, remote, non-office, and field workers is expected to vary from region to region. Asia/Pacific workers, for example, are more likely to claim the physical office space as a primary work location compared to the United States and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In EMEA, a much higher share of survey respondents (27%) prefers remote or work-from-home as their primary work location. Meanwhile, the share of the U.S. workforce currently working remote (44%) is expected to decline, but field and non-office locations are gaining favor as primary work locations.

"The ratio of support for hybrid work opportunities within and across geographies will no doubt continue to evolve. Work primarily within office facilities, while a dominant choice, will certainly be part of a hybrid mix that will flex to address new and unforeseen challenges to organizational, political, and social instability," said Holly Muscolino, research vice president, Content Strategies and Future of Work.

Another aspect of these evolving hybrid work strategies is the effort to achieve "experience parity" - a comparable employee experience for a hybrid workforce by ensuring that all workers securely interact with corporate resources (including people) with a consistent experience and context across locations. While experience parity has not yet been achieved by most organizations, nearly half the companies surveyed by IDC (News - Alert) indicated that their hybrid work technologies, policies, and processes were "in progress" with most key resources available to remote employees with some lingering access or user experience issues. U.S. organizations have made slightly more progress toward experience parity, but considerable work remains t be done.







"Investment in digital and work transformation technologies align with organizational imperatives around improved business resilience and increased employee productivity," said Amy Loomis, research director, Future of Work. "We are also tracking a direct correlation between spending levels with stronger momentum toward achieving experience parity for hybrid workers while lower spending levels align with more limited or ad hoc approaches."

On September 23rd, IDC will host a Future of Work webinar, Defining Work Location, Automation and Culture for a Hybrid Reality, that examines how hybrid work has evolved from being a reactive stopgap measure to a fully embedded model for managing the Future of Work. Details and registration for this complimentary webinar, featuring Amy Loomis and Holly Muscolino, are available at https://goto.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1492672&tp_key=9c8725af79.

The IDC report, Finding the Next "Steady State" of Hybrid Work (IDC #US47359721), looks at how ongoing global disruptions are challenging organizations to consider a variety of hybrid work locations. The report, Momentum and Investment in Hybrid Work Models (IDC #US48125421), examines how organizations have increased investment in digital and work transformation to support hybrid work models, as the ongoing disruption challenges efforts to return to pre-pandemic work practices.

About IDC's Future of Work Practice

As organizations accelerate and expand digital transformation initiatives, traditional work models are no longer sufficiently nimble, adaptive, or scalable. IDC's Future of Work research practice helps organizations recognize the necessity of moving to work models that support an increasingly diverse, distributed, and dynamic workforce securely, effectively, and productively. To learn more about IDC's Future of Work research practice, please visit https://www.idc.com/promo/future-of-x/work

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921006097/en/
[September 21, 2021] Governor Kemp and goBeyondProfit Celebrate First-ever Business Generosity Week

Governor Brian Kemp has proclaimed the week of Sept. 20 the first-ever "Business Generosity Week" in Georgia, recognizing goBeyondProfit, its business members, and other business leaders who have played a pivotal role in supporting the community through recent years. As the needs of Georgia communities increased, Georgia businesses stepped in to provide vital services, materials, and funding, while adapting business models to care for people, fellow businesses, and communities. "Without fanfare or recognition, many of you [business leaders] stepped in and helped your fellow business owners survive, and you've helped your employees and your customers stay safe," Governor Kemp shared at goBeyondProfit's recent CEO Forum. "The reality is that businesses touch and better our lives every day and sometimes we don't give credit for that enough. With your leadership - between the employer, the employee and the community - that is really the backbone of wht I think is the American dream. And it is certainly a key ingredient when it comes to our state's success."



Governor Kemp headlined a goBeyondProfit CEO Forum honoring business generosity and the milestone of reaching 1,500 goBeyondProfit members who have committed to corporate generosity and improving people's lives. goBeyondProfit began in 2018 as an invitation to every Georgia business to take a simple aspirational pledge. It has grown into an impressive statewide alliance of CEOs from companies of all sizes operating in Georgia - from start-ups to Fortune 500s - committed to making a meaningful positive impact across the state, the country and the world. "We're honored to celebrate Business Generosity Week with the Governor and fellow business leaders," said goBeyondProfit founder and Jackson Healthcare CEO Rick Jackson. "Seeing businesses step up through these catastrophic times has been particularly affirming to those of us who advocate for generosity as vital to the health of businesses and the community."

To view a recording of the Governor's remarks and the full CEO panel discussion visit the homepage of goBeyondProfit. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921006122/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The sound of gunfire echoed through urban core streets overnight and police quickly responded to a tragic shooting scene.

Unofficially, this is the 109th homicide so far this year compared to 144 at this time last year and 112 the year before that.

Here's the first report and round-up . . .



Homicide 300 block of Lawn

At about 1045 pm this evening, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Van Brunt on sound of shots. That call was then updated to a shooting in the 300 block of Lawn. Upon arrival officers found one adult male and one adult female both suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to a local hospital. The female victim was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The male victim is in critical but stable condition at this time. .An adult male subject of interest was taken into custody at the scene.



Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene. If you have any information please call the Homicide unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

################



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .

One dead, one hurt after Monday night KCMO shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - UPDATE | Two people were shot late Monday night in Kansas City, Missouri. According to the Kansas City Police Department, at about 10:45 p.m. officers were dispatched to the 300 block Van Brunt Boulevard on the sound of gunshots.

Developing . . .


Right now we celebrate the enduring legacy of international modeling hotness along with a few worthwhile and equally educational news links from our own cowtown and beyond . . .



Check the www.TonysKansasCity.com compilation . . .



Kansas City Working Life Listed

UNLOCKED: Here's the full list of KCBJ's Best Places to Work in 2021 - Kansas City Business Journal Two weeks ago, the Kansas City Business Journal rolled out this year's 47 Best Places to Work honorees. Now, here's an unlocked look at the companies. The 2021 Best Places to Work honorees participated in an employee survey during the summer facilitated by KCBJ'ssurvey partner, Quantum Workplace.

Kansas City Comeback

Workers Return To GM's Fairfax Plant On Monday, Months After Mass Layoffs Even though he hadn't collected a paycheck from GM in seven months, Anthony Walker still spent days counseling his co-workers from the Fairfax Assembly and Stamping Plant, which had been since February 8. Walker is the Employee Assistance Program counselor for workers and family at the plant, a role that he says continued even when they weren't building cars.

EPIC Fashion Show Earns Newsie Attention Around The World

Candice Swanepoel and Irina Shayk are the CR Parade Showgirls Emmanuel Sanchez Monsalve What's a parade without its showgirls? Supermodels and real life best friends Candice Swanepoel and Irina Shayk take on the fifth cover release of CR's parade-themed Fall/Winter 2021 issue. The leading ladies are pulling back the velvet curtain showing a dazzling display of what happens on stage and behind the scenes.

Prez Biden Immigration Hot Mess Worsens

White House: 'Horrific' to see border agents on horses chasing Haitian migrants, should 'never' happen WASHINGTON - Pictures showing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents chasing Haitian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on horseback Sunday are "horrific," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, adding more information on the situation is needed. "I've seen some of the footage, I don't have the full context.

At Least One Mahomes Earned A Victory On Sunday

Jackson Mahomes dumps water on taunting Ravens fans in viral video Patrick Mahomes' younger brother Jackson made a splash at the Chiefs-Ravens game on Sunday night. During Baltimore's 36-35 upset of Kansas City, a couple of Ravens fans spotted Mahomes and began taunting him about their team's wild win over the Chiefs and his brother.

Salvy Saves Season

Royals Salvador Perez sets new record, passing Bench for most HRs in a season by a catcher by: Heidi Schmidt, AP Wire Posted: / Updated: CLEVELAND - With a blast to left field in Cleveland on Monday afternoon, Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez set a new record for most home runs by a catcher in a season.

Fall Arrives In Kansas City

Cooler temperatures on tap for your Tuesday Hide Transcript Show Transcript evening forecast. Best rain chances next couple of hours and there's still maybe a few storms mainly to the east of the Metro by nine p.m. I think we are gonna be a lot drier than later in the evening that we go we'll have a decreasing clouds and our temperatures will cool back into those upper sixties by 10 and 11 o'clock.

For even more links, news and good stuff . . .

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE TKC COMMUNIQUE!!!

The TOTALLY FREE sometimes-daily news blast helps us communicate more effectively with readers, take our snarky goodness to the next level and share more resources.

Even better and if you haven't already . . .

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & SHARE THE LOVE!!!

As always, we THANK AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATE those who have signed up already.

Accordingly . . .
Despite worsening Kansas City COVID fatigue and intensifying resistance from constituents, Mayor Quinton Lucas continues his struggle to uphold public health precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic.



Never mind that Mayor Q has encountered his own troubles in maintaining "mask discipline" in public, whilst working out and at a great many events . . . Often when yelling "no justice, no peace" along with protesters.

About the latest extension . . . Which we also blogged last week.



Let's not forget that last time around there were two dissenting votes on Council. This time there might be more . . .



In the 1st draft of the ordinance the mask mandate will be extended until October 7, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. - That coincides with the Jackson County mask mandate extension.



However . . .

Let's not forget that the news about COVID has become increasingly dire as new variants take hold and, for better and worse, there hasn't been much progress in fighting the legality of mask orders across the nation. Or at least in places where the Democratic Party hold a majority.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Kansas City, Missouri, City Council to consider extending mask mandate KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council is set to take up a measure later this week that would extend the city's mask mandate. The council approved a public health order Aug. 2, which requires masks to be worn within city limits in certain circumstances regardless of vaccination status.

Masks Protect Schoolkids from COVID despite What Antiscience Politicians Claim On July 30 Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order barring local school districts from requiring their students to wear masks, claiming that mask mandates in schools lack "a well-grounded scientific justification."

Can kids be harmed wearing masks to protect against COVID? Can kids be harmed wearing masks to protect against COVID? No, there is no scientific evidence showing masks cause harm to kids' health despite baseless claims suggesting otherwise. The claims are circulating on social media and elsewhere just as virus outbreaks are hitting many reopened U.S.

Developing . . .
Haters abound in Kansas City and the level of persecution is worsening as the COVID plauge persists.



Skeptics might dispute the numbers but activists claim that the quotient of biased attacks is far greater than what the numbers reveal.

Here's the word . . .



Hate crime statistics are notoriously difficult to collect, and some community leaders in Kansas City expect the true numbers are much higher.



Despite a national rise in reported hate crimes, underreporting remains a severe obstacle to the investigation of these incidents, leading to a lack of accountability for bias-motivated offenses that can intimidate, isolate, and terrorize entire communities, Aaron Ahlquist, ADL Southern Division policy director, wrote in an email.

This report based on recent date from the FBI is valuable but theres clearly a great deal of spin when unpacking the numbers.

FBI hate crime reports spike to 12-year high in 2020 According to an FBI report, black and Asian Americans saw the biggest surges in targeted offences.

Whats even more interesting and what few reporters dare mention is any demographic data that cable new watchers have witnessed in connection with horrific attacks against Asian-Americans. Thankfully, if were to believe election season logic, it turns out that white people are to blame for any attacks on Asian people no matter who commits the crime.

Example . . .

White supremacy is the root of all race-related violence in the US Amid the disturbing rise in attacks on Asian Americans since March 2020 is a troubling category of these assaults: Black people are also attacking Asian Americans. White people are the main perpetrators of anti-Asian racism. But in February 2021, a Black person pushed an elderly Asian man to the ground in San Francisco; the man later died from his injuries.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny has met with British Defense Attache in Ukraine, Commodore Tim Woods and invited him to the active phase of the Strategic Command and Staff Exercise Joint Endeavour 2021, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has reported on Facebook.

According to the report, Zaluzhny expressed his respect for and deep gratitude to the United Kingdom for its principled position, political, diplomatic, financial and economic support, advisory and logistical assistance the British side is providing to Ukraine and its armed forces.

Zaluzhny stressed that "deterring Russia's armed aggression, continuing comprehensive reform of the Ukrainian army in order to increase the defense capabilities of our state and achieving the required level of interoperability with the armed forces of our partners remains the main task of the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

He stressed that he was looking forward to meeting with Woods next week during the active phase of Exercise Joint Endeavour 2021.

At the end of the meeting, Woods said that all Ukraine is doing is not only the defense of its own territory, but also the defense of Europe and NATO.

Earlier reports said that Ukrainian-U.S. military exercises Rapid Trident 2021 kicked off on September 20 and will last until October 1, 2021. Some 6,000 troops from 15 partner countries will take part in the drills.

op
The UN General Assembly is one of the main platforms for Ukraine to protest the occupation of part of the countrys east and the Crimean peninsula.

Thats according to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke with journalists while on a New York visit, Ukrinform reports citing Dom TV.

Asked whether he believed in the UN effectiveness in resolving the issue of the occupied part of Donbas and Crimea, Zelensky said: "It is difficult to say. But one of the central platforms where leaders meet of the countries on which the situation depends is the UN General Assembly. ".

He stressed that Ukraine should set an example of a country that does not betray its interests.

"And we mustnt only speak up, we must also demand appropriate action. We are searching for a solution to Donbas and Crimea on all platforms. Indeed, the UN is one of the major platforms. So we mustnt miss this opportunity," said the president.

Zelensky pointed at the need to make the most effective use of his ongoing visit by holding bilateral meetings with other leaders.

It should be recalled that Zelensky arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

A high-level week will be held at the UNGA from September 21 to 27, with the participation of more than a hundred world leaders.

The president of Ukraine is expected to speak in the general debate of the General Assembly on Wednesday, September 22, in the afternoon.
The United States considers that the State Duma elections contradict Russia's international commitments to the OSCE and human rights and freedoms.

The September 17-19 Duma elections in the Russian Federation took place under conditions not conducive to free and fair proceedings, reads the statement by the U.S. Department of State, Ukrinform reports.

As noted, the Russian governments use of laws on extremist organizations, foreign agents, and undesirable organizations severely restricted political pluralism and prevented the Russian people from exercising their civil and political rights. In addition, Russian government made widespread efforts to marginalize independent political figures, prevented the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and its Parliamentary Assembly from observing the elections, constricting transparency that is essential to fair elections.

These actions contradict Russias obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as its commitments to the OSCE and other international and regional bodies, reads the statement.

The United States called upon Russia to honor its international obligations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to end its pressure campaign on civil society, the political opposition, and independent media.

Furthermore, we do not recognize holding elections for the Russian Duma on sovereign Ukrainian territory and reaffirm our unwavering support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of State underscored.

As reported, voting in the Russian State Duma elections took place on September 17-19. On September 15, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EU to be ready not to recognize Russia's parliament and to consider excluding Russia from the PACE if the 2021 parliamentary elections in Russia are recognized as fraudulent and having been conducted in violation of democratic principles and international law.

On September 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemned the illegal organization and conduct of elections by Russia in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. In addition, Ukraine condemned the forced voting of Ukrainian citizens who had been illegally issued Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

ol
The European Union does not recognize the so-called elections held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine at the end of last week and takes note of reliable information about numerous and serious violations of the democratic right to expression of will in Russia.

The EU does not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and therefore does not recognise the so-called elections held in the occupied Crimean peninsula. The Russian Federations decision to involve residents of the non-government controlled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine in the State Duma, regional and local elections runs counter to the spirit and objectives of the Minsk agreements. The EU remains unwavering in its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, reads the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the State Duma, regional and local elections, Ukrinform reports.

As noted, the European Union regrets that Russias decision to severely restrict the size and format of an international OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission prevented its deployment.

At the same time, the EU took note of independent and reliable sources reporting serious violations. In particular, in the run-up to the elections, there was an increased crackdown on opposition politicians, civil society organizations and independent media outlets, as well as journalists. This resulted in the limitation of the choice for Russian voters and their ability to get full and accurate information about candidates.

The EU reiterates its deep concerns over the continuous pattern of shrinking space for the opposition, civil society and independent voices across Russia. The EU calls on Russias leadership to reverse these negative developments. The Russian Federation should abide by the commitments it has assumed within the framework of the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe in terms of protection of human rights and democratic values, reads the statement.

As reported, voting in the elections for Russian State Duma and local government bodies took place on September 17-19. Virtually all potential candidates from the "non-systemic" opposition were removed from the election process, and repression and harassment of human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society activists were launched under the slogans of the Russian laws on foreign agents and undesirable organizations.

On September 15, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EU to be ready not to recognize Russia's parliament and to consider excluding Russia from the PACE if the 2021 parliamentary elections in Russia are recognized as fraudulent and having been conducted in violation of democratic principles and international law.

On September 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemned the illegal organization and conduct of elections by Russia in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. In addition, Ukraine condemned the forced voting of Ukrainian citizens who had been illegally issued Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

ol
Commissioner of the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for Neighborhood Policy Development, Ferenc Kalmar, has arrived in Kyiv to participate in preparations for a meeting of the Ukrainian-Hungarian commission on national minorities.

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

"I am glad to welcome in Ukraine the Commissioner of the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for Neighborhood Policy Development, Ferenc Kalmar. Today we will talk about preparations for a meeting of the Ukrainian-Hungarian commission on national minorities, he wrote.

As Ukrinform reported, in May, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto agreed to continue the dialogue on education and national minorities on the basis of compliance with Ukrainian legislation.

iy
In The Hague, 11 relatives of the MH17 victims are having their say in court on Tuesday, September 21.

Some relatives spoke via video link, while some attended the courtroom in person, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I hope that perpetrators will apologize, that Russia will admit its guilt. It is especially difficult to see how Russia disinforms and imposes lies over lies. We hope that the court will shed light on what happened, the mother of one of the victims stressed in court.

The woman declined to identify herself and said she only wanted that the name of her murdered child, Eline Marieke Vranckx, be voiced.

During her speech, she showed a photo from her daughters funeral ceremony and some of her belongings retrieved from the tragedy site.

"I speak today as a mother who has lost a daughter. This changed my life forever. The fact that a passenger plane was shot down by a Buk missile is a crime for which those responsible must be held accountable. My daughter will never be a bride, a mother Those who shot down the plane deprived her of this [opportunity]. I wont be a grandmother. We are deprived of this. Time has stopped for me She had bought a towel, along with her friends  their names were embroidered on it. I recognized it in the catalog of [passengers] belongings and I brought it today as a symbol that a beautiful life can be torn to pieces, the woman said.

Some of the relatives could not find the strength to address the court in person, so their lawyers spoke on their behalf. Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis was trying to help relatives tackle emotion.

MH17 memo

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over the occupied area of Donetsk region on July 17, 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died.

The international Joint Investigation Team reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk.

On June 19, 2019, the JIT named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called "defense minister" of the self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic"; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing  colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the self-proclaimed "Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk Peoples Republic"; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic."

In March 2020, the District Court of The Hague began the consideration of the case over the downing of Flight MH17.

im
The government's draft law "On the Principles of State Policy of Transitional Period" provides for peacebuilding through secure reintegration.

"Our main goal is to build peace through secure reintegration. And a quality law will allow doing so. I am very happy that so many non-governmental organizations joined the process and we drafted this document together," Vice Prime Minister  Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov said during a meeting with representatives of the Venice Commission, Ukrinform reports with reference to the website of the Ministry of Reintegration.

According to him, the draft law is based on non-discrimination, gender equality, inclusiveness, and removal of procedural, institutional and social barriers, enforcement and protection of the rights of victims.

The official added that the bill had been drafted since September 2020. In December 2020, it was submitted for finalization to 166 concerned government agencies, international organizations, scientific institutions, and non-governmental associations. In total, the authors received 110 responses totaling more than 1,000 pages, which were processed completely in April 2021. In May this year, the second version of the bill was sent for government approval. In early August, the Government approved the document.

In turn, Deputy Secretary of the Venice Commission Rudolf Durr thanked Reznikov for the meaningful dialogue and work on the bill, conducted by the Ministry of Reintegration. "Thank you for the meeting, for your interpretation, and for trying to avoid loopholes in the law. It was a useful conversation and we will consider this document at the plenary session of the Commission in October," Durr assured.

As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the draft law "On the Principles of State Policy of Transitional Period" at its meeting on August 4, 2021.

It is based on UN principles in the field of transitional justice, meets OSCE standards and criteria  the Copenhagen Criteria  and, first of all, is drafted solely based on the state interests of Ukraine.

Photo credit: Ministry of Reintegration

ol
Ukraine and Hungary have agreed to hold a meeting of the Ukrainian-Hungarian Commission on Ensuring the Rights of National Minorities in Kyiv in the near future.

In pursuance of the agreement reached between Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, co-chairs of the Joint Ukrainian-Hungarian Commission on Ensuring the Rights of National Minorities  Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar and Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary for Neighborhood Policy Ferenc Kalmar  met in Kyiv, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informs.

The parties discussed in detail the preparations for the next meeting of the Joint Commission. Bodnar expressed confidence that the dialogue between Ukraine and Hungary within the framework of the Commission's activities would contribute to the proper protection of the rights of the Ukrainian minority in Hungary and the Hungarian minority in Ukraine in accordance with the national legislation of the parties.

"This, in turn, will strengthen good-neighborly mutually beneficial relations between our countries," said the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine.

The diplomats agreed that the next meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Hungarian Commission on Ensuring the Rights of National Minorities would take place in Kyiv in the near future. The exact date will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.

Bodnar and Kalmar also praised the progress in implementing the results of the 3rd meeting of the Ukrainian-Hungarian interagency working group on education, which took place in Uzhgorod on September 16.

ol
The Ministry of Reintegration monitors and prosecutes those involved in organizing illegal "elections" to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, held in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the occupied Crimea.

Thats according to Deputy Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Ihor Yaremenko, who spoke with Dom TV, Ukrinform reports.

"We have repeatedly stated that we will gather very carefully the information on Russian citizens who organize and participate in these so-called elections. We will gather information about our citizens who are involved in the organization (not those who are forced to vote as we understand that they are victims of the situation). And we will prosecute them in court or apply other procedures. I mean our sanctions against citizens or Russia or third countries," said Yaremenko.

Meanwhile, ordinary Ukrainian citizens who live in the occupied Donbas and Crimea and vote under duress from the occupation administrations do not need to fear prosecution, the deputy minister said.

"We always distinguish very clearly: there are two categories of people. The first is those who are hostages and, consequently, victims of this conflict. They are forced to vote, they are coerced, we understand that these are people who have to survive this war. And we can only feel sorry for them and try to help them, while certainly not condemning them. And there is a second category of people who go and do it consciously, who not only vote [in Russian elections] but also fight against their own country. And with these people, we will be talking through the Criminal Code of Ukraine. We will definitely prosecute them according to law. That is for sure," Yaremenko stressed.

However, citizens who vote in the Russian "elections" for ideological reasons, should decide on their desired place of residence, said the deputy minister.

When we talk about those who went to the polls, we think it's mostly people who are forced to do it. Yet, among them are those who do it for ideological reasons. But, probably, then these people need to decide, whether they are citizens of Ukraine and hold a Ukrainian passport, or they are citizens of Russia. In this case, as my chief said  and I absolutely agree with him  we need to decide whether you live here or you better look for another place to live. At least, this is fair, Yaremenko concluded.

As reported, on September 17-19, Russia held elections to the State Duma and local bodies. Ahead of the election, virtually all potential candidates from "non-systemic" opposition had been expelled from the campaign, while rights defenders, journalists, and civic activists were repressed and persecuted under the Russian Foreign Agents and Unwanted Organizations laws.

On September 15, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EU to be prepared not to recognize Russia's parliament and to consider excluding Russia from the PACE if Russia's 2021 parliamentary elections are declared rigged and in violation of democratic principles and international law.

On September 17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly protested and condemned the unlawful holding of Russian elections to the State Duma in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and the forcible involvement of Ukrainian citizens holding illegally issued Russian passports in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

im
Over 108,000 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Ukraine on September 20, the Ukrainian Health Ministry has reported on Facebook.

"As many as 108,376 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, on September 20, 2021. Some 62,909 people received their first dose, and 45,827 people were fully vaccinated," the report reads.

According to the ministry, 794 mobile vaccination teams, 2,814 vaccination sites, and 338 vaccination centers were operating across the country in the past day.

A total of 11,565,584 doses have been administered in Ukraine since it launched a vaccination campaign, with 6,366,923 people receiving their first dose and 5,198,661 people receiving both doses (two people received their first dose abroad).

Some 5,159 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Ukraine on September 20.

op
All regions in Ukraine will move into the yellow zone of COVID-19 restrictions from September 23, according to a statement posted on the government's website.

This decision was made at an extraordinary meeting of the State Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies, chaired by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

"Following the meeting, the State Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies decided to introduce from 00:00 on September 23, 2021 the 'yellow' level of epidemiological danger of the spread of COVID-19 in all regions of Ukraine, as well as to apply in all regions of Ukraine restrictive anti-epidemic measures relating to the "yellow" level of epidemiological danger," the statement said.

Shmyhal said that the epidemiological situation in the country was rapidly deteriorating, so the duty of the state was to protect people's lives and health. At the same time, he stressed that vaccination was currently the most effective way to combat COVID-19, and the state has provided an opportunity for anyone to be vaccinated free of charge.

Shmyhal said that the Cabinet of Ministers, by amending its resolution on COVID-19 restrictions, also eased restrictive measures and allowed economic and educational institutions to operate even in the "red" zone, but under certain conditions.

"Restrictions in the 'yellow' and 'red' zones will not apply to institutions where staff and visitors are vaccinated, have a negative test or confirmation of a recent illness. This is the method that is successfully used today by a number of countries in Europe and worldwide in order to save people and not to stop the country's economic activity," he said.

The commission heard a report by Minister of Health Viktor Liashko on the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine and discussed the introduction of the "yellow" level of epidemiological danger in all regions of the country.

Following the meeting, the commission also instructed the heads of regional state administrations and Kyiv City State Administration to take measures to ensure compliance with the relevant restrictive anti-epidemic measures envisaged for the respective level of epidemiological danger of the spread of COVID-19.

The participants in the meeting also raised the issue of vaccination of the population, in particular teachers and employees of educational institutions. Shmyhal said that COVID-19 cases among children were growing compared to last year.

op
The Security Service of Ukraine is launching an information campaign "If you have a tip about a threat, call the SBU."

Thats according to the SBU press center, Ukrinform reports.

The SBU is offering a hotline, 0-800-501-482, for citizens to share information on a possible threat to Ukraine's national security.

The tips received will remain confidential and be carefully verified, the statement says.

The main goal of the campaign is to help the government fight separatism, prevent the recruitment of Ukrainian citizens by foreign intelligence agencies, as well as counter the spread of fake news, misinformation, and propaganda circulated by the aggressor power.

The campaign will last for three months and focus on the regions that, besides the Joint Forces Operation zone, are of major interest to foreign intelligence: Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, and Kherson.

The campaign is part of the SBUs systemic efforts pursued since the onset of Russias military invasion of Ukraine. The SBU has been fighting separatism and any attempts to violate Ukraine's sovereignty  in both Donbas and peaceful regions. Our goal is to block hostile propaganda and the operations of Russian agents toward inciting ethnic hatred, creating artificial conflicts, and recruiting locals, said SBU spokesman Artem Dekhtiarenko.

In order to more effectively counter the separatist movement and terrorism, as well as to ensure the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, we need support of the alert population in the regions that are under threat of external intervention. To this end, the SBU, together with the Center for Strategic Communications StratCom Ukraine, is launching a regional campaign to inform the public about the available hotlines to share reports of identified threats, said StratCom Ukraines chief Oksana Horbach.

The campaign to counter manifestations of hybrid aggression by Russia is the Centers first joint project with the Security Service of Ukraine.

Since 2015, the Center has been supporting Ukrainian defense and security agencies in reforming communication practices and building up their capacity in strategic communications.

Among the Center's partners are the Ministry of Defense, the State Border Guard Service, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, NATO, the International Organization for Migration, UN Women, and others.

The project is funded by the U.S. government as part of cooperation with the SBU. The Strategic Communications Center StratCom Ukraine, with which the SBU has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding, will be responsible for the projects implementation.

im
After being resettled to the USA from Namibia, Congolese refugee Majidi Al Shabani (left) befriended Cobi Cogbill, who studies at the University of Arkansas where Majidi works.  UNHCR/Lucian Perkins

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes U.S. President Bidens proposal to raise the target for refugee resettlement in the United States in the coming fiscal year to 125,000 people.

This plan reflects the commitment of the U.S. government and the American people to help ensure that the worlds most vulnerable refugees have a chance to rebuild their lives in safety.

It also sends a clear signal to the world on the importance of all countries doing their part and working together to share responsibility in responding to the needs of refugees with concrete, strong and compassionate action.

If confirmed following consultation with Congress and signed by US President Biden, this resettlement target could save the lives of 125,000 women, men and children and will keep hope alive for millions more refugees, around the world.

UNHCR applauds this call for action and urges all countries to make more resettlement places available for the refugees who need them most.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and are deeply saddened by the deaths of four individuals near the border between Poland and Belarus. The organizations express their condolences to the families of the deceased and are calling for an immediate investigation into this tragedy. The nationalities of the all the victims have yet to be confirmed but two Iraqi nationals reportedly died of hypothermia.

In recent months, groups of asylum-seekers and migrants have been transiting through Belarus, to seek asylum in neighbouring EU Member States - Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

The two agencies have been following with growing concern, reports of pushbacks of people at these borders. Groups of people have become stranded for weeks, unable to access any form of assistance, asylum or basic services. Many were left in dire situations, exposed to the elements, suffering from hypothermia. Some were rescued from swamps.

Recognizing the significant challenges posed by irregular movements, the agencies have called for the situation to be managed in accordance with international legal obligations, and for States to work collaboratively to resolve the situation, prioritising human rights.

UNHCR and IOM call for immediate access to those affected, in order to provide lifesaving medical help, food, water and shelter, especially in light of the approaching winter.

While States have the sovereign right to manage their borders, this is not incompatible with the respect for human rights including the right to seek asylum. Pushbacks endanger lives and are illegal under international law.

UNHCR and IOM have been engaging with relevant authorities to explore various options for the people who continue to be stranded at borders; from access to asylum, family reunification procedures, and voluntary return for those found not to be in need of international protection.

IOM and UNHCR reiterate that asylum-seekers and migrants should never be used by States to achieve political ends. The fundamental responsibility to protect vulnerable people should be shared among States in a spirit of solidarity. Political disagreement on responsibilities must never result in the loss of life, forfeiting States international obligations and commitments.
(@FahadShabbir)

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday warned the masses to get their Covid-19 vaccine jab, as basic services rendered to public would be banned for non-vaccinated individuals from October 1

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday warned the masses to get their Covid-19 vaccine jab, as basic services rendered to public would be banned for non-vaccinated individuals from October 1.

The nerve center of the country in its fight against the deadly contagious disease of Coronavirus took to social networking site Twitter to announce the warning as part of its Obligatory Vaccination regime to ensure maximum complete inoculation of the eligible population.

The forum wrote, "Warning! From October 1, all facilities used in daily life will be closed to all people who have not been vaccinated."The forum emphasised the general public to get their vaccination done as soon as possible and keep life going.
London, Sept 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :British police on Tuesday said there was enough evidence to charge a third Russian man with the Novichok poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury in 2018.

Counter-terrorism detectives said prosecutors had reviewed the evidence against a man identified as Sergey Fedotov for him to be charged with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm, and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

Skripal and his daughter were left fighting for their lives after the attack, which soured diplomatic ties between Britain and Russia that were already strained by the 2006 radiation poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko.

In a letter read out after his death in a London hospital, former KGB agent Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the attack.

A police officer investigating the Skripal case was also left seriously ill, while a local Salisbury woman who came into contact with the weapons-grade substance later died.

Two other men have previously been identified as suspects in the poisoning. All three are said to be members of Russia's GRU military intelligence service.

The head of special crime and counter-terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, Nick price, said specialist prosecutors had reviewed the evidence against the third suspect, who is also known as Denis Sergeev.

They "have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is clearly in the public interest to charge Sergey Fedotov", he added.

"We will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of Sergey Fedotov as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals.

"Russia has made this clear following requests for extradition in other cases. Should this position change then an extradition request would be made."
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Ottawa, Sept 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :Canadians returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power Monday in hotly contested elections against a rookie conservative leader, according to projections by television networks.

But with polls likely to still be reporting results into the next morning, it wasn't yet clear if his party managed to secure an absolute majority of seats in parliament that would allow him to pass his agenda without opposition support.

Trudeau called the snap election last month, hoping to parlay a smooth Covid-19 vaccine rollout -- among the best in the world -- into a new mandate to steer the nation's pandemic exit.

But the contest, after a bumpy five weeks of campaigning, appeared set for a repeat of the close 2019 general election that resulted in the one-time golden boy of Canadian politics clinging to power yet losing his majority in parliament.

A sudden surge in Covid-19 cases led by the Delta variant late in the campaign -- after the lifting of most public health measures this summer -- had also muddied the waters.

Trudeau said earlier he felt "serene" after casting a ballot in Montreal.

"We worked very hard during this campaign, and Canadians are making an important choice," he told AFP, flanked by his wife Sophie Gregoire and their children.

At 49, Trudeau has faced tougher political bouts and still come out unscathed.

But after six years in power, his administration was showing signs of fatigue, and it was an uphill battle for him to convince Canadians to stick with his Liberals after falling short of high expectations set in his 2015 landslide win.

- Trudeau 'lied to us' - Long lineups outside polling stations were observed by AFP journalists in several major cities. Elections Canada tweeted that anyone in queues after stations closed would still be permitted to vote.

Douglas O'Hara, 73, casting a ballot in Trudeau's Montreal electoral district of Papineau, had said he was "very disappointed" with the prime minister.

Although he believes Trudeau "did a half-decent job" managing the pandemic, he recalled that the leader had pledged not to go to the polls until the outbreak had subsided.

"Then as soon as he gets a chance (when) he thinks he's going to get a majority, he calls an election," O'Hara said.

"I really believe he lied to us." In Ottawa, Kai Anderson, 25, said Canada's pandemic response was her "number one" issue. "I think the prime minister did a good job managing the pandemic," she said.

Liz Maier, 72, of Vancouver said she too hoped for a Trudeau win for "consistency in leadership" during the public health crisis.

Entering the final stretch of the contest, the two main political parties that have ruled Canada since its 1867 confederation were virtually tied, with about 31 percent support each in public opinion polls, and four smaller factions nipping at their heels.

Pollster Tim Powers predicted a Liberal minority win.

"But is that a win for him?" he said, noting that Trudeau had hoped for more than just a plurality of seats.

- 'Anti-vaxxer mobs,' China 'counterstrikes' - The campaign saw the contenders spar over climate actions, indigenous reconciliation, affordable housing, mandatory Covid-19 inoculations and vaccine passports.

At rallies, Trudeau was dogged by what he described as "anti-vaxxer mobs," including one that threw stones at him.

The 48-year-old Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, meanwhile, was knocked for his backing of Alberta and two other Tory-led provinces' loosening of public health restrictions too soon, with Covid outbreaks now forcing their overwhelmed hospitals to fly patients across Canada for care.

He also fumbled over gun control and was warned by Beijing, according to Chinese state media, that his proposed hard line on China -- Canada's second-largest trading partner, with whom relations have soured over its detention of two Canadians -- would "invite counterstrikes." Overall, commented Max Cameron, a politics professor at the University of British Columbia, "this hasn't been a polarizing election. There's actually a lot of clustering around the middle."O'Toole, a relative unknown who became Tory leader only last year, tracked his party to the political center, forcing the Liberals to compete for votes on the left with the New Democrats and Greens, as well as the separatist Bloc Quebecois.

The Conservatives, however, also saw their support clawed by former foreign minister Maxime Bernier's far-right People's Party.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Hague, Sept 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :Nicaragua accused Colombia on Monday of openly defying judges at the UN's top court in a bitter decades-long legal battle over maritime borders.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2012 awarded Nicaragua a large swathe of disputed Caribbean sea territory extending 200 nautical miles (230 miles, 370 kilometres) from its coastline.

Nicaragua lodged a fresh case the following year accusing Colombia of ignoring the ruling, and alleging that Bogota had threatened to use force to back up its claims in the oil- and fish-rich region.

Finally opening Nicaragua's case at the Hague-based court after years of legal wrangling, the country's representative Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez accused Colombia of "ignoring and violating Nicaragua's rights".

"It is an open challenge to the authority of the court," he said.

Colombia, which had recently proposed a referendum on the issue, said its navy would ignore the judgment, called the ICJ the "enemy" and "even questioned the moral standing of members of the court", Gomez said.

"The refusal of Colombia to comply with the judgment and respect Nicaragua's rights goes on to this day," he added.

Colombia is due to present its case later this week at the ICJ, which rules on disputes between UN member states.

Bogota's representative Carlos Arrieta said he intends to tell the court on Wednesday that Colombia has "not violated any rights".

"Colombia has defended its rights and acted in accordance with international law," Arrieta said Monday in a video given to reporters by the country's foreign ministry.

"We knew Nicaragua was going to come out in full force, but it is not saying anything that it has not already said, and our arguments remain the same," he added.

Although there are no land borders between Nicaragua, located in Central America, and Colombia, which is in South America, diplomatic relations have been strained for almost a century over disputed maritime limits.

Nicaragua finally took Colombia to the court in 2001, and in 2012 it won several thousand square kilometres of territory in the Caribbean that had previously been Colombian.

A furious Colombia, which was left with only seven islets, said at the time it would no longer recognise the court's jurisdiction on border disputes.

Nicaragua then went back to the court in 2013 alleging violations of the judgment by Colombia.

Judges at the ICJ ruled in 2016 that they had jurisdiction in the dispute, brushing aside Colombian objections that it was not competent to hear the cases.

Countries are obliged to implement judgments by the ICJ, which are final, cannot be appealed and are seen as carrying great compulsion.

In rare situations where a country refuses to implement the ruling, the matter can then be referred to the UN Security Council by the complaining country for further action.
(@FahadShabbir)

Nairobi, Sept 21 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :A series of explosions hit Burundi's economic capital killing at least three people and injured dozens on Monday evening, police and media reports said, the latest in a string of attacks.

The blasts in Bujumbura followed a deadly grenade explosion in a bar in the capital Gitega on Sunday and a series of mortars launched on Burundi's international airport Saturday night.

At least two grenades exploded in a bus parking lot in Bujumbura's city centre on Monday around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT), a police source and eyewitnesses said.

"One of the victims was killed and 29 others injured, some seriously," the police official told AFP on condition of anonymity, giving a provisional toll.

The blasts triggered panic among bus drivers, passengers and pedestrians, who frantically tried to escape the carnage.

The third blast targeted a market, killing at least two people and injuring several others, the Iwacu newspaper reported, while a fourth grenade exploded near a packed passenger bus on the outskirts of Bujumbura, two security sources told AFP.

Burundian officials could not be immediately reached and there were no claims of responsibility for Monday's blasts or Sunday's grenade explosion which killed at least two people in a bar in Gitega.

"A grenade was thrown last night in a bar run by a police officer where many officials and members of the ruling party were gathered," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity on Monday.

A police officer said the blast killed two people on the spot while eight others were being treated at medical facilities in Gitega.

It followed an attack on the airport in Bujumbura a day before President Evariste Ndayishimiye was due to fly out for the UN General Assembly in New York.

No one was injured in the assault which saw a series of mortar shells fired at the airport.

The RED-Tabara rebel group --accused of being behind many deadly attacks or ambushes across the country since 2015 -- claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack in a statement on Twitter.

"These are coordinated attacks launched by enemies of peace who have wanted to show for three days that there is no peace in Burundi when President Ndayishimiye is at the UN General Assembly", a senior Burundian official said on condition of anonymity.

"But they are mistaken, the situation is under control despite their little outbursts," he added.

RED-Tabara, which has a rear base in South Kivu in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, emerged 10 years ago and is now the most active of Burundi's rebel groups.

In 2020, it claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in which it killed more than 40 people among security forces and the youth league of the ruling CNDD-FDD party.

The Burundian government and many diplomats believed at the time that the rebel group, of 500-800 men, was led by one of the fiercest opponents of the state, Alexis Sinduhije, who has always denied it.
(@fidahassanain)

ISPR DG Major General Babar Iftikhar says the manner in which Indian journalists and media outlets spread lies regarding the Panjshir conflict exposed that they relied on fabricated and concocted information.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 21st, 2021) Director General Inter Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that some leading international and Indian media outlets published and aired fake news stories in an attempt to propagate Pakistans interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

In an interview to a local news forum, he said the manner in which Indian journalists and media outlets spread lies regarding the Panjshir conflict exposed that they relied on fabricated and concocted information.

Major General Babar said Pakistan is confident that the Taliban would fulfil their commitment of not allowing any terrorist organisation to use Afghan soil against any country including Pakistan.

DG ISPR said Pakistan is in constant contact with Afghan Taliban officials to protect the countrys national security.

He said that Pakistan has also urged the Afghan Taliban to form an inclusive government comprising all ethnicities including Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbek.
UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2021) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the international community to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria to prevent it from becoming a protracted one.

"The international community cannot allow the Syrian crisis to linger on for another 10 years. We need to display a stronger will to find a political solution to the problem," Erdogan said in his address during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

Erdogan expressed hope that the conciliatory approach displayed by the countries engaged on the issue of extending the humanitarian assistance delivery mechanism to Syria for another 12 months will be emulated to return home Syrian asylum seekers.

The war in Syria is in its tenth year and Turkey is actively engaged in the conflict after it launched Operation Euphrates Shield in August, 2016 to eradicate the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) and push Kurdish militia away from its borders. In cooperation with Syrian opposition, Turkey took hold of the cities of Jarabulus, Azaz and Al-Bab.
Rwanda said it has cancelled a planned meeting with the Belgian foreign minister at the UN after she criticised the trial of "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen

Kigali, Sept 21 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :Rwanda said it has cancelled a planned meeting with the Belgian foreign minister at the UN after she criticised the trial of "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen.

Rusesabagina, who is credited with saving over 1,200 lives during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, was convicted on terror charges by a high court in Kigali on Monday and sentenced to 25 years in prison in a widely criticised verdict.

Belgium's Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes said that despite repeated appeals from Brussels, "Rusesabagina did not benefit from a fair and equitable trial; particularly with regard to the rights of the defence".

"The presumption of innocence was not respected either. These elements de facto call into question the trial and the judgement." The Kigali government slammed the comments in a statement dated Monday.

It said they "reflected the contempt shown by the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium towards the Rwandan judicial system since the start of this trial despite the significant contribution of relevant Belgian institutions to the investigation of this case".

"For this reason, a scheduled bilateral meeting at ministerial level, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, will no longer take place." Rusesabagina, who used his fame from the Hollywood film he inspired to denounce Rwandan President Paul Kagame as a "dictator", has been behind bars since his arrest in August 2020 when a plane he believed was bound for Burundi landed instead in Kigali.

The 67-year-old, who holds a US Green Card, was convicted of involvement with a rebel group blamed for deadly gun, grenade and arson attacks in Rwanda in 2018 and 2019.

The United States and global rights groups have also raised questions about the fairness of the verdict.

His family, who have campaigned globally for his release, have voiced fears that Rusesabagina could die in jail.
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General will be held in New York on September 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in it, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2021) The meeting of the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General will be held in New York on September 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in it, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"On September 22, Sergey Lavrov will take part in the traditional meeting of the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres," Zakharova said in a statement.

In addition, on September 23, Lavrov will hold a working lunch with the foreign ministers of the member states of the Central American Integration System, and will also meet with representatives of American Jewish non-governmental organizations.

Finally, on September 24, Lavrov will take part in the ministerial meeting Russia the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Flames spread up a giant Sequoia tree in the US state of California (AFP or licensors)

Scottish and UK religious leaders are calling on governments to take transformational climate action at the upcoming 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

By Lisa Zengarini

During Climate Fringe Week, a virtual event taking place in Scotland from 18 to 26 September ahead of COP26, over 50 faith leaders signed a joint declaration urging those in power to take forward the Paris Agreement.

The Agreement was adopted at COP21 in 2015 by the 196 attending parties, committing them to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Urgent action needed to avert threat of climate change

Reminding governments of their commitments and of Article 17 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights to protect the environment, the biosphere and biodiversity, signed in 2005, the Glasgow Multi-Faith Declaration calls upon them to take the urgent action needed to avert the loss, damage, and forced migration threatened by climate change.

The signatories point out that the burden of loss and damage falls most heavily on people living in poverty, especially women and children.

Working to create a positive vision for 2050

They therefore ask governments to work together and with others to create a positive vision for 2050."

Addressing climate change," say the religious leaders, "is not just an opportunity to stop burning fossil fuels, but also: to achieve cleaner air and water; to reduce food wastage; to ensure a just and equitable sharing of the earths resources; and to protect the habitats we share with all other life on whose health we also depend.

Commitment to advocate for justice

On their part, the UK faith leaders reiterate their commitment to respond to this challenge by reflecting deeply in prayer to discern how to care for the earth and each other.

This care, they say, includes making transformational change in their own lives and in the lives of their communities, being advocates for justice and calling on those who exercise power and influence to make the transition to a just and green economy a priority and to commit to science-based targets that are aligned with a healthy, resilient, zero-emissions future.

Providing hope for the future

Across our doctrinal and political differences, we know that we must change our ways to ensure a quality of life which all can share, and we need to provide hope for people of all ages, everywhere, including future generations, the religious leaders add, emphasizing the need for those in power to "understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26."

"Our collective energy and prayers will be with those working for a successful outcome," concludes the Declaration.

Signatories of the Glasgow Declaration include Bishop Brian McGee, President of the Catholic Scottish Bishops Committee for Interreligious dialogue, and Bishop John Arnold, lead on the Environment for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW).
The Catholic Bishops of Germany are holding their Fall Plenary Assembly, which focuses on the ongoing Synodal Path and reform in the Church.

By Lisa Zengarini

German bishops are holding their Fall Plenary Assembly running until September 23 in Fulda. The meeting is focused on the clerical sexual abuse crisis, the ongoing German Synodal Path (Synodaler Weg), and a discussion of reform in the Church, including the place of women.

The synodal process was launched in late 2019 to discuss a range of contemporary theological and organizational questions, as well as possible reactions to the abuse crisis which has rocked the German Catholic Church over the past years.

Bishops will also discuss the Synodal process starting in October this year, which will lead to the 2023 General Synod of Bishops on synodality in Rome.

Urgent need for repentance for abuse scandal

In the opening Mass on Monday, Bishop Georg Batzing of Limburg, President of the German Catholic Bishops Conference (DBK), emphasized the urgent need for repentance. He noted that the Church too has its part of responsibility in the growing distance between the Gospel and contemporary culture and "the ever deeper gap that makes its understanding difficult" in modern society.

Indisputably, we ourselves have contributed to this confusion and therefore to the failure in communicating the Gospel, he said in his homily, referring to the bishops share of responsibility in the abuse scandal.

The bishop added that the vocation to the episcopal ministry basically requires that we leave behind what is impious, sinful, not spiritual and basically damaging for the community."

Bishop Batzing: Jesus has the power to heal

At the same time, he emphasized the healing and renewing power of Jesus from injustice and shame.

One word and everything becomes new: only God can do it, only with him nothing is impossible, he said. Bishop Batzing therefore called upon German bishops to "tell how Jesus touched and called us and how we get together, we deliberate and discuss, we plan and decide in order to make the Lord shine, because He is the light of nations.

Archbishop Eterovic: Church renewal process requires communion and holiness

In his opening remarks, the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, focused on the Syodal process, recalling that "the goal of every reform and renewal in the Church is the holiness of its members".

The Lord Jesus," he said, "calls on us constantly to follow the path of ecclesial communion, Catholic faith and holiness in our times, especially among pressing ecclesial and social challenges.

Participating bishops

Sixty-eight bishops are taking part in the assembly. During the meeting they will also elect the member, presidents, and vice-presidents of the 14 Committees of the DBK e and of its sub-commissions.
Pope Francis urges Slovak Jesuits in their work to draw closer to God and His people, during his Apostolic Visit to Slovakia. He also notes that the Church is called to move forward in discernment and prayer.

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

During his recently-concluded 34th Apostolic Journey (12  15 September), Pope Francis visited Hungary for the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, before flying to Slovakia where he visited Bratislava, Sastin, Presov and Kosice.

In Slovakia, the Holy Father met with a group of about 53 Jesuits on Sunday, 12 September, the evening of his arrival in the country. The official transcript of his words to Slovak Jesuits was released on Tuesday by the Jesuit review "La Civilta Cattolica".

After a few words of welcome from the provincial of the Slovak Province, Pope Francis engaged with them in conversation, responding to questions directed at him.

The questions covered a wide variety of topics: from the Holy Fathers health after his surgery in July, the mission of the Society of Jesus in Slovakia, and the challenges faced by the Church in the country.

Closeness to God and His people

Pope Francis urged the members of the Jesuit order engaged in pastoral work in Slovakia to serve Gods people inspired by one word: closeness.

First, he told them, closeness with God. He stressed the importance of prayer  not the formal prayer that does not touch the heart  but one that struggles with God and draws us closer to Him. He also warned against falling into the temptation of being too busy to pray. The Pope then stressed the importance of closeness among themselves  a charitable love among brothers which helps to build community life.

The Holy Father also emphasized closeness to the Bishop, including the Pope, and finally, closeness with the People of God. He encouraged the Jesuits to meditate on Pope Paul VIs words to the Society of Jesus during the 32nd General Congregation, and urged them to go the peripheries and the crossroads while keeping a spirit of obedience to their provincials.

He reminded them that being close to God's people is important because it frames us, helping us never to forget where we are drawn from and where we come from - our people. However, he warned, if we detach ourselves and move toward an ethereal universality, then we lose our roots. Our roots are in the Church, which is the people of God.

Responding to a separate question about how he sees the Society of Jesus today, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of discernment and prayer, especially in times when fervor is lacking or in times of desolation. He also held up the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola  the founder of the Society of Jesus - as a real treasure that contains rules of discernment that need to be better known.

Challenges of the Church

Pope Francis spoke about the challenges of the Church in the face of the temptation to go backwards in search of security, noting that this is not really a universal problem, but rather specific to the Churches of certain countries.

He explained that in a world that is so conditioned by dependencies and virtuality, it frightens us to be free. He recalled the example of Dostoevskys The Grand Inquisitor who reproaches Jesus for giving us freedom. "We are afraid to move forward in pastoral experiences," he said, thinking of the work done during the synod on the family "to make it understood that couples in second unions are no longer condemned to hell." "We are afraid to accompany people with sexual diversity. We are afraid of the crossroads of which Paul VI spoke".

The Pope went on to warn against seeking the way out in rigidity and clericalism. Today I believe that the Lord is asking the Society to be free, with prayer and discernment, the Pope said, adding that it is beautiful to bring forward the freedom of the Gospel.

He however cautioned against imprudence, stressing that we need to be attentive and vigilant. He said that turning back is not the right way, instead, moving forward in discernment and obedience.

To another question about the challenges of the Church in Slovakia and the opinion of critics, the Pope stressed the importance of real dialogue before making judgments. He added that he personally may deserve attacks and insults because I am a sinner, but the Church does not deserve this: it is the work of the devil. I have even said this to some of them, he said.

The Holy Father also spoke about the decision - the result of consultation with bishops across the world  to redefine celebrations with the pre-conciliar liturgy (vetus ordo), so as to return to the true intentions of Benedict XVI and John Paul II. He restated that permission from Rome must be sought as it is done with biritualism.

"I go forward," Pope Francis said, not because I want to make a revolution. I do what I feel I must do. It takes a lot of patience, prayer and a lot of charity."

On refugees

Pope Francis then responded to a question on the growing global concern for migrants and refugees. He reiterated his call that migrants need to be welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated, keeping in mind the capacities of their host countries. Leaving migrants without integration is leaving them in misery, he said, it is equivalent to not welcoming them.

The Holy Father concluded his meeting with Slovak Jesuits by stressing the importance of studying the phenomenon of migration to understand its causes and consequences, particularly situations of migration caused by geopolitical factors.
Over the past few days, representatives of the Bishops' Conferences from Central and Eastern Europe have gathered in Warsaw to confront the crisis of sexual abuse. Father Adam Zak, a member of the organizing committee, explains the socio-political and cultural situation that has affected the Churchs response in the region.

By Adam Zak, SJ

To present the Churchs response to the challenge of sexual abuse in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which up to three decades ago were either part of the Soviet Union or were under Communist regimes, I must refer more to direct experience rather than to written texts that deal with the topic. On various occasions, I have had direct contact including with those who were responsible for some of the Churches. The first occasion was during my service as regional assistant for Central and Eastern Europe and as councilor to two superiors general of the Society of Jesus (2003-2012). This service often involved visiting the countries of that region. Between 2014-2018, I participated regularly in workshops for representatives of the Roman and Greek Catholics of Central and Eastern Europe organized in Warsaw by the United States Bishops Conference Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. These workshops offered tools to Bishops and their collaborators to respond to the sexual abuse crisis. During these workshops, I was in contact with and shared experiences with participants from Albania, Belarus, Croatia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary. These, and other direct experiences in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and Albania, reinforced my conviction that the Church in Central and Eastern Europe is in need of particular attention to deal with a crisis that, while not beginning there, nevertheless has been impacted by it because of the globalized world. Its involvement is independent of the number of cases that have come to light around the world. Whether we like it or not, this crisis that occurs in other parts of the world tests the faith of the people in this part of the world and threatens to undermine their trust in their pastors.

It is impossible to understand the reaction of the Church in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to the crisis connected with the sexual abuse of minors and other vulnerable persons committed by members of the Catholic clergy without considering the socio-political and cultural situation after the October Revolution was exported or even imported into societies already wounded by the two World Wars. The pastoral ministry of the Christian Churches and communities of every denomination were often subjected to cruel repression and severe limitations. Christian educational institutions and associations were suppressed everywhere and the religious formation of the young was prohibited or limited. Every Christian religious influence on the young had to be gradually eliminated. The culture promoted through every means toward the young was not neutral. It was not only secular, it was atheistic and anti-Christian. Simultaneously, the style of life fostered by the regime consciously sought to distance itself from the Western model that was presented in every possible way as hedonistic and dissolute  in short, decadent.

Fr. Zak (R) at the Warsaw conference

It goes without saying that such a policy in practice for decades strongly influenced the self-awareness of Christians in this part of Europe vis-a-vis their brothers and sisters in the faith on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Particularly when the media brought the horrible news regarding the scandals of the Church in the West, a sense of moral superiority rose up in many hearts that at the same time eliminated or at least weakened the perception of the risk factors that similar misdeeds could happen in their own surroundings. The Greek and Roman Churches, especially those that emerged from hiding in Czechoslovakia or Romania, in ex-Soviet Republics such as Belarus, Lithuania or Ukraine, were rightly proud of their martyrs, their Bishops and priests, (not a few of whom had been ordained secretly), men and women religious who risked everything to sustain the faith of the adults and to transmit it to the young. There were no schools or reformatories run by men or women religious. In some areas, it was lay men and women who ran the Church. Religious orders were prohibited. The exceptions were the Church in Poland and Croatia where the seminaries and novitiates that were open, only served to confirm the rule.

There was an unwritten but real rule within Catholic communities that forbade any criticism of the Church. This rule even imposed silence on eventual scandals. Behind this attitude there was also the painful experience of the exploitation of the scandalous behavior of some members of the clergy connected with the practice of recruiting secret collaborators for state intelligence entities. In the Catholic communities, priests enjoyed tremendous authority. In a society deprived of transparency and subjected to censure, secrecy was a mechanism adopted spontaneously without having been decreed by anyone, not to defend corrupt priests, but to assure a minimum of autonomy in a community of such vital importance even in view of the future rebirth of civil society.

In a society subjected to dictatorship, such types of behavior and self-defensive ways of reacting became habitual, or rather developed a mentality, that did not disappear with the fall of communism. There are still consequences that include the difficulties connected with dealing responsibly and transparently with the crisis related to the sexual abuse of minors. Such a mentality is also a risk factor in that it makes possible perpetrators feel more secure because they are protected by the silence that surrounds them. This mentality  nobly justified under the dictatorship  is none other than that of clericalism pointed out by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. While on the one hand, the exclusion or the forceful limitation of the institutional presence of the Church in those sectors where minors were involved, such as schools or reformatories, excluded certain places where possible sexual abuse by men and women in the Church could have occurred, on the other hand, it generated or reinforced other risk factors such as the protection of members of the clergy from the oversight of any authority through the practice of secrecy even when they were responsible for crimes against minors. Distrust of state institutions is also something inherited from the dictatorship. Under a democracy, this in fact, protects perpetrators because it obstructs or makes collaboration more difficult in areas such as the reporting and investigation of alleged crimes committed by members of the clergy. In this situation, it is easier to do anything to defend the Churchs public image than to respond transparently.

Since the fall of Communism, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone complex transformative processes that also influence the style of life and the entire area of moral and social values related to sexuality, the family, politics, etc. Simply put, for the most part it can be said that, beginning with the early 90s, the societies of Central and Eastern Europe have been experiencing the changes that the United States and the West in general lived through during the 60s and 70s. Sexuality under the Communist regime was taboo. Socialist morality was portrayed as progressive, but the progress connected with it was limited to very few things  limited access to abortion was probably the emblematic sign of this progress.

The sexual abuse of minors began to be scientifically studied in the United States beginning in the second half of the 70s. Public opinion slowly began to consider it a social problem that needed to be addressed in its complexity as a phenomenon increasingly perceived as very serious, requiring a commitment to prevention in addition to legal action against criminals. Countries under Communist rule were focusing their attention on the aspirations of liberty and democracy, on the respect for the human rights of citizens and workers. Between the West and societies governed by the Communists, a gap had opened regarding priorities they needed to face. This does not mean that minors were not sexually abused in Central and Eastern Europe, or that they were not subject to various forms of violence. But it was not a topic of public discussion. Neither was it perceived as a social problem. It was completely hidden.

Violence, on the other hand, was present everywhere, beginning in state institutions, in families affected by the plague of alcoholism which  as we know  is one of the factors that increases the risk of the sexual abuse of minors and other vulnerable persons. In such a situation, it was not surprising that society and, unfortunately individual Churches, did not consider the sexual abuse of minors as a priority. Even where the problem surfaced and the Church had to face it, it was unfortunately considered as if it were primarily a problem regarding the Catholic Church rather than society. It seems none of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe considered the sexual abuse of minors to be a social problem. Therefore, there were no strategies for various types of prevention promoted by the state or special agencies responsible for the protection of minors. Criminal law seems to have been the only reference.

This is the reason why the Church, which is committed to provide safe environments and to help those who have been wounded in the delicate area of their sexuality, can become a credible pioneer in the protection of minors and become a spokesperson for their rights. This opportunity has not yet been lost.

The political transformation marked the beginning or accelerated a complex process of transformation. This process, which is still unfolding, began to touch individual Churches in different ways and moments. The crisis caused by sexual abuse has particularly affected those countries with a Catholic majority, as can be seen in Poland, for example. If we do not learn from the errors made by other Churches, before an avalanche of cases come our way in the aftermath of media coverage, we must at least learn from the best practices adopted elsewhere and that are bearing good fruit in making the Church a safer place for children.

It is true that after the fall of Communism, the challenges facing civil society and the Churches have been and are still enormous. These must be measured against the changes and challenges in every area of life, the moral sphere included, that have been taking place very quickly and for which we were not prepared. The Churches in this region that emerged from hiding, with very limited human resources in as far as clergy are concerned, have received help from Churches near and far. Sometimes those who volunteered for these missions and  unfortunately were accepted  had human maturity issues, because the elaborate procedure applied on other continents for similar situations was not applied. It seems that we seldom learn anything from the experiences of others.

Therefore, this conference can be of great help in making the process of exchange and learning more effective and systematic.

Biography: Father Adam Zak is the current Director of the Child Protection Center at the Jesuit University "Ignatianum" in Krakow and Coordinator for Child and Youth Protection with the Polish Bishops' Conference.
Cameroons government has sent ministers to its northern border with Nigeria to convince villagers who fled Boko Haram militants to return. Cameroon invested $10 million on reconstruction efforts after damage caused by the Islamist terrorist group in some villages. But, in northern Cameroon, many villagers are reluctant to go home, and authorities acknowledge the militants are still a threat.

Bulldozers of Cameroons Ministry of Public Works fill destroyed portions of the 30-kilometer road linking Cameroons northern town of Mora to Banki, a town in northeast Nigeria.

Celestine Ketcha Courtes, Cameroons minister of housing and urban development, and Talba Malla Ibrahim, minister of public contracts, traveled to the site this week.

Courtes said they went to find out the effectiveness of reconstruction work on infrastructure damaged during fighting by Cameroonian troops and Boko Haram combatants.

She said Cameroonian President Paul Biya instructed her and the minister of public contracts to visit markets rebuilt to facilitate the purchase and sale of goats, cattle, table birds and food. She said they also saw roads built to ease travel between Cameroon and Nigeria and to facilitate trade between the two neighbors. She said Cameroons government is planning to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the jihadist militant group Boko Haram.

Cameroon said the $10 million was invested this year for reconstruction of schools, hospitals and markets destroyed by Boko Haram. Alamine Ousman Mey is the minister of economy. He said civilians who fled can return and occupy infrastructure that has been reconstructed.

It started with the reconstruction be it [of] the police as well as custom administrative facilities [buildings]. It has gone further to train those involved in protecting the population and also the community to be part of the stabilization process. It is about bringing back economic life, he said.

Mey acknowledged Boko Haram is still a threat. He said civilians should return as the military will protect people to help in the development of their towns and villages.

But this week, Cameroon reported two Boko Haram deadly attacks that claimed the lives of 13 troops and civilians in the border villages of Sagme and Zigi. The latest attack was in Zigi on Tuesday. Authorities say five troops and six civilians were killed.

Cameroon said several hundred civilians fled the two villages.

There has been no comment from Nigeria, but a Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), established by Lake Chad Basin countries to combat Boko Haram, consists of troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Niger and Chad. The troops, which have a base in Mora, are posted along Cameroons border with Nigeria.

Gregory Bonglam is a teacher. He said on Tuesday, he fled Mozogo, a northern administrative unit on the border with Nigeria after yet another Boko Haram attack.

You never can identify who is Boko Haram and who is not. We were sitting outside and discussing. Little did we know that Boko Haram was around and before we knew it, there were already explosives. Luckily, we were a little far from the incident otherwise we would have been killed. Going back there is really very dangerous, he said.

Philemon Ndula, conflict resolution specialist with the Cameroon NGO Trauma Center, said Cameroon should ensure there is peace before reconstruction.

What I will suggest is for the government to talk about recovery. In recovery, there is the physical aspect of building the schools, building the houses, building the hospitals and so on. So that is why I am saying that reconstruction is just a starting point. The psychological aspect is actually the heart of the matter. People can only go out to do their businesses, to go to their farms when they have that minimum security, said Ndula.

Cameroon says security will improve if civilians collaborate with authorities and report to authorities if they see suspicious activities in towns and villages. The government is also asking for the creation of militias to assist the military fight Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has been fighting for 11 years to create an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin.

The violence has cost the lives of 30,000 people and displaced about 2 million civilians, according to the United Nations.
The death of Chad's President Idriss Deby this week has raised concerns about stability in the country and throughout West Africa. While critics point out Deby's authoritarian, 31-year rule, security experts say he was an essential ally in the fight against terrorism and are worried about what comes next.

Deby presided over one of the largest and most well-resourced militaries in West Africa. His forces provided crucial support to international security efforts in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, where Islamist militant groups have wreaked havoc in recent years.

Thats likely why Western powers such as France and the U.S. turned a blind eye to the ever-mounting accusations of human rights abuses and to his habit of suppressing political opposition.

In terms of the struggle against jihadism, his death is a distinct setback, said John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria and a senior fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based think tank. The Chadian army was probably the most efficient fighting force in West Africa, again, with the exception of the French. And the question will be whether the regime continues the effort or not.

Deby was killed by a Libyan-based rebel group while visiting troops on the front lines Monday. The event took place shortly after he was declared the winner of the April 11 elections, which were boycotted by opposition groups over accusations of political sidelining. The win would have marked the start of Debys sixth term.

A transitional military council appointed Debys son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, as interim leader until democratic elections can be held in 18 months.

There is uncertainty about the immediate future of Chad, said Paul-Simon Handy, a senior regional advisor with the Institute of Security Studies in Dakar. Theres uncertainty about the stability of the current interim arrangement by the military council. Theres uncertainty about unity within the ranks of the army. Islamist insurgents can actually use these opportunities to further destabilize Chad.

This could have ripple effects across West Africa.

If Debys son does not earn the loyalty of Chads armed forces, the region could lose a key player in the fight against Islamic extremists.

Theres the possibility that command and control over the armed forces may falter, said Daniel Eizenga, a research fellow with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Defense Department research institution. The fact that the military council has tried to take up control suggests that theres a great deal of instability that may, in fact, lead to having a harder time contributing troops to those kinds of regional efforts in the Sahel or Lake Chad Basin.

Violent events linked to jihadist groups in the Sahel have increased sevenfold since 2017, according to the center, while the Lake Chad Basin saw a 60% increase in 2020 over the year prior.
Envoys from Chads ruling military council are seeking support from its central African neighbors in fighting rebels who they say endanger a smooth return to civilian rule. Chads delegation told Cameroons president that without peace, a transition to civilian rule will be impossible, but Chad's opposition says the military rulers should immediately step down if they genuinely want peace to be restored.



Abdelkerim Idriss Deby, deputy director of cabinet of the Republic of Chad, held discussions for close to two hours with Cameroon President Paul Biya Friday. Abdelkerim is a son of Chads late president, Idriss Deby.



Abdelkerim said Cameroon is one of the five central African states Chads military council asked him to visit and give an account of the situation since Deby died April 20, 2021.



Abdelkerim said Chad has been witnessing a series of protests and deadly rebel attacks that are threatening its unity since Deby died. He said Chads military council has sent him to all member states of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community to explain plans the military leaders have for a smooth transition to civilian rule. He said Chad needs the assistance of its neighbors for peace to return.



When asked, Abdelkerim declined to comment on the type of assistance his country needs. He said, however, security will be threatened in the region and that threat will spill over to all central African states, should the situation in Chad remain fragile.



A rebel force known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has been involved in bloody battles with Chadian troops on the central African states northern borders with Libya, Niger and Sudan. Chad said several hundred troops, rebels and civilians have been killed within a month.

Chad under Deby was a key ally of France in the fight against jihadist groups across West Africa, including Boko Haram. These terror groups and other jihadist militants have over the years destabilized parts of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger.



Joseph Vincent Ntuda Ebode, a lecturer in international security and defense at the University of Yaounde-Soa, said Chads envoys are visiting central African nations to lobby for the kind of support the former president of Chad had from his neighbors all through his 30 years rule.



He said Chads late president Deby and Cameroon President Paul Biya signed an agreement to assist each other in maintaining security in both countries and in providing support against attacks. He said Chads military council wants to maintain the agreement signed between Cameroon and Chad. He said the terms of the agreement between the countries are clear: An attack on Chad is synonymous with an attack on Cameroon and vice versa.



Marsa Success, a Chadian opposition leader of the Transformers Movement, said although there are serious threats to stability, civilians do not want Chads constitution violated. He said the military council is not showing signs of wanting to hand over power to a civilian rule.



Marsa said the charter presented to Chadians by the military council states that the military rulers can renew their mandate of 18 months if insecurity persists. He said a national dialogue should be convened and a civilian designated to lead the transitional period while the military carries out its duty of maintaining peace.



Marsa said any civilian chosen to lead the transition should not be a candidate at the presidential election. He said Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Congo-Brazzaville, should help bring peace by advising Chads military to hand power to civilians.



Currently, Chads transitional military council is headed by Idriss Debys 37-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby. Mahamat was named interim head of state by the council after his father who spent more than three decades in power, and was one of Africas longest-serving leaders, was killed fighting rebels at the age of 68.



Mahamat promised to hold elections within 18 months, but the opposition and rebels dismissed the takeover as a coup and said the military must relinquish power to a civilian-led government.



Thousands were the streets to protest military rule. The demonstrators said they do not support what they called a Deby monarchy.



The rebel group FACT has vowed to depose the transitional military council should it fail to hand over power to civilian rule.
Somalias government sent thousands of recruits to Eritrea for military training in a clandestine operation, as the country faces al-Shabab threats, the recent withdrawal of U.S. military personnel and the projected drawdown of African Union peacekeeping forces.

Somali forces previously have trained abroad, in Turkey, Uganda and Djibouti. The Eritrea operation differs because it was run by Somalias National Intelligence Agency (NISA), not the Ministry of Defense, and has been kept secret from the public.

Several sources with direct knowledge of the program  three Somali officials and a foreign diplomat  confirmed to VOA that Somali troops have been training in neighboring Eritrea since 2019. The sources all spoke on condition of anonymity, with the officials noting they were not authorized to speak to news media. The sources differed on the number of Somali troops who have been in Eritrea; the range was 3,000 to 7,000 recruits.

The training program in Eritrea came to light in January after unverified social media reports suggested that Somali troops had been killed in Ethiopias Tigray region. The reports indicated those soldiers were allied with Eritrean and Ethiopian federal forces confronting Tigray fighters in the regional conflict.

Somalias information minister, Osman Abukar Dubbe, said in January that some Somali soldiers were training in Eritrea. But, he told state media, the rumors and fictitious, politicized reports about Somali troops being trained abroad participating in [the] Tigray war [are] unfounded.

Likewise, an Ethiopian official who spoke on condition of anonymity denied the reports of Somali cadets being in Tigray. Eritreas information minister, Yemane Meskel, declined to be interviewed.

Regional significance

The Somali soldiers training in Eritrea comes amid closer regional cooperation among the leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.

Officials who spoke to VOA said the recruits were sent to Eritrea after the presidents of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, and Eritrea, Isaias Afwerki, reached an agreement during Afwerkis first visit to Mogadishu on December 13, 2018, soon after Eritrea made peace with Ethiopia. Farmajo initially had raised the issue the previous September during a visit to Eritrea.

"The Eritrean president said he wants to help Somalia, said a high-ranking Somali official, who added that Afwerki wanted to reciprocate for Somalias past support for the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) during its long struggle against Ethiopias Derg regime in the 1970s and 80s.

The first group of cadets was flown from Mogadishu to Eritrea on August 19, 2019, an official said. A second group was taken there on October 20, 2019. The operation continued until March 16, 2020, when Somalia suspended all international and domestic flights because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early last June, Somalias Ministry of Security requested that health officials provide 3,500 COVID-19 rapid tests for the recruits, a VOA source said. Within days, recruits flights to Eritrea resumed.

Last October, Farmajo visited the Eritrea training camps, two of the officials confirmed.

Somali political analyst Abdimalik Abdullahi predicted the regional training will have a regional significance more so in the post-2021 Somalia and Ethiopia elections and going forward. He added, Afwerkis intent is not so clear but the soldiers are purported to be trained for Somalias security interest, and its only safe to be cautious and watch out for any signs that suggest otherwise.

The secrecy surrounding the Eritrea operation perplexes some military experts. Colonel Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh, former commander of Somalias elite Danab Brigade of commandos, said the defense ministry should have been leading or coordinating the training, not the intelligence agency.

Sheikh said he'd had no previous experience with troops taken for training who have not been told about where they are going, who cannot be contacted. A soldier has a family and parents. Its imperative they can communicate.

The foreign diplomat reached a similar conclusion. He said the Eritrea training did not concern him but the operation's lack of transparency did. He said the government shouldn't hide that training from the public.

Family concerns

Military service is not mandatory in Somalia, but lack of jobs and opportunities drive many young men to enlist for the promised secure monthly paychecks. In the army, the troops are generally tasked with protecting the fragile Somali federal government and fighting militant group al-Shabab.

VOA Somali was not able to find any evidence that Somali soldiers had been deployed to Tigray. Some soldiers relatives said they had spoken in recent weeks with sons who said neither they nor any other Somali troops they knew of were sent to the northern Ethioipan region, where hostilities erupted in November.

Abdirashid Abbas of Las Anod town said his son, Ahmed-Dahir, with whom he spoke in January, told me they have concluded the training and have not been taken to the fighting in Tigray. The son said he was in Eritrea at the time of the call, Abbas said.

But other families have grown frustrated by months without communication from loved ones in the training program. Abdinasir Nur Guled, whose son, Mohamed, has been gone 15 months, said Somali officials limited comment on the troops and their whereabouts has left a vacuum in which families fears grew.

We want the government to convince us that theyre [in Eritrea] in training, that they will be coming [home] and the specific date, said Guled.

Ahmed Hassan Ali said he, too, worried about his son, Abdiaziz, who was taken to Eritrea.

Ali was among a small group of parents who gathered last month in Mogadishu to protest what they said was the governments mismanagement of the issue. Ali said if the unverified reports about Somali forces in Tigray had no substance, the government should have told the families and reassured them.

Political claims color concerns

Somali political analyst Abdimalik Abdullahi said the controversy over Somali troops in Eritrea arose from relatives genuine concerns about their soldiers.

"However, later on, there was some politicking around it, with many politicians speaking out and even making unsubstantiated claims, including the soldiers being deployed to the Tigray region, Abdullahi told VOA.

Abdullahi said Somalias elections  currently on hold because of political disputes  could be stirring up controversy over the troops being in Eritrea at all.

With election seasons, the political objectives include efforts to appeal to the public, brand the incumbent as one who is involved in shoddy deals, and counter the Horn alliance, which seems to favor Farmajo both politically and militarywise, hence boosting prospects for his re-election, said Abdullahi.
A special forces commander in Mali was freed on Friday after angry police officers marched to the prison where he was detained for allegedly using brute force to quash deadly protests last year.

The head of the police counterterrorism unit, Oumar Samake, had been held in the Sahel state over lethal skirmishes between security forces and opponents of ex-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Anti-Keita protests rocked Mali last year and eventually culminated in the president's ouster in a military coup.

One such protest on July 10, 2020, sparked several days of deadly clashes with security forces.

Mali's political opposition said at the time that 23 people were killed during the unrest. The United Nations reported that 14 protesters were killed, including two children.

An investigation was opened into the killings in December 2020.

Police special-forces commander Samake was detained Friday for his alleged role in the violence, a senior legal official told AFP.

But the move infuriated police officers, some of whom marched on the prison in the capital, Bamako, where he was held.

Prison guard Yacouba Toure told AFP that large numbers of well-armed policemen turned up at the jail.

"We did not resist," he said, adding that police left with Samake "without incident."

A justice ministry official, who requested anonymity, said the government decided to free Samake "for the sake of peace."

"This is not a court decision," the official said, adding that the investigation into Samake would continue.

The dramatic events underscored the sensitivity of such investigations in chronically unstable Mali.

The country's military deposed Keita in August 2020 after weeks of protests fueled by grievances over alleged corruption and the president's inability to stop the long-running jihadist conflict.

Army officers then installed a civilian-led interim government to steer Mali back toward democratic rule. But military strongman Colonel Assimi Goita deposed these civilian leaders in May in a second coup.

Goita has pledged to restore civilian rule and stage elections in February next year.

However, there are doubts about whether the government will be able to hold elections within such a short time frame.

Mali has been struggling to quell a brutal jihadist insurgency, which emerged in 2012 and left swaths of the vast nation outside government control.
Several hundred people marched in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, on Thursday to protest the military junta which took power after the country's long-serving leader died while fighting rebels.

The Transformers party and civil society groups had called for people to come out against "the confiscation of power" by the Transitional Military Council (CMT) that has ruled the poor Sahel country since the death of president Idriss Deby Itno in April.

The council is headed by Deby's son.

The protesters called for a national conference to overhaul the junta's charter and restore democracy in the former French colony.

The CMT announced late Thursday that it would hold a national dialogue in November and December.

In a statement, the junta also said it would organize a constitutional referendum and "free and transparent general elections responding to the legitimate aspirations of the Chadian people.

The CMT is led by 37-year-old four-star general Mahamat Idriss Deby, who has consolidated nearly all powers around himself and 14 generals who were close to his father.

"We are marching to demand that democracy and justice -- the hallmarks of true peace -- be reestablished," said a 22-year-old protester who gave his name only as Narcisse, brandishing a sign reading "No to the monarchy.

Security forces were massively deployed along the 3-kilometer route on a central avenue of the capital, but the protest was largely peaceful.

Some protesters expressed anti-French sentiment with signs reading "France out of Chad" and by burning French flags.

French President Emmanuel Macron met with the new rulers while attending Idriss Deby Itno's funeral -- the only Western head of state to make the journey.

"France has to choose the Chadian people as its partner in dialogue, not just a small group of individuals," said Max Loalngar, spokesperson for opposition group Wakit Tamma. "Otherwise it will be the eternal enemy of the Chadian people."

The junta earlier promised elections after an 18-month "transition" that could be extended, while dissolving parliament and repealing the constitution.

It authorized the protest Wednesday after changing the proposed route.

Opposition marches that went ahead on April 27 despite an official ban turned violent in N'Djamena and in the south of the country.

While the authorities said six people had died, a local NGO put the death toll at nine.

More than 600 people were arrested.

The junta has authorized several demonstrations in support of the military regime, but did not approve an opposition march until July 12.

In that instance, organizers canceled the march after authorities changed the route.
Show more Show less

Germany is preparing to elect a new leader in elections scheduled September 26, as incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel's 16 years in power come to an end. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Berlin, her successor will face a series of immediate geopolitical challenges  from the rise of China to balancing transatlantic relations.



Camera: Henry Ridgwell


Berlin is basking in late summer sunshine. Along the banks of the River Spree, residents enjoy the last warm days before the change of season. Germany  and the rest of Europe  are about to witness the end of an era: after 16 years, the sun is setting on Chancellor Angela Merkels time in power.

Germans will head to the polls Sunday (September 26) for the countrys general election. Whichever party emerges with the biggest share of the vote will likely appoint the leader of a coalition government.

Chancellor Merkel remains hugely popular among German voters, with approval ratings still hovering around 60 percent, a remarkable figure after four terms in office. However, her Christian Democratic Union party is struggling in the election campaign, with the latest opinion polls showing support of around 22 percent. In recent weeks that figure has at times fallen below 20 percent, for the first time since World War II.



The Christian Democrats candidate for chancellor is 60-year-old Armin Laschet, who is attempting to woo voters with a promise of continuity. The cohesion of Europe in these difficult times, a climate-neutral industry and strong economy, and a clear course for national security, he promised voters in the latest TV debate last Sunday.

Voters may approve the message, but not necessarily the man himself. During a visit to the flood-devastated regions of Germany in July, Laschet was caught on camera laughing during a speech by the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His approval ratings havent recovered.

Instead, the Social Democrats (SPD) candidate, Olaf Scholz, is leading in the polls with around 25 percent. He is a former mayor of Hamburg and finance minister in the current coalition government, now favored to succeed Merkel.

The Social Democrats strong position is a surprise, says Gero Neugebauer, a professor of political science at Freie University in Berlin and an expert on the SPD. In the last years, theyve continuously sunk lower in the polls. Many said that this wasnt just a crisis for the party, but the start of their demise.

The poor performance of the Conservatives (CDU) has been to the benefit of the Social Democrats. So really, in a crowd of blind people, Scholz is the one-eyed man, and that makes him the king. He has a stable position in the polls, you could say a good performance as minister, and where he lacks charisma and charm, he makes up for in stability - all aided by the weaknesses of the competition, Neugebauer told VOA.

Scholz appeared confident of victory in the latest TV debate Sunday. Many citizens can see me as the next head of government, the next chancellor And I make no secret that I would most like to create a (coalition) government together with the Greens, Scholz said.

Earlier in the summer, the Green Party had been leading in the polls, and it seemed its 40-year-old leader, Annalena Baerbock, was about to usher in a dramatic change of the political guard in Germany. Support for the Greens, however, has fallen back to around 15 percent, putting them in third place.

Paula Piechotta, the Green Party candidate for the city of Leipzig, told VOA the party is ready to form a coalition government - but has clear red lines. Because of the (little) time that is left to actually act successfully on combating climate change, we will not be able to compromise a lot when it comes to climate policies, Piechotta said.

Smaller parties, including the Free Democrats or the Left party, could be kingmakers in a coalition and will likely demand specific government positions or policies in return.

All three main parties have ruled out working with the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which is polling around 10 percent nationally. Support for the AfD is much higher is some regions of the former East Germany, says analyst Neugebauer. If you go to areas with weaker economic development, a higher rate of unemployment, a low level of education, poor service in particularly rural areas, like health care, schools, transportation, then you have higher support for the AfD than in areas where these problems are not present.

So what are issues driving voters? Polls show a clear generational divide  reflected among voters who spoke to VOA. I think the first important topic for me is for sure, climate change, said 28-year-old Berlin resident Jun Kinoshita. Thirty-five-year-old voter Corinna Anand agrees. For me the most important issue is climate change. Climate, education, child care.

For Dirk Zeller, a 54-year-old voter from the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, money is the biggest worry. Pensions - that theyre stable. Jobs. Lots of things are more expensive. Gas, electricity. How is that going to continue to develop? Can we afford it, as simple people?

Fifty-four-year-old Brigitte, who did not want to give her full name, said social inequality is rising in Germany. The richest Germans only got richer, even with the coronavirus. Meanwhile, lots of people saw their means of living deteriorate and today, they have bigger problems than before. I dont see that any of the parties are offering initiatives there, she told VOA.

Few Germans expect immediate change. Talks to form a coalition government will likely take months and Merkel will remain in charge until the rival parties can agree on her successor.

Merkel has been seen as a pillar of stability in Europe for almost two decades  and the coming changes in Germany will be felt around the world, says analyst Neugebauer. Just based on their existing international resumes, none of the candidates can simply step into the role of Ms. Merkel. They will have to grow into the role.
For this year's U.N. World Peace Day (September 21), thousands of Cameroonians have called for a cease-fire between the military and separatists. People who marched in several cities and towns said they were tired of burying civilians caught up in the fighting. But the conflict is not likely to end soon.



The song, "We want peace," by Cameroonian performer Salatiel blasted through speakers in Yaounde, capital of the central African country, on 2021 World Peace Day.



In the music, Salatiel says Cameroon needs immediate peace without which the entire country will sink into ruins.



Esther Njomo Omam, director of the non-governmental organization Reach Out Cameroon, organized the rally. She says Cameroonians should give peace a chance.



"It is our collective responsibility to be peace mediators wherever we find ourselves in our various communities, and we are calling on our government to receive the message, the call for peace with an open heart. Same as we are saying that please, the non-state armed groups receive our call for peace with an open heart. This is the time for appeasement," Omam said.



Similar peace walks took place in Buea, Bamenda and Kumba, all cities in western regions, where armed separatist groups are active, and the northern towns of Maroua, Garoua and Ngaoundere, all close to Cameroon's border with Nigeria, the site of many incursions by the militant group Boko Haram.



Omam pleaded with jihadist groups, government troops and separatist groups to declare a cease-fire. She said silencing the guns is the only way the lives of civilians, government troops, jihadist and separatist fighters can be spared from either wounds or dying.



The government said a majority of people who took part at the peace walks were women affected by the crises. Some of them said they lost family members in the crises.





Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa, Cameroons minister of womens empowerment and the family, says the military ordered by the government to protect civilians cannot drop weapons.



"I am begging that our children, our young brothers, our sisters who are in the bush exerting or preparing to come and exert violence should give up violence, leave the bush because we have all become beggars of peace. So I am pleading for all of us to do all that is within our reach so that our beloved country can become a land of peace," Ondoa said.



Rose Mary Etakah of the Cameroon Civil Society took part in the peace walk in Yaounde. She said the armed conflicts in Cameroon will not end unless there is a cease-fire.



"Within five years, we have had guns, we have had an increase in weapons entering the country and we do not know who are carrying these weapons. We don't know the number of people that are armed, so I think it is better to stop it now, so that by the time we retrieve the guns, maybe it will be less than if we allow it to go further," Etakah said.



The United Nations General Assembly declared the annual observance of International Day of Peace in 1981. The day is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of cease-fire and non-violence.


This weeks Canadian election, returning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power with another minority government, has done little to shift the balance of power at home but has put sharper edges on several of the nations ongoing foreign policy debates.

At the forefront is the question of the next governments approach to China, which, in the view of cybersecurity expert Marcus Kolga, played an unwelcome role in the campaign.

Foreign disinformation and influence operations were an issue during the election, said Kolga, who told VOA that the next Trudeau administration needs to recognize the many foreign policy challenges and threats Canada faces from malign foreign regimes, like Russia, China and Iran.

In British Columbia, actors aligned with Beijing targeted incumbent [members of parliament], who have in the past been critical of the Chinese governments mass human rights abuses, Kolga said.

Kolga, who specializes in the use of disinformation, pointed to the case of Kenny Chiu, a Hong Kong-born MP who was targeted by an anonymous disinformation campaign after he introduced legislation to curb the influence operations of malign foreign regimes, and ultimately lost his seat.

Analyst Charles Burton at the Ottawa-based MacDonald-Laurier Institute, also sees China as a pre-eminent challenge for the new government.

He noted that the opposition Conservative Partys campaign platform had called for a closer alliance with the United States and likeminded democracies to meet the challenge of China's gross violations of the norms of diplomacy and trade that are successively undermining the post-war international rules-based order.

Much on the minds of many Canadian analysts is the nations omission from AUKUS, the new security pact among the United States, Britain and Australia that was announced last week. Both Kolga and Burton see that as a Trudeau administration policy choice rather than a snub.

Also left out of last weeks announcement was New Zealand, which like Canada belongs with the other three to the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group. That country has already demanded that Australias promised nuclear-powered submarines not dock in its waters.

Nevertheless, Washington-based intelligence expert Graham Plaster sees prospects for future cooperation between Canada and the AUKUS trio.

Trudeau has said AUKUS is focused on nuclear submarine technology, and therefore not relevant to Canada, said Plaster, the CEO of The Intelligence Community Inc., a security consulting firm.

But emerging technology for security will be one of the common themes of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance going forward, so Trudeau's move towards a more cohesive partnership with the Biden administration may include revisiting this platform position.

For many Canadians, there are more urgent policy issues to be addressed that hit closer to home.

Canada needs to get its act together and be the global climate leader it claims to be, said Betsy MacDonald, who ran unsuccessfully for parliament on behalf of the left wing New Democratic Party in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia.

Drastically cutting our emissions must be a priority in the near term, and well be fighting hard on this goal, she said in an interview.

And for 38-year-old Michael Townsend, who describes himself as a technologist, maker, and artist living in downtown Toronto, the biggest issue is Canadian arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other regimes with less-than-stellar human rights records.

I predict more of the same from our foreign policy, Townsend said.

David Tetreau, who works in the oil and gas sector in the western province of Alberta, said he would like to see the next administration push for free trade arrangements with Commonwealth countries, especially Australia and New Zealand.

And unlike many prominent security experts, Tetreau hopes Trudeau will mend ties with China after a series of high profile spats between the two nations.

Maybe make up with China a bit? he said.


Canadians voted Monday in a pandemic election that could weaken Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or reward his government's handling of the pandemic.

Trudeau gambled on an early election to try to capitalize on the fact that Canada is now among the most fully vaccinated countries in the world. But the opposition has been relentless in accusing him of calling an unnecessary early vote  two years before the deadline  for his own personal ambition.

Polls before the election showed Trudeau's Liberal Party in a neck-and-neck race with the rival Conservatives. The Liberals appeared likely to win the most seats in Parliament, but not a majority, forcing the party to rely on an opposition partner to pass legislation. However, an extremely close outcome could raise questions about Trudeau's judgment in calling the vote and whether he should continue to lead the party long-term. A majority win would cement his legacy and leave him in power for another four years.

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole's campaign chair said holding Trudeau to a minority government would be a win for O'Toole.

"Even without a plurality (of seats) today, we will have achieved our objective," Walied Soliman told the Toronto Star on Monday. "At the start of this race, nobody would've expected that we'd be in a knife fight in strongly held Liberal (districts). And today we are. And we are very proud of Erin O'Toole and the incredible campaign that has been run here."

Jenni Byrne, who served as campaign manager and deputy chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told The Associated Press she was stunned by Soliman's comments and said Soliman made a big mistake when Canadians are still voting.

Soliman later tried to clarify.

"My comments in the Star are being misrepresented unfortunately. Let me be very clear: this election is too close to call. We may not know the result for days. Every vote will count," he tweeted.

A combination of high expectations, scandal and calling the vote during the pandemic hurt the brand of the 49-year-old Trudeau, who channeled the star power of his father, the Liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, when he first won election in 2015.

Still, Trudeau is betting that Canadians don't want a Conservative government during a pandemic. Trudeau's government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns and he argues that the Conservatives' approach, which has been skeptical of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, would be dangerous and says Canadians need a government that follows science.

O'Toole hasn't required his party's candidates to be vaccinated and won't say how many are unvaccinated. O'Toole describes vaccination as a personal health decision, but a growing number of vaccinated Canadians are becoming increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated.

"We do not need a Conservative government that won't be able to show the leadership on vaccinations and on science that we need to end this," Trudeau said at a campaign stop in Montreal on Sunday.

Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose. And Trudeau has pointed out that Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government, is in crisis.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, an ally of O'Toole, said the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days. Kenney has apologized for the dire situation and is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions.

A Conservative win would represent a rebuke of Trudeau against a politician with a fraction of his name recognition. O'Toole, 47, is a military veteran, former lawyer and a member of Parliament for nine years.

O'Toole advertised himself a year ago as a "true-blue Conservative." He became Conservative Party leader with a pledge to "take back Canada," but immediately started working to push the party toward the political center.

O'Toole's strategy, which included disavowing positions held dear by his party's base on issues such as climate change, guns and balanced budgets, was designed to appeal to a broader cross section of voters in a country that tends to be far more liberal than its southern neighbor.

The wild card could be a politician who narrowly lost the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2017 but who now leads a far-right party that opposes vaccines and lockdowns. Polls suggest as many as 5% to 10% support for Maxime Bernier and the People's Party of Canada  potentially bleeding support from O'Toole's Conservatives and helping the Liberals retain power.
A vast river of molten lava from a Canary Islands volcano was edging toward the sea on Tuesday, destroying everything in its path and provoking fears it will generate clouds of toxic gases when it hits the water.

A new fissure emerged on the slopes of the Cumbre Vieja volcano overnight, belching out more lava and forcing hundreds more people to flee their homes.

"The lava flow is moving inexorably towards the sea, and absolutely nothing can be done about it," said Angel Victor Torres, regional head of the Canary Islands.

"We are completely powerless in the face of this advancing lava flow, which is moving at 200 meters (655 feet) per hour and has already swept away everything in its path ... and will continue to do so on its way to the sea."

Located on La Palma island, the volcano has forced 6,100 people from their homes and destroyed several properties and land spanning a huge area since it erupted Sunday afternoon, island officials say.



So far, it has destroyed 185 buildings, of which 63 were homes, regional authorities added.

The volcano straddles a southern ridge in La Palma, one of seven islands that make up the Atlantic archipelago that lies off the coast of Morocco.

When the molten lava reaches the sea, experts warn, it will send clouds of toxic gas into the air and affect the marine environment. The authorities have set up a no-go zone to head off curious onlookers.

"The clouds created by the interaction of seawater and lava are acidic" and "can be dangerous if you are too close," volcanology expert Patrick Allard from the Paris Globe Institute of Physics told AFP.

By Tuesday afternoon, the lava had slowed to around 200 meters (656 feet) per hour, although it was not clear exactly when the white-hot mass of molten rock, which has a temperature of nearly 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,830 degrees Fahrenheit), would reach the sea.

Although the lava is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the shore, experts say its speed can be "very variable."

"It is very, very important not to forget that the emergency is ongoing, that the volcano is still active, and we must avoid getting close to both the lava and the volcano itself," said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Overnight evacuations

Overnight, long lines of cars could be seen waiting to leave the area as police sirens wailed, the fiery glow of the erupting volcano lighting up the dark skies.

"You have practically your whole life there. ... Then one day the volcano decides to erupt and puts an end to it all," evacuee Israel Castro Hernandez told AFPTV late Monday after his home was destroyed by the wall of lava.

"We keep looking over there and we just can't believe it. We keep thinking that our house is underneath that volcano," said his wife, Yurena Torres Abreu.



The pair were among 500 people evacuated overnight after the new fissure emerged following a magnitude 4.1 earthquake at 9:32 p.m., the Involcan volcanology institute said.

"So many friends have lost everything," said Yurena's sister, Elizabeth Torres Abreu, who also lost her house.

"They left their homes as we did with just the clothes on their back and little else. They've left their entire life there."

Unpredictable timeframe

Although the eruption has not caused any casualties, the damage to land and property has been enormous, with Torres estimating the figures to be well over 400 million euros ($470 million).

Volcanologist Stavros Meletlidis from Spain's National Geographic Institute told Spain's RNE radio it was not clear when the lava would reach the sea.

"It can accelerate very quickly, especially when the topography changes. ... Or it can stop on a plain for several hours," he said.

Although the Cumbre Vieja is shooting vast plumes of thick black smoke several hundred meters into the sky and emitting between 8,000 and 10,500 metric tons of sulphur dioxide per day, the airspace over La Palma has remained open.


Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, whose country has one of the world's highest COVID-19 infection rates per capita, has announced new COVID-19 restrictions, including extension of a nighttime curfew and postponement of the reopening of schools.

In a televised address, Masisi said the country was seeing an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases.

"The disease burden is weighing heavily on us, with infections continuing to increase across the country, and precious lives being lost on a daily basis here at home and across the continent," Masisi said. "Our nation has attained the highest prevalence ever."

By Friday, 1,973 people had died of COVID-19, with the death toll rising from about 300 in February.

Masisi announced restrictions Friday meant to blunt the spread of the virus, including a ban on public gatherings.

"Interzonal movement continues to be restricted to essential travel only," he said. "Reopening of schools [will] be delayed for a further three weeks, except for those students preparing for their final examinations. The ban on sale of alcohol remains. Curfew will now start earlier at 8 p.m. and end at 4 a.m. for the next three weeks, after which there will be a review."

Masisi said the country would accelerate its vaccination program in the next three weeks. About 5 percent of the population, or 146,299 people, are fully vaccinated.

Vaccine slow to arrive

The president blamed the slow delivery of vaccine for the frustrating pace of inoculation.

"Of course, it saddens me that many have not received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and they are obviously exasperated," he said. "It may look like government is not trying hard, but I can assure you the opposite is true."

Education unions welcomed the governments decision to postpone the reopening of schools.

The unions had urged their members not to return to class until they were vaccinated.

Tabokani Rari, secretary-general of the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions, said the government should use the three-week break to vaccinate teachers.

Rari called it "a progressive step" that the president, because of union pressure, had postponed the reopening of schools. "We have not heard anything from the president as to whether during the three weeks that schools will be closed, there will be any plan where teachers will be vaccinated in a fast-tracked manner."

This week, Botswana took its first delivery from Johnson & Johnson, with 108,000 COVID vaccine doses arriving. The country also received 38,400 doses of Astra Zeneca vaccine on August 8.
North Korea has requested that 3 million doses of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine it was allocated be sent to countries with severe outbreaks, according to UNICEF.

The DPRK Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has communicated that the 2.97 million doses being offered to DPR Korea by COVAX may be relocated to severely affected countries in view of the limited global supply of COVID-19 vaccines and recurrent surge in some countries, a UNICEF spokesperson said in an email to VOAs Korean Service on Tuesday.

COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) is an international vaccine distribution program targeting lower-income nations. UNICEF obtains and distributes the vaccines for the program.

MOPH has said it will continue to communicate with the COVAX facility to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months, the spokesperson told VOA.

Pyongyang has not reported any COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in late December 2019. In its latest report to the World Health Organization, North Korea said it had tested 37, 291 people for COVID-19 as of August 19 and all were negative.

Although there is widespread skepticism of these numbers, North Korea has imposed strict antivirus containment measures such as curtailed domestic travel and border closings.

Edwin Salvador, head of WHOs Pyongyang office, said in an August 19 email to VOA that COVAX had allocated 2.97 million doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine to North Korea and that it was awaiting a response from the North Korean authorities.

However, UNICEF told VOA Korean on August 5 that the North Korean government had not yet fully completed the necessary preparation for receiving the vaccine from COVAX, so the supply was delayed.

The countrys antiquated and uneven health care system limits its ability to handle many types of COVID-19 vaccines such as those produced by Pfizer and Moderna, which must be transported and kept under ultra-cold conditions.

Chinese-made vaccines, as well as those from Russia and AstraZeneca, do not require that level of refrigeration.

But in July, North Korea rejected shipments of AstraZenecas vaccine because of concerns about side effects, according to a report from the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), a South Korean think tank with ties to that countrys intelligence agencies.

According to the INSS report, North Korea was concerned about the effectiveness of Chinese-made vaccines but was interested Russias vaccine, Sputnik V.
One coup. One country. Two names?

Myanmar is the official name of the country upended by a military coup this week. In official documents issued by the Biden administration, the country with beaches on the Andaman Sea is Burma.

And whenever the country is in the news, the question of whats in a name returns.

Our official policy is that we say Burma but use Myanmar as a courtesy in certain communications, Jen Psaki, the White House spokesperson, said when asked to address the issue during a press conference this week. So, for example, the embassy website refers to Burma  Myanmar because they are by definition dealing with officials and the public. The State Department website uses Burma (Myanmar) in some places and Burma in others.

How it began

The conundrum emerged in 1989 when the ruling military government changed the country's name from Burma to Myanmar after quashing a pro-democracy uprising by killing thousands of people. The military changed the English-language spelling of Rangoon, the nations major city, to Yangon at the same time.

The military government believes that the term Burma only covers Burman, the largest ethnic group in Myanmar, and does not include the other 134 ethnic minority groups. The military position is that if the name of the main ethnic group is used as the name of the country, it would be racially discriminatory, according to the United States Institute of Peace blog. And, Burma, which became the countrys official name under British rule and stuck after independence, was a reminder of the colonial past.

The United Nations and some countries such as France and Japan recognized the change. The United States and Britain did not.

Decades later, when Hillary Clinton, then the U.S. secretary of state, visited in 2011, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told Agence France-Presse that U.S. policy believed that any change of the name of a country should be a decision for its people, according to the BBC.

Richard Coates, a linguistics professor emeritus with the University of the West of England, who has a special interest in the area where linguistics, history and geography meet, told VOA Mandarin that deciding what name to use for the Southeast Asian nation bordered by India, China, Laos and Thailand was a sensitive topic because the choice indicated political allegiance.

"The form Myanmar  the older and more classical name, of which Burma is a vernacular derivative  was, I believe, introduced by the military, so refusing to use it might well have a political dimension," he said.

Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK, told the BBC that using Burma or Myanmar often reveals where someones sympathies lie.

Myanmar is a kind of indicator of countries that are soft on the regime, he said, while using Burma may indicate that they just challenge the legitimacy of the regime.

The two words mean the same thing, and one is derived from the other. Burmah, as it was spelled in the 19th century, is a local corruption of the word Myanmar, according to the BBC.

They have both been used within Burma for a long time, anthropologist Gustaaf Houtman, who has written extensively about Burmese politics, told the BBC.

The situation now is that the Burmese verbally refer to their country as Burma, but generally use the term Myanmar in official written documents.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars state counselor and democratic movement leader who is currently in custody, has publicly stated that she likes to call her country Burma.

'Will of the people'

In her speech at the Singapore Summit in September 2013, she said, I have explained very often that the main reason why I prefer to use Burma is because the name change was made without reference to the will of the people. To me, thats basic. We have to respect the people. We have to respect the will of the people if we truly want to make the transition to a democratic society.

Democracy means choice, widening choice, making our choice more varied and making choice more accessible to more of us, she said.

After becoming the counselor of the state in 2016, she again emphasized that there is no explicit stipulation in the national constitution on which name must be used, so foreign countries can choose either of these two names at will.

She said that while she uses Burma, others need not, and at times, she also uses Myanmar.
Taiwans Cabinet is proposing to increase the military budget next year to develop and buy modern hardware as Chinese ships and aircraft continue to encroach on the islands waters and airspace, keeping alive fears of a strike.

Taiwan legislators have begun evaluating the Cabinets request to spend $17.07 billion next year for equipment such as fighter planes, guided missiles and drones. Of that total, $1.45 billion is for special purposes including fighter jets and $2.13 billion is for unspecified expenses.

The ruling party-dominated parliament, or Legislative Yuan, is expected to review and approve the budget by year's end.

Military budget hikes are nothing new for Taiwan; this one would be a 5.6% increase over the 2021 allocation and come to the usual 2.3% of gross domestic product. The new budget is in response to a surge in Chinese activity in or near the Taiwanese air defense identification zone since mid-2020.

Chinese military planes passed through a corner of Taiwans zone Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the week beginning Aug. 29, for example, the National Defense Ministry said through a social media channel. Four flew on Friday and in the past as many as 28 planes have traveled the same path in a single day.

China and Taiwan have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalist Party retreated to the island after losing the mainland to Mao Zedongs communists. China still claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has not renounced the use of force to capture it.

About 80% of Taiwanese have told government opinion surveys since 2019 they oppose unifying with China and todays Taiwan president, Tsai Ing-wen, takes a guarded view of any engagement with Beijing.

The positive aspect is that theres an increase in [the] budget of spending in defense, said Sean Su, an independent political analyst in Taiwan.

On the downside, he said, the question of whether its enough or not is one which no one can truly answer unless theres an actual war.

If Taiwans parliament, accepts the budget as submitted on Tuesday, the air force will spend some of the money through 2025 on four U.S.-designed Sea Guardian drones that can increase its day-night surveillance capability, and to equip its existing F-16s with precision missiles, Taiwans government-funded Central News Agency said.

The new hardware would fit into Taiwans development of asymmetric warfare, Su said. The term means fending off a more powerful enemy through unconventional tactics or weapons. China has the worlds third-strongest armed forces, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com. The database ranks Taiwan No. 22.

Some Chinese planes fly over Taiwans zone in a formation that would enable an attack from the front, rear and both sides. Its movements are raising fears among Taiwanese of an eventual strike.

Last September, China held a live-fire naval exercise in the strait that divides its mainland from Taiwan and its first aircraft carrier has passed through the same waterway.

Taiwan will need more U.S.-made F-16s, particularly advanced Viper models, and smart bombs, said Chen Yi-fan, assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Tamkang University in Taiwan. It must follow up the acquisitions with recruitment and training, he added.

Without sufficient manpower and qualified training, these advanced weapons cannot operate by themselves, Chen said.

Taiwan-based defense contractors are also developing new lines of military planes and a submarine.

Taiwans proposed defense budget is vital to safeguarding national security, the Central News Agency said, quoting National Defense Ministry spokesperson Shih Shun-wen. Chinas ability to paralyze Taiwan's air defense, sea control, and counter-warfare systems poses a huge threat to the country's military, the news agency added, citing the ministry.

The ministry may privately worry that China is preparing to strike, said Alexander Huang, chairman of a military strategy research foundation in Taipei.

We dont know whether the increased budget is for inventory or is based on an assessment that the possible conflict is not too far away, Huang said.


North Korea has elevated a general long seen as a rising star in the country's powerful military and a major player in its missile program to a position in the presidium of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) politburo, state media reported Tuesday.

Pak Jong Chon will also serve as secretary of the WPK Central Committee, KCNA news agency said.

His election to the presidium, one of the most powerful decision-making bodies in North Korea, came after he appeared to face reprimand or demotion in July after leader Kim Jong Un accused officials of causing a "great crisis" with unspecified coronavirus lapses.

North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the virus and never elaborated on what the crises or the lapses were.

In recent years Pak was promoted to a full four-star Army general, led the military as chief of the general staff of the army, and made prominent appearances alongside Kim, including on a famous horse ride up North Korea's sacred Mount Paektu.

Analysts attributed his rise in part to his role in North Korea's short-range missile development, which surged ahead after Kim suspended long-range ballistic missile tests in 2018 amid talks with the United States.

Pak appears to have replaced Ri Pyong-chol, another powerful general who played a major role in North Korea's ballistic missile program, on the presidium, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

Analysts said the reshuffling in July was the most significant personnel change among the core elite in years, and was seen as a likely warning to them that Kim would hold them accountable and maintain checks on their power.

Rim Kwang-il, who served as head of North Korea's military intelligence agency, was named as chief of the general staff of the army, while army general Jang Jong-nam was elected as the Minister of Social Security, KCNA said Tuesday.


More than half of Americans questioned in a new survey said they favor using U.S. troops to defend Taiwan if China was to invade the island. Analysts say that reflects a growing awareness in the United States about Taiwan and the challenges it faces.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey found that 52% of Americans support using U.S. troops to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion of the island. A smaller percentage of respondents  19%  supported a U.S. defense of Taiwan when the council first asked the question in 1982.

The poll also found that 69% of those surveyed support U.S. recognition of Taiwan independence, a complicated topic. The survey, published Aug. 25, was conducted from July 7 to July 26 this year through an online questionnaire. The sample included 2,086 adults, age 18 or older, living in 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

"I think there's growing awareness in the United States about Taiwan and the challenges that it faces," Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the Washington D.C.-based German Marshall Fund, told VOA Mandarin.

She added that China's military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan have been widely reported, making Americans more supportive of Taiwan and more sympathetic to Taiwan's plight.

Taiwan has rejected Beijing's rule since 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party assumed power in mainland China after years of civil war.

Beijing, however, maintains that Taiwan is a renegade province. In July, in a speech celebrating the 100th anniversary of the CCP, China President Xi Jinping pledged to pursue reunification and vowed to "smash" any attempts Taiwan might make for formal independence.

The U.S. cut its formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979, when it formally recognized the Beijing government. Since then, Washington has maintained a "One China" policy to guide its relations with Taiwan. In practice, however, it means that Washington recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as "the sole legal Government of China," but it balks at acknowledging Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

In 2019, Xi proposed that China rule Taiwan under the "one country, two systems" framework negotiated for the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. Taiwan, pointing to China's tightening grip on the former British territory, rejected the offer.

Current U.S.-China tensions factored into the survey results. The survey said that the public's distrust of China makes people more supportive of Taiwan. Thirty percent of Americans see Taiwan as an ally; another 30% see it as a necessary partner. The survey also found that 32% of respondents see China as a rival and 29% view it as an adversary.

"While a significant portion of Americans appear unfamiliar with Taiwan, a majority of Americans seem prepared to recognize independence for Taiwan should the U.S. government change its existing policy toward Taipei," the survey concluded.

"It is unclear how the public would react to a serious crisis in the Taiwan Strait involving the U.S. military given the public's relative unfamiliarity with the issues at hand," it added.

The Chicago Council's results also revealed that 65% of those surveyed support including Taipei in international organizations, and that 57% support a bilateral free trade agreement between Washington and Taipei.

Glaser told VOA she was surprised at the percentage of Americans who think the U.S. should recognize Taiwan as an independent country. "I think Americans, not surprisingly, don't understand all of the complicated factors involved in that kind of decision," she said.

She pointed out that the results of the survey had a lot to do with how the questions were asked.

"If you asked Americans, 'Should the United States recognize Taiwan as an independent country even if it would lead to an all-out war with China?' You'd probably get a different response." she said.

Julian Ku, an expert on China's relationship with international law and a law professor at Hofstra University, agreed that the polling results suggest that Americans have limited knowledge of Taipei.

He wrote on Twitter that while this trend toward much greater public support for defending Taiwan is important, "it is very iffy to use polls as a basis for foreign policy."

Glaser agreed, telling VOA that public opinion should be taken into account, but it shouldn't be the decisive factor in the formation of any policy.

"At the end of the day, what this poll reveals to me is that we need to have a lot more education for Americans about these kinds of subjects," she said.
The Australian decision to cancel a $66 billion deal to buy 12 French diesel-electric submarines and to purchase instead at least eight more sophisticated nuclear-powered attack boats from Britain and America continues to reverberate with French officials smarting at what they see as a betrayal by London and Washington.

And there are few signs the dispute will abate any time soon.

European Union leaders are rallying behind France in the dispute over the shelving of the multi-billion-dollar French deal and Canberras decision to sign up to a trilateral Asia Pacific security pact, known as AUKUS, with the United States and Britain, an alliance notably excluding Paris.

Speaking after a meeting Monday among EU foreign ministers held in New York on the sidelines of this weeks annual gathering for the United Nations General Assembly, the blocs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the foreign ministers expressed clear solidarity with France.

Borrell chided Washington and London saying, More cooperation, more coordination, less fragmentation was needed among Western powers in the Indo-Pacific region where China is the major rising power and is promoting alarm among its neighbors. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNN, One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. We want to know what happened and why.

French anger

Last week France recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington  a dramatic demonstration of French anger. And France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who has accused U.S. President Joe Biden of continuing the unilateralism, unpredictability, brutality of his predecessor Donald Trump, says he does not intend to meet his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, while in New York.

I myself do not intend to meet the Secretary of State Blinken, Le Drian told reporters Monday. The French have also been avoiding timetabling a phone conversation between Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.



France claims not to have been consulted by Australia about the plan to scupper what the French once branded the deal of the century; Australia says it did raise concerns with Paris for months over the contract, which was struck in 2016. Australian politicians have been emphasizing that the French contractors had fallen well behind schedule. This has been a farce from day one, Stephen Conroy, a former Australian senator, told Australian broadcaster Sky News. This was a deal that was destined to fail, he says.

French officials say they were only informed last week in writing just hours before the announcement by Britain, the US and Australia of an agreement that will see Australia become only the seventh state in the world with a nuclear-powered submarine fleet.



Frances reliability in question



While the core Australian decision rested on Canberras military assessment of its needs in the Indo-Pacific region, prompting an equipment upgrade, the move to exclude France from the trilateral defense pact, reveals much about Anglo-American suspicions of Frances reliability as a partner, say some former Western foreign and defense ministers and diplomats.

In defense circles in Washington and London, France is often seen as a frenemy, all too ready to grab commercial and diplomatic advantage over the United States and Britain and to exercise an independent mindedness that can make it an unpredictable military ally going back to General Charles De Gaulles 1966 decision to withdraw France abruptly from NATO.

Former British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt accused France Tuesday of wanting to have its cake and eat it, having one foot in the U.S.-led alliance while on the other pushing for an alternative French-led European defense alliance and backing an EU investment deal with China which granted better access to Europes single market than given to post-Brexit Britain. France has long believed Europe should build an independent defence capability, he wrote Tuesday for Britains Daily Telegraph newspaper.

An alternative defense arrangement that loosens transatlantic ties with Washington is not conceivable without British backing, he says. The French are bitterly aware that our central involvement in a new Asian military alliance led by the U.S. makes it much less likely that any European alliance, with or without Britain, would ever be a credible alternative to American leadership, he says.

Another former British foreign minister, Willam Hague, agrees the petulant French reaction to the consequent loss of a huge defence contract does little to elicit sympathy. And he notes in a commentary: Paris would not have hesitated to do the same the other way round. But he says that as the AUKUS initiative develops beyond submarines into areas such as artificial intelligence, it should be open for others to join, including Canada and European allies such as France.

But analyst Olivier Guitta, managing director of GlobalStrat, an international security and risk consultancy firm in London, believes Washington and London should have been much more diplomatic, and instead of blindsiding Paris should have consulted and offered the French a slice of the new deal. There was surely a way to find a consensus between the four allies, even when bringing the U.S. and the U.K. to the table, like splitting the contract in three, he told VOA.

It is quite ironic that Biden has pushed away France since in the past few months France has been one of the most sanguine to oppose Chinas influence in the region, he says. Indeed, back in March China complained about French military activities in the disputed South China Sea, after it sent two warships there, Guitta said.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the sentencing Monday of two Belarusians who organized protests against longtime president Alexander Lukashenko.

Maria Kolesnikova and Maxim Znak, top members of the opposition Coordination Council, were charged with extremism and trying to seize power illegally Sunday. Both have denied any wrongdoing.

We call for their immediate, unconditional release and for that of all other political prisoners held by the Lukashenko regime, Blinken wrote on Twitter, calling the arrests unjust.

Kolesnikova, who has been in custody since September, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and Znak was sentenced to 10.

Both stood trial behind closed doors, with their families only allowed to be present at Mondays sentencing.

Last September, Kolesnikova accused Belarusian forces of trying to kill her when she resisted expulsion as authorities tore up her passport, put a bag over her head and drove her to the border with Ukraine before she fought her removal from Belarus and was jailed.

Around the same time, Znak said unidentified masked men abducted him from his office.

Thousands of people protested regularly for months following the August 9 election in which Lukashenko was declared the winner. Opposition parties, the United States and the European Union allege the election was rigged.

Lukashenkos opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has since left the country.

Lukashenko has responded to U.S. sanctions on the country over arbitrary detentions of protesters by rejecting the U.S. ambassador to Belarus and demanding the U.S. reduce its embassy staff in Minsk.
I need help. Please come get me. Police are chasing me, texted Richard Augustin, a 26-year-old Haitian who was being followed by Mexican migration authorities. Many Haitians had left the camp in Del Rio, Texas escaping imminent deportations only to find the same on the Mexican side.

Betania Dominique, 43, and her husband thought they could finally rest when they crossed over into the U.S. on September 15 and settled under the International Bridge at Del Rio, Texas. They were each given a piece of paper by U.S. officials at the border with a number which they thought meant they were a step closer to their family in Miami.

Four days later, Dominiques husbands number was called. Shoelaces off and handcuffed, he was put on a bus to San Antonio, Texas, and then deported to Haiti on one of the first flights of a series announced by the U.S. government.

When she heard about it in the news and knowing that her number  2,439  was next, she waded into the Rio Grande and swam back to Ciudad Acuna on the Mexican side.

By late Tuesday, she had yet to hear from her husband.

We have been traveling for over five months. We left people behind in the Darien Gap and death along the way. We only want to work, she said in tears.

Betania has three children back in Haiti. And now, she must pay for their tuition, food, and all living expenses on her own.

Although in the past years Haitians have already been making their way north from South America, the numbers in 2021 are breaking records. According to the Panamanian Immigration Authorities, since the beginning of the year, over 70,000 migrants have crossed the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, most of them Haitians having previously lived in Brazil and Chile.

The increment is due to the economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing xenophobia towards Haitians in South America and notably more positive messages from the Biden administration towards migrants: in May 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a new 18-month designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, enabling Haitian nationals residing in the U.S. at the time to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they met eligibility requirements. Those arriving now would not qualify for TPS.

Joe Biden is a nice person. Trump was bad, he was a Republican, said 26-year-old Richard Augustin, a Haitian, staring at the Rio Bravo from Ciudad Acuna.

Dreams

After living in Chile for almost three years with a decent job but not the proper immigration documents, being so near to U.S. soil was a dream come true. Is that really Texas? he kept asking.

Despite an initial positive approach to migration, Biden has continued implementing Trump era decisions such as Title 42, a policy that allows CBP to immediately expel people who entered the U.S. irregularly to their last country of transit.

The regulation, implemented in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, generally prohibits entry of people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to the United States as long as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control determines there is a serious danger to the introduction of disease into the United States.

A District of Columbia judge recently paused Title 42, but the Biden administration has appealed that decision.

Haiti has been suffering one serious crisis after other. After a 2010 earthquake shredded the Caribbean nation, an estimated of 1 million Haitians fled. It is members of this group who are now migrating north, coming mostly through Chile and Brazil.

This summer saw a new series of misfortunes: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake last month left more than 2,200 people and thousands injured amid the political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July.



Changing migration patterns

The Biden administration temporarily paused deportations to the island, but when news broke of the nearly 15,000 Haitians settled along the U.S.-Mexico border, CBP decided to restrain migrants on the U.S. side of the Rio Bravo to start seizing control of the situation.

Most migrants explain that someone traveled before them and sent them instructions on how to avoid immigration controls. It is still a mystery how and why they got to Ciudad Acuna, a border city with a population slightly over 200,000.

Officer Mauricio Cruz, from the municipal police of Ciudad Acuna, explained that a month ago, most immigration raids took place in Piedras Negras, an hour and half east along the U.S.-Mexico border. We knew they were talking among themselves because they suddenly started arriving in Acuna.

Augustin felt lucky to get out of the camp before he was apprehended. He was running out of money and felt really scared to get on a bus and wondered, was this really his dream?


The United States, United Kingdom and Australia on Thursday announced what the Royal Australian Navy describes on its website as an "enhanced trilateral security partnership" known as AUKUS (Australia, U.K. and U.S.). It says Australia will get at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, to be built domestically using American technology.

The use of nuclear-powered Australian submarines in the Indo-Pacific has angered China by threatening to curb its expansion in the same waterways, experts say.

The three-country security deal came after Australia pulled out of an earlier deal with France for diesel-electric submarines, angering Paris. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian even went as far as to describe Australias decision to back out of the deal as a "stab in the back." On Friday, France recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia.

Analysts point to the partnership as the latest Western effort to vie with China for control over seas that Beijing calls its own despite territorial spats with other Asian governments, including Western allies. One disputed waterway is the resource-rich South China Sea.

Nuclear-powered submarines mean stealthier, faster-moving vessels, while Britain's participation suggests a wider program and not just another U.S.-led effort targeting China, scholars say. The subs are expected to be ready by 2035.

"Operationally, it should bother the Chinese, because if Australia does get nuclear subs, then it can stay on station in places like the South China Sea or East China Sea for more or less permanent deployments," said Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative under the Washington D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Submarines won't come online right away, he said, but for the first five to 10 years, what is important is "what (the partnership) says about Australia's posture and willingness to stand up to China and whatever the posture changes are for the U.S.," Poling said. Washington might eventually increase military rotations and exercises with Canberra, he said.

China's maritime conflicts

Beijing claims about 90% of the South China Sea, where it has angered Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines by building artificial islets and passing ships through the contested waters. It vies with Japan over sovereignty in parts of the adjoining East China Sea.

Western countries have taken new notice of their former Cold War foe as the Chinese navy grows rapidly and its ships turn up as far away as Alaska.

AUKUS calls for the sharing of military-related automation, artificial intelligence and quantum technology. Quantum technology can help detect submarines and stealth aircraft. Australia, Britain and the United States have committed to a "comprehensive program of work" over the next 18 months, the Australian navy says.

'Worst possible contingencies'

Nuclear-powered subs based in Australia could reach the South China Sea in a day and stay indefinitely, said Malcolm Davis, senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra. Alternatively, they might enter the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea or Southwest Pacific, he added.

He said Australia, in pitched political and trade fights with China since 2015, intends to help the United States defend any Chinese movement that's "inimical" to Australian allies.

"These subs are primarily to boost Australian defenses against a rising China that is challenging not only the U.S. in the region but also all our countries, including Australia, and there is a growing military challenge from China that is very real, and we are preparing for all sorts of worst possible contingencies, including the prospect for a major power war between the U.S. and China over Taiwan some time in this decade," Davis said.

China claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan and regularly sends military planes into its airspace. Taiwan's government, opposed to unification with China, has found growing support from the West.

"Taiwan will have a side (of its population) that cries out, 'That's great. England, America and Australia are coming to do a check and balance against China,' said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the international affairs college at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

British officials joined the tech-sharing deal as part of their "idea of global Britain" following their departure from the European Union, Poling said. Its participation as a non-Indo-Pacific country angers China particularly, Huang said.

AUKUS follows other Western-spearheaded efforts such as the 16-year-old Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among India, Japan, Australia and the United States. Western-allied countries periodically pass ships through the South China Sea on their own. China normally protests.

Stern words, deeds in China

China calls the AUKUS deal a danger to the Indo-Pacific region. "For the United States, U.K. and Australia to launch nuclear submarine cooperation severely disrupts regional peace and stability, increases the arms buildup race and wrecks the hard work of international disarmament," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Thursday.

Asia's chief superpower isn't standing by either. On September 1, China implemented its Revised Maritime Safety Traffic Law to counter foreign ships that pass near its coasts. The law tightens Chinese control over the East and South China seas by giving Beijing power to stop a range of foreign vessels.

"The United States Navy, if it was ordered to conduct a freedom of navigation (operation), that just sets up a confrontation, because how are you going to stop an American warship?" said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

China could follow up AUKUS further by restricting additional Australian imports, Davis said. Canberra, however, has already found new foreign markets for its all-important coal and wine because of earlier friction with China.
A prominent human rights group has accused Kenya's government of failing to adopt preventive measures to protect women and girls during pandemic lockdowns and curfews. Human Rights Watch says the government failed to ensure access to health, economic, and social support services, adding to an increase in sexual and other forms of abuse against women and girls.

In a 61-page report entitled I had nowhere to go, Human Rights Watch documented how the government failed victims of gender-based violence as the government introduced lockdowns, issued restrictions of the movement of people to combat the spread of the coronavirus.



Agnes Odhiambo is human rights researcher on Women's Issues. Speaking Tuesday at a press conference in Nairobi, she said the pandemic has increased violence against women, as they were confined to their homes.



"Women were at increased risk of violence because of increased social isolation spending a lot of time in the home, in the house being stuck with someone who is abusing you. Many women did also not get information on how they could get help during lockdowns," Odhiambo said. "The breakdown of community structures for support and networks in communities also means that many women did not have somewhere to go and get help.

Human rights watch investigators spoke to 13 survivors, community workers, experts and officials working with the police program meant to combat violence against women.



Victims told the rights group they were sexually abused, faced beatings and were thrown out of their homes. Young girls were forced to marry at a younger age and to undergo female genital mutilation.



The investigators found that most survivors did not report the abuse to the authorities because they believed they would not receive assistance.



Others believed they would have to bribe authorities to get assistance and could not pay.



Beverline Ongaro works at the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. She told journalists they would work with Kenyan authorities to ensure survivors get protection and justice.



It provides us with an insight on the barriers survivors face and what needs to be done by duty barriers from survivors perspective and ultimately for the government to comply with its human rights obligations as under treaties and under Kenyan law particularly the constitution," said Ongaro. "Allow me to reiterate that when we tolerate GBV [gender-based violence], it violates the human rights of the survivors and also their humanity.

Kenya's government has passed a number of laws in response to gender-based violence. It also has established guidelines for responding to such violence by police, specialized medical personnel, and justice officials.

But perpetrators of these abuses often find a way to around the rules, using money and connections.



Human Rights Watch is calling on the government to build a solid rights-based framework to protect and give justice to women and girls in the future.


Hundreds of people demonstrated Tuesday in Australias second-largest city to protest coronavirus restrictions the government imposed on the construction industry.

Officials announced construction sites in Melbourne would be closed for two weeks amid concerns that the movement of workers was contributing to the spread of COVID-19.

Construction workers are also now required to have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine before being allowed to return to work.

Victoria state, where Melbourne is located, reported 603 new cases on Tuesday, the most infections there in a single day this year.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday that fines for breaking coronavirus protocols would increase starting in November.

The changes would change the fine for someone intentionally failing to comply with a COVID-19 order from about $2,800 to $8,400. Those breaking the restrictions could also face up to six months in prison.

Businesses that violate coronavirus restrictions could face fines of up to $10,500.

Our success has been really based on the fact that people by and large have been compliant, Ardern said at a news conference. However, there has been the odd person that has broken the rules and put others at risk.

Meanwhile, Governor Jay Inslee, of the western U.S. state of Washington, is asking the federal government for help dealing with the strain on hospitals as the delta variant drives large numbers of infections.

Inslee sent a letter Monday to Jeffrey Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator, saying hospitals in his state are at or beyond capacity and that he is requesting military personnel to help staff hospitals.

Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed, Inslee said. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks. The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures but are still over capacity across the state.

New daily infections and the number of people hospitalized in Washington are at or near their highest levels during the pandemic.

Washington health officials report 69% of people aged 12 years and older in the state are fully vaccinated.

That is higher than the national figure, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 64% of the population age 12 and older being fully vaccinated.

The Pfizer and BioNTech drug companies said Monday that lower-dose shots of their two-dose COVID-19 vaccine are safe and effective for 5- to 11-year-old children.

The U.S. company and its German partner BioNTech said trials showed the vaccine was well tolerated and robust, neutralizing antibody responses at the lower dose levels necessary in younger children.

Pfizer said it planned soon to seek authorization to use the vaccine in younger patients in the United States, Britain and the European Union, a move that could greatly expand the scope of the vaccination effort. About 28 million U.S. children fall into the age range, and millions of adults have still declined to get the jab.

Pfizer said it studied a lower dose  one-third the strength of the adult dose  in tests involving more than 2,200 kindergartners and elementary school students. Two-thirds of the children were given the vaccine, and the remaining third were given saltwater shots. The company said the vaccinated children developed antibody levels that were just as strong as those exhibited by teenagers and young adults.

With students now back in school and the delta variant spreading throughout the United States, many parents have been anxious for government health officials to approve the vaccine for their young children.

Compared with older people, children are at lower risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but more than 5 million children in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19, and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

U.S. vaccine maker Moderna is also studying its shots in young children. Both Pfizer and Moderna are studying using the vaccine in infants as young as 6 months, with results expected later this year.

On Monday, deaths in the United States from COVID-19 reached 675,975, surpassing deaths from the 1918 Spanish flu.

(Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.)
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday downplayed the importance of the election of hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as the new Iranian president, saying that whether the United States ultimately rejoins the international pact to restrain Tehrans nuclear program will depend on decisions made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.



Raisi will replace more moderate Hassan Rouhani in six weeks, but Sullivan told ABC Newss This Week show that no matter who the Iranian president is, It is less relevant than whether their entire system is prepared to make verifiable commitments to abandon the possibility of Iranian development of a nuclear weapon.

Along with five other world powers, the United States is engaged in talks with Iran to rejoin the 2015 international agreement to restrain Tehrans nuclear program that former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from, saying it was not tough enough. Trump reimposed economic sanctions against Tehran that had been dropped.

The pact was negotiated under Trumps immediate predecessor, President Barack Obama, with U.S. President Joe Biden, who was Obamas vice president, now looking to rejoin the agreement.

Negotiators for Iran and the other six countries were set Sunday to adjourn the talks to return to their respective capitals for further consultations on difficult remaining considerations.



Iran delegation chief Abbas Araqchi said, We are now closer than ever to an agreement but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains and bridging it is not an easy job," a position echoed by Sullivan.

There is still a fair distance to travel on some of the key issues, such as sanctions on Iran and the commitments Tehran is willing to make, Sullivan said.

But the arrow has been pointed in the right direction, he said. Well see if Iran will make the hard choices they have to make.

The ultimate decision lies with the supreme leader, whether he follows the path of diplomacy or faces mounting pressure not just from the U.S. but from the international community, Sullivan said.

We believe diplomacy is the best way achieve that, he said. Sullivan said the U.S. is clear-eyed and firm in its effort that puts their nuclear program in a box.

In a separate interview, Sullivan told Fox News Sunday that any new agreement could last for a longer time than the original 2030 expiration.

It is not clear, however, when formal international negotiations might resume.
The Nigerian aid group Center for Civilians in Conflict is marking this year's U.N. International Day of Peace with a photo exhibit on the conflict in the country's northeast. The photographs depict some of the millions of civilians caught up in the 12-year conflict started by militant group Boko Haram.

The photo exhibit opened Tuesday morning at the Thought Pyramid Art Center in Abuja. Around 150 visitors arrived in batches to see images taken from scenes of the Boko Haram insurgency and the communities affected by it.

Art lover Hillary Essien, who attended the exhibit, says the photos tell a story of pain and survival.

"They're actual people, being here and seeing that these people are out there away from their homes, families, fearing for their lives, it's just really touching to be honest," she said.

Nigerian photojournalist Damilola Onafuwa took the photos for nonprofit Center for Civilians in Conflict, and says he's happy about the effect the pictures are having on viewers.

"When I create these works, I only create them because I want people to know," he said. "I want to share the stories of people that I'm photographing. When people see it and I see how much impact it has on them, that makes me very happy."



Nigeria has been battling the Boko Haram insurgency for 12 years. The fighting has claimed an estimated 350,000 lives, according to the United Nations Development Program, and displaced millions of others.

But Boko Haram is not the only group threatening the northeast. Armed criminal groups are becoming more active, often kidnapping people for ransom. Communal clashes over grazing lands are leading to raids and burnings of villages.

The Center for Civilians in Conflict says the exhibit aims to raise awareness about these issues with the view of addressing them.

"The exhibition tries to chronicle the lives of ordinary Nigerians who are trying everything possible to maintain the peace," said Beson Olugbuo, a director at the center. "The idea is to use photographs as a means of advocacy and also to remind the federal government that they have a primary responsibility to maintain law and order, to protect lives and property and ensure that peace reigns."

The International Day of Peace is observed every year on September 21.


Nine people have died in an attack on a village in the Lake Chad area that is plagued by violence led by jihadist groups, a local governor and an NGO said Tuesday.

The region borders Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, and fighters from Boko Haram and a rival splinter group, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), have used it for years as a haven from which to attack troops and civilians.

"Elements from Boko Haram attacked Kadjigoroum and killed nine people and set fire to the village" on Sunday night, regional governor Mahamat Fadoul Mackaye told Agence France-Presse by telephone.

Chadian authorities use the Boko Haram label to refer to both militant groups.

The head of a local NGO confirmed the attack and death toll at the village, asking not to be identified.

In August, 26 soldiers died in a Boko Haram raid on marshy Lake Chad's Tchoukou Telia island, about 190 kilometers (120 miles) north of the capital, N'Djamena.

In March 2020, 100 Chadian troops died in an attack on the lake's Bohoma peninsula, prompting an offensive the following month led by Chad's then-President Idriss Deby Itno.

After pursuing the militants deep into Niger and Nigeria, Deby said there was "not a single jihadist anywhere" on the Chadian side of the lake region.

The attacks, however, have increased against the army and civilians.

Deby was killed in April 2021 during fighting against rebels in the north and was succeeded by his son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, as the head of a military junta.


Unvaccinated heads of state attending the United Nations General Assembly this week may have to settle for a slice of pizza on a sidewalk instead of fine dining at New York's restaurants.

That is how Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro dined on his first night in New York, where no one is allowed into the city's restaurants without proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The far-right populist is a vaccine skeptic who has bragged about not being vaccinated, saying before he left for New York that his immune system is strong enough to fend off the coronavirus.

Two Cabinet ministers on his delegation posted a photo of Bolsonaro and aides munching on slices of pizza on a New York sidewalk on Sunday night.

Bolsonaro's supporters praised the casual "simplicity" of their leader, happy to eat pizza on the street near the Manhattan hotel where he is staying.

When British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked him at a meeting on Monday whether he had been vaccinated, Bolsonaro replied: "No, not yet."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio appealed to world leaders, "including most notably Bolsonaro from Brazil," to get vaccinated before attending the U.N. gathering in the city.

"If you don't want to be vaccinated, don't bother coming," de Blasio said at a news conference.

Last week, General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid notified the 193-member states that the U.N.'s COVID-19 vaccination honor system will remain in place for presidents, prime ministers and diplomats. They are not required to show proof of immunization.

Some leaders are staying away and sending a video statement instead because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Brazil's mission to the United Nations declined to comment on reports a Brazilian diplomat had tested positive in New York.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: "We are aware of the reports and are in contact with the Brazilian mission."

Bolsonaro will be the first head of state to address the annual U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday morning.


A radio station supported by Myanmar's shadow government has aired its first broadcasts as part of an effort to keep the country informed nearly seven months into the coup.

Radio NUG airs for 30 minutes twice daily on a shortwave band that smaller transistor devices, including 10-band radios, can easily receive.

The station plans to cover the National Unity Government (NUG); human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by the junta; and the civil disobedience movement, a pro-democracy campaign that leads anti-coup protests around the country.

The NUG is a shadow government made up of members of the ousted National League for Democracy, activists and others from ethnic minorities. It was formed after the military claimed control in a February coup, ousted the democratically elected leadership and arrested senior politicians.

The NUG does not officially run the radio channel, but it is providing guidance to supporters who set up the station, according to Htin Linn Aung, the NUG minister of communications, information and technology.

"We [the NUG] have to let them know what we are doing  how we are trying to restore democracy in Burma," Aung, who is living in the United States, told VOA. Burma is another name for Myanmar.

Banned from the start

Myanmar's military leaders outlawed the station on the day it first broadcast. The junta's Ministry of Information issued a statement in state media saying that those working with or supporting Radio NUG "will have action taken against them in accordance with the law."

Myanmar's military has historically limited press freedom. But since the overthrow of the civilian-led government in February, the military has targeted journalists, rights groups say.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have protested the return of military rule, and the junta has responded with what some human rights groups say are crimes against humanity.

As of Friday, more than 1,000 people have been killed by the junta and more than 5,900 have been arrested or charged, according to the Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma). Nearly 100 of those who have been detained are journalists.

Two more journalists were arrested August 15, including Sithu Aung Myint, a freelance contributor to VOA and a columnist for news website Frontier Myanmar.

VOA Burmese Service chief Than Lwin Htun said this week that arresting journalists for their work is "unjust."

VOA "provides accurate and fair coverage," Than Lwin Htun said. "We are not taking sides."

Myanmar is also still detaining American journalist Danny Fenster. The managing editor of Frontier Myanmar has been jailed in Yangon for over 90 days.

At a hearing on Monday, a court remanded Fenster to custody for another two weeks. Members of the journalist's family say they have had limited contact with Fenster, who believes he has contracted the coronavirus while in prison.

The lack of information and delays in Fenster's case weigh heavily on his family members in Detroit, Michigan. The last contact they had was a phone call at the beginning of August.

The U.S. State Department says it is monitoring Fenster's case. A spokesperson told VOA that the jailing of Fenster and other journalists and military attacks on the media constitute an "unacceptable attack on freedom of expression."

Representative Andy Levin, a Democrat representing Michigan state's 9th District, has also been advocating for Fenster's release.

His office directed VOA to a statement in July, when Levin said, "We are redoubling our efforts to obtain his earliest possible release for health reasons  as well as because he is completely innocent of any wrongdoing under Burmese law, and we believe the regime has concluded they should let him go."

Radios allegedly confiscated

The current media landscape in Myanmar makes Radio NUG even more important because Myanmar completely lacks press freedom, said Aung, the NUG communications minister.

Using radio also means the station can reach listeners even if authorities cut access to the internet.

"This could be the perfect medium for the Myanmar public to keep receiving free information," East Asia bureau head of Reporters Without Borders Cedric Alviani told VOA. "This is a very traditional resistance medium."

Some local news websites reported an increase in people buying radio receivers since the station launched. But at least one news website reported that the military had confiscated radios following the launch of the channel. VOA was not able to verify those reports.

The identities of those running the channel are not publicly available because of safety concerns, and Aung said he is worried that those working with Radio NUG could face retaliation. He declined to say where broadcasts originate.

Still, Alviani and Aung both said the response from the military shows it fears a free press.

"The fact the regime immediately tries to confiscate these radio receivers shows how much they fear the power of free information," Alviani told VOA.

VOA Burma contributed to this report.
China and Pakistan expect the Taliban to fulfill pledges to crack down on foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan, but experts say these groups have already been "energized" by the Talibans takeover, posing new challenges for Pakistani and Chinese interests.

Last week, during the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Conference summit, President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan both called on the international community to engage with the Taliban and called on the Taliban to fulfill their pledges to clamp down on terrorist groups.

The Taliban have said that they will not allow any group to use Afghan soil against any country, without laying out specifics. Some experts say the groups swift takeover of Kabul has already emboldened extremist groups in the region and regional countries should expect more insecurity, not less.

There is no evidence that the Taliban will clamp down on these groups, said Aqil Shah, professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Oklahoma and non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, adding that the problem with the Taliban is that they say one thing and they do quite the opposite.

Shah said the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan leading up to the capture of Kabul was a morale booster for the terrorist groups, particularly those based in Afghanistan.

There are approximately 8,000 to 10,000 foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, including people from Central Asia, the north Caucasus region of the Russian Federation, Pakistan and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China according to a U.N. report released in June 2021.

A July 2020 U.N. report stated 6,000 to 6,500 of the foreign fighters in Afghanistan are from Pakistan, and majority of these militants are affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a U.S.-designated terror group that has mostly carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces.

Threat to Pakistan

The TTP, which pledges allegiance to the Taliban in Afghanistan, has increased its attacks in Pakistan in recent weeks.

The group killed seven Pakistani soldiers in a gunfight in South Waziristan, a district in northwest Pakistan near the Afghanistan border on September 15.

The TTP also claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Quetta, the capital of Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province, on September 5 that killed at least three Pakistani soldiers.

Shah added that the TTP is the main threat to Pakistans security as it intends to destabilize Pakistan and eventually overthrow the government in Pakistan.

Pakistani officials said the TTP is planning attacks from Afghanistan, and they expect the Taliban to make good on pledges to prevent the group from using Afghan soil to attack Pakistani security forces. But there is little public information so far to indicate that any kind of Taliban crackdown against the group is imminent.

Abdul Basit, a research fellow at Nanyang Technological Universitys International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, predicts the TTP will continue its attacks.

For TTP, it is the same. If you can defeat the US, certainly you can defeat the Pakistani army, added Basit.

Pakistani officials blamed TTP militants for a suicide bomb attack on a bus last month that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese workers who were headed to a dam construction project in the north of the country.

Far from promising a crackdown on the TTP, Pakistani officials have made more conciliatory gestures. On September 15, Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Islamabad is ready to pardon those members of the TTP who promise not to get involved in terrorist activities which the group rejected. He indicated he hoped the Taliban helps convince TTP members to submit to the Pakistani constitution and drop their armed insurgency.

Qureshi said he remained concerned over reports that hundreds of TTP fighters were released from Afghan prisons as the Taliban took control of the country.

Basit said the Talibans takeover in Afghanistan will further increase radicalism in the region, and as a result, the recruitment for the groups would increase.

He added the TTP has close relations with other extremist groups, including East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). TTP provided them refuge. They lived together. They fought together.

ETIM, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, is a Uighur separatist group that China calls the most dangerous and extremist terrorist group in its Xinjiang region. However although ETIM remains a U.N.-designated terrorist group with several hundred fighters reportedly located in Afghanistans Badakhshan province, the U.S. removed the group from its terror list in 2020, citing no credible evidence that it continued to exist.

Threat to China

China now faces multiple threats from the region with Americas complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, Basit said.

The Americans only fought the jihadists in the region. For China, its a double blow, because not only the Jihadists, (but) the ethno-nationalists are also against China. Basit added, these (terrorist) groups need a big enemy to justify their violence. For the last 20 years, the enemy was the U.S. forces. Now the next big villain is China.

The Baloch National Freedom Movement, a terrorist organization that seeks the independence of Balochistan province in southwest Pakistan, has made it clear that China is their target. In August 2020, the Baloch National Freedom Movement announced an alliance with the Sindhu Desh Liberation Army, a terrorist organization based in Pakistans Sindh province. Together, the two accused China of expansionism and occupying local resources in the region.

While terrorist attacks inside China remain unlikely because of the tight security there, said Basit, the Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Pakistan is Chinas soft underbelly and (a) good opportunity for these (militant) groups to target and (pressure) China to amend its behavior (toward the) Xinjiang Muslim community. Otherwise, attacks would continue.

CPEC is a series of infrastructure projects including highways and ports. Prime Minister Khan describes CPEC as the flagship project of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to expand Chinas political and economic influence to Europe.

China hopes the Taliban will prevent the infiltration of ETIM militants into Xinjiang. That scenario is considered a major threat for China, said Huping Ling, history professor at Truman State University and visiting fellow of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University.

China and Afghanistan may only share a 75-km border, which is undeveloped and largely impassable during winter months, but Ling said the country has invested resources in securing the border.

For China, it is strategically important to secure the border because that is one of the headaches regarding maintaining the stability, Ling added.

She said the Taliban is looking to China to build up infrastructure in Afghanistan to extract an estimated $1 trillion to $3 trillion worth of minerals there. It will be beneficial to both China and the Talibans government.

The Taliban has repeatedly stated they want close relations with China, particularly as Afghanistan is on the verge of economic collapse since the international community has frozen donors funds and billions of dollars in assets.

China is our main partner and represents a fundamental and extraordinary opportunity for us because it is ready to invest and rebuild our country, Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on September 2.

Washington says Chinas crackdown against ethnic Uighurs amount to a genocide against the majority Muslim group, but so far those repressive policies appear to have had little impact on the Talibans view of Beijing.

They (Taliban) are so anxious to have political and economic assistance from China that they are forgetting the fact that China is one of the greatest abusers of Islamic population on the globe, said Marvin Weinbaum, the director of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Program at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

This suggests that when it comes to the practical politics of governing, ideology takes the back seat, said Weinbaum.

Human rights organizations accuse Beijing of committing crimes against humanity by arbitrarily detaining more than 1 million Uighurs and other Muslims in internment camps and forcing others into forced labor.
Afghanistans Taliban have rejected as baseless propaganda American concerns that al-Qaida, or militants linked to the Middle East-based Islamic State terrorist group, maintains a presence in the South Asian country.



Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made the assertions at a news conference in Kabul just days after the Islamic States regional affiliate, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for a string of deadly bomb attacks over the weekend targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Nangarhar province.



Mujahids remarks also follow recent warnings by U.S. intelligence officials that al-Qaida and Islamic State operatives were making their way back to Afghanistan, emboldened by the Islamist Taliban takeover of the conflict-torn nation five weeks ago.



The Taliban spokesman denounced the bombings in Nangarhar. He said his ruling Islamist group was determined to stem the violence and does not see ISIS-K as a significant threat.



You will witness for yourself that these will be the last attacks they have carried out and they will not be able to conduct them in the future.



Mujahid asserted Tuesday that militants operating in Afghanistan in the name of ISIS-K have no ties to those fighting in Syria and Iraq.



Daesh [Islamic State] has no physical presence here, but it is possible some people who may be our own Afghans have adopted Daesh ideology, which is a phenomenon that is neither popular nor is supported by Afghans, he said, using an Arabic acronym for the Middle East-based terror outfit.



ISIS-K also claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport last month that killed 13 U.S. service members and nearly 170 Afghan civilians who had crowded outside the airport gates.



Al-Qaida in Afghanistan



Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director David Cohen said last week that the U.S. is already beginning to see some of the indications of some potential movement of al-Qaida to Afghanistan.



"But it's early days," Cohen told a panel discussion at an intelligence summit outside of Washington. He warned that al-Qaida could reconstitute in as little as a year. "We will obviously keep a very close eye on that.



But Mujahid denied those assertions.



"These concerns about foreign militants or anyone linked to al-Qaida being present in Afghanistan are misplaced and they are expressed for the sake of propaganda only. We dont see anyone in Afghanistan who has anything to do with al-Qaida, said the Taliban spokesman.



We have given commitment to the world and to America, as well that we will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil to harm or threaten any country. This is a principled position and we strictly stand by it because it is also in the interest of Afghans, Mujahid added.



Since ousting the U.S.-backed government in Kabul last month, the Taliban have been under pressure to deliver on counterterrorism pledges and renounce ties with al-Qaida, the terrorist group Washington says organized the September 11, 2001, strikes on America from the then -Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.



The attacks provoked the United States and its Western allies to swiftly invade the country and removed the Taliban from power for refusing to hand over the al-Qaida planners.



The Taliban regained power in Kabul after all U.S.-led NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan, and the government and its military collapsed in the face of increased attacks by the insurgent group.



Male Taliban Cabinet



Mujahid addressed Tuesdays news conference mainly to announce an expansion in the Talibans two-week-old caretaker government, but failed to name any women to the all-male cabinet of about 60 members.



He insisted the Taliban government represented all Afghan ethnicities, saying women will be added to the cabinet at a later stage but did not say when. The spokesman again urged the United Nations, the U.S., the European Union, and other countries, as well as Afghanistans neighbors, to recognize the Kabul government.



Also, several key Taliban Cabinet members are blacklisted by the U.S. and U.N., preventing countries from dealing directly with Kabul.



Washington and other countries maintain they will judge the Taliban by their actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment of women and minorities, among other concerns.



The demand stems from fears the Taliban may try to reimpose their hardline Islamist rule the group enforced in Afghanistan when it was in control of most of the country from 1996 to 2001. A brutal justice system, the barring of women from work and public life, and girls from receiving an education, marked Taliban rule during that time.
When President Joe Biden announced that the government would mandate workplace vaccination and testing at all U.S. companies with more than 100 employees, the job of putting that policy into effect fell to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a small agency within the Department of Labor that has struggled to respond to the pandemic.

The agency, which is normally directed by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since 2017, the first year of the Trump administration. President Bidens nominee, Doug Parker, is the chief occupational safety and health regulator in the state of California. His nomination has been awaiting a final vote in the Senate since June.

The task facing the agency is to issue, as quickly as it can, an emergency temporary standard (ETS) that would require employers to abide by the administrations mandate at risk of financial penalties of up to $14,000 per violation. It would be required to follow up with a permanent rule, subject to significantly more public scrutiny and potential court challenges, within six months.

And then, it would have to enforce it.

A big challenge that OSHA faces is that as an agency, it is historically understaffed and underfunded, said Jennifer Shinall, a law professor at Vanderbilt University. So, even assuming that this new rule holds up in court ... actually enforcing the rule is a whole different story.

OSHA did not respond to an email from VOA requesting comment.

Slow start to COVID response

OSHAs new assignment will require the agency to act with an urgency that was notably absent in the first year of the pandemic. In February, the Labor Departments inspector general issued a report critical of the agencys response during the preceding 12 months. Among other things, it noted that in 2020, as the pandemic raged, the agency conducted half as many worksite inspections as it had the previous year, and did the majority of them remotely.

With most OSHA inspections done remotely during the pandemic, workplace hazards may go unidentified and unabated longer, leaving employees vulnerable, the report found.

The inspector general also said that the agency had failed to use its authority to issue an ETS that would have obligated employers to take specific actions to keep workers safe from the spread of the virus.

While OSHA has issued several guidance documents to enhance safety provisions during the pandemic, guidance is not enforceable like rules or standards would be, and OSHA has not issued an emergency temporary standard during the pandemic for airborne infectious diseases that may better protect employees health and safety at worksites, the report said.

Agency history

As an agency, OSHA has existed as an entity within the Department of Labor since the Occupational Safety and Health Act took effect in 1971. The agencys mandate was to take over and expand work that had previously been done by the Bureau of Labor Standards. The law that created the agency was passed in response to an increase in on-the-job deaths of American workers in the 1960s, as the economys postwar expansion accelerated.

As federal agencies go, OSHA is not a large one, with a budget of $591 million in fiscal 2021. And until recently, it had been shrinking. In 2019, OSHA had just 752 inspectors to ensure workplace safety for more than 107 million private sector workers in the U.S., the lowest number in the agencys history.

A hiring freeze put in place during the early years of the Trump administration exacerbated a shortage of qualified inspectors, as experienced employees retired and the agency failed to maintain a pipeline of replacements.

Since then, the number of inspectors has ticked up but remains below recent historical norms.

A rocky ETS record

While there is no doubt that the agency has the authority to issue emergency rules that can be enforced without a period of public notice or comment, OSHAs history with ETSs may explain why it was so slow to act.

In July, when the agency issued a much more limited ETS that required specific COVID-19-related precautions in health care settings, it was the first time in 38 years that it had exercised that authority.

From 1973 to 1983, the agency faced legal challenges to six separate ETSs, and lost five of them. Until July, it had never issued another.

However, some experts believe that the agency is on firmer footing with a vaccine mandate than some might believe.

My gut instinct is that this will not be put on hold,Brian Dean Abramson, an adjunct professor of vaccine law at Florida International University and the author of the Bloomberg Law and American Health Law Association treatise Vaccine, Vaccination, and Immunization Law, recently told VOA.

OSHA has fairly broad authority delegated to it to ensure worker safety, he said. The broad strokes of what has been presented  that employers with over 100 employees require employees be vaccinated or have some other measures in place to prevent the spread of infection or face an OSHA fine  I think that is likely to ultimately be upheld, Abramson said.

Enforcement challenges likely

Even if the agencys rule holds up in court, it would face practical difficulties when it comes to enforcing it. Unlike other federal labor laws, the Occupational Safety and Health Act does not create a private right of action for employees.

That means that if a company is in violation of the law, employees do not have the standing to bring lawsuits themselves. What they can do is file a complaint with OSHA, and hope that the agency itself initiates an enforcement action. However, considering OSHAs staffing problems, there may be considerable delays before companies that do not observe the vaccine mandate can be held to account by the government.

According to Shinall, the Vanderbilt law professor, the coming OSHA rule might be more effective in changing accepted norms than in compelling compliance through the force of law alone.

It does have the power to encourage the proliferation of vaccine mandates in the private sector in this country  even if not directly through OSHA enforcement mechanisms  but indirectly, through encouraging employers to comply and shifting norms about what is appropriate for employers to do in the workplace, she said.
Police in Britain said Tuesday they have enough evidence to charge a third Russian in the 2018 nerve agent attack against a former Russian spy in the city of Salisbury, England.

Authorities identified the third suspect as Sergey Fedotov, also known as Denis Sergeev, and said he was a member of Russias GRU military intelligence service.

They said the list of possible charges includes conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon, and causing grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutors have already charged two other suspected military intelligence members in the attack that used the nerve agent Novichok to target Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, who both survived.

A British woman later died from contact with the nerve agent, and a police officer became critically ill.

Russia has denied involvement in the attack.

In a separate development Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia was responsible for the 2006 killing of former agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Litvinenko died after drinking tea at a London hotel laced with Polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the courts conclusion Tuesday, calling the ruling unfounded.
Top U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, on Tuesday condemned the way horse-mounted border agents have corralled Haitian migrants along the Mexican border to keep them from entering the United States.

"What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback, treating human beings, the way they were (was) horrible," Harris told reporters Tuesday. "And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there. But human beings should never be treated that way."

Harris said she would talk later with Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas, who has ordered a probe into the actions by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Mayorkas told a congressional hearing Tuesday, "I was horrified to see the images.  We do not tolerate any mistreatment or abuse of a migrant."

The images, video footage and photographs, showed agents attempting to grab some of the thousands of migrants gathered at the border along the Rio Grande and using their horses to push the migrants back toward Mexico.

"I am going to let the investigation run its course, but the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly," Mayorkas told CNN.

An agent is heard on one video shouting an obscenity as a child jumps away from the path of a horse.

"One cannot weaponize a horse to aggressively attack a child," Mayorkas said. "That is unacceptable. That is not what our policies and our training require.  Let me be quite clear: That is not acceptable."

Earlier reports appeared to show agents using whips to control the migrants. But they were swinging their horses' reins and did not appear to strike anyone.

Mayorkas said, "Any mistreatment or abuse of a migrant is unacceptable, is against border control policy, training and our department's values." He said the investigation would be conducted "swiftly."

"The public needs and deserves to know its results," Mayorkas said.



Another top Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor, said, "This behavior must be addressed, and we must provide accountability. The images turn our stomach. It must be stopped."

A Republican critic of President Joe Biden, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, criticized Mayorkas for immigration policies he said encouraged the migration of nearly 15,000 Haitians to the border. The Haitians mostly escaped the rubble of a 2010 earthquake on the Caribbean island-nation and have since then been living in South American countries.

At a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Hawley told Mayorkas, "This is a humanitarian crisis in Del Rio. You can spin it whichever way that you want, but  we should not minimize the humanitarian conditions for which, frankly, you're responsible.  tens of thousands of people living in conditions that are startling, startling, brought here because of your policies."

Hawley and other Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for easing tough-on-immigration policies that had been championed by former President Donald Trump.

According to Haiti's Office of National Migration, more than 320 migrants were deported to Haiti on Sunday, and two flights arrived on Monday afternoon. One of the planes carried about 130 migrants. Haitian advocacy groups have reported that additional flights are expected this week.

DHS officials confirmed to The Washington Post that "these flights will continue on a regular basis," but they did not comment on whether agents explain to Haitian deportees that they are being sent back to Haiti.

U.S. officials have repeatedly told migrants to stay in their homelands. Regardless, streams of migrants, the most in two decades, have been heading to the country's southwestern border with Mexico in the belief that the U.S. will allow them to enter and stay.


U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the world Tuesday to wake up to the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetimes.

Our world has never been more threatened or more divided, he told the annual gathering of world leaders, which returned to New York in a slimmed-down version this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He pointed to the climate crisis and COVID-19, as well as an upheaval in numerous countries, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Yemen.

The United Nations has been at the forefront of the global response to the pandemic, and Guterres took aim at rich nations for what he called their lack of political will and selfishness in hoarding, and in some cases, wasting precious vaccine doses.

A majority of the wealthier world vaccinated. Over 90% of Africans still waiting for their first dose, he said. This is a moral indictment of the state of our world. It is an obscenity.

Guterres called for bridging the divide between rich and poor countries with a global plan to at least double vaccine production in order to vaccinate 70% of the worlds population by mid-2022.

He also chastised the worlds billionaires, who he said went joyriding to space while millions go hungry on Earth. The worlds wealthiest saw their fortunes soar exponentially during the height of the pandemic. Meanwhile, U.N. appeals for billions of dollars to keep famine at bay in several countries have been insufficiently funded, Guterres said.

Meanwhile, he said, the world is not on track to meet pledges made in the 2015 Paris Agreement to slow global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

We need to act now to save humanity and the planet, Guterres urged.

Geopolitical divisions

On the geopolitical front, Guterres warned that military coups are back.

Since January, the military has seized power in several countries, including Myanmar, Mali and Guinea. Overnight, there was reportedly an attempted coup in Sudan, which that countrys military said it thwarted.

The secretary-general pointed to divisions among powers that undermine international cooperation and the ability to get real action in the U.N. Security Council.

Without naming them, he said U.S.-China tensions are an obstacle to multilateral action.

It will be impossible to address dramatic economic and development challenges while the worlds two largest economies are at odds with each other, the U.N. chief said.

Guterres said he fears the world is sliding toward two different sets of economic, trade, financial and technology rules, as well as diverging approaches in the development of artificial technology.

This is a recipe for trouble, he warned. It would be far less predictable than the Cold War.

Absent from his address was a strong message to Afghanistan, although he did call for boosting humanitarian aid to the country and defending human rights, especially for women and girls.

U.N. officials said Guterres would have other opportunities during the week for more in-depth discussions on Afghanistan and other crises.

The secretary-general did make a global call for more action on human rights, womens rights and bridging the digital divide.

Although he gave a grim report, Guterres said he has hope, because these problems are solvable.

This is our time. A moment for transformation, he said.


The U.N. refugee agency is calling for an end to the expulsions and forcible deportations of Haitians massed at the U.S.-Mexican border.

Hundreds of mostly Haitian migrants and asylum seekers have been forcibly expelled by U.S. authorities under Title 42, public health related entry restrictions. Plans reportedly are under way to forcibly deport thousands more.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo says her agency has been calling for an end to Title 42 for some time, and for the United States to ensure access to asylum for people whose lives depend on it.

While some people arriving at the border may not be refugees, anyone who does have a claim or claims to have a well-founded fear of being persecuted in their country of origins, they should have access to asylum and to have their claim assessed before being subjected to expulsion or deportation, she said.



The UNHCR has been calling for an end to Title 42 since it was enacted under the Trump administration last year, allegedly to stop the spread of COVID-19 into the United States.

The Biden Administration has continued this policy despite growing criticism.

Mantoo says there are ways to manage public health considerations and allow people in need of protection to seek asylum. She says these issues are not mutually exclusive. She says the right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right.

She says conflict, social, economic, humanitarian, and political situations in Haiti have led to different waves of mixed movements from the country in past decades.

Some of those people in these movements may have well-founded grounds to request international protection. And we have been following these movements and what this does call for is a coordinated regional response to ensure effective and legalistic arrangements, including for those who do not require international protection. But in terms of the expulsions, we are closely monitoring the issue on both sides of the U.S. and Mexico border, she said.

The U.N. human rights office expresses dismay at what it calls disturbing images of the ways in which migrants and asylum seekers have been transported to the Haitian capital, Port-Au-Prince. These include images of U.S. border patrol agents on horseback using what appear to be whips against the migrants.

U.N. officials say no serious assessment of the migrants situation, their fears, and their protection needs have been made. And this, they say, is of great concern.
U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies are battling what they describe as a significant jump in threats from domestic terrorists, many of whom are acting on their own and motivated by racial animosity or anti-government ideology.

Officials, testifying before lawmakers Tuesday, echoed warnings from earlier this year that the most lethal threats to the United States are homegrown, with white supremacist ideology and personal grievances driving a growing number of so-called lone actors to action.

Certainly, the domestic terrorism caseload has exploded, Christopher Wray, director of the FBI told a Senate committee, calling the prevention of terrorist attacks the bureaus top priority now and for the foreseeable future.

We've more than doubled our domestic terrorism caseload, from about 1,000 to about 2,700 investigations, Wray said of the past 16 to 18 months. We've surged personnel to match more than doubling the number of people working that threat from a year before.

Part of that jump stems from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which resulted in the deaths of five people and has led to more than 600 arrests.

But in prepared testimony, Wray warned the siege of the Capitol demonstrates a willingness by some to use violence against the government in furtherance of their political and social goals.

He also said that many of the lone actors, whether motivated by domestic grievances or by foreign terrorist groups, are relying heavily on the internet, something he said makes them hard to trace.

"Because they act alone and move quickly from radicalization to action, often using easily obtainable weapons against soft targets, these attackers don't leave a lot of dots to connect," Wray told lawmakers.

He also warned that in just the past couple of years, the FBI has managed to thwart terror attacks on a number of major U.S. cities, including New York, Las Vegas and Miami.

Foreign terror threats

Despite the growing threat from domestic extremists, U.S. officials cautioned that the threat from foreign terror groups, like Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaida, has only somewhat diminished.

"Foreign terrorist groups continue to place a premium on attacks against the United States, Christine Abizaid, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center told lawmakers, describing the threat only as less acute" than it was 20 years ago, when al-Qaida terrorists carried out the 9/11 attacks on New Yorks World Trade Center and on the Pentagon.

While years of [counterterror] pressure has degraded the al-Qaida network, the group and its affiliates remain intent on using individuals with access to the United States to conduct attacks," she said.

Iran

In addition to groups like al-Qaida and IS, Abizaid warned that counterterrorism officials are concerned about efforts by Iran and by its proxy, Hezbollah, to lash out at the U.S.

Specifically, she warned that Iranian leaders remain "intent on retaliating in the United States for the January 2020 killing of former IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

Abizaid further warned in written testimony of Tehrans ongoing efforts to build operation capacity against U.S.-based organizations and people.

China

More than Iran, however, FBI Director Wray told lawmakers than no country poses quite as grave a threat to the U.S. as Beijing, which has forced the bureau to open up a new counterintelligence investigation, on average, every 12 hours.

I think there is no country that presents a greater threat to our innovation, our economic security and our democratic ideas than the People's Republic of China, which is why we have over 2,000 active investigations tied back to the PRC government across all 56 field offices, he said. It is an almost 1,300% increase in economic espionage investigations tied to China from about a decade ago.

U.S. officials also accused China of trying to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to profit from the production of fraudulent PPE [personal protective equipment] and medical supplies.

China continues to engage in intellectual property theft, the exploitation of vulnerable supply chains and use of economic coercion to threaten our economic security, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the lawmakers.

Ransomware

Both Wray and Mayorkas also listed ransomware attacks, many linked to Russia, as a persistent threat.

"Last year, victims paid an estimated $350 million in ransoms, a 311% increase over the prior year, with the average payment exceeding $300,000," Mayorkas said.

We're now investigating over 100 different types of ransomware, each with scores of victims," the FBIs Wray added.
Just days after the United States admitted killing civilians instead of terrorists in a drone strike in Afghanistan, the U.S. military launched a strike to kill a top terror official in Syria.

U.S. Central Command said Monday it carried out the airstrike near Idlib, targeting a leader with the al-Qaida terror group.

"Initial indications are that we struck the individual we were aiming for, Central Command spokeswoman Lieutenant Josie Lynne Lenny said in a statement.

There are no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike," she said.

Pentagon officials confirmed the strike but were unable to share additional details.

Jihadis posting on social media Monday said the strike killed two officials with the al-Qaida affiliate Hurras al-Din.

According to SITE Intelligence Group, the posts said the U.S. strike killed Abu Hamza al-Yemeni, a military commander, as well as a second official named Abu al-Bara al-Tunisi.

Analysts say the strike is the first confirmed U.S. strike against al-Qaida in Syria this year, but that U.S. pressure has been constant.

The U.S. has an impressive track record of precision strikes targeting al-Qaida operatives in northwestern Syria, particularly since mid-2019, when members of al-Qaida's global leadership have been taken out by U.S. drones, Charles Lister, with the Washington-based Middle East Institute, told VOA.

Lister said Hurras al-Din, already under assault by the rival Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which broke away from al-Qaida, has sent many of its leaders into hiding and is especially vulnerable.

Periodic American drone strikes are rubbing salt in an already gaping al-Qaida wound in Syria  the country that only a few years ago seemed to be al-Qaida's source of greatest promise, he said.

Mondays airstrike in Syria is also the first announced by U.S. Central Command since an August 29 drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed 10 civilians, including an aid worker and seven children.

Military officials have called that strike a tragic mistake, explaining they hit the wrong target after tracking threats that the Islamic State terror groups Afghan affiliate was planning to attack the international airport in Kabul using a vehicle matching the description of the one that was struck.

The Pentagon on Monday said that it was launching a review of the initial investigation into the Kabul drone strike.

Part of that review will be to examine the investigation itself, the thoroughness of the investigation, study the degree to which any policies, procedures or targeting mechanisms may need to be altered going forward, if any, and of course to then take a look at what levels of accountability might be appropriate, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters.

Despite describing the Kabul strike as a serious mistake and a tragedy, the White House on Monday defended the use of airstrikes for counterterrorism operations.

Over-the-horizon counterterrorism strikes can "absolutely" work, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, noting the strike carried out in Kabul was done in an effort to defend U.S. forces and citizens from an imminent threat.

With most counterterrorism strikes, "We typically expect to have more time to assess both the threat and the potential target," Psaki said.
Biden, taking his place for the first time as head of state before the U.N.s distinctive green marble rostrom, also used his half-hour speech to push for aggressive actions against COVID-19 and climate change.

This is a clear and urgent choice that we face here at the dawning of what must be a decisive decade for our world, a decade that will quite literally determine our futures, he said. As a global community, we're challenged by urgent and looming crises wherein lie enormous opportunities if -- if -- we can summon the will and resolve to seize these opportunities.

Without mentioning his nations greatest adversary -- China -- by name, Biden also vowed that he would not seek to escalate conflict. In an earlier speech before the General Assembly, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it would be impossible to address dramatic economic and development challenges while the worlds two largest economies are at odds with each other

We're not seeking -- Ill say it again -- we are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs, President Biden said. The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up to pursue a peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have intense disagreements in other areas, because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure if we do not come together to address the urgent threats like COVID-19, climate change or enduring threats like nuclear proliferation.

Weve turned the page

Biden also defended his controversial decision to withdraw forces from Afghanistan after 20 years of American involvement there. Those comments were noted by Afghanistans ambassador to the U.N., Ghulam Isaczai, who was appointed by the previous government, before the Taliban seized power last month. The White House has said that they are in no rush to recognize the Taliban as the official government.

I stand here today, for the first time in 20 years, with the United States not at war, Biden said. We've turned the page.

Bidens appearance on Tuesday was a direct rebuke to the aggressive America first doctrine of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

As we look ahead, we will lead, he said. We will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time from COVID to climate, peace and security, human dignity and human rights. But we will not go it alone. We will lead together with our allies and partners in cooperation with all those who believe as we do, that this is within our power to meet these challenges, to build a future, to miss all of our people and preserve this planet.

The annual assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York is arguably the biggest global stage for world leaders, with leaders using their time to expound on topics of global and regional interest before the 193-member assembly. This year, only about 100 heads of state announced they would attend in person: the leaders of China, Iran, Egypt and Somalia are among a handful of those delivering pre-recorded comments.

Ideals vs reality

But Bidens globalist, cooperative, optimistic vision clashes with awkward reality. On Friday, Americas oldest ally, France, recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia, expressing anger over the stab in the back delivered by those two nations when their nuclear submarine deal nullified a nearly $70 billion French-Australian deal for conventional submarines.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will soon hold a phone call with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, who is not planning to travel to New York. She declined to say whether the Biden administration would be making a compensatory gesture to France.

Biden will also meet Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. event with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Later Tuesday, he will meet in Washington with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Later in the week, separate from the UN meeting, Biden will host a summit on COVID-19, and will also meet with both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Those two are members of the so-called Quad, a strategic dialogue that also includes Australia, and is seen as a bulwark against growing Chinese influence.

U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed from New York.


Zimbabwes former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, suffered another legal blow on Tuesday after a magistrate in the countrys Mashonaland West province, threw out her application seeking to block the exhumation of her husbands remains from the family homestead as a per a village court ruling.

Mrs. Mugabe, whose husband the late former president Robert Mugabe died two years ago in Singapore, had granted her daughter, Bona Mugabe Chikore, permission to represent her in the matter since she was out of the country, seeking medical help for an undisclosed ailment.

Magistrate Ruth Moyo threw out the application saying Bona Mugabe Chikore has nothing to do with the case.

Moyo said she has no right to apply for a judicial review of the matter that was handed down by Chief Zvimba, born Stanely Wurayayi Mhondoro. The complainant in this case is Tinos Manongovere.

Chief Zvimba ordered Mrs. Mugabe to exhume the former presidents remains at their Kutama homestead and rebury them at the National Heroes Acre, where the government wanted to construct a mausoleum for the late Zimbabwean leader.

Moyo said, An application must be deposed of on the basis of the founding affidavit in the case, the court has a determination that when Bona filed the founding affidavit, she had no authority at law to do so. The special power of attorney was executed on 27 July, 20 days after the application was filed, has no retrospect effect.

In her written judgement, she said the court wont deal with all other points raised by the defendents.

Mrs. Mugabes lawyer, Fungai Chimwamurombe, expressed dismay over the judgement, saying they are going to file an appeal.

We are not happy with this judgement as it disregards the power of attorney given to Bona by her mother since she was out of the country, said Chimwamurombe.

Two weeks ago, Moyo tossed out a similar application made by Bona Mugabe Chikore and her siblings, Tinotenda Robert Junior and Bellaimine Chatunga Mugabe, saying they have nothing to do with the chiefs ruling as the person cited in the case is their mother.

Chinwamurombe said he would advise the family on the way forward with indications that the matter will eventually be taken to the High Court.

The Mugabes had asked Chinhoyi courts to make a judicial review of Chief Zvimbas ruling, compelling Mrs. Mugabe to exhume her husbands remains and rebury them at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

The basis of the appeal, as cited by Chimwamurombe, is that there was "absence of jurisdiction, impropriety of relief granted, irregular service of summons and the judgement was biased.

The Zimbabwean government wanted Mugabe to be laid to rest at a special mausoleum at the National Heroes Acre but his family refused, saying he wanted to be buried near the grave of his late mother, Bona.

The chief fined Mrs. Mugabe five cattle and two goats for burying the former president at his homestead instead of the family cemetery in Kutama village.

The late presidents nephew, Leo Mugabe, has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene in the matter, noting that they will fight the case to the bitter end.
Donkey owners in Kenya are demanding a permanent ban on the slaughter of the animals after a court lifted a temporary ban earlier this year. They say their donkeys are being stolen and killed to meet a demand for beauty products and so-called medicine in China. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi.
Go inside efforts to slow and maybe reverse the effects of climate change along the worlds shorelines. A NASA scientist explains the seismic impact of melting ice caps and see how concrete makers are trying to lighten its carbon load, on The Inside Story: Our Changing Climate.
A Zimbabwean, Varaidzo Musungo, has been handpicked by the National Convergence for Change (CCC) as the candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

In a letter said to have been submitted to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) written by a person identified as the CCC secretary general, Ms. Farai Zhou, the organization advised the electoral body to send all inquiries to attorneys at T. Hara and Partners in Zimbabwes second largest city, Bulawayo.

The letter reads in part, "We can confirm that our party's president and 2023 is Ms. Varaidzo Musungo."

There was no comment from T. Hare and Partners on the issue, which has set social media on fire.

No further details were given by Zhou about the CCC, which is currently being led by Nelson Chamisa, whose MDC Alliance was seized recently by Douglas Mwonzoras MDC formation.

Reacting to the letter, Chamisas spokesperson, Dr. Nkululeko Sibanda, said, We have been telling people that (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa wants to rule Zimbabwe forever and will continue to rig elections. He is scared of President Nelson Chamisa. He is trying by all means to block Nelson Chamisa from contesting any elections.

He knows that he will be defeated by Nelson Chamisa in any election. He can continue doing all this but this nation is in the hands of Zimbabweans. They are the owners of the country and not Zanu PF. People know that they want.

ZEC spokesperson, Utloile Silaigwana, was not available for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
The United States said Monday that starting in early November it will ease its coronavirus restrictions for foreign travelers arriving in the country.

Foreign travel to the U.S. had been largely curbed during the 18-month pandemic, even as European nations in recent months eased restrictions on American travelers ahead of the summertime vacation season.

Under the new U.S. policy, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said foreign travelers will again be allowed into the country if they can demonstrate proof of being fully vaccinated before they board a flight and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test administered within three days of their flight.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauded the U.S. action, saying foreign travelers will be able to get to the U.S. before its annual Thanksgiving holiday, celebrated this year on November 25.

That's a great thing, Johnson said. "I thank the president (Joe Biden) for progress we have been able to make.

The U.S. Travel Association trade group also welcomed the move, saying it will help revive the American economy.

"This is a major turning point in the management of the virus and will accelerate the recovery of the millions of travel-related jobs that have been lost due to international travel restrictions, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement Monday.

Fully vaccinated travelers to the U.S. will not be required to be quarantined, as has been the case in some foreign countries.

But Bidens administration, in its effort to push millions more Americans to get inoculated, said unvaccinated Americans returning from overseas will need to be tested within a day of their flight and again after they return home.

More than 181 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to government health officials, but it is estimated that 70 million people eligible for the vaccine have so far declined, for one reason or another, to get vaccinated.

The new policy replaces a patchwork of restrictions first instituted by former President Donald Trump last year and tightened by Biden earlier this year that restricted travel by foreigners who in the prior 14 days had been in Britain, the European Union, China, India, Iran, Brazil or South Africa.

Zients said the new policy is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so it's a stronger system."

He said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate contact tracing if there is a coronavirus outbreak related to foreigners arriving in the U.S.

It is uncertain under the new policy which vaccines would be acceptable to U.S. authorities, with Zients saying that would be left up to the CDC. Vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are used in the U.S.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information also came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM

News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.



Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.

Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria.

Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

Contribute:

Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.

Flag as inappropriate.

Mark as helpful or interesting.

Send your own user report!

Translate

Santa Rosa, Cavite, Calabarzon (135.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was laying down and then i felt the quake. | 6 users found this interesting.

Mandaluyong City, Eastern Manila District, National Capital Region (156 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : While lying down on bed | 4 users found this interesting.

Luksuhin, Cavite, Calabarzon (97.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Sudden rattle and then a few shake follows | 3 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Laspinas (140.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : It shook. Not too bad its fun | 3 users found this interesting.

Malvar, Batangas (105.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Lipa City (99.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : I was lying down and suddenly felt vibrations. My table also shook a little. | 2 users found this interesting.

San Pablo City (119.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : While sitting on a chair | 2 users found this interesting.

Imus, Cavite, Calabarzon (135.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s I was playing in my computer and i felt a shaking that lasted for 15 to 20 second and some aftershocka followed the shaking (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Puerto Galera (51.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : A sharp vertical jump then light shaking. A couple of light aftershocks soon after. Dogs barking for 20 minutes before and during aftershocks.

Pasig (162.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : We will at the 6th floor of a condo and we felt the sudden shaking of our area. My son who resides on the 7th floor felt a little dizzy. About intensity 4

Lipa (98 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Shake for 5 seconds whilw lying on bed. Door shaked hard that you could hear from the noise. About intensity 5.

Lipa City, Batangas, Calabarzon (98.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sitting in the sofa suddenly me and my cousin felt both of us moving and become dizzy we are on a different area of the house

Boac, Marinduque (136.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Dasmarinas City, Cavite / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : I was watching YouTube about 20 minutes ago when my chair moved upwards slightly, like a car going over a hump. And the chandelier swung a bit also.

Tagaytay / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Two shaking episodes with a brief pause in between. Second was slightly stronger and longer than the first. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

San Isidro, Batangas, Calabarzon (94.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Pansol, Province of Batangas, Calabarzon (99.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Bicutan paranaque (148 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Shaking ,its like in a boat with strong wave,thought i was dizzy while in bed

Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, Mimaropa (54.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Remarkable earthquake. I was in bed.

Santa Cruz, Batangas, Calabarzon (92.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : Light shaking, vertical

Lemery batangas philippines (80.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

General Trias, Cavite, Calabarzon (126.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Calapan City (64 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Weak at first then a sudden strong pull. Then weak shaking again afterwards

Amadeo (108.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Calapan City (59.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Quezon City (170.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : i felt it but it was very faint

San Pascual, Batangas (78.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Lipa City Philippines (101.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Siniloan laguna philippines (164.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Camilmil, Calapan City (64.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : I suddenly wake up from vibrating.

Batangas, Calabarzon (78.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Laying in bed and woken by light shaking. Windows rattled. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Pasig City, Metro Manila (157.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Trece Martires City (121.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : Shaking

Haligue, Province of Batangas, Calabarzon (78.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : im just browsing on tiktok and then i felt my bed was shaking

Paranaque (145.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : 3rd floor

Cabuyao, Laguna (128.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s it wake me up haha (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Pasay (152.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : during bedtime

Bignay Uno, Quezon, Calabarzon (119 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Malvar batangas (107.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Shaking of my bed

Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, Mimaropa (72.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Batangas City (77.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : mild strong short quake with short weak quake

Ibaan, Batangas, Calabarzon (82.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Sleeping

Mamatid, Laguna, Calabarzon (126.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Matagbak, Cavite, Calabarzon (100.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Malvar, Batangas (106.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : It just shaked really roughy and then after a few seconds shaked again but lightly

Lipa City, Batangas (98.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was in the bed

Rizal, Laguna, Calabarzon (129.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

General Trias (118.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Bed weakly moved sideways while I was lying down.

Tagaytay, Cavite, Calabarzon (102.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Sitting on bed

Manggahan, Province of Cavite, Calabarzon (123.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : Very weak

Bulakan (176.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : in bed 2nd floor

LIPA CITY (98.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Laying down

Indang, Cavite, Calabarzon (110.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Imus Cavite / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : A

Mariveles / not felt

Mandaluyong / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Lipa City / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Batangas City / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Nasugbu / not felt : I didnt feel anything

Silang / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Very weak shaking of the bed. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Quezon City / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

candelaria, quezon (115.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was talking to someone while laying down on my bed when I suddenly felt a shake and I saw my belts that are hanged moving

Rizal, laguna / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Dasmarinas Cavite / not felt

San Juan City Metro Manila / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

lipa city / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s : Felt the shaking when am on my bed

Santa Rosa / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

laguna (157.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : sitting in my office chair

MANILA CITY / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Very mild earthquake. Felt it on the 3rd floor of condo

batangas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Gral trias, cavite / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Imus cavite / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Lipa city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : People in the house were awaken while waiting for aftershocks. Intensity around 5.

Candelaria, quezon / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Little bit shaking

Puerto Galera / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Woke me up

Lipa, batangas / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Mabini Batangas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Light shaking. Horizontal swaying

Taguig / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Sto tomas batangas / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

San juan batangas / Weak shaking (MMI III)

San antonio, kalayaan, laguna / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Silang / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tondo manila / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short

Pasay City / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Lipa City, Batangas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Noticeably shaking of things.

Bataan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short

Pasay City / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt swinging, saw water in water bottle moving from side to side

Taguig City / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

TIAONG / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

BATANGAS CITY / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

microtel pasay / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

Ermita / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Lucban, Quezon Philippines / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light shaking, some of the objects shook as well

Naujan, Oriental Mindoro / Weak shaking (MMI III)
President Biden announced the birth of the AUKUS, a strategic-military partnership between the United States, Great Britain and Australia, with the imperative of ensuring long-term peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific", the region that in Washingtons geopolitics extends from the west coast of the United States to that of India. The purpose of this "strategic mission" is "to take on the threats of the 21st century just as we did in the 20th century: together ". Clear reference to China and Russia.

To "defend against rapidly evolving threats," the AUKUS launches a "key project": the United States and Britain will help Australia acquire "nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines."

The first reaction to the announcement of the AUKUS project was that of France: it thus loses a 90 billion dollar contract, stipulated with Australia, for the supply of 12 Barracuda attack submarines with conventional propulsion. Paris, accusing of being stabbed in the back, has withdrawn its ambassadors from the USA and Australia. On the dispute between Paris and Washington the political-media attention has been focused, leaving in shadow the implications of the AUKUS project.

First of all it is not credible that the United States and Great Britain provide Australia with the most advanced technologies to build at least 8 nuclear submarines of the latest generation, with a unit cost of about 10 billion dollars, to equip them only with conventional (non-nuclear) weapons. It is as if they were to provide Australia with aircraft carriers unable to carry aircraft. In reality the submarines will have launch tubes suitable for both non-nuclear and nuclear missiles. Prime Minister Morrison has already announced that Australia will rapidly acquire, through the U.S., "long-range strike capabilities" with Tomahawk and hypersonic missiles that can be armed with both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Certainly Australian submarines will also be able to launch US Trident D5 ballistic missiles, with which US and British submarines are armed. The Trident D5 has a range of 12,000 km and can carry up to 14 independent thermonuclear warheads: 100 kt W76 or 475 kt W88. The Columbia nuclear attack submarine, whose construction began in 2019, has 16 launch tubes for Trident D5s, so it has the capacity to launch over 200 nuclear warheads capable of destroying as many targets (bases, ports, cities and others).

Against this background, it is clear that Washington has cut off Paris from the supply of the submarines to Australia not simply for economic purposes (to favour its own war industries), but for strategic purposes: to move on to a new phase of military escalation against China and Russia in the Indo-Pacific, maintaining absolute command of the operation. Having cancelled the supply of French submarines with conventional propulsion, obsolete for this strategy, Washington has started what ICAN-Australia denounces as "the increased nuclearization of Australias military capability".

Once operational, the Australian nuclear submarines will actually be placed in the US chain of command, which will decide their employment. These submarines, of which no one will be able to control the real armament, approaching in depth and silently to the coasts of China, and also to those of Russia, could strike in a few minutes the main targets in these countries with a destructive capacity equal to more than 20 thousand Hiroshima bombs.

It is easily predictable what the first consequence will be. China, which according to Sipri possesses 350 nuclear warheads compared to the 5.550 of the USA, will accelerate the quantitative and qualitative development of its nuclear forces. The economic and technological potential that it possesses allows it to equip itself with nuclear forces comparable to those of the US and Russia. Merit of the sorcerers apprentice Biden who, while launching the "key project" of nuclear submarines to Australia, extols "the longstanding leadership of the United States in global non-proliferation".
The White House, which had secretly intervened with Finland to win the tender for its fighter jets, could step aside in Frances favor in compensation for the breach of its conventional submarines contract with Australia.

As reported by Politico, fifteen US parliamentarians, headed by Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Michael Turner (R-Ohio), had been given a push by the White House to secure the deal.

Five companies are in the race: Boeing (F / A-18EF Super Hornet), Lockheed Martin (F-35 Lightning II), Dassault (Rafale), Eurofighter (Typhoon), and Saab (Gripen E / F).

However, given the scandal triggered by the unilateral termination - brought on by the AUKUS pact - of the contract for the submarines purchased by Australia, compounded by the incident between France and Switzerland over the latters purchase of US F-35 aircraft instead of the French Rafale, the Biden administration is expected to let France win in Finland, as a consolation prize.

According to the SonntagsZeitung [1] and Le Matin Dimanche [2], President Emmanuel Macron is supposed to have canceled this week the summit meeting scheduled for November with Swiss Federal Council President Guy Parmelin. Meanwhile, the French Ambassador to Bern, Frederic Journes, has allegedly stated that no contacts at this level would take place during the first half of 2022, that is during the French presidency of the European Council. Unconvincingly, the Elysee rectified this information by alluding to a timing problem.
A treatment that is helping keep some COVID patients out of hospitals could soon be in short supply in Alabama.

"I did receive word from our hospital here, as well as you know, an urgent care clinic that is providing a good number of monoclonal antibody treatment throughout this area, and they are expecting to not have any more as of this upcoming Sunday. Which puts us in a bad predicament," said Dr. Aruna Arora, president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, said of monoclonal antibody treatment.

WAAY-31 talked to one woman who got the infusion treatment after getting the virus, and she says it's made an improvement in her health.

The woman told us it helped her get better faster and to stay out of the hospital.

"As sick as we were, I don't think we had the lung complications and the breathing complications we would have had if we would have not been vaccinated," said Kimberly Morton.

Last Tuesday, Morton got her infusion treatment after she and her husband tested positive for COVID-19.

Morton had to wait nearly 10 days to get the monoclonal antibody treatment.

Dr. Karen Landers, Madison County's Health Officer, she told us the 10-day window is to allow space and time for scheduling.

"But recognizing that some people may have symptoms for two or three days before they go and get tested and then, obviously, we have to have persons access the monoclonal center," said Dr. Landers.

Even though the treatment is proven to be effective against the virus, Dr. Landers is says you still need to be vaccinated and wear your mask.

"It'll be in your body for about 90 days and then they're going to go away, so we still need ongoing protection with the immune system," she said.

As health professionals continue to encourage people to get vaccinated, Morton, who is fully vaccinated, says take it from her and stay alive.

"After having close friends and relatives, that weren't vaccinated, that I watched die with COVID last year, we made a decision that we would go ahead get it," she said.

There's a very specific group of people who can get the monoclonal infusion and even though Alabama is distributing it now, you have to get a referral from your doctor.
Just how much more can teachers take?

According to Alabama Education Association, patience is wearing thin as educators face tough choices: Keep teaching inside classrooms and risk catching Covid-19 or leave the profession they love.

The blunt assessment coming Monday from a Madison County AEA official on how teachers are doing as they navigate a patchwork of mask rules, sick kids, and colleagues dying.

Everybodys getting tired and its kind of like now everybody wants everything to be back to normal, and you know I have had members reach out to me and say its like no ones taking this seriously anymore, Alabama Education Association Beverly Sims said Monday.

To-date 65 educators have died from Covid during this pandemic in Alabama.

One of those victims, a beloved teacher named Kattie Brocato. She taught 3rd grade at Lynn Fanning Elementary School in the Madison County School System.

Sims says teachers are not being protected from this virus in some schools, even though they are the ones inside these classrooms putting their own safety on the line.

Our education employees want to be considered on a decision as far as their health. We have got all these parents jumping up and down saying my mask my child without any consideration to the fact that our educators are being exposed, Sims said.

Its not clear how many of the teachers caught Covid while at work, but teachers are dying since theyve been forced back into classroom in schools where some are not forcing masking mandates, social distancing and not following extra cleaning recommendations from state health leaders, according to Sims.

I predict we are going to see you in a more of a mass exodus the end of this year than we did last year because I just see so many people leaving, were gonna be lucky to have enough employees to even have school in Madison City and in Madison County (school districts,) Sims added.

You are getting superintendents having a lot of pressure put on them by parents who are making this political, and because they are hostile about it they are speaking up and they are going to be the loudest voices, Sims says.

Ive had some people tell me they would like to go to the board meeting and speak in favor of masks, but they are afraid because some of these people are so hostile about kids wearing masks they are making threats.

Impacts on Kids

The teachers who have died from Covid-19 leave behind classrooms full of grief for their students to navigate.

On the front lines, mental health care professionals are responding to classrooms, helping kids talk through the extreme losses they are seeing.

Teachers are the people who have our kids more than anybody else most of the day, even more than we see our own kids so when anybody in their school setting is no longer there to them when someone dies they have lost a huge part of their support system, National Children's Advocacy Center Clinical Director Erica Hochberger told WAAY 31 Monday.

Hochberger says it is not just the amount of death and suffering children are burdened with right now, its not having an end in sight.

It is different from a tornado, for example, where it comes through and it wreaks havoc, all this destruction, and then its gone. And ongoing illness, the nature of the pandemic, means that nobody has been able to put that fear away.

Councilors working through this fear with kids everyday, with compassion and a reminder to adults to not overlook what young people are experiencing too.

We are telling these kids, the adults around you they might be really sad a lot of the time for a long time, and thats normal and thats how adults grieve and thats a little different than how kids grieve.
Police in Florida resumed their search this week for Brian Laundrie, the fiance of Gabby Petito, whose remains were found Sunday.

Investigators are searching for Laundrie on the Venice side of the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature reserve near the family's home in North Port.

About 75 personnel from 16 agencies were on the ground Thursday, said North Port police spokesman Josh Taylor. He said the FBI is leading the investigation and local police are "assisting our federal partner in any way we can to bring this investigation to a close."

An underwater dive team arrived at the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday. The team is from the Sarasota Sheriff's Office and is called the Sheriff's Underwater Recovery Force, a team of "highly trained underwater specialists," who are "called upon to search for evidence of crimes and victims of drowning, water accidents and foul play," the sheriff's office website says.

The ongoing search comes as investigators try to piece together what happened to Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, on their road trip through the West this summer. The couple had posted online regularly about their travels with the hashtag #VanLife, but those posts abruptly stopped in late August.

Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Florida without her on September 1, according to police. Petito was reported missing by her parents on September 11. A coroner confirmed Tuesday the remains found Sunday in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest are those of Petito.

Meanwhile, Laundrie's family told police on Friday night they had not seen him since September 14. His family told police he left home with his backpack and told them he was going to the nearby Carlton Reserve.

A source close to Laundrie's family told CNN's Chris Cuomo that Laundrie left their home without his cell phone and wallet.

Laundrie had refused to speak with police about Petito's whereabouts prior to going missing, authorities said.

The case has become an obsession for many, spurring digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail and try to solve the case. At the same time, that intense interest has highlighted how race and gender impact which of the nearly 90,000 unsolved missing persons cases get attention, and which ones don't.

CNN spoke with several experts in policing and search and rescue efforts to understand the challenges in attempting to locate Laundrie. Here's what they said.

Laundrie had a multiple-day head start

Police in North Port have focused the search on the wilderness of the Carlton Reserve, relying on drones for video and bloodhounds who used Laundrie's clothing to get his scent, Taylor said.

Police said Monday they shifted the focus of their search and are no longer looking for Laundrie in the nature reserve. "At this time, we currently believe we have exhausted all avenues in searching of the grounds there," Taylor said.

However, police said Tuesday morning they were again searching for him at the reserve. Authorities have been on site since 8 a.m. Tuesday, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

The search "has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on," police said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

"Please be aware, the Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times. It is currently (waist) deep in water in many areas," police said. "This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails."

Before he disappeared, Laundrie was home in North Port for about two weeks.

Cheryl Dorsey, a retired Los Angeles police sergeant, told CNN on Monday she was curious why Laundrie's parents did not alert authorities about his leaving.

"I get that he's a grown man," Dorsey said, adding that he's still just in his early 20s. "What influence, if any, do (his parents) have over him? He decides to go backpacking and they couldn't stop him?"

Wilderness searches are difficult

In a nature reserve, foliage and the lack of sunlight affects visibility, according to Chris Boyer, executive director of the nonprofit National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR). The night can also hamper efforts, especially if the person being sought has no source of light or fire.

But when it comes to people eluding authorities, the search becomes much more difficult. An evasive person is more than likely wearing clothing that helps them blend in with their surroundings, Boyer said. In order to avoid being seen by helicopters or drones, an individual may also crawl in creek beds and avoid leaving tracks -- such as footprints, trash or evidence of a fire.

Boyer said technology like night vision goggles, drones and thermal sensors could help in pinning down a person's location.

Boyer said trying to find a person in the wilderness can be very difficult.

"It's really hard to find people, even when they want to be found," he told CNN on Monday.

What makes finding Laundrie difficult, though, is the distance he could have already traveled before authorities started looking for him.

"The search area starts to grow every hour he could be in a car or be on foot," Boyer said. "It gets pretty daunting, to be honest."

Boyer told CNN on Thursday that conditions in Carlton Reserve are very fierce. About 75% of the reserve is covered in water that is not drinkable, and there are alligators, snakes and bugs. Laundrie also has to worry about heat, humidity and sun exposure, Boyer said.

"If he is there, he found a dry spot, and set up some sort of shelter," Boyer said via text message, adding that in order for Laundrie to stay hydrated he'd need a filter. "He could not carry enough water with him to last 7 days."

Federal arrest warrant issued for Laundrie

A US District of Wyoming grand jury indicted Laundrie on charges of using two financial accounts that did not belong to him between August 30 and September 1.

The indictment says he used these accounts to charge more than $1,000 of commerce following the death of Petito that affected interstate commerce. Laundrie did this "knowingly and with intent to defraud," according to the indictment released Thursday.

An attorney for Laundrie's family emphasized in a statement that an arrest warrant was not for Petito's death but related to activities that took place afterward.

The FBI executed a search warrant Monday on Laundrie's parents' home, where he lived with Petito.

The FBI removed Christopher and Roberta Laundrie from the home, executed the search warrant, and then brought them back inside for questioning, Taylor said.

Police visited the home last week but the family refused to talk and instead gave authorities their attorney's information, Taylor said.

"We think he is likely one of the last people to see Gabby Petito alive, and for that reason he's a very important witness," said Andrew McCabe, CNN senior law enforcement analyst and former deputy director of the FBI.

Before he vanished, Laundrie was silent about Petito's disappearance. North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison told CNN's Don Lemon last week that Laundrie had invoked his Fifth Amendment right, which generally means a person cannot be forced to make statements they feel might be negative or used against them.

Steve Moore, retired FBI supervisory special agent, told CNN that in order to obtain a search warrant, authorities would need to have probable cause there had been a crime and the person at the home was involved in the crime.

"What I believe people in law enforcement are doing right now are making sure they have all the t's crossed and i's dotted because I think they believe -- and I believe -- they know who did this and they want to make sure their case is perfect at this point," Moore said.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is defending herself after flouting the city's indoor mask mandate, criticizing "fun police" for raising questions about her recent appearance at a live concert where she was seen dancing and posing for photos without a mask on.

In video shared on social media, Breed, a Democrat, was seen last week dancing and singing along during a concert at San Francisco's Black Cat nightclub, where members of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone! were performing. In one video, a maskless Breed can be seen dancing for more than a minute without a drink or food in hand, and photos show her posing maskless with attendees and some of the artists.

"Don't feel as though you have to be micromanaged about mask wearing. Like, we don't need the fun police to come in and try and micromanage and tell us what we should or shouldn't be doing. We know what we need to do to protect ourselves," Breed told reporters on Friday when asked about the episode at a news conference.

"No one has been more conservative about protecting themselves than I have, not just because I want to set an example, but because I don't want to get Covid," she added.

Though the city implemented an indoor mask mandate last month for all residents -- regardless of vaccination status -- that says masks can be removed during some activities, including "while actively eating or drinking," the mayor appeared to clarify the rules during her defense last week.

"I was eating and I was drinking and I was sitting with my friends and everyone who came in there was vaccinated," she said. "No, I'm not going to sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, sip and put my mask on, eat and put my mask on," she told reporters. "While I'm eating and I'm drinking, I'm going to keep my mask off."

When San Francisco's health officers implemented the indoor mask mandate in early August, they did so in conjunction with the health officers from Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo and Sonoma counties and the city of Berkeley. At the time, the officials pointed to the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant, which was causing a spike in new Covid-19 cases in the region.

Breed is not the first California Democratic official to make headlines for violating their own Covid-19 guidance. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom attended an unmasked birthday dinner at the elite Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry while urging Californians to stay home and avoid gatherings outside their households to stop the spread of Covid. Newsom, who later apologized for attending the dinner, went on to survive a recall election last week that was instigated in part by the imbroglio.

Breed herself went to a party at the French Laundry the day after Newsom's, though she didn't violate the specific Covid protocols governing the area in which the restaurant is located.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
On Sunday, human remains consistent with the description of Gabby Petito, the 'van life' blogger who disappeared while on a cross-country van trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie and whose fate has stirred a growing digital frenzy, were found in Wyoming. On Tuesday, a tweet from the FBI Denver field office confirmed the remains found were those of Petito, who was reported missing on September 11, and said 'the initial determination for the manner of death is homicide.'

A police affidavit filed last week for a search warrant indicated that before she vanished Petito's conversations with her mother appeared to reveal 'more and more tension' between Petito and Laundrie. As of last weekend, roughly 50 law enforcement officers from five local agencies and the FBI were searching for Laundrie, who hasn't been named a suspect or charged, and hasn't been seen since September 14.

Every element of the disturbing circumstances surrounding Petito's disappearance and death has been dissected across the internet and discussed constantly in the news over the last few days. The couple's August 12 encounter with the police in Utah during which Petito described a fight between herself and Laundrie that morning. The TikTok-er who claimed that she and her boyfriend gave Laundrie a ride on August 29 in Wyoming. The odd text message from Petito's phone on August 30, which her family doubts was written by Gabby herself.

Everything has been combed over again and again, the public obsessing over theories, the media racing to deliver each new tidbit of information. It feels impossible that something horrific could have happened to a young woman whose life and relationship -- documented on her beautiful Instagram grid -- appeared to be perfect. The fact that it likely wasn't -- and that the stories of most women who go missing remain untold -- both speak to a darker truth about the dangers all women face every day.

A 2018 United Nations study on homicide found that of the 87,000 women intentionally killed worldwide in 2017, 58% were killed by intimate partners or family members. More than a third of the women were killed by their current or former intimate partner. According to UN Women, almost one in three women globally over the age of 15 have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life, mostly by current or former partners. Statistically, the most dangerous place for women is their own home.

Yet while all women face the threat of violence from men, the steps taken by the authorities meant to protect them differ radically, especially depending on their race. According to a January report by the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force, at least 710 Indigenous people, mostly girls, went missing in Wyoming -- where Petito reportedly disappeared -- from 2011 to 2020.

A 2020 report by the Sovereign Bodies Institute found that the vast majority of 2,306 cases of missing Native American women and girls in the US remain unsolved. Last year Tammy Carpenter, a Native American mother whose daughter Angela McConnell was found shot to death with her boyfriend in Northern California in 2018, told the press that she got angry when a member of law enforcement, who was not Native American, was insensitive when questioning her about her daughter, implying she came from a broken home where people were unemployed or involved with drugs. She told NBC News: 'With society today, people look and think: 'It's another dead Indian girl. Probably a drug addict. Homeless. Who cares?' That got me very upset.'

The bias the media shows in favor of covering the stories of White women who go missing is often referred to as 'missing White woman' syndrome. Factors like race seem to determine not only a victim's 'newsworthiness,' but how their disappearances are covered.

A recent report from the Violence Policy Center found that in 2018 Black women were murdered by men at a rate nearly three times higher than White women. And yet their deaths aren't reported in the press nearly as regularly.

When they are, research shows they're often portrayed negatively -- as aggressive, promiscuous, living off the state. Coverage of White victims is often far more sympathetic, but also extremely gendered. Those women tend to be painted as nurturing, gentle. They're described as good 'mothers' and 'daughters.'

Perhaps one of the most painful reasons stories about pretty young White women seem to capture the public imagination so completely is the subconscious prejudice that bad things aren't 'meant' to happen to privileged people. Safety is one of the aspirational perks of having an apparently perfect life. Well-off White people can generally assume that when they call the police, law enforcement will automatically be on their side and want to help them. But this level of support is far from a universal given, and far too often a function of racial privilege.

Part of the reason that women of color are so shamefully overlooked by both law enforcement and the media when they disappear is there's a degree to which their pain is priced into the human experience. Too many in society simply expect White women's lives to be easier, and because of institutional racism they are treated as more deserving by the systems that kick into action when they're endangered. When White women vanish, it's a more confrontational public reminder that no woman, whatever her background, can ever take her safety for granted.

Stories like Gabby Petito's capture all women's imaginations because they highlight the fact that women are at most risk from those they should be able to trust. We listen to true crime podcasts, pore over the timelines from news stories, look at the apparently happy, carefree photos of the victims, and wonder whether we'd be able to spot or intercept a threat close to ourselves, a friend, daughter, or sister.

Male violence is never a woman's responsibility, but when it is most likely to occur out of sight of anyone who could prevent it, women are burdened with the task of policing it themselves. For women whose safety is often taken even less seriously by some in law enforcement and considered less newsworthy by many in media, that burden is reinforced long after they are reported missing or found dead.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Coronavirus hospitalizations across Alabama are finally decreasing.

For the first time in more than a month, hospitalizations are below 2,000, but the Alabama Department of Public Health warns there's also been a high number of deaths.

Judy Smith, with the Alabama Department of Public Health, said around Sept. 1, there was a massive spike in hospitalizations, but since then, numbers have started to fall. The state has also seen a high number of deaths linked to the virus, in the weeks following the beginning of Sept.

More people in Morgan County need to get vaccinated to keep hospitalizations and deaths low.

"How many people do we let have a serious illness, have serious aftermath to those illnesses or even die, while we're getting to that point," said Smith. "The best option we have is the vaccination and will continue to make it available."

Only 44% of people living in Morgan County have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The holiday season, also right around the corner. Health leaders warn that any time there's a large gathering, there's the risk of a super spreader event.

"There's always that risk of danger that you're going to be with a group where at least 50% of the folks are not vaccinated and are not protected, so we just urge people to do what they need to do to protect themselves, to protect their families," said Smith.

While people continue to battle the virus, there's a potentially life-saving treatment out there.

Last week, the state announced a change in the monoclonal antibody treatments distribution. Many hospitals and clinics were concerned about their supply.

Smith said from her knowledge, every clinic or hospital needing the infusion treatment, has been able to get it.

Clinics and hospitals just have to record the amount of treatment used each week and then record how much supply they're needing.

"Based on allocation, given to the state health department, it's being allocated as rapidly as possible to those folks who say they need it and will use it," said Smith.

Dr. Harris said if there's an area considered as a hotspot for infection, they may need to allocate the treatment to areas needing it most.

The Federal Government decided to change the way the antibody treatment was distributed because 75% of the treatment was being used by states in the southeast.

It's important to get the monoclonal antibody treatment during the 10-day window of infection. You can find a location site to get the infusion, here.

Huntsville will have its COVID-19 briefing tomorrow at noon. You can watch it live on WAAY31 News
This content is expired!

Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again.
Pines in Rome are under attack from a sap-eating parasite.

Rome neighbourhood associations are recruiting ladybirds in a bid to save the city's umbrella pine trees from a deadly parasite called the pine tortoise scale.

Voluntary groups in Rome continue to raise funds to release thousands of ladybirds - or ladybugs - in various parks in the city's suburbs, reports newspaper La Repubblica.

The biological fight against the parasite, which arrived in Rome about three years ago, involves the volunteers working in collaboration with the city to release ladybirds and install little 'houses' for the insects, high up in the trees.

Ladybirds - coccinelle in Italian - are being released in several green areas including Villa Leopardi in the Nomentana area, and Parco Mario Riva in the Parioli district, as well as in Villa Chigi and Villa Pamphilj.

Environmentalists say the ladybirds are effective at wiping out the parasite infestations by feeding on the highly-invasive bugs and their eggs.

The pine tortoise scale is causing havoc on Rome's pines, weakening the tree by eating the sap and leading to extreme needle loss. If untreated, trees can die within two years.

The Roman associations involved in the biological fight against the parasite plan to release the next batch of ladybirds on 30 September - 'Coccinella Day' - with an online fundraiser to help purchase the colourful insects.

Currently there are numerous private and public operations underway, using both organic and chemical treatments against the parasite (toumeyella parvicornis), which arrived in Italy from North America in 2015.

The city administration has allocated 1.2 million in funds to tackle the parasite, on top of half a million euro pledged from the Lazio region, amid growing calls for widespread, urgent action before it is too late.

In the meantime, for details about the ladybird project and how to donate, see the 'Coccinella Libera Tutti' Facebook page.
Raoul Bova to take up the baton as Terence Hill leaves the stage.

Veteran Italian actor Terence Hill is standing down from the long-running television series Don Matteo, in which he has played the lead role for more than 20 years.

Hill first appeared on Italian television screens as Don Matteo Bondini - a priest in the town of Gubbio in the Umbrian province of Perugia - in January 2000.

The popular TV series went on to become one of the most successful and long-lived on Italian state broadcaster Rai1.

Don Matteo is a wise, helpful character who is skilled at investigating local crime stories, in collaboration with his Carabiniere friend, Antonio Cecchini, played by comedian Nino Frassica.

Don Matteo cast and production team say goodbye to Terence Hill.

But now - after 22 years, 13 seasons and 259 episodes - Terence Hill has said goodbye to the beret-wearing priest and his trusty bicycle.

The 82-year-old actor, who starred in spaghetti westerns alongside the late Bud Spencer, has filmed his last episode in Spoleto where he received a send-off from the cast and production team.

But how exactly will the priest-detective leave the stage? This has yet to be revealed.

However, according to La Stampa newspaper, the new lead character will be Don Massimo, played by 50-year-old Italian actor Raoul Bova who will reportedly swap the bicycle for a motorbike.

The ten episodes in the 13th season of Don Matteo will be broadcast on Rai1 in 2022, probably starting in January as in previous seasons.
Benvenuti in casa Esposito lampoons the Camorra.

Poking fun at the Camorra - the notorious mafia group based in the Campania region around Naples - is the subject of a new movie directed by Gianluca Ansanelli.

Benvenuti in casa Esposito, which debuts in Campania cinemas on 23 September, is a comedy whose aim is to ridicule the scourge of organised crime in Naples.

At the centre of the story is Tonino, played by Giovanni Esposito, who fails to be taken seriously either within the Camorra or by his family, no matter how hard he tries.

After the death of his father Gennaro - a senior Camorra figure - it is decided that Don Pietro De Luca (played by Francesco Di Leva) should take the old boss's place instead of the hapless Tonino who is sidelined.

Things take a further comic twist when the film's anti-hero Tonino learns that his daughter has fallen in love with the son of a judge who is investigating Don Pietro's illicit activities.

Tonino's family is divided by this love affair, between those who are against it and those who see it as an opportunity.

''The weapon of laughter is used to exorcise one of the most hateful evils of our time: the Camorra" - Ansanelli explained at the Naples preview of his film which he based on the book by Pino Imperatore.

"It's comedy and tragedy" - Ansanelli told news agency ANSA - "a risky combination that perhaps is the most faithful way to represent a complex city."

"Just like Tonino Esposito, in fact, Naples also has two faces: on the one hand there is its dark soul, made up of illegality, thuggery, ignorance, and on the other its beautiful side is made up of humanity, warmth, intelligence, generosity, happiness.''

Francesco Di Leva told ANSA: ''As Neapolitans we know these dramas well, there are also children in real life who reject criminal fathers. As an actor I enjoy ridiculing these characters.''

The film is also full of the colours, music and atmosphere of Naples, described as a "comic and tragic" city by actor and cast member Peppe Lanzetta.

Who are the Camorra?

The Camorra is the regional Campania mafia group, the oldest of its kind in Italy, concentrated in and around Napoli.

The group is involved in the production of counterfeit money, money laundering, drug trafficking, racketeering, illegal waste disposal and political corruption.
Vatican to require vaccine passport or negative covid test.

From 1 October people who enter the Vatican will be required to have the covid Green Pass, the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State announced on Monday.

Entry into Vatican territory will only be permitted to people with "a Vatican Green Pass, a European Green Pass, or a foreign covid-19 green pass attesting to vaccination or recovery" from covid.

Access will also be granted to those who have a negative molecular or antigenic covid test, reports Vatican News.

The measures, part of the Vatican's efforts to curb the spread of covid-19, were issued in response to a request from Pope Francis.

The Green Pass - which shows that people have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19 - is already mandatory to visit the Vatican Museums and the Scavi since 1 August.

Vatican News reports that the new measures apply to citizens, residents of the State, personnel serving in any capacity in the Governorate of Vatican City State, in the various bodies of the Roman Curia and related institutions, and to all visitors and users of services.

An exception will be granted for those participating in liturgical celebrations, but only for the time strictly necessary for the celebration, during which covid health regulations must be respected.

Photo credit: travelview / Shutterstock.com.
A Navy sailor who lost his life during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor will be laid to rest in his hometown this weekend. Fireman 1st Class Kenneth E. Doernenburg was accounted for on March 25, 2021, thanks to work by the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, also known as the DPAA.

Doernenburg was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. He was aboard the ship when the Japanese attacked the harbor on December 7, 1941. It quickly capsized after sustaining multiple torpedo hits, resulting in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Doernenburg.

From December 1941 until June 1944, the Navy recovered the remains of the deceased crew of the USS Oklahoma and interred them at the Halawa and Nuuanu Cemeteries in Hawaii.

In September 1947, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) were tasked with recovering and identifying fallen US military members in the Pacific Theater. They disinterred the remains of US casualties from both cemeteries and brought them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks.

The staff was only able to identify 35 men from the USS Oklahoma. The remains of those who could not be identified were buried by the AGRS at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable.

The DPAA conducted its own identification efforts between June and November 2015. It exhumed the remains of the USS Oklahoma Unknowns for analysis and was able to identify Doernenburg through the use of dental and anthropological analysis. Scientists with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System also used Y-chromosome DNA (Y-STR) analysis to confirm the identification.

Kenneth E. Doernenburg was officially accounted for on March 25, 2021. His name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with others who went missing during World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has since been accounted for.

As of September 17, 2021, the Department of Defense has identified the majority of remains from the USS Oklahoma.

Doernenburg was awarded a Purple Heart for his efforts during the war. He is scheduled to be buried in his hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin on September 25, 2021.
Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
Gas pipeline giant APA Group has failed to force its way into takeover talks with AusNet Services despite lobbing a $9.96 billion bid for the group with a promise of preventing Victorias power grid becoming fully foreign owned.

The ASX-listed AusNet said APA would have to wait at least eight weeks to look at its books while rival bidder Brookfield completes a period of exclusive due diligence granted on Monday, to flesh out its $2.50 cash per share ($9.6 billion) offer.

APA Group has made a $10 billion bid for AusNet. Credit:Paul Rovere

APA said on Tuesday it was disappointed AusNet gave the Canadian infrastructure giant exclusive due diligence given the pair had been discussing a potentially better deal. APA revealed a cash-and-scrip offer worth $2.60 per share but said it would walk away unless it was let inside AusNets data room by next Tuesday.

AusNet  which owns and operates Victorias electricity network  did not budge and defended granting Brookfield exclusivity, saying it was a key condition of the suitor increasing its offer from $2.35 in August to $2.45 and then $2.50.
Mr Andrews said there was no excuse for the terrible behaviour we have seen in our city over the last two days. Acts of violence and disruption wont result in one less case of [COVID-19] - in fact it only helps the virus to spread. More than 1000 protesters gather on West Gate Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Jason South The nurses union also slammed the anti-vaccination protesters, calling on them to stop fighting for the right to overwhelm our health system. The protesters, marching against mandatory vaccinations and other restrictions in the construction sector, took to the streets for a second day in a row on Tuesday. The action followed a decision to temporarily shut down the industry after a violent protest on Monday.

Loading The group, which police later estimated at between 1000 and 2000, clashed with police near the CFMEU offices in the CBD after snaking through the city and making its way back to its starting point at the top of Elizabeth Street. Flares were lit and glass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at police. The crowds met mounted and riot police on the steps of Parliament House as they yelled chants deriding vaccine mandates and the Premier. Health Minister Martin Foley labelled Mondays protests  during which windows were smashed, projectiles thrown and rubber bullets fired by police to disperse the crowd  as deplorable. He said significant spread of COVID-19 had been linked to the construction sector, defending the choice to close the sector down. A week of COVID-safety compliance checks had found half the construction sites checked were in breach of public health orders. More than 400 cases of COVID-19 had also been linked to construction workers.

[By the government public health teams] account, currently 403 direct cases linked to construction, which in turn is linked to 186 construction sites. Of these 186 construction sites, 151 are in metropolitan Melbourne, of these 151 Melbourne construction sites, there are 362 cases directly linked, and of those, 49 of them live in regional Victoria, Mr Foley said. The Health Department later revised this figure down, saying 337 cases were linked to the construction industry. CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka labelled Mondays demonstration, with a mix of construction union members and far-right activists who were also involved in Saturdays anti-lockdown freedom rally, absolutely outrageous, while former federal opposition leader Bill Shorten went further, dismissing agitators as hard-right man-baby Nazis. Treasurer Tim Pallas said the decision to close down construction was not an easy one.

Loading It is a sad day, I think, in many ways, for a lot of the construction industry workers, a lot of people whove been doing the right thing, that unfortunately aberrant behaviour among the minority has led to a very substantial public health risk, he said, prompting the need to take strong action, consistent with the Chief Health Officers orders, in order to protect the community, but also to protect those workers, their workmates, their families. Mr Pallas said that during inspections in the past few weeks by authorised officers, 50 per cent of construction sites had failed to meet safety requirements. There have been very high non-compliance rates identified. Weve also seen some appalling behaviour on our streets which in itself is a public health risk, he said. He said a permitted-worker permit did not carry an entitlement to put the rest of the community at risk.

Speaking on Radio National, Mr Setka said Mondays protests were hijacked by professional protesters and that union members were only a small minority of those involved. They werent the majority there, there was a small minority of construction workers there. Some of them when it all got violent they just walked away from it. It was hijacked by the professional protesters. Wherever they go, they just want to pick a fight. Protesters in Melbourne on Tuesday. Credit:Chris Hopkins Theyre not even union members; theyre not members of our union. And thats a disappointing thing and to see these people hurl projectiles and other people smashing in property its just absolutely disgusting. Mr Shorten said he believed protesters deserved to face the full force of the law.

Loading There is a network of hard-right man-baby Nazis, just people who just want to cause trouble. These man-babies, they want to complain about the vaccination, and its just ... they deserve to get the full force of everything thats coming their way, Mr Shorten said on Nines Today program. The Andrews government formally announced the two-week shutdown of the construction industry late on Monday night, less than three hours before the closure was to begin at 11.59pm. Construction workers have been protesting against vaccine mandates in the industry and a ban on tea rooms, prompted by a number of COVID-19 cases being linked to construction sites. Mr Setka said the union wanted the workforce vaccinated, but stopped short of supporting the governments mandatory vaccination edict.

Were pro-vaccine. Weve run radio ads encouraging our members to get vaccinated because as far as were concerned, we think thats the road map out of this lockdown because we cant stay in lockdown for forever and a day, Mr Setka said. Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said on Channel Sevens Sunrise program that encouraging people towards vaccination would work better than mandating shots. The anti-mandatory-vaccine protest has been condemned by the nursing union. Credit:Eddie Jim In areas that you have to bring in mandatory vaccinations, and it is [done] so quickly without giving people a chance to get to where we have in parts of the country  over 80 per cent [first dose]  you create a space for people to stir things up, to divide people, Ms McManus said. Lisa Fitzpatrick, the Victorian secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said nurses, midwives and carers were exhausted as they watch protesters fight for their right to overwhelm our health system.

Aged care nurses and carers have seen hundreds of their residents contract COVID-19 and die without loved ones with them, Ms Fitzpatrick said. Through it all they wear hot, bruising and uncomfortable PPE, have their breaks in an outdoor tent or the carpark and are getting vaccinated  to protect themselves, their patients, their colleagues, loved ones and the community. Police officers file past Flinders Street Station on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Jason South All construction projects in metropolitan Melbourne, the City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire will stay shuttered, with limited exemptions for workers to attend closed sites to respond to emergencies or perform urgent and essential work to protect health and safety. Some critical infrastructure works, such as hospitals and some ongoing level-crossing removal projects, will continue during the shutdown.
London: A frustrated Boris Johnson has chastised fellow world leaders for shirking a key pledge to tackle climate change, warning history will judge them if they fail to step up.

The British Prime Minister, who hopes to make a breakthrough at Novembers Glasgow climate summit a landmark achievement of his prime ministership, used a United Nations address to blast rich countries for not giving developing nations $US100 billion ($137 billion) a year to combat global warming.

Johnson said he was angry at the failure to meet the Paris Agreement promise because it was central to limiting the damaging impacts of climate change.

Over the past year weve come together many times to discuss climate change, he said. So you know by now how this conversation goes.
Having been deemed to have been adequately served with the legal papers relating to Giuffres claim by Judge Lewis Kaplan, presiding over the case in New York, Andrew will have 21 days to file a response or risk a judgment by default. A saga that has dragged on for a decade since Giuffre first made her claims public in 2011 now faces a three-week deadline. With the dukes own legal tactics having been called into question  amid criticism his ducking and diving has given the impression he has something to hide  could this long-running legal battle finally be about to be turned on its head? Reports of Andrew sacking his UK law firm Blackfords, led by criminal defence solicitor Gary Bloxsome, appear wide of the mark  but there is no doubt that a different approach is in the offing. Bloxsomes decision to bring in high-profile Hollywood lawyer, Andrew Brettler to fight the civil case marks a significant turning point.

Andrews London lawyers had planned to rebuff the initial proceedings in the case and had no intention of taking part in the pre-trial hearing. However, when hired as lead counsel, Brettler warned it would do them no favours to ignore the judges order, forcing a change of tack. Seemingly intent on turning a crisis into an opportunity, Brettler appears to have persuaded the duke that, rather than being a negative development, the civil case could prove to be the catalyst that clears his name. Loading As one well-placed source who was not free to discuss the case on the record explained: The challenge is, hes caught between a rock and several hard places. The consistent advice hes received from his London lawyers is they shouldnt cooperate with the US Department of Justice [DOJ] because they cannot be trusted. They were going to cooperate  and have emails to prove it  until Geoffrey Berman [US Attorney for the Southern District of New York] took to the steps of Epsteins Manhattan mansion and claimed there had been zero cooperation from the duke, which simply wasnt true. The DOJ, seemingly trying to make up for the deplorable plea deal they signed with Epstein in the first place, are basically saying You cooperate on our terms and our terms alone, which no lawyer would agree to.

So what weve had is this sort of Mexican stand-off for the past 18 months. But what the US lawyers are now saying is that, contrary to wider perception, the civil case that has been brought by Mrs Giuffre provides an opportunity, rather than being a threat, because it enables the duke finally to properly scrutinise inconsistencies in her narrative  not just in the court of public opinion, but in a court of law. They argue thats the way they are going to find a resolution to the whole thing  including the DOJ investigation. The PR strategy is a simple one. Following the catastrophic fallout from the Newsnight interview, which left viewers with more questions than it answered, Andrew has been advised that he must find a legal resolution before even beginning to try to explain his behaviour  let alone consider a return to public life. Until now, the Palace and his inner circle of advisers have been keen to resist any mudslinging at Giuffre, for fear of being criticised for victim-blaming in the post #MeToo era. Yet, as one friend pointed out: This is Mrs Giuffres case. She has brought it, therefore she has actively invited legal scrutiny of her own version of events. Citing inconsistencies in her story  including claiming the teetotal duke drank a cocktail, and alleging there were four encounters, when her writ only details three  they added: The modus operandi of the US lawyers will be to robustly engage and challenge. For Giuffre, it could prove to be a case of be careful what you wish for.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is said to be in favour of fighting the case in court. Credit:Getty For those closest to Andrew, including Sarah Ferguson, who still lives with him at Royal Lodge, Windsor, despite their 1996 divorce, this is the moment they have been waiting for. The friend added: Sarahs view is very much that the mans done nothing wrong, so lets just have it out. Although much has been made of Giuffres case against Alan Dershowitz being dropped on the basis of a financial settlement she reached with Epstein in 2009, apparently promising not to sue any of his friends or associates, it seems Brettler and his team are intent on winning on more than just a legal technicality. As one insider put it: The US legal team thinks the best thing is to get into the ins and outs of what shes actually accused him of  and pick the claims apart one by one. Virginia Giuffre in 2019. Credit:AP Whether this would require the dukes physical presence in court in New York remains to be seen  and theres no doubt calling Giuffres bluff is a far riskier strategy than seeking to get the case dropped  or even settling out of court. Bloxsome had been confident that Giuffre would drop her claim before it got to court, allowing Andrew to return to public life this summer. Instead, she and her legal team have dug in their heels even further.
Harry Gottlieb of Jackbox Games and Unify America Visits WSU

September 17, 2021

OGDEN, Utah - The community is invited to join a lively, interactive conversation with Weber State University President Brad Mortensen and Harry Nathan Gottlieb, founder of Unify America and CEO of Jackbox Games and Jellyvision, on Sept. 27 at 12:30 p.m. The event titled How Does a Game Designer Help Unify America? is hosted by the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service.

The discussion will cover multiple topics, including Gottliebs move from Jackbox Games to Unify America; healing the countrys divisions; toxic polarization; bridge building; and how the Weber State community can bust bubbles and take the Unify Challenge during Octobers College Bowl.

Learning to engage and communicate with those who dont think the same as you is a critical skill that is becoming more and more essential, said Devin Wiser, Walker Institute executive director. That is why Im thrilled to host Harry Gottlieb, who has been working on this important issue for many years.

Those who participate in the Unify Challenge will be paired with an individual who holds a different viewpoint and they will be asked to engage in productive discussion. This challenge will include several schools throughout the country on Oct. 6, 7, 12, 19 and 25.

Everyone is invited to the conversation, but the event includes a free lunch for those who register on this page.

For more information, contact the Walker Institute at walkerinstitute@weber.edu.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

About Unify America

Unify America was founded by Harry Nathan Gottlieb, CEO of Jackbox Games. In the summer of 2019, in a deeply polarized country, Gottlieb interviewed scores of Americans from all walks of life and discovered that Americans are far more united than one might think. Energized by knowing that we share many of the same goals, Unify America was launched in January of 2020 to reduce contempt, teach Americans to work together and build a diverse community to find ambitious solutions and solve our biggest problems.
WSU on Honor Roll for Great Colleges to Work For

September 20, 2021

OGDEN, Utah  According to a survey commissioned by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Weber State University is one of 42 institutions nationwide that made the 2021 Great Colleges to Work For Honor Roll.

The results, released this week in The Chronicles 14th annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on an employee survey conducted in March at 196 colleges and universities nationwide.

In all, only 70 of the 196 institutions achieved Great Colleges to Work For recognition for specific best practices and policies. The 42 universities of any size, including Weber State, that received the additional Honor Roll distinction had high employee marks in multiple categories.

This is Weber States fourth time participating and second time making the Honor Roll. Based on responses from faculty and staff, the university was recognized in all 10 categories  the first time WSU has achieved this distinction. Only 14 of the 196 institutions surveyed received high marks in all 10 categories.

Results are reported for small, medium and large institutions with Weber State included among large universities of 10,000 or more students. Survey results are divided into 10 categories: Job Satisfaction & Support, Compensation & Benefits, Professional Development, Mission & Pride, Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness, Confidence in Senior Leadership, Faculty & Staff Well-being, Shared Governance, Faculty Experience and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.

With a new vision and enhanced mission, Weber State rolled out its new strategic plan Amplified  this fall, highlighting our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, collective excellence and much more, such as the trademark personal connections formed between students, faculty, and staff that enrich the entire learning experience, said WSU President Brad Mortensen. The designation as a Great College to Work For affirms our commitment and reinvigorates our efforts to be the university of choice for all current and future employees.

To administer the survey and analyze the results, The Chronicle used ModernThink LLC, a strategic human capital consulting firm that has conducted numerous Best Places to Work programs, surveying hundreds of thousands of employees nationwide. The Great Colleges survey included a two-part assessment process: a survey administered to a random sample of faculty, administrators and salaried staff (the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey) and an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies and practices. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received a Great College to Work For recognition was the employee feedback.

We like to participate because its a good way to keep a pulse on how we are doing from the perspective of those who work at Weber State, said Jessica Oyler, WSU Human Resources assistant vice president. It shows us areas of improvement, and is a nice kudo when we do well. I hope it allows our campus community an opportunity to pat themselves on the back for all the work they do to make Weber State great.

To view the full list of colleges recognized, visit greatcollegesprogram.com/list.

For photos, visit this link.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
FILE - In this March 26, 2021, file photo a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia.
A new prime minister will soon lead the Bahamas as the archipelago struggles with a spike in COVID-19 cases, a crumbling economy and the devastation of Hurricane Dorian
NOTE: Facebook is currently experiencing technical issues which are preventing us from displaying comments at this time
Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler (left) speaks during a news conference Nov. 10, 2020, at the Statehouse in Harrisburg as House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (right) looks on.
Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, (left) and then Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, talk May 25, 2020, during the first remote voting session in the chambers history.
Danny Robins' hit podcast The Battersea Poltergeist' will be presented live on tour this autumn and today the line-up of experts has been revealed!

Led by the BBC podcast's creator, writer and journalist, the show will discuss what has been classed as "Britain's strangest ever haunting". The evening will also see the production share exclusive footage from the case, as well as providing new evidence not mentioned in the original podcast.

Joining Robins will be Scottish writer and psychologist Evelyn Hollow and Ciaran O'Keeffe (Most Haunted)  who were part of the podcast's initial team.

Audiences will be able to discuss the supernatural event in a live Q&A with both Robins and his team of experts.

The show will be visiting Clapham Grand on Halloween  the very location where Shirley Hitchings (the subject of the podcast) used to frequent in the 1950s and mere minutes from the Hitchings home, where the Battersea poltergeist lurked.

Watch a freshly launched trailer for the show here:

The tour will open on 25 October in Salford, before visiting Guildford, Basingstoke, London, Ipswich, York, Poole, Cheltenham and Brighton.
BERLIN (AP)  Senior officials in Germany expressed shock Tuesday over the killing of a young gas station clerk who was shot dead at the weekend by a man opposed to the country's pandemic restrictions.

Police officers secure a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 19. Police in Germany say a 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing of the gas station worker who was shot dead Saturday at the station, following a dispute over face masks. (Christian Schulz/Foto Hosser/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  Senior officials in Germany expressed shock Tuesday over the killing of a young gas station clerk who was shot dead at the weekend by a man opposed to the country's pandemic restrictions.

A 49-year-old German was arrested in the fatal shooting of the clerk Saturday in the western town of Idar-Oberstein. The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder.

Authorities said the man told officers he acted "out of anger" after being refused service by the clerk for not wearing a mask while trying to buy beer at the gas station.

"He further stated during interrogation that he rejected the measures against the coronavirus," the Trier police department said in a statement.

A requirement to wear masks in stores is among the measures in place in Germany to stop the spread of the virus.

"I'm deeply shocked," said Malu Dreyer, the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state. "My thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim."

Media and a police car stand in front of a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Police in Germany say a 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing of the gas station worker who was shot dead Saturday at the station, following a dispute over face masks. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Dreyer called for the killing to be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrator punished.

According to police, the suspect left the gas station after the dispute but then returned a half-hour later wearing a mask and fatally shot the 20-year-old clerk in the head.

The suspect, a German citizen named in local media as Mario N., initially fled the scene. After a large-scale manhunt was called he turned himself in to police on Sunday morning.

The three candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next Sunday's German election also voiced dismay at the killing.

"Im shaken by this terrible murder of a young man who merely asked that existing rules be followed," Annalena Baerbock of the center-left Green party said in a tweet.

She warned of the growing radicalization of Germanys Querdenken movement, which includes people who oppose masks and vaccines, conspiracy theorists and some far-right extremists.

Authorities didn't immediately say whether the suspect was associated with that movement, which has come under increasing scrutiny from Germany's security services following a series of large antigovernment protests, some of which turned violent.

But a Twitter account linked to the suspect followed several prominent German far-right politicians and publicists, including senior members of the Alternative for Germany party.

Posts from the account, which was last used in October 2019, reflect a dislike for immigrants, climate activists and the government

Prosecutors told Germany's dpa news agency that the suspect wasn't previously known to police and that he wasn't legally entitled to possess the firearm found at his house.

Paul Ziemiak, the general secretary of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, called the clerk's slaying "incomprehensible."

Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"A young man was virtually executed because he pointed out the mask requirement," Ziemiak said on Twitter. "An inconceivable level of radicalization!"

The Christian Democrats have come under criticism for a campaign video showing their candidate, Armin Laschet, giving a Querdenken activist the microphone during a campaign event.

The head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, told Germany's RND media group that the killing was "no surprise to me in view of the steady escalation in recent weeks."

Kramer said his office had warned of the growing potential for violence from extremists.

"It's regrettable that someone always has to die before the risk is taken seriously," he was quoted as saying.

Facebook last week removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to the Querdenken movement under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but which didn't fit into the platforms existing categories of bad actors.
Pfizer Canada says it plans to provide Health Canada with data showing its COVID-19 vaccine works for children in a bid to seek authorization "as early as possible."

Pfizer Canada says it plans to provide Health Canada with data showing its COVID-19 vaccine works for children, a bid to seek authorization "as early as possible." A health-care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a UHN COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Toronto on Thursday, January 7, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Pfizer Canada says it plans to provide Health Canada with data showing its COVID-19 vaccine works for children in a bid to seek authorization "as early as possible."

Pfizer said Monday its research shows its product works for children aged five to 11 and that it will also seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon  a key step toward protecting schoolchildren from the novel coronavirus.

Christina Antoniou, the companys director of corporate affairs in Canada, says they "share the urgency" to provide data that could lead to a shot for young kids.

She could not say when that information would be submitted, but notes Pfizer has been sending new vaccine data to Health Canada as it becomes available.

Pfizer's latest findings have not been peer-reviewed, nor published.

Health Canada says several studies on children are underway by various COVID-19 vaccine makers, and that it "anticipates vaccine manufacturers to provide data in children in the coming months."

Health Canada adds that no submission has been received yet for the approval of any COVID-19 vaccine in children younger than 12 years old.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is already available for anyone aged 12 and older.

Pfizer studied a lower dose of its two-dose vaccine in more than 2,200 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids, mostly in the United States and Europe. It says the kids developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as those detected in teenagers and young adults.

Moderna is also testing its shots in elementary school-aged children, and both Pfizer and Moderna are studying COVID-19 vaccines for those as young as six months old. Results are expected later in the year.

Medical officials called the results of Pfizer's trial with kids "encouraging" but cautioned against anticipating too much too soon.

The medical lead with Manitoba's COVID-19 vaccine implementation team said it was too early to know what the findings could mean for kids under the age of 12 in the province.

"At this time, we don't even know the extent of how well it protects, what number of side effects they saw. We're very early in the planning," said Dr. Joss Reimer.

However, Reimer said the team has started planning in the event Health Canada approves the Pfizer vaccine for children.

She said this may include providing doses in schools or having alternative clinics in place for youth.

Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

A spokeswoman for Ontario's health ministry said the province is "monitoring the evidence."

"Working with our public health and health system partners we will be ready to administer doses to children aged five to 11 as soon as they are approved by Health Canada," said Alexandra Hilkene.

Alberta also said it would await Health Canada approval before vaccinating children.

"Until vaccines are approved for this age group, younger children rely on older Albertans who are immunized to strengthen our defences to protect everyone in our province," said provincial government spokeswoman Lisa Glover.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.

 With files from Laura Osman in Ottawa, Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg, John Chidley-Hill in Toronto, Bob Weber in Edmonton and the Associated Press
WASHINGTON - With the federal election in the books and the United States clearly in no hurry to reopen the Canada-U.S. border, experts say the federal Liberal government should think about rebooting the way it deals with the country's largest and most important trading partner.

Trucks cross the Bluewater Bridge between Sarnia, Ont., and Port Huron, Mich., on August 15, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins

WASHINGTON - With the federal election in the books and the United States clearly in no hurry to reopen the Canada-U.S. border, experts say the federal Liberal government should think about rebooting the way it deals with the country's largest and most important trading partner.

President Joe Biden's administration struck a dramatic contrast Monday when it unveiled a significant retool of the rules governing international travel and COVID-19, while in the same breath punting a decision on its northern border for another 30 days.

There's more going on there than the usual glacial pace of the world's largest bureaucracy, said Edward Alden, a journalist, author and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Biden's approach is very much, 'Sure, we need to care about what happens in the rest of the world, but we need to look after Americans first,'" Alden said in an interview.

The evidence is everywhere: prioritizing Americans during the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, a sharper edge to protectionist Buy American policies, explicitly borrowing Donald Trump's vision for withdrawing from Afghanistan and the absence of any global trade ambitions.

"And I think you see it on the border stuff," Alden said  particularly in how the U.S. is confronting the burgeoning immigration crisis outside the Texas town of Del Rio, where thousands of Haitian migrants have been massing under a bridge that spans the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Biden wants to send the message that, No, I may be progressive, but I'm tougher on borders  and if I need to, I'll stick people in planes and fly them back to Haiti."

The Canada-U.S. border earned nary a mention Tuesday during national security hearings on Capitol Hill, where Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department is overseeing travel restrictions at the land borders, was one of the marquee witnesses.

Instead, Mayorkas was strafed with questions about mass deportations from Texas and the badly botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan  two issues where Biden and his staff are keenly aware of the political dangers, which were on clear display Tuesday.

"Here's the problem: every time you come before this committee, you always say it's going to get better," Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican and Trump loyalist, told Mayorkas of the migrant surge in Del Rio.

"And then, every time you leave, it gets worse and worse."

Biden, bruised by an Afghanistan withdrawal that went horribly wrong, took the lectern Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly to deliver a sales pitch for what he described as "a new era of relentless diplomacy" around the world.

The speech touched on many of the themes Biden would punch in the days immediately after he took office, promising to restore America's lustre on the world stage after four years of isolationism, instability and international contempt.

"Simply put, we stand in my view at an inflection point in history," Biden told the assembled leaders. "Instead of continuing to fight the wars of the past, we are fixing our eyes on devoting our resources to the challenges that hold the keys to our collective future."

In a congratulatory phone call Tuesday with Trudeau, he hit all the usual diplomatic notes  "strong and deep friendship," "shared commitment," "deepening collaboration"  that typically punctuate White House readouts of discussions between the two leaders.

"The president expressed to Prime Minister Trudeau his desire to continue working closely and deepening collaboration with Canada  one of our nation's top partners," the readout said.

Alden said the election provides an opportunity for the federal government to name a new face to cabinet whose main job would be to burnish Canada-U.S. ties.

"It's a chance to say, 'Yeah, finding a new path forward with the United States is a top priority for this new government, and we're going to name a real star," he said. "In that sense, there may be a reset opportunity here."

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Whether the federal Liberals want to spend some bilateral capital on the border issue is still to be seen, especially since air travel to the U.S. has continued unfettered, and trade shipments, essential workers and foreign students have been able to move between the two countries.

"If they do and it continues to be ignored or rebuffed or just not handled, then that will be a real problem," said Scotty Greenwood, president and CEO of the D.C.-based Canadian American Business Council.

"It already is a real problem, from a practical sense, for people in businesses that are accustomed to transversing the border. Will it become a foreign policy problem on Canada-U.S. relations? That depends on the Canadian approach."

Here's the thing, said Alden: even if Trudeau wanted to push back on issues like the Canada-U.S. border, he doesn't have a whole lot of leverage.

"Canada doesn't have other alternatives," he said. "The world is not awash with better options for Canada. Canada's tied to the United States, like it or not."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2021.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Amid calls for investigations following major power losses during Hurricane Ida, the power company subsidiary that provides electric service to New Orleans said Tuesday it's ready to discuss having the city assume control of the municipal power system.

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, file photo, Entergy contractors prepare to detonate transmission lines that fell into the Mississippi River Harahan, in New Orleans, after a tower collapsed during Hurricane Ida. Amid calls for investigations following major power losses during Hurricane Ida, the power company subsidiary that provides electric service to New Orleans said Tuesday, Sept. 21 it's ready to discuss having the city assume control of the municipal power system. (David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP, File)

NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Amid calls for investigations following major power losses during Hurricane Ida, the power company subsidiary that provides electric service to New Orleans said Tuesday it's ready to discuss having the city assume control of the municipal power system.

That's one of four options Entergy New Orleans outlined in a news release as the company prepares for discussions with the City Council, which regulates the electric monopoly in the city.

The other options include a merger with another Entergy Corporation subsidiary, Entergy Louisiana; a sale of Entergy New Orleans to another public or private business; or establishing a spinoff company separate from Entergy Corporation.

The council's utility committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday. It's chairperson, Helena Moreno, last week called for an investigation of the generation and transmission problems that led to a blackout related to Ida; a study on retail competition and utility ownership in New Orleans and a management audit of Entergy New Orleans. She has also called for a suspension in any rate changes for the utility.

It is obvious that we have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with the City Council, said Rod West, the group president for utility operations at Entergy Corp. While we believe that the actions of Entergy New Orleans have always been in the best interest of our New Orleans customers, some members of the council have publicly expressed a different opinion." Without addressing specific Moreno proposals, West said the council could wind up "inflicting further financial decline" on the company and adversely impacting its ability to provide quality service to its customers.

Ida was a Category 4 hurricane when it struck Aug. 29, devastating much of southeast Louisiana. More than a million customers of electric utilities in Louisiana and Mississippi lost power. That included everyone in New Orleans.

Entergy New Orleans, in its Tuesday statement, noted that despite the devastation, most in the city had power restored within a week. But critics question whether the utility has taken sufficient steps to strengthen its system in preparation for major hurricanes.

They point to the failure of all eight of the transmission lines that link the city to outside power and the collapse of a high voltage tower beside the Mississippi River. Earlier this month, Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said in an email that the company seeks to upgrade priority structures under yearly plans and bring up damaged towers to more resilient standards when repairing or replacing them.

Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

One of the options put forth by Entergy New Orleans on Tuesday is a merger with Entergy Louisiana, which would transfer regulatory authority over the utility to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Although that would mean a loss of local authority, the release said it would mean lower rates for New Orleans customers while creating a stronger company and spreading the risk of storm costs among more customers.

Spinning off a stand-alone company would allow the city to retain regulatory control, but such a company would likely face financing challenges for improvements and storm damage restoration, the statement said. Even as part of Entergy Corporation, Entergy New Orleans has been downgraded twice in the last twelve months by rating agencies due to its storm risk and weakening financial performance."

Arranging for a city takeover of Entergy New Orleans assets would allow the city to maintain control, eliminate the need for a profit and could open up new disaster relief fund sources, the statement said. However, it could result in higher financing costs and additional operational expenses.

As for the option of finding a buyer for the utility: If a willing buyer with sufficient financial strength is identified, such a transaction could lead to benefits or drawbacks depending on the specific circumstances," Entergy's statement said.

___

This story was first published on Sept. 21, 2021. It was updated on Sept. 22, 2021 to correct the title of utility company executive Rod West. He is the group president for utility operations at Entergy Corp, not the CEO of Entergy New Orleans.
MILAN (AP)  PSA Peugeots takeover of Fiat Chrysler to form the worlds fourth-largest carmaker has had its first executive casualty, with former Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley stepping down from his role of head of the Americas.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2019 file photo, Mike Manley, left, Chief Executive Officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. talks with John Elkann, Chairman of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. during media previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. PSA Peugeots takeover of Fiat Chrysler to form the worlds fourth-largest carmaker has had its first executive casualty, with former Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley stepping down as his role of head of the Americas. Stellantis announced Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 that Manley, 57, was leaving to become CEO of the largest dealership network in the United States, AutoNation Inc., based in Florida. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

MILAN (AP)  PSA Peugeots takeover of Fiat Chrysler to form the worlds fourth-largest carmaker has had its first executive casualty, with former Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley stepping down from his role of head of the Americas.

Stellantis announced Tuesday that Manley, 57, was leaving to become CEO of AutoNation, the largest dealership network in the U.S., starting Nov. 1. Manley will not be replaced. North America Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart and Antonio Filosa, COO of Lat America, will report directly to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.

Manley was named CEO of Fiat Chrysler in July 2018, coinciding with the illness and sudden death of longtime CEO Sergio Marchionne. When Stellantis was formed, Tavares, who was Peugeots chief executive, took over as CEO of the combined carmaker.

Manley was credited with the turnaround of the Jeep subsidiary, which was a mainstay of FCA profits, and also was the longtime head of Fiat Chryslers Asia operations. Manley is well-respected in the analyst community, lauded for his strong credentials to run a global automaker both in terms of technological and strategic transitions.

Manley is taking over a dealership group that posted more than $20 billion in sales and $382 million in net income last year. He replaces Mike Jackson, an industry icon who has been with AutoNation for 22 years. Jackson retired in 2018, but was called out of retirement when his replacement left the company.

Auto Nation, based in Florida, is the largest chain of car and truck dealerships in the U.S., with more than 300 locations nationwide. The company says it has sold more than 13 million vehicles.

Guidehouse Research Principal Analyst Sam Abuelsamid said its likely that Manley began looking for another chief executive job after getting passed over as CEO of Stellantis by Tavares.

At present, there aren't any CEO jobs available at major automakers, so Manley took the job running the largest retailer in the country, he said.

Taking the top job at AutoNation makes sense for Manley, who had to handle dealers and the retail end of the auto business when he ran Fiat Chryslers Jeep brand for years.

Abuelsamid said the job will be challenging for Manley because the ground is shifting dramatically under the dealerships as sales shift more to online, automakers want to sell more through orders, and the world is moving away from combustion engines to electric vehicles.

Also, upstart electric vehicle makers are opening their own stores or selling directly to customers, and with fewer moving parts, electric vehicles could mean lower revenues from repairs and maintenance, he said.

Its not going to be an easy job over the next five to 10 years, Abuelsamid said. The role of dealers is going to change and shift dramatically as we get more into electrification, he said.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Manley will retain ties with Stellantis as a board member of the Stellantis Foundation. The native of Britain said the time feels right for me to open a new chapter, after 20 years first with Chrysler, then with Fiat Chrysler and finally Stellantis.

Tavares said in a prepared statement that he was sorry to see Manley go.

Its been my privilege to know Mike first as a competitor, then as a partner and colleague in the creation of Stellantis, but most importantly, always as a friend, the Stellantis CEO said. From the very earliest days of our discussions, we shared a truly common vision, belief and commitment and its on these solid foundations, built over the past several years, that Stellantis has delivered its impressive early results.

AutoNation shares rose 2.6% on the news in trading early Tuesday. Stellantis shares were up less than 1%.

___

Krisher reported from Detroit.
BEIJING (AP)  The Beizhong International Travel Agency in the eastern city of Tianjin has had only one customer since coronavirus outbreaks that began in July prompted Chinese leaders to renew city lockdowns and travel controls.

People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk past a display showing a countdown clock to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

BEIJING (AP)  The Beizhong International Travel Agency in the eastern city of Tianjin has had only one customer since coronavirus outbreaks that began in July prompted Chinese leaders to renew city lockdowns and travel controls.

Most of China is virus-free, but the abrupt, severe response to outbreaks has left would-be tourists jittery about traveling to places they might be barred from leaving. That has hit consumer spending, hindering efforts to keep the economic recovery on track.

China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission has helped keep the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of disease. But the public and businesses are paying a steep price.

Foreign athletes are due to compete in the Winter Olympics that start Feb. 4 in Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou, but the government has yet to say whether restrictions that prevent most foreigners from entering China will be relaxed to allow spectators in.

"Two years ago, this was our busiest season," said the Beizhong agency manager, Wang Hui.

"Now, customers tend to postpone their plans because of the outbreaks," Wang said. "This year is worse than last year."

China is closed to most foreign visitors and discourages its own public from traveling.

The government has yet to give final details on anti-coronavirus measures for the Winter Games. Some 2,900 athletes are due to compete, plus 800 more in the Paralympic Winter Games on March 4-13.

China has reported 4,636 deaths  and none since February  out of 95,577 cases since early 2020. Its total is smaller than one-day new infection figures in the United States, India and some other countries.

Since July, outbreaks blamed on travelers bringing the more contagious delta variant into the country have occurred in Nanjing west of Shanghai, Putian and Xiamen in the southeast and Yunnan province in the southwest. But cases number in the dozens, not the tens of thousands of new daily infections seen in other countries.

"The zero-tolerance policy has been highly effective in putting COVID under control, but the short-term cost is also extremely high," economists Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie said in a report.

China was the only major economy to grow last year after the ruling party declared the virus under control in March and allowed factories, shops and offices to reopen. Output in the United States, Europe and Japan contracted.

Economic output rose 1.3% over the previous quarter in the three months ending in June, better than 0.6% in January-March but among the past decades weakest quarters.

Residents wearing masks wait at a bus stop in Beijing Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. China's "zero tolerance" strategy of trying to isolate every case and stop transmission of the coronavirus has kept kept the country where the virus first was detected in late 2019 largely free of the disease. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The International Monetary Fund and private sector forecasters have lowered economic growth forecasts but still expect output to rise by as much as 8.5% this year, up sharply from last years multi-decade low of 2.3% and well above the ruling party target of "more than 6%."

Exports in August rose 25.6% over a year earlier, but retail spending growth slowed to 2.5% from Julys 8.5%.

"People are clearly worried that they could get trapped in tourist destinations if Covid cases emerge," economist Iris Pang of ING said in a report.

Authorities on Sept. 12 suspended most access to Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province, after an outbreak that an official newspaper, Global Times, said might have begun with a resident who returned from Singapore. Cinemas, bars and other public facilities were closed. Supermarkets and restaurants were ordered to limit customer numbers.

Xiamen, a coastal business center in Fujian with 3.5 million people, closed off access to some neighborhoods after cases were detected there. Schools shut down.

An entrepreneur who sells shoes made in Putian online said the outbreak and anti-disease controls have shut down that local industry.

"Customers are urging us to deliver goods, but factories have stopped working," said the merchant, Su Ye. She said September and October usually are busy, but disruptions in production and delivery "will cause orders to drop a lot."

"Many orders were canceled because of our slow delivery," Su said.

The Global Times said a man who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4 was suspected of spreading the virus to Putian.

The traveler, identified by the surname Lin, underwent a 14-day quarantine and nine nucleic acid and serologic tests, all of which were negative, the Global Times said. But he tested positive on Sept. 10.

Despite that, the screening and quarantine process is working properly, according to Yu Changping, a physician at the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Peoples Hospital of Wuhan University.

"There is no special change in the situation," said Yu. "There is no need to adopt measures different from the past."

Some experts suggest China might need to adopt more flexible tactics because "zero tolerance" is too disruptive and new variants might be impossible to eradicate.

"The bottom line is, I dont think they can keep the virus out, and they need to live with the reality," said Nicholas Thomas, a professor of health security at the City University of Hong Kong.

Chinese leaders have tried to squelch public discussion of such a possible change.

A prominent disease expert, Zhang Wenzhong, faced official criticism after he said on his widely read social media account the world needs to "learn to coexist with the virus."

A former health minister rejected Zhang's suggestion in a commentary published by the Communist Party newspaper People's Daily. The university that awarded Zhang's PhD in 2000 announced an investigation of accusations of plagiarism but concluded his work "met all the criteria" for the degree.

For now, tourist arrivals from abroad are shut down. That has devastated high-end hotels and resorts.

Some engineers and other employees who were abroad when the government shut down travel in early 2020 have been allowed to return, but lawyers and others say they were turned away.

Authorities also are trying to keep Chinese from leaving the country. The government refuses to issue or renew passports without an important need to travel. Businesspeople have been told that doesnt include visiting customers or business partners.

The government announced last week it had vaccinated just over 1 billion people, or 71% of its population.

But while regulators have given emergency approval to nine coronavirus vaccines, most are made by local companies Sinopharm or Sinovac. China has yet to approve BioNTech, Moderna or other vaccines used abroad.

"As far as the vaccine strategy is, its been very successful, the trouble is the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are not very efficacious against delta," Thomas said.

As is true elsewhere, online grocers and other e-commerce have reaped a windfall from shutdowns and lockdowns.

But a wave of bankruptcies has hit small shops, restaurants and other businesses.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Chinas populous domestic market means travel restrictions "do not impact it as much as countries such as Thailand that depend heavily on tourism," said Trinh Nguyen of Natixis, a French financial firm, in an email.

In another blow to tourism, the government told students and teachers to avoid travel during Septembers Mid-Autumn Festival and the Oct. 1-7 National Day break.

"There used to be a silver September and a golden October for travel, but now we have nothing," said Wang, the travel agency manager in Tianjin.

People suffering from cancer, heart disease and other chronic, potentially life-threatening conditions, meanwhile have struggled to get treatment as hospitals shut down other departments to focus on treating coronavirus patients or refused to accept cases deemed non-emergency.

___

Wu reported from Taipei. AP researchers Yu Bing in Beijing and Chen Si in Shanghai contributed.
BERLIN (AP)  Senior officials in Germany expressed shock Tuesday over the killing of a young gas station clerk who was shot dead at the weekend by a man opposed to the country's pandemic restrictions.

Police officers secure a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 19. Police in Germany say a 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing of the gas station worker who was shot dead Saturday at the station, following a dispute over face masks. (Christian Schulz/Foto Hosser/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  Senior officials in Germany expressed shock Tuesday over the killing of a young gas station clerk who was shot dead at the weekend by a man opposed to the country's pandemic restrictions.

A 49-year-old German was arrested in the fatal shooting of the clerk Saturday in the western town of Idar-Oberstein. The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder.

Authorities said the man told officers he acted "out of anger" after being refused service by the clerk for not wearing a mask while trying to buy beer at the gas station.

"He further stated during interrogation that he rejected the measures against the coronavirus," the Trier police department said in a statement.

A requirement to wear masks in stores is among the measures in place in Germany to stop the spread of the virus.

"I'm deeply shocked," said Malu Dreyer, the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate state. "My thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim."

Media and a police car stand in front of a gas station in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Police in Germany say a 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing of the gas station worker who was shot dead Saturday at the station, following a dispute over face masks. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Dreyer called for the killing to be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrator punished.

According to police, the suspect left the gas station after the dispute but then returned a half-hour later wearing a mask and fatally shot the 20-year-old clerk in the head.

The suspect, a German citizen named in local media as Mario N., initially fled the scene. After a large-scale manhunt was called he turned himself in to police on Sunday morning.

The three candidates to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next Sunday's German election also voiced dismay at the killing.

"Im shaken by this terrible murder of a young man who merely asked that existing rules be followed," Annalena Baerbock of the center-left Green party said in a tweet.

She warned of the growing radicalization of Germanys Querdenken movement, which includes people who oppose masks and vaccines, conspiracy theorists and some far-right extremists.

Authorities didn't immediately say whether the suspect was associated with that movement, which has come under increasing scrutiny from Germany's security services following a series of large antigovernment protests, some of which turned violent.

But a Twitter account linked to the suspect followed several prominent German far-right politicians and publicists, including senior members of the Alternative for Germany party.

Posts from the account, which was last used in October 2019, reflect a dislike for immigrants, climate activists and the government

Prosecutors told Germany's dpa news agency that the suspect wasn't previously known to police and that he wasn't legally entitled to possess the firearm found at his house.

Paul Ziemiak, the general secretary of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, called the clerk's slaying "incomprehensible."

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"A young man was virtually executed because he pointed out the mask requirement," Ziemiak said on Twitter. "An inconceivable level of radicalization!"

The Christian Democrats have come under criticism for a campaign video showing their candidate, Armin Laschet, giving a Querdenken activist the microphone during a campaign event.

The head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, told Germany's RND media group that the killing was "no surprise to me in view of the steady escalation in recent weeks."

Kramer said his office had warned of the growing potential for violence from extremists.

"It's regrettable that someone always has to die before the risk is taken seriously," he was quoted as saying.

Facebook last week removed almost 150 accounts and pages linked to the Querdenken movement under a new policy focused on groups that spread misinformation or incite violence but which didn't fit into the platforms existing categories of bad actors.
Winnipeg city council members could soon be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Winnipeg city council members could soon be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

A new motion calls for elected officials and their political staff to be fully immunized by Nov. 15.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, who is pushing for the change, said the move will help protect members of the public who visit city hall.

"Folks want our assurances that, when they are participating in democracy at city hall, that everyone (is) double vaccinated. This motion provides (them) comfort," said Rollins, protection committee chairwoman.

The change would help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and avoid needless hospitalizations, the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry councillor said.

The motion was unanimously approved by councils executive policy committee Tuesday but still requires a full council vote.

If given approval, it would set a first-dose deadline of Sept. 30, and require second doses by Oct. 28, which would ensure everyone is two weeks past their second dose (and thus considered fully immunized) by mid-November.

The City of Winnipeg should ensure all affected politicians and staff are able to work remotely so they wont have to attend the city hall complex if they arent vaccinated within that time frame, Rollins said.

Mayor Brian Bowman spoke in favour of the mandate.

"Ive been double vaccinated and its something that I would encourage, not just my council colleagues, but all Winnipeggers to go (do). Its a way to help protect our community," he told media Tuesday.

If council approves the change, the mayor said it will echo a similar policy recently announced for front-line city staff, that affects those working in public safety, community protection, recreation services, public transportation and public-facing customer service roles. On Sept. 14, the city announced it would also require those workers to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

When the initial staff mandate was announced, city officials promised to explore options to redeploy and/or offer frequent COVID-19 tests as alternatives for those who are not vaccinated. Work on those options was still underway Tuesday, the city said.

Officials are seeking details from the province on how frequent testing could be used to reduce the risk of unvaccinated people attending city buildings, an option that could also apply to the proposed political mandate, Bowman said.

Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) is the only council member who has confirmed she hasnt received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, citing an undisclosed medical reason.

Santos could not be reached for comment by deadline Tuesday.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Winnipeg police have arrested a woman for impaired driving and assault with a weapon after a series of bizarre road rage incidents Sunday night.

Winnipeg police have arrested a woman for impaired driving and assault with a weapon after a series of bizarre road rage incidents Sunday night.

A suspect repeatedly rammed another driver's vehicle, including after the victim fled into a parking lot, police said.

"It is important to note that we believe impaired driving played a significant role  not just road rage," Winnipeg Police Service Const. Jay Murray told the Free Press, adding police believe the intoxicant involved was alcohol.

At about 10 p.m. Sunday, police were contacted about an erratic vehicle near Pembina Highway and Bairdmore Boulevard. Soon after, officers arrived in Sage Creek after a second caller said they had been rammed multiple times by the same vehicle.

A third caller reported seeing the vehicle hit a light stand before driving through a fence and into a yard.

The crew of the police helicopter found the vehicle at a nearby restaurant drive-thru. Officers on the ground found the damaged vehicle and arrested the woman behind the wheel.

Police believe after the suspect was initially seen driving erratically, she aggressively tailgated another driver on Perimeter Highway, flashing her lights and then getting in front of him and slowing down quickly. The suspect rammed the vehicle, followed the driver into a lot and continued to ram his vehicle.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The victim was able to flee.

The accused is charged with impaired driving, failing to comply with a demand and assault with a weapon. She was released on an undertaking.

So far this year, police have received 315 reports of road rage.

In an incident on Aug. 14, police say road rage was the motive for the stabbing of a 29-year-old man in East Kildonan. Police believe an argument between people in two vehicles escalated. Both drivers pulled over. One driver approached the other and stabbed a 29-year-old, who was driven to hospital by the woman behind the wheel. The suspect fled. On Aug. 30, a 20-year-old Winnipeg man was charged with aggravated assault. He was released on an undertaking.

In 2020, police received 374 road rage reports; in 2019, there were 448 reported incidents.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux easily won the Winnipeg North seat he's held since 2010 and, despite Monday's mid-pandemic election resulting in another Liberal minority, he says it was worth it.

Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux easily won the Winnipeg North seat he's held since 2010 and, despite Monday's mid-pandemic election resulting in another Liberal minority, he says it was worth it.

"It proves a great deal," Lamoureux said at his Maples campaign headquarters where music blared and masked supporters cheered and posed for photos with him. "Im feeling good," he said.

Lamoureux had garnered about 52 per cent of the votes with 176 out of 177 polls reporting.

"At the end of the day, when we called the election, we were looking for a new mandate," Lamoureux told reporters. "Canadians from coast to coast to coast know what it is that we want to accomplish over the next couple of years," he said.

"Canadians want political parties to stop fighting and work together," said Lamoureux, who expressed satisfaction with Justin Trudeau remaining at the helm of the party. "I dont think theres any need for a leadership review."

NDP strategists had believed winning Winnipeg North was key to unseating the Liberals as the party people associate with social programs, particularly after the Trudeau government became the face of COVID-19 supports for economically stressed Canadians.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal candidate for Winnipeg North, celebrates re-election at his campaign office, Monday.

"This wasn't the outcome that we were hoping for," the Liberals' main rival, NDP candidate Melissa Chung-Mowat said Monday night, conceding defeat and congratulating Lamoureux. She had received 28 per cent of the vote with 176 polls reporting.

"We have work to do and the work will continue," said Chung-Mowat, who tried appealing to the grassroots to loosen Lamoureux's hold on the riding that includes the North End, with a large Indigenous population, blocks of overcrowded apartments and some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The political novice took on a strong incumbent MP; Lamoureux is a seasoned politician known for his weekly availability at the McDonald's restaurant on Keewatin Street, where hes met constituents since 1989, including during his term as a Manitoba MLA.

The NDP and its predecessors had held the area for most of the past century, and it pushed hard to get it back with Chung-Mowat, who is of Chinese and Metis ancestry.

Chung-Mowat vowed to run again and encouraged more women and underrepresented groups to run for elected office.

Winnipeg North attracted six candidates from across the political spectrum, including Robert Crooks (Communist Party of Canada), Angela Brydges (Green), Anas Kassem (Conservatives), and Patrick Neilan (People's Party of Canada).

At press time, the Conservative candidate was a distance third, followed by the PPC, the Green party and the Communist party.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Seniors in Manitoba care homes will soon be eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, starting with staff and residents of care homes on First Nations.

TRIBUNE MEDIA TNS Manitoba announced that third doses of the vaccine will be made available to 200 residents and 400 staff of 10 First Nations care homes this week. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images)

Seniors in Manitoba care homes will soon be eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, starting with staff and residents of care homes on First Nations.

On Monday, Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the provinces vaccine task force, and Dr. Marcia Anderson, public health lead for the First Nations pandemic response team, said third doses of the vaccine will be made available to 200 residents and 400 staff of 10 First Nations care homes this week.

"Throughout this pandemic, the data has shown that First Nations people, as well as older people, face the greatest risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19," Anderson said.

The province declared an outbreak last month at the George M. Guimond Care Centre in Sagkeeng First Nation, primarily among fully vaccinated residents. Two people died and three people were hospitalized.

"What we have seen in the pandemic so far, the losses faced by the people of Sagkeeng First Nation, it's clear why an early expansion to these facilities is needed to protect our people and our communities," Anderson said, adding staff will be vaccinated to help maintain stable staffing levels in remote communities.

Third doses will be made available in October at other care homes, Reimer said.

"Third doses should be recommended for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, because they are not able to develop as strong immune response to the vaccine compared to the general population," Reimer said, adding studies have shown overrepresentation in breakthrough cases and hospitalizations for people with compromised immune systems.

"The good news is that the studies also show many of these same groups had a much better immune response after three doses."

Reimer said immune response may be slightly weaker for older populations as time goes on and antibody levels naturally fade in the body.

"Unfortunately, there is still a lot of the virus circulating in Canada and around the world, so even a normal decrease in antibodies, in a group that already had a somewhat weaker immune response, could translate to more infections and more severe outcomes," Reimer said.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Reimer said the province has not noticed an increase in infections among the care home population yet, however data from countries such as the United Kingdom indicate severe infections could rise in future.

Reimer noted young and healthy people have not yet shown evidence of "waning immunity," adding there is "zero benefit" to a third dose for most of the population. Staff at care homes outside of First Nation communities will not be offered booster shots.

Third doses were already available to Manitobans with immunosuppressed conditions, those who want to travel to countries where full vaccination with the same vaccine is required, and those who have received vaccines that haven't been approved by Health Canada.

Meantime, as Pfizer enters the final testing for a small dose of its mRNA vaccine for children aged five to 11, the province is keeping its eye on expanding vaccine eligibility to elementary school-aged children. Younger children will likely be offered doses that are one-third the amount of regular doses for people aged 12 and up.

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
The way Canadians voted in Mondays federal election was a lot different than in 2019, with a surge in mail-in ballots and some people experiencing long waits at polling stations because of pandemic measures. The result, however, was nearly identical to the 2019 election, with the Liberals again winning a minority government . The Liberals have won or are leading in 158 ridings, compared with 157 in 2019. Every party will be within two seats of the 2019 results if the numbers stand, and the Tories might again win the popular vote while finishing well behind the Liberals. Despite failing to win a majority, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested in his victory speech that the result was a clear mandate.

Federal election

Liberal candidate and former MP Doug Eyolfson greets supporters as the results roll in Monday night. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) Manitoba results: The only Manitoba riding where voters might elect a different MP than in 2019 is CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley, where incumbent Tory Marty Morantz leads Liberal candidate Doug Eyolfson by 109 votes. Counting of as many as 3,481 special ballots, including mail-in votes, begins at 9 a.m. Katie May reports. Read More Got away with one: In his latest column, Dan Lett says Justin Trudeau won the election but lost the trust and faith of millions of Canadians. Read More Promising path for Tories: Despite the loss, Tom Brodbeck says the Conservative rebrand has put the party on a more promising path for the future. Read More More money, same problems: A bigger war chest didnt result in much change for the New Democratic Party. Read More Smaller parties: The Greens are poised to retain their two seats, but Leader Annamie Paul finished a distant fourth in the Toronto Centre riding. The Peoples Party of Canada won no seats, but its share of the popular vote is more than double that of the Greens. One PPC candidate finished in second place in Manitobas Portage-Lisgar riding, and the Provencher candidate is a little more than 100 votes behind the second-place Liberal. Read More Whats happening today

A bus used to transport migrants departs a makeshift camp at the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, on Monday. (Eric Gay / The Associated Press) More migrant flights: Six more expulsion flights are set to depart the U.S., returning migrants at the Texas-Mexico border to Haiti. The Associated Press reports. Read More COVID-19 vaccination: Premier Kelvin Goertzen and Health Minister Audrey Gordon are holding a morning news conference on COVID-19 vaccine outreach initiatives. Read More Biden at UN: U.S. President Joe Biden will make his first address to the United Nations General Assembly. He will emphasize the need for world leaders to work together on the pandemic and meet climate change obligations, White House officials told The Associated Press. Read More Appointees all men: In Afghanistan, the Taliban has appointed more ministers and deputy ministers to its interim cabinet. All are men, despite the international outcry that followed the Talibans initial announcement of an all-male government lineup earlier this month. The Associated Press reports. Read More Weather

Your forecast: Sunny with a mix of sun and cloud by mid-afternoon, a high of 19 C, and wind from the northwest at 15 km/h increasing to 20 km/h and gusting to 40 at around noon. On this date

On Sept. 21, 1929: The Manitoba Free Press reported a train fireman was killed and two other train workers were wounded when a CP freight train collided with three parked cars in Montreal. Two workmen installing a gasoline pump died after an explosion at a Winnipeg garage. An inquest was to be called into the incident, and the fire commissioner would investigate. Today's front page

Get the full story: Read today's e-edition of the Winnipeg Free Press Read More
Opinion

Canada faces new pressures on any attempts to ramp up international trade.

In 1994, the United States, Mexico and Canada created a free-trade region with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Considering that the U.S. has been the largest economy in the world from 1994 to now, NAFTA was a true asset for the Canadian economy. Its estimated that the "total merchandise trade between Canada and the United States has more than doubled since 1993, and has grown over nine-fold between Canada and Mexico."

However, former U.S. president Donald Trump deemed this trade deal detrimental for American jobs and wanted a renegotiation. He argued the new treaty would "create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs, and massively boost exports for our farmers, ranchers and factory workers. It would also bring trade with Mexico and Canada to greater heights, with higher levels of fairness and reciprocity."

Ottawa and Mexico have accepted this renegotiation, resulting in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020.

Large portions of CUSMA are similar to the dispositions of NAFTA. For example, the tariff-free access to the North American marketplace for Canadas export-dependent beef, pork and grain sectors, with improvements to certain elements.

The new deal also raises Canadas duty-free level from C$20 to C$150 and the sales tax increase from C$20 to C$40. However, that only applies for U.S. goods ordered online. This solution will be profitable for Canadian customers but not for Canadian retailers, especially considering the strength of American digital giants.

Biden is in favour of some protectionism

In addition, theres better protection for technology firms whose copyrights now extend to 70 years, up from 50 under NAFTA. Governments can no longer request source code from tech companies, and duties on electronic transmissions are prohibited.

However, some aspects of this new treaty show that it might be more beneficial for the U.S. than for Canada and Mexico. Developed during the trade war waged by the Trump administration, CUSMA wont prevent protectionist measures such as the 10 per cent tariffs on aluminum and the 25 per cent tariffs on steel imposed by the Trump administration at the end of May under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

Moreover, considering that U.S. President Joe Biden is in favour of some protectionism, uncertainty remains, threatening Canadian trade.

North American protectionism is reinforced through numerous clauses under CUSMA. For example, to qualify for zero tariffs, the vehicle industry must produce 75 per cent of a vehicles components in North America, up from the 62.5 per cent under NAFTA. And 70 per cent of the steel and aluminum used in auto production must be produced and purchased in North America.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

According to Clifford Sosnow, co-chair of Faskens International Trade and Investment Group, the energy space in North America will be less integrated than under NAFTA: "Under NAFTA, governments were prohibited from discriminating against other NAFTA party coal, uranium or petrochemical products with import or export taxes other than duties." However, CUSMA removes this aspect.

CUSMA can also hinder potential trade treaties for Canada with specific countries. Section 31.10 of the agreement says that before negotiating a free trade agreement with a "non-market country," the nation must inform the other CUSMA countries at least three months before starting negotiations. In the United States, 11 countries meet this definition, including China. This could be problematic for potential trade agreements with Beijing, particularly for Canada. The U.S. could act as the judge of these agreements and place political pressure on the negotiations.

CUSMA is necessary for the Canadian economy. Refusal of this trade deal may prove to be worse than signing it. With most of the NAFTA disposition preserved, it remains a good tool for trade. However, Canada must be aware that protectionism has returned and will make international trade more complicated and more regulated than before.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased protectionist behaviour in North America, along with the rest of the world. Canada might have a hard job defending its interests.

Alexandre Massaux is a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

 Troy Media
If there were ever a time to call on the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission to review the veracity of the information contained in an Environment Act Proposal (EAP) for a proponents development project, this would be the time to do so.

Opinion

If there were ever a time to call on the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission to review the veracity of the information contained in an Environment Act Proposal (EAP) for a proponents development project, this would be the time to do so.

CanWhite Sands recently submitted an EAP for its proposed extraction activities that only provides information for its first four years of operation, not for the full 24 years it intends to operate its proposed silica sand mine. In addition, the company mentions but fails to include eight important mitigation plans in the EAP it has submitted for review.

The company also states it intends to make alterations to its environment licence in 2025; if these requested alterations are deemed to be minor, the government can simply renew the licence automatically, leaving interested parties with no means of assessing the impacts of the changes in these alteration requests.

If CanWhite Sands receives an environment licence from the province based only on the current information provided, there is a very high probability it will jeopardize the source of drinking water for the entire region. The proposal is to extract silica sand beneath the RM of Springfield and process it at a new facility CanWhite is proposing to build outside Vivian, about 60 kilometres east of Winnipeg.

The consulting firm hired by CanWhite to prepare its EAP has done a stellar job of understating the many serious issues identified that need to be addressed before an environment licence is issued.

In the first four years of operation, the company is projected to drill more than 2,000 extraction wells to suck up 1.3 million tonnes of silica sand from the sandstone aquifer. Extrapolating from its own drilling figures for the first four years, the company could be drilling upwards of 10,000 extraction wells over the 24-year period it will be operating its proposed silica sand mine.

All these extraction wells may lead to a plethora of sink holes developing over time, as the layer of limestone in the carbonate aquifer over top of the cavities created by the extraction wells is not thick enough to be stable. Glacial till overlying the compromised limestone will migrate into the extraction cavities, leaving the carbonate aquifer susceptible to a host of contaminants, such as fecal matter and other harmful bacteria, which are likely to enter the aquifer from rain and snow melt runoff.

It could also lead to the mixing of water between the sandstone and limestone aquifers, which is prohibited under Manitoba law.

Another source of possible contamination will be by the re-injection of excess aerated water, which has been extracted along with the silica sand, back into the sandstone aquifer. Introducing aerated water back into the aquifer will mobilize sulphide in the marcasite that coats the silica sand, in the shale and the pyrite found throughout aquifer in the region.

This will generate arsenic, acid, heavy metals and toxic selenium once the aquifer is re-injected with this aerated water by the companys unconventional mining method. Its EAP glosses over this issue by stating that the core log samples and sand samples that it took are low in sulphide content, but those samples are corrupted, as the samples used in its submitted hydrogeological study were left exposed to air for far too long to be of any use.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

CanWhite mentions that it will be installing an ultraviolet system designed to sterilize the re-injected aerated water to prevent harmful microbes from entering the aquifer. However, the UV system will be ineffective because manganese, iron and particulates in the water will scatter the UV light that is designed to sterilize these harmful microbes.

Another source of potential contamination is via the slurry lines that are to be used to send the extracted silica sand and water from the wells to the processing facility. The company admits that this is potential source for contamination, and states it will mitigate this from happening by daily slurry-line site inspections.

These are but a few of the 17 major issues What the Frack Manitoba has identified in a 20-page, scientific evidence-based document that we have produced, which is not likely to be reviewed by the government of Manitobas technical advisory committee because there is simply no legal requirement to do so.

The RM of Springfield has identified enough concerns with this silica sand-mining project that it is now calling on the province to undertake a commission hearing to address its concerns.

There is still time, at this stage of the environmental review process, for interested parties to request that the director of the Environment Approval Branch recommend to Manitobas minister of conservation and climate that CanWhites current EAP be subject to a Clean Environment Commission panel review process, to address the numerous deficiencies that have been identified.

Don Sullivan is a member of What the Frack Manitoba and is the former North American co-ordinator for the Taiga Rescue Network, a one-time special adviser to the government of Manitoba, a recipient of the Queens Golden Jubilee medal and currently a research associate for the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives - Manitoba
While it might take some time to fully determine what this federal election was all about, whats already clear is there are several things it most decidedly was not.

While it might take some time to fully determine what this federal election was all about, whats already clear is there are several things it most decidedly was not.

It was not, as Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau insisted, "maybe the most important since 1945 and certainly in our lifetimes."

It was not the most important election of our lifetimes, as Justin Trudeau insisted. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)

It became important, to a degree, after Canadas 23rd prime minister initiated it, for no reason other than that all elections are important because they play a part in determining the future direction of the nation. But Mr. Trudeaus contention that this one was so crucial that it had to be called a full two years before required under federal law, and in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, was simply ludicrous.

When the final mail-in votes are tallied, the absurdity of the premise will have been laid bare by the manner in which Canadians rejected it by delivering a Parliament almost identical in makeup to the one dissolved five weeks ago.

Mr. Trudeau boldly reached for a renewed majority mandate after two years of dealing with the frustrating forced compromises of a minority Parliament. By press time Monday night, voters had told Mr. Trudeau his government may continue to govern, but has not sufficiently earned trust to be granted the majority he so clearly covets. And absent that desired outcome, questions will necessarily be asked about his viability as Liberal Party leader going forward.

Another thing this election was not is business as usual. Owing to restrictions, concerns and constraints related to COVID-19, the way people voted was different this time around. More chose to vote early, either at advance polls or by mail, and many of those who opted to vote in person in the traditional fashion found themselves casting ballots at places other than their customary polling locations, lining up in numbers and waiting longer to vote because fewer polls and fewer poll workers meant delays and frustration.

Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

This election was not an endorsement of Conservative Party Leader Erin OTooles unwieldy effort to straddle the line between broad mainstream appeal and hard-right western conservatism. The partys position on gun control and weak messaging on pandemic measures clearly did not resonate with Canadians. And it wasnt a major victory for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, though it did offer small reason for celebration as his party seems most likely to achieve significant seat gains.

CP Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole's position on gun control and weak messaging on pandemic measures clearly did not resonate with Canadians. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press)

It was also not a breakthrough for the Peoples Party of Canada, despite the defiant roadshow of leader Maxime Bernier and the noisy support of Canadas anti-vaccine fringe. Mr. Bernier was denied a seat in his own riding, and the PPCs support grew in audible volume and vote count but produced no electoral dividends.

This election was not popular. Canadians were quick to express anger and frustration at Mr. Trudeau for an electoral ordeal that will have changed very little about the parliamentary seating chart. Canadians are exhausted, emotionally, mentally and financially, from the constant demands of the COVID-19 fight, and this election produced little more than added irritation.

This election was not in any way necessary. It might be remembered as the vote only one Canadian  Justin Trudeau  really wanted.

And as a result, there is something Mr. Trudeau is not, but which he sorely wanted to be: the leader of a majority government.

Five weeks and an estimated $610 million later, Canadians  now painfully apprised of what this election was not  will be excused for wanting to pointedly ask Mr. Trudeau what it was for.
A Winkler physician is concerned the region could lose doctors if attitudes towards COVID-19 and vaccination in the community don't change.

A Winkler physician is concerned the region could lose doctors if attitudes towards COVID-19 and vaccination in the community don't change.

"I was getting a sense from many of my colleagues that they were getting quite frustrated with the lack of support from the patients in our community," Dr. Eric Lane said Monday, describing the current situation as a "low point" in his more than three decades of work.

"I was getting concerned that a number were looking at potentially moving away and going to a place where their advice was taken more seriously."

After 32 years working at Winklers CW Wiebe Medical Centre and Boundary Trails Health Centre, Lane decided to speak out publicly in a letter published in the Winkler Morden Voice last Thursday, pleading with residents to take doctors seriously  and protect one anothers health  as burnout and spiking COVID-19 cases take hold of the Southern Health region.

"After attending births, deaths, cancers, and other health needs, most of my colleagues and I feel that our advice is no longer valued," Lane wrote. "From some, our advice is despised."

The vaccination rates in Winkler and the surrounding Rural Municipality of Stanley are the lowest in Manitoba, according to public health data. Just over 40 per cent of Winkler residents and less than 25 per cent of Stanley residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine as the region is experiencing the highest per-capita infection rate in the province.

There are currently 18 COVID-19 patients in hospital and three in intensive care in the Southern Health  region.

"Did you know most of the physicians in this community are not from here?" Lane wrote in the letter. "Most have very few long-term ties here and the current climate has many weighing up their future options. It would be tragic for us to lose what has been achieved thus far."

While he isnt sure how many physicians are thinking about walking away, Lane noted it would not take many for the health-care system to feel a serious crunch.

"It was, in some way, trying to wake people up to think about more than themselves," he said Monday, referring to the letter.

In his early days serving the Winkler area, staff shortages meant he and other physicians were on call 24/7. Progress has been made bolstering the region's health system since then, but a mass exodus would put significant strain on remaining doctors, and could have a "ripple effect" on other professions in the community, he said.

Winkler Mayor Martin Harder said he read Lane's letter, and is urging frustrated doctors to stay in the area and help change attitudes.

"The community does not survive without medical profession in place," said Harder. "There are people here who have expressed some concern and Im not aware of any who have left yet, but as a community leader I would urge them not to even consider it."

Lanes letter was followed by a social media post Saturday from Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt decrying the communitys growing divide over masks and vaccines.

"Something has to change. The anger and resentment that we are seeing in our community are unacceptable," he wrote, adding rule-breakers  including those who interfere with law enforcement  should expect to be ticketed.

On Monday morning, Premier Kelvin Goertzen said he read Hunts post on Facebook and hoped to reach out to the police chief soon to speak about his concerns.

"You can feel his frustration," Goertzen said, speaking after a news conference at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. "The work that he and other enforcement officers are doing, its important work, its to keep people safe, and they shouldnt feel their safety is compromised as a result of that."

Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Goertzen also responded to the concerns Lane wrote about in his letter, saying he is "concerned about health-care staff across the system."

"There is significant pressure. Were seeing burnout within the system, and then you add onto that the workload, that mental strain, of getting a lot of pressure from people in the community who dont necessarily agree with what doctors are recommending," the premier said.

"Those who dont agree with medical advice, or the advice from the province, youre going to express your opinion, and we understand that, but dont express it in a way thats hurtful, thats threatening, thats demeaning. These doctors are the same doctors who have delivered your babies in the past the same people who cared for your communities for decades and decades. That level of concern hasnt changed for them."

 with files from Melissa Martin

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
Annamie Paul, the first Black woman to lead a major political party in Canada, lost badly Monday night as she fought for both her leadership and a federal seat following a cloistered campaign dominated by internal Green party strife.

Annamie Paul, the first Black woman to lead a major political party in Canada, lost badly Monday night as she fought for both her leadership and a federal seat following a cloistered campaign dominated by internal Green party strife.

Hours after the polls officially closed in Ontario, voters were still lined up at polling stations in Toronto-Centre, the downtown riding where Paul spent almost every day of her five-week campaign. But with almost half the vote counted, Paul sat in fourth place, trailing Liberal winner Marci Ien, as well as both the NDP and, in one of the most progressive ridings in the country, the Conservative Party of Canada.

CHRIS YOUNG - THE CANADIAN PRESS When Paul addressed her supporters early Monday night, she still seemed optimistic. I hope that bar is open, she joked.

When Paul, who is also the first Jewish woman to lead a major Canadian party, addressed her supporters early Monday night, she still seemed optimistic. "I hope that bar is open," she joked shortly after the polls closed. "I think its going to be a long night."

But before midnight struck, it was over. Ien had almost 49 per cent of the vote with 45 polls reporting Paul had less than 900 votes.

"It looks like Annamie Paul, will not win her seat!" a radio reporter trumpeted at Pauls Toronto victory party. A woman in a green dress, wearing a green mask and a green button, turned away from the bar at the sound. Her shoulders sloped and her chin dropped. She looked like a time-lapsed Christmas tree wilting at super speed.

Pauls unusual campaign  she made only two, brief, trips outside of Ontario during the entire election was both tactical and enforced.

She faced an ugly, public mutiny from elements within her own party in the months before the vote and the Greens entered the campaign short on cash and shorter on unity.

I hope that bar is open... I think its going to be a long night. Annamie Paul

When she addressed her supporters late Monday night, Paul seemed by turns optimistic and deeply depressed about her own race, and about politics as a whole.

"Clearly I am, well not clearly, but I will tell you that certainly I am disappointed," Paul told a small crowd of supporters in a banquet hall on the eastern edge of downtown. "It is hard to lose, no one likes to lose, but Im so proud of the effort, the creativity, the innovation that our team brought to this race."

Paul did not address the future of her own leadership in her remarks. She spoke of the Greens as a small party in a system built for big players and she praised the courage of her candidates and volunteers. But at times, the letdown was clear in her eyes.

"I would say that were back to the status quo, except that we are returning unfortunately more divided and more polarized than before this election was called," she said. "That is certainly part of the legacy of this election, that I will say we shouldnt have had, whether that sounds self interested or not."

Pauls loss Monday will almost certainly reignite the internal party feud that has consumed most of her leadership and that her supporters believe hamstrung her efforts in this race.

"While other parties were probably putting campaign foundations in place, the Green party was just trying to figure out how quickly they could move forward and trying to get beyond some of the narrative that was out there," said Marva Wisdom, a senior volunteer on Pauls campaign and a long-time friend.

Wisdom called the internal efforts to depose Paul, led by a faction of the partys national council, "unprecedented" and a "deep disappointment."

"I cant tell you what was in those peoples minds," Wisdom said. "But certainly what they were doing made no sense to me whatsoever. And all I can say is they were afraid of change, someone who sounded different, and someone who looked different, and someone who brought so much energy and so many ideas to the party."

It is hard to lose, no one likes to lose, but Im so proud of the effort, the creativity, the innovation that our team brought to this race. Annamie Paul

The Green party entered Monday trailing even the People Partys of Canada (PPC), a far-right fringe movement that rejects the scientific consensus on vaccines and other COVID-19 measures, in most national polls. And the results Monday did not suggest a surprise wave.

As of 12:30 Tuesday morning, the Green party had just two per cent of the national vote, down dramatically from the partys showing in 2019, and well behind the PPC. Still, the news wasnt all bad.

The partys Mike Morrice looked set to win a shock victory in Kitchener-Centre, home to Liberal incumbent Raj Saini who dropped out of the campaign following allegations of sexual misconduct. Former leader Elizabeth May, meanwhile, won again in Saanich-Gulf Islands, the seat she has held since 2011.

Speaking before the polls closed, Wisdom said it was too early to speculate on whether Paul would stay on as leader if she lost Monday. But Andrew Weaver, the former leader of the B.C. Green party and one of Canadas most influential climate scientists, said it would be a shame if she stepped down.

"In my own view Annamie Paul is the best thing that ever happened to the federal Green party," Weaver, who endorsed the Liberal party in this campaign, said. "I think she is an outstanding leader, and I thought she honestly won the leadership debate, and I think many people would agree with me."

Weaver blamed May, the partys former leader, for some of the turmoil. "I have not seen (her) publicly supporting her leader. And you really need to do that," he said. "So I think Annamie Paul needs to stand proud."

When Paul congratulated May on her win Monday, the crowd  her personal supporters, her family and local candidates  stayed quiet. A moment later, they cheered at the mention of Morrices name.

"One of the reasons why I felt that the party wasnt really quite a serious contender in this election, anywhere, was because  Elizabeth May was standing up claiming that only the Green Party understands the significance of the climate crisis yet they are actually quibbling and quarreling internally," Weaver said. "It told me this party wasnt ready to step up."

By almost any measure, it was a bad night for the Green party. But Weaver still believes it was a good campaign for the green movement. The party doesnt and cant own the climate issue anymore, he said, and thats a good thing. "Does that mean the Green party didnt do its job?" he said. "No, absolutely not."

It was never about seats, he said. It was never about power. It was about making the other parties take climate change seriously.

"And when every party is now talking about an issue that was in your bailiwick for so long, you are successful, you really are," he said. "You have won. And thats kind of how I feel."

And at Pauls party Monday, despite the bad loss, and the fractured fight, despite the internal feud and the depressing, undeniable reality that the first Black woman to lead a major political party in Canada was taken down in no small part by her own team, there was, hanging over everything, a dusting of joy.

As the results came in, each poll  outside of Kitchener  worse than the last, Pauls supporters danced, and laughed and got gently drunk. It was a young crowd. And they had an undeniable Whos down in Whoville air.

Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"My hope to those who have been given the privilege and honour of going to Ottawa to represent their communities (is) that we will deliver, that they will deliver on the promise that is Canada," Paul said in her concession speech, to loud cheers. "Because certainly we have everything that it takes within us, if we decide to unleash it, to truly attack that existential crisis, to reduce our greenhouse gases, to ensure that we have this strong sustainable world leading green economy of the future."

"I believe," she said, "that is what people in Canada expect."

Correction  Sept. 21, 2021: This article was edited to clarify that Annamie Paul is the Jewish woman to lead a major Canadian party. David Lewis, who was Jewish, led the federal NDP between 1971 and 1975.

Richard Warnica is a Toronto-based business feature writer for the Star. Reach him via email: rwarnica@thestar.ca
OTTAWA - The final results of the federal election may not be known until Wednesday, election officials have warned, because of almost one million mail-in ballots that will not be opened until Tuesday.

OTTAWA - The final results of the federal election may not be known until Wednesday, election officials have warned, because of almost one million mail-in ballots that will not be opened until Tuesday.

A clutch of close-run ridings, where mail-in ballots could prove crucial to the result, may have to wait days for a winner to be declared.

Elections Canada expects "the vast majority" of mail-in ballots to be counted by Wednesday. But in some remote ridings, and those with thousands of mail ballots, the result may not be known until Friday.

A record number of people have voted by mail in this election, some because of fears of voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local elections agents will begin opening postal ballots on Tuesday morning.

Before they are counted, ballots will be verified by local voting officials. They check to ensure voters have not sent in multiple ballots or have already voted in person in a polling station. Officials also verify voters' signatures.

A mail-in voting package that voters will receive if requested is seen in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

British Columbia has the greatest number of mail-in ballots, many of them on Vancouver Island. In the Victoria riding, more than 12,600 people applied to vote by mail  the most in Canada  followed by SaanichGulf Islands, where more than 10,700 people applied for postal votes.

The CourtenayAlberni riding, which includes parts of Nanaimo, B.C., had 9,870 voting kits issued. More than 9,500 voters in the nearby B.C. riding of North IslandPowell River applied for postal ballots. In NanaimoLadysmith, more than 8,800 voters registered to vote by mail, while in EsquimaltSaanichSooke, more than 8,700 voters applied for mail-in ballots.

Postal votes could dictate which party wins in a series of ridings facing a photo finish.

The closest race is in the B.C. riding of CoquitlamPort Coquitlam, where the Liberals fought off a Conservative challenge by only 153 votes in the 2019 federal election. More than 4,000 voters have voted by mail in the knife-edge riding.

Political scientists said voters will need to be "patient" in some close-run ridings and to prepare for delayed final results.

Melanee Thomas, associate professor in the department of political science at University of Calgary, said that although mail ballots could influence results in close seats, they would unlikely determine the overall election result.

"Folks need to be patient. We are not going to have a clear result in some places until these mail ballots are counted," she said. "I don't think this is going to influence the overall result or make a difference to whether there is a Liberal minority government.

A person holds an Elections Canada voter information card after receiving it in the mail on Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

In Quebec  an electoral district in Quebec City  Jean-Yves Duclos, a cabinet minister in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeaus government, is facing a close challenge from the Bloc Quebecois and more than 1,400 voters have sent in ballots by mail.

One of the closest electoral battles is in the Yukon, which returns a single MP. At the last election, the Liberals fought off the Tories by only 153 votes. More than 1,800 voters have cast their vote by mail in the riding.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Postal voters could also decide the outcome in the Montreal riding of Hochelaga, where the Liberals won by only 328 votes in 2019.

At Elections Canadas distribution centre in Ottawa on Monday evening, workers were busy counting around 200,000 special ballots that had been sent to Ottawa. The votes from expatriates, people voting outside their ridings, Canadian Forces, as well as inmates in prisons throughout the country were already being tallied by election workers before polls closed.

Election officials began counting the ballots sent to Ottawa  which unlike most mail-in ballots are not counted in local ridings  10 days ago. By 8.40 p.m. Monday, they had counted 120,000 ballots at the vast warehouse where, once the election is over, every ballot cast in the country will be stored for 10 years.

Natasha Gauthier, spokeswoman for Elections Canada, said that although "90-95 per cent of results will be in" on Monday night, local ridings will not open almost one million mail-in ballots until Tuesday morning. Voters in seats where results have yet to be declared will be able to track how many mail-in ballots have been counted starting Tuesday, she added.

"You could have a riding where the race is tight," Gauthier said Monday. "Starting tomorrow, you can look up your riding and see what percentage of ballots have been counted. At the end of each counting shift they will be updated."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2021.
The tightest federal election race in Manitoba is still too close to call.

The tightest federal election race in Manitoba is still too close to call.

In CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley, the Conservative incumbent and the former Liberal MP are still locked in a neck-and-neck competition as they await tallying of mail-in ballots.

Incumbent Tory candidate Marty Morantz pulled ahead by a slim margin Monday night. Early Tuesday, he led Liberal candidate Doug Eyolfson  the areas former MP  by 109 votes with one poll remaining.

There are more than 3,000 special ballots to be counted Tuesday.

Morantz is trying to retain his seat in a Liberal minority government. In the 2019 election, he won with about 39 per cent of the vote. The former lawyer and Winnipeg city councillor has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to call the 2021 mid-pandemic election.

Eyolfson, an ER doctor, took back the riding for the Liberals in 2015, and was narrowly defeated by Morantz in 2019.

Eyolfson has said his decision to again leave medicine for politics has only been reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the results rolled in Monday, he dined with about 50 supporters at the Cork & Flame restaurant and bar. In a thank-you speech to his campaign team, Eyolfson said he had no regrets.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS As the results rolled in Monday, Eyolfson dined with supporters at the Cork & Flame restaurant and bar.

"We could not have done anything different; we could not have done anything better," he said. Saying Monday's preliminary national results reflect that "tonight is a good night for Canadians," Eyolfson said he believes Liberal voters in Winnipeg have signalled their support for the current pandemic response, including mandatory vaccines for travel and for the public sector, as well as public policy that supports vulnerable people.

Morantz didn't hold a public gathering and declined to be interviewed until the results are known.

"Everyone anticipated that this was going to be a close race," Morantz said in a written statement to the Free Press. "There are a lot more votes to be counted, after which I will be happy to comment further."

Special ballot votes (including mail-in ballots) won't be counted until Tuesday  and there were up to 3,481 special ballot votes cast in the riding that will need to be factored in. Counting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The riding on the west edge of the capital city was one of three in Manitoba the Liberals lost in the last election.

Encompassing prosperous suburban neighbourhoods and rural areas, including a provincial jail, the riding has historically flipped back and forth between the Liberals and Conservatives.

Steven Fletcher held the seat  then-known as CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboia (2006-15) and CharleswoodSt. James (2004-06)  for the Tories for four terms, spanning 11 years.

Prior to that time, John Harvard held the riding  then-known as CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboia (2000-04) and CharleswoodAssiniboine (1997-2000) for the Liberals  before he went on to serve as Manitoba lieutenant governor.

On Monday, the riding played host to a tight two-way battle amid a full slate of candidates, including Angela Van Hussen (People's Party of Canada), Vanessa Parks (Green), and Madelaine Dwyer (NDP).

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
Jagmeet Singh said Tuesday he feels secure in his leadership despite the NDP's seat count barely shifting after a pandemic election where Canadians consistently ranked him as the most popular party chief.

Jagmeet Singh said Tuesday he feels secure in his leadership despite the NDP's seat count barely shifting after a pandemic election where Canadians consistently ranked him as the most popular party chief.

"Im really here because I want to make a difference," the NDP leader said in Vancouver Tuesday morning.

Singh said New Democrats will still get work done in Parliament even though they hover within a few seats of their 2019 tally, and despite his campaign talking point that Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot be trusted.

The New Democrats had 24 seats in the House of Commons at dissolution and, while some close races are still being counted, it appeared as of Tuesday afternoon they have gained only a seat or two.

Singh said he was proud of his team and the campaign, but "disappointed" that many NDP candidates who failed to win their ridings will not be joining him in Ottawa.

The showing was significantly smaller than Singh predecessor Tom Mulcair's 44-seat outcome in 2015, which led to a leadership review and Singh's ascension in 2017.

Monday prompted some deja vu among New Democrats after a tough run in 2019 that yielded a seat count nearly identical to the latest election. Singh was relatively new on the federal scene at the time, with only two years under his belt as leader of a party that also faced financial difficulty.

This time around the NDP spent a lot more money, and Singh enjoyed name recognition across the country and a stated record of boosting pandemic relief to run on. He has also consistently been found the most likable leader in public opinion polls, leveraging an outsized social media presence that blends talking points and trap beats.

But that didn't translate into ballots cast  "the only currency that matters," said Karl Belanger, president of consulting firm Traxxion Strategies and former senior adviser to the NDP.

The NDP failed to make significant gains in key ridings in Quebec and downtown Toronto, and its share of the popular vote  17.7 per cent as of Tuesday evening  fell short of polling projections.

"You've lost a few seats, you've gained a few others. So you're treading water. You need to do better. And the key to that is to get the people who say they will vote for you to actually vote for you," said Belanger.

He added that Singh's place atop the party is secure at least in the short term.

"I have total confidence in Jagmeet," said NDP MP Taylor Bachrach, citing his "incredible enthusiasm and positive spirit" on the campaign trail.

Neck-and-neck races the NDP may be on the cusp of losing include Toronto's Davenport riding, Montreal's Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Berthier-Maskinonge in rural Quebec, the New Democrat-held Hamilton Mountain and, in downtown Toronto, SpadinaFort York, where the Liberal candidate was effectively booted from the party over the weekend.

"They cannot consider this a victory," said Sanjay Jeram, senior lecturer of political science at Simon Fraser University.

"If you're thinking about what kind of conditions in which the NDP could make their breakthrough with Jagmeet Singh at the helm, this was it. And he didn't pull it off."

The party did pick up at least one new seat in Edmonton and remained in the lead in the previously Green riding of NanaimoLadysmith.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Singh criticized Trudeau on Tuesday for holding an election during the pandemic, saying it seems to have resulted in long lines at polling stations, less accessibility and ultimately a low voter turnout.

The New Democrats, as the fourth party, are back in a position to hold some of the balance power in supporting the minority government following a 36-day campaign that largely focused on slamming Trudeau, often in very personal terms.

Singh said has no intention to force another election.

"We used our position successfully to win really big victories for people, for Canadians. They were better off because we were there," he said.

"We will do the same thing."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2021.
An election campaign framed as a crucial choice for defining how Canada will emerge out of COVID-19 produced underwhelming results  with the Liberals returning with a minority government and little change to Manitoba's political map.

An election campaign framed as a crucial choice for defining how Canada will emerge out of COVID-19 produced underwhelming results  with the Liberals returning with a minority government and little change to Manitoba's political map.

Only one riding remained in play early Tuesday, with a little more than 100 votes between the two leading candidates in CharleswoodSt. JamesAssiniboiaHeadingley.

Conservative incumbent Marty Morantz was leading Liberal candidate Doug Eyolfson by 109 votes with 169 of 170 polls reporting.

The west Winnipeg riding could be decided Tuesday, with more than 3,400 special ballots (including mail-in) to be counted by Elections Canada.

As the results rolled in Monday night, Eyolfson dined with about 50 supporters at the Cork & Flame restaurant. In a thank-you speech to his campaign team, the ER doctor said he had no regrets.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Doug Eyolfson, Liberal candidate in Charleswood-St James-Assiniboia-Headingley, arrives at the Cork and Flame restaurant.

"We could not have done anything different; we could not have done anything better," he said, adding Monday's preliminary national results reflect, "Tonight is a good night for Canadians."

Morantz didn't hold a public gathering and declined to be interviewed until the results are known.

"Everyone anticipated that this was going to be a close race," Morantz said in a written statement to the Free Press. "There are a lot more votes to be counted, after which I will be happy to comment further."

Otherwise, Manitoba's incumbent MPs were able to quickly claim victory Monday night.

Liberal incumbent Jim Carr (Winnipeg South Centre) said his party had made tough decisions that turned some supporters away, but he felt it still has the trust of most Canadians.

"Theres always a sense of satisfaction and relief after a campaign, and this was a tough campaign," he said in an interview.

"Im grateful for the trust they put in me, and Im ready to go."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg South Centre Liberal incumbent Jim Carr celebrates his win at his election night party at Fionn MacCools last night.

Re-elected Conservative MP for KildonanSt. Paul, Raquel Dancho, said it was an election nobody wanted.

"I am extremely concerned about the division in this country," she told reporters in a videoconference late Monday, saying the country is split along regional and urban-rural lines.

"That is critical, that we bring Canadians together, and bring down the temperature a little bit, and ensure that Canadians are seeing their parliamentarians lead with compassion and dignity and respect."

MIKE SUDOMA / Winnipeg Free Press Leah Gazan, centre, and party supporters watch election results come in last night.

NDP incumbent MP Leah Gazan had an easy time holding her Winnipeg Centre seat, but still kept a close eye on the results.

"I probably won't sleep until all of the results are in," she said. "It was certainly an unnecessary election. I'm ready to get back to work."

Dan Vandal, returning Liberal MP for St. BonifaceSaint Vital, said the election showed Canadians want something "radically different" from what the Conservatives proposed.

He argued the 36-day campaign showed different visions on the role of government in providing health care, regulating guns and curtailing activities for those who won't get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"It was an opportunity to have Canadians weigh in on the important decisions that are going to be made," he said.

"The Conservatives have messed up dealing with COVID, in every province where there's been a Conservative premier."

JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Liberal candidate Terry Duguid arrives at Nicolinos Restaurant to celebrate his win in the Winnipeg South riding last night.

This past weekend, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau blamed Alberta and Saskatchewan premiers for bringing about a deadly fourth wave of COVID-19. Despite that, Vandal said the Liberals will strike a new tone in working with Prairie provinces.

"Frankly, the province of Manitoba did a poor job in working with the federal government in combating COVID, in any measure that you want to take," Vandal told the Free Press.

"It's a new beginning; they're going to have a new premier soon, and we're willing to continue to work with whoever that premier is."

In Winnipeg South, Liberal MP Terry Duguid struck a similar tone, calling it "a resounding victory" in his speech to supporters.

"Canadians have faith in us to finish the fight against the pandemic," Duguid said in an interview, saying the vote gave the Liberals a mandate for "a fairer, more prosperous, greener Canada."

Little changed outside the Perimeter Highway, with all five rural Conservatives re-elected, and NDP incumbent MP Niki Ashton holding ChurchillKeewatinook Aski in the North.

Preliminary results showed gains in Manitoba for the right-wing People's Party of Canada, which ran on a platform with a strong stand against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

It garnered 20.5 per cent of votes in PortageLisgar, with only one poll remaining to be counted.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

In 2019, the party had gained only 2.6 per cent of the vote share in the riding, which includes towns that have had large anti-vaccination rallies, such as Winkler. Conservative incumbent MP Candice Bergen had her 2021 vote share drop to 53.3 per cent from 70.8 per cent.

However, that was the only Manitoba riding where the People's Party finished second; the fringe party was relegated to fourth place in all others ridings except Provencher, where they are in third.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal candidate for Winnipeg North, celebrates at his campaign office last night.

"Canadians want political parties to stop fighting and work together," said Liberal incumbent MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North).

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
After a campaign where his party became synonymous with the anti-lockdown protests that dogged opposing leaders and crowded outside hospital emergency rooms, Maxime Bernier has lost his bid to regain a seat in Parliament.

After a campaign where his party became synonymous with the anti-lockdown protests that dogged opposing leaders and crowded outside hospital emergency rooms, Maxime Bernier has lost his bid to regain a seat in Parliament.

Despite a surge in nationwide support for the Peoples Party of Canada (PPC), none of its candidates will join elected MPs in Ottawa.

From his election night party in Saskatoon where supporters were conspicuously unmasked and indoors, Bernier tried to find some positive in the results, noting that the party had leapfrogged the Greens in national support.

The PPCs support surged during the campaign, earning around five per cent of the nationwide vote  more than double the support the PPC had six weeks ago  and propelling his party into fifth place in early results, according to the CBCs election tracker.

Berniers message emphasizing personal freedom and condemning "authoritarian" government measures resonated far more than many expected at the outset of the campaign.

About 400 people gathered to hear Maxime Bernier, leader of the Peoples Party of Canada, speak at The Forks in Winnipeg on Sept. 6. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press)

But as groups of angry protesters repeatedly showed up at campaign stops for Trudeau and other leaders, it became clear that the PPC was riding a wave of discontent and it was soon difficult to distinguish between a Peoples Party rally and an anti-lockdown protest.

In June, Manitoba police arrested Bernier for violating public health orders, including refusing to self-isolate upon entering the province.

Shortly afterward, in London, a now-expelled PPC riding president, Shane Marshall, was criminally charged for allegedly throwing gravel at Trudeau.

In only its second campaign, the PPC received almost universal condemnation in the mainstream media for encouraging anti-vaccine sentiment, denying anthropogenic climate change and espousing xenophobic immigration policy. And thats when the party got any coverage at all.

In a pre-election interview, Bernier complained that not only were his largest rallies ignored in the press, even when journalists showed up, stories would not appear afterward.

"I believe that the mainstream media are afraid of our message," he told the Star.

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier attends a rally in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The PPCs platform, Bernier said, is the same as it was in 2019 when the party ran its first campaign after splintering off the Conservative Party. But this time around, Canadians have spent the last 18 months with their lives turned upside down,coping with ever-changing public health advice and restrictions.

"Now, more people understand our policies," Bernier said, "because people are mad, people are angry. They dont like (that the) government is violating their rights."

While animosity against COVID-19 public health measures undoubtedly attracted many to the PPC, the rest of its platform  a mishmash of libertarian and free market ideas combined with a nostalgic view of cultural purity that harkens to the far-right parties of Europe  has convinced them to stay, Bernier says.

"People understand that this election is a historical election for the future of this country," he said.

Beauce, a largely agricultural riding south of Quebec City, elected Maximes father, Gilles, as MP in the 1980s and 1990s. Like his father, Maxime Bernier started as a Conservative and left the party only to lose re-election.

The younger Bernier first became an MP in 2006 and was re-elected three times. He served as minister of industry and foreign affairs under former prime minister Stephen Harper before stepping down amid an outcry after he left confidential government documents at the house of his then-girlfriend, who had biker gang connections.

JEFF MCINTOSH - THE CANADIAN PRESS People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier attends a rally in Calgary, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

In 2017, Bernier ran for the leadership of the Conservatives, losing by less than two per cent. Breaking from party orthodoxy, Bernier proposed ending agricultural supply management, which subsidizes dairy, poultry and egg farming.

Shortly after his loss, Bernier left the Conservatives, declaring them "too intellectually and morally corrupt to be reformed," and started his own party, the PPC.

From the outset, Bernier modelled his new party on anti-immigrant messages that had gained traction south of the border. He soon came to be seen as Canadas Donald Trump.

Bernier was given significant prominence during the 2019 campaign despite having little nationwide support and no sitting MPs. After being excluded from the first several televised leaders debates, pundits from major media outlets (including the Star) argued he should be allowed to participate. He was then permitted to take part in the last debate and was given equal billing with other leaders by media outlets  a decision that was denounced as giving a platform to a racist.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The election finished with Bernier losing his own seat to Conservative Richard Lehoux, and the PPC being shut out of Parliament, with only 1.6 per cent of the popular vote.

But COVID changed everything.

Berniers goal of four per cent appeared to have been more than achieved in the final weeks of the campaign.

This toehold in Canadian politics is just the beginning, he said.

"I just repeat what I said in 2019. Its the same argument, the same platform. And it will be the same one after the election and I know our support will grow."

Marco Chown Oved is a Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @marcooved
VANCOUVERJagmeet Singh and the federal NDP are set to return to Ottawa to face the prospect that, after campaigning for 36 days with a deeper war chest and a more experienced national leader, not much really changed.

VANCOUVERJagmeet Singh and the federal NDP are set to return to Ottawa to face the prospect that, after campaigning for 36 days with a deeper war chest and a more experienced national leader, not much really changed.

Justin Trudeaus Liberals were projected early Tuesday morning to form another minority government, while the NDPs position of influence in Parliament  one of three parties with enough seats to hold the balance of power  appeared set to remain roughly the same.

Speaking in a cavernous convention ballroom at a pared-down election event in downtown Vancouver, Singh gave a short speech in which he pledged  as he did throughout the election  to push for stronger climate action, Indigenous reconciliation, and increased taxes on the rich in the next parliament.

We are going to fight for you with everything we have. You can count on New Democrats, all of us, to continue that fight, Singh said.

Early Tuesday morning, national results from Elections Canada showed the New Democrats leading in 27 federal ridings and on pace to post a slightly higher share of the national popular vote than the 16 per cent it earned in 2019.

Almost all the ridings the NDP was on track to win were held by New Democrats before the election, but the party was poised to flip at least one riding from the Conservatives in B.C.s Lower Mainland. The party was also held to just one seat in the province of Quebec for the second straight election.

In Toronto  where the NDP has been shut out since 2015  New Democrats were in tight contests in three Toronto ridings, including SpadinaFort York where the candidate on the ballot for the Liberals was leading after the Star reported he had a sexual assault charge against him dropped in 2019.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu watch the election results come in on tv from a hotel in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

In an interview with the Star as results trickled in, NDP national director Anne McGrath expressed anger that Trudeau called an election during the fourth wave of COVID-19, and questioned whether the Liberals would try to work with opposition parties after triggering an election to win a majority.

They dont like having to work with opposition, they dont like having to answer questions, they dont like having to think about other things besides their own agenda, McGrath said.

Even if theyre in a minority, theyre going to want to operate that way.

Since the beginning of the campaign, McGrath and other NDP officials expressed confidence the party would add seats to the 24 it held when Trudeau called the snap election on Aug. 15, though one top official told the Star on Monday that the NDP lowered its sights from the 40 ridings it hoped to win at the beginning of the campaign.

Still, any gains at all would mark the first time since the orange wave under Jack Layton in 2011 that the NDP picked up seats in a federal election.

In pursuit of that goal, Singh spent the last days of the campaign on an offensive sprint across the country to ridings that were held by Liberals and Conservatives. Along the way, he played video games for an online audience of more than 60,000; did hand-stands at the Halifax harbour; visited an Indigenous residential school cemetery outside Regina; spoke with burned-out health workers in pandemic-stricken Edmonton; and danced in the aisle of his big orange tour bus while tired journalists tried to keep their eyes open en route to Vancouver.

Throughout the campaign, polls found Singh was the most likeable political leader, and the NDPs challenge throughout had been to try and leverage that affinity into support at the ballot box.

The party budgeted more than twice as much money for this campaign as the $10.5 million it spent in 2019, releasing TV commercials made with ad agencies in Toronto and Montreal and travelling more with a chartered plane to tour the country and visit 51 ridings along the way  and several of them more than once.

JONATHAN HAYWARD - THE CANADIAN PRESS NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu watch the election results come in on TV from a hotel in downtown Vancouver on Monday.

Everywhere he went, Singh stayed focused on making a double argument to voters. He alleged over and over that Trudeau has failed and cant be trusted to do better, while the NDP would actually enact progressive policies that the party argued are in the best interest of most Canadians.

After bouncing through clusters of placard-waving New Democrats outside campaign offices and in open fields during the last week of this pandemic election, Singhs routine stump speech underscored the same alleged Liberal failings on issues like Indigenous reconciliation, affordable housing and climate change.

Using the slogan that better is possible, Singhs pitch to voters was that the NDP would be different. Through increased taxes on corporations and the wealthy, Singh pledged massive government spending over the next five years. This included $14 billion to build 500,000 affordable housing units; $38.5 billion for universal pharmacare; and $18.4 billion on income supports for seniors and people with disabilities.

Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The NDP argued that new taxes will help pay for such programs. That includes the partys annual one-per-cent tax on household net worth that exceeds $10 million; higher income taxes for corporations and people who earn more than $214,000 per year; and a special excess profits tax on companies that earned significant money during the pandemic.

Despite what the polls suggested, Singh never conceded during the campaign that the NDP could not win the election. He stated several times that his ultimate goal was to become Canadas prime minister.

Yet Singh also said he wanted at least enough New Democrats elected to advocate for the partys policies in the next Parliament. It was an implicit call for greater NDP influence in another minority legislature, and on the eve of election day, Singh gave his clearest indication yet of what it would take for either the Conservatives or Liberals to earn his support: tax the rich.

Our number one priority is making sure that the billionaires pay their fair share, so we can invest in all the solutions that we need to make sure peoples lives are better, Singh said.

With files from Tonda MacCharles

Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @aballinga
Conservative Leader Erin OToole had a tough mission ahead of him: put the progressive back into a party thats struggled to connect with mainstream voters east of Manitoba.

Conservative Leader Erin OToole had a tough mission ahead of him: put the "progressive" back into a party thats struggled to connect with mainstream voters east of Manitoba.

OToole, who took over as party leader last year, knew he had no chance of success in this election, or in any future ones, without a more moderate platform and centrist tone. Far right, social conservative parties dont do well in Canada. The party needed a rebrand. For the most part, OToole did a pretty good job of it.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole arrives with his wife Rebecca, daughter Mollie and son Jack as he prepares to give his concession speech at his election night headquarters during the Canadian federal election in Oshawa, Ont., on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

It wasnt enough to win government, but that wasnt OTooles doing. Opposition parties dont really win elections. When governments fall, its almost always because voter anger and frustration reach a boiling point and incumbents are shown the door. Whatever party happens to be next in line assumes power, as long as they're at least mildly appealing to voters.

That didnt happen in this election; the time-for-a-change dynamic wasnt there. The backlash against the Liberals for calling an election during a pandemic was enough to prevent them from winning a majority, but not enough to boot them out of office. As predicted, the only thing the Liberals managed to do by going to the polls during a national public health emergency was lose 36 days of fighting a pandemic and waste $610 million of taxpayers money on the cost of the election. Their gamble didn't pay off.

As predicted, the only thing the Liberals managed to do by going to the polls during a national public health emergency was lose 36 days of fighting a pandemic and waste $610 million of taxpayers money on the cost of the election.

OTooles job was to present Canadians with a viable alternative. He did so far more effectively than his predecessor Andrew Scheer in 2019. Scheer ran a clumsy, disjointed campaign that reeked of social conservatism. Even if Canadians were prepared to chase the scandal-plagued Liberals from office in that election (and they may have been), Scheer, who had muddled positions on abortion and same sex-marriage, was not even mildly appealing to Canadians. The only reason his partys seat count rose was because of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeaus troubles with SNC-Lavalin and his blackface revelations.

OToole, on the other hand, presented a reasonably cohesive campaign, largely devoid of social conservatism. He managed to shut out, or at least temporarily silence, the extremist views from within his party. He was clear in his commitment to the Canada Health Act (he even promised to outspend Trudeau on Canada health transfers). Whatever "private" health care he said he supports already exists in many provinces, including in Quebec, and has been allowed to operate under successive Liberal governments.

OToole has made no bones about where he stands on a womans right to choose and has for months pledged his full support for LGBTTQ+ rights. He even backtracked on an earlier party pledge to reverse a Liberal ban on assault weapons, saying the ban would remain in place under a Conservative government.

OTooles job was to present Canadians with a viable alternative. He did so far more effectively than his predecessor Andrew Scheer in 2019.

There were holes in OTooles narrative that the Conservatives underwent a political transformation. He did not have a viable alternative to the Liberal party's popular $10-a-day child care program, nor did he adequately address climate change. His dog-whistle attempt to stem the tide of Tory defectors to the Peoples Party of Canada, by refusing to demand his MPs be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, did not endear him to progressive voters.

Still, OToole did reposition his party towards the middle of the political spectrum. He transformed it into a more appealing option for most Canadian voters.

There was a small price to pay for that, but it was a calculated risk. The Peoples Party of Canada picked up the far-right, anti-vaccine, conspiracy theory vote. Most of that probably came at the expense of the Tories. But those votes represent a small minority of Canadians. The vast majority of voters support public health orders and COVID-19 vaccines. Conservatives have no choice but to target the much larger, mainstream vote if they want to form government.

The Conservative rebrand didnt change much for the Tories at the ballot box in this election. But it does put the party on a more promising path for the future.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.
When he called a snap election in mid-August, the entire country knew Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was putting his government on the line because he badly wanted a majority.

When he called a snap election in mid-August, the entire country knew Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was putting his government on the line because he badly wanted a majority.

After 36 of the angriest days of campaigning the country has ever seen, what he got instead was a near-death electoral experience. It was a win, but one that felt so much more like a loss.

The harsh reality is the new Liberal minority government is going to be led by a man who has confounded millions of Canadians with his rampant political ambition. Trudeau won his third federal election in six years but in the process, he has galvanized himself as both a political asset and an enormous political liability.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau votes in his riding of Papineau, Montreal, Quebec on Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

While he wasn't punished for calling an early election, he was denied his majority. That suggests voters, as much as they did not see a need to put an end to his political career, are saving some of their contempt for a future election.

Not to borrow too heavily from a Conservative campaign talking point, but it certainly does seem to have been a colossally bad idea to waste $650 million on an election during a pandemic that produced a Parliament nearly identical to the one Trudeau dissolved last month.

On that basis alone, Trudeau has some explaining to do  not just to Canadians, but also to his own party  about what it was exactly he and his advisers saw in the political tea leaves that convinced him to call such an improbable election.

Some of the Liberal strategy is the conventional wisdom about snap election calls.

If we're honest with each other, we should acknowledge that governing parties with minority mandates are always looking for a reason to call an election and improve their position. Even though there have been some backfires, in most instances snap elections do tend to work out for the governing party. That is largely due to the fact most voters, even if they disagree with the timing of the election, get over their apprehension by voting day.

Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper called two snap elections  one in 2008 and another in 2011  and was soundly criticized in both instances for proroguing Parliament for purely political reasons. And he was re-elected in both instances, the second time with a majority.

So, even though it had been only 23 months since the last election, there were signs it was time to leap at a chance to win a majority.

Trudeau may have won the election, but he absolutely lost the trust and faith of millions of Canadians. And one way or the other, there will be a day of reckoning for that.

By early summer, it was clear the federal government's vaccine procurement program was going to be a success. Notwithstanding early concerns about supply, by summer, Canada had caught up to and surpassed most other countries  particularly the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel  in both supply and numbers of citizens being vaccinated.

Trudeau also announced pandemic economic supports would be extended, a decision that seemed to galvanize the idea the Liberals were the right party to govern in a public health crisis.

By late July and into early August, the country's pandemic honeymoon with the Grits was in full bloom. The Liberals were intoxicated by their double-digit lead in most opinion polls, and that would turn out to be the siren call that drew Trudeau to the idea he should have an early election.

But Trudeau clearly misjudged one important difference that distinguished this election, and this period in the country's history. The pandemic, and the Liberal government's response to it, may have helped build support for Trudeau, but it also left the country mentally and physically exhausted.

When push came to shove, Canadians didn't want this election because they had too many other, more important things to worry about. They were generally OK with the government and its pandemic strategy; putting all that in jeopardy with an unnecessary election was too much for too many Canadians to bear.

Or, to put it more precisely, it was the straw that broke the Liberals' majority hopes.

Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

In some ways, this may be remembered as the election the Conservatives and leader Erin O'Toole lost. And as clever as their campaign was early on, the Tories proved they are  thanks to policies that run directly against the majority of public opinion in Canada  the Liberals' secret weapon.

Perhaps Trudeau knew O'Toole was going to stumble through mini controversies on abortion, banning assault-style firearms or his ineptitude on the issue of vaccine mandates.

If the snap election call ended Trudeau's dream of a majority, O'Toole's campaign helped sustain the Liberal minority. That's a harsh judgment for a party that has actually received more votes that the Liberals in each of the last two elections. But it's also a true and fair assessment.

Liberals may have gone to sleep after the results rolled in thinking they got away with one. And in many ways, they did. Sort of.

Trudeau may have won the election, but he absolutely lost the trust and faith of millions of Canadians. And one way or the other, there will be a day of reckoning for that.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
MONTREAL - Thirty-six days after his fateful decision to send Canadians to the polls, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals are poised to secure the most seats in the 2021 federal election but have fallen short of a majority.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau arrives in Winnipeg, Man., on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

MONTREAL - Thirty-six days after his fateful decision to send Canadians to the polls, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals are poised to secure the most seats in the 2021 federal election but have fallen short of a majority.

The Canadian Press forecast that the Liberals were leading in 156 ridings, the Conservatives in 123, the Bloc Quebecois in 29, the NDP in 28 and the Greens in two.

The Liberals enjoyed a healthy lead Monday night as poll results poured in across the country, with signs of hope emerging in Quebec and Ontario after an uncertain kickoff in Atlantic Canada.

Trudeau won his Montreal riding of Papineau, which he nabbed from the Bloc Quebecois in 2008 and has retained since.

At Liberal election-day headquarters in downtown Montreal, the hotel ballroom remained devoid of supporters even after the general outcome was called.

Trudeau lost a cabinet minister in Bernadette Jordan after the Liberal-held South ShoreSt. Margarets riding in Nova Scotia fell to the Conservatives.

Last year, the fisheries minister was criticized over her handling of the dispute involving Indigenous fishing rights in Nova Scotia when a conflict between commercial fishers and Mikmaq fishers escalated and made national headlines.

Maryam Monsef, the status of women minister, was also defeated by a Tory in Peterborough-Kawartha.

Nonetheless, the Liberals were holding on to all four seats in Prince Edward Island. Cabinet ministers Seamus O'Regan and Dominic LeBlanc also retained their seats in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick respectively.

Greg MacEachern, Liberal strategist and senior vice-president at Proof Strategies, said mitigated success in Atlantic Canada matched party expectations, despite a surprise or two.

"It suggests that polls that showed things as tight as they were very accurate. What's going to be interesting is the numbers in Ontario," he said.

Supporters would also be "disappointed," he added, if the party were to lose Fredericton, a seat they snagged from the Greens in June after convincing Jenica Atwin to cross over to the red team.

Trudeau spent the past few days barnstorming the country  hitting four provinces on Sunday alone  and delivering his final whirlwind pitch to Canadians. Over the weekend, the eight-year leader marketed his party as the only one that could stop Erin O'Toole's Conservatives from forming government.

He has dug in against the top Tory on vaccine mandates, gun control, climate change and daycare, leaning on the Liberal record on pandemic management and economic stimulus.

After travelling back to Quebec from Vancouver on a red-eye flight, Trudeau cast his ballot Monday in his Montreal riding of Papineau, with his three children at his side and Canada's 44th election on the edge of completion.

At the Liberals' election night headquarters at a downtown Montreal hotel, Pablo Rodriguez, who was re-elected in Honore-Mercier, said a second consecutive minority government would mark a validation from voters.

"Even if it gives me a minority, its a mandate," he said in French, bathed in the hotel ballroom's red studio lights and backgrounded by a massive screen sporting the Liberal campaign motto: "Forward. For everyone."

"In 2019, the word COVID did not exist in our vocabulary  Today, spend a single day without hearing the word  its impossible," he said, adding that the election rode largely on the issue of pandemic management.

Rodriguez also insisted that a Liberal minority would not mean Trudeau no longer has Canadians' confidence: "Not at all."

The campaign got off to a rocky start in August as opposition leaders hammered Trudeau on his decision to call an election amid a surging fourth wave and on the day Kabul fell to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Conservatives came flying out of the gate, laying out a detailed  though not initially costed  election platform on the first full day of the campaign and precipitating a jump in their polling numbers.

The Liberals struggled to find their footing as they fired off rounds against OToole, hunting for wedge issues that ranged from the spectre of two-tier health care to scaled-back abortion services to gun control  a shot that may have hit its mark when OToole amended his platform on firearms.

Trudeau, maintaining a rapid-fire pace as he criss-crossed the country, sounded off on his partys plan to tackle affordability and inequality with proposals around extended pandemic relief, housing measures and $10-per-day child care.

He also sought to link OToole to the "anti-vaxxer" protesters who hounded his campaign with crass insults and menacing demonstrations. One heckler was slapped with criminal charges after Trudeau was hit with handfuls of gravel as he boarded his campaign bus in London, Ont.

OToole, who denounced the protests and repeatedly said he encourages all eligible Canadians to get vaccinated, has also stopped short of pledging a vaccine mandate for federal employees, saying those averse to a shot can get regular rapid testing.

Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

At the two French-language debates earlier this month, Trudeau sparred with Bloc Quebecois Yves-Francois Blanchet, who hoped to boost his seat count to 40 from 32 in Quebec, beyond the Liberals 35 seats.

The spiciest exchange concerned issues of Quebec identity and representation when an animated  at times flustered  Trudeau turned on Blanchet late in the second debate to tell Blanchet he does "not have a monopoly over Quebec."

A threat to Trudeaus chances in that key battleground emerged a day later during the English-language debate when the moderators question described two Quebec laws as discriminatory, outraging many Quebecers. Blanchet rebutted that the issue of systemic discrimination was a "political tool" wielded to bash the province, prompting a boost for the nationalist party whose purchase had been slipping.

While conventional wisdom held that triggering a snap election would fade as a line of attack within days, opposition leaders daily questioned the rationale behind ushering millions of voters to the ballot box amid an unvanquished pandemic and a minority government that had largely succeeded in pushing the Liberal agenda through Parliament in conjunction with other progressive parties.

Promises to help first-time homebuyers, extend paid sick leave to 10 days per year and stricter tax-law enforcement were met with skeptical questions of why they werent implemented in the past six years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2021.
The NDP incumbent in Winnipeg Centre has won over voters with her commitment to reconciliation and human rights, securing an even greater mandate the second time around.

The NDP incumbent in Winnipeg Centre has won over voters with her commitment to reconciliation and human rights, securing an even greater mandate the second time around.

Cheers broke out at Leah Gazans re-election campaign headquarters on Ellice Avenue, after she was projected the winner of her riding shortly before 10 p.m. Monday.

"This is not mine, this is ours," she told a room of supporters. "This is our win."

The 49-year-old educator and community organizer handily won Winnipeg Centre; as of early Tuesday she had 48 per cent of total ballots cast with 95 per cent of polls having reported.

"Being the (MP) for Winnipeg Centre has been the greatest honour of my life  to represent a community that I love and adore... I wouldn't live anywhere else. I think it's the best riding in the country, and I would debate anybody who has a different opinion," Gazan told the Free Press.

Gazan, a member of the Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, faced opposition from Liberal candidate Paul Ong, a vice-principal who will return to work at a public elementary school in Winnipeg next week.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Leah Gazan, the 49-year-old educator and community organizer, handily won Winnipeg Centre. Gazan had 48 per cent of total ballots cast, with more than 88 per cent of polls reporting around midnight.

"I'm feeling very grounded and calm. I know that we've done our best," said Ong, 32, as he watched results with volunteers at Mangkok International Cuisine on Notre Dame Avenue.

The rookie politician secured approximately 30 per cent of total votes.

Political staffer Sabrina Brenot ran under a blue banner to represent the Conservatives. Bhavni Bhakoo, a multimedia artist, campaigned as a member of the Peoples Party of Canada. The Green candidate was Andrew Brown, a local archivist.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Since taking a leave from the University of Winnipeg to enter politics in 2019, Gazan has made a name for herself as an impassioned speaker, who is an environmentalist, advocate for Indigenous people, and proponent for a guaranteed livable basic income.

She introduced a private members bill in an effort to have the right to a clean, healthy and safe environment deemed a human right in 2019. More recently, she put forward a motion to denounce the Indian residential school system as genocide.

Gazan won 41 per cent of the votes cast in the 2019 election, during which she ousted Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette in a contentious race to win back the riding for the NDP.

Prior to Ouellettes win during a red wave in 2015, New Democrat Pat Martin held the riding for six consecutive victories.

The riding has flip-flopped between NDP orange and Liberal red in recent history.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Oppenheimer donation advances African Future Studies at Wits

The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) has donated R15 million towards the African Future Studies Initiative at Wits University.

The OMT grant will through the African Future Studies Initiative at Wits, fund one Rising Star Fellowship and four postdoctoral scholarships over five years.

Africas complex current problems will influence the future of its development  political, technological, socioeconomic, and environmental challenges continue to hinder continental growth.

These challenges require interdisciplinary solutions engineered by world-class intellectuals to build a hopeful African future.

Africa shows great potential to thrive through cutting-edge research and innovation that will propel its development in the future.

The OMT R15 million grant to the African Future Studies Initiative will capacitate Wits University, as a leading research-intensive university, to tackle some of the challenges in Africa.

The African Future Studies Initiative will, through multi, inter, cross- and trans-disciplinary research, explore human and societal pathways that may exist as possible futures in social, health, political, and economic life.

We predict that the future challenges of the 21st Century will be immense. Yet, universities often flourish in times of flux. Research-intensive universities have an important role to play in galvanising our collective strength to find solutions to these challenges. The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust grant, through the African Future Studies Initiative presents one such opportunity, says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal. We are grateful to the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust for this grant, which will help researchers at Wits to investigate transformative solutions, for good.

Wits University celebrates its centenary in 2022 and the OMT grant will contribute to shaping excellent scholarship in the future.

The OMT grant will support research in four areas that are envisaged to address Africas future prospects:

Technologies: 4IR [the fourth industrial revolution] and the future of work (including data science, Artificial Intelligence, labour trends, the world of work, and the nature of being human) Environments: Climate, contagions, and catastrophes (including global change, public health, and the Anthropocene) Systems: Inequality, democratic futures, and the political economy of the post-Covid-19 world (including social movements, political formations, democratic [im] possibilities, and new global economic configurations); and People: Mobility, migration, and cosmopolitanism (including spatial and city organisation, transnationalism, and the future of the State).

The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust has a long tradition of investing in higher education and building the local academy. Given the ever-changing context we live in, it is imperative that we focus on developing a generation of researchers, scientists and academics that will ensure South Africa remains competitive and relevant in the 21st Century, says Tracey Webster, Chief Executive Officer of the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. The Rising Star Fellowship is a prestigious award attracting the brightest young minds who bring fresh thinking, drive interdisciplinary collaborations, and have demonstrated the potential to be leading academics in the future. We commend Wits University for this timely initiative and we are delighted to be associated with it, says Webster.

A rising star in gender, sexuality and place-making research

Professor Peace Kiguwa in the School of Human and Community Development in the Faculty of Humanities at Wits is the recipient of the OMT grant funded Rising Star Fellowship, effective 1 July 2021.

Kiguwa was awarded for her interdisciplinary research, which spans studies across race, gender, sexuality, identity politics, social movements, and gender based violence.

Her Rising Star Fellowship grant will enable research in place making on how people take geographical spaces and places and make these home as well as research on the politics of gender and sexuality.

This research falls under the People theme of the African Future Studies Initiative, where Kiguwa seeks to investigate how people live and make meaning of their lives.

The questions that I seek to engage include understanding how lives are organised and to what end. I am interested in how people make communities, how systems of influences intersect and align with psycho-social and affective forces to configure livelihoods in particular ways and what the forces are that influence peoples imaginations of the future, says Kiguwa.

About #Wits100

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) is a leading African university ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world. In 2022, Wits celebrates 100 years of academic and research excellence, social justice, and the advancement of the public good. As a leading research-intensive university, Wits is a gateway to intellectual achievement in Africa. In our pursuit of seeking new knowledge, our research output has doubled in the past five years and offers new ways to impact society for good, as well as astounding moonshot moments that give us hope and inspiration. Visit https://wits100.wits.ac.za/. #WitsForGood
The NewsGuild, a labor union that represents thousands of journalists, is investigating the workplace culture of US newspaper conglomerate Gannett, starting with the issue of unpaid overtime work.

NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss sent a letter to Gannett CEO Mike Reed last Friday about the union's plan to launch an investigation and requested the company do the same. The union also called on Gannett, which owns USA Today and more than 260 local publications including The Arizona Republic, the Detroit Free Press and The Indianapolis Star, to agree to other labor protections proposed in the ongoing union bargaining taking place in some of its newsrooms.

The letter came in response to a public conversation on Twitter earlier this month among Gannett staffers and other journalists about unpaid overtime work. Rebekah Sanders, a reporter at The Arizona Republic, tweeted, "Don't work for nothing" after sharing her past experiences with unpaid overtime. Michael Braga, an editor at the paper, endorsed the practice, tweeting in reply, "Every business exploits the young  it's called gaining experience, and I don't regret it one bit."

Schleuss cited this exchange in his letter, saying it prompted other Gannett staffers to share their experiences with unpaid overtime.

"We saw the extremely crass comments by a top editor suggesting that the only way to get ahead in the journalism industry is by working more than 40 hours a week and not getting paid for it. It's totally inappropriate to take advantage and it's illegal," Schleuss told CNN Business. "It comes from a place of a certain kind of privilege."

Braga acknowledged his own privilege when he tweeted an apology a few days later.

"I heard from a lot of people over the past few days with a lot of different viewpoints, and after some serious reflection, I want to sincerely apologize for my comments. I'm sorry for what I posted," Braga wrote. "When I started out in this industry, I was thankfully in a position to be able to get ahead by working unpaid hours, weekends or nights. I recognize that others may not be in that position for a multitude of reasons."

Braga did not respond to CNN Business' request for comment.

A day before Braga's apology, The Arizona Republic Executive Editor Greg Burton emailed the staff about the Twitter conversation and said Gannett was committed to complying with the law in Arizona and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

"No hourly employee is ever expected or permitted to work unpaid hours under any circumstance," Burton wrote.

In his letter, Schleuss asked Gannett to communicate this commitment to all staff and to accept the union's proposals on wages, hours and overtime work. These proposals include paying employees the overtime rate of time and a half for a minimum of four hours if they are called back into work after their shift is over and that they are paid the overtime rate for a minimum of six hours if they are called in to work on a day off, Schleuss said.

"To end this culture of exploitation for the future and repair Gannett's reputation as a place that best-in-class journalists want to work, the company must also agree to reasonable commitments in its union contracts," Schleuss wrote.

Gannett spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton disagreed with the NewsGuild's characterization of its workplace practices.

"Gannett values all our employees," Anton said in a statement to CNN Business. "We strive to provide meaningful opportunities and fair compensation in a very challenging time for our industry and we strongly disagree that there is a culture of exploitation. Quite the contrary, we respect the law and have extensive policies, procedures, and training to ensure compliance with the FLSA and other workplace laws and regulations."

"The company also takes any formal allegations made by current or former employees seriously and we investigate each thoroughly," she continued. "As part of that commitment, Gannett has an ethics hotline or website where concerns may be submitted on an anonymous basis. We see this as just another example of The NewsGuild's agenda to share misinformation as it attempts to organize and expand its membership ranks."

But some Gannett journalists have a fear of retaliation for recording overtime. The Arizona Republic reporter Priscilla Totiyapungprasert told CNN Business that some of the paper's managers have "berated" her when she asked for overtime pay.

"So I stopped asking and stopped logging," Totiyapungprasert said. "It was less emotionally taxing to just not ask for overtime and not go through a whole condescending ordeal that makes you feel like you are doing something wrong."

Anton declined to comment on that matter.

The NewsGuild is planning to create a form on its website for Gannett staffers to share their experiences with unpaid overtime work, Schleuss said.

In recent years, many local journalists have been seeking better workplace protections by unionizing. More than 40 Gannett newsrooms have organized with the NewsGuild, according to the labor union. The NewsGuild represents more than 25,000 journalists and more than 200 media organizations in the US and Canada.

This is not the first time the NewsGuild publicly shamed Gannett for its workplace practices. Earlier this year, the NewsGuild published a pay equity study of 14 Gannett-owned unionized newsrooms that found women and journalists of color are underpaid compared to their peers. Spokesperson Anton at the time accused the NewsGuild of providing outdated information and criticized the methodology.

"There's a lot of issues at Gannett," Schleuss said. "They claim that they're supporting diversity. Well, a lot of people who are taken advantage of most when it comes to unpaid overtime are people of color and women."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
ORISKANY, N.Y. - The union that represents corrections officers at the Oneida County Jail is speaking out.

Local representatives of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees union, or AFSCME, say the jail is so short staffed, that if the county doesn't hire more officers, public safety could be jeopardized.

AFSCME Council 82 Secretary Luis Roman says there are 56 current vacancies at the jail and that means the remaining 144 officers have to work mandatory overtime, to an extreme, to cover all of the shifts, and says they have been doing so for quite a while now.

Roman brought some state officials together on Monday to let them know of their frustrations.

Roman says a large number of officers have left because the amount of mandatory overtime was too much for them and their families and says in some cases, has even contributed to a number of divorces.

He says if something doesn't change, more and more officers will leave, "Policy issues that are going on here at the facility have moved people away from this job. Have it be reduced time off, time away from home, we have to do something or we can keep hemorrhaging. You know we have more and more people from the top or the middle leaving, they don't wanna be here anymore, they don't want to go through what's going on here so we have to do something to help with retention."

Roman says Oneida County was awarded $44 million from the American Rescue Plan to help with paying back county employees who have worked through the pandemic, but says the county has chosen not to use the money for that purpose.

He says $22 million of the $44 million has already come in to Oneida County, "I'm proposing that something is done to get that money to the staff that is going through all of this in the county. To take proactive position on retaining our employees, recruiting the employees. That doesn't seem like it's on the forefront."

We did receive the following statement from Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol Monday afternoon :

"Jail staffing has historically always been a struggle for Sheriffs, although the last two years certainly has been the most challenging with us having as many as 60 full time vacancies just a few weeks ago. I am happy that the hard work of our Community Affairs Unit and our Office Manager hosting several job fairs and attending dozens of community events with recruiting efforts has resulted so far in the hiring of nearly a dozen new employees with more than thirty potential candidates currently having background investigations done along with having their polygraphs and psychological exams being scheduled. I constantly praise and applaud the dedication and commitment of the Corrections Officers who are working these long hours every chance I get and my administration is always open to hear the concerns of officers. As Sheriff I have toured the jail many times, I regularly speak with Corrections Officers on a wide array of topics, and most recently Undersheriff Lisi has met with nearly every Correction Officer to hear any concerns with operations and conditions here at the jail  of which many have already been addressed. My door is always open to any employee to meet with me and countless employees over my eleven years so far as Sheriff have taken the opportunity to do so. I also lobby continuously for better pay and benefits for the members of the Sheriff's Office  both of which are out of my control."

The funding must come from the county.

We contacted County Executive Anthony Picente's office late Monday afternoon, but a spokesperson said the county executive was out of the office all day, but he will be available on Tuesday to follow up.

We will stay on the story.
ROME, NY  A number of Rome parents have expressed dismay with problems their kids are facing when it comes to being bussed to Rome city schools.

At a special school board meeting Monday, officials with FirstStudent - the bus company responsible for making sure students get to and from school safely  addressed those concerns.

The main concern, not only in Rome but nationwide, is a shortage of bus drivers. FirstStudent officials say they have hired new drivers, are in the process of training others, and in some cases, borrowing drivers from other districts. The problem is making sure they have the proper CDL license.

Another concern was some students were not being picked up. Rome Superintendent Peter Blake addressed that issue saying the new buses the district is using are much bigger and might not be able to safely maneuver down some of the city's narrower streets or dead-end streets to pick up students.

Still, other parents say their kids are on the buses for so long that they're not even sure where their kids are. FirstStudent recently launched an app called FirstView that allows parents to track the location of their child's bus. However, says Mike Wilson, a FirstStudent official who spoke at the meeting, its a work in progress.

I'm going to see how it works. If it's not as accurate as I would like to be, I'm going to shut it off and get everything 100 percent accurate. By the end of next week, I should have everything 100 percent. Hopefully sooner. This should alleviate 99 percent of the phone calls coming in.

If you would like to download the app, you can find out how to do so, here.
With a few keystrokes, a Whitesboro High School teacher's finance assignment served to deepen a divide those born and raised in Cornhill say has existed for quite a while.

The sentence, from teacher Eric Paul, said, "you want to get your own apartment, but your mother worries about you and doesn't want you to get shot in Cornhill."

"This is 2021, and I shouldn't have to be explaining why something like this is unacceptable," says community activist, Tyra McKinsey. She and some fellow activists say the lesson being taught that day has nothing to do with finance.

"For the people who state that it's not racism unless there's a racial slur being thrown at us, that's ridiculous. That's ludicrous," says Kimberly Jones. "Just because you don't call us the n word doesn't mean you have not been a racist."

Jones wanted Paul, and others, to know that more than just bullets come out of Cornhill.

"There's so much negativity, every time Cornhill is mentioned, it's always surrounded in negativity. So first, Will Smith, rest in peace to Will Smith, he won with the New Orleans Saints, I believe Superbowl ring, came out of Cornhill., I went to school with will at Proctor. My brother, Ernest Jones, graduated from Utica City School District, went on to Oregon State University to play in the NFL, actually won a Superbowl ring with the Denver Broncos, grew up right here, we grew up on the 1600 block of Miller Street," said Jones.

The four agree: they don't want an apology, they want change.

"I and we are looking to engage the Whitesboro community about language, about history and American racism and the racism that exists in Whitesboro and everywhere else," says community activist, Patrick Johnson.

Johnson and the Whitesboro School Superintendent, Dr. Brian Bellair, have spoken, and plan to meet.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  A Lafayette man is heading to prison after being convicted of felony child molesting. 40-year old Justin Wolma has been sentenced to 50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections.

As News 18 previously reported, prosecutors say one of the victims was a boy under the age of ten. According to court documents, Wolma molested the boy in September of 2020. Prosecutors say Wolma molested a second boy multiple times.

Investigators say Wolma admitted to molesting the second victim between 2012 and 2014.
September 5, 2021, Houston, United States: Protestors march from City Hall to the federal court house in protest of the new state abortion ban in Houston, Texas on Sunday, September 5th, 2021. (Credit Image:  Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press)
Welsh Ambulance Service requests military support as demand and pressures increase

The Welsh Ambulance Service has requested support from the military in a bid to ease some of the pressures being faced ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter.

The trust, along with the wider-NHS, is experiencing significant demand as the easing of coronavirus restrictions coincides with an increase in cases and more people seeking emergency care.

These pressures on the health service are expected to increase over the autumn-winter as it tries to deal with an increasing backlog of operations whilst undertaking the rollout of coronavirus booster jabs and flu vaccines.

A similar demand is being experienced across the UK as the NHS deals with increased demand from the last 18 months.

The Scottish Government has already requested support from the military to help tackle ambulance waiting times in Scotland.

Last week Mark Drakeford said the lines of communication are always open if Wales needs to enlist the help of the military to help reduce demand on the ambulance service.

Today Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, confirmed that the trust is starting to return to some of the arrangements it had with the military at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 200 British Army soldiers have already assisted the Welsh Ambulance Service during the pandemic by driving and decontaminating ambulance vehicles as part of Operation Rescript.

Among them were 90 soldiers from 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, who were enlisted on Christmas Eve at the height of the second wave.

Locally the military were drafted in as part of the response locally to an outbreak of cases at Rowan Foods on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and a pop-up testing facility held in Hightown and Caia Park last summer.

Speaking today Mr Killens said: Covid-19 has presented a challenge like no other, but the last couple of months in particular have meant significant and sustained pressures on our ambulance service.

The Trust is starting to return to some of the arrangements we had in place at the height of the pandemic to better manage the increase in Covid-19 related activity that were feeling the impact of once again.

As part of this, were looking to secure support from other agencies as we have done in the past, including the military, and work has been underway for several weeks to facilitate this, including support with logistical planning in the past week from military colleagues themselves.

This will enable us to get a head start on what we foresee will be a tough winter, especially when you couple Covid-19 demand with seasonal flu and our usual winter pressures, which staff and volunteers across Wales are already starting to feel the pinch of in September.

If the situation begins to improve, we can stand down some of these additional actions, but this is about putting ourselves in the best possible position for winter.
Bus drivers at northwest Londons Brent Cross interchange gave their support to sacked bus driver David OSullivan when he visited Saturday. OSullivan was dismissed by Metroline bus company in February after he cited his rights to a safe workplace under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act.

OSullivan was targeted for warning his colleagues about the spread of COVID-19 at the garage and for demanding urgent safety measures to protect lives.

Under Section 44, employees have the right to remove themselves from a workplace that poses an imminent risk to health and safety. Metroline refused to address OSullivans safety concerns. Instead, they held an internal disciplinary hearing, held largely in OSullivans absence, finding him guilty of disseminating false and damaging information and inciting unlawful industrial action. He was sacked for gross misconduct.

David O'Sullivan speaking with bus drivers at Brent Cross on Saturday

OSullivan is challenging his unfair dismissal and has launched a crowdfund to finance his legal case. The 58-year-old father of four has been a London transport worker for nearly three decades and has a spotless employment record. A preliminary hearing at the Employment Tribunal is scheduled for November 24 with a full hearing due next year.

On January 7, the London Bus Rank-and-File Committee, of which OSullivan is a member, had warned there were up to 12 infections at Cricklewood garage. Its statement called for immediate steps to suppress workplace transmission of the virus. Months earlier, in September 2020, the committee had issued an open letter to Metroline Managing Director Stephen Harris, CCd to Transport for London (TfL) and Unite the union officials John Murphy and Peter Kavanagh, calling for action on safety. Its appeals went unanswered.

The Committees warnings about the risks at Cricklewood have since been confirmed.

In May, the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed there were 46 cases of COVID-19 at the garage between October 2020 and the beginning of January. Updated figures released by Khans office last month shows there were 56 infections at Cricklewood between October 2, 2020 and August 2, 2021.

But the situation at Cricklewood was only the tip of the iceberg. The following list shows COVID-19 infections were rampant across nearly all London bus garages, with a staggering 2,665 drivers testing positive between October 5, 2020 and August 3 this year:

Abellio London, Battersea - 92

Abellio London, Beddington - 33

Abellio London, Walworth - 43

Abellio London (West), Hayes - 6

Abellio London (West), Southall - 31

Abellio London (West), Twickenham - 35

Arriva London North, Ash Grove - 16

Arriva London North, Barking - 13

Arriva London North, Clapton - 41

Arriva London North, Dartford - 54

Arriva London North, Edmonton - 11

Arriva London North, Enfield - 44

Arriva London North, Grays - 14

Arriva London North, Palmers Green - 33

Arriva London North, Stamford Hill - 4

Arriva London North, Tottenham - 36

Arriva London North, Wood Green - 34

Arriva London South, Brixton - 29

Arriva London South, Croydon - 21

Arriva London South, Norwood - 15

Arriva London South, Thornton Heath - 27

Arriva London North, Finsbury Park - 1

Arriva London North, Watsons Road - 0

Blue Triangle, River Road - 115

Docklands Buses, Henley Road - 0

Docklands Buses, Silvertown - 27

London Central, Bexleyheath - 49

London Central, Camberwell - 55

London Central, Morden Wharf Road - 33

London Central, New Cross - 80

London Central, Peckham - 27

London General, Merton - 72

London General, Northumberland Park - 82

London General, Putney - 14

London General, Stockwell - 52

London General, Sutton - 22

London General, Waterloo - 4

London General, Waterside Way - 10

Metrobus, Croydon - 44

Metrobus, Orpington - 67

H C T Group, Hackney Ash Grove - 41

H C T Group, Walthamstow Avenue - 19

Metroline, Brentford - 20

Metroline, Cricklewood - 56

Metroline, Edgware - 22

Metroline, Harrow Weald - 26

Metroline, Holloway - 52

Metroline, King's Cross - 7

Metroline, Lampton - 5

Metroline, Perivale - 12

Metroline, Potters Bar - 51

Metroline, West Perivale - 29

Metroline, Willesden - 32

Metroline West, Alperton - 3

Metroline West, Greenford - 6

Metroline West, Uxbridge - 33

Metroline West, Willesden Junction - 33

London Sovereign, Edgware - 31

London Sovereign, Harrow - 15

London United, Atlas Road - 36

London United, Fulwell - 36

London United, Hounslow - 36

London United, Hounslow Heath - 8

London United, Shepherds Bush - 22

London United, Stamford Brook - 22

London United, Tolworth - 15

London United, Wandsworth - 0

Quality Line, Epsom - 17

East London, Barking - 39

East London, Bow - 80

East London, Leyton - 38

East London, Rainham - 59

East London, Romford - 46

East London, West Ham - 57

Selkent, Bromley - 15

Selkent, Catford - 50

Selkent, Kangley Bridge Road - 13

Selkent, Plumstead - 47

Sullivan Buses, South Mimms - 9

Tower Transit, Lea Interchange - 68

Tower Transit, Westbourne Park - 58

Uno Buses, Hatfield - 15

Total: 2,665 positive tests for COVID-19 [Source: https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2021/1968#a-197210]

The extent of infections prior to October is unknown. TfL did not bother to gather information about COVID cases from bus operators for more than eight months. Even as the death toll among drivers mounted, infections were systematically concealed, a practice that has continued throughout the pandemic. During the first wave of infections, between March and May 2020, 27 bus drivers died. That number has since climbed to 54, with a total of 69 London bus workers dead from COVID-19. Across TfL bus, rail and underground services, 95 workers are dead from coronavirus.

Such carnage is the outcome of policies put in place by the transport companies, TfL, the Johnson government, and Labour Mayor of London Khan, aided by the transport unions, prioritising profit over lives. No-one has been held accountable for these deaths, while workers who speak up and fight for safety have been victimised and sacked.

I hope you win this, a Cricklewood driver told OSullivan on Saturday. This is what Metroline is, and the union work with them. They come down heavy when it suits them as they have a free hand to do so.

He said the company had sought to intimidate drivers from raising concerns and many had been disciplined or sacked for minor issues, Because they are so short of drivers, they are not doing this at present. But we still do not have a voice at all.

We have no masksthe company mask, with the company logo, was given to us a long time ago. We wash them and they wear out, but we are not given new ones. We still have to fight for hand sanitiser as well.

You can see that the government are now vaccinating children, all to keep the schools open to send us to work. We can die and they just get someone else to take our place.

Another driver from Cricklewood greeted OSullivan, explaining he was one of those diagnosed with COVID-19 in January. He explained, I was so, so upset with the company. In January this year I had COVID-19, in the New Year. I had a fever and took the COVID testI was positive so I could not come in. I was off work for 10 days and then returned to work.

A few weeks later I had a holiday, in February, but when I got my holiday pay it was the bare minimum. Because I had COVID, they deducted my holiday supplement, about 25 per day. What they want me to do is to come to work with COVID. The rules are wrong. I had the virus and they said you only get the minimum. I have paid for having the virus!

This is the policy, and this is what the union is worthit was they who agreed to this. We need someone like you, a flag bearer, you are very brave, very brave. I really want to support you for what you do, you fight for us all.

I hope you win. If they lose, they will look very bad and thats why they have this QC [Queens Counsel]. You need to be on the media more. Please let me know what is happening with the case. I will definitely go to the crowdfund and support it.

Members of the Socialist Equality Party also campaigned at Golders Green, with around a dozen drivers signing up for regular updates about OSullivans campaign and for more information from the London Bus Rank-and-File Committee.

A Cricklewood driver later told OSullivan he was shocked to learn of the extent of deaths, That is a lot of people95 TfL staffits criminal, it really is, and that 54 of these are [bus] drivers. All the bus companies are concerned about is the mileage, its drastic that this is happening.

I am the only breadwinner in the family. I have littles ones to protect, so I am always using my mask even when its uncomfortable. I do not want to take the virus home. We are around a lot of people all the time, every day and we have to be safe. The company do give us PPE but not enough. The union does nothing about this, they do not stand for drivers.

In April 2020, Unite the union insisted in joint letters with the companies that face masks were not necessary and have not organised a single strike or other form of industrial action to protect workers lives.

The driver concluded, If all drivers unite, we are strong, and that is what you are trying to do. Your case is strong because you told the truth and you were right and a lot of drivers support you and want you to win, and if you win its going to look bad for them and drivers will rejoice. I support you and want you to win.

We urge workers to get involved in supporting OSullivans fight. His campaign is a test case for the rights of key workers during the pandemic and must become the spearhead of a fight to end the herd immunity agenda being enforced by the ruling class and the pro-company trade unions and Labour Party. Please donate to OSullivans crowdfund appeal and visit the WSWS campaign page for more information. A statement launching the second stage of the crowdfund appeal will be published next week.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted freight transport in Australia and accelerated the major transportation companies drive to outsource and downsize their full-time workforces. Last year, the pandemic was used by management and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) as a pretext to delay enterprise bargaining and freeze wages.

Toll facilities in Burnie, Tasmania (Source: Toll Group)

The continued squeezing of drivers as revenue increases for trucking companies is generating widespread discontent within the transport industry, which the TWU is seeking to diffuse.

On August 27, more than 4,000 Toll drivers walked off the job for 24 hours. This was the first major strike by trucking industry workers after at least a decade of suppression by the union bureaucracy and the first ever mass strike at Toll.

In the three weeks since the strike, the TWU has called no further action at Toll, stating only that more strikes are possible following a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This indicates that management and the union are hoping the lone 24-hour strike, deliberately engineered to ensure minimal disruption to supply chains, was enough to vent workers anger and pave the way for a sell-out deal.

Around 2,000 drivers at StarTrack plan to strike for 24 hours on Thursday to demand equal pay for labour hire workers and caps on outsourcing. In addition, 4,000 FedEx drivers voted last Friday for protected industrial action and a further 2,000 drivers at Linfox and its subsidiary BevChain are also in the process of voting on industrial action.

Major transport companies have seen their revenues spike during the pandemic. Tolls annual revenue increased by almost one third to $6.3 billion for the 12 months to June, while StarTrack, Australia Posts most profitable division, contributed to a 10.3 percent jump in company revenues to $8.27 billion for the same period. Despite this, transport drivers have had to deal with stagnant wages and longer shifts, as well as lost pay due to delays at border crossings and mandatory COVID-19 testing stations.

While the public health measures haphazardly put in place on a state-by-state basis fall far short of what is necessary to eliminate the current Delta variant outbreak, they have left drivers with a more dangerous and stressful workplace.

Drivers who live in the Greater Sydney region of New South Wales (NSW) must get tested for COVID-19 every seven days. Drivers in southwestern and western Sydney are required to get tested every three days.

Most truck drivers are not provided paid leave to get vaccinated. Drivers are also having difficulty finding locations to rest or get a hot meal and a shower, with many truck stops closed or refusing to serve interstate workers during lockdowns.

Now the federal and state governments are preparing to abandon these limited measures in line with the reopening demands of the capitalist ruling class, with the full support of the unions.

The TWU recently wrote to the National Cabinet, a de facto coalition government comprising Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the state and territory leaders, mostly from the Labor Party, urging it to establish a COVID-Safe National Transport Roadmap as part of the ruling elites reopening drive.

The letter calls for the establishment of rapid testing hubs and paid leave for vaccinations. It warns that: Any move to reopen the country without shoring up our health defences risks further debilitating lockdowns, restrictions and economic disruption.

This makes clear that the TWUs call for health defences is not about protecting the health of workers, their families, or the population as a whole, but ensuring COVID-19 outbreaks do not inconvenience businesses or disrupt profits.

In reality, the health situation facing workers in Australia is dire. State governments in NSW and Victoria are preparing to end lockdowns next month, incessantly repeating in the media that the population must learn to live with the virus.

The TWUs utter disregard for the health of its members is in line with the unions response to the July introduction of heightened lockdown measures by the NSW government. The TWU and other unions immediately joined business leaders in lobbying for exemptions, forcing workers back on the job in the states most dangerous coronavirus hotspots.

Even before the pandemic, transport, postal and warehousing ranked as the most dangerous industry in Australia.

Last month, two drivers were killed when their trucks collided and caught fire in the early hours of August 27, the same day as the Toll strike. Preliminary investigations have found that fatigue was almost certainly a factor.

During a three-week period in August, 18 people were killed in road accidents, including five truck drivers.

During the 12 months to June, 159 people died in accidents involving heavy trucks, a 2.6 percent increase on the previous 12-month period.

Many of these deaths are the result of driver fatigue, endemic among workers who depend on constant overtime to make ends meet, and could be prevented if workers health and safety were prioritised over corporate profits.

The road death toll is further fuelled by increased demand on supply chains as lockdowns accelerate the trend towards online shopping and home deliveries. Freight volume is above pre-COVID-19 levels, driven by stepped-up demand for food and household items during lockdowns. 2020 saw a growth in annual retail turnover of $15.7 billion for food and $9.5 billion for household goods.

There has been a boom in parcel delivery as part of the shift to online shopping, reflected in Australia Posts record $8.3 billion revenue. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows total online sales averaged an annual rise of 65 percent from March 2020 to January 2021.

Rather than taking on more full-time workers, transport companies are meeting this increased demand by outsourcing jobs to companies which pay contractors less than their full-time staff, creating a two-tier workforce and eroding permanent jobs.

Insecure work is increasing in virtually every industry, leading to workers having to work multiple jobs. ABS figures show the number of Australians with at least two jobs has grown to 32.6 percent.

The rise of insecure work at the major transport companies has been facilitated by the TWU, which has enforced successive enterprise agreements permitting the use of casual, contract and outsourced labour. The union has suppressed any opposition to this destruction of pay and conditions, ensuring it could be carried out unchallenged by any mass industrial action over the last decade.

The TWU is promoting illusions in the official parliamentary system through its call for the reintroduction of an independent road safety tribunal, a toothless mechanism originally established by the Gillard Labor government in 2012 and abolished in 2016 by the Turnbull Liberal-National administration.

The tribunal was supposedly in place to investigate safety and regulate payment arrangements to reduce financial pressure incentives on drivers, however, when the tribunal recommended a small increase in drivers wages it was swiftly dismantled.

The TWU seeks to have this tribunal reinstated as a means to dictate pay and conditions bureaucratically, bypassing industrial action under conditions of mounting anger throughout the trucking industry and the working class more broadly.

The TWUs current show of phoney militancy is not just a reaction to growing discontent among drivers, but an attempt to stem a continuous decline in union membership. ABS figures show that union membership among transport, postal and warehousing workers has dropped from 51.9 percent in 1994 to 19.9 percent in 2020.

Transport workers must reject the TWUs cynical claims to be fighting for job security. The dangerous and insecure conditions currently facing workers are the direct result of successive union-management EAs allowing for increased use of casual and contract labour and the destruction of permanent full-time jobs.

Under Australias draconian Fair Work laws, introduced by the Labor Party and enforced by the unions, most of these workers are not allowed to take part in protected industrial action, and serve as a ready source of labour to mitigate the impact of strikes by permanent workers.

A serious struggle for improved health, safety, pay and conditions in the transport industry requires a conscious break with the TWU and the formation of independent rank-and-file committees. Through a network of these committees, workers can connect with their brothers and sisters across company lines and national borders, throughout the transport sector and the working class more broadly, and take up the necessary fight, not just against management but against Australias draconian industrial laws and the capitalist profit system.
The Socialist Equality Party (Canada) held a successful meeting entitled Canadas pandemic election, the resurgence of working class struggle and the fight for socialism on Saturday. The event took place two days ahead of Mondays September 20 federal election.

The meeting, held in both English and French, was co-chaired by Roger Jordan and Richard Dufour, two leading SEP members and writers for the World Socialist Web Site. The platform of speakers included: Keith Jones, SEP (Canada) National Secretary; Joseph Kishore, National Secretary of the SEP in the United States; Laurent Lafrance, a Quebec educator and member of the Cross-Canada Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (CERSC); and Christoph Vandreier, Deputy Chairman of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International.

Jordan placed the meeting in the context of the rampaging global pandemic, rapid shift to the right within the ruling elite, and upsurge of the class struggle in his opening remarks. We have justly characterized Mondays poll as a pandemic election, he told the online audience. Over 27,300 Canadians have officially fallen victim to the pandemic, but the true figure is closer to 50,000. All official parties agree on the homicidal strategy of mass infection and death, as can be seen by the opening of all schools in every province in recent weeks.

In his opening report, Jones provided a comprehensive analysis of the election campaign, which he said was unfolding amid an unprecedented crisis, and stressed that the coming period would see a dramatic intensification of class struggle. Canada is now being roiled by its fourth wave of mass COVID-19 infections and death, a wave that was well underway when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recklessly plunged the country into a pandemic election, Jones remarked near the beginning of his speech. The virus emergence was a biological event. But the global pandemic is a social crime and crime against humanity perpetrated by the worlds capitalist elitesabove all the capitalist oligarchs and their political representatives who rule the North American and European imperialist powers.

Jones outlined the profits before life strategy that has guided the Canadian ruling elites pandemic response. This consisted of keeping schools and workplaces open as much as possible to ensure corporate profitability and providing hundreds of billions of dollars in public funds to the super-rich to protect their wealth. Rather than fighting the pandemic, the energies of the political establishment were focussed on organizing bailouts for the capitalist elite, with the Trudeau government and Bank of Canada, to take but one example, funneling $650 billion into the financial markets and coffers of corporate Canada, explained Jones. Ever since, their overriding concern and aim has been to resume the extraction of profit from working people at full tilt, in accordance with the mercenary mantra, first popularized by the New York Times and then taken up by Trump and governments around the world that the cure must not be worse than the disease.

He pointed to the growth of working class resistance around the world to the ruling classs murderous agenda. From India, Colombia and Brazil, where mass struggles have erupted against social inequality, state repression and moves to outright dictatorship, to North America, where workers are mounting militant strikes against decades of wage, job and benefit cuts, the working class is increasingly asserting its independent class interests, said the SEP national secretary.

Jones stressed that these struggles must be united and transformed into an independent political movement of the working class for socialism.

Jones also addressed the campaigns of all the major parties, which have been dominated by support for the pandemic policy of mass infection and death and backing for a major military build-up. He emphasized the thoroughly deceitful character of the campaign waged by the New Democrats, who have posed as critics of the Trudeau and denounced him for catering to the super-rich after playing the key role in propping up his Liberal minority government for the past two years.

The speech included a sharp warning to workers about the growing threat of a military conflagration with China. On August 14, that is the day before Trudeau called the election, the US and Canadian defence ministers signed an agreement to modernize NORAD, the Canada-US aerospace and maritime defence agreement, for a new era of strategic competition, that is preparations for war with China and Russia, Jones stated. That this has not been the subject of any comment during the election campaign only underscores that it enjoys all party support.

He explained that the threat of war arises from the crisis engulfing US imperialism, which he termed a decrepit power. The repeated debacles the American ruling elite has suffered, from the 2008 financial crisis through the collapse last month of the Afghan puppet regime it expended vast amounts of blood and treasure sustaining for two decades, also constitute, Jones emphasized, an existential crisis for the Canadian bourgeoisie. For the past eight decades, Ottawa has relied on its military-strategic alliance with Washington to uphold and advance Canadian imperialisms predatory interests around the globe.

In his speech, the US SEP leader Joe Kishore addressed the growth of the class struggle in the United States and the collapse of American bourgeois democracy.

He pointed to the scale of death from the pandemic, noting that the US recently surpassed the grim milestone of one in every 500 inhabitants dying from COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic both arises out of and is enormously intensifying a thoroughgoing crisis of the entire social and political order in the United States, said Kishore. This past week, revelations from a forthcoming book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa detail the efforts by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to avert a conflict with China staged by Trump as part of his efforts to remain in power. This included a meeting in the days following Trumps January 6 coup attempt of top military officers in which Milley instructed them not to launch a nuclear weapon without his authorization. Such is the state of American democracy.

Only eight months ago, the president of the United States sought to orchestrate a fascistic insurrection to stop the transfer of power and establish a personalist dictatorship. The Democrats, while covering up the seriousness of the danger, left the outcome of the conflict in the hands of the military and intelligence agencies. Not only has no one been held accountable for the coup attempt, but Trump himself is busy building up his personalist movement, holding rallies to denounce the election as stolen and telling meetings of police officers that if he were back in charge there would be free rein for law enforcement.

Turning to the growth in class struggle, Kishore pointed to efforts by workers at Volvo Trucks in Virginia and Dana auto parts across the United States to organize a struggle against corporate-dictated concessions independently of the pro-employer trade union apparatuses. In both cases, the workers have established rank-and-file committees in recent months with the support of the SEP. There is a palpable level of anger, a desire to fight, in the working class, continued the speaker. The bill for the decades long growth of social inequality, facilitated by the trade unions, is coming due

The development of a movement in the working class must develop, and in fact is developing, as a rebellion against the corporatist trade unions. In the United States, the unions are functioning as nothing more than labor contractors, overseeing slave labor conditions amidst an expanding pandemic. The teachers unions have played the central role in enforcing the reopening of schools, with the head of the American Federation of Teachers travelling the country to try to convince parents to ignore the science and endanger the lives and health of their children.

Addressing the meeting in French, Lafrance outlined the reasons why educators and other workers from across the country came together to found the CERSC in March 2021. He pointed to the growing anger among teachers over the lack of safety measures in schools, and the reckless pandemic reopening policy pursued by every government across the country.

Teachers are ready to fight these policies, Lafrance declared. But they lack the leadership to bring the science and a class struggle political perspective to workers. This is what our committee is all about. Among our demands are the closure of schools and a transition to distance learning with all the necessary technological support, as well as the immediate cessation of all non-essential production, with full financial compensation for workers. These two key measures must be part of a global strategy to eliminate and eradicate COVID-19. Scientists have convincingly demonstrated that these measures, combined with rigorous contact tracing, case isolation, temporary lockdown, travel bans, and a vaccination campaign, could eradicate COVID-19 within two to three months. The resources for all these measures exist, but they are being hoarded by the rich and super-rich.

In the concluding speech, Vandreier, who is the lead candidate for the SGP in Germanys federal election on September 26, explained how the political situation confronting workers in Germany is similar to that in Canada. Workers face a ruling elite ruthlessly prioritizing corporate profits over human life; encouraging the growth of the far right; trashing social programs; and rearming for war. Germanys Dax stock exchange has risen by 60 percent. The ten richest Germans have increased their wealth by 35 percent to 242 billion dollars during the pandemic, Vandreier explained. And now, after workers have been forced into unsecured jobs and risked their lives, they are expected to bear the financial burden of the crisis. Companies and the government are launching a general attack on workers rights.

In remarks highly relevant to a Canadian audience given the prominent role played by right-wing extremist forces around the Peoples Party of Canada during the election campaign, Vandreier drew a connection between the explosive growth of militarism and the strengthening of the far-right internationally. With its course for war against Russia and China, the German elite is picking up directly where it left off in the last century, when it twice reduced the world to rubble, the SGP deputy chairman explained. With the upsurge of militarism, with the profit-before-life policy and the social attacks, all the fascist filth of the past is also being spewed up again. Such ruthless policies in the interests of the super-rich are incompatible with democratic rights for the people.

That is why the ruling class is increasingly relying on authoritarian and fascist forces. Trumps coup attempt on 6 January was a warning in this respect. Even the oldest Western democracy is collapsing. This has not changed under President Biden, who represents the same Wall Street interests as Trump and preaches unity and reconciliation with the Republican leaders who supported and connived in the coup attempt.

In Germany, this development is particularly advanced. The police, army and secret services are riddled with right-wing terrorist networks that are covered up by the highest levels of the state. Despite the countless terrorist attacks, the leaders and backers of the fascist networks are still at large.

Vandreier also dealt with the growth of worker opposition to these policies in Germany and throughout Europe. We declared at the beginning of the election campaign that we were running to give the growing opposition to right-wing policies a voice and a perspective, he said. And we have done that day after day. Already when the WISAG workers at Frankfurt airport protested against wage theft and dismissals, we organised international solidarity and declared that an international and a political struggle is necessary to defend their jobs.

Vandreier also noted the support given by the SGP to striking nurses in Berlin, train drivers across Germany, and educators and students opposed to the dangerous reopening of schools.

In the discussion period that followed the speeches, speakers responded to queries about the role of electoral politics, and the SEPs analysis of the new US-led war alliance against China involving Britain and Australia. Jones and Kishore also rejected any orientation to pressuring the New Democrats or unions to the left, citing the experience of Jeremy Corbyn in the UK to show that social democracy is a right-wing tool of big business.

Concluding the meeting, Jordan stated that the speeches had painted a picture of a crisis-ridden bourgeois order around the world. But the capitalist crisis is also giving rise to another process, the radicalization and political awakening of the international working class, he added. The decisive question now is to provide these struggles with the political leadership that is indispensable to secure their victory. This requires the building of the Socialist Equality Party as a mass socialist party of the Canadian and international working class. As Lenin and Trotsky insisted throughout the Russian Revolution, it is only through the medium of a party that workers can be made conscious of the historical and political tasks they confront, and intervene as an independent political force into social, economic, and political life.
The struggle of Dana Inc. auto parts workers against sweatshop conditions, low wages and 84-hour workweeks is entering a critical stage.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) and United Steelworkers (USW) have responded to Dana workers 90 percent no vote on their proposed five-year contract by keeping workers on the job for 34 days past the expiration of the old contract. Union officials have ignored the overwhelming strike votes by workers. Instead, they have kept 3,500 workers on the job, producing profits for a company which has refused to budge an inch on workers demands for decent wages and working conditions.

There is no doubt that the UAW and USW officials have assured the Dana bosses and their corporate customersFord, GM, Stellantis, Caterpillar and John Deerethat there will be no strike. They all know any disruption of the flow of axles, drive shafts and other critical components into their assembly plants would quickly force them to halt operations.

Instead, top negotiators UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada (2020 salary $220,506) and USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap ($153,498), who are working from the comfort of their luxurious homes, are forcing Dana workers to endure inhuman levels of overtime, accidents and unsafe conditions and the spread of COVID-19 cases in their plants and communities. In the meantime, they are keeping workers in the dark, lying to them about future negotiations and extending the old contract indefinitely.

The UAW and USW are trying to convince workers that they are powerless and must accept whatever the company demands. But the exact opposite is the case. Dana workers have never been in a better position to fight the company and win their demands.

Just-in-time delivery

In the 1980s, the auto companies introduced just-in-time and lean manufacturing processes to cut costs, slash tens of thousands of jobs and squeeze the maximum amount of profit from auto and auto parts workers. Instead of employing the workers and paying the costs to warehouse parts, the just-in-time system depended on the continuous delivery of small quantities of components, which are used within minutes of arriving at an assembly plants loading docks.

The whole system depends on a dependable supply chain of uninterrupted production, relentless speedup and ever-greater exploitation, overseen by the slave drivers of the UAW and USW. The introduction of two-tier wages and temp jobs, the gutting of health and safety and the abolition of the eight-hour day have enriched people like Dana Inc. CEO James Kamsickas, who makes $10 million a year, as well as the leaders of the UAW, who have accepted bribes from the companies in exchange for enforcing their demands.

If the workers cannot be bossed around by pro-management unions, then the whole corporate strategy, which has worked so well for so long for the corporations and Wall Street, can suddenly become their greatest weakness.

The Harvard Business Review recently warned that just-in-time delivery gives the working class in each factory far too much power. Because of the increased interconnectivity of the global supply chain, strikes by a relatively small group of workers can bring entire industries to a standstill. Harvard Business Review notes:

Manufacturers in most industries have turned to suppliers and subcontractors who narrowly focus on just one area, and those specialists, in turn, usually have to rely on many others. Such an arrangement offers benefits: You have a lot of flexibility in what goes into your product, and youre able to incorporate the latest technology. But you are left vulnerable when you depend on a single supplier somewhere deep in your network for a crucial component or material. If that supplier produces the item in only one plant or one country, your disruption risks are even higher.

The vulnerability of the auto industry has been revealed by the microchip shortage. Because of the spread of COVID-19 and public health lockdowns demanded by workers in Malaysia, Taiwan and other countries, GM, Ford, Toyota and other companies have been forced to shut down dozens of plants.

Model changeover

Dana is especially vulnerable to a strike right now because many plants are engaged in model changeovers and modifying their machines and production lines for the new 2022 vehicles. Dana workers at Warren, Michigan; St. Clair, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Dry Ridge, Kentucky, report that they are currently engaged in these changeovers. This process usually takes three to four weeks and leaves Dana and the Big Three automakers in an extremely vulnerable position. If workers strike and halt production before these changes are completed, the rollout of the new models could be severely delayed.

One Dana worker with nearly 20 years of experience explained, We must understand how important and how critical this time is for Dana due to the model change. We have to understand how affected the company would be if production stopped. If all of us walk out, they are in a bind. Model change is when you can hurt them. This is the perfect time to hit the company hard. In 3-4 weeks, this will be over, and they can run new parts. Then they will cut our hours, there will be no overtime pay, and our income will go way down.

Big Three shifting to critical plant status

The global shortage of microchips has forced the Big Three automakers to shift their available supplies and manpower over to their most profitable models. Thousands of incomplete vehicles are also being stored with plans to install microchips when supplies arrive. It is one thing to build a car or vehicle without a microprocessor. It is quite anotherand impossibleto assemble one without axles, driveshafts or gaskets.

Last week, the UAW and Stellantis announced that they are imposing a mandatory seven-day work schedule for all workers at the 7,000-worker Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) near Detroit, where the highly profitable Ram 1500 pickup truck is produced. By directing so much labor to these highly profitable vehicles, the corporation is rolling the dice that it can keep rolling the trucks off the assembly line. This only deepens the industrys reliance on parts from Dana right now. Workers at Danas Auburn Hills, Michigan, plant produce the Ram 1500s driveshafts, and workers at the Dry Ridge, Kentucky, plant manufacture the Dana 60 rear axles for the 1500.

Gasket shortage at Danville, Kentucky

Dana is even more vulnerable because the company has not been able to sufficiently speed up production of gaskets, without which no vehicle can be assembled. Workers at Danas Danville, Kentucky, plant report that the company is having a very difficult time producing enough gaskets to meet demand.

Shortages in steel and graphite mean the company has not been able to stockpile this critical part, which is required for all vehicle production. This, in addition to worker shortages caused in part by the spread of COVID-19 throughout the plant and in part by low wages, means that one of the Danville buildings is a year behind on orders, while another building is at least a month behind.

Workers need a strategy for victory

There is such a thing as historical retribution. For decades, the capitalist corporate owners have been able to strip the working class of gains won over generations of struggle and turn the clock back to the 19th century, when workers were little more than industrial slaves. Today, sweatshop conditions not only exist in Mexico, India and China; they exist in Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana, including in union shops like Dana.

All over the US and the world, workers are saying enough is enough when it comes to falling living standards and rising prices, the theft of pensions and health care, and the criminal response to the pandemic, which has sacrificed lives for corporate profit. In the US, there is a growing wave of struggles by teachers, nurses, coal miners, carpenters and other workers who are fighting not only the corporations and the corporate-controlled political parties but the bought-and-paid-for unions. In Germany, train, hospital and airport workers are engaged in struggles, and workers at Danas plant in Essen, Germany, have expressed their solidarity with their brothers and sisters in the US.

Dana workers can and must transform an understanding of their profound industrial power into action. This means breaking the stranglehold of the UAW and USW, expanding the Dana Workers Rank-and-File Committee (DWRFC) and reaching out to the workers at the Big Three automakers, Deere & Co., Caterpillar and their fellow parts workers at Lear, Magna, American Axle and other corporations in the US and internationally.

Many Dana workers are saying, Strike while the iron is hot. In fact, the iron has never been hotter. A real struggle can and must be led by the workers themselves. This requires organization. Workers should join the DWRFC and build rank-and-file strike committees at their plants to share information, outline their demands and prepare for collective action.

To contact the Dana Workers Rank-and-File Committee, email DanaWRFC@gmail.com or text (248) 6020936.
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic into more remote regions of Australia reveals the criminal neglect of both state and federal governments toward regional centres, and, in particular, remote indigenous communities.

These communities confront an ongoing crisis, including substandard living conditions, poor access to healthcare and basic essentials, and especially to affordable food.

Location of Enngonia [Google Maps]

Australian governments have abandoned any responsibility for the appalling situation in these regions, and for the accelerating spread of the pandemic within them. This is sharply exposed in Enngonia, a small community in far northwestern New South Wales (NSW), where residents are desperately trying to survive with only limited food and medical supplies since COVID-19 lockdowns were imposed.

The concerns of the community have fallen on deaf ears. This has prompted relatives, who reside hundreds of kilometres away, to attempt to coordinate access to food and medicine and demanding government authorities act.

The World Socialist Web Site spoke to the Eulo familyEbony, Kiara and Phillip Eulowho live 700 kms (435 miles) southeast, in Maitland in the Hunter Valley. They have attempted to break the isolation the communities face and to make the extent of the crisis known, by appealing for resourcesvia a Go Fund Me pageto raise funds for food for the community.

The WSWS spoke to Ebony, Kiara and Phillip Eulo, about the crisis in Enngonia.

Kiara, Phillip and Ebony Eulo (right) [Photo supplied]

We got word a couple of weeks ago [the last week of August] to say that Auntie Judy had been taken into Dubbo hospital because she tested positive to COVID. This alarmed us, as we were hoping this virus never would get out to the western area of NSW, Ebony said.

Currently there are 25 people infected in a town of approximately 149 people. The prevalence of the virus in Enngonia is higher than in the larger far western NSW town of Wilcannia, one of the first remote regional towns to see infections from this latest wave, which originated in Sydney in July.

We received phone calls from other family members who were in distress. They didnt understand what was happening, because there was a need to isolate the town and go into lockdown, but it would have been really scary for this community. On top of this, when youre told to go into lockdown, and youre 100 kilometres away from the place where you need to go shopping for food and get medical supplies, you now cant do that, Ebony said.

Enngonia has no supermarket and the local pub supplies basic groceries at inflated prices: a litre of milk is $4.00, a loaf of bread $6.00. This forces many to travel to Bourke, 100 kms away, to shop where prices are cheaper. There are limited motor vehicles in the town, however, and there is no public transport between Enngonia and Bourke. Moreover, community health services are very limited, requiring travel to Bourke for healthcare. A doctor travels from Bourke once a fortnight to treat those residents who need care. There is no post office, no bank and no fuel stations.

Oasis Hotel in Enngonia [Wikipedia]

Ebony went on to describe the seriousness of the situation. She was receiving phone calls from Enngonia relatives, who were in distress about the fact that no food was available, under conditions of the lockdown orders.

I thought this was just not good enough and I took it upon myself to write emails to the local mayor and also to the member of parliament in the region. I also sent emails to Woolworths and Coles [supermarkets in Bourke] to find out how to organise a donation or a drop of food out there, or anything like that. I set up a messenger group on Facebook, with community members out there and elders and members elsewhere from the community.

Ebony asked the community what it needed, considering the urgency of the situation in the absence of any government help, and if they were interested in a Go Fund Me page.

Weve got to get food out there somehow. That is what we usually do when we go out there but this is not allowed due to the current COVID [lockdown] restrictions. So I put it out there, and they were all for it, so we wrote a blurb together and accepted it and put the Go Fund Me page out to the wider world, she said.

The response to the page has been overwhelming. The initial of goal $1,000 was quickly exceeded, Ebony increased it to $5,000 and it is currently over $10,000, a clear measure of the significant concern for the community.

One comment posted reads, I am donating because I am appalled by the lack of care our governments have shown to outback, remote and indigenous communities. They have allowed COVID to spread to our most vulnerable. Shame. Shame. Shame.

Enngonia township [Wikipedia]

The family, however, ran into trouble when local police saw the page and decided that the request for funds was fraudulent. The police also told the family that they could not bring food into the community while it was in lockdown. The police just outside Enngonia also prevented food being provided, they asserted, to contain the infections spread.

I found out the coppers name and rang him, Ebony explained. He said, Ive looked into it [and] I dont think its fraudulent but theres no way youre going to be coming out here to bring food. The other option was to set up accounts with vouchers at IGA [supermarket] where there is not a lot of food. Even last week the Bourke IGA was closed due to COVID.

Philip Eulo said, We got this money from Go Fund Me. Youd be very surprised at the number of people that chipped in, and we have the money sitting there and we want to know how we get the food out there and everywhere we went we got pushed back.

The food hampers that eventually came into the town, however, were woefully insufficient.

The hampers that they are supplying have things like green tea and Chai latte, dry biscuits and tins of tuna; food that our mob doesnt eat and no fresh meat, Ebony said. The only fresh vegetables available, we were told, were four potatoes and two carrots for a family of two adults and five kids, so there wasnt enough food.

I phoned the local council and the woman there had told me they were pantry boxes, and they were to last one person for two weeks. The distribution of this food, therefore, was dependent on the number of people in your house. But no one in the community has said theyve received more than one box. Theyve been getting one box per house, not one box per person.

There was another drop-off of food at this time, which included sausages and mince. No one was told about it and so the dogs got to the meat. There was no communication the food had arrived. They didnt even beep the car horn or call beforehand. Another example of poor communication in the community.

Access to medication, for Enngonia residents with chronic health conditions has been a bigger challenge and a further indication of the neglect we face. There is no pharmacy in Enngonia and medications have to be sourced from Bourke.

Philip told the WSWS, My brother Dudley rang up about his meds as he hadnt had his medication for three or four days and neither had his wife. They needed diabetes and heart medication.

Numerous calls were made to the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) in the region, the Bourke hospital, including appeals to NSW Health workers in Enngonia, doing COVID testing in the community, who were attending the town daily, to rectify the problem. Eventually medication arrived, after we did all this ringing around about five days later, Philip said.

AMS has kept information from Enngonia residents, treating them like children, Ebony said. These are full-grown adults, with families and children and their own homes. They should be well informed, and have this information, exactly like the rest of Australia has this information, regarding resources and support. But this little community has been completely cut off, she added.

State and federal governments have essentially left regional indigenous communities to fend for themselves, while police enforce lockdowns. The lack of preparation exposes government claims that the vaccination of indigenous communities was a priority. This neglect disregards the well-documented high prevalence of co-morbidities in the indigenous population, rendering them more vulnerable to hospitalisation and death, due to the virus.

Last week Wendy Spencer, Dharriwaa Elders Group CEO told a NSW parliamentary inquiry that the governments lack of engagement with Aboriginal health services was shocking.

We cant really understand why police and the army are the ones that are resourced to be responding to a public health emergency, and it leads to potentially really disastrous consequences down the track. Law and order policies have been used to contain the problem. Spencer told the inquiry, People being issued with huge public health order fines for example.

Dr. Peter Malouf, Executive Director of Operations, Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW, told the hearing that there had not been a meeting between state health authorities and Aboriginal community health services to discuss public health responses and restrictions.

The lack of vaccination planning in the community further exposes the callous neglect of the state government. This is particularly notable when governments fraudulently suggest that vaccines are the only answer to the pandemic, while demanding the economy be rapidly reopened and profits maintained.

Kiara Eulo told the WSWS that vaccination only began in Enngonia after Ebony started making calls. This is really disappointing, considering they should have been out there in February this year, she said.

The most recent death in the region was an elder from Enngonia, Kiara continued. This should never have happened. We were last out there in July. Everyone was fighting fit. With the national vaccination roll-out plan we were meant to be one of the first, and this did not happen. This was supposed to happen in February this year.

Overcrowding in indigenous communities, due to limited and poor housing conditions, significantly increases spread of the virus. Pat Turner, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation chief told the Australian last week: What we are seeing in western NSW is a crisis within a crisis. Turner warned governments in March that once the pandemic reached these regional communities it will hit us like a wildfire.

Aboriginal people have been bearing the brunt of overcrowded housing for decades. The Commonwealth has essentially wiped its hands of responsibility, and the federal-state partnerships that have been struck, well, theres not enough accountability to the people, she said.

The COVID crisis has further exposed the federal governments Closing the Gap policy, that supposedly aims to reduce inequality between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. These include priority areas, such as early childhood, schooling, health and healthy homes. This program has done nothing to prevent the dangerous social conditions which help feed transmission of the deadly disease.

Australian governments, Labor and Liberal alike, provide billions for the military and war, directing money away from public health and other vital services, while boosting private, for-profit health care.

The coronavirus pandemic is exposing an economic system in breakdown. The catastrophic situation in Enngonia is a sharp manifestation of that facing working class and poor communities in Australia and globally.

The Socialist Equality Party calls for the formation of rank-and-file committees, in workplaces and communities, to combat the pandemic and governments that place profits over human life. The alternative is the unity of the working class internationally, for the socialist and scientific planning of society, which includes universal access to health care, housing and food, and the international eradication of COVID-19.
Video footage and photographic images of US Border Patrol agents herding Haitian migrants as though they were cattle triggered widespread revulsion across the United States and internationally Monday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

The footage, taken by photographers for the Associated Press, Reuters and AFP, showed the crackdown ordered by the Biden administration against more than 10,000 Haitian migrants who have gathered under a freeway underpass on the outskirts of Del Rio, Texas, a border town 145 miles west of San Antonio.

Several reporters described the actions of Border Patrol agents mounted on horseback as using the reins of their horses to threaten migrants who had waded across the Rio Grandewhich is exceptionally low at this point. The El Paso Times reported Monday that an agent swung his whip menacingly, charging his horse toward the men in the river.

The refugees assembled in a makeshift camp under the freeway bridge on the US side of the river have been crossing back into Mexico to get food and other supplies, rather than risk crossing through lines set up on the US side of the camp by the Border Patrol and Texas state police, who would arrest them and ship them off for immediate deportation.

Border Patrol agents began riding on horseback along the river in order to cut off those, mostly men, who have gone back to Mexico for supplies, and prevent them from rejoining their families. In some cases, desperate migrants dropped the food and water they were carrying on their heads into the river, in order to make a dash for the US side.

The Border Patrol began mass deportations of the Haitians on Sunday, taking 3,300 migrants into custody and sending more than 400 back to Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital. The remainder of this group were divided between El Paso and San Antonio, to await imminent deportation with flights set to continue from both cities to Haiti.

Acting Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz said all the Haitians remaining in Del Rio would be removed by the end of the week. Over the next 6 to 7 days our goal is to process the 12,662 migrants that we have underneath that bridge as quickly as we possibly can, he said. What we want to make sure is that we deter the migrants from coming into the region so we can manage the folks that are under the bridge at this point.

Flights to Haiti will be ramped up to a total of seven a day, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, the largest city in the north of Haiti, giving the airlift a capacity of about a thousand people a day. Other refugees are to be deported to Mexico and Central America.

The images of border agents herding Haitian migrants were only the most overt expression of a US government policy that is savage in every aspect. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency controls the Border Patrol, arrived in Del Rio Monday to oversee the mass repression, accompanied by a small army of 600 additional agents.

In a press briefing in the border city, he reiterated the Biden administrations position that the migrants would not be allowed to file for asylum, which is their right under international law. Instead, they would be rounded up and immediately deported under Title 42, a legal provision that allows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to declare a public health exceptionthe coronavirus pandemicto justify emergency action.

Title 42 was initially invoked by the Trump administration as part of its all-sided war of repression against migrants attempting to cross the USMexico border. Biden made a pretense of criticizing this savage policy during the presidential election campaign, but has embarked on a policy that is no less brutal and anti-democratic.

After a federal judge issued an order September 16 barring the use of Title 42, the administration immediately announced it would appeal. In the meantime, given a 14-day stay of the order by the judge himself, the Biden administration is moving rapidly to deport all the Haitian migrants during that two-week window.

Most of the thousands of Haitians at Del Rio are not recent immigrants from Haiti. They fled in 2010 after the massive earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left much of the country in ruins, migrating to Brazil, Chile and other parts of South America in search of economic and physical survival.

As a result, many, perhaps a majority of those being shipped back to Haiti, have little knowledge of the home country to which they are being forcibly returned. Most of the children were born or grew up in South America, and are more fluent in Spanish or Portuguese than in Haitian Creole or French.

The older migrants have not been back to the country of their birth since 2010. But they know Haiti remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere, ravaged by recent hurricanes and a second major earthquake, as well as rampant political violence culminating in the recent assassination of President Jovenel Moise. The economic downturn and coronavirus pandemic have led them to seek to enter the United States, where many have family members or hope to find work and safety.

The Biden administration regards the brutality on the border as a public relations problem to be managed by its spin doctors. Thus, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the images of the Border Patrol agent herding migrants through the river were horrible to watch. I dont think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate.

The violence is, however, in pursuit of the policies decreed by the White House. The US government closed the border at Del Rio on Sunday, and the Border Patrol agents were acting to enforce that closure.

For all the phony handwringing in front of the national media, there will be no change in policy toward the migrants, or any diminution in the everyday violence by the Border Patrol thugs, who only a few months ago gave their full-throated support to Trump, who appeared regularly at Border Patrol functions to applaud their most ruthless actions, and was endorsed for reelection by their union.

The conditions within the Del Rio camp are appalling. Several pregnant women are trapped there, and at least one gave birth at the site, was taken to a hospital in Del Rio and then returned with her newborn infant to the camp. Reporters saw one woman collapse within sight of National Guard troopsdeployed at Del Rio to reinforce the Border Patroland troops slowly approached and carried her away.

The temperature in Del Rio hit 105 degrees Fahrenheit Monday, falling only to 100 degrees by nightfall, with a low temperature of only 80 overnight, putting many of those trapped there in danger of heat stroke.

Meanwhile, the Mexican government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Sunday it would join the United States in the immediate deportation of Haitians. A government officials said there would be deportation flights from the Mexican side of the US border and from along the Mexican border with Guatemala, where another large group of Haitians remains.
The New York Times plastered across the front page of its Sunday edition a lengthy report on the assassination last November 27 of Irans top nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The report describes in excruciating detail how this state killing took place and establishes that it was an operation jointly organized by Israel and the United States.

Scene of the assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh [Credit: Fars News Agency via AP]

The Times piece, based on information fed by high-level state sources and two intelligence officials familiar with the details of the planning and execution of the operation, is provocative in the extreme.

The report is one more verification of the normalization of assassination as state policy. While the US government has long utilized the CIAand Israel the Mossadto carry out such killings, in the past these were operations that relevant agencies declined to either confirm or deny. Now they are the subject of public boasting.

That the corporate media, with the Times in the lead, is a full partner in this shift is made clear in the report on the Fakhrizadeh assassination. One can search the article in vain for words like legal or illegal, much less state terrorism. There is not a single passage suggesting even the mildest criticism of the flagrantly criminal act it describes.

Instead, it celebrates the long record of Israel methodically picking off the experts thought to be leading Irans nuclear weapons program, while sympathetically describing the tactical challenges in carrying out these terrorist murders.

Since 2007, its agents had assassinated five Iranian nuclear scientists and wounded another.  Israeli agents had also killed the Iranian general in charge of missile development and 16 members of his team, the Times reports.

When it comes to the method used to assassinate Fakhrizadeh, shot multiple times by a remote-control machine gun operated by an Israeli aiming the device from 1,000 miles away, the article adopts an obscene tone that could be mistaken for a sales pitch from an arms manufacturer.

The operation, it states, was the debut test of a high-tech, computerized sharpshooter kitted out with artificial intelligence and multiple-camera eyes, operated via satellite and capable of firing 600 rounds a minute.

The souped-up, remote-controlled machine gun now joins the combat drone in the arsenal of high-tech weapons for remote targeted killing. But unlike a drone, the robotic machine gun draws no attention in the sky, where a drone could be shot down, and can be situated anywhere, qualities likely to reshape the worlds of security and espionage.

The worlds of security and espionage is a cowardly euphemism for the practice of state terrorist murder. Fakhrizadeh, one of Irans most prominent scientists, was gunned down driving his car, with his wife beside him, as he was headed to Tehran to teach a university class. There is no evidence to support the claims by nuclear-armed Israel that he was some mastermind of an Iranian bomb. In fact, both UN weapons inspectors and US intelligence agencies have concluded that Iran abandoned any program in support of nuclear weapons development at least as early as 2003.

The article, which provocatively mocks the efforts of Iranian security to protect Fakhrizadehs life, sends a clear message to Tehran: This is what we did before, and this is what well do again. What are you going to do about it?

The Times reports that the assassination was plotted by the Israeli government and its Mossad spy agency in collaboration with high-ranking American officials, including President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the C.I.A. director, Gina Haspel.

It pointedly states that Both countries were encouraged by Irans relatively tepid response to the American assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the Iranian military commander killed in a U.S. drone strike with the help of Israeli intelligence in January 2020. In other words, one criminal assassination set the stage for the next.

Both Washington and Tel Aviv recognized, nonetheless, that the assassination could provoke a war in which Israel would depend upon US military support.

The Israeli government of President Benjamin Netanyahu, bent on permanently upending the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord and preventing any US return to it under an incoming Biden administration, welcomed the prospect of war.

Trump, whose Middle East policies were the most closely aligned with those of Israel in US history, had unilaterally abrogated the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 and had his own reasons for courting a military confrontation.

At the end of November 2020, after losing to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump was already engaged in a feverish campaign to overturn the results of the presidential election. Just two weeks before the assassination, Trump had met with his national security cabinet to propose an air strike on the main Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, using as a pretext Irans increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium, which violated no international law nor provided any evidence of pursuit of a bomb.

While his advisers talked the US president out of committing such a monstrous war crime, it was abundantly clear that Trump was searching for a provocation to justify war. There was a threat that he could exploit a provoked military confrontation with Iran as a justification for nullifying the election results and imposing martial law.

So why are the Times and its well-placed state informants raking over the coals of the Fakhrizadeh assassination today?

Relations between Washington and Tehran have grown increasingly tense. While Iran had initially expressed optimism that the Biden administration would carry through on its promise to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, it has thus far taken no significant steps in that direction, instead maintaining punishing US sanctions in place and insisting that Iran roll back its increases in enrichment and stockpiles of uranium built up in response to Washingtons unilateral abrogation of the agreement. Washington is also reportedly pressing Tehran for further concessions on its conventional missile program, as well as demanding that it surrender influence in the broader Middle East, bowing to the US drive for regional hegemony.

For its part, Israel has issued increasingly bellicose threats against Iran. Earlier this month, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid accused Tehran of building a bomb, stating: The world needs to stop Iran from getting a nuclear capability, no matter the price. If the world doesnt do it, Israel reserves the right to act.

Washington increasingly views Iran through the prism of its escalating buildup toward military confrontation with China and the strategic imperative of securing US domination of the Middle East, which provides much of Chinas energy imports. Just last week, Washington slapped fresh sanctions on Chinese companies accused of trading with Iran. Chinese firms are the main customers for Irans petrochemical exports, and Beijing has rejected Washingtons unilateral sanctions regime.

Under conditions of mounting international tensions, there are doubtless bitter tactical divisions within the US ruling establishment of how closely to align with Israel and how aggressively to confront Iran. The Times article may well have been planted with the aim of tipping the scales, provoking a confrontation or laying the groundwork for staging an incident that could then be used a pretext for armed action.

Like his predecessor, Biden, in the face of the humiliating US defeat in Afghanistan along with a growing domestic political and social crisis, may also welcome the prospect of a confrontation with Iran as a means of diverting internal pressures outward through military violence.

Whatever the case, the Times piece on the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh represents a damning, if unintended, exposure of the criminality of US imperialism, which confronts humanity with the escalating threat of war.
On Monday, New York Citys Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio unilaterally announced that unvaccinated children who are known to have been exposed to COVID-19 in classrooms will no longer be required to quarantine. Although the mayor said he would increase testing from once every other week to once weekly, still only an inadequate ten percent of all students will be tested and only those students whose parents sign a consent form.

Students, teachers, administrators and counselors listen as principal Malik Lewis, foreground, second from left, teaches them a history lesson at West Brooklyn Community High School, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

These moves come just one week after schools reopened in the largest district in the US with roughly 1.1 million students. They will undoubtedly accelerate the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, which is already surging through the city, among children and in their communities. Since July 7, the seven-day average of daily new cases in New York City has skyrocketed from 188 to 2,094, an eleven-fold increase.

Across the US, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths among children have risen dramatically as a result of school reopenings. On Monday, the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) announced that another 225,978 children were officially infected with COVID-19 last week and 20 more children died. Since July 1, a staggering 1.47 million children have been infected, 4,561 have been hospitalized and 145 have died.

Coinciding with de Blasios announcement, the DOE posted a notice on its website Monday that read, Beginning on Monday, September 27, we will no longer close an entire classroom when there is a positive case. Unvaccinated students who are wearing face coverings and have maintained at least three feet of distance from a student who tests positive will not be considered close contacts and will not have to quarantine. Previously, in an already dangerous practice, only vaccinated children did not have to quarantine.

In a statement, de Blasio told the media: We saw enough quarantining that we thought this is something we want to get ahead of, and make sure that only those who really need to quarantine are quarantining.

The reduction of the quarantine protocols was widely denounced on social media by educators and parents who have seen firsthand that a three-foot distance between children is impossible in most New York City schoolrooms.

One educator from Queens tweeted, Friends, if this isnt reason for NYC parents and teachers to join together in a general strike, idk what is.

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which claims to represent New York City educators, tweeted, We strongly disagree with the mayors plan to limit the quarantine process to only some children. This is the most naked hypocrisy. The UFT has been a driver, and not simply a bystander, of reopening schools at every stage of the pandemic, even before vaccinations were available. It has suppressed every attempt by its members to organize sickouts or strikes, acting in lockstep with the Democratic Party establishment in New York in reopening schools in order to send parents back to work.

The UFT statement was met with disgust from educators, with one tweeting, You guys only believe in your biweekly membership dues, nothing else. You dont do squat for us! Another added, If you care about our students or teachers, this policy wont be accepted. Are you even trying? Why does the mayor feel so comfortable unilaterally changing terms?

The response of the UFT can only be understood as an effort at damage control designed to dampen opposition to school reopenings by educators and parents. The first week of classes in the city was a disaster. Already one school in East Harlem, PS 97, which provides instruction for special education students, has been closed by the city health department because of COVID-19 infections. With only 10 percent of students tested district-wide, already 592 have tested positive for the virus, while an additional 384 staff have tested positive.

Exact figures have not been released, but many parents have boycotted the reopening of schools by not sending their children back to school at all. For those that have returned, they have found that even the most basic mitigation measures promised by the DOE were a farce.

One middle-school teacher in Brooklyn described to the World Socialist Web Site what thousands of others are now experiencing, saying, My classes are full. Its physically impossible for the students to be three feet apart. And that goes for just about everybody in the building.

She added, PPE is a joke. I have 300 students. Im just given this tiny thing of hand sanitizer and six masks for a month. I heard of other teachers who did not go get their PPE on the first day of work. When they went on the second day and told the administration, Oh I missed my opportunity. I was busy in a meeting, they were told, Were out. Too bad. So they have absolutely nothing for the kids.

The kids cannot keep their masks on, and I spend most of class period saying, Pull your mask up. Your nose is showing. And thats with the regular classes. With special ed classes the kids take their masks completely off and I have to spend the entire time convincing them to put them back on.

Describing the unscientific testing policy adopted by the district, she said, Today we found out that our school wont get tested until this Friday. Who knows how many non-symptomatic kids we have in the building spreading COVID at this moment?

The opening of New York City schools is the capstone in a ruling class program to send workers back to work and put their children in school across the US regardless of the consequences.

The nationwide reopening of schools has accelerated the sickness and death of both adults and children. The situation has been most catastrophic throughout the South, where thousands of outbreaks have taken place in schools across Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and throughout the region. Last week, the West Virginia Department of Education reported 90 outbreaks of COVID-19 in the states schools and over 750 confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff, faculty and students.

In Kentucky, school age children are getting infected in greater numbers than any other age group. Recently released statistics show that at least 33 school employees have died of COVID-19 in the state since 2020. At least 14 Tennessee public school staff have died from the disease since the school year started, and in Georgia, the figure is 35 faculty and staff. Two weeks ago, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed that 60 percent of all COVID outbreaks in the state occurred in K-12 schools.

These horrific figures, the product of the complete lifting of all mitigation measures in pursuit of herd immunity, will be reached at a more gradual pace in other parts of the US that have adopted limited mitigation measures such as mask-wearing.

The wave of infections in schools throughout the US has produced a national shortage of school bus drivers and a transportation crisis. In an August survey of trade associations for school bus transportation, 51 percent of respondents described a lack of drivers as severe or desperate, with 78 percent responding that the situation is worsening. In Massachusetts, the National Guard has been activated to drive buses. In New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has downgraded the requirements for obtaining the commercial drivers licenses necessary to operate school buses.

One New York City school bus driver with over 20 years of experience remarked on the situation: What kind of drivers will they be getting? They dont really care. It seems nice what they say they are doing but they are just jerking people around. They try to get people who are retired but for $17 an hour they can only get those who are desperate.

In New York City, as across the US, opposition to in-person learning is enormous. Many educators and parents are calling for walkouts and strike action. In response, a wing of the Democratic Party and of the trade unions, including the UFTs Movement of Rank-and-File Educators (MORE) faction, have promoted a so-called remote option whereby parents would be able to choose individually to keep their children at home.

This individualist policy only applies to parents who can afford to stay at home with their children, while working class parents would be forced to send their children into schools under economic duress, exacerbated by the Biden administrations cutoff of supplemental unemployment insurance earlier this month and the scrapping of the eviction moratorium.

The New York City Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, in conjunction with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), has advocated a general strike to close all public schools and universities and implement high-quality remote education. The committee has raised the demand for financial support for parents who must stay home with their children.

What is necessary is a common fight to close all K-12 schools, universities and nonessential workplaces, in combination with a mass vaccination campaign, universal testing, contact tracing, isolation of infected patients and other public health measures, as part of a broader strategy to eradicate COVID-19 on a world scale. This strategy will not be implemented by the political establishment or the trade unions, but must be fought for by the working class itself organized in independent rank-and-file action committees.
The UN General Assembly is opening today in New York City under the shadow of the sudden announcement last week of the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) alliance targeting China.

Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS watch a music video on the General Assembly Hall monitors during a meeting on Sustainable Development Goals at the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (John Angelillo/Pool Photo via AP)

Three-quarters of a century ago, the UN was founded on the claim that, after two catastrophic world wars, the victorious Allied powers would outlaw aggressive war. Article 1 of its Charter pledged effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace. It affirmed on December 11, 1946, the finding of the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals, that planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression are crimes punishable by death.

The founding of the UN and the post-World War II settlement in fact resolved none of the essential contradictions that had led to the world warsabove all, that between world economy and the nation-state system, dominated by a handful of ruthless imperialist states. The UN went on to approve countless imperialist atrocities, from the carpet-bombing of North Korean cities in the 19501953 Korean war, to the wars NATO launched in Libya in 2011.

As the capitalist and Stalinist regimes of the postwar era hailed the UN as a guarantor of world peace, only the Trotskyist movement warned that opposition to war and the attack on democratic rights was impossible without a struggle against capitalism and was the task of a revolutionary movement for socialism in the working class.

The Fourth International in 1945 branded the UN a new thieves kitchen, echoing Lenins condemnation of the UNs predecessor, the League of Nations formed after World War I, that failed to halt Europes descent into fascism and the eruption of World War II. Citing verbatim Lenins warnings to workers about the League of Nations, it called the UN a group of beasts of prey, who only fight one another, and fakery from beginning to end.

These lines aptly describe the debased proceedings getting underway in New York. The public will not be spared the usual humanitarian rhetoric, of course. In his report, unveiled on September 10, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeals for world unity. Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, with at least 4.7 million confirmed deaths, he laments official paralysis on the pandemic and global warming, the rise of unchecked inequality, and the incalculable social and environmental damage that may be caused by the pursuit of profit.

None of the major imperialist powers make any pretense, however, that they do not use murder and aggressive war as routine tools of statecraft. Indeed, the divisions between the imperialist powers, including among the former Allied victors in World War II, have never been greater. The presidents of three of the five UN Security Council powersEmmanuel Macron of France, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of Chinaare absent, as the US war drive against China provokes one of the deepest diplomatic crises since the end of the Cold War.

The AUKUS alliance, prepared for months behind the backs of the EU, led Australia to suddenly cancel a 56 billion order for French diesel-electric submarines and instead buy US nuclear subs, able to patrol for long periods off Chinas coastline. Beijing denounced the agreement as extremely irresponsible, as it seriously damages regional peace and stability, intensifies the arms race, and undermines the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Yesterday evening, European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen officially joined Paris in demanding formal explanations from Washington. One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable, von der Leyen told CNN. We want to know what happened and why.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who will represent France at the General Assembly in Macrons absence, warned: We see the rise of an Indo-Pacific strategy launched by the United States that is militarily confrontational. That is not our position  We dont believe in the logic of systematic military confrontation, even if sometimes we must use military means.

Engaging in systematic military confrontation, in plain language, means preparing for war. The conflicts over profits and strategic influence now erupting among the NATO powers are driven by the imminent prospect of a global US war with Chinaabetted by Britain and Australiawaged in a bid to maintain US imperialisms world primacy in flagrant violation of international law.

Thirty years after the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, which bourgeois propagandists hailed as opening an era of world peace, the major powers are again tobogganing eyes closed towards catastrophe. Their war preparations against each other testify to the impossibility of fashioning any coherent international policy to address critical world problems like the pandemic or global warming within the framework of the capitalist nation-state system.

Mobilizing and coordinating humanitys resources to resolve any of the great problems confronting mankind requires building an international movement in the working class, independent of the national capitalist governments and union bureaucracies. A critical task of this movement is to oppose the accelerating drive of world capitalism towards new imperialist wars, notably targeting China.

The line-up of criminals attending the UN proceedings this week provides yet another illustration of the political degeneration of the entire capitalist order.

The first speaker today will be Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro, who is boasting of his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and campaigning for a coup by the Brazilian military. He is joined by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a leading figure in AUKUS and in opposing a scientific fight to eradicate COVID-19, infamous for declaring: No more f*cking lockdownslet the bodies pile high in their thousands.

There will be Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a friend of Le Drian, who halted two years of revolutionary struggles by the Egyptian working class by a bloody military coup in 2013shooting thousands of unarmed civilians in cold blood in the streets of Cairo.

US President Biden appears with blood on his hands, after US officials admitted at least 10 innocent civilians including seven children were murdered in a US drone strike in Kabul on August 29. He is at the center of the reactionary AUKUS intrigues targeting China.

The preparation of the AUKUS alliance has gone hand-in-hand with a vicious press campaign, also led by Washington, suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic is caused not by a naturally-occurring virus, but of a virus created in a Chinese lab. This slander, which has no support among credible scientific authorities, amounts to war propaganda falsely blaming the now nearly 2 million dead in North America and Europe on China.

Blame for the horrific COVID-19 death toll lies above all with the NATO powers, which opposed such scientific policies as an intolerable restriction on corporate profits. As a result, the collective wealth of the worlds billionaires has exploded by 60 percent, from $8 trillion to $13.1 trillion, while workers and youth were sent into unsafe workplaces and schools.

The degraded spectacle set to unfold at the UN General Assembly is a historic warning to the working class. The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a trigger event, vastly intensifying the crisis of world capitalism and exposing the inability of the ruling class to devise any progressive, common solution to the urgent international crises of today. That task falls to the working class, fighting to build an international movement against war, for a scientifically-guided campaign to eradicate the coronavirus, and for socialism.
As COVID-19 continues to spread through Spain, the coalition government of the social-democratic Socialist Party (PSOE) and the left populist Podemos party is campaigning to downplay the risks of the virus, calling for its normalization.

In a recent speech to a meeting of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology, Fernando Simon, director of the Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES), and one of the PSOE-Podemos governments key advisors during the pandemic, made this policy clear. Presenting measures such as lockdowns as an overreaction to a relatively benign disease, Simon likened Spains pandemic response to shooting a fly with a bazooka.

People walk along a boulevard in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

At the start of the pandemic, Simon stated, We knew very little, we knew that it was very serious, but we didnt know how serious. Its true that we had to take drastic action so that our health system did not collapse, but if we had had the information then that we had later, we could have organised a more direct response.

Speaking on the current so-called fifth wave of the virus, he said: Its very likely that Spain will not have any more major epidemiological waves. There could be a sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth wave, but they wont be like the others.

The situation now has nothing in common with what we were seeing before, the CCAES director claimed. There could be another ripple [of the pandemic] in some specific groups, but the situation in Spain, right now, is very favourable, making it possible, bit by bit, to normalize the situation.

Simons speech epitomises the Spanish ruling elites utter disregard for the lives of workers and youth, who will continue to get sick and die in these sixth, seven, eighth and ninth waves. His calls to normalize the situation amount to an acknowledgement that the PSOE-Podemos government aims to let the virus spread unchecked. In this, it is in the company of the bourgeoisie the world over, which is demanding that workers learn to live with the virus, that is, to accept mass death from a preventable disease as an inevitable part of life.

Throughout the pandemic, Simon has been one of the most reliable spokespeople for this herd immunity policy. Last November, as infections reached their highest numbers since the spring, Simon appeared in a press conference for the Ministry of Health to insist that no lockdown would be implemented, even if it could save thousands of lives.

What we have right now in Spain is not a [stay-at-home] lock-down, and this will probably not be necessary, he stated. If we carry out a real and full confinement and nobody leaves their house for any reason, within around 15 days we would have this under control, or perhaps within a month. But this is impossible. There are people who need to work, to buy things, who need to leave Total confinement is impossible.

If the objective is to completely eliminate transmission, he added, forget it, it is impossible.

Spains Constitutional Court is also reportedly planning to declare unconstitutional the second state of alarm in Spain, which lasted from October 2020 until May 9 this year. The state of alarm is the juridical mechanism used to impose health-related restrictions, such as lockdowns.

The Courts announcement comes in the wake of a previous ruling on the COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed from March to June 2020, which were also declared unconstitutional. The legal challenge to both states of alarm was brought by the far-right Vox party. While the second challenge will not be officially voted on by the 12 Court judges until October, right-wing magistrate Antonio Narvaez has drafted a statement declaring that measures imposed to combat the pandemic during this time exceeded the remit of the October-May state of alarm.

The two judgements are the Spanish ruling elites pledge to allow no let-up in the herd immunity policy they are pursuing together with the entire European bourgeoisie. No matter how many new waves of the pandemic might engulf Spainand regardless of how many thousands more needless deaths may occurthe ruling class insists that there will be no return to the lockdown measures forced upon it by a continent-wide wave of wildcat strikes in March and April last year.

In his efforts to downplay the virus and campaign against necessary health restrictions, Simon has aligned himself, like the PSOE-Podemos government for which he speaks, with Voxs reactionary and criminal anti-lockdown policies.

Simons statements and the two legal rulings come under conditions in which the virus is far from under control in Spain. Many hundreds of people continue to die each week from COVID-19, and tens of thousands are infected. With the reopening of schools at the start of this month, cases will likely shoot up further, as millions of children are herded back into unsafe and overcrowded classrooms, taking the virus home to parents, grandparents and other family members.

Children and adolescents continue to be among the worst affected by the fifth wave of the pandemic, with significantly higher rates of infection reported among 1219-year-olds than among the population as a whole. As of 13 September, the incidence rate per 100,000 people among this age group was 154.45, and 149.56 among under-12s, nearly double the rates reported among 6069 and 7079 year olds.

Spanish authorities consider any rate above 150 high risk, so that by the Spanish ruling elites own metric, all groups under 19 years of age are in a high risk position.

The PSOE-Podemos government allowed the virus to let rip over the summer, leading to spiralling infections and over 4,000 coronavirus deaths. Despite the constantly repeated adage that children dont get COVID, 315,000 under-19s have been infected with the virus since June 20. Of these, 1,900 were hospitalized, 91 were admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and seven died, according to Spains National Epidemiological Centre.

Millions of children and youth remain unvaccinated, putting them at heightened risk of contracting the virus and getting seriously ill. Only slightly more than half of 1219-year-olds in Spain have received both required jabs of the vaccine, with some regions having full vaccination rates of only 29 percent among this age group. Those under the age of 12 are not eligible for immunization, and remain completely unprotected from the virus.

The PSOE-Podemos government has proven utterly hostile to a scientifically-guided policy to eliminate the pandemic and save lives. Like the ruling class across Europe, it has placed corporate profits and the wealth of a super-rich elite above all else, seeing tens or even hundreds of thousands of deaths as simply the acceptable cost of doing business.

EU funds have bailed out banks and large companies to the tune of hundreds of billions of euros, while workers have been forced to continue working in unsafe factories, schools and offices and have died in droves from the coronavirus. The same herd immunity policies have prevailed across Europe, more or less openly, no matter the nominal political colouration of the party in power.

The whole experience of the pandemic points to the necessity of the working class taking matters into its own hands, breaking with all of the parties of the bourgeoisieincluding its pseudo-left props like Podemos. This means building independent safety committees in workplaces and schools to fight the spread of the disease, and developing sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) in Spain, across Europe and internationally.
Russias elections to the State Duma (parliament) this weekend were overshadowed by the rapid resurgence of COVID-19 and a deepening social crisis. Because of the pandemic, the election was held over the course of three days, from Friday through Sunday, and it was possible to cast ballots online.

Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual live call-in show in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 30, 2021. (Sergei Savostyanov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The ruling United Russia party, which is closely associated with President Vladimir Putin, won with close to 50 percent (down from 54 percent in 2016) of the vote. This will give the party a two-thirds majority in the parliament. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) was able to capitalize to some extent on growing social and political discontent and received about a fifth of the vote.

There were widespread reports of ballot rigging, and employees of state-owned enterprises, including many industrial workers, were forced to vote. Despite these measures, however, voter turnout stood at just 52 percent, a sign of growing popular hostility toward all the established political parties.

The KPRF has already declared that it will not recognize the result of the online vote. Online ballots were only counted on Monday, and they tipped the vote significantly in favor of United Russia.

In the run-up to the election, the Kremlin cracked down heavily on the liberal opposition gathered around the imprisoned Alexei Navalny. Navalny, who is backed by US and German imperialism, was arrested early this year and sentenced to over two years in prison.

Two weeks before the election, Russia summoned the US ambassador over alleged election interference. The Kremlin indicated it had undeniable proof of US-based tech companies violating Russian laws in the lead-up to the elections, without specifying the allegations or the evidence.

Navalny and his staff, based on the so-called smart vote strategy, called upon people to cast their ballots for any candidate that was the most likely to defeat a rival from United Russia.

In many places, this meant that the Navalny team recommended candidates of the Stalinist KPRF. The KPRF is notorious for its anti-immigrant and Great Russian chauvinism and, to this day, staunchly defends and praises the worst crimes of Joseph Stalin. Following the line of Navalny, the Pabloites of the Russian Socialist Movement also backed KPRF candidates.

Apart from United Russia and the KPRF, three other parties will also be represented in parliament. The far-right Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), headed by the anti-Semite and chauvinist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and the Just Russia Party both received about 7.5 percent of the vote. The Novye Liudi (New People) party, which was only recently established by Alexei Nechaev, the CEO of a cosmetics company, got a little over 5 percent. The LDPR, as well as Just Russia and the KPRF, have functioned for over two decades as a loyal opposition to the Putin regime, working to channel social and political discontent in a right-wing direction.

Russias stock market reached a record high on Friday as the elections began, even as cases and deaths surged and the economy remains mired in crisis.

The election was marked by an almost complete black-out of the burning social issues affecting the working class, above all, the COVID-19 pandemic. Several parties, including United Russia, signed an agreement with the Kremlin, obliging their candidates to not make any statements on the pandemic.

Cases skyrocketed again over election weekend, reaching daily numbers of over 20,000 on both Saturday and Sunday. In Moscow, which has the highest levels of vaccination in the country, numbers also rose once more to above 2,000 per day. The resurgence of the pandemic comes as a fourth wave that brutally hit the countrys population in the summer has barely concluded. At least 790 people have died each day for weeks now, with a daily record of 820 deaths in late August. In July alone, so far the deadliest month in the pandemic for Russia, over 50,000 people officially died from COVID-19.

Amid widespread vaccine hesitancy, only 27 percent of the population of 140 million are fully vaccinated, and just 30 percent have received at least one dose. Almost all restrictions have been lifted on the federal level. The Kremlin has left it to regions to implement limited measures on a local and ad hoc basis.

The principal driver behind the new rise in infections is the reopening of schools and colleges on September 1. Since then, hundreds of classes and schools have been closed across the country because of outbreaks among students and staff.

Last week, 80 classes in 58 schools were closed in the region of Novosibirsk alone. According to the deputy health minister of the region, Yelena Aksenova, cases rose by 46.2 percent with close to 60 percent of them among children. Even before the schools had reopened, Russian officials acknowledged that half a million children had contracted the virus in the previous year and a half.

Russian officials have also indicated that the Mu variant of the virus, also known as B.1.621, has now been detected in the country, without providing figures as to how widespread it is. The WHO recently designated the Mu variant as a variant of interest, which could be more resistant to vaccines.

Russia has now recorded a total of over 7.214 million cases, and 195,835 deaths. The real number of deaths, however, is believed to be far higher, by up to a factor of five. This would bring the true death toll close to 1 million people. A major reason for the high death toll, apart from the total lack of adequate public health measures and low vaccination rates, is the catastrophic state of Russias health care system. Thirty years after the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism, the countrys hospitals are completely dilapidated, underequipped and understaffed.

Social inequality, which has been rising, and deteriorating living standards were issues of primary concern for Russians leading up to the election, according to polls. Real wages in Russia have declined for years, with the first quarter of 2021 reporting the largest quarterly decline in real wages (5 percent) since 2009. While the pandemic and economic crisis have resulted in income losses for the vast majority of Russians, the number of Russian billionaires swelled from 99 to 117 in 2020, and their collective net worth rose dramatically, from $385 billion to $584 billion, according to Forbes .

The parties that competed in the elections are virtually all run by this very class of multibillionaires and millionaires. Andrei Gorokhov, a leading candidate for United Russia, reportedly has an income of $256.8 million, Andrey Kovalev, a prominent member of Just Russia, has an income of $91.6 million, and Alexei Nechaev, the founder and leader of the New People party, has a reported income of $60.1 million. By contrast, the monthly average salary in Russia is just $802, with millions earning significantly less.

In an indication of the enormous social crisis in the country, on Monday, a mentally ill student at Perm University killed at least six people and injured another 28. The shooter was injured by the police and is reportedly now hospitalized in critical condition. Just earlier this year, in May, a 19 year old gunned down nine people in his old school in Kazan, among them seven children.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) intensified its campaign against Australias new anti-democratic electoral laws with a well-attended online public meeting on Sunday September 19. Those logging in came from across Australia, as well as from New Zealand, Britain and the US. Many were attending their first SEP meeting with numerous enthusiastic chat messages and several deciding after the event to apply to become electoral members.

Streamed live on Zoom, the event was addressed by Oscar Grenfell, national convenor of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) and SEP national committee member; SEP National Secretary Cheryl Crisp and Eric London, SEP (US) national committee member and a leading writer for the World Socialist Web Site.

The detailed reports and the lengthy Q&A discussion can be watched in full below. Those determined to fight the governments reactionary laws will be ably equipped in this struggle if they assimilate and use the analysis presented at the meeting. We urge readers to widely share the video on social media and other online platforms.

Sundays meeting was the first in a series of events by the SEP to mobilise workers, students and others against the so-called Electoral Legislation Amendment (Party Registration Integrity) Bill 2021. The amendment was rushed through federal parliament with Labor Party support late last month amid a virtual media blackout and behind the backs of the population.

Under the new measures, political parties without a seat in parliament, including the SEP and 35 others, must submit a list of 1,500 members to the Australian Electoral Commission, triple the previous requirement, before December 3. If they fail to do so they will be deregistered and unable to stand candidates in federal elections with their party names on ballot papers. The new laws, which are a blatant attempt to prop-up the discredited establishment parties, are part of an escalating assault on basic democratic rights around the world.

SEP national committee member Mike Head, who chaired the meeting, pointed out that the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) now has the power to de-register parties that have names such as socialist or communist, if a previously registered party has claimed that label. The SEP is demanding the repeal of these laws and the removal of all restrictions on the right of parties and individuals to run in elections, he said.

SEP National Secretary Cheryl Crisp told the meeting that the new laws did not come out of the blue. This attack, she said, could only be understood within the context of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, and last Thursdays announcement that Australia was joining AUKUS, a provocative new military alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom directed against China.

The US, with Australia and Britain at its flanks, is spearheading a military confrontation with a nuclear-armed rival and the Australian population is being placed at the front lines of such a conflict, Crisp said. This extraordinary decision, she continued, was not discussed in the Australian and UK parliaments, or the US Congress before being announced.

It was not put to the Australian population during an election. It was not reported by any government official or media outlet. No one was given a say in this. This is the method of rule which characterises this country and governments internationally, she added.

Crisp denounced the AECs power to reject party registration submissions if the organisations name contained a word used by an already registered party, unless written consent is provided.

The fact there are at present three registered parties with the name socialist means that the first registered, which appears to be Socialist Alliance, can prevent the other two from standing under a name which in the case of the Socialist Equality Party has been used for almost 50 years.

The capitalist state has in this case effectively deputised Socialist Alliance with the power to strip the SEP of the use of its name. The SEP has already declared it will not veto the use of the word socialist, which is a principle, and calls on all other parties to do the same. To date Socialist Alliance has not responded, Crisp said.

The speaker reviewed other attacks on democratic rights, warning that these are a prelude to war. The descent into war, she continued, could only be prevented by mobilising the international working class on a revolutionary socialist program to put an end to the capitalist system now threatening the very existence of mankind. The SEP was the only organisation advancing this perspective, Crisp said, appealing to all in attendance to join.

Oscar Grenfell said, Its no accident that one of the Australian ruling elites most significant attacks on democratic rights coincides with the deepest medical and political crisis of the past eighty years, and the open adoption by capitalist governments of policies that can only be described as homicidal.

Grenfell gave a detailed exposure of the criminal response to COVID-19 by Australian governmentsstate and federal, Liberal-National and Laborand their international counterparts, who have all opposed measures to eradicate the deadly disease, instead declaring that it was necessary to live with the virus.

The fight against Australias electoral laws, he continued, was inseparable from the fight to mobilise the working class in defence of health, safety and for a scientifically-grounded program aimed at eradicating COVID.

Grenfell reviewed the desperate state of Australias public hospital system, the dangerous situation facing health workers, the growing hostility of teachers who are being told to return to unsafe schools and face-to-face classes and industrial action taken by other sections of the working class.

The emerging movement of workers and young people faces major political issues. Experience has demonstrated that not a single step forward can be taken within the straitjacket of Labor and the unions The unions are using the pandemic to take their decades-long collaboration with governments and the employers to new heights and are now collaborating in the drive to lift lockdowns, he warned.

The fight for the social rights of the working class, including to health and life itself, requires new organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees in all the schools, hospitals and factories, Grenfell said. The fight against the pandemic is also the fight to build a socialist movement of the working class, and why these laws must be defeated and the SEP registered so we can advance this perspective as widely as possible, he concluded.

Eric London began his remarks by wondering what the great American author and satirist Mark Twain would have made of the Australian parliaments cynical explanation as to why prior state approval is not required for parties seeking registration to use the word democratic, as opposed to words like socialist.

Imagine what Twain would have thought, London said, of the legislations claim that the word democratic has a unique position as being directly related to the intrinsic function of all Australian political organisations even as the government declared that only one party could use the word socialist in its name.

In the twenty years since the events of September 11, 2001, the world has heard a lot about the glory of capitalist democracy, London said, before reviewing the bloody human toll unleashed against millions around the world by US imperialism.

Through their criminal wars, the US ruling class, with the active participation of the ruling classes of Britain and Australia, has sucked the last domestic life out of whatever remained of their home democracies before the wars began he stated.

The United States claims for itself the power to assassinate American citizens without warrants or trials, to spy on the entire worlds population, to grant its police a license to kill. Twenty years of cultivating a political climate of nationalism, militarism and xenophobia poured the fuel on the fire that Donald Trump lit and fanned.

The ruling class attempts to ban the Socialist Equality Party from the political marketplace of ideas, London said, warning that the financial aristocracy learns the lessons of history.

The conclusion it draws today is that the great masses of working people can have no voice whatsoever in official capitalist politics. But we will fight for every inch of our democratic rights, knowing that we are defending much more than the right to mark the SEP on an election ballot.

We are defending the democratic and social rights of the entire working class, that powerful social force at whose feet the task of defending democratic rights falls, he declared.

The reports were followed by about 45 minutes of Q&A discussion on a range of questions and a collection for the SEP monthly fund of over $4,000. Questions were asked and answered about the supposed in home treatment of COVID-19 by state health departments, vaccine passports and the attitude of the Greens to the new laws. Another attendee asked whether another French revolution was necessary. One requested further information about revelations that the top US military general warned his Chinese counterpart that Donald Trump could launch a military attack on China in the weeks after he lost the presidential election.
The Southern region of the United States is continuing to see an explosive growth of hospitalizations and deaths which is being fueled by the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19. The latest wave of virus is taking a dangerous toll on hospitals in multiple states, as the enormous influx of sick patients is causing strains on hospital staffing and placing untold pressure on health care workers.

While states such as Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia have seen slight declines in their hospitalizations since the initial onset of the Delta wave in August and early September, deaths in all four states have shot upward in recent weeks, demonstrating that fatalities are catching up with the monstrous rise in infections which has been driven by the bipartisan push to reopen schools and lift all pandemic restrictions combined with low vaccination rates.

In Georgia, daily deaths from COVID-19 have risen nearly ten-fold since August 1, according to data from the Georgia Department of Health. An average of 93.7 Georgians a day are currently dying of the virus, which represents a 977 percent increase since the beginning of August.

A nurse enters a monoclonal antibody site, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Florida (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

The disaster facing the South has been one of the main contributors to the catastrophic resurgence of the pandemic in the US since early July. The country is now averaging over 2,000 COVID-19 deaths and about 150,000 new infections every day, the highest levels since the deadly winter surge.

Despite the Biden administrations recent announcement of a vaccine or testing requirement for business with more than 100 employees, about 770,000 shots per day of the vaccine are being dispensed nationwide, well below the peak of 3.4 million a day in mid-April. The slow rate of vaccinations has also rendered a large chunk of the population vulnerable to the Delta variant, with 46 percent still unvaccinatedincluding all children under the age of 12.

In Tennessee, intensive care units remain dangerously full and have begun to create disruptions in hospital systems across the state. Hospitalizations have plateaued at well over 3,000 since the beginning of September. West Tennessee Healthcare, a critical access hospital in Bolivar, east of Memphis, currently has at least a dozen patients admitted into its facility, five times the two or three patients that the facility usually sees. Half of them are sick with COVID-19, according to Hospital CEO Ruby Kirby.

Conditions have worsened to the point where the hospitals health operators are being forced to transfer ventilated patients to intensive care units (ICUs) in larger cities like Memphis or Nashville, which also have a very limited number of open beds. Were managing them, but it is putting a strain on the system, trying to hold these patients in these hospitals until we can get them moved, Kirby told WKU Public Radio. While COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide have declined slightly over the last week, more than a thousand COVID patients remain in ICUs across Tennessee.

Like many states that have become epicenters for the latest Delta wave, staffing has reached dangerously low levels at hospitals which are flooded with COVID-19 patients. Many hospitals in Tennessee are now receiving help from the states National Guard, while the state has even offered money to help pay for travel nurses.

In eastern Tennessee, hospital operators say even offering high pay isnt enough to fill all the openings left by nurses whove left the COVID-flooded ICUs due to working arduously long hours and suffering burnout. One chief medical officer, Dr. Harold Naremore of Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, told WKU the challenges the hospital is facing are very frightening because theres no more staff to bring in.

At North Carolinas Duke University Hospital in Durham, 99 percent of adult inpatient beds were occupied on average each day in the week ending on September 11the ninth-straight week that the hospital has been at 98-100 percent capacity. According to the data, an average of 81 of those patients had confirmed or suspected COVID-19, meaning COVID patients filled about one out of every nine beds on average each day. In the intensive care unit, all ICU beds were occupied on average each day last week.

At the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Hospital, 86 percent of adult beds were occupied on average each day that same week, and 83 of those beds were filled with COVID-19 patients. About one in seven beds were filled with a COVID patient each day. At WakeMed in Raleigh, 88 percent of inpatient beds were occupied on average each day. Of those beds, more than a quarter were filled with COVID-19 patientsa daily average of nearly 150 suspected and confirmed COVID patients.

In Kentucky, at least 70 percent of hospitals are facing critical staffing shortages, with health and political officials issuing dire warnings of an imminent collapse of several facilities. Staffing shortages have been reported in 66 of the states 96 hospitals, the highest level yet throughout the pandemic. Governor Andy Beshear along with Kentuckys public health commissioner Dr. Steven Stack admitted last week that the latest surge in COVID-19 is straining the entire health care system.

Our hospitals are at the brink of collapse in many communities, Stack noted. According to health experts, the highly contagious Delta variant has exacerbated the crisis. Dr. Ryan Stanton, an emergency room physician in Lexington, Kentucky said hes seen the virus spread to whole families, especially if older members are unvaccinated. Now in Kentucky, one-third of new cases are under age 18, Stanton said in a recent Newsweek interview.

Contrary to the lying claims made by the Biden White House and entire political establishment that the reopening of K-12 schools can be done safely, one of the main facilitators for transmission are now children, with small children and youth participating in in-person learning and other face-to-face activities spreading the virus to the rest of their families. Stanton pointed to the reopening of schools and classroom learning, a reckless and homicidal policy thats been pursued by every governor nationwide and the Biden administration, as directly responsible for the catastrophe. Between daycare and schools and school activities, and friends getting together, there are just so many exposures.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of distress from the Delta-fueled upsurge are intolerable conditions that health care workers in Kentucky and nationwide have been forced to endure. More than 400 members of the Kentucky National Guard, as well as strike teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agencys emergency medical services, have now been deployed to help struggling hospitals across the state.

In an interview with ABC News, Kerri Eklund, a nurse working in Elizabethtown at Baptist Health Hardin Hospital, relayed the tragic burdens facing nurses. I would honestly say its at least three times worse than what it was the first time. Were seeing a lot of people getting really sick. There are patients that will come in and theyll be doing okay for a few days and then, in the blink of an eye, they go downhill.

Many health care workers have described the current wave as unexpected after brief relief in the spring and early summer, with infections and deaths slowed to their lowest numbers during the pandemic. Central blame for the resurgence, however, lies with both corporate-controlled parties and institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which in May dropped all national health mandates, above all social distancing and masking, in order to greenlight in-person learning in schools, as demanded by Biden, and ensure no restrictions remained on profit making.

With the pandemic escalating at break-neck speed, frontline health care workers are seeing the consequences of the deadly policies pursued by the ruling class in intolerable working conditions. Medical professionals from nurses and physician assistants to respiratory therapists have reported feeling stretched so thin that many are experiencing exhaustion and burnout.

In Kentucky, which has become an epicenter for the new surge, health practitioners have reported seeing highly experienced and exceptional colleagues walk away from their profession in droves because of the stress and anxiety they are having to deal with. Many front-line workers are fearful of yet another surge as the current fall season stretches into the winter months without any serious effort to suppress the pandemic and eliminate COVID-19. In the same interview with Newsweek, Eklund said, Im really worried that its just going to keep getting worse...because we all know that winter is the worst time for health issues all together.
The onslaught on jobs amid the COVID-19 economic crisis continues its course. Sabadell Bank has announced its intention to dismiss 1,936 workers, or 12.5 percent of the workforce. This is on top of the trade union-sanctioned dismissal of 1,800 workers last November.

Sabadell Bank is Spains fourth-largest financial institution by volume of assets. Its assets are valued at 223 billion euros, with 2,402 branches, over 20,000 employees and 11.9 million clients. Even as the pandemic triggered the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, it earned 220 million euros in the first half of the year, up 51.5 percent over the same period last year.

Sabadell bank sign (Wikimedia Commons/MJaundoo1)

Presenting a profit report in the first half of 2021 with lucrative dividends for shareholders, Sabadells financial director Leopoldo Alvear boasted: We are already seeing tangible results in the improvement of efficiency and cost savings that we hope will continue to have a positive evolution in the next quarters. His cost savings were a reference to 100 million in cuts, including the plan to dismiss 1,900 workers and close 500 branches.

By the end of 2021, Spanish banks are set to destroy 18,000 jobs, or one in ten jobs in the banking sector in 2020. Since the 2008 global economic crisis, Spanish banks have laid off 105,065 workers and closed 23,673 bank branches, while earning profits of over 100 billion.

The banks have resorted to trade union-sanctioned redundancy schemes, known by their acronym ERE in Spanish. This year, Santander bank, the worlds 16th largest banking institution, dismissed 3,600 workers. BBVA, the 42nd largest bank in the world, with around 676 billion in assets, dismissed 2,935. CaixaBank, Spain's third-largest lender by market value, dismissed 6,452 workers. At Liberbank, management is preparing to dismiss 1,000 of its 9,660 staff.

The banks have been able to launch this offensive against jobs due above all to the role of the trade unions. These are not workers organisations, but a labor police force comprised of upper-middle-class executives tasked with isolating and suppressing the class struggle, inseparably integrated into the capitalist parties and state.

The announcements of these mass sackings follow a scheme now familiar to workers. First, management declares that hundreds or thousands of workers will be sacked. The unions then claim to be surprised and outraged by the numbers and start negotiations with management. In the final act of the whole well-staged process, an agreement is reached, with the initial number of job losses slightly reduced. The unions then present it as a great victory for the workers, while management claims the unions were hard negotiators but are satisfied with the result.

The unions then reap the rewards for their corporate services. For each ERE they receive a commission for each dismissal, which can reach up to 10 percent, in addition to fees they charge workers for legal advice. In short, the unions benefit in proportion to the number of jobs they destroy!

Ultimately, tens of thousands of jobs are destroyed through what the unions present as voluntary redundancies, financed at taxpayers expense. The working class ends up paying the state to subsidise corporations to fire workers through the medium of the trade unions! More and more higher-paid jobs are eliminated, a process that serves to cut wages and benefits for the entire working class.

The same thoroughly scripted process is now unfolding at Sabadell.

Two weeks ago, the main trade union at Sabadell Bank, Workers Commissions (CCOO), reacted to the mass redundancy announcement by stating that it was disproportionate, unreal and an insult to the entire staff.

CCOO was careful not to call a strike. Instead, it claimed, there are alternatives, as the composition of the workforce allows undertaking a restructuring based on early retirement and voluntary redundancies. In other words, the trade union is accepting the framework of mass redundancies even before negotiations begin! On Thursday, CCOO staged a small protest at Banco Sabadell headquarters in Oviedo, as the bank was presenting its annual Economic Research awards.

CCOO will not defend jobs. Barely a year has passed since they last negotiated a mass redundancy affecting 1,800 workers in December 2020. When the bank announced the plan, the union posted a statement welcoming it as a positive plan. CCOO stressed that the proposed conditions guarantee that there will be no forced dismissals, and that a significant number of people can leave the bank with conditions far superior to those that have been offered up to now.

Mass anger is developing against corporate-union redundancy schemes. Aware of this opposition, the unions are consciously setting out to sabotage workers struggles, ensuring that workers remain isolated from their class brothers and sisterseven within the same industrial sector.

Earlier this year, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and CCOO called a one-day strike at BBVA to let off steam in response to an ERE targeting over 3,000 workers. The strike was the first in 30 years. Facing mass support for the strike, UGT and CCOO quickly closed off further strike action, fearing that it would extend to other banks where layoffs were being executed, and accepted a 10 percent reduction of the workforce.

In June, the unions organised two strikes on two different dates at CaixaBank against the ERE affecting thousands of workers. Just a few weeks later, in early July, they agreed to the mass redundancy. CCOO posted a statement claiming that, After months of arduous negotiations, workers labour representatives have managed to transform the wildest ERE in the history of the Spanish financial sector into the best of the moment. [] The 8,291 dismissals initially proposed by management has ended up being reduced to a maximum of 6,452 voluntary terminations.

The working class can take forward its fight to preserve jobs and conditions only by breaking with the PSOE-Podemos government, the trade unions and their pseudo-left apologists. These include groups like the Morenoite Workers Revolutionary Current (CRT), which reacts to each betrayal by calling on workers to form a united front with the trade unionsthe same organisations enforcing the attacks at the behest of big business.

This cascade of EREs marks the beginning of deeper attacks on the working class that will intensify in coming months. The banks are set to benefit from the European Unions COVID-19 pandemic policy of prioritising profits over human life to pay for the 750-billion-euro bailout fund.

Spanish banks and corporations are to receive 144 billion euros. In exchange, the PSOE-Podemos government is enforcing its herd immunity policyreopening the economy, sending workers back to non-essential work and forcing children back to school, which has already cost the lives of over 100,000 people and 4.9 million infectionsnearly 10 percent of the population. Thus the banks managed to maintain profits of over 3 billion in 2020 and expect an 18 percent increase in 2021 over those obtained before the pandemic, in 2019.

The struggles emerging among bank workers are part of a developing strike wave and radicalization of the working class on a global scale.

The World Socialist Web Site calls on workers to create independent, rank-and-file organizations of workers in factories, schools and workplaces, on an international scale. It advances the perspective of building an International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. It has helped establish workers committees among striking Volvo and Dana auto-parts workers in the US, postal workers in Australia and educators committees across Europe and the US. This is the perspective on which bank workers in Spain can break with the unions and organize a genuine fightback.
Over the next weeks, one million students and tens of thousands of staff will return to university campuses under conditions in which the COVID-19 pandemic is raging out of control. Casting aside even the dishonest promises of a safe return from 2020, the ruling elite intends to expose students and higher education workers to the unrestricted spread of the virus.

Despite the insistence in the media that young people are safe from COVID-19, its long-term impacts are only beginning to be understood. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated at the start of September that around 110,000 people under the age of 25 were suffering from Long COVID. Of these, 26,000 reported that they had symptoms at least 12 months after initial infection. The ONS found that most young Long COVID sufferers reported that their symptoms limit their activity. An estimated 46,000 young people described the impact as limiting their activity a little, and 13,000 a lot.

Public Health Englands Weekly national Influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report for the week to September 12 estimates that only 65 percent of young people aged 18 to 25 have received at least one vaccine dose, and only 48.9 percent are fully vaccinated, leaving large numbers extremely vulnerable to infection.

A sign reading "COVID ROOMS" at the Courtrooms halls of residence at Bristol university last term (WSWS Media)

The reopening of campuses with no restrictions on the spread of the virus is not only a reckless experiment with the health of students, but increases the risk of dangerous new strains emerging. When the government announced the lifting of all COVID safety restrictions in July, the Co-Director of the Centre for Genomic Research at the University of Liverpool, Steve Paterson, warned, Letting a virus rip through a partially vaccinated population is exactly the experiment Id do to evolve a virus able to evade immunity.

Last week, there were reports of 19 UK cases of the more transmissible Delta variant with an E484K mutation associated with greater resistance to vaccines.

Even before most students have arrived on campus, outbreaks are already being reported at multiple universities. University College London announced that in the week beginning September 6, 10 students and four staff tested positive. Even earlier, in the week beginning August 30, 10 staff and four students at the University of Manchester tested positive.

While students have suffered in the under-resourced and largely unplanned move to online teaching, the demand from the government that face-to-face teaching must resume with no restrictions has nothing to do with defending education. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons only concern is to advance the murderous programme of herd immunity by mass infection, in service to the profits of the corporations.

The same claims to be defending a normal university experience and standard of education were made last year, with the government and universities promising COVID-secure campuses. In reality, students were herded into crowded dorms to keep tuition and accommodation fees flowing. Once the inevitable outbreaks took place, they were scapegoated and subjected to brutal policing, forcibly quarantined in their dorms in appalling conditionsin at least one case with a fire door sealed shut.

This year, universities have even more explicitly treated students as cash cows. Desperate not to lose the tens of thousands of pounds in tuition fees paid by each international student, more than 50 institutions arranged charter flights to bring 1,200 young people from China to the UK. They are planning to arrange more according to the Sunday Times.

The governments claims to be concerned for students education are belied by its plans to slash arts and humanities funding in half and overseeing the closure of courses and whole departments. University managers have meanwhile carried out a wave of job losses, with figures obtained by education platform Edvoy showing over 3,000 redundancies were made between March and September 2020 alone.

Students and university staff are in this position thanks to the treachery of the education unions. The University and College Union (UCU) has worked to suppress all opposition among academics and support staff opposed to working on unsafe campuses.

At Cardiff, members of the union branch voted in an indicative ballot in January to take industrial action, including a strike, if they were forced to work on campus. This was never organised by the union, with the local UCU website now declaring it is waiting for an act of good-will empowering workers with a choice about face-to-face work. Indicating the worthlessness of its indicative ballots, it adds, if necessary, we will run a [strike] ballot in the Autumn to protect members who do not feel safe returning to face-to-face working on campus.

The UCU and other campus unions have played a similar role in demobilising their members in every university. During the first lockdown in 2020, the UCU, UNISON, Unite, EIS and GMB put out a joint press statement with the Universities & Colleges Employers Association, committing the universities only to consult the unions and use government guidance  as the basis for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The document agreed that the unions would enforce a reopening as long as this inadequate guidance was followed.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has said nothing about fighting for COVID safety on the campuses and takes no position on the return of students. The last press release issued by the NUS mentioning COVID-19 was in April. Endorsing fraudulent claims that lectures can be made safe with a few mitigations, the NUS says, We believe that students should be back on campus when it is safe to do so and would like this to be grounded in scientific advice.

The unions are holding back a tide of opposition. In a global survey by Times Higher Education issued this month, only 28 percent of respondents said they felt safe returning to in-person teaching or on-campus working this term, and 53 percent responded no. Underscoring the total lack of faith in the safety measures worked out between universities and the unions, 78 percent said that they were concerned the return of in-person teaching will lead to a spike in coronavirus cases in their area.

Showing how workers are seeing through the anti-scientific propaganda which insists young people are safe from infection, the survey reported that it was younger workers, in the 18-34 age group, who were the most dissatisfied with their employers preparations to stop the spread of COVID-19 on campuses. THE reports that many respondents were nervous because of a lack of transparency, after having spent the last year and a half being lied to about the risks and spread of the pandemic.

A majority of respondents to the survey were from the UK, but the international response indicates that workers everywhere face and oppose the same dangerous conditions.

This sentiment can only find organised political expression independently of the trade unions and the pro-herd immunity Labour Party. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) and the Educators Rank-and File-Safety Committee are fighting to organise rank-and-file committees of students and education workers which can take up the struggle against COVID-19. Such a struggle must be carried out based on a programme of eliminating the virus. There can be no return to normal while COVID rips through the population killing over a thousand every week and debilitating thousands more.

On August 22, an international panel of scientists brought together by the World Socialist Web Site for an online discussion, For a Global Strategy to Stop the Pandemic and Save Lives!,' made clear that a policy of elimination is not only possible but necessary to end the pandemic. This policy requires closing workplaces, including universities and colleges, coupled with full compensation to workers and the provision of high-quality online educationall to be paid for out of the pockets of the corporate and super rich pandemic profiteers.

To join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, click here.
We are the Socialist Equality Party, Fourth International, and we are standing to give the widespread opposition to the right-wing politics of all parliamentary parties a voice and a socialist perspective. With this statement, SGP Deputy Chairman Christoph Vandreier began the presentation of his party in an election broadcast on German public television on September 13.

The broadcast on the 33 parties that are not yet represented in the federal parliament (Bundestag), was significantly condensed by the public broadcaster compared to the last election and is being broadcast late at night. Each party is only introduced for two to three minutes.

Although the private production company cut almost two hours of footage down to two minutes, the SGPs contribution (from minute 33) stands out from all the right-wing, confused or single-issue parties in the show. We are not trying to alleviate the symptoms of a sick system, but instead advocate the overthrow of capitalism and the building of a socialist society, explains Vandreier at the beginning of the segment.

The SGPs lead candidate made clear that the Trotskyist movement has a long history, commenting, Our world party was founded in 1938 as the Fourth International because it defended the socialist principles against Stalinism and against social democracy.

Speaking to a random passer-by, Vandreier points out that the unions have long stopped speaking in the interests of the working population. The SGP supports every industrial action, he explains, and every initiative by workers who oppose wage cuts and miserable conditions. In response to the objection of his counterpart, I could go to the Verdi trade union for that too, Vandreier responded: But that is exactly the problem. Verdi does not represent the interests of the workers.

Then Vandreier speaks to a woman who introduces herself as a self-employed cultural creator. When asked by her about the character of the working class, he explains that the vast majority of the population consists of workers who have to sell their labour in order to be able to live.

'We need a revolution' - SOCIALIST Christoph Vandreier wants to abolish capitalism

The SGP is fighting for an unconditional basic income, explains Vandreier. In response to the objection of his interlocutor that she thinks it is good, but that it cannot be financed, Vandreier replies, In order to enforce each of these demands, capitalism must be overthrown. The SGP fights for a socialist society focused on the needs of the people and not profit interests.

But the format of the broadcast did not allow the issues to be dealt with in more detail. Vandreiers detailed remarks on the coronavirus pandemic and the Profits before life policy were reduced to the following sentence: In the last year and a half, we have seen a policy implemented in the interests of the rich.

The SGPs positions are more clearly expressed in another interview that Vandreier gave to the private online magazine MG.tv (massengeschmack.tv) in August. Journalist Holger Kreymeier conducted an interview lasting almost an hour and a half, and titled, We need a revolution. In this interview, which is part of the Veto series, only a preview of which is freely accessible, the partys positions that were curtailed by the public broadcaster are presented with greater clarity.

Its a strong case for socialism, and Vandreier speaks plainly about the central issues of the election. In particular, he justifies the SGPs struggle against war and fascism and for social equality. He also outlines the partys international strategy to end the pandemic.

He explains the SGPs strategy of eradication, saying, The pandemic could have been brought under control very early and the virus wiped out through a global, courageous intervention ... In the vast majority of countries, profits were given priority over the lives of the people. The result is the disastrous fourth wave of the Delta variant. What is now necessary is a global hard lockdown, and at the same time those who suffer from loss of wages must be fully compensated.

Asked how that should be financed in view of the great economic damage caused by the pandemic, Vandreier replied, What economic damage are we talking about? While the majority of the population is really suffering today, the profit-before-life policy of the ECB and the federal government has enabled banks and corporations to enrich themselves with hundreds of billions of euros. He continued, No worker should be made redundant because of the pandemic. Instead, the rich must be made to pay.

At the beginning of the interview, Kreymeier asks whether the deputy chairman of the Socialist Equality Party is often confronted with the statement: Socialismwe already had that, it didnt work. Vandreier counters, Firstly there are very few people who say that. The polls show that Socialism is more popular today than ever. A growing majority, especially the young, prefer it to capitalism because they see what it has to offer them: death from the pandemic, a profit-before-life policy, unemployment and ever lower wages.

Vandreier maintains this steadfast tone in his responses to all the questions. Stalinism in the GDR (East Germany) and the Soviet Union, he explains, had nothing to do with socialism. Socialism is always internationalist, he continues, and socialism is based on workers democracy and the independent mobilization of the working class. Additionally, socialism is a process in which the workers empower themselves, and therefore the concrete historical development of the future cannot be determined in advance. However, it is important to stress, We reject the whole profit system in which all wealth is concentrated at the top because the means of production are privately owned.

The moderator then focuses particularly on the topic of German military missions, asking, The SGP demands the immediate termination of all war and foreign missionsbut we can see in Afghanistan what this will lead to. Vandreier replied, All the suffering in Afghanistan is the product of 20 years of intervention. The collapse of the Afghan army shows that these 20 years have only brought suffering, oppression and colonization to the country. The bankruptcy of the brutal war of conquest has been shown for everyone to see, Vandreier stressed. He made a point of mentioning the Kunduz massacre, for which the German army was specifically responsible.

No problem in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali or any country in the world is solved by imperialist troops; no problem; in no way! insists Vandreier. Citing Karl Liebknecht, Vandreier added, The main enemy is in our own country. He affirmed, We stand in this tradition. We are for the dissolution of the German army.

Within the scope of this article, it is impossible to go into all of the topics covered in the interview. Vandreier makes it very clear that all established parties, regardless of who wins the election, will continue the profit-before-life policy after September 26. Not a single problem can be solved within the national framework, he remarks. He sums up the quintessence of the SGP, saying, We are building a party of the workers, that is the basic principle of the Fourth International.

* * *

The program The Story on Channel 1: The Dream of the Five Percent. On the way to the small parties was broadcast on Friday, 17/09/21 at 11:30 p.m. on tagesschau24 and is also available in the ARD media library.
Senate Democrats unveiled their new voting rights bill last week following the failure of the For the People Act to overcome a Senate filibuster in July. Named the Freedom to Vote Act, the new bill is an attempt to court support from right-wing Democrats and some Republican senators.

The Freedom to Vote Act is the product of extensive negotiations between leading Democrats and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has been a significant force in stalling much of the Biden administrations agenda. His opposition to altering the filibuster and insistence on bipartisan, i.e., Republican, support has given Manchin an influential role in the Senate and allowed the Democratic leadership to use him as an all-purpose excuse for the failure to pass legislation, including a voting rights reform bill.

A voter submits a ballot in an official drop box during early voting in Athens, Ga. for the 2020 Presidential election. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Biden have both embraced Manchins position that a voting rights bill must be bipartisan and pass the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster. In other words, a measure to protect voting rights can only be passed if at least 10 senators of the party seeking to destroy voting rights agree to support it. This cynical formula effectively assures that nothing will be done.

In the meantime, the negotiations with Manchin have taken the form of a series of preemptive capitulations. Manchin suggests that this or that change should be made to the legislationinvariably of a right-wing characterin the hopes of attracting the votes of one or more Republican senators. These concessions are duly made, but no Republicans come forward with their support. So then more concessions have to be made, with Manchin driving the process further and further to the right.

The Freedom to Vote Act has undergone extensive alterations from the For the People Act, which passed the House in the spring. There are several elements that remain the same. The bill still includes provisions for automatic voter registration, requirements for two weeks of early voting and the recognition of Election Day as a federal holiday.

One of the most critical elements still retained in the new bill is the provision that would restore the right to vote to former felons. The bill notes that 5.2 million people are currently disenfranchised by laws stripping former felons of the right to vote. More than a quarter of these are in Florida, and most are in the southern states. African Americans are disenfranchised at four times the rate of whites.

Other elements in the Freedom to Vote Act would address some of the most widespread Republican attacks on voting rights. Nearly 30 states have introduced or passed legislation restricting voting hours, early voting and the ability of voters to utilize absentee ballots, in response to Trumps big lie about widespread mail-in vote fraud. For the most part, the provisions within the Freedom to Vote Act would undo many of these Republican restrictions.

However, the bill does not address some of the most significant threats to voting rights, such as Republican attempts to expand partisan control over local election officials and impose partisan poll watchers who act to intimidate voters at the polls.

Absorbing Georgia Senator Raphael Warnocks Preventing Election Subversion Act, the Freedom to Vote Act pretends to shield election workers from removal by partisan influences. Instead, the bill concedes that local election officials may be removed for gross negligence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. What those terms actually mean is left to the states to determine for themselves, meaning that the bill will do nothing to reverse Republican laws that allow for the removal of election officials if they run afoul of state governments.

Not only this, but the only path for reinstatement provided by the bill is for the removed official or the US attorney general to sue the state, leaving the defense of democratic rights in the hands of federal judges, many of them appointed by Trump.

The most obvious capitulation by the Democrats is the removal of a federal ban on voter ID laws, contained in the previous For the People Act, and its replacement with federal guidelines for what such voter ID laws can prescribe. A national voter ID mandate was a provision proposed by Manchin, and it appears that a deal was struck between him and Senate Democrats on this matter.

The new section includes a host of new conditions restricting the kind of voter ID mandates that are permitted. States may not require more than the last four digits of a social security number, and requests for provisional ballots may be made with a written promise to provide adequate identification within 10 days of casting such a ballot.

The bill also includes measures for ballot curingthe process by which election officials contact voters in an attempt to correct mistakes or issues with cast ballotsand requires that states must provide a valid government ID to voters free of charge if requested.

The list of valid government IDs is quite extensive, ranging from standard government and school IDs, to hunting licenses and utility bills. The exhaustive nature of the list supposedly ensures that every eligible voter is able to provide at least one form of valid identification.

However, the requirement of any form of voter ID is anti-democratic and feeds the Republican myth of widespread voter fraud. The entire issue of voter ID has been manufactured by Republicans to disenfranchise poor and minority voters, who are more likely to lack the required identification.

The Democratic Party is so terrified of the working class and so ready to capitulate to the Republicans that it is prepared to concede any number of issues in the name of bipartisanship and compromise.

This is best exemplified by the provisions on partisan poll observers. Several Republican bills grant partisan poll watchers enhanced protections and status at the polls, opening the door to voter intimidation. Despite this, the Freedom to Vote Act only establishes that poll watchers may operate no closer than eight feet from voters and election workers.

This is a cynical capitulation to the fascists within the Republican Party. An eight-foot limit may as well be an invitation for fascistic poll watchers to breath down the necks of voters and poll workers. Prior to the 2020 election, the state of Pennsylvania required poll observers to remain 20 feet away from election activity, before a Trump campaign challenge caused the limit to be reduced to six feet.

It is perhaps symbolic that the Democrats are giving election officials and voters just two more feet than the fascist Trump. It is a reminder that the Democratic Party stands just a few steps away from the far-right position of the Republicans.

Regardless of what is in the bill, it is unlikely to pass the Senate. Republican opposition remains strong, with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stating, There is no rational basis for the federal government taking over how we conduct elections in this country. It is a solution in search of a problem, and we will not be supporting that.

While the Democrats could simply alter the filibuster rule, numerous Senate Democrats, including Manchin, remain insistent that they will not support passing any bill by such means. President Biden also opposes repeal of the filibuster.

When questioned about the filibuster, Manchin responded that the filibuster is permanent. This is of course nonsense. The filibuster is a procedural rule which, it its current form, traces back to the efforts of southern Democrats to block civil rights legislation in the 1960s. The requirement at that time was a two-thirds majority of the Senate, or 67 votes, and this was reduced to 60 votes in 1975. A simple majority of the Senate could abolish it altogether.

The inevitable failure of the Democrats attempts to pass voting rights reform should be a warning to the working class. There is no genuine constituency for the defense of democratic rights in any section of the capitalist the ruling class.

The Democratic Party cannot be entrusted with the defense of democratic rights. Only the broadest mobilization of the working class in the fight for socialism can defend democratic rights, including the most fundamental right, the right to vote.
Four people, all of whom just six months ago had no formal spaceflight training, strapped themselves into a SpaceX capsule atop a 200-foot-tall rocket and took a three-day spin around Earth. After splashing down off the coast of Florida on Saturday, the passengers emerged from their capsule, smiling and waving, if a little unsteady after spending nearly 72 hours in weightlessness. SpaceX says it's just the beginning.

The crew included 38-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman, who personally financed the trip; Hayley Arceneux, 29, a childhood cancer survivor and physician assistant at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Sian Proctor, 51, a geologist and professor; and Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old Lockheed Martin employee and lifelong space fan who claimed his seat through an online raffle.

Inspiration4, as the tourism mission that concluded Saturday was called, was far from the first time people who don't list astronaut as their day job have been to space. In the 2000s, a cohort of wealthy thrill seekers paid their way onto the International Space Station, traveling via Russian Soyuz rockets. And in July, billionaire space company founders Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos each took a brief trip to suborbital space in spacecraft their respective companies built.

The Inspiration4 flight was notable, however, because it was the first time SpaceX had used one of its Crew Dragon spacecraft, which was developed to carry professional astronauts to and from the International Space Station on behalf of NASA, for an entirely private mission.

SpaceX has even more such missions on its Crew Dragon schedule, including five already contracted for additional groups of tourists to fly in the months and years ahead. The company is underway developing its "Starship" vehicle, a gargantuan rocket and spacecraft system that promises to be the most powerful ever launched. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has also booked a trip on that rocket for a trip around the moon, and NASA could use it for its lunar landing ambitions.

SpaceX's goal is to make extraterrestrial travel a more regular occurrence so that  if and when Earth's orbit is home to extraterrestrial hotels and manufacturing facilities  outer space becomes relatively more accessible for the general population. Space tourism may also one day help fund SpaceX's ambitious goals of attempting Martian colonization.

Already, Inspiration4 and similar space tourism missions are opening up debates, such as what exactly we should call civilians who travel into space? Are they astronauts? Are such missions really "for everyone" or will they remain accessible only to the ultra-rich and their chosen few? And should we be dreaming of living and working in space at all when humanity is facing so many pressing issues on our home planet?

What Inspiration4 did  and didn't  do

Inspiration4 likely cost many millions of dollars, according to figures published by the US government on the price of a Crew Dragon capsule. Isaacman told Axios that it was "less than $200 million," but declined to offer more specifics.

That means Inspiration4 is still far from the harbinger of a time in which space travel is truly attainable for everyone. And that's raised concerns that the future of space travel will be mapped by those with means, turning space from the marvel that humanity has spent centuries pondering into a playground for rich people.

Isaacman addressed that criticism in an interview with CNN Business last month, saying his only goal with Inspiration4 was to, well, inspire. And that's why he coupled the mission with a St. Jude fundraiser, which surpassed its $200 million goal thanks to a $50 million donation from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

And the mission certainly gave Isaacman a platform. More than 3 million people tuned in to watch the Inspiration4 launch last week, and millions more watched the splash-down return. Twitter was flooded with posts about their journey, both admiring and mocking.

Timiebi Aganaba, who researches space ethics and law and teaches at Arizona State University, said the reaction is all a symptom of the innate complexity of imagining humanity's future in space.

"It's hard for me because I am also part of the space enthusiast community, but I think I'm a little bit more of a realist," she told CNN Business. "Inspiration4 feels like a one-off event. It was still initiated by a conversation between two billionaires"  Isaacman and Musk  "and it was still a great marketing opportunity."

She added that it is easy to be inspired by the idea that four people, all total strangers with little to no experience in spaceflight , have the bravery to strap themselves on top of a rocket despite the numerous risks inherent to such an adventure.

But, beyond the awe of spaceflight, Aganaba acknowledged that even she has grappled with the the question of how much focus  and resources  we should be putting into space travel when people all over the world "are dying and starving and hungry."

Nevertheless, she still encourages people to pay attention and to develop a sense of curiosity about space and what it is we should be doing there.

"That sense of being able to look beyond their immediate circumstances and see the future and see something different is going to take them far wherever they end up going," she said.

What's next

SpaceX is the poster child of a new space age in which companies  rather than governments  carry the mantel of space exploration. The idea is that the private sector can drive innovation and bring down costs.

Dozens of other companies have similar visions. Branson's company, Virgin Galactic, and Bezos' Blue Origin are working to make suborbital joy rides  which cost significantly less money than orbital jaunts but still have a roughly quarter-million-dollar price tag  a routine experience.

And on the orbital side, a Houston-based company called Axiom, run by a former NASA leader, has already booked four missions with SpaceX for private citizen trips to the ISS. The company also says it's currently constructing the world's first commercial space station.

Space Adventures, the company behind the Russian-provided tourism missions of the early 2000s, has also booked a flight with SpaceX. And it's scheduled a flight for Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa  the same person who booked the moon mission on SpaceX's Starship  on a Russian Soyuz rocket for December 2021.

There's plans to film a few reality television shows: one a competition series that will send the winner to orbit, and another that would see MMA fighters duke it out in microgravity. Tom Cruise, who also phoned in to chat with the Inspiration4 crew during their journey, also plans to shoot a movie on the ISS.

And dozens of other startups are advertising plans for ventures such as manufacturing facilities in space, space hotels, and sending tourists up in giant balloons.

Whether or not those plans come to fruition remains to be seen. The history of private space exploration is speckled with far more failures than successes. It's still hugely expensive to get objects to space and the danger of space travel looms. If any one mission  whether a NASA or commercial mission  were to end in tragedy, it could hobble the industry for years to come.

As for space tourism, specifically, Aganaba said she does not foresee it becoming a mass market business.

"This last year was a little bit over the top of people saying 'Everyone is going to go to space!'... Does everyone needs to go to space?" she said. "Everyone doesn't need to go to Mount Everest."

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A Flordia woman was arrested in Sullivan County after police say she was busted stealing from a local business.

Police arrested 40-year-old Amanda McDonald on Monday morning.

Last week, a business told Farmersburg police they had a video of someone stealing items.

Police said they recognized the woman because of the "very noticeable bicycle" she was on.

They said they went to a home where they found the bike and McDonald.

McDonald was wanted in both Florida and Colorado. In Colorado, she was wanted for escape/failure to appear, and in Florida, she had several outstanding arrest warrants.

After she faces a judge for the theft charge in Sullivan County, she will be transported back to Colorado.
ROCKVILLE, Ind. (WTHI) - Hoosiers across the state are helping Afghan evacuees.

Governor Eric Holcomb recently announced a regional collection system of donations. This is all in an effort to get necessities to all of the Afghan evacuees in Indiana.

And one local town in the Wabash Valley is already making a positive impact. Rockville, Indiana, is just one of the nine donation sites throughout the state. This is just one way local hoosiers can step up and help afghan evacuees in a meaningful way.

Tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees have made their way to the United States. Members of the Indiana National Guard say several thousand evacuees are at Camp Atterbury just outside of the Wabash Valley, and they're looking for a helping hand.

"It's a time of need, Sergeant Christopher McKibben, a staff sergeant at the Indiana National Guard in Rockville, said. "It's something we can do. We have the ability to help, and we are going to do everything we can to help [them]."

Sgt. McKibben says it means a lot to him to help serve those in need, especially during a very stressful time.

"I'm glad I can be doing something to help," he says. "It's one of the many missions of the National Guard. It's the reason we join to help our communities, and even if they're not in our community, it's still a person in need, and we are doing our part to help."

He says this is a great way local residents can make a positive impact on the lives of many, and here's how local residents can help.

There are a variety of items the evacuees need, but they must be new items only to be accepted. The donation items range from hygiene items like toothbrushes, towels, and toilet paper to clothing items for all ages to packaged water and non-perishable food.

State leaders say 40% of the evacuees are children ages 14 and under, so many of the items in high demand are for young children, especially babies. This includes formula, diapers, and toys. But Sgt. McKibben says even one item donated will make a big difference in someone's life.

"I believe it helps show who we are if we help people in need," Sgt. McKibben said. "It's just simple little things like a shirt, or a towel, or a bar of soap. It's just helping another person in need."

Here is a full list of items that can be donated:

Clothing

Men (18+): Unbranded, modest clothing like shirts, pants in all sizes (no shorts or tank tops)

Women (18+): Unbranded, modest clothing like long sleeve crew neck shirts, modest short sleeve shirts, pants in all sizes (no shorts, dresses, or tank tops)

Children (4yr - 17yr): Same items as listed above in all age ranges and sizes (long sleeves and pants)

Baby (0mo - 4yr): Baby and newborn clothes, hats, and socks

Misc. Clothing: Undergarments for men, women, and children, modest underwear, socks, hats for all ages (cold & warm weather), shoes & slide-on sandals for men, women, and children (no flip flops)

Food and Water

Shelf stable food items (individually packaged prefered)

No pork items

Bottled water (no glass)

Water-soluble electrolyte, hydration, and vitamin powders/liquids

Child-Specific Items

Diapers (assorted sizes), diaper cream, and baby wipes

Baby Shampoo

Baby Lotion

Formula (no powder, only liquid)

Bottles (no glass)

Infant & child blankets / swaddles

Spoons

New Pacifiers

Toys (not battery-operated)

Sports Balls

Hygiene (Individually Packaged)

Feminine hygiene products (pads only, no tampons)

Bars of soap (no liquid soap)

Shampoo

Combs/Brushes

Deodorant

Towels

Washcloths

Toothpaste/Toothbrushes

Shower Shoes

Toilet paper

New Masks (disposable or reusable)

Gloves

Hand Sanitizer

MISC (Unbranded if able)

Phone chargers (wall adapter and cord, iPhone and Android)

Qurans

Prayer rugs

Reusable, durable water bottles (no glass)

Backpacks

Sunscreen

Bug Spray
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Police said they've made several arrests in connection to a social media challenge.

There's a trend making the rounds on social media platform TikTok called "devious licks." It involves vandalizing school bathrooms and then posting the video on social media.

The Terre Haute Police Department says several local schools have had their bathrooms vandalized. Police have made several arrests in connection to these.

Police said people accused of doing this will be prosecuted.

TikTok has been quick to shut down the trend, with the company removing many of the videos from its platform.

Search the term "devious licks" on the app now, and a message from TikTok appears: "No results found. This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok's top priority. For more information, we invite you to review our Community Guidelines."
News 10s Heather Good spoke with Tim Maniscalo of the Better Business Bureau to discuss a scam involving social media ads.

Posted: Sep 21, 2021 7:22 AM
OWEN COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Deputies with the Owen County Sheriff's Department arrested and charged a Spencer man with murder.

On September 14th Deputies with the Owen County Sheriff's Department were investigating a homicide after a dead body was found in the road.

Deputies say Elizabeth Stevens was pronounced dead along Texas Pike near Manhattan Road.

Owen County detectives arrested and charged 36 year old Jay White with murder.

They arrested him at the Indiana International Airport just after 11 pm on Monday.

Deputies say Stevens death is resulting from a single gunshot wound to the head.

The investigation is still active and we will update this story as more details become known.

***

Previous article:

Police in Owen County are investigating a homicide after a dead body was found in the road.

Earlier this week, the Owen County Sheriff's Office was called to Texas Pike near Manhattan Road after reports of a person lying in the road.

When officers got there, they found a woman, dead in the road.

Details are limited, but police said the case is under investigation as a homicide.

Officials said the identity of the woman is pending an autopsy.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The state of Indiana is working to bring vaccines to the doors of people who are unable to get out of their homes.

The state is vaccinating people who can't leave their homes through the Indiana immunization coalition.

So far 4,400 homebound Hoosiers have been vaccinated or have scheduled an at-home appointment.

After someone makes a request, the coalition sends the information to community partners that are willing to give vaccinations.

That includes local health departments, paramedics, community health clinics, and community groups.

To request a vaccination for a homebound Hoosier, just dial 2-1-1.

Someone will guide you from there.

People who are unable to leave their homes often have people in and out of their homes to take care of them.

That is why health officials say it is so important to consider this option.

"Really if anyone wants a vaccine and they're homebound or in any situation that's making it so they can't get that vaccine, please call us and we'll try and navigate and help you figure out a way," said Vigo County health educator Roni Elder.

Again, that number is 2-1-1 to schedule a vaccine.
The participants reviewed a revised draft elements text for a ministerial statement at the fourth meeting of the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) which took place on 16-17 September. The text underscores the role of trade policy in helping address climate change and other environmental challenges. It sets out commitments on future work and objectives as well as a work programme for the TESSD discussions in 2022.

Opening the meeting, Ambassador Stephen de Boer of Canada, the co-coordinator (with Costa Rica) of the TESSD initiative, encouraged WTO members to continue their efforts to arrive at a ministerial statement that will encourage more members to participate in the TESSD and demonstrate that the WTO has a role to play on the important topic of trade and the environment.

Introducing the revised draft, Ana Lizano of Costa Rica noted the useful and positive feedback received from participants on the text. The revised draft seeks to attract broad support from members and to address the overall importance of trade in achieving sustainable goals, she said.

More than a dozen participating members took the floor to comment on the draft text. Welcoming the general support voiced by members for the text, she suggested consultations continue over the next few weeks so that a more solid and stable draft could emerge by early October.

Closing the meeting, Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta of Costa Rica said that participants were on the right path to achieving a comprehensive ministerial statement reflecting the great opportunity ahead to make a real contribution to the multilateral trading system.

Most of the two-day meeting was dedicated to three thematic sessions open to WTO members and representatives from international organizations and civil society. The first session provided an opportunity for participants to review trade-related topics arising in discussions on sustainable and equitable markets for food and agriculture, including food security, sustainable food systems, climate change and the sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity.

The second session allowed participants to deepen their understanding of the intersection between climate and trade policies, including implications for developing countries and the WTO's role in ensuring mutual supportiveness and coherence between trade and climate regimes. Participants in the third session examined issues related to promoting and facilitating trade in environmental goods and services, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges for developing countries.

The meeting also heard updates from New Zealand regarding its proposal for a 12th Ministerial Conference statement on the need for fossil fuel subsidy reform and from Australia regarding its initiative on removing barriers to international trade in environmental goods and services.

Ecuador made an intervention on the separate discussions taking place in the Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade, of which Ecuador is a participant.

Launched in November 2020 by 53 WTO members, the TESSD is intended to complement the existing work of the Committee on Trade and Environment and other relevant WTO committees and bodies. The initiative, which is open to all members, seeks to promote transparency and information sharing, identifying areas for future work within the WTO. It also seeks to support technical assistance and capacity building needs, particularly for least-developed countries, and to work on deliverables for environmental sustainability in the various areas of the WTO.

The next TESSD meeting will take place on 18-19 October.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Over 100 medical workers at the North Mississippi Medical Center are trying to make sure people in the community get vaccinated.

Cardiologist Barry Bertolet is one of the many doctors. He's a part of the North Mississippi Physicians Coalition for Covid-19 Vaccination.

Bertolet said he thinks it's important for people to know the vaccine does work.

"We thought there needed to be a medical voice that gave the real facts when it comes to this disease and how to manage it, he said.

Over the past few weeks, NMMC shared videos on Facebook letting people know they're worth a shot.

Each video has facts about the vaccine and uplifting messages from local doctors like Bertolet.

Bertolet said only 35% of Mississippians are vaccinated. He believes it's because people heard false information about the vaccine over the past year.

Bertolet said he hopes this initiative empowers more people to protect themselves.

I care about you. I care about all the people that I take care of, and I want to make sure the people that I know and that I take of are protected, he said.

You can watch messages from Bertolet and other doctors here.
Tupelo Partly Cloudy 79 Hi: 83 Lo: 62 Feels Like: 81 More Weather Columbus Mostly Cloudy 72 Hi: 83 Lo: 62 Feels Like: 72 More Weather Oxford Clear 73 Hi: 81 Lo: 57 Feels Like: 73 More Weather Starkville Partly Cloudy 72 Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Feels Like: 72 More Weather

High pressure will continue to build into our area on our Thursday. We will see somewhat drier air and somewhat warmer air move back into our area over the next few days, due to this high pressure.
Updated Sept. 24, 2021, 3:35 p.m.

Rambo pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as well as the original civil rights violations.

MGN Online MGN Online

Hes scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 19, 2022.

Original article below

GREENVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - A former Booneville police officer is expected to plead guilty in federal court to civil rights violations, according to the court docket.

The former officer Dustin Rambo is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenville on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

According to an FBI affidavit, Rambo allegedly forced a woman to perform sexual acts in 2020 while he was on duty. He's not pleading guilty to this alleged crime on Wednesday.

During multiple arrests in 2020 and one in January of 2021, Rambo allegedly stole money from the individuals, according to the affidavit.

Per the affidavit, Rambo previously worked for the Mississippi Department of Transportations law enforcement division from October 2011 to April 2013.

His former supervisor told the FBI that Rambo stole $300 from the MDOTs collection of fees, taxes and permits. The supervisor said Rambo admitted to stealing the money and Rambo chose to resign.

Rambo later worked for the Itawamba County Sheriffs Office. According to the affidavit, he lied on his application about his previous resignation.

The Booneville Police Department fired him in January 2021.

Related - Former Booneville police officer arrested by FBI

Open this link to view the affidavit.
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - Approximately 250 members of the Mississippi National Guard will return home from their clean-up and recovery mission in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

According to the Guard on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the service members will return during the next week.

They helped the Louisiana National Guard and the state emergency agency with debris removal and other emergency efforts.

The group is comprised of soldiers and airmen from units headquartered in Canton, West Point, Meridian and Flowood.

Hurricane Ida made landfall along the Gulf Coast on Sunday, Aug. 29.
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - During the latest effort to get enough signatures for a public vote on a proposed new county jail, Indivisible Northeast Mississippi members came up 20 signatures short, according to Chancery Clerk Bill Benson.

The group presented, in fact, presented to the board this morning some documentation that they would say did cross the threshold. The certification that we have from the circuit clerks office is that they did not," said Benson.

Outside of the Lee County Jail. Outside of the Lee County Jail.

Indivisible member Dinetia Newman said the group did get enough signatures and disputed the claims that some signatures were not that of registered voters.

We also researched the voter rolls to ensure exactly what we said, the individuals that we said are registered voters are indeed registered voters," said Newman.

Newman and other members addressed the board of supervisors this morning. She said she did not expect a response, but shared why they decided to go.

We disagree with the circuit clerks review and we wanted to make a record of that," said Newman.

Members of Indivisible recently expressed disapproval in a potential tax increase that could come with issuing bonds and building a new county jail.

Benson said the future of the jail proposal is now in the supervisors hands.

There was no rush to issue any bonds. Currently, theres no rush to move forward with anything at this point," said Benson.

The referendum needed at least 1500 signatures. Benson said the county identified around 1480 people as registered voters
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - The U.S. Department of Education recognized an Oxford elementary school for its excellent performance.

The Della Davidson Elementary School is among 325 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021.

The honor is based on a schools overall academic performance or its ability to close achievement gaps among student subgroups.

Three other Mississippi schools received the same honor:

Woolmarket Elementary School in the Harrison County School District

Brandon Elementary School in the Rankin County School District

East Hancock Elementary School in the Hancock County School District

East Hancock and Della Davidson were recognized as "exemplary high-performing schools. Woolmarket and Brandon were recognized as exemplary achievement gap-closing schools.

National Blue Ribbon schools are models of consistent excellence in teaching and learning, and these schools represent the high-quality education that takes place across Mississippis public schools, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright said. I congratulate every teacher, school leader, student and family member who helped their school achieve this outstanding accomplishment.

Open this link to view all Blue Ribbon Schools.
When we last left Bob Hearts Abishola, the CBS sitcoms central couple had a put a pin in their wedding and hopped a flight to Lagos. Abishola was determined to retrieve Dele from ex-husband Tayo and bring him back to Detroit, where he supposedly belongs.

But soon after touching down in Nigeria, Deles mother appeared to have a change of heart. Was returning to Michigan truly what was best for her son? That was the question she posed to soon-to-be-husband Bob at the tail end of Mondays Season 3 opener.

More from TVLine

Upon arriving at Tayos compound, Abishola and Bob discovered that Dele had acclimated quite well. He had reconnected with his family (including two half-sisters), as well as his Nigerian culture. Tayo acknowledged that Abishola had every right to be upset with him for taking Dele, but argued that he only had their sons best interests at heart. If Dele is going to grow up and become a doctor, he argued, Dele would need to attend the best schools, and he had already arranged for him to attend the prestigious British International School. Dele had already passed entrance exam, he pointed out  an achievement that wouldnt have been possible had Abishola not raised him so well.

Bob Hearts Abishola 3x01

Overwhelmed, Abishola asked to use the bathroom then made a beeline for Deles bedroom and kidnapped her own son. But rather than take Kemis advice and head towards the border, Abishola brought her son directly to her mothers house. When Tayo arrived to retrieve him, Ebunoluwa, who we finally met in the flesh, refused to let him in. While she agreed with Tayo that it would be in Deles best interests to stay in Nigeria, she was standing by her daughters stupid and selfish decision to take him back to America. Ebunoluwa also refused to let Bob into her home, since he had yet to make a formal introduction in front of Abisholas extended Nigerian family.

Story continues

During the car ride back to his compound, Tayo explained to Bob why he was determined to keep Dele in Lagos. The first time I held Dele in my arms, I knew it was my mission to teach him and provide for him, he said. But then he left, not because he wanted to, but because he could not support Dele in America. With Dele here, I was able to be the father I always wanted to be, he explained. Tayo wanted to say all of this to Abishola, but she was being too bullheaded, he argued  a character trait that led both Tayo and Bob to fall for her. Tayo, however, proved to be just as stubborn. He told Bob that neither he nor Abishola was going to leave Nigeria with Dele.

Moments later, Bob received a call from his conflicted fiancee. Dele is thriving in Lagos, she said. The way he is playing with his sisters, I have never seen him so happy. How can I take that away? Here, he will attend the best school and be around people who share his culture

Bob Hearts Abishola 3x01

But he wont have you, Bob answered.

Ive always done what is best for him, Abishola continued. I cannot let this be the one time I do not.

And just like that, Abisholas mind was made up. She and Bob would return home without Dele  but first, they would get married in Lagos, so Dele and the rest of her family could be in attendance. As the episode came to a close, Kemi, Christina, Douglas and Dottie arrived in Nigeria to witness Bob and Abisholas nuptials. (Could Gloria, Goodwin and Kofo be far behind?)

Grade Bob Hearts Abisholas Season 3 premiere via the following poll, then hit the comments: Do you think Abishola will follow through on her decision to leave Dele in Lagos? And is it the right one?

Best of TVLine
Nurse Jesse Phelps, left, works on a COVID-19 patient as a family member looks on at East Alabama Medical Center in the intensive care unit Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in Opelika, Ala. Julie Bennett/AP Photo

The death rate in Alabama surpassed the birth rate for the first time last year, the state's top doctor said.

The state recorded its highest death toll of all time, according to records dating back to 1900.

A study conducted at the University of New Hampshire found 50 US states last year recorded more deaths than births compared to just five states the year prior.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

The death rate in Alabama in 2020 was the highest ever recorded and for the first time surpassed the state's birth rate, the state's top doctor said, citing data dating back to 1900.

"This past year, for Alabama, the year 2020... we are going to have more deaths in the state of Alabama than we have ever had in the history of the state of Alabama, by a lot," Alabama Health Director Scott Harris told AL.com.

Harris said Friday preliminary numbers showed Alabama had 64,714 deaths in 2020 compared to 57,641 births.

About 375,000 people in the US died last year due to COVID-19, according to preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in April. COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer, according to the data.

"We're going to have around six or seven thousand more people who died in our state this past year than any year we have ever had, going back to the year 1900. That's how far I've asked our staff to go back," he added.

He said the additional deaths were due to the pandemic, with about 6,000 to 7,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the state last year, which match the additional deaths recorded in the state, per AL.com

A study conducted at the University of New Hampshire found that 50 US states last year recorded more deaths than births compared to just five states the year prior. The birth rate in the US shrunk last year for the sixth year in a row, according to CDC data.

"Our state literally shrunk this year for the first time in history, even going back to World War II, when people were serving overseas; going back to the Spanish Flu epidemic, when we had the flu in our state; going back to World War I. We've never seen that happen before in the state of Alabama until COVID this past year," Harris said, according to AL.com.

Story continues

According to the University of New Hampshire study, the "surplus of births over deaths added just 229,000 to the population" in the US last year, a 74% decline from 2019 data.

According to data released by the National Vital Statistics System in June this year, the birth rate in the US in December 2020 was 8% lower than in December 2019. The number of births declined each month last year compared to the same months in 2019, according to the data, with the largest declines occurring in the second half of the year.

According to CDC data, around 1.9 million - about 41% - people in Alabama have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. About 55% of the total US population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein is pleading not guilty in California for a second time.

Weinstein pleaded not guilty Monday to 11 sexual assault counts, including a recently reinstated sexual assault charge, after being extradited to Los Angeles to face sex-crimes charges including forcible rape and forcible oral copulation, Los Angeles district attorney's spokesman Greg Risling confirmed.

In July, Judge Lisa B. Lench rejected one count of sexual battery by restraint due to a statute-of-limitations technicality, but prosecutors returned to the grand jury weeks later for a new indictment with amended language.

Weinstein still faces 11 counts of sexual assault dating back to 2004. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all of them last month in his first court appearance in the California case. He was extradited in June from New York, where he is serving a 23-year sentence for convictions of rape and sexual assault.

Harvey Weinstein arrives in a wheelchair to an arraignment hearing on July 21, 2021, in Los Angeles, where he pleaded not guilty to 11 sex-crime charges, in image taken from KABC pool video.

Harvey Weinstein: Judge rejects sexual assault count

Bill Cosby's release: What does this mean for Harvey Weinstein?

During Monday's hearing in Los Angeles, the district attorney's office also filed a motion to allow several new Weinstein accusers to testify at the upcoming trial, despite not being charged in the original indictment.

In response, Weinstein's defense attorney Mark Werksman said he is opposing the introduction of these "uncharged allegations which are unproved, uncredible and should have no place in this trial" in a statement to USA TODAY.

The next hearing is set for Dec. 7.

Weinstein was first charged with the previously-dismissed count in January 2020, before the statute of limitations had expired. Prosecutors then got an indictment from a grand jury on an identical count six months later, when the time had lapsed. Other charges against Weinstein are for even older incidents, but different statutes apply to them.

Erie County Assistant District Attorney Colleen Curtin Gable argued at the time that "Los Angeles County absolutely met the requirements of the statue on detainers" which governs interstate extradition.

Story continues

More: Harvey Weinstein's extradition to Los Angeles on sex-crime charges approved by judge

Weinstein's New York lawyer, Norman Effman, argued the opposite, citing, among other reasons, that the latest paperwork submitted by Los Angeles prosecutors did not specifically list all the charges, which began with five counts but later increased to 11.

"What the district attorney is saying to us here is that these papers are 'close enough, we almost have it right,' but they don't have it right," Effman said. "We are challenging the paperwork because its not right, its wrong. Its a legal technicality based on due process and constitutional right and what the statues and courts have ruled."

More into #MeToo: Harvey Weinstein has been behind bars for a year: What's changed?

Contributing: Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press; Maria Puente, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty again to sexual assault counts
International documentary film festival IDFA has revealed the first films selected for its 34th edition, which runs Nov. 17-28 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. These are the program curated by the events guest of honor, the German filmmaker, media artist and writer Hito Steyerl, and a selection of four films directed by Armenias Artavazd Pelechian, who will receive IDFAs Lifetime Achievement Award. Both helmers will attend the festival in person.

With her curated program of 14 titles, Steyerl offers a window into her world of film and media art. Helping us to understand her own body of work, Steyerl presents a lineup of dissident filmmakers who, each in their own way, have shaped the art of political documentary cinema.

More from Variety

Selected films include Videograms of a Revolution, the cult masterpiece by Harun Farocki and Andrei Ujica, in a nod to Steyerls long-held admiration of Farocki, who she has written about, exhibited with, and studied under at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Unearthing hidden stories of Japanese activism, Yama: Attack to Attack charts the consecutive assassinations of the films directors, Mitsuo Sato and Kyoichi Yamaoka, as they document the conditions of local workers.

Germane to Steyerls own artistic methodology, several titles reimagine notions of truth and fiction, as seen in Stories of Destroyed Cities by the Rojava Film Commune, which sensitively illuminates the Kurdish cause  a returning subject in Steyerls writings.

Reality is again reimagined in Kenedi Goes Back Home, one of two selected films by Yugoslav Black Wave icon Zelimir Zilnik, as well as in Peter Watkins epic La Commune (Paris, 1871), remastered for cinema release under Watkins supervision.

Story continues

Dissident filmmaking takes the form of avant-garde feminist art with titles such as Barbara Hammers Nitrate Kisses and Martha Roslers Semiotics of the Kitchen.

Steyerl also presents a mainstay of documentary journalism with Laura Poitras Oscar-winning Edward Snowden film Citizenfour.

IDFA will also present an extensive Filmmaker Talk with Steyerl in Amsterdams historic Tuschinski 1 cinema, named by Time Out as the most beautiful cinema in the world. During the festival, Steyerl will also moderate a panel discussion with several filmmakers from her selection.

<img src="https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?w=1000" alt="Nature - Credit: Courtesy of IDFA" width="1000" height="563" class="size-horizontal wp-image-1235069945" srcset="https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg 1000w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Nature.jpg?resize=250,140 250w" sizes="(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px" />Courtesy of IDFA

Nearly 30 years after the release of Pelechians last film, IDFA presents the European premiere of his 64-minute tour de force Nature. The film offers a monumental cinematic experience, the festival said in a statement, returning to Pelechians characteristic fascination with human fragility in the face of natures titanic glory  this time through a swirling composition of found footage natural disasters. This will be the first screening of the film that Pelechian has attended, with Andrei Ujica, his long-time collaborator and producer of Nature, also in attendance.

IDFA will screen three films from Pelechians career. One of the auteurs earliest films, We, honors the people of Armenia and their tumultuous history, marking the birth of the filmmakers signature distance montage technique. In Seasons of the Year, the director orchestrates a magnificent yet bittersweet symphony of human existence centering on an isolated community in the remote Armenian mountaintops, the festival said. Finally, in Our Century, Pelechian turns to the 20th century space race of the U.S. and U.S.S.R., capturing the terrific nature of humanity crossing a cosmic threshold.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
LAPD

A mom and daughter who allegedly posed as plastic surgery pros have been charged with murder after an aspiring adult film actress illegal butt augmentation surgery turned deadly.

Libby Adame, 51, and Alicia Galaz, 23, were arrested Aug. 5 in Riverside, California, in connection with the death of 26-year-old Karissa Rajpaul, who died at a local hospital hours after she underwent the botched procedure.

The Los Angeles Police Department told local outlets that the two women posed as specialists while performing the allegedly illegal procedure on Oct. 15, 2019 and likely have operated on a slew of other victims.

These individuals have no medical training, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told KABC. Theyre not experienced and theyre putting peoples lives at risk.

Watch: Woman gets five years prison for fatal silicone butt injection at Missouri hotel

After Rajpaul suffered complications from the surgery, the women allegedly called 911 and then left her to die, Hamilton alleged.

They took peoples cash and we know in a couple of incidents, it resulted in murder, he added.

The Los Angeles County Coroners Office ruled the aspiring actress death a homicide due to acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction and intramuscular/intravascular silicone injections, CBS LA reported.

Detectives told local outlets that they had uncovered potential evidence in the case that suggests the pair used social media to advertise Brazilian butt lifts at a fraction of the usual cost.

Before her death, Rajpaul appeared in a video posted on social media that appeared to show her undergoing a procedure for butt augmentation. That footage has since been incorporated into the LAPDs investigation of the botched operation, KABC reported.

Karissa Rajpaul. LAPD

Investigators told KABC that they suspect the women injected Rajpaul with a cocktail of substances used by qualified cosmetic physicians in addition to other dangerous chemicals.

They were mixing them with chemicals and other substances that clearly are not appropriate for any medical procedure that would be performed on a human, Hamilton said.

Story continues

Police told local outlets that Rajpaul had come to the United States from South Africa to pursue a career in the adult film industry. The augmentation procedure that led to her death was preceded by two others allegedly also conducted illegally at a home in Encino, California, last September.

Hamilton told KABC that investigators are examining other potential victims and their relatives who may have had loved ones disfigured or killed after undergoing procedures conducted by the faux-specialists.

Some of these victims may have not survived these procedures and thats what we are looking into now, he told KTLA5 separately.

A day after she was arrested, Adame was released after posting $1 million bail, according to CBS LA. Her daughter was also released on bond two days after her arrest and is set to make her first court appearance on Dec. 8.

Watch: Popular Instagram model regrets illegal butt injections

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
BTS is back at the United Nations.

Three years since the most popular K-pop boy band in the world made a splash at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, BTS returned to accompany President Moon Jae-in of South Korea on Monday ahead of the opening of the 76th annual General Assembly.

More from WWD

The president tapped the seven-member group, which consists of RM, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, Suga, J-Hope and V, to be the U.N.s Special Presidential Envoys for Future Generations and Culture for the Republic of Korea and help encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Each member of BTS wore custom suits made by RE;CODE, a sustainable label based in Korea.

This suit design aims to support sustainable fashion and it is particularly designed for BTS speech at [the] United Nations, the brand said on its official Instagram account.

Additionally, they all wore rainbow crystal Swarovski pins representing the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goals.

In their seven-minute speech, the group, who stated they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, highlighted the importance of getting the vaccine and praised young people all over the world for their resiliency during the pandemic, stating that they are not a lost generation because of this.

Members of South Korean K-pop band BTS, from left, V, Suga, Jin, RM, Jung Kook, Jimin and J-Hope appear at the United Nations meeting. - Credit: AP

AP

Ive heard that people in their teens and 20s today are being referred to as COVIDs lost generation, said RM, born Kim Nam-joon, the groups leader. But I think its a stretch to say theyre lost just because the path they tread cant be seen by grown-up eyes.

Instead of the lost generation, a more appropriate name would be the welcome generation because instead of fearing change, this generation says welcome and keeps forging ahead, said Jin, born Kim Seok-jin.

Over the weekend, the group made a video where they danced and sang their way through the U.N. Headquarters, performing their latest hit single Permission to Dance, which is the bands third English-language single. Their first two, Dynamite and Butter, became worldwide sensations, breaking the record for most views for a music video within 24 hours on YouTube.

Story continues

BTS then made stops around New York City, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where RM made another speech at an event celebrating artisans of Korea.

They also met up with Megan Thee Stallion, who recently collaborated with them to create a remixed version of Butter, which was released a few weeks ago. The rapper uploaded selfies of herself and the band on her Instagram account. Its Thee HotGirl Coach and BTS , she captioned it.

During their appearance, which was broadcast on the U.N.s official YouTube channel, BTS raked in over one million views as they took the podium. Their large legions of fans, known as Army, flooded the comments immediately.

In the last few years, members of BTS have become heavily involved in the fashion world, wearing brands like Gucci, Chanel, Prada and Balenciaga. In April, Louis Vuitton tapped the boy band to be its latest brand ambassadors.

I am delighted BTS are joining Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, mens artistic director at Vuitton, said in a statement. I am looking forward to this wonderful partnership, which adds a modern chapter to the house, merging luxury and contemporary culture. I cant wait to share all the very exciting projects we are working on.

In a statement, BTS returned the sentiment: Becoming global brand ambassadors for Louis Vuitton is a truly exciting moment for us. We are excited for our upcoming projects with Virgil Abloh.

In July, the French fashion house released a short film promoting Ablohs fall 2021 collection, featuring all seven BTS members.

READ MORE HERE:

BTS Will Model Louis Vuitton Mens Wear in Spin-off Film: EXCLUSIVE

BTS and McDonalds Team on Two Fashion Collections

Louis Vuitton Taps BTS as House Ambassadors

The High-Fashion Moments in BTS MTV: Unplugged Performance

Best of WWD

Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In March 2020, just as we all did, I stopped traveling. Instead, I started lying in bed. My first and longest lasting symptoms of what would become long COVID were brain fog and an exhaustion that made sleep too much effort. I didnt leave my apartment in Paris for months, marking time by the suns rise over the city, and the movement of yellow and orange rays that would cross from my headboard to the hallway wall throughout a day.

My symptoms were debilitating: body aches, chest and lung pressure, tachycardia (too fast heart rate), difficulty breathing, loss of smell and taste, nerve pain, vertigo, hair loss, headaches, light and sound sensitivityto name a few.

If the first few weeks and months were a violent tide of symptoms, each crashing into the next, the latter were spent lost at sea. I mourned a once healthy, blissfully reliable 33-year-old body and worried for the future of the weak, volatile one that had taken its place. An only child and a writer, Im especially suited to aloneness, yet I felt steam-rolled by the solitude. I lived in tandem with gratitude and guilt for surviving.

It was early in the pandemic when I got sick and few doctors knew of or believed in the existence of long COVID. The main narrative was that people infected by SARS-CoV-2 either die or get mild symptoms that last two weeks. A third, life-altering reality that I and a still-growing number of other long-haulers were living wasnt accepted into the common understanding by the medical community, media, or social circles. (Even now this remains an uphill battle.) I was told repeatedly that it wasnt possible I was still sick, that it was anxiety, that I was making it up. In sole charge of my healing, listening to my body became a full time jobrequiring vigilance, compassion, and relentless communication.

Seven months into my recovery, I listened to what my body really needed. I took myself to the sea.

Story continues

Ive long sought out salt water. Growing up in and around the lakes of the Midwest, I spent my childhood imagining the land on the other side of them as Europe, the water teeming with salt and sharks and possibility. The first time my heart properly broke, I traveled alone to South Goa, swimming in the Arabian Sea and doing little else for 10 days. In the depths of another heartbreak, I flew to Costa Rica. Booking a train ticket to the south of France to focus on healing for a month felt refreshingly normal.

The trip from Paris to the south of France was simple in pre-pandemic times: pack a bag, take a train, expect delays. But with long COVID the journey to La Ciotat, the port city between Cassis and Bandol where I had rented an apartment, felt like traveling outside the lines. Separating the anxiety any rational person living in the middle of a global pandemic has from the fear brought on by living with long COVID is an impossible task. Whatever their origins, travel brought it all to the surface.

I rested for a full week before departing to store up enough energy for the trip. The morning of, double masked and armed with the assurance of another bed upon arrival, I called a car to the train station. Onboard, I scoured my seat with sanitizing wipes and turned my attention to my fellow passengers. Four rows back a man sneezed. The woman in seat 35 took her mask off to eat a sandwich. I tentatively asked, then more emphatically told the young men playing cards across the aisle to wear their masks over their noseshearing myself as they must have: old and scared. After a transfer at Marseille-Saint-Charles, my connecting train arrived in La Ciotat. Its small station holds a place in film history: the Lumiere Brothers filmed the aptly-named, continuously shot LArrivee dun Train en Gare de La Ciotat there in 1895. In another life I might have taken a photo. Instead I focused on getting to bed where, with the windows open and salted air flowing in, I relapsed.

Relapse is an ineffective word for the highly painful, fairly dull process of lying in a dark room until your symptoms subside and you have enough energy to try at life once again. With long COVID, relapses can be brought on by the smallest physical or mental exertiona walk, time on the computer, a phone callmuch less a full day of travel. I spent most of my relapses listening to Netflix shows I had seen beforemy burning eyes made screens painful to look at; short-term memory loss made plots hard to follow.

A few days later, I risked a slow, unsteady five-minute walk to the sea. I made it to a bench overlooking the water and, while it was a full hour before I had the strength to stand up and walk back, it didnt matter. The moment I saw the water, I knew I had made the right decision to come. Bolstered by heavy sea air, the first thing I did every morning was attempt this walk to the beach.

Just as I had watched the sun rise from my bed in Paris, driven by long COVID-induced insomnia, I often watched it rise over the seas horizon in La Ciotat. Other days I would delay my walk to the beach until late morning, spreading my towel far away from the off-season regulars. When I stepped into the water I felt a tenuous bridge form between my past and future health. Id climb out, dripping with joy in the October sun. Later, salt dry and fine on my skin, Id layer a striped blue and white Breton sweater over my swimsuit and drink turmeric teamy long COVID body offering spotty temperature regulation and an inability to handle caffeine. I tried and sometimes succeeded in not feeling ashamed of how much hair and weight and strength I had lost. I made snacking on sun-warm, sandy, late-season figs a ritual, eating them with the kind of attention M.F.K. Fisher gave her oysters. About halfway through my month by the sea I took a selfie and recognized myself for the first time in a long while.

On the walk home one particularly buoyant afternoon, I stopped for a glass of rose. Sitting on the seaside terrace, I delighted in the kind of moment that had been a regular part of my pre-COVID identity: face in the sun, afternoon glass of wine in my hand, the raw shape of another language in my mouth. Of course I relapsed when I got home. Even so, I felt liberated. With long COVID, the little moments of ordinary living are often the biggest. Here, I had discovered small flashes of normalcy to bring me back, however briefly, to my once carefree traveling self.

Its now been over a year and half since I first got sick with COVID. I still have days overtaken with brain fog, I still relapse, though far less often, and Im still anxious in public spaces. When I returnedvaccinatedto the south of France this summer it felt like a homecoming of sorts; a chance for continued healing. Even more, it was a welcome reminder that Im growing more familiar with, even fond of, this fragile new body.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is selling more than 200 prints and photographs from its collection in order to raise funds amid a budget shortfall caused by the pandemic.

Nearly 220 works will be offered across three sales at Christies beginning on September 24, when a tranche of Civil Warera photographs will be offered. Also set for auction are works by artists such as Robert Frank, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella. Together, the three sales are expected to generate between $900,000 and $1.4 million.

More from Robb Report

Met director Max Hollien told Artnet News that all of the works selected for the present sales are duplicates from its collection. According to Artnet News, Tobias Meyer, a private art dealer and ex-Sothebys executive, is one of its advisors for the deaccessioning plan.

The museum is taking advantage of a pandemic-era policy change issued by the Association of Art Museum Directors that is set in place until April 2022. The adjustment allows museums to sell art from their holdings to raise funds for collection care, rather than just solely to pave the way for future acquisitions, as the pre-pandemic policy stipulated.

Other museum deaccessions prompted by the AAMDs temporary policy have drawn criticism. Last year, the Baltimore Museum of Art planned to sell works by Andy Warhol, Clyfford Still, and Brice Marden at Sothebys in New York. After a public outcry, the museum withdrew the works at the last minute. That museum had planned to use the money gained from the sale to diversify the its collection, rather than to balance its budget as a result of financial fallout from the pandemic. Also last year, the Brooklyn Museum of Art sold Old Masters works to raise funds for collection maintenance.

Story continues

Although deaccessioning is a regular practice at museums, institutions typically do not part with works as major as ones sold as of late. The recent sale of works from institutions holdings spurred a tense debate both within and beyond the museum world. Opponents of the practice claim that museums are selling crucial pieces of art history, and possibly landing them in private hands. Proponents allege that doing so allows institutions to radically reshape their collections, possibly in ways that allow for greater diversity.

Annually, the Met typically deaccessions around $10 million worth of art. Hollein has said that the museum has significant endowment funds allocated for acquisitions. As a result, the museum decided to sell the current cache of editions to support the museums staff in charge with managing collection care. It seems appropriate to use the proceeds of our regular deaccession program to support salaries for collection care staff in this exceptional year, Hollein told Artnet News.

The Museum approaches deaccessioning with the same degree of strategy and deliberation as we apply to acquisitions, said Holstein in a statement published by the Met in February. The museums estimated revenue losses was $150 million. It will take years until we can expect the full return of tourism revenue, Hollein wrote.

This is not the only time in recent memory that a New York museum has brought a trove of multiples to auction. In 2017, after an appraisal of its photography collection, the Museum of Modern Art auctioned nearly 400 historical photographs for $2 million. Proceeds from the sale went to the museums acquisition fund.

Best of Robb Report

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to make their first joint in-person appearance since welcoming their daughter, Lilibet.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will reportedly travel to New York to attend Global Citizen Live from Central Park, which will take place on September 25 on the Great Lawn. The event will not only raise awareness about vaccine equity, but it will also feature live performances from artists like Coldplay and Jennifer Lopez.

The NYC get-together is just one of many that are set to take place around the world. According to People, Global Citizen Live from Central Park is joining a 24-hour broadcast from cities around the world calling on G7 countries and the European Union to share at least 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses with those most in need and support calls for a waiver on COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property rights.

Were not totally surprised by the news, especially since Prince Harry and Markle have been long-time supporters of Global Citizen. Earlier this year, the royals shared a heartfelt statement in support of VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World.

Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss and struggletogether. Now we need to recover and healtogether, they said. We cant leave anybody behind. We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone, everywhere has equal access to the vaccine. We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution and, in that, restore faith in our common humanity. The mission couldnt be more critical or important.

Still, one question remains: Will Prince Harry and Markle bring Archie and Lili to New York?

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.

RELATED: Listen to Royally Obsessed, the Podcast for People Who Love the Royal Family
President Joe Biden vowed Tuesday to double U.S. spending on international climate aid to $11.4 billion per year by 2024, a move that would significantly expand the pot of money available for poorer countries to develop clean energy and adapt to the already brutal effects of warming.

The pledge, announced during the first-year presidents debut speech before the United Nations, comes almost exactly six months after Biden doubled the previous U.S. commitment to $5.6 billion.

President Joe Biden addresses the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, vowing to double U.S. spending on international climate aid by 2024. (Photo: EDUARDO MUNOZ via Getty Images)

The decision showed a clean break from former President Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the global pact to cut carbon emissions and canceled all payments to the worlds main climate aid fund. Trumps predecessor, former President Barack Obama, had pledged $3 billion to the fund, but paid out just $1 billion before his Republican successor took office.

Well work with the Congress to double that number again, including for adaptation efforts, Biden said before the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan. This will make the United States a leader in public climate finance.

Yet even the quadrupled annual figure falls far short of what U.S. allies are contributing, and represents roughly one-eighth of what the worlds largest historical emitter would need to pay to account for its cumulative share of carbon heating the planet.

A woman rides her scooter through floodwaters occurring around high tide in a low-lying area near the airport in 2019 in Funafuti, Tuvalu. The South Pacific island nation of about 11,000 people has been classified as

The U.S. has spewed the second-most carbon into the atmosphere each year since 2006, when China, with its ravenous appetite for coal, took the top slot. But Americans love of gas guzzlers, big suburban houses, and cheap plastic goods makes the U.S. the largest per capita emitter by far. Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for over a century, preventing the suns heat from escaping back into space and heating the planet all the while, meaning the U.S.s nearly 200 years of industrial pollution make up the lions share of the emissions causing climate change today.

Accounting for that reality, the U.S. would need to spend $800 billion on climate aid to the rest of the world by 2030, according to an analysis put forward earlier this year by a diverse coalition of more than 1,300 civil society groups. Thats close to $89 billion per year, nearly eight times what Biden pledged Tuesday.

Story continues

The new proposal even fails to match more conservative estimates of what the U.S. owes the rest of the world. The U.S. fell dead last on a list of countries that compared total historical emissions to existing climate finance pledges. The ranking from the Overseas Development Institute, a London-based think tank, calculated that the U.S. should have donated a little over $43 billion between 2017 and 2018.

Tuesdays pledge is even shy of the $12 billion per year an alliance of U.S. nonprofits, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Oxfam America, proposed this week.

This was a very significant ramp up, however its definitely not the U.S.s fair share, Rachel Cleetus, the climate policy director at the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists, said by phone Tuesday after the presidents speech. More will need to be done in the years ahead.

The rich world promised more than a decade ago to muster $100 billion per year to help countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America skip the fossil fuel phase of economic development and fortify themselves against the droughts, flooding, and extreme weather already disproportionately afflicting them.

Yet by 2019, the North American and European nations that grew wealthy burning fossil fuels and chopping down forests over the past two centuries contributed just $79.6 billion to the fund, more than $20 billion less than was promised, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a club of rich countries, found in a report published last week.

The European Union and its members already give developing countries about $25 billion per year, and the European Commission vowed this month to increase that by nearly $4.7 billion.

My message today is that Europe is ready to do more, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her State of the European Union speech last Wednesday. But we expect the United States and our partners to step up too.

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the future USS Gerald R. Ford is seen underway on its own power for the first time in 2017 in Newport News, Virginia. The first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years will likely end up costing well over $12 billion. (Photo: U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

A truly fair share spending figure from the U.S. would amount to an eye-popping number. But the U.S. spent $714 billion on its military in 2020 alone, despite repeated warnings that the Pentagon does too little to root out profligate spending and graft by private contractors, going as far as to hide an internal study that estimated wasteful bureaucratic costs at $125 billion.

For comparison, the cost of building a single U.S. aircraft carrier this year will likely exceed what Biden has proposed to help other countries deal with climate change by more than $1 billion.

Military spending is often contrasted with policy issues the U.S. badly needs to fund but fails to prioritize, such as basic infrastructure, education, or health care. But the comparison is uniquely relevant with climate change. Already, increasingly scarce freshwater supplies are stoking regional tensions. Some researchers connect the civil war in Syria, which created a refugee crisis that served to destabilize Europe and neighboring countries, to a prolonged drought that drove more than a million rural workers from the countryside to cities as crops failed. Twelve of the 20 countries deemed most vulnerable to warming impacts are mired in conflict, and studies indicate that number will likely grow as average temperatures rise.

The Pentagon, even under Trump, indicated that extreme weather and less predictable resources pose an almost certain risk of more wars, terrorism, and the very violence a well-armed military is supposed to guard the American population against. Helping other countries cut their emissions and avoid social and ecological upheaval should decrease the likelihood of armed conflict.

The ambitious call were making actually makes sense when you look at it juxtaposed to what we spend on the military, said the Rev. Michael Malcom, an ordained minister and the executive director of The Peoples Justice Council, a grassroots climate justice group. If we would take away from our death-dealing devices and invest in life-giving measures, we can make it happen.

Yet Biden will need Congress to authorize the $11.4 billion per year in aid funding at a time when members of the presidents own party say they are reluctant to approve a politically popular $4 trillion budget aimed at building infrastructure and hastening the transition to clean energy and electric vehicles.

Despite the White Houses request to keep the Pentagon budget flat at $715 billion, congressional Democrats voted with Republicans this month to increase the militarys spending by $24 billion.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
The FBI announced it has more than doubled its domestic terrorism caseload  from roughly 1,000 to about 2,700 investigations  since spring of 2021.

It has also more than doubled the number of personnel devoted to domestic terrorism, fueled by the mammoth caseload stemming from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the mounting threat of extremists harboring racial, ethnic and anti-government grievances.

"Today, terrorism moves at the speed of social media," Wray testified in a "Worldwide Threats" hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, following the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Afghanistan's power vacuum

National security officials voiced deep concern about the potential reconstitution of al Qaeda in Afghanistan, as well as ISIS-K, the offshoot group behind last month's attack in Kabul, which killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghans.

The FBI director also expressed concern that domestic actors  including resettled Afghan evacuees  could be further radicalized by foreign terrorists in the aftermath of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"We're putting a heavy focus on community outreach as the evacuees settle here in the United States," Wray told the Senate panel.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers more than 60,000 people have been brought into the U.S. from Afghanistan so far  including 7% who are U.S. citizens, 6% who are lawful permanent residents and 3% of whom are Afghans who have received special immigrant visas. The remainder represent vulnerable Afghans, some of whom are in the process of applying for a special immigration visa.

"We have not found many people with derogatory information relative to those who qualify for admission to the United States," Mayorkas said, though he did not provide a number. Mayorkas promised that the federal government would remove any Afghan evacuees who raised red flags, with possible relocation to a third country.

Story continues

Threat of inspired violence

National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Christine Abizaid testified that the terror threat to the homeland is "less acute," than it was two decades ago, but said evolving threats from Afghanistan prove an "absolute top priority," for the center, as terror groups scramble to fill the country's power vacuum.

"The primary threat in the homeland comes from individuals inspired to violence, either by foreign terrorist groups or other domestic grievances and ideologies," Abizaid said. She noted that NCTC is evaluating how quickly terrorist groups in Afghanistan may gain the capacity to launch attacks on the U.S. homeland.

Wray told the senior Republican on the committee, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, that he remains "certainly concerned" about Sirajuddin Haqqani, who both heads Afghanistan's counterterrorism program as acting interior minister and remains among the ranks of the FBI's most wanted.

"We are concerned about what the future holds," Wray said.

Wray also noted that 62 law enforcement officers have been "feloniously killed on the job in 2021" in the U.S.  amounting to an officer murdered in his country, every five days, and already more than the total number of officers lost in 2020.

The situation in Del Rio, Texas

Lawmakers also inundated the DHS secretary with questions after thousands of migrants, most of them from Haiti, poured into the southern border near Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming U.S. border officials and prompting them to establish a makeshift migrant processing encampment underneath an international bridge.

The secretary pointed to a mass deployment of hundreds of border patrol officials and repatriation flights to Haiti, which have cut numbers from as many as 15,000 to less than 10,000. Mayorkas vowed the encampment would be cleared within 10 days, a situation he described as "unprecedented" and a "human tragedy."

"Do you bear responsibility for the crisis in Del Rio?" GOP Senator Josh Hawley, of Missouri, asked the secretary, multiple times. "Yes or no?"

"It is my responsibility to address the human tragedy in Del Rio," Mayorkas responded, noting that human traffickers had fed migrants misinformation about the United States' immigration policies.

Mayorkas also told lawmakers that footage of Border Patrol agents on horseback aggressively dispersing Haitian migrants, which first surfaced Monday, has been "uppermost" in his mind. "I was horrified to see the images," Mayorkas told lawmakers.

The secretary noted that DHS has commenced an internal probe into the behavior exhibited and has assigned personnel from the office of professional responsibility to "be on site 24/7 in Del Rio."

"We do not tolerate any mistreatment or abuse of a migrant," Mayorkas added. "Period."

Early voting underway in Virginia governor's race

FBI confirms body found in Wyoming is Gabby Petito, death initially ruled a homicide

Biden pledges new era of "relentless diplomacy" in first United Nations address
Four people were shot at a raucous barbecue in a Bronx park, leaving one victim dead and the others, including an 11-year-old boy, wounded, police said Sunday.

Shots rang out in Claremont Park near Teller Ave. and Mount Eden Parkway just before 11:15 p.m. Saturday after an argument broke out at the cookout celebrating Central American Independence Day, cops and witnesses said.

Neighborhood resident Diana Martinez, 29, said she had only been at the cookout for about an hour before a fight between two women broke out.

I heard like five or six shots and everybody was running, Martinez said. They were screaming and falling over each other, running, scared. They were scared. There were a lot of people.

At least one of three men cops are looking for pulled out a gun and began to fire off shots into the crowd. The men fired off indiscriminate rounds into the sea of partygoers and took off, police said.

EMS rushed three of the victims to local hospitals. Later, a 22-year-old man walked into Lincoln Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.

A 22-year-old man EMS took to Bronx Care Health System died from a gunshot wound to the torso. His name was not immediately released.

An 11-year-old boy shot in the shoulder was in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital. A 24-year-old woman blasted twice in the torso and was in critical condition at the same hospital.

Cops recovered one gun at the scene, sources said.

On Sunday afternoon Martinez was sifting through debris left behind by terrified partygoers, looking for a friends phone lost in the chaos. She moved to the neighborhood two months ago and had never been to Claremont Park before Saturday night.

It was really scary, she said of the shooting. People, they just come to have fun. Then they get shot.

At a press conference in Claremont Park Sunday, Mayoral GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa slammed the de Blasio administration and the city Parks Department for a lack of lighting and NYPD surveillance cameras in city parks.

You can tell what a dire circumstance it must have been as people fled for their lives, fled for their lives as they left everything else behind, Sliwa said.

Police are still looking for the men behind the deadly gunplay. They fled in a white Nissan, cops said.
Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 91F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Cloudy. Low 72F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High around 85F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
How should Europe deal with the COVID-19 pandemic? What strategies should be implemented and what risks should be taken into account?

As the spring wave of infections subsided, many countries relaxed or lifted restrictions altogether.

But during the summer, the delta variant of coronavirus emerged and spread, and the incidence increased again. This is because the delta variant is more infectious and partially evades the immune response.

As the researchers write: "Europe needs a coherent and effective strategy before schools reopen and coronavirus increases activity due to its seasonality" (SARS-CoV-2, according to last year's experience, is largely a seasonal virus - it spreads much more easily in autumn and winter).

REKLAMA

The researchers note that two opposing strategies are possible:

Continuing the rapid lifting of all restrictions. In this strategy, we are counting on the fact that the level of vaccination and immunity acquired through natural infection is already high enough that, despite the increase in new infections, health care systems will not be overburdened. Lifting the restrictions more slowly, depending on progress in vaccination and keeping infection rates low. This strategy is to control the pandemic with testing programs, detecting the infected and their contacts, and effectively isolating them.

Which strategy is better?

The first strategy may seem the simplest to adopt. But it is risky because of insufficient vaccination coverage, low adolescent immunization rates, and doubts about vaccinating children.

It could bring a wave of infections of several hundred cases per million people per day, scientists warn.

REKLAMA

They present model calculations which show that in some countries this can again lead to a burden on hospitals and intensive care units.

The second strategy would be an attempt to control the pandemic, keeping the coronavirus in check with existing restrictions (masks, social distance, remote or hybrid work, etc.) and mass testing, isolation and quarantine. If done effectively, the incidence would stay well below one hundred per million people per day.

The researchers note in The Lancet that the application of these two different strategies is already causing friction within the European community and threatening European cooperation at economic and social level.

- A high incidence of the disease in one country threatens a low incidence in a neighbouring country, which is why some countries have introduced obligatory tests and quarantine - explains Ewa Szczurek, Ph.D.

What do the researchers recommend?

According to the scientists, it is necessary to coordinate the fight against a pandemic in all EU countries.

In doing so, they recommend a second strategy, which is to keep infection rates low until a large enough fraction of the population has been vaccinated.

Its benefits include:

fewer deaths, fewer illnesses and cases of the so-called long COVID,

greater solidarity, i.e. protection from infection of those who are not yet protected,

less risk of the emergence and spread of new virus variants,

the possibility of opening schools and kindergartens in the autumn and winter season.

"Keeping infection rates low is an act of solidarity and will be made increasingly easier by increasing vaccination coverage," the researchers emphasise. They add that for this strategy to be effective, people need to be aware of the risks, consciously follow the restrictions, and have confidence in the authorities, who should have a consistent and clear information policy.

* The team that prepared the analysis includes researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Gottingen, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, the Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research in Helsinki, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Medical University of Innsbruck, as well as the universities of Warsaw, Vienna, Luxembourg, Munich, Malta, Cretan, Maribor, Latvia, Athens, Antwerp, Aachen, Bergen, Porto, Linkoping, Umea, Maastricht and Edinburgh.

_______________

And once the pandemic is over, how do we assess the impact and damage? How do we develop a plan of action? As part of the 'Periscope' project, the best scientists and experts from 32 European universities, research institutes and think tanks are engaged in this task. "Gazeta Wyborcza" is the only media outlet cooperating with them. The "Periscope" project is financed by the European Commission as part of the "Horizon2020" programme.

____

Translated by Chris Borowski

This is a translation of the article from August 24, 2021.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday (September 21, 2021) arrested two foreign nationals in an ongoing investigation regarding a Rs 100 crore bank fraud case, where the fixed deposits of Chennai Port Trust (CPT) were fraudulently foreclosed. The agency said that searches at Ramapuram locality in Chennai led to them to two foreign nationals, alleged to be residents of Cameroon and Congo.

According to the Central agency, the duo was allegedly on student visas and not in possession of original passports. The duo is to be produced before a Court in the city.

Laptops, mobile phones, camera, printer, and documents related to the Kamarajar Port Trust, Chennai Port Trust, Bank Fixed deposits and logos of Different Indian-Government organizations were also recovered.

ALSO READ | Massive bank scam: CBI books private firm, others in Rs 1528 crore fraud case involving 16 banks

Earlier on July 31, 2020, the CBI had registered a case in this regard, which was based on a complaint from Indian Bank, Chennai against two private persons - Branch Manager, Indian Bank, Koyambedu Branch, Chennai and other unknown public servants and private persons on the allegations of committing fraud, forgery, impersonation with the intention to cheat the bank to the tune of Rs 100.57 crore.

Another allegation was that a loss to the tune of Rs 45.40 crore was caused to Indian Bank by way of foreclosing/pre-closing of several term deposits (fixed deposits) created in the name of Chennai Port Trust (CPT) and also transferring/withdrawing the said amount through various accounts etc.

According to the probe agency, the accused are alleged to have conspired with each other and canvassed the Bank & Chennai Port Trust for opening term deposits in the Koyambedu Branch of Indian bank. In accordance with this, 45 Term deposits were created during the period between March 2020 and May 2020.

It is also alleged that an accused impersonated himself as the Deputy Director (Finance) of Chennai Port Trust and opened a fake current account in the name of the Port trust at the bank branch.

After the receipt of investment from the CPT on every occasion, the Bank created term deposit receipts (Bond) against the said investment and the said bond was received by the accused from the bank directly. Instead of delivering the original bond to CPT, the accused made duplicate bonds and submitted the forged bonds to CPT.

It was further alleged that having original bonds in possession, the accused had presented the same before Indian Bank, Koyambedu Branch and pre-closed the Term Deposits one after another within few days of the creation of term deposits. The money received from the pre-closure of Term deposits was then allegedly credited into the fake current account created in the name of CPT by the accused and subsequently transferred to 34 different accounts. This money was withdrawn by as many as 27 account holders and handed over to the accused persons.

CPT was continuously investing in term deposits and the same was allegedly pre-closed by the accused one after another after the bonds were created by the Bank. In that process, a total of approximately Rs 100.57 crore was transferred from CPT in five investments against which 45 Term Deposits of different amounts were created. Out of the total amount invested, Rs 55.19 crore could be frozen after the detection of the fraud and the remaining Rs 45.40 crore was swindled by the accused.

The Central agency had earlier arrested nine accused and all are in judicial custody.

Searches were also conducted earlier at 22 locations including Chennai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Nagercoil.
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the BJP-ruled MCD sealed the ND Mall in 2013, took crores of rupees from shopkeepers, allowed the mall to run for 8 years and now got the mall sealed when the traders did not pay the money again. After the sealing of ND Mall 8 years ago, BJP leaders got the mall started illegally by taking crores of rupees as bribes.

He said that senior BJP leader and former Mayor Ravindra Gupta has been accused by the traders of extortion of crores of rupees; when BJP leader Ravindra Gupta's blackmailing and extortion practices got exposed, MCD again sealed that building this morning. He said he wants to ask the Delhi BJP state president Adesh Gupta if the theft was not visible to Delhi BJP and will he take action against Ravindra Gupta?

Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Today we are going to reveal about the organised dacoity of crores of rupees carried out by the Delhi Police and MCD in open daylight. People should not be surprised because both of these authorities come under the control of the BJP. Some days ago, dozens of businessmen of Karol Bagh raised an issue which said that in 2013, a commercial building by the name of ND Mall was constructed on Ajmal Khan Road in Karol Bagh. MCD found it to be unauthorised and sealed all the floors of that building."

"Those shops were automatically opened sometime later. For the past 8 years, big showrooms have been running in the mall. This matter came to light when the businessmen and shopkeepers of Karol Bagh alleged the former mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the councillor of Karol Bagh, Ravindra Gupta, to have attempted to extort crores of rupees from them. When AAP enquired about this entire matter, we found multiple malpractices in the functioning of the MCD and Delhi Police.

Talking about the inaction of the Delhi Police and other authorities, he said. "We found out that this building was sealed, but has not been demolished yet. Sealing is a temporary measure for a couple of days or weeks before the building is demolished. Instead, this seal was broken and bribes were taken for those shops and showrooms to continue functioning. It's not like they were running off the radar. The authorities knew about this and still took no action. In 2014, an FIR was registered in this matter and this has reached the AE, ExEn, SE and Deputy Commissioner of the Karol Bagh Zone. It is written here that the shops which were sealed have opened again and this was addressed to the SHO of Karol Bagh Police Station. After that, this matter was suppressed."

He continued, "This matter resurfaced because BJP got greedy and asked for money again. They threatened the shop owners with sealing their shops in case more money was not paid to them. To express their dissatisfaction with the intimidating behaviour of the BJP, these shopkeepers held a press conference and revealed everything about this matter. Once that clip started playing on channels and even I tweeted it, the MCD's blackmailing and extortion practices got exposed and those shops have been sealed again today.

Bhardwaj further alleged, "Now the questions arise - Who was the councillor of Karol Bagh when these buildings got sealed? Mr. Ravindra Gupta. Not just the councillor but the Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Why were the buildings sealed and not demolished when Ravindra Gupta was the mayor? How is it possible that these shops were running despite the files of sealing, desealing and the complaint of these shops running were given to the DC and other higher authorities?"

Telling about how the shopkeepers have been deceived by the BJP, he said, "Even the most corrupt policemen would follow the bare minimum procedure in such a case. At least an investigating officer should have been sent to the mall, the statements of the shopkeepers should have been recorded, the statement of the MCD should have been recorded. Now that the shopkeepers refused to pay bribes to the BJP, their shops have been closed. The shopkeepers who fed the BJP and RSS in Delhi have themselves been deceived by the BJP. I don't think anyone can fall beyond this level. When no one paid heed to the RSS, it was the businesspersons' fraternity that gave them monetary contributions and has made them get to the top echelons of Indian governance. Now the BJP-RSS is extorting money from these businesspersons and threatening them using their power."

Pointing some tough questions at Adesh Gupta (BJP's Delhi Unit President), Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Is the BJP not able to notice these corrupt practices going on in Delhi? Would they get this investigated by the CBI or not?"

Bharadwaj informed of an uncanny pattern, "I have noticed a pattern in the Delhi BJP. When the Aam Aadmi Party points out their corruption, they shrug their shoulders and say that the Aam Aadmi Party is lying. But afterwards, they are seen sacking those councillors from their party while citing corruption."

Live TV
New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Tuesday (September 21, 2021) informed that Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff, will be appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff.

Air Marshal VR Chaudhari will take over after current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria retires from service on September 30, 2021.

Air Marshal VR Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 29, 1982. Since then, he has held various Command, Staff and Instructional appointments at various levels including the present one as Vice Chief of Air Staff.

The Ministry of Defence stated that the Air Officer is decorated with Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vayu Sena Medal (VM).

Live TV
New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron discussed on Tuesday co-operating over the Indo-Pacific region with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as France deals with the fallout from Australia`s cancellation of a $40 billion French submarine order.

The two leaders held a phone conversation on Tuesday, said a statement from Macron`s office, during which they also discussed issues such as the crisis in Afghanistan.

ALSO READ | IAF signs deal with French Air Force to purchase phased out Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft

Last week, France recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia after Australia cancelled its previous nuclear submarine deal with France.

Australia said last week that it would scrap an earlier 2016 deal with France`s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines, and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership.

ALSO READ | Australia defends its decision of cancelling French submarine deal

France called it a stab in the back. China, in turn, denounced a new Indo-Pacific security alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia, warning of an intensified arms race in the region.
New York: India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who arrived here on Monday to participate in the high-level 76th session of the UN General Assembly, urged for an "early resolution" of the COVID-19 quarantine issue. The MEA also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the developments in the Indo-Pacific during his meeting with the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

Shortly after his arrival in the city, Jaishankar held bilateral meetings with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and the UK's new Foreign Secretary.

The MEA also tweeted, "Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz. Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side. Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest."

This was Jaishankar`s first meeting with Truss after she took over as Foreign Secretary from Dominic Raab last week. He said that they exchanged views on Afghanistan, which has been taken over by the Taliban upsetting the security situation in the region, and the Indo-Pacific.

The meeting in New York between Jaishankar and Truss came the same day as the UK announced new COVID-related travel restrictions that sparked sharp criticism and concerns in India.

According to new rules, Indian travellers who have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days.

Travellers from several countries who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine are allowed into the UK without having to quarantine if they meet certain conditions, but not Indians in a move that is seen as discriminatory.

From October 4, the current "traffic light system" of red, amber, green countries based on levels of COVID-19 risk will be replaced by one red list of countries. The scrapping of the amber list, which is what India is currently on, means a reduced PCR test cost burden only for some travellers.

The expanded list of countries whose vaccines are recognised in the UK does not include India. It means Indians vaccinated with Covishield, the SII-produced Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, would be required to undergo compulsory PCR tests as well as self-isolation.

Meanwhile, the UK has reportedly said it is engaging with India to explore how it could expand the recognition of the COVID-19 vaccine certification issued by Indian authorities amid criticism of the new British travel rules.

Asked about the concerns in India over the new rules that will come into effect next month, a British High Commission spokesperson in New Delhi has said the UK is engaged with India on the issue and is committed to opening up international travel again "as soon as is practicable".

"The UK is committed to opening up international travel again as soon as is practicable and this announcement is a further step to enable people to travel more freely again, in a safe and sustainable way, while protecting public health," the spokesperson said.

"We are engaging with the Government of India to explore how we could expand the UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India," the official was quoted bt PTi as saying.

Last week Australia, the UK and the US announced a security pact, AUKUS, that would impact the Indo-Pacific region where India, the US, Australia and Japan are coordinating their strategies to counter China.

Jaishankar arrived in New York on Monday for a heavy round of diplomacy during the High-Level week of the UN General Assembly when leaders from around the world gather.

He started off his round of bilateral meetings with Norway`s Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide, whose country is on the Security Council alongside India as an elected member. "Appreciated our working together in the Security Council," he tweeted after the meeting.

He also said in his tweet that they had a comprehensive discussion on the situation in Afghanistan where it was "important for the international community to take a unified approach".

Iraq Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was another leader Jaishankar met. "Discussed our historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages" and "exchanged views on regional and global issues" during their meeting, Jaishankar said.

Notably, Jaishankar and senior Indian officials arrived in New York starting on Monday for the annual high-level UNGA session which returned to a more hybrid and in-person format this year after going virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the week, Jaishankar will meet his counterparts from several member states and participate in the G-20 meeting that will focus on Afghanistan and the G-4 Foreign Ministers meeting with focus on Security Council reforms.

The 76th UNGA session commenced on September 14 under the Presidency of Abdulla Shahid. The high-level week - the General Debate - will commence September 21, with US President Joe Biden addressing world leaders on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the General Debate on September 25.

(With Agency Inputs)

Live TV
New York (US): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has arrived in New York to hold bilateral talks with his Norway, Iraq and UK counterparts. He is meeting Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide, newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

"Began my #UNGA meetings with FM Ine Eriksen Soreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach," tweeted Jaishankar.

In another tweet, Jaishankar said that he had a "cordial meeting with FM Fuad Hussein of Iraq. Discussed our historical ties, economic, energy and development cooperation linkages. Exchanged views on regional and global issues."

He also tweeted about meeting his UK counterpart. Stating that they discussed progress of Roadmap 2030, the External Affairs Minister tweeted, "Appreciated her contribution on trade side. Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan & Indo-Pacific. Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest," he tweeted.

Began my #UNGA meetings with

FM Ine Eriksen Sreide of Norway. Appreciated our working together in the Security Council. A comprehensive discussion on Afghanistan. Important for the international community to take a unified approach. pic.twitter.com/94fryeJSn4  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 20, 2021

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, he will be holding a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. Officials sources told ANI that EAM will be taking part in the G4 foreign ministers meet on September 22 and is likely to participate at the SAARC meeting on September 26.

However, the meeting is yet to be confirmed. G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan. Several meetings on Afghanistan are also expected. Qatar is also organizing meetings in which India is likely to participate. High-level debate week at the UN General Assembly will begin tomorrow. Top leaders from across the world have already started converging in New York. The UNGA meeting this year is in a hybrid format but a large number of leaders are expected to arrive in New York. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing UNGA on September 25.

Live TV
New Delhi: The Income Tax Department on Tuesday (September 21, 2021) informed that it carried out a search and seizure operation on two business entities across Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal and recovered incriminating documents, digital evidence, among other things.

The first raid on September 18 was on a leading business house of India involved in the manufacture of textile and filament yarn having corporate offices in Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata. The government agency stated that the group has maintained unaccounted funds of about Rs 350 crore in its foreign bank accounts and has also routed these funds back into its business through shell entities in tax havens.

"During the course of the search operation, many incriminating documents, loose sheets, diaries, digital evidence etc have been recovered which indicate involvement of the group in the routing of unaccounted funds back in its Indian entities, possession of foreign bank accounts unreported to the Department. Substantial evidence of transactions outside the books of accounts, cash transactions in land deals, bogus expenses debited in books of accounts, unaccounted cash expenditure, accommodation entries taken from entry operators have been gathered," the IT department said in a statement.

"Details of accounts related to unexplained personal expenditure in cash were found to be meticulously maintained in one of the main offices of the company. Evidence has been gathered that cash of about Rs 100 crore was generated by debiting bogus expenditure in company accounts and cash transactions in land deals," the statement added.

The second raid was conducted on September 17 on a prominent group engaged in the manufacturing of steel products. 25 premises consisting of 8 residences, 9 offices and 8 factories, spread over Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol and Purulia and other regions of West Bengal were covered in the operation.

The search operation, the government agency informed, has led to the detection of a huge quantity of incriminating documents and digital evidence from different premises.

"Evidence pertain to the generation of unaccounted income by the group by way of unaccounted cash sales, unaccounted cash expenditure, purchase from bogus parties, under-reporting of actual production, cash purchases of scrap, several documents of land purchases and sale etc. Evidence has also been found pertaining to the utilisation of the unaccounted income in the form of unsecured loans and sale of shares of shell entities through the layering of the unaccounted income," it said.

It added that a large number of property documents pertaining to one of the members of the group, showing land and property holding in different names, have also been seized.

"The total amount of such incriminating evidence pertaining to the manufacturing group exceeds Rs 700 crore. The operation has led to the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 20 lakh while 2 lockers remain to be operated," the Income Tax Department stated.

"Evidence of more than 200 companies/entities having more than 200 bank accounts being managed from the entry operators premises have been found. On the basis of preliminary examination of these documents, it appears that these bank accounts and entities have been used as a conduit to route the unaccounted income of many beneficiaries," it added.

Live TV
Prayagraj/Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday (September 21) paid last respects to President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP), Mahant Narendra Giri, at his Baghambari Math located residence. After paying last respects to Mahant Narendra Giri, the Chief Minister said, "The postmortem will be done tomorrow. The culprit will not be spared."

CM Yogi Adityanath told reporters, "Several pieces of evidence have been collected regarding the incident the death of Mahant Narendra Giri. A team of senior police officials incl ADG Zone, IG Range, DIG Prayagraj is investing the case."

A case under section 306 of IPC (Abetment of suicide) has been registered against Mahant Narendra Giri's disciple, Anand Giri, whose name also surfaced in the suicide note of the Mahant, according to Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (Law and Order) of Uttar Pradesh. He further said that the probe is underway, and Anand Giri was taken into police custody.

Prayagraj: UP CM Yogi Adityanath pays last respects to President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, at his Baghambari Math located residence. pic.twitter.com/fNNMMRtGaP  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 21, 2021

The ABAP President was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Baghambari Math located residence on Monday. A forensic team and a special team has reached the site. An investigation into the incident is underway.

Anand Giri arrested for abetting Mahant's suicide

An FIR under section 306 of IPC (Abetment of suicide) has been registered against Anand Giri, a disciple of Akhil ABAP President Mahant Narendra Giri in connection with the latter's death, informed Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar.

Kumar reportedly said, "Information was received that the President of ABAP, Mahant Narendra Giri died by suicide. The disciples told the police that around 3 to 4 pm, they broke the door which was locked from inside and found him hanging from a fan."

"Police reached there along with forensic and other teams. A suicide note was recovered in which the name of his disciples, Anand Giri and two others were mentioned. In the note, Mahant Narendra Giri had alleged that Anand Giri and others were responsible for his suicide. Anand Giri has been detained in Haridwar with the help of Uttarakhand Police", he added.

Inspector General (IG) of Prayagraj, KP Singh, said, "Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. I appeal to all of you to maintain peace. We are investigating the matter. We will release the suicide note after forensic investigation of it."

Anand Giri, however, said, "It is a big conspiracy by people who used to extort money from Guruji and wrote my name in the letter. It needs to be investigated as guru Ji has not written a letter in his life and could not do suicide. His handwriting needs to be probed."

He further appealed, "I have spent my entire life over there and never took any money. Everything was good between me and Guru Ji. Hence I request the government to investigate the matter thoroughly."

PM Modi, Amit Shah condole demise of Mahant Narendra Giri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed condolences on the demise of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) President Mahant Narendra Giri, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Baghambari Math in Prayagraj.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi in a tweet said, "The death of Akhara Parishad President Shri Narendra Giri Ji is extremely sad. While devoted to spiritual traditions, he played a big role in connecting various streams of Sant Samaj together. May the Lord give him space in his feet. Om Shanti."

Union Minister Amit Shah also condoled the ABAP President`s death and tweeted, "The president of Akhara Parishad Shri Narendra Giri Ji`s entire life was devoted to the promotion, upliftment and human service of spirituality and religion. We have lost a resplendent constellation of Sanatan culture due to his demise. I pray to God to give place to the departed soul in his feet. Om Shanti."

"The death of Mahant Narendra Giri Ji, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, is an irreparable loss for all of us. His whole life was dedicated to society. Praying to the Lord to grant the departed soul a place at His feet and strength to the bereaved followers to bear the loss. Om Shanti," said BJP National President, J P Nadda in a tweet on Monday.

(With Agency Inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: Amid concerns over regional security and stability due to Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the United States to and will address the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in New York on September 25.

This comes amid the changing political situation in Afghanistan that is threatening the regional stability and PM Modi is likely to discuss Afghanistan, COVID-19, climate change, the Indo Pacific, terrorism to other issues with President Biden. This will be the first time PM Modi will be visiting the US after President Joe Biden assumed office.The most important issue on agenda is the changing geopolitics amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The US and India had invested heavily in Afghanistan. US with the help of its NATO allies assisted Afghanistan to rebuild as several major developmental projects like roads, connectivity, agriculture, education were undertaken. India has construction parliament building and dam in Afghanistan.On August 15, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan 20 years after it was removed from power in a US-led military invasion. Four days before the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Taliban declared the restoration of their Islamic Emirate and named a new government.Thus the developments that Afghanistan achieved in these 20 years are back to square one after the Taliban takeover.

PM Modi's visit to the US will have far-reaching effects in the region as Russia and China abstained from voting when Resolution 2593 was passed by the UNSC under the presidency of India on August 30, 2021, demanding that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to finance terrorist acts. Meanwhile, the Taliban has put conditions including respecting human rights only if the international community recognises the new caretaker government. Taliban responded to Ambassador and head of the EU delegation in Afghanistan, Andreas Von Brandt, who rose concerns over human rights violations in the strife-torn country, especially women and girls` right to education and work.India has urged the world leaders at different forums to adopt a unified approach with regard to the Taliban.

For that, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is holding several bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting prior to PM Modi`s scheduled visit to US. Earlier, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Outreach Summit on Afghanistan, the Prime Minister drew attention to issues related to the developments in Afghanistan, noting that the power change in Afghanistan is not inclusive and has taken place without negotiations.Stating that the recent developments in Afghanistan will have the greatest impact on neighbouring countries like India, PM Modi said there is a need for regional focus and cooperation on the situation in the country.

The United Nations has asked for a unified approach from the world, and the UN chief Antonio Guterres said that the Taliban`s desire for recognition is the UN Security Councils "only leverage" the Security Council's only leverage to press for inclusive government and respect for rights, particularly for women, in Afghanistan.Despite the Taliban`s repeated assurances to the international community and Afghan nationals that they would establish an inclusive government that represents all parts of the Afghan society, neighbouring countries are dealing with massive exodus."The Biden-Harris administration has made elevating the Quad a priority, as seen through the first-ever Quad leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this summit, which will be in-person,"

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.Hosting the Quad leaders demonstrates the US administration's "priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century", she added. Prime Minister, will therefore utilize this diplomatic mission to reinforce regional focus and regional cooperation to deal with the Afghan crisis and the security of the region.

Live TV
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday (September 21) conducted searches at eight locations in Anantnag, Baramulla, Kulgam, Srinagar, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the Bathindi IED recovery case.

The agency said it found several digital devices and other incriminating materials from the premises of the suspects.

The case relates to the recovery of 5 kg IED from a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist in Bathindi, Jammu on June 27, 2021.

The NIA said that the conspiracy by LeT was aimed at causing an explosion in Jammu using the IED. The agency had earlier arrested three persons in the case.

The NIA said that their investigation revealed that Pakistan-based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K are planning terrorist activities in the union territory using the pseudo-acronym TRF so as to maintain plausible deniability.

Also Read: NIA arrests person accused in DJ Halli Police Station rioting case

Live TV
New Delhi: Amid controversy over the Boris Johnson-led government announcing new COVID-related travel restrictions, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla on Tuesday (September 21, 2021) said that the non-recognition of the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine is a discriminating policy. He added that it also impacts Indians travelling to the UK.

"The EAM has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved," the Foreign Secy informed.

ALSO READ | India places its neighbourhood first, acts East and thinks West: Foreign Secretary on Indian foreign policy

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also urged for an 'early resolution' of the COVID-19 quarantine issue.

Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz. Discussed the progress of Roadmap 2030. Appreciated her contribution on the trade side. Exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/pc49NS7zcw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 21, 2021

This is noteworthy that as per the new rules, Indian travellers who have received both doses of Covishield will be considered unvaccinated and will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days. The UK has reportedly said it is engaging with India to explore how it could expand the recognition of the COVID-19 vaccine certification issued by Indian authorities.

ALSO READ | Shashi Tharoor pulls out of event in UK, says 'It is offensive to ask fully vaccinated Indians to quarantine'

Meanwhile, the White House has said that the United States will reopen in November to air travellers from 33 countries including India who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The move by the Joe Biden administration will now allow fully vaccinated air travellers from the 26 so-called Schengen countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. So far, the US restrictions have barred non-US citizens who were in these countries within the past 14 days.

Live TV
Patna: A Patna court has ordered registration of FIR against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for allegedly accepting money in exchange for an election ticket. The order came in the wake of a complaint of a person that he has duped Rs five crore with the promise of a Lok Sabha ticket in the 2019 general elections.

Chief Judicial Magistrate, Patna, Vijay Kishore Singh passed the order on September 16 on the petition of Sanjiv Kumar Singh, who claimed he was associated with the Congress and was an aspirant for a party ticket for the Bhagalpur seat.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav here on Monday told ANI, "I demand a fair investigation in the matter and strict action against the complainant if his allegations are proven baseless."

Tejashwi Yadav further said, "It doesn't matter to me if any Tom, Dick or Harry files a case against me. But the question is from where the complainant got Rs 5 crore?"

In his complaint, Sanjiv Kumar Singh has also named Yadav's elder sister and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti, besides state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha, late BPCC chief Sadanand Singh and his son Shubhanand Mukesh, as also Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore.

The court has directed the senior SP of Patna to lodge an FIR on the complaint at the Kotwali police station and conduct an investigation.

Reacting with dismay to the development, RJD spokesman and former MLA Mrityunjay Tiwari told PTI, "We are aghast that such a complaint has been entertained. The complainant claims he was seeking a Congress ticket and he has named leaders of our party as accused."

The Congress has been an old ally of the RJD and the two parties had fought the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance.

Notably, RJD's sitting MP Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal had contested the Bhagalpur seat and lost to JD(U)'s Ajay Mandal.

Meanwhile, the state Congress leaders have so far been tight-lipped on the complainant's proclaimed association with the party.

(With Agency Inputs)
New York: India's Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti on Monday (Septemmber 20) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the most awaited among the world leaders on September 25. In an exclusive interview with ANI about the possible agendas to be discussed by PM Modi at UNGA, he said, "PM Modi`s speech is one of the most awaited among the world leaders. He has always addressed some of the core issues confronting the world, and those of importance and concern to us in India, including some of our achievements on the domestic front."

"As you know Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the General Debate of the high-level segment of the 76th session of UNGA on September 25th morning. The theme for this year's General Debate is "Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, Rebuild sustainably, Respond to the needs of the planet, Respect the rights of the people and Revitalize the United Nations," added the Indian envoy.

The 76th session of UNGA commenced on September 14 and the high-level meet will be starting tomorrow (Sept 22). This is far from normal UNGA sessions as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast a shadow on this important annual gathering of world leaders. As per Tirumurti, "There is a slight improvement in the pandemic situation in the US and also the vaccination measures which has been undertaken. This has allowed the UN to organise the 76th UNGA in a hybrid format."

He said that apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, its humanitarian impact, other issues may dominate the 76th UNGA like the global economic slowdown, and financing for development, terrorism and related issues, climate change, ongoing conflicts going internationally, recent developments in Afghanistan, UNSC reform etc.

Talking about the importance of India addressing the UNGA at this crucial juncture, Tirumurti said, "There is an expectation that India as a leading voice for developing world as well as the member of Security Council will use its voice to take up global issues such as climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, equitable and affordable access to vaccines, poverty eradication and economic recovery, women`s empowerment and their participation in government structures, combating terrorism, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, UNSC reforms etc.

Tirumurti further reiterated that India has done so before and we will continue to do so in future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United States this week to attend the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit and address the UN general debate. He will also have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden. This will be PM Modi's second visit abroad since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. His first such visit was to Bangladesh earlier this year.

Live TV
Jammu: Nine people, including two government school teachers, were arrested on Tuesday in Reasi district in connection with an alleged attack on a police party which had arrested a criminal wanted in a rape case, police said.

The accused were all close associates of the arrested criminal and one of them was also accused in a case related to the abduction and rape of a woman in 2013, a police official said.

Prem Singh was arrested by the police party in connection with a rape case that was lodged recently against him but the party came under attack from his associates who tried to help him escape police dragnet by creating a law and order problem, the official said.

"Singh is a notorious history-sheeter involved in 10 FIRs, including murder, rape and firing on police by a weapon issued under village defence committee, besides trying to disturb communal harmony and other violations during past elections," the official said.

He said Singh was "bound down" by executive magistrate twice in the past 25 years as a preventive measure to stop him from committing a crime. Taking a serious note of the attack on the police party, the official said all the nine accused involved, including teachers Riaz Shah and Chain Singh, were arrested.

"The nine were arrested for endangering life and personal safety of others, attacking a police party and creating law and order problems in the Chassana area," he said.

He said both the teachers were booked in separate cases related to voluntarily causing hurt and other sections of the law in 2017 and 2020, respectively.

The official identified the other arrested accused as Chanar Singh, Pawan Singh, Balbir Singh, Sukhdev, Dalip Singh, Balbir Singh and Rakesh Singh.

A case of kidnapping and rape was lodged against Chanar Singh and a chargesheet already stands filed against him in the court of law, the official said, adding that another accused, Dalip Singh, was involved in a theft case in 2015.

Live TV
Kolkata: West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now has a new President in Sukanta Majumdar, who has taken over from Dilip Ghosh. And the newly -appointed BJP head of the state said that his party would end the culture of the post-poll violence in the state.

"We will fight against Talibanisation of West Bengal, protect our state," newly-appointed WB BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, taking a dig at Mamata Banerjee's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

"Post-Poll violence was not a part of West Bengal's culture, it has come from outside. We will get justice for the people killed in the post-poll violence. The BJP workers who were beaten up by the TMC goondas, I won't say TMC workers. I have faith in the Indian judiciary that it will give them justice," he said, promising justice to people who lost their lives and their families. "Violence has now become a part of the political culture of the state. Only BJP can end this. There is no violence in other states," Majumdar added.

Commenting on the upcoming bypolls for three assembly constituencies in Bhabanipur, Samserganj and Jangipur in West Bengal, and assured, "We will work as a team. We will perform better in upcoming elections, including panchayat, municipalities and Lok Sabha".

"If we have committed any mistake, we would rectify it and move forward," the Bengal BJP president said.

In August, Calcutta High Court ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in the state.The High Court also ordered to set up Special Investigation Teams (SIT) for investigation and senior officers from West Bengal cadre will be a part of the team and directed the state government to take immediate steps for compensation for the victims of post-poll violence.

Soon after the results of Assembly polls in Bengal on May 2 were declared, violent incidents were reported after supporters of TMC and BJP allegedly clashed in various parts of the state since May 2, killing many people and triggering an alleged exodus.A four-member team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs had also visited the post-poll violence-affected areas.

The Bengal's BJP chief also said that no one can "harm us by joining any other party", hinting at deflectors - latest being Babul Supriyo - who left the BJP to join TMC after the ruling party at Centre lost by huge margins in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

(With Agency inputs)

Live TV
Koppal: In a shocking incident, a Dalit family was fined Rs 23,000 after their two-year-old son entered a Hanuman temple in Miyapura village in Koppal district of Karnataka.

The incident took place on September 4 when the father of the toddler took him to the temple to seek blessings on his birthday. He was careful not to enter the temple as it was forbidden by the members of the upper caste. However, the boy ran inside the temple to pray and came back.

Infuriated with this, members of the upper caste held a meeting on September 11. They said that the temple was desecrated by the Dalit boys entry and sought Rs 23,000 from the parents of the boy to perform purification rituals.

However, the district administration which came to know about the development has sent police, revenue and social welfare department officials to the village. The officers have conducted an awareness programme with regard to untouchability for all villagers.

The officers took members of the upper caste to task for imposing a fine on the Dalit boy`s parents and let them off after warning that legal action will be initiated if they repeat this.

T. Sridhar, Superintendent of Police, Koppal, told IANS that he visited the spot. The culprits were admonished. They apologized to the father of the boy. Though the police went to the house of the victim to convince him to lodge a complaint, the community elders decided not to do so as it will breed animosity.

"The people from upper caste themselves opposed the action of the members of their own community and apologized to the Dalit boy`s family," he explained.

Also Read: IIT Madras Assistant Professor quits job over alleged caste discrimination, resignation letter goes viral

Live TV
Bengaluru: Indian students are known for their hard work and passion for their studies. With each exam, a new record is established as some students score 100% in exams.

But something incredible and beyond the ordinary imagination has been done by a student as he made record achievement of securing the first rank in five streams of a single exam.

A student from Mysuru named H K Meghan made a record by securing the top rank in all the five streams including engineer in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test-2021, the Minister for Higher Education Dr C N Ashwath Narayan told media on Monday (September 21).

The results of KCET-2021, the entrance exams professional courses, were held from August 28 to 30 and the results were announced today (September 21).

Narayan said in a statement that 1,83,231 candidates out of 1,93,447 who appeared for the examination have become eligible for admission into engineering and technology courses, based on merit.

He clarified that there were no cut-off marks set as announced earlier for seeking entry to engineering courses.

For other streams, 1,52,518 candidates for agriculture, 1,52,760 candidates for veterinary, 1,55,910 candidates for naturopathy and Yoga and 1,86,638 for B. Pharma & Pharm-D courses have become eligible, the minister said.

All the 12 COVID-19 positive students who were facilitated to write exams in separate COVID care centres have secured ranks, he stated.

ALSO READ: 'Vaccine Maitri' to resume, India to restart COVID-19 vaccine exports to COVAX, neighbours

Live TV
Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday (September 20) in a joint operation with Karnataka police arrested 35-year-old Tabrez who is accused in the Devarajeevanahalli (DJ) Halli Police Station rioting case.

The case dates back to August 2020, when a mob protesting against the alleged derogatory Facebook post about Prophet Mohammed posted by one Naveen, had turned violent and attacked the police station with dangerous weapons and stones and burnt police vehicles and damaged government and private properties.

The NIA alleged that Tabrez is a member of Sagaipuram ward, SDPI, a political outfit of Popular Front of India( PFI) and was involved in hatching the conspiracy to attack the DJ Halli PS and had instigated many others on WhatsApp groups. He was also found involved in burning vehicles and damaging public and private property, the agency said.

The case was originally registered as at DJ Police Station in Bengaluru city under various IPC sections, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Karnataka Prevention of Destruction & Loss of Property Act.

NIA took up the investigation in September 2020. Following an investigation, the agency filed charge sheet before a special court in Bengaluru under various sections of UA(P) Act, IPC and Karnataka Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act (KPDLP Act) against 109 accused persons.

Live TV
New Delhi: Actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood clarified that he has no ambition of joining politics right now as many were guessing since his popularity soared after relentless social work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor who is currently in news for alleged tax evasion charges had recently collaborated with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for a school education mentorship. I am not allying with AAP. You call me into any state  Karnataka, Gujarat, I will go immediately, like magic. I have worked in all states -- those ruled by BJP, Congress, the actor told NDTV in an interview after the Income Tax department carried out raids on his properties for four days from September 16 to September 19, 2021.

The I-T department accused the actor of Rs 20 crore tax evasion and violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) while raising funds for his charitable trust from abroad.

However, the actor has denied all allegations. In a statement released by him, he wrote, I have pledged myself to the service of the people of India with all my strength and heart. Every rupee in my foundation is awaiting its turn to save a precious life and reach the needy.

Many people have linked raids carried out by the I-T department on the actors property as politically motivated as it took place after he joined hands with the AAP. Sonu, however, reiterated that he doesnt have any ambition to join politics right now as he is not ready. The actor further revealed that he has been offered Rajya Sabha membership by two political parties in recent times which he has declined.

I declined two offers of Rajya Sabha seats from two different parties. Mentally I was not ready. I am currently happy in my place. Whenever I am ready, I will shout from the rooftops that I am ready, he said in the same NDTV interview.

Sonu called himself alaw-abiding citizen and said that he fully cooperated with the officials who raided his properties.

Whatever documents, details they asked for, we gave. Whatever questions they asked, I answered. I did my part, they did theirs. Whatever questions they raised, we answered each and every one of them with documents. That's my duty. We are still providing documentsit is part of the process the actor told the news portal.

He further added that even the officials were impressed with his paperwork. I asked them  have you ever seen this kind of documentation, details, paperwork? They said nothey were also happy with whatever they were seeing. They said it was the smoothest four days of raids for them, shared the actor.
New Delhi: Actress Kangana Ranaut, known for not holding back her opinions on any matter, has reacted to the new advertisement featuring Alia Bhatt as a bride. Disagreeing with the 'Kanyadaan' reference in the bridal ad, Kangana lashed out at the 'Raazi' actress along with the brand asking them not to mix religion in order to manipulate ther customers.

Sharing her thoughts in a lengthy post on Instagram, Kangana wrote, "Humble request to all brands .. dont use religion, minority, majority politics to sell things . Stop manipulating naive consumers with shrewd divisive concepts and advertising" She added that women are worshipped in the scriptures and theres no harm in seeing them as 'precious source of existence'.

In her post, Kangana wrote on the tradition of 'kanyadaan', and the concept of renunciation. She also asked people to stop mocking Hindu rituals. "We often see a martyrs father on television, when they lose a son on the border, they roar Dont worry, I have one more son, uska bhi daan main iss dharti Maa ko dunga. Kanyadan ho ya putradan, the way society looks at the concept of renunciation shows its core value system"

For the unversed, Alia Bhatt's latest bridal ad has sparked a controversy online. In the ad, Alia, the bride, while sitting at the mandap with her husband-to-be, mentions each member of her family, including grandmother, father and mother, and how much they love her. However, she objects against the practice of 'kanyadaan' at weddings. She asks why she was always treated as the 'other' and a temporary part of their family.

"Am I a thing to be donated? Why only kanyadaan," Alia asks. However, she gets pleasantly surprised when her in-laws give their son away as well, during the rituals. Everyone, while being surprised with the approach, smiles and the wedding rituals continues.

The ad has left netizens divided on the idea and sparked a debate over modern views on the age-old Hindu wedding tradition.

Kangana has previously too attacked Alia Bhatt on several occasions and call her a part of the 'nepo-gang'. Apart from being at loggerheads with Alia, Kangana is also facing legal battles with Javed Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan.

The four-time national award winner was recently seen in 'Thalaivii' and has been riding high on the success of the film.
New Delhi: Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan is a stunner and there is no doubt to it. Bebo, who turns 41 on Tuesday, is currently in the Maldives and seems to be enjoying her special day to the fullest. The actress, who is now an avid social media user, and loves sharing pictures and videos from her life with her fans, did share a glimpse of how she started her special day in the tropical island with her doting husband.

Kareena, who jetted off to the Maldives with husband Saif Ali Khan and sons Jehangir and Taimur, today posted a beautiful picture of herself. The photo was marked with today's date: '21-9-2021'. The picture showed Saif hugging his beautiful wife as they appeared to be seated on the beach, enjoying the scenic beauty. While Saif is seen in his trademark white cotton kurta, Kareena is seen flaunting her beach tan and giant rock on her ring finger. Her facial glow in the picture is unmissable.

Saif and Kareena did films like 'LOC Kargil', 'Tashan', 'Qurbaan' and 'Agent Vinod' and 'Omkara'. The two met on the sets of 'Tashan' and after dating for a while, tied the knot in 2012. They welcomed their first child together - Taimur Ali Khan in 2016 and later, Jehangir in 2021.

Kareena, who was last seen in a brief role in 'English Medium', will next be seen in 'Laal Singh Chaddha' co-starring Aamir Khan in the lead role. This is the third time the actors are collaborating on a film. Earlier, they shared screen space in films like, '3 Idiots' and 'Talaash'. Apart from this, Kareena also has Karan Johar's period drama, 'Takht' and Hansal Mehta's untitled next.
When you start developing your own personal career success game plan, the first step is to write down all of your goals. Once you have done this you then need to figure out where you are going to accomplish those goals. Is it hiring employees, building web pages, creating marketing materials for these businesses and so forth? If you already possess most of the skills necessary to achieve each of these goals, then great. If not, you need to define which of those skills you lack and then find a way to acquire those skills so that you can work towards achieving the goals on your career success game plan.

The emergence of the internet and the widespread use of digital as technology have resulted in forcing a large number to use digital transformation as a foremost option to drive growth. However, because the stakes are so high, we want to make certain that ones digital transformation strategy is done correctly the first time. However, with so many digital marketing services available, it's more important than ever for businesses to choose services that are dependable and respectable.

Today we interviewed an amazing Pakistani hard-core entrepreneur Asmat Ullah, who believes that you can achieve anything in your life if you stay consistent and do game plan. Asmat Ullah shares his mantras of success that have helped various firms grow and become successful through time.

Mastermind for all your successful campaigns

This virtuoso has not only used his expertise but also used his creativity to come up with logical strategies that are unique in nature and extremely practical. This digital specialist is a well-known figure in digital marketing Niche, where he has had a profound impact on bundle of people around the world, dramatically changing their businesses, professions & Digital Skills.

Asmat began working in the field to drive opportunities and cater to this large sector that has a bright future. He would not have been able to continue with the amount of work from the clients if he had not picked his passion. Because clients and customers anticipate high-quality work, he had to personalize the majority of them in a cost-effective manner.

Asmat Ullah Background:

Asmat Ullah belongs to City Multan, he picked digital marketing as a professional career while he was in college. In his childhood, he took interest in computers, internet and precisely gaming. He says, he didnt know and never thought that his interest in Gaming and computers will lead him to be a digital marketer.

While interviewing him, we were really loving his passion about entrepreneurial culture. He underscored its importance various times in todays digital world. He loves entrepreneurial culture, and being your own boss. He Says, It takes time and patience to be successful at entrepreneurship. However, when an individual is willing to put in the work, they can succeed. As they say, "If you have a dream, then go and make it come true". With all of the tools and resources available today, it is absolutely possible for individuals to pursue their career in entrepreneurship.

During Interview we asked Asmat:

If you had one wish what would it be and why?

Asmat: "Well, I have many wishes. But one of my biggest wishes is to Save businesses & companies owner Precious time. As right decision always lead to right path, which eventually lead to success. In Digital world, specifically SEO if you plan right you get success, but if you have wrong strategy in start you lose Money and also waste time. So, I wouldn't want businesses to waste their money and time just because they don't know from where and what to start"

His Greatest Collaborations:

Asmat Ullah is serving one of the biggest, Elite & members-only company called Luxe Society as a SEO manager from couple of years now, Luxe Society is a social club that ensures the most luxurious experience for its members, no matter where they are on the globe. Its services are centered on providing its members with the lifestyle that only a selective people on the planet can access. Additionally, it focuses not only on making sure that its members are living in the warm light of luxury, but also on making sure that all around the world they are renowned and clearly seen in an equally exuberant light.

Parallel to that, he is also serving Canadian SEO Agency Rocket Now, as a SEO manager.

There are countless stories, and collaborations he did in his career, these 2 were one of his greatest collaborations.

The prosperous journey ahead

Even though his road was full of obstacles and hardships, he carved out a unique place for himself with his dedication & determination. In this fast-paced world, there has been a sudden boom in digitization leading Asmat to expand himself into different fields. This will help him grow and will add to his expertise in guiding more people connected to him and build a successful path for him.

Want to Polish your digital Skills or start your career in Digital Marketing? Follow him right away on his Facebook and Instagram, so you dont miss any chance.

Disclaimer- Brand desk content.


New Delhi: Bigg Boss OTT winner Divya Agarwal says she was shocked to another level when she got to know that Shamita Shetty, questioned her relationship with Varun Sood and was doubtful that the two will end up marrying each other. Divya also said Shamita would get offended if she would say anything about her and Raqesh Bapat's equation, despite the fact that the two of them were part of the reality show and had no previous connection in the outside world.

I was shocked to another level because she was always so offended when I said things about her and Raqesh, when I could see it. It wasnt like I dont know Raqesh as a person or I dont know Shamita as a person, I dont know both the sides. It wasnt like that, I knew both the sides very well. I knew what was going on. But when I used to raise my voice or give opinions about them, she used to get very offended, Divya told Hindustan Times.

Talking about the difference between reality show pairing and real life pairing, Divya continued, She is talking about somebody out of this game show, who is in my family, and there is a difference between reality show pairings and a real-life pairing. You are comparing your reality show pairing to a real-life connection? I think it was a very silly comment.

The first-ever Bigg Boss OTT winner said that she has already told Shamita whenever she gets married, she will invite her. Varun and I are very used to these kinds of comments and trolling. We have always said that time will tell. I invited her to my wedding anyway, I told her that when we get married, I will definitely call you, she said.

Divya and Shamita had started as friends on Bigg Boss OTT but later the two did not get along with each other. Divya says Shamita Shetty was bossy and she is an independent woman who likes to take her own decisions.
Kabul: At least 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Jalalabad city of eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday (September 18) and Sunday (September 19).

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan`s head of intelligence directorate in Nangarhar said on Monday (September 20) that 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Jalalabad city on Saturday and Sunday," reported Ariana News.

On Sunday (September 19), a child was killed and two people including a Taliban member injured in an explosion in Nangarhar province.

Meanwhile, on Saturday (September 18) three persons were killed and 21 injured in three consecutive explosions targeting the Taliban in Police District 5 of Jalalabad city of eastern Nangarhar province.

The intelligence chief, Dr Bashir, said intelligence officials are being targeted, reported Ariana News.

Bashir did not give any further details on who was behind the explosions but Islamic State (ISIS-K/Daesh) claimed responsibility for the blasts on Sunday, Ariana News further reported.

The explosions come after the Taliban assured the people of Afghanistan of security and safety of their lives and assets.

It has been over a month when the Taliban captured Kabul after an aggressive and rapid advance against Afghanistan government forces amid the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country.

The country plunged into crisis last month after Kabul fell to the Taliban and the democratically elected government of former president Ashraf Ghani collapsed.

Live TV
Taipei: A Chinese military plane flew into Taiwan`s air defense identification zone on Monday afternoon.

A People`s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane entered the southwest corner of Taiwan`s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, broadcast radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to monitor it, Taiwan News reported.

Since mid-September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its grey-zone tactics by regularly sending planes into Taiwan`s ADIZ, with most instances occurring in the southwest corner of the zone and usually consisting of one to three slow-flying turboprop planes.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.

China has threatened that "Taiwan`s independence" means war. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island.

Live TV
New Delhi: The history of gun culture in America is as old as its Constitution. The US Constitution gives all its citizens the right to own a gun. Guns are as easy to find in stores in America as are fruits and vegetables in stores in India. The result of this is that in the last 50 years, more than 1.4 million people have died in gun violence in America.

Zee News Editor in Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Tuesday (September 21) discussed the gun culture in the US and its reluctance to do away with it despite the harsh consequences the Americans face due to it.

The gun culture in America dates back to the time when the British government was there. At that time there was no police or any permanent security force in America, The people had to protect themselves and their families, so they were given the right to bear arms. By the 19th century, America had understood that gun culture would never allow peace to be established. But due to pressure from the Gun lobby and some politicians, no strict law could ever be made against it. As a result, 100 people on average die every day because of gun violence in the country.

The American citizens were given the right to bear arms under the second amendment to the US Constitution way back in 1791.

Even after 230 years, America has not been able to change this law. Not far from the White House, from which some people expect laws to be framed against gun ownership, are located several gun stores selling some of the most lethal machines.

Our team visited a gun store in Washington DC to understand this gun culture. Inside we saw that there was a price tag on each gun exactly as one sees on a smartphone in any mobile store in India.

According to a 2019 report, there are 63,000 licensed gun dealers in the US, who sold guns worth Rs 83,000 crore to American citizens that year. This is much more than the health budget of India.

In the last 230 years, America has not been able to eliminate gun culture because the former presidents themselves were obsessed with it. There are several pictures showing former Presidents of America carrying guns. For example, former US President Theodore Roosevelt loved to be photographed with a gun. Similarly, there are pictures of Franklin D Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Senior and George W Bush carrying guns. All these leaders glorified gun culture while being the president.

Let us understand America's gun culture with some statistics:

Between 2002 and 2011, 31 people on an average were killed in terrorist attacks in the US each year, whereas 11 thousand people an average lost their lives every year due to gun culture. Still, America has declared a fight against terrorism but has never been able to do anything to stop the gun culture.

According to data, 58 percent of Americans have faced gun terror at some point.

Every day 100 people on average are killed in gun violence.

In 2018, there were 27 major incidents of mass shooting in America.

The total population of America is 33.5 crore, but people there have a total of about 40 crore guns. This is the situation when about 60 percent of Americans want strict laws to stop gun culture.

In 2019, about 24 thousand people killed themselves using guns.

Buying guns in America is quite an easy task. There are only three requirements: 1. The buyer should be over 21 years old, 2. They should not have a criminal record, and 3. They must not be mentally ill.

It is, therefore, quite easy to understand the reason behind the gun culture in America.

Live TV
New Delhi: Justin Trudeau is set to hold on to the prime ministers post as the Liberals secured a third term in Canada. Trudeau has now won three general elections in less than six years.

Though the Liberals would form the government, it would be a minority one. Trudeau had called for a snap election last month in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic assuming that his handling of the pandemic would help his government win a majority.

Elections Canada showed the Liberals leading in 156 electoral districts nationally, one more than they held before the election.

Trudeau, 49, is the 23rd prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party since 2013. He is the second-youngest prime minister in Canadian history.

He has been prime minister since November 2015 after he became the first leader to take a party from third place to an election win.

Damaged by allegations that his government improperly intervened in a criminal case against a Quebec-based construction company and by revelations that he had worn blackface as a younger man, Trudeau lost his parliamentary majority in 2019 and now heads a minority government.

Trudeau, the son of the late Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, has championed gender equality, toughened environmental laws, and spent heavily on economic and social supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau's legacy includes embracing immigration at a time when the US and other countries closed their doors.

He also legalised cannabis nationwide and brought in a carbon tax to fight climate change. And he preserved free trade deal with the US and Mexico amid threats by former US President Donald Trump to scrap the agreement.

His party also launched a national daycare program, signing deals with a majority of provinces before the election was called. He has twice been found in breach of federal ethics rules.

Trudeau has faced crowds of angry protesters during the current campaign, most of them opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Nevertheless, he managed to win the elections and is undoubtedly, the man of the hour.

Also Read: 'Thank you Canada for choosing a brighter future': PM Justin Trudeau after winning third term
New Delhi: The Pakistan government is all set to observe the first Sikh religious function under the newly appointed Muslim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Project Management Unit (PMU) which was specially formed to manage the day to day affairs of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib despite the existence of an all-Sikh body Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).

The Public Relations Officer of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) that monitor the functioning of PMU, as well as PSGPC Aamir Hashmi, informed media that the Jyoti Jot Diwas (death anniversary) of Sikhs first master Guru Nanak Dev would be observed on September 22 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib.

PSGPC member from Kartarpur Sahib Inderjit Singh informed that they would take out a nagar kirtan (religious procession) from Gurdwara Darbar Sahib to Zero Line at the international border with Pakistan on Tuesday so that the Indian sangat could have darshan of Palki Sahib (palanquin) carrying saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib - may be from a distance.

An Akhand path to mark the occasion was begun on September 20, the bhog of which would be performed on September 22.

One wonders why the Pakistan government appointed a Muslim as CEO of PMU despite objections by the Sikh bodies and Paks impatience for the opening of the Indian side of Kartarpur Corridor which was closed on March 16, 2020, aiming to contain and control the spread of the coronavirus. The Indian government had also temporarily suspended the registration for Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage made through a dedicated website prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in.

Notably, overlooking the Sikh religious sentiments, the Pakistan government had in recent past appointed Mohammad Latif, a Muslim, as the CEO of PMU for a period of three years which evoked sharp criticism by Sikh bodies from across the world who preferred appointing a Sikh to lead the PMU which serves as an overarching body of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib management.

In July this year, the ETPB had advertised for the appointment of 126 member staff of PMU including CEO in Pakistans leading newspapers. While the ETPB had categorically sought only Pakistani Sikhs to apply for the posts of sewadar, pathis, granthis, ragis etc but it deliberately didnt specify the religion of the applicant for the post of CEO and few others including security officers etc.

PMU came into existence after the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee of Pakistans federal cabinet in November 2019 following which the first Muslim CEO of PMU Tariq Khan was appointed along with a team of all Muslim 9 members.

Besides Sikh bodies, the Indian government had also objected to the appointment of a Muslim to manage the Sikh religious place. The Ministry of External Affairs had then summoned Pakistan High Commissions Charge d'Affaires and lodged strong protest against transferring of the management and maintenance of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib.

If sources are to believed the appointment of Latif was aimed solely to pressurise the leaders of Indian Sikh jathas to mount pressure on the Indian government for the opening of Kartarpur Corridor since Pakistan government sees the project as a major investment and had also levied a US $20 service on every Indian pilgrim reaching Gurdwara Darbar Sahib via Kartarpur Corridor.

Indian devotees not only pay the service fee to Pak government but they also spend during their stay. This is the one aspect. Another major aspect is to find soft targets which could later be exploited by ISI for anti-India propaganda etc, said sources.

For now, various wings of the Pakistan government are propagating the Indian government had denied the Indian Sikhs to reach Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib where Baba Nanak had breathed last, via Kartarpur Corridor to create unrest among the community.

A Sikh CEO would have certainly avoided such controversies and had concentrated only on the religious aspect of the function, said sources.

Live TV
Islamabad (Pakistan): A Hindu woman in Pakistan, Dr Sana Ramchand Gulwani, has created history. She is about to become the first Hindu woman civil servant in India's neigbour.

Sana, who cleared the country's top public services exam in her first attempt - Central Superior Services (CSS) - has secured a position in Sindh's rural seat in the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS). This exam is considered one of the most difficult competitive exams in Pakistan. Appointments in the administrative services are made on the basis of the result of this exam - on similar lines of the Civil Services Examination of India, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.

But Sana had initially different career plans and according to news reports, even her parents wanted her to pursue medicine. In 2016, Sana reportedly graduated from the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. She pursued her studies as a urologist and subsequently enrolled in the Federal Public Service Commission.

Also read: Pakistan police rescue Hindu woman who was forcibly converted, married to Muslim man

"When I began my training, I was posted for a few months as a woman medical officer at the Taluka Hospital in Lakhi, a small town in Shikarpur distrit. The conditions of the public healthcare in rural Sindh are shockingly poor. I would see patients every day, but didnt have any medicines to offer them, or the capacity to admit them for treatment. There was also a shortage of basic emergency drugs such as tetanus and anti-rabies shots. This would make me question the very purpose of a government hospital, the Times of India quoted Sana. In the same report, it mentions that in 2019 when the deputy commissioner of Shikarpur visited the hospital, where she was working, Sana noticed that officer was respected by everyone, and people were willing to work and overcome the shortcomings in the hospital. That's when she decided to pursue a career in civil service and make a difference in society.

Earlier this year, another remarkable incident took place when 26-year-old Manisha Ropeta emerged successful in the provincial exams and was appointed the deputy superintendent of police. Ropeta became the first Hindu woman to be appointed a become a deputy superintendent of police after clearing the Sindh Public Service Commission exam.

Live TV
Islamabad: Pakistan`s Supreme Court on Monday slammed the federal government for failing to implement Urdu as the official language, local media reported.

A three-member bench headed by acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial presided over a contempt of court petition seeking the use of Urdu as the official language, The Express Tribune reported."Without mother tongue and national language we will lose our identity," The Express Tribune quoted Justice Bandial as saying. He added that "in my opinion, we should also learn Persian and Arabic, just like our ancestors.

"The acting Chief Justice of Pakistan said that the apex court had ordered making Urdu the official language in 2015 that the federal government failed to do."Article 251 of the Constitution mentions the mother language along with the regional languages," said the acting chief justice as he sought a reply from the Punjab government for failing to introduce Punjabi (as an official language) in the province.

Earlier, in December 2015, Lawyer Kokab Iqbal has filed a contempt of court petition for not using Urdu language, whereas a contempt of court petition has also been filed by a citizen Dr Sami against the Punjab government for not introducing Punjabi (as an official language) in the province, The Express Tribune reported.

The apex court while issuing notice to federal and Punjab governments adjourned the hearing of the case for one month.

Live TV
New Delhi: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday (September 21, 2021) thanked the citizens of Canada after his Liberal Party won its third straight Canadian federal election.

Trudeau, who narrowly won re-election but failed to secure a majority in parliament, took to Twitter and said, "Thank you, Canada  for casting your vote, for putting your trust in the Liberal team, for choosing a brighter future. We're going to finish the fight against COVID. And we're going to move Canada forward. For everyone."

Thank you, Canada  for casting your vote, for putting your trust in the Liberal team, for choosing a brighter future. We're going to finish the fight against COVID. And we're going to move Canada forward. For everyone.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 21, 2021

The 49-year-old leader had taken a gamble with his early election call two years ahead of schedule, betting that his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and Canada's high vaccination rates would deliver him a stronger mandate to rule after the 2019 vote left him with a minority government.

"What we've seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan, and some have talked about the division, but that's not what I see," he said after his rival Erin O'Toole, the leader of Canada's main opposition Conservative Party, conceded defeat.

"I see Canadians standing together," Trudeau added.

Trudeau, a father of three, comes from Canadian political royalty as he was born to a sitting Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. He took over Liberal Party in 2013 and swept to power two years later.

(With agency inputs)